Magmortar Movesets & Competitive Sets

Thunderbolt hits Water- and Flying-types such as Jellicent and Charizard. Focus Blast hits Rock-types such as Gigalith and Regirock as well as Audino. The last slot is very customizable depending on your team's needs: Scorching Sands gives Magmortar a better matchup against Lanturn and opposing Magmortar while also being a safer way to hit Rock-types. Taunt prevents recovery from the likes of Jellicent and Audino as well as Stealth Rock from setters like Druddigon in a pinch. Toxic is a good source of chip damage versus walls such as Jellicent and Gigalith. Overheat is a powerful nuke for Choice Specs Magmortar. Flame Charge is another option to turn Magmortar into a late-game cleaner, although it should only be run with Heavy-Duty Boots and a Timid nature. Magmortar can switch into a few resisted hits from Pokemon such as Whimsicott and Ribombee, but it is easily worn down and better brought in by pivots such as Lanturn and Rotom. It can also switch into predicted U-turns from Pokemon like Togedemaru and Archeops to fish for a burn with Flame Body, although this can be risky. Setup sweepers such as Quiver Dance Ribombee make for great teammates that can effectively exploit Magmortar's breaking power. Magmortar greatly appreciates entry hazard removers if it opts to not run Heavy-Duty Boots: Silvally-Fairy and Rotom are good Defoggers that can also bring Magmortar in via pivoting.

Moves Fire Blast is Magmortar's strongest attack and hits anything that doesn't resist it for solid damage. Focus Blast enables Magmortar to bypass certain Fire-resistant Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Gastrodon, and Guzzlord more reliably. Thunderbolt covers bulky Water-types such as Vaporeon and Slowking and hits Delphox for reasonable damage. Taunt gives Magmortar a great matchup against defensive teams, letting it prevent Pokemon such as Mega Audino and Vaporeon from recovering health with Wish. Hidden Power Grass is Magmortar's best way of dealing with Gastrodon and Seismitoad but serves no other purpose. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Modest nature improves Magmortar's offensive presence and lets it hit ridiculously hard. Vital Spirit allows Magmortar to switch into Sleep Powder from Vivillon. Fightinium Z gives Magmortar a way to remove Pokemon such as Rhydon without having to risk Focus Blast missing. Alternatively, Electrium Z improves Magmortar's ability to deal with bulky Water-types, notably letting it KO Vaporeon and Assault Vest Slowking with Thunderbolt followed by Gigavolt Havoc. Usage Tips When trying to bring Magmortar onto the field, look to do so by switching into either resisted special attacks from the likes of Decidueye and Whimsicott or an entry hazard remover like Dhelmise or Silvally-Steel looking to clear hazards. If possible, avoid switching in when entry hazards are on Magmortar's side of the field, as they severely cut into Magmortar's longevity and lessen its ability to soft check special attacking Ice- and Grass-types like Mega Abomasnow and Whimsicott. Magmortar's coverage should always be taken advantage of when given an opportunity to do so; therefore, when predicting a bulky Water-type to switch in, use Thunderbolt, and when predicting a Pokemon such as Audino or Gastrodon to switch in, using Focus Blast is ideal. Additionally, timing Magmortar's Z-Move usage is crucial in ensuring it can safely take out Pokemon such as Incineroar and Vaporeon. Magmortar should also look to use Taunt to prevent Pokemon like Vaporeon and Delphox from recovering health with Wish or crippling it with Toxic. Team Options Late-game cleaners like Comfey, Choice Scarf Passimian, and Choice Scarf Heliolisk appreciate Magmortar's ability to put immense pressure on the opponent's defensive Pokemon. In addition, Passimian and Heliolisk can easily bring Magmortar in with U-turn and Volt Switch. Although Magmortar can defeat bulky Water-types somewhat reliably, it still appreciates having teammates like Dhelmise and Sceptile that can deal with them as well as take on Gastrodon for it. Dhelmise also provides entry hazard control in the form of Rapid Spin. Entry hazard removal in general from Pokemon like Rotom, Blastoise, and Silvally-Steel is mandatory alongside Magmortar so that it can switch in to wallbreak more often. Rotom and Silvally-Steel also provide pivot support. Conversely, entry hazard support from the likes of Steelix, Rhydon, and Druddigon also pairs extremely well with Magmortar, letting it always 2HKO Vaporeon and Assault Vest Slowking after Stealth Rock, with Druddigon also providing speed control in Glare. Faster Pokemon like Sneasel and Whimsicott are good to pair alongside Magmortar due to its lacking Speed tier, while defensive Pokemon like Dhelmise and Vaporeon can switch into faster threats such as Heliolisk and Aerodactyl for it.

