[OVERVIEW]
Excadrill is one of the best Pokemon in the tier. Its excellent defensive typing and decent natural bulk make it able to switch into Pokemon like Latios, Tyranitar, Reuniclus, Tornadus lacking Focus Blast, and Jirachi. It is hard to wear down because it's 4x resistant to Stealth Rock and immune to sand; this means Excadrill recovers more health from Leftovers and can effectively run Protect, making it even harder to wear down. It is incredible offensively because it's so strong and has good STAB attacks, which makes it hard to defensively answer, and Sand Force and Mold Breaker further this by changing how the opponent has to approach handling Excadrill. Because of these things and being able to threaten the most common entry hazard setters in the tier, mainly Tyranitar, Heatran, Jirachi, and Ferrothorn, it's the best spinner in the tier. This ability to support its team so well makes Excadrill work with many of the best Pokemon in the tier, and as such, it fits on a wide variety of teams and is pretty much always useful in a game. However, it doesn't have the greatest natural Speed tier, so it can be offensively checked by Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Keldeo. It also has common weaknesses, which means it needs to be careful around the Pokemon it usually wants to come in on, mainly Latios and Tyranitar, since they run super effective coverage. On top of this, good checks like Air Balloon + Magnet Rise Magnezone, Garchomp, Landorus-T, Keldeo, Rotom-W, Skarmory, and Gliscor are also quite common, which limits its overall viability and ability to come in.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Protect
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Force / Mold Breaker
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Protect in tandem with Leftovers lets Excadrill stay at high health as well as scout potentially Choice-locked Pokemon like Landorus-T, Terrakion, Tyranitar, Latios, and Garchomp. Rapid Spin lets Excadrill greatly support its entry hazard-susceptible teammates as well as itself and uses the move well thanks to being very hard to spinblock. Rock Slide has some potential utility with Sand Force sets due to doing a good amount of damage to Rotom-W, Thundurus-T, and Skarmory while also denting Gyarados quite heavily. However, it's hard to fit and doesn't have much utility outside of these specific targets.
Set Details
========
Sand Force is the preferred ability on this set, as it lets Excadrill nail a 2HKO on Ferrothorn and Reuniclus with Earthquake while also 2HKOing Choice Scarf Landorus-T that don't have much bulk investment and Poison Heal Breloom with Iron Head. A Jolly nature can also be used for teams especially weak to Timid Heatran while also outspeeding Adamant Dragonite and Mamoswine. However, this leaves Excadrill unable to get the important damage benchmarks mentioned above. Mold Breaker lets Excadrill use Earthquake more freely against teams that rely on Rotom-W or Latios as their primary pivot to Earthquake. A spread of 252 Atk / 124 SpD / 132 Spe with an Adamant nature can be used to outspeed maximum Speed Jolly Tyranitar, Adamant Breloom, and Modest Politoed and take attacks like Draco Meteor from Latios better.
Usage Tips
========
Attempt to get Excadrill in via a double switch or into resisted or weak attacks like Tyranitar's Crunch, Reuniclus's Psychic or Hidden Power Ice, and any of Amoonguss's attacks. Use Protect to scout a Choice-locked Pokemon, gain health from Leftovers, and rack up residual damage with sand and a potential Toxic poison or burn. If you need to spin away entry hazards, do it on a forced switch or a weak or resisted attack like Reuniclus's Hidden Power Ice. Do not take a lot of unnecessary damage; this set doesn't have as much bulk, meaning it may be unable to take an important hit such as Latios's Dragon Pulse late-game if its health dips too low. If up against a rain team, use Excadrill to spin Ferrothorn's entry hazards away throughout the game and force chip damage on Politoed to aid in winning the weather war. Excadrill can also threaten Tentacruel out should it be healthy enough, since Scald doesn't OHKO it. If predicting a counter such as Skarmory, Gliscor, or Rotom-W if Excadrill is running Sand Force to come in, switch into an answer to these Pokemon to maintain momentum and pressure. Pay attention to which Pokemon heals from Leftovers first against opposing Excadrill and Heatran because whether Excadrill can offensively answer them is contingent on it being faster. If Excadrill is slower, switch out.
