Here are the weaknesses of Pokemon BDSP’s toughest enemies

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is technically a remake of an old game, but new moves and new mechanics are making things fit together differently from the Nintendo DS original. That leaves many players scratching their heads over the weaknesses and best ways to defeat some old Pokemon in BDSP.

Because of that, it’s worth going over some of the different Pokemon that are causing problems for players and how to beat them. Though exploiting type weaknesses remains the best way to handle most Pokemon, there are some specific moves or strategies that also offer opportunities to win. Make sure to check out the Pokemon Type chart guide to parse the basic type matchups.

Whiscash’s only weaknesses is grass in Pokemon BDSP

Whiscash’s only weakness is to grass-type attacks, but it takes quadruple damage from them.

Whiscash has a tricky typing in ground-water, with those two types neutralizing most of the weaknesses of the other. It also gives Whiscash a long list of resistances and immunity to electric attacks.

All this comes at the expense of double weakness to grass types, with even weaker Pokemon able to blow up Whiscash with one shot. But while Whiscash might be troublesome in theory, keep in mind that it has underwhelming defenses. Hard-hitting Pokemon that can hit it for neutral damage likely won’t have much trouble knocking it out.

Sudowoodo’s weaknesses are plentiful in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Sudowoodo is weak to rock, water, grass, fighting, and steel attacks.

Though the “woodo” part of Sudowoodo’s name might lead you to think it’s a grass type, the “sudo” part is much more important. Sudowoodo is actually a rock-type Pokemon, giving it a long list of weaknesses.

On top of the fact that Sudowoodo is weak to five different types, it also has a weak Sp. Def stat. Surf, Solar Beam, Energy Ball, Aura Sphere, Hydro Pump, and Flash Cannon from any fully evolved Pokemon all have a good chance of knocking out Sudowoodo in one hit.

Milotic is weak to grass and electric in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Milotic is weak to grass and electric attacks.

Milotic is a pure water Pokemon, giving it relatively few weaknesses. On top of that, it has a very high Sp. Def stat, making it able to shrug off moves like Thunderbolt and Energy Ball from anything but the most heavily invested special attackers.

The best options available to players looking to take down Milotic are physical damage grass and electric moves. The best option that most players will have available is Luxray, which can use Spark and Wild Charge to take out Milotic without much trouble. Manectric, and a Torterra or Abomasnow that knows Wood Hammer can also deal with Milotic without incident.

Hippowdon’s weaknesses in Pokemon BDSP are grass, ice, and water

Hippowdon is weak to grass, water, and ice attacks.

Since its introduction, Hippowdon has enjoyed relevance in all formats thanks to its incredible bulkiness and access to the Sand Stream ability. Those factors make Hippowdon incredibly difficult to take down but of course, it isn’t invincible.

Hippowdon has mediocre base Sp. Defense, so attacks like Surf and Ice Beam can hit it hard. Changing the weather to get rid of Hippowdon’s sandstorm also does a lot to help deal with the Pokemon. This might still be a tricky opponent, but these are the best bets to deal with it.

Bronzong’s weaknesses in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl aren’t consistent

Bronzong is weak to ghost attacks, as well as either fire or ground attacks.

Bronzong shares steel-psychic typing with both Metagross and Jirachi. While this would normally give Bronzong three weaknesses, Bronzong’s abilities will neutralize one of them.

Bronzong can have either the Heatproof ability or Levitate. Heatproof neutralizes Bronzong’s weakness to fire-type moves while Levitate makes Bronzong immune to ground attacks. Bronzong has very high defensive stats so it’s difficult to burst it down with anything but the most powerful Pokemon, but the good news is that it has relatively low offensive stats that make it a manageable opponent.

Cynthia’s Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Garchomp has three weaknesses

Garchomp is weak to fairy and dragon attacks, and is doubly weak to ice attacks.

Cynthia’s Garchomp has long been regarded as one of the most difficult opponents in the franchise across both the games and the anime, and a big part of that is the simple fact that Garchomp is an incredibly strong Pokemon. It has 600 total base stats, better than sub-legendaries like Zapdos and Entei, and a strong typing on top of that. The cherry on top is an exceptionally large arsenal of attacks that lets it hit almost any opponent for super effective damage.

The only kink in its armor is its double weakness to ice attacks. A bulky Pokemon with access to Ice Beam or Icicle Crash can potentially one-shot Garchomp, and an Abomasnow or Mamoswine that knows Ice Shard can hit Garchomp with a priority attack that could kill in many circumstances.