Best team composition for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Building the best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield requires a player to have a lot of practice and knowledge of said game. The team usually revolves around the best starter Pocket Monster choice, and the monsters that follow are then chosen based on the synergy with the concerned starter. If you have just picked up Sword and Shield and want to have the best start, you have come to the right place.

Each team member in this Pokemon Sword and Shield team has been designed to do well against certain gym leaders, the Elite Four members, champions, and the notorious evil team leaders.

In the end, we have looked up the best team with monsters that do best in general throughout the game.

(It is important to note that this team involves members that require The Crown Tundra and The Isle of Armor DLCs)

Best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield starts off hot, with Cinderace in the lead

Cinderace

This Pocket Monster has a fantastic move pool and elemental typing, which makes it one of the best starters in the best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield. It has the perk of accessing Fighting-type moves early in the game. So, when asked to pick your starter, you will want to go with Scorbunny.

Stats of Cinderace

HP: 80
Base attack: 116
Base defense: 75
Special Attack: 65
Special Defense: 75
Speed: 119

Cinderace can learn the following moves:

Pyroball
Fire Fang (Fire Punch at higher levels)
U-turn
Low Sweep

Pyroball: This is the most powerful Fire-type attack that Cinderace can learn in Pokemon Sword and Shield. This move can be learned as soon as Reboot evolves at level 35.

Fire Fang: The main STAB Fire-type move that this Pokemon will be using in this best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield will be Fire Fang and, later on, Fire Punch. Fire Fang can be found in Hammerlocke, while the latter can be found in Wyndon.

U-turn: We have this move for elemental tying coverage, and it is a great tool to help you dip in and out of sticky situations. Cinderace is blessed with good speed, and this will allow it to utilize this move very well.

Low Sweep: This move is essentially a check for Rock-type Pokemon. It also reduces your enemy’s speed stat.

With this moveset, Cinderace will be able to perform well against:

Milo’s Gossifleur and Eldegoss at Turffield Stadium
Beas’s Pangoro at Stow-on-Side Stadium (in Sword)
Opal’s Mawile at Balloniea Stadium
Gordie’s entire team except for Shuckle at Circhester Stadium (in Sword)
Melony’s team at Circhester Stadium (in Shield)
Piers’ team except for Skuntank at Spikemuth
Raihan’s Gigalith and Duraludon at Hammerlocke Stadium
Marnie’s entire team besides her Grimmsnarl at Wyndon Stadium
Hop’s entire team besides his Pincurchin at Wyndon Stadium
Bede’s Mawile at Wyndon Stadium
Nessa’s Drednaw at Wyndon Stadium
Leon’s Aegislash and Mr. Rime at Wyndon Stadium
Klara’s Skorupi and Whirlipede at Battle Court (in Sword)
Avery’s Ponyta and Kadabra at Battle Court (in Shield)
Mustard’s Lycanroc and Urshifu at Battle Court

Cinderace annihilates Peony and Calyrex in The Crown Tundra DLC, and thus, it is the best starter in this team for Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Magnezone

This creature will be your Fairy and Psychic sponge in this team. It will also resist Poison-type attackers and destroy Water-type monsters. This range of utility makes Magnezone one of the best attackers in this best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield.

This monster will prove its worth as early as Nessa’s Gym. This is thanks to the fact that Magnezone can be encountered at Challenge Beach if you have The Isle of Armor DLC.

Stats of Magnezone

HP: 70
Base attack: 70
Base defense: 115
Special Attack: 130
Special Defense: 90
Speed: 60

The only downside to using Magnezone in the best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield is its abysmally low-speed stat. However, its main purpose here is to tank attacks from your enemies.

Magnezone can learn the following moves:

Thunderbolt (Discharge can be an alternative if you do not get the TR)
Thunder Wave
Flash Cannon
Volt Switch

Thunderbolt: You must get the TR for this move, which should not be very difficult. You can use Thunderball, which you will get at level 12, till you get your hands on the former.

Flash Cannon and Thunderbolt: Flash Cannon is a powerful STAB attack, and Thunder Wave will help slow down your enemies, which can be very handy.

Volt Switch: There are not many coverage options in Magnezone’s move pool. So, we have decided to use Volt Switch as the last move. However, if you fancy, you may opt for Reflect or Light Screen instead of Volt Switch.

These moves will make Magnezone effective against:

Nessa’s entire team at Hulbury Stadium
Opal’s entire team
Gordie’s entire team except for Coalossal at Circhester Stadium
Melony’s entire team
Raihan’s Gigalith
Marnie’s Grimmsnarl
Hop’s Corviknight
Bede’s entire team except for Mawile
Nessa’s entire tournament team
Bea’s tournament Hawlucha
Leon’s Mr. Rime, Inteleon, and Charizard
Klara’s Galarian Weezing
Mustard’s Lycanroc, Corviknight, and Urshifu
Calyrex’s Ice forme

Azumarill

Azurill can be caught early in the game and is a crucial part of the best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield. You can find it easily in The Isle of Armor DLC at levels 13 and 18. You can evolve it into Marill through friendship, and from there, getting an Azumarill is fairly simple.

Ensure your Azurill has Huge Power when you catch it, as this will increase its attack stat by a huge chunk. Considering that Azumarill has great elemental typing and the fact that it keeps the powerful dragons in this Pokemon game in check, it gives this monster a place in this best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Stats of Azumarill

HP: 100
Base attack: 50
Base defense: 80
Special attack: 60
Special defense: 80
Speed: 50

Azumarill can learn the following moves:

Aqua Tail or Waterfall
Play Rough
Ice Punch
Bulldoze

Aqua Tail: This is the first Physical Water-type move that this monster gets, and you can teach this move to Marill at level 21.

Play Rough: This move gives Azumarill STAB, and being a Fairy-type move, it will be beneficial against the powerful Dragon-type attacks in Sword Shield. Azumarill can learn this move at level 25.

Ice Punch: This move gives the Ice-type coverage, which, again, is useful against the dragons. You can get this TM in Wyndon.

Bulldoze: This is the last coverage move in Azumarill’s moveset and does exceptionally well against Poison-, Steel-, and Electric-type creatures.

With this moveset, Azumarill can perform well against:

Kabu’s entire team at Motostoke Stadium
Bea’s entire team
Opal’s Togekiss
Gordie’s entire team besides Barbaracle
Piers’ entire team
Raihan’s entire team
Marnie’s entire team
Hop’s Rillaboom
Bede’s entire tournament team
Raihan’s tournament Torkoal, Goodra, and Flygon
Leon’s Dragapult, Haxorus, and Charizard
Avery’s Swoobat
Calyrex

Krookodile

This creature is an absolute machine and a great attacker in this best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield. You can find Sandile in the Potbottom Desert region of The Isle of Armor DLC. Sandile evolves into Krokorok at level 29, which then evolves into Krookodile at level 40.

Keep an eye out for a Sandile with Moxie. This ability increases this monster’s attack by one stage every time it knocks out an enemy.

Stats of Krookodile

HP: 95
Base attack: 117
Base defense: 80
Special attack: 65
Special defense: 70
Speed: 92

Krookodile can learn the following moves:

Earthquake
Crunch
Thunder Fang
Stone Edge

Crunch: This move has a base power of 80 and has the potential to take a bite out of your enemy.

Thunder Fang: TM66 can be found in the east Hammerlocke Pokemon Center. This move can deal with Water-type monsters very easily.

Stone Edge: TR75 provides Rock-type elemental typing coverage against Ground-type attackers.

With this moveset, Krookodile will be effective against:

Nessa’s entire team
Kabu’s entire team
Allister’s entire team (in Shield)
Opal’s Mawile and Togekiss
Gordie’s entire team
Melony’s entire team
Piers’ Skuntank
Raihan’s entire team except for Flygon
Marnie’s Toxicroak and Morpeko
Hop’s Pincurchin
Bede’s Mawile
Nessa’s entire tournament team
Bea’s Hawlucha
Avery’s Slowbro and Swoobat
Klara’s entire team except Galarian Weezing
Mustard’s Lycanroc and Luxray
Peony’s entire team except Scizzor

Hawlucha

Hawlucha, The Wrestling Pokemon, is an excellent addition to the best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield. This is because this Fighting-type beast takes out Normal-type attackers fairly easily.

You can see this monster as early as Route 6 in Sword and Shield right before Allister’s gym.

Stats of Hawlucha

HP: 78
Base attack: 92
Base defense: 75
Special attack: 74
Special defense: 63
Speed: 118

Hawlucha will be able to learn the following moves:

Drain Punch
Acrobatics
Swords Dance
Iron Head

Drain Punch: This is the best Fighting-type move for Hawlucha, but you will get it very late in Wyndon. Hawlucha has amazing Fighting-type moves, which give you a lot of alternatives to Drain Punch. This versatility has found it a spot in the best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Acrobatics: You can get this TM from the Ballonlea Pokemon Center. Make sure you wear an outfit that matches the Fire elemental typing before getting this TM.

Swords Dance: This move gives you STAB and powers your physical attacks up. This move can be learned at level 40.

Iron Head: This is clearly for typing coverage. This move can be found as a TR at #74.

With this moveset, Hawlucha is able to do well against:

Bea’s entire team
Allister’s Mimikyu
Opal’s entire team except for Mawile
Gordie’s entire team
Melony’s entire team
Piers’ Scrafty and Obstagoon
Raihan’s Gigalith and Duraludon
Marnie’s entire team
Hop’s Dubwool and Snorlax
Bede’s entire team except for Mawile
Nessa’s Golisopod and Drednaw
Bea’s entire tournament team
Raihan’s tournament Duraludon
Leon’s Mr. Rime
Klara’s entire team except for Slowbro
Mustard’s Mienshao, Lycanroc, Kommo-o, and Urshifu
Peony’s Perrserker, Copperajah, and Aggron
Calyrex as well its ice forme

Dragapult

Dragapult is an incredibly versatile mixed attacking pseudo-legendary Pocket Monster and is a fine addition to this best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield. The Dragon elemental typing and the insanely high attack and speed stats make it an amazing inclusion in this best team for Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Stats of Dragapult

HP: 88
Base attack: 120
Base defense: 75
Special attack: 100
Special defense: 75
Speed: 142

Dragapult can learn the following moves:

Dragon Darts
Phantom Force
Dragon Dance
Steel Wing

With these in its move pool, Dragapult will be effective against:

Allister’s entire team
Opal’s entire team except for Mawile
Gordie’s Stonjourner and Shuckle
Melony’s entire team except Lapras
Raihan’s Gigalith and Flygon
Marnie’s Grimmsnarl
Bede’s entire team except for Mawile
Alister’s entire tournament team
Raihan’s tournament Goodra, Turtonator and Flygon
Leon’s Aegislash, Dragapult, Mr. Rime, and Haxorus
Avery’s entire team
Klara’s Galarian Weezing and Slowbro
Mustard’s Kommo-o
Peony’s Bronzong
All forms of Calyrex

Check out the best team compositions for other Pokemon games: