Special
Cannon
70Speed · Below Avg

Magneton Best Moveset

AbilityMagnet Pull traps opposing Steel-types and Held ItemEviolite gives 95/70 defenses a real bump since Magnezone exists as the evolution. 120 Sp. Atk at 70 Speed behind Electric/Steel TermStab hits hard for a middle-stage. The moveset removes Steel-types that block teammates, and that role is sometimes more valuable than evolving.

SABCDEFCASCBBAEERed, Blue & YellowIRB/YGold, Silver & CrystalIIGS/CTHE RISERuby, Sapphire & EmeraldIIIRS/EPEAKDiamond, Pearl & PlatinumIVDP/PtBlack & White / B2W2VBW/B2W2X & Y / ORASVIXY/ORASSun & Moon / USUMVIISM/USUMSword & Shield / BDSPVIIISS/BDSPTHE FALLScarlet & Violet / Legends Z-AIXSV/LZACURRENT
Gen I — Red, Blue & YellowC

Pure Electric in Gen I (Red & Blue) with 120 Special was decent, but Jolteon was faster and more popular. Magneton sat in the middle of the Electric pack.

Had a combined Special stat of 120
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
TM24
Thunderbolt
Electric90POPULARSTAB
Lv 21
Thunder Wave
ElectricCOMMONSTAB
Tutor
Substitute
NormalCOMMONUtility
Tutor
Double-Edge
Normal120COMMONCoverage
Experimental
Utility
Ability
Unknown
Item
None
Best Nature for Magneton
HardyNEUTRAL

Utility Moveset

  • ThunderboltSTAB
  • Thunder WaveSTAB
  • SubstituteUtility
  • Double Edge
Gen II — Gold, Silver & CrystalA

Steel typing arrived in Gen II (Gold & Silver), giving Magneton a pile of resistances it never had. One of the most defensively useful Electric-types overnight.

Gained Steel as second type
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Tutor
Thunderbolt
Electric90COMMONSTAB
Lv 21
Thunder Wave
ElectricCOMMONSTAB
Xfer
Substitute
NormalCOMMONUtility
TM10
Hidden Power (Ice)
Ice60COMMONCoverage
TM25
Thunder
Electric110RARESTAB
TM10
Hidden Power (Water)
Water60RARECoverage
Experimental
Utility
Ability
Unknown
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Best Nature for Magneton
HardyNEUTRAL

Utility Moveset

  • ThunderboltSTAB
  • Thunder WaveSTAB
  • SubstituteUtility
  • Hidden Power Ice
Gen III — Ruby, Sapphire & EmeraldS

Magnet Pull trapped Steel-types that threatened the rest of your team. Skarmory, Forretress, Jirachi. They switched in and couldn't leave. This ability alone made Magneton top-tier.

Received Magnet Pull and Sturdy

Best Moves

SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
TM24
Thunderbolt
Electric90COMMONSTAB
TM10
Hidden Power (Fire)
Fire60COMMONCoverage
TM6
Toxic
PoisonCOMMONUtility
Lv 21
Thunder Wave
ElectricCOMMONSTAB
TM10
Hidden Power (Grass)
Grass60RARECoverage
TM17
Protect
NormalRAREPriority
TM18
Rain Dance
WaterRAREUtility
Tutor
Substitute
NormalRAREUtility

Best Build

Experimental
Special Attacker
Ability
Magnet Pull
Item
Magnet
Best Nature for Magneton
Modest+SPA

Magneton best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed

EVs

Special Attacker Moveset

  • ThunderboltSTAB
  • Hidden Power Fire
  • ToxicUtility
  • Thunder WaveSTAB
Gen IV — Diamond, Pearl & PlatinumC

Magnezone evolved from it in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl), doing the same Magnet Pull job with better stats. Magneton was outclassed by its own evolution.

Physical/Special split overhauled move damage
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
TM24
Thunderbolt
Electric90COMMONSTAB
TM91
Flash Cannon
Steel80COMMONSTAB
Lv 17
Thunder Wave
ElectricCOMMONSTAB
TM64
Explosion
Normal250COMMONCoverage
TM10
Hidden Power (Ice)
Ice60COMMONCoverage
TM10
Hidden Power (Ground)
Ground60RARECoverage
Experimental
Special Revenge Killer
Ability
Magnet Pull
Item
Choice ScarfSPEED
Best Nature for Magneton
Naive+SPE
EVs

Special Revenge Killer Moveset

  • ThunderboltSTAB
  • Flash CannonSTAB
  • Thunder WaveSTAB
  • ExplosionCoverage
Gen V — Black & White / B2W2B

Eviolite made Magneton bulkier than Magnezone in some matchups. Both had Magnet Pull, but Eviolite gave Magneton a niche as the sturdier trapper.

