Dragapult - Best Build & Moveset | Pokemon Sword Shield

Find out the best moveset and build for Dragapult in Pokemon Sword and Shield! Includes best competitive movesets, best builds, best nature, counters, the breeding process, & more!!!

Table of Contents

Pro Player Recommended Build NEW!
Dragapult Best Movesets & Builds
Best Moves
Best Items
Best Nature & EVs
Counters
Competitive Breeding Process

Dragapult Related Articles

Location & Stats

Competitive Build

Pro Player Recommended Build

The following is a part of our upcoming series of builds provided by Japanese Pro players! This guide is provided by Yuki!!!!

Weakness Policy + Max Airstream Build

Best Nature	Best Item
Adamant (Atk ↑ / Sp.Atk ↓)	Weakness Policy
Best Ability
Clear Body Immune to enemy status debuffs.
Best EV Spread
HP 252, Atk 132, Def 60, Sp. Def 20, Speed 44

Check Here For Details On EV Allocation

Terminology Explanation

Dynamaxed Move
Refers to the original move that becomes a Max Move.

(Number) + (Stat)
All stat values listed below are stat values at level 50. Ex. 142 Atk Mimikyu = a Level 50 Mimikyu with a 142 attack stat.

(+ or - Number)
Indicates the stage multiplier bonus of the stat (ie, Swords Dance is +2 Attack).

Defense EV Breakdown

While In Normal Form
93% (15/16) chance of surviving a Shadow Sneak from a 142 (+2) Attack Mimikyu
While Dynamaxed
Can survive one Dynamaxed Phantom Force from a 172 Attack Dragapult holding a Life Orb

Special Defense EV Breakdown

While In Normal Form
Can survive a Dark Pulse from a Hydreigon with 177 Sp.Atk
While Dynamaxed
93% chance of surviving a Dynamaxed Hyper Voice from a Sylveon with 178 Sp. Atk

Speed EV Breakdown

Outspeeds Pokemon with 100 speed (which have 252 Speed EVs and boosting nature) by 1 point

Best Moves

Mandatory	・Dragon Darts ・Phantom Force ・Acrobatics OR Fly
Optional	・Steel Wing ・Fire Blast

Role & How To Use

Aim For A Dynamax Full Sweep

This build allocates more EVs into defensive stats & combines that with a Weakness Policy in order to be able to withstand hits from a wider variety of opponents. Once you've activated your Weakness Policy and used Max Airstream, their combined offensive and speed buffs should allow you to sweep through the entire enemy team.

Specialize Against Fairy or Steel Types

Although this build requires you to have one Flying-type move in order to boost your speed with Max Airstream, there is still some room for customization. You will be able to choose if you want to deal with Steel types (by choosing Fire Blast) or Fairy types (by choosing Steel Wing). Steel Wing is preferable due to it being physical, but if you lack a way of dealing with Steel types on your team, definitely consider Fire Blast.

Get A Slight Advantage Against Mimikyu

If you choose Steel Wing as your 4th move, you will also be able to raise your defense with Max Steelspike. This will have the bonus effect of increases your chances of surviving vs. a Mimikyu!

How To Counter This Build

Pokemon	Explanation
Umbreon	・Can resist Max Phantasm and tank Dragapult's hits easily ・Can use Yawn ・Can one shot with Foul Play
Corviknight	・Reflects Max Phantasm's stat decrease back with Mirror Armor ・Doesn't activate Weakness Policy ・Has to watch out for Fire Blast
Mandibuzz	・Its ability Big Pecks prevents it from having its defense lowered ・Resists Max Phantasm ・Can one shot with Foul Play

Use Tanky Pokemon With Resistances

When it comes down to a pure fistfight, Weakness Policy builds will often have the edge. Avoid engaging this Dragapult with standard attackers and instead use Pokemon with high defensive stats and recovery abilities. When possible, refrain from hitting Dragapult's weakness so you don't activate the Weakness Policy. Also bring a Pokemon that has a way of preventing defense drops.

Use Priority Moves Or Trick Room

Max Airstream makes it very difficult to outspeed a Dragapult, but it is possible to deal with it using priority moves like Shadow Sneak and Sucker Punch. Trick Room is also another viable option to turn Dragapult's speed against it.

All of the information above, including EV distribution, counters, and moves, has been provided to us by the Japanese Pro Player Yuki.

Source: Yuki's Hidden Power (Ice)!!!

Dragapult Moveset & Best Build

Total Base Stats	600
Type

Press the buttons below to toggle between different builds!

Physical Attack Build Special Attack Build

Status Setup Build Dual Screen Setup Build

#1 - Physical Attack Build

Best Nature	Best Item
Jolly (Spd ↑ / Sp.Atk ↓)	Life Orb
Best Ability
Clear Body Immune to enemy status debuffs.
Best Moveset
Dragon Darts / U-Turn / Steel Wing / Phantom Force ▼Check Move Info Here
Best EV Spread
Attack 252, Speed 252, Defense 4

Great Attack And Speed

Dragapult possesses 120 Attack and 142 Speed stats. It is a must-have attacker Pokemon for competitive teams. It is also quite flexible, able to handle special & physical attacks. The Pokemon's appeal comes from its flexibility in different situations.

A Huge Variety Of Moves

Dragapult possesses a wide variety of attacks. Note that this build is not a cookie cutter build, so consider making adjustments to this build by adding in moves that cover your type weaknesses.

Clear Body And Infiltrator Are Both Good

Clear Body works well as a counter to other abilities such as Intimidate, but Infiltrator is better for piercing through Light Screen & Reflect. Consider breeding two Dragapults in order to have different options when the meta shifts.

Max Steelspike For Mimikyu

Steel Wing is mainly included here to deal with the ever-present Mimikyu. If you Dynamax, you should be able to survive even one Swords Dance boosted Shadow Sneak & take out Mimikyu.

Held Item Is Also Flexible

Whether it be the Focus Sash, Choice Scarf, Life Orb, or Weakness Policy, Dragapult has a great pool of viable items to choose from. When using the Choice Scarf and Weakness Policy, make sure to consider what opponents you'll be using it against & adjust your EV spread accordingly.

Recommended Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Dragon Darts	Hits twice, so it can bypass items like Focus Sash. Can hit multiple Pokemon in Double Battles.
Phantom Force	Takes 2 turns for attack to initiate, so it may leave opening for enemy to swap Pokemon. Can be used to waste enemy Dynamax duration.
U-turn	Deals damage & allows you to swap out to a different Pokemon.
Steel Wing	Useful against Mimikyu. Recommended to use while Dynamaxed for the defense boost.

Other Viable Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Psychic Fangs	Can negate Reflect or Aurora Veil and provides good coverage against fighting Fighting or Poison types.
Outrage	Higher damage than Dragon Darts so higher chance to one-hit KO, however the attack continues for 2-3 turns, which may leave an opening for the enemy to swap to a Fairy or Steel type.
Dragon Dance	Boosts Damage and Speed. Effective when given the opportunity to set up.
Fire Blast	Even though this is a physical build, it's good to have this move as backup.

#2 - Special Attack Build

Best Nature	Best Item
Timid (Spd ↑ / Atk ↓)	Choice Specs
Best Ability
Clear Body Immune to enemy status debuffs.
Best Moveset
Draco Meteor / Fire Blast / Thunderbolt / Shadow Ball ▼Check Move Info Here
Best EV Spread
Sp. Attack 252, Speed 252, Defense 4

A Deadly Special Attacker Too

This build packs even more power into Dragapult's Draco Meteor and Fire Blast, allowing it to one-shot a Ferrothorn. Currently, we recommend breeding multiple Dragapults in order to stay flexible. Use them as you notice the meta shifting.

Weak To Mimikyu

This Pokemon can struggle against Mimikyu due to the lack of Steel moves. Consider running U-Turn instead of Thunderbolt if you continue to struggle.

Recommended Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Fire Blast	Good to have to deal specifically with Ferrothorn.
Draco Meteor	Use Deals immense damage but lowers Sp. Atk. Use U-Turn to escape after using it. Learn this move by talking to the person in Circhester.
Shadow Ball	Ghost-type STAB move. May lower Sp. Def.
Thunder	Good coverage move, high power and accuracy, reliable.

Other Viable Moves

Move/Type	Reason
U-Turn	U-Turn can still be useful for Special builds in order to escape out of an unfavorable matchup.
Flamethrower	A lower damage but high accuracy alternative to Fire Blast.
Hex	Stronger than Shadow Ball if the opponent has a status condition.
Hydro Pump	Powerful water type move with lower accuracy.
Scald	Good water type move that can also inflict a burn.
Dragon Pulse	An alternate to Draco Meteor that doesn't lower your Sp. Atk.

#3 - Status Setup Lead

Best Nature	Best Item
Timid (Spd ↑ / Atk ↓)	Leftovers
Best Ability
Infiltrator Ignores the opponent's barriers or substitutes.
Best Moveset
Thunder Wave / Will-o-Wisp / Hex / Substitute ▼Check Move Info Here
Best EV Spread
HP 252, Speed 252, Defense 4

The Speediest Setup

Dragapult's extraordinary speed makes it an incredible leading Pokemon which can set up the field for the rest of its team by quickly paralyzing or burning opponents. This build is seeing increasing popularity in the meta!

Hex Packs A Punch

The move Hex deals 130 damage if used against a target with a status condition. Considering this is a STAB move, it can often be enough to take out opponents - there are surprisingly few Pokemon in the meta that resist Ghost moves.

Infiltrator Is Recommended

Although Cursed Body is quite strong, Infiltrator works best for this build, as you can get through substitutes and land your Will-o-Wisp or Thunder Wave easily. Cursed Body disables opponents moves, which is also viable, but your priority should be to apply status conditions with this particular build.

Go With Leftovers

Since you will be burning your opponents, you will not have to worry about being one shot by physical attacks. This means you can take a bit longer to recover. Leftovers are ideal for this build.

Recommended Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Thunder Wave	Paralyzes opponents, halving their speed. Great for allowing another Pokemon to outspeed and sweep.
Will-o-Wisp	Burns the opponent. Useful for disabling physical attackers.
Hex	Ghost-type STAB move, deals more damage to targets with a status condition.
Substitute	Sacrifice 25% health to create a substitute that takes damage for you.

Other Viable Moves

Move/Type	Reason
U-Turn	U-Turn can still be useful for Special builds in order to escape out of an unfavorable matchup.

#4 - Dual Screen Setup

Best Nature	Best Item
Jolly (Spd ↑ / Sp.Atk ↓)	Light Clay
Best Ability
Infiltrator Ignores the opponent's barriers or substitutes.
Best Moveset
Light Screen / Reflect / Will-o-Wisp / Dragon Darts ▼Check Move Info Here
Best EV Spread
HP 252, Speed 252, Attack 4

Speedily Set Up Walls

Dragapult doesn't need to rely on an item or ability to get its walls up - it simply outspeeds the opposition! It does struggle somewhat in terms of durability, but it will usually be able to last long enough to set up walls and support the rest of your team.

Able To Defend Itself

Dragapult is not a Dual Screener that can be easily pushed around, due to its high attack power. If Dragapult is in an advantageous position, it can forgo setting up walls and go straight for the kill.

Defensive Variants Possible

If you feel that you already outspeed most threats without EV investment, it's recommended to put points into Defense instead. This can allow you to outlive, for example, Hydreigon's Dark Pulse, Dragapult's Dragon Darts, and a Swords Dance boosted Mimikyu's Shadow Sneak.

Recommended Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Reflect	Put a barrier for 5 (or 8) turns that reduces physical damage dealt to your team. Great setup for the rest of your team.
Will-o-Wisp	Burns the opponent. Useful for disabling physical attackers.
Dragon Darts	Hits twice, so it can bypass items like Focus Sash. Can hit multiple Pokemon in Double Battles.
Light Screen	Put a barrier for 5 (or 8) turns that reduces special damage dealt to your team. Great setup for the rest of your team.

Other Viable Moves

Move/Type	Reason
U-Turn	U-Turn can still be useful for Special builds in order to escape out of an unfavorable matchup.
Outrage	Higher damage than Dragon Darts so higher chance to one-hit KO, however the attack continues for 2-3 turns, which may leave an opening for the enemy to swap to a Fairy or Steel type.

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Competitive Builds List	Fastest Pokemon
Single Battle Tier List	Double Battle Tier List

Dragapult - Best Item to Hold

Item	Traits
Focus Sash	Prevents user from fainting in a single hit. Will allow user to survive a hit even in a non-ideal matchup.
Choice Scarf	Allows only a single move to be used, but boosts Speed by 150% Allows you to outspeed enemy Pokemon equipping a Choice Scarf.
Choice Band	Allows only a single move to be used, but boosts Attack by 150% Ensures one-hit KOs on many defensively weak Pokemon.
Life Orb	Boosts Move Power by 130% but uses 10% of health per use. Can boost damage output while still leaving move variety.
Light Clay	Extends effect of Reflect and Light Screen to 8 turns. Useful when using Pokemon as a first batter to secure the environment.
Leftovers	Recover health lost when using Substitute. Make sure to have 252 HP EVs when using this.

