Cinderace - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle | Libero Hidden Ability Moveset | Pokemon Sword and Shield

This is a strategy guide for using Cinderace in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield, including the best build for its Hidden Ability, Libero. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, Builds, and Held Items to use with Cinderace, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Cinderace - Related Articles
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle	Gigantamax Cinderace

Basic Information for Cinderace

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Cinderace
Abilities
Blaze	Powers up Fire-type moves in a pinch
Libero (Hidden)	Changes the Pokémon's type to the type of the move it's about to use.

Type Defenses

	Type
Takes 4x damage	-
Takes 2x damage
Takes 0.5x damage
Takes 1/4x damage	-
Takes 0x damage	-

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

Best Nature for Cinderace

What are Natures?

How to Learn Cinderace's Egg Moves

Moveset & Best Build for Cinderace

Libero + Life Orb Moveset & Best Build

These values are from base stats and ideal EVs, excluding external factors.

This Cinderace takes advantage of its new Hidden Ability, Libero, using a Life Orb to boost its attacking power. Libero gives Cinderace the power to use all of its attacks as STAB moves, and thanks to its wide movepool, this allows it to handle itself against a wide range of opponents.

After Dynamaxing, Cinderace can use moves like Max Knuckle and Max Airstream as STAB moves, while using their effects to raise its Attack and Speed and further enhance its sweeping potential.

How to Get Libero Cinderace

A free Scorbunny with the Libero Ability is available via Pokemon HOME. Learn how to get all three Galar Starters with Hidden Abilities and transfer them to Pokemon Sword and Shield with our guide below:
How to Get & Transfer Hidden Ability Starters from Pokemon HOME

Advantages of Jolly vs. Adamant

This moveset expects going up against other Cinderaces, so we've used a Jolly Nature here; that said, the Adamant Nature has the potential to take down a HP/Def-focused Snorlax in one hit with High Jump Kick, so it's worth considering as well.

Still, as Snorlax builds frequently run Protect, play carefully to make sure your High Jump Kick doesn't backfire on you.

Other Viable Moves

Blaze + Focus Sash Moveset & Best Build

These values are from base stats and ideal EVs, excluding external factors.

This set uses Blaze together with the Focus Sash to survive a hit from max HP and hit back hard with Blaze's damage boost. After Blaze has taken effect, it can take advantage of its high base Attack to deal reliably heavy damage from then on, making this set a viable alternative standing in contrast to the Libero moveset.

Other Viable Moves

How to Use Cinderace Effectively

Use any attack with 1.5x damage

With its Hidden Ability Libero, Cinderace is able to change its type to match any move directly before using it. This has the effect of giving all moves the same-type attack bonus (STAB), which increases the moves damage to 1.5x its standard amount.

With a wide movepool to choose from, Cinderace can change its build to match its party, and can even cut out Fire-type moves without losing STAB. This makes it all the more malleable, and all the harder for opponents to predict its moveset.

A high-speed Attacker with powerful exclusive moves

Cinderace's quickness and variety of attacks make it easy to attack first and deal damage to a wide range of opponent types.

Cinderace's special attack, Pyro Ball, deals the same high damage and has the same Burn effect as Flare Blitz, without the downside of recoil.

Best Teammates for Cinderace

Compensate for Cinderace's Weaknesses

Cinderace is quick and powerful, but its HP and Defense are relatively low. To survive against opponents with type and attack advantages, team up with these Pokemon.

Pokemon	Description
Ferrothorn	・Takes reduced damage from Water & Rock attacks, two of Cinderace's weaknesses ・Can take a beating with high Defense and high Special Defense Ferrothorn Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Wash Rotom	・Its ability, Levitate, makes it immune to Ground-type moves. ・Can switch in against a Ground and Rock-type opponents and hit back with powerful Special attacks Wash Rotom Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Corviknight	・As a Flying-type, it's immune to Ground-type moves. ・High defensive stats and effective against Rock-types. ・Can recover HP with Roost. Corviknight Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

Use High-Tier Pokemon

These teammates, including Cinderace, are all within the top 3 tiers for Ranked Battle. By using these Pokemon which can generally handle most opponents, you can eliminate most of the potential threats to Cinderace, leaving only those which it can handle and limiting your opponent's options for switching.

Pokemon	Description
Mimikyu	・Use Swords Dance to increase Attack and Disguise to cancel an attack. Mimikyu Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Dragapult	・Easy to attack first with one of the highest Speed stats in the game. ・Has a wide variety of move types and movesets. Dragapult Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Cloyster	・Shell Smash doubles Attack and Speed. ・Its ability, Skill Link, allows its multi-hit attacks to land 5 times without fail. Cloyster Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Galarian Darmanitan	・Gorilla Tactics increases its Attack. ・Its wide range of moves types makes it formidable against a variety of opponents. Galarian Darmanitan Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

Counters for Cinderace

Use Pokemon Whose Weaknesses Are Hard to Strike

Every time Libero Cinderace uses a move, it will become the same type as the move, making it even stronger. To counter this, try to use Pokemon that have the same type as moves Cinderace can't learn. If Cinderace switches to a type that isn't Fire it will also become susceptible to Will-o-Wisp to take down its attack.

Pokemon	Description
Mudsdale	Ranking：★★★★★ ・Can raise its defense with Stamina ・Is not weak to anything Cinderace can learn
Milotic	Ranking：★★★★ ・Milotic's defense increases by 1.5x when mixing Marvel Scale with a Flame Orb ・Be careful of Electro Ball Milotic - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Gyarados	Ranking: ★★★★☆ ・A typing which can handle Cinderace both offensively and defensively ・Its Ability Moxie allows it to knock out Cinderace to set up against further opponents Gyarados Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Wash Rotom	Ranking: ★★★★☆ ・Can take most of Cinderace's attacks with reduced damage ・Can manipulate the flow of battle with Volt Switch Wash Rotom Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Arcanine	Ranking：★★★★ ・Can decrease Cinderace's attack with Intimidate ・Can inflict burn with Will-o-Wisp if Cinderace's type changes away from Fire Arcanine - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

Protect Yourself With High Defense

Cinderace is incredibly fast, making it difficult to outspeed, so it's better to use Pokemon that can take hits and aim for its weak point rather than trying to act before it.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Toxapex	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can take most of Cinderace's attacks with reduced damage ・Can tank while attacking with STAB Water moves Toxapex Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Gastrodon	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can take most of Cinderace's attacks with reduced or neutral damage. ・Can tank while attacking with STAB Water moves. Gastrodon Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Hippowdon	Ranking: ★★★★☆ ・High Defense allows it to weather hits. ・Can cause trouble for Cinderace with Status moves like Stealth Rock and Yawn. Hippowdon Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Heat Rotom	Ranking: ★★★☆☆ ・Can take most of Cinderace's attacks with reduced damage ・Can manipulate the flow of battle with Volt Switch Heat Rotom Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

Use Counter With a Focus Sash

Since Cinderace is primarily a physical attacker, using a Focus Sash to survive a hit and striking back with Counter is a good way to deal with it. This can work even when Cinderace is Dynamaxed.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Cinderace	Ranking：★★★★★ ・Can use Counter ・If Counter doesn't do it in, can follow up with Sucker Punch
Lucario	Ranking：★★★★★ ・Can use Counter ・If Counter doesn't do it in, can follow up with Extreme Speed Lucario - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

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Movesets & Best Builds for New Pokemon
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Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Mimikyu	Wash Rotom	Gyarados
Ferrothorn	Aegislash	Excadrill
Tyranitar	Hydreigon	Heat Rotom
Arcanine	Mamoswine	Toxapex
Togekiss	Cloyster	Durant
Snorlax	Charizard	Sylveon
Lucario	Hippowdon	Umbreon
Conkeldurr	Quagsire	Gastrodon
Lapras	Whimsicott	Rhyperior
Goodra	Haxorus	Glaceon
Mow Rotom	Type: Null	Gengar
Milotic	Gardevoir	Flygon
Chandelure	Lanturn	Torkoal
Bisharp	Seismitoad	Silvally
Butterfree	Primarina	Incineroar
Blastoise	Decidueye	Venusaur
Darmanitan	Alolan Ninetales	Gothitelle
Crawdaunt	Clefable	Reuniclus
Kommo-o	Terrakion	Cobalion
Virizion	Noivern	Fan Rotom
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