Stats & Training
Vespiquen's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Balanced defenses with Defense doing the heavy lifting. And the 1.06M XP medium-slow curve means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 2 Defense and Sp. Def EVs.
It skillfully commands its grubs in battles with its enemies. The grubs are willing to risk their lives to defend Vespiquen.
Vespiquen that give off more pheromones have larger swarms of Combee attendants.
Vespiquen Weakness
Vespiquen is weak to Rock, Fire, Electric, Ice, and Flying. Watch out for Rock attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Ground-type moves entirely.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Rock |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Electric, Ice, Flying |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
In Sword & Shield, Celesteela's Air Slash hits Vespiquen for 50-59%. Weavile deals 36-43% with Ice Shard.
 Heatran FireSteel | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves View Heatran builds →
| ||
 Celesteela Steel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityBeastboost ItemLeftovers NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Vespiquen View Celesteela builds →Flamethrower 2x40-47% Air Slash 2x50-59% | ||
 Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Vespiquen View Weavile builds →Knock Off29-34% Ice Shard 2x36-43% | ||
 Zeraora Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityVoltabsorb ItemAir Balloon NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Vespiquen View Zeraora builds →Drain Punch5-6% | ||
 Nihilego RockPoison | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityBeastboost ItemBlack Sludge NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Vespiquen View Nihilego builds →Power Gem 4x102-121%KO | ||
Sword & Shield Evolution
Vespiquen is what Combee becomes. Breed it for Combee eggs (quick to hatch). A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are quick to hatch. The evolution from Combee pushed Vespiquen to 474 total stats. Defense saw the largest single gain at +60. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Vespiquen to get Combee eggs using 47 partners from the Bug egg group.
Sword & Shield Vespiquen Best Moveset
This is a pure walling set. Buginiumz provides extra utility so Vespiquen sticks around, and the Careful nature reinforces special wall. The moveset handles sustain while Pressure does work passively.
Best Build
Vespiquen best EVs are Sp. Def and HP
Wall Moveset
- Attack Order
- Heal Order
- Toxic
- Aromatherapy
Recommended Teammates
Moves
The level-up pool tells the story here. Vespiquen learns Attack Order and Bug Buzz naturally, plus enough variety that TMs feel like bonuses. Poison and Normal coverage and more extends the reach beyond that.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Vespiquen in Sword & Shield
Vespiquen doesn't appear wild. Catch Combee instead, it shows up at solid rates. Evolve it at level 21 to get Vespiquen. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Vespiquen in Sword & Shield
The path to Vespiquen starts with Combee at Lv. 7-48 via walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch CombeeRolling FieldsSwordOverworld Lv.7-1060%EarlyNormal WeatherRolling FieldsShieldOverworld Lv.7-1060%EarlyNormal WeatherRolling Fields - 2ShieldOverworld Lv.7-1025%EarlyNormal WeatherRolling Fields - 2SwordOverworld Lv.7-1025%EarlyNormal WeatherHoneycalm IslandShieldOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateSnowstormHoneycalm IslandSwordOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateThunderstormHoneycalm IslandSwordOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateIntense SunHoneycalm IslandShieldOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateThunderstormHoneycalm IslandSwordOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateSnowingHoneycalm IslandShieldOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateIntense SunHoneycalm IslandSwordOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateSandstormHoneycalm IslandShieldOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateSnowingHoneycalm IslandSwordOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateRainingHoneycalm IslandShieldOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateSandstormHoneycalm IslandSwordOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateHeavy FogHoneycalm IslandShieldOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateRainingHoneycalm IslandSwordOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateOvercastHoneycalm IslandShieldOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateHeavy FogHoneycalm IslandSwordOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateNormal WeatherHoneycalm IslandShieldOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateOvercastHoneycalm IslandSwordOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateSnowstormHoneycalm IslandShieldOverworld Lv.40-45 Water82%LateNormal WeatherHoneycalm IslandShieldGrass Lv.43-48 Water30%LateAll WeatherHoneycalm IslandSwordGrass Lv.43-48 Water30%LateAll Weather
Step 2Vespiquen ✓
Vespiquen Guide
In Sword & Shield, Vespiquen works as a trick room with 474 BST behind it. C-Tier on our list: a niche pick in Sword & Shield's meta. Attackorder with Buginiumz is the standard set.
In Sword & Shield, Vespiquen's biggest threats include Golem (Rock), Charizard (Fire), and Raikou (Electric), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Golem is the most dangerous since Rock moves deal 4x damage. Ice and Flying-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 40 Speed, Vespiquen won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Pressure is the go-to ability for Vespiquen. It increases the PP cost of moves targetting the Pokémon by one. Its hidden ability Unnerve can work in specific setups.
Vespiquen is leaning toward the physical side (base 80 Attack). Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 40 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. Fits the trick room role.
In Sword & Shield, the best way to handle Vespiquen: Super-effective STAB from faster Pokemon is the simplest answer. Rock, Fire, and Electric-type attackers hit hardest.
Game Availability
Debuting in Diamond & Pearl, Vespiquen appears in 13 games across 7 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
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 4DPDebut
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