Not only do you have to make a start choice between Crystle, Smazee and Houchic within five minutes of starting the game, what makes things even more difficult is there are some clear differences to Pokémon - with a different set of Types to learn and understand, and little knowledge of the meta. Because of this, there is no clear answer as to the best Temtem starter to choose from. But we can explain what every starter is, their evolutions, and some things you should know about this starter choice to help you make a decision. (Spoilers - you shouldn’t sweat it too much!) On this page: Crystle
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 Other notes: Crystle’s strengths are in defence and HP.
Smazee
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 Other notes: Smazee is a great choice for those who want to focus on attack power and speed.
Houchic
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 Other notes: Houchic is recommended for those who want to focus on special attacks, and comes recommended for taking down ‘common’ Neutral Types.
Each one also acquires an additional Type with the final evolution - all of which are explained in the following starter evolutions table:
Perhaps the most important thing to know is, unlike Pokémon, you can catch other Temtem Starters later in the game - so you won’t be excluded from trying the others no matter what you decide.
Another factor worth knowing is the SVs (which are base stats for how strong a potential Temtem can be - like IVs in Pokémon) for each Starter Temtem are fixed, and are pretty average. What this means is these aren’t the best versions of each Starter, and since you’ll be able to catch each one again later, it actually might be worth focusing on those instead if you’re serious about having one as part of your end-game squad. That said, if you aren’t into the competitive side of things, then this detail shouldn’t worry you too much!
Additionally, the consensus from the community is though Houchic and Smazee are best to start with, several threads on reddit have revealed most players dropping their starters from their parties altogether not long into the game. Turns out starters - unlike in Pokémon - aren’t necessarily more powerful than average. Knowing this might help with any starter choice paralysis you might have, as it seems you’ll probably ending up replacing them sooner than later! Regardless of what you choose, you will also be given another Temtem at the start of the game - Tuwai - meaning you’ll have multiple battle options at the start of the game.
In summary - we recommend going with whatever sounds best, and if you really can’t decide, Houchic or Smazee is likely your best bet until you create a team you prefer. If you want to know what else is out there, our Temtem Tempedia page can help. Best of luck on your new adventure!
