This Pokemon Sword & Shield Guide explains everything there is to know about Encounter Chaining to improve your odds at catching a Shiny Pokemon. This is a chapter of our complete Shiny Hunting Guide, so be sure to check out the main guide for even more optimizations with Shiny Catch Rates.
What is Encounter Chaining?
Encounter Chaining is when you encounter the same Pokemon over and over again while attempting to hunt a Shiny Pokemon of that specific Pokemon. To properly increase your Encounter Chain you need to defeat the same Pokemon over and over without fainting another Pokemon that isn’t the one you are Chaining. Each Encounter the game will “roll” (randomly decide) whether or not your encounter will be a shiny. The reason you want to build up these encounter chains is to vastly improve your odds at finding a Shiny Pokemon (a differently colored version) of the Pokemon you are “chaining”.
What continues or breaks the chain?
Encountering and fainting the same Pokemon over and over will increase your chain. Encountering another Pokemon while in a chain will not disrupt the chain unless you catch or faint the Pokemon that is not the one you are chaining. Running away from an encounter whether it’s the Pokemon you are Chaining or not will not disrupt the Chain but will not increase it either.
What does the Chain need to be to increase odds of finding a Shiny Pokemon?
The higher your chain the better the chance of getting a Shiny. The maximum chain that will boost your chances of a Shiny Pokemon are after having defeated 25 of that Pokemon in a row.
Is there a counter for your current Chain?
Unfortunately no, this is something you are going to have to track manually or through writing down the starting number and checking the Pokedex entry of that Pokemon to see how many more Battles against that Pokemon you have had.
Is the current chain the only thing that affects the shiny chance?
No, the Chain just increases your chance that the encounter will “reroll” the chance at being shiny. The number of times you have battled the Pokemon you are Chaining will determine the amount of “rerolls” you get which increases the odds.
How do the Chain Count and Number of times you have battled a Pokemon work together?
Every time you encounter a Pokemon you have a chance at rerolling the encounter to be a Shiny Pokemon. The higher the chain the higher the chance at rerolling the chance at the Pokemon being shiny. The number of battles you have completed against that Pokemon will determine the amount of rerolls that you can get from hitting the chance at the reroll.
Breakdown of the odds:
Knowing that the Encounter Chain and Number of times affects the shiny odds here are the chances and odds of each encounter:
- Pokemon Battled 1-19 Times: 1 reroll increases chance to 1 in 2048
- 0-3 Chain – 1.5% Chance at 1 reroll
- 4-7 Chain – 3.5% Chance at 1 reroll
- 8-15 Chain – 6.5% Chance at 1 reroll
- 16-24 Chain – 13.5% Chance at 1 reroll
- 25+ Chain – 31.5% Chance at 1 reroll
- Pokemon Battled 20-49 Times: 1 reroll increases chance to 1 in 2048
- 0-3 Chain – 2% Chance at 1 reroll
- 4-7 Chain – 4% Chance at 1 reroll
- 8-15 Chain – 7% Chance at 1 reroll
- 16-24 Chain – 14% Chance at 1 reroll
- 25+ Chain – 32% Chance at 1 reroll
- Pokemon Battled 50-99 Times: 2 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 1365.3
- 0-3 Chain – 2.5% Chance at 2 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 4.5% Chance at 2 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 7.5% Chance at 2 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 14.5% Chance at 2 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 32.5% Chance at 2 rerolls
- Pokemon Battled 100-199 Times: 3 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 1024
- 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 3 rerolls
- Pokemon Battled 200-299 Times: 4 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 819.2
- 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 4 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 4 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 4 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 4 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 4 rerolls
- Pokemon Battled 300-499 Times: 5 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 682.6
- 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 5 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 5 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 5 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 5 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 5 rerolls
- Pokemon Battled 500+ Times: 6 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 585.1
- 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 6 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 6 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 6 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 6 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 6 rerolls
Odds with the Shiny Charm:
The Shiny Charm (see How to Get Shiny Charm) will give a base +2 rolls. Here is a listing of the odds with the Shiny Charm having been obtained:
- Pokemon Battled 1-19 Times: 3 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 1024
- 0-3 Chain – 1.5% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 3.5% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 6.5% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 13.5% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 31.5% Chance at 3 rerolls
- Pokemon Battled 20-49 Times: 3 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 1024