Team Options
========
Tyranitar is this set's best partner, as it lets Excadrill run Sand Force while also setting Stealth Rock and trapping potentially problematic Pokemon such as Alakazam, Jellicent, and Thundurus-T. It can even attempt to lure in and OHKO Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Skarmory with Ice Beam and Fire Blast to make Excadrill even harder to check. Excadrill, meanwhile, can act as a backup Reuniclus measure and handle most Steel-types that may give Tyranitar a hard time based on its coverage. Latios can check Keldeo, Gliscor, and Rotom-W while also busting holes in other walls alongside it. In return, Excadrill is able to handle or heavily damage Tyranitar and most of the Steel-types that trouble Latios. Keldeo makes for an excellent partner because it beats the Ground- and Steel-types Excadrill can't, namely Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Skarmory. The Toxic + Protect set, in particular, is an excellent partner, as it spreads more residual damage, which Excadrill can take advantage of with Protect, and lets it break through Pokemon like Rotom-W and Thundurus-T over time. Meanwhile, Excadrill handles Reuniclus, non-Stun Spore Amoonguss, and Latios to an extent so Keldeo can more easily spread Toxic poison while also spinning; this is particularly helpful due to Keldeo's lack of recovery outside of Leftovers, which is usually getting negated by sand. Rotom-W takes on opposing Sand Force Excadrill, Politoed, Choice Scarf Keldeo, Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Mamoswine while burning said Pokemon; except for Gliscor; and even gets Excadrill in safely via Volt Switch. Excadrill can threaten Pokemon such as Reuniclus, Tyranitar, and Latios in return. It can even bait Latios into locking into Surf so Rotom-W can come in and get off a free Pain Split or Will-O-Wisp. Poison Heal Breloom can take care of Choice Scarf Keldeo, Rotom-W, Politoed, and Gliscor lacking a Flying-type move, while Excadrill can handle Reuniclus and Tornadus. Ferrothorn is able to set entry hazards, can use Knock Off to remove Leftovers and Rocky Helmet from Pokemon such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, and Politoed so Excadrill's damage sticks more in the long-term, and is a good Water-type and Latios switch-in. Excadrill is able to check Reuniclus and Jirachi in return while spinning away Spikes so Ferrothorn is able to check Latios more easily throughout the game. Reuniclus enjoys Excadrill's ability to handle the Steel-types that trouble it, mainly Jirachi and opposing Excadrill, to facilitate a Calm Mind sweep while also taking advantage of Excadrill handling Tyranitar very well. Reuniclus is able to beat Toxic + Protect Keldeo, Gliscor, and Skarmory for Excadrill while even beating Choice Band Terrakion in tandem with Excadrill, as Excadrill can scout what move Terrakion locks into with Protect and takes Stone Edge, while Reuniclus takes Close Combat.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Toxic / Stealth Rock
move 4: Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Careful
evs: 208 HP / 252 SpD / 48 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rapid Spin lets Excadrill support teammates weak to entry hazards and itself and uses the move well because it can force switches well and take a hit or two from common Stealth Rock setters like Tyranitar and Jirachi. Toxic is able to cripple the majority of Pokemon that can switch into Excadrill, such as Politoed, Landorus-T, Tangrowth, Hippowdon, and Jellicent, while also nailing other miscellaneous threats like Keldeo, Garchomp, Thundurus-T, and Latios. Alternatively, Excadrill can viably use Stealth Rock thanks to effectively threatening spinners. Additionally, its overall bulk in tandem with Protect and Leftovers lets it stay healthy and scout potentially Choice-locked Pokemon like opposing Excadrill, Mienshao, Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and Latios.
Set Details
========
This EV spread outspeeds uninvested Landorus-T as well as maximum Speed neutral nature Tyranitar. The rest of the EVs guarantee maximum Leftovers recovery and make Excadrill able to come in on Latios, Tyranitar, and Tornadus more comfortably while taking at least one super effective attack from them and most other special attackers.
Usage Tips
========
This Excadrill is meant to stay around throughout the game and dissuade Pokemon such as Latios from spamming their STAB moves and makes pivoting around them and Tyranitar easier for its team. When up against Ferrothorn, avoid spinning away its entry hazards before scouting for Knock Off or Leech Seed, as these moves make it so Ferrothorn will win the matchup. It's also a better idea to play out the game and wear Ferrothorn down over time with residual damage from burn or entry hazards so Excadrill can KO it and spin away the entry hazards for good. Use Protect to get back health and scout a Pokemon that has good potential to be Choice-locked like Latios, Tyranitar, or Landorus-T. Pay attention to which Pokemon heals from Leftovers first against Pokemon like Rotom-W and opposing Excadrill because whether Excadrill can offensively answer them is contingent on it being faster. If it's slower, it should switch out. When expecting a switch into a Pokemon that can check Excadrill, like Gliscor or Skarmory, switch Excadrill out as they come in to not lose momentum.
