Yveltal - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

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

Yveltal - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Yveltal

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Yveltal
Abilities
Dark Aura	Raises power of Dark type moves for all Pokemon in battle.

Yveltal 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 Yveltal

Singles Movesets for Yveltal

Life Orb Special Attacker Moveset & Best Build

Yveltal is a powerful special sweaper with access to great dual STAB and its signature move letting it stay in matches longer despite the recoil damage from Life Orb. It's best used as the team's Dynamax Pokemon and lead thanks to its access to Max Airstream.

About Yveltal's Moves

Dark Pulse is Yveltal's main STAB move, and gets a 33% boost thanks to Dark Aura. It also has a 30% chance to cause flinching. Oblivion Wing is its secondary STAB, dealing great damage and restoring 75% of the damage it deals.

Heat Wave is its main coverage move, hitting Steel and Ice-types, as well as Grass-types with a secondary typing such as Ferrothorn.

Sucker Punch is its last move and is mostly used to hit weakened faster Pokemon, especially the ones that survive with 1 HP from a Focus Sash or Sturdy.

About Yveltal's EV Spread

We're using a basic special attacking EV spread for this build, with full investmetn in Special Attack and Speed so that Yveltal hits as hard and as fast as possible. The remaining 4 EVs are invested in Special Defense to improve its bulk.

About Yveltal's Ability

Dark Aura is Yveltal's only Ability, powering up all Dark-type moves by 33% as long as Yveltal is present in the field.

About Yveltal's Held Item

Life Orb boosts the power of Yveltal's moves by 30% at the cost of some recoil damage.

Other Viable Moves

Weakness Policy Sweeper Moveset & Best Build

Weakness Policy lets Yveltal use its usual weaknesses to increase its offenses, letting it power through its usual checks and counters with boosted moves.

About Yveltal's Moves

Dark Pulse is Yveltal's main STAB move, and gets a 33% boost thanks to Dark Aura. It also has a 30% chance to cause flinching. Oblivion Wing is its secondary STAB, dealing great damage and restoring 75% of the damage it deals.

Heat Wave is its main coverage move, hitting Steel and Ice-types, as well as Grass-types with a secondary typing such as Ferrothorn.

Sucker Punch is its last move and is mostly used to hit weakened faster Pokemon, especially the ones that survive with 1 HP from a Focus Sash or Sturdy.

About Yveltal's EV Spread

We're using a basic special attacking EV spread for this build, with full investmetn in Special Attack and Speed so that Yveltal hits as hard and as fast as possible. The remaining 4 EVs are invested in Special Defense to improve its bulk.

About Yveltal's Ability

Dark Aura is Yveltal's only Ability, powering up all Dark-type moves by 33% as long as Yveltal is present in the field.

About Yveltal's Held Item

Weakness Policy boosts Yveltal's Attack and Special Attack by 2 stages when it gets hit by a super effective move.

Other Viable Moves

Physical Attacker Moveset & Best Build

This physical attacking Yveltal was used by Japanese competitive player Sakku to reach second place in the current Ranked Battle Season.

While this build loses some long-term survivability due to lack of recovery move, it's a formidable physical attacker that can surprise its usual checks and counters and is a great pivot attacker due to its ability to outspeed base 90 Speed Pokemon.

About Yveltal's Moves

Lash Out is a great opening move, especially if facing an opponent with Intimidate. When one of Yveltal's stats gets lowered, this move's base power increases to 150.

Dual Wingbeat is a great utility move that hits twice, allowing Yveltal to beat Focus Sash, Substitute, and Sturdy Pokemon. It also becomes Max Airstream during Dynamax.

Sucker Punch allows Yveltal to hit faster and frailer attackers and potentially KO them, such as Mimikyu and Gengar, while U-Turn lets it quickly pivot out of the battle when it encounters a check.

About Yveltal's EV Spread

We're using a basic physical attacking EV spread for this Yveltal with full investment in Attack and Speed so that it hits as hard and as fast as possible with a Jolly Nature. The remaining 4 EVs are placed in Defense to improve its physical bulk slightly.

