Out of all of the Pokémon available for competitive play, these are the 10 that stick out as key catches and can anchor a team on the competitive run. That means you won ’ metric ton be seeing Zacian or Zamazenta on this tilt because title legendaries are always the first base up on the chop auction block when it comes to bans. This list is besides focusing more on the known measure of battles and ignoring how well a Pokémon might perform while Dynamaxed or Gigantimaxed, since it ’ mho still unknown how that ability will impact competitive Pokémon in either the VGC or Singles format .
Top 10 Pokémon in Sword and Shield
10) Gyarados
Screengrab via Nintendo Tried and dependable, Gyarados fair can ’ thyroxine be beaten when it comes to a hearty forcible Water-type attacker. Gyrados has lost some of its technical school in Sword and Shield with the absence of Mega Evolution, which removes several key sets that made it a terror in X and Y and until Sun and Moon. That means no big mind plays to avoid a Ground-type move before Mega Evolving to live a hit from an Electric attack. But that actually doesn ’ t topic since Intimidate is still one of the best abilities in the game. And when paired with Gyrados ’ solid stats and incredible move pond, there ’ s batch of reasons why you should add one to your team. Don ’ metric ton get besides arrogant using a Dragon Dance fit, however. Some of the fresh moves in this generation might make it hard for you to just sweep an adversary ’ randomness team with the typical Waterfall and coverage attack set up. Bulkydos might make a comeback depending on what the Singles meta ends up shaping into, thus keep your eye out on that.
9) Tyranitar
Screengrab via Nintendo Do you like bulky species with lots of coverage that can besides anchor your team while putting up the weather ? Welcome back old supporter, because Sword and Shield looks like it might be another generation where Tyranitar thrives in a high-usage environment. You can run T-Tar in basically any function on a team, outside of physical wall because you run the risk of matching up against a heavy-hitting Fighting-type. But the Rock and Dark-type can be a forcible or special carpet sweeper, a mix attacker, or an extremist tanky especial wall that will take hits from just about anything. just give it Dark Pulse and any combination of coverage moves like Thunderbolt and Ice Beam and you ’ re set. Tyranitar besides greatly benefits from holding Choice Items to boost a stat beyond its restrict or the Assault Vest, which gives it a special refutation boost but limits it to entirely using attacking moves.
8) Galarian Weezing
Screengrab via Nintendo With its newly form, Weezing becomes one of the more interest options for a physical wall with its Fairy-typing and fresh ability. Its Fairy type has immediately made the elephantine toxic batch a better wall because it is now immune to Dragon-type moves, which are typically prevailing in the higher tiers of competitive play. Plus Weezing now has access to moves like Misty Terrain and early options it never had before. But the biggest what-if scenario for having a Galarian Weezing on the team is its two new abilities : Neutralizing Gas and Misty Surge. Neutralizing Gas basically removes every Pokémon ’ s ability while it is active on the discipline, taking away a lot of technical school from respective big hitters. If your opponent is trying to set up using a Pokémon with Contrary, an ability that swaps the impression of stat changes, you can use Weezing to about neutralize that entire arrange. Misty Surge is Galarian Weezing ’ s Hidden Ability that sets up Misty Terrain american samoa soon as it enters the conflict. That means any Pokémon that international relations and security network ’ thyroxine flying or levitating won ’ thyroxine be affected by status conditions and any damage from Dragon-type moves is halved for five turns.
7) Runerigus
Screengrab via Nintendo The Galarian-exclusive Yamask evolution has a draw of potential to be a dual-threat wall because of its high defense and special defense mechanism stats, but the very reason it made the list is because of how wyrd its ability is. Wandering Spirit is like an development of Cofagrigus ’ Mummy ability, but alternatively of replacing the opposition ’ randomness ability, it swaps abilities with any Pokémon it makes direct contact with. That sets up a bunch of wyrd scenarios where you could potentially take away a utilitarian ability from your opposition ’ second Pokémon and make it a non-factor. But even without that ability, the Rock and Ghost-type merely feels like it might be able to make an impingement in battle using a mix of annoying status moves or its forcible attacks. It has a surreptitiously high al-qaeda 95 attack stat, so this thing not only is separate Rock-type, but it besides hits like a brick.
6) Machamp
Screengrab via Nintendo It in truth looks like this meta might vogue more to bulky apparatus, which is perfect for Machamp since it can take a hit and has a big tilt of coverage moves that can hit most of the bigger threats in the game. Its massive attack stat plus becoming defenses can lead to adult custom in the mighty team typography. elementary punches, Poison-type moves, and Knock Off alone give you adequate options for breaking through the other team ’ randomness walls if they don ’ triiodothyronine design for countering a Machamp. And that coverage extends to its Gigantimaxed form excessively if the feature somehow remains a factor in competitive dally. Having all of those moves plus G-Max Chi Strike, which does damage and boosts the opportunity of critical hits, makes Machamp a terror from about every angle—except on the limited side.
5) Ferrothorn
Screengrab via Nintendo It was a hard choice putting Ferrothorn here over Duraladon, but the Grass and Steel-type has been one of the best walls in the game for about a decade immediately and has earned this position. entrance hazards like Stealth Rock and Spikes are easy for the Thorn Pod Pokémon. It can toss up Leech Seed or hit hard with Gyro Ball if it needs to be more dysphemistic than barely a hard-to-kill tank. The extreme lack of gamey powered Fire-types is going to serve Ferrothorn well in Sword and Shield, specially because Flamethrower is a rather easy to predict move over other sets.
Ferrothorn is a dear wall to Machamp, Runerigus, and Gyarados—three species that are on this list. This already shows precisely how dominant it could be in the meta. Players will likely have to build their team up with at least one answer to it, which is a big succeed already. It is besides one of the few species that hush learn Toxic naturally nowadays that the move is no longer a TM, which makes the Pokémon another viable choice for a stall place.
4) Dragapult
Screengrab via Nintendo Go digit that a new Pseudo Legendary would make the list. Dragapult is going to be an concern fresh sweeper in the meta based on its 142 base accelerate stat, which can max out at 421 if you wanted to make certain it was the fastest thing on the sphere. And with such a high natural rush, you can focus more of your EVs into making it a bulkier carpet sweeper or a blend attacker. The Dragon and Ghost-type has a very potent act pool and access to most of the standard moves you would see in a top-level competitive match, like Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, Earthquake, and tied Shadow Ball. And that supernumerary type besides lets it play an concern function as a semi-support with moves like Will-O-Wisp, Screen apparatus, and even Curse strategies if you want to play hazardous. none of its stats are badly, but you ’ ll need to actually plan your team around Dragapult if you want to use one to its soap potential.
3) Whimsicott
Screengrab via Nintendo time to get broad on annoying and make sure that no one has a full time by using Whimsicott as a independent support. The Prankster ability lets this lanate menace toss out all kinds of hazardous moves before anything else happens on the field, which means condition conditions, apparatus moves, or tied two different Terrains can be played before the fastest of opponents. even though it makes for a frightful unsavory option, Whimsicott is therefore versatile in what it can bring to a battle. tailwind can boost the speed of your entire team and the Fairy and Grass-tpe has access to dozens of condition inflicting moves. additionally, it can set up both Terrain and Weather conditions for your team. There is literally no downside to this downy terror. If you truly want to nitpick—Whimsicott won ’ triiodothyronine be taking many hits from your opposition. But the goal of using the Pokémon is to annoy your opposition and set your other Pokémon up for success. Whimsicott itself is always just a intend to an end, never the main focal point of a strategy.
2) Aegislash
Screengrab via Nintendo The only reason this break while of weaponry is not count one is that it ’ second still unknown if it ’ ll be legalized for Singles use. Aegislash is so strong that it was actually banned to Uber tier so no one could use it in ranked overuse matches. That means it was better than some legendaries in terms of team building and overall importance to the meta because of how solid it could be when used properly. And that usage is already skyrocketing because of its across-the-board variety show of offensive options and always-viable King ’ s Shield ability. Aegislash takes a set of commit to master, but even an amateur can work around the shape change to dominate. The biggest knock against Aegislash in genesis eight is that the potential movesets are more predictable due to the shoplifting of the TM grocery store. You will about always see Sacred Sword, King ’ s Shield, Iron Head, and the ever-rotating fourth move that will work ampere coverage for another teammate ’ mho weakness. That could be Night Slash, Shadow Sneak, Rock Slide, or any issue of early options. Aegislash is besides a very capable special attacker besides, thus watch out for Shadow Ball, Flash Cannon, and Air Slash. The Pokémon will besides have a hard time dealing with things like Ferrothorn and Galarian Weezing if the meta holds, so it may see a drop in usage as a solution.
1) Galarian Darmanitan
Screengrab via Nintendo Game Freak not only made the big and angry Darmanitan an perplex Ice-type, but they decided to make Zen Mode an actually viable ability that turns a normally strong Pokémon into an unstoppable flare snowman. Zen Mode works like this : If Galarian Darmanitan drops below 50 percentage of its maximum health, it will switch forms and gain several stat boosts. normal Darmanitan would become a extra attacker, which made sets about impossible to build. But in the newest Pokémon titles, it ’ s the opposite. The Galar form not lone gets a big boost to attack and speed, but it besides regains its Fire-typing and can unleash sin onto opposing Pokémon. Its Ice Punch plus stab Flare Blitz makes for one cruddy jazz band. Galarian Darmanitan besides has a massive range of coverage moves to put that 160 nucleotide attack stat to work, including Stone Edge, Superpower, Iron Head, and Earthquake. It doesn ’ metric ton topic what players put in this monster ’ s way, it ’ ll score hard than about any early species in the game.
To counter Galarian Darmanitan, your best bet is to set up rocks to limit its switch-ins. additionally, you can reliably hinder it by using Whimsicott to paralyze or otherwise inflict a condition to it. And since it isn ’ t a Fire-type in its foundation shape, Dragapult can out-speed it and apply a burn it so its attack is halved. But a Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan is going to be the conclusion of many trainers ’ careers in the newfangled meta, even once the landscape settles and the true gems are polished .
