Attack and Speed carry most of Drilbur's stat budget. Sp. Atk's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 1 Attack EV. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It brings its claws together and whirls around at high speed before rushing toward its prey.
It’s a digger, using its claws to burrow through the ground. It causes damage to vegetable crops, so many farmers have little love for it.
Water, Grass, and Ice moves hit Drilbur for super-effective damage. The upside? Electric-type moves can't touch it at all. Standard number of weaknesses for the Ground typing.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Grass, Ice |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Poison, Rock |
| 0x (Immune) | Electric |
Weavile's Ice Shard hits Drilbur for 52-62%. Urshifu's Close Combat also KOs at 90-106%.
 Dondozo Water | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityUnaware ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves View Dondozo builds →
| ||
 Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Drilbur View Weavile builds →Knock Off42-50% Ice Shard 2x52-62% | ||
 Urshifu FightingDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityUnseenfist ItemFocus Sash NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Drilbur View Urshifu builds →Close Combat90-106%KO Sucker Punch52-62% | ||
 Toedscool GroundGrass | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMyceliummight ItemEviolite NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Drilbur View Toedscool builds →Rapid Spin7-8% Knock Off9-11% Giga Drain 2x49-57% | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemToxic Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Drilbur View Breloom builds →Mach Punch31-36% Bullet Seed 2x39-46% | ||
One evolution ahead. Drilbur grows into Excadrill through a straightforward two-stage chain. A massive partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolved forms gain up to 180 total stats over Drilbur. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Drilbur easily with 278 breeding partners from the Ground egg group.
Find one free turn for Swords Dance and Drilbur can run through teams. Jolly nature leans fast physical, Mold Breaker supports the sweep, and the remaining moves stops anything from walling it cleanly.
Best Build
Drilbur best EVs are Speed and Attack
Utility Moveset
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Poison Jab
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Swords Dance
- Rock Slide
Recommended Teammates
Hazard Setter Moveset
- Drill Run
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Double Edge
Recommended Teammates
Utility Moveset
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Poison Jab
- Swords Dance
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Swords Dance
- Rock Slide
Recommended Teammates
Hazard Setter Moveset
- Drill Run
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Double Edge
Recommended Teammates
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Drilbur. TMs unlock coverage across 9 types and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Earthquake and High Horsepower into something with actual range.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Leveling does the heavy lifting. Drilbur picks up Earthquake and Double-Edge along the way, building toward a complete offensive set. TMs add Normal and Steel coverage and more, but the foundation's already strong by then.
Don't skip the egg moves. Drilbur picks up Metal Sound and Slash only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Earthquake and High Horsepower while coverage across 8 types adds range.
Don't skip the egg moves. Drilbur picks up Crush Claw and Earth Power only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Earthquake and Earth Power while coverage across 9 types adds range.
Drilbur doesn't appear in Scarlet & Violet. Transfer it from Black, Black 2, or Sword to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
No wild encounters for Drilbur in Legends: Z-A. It's available in Black, Black 2, or Sword and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Drilbur's scattered across 20 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 to Catch Drilbur in Sword & Shield
Drilbur appears in 20 walking locations at Lv. 11-47 across Shield and Sword. Not all encounters show up in every version, so check which ones match your game.
Get Drilbur to Excadrill at level 31. At 328 BST, Drilbur is just the starting point.
Level 31 gets you Excadrill. Not the fastest evolution, so consider Exp. Share or route grinding to speed it up.
You can run Drilbur through the first few routes without issues. 328 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Excadrill as fast as you can.
Across 9 games, Drilbur has solid availability. First showed up in Legends: Z-A. The latest games to include it are Black & White and Black 2 & White 2.
Drilbur joined the series in Black & White and has been available in 9 titles so far. With 6 generations of appearances, it's established itself despite the later start.
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