Axew Guide

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Arthur Monteclar

Arthur has been in the writing business for years now, and he loves writing about his hobbies, one of which is video games. He loves Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and other relaxing games of this nature, namely the Pokémon series which is his biggest love within gaming. He is also a software programmer, so he understands the craft and effort invested in the gaming medium. He is also fond of manga and anime, being an avid follower of One Piece and Kaguya-Sama, to name a few.

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Dinosaurs are awesome, prehistoric creatures that we are slowly learning about. The idea of gargantuan beasts roaming our land perplexes our tiny, human brains so much that we fantasize about reviving them and enclosing them in parks for us to gawk at.

However, I think a more interesting concept would be to capture them and let them fight each other. Thankfully, Pokémon fulfils that fantasy for us.

Plenty of dinosaur-like Pokémon exists, like Tyrantrum in Gen VI, who is a replica of the real-life bloodthirsty king, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, or Rampardos in IV, who is a replica of the real-life headbutting dinosaur, the Pachycephalosaur. One dinosaur-like Pokémon that intrigues me greatly due to its great stats and interesting design is Haxorus and its evolutionary lineage introduced in Gen V.

If Hydreigon, the Dragon-Dark Pokémon in Gen V, is not available for your playthrough, then you can trust in Haxorus.

Despite his single Dragon typing, he boasts impressive stats of the non-legendary Dragon types of its generation, second only to Hydreigon. Of course, to have him, you would need an Axew, the earliest evolutionary lineage of Haxorus. This guide will teach you all about Axew.

Bottom Line Up Front

Axew is a Pokémon introduced in Generation V with the Dragon typing that evolves into Fraxure at level 38. At level 48, Fraxure evolves into Haxorus. Below is some important information about the Tusk Pokémon Axew.

• Axew (Tusk Pokémon)
• National Dex Number: 610
• Type: Dragon
• Ability: Rivalry; Mold Breaker
• Hidden Ability: Unnerve
• Egg Groups: Monster; Dragon
• Hatch Time: 10280 to 10536 steps
• Height: 2’ or 0.6 m
• Weight: 39.7 lbs. or 18 kg
• Base Experience Yield: 64
• Levelling Rate: Slow
• EV Yield: 1 Attack
• Gender Ratio: 50% Male, 50% Female
• Catch Rate: 75 (17.5%)

What Does Axew Look Like in Pokémon?

Axew has a tailed, bipedal body whose colors are a mix of grey and green. It has a white tusk protruding from the left and right sides of its mouth.

According to several Pokédex entries, it uses these tusks to crush berries for nourishment, and they become stronger and sharper from repeated regrowth since its tusks grow back if they break. It also uses its tusks to mark territories by gnashing them into trees.

The top and back of its head, as well as the surrounding areas of its eyes, are darker than the rest of the body. There is also a tall and slightly curved horn at the back of its head. Its eyes are red, and it has a rounded snout with two big nostrils. A lime green collar goes around its neck, and its limbs and tail are short. Its arms have three digits each, while its feet only have two.

Where to Find Axew in Pokémon Games

Since Axew is a Pokémon introduced in Gen V, its earliest entry within the series is in Pokémon Black and White. They reappear in future games up until Pokémon Sword and Shield.

They are unobtainable in Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu, Let’s Go Eevee, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, and Legends: Arceus. They also appear in several side games. Below are details on where to find Axew in Pokémon games.

Where to Find Axew in Pokémon Black and White

You have a 20% chance of randomly encountering a level 30 to 31 Axew in Mistralton Cave on Route 6. To access the cave, you need to have a Pokémon who knows the HM03 move Surf. To get the HM, you would need to defeat Cheren at Twist Mountain. After defeating him, Alder, a Champion in the Unova Region, gives it to both of you.

You may also need a Pokémon who knows the TM70 move Flash to fully illuminate the cave. However, it is optional as you can still access the cave, albeit blindly. You can also randomly encounter Axew in the Guidance Chamber, a location within the Mistralton Cave where the Legendary Pokémon Cobalion resides. The encounter rate and the levels are the same as in the cave.

Where to Find Axew in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2

You can randomly encounter Axew in the same Mistralton Cave as in Black and White with the same encounter chances, though the level at which you can find it is lower (level 29 to 30). You still need Surf to access the cave, though now there is a new way to enter it.

You can enter Mistralton Cave through the Clay Tunnel, a cave exclusive to Black 2 and White 2. It connects Driftveil City, Twist Mountain, Mistralton Cave, and Underground Ruins, and you can access it after entering the Hall of Fame.

Where to Find Axew in Pokémon X and Y

You have a 10% chance of randomly encountering a level 13 to 15 Axew in the Connecting Cave, also known as the Zubat Roost. It is a cave that connects Route 7, Route 8, and the Cyllage City, although a boulder initially blocks the entrance to the city. You can move the boulder by using a Pokémon who knows the HM04 move Strength. You also have a 5% chance of randomly encountering a horde of level 8 Axew.

Where to Find Axew in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

You can encounter a level 12 Axew in Granite Cave, also known as Stone Cave, which you can find northwest of DewFord Town. The cave’s entrance is on Route 106. You can only find Axew through the PokéNav as hidden Pokémon, a feature introduced in the game. It also only appears after defeating or capturing the Legendary Pokémon Groudon or Kyogre. It appears on all the cave’s floors.

Where to Find Axew in Pokémon Sun and Moon

You can encounter a level 28 Axew by using the Island Scan feature on Mount Hokulani on Saturday. Island Scan, which is available after gathering 100 points from scanning QR Codes, searches for a rare Pokémon in specific places, and when you use it on Mount Hokulani on Saturday, you can encounter the Axew within the grass. It knows the move Iron Tail.

Where to Find Axew in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

You can encounter a level 30 Axew by using the same method in finding one in Pokémon Sun and Moon. However, instead of Iron Tail, this Axew knows the move Counter.

Where to Find Axew in Pokémon Sword and Shield

Firstly, you can find a level 36 to 40 Axew as a visible encounter (i.e., roaming around the overworld) on the grass in Axew’s Eye, a small island in the middle of Lake Axewell in the southern Wild Area. There is a 10% chance that they appear in clear, cloudy, rainy, and foggy weather. You would need a Rotom Bike Water Mode to access this small island. You can get this bike on Route 9 after defeating Hop in Circhester.

Secondly, you can find a level 29 to 33 Axew as a visible encounter on the grass in Route 6, a route located in northwest Galar, which connects the city Hammerlocke and the town Stow-on-Side. In Pokémon Sword, there is a 5% chance it appears, while in Pokémon Shield, there is a 1% chance.

Thirdly, you can find a level 29 to 31 Axew as a visible encounter on the grass in Hammerlocke Hills, a part of the Wild Area located on the northern side. There is a 2% chance that it appears during sandstorm weather.

Fourthly, you can encounter an Axew in a Max Raid Battle through an active Pokémon Den in the Rolling Fields, a portion of the Wild Area located in the south of the southern side. The specific Pokémon Den is in a corner near the cliff wall west of the Meetup Spot.

In Pokémon Shield, the den’s common and rare pools grant a 35% chance of encountering a one-star (level 15 to 20) Axew with one perfect IV. In Pokémon Sword, the den’s common and rare pools grant a 20% chance of encountering a one-star Axew with one perfect IV and a 30% chance of encountering a two-star (level 25 to 30) Axew.

Finally, you can encounter an Axew in a Max Raid Battle through an active Pokémon Den in the Axew’s Eye. The encounter rates are similar to the Pokémon Den in the Rolling Fields.

Where to Find Axew in Pokémon Go

You can own an Axew by reaching level 48 and fully completing the Level 48 Challenge. The Level 48 Challenge has a ton of tasks that you need to do, such as Power up Pokémon 48 times, Make 480 Nice Throws, and more.

Axew in the Pokémon Anime

Iris, an aspiring dragon master and a traveling companion of Ash in the Black and White anime series, owns an Axew, which debuted in the series’ first episode, “In the Shadow of Zekrom!” This Axew’s driving force was to evolve into a powerful Haxorus.

In the series 65th episode, “Thrash of the Titans!” he achieved his goal. Also, this episode shows that Drayden, the Gym Leader of Opelucid City, owns an Axew.

The series’ 51st episode, “Lost at the Stamp Rally!” introduced a new character, Irina, who was searching for her lost Axew in the Gear Station. They eventually reunite within the same episode. Irina and her Axew reappear in the series 65th episode, “Battling the Bully!”

In the series 9th episode, “The Bloom Is on Axew!” Iris’ flashback shows multiple Axew. Multiple Axew also appear in the series’ 53rd episode, “A Maractus Musical!” and 100th episode, “A Village Homecoming!”

