Axew takes the spotlight in Pokémon Go’s latest Community Day, offering trainers a rare chance to catch this elusive Dragon-type and evolve it into the mighty Haxorus with exclusive moves and bonuses that shouldn’t be missed.
We want to remind folks to check for hazardous conditions before you head off to your local parks and outdoor hub areas to play. Your health is way more important than a Pokémon and Axew will be widely available during the December Community Weekend event later in the year, when it will (hopefully) be safer to be outside.
That being said, you can also find alternative areas to play if you really must hunt for shiny Axew, like indoor shopping malls and areas like that. We’ve had lots of luck just running an Incense at home throughout the event period, so you can always do that to maximize your own safety!
As expected with a Community Day event, Axew will spawn in huge numbers with a high chance for it to appear shiny. There are also several other bonuses and perks, which we’ve list out below.
How do I catch a shiny Axew?
Shiny Axew can be found by catching as many Axew as possible during Community Day, as the shiny rate increases for event spawns. Use Incense and Lure Modules to attract more Axew, and focus on areas with high Pokémon activity to maximize encounters. Fast Catch techniques help you save time between spawns, while using Pinap Berries doubles your Candy for each catch. If you miss the event, you can still encounter shiny Axew from event eggs, trades, or future special spawns featuring this Pokémon.
According to original research conducted by now-defunct Pokémon community site The Silph Road, Shiny rates on Community Days are about 1 in 24, which means that if you keep playing throughout the three-hour window, you should find quite a few shiny Pokémon.
If you’re short on time or Poké Balls, you can pop an Incense, then quickly tap each Axew to check for shiny ones, running from any that aren’t shiny. Notably, any Axew you’ve already tapped will face where your player is standing, so that should help identify which ones you may have already checked.
What Community Day move does Axew’s evolution learn?
During Axew’s Community Day, evolving Haxorus within the three-hour window lets it learn the exclusive Dragon move Superpower. This Fighting-type charge move delivers 110 power and a 25% Defense drop on opponents, pairing well with Dragon Breath or Dragon Tail as fast moves. It gives Haxorus stronger coverage against Fairy, Steel, and Rock types, boosting its raid and Gym performance. Evolve any Axew, Fraxure, or Haxorus before the timer expires to secure Superpower.
If you evolve Fraxture into Haxorus from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. in your local time, it will learn the charged move Breaking Swipe.
If you miss out on evolving it during this period, you will likely be able to evolve it during a Community Day weekend event in December to get Breaking Swipe. If you don’t want to wait, you can use an Elite TM to get the move.
How does Haxorus do in the meta?
Haxorus performs well in Pokémon Go’s meta as a strong Dragon-type attacker with solid stats and impressive damage potential. Its access to Breaking Swipe gives it both offensive power and defensive utility, allowing it to lower opponents’ attack in Trainer Battles. While it competes with stronger Dragons like Rayquaza and Dragonite in raids, Haxorus stands out for its accessibility and versatility in the Master League, where its speed and coverage make it a threat to many popular picks.
Haxorus is a fine dragon-type PvE attacker, if you don’t already have a large collection of Salamence, Rayquaza, and the other powerful Pokémon in the same category. Of course, it lags behind shadow Pokémon, but if you’re in need of dragon-types, you should grab a few powerful Axew and evolve them. Set it up with Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe for success.
The Community Day move, Breaking Swipe, does help Haxorus out in PvP, especially in Master Leagues and some specific cups. Make sure to grab evolve your Fraxure and grab a Haxorus with Breaking Swipe if you like PvP.
How do I make the most of Axew Community Day?
Maximize your Axew Community Day by planning around its spotlight tasks: catch as many Axew and Lire options as possible for candy and XL, use incense and lures to boost spawns, and take advantage of event bonuses like increased catch XP or reduced catch distance. Coordinate with friends to share in-game bonuses, prioritize evolving Axew into powerful movesets, and complete special research tasks for exclusive rewards. Capture tips: bring a plush of synergy for buddy XP boosts, stock up on berries to keep your momentum, and time your play to sunrise or late afternoon hours to avoid crowding.
