Monferno Best Moveset
Fire/Fighting at 78/78 mixed offenses and 81 Speed. AbilityIron Fist boosts punch moves. The moveset has moderate pace and power building toward evolution. One step from Infernape where the same Iron Fist on 104 Attack and 108 Speed makes the punch coverage elite.
Fire/Fighting pre-evolution with Iron Fist in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). 78 Attack and 81 Speed. Mach Punch with Iron Fist gave boosted priority.
Best Moves
Best Build
Monferno best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Stallbreaker Moveset
- Stealth Rock
- Endeavor
- Vacuum Wave
- Taunt
Recommended Teammates
Monferno saw minimal competitive use in Gen V (Black & White / B2W2). This was a decline from C-Tier in the previous generation. Its most popular set ran Ironfist with Eviolite, favoring a Jolly nature.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Close Combat
- Mach Punch
- Flare Blitz
- U Turn
Recommended Teammates
Eviolite arrived and boosted 52/52 defenses in Gen VI (X & Y). Speed Boost as a hidden ability was the real draw. Infernape existed above.
Wall Moveset
- Toxic
- Fire Punch
- Slack Off
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
Monferno saw minimal competitive use in Gen VII (Sun & Moon / USUM). This was a decline from D-Tier in the previous generation. Its most popular set ran Ironfist with Eviolite, favoring a Jolly nature.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Mach Punch
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
- U Turn
Recommended Teammates
Monferno saw minimal competitive use in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet / Legends Z-A). Monferno maintained its position from the previous generation. Its most popular set ran Ironfist with Focus Sash, favoring a Jolly nature.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Mach Punch
- Stealth Rock
- Endeavor
- Knock Off
Recommended Teammates
Monferno Weakness
Monferno's Fire/Fighting typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Ground, Flying, and Psychic. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Flying, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Dark, Steel |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Bug |
What is Monferno Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Monferno
Starmie can KO Monferno with Hydro Pump (187-220%). Excadrill threatens a KO with Earthquake (232-273%). Staraptor's Double-Edge also KOs at 116-137%.
 Starmie WaterPsychic | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityAnalytic ItemFocus Sash NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Monferno View Starmie builds →Ice Beam25-30% Hydro Pump 2x187-220%KO Rapid Spin16-19% Psychic 2x154-181%KO | ||
 Excadrill GroundSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySandrush ItemAir Balloon NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Monferno View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x232-273%KO Rapid Spin39-46% | ||
 Staraptor Normal | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityReckless ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Monferno View Staraptor builds →Close Combat78-91% U Turn11-13% Double Edge116-137%KO | ||
 Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTrace ItemChoice Scarf NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Monferno View Gardevoir builds →Moonblast94-111%KO Psychic 2x179-211%KO | ||
Evolution
Partway through Chimchar's chain. Monferno still has another evolution ahead before reaching Infernape. For breeding, average hatch time with a massive partner pool via two egg groups. So far, HP got the biggest boost (+20 from Chimchar). The final form adds another 129 stats on top. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Monferno to get Chimchar eggs easily using 278 partners from the Ground and Humanshape egg groups.
How to Get Monferno
You're catching Chimchar first, not Monferno. Chimchar appears at moderate rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 3-stage chain with evolution methods between each stage.
Monferno appears at decent spawn rates across 1 spots in late-game routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Where To Catch Monferno in PLA
Chimchar is your first catch on the way to Monferno. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 10-70 across 4 total spots in the chain.
No wild encounters for Monferno. The 3-stage chain runs through Chimchar, which you can catch at moderate rates from the locations below. Evolve at level 36 once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Monferno in BDSP
Chimchar is your first catch on the way to Monferno. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 58-63 across 6 total spots in the chain.
moderate rates across 2 locations for Monferno in mid-game routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.
Base Stats
The stat budget goes to damage. Speed and Attack carry the offense, Defense doesn't even come close. A Playful Pokemon on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve, worth 2 Sp. Atk and Speed EVs per KO.
The deeper the blue on its face, the more powerful it will grow to become. It leaps about every which way and lands powerful blows against its opponents with the flame on its tail.
Monferno Guide
Monferno is meant to evolve into Infernape. At 405 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Watch for Milotic (Water), Golem (Ground), and Aerodactyl (Flying) when using Monferno. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Psychic-type attackers are also a problem.
Blaze strengthens fire moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less. That's the one you want on Monferno. Iron Fist is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
Base 81 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Monferno is a physical attacker with base 78 Attack. Defensively? Fragile, can't afford to take many hits.
You can run Monferno through the first few routes without issues. 405 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Infernape as fast as you can.
Game Availability
Available in 12 titles since its debut in Diamond & Pearl, Monferno spans 7 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through catching or hatching as a base form in a solid number of games.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DPDebut
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 7LGPE
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