Swords Dance is a staple move in the Pokémon universe, renowned for its ability to dramatically amplify a Pokémon’s offensive capabilities. This non-damaging Normal-type move can turn the tide of battle, transforming a strong attacker into a fearsome sweeper. For trainers looking to maximize their Pokémon’s physical prowess, understanding and utilizing Swords Dance is paramount.
What is Swords Dance?
Swords Dance, known in Japanese as Tsurugi no Mai (つるぎのまい), is a non-attacking Normal-type move introduced in Generation I. It’s categorized as a status move, meaning it doesn’t directly inflict damage. Instead, Swords Dance focuses on enhancing the user’s Attack stat, the key attribute determining the power of physical attacks.
When a Pokémon uses Swords Dance, it performs a spirited dance that sharply boosts its Attack stat by two stages. In practical terms, this doubles the user’s Attack stat, making their physical attacks significantly more potent. Imagine a Pokémon with a base Attack stat of 100; after just one Swords Dance, its effective Attack stat jumps to a staggering 200! This dramatic increase can be the difference between a standard hit and a knockout blow.
Beyond its primary effect, Swords Dance also has a unique interaction with Z-Moves. When used as a Z-Move, it becomes Z-Swords Dance. While still raising the user’s Attack by two stages, Z-Swords Dance provides an additional, crucial benefit: it resets any lowered stat modifications. This means if your Pokémon’s stats have been reduced by moves like Growl or status conditions like burns, Z-Swords Dance will negate these negative effects, effectively giving your Pokémon a clean slate alongside its massive Attack boost.
While Swords Dance itself doesn’t deal damage, its strategic value is immense. It’s a cornerstone of offensive strategies, particularly for physical attackers aiming to sweep through opponents. By setting up with Swords Dance, Pokémon can overcome defensive walls and become offensive powerhouses, capable of knocking out even bulky foes with a single, strengthened physical attack.
How to Get Swords Dance
Swords Dance is a widely accessible move in the Pokémon games, obtainable through various methods. Here’s a breakdown of the primary ways your Pokémon can learn this essential move:
Level Up
Many Pokémon naturally learn Swords Dance as they level up. This method is straightforward, requiring trainers to simply train their Pokémon through battles. The level at which a Pokémon learns Swords Dance varies, but it’s a common inclusion in the movepools of physically oriented Pokémon.
For example, Pokémon like Raticate, Sandshrew, and Farfetch’d are among those that learn Swords Dance by level up. These Pokémon, and many others, integrate Swords Dance into their natural progression, highlighting its importance as a fundamental move for physical attackers.
Alt text: Raticate, a Normal and Dark type Pokemon, sharply raising its attack stat with Swords Dance in a Pokemon battle animation.
Technical Machine (TM)
Swords Dance is also frequently available as a Technical Machine (TM). TMs are items that can teach specific moves to compatible Pokémon, regardless of their natural level-up movepool. In various generations, Swords Dance has been featured as TM75. This TM method offers a flexible way to teach Swords Dance to a wide array of Pokémon, expanding its availability beyond those who learn it naturally.
Pokémon obtainable early in the game, or those that don’t learn Swords Dance through leveling, can gain access to this powerful move via TM. This makes Swords Dance strategically accessible, allowing trainers to customize their team composition and offensive strategies.
Egg Move
While less common than level-up or TM acquisition, some Pokémon can learn Swords Dance as an Egg Move. Egg Moves are special moves that a Pokémon can inherit from its parents when bred at a Pokémon Day Care or Nursery. This method often involves breeding a female Pokémon of the desired species with a male Pokémon from its Egg Group that knows Swords Dance.
Though not detailed in the original article’s breeding section (which is empty), it’s worth noting that certain Pokémon families might have Swords Dance available as an Egg Move, further broadening the distribution of this move within the Pokémon ecosystem. Trainers interested in specific Pokémon builds should research Egg Move compatibility for Swords Dance to explore this option.
