Special
Balanced
250Low
20Very Slow
DTier

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.

Base Stats
250Below
HP40
D
Attack40
D
Defense40
D
Sp. Atk70
C
Sp. Def40
D
Speed20
F
Total250
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Slugma yields +1 SpA
HPAtkDefSpA+1SpDSpe
Details
Catch190EasyMedium Fast1M XP0.7m / 2'04"35kg / 77.2 lbs50Base XP
Pokedex Entries

Its body is made of magma. If it doesn’t keep moving, its body will cool and harden.

Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl

Slugma Weakness

Avg

Type-wise, Slugma takes extra damage from Water, Ground, and Rock. It resists 6 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely.

4xCriticali
None
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
3Weak
6Resist
0Immune
Scorei0
Stealth Rock25% on switch
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
Magma ArmorPrevents freezing.
Flame BodyHas a 30% chance of burning attacking Pokémon on contact.
Weak ArmorHARaises Speed and lowers Defense by one stage each upon being hit by a physical move.

Slugma is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Magcargo. Check the evolution method below. No compatible partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 180 stat points total.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Slugma
Fire
Magcargo
FireRock
HP
40
60+20
ATK
40
50+10
DEF
40
120+80
SP.ATK
70
90+20
SP.DEF
40
80+40
SPE
20
30+10
BST
250D-Tier
430C-Tier+180
ROLE
Balanced
Trick Room
TYPE
Special
Special
Breeding
Very Easy

Breed Slugma easily from the Indeterminate egg group. Pass egg moves like Acid Armor, Curse, Earth Power and 9 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
Indeterminate
Gender
50.0%50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
12moves

Best Build

No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

The egg pool carries weight here. Acid Armor and Curse aren't available any other way for Slugma, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Overheat and Fire Blast for solid options.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Smog
307020Poison
Lv 1
Yawn
10Normal
Lv 6
Ember
4010025Fire
Lv 8
Rock Throw
509015Rock
Lv 13
Harden
30Normal
Lv 15
Incinerate
6010015Fire
Lv 20
Clear Smog
5015Poison
Lv 22
Ancient Power
601005Rock
Lv 27
Flame Burst
7010015Fire
Lv 29
Rock Slide
759010Rock
Lv 34
Lava Plume
8010015Fire
Lv 36
Amnesia
20Psychic
Lv 41
Body Slam
8510015Normal
Lv 43
Recover
10Normal
Lv 48
Flamethrower
9010015Fire
Lv 50
Earth Power
9010010Ground

TM Moves

Src
TM45
Attract
10015Normal
TM100
Confide
20Normal
TM32
Double Team
15Normal
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM38
Fire Blast
110855Fire
TM43
Flame Charge
5010020Fire
TM35
Flamethrower
9010015Fire
TM21
Frustration
10020Normal
TM10
Hidden Power
6010015Normal
TM83
Infestation
2010020Bug
TM16
Light Screen
30Psychic
TM96
Nature Power
20Normal
TM50
Overheat
130905Fire
TM17
Protect+4
10Normal
TM33
Reflect
20Psychic
TM44
Rest
10Psychic
TM27
Return
10020Normal
TM80
Rock Slide
759010Rock
TM39
Rock Tomb
609515Rock
TM48
Round
6010015Normal
TM88
Sleep Talk
10Normal
TM90
Substitute
10Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
5Fire
TM87
Swagger
8515Normal
TM06
Toxic
9010Poison
TM61
Will-O-Wisp
8515Fire

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Acid Armor
20Poison
Egg
Curse
10Ghost
Egg
Earth Power
9010010Ground
Egg
Guard Swap
10Psychic
Egg
Heat Wave
959010Fire
Egg
Inferno
100505Fire
Egg
Memento
10010Dark
Egg
Rollout
309020Rock
Egg
Smokescreen
10020Normal
Egg
Spit Up
10010Normal
Egg
Stockpile
20Normal
Egg
Swallow
10Normal

Tutor Moves

Slugma can't learn any Tutor moves

Transfer Moves

Src
Gen 4
Captivate
10020Normal
Gen 3
Defense Curl
40Normal
Gen 3
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
Gen 4
Endure+4
10Normal
Gen 3
Mimic
10Normal
Gen 4
Mud-Slap
2010010Ground
Gen 4
Natural Gift
10015Normal
Gen 6
Rock Smash
4010015Fighting
Gen 6
Secret Power
7010020Normal

Slugma can't be caught in Sun & Moon. Bring it over from Gold, Crystal, or Brilliant Diamond instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.

Slugma is not available as a wild encounter in this game.

Also found in:

  • 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.