Overview
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Excadrill is backed by a great Attack stat, solid typing, and access to two fantastic abilities in Mold Breaker and Sand Rush; the former allows easier spam of its STAB Earthquake, allowing it to hit Levitate users such as Rotom-W, Gengar, Latios, and Hydreigon, while the latter gives it tremendous Speed during a sandstorm, allowing Excadrill to outspeed the entire metagame and potentially sweep unprepared teams. On the defensive side, Excadrill has mediocre bulk, meaning it has a hard time switching in against powerful attackers. Additionally, because Excadrill is weak to common priority moves such as Aqua Jet and Mach Punch, it is fairly easy to pick off. However, due to its Steel / Ground typing, Excadrill can take advantage of a predicted Thunder Wave or Toxic and switch in for free. Excadrill's most powerful attribute, being one of the fastest Pokemon in the game during a sandstorm, is severely hindered by its poor defensive synergy with Tyranitar and Hippowdon, the only two Pokemon with access to Sand Stream, as they are all weak to Water moves and Excadrill also shares a Ground and Fighting weakness with Tyranitar. For this reason, Excadrill best works as a revenge killer by making use of its great Speed while holding a Choice Scarf and using its powerful Earthquake to finish off a weakened team.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Horn Drill / Fissure
ability: Mold Breaker
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
Earthquake is Excadrill's most powerful STAB move and is more reliable due to Mold Breaker ignoring the ability Levitate and allowing Excadrill to hit Pokemon that possess it, the most notable of which is Rotom-W, which would otherwise counter this set. Excadrill can also outspeed Gengar and OHKO it with Earthquake. Iron Head is Excadrill's secondary STAB move and is notable in being able to flinch the opponent, which works great when combined with a Choice Scarf. It also hits Fairy-types such as Sylveon and Togekiss for super effective damage. Rock Slide gives great neutral coverage with Earthquake (RC) and allows Excadrill to hit Flying-types such as Zapdos, Thundurus, Mega Charizard Y, Talonflame, and Gyarados super effectively, which avoid Earthquake and don't mind an Iron Head. Horn Drill and Fissure are 30% accurate OHKO moves and can act as a last-resort option against Pokemon that Excadrill cannot KO with any of its other moves. Horn Drill is the preferred option, as it hits everything except Ghost-types; however, the most common Ghosts in Battle Spot are Aegislash and Gengar, and they are both hit hard by Earthquake anyway. Notable Pokemon that are hit by Fissure include Sableye and Jellicent, so the choice is up to you. Another benefit of Mold Breaker is that Excadrill can hit Pokemon with the ability Sturdy with its OHKO move; these include Skarmory and Donphan.
Set Details
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An offensive EV spread is used to maximize Excadrill's Speed with a Choice Scarf and give it as much power as possible. The Choice Scarf is chosen to give Excadrill the jump on faster Pokemon such as Mega Manectric, (Mega) Gengar, Choice Scarf Chandelure, Greninja, Raikou, and Mega Lucario and KO them with Earthquake. Adamant is the preferred nature, as it gives Excadrill some additional power to use alongside the Speed that the Choice Scarf provides; however, a Jolly nature can be used instead to get the jump on neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon at +1, including Mega Charizard X, Mega Blaziken, and Volcarona, and KO them with the appropriate move.
Usage Tips
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Choice Scarf Excadrill works best as a revenge killer, utilizing its high Speed and powerful Earthquake to finish off weakened teams. Leading with it might put you in an unfavorable matchup, forcing you to sacrifice it or switch out, both of which give your opponent momentum. Even though Excadrill's Attack stat is quite high, it is unable to OHKO bulkier threats at full health and its mediocre bulk leaves it susceptible to being KOed back or severely weakened in the process, so getting prior damage on the opponent's team will allow Excadrill to come in and easily finish them off. This also allows you to scout the opposing team for Flying-types, which are immune to Earthquake.
Team Options
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Due to Excadrill's ability to take out Electric-types as well as his 4x resistance to Rock moves, it makes a great partner for Pokemon such as Gyarados, Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Pidgeot, Mega Pinsir, and Togekiss. Excadrill desperately needs help getting past bulky Water- and Ground-types, so bringing a Grass-type such as Mega Venusaur, Mega Sceptile, Roserade, or Serperior is a good idea. Excadrill can also help them by revenge killing the Fire- and Flying-types that give them trouble.
Sand Sweeper
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name: Sand Sweeper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Swords Dance
ability: Sand Rush
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
Earthquake is Excadrill's strongest move and main sweeping tool. Earthquake hits key threats such as Aegislash, Mega Manectric, Mega Blaziken, Mega Gengar, and Mega Charizard X. Iron Head is Excadrill's secondary STAB option; it works well with the Speed boost of Sand Rush, as it can pull off clutch flinches. Its main targets are Togekiss, Sylveon, and Mamoswine. Rock Slide gives great coverage alongside Earthquake and can also make foes flinch. It works great against Zapdos, Thundurus, Mega Charizard Y, and Talonflame, as they are all immune to Earthquake and resist Iron Head. Swords Dance gives a tremendous boost to Excadrill's Attack stat, and when paired with the insane Speed provided by Sand Rush, it allows Excadrill to sweep teams.
Set Details
========
Maximize Excadrill's Attack and Speed for optimum sweeping potential; the remaining 4 EVs go into Defense, as it is preferred to have an odd HP stat when using a Life Orb to minimize the recoil Excadrill receives from it. Life Orb gives a 30% boost to Excadrill's attacks at the cost of 10% HP; this gives Excadrill a much-needed increase in power while also allowing flexibility with its move choices. Excadrill doesn't like taking hits in the first place, so the recoil from the Life Orb isn't too much of an issue. Azumarill can pick Excadrill off with Aqua Jet after two rounds of Life Orb recoil, though, so watch out for that. An Earth Plate or Soft Sand can be used instead to keep Earthquake hitting hard and prevent recoil, at the cost of losing a lot of power to Excadrill's other moves. Adamant is the preferred nature, as it gives Excadrill extra power and it still outspeeds everything in the tier that hasn't boosted its own Speed. Jolly is also an option to stop Timid Trace Gardevoir from coming in, outspeeding Excadrill, and OHKOing it with Focus Blast. It also allows Excadrill to get the jump on Jolly Mega Salamence after a Dragon Dance, Adamant Sharpedo after two Speed boosts, Swift Swim Kingdra in rain, and Adamant Mega Charizard X and Mega Blaziken after two boosts.
Usage Tips
========
Sand Rush Excadrill needs an active sandstorm to make use of its fantastic Speed stat, so bring it in once you have set it up. Pokemon such as Azumarill and Conkeldurr can bypass Sand Rush and KO Excadrill with some prior damage with their super effective priority moves, so eliminating these is a top priority. Using Swords Dance can give Excadrill an enormous boost to its attacks, but it uses a valuable turn of sandstorm to set up and also leaves Excadrill vulnerable to being attacked. Only use it if you are matched up against a Pokemon that is likely to switch out and you know you can afford the turn of sandstorm. Switching Excadrill in on Electric-types such as Thundurus and Raikou is your best chance to set up a Swords Dance.
Team Options
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Bringing either a Tyranitar or Hippowdon is mandatory to set up the sandstorm necessary for Excadrill to abuse Sand Rush. The problem with them is that they share weaknesses with Excadrill including Water, Fighting, and Ground. You also need a teammate that can easily take care of Azumarill, which is probably Sand Rush Excadrill's biggest threat. Venusaur and Roserade work well, as they resist Excadrill's - as well as Tyranitar's or Hippowdon's - weaknesses and can also deal with Azumarill well. Serperior can also come in and start setting up Leaf Storm boosts against most things that threaten Excadrill's sweep. Latias and Latios make for good partners, as they resist Water and Fighting while being immune to Ground thanks to Levitate, while Excadrill resists their Dragon, Fairy, and Bug weaknesses. They can also manually set up sandstorm, while Latias can even use Healing Wish to get Excadrill in safely and also heal it in the process.
Versatile Attacker
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name: Versatile Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Rock Slide / Rock Tomb
move 4: Swords Dance / Stealth Rock / Horn Drill
ability: Mold Breaker
item: Focus Sash / Air Balloon / Assault Vest
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
Earthquake is Excadrill's most powerful STAB option, utilizes Mold Breaker by hitting Levitate users such as Rotom-W, Rotom-H, and Gengar for super effective damage, and hits key threats such as Aegislash, Mega Manectric, Mega Charizard X, and Heatran for super effective damage. Iron Head is Excadrill's secondary STAB option and offers valuable super effective coverage against Pokemon such as Sylveon, Togekiss, Clefable, and Mamoswine. The choice between Rock Slide and Rock Tomb is personal preference: Rock Slide has more power, while Rock Tomb sports slightly better accuracy and drops the target's Speed by one stage, which can allow Excadrill to outspeed a faster opponent on the next turn or allow a teammate to come in and outspeed it. It also makes revenge killing much easier. Swords Dance offers a significant increase in power and allows Excadrill to power past bulky Pokemon such as Cresselia, Porygon2, Ferrothorn, and Aegislash. Stealth Rock provides entry hazard support, which helps break enemy Focus Sashes while also taking a chunk out of Charizard and Talonflame. It also works great with Mold Breaker, as Magic Bounce users such as Espeon and Mega Absol can't reflect it.
Set Details
========
An offensive EV spread is used to give Excadrill as much power and Speed as possible, with the remaining EVs put into Special Defense to ensure Excadrill survives a Focus Blast from Mega Gengar when equipped with an Assault Vest. An Adamant nature is preferred over Jolly to give Excadrill a boost to its attacks, guaranteeing the OHKO on Mamoswine and Mega Manectric (accounting for Intimidate); on the other hand, Jolly gets the jump on neutral-natured base 100 speed Pokemon such as unboosted Mega Charizard X, Volcarona, and Entei. A Focus Sash is the preferred item, as it allows Excadrill to avoid an OHKO and be left with 1HP, meaning it can either get in an attack before going down or to ensure that Stealth Rock gets set up. An Air Balloon makes Excadrill immune to Ground attacks, namely Earthquake, and forces the opponent to use a weaker move to pop the Air Balloon. This is especially helpful against Pokemon such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence, although Excadrill shouldn't be trying to fight them anyway. An Assault Vest cannot be used with either Swords Dance or Stealth Rock, which is why Horn Drill is used in the fourth slot. Assault Vest notably allows Excadrill to survive a Hydro Pump from defensive Rotom-W and Focus Blast from offensive Mega Gengar, while Excadrill can KO both with Earthquake.
Usage Tips
========
Excadrill needs to avoid switching in, as taking an attack will break its Focus Sash or pop its Air Balloon, which is why this set works best as a lead. From the lead position, Excadrill can easily set up Stealth Rock and then either switch out or start attacking. If using an Air Balloon, you can make use of predicted Earthquakes to switch Excadrill in for free. Beware of Fake Out users such as Mega Lopunny, Infernape, Mega Medicham, and Mienshao, as they can all break Excadrill's Focus Sash with Fake Out and proceed to KO it with a super effective move. You can also take advantage of Pokemon such as Cresselia, Porygon2, and Thundurus to switch in on a Thunder Wave or Toxic and set up a Swords Dance.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that enjoy Stealth Rock support to either discourage Talonflame switching in or have the opposing Pokemon's Focus Sashes being broken to aid their sweep make for good partners to this set; these include Greninja and Blaziken. Venusaur can help Excadrill deal with Azumarill and Breloom, while it appreciates having Excadrill to take out Talonflame.
Other Options
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You can forego Swords Dance on the Sand Rush set and opt for setting up your own sandstorm if needed; however, this faces the same issues as using Swords Dance in that it gives the opponent a free turn to get in a check or potentially cripple Excadrill. Magnet Rise can be used alongside an Air Balloon to force Pokemon that rely on Earthquake to KO Excadrill to use their coverage moves. Rapid Spin can be used to remove entry hazards from the field; however, these are very uncommon in Battle Spot, so it is usually not worth the moveslot. If your team features Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, or Volcarona and you absolutely need Stealth Rock removed, it can be used. Aerial Ace is an option to nail Mega Heracross and Breloom, although it's quite useless outside of those threats. A Passho or Chople Berry can save Excadrill from being picked off by an Aqua Jet or Mach Punch, respectively, and maybe even net it a surprise KO in the process. Sand Force might seem like a viable option; however, the Choice Scarf set appreciates the ability to hit Levitate users with Earthquake more than the increased power, and the huge Speed boost from Sand Rush is much more beneficial than Sand Force's power.
Checks & Counters
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**Water-types**: Excadrill has no way of powering past Pokemon such as Suicune, Azumarill, (Mega) Slowbro, Swampert, Blastoise and Gyarados (save for Rock Slide), and they can all KO with their Water STAB moves. Sets utilizing Swords Dance can muscle past some of these if Excadrill has already boosted before they come in.
**Ground-types and Earthquake users**: Pokemon such as Garchomp, Mega Salamence, Landorus, Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Mega Kangaskhan can easily survive an attack from Excadrill and retaliate with their own Earthquake
**Priority Moves**: Aqua Jet and Mach Punch bypass the Speed boost from a Choice Scarf or Sand Rush and hit Excadrill for super effective damage. Common users include Azumarill, Feraligatr, Crawdaunt, Conkeldurr, and Breloom. Of these, only Crawdaunt can OHKO an Excadrill at full health, so unless Excadrill has received some prior damage, it can get off an attack before going down.
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Excadrill is backed by a great Attack stat, solid typing, and access to two fantastic abilities in Mold Breaker and Sand Rush; the former allows easier spam of its STAB Earthquake, allowing it to hit Levitate users such as Rotom-W, Gengar, Latios, and Hydreigon, while the latter gives it tremendous Speed during a sandstorm, allowing Excadrill to outspeed the entire metagame and potentially sweep unprepared teams. On the defensive side, Excadrill has mediocre bulk, meaning it has a hard time switching in against powerful attackers. Additionally, because Excadrill is weak to common priority moves such as Aqua Jet and Mach Punch, it is fairly easy to pick off. However, due to its Steel / Ground typing, Excadrill can take advantage of a predicted Thunder Wave or Toxic and switch in for free. Excadrill's most powerful attribute, being one of the fastest Pokemon in the game during a sandstorm, is severely hindered by its poor defensive synergy with Tyranitar and Hippowdon, the only two Pokemon with access to Sand Stream, as they are all weak to Water moves and Excadrill also shares a Ground and Fighting weakness with Tyranitar. For this reason, Excadrill best works as a revenge killer by making use of its great Speed while holding a Choice Scarf and using its powerful Earthquake to finish off a weakened team.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Horn Drill / Fissure
ability: Mold Breaker
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
Earthquake is Excadrill's most powerful STAB move and is more reliable due to Mold Breaker ignoring the ability Levitate and allowing Excadrill to hit Pokemon that possess it, the most notable of which is Rotom-W, which would otherwise counter this set. Excadrill can also outspeed Gengar and OHKO it with Earthquake. Iron Head is Excadrill's secondary STAB move and is notable in being able to flinch the opponent, which works great when combined with a Choice Scarf. It also hits Fairy-types such as Sylveon and Togekiss for super effective damage. Rock Slide gives great neutral coverage with Earthquake (RC) and allows Excadrill to hit Flying-types such as Zapdos, Thundurus, Mega Charizard Y, Talonflame, and Gyarados super effectively, which avoid Earthquake and don't mind an Iron Head. Horn Drill and Fissure are 30% accurate OHKO moves and can act as a last-resort option against Pokemon that Excadrill cannot KO with any of its other moves. Horn Drill is the preferred option, as it hits everything except Ghost-types; however, the most common Ghosts in Battle Spot are Aegislash and Gengar, and they are both hit hard by Earthquake anyway. Notable Pokemon that are hit by Fissure include Sableye and Jellicent, so the choice is up to you. Another benefit of Mold Breaker is that Excadrill can hit Pokemon with the ability Sturdy with its OHKO move; these include Skarmory and Donphan.
Set Details
========
An offensive EV spread is used to maximize Excadrill's Speed with a Choice Scarf and give it as much power as possible. The Choice Scarf is chosen to give Excadrill the jump on faster Pokemon such as Mega Manectric, (Mega) Gengar, Choice Scarf Chandelure, Greninja, Raikou, and Mega Lucario and KO them with Earthquake. Adamant is the preferred nature, as it gives Excadrill some additional power to use alongside the Speed that the Choice Scarf provides; however, a Jolly nature can be used instead to get the jump on neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon at +1, including Mega Charizard X, Mega Blaziken, and Volcarona, and KO them with the appropriate move.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Excadrill works best as a revenge killer, utilizing its high Speed and powerful Earthquake to finish off weakened teams. Leading with it might put you in an unfavorable matchup, forcing you to sacrifice it or switch out, both of which give your opponent momentum. Even though Excadrill's Attack stat is quite high, it is unable to OHKO bulkier threats at full health and its mediocre bulk leaves it susceptible to being KOed back or severely weakened in the process, so getting prior damage on the opponent's team will allow Excadrill to come in and easily finish them off. This also allows you to scout the opposing team for Flying-types, which are immune to Earthquake.
Team Options
========
Due to Excadrill's ability to take out Electric-types as well as his 4x resistance to Rock moves, it makes a great partner for Pokemon such as Gyarados, Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Pidgeot, Mega Pinsir, and Togekiss. Excadrill desperately needs help getting past bulky Water- and Ground-types, so bringing a Grass-type such as Mega Venusaur, Mega Sceptile, Roserade, or Serperior is a good idea. Excadrill can also help them by revenge killing the Fire- and Flying-types that give them trouble.
Sand Sweeper
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name: Sand Sweeper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Swords Dance
ability: Sand Rush
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
Earthquake is Excadrill's strongest move and main sweeping tool. Earthquake hits key threats such as Aegislash, Mega Manectric, Mega Blaziken, Mega Gengar, and Mega Charizard X. Iron Head is Excadrill's secondary STAB option; it works well with the Speed boost of Sand Rush, as it can pull off clutch flinches. Its main targets are Togekiss, Sylveon, and Mamoswine. Rock Slide gives great coverage alongside Earthquake and can also make foes flinch. It works great against Zapdos, Thundurus, Mega Charizard Y, and Talonflame, as they are all immune to Earthquake and resist Iron Head. Swords Dance gives a tremendous boost to Excadrill's Attack stat, and when paired with the insane Speed provided by Sand Rush, it allows Excadrill to sweep teams.
Set Details
========
Maximize Excadrill's Attack and Speed for optimum sweeping potential; the remaining 4 EVs go into Defense, as it is preferred to have an odd HP stat when using a Life Orb to minimize the recoil Excadrill receives from it. Life Orb gives a 30% boost to Excadrill's attacks at the cost of 10% HP; this gives Excadrill a much-needed increase in power while also allowing flexibility with its move choices. Excadrill doesn't like taking hits in the first place, so the recoil from the Life Orb isn't too much of an issue. Azumarill can pick Excadrill off with Aqua Jet after two rounds of Life Orb recoil, though, so watch out for that. An Earth Plate or Soft Sand can be used instead to keep Earthquake hitting hard and prevent recoil, at the cost of losing a lot of power to Excadrill's other moves. Adamant is the preferred nature, as it gives Excadrill extra power and it still outspeeds everything in the tier that hasn't boosted its own Speed. Jolly is also an option to stop Timid Trace Gardevoir from coming in, outspeeding Excadrill, and OHKOing it with Focus Blast. It also allows Excadrill to get the jump on Jolly Mega Salamence after a Dragon Dance, Adamant Sharpedo after two Speed boosts, Swift Swim Kingdra in rain, and Adamant Mega Charizard X and Mega Blaziken after two boosts.
Usage Tips
========
Sand Rush Excadrill needs an active sandstorm to make use of its fantastic Speed stat, so bring it in once you have set it up. Pokemon such as Azumarill and Conkeldurr can bypass Sand Rush and KO Excadrill with some prior damage with their super effective priority moves, so eliminating these is a top priority. Using Swords Dance can give Excadrill an enormous boost to its attacks, but it uses a valuable turn of sandstorm to set up and also leaves Excadrill vulnerable to being attacked. Only use it if you are matched up against a Pokemon that is likely to switch out and you know you can afford the turn of sandstorm. Switching Excadrill in on Electric-types such as Thundurus and Raikou is your best chance to set up a Swords Dance.
Team Options
========
Bringing either a Tyranitar or Hippowdon is mandatory to set up the sandstorm necessary for Excadrill to abuse Sand Rush. The problem with them is that they share weaknesses with Excadrill including Water, Fighting, and Ground. You also need a teammate that can easily take care of Azumarill, which is probably Sand Rush Excadrill's biggest threat. Venusaur and Roserade work well, as they resist Excadrill's - as well as Tyranitar's or Hippowdon's - weaknesses and can also deal with Azumarill well. Serperior can also come in and start setting up Leaf Storm boosts against most things that threaten Excadrill's sweep. Latias and Latios make for good partners, as they resist Water and Fighting while being immune to Ground thanks to Levitate, while Excadrill resists their Dragon, Fairy, and Bug weaknesses. They can also manually set up sandstorm, while Latias can even use Healing Wish to get Excadrill in safely and also heal it in the process.
Versatile Attacker
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name: Versatile Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Rock Slide / Rock Tomb
move 4: Swords Dance / Stealth Rock / Horn Drill
ability: Mold Breaker
item: Focus Sash / Air Balloon / Assault Vest
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
Earthquake is Excadrill's most powerful STAB option, utilizes Mold Breaker by hitting Levitate users such as Rotom-W, Rotom-H, and Gengar for super effective damage, and hits key threats such as Aegislash, Mega Manectric, Mega Charizard X, and Heatran for super effective damage. Iron Head is Excadrill's secondary STAB option and offers valuable super effective coverage against Pokemon such as Sylveon, Togekiss, Clefable, and Mamoswine. The choice between Rock Slide and Rock Tomb is personal preference: Rock Slide has more power, while Rock Tomb sports slightly better accuracy and drops the target's Speed by one stage, which can allow Excadrill to outspeed a faster opponent on the next turn or allow a teammate to come in and outspeed it. It also makes revenge killing much easier. Swords Dance offers a significant increase in power and allows Excadrill to power past bulky Pokemon such as Cresselia, Porygon2, Ferrothorn, and Aegislash. Stealth Rock provides entry hazard support, which helps break enemy Focus Sashes while also taking a chunk out of Charizard and Talonflame. It also works great with Mold Breaker, as Magic Bounce users such as Espeon and Mega Absol can't reflect it.
