Urshifu
VGC Guide
Urshifu Rapid-Strike is one of VGC’s most disruptive physical attackers. Unseen Fist allows contact moves to bypass Protect, and Surging Strikes always lands three critical hits — under Rain, virtually nothing survives a direct hit.
Unseen Fist: Breaking VGC’s Protect Rule
All of Urshifu’s contact moves bypass the following protection moves: Protect, Detect, Spiky Shield, Baneful Bunker, King’s Shield, Max Guard. In doubles, a Pokémon using Protect has no defense against Urshifu’s Surging Strikes — one of the most disruptive mechanics in VGC history.
- • Opponent’s Protect becomes useless → increases mental pressure, forces complex decision-making
- • Combined with Fake Out, Urshifu can deal damage T1 (Fake Out locks one target, Urshifu punches through Protect)
- • King’s Shield users (like Aegislash) cannot use their counterattack mechanic against Urshifu
Surging Strikes: Guaranteed Triple Critical Hit
All three hits are guaranteed critical hits with a ×1.5 crit multiplier, bypassing the opponent’s Defense boosts and ignoring Attack drops from Burn. 25 × 3 × 1.5 = 112.5 effective BP. Under Kyogre Rain (×1.5 Water boost): 112.5 × 1.5 = 168.75 effective BP — extraordinary for a single move.
EV Spreads
Team Partners
Drizzle rain boosts Water moves ×1.5 — Surging Strikes under rain becomes one of VGC’s highest-damage outputs. The classic Rain offense core.
Prankster Tailwind doubles Urshifu’s speed, ensuring it attacks first and lands Protect-bypassing Surging Strikes.
Fake Out protects Urshifu’s entry; Parting Shot reduces opposing Attack to create safe attack windows.
Raichu’s Thunder has 100% accuracy in Rain — Urshifu + Raichu cover different type weaknesses as a Weather offense core.
How to Counter Urshifu
Fairy moves are super effective (×2) against Fighting. Flutter Mane’s Moonblast or Togekiss’s Dazzling Gleam directly KO or severely damage Urshifu.
Grassy Surge halves Water move power (-50%), gutting the Rain core damage. Rillaboom also has Grassy Glide priority that hits Urshifu before it moves.
Flying resists Fighting moves (×0.5), tanking Close Combat and Aqua Jet. Note: Surging Strikes’ Water damage still hits Flying neutrally.
Pokémon faster than Urshifu (base 97) can KO or weaken it before it strikes. Timid Flutter Mane at 194 speed easily outspeeds Jolly Urshifu’s 182.