The stat bars tell the story: Attack carries everything and Sp. Atk's dead weight. But this Karate Pokemon still yields 2 Attack EVs per fight on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
If you see a Sawk training in the mountains in its single-minded pursuit of strength, it’s best to quietly pass by.
The karate chops of a Sawk that’s trained itself to the limit can cleave the ocean itself.
Sawk's Fighting typing leaves it vulnerable to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy. With 75 HP and balanced defenses, Sawk can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Flying, Psychic, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug, Rock, Dark |
Espeon can KO Sawk with Psyshock (115-135%). Whimsicott deals 73-86% with Moonblast.
 Espeon Psychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Bounce ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Sawk View Espeon builds →Psyshock 2x115-135%KO | ||
 Talonflame Fire | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves View Talonflame builds →
| ||
 Whimsicott GrassFairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPrankster ItemCovert Cloak NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Sawk View Whimsicott builds →Moonblast 2x73-86% | ||
 Hatterene PsychicFairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Bounce ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Sawk View Hatterene builds →Nuzzle5-7% | ||
 Mimikyu GhostFairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityDisguise ItemLife Orb NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Sawk View Mimikyu builds →Shadow Sneak30-35% Play Rough 2x131-154%KO | ||
What you see is what you get. Sawk sits outside any evolution chain, so focus on the egg moves and plenty of partners from one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Sawk with 70 breeding partners from the Humanshape egg group.
Salacberry and Sturdy form the backbone. Sawk invests max Attack and Speed EVs to play its physical attacker role properly, and Jolly nature pushes Speed higher. Reversal handles the heavy lifting on offense. The remaining moves rounds it out.
Best Build
Sawk best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Stone Edge
- Reversal
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
- Bulk Up
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Wallbreaker Moveset
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Throat Chop
- Power Up Punch
- Reversal
Recommended Teammates
Utility Moveset
- Endure
- Pain Split
- Toxic
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
Utility Moveset
- Endure
- Pain Split
- Toxic
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
Moves
STAB runs through Close Combat and Focus Blast for the basics, but Sawk's real strength is the 11-type coverage spread. Dark and Dragon hit common defensive types, and the movepool keeps going.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
STAB runs through Close Combat and Focus Blast for the basics, but Sawk's real strength is the 10-type coverage spread. Normal and Ground hit common defensive types, and the movepool keeps going.
STAB runs through Focus Punch and Close Combat for the basics, but Sawk's real strength is the 11-type coverage spread. Normal and Ground hit common defensive types, and the movepool keeps going.
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Sawk's Normal and Ground coverage and more all comes from technical machines, built on top of Close Combat and Focus Blast for same-type damage. Close Combat and Earthquake are the payoff moves.
No wild encounters for Sawk in Legends: Z-A. It's available in Black, Black 2, or Sword and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Sawk is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Also found in:
Sawk starts showing up in mid-game routes at moderate rates across 5 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations to Catch Sawk in Sword & Shield
Walking encounters at Lv. 22-43 across 5 spots for Sawk. Sorted by progression so you can see what's reachable at your current point in the game.
Sawk can't be caught in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Bring it over from Black, Black 2, or Sword instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
Sawk is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Also found in:
No wild encounters for Sawk in Sun & Moon. It's available in Black, Black 2, or Sword and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Sawk is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Also found in:
Sawk looks average on paper at 465 BST. But Mold Breaker is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier cannon on our tier list.
Sawk gets Mold Breaker, Sturdy, and Inner Focus. But Mold Breaker is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Sawk is a physical attacker with base 125 Attack. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 85 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. Fits the cannon role.
Run Close Combat, Knock Off, Stone Edge, and Reversal on Sawk. Close Combat is the most common pick at 21% usage. Reversal provides reliable STAB damage.
Since Black & White, Sawk has been obtainable in 8 games. A Generation 5 debut means a shorter history, but Sawk has appeared steadily across every generation since.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BWDebut
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves