How to get Drampa in Pokemon Sword & Shield

Brent Koepp
shiny drampa pokemon sword shield

Some Pokemon Trainers might still be looking for Drampa in Sword & Shield, as the majestic monster is actually pretty hard to find. Here is how you can easily locate the Normal/Dragon-type ‘mon and catch it. 

The Pokemon franchise entered its eighth generation with the debut of Sword & Shield in 2019. The Nintendo Switch title takes place in the Galar region, and introduced players to new features such as Max Raids and Dynamaxing.

While the RPG released last year, some Trainers are still trying to complete their Pokedex. One of the most rare creatures in the game is Drampa, and we have the quickest way to find the beautiful Dragon.

drampa pokedex entry
The Normal-type Dragon has a 2% spawn rate.

How to catch Drampa in Pokemon Sword & Shield

Drampa made its debut in the seventh generation title Sun & Moon in 2016. According to its Pokedex entry, the majestic dragon lives alone in the mountains: “On rare occasions, it descends to play with the children living in the towns below.”

The gorgeous Pokemon was designed after the Chinese dragon. In Sword & Shield, the creature is as aloof as his lore. Exclusive to Pokemon Shield, the monster has a spawn rate as low as 2%.

Despite being rather difficult to find, we have the easiest steps to finding the Normal-type that will have you capturing it in no time. Note: you need your Rotom bike to have the water upgrade, which you get on Route 9.

lake of outrage pokemon sword shield map
The easiest way to get Drampa is to go to The Lake of Outrage.

The steps to easily catch Drampa in Pokemon Shield

  •  Step 1: Go into System settings on Switch. Then scroll down to System and click Date & Time. Turn Synchronize Clock via Internet off. Change your date to November 1, 2020.
  • Step 2: Boot up your game, and fly to Hammerlocke Hills. Head to the Lake of Outrage on your map. You will need to cross the lake of water, and upon arrival it should be thunderstorm weather due to the date change.
  • Step 3: Run around in the tall grass, avoiding the Pokemon in the Overworld. Drampa ONLY spawns as a surprise battle. Look for the red explanation marks and run toward the rustling grass to enter a battle. Keep repeating this until the light green dragon appears. He only has a 2% spawn rate, so it might take a while. 
  • Step 4: Once you encounter him, we recommend you have a Pokemon with False Swipe, Paralyze, or Sleep moves to increase your catch rate chance. Trainers should use an Ultra Ball or something stronger – if you can spare it.
pokemon encounter sword shield
Drampa can only be found in surprise battles and doesn’t spawn in the overworld.

The Gen VII character does not spawn anywhere else on the map, except the Lake of Outrage. And he only shows up during a thunderstorm, so be sure to change your Switch clock settings as described in step one.  Unfortunately, the only way for Sword owners to get Drampa is to trade with another player. He is exclusive to the Shield edition.

According to outlet Serebii, the Dragon can also be found in 5-star Max Raid battles. However, he only shows up in two dens. We find walking around Lake of Outrage during a thunderstorm to be the quickest. Whichever route you choose, you will be sure to catch the ‘mon.

Raid Den locations

  • Axew’s Eye
  • Rolling Fields
drama max raid pokemon sword shield
You can get him in rare Max Raid battles.

As mentioned earlier, Drampa is only available in Shield. However, Sword owners exclusively have Turtonator – for our guide on how to catch the shelled dragon, check out our guide here. So a great way to get each monster is to have two Trainers who need each exclusive to swap with the other.

Despite releasing in 2019, the Gen VIII title has been a smash hit for Nintendo, and is already the third highest-selling game in the entire Pokemon franchise – proof that the RPG has never been more popular.

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About The Author

Brent is a former writer at Dexerto based in the United States, who covered topics such as Pokemon, Gaming, and online Entertainment.