How to play
Intimidate can soften a physical attacker on entry. Burn a suitable target or attack, then use Morning Sun when a safe turn appears.
POKÉDEX #059 · GENERATION 1
Arcanine Build Guide
Fire
Physical attacker with recovery
Build a team with Arcanine ↓Starter moveset
Generation 9 · casual singles · base form
ITEMHeavy-Duty Boots
ABILITYIntimidate
NATUREAdamant
1
Flare Blitz
2
Extreme Speed
3
Will-O-Wisp
4
Morning Sun
Watch out for
Flare Blitz causes recoil. Water, Ground and Rock attacks threaten it, and Morning Sun recovery depends on weather.
About this example
This editorial starting point is not a ranked-format recommendation or a legality check. It does not specify EVs or Tera type. Moves, items and abilities here do not change the builder score.
Teammate ideas
A Flying partner covers Ground attacks; a bulky Water partner can help against Rock and Water attackers.
Gyarados
Immune to Ground and resists Water attacks.
Gastrodon
Resists Rock and has Water immunity with Storm Drain.
These are typing-based starting pairs, not a complete competitive team. Check the remaining four slots and your game’s rules.
Compare computed teammate suggestions →Alternative: Charizard
Charizard provides Ground immunity and a special attacking option, but has a 4× Rock weakness.
Try Charizard →Type matchups
Weak to
Water2×Ground2×Rock2×
Resistances and immunities
Fire0.5×Grass0.5×Ice0.5×Bug0.5×Steel0.5×Fairy0.5×
Typing only. Abilities, items and battle effects can change these matchups.
HP90
Attack110
Defense80
Sp. Attack100
Sp. Defense80
Speed95
Evolution chain
- Growlithe#058
Fire Stone
Arcanine#059
Standard main-series evolution conditions. Regional forms and games with special evolution systems can differ.
Build your Arcanine team
Start with Arcanine. Add teammates and compare your type-and-base-stat score.
Gen 9 · National Dex · Casual Settings & scope
Format scope · casual planning
Base species #001–1025, using Generation 9 data. A casual planning pool, not a VGC, ranked, or Showdown National Dex legality validator. Regional, Mega and alternate forms are not included yet.
Arcanine
FireUnderstand your team
Offense76
Defense66
Coverage22
Synergy8
Types & base stats only · Not a win probability.
Saved teams · 0
Keep up to 20 teams in this browser. Clearing browser data removes saved teams.
No saved teams yet.
FIND A BETTER FIT
Recommended Pokémon
Fill your empty slots first. Each candidate is scored using the same rules as your current team. Only positive score changes are shown.
+27 pts
Virizion
GrassFighting
Team score 46 → 73
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Water resistance or immunity
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds Rock resistance or immunity
+27 pts
Zarude
DarkGrass
Team score 46 → 73
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Water resistance or immunity
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds super-effective coverage against Water, Ground, Psychic and more
+27 pts
Toedscruel
GroundGrass
Team score 46 → 73
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds Rock resistance or immunity
- Adds super-effective coverage against Fire, Water, Electric and more
+26 pts
Torterra
GrassGround
Team score 46 → 72
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds Rock resistance or immunity
- Adds super-effective coverage against Fire, Water, Electric and more
+26 pts
Whimsicott
GrassFairy
Team score 46 → 72
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Water resistance or immunity
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds super-effective coverage against Water, Fighting, Ground and more
+26 pts
Tapu Bulu
GrassFairy
Team score 46 → 72
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Water resistance or immunity
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds super-effective coverage against Water, Fighting, Ground and more
Suggestions optimize this initial planning heuristic. Your preferences and actual battle strategy may favor another Pokémon.
Key insights
- Ground attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
- Rock attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
- Your own types can hit 4 of 18 single-type targets super effectively. Actual move coverage can differ.
- No teammate has a base Speed of 100 or higher. Consider adding a faster option.
Detailed type analysis · all 18 types
Incoming damage assumes typing only. 0× = immune, ½× / ¼× = resistant, 2× / 4× = weak. Resistance counts include immunities.
| Attack | Arcanine | Weak | Resist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 1× | 0 | 0 |
| Fire | ½× | 0 | 1 |
| Water | 2× | 1 | 0 |
| Electric | 1× | 0 | 0 |
| Grass | ½× | 0 | 1 |
| Ice | ½× | 0 | 1 |
| Fighting | 1× | 0 | 0 |
| Poison | 1× | 0 | 0 |
| Ground | 2× | 1 | 0 |
| Flying | 1× | 0 | 0 |
| Psychic | 1× | 0 | 0 |
| Bug | ½× | 0 | 1 |
| Rock | 2× | 1 | 0 |
| Ghost | 1× | 0 | 0 |
| Dragon | 1× | 0 | 0 |
| Dark | 1× | 0 | 0 |
| Steel | ½× | 0 | 1 |
| Fairy | ½× | 0 | 1 |
Offensive type coverage
Against single-type targets, using only same-type attacks. This is not coverage against every dual-type species.
NormalNeutral
FireResisted
WaterResisted
ElectricNeutral
Grass✓ Super effective
Ice✓ Super effective
FightingNeutral
PoisonNeutral
GroundNeutral
FlyingNeutral
PsychicNeutral
Bug✓ Super effective
RockResisted
GhostNeutral
DragonResisted
DarkNeutral
Steel✓ Super effective
FairyNeutral
How is the score calculated?
Offense (25%): neutral-or-better type coverage and strongest attacking base stats. Defense (30%): team resistances, unprotected and repeated weaknesses, and 4× vulnerabilities. Coverage (25%): fraction of 18 single-type targets hit super effectively by your own types. Synergy (20%): teammates resisting each other’s weaknesses, physical/special/bulk stat signals and base Speed ≥100. Scores are rounded to 0–100; the total uses the displayed subscores.
Rating bands: Excellent ≥80, Good ≥65, Fair ≥45, Poor below 45. An empty team has no rating.
Small teams are provisional and are not given a separate completion bonus. Adding a Pokémon can lower the score if it creates new weaknesses or lowers averages. These initial heuristics have not been calibrated against battle outcomes.
Data: Pokémon Showdown / @pkmn/dex · Sprites: PokéAPI contributors · Base species only
Sources & guide notes
Starter advice written for this guide; mechanics checked against Pokémon Showdown’s Generation 9 data.
- Smogon: format-specific strategy
- Pokémon Database: moves and evolution
- Pokémon Showdown mechanics data
Reviewed October 6, 2026. Suggest a correction.