Hydreigon - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

Hydreigon Movesets in Other Games
SV	SWSH

This is a strategy guide for using Hydreigon in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, Builds, and Held Items to use with Hydreigon, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Hydreigon - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Hydreigon

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Hydreigon
Abilities
Levitate	Gives immunity to Ground type moves.

Hydreigon Weaknesses and Resistances

	Type
Takes 4x damage
Takes 2x damage
Takes 0.5x damage
Takes 1/4x damage	-
Takes 0x damage

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

Best Nature for Hydreigon

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Hydreigon

Choice Scarf/Specs Moveset & Best Build

Choice Scarf helps Hydreigon cover its middling Speed - a stat not exceeding 100 which ends up a waste of stat points otherwise. Its high Special Attack combined with the hard-to-resist Dark Pulse, and a movepool filled with moves of other types as well, make it an extremely difficult Pokemon to handle defensively.

With Choice Scarf, it can even outspeed the currently popular Dragapult, which takes its 142 Speed for granted and rarely wears the Scarf.

In the case where a boost in Special Attack is preferred, use Choice Specs.

Other Viable Moves

Substitute Moveset & Best Build

This build takes advantage of the resistances brought by Hydreigon's typing. Special Attack is boosted with Nasty Plot, and any status conditions is avoided with Substitute. Additionally, an opponent's Dynamax turn can be wasted with the Substitute taking the damage.

About Hydreigon's EV Spread

252 EV is alloted to Special Attack to maximize Hydreigon's potential asa special attacker, and some EV is given to HP so Substitute can be used again after 4 Leftover heals. The rest is given to Speed.

Other Viable Moves

How to Use Hydreigon Effectively

An attacker with a sprawling moveset

Hydreigon can handle a variety of opponents thanks to its wide and unpredictable selection of moves. Even up against Mimikyu, it can use U-Turn to switch out and send in a more effective counter. This provides flexibility to allow players to use Hydreigon to match the situation at hand.

A unique type combination

As a Dark/Dragon dual-type, Hydreigon has a unique type combination in this generation. It can take advantage of its typing to withstand attacks on switching in and match itself up effectively.

Counters for Hydreigon

Weakness

Attack with Fairy-types

As Hydreigon is a Dark/Dragon dual-type, it suffers from a 4x weakness to the Fairy type. It's quite possible to knock Hydreigon out in one hit with a Fairy-type attack, so be sure to have one ready if you're worried about handling it.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Tapu Fini	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・High Special Defense that can withstand most of Hydreigon's attacks. Moveset & Best Build for Tapu Fini
Grimmsnarl	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can take Hydreigon's STAB attacks with 1/2x or less damage ・Also effective against the ever-present Dragapult Moveset & Best Build for Grimmsnarl
Mimikyu	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Just an overall powerful hitter in its own right. Moveset & Best Build for Mimikyu
Sylveon	Ranking: ★★★★ ・With high Special Defense, can switch into Hydreigon as many times as needed ・Hyper Voice used with the Pixilate ability can deal huge damage. Moveset & Best Build for Sylveon

Best Teams Featuring Hydreigon

All our Best Teams are available for free rental, and usable in Ranked Battle with no EV Training necessary.
All Best Teams for Ranked Battle

Best Durant Team for Ranked Battle

Best Durant Team for Ranked Battle
Grimmsnarl	Durant	Ditto
Hydreigon	Mimikyu	Snorlax

This is the team that made Durant, a minor Pokemon unseen in the metagame, into a superstar. Even ignoring all the trends, it's notable for its highly aggressive attacking style.

You can try out this team to get a feel for using Hydreigon together with Durant, or even use it as your go-to team if it fits your play style.
Best Durant Team for Ranked Battle

Best Arcanine Team for Ranked Battle

Best Arcanine Team for Ranked Battle
Arcanine	Hydreigon	Tyranitar
Corviknight	Mow Rotom	Mimikyu

Born from one player's love of one Pokemon, Arcanine, this team takes advantage of Arcanine's already-high Base Stats, supported by Assault Vest to make it a powerful player both offensively and defensively.

In addition to Arcanine, this team features a host of other surprises, such as a Pressure Corviknight, a Special Attack-using Tyranitar, and a stall-ready Mimikyu, that might change your preconceptions about the competitive scene as a whole.
Best Arcanine Team for Ranked Battle

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

Best Builds for Returning Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Mimikyu	Wash Rotom	Gyarados
Ferrothorn	Aegislash	Excadrill
Tyranitar	Hydreigon	Heat Rotom
Arcanine	Mamoswine	Toxapex
Togekiss	Cloyster	Durant
Snorlax	Charizard	Sylveon
Lucario	Hippowdon	Umbreon
Conkeldurr	Quagsire	Gastrodon
Lapras	Whimsicott	Rhyperior
Goodra	Haxorus	Glaceon
Mow Rotom	Type: Null	Gengar
Milotic	Gardevoir	Flygon
Chandelure	Lanturn	Torkoal
Bisharp	Seismitoad	Silvally
Butterfree	Primarina	Incineroar
Blastoise	Decidueye	Venusaur
Darmanitan	Alolan Ninetales	Gothitelle
Crawdaunt	Clefable	Reuniclus
Kommo-o	Terrakion	Cobalion
Virizion	Noivern	Fan Rotom
Toxicroak	Pelipper	Jellicent
Celebi	Clefairy	Hitmontop
Diggersby	Ditto	Raichu
Hawlucha	Shiftry	Tsareena
Ludicolo