Click To Learn Where To Find Items For Battle

Dragapult - Best Nature And EVs

Dragapult - Recommended Natures

Nature	Traits
Jolly	Spd↑ / Sp.Atk↓ Nature that compliments its Speed. Recommended if not using special moves.
Naive	Spd↑ / Sp.Def↓ Nature that compliments its Speed. Can utilize both its physical & special moves.
Adamant	Atk↑ / Sp.Atk↓ This Pokemon can in most cases attack before other Pokemon without boosting Speed. May be easier to lose against other Dragapult.

Which Nature Would You Recommend?

Recommended EV Allocation

Offensive Variant

Stat	Base Point
Attack	252 points (max)
Speed	252 points (max)
Defense	4 points

It is recommended to boost Speed & Attack with the Base Point, along with topping off its defense with the extra EVs.

Special Attack Variant

Stat	Base Point
Sp. Attack	252 points (max)
Speed	252 points (max)
HP	4 points

This spread is for Build #2, which focuses on Special Attacking moves.

Setup Variants

Stat	Base Point
HP	252 points (max)
Speed	252 points (max)
Attack/Defense	4 points

Setup variants don't need the attack and would rather have the extra HP cushion in order to survive another turn.

Check Out The EV (Base Point) Guide Here!

Dragapult Counters

Recommended Pokemon To Counter Dragapult

Pokemon	Explanation
Mimikyu	Pros - Fairy type, effective against Dragon Type - Can use Sword Dance while Disguise is in effect Cons - Cannot one shot without Swords Dance + is one shot by Dragapult
Grimmsnarl	Pros - Immune against Dragon type, can switch into Draco Meteor - Can use Sucker Punch & U-turn combo, also can cripple with Thunder Wave thanks to Prankster Cons - Switch ins can be easily predicted
Tyranitar	Pros - One shot with Crunch - Takes less than 25% on switch in from most common moves - May survive Max Moves as well depending on build Cons - Physical variants could U-Turn out

How To Play Against Dragapult

Requires Specific Pokemon to Counter

Dragapult is one of the most common Pokemon in the current meta, alongside Mimikyu. It can be extremely hard to counter if you're not prepared for it. It's best to assume that most teams online will run this Pokemon, so having a clear counter is a must!

Mimikyu is a Strong Counter

Mimikyu can not only negate Dragon type moves, but can also boosts its attack while Disguise is in effect, & strike with moves such as Shadow Sneak. Note that Dragapult can also evade Mimikyu with the use of U-turn, breaking Disguise & switching into a better Pokemon, so think ahead!

Grimmsnarl Also Viable Counter

Grimmsnarl's Life Orb or Choice Band boosted Sucker Punch will one shot Dragapult & get priority on it. When anticipating a Sucker Punch, swap into Grimmsnarl (as it is immune).

Use A Choice Scarf

One of the only ways to get the first hit on a Dragapult will be to use a Choice Scarf. Hitting it with a strong super effective move should be enough to disable it. Although Scarf Dragapults are uncommon, they might be out there, so be careful!

Dragapult - Competitive Breeding Process

Breeding Process Flow Chart

1	Catch Dreepy (Drakloak) at Lake of Outrage during a Thunderstorm, Cloudy, or Foggy Weather
2	Hatch Eggs until you get a High IV Dreepy
3	Breed that Dreepy until you get one with an Adamant or Jolly Nature
4	Put 252 EVs in Attack and Speed
5	Max out its Dynamax Level
6	Level to 60 to evolve
7	Teach it Outrage, U-Turn, Steel Wing, and Phantom Force
8	Equip a Choice Band

>> Check Out Our Breeding Guide For More Info!

How To Get Dreepy or Drakloak

The first step to Breeding Dragapult will be to catch either a wild Dreepy or Drakloak. Head to the Lake of Outrage in the Wild Area to find these Pokemon. Note that these area requires you to travel on water & will only be accessible after the 6th Gym.

Check Out Wild Area Guide Here!