Rapidash Best Moveset
100 Attack at 105 Speed on pure Fire. Agile Style at this Speed secures double turns against most encounters. The moveset runs physical Fire TermStab at decent power with enough pace to handle common wild threats without slowing down.
100 Speed was excellent for Gen I (Red & Blue). Fire Blast off 80 Special wasn't amazing, but the raw Speed earned Rapidash a spot.
Best Moves
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Fire Spin
- Body Slam
- Stomp
- Fire Blast
Recommended Teammates
The Special split gave Rapidash 100 Sp. Atk but it lost relative value in Gen II (Gold & Silver). Better Fire-types were emerging.
Utility Moveset
- Hidden Power Fighting
- Fire Blast
- Curse
- Charm
Recommended Teammates
Flash Fire gave it a Fire immunity and power boost in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). A useful switch-in for Fire-weak teams, though not much more.
Special Attacker Moveset
- Fire Blast
- Sunny Day
- Solar Beam
- Baton Pass
Recommended Teammates
Physical Fire STAB arrived with Flare Blitz in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl), but Rapidash's 100 Attack was just decent. Arcanine and Infernape did it better.
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Megahorn
- Morning Sun
- Sunny Day
Recommended Teammates
Power creep hit hard in Gen V (Black & White). 100 Speed wasn't fast enough anymore, and 100 in both offenses was mediocre by new standards.
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Drill Run
- Wild Charge
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
Recommended Teammates
No Mega Evolution, no new tools in Gen VI (X & Y). Rapidash was a forgotten Fire-type in a sea of stronger options.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Wild Charge
- Morning Sun
- Poison Jab
Recommended Teammates
Completely irrelevant in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Z-Moves couldn't fix a Pokemon with nothing special about its stats or movepool.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Wild Charge
- High Horsepower
- Megahorn
Recommended Teammates
Galarian Rapidash (Psychic/Fairy) was a different Pokemon entirely. Regular Rapidash stayed at the bottom in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield).
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- High Horsepower
- Wild Charge
- Megahorn
Recommended Teammates
Rapidash Weakness
Type-wise, Rapidash takes extra damage from Water, Ground, and Rock. 6 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Flash Fire grants an additional Fire immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Rapidash leans offensive (base 100 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel, Fairy |
What is Rapidash Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Rapidash
Greninja threatens a KO with Surf (145-171%). Garchomp's Earthquake also KOs at 163-192%.
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIron Barbs ItemLeftovers NatureRelaxed Moves View Ferrothorn builds →
| ||
 Greninja WaterDark | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityBattlebond ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Greninja builds →Dark Pulse65-76% Ice Beam24-28% Surf 2x145-171%KO | ||
 Garchomp DragonGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x163-192%KO | ||
 Tyranitar RockDark | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Rapidash View Tyranitar builds →Knock Off89-104%KO Stone Edge 2x273-321%KO | ||
Evolution
Rapidash is the evolved form of Ponyta. Breeding produces Ponyta eggs, and they're average hatch time. Evolving from Ponyta gave Rapidash the biggest boost in HP (+15), bringing the total to 500 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Rapidash to get Ponyta eggs easily using 278 partners from the Ground egg group.
How to Get Rapidash
You're catching Ponyta first, not Rapidash. Ponyta appears at decent rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Rapidash in PLA
Step 1Catch PonytaHorseshoe PlainsLv.3-6GrassRate 15%
Step 2Rapidash ✓
No wild encounters for Rapidash. The 2-stage line runs through Ponyta, which you can catch at solid rates from the locations below. Evolve at level 40 once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Rapidash in BDSP
To get Rapidash, start by catching Ponyta through walking encounters at Lv. 13-29. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch PonytaRoute 206Lv.14-16GrassRate 45%DayRoute 206Lv.14-16GrassRate 35%MorningRoute 206Lv.14-16GrassRate 25%NightRoute 211 - WestLv.13GrassRate 10%Route 210 - SouthLv.18-20GrassRate 50%DayRoute 215Lv.21-22GrassRate 40%DayRoute 214Lv.23-24GrassRate 35%Morning/dayRoute 210 - SouthLv.18-20GrassRate 30%Morning/nightRoute 215Lv.21-22GrassRate 30%MorningRoute 214Lv.23-24GrassRate 25%NightRoute 215Lv.21GrassRate 20%NightRoute 211 - EastLv.26-28GrassRate 15%Morning/daySandsear CaveLv.25-29GrassRequires StrengthTyphlo CavernLv.25-29CaveRequires StrengthVolcanic CaveLv.25-29CaveRequires StrengthRoute 211 - EastLv.27-28GrassRate 5%Night
Step 2Rapidash ✓
No wild encounters for Rapidash. The 2-stage line runs through Ponyta, which you can catch at moderate rates from the locations below. Evolve at level 40 once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Rapidash in SwSh
To get Rapidash, start by catching Ponyta through walking encounters at Lv. 34-65. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch PonytaGlimwood TangleLv.34-36GrassShieldRate 10%All WeatherGlimwood TangleLv.34-36OverworldShieldRate 10%OvercastGlimwood TangleLv.34-36OverworldShieldRate 10%SandstormGlimwood TangleLv.34-36OverworldShieldRate 10%ThunderstormGlimwood TangleLv.34-36OverworldShieldRate 10%Normal WeatherGlimwood TangleLv.34-36OverworldShieldRate 10%RainingGlimwood TangleLv.34-36OverworldShieldRate 10%Intense SunGlimwood TangleLv.34-36OverworldShieldRate 10%SnowstormGlimwood TangleLv.34-37OverworldShieldRate 10%Heavy FogGlimwood TangleLv.34-36OverworldShieldRate 10%SnowingOld CemeteryLv.60-65OverworldShieldRate 10%Heavy Fog
Step 2Rapidash ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Rapidash egg.
moderate rates across 2 encounter spots for Rapidash. That's the kind of hunt where you pick one location and settle in. Sort by Best below to see where the odds are highest.
Where To Catch Rapidash in LGPE
The path to Rapidash starts with Ponyta at Lv. 33-38 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch PonytaRoute 17Lv.33-38GrassRate 20%
Step 2Rapidash ✓Route 17Lv.33-38GrassRate 5%or evolve from Ponyta (Step 1)
Base Stats
Rapidash's built around mixed offense. Speed leads the charge, HP pays for it. Moderately hard to find, worth 2 Speed EVs. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
Little can stand up to its psycho cut. Unleashed from this Pokémon’s horn, the move will punch a hole right through a thick metal sheet.
Rapidash Guide
Don't let Rapidash's 500 base stat total fool you. Flash Fire is what makes it tick. It punches way above its weight class. We rate it C-Tier as a sweeper.
Run Flash Fire on Rapidash. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Rapidash also gets Run Away and Flame Body, but they don't compare. With base 105 Speed, Flash Fire gives Rapidash an edge before opponents can react.
Rapidash fills the sweeper role. It's a mixed attacker with base 100 Attack and 80 Sp. Atk. Base 105 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
The core moveset is Flare Blitz, Wild Charge, Highhorsepower, and Swords Dance. Flare Blitz leads at 0% usage. This set covers the sweeper role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Rapidash first appeared in Red & Blue and spans 20 games across 10 generations. It later gained a Galarian form in Generation 8, adding new dimensions to its competitive identity.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
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 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwShGalarian
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