Introduced in generation five, with the Pokemon Black and White games, Drilbur is a monotype ground Pokemon. It is the first stage in its two stage evolution line and evolves into Excadrill when it reaches the level threshold. Drilbur is classified by the Pokedex as the “Mole Pokemon” which indicates its general design. This guide will showcase Drilbur’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Drilbur.
About Drilbur
As a generation five Pokemon, Drilbur first appeared in the Black and White season of the anime in the episode Iris and Excadrill Against the Dragon Buster!. In this episode, Iris’s Drilbur evolves into Excadrill. Drilbur is the first stage evolution of its two stage evolution line and it evolves into Excadrill when it reaches level 31. The Pokedex mentions that Drilbur can dig through the ground around 30 miles per hour.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Black and White Iris and Excadrill Against the Dragon Buster! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | Base evolution of Excadrill not known to evolve from any other Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 31 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | It can dig through the ground at a speed of 30 mph. It could give a car running aboveground a good race. |
Drilbur Base Stats
| HP | 62 |
| ATTACK | 48 |
| DEFENCE | 66 |
| SP. ATTACK | 59 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 57 |
| SPEED | 49 |
| TOTAL | 341 |
Appearance
Drilbur is a small, round Pokémon that resembles a mole. Most of its body is black with jagged blue stripes around its body. Instead of two hands, its two arms end in long talons that are used to help it dig and on the inside of its palms are two small circles. Drilbur is a bipedal Pokemon and walks on two stubby feet. Its mouth ends in a pointed snout and its face is white with a pink nose. Drilbur is a small Pokemon at only 1 foot, or 0.3 meters, tall.
Behavior
Drilbur’s favorite thing to do is to dig holes and true to its mole-like appearance, it is capable of straightening its body and spinning with its claws to form a drill of sorts. It can dig up to 30 miles per hour and is commonly used for burrowing holes for train tunnels. The Pokedex mentions that due to its love of digging, Drilbur is not loved by farmers. However, Drilbur are friendly Pokemon and otherwise have no issues being around humans.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As the base evolution Pokemon of its evolution line, Drilbur is not particularly powerful. Its physical attack is its strongest stat and it has a decent speed stat to go along with it. However, it is not a particularly defensive Pokemon and suffers from being frail. As a monotype ground Pokemon, Drilbur takes 2x damage from water, grass, and ice type moves. It is immune to electric type moves and resistant against poison and rock type moves.
Best Moveset
As a base evolution Pokemon, Drilbur is exclusively limited to the LC (Little Cup) bracket of competitive play. In this format it only has to face other base evolution Pokemon, giving it a better chance of success. Drilbur can be used with its Mold Breaker ability to threaten Pokemon that it otherwise could not touch. It is commonly used as an offensive Pokemon. Consider running Earthquake, Rapid Spin/Swords Dance, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb, and Stealth Rock. Earthquake benefits from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus), Rapid Spin and Swords Dance are interchangeable as a defensive or offensive option, Rock Slide/Rock Tomb are interchangeable as Drilbur’s damaging rock type move, and the damage from Stealth Rock can add up quickly.
| Earthquake | Rapid Spin/Swords Dance |
| Rock Slide/Rock Tomb | Stealth Rock |
How to Catch Drilbur in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Drilbur in Pokemon Go, there are a few different ways of doing so. You can find Drilbur spawning in the wild, at a boosted rate, near parks, farmlands, quarries, parking lots, and hiking trails. It can also be hatched from 5 km eggs and both Drilbur and Excadrill are available as raid bosses at Pokemon Gyms as tier one and tier three raid bosses respectively. You will need 50 candies to evolve Drilbur into Excadrill.
Trivia
- Drilbur shares its classification as the “Mole Pokemon” with Diglett and Dugtrio.
- The inspiration for Drilbur’s design is based on a mole.
- The name Drilbur is a combination of the words drill and burrow.
FAQ
What does Drilbur evolve into?
Drilbur will evolve into Excadrill once it reaches level 31. There are no special conditions to fulfill for this evolution and it will begin to evolve once it reaches the level threshold. After your Drilbur reaches level 31, you just need to allow the evolution animation to play without pressing the “B” button.
Is Excadrill a good Pokemon?
Excadrill has exceptional statlines along with a powerful ability in the form of Sand Rush. That ability makes its somewhat weak speed stat into a powerful sweeping potential. Combine that with decent resistances and a good typing to make it resilient against many types of Pokemon, Excadrill is quite powerful in both casual and competitive play.
Is Drilbur rare in Pokemon Go?
It is not particularly rare in Pokemon Go. You can find Drilbur through hatching 5 km eggs, finding it at a Pokemon Gym as a tier one raid boss, or by searching near parks, farmlands, quarries, parking lots, and hiking trails. While it is not the most common Pokemon, you can find Drilbur easily with enough dedication.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Mole Pokemon”. Drilbur and its evolution have made a large impact on competitive play. They are exceptional offensive Pokemon and can cover a wide range of different Pokemon types. Even as a base evolution Pokemon, Drilbur is capable of dealing significant damage. Reserve a slot on your team for Drilbur if you want an offensive ground type Pokemon.