Team Options
========
Rotom-W takes on opposing Sand Force Excadrill, Politoed, Choice Scarf Keldeo, Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Mamoswine while burning said Pokemon, except for Gliscor, and even gets Excadrill in safely via Volt Switch. Excadrill can switch into Reuniclus, Tyranitar, and Latios in return. It can even bait Latios into locking into Surf so Rotom-W can come in and get off a free Pain Split or Will-O-Wisp. Tyranitar can run Stealth Rock, letting Excadrill more freely run Toxic while also trapping potentially problematic Pokemon such as Reuniclus, Jellicent, and Thundurus-T. It can even attempt to lure in and KO Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Skarmory with Ice Beam and Fire Blast so Excadrill is not as easily answered, and sand chips down some of its answers. Excadrill, meanwhile, can act as a backup Reuniclus switch-in and handle most Steel-types that may give Tyranitar a hard time based on its coverage. Reuniclus enjoys Excadrill's ability to handle Pokemon that trouble it, mainly Jirachi, Tyranitar, and opposing Excadrill, to facilitate a Calm Mind sweep. Reuniclus is able to beat Toxic + Protect and Choice Scarf Keldeo, Gliscor, and Skarmory for Excadrill while even beating Choice Band Terrakion in tandem with Excadrill, as Excadrill can scout what move Terrakion locks into and takes Stone Edge, while Reuniclus takes Close Combat. Heatran can work together with Excadrill on Toxic + sand-based teams to suffocate the opponent over time with residual damage. Heatran also handles Breloom, Ferrothorn, and Scizor while setting Stealth Rock, which lets Excadrill run Toxic more freely. Latios can check Keldeo, Gliscor, and Rotom-W while weakening Ferrothorn and the opposing team in general. In return, Excadrill is able to handle most of the Steel-types that trouble Latios and comes in on and handles Tyranitar. Keldeo makes for an excellent partner, as it beats the Ground- and Steel-types that Excadrill can't handle, like Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Skarmory. The Toxic + Protect set in particular is a great partner, as it spreads more residual damage that Excadrill can take advantage of with Protect. Meanwhile, Excadrill handles Alakazam, Reuniclus, and Latios to an extent for Keldeo so it can more easily spread Toxic poison while spreading Toxic poison itself. Ferrothorn is able to set entry hazards, use Knock Off to remove Leftovers and Rocky Helmet from Pokemon such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, and Politoed so Excadrill's damage sticks for longer, and be a good Water-type and Latios switch-in. Excadrill is able to check Reuniclus and Substitute Jirachi in return while spinning away Spikes so Ferrothorn is able to check Latios more easily throughout the game. Substitute + Dragon Dance Dragonite is a great partner for Excadrill, as it takes advantage of Excadrill removing Stealth Rock to very easily get up a Substitute on many Pokemon while also liking Excadrill handling Jirachi and Gyro Ball Ferrothorn to an extent and badly poisoning bulky Water-types. Amoonguss can take care of Keldeo, Rotom-W, Politoed, and Gliscor if running Hidden Power Ice, while Excadrill can handle Reuniclus, Substitute Jirachi, and Latios for it.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Rapid Spin
move 4: Rock Slide / Toxic
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Mold Breaker / Sand Force
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rapid Spin lets Excadrill assist its teammates, and, because this set is much faster than the others, it's also able to safely generate more switches to spin on. However, Excadrill is easily exploited when locked into Rapid Spin. Rock Slide should mainly be used on Sand Force sets, as it gives Excadrill a good move to hit Rotom-W while also targeting Thundurus-T and Gyarados. Toxic is an option to cripple Landorus-T, Slowbro, Hippowdon, Tangrowth, and other offensive switch-ins. However, it’s incredibly punishable to lock into and doesn’t work on other common counters like Gliscor and Skarmory.
Set Details
========
Sand Force is the preferred ability on this set because it lets Excadrill 2HKO Ferrothorn and Reuniclus with Earthquake in sand while also 2HKOing Choice Scarf Landorus-T that don't have much bulk investment and Poison Heal Breloom with Iron Head. An Adamant nature should be used with this ability. Mold Breaker lets Excadrill use Earthquake more freely against teams that rely on Rotom-W or Latios as their primary pivot to Earthquake. Adamant is able to get the aforementioned 2HKOs with Sand Force, while Jolly can outspeed Pokemon like +1 Jolly Dragonite, slower variants of Choice Scarf Landorus-T, and opposing Adamant Excadrill.
Usage Tips
========
Don't recklessly lock into Rapid Spin, as it leaves Excadrill very exploitable. It can even let any Magnezone set come in and trap it.
Team Options
========
Tyranitar is this set's best partner, as it lets Excadrill run Sand Force while also setting Stealth Rock and trapping potentially problematic Pokemon such as Alakazam, Jellicent, and Thundurus-T. It can even attempt to lure in and KO Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Skarmory with Ice Beam and Fire Blast to make Excadrill even harder to check. Meanwhile, Excadrill can more effectively clean and check faster threats thanks to the power boost with Sand Force. Latios can check Keldeo, Gliscor, and Rotom-W while also busting holes in other walls that could potentially halt a sweep. In return, Excadrill is able to revenge kill most of the non-Protect Steel-types that trouble Latios as well as Tyranitar. Keldeo makes for an excellent partner, as it beats the Ground- and Steel-types that Excadrill can't, like Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Skarmory, and potentially spread residual damage. Excadrill can take advantage of this to open up a late-game sweep for it as it wears down Pokemon like Rotom-W and Thundurus-T over time that could force Excadrill out. Meanwhile, Excadrill can revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Latios and Choice Scarf Politoed for Keldeo. Rotom-W takes on opposing Excadrill, Politoed, Choice Scarf Keldeo, Gliscor, Gyarados, and Mamoswine while even getting Excadrill in safely via Volt Switch. It can also spread burn with Will-O-Wisp so the opposing team gets weakened for a late-game sweep. Excadrill handles faster teams in return. Poison Heal Breloom can take care of Choice Scarf Keldeo, Rotom-W, Politoed, Gliscor, and slower teams more reliant on passive damage, while Excadrill can pressure Reuniclus, Amoonguss, and the faster offensive teams Breloom can struggle with. Ferrothorn is able to set entry hazards and can use Knock Off to remove Leftovers and Rocky Helmet from Pokemon such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, and Politoed so Excadrill's damage sticks for longer to set up a sweep. Ferrothorn also acts as a good Water-type check and Latios switch-in. Reuniclus enjoys Excadrill's ability to handle the Steel-types that trouble them, mainly Jirachi and Ferrothorn, while it can also take advantage of it handling Tyranitar very well. Reuniclus is able to beat Toxic + Protect Keldeo, Gliscor, and Skarmory while even beating Choice Band Terrakion in tandem with Excadrill, as Excadrill can scout what move Terrakion locks into and takes Stone Edge, while Reuniclus takes Close Combat.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Swords Dance + Rapid Spin can be used on rain teams, as it grants them a Jirachi and Reuniclus answer that can give entry hazard control. However, rain teams are typically better off running Tentacruel as a spinner. Air Balloon can be used to completely wall Gliscor lacking an attack besides Earthquake and Landorus-T locked into Earthquake while also making Excadrill immune to Spikes. However, it breaks upon taking any hit and leaves Excadrill without Leftovers recovery or even a boost to Speed like Choice Scarf would grant. Air Balloon is best used on a Swords Dance + 3 Attacks set with Iron Head, Earthquake, and Rock Slide. Choice Band Excadrill can be a fierce wallbreaker, especially with Sand Force. However, Excadrill doesn't have a move that isn't very punishing to lock into and much prefers getting Leftovers recovery so it can come in throughout the game much more easily.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Skarmory**: Skarmory is the best Excadrill answer in the tier. Excadrill can't hurt Skarmory, and Skarmory can set Spikes on it, especially if Skarmory's a Rocky Helmet variant. However, Excadrill can use Rapid Spin or attempt to flinch Skarmory down in a pinch it if it's not Rocky Helmet, while Skarmory can't actually hurt it if back should it lack Brave Bird.
**Ground-types**: Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Gliscor can all take at least one hit from Excadrill and take it out with Earthquake or, in the former two's case, set Stealth Rock. However, Garchomp and Landorus-T are vulnerable to being worn down over time, and Gliscor can get flinched down should it come to that.
**Rotom-W**: Rotom-W hard walls all Sand Force sets lacking Rock Slide, forces Excadrill out with the threat of Hydro Pump, and uses it as an opportunity to use Will-O-Wisp or Pain Split. However, it can't handle Mold Breaker variants and can take a decent chunk from Sand Force-boosted Rock Slide.
**Other Water-types**: Politoed, Keldeo, and Gyarados are able to switch into Excadrill at least once and take it out with super effective STAB attack. However, Politoed needs to be healthy to win the weather war and as such can't take too many hits and is outsped if lacking Choice Scarf, Keldeo takes a lot from Earthquake despite being able to take a hit, and Gyarados is weak to Stealth Rock, so it's easily worn down.
**Magnezone**: Air Balloon Magnezone can get in on a predicted Earthquake or after a KO, use Magnet Rise as Excadrill breaks the Air Balloon, then take out Excadrill with Hidden Power Fire. However, it's vulnerable to being flinched by Iron Head from the Sand Force set as it uses Magnet Rise. It's worth noting Choice Scarf Excadrill locked into any non-Earthquake move is trappable by all Magnezone sets.
**Thundurus-T**: Thundurus-T is a decent soft check that can take at least one Sand Force-boosted Iron Head reasonably well and force Excadrill out with the threat of Focus Blast. It can also set up a Substitute on a forced switch should it have Substitute as well, and Substitute makes Thundurus-T beat defensive sets. However, Substitute + Agility sets can't beat the Sand Force set due to lacking the proper coverage to do good damage to it while taking quite a bit from Iron Head.
**Grass-types**: Breloom, Ferrothorn, and Tangrowth can take at least one hit and cripple or take out Excadrill with super effective coverage or status. However, they're also liable to be worn down, especially Ferrothorn due to its lack of recovery and tendency to get burned and lose Leftovers to Knock Off.
**Faster Pokemon**: Garchomp, Landorus-T, Keldeo, Thundurus-T, and Alakazam can all outspeed Excadrill and take it out with powerful super effective coverage, and all of them can take at least one hit. However, they often have a hard time switching in and can struggle to take on the Choice Scarf set.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ophion, 433215]]
- Quality checked by: [[We Three Kings, 246992], [Finchinator, 114198]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]
Excadrill is one of the best Pokemon in the tier. Its excellent defensive typing and decent natural bulk make it able to switch into Pokemon like Latios, Tyranitar, Reuniclus, Tornadus lacking Focus Blast, and Jirachi. It is hard to wear down because it's 4x resistant to Stealth Rock and immune to sand; this means Excadrill recovers more health from Leftovers and can effectively run Protect, making it even harder to wear down. It is incredible offensively because it's so strong and has good STAB attacks, which makes it hard to defensively answer, and Sand Force and Mold Breaker further this by changing how the opponent has to approach handling Excadrill. Because of these things and being able to threaten the most common entry hazard setters in the tier, mainly Tyranitar, Heatran, Jirachi, and Ferrothorn, it's the best spinner in the tier. This ability to support its team so well makes Excadrill work with many of the best Pokemon in the tier, and as such, it fits on a wide variety of teams and is pretty much always useful in a game. However, it doesn't have the greatest natural Speed tier, so it can be offensively checked by Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Keldeo. It also has common weaknesses, which means it needs to be careful around the Pokemon it usually wants to come in on, mainly Latios and Tyranitar, since they run super effective coverage. On top of this, good checks like Air Balloon + Magnet Rise Magnezone, Garchomp, Landorus-T, Keldeo, Rotom-W, Skarmory, and Gliscor are also quite common, which limits its overall viability and ability to come in.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Protect
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Leftovers
ability: Sand Force / Mold Breaker
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Protect in tandem with Leftovers lets Excadrill stay at high health as well as scout potentially Choice-locked Pokemon like Landorus-T, Terrakion, Tyranitar, Latios, and Garchomp. Rapid Spin lets Excadrill greatly support its entry hazard-susceptible teammates as well as itself and uses the move well thanks to being very hard to spinblock. Rock Slide has some potential utility with Sand Force sets due to doing a good amount of damage to Rotom-W, Thundurus-T, and Skarmory while also denting Gyarados quite heavily. However, it's hard to fit and doesn't have much utility outside of these specific targets.
Set Details
========
Sand Force is the preferred ability on this set, as it lets Excadrill nail a 2HKO on Ferrothorn and Reuniclus with Earthquake while also 2HKOing Choice Scarf Landorus-T that don't have much bulk investment and Poison Heal Breloom with Iron Head. A Jolly nature can also be used for teams especially weak to Timid Heatran while also outspeeding Adamant Dragonite and Mamoswine. However, this leaves Excadrill unable to get the important damage benchmarks mentioned above. Mold Breaker lets Excadrill use Earthquake more freely against teams that rely on Rotom-W or Latios as their primary pivot to Earthquake. A spread of 252 Atk / 124 SpD / 132 Spe with an Adamant nature can be used to outspeed maximum Speed Jolly Tyranitar, Adamant Breloom, and Modest Politoed and take attacks like Draco Meteor from Latios better.
Usage Tips
========
Attempt to get Excadrill in via a double switch or into resisted or weak attacks like Tyranitar's Crunch, Reuniclus's Psychic or Hidden Power Ice, and any of Amoonguss's attacks. Use Protect to scout a Choice-locked Pokemon, gain health from Leftovers, and rack up residual damage with sand and a potential Toxic poison or burn. If you need to spin away entry hazards, do it on a forced switch or a weak or resisted attack like Reuniclus's Hidden Power Ice. Do not take a lot of unnecessary damage; this set doesn't have as much bulk, meaning it may be unable to take an important hit such as Latios's Dragon Pulse late-game if its health dips too low. If up against a rain team, use Excadrill to spin Ferrothorn's entry hazards away throughout the game and force chip damage on Politoed to aid in winning the weather war. Excadrill can also threaten Tentacruel out should it be healthy enough, since Scald doesn't OHKO it. If predicting a counter such as Skarmory, Gliscor, or Rotom-W if Excadrill is running Sand Force to come in, switch into an answer to these Pokemon to maintain momentum and pressure. Pay attention to which Pokemon heals from Leftovers first against opposing Excadrill and Heatran because whether Excadrill can offensively answer them is contingent on it being faster. If Excadrill is slower, switch out.