Moves Fire Blast hits absurdly hard with a Choice Specs boost, notably 2HKOing Mega Audino with Stealth Rock up. Focus Blast targets Fire-resistant Pokemon like Incineroar, Rhydon, Druddigon, and Thick Fat Hariyama. Thunderbolt 2HKOes bulky Water-types such as Vaporeon and Slowking and is Magmortar's best way of damaging Delphox. Hidden Power Grass targets Seismitoad and Gastrodon. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Modest nature and Choice Specs maximizes Magmortar's wallbreaking capabilities. Vital Spirit gives Magmortar additional chances to switch in, letting it come in on Sleep Powder from Vivillon. Usage Tips Due to Choice Specs locking Magmortar into whatever move it uses, this set revolves heavily around predicting what your opponent will switch into Magmortar's attacks. For example, when predicting a bulky Water-type like Vaporeon or Assault Vest Slowking to switch in, use Thunderbolt. Since Hidden Power Grass has a very limited pool of targets, it's usually best to simply use Focus Blast to nail Seismitoad and Gastrodon unless the opponent has no other switch-in to Magmortar. Avoid bringing Magmortar in on direct attacks or when entry hazards are present; it is key to preserve Magmortar's health throughout the game so that it has more opportunities to safely wallbreak without fear of being KOed. Instead, bring Magmortar in via pivoting moves like U-turn. Because of how absurdly strong Choice Specs-boosted Fire Blast is, it's generally a safe move to use whenever the opportunity presents itself, such as when Magmortar is against a Grass-type like Whimsicott or Decidueye. Team Options Pokemon such as Vivillon, Choice Scarf Heliolisk, and Comfey appreciate Magmortar's ability to tear through dedicated special walls like Assault Vest Slowking and Mega Audino, opening up the door for them to set up and sweep late-game. Heliolisk in particular works well with Magmortar, since it provides pivot support and appreciates Seismitoad being lured in and taken out. Due to Magmortar's underwhelming bulk, it appreciates VoltTurn support from the likes of Passimian and Rotom so that it doesn't have to switch into attacks. Rotom also provides entry hazard control for Magmortar. Furthermore, Magmortar appreciates bulky Pokemon like Berry Rotom and defensive Slowking to switch into faster attackers like Heliolisk and Choice Scarf Passimian for it. Stealth Rock support from Pokemon such as Steelix and Druddigon is beneficial to help Magmortar secure the 2HKO on defensive Delphox with Thunderbolt, while Spikes from Garbodor helps wear down Hariyama. Druddigon can also cripple faster Pokemon for Magmortar with Glare. Entry hazard control is essentially mandatory when using Magmortar, so Pokemon like Xatu and Silvally-Steel are good to pair with it. They can also help bring Magmortar safely onto the field with U-turn and Parting Shot.

Moves Fire Blast is Magmortar's preferred STAB move because of its high power with minimal drawbacks. Thunderbolt targets most Water-type Pokemon that resist Fire Blast, such as Prinplup, Mantine, and Pelipper. Hidden Power Grass is a safer alternative to Focus Blast because, while Magmortar loses stronger coverage for Regirock, it is a perfectly accurate option for Rhydon and Quagsire. Focus Blast nails bulky Rock-types, such as Rhydon and Regirock, which can take the onslaught of Magmortar's coverage and STAB moves. Earthquake is the strongest move Magmortar has to hit Lanturn and Pokemon with Flash Fire, such as Flareon and Ninetales. Flamethrower is a safe alternative to Fire Blast, trading the extra power away for the inability to miss. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment allows Magmortar to hit hard and with as little opposition as possible. Having as few Pokemon that outspeed Magmortar as possible will preserve as much of its HP as possible for more attacks with Life Orb. Vital Spirit gives Magmortar an immunity to sleep-inducing moves such as Sleep Powder and Lovely Kiss from the likes of Lilligant and Jynx. Life Orb is preferred to ensure Magmortar hits as hard as possible while still retaining the ability to switch moves. However, if you would like an alternative with no recoil damage, Magmortar sports enough raw power to use an Expert Belt, still boosting its relevant super effective coverage moves without inflicting recoil. A Rash nature preserves Magmortar's Defense so that it takes less damage from physical priority attacks, such as Fake Out and Sucker Punch. Mild preserves Magmortar's Special Defense in case you want Magmortar to take powerful special attacks better. A Hasty nature sacrifices some power for the ability to outspeed base 80 Speed Pokemon, such as Mesprit and Shiftry, along with Adamant Pinsir. Usage Tips Magmortar has little to no safe switch-ins in the tier, so its main job is to break down defensive cores. If Magmortar is in against a foe that it can KO, don't be afraid to just click Fire Blast. Most Pokemon that resist fire don't appreciate taking a Fire Blast and one of Magmortar's coverage moves as a follow up. Magmortar is very susceptible to residual damage between Life Orb recoil, entry hazard damage, and tanking potential resisted hits, so try to bring it in safely with double switches, on a predicted sleep-inducing move, or with a slow U-turn or Volt Switch. However, if you are switching into a sleep-inducing move, you should be cautious about letting Magmortar take a Sludge Bomb or Psyshock from Vileplume and Jynx, respectively. You can afford to be aggressive against switch-ins that can tank a Fire Blast and a follow-up coverage move, as sometimes your opponent is just forced to switch in their Regirock, Lanturn, or Rhydon, hoping that Magmortar didn't use the correct coverage move. Team Options Defog or Rapid Spin support from the likes of Prinplup and Claydol keeps Stealth Rock and Spikes off the field for Magmortar. Slow U-turn or Volt Switch users, such as bulky Mesprit, Lanturn, and Xatu, can grab momentum for Magmortar and bring it in safely. Rock-, Ground-, and Water-types appreciate Magmortar's ability to check Grass-types and absorb Sleep Powder. Setup sweepers and cleaners, such as Lilligant, Floatzel, and Swellow, appreciate Magmortar's ability to wallbreak for a late-game sweep. Sticky Web support slows down offensive threats, such as Tauros, Zangoose, and Electivire, for Magmortar. Similarly, Stealth Rock and Spikes support make switching into Magmortar even more difficult, guaranteeing a 2HKO on specially defensive Mega Audino and punishing the likes of Hariyama and Grumpig, which have no reliable recovery.

