It has a decent base power with the added bonus of having a chance to drop your opponent’s special defense by a single stage. So if you’re going to take advantage of this move, which Pokémon should you be doing it with? Let’s find out.
10. Jolteon
Let’s start off weird, shall we? Jolteon was always my answer to Psychic types in early Pokémon. While Pin Missile was my only option in the first generation, Shadow Ball came along and provided a guaranteed 2 hit KO. But Jolteon was able to take advantage of this in later generations as well, with its phenomenal 110 base special attack and blistering 130 base speed. But no matter what generation, Jolteon was always my choice for picking off an opponent’s weakened team late game.
9. Dragapult
Well, Jolteon worked until Dragapult came along. It’s no wonder that Dragapult is based on the stealth bomber because it is fast. Like, really fast. Its 142 base speed is the 3rd fastest amongst non-legendary Pokémon in Sword and Shield. And while it has a higher attack, 100 base special attack is nothing to scoff at. This means Dragapult will be hitting you hard before you have a chance to hit it. Combine this with amazing coverage moves in Draco Meteor, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and U-turn, and any opponent is going to hate getting by this Pokémon. Because of its insane speed and STAB, Dragapult is worlds better than Jolteon.
8. Mewtwo/Mega Mewtwo Y
Mewtwo is arguably the strongest Pokémon of all time. It’s just as fast as Jolteon and has one of the highest special attacks in Sword and Shield at a massive 154. And it’s deserving of this spot just off of that. But there’s another big reason for it to be here. Remember when mega evolutions were a thing? Mewtwo got one of those. And Mega Mewtwo Y has the highest special attack of all time with the insane 194. How strong is Mega Mewtwo Y? If it went up against Dragapult, Mega Mewtwo Y could survive the STAB Shadow Ball and possibly beat Dragapult with a single hit of its own. So why isn’t Mega Mewtwo Y even higher? Well, it has better move options. It gets much more coverage combining its signature Psystrike with Ice Beam, Fire Blast, and Focus Blast. However, you can’t look away from a special attack being used by the strongest special attacker ever.
7. Chandelure
Chandelure has one of the coolest designs of all the ghost Pokémon. I can just see this thing hanging in the Haunted Mansion. And it’s always great when a cool Pokémon is also good in battle. Chandelure has the highest special attack of all non-legendaries in Sword and Shield. Combine this with a ghost and fire mixed typing and you have some of the strongest moves in the game. Fire Blast and Shadow Ball make a deadly combo, and Chandelure uses them beautifully. Not to mention the chance to boost them up with Calm Mind. Unfortunately, Chandelure is held back by its lack of bulk and middling speed. If it was just a little bit faster or a little bit bulkier, Chandelure would be one of the best Pokémon in the game.
6. Spectrier
Spectrier is one of the newest additions to Pokémon, having been introduced in the recent Crown Tundra DLC. It’s an awesome black and purple horse with an even cooler blank and pink shiny. Spectrier has the same special attack as Chandelure, but with the speed of Jolteon. Throw Shadow Ball on this thing and your opponents will be taken out in an instant. And when they are, Spectrier’s ability Grim Neigh will boost its Special Attack by a single stage. There are some downsides, though. A lot of people don’t like Spectrier because there really aren’t many other moves for it to use. But don’t let those naysayers dissuade you! Spectrier is a powerful sweeper for anyone’s team.
5. Blacephalon
Blacephalon is our second ghost and fire type Pokémon on this list, and it is a deeply upsetting creature to me. It literally takes off its head, throws it at you, and blows it up! Combine this with a clown motif and you have a really creepy Pokémon. But this aesthetic is saved by its massive 151 special attack and decent speed. This thing has almost the same special attack as Mewtwo, and has STAB for Shadow Ball! Not to mention insane suicidal moves like Mind Blown and Explosion. While this thing is disturbing to me, I can’t help but admit that Blacepholon is a blast to use.
4. Polteageist
Polteageist is easily the most innocent looking thing on this list. I mean, it’s just a teapot. What’s so dangerous about a teapot? Two words: Shell. Smash. Shell Smash is the best boosting move in the game, boosting Attack, Special Attack, and Speed by 2 stages. This takes its already impressive 134 special attack to the unbelievable 268! All you need to make the most of this is two more moves: Stored Power and Shadow Ball. Of course, like so many ghost Pokémon, Polteageist has issues with bulk. But that’s what a Focus Sash is for! Get Polteageist out there and destroy your opponents whole team! Unless they have a dark type. Or a priority move. Or Sturdy. OK maybe the plan isn’t fool proof, but that’s still the strongest Shadow Ball you’re going to see with this set up.
3. Calyrex-Shadow Rider
Calyrex-Shadow Rider is the combination of Calyrex and Spectrier, and is one of the most terrifying Pokémon introduced in Sword and Shield. It has 150 speed and 165 special attack. It is the fastest and strongest ghost type in all of Sword and Shield. Not only this, but it has decent bulk with 100 HP and 100 special defense. And to top it all off, Calyrex-Shadow Rider essentially has 2 abilities! And one of those is Grim Neigh, meaning its special attack will increase every time it defeats an opponent. This easily could be the strongest Pokémon in all of Sword and Shield. The only reason Calyrex- Shadow Rider isn’t higher on this list is because it has a much better move in Astral Barrage. This move has 120 base power and 100 accuracy, which is freaking terrifying. However, Shadow Ball with STAB and that massive Special Attack stat cannot be ignored.
2. Gengar/Mega Gengar
Calyrex- Shadow Rider may have the strongest base Shadow Ball in all of Sw/Sh, but it’s not the best of all time. For that, we have to look at the original spookymon: Gengar. Gengar has always been the face of ghost Pokémon. And Shadow Ball is the perfect move for it, since it actually used to be a shadowy ball (hello, Gastly). But Gengar’s regular form is not why we see it on this list. Mega Gengar sports a whopping 170 special attack stat, the highest of any ghost type Pokémon in the series. Not only that, but it has an amazing ability in Shadow Tag. This prevents any opponent from switching out when Mega Gengar is on the field. Combined with its insane 130 speed, this makes Mega Gengar perfect for eliminating almost all Pokémon immediately. Mega Gengar easily has the strongest Shadow Ball in the game. But strongest doesn’t necessarily mean the best.
1. Aegislash
Alright, I have to admit this is a bold choice. But I got to thinking: none of these Pokémon really use the secondary effect of shadow ball, which is a a 30% chance to lower the opponent’s Special Defense. This can be incredibly helpful. All of the previous Pokémon listed are much too frail to take advantage of this. They’re glass cannons. You either have to kill the opponent or be killed. But this is not the case with Aegislash. Because of its Stance Change ability, Aegislash can swap its attacking and defending stats by using the move King’s Shield. Not only that, but King’s Shield also works as a Protect that decreases the attacking Pokémon’s attack. Pair all this with Shadow Sneak and you have a truly formidable ‘mon. I’ll admit that Aegislash is not the fastest or strongest Pokémon that uses Shadow Ball. However, it absolutely is the best at taking advantage of all that Shadow Ball has to offer.
