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Dark-type may not be the most impressive type on paper, but it's important to have some presence on a competitive Pokemon team as it givꦫes your lineup an immunity and checks Psychic and Ghost, two very strong offensive types. Not t♛o mention, its roster is pretty great.
While some of the best Dark-type Pokemon are not in Sword and Shield (e.g. Darkrai, Greninja) and some others are 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:banned from regular Singles play (e.g. Yveltal, Single Strike Urshifu), thos✅ꦑe still available to you have a lot going for them. These fifteen, in particular, stand out the most thanks to their valuable niches.
Note: This will not include Pokemon currently banned to Ubers.
15 Pangoro
Having a good Attack stat is nice, but it's hard for a Pokemon to be viable when it has nothing else to show for it. A good case study for that is Pangoro, who just manages to scrape by in lower tiers with its 124 Attack stat.
At the very least, it has a pool of attack moves not many others can boast. Having Knock Off and Close Combat as STAB moves is nice, and other Pokemon would envy its access to co🐠v🐻erage moves. Of course, all that is offset by its subpar defences and terrible Speed.
14 Sharpedo
A fabled Speed Boost runner, Sharꦇpedo is a feared late-game sweeper in lower tiers; it certainly has tౠhe Attack stat to be one at 125. A moveset of Waterfall, Crunch, a coverage move, and Protect, while simple, is pretty hard to stop when it gets going.
Unfortunately, that's where 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:this Water/Dark-type's value ends; it's kind of a one-trick pony...or shark. It's terrible defensively, with both stats at 40. Its inability to set up its Attack stat and an overreliance on a Life Orb puts it at the lower end of Speed Boost sweepers.
13 Umbreon
Umbreon is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:past its prime, so to speak, after not being able to learn Toxic and He✱al Bell via regular means in Generation VIII. Even without those tools, it can still pl🏅ay as a suitable support Pokemon.
It has great bulk at 95 HP, to go along with its excellent defenses. It has bad attacking stats at just 65 Attack and 60 Special Attack, but it relies on Foul Play for offense anyway. Alongside that, even without Toxic and He🌳al Bell, it can still access other support moves like Wish, Yawn, Protect, and Moonlight.
12 Obstagoon
A set with Guts, Facade, and a Flame Orb is pretty classic, and Obstagoon puts that to excellent use thanks to getting Normal-type STAB for Facade. Having STAB Knock Off, good coverage moves, and the signature Obstruct helps too, and while its 90 Attack stat isn't great, all the boosts make up the difference.
It has decent enough speed to be a great wall breaker, and enough defenses to take a few hits. Just be sure to avoid its specific checks as well as Pokemon that can suppress its ability (i.e. Galarian Weezing's Neutralizing Gas).
11 Incineroar 𒅌
Incineroar's name is way bigger in VGC circles, but in the Singles meta, it's at its best playing 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a pivot role, not unlike that of another starter, Swampert.
Knock Off, Taunt, U-Turn, and Toxic are all staples, while it relies on your typical Fire-type moves for offense. Intimidate is a great ability for pivots, too, and it has enough bulk to take a few hits, especially when switch🐻ing for favorable matchups. A Fire/Dark-typing unfortunately leaves it weak to tꦿhree of the most common attack types in almost any meta: Water, Fighting, and Ground.
10 ℱ Grimmsnarl
Unlike most other Prankster Pokemon that are usually more rounded support players, Grimmsnarl is known mainly as a screen setter, commonly seen equipped with Light Clay and both Reflect and Light Screen. It's not the most popular niche out there, but Grimmsnarl is currently the poster boy of that role.
Alongside that, it usually runs Taunt, preventing a Defog that can take away the screens. Its fourth move is usually an attack, either Play Rough or Spirit Break. It's at its worst facing other Fairy-types that can exploit its poor defenses.
9 ♔ Krookodile
Yet another Pokemon that has relies on its high Attack stat, Krookodile is equipped to be one of the best attackers in its tier. A great offensive typing in Dark/Gꦬround, a decently wide movepool, and a pair of good potential abilities are nice to have too.
That said, Intimidate is more common🍷ly used, since Krookodile lacks the Speed to truly be a sweeper with Moxie. It can be a bit of an all-around utility player, though, with access to moves like Stealth Rock, Toxic, and Taunt, to go alongside attacks like Knock Off and Earthquake.
8 Crawdaunt
Access to Aqua Jet alone can make a Pokemon an incredible wꦿallbreaker, and Crawdaunt is a perfect example of that.🌌 That and a high Attack stat to its name makes it an excellent offensive Pokemon in its tier.
If in need of more straight damage, though, Crabhammer and Knock Off are great STAB moves, and Swords Dance is always great to have. It'll have a hard time against faster Pokemon that resist its Aqua Jet, though, so deal with them through the correct teammates. If caught by a stray attack, Crawdaunt's frailty does it no favors.
7 Galarian Moltres ꦇ
Both of Moltres' forms are just about equal in viability, with the Dark-type 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Galarian regional variant being quite versatile. It's commonly seen as a set-up sweeper.
Its signature move, Fiery Wrath, does wonders. It's the type's strongest special move (95 base power) while also having a 20% chance to flinch. Hurricane is another great STAB move, and Nasty Plot is a staple for setting up, alongside either Rest and Sleep Talk (for utility and recovery) or Agility for extra Speed. While it's solid defensively with its bulk, it's particularly weak against priority moves like Accelerock and Ice Shard.
6 Zarude
Zarude would've been a truly elite competitive Pokemon if only it had access to Knock Off and a better ability, but it'll settle for being just very good without that. Regardless, this 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Generation VIII Mythical h🍸as a valuable niche as a fast, offensively capabl﷽e pivot.
Its signature move, Jungle Healing, is a great tool for removing status effects and giving a little healing. Its Attack stat means moves like Power Wh🀅ip and Darkest Lariat deal tons of damage. It has surprisingly good bulk, too, though its typing leaves it prone to quad-super-effective U-Turns.
