Stats & Training
Runerigus's all-in on Defense at the expense of Speed. The physical lean is obvious from the bars. Yields 2 Defense EVs and follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
A powerful curse was woven into an ancient painting. After absorbing the spirit of a Yamask, the painting began to move.
Never touch its shadowlike body, or you’ll be shown the horrific memories behind the picture carved into it.
Runerigus Weakness
Runerigus's Ground/Ghost typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Grass, Ice, Ghost, and Dark. It shrugs off Normal, Electric, and Fighting-type attacks completely. Runerigus's physical bulk (base 145 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Grass, Ice, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug, Rock |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0x (Immune) | Normal, Electric, Fighting |
In Sword & Shield, Dusknoir's Poltergeist hits Runerigus for 75-88%. Incineroar's Knock Off hits Runerigus for 49-58%. Leafeon deals 41-49% with Knock Off.
 Dusknoir Ghost | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityFrisk ItemAssault Vest NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Runerigus View Dusknoir builds →Shadow Sneak 2x28-33% Poltergeist 2x75-88% Earthquake23-27% | ||
 Incineroar FireDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemSitrus Berry NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Runerigus View Incineroar builds →Knock Off 2x49-58% Flare Blitz45-53% | ||
 Leafeon Grass | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityChlorophyll ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Runerigus View Leafeon builds →Knock Off 2x41-49% | ||
 Slowking WaterPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemColbur Berry NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Runerigus View Slowking builds →Scald 2x38-45% | ||
 Swampert WaterGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTorrent ItemLeftovers NatureSassy Moves
Damage vs Runerigus View Swampert builds →Earthquake27-31% Flip Turn 2x33-38% | ||
Sword & Shield Evolution
Runerigus is the evolved form of Yamask. Breeding produces Yamask eggs, and they're average hatch time. Evolving from Yamask gave Runerigus the biggest boost in Attack (+65), bringing the total to 483 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Runerigus to get Yamask eggs easily using 46 partners from the Indeterminate and Mineral egg groups. Notable egg moves include Memento.
Sword & Shield Runerigus Best Moveset
Stealth Rock is the priority every time Runerigus comes in. Careful nature and max HP and Sp. Def EVs keep it alive long enough to get layers down, while Leftovers provides passive recovery each turn. Wanderingspirit rounds it out.
Best Build
Runerigus best EVs are HP and Sp. Def
Wall Moveset
- Stealth Rock
- Poltergeist
- Haze
- Will O Wisp
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Bulky Support Moveset
- Earthquake
- Trick Room
- Rock Slide
- Poltergeist
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without TMs, Runerigus's movepool is bare bones. With them, you get coverage across 7 types on top of Poltergeist and Earthquake for STAB. The natural kit handles basics, but TMs are doing the real work.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Runerigus in Sword & Shield
Runerigus doesn't appear wild. Catch Yamask instead, it shows up at solid rates. Evolve it through a special method to get Runerigus. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Runerigus in Sword & Shield
Step 1Catch YamaskRoute 6SwordOverworld Lv.29-33 Route35%MidAll WeatherRoute 6ShieldOverworld Lv.29-33 Route35%MidAll Weather
Step 2Runerigus ✓
Runerigus Guide
In Sword & Shield, Runerigus has a 483 base stat total and ranks as S-Tier: one of the best picks in the Sword & Shield meta. It works best as a trick room. Stealth Rock with Leftovers is the standard set.
In Sword & Shield, watch for Milotic (Water), Kartana (Grass), and Kyurem (Ice) when using Runerigus. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Ghost and Dark-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 30 Speed, Runerigus won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Wandering Spirit swaps abilities with opponents on contact. That's the one you want on Runerigus. It's the only ability Runerigus has.
In Sword & Shield, Runerigus fills the trick room role. It's a physical attacker with base 95 Attack. Base 30 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's tanky enough to absorb a few hits.
For Sword & Shield, Runerigus has answers, but so do you. Super-effective STAB from faster Pokemon is the simplest answer. Water, Grass, and Ice-type attackers hit hardest.
Game Availability
Introduced in Sword & Shield, Runerigus has appeared in 2 games across 3 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwShDebut
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves