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.
When something approaches it, it fires off fragments of its steel shell in attack. This is not a conscious action but a conditioned reflex.
In the moment that it gulps down its prey, the inside of its shell is exposed, but to this day, no one has ever seen that sight.
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 |
 Volcarona BugFire | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Volcarona builds →Overheat 4x381-448%KO Flare Blitz 4x95-112%KO Heat Wave 4x279-328%KO Fiery Dance 4x238-280%KO | ||
 Infernape FireFighting | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Infernape builds →Overheat 4x306-360%KO Flare Blitz 4x143-168%KO Flame Wheel 4x75-88% Flame Charge 4x64-76% | ||
 Arcanine Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Arcanine builds →Overheat 4x295-348%KO Fire Fang 4x85-100%KO Flame Charge 4x64-76% | ||
 Charizard Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Charizard builds →Overheat 4x319-376%KO Flare Blitz 4x122-144%KO Heat Wave 4x234-276%KO Flamethrower 4x221-260%KO | ||
 Blaziken FireFighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Blaziken builds →Overheat 4x319-376%KO Flare Blitz 4x163-192%KO Blaze Kick 4x115-136%KO Fire Punch 4x102-120%KO | ||
In Ultra Sun & Ultra 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% | ||
Ultra Sun & Ultra 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.
Ultra Sun & Ultra 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 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 Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Forretress doesn't appear wild. Catch Pineco instead, it shows up at solid rates. Evolve it at level 31 to get Forretress. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Forretress in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Step 1Catch PinecoRoute 10Ultra SunGrass Lv.26-29 Route30%MidShaking spotRoute 10Ultra MoonGrass Lv.26-29 Route30%MidShaking spot
Step 2Forretress ✓
Forretress Guide
For Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, we rate Forretress C-Tier: a niche pick in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon's meta. At 465 BST, it fits the hazard setter role. Stealth Rock with Rocky Helmet is the standard set.
In Ultra Sun & Ultra 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 Ultra Sun & Ultra 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