Swords Dance

Type

Normal

Category

status

Power

—

Accuracy

—

PP

20

Priority

0

Target

self

Contact

No

Spread

No

Protect blocks

Yes

Wide Guard blocks

No

Doubles physical output, enabling sweeps when behind a Protect or redirection.

• Incineroar
• Blaziken Mega
• Hawlucha Mega
• Greninja Ash
• Greninja Mega
• Barbaracle Mega
• Heracross Mega
• Kingambit
• Chesnaught Mega
• Gallade Mega
• Scizor Mega
• Falinks Mega
• Kommo O Totem
• Garchomp Mega Z
• Garchomp Mega
• Sceptile Mega
• Pinsir Mega
• Charizard Mega Y
• Kommo O
• Charizard Mega X
• Archaludon
• Excadrill Mega
• Lucario Mega Z
• Lucario Mega
• Scrafty Mega
• Empoleon
• Venusaur Mega
• Feraligatr Mega
• Infernape
• Leafeon
• Scolipede Mega
• Abomasnow Mega
• Meganium Mega
• Charizard Gmax
• Rhyperior
• Garchomp
• Zoroark
• Torterra
• Quaquaval
• Decidueye Hisui
• Venusaur Gmax
• Feraligatr
• Aegislash Blade
• Greninja Battle Bond
• Ceruledge
• Skarmory Mega
• Hatterene Gmax
• Charizard
• Clawitzer
• Blaziken
• Greninja
• Absol Mega
• Beartic
• Absol Mega Z
• Heracross
• Lycanroc Dusk
• Victreebel Mega
• Lycanroc Midnight
• Weavile
• Lycanroc Midday
• Scolipede
• Barbaracle
• Sceptile
• Scizor
• Banette Mega
• Mawile Mega
• Meganium
• Samurott Hisui
• Talonflame
• Roserade
• Venusaur
• Zoroark Hisui
• Samurott
• Tinkaton
• Hatterene
• Chesnaught
• Abomasnow
• Rampardos
• Beedrill Mega
• Excadrill
• Falinks
• Scrafty
• Aegislash Shield
• Overqwil
• Mimikyu Totem Busted
• Decidueye
• Gallade
• Mimikyu Totem Disguised
• Sneasler
• Lucario
• Mimikyu Busted
• Pinsir
• Toucannon
• Serperior
• Toxicroak
• Hawlucha
• Gliscor
• Kleavor
• Absol
• Pangoro
• Mimikyu Disguised
• Victreebel
• Vileplume
• Skarmory
• Banette
• Qwilfish
• Qwilfish Hisui
• Diggersby
• Watchog
• Ariados
• Beedrill
• Mawile

Swords Dance is a Normal-type status move. It targets the user and has 20 PP. Raises the user's Attack by two stages.

Doubles physical output, enabling sweeps when behind a Protect or redirection.

Consider Swords Dance when your team needs the utility it provides rather than direct damage. Status moves define speed control, redirection, protection and disruption in VGC. Its value depends on whether your team can exploit the turns it creates. Check your team composition for Pokémon that benefit from the positioning or tempo it generates.

In team building, Swords Dance competes with other support and disruption options for a limited number of moveslots. Ask whether your team has enough offense to justify a utility move, and whether you have the speed or bulk to use it safely. Many successful teams run one or two status moves that enable the rest of the roster, so treat it as part of your overall gameplan rather than an afterthought.

Common mistakes with Swords Dance include: Using it without a clear plan for the turns it creates. Forgetting that Protect and Detect can block it, wasting a key turn. Not considering how redirectors like Follow Me and Rage Powder change targeting.

Protect and Detect block this move. These interactions are situational, so test them in the team builder and matchup analyzer before committing to the moveslot.

Use the tools below to test Swords Dance in a full team context and compare it with alternative options.

• Protect / Detect: blocks this move.
• Wide Guard: does not block this move.
• Follow Me / Rage Powder: spread moves are not redirected.
• Quick Guard: no effect (non-priority).