Is Salamence Good in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Playthrough?
600 BST with AbilityIntimidate lowering Attack on entry. Dragon/Flying hits hard with both Attack and Sp. Atk. Handles most of the E4 and contributes against Cynthia. Competes with Garchomp, but Salamence's AbilityIntimidate provides team support Garchomp can't match.
Bagon resists most of Roark's coverage and hits back hard.
Bagon has the type edge here and should clean up Gardenia's team.
Bagon trades roughly evenly with Maylene's team.
Bagon trades roughly evenly with Crasher Wake's team.
Shelgon trades roughly evenly with Fantina's team.
Shelgon trades roughly evenly with Byron's team.
Shelgon has the type edge here and should clean up Candice's team.
Shelgon trades roughly evenly with Volkner's team.
Salamence resists most of Aaron's coverage and hits back hard.
Salamence has the type edge here and should clean up Bertha's team.
Salamence has the type edge here and should clean up Flint's team.
Salamence has the type edge here and should clean up Lucian's team.
Salamence has the type edge here and should clean up Cynthia's team.
Catch Bagon on Route 210 (Poké Radar, Lv 25-26, common).
Your Bagon should hit Level 30 before you reach Fantina, at typical leveling pace.
Your Shelgon should hit Level 50 before you reach Aaron, at typical leveling pace.
How to Get Salamence in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Can't catch Salamence directly. Start with Bagon at decent rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 50. The 3-stage chain from Bagon to Salamence is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Salamence in BDSP
To get Salamence, start by catching Bagon through walking and special encounters at Lv. 25-63. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch BagonRoute 210 - NorthLv.25-26Using PokeRadarShining PearlRate 22%Dazzling CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameSpacious CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameStargleam CavernLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-game
Step 2Catch or Evolve ShelgonDazzling CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameSpacious CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameStargleam CavernLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameor evolve from Bagon (Step 1)
Step 3Salamence ✓
Salamence Weakness
Ice, Rock, Dragon, and Fairy moves hit Salamence for super-effective damage. Ice hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. The upside? Ground-type moves can't touch it at all. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Ice |
| 2x (Weak) | Rock, Dragon, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Fighting, Bug |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
What is Salamence Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Salamence
 Geodude RockGround | C | |
 Onix RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Onix builds →Stone Edge 2x52-61% Dragon Pulse 2x24-30% | ||
Geodude RockGround | C | |
Onix RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Onix builds →Stone Edge 2x57-67% Dragon Pulse 2x26-31% | ||
 Granbull Fairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Granbull builds →Ice Fang 4x86-102%KO Outrage 2x76-91% Stone Edge 2x64-75% Dazzling Gleam 2x48-57% | ||
 Probopass RockSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Probopass builds →Power Gem 2x55-65% Dazzling Gleam 2x37-43% | ||
 Mr. Mime PsychicFairy | B | |
 Clefairy Fairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Clefairy builds →Ice Beam 4x70-83% Dazzling Gleam 2x48-57% | ||
 Graveler RockGround | C | |
Granbull Fairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Granbull builds →Ice Fang 4x86-102%KO Outrage 2x76-91% Stone Edge 2x64-75% Dazzling Gleam 2x48-57% | ||
Probopass RockSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Probopass builds →Power Gem 2x55-65% Dazzling Gleam 2x37-43% | ||
 Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Mr. Mime PsychicFairy | B | |
 Azumarill WaterFairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Azumarill builds →Ice Beam 4x70-83% Play Rough 2x45-54% Rollout 2x10-13% | ||
Granbull Fairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Granbull builds →Ice Fang 4x84-99% Outrage 2x74-88% Stone Edge 2x62-74% Dazzling Gleam 2x45-53% | ||
Probopass RockSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Probopass builds →Power Gem 2x53-62% Dazzling Gleam 2x35-42% | ||
Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Mr. Mime PsychicFairy | B | |
Azumarill WaterFairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Azumarill builds →Ice Beam 4x68-80% Play Rough 2x45-53% Rollout 2x10-13% | ||
 Snover GrassIce | D | |
Granbull Fairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Granbull builds →Ice Fang 4x80-95% Outrage 2x73-86% Stone Edge 2x61-73% Dazzling Gleam 2x43-51% | ||
Probopass RockSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Probopass builds →Power Gem 2x50-60% Dazzling Gleam 2x33-40% | ||
Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Mr. Mime PsychicFairy | B | |
 Abomasnow GrassIce | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Abomasnow builds →Ice Beam 4x134-158%KO Rock Slide 2x38-44% | ||
