Shadow Rhyperior

Rhyperior is an absolute juggernaut of a Pokemon that long could compete with many Shadows thanks to its great average DPS and titanic TDO. But what happens when you give this monster the Shadow Boost? You end up with a downright explosive Pokemon. Shadow Rhyperior hits like a nuke as soon as it hits the field, absolutely destroying anything that it's called on to take down. And not only did it score huge DPS with its Shadow boost, it also brought the huge TDO of its non-shadow variant with it, scoring less time on the field that's made up for directly with higher DPS. On average, Shadow Rhyperior will probably be the top overall counter when it's relevant, making it an outstanding investment for any player.

The one caveat? It unfortunately released alongside Shadow Rampardos! But still; its huge TDO and still objectively outstanding DPS keeps it very competitive with the shadow fossil! 

Best PvE Offensive Moveset

• Smack Down should be paired with Rock Wrecker for top-tier Rock DPS.

• Mud Slap should go with Earthquake for similarly high-tier Ground DPS.

• Stone Edge is a step down, but still decent if Elite TMs are lacking. 

• Surf really doesn't have much of a place on an offensive Shadow Rhyperior.

• Superpower has no STAB or synergy with Shadow Rhyperior's movesets.

• Breaking Swipe is great, but it's not useful on Shadow Rhyperior. 

• Skull Bash is the least useful move in Shadow Rhyperior's repertoire. 

Best PvE Defensive Moveset

• Mud Slap is a bit better than Smack Down, but both are defensively solid

• Rock Wrecker is a hard-hitting 2 bar move, and a great defensive choice

• Superpower offers pervasive coverage and good power, making it a good pick on defense. No meta-relevant Pokemon resits Fighting and Rock.

• Surf is a great 2 bar move, but it’s weak vs. the Water and Grass types that counter Shadow Rhyperior very hard.

• Breaking Swipe is great on offense, but its low base power makes it a bit iffier on defense. Still, it comes out frequently enough to make it worth considering.

• Stone Edge has an early damage window, but being one-bar is a liability on a Pokemon with two 2x weaknesses

• Skull Bash is strong and has solid neutral coverage, but it's ultimately inferior.

• Earthquake is slow and easy to dodge.

Mud Slap grants both more damage and energy generation than Smack Down and is clearly the superior move.

Rock Wrecker is a Community Day exclusive move, and is highly recommended for its incredible damage output and very high DPE value. Stone Edge is a direct downgrade in both power and energy cost. Breaking Swipe is definitely the preferred second move, as it sports great power, very low energy cost, and a 50% chance to -1 Attack when utilized.  

Among the lesser options, Surf costs the second lowest amount of energy to use among Rhyperior's moves, and deals respectable damage with good coverage. Superpower provides wide coverage, however its self-debuff effects makes it more difficult to use. Earthquake and Skull Bash demand too much energy to use, given Rhyperior's slow energy gains.