Stats & Training
Defense leads and Speed gets almost nothing. That's Forretress's stat line in a nutshell. 2 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Moderately hard to find and yields 2 Defense EVs.
It is encased in a steel shell. Its peering eyes are all that can be seen of its mysterious innards.
It is encased in a steel shell. Its peering eyes are all that can be seen of its mysterious innards.
Forretress Weakness
Fire moves hit Forretress for super-effective damage. Fire hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. The upside? Poison-type moves can't touch it at all. With 9 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Forretress's physical bulk (base 140 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Fire |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Ice, Psychic, Bug, Ghost, Dragon, Dark, Steel |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass |
| 0x (Immune) | Poison |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
 | S | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemChopleberry NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Tyranitar builds →Pursuit5-6% Crunch10-12% Superpower21-25% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityIron Barbs ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves View Ferrothorn builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves View Blissey builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityThickfat ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Mamoswine builds →Earthquake44-51% Ice Shard9-10% Superpower35-41% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves View Skarmory builds →
| ||
Black 2 & White 2 Evolution
Evolved from Pineco. Forretress is the final form in this two-stage line. Plenty of partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Defense grew the most through evolution (+50 over Pineco), and Forretress peaks at 465 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Forretress to get Pineco eggs easily using 65 partners from the Bug egg group. Notable egg moves include Counter, Double-Edge, Endure and 8 more.
Black 2 & White 2 Forretress Best Moveset
Lead with Forretress, set Stealth Rock, and keep pressure on. Sturdy and Leftovers buy the time it needs, with max HP and Defense EVs letting it take hits while controlling the hazard game.
Best Build
Forretress best EVs are HP and Defense
Hazard Setter Moveset
- Rapid Spin
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball
- Stealth Rock
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without breeding, Forretress misses out on Counter and Double-Edge. That's 11 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Flash Cannon and Signal Beam, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Forretress in Black 2 & White 2
Forretress isn't available in the wild in Black 2 & White 2. Start by transferring Pineco from Gold, Crystal, or Diamond. The evolution path from Pineco to Forretress is covered in the steps below.
Forretress Guide
For Black 2 & White 2, we rate Forretress B-Tier: a solid option in Black 2 & White 2 for the right team. At 465 BST, it fits the hazard setter role. Rapid Spin with Leftovers is the standard set.
In Black 2 & White 2, watch for Arcanine (Fire) when using Forretress. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Arcanine is the most dangerous since Fire moves deal 4x damage. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about. At base 40 Speed, Forretress won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Sturdy prevents being KOed from full HP, leaving 1 HP instead. That's the one you want on Forretress. Overcoat is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
Base 40 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Forretress is a physical attacker with base 90 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a hazard setter.
In Black 2 & White 2, run Rapid Spin, Spikes, Gyroball, and Stealth Rock on Forretress. Rapid Spin is the most common pick at 23% usage. This set covers the hazard setter role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Available in 16 titles since its debut in Gold & Silver, Forretress spans 9 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in most mainline games.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves