Durant - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle | Pokemon Sword and Shield

This is a strategy guide for using Durant 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 Durant, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Durant - Related Articles
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Durant

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Durant
Abilities
Hustle	Boosts the Attack stat, but lowers accuracy.
Swarm	Powers up Bug-type moves in a pinch.
Truant (Hidden)	Pokemon can't attack on consecutive turns.

Type Defenses

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

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

Best Nature for Durant

What are Natures?

How to Learn Durant's Egg Moves

Moveset & Best Build for Durant

Standard Moveset & Best Build

Hustle and Dynamax are a powerful combination

Durant's ability Hustle has the drawback of detracting from its accuracy, but as all Max Moves have perfect accuracy, Durant can use Dynamax to attack with 1.5x Attack power with no penalty. This build has Durant hold the Life Orb to further push its damage higher.

Learns a variety of moves

Because of its ability to learn not just powerful STAB moves such as Iron Head and First Impression, but also Thunder Fang to strike the Bug and Steel-resistent Corviknight and Toxapex, as well as Superpower to use against Steel-type Pokemon. Having attacking moves in four different types will allow Durant to hit most Pokemon with super effective or at least neutral damage.

Get STAB priority with First Impression

Having a priority move with First Impression allows it to knock out fast foes like Hydreigon with the Choice Scarf without worrying about taking a hit. Although you can usually only use it on the first turn after switching in, this downside can also be removed by Dynamaxing Durant.

Other Viable Moves

Truant + Entrainment Moveset & Best Build

Creates an opportunity for its teammate

Durant is the only Pokemon who can carry both the Truant ability and the move Entrainment. With its high speed, it can use Entrainment to share its purely-negative ability with the opponent, then on being hit by an attack, it will automatically be switched out by the Eject Button. On the next turn, the opponent will either by unable to move due to Truant, or they will switch out, either way allowing one free turn where the foe cannot attack.

Good for pairing with Gothitelle or Dugtrio

After switching out Durant with the Eject Button, possible candidates for the switch-in include Gothitelle and Dugtrio. These Pokemon have abilities that prevent the opponent from switching out and removing the Truant ability. The Pokemon can then use the opponent's missed turns to boost their stats without fear, while using Protect on the opponent's active turns.

Other Viable Moves

How to Use Durant Effectively

A powerful attacker with Hustle

Durant's ability Hustle increases the power of its attacks by 50% while also lowering the accuracy of all its moves to 0.8x their normal rate. As long as its attacks land, it's able to deal massive damage. On top of that, because all Max Moves have perfect accuracy, Durant can overcome Hustle's accuracy drop while Dynamaxed. And because it boasts a high Base Speed of 109, it can serve as a ruthless Physical attacker in the current metagame.

Can set up for a sweep with Truant and Entrainment

Durant's Hidden Ability Truant prevents it from using a move every other turn. It's an ability with nothing but disadvantages, but can be paired with Entrainment to pass Truant to an unfortunate opponent. When the opponent switches out to restore their ability to normal, Durant can take the opportunity to disadvantage the switching-in Pokemon with moves like Rock Tomb and Thunder Wave.

Counters for Durant

Use Fire to barbecue it

Durant is host to a 4x weakness to Fire-type moves. However, because of Durant's incredibly high Attacking power, it's no piece of cake to survive a hit and strike back after. Instead of switching in a Pokemon to take a hit, it's best to send a Pokemon faster than Durant as the switch-in after one of your Pokemon is knocked out.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Dragapult	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Faster than Durant and can score 1HKO with Fire Blast ・Needs Focus Sash to survive a hit on switch-in Best Ranked Battle Build for Dragapult
Heat Rotom	Ranking: ★★★★☆ ・Can take Iron Head with 1/4x damage ・Can be safely switched in to take a hit from Iron Head, then outspeed with Choice Scarf for the knock out Best Ranked Battle Build for Heat Rotom
Cinderace	Ranking: ★★★★☆ ・Can take Iron Head with reduced damage ・A Fire-type Pokemon with greater Speed than Durant

Take a hit with a Defense wall

Pokemon who take reduced damage from Durant's STAB attacks and do not take super effective damage from its other attacks have the potential to withstand its attacks. Even if these Pokemon cannot take Durant down, they may be able to survive 3 turns of Dynamax, giving the next Pokemon in line a better shot.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Aegislash	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Must watch out for the super-effective Crunch ・Can stall to outlast Durant's Dynamax ・If Special-oriented, can use Special attacks to hit Durant's weak Special Defense Best Ranked Battle Build for Aegislash

Best Teams Featuring Durant

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.

This team is available for free rental, and usable in Ranked Battle with no EV Training necessary. You can try out this team to get a feel for using Durant, or even use it as your go-to team if it fits your play style.
Best Durant Team for Ranked Battle

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Movesets & Best Builds for New Pokemon
Dragapult	Galarian Corsola	Toxtricity
Galarian Darmanitan	Corviknight	Dracovish
Grimmsnarl	Rillaboom	Duraludon
Cinderace	Alcremie	Dracozolt
Hatterene	Eiscue	Inteleon
Pincurchin	Frosmoth	Zacian
Sirfetch'd

Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Mimikyu	Wash Rotom	Gyarados
Ferrothorn	Aegislash	Excadrill
Tyranitar	Hydreigon	Heat Rotom
Arcanine	Mamoswine	Toxapex
Togekiss	Cloyster	Durant
Gigantamax Snorlax	Snorlax	Gigantamax Charizard
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

List Of Battle Articles
Tier List	Best Builds	Best Teams