Is Leavanny with Shadow Claw good in Pokemon GO PvP and PvE?

Leavanny with Shadow Claw makes its Pokemon GO debut during the Sewaddle Community Day event on October 5, 2024. The event kicks off at 2 pm local time and will conclude at 5 pm local time. You can evolve Swadloon during this period or up to five hours after to get a Leavanny that knows the Fast Attack Shadow Claw.

PvP and PvE enthusiasts would be interested to know if Leavanny with Shadow Claw in Pokemon GO is any better than Leavanny without it. The answer: it is a mixed bag. While the new move improves its position in some cases, it does incur some shortcomings. But mostly, it is not much to write home about.

This article provides an in-depth analysis of Leavanny with Shadow Claw's viability in Pokemon GO PvP and PvE arenas.

Is Leavanny with Shadow Claw good in Pokemon GO Battle League?

Leavanny generally lacks the bulk or the sky-high offenses that make for good picks in GBL open cups. It is attack-weighted but lacks the typing and damage output to be truly viable—with or without Shadow Claw. Here's a deeper look.

Great League

Leavanny's best IVs in the Great League:

0/13/14 - 1,499 CP at Level 22

With 1-1 shields in play, Shadow Claw's faster pacing gives Leavanny more Leaf Blades to KO Azumarill, Shadow Feraligatr, and Shadow Machamp, while Bug Bite's STAB damage yields wins against Abomasnow, Oranguru, and Serperior.

With no shields in play, Shadow Claw Leavanny beats Diggersby thanks to Leaf Blade's spamminess, while the Bug Bite variant defeats Guzzlord.

With two shields to use on both sides, Leavanny with its Community Day move outshines by a lot. Bug Bite only wins against Abomasnow and Oranguru, while Shadow Claw turns the tide against Arctibax, Azumarill, Clodsire, Feraligtr, Shadow Quagsire, and Shadow and Purified Sableye.

In shield-advantage situations, Leavanny with Shadow Claw is strictly better than the other variants in Pokemon GO's Great League.

Ultra League

Leavanny's best IVs in the Ultra League:

0/12/14 - 2,500 CP at Level 44

Leavanny has much steeper competition in the Ultra League, where simulations suggest it wins only around 40% of its matches in even shielded matchups with or without Shadow Claw.

With no shields on either side, Shadow Claw Leavanny picks up Feraligatr, Registeel, and Venusaur, while Bug Bite Leavanny wins against Shadow Feraligatr.

In the 1-1 shield scenario, Shadow Claw Leavanny picks up Clefable and Zygarde, while losing Feraligatr, and Guzzlord. In the 2-2 shields, Leavanny with Shadow Claw takes down Driflblum and both Shadow and regular Feraligatr, whereas with Bug Bite, it wins against Galarian Moltres and Guzzlord.

How Leavanny is steered in Pokemon GO's Ultra League might unlock its true potential that simulations might not be able to capture.

Is Leavanny with Shadow Claw good in Pokemon GO Gyms and raids?

Leavanny has never been a powerful Gym or raid attacker, and Shadow Claw is not going to change anything about that. In PvE battles, you want moves that generate the benefit of STAB.

Since Shadow Claw is a Ghost-type attack, Leavanny has little use for it on the rare occasion where it might be used as a Gym or raid attacker.

How to get Leavanny with Shadow Claw in Pokemon GO

To get Leavanny with Shadow Claw in Pokemon GO you must evolve Swadloon using 100 Candy between 2 and 10 pm local time on October 5, 2024. You will get an opportunity for this again during the December Community Day rerun in 2024 (and unless Niantic changes things up drastically, in 2025).

Outside of events, Leavanny must be given an Elite Fast TM for it to learn Shadow Claw.

Check out our other Pokemon GO guides:

Ditto disguises
Buddy Evolution Adventure Together guide
Best Fast Attacks in Pokemon GO
Sierra counters
Cliff counters
Arlo counters
Giovanni counters
Team GO Rocket Grunts