Sawk Best Moveset
Where Throh tanks, Sawk attacks. 125 Attack at 85 Speed fires Fighting TermStab on fast-ish cooldowns with serious force per hit. 75/75/75 balanced defenses hold briefly. The moveset is a straightforward physical attacker trading Throh's durability for pace and power.
Sturdy plus Close Combat in Gen V (Black & White). 125 Attack hit hard, and Sturdy guaranteed one hit from full. Mold Breaker ignored defensive abilities.
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Close Combat
- Ice Punch
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
Recommended Teammates
Rose in Gen VI (X & Y). Knock Off removed items alongside 125 Attack Close Combat. Pure Fighting with Sturdy was a reliable lead.
Best Moves
Best Build
Sawk best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Close Combat
- Ice Punch
- Poison Jab
- Knock Off
Recommended Teammates
Between tiers in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). 85 Speed wasn't fast enough, and Fairy-types walled the Fighting STAB. Sturdy guaranteed one action but couldn't guarantee results.
Utility Moveset
- Endure
- Pain Split
- Toxic
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
Fell to the bottom in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). 125 Attack with 85 Speed and pure Fighting was outclassed by everything faster or bulkier.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Throat Chop
- Power Up Punch
- Reversal
Recommended Teammates
Sawk Weakness
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 |
What is Sawk Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Sawk
Mimikyu threatens a KO with Play Rough (101-119%).
 Hatterene PsychicFairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Bounce ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Sawk View Hatterene builds →Nuzzle5-7% | ||
 Mimikyu GhostFairy | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityDisguise ItemRed Card NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Sawk View Mimikyu builds →Play Rough 2x101-119%KO Shadow Sneak23-27% | ||
 Talonflame Fire | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves View Talonflame builds →
| ||
Evolution
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.
How to Get Sawk
No wild encounters for Sawk in Legends: Z-A. It's available in Black & White, Black 2 & White 2, or Sword & Shield 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 Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
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 & White, Black 2 & White 2, or Sword & Shield instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
Sawk is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Also Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
No wild encounters for Sawk in Sun & Moon. It's available in Black & White, Black 2 & White 2, or Sword & Shield 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 Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
Base Stats
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.
Sawk Guide
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 0% usage. Reversal provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
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 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 5BWDebut
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