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 stat exp.
Usually found hanging on to a fat tree trunk. It shoots out bits of its shell when it sees action.
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 |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
- Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def
 | S | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Snorlax builds →Double Edge18-21% Earthquake20-24% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Skarmory builds →Drill Peck19-22% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Umbreon builds →Pursuit8-9% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Miltank builds →Body Slam10-12% | ||
 | C | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Quagsire builds →Earthquake24-29% | ||
Crystal Evolution
Evolved from Pineco. Forretress is the final form in this two-stage line. A decent partner pool 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 23 partners from the Bug egg group. Notable egg moves include Flail, Pin Missile, Reflect and 1 more.
Crystal Forretress Best Moveset
Best Build
Support Moveset
- Spikes
- Explosion
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without breeding, Forretress misses out on Flail and Pin Missile. That's 4 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Pin Missile, with Normal and Grass coverage and more rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Forretress in Crystal
Can't catch Forretress directly. Start with Pineco at solid rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 31. The 2-stage line from Pineco to Forretress is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Forretress in Crystal
To get Forretress, start by catching Pineco through headbutt encounters at Lv. 10+. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch PinecoIlex ForestHeadbutting trees Lv.10 Forest30%EarlyLake of RageHeadbutting special trees Lv.10 Water30%EarlyRoute 29Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 30Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 31Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 32Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 34Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 35Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 36Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 37Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 38Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 39Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 43Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 26Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%EarlyRoute 27Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Route30%Early
Step 2Forretress ✓
Forretress Guide
For Crystal, we rate Forretress A-Tier: a strong pick in Crystal's competitive scene. At 465 BST, it fits the hazard setter role. Spikes with Leftovers is the standard set.
In Crystal, 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.
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.
For Crystal, Forretress has answers, but so do you. Super-effective STAB from faster Pokemon is the simplest answer. Fire-type attackers hit hardest.
In Crystal, run Spikes, Explosion, Rapid Spin, and Toxic on Forretress. Spikes is the most common pick at 25% 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