Overview
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With two offensive abilities in Mold Breaker and Sand Rush, Excadrill can easily be seen as a threat in VGC 2015. Its Iron Head OHKOes Sylveon and other Fairies, and its Mold Breaker Earthquake can break walls such as Rotom-W and Cresselia. Excadrill also has great coverage in Rock Slide and Earthquake. Excadrill's great Ground / Steel typing gives it resistances to Bug-, Dragon-, Fairy-, Flying-, Normal-, Psychic-, Rock-, and Steel-type moves along with immunities to Electric- and Poison-type moves, allowing it to check Fairy-types and offensive threats such as Thundurus. However, it has poor bulk, meaning that even resisted attacks can deal pretty severe damage to it. For example, Choice Specs Sylveon's Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voice takes away 40% of Excadrill's HP. Excadrill also has a tiny movepool, making it a predictable foe. Excadrill has a fairly good base Speed; however, it is slower than Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Pokemon with base 100 Speed if it's outside of sand (if it is using Sand Rush). Excadrill is also weak to common types in Fire, Fighting, and Ground. Besides that, Excadrill is also very weak if it encounters a Will-O-Wisp user or a foe with Intimidate.
Mold Breaker
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name: Mold Breaker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Protect
move 4: Iron Head / Swords Dance
ability: Mold Breaker
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
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Earthquake is Excadrill's main Ground-type STAB move, as it deals spread damage and has the ability to OHKO most Fire-, Electric-, and Steel-types. Earthquake is also useful for clearing out opposing threats for allied setup sweepers. Rock Slide is another spread move that rounds out Excadrill's coverage, as it hits Flying-types, which are immune to Earthquake, super effectively. Protect allows Excadrill to protect itself while its teammate KOes the threat. Protect is also useful for stalling out Trick Room, various weathers, and Tailwind. Iron Head OHKOes Fairy-types such as Sylveon, Gardevoir, and Mega Altaria. Swords Dance is used to boost Excadrill's Attack two stages, making its moves OHKO foes that are hit neutrally. For example, a +2 Earthquake OHKOes Sylveon and Gardevoir.
Set Details
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Mold Breaker allows Earthquake to hit Pokemon with Levitate, such as Rotom-W and Cresselia. 252 Attack and Speed EVs allow Excadrill to hit as hard and fast as possible. An Adamant nature ensures an OHKO on bulky Rotom-W, whereas a Jolly nature lets Excadrill outspeed opposing maximum Speed Rotom formes. Use 4 Special Defense EVs to keep Excadrill's HP odd for maximum Life Orb-boosted attacks. Life Orb lets Excadrill hit foes significantly harder, whereas Focus Sash guarantees Excadrill to survive at least one hit and potentially get off two attacks before fainting.
Usage Tips
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Try not to switch Excadrill in haphazardly, as it will take huge amounts of damage or get KOed upon switching in. Try to lead with Excadrill and a Flying-type teammate such as Togekiss or Mega Salamence so that Excadrill can get its desired support to guarantee usefulness. Try not to switch Excadrill in until its opposing threats, such as Mega Charizard Y, have been KOed, as this helps Excadrill deal damage safely.
Team Options
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Togekiss is a good teammate for Excadrill, as it is immune to Earthquake, provides Follow Me support to help Excadrill set up one Swords Dance, and has access to Tailwind to help with Excadrill's Speed issues. Mega Salamence appreciates Excadrill's ability to OHKO the Rotom formes and Heatran. This lets Mega Salamence set up easier or attack more frequently without the worries of Will-O-Wisp and Hidden Power Ice. Thundurus can use priority Thunder Wave to further help Excadrill out with its Speed problems, and Thundurus can check Thundurus-T by OHKOing it with Hidden Power Ice. Talonflame enjoys Excadrill's ability to remove the Rotom formes and Tyranitar, making Brave Bird a lot easier to spam, and Talonflame can provide Tailwind support. Ludicolo can take Excadrill's Earthquake while also helping it by taking on Water-types.
