Rampardos Best Moveset
165 Attack is one of the highest in the entire game. AbilitySheer Force boosts moves with secondary effects by 30% and cancels Life Orb recoil on those moves. Held ItemChoice Scarf with NatureJolly fixes the 58 Speed problem. The moveset fires one massive hit per turn. 60/50 defenses mean one hit back ends it. Glass cannon defined.
165 Attack in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). The highest Attack stat of any non-legendary Pokemon at the time. 60 Defense and 58 Speed meant it usually died before swinging.
Best Moves
Best Build
Rampardos best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Earthquake
- Fire Punch
- Head Smash
- Thunder Punch
Recommended Teammates
Sheer Force boosted Rock Slide and other secondary-effect moves in Gen V (Black & White). 165 Attack with a boost was nuclear. 58 Speed was the fuse that never lit.
Physical Tank Moveset
- Head Smash
- Fire Punch
- Superpower
- Rock Polish
Recommended Teammates
Same problem in Gen VI (X & Y). Head Smash from 165 Attack obliterated anything that didn't outspeed. Everything outsped. 58 Speed in a 100+ Speed format.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Fire Punch
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Recommended Teammates
Fell in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Rock Polish doubled Speed but cost a turn of attacking. Rampardos couldn't afford setup turns with 60 Defense.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Fire Punch
- Rock Polish
- Rock Slide
- Crunch
Recommended Teammates
Five gens of the hardest hitter that never hit in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). 165 Attack on paper. 58 Speed in practice.
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Head Smash
- Earthquake
- Fire Punch
- Iron Head
Recommended Teammates
Rampardos Weakness
Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, and Steel moves hit Rampardos for super-effective damage. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. 5 weaknesses means you'll want teammates that can handle the coverage gaps.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Fire, Poison, Flying |
What is Rampardos Weak Against
FragileBest Pokemon Against Rampardos
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Bounce ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Rampardos View Hatterene builds →Nuzzle5-7% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityDrought ItemHeatrock NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Rampardos View Torkoal builds →Rapid Spin6-7% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Rampardos View Corviknight builds →U Turn20-24% | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureSassy Moves View Slowking-Galar builds →
| ||
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves View Landorus-Therian builds →
| ||
Evolution
Evolved from Cranidos. Rampardos is the final form in this two-stage line. Plenty of partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are slow to hatch. Attack grew the most through evolution (+40 over Cranidos), and Rampardos peaks at 495 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Rampardos to get Cranidos eggs using 81 partners from the Monster egg group.
How to Get Rampardos
You're catching Cranidos first, not Rampardos. Cranidos appears at moderate rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Rampardos in SV
Step 1Catch CranidosCanyon BiomeLv.50-80OverworldScarlet
Step 2Rampardos ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Rampardos egg.
You'll want endgame access before hunting Rampardos. Moderate rates across 1 encounter spots means the location matters. Sort by Best below and target the top-rated area first.
Where To Catch Rampardos in PLA
Step 1Catch CranidosSpace-Time Distortion - Mount CoronetLv.48-62CaveRate 15%
Step 2Rampardos ✓Space-Time Distortion - Mount CoronetLv.48-62CaveRate 5%or evolve from Cranidos (Step 1)
Rampardos isn't available in the wild in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Start by transferring Cranidos from Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, or Scarlet & Violet. The evolution path from Cranidos to Rampardos is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Rampardos in BDSP
Step 1Obtain CranidosCARTRIDGE TRADEfrom Legends: ArceusAvailableCatch in Legends: Arceus via Walking · Space-Time Distortion, then trade to the current game via link cable.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Diamond & PearlNot TradeableAppears in Diamond & Pearl via Gift · Oreburgh City · Revive Skull Fossil. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom PlatinumNot TradeableAppears in Platinum via Gift · Oreburgh City · Revive Skull Fossil. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in HeartGold & SoulSilver via Gift · Pewter City · Revive Skull Fossil. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Black & WhiteNot TradeableAppears in Black & White via Gift · Nacrene City · Revive Skull Fossil. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Black 2 & White 2Not TradeableAppears in Black 2 & White 2 via Gift · Nacrene City · Revive Skull Fossil. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom X & YNot TradeableAppears in X & Y via Gift · Ambrette Town · Revive Skull Fossil. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
Step 2Rampardos ✓
Can't catch Rampardos directly. Start with Cranidos at moderate rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 30. The 2-stage line from Cranidos to Rampardos is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Rampardos in USUM
Step 1Catch CranidosRoute 8 - Fossil Restoration CenterLv.15Gift from NPCRevive Skull Fossil
Step 2Rampardos ✓
Base Stats
Attack leads and Sp. Def gets almost nothing. That's Rampardos's stat line in a nutshell. 2 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Tough to catch and yields 2 Attack EVs.
Very little is known about its biology. Can knock down massive trees by smashing its beautiful, pearl-like crown against them.
Rampardos Guide
Sheer Force changes the entire equation for Rampardos. The 495 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked B-Tier as a cannon.
Sheer Force is what you want on Rampardos. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Mold Breaker) work on paper but Sheer Force is what makes Rampardos worth using.
At base 58 Speed, it won't be moving first often. On offense, Rampardos is a physical attacker with base 165 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a cannon.
Run Head Smash, Earthquake, Firepunch, and Ironhead on Rampardos. Head Smash is the most common pick at 0% usage. This set covers the cannon role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Available in 12 titles since its debut in Diamond & Pearl, Rampardos spans 7 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in a solid number of games.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DPDebut
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