Nothing fancy in Arcanine's spread. It leans mixed with Attack out front. And you'll get 2 Attack EVs per KO for it. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
Snaps at its foes with fangs cloaked in blazing flame. Despite its bulk, it deftly feints every which way, leading opponents on a deceptively merry chase as it all but dances around them.
Arcanine's Fire/Rock typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Ground, Fighting, and Rock. Water and Ground hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It resists 7 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. Flash Fire grants an additional Fire immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Water, Ground |
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Ice, Poison, Flying, Bug, Fairy |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Fire |
 Garchomp DragonGround | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Garchomp builds →Earth Power 4x125-148%KO Bulldoze 4x125-148%KO | ||
 Rhyperior GroundRock | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Rhyperior builds →High Horsepower 4x207-243%KO Rock Slide 2x83-98% Bulldoze 4x133-157%KO Rock Smash 2x29-35% | ||
 Gastrodon WaterGround | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Gastrodon builds →Earth Power 4x140-165%KO Mud Bomb 4x103-122%KO Water Pulse 4x96-113%KO Ancient Power 2x32-38% | ||
 Empoleon WaterSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Empoleon builds →Liquidation 4x125-148%KO Water Pulse 4x111-130%KO Bubble 4x74-87% | ||
 Golem RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Golem builds →Rock Slide 2x72-85% Bulldoze 4x118-139%KO Rollout 2x31-37% Mud-Slap 4x25-30% | ||
In Legends: Arceus, Runerigus's Poltergeist hits Arcanine for 42-49%. Lunatone's Psychic hits Arcanine for 47-56%. Gurdurr deals 78-92% with Drain Punch.
 Runerigus GroundGhost | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityWanderingspirit ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Runerigus builds →Poltergeist42-49% | ||
 Lunatone RockPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemPower Herb NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Lunatone builds →Ice Beam16-18% Moonblast17-20% Psychic47-56% | ||
 Gurdurr Fighting | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityGuts ItemEviolite NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Gurdurr builds →Drain Punch 2x78-92% Knock Off22-26% Mach Punch 2x41-49% | ||
 Slowking WaterPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemColbur Berry NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Slowking builds →Scald 4x126-149%KO | ||
 Urshifu FightingDark | C | |
Water deals 4x damage to ArcanineView Urshifu → | ||
Arcanine evolved from Growlithe's chain using an evolution item. It's a non-standard trigger, so check the details below. Breed this form to get Growlithe eggs (average hatch time). The evolution from Growlithe pushed Arcanine to 555 total stats. Attack saw the largest single gain at +45. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Intimidate helps Arcanine stick around while dealing real damage. Leftovers for passive recovery each turn, max Attack and Speed EVs for the right balance, and Extreme Speed as the main threat. Not the fastest, but it doesn't need to be.
Best Build
Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
Moves
The offense anchors on Raging Fury and Flare Blitz, with coverage across 9 types adding reach. It's a workable movepool for Arcanine that handles most situations. Raging Fury and Double-Edge give it enough punch where it matters.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Hisuian Arcanine doesn't appear wild. Catch Growlithe instead, it shows up at decent rates. Evolve it through a special method to get Hisuian Arcanine. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Arcanine in Legends: Arceus
Step 1Catch GrowlitheVeilstone CapeGrassUncommonWindbreak StandGrassUncommon
Step 2Arcanine ✓
In the Legends: Arceus meta, Arcanine already has 555 BST going for it, and Intimidate pushes the competitive value even higher. B-Tier wallbreaker on our tier list. Extreme Speed with Leftovers is the standard set.
Arcanine gets Intimidate, Flash Fire, and Rock Head. But Intimidate is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Arcanine is a special attacker with base 95 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 90 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. Fits the wallbreaker role.
For Legends: Arceus, Arcanine has answers, but so do you. Status moves (Toxic, Will-O-Wisp) wear it down. Setup sweepers can use it as a boost opportunity. Special attackers bypass its physical bulk.
Available since Red & Blue, Arcanine appears in 21 games spanning 10 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained a Hisuian form in Generation 8.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
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 8PLAHisuian
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves