Torkoal Movesets & Competitive Sets

Thanks to Torkoal's great physical bulk, it can set up Stealth Rock against Pokemon it can force out with Lava Plume like Scizor, Skarmory, and Zarude, allowing wallbreakers like Venusaur and Darmanitan to power through their defensive answers more easily. Lava Plume limits Torkoal's passivity thanks to its Base Power boosted by the sun and 30% chance to burn the foe. Rapid Spin prevents Pokemon like Darmanitan from being heavily chunked by Stealth Rock. Toxic puts Pokemon like Rotom-H, Swampert, and Hydreigon on a timer, forcing them out. Yawn allows Torkoal to force opposing Pokemon out such as setup sweepers like Gyarados that can attempt to set up on it while also giving a free switch for a teammate, but Toxic is preferred for its ability to inflict more damage throughout the game. Rest + Sleep Talk can be used to boost Torkoal's longevity, especially when paired with Stealth Rock setters like Swampert to free up the moveslot. Heat Rock should always be run to maximize the amount of sun turns, allowing sun sweepers like Venusaur and Darmanitan to break through opposing teams more easily. Powerful sun sweepers like Venusaur, Darmanitan, and Chandelure all act as great partners to Torkoal, as they appreciate its entry hazard support and removal as well as sun boosting their moves to clean through teams. Venusaur in particular is a fantastic partner for Torkoal, as sun activates Chlorophyll and turns its Weather Ball into a strong Fire-type attack for Steel-types like Scizor, Jirachi, and Celesteela. Venusaur also appreciates Torkoal's ability to put answers to it like Moltres and Chandelure on a timer with Toxic. In return, Torkoal appreciates Venusaur breaking through Rock-types like Lycanroc-D, Ground-types like Hippowdon, and Water-types like Primarina and Slowking. Meanwhile, Darmanitan can use the sun to boost its incredibly powerful Flare Blitz and revenge kill threats like Nihilego and Nidoking that threaten Torkoal. It can also bring in Torkoal safely with U-turn. Chansey can provide a defensive stop to Pokemon that threaten Torkoal such as Nihilego and Chandelure while also being able to provide momentum with Teleport to bring in Pokemon like Venusaur and Chandelure safely. Swampert also acts as a defensive stop to threats like Salamence and Nidoqueen and frees up Stealth Rock for Torkoal. Hatterene can act as a secondary entry hazard control option, alleviating the pressure from Torkoal while also dealing with Pokemon like Salamence. It also appreciates its Mystical Fire being boosted by the sun, allowing it to break through Pokemon like Celesteela and Assault Vest Tangrowth more easily. Skarmory and Celesteela provide intergral defensive support against Hippowdon for sun teams. Setup sweepers like Autotomize Celesteela appreciate having their Fire-type coverage boosted by the sun to break through defensive answers like specially defensive Celesteela more easily.

Torkoal has a high Defense stat that allows it to easily handle the offensive threats that are among the most present in the metagame like Zacian-C, Incineroar, and Rillaboom. In a metagame that relies heavily on weather, Drought allows Torkoal to cause trouble for teams based on rain. Burning Jealousy hits common Steel-types such as Zacian-C and Solgaleo while threatening a burn on physical attackers that tend to boost their stats with Max Moves, such as Landorus-T and Thundurus. Body Press takes advantage of Torkoal's high Defense stat, allowing it to ignore Intimidate and heavily damage Incineroar. Yawn allows Torkoal to threaten to waste opposing Dynamax turns and slow down the momentum of opposing strategies thanks to its good bulk. The EV spread allows Torkoal to survive three +1 Sacred Swords from Zacian-C, a +1 Earth Power from Venusaur, and a Wicked Blow from Choice Band Urshifu-S. Zacian-C is Torkoal's most common Restricted partner, which takes care of Pokemon such as Porygon2 and Urshifu-S against which Torkoal can't do much. Torkoal in turn handles opposing Zacian-C. Torkoal is very commonly paired with Charizard and almost always with Venusaur as Drought allows the former to deal very large amounts of damage with its powerful Solar Power-boosted G-Max Wildfires and the latter to fire off fast Sleep Powders and G-Max Vinelashes. In the case of a team with a Trick Room setter, Whimsicott and Calyrex-I are good partners for Torkoal, as Burning Jealousy will always burn against Zacian-C since it burns Pokemon that have had a stat boost, allowing Calyrex-I to better resist Behemoth Blade.

Through the combination of Charcoal, Drought, and STAB Eruption, Torkoal is capable of acting as one of the most powerful Trick Room sweepers in the Series 11 metagame. Eruption is an incredibly powerful option for Torkoal, especially since under Trick Room it will almost always act first, allowing it to act as a mini-Kyogre and fire off a 150 BP STAB weather-boosted spread move, OHKOing even the bulkiest of Zacian-C and heavily damaging Dynamaxed Calyrex-I. Consequently, offensive Torkoal tend to opt for Charcoal as their item instead of Life Orb, since they will almost always be using Fire-type moves and do not want to reduce Eruption damage with Life Orb recoil. Charcoal Torkoal often opts for a second spread Fire-type move as an alternative choice for after it has been weakened enough to meaningfully reduce Eruption damage. Heat Wave is the most common choice due to its superior power, but some offensive Torkoal will opt for Burning Jealousy instead due to its perfect accuracy and ability to work as a support option against leads such as Zacian-C and Defiant Thundurus. However, a major downside for Burning Jealousy is that it runs the risk of missing out on KOs that Heat Wave would be able to reach, such as against Zacian-C with 4 HP EVs. To round out the moveset, many Charcoal Torkoal opt for Earth Power as a means of providing an attacking option against Incineroar, Coalossal, and opposing Torkoal, while others choose to run Yawn to put pressure on Dynamax Pokemon and provide a supportive option if Torkoal has its Special Attack dropped or if the weather gets changed from sun. While Charcoal is typically the preferred item for offensive Torkoal, which will run Protect as the fourth move, some opt to instead run Choice Specs in order to maximize the power of Eruption and will use a fourth attacking move instead of Protect such as Solar Beam. Due to having one of the lowest Speed stats in the metagame, offensive Torkoal excels on teams that are either wholly dedicated to Trick Room or have a strong Trick Room option. Consequently, it is almost always paired with one of the three common non-Restricted Trick Room setters in the format: Porygon2, Mimikyu, and Dusclops. Common Restricted partners for offensive Torkoal are those that excel in Trick Room, such as Calyrex-I and Necrozma-DM, although it is also possible to use offensive Torkoal on teams using a Restricted Pokemon such as Zacian-C alongside a Trick Room mode. Many teams using offensive Torkoal will also opt to run Gigantamax Venusaur, giving the team an alternative "fast mode" where Torkoal can both support the incredibly strong Gigantamax Venusaur outside of Trick Room and act as a Trick Room attacker during different phases of the match. Some teams will opt to go all in on sun and run Gigantamax Charizard alongside, or instead of, Venusaur to provide massive damage potential with double sun-boosted attacks.

Torkoal is the premier sun setter on Fire teams; it pairs well with Pokemon like Cinderace, Blacephalon, and Victini. It provides immense utility due to it having both Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin, the latter of which especially benefits its Fire-type teammates. Yawn deters setup sweepers such as Dragonite while also forcing out Water-types like Urshifu-R, which can let Torkoal get off a crucial last-second Rapid Spin. Lava Plume can be used over Yawn to burn opposing physical attackers. Body Press takes advantage of Torkoal's high Defense stat and hits foes such as Tyranitar and Heatran super effectively. All Fire-types appreciate Torkoal setting sun and removing entry hazards. For example, Cinderace's Pyro Ball OHKOes Nidoking under sun. Volcarona can take advantage of sun effectively while also aiding against Water and Psychic teams. It is especially effective against the former, notably beating Toxapex if it is carrying Psychic. Mixed-attacking Victini helps against Ground and Dragon teams, with Glaciate + Energy Ball making it very uncomfortable to switch into. Also, Choice Band Victini's V-create becomes a nuke under sun, 2HKOing Mantine. Choice Scarf Blacephalon provides a fast attacker that also takes advantage of sun. Volcanion provides a Water immunity and a temporary Ground immunity with Air Balloon, which is very useful against Water and Ground teams. Heatran is a great partner for Torkoal, as Heatran can fit Flash Cannon to threaten Fairy and Rock teams because Torkoal sets Stealth Rock instead. Furthermore, Toxapex becomes easier to trap, as it does less damage under sun. Moltres provides a more reliable Ground immunity than Air Balloon Volcanion while also providing Defog support and pivoting with U-turn. Incineroar switches into special attackers better under sun, which weakens Water-type attacks from threats such as Volcanion, Toxapex, and Rotom-W. It also helps the team deal with Ghost-types such as Dragapult and Spectrier.

Eruption is capable of sweeping teams quickly when at full power, 2HKOing almost any neutral target and even some resisted targets like Dragapult. Earth Power hits common resists such as Volcanion, Diancie, and Incineroar, making it a great complementary move to Torkoal's Fire-type attacks. Heat Wave is a strong secondary Fire-type attack that can be used when Torkoal's HP is too low to effectively make use of Eruption. Protect is useful for avoiding opposing Fake Outs and stalling a turn when bringing in a Trick Room setter. The This EV Spread maximizes Torkoal's general bulk while also having the strongest possible offensive capabilities. 0 Speed IVs and a negative nature are crucial for underspeeding Amoonguss. Charcoal gives Torkoal a powerful Eruption with virtually no drawback, making it the best choice for an item.

Torkoal is a staple for dedicated Sun teams in the tier due to Drought and its ability to hold a Heat Rock, unlike its competitor Mega Charizard Y, which lets it provide extra turns of sun to enable dangerous wallbreakers and sweepers like Blaziken, Victini, and Venusaur. It provides additional utility for its team with access to Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin, as well as the ability to spread status effects with Lava Plume, Yawn, and Toxic. Its high physical bulk and high burn chance with Lava Plume allows it to check threats like Kartana, Mega Lopunny, and Weavile. However, its weakness to Stealth Rock, low Special bulk, and lack of recovery make it easily taken advantage of by Pokemon like Tapu Lele, Hydreigon, and Heatran. Lava Plume is Torkoal's STAB move of choice, threatening burns on common switch-ins such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, Mega Swampert, and Tyranitar. Rapid Spin is extremely helpful for Torkoal's partners, as they are often also weak to Stealth Rock. Body Press allows it to pressure Tyranitar, Heatran, and Ash-Greninja, all three of which threaten sun teams, while also letting it win the weather war against the former. Yawn allows it to dissuade switch-ins, as sleep can create a free setup opportunity for its teammates. Toxic allows it to put Pelipper, Mega Latios, Gastrodon, and Kommo-o on a timer. Due to Torkoal's extremely specific niche, it only fits on dedicated sun teams. Venusaur, in particular, is a mainstay alongside Torkoal, as sun doubles Venusaur's Speed, doubles Growth's effectiveness, and boosts its Weather Ball. Venusaur, in return, pressures Water- and Ground-types that threaten Torkoal out. Strong wallbreakers such as Blaziken and Victini greatly appreciate Torkoal boosting the power of their Fire-type STAB moves, making them nigh unwallable. Pokemon that resist Water- and Fire-type moves like Hydreigon, Tapu Fini, and Kommo-o also work well alongside it, as they deal with both Ash-Greninja and Heatran which can be issues for dedicated sun teams. Mega Garchomp is a stellar partner alongside Torkoal, as it takes advantage of sand teams, which sun has struggles against otherwise, while also using Torkoal's Drought to boost Fire Fang's damage, allowing it to break through checks like Skarmory and Corviknight easier. Lastly, other entry hazard removal options such as Tapu Fini and Choice Scarf Landorus-T alleviate Torkoal's weakness to Stealth Rock, allowing it to stay alive longer.

Torkoal's ability Drought, good physical bulk, and utility moves like Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin make it a premier support Pokemon on Fire-type teams. Stealth Rock lets Torkoal wear down opposing teams, making it easier for its offensive teammates to wallbreak. Rapid Spin keeps troublesome entry hazards like Stealth Rock and Sticky Web away, which can plague the entire team. Lava Plume is the only attacking move on the set, hits decently hard with sun support, and is used to fish for burns against physical attackers like Mimikyu, Mega Lopunny, and Zeraora. Yawn is a good move to force foes to switch out, letting Torkoal set up Stealth Rock or clear hazards with Rapid Spin. It also threatens setup sweepers like Dragonite and Mega Gallade and gives opportunities to teammates like Volcarona and Mega Charizard X to set up. Due to the role compression that Torkoal provides, it is essential to keep it around for its Drought and hazard removal support. Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature makes Torkoal as bulky as possible, allowing it to take on physical attackers like Mega Lopunny, Mega Gallade, and Dragonite a lot better. Heat Rock increases the number of active sun turns for Torkoal's teammates to use boosted Fire-type moves. Any Fire-type team appreciates the support Torkoal brings to the team. Pokemon like Cinderace, Blacephalon, Victini, Volcarona, and Mega Charizard X benefit massively from sun support, since it lets them use boosted, hard-to-wall Fire-type attacks. They also appreciate Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin support to have an easier time wallbreaking and safely setting up. Specially defensive Heatran is also a good partner to Torkoal because it can sponge special hits for it from the likes of Latios and Tapu Lele and check Nihilego for the team thanks to its Rock neutrality. Volcanion provides an important immunity to Water-type attacks, which lets it check Belly Drum Azumarill, and secondary hazard removal with Defog, taking pressure off from Torkoal. Alolan Marowak can cover Electric-type attacks for Torkoal from threats like Tapu Koko, Regieleki, and Alolan Raichu. It can also break apart defensive types like Poison with sun support and a Swords Dance boost. Mega Charizard Y is also a decent teammate that brings in secondary Drought support to the team and helps improve matchups like Water and Ground.

Moves Eruption is the selling point and will be Torkoal's main damage tool. Heat Wave provides a STAB option when Torkoal's HP is too low to effectively use Eruption. It is possible to drop Heat Wave for another coverage or single-target move, especially if it has Firium Z or Flamethrower in order to let Torkoal use its STAB move at low HP. Solar Beam hurts Rock-types and Water-types and is very effective against Gastrodon. However, this makes Torkoal even more vulnerable to opposing weather. Alternatively, Flamethrower is a secondary STAB move with perfect accuracy that gets around Wide Guard from likes of Celesteela. Hidden Power Ice can be used to gain coverage against Dragon-types such as Salamence and Garchomp. Protect is a staple in doubles play, as it helps with positioning and earns free turns. It is particularly useful because it preserves Torkoal's HP, which is needed for high-powered Eruption. Set Details Charcoal gives Torkoal a consistent damage boost on its Eruption, which lets it take some 2HKOs versus resistant targets such as Alolan Marowak. Alternatively, Firium Z gives Torkoal access to a heavy single-target nuke that bypasses Wide Guard and hits hard regardless of its current HP. As it is a fairly one-dimensional Pokemon, maximum Special Attack is needed to let Torkoal deal as much damage as possible. Speed is minimized with 0 IVs and a Quiet nature, which allows it to underspeed nearly everything for Trick Room. The remaining EVs go into HP for general bulk. Usage Tips Torkoal underspeeds all other weather setters. Against teams with Pelipper, Politoed, or Gigalith, it can be effective to lead with Torkoal + Lilligant to take control of the weather, immediately pressure them, and force them to risk switching into a Grass-type move (or Sleep Powder) from Lilligant. Alternatively, setting up Trick Room allows Torkoal to be a threat on its own without having to keep Lilligant alive. Torkoal needs to stay healthy in order to use Eruption, so avoid switching it into attacks if possible. Opposing Wide Guard users other than Celesteela can tank hits from Torkoal regardless of Wide Guard. Instead of trying to go for single-target moves, try to pin the Wide Guard Pokemon into positions where Eruption will do hefty damage if they don't go for the Wide Guard, but using Wide Guard will leave them vulnerable to KO by Torkoal's partner. If this is not possible, Torkoal should likely be kept on the bench. Team Options Lilligant threatens opposing Ground-, Rock-, and Water-types, can take advantage of Chlorophyll for fast Sleep Powder, and has After You to let Torkoal move first outside of Trick Room. Trick Room setters such as Porygon2 and Oranguru can reverse the move order for Torkoal to attack first. Without speed control, Torkoal with its low Speed cannot use Eruption properly. Oranguru can double Torkoal's damage output with Instruct, which lets Torkoal KO resistant foes such as Salamence and Alolan Marowak before they can move. Other Trick Room attacker options alongside Torkoal include Hariyama, Drampa, and Magnezone. Hariyama facilitates easier setup of Trick Room with Fake Out. Feint lets Torkoal bypass Wide Guard and Protect used to stall out Trick Room turns. Drampa and Magnezone beat Dragon-, Water-, and Rock-types. Mudsdale beats Fire-types and Rock-types. Faster teammates that can function without having to set up Trick Room can be helpful alongside Lilligant + Torkoal. Pokemon such as Salamence have a positive matchup against Pokemon like Gyarados and Garchomp, which can switch in to limit Torkoal's damage output. It might be worthwhile to have Sunny Day on supportive Pokemon such as Oranguru in order to ensure weather control.

Moves Rapid Spin is necessary on Torkoal, as it enables it to remove troublesome entry hazards such as Stealth Rock from the field. Stealth Rock further strengthens its function as a support Pokemon to help whittle down opposing Pokemon as they switch in. Lava Plume is Torkoal's primary offensive attack, which threatens physical attackers with a 30% burn chance. Yawn threatens opposing switch-ins and setup sweepers due to its function of putting a foe to sleep after two turns. Set Details 248 HP and 252 Defense EVs with a Bold nature help enable Torkoal to be as physically defensive as possible while minimizing the damage taken by Stealth Rock. Drought allows Torkoal to set harsh sunlight upon switching in, which boosts all Fire-type attacks and reduces all Water-type attacks' power by 50%. Heat Rock maximizes the number of turns that harsh sunlight remains on the field, prolonging the power boost for its teammates to utilize. Leftovers is an option over Heat Rock to give Torkoal some sustainability, allowing it to switch into entry hazards more frequently to remove them; however, you lose out on the additional harsh sunlight turns. Usage Tips Keep Torkoal as healthy as possible while an opposing entry hazard setter is still healthy, as it will need to have the ability to remove hazards throughout the battle. In that same notion, switch Torkoal into hazard setters that do not threaten it such as Forretress and Jirachi in order to immediately remove hazards from the field. Keep Torkoal away from special attackers such as Tapu Koko and Latios, as they're able to do large damage to it, threatening to OHKO or 2HKO it. Switch in Torkoal against predicted passive Pokemon such as Toxapex in order to set Stealth Rock, utilize Rapid Spin, or threaten sleep with Yawn. Utilizing U-turn on Torkoal's teammates can be key to get Torkoal onto the field on predicted switches. Try to keep harsh sunlight up on the field as much as possible in order to maximize the damage output of Torkoal's teammates with their Fire-type attacks and to weaken Water-type attacks from foes. Prevent Torkoal from being poisoned, as it is easily whittled down due to its lack of reliable recovery. Utilize Yawn and Stealth Rock together by forcing your opponent to switch out their Pokemon continuously, forcing them to either take entry hazard damage or have one of their Pokemon fall asleep. Be wary of opposing Pokemon that may carry either Taunt or Substitute such as Gyarados, Zapdos, and Mew, as they will be able to prevent Torkoal from successfully utilizing Yawn. Team Options Torkoal is an amazing Pokemon for Fire-type teams due to its ability to compress roles between entry hazard remover and setter as well as a harsh sunlight setter. Heatran is a great teammate for Torkoal due to its neutrality to Rock-type attacks, which allows it to take on threatening Pokemon such as Nihilego. Torkoal running Stealth Rock also frees up Heatran to run additional coverage or utility moves such as Taunt. Victini greatly appreciates Torkoal's team support and is able to act as an even more powerful wallbreaker under harsh sunlight, allowing it to threaten Pokemon that can typically switch into a V-create from the Choice Scarf set such as Mega Latias after Stealth Rock or from the Choice Band set such as Swampert. Torkoal also acts as a great switch-in following Victini's U-turn to absorb physical attacks or threaten walls with Yawn. In the same vein as Victini, Infernape greatly appreciates Torkoal's support in boosting its Fire-type attacks, whittling down foes with Stealth Rock, and acting as a solid switch-in following U-turn. Mega Charizard X and Volcarona work in conjunction with Torkoal due to its ability to put foes to sleep with Yawn, which gives them ample opportunity to set up Dragon Dance and Quiver Dance. Volcanion provides a great Water immunity for Torkoal, being able to switch in to a plethora of Water-types. While harsh sunlight reduces the power of Volcanion's Steam Eruption, it boosts the power of its Fire Blast, which enables it to be a powerful special wallbreaker. With Drought support, Blacephalon also becomes a very powerful wallbreaker when using Fire-type attacks; it also appreciates the removal of hazards from the field due to its poor bulk. Mega Charizard Y provides a great Ground-type immunity for Torkoal and appreciates Stealth Rock being removed from the field. When combined, they form a great anti-rain and -sand core, being able to prevent opposing weather from staying on the field. This can be crucial against rain Water and sand Ground teams.

Moves Eruption is a high-Base Power spread STAB move capable of heavily damaging most of the tier, being able to pick off weakened foes under Trick Room such as Tapu Koko, Marshadow, and Landorus-T. Flamethrower is a more reliable single-target move that should be used when Torkoal's HP is too low for Eruption to inflict sufficient damage. Fire Blast is a slightly stronger alternative that is not as accurate. Solar Beam hits Water- and Rock-types such as Tapu Fini, Gastrodon, Diancie, and Tyranitar. Protect could be used instead on non-Assault Vest sets for shielding Torkoal while a teammate retaliates. Earth Power hits opposing Fire-types such as Incineroar and Volcanion, which would otherwise shrug off Torkoal's hits with ease. Alternatively, Stealth Rock takes a more supportive role by chipping down the opposing team. Set Details Drought summons sun, boosting Torkoal's Fire-type moves and allowing it to use one-turn Solar Beams. The investment in HP and Special Defense gives Torkoal overall great mixed defenses while allowing it to tank a Life Orb-boosted Thunderbolt from Tapu Koko under Electric Terrain or a -1 Tectonic Rage from Zygarde. Charcoal gives Torkoal some extra power behind its moves along with the ability to run Protect. Alternatively, Torkoal can use an Assault Vest to make up for its poor Special Defense, though this requires Torkoal to sacrifice the option to use Protect. The Special Attack investment along with a Quiet nature allows Torkoal to hit as hard as possible, while 0 Speed IVs are beneficial to outspeed Amoonguss under Trick Room and allow Torkoal to set its weather last. Usage Tips Avoid letting Torkoal get worn down easily, as it really appreciates keeping its HP for full-powered Eruptions. Therefore, avoid recklessly switching Torkoal in and wait for the correct opportunity to do so; most of the time it's ideal to only send Torkoal in after one of its teammates gets KOed. Also, make sure Trick Room is up as well when switching Torkoal in, as Torkoal has little use without it, being outsped and worn down rather quickly. Opposing weather setters are also a pain for Torkoal, removing its power boost and possibly locking it into Solar Beam, which gives the opponent countless opportunities to knock it out. Therefore, try taking care of the likes of Pelipper and Tyranitar before sweeping with Torkoal. Team Options A Trick Room setter is mandatory for Torkoal to work effectively: Diancie benefits from the weakening of Water-type moves, allowing it to run a Weakness Policy set more reliably, and deals with Fire- and Dragon-types for Torkoal, while Victini appreciates the power boost from sun. Other Trick Room setters such as Mega Gardevoir, Stakataka, and Porygon2 are still overall great picks. Tapu Bulu is an amazing partner as well, as it gives Torkoal passive recovery from Grassy Terrain, which also boosts Torkoal's Eruptions, allows it to tank Earthquakes a lot better, and as a bonus lets Torkoal's Solar Beam hit a lot harder. Furthermore, Tapu Bulu also provides a great matchup against rain and appreciates Torkoal taking out Steel-types for it.

Moves Stealth Rock deals residual damage every time a Pokemon comes into the battle. Rapid Spin clears away opposing entry hazards, most notably Stealth Rock, which most Fire-types get crippled by every time they come onto the field. Yawn is a great support move that induces sleep after two turns to stop potential sweepers or force a switch. This works particularly well with Stealth Rock on the field. Lava Plume is Torkoal's STAB and only attacking move. It is better than other Fire-type moves due to it having a higher chance to burn the opposing Pokemon. Will-O-Wisp can be used over this to ensure a burn on the foe. Set Details As Torkoal is a physically defensive Pokemon, maximum Defense and HP investment with a Bold nature allows it to be as bulky as it can be. Shell Armor makes it completely immune to critical hits. Leftovers allows it to have some form of recovery, as it heals a small amount of its health at the end of every turn. Usage Tips Torkoal can be sent out on turn one as a lead to set up Stealth Rock and start pressuring the opposing team, but this isn't advised as it generally loses to anti-leads. As its Special Defense stat isn't that great, it usually shouldn't be kept in against special attacking Pokemon. If entry hazards are set by the foe, Torkoal should be sent out as soon as possible to get rid of them with Rapid Spin, even if it means letting Torkoal faint. Torkoal should avoid getting hit with any type of status-inflicting move, as Torkoal's longevity gets severely crippled if it is affected by status effects while also preventing it from clearing entry hazards. Lava Plume or Yawn should be used if the foe starts to set up with a stat-boosting move, as the moves can burn or induce sleep respectively. Team Options Most Fire-types appreciate Torkoal's ability to remove entry hazards, and in particular, Stealth Rock. Heatran forms a good defensive core with Torkoal, as it takes neutral damage from Rock-type moves while also being a good specially defensive wall that Torkoal can fall back on. Heatran also appreciates not needing to run Stealth Rock, so it can run more useful sets. Infernape too can run an additional coverage move, as it does not have to run Stealth Rock. Mega Charizard Y is another good partner, as it appreciates Torkoal removing Stealth Rock while Mega Charizard Y is immune to Ground-type moves that Torkoal has trouble fighting against. Mega Charizard Y helps tremendously against Water, as it can set up sun while also dealing damage with Solar Beam. In addition to Solar Beam, the sun makes it much easier for Torkoal to get off a critical Rapid Spin in the matchup. Rotom-H can set up Light Screen and Reflect to further improve the bulk of Torkoal and its teammates while also using Volt Switch to create opportunities for Torkoal to clear away hazards. It also provides a Ground immunity, a resistance to Flying, and a way to offensively check Water-types. Like Rotom-H, Darmanitan also creates opportunities for Torkoal to safely come in and use Rapid Spin. Volcanion provides an immunity to Water while dealing heavy damage to opposing walls that Torkoal struggles against.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Torkoal's fantastic Defense stat gives it many opportunities to switch in and clear entry hazards with Rapid Spin or set up Stealth Rock. At the same time, this set can serve as a counter to many common physical attackers in UU, crippling them with a status move or blasting them with a solid STAB Fire-type attack. Yawn is the favourable status option; other than sleep being a powerful tool, it forces Ghost-types hoping to block Rapid Spin to choose between switching out (thus losing their entry hazards) or being put to sleep. Toxic is an alternative to gradually wear down opposing Pokemon through poison damage, especially those who can shrug off Torkoal's Fire-type attacks. The choice between Lava Plume and Flamethrower comes down to whether you would rather have more power or an increased burn rate. Lava Plume is preferable due to its high burn rate, although it can conflict with Yawn or Toxic, while Flamethrower maintains the chance to burn while boasting slightly more power. Finally, Explosion can also be used in the last slot with a Relaxed nature to inflict some heavy damage before fainting. This set can function in the lead slot, as it matches up favorably against the likes of Ambipom and Uxie, able to set up Stealth Rock or prevent opposing hazards with Rapid Spin. For a more reliable burn-inducing move, Will-O-Wisp can be used in the fourth slot along with Flamethrower. If your team is already packing a Stealth Rock user, the move can be replaced by an extra status move or Explosion. Torkoal requires teammates to patch up the unfortunate weaknesses that come bundled with its Fire typing. Bulky Water-types are the bane of Torkoal's existence, especially those with instant recovery, such as Slowbro and Milotic; therefore, it's important to have an answer to such foes. Grass-types like Venusaur and Exeggutor are great candidates to remedy this problem, as they are able to switch in on the aforementioned Water-types without much fear and heal any damage taken with Synthesis. Offensively, Toxicroak can take advantage of Water-type attacks aimed at Torkoal with its Dry Skin ability in order to set up a free Swords Dance or Nasty Plot. Despite causing issues for it in battle, bulky Water-types complement Torkoal fantastically; they are able to sponge powerful Rock- and Ground-type attacks that it struggles against, while also countering Fire-types that wall Torkoal if it doesn't have Toxic. Additionally, utilizing both a Water- and a Grass-type alongside Torkoal completes the common Fire-Water-Grass core that creates a solid backbone for any team. Generally, Torkoal's high Defense and low Special Defense means it synergizes well with specially defensive Pokemon. Clefable and Chansey can easily come in on the aforementioned Water-types, force them out, then use Wish to pass to a teammate. Torkoal especially appreciates this since it lacks recovery options outside of Rest. Altaria has useful resistances to Water- and Ground-type attacks (although many Water-types do also carry an Ice-type attack), and it can use Roost to continue supporting Torkoal throughout the duration of a battle.