Judge-a-Pokémon Express: The Beasts of the Crown Tundra (part 1)
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Codraroll
The second part of the DLC for Pokémon Sword and Shield has arrived, the Crown Tundra. While it features a big new environment to play in, a little story, and a host of returning Pokémon, the real novelty of this DLC is the new Pokémon it brings. In fact, there are enough new Pokémon to make this a two-parter. Initially, we will focus on Calyrex and its steeds. Calyrex itself was featured in a JAPE panel a while ago, but now that we've seen Calyrex in action, some of our panelists may have formed some different opinions on it, so it will be featured once more. The other two Pokémon are Glastrier and Spectrier, which can be mounted by Calyrex so they fight together as one Pokémon. Note that while these "Ice Rider" and "Shadow Rider" forms are technically forms of Calyrex, they will be discussed in Glastrier's and Spectrier's entries. Let's hear what the panelists have to say, shall we?
| Calyrex | Glastrier | Spectrier |
| Click on the images to reveal everyone's thoughts! | ||
Kalalokki
Middling stats all-round
This king does not rule at all
Fuse already fool!
Ryota Mitarai
I have already mentioned it in a previous article, but Calyrex would make a great paintball player. It has paint bombs around its necks and can use its psychic powers to shoot them without a paint gun, and I have a feeling that if you burst its big head, it would cause a paint splatter that would still eliminate you from the game.
When I first saw Calyrex, I thought it looked a lot like a deer. I was surprised to discover that, according to Bulbapedia, it may be based on an arctic hare. Hares are classified in the same family as rabbits. In all honesty, it still looks a lot more like a deer to me than a rabbit. But hey, I ain't a biologist.
The thing I am disappointed about the most in regards to Calyrex is the fact they just made it a worse Celebi. I mean, sure, it can transform into formes with vastly different stats, but it's still somewhat lame when you are practically outclassed by something else. They could have surely made a base stat or two higher than 100 or something, just so they are somewhat different and give you a reason to use each.
Repu
Calyrex just looks alienlike to me. You can decide whether to interpret this as a compliment or an insult, but this is definitively the first thought that popped in my head when I saw its design; it kinda reminds me of Poipole in a sense, although Calyrex looks a bit more goofy and much less cute. I really like the contrast it has with both Urshifu formes, since they're from a pair of DLCs: while the two bears demonstrate power through brute strength and martial arts, this arctic hare demonstrate to us power through calmness and wisdom, which I believe is a very neat approach. However, Game Freak did this in the most stereotypical way possible by giving it a massive brainlike bud crown, which is really unfortunate, at least in my opinion. I believe there are more creative ways of showing us someone is smart, but they maybe went with this design choice because a "big head" is easier for children to related with knowledge and thus it is a safer move for Game Freak to make.
Max. Optimizer
Now that I finally had the opportunity to play the storyline of the Crown Tundra DLC expansion pass, my opinions regarding Calyrex have not changed all that much from when I first shared my opinions and impressions in the previous Judge-a-Pokémon Express: DLC Legendary Edition edition of our JAPE article format. However, my initial appraisal of some of Calyrex's elements that I had already pointed out a while back has become more solidified. I will commence with my opinions regarding Calyrex's design, and then I will proceed to also take a closer look at its typing. For example, while I had already been familiar with the proverb that "kings have long arms", in the sense where their sovereignty is able to reach the peasants living even the most remote places of the kingdom, Calyrex interestingly enough turns out to be the king that has long legs instead. While this definitely ties in with the fact that Calyrex's legs are most likely designed this way in order to allow it to mount Glastrier and Spectrier, its noble steeds, better, I also personally like to imagine that it could potentially be considered a humorous and playful reference to the actual lore of it having lost its proverbial "long arms" over the course of time. Calyrex having undeniably lost a notable part of its reputation and prestige is for example evidenced by the fact that it has lost the power of its noble steeds that are now roaming around riderless across the tundra, and the memory of the villagers in Freezington has also considerably fallen into oblivion. In this sense, I, generally speaking, definitely learned to fully appreciate Calyrex's overall design that definitely ties in with the narrative frame, symbolism, and metaphors conveyed by the short, yet charming, storyline the Crown Tundra had to offer us. As far as its typing is concerned, I was pleased to find out that my expectations and interpretations were not let down either. As I had already pointed out a while back, the Psychic typing was most certainly inspired by the fact that the deer is a symbol that frequently shows up in spiritual contexts. I genuinely think that this part of Calyrex's dual typing was adroitly implemented by occasionally letting it use its psychic powers to use Peony as a mouthpiece, allowing it to communicate with you. This does for example strongly remind me of how Mewtwo would also use its psychic powers in Pokémon The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back, to communicate to the trainers via Nurse Joy. Furthermore, the way in which it combines both its Psychic-type powers and its Grass-type powers to let plants grow also reminds me of the Shishigami deer god from Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke movie that lets plants grow via sheer willpower. Much like how nature and plants tend to go through different phases of renewal, the natural cycle becomes fulfilled when the villagers' memory blossoms once more the moment Calyrex gets back on the horse, quite literally.
Ununhexium
At a glance, I can't really tell what Calyrex is trying to be. Is it some funky rabbit king with wings? While the crown certainly gives Calyrex a regal appearance, a king should be powerful, and I certainly do not get that feeling from it. Its proportions are just so goofy that it's really hard to take anything it might do seriously. In addition, its necklace looks less like fancy jewelry and more like a brace to keep someone from moving their neck too much.
More than anything else, though, the massive, spherical crown with the skinny legs supporting Calyrex makes me want to hit golf balls off of it.
Estronic
After playing through the Crown Tundra, my opinion on Calyrex has, well, not really changed too much. Funnily enough, I actually prefer what Calyrex outside of its design over what I thought it was going to be. I expected it to be a very serious, sophisticated Pokémon that takes no funny business, so when I saw it literally possess a guy in order to actually speak, enjoy carrots seemingly too much, and dance a jig in order to grow a carrot, its comically large head didn't seem as weird anymore. Speaking of that, a lot of dialogue from the characters makes fun of its big head, so at least Game Freak is aware of their questionable design choices. Regardless, after observing the actual character of Calyrex after only knowing about its design for months, I'm more fond of it, though that's mostly due to me appreciating it more on the silly side rather than taking it seriously. In other words, its design is stupid with some charm instead of just stupid.
Lockjaw
Ok, let's go by parts. Everyone knows Calyrex has one of the most bizarre designs of all the legendaries. Its concept is very interesting, an ancient king that lost his empire, but the creature they chose to represent this king was a huge failure. How is someone going to glorify this big-headed small bunny-deer hybrid as a king? It's kinda hard to accept. In addition to Calyrex's design not contributing to its royal image, its base stats don't help either. This Pokémon probably reigned an empire of Magikarp. If not for a mere 20 points, Calyrex would be on the same level as Phione, and it has low stats and a limited movepool without any kind of coverage, which makes even Exeggutor feel ashamed to share the same typing as this thing, and a useless ability, making Calyrex 100% depend on in its magnificent horse to show its true "power". About the horses' concept, like I said about the king's concept, they're very interesting. However, can you imagine an elf or a gnome riding on a huge horse without looking bizarre or comic? Yeah, Calyrex also gives me that impression. It's incredible how this Pokémon is one of the weakest legendaries and, at the same time, one of the strongest because of its mascot. Maybe if they had given them more details and made them look more medieval, certainly we wouldn't feel that much hate.
About his competitive journey, well, you can see that thing not is going make a success even in PU, I hope he gets more respect in ZU. There's a reason Calyrex has a very limited special moveset, because of his "fusion" with Spectrier (Glastrier itself already haves a good coverage). Can you imagine how OP that horse would have been if Calyrex had a varied movepool with Earth Power, Moonblast, or Focus Blast. We're going to end up with a second Mega Rayquaza.
Blitzamirin
After much speculation, the so-called "King of Harvests" has finally debuted in the second DLC! Many fans will finally get their important questions answered, such as how strong this all-knowing Pokémon truly is, what is its connection to the Galarian Legendary Birds, and the most important one of all: what is up with the feet? The first question is answered through the lore—Calyrex is, unfortunately, purposefully weak because people have forgotten who it is, a parallel that one can find in other real-world religions where a deity's strength is directly tied to the faith of those who believe in it. The second question... well, that ended up being a dud. Turns out Calyrex isn't some weird Trio Master and has pretty much nothing to do with the Galarian Legendary Birds. Finally, about that third question... turns out one of its weirdest design quirks ended up being fairly important in allowing it to ride its mounts! And while this in itself doesn't make the stick legs look any less weird, you could say the power increase makes it get off on the right foot... or is it hoof?
Finland
I love the concepts here. The stern, deer-like face really pops on a bipedal frame, and the legs are just long enough to keep that face at reasonable height without making things ridiculous. The wings and "necklace" combine with a subdued color palette give Calyrex a reserved flair and dignity that doesn't rely on gimmicks or excessively easy associations... but then we get to the crown. The berry-like center feels ready to burst with some sort of fascinating locked-away power, but man, that crown just occupies so much space on the Pokémon's design! I like the crown much better in the rider formes, where it takes up a much more reasonable percentage of the design's total area.
deetah
Calyrex's design is definitely... interesting, to say the least. When I first saw it all that time ago, I assumed it to be some kind of alien. Honestly, it looks like it could topple over at any second from being unable to support its giant "crown" with those sticklike legs. Also, don't get me started on the proportions. Calyrex's stats are also absolutely abysmal for a Pokémon that is supposed to be the "King of Galar;" the king of some type of alien race seems more plausible. It only stands a chance when in one of its rider formes. The only redeeming quality I can seem to pinpoint on Calyrex is its intelligence.
Pikachu315111
Learning about Calyrex felt like a rollercoaster ride. When it was first revealed I was bewildered by its design and curious how it would stack up against fellow Psychic / Grass Celebi. Then, after only sneak peeks of it from trailers, just before the Crowd Tundra was released, a leak happened that revealed, among other things, its abysmal stats when not riding on one of the Wild Horses. How was Game Freak going to turn things around for Calyrex? Now, having playing Crown Tundra, I've got to give it to Game Freak; while it probably won't ever be used one its own, they did a good job with its character in the story and lore it brings.
In the isolated and mostly elderly town of Freezington in the Crown Tundra, Calyrex is only remembered as a folklore figure called "The King of Bountiful Harvests." After we prove ourselves the only human interested enough to repair the statue of the king and its steed, Calyrex appears before us. Possessing and speaking through Peony (don't worry, he's fine, it's played for laughs), Calyrex tells us what happened: people stopped believing in Calyrex, causing it to lose much of its power and its steed to abandon it, and now that it can no longer create bountiful harvests, only more people stop believing in it (with many of Freezington's youths having left for greener and warmer places). However, Calyrex's steed has retained most of its power, and if Calyrex can reunite with its steed, it too will regain its power and ability to protect the Crown Tundra and bring bountiful harvests again. A straightforward plot done in a few hours, but it does make you feel proactive as you help a Legendary Pokémon regain its power and helping people in the process.
Calyrex is a fun character; being a king it speaks (though Peony) in a aristocratic way (but never disrespectfully) but has moments where it's a bit of a goof. Calyrex is good natured and realizes the situation it's in; it wants to help but needs to be helped first, and the player is the only one who doesn't run away screaming from it. There's also additional lore scattered around on pillars throughout the Tundra that tells you more about Calyrex; notably it had done battle with Eternatus and was gravely injured, but then it was healed and cared for by the people of Freezington, whom it blessed with bountiful harvests in thanks. It creates a nice, cohesive picture of what and who Calyrex and its role in Galar.
Still, while we now have an explanation why its stats are low, low stats are low stats. Its stats are comparable to Glalie and Phione, it just has 20 more points in its base HP. If you want to use a Psychic / Grass, use Celebi, and if you want to use Calyrex, make sure it's mounted on one of its steeds. Those legs aren't made for walking, they're made to command its steed to trample all over you.
Zephyr2007
Ah, Calyrex. You weren't going to be very good anyway, but why, oh why did Game Freak have to do you dirty with those stats? Seriously, Shuckle has both a better distribution and stat total than Calyrex. Ironic for the "King of Galar"
Competitive disappointment aside, I think I like Calyrex a bit more than the average person (I don't absolutely hate it). I dunno, I think it's partly my soft spot for Grass-types in general. I'd say the thing that tipped me over from indifference to mild appreciation was it's entire Crown Tundra story arc. The entire "dead king" thing, the possession of Peony, the entire arc of finding the horses, all of these breathe so much life into Calyrex as a character, something that no Pokémon game has done, atleast in my opinion. Something else I want to say, although I bitched about the stats at the beginning of this, Calyrex's lore does a decent job of justifying its godawful stats in that state.
This isn't to say that I don't see any negatives though. Calyrex's main issue for me is the execution. I see a lot of interesting concepts in the design, like the "Quiet King" aesthetic, or the beaded necklace. But in the end, it felt that a lot of these ideas clashed together and made for a subpar final product. For a lack of better metaphor, it looks like each "piece" of Calyrex was made by a different person, and these "pieces" were hastily put together right in time for the DLC trailer. There are so many questions I have in regards to its design, but I think other people can talk about those better than I have. At least I can rest assured knowing Calyrex is a reindee- wait....
JustoonSmitts
I honestly didn't know what to make of Calyrex when I first saw it all those months ago. There are things I like about it, such as its stern expression, the emphasis on its crown (this is the Crown Tundra expansion after all. I kind of like the combination of antlers and a berry to tie in with the Grass typing), and I kind of appreciate the kingly air this Pokémon exerts. On the other hand, I was dissapointed with its Psychic / Grass typing, and I think its proportions are a little ridiculous. I was wondering how on earth this thing was suppossed to move with those Adventure Time limbs. However, I really started to like it more when I played the Crown Tundra story, where everything started to click. It uses telekinesis to float and to possess poor Peony to communicate with us. I also noticed this similarity with King Arthur with its story line. Think about it: this is the king of Galar that was once revered, but eventually it disappears and is regarded as the locals as a myth, while a few long for the return of their once and future king. It's a Pokémon I was mixed about when I first saw it, but I think I like it a little more due to its arc in the game. At least they gave it some personality instead of making it like every other legendary Pokémon we've seen so far.
Codraroll
When I first saw Calyrex, we didn't know any of the context, and my immediate thought was "what is this mess?" Having seen it in context, my immediate thought can be amended to "no, really, what is this mess?" Awfully long, limp legs without feet, arms too short to reach its own face, disproportionately large head even without considering the bulb, a stupid necklace, and ... the bulb. I guess the idea behind the bulb is to make Calyrex stand out a little more when riding its steed, so its tiny body doesn't vanish completely behind the big horse, but it still doesn't look any good. It's just goofy, and presents its opponent with an obvious target to aim for. Then again, I'm not sure if it would have looked better without the bulb. Maybe a total scrapping and starting over from scratch would be in order.
Bandkrook
Having a big head and a tiny body does not automatically make you cute, and Calyrex is the prime example of that. Calyrex's body is, and that's an understatement, a mess. Now, I'm not one to body shame, but c'mon guys. Its head is ridiculously huge when compared to literally every other part of its body, even its legs! What are those four things holding its head? Are they its ears? And don't even get me started on those proportions, god. What is going on with its legs? Why is one larger than the other? And why is one more crooked? What are those lines above them? Is it wearing pantyhoses? Also, what's the deal behind its cape? What is its purpose? Does Calyrex fly with it? Is Calyrex a superhero and nobody told me? There's just too many questions and not enough answers. Calyrex's arms are not that bad, because they actually fit its body and are not huge, unlike the legs. Also, its body has a very round shape, which is literally the shape I have acquired from being stuck at home during quarantine, and at this point I just think Calyrex is making fun of me. About its necklace, it's apparently based on berries, like his headpiece, but it just doesn't work for me, because they look too much like a normal necklance and have no berry-like features, with the only tie being Calyrex's Grass typing. It just seems all too... artificial. Which is funny coming from a literal plant Pokémon.
Kalalokki
This steed is just there
Ice typing and very slow
Glacial Lance is dope
Ryota Mitarai
To be a bulky Ice-type or not to be a bulky Ice-type, that is the question: whether Game Freak realizes the first answer is wrong, it will remain a mystery for long.
Now, jokes aside, I am going to say that I do prefer Spectrier to Glastrier. I find Glastrier's overall design to be somewhat bland. There just aren't as many interesting details in it as in Spectrier's. I find it amusing how it is said that it can become fast if it freezes the ground and slide on it, yet this is never reflected in any way in its Speed stat (beyond Calyrex-I using Trick Room, I guess?). From what we know, Glastrier's legs are allow it to travel through the worst roads, which would be very useful where I live. All in all, I don't like Glastrier as much as Spectrier.
Repu
When I first heard about Calyrex having two new formes (shoutouts to Blitzamirin for introducing me to them), I was caught by surprise. I was never expecting two more new Pokémon for the Crown Tundra, nor them to fuse with Calyrex. I guess it's another nice contrast with the Urshifu formes, since they've got Gigantamax formes? Well, let's just roll with it and talk about our crystal pony.
Although Glastrier's design is pretty bland in my opinion, I still like it somehow. It may be too simple, and it could have more details, but I feel some charm from it because it kinda looks like a knight wearing an ice armor, although the knight should be the rider, not the horse (I know, this is a bit confusing, but we'll get there). My point is, yeah, the ice details do look cool on Glastrier, and they make it look strong and bulky, but I think they could have given some of that armor to Calyrex as well after it switches to Ice Rider forme. The way it looks now is just a bit boring, since it's just Calyrex riding a horse with no new additions to it.
Max. Optimizer
Alright, let me break the ice right away by saying that, when it comes to Glastrier, I feel like it is, in my personal opinion, the most fitting one of Calyrex's two riding mounts. The tundra is predominantly mountainous, mostly covered in a snow blanket and glistening ice masses, hence providing the optimal natural habitat for a Pokémon like Glastrier to live and roam around. By looking at Glastrier's design, one can already immediately notice the notably robust and sturdy shins and hooves that definitely significantly facilitate traversing the tundra's snow-capped mountains and glacial crevasses. While I think that the icy mask covering its face looks very, I guess you could say, "cool", I am having a hard time believing that it is supposedly 100 times harder than diamond, a claim made by its Pokédex entry in Pokémon Shield. This is, however, only the tip of the iceberg. Interestingly enough, the arrogant Glastrier seems to have put its collaborative relationship with its former rider on ice for the time being, and Calyrex actually has to put in work in order to tame it again and regain its trust. After all, if wishes were horses, then beggars would ride, as the saying goes. I feel like Calyrex's Rider formes are indeed an interesting concept for a synergetic coexistence of two Pokémon. In the past, we have for example seen how Remoraid has a tendency of attaching itself to Mantine in order to hitch rides, or how the giant parasitic mushroom takes over Parasect as a host Pokémon, and we have also seen Pokémon like Kyurem or Necrozma that respectively absorb other Pokémon like Reshiram and Zekrom or Solgaleo and Lunala during the process of fusion. The Rider formes are hence interesting in the sense that the use of creatures as riding a mount is an action that is typically attributed to human beings. I am, however, surprised that they did not give Calyrex weapons in the form of a sword, spear, and/or shield like they did for Sirfetch'd and its leek lance and its leaf shield. I feel like it could have given our king on his high horse even more of an authoritative appearance. While one could rightfully argue that having made these design choices would have been too much of a good thing, in the sense where it would cause Calyrex Ice Rider's design to become too unnecessarily overcomplicated, I still could not help but toy around with the thought of it when I first saw the design, feeling like someone was missing in the otherwise promising overall picture. Then again, I do not want to walk on thin ice by looking the proverbial gift horse in the mouth. I want to conclude by saying that I definitely appreciate the effort and the creativity that were poured into designing this Pokémon and, at the end of the day, creating a design that will be considered flawless by the entire player base would be very much neigh impossible.
Ununhexium
When I was told that Calyrex would be riding a horse into battle, I was definitely imagining something more along the lines of Glastrier. The way the icicles are shaped and their placement definitely gives it an armored look, as a war horse should look. In addition, I love how detailed the ice looks without stepping into "overdesigned" territory and how the transition into the rest of its body is sharp but doesn't feel abrupt or out of place. Overall, a very cool (heh) design.
Estronic
Kyurem's fusions with Reshiram and Zekrom are one of my favorite design choices Game Freak has made throughout the generations, so when I heard Calyrex was getting formes based on what other Pokémon you fuse it with, I got pretty excited. Unfortunately, that excitement disappeared when I learned that the formes are just Calyrex riding two different horses. Nothing special there, but what about the actual Pokémon Calyrex can fuse with, err, ride on? Needless to say, both of them are pretty underwhelming. To begin, Glastrier is certainly, um, a Pokémon that exists. I just feel like its design is so lazy; to me, it honestly looks like an Ice-type Rapidash. It's just so bland to me. I wish they added some more details instead of just taking a white empty template of a horse and slapping ice onto its head, legs, and tail. Speaking of its legs, the amount of ice clumped to its hooves upwards is, to put it bluntly, quite ugly. Wouldn't they get easily worn down as Glastrier gallops? I haven't seen the usual justification of "it's so cold that they never melt" yet. But yeah, the lack of interesting details, and details overall, makes Glastrier a very big disappointment.
Lockjaw
Ok, this Pokémon gives me Eiscue and Rapidash vibes. If a photo of this Pokémon have been leaked at the beginning of Gen 8, many people would say that's Galarian Rapidash, but, really, it's literally Rapidash with the fire exchanged for ice. I actually enjoyed its design, but one thing that makes me uncomfortable is its Speed stat. When you think about the king's horse, you think of a strong, tough and fast creature. Glastrier has all these characteristics, apart from fast. Why on Earth would I want a horse that has the same Speed as a Metapod (base 30). I can't say too much about its competitive prowess, but trust me, that thing with Calyrex still gives me nightmares in Random Battles, especially from the fact that it's a very slow strong horse that can boost its Attack after a Pokémon faints (Stakataka vibes). I have no idea how solo Glastrier is going to be, since, you know, pure Ice-types don't have the best reputation (excluding the ice cream). Beartic, Cryogonal, Eiscue, all of them are in low tiers, but it's not impossible for RapiGLASh (haha) to put in good work in its tier.
Blitzamirin
Game Freak gives us a new Ice-type Legendary, and rampant speculation among fans quickly found its way to scream "horse? FAST". Well, that excitement quickly turned into disappointment when it was discovered that even Mudsdale was faster, and our new friend would join the archetype of Pokémon known as "slow, bulky Ice-type". In practice, however, Glastrier is actually pretty ... cool! It's one of VGC's prime Trick Room attackers at the moment thanks to its stat spread, good movepool, and good synergy with other Pokémon so it can get going. To top its current competitive viability, you also have its design—simple and elegant, with the most defining feature being the diamond-encased head and hooves, which I think looks really sick. And then it gets tamed by Calyrex...
Ice Rider Calyrex gives us a glimpse of how Calyrex is when its power is restored, and the first thing that stands out is a redesign—it now gets a cape befitting of a king and a piercing glare that tells you that it means business. And in battle, it sports the typical 680 Uber tier BST, gets an awesome signature move in Glacial Lance, and can even set its own Trick Room. What's not to like? Unfortunately, you could say it's... overshadowed by its counterpart, leaving it forgettable in the eyes of many.
deetah
I am a big fan of Glastrier's and Spectrier's respective designs. Glastrier looks absolutely menacing, with sharp icy stalagmites that are apparently one hundred times harder than diamond covering its head, tail, and hooves. It is also known to take things by force, so I definitely wouldn't want to be in the way of this behemoth. Despite having quite good defenses, Glastrier has unfortunately been cursed with a base 30 Speed stat. To put it in perspective, that's only two points more than Avalugg. Definitely a bit bewildering for a Pokémon resembling a horse. Glastrier has also been granted Chilling Neigh as an ability, which is literally just Moxie with a fancier name.
Pikachu315111
Glastrier is my favorite of the Wild Horses, at least designwise. So much so that when I saw Spectrier I worried that, due to how simple it looked, that could have meant both were fakes and we wouldn't be getting the ice-covered horse. But the leaks were true, for better and for worse. As the Crown Tundra's release neared, I had jumped ship to hoping they were fake due to the reveal of their stats. Game Freak did it again; they made another slow Ice-type with high defenses.
Normally I'd go into the possible origins of Glastier but I feel the Wild Horses' origins are kind of all over the place. Glastrier could take inspiration from the white horse ridden by Conquest of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, be based on a unicorn, or a reference to one of King Arthur's steeds named Hengroen. Many possibilities though none really explaining why it's an Ice-type, aside from white being a color associated with Ice. However I feel the most important one of those origins would be Hengroen, not because of anything directly related to the story it comes from but because it's a horse ridden by a king. And I think that's where the true origin lies; both horses are "warhorses," thus explaining their malicious attitude but also their ability to be tamed by a powerful figure.
Of the two Glastrier is the "less malicious", but that also makes its dex entries a bit boring. It's just rude and takes what it wants or it'll smash you to pieces with its ice armor 100 times harder than diamond. But things get interesting when its power is combined with Calyrex, turning both into Ice Rider Calyrex (IRC). In addition to reversing Glastrier's rude behavior to a more chivalrous "I'll defeat you but then heal you", IRC has the power to teleport an entire forest to a new location. When I first read that I thought it was going to be some revelation that the Crown Tundra was actually moved from another location due to the arrival of Eternatus being hinted at in Shadow Rider Calyrex's dex entry, but it was never brought up, so I don't know what Game Freak were implying.
BTW, IRC's stats aren't any different aside from each non-HP stat getting 20 points added to them, so it's still slow. Come on Game Freak, aren't you tired of the "mighty glacier" trope yet? It's a horse, a steed even; it's supposed to be fast! And you can say an Ice-type is as hard as diamond all you like; Fighting-, Rock-, and Steel-types are still going to smash it to pieces! Ah well, Glacial Lance looks cool (pardon the pun), I like Calyrex's cape as a Rider, and the combo ability "As One" is an interesting concept, though is kind of a letdown with Unnerve being one of them. I also would have liked to see it be a triple type, Psychic/Grass/Ice, that would have been even... cooler *runs away dodging snowballs*.
Codraroll
Ice is probably my favorite type, but Game Freak sure doesn't make it easy to be an Ice-type fan. I mean, it's a good type in theory, with great offensive potential that it trades for abysmal defensive properties and a handful of good special moves with great STAB utility. It's just that the Ice-type Pokémon themselves kinda suck. For whatever reason, the designers seem to believe that the only behaviour of cold, ice, and snow worth including in the games is that of glaciers or icebergs: big chunks of ice lying mostly still, only inflicting damage to those getting close enough to the ice to let it fall over them. Ice-type Pokémon are typically cursed with stat spreads that run completely contrary to their type chart properties: awful Speed to ruin their offensive potential, high defensive stats without much utility because of Ice's multiple weaknesses and near-total lack of resistances, and typically its highest offensive stat is the physical one, where Ice lacks strong moves entirely.
Glastrier feels like the epitome of this backwards thinking. I picture one stubborn senior designer with a serious glacier fetish gleefully clapping his hands and exclaiming "Haha, ice horse goes clop ... ... clop ... ... clop!" It has all the usual non-existent defensive utility of Ice-types, backed up by a wastefully high Defense stat. The strongest move it can use its awesome Attack stat for has a Base Power of 85 and imperfect accuracy. Its speed is so low that it can only be salvaged by Trick Room. And all the damaging moves it learns by level-up are Ice- and Normal-type, plus Double Kick, fulfilling another Ice stereotype. At least somebody must have taken pity on Glastrier at some point, because it has unusually good TM compatibility for an Ice-type. Against all expectations, it has good coverage compatible with its strongest offensive stat—the head designer must have been furious when he found out. At least as Ice Rider, it gets a special movepool it can't make any use of.
As for Glastrier's design ... I'm not a fan. As others have said, it is literally Rapidash (itself a very conventional design) with the flames swapped for ice chunks. I also think its color scheme is a little bland. Too much white, which is only accentuated by blue. Yes, it is the colour of snow, but it is possible to think outside that box when designing Ice-types. White and blue is such an overused combination for Ice-types it'd be easier to list the exceptions than the examples.
