[OVERVIEW]
Excadrill has emerged as an excellent presence in UU thanks to its insanely valuable role compression as an Electric-immune entry hazard setter and remover. It has the typing to check many threatening foes like Aegislash, Nihilego, Jirachi, and Galarian Slowbro. Mold Breaker allows Excadrill to bypass abilities like Levitate from Rotom-W and Magic Bounce from Hatterene to KO them or set Stealth Rock. Excadrill can also be a potent late-game cleaner with a Swords Dance + Rapid Spin set, boosting up to break through walls like Chansey and Amoonguss and clean through weakened teams. Excadrill also utilizes a suicide lead set on hyper offense teams to pave the way for dangerous sweepers like Galarian Moltres and Thundurus-T. However, Excadrill is extremely vulnerable to the tier's Water-, Grass-, and Fighting-type Pokemon like Azumarill, Zarude, and Conkeldurr, all of which can easily take advantage of it due to their higher Speed or access to priority. Excadrill struggles to bypass common threats like Skarmory, Moltres, and Celesteela. Skarmory is especially troublesome, as Excadrill struggles to keep Spikes removed against the most prevalent Spiker in the tier. Furthermore, Excadrill's defensive stats are lackluster without investment, which hinders its role as a Steel-type when checking threats like Aegislash and Hydreigon.
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Rapid Spin
move 4: Stealth Rock / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Earthquake and Iron Head provide fantastic coverage for Excadrill, slamming common threats like Jirachi, Aegislash, Mamoswine, and Tapu Bulu. Rapid Spin benefits from Excadrill matching up well against other entry hazard setters like Nihilego and Chansey. Stealth Rock can be run for more role compression thanks to Excadrill pressuring entry hazard control like Rotom-W and Hatterene. Additionally, Excadrill can set up Stealth Rock against threats like Jirachi and Nihilego because of its typing. Toxic is an alternative option to cripple defensive checks like Tangrowth, Slowking, and Moltres, though finding another Pokemon to run Stealth Rock can strain teambuilding. Additionally, Toxic is useless against other Excadrill answers like Skarmory and Amoonguss. Mold Breaker bypasses Levitate from Rotom-W, Rotom-H, and Hydreigon, allowing Excadrill to severely damage them with Earthquake while also allowing Excadrill to circumvent Hatterene's Magic Bounce. Maximum Attack investment lets Excadrill threaten Aegislash and Primarina as much as possible, though maximum investment in Special Defense in an option to better check threats like Hatterene, Aegislash, and Galarian Slowbro via directly switching in.
Excadrill both removing and setting entry hazards gives it a place on many bulky offense and balance teams. Thundurus-T is a great partner that can remove Flying-types like Skarmory, Celesteela, and Moltres that hinder Excadrill. Grass-types like Tangrowth and Amoonguss can switch into Water- and Grass-types like Azumarill and Zarude for Excadrill. Fighting-type checks like Salamence and Slowking provide great support against threats like Cobalion and Conkeldurr, with Salamence also beating Grass-types like Zarude and Tangrowth. Since Excadrill struggles to keep Spikes off against Skarmory, other entry hazard removers like the aforementioned Salamence and Mandibuzz can work with it to completely keep entry hazards off the field. Other entry hazard setters like Nihilego and Cobalion can cover setting Stealth Rock for Excadrill, freeing up a moveslot to run Toxic. They also appreciate Excadrill threatening Aegislash for them. Fast offensive threats like Zygarde-10%, Azelf, and Salazzle appreciate Excadrill's support and can deal with faster threats like Thundurus-T and Hydreigon. The latter two also check Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and Skarmory.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Rapid Spin
move 4: Swords Dance
item: Leftovers
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Swords Dance boosts Excadrill's Attack to sky-high levels, letting it overwhelm the sturdiest of physical walls like Tangrowth and Amoonguss with its STAB moves if Stealth Rock is up. In conjunction with Mold Breaker, it can break through Quagsire's Unaware. Rapid Spin lets Excadrill compress entry hazard removal alongside boosting its Speed, making it a dangerous late-game threat, as faster threats like Zygarde-10% can no longer revenge kill it. Rock Slide is an option to slam Moltres, which otherwise counters this set, and hit Thundurus-T and Celesteela, but it only should be used if the team can fit entry hazard removal elsewhere. Leftovers makes Excadrill harder to wear down, further facilitating its sweeping attempts.
Excadrill best fits on offensive teams that give it ample opportunities to wallbreak. Pivot support from Zarude, Thundurus-T, and Slowking can bring Excadrill in safely to set up against their checks like Togekiss, Chansey, and Aegislash. Notably, Slowking is a slow pivot, providing Excadrill with a free switch with Teleport. Slowking and Thundurus-T are also great at taking advantage of Celesteela and Skarmory, both of which wall Excadrill. Amoonguss and Tangrowth can provide a key defensive backbone for Excadrill, taking on threats like Conkeldurr and Azumarill. Entry hazard support from Nihilego and Swampert is key in helping Excadrill break through physical walls like Tangrowth and Amoonguss. Early-game wallbreakers like Hydreigon and Conkeldurr can weaken walls like Celesteela and Moltres for it to cleanly sweep late-game. Other Steel-types like Celesteela and Jirachi can make up for Excadrill's frailty by checking threats it normally would like Aegislash and Hatterene.
[SET]
name: Suicide Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rapid Spin
move 4: Rock Tomb / Steel Beam
item: Focus Sash
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Excadrill is a great suicide lead for hyper offense teams thanks to Mold Breaker, allowing it to set up Stealth Rock against Hatterene and pressure Rotom-W with Earthquake. Rapid Spin supports its team against opposing Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego and Swampert. Excadrill also keeps Sticky Web off the field thanks to its amazing matchup against Ribombee, which normally hinders many hyper offense teams. Rock Tomb heavily damages Thundurus-T and Moltres and slows down faster threats like Zarude for its teammates to set up on. Alternatively, Steel Beam allows Excadrill to retain momentum after setting up Stealth Rock, preventing Defoggers like Mandibuzz from removing Stealth Rock. A Focus Sash guarantees Excadrill can survive a hit and get up Stealth Rock before fainting.
This Excadrill set fits best on hyper offense teams, allowing teammates to come in and sweep after setting up Stealth Rock. Deadly setup sweepers like Thundurus-T, Gyarados, and Galarian Moltres all appreciate entry hazard support wearing down checks like Chansey, Skarmory, and Nihilego. Thundurus-T takes advantage of the Flying-types Excadrill lets in like Skarmory and Celesteela, while the latter two also appreciate Excadrill removing opposing Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin, preventing chip damage so they can sweep more easily. Rapid Spin support also allows these Pokemon to run other items like Life Orb and Sitrus Berry instead of Heavy-Duty Boots. Spikes leads like Scolipede can form an entry hazard stacking core with Excadrill.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Scarf allows Excadrill to revenge kill threats like Azelf and be the fastest entry hazard remover in the tier, but it is typically undesirable to be locked into any of its moves. Excadrill can run Sand Rush on Swords Dance sets on sand teams that provide it support to outspeed and KO faster threats like Lycanroc-D without needing to use Rapid Spin. However, sand is a niche archetype in UU due to Gigalith's inconsistency as a setter and the limited beneficiaries of the archetype.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Flying-types**: Skarmory, Celesteela, and Moltres resist Excadrill's STAB combination, with the former two also being immune to Toxic. However, Moltres dislikes getting hit with Rock Tomb from suicide lead variants. Thundurus-T outspeeds Excadrill and nails it with Focus Blast. Salamence can switch into Excadrill and lower its Attack with Intimidate.
**Water-types**: Bulky Water-types like Swampert and Slowking can take a hit from Excadrill and retaliate with a super effective attack. Gyarados can use variants without Toxic as setup fodder. Azumarill can revenge kill Excadrill with Aqua Jet.
**Grass-types**: Tangrowth's massive physical bulk allows it to wall most Excadrill variants, though it has to be careful when taking on Swords Dance sets, as they can break through it with an Iron Head flinch, and Tangrowth needs chip damage to KO Excadrill back. Zarude's natural bulk lets it pivot into Excadrill; it does not fear Toxic because of Jungle Healing and forces it out due to its higher Speed.
**Fighting-types**: Cobalion and Keldeo outspeed and force out Excadrill. Conkeldurr has enough physical bulk to take an Earthquake and recover its health with Drain Punch or OHKO Excadrill with Mach Punch if at full health.
**Faster Threats**: Faster threats like Krookodile, Zygarde-10%, Hydreigon, and Lycanroc-D all outspeed and threaten Excadrill. However, none of these Pokemon want to switch into it, barring Krookodile, which can in a pinch.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [Hilomilo, 313384], [Lily, 481709]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [dex, 277988]]
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