Is Sneasel Good in Diamond & Pearl Playthrough?
Routes 216 and 217 in Sinnoh, native to the regional dex. Dark/Ice with AbilityInner Focus preventing flinching. Gen 4 adds the Weavile evolution through Razor Claw at night. The physical/special split finally lets Dark and Ice moves run off Sneasel's stronger side. Weavile handles Lucian, Bertha, and Cynthia's Garchomp.
Sneasel has the type edge here and should clean up Roark's team.
Sneasel has the type edge here and should clean up Gardenia's team.
Sneasel trades roughly evenly with Maylene's team.
Sneasel has the type edge here and should clean up Crasher Wake's team.
Sneasel resists most of Fantina's coverage and hits back hard.
Sneasel trades roughly evenly with Byron's team.
Weavile has the type edge here and should clean up Candice's team.
Weavile has the type edge here and should clean up Volkner's team.
Weavile has the type edge here and should clean up Aaron's team.
Weavile has the type edge here and should clean up Bertha's team.
Weavile has the type edge here and should clean up Flint's team.
Weavile has the type edge here and should clean up Lucian's team.
Weavile has the type edge here and should clean up Mars's team.
Weavile resists most of Jupiter's coverage and hits back hard.
Weavile has the type edge here and should clean up Saturn's team.
Weavile trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Catchable
Catch Sneasel on Route 216 (walking, Lv 32-33, common).
Recommended Moves
- After Gardenia
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 180Accuracy 70%PP 5Lake Acuity
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 216
- TM75NormalSwords DancePower —Accuracy 100%PP 30Veilstone Game Corner
- After Crasher Wake
- HM03WaterSurfPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Celestic Town
- After Byron
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Oreburgh Gate
- After Candice
- TM72IceAvalanchePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Prize for defeating Candice
- TM85PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Valor Lakefront
- After Volkner
- TM79DarkDark PulsePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Victory Road
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
Evolve Sneasel to Weavile
Sneasel evolves into Weavile with a hold Razor Claw. You can usually obtain this item before you reach Candice.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 39)
- LV 39DarkNight SlashPower 105Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Gardenia
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 180Accuracy 70%PP 5Lake Acuity
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 216
- TM68NormalGiga ImpactPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Department Store
- After Byron
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Oreburgh Gate
- After Candice
- TM85PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Valor Lakefront
- LV 49DarkDark PulsePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
How to Get Sneasel in Diamond & Pearl
Sneasel prowls five snowy areas, common at level 32 climbing into the 50s. The claw Pokemon sticks to the cold late-game routes, so you will not run into one until the back half of the journey.
Wild Sneasel may be holding when caught:
Grip Claw (50% chance) A Pokemon hold item that extends the duration of multiturn attacks like Bind and Wrap.
Quick Claw (5% chance) Held: Holder has a 3/16 (18.75%) chance to move first.5 locations to catch Sneasel
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Where To Catch Sneasel in DP
Sneasel is the chain's first catch. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 32-56 across 20 total spots in the chain.
- Step 2Evolve into WeavileBREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Sneasel egg.
Not landing the catch? Calculate Sneasel catch rates for Diamond & Pearl by ball, status, and HP.
How to Get Shiny Sneasel in Diamond & Pearl
Sneasel prowls Route 216, Route 217, and the Acuity Lakefront, where a PokeRadar chain brings its shiny out of the shadows. Compare Shiny Sneasel odds across every game
Diamond & Pearl Shiny Sneasel Calculator
3 MethodsThe best route is PokeRadar Chain at full boosts, about 1 in 200 on each try. Tune it below.
PokeRadar Chain: Chain shaking-grass patches without breaking the combo. The rate peaks at a chain of 40.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 22-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 58-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 139-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 460-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Want exact numbers for your session? Calculate your shiny odds in Diamond & Pearl with Sneasel preloaded.
Sneasel Weakness
Sneasel's Dark/Ice typing leaves it vulnerable to Fighting, Fire, Bug, Rock, and Steel. Fighting hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It shrugs off Psychic-type attacks completely. At base 115 Speed, Sneasel outspeeds most threats and doesn't need to tank what it can outrun.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Fighting |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Bug, Rock, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Ice, Ghost, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Sneasel Weak Against
FragileBest Pokemon Against Sneasel
 Infernape FireFighting | A | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chimchar (Lake Verity Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Infernape builds →Focus Punch 4x418-492%KO Fire Blast 2x135-159%KO Iron Tail 2x94-111%KO U-turn 2x66-78% | ||
 Heracross BugFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Heracross builds →Focus Punch 4x486-572%KO Rock Slide 2x82-97% | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Breloom builds →Focus Punch 4x505-595%KO Iron Tail 2x113-133%KO Rock Slide 2x84-100%KO | ||
 Toxicroak PoisonFighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Toxicroak builds →Focus Punch 4x426-502%KO X-Scissor 2x77-91% Rock Slide 2x71-84% | ||
 Machoke Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Machoke builds →Focus Punch 4x406-478%KO Rock Slide 2x69-81% Fire Blast 2x52-61% | ||
 Mawile Steel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Mawile builds →Focus Punch 4x236-278%KO Flash Cannon 2x55-66% Rock Slide 2x59-70% Fire Blast 2x55-66% | ||
 Medicham FightingPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Medicham builds →Focus Punch 4x270-319%KO Fire Punch 2x46-55% Rock Slide 2x46-55% | ||
 Empoleon WaterSteel | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Empoleon builds →Flash Cannon 2x95-113%KO Brick Break 4x122-144%KO Rock Slide 2x61-72% | ||
 Riolu Fighting | C | |
Obtain MethodIron Island Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Riolu builds →Focus Punch 4x302-356%KO Iron Tail 2x67-80% Rock Slide 2x52-61% | ||
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | A | |
 Forretress BugSteel | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Forretress builds →Flash Cannon 2x59-70% Rock Smash 4x69-81% Rock Slide 2x62-73% | ||
 Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Sudowoodo builds →Focus Punch 4x270-319%KO Rock Slide 2x103-122%KO | ||
 Probopass RockSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Probopass builds →Flash Cannon 2x70-82% Rock Slide 2x66-77% Rock Smash 4x48-56% | ||
 Armaldo RockBug | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Anorith (Oreburgh City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sneasel View Armaldo builds →Brick Break 4x164-194%KO X-Scissor 2x131-155%KO Rock Slide 2x123-145%KO Iron Tail 2x109-128%KO | ||
Sneasel Evolutions
To get Weavile from Sneasel, you need an evolution item. The evolution method matters here. The evolved forms gain up to 80 total stats over Sneasel. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Sneasel easily with 131 breeding partners from the Field egg group. Pass egg moves like Bite, Counter, Crush Claw and 9 more to offspring.
DP Sneasel Best Moveset
The physical/special split is transformative here: Dark and Ice attacks are physical now, finally matching 95 Attack instead of the 35 Sp. Atk they used in previous generations. 115 Speed outruns most threats. Can evolve to Weavile via Razor Claw at night, and the moveset hits even harder there.
Best Build
Sneasel best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Swords Dance
- Brick Break
- Ice Punch
- Substitute
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breadth over depth defines this movepool. Sneasel won't stack one type's damage ceiling, but coverage across 10 types means it always has an effective option. Blizzard and Ice Beam anchor the STAB core.
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
46 of 48 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
It feeds on eggs stolen from nests. Its sharply hooked claws rip vulnerable spots on prey.
It is extremely vicious and will not stop attacking until its foe is incapable of moving.
Sneasel Diamond & Pearl Guide
Yes. Wild Sneasel in Diamond & Pearl can hold Grip Claw (50%) or Quick Claw (5%). Use Thief (TM46) or Covet to swipe the held item without affecting your catch chance. Quickest way to farm rare items like Grip Claw.
In Diamond & Pearl, for a casual playthrough, Sneasel works as a placeholder. Dark/Ice coverage is useful early. The real payoff is Weavile. That's where the stats start mattering.
In Diamond & Pearl, use Sneasel as a pivot. Physical side carries the damage. It outspeeds most threats,
For Diamond & Pearl, run Jolly on Sneasel. +Speed is what matters, and the -Sp. Atk cut doesn't hurt this set. Fits the pivot role.
For Diamond & Pearl, build your team around Gastrodon, Butterfree, and Gardevoir. These have the highest co-usage rates with Sneasel in competitive formats. They cover each other's weaknesses.
Game Availability
Available since Gold & Silver, Sneasel appears in 18 games spanning 8 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained a Hisuian form in Generation 8.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GSDebut
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 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLAHisuian
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
Explore
Where to go next after Sneasel.
Keep playing · Diamond & PearlDiamond & Pearl Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Diamond & Pearl Tier List