Everything pushes toward special damage here. Duraludon's Sp. Atk does the work, Sp. Def pays the price. But you're still getting 2 Sp. Atk EVs per KO. Tough to catch, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It’s grown to resemble a skyscraper. Parts of its towering body glow due to a profusion of energy.
The hardness of its cells is exceptional, even among Steel types. It also has a body structure that’s resistant to earthquakes.
Duraludon is weak to Fighting and Ground. On the flip side, it's immune to Poison-type moves entirely. It resists 9 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. Duraludon's physical bulk (base 115 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Water, Electric, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Steel |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass |
| 0x (Immune) | Poison |
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Duraludon View Ambipom builds →U Turn6-8% Knock Off12-15% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityDrizzle ItemFocus Sash NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Duraludon View Pelipper builds →Hurricane30-35% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureImpish Moves View Altaria builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityCompoundeyes ItemFocus Sash NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Duraludon View Galvantula builds →Thunder30-36% | ||
 Thwackey Grass | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityGrassy Surge ItemTerrain Extender NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Duraludon View Thwackey builds →U Turn6-7% Knock Off12-14% | ||
To get Archaludon from Duraludon, you need an evolution item. The evolution method matters here. Evolving adds up to 65 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Duraludon easily with 72 breeding partners from the Dragon and Mineral egg groups.
Don't let the NFE status fool you. Duraludon with Eviolite hits bulk numbers that compete with final forms. Flexible EVs and Timid nature maximize that, and Lightmetal handles the rest.
Best Build
Duraludon best EVs are Speed and Sp. Atk
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Flash Cannon
- Draco Meteor
- Stealth Rock
- Body Press
Doubles Special Tank Moveset
- Flash Cannon
- Dragon Pulse
- Body Press
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Bulky Support Moveset
- Flash Cannon
- Dragon Pulse
- Body Press
- Snarl
Recommended Teammates
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Flash Cannon
- Body Press
- Draco Meteor
- Thunder Wave
Recommended Teammates
Physical Tank Moveset
- Body Press
- Flash Cannon
- Draco Meteor
- Iron Defense
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Special Tank Moveset
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt
- Dragon Pulse
- Draco Meteor
Recommended Teammates
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Most of Duraludon's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Steel Beam and Draco Meteor, but Fighting and Normal and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Egg moves make a real difference. Duraludon gets Mirror Coat and Night Slash exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 8 types rounds out the picture alongside Steel Roller and Outrage.
Duraludon doesn't appear in Scarlet & Violet. Transfer it from Sword to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Duraludon sits at low spawn rates across 20 spots in late-game routes. Pick one from the sorted list and commit to it. Jumping between areas wastes more time than waiting in the right location.
Best Locations to Catch Duraludon in Sword & Shield
20 walking encounters at Lv. 45-52 for Duraludon across Shield and Sword. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
At 535 BST, Duraludon is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Archaludon before bringing it to any serious fight.
Light Metal is the go-to ability for Duraludon. It halves the Pokémon's weight. Its hidden ability Stalwart can work in specific setups. Heavy Metal is the other option. Pick based on what your team needs.
Duraludon is a special attacker with base 120 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 85 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. Fits the wallbreaker role.
For a casual playthrough, Duraludon works as a placeholder. Steel/Dragon coverage is useful early. The real payoff is Archaludon. That's where the stats start mattering.
Available since Sword & Shield, Duraludon appears in 2 games spanning 3 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained a Gigantamax form in Generation 8.
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 5BW
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 8SwShDebutGigantamax
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