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Excadrill - Moveset & Best Build

Excadrill - Moveset & Best Build | Pokemon Sword Shield

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Find out how to breed Excadrill in Pokemon Sword and Shield! Learn about Excadrill's best competitive movesets, best builds, best nature, counters, hidden ability and breeding!!!

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Excadrill Related Articles

Excadrill Moveset & Best Build

Excadrill
Total Base Stats508
Type Ground IconSteel Icon

#1 - Sand Rush Life Orb Build

Best NatureBest Item
Jolly (Speed ↑ / Sp.Atk ↓)Life Orb
Best Ability
Sand Rush
Increases speed during Sandstorms.
Best Moveset
Earthquake / Iron Head / Rock Slide / Swords Dance
▼Check Move Info Here
Best EV Spread
Attack 252, Speed 252, HP 4

Dynamax And Set Up Sand

Thanks to Max Rockfall, you do not need to have a Sandstorm supporter to set up your attack. Simply Dynamax and set it up yourself. You'll most likely survive one move while Dynamaxed, allowing you to go first the next turn and take out your opponent.

Three Item Choices

Although we recommend the Life Orb here, you could also choose the Weakness Policy or a Focus Sash. Weakness Policy will work well with Dynamax, while Focus Sash lets you survive against Pokemon who have a favorable matchup against you.

Regarding Move Choice

Iron Head, Earthquake, and Rock Slide (or Rock Tomb) are practically mandatory for this build. The last slot, however, is up to you. We recommend Swords Dance, but you can also run a 1HKO move.

#2 - (Hidden Ability) Mold Breaker Build

Best NatureBest Item
Jolly (Speed ↑ / Sp.Atk ↓)Choice Scarf
Best Ability
Mold Breaker
Ignores the effects of opponents' abilities.
Best Moveset
Earthquake / Iron Head / Rock Slide / Horn Drill
▼Check Move Info Here
Best EV Spread
Attack 252, Speed 252, HP 4

Scarf Is Necessary

This build is mainly intended to take out Mimikyu. Since Excadrill is slower than Mimikyu, a Choice Scarf is absolutely necessary. 252 EVs in Attack and Speed are also a must.

Jolly Scarf Outspeeds Dragapult

Even without Sand Rush, this version of Excadrill is able to outspeed non-Choice Scarf Dragapults!

Breaks Through Disguise

With Mold Breaker, you can hit past Mimikyu's Disguise and one shot it with Iron Head. This is the absolute easiest way to deal with Mimikyu out there. Additionally, you'll be able to hit the entire Rotom family with Earthquake.

Horn Drill Or Fissure

OHKO moves are here to help you deal with bulky tanks who you would otherwise struggle against, such as Ferrothorn. You can choose which of the two moves you wish, as Horn Drill is ineffective vs. Ghost types, while Fissure doesn't work against Flying types.

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Excadrill - Best Moves

Press the buttons below to toggle between different builds!

Build #1 - Sand Rush Life Orb

Recommended Moves

Move/TypeReason
Earthquake
Ground Icon
Absolute must on all builds, 100 power STAB move with good coverage. Two shots Ferrothorn.
Iron Head
Steel Icon
Great stab move, wipes out Mimikyu in one shot (provided its ability is down)
Rock Slide
Rock Icon
Deals AOE damage so it's quite useful for double battles. Good coverage for Flying types.
Swords Dance
status icon
Raises attack two stages. Try using a Focus Sash build (with sandstorm up) to take one hit while setting up and then sweep.

Other Viable Moves

Move/TypeReason
Rapid Spin
Normal Icon
Clears away hazards like Earthquake and Stealth Rock.
Rock Tomb
Rock Icon
Lowers opponent's speed. Less damage than Rock Slide, but it could be useful.
Horn Drill
Normal Icon
Very low accuracy, but one-shots the target if it lands. Useful VS. tanks who stall you out.
Fissure
Ground Icon
Same effect as Horn Drill, but a different type. Should be chosen at your discretion.

Build #2 - Mold Breaker

Recommended Moves

Move/TypeReason
Earthquake
Ground Icon
Absolute must on all builds, 100 power STAB move with good coverage. Two shots Ferrothorn.
Iron Head
Steel Icon
Great stab move, wipes out Mimikyu in one shot (provided its ability is down)
Rock Slide
Rock Icon
Deals AOE damage so it's quite useful for double battles. Good coverage for Flying types.
Horn Drill
Normal Icon
Very low accuracy, but one-shots the target if it lands. Useful VS. tanks who stall you out.