Zephyr2007
Glastrier honestly looks like a fakemon that 9-year-old me would design. A stock image of a horse with spikes. Also white, because how else would one show it's an Ice-type. Glastrier is already iffy as a general RPG character, but as a Pokémon? And a legendary one at that? Comparing it to the rest of Game Freak's vibrant cast, nothing about it stands out to me. No funky proportions, no expression, no texture, no cool inspirations... zilch. I also want to mention that its pose is almost exactly like that of Rapidash, which is just sad. Really goes to show Game Freak's levels of uncreativity, at least with this Pokémon specifically.
Competitively, it's a toss-up for me. Yes, Game Freak made another slow ice type, but Glastrier is basically the only Galar 'mon with more than 2 pints of coverage (aside from Gapdos). Also want to mention that it has excellent 100/130/110 defenses, so it's definitely going to be able to take a super effective hit or two.
The Ice Rider forme is kinda weird for me. Like, it's fusion I guess? I like the new crown proportions of Calyrex and the cape, but I was definitely expecting more. I also find a Pokémon riding another to be a bit unnatural and jarring. I do like the concept of the steeds being Calyrex's "partners", but the execution really falls flat for me. I can't think of a better way to do it though, so I'll give Game Freak a pass here. The only other positive I can think of with Ice Rider is that Calyrex's color scheme meshes really well with Glastrier, making Calyrex look like some sort of wintery white knight, which I love. It's an overall meh though. At least it's better than Spectrier.
JustoonSmitts
The horses took me by surprise when I played through Crown Tundra. I decided to look at both of their designs to get an idea of which one I wanted to pick, since I could only get one. I wound up getting Spectrier due to the better competitive value (I usually prefer playing with fast an powerful Pokémon when I play through a game), but I prefer Glastrier's design. Granted, it's a basic horse design, but I like the idea of ice encompassing its hooves and face, making it look a bit like battle armor. And since I mentioned King Arthur earlier in this article, it may be worth noting that it conceptually shares a concept with a stallion that King Arthur rode and that its unicorn-like appearance has some inspiration from the unicorn being Scotland's national animal, and since the Crown Tundra is basically Scotland, you can fit the pieces together. I like the Pokémon by itself a lot. I really don't have an opinion on the Ice Rider Calyrex forme, since it's literally just Calyrex riding the ice unicorn. It's basic, but really, how else would a fusion of these two work? However, I do like the flow of action in the official artwork. It really shows Glastrier's wild nature with Calyrex trying to tame it.
Kalalokki
Seaweed flowing hair
With cursed movepool rider less
As one broke Ubers
Ryota Mitarai
I don't think this would surprise anyone, but Spectrier and Calyrex-S look like things that came out of my nightmares and are out to get me. Spectrier is definitely creepy, in my opinion, which is fitting for a Ghost-type.
One interesting detail about Spectrier is the fact that its hooves and legs are not actually connected. There is just a blank space between them. Of course, my mind automatically puts something in there anyways, because it's easier to visualize it this way. From what we know about it, Spectrier has tendency to display aggressive behavior, be it because it's being disturbed by others or because humans are invading its territory. This makes me associate Spectrier with the concept of the "destructive shadow". The theme fits with Spectrier even more once you realize that Spectrier is more active during the night, because it prefers isolation and silence, associating it even more with a shadow. As a whole, I prefer Spectrier to Glastrier, because Spectrier is just designed better.
Max. Optimizer
As it turns out, the quest dedicated to helping Calyrex find his former noble steed is actually a two-horse race. The player gets to make a permanent, irrevocable decision between pursuing either the icy Glastrier or the ghostly Spectrier. After all, one does not swap horses in the middle of the river, as the saying goes. Both noble steeds, Glastrier and Spectrier, share the same character traits: they are both described as "arrogant" by Calyrex, meaning that they will only follow orders if the rider has proven that he or she is worthy of respect. While this character trait applies to both horses, I still cannot help but think that Spectrier's design embodies this concept slightly better than Glastier. The reason behind this is that Spectrier hides one of its eyes under its mane and keeps the other one closed at all times. To me, this greatly reflects the arrogant attitude, as Spectrier does not even deem looking at the creatures it runs into (or runs from?) necessary. Considering the fact that looking people in the eyes and maintaining said eye contact is seen as a sign of respect and trust between humans in a plethora of situations, Spectrier does not cast a single glance at you, let alone at Calyrex. So, in this sense I feel like, while Glastrier definitely fits the theme of the snow-capped tundra more than Spectrier in terms of design on one hand, Spectrier makes up for this by incorporating the overall Calyrex's description of his noble steed much better than Glastrier. In this sense, both horses greatly complement each other, as they turn out to be the proverbial two sides of the same coin. Another notable way in which both horses differ from each other in terms of design choices consists in the legs. Spectrier's limber and graceful legs stand in notable contrast to Glastrier's cumbersome ice-plated legs. While there is, technically speaking, nothing wrong with Spectrier's design, I still do have a hard time imagining Calyrex in its Shadow Rider forme trying to make its way from the Giant's Bed, across the Snowslide Slope, all the way up to the Crown Shrine. I do not really think that Spectrier would stand a ghost of a chance against Glastrier in that regard. I do, however, not plan on beating the dead horse much longer, literally, and I want to conclude the focus on legs by saying that I genuinely like the way in which Spectrier's hooves seem to be "detached" from the rest of the legs. This, in addition to the spectral waft of mist that follows it everywhere, definitely adds to Spectrier's overall successful mysterious and ominous design to great extent. I suppose that, despite not being cloaked in an armor of ice, it can still give its foes the chills. Tastes vary, but this little creative and unique detail is what made me want to choose Spectrier over Glastrier, hence making it the proverbial "dark horse", winning the competition against all expectations.
