Slugma doesn't have much going for it on its own — the stats just aren't there. The payoff is Magcargo, and getting there is worth the grind. Only weak to Water, Ground, and Rock. Known as the Lava Pokemon.
Nothing fancy in Slugma's spread. It leans special with Sp. Atk out front. And you'll get 1 Sp. Atk EV per KO for it. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
Molten magma courses throughout SLUGMA’s circulatory system. If this POKéMON is chilled, the magma cools and hardens. Its body turns brittle and chunks fall off, reducing its size.
SLUGMA does not have any blood in its body. Instead, intensely hot magma circulates throughout this POKéMON’s body, carrying essential nutrients and oxygen to its organs.
Slugma Weakness
AvgType-wise, Slugma takes extra damage from Water, Ground, and Rock. The Fire typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Not too many gaps in the chart, 3 weaknesses to account for.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Slugma is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Magcargo. Check the evolution method below. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 180 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Breed Slugma easily with 22 breeding partners from the Indeterminate egg group. Pass egg moves like Acid Armor, Heat Wave to offspring.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 3.
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Most of Slugma's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Overheat and Fire Blast, but Poison and Rock and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Slugma appears at decent spawn rates across 2 spots in early-game routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Best Locations
At 250 BST, Slugma is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Magcargo before bringing it to any serious fight.
Slugma's biggest threats include Gyarados (Water), Rhydon (Ground), and Aerodactyl (Rock), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. At base 20 Speed, Slugma won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Slugma evolves into Magcargo at level 38. Slugma is the base form of this evolutionary line.
Magma Armor is the go-to ability for Slugma. It prevents freezing. Its hidden ability Weak Armor can work in specific setups. Flame Body is the other option — pick based on what your team needs.
Slugma is a special attacker with base 70 Sp. Atk. Fragile — can't afford to take many hits, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 20 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go.
Slugma appears in 16 games, including Gold & Silver, Crystal, and Ruby & Sapphire.
Debuting in Gold & Silver, Slugma appears in 16 games across 8 generations. A reliable presence in most mainline games, typically found through catching or hatching as a base form.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
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 VIORAS
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