Excadrill Best Moveset
AbilitySand Rush doubles the 88 base Speed under sandstorm, and 135 Attack behind Ground/Steel TermStab with NatureAdamant hits with massive physical power. Held ItemAir Balloon grants temporary Ground immunity for safe switch-ins. The moveset clears hazards with Rapid Spin and fires devastating TermStab attacks. Under sand, nothing outspeeds it. A-Tier as the premier sand attacker.
Sand Rush doubled Speed in sandstorm in Gen V (Black & White). Paired with Tyranitar or Hippowdon for permanent sand. Swords Dance into Earthquake swept at blistering Speed.
Best Moves
Best Build
Excadrill best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
Recommended Teammates
Weather nerfed to five turns in Gen VI (X & Y), but Excadrill adapted. Mold Breaker ignored abilities like Levitate, and Stealth Rock plus Rapid Spin gave utility beyond sweeping.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
Recommended Teammates
Steel/Ground hit hard with STAB Earthquake and Iron Head in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Rapid Spin removed hazards. Excadrill did everything from one slot. Three gens at the top.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
Recommended Teammates
Dropped in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Mold Breaker still ignored abilities but the format's power level pushed Excadrill down. Sand Rush without permanent sand was inconsistent.
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
88 Speed was increasingly average in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). Steel/Ground was still good typing but faster breakers with better coverage took the slot. Two gens below the top.
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Excadrill Weakness
Type-wise, Excadrill takes extra damage from Fire, Water, Fighting, and Ground. Electric and Poison moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. It resists 8 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Water, Fighting, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Dragon, Steel, Fairy |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Rock |
| 0x (Immune) | Electric, Poison |
What is Excadrill Weak Against
ExcellentBest Pokemon Against Excadrill
Pincurchin's Scald hits Excadrill for 42-49%.
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Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Excadrill View Pincurchin builds →Scald 2x42-49% | ||
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Recommended Build AbilityFlowerveil ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves
Damage vs Excadrill View Florges builds →Moonblast15-17% | ||
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Recommended Build AbilityPixilate ItemLeftovers NatureModest Moves View Sylveon builds →
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Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Excadrill View Ribombee builds →Moonblast16-19% | ||
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Recommended Build AbilityUnaware ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves
Damage vs Excadrill View Clodsire builds →Earthquake 2x48-57% | ||
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Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Excadrill View Arbok builds →Earthquake 2x74-87% Sucker Punch26-30% | ||
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Recommended Build AbilityCompoundeyes ItemFocus Sash NatureTimid Moves View Galvantula builds →
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Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Excadrill View Dragalge builds →Draco Meteor25-29% Flip Turn 2x26-30% | ||
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Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Excadrill View Luxray builds →Facade15-18% Crunch35-41% Ice Fang28-33% | ||
Recommended Build Moves View Slowking-Galar builds →
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Evolution
Excadrill is what Drilbur becomes. Breed it for Drilbur eggs (average hatch time). A massive partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs take an average time to hatch. The evolution from Drilbur pushed Excadrill to 508 total stats. HP saw the largest single gain at +50. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Excadrill to get Drilbur eggs easily using 278 partners from the Field egg group.
Shiny Excadrill
Excadrill's markings shift to a reddish tone, and the drill mole gets a faint blush that suggests mild embarrassment rather than a new color scheme. You can spot it if you know what to look for, but most people would scroll right past it in a shiny collection. The drill deserved chrome plating at minimum.
Shiny Excadrill Odds & Hunting Methods
9 of 9 VerifiedHow do we research these odds?
We check every game where a shiny is possible, then rank each one by the best method available in that game, so the row at the top is the fastest route overall.
Odds marked verified are cross-checked against multiple independent sources before we publish them. Where a rate is not yet confirmed we mark the row pending rather than guess a number.
Read our full methodologyHow to Get Excadrill
Excadrill turns up across 2 locations in endgame routes. Check the list below and head to whichever spot is closest.
Where To Catch Excadrill in SV
The path to Excadrill starts with Drilbur at Lv. 50-80 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch DrilburCanyon BiomeLv.50-80OverworldPolar BiomeLv.50-80OverworldSavanna BiomeLv.50-80OverworldCanyon BiomeLv.64Overworld
Step 2Excadrill ✓Canyon BiomeLv.50-80OverworldPolar BiomeLv.50-80Overworldor evolve from Drilbur (Step 1)
To plan your throws, open the Scarlet & Violet catch rate calculator with Excadrill preloaded.