Top Pokémon Swords Dance Users
Swords Dance is not just a move; it’s a strategy. To truly harness its power, it’s essential to equip it on Pokémon that can effectively capitalize on the Attack boost. These are typically Pokémon with naturally high Attack stats and movepools that complement a physical sweeping strategy. Here are some examples of Pokémon that excel with Swords Dance:
- Scizor: This Bug/Steel-type Pokémon boasts a fantastic base Attack stat and the Technician ability, which boosts the power of weaker moves. Combined with priority moves like Bullet Punch, a Swords Dance-boosted Scizor can become a devastating force, capable of quickly eliminating threats.
Alt text: Scizor, a Bug and Steel type Pokemon, ready to unleash a powerful Bullet Punch after using Swords Dance to maximize its attack in battle.
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Excadrill: A Ground/Steel-type, Excadrill possesses a massive base Attack and excellent Speed, especially in Sandstorm conditions thanks to its Sand Rush ability. Swords Dance amplifies its already impressive offensive presence, making it a formidable sweeper in sand teams.
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Hawlucha: This Fighting/Flying-type is known for its high Speed and Acrobatics, a powerful Flying-type move that doubles in power if the user isn’t holding an item. With Unburden ability doubling speed after item use, Hawlucha with Swords Dance becomes an incredibly fast and hard-hitting threat, tearing through teams with boosted Acrobatics.
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Kartana: An Ultra Beast and Grass/Steel-type, Kartana has an astronomical base Attack stat, one of the highest in the game. Coupled with Beast Boost ability, which raises its highest stat upon knocking out a Pokémon, Swords Dance turns Kartana into an unstoppable offensive juggernaut.
These are just a few examples, and many other Pokémon can effectively utilize Swords Dance. The key is to identify Pokémon with strong physical attack potential and consider how Swords Dance can elevate their role in battle.
Swords Dance in Competitive Battles
In the competitive Pokémon scene, Swords Dance is a move of significant strategic depth. It’s a setup move, designed to prepare a Pokémon for a sweep – an attempt to knock out multiple opposing Pokémon in succession. Here’s how Swords Dance plays a crucial role in competitive battles:
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Setting Up Sweeps: The primary goal of Swords Dance is to enable a Pokémon to sweep. By doubling the Attack stat, it allows Pokémon to OHKO (one-hit knockout) or 2HKO (two-hit knockout) opponents they might otherwise struggle against. This can quickly dismantle opposing teams if the Swords Dance user is left unchecked.
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Strategic Timing: Successfully using Swords Dance requires careful timing. Trainers need to identify opportunities where their Pokémon can safely use Swords Dance without being knocked out or heavily damaged. This often involves predicting opponent switches, capitalizing on defensive Pokémon, or utilizing Pokémon with good defensive typing or bulk to absorb hits while setting up.
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Mind Games and Prediction: The presence of Swords Dance can influence opponent decisions. Knowing that a Pokémon could use Swords Dance can force opponents to play defensively or switch out, creating opportunities for the Swords Dance user or its team. Conversely, predicting when an opponent expects a Swords Dance setup and attacking directly can also be a viable strategy.
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Counters and Considerations: While powerful, Swords Dance is not without counters. Priority moves, like Mach Punch or Bullet Punch, can strike before a boosted attack, potentially knocking out the Swords Dance user before it can sweep. Status conditions, particularly burns which halve physical attack damage, can also cripple Swords Dance strategies. Haze and other stat-resetting moves can negate the Attack boost entirely. Competitive trainers must be aware of these counters and build teams and strategies to mitigate these risks.
Mastering Swords Dance involves not just teaching the move to a Pokémon, but understanding its strategic implications, identifying ideal users, and learning to time its use effectively in the dynamic landscape of Pokémon battles. For those seeking to dominate the physical offensive game, Swords Dance is an indispensable tool in their arsenal.
