Weavile, the Sharp Claw Pokémon. Evolution made it even more devious. It communicates by clawing signs in boulders. They travel in groups of four or five, leaving signs for one another on trees and rocks. They bring down their prey with coordinated attacks.
Overview
The original fast Ice type, Weavile has been for generations the prime example of the heights the type could scale to if given an offensive chassis. Weavile lives up to that dream quite nicely, base 125 Speed out running an absurd number of targets, even in light of the rampant speed creep in the ninth generation. Weavile puts this speed to good use with its good base 120 Base Attack and fantastic STABs acting as an assassin and taking out key members of an opposing team. Ice STAB goes a long way in this, eviscerating the numerous Dragon and Ground types that find themselves as offensive and defensive set pieces on many-a team. STAB Knock Off further adds to the pressure that Weavile provides, as scarce few Pokémon are willing to switch into Weavile and lose their item. Throw in tools like Ice Shard for the few Pokémon faster than Weavile and Swords Dance to break through bulkier targets and Weavile’s seeming permanence throughout the generations makes a lot of sense.
Weavile has occasionally faded to obscurity in the past, and for good reason too. Ice Dark offers little in resistances and immunities. and even if it did, 65 Defense and only average HP and Special Defense means that Weavile easily falls to most offense. This leaves Weavile reliant on getting the KO or being KO’d itself, an order that gets taller when looking at the state of Weavile’s movepool. Outside of STABs, Weavile’s coverage is lacking, with only the inconsistent Low Kick and the just for Fairy types Poison Jab having any decent power, leaving Weavile struggling against bulky Water and Fire types alongside light weight Steel types. The biggest hurdle for Weavile in more open formats is the addition of Chien-Pao, which wholly outclasses Weavile in just about every matter bar Knock Off. This has not stopped Weavile from being a terror in formats where Chien-Pao isn’t on the prowl; its fantastic offense eliminating many a threat.
Positives
Base 125 Speed is incredible, outspeeding many already fast Pokémon.
Base 120 Attack is solid and turns utterly lethal after a Swords Dance
Ice Dark is incredible offensively, covering many prominent typings and threats.
Negatives
Ice Dark is horrible defensively with exposure to entry hazards and numerous weaknesses.
Base 65 Defense is frail defensively and 85 Special Defense is average, leaving Weavile’s hit taking ability non-existent.
Struggles against faster opponents.
Movesets
Wicked Weasel
-Triple Axel
-Knock Off
-Low Kick
-Swords Dance
Ability: Pressure
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
This Weavile set is an assassin in every sense of the word, using its high speed and great STABs to fell weakened opponents, bypassing or removing protective measures in the process. Triple Axel pushes the definition of weakened, as it isn’t until one gets to targets as bulky as Great Tusk or Ting-Lu that there is guaranteed survival. While the imperfect accuracy can cost Weavile, the power is hard to ignore, ripping at least two-thirds from even bulky Great Tusk, and three-fourths from bulky Zapdos, while neutral targets like Iron Valiant and Wellspring Ogerpon can look forward to losing at least seven tenths of their health from Triple Axel. The multi-hit nature of the move futher increases Triple Axel’s lethality, bypassing the single hit nature of Focus Sash and Multiscale, leaving those users no recourse from Weavile’s claws. Knock Off compliments Triple Axel’s sheer killing power with reliability. Item disruption is incredibly potent, and between STAB and Weavile’s already high attack, will damage just about any switch-in, whether directly or indirectly. Not to say that the coverage from Knock Off isn’t important, removing headaches like Gholdengo, Galarian-Slowking, and Iron Crown, all incredible pivot pieces for the teams they are on. Low Kick is niche, but is Weavile’s best answer into Steel types, especially Kingambit who resists both STABs, as well as the similarly resistant Hisuian-Samurott. Swords Dance is an option against bulkier teams that don’t threaten Weavile with instant death from the word go, allowing Weavile to muscle through such targets with brute force and can punish softer switch-ins that think they can survive a resisted Knock Off from Weavile.
Tera Types:
Weavile’s sheer speed and power don’t leave it reliant on Terastalization, being wholly capable of performing its duties without. That doesn’t stop Weavile from being an excellent Terastalization target, to otherwise subvert common checks or give it that extra bit of power needed for a knock out. Tera Fire is a popular option in formats with Flame Body users like Moltres and Volcarona who can use Triple Axel’s multi hit nature against Weavile for a likely burn. Tera Fire puts a stop to such switch-ins while giving handy resistances to Bug, Fairy and opposing Fire types, which can save Weavile in a pinch. Tera Ghost is a more traditional defensive answer, though the protection and Mach Punch and Extreme Speed cannot be discounted, blocking the priority that is otherwise a common way to limit Weavile’s damage. The immunity to Fighting and resistance to U-Turn can also save Weavile in a pinch. On the more offensive end of the spectrum, Tera Ice is fantastic, especially if running Ice Shard, helping guarantee an OHKO on Great Tusk, while Ting-Lu is utterly compromised and is at risk of being one shot with even as little as one layer of Spikes.
EVs and Items:
As with most fast, frail attackers, max Speed and Attack investment are highly recommended. Weavile’s job is to outrun everything and deal as much damage as possible. A Speed boosting nature is heavily recommended; go to a neutral nature and Weavile is outran by Meowscarada, Cinderace, Specs Iron Valiant, non-Speed Booster Energy Iron Moth and Latios. That is hard to stomach given one of Weavile’s selling points is that it outruns these incredibly fast Pokémon to begin with. If running Ice Shard, Adamant can be considered, but even Meowscarada isn’t OHKO’d by an Adamant Tera Ice Ice Shard. Heavy-Duty Boots is recommended for the item. Weavile acts very much like a Choice’d Scarf’d revenge killer and has a similar hit and run playstyle and as such cannot afford to be eaten alive by Stealth Rocks limiting its switch ins. If entry hazards are not a concern, Life Orb is great for the general power boost, allowing for OHKOs on offensive Great Tusk, Zapdos, Excadrul, and Kyurem without mandating Terastalization. Focus Sash conversely gives a little more leeway in using Weavile, ensuring it always survives one hit, which can be enough to make a trade in Weavile’s favor. Choice Band also deserves mention. While never running it with Swords Dance, Weavile’s playstyle is consistent and the instant power and added coverage offered by Choice Band cannot be overlooked.
Partners:
:
Hazard setters are Weavile’s best friend, given how easy it is for hazards to push enemies into KO range for Weavile. Ting-Lu is notable, for setting up Spikes, pHazing setup sweepers like Dondozo and chunking shared checks with Weavile with Ruination, invariably placing a target into Weavile’s KO range. Other Spikes setters like Gliscor and Skarmory also work well. Weavile pays all this passive damage back with its speedy Knock-Offs removing Heavy-Duty Boots and Triple Axel being fantastic against most Defoggers.
Other Options:
Ice Shard is Weavile’s best option for naturally faster targets as well as opposing non Extreme Speed priority users.
Poison Jab is great against Fairy types, especially Primarina and Azumarill who resist Weavile’s STABs but has limited
Icicle Crash is a weaker alternative to Triple Axel, though it has the advantage of not being contact and thus not triggering Flame Body or Static.
Upper Hand is only good against priority users, but given how often such Pokémon are used to check Weavile, it is worth noting as a niche pick.
Doubles and VGC Options
Weavile’s accolades in doubles are far more sporadic than its stellar performance in singles. Weavile suffers from the same issue as other frail fast Pokémon; its ease of removal makes it rather inconsistent, requiring good prediction or positioning to get the most out of Weavile. Despite these flaws, Weavile stands out from the pack of frail fast attackers thanks to its impressive disruptive tools. Fake Out alone merits consideration for any Pokémon in Doubles, but Weavile also gets incredible tools in the priority denying Upper Hand and Protect breaking Feint, allowing Weavile to pin targets that thought they were safe. Weavile further weaponizes its Speed with fast Taunts and the occasional Screech or Fake Tears, whenever its not eviscerating the common Grass, Ghost and Dragon types found on most teams. However, Weavile’s lack of stopping power when not exploiting a weakness, especially given its vulnerability to Intimdiate holds it back. To say nothing of Chien-Pao, who offers the same offensive profile with far more speed and power while passively buffing physical allies just by being out on the field. While Weavile does have a host of traits that leave it not entirely in Chien-Pao’s shadow, it shines best in formats where Chien-Pao is not legal, where Weavile can be a fun if unorthodox choice.
Dual Wonder Claws
-Triple Axel
-Knock Off
-Fake Out
-Taunt
Ability: Pickpocket
Item: Focus Sash
Tera Type: Stellar/Ghost
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
In lower power formats, Weavile acts as a mini Chien-Pao with a dash of Incineroar, though the difference in STABs arguably makes Weavile even more deadly. Triple Axel's accuracy is unfortunate, but as a multi-hit attack, it bypasses many methods to ignore a single attack, making Weavile incredibly reliable at OHKOing Multiscale Dragonite, as well as busting through Mimikyu's disguise and OHKO other frail Pokémon through Focus Sash. Knock Off is a more reliable STAB, though its power shines with item disruption, ruining Pokémon reliant on their item like Porygon2 and its Eviolite, Archaludon's Assault Vest or Power Herb, prevent Sneasler's Unburden from going off and more. Ice and Dark STABs have amazing coverage in VGC threatening a huge range of staples, including, but not limited to Amoonguss, Rillaboom, Whimsicott, Sinistcha, Indeedee-F, Farigiraf, Gholdengo, Hisuian-Typhlosion, Hydreigon, Dragonite, Garchomp, Murkrow and more. While not all of these are OHKOs, these are staples found on many teams and Weavile's ability to naturally outspeed and threaten so many of them is invaluable. As for more utility, Fake Out is an incredible move in Doubles, able to surpress most targets for an entire turn and is great in guaranteeing setup, denying opposing setup, or just pinning down a Pokémon for an ally to act crazy. Taunt is more persistent support denial, and with Weavile's incredible speed is great at getting the jump on non Taunt users, denying speed control in Trick Room, future uses of redirection, Amoonguss' Spore, Protect, the list of vital doubles moves Taunt blocks is huge.
Weavile is very Chien-Pao in its preferred EVs as well. It likes going first and needs to pick up knock outs, so maximizing both is only natural. Focus Sash is an answer to Weavile's fragility, forcing opponents to hit Weavile Twice to knock it out. Whether one wants to go full offense or for more defense depends on what one wants out of Weavile. Without an offensive item, Weavile does miss out on a lot of OHKOs, with Tera Stellar making up the difference. Alternatively, Tera Ghost is invaluable for Weavile, blocking opposing Fake Out and negating its onerus Fighting weakness.
Preferred Partners:
Water types make for a solid partner for Weavile, hitting the Fire types that Weavile struggles with while Weavile handles the Grass and Dragon types that can slow their offenses, especially Rillaboom. Primarina is notable for its great matchup into opposing Fighting types thanks to its Fairy STAB, while offering the spread damage that Weavile sorely lacks. Tauros-Aqua is a more defensive option, with invaluable Intimidate Support and the ability to threaten opposing Dark types that Weavile may struggle with while Weavile's Ice STAB makes it a strong answer into opposing Flying types.
Low Kick does well into opposing Dark and Steel types that Weavile may struggle against, especially Kingambit and Archaludon.
Ice Shard is Ice typed priority that excels at picking off weakened targets.
Feint breaks Protect and acts on the same priority as Extreme Speed, making it an excellent tool at striking down weakened Pokémon or denying an opponent safety from Weavile's partner, though is reliant on good prediction.
Upper Hand is a fantastic anti priority tool, and Weavile’s incredible speed makes it adept at shutting Fake Out down..
Countering Weavile
Weavile’s prowess is terrifying, but its frail defenses and lacking coverage leave it with rather exploitable holes.
Physical walls tend to be Weavile’s bane. Provided they are not weak to its STABs, they can readily absorb attacks and threaten Weavile back thanks to its frailty. Dondozo is by far the best answer to Weavile, take a pittance from even Choice Band boosted Knock Off while resisting Triple Axel and ignoring Swords Dance. Alomomola also easily soaks up attacks all day and is more than capable of crippling Weavile with Scald. Torkoal’s insane physical bulk also works well in this regard, and it quickly melts Weavile with its Fire STAB. Note none of these Pokémon like eating a Knock Off and losing their Leftovers or Heavy-Duty Boots, which can compromise future walling efforts.
Physically defensively Primarina also does well, resisting both STABs and Low Kick, fearing only the very rare Poison Jab while threatening back with Fairy STAB. If lacking Low Kick, Steel types become a lot harder, especially Kingambit and Tinkaton who both naturally resist both STABs.
As Weavile’s best moves are all contact, Flame Body and Static users like Moltres, Volcarona and Zapdos can easily cripple Weavile, especially with the multihit Triple Axel, though Zapdos does need to Terastalize to survive the assault.
Priority can also deal with Weavile, bypassing its valued speed, though Weavile’s access to its own priority in Ice Shard greatly limits options. Tera Normal Banded Dragonite can OHKO with Extreme Speed, which explicitly out prioritizes Ice Shard, but will get wrecked hard by Upper Hand and Dragonite cannot switch in safely due to its horrid Ice weakness. Otherwise, one can rely on Choice Scarf and Speed Booster energy users to give Weavile a taste of its own medicine. Scarf Gholdengo is a key example given its resistance to Ice and Super Effective STAB. Iron Moth also does the same with its Fire STAB. Scarf Hisuian-Samurott is notable for resisting both STABs, though it doesn’t like switching into Knock Off or Low Kick at all.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in game
Colosseum/XD:
Not in game
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Evolve Sneasel
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Sneasel
Black/White:
Evolve Sneasel
Black 2/White 2:
Evolve Sneasel
X/Y:
Evolve Sneasel
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Trade from X/Y
Sun/Moon:
Evolve Sneasel
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Evolve Sneasel
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game
Sword/Shield:
Bridge Field, Frostpoint Field, Snowslide Slope
Max Raid Battles: Bridge Field, Stony Wilderness, West Lake Axewell, Frostpoint Field, Giant's Bed, Snowslide Slope, Giant's Foot, Frigid Sea
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Evolve Sneasel
Legends: Arceus:
Obsidian Fieldlands: Space-time Distortion in Obsidian Fieldlands
Scarlet/Violet:
Glaseado Mountain
Tera Raid Battles: 5 Star Raid Battles
Anime Appearences
