[overview]
**Draft order**: Round 2 onwards
**Price range**: 14-15 points
**Overview**: With an excellent typing and base 135 attack, Excadrill is an excellent Pokemon that can serve both offensive and defensive roles on any draft. With Swords Dance and access to Tera, Excadrill is a scary sweeper in sand thanks to its ability Sand Rush. Excadrill also provides utility in the form of both Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin. However, Excadrill is held back by its bulk, which is mediocre when uninvested, and weaknesses to common types in Water, Ground and Fighting.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Setup sweeper**: Excadrill can use Swords Dance and strong STAB moves to sweep through opposing teams. It can accomplish this either in sand or outside of sand by using Rapid Spin to get a Speed boost.
**Utility**: Excadrill is an excellent spinner and can also set Stealth Rock to support its teammates. With its typing, Excadrill is also able to switch into Fairy-types and threaten them out. It also provides a valuable Electric immunity, most notably blocking momentum via Volt Switch.
**Cleaner**: Excadrill can help revenge a lot of faster attackers in sand. Outside of sand, Excadrill can utilize a Choice Scarf for the same purpose.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Earthquake, Iron Head, High Horsepower
**Setup moves**: Swords Dance, Iron Defense
**Utility moves**: Stealth Rock, Rapid Spin, Substitute
**Coverage**: Rock Slide, Poison Jab, X-Scissor, Tera Blast, Shadow Claw, Rock Blast, Throat Chop, Aerial Ace
Niche Moves
========
**Brick Break**: Excadrill can use Brick Break to remove dual screens.
**Fling**: Excadrill can hold a Big Nugget to have a 130 Base Power Dark-type move to hit bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types.
**Bulldoze and Rock Tomb**: Excadrill can use Bulldoze and Rock Tomb on more defensive sets to slow down the opposing team.
**Endure**: Endure can be used in conjunction with Custap Berry in niche situations to give Excadrill a chance to KO the opposing Pokemon.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers provides consistent recovery to utility sets and extends Excadrill's longevity.
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf allows Excadrill to revenge kill faster Pokemon or slower ones at +1 Speed. Choice Scarf is usually run if sand has a bad matchup and Speed control is needed. Mold Breaker is usually the preferred ability while running a Choice Scarf, as it allows Excadrill to hit Pokemon with Levitate with Earthquake.
**Life Orb**: Life Orb is the preferred item used to boost Excadrill's damage output, as Excadrill primarily relies on its STAB moves to dish out damage and also likes switching up its moves.
**Resistance Berry**: A resistance Berry can be used to live a super effective hit once, helping with setting up.
Niche Items
========
**Air Balloon**: Air Balloon can be used to remove Excadrill's weakness to Ground and give it a free turn to set up. It also prevents Excadrill from taking any damage from Spikes.
**Physical Attack-boosting items**: Excadrill can use items like Expert Belt, Soft Sand, and Metal Coat to boost the damage to its attacks. It can also hold Choice Band to maximize its damage output in certain matchups.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Excadrill can use Heavy-Duty Boots to not take damage from Spikes, allowing it to use Rapid Spin more easily.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash is used on an entry hazard lead set to ensure Excadrill is able to set Stealth Rock. It can also help Excadrill serve as an anti-hazard lead with Rapid Spin.
**Assault Vest**: Assault Vest patches up Excadrill’s mediocre Special Defense, allowing it to switch in repeatedly into resisted special attacks. This does make Excadrill weak to Spikes on switch in and also lacks the consistent recovery of Leftovers, cutting into its longevity.
**Clear Amulet**: Clear Amulet can be used in niche scenarios to prevent Pokemon with Intimidate from dropping Excadrill's Attack.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb prevents Excadrill from being susceptible to Encore or Taunt when using Swords Dance.
Tera
========
While it can work on a team without Tera, Excadrill should be drafted with the intention of making it a Tera Captain. Thus, a sand setter should also be drafted to enable Excadrill to make the most of its offensive profile. It should not be the Tera Captain if the team does not have a sand setter. Tera options like Tera Ghost and Flying get rid of its weakness to Fighting and Ground and allow it an easier time setting up. Excadrill can also make use of Tera Electric to hit Skarmory and Corviknight, Tera Water to hit Landorus-T and Gliscor, and Tera Grass to hit bulky Water-types super effectively. It can also use Tera Steel or Ground to boost one of its STAB moves.
Draft Strategy
========
Excadrill pairs well with fast, strong round 1 picks that are not reliant on Tera, enabling Excadrill to be the Tera Captain. It provides the important Steel and Ground typings to a draft, as well as a strong entry hazard removal option. It is strongly recommended to draft a sand setter with Excadrill to maximize its offensive profile; however, it can function on teams without sand as well.
