By Generation V of Pokémon, the franchise had taken great strides forward. Naysayers claim that the series hasn’t changed at all in structure or general plot since the originals (and that’s valid to a point, on certain levels), but in terms of the fundamentals, Pokémon Black and White bore the fruit of all the advances that had happened in between.

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Much-needed changes like the physical/special split, a wealth of new strategic options, held items, breeding… there was much more to the Pokémon world by this point. We were also, of course, introduced to a brilliant new crop of Pokémon in Gen V. Here are our picks for the best Unova critters that survived the great National Dex Cut of Pokémon Sword and Shield.

10 Golurk

We’re going to kick this party off the right way, with a Pokémon that’s truly unique and sorely underappreciated: Golurk. If there’s one thing the roster is lacking in, it’s tanky physical Ghost-types, and that role has Golurk written all over it.

This formidable phantom boasts base 124 Attack and the Iron Fist and No Guard Abilities, both of which allow it to output some serious damage. Its Ground/Ghost typing and super low Speed makes it very tough to use effectively, though, as it has no priority and some unfortunate weaknesses. Still, it’s definitely worthy of a last-place spot and shoutout on our list.

9 Chandelure

Golurk’s fellow powerful Ghost-type, Chandelure, certainly hasn’t been lacking in the limelight over the years. It’s a powerhouse of a special attacker, most often seen rocking a Choice Scarf and dispensing Ghost/Fire STAB justice and crushing its opponents’ hopes and dreams into shattered shards of salty sadness.

That’s the idea, anyway. The trouble with Chandelure is that its popularity and limited effectiveness made it quite predictable. Moves like Sucker Punch and Pursuit are the bane of its existence. If you can take a hit from it, you can usually take it out in response.

8 Mandibuzz

Mandibuzz is one of those Pokémon that has a rather odd stat spread. It won’t be achieving much with those meager offenses, and base 80 Speed is really quite high for something that’s clearly built to be defensive. We’re not quite sure what Game Freak were going for there, but let’s not question it.

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Overall, this Dark/Flying Pokémon can be an excellent team pick. It can take hits like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator movies, reliably heal itself, support the team by removing hazards and scupper a lot of physical attackers with Foul Play. However, we’ve given it the eighth spot overall, because it will often struggle to make any real impact by itself.

7 Jellicent

This list has certainly been dominated by Ghost-types so far, hasn’t it? Those creepy, insidious souls just get everywhere. We’d better call up Egon and his buddies, because here comes another one.

Jellicent has a lot in common with Mandibuzz, with its defensive qualities in mind. What puts this Water- and Ghost-type a little ahead is its ability to perform a different role. Mandibuzz relies on its opponents’ own Attack stat to deal damage with Foul Play, while Jellicent can slap on a Choice item and go hammier than the Hamburglar with Water Spout.

6 Musharna

What’s Musharna doing right in the middle of the list, you might be asking? This harmless pink blob is so adorable that its pre-evolution, Munna, actually has a cute floral pattern stencilled on its back, like an expectant mother has been let loose on it while decorating the nursery.

Stop that cheeky talk, though. The fact of the matter is that this sleepy Psychic ‘mon is a fantastic supporter. With the Hidden Ability Telepathy (which prevents it from taking damage from opponents’ spread attacks), Helping Hand, Trick Room and all kinds of other assets, Musharna is a sorely underrated supporter. It can also heal itself, boost up with Calm Mind and start taking souls itself. It’s only rated in the middle of the bunch because it takes time to get going, taking momentum from the match.

5 Cinccino

Cinccino is another Pokémon that would be super easy to underestimate. On paper, it’s just another serviceable offensive Normal-type. Pretty darn fast, decent Attack, you know the sort of thing. The true beauty of this furry little terror, however, lies in its Hidden Ability: Skill Link.

As fans will know, this Ability ensures that all multi-hitting moves will hit five times. It learns three of these: Rock Blast, Bullet Seed and the exclusive STAB move Tail Slap. Players just love to give it a King’s Rock, slap that tail around and cause more destruction with it than Godzilla on a bad day. Chances are, it’ll get a flinch or sixteen along the way, therefore continuing its reign of terror far longer than a Pokémon with the defences of a snowman in the Sahara has any right to survive.

4 Braviary

Braviary is another Gen V Pokémon that is so much more than the sum of its parts. Again, the key to its success is its Hidden Ability, which ensures it a solid place in the developing Sword and Shield metagame.

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Defiant is an Ability that gives the Pokémon an instant +2 to its Attack when its stats are dropped by an opponent. This means that it actually benefits from Intimidate, a fantastic Ability that most doubles Pokémon with access to it will be using. Couple this with its access to crucial support moves like Tailwind, and you can see what a great asset Braviary can be. It’s still quite low-key compared to the rest of the list, though.

3 Reuniclus

That’s right, friends. Buckle up for Reuniclus (Adorable Pink Psychic-Type Blob I Never Expected To Destroy Me 2.0, as its victims call it).

Most experienced Pokémon players have fallen foul of this thing at some point or another. It has all the traits of Musharna, with excellent supportive options, bulk and such. It’s a perfect Trick Room user. The key to Reuniclus’s power is that it can make great use of the twisted dimensions itself, going from tanking hits to delivering the damage itself at the blink of an eye. It does require a little support, though, and is a bit more niche than our top two picks.

2 Hydreigon

Every generation of Pokémon brings new top-tier threats to the table. For Gen V, there’s no question that one of the defining powerhouses was Hydreigon. With its excellent Special Attack, chance to mix things up with a physical Dragon Dance set and other assets besides, this Dark/Dragon pseudo-Legendary is a true beast.

All that really holds it back is its slightly lackluster Speed and the ever-present threat of Fairy-types (which really do a number on it).

1 Excadrill

In terms of Gen V Pokémon that are sure to be meta mainstays in Sword and Shield, we’d definitely argue that Excadrill comes out on top. It’s an excellent offensive Pokémon that can also take a utility role (Rapid Spin is a common pick). Its true potential, however, comes to the fore when it’s paired with its fellow metagame menace, Tyranitar.

With Tyranitar setting up the sand for its partner, Excadrill can start tearing through opposing doubles teams with its Sand Rush-boosted Speed (this also works in singles, of course, but is a little more awkward). It’s an incredibly simple and incredibly effective strategy. If you’ve been on the receiving end of it, you’ll know just what a potent force it can be.

NEXT: The 10 Best Steel-type Pokémon, Ranked