Ursaluna-Bloodmoon didn’t just walk into the VGC meta; it crashed through the wall like a force of nature. When this unique form was introduced in The Teal Mask DLC, it immediately warped the competitive landscape around its immense power. It’s not just another strong Pokémon—it’s a meta-defining threat that you either use on your team or dedicate a specific strategy to countering.
Today, we’re diving deep into what makes this beast tick and how you can build one to dominate your VGC matches.
Pokédex Deep Dive
- Kitakami Pokédex: #196
- Typing: Ground / Normal
- Ability: Mind’s Eye
Ursaluna-Bloodmoon is a special variant of the Hisuian Pokémon that has adapted to the environment of Kitakami. Its standout features are its shift to a Special Attacker and its incredible signature Ability, Mind’s Eye. This ability is like an upgraded version of Scrappy, allowing its Normal- and Fighting-type moves to hit Ghost-type Pokémon. It also prevents its accuracy from being lowered and ignores an opponent’s evasion boosts, making it incredibly consistent.
Combined with a monstrous 135 base Special Attack and a powerful signature move, Ursaluna-Bloodmoon is built to be a premier wallbreaker.
Competitive Corner: The Trick Room Titan
This Pokémon’s low Speed (52) and incredible power make it a perfect candidate for Trick Room teams. While its physical Defense is solid (120), its Special Defense is a noticeable weak point (65). Our build will focus on maximizing its strengths while providing the support it needs to sweep.
The Meta-Counter VGC Build
- Item: Throat Spray
- Tera Type: Normal
- Nature: Quiet (+Sp. Atk, -Spe)
- EV Spread: 252 HP / 252 Sp. Atk / 4 Sp. Def
This spread is straightforward and effective. We max out HP for overall bulk and Special Attack for damage. The Quiet Nature lowers its already-low Speed to make it a terror under Trick Room.
Moveset Analysis
- Blood Moon: This is the main event. A 140 base power Normal-type special attack that can’t be used on consecutive turns. With a Normal Tera, this move is a delete button for anything that doesn’t resist it. Thanks to Mind’s Eye, not even Ghost-types like Flutter Mane are safe.
- Hyper Voice: Your go-to move on the turn after Blood Moon. It’s a spread move, hitting both opponents, and it activates Throat Spray to give you a +1 boost to your Special Attack. This makes your subsequent attacks even more devastating.
- Earth Power: A reliable secondary STAB. It’s perfect for hitting the Steel- and Rock-types that resist your Normal-type attacks, like Gholdengo, Archaludon, and Incineroar.
- Protect: This is VGC 101. Protect is essential for scouting, stalling out your opponent’s Dynamax or Terastalization, and repositioning. It’s especially important for Ursaluna, as it often becomes the primary target the moment it hits the field.
How Ursaluna-Bloodmoon Counters the Meta
This build is so effective because it directly answers some of the most common threats in the format.
- vs. Flutter Mane: A Tera Normal Ursaluna resists both of Flutter Mane’s STAB moves (Shadow Ball and Moonblast). In return, Ursaluna can easily survive a hit and OHKO Flutter Mane with a Tera-boosted Blood Moon.
- vs. Incineroar & Other Intimidate Users: As a special attacker, Ursaluna completely laughs off the Attack drop from Intimidate. It can threaten common Intimidate users like Incineroar and Landorus-T with a super-effective Earth Power.
- vs. Gholdengo: Mind’s Eye allows Blood Moon to hit Gholdengo, but the real threat is Earth Power, which deals massive super-effective damage and bypasses its Good as Gold ability.
In-Game Strategy
You can’t just find this Pokémon wandering around. To get your own Ursaluna-Bloodmoon, you need to complete a side quest in the Teal Mask DLC.
- Find Perrin: Locate the photographer Perrin in Mossui Town. She’ll task you with registering 150 Pokémon in your Kitakami Pokédex.
- Battle Perrin: Once you’ve met the requirement, you’ll battle her Ariados and Noctowl.
- The Special Encounter: After defeating her, she’ll lead you to the Timeless Woods for a special encounter where you must battle and capture the Ursaluna-Bloodmoon. Be prepared—it’s a tough fight!
Since you acquire it after completing much of the DLC’s main story, its primary value is for competitive play. However, it’s more than capable of crushing any remaining NPC battles or post-game content with its raw power.
Lore & Origins
The story of Ursaluna-Bloodmoon is a fascinating tale of adaptation. According to its Pokédex entries, this individual is a descendant of a Hisuian Ursaluna that somehow crossed the sea and ended up in Kitakami. To survive in this new, harsh environment, it adapted, gaining a unique appearance and special powers.
The hardened mud on its forehead is said to be a mixture of Kitakami’s unique soil and clay. Its power is tied to the “blood-red moon,” a phenomenon that seems to have granted it control over the earth itself. This is a wonderful example of regional adaptation influencing a Pokémon’s form and abilities, bridging the lore between Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Scarlet & Violet.
Trainer’s Final Thoughts
Ursaluna-Bloodmoon is, without a doubt, a top-tier threat in VGC. It’s a centralizing force that dictates the pace of the game the moment it steps onto the field.
- Strengths: Unbelievable special attacking power, an incredible ability in Mind’s Eye, and impressive physical bulk. Its access to a powerful Normal Tera makes it a fantastic defensive and offensive pivot.
- Weaknesses: Its low Speed makes it heavily reliant on Trick Room support. Without it, it’s easily out-sped and targeted. Its low Special Defense means powerful special attackers like Chi-Yu or Walking Wake can pose a significant threat. Finally, it’s predictable; your opponent knows you want to set up Trick Room and click Blood Moon.
Building and playing with Ursaluna-Bloodmoon is a masterclass in VGC fundamentals: positioning, support, and timing. If you can provide the Trick Room it needs, you’ll be rewarded with a Pokémon that can tear through even the bulkiest of teams. It has rightfully earned its place as a legend of competitive Pokémon.