Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: How To Get Kingambit

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  • Finding Pawniard And Bisharp
  • Evolving Bisharp
  • Kingambit Moves, Stats, And Use

Kingambit is the third and final evolution of Bisharp in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet and has, to date, the most complicated and difficult evolution process in the franchise. Evolving a Bisharp into Kingambit is a multi-step process that, with even one error, can leave you standing back at square one. Its strange complexity is practically impossible to find on accident, and so following a guide is required for the player attempting to evolve Kingambit for the first time.

Nevertheless, the difficulty is immensely rewarding in the end when earning Kingambit that, with its excellent typing (Steel/Dark), superb physical stats, and new signature move: Kowtow Cleave, can become a real threat on any balanced team. In the late game, you'll find Kingambit indispensable and a real linchpin to the strategies your opponents use – in PvE, Raid, and PvP alike.

Finding Pawniard And Bisharp

The first step to worry about is finding a pokemon in this line to eventually evolve into Kingambit. If you're wanting to grow your pokemon with your team throughout your playthrough, you can grab a Pawinard early south of Artazon in the South Province (Area Five). It evolves at level fifty-two into Bisharp.

If you wish instead to catch a Bisharp and skip the grinding levels needed to evolve it, you can find them spawning in the bamboo forest in the North Province sandwiched between Area One and Area two and next to Fury Falls (a flyable location). It is at this location where the bulk of this evolution process will need to happen.

Evolving Bisharp

To evolve Bisharp, you will need to place it at the front of your party and locate three other Bisharp who spawn as in a group of Pawinard in the aforementioned bamboo forest in the North Province. This may take some time as Bisharp only has a standard spawn rate of thirty percent on its own, and the chances for it to spawn a group are even lower.

Forget The Leader's Crest

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need the Leader's Crest. The Leader's Crest item does not need to be obtained or given to your pokemon in order for it to evolve into Kingambit.

This item is only used by the game itself to mark the Bisharp that count toward defeating the correct number of them to evolve. If you choose to place this item on a Bisharp, it will have no effect. The item, outside the game's calculation system, has no apparent in-game effect. The Leader's Crest is only found on Bisharp surrounded by Pawinard.

You can also increase your odds of finding a Bisharp by making one of these sandwiches:

  • Great Tropical Sandwich – Encounter Power 1: Dark
  • Great Smoky Sandwich – Encounter Power 1: Dark
  • Variety Sandwich – Encounter Power 1: Dark
  • Decadent Sandwich – Encounter Power 1: Dark
  • Ultra Decadent Sandwich – Encounter Power 2: Dark
  • Ultra Avacado Sandwich – Encounter Power 2: Dark
  • Potato Salad Sandwich – Encounter Power 1: Steel
  • Hefty Sandwich – Encounter Power 1: Steel
  • Ultra Fried Fillet Sandwich – Encounter Power 1: Steel
  • Ultra Tower Sandwich – Encounter Power 2: Steel

To make fighting these Bisharp easier/faster, you can teach your Bisharp to use Low Sweep (TM) or Brick Break (TM) in order to give an advantage against other Bisharp.

When your Bisharp has defeated three other leaders – and if they didn't already level up during the third and final fight – they need only level up once in order to evolve into Kingambit. How your Bisharp levels up once three are defeated does not matter. Eventually, you will be prompted by its evolution.

Kingambit Moves, Stats, And Use

Kingambit is an exceptional addition to any team and is also used in Geeta's Champion team. It's incredibly easy to underestimate this pokemon given its quadruple weakness against Fighting type. However, its movepool is exceptional, its stats are deadly, and its access to both Defiant and Supreme Overlord as abilities make it a devastating addition to any team.

Stats

Stats

HP

Attack (Atk)

Defense (Def)

100

135

120

Sp. Attack (Sp. Atk)

Sp. Defense (Sp. Def)

Speed (SpD)

60

85

50

Moves

Learnable Moves

Level

Name

Type

Category

Power

Accuracy

PP

Sp. Effect

Evolve

Kowtow Cleave

Dark

Physical

85

10

This attack never misses

Leer

Normal

Effect

100

30

Lower target's Def by one stage

Scratch

Normal

Physical

40

100

35

Fury Cutter

Bug

Physical

40

95

20

More powerful with successive attacks

Metal Burst

Steel

Effect

??

100

10

Returns 1.5x damage dealt

Metal Claw

Steel

Physical

50

95

35

May increase Atk by one stage

15

Torment

Dark

Effect

100

15

Target unable to use the same attack twice

20

Scary Face

Dark

Effect

100

10

Lowers target's Speed by two stages

25

Assurance

Dark

Physical

60

100

10

2x damage if attacked same round

30

Metal Sound

Steel

Effect

85

40

Lowers target Sp. Def by two stages

35

Slash

Normal

Physical

70

100

20

High critical hit chance

40

Night Slash

Dark

Physical

70

100

15

High critical hit chance

45

Iron Defense

Steel

Effect

100

15

Raises Def by two stages

50

Retaliate

Normal

Physical

70

100

5

2x damage if an ally fainted the last turn

57

Iron Head

Steel

Physical

80

100

15

Chance to flinch target

64

Swords Dance

Normal

Effect

100

20

Raises Atk by two stages

71

Guillotine

Normal

Physical

??

30

5

If hit, the target faints instantly

Egg Moves

Name

Type

Category

Power

Accuracy

PP

Effect

Headbutt

Normal

Physical

70

100

15

Chance to flinch target

Sucker Punch

Dark

Physical

70

100

5

Always hit first; fail if the target isn't attacking

Quick Guard

Fight

Effect

100

15

Protect self and allies from priority moves

Mean Look

Normal

Effect

100

5

Prevent target from escape

TM Moves

TM #

Name

Type

Category

Power

Accuracy

PP

Effect

TM001

Take Down

Normal

Physical

90

85

20

Take recoil damage

TM006

Scary Face

Normal

Effect

100

10

Lower the target's Speed by two stages

TM007

Protect

Normal

Effect

100

10

Nullify attacks; fail chance increases with use

TM012

Low Kick

Fighting

Physical

??

100

20

Power increases with the target's weight

TM018

Thief

Dark

Physical

60

100

25

Steal an item from the target

TM025

Facade

Normal

Physical

70

100

25

Moves power is doubled under a status effect

TM027

Aerial Ace

Flying

Physical

60

100

20

Attack never misses

TM030

Snarl

Dark

Special

55

95

15

Lower target Sp. Atk by one stage

TM031

Metal Claw

Steel

Physical

50

95

35

May boost attack by one stage

TM036

Rock Tomb

Rock

Physical

60

95

15

Lower the target Speed by one stage

TM039

Low Sweep

Fighting

Physical

65

100

20

Lower the target Speed by one stage

TM047

Endure

Normal

Effect

100

10

Endure any attack with at least 1HP

TM050

Rain Dance

Water

Effect

100

5

Summon a rainstorm

TM051

Sandstorm

Rock

Effect

100

10

Summon a sandstorm

TM055

Dig

Ground

Physical

80

100

10

Burrow underground and attack the next turn

TM057

False Swipe

Normal

Physical

40

100

40

Leave target with 1HP

TM058

Brick Break

Fighting

Physical

75

100

15

Breaks Light Screen and Reflect

TM059

Zen Headbutt

Psychic

Physical

80

90

20

May make the target flinch

TM061

Shadow Claw

Ghost

Physical

70

100

15

High critical chance

TM062

Foul Play

Dark

Physical

95

100

15

More power with the target's Atk stat

TM065

Air Slash

Flying

Special

75

95

15

May make the target flinch

TM070

Sleep Talk

Normal

Effect

100

10

Randomly use a move when asleep

TM081

Grass Knot

Grass

Special

??

