Rockruff Best Moveset
Rock at 65 Attack and 60 Speed with AbilityVital Spirit preventing sleep. Pre-evolution stats. The moveset is building toward Lycanroc. Evolve for 115 Attack and 112 Speed on the Midday form, or 117 Attack with priority on the Dusk form.
Rockruff was a niche pick at best in Gen VII (Sun & Moon / USUM), rarely seen in standard play. This marked Rockruff's competitive debut. Its most popular set ran Keeneye with Nothing, favoring a Hardy nature.
Utility Moveset
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Stealth Rock
Recommended Teammates
Rockruff saw minimal competitive use in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield / BDSP). This was Rockruff's competitive peak. Its most popular set ran Steadfast with Focus Sash, favoring a Hardy nature.
Best Moves
Best Build
Rockruff best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Protect
- Endeavor
- Earth Power
- Rock Polish
Recommended Teammates
Rockruff saw minimal competitive use in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet / Legends Z-A). Rockruff maintained its position from the previous generation. Its most popular set ran Vitalspirit with Focus Sash, favoring a Jolly nature.
Physical Stallbreaker Moveset
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
- Endeavor
- Taunt
Recommended Teammates
Rockruff Weakness
Rockruff is weak to Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, and Steel. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. That's a lot of weak spots to cover so team support is important.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Fire, Poison, Flying |
What is Rockruff Weak Against
FragileBest Pokemon Against Rockruff
Scizor can KO Rockruff with Close Combat (379-446%). Urshifu threatens a KO with Close Combat (517-609%). Machamp's Close Combat also KOs at 380-447%.
 Scizor BugSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Rockruff View Scizor builds →Bullet Punch 2x191-225%KO Knock Off103-121%KO U Turn166-195%KO Close Combat 2x379-446%KO | ||
 Urshifu FightingDark | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityUnseenfist ItemChoice Band NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Rockruff View Urshifu builds →Close Combat 2x517-609%KO Close Combat 2x517-609%KO | ||
 Machamp Fighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNoguard ItemFlame Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Rockruff View Machamp builds →Bullet Punch 2x85-100%KO Close Combat 2x380-447%KO Stone Edge105-124%KO | ||
 Garchomp DragonGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Rockruff View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x288-339%KO | ||
 Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityChlorophyll ItemLife Orb NatureNaive Moves
Damage vs Rockruff View Venusaur builds →Giga Drain 2x234-275%KO Sludge Bomb70-82% | ||
Evolution
What you see is what you get. Rockruff sits outside any evolution chain, so focus on the egg moves and a massive partner pool from one egg group. Eggs are quick to hatch. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Rockruff easily with 278 breeding partners from the Ground egg group.
How to Get Rockruff
58 encounter spots for Rockruff at decent spawn rates starting from early-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.
Where To Catch Rockruff in SV
To get Rockruff, start by catching Rockruff through walking encounters at Lv. 6-60. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Rockruff ✓East Province (Area One) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 24%Glaseado MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 24%North Province (Area One) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 24%South Province (Area Five) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 24%South Province (Area Four) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 24%South Province (Area Six) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 24%South Province (Area Two) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 24%West Province (Area One) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 24%Chilling WaterheadLv.7-60OverworldCrystal PoolLv.7-60OverworldFellhorn GorgeLv.7-60OverworldInfernal PassLv.7-60OverworldKitakami HallLv.7-60OverworldKitakami WildsLv.7-60OverworldMossfell ConfluenceLv.7-60OverworldOni MountainLv.7-60OverworldParadise BarrensLv.7-60OverworldRevelers RoadLv.7-60OverworldWistful FieldsLv.7-60OverworldEast Province (Area One) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 1%Glaseado MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 1%North Province (Area One) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 1%South Province (Area Five) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 1%South Province (Area Four) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 1%South Province (Area Six) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 1%South Province (Area Two) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 1%West Province (Area One) - MountainLv.6-17OverworldRate 1%Available in-game· 3 pathsPick one
moderate rates across 18 encounter spots for Rockruff. That's the kind of hunt where you pick one location and settle in. Sort by Best below to see where the odds are highest.
Where To Catch Rockruff in SwSh
The path to Rockruff starts with Rockruff at Lv. 10-21 via walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Rockruff ✓Challenge RoadLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%SnowstormChallenge RoadLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%Heavy FogChallenge RoadLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%SnowingChallenge RoadLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%OvercastChallenge RoadLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%SandstormChallenge RoadLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%ThunderstormChallenge RoadLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%Normal WeatherChallenge RoadLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%RainingChallenge RoadLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%Intense SunChallenge RoadLv.16-21OverworldSwordRate 5%RainingChallenge RoadLv.16-21OverworldSwordRate 5%Intense SunChallenge RoadLv.16-21OverworldSwordRate 5%SnowstormChallenge RoadLv.16-21OverworldSwordRate 5%Heavy FogChallenge RoadLv.16-21OverworldSwordRate 5%SnowingChallenge RoadLv.16-21OverworldSwordRate 5%OvercastChallenge RoadLv.16-21OverworldSwordRate 5%SandstormChallenge RoadLv.16-21OverworldSwordRate 5%ThunderstormChallenge RoadLv.16-21OverworldSwordRate 5%Normal WeatherAvailable in-game· 3 pathsPick one
A handful of locations for Rockruff with decent spawn rates across early-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.
Where To Catch Rockruff in USUM
To get Rockruff, start by catching Rockruff through walking encounters at Lv. 11-14. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Rockruff starts showing up in early-game routes at decent spawn rates across 2 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Base Stats
Rockruff's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Sp. Atk trails, 0 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Attack EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
This Pokémon travels in a pack with others until it grows up. When its mood turns sour, it starts striking the ground with the rocks on its neck.
Rockruff Guide
Rockruff does the job early-game if you need a Rock type on your team. Evolve it into lycanroc before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
Game Availability
Introduced in Sun & Moon, Rockruff has appeared in 4 games across 4 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 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 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 7SMDebut
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