A new move will arrive on Pokémon Go on September 19th called Razor Shell. It is added during Oshawott's Community Day and is entering the evolved form of Oshawott, Samurott's moveset. With a new move coming to the Pokémon pool, is that a useful addition? Let's break it down and take a look.
Razor shell will be a charged move. It will be a Water-type attack that does 35 damage and requires 35 Energy to use. Has a 50% chance to lower the opponent's defenses by one degree when striking. Given the amount of Energy this attack requires, it's a good move that you can spam at an opponent, depending on what Quick Move a Pokémon has at the time. However, the razor shell's low damage value turns it into more of a decoy attack, making it a better option for an opponent to waste a shield before using a more substantial move. It is a technical choice that is a choice of situation and not a perfect all-round option.
Razor shell will transform into a situational charge move that you want to place on a Pokémon with a powerful alternate charge move. As of this writing, the only Pokémon that can learn the razor is Samurott. Based on Samurott's stats and the other loaded moves he can learn, unfortunately, the razor isn't the best option. Samurott is better off learning the hydrocannon and megacorn, much more powerful moves that only require a little more energy to use.
The Razor Shell will likely be added to other Pokémon in Pokémon Go in the future. These Pokémon will likely include Cloyster, Kingler, Crawdaunt, Barbaracle, Slowbro, Slowking, and Escavalier. Of the choices, it has the most potential for Slowbro and Slowking, but we will have to review the other options when they are announced in the future.
For now, the razor misses the mark to make it a notable charge move in Pokémon Go. For Samurott, it's best to stick with the hydrocannon and megacorn. However, we strongly recommend that you consider returning to review the Razor when it comes to other Pokémon.
