Best Urshifu PvP build in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: Nature, Tera Type, moves, and more

With the recent Pokemon Home patch comes a new wave of creatures for players to use in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Given the rise of the new VGC season, we are starting to see the effects of this small change on the metagame as some prominent figures are working their way back to the top. A great example of this is Urshifu.

With these creatures making a comeback in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the wrath of pay-to-win rears its head once again. However, for those with access to this creature, simply having one on the party does not guarantee a win. Trainers looking to acquire Urshifu must have more insight regarding the pick before using it in combat.

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How to use Urshifu in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet PvP

Urshifu using its signature move, Surging Strikes, in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Urshifu is one of the more controversial creatures in the franchise, along with Calyrex and its different forms. These are some of the only creatures requiring players to purchase the $30 expansion pass for Pokemon Sword and Shield.

As experienced veterans will know, Urshifu comes in two distinct forms. The Rapid Strike and Single Strike forms have their own strengths and weaknesses. However, following the release of Flutter Mane, the Single Strike variant of Urshifu is almost unusable in serious battling scenarios, allowing the Rapid Strike variant to rise in popularity. The latter became the second most used creature in VGC.

Unlike Single Strike, Rapid Strike has a much more favorable typing of Water and Fighting instead of Dark and Fighting. Though it is still weak to Fairy-type attacks, it can survive against most elemental threats thanks to its powerful signature move and potent priority in the form of Aqua Jet.

Urshifu is in a very interesting position in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's competitive scene, as its moveset is its greatest strength and weakness. This is due to how set-in-stone Rapid Strike's viable moveset is. In most cases, Urshifu will need to run Surging Strikes, Close Combat, and Aqua Jet for the sole purpose of maximizing its damage output. The last move slot is typically occupied by Detect or Protect, with some opting for U-Turn.

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What are the best natures and Tera Types for Urshifu in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

Urshifu's role on a team is often as a powerful physical attacker. As such, most players opt for a Jolly nature to ensure it hits first with powerful attacks. To compensate for the lack of attack boosts from its nature, many max out their attack stat's effort values to ensure it dishes out potent damage.

Alongside having 252 attack effort values, players take 252 in speed effort values, as is typical for fast sweepers in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The last four points can be put in either special defense or HP to ensure that Urshifu will have some extra bulk.

Finally, Urshifu's Tera Typing plays a key role in its usage. While a Fighting or Water Tera Typing is standard in higher tiers of play, some may opt for a Grass Tera Typing to give Urshifu a bit more defensive utility, as it removes most of its base weaknesses.