For casual players,Pokemoncan often feel like a very binary game. A lot of battles in the main story can boil down to selecting the best attack to win or cheesing with X-Items. However, competitive battles have a lot of extra layers to manage and build a team around. One of the longest-standing and most important parts of battle to manage for any trainer areentry hazards.
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Although entry hazards were introduced in Gen 2 with Spikes, they didn’t rise to prominence until the addition of more variety in Gen 4. Primarily, trainers will likely be familiar with Stealth Rock, a status move that does percent max-health damage on entry into battle. The damage is determined based on thePokemon’s resistance (or weakness) to Rock-type attacks. These rocks alone shape a lot of the metagame, as powerful Pokemon that are weak to rocks require support in the form of hazard control. For trainers in need of such support, there are plenty of options to try out.
Updated on Jun 15, 2025 by Josh Davison:The world of competitive Pokemon battling is a complicated one. There are a lot of elements that make up the ebb and flow of battle, and it doesn’t always just come down to type advantage. One of the most commonly used strategies is hazard production.Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikescan easily determine the outcome of the battle, or it can at least give one side the advantage. Being able to repel and deal with such hazards – such as with the moveRapid Spin– can mean the difference between victory and defeat in a competitive Pokemon battle.
15Starmie Is A Gen I Pokemon That Can Strike And Use Rapid Spin
Starmie is a Water and Psychic-type Pokemon from the first generation of games. It is fast and has a solid special attack stat. It’s not dominating the higher tiers of play inSword & Shield, but it nonetheless has a solid set of stats and can help protect the team withRapid Spin.
With itsNatural Cureability, Starmie can also be withdrawn to heal any status conditions that may afflict it. Drop in some solid offensive moves like Hydro Pump and Psyshock, and it can be a solid addition to an NU-tier team.
14Mega Sableye Can Defend Your Team With The Best Of Them
Mega Sableye doesn’t get any use in theSword & Shieldmeta due to the removal of Mega Evolutions from the newest generation. However, it still has a strong standing in the OverUsed Tier of competitive play. What makes it such an excellent hazard control Pokemon is itsMagic Bounceability.
With Magic Bounce, Mega Sabeleye doesn’t need any moves like Rapid Spin. It bounces moves such as Spikes and Stealth Rock back at the user. While it is vulnerable to Fairy-type Pokemon, Mega Sabeleye’s typing protects it from getting hit with a super-effective move from almost every type.
13Mega Diancie Can Dominate In The Sun & Moon Competetive Play
Despite being both a Legendary Pokemon and a Mega Evolution, Mega Diancie still only sits in the OverUsed tier instead of the Uber tier in competitive play. Despite that, it’s still a dominant force in OverUsed play, with highly destructive move options like Diamond Storm and Moonblast at its disposal.
In addition to being a cannon, Mega Diancie also has theMagic Bounceability like Mega Sableye. It can prevent your side of the field from being cluttered with hazards and annihilate whatever Pokemon tried to lay them in the first place.
12Hatterene Is Another Magic Bounce Defender
Hatterene, the psychic and Fairy-type Pokemon introduced with Gen 8, also has theMagic Bounceability. This is the most common ability choice for those who use Hatterene in competitive play. It primarily shows up in UnderUsed inSword & Shieldbattles, but it has popped up in higher tiers as part of the team.
In addition to being able to reflect hazards, Hatterene can stick around for the long haul with EV-trained HP and defense stats. It can learn Draining Kiss and be given Leftovers to regenerate its health over a lengthy battle. It can also strike back with moves like Psychic and Mystical Fire.
11Xatu Is A Powerhouse In Sword & Shield Meta
Xatu is currently officially categorized in the NeverUsed meta on Smogon University (the premiere standard for Pokemon competitive play), but it has made some inroads in the Uber and OverUsed tier thanks to its ownMagic Bounceability as well as its ability to take punishment.
