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Regidrago is a legendary Dragon-type Pokemon introduced in the Eighth Generation games, Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. Added in The Crown Tundra DLC alongside its sibling Regieleki, this Pokemon is one of two new additions to the Legendary Titans, otherwise known as the Regis by fans.
As a member of my favorite Legendary group in the series, Regidrago easily holds the place of being my personal favorite of the six for several reasons. It boasts a tantalizing stat spread based on heavy offense and even heavier HP values.
It’s an official addition to a well-known group of Pokemon, meaning that the very idea of “Legendary Trios” is subject to changing and growing over time. And that design! Regidrago is a living, moving ball of crystallized Dragon energy, topped off with the two halves of a dragon’s head for arms. If there was a competition for the coolest-looking Titan, this would immediately win first place by a landslide.
Background/Lore
According to in-game legends, this Pokemon was created alongside its brothers by Regigigas after it had pulled the world’s continents into place long ago. While the others were created using the elements of rock, ice, steel, and electricity, Regidrago was specifically created using pure draconic energy.
It was worshipped for its immense power just like its creator and siblings before they were all deemed too powerful to be left alone. Thus, Regidrago and Regieleki were sealed within the Split-Decision Ruins, way off in Galar’s Crown Tundra. It is capable of closing its two arms to create a complete dragon head, where it can fire beams of draconic energy from the mouth.
How to Obtain
As of right now, there is only one way to find and capture a Regidrago for yourself. It’s only found in the Crown Tundra DLC via one of the multiple Adventure questlines. The quest in specific is known as The Terrible Titans… Lurking Locked Away!.
You’ll be tracking down and unlocking three different temples around the Tundra’s overworld, each of which houses one member of the original Titans Trio. Once you capture Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, you’ll be able to approach the Split-Decision Ruins found in a clearing only accessible by crossing the Frigid Sea.
If you have the original trio in your party line-up, the door should open for you. You’ll be given a choice to pick either Regidrago or Regieleki by solving a special tile puzzle inside.
There will be a grid of panels on the floor that will light up when you step on them. Simply step on the right tiles to create the same pattern as Regidrago’s eyes, which are in a seven dot Y-shaped orientation, and it will appear for battle. From there, you’re free to battle and capture Regidrago!
Stats
As mentioned earlier, Regidrago’s base stats are nothing to scoff at. Its offensive stats are solid, where both attack stats each sit nice and pretty at 100. This means that you will have free reign to pick either type of offense for whatever your team may need.
But there is a trade-off for 50 in both defense stats and 80 speed as a result. 50 is quite low for defense, meaning that Regidrago can get shut down quickly by most potential counters if you don’t plan accordingly. 80 Speed is the biggest thing dragging Regidrago down, as it’s just not high enough to let it immediately contend with most common picks in competitive battling.
The real draw is the massive 200 base-HP. Not only does this compensate for the middling defense stats, but this allows you to take advantage of its Dragon Energy move. A special Dragon-type move with 150 base power, this attack’s damage scales with Regidrago’s current HP in battle.
The healthier it is, the harder it will hit. Pair this with Regidrago’s 100-base Special Attack, and you can find this Pokemon shredding a good chunk of the competition.
Ability
Regidrago also comes along with an exclusive ability called Dragon’s Maw. Any Dragon-type moves used by Regidrago will receive a massive 50% power boost. As a result, powerful Dragon-type moves such as Draco Meteor, Outrage, Scale Shot, or Dragon Energy become monstrous tools of destruction in the jagged arms of Regidrago!
Recommended Natures
As Regidrago excels in being an offense-focused sweeper, it makes sense to run it with natures that focus on offense. They should be focused on increasing either attack stat or its speed.
- Modest: + Special Attack, – Attack
- Adamant: + Attack, – Special Attack
- Jolly: + Speed, – Special Attack
- Timid: + Speed, – Attack
Counters/Weaknesses
As powerful as Regidrago can be, that doesn’t mean it’s invulnerable. Our big-dragon-ball boy can still be countered, and it can be countered hard. So keep these threats in mind during your team building:
- Any faster, high-damage Dragon-types; Garchomp, Dragapult, Dragonite, Dracovish, etc. These Pokemon have a huge edge over Regidrago’s very low Speed.
- Fairy-type Pokemon like Grimmsnarl, Mimikyu, and the four Tapu Guardians. Not only is Regidrago naturally weak to them as a Dragon-type, but its move pool is greatly restricted to a lot of Dragon-type moves too. So, it’s very easy for these threats to shut down Regidrago or force a switch to a different Pokemon.
- Ice-type Pokemon such as Alolan Ninetales, Galarian Darmanitan, and Mamoswine can wreck Regidrago if you’re not careful. Your only real options to counter them are to run Ancient Power for Special Attack builds or Fire Fang for Physical Attack builds. Otherwise, be ready to swap.
Tips for Competitive Use
Be ready to compensate for Regidrago’s low Speed, since that is this Pokemon’s greatest drawback. You generally want to keep it as healthy as possible to get the most out of Dragon Energy’s HP scaling, especially when its defensive stats aren’t quite high enough to keep it safe from any checks and counters. You can get around the slow pace in a couple of ways:
- Pair Regidrago up with a Trick Room setter, such as Porygon 2, Bronzong, Dusclops, or Hatterene. These tanky Pokemon can easily handle setting up Trick Room to grant move priority to slower Pokemon, as well as throw out other debuffs/statuses that can make Regidrago’s life much easier.
- Slap a Choice Scarf on Regidrago and brute-force your way into having a fast, hard-hitting sweeper. If you know you can jump in and spam attacks while your opponent is setting up or swapping out, then you don’t have too much to worry about. Just keep an eye out for any Fairy-types or notable Special Defense tanks, which can very easily ruin your momentum.
Consider running Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse As potential fallbacks for Special Attack damage. There will be times when you’re forced to take a hit with Regidrago, whether you’re being outclassed by speed difference or forced to take a free hit. While Dragon Energy will lose its power depending on how much HP you have left, it’s nice to still have a move that can reliably bring out consistent damage.
Regidrago can also manage just fine as a physical attacker. With access to Dragon Dance for attack and speed buffs, you’re free to pick a few options that can be of great use:
- Outrage, Dragon Claw, and the newly added Scale Shot are devastating choices. Having that STAB increase on top of the 50% power increase from the Dragon’s Maw ability can make Regidrago a force to be reckoned with.
- Thunder Fang and Fire Fang are great options for maintaining type coverage and status ailments. Status ailments will be especially useful since both paralyze and burn will be great for giving Regidrago that extra edge in battle.
- Explosion is a classic last resort move. Stack up a Dragon Dance or two, and you can guarantee a free kill if you think Regidrago is about to bite the dust.
Competitive Movesets
Choice Scarf Special Attacker:
EV’s: 4 Attack / 252 Sp.Attack / 252 Speed
Nature: Modest
Item: Choice Scarf
- Dragon Energy
- Dragon Pulse
- Draco Meteor
- Ancient Power
This set is all about ignoring Regidrago’s low base speed and forcing it to be a fast, hard-hitting Special Attacker. With Choice Scarf, you’ll commit to spamming one of your moves to build up more and more speed. If you make sure to lead off with Dragon Energy, you’ll be hitting pretty hard against many different Pokemon.
The same can go for Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor should you find yourself losing too much HP. Ancient Power is there for type coverage and the potential buffs. As a Rock-type move, you can afford to cover yourself against Flying-types and Ice-Types like Alolan Ninetales, Togekiss, and Mamoswine.
This can also help to decimate Charizard, due to the 4x weakness you’ll be taking advantage of. The 10% chance to increase all stats shouldn’t be the major focus of running Ancient Power, but it’s always nice to get an extra boost mid-battle.
Dragon Dance:
EV’s: 252 Attack / 4 HP / 252 Speed
Nature: Adamant
Item: Leftovers
- Thunder Fang/Fire Fang/Crunch
- Scale Shot/Substitute
- Dragon Dance
- Dragon Claw
The good old Dragon Dance strategy. Scale Shot will be one of your two primary damage-dealing moves, especially since there’s a chance that Regidrago will lose a stage of Defense and gain a stage of Speed in exchange. Just bear in mind that the damage dealt can be inconsistent, since Scale Shot has a chance to attack 2-5 times.
That’s where Dragon Claw will come in as the more consistent option if you feel like you have enough speed buffs. So long as you buff once or twice with Dragon Dance, you can turn Regidrago into a nasty sweeper.
If you find yourself not enjoying Scale Shot as an offensive option, you can also swap it out for Substitute as an option for stalling. For the last move, you can run Thunder Fang, Fire Fang, or Crunch depending on your preference for type coverage and status ailments.
I find Thunder Fang to be the more practical option to take, since paralyzing opposing Pokemon can be a huge help with getting past Regidrago’s low Speed.
TCG
As of right now, Regidrago is present in the official Trading Card Game under two entries: One card in the Evolving Skies series and another in the very recent Astral Radiance series. Both are alright cards in actual play, and each version boasts beautiful art of the draconic titan too! But, they are different enough to warrant taking a closer look at what they can do.
Evolving Skies 124/203
As the first issued card of Regidrago, the Evolving Skies version bases itself around its signature move in the video games- Dragon Energy. And it works just the same here as it does in the Switch games. If you can keep it perfectly healthy, this card can dish out serious damage.
But running into higher health cards like an EX or V Pokemon can pose a serious problem. And since this move loses power depending on how much damage Regidrago takes, all it takes is a turn or two for this card to suddenly become fodder. Simply swapping it out can cost you as well, since you need to pay up three energy cards to retreat it- The same amount you need to set up for Dragon Energy.
Hammer In is decent at best since it only deals 30 damage for two energy. It’s an alright option for taking out lower-level Pokemon, but other cards can do much more with the same cost. If you want to play this card in any deck, I recommend packing any heals to maintain its high damage potential or simply use it as a one-and-done attacker. Throw it out, let it do its thing, and move on when it’s gotten the job done.
Astral Radiance 118/189
The Astral Radiance version of Regidrago takes a step back from the focus on maintaining full health at all times. Instead, it sacrifices that for an ability that can help you consistently draw more cards.
Dubbed the Dragon’s Hoard ability, you can draw from your deck until your hand reaches a total of four cards, so long as Regidrago is the current Active Pokemon. So long as you can play as many cards as you can, you’ll essentially be able to constantly draw from your deck to find what you need in a match.
Regidrago also packs one move known as Giant Fangs, a three-energy cost move with 160 power. While not as lethal as the ES Regidrago’s Dragon Energy, this can be much more consistent in the long run. Whether at full health or only 10 HP, Regidrago will still be able to deal tons of damage for you.
Anime Appearances
So far, Regidrago’s only notable appearance is in the Japanese airing Pokemon Journeys series, where it debuts alongside the other Titans in episode 113.
Both it and Regieleki are found by Ash, Goh, and returning character Gary Oak whilst investigating the Split-Decision Ruins. After a heated tag-team battle at the end of the episode, Regidrago and Regieleki are caught by Gary and Goh respectively.
FAQs
Question: Can you capture both Regidrago and Regieleki on the same save?
Answer: Sadly, no you cannot. You are only given one choice for every save of Sword and Shield. Should you want both, you’ll have to look to trading.
Question: Can I transfer Regidrago to Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl?
Answer: Nope. Regidrago is unavailable in the Generation 4 remakes, and there doesn’t seem to be any plans to add any more Pokemon in future updates.
Question: Is Regidrago Shiny-Locked?
Answer: Thankfully, no! Fun fact: Regidrago and Regieleki are the only legendary Pokemon in Sword and Shield that are not Shiny Locked! So feel free to farm to your heart’s content!
Regidrago Guide: Conclusion
Regidrago is such an interesting Pokemon that sometimes feels completely underrated in several ways. It boasts a great stat spread that packs plenty of power. It can easily run sets for bulky offense or sponging up damage for stalling, especially with the massive HP count you can reach with it.
Especially when it comes to running a Dragon Energy special attacker set, where you can watch it melt the opposition right off the rip. Sometimes it feels more like an artillery cannon than a Pokemon. It can very easily get the job done in most cases, save for a slight few exceptions running into Fairies and other Dragon-types.
Regidrago might be held back by its low Speed, but that can also be quickly mitigated with careful planning around its items and team composition. The only thing that could be better about this Pokemon is its preset move pool since it’s mostly restricted to Dragon-type moves and a few decent physical attacks. Beyond that, it’s a solid, fun choice to run in mid to high-tier battles.
Regidrago is also an addition to what was formerly a set Legendary Trio, which we’ve never really seen before until now. And that design!
While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, everything about it just screams the word Cool. A ball of pure dragon energy, that wields arms in the shape of a DRAGON HEAD, and proceeds to combine them to fire off beams from the mouth! I love Regidrago, and it has easily become one of my favorite Pokemon in the entire series.
