In Pokémon Sword & Shield, there are 400 Pokémon that players can catch, many with complicated evolution requirements, and knowing which Pokémon are good and which are weak can be pretty overwhelming for new trainers. This guide will provide trainers with an overview of the strongest non-legendary Pokémon that Pokémon Sword & Shield has to offer in competitive play.
Dragapult
The pseudo-legendary of the Galar Region, Dragapult, is one of the most popular Pokémon to use competitively. It boasts a blistering Speed stat with solid Attack and Special Attack, and with its great typing (Dragon/Ghost) and movepool, it can cover nearly all of its weaknesses. Flamethrower and Fire Blast can take out Steel-type Pokémon that resist both Dragon moves, and U-Turn can help trainers keep up momentum so that they can always have advantageous matchups in battle. Along with its offensive prowess, Dragapult can also use some defensive and utility moves. Will-O-Wisp can be used to spread the Burn status onto the enemy team and combined with Hex, actually makes Hex Dragapult’s most powerful move.
Ditto
While this may be one of the more surprising Pokémon to see on this list, Ditto can pack a powerful punch in the right hands. What makes Ditto strong is its hidden ability: Imposter (which trainers can get through Raid Battles). This allows Ditto to immediately transform into the enemy Pokémon upon entering battle, without wasting a turn to use its signature move: Transform. Equipping Ditto with a Choice Scarf then makes it move faster than the enemy Pokémon it just transformed into almost every time, but be careful because Choice Scarf locks Ditto into using only one move until it switches out.
Galarian Darmanitan
Galarian Darmanitan is the first and only Galarian form on this list, but what makes it so much stronger than the original version? Its new ability: Gorilla Tactics. Gorilla Tactics boosts Darmanitan’s attack by a whopping 50% at the cost of using only one move until it switches out. However, combined with Choice Scarf or Choice Band, Darminatan becomes an absolute terror. Similar to Choice Scarf, Choice Band will increase a Pokémon’s Attack by 50% (Choice Scarf increases Speed) while locking them into one move, so on top of Gorilla Tactics, a Darmanitan with Choice Band can knock out even the tankiest Pokémon. Along with its raw power, Darmanitan has great type coverage. It can cover nearly all of its weaknesses with moves like Icicle Crash, Flare Blitz, and Earthquake, and similarly to Dragapult, Darmanitan can keep offensive momentum with access to U-Turn.
Excadrill
In competitive Pokémon entry hazards, such as Stealth Rock and Spikes are widely popular and used on nearly every team. This creates an important role for Pokémon that can get rid of them, and Excadrill is the strongest of them all. Excadrill is the best user of Rapid Spin in the game, and in Generation 8, Rapid Spin saw a huge buff. Its base power went from 10 to 50, and it now raises the user’s speed by 50% if it damages a Pokémon. Along with the utility it provides to teams, Excadrill is a very versatile Pokémon to use. It has incredible Attack, solid Speed, and decent bulk to go along with its great Steel/Ground typing. Excadrill can sweep entire teams with single Speed boost even if it wasn’t meant to.
Corviknight
Unlike Pidgeot and Noctowl before it, Corviknight, the regional bird of Galar, is one of the strongest Pokémon trainers can use in Pokémon Sword and Shield. Its amazing Steel/Flying typing, makes it weak to two types (Fire and Electric), resist eight (Dragon, Fairy, Flying, Bug, Psychic, Grass, Normal, and Steel), and immune to two (Poison and Ground). To go along with its unique typing, Corviknight also boasts great bulk. It has a base HP of 98, base Defense of 105, and Special Defense of 85, and combined with Roost (restores 50% of user’s HP), it is one of the hardest Pokémon to knock out. Corviknight can provide solid utility to teams because of its move Defog, which removes hazards from the field similarly to Rapid Spin or become a potent attacker by using Bulk Up to boost its Attack.
More: How to Get Flapple and Appletun
