Temtem Starters guide: which starter to choose for your adventure

New MMORPG Temtem is taking the world by storm with its new PC early access release - and just like its obvious inspiration Pokemon, there's a difficult early choice between various Temtem Starters - and we're here with some advice if you're unsure which to pick.

As in Pokemon, the starter Temtem you choose is likely to become a staple of your adventure. There  are over 160 Temtem planned for the final game and over 80 of them are in the early access release of the game, but regardless your starter choice is likely to be a major component of your team throughout your adventure.

While Temtem is similar to Pokemon in many ways, it's also definitely breaking out on its own in a variety of unique ways, and this impacts your starter choice. For example, the Temtem type chart is completely different, consisting of different types with entirely different strengths and weaknesses. 

What you need to know about Temtem Starters

Within your first few minutes of getting your avatar character designed you'll be faced with a choice between three starter Temtem creatures: Crystle, Smazee and Houchic. It might be that one has a design that jumps out at you as the best right away, but even if so this is still a difficult choice.

For those familiar with Pokemon, there's a few key differences in Temtem that you should consider. First of all, as mentioned above, the starter types are completely different and have a very different functionality to the obvious rock-paper-scissors style setup of the fire-water-grass types. We cover types in detail in our Temtem type guide, but we'll also talk about the starter types on this page.

Second, and this is important - unlike Pokemon, starter Temtem do actually show up in the rest of the world of the game, meaning you will have an opportunity to catch the others later on - or, indeed, you could eventually trade for them. They are rarer - some more than others - but starters will be available through various other means later on. Currently, only Crystle is catchable elsewhere, and only rarely and later on in the game - but given its availability, it seems a safe bet the others will also appear in the wild as the early access release gets updates and additions. 

Finding the best Temtem Starter for you: which starter should you choose?

Brace yourself for a shocker: in truth, there isn't an outright 'best' Temtem starter. Shock! Just like Pokemon, however, each of the three starters has its own unique pros, cons, abilities, strengths and weaknesses, all of which you should consider. 

Here's a basic rundown:

• Crystle will lead to the most difficult time in the early game, as it is weak to a lot of the Temtem types that you'll encounter and battle frequently from early on. However, Crystle will be more broadly useful into the late game.
• Smazee is all about physical attacks, and it even has an ability that boosts its melee attacks when it's hit with a status effect. It's also got a solid speed stat, so it's built for quick takedowns rather than lenghty encounters.
• Houchic is the opposite of Smazee in a sense: it has a lower physical attack but a stronger special attack and defense. Special moves can be very powerful, so this is a bonus. It has the lowest HP value of any of the starters, however. 

The game doesn't display too much information on the trio when you're picking them - so here's some extra stats and facts, as well.

Crystle: starter strengths, weaknesses, trait, stats & evolutions

Here's the longer-form detail you need to know about Crystle, the first of our three starters.

• Type: Crystal
  • Strong vs: Electric, Mental
  • Weak vs: Fire, Earth
• Trait: Amphibian (If attacked by Water-type moves, it gets a speed buff)
• Best Stats: HP, Attack, Defense
• Worst Stats: Speed, Sp. Attack, Sp. Defense
• Evolutions: Sherald (Level 30), Unknown 3rd Evolution

Smazee: starter strengths, weaknesses, trait, stats & evolutions

Smazee is your melee-type starter - here's the basic stats you should know before picking it.

• Type: Melee
  • Strong vs: Crystal, Earth
  • Weak vs: Mental
• Trait: Fever Rush (when afflicted with a status effect, Attack buff) 
• Best Stats: Attack, Speed, HP
• Worst Stats: Sp. Attack, Sp. Defense, Defense 
• Evolutions: Baboong (Level 30), Unknown 3rd Evolution

Houchic: starter strengths, weaknesses, trait, stats & evolutions

Houchic is your magical-type in a sense, excelling at 'special' attacks that don't involve, you know, physically punching the opponent. Here's its basic stats:

• Type: Mental
  • Strong vs: Melee, Neutral
  • Weak vs: Crystal
• Trait: Soft Touch (Attacks will not wake up a sleeping Temtem)
• Best Stats: Sp. Attack, Sp. Defense, Speed
• Worst Stats: Attack, Defense, HP
• Evolutions: Tental (Level 30), Unknown 3rd Evolution