Poliwrath Best Moveset
Water/Fighting at 95/95 balanced defenses with AbilitySwift Swim doubling Speed under rain. Held ItemSitrus Berry with NatureJolly gives sustain. The moveset runs physical Fighting and Water TermStab that covers Rock, Steel, and Fire. Without rain, 70 Speed is too slow. With rain, the combination of bulk and coverage competes.
Water/Fighting was unique but 85 Attack and 70 base Special limited what Poliwrath could do in Gen I (Red & Blue). Amnesia could boost its Special, but setup was risky.
Utility Moveset
- Amnesia
- Hypnosis
- Submission
- Hydro Pump
Recommended Teammates
Belly Drum arrived and gave Poliwrath a terrifying win condition in Gen II (Gold & Silver). Max Attack plus priority could clean teams if it found the setup turn.
Best Moves
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Belly Drum
- Lovely Kiss
- Body Slam
- Hydro Pump
Recommended Teammates
Water Absorb provided free switch-ins against Surf spam in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). Substitute plus Focus Punch let it play mind games against defensive teams.
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Focus Punch
- Substitute
- Brick Break
- Ice Beam
Recommended Teammates
Better Fighting-types showed up in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Machamp had more Attack, Infernape was faster. Poliwrath's bulk wasn't enough to stand out.
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Waterfall
- Substitute
- Ice Punch
- Bulk Up
Recommended Teammates
Swift Swim plus Rain support made Poliwrath a rain sweeper option in Gen V (Black & White). Doubled Speed let it outrun the field and spam STAB Waterfalls and Close Combats.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Waterfall
- Brick Break
- Ice Punch
- Scald
Recommended Teammates
Rain was nerfed to five turns and Swift Swim was restricted under Drizzle. Those limitations gutted Poliwrath's best set in Gen VI (X & Y).
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Waterfall
- Endure
- Belly Drum
- Brick Break
Recommended Teammates
No new tools and the competition only got stiffer in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Water/Fighting wasn't bad defensively but Poliwrath's stats couldn't threaten anything.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Waterfall
- Brick Break
- Ice Punch
- Poison Jab
Recommended Teammates
Urshifu-Rapid-Strike did Water/Fighting better in every way in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Same typing, dramatically better stats and a signature move.
Bulky Support Moveset
- Ice Punch
- Brick Break
- Waterfall
- Bulk Up
Recommended Teammates
Urshifu made Poliwrath completely redundant in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). Same typing, incomparably better stats and movepool.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Drain Punch
- Liquidation
- Belly Drum
- Ice Punch
Recommended Teammates
Poliwrath Weakness
Type-wise, Poliwrath takes extra damage from Electric, Grass, Flying, Psychic, and Fairy. It resists 7 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass, Flying, Psychic, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Bug, Rock, Dark, Steel |
What is Poliwrath Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Poliwrath
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityVesselofruin ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Ting-Lu builds →Earthquake26-30% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves View Blissey builds →
| ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityWaterbubble ItemCustapberry NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Araquanid builds →Liquidation7-8% Surf10-12% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Tyranitar builds →Knock Off19-23% Stone Edge30-35% | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySharpness ItemAssault Vest NatureJolly Moves View Samurott-Hisui builds →
| ||
Evolution
Poliwrath is one of 2 ways Poliwhirl's chain can end. This one takes the item path, while the siblings go different directions. Breed through Poliwag to get eggs. Poliwrath edges out Politoed by 10 total stats (510 vs 500). Defense is where most of the advantage lives. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Poliwrath to get Poliwag eggs easily using 114 partners from the Water1 egg group.
How to Get Poliwrath
Can't catch Poliwrath directly. Start with Poliwag at moderate rates from the locations below, then evolve through a special method. The 3-stage chain from Poliwag to Poliwrath is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Poliwrath in SV
The path to Poliwrath starts with Poliwag at Lv. 7-60 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch PoliwagFellhorn GorgeLv.7-60OverworldKitakami RoadLv.7-60OverworldMossfell ConfluenceLv.7-60OverworldRevelers RoadLv.7-60Overworld
Step 2Catch or Evolve PoliwhirlFellhorn GorgeLv.25-60OverworldMossfell ConfluenceLv.25-60Overworldor evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
Step 3Poliwrath ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Poliwrath egg.
