What does Swinub evolve into?

Swinub becomes Piloswine at level 33, then Mamoswine after learning Ancient Power. Straight three-stage line with no branching.

At what level does Swinub evolve?

Swinub evolves into Piloswine at level 33. Takes some grinding. Plan your team around the mid-game wait.

For HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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.

Where can you catch Swinub?

Swinub is catchable in HeartGold & SoulSilver. Check the Locations section above for specific routes, encounter rates, and methods. It also appears in 17 other games across the series.

Swinub - Weakness, Evolution, Moveset, EVs & Stats

Physical

Balanced

DTier

50Speed · Slow

Stats & Training

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.

Base Stats

Below

HP50

Attack50

Defense40

Sp. Atk30

Sp. Def30

Speed50

Total250

Details

Catch Rate

Easy225 / 255

Growth Rate

Slow1.25M XP

Height0.4 m

Weight6.5 kg

Base XP50

Abilities

ObliviousTop Pick

Prevents infatuation and protects against captivate.

Snow Cloak

Increases evasion to 1.25× during hail. Protects against hail damage.

Thick FatHANot in game

Halves damage from fire and ice moves.

Thick Fat reduces Fire/Ice to ½x

EV Yield

HPAtk+1DefSpASpDSpe

Attack training source

Pokedex Entries

It rubs its snout on the ground to find and dig up food. It sometimes discovers hot springs.

Swinub Weakness

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.

Swinub Weakness and Resistance Chart
Damage	Types
2x (Weak)	Fire, Water, Grass, Fighting, Steel
0.5x (Resist)	Poison
0x (Immune)	Electric

Type ChartFragile

5Weak

1Resist

1Immune

Score-6

Gen IV Type Chart

Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)

4xCritical

None

2xWeak

Fire Water Grass Fighting Steel

½xResist

Poison

¼xResist

None

0xImmune

Electric

STAB (9)

Grass Ground Flying Dragon Fire Electric Poison Rock Steel

How to Beat Swinub in HeartGold & SoulSilver (Best Counters)

Gyarados WaterFlying	A
Obtain MethodLake Of Rage Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves Fire BlastTM38 Aqua TailLv. 35 FlamethrowerTM35 SurfHM03 Damage vs Swinub Fire Blast 2x 106-125%KO Aqua Tail 2x 197-232%KO Flamethrower 2x 88-104%KO Surf 2x 132-156%KO View Gyarados builds →
Skarmory SteelFlying	B
Available Moves Moves Flash CannonTM91 Steel WingLv. 34 Rock SmashHM06 Damage vs Swinub Flash Cannon 2x 89-106%KO Steel Wing 2x 107-126%KO Rock Smash 2x 41-49% View Skarmory builds →
Whiscash WaterGround	C
Available Moves Moves Aqua TailLv. 39 SurfHM03 WaterfallHM07 Water PulseLv. 22 Damage vs Swinub Aqua Tail 2x 134-159%KO Surf 2x 157-185%KO Waterfall 2x 120-141%KO Water Pulse 2x 107-126%KO View Whiscash builds →
Carnivine Grass	C
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Energy BallTM53 Vine WhipLv. 11 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Swinub Solar Beam 2x 237-279%KO Energy Ball 2x 179-212%KO Vine Whip 2x 84-100%KO Bullet Seed 2x 47-56% View Carnivine builds →
Hoppip GrassFlying	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Energy BallTM53 Giga DrainLv. 37 Mega DrainLv. 25 Damage vs Swinub Solar Beam 2x 122-144%KO Energy Ball 2x 92-109%KO Giga Drain 2x 77-91% Mega Drain 2x 42-50% View Hoppip builds →

HeartGold & SoulSilver Evolution

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

3 Forms

#220Swinub

Level 33

#221Piloswine

Knows Ancient Power

#473Mamoswine

Stat Comparison 3 Stages

Swinub

IceGround

Piloswine

IceGround

Mamoswine

IceGround

100+50

110+10

ATK

100+50

130+30

DEF

80+40

SP.ATK

60+30

70+10

SP.DEF

60+30

SPE

80+30

BST

250D-Tier

450C-Tier+200

530B-Tier+80

ROLE

Balanced

Attacker

Wallbreaker

TYPE

Physical

Breeding

Very Easy

Breed Swinub easily with 131 breeding partners from the Ground egg group. Pass egg moves like Ancient Power, Bite, Body Slam and 7 more to offspring.

Egg Groups

Ground

Gender

♂50.0%♀50.0%

Hatch Time

20 cycles·5,140 steps

Quick~5 min with Flame Body

Egg Moves

10moves

Breed With (best first)

HeartGold & SoulSilver Swinub Best Moveset

Swinub's job is getting Stealth Rock up and staying on the field. Focus Sash provides a guaranteed survive from full HP, Oblivious helps it stick around, and flexible EVs prioritize longevity.

Best Build

Experimental

Hazard Setter

Ability

Oblivious

Item

Focus SashSURVIVAL

Best Nature for Swinub

Impish+DEF

Swinub best EVs are Defense and Attack

EVs

Atk

Def

Hazard Setter Moveset

Ice ShardSTAB
EndeavorCoverage
Stealth Rock
HailUtility

Recommended Teammates

LatiasExcellent

TyranitarExcellent

BronzongGood

Moves

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.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1

Odor Sleuth

———40Normal

Lv 1

Tackle

—3510035Normal

Lv 4

Mud Sport

———15Ground

Lv 8

Powder Snow

—4010025Ice

Lv 13

Mud-Slap

D2010010Ground

Lv 16

Endure+4

———10Normal

Lv 20

Mud Bomb

—658510Ground

Lv 25

Icy Wind

D559515Ice

Lv 28

Ice Shard+1

S4010030Ice

Lv 32

Take Down

—908520Normal

Lv 37

Earthquake

C10010010Ground

Lv 40

Mist

———30Ice

Lv 44

Blizzard

D120705Ice

Lv 49

Amnesia

———20Psychic

TM Moves

TM45

Attract

——10015Normal

TM14

Blizzard

D120705Ice

TM78

Captivate

——10020Normal

TM28

Dig

C8010010Ground

TM32

Double Team

———15Normal

TM26

Earthquake

C10010010Ground

TM58

Endure+4

———10Normal

TM42

Facade

D7010020Normal

TM21

Frustration

D—10020Normal

TM07

Hail

S——10Ice

TM10

Hidden Power

—6010015Normal

TM13

Ice Beam

D9510010Ice

TM16

Light Screen

C——30Psychic

TM83

Natural Gift

D—10015Normal

TM17

Protect+4

C——10Normal

TM18

Rain Dance

C——5Water

TM33

Reflect

D——20Psychic

TM44

Rest

C——10Psychic

TM27

Return

D—10020Normal

TM05

Roar-6

C——20Normal

TM80

Rock Slide

D759010Rock

HM06

Rock Smash

D4010015Fighting

TM39

Rock Tomb

D609510Rock

TM37

Sandstorm

———10Rock

TM43

Secret Power

—7010020Normal

TM82

Sleep Talk

C——10Normal

TM76

Stealth Rock

S——20Rock

HM04

Strength

D8010015Normal

TM90

Substitute

C——10Normal

TM87

Swagger

——9015Normal

TM06

Toxic

C—8510Poison

Egg Moves

Egg

Ancient Power

D601005Rock

Egg

Bite

D6010025Dark

Egg

Body Slam

D8510015Normal

Egg

Curse

C——10Ghost

Egg

Double-Edge

C12010015Normal

Egg

Fissure

——305Ground

Egg

Icicle Spear

—2510030Ice

Egg

Mud Shot

—559515Ground

Egg

Rock Slide

D759010Rock

Egg

Take Down

—908520Normal

Tutor Moves

Tut

Tutor

Ancient Power

D601005Rock

Tutor

Earth Power

D9010010Ground

Tutor

Endeavor

S—1005Normal

Tutor

Headbutt

D7010015Normal

Tutor

Icy Wind

D559515Ice

Tutor

Mud-Slap

D2010010Ground

Tutor

Snore

D4010015Normal

Tutor

Superpower

C1201005Fighting

Transfer Moves

Gen

Gen 3

Defense Curl

———40Normal

Gen 3

Mimic

———10Normal

HeartGold & SoulSilver Swinub Locations

8 encounter spots for Swinub at high spawn rates starting from mid-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.

Best Locations to Catch Swinub in HeartGold & SoulSilver

8 spots to find Swinub at Lv. 21-24 via walking. Not all of them exist in both HeartGold and SoulSilver versions, so filter by your copy below.

Ice Path - 1F

HeartGoldGrass Lv.21-23 Ice

CommonMid

Ice Path - 1F

SoulSilverGrass Lv.21-23 Ice

CommonMid

Ice Path - B1F

HeartGoldGrass Lv.21-23 Ice

CommonMid

Ice Path - B1F

SoulSilverGrass Lv.21-23 Ice

CommonMid

Ice Path - B2F

SoulSilverGrass Lv.22-24 Ice

CommonMid

Ice Path - B2F

HeartGoldGrass Lv.22-24 Ice

CommonMid

Ice Path - B3F

SoulSilverGrass Lv.22-24 Ice

CommonMid

Ice Path - B3F

HeartGoldGrass Lv.22-24 Ice

CommonMid

Swinub Guide

Swinub becomes Piloswine at level 33, then Mamoswine after learning Ancient Power. Straight three-stage line with no branching.
Swinub evolves into Piloswine at level 33. Takes some grinding. Plan your team around the mid-game wait.
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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 is catchable in HeartGold & SoulSilver. Check the Locations section above for specific routes, encounter rates, and methods. It also appears in 17 other games across the series.

Game Availability

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

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Buizel Water	C
Available Move Moves Water GunLv. 6 Damage vs Swinub Water Gun 2x 57-70% View Buizel builds →
Whiscash WaterGround	C
Upcoming Move Moves Water GunLv. 10 Learns Water Gun at Level 10 View Whiscash builds →
Chikorita Grass	D
Obtain MethodNew Bark Town Gift Available Move Moves Razor LeafLv. 6 Damage vs Swinub Razor Leaf 2x 67-80% View Chikorita builds →
Totodile Water	D
Obtain MethodNew Bark Town Gift Available Move Moves Water GunLv. 6 Damage vs Swinub Water Gun 2x 50-60% View Totodile builds →
Bellsprout GrassPoison	D
Available Move Moves Vine WhipLv. 1 Damage vs Swinub Vine Whip 2x 67-80% View Bellsprout builds →

Lapras WaterIce	C
Obtain MethodUnion Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves Water PulseLv. 14 Water GunLv. 1 Damage vs Swinub Water Pulse 2x 111-130%KO Water Gun 2x 76-91% View Lapras builds →
Whiscash WaterGround	C
Available Move Moves Water GunLv. 10 Damage vs Swinub Water Gun 2x 72-85% View Whiscash builds →
Carnivine Grass	C
Available Moves Moves Vine WhipLv. 11 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Swinub Vine Whip 2x 83-98% Bullet Seed 2x 48-59% View Carnivine builds →
Buizel Water	C
Available Move Moves Water GunLv. 6 Damage vs Swinub Water Gun 2x 61-72% View Buizel builds →
Hoppip GrassFlying	D
TM Move Moves Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Swinub Bullet Seed 2x 26-33% View Hoppip builds →

Lapras WaterIce	C
Obtain MethodUnion Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves Water PulseLv. 14 Water GunLv. 1 Damage vs Swinub Water Pulse 2x 113-134%KO Water Gun 2x 77-91% View Lapras builds →
Whiscash WaterGround	C
Available Move Moves Water GunLv. 10 Damage vs Swinub Water Gun 2x 71-86% View Whiscash builds →
Carnivine Grass	C
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Energy BallTM53 Vine WhipLv. 11 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Swinub Solar Beam 2x 232-273%KO Energy Ball 2x 171-204%KO Vine Whip 2x 86-102%KO Bullet Seed 2x 50-59% View Carnivine builds →
Hoppip GrassFlying	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Energy BallTM53 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Swinub Solar Beam 2x 127-150%KO Energy Ball 2x 95-113%KO Bullet Seed 2x 27-32% View Hoppip builds →
Oddish GrassPoison	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Energy BallTM53 Bullet SeedTM09 AbsorbLv. 1 Damage vs Swinub Solar Beam 2x 200-236%KO Energy Ball 2x 154-182%KO Bullet Seed 2x 30-38% Absorb 2x 39-48% View Oddish builds →

