An unusually even spread gives Swinub flexibility. HP barely edges ahead. But Sp. Atk isn't far off. Easy to catch and follows a slow 1.25M XP grind. Yields 1 Attack EV.
Swinub excels at sniffing out mushrooms buried beneath grass or snow. Since ancient times, the people of Hisui have often relied upon this skill.
Swinub is weak to Fire, Water, Grass, Fighting, and Steel. On the flip side, it's immune to Electric-type moves entirely. Thick Fat reduces Fire/Ice damage, further improving the defensive spread.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Water, Grass, Fighting, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0x (Immune) | Electric |
Duraludon can KO Swinub with Flash Cannon (110-129%). Sinistcha's Shadow Ball hits Swinub for 46-55%. Delphox's Flamethrower also KOs at 122-143%.
 Duraludon SteelDragon | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLightmetal ItemEviolite NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Swinub View Duraludon builds →Flash Cannon 2x110-129%KO Draco Meteor89-105%KO | ||
 Sinistcha GrassGhost | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityHospitality ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Swinub View Sinistcha builds →Shadow Ball46-55% | ||
 Delphox FirePsychic | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityBlaze ItemDelphoxite NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Swinub View Delphox builds →Flamethrower 2x122-143%KO Psyshock54-64% | ||
 Toxapex PoisonWater | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves View Toxapex builds →
| ||
 Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySharpness ItemLum Berry NatureJolly Moves View Gallade builds →
| ||
Three stages ahead. Swinub grows into Piloswine, then pushes on to Mamoswine. Check the evolution methods below. For breeding, average hatch time with a massive partner pool via one egg group. Evolving adds up to 280 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Swinub easily with 278 breeding partners from the Ground egg group.
The 50% bulk from Eviolite is no joke. Swinub takes hits that fully evolved Pokemon can't, especially with spread EVs pushing the physical side. Earthquake gives it offensive presence.
Best Build
Swinub best EVs are Attack and Sp. Def
Bulky Support Moveset
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Icicle Crash
Recommended Teammates
Wall Moveset
- Rest
- Endeavor
- Fissure
- Sleep Talk
Recommended Teammates
Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
TMs carry this one. Swinub learns Blizzard and Earthquake naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Normal and Fighting and beyond give it real matchup play.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
A solid spread overall. Swinub gets Blizzard and High Horsepower for same-type damage alongside Normal and Rock coverage. It won't blow anyone away, but it doesn't leave you stuck either.
Egg moves make a real difference. Swinub gets Ancient Power and Bite exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Normal and Rock coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Blizzard and Earthquake.
Egg moves make a real difference. Swinub gets Ancient Power and Bite exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Normal and Rock coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Blizzard and Earthquake.
Swinub doesn't appear in Scarlet & Violet. Transfer it from Gold, Crystal, or Sword to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Swinub appears at decent spawn rates across 3 spots in mid-game routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Best Locations to Catch Swinub in Legends: Arceus
Walking encounters at walking across 3 spots for Swinub. Sorted by progression so you can see what's reachable at your current point in the game.
Swinub is available from mid-game routes onward at high spawn rates. 18 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Best Locations to Catch Swinub in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Swinub's encounter pool splits between Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond. You've got 18 walking spots at Lv. 16-63 total, but your version determines which ones actually show up.
Swinub's scattered across 27 spots in early-game routes with high spawn rates. Check the list below for the closest location to wherever you are in the game. This one's quick.
Best Locations to Catch Swinub in Sword & Shield
walking encounters for Swinub across 27 spots at Lv. 7-65. The catch is that Sword and Shield don't share every location, so compare what's available in your version.
Swinub evolves into Piloswine at level 33. Takes some grinding. Plan your team around the mid-game wait.
You can run Swinub through the first few routes without issues. 250 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Piloswine as fast as you can.
Swinub shows up in 18 games, making it one of the more widely available Pokemon in the series. First catchable in Scarlet & Violet, most recently in Gold & Silver and Crystal.
Available in 18 titles since its debut in Gold & Silver, Swinub spans 9 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through catching or hatching as a base form in most mainline games.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GSDebut
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 5BW
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