Temtem may currently be struggling with technical issues, but the game is only in Early Access at this point. As players consider diving into the Pokemon-inspired MMO game on PC, they are going to have a very familiar choice to make: Which starter to select?
Much like in the Pokemon series, Temtem kicks off with player's selecting one of three adorable starters who will grow stronger throughout the game and likely become the player's main companion. This choice comes down to personal preference and will vary from player to player, but there are some important strengths and weaknesses of each that are worth considering before make the big choice.
For those who aren't onboard the Temtem craze yet, the game is a pretty interesting project. Temtem is a Pokemon-like MMO that doesn't shy away from the fact that it's a Pokemon clone at all. Players who want a break from Sword and Shield can head over to a PC and check the game out in early access. The world of Airborne Archipelago is full of adorable and powerful creatures that players can battle and collect. Just like in Pokemon, those creatures all have strengths and weaknesses that can be exploited with the right counters. Players will want to build the strongest roster possible to counter enemies and expand their collection as they journey across the MMO's massive landscape.
The three Temtem starters are Crystle, Smazee and Houchic. Some players may want to make the starter decision based just on aesthetics and that is totally fine. There are lots of other creatures to collect throughout the game, so picking one of the less useful ones here won't totally mess up your ability to progress through the MMO or anything like that. Players who want to dig a little further and make a decision based on counter usefulness or base stats can read on for a detailed breakdown of each starter.
Smazee
Let's start with the monkey-shaped elephant in the room. Metagamers who are focused on min-max'ing their way through competitive Temtem would strongly warn against selecting Smazee as your starter. The adorable melee-type creature isn't necessarily weak in comparison to the other two starters at the beginning of the game, but it does specialize in a skill set that won't be hard to pick up elsewhere later down the road.
Melee-types aren't going to be very hard to come by and some are going to be more powerful and practical than Smazee and its evolution anyway. This means that selecting Smazee early on in the game could lean to a benched starter before long. For those reasons, Smazee is probably not the best choice for competitive-minded players. That said, does have strong attack power and speed, which will make for some very easy early battles in the MMO.
Type: Melee
Strong against: Earth, Crystal
Weak Against: Mental
Trait: Fever Rush (when getting a status condition, attack increases)
Starting Stats:
HP: 26
Stamina: 22
Speed: 16
Attack: 17
Defence: 14
Special Attack: 13
Special Defence: 13
Crystle
Crystle is going to be a popular starter among players who want to make some of the early game challenges a lot easier. The turtle-like starter is strong against Electric and Mental which are both going to be frequent obstacles early in the adventure. There are about a dozen other crystal-types that can be caught later in the game and at least a handful of those are stronger than Crystle and its evolution, but the starters high defense and HP still make it a powerful enough ally in the game's early hours to be a fine choice.
Type: Crystal
Strong against: Electric, Mental
Weak Against: Fire, Earth
Trait: Amphibian (When attacked with Water, speed increases)
Starting Stats:
HP: 27
Stamina: 22
Speed: 13
Attack: 16
Defence: 17
Special Attack: 14
Special Defence: 14
Houchic
Along with Crystle, Houchic is also going to be a very popular starter choice. This humanoid starter has a perfect counter match-up and move set to lay waste to Neutral- and Melee-types, which are going to be frequent fodder throughout the game.
Type: Mental
Strong against: Neutral, Melee
Weak Against: Crystal
Trait: Soft Touch (when attacking a sleeping Temtem, it won't wake up)
Starting Stats:
HP: 24
Stamina: 22
Speed: 16
Attack: 14
Defence: 14
Special Attack: 17
Special Defence: 15
Determining which starter is right for each player largely comes down to personal preference and what that player wants out of the game. Players who want a selection that is hard to defeat early in the game will likely opt for Crystle. Players looking for a slightly harder to play creature that will crush Melee- and Neutral-types should go with Houchic.
Don't underestimate the power of cuteness though. Not everyone needs to worry about the perfect choice in terms of match-ups and stats and players shouldn't feel bad about opting for the creature that they just want to hang out with the most. Keep in mind that this starter is likely going to be a part of your roster for most of the early game, so pick one that seems like a good buddy and that you'll enjoy heading into a battle with.
One other note is to not overthink or stress about this choice. There are tons of creatures throughout the game and players will quickly add to their collection and have multiple choices when heading into battle. This means that the starter creature isn't the only one players are going to see and if they end up not really digging them, there's nothing wrong with putting them in storage and focusing on some other creatures to lead your team.
Be sure to check back in the near future for more Temtem strategy guide, news, and updates. Until then, have fun exploring Airborne Archipelago and take care of whichever Temtem starter you select!
Temtem is available now on PC in Early Access. There is currently no release date for the official launch.