One of the core staples for each generation of Pokemon is the competitive battle scene. With each iteration in the series, a new handful of Pokemon rise the ranks to be some of the most powerful when it comes to the competitive meta, With Pokemon Sword and Shield, there are a few Pokemon who are standouts in the competitive scene for one reason or another. While some are absolute powerhouse hitters, others offer a supportive or defensive roll that makes them useful in double battles. Here are some of the best Pokemon for competitive battling in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield.
Galarian Darmanitan
First on the list is one of the many new Galarian form Pokemon introduced in Sword and Shield: Darmanitan. This hefty Pokemon is great for a couple reasons. For starters, they boast a unique type combination of Fire/Ice if in Zen Mode. What's even more unique is that it can learn a wide variety of moves, giving it powerful type coverage to face off against nearly any opponent. Its other ability, Gorilla Tactics, essentially gives Galarian Darmanitan a Choice Band while still leaving its equipped item slot open. Gorilla Tactics gives Darmanitan an increase to Attack, but it will be locked into using the first move used until it is withdrawn from battle. Giving this Pokemon a Choice Scarf will increase his base Speed by 50% but will limit Darmanitan to one move. However, with Gorilla Tactics, he will already be limited, so it's a win-win.
Corviknight
Corviknight is the Galar region's unique bird Pokemon, but unlike previous generations, this bird really packs a punch. Boasting a unique Flying/Steel type combination, Corviknight can dish out plenty of damage while also taking some serious hits in the process. There are a couple of strategies that make Corviknight great in competitive. The most effective is fully leaning into its tank capabilities by giving it defensive-boosting moves and items. The Leftovers item will give Corviknight some HP back every turn, while moves like Iron Defense and Substitute will make it an absolute nightmare to deal with. This flying tank is sure to make plenty of appearances in the upcoming Pokemon competition.
Dracovish
Dracovish is perhaps a surprise front-runner in the competitive scene at the moment. At first glance, this unique fossil Pokemon is nothing more than a fish glued to a dragon's tail, but because of its abilities and unique moveset, it can very easily become a powerhouse. Dracovish is a Water/Dragon type, meaning it gains a surprising number of resistances, with only a weakness to Dragon and Fairy type moves. What makes Dracovish shine is the move Fishious Rend, a base 85 damage Water move which is unique to Dracovish and Arctovish. However, unlike Arctovish, Dracovish can have the ability Strong Jaw which can boost the damage of Fishious Rend by 50%. Combine this with a Choice Band which limits Dracovish to one move for a bonus 50% attack boost and Dracovish can one-shot many weaker Pokemon.
Dragapult
When players face off against Leon for the first time, they may have been caught off-guard by this Ghost/Dragon Pokemon. Boasting an impressive speed and powerful attacks, Dragapult proves to be a top pick for competitive Pokemon battles at the moment. While players may have some trouble tracking down Dreepy to evolve, once players do get a Dragapult they are sure to have an easier time facing Pokemon with lower defenses. Equipping Dragapult with a Choice Band will allow it to reliably one-hit KO many Pokemon without them getting a move off thanks to its impressive base speed. As a bonus, it can learn extremely powerful moves like Draco Meteor and U-Turn for some interesting combinations.
Mimikyu
This ghostly-Pikachu impersonator proves once again to be a reliable choice for high-tier Pokemon battles, just as it did in Sun and Moon, so long as player are able to find this elusive Pokemon. Mimikyu's Ghost/Fairy type combo allows it to clean out Dragon Pokemon (like Dragapult) with ease, and it's unique ability Disguise will allow Mimikyu to withstand one hit from the enemy without taking damage. Giving Mimikyu an item like a Life Orb will turn it into a glass canon, as it gives a 30% attack boost at the cost of 10% health per turn, which will help quickly take down more powerful Pokemon before needing to retreat.
Toxtricity
This rock-n-roll Poison/Electric type Pokemon is new to the series and features a very unique method to obtain the correct form of Toxtricity during evolution. While the two versions are relatively similar outside of nature and appearance, both forms are very capable of dealing out incredible Special Attack damage using Poison and Electric type moves. As such, Toxtricity would benefit greatly from an item like a Choice Scope, which boosts their Special Attack by 50% in exchange for locking Toxtricity into one move. Pairing this with a move like Volt Switch allows Toxtricity to deal a massive amount of Electric damage and swap with another party member, thus negating the downside of Choice Scope.
Whimsicott
Last up on the list is a surprise Pokemon popular in the competitive scene right now. Whimsicott is not a tank or a powerhouse like most Pokemon on this list, but instead it excels at buffing teammates in double battles. Thanks to a changed mechanic with status moves, Whimsicott can buff its team or debuff enemies at the beginning of a round thanks to its Prankster ability. In Sword and Shield, status moves take effect on the round they are used, not on the next round like in previous Pokemon titles. While Whimsicott may be useful in single battles, double battles are where Whimsicott shines. If stacked up with moves like Tailwind, Whimsicott can boost the whole team's speed and potentially get them to attack first when they otherwise wouldn't.
Several Pokemon have started emerging as top contenders so far in competitive Pokemon battles, but new strategies are constantly being crafted and perfected. For example, Dracovish was not considered to be one of the most powerful Pokemon in Sword and Shield until players decided to experiment more with it. Only time will tell which Pokemon will start becoming part of the Sword and Shield competitive meta weeks or months down the line.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are available now for the Nintendo Switch.