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’s usually found hanging on to a fat tree trunk. It shoots out bits of its shell when it sees action.
Its entire body is shielded by a steel-hard shell. What lurks inside this shell is a total mystery.
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 8 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, Dragon, Steel, Fairy |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass |
| 0x (Immune) | Poison |
 Incineroar FireDark | A | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Litten (Iki Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Incineroar builds →Overheat 4x248-292%KO Flare Blitz 4x156-184%KO Fire Blast 4x211-248%KO Flamethrower 4x173-204%KO | ||
 Arcanine Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Arcanine builds →Overheat 4x295-348%KO Fire Blast 4x251-296%KO Flamethrower 4x207-244%KO Fire Fang 4x85-100%KO | ||
 Typhlosion Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Typhlosion builds →Eruption 4x367-432%KO Burn Up 4x319-376%KO Overheat 4x319-376%KO Fire Blast 4x272-320%KO | ||
 Emboar FireFighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Emboar builds →Overheat 4x295-348%KO Flare Blitz 4x166-196%KO Fire Blast 4x251-296%KO Flamethrower 4x207-244%KO | ||
 Flareon Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Flareon builds →Overheat 4x285-336%KO Flare Blitz 4x173-204%KO Fire Blast 4x241-284%KO Flamethrower 4x197-232%KO | ||
In Sun & Moon, Volcanion can KO Forretress with Fire Blast (458-539%). Charizard threatens a KO with Heat Wave (235-276%).
 Volcanion FireWater | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityWaterabsorb ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Volcanion builds →Fire Blast 4x458-539%KO | ||
 Charizard Fire | C | |
Recommended Build AbilitySolarpower ItemChoice Scarf NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Charizard builds →Heat Wave 4x235-276%KO Dragon Pulse18-21% | ||
Sun & Moon 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 77 partners from the Bug egg group. Notable egg moves include Counter, Double-Edge, Endure and 8 more.
Sun & Moon Forretress Best Moveset
Lead with Forretress, set Stealth Rock, and keep pressure on. Sturdy and Rocky Helmet 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
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic Spikes
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Hazard Setter Moveset
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Spikes
- Light Screen
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 Mirror Shot, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Forretress in Sun & Moon
Forretress isn't available in the wild in Sun & Moon. 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 Sun & Moon, we rate Forretress C-Tier: a niche pick in Sun & Moon's meta. At 465 BST, it fits the hazard setter role. Stealth Rock with Rocky Helmet is the standard set.
In Sun & Moon, 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 leaning toward the physical side (base 90 Attack). Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a hazard setter.
In Sun & Moon, run Stealth Rock, Spikes, Rapid Spin, and Toxic Spikes on Forretress. Stealth Rock is the most common pick at 21% 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