Temtem: Best Starters overview
An overview of the three Temtem starters: Houchic, Crystle, Smazee. Learn basic stats, strengths and weaknesses of each type, best choices, and evolutions.
In Pokemon games, we are used to the traditional fire, water, and grass starters. Temtem has a different approach, so we will have to choose between Mental, Crystal, and Melee.
Crystle, the Crystal Temtem, is the most popular one so far, while Smazee (Melee) is the least picked.
All the starters will be available to catch in the wild.
We only know their initial form and first evolution, but they also have a final form.
All the starters will reach about the same power level (the combined value of all their stats) once levelled up.
Starter Temtem may change at release.
Note: the developers are constantly adjusting and balancing Temtem, so the strength and usefulness of each starter might change on the final game release.
Starters overview
Houchic
That is Houchic, a Mental Temtem. It is strong against Neutral and Melee, but weak against Crystal. I brought it from my alma mater at Properton College in Arbury.
Type: Mental
Evolves to: Tental after 29 levels
Base stats
HP: 38
STA: 44
SPD: 66
ATK: 40
DEF: 41
SPATK: 72
SPDEF: 52
Mental type
Effective against: Neutral and Melee.
Ineffective against: Crystal.
Resistant to: Neutral and Melee.
Weak to: Electric, Digital, and Crystal.
Houchic (Mental) is a viable choice because Mental types are rare, but you could just catch Barnshe (Mental - Wind) or Kinu (Nature - Mental). The latter is considered one of the best Mental Temtem at the moment.
Moreover, Houchic’s level 1 techniques (Hypnosis and Psy Wave) have a Hold time: some technique have a charge time, so you can’t use them until a specified number of turns have passed while the Temtem is in battle.
Crystle
Crystle is a Crystal Temtem. It's strong against Electric and Mental, but weak against Fire and Earth. I caught this one in the ashen plains of Tucma, near the Amethyst Barrens.
Type: Crystal
Evolves to: Sherald after 30 levels
Base stats
HP: 60
STA: 41
SPD: 33
ATK: 61
DEF: 69
SPATK: 46
SPDEF: 42
Crystal type
Effective against: Electric and Mental.
Ineffective against: Fire and Earth.
Resistant to: Electric, Mental, and Toxic.
Weak to: Fire, Earth, and Melee.
Crystle is the best starter overall: balanced stats, tanky, great moveset, and good synergies.
Crystal types are very rare, and Crystle is currently the only Crystal type in the game (in the first two islands) other than Anahir (Crystal - Fire).
Smazee
Type: Melee
Evolves to: Baboong after 29 levels
Base stats
HP: 49
STA: 55
SPD: 66
ATK: 69
DEF: 44
SPATK: 37
SPDEF: 37
Melee type
Effective against: Earth and Crystal.
Ineffective against: Mental and Melee.
Resistant to: Melee.
Weak to: Crystal and Digital.
Smazee is not popular because of his poor defensive stats, and as there are already more Melee types available on the first island, such as Saipat (Water - Melee) and Skunch (Neutral - Melee).
More Temtem articles:
Header image and Temtem icons: Crema
