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Swords Dance has always been a powerful move in Pokemon games, but it has enjoyed a major uptick in popularity in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. The move has proven to be a must-have for Tera Raid battles, making the Swords Dance TM a must-get for players.
Even among the most diehard Pokemon fans, there are plenty of memes about the perceived uselessness of moves that change stats. All the way through Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, players joked about always running a team of six Pokemon with four damage-dealing moves in each slot.
That can work in the story mode, which is manageable for players at all levels but other formats are another story. In both ranked battles and in five and six-star Tera Raid battles, Swords Dance is a valuable tool for blowing up opponents. With that in mind, everyone should make an active effort to seek out its TM.
Where to Find the Swords Dance TM in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, players can find the Swords Dance TM in the area surrounding Casseroya Watchtower No. 3. The TM is located on a landing near Casseroya Lake that players who fast travel to the watchtower can drop down to.
Casseroya Watchtower No. 3 is essentially a find one, get one free sale on TMs. Players can find the Fire Blast TM on top of the watchtower, then drop down off a cliff towards the lake. There is a small patch of land snuggled between the water and the cliff, east of where the False Dragon Titan boss battle takes place. The Swords Dance TM on the ground in this area. Here is the exact location on the map:
Why is Swords Dance So Good in Tera Raid Battles?
Swords Dance is incredibly powerful in Tera Raid Battles because it can allow players to one-shot raid bosses. While players have always known the move to be powerful in ranked battling, the Mightiest Mark Cinderace Tera Raid event in December 2022 redefined the metagame of raid battles.
A big component of the Cinderace Tera Raid event was its regular use of the move Bulk Up, which encouraged players to counter it with stat-changing moves. This served as a big reminder of the real power of stat-changing moves.
Swords Dance is particularly helpful because it allows physical attackers to break through a Tera Raid boss’s shield in one hit, or potentially knock it out entirely, after being used three times. Using Pokemon like Belly Drum Iron Hands is preferable as it can max its attack stat in one move while Swords Dance requires three. Still, players can use Swords Dance three times, then potentially knock out a high-level raid boss on the fourth turn of the battle.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.