Excadrill digs its way into Wild Zone 14, appearing in the overworld near level 38, with tougher Alpha specimens breaking the surface there closer to level 49.
Where To Catch Excadrill in LZA
Drilbur is your first catch on the way to Excadrill. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 17-49 across 11 total spots in the chain.
A solid number of locations for Excadrill with high spawn rates across late-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.
Where To Catch Excadrill in SwSh
To get Excadrill, start by catching Drilbur through walking encounters at Lv. 11-47. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
- Step 1Catch DrilburGalar MineLv.11-15CaveRate 10%All WeatherGalar MineLv.11-14OverworldRate 10%All WeatherGiant's MirrorLv.28-30OverworldRate 35%SandstormGiant's CapLv.26-28GrassRate 30%SandstormStony WildernessLv.26-28GrassRate 30%SandstormGiant's CapLv.26-28GrassRate 20%Intense SunHammerlocke HillsLv.28-30GrassRate 15%SandstormStony WildernessLv.26-28GrassRate 10%Intense SunDusty BowlLv.42-47OverworldRate 35%SandstormDusty BowlLv.42-47OverworldRate 10%Intense Sun
- Step 2Excadrill ✓Giant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldSwordRate 60%SnowstormGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldSwordRate 60%SandstormGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldSwordRate 60%SnowingGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldSwordRate 60%Intense SunGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldShieldRate 50%SnowstormGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldShieldRate 50%SandstormGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldShieldRate 50%SnowingGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldShieldRate 50%Intense SunGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldSwordRate 30%Normal WeatherGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldSwordRate 30%OvercastGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldSwordRate 30%Heavy FogGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldSwordRate 30%RainingGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldSwordRate 30%ThunderstormGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldShieldRate 20%Normal WeatherGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldShieldRate 20%OvercastGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldShieldRate 20%Heavy FogGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldShieldRate 20%RainingGiant's Mirror - GroundLv.31-34OverworldShieldRate 20%ThunderstormLake of OutrageLv.55-58OverworldRate 35%Sandstormor evolve from Drilbur (Step 1)
To plan your throws, open the Sword & Shield catch rate calculator with Excadrill preloaded.
No wild encounters for Excadrill in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Bring Drilbur over from Black & White or Black 2 & White 2 and evolve it into Excadrill, as the step cards below show.
How to Obtain Excadrill in USUM
Step 1Obtain DrilburLATER APPEARANCEfrom Black & WhiteNot TradeableAppears in Black & White via Shaking grass · Twist Mountain · Shaking spot. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Black 2 & White 2Not TradeableAppears in Black 2 & White 2 via Dust cloud · Mistralton Cave · Shaking spot. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Sword & ShieldNot TradeableAppears in Sword & Shield via Overworld · Dusty Bowl · Sandstorm. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
Step 2Excadrill ✓
Base Stats
The stat line revolves around Attack. Percentage recovery gets extra mileage here. HP backs it up, though Sp. Atk doesn't pull its weight. Worth 2 Attack EVs on a medium-fast 1M XP curve to max out.
It’s not uncommon for tunnels that appear to have formed naturally to actually be a result of Excadrill’s rampant digging.
Excadrill Guide
Mold Breaker is the hidden ability. It bypasses targets' abilities if they could hinder or prevent a move. Worth hunting for if you want Excadrill to compete at a higher level.
Excadrill plays as a wallbreaker. Speed is middling, so pick your spots carefully. Earthquake is the primary attack.
Excadrill pairs best with Tyranitar. Tyranitar has Good synergy and covers what Excadrill can't handle on its own.
Adamant is the go-to nature for Excadrill. That's +Attack / -Sp. Atk. Pair it with 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe EVs. Fits the wallbreaker role.
Game Availability
Since Black & White, Excadrill has been obtainable in 9 games. A Generation 5 debut means a shorter history, but Excadrill has appeared steadily across every generation since.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BWDebut
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
Explore
Where to go next after Excadrill.
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