 Weavile DarkIce | A | |
 Mamoswine IceGround | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Mamoswine builds →Ice Fang 4x127-150%KO Stone Edge 2x65-76% | ||
Probopass RockSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Probopass builds →Power Gem 2x51-60% Dazzling Gleam 2x34-40% | ||
Granbull Fairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Granbull builds →Ice Fang 4x80-94% Outrage 2x72-85% Stone Edge 2x60-71% Dazzling Gleam 2x44-52% | ||
 Jynx IcePsychic | C | |
Abomasnow GrassIce | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Abomasnow builds →Ice Beam 4x134-158%KO Rock Slide 2x38-44% | ||
Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Mamoswine IceGround | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Mamoswine builds →Ice Fang 4x127-150%KO Stone Edge 2x65-76% | ||
Probopass RockSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Probopass builds →Power Gem 2x51-60% Dazzling Gleam 2x34-40% | ||
Jynx IcePsychic | C | |
Abomasnow GrassIce | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Abomasnow builds →Ice Beam 4x133-157%KO Rock Slide 2x37-43% | ||
Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Mamoswine IceGround | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Mamoswine builds →Ice Fang 4x129-152%KO Stone Edge 2x66-78% | ||
 Rhydon GroundRock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Rhydon builds →Stone Edge 2x99-117%KO Avalanche 4x80-94% Dragon Pulse 2x24-29% | ||
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Weavile threatens a KO with Ice Shard (92-109%). Rhyperior's Avalanche also KOs at 85-100%.
 Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves View Garchomp builds →
| ||
Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Weavile builds →Knock Off37-44% Ice Shard 4x92-109%KO | ||
 Rhyperior GroundRock | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySolidrock ItemWeakness Policy NatureCareful Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Rhyperior builds →Avalanche 4x85-100%KO | ||
 Togekiss Fairy | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySerenegrace ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Salamence View Togekiss builds →Air Slash42-50% Dazzling Gleam 2x90-106%KO | ||
Salamence Evolutions
End of the line. Salamence caps a three-stage chain that started at Bagon. Breeding produces the base form, and eggs are takes forever to hatch. Sp.Atk grew the most through evolution (+70 over Bagon), and Salamence peaks at 600 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Salamence to get Bagon eggs using 30 partners from the Dragon egg group. Notable egg moves include Defense Curl, Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush and 4 more.
BDSP Salamence Best Moveset
Dropped from S-tier but A reflects 135 Attack at 100 Speed with hidden AbilityMoxie boosting Attack after every KO. AbilityIntimidate from the primary slot cuts physical damage. Dragon/Flying TermStab at that Attack behind a snowballing AbilityMoxie chain gives the moveset devastating physical offense. The Gen 4 Salamence was fast and strong; this one gets stronger with each KO.
Best Build
Salamence best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw
- Roost
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Need something that threatens multiple types? Salamence's movepool delivers. Coverage across 10 types plus STAB from Draco Meteor and Outrage gives it answers for most defensive cores you'll run into.
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
As a result of its long-held dream of flying, its cellular structure changed, and wings grew out.
Salamence Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Guide
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Intimidate changes the entire equation for Salamence. The 600 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked B-Tier as a sweeper. Dragon Dance with Life Orb is the standard set.
Mega Evolution isn't available in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, but Salamence does have a Mega form in Gen 6-7 games (X/Y, ORAS, Sun/Moon). Mega Salamence hits 700 BST.
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, watch for Cloyster (Ice), Aerodactyl (Rock), and Dragonite (Dragon) when using Salamence. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Cloyster is the most dangerous since Ice moves deal 4x damage. Fairy-type attackers are also a problem.
Intimidate is what you want on Salamence. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Moxie) work on paper but Intimidate is what makes Salamence worth using. With base 100 Speed, Intimidate gives Salamence an edge before opponents can react.
Base 100 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Salamence is a mixed attacker with base 135 Attack and 110 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a sweeper.
Game Availability
Since debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Salamence has appeared in 16 titles over 8 generations. Along the way, it received a Mega form in Generation 6, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
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 6ORASMega
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