Swords Dance in Pokemon Survivor

Swords Dance at a glance

What Swords Dance does

Swords Dance is a Normal-type buff move. Deals no damage: builds attack while active.

Normal moves are in every Pokemon's pool, so it can show up in any run. It reaches you as a new-move card when you level up, as long as one of your four move slots is free. No Pokemon begins a run with it, so you only find it on level-up cards. Each level-up draws three cards by weight from up to six new-move candidates, your move upgrades and the stat cards, so even a good move can sit out several level-ups.

Swords Dance stats by level

Swords Dance adds one stack every 0.85 seconds while it is in your active slot, up to 5 stacks at level 1 and 7 at level 5. Each cast refreshes the timer, so the stacks last 7 s at level 1 and 10.5 s at level 5 after the last cast and then drop together.

Full stacks take 4.3 seconds at level 1 and 6 seconds at level 5, and they stay full for as long as the move keeps firing. Each stack adds 25.5% to a multiplier on all your damage, so 7 stacks multiply your damage by 2.78.

Swords Dance level-up changes

Each level-up card for Swords Dance applies the changes below. They stack, so the level 5 row above already includes all of them.

• Level 2: +1 stack
• Level 3: +40% effect per stack
• Level 4: +50% duration
• Level 5: +1 stack, +40% effect per stack

Does Swords Dance evolve?

No. Swords Dance is a buff move, and buff moves never evolve. Every attack move can evolve once it reaches max level and you have taken the card for its condition. The move evolution guide lists them all.

Which Pokemon can use Swords Dance

Every Pokemon can learn Swords Dance, because Normal moves are in all move pools. The real question is whether it is worth one of your four slots. No Pokemon starts with it. The table lists the top-ranked Pokemon overall by Stat Score. The full list is in the Pokedex.

How to use Swords Dance

• Buff moves do not need a target: Swords Dance fires on its cooldown wherever you are.
• Other buff moves are Agility, Harden, and Aqua Ring. The moves list compares all 64.
• Buff moves take one of your four slots and deal no damage. The game stops offering buff moves once you carry two, so a third one never crowds out your attacks.
• Only the moves in your active slot fire, so a buff in a slot you are not using adds no stacks. A bond, which a rift win gives you, fuses loose moves into one group that fires together, each with its own cooldown, so a buff can share a slot with an attack.
• Swords Dance and Dragon Dance build the same attack stack. They share one stack counter, and each cast sets the bonus per stack and the stack cap to its own values, so carrying both never gives more than the better of the two alone.

Swords Dance in Pokemon Survivor FAQ

What does Swords Dance do in Pokemon Survivor?

Deals no damage: builds attack while active. It is a Normal-type buff move with 5 levels. It gives +13% damage per stack at level 1.

How many stacks does Swords Dance give?

5 stacks at level 1 and 7 at level 5, each worth +25% damage per stack at max level. The stacks last 10.5 s after the last cast.

Which Pokemon can learn Swords Dance?

All 966 Pokemon, because it is a Normal move. None of them start with it.

Browse all 64 moves in the Pokemon Survivor moves list, or read the Pokemon Survivor guides.