The release of the Hidden Abilities will change the way trainers can use the final evolutions of all three Pokémon. The long-term effects of the release has yet to be seen, but this has given Rillaboom, Cinderace and Inteleon a new lease on life in Sword and Shield.
After some thought, we’ve come up with our own builds for all three Pokémon based on the new abilities. If you need more information on how breeding and training Pokémon, you can read our guide, here.
RILLABOOM
Rillaboom gaining access to the Grassy Surge ability has benefited this Pokémon the most.
When Rillaboom is brought out his ability puts Grassy Terrain on the field, which increases the damage of Grass-type attacks, and recovers 1/16 of health to every Pokémon touching the ground.
This ability gives Rillaboom more firepower and staying power as its impressive base HP could make it a pain to take down. So that gives trainers a number of ways to train their Rillaboom.
If an all-out offensive option is your choice, a Rillaboom with an Adamant Nature with full effort values (EVs) investment in HP and Attack with the rest in Speed will get the most firepower out of the Grass-type starter.
Here’s a sample moveset that would benefit an offensive Rillaboom.
Wood Hammer/Drum BeatingKnock OffFake OutProtect/Taunt
As for the item being held, trainers could use a number of berries including a Sitrus Berry or Iapapa Berry to restore some HP after taking some hits. When the move tutor is released with The Isle of Armor DLC, Grassy Glide will give Rillaboom a priority Grass-type attack which will also benefit this Pokémon build.
If you’re looking for a more defensive Rillaboom build, you can have one with an Impish Nature (increases Defense, lowers Special Attack) with full investment in HP and Defense with the rest put into Attack.
Rillaboom has access to Leech Seed, which coupled with the Grassy Terrain will restore more HP every turn. Use it with some support moves such as Knock Off and Protect and you can really frustrate your opponent.
Drum BeatingKnock OffLeech SeedProtect/Substitute
Rillaboom can then hold onto the Leftovers item to increase its life points even further after every turn.
CINDERACE
Cinderace also gets a major buff with its signature ability, Libero. This ability is similar to Greninja’s Protean, in which it changes its typing based on the move it’s about to use.
For Cinderace, trainers will want to train a Jolly Nature (increased Speed, decreased Special Attack) to get the most out of this Pokémon. Having the same type attack bonus (STAB) and a possible held item will help increase Cinderace’s attack power.
Invest your EVs into Attack and Speed, with the rest in HP, and give your Cinderace a variety of attacks with different types. Cinderace’s move pool is vast so trainers have plenty of options.
Sucker Punch and High Jump kick are great Egg moves to give Cinderace a high-attack Fighting-type attack and a priority move. Pyro Ball is a great Fire-type attack while U-Turn can help trainers pivot out of a matchup you don’t like.
If you’re looking to Dynamax your Cinderace, having Bounce is a great way to increase your team’s speed. Iron Head and Gunk Shot are also great attacks to take on Fairy-type Pokémon.
Here’s a sample set:
Pyro BallHigh Jump KickSucker PunchBounce/Iron Head
If you want to use Bounce, we recommend having Cinderace hold a Life Orb. You’ll gain more attack power in exchange for some HP, but you won’t be locked into a two-turn move if you have a Choice Band equipped.
INTELEON
Inteleon benefited the least from its Hidden Ability. While Sniper is better than Torrent, its old ability, it takes some setting up to fully utilize its potential. We have two builds here, one that focuses on getting critical hits to get the extra power from Sniper and the other that doesn’t rely on it.
Both builds will benefit if Inteleon is raised with a Timid Nature (increased Speed, decreased Attack) as to have it attack first more often.
In a Double Format, having Gigantamax Machamp as a partner could benefit Sniper Inteleon as its G-Max Move will increase the critical hit ratio of all the Pokémon on your side of the field.
Trainers will also want to use Snipe Shot instead of another Water-type attack as it has a higher critical hit ratio than most moves.
If you don’t want to rely on the critical hits, you’ll want to have Inteleon hold a Life Orb for extra power or a Focus Sash to live a powerful attack.
Here’s a sample set:
Snipe ShotIce BeamMud Shot/Air SlashProtect
A critical hit-reliant set needs Inteleon to hold the Scope Lens to increase the rate of critical hits and the move Focus Energy. Similar to popular Kingdra sets, using Focus Energy while holding the Scope Lens will give 100 percent critical hits. It just needs a turn to set up, something Inteleon with its low defensive stats may not have.
Here’s a sample set:
Snipe ShotFocus EnergyIce BeamMud Shot/Air Slash
So what do you think of the Hidden Ability of the Galar region starters? Which Pokémon of the three is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section.