Set Details
========
An offensive EV spread is used to give Excadrill as much power and Speed as possible, with the remaining EVs put into Special Defense to ensure Excadrill survives a Focus Blast from Mega Gengar when equipped with an Assault Vest. An Adamant nature is preferred over Jolly to give Excadrill a boost to its attacks, guaranteeing the OHKO on Mamoswine and Mega Manectric (accounting for Intimidate); on the other hand, Jolly gets the jump on neutral-natured base 100 speed Pokemon such as unboosted Mega Charizard X, Volcarona, and Entei. A Focus Sash is the preferred item, as it allows Excadrill to avoid an OHKO and be left with 1HP, meaning it can either get in an attack before going down or to ensure that Stealth Rock gets set up. An Air Balloon makes Excadrill immune to Ground attacks, namely Earthquake, and forces the opponent to use a weaker move to pop the Air Balloon. This is especially helpful against Pokemon such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence, although Excadrill shouldn't be trying to fight them anyway. An Assault Vest cannot be used with either Swords Dance or Stealth Rock, which is why Horn Drill is used in the fourth slot. Assault Vest notably allows Excadrill to survive a Hydro Pump from defensive Rotom-W and Focus Blast from offensive Mega Gengar, while Excadrill can KO both with Earthquake.
Usage Tips
========
Excadrill needs to avoid switching in, as taking an attack will break its Focus Sash or pop its Air Balloon, which is why this set works best as a lead. From the lead position, Excadrill can easily set up Stealth Rock and then either switch out or start attacking. If using an Air Balloon, you can make use of predicted Earthquakes to switch Excadrill in for free. Beware of Fake Out users such as Mega Lopunny, Infernape, Mega Medicham, and Mienshao, as they can all break Excadrill's Focus Sash with Fake Out and proceed to KO it with a super effective move. You can also take advantage of Pokemon such as Cresselia, Porygon2, and Thundurus to switch in on a Thunder Wave or Toxic and set up a Swords Dance.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that enjoy Stealth Rock support to either discourage Talonflame switching in or have the opposing Pokemon's Focus Sashes being broken to aid their sweep make for good partners to this set; these include Greninja and Blaziken. Venusaur can help Excadrill deal with Azumarill and Breloom, while it appreciates having Excadrill to take out Talonflame.
Other Options
########
You can forego Swords Dance on the Sand Rush set and opt for setting up your own sandstorm if needed; however, this faces the same issues as using Swords Dance in that it gives the opponent a free turn to get in a check or potentially cripple Excadrill. Magnet Rise can be used alongside an Air Balloon to force Pokemon that rely on Earthquake to KO Excadrill to use their coverage moves. Rapid Spin can be used to remove entry hazards from the field; however, these are very uncommon in Battle Spot, so it is usually not worth the moveslot. If your team features Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, or Volcarona and you absolutely need Stealth Rock removed, it can be used. Aerial Ace is an option to nail Mega Heracross and Breloom, although it's quite useless outside of those threats. A Passho or Chople Berry can save Excadrill from being picked off by an Aqua Jet or Mach Punch, respectively, and maybe even net it a surprise KO in the process. Sand Force might seem like a viable option; however, the Choice Scarf set appreciates the ability to hit Levitate users with Earthquake more than the increased power, and the huge Speed boost from Sand Rush is much more beneficial than Sand Force's power.
Checks & Counters
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**Water-types**: Excadrill has no way of powering past Pokemon such as Suicune, Azumarill, (Mega) Slowbro, Swampert, Blastoise and Gyarados (save for Rock Slide), and they can all KO with their Water STAB moves. Sets utilizing Swords Dance can muscle past some of these if Excadrill has already boosted before they come in.
**Ground-types and Earthquake users**: Pokemon such as Garchomp, Mega Salamence, Landorus, Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Mega Kangaskhan can easily survive an attack from Excadrill and retaliate with their own Earthquake
**Priority Moves**: Aqua Jet and Mach Punch bypass the Speed boost from a Choice Scarf or Sand Rush and hit Excadrill for super effective damage. Common users include Azumarill, Feraligatr, Crawdaunt, Conkeldurr, and Breloom. Of these, only Crawdaunt can OHKO an Excadrill at full health, so unless Excadrill has received some prior damage, it can get off an attack before going down.
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