Is Magcargo Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Slugma evolves at level 38. Fire/Rock with AbilityFlame Body. The 4x Water weakness and Ground weakness make Magcargo fragile despite decent Defense. Postgame timing from Kanto limits the contribution. Better Fire-types exist by then.
Slugma has the type edge here and should clean up Falkner's team.
Slugma has the type edge here and should clean up Bugsy's team.
Slugma trades roughly evenly with Whitney's team.
Slugma trades roughly evenly with Morty's team.
Chuck's Pokemon outpace and outclass Slugma here.
Slugma has the type edge here and should clean up Jasmine's team.
Slugma trades roughly evenly with Pryce's team.
Clair's Pokemon outpace and outclass Slugma here.
Brock's Pokemon outpace and outclass Slugma here.
Misty's Pokemon outpace and outclass Slugma here.
Slugma trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Slugma has the type edge here and should clean up Erika's team.
Magcargo has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Magcargo trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Magcargo has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.
Magcargo trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Magcargo has the type edge here and should clean up Will's team.
Magcargo resists most of Koga's coverage and hits back hard.
Magcargo trades roughly evenly with Bruno's team.
Magcargo has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Magcargo trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Catch Slugma
Catch Slugma on Route 16 (walking, Lv 27, rare).
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 27)
- LV 27RockAncient PowerPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 5
- After Bugsy
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- After Jasmine
- TM43NormalSecret PowerPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Lake of Rage
- LV 38FireLava PlumePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 41RockRock SlidePower 75Accuracy 90%PP 10
- LV 46NormalBody SlamPower 85Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 53FireFlamethrowerPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 56GroundEarth PowerPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10
Evolve Slugma to Magcargo
Slugma evolves into Magcargo at Level 38. Your Slugma should hit Level 38 before you reach Janine, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 38)
- LV 38NormalYawnPower —Accuracy 100%PP 10
- After Bugsy
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM22GrassSolar BeamPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- LV 40FireLava PlumePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
- LV 45RockRock SlidePower 113Accuracy 90%PP 10
- LV 61FireFlamethrowerPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15
How to Get Magcargo in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Magcargo only shows up once you evolve a Slugma at level 38. Since nothing wild stands in for it, that rare Kanto-route Slugma is something you have to track down first.
Catch Slugma at any of these 4 spots to eventually evolve into Magcargo.
Encountered via tall grass encounters
- 1Catch Slugma
- 2Evolve Magcargoat Lv.38
Badge 8How to Obtain Magcargo in HGSS
Slugma is your first catch on the way to Magcargo. You'll find walking and gift encounters from Lv. 1-29 across 10 total spots in the chain.
- Step 2Magcargo ✓
How to Get Shiny Magcargo in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Magcargo evolves from Slugma, so breed that base form Masuda-style and raise it once the shiny shows. Compare Shiny Magcargo odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Magcargo Calculator
3 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
Soft Reset: Save in front of a static, gift, or legendary encounter, then reset until it sparkles.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Planning a longer hunt? Set up Magcargo in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Odds Calculator to compare every method side by side.
Magcargo Weakness
Magcargo'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. 6 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Magcargo's physical bulk (base 120 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Water, Ground |
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Ice, Poison, Flying, Bug |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Fire |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Magcargo Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Magcargo
 Hariyama Fighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Hariyama builds →Focus Punch 2x141-167%KO Dig 4x101-120%KO Surf 4x76-89% Rock Tomb 2x33-40% | ||
 Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Marowak builds →Dig 4x113-133%KO Focus Punch 2x68-80% Rock Tomb 2x24-29% | ||
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Vaporeon builds →Surf 4x232-273%KO Dig 4x63-76% Rock Smash 2x17-20% | ||
 Tentacruel WaterPoison | B | |
Obtain MethodCherrygrove City Surfing | ||
 Feraligatr Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Totodile (New Bark Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Feraligatr builds →Surf 4x181-213%KO Dig 4x94-111%KO Focus Punch 2x84-100%KO Rock Tomb 2x30-36% | ||
 Quagsire WaterGround | C | |
Obtain MethodCliff Edge Gate Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Quagsire builds →Dig 4x119-140%KO Surf 4x158-187%KO Focus Punch 2x71-84% Rock Tomb 2x26-31% | ||
 Sandslash Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Sandslash builds →Dig 4x130-153%KO Focus Punch 2x81-96% Rock Tomb 2x28-33% | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | C | |
Obtain MethodSlowpoke Well Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Slowbro builds →Surf 4x214-253%KO Dig 4x71-84% Focus Punch 2x63-76% | ||
 Gyarados Water | S | |
Obtain MethodLake Of Rage Good Rod Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Gyarados builds →Aqua Tail 4x176-207%KO Rock Smash 2x28-33% | ||
 Golduck Water | C | |
Obtain MethodIlex Forest Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Golduck builds →Surf 4x209-247%KO Dig 4x76-89% Focus Punch 2x69-82% | ||
 Lapras WaterIce | C | |
Obtain MethodUnion Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Lapras builds →Surf 4x192-227%KO Rock Smash 2x20-24% | ||
 Hitmonlee Fighting | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Tyrogue (Mt Mortar Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Hitmonlee builds →Focus Punch 2x141-167%KO Rock Tomb 2x33-40% | ||
 Pupitar RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Pupitar builds →Dig 4x119-140%KO Rock Slide 2x53-63% Rock Smash 2x20-24% | ||
 Kingler Water | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Kingler builds →Dig 4x109-129%KO Surf 4x130-153%KO Rock Tomb 2x36-42% Rock Smash 2x28-33% | ||
Magcargo Evolutions
Magcargo is the evolved form of Slugma. Breeding produces Slugma eggs, and they take an average time to hatch. Evolving from Slugma gave Magcargo the biggest boost in Defense (+80), bringing the total to 410 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Magcargo to get Slugma eggs easily using 31 partners from the Amorphous egg group. Notable egg moves include Acid Armor, Curse, Heat Wave and 5 more.
HGSS Magcargo Best Moveset
Fire/Rock at 120 Defense absorbs physical hits, but 4x weaknesses to Water and Ground hit from the most common coverage types. 90 Sp. Atk fires special Fire damage. AbilityFlame Body burns physical attackers. 30 Speed and 60 HP limit survival.
Best Build
Magcargo best EVs are HP and Sp. Def
Wall Moveset
- Stealth Rock
- Recover
- Lava Plume
- Yawn
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
You'll want to breed for Acid Armor and Curse on Magcargo. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Fire Blast and Heat Wave, they expand what Magcargo can actually threaten in practice.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
All 23 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
The shell on its back is just skin that has cooled and hardened. It breaks easily with a slight touch.
Its brittle shell occasionally spouts intense flames that circulate throughout its body.
Magcargo HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, it depends on your team. Magcargo rates C-Tier. Not a powerhouse, but the Fire/Rock coverage might be exactly what you're missing.
Yes. Magcargo is a post-game Pokemon. You need to defeat the Elite Four and enter the Hall of Fame first. Magcargo becomes available after the main story is complete in HeartGold & SoulSilver.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, use Magcargo as a support. Special attacks are the main output. It's slow, so Trick Room or priority moves are key.
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, run Calm on Magcargo. +Sp. Def is what matters, and the -Attack cut doesn't hurt this set. Fits the support role.
Game Availability
Magcargo first appeared in Gold & Silver and has been available in 16 games across 8 generations. Obtainable through wild encounters in most titles where it appears.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
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