Two separate expansions have now been released for Pokemon Sword & Shield, opening up huge areas with plenty to discover and do. The Isle of Armor came first and brought with it a fighting dojo, two battle towers, and much more. The Crown Tundra came second, bringing with it several legendary quests, a new Max Lair, and a ton of new content to find.
Which of these two expansions is best is entirely a subjective opinion. Some people may love the icy winters of the Crown Tundra, while others could love the battle focus of the Isle of Amor. Regardless of which you prefer, there are some great things about both of them.
10 Isle of Armor: Battling
The Isle of Armor places a heavy emphasis on battling. The main epicenter of the island is the Master Dojo, which tasks the player with entering one of two battle towers and battling with their new Kubfu — a martial-arts-inspired Pokemon.
After completing the main questline (which also involves battling a new rival), the player then takes on the Dojo leader, Mustard. You can also participate in restricted sparring matches. All around, if you like battling, the Isle of Armor is the ideal DLC.
9 Crown Tundra: Exploration And Puzzles
Those who prefer a heavier focus on exploration and puzzle-solving might prefer the Crown Tundra instead. There is battling, to be sure, but this expansion has a lot of exploration, discovery, and several puzzles built-in.
The main task of the Crown Tundra is to help Peony complete the instructions in three legendary clues, as well as a mystery clue afterward. There is also a side quest involving footprints and Professor Sonia, and more. There is a ton to do and discover, and it should keep you occupied for quite some time.
8 Isle of Armor: Fashion
Both expansions brought new fashion, but the Isle of Armor increased the number of clothing options much more significantly. The Isle of Armor expansion brought with it a new item called the Style Card. This handy little card allows the player to purchase a ton of new clothing items from the stores around Galar.
The Crown Tundra adds a few items, mainly the exploration outfits from Peony and a few bits of eyewear from Peonia, but not nearly as much as the Isle of Armor, which takes the point here.
7 Crown Tundra: Galarian Star Tournament
Though the Isle of Armor does have a stronger focus on battling, the Crown Tundra is not without its own options. Chief among them is a very cool new feature: the Galarian Star Tournament. This large publicized battle sequence tasks you with choosing a teammate and defeating a host of other characters in a tournament-style showdown.
Characters involved in the Galarian Star Tournament include Gym Leaders, rivals, Leon, and more. The double battle format creates some fun challenges that keep you on your feet, too.
6 Isle of Armor: Dojo Services
Both the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra have a sort of “home base,” with Peony’s cabin in Freezington serving as the Crown Tundra counterpart to the Master Dojo.
However, Isle of Armor takes the cake here for its home base. The Master Dojo is home to a ton of people and a ton of useful things. The Cram-O-Matic, the kitchen where you can make Max Soup, a Pokemon Center, hairstylist, vending machines, and much more are included here.
5 Crown Tundra: Legendaries
There’s a heavy focus in the Crown Tundra on Legendary Pokemon. This isn’t just with the return of a few dozen of them from previous generations to the series, but with the introduction of several new ones, each with their own story and quest.
Calyrex is the main mascot here, but there is also its two steeds, Spectrier and Glastrier, two new members of the Regi group, Regieleki and Regidrago, and three new Galarian forms, this time for the Legendary Birds, Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno.
4 Isle of Armor: Characters
Both expansion packs introduced a few new characters to the series, giving the player a point of contact in an unknown and new region. While Peony and his daughter, Peonia, are likable in the Crown Tundra, the Isle of Armor’s cast of characters is a bit better.
Two new rivals (depending on which version you have), Honey, Mustard, and the familiar faces at the Dojo are all great. Peony is a bit pitiable since he planned this whole trip for his daughter, who doesn’t really seem to care. It’s sad, and a bit awkward.
3 Crown Tundra: Story And Plot
Fortunately for you, Peonia’s abandonment of her father’s plans works out in your favor, as he’ll allow you to go on the “trip” instead, which basically means finding and catching a bunch of Legendary Pokemon.
Both expansions have a plotline and main questline, but the Isle of Armor’s is a bit thin. The Crown Tundra’s storyline and quests are much more in-depth and will you keep occupied much longer, as well as allowing you to use your brain a bit, unlike the Dojo questline.
2 Isle of Armor: Overworld
Perhaps the best part of Isle of Armor is its atmosphere and landscape. As an island in seemingly warm-waters, there is a ton of sandy beaches, ocean vibes, and grassy plains. Most areas of the Isle of Armor are visually appealing, like the area around both Towers, and the Forest of Focus.
The Crown Tundra, on the other hand, is mostly a barren icy wasteland. There are some nice parts, but overall, the Isle of Armor is far superior in this regard.
1 Crown Tundra: Dynamax Adventures
Easily the best feature of the Crown Tundra — and arguably the best part of Sword & Shield in general — is the Dynamax Adventures. This great new mechanic allows you to hunt through the Max Lair, basically a long raid den, to find a Legendary Pokemon.
Using rental Pokemon shakes up many people’s stale playthrough of raids with the same few Pokemon. It forces trainers to strategize over whether to keep or release the encountered Pokemon, en route to an epic showdown against a Legendary final boss.
NEXT: 10 Pokemon That Are Much Faster Than They Look
