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.
Its entire body is shielded by a steel-hard shell. What lurks inside this shell is a total mystery.
It remains immovably rooted to its tree. It scatters pieces of its hard shell to drive its enemies away.
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 AbilityClearbody ItemLum Berry NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Metagross builds →Earthquake20-23% Explosion25-29% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureBrave Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Bronzong builds →Explosion18-22% Earthquake15-18% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemExpert Belt NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Weavile builds →Ice Shard5-6% Pursuit5-6% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemChoice Scarf NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Uxie builds →U Turn3-4% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemFocus Sash NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Forretress View Aerodactyl builds →Earthquake15-18% Stone Edge23-27% | ||
HeartGold & SoulSilver 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 48 partners from the Bug egg group. Notable egg moves include Counter, Double-Edge, Flail and 7 more.
HeartGold & SoulSilver Forretress Best Moveset
Lead with Forretress, set Spikes, 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
- Explosion
- Payback
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without breeding, Forretress misses out on Counter and Double-Edge. That's 10 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Flash Cannon and Signal Beam, with coverage across 7 types rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Forretress in HeartGold & SoulSilver
No wild encounters for Forretress. The 2-stage line runs through Pineco, which you can catch at solid rates from the locations below. Evolve at level 31 once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Forretress in HeartGold & SoulSilver
To get Forretress, start by catching Pineco through headbutt encounters at Lv. 2-29. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch PinecoCherrygrove CitySoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyCherrygrove CityHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyEcruteak CitySoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyEcruteak CityHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyIlex ForestSoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Forest30%EarlyIlex ForestHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Forest30%EarlyLake of RageSoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Water30%EarlyLake of RageHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Water30%EarlyNational ParkSoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Facility30%EarlyNational ParkHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Facility30%EarlyNew Bark TownSoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyNew Bark TownHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyRoute 29HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 29SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 30HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 30SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 31HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 31SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 32SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 32HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 34SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 34HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 35SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 35HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 36SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 36HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 37SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 37HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 38SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 38HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 39SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 39HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 43SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyRoute 43HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 Route30%EarlyViolet CitySoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyViolet CityHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyCerulean CityHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyCerulean CitySoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyPallet TownHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyPallet TownSoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyPewter CitySoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyPewter CityHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyViridian CitySoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlyViridian CityHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 City30%EarlySafari Zone GateHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.15-16 FacilityUncommonEarlySafari Zone GateSoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.15-16 FacilityUncommonEarlyRoute 47HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 47SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 48HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 48SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 1SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 1HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 2 - NorthSoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 2 - NorthHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 2 - SouthSoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 2 - SouthHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 22SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 22HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 3HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 3SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 5HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 5SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 6HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 6SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 8SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 8HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.2-17 RouteLimitedEarlyRoute 26SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.28-29 Route30%MidRoute 26HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.28-29 Route30%MidRoute 27SoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.28-29 Route30%MidRoute 27HeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.28-29 Route30%Mid
Step 2Forretress ✓
Forretress Guide
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, we rate Forretress B-Tier: a solid option in HeartGold & SoulSilver for the right team. At 465 BST, it fits the hazard setter role. Rapid Spin with Leftovers is the standard set.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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 HeartGold & SoulSilver, run Rapid Spin, Spikes, Explosion, and Payback on Forretress. Rapid Spin is the most common pick at 24% 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