Competitive Information for Poliwrath [Sword/Shield]


Water / Fighting
Abilities:
Prevents Explosion/Mind Blown/Misty Explosion/Self-Destruct/Aftermath while active.
If Rain Dance is active, this Pokemon's Speed is doubled.
This Pokemon heals 1/4 of its max HP when hit by Water moves; Water immunity.


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Note: Pokemon with the Water Absorb ability are immune to Water attacks.
Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Poliwrath? 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!
PelipperIndeedee-FHattereneTogedemaruKartanaMeowsticZapdosPolitoedDracovishDrifblim
Get hyped for Poliwrath, a marvelous Pokémon with Water and Fighting typing! It's to see Poliwrath show up as a Sword/Shield opponent. It is weak to Electric, Fairy, Flying, Grass, and Psychic-typed attacks. Discover Poliwrath's movesets below and unleash its potential in battles!
Item: Sitrus Berry
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Hp / 116 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 132 Spe
Moveset:
- Liquidation
- Drain Punch
- Belly Drum
- Protect
Poliwrath stands out as a wonderful Physical Tank in single battles. This moveset focuses to take a substantial amount of physical hits while dealing some decent damage. The Sitrus Berry will restore 1/4th of Poliwrath's max HP when it reaches below half health and gets consumed. With Swift Swim, Poliwrath's speed is doubled during rainy weather.
◆ Drain Punch is a physical STAB-boosted 75-base power Fighting-type move (Poliwrath recovers 50% of the damage dealt).
◆ Belly Drum is a status move (Poliwrath loses 50% max hp; This also maximizes Poliwrath's attack stat).
◆ Protect is a status move (prevents moves from affecting your Poliwrath this turn).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/maa3e
Item: Eject Pack / Choice Band
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Close Combat / Brick Break
- Liquidation / Waterfall
- Darkest Lariat / Double-Edge
- Earthquake / High Horsepower
Poliwrath thrives as a decent Physical Sweeper perfect for single battles. It was designed to crush rivals using devastating physical moves. Choice Band will increase the damage of Poliwrath's physical moves by 1.5x at the cost of locking you into the first move you pick. With Water Absorb, Poliwrath heals 1/4 of its max hp when hit by water moves; water immunity. Darkest Lariat was added to provide additional threat coverage. With a Eject Pack equipped to it, if Poliwrath's stat stages are lowered, it switches to a chosen ally then the Eject Pack gets consumed.
◆ Brick Break is a physical STAB-boosted 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, unless the target is immune).
◆ Liquidation is a physical STAB-boosted 85-base power Water-type move (20% chance to lower the target's defense by 1 stage).
◆ Waterfall is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Water-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Darkest Lariat is a physical 85-base power Dark-type move (ignores the target's stat stage changes).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
◆ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
◆ High Horsepower is a physical 95-base power Ground-type move that deals a mighty amount of damage.
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/mba3e
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Careful (+SpD, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Hp / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Moveset:
- Bulk Up
- Sleep Talk
- Rest
- Waterfall
Dominating single battles, Poliwrath is an astounding Special Wall. It's purpose is to handle special hits and respond with decent damage. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Poliwrath last longer regaining it's vitality every turn. With Water Absorb, Poliwrath heals 1/4 of its max hp when hit by water moves; water immunity.
◆ Sleep Talk is a status move (Poliwrath must be asleep. Uses another known move).
◆ Rest is a status move (Poliwrath sleeps 2 turns and restores hp and status).
◆ Waterfall is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Water-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/mca3e
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Poliwrath? 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!
PelipperIndeedee-FHattereneTogedemaruKartanaMeowsticZapdosPolitoedDracovishDrifblim
Item: Eject Pack / Choice Band
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Close Combat / Brick Break
- Earthquake / High Horsepower
- Rock Slide
- Liquidation / Waterfall
For those intense double battles, Poliwrath is an outstanding Physical Sweeper. It was designed to crush rivals using devastating physical power. Choice Band will increase the damage of Poliwrath's physical moves by 1.5x at the cost of locking you into the first move you pick. With Water Absorb, Poliwrath heals 1/4 of its max hp when hit by water moves; water immunity. With a Eject Pack equipped to it, if Poliwrath's stat stages are lowered, it switches to a chosen ally then the Eject Pack gets consumed.
◆ Brick Break is a physical STAB-boosted 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, unless the target is immune).
◆ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
◆ High Horsepower is a physical 95-base power Ground-type move that deals a good amount of damage.
◆ Rock Slide is a physical 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
◆ Liquidation is a physical STAB-boosted 85-base power Water-type move (20% chance to lower the target's defense by 1 stage).
◆ Waterfall is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Water-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/naa3e
Movepool
Want to know what moves Poliwrath 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 Poliwrath.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Poliwrath 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 Poliwrath
- Moves: Belly drum + Rest
- Moves: Endure + Reversal
- Moves: Endure + Endeavor
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Moves: Substitute + Drain punch
- Moves: Substitute + Reversal
- 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
- OHKO Combo - Moves: Mind Reader + Fissure
- Item: Blunder Policy + Move: Dynamic Punch
- Moves with Priority: Detect, Endure, Helping Hand, Protect, Vacuum Wave
- Moves that Break Screens: Brick Break
- Moves that inflict status: Scald, Hypnosis, Toxic
Moves that boost Poliwrath's stats
- Amnesia
- Belly Drum
- Bulk Up
- Curse
- Defense Curl
- Power-Up Punch
- Skull Bash
- Work Up
Most notable and possible best moves for Poliwrath
- Belly Drum
- Drain Punch
- Earthquake
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Liquidation
- Protect
- Rest
- Scald
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Poliwrath in Sword and Shield
- Adamant Nature ( 252/116/4/0/4/132 )
- Adamant Nature ( 0/252/0/0/4/252 )
- Optimize Poliwrath'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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Here are the best movesets for Poliwrath. Top rated Poliwrath Sword/Shield movesets. You can find Poliwrath builds Sword/Shield. Poliwrath movesets Sword/Shield are listed here. VGC Poliwrath Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Poliwrath in Sword/Shield along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for evolution