Poliwrath doesn't appear wild. Catch Poliwag instead, it shows up at solid rates. Evolve it through a special method to get Poliwrath. The 3-stage chain is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Poliwrath in BDSP
The path to Poliwrath starts with Poliwag at Lv. 10-63 via walking, surfing, and more encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch PoliwagRoute 225Lv.10-25Good RodRate 35%Route 227Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 30%Route 228Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 30%Fountainspring CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameGrassland CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameRiverbank CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameStill-Water CavernLv.58-63CavePost-gameSunlit CavernLv.58-63CavePost-game
Step 2Catch or Evolve PoliwhirlRoute 225Lv.30-55Super RodRate 35%Route 227Lv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 70%Route 228Lv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 70%Route 225Lv.40-50Surfing on waterRate 30%Fountainspring CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameGrassland CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameRiverbank CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameStill-Water CavernLv.58-63CavePost-gameSunlit CavernLv.58-63CavePost-gameor evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
Step 3Poliwrath ✓
You're catching Poliwag first, not Poliwrath. Poliwag appears at solid rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 3-stage chain with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Poliwrath in SwSh
To get Poliwrath, start by catching Poliwag through walking and surfing encounters at Lv. 13-45. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch PoliwagBrawlers' CaveLv.13-18OverworldRate 16%ThunderstormBrawlers' CaveLv.13-18OverworldRate 16%RainingBrawlers' CaveLv.13-18OverworldRate 16%OvercastBrawlers' CaveLv.13-18OverworldRate 16%Intense SunBrawlers' CaveLv.13-18OverworldRate 16%Normal WeatherBrawlers' CaveLv.13-18OverworldRate 16%SnowingBrawlers' CaveLv.40-45Surfing on waterRate 50%All Weather
Step 2Evolve into PoliwhirlBREEDINGAvailableLeave Poliwrath with a compatible partner at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Poliwhirl egg.
Step 3Poliwrath ✓
Finding Poliwrath at low spawn rates takes patience. 4 spots are available in endgame water routes, but the rate difference between them matters. Lock in the top one from the sorted list below.
Where To Catch Poliwrath in LGPE
Poliwag is your first catch on the way to Poliwrath. You'll find surfing encounters from Lv. 3-56 across 24 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch PoliwagRoute 22Lv.3-4Surfing on waterRate 45%Route 25Lv.9-14Surfing on waterRate 45%Route 23Lv.41-46Surfing on waterRate 45%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.51-56Surfing on waterRate 45%Cerulean Cave - B1FLv.51-56Surfing on waterRate 45%
Step 2Catch or Evolve PoliwhirlRoute 22Lv.3-4Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 25Lv.9-14Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 23Lv.41-46Surfing on waterRate 10%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.51-56Surfing on waterRate 9%Cerulean Cave - B1FLv.51-56Surfing on waterRate 9%or evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
Step 3Poliwrath ✓Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.51-56Surfing on waterRate 1%Cerulean Cave - B1FLv.51-56Surfing on waterRate 1%or evolve from Poliwhirl (Step 2)
Base Stats
You won't find a real weakness in Poliwrath's stat line. It's well-rounded for the Tadpole Pokemon, and what it does with that depends on moveset and items. Yields 3 Defense EVs, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
Its body is solid muscle. When swimming through cold seas, Poliwrath uses its impressive arms to smash through drift ice and plow forward.
Poliwrath Guide
Poliwrath looks average on paper at 510 BST. But Swift Swim is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier on our tier list.
Poliwrath gets Swift Swim, Water Absorb, and Damp. But Swift Swim is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Poliwrath is a physical attacker with base 95 Attack. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 70 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many.
The core moveset is Drain Punch, Liquidation, Bellydrum, and Icepunch. Drain Punch leads at 0% usage. Liquidation provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Present since Red & Blue, Poliwrath appears in 20 games spanning 10 generations. Gen 1 originals like Poliwrath have the longest track record of availability in the series.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
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 6ORAS
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