Pawniard's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Sp. Atk trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Attack EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
Pawniard will fearlessly challenge even powerful foes. In a pinch, it will cling to opponents and pierce them with the blades all over its body.
Any chips in its blades would prove fatal for it. After each battle, it diligently maintains its blades using its favorite sharpening stone.
Pawniard is weak to Fighting, Fire, and Ground. Watch out for Fighting attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Poison and Psychic-type moves entirely. 9 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Pawniard's physical bulk (base 70 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Fighting |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Grass, Ice, Flying, Rock, Ghost, Dragon, Dark, Steel |
| 0x (Immune) | Poison, Psychic |
Volcarona can KO Pawniard with Heat Wave (125-147%). Annihilape threatens a KO with Drain Punch (145-171%). Krookodile's Close Combat also KOs at 181-213%.
 Volcarona BugFire | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemGrassyseed NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Pawniard View Volcarona builds →Heat Wave 2x125-147%KO | ||
 Annihilape FightingGhost | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityDefiant ItemSitrus Berry NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Pawniard View Annihilape builds →Drain Punch 4x145-171%KO | ||
 Krookodile GroundDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoxie ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Pawniard View Krookodile builds →Earthquake 2x113-132%KO Knock Off18-22% Close Combat 4x181-213%KO | ||
 Cinderace Fire | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLibero ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Pawniard View Cinderace builds →U Turn26-31% Sucker Punch13-16% | ||
 Machamp Fighting | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityNoguard ItemAssault Vest NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Pawniard View Machamp builds →Stone Edge22-26% Bullet Punch9-10% Knock Off14-17% | ||
Pawniard is the start of a three-stage chain. It evolves into Bisharp first, then eventually reaches Kingambit. For breeding, average hatch time with plenty of partners via one egg group. Evolving adds up to 210 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Pawniard easily with 70 breeding partners from the Humanshape egg group.
One boost from Swords Dance and Pawniard gets dangerous fast. The Adamant nature targets spread, and Defiant backs the whole approach. Ironhead and the remaining moves handle most of what's left standing.
Best Build
Pawniard best EVs are Attack and Sp. Def
Hazard Setter Moveset
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
- Stealth Rock
Recommended Teammates
Physical Tank Moveset
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
- Brick Break
Recommended Teammates
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
- Night Slash
Recommended Teammates
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Brick Break
Recommended Teammates
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Iron Defense
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Torment
Recommended Teammates
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
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
TMs define Pawniard's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Steel Beam and Foul Play, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it coverage across 9 types. That's where the options open up.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Breeding opens up real options for Pawniard. Headbutt and Mean Look come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Foul Play and Iron Head and coverage across 9 types.
The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 11 types means almost nothing walls Pawniard cleanly, with Foul Play and Iron Head anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.
The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 10 types means almost nothing walls Pawniard cleanly, with Iron Head and Dark Pulse anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.
A solid number of locations for Pawniard with high spawn rates across mid-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.
Best Locations to Catch Pawniard in Scarlet & Violet
16 walking encounters at Lv. 22-65 for Pawniard across Scarlet and Violet. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
Pawniard's scattered across 28 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 Pawniard in Sword & Shield
Pawniard appears in 28 walking locations at Lv. 10-41 across Shield and Sword. Not all encounters show up in every version, so check which ones match your game.
Pawniard appears at moderate rates across 2 spots in late-game 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 Pawniard in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Pawniard doesn't appear in Sun & Moon. Transfer it from Black, Black 2, or Scarlet to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Pawniard evolves into Bisharp at level 52. Takes some grinding. Plan your team around the mid-game wait.
Pawniard does the job early-game if you need a Dark/Steel type on your team. Evolve it into Bisharp before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
Pawniard is catchable across 8 games. Debuted in Scarlet & Violet and most recently available in Black & White and Black 2 & White 2.
Introduced in Black & White, Pawniard has appeared in 8 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