How to get Scyther & Scizor in Pokemon Sword Shield

James Busby
Scyther and Scizor guide

Scyther and Scizor have always proved popular amongst Pokemon fans, but the razor-sharp duo were missing from Sword and Shield’s base game. However, the Isle of Armor expansion has brought both bug-type Pokemon back into the roster.

While the Isle of Armor may not be overly big in terms of both story and location, it can be easy to miss some of the expansion’s rarer Pokemon. Both Scyther and Scizor have relatively low spawn rates, making them a little trickier to spot in the wild. However, the time investment required to catch this dynamic duo is definitely worth it. 

Scyther and Scizor dominate their foes with lightning-fast attacks, tearing through even the tankiest of Pokemon with ease. These dual bug-type Pokemon have access to some incredibly powerful moves and decent bulk, allowing them to dish out some decent damage in battle.

Whether you’re looking to add either of these Pokemon to your team or just wanting to complete your Pokdex, you’ll want to follow our handy catching guide below. 

Where to find Scyther in Pokemon Sword & Shield

Scyther location
Scyther can be found roaming around the Training Lowlands.

Scyther can be found roaming around the overworld in the Training Lowlands. However, it only has a 5% spawn rate and favors the following weather conditions: normal, overcast, raining, thunderstorm, intense sun, and sandstorm. Fortunately, this bipedal bug-type is easy to spot in the wild, so if you don’t see it wandering around, then simply reset game’s date and time settings. 

To do this, hit the HOME button and navigate over to the system menu. From here, you’ll be able to access the date and time. Simply advance the date by one day and then head back over to the game. If done correctly, you should be able to see a change in the weather conditions. 

This will instantly refresh the wild Pokemon that can be seen roaming around the area, increasing your odds of finding Scyther in the wild. Simply rinse and repeat this process until Scyther finally appears. 

Raid Den locations

  • Fields of Honor
  • Forest of Focus
  • Training Lowlands 
  • Workout Sea

Where to find Scizor in Pokemon Sword & Shield

Scizor location
Scizor only appears during sandstorms.

Unlike its sword-loving counterpart, Scizor can be found wandering around both the Challenge Road and the Training Lowlands. Scizor is much harder to find and only appears in these locations when a sandstorm is sweeping through either area. While you can still use the process above to reset the weather conditions, there is another option to obtaining Scizor. 

This method requires both a Scyther and the Metal Coat item from Stow-on-Side. Once you have both, simply give your Scyther the Metal Coat and trade it to a fellow Pokemon trainer. Once the rade has been completed, your Scyther will evolve into a Scizor. 

Raid Den locations

  • Fields of Honor
  • Forest of Focus
  • Training Lowlands
  • Workout Sea

Catching Scyther and Scizor

Scizor battle
Both of these Pokemon are extremely weak to fire, so be careful when battling them.

Just like the majority of Pokemon in Sword and Shield, it is recommended that you teach a Pokemon False Swipe. False Swipe inflicts normal type damage and leaves your foe at 1 HP, making it the perfect move to use when capturing Pokemon. Immobilizing status effects like Sleep and Paralyze will also help Scyther/Scizor from bursting out of your Pokeballs. 

Scyther has a capture rate of 45% while its steely evolution drastically lowers this success rate down to 25%. Because of this relatively low chance, we recommend packing plenty of Pokeballs to ensure you don’t run out. After all, both Scyther and Scizor have low encounter rates and having to go encounter them again can take a while. 

Remember to avoid using any rock, fire, and ice attacks as Scyther is extremely weak to all three. Scizor doesn’t have as many weaknesses as Scyther, but its bug and steel typing makes it 4x weak to fire moves. Make sure you remember these weaknesses before you begin battling. 


If you’re looking for more Pokemon Isle of Armor guides, head over to @PokemonSwordNS for all the latest news and information.

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About The Author

James is Dexerto's Associate Games Editor who joined the website in 2020. He graduated from university with a degree in Journalism, before spending four years freelancing for GamesRadar+, PCGamesN, RPS, LoL Esports, Red Bull Gaming, and many more. You can find him covering everything from CoD, Apex Legends, Genshin Impact, and Monster Hunter. Need to get in touch? Email James at james.busby@dexerto.com.