Competitive Information for Cubone [Sword/Shield]
Ground
Abilities:
This Pokemon cannot be struck by a critical hit.
This Pokemon draws Electric moves to itself to raise Sp. Atk by 1; Electric immunity.
This Pokemon does not take recoil damage besides Struggle/Life Orb/crash damage.
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Note: Pokemon with the Lightning Rod ability are immune to Electric attacks.
Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Cubone? These builds are optimized for Sword/Shield Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Sword/Shield metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Prepare for battle with Cubone, a superior Pokémon boasting Ground attributes. Cubone is not a Pokémon anyone usually expects to see on the battlefield. In the LC tier (Little Cup), it's a fierce competitor. It is weak to Grass, Ice, and Water-typed attacks. Curious about Cubone's movesets? Check our suggestions listed below!
Item: Thick Club / Expert Belt
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 156 Hp / 252 Atk / 100 SpD
Moveset:
- Earthquake / Bonemerang
- Brick Break / Thunder Punch
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
Cubone makes an an exquisite Physical Sweeper in single battles. This setup is intended to take down the opponent's team with heavy-hitting physical moves. Expert Belt boosts the damage of Cubone's super effective moves by 20%. With Lightning Rod, Cubone draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. Atk by 1; electric immunity. Brick Break or Thunder Punch are added to provide additional threat coverage. With a Thick Club equipped to it, if held by a cubone or a marowak, its attack is doubled.
◆ Bonemerang is a physical STAB-boosted 50-base power Ground-type move (hits 2 times in one turn).
◆ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, unless the target is immune).
◆ Thunder Punch is a physical 75-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
◆ Knock Off is a physical 65-base power Dark-type move (1.5x damage if foe holds an item; Note: This will also remove that item).
◆ Iron Head is a physical 80-base power Steel-type move (30% chance to make the target flinch).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/maa68
Item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 156 Hp / 252 SpA / 100 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Earth Power / Scorching Sands
- Flamethrower / Incinerate
- Ice Beam / Icy Wind
- Bubble Beam / Water Gun
Prepare for single battles with Cubone as a decent Special Sweeper. It's goal is to overwhelm foes with destructive special power. Choice Specs will increase the damage of Cubone's special moves by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Cubone's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Lightning Rod, Cubone draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. Atk by 1; electric immunity.
◆ Scorching Sands is a special STAB-boosted 70-base power Ground-type move (30% chance to burn the target. Thaws target).
◆ Flamethrower is a special 90-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
◆ Incinerate is a special 60-base power Fire-type move (destroys the foes berry/gem).
◆ Ice Beam is a special 90-base power Ice-type move (10% chance to freeze the target).
◆ Icy Wind is a special 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
◆ Bubble Beam is a special 65-base power Water-type move (10% chance to lower the target's speed by 1 stage).
◆ Water Gun is a special 40-base power Water-type move that deals damage.
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/mba68
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Cubone? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Sword/Shield Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the Sword/Shield metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Thick Club / Expert Belt
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 156 Hp / 252 Atk / 100 SpD
Moveset:
- Earthquake / Bonemerang
- Rock Slide
- Iron Head / Brick Break
- Knock Off / Brutal Swing
Cubone proves to be a top-notch Physical Sweeper for double battles. This moveset focuses to crush rivals using formidable physical moves. Expert Belt boosts the damage of Cubone's super effective moves by 20%. With Lightning Rod, Cubone draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. Atk by 1; electric immunity. Iron Head or Brick Break are added to provide additional threat coverage. With a Thick Club equipped to it, if held by a cubone or a marowak, its attack is doubled.
◆ Bonemerang is a physical STAB-boosted 50-base power Ground-type move (hits 2 times in one turn).
◆ Rock Slide is a physical 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
◆ Iron Head is a physical 80-base power Steel-type move (30% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, unless the target is immune).
◆ Knock Off is a physical 65-base power Dark-type move (1.5x damage if foe holds an item; Note: This will also remove that item).
◆ Brutal Swing is a physical 60-base power Dark-type move (no additional effect. Hits adjacent pokemon).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/naa68
Item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 156 Hp / 252 SpA / 100 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Earth Power / Scorching Sands
- Incinerate / Flamethrower
- Icy Wind / Ice Beam
- Bubble Beam / Water Gun
Cubone excels as a remarkable Special Sweeper during double battles. This moveset design focuses to crush rivals using lethal special moves. Choice Specs will increase the damage of Cubone's special moves by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Cubone's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Lightning Rod, Cubone draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. Atk by 1; electric immunity.
◆ Scorching Sands is a special STAB-boosted 70-base power Ground-type move (30% chance to burn the target. Thaws target).
◆ Incinerate is a special 60-base power Fire-type move (destroys the foes berry/gem).
◆ Flamethrower is a special 90-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
◆ Icy Wind is a special 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
◆ Ice Beam is a special 90-base power Ice-type move (10% chance to freeze the target).
◆ Bubble Beam is a special 65-base power Water-type move (10% chance to lower the target's speed by 1 stage).
◆ Water Gun is a special 40-base power Water-type move that deals damage.
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/nba68
Movepool
Want to know what moves Cubone can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Sword/Shield generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Cubone.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Cubone can perform in Sword/Shield. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive SS Move and Ability Combos for Cubone
- Moves: Swagger + Screech
- Moves: Belly drum + Rest
- Moves: Endure + Endeavor
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Moves: Perish song + Protect
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Fling + Item: King's Rock
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Move: Endeavor + Item: Focus Sash
- Item: Blunder Policy + Move: Dynamic Punch
- Moves with Priority: Detect, Endure, Protect
- Moves that Break Screens: Brick Break
- Moves that inflict status: Scorching Sands, Toxic
Moves that boost Cubone's stats
- Ancient Power
- Belly Drum
- Curse
- Iron Defense
- Power-Up Punch
- Skull Bash
- Swords Dance
Most notable and possible best moves for Cubone
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Knock Off
- Protect
- Rest
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Cubone in Sword and Shield
- Adamant Nature ( 0/252/0/0/0/252 )
- Modest Nature ( 0/0/0/252/0/252 )
- Jolly Nature ( 0/252/0/0/0/252 )
- Timid Nature ( 0/0/0/252/0/252 )
- Bold Nature ( 252/0/252/0/0/4 )
- Calm Nature ( 252/0/0/0/252/4 )
- Relaxed Nature ( 252/0/88/0/168/0 )
- Sassy Nature ( 252/0/4/0/252/0 )
- Optimize Cubone's Defensive EV-spread for Pokemon Sword and Shield
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.
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