- 0-3 Chain – 2% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 4% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 7% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 14% Chance at 3 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 32% Chance at 3 rerolls
- Pokemon Battled 50-99 Times: 4 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 819.2
- 0-3 Chain – 2.5% Chance at 4 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 4.5% Chance at 4 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 7.5% Chance at 4 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 14.5% Chance at 4 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 32.5% Chance at 4 rerolls
- Pokemon Battled 100-199 Times: 5 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 682.6
- 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 5 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 5 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 5 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 5 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 5 rerolls
- Pokemon Battled 200-299 Times: 6 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 585.1
- 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 6 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 6 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 6 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 6 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 6 rerolls
- Pokemon Battled 300-499 Times: 7 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 512
- 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 7 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 7 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 7 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 7 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 7 rerolls
- Pokemon Battled 500+ Times: 8 rerolls increases chance to 1 in 455.1
- 0-3 Chain – 3% Chance at 8 rerolls
- 4-7 Chain – 5% Chance at 8 rerolls
- 8-15 Chain – 8% Chance at 8 rerolls
- 16-24 Chain – 15% Chance at 8 rerolls
- 25+ Chain – 33% Chance at 8 rerolls
That’s all there is to know about Chaining Pokemon Encounters in Sword and Shield. There are other ways to improve your Shiny Hunting odds, please refer to our full Pokemon Sword & Shield Shiny Hunting Guide for all optimization methods.
Thanks very much for sharing this, really helpful stuff!
So if I am chaining a pokemon and at some point save and leave the game (turn it off). When I go back in will the chain still be there or will it reset?
it’ll reset
if you still dont know it wont reset.
Does hatching an egg break the chain?
When I was trying for a shiny Combee today, I saved in between to save progress. A total of 113 tries, I met shiny male Combee. So yes, you should be fine.
if you catch a pokemon that you are chaining then u faint it does it affect the chain by resetting or increase the chance of shiny
How to you know if it’s been rerolled ? I’ve battled encountered about 87 times now.
Will camping reset it? And do I have to catch it
No clue about camping, but no, you don’t have to catch it. Fainting the Pokémon is enough to continue the chain.
Will chaining a Pokemon increase its chance to spawn if its rather rare on the route?
Yes
Im quite sure there is no reset on your counter but your shiny rates increase every hundred by 1 capped out on 500
Yes
Can I go to the Pokemon-Center, without loosing the chain?
Does anyone know if this method works with Pokemon not in the over-world but Pokemon only encounter-able from the rustling grass?
does fighting a different stage of that pokemon break the chain? say chaining 8 dreepy then fighting a drakloak
if youre trying to fight dreepys in the wild you are just better off hatching eggs
If you get the chain to 25 then catch something esle will the chain go
No. It will break the chain
If you leave the area, will the chain break?
I’ve just used the chain method in Hope’s of getting a shiny regieleki and at 500+ battles and 455 after that I didnt get a shiny does this prove that the info is false
No, the odds will be reduced however it doesn’t mean you are garunteed a shiny after X amount of encounters.
Also I am not sure if you can knock out or catch 500+ legendaries, in that case you will be at full odds or if you have the shiny charm slightly reduced
You can faint the regieleki as many times as you want as it will keep allowing you to encounter it until you capture it. So the chaining does work for it. Im currently at 364 encounters and 25 chained max. No shiny lol. Also great way for xp and speed ev points
And shiny charm.
I don’t think the chaining part of the method works for static encounters. But you should still get the increase from Dex encounters.
I was under the impression that legendaries were static. Meaning if you encounter it once and it’s not shiny, it will never be shiny on that save file
does this affect the odds in the medusa method so lower the odds even more
ok so let’s say I fainted the Pokémon I want, 55 times, what are the odds now? 1 /what? Also since I turned the game off, can I faint 25 Pokémon in a row to chain? Or do I have to catch 25 in a row to make a chain? Ugh this is so confusing…
As a small comment on the legendaries being static. No you can soft reset for them so I don’t see why
Can I catch the Pokémon instead of taking it out. And if I do does that continue the chain? I’m catching just shinx that’s why I’m asking
I accidentally ran from my pokemon i am chaining but encountered a new one does that break my chain?
As long as you didn’t catch or fight it no
if you’re in your chain at 25+ encounters and one of your party pokemon evolves, does it break your chain?