About Yveltal's Ability

Dark Aura is Yveltal's only Ability, powering up all Dark-type moves by 33% as long as Yveltal is present in the field.

About Yveltal's Held Item

Choice Band boosts Yveltal's physical attacks by 50% but prevents it from switching moves.

How to Use Yveltal Effectively

A Bulky Special Attacker

Yveltal's is one of the bulkier Life Orb users since it can stay healthy even in long matches thanks to its Oblivion Wing move, which heals it as long as it keeps attacking.

A Powerful Lead Dynamax Attacker

Yveltal is a great lead Dynamax user courtest of its Flying-typing, giving it access to Max Airstream that can support its team. Its Dark Aura Ability also makes it a great partner in Doubles since it also powers up its partner Pokemon's Dark-type moves.

How to Build a Team with Yveltal

Yveltal is easy to fit into any team since both Offensive and Defensive teams can benefit from Max Airstream, although it's often restricted to a lead Dynamax role.

Example Team Role

Lead Dynamax Lead + Defensive Team

Lead Dynamax	Defensive Pivot	Physical Attacker
Yveltal	Galarian Slowking	Scizor

This balanced team appreciates Yveltal's ability to set up Max Airstream with its Flying-type STAB, and can further inhibit the opposing team with its Special Defense-reducing Max Darkness.

Galarian Slowking functions as the this team's Defensive Pivot, switching into Fairy-types that take little damage from Yveltal's STAB moves.

Scizor rounds off this defensive team, filling the role of a bulky physical attacker that can overpower Fairy and Rock-types. It also appreciates the speed boost Yveltal provides with its Max Airstream.

How to Build a Defensive Team

Counters for Yveltal

Weakness

Check it with Resistant Pokemon

Yveltal struggles against bulky and defensive Pokemon that are resistant to its STAB moves. Bulky Dark-types in particular are great switch-ins to Yveltal and can easily force it out with its coverage moves.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Tyranitar	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Sand Stream Ability sets up Sandstorm that boosts its Special Defense by 50% ・Resists both of Yveltal's STAB moves ・Choice Band variants can easily KO Yveltal with Stone Edge Moveset & Best Build for Tyranitar
Zacian	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Outspeeds Yveltal and easily KOs with Play Rough ・Can threaten Dynamax Yveltal with boosted Behemoth Blade Moveset & Best Build for Zacian
Regieleki	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Outspeeds Yveltal and easily KOs with Transistor-boosted Thunder or Thunder Cage ・Can set up Reflect and Light Screen Moveset & Best Build for Regieleki
Tapu Koko	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Resists both of Yveltal's STAB moves ・Outspeeds Yveltal and easily KOs with Thunderbolt Moveset & Best Build for Tapu Koko

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

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Galarian Articuno	Galarian Zapdos	Galarian Moltres
Raikou	Entei	Suicune
Articuno	Zapdos	Moltres
Tornadus	Thundurus	Landorus
Tapu Koko	Tapu Lele	Tapu Bulu
Tapu Fini	Regieleki	Regidrago
Latios	Latias	Heatran
Cresselia	Glastrier	Spectrier
Nidoking	Swampert	Dragonite
Salamence	Garchomp	Metagross
Galarian Slowking	Nihilego	Naganadel
Pheromosa	Buzzwole	Celesteela
Kartana	Stakataka	Blaziken
Kyogre	Yveltal	Xerneas
Necrozma (Dusk Mane)	Calyrex (Shadow Rider)	Mewtwo
Calyrex (Ice Rider)	Dialga	Lugia
Black Kyurem	Zekrom	Ho-Oh
Rayquaza	Zygarde	Reshiram
White Kyurem	Groudon	Regirock
Palkia	Regigigas	Registeel
Regice	Giratina	Solgaleo
Lunala	Kyurem	Necrozma
Uxie	Mesprit	Azelf
Calyrex