Moves Fire Blast is Magmortar's preferred STAB move because of its high power with minimal drawbacks. Thunderbolt targets most Water-type Pokemon that resist Fire Blast, such as Prinplup, Mantine, and Pelipper. Hidden Power Grass is a safer alternative to Focus Blast because, while Magmortar loses stronger coverage for Regirock, it is a perfectly accurate option for Rhydon and Quagsire. Focus Blast nails bulky Rock-types, such as Rhydon and Regirock, which can take the onslaught of Magmortar's coverage and STAB moves. Flame Charge is very useful against weaker targets that can't deal much damage to Magmortar, such as Mismagius and Lilligant, or on the switches that Magmortar forces because it boosts Magmortar's Speed, making it much harder to revenge kill. Earthquake is the strongest move Magmortar has to hit Lanturn and Pokemon with Flash Fire, such as Flareon and Ninetales. Set Details Running 192 Speed EVs gives Magmortar enough Speed to outspeed neutral-natured base 75 Speed Pokemon, such as Claydol and Garbodor, as well as neutral natured base 70 Speed Pokemon, such as Samurott and Ludicolo. Maximum Special Attack is preferred because you want Magmortar to hit as hard as possible. The rest of the EVs are put into HP to help increase Magmortar's bulk in tandem with its Assault Vest. Vital Spirit gives Magmortar an immunity to sleep-inducing moves. A Modest nature should be used if not using Earthquake because Flame Charge's damage output is irrelevant. However, if running Earthquake, you can use a Mild nature in order to make it a bit more powerful at the cost of Magmortar's Defense. However, Earthquake with a Modest nature still manages to 3HKO Lanturn after Stealth Rock damage, so the extra boost is all about preference. 248 HP EVs can be used for significantly higher bulk and as such a more reliable check to some Fire-types; however, you should be prepared for Ludicolo and Samurott because they will threaten Magmortar out if they are allowed to switch in. Maximum Speed can allow Magmortar to outpace base 80 Speed Pokemon, such as Mesprit and Shiftry. Usage Tips Assault Vest Magmortar is one of the safest offensive answers to Lilligant and defensive Grass-types, such as Vileplume, Ferroseed, Gourgeist-S, and Gourgeist-XL in the tier, fearing, at worst, Leech Seed or getting poisoned from Sludge Bomb. Magmortar has the ability to check special Fire- and Ice-types, such as Pyroar, Aurorus, and Jynx, as well but should be wary of coverage moves, such as Hyper Voice, Earth Power, and Psyshock, respectively. Assault Vest gives Magmortar just enough bulk to take one neutral or resisted hit, such as Rotom's Shadow Ball or Swellow's Boomburst, and retaliate with its impressive coverage. Magmortar struggles to take these hits if it switches into entry hazards, so be conservative with your switches or make sure the field is cleared. Team Options Defog and Rapid Spin support from the likes of Prinplup and Claydol keeps Stealth Rock and Spikes off the field for Magmortar. Swords Dance Samurott is a great offensive partner for Magmortar because it struggles against the bulky Grass-types that Magmortar easily handles. Bulky Grass-types, such as Gourgeist-XL, Torterra, and Tangela, also pair well with Magmortar because of its ability to handle opposing Fire- and Ice-type Pokemon. These Grass-types can also switch in safely against the Ground- and Rock-types that can revenge kill Magmortar.

Equipped with its excellent coverage and high powered moves, Magmortar has no trouble blasting past RU's most common walls; Steelix, Tangrowth, Sandslash, Roselia, Rhydon, and Qwilfish are all OHKOed after Stealth Rock. Even RU's premier special walls can't avoid a 2HKO from Magmortar; Clefable is easily 2HKO'd by Focus Blast while Slowking is 2HKOed after Stealth Rock damage. Although Magmortar's average Speed stops it from pulling off a sweep alone, its great offensive presence and movepool ensure that RU's walls will never be safe with Magmortar waiting in the wings. Fire Blast provides Magmortar with an immensely powerful STAB attack and inflicts huge amounts of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. It is Magmortar's most spammable attack, and is what you should be using early-game when scouting the opponent's team. Not only does Thunderbolt give Magmortar coverage against Water- and Flying-types, but it also enables it to get past Slowking, a Pokemon capable of walling most special attackers (especially Fire-types). Having Focus Blast ensures that one of RU's sturdiest special walls, Clefable cant't stop Magmortar's rampage in its tracks, although its accuracy can sometimes be a let down. Hidden Power Grass rounds out the set's coverage by getting OHKOs against Rhydon and Quagsire, as well as a 2HKO against Lanturn. The given EVs ensure that Magmortar outspeeds all neutral-natured Pokemon with base 80 Speed, as well as maximizing its damage output. A super effective attack coming from a Modest nature and an Expert Belt hits harder than the equivalent of a Timid nature and a Life Orb, and is therefore the first choice for both item and nature. On top of this, Magmortar will often be hitting the enemy super effectively thanks to its great coverage, and therefore it doesn't really miss the Life Orb boost. Finally, and most importantly, using an Expert Belt stops Magmortar from being worn down so easily by stall teams that attempt to stall it out with Life Orb recoil. Entry hazards, status, and recoil all take a serious toll on Magmortar's health, so by limiting one of those, Magmortar will be able to stay alive and wreak havoc for a longer period of time. By running a positive Speed nature, Magmortar ensures that it can outspeed every Pokemon hovering around the 80 Speed mark. A Life Orb gives a strong boost to Magmortar's attacks and is especially useful when you need to hit certain Pokemon, such as Aggron, Druddigon, and Altaria, for as much damage as possible with neutral attacks. Vital Spirit is key to Magmortar's success. It gives Magmortar the switch-in opportunities it needs to do damage; Smeargle, Tangrowth, and Lilligant are all easy Pokemon for Magmortar to take advantage of. Hidden Power Ice hurts Altaria and Druddigon, two of Magmortar's best counters, more than any other of its attacks. Hidden Power Ice also stops Magmortar from having to rely on Focus Blast's shaky inaccuracy to harm Druddigon. Earthquake hits other Fire-types, such as Entei, Typhlosion, Flareon, and Camerupt, harder than any other attack, and will OHKO the less defensive of those Pokemon. Flamethrower can be used as a more reliable alternative to Fire Blast, although the loss in power is very noticeable. Magmortar absolutely despises entry hazards, so packing a spinner is almost a necessity. Sandslash makes for a great teammate as it resists Rock-type moves and can set up Stealth Rock to wear down Magmortar's counters. Cryogonal, on the other hand, is immune to Ground-type moves thanks to Levitate, and takes little from most Water attacks thanks to its excellent base 135 Special Defense. Roselia and Ferroseed both share good defensive synergy with Magmortar and can set up the hazards that are essential in helping Magmortar achieve those KOs. Ferroseed can also spread paralysis with Thunder Wave in order to bypass Magmortar's average Speed. Feraligatr partners well with Magmortar as it can set up on and take out the Fire-types that give Magmortar trouble. In return, Magmortar easily dispatches the Grass-types that try to put a stop to Feraligatr's sweep.

Unparalleled power and coverage make Magmortar a fantastic wallbreaker. Life Orb STAB Fire Blast coming off Magmortar's base 125 Special Attack is almost impossible to switch into without a resistance. Thunderbolt really sets Magmortar apart from other Fire-types by allowing it to 2HKO Water-types such as Slowking and Politoed. Focus Blast has a good chance to OHKO Regirock that don't invest in Special Defense; it also helps achieve 2HKOs on specially defensive Lickilicky and Cradily, which Fire Blast can't quite muster. Hidden Power Grass rounds out Magmortar's coverage, allowing it to beat the occasional Whiscash or Gastrodon as well as giving it a more accurate option for finishing off weakened Rock- and Ground-types. Life Orb gives this set its devastating power, most importantly by powering up Fire Blast against neutral targets. Expert Belt is a viable alternative that allows Magmortar to take better advantage of its decent special bulk without getting worn down too quickly by Life Orb recoil on top of Stealth Rock damage. Expert Belt still gives Magmortar a moderate boost to its coverage moves, but it's a good idea to compensate for the loss of power by either switching to a Modest nature or having a teammate set up Spikes in addition to the usual Stealth Rock. The lack of recoil damage also makes Magmortar's set slightly harder to guess, but don't count on consistently bluffing a Choice item, as Expert Belt is fairly common and expected on Magmortar. Substitute and Taunt are both viable alternatives over either Focus Blast or Hidden Power Grass. Substitute punishes switches, especially sacrifices intended to get a revenge killer in. On the other hand, Taunt prevents opposing walls from healing, which can allow Magmortar to win one-on-one against passive walls that could otherwise attempt to stall it out such as Lickilicky and Hypno. Both moves also protect Magmortar from status effects. If you use Substitute, then Expert Belt and Leftovers become better items choices, as the combined residual damage from entry hazards, Substitute, and Life Orb would severely shorten Magmortar's lifespan. Specially defensive Psychic-types such as Slowking, Hypno, and Grumpig are Magmortar's most common switch-ins, so Pursuit Skuntank is an ideal teammate thanks to its ability to trap and remove them. Like most Fire-types, Magmortar greatly appreciates Rapid Spin support, so either Hitmonchan or Sandslash is also a good addition to the team. If you're building an offensive team, adding another Fire-type such as Charizard or Typhlosion is a popular choice, as they greatly appreciate Magmortar's ability to break through common counters; just make sure you have a solid answer to opposing Tauros and Floatzel, as they can outspeed and OHKO both of your Fire-types.

The power and coverage that make Magmortar such a good wallbreaker also make it an effective revenge killer and late-game sweeper when equipped with a Choice Scarf. Magmortar's Fire Blast is powerful enough to OHKO most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it, especially if you can keep Stealth Rock up. Thunderbolt gives Magmortar great coverage against Water- and Flying-types, most notably allowing Magmortar to revenge kill Charizard after a couple of rounds of Life Orb recoil. Hidden Power Grass covers Rock- and Ground-types, including Dragon Dance Whiscash and Rock Polish Rhydon. In the last moveslot, Focus Blast maximizes Magmortar's coverage, allowing it to OHKO Rock Polish Regirock and deal more damage to most Normal- and Fire-types. However, being locked into a 70% accurate move that a lot of common Pokemon resist isn't ideal, so running a second STAB move is also an option that gives Magmortar flexibility in choosing between power and accuracy depending on the in-game situation. The 100% accurate Flamethrower is a great option to have in order to safely revenge kill or sweep against weakened foes without worrying about an untimely miss. On the other hand, Overheat provides extra single-turn power that allows Magmortar to reliably OHKO some important targets that Fire Blast can't quite guarantee without prior damage, including Tauros, Medicham, and Skuntank. With maximum Speed investment, Magmortar ties with +2 positive-natured Pokemon with base 50 Speed such as Timid Sunny Day Vileplume and Jolly Rock Polish Regirock. It also outspeeds common base 80 Speed Choice Scarf users such as Medicham and Gardevoir as well as slower Rain Dance sweepers such as Modest Gorebyss and Adamant Relicanth. As with pretty much any set that any Fire-type in NU runs, this set appreciates Skuntank's support in removing bulky Psychic-types such as Slowking and Grumpig. Rapid Spin support is also crucial in allowing Magmortar to switch in multiple times to revenge kill opposing threats. It can also allow Magmortar to use its bulk to pull off a late-game sweep even if the opponent has a faster Choice Scarf user. For example, Choice Scarf Manectric deals slightly more than 50% to Magmortar on average, while Magmortar can OHKO back with Fire Blast. If you can keep Magmortar healthy by keeping Stealth Rock off the field, it can shake off a hit from Manectric and continue with a sweep, but if it's taken a couple of rounds of Stealth Rock damage, Manectric will be able to KO it. Hitmonchan is a great option; in addition to spinning, it pressures Lickilicky and Regirock, lures and weakens Slowking with Thunder Punch, and benefits from the same Skuntank support that helps Magmortar sweep.