Team Options
========
Tyranitar is this set's best partner, as it lets Excadrill run Sand Force while also setting Stealth Rock and trapping potentially problematic Pokemon such as Alakazam, Jellicent, and Thundurus-T. It can even attempt to lure in and OHKO Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Skarmory with Ice Beam and Fire Blast to make Excadrill even harder to check. Excadrill, meanwhile, can act as a backup Reuniclus measure and handle most Steel-types that may give Tyranitar a hard time based on its coverage. Latios can check Keldeo, Gliscor, and Rotom-W while also busting holes in other walls alongside it. In return, Excadrill is able to handle or heavily damage Tyranitar and most of the Steel-types that trouble Latios. Keldeo makes for an excellent partner because it beats the Ground- and Steel-types Excadrill can't, namely Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Skarmory. The Toxic + Protect set, in particular, is an excellent partner, as it spreads more residual damage, which Excadrill can take advantage of with Protect, and lets it break through Pokemon like Rotom-W and Thundurus-T over time. Meanwhile, Excadrill handles Reuniclus, non-Stun Spore Amoonguss, and Latios to an extent so Keldeo can more easily spread Toxic poison while also spinning; this is particularly helpful due to Keldeo's lack of recovery outside of Leftovers, which is usually getting negated by sand. Rotom-W takes on opposing Sand Force Excadrill, Politoed, Choice Scarf Keldeo, Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Mamoswine while burning said Pokemon; except for Gliscor; and even gets Excadrill in safely via Volt Switch. Excadrill can threaten Pokemon such as Reuniclus, Tyranitar, and Latios in return. It can even bait Latios into locking into Surf so Rotom-W can come in and get off a free Pain Split or Will-O-Wisp. Poison Heal Breloom can take care of Choice Scarf Keldeo, Rotom-W, Politoed, and Gliscor lacking a Flying-type move, while Excadrill can handle Reuniclus and Tornadus. Ferrothorn is able to set entry hazards, can use Knock Off to remove Leftovers and Rocky Helmet from Pokemon such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, and Politoed so Excadrill's damage sticks more in the long-term, and is a good Water-type and Latios switch-in. Excadrill is able to check Reuniclus and Jirachi in return while spinning away Spikes so Ferrothorn is able to check Latios more easily throughout the game. Reuniclus enjoys Excadrill's ability to handle the Steel-types that trouble it, mainly Jirachi and opposing Excadrill, to facilitate a Calm Mind sweep while also taking advantage of Excadrill handling Tyranitar very well. Reuniclus is able to beat Toxic + Protect Keldeo, Gliscor, and Skarmory for Excadrill while even beating Choice Band Terrakion in tandem with Excadrill, as Excadrill can scout what move Terrakion locks into with Protect and takes Stone Edge, while Reuniclus takes Close Combat.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Toxic / Stealth Rock
move 4: Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Careful
evs: 208 HP / 252 SpD / 48 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rapid Spin lets Excadrill support teammates weak to entry hazards and itself and uses the move well because it can force switches well and take a hit or two from common Stealth Rock setters like Tyranitar and Jirachi. Toxic is able to cripple the majority of Pokemon that can switch into Excadrill, such as Politoed, Landorus-T, Tangrowth, Hippowdon, and Jellicent, while also nailing other miscellaneous threats like Keldeo, Garchomp, Thundurus-T, and Latios. Alternatively, Excadrill can viably use Stealth Rock thanks to effectively threatening spinners. Additionally, its overall bulk in tandem with Protect and Leftovers lets it stay healthy and scout potentially Choice-locked Pokemon like opposing Excadrill, Mienshao, Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and Latios.
Set Details
========
This EV spread outspeeds uninvested Landorus-T as well as maximum Speed neutral nature Tyranitar. The rest of the EVs guarantee maximum Leftovers recovery and make Excadrill able to come in on Latios, Tyranitar, and Tornadus more comfortably while taking at least one super effective attack from them and most other special attackers.
Usage Tips
========
This Excadrill is meant to stay around throughout the game and dissuade Pokemon such as Latios from spamming their STAB moves and makes pivoting around them and Tyranitar easier for its team. When up against Ferrothorn, avoid spinning away its entry hazards before scouting for Knock Off or Leech Seed, as these moves make it so Ferrothorn will win the matchup. It's also a better idea to play out the game and wear Ferrothorn down over time with residual damage from burn or entry hazards so Excadrill can KO it and spin away the entry hazards for good. Use Protect to get back health and scout a Pokemon that has good potential to be Choice-locked like Latios, Tyranitar, or Landorus-T. Pay attention to which Pokemon heals from Leftovers first against Pokemon like Rotom-W and opposing Excadrill because whether Excadrill can offensively answer them is contingent on it being faster. If it's slower, it should switch out. When expecting a switch into a Pokemon that can check Excadrill, like Gliscor or Skarmory, switch Excadrill out as they come in to not lose momentum.
Team Options
========
Rotom-W takes on opposing Sand Force Excadrill, Politoed, Choice Scarf Keldeo, Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Mamoswine while burning said Pokemon, except for Gliscor, and even gets Excadrill in safely via Volt Switch. Excadrill can switch into Reuniclus, Tyranitar, and Latios in return. It can even bait Latios into locking into Surf so Rotom-W can come in and get off a free Pain Split or Will-O-Wisp. Tyranitar can run Stealth Rock, letting Excadrill more freely run Toxic while also trapping potentially problematic Pokemon such as Reuniclus, Jellicent, and Thundurus-T. It can even attempt to lure in and KO Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Skarmory with Ice Beam and Fire Blast so Excadrill is not as easily answered, and sand chips down some of its answers. Excadrill, meanwhile, can act as a backup Reuniclus switch-in and handle most Steel-types that may give Tyranitar a hard time based on its coverage. Reuniclus enjoys Excadrill's ability to handle Pokemon that trouble it, mainly Jirachi, Tyranitar, and opposing Excadrill, to facilitate a Calm Mind sweep. Reuniclus is able to beat Toxic + Protect and Choice Scarf Keldeo, Gliscor, and Skarmory for Excadrill while even beating Choice Band Terrakion in tandem with Excadrill, as Excadrill can scout what move Terrakion locks into and takes Stone Edge, while Reuniclus takes Close Combat. Heatran can work together with Excadrill on Toxic + sand-based teams to suffocate the opponent over time with residual damage. Heatran also handles Breloom, Ferrothorn, and Scizor while setting Stealth Rock, which lets Excadrill run Toxic more freely. Latios can check Keldeo, Gliscor, and Rotom-W while weakening Ferrothorn and the opposing team in general. In return, Excadrill is able to handle most of the Steel-types that trouble Latios and comes in on and handles Tyranitar. Keldeo makes for an excellent partner, as it beats the Ground- and Steel-types that Excadrill can't handle, like Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Skarmory. The Toxic + Protect set in particular is a great partner, as it spreads more residual damage that Excadrill can take advantage of with Protect. Meanwhile, Excadrill handles Alakazam, Reuniclus, and Latios to an extent for Keldeo so it can more easily spread Toxic poison while spreading Toxic poison itself. Ferrothorn is able to set entry hazards, use Knock Off to remove Leftovers and Rocky Helmet from Pokemon such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, and Politoed so Excadrill's damage sticks for longer, and be a good Water-type and Latios switch-in. Excadrill is able to check Reuniclus and Substitute Jirachi in return while spinning away Spikes so Ferrothorn is able to check Latios more easily throughout the game. Substitute + Dragon Dance Dragonite is a great partner for Excadrill, as it takes advantage of Excadrill removing Stealth Rock to very easily get up a Substitute on many Pokemon while also liking Excadrill handling Jirachi and Gyro Ball Ferrothorn to an extent and badly poisoning bulky Water-types. Amoonguss can take care of Keldeo, Rotom-W, Politoed, and Gliscor if running Hidden Power Ice, while Excadrill can handle Reuniclus, Substitute Jirachi, and Latios for it.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Rapid Spin
move 4: Rock Slide / Toxic
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Mold Breaker / Sand Force
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rapid Spin lets Excadrill assist its teammates, and, because this set is much faster than the others, it's also able to safely generate more switches to spin on. However, Excadrill is easily exploited when locked into Rapid Spin. Rock Slide should mainly be used on Sand Force sets, as it gives Excadrill a good move to hit Rotom-W while also targeting Thundurus-T and Gyarados. Toxic is an option to cripple Landorus-T, Slowbro, Hippowdon, Tangrowth, and other offensive switch-ins. However, it’s incredibly punishable to lock into and doesn’t work on other common counters like Gliscor and Skarmory.
Set Details
========
Sand Force is the preferred ability on this set because it lets Excadrill 2HKO Ferrothorn and Reuniclus with Earthquake in sand while also 2HKOing Choice Scarf Landorus-T that don't have much bulk investment and Poison Heal Breloom with Iron Head. An Adamant nature should be used with this ability. Mold Breaker lets Excadrill use Earthquake more freely against teams that rely on Rotom-W or Latios as their primary pivot to Earthquake. Adamant is able to get the aforementioned 2HKOs with Sand Force, while Jolly can outspeed Pokemon like +1 Jolly Dragonite, slower variants of Choice Scarf Landorus-T, and opposing Adamant Excadrill.
Usage Tips
========
Don't recklessly lock into Rapid Spin, as it leaves Excadrill very exploitable. It can even let any Magnezone set come in and trap it.
Team Options
========
Tyranitar is this set's best partner, as it lets Excadrill run Sand Force while also setting Stealth Rock and trapping potentially problematic Pokemon such as Alakazam, Jellicent, and Thundurus-T. It can even attempt to lure in and KO Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Skarmory with Ice Beam and Fire Blast to make Excadrill even harder to check. Meanwhile, Excadrill can more effectively clean and check faster threats thanks to the power boost with Sand Force. Latios can check Keldeo, Gliscor, and Rotom-W while also busting holes in other walls that could potentially halt a sweep. In return, Excadrill is able to revenge kill most of the non-Protect Steel-types that trouble Latios as well as Tyranitar. Keldeo makes for an excellent partner, as it beats the Ground- and Steel-types that Excadrill can't, like Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Skarmory, and potentially spread residual damage. Excadrill can take advantage of this to open up a late-game sweep for it as it wears down Pokemon like Rotom-W and Thundurus-T over time that could force Excadrill out. Meanwhile, Excadrill can revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Latios and Choice Scarf Politoed for Keldeo. Rotom-W takes on opposing Excadrill, Politoed, Choice Scarf Keldeo, Gliscor, Gyarados, and Mamoswine while even getting Excadrill in safely via Volt Switch. It can also spread burn with Will-O-Wisp so the opposing team gets weakened for a late-game sweep. Excadrill handles faster teams in return. Poison Heal Breloom can take care of Choice Scarf Keldeo, Rotom-W, Politoed, Gliscor, and slower teams more reliant on passive damage, while Excadrill can pressure Reuniclus, Amoonguss, and the faster offensive teams Breloom can struggle with. Ferrothorn is able to set entry hazards and can use Knock Off to remove Leftovers and Rocky Helmet from Pokemon such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, and Politoed so Excadrill's damage sticks for longer to set up a sweep. Ferrothorn also acts as a good Water-type check and Latios switch-in. Reuniclus enjoys Excadrill's ability to handle the Steel-types that trouble them, mainly Jirachi and Ferrothorn, while it can also take advantage of it handling Tyranitar very well. Reuniclus is able to beat Toxic + Protect Keldeo, Gliscor, and Skarmory while even beating Choice Band Terrakion in tandem with Excadrill, as Excadrill can scout what move Terrakion locks into and takes Stone Edge, while Reuniclus takes Close Combat.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Swords Dance + Rapid Spin can be used on rain teams, as it grants them a Jirachi and Reuniclus answer that can give entry hazard control. However, rain teams are typically better off running Tentacruel as a spinner. Air Balloon can be used to completely wall Gliscor lacking an attack besides Earthquake and Landorus-T locked into Earthquake while also making Excadrill immune to Spikes. However, it breaks upon taking any hit and leaves Excadrill without Leftovers recovery or even a boost to Speed like Choice Scarf would grant. Air Balloon is best used on a Swords Dance + 3 Attacks set with Iron Head, Earthquake, and Rock Slide. Choice Band Excadrill can be a fierce wallbreaker, especially with Sand Force. However, Excadrill doesn't have a move that isn't very punishing to lock into and much prefers getting Leftovers recovery so it can come in throughout the game much more easily.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Skarmory**: Skarmory is the best Excadrill answer in the tier. Excadrill can't hurt Skarmory, and Skarmory can set Spikes on it, especially if Skarmory's a Rocky Helmet variant. However, Excadrill can use Rapid Spin or attempt to flinch Skarmory down in a pinch it if it's not Rocky Helmet, while Skarmory can't actually hurt it if back should it lack Brave Bird.
**Ground-types**: Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Gliscor can all take at least one hit from Excadrill and take it out with Earthquake or, in the former two's case, set Stealth Rock. However, Garchomp and Landorus-T are vulnerable to being worn down over time, and Gliscor can get flinched down should it come to that.
**Rotom-W**: Rotom-W hard walls all Sand Force sets lacking Rock Slide, forces Excadrill out with the threat of Hydro Pump, and uses it as an opportunity to use Will-O-Wisp or Pain Split. However, it can't handle Mold Breaker variants and can take a decent chunk from Sand Force-boosted Rock Slide.
**Other Water-types**: Politoed, Keldeo, and Gyarados are able to switch into Excadrill at least once and take it out with super effective STAB attack. However, Politoed needs to be healthy to win the weather war and as such can't take too many hits and is outsped if lacking Choice Scarf, Keldeo takes a lot from Earthquake despite being able to take a hit, and Gyarados is weak to Stealth Rock, so it's easily worn down.
**Magnezone**: Air Balloon Magnezone can get in on a predicted Earthquake or after a KO, use Magnet Rise as Excadrill breaks the Air Balloon, then take out Excadrill with Hidden Power Fire. However, it's vulnerable to being flinched by Iron Head from the Sand Force set as it uses Magnet Rise. It's worth noting Choice Scarf Excadrill locked into any non-Earthquake move is trappable by all Magnezone sets.
**Thundurus-T**: Thundurus-T is a decent soft check that can take at least one Sand Force-boosted Iron Head reasonably well and force Excadrill out with the threat of Focus Blast. It can also set up a Substitute on a forced switch should it have Substitute as well, and Substitute makes Thundurus-T beat defensive sets. However, Substitute + Agility sets can't beat the Sand Force set due to lacking the proper coverage to do good damage to it while taking quite a bit from Iron Head.
**Grass-types**: Breloom, Ferrothorn, and Tangrowth can take at least one hit and cripple or take out Excadrill with super effective coverage or status. However, they're also liable to be worn down, especially Ferrothorn due to its lack of recovery and tendency to get burned and lose Leftovers to Knock Off.
**Faster Pokemon**: Garchomp, Landorus-T, Keldeo, Thundurus-T, and Alakazam can all outspeed Excadrill and take it out with powerful super effective coverage, and all of them can take at least one hit. However, they often have a hard time switching in and can struggle to take on the Choice Scarf set.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ophion, 433215]]
- Quality checked by: [[We Three Kings, 246992], [Finchinator, 114198]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]
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