Mawile Best Moveset
The highest effective physical damage in the format. Held ItemMawilite activates AbilityHuge Power that doubles Mega Mawile's 105 Attack to an effective 210. Steel and Fairy TermStab at that power level is devastating per swing. The moveset doesn't need frequency when each hit is that destructive.
380 BST in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). Steel-type with Intimidate was defensively interesting. 85 Attack and 55 Sp. Atk threatened nothing offensively.
Pivot Moveset
- Baton Pass
- Swords Dance
- Focus Punch
- Hidden Power Steel
Recommended Teammates
Swords Dance plus 85 Attack in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Not enough to sweep. 50 Speed moved after everything in the format.
Best Moves
Best Build
Mawile best EVs are HP and Attack
Physical Tank Moveset
- Iron Head
- Iron Defense
- Sucker Punch
- Vise Grip
Recommended Teammates
Sheer Force boosted Iron Head in Gen V (Black & White). 85 Attack with a boost hit harder, but the base stat still limited the ceiling.
Bulky Support Moveset
- Super Fang
- Foul Play
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Mega Mawile debuted in Gen VI (X & Y) with Huge Power doubling 105 Attack to 210 effective. Banned from standard play. Base Mawile gained Fairy typing but not the power.
Bulky Support Moveset
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Play Rough
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Mega Mawile stayed dominant in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Base Mawile stayed forgotten. The gap between a Mega and its base form was never wider.
Physical Tank Moveset
- Iron Head
- Play Rough
- Sucker Punch
- Thunder Punch
Recommended Teammates
Mega Evolution removed in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Base Mawile kept Steel/Fairy and Intimidate, but 380 BST had no niche without the stone.
Physical Tank Moveset
- Play Rough
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
Recommended Teammates
Mawile Weakness
Mawile's Steel/Fairy typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire and Ground. It shrugs off Poison and Dragon-type attacks completely. 9 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Mawile's physical bulk (base 125 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Grass, Ice, Flying, Psychic, Rock, Dark, Fairy |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Poison, Dragon |
What is Mawile Weak Against
FortressBest Pokemon Against Mawile
Greninja's Surf hits Mawile for 37-44%. Garchomp deals 60-71% with Earthquake.
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Guard ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Mawile View Clefable builds →Moonblast11-13% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityBattlebond ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Mawile View Greninja builds →Dark Pulse17-19% Ice Beam18-22% Surf37-44% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Mawile View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x60-71% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySandrush ItemAir Balloon NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Mawile View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x67-79% Rapid Spin8-10% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemRocky Helmet NatureBold Moves View Skarmory builds →
| ||
Evolution
Breeding is the whole story for Mawile. Plenty of partners through two egg groups, eggs are average hatch time, and you won't need to evolve anything. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Mawile Locations
Mawile starts showing up in mid-game routes at moderate rates across 3 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations to Catch Mawile in Legends: Z-A
Walking encounters at Lv. 27-57 across 3 spots for Mawile. Sorted by progression so you can see what's reachable at your current point in the game.
Mawile appears at moderate rates across 2 spots in endgame 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 to Catch Mawile in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Mawile starts showing up in mid-game routes at high spawn rates across 3 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations to Catch Mawile in Sword & Shield
Walking encounters at Lv. 26-65 across 3 spots for Mawile. Sorted by progression so you can see what's reachable at your current point in the game.
Mawile's scattered across 2 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 Mawile in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Base Stats
Mawile's spread favors physical bulk over offense. Defense leads the defensive side, HP eats the cost. Yields 2 Attack and Defense EVs per defeat. Fast 800K XP curve to level.
Attached to its head is a huge set of jaws formed by horns. It can chew through iron beams.
Mawile Guide
Don't let Mawile's 480 base stat total fool you. Huge Power is what makes it tick. It punches way above its weight class. We rate it C-Tier as an attacker.
Yes. Mega Mawile hits 580 BST, a solid jump from the base 480. Hold the Mega Stone, trigger it in battle, and it lasts the whole fight. One Mega per team.
Run Huge Power on Mawile. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche.
Mawile fills the attacker role. It's a physical attacker with base 105 Attack. Base 50 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Game Availability
Mawile first appeared in Ruby & Sapphire and spans 15 games across 8 generations. It later gained a Mega form in Generation 6, adding new dimensions to its competitive identity.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORASMega
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
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