Lapras WaterIce	C
Obtain MethodUnion Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves SurfHM03 Water PulseLv. 14 Water GunLv. 1 Rock SmashHM06 Damage vs Swinub Surf 2x 175-206%KO Water Pulse 2x 118-139%KO Water Gun 2x 79-94% Rock Smash 2x 45-54% View Lapras builds →
Whiscash WaterGround	C
Available Moves Moves SurfHM03 Water PulseLv. 22 Water GunLv. 10 Rock SmashHM06 Damage vs Swinub Surf 2x 160-188%KO Water Pulse 2x 106-125%KO Water Gun 2x 72-85% Rock Smash 2x 42-51% View Whiscash builds →
Carnivine Grass	C
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Energy BallTM53 Vine WhipLv. 11 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Swinub Solar Beam 2x 236-278%KO Energy Ball 2x 178-210%KO Vine Whip 2x 84-99% Bullet Seed 2x 49-58% View Carnivine builds →
Hoppip GrassFlying	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Energy BallTM53 Mega DrainLv. 25 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Swinub Solar Beam 2x 128-152%KO Energy Ball 2x 99-116%KO Mega Drain 2x 45-54% Bullet Seed 2x 25-31% View Hoppip builds →
Growlithe Fire	D
Available Moves Moves Fire BlastTM38 FlamethrowerTM35 Flame WheelLv. 20 EmberLv. 6 Damage vs Swinub Fire Blast 2x 178-210%KO Flamethrower 2x 148-175%KO Flame Wheel 2x 87-103%KO Ember 2x 67-81% View Growlithe builds →

Whiscash WaterGround	C
Available Moves Moves SurfHM03 Water PulseLv. 22 Water GunLv. 10 Rock SmashHM06 Damage vs Swinub Surf 2x 151-178%KO Water Pulse 2x 104-122%KO Water Gun 2x 69-81% Rock Smash 2x 40-47% View Whiscash builds →
Carnivine Grass	C
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Energy BallTM53 Vine WhipLv. 11 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Swinub Solar Beam 2x 230-270%KO Energy Ball 2x 173-204%KO Vine Whip 2x 81-96% Bullet Seed 2x 47-56% View Carnivine builds →
Hoppip GrassFlying	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Energy BallTM53 Mega DrainLv. 25 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Swinub Solar Beam 2x 119-141%KO Energy Ball 2x 90-107%KO Mega Drain 2x 43-52% Bullet Seed 2x 25-30% View Hoppip builds →
Growlithe Fire	D
Available Moves Moves Fire BlastTM38 Iron TailTM23 FlamethrowerTM35 Fire FangLv. 28 Damage vs Swinub Fire Blast 2x 175-207%KO Iron Tail 2x 90-106%KO Flamethrower 2x 144-170%KO Fire Fang 2x 90-107%KO View Growlithe builds →
Magnemite ElectricSteel	D
Available Moves Moves Flash CannonTM91 Magnet BombLv. 30 Damage vs Swinub Flash Cannon 2x 160-189%KO Magnet Bomb 2x 53-63% View Magnemite builds →

Empoleon WaterSteel	B
Recommended Build AbilityTorrent ItemFocus Sash NatureModest Moves Ice Beam Hydro Pump Grass Knot Aqua Jet Damage vs Swinub Ice Beam 98-116%KO Hydro Pump 2x 361-424%KO Aqua Jet 2x 36-42% View Empoleon builds →
Magnezone ElectricSteel	B
Recommended Build AbilityMagnetpull ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves ThunderboltSTAB Hidden Power Fire Thunder Wave Explosion Damage vs Swinub Explosion 60-71% View Magnezone builds →
Roserade GrassPoison	B
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemBlack Sludge NatureTimid Moves Toxic Spikes Hidden Power Fire SpikesHazard Sleep Powder View Roserade builds →
Heracross BugFighting	B
Recommended Build AbilityGuts ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves Close Combat MegahornSTAB Stone Edge Sleep Talk Damage vs Swinub Close Combat 2x 191-225%KO Megahorn 95-112%KO Stone Edge 53-63% View Heracross builds →
Charizard FireFlying	C
Recommended Build AbilityBlaze ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves Air Slash FlamethrowerSTAB Solar Beam Hidden Power Grass Damage vs Swinub Air Slash 144-170%KO Flamethrower 2x 345-406%KO View Charizard builds →