Competitive Information for Arcanine [X/Y]
Fire
Abilities:
Note: Pokemon with the Flash Fire ability are immune to Fire attacks.
Movesets for Singles
What is a good competitive moveset for Arcanine? These builds have been optimized for Pokemon competing in X/Y Single Battles. The movesets and EVs have been specifically calibrated to deal the most amount of damage to the largest group of potentially common opponents and typing threats for the X/Y generation metagame.
Arcanine is a fabulous Fire-typed Pokemon. Arcanine are common Pokemon to see in the XY metagame. Arcanine is typically seen in the UU tier (Underused). Arcanine is weak to Ground, Rock, and Water-typed attacks.
Item: Shell Bell / Expert Belt
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Flare Blitz / Fire Fang
- Outrage
- Wild Charge / Iron Head
- Close Combat
Physical Sweeper Arcanine (Flash Fire)
Arcanine is a remarkable Physical Sweeper. It's purpose is to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. With Flash Fire, Arcanine's fire attacks do 1.5x damage if hit by one fire move; fire immunity. Wild Charge or Iron Head are added to provide additional threat coverage.
♦ Fire Fang is a physical STAB-boosted 65-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn. 10% chance to flinch).
♦ Outrage is a physical 120-base power Dragon-type move (lasts 2-3 turns. confuses your Arcanine afterwards).
♦ Wild Charge is a physical 90-base power Electric-type move (has 1/4 recoil).
♦ Iron Head is a physical 80-base power Steel-type move (30% chance to flinch the target).
♦ Close Combat is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Arcanine's defense and special defense by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gs10a3b
Item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Overheat / Flamethrower
- Dragon Pulse
- Hyper Beam / Round
- Solar Beam
Special Sweeper Arcanine (Flash Fire)
Arcanine is a wonderful Special Sweeper. The purpose of this moveset is to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Choice Specs will increase the damage of Arcanine's special moves by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Arcanine's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Flash Fire, Arcanine's fire attacks do 1.5x damage if hit by one fire move; fire immunity.
♦ Flamethrower is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
♦ Dragon Pulse is a special 85-base power Dragon-type move that deals a great amount of damage.
♦ Hyper Beam is a special 150-base power Normal-type move (Arcanine cannot move next turn).
♦ Round is a special 60-base power Normal-type move (power doubles if others used round this turn).
♦ Solar Beam is a special 120-base power Grass-type move (charges turn 1. hits turn 2. no charge in sunlight).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gs11a3b
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Hp / 252 Atk
Moveset:
- Bulldoze
- Flame Charge
- Close Combat
- Aerial Ace
Arcanine Physical Tank (Doggie Style)
Arcanine is pretty popular Physical Tank. It is meant to take a great amount of physical hits while dealing some decent damage. Life Orb boosts the power of Arcanine's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Flash Fire, Arcanine's fire attacks do 1.5x damage if hit by one fire move; fire immunity.
♦ Flame Charge is a physical STAB-boosted 50-base power Fire-type move (100% chance to raise your Arcanine's speed by 1 stage).
♦ Close Combat is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Arcanine's defense and special defense by 1 stage).
♦ Aerial Ace is a physical 60-base power Flying-type move (this move does not check accuracy).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gs12a3b
Item: Assault Vest
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 72 Hp / 252 Atk / 184 Spe
Moveset:
- Wild Charge
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
Arcanine Physical Sweeper (Assaultcanine)
Arcanine is an extraordinary Physical Sweeper. It's primary goal is to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. With Intimidate, on switch-in Arcanine lowers the attack of adjacent opponents by 1 stage. Assault Vest allows Arcanine to survive most Water attacks like Scald, Surf and Hydro Pump, and KO right back with Wild Charge. If he doesn't KO, then Extreme Speed will do the job. I used to have Life Orb as his item, but a suggestion for Assault Vest seemed like a better choice.
♦ Flare Blitz is a physical STAB-boosted 120-base power Fire-type move (has 33% recoil. 10% chance to burn. thaws Arcanine).
♦ Close Combat is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Arcanine's defense and special defense by 1 stage).
♦ Extreme Speed is a physical priority-increased 80-base power Normal-type move (nearly always goes first).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gs13a3b
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
- Morning Sun
Flash Fire Arcanine
Arcanine is a decent Physical Sweeper. It's goal is to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. Life Orb boosts the power of Arcanine's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Flash Fire, Arcanine's fire attacks do 1.5x damage if hit by one fire move; fire immunity.
♦ Close Combat is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Arcanine's defense and special defense by 1 stage).
♦ Extreme Speed is a physical priority-increased 80-base power Normal-type move (nearly always goes first).
♦ Morning Sun is a status move (heals your Arcanine by a weather-dependent amount).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gs14a3b
Movesets for Doubles
What is a good doubles moveset for Arcanine? These builds have been optimized for X/Y Double Battles. They have movesets and EVs specifically calibrated to generally work best versus multiple Pokemon at once as well as helping to support other team members and allys in the X/Y generation metagame.
Item: Shell Bell / Expert Belt
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Flare Blitz / Fire Fang
- Outrage
- Bulldoze / Wild Charge
- Close Combat
Doubles Physical Sweeper Arcanine (Flash Fire)
Arcanine is an astounding Physical Sweeper. It was designed to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. With Flash Fire, Arcanine's fire attacks do 1.5x damage if hit by one fire move; fire immunity. Bulldoze or Wild Charge are added to provide additional threat coverage.
♦ Fire Fang is a physical STAB-boosted 65-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn. 10% chance to flinch).
♦ Outrage is a physical 120-base power Dragon-type move (lasts 2-3 turns. confuses your Arcanine afterwards).
♦ Bulldoze is a physical 60-base power Ground-type move (100% chance lower adjacent pkmn speed by 1 stage).
♦ Wild Charge is a physical 90-base power Electric-type move (has 1/4 recoil).
♦ Close Combat is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Arcanine's defense and special defense by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gd10a3b
Item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Heat Wave / Incinerate
- Snarl
- Dragon Pulse
- Hyper Beam / Round
Doubles Special Sweeper Arcanine (Flash Fire)
Arcanine is an interesting Special Sweeper. It's designed to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Choice Specs will increase the damage of Arcanine's special moves by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Arcanine's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Flash Fire, Arcanine's fire attacks do 1.5x damage if hit by one fire move; fire immunity.
♦ Incinerate is a special STAB-boosted 60-base power Fire-type move (destroys the foes berry/gem).
♦ Snarl is a special 55-base power Dark-type move (100% chance to lower the foes special attack by 1 stage).
♦ Dragon Pulse is a special 85-base power Dragon-type move that deals a decent amount of damage.
♦ Hyper Beam is a special 150-base power Normal-type move (Arcanine cannot move next turn).
♦ Round is a special 60-base power Normal-type move (power doubles if others used round this turn).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gd11a3b
Movepool
Wondering what moves can Arcanine learn? Here is the list of moves this Pokemon can learn in this selected generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by move type, category, accuracy, and power. Bolded moves will gain the same-type attack bonus (STAB) if this Pokemon uses them.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Arcanine can perform in X/Y. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive XY Move and Ability Combos for Arcanine
- Moves: Sunny day + Solar beam
- Moves: Safeguard + Outrage
- Moves: Safeguard + Thrash
- Moves: Endure + Reversal
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Moves: Substitute + Reversal
- Ability: Intimidate + Move: Will-o-wisp
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect, Extreme Speed, Helping Hand
- Moves that inflict status: Toxic, Will-O-Wisp
Moves that boost Arcanine's stats
- Agility
- Flame Charge
- Howl
Most notable and possible best moves for Arcanine
- Howl
- Protect
- Rest
- Snarl
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Arcanine in X and Y
- Adamant Nature ( 0/252/0/0/0/252 )
- Modest Nature ( 0/0/0/252/0/252 )
- Optimize Arcanine's EV spread for Pokemon X and Y
Related Videos
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Here are the best movesets for Arcanine. Top rated Arcanine X/Y movesets. You can find Arcanine builds X/Y. Arcanine movesets X/Y are listed here. VGC Arcanine Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Arcanine in X/Y along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for evolution