Sand Rush
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name: Sand Rush
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Rush
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Earthquake hits Fire- and Steel-types super effectively, deals spread damage, and receives a STAB boost, allowing Excadrill to deal decent damage on neutrally hit foes. Rock Slide has good coverage alongside Earthquake, and it can OHKO Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, both of which Excadrill outspeeds in sand, making it much easier to KO them without taking damage. STAB Iron Head OHKOes Fairy-types such as Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir. Swords Dance can be used, but it wastes a turn of sand, and Excadrill is normally better off going on the offensive.
Set Details
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Sand Rush doubles Excadrill's Speed in the sand. Given that Sand Rush Excadrill is only used in a sandstorm, there is no benefit to running a Jolly Nature, as Excadrill hits 280 Speed with Adamant. Life Orb boosts the power of Excadrill's moves by 30%, allowing it to hit harder, whereas Focus Sash ensures that Excadrill survives one hit, allowing it to potentially get off two attacks.
Usage Tips
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Try to lead with Excadrill and a Sand Stream user such as Tyranitar or Hippowdon so that its Speed can double immediately. Excadrill is too frail to switch in during a turn, so try to switch it in safely. Because of Excadrill's high Speed in the sand, it can easily clean up games against weakened teams.
Team Options
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Rotom-W is immune to Excadrill's Earthquake and can take on opposing Water-types and burn physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp, making it a good teammate. Tyranitar or Hippowdon is required to set up sand so that Excadrill's Sand Rush has some use. Cresselia can prevent Trick Room from being set up and provide Helping Hand support. Flying-types, namely Thundurus and Talonflame, all have some form of speed control. Thundurus can OHKO opposing Ground-types with Hidden Power Ice and can use priority Thunder Wave and Taunt. Thundurus also threatens opposing Flying- and Water-types, both of which can be troublesome for Excadrill. Talonflame can OHKO Grass-types, which resist Excadrill's Earthquake, and it can provide Taunt and Tailwind support.
Other Options
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The Mold Breaker set can use Choice Band, as it makes Excadrill hit much harder than with Life Orb; however, the loss of the ability to switch moves hurts, and it forces Excadrill to switch out or to be fodder. Choice Scarf is also an option on the Mold Breaker set, solving Excadrill's Speed problems; however, it has the same issues as Choice Band. Drill Run can be used if you're afraid that Earthquake will hit Excadrill's teammate, but it is not a spread attack and is less accurate than Earthquake. Lum Berry cures burn and can be useful, but Excadrill is more concerned about staying alive than dealing damage. Rock Tomb can be used over Rock Slide as a form of speed control, but it is very weak and the foe can reset the Speed drop by switching out.
Checks & Counters
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**Ground-types**: Landorus-T has Earthquake, which can OHKO Excadrill, is immune to Excadrill's Earthquakes, and cripples Excadrill with Intimidate. Garchomp can outspeed Excadrill, take any hit from it, and OHKO back with Earthquake.
**Bulky Water-types**: Gyarados has Intimidate, resists Excadrill's STAB moves, and can comfortably set up Dragon Dances on it. Ludicolo resists both of Excadrill's STAB moves and can OHKO it with Hydro Pump. Milotic can take any hit from Excadrill and OHKO it back. Rotom-W beats the Sand Rush set 100% of the time; however, it must be wary of Excadrill's Mold Breaker.
**Fighting-types**: Hitmontop and Scrafty have Intimidate and can OHKO Excadrill with their Fighting-type STAB moves. Conkeldurr and Hariyama are bulky enough take any hit from Excadrill and OHKO it back. Breloom has a good chance to OHKO Excadrill with Mach Punch and is guaranteed to OHKO it after one turn of Life Orb damage.
**Opposing Weather**: Both Sand Rush and Mold Breaker sets have bad matchups against sun and rain. Mega Charizard Y can OHKO Excadrill with Heat Wave, but it must be wary of Rock Slide. In the rain, Politoed can OHKO Excadrill, Ludicolo resists both STAB moves and can OHKO it, and Mega Swampert has Wide Guard and can also OHKO Excadrill.
**Intimidate and Burns**: Excadrill is a physical attacker, so Intimidate and Will-O-Wisp greatly weaken it.
**Wide Guard**: Wide Guard blocks both of Excadrill's main attacks, Earthquake and Rock Slide, and Aegislash and Hitmontop are two good users that counter Excadrill, as neither minds taking an Iron Head.
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With two offensive abilities in Mold Breaker and Sand Rush, Excadrill can easily be seen as a threat in VGC 2015. Its Iron Head OHKOes Sylveon and other Fairies, and its Mold Breaker Earthquake can break walls such as Rotom-W and Cresselia. Excadrill also has great coverage in Rock Slide and Earthquake. Excadrill's great Ground / Steel typing gives it resistances to Bug-, Dragon-, Fairy-, Flying-, Normal-, Psychic-, Rock-, and Steel-type moves along with immunities to Electric- and Poison-type moves, allowing it to check Fairy-types and offensive threats such as Thundurus. However, it has poor bulk, meaning that even resisted attacks can deal pretty severe damage to it. For example, Choice Specs Sylveon's Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voice takes away 40% of Excadrill's HP. Excadrill also has a tiny movepool, making it a predictable foe. Excadrill has a fairly good base Speed; however, it is slower than Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Pokemon with base 100 Speed if it's outside of sand (if it is using Sand Rush). Excadrill is also weak to common types in Fire, Fighting, and Ground. Besides that, Excadrill is also very weak if it encounters a Will-O-Wisp user or a foe with Intimidate.
Mold Breaker
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name: Mold Breaker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Protect
move 4: Iron Head / Swords Dance
ability: Mold Breaker
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
Earthquake is Excadrill's main Ground-type STAB move, as it deals spread damage and has the ability to OHKO most Fire-, Electric-, and Steel-types. Earthquake is also useful for clearing out opposing threats for allied setup sweepers. Rock Slide is another spread move that rounds out Excadrill's coverage, as it hits Flying-types, which are immune to Earthquake, super effectively. Protect allows Excadrill to protect itself while its teammate KOes the threat. Protect is also useful for stalling out Trick Room, various weathers, and Tailwind. Iron Head OHKOes Fairy-types such as Sylveon, Gardevoir, and Mega Altaria. Swords Dance is used to boost Excadrill's Attack two stages, making its moves OHKO foes that are hit neutrally. For example, a +2 Earthquake OHKOes Sylveon and Gardevoir.
Set Details
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Mold Breaker allows Earthquake to hit Pokemon with Levitate, such as Rotom-W and Cresselia. 252 Attack and Speed EVs allow Excadrill to hit as hard and fast as possible. An Adamant nature ensures an OHKO on bulky Rotom-W, whereas a Jolly nature lets Excadrill outspeed opposing maximum Speed Rotom formes. Use 4 Special Defense EVs to keep Excadrill's HP odd for maximum Life Orb-boosted attacks. Life Orb lets Excadrill hit foes significantly harder, whereas Focus Sash guarantees Excadrill to survive at least one hit and potentially get off two attacks before fainting.
Usage Tips
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Try not to switch Excadrill in haphazardly, as it will take huge amounts of damage or get KOed upon switching in. Try to lead with Excadrill and a Flying-type teammate such as Togekiss or Mega Salamence so that Excadrill can get its desired support to guarantee usefulness. Try not to switch Excadrill in until its opposing threats, such as Mega Charizard Y, have been KOed, as this helps Excadrill deal damage safely.
Team Options
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Togekiss is a good teammate for Excadrill, as it is immune to Earthquake, provides Follow Me support to help Excadrill set up one Swords Dance, and has access to Tailwind to help with Excadrill's Speed issues. Mega Salamence appreciates Excadrill's ability to OHKO the Rotom formes and Heatran. This lets Mega Salamence set up easier or attack more frequently without the worries of Will-O-Wisp and Hidden Power Ice. Thundurus can use priority Thunder Wave to further help Excadrill out with its Speed problems, and Thundurus can check Thundurus-T by OHKOing it with Hidden Power Ice. Talonflame enjoys Excadrill's ability to remove the Rotom formes and Tyranitar, making Brave Bird a lot easier to spam, and Talonflame can provide Tailwind support. Ludicolo can take Excadrill's Earthquake while also helping it by taking on Water-types.
