What it does
Dire Claw is a Poison-type physical move. On top of its damage, it has a 30% chance to inflict one of three statuses: sleep, paralysis, or poison — chosen randomly. That three-way split is the move's unique edge. Sleep shuts down actions entirely. Paralysis cuts Speed and adds further chance of failing to move. Poison applies steady HP drain over time. Each of those is serious on its own; the fact that you can't know which one is coming means you can't counter-prepare with a single targeted item.
Champions value here is 30%, down from 50% in SV. That's a meaningful nerf to how often it fires. Three clicks will proc roughly once on average — plan around that reality, not around lucky streaks.
Poison-type is fully blocked by Steel-types. Dire Claw deals no damage at all to Steel. That is a hard stop.
Who runs it
Sneasler at 97% — essentially the only user. It is Poison/Fighting with high physical Attack and exceptional Speed. The combination means it clicks Dire Claw before most targets can move, forcing them to deal with potential status before they act. The damage itself is also not trivial; even turns with no proc hit for real numbers.
How to use it
Sneasler's Speed is the setup. Going first is almost guaranteed, so the target has to sit there and absorb the hit — and maybe a status — before doing anything. Over multiple turns, the 30% rate adds up. Don't think one-click; think sequence.
The random status outcome means you adapt rather than plan ahead. Sleep proc — redirect both your attackers at the sleeping target or set up freely. Paralysis proc — expect reduced Speed and possible failure to move on the opponent's next turn, making follow-ups cleaner. Poison proc — play the long game, letting the chip damage drain while you keep attacking.
If a partner on your team synergizes specifically with one of the three statuses (say, a Pokémon that wants a paralyzed target to safely set up), treat the proc as bonus, not as the trigger for a combo.
Tips & strategy
Steel-types are immune to Poison moves. When a Steel-type is on the field, Dire Claw contributes zero. Sneasler is Poison/Fighting — its Fighting-type attacks cover Steel, so switch moves rather than target.
At 30%, three turns of no proc is completely normal. Don't interpret a dry streak as a reason to abandon the move. When it fires, exploit the status immediately — that's when the value is realized.
Lum Berry and Natural Cure hard-counter the status threat by clearing it on the first proc. If the opponent has either, the status component of Dire Claw is sharply devalued. Damage still lands, but the pressure game changes.