Champions exclusive: Mega Excadrill does not exist in mainline Pokémon games. Piercing Drill is a brand-new ability created for Pokémon Champions.
ProtectProtectmoveA move that makes the user immune to all moves for one turn. Fails if used consecutively.Click to read more → is one of the most important moves in doubles — it blocks all damage for one turn and is used constantly to avoid unfavorable situations. Mega Excadrill’s Piercing Drill lets its contact moves still deal damage when an opponent uses Protect or Detect, though at 1/4 power. The threat alone changes how opponents have to play: a Pokémon behind Protect takes damage instead of being fully safe.
This forces opponents into a lose-lose: Protect and take 1/4 damage from Mega Excadrill’s contact moves, or skip Protect and take full damage. Against a weakened Pokémon, even 1/4 damage can be enough to knock it out.
Contact vs. non-contact moves
Piercing Drill only applies to contact moves. Earthquake (a spread move that does not make contact) is not affected — it cannot hit through Protect. Moves like Iron Head and Drill Run do make contact, so they benefit. Plan your move selection around which moves are contact-based when Piercing Drill matters.
Ground/Steel defensive typing
Ground/Steel has only three weaknesses: Water (2×), Fire (2×), and Fighting (2×). Steel provides resistances to 10 types, and Ground provides Electric immunity. This is one of the most defensively solid type combinations available.
What stops it
- Water-type moves — Water hits Ground for 2×. Rotom-Wash and Pelipper counter it hard.
- Fire-type moves — Fire hits Steel for 2×. Charizard and Volcarona are major threats.
- Non-contact opponents — Opponents who avoid contact moves (spread attackers like Heat Wave users) don’t trigger Piercing Drill’s through-Protect damage at all.