Lightning Rod redirects Electric moves and boosts its Sp. Atk, letting Manectric hit way above its stat class. Electric typing helps — only weak to Ground. Introduced in Gen 3. It clears the crowded base-100 Speed benchmark.
The stat budget goes to damage. Sp. Atk and Speed carry the offense, Defense doesn't even come close. A Discharge Pokemon on a slow 1.25M XP grind, worth 2 Speed EVs per KO.
It discharges electricity from its mane. It creates a thundercloud overhead to drop lightning bolts.
Manectric Weakness
GoodType-wise, Manectric takes extra damage from Ground. Few weaknesses and 3 resistances make the typing clean. Lightning Rod grants an additional Electric immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. At base 105 Speed, Manectric outspeeds most threats and doesn't need to tank what it can outrun.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Evolved from Electrike. Manectric is the final form in this two-stage line. A massive partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Sp.Atk grew the most through evolution (+40 over Electrike), and Manectric peaks at 475 total stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Manectric to get Electrike eggs easily using 180 partners from the Ground egg group. Notable egg moves include Crunch, Curse, Discharge and 10 more.
Manectric's locked into one move per switch-in with Choice Specs, trading flexibility for boosted special damage with move lock. Thunder is the go-to spam option, with Fire coverage keeping switch-ins honest.
Best Build
Best Manectric Moveset
- Thunder
- Overheat
- Signal Beam
- Volt Switch
Recommended Teammates
Breeding's the move. Crunch and Curse give Manectric options it can't learn any other way, and Fire and Normal coverage and more already covers a decent range on top of Thunder and Wild Charge. The egg moves push it further.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
No wild encounters for Manectric in Black & White. Bring Electrike over from Ruby, Emerald, or Sword, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
Lightning Rod changes the entire equation for Manectric. The 475 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as a sweeper.
Manectric's biggest threats include Rhydon (Ground), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about. Manectric's base 105 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.
Electrike evolves into Manectric at level 26. Manectric is the fully evolved form. It sits at 475 BST in its evolved form.
Lightning Rod is what you want on Manectric. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Static, Minus) work on paper but Lightning Rod is what makes Manectric worth using. With base 105 Speed, Lightning Rod gives Manectric an edge before opponents can react.
Base 105 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Manectric is a special attacker with base 105 Sp. Atk. Best used as a sweeper.
Manectric appears in 15 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Since debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Manectric has appeared in 15 titles over 7 generations. Along the way, it received a Mega form in Generation 7, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORASMega
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A