Sand Rush
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name: Sand Rush
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Rush
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Earthquake hits Fire- and Steel-types super effectively, deals spread damage, and receives a STAB boost, allowing Excadrill to deal decent damage on neutrally hit foes. Rock Slide has good coverage alongside Earthquake, and it can OHKO Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, both of which Excadrill outspeeds in sand, making it much easier to KO them without taking damage. STAB Iron Head OHKOes Fairy-types such as Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir. Swords Dance can be used, but it wastes a turn of sand, and Excadrill is normally better off going on the offensive.
Set Details
========
Sand Rush doubles Excadrill's Speed in the sand. Given that Sand Rush Excadrill is only used in a sandstorm, there is no benefit to running a Jolly Nature, as Excadrill hits 280 Speed with Adamant. Life Orb boosts the power of Excadrill's moves by 30%, allowing it to hit harder, whereas Focus Sash ensures that Excadrill survives one hit, allowing it to potentially get off two attacks.
Usage Tips
========
Try to lead with Excadrill and a Sand Stream user such as Tyranitar or Hippowdon so that its Speed can double immediately. Excadrill is too frail to switch in during a turn, so try to switch it in safely. Because of Excadrill's high Speed in the sand, it can easily clean up games against weakened teams.
Team Options
========
Rotom-W is immune to Excadrill's Earthquake and can take on opposing Water-types and burn physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp, making it a good teammate. Tyranitar or Hippowdon is required to set up sand so that Excadrill's Sand Rush has some use. Cresselia can prevent Trick Room from being set up and provide Helping Hand support. Flying-types, namely Thundurus and Talonflame, all have some form of speed control. Thundurus can OHKO opposing Ground-types with Hidden Power Ice and can use priority Thunder Wave and Taunt. Thundurus also threatens opposing Flying- and Water-types, both of which can be troublesome for Excadrill. Talonflame can OHKO Grass-types, which resist Excadrill's Earthquake, and it can provide Taunt and Tailwind support.
Other Options
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The Mold Breaker set can use Choice Band, as it makes Excadrill hit much harder than with Life Orb; however, the loss of the ability to switch moves hurts, and it forces Excadrill to switch out or to be fodder. Choice Scarf is also an option on the Mold Breaker set, solving Excadrill's Speed problems; however, it has the same issues as Choice Band. Drill Run can be used if you're afraid that Earthquake will hit Excadrill's teammate, but it is not a spread attack and is less accurate than Earthquake. Lum Berry cures burn and can be useful, but Excadrill is more concerned about staying alive than dealing damage. Rock Tomb can be used over Rock Slide as a form of speed control, but it is very weak and the foe can reset the Speed drop by switching out.
Checks & Counters
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**Ground-types**: Landorus-T has Earthquake, which can OHKO Excadrill, is immune to Excadrill's Earthquakes, and cripples Excadrill with Intimidate. Garchomp can outspeed Excadrill, take any hit from it, and OHKO back with Earthquake.
**Bulky Water-types**: Gyarados has Intimidate, resists Excadrill's STAB moves, and can comfortably set up Dragon Dances on it. Ludicolo resists both of Excadrill's STAB moves and can OHKO it with Hydro Pump. Milotic can take any hit from Excadrill and OHKO it back. Rotom-W beats the Sand Rush set 100% of the time; however, it must be wary of Excadrill's Mold Breaker.
**Fighting-types**: Hitmontop and Scrafty have Intimidate and can OHKO Excadrill with their Fighting-type STAB moves. Conkeldurr and Hariyama are bulky enough take any hit from Excadrill and OHKO it back. Breloom has a good chance to OHKO Excadrill with Mach Punch and is guaranteed to OHKO it after one turn of Life Orb damage.
**Opposing Weather**: Both Sand Rush and Mold Breaker sets have bad matchups against sun and rain. Mega Charizard Y can OHKO Excadrill with Heat Wave, but it must be wary of Rock Slide. In the rain, Politoed can OHKO Excadrill, Ludicolo resists both STAB moves and can OHKO it, and Mega Swampert has Wide Guard and can also OHKO Excadrill.
**Intimidate and Burns**: Excadrill is a physical attacker, so Intimidate and Will-O-Wisp greatly weaken it.
**Wide Guard**: Wide Guard blocks both of Excadrill's main attacks, Earthquake and Rock Slide, and Aegislash and Hitmontop are two good users that counter Excadrill, as neither minds taking an Iron Head.
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