Is Magcargo Good in Platinum Playthrough?
Stark Mountain alongside Slugma in the low 50s. Fire/Rock with a 4x Water weakness and 4x Ground weakness. AbilityFlame Body burns on contact. Postgame timing and crippling weaknesses keep Magcargo off serious teams.
Magcargo trades roughly evenly with Roark's team.
Magcargo resists most of Gardenia's coverage and hits back hard.
Magcargo trades roughly evenly with Fantina's team.
Magcargo has the type edge here and should clean up Maylene's team.
Magcargo trades roughly evenly with Crasher Wake's team.
Magcargo has the type edge here and should clean up Byron's team.
Magcargo has the type edge here and should clean up Candice's team.
Magcargo has the type edge here and should clean up Volkner's team.
Magcargo has the type edge here and should clean up Aaron's team.
Magcargo trades roughly evenly with Bertha's team.
Magcargo trades roughly evenly with Flint's team.
Magcargo trades roughly evenly with Lucian's team.
Magcargo resists most of Jupiter's coverage and hits back hard.
Magcargo has the type edge here and should clean up Mars's team.
Magcargo has the type edge here and should clean up Saturn's team.
Magcargo trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Catchable
Catch Magcargo in Stark Mountain (walking, Lv 53-55, common).
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 53)
- LV 53FireLava PlumePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Fantina
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5Lake Verity
- TM64NormalExplosionPower 250Accuracy 100%PP 5Won at the Veilstone Game Corner after playing ten bonus rounds in a row on the slots
- TM68NormalGiga ImpactPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Department Store
- LV 61FireFlamethrowerPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15
- Post-Game
- TM50FireOverheatPower 210Accuracy 90%PP 5Stark Mountain
- TUTORFireHeat WavePower 150Accuracy 90%PP 10Survival Area
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
How to Get Magcargo in Platinum
Magcargo appears wild too, common at the same volcanic spot at levels 53 to 55. Evolving a Slugma at level 38 is the alternative, and it arrives a little sooner than the high-level wild ones.
1 location to catch Magcargo1 location to catch Slugma
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 8Catch Slugma at any of the 1 location below, then level it up to 38 — it evolves into Magcargo.
Badge 8Where To Catch Magcargo in Pt
The path to Magcargo starts with Slugma at Lv. 52-53 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
- Step 2Magcargo ✓or evolve from Slugma (Step 1)
Bring the right balls: check Magcargo catch odds in the Platinum Catch Rate Calculator before you throw.
How to Get Shiny Magcargo in Platinum
Magcargo evolves from Slugma, so breed a shiny Slugma through a foreign Ditto, then level it up. Compare Shiny Magcargo odds across every game
Platinum Shiny Magcargo Calculator
2 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.
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 Platinum 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
 Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 4x196-232%KO Surf 4x117-138%KO Stone Edge 2x65-77% Brick Break 2x50-58% | ||
 Palkia WaterDragon | S | |
Obtain MethodSpear Pillar Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Palkia builds →Surf 4x295-347%KO Earth Power 4x187-220%KO Focus Punch 2x91-108%KO Stone Edge 2x61-73% | ||
 Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Marowak builds →Earthquake 4x131-154%KO Focus Punch 2x65-77% Stone Edge 2x43-51% | ||
 Rhydon GroundRock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Rhydon builds →Earthquake 4x196-232%KO Focus Punch 2x97-115%KO Stone Edge 2x98-116%KO Surf 4x75-89% | ||
 Hariyama Fighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Hariyama builds →Focus Punch 2x137-161%KO Earthquake 4x123-145%KO Stone Edge 2x61-73% Surf 4x70-82% | ||
 Empoleon WaterSteel | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Piplup (Route 201 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Empoleon builds →Hydro Pump 4x286-337%KO Earthquake 4x93-110%KO Brick Break 2x36-42% Rock Slide 2x36-42% | ||
 Gastrodon WaterGround | C | |
Obtain MethodCanalave City Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Gastrodon builds →Surf 4x196-232%KO Earthquake 4x134-158%KO Stone Edge 2x44-53% Rock Smash 2x19-22% | ||
 Rampardos Rock | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Cranidos (Oreburgh City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Rampardos builds →Earthquake 4x161-189%KO Head Smash 2x180-212%KO Focus Punch 2x120-142%KO Surf 4x99-117%KO | ||
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Hearthome City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Vaporeon builds →Surf 4x226-267%KO Dig 4x60-70% Rock Smash 2x16-19% | ||
 Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Gallade builds →Focus Punch 2x142-167%KO Earthquake 4x127-150%KO Stone Edge 2x63-75% | ||
 Torterra GrassGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Torterra builds →Earthquake 4x170-200%KO Stone Edge 2x56-67% Rock Smash 2x23-28% | ||
 Kingler Water | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Kingler builds →Crabhammer 4x196-232%KO Dig 4x105-124%KO Brick Break 2x50-58% Rock Slide 2x50-58% | ||
 Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Ludicolo builds →Surf 4x191-225%KO Focus Punch 2x58-69% | ||
 Gliscor Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Magcargo View Gliscor builds →Earthquake 4x152-179%KO Stone Edge 2x50-60% Brick Break 2x37-44% | ||
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.
Pt Magcargo Best Moveset
Special attacks from 90 Sp. Atk behind 120 Defense give the moveset some utility as a physical tank that hits back. AbilityFlame Body burns physical attackers on contact. 4x weaknesses to Water and Ground are what ultimately make Magcargo unviable.
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 Overheat and Fire Blast, 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
33 of 37 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
Its body temperature is roughly 18,000 degrees F. Flames spout from gaps in its hardened shell.
Magcargo Platinum Guide
For Platinum, 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 Platinum.
In Platinum, use Magcargo as a support. Special attacks are the main output. It's slow, so Trick Room or priority moves are key.
For Platinum, 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
Explore
Where to go next after Magcargo.
Keep playing · PlatinumPlatinum Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Platinum Tier List