Excadrill

Excadrill sits at 0.95% usage among 1760+ players (rank 82) in May 2026—just below the 1% stability threshold, making it a niche pick. Its 3.04% all-ranks usage confirms broader circulation at lower ratings. Rated Smogon B+, it leverages Mold Breaker to bypass Levitate and other abilities in singles, or sweeps with doubled Speed under Sand Rush. Its low bare bulk and unremarkable Speed outside of sand make survival challenging at the highest skill level.

Playstyle：Standard singles sets use Focus Sash (52.6%), Choice Scarf (15%), or Soft Sand (13.1%). Mold Breaker (73.9%) dominates, with Sand Rush (24.4%) reserved for dedicated sand teams. Nature is uniformly Jolly or Adamant with max Attack and Speed. Core moves: Earthquake (24.6%), Iron Head (23.8%), Rapid Spin (13.8%), Rock Slide (11.2%). Commentary notes Soft Sand sets keep Excadrill relevant outside sand with max attack investment; Mold Breaker sets lead with Focus Sash and fish for Horn Drill or Fissure OHKOs. Three top-300 ladder appearances vs. 67 tournament appearances confirms its value is primarily as a targeted team-selection pick.

✅ Favorable matchups1

Archaludon

⚠️ Unfavorable matchups2

GarchompCorviknight

Excadrill posts 3.32% usage at 1760+ doubles (rank 42) and 4.35% overall, with 67 tournament appearances. Rated Smogon B+ and GameWith Doubles B, it is one of doubles' premier Sand Rush sweepers. Sand Rush doubles Speed under sand, enabling Excadrill to outspeed virtually everything; its 16.8% co-usage with Tyranitar-Mega marks the format's most established sand core partnership. Focus Sash survivability paired with explosive sand-powered offense anchors its role.

Playstyle：Doubles sets uniformly run Sand Rush (92.9%) and Focus Sash (90.6%), Adamant nature with max Attack and Speed. Moveset: Iron Head (24.7%), Protect (23.7%), Rock Slide (20.1%), High Horsepower (14.3%)—High Horsepower replaces Earthquake to avoid self-inflicted damage on partners. Community reports describe the core as a fixed back-row combination: Choice Scarf Tyranitar-Mega sets sand, Excadrill sweeps under doubled Speed. Protect buys turns to let sand activate and partners maneuver before Excadrill enters for cleanup.

✅ Favorable matchups2

Tyranitar-MegaArchaludon

⚠️ Unfavorable matchups2

CorviknightIncineroar

Mega Excadrill dominates Singles with 0.64% usage, ranking 97th—an environmental pillar. Ground-Steel paired with post-Mega Piercing Drill (bypassing opponent abilities and Protect) plus 135 Attack enables unparalleled wall-breaking. 100% Excadrite adoption with Jolly Nature; core moves—Iron Head (24.6%), Earthquake (24.4%), Rapid Spin (16.2%)—completely override most physical threats in the current environment.

Playstyle：Mega Excadrill's linchpin is Piercing Drill, ignoring opponent Protect and ability-based walls (Unaware, etc.). Core setup: Iron Head (24.6%), Earthquake (24.4%), Rapid Spin (16.2%), Sword Dance (12.7%), with Sword Dance enabling speed-layering and coverage expansion. EV balance (Jolly 0/32/0/0/2/32 = 45.5%) maximizes Speed-Attack synergy; Jolly locks Speed advantage. Partner combo with Toucannon「Beak Blast + Seed Bomb」bypasses Assault Vest—Excadrill's post-Beak-Blast sweep validates this archetype.

Mega Excadrill in Doubles registers 0.34% usage, ranking 114th—an active environmental contributor. Beyond Singles' shield-breaking via Piercing Drill, VGC values its high-speed physical output and range. Moveset—Iron Head (24.5%), Protect (24.4%), High Horsepower (16.9%), Earthquake (14.7%)—reflects「priority-support-plus-ranged-damage」positioning. No tournament credentials and 0 high-ladder appearances, yet full-spectrum data (0.85% usagePctAll) indicates steady mid-tier demand across division.

Playstyle：Mega Excadrill's critical VGC moves are Iron Head (24.5%) and High Horsepower (16.9%), not Singles' Rapid Spin. Protect (24.4%) adoption matches Singles, balancing「survive-and-deal-damage.」EV emphasis on Jolly (with Adamant variants) targets Speed-Attack fusion. Expert「Toucannon + Mega Excadrill core」analysis reveals its「sweeper」role: post-Toucannon Beak Blast + Seed Bomb shattering Assault Vest, Mega Excadrill's Sword Dance stacking yields the final sweep.