Galarian Darmanitan - Moveset & Best Build | Pokemon Sword Shield

Find out how to breed Galarian Darmanitan in Pokemon Sword and Shield! Learn about Galarian Darmanitan's competitive movesets, best builds, including Zen Mode, best nature!!!

Table of Contents

Zen Mode Build and Moveset
Gorilla Tactics Build and Moveset
Best Items
Best Nature And EVs
Counters
Competitive Breeding Process

Location & Stats

Competitive Build

Galarian Darmanitan Moveset & Best Build

Total Base Stats	495
Type	( + ) (Zen Mode)

Zen Mode Build

Best Nature	Best Item
Jolly (Speed ↑ / Sp.Atk ↓)	Lum Berry
Best Ability
Zen Mode Transforms into Zen Mode when HP drops below 50%.
Best Moveset
Flare Blitz / Icicle Crash / Zen Headbutt / Belly Drum ▼Check Move Info Here
Best EV Spread
Attack 252, Speed 252, HP 4

Incredible Attack And Speed

Using Belly Drum will allow you to immediately enter Zen Mode, dramatically boosting your attack power. However, since your HP is so low, you run the risk of being taken out by a priority move.

Use Psychic Terrain

By Dynamaxing and using Max Mindstorm, you can set up Psychic Terrain, which removes the effect of priority moves. For this reason, running Zen Headbutt is recommended.

Choose A Lum Or Salac Berry

Lum Berries will cleanse a sweep-ending Burn off you, while Salac Berries will give you a massive speed boost when your health drops really low. Zen Mode brings you up to 135 speed, but it's still not enough to outspeed Dragapult, so beware!

Substitute VS. Galarian Corsola

By setting your HP to 204 (at Lv. 50), you make your Substitute's HP 51, making sure that Galarian Corsola cannot take it out with one Night Shade (which deals 50 damage). To do this, you'll need a 31 HP IV & 188 EVs in HP.

Recommended Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Icicle Crash	Strong STAB move, can 1 shot Dragapult.
Flare Blitz	Incredible move on all specs. Choice Banded can OHKO Corviknight with no defense ups.
Zen Headbutt	Used for Max Mindstorm while Dynamaxed to prevent priority moves.
Belly Drum	Cuts own HP but maxes out attack. Amazing for proccing Zen Mode.

Other Viable Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Substitute	Cuts HP to create a doll that takes damage instead of it. This is an alternative to Belly Drum.

Galarian Darmanitan Gorilla Tactics Build

Gorilla Tactics Build

Best Nature	Best Item
Jolly (Speed ↑ / Sp.Atk ↓)	Choice Scarf
Best Ability
Gorilla Tactics Only allows the use of one move, but attack is boosted.
Best Moveset
Flare Blitz / Icicle Crash / Earthquake / U-Turn ▼Check Move Info Here
Best EV Spread
Attack 252, Speed 252, HP 4

Combination Choice Scarf And Band

Since Gorilla Tactics already gives you a Choice Band bonus, combining it with a Choice Band is a great idea. Max out Speed and Attack EVs to further supplement this combination.

Works Well As A Lead

Galarian Darmanitan's wide move pool allows it to deal with a variety of opponents. If the matchup is unfavorable, it also retains the option of landing a powerful U-Turn and switching out.

Faster Than Dragapult

This build will outspeed a non-Scarfed Dragapult! However, your opponent probably also knows this, so try to anticipate what they'll swap into.

Dynamax Clears Your Scarf Lock

By Dynamaxing, you'll be able to use all of your other moves once again. This means that after it ends, you'll have to lock into another move.

Recommended Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Icicle Crash	Strong STAB move, can 1 shot Dragapult.
Flare Blitz	Incredible move on all specs. Choice Band can OHKO Corviknight with no defense ups.
U-Turn	Type coverage and allows you to swap out against dangerous opponents.
Earthquake	Great move to have simply for coverage.

Other Viable Moves

Move/Type	Reason
Rock Slide	An alternative coverage move to Earthquake.

Articles You Might Be Interested In

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

Galarian Darmanitan - Best Items to Hold

Item	Traits
Choice Scarf	Boosts Speed by 150% but locks you into one move. Recommended for most builds to ensure you get your moves off before dying (especially vs. non-Choice Scarf Dragapult)
Salac Berry	Increases the Pokemon's speed when it drops to low health. Can be used for Zen Mode, to ensure that you outspeed almost everything.
Lum Berry	Cleanses the effect of a status condition. Useful for dealing with burns.

Check Out Battle Item Locations Here!

Galarian Darmanitan - Best Nature And EVs

Galarian Darmanitan - Recommended Natures

Nature	Traits
Jolly	Spd↑ / Sp.Atk↓ Galarian Darmanitan has 81 Speed, which is often not enough to go first. Supplementation is necessary!
Adamant	Atk↑ / Sp.Atk↓ The extra 10% Attack could come in handy to ensure one-hit KOs on certain targets.

Which Nature Would You Recommend?

Recommended Base Point (EV) Allocation

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

Speed is particularly important, allowing it to outspeed an Excadrill (outside sandstorm).

Check Out The EV (Base Point) Guide Here!

Galarian Darmanitan Counters

Recommended Pokemon To Counter Galarian Darmanitan

Pokemon	Explanation
Galarian Corsola	Pros - Can usually survive 2+ hits - Can disable and burn - Can use Darmanitan's high attack to heal up Cons - Might not be able to finish Darmanitan off easily
Heat Rotom	Pros - Can one shot with Overheat - Can sustain 1 hit of most moves Cons - If Darmanitan has any attack boosts, Rotom can be one shot.
Toxapex	Pros - Usually won't be hit by a super effective move - Can take a lot of physical damage, resists fire and ice moves Cons - Has to watch out for Earthquake

How To Play Against Galarian Darmanitan

The key here is to carefully anticipate Dynamax, as it might be able to survive a super effective hit and knock out your prepared counters. If your plan is to one-shot it, you will need a fast super effective move, most likely with a Choice Scarf. If you plan to outlast it, Galarian Corsola might be your best bet.

Stealth Rocks Are Key

Darmanitan takes 25% damage when coming in on Stealth Rock, so make sure you have it up to give yourself the advantage.

Galarian Darmanitan - Competitive Breeding Process

Breeding Process Flow Chart

1	Catch a Galarian Darumaka on Route 10 Sword only
2	Hatch Eggs until you get a High IV Galarian Darumaka
3	Breed that Galarian Darumaka until you get one with an Jolly Nature
4	Put 252 EVs in Attack and Speed
5	Max out its Dynamax Level
6	Use an Ice Stone to evolve it
7	Teach it Icicle Crash, Flare Blitz, Earthquake and U-Turn
8	Equip a Choice Band

>> Check Out Our Breeding Guide For More Info!

How To Get Galarian Darumaka

The first step to Breeding Galarian Darmanitan will be to catch a wild Galarian Darumaka. This Pokemon can be found on Route 10 in Pokemon Sword only.