The following bonuses will be active during Axew Community Day:
- Tripled XP for catching Pokémon
- Doubled candy for catching Pokémon
- Doubled chance for level 31 trainers to get XL candy from catching Pokémon
- Incense lasts three hours
- Lure Modules lasts three hours
- Axew special photobombs when taking snapshots
- One additional special trade
- Stardust cost halved for trading
That said, you should definitely pop a Lucky Egg and an Incense and try to nab some powerful Axew.
If you can Mega Evolve Charizard X, Ampharos, Sceptile, Altaria, Salamence, Latias, or Latios, you’ll score additional Axew Candy per catch.
In addition to all this, Niantic is still running special four-star raids from 5-10 p.m., where if you clear the Fraxure raid, Axew will spawn in a 300-meter radius around the gym for 30 minutes. These raids cannot be done remotely. If the usual 2-5 p.m. spawn increase doesn’t get you the Axew you wanted, you can try raiding for another chance.
Best moveset for Haxorus from Axew Community Day
Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe form the top moveset for Haxorus from Axew’s Community Day. This combo maximizes Dragon-type STAB damage, with Breaking Swipe as the exclusive charged move unlocked by evolving during or shortly after the June 2023 event.
PvE Performance (Raids/Gyms)
Dragon Tail (fast move) generates energy quickly while dealing solid Dragon damage. Breaking Swipe (charged, 50 power in PvE) offers low energy cost (35) for spamming, outperforming Dragon Claw slightly in DPS rankings at 16.92 DPS and high TDO.
Alternatives like Dragon Claw provide similar power but higher energy needs; use Earthquake for coverage against Steel/Electric types if needed.
PvP Rankings (GO Battle League)
Counter edges out Dragon Tail as the preferred fast move for its Fighting coverage and faster energy gain, pairing with Breaking Swipe (low-cost shield pressure, lowers foe Attack) and Night Slash (Dark coverage for Psychics/Ghosts).
In Great League, add Surf for Water coverage; Ultra/Master Leagues favor Night Slash over Surf against bulkier meta threats.
Haxorus ranks mid-tier (e.g., viable closer in Great/Ultra) thanks to Breaking Swipe’s utility, but struggles against Fairies and top Dragons without perfect IVs.
Key Moves Overview
| Move Type | Move | Power (PvP/PvE) | Energy Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast | Dragon Tail | 5/3 | Quick energy | STAB Dragon |
| Fast | Counter | 8/4 | Fighting coverage | |
| Charged | Breaking Swipe* | 50/35 | CD exclusive, debuff | |
| Charged | Night Slash | 50/40 | Ghost/Psychic hits | |
| Charged | Dragon Claw | 50/35 | Reliable STAB backup | |
| Charged | Surf/Earthquake | 65/65 / 110/100 | Coverage options |
*Legacy from Axew Community Day; power drops in PvE. Prioritize XL Candy investment for XL versions in PvP leagues.
How to teach Breaking Swipe to Haxorus after Community Day
Breaking Swipe, the exclusive move from Axew’s Community Day, cannot be learned by regular Haxorus after the event window without an Elite TM (Dragon). Evolving Fraxure to Haxorus during the June 2023 event (2 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time) or any announced rerun window grants it automatically.
Primary Method: Elite TM
Use an Elite TM (Dragon) on a regular Haxorus to unlock Breaking Swipe. These TMs drop rarely from in-game events, GO Battle League rewards, or purchases via the shop during special sales-stockpile them for high-value moves like this.
Confirm the move is available in your Haxorus’s moveset before using the TM, as it only teaches eligible legacy moves.
Limited Alternatives
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Event reruns: Niantic occasionally repeats Community Day moves in anniversary events or special weekends (e.g., December recap events), allowing evolutions to learn it temporarily-check in-game news.
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No TMs from raids or wild encounters teach it; only Elite TMs work post-event.
Preparation Tips
Power up Haxorus to level 40+ first for better PvP performance with the move, and pair it with Dragon Tail or Counter as discussed previously. Elite TMs are scarce, so prioritize for top meta picks like this over less optimal ones.
