Breaking Swipe makes its debut in Pokémon Go during the Primal Rumblings event, which will occur before the arrival of Primal Groudon and Kyogre during the Pokémon Go Tour: Hoenn global event. It’s a powerful Dragon-type move that could change how you use some of your Pokémon. Only Rayquaza can access it when it arrives, but it should be available to certain Pokémon in the future. When Breaking Swipe arrives, is it a good move to learn in Pokémon Go?

Should you get Breaking Swipe in Pokémon Go?

When Breaking Swipe first arrives, only Rayquaza can unlock it. During the Primal Rumblings event from February 22 to 24 in your local area, Rayquaza five-star raids that you complete give you a chance to catch one with this charged attack. It’s a powerful Dragon-type move, but what makes it strong and such a good move? Let’s break down Breaking Swipe’s stats and compare them to others already in Pokémon Go.

Related: How to complete the Primal Rumblings Collection Challenge in Pokémon Go

Here are all the stats for Breaking Swipe for player and raid battles.

• PvP
  • Damage: 50
  • Energy: 35
  • Effects: 100% chance to lower the opponent’s attack by one rank
• PvE
  • Damage: 35
  • Energy: 33

Although Breaking Swipe does not do a massive amount of damage for raids or PvE battles, what makes it a practical choice is how much damage it does and the debuff it unleashes for PvP encounters. Each time it lands a hit, regardless if the player shields it or not, the target has their attack lowered by a rank, making them weaker in a battle.

For a Dragon-type move that only costs 35 energy, Rayquaza can frequently attack with this move, causing a lot of destruction during a battle, making it harder for the opponent to do too much damage to it. It’s a sizeable upgrade compared to Rayquaza’s other PvP moves, especially given the debuff that comes with Breaking Swipe. We can compare it to other strong attacks, such as Cross Chop, Cross Poison, Dragon Claw, Aqua Tail, and Night Slash.

We imagine when Breaking Swipe is unlocked for other Pokémon, it will be even more widely used, but it all comes down to the Pokémon that can learn it. Regardless of who gets it, Breaking Swipe is a great move, and with such a powerful debuff, we can’t help but recommend it.

About the author

Zack Palm

Zack Palm is the Senior Writer of Gamepur and has spent over five years covering video games, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Oregon State University. He spends his free time biking, running tabletop campaigns, and listening to heavy metal. His primary game beats are Pokémon Go, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and any newly released title, and he finds it difficult to pull away from any Star Wars game.

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