**Sand setter**: Excadrill appreciates a sand setter on the team. Tyranitar is the preferred partner, as it is less passive than Hippowdon, has the important Dark typing, access to Knock Off, and excellent coverage. Hippowdon, on the other hand, provides a second bulky Ground-type, enabling Excadrill to focus on offense. Hippowdon also has reliable recovery, making it easier to set sand multiple times if needed.
**Strong special attackers**: Excadrill appreciates a special wallbreaker or setup sweeper on the team to help with wallbreaking the opposing team. Latios and Tornadus-T are excellent partners, as they are strong, fast, resist Fighting-type attacks, are immune to Ground-type attacks, and have methods of recovery that are not hindered by sand.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Fairy-types like Scream Tail make for excellent teammates, as they resist Fighting and are able to deal with Dragon-types defensively, freeing up Excadrill offensively.
**Pivots**: As neither Excadrill nor the sand setter can pivot, Excadrill appreciates Pokemon that can pivot like Zapdos, Rotom-W, and Uxie, allowing it to make the most of the remaining sand turns.
**Ground resistances and immunities**: Excadrill appreciates having teammates that either resist or are immune to Ground-type attacks like Zapdos, Rotom-W, and Zarude.
Checks and Counters
========
**Bulky Flying-types**: Bulky Flying-types like Corviknight, Skarmory, and Zapdos are immune to Earthquake and resist Iron Head and have reliable recovery to consistently switch in to Excadrill. Landorus-T and Gliscor are also able to switch into Excadrill and soft check it. However, all these Pokemon are vulnerable to the appropriate Tera coverage or Rock Slide.
**Bulky Water- and Ground-types**: Bulky Water-types like Slowbro and Swampert and Ground-types like Ting-Lu and Donphan are able to switch in Excadrill and threaten it with super effective moves. However, they must be careful of +2 Tera Blast Grass. Excadrill can also switch into partners like Latios or Zapdos to deal with them.
**Priority attacks and faster Pokemon**: Excadrill is weak to priority attacks like Jet Punch, Mach Punch, and Vacuum Wave. Outside of sand, it is also vulnerable to faster Pokemon like Ogerpon-W, both Urshifu formes, and Krookodile.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/professor-shuckle.530941/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sablolol.466715/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
**Draft order**: Round 2 onwards
**Price range**: 14-15 points
**Overview**: With an excellent typing and base 135 attack, Excadrill is an excellent Pokemon that can serve both offensive and defensive roles on any draft. With Swords Dance and access to Tera, Excadrill is a scary sweeper in sand thanks to its ability Sand Rush. Excadrill also provides utility in the form of both Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin. However, Excadrill is held back by its bulk, which is mediocre when uninvested, and weaknesses to common types in Water, Ground and Fighting.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Setup sweeper**: Excadrill can use Swords Dance and strong STAB moves to sweep through opposing teams. It can accomplish this either in sand or outside of sand by using Rapid Spin to get a Speed boost.
**Utility**: Excadrill is an excellent spinner and can also set Stealth Rock to support its teammates. With its typing, Excadrill is also able to switch into Fairy-types and threaten them out. It also provides a valuable Electric immunity, most notably blocking momentum via Volt Switch.
**Cleaner**: Excadrill can help revenge a lot of faster attackers in sand. Outside of sand, Excadrill can utilize a Choice Scarf for the same purpose.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Earthquake, Iron Head, High Horsepower
**Setup moves**: Swords Dance, Iron Defense
**Utility moves**: Stealth Rock, Rapid Spin, Substitute
**Coverage**: Rock Slide, Poison Jab, X-Scissor, Tera Blast, Shadow Claw, Rock Blast, Throat Chop, Aerial Ace
Niche Moves
========
**Brick Break**: Excadrill can use Brick Break to remove dual screens.
**Fling**: Excadrill can hold a Big Nugget to have a 130 Base Power Dark-type move to hit bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types.
**Bulldoze and Rock Tomb**: Excadrill can use Bulldoze and Rock Tomb on more defensive sets to slow down the opposing team.
**Endure**: Endure can be used in conjunction with Custap Berry in niche situations to give Excadrill a chance to KO the opposing Pokemon.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers provides consistent recovery to utility sets and extends Excadrill's longevity.
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf allows Excadrill to revenge kill faster Pokemon or slower ones at +1 Speed. Choice Scarf is usually run if sand has a bad matchup and Speed control is needed. Mold Breaker is usually the preferred ability while running a Choice Scarf, as it allows Excadrill to hit Pokemon with Levitate with Earthquake.
**Life Orb**: Life Orb is the preferred item used to boost Excadrill's damage output, as Excadrill primarily relies on its STAB moves to dish out damage and also likes switching up its moves.
**Resistance Berry**: A resistance Berry can be used to live a super effective hit once, helping with setting up.
Niche Items
========
**Air Balloon**: Air Balloon can be used to remove Excadrill's weakness to Ground and give it a free turn to set up. It also prevents Excadrill from taking any damage from Spikes.
**Physical Attack-boosting items**: Excadrill can use items like Expert Belt, Soft Sand, and Metal Coat to boost the damage to its attacks. It can also hold Choice Band to maximize its damage output in certain matchups.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Excadrill can use Heavy-Duty Boots to not take damage from Spikes, allowing it to use Rapid Spin more easily.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash is used on an entry hazard lead set to ensure Excadrill is able to set Stealth Rock. It can also help Excadrill serve as an anti-hazard lead with Rapid Spin.
**Assault Vest**: Assault Vest patches up Excadrill’s mediocre Special Defense, allowing it to switch in repeatedly into resisted special attacks. This does make Excadrill weak to Spikes on switch in and also lacks the consistent recovery of Leftovers, cutting into its longevity.
**Clear Amulet**: Clear Amulet can be used in niche scenarios to prevent Pokemon with Intimidate from dropping Excadrill's Attack.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb prevents Excadrill from being susceptible to Encore or Taunt when using Swords Dance.
Tera
========
While it can work on a team without Tera, Excadrill should be drafted with the intention of making it a Tera Captain. Thus, a sand setter should also be drafted to enable Excadrill to make the most of its offensive profile. It should not be the Tera Captain if the team does not have a sand setter. Tera options like Tera Ghost and Flying get rid of its weakness to Fighting and Ground and allow it an easier time setting up. Excadrill can also make use of Tera Electric to hit Skarmory and Corviknight, Tera Water to hit Landorus-T and Gliscor, and Tera Grass to hit bulky Water-types super effectively. It can also use Tera Steel or Ground to boost one of its STAB moves.
Draft Strategy
========
Excadrill pairs well with fast, strong round 1 picks that are not reliant on Tera, enabling Excadrill to be the Tera Captain. It provides the important Steel and Ground typings to a draft, as well as a strong entry hazard removal option. It is strongly recommended to draft a sand setter with Excadrill to maximize its offensive profile; however, it can function on teams without sand as well.
**Sand setter**: Excadrill appreciates a sand setter on the team. Tyranitar is the preferred partner, as it is less passive than Hippowdon, has the important Dark typing, access to Knock Off, and excellent coverage. Hippowdon, on the other hand, provides a second bulky Ground-type, enabling Excadrill to focus on offense. Hippowdon also has reliable recovery, making it easier to set sand multiple times if needed.
**Strong special attackers**: Excadrill appreciates a special wallbreaker or setup sweeper on the team to help with wallbreaking the opposing team. Latios and Tornadus-T are excellent partners, as they are strong, fast, resist Fighting-type attacks, are immune to Ground-type attacks, and have methods of recovery that are not hindered by sand.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Fairy-types like Scream Tail make for excellent teammates, as they resist Fighting and are able to deal with Dragon-types defensively, freeing up Excadrill offensively.
**Pivots**: As neither Excadrill nor the sand setter can pivot, Excadrill appreciates Pokemon that can pivot like Zapdos, Rotom-W, and Uxie, allowing it to make the most of the remaining sand turns.
**Ground resistances and immunities**: Excadrill appreciates having teammates that either resist or are immune to Ground-type attacks like Zapdos, Rotom-W, and Zarude.
Checks and Counters
========
**Bulky Flying-types**: Bulky Flying-types like Corviknight, Skarmory, and Zapdos are immune to Earthquake and resist Iron Head and have reliable recovery to consistently switch in to Excadrill. Landorus-T and Gliscor are also able to switch into Excadrill and soft check it. However, all these Pokemon are vulnerable to the appropriate Tera coverage or Rock Slide.
**Bulky Water- and Ground-types**: Bulky Water-types like Slowbro and Swampert and Ground-types like Ting-Lu and Donphan are able to switch in Excadrill and threaten it with super effective moves. However, they must be careful of +2 Tera Blast Grass. Excadrill can also switch into partners like Latios or Zapdos to deal with them.
**Priority attacks and faster Pokemon**: Excadrill is weak to priority attacks like Jet Punch, Mach Punch, and Vacuum Wave. Outside of sand, it is also vulnerable to faster Pokemon like Ogerpon-W, both Urshifu formes, and Krookodile.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/professor-shuckle.530941/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sablolol.466715/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
Last edited: