Quilava Movesets & Competitive Sets

Quilava functions primarily as an offensive special attacker that can pressure bulkier teams thanks to its powerful STAB moves and excellent Speed tier. Fire Blast is used as Quilava's preferred STAB move to break through damaged teams without relying as heavily on Blaze or Petaya Berry. Despite the drop in damage output, Flamethrower is a reliable alternative that comes with improved accuracy and more PP. Hidden Power Grass provides coverage versus Water-, Ground-, and Rock-type Pokemon such as Corsola, Chinchou, Onix, and Rhyhorn. Hidden Power Water hits Ponyta while still threatening Pokemon like Onix and Rhyhorn. Substitute is used for its synergy with the ability Blaze; it also maximizes Toxic damage, and takes advantage of Petaya Berry or Salac Berry. Quilava also tends to force its foes out, which can allow it to set up a Substitute. Toxic threatens special walls like Drowzee, Porygon, and Noctowl, and it can punish Ponyta trying to switch in on Fire Blast or Flamethrower. Quick Attack is a great countermeasure to Substitute + pinch Berry sweepers like Abra and Beedrill as well as against Flail and Reversal users like Doduo and Meditite. 216 Speed EVs allow Quilava to outspeed base 75 Speed Pokemon like Anorith and Doduo, and it can invest its remaining EVs into bulk to guarantee survival against Silk Scarf Ponyta's Quick Attack at 25% HP and a Double Edge from Choice Band Ponyta at Full health. With the added bulk, Quilava can also guarantee that it can still use Substitute after taking Silk Scarf Ponyta's Double Edge at full health. This bulk even allows for Quilava to survive a Double-Edge from Choice Band Ponyta. Petaya Berry turns Quilava into an even scarier special attacker that can OHKO a majority of the tier, and 2HKO special walls like Delcatty, Drowzee, and Noctowl. Salac Berry enables Quilava to threaten a sweep versus faster Pokemon within the tier like Abra, Elekid, Ponyta, and Voltorb. This allows Quilava to function as a late-game sweeper against faster teams. Quilava fits well on balance, offense, and sun teams that benefit from its stellar Special Attack. Its ability to deal heavy damage to more defensive options like Corsola, Lileep, and Koffing enables physical attackers like Aipom, Doduo, and Meditite. While Quilava can threaten Ponyta with Toxic and Hidden Power Water, it may not always get the chance to, so it benefits greatly from defensive Normal-resistant Pokemon and Rock-resistant Pokemon such as Corsola, Lileep, Nosepass, Onix, and Rhyhorn, as they can handle physical attackers like Aipom and Ponyta. Water-types like Corsola, Seaking, and Wartortle can also threaten Quilava, and Hidden Power Grass won't do enough against healthy Water-types with decent Special Defense. This makes Electric-types like Elekid, Flaaffy, and Voltorb a great asset for Quilava to deal with Water-types. Late-game, Quilava can threaten a KO with the assistance of a Petaya Berry. Until that is feasible, Quilava needs the support of a special wall like Delcatty, Gloom, Porygon, or Wartortle for its ability to shrug off most special attacks. Clerics like Flaaffy and Mightyena can allow Quilava to not be as hindered by fear of Thunder Wave, Stun Spore, or Toxic.

Quilava is a powerful wallbreaker with adequate Speed that can use Sunny Day to 2HKO special walls such as Porygon and Delcatty under sun. In addition to boosting Quilava's damage output, Sunny Day deters potential Water-type checks such as Wartortle and Chinchou by reducing the damage of Water-type moves. Substitute allows Quilava to safely get itself into Petaya Berry range and blocks potential status from Castform and Drowzee, which may weaken Quilava. Quilava can also safely get into Blaze range with Substitute. Hidden Power Ground is used to threaten a 2HKO against Ponyta and a 3HKO against Tentacool. When Quilava is reduced to Petaya Berry and Blaze range, it can use sun-boosted Fire Blast to OHKO physically defensive Lileep and Rhyhorn. Fire Blast also provides a 68.8% chance to OHKO specially defensive Delcatty. A Naive nature is preferred over Hasty, as it makes it more difficult for Quick Attack users such as Doduo and opposing Quilava to pick it off. Sunny Day Quilava fits well on sun and offense teams, functioning as a powerful wallbreaker. Chlorophyll users like Gloom, Sunflora, Tropius, and Weepinbell can benefit from Quilava setting up sun. Quilava is also able to break through special walls such as Delcatty and Porygon, enabling its teammates to clean. Bulky Water-types such as Corsola and Wartortle wall this set, so Pokemon such as Gloom and Sunflora are able to pick off bulky Water-types for Quilava. Each Chlorophyll user can set up Sunny Day, powering up Fire Blast and reducing the need for Quilava to set up sun for itself, as it is somewhat frail. Quilava values paralysis spreaders like Castform and Porygon hindering opposing Chlorophyll threats as well as faster Pokemon like Ponyta and Volbeat. Physical wallbreakers such as Anorith, Cubone, and Choice Band Seaking are appreciated by Quilava, as they help break special walls like Drowzee and Noctowl. Pokemon such as Onix and Koffing are capable of dealing with faster threats like Aipom for Quilava and its Chlorophyll partners if sun isn't up, and they can set sun for it as well.

Quilava's combination of good Speed and Special Attack allows it to function as a strong wallbreaker, and its STAB Fire Blast threatens special walls such as Gloom and Dustox. Charcoal allows Quilava to OHKO physically defensive Tropius and Salac Berry Anorith with Overheat. Overheat also allows Quilava to OHKO Castform once it gets down to Blaze range. Quick Attack helps to pick off Abra and other weakened faster attackers. Hidden Power Grass is Quilava's best attack against Rock-types, as it helps shred Corsola, Onix, and Rhyhorn, which would otherwise safely switch into Quilava's Fire-type attacks. If Quilava gets down to Blaze range, it can OHKO Pokemon such as Flaaffy and specially defensive Gloom with Fire Blast. Quilava's Hasty nature preserves power on Quick Attack while guaranteeing Blaze range after Tropius's Earthquake. Quilava fits best on offense teams that require a special wallbreaker. Other special attackers such as Abra and Staryu benefit from Quilava, as it is able to chip special walls like Delcatty and Porygon, helping pick them off. Quilava finds difficulty breaking down Ponyta, so physical walls such as Lileep and Wartortle are appreciated, as they can withstand Double-Edge. Quilava appreciates physical attackers such as Aipom and Anorith threaten special walls like Noctowl and Tentacool, allowing it to clean through the rest of the team. Electric-types such as Elekid and Voltorb to complement Quilava, since they can repel the Water-types that harm it, while Quilava is capable of handling Grass-types. Gloom makes for an excellent teammate to Quilava, as it can stomach hits from Water-types like Staryu and Wartortle and threaten them out with Hidden Power Grass. Gloom can also use Stun Spore to debilitate faster Pokemon such as Aipom and Volbeat, allowing Quilava to eliminate them safely. Quilava is vulnerable to status from Pokemon such as Drowzee and Porygon, so clerics like Flaaffy and Mightyena are appreciated. Salac Berry sweepers such as Anorith and Beedrill appreciate Quilava being able to weaken physical walls like Koffing and Onix.

Quilava is capable of breaking down special walls such as Gloom and Sunflora thanks to its Fire typing, powerful STAB option, and Speed. Hidden Power Grass provides useful coverage against Water- and Rock-types such as Corsola, Chinchou, and Onix. Quick Attack assists in picking off weaker, faster attackers such as Abra and Elekid. In combination with a Chesto Berry, Rest heals Quilava instantly, clearing all status conditions and providing greater longevity. If Quilava is in Blaze range, it threatens to OHKO Pokemon such as Flaaffy, Koffing, and stallbreaker Mightyena, making it a juggernaut at breaking down foes. Quilava frequently switches in against Gloom and Dustox, which can threaten to wear it down with status. With the combination of Rest and Chesto Berry, Quilava can switch in without the worry of being affected by paralysis or poison. ChestoRest Quilava performs best on offensive teams that benefit from its ability to weaken special walls and ignore status conditions. Paralysis spreaders like Porygon and Drowzee give Quilava a difficult time when it tries to break them down, so paralysis absorbers like Cubone and Rhyhorn that are immune to Thunder Wave can help deal with Quilava's checks. Other physical wallbreakers such as Anorith and Doduo can thwart special walls Quilava is unable to break like Drowzee and Tentacool. Special attackers such as Voltorb and Wailmer soften up special walls, allowing Quilava to clean up. Bulky Water-types such as Seaking and Wartortle are difficult to break down, as Quilava's Hidden Power Grass inflicts insufficient damage against them. Grass-types such as Gloom and Sunflora tank special attacks from Chinchou and Wartortle and possess reliable recovery. Quilava benefits from paralysis spreaders such as Castform, Nosepass, and Porygon, allowing it to eliminate faster threats such as Aipom and Elekid. Clerics such as Delcatty and Mightyena are appreciated by Quilava, as they help awaken it after consuming its Chesto Berry. Fast offensive Pokemon, like Abra, Aipom, and Voltorb, can act as cleaners after Quilava has broken down their checks.