Stats & Training
Archeops's built around physical offense. Attack leads the charge, Defense pays for it. Tough to catch, worth 2 Attack EVs. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It needs a running start to take off. If Archeops wants to fly, it first needs to run nearly 25 mph, building speed over a course of about 2.5 miles.
Though capable of flight, Archeops was apparently better at hunting on the ground.
Archeops Weakness
Archeops's Rock/Flying typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Electric, Ice, Rock, and Steel. It shrugs off Ground-type attacks completely. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Archeops leans offensive (base 140 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Electric, Ice, Rock, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Fire, Poison, Flying, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
In Sword & Shield, Weavile's Ice Shard hits Archeops for 61-72%. Zeraora deals 36-42% with Drain Punch.
 Heatran FireSteel | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves View Heatran builds →
| ||
 Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Archeops View Weavile builds →Knock Off49-58% Ice Shard 2x61-72% | ||
 Zeraora Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityVoltabsorb ItemAir Balloon NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Archeops View Zeraora builds →Drain Punch36-42% | ||
 Slowking WaterPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemColbur Berry NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Archeops View Slowking builds →Scald 2x85-100%KO | ||
 Nihilego RockPoison | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityBeastboost ItemBlack Sludge NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Archeops View Nihilego builds →Power Gem 2x120-141%KO | ||
Sword & Shield Evolution
Archeops is the evolved form of Archen. Breeding produces Archen eggs, and they're slow to hatch. Evolving from Archen gave Archeops the biggest boost in Speed (+40), bringing the total to 567 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Archeops to get Archen eggs using 42 partners from the Flying and Water3 egg groups.
Sword & Shield Archeops Best Moveset
Prediction matters here. Choice Band means Archeops can't change moves after clicking, but the payoff is raw power at the cost of move flexibility. Max Attack and Speed EVs with Defeatist back that up. The remaining moves prevents free switches.
Best Build
Archeops best EVs are Attack and Speed
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Stone Edge
- Dual Wingbeat
- Dragon Claw
- U Turn
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Roost
- U Turn
- Head Smash
- Meteor Beam
Moves
Breadth over depth defines this movepool. Archeops won't stack one type's damage ceiling, but coverage across 10 types means it always has an effective option. Meteor Beam and Stone Edge anchor the STAB core.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Archeops in Sword & Shield
You're catching Archen first, not Archeops. Archen appears at solid rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Archeops in Sword & Shield
The path to Archeops starts with Archen at Lv. 60-65 via walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch ArchenGiant's FootShieldOverworld Lv.60-65100%PostSandstormGiant's FootSwordOverworld Lv.60-65100%PostSandstormGiant's FootShieldOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostNormal WeatherGiant's FootSwordOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostOvercastGiant's FootShieldOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostSnowstormGiant's FootSwordOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostNormal WeatherGiant's FootSwordOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostSnowstormGiant's FootShieldOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostThunderstormGiant's FootShieldOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostIntense SunGiant's FootSwordOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostThunderstormGiant's FootShieldOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostSnowingGiant's FootSwordOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostIntense SunGiant's FootSwordOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostSnowingGiant's FootShieldOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostRainingGiant's FootShieldOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostHeavy FogGiant's FootSwordOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostRainingGiant's FootShieldOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostOvercastGiant's FootSwordOverworld Lv.60-6510%PostHeavy Fog
Step 2Archeops ✓
Archeops Guide
In Sword & Shield, Archeops has a 567 base stat total and ranks as C-Tier: a niche pick in Sword & Shield's meta. It works best as a sweeper. Stone Edge with Choice Band is the standard set.
In Sword & Shield, watch for Milotic (Water), Jolteon (Electric), and Kyurem (Ice) when using Archeops. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Rock and Steel-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. Archeops's base 110 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.
Defeatist halves Attack and Special Attack at 50% max HP or less. That's the one you want on Archeops. It's the only ability Archeops has.
In Sword & Shield, Archeops fills the sweeper role. It's a physical attacker with base 140 Attack. Base 110 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
In Sword & Shield, run Stone Edge, Dualwingbeat, Dragonclaw, and U Turn on Archeops. Stone Edge is the most common pick at 21% usage. This set covers the sweeper role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Introduced in Black & White, Archeops has appeared in 7 games across 6 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BWDebut
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves