What it does
Psyshield Bash is a Psychic-type physical contact move with 90 base power. Its Defense boost is unconditional — you get +1 Defense on use regardless of whether the move connects. If your target uses Protect and Wyrdeer attacks into it, Defense still rises. That's a meaningful edge in a format where Protect is on almost every set.
Psychic hits Fighting and Poison for super-effective damage, both of which appear in the current Champions meta. As a physical move, Wyrdeer runs Attack investment rather than Special Attack — a distinct niche from the special-oriented Psychic-types it shares a type with.
The long-game value here: after two or three uses, Wyrdeer's physical Defense is noticeably higher, making it harder for physical attackers to chip it down. It's both a damage move and a durability builder in one slot.
Who runs it
Wyrdeer is the only carrier in Champions at 35% usage. Normal/Psychic typing gives it STAB on Psyshield Bash, which brings the effective power well above the raw number. Its bulk is reasonable — not a wall, but enough to stay on the field long enough for the Defense stacking to matter.
How to use it
Wyrdeer is not a fast Pokémon. You'll usually act after the opponent's attacks land, so stacking Defense early reduces the damage you take on future turns. Getting to +1 or +2 Defense in the first two turns meaningfully changes whether Wyrdeer survives into the mid-game.
In doubles, target selection matters. Against a Fighting-type actively threatening your partner, point Psyshield Bash at it and pick up the super-effective hit while still grabbing the Defense boost. Against neutral matchups, consider whether having your partner clean up the main threat while Wyrdeer banks Defense is a better use of resources.
This move makes contact, so watch for Rough Skin, Iron Barbs, and similar recoil abilities. Factoring in contact damage when Wyrdeer's HP is already under pressure is part of managing it correctly.
Tips & strategy
Defense resets on switch-out. Every turn you spent building up Defense is lost the moment Wyrdeer leaves the field. Avoid situations where the opponent can force a switch — moves like Whirlwind or Roar wipe out accumulated Defense boosts instantly.
Wyrdeer's 35% usage means many opponents haven't studied it closely. They may misjudge its damage output and bring in the wrong answer, giving you an unexpected super-effective hit.