Gained Analytic as hidden abilityHidden Abilities became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Lv 39
Flash Cannon
Steel80COMMONSTAB
Lv 15
Thunder Wave
ElectricCOMMONSTAB
TM24
Thunderbolt
Electric90COMMONSTAB
TM10
Hidden Power (Fire)
Fire60COMMONCoverage
TM72
Volt Switch
Electric70COMMONSTAB
Experimental
Wall
Ability
Magnet Pull
Item
EvioliteBULK
Best Nature for Magneton
Modest+SPA
EVs

Wall Moveset

  • Flash CannonSTAB
  • Thunder WaveSTAB
  • ThunderboltSTAB
  • Hidden Power Fire
Gen VI — X & Y / ORASB

Same Eviolite niche in Gen VI (X & Y). Sometimes preferred over Magnezone when you needed the trapper to survive an extra hit.

Fairy type added to the gameMega Evolution became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Lv 33
Flash Cannon
Steel80COMMONSTAB
TM72
Volt Switch
Electric70COMMONSTAB
TM24
Thunderbolt
Electric90COMMONSTAB
TM10
Hidden Power (Fire)
Fire60RARECoverage
TM10
Hidden Power (Grass)
Grass60RARECoverage
TM10
Hidden Power (Ice)
Ice60RARECoverage
Experimental
Special Sweeper
Ability
Magnet Pull
Item
EvioliteBULK
Best Nature for Magneton
Timid+SPE
EVs

Special Sweeper Moveset

  • Flash CannonSTAB
  • Volt SwitchSTAB
  • ThunderboltSTAB
  • Hidden Power Fire
Gen VII — Sun & Moon / USUMA

Analytic boosted moves when Magneton moved last in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Its middling Speed turned into an advantage for raw damage output.

Z-Moves became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
TM72
Volt Switch
Electric70COMMONSTAB
Lv 33
Flash Cannon
Steel80COMMONSTAB
TM24
Thunderbolt
Electric90COMMONSTAB
TM10
Hidden Power (Fire)
Fire60RARECoverage
TM6
Toxic
PoisonRAREUtility
Lv 43
Discharge
Electric80RARESTAB
Experimental
Special Sweeper
Ability
Magnet Pull
Item
EvioliteBULK
Best Nature for Magneton
Timid+SPE
EVs

Special Sweeper Moveset

  • Volt SwitchSTAB
  • Flash CannonSTAB
  • ThunderboltSTAB
  • Hidden Power Fire

Recommended Teammates

Gen VIII — Sword & Shield / BDSPE

Lost its edge in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Magnezone was generally better, and the Steel-trapping niche was less important in the format.

Gigantamax became availableDynamax became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
TR8
Thunderbolt
Electric90COMMONSTAB
Lv 1
Thunder Wave
ElectricCOMMONSTAB
TM33
Rain Dance
WaterCOMMONUtility
TR26
Endure
NormalRAREPriority
TR20
Substitute
NormalRAREUtility
TM80
Volt Switch
Electric70RARESTAB
Lv 34
Flash Cannon
Steel80RARESTAB
Experimental
Special Attacker
Ability
Magnet Pull
Item
Magnet
Best Nature for Magneton
Timid+SPE
EVs

Special Attacker Moveset

  • ThunderboltSTAB
  • Thunder WaveSTAB
  • Rain Dance
  • EndureFAST +4
Gen IX — Scarlet & Violet / Legends Z-AE

Fully outclassed in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). Magnezone did everything Magneton wanted to do with higher stats across the board.

Terastallization became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Lv 34
Flash Cannon
Steel80COMMONSTAB
Lv 40
Discharge
Electric80COMMONSTAB
TM171
Tera Blast
Normal80COMMONCoverage
TM48
Volt Switch
Electric70RARESTAB
TM126
Thunderbolt
Electric90RARESTAB
Lv 1
Thunder Wave
ElectricRARESTAB
Experimental
Special Sweeper
Ability
Magnet Pull
Item
EvioliteBULK
Best Nature for Magneton
Timid+SPE
EVs

Special Sweeper Moveset

  • Flash CannonSTAB
  • DischargeSTAB
  • Tera Blast
  • Volt SwitchSTAB

Recommended Teammates

Magneton Weakness

Type-wise, Magneton takes extra damage from Ground, Fire, and Fighting. Watch out for Ground attacks, those deal 4x damage. Poison moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. With 11 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Magneton's physical bulk (base 95 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.

Magneton Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
4x (Critical)Ground
2x (Weak)Fire, Fighting
0.5x (Resist)Normal, Electric, Grass, Ice, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Dragon, Fairy
0.25x (Resist)Flying, Steel
0x (Immune)Poison

What is Magneton Weak Against

Excellent
3Weak
11Resist
1Immune
Score+8

What is Magneton Strong Against

5Strong
1Resisted
0Immune
Score+4
½xResisted
0xImmune
None

Best Pokemon Against Magneton

Iron Treads threatens a KO with Earthquake (115-136%). Gliscor deals 82-96% with Earthquake.

Evolution

Sitting between Magnemite and Magnezone, Magneton is part of a chain that requires an evolution item. Not your typical level-up setup. HP has grown the most so far (+25), but there's still another 70 stats to gain in the final evolution. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Magnemite
ElectricSteel
Magneton
ElectricSteel
Magnezone
ElectricSteel
HP
25
50+25
70+20
ATK
35
60+25
70+10
DEF
70
95+25
115+20
SP.ATK
95
120+25
130+10
SP.DEF
55
70+15
90+20
SPE
45
70+25
60-10
BST
325D-Tier
465C-Tier+140
535B-Tier+70
ROLE
Balanced
Cannon
Wallbreaker
TYPE
Special
Special
Special

Breeding

Challenging

Magneton is genderless — breed with Ditto to produce Magnemite eggs. Part of the Mineral egg group.

Egg Groups
Gender
GenderlessDittoDitto only
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body

How to Get Magneton

All 21 games

A handful of locations for Magneton with moderate rates across endgame routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.

Where To Catch Magneton in SV

To get Magneton, start by catching Magnemite through walking encounters at Lv. 16-80. The chain covers 3 catchable stages before reaching the final form.

  1. Magnemite
    Step 1Catch Magnemite
    East Province (Area Three) - Grass
    Lv.16-34Overworld
    Rate 25%
    East Province (Area Two) - Grass
    Lv.16-34Overworld
    Rate 25%
    East Province (Area Three) - Near Town
    Lv.16-34Overworld
    Rate 10%
    East Province (Area Two) - Near Town
    Lv.16-34Overworld
    Rate 10%
    Canyon Biome
    Lv.50-80Overworld
    Polar Biome
    Lv.50-80Overworld
  2. Magneton
    Step 2Magneton
    Canyon Biome
    Lv.50-80Overworld
    Polar Biome
    Lv.50-80Overworld
    or evolve from Magnemite (Step 1)
  3. Magnezone
    Step 3Catch or Evolve into Magnezone
    Canyon Biome
    Lv.50-80Overworld
    Coastal Biome
    Lv.50-80Overworld
    or evolve from Magneton (Step 2)

Base Stats

Sp. Atk and Defense carry most of Magneton's stat budget. HP's the obvious dump stat. Moderately hard to find and yields 2 Sp. Atk EVs. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.

Base Stats
Above
HP50
D
Attack60
C
Defense95
B
Sp. Atk120
A
Sp. Def70
C
Speed70
C
Total465
Details
Catch Rate
Challenging60 / 255
Growth Rate
Medium Fast1M XP
Height1.0 m
Weight60.0 kg
Base XP163
Abilities
Magnet Pull
Prevents steel opponents from fleeing or switching out.
Sturdy
Prevents being KOed from full HP, leaving 1 HP instead. Protects against the one-hit KO moves regardless of HP.
AnalyticHidden Ability
Strengthens moves to 1.3× their power when moving last.
EV Yield
HPAtkDefSpA+2SpDSpe
Special Attack training target
Pokedex Entry

Three Magnemite are linked by a strong magnetic force. Earaches will occur if you get too close.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A

Magneton Guide

  • Magneton is meant to evolve into Magnezone. At 465 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.

  • Magneton's biggest threats include Golem (Ground), Charizard (Fire), and Hitmonlee (Fighting), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Golem is the most dangerous since Ground moves deal 4x damage.

  • Magnet Pull is the go-to ability for Magneton. It prevents steel opponents from fleeing or switching out. Its hidden ability Analytic can work in specific setups. Sturdy is the other option. Pick based on what your team needs.

  • Base 70 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Magneton is a special attacker with base 120 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a cannon.

  • You can run Magneton through the first few routes without issues. 465 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Magnezone as fast as you can.

Game Availability

One of the original 151, Magneton has appeared in 21 games — nearly every mainline game. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.

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