100

20

More power per target's weight

TM082

Thunder Wave

Electric

Effect

??

90

20

Paralyze the target

TM083

Poison Jab

Poison

Physical

80

100

20

May poison the target

TM085

Rest

Psychic

Effect

100

5

The user goes to sleep and heals fully

TM087

Taunt

Dark

Effect

100

20

The target must attack three turns

TM088

Swords Dance

Normal

Effect

100

20

Raise Atk by two stages

TM093

Flash Cannon

Steel

Special

80

100

10

May lower target's Sp. Def

TM094

Dark Pulse

Dark

Special

80

100

15

May make the target flinch

TM099

Iron Head

Steel

Physical

80

100

15

May make the target flinch

TM103

Substitute

Normal

Effect

100

10

Sacrifice half of the user's HP to create a substitute

TM104

Iron Defense

Steel

Effect

100

15

Raise Def by two stages

TM105

X-Scissor

Bug

Physical

80

100

15

TM116

Stealth Rock

Rock

Effect

100

20

Lay trap of stones

TM134

Reversal

Fighting

Physical

??

100

15

More power the less HP the user has

TM150

Stone Edge

Rock

Physical

100

80

5

High critical chance

TM152

Giga Impact

Normal

Physical

150

90

5

Can't move next turn

TM158

Focus Blast

Fighting

Special

120

70

5

May lower target's Sp. Def by one stage

TM163

Hyper Beam

Normal

Special

160

90

5

Can't move next turn

TM170

Steel Beam

Steel

Special

140

95

5

User takes recoil

TM171

Tera Blast

??

Sp/Phys

80

100

10

When Terastallized, use Tera Type & highest damage stat

PvE Use

For standard gameplay (PvE), you can expect Kingambit to play a pivotal role in crushing Fairy and Psychic type pokemon. You'll have to keep an eye out for fighting, fire, and ground types, but with the right and smart strategy, they don't provide much of a challenge. When it comes to fighting gym leaders (especially for the rematches), you'll definitely want Kingambit on your team for the match against Tulip as it is a full counter against her team with only slight concern for her Gallade counter-mon. It's a solid option against Nemona for a good portion of her team and a number of other late-game gym leaders as well, and in regards to the Ace Tournament, it can serve as a decent bulky sweeper in the back of your party. Overall, Kingambit has few rivals in terms of performance in the late game.

PvP Use

For PVP, Kingambit's standard use in the competitive scene is still under development, but popular strategies make use of its movepool and speed stat in two ways:

  • Using slow speed & priority moves to their advantage – using Sucker Punch for priority and Assurance when moving last
  • Setting Up Trick Room – setting up for a fast-sweeping Kingambit with Supreme Overlord in the far back of the party

Kowtow Cleave is nice for PvE, but accuracy teams in the competitive scene are regarded as niche. Using Kowtow Cleave to its fullest in PvP is very conditional. Iron Head for flinching and covering Fairy types is always recommended, and Brick Break and Zen Headbutt as coverage moves are on the list of popular options.

Defiant and Supreme Overlord are both excellent abilities. For competitive, Defiant is best used in doubles and in VGC where group stat lowering is relatively common, as is the ability Intimidate. In Singles, Supreme Overlord Kingambit has seen immense popularity and is generally a better option for the bulky late sweeper.

You can maximize Defiant's potential in niche teams by pairing it with Foul Play. As it scales off of a pokemon's attack stat, the ability and Kingambit's already high base stat can create a devastating combination. Paired with a working Trick Room team, the results can be catastrophic for opponents that don't counter quickly enough.

The best nature for this pokemon is Adamant (+Atk/-Sp. Atk), with a recommended EV spread of +252HP/+252Atk/+4SpD. The list of recommended held items for Kingambit include:

  • Black Glasses
  • Life Orb
  • Choice Band
  • Assault Vest

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