What Are Axew’s Base Stats in Pokémon?

Axew is the first of its evolutionary line; thus, it has severely low stats that is not viable for fighting at high levels. However, it is powerful among other firsts of their evolutionary line. Plus, having a Dragon typing helps it protect itself from fainting a lot. Below are Axew’s base stats in the games, with a total of 320.

What Are Axew’s Best Stats?

Clearly, Axew’s best stat is its Attack, making it a powerful physical attacker. Many of Axew’s moves via levelling up are physical attacks, such as Dual Chop by level 13, a Dragon-type physical attack with a power of 40, an accuracy of 100%, and a PP of 15. Another good one at an early stage is Dragon Claw, a move Axew can learn at level 28 with a power of 80, an accuracy of 100%, and a PP of 15.

Two other stats next to Attack are Defense and Speed, which are good synergies for Axew. A fast Pokémon with good defence and physical prowess can be a beast in battle.

What Are Axew’s Worst Stats?

Axew’s worst stat is its Special Attack, which is good because you can focus on its prowess in physical attacks. Avoid letting Axew learn special moves like Dragon Rage and Dragon Pulse because you are basically ignoring their main strength. Other not-so-good stats are Special Defense and HP, which is bad news if Axew goes against opponents that specialize in special moves.

What Are Axew’s Abilities in Pokémon?

Axew can have three abilities, with one being its hidden ability, and they are as follows:

• Rivalry: Axew’s attacks become 25% more powerful if it shares the same gender as its target. Similarly, its attacks become 25% weaker if Axew’s gender and its target’s gender are opposite to each other. If the target’s gender is unknown, nothing happens.
• Mold Breaker: Axew’s moves ignore the target’s abilities. For example, if Axew with this ability uses Dig, a Ground-type move, on a Pokémon with the Levitate ability, the movie will hit the target.
• Unnerve (Hidden Ability): Axew stops its opponents from eating their held Berries. However, this ability does not stop berry consumption from these moves: Natural Gift and Teatime.

Note that Mold Breaker ignores the abilities of every Pokémon on the battlefield, including its own allies, if Axew targets them. Also, Unnerve has an extra effect in the Generation VII games; if an encountered Pokémon is facing an Axew with this ability, wild Pokémon are x1.2 more likely to answer their calls for help.

What Is the Best Ability for Axew in Pokémon?

The best ability among Axew’s pool of abilities is Mold Breaker due to its versatility in battle. By Gen VIII, Mold Breaker can ignore up to 72 abilities. Furthermore, it can disrupt the plans of your opponents; if they have a Pokémon with the Levitate ability, which you find annoying, you can absolutely destroy it with a Ground-type move, and your opponent might even be thrown away by this option.

Mold Breaker has a ton of different applications, which is incredibly useful, as an opponent’s ability benefits them most of the time. Another great example would be using a status move against a Pokémon with the Magic Bounce ability. Magic Bounce reflects status moves back to the user, but with Mold Breaker, Axew’s status moves can hit the opponent directly as it ignores Magic Bounce.

If Mold Breaker is not available, the next best ability between Rivalry and Unnerve would be the latter for several reasons. First, Rivalry relies on the opponent Pokémon’s gender. However, there are plenty of Pokémon without gender, especially legendary. Thus, Rivalry would not be of much use to Axew. Plus, Axew’s attacks become weaker if they are going against an opponent of the opposite gender.

Second, Unnerve is more useful against enemies whose strategies rely on eating berries. If you do not know, berries are incredibly common items to use in the competitive scene. Even in the game’s story, you may encounter a lot of NPCs whose Pokémon have berries. So, Unnerve becomes useful in these situations.

What Are the Best Natures for Axew in Pokémon?

The following natures are suggestions for Axew in Pokémon, with the first nature I deem the best for them:

• Adamant (Increased Attack, Decreased Special Attack): Axew excels in physical attacks, so their special attacks are utterly useless if you utilize this strength. Having an Adamant nature improves its main strength without any drawback since you will never use special attacks.
• Jolly (Increased Speed, Decreased Special Attack): Axew’s Speed is great, but it can be better by sacrificing something Axew does not use, which is their Special Attack. A Jolly Axew with great stats can even outspeed opponent Pokémon with a Choice Scarf. This item is incredibly common in the competitive scene to boost one’s Speed, so countering it with a Jolly nature hinders its utility.
• Careful (Increased Special Defense, Decreased Special Attack): Axew has an incredibly low Special Defense, which is scary considering his typing: Dragon. Dragon-types are weak to Ice, Fairy, and Dragon moves. Statistically, in Pokémon Sword and Shield, 44% of Ice moves, 70.6% of Fairy moves, and 50% of Dragon moves are special attacks. A good way to cover up for this weakness is to improve its Special Defense by sacrificing its Special Attack.

Axew’s Moves Per Level (Generation VIII)

Axew appears in Pokémon Sword, and Shield yet is absent in the other games in this generation, i.e., Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Axew’s Moves From TM or TR (Generation VIII)

Axew’s Moves From Breeding (Generation VIII)

Note that the moves First Impression and Night Slash must be chain-bred from the parents. Firstly, the parent must have First Impression, which they can get from being an offspring between a female parent and a Golisopod with the move. Secondly, the parent must have Night Slash, which they can get from being an offspring between a female parent and a Honedge, Doublade, or Aegislash with the move.

What Is Axew Strong Against in Pokémon?

Axew, along with its evolutionary line, has a single Dragon typing, which is usually best defensively. In terms of offense, Dragon moves are only strong against other Pokémon with the Dragon typing. Dragon moves’ damage becomes halved when dealing with a Steel-type, while it becomes null when dealing with a Fairy type. Thankfully, though, Axew’s moves are not limited to Dragon moves.

Axew can learn Fighting moves like Superpower and Reversal through TMs, which are incredibly useful against Steel-type Pokémon. Furthermore, it can learn Steel moves to counter its null damage against Fairy-type Pokémon. Iron Tail is a good contender, which is TR31 in Pokémon Sword and Shield. Poison Jab is another good one to use against Fairy-type Pokémon.

What Is Axew Resistant to in Pokémon?

Dragon-type Pokémon are best known for their defensive capabilities because they are resistant to the common elements, i.e., Fire, Water, Grass, and Electric. If you are facing off against an Axew, be wary of using your starter Pokémon because their STAB moves will not be effective, and their damage will be cut in half.

What Is Axew Weak to in Pokémon?

To really cut through an Axew’s line of defense, you would need to use Ice, Dragon, and Fairy-type moves against it as it is its weakness. However, be wary if you are using another Dragon-type Pokémon to use Dragon moves because Axew can also be strong against you.

What Is the Best Build for Axew in Pokémon?

Axew is not mainly a fully-fledged competitive Pokémon because it is in the earliest stage of its evolutionary line. However, you can still make the most out of your Axew until it turns into a mighty Haxorus. Alternatively, you can let your Axew fight in competitive tournaments of Smogon’s Little Cup, where the Pokémon is in its earliest form yet capable of evolving and should be obtainable at level 5 in-game.

With that in mind, I recommend the following build, along with the moves’ details in the table below:

• Item: Eviolite (enhances Axew’s Defense and Special Defense stats by 1.5x)
• Ability: Mold Breaker
• Nature: Jolly; Adamant
• EVs: 68 HP, 220 Attack, 220 Speed
• Moves
  • Dragon Dance; Sword Dance
  • Outrage; Dual Chop
  • Superpower
  • Iron Tail; Poison Jab

Outrage is a good Dragon-type physical attack because of Axew’s high Attack stat. So, it can defeat its enemies even before it becomes confused on the third or fourth turn. However, Fairy-type Pokémon can be a pain in the butt when using Outrage; if your opponent switches to a Fairy-type Pokémon after you perform Outrage, you will be in a worrying state.

If Outrage is not your style, or if you cannot have it, Dual Chop is a good alternative. It is still a Dragon-type physical attack and has a power of 80 in total (it does two hits in one move with a power of 40 each). Superpower is great against Steel-type Pokémon, which is something that Axew might have difficulties dealing with.

Superpower has a drawback; it lowers the user’s Attack and Defense, but Dragon Dance can lift it back up. Sword Dance is also a good alternative to Dragon Dance, but it does not do much better for Axew as it already has a high Attack stat.

Iron Tail or Poison Jab would be good to counter against Fairy-type Pokémon so that Axew would not have to worry about them. However, be careful when facing off against them; if you think they have an ace up their sleeve, you should consider switching to something that is defensively good.

Axew Guide: FAQs