Is Rotom Good in Sword & Shield Playthrough?
Rotom spawns in the Wild Area at the Lake of Outrage. Electric/Ghost base form, but the real value is form changes. Rotom-Wash (Water), Rotom-Heat (Fire), and Rotom-Mow (Grass) each bring unique type combos with AbilityLevitate. Rotom-Wash is one of the best defensive Pokemon in any format. Versatile and uniquely positioned.
Rotom trades roughly evenly with Milo's team.
Rotom resists most of Nessa's coverage and hits back hard.
Rotom has the type edge here and should clean up Kabu's team.
Rotom has the type edge here and should clean up Bea's team.
Rotom resists most of Opal's coverage and hits back hard.
Rotom has the type edge here and should clean up Gordie's team.
Rotom has the type edge here and should clean up Piers's team.
Rotom trades roughly evenly with Raihan's team.
Rotom has the type edge here and should clean up Bede's team.
Leon's team hits Rotom's weaknesses hard.
Catch Rotom on Lake of Outrage (overworld, Lv 55-58). Raining.
Sword & Shield Rotom Locations
Rotom tops out at low spawn rates across 4 locations in endgame routes. The encounters below are sorted by rate so you can see exactly what you're working with.
Best Locations to Catch Rotom in Sword & Shield
Rotom Weakness
Rotom's Electric/Ice typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire, Fighting, Ground, and Rock. Levitate grants an additional Ground immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Fighting, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Electric, Ice, Flying |
What is Rotom Weak Against
FragileBest Pokemon Against Rotom
 Hitmonlee Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Hitmonlee builds →Brick Break 2x78-92% Blaze Kick 2x57-68% | ||
 Pancham Fighting | D | |
 Drednaw WaterRock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Drednaw builds →Rock Tomb 2x62-74% Sand Tomb 2x26-31% | ||
 Carkol RockFire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Carkol builds →Ancient Power 2x38-46% Flame Charge 2x34-42% Sand Tomb 2x17-22% | ||
 Stunfisk GroundElectric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Stunfisk builds →Mud Shot 2x43-51% Revenge 2x28-34% | ||
 Sawk Fighting | C | |
 Throh Fighting | C | |
Hitmonlee Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Hitmonlee builds →Brick Break 2x74-88% Blaze Kick 2x56-67% | ||
 Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Sudowoodo builds →Stone Edge 2x85-100%KO Hammer Arm 2x56-67% Sand Tomb 2x21-25% | ||
Pancham Fighting | D | |
 Arcanine Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Arcanine builds →Flare Blitz 2x112-132%KO Dig 2x51-60% | ||
Hitmonlee Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Hitmonlee builds →Close Combat 2x120-142%KO Blaze Kick 2x56-67% | ||
 Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
 Ninetales Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Ninetales builds →Fire Blast 2x82-97% Dig 2x38-45% | ||
Sawk Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Sawk builds →Brick Break 2x78-94% Dig 2x56-67% | ||
Arcanine Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Arcanine builds →Flare Blitz 2x112-133%KO Dig 2x51-60% | ||
Hitmonlee Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Hitmonlee builds →Close Combat 2x121-142%KO Blaze Kick 2x58-68% | ||
Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Ninetales Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Ninetales builds →Fire Blast 2x81-96% Dig 2x38-45% | ||
Sawk Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Sawk builds →Brick Break 2x78-93% Dig 2x56-66% | ||
 Darmanitan Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Darmanitan builds →Fire Punch 2x85-101%KO Hammer Arm 2x74-88% Dig 2x60-71% | ||
Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Gallade builds →Brick Break 2x79-93% Bulldoze 2x41-49% | ||
Arcanine Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Arcanine builds →Flare Blitz 2x109-129%KO Dig 2x49-58% | ||
Hitmonlee Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Hitmonlee builds →Close Combat 2x116-137%KO Blaze Kick 2x55-65% Bulldoze 2x39-47% | ||
Ninetales Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Ninetales builds →Fire Blast 2x79-93% Dig 2x36-43% | ||
Darmanitan Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Darmanitan builds →Flare Blitz 2x135-159%KO Hammer Arm 2x75-88% Dig 2x61-72% Rock Slide 2x56-67% | ||
Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Gallade builds →Brick Break 2x77-92% Rock Slide 2x51-61% Bulldoze 2x42-50% | ||
Arcanine Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Arcanine builds →Flare Blitz 2x110-130%KO Dig 2x50-59% | ||
 Hitmonchan Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Hitmonchan builds →Focus Punch 2x132-157%KO Fire Punch 2x46-54% Rock Slide 2x46-54% Bulldoze 2x36-43% | ||
 Centiskorch FireBug | C | |
Darmanitan Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Darmanitan builds →Flare Blitz 2x138-163%KO Hammer Arm 2x78-92% Dig 2x62-73% Rock Slide 2x58-68% | ||
 Chandelure GhostFire | B | |
Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Gallade builds →Brick Break 2x78-93% Rock Slide 2x52-62% Bulldoze 2x43-50% | ||
Arcanine Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Arcanine builds →Flare Blitz 2x113-133%KO Dig 2x51-60% | ||
Hitmonchan Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Hitmonchan builds →Focus Punch 2x133-158%KO Fire Punch 2x45-53% Rock Slide 2x45-53% Bulldoze 2x37-43% | ||
Darmanitan Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Darmanitan builds →Flare Blitz 2x137-161%KO Superpower 2x91-108%KO Dig 2x61-73% Rock Slide 2x57-68% | ||
Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Gallade builds →Close Combat 2x125-147%KO Fire Punch 2x53-62% Rock Slide 2x53-62% Bulldoze 2x43-50% | ||
Chandelure GhostFire | B | |
 Heracross BugFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Heracross builds →Close Combat 2x125-147%KO Dig 2x56-65% Rock Slide 2x53-62% | ||
Centiskorch FireBug | C | |
Darmanitan Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Darmanitan builds →Flare Blitz 2x137-161%KO Superpower 2x91-108%KO Earthquake 2x76-90% Rock Slide 2x57-68% | ||
Chandelure GhostFire | B | |
Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Gallade builds →Close Combat 2x125-147%KO Earthquake 2x70-82% Fire Punch 2x53-62% Rock Slide 2x53-62% | ||
Heracross BugFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Heracross builds →Close Combat 2x125-147%KO Earthquake 2x70-82% Rock Slide 2x53-62% | ||
 Pangoro FightingDark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Pangoro builds →Close Combat 2x123-146%KO Earthquake 2x70-82% Fire Punch 2x53-62% Rock Slide 2x53-62% | ||
Darmanitan Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Darmanitan builds →Flare Blitz 2x137-161%KO Superpower 2x91-108%KO Earthquake 2x76-90% Rock Slide 2x57-68% | ||
Chandelure GhostFire | B | |
Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Gallade builds →Close Combat 2x125-147%KO Earthquake 2x70-82% Fire Punch 2x53-62% Rock Slide 2x53-62% | ||
Heracross BugFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Heracross builds →Close Combat 2x125-147%KO Earthquake 2x70-82% Rock Slide 2x53-62% | ||
Pangoro FightingDark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Pangoro builds →Close Combat 2x123-146%KO Earthquake 2x70-82% Fire Punch 2x53-62% Rock Slide 2x53-62% | ||
In Sword & Shield, Cinderace can KO Rotom with High Jump Kick (103-121%). Urshifu threatens a KO with Close Combat (230-271%). Landorus deals 68-80% with Rock Slide.
 Cinderace Fire | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLibero ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Cinderace builds →Sucker Punch28-33% High Jump Kick 2x103-121%KO U Turn28-33% | ||
 Urshifu FightingDark | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityUnseenfist ItemChoice Band NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Urshifu builds →Close Combat 2x230-271%KO Sucker Punch68-80% U Turn45-53% | ||
 Landorus Ground | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySheerforce ItemLife Orb NatureNaive Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Landorus builds →Rock Slide 2x68-80% | ||
 Terrakion RockFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemChoice Band NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Rotom View Terrakion builds →Stone Edge 2x191-225%KO Close Combat 2x229-270%KO Earthquake 2x127-150%KO | ||
Rotom Evolutions
What you see is what you get. Rotom sits outside any evolution chain, so focus on the egg moves and no compatible partners from one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Rotom is genderless and can only breed with Ditto. Part of the Indeterminate egg group.
Ditto onlySwSh Rotom Best Moveset
Electric/Ghost typing with AbilityLevitate gives three immunities plus excellent resistances. 95 Sp. Atk at 91 Speed makes the moveset a fast special attacker. E-tier in base form because the stats are modest, but the appliance forms (Heat, Wash, Mow) change typing and reach higher competitive tiers.
Best Build
Rotom best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Screens Setter Moveset
- Thunder Wave
- Hex
- Reflect
- Trick
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Rotom's Ghost and Normal coverage and more all comes from technical machines, built on top of Thunder and Thunderbolt for same-type damage. Uproar and Foul Play are the payoff moves.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
Rotom assumes this form when it takes over a refrigerator powered by a special motor. It battles by spewing cold air.
When it’s like this, Rotom likes to play pranks that are freezing cold. You may find it’s turned the bath you just filled to solid ice!
Rotom Sword & Shield Guide
In Sword & Shield, Rotom looks average on paper at 520 BST. But Levitate is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier attacker on our tier list. Thunder Wave with Stickybarb is the standard set.
Rotom gets Levitate. But Levitate is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Rotom is a special attacker with base 105 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 86 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. Fits the attacker role.
In Sword & Shield, run Thunder Wave, Hex, Reflect, and Trick on Rotom. Thunder Wave is the most common pick at 0% usage. Hex provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Debuting in Diamond & Pearl, Rotom appears in 14 games across 7 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
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