Building the perfect team for Pokémon Sword can be a fun challenge for both new and experienced trainers. The right combination of Pokémon can make your journey through the Galar region more enjoyable and your battles more successful. We’ve spent hours testing different team configurations to find what works best.
The ideal Sword team should balance different types and abilities to counter the various gym leaders and challenges you’ll face throughout the game. Some Pokémon like Cinderace, Corviknight, and Lucario have proven to be popular choices among players due to their versatility and strength. With the right team, you’ll be well-equipped to become the Champion of Galar.
The best team in Pokémon Sword depends on whether you’re playing through the main story, building a competitive team, or just having fun with favorites. Here’s an optimized team for the main story campaign that balances type coverage, power, and availability early or mid-game:
Best Pokémon Sword Story Team (Balanced & Effective)
1. Cinderace (Starter: Scorbunny)
- Type: Fire
- Why: Fast and strong physical attacker; great for early and mid-game.
- Key Moves: Pyro Ball, High Jump Kick, U-turn, Bounce
2. Corviknight
- Type: Flying/Steel
- Why: Great bulk and typing; excellent against Fairy, Grass, and Ice.
- Key Moves: Brave Bird, Iron Head, Roost, Bulk Up
3. Toxtricity (Amped Form)
- Type: Electric/Poison
- Why: Unique typing, great Special Attack, good for dealing with Water and Fairy.
- Key Moves: Overdrive, Sludge Bomb, Boomburst, Nuzzle
4. Excadrill
- Type: Ground/Steel
- Why: High Attack and Speed; destroys Electric, Fairy, and Rock-types.
- Key Moves: Earthquake, Iron Head, Swords Dance, Rock Slide
5. Dragapult
- Type: Dragon/Ghost
- Why: One of the fastest Pokémon; late-game powerhouse with wide movepool.
- Key Moves: Dragon Darts, Shadow Ball, U-turn, Thunderbolt
6. Gyarados
- Type: Water/Flying
- Why: Intimidate + Dragon Dance combo makes it a late-game sweeper.
- Key Moves: Waterfall, Crunch, Ice Fang, Dragon Dance
✅ Why This Team Works
- Coverage: Fire, Water, Electric, Ground, Steel, Flying, Dragon, Poison, Ghost.
- Balance: Mix of physical and special attackers; tanky options and sweepers.
- Availability: All Pokémon are obtainable before the Champion battle.
- Versatility: Strong against major threats like Champion Leon’s team, Gym Leaders, and Dynamax bosses.
If you chose a different starter (Grookey or Sobble), you can substitute:
- Inteleon (for a special Water-type)
- Rillaboom (as a Grass physical powerhouse)
A Look At The Best Team Members
1) Cinderace, the blazing starter
Cinderace stands out as one of the best Pokémon to lead your team in Sword and Shield. This Fire-type starter evolves from Scorbunny and brings impressive all-around stats that make it a powerful choice for your journey through Galar.
What makes Cinderace special is its signature move Pyro Ball, which delivers strong Fire-type damage to opponents. This move combines with Cinderace’s high attack stat to create a formidable offensive threat against many Pokémon you’ll face.
We recommend equipping Cinderace with Charcoal to boost its Fire-type moves further. For a well-rounded moveset, consider Pyro Ball, Low Sweep, Zen Headbutt, and Flame Charge to cover various enemy types.
Cinderace’s ability Blaze increases the power of Fire moves when its HP gets low, giving you a comeback mechanic in tough battles. If you’re lucky enough to access its Hidden Ability Libero, Cinderace becomes even more versatile by changing its type to match the move it’s using.
Many players build their teams around Cinderace because of its versatility and power. It works well as a team leader thanks to its speed and attacking capabilities.
For the best results, we suggest pairing Cinderace with Pokémon that cover its weaknesses to Water, Ground, and Rock types. Corviknight and Gardevoir make excellent teammates that complement Cinderace’s capabilities.
Cinderace can carry you through many of the game’s challenges, including gym battles and the championship. Its combination of speed, power, and move variety makes it a reliable cornerstone for any competitive Sword and Shield team.
2) Corviknight, a reliable flyer
Corviknight is one of the standout Pokémon in Sword and Shield. This Steel/Flying type combines excellent defensive typing with impressive bulk, making it a fantastic addition to any team.
When building a competitive team, we’ve found that Corviknight serves as a defensive backbone. Its Steel/Flying typing gives it resistance to many common attack types, allowing it to switch in safely against numerous threats.
One of Corviknight’s greatest strengths is its versatility. We can build it as a physical attacker, a defensive wall, or even a support Pokémon depending on what our team needs.
For offensive builds, Brave Bird stands as its strongest STAB move. This powerful Flying-type attack deals significant damage, though it does come with recoil.
Defensively, Corviknight truly shines. It only has two weaknesses – Fire and Electric – which makes it easy to play around these vulnerabilities with proper team support.
Many trainers have included Corviknight in their main story teams with great success. In a Reddit discussion, one player shared their Shield team featuring Corviknight alongside Cinderace and Lucario.
We recommend teaching Corviknight moves like Roost for recovery, Iron Defense for boosting its already impressive Defense stat, and Body Press to capitalize on those Defense boosts.
Corviknight is available fairly early in the game, as you can catch Rookidee on Route 1. This means we can add this powerful Pokémon to our team from nearly the beginning of our journey.
With its impressive defensive capabilities and solid movepool, Corviknight earns its spot as one of the best Pokémon to include on any Sword and Shield team.
3) Barraskewda, speedy water type
Barraskewda is an excellent addition to any Sword and Shield team due to its incredible speed and attacking power. This Generation 8 Water-type Pokémon evolves from Arrokuda and brings serious firepower to your lineup.
What makes Barraskewda special is its Swift Swim ability, which doubles its already impressive speed stat in rain. This makes it one of the best Water-type sweepers in the game when conditions are right.
Its base Speed stat of 136 is remarkable, allowing it to outspeed many threats even without Swift Swim active. When we pair this with its solid 123 Attack stat, we get a Pokémon that hits hard and fast.
For movesets, Barraskewda has surprisingly good coverage options. It can learn Drill Run, Psychic Fangs, Ice Fang, and Throat Chop, giving it ways to handle various defensive Pokémon.
We recommend teaching it Liquidation as its STAB move, combined with Close Combat for coverage against Normal and Steel types. Crunch or Psychic Fangs can round out the set nicely.
When comparing Water-types for a playthrough, Barraskewda is often considered among the best choices alongside Gyarados. Its glass cannon nature means it hits extremely hard but can’t take many hits in return.
For held items, Life Orb works well to maximize damage output, while Focus Sash can ensure it gets at least one attack off. Choice Band is another solid option if you don’t mind being locked into one move.
This fish might not look intimidating, but its speed and power make it a star Water-type for Generation 8. Just be careful of Electric and Grass moves, as they’ll take Barraskewda down quickly.
4) Orbeetle, versatile bug type
Orbeetle stands out as one of the more unique Bug-type Pokémon available in Sword and Shield. This Psychic/Bug type offers great defensive capabilities with solid special defense and defense stats.
When looking at Orbeetle’s combat potential, we appreciate its fantastic utility moves like Hypnosis and dual screens. These support options make it a valuable team member beyond just dealing damage.
We’ve found that Orbeetle works well as an early-game catch that can remain useful throughout your journey. The Blipbug evolution line is available quite early, making it accessible for most players building their teams.
While some players consider Orbeetle to have mediocre offensive stats, its versatility more than makes up for this limitation. Its typing gives it several resistances that can help in key battles.
For move selection, we recommend a mix of STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) Psychic and Bug moves alongside support options. Calm Mind can also boost its special stats to make it more threatening.
Some players have even included Orbeetle in full Bug-type teams with success. This shows its viability even in specialized team compositions.
When considering matchups, Orbeetle helps counter Fighting types that might threaten other team members. Its Psychic typing gives it this useful advantage.
We suggest pairing Orbeetle with Pokémon that can handle its weaknesses to Fire, Flying, and Rock moves. This creates good team synergy and coverage.
5) Lucario’s fighting prowess
Lucario is a standout choice for any competitive Pokémon Sword team. This Steel/Fighting type brings a powerful mix of offensive capabilities and typing advantages that make it a valuable team member.
When building around Lucario, we need to consider its strengths. Lucario has an impressive base Attack stat and access to Swords Dance which can quickly turn it into a serious threat.
For movesets, we recommend Close Combat as the primary STAB move. This provides massive damage output against many common opponents. Extreme Speed is also essential as priority coverage that helps overcome Lucario’s middling Speed stat.
Coverage moves like Ice Punch can help deal with Flying and Dragon types that might otherwise wall Lucario. This gives it surprise factor against opponents expecting a more predictable moveset.
We’ve found Lucario works best with teammates that can handle its counters. Pokémon that can deal with Landorus-T, Zapdos, Slowbro, and Toxapex make great partners, as these often wall Lucario.
When comparing options, some trainers might consider Urshifu over Lucario due to its higher Attack and Speed. However, Lucario’s Steel typing gives it key resistances and access to different coverage moves.
For held items, Life Orb works well to boost Lucario’s already impressive attack power. Focus Sash is another option if you need Lucario to guarantee at least one strong hit.
Lucario’s versatility is its greatest strength. It can function as a physical sweeper, a revenge killer with Extreme Speed, or even a mixed attacker depending on your team’s needs.
6) Roserade for grass and poison
Roserade is a fantastic choice for your Pokémon Sword team, bringing both Grass and Poison typing to the table. This elegant Pokémon has an impressive Special Attack stat that makes it a powerful offensive option.
We recommend Roserade over other Grass-types because of its versatility. It can hit hard with STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) moves while providing coverage against many common types in the game.
Roserade’s Natural Cure ability is particularly useful in tough battles. This ability cures any status conditions when you switch out, meaning problems like sleep or paralysis won’t end your run like they might with other Pokémon.
For moveset options, Sludge Bomb is excellent as it delivers 135 base power with STAB and can potentially poison opponents. This gives you an edge in longer battles.
Roserade works best on offensive teams that benefit from its attacking power. While it’s not the bulkiest Pokémon, its offensive capabilities more than make up for this weakness.
When comparing options, some trainers might consider alternatives like Ludicolo, Abomasnow, or Ferrothorn, which have wider movepool options. However, we still find Roserade’s combination of speed and power makes it the superior choice for most teams.
For competitive play, pay attention to Roserade’s speed tiers to ensure you can outspeed relevant threats. This can be crucial in high-level matches where going first often determines the outcome.
To maximize Roserade’s potential, pair it with Pokémon that can handle its weaknesses to Fire, Flying, Ice and Psychic types.
7) Runerigus, a defensive powerhouse
Runerigus stands out as an excellent defensive option for any Pokemon Sword team. This Ghost/Ground type Pokemon offers impressive bulk with high defense stats that can withstand powerful physical attacks.
What makes Runerigus special is its unique ability, Wandering Spirit, which swaps abilities with opponents that make contact. This can completely disrupt your opponent’s strategy and give you a surprising advantage.
We recommend using Runerigus against physical attackers, especially against gym leaders like Bea. Its champion bulk and defensive typing grants multiple immunities and resistances that can help you overcome challenging battles.
For moveset options, consider Earthquake and Poltergeist for attacking coverage. Body Press is another excellent choice that deals damage based on Runerigus’s high defense stat rather than attack.
A strategic item choice would be Weakness Policy, which boosts attack when hit by super-effective moves. This turns a potential disadvantage into an opportunity to strike back harder.
Runerigus works wonderfully in slower teams and can even shine in Trick Room setups due to its naturally low speed. In these conditions, it can transform from a defensive wall into an offensive threat.
We suggest pairing Runerigus with Pokemon that can handle Water, Ghost, Dark, and Ice-type moves, as these are its key weaknesses. A well-balanced team will allow Runerigus to perform its defensive role effectively.
When EV training, focus on boosting its already impressive Defense and HP stats to maximize its tanking potential. This will help ensure Runerigus can absorb hits and stay in battle longer.
8) Magnezone, Electric and Steel Woah
Magnezone brings impressive power to any Pokémon Sword team with its unique Electric/Steel typing. This combination gives it only three weaknesses while providing resistance to many common types in the game.
We love Magnezone for its solid stats and versatile move pool. It works well as a special attacker with access to Tri-Attack for neutral damage and the chance to inflict status conditions on opponents.
Its Steel typing helps shield it from Fairy and Ice attacks, while its Electric moves can devastate Water and Flying types. This makes Magnezone an excellent counter to several meta threats.
For competitive battles, we recommend focusing on Special Attack and HP stats. The Analytic ability can be particularly useful, boosting the power of moves when Magnezone moves after its opponent.
Move options like Thunderbolt, Flash Cannon, and Volt Switch give Magnezone great coverage. Adding Body Press can surprise opponents expecting only special attacks.
Magnezone pairs particularly well with Comfey in competitive play, creating a solid defensive core that can handle many threats.
Despite being a bit slow, Magnezone’s bulk allows it to take hits and respond with powerful attacks. Choice Specs or Assault Vest can enhance its offensive or defensive capabilities respectively.
We find Magnezone especially useful against Dynamax opponents, as its Max Lightning and Max Steelspike moves provide field effects that benefit your entire team.
With the right EV spread and nature, Magnezone can become a cornerstone of your team’s strategy. It provides excellent type coverage and can function as both a sweeper and defensive pivot when needed.
