Pawniard sits at the start of its evolution line — not yet at full power, but that changes fast. Most trainers push through to Kingambit as fast as possible. Known as the Sharp Blade Pokemon. Built to hit on the physical side.
Pawniard's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Sp. Atk trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Attack EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
Pawniard will fearlessly challenge even powerful foes. In a pinch, it will cling to opponents and pierce them with the blades all over its body.
Any chips in its blades would prove fatal for it. After each battle, it diligently maintains its blades using its favorite sharpening stone.
Pawniard Weakness
ExcellentPawniard is weak to Fighting, Fire, and Ground-type moves. Watch out for Fighting attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Poison and Psychic-type moves entirely. 9 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Pawniard's physical bulk (base 70 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
Pawniard is the start of a three-stage chain. It evolves into Bisharp first, then eventually reaches Kingambit. For breeding, average hatch time with plenty of partners via one egg group. Evolving adds up to 210 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Breed Pawniard easily with 70 breeding partners from the Humanshape egg group.
One boost from Swords Dance and Pawniard gets dangerous fast. The Adamant nature targets a spread EV build, and Defiant backs the whole approach. Ironhead and the remaining moves handle most of what's left standing.
Best Build
Best Pawniard Moveset
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
- Stealth Rock
Recommended Teammates
TMs define Pawniard's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Steel Beam and Foul Play, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it coverage across 9 types. That's where the options open up.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Breeding opens up real options for Pawniard. Headbutt and Mean Look come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Foul Play and Iron Head and coverage across 9 types.
The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 11 types means almost nothing walls Pawniard cleanly, with Foul Play and Iron Head anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.
The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 10 types means almost nothing walls Pawniard cleanly, with Iron Head and Dark Pulse anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.
A solid number of locations for Pawniard with high spawn rates across mid-game routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Best Locations
16 walking encounters at Lv. 22-65 for Pawniard across Scarlet and Violet. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
Pawniard's scattered across 28 spots in early-game routes with high spawn rates. Check the list below for the closest location to wherever you are in the game. This one's quick.
Best Locations
Pawniard appears in 28 walking locations at Lv. 10-41 across Shield and Sword. Not all encounters show up in every version, so check which ones match your game.
Pawniard appears at moderate rates across 2 spots in late-game routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Best Locations
Pawniard doesn't appear in Sun & Moon. Transfer it from Black, Black 2, or Scarlet to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Pawniard isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Bisharp to unlock its full potential. At 340 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Pawniard's biggest threats include Conkeldurr (Fighting), Volcarona (Fire), and Rhydon (Ground), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Conkeldurr is the most dangerous since Fighting moves deal 4x damage.
Pawniard evolves into Bisharp at level 52. Pawniard is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.
Defiant is the go-to ability for Pawniard. It raises Attack two stages upon having any stat lowered. Its hidden ability Pressure can work in specific setups. Inner Focus is the other option — pick based on what your team needs.
Pawniard fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 85 Attack. At base 60 Speed, it won't be moving first often. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Pawniard appears in 8 games, including Black & White, Black 2 & White 2, and X & Y.
Introduced in Black & White, Pawniard has appeared in 8 games across 5 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBWDebut
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A