Ununhexium
If I were to go back to the fourth grade and open the sketchbook of the girl who was really into horses, this is about what I would expect to find. However, I actually don't mind this design. I like how it is elegant despite its relative simplicity, and I love the choice to make its hooves detached from its legs, giving it a more ghostly vibe. That said, I think it falls short in being a bit too simple and not being ghostly enough. I'm not saying it make it a skeleton horse or something, but the only reason I would ever think its a Ghost-type Pokémon is because of the black and purple color scheme. It's 2020, come on, you can be a bit more creative than that.
Estronic
Maybe if Spectrier would actually open its eyes, it would notice that its ankles and good coverage moves are missing. Spectrier has a bit more interesting design than Glastrier, but it's honestly still pretty ugly alongside its weird design choices. Back to the topic of its missing ankles, just...why? Why does happen to be missing its ankles and still have everything else? Can't someone just take its hooves when it isn't looking? Well, it doesn't seem to be looking at all, so I'll keep that question up in the air. Another aspect of Spectrier that strikes me as odd is how stiff the "hair" on its head seems to be. Generally speaking, it seems that the main parts of Spectrier's design were based off of what Game Freak thought makes a ghost on an extreme surface, then put those thoughts into a blender and used the outcome of that instead. Now, you might be wondering why I didn't discuss Calyrex-S, or even Calyrex-I beforehand. Well, why would I? It's just Calyrex with a somewhat larger cape riding both of them. What is there to talk about? I'd much rather spend time talking about something important, like what's the most underrated dipping sauce for french fries. It's ranch, by the way.
Lockjaw
It seems we have a My Little Pony and Pokémon crossover here. Let's be honest, this Pokémon together with Calyrex is more bizarre than Glastrier, a gnome mounted on a emo spoopy pony. The last thing you would think of these guys is that they are a king and his loyal horse. It looks is much less intimidating compared to Glastrier, giving off less emotion in the moments of the game. I'm sure that after creatures like Zacian-C, Dracovish, and Libero Cinderace, Game Freak decided to not create a new fighting machine and limited the coverage of this mon. But geez, what a overpowering emony (hahehihohu), how can a Pokémon be so strong with only two viable damage moves? That thing hits like a HORSE (literally, hahaha) and also has a good variety of sets that can make it a bit unpredictable. It's like a parallel Ghost-type version of Kartana. A great offensive stat and an ability that boosts it, and a bad Defense (Sp.Def for Kartana). We can't forget about the Shadow Rider, which make our little sword doggo very jealous in Ubers. With Calyrex's help, it can use more damaging moves than Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse. And its stats are most dangerous than ever; good luck remaining the best Ubers Pokémon, Zacian-C.
Thanks to its great offensive stats and ability, Spectrier is officially the first pure Ghost-type to fill an important role in OU. Also, thanks Game Freak for not giving Focus Blast, Moonblast, or Aura Sphere to this monster.
Blitzamirin
The first ever pure Ghost-type Legendary joins the fray, and I would say the first impression most of us got were the huge resemblance to Rapidash's poses, followed by "wait, its hooves are detached?", and then you see the movepool... With that said, I'd still consider Spectrier my favorite of the mounts because it carries this "Horsemen of the Apocalypse" vibe that makes it look more mysterious and fabled than Glastrier. In competitive play, its good stats offset its barren movepool and allow it to perform well in 6v6 singles play.
Then we have Shadow Rider, which takes what I just said about Spectrier and makes it exponentially better. Calyrex's completed design helps accentuate the etherealness of Spectrier and makes the pair look imposing. Its stats are ludicrous, sporting both incredible power and speed backed up by a better movepool that has shown utter dominance in both our Ubers and Anything Goes formats as the ruler of the metagame. Now, all of that lore about Calyrex's supposed strength and knowledge ties itself together quite nicely, and I feel Shadow Rider truly encapsulates what being a Legendary is about. Long live the king!
deetah
Spectrier has a more simplistic design than its Ice-type counterpart, but it's still an effective one. It has a wavy purple mane and black body, making it come off as a rather mysterious creature. Its hooves are also disconnected from the rest of its body, and that's pretty badass honestly. According to Spectrier's Pokédex entry for Pokémon Sword, it doesn't even use its eyesight when galloping through the night. Spectrier has also been blessed with good Special Attack and Speed stats as well as an ability in Grim Neigh, which is a special variant of Moxie. Overall, I really enjoyed the designs of both Glastrier and Spectrier.
Pikachu315111
I'm not quite sure what Game Freak was going for with Spectrier. Getting its long list of possible design origins out of the way first, it could be the black horse ridden by Famine of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, a kelpie, a mare owned by King Arthur names Llamrei, and an extinct species of horse called the Old English Black. Considering it's also based on a warhorse ridden by a small ruler, I'd like to throw in the possibility of it being based on Napoleon Bonaparte's horse Marengo, whose skeleton is preserved in a London army museum with its hooves detached, just like Spectrier's are (this could also mean Glastrier may be based on a famous warhorse). Whatever the origins may be, I still call it a missed opportunity to not base it on a dullahan. Glastrier has a frozen mask, they could have hidden Spectrier's head in a mist with only the eyes visible, thus looking like it's headless. I at least think it would be better than the stiff wisp hair it has and long eyelashes.
Spectrier takes full advantage being a Ghost-type horse. When it kicks you, it can separate your soul from your body, and when it's just running about it absorbs the life force of anybody sleeping nearby, because it wants silence and solitude. GEEZ. The only bad thing they can think up for Glastrier is it just being a jerk (it doesn't even mention about freezing creatures, which you'd think a monstrous Ice-type would do); meanwhile, Spectrier here is competing with Yveltal for most evil, mass-murdering Pokémon. Though when Calyrex rides it, becoming Shadow Rider Calyrex (SRC), it somehow makes it so plant life grows in wastelands as it rides by (guessing that's more Calyrex's doing than Spectrier's). Howeverl the more interesting thing about SRC is that it's the one that gives Calyrex the power of precognition, and it used that power to save the forest it lives in from a meteorite. You know, the same one that Eternatus came riding in on twenty thousand years ago; but if you want to hear more about that, check out my review of Calyrex.
Spectrier and SRC are what you want from a Ghost-type horse (or a Ghost-type in general): specially focused, fast, and high offense. Astral Barrage is an awesome-looking move, and its ability "As One" is an interesting concept I'm curious to see they may do more of in the future (though right now Unnerve being one of the abilities makes it not all that interesting). I also wish they went all in on the concept by making SRC's type Psychic / Grass / Ghost, but I guess Game Freak isn't ready to experiment with a triple type yet. Too spoopy for them.
Zephyr2007
Spectrier. How do I begin with this one. I really feel like this design needed a bit more time in the oven... it feels similar to Calyrex for me in that there are so many off-putting and weird design choices, with so many questions and not nearly enough answers. But while Calyrex has personality and decent reasons for its design, Spectrier has... none of that. I'm not going to go into detail with Spectrier's oddness because the other panelists have done that better than I ever could, but I do think there's a reason for the "bland" feeling that both of these steeds seem to have. In the story of the game, these steeds seem to be used as plot devices more than anything. They don't really have much of a character of their own, their only purpose seems to be to flesh out Calyrex. And although that isn't inherently negative, it does make it the horses can't be much more than... horses. Because they're not allowed to stand out, they're meant to support and make Calyrex look grander, they can't clash with it.
I will say that the official art did make me feel better about the horses, they started to look less like plastic figurines and more like living, breathing, textured creatures. I don't have much to say about Shadow Rider though, other than the fact that I want Calyrex to stop staring into my soul, although I guess it's fitting, with Spectrier being a Ghost-type and all that.
JustoonSmitts
The second horse, Spectrier, is the one I chose in my initial playthrough, since it looked competitively better to me at first and, again, there are some things to admire about it. I love its color scheme, and I really like the idea of it seemingly floating above its hooves. However, as a design, it's even more basic than Glastrier is. Probably the closest to a real horse that Pokémon has designed. The only thing remotely fantastical about it is the separation of its hooves from its legs. As far as Calyrex's fusion with this is, I feel the same about it as I do with Glastrier's fusion. It seems goofy, but I don't really know how I would change it. But like the other form, the artwork shows some personality in design. It's a lot calmer than Glastrier is and it's honestly a nice contrast. Oh, and this was based off of a mare that King Arthur also had, so there's that.
Codraroll
I think the reasoning behind Spectrier's lack of ankles is simple: like with Glastrier, the designers started out with Rapidash's model. They then removed the flames, colored it black, gave it purple hair, and called it a day. Rapidash has flames around its ankles, so when the flames were removed, a void was left. Somehow the designer chose to keep this void, for reasons I'm going to guess were related to it being Friday and almost half past 4 in the afternoon. Or maybe it was a conscious choice, I don't know.
Anyway, Spectrier has the look and feel (and pose) of a retextured Rapidash, but it oddly works quite well. Its black and purple color scheme stands out more against a white background, and its white tail, eyelashes, and fringe give a splash of alternate color that's desperately missing from Glastrier's design. A three-tone color scheme works so much better than two-tone.
Oh, and Calyrex riding Spectrier just looks silly. Then again, anything looks silly when you put Calyrex on it. The cape isn't helping.
Bandkrook
Okay, aside from Galarian Zapdos, Spectrier is my favorite Pokémon to be introduced in the Crown Tundra. Its design, while simple, does everything it needs to do. It's somber but not too much, the colors go very well together, and the single strand of lilac hair popping out from its pitch-black body is a nice touch. The eyelashes and curly hair give it a more feminine look, which is very much appreciated and rare in horse Pokémon. The transition from its legs to its hooves is perfect, with the black fading into a dark purple, and at the very end, the hooves are separated from the legs. I'm sorry, maybe I'm just too easily impressed, but to me that's just the coolest thing ever. Although Spectrier is not the spookiest Ghost-type out there, its Pokédex entry states that a kick from Spectrier can literally separate soul from body. How cool is that? To top it all off, spooky energy emanates from its two back hooves, and as it runs, Spectrier absorbs the life force of sleeping creatures. Maybe I'm secretly an emo and I didn't know until Spectrier showed up, but I'm glad it did, because I think it's awesome. If you're gonna have a region to introduce a lot of horses, goddamn, Galar is the place. I just wish we got an actual unicorn Pokémon.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
Now listen dear readers, and you shall hear my clever thoughts on this gorgeous Spectrier!! This Ghost-ly pony has a dark stride, with the most undeserving rider by its side. The shades of black and lilac are right, and the fog-like hooves are out of sight. I imagine this gelding hard to tame, hence why a Calyrex rider is extremely lame!! A rider more unique could have been paired with this ride, perhaps even a Galarian Mr. Mime!! For Mr. Mime, you see, has a color set that appeals greatly to me. Plus, Mr. Mime's typing of Ice would be nice, as it would make for a frigidly scary rider at night. Stealing life force from all those wandering around will make even the strongest kneel on the ground!! Though its traits nocturnal and it can barely see, its other four senses are extremely keen. Head to Crown Tundra, if you are brave, as that's where this spooky foal awaits. But a word of caution to this tale: show Spectrier all of your might, or you may fail.
Codraroll
Those were the first few beasts of the Crown Tundra! Reading all these entries really helped me form an opinion on them, and I see them all in a slightly different way now. For a start, I can articulate better just why Calyrex sucks.
The Crown Tundra has a handful of other new Pokémon to discuss as well. Look forward to see our panelists give their take on them in a future Judge-a-Pokémon Express! Until then, have a nice time exploring!
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