9) Azumarill, Fairy Water Combo
Azumarill brings a powerful Water/Fairy typing to our team, which offers excellent coverage against many common threats in Pokémon Sword and Shield. This unique typing allows it to counter key opponents like Excadrill and Hydreigon effectively.
The true strength of Azumarill comes from its ability Huge Power, which doubles its Attack stat. This makes it much stronger than its cute appearance suggests. With the right build, this Pokémon can become a surprising powerhouse on your team.
A great strategy for Azumarill involves using Belly Drum to maximize its Attack at the cost of HP. When combined with Huge Power, your Azumarill can reach devastating attack levels. Follow up with Aqua Jet for priority damage that hits first regardless of Speed.
We’ve found that Azumarill performs exceptionally well against several gym leaders. It can handle Kabu’s entire team at Motostoke Stadium, Bea’s team, Opal’s Togekiss, and Gordie’s Pokémon with the right moveset.
Beyond its offensive capabilities, Azumarill also offers decent natural bulk, making it more than just a glass cannon. This durability allows it to withstand hits while setting up its powerful attacks.
When considering water types for your team, many trainers debate between Gyarados and Azumarill. While both are strong choices, Huge Power Azumarill provides unique advantages that complement different team compositions.
For competitive play, Azumarill can be built with various movesets depending on your strategy. A physical attacker build with Belly Drum and Aqua Jet works well, but other options exist for different team needs.
We recommend giving Azumarill a try if you’re looking for a water type with great offensive capabilities that can surprise your opponents with its power and versatility.
10) Krookodile, for ground and dark
Krookodile is an excellent dual-type Pokémon that brings both Ground and Dark typing to your team. This combination gives you coverage against Electric, Poison, Rock, Steel, and Fire types with its Ground moves.
The intimidating crocodile Pokémon has solid offensive potential and useful utility options that make it a versatile team member. We find its base 117 Attack stat particularly impressive for unleashing powerful physical attacks.
Krookodile offers two great ability options. You can choose between Moxie, which boosts its Attack after knockouts, or Intimidate, which lowers opponent Attack stats. Both provide significant strategic advantages.
For movesets, we recommend Earthquake as a powerful Ground STAB move that delivers consistent damage. Pair this with Knock Off for Dark-type coverage that also removes opponent items.
Stealth Rock is another valuable option for Krookodile. It can set up these entry hazards and still threaten opponents with its strong attacks, making it a flexible lead Pokémon.
Krookodile works well with Fairy and Fighting types on your team. These teammates can handle the Fighting and Bug weaknesses that would otherwise trouble your crocodile companion.
We’ve found that giving Krookodile an item like Choice Scarf or Choice Band maximizes its effectiveness. The Scarf helps overcome its moderate Speed, while the Band emphasizes its strong Attack stat.
When building around Krookodile, consider teammates that resist Fighting moves. This coverage will help protect your team from Krookodile’s primary weakness.
Team Composition Strategy
Building a strong Pokémon Sword team requires careful planning and understanding of game mechanics. A well-balanced team addresses various battle situations and provides coverage against different opponent types.
Balancing Types and Roles
When composing your team, aim for type diversity to handle different gym challenges. Cinderace makes an excellent lead with its Fire-type attacks and high speed. We recommend including Water and Electric types like Barraskewda and Magnezone to cover common weaknesses.
Your team should feature these key roles:
- Sweeper: Fast attackers like Cinderace or Hawlucha
- Tank: Defensive Pokémon that absorb hits (consider Corviknight)
- Support: Status-effect specialists or healers
- Wall-breaker: Power hitters that overcome defensive opponents
Mix physical and special attackers to exploit opponent weaknesses. We’ve found that Krookodile works well as a physical attacker, while Gengar excels as a special attacker.
Synergy and Coverage
Team synergy means your Pokémon complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, pair Azumarill (Water/Fairy) with a Steel-type to cover Fairy’s weakness to Poison and Steel.
Consider these synergy combinations:
- Fire + Grass + Water core (classic balance)
- Dragon + Fairy + Steel (excellent defensive coverage)
- Fighting + Dark + Psychic (strong offensive presence)
Move selection is equally important as type coverage. Teach your Pokémon moves that counter their typical weaknesses. We suggest giving Cinderace Bounce to handle Fighting types or Magnezone Flash Cannon for Fairy opponents.
Top-ranked players often build teams that can adapt to different battle situations. This might mean including a Pokémon with weather-changing abilities or priority moves like Quick Attack for finishing weakened foes.
Understanding Meta Trends
The competitive landscape in Pokémon Sword and Shield constantly evolves with certain strategies dominating the ranked battle scene. Players need to understand both popular team builds and develop counter-strategies to succeed.
Popular Competitive Builds
In the current meta, Weather-based teams remain highly effective, particularly Rain teams featuring Swift Swim Pokémon like Barraskewda and Dracovish. These Pokémon can sweep entire teams when their speed doubles in rain.
Dynamax-centered strategies are also dominant, with Pokémon like Gyarados and Tyranitar serving as excellent Dynamax candidates due to their versatility and powerful movesets.
Trick Room teams have gained popularity as well, allowing slower Pokémon like Hatterene and Rhyperior to outspeed opponents.
Dragapult stands out as one of the most-used Pokémon in ranked battles thanks to its exceptional Speed stat and diverse movepool. It fits into many team compositions.
Countering Common Threats
To counter Rain teams, we recommend Electric-types like Toxtricity or Grass-types that resist Water moves. Duraludon works particularly well against both Dragon and Fairy threats due to its unique typing.
For Dynamax counters, status moves like Taunt and Will-O-Wisp can limit their effectiveness. Pokémon with the ability Unaware, such as Clefable, can ignore stat boosts from Max moves.
Trick Room can be countered by either extremely fast Pokémon that move before it’s set up or extremely slow Pokémon that benefit when it’s active.
Against Dragapult, Fairy-types provide a solid defensive option, while Steel-types resist its Ghost STAB moves. Mimikyu’s Disguise ability gives it a free turn to set up against most threats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Players often struggle with team building decisions in Pokémon Sword. These questions address common concerns about story progression, competitive play, and team composition strategies.
What are the top team compositions for completing the Pokémon Sword story?
For a well-rounded story team, we recommend including Cinderace, Corviknight, and a strong Water-type like Barraskewda. These three form a solid core with excellent type coverage.
Many players find success with Cinderace, Corviknight, Barraskewda, Orbeetle, Lucario and Roserade as their team. This combination provides coverage against most gym leaders.
Adding a Ground-type like Sandaconda or an Electric-type like Toxtricity can further strengthen your team against challenging battles.
Which Pokémon are essential for a competitive team in Pokémon Sword?
Competitive teams require careful balancing of offensive and defensive capabilities. Good physical attack, special attack, and strong defenses are all important considerations when building your team.
Mimikyu makes an excellent general opener for competitive battles due to its Disguise ability. Other strong competitive options include Dragapult, Tyranitar, and Hydreigon.
For support roles, consider Whimsicott with Prankster or Grimmsnarl with screens setup capabilities.
What is the optimal Pokémon Sword team to use without legendary Pokémon?
A powerful non-legendary team could include Cinderace, Corviknight, Dracovish, Excadrill, Grimmsnarl, and Toxtricity. This team offers excellent type coverage and strong movesets.
Runerigus deserves special mention for its champion bulk and defensive typing, granting multiple immunities that can be invaluable in tough battles.
Aegislash, Ferrothorn, and Rotom forms are also exceptional non-legendary options that provide both offensive pressure and defensive utility.
How does the DLC affect team building strategies in Pokémon Sword?
The Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra DLCs introduce powerful returning Pokémon like Garchomp, Metagross, and Volcarona. These Pokémon can significantly strengthen your team options.
The DLCs also provide new move tutors that teach crucial competitive moves to your existing Pokémon. This expands your strategic options without necessarily changing team members.
Regional forms like Galarian Slowking and legendaries like Calyrex provide new team building possibilities that weren’t available in the base game.
What is the strongest non-DLC Pokémon available in Pokémon Sword?
Dragapult stands out as arguably the strongest non-DLC Pokémon with its exceptional base 142 Speed stat and diverse movepool. Its Ghost/Dragon typing provides excellent offensive coverage.
Tyranitar remains a powerhouse with its Sand Stream ability and impressive bulk. Its pseudo-legendary status is well-deserved with strong attacks and good defensive capabilities.
Grimmsnarl deserves recognition for its utility in both singles and doubles formats, with access to Prankster, screens, and solid offensive presence.
For a Scorbunny starter, what is the ideal team lineup in Pokémon Sword?
When starting with Scorbunny (evolving into Cinderace), we recommend balancing your team with Drednaw or Barraskewda for Water coverage and Corviknight for Flying/Steel typing.
Adding Runerigus provides crucial Ghost/Ground coverage that complements Cinderace well. Its defensive capabilities help against challenging opponents like Bea.
Rounding out the team with Toxtricity (Electric/Poison) and Appletun/Flapple (Grass/Dragon) creates a well-balanced squad that can handle most challenges in the game.