Like Hatterene, Xatu can take some punishment, but it’s also valued for its ability to lay on some special conditions on opposing Pokemon with moves like Toxic and Thunder Wave. Night Shade allows Xatu to dole out fixed damage, and Roost brings its HP back up. Xatu may very well be a new powerhouse inSword & Shield.
10Cloyster Can Provide A Skill Link And Icicle Spear Combo In Addition To Rapid Spin
Cloyster is a Pokemon that has a lot of options for builds. In many cases, trainers will opt into using Shell Smash to allow Cloyster to clean up opposing teams. This strategy works well in mid-tiers of play, but in the highest tiers, Cloyster has trouble finding enough safety to sweep. Fortunately, Cloyster has another powerful and effective strategy: hazard setter and cleaner.
Cloyster is strong at hazard control for a few reasons. Obviously, the fact it knowsRapid Spinis vital. In addition, its astronomical defense allows it to tank physical hits even after a Shell Smash. With Icicle Spear and Skill Link creating a dangerous combo for many premier leads, Cloyster can deal some serious damage. On top of all of that, Cloyster can set its own layer of Spikes or Toxic Spikes, creating even more pressure.Unlike other Kanto Pokemon, Cloyster should also be considered.
9Skarmory
Skarmory has lived much of its life as a supportive Pokemon. It has fantastic defensive typing and a collection of great utility-based attacks. It’s very easily walled by Taunt due to a poor offensive presence, but the support it provides is often worth it. For the purposes of hazard control, it has a couple of different options.
Most importantly, Skarmory has access to Defog like many other Flying-types. It can set its own hazards as well, butDefogclears hazards from both sides of the field. Proper timing is used to maximize effectiveness. Skarmory can also bring techniques like Toxic to deal damage over time, Roost to restore its own HP, and Whirlwind is an option to force the opponent to take entry hazard damage. Skarmory mayno longer be the premier Steel-type bird, but it still has its uses.
8Tentacruel
Although some trainers, particularly those familiar with Gen 3 games, will likely have their eyes glaze over upon seeing this Pokemon, Tentacruel still lives up to its name. This Pokemon has never been bad enough to dip into low tiers of play, much like Cloyster. And, also like Cloyster, this is primarily because of itsability to control hazards.
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Tentacruel packs a lot of speed and incredible bulk. This, in combination withRapid Spin, lets it clear hazards without issue. However, what makes Tentacruel particularly useful are the other techniques it brings. Scald can apply burns, Sludge Bomb and Toxic Spikes can apply poison, and Knock Off can clear items. Most importantly, it frequently has space to bring along Haze, a move that stops set-up sweepers in their tracks.
7Gliscor
It is unlikely at this point that Gliscorwill get its green card to enter Gen 8competitive battles, but its history shows what it’s capable of. Gliscor boasts a great statline and solid typing in combination with a whole ocean of fantastic moves. There are a number of ways to build Gliscor to fit any team composition. And, of course, that includes hazard control.
Gliscor gets access toDefog, like other flying types. It doesn’t have the same crippling weakness to rocks that other fliers have, however, pairing nicely.Roostallows it to tank hits and continue clearing hazards if need be. Plus, even a Gliscor not specialized for offense can still pack a mean Earthquake attack. Combined with either Knock Off as an aggressive option or Toxic as a passive one, Gliscor completes its role in neutering popular hazard setters.
6Tapu Fini
As shown, ahazard control Pokemonis only good so long as they can effectively deal with hazard setting Pokemon. In every tier, there are premier hazard setters that must be accounted for when building a tier. For the highest tiers of play, Tapu Fini serves fantastically at its niche role of checking a majority of the prominent entry hazard setters in the metagame.
Tapu Fini is one of few Pokemon that has access toDefogwhile not being weak to Stealth Rocks. On top of this,Nature’s Madnessis incredibly effective at shredding defensive walls by inflicting set damage. Combined with either a terrain-boosted Moonblast or a Scald, and Tapu Fini can clear out many of the best hazard setters. And for those that don’t get checked, Taunt stops the rest in their tracks.