Other Viable Moves

Move/TypeReason
Fissure
Ground Icon
Same effect as Horn Drill, but a different type. Should be chosen at your discretion.
Rock Tomb
Rock Icon
Lowers opponent's speed. Less damage than Rock Slide, but it could be useful.

Excadrill - Best Item to Hold

ItemTraits
Choice BandAllows only a single move to be used, but boosts Special Attack by 150%
Boosts damage significantly but is risky. Allows you to outspeed and one-hit KO Dragapult.
Life OrbBoosts Move Power by 130% but uses 10% of health per use.
Can boost damage output while still allowing you to Swords Dance.
Focus SashUseful to get 1 turn to set up Swords Dance. Provided you have Sandstorm up, you should be able to sweep.
Weakness PolicyRequires Dynamaxing to pull off. Can massively sweep teams teams if it procs.
Click To Learn Where To Find Items For Battle

Excadrill - Best Nature And EVs

Excadrill - Recommended Natures

NatureTraits
AdamantAttack↑ / Sp.Atk↓
Recommended if you're constantly going to have a Sandstorm up.
JollySpeed↑ / Sp.Atk↓
Maximizes speed to further improve the effect of Sand Rush.

Which Nature Would You Recommend?

Recommended Base Point (EV) Allocation

Offensive Variant

StatBase Point
Attack252 points (max)
Speed252 points (max)
HP4 points

Maximizing speed will be key in going first and taking out major threats. In a sandstorm with a Choice Band, you'll be able to 1 shot a max speed (non-defensive) Dragapult.

Check Out The EV (Base Point) Guide Here!

Excadrill Counters

Recommended Pokemon To Counter Excadrill

PokemonExplanation
Corviknight IconCorviknight Pros
- Walls Excadrill completely, even without Def EVs
- Can Bulk Up/Iron Defense to set up easily
Cons
- Takes a long time to actually knock out Excadrill (without Bulk Up)
Heat Rotom IconHeat Rotom Pros
- Can one shot with Overheat
Cons
- Dangerous vs. Rock Slide (/Max Rockfall)
Dragapult IconDragapult Pros
- Can one shot with Fire Blast
Cons
- Can't outspeed during a Sandstorm.

How To Play Against Excadrill

Hit It Fast

Take Excadrill out before it has a chance to Dynamax and start a Sandstorm. Without a Choice Scarf, it is generally rather slow and you can expect to be able to get the first hit off.

Be Aware Of Its Ability

Make sure to pay attention when Excadrill appears. A text will pop up and alert you that it has the Mold Breaker ability, so take note!

Bring Out A Physical Tank

If you anticipate that it's holding a Choice Scarf, immediately switch in a physical wall like Ferrothorn. If it's running Fissure or Horn Drill, start praying.

Excadrill - Competitive Breeding Process

Breeding Process Flow Chart

1Catch a Drilbur in the Galar Mine
2Hatch Eggs until you get a High IV Drilbur
3Breed that Drilbur until you get one with a Jolly Nature
4Put 252 EVs in Attack and Speed
5Max out its Dynamax Level
6Teach it Earthquake, Iron Head, Rapid Spin, and Swords Dance
7Equip a Life Orb
>> Check Out Our Breeding Guide For More Info!

How To Get Drilbur

Catching the Pre-Evolution Base Pokemon

The first step to Breeding Excadrill will be to catch one. You can easily find a Drilbur in the Galar Mine early on in the game. You can also find Excadrill in the Wild Area at the Lake of Outrage during Sandstorms.

Check Out Wild Area Guide Here!

Hidden Ability Mold Breaker

Mold Breaker is a Hidden Ability, which means regular Excadrills won't have it. You'll have to catch an Excadrill from a Max Raid Battle or get it from another player.

Find Out More About Hidden Abilities Here
Have some feedback? Click here

Your feedbacks will be checked by our staffs and will be attended to accordingly. Please be advised that we may not reply to every individual feedbacks.


Article Written by
Sword Shield Strategy Team

Sword Shield Strategy Team

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Anonymous 2

Mans really said to use horn drill huh

Anonymous 1

Why does it say to buy calcium to boost it's special attack? Does special attack **** for Excadrill

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