★ Game8's Pokemon TCG Pocket Wiki is live!
☆ Check out our competitive guides for Scarlet and Violet!
┣ Tier List / Doubles Tier List / Movesets / Rental Teams
┗ Competitive Battle Guide
Arcanine Movesets in Other Games | |
---|---|
SV | SWSH |
This is a strategy guide for using Arcanine in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, Builds, and Held Items to use with Arcanine, as well as its strengths and weak points.
Arcanine - Related Guides | |
---|---|
Evolution and Learnset | Build for Ranked Battle |
List of Contents
Pokemon | Type 1 | Type 2 |
---|---|---|
Abilities | ||
Intimidate | Lowers the foe's Attack stat. | |
Flash Fire | It powers up Fire-type moves if it's hit by one. | |
Justified (Hidden) | Raises Attack when hit by a Dark-type move. |
Type | |
---|---|
Takes 4x damage |
|
Takes 2x damage | |
Takes 0.5x damage | |
Takes 1/4x damage |
|
Takes 0x damage |
|
HP | Attack | Defense | Sp. Atk | Sp. Def | Speed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
90 | 110 | 80 | 100 | 80 | 95 |
Best Natures | ||
---|---|---|
Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk) |
Adamant (+Atk, -SpAtk) |
Nature | Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk) |
---|---|
EV Spread | Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / HP 4 |
Final Stat Values | HP 166 / Atk. 162 / Def. 100 / Sp.Def. 100 / Spd. 161 |
Ability | Intimidate |
Held Item | Choice Band |
Moveset | ・Extreme Speed ・Flare Blitz ・Will-o-Wisp ・Wild Charge |
This build lets Arcanine hold Choice Band to take advantage of its high Attack stat. Against Pokemon that is not vulnerable to Fire-type moves, Arcanine can be Dynamaxed to temporarily opt out of Choice Band's one move lock.
If there are more concerns in being locked to one move with Choice Band, Charcoal can be an alternative item, although take note that it only boosts Fire-type moves. Life Orb can also be chosen when using Arcanine as the main attacker.
Close Combat | An alternate option for Will-o-Wisp or the Electric-type Move. Allows it to hit Rock and Dark types super effectively. |
---|---|
Play Rough | A Fairy-type move used against Dragon-types. |
Nature | Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk) |
---|---|
EV Spread | HP 252 / Atk 76 / Spd 180 |
Final Stat Values | HP 197 / Atk 140 / Def 100 / Sp.Def 100 / Spd 151 |
Ability | Intimidate |
Held Item | Assault Vest |
Moveset | ・Extreme Speed ・Flare Blitz ・Close Combat ・Wild Charge |
This build allows Arcanine to receive either physical or special attacks with the help of Intimidate and Assault Vest. Close Combat and Wild Charge also lets it face Rock and Water-types.
Giving 252 EV to Aracanine's HP further improves it durability. and works well with the effects of Intimidate and Assault Vest. In addition to that, it can withstand super-effective moves from most offensive Water-types like Wash Rotom or Gyarados.
Play Rough | A Fairy-type move used against Dragon-types. |
---|
Nature | Bold (+Def, -Atk) |
---|---|
EV Spread | HP 252 / Def. 252 / Spd. 4 |
Final Stat Values | HP 197 / Def. 145 / Sp. Atk. 120 / Sp. Def. 100 / Spd. 116 |
Ability | Intimidate |
Held Item | Sitrus Berry Rocky Helmet Leftovers |
Moveset | ・Will-O-Wisp
・Morning Sun ・Roar ・Flamethrower |
Lower the offensive power of opposing physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate, and let Arcanine attack with a STAB-boosted Flamethrower. To recover HP, use Morning Sun.
The suggested items aid in Arcanine's role as a physical wall. Sitrus Berry and Leftovers goes well with Morning Sun in terms of recovery. Meanwhile, Rocky Helmet can be held to punish those who still dare use physicall attacks on Arcanine.
Protect | Can be used to figure out what the opponent is planning to do. Recommended if using Leftovers. |
---|---|
Snarl | Dark-type move that further lowers a physical attacker's offensive capabilities. |
Dragon Pulse | Dragon-type move that can be used as Max Wyrmwind when Dynamxed to lower an opposing Pokemon's Special Attack stat. |
Arcanine has high Base Stats across the board, making it a powerful attacker who can also withstand attacks. It also learns powerful attacks from useful types, such as Play Rough, Close Combat and Wild Charge, allowing it deal hard-hitting super effective damage to a variety of types.
Weakness |
---|
Arcanine is typically used as a physical attacker, so it's easy to counter with a Rock, Dragon or Water-type Pokemon with high Defense. But since Arcanine is able to learn Wild Charge, Close Combat and Play Rough, it might bite back hard if you can't faint it in one or two turns.
Pokemon | Description |
---|---|
Quagsire | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・On top of being resistant to Fire, it's immune to Arcanine's Electric moves. Moveset & Best Build for Quagsire |
Wash Rotom | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Resists Fire and takes neutral damage from Electric. ・Can use Volt Switch to bail out when you expect a switch-in. Moveset & Best Build for Wash Rotom |
Porygon2 | Ranking: ★★★★★
・Tanky and can take physical attacks. ・Tone down any of Arcanine's actions by paralyzing it. Moveset & Best Build for Porygon2 |
Tyranitar | Ranking: ★★★★ ・Can aim for a 1HKO with Stone Edge. ・Must watch out for Close Combat. Moveset & Best Build for Tyranitar |
All our Best Teams are available for free rental, and usable in Ranked Battle with no EV Training necessary.
All Best Teams for Ranked Battle
Best Arcanine Team for Ranked Battle | ||
---|---|---|
Arcanine | Hydreigon | Tyranitar |
Corviknight | Mow Rotom | Mimikyu |
Born from one player's love of one Pokemon, Arcanine, this team takes advantage of Arcanine's already-high Base Stats, supported by Assault Vest to make it a powerful player both offensively and defensively.
In addition to Arcanine, this team features a host of other surprises, such as a Pressure Corviknight, a Special Attack-using Tyranitar, and a stall-ready Mimikyu, that might change your preconceptions about the competitive scene as a whole.
Best Arcanine Team for Ranked Battle
All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle
Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tier List | Best Builds | Series 10 List of Contenders | |||
Doubles Tier List | Team Building | Rental Teams |
Arcanine - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Genshin Impact Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Pokemon TCG Pocket (PTCGP) Strategies & Guides Wiki
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 (BO6) Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Honkai: Star Rail Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Metaphor: ReFantazio Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Zenless Zone Zero Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (SV) Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Throne and Liberty Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Palworld Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Pokemon Legends: Arceus Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
New Pokemon Snap Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
FF7 Remake Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
©2019 Pokémon. ©1995-2019 Nintendo/Creatures Inc. /GAME FREAK inc.
The copyrights of videos of games used in our content and other intellectual property rights belong to the provider of the game.
The contents we provide on this site were created personally by members of the Game8 editorial department.
We refuse the right to reuse or repost content taken without our permission such as data or images to other sites.
What a great guide