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Mystical Fire weakens switch-ins to Moltres such as Nihilego, Hydreigon and Primarina. Toxic cripples Slowking, Hippowdon, and Rotom-W. U-turn creates momentum for teammates like Mamoswine. 252 HP EVs allow Moltres to sponge hits from Zarude and Scizor more easily. Moltres works well on balance teams that appreciate its ability to cripple Hippowdon and Slowking with Toxic and offensively check Scizor and Zarude. Walls such as Hippowdon and Assault Vest Tangrowth can switch into Pokemon like Nihilego, Hydreigon, and Primarina, which is made easier thanks to Moltres's Mystical Fire. These Pokemon also check threats like Zygarde-10% and Cobalion, and the former can set up Stealth Rock to wear down Pokemon like Rotom-W and Slowking. Wallbreakers like Mamoswine and Zygarde-10% greatly appreciate threats like Rotom-W, Slowking, and Hippowdon being crippled by Toxic, which helps them overwhelm bulkier teams. In return, Moltres can provide switch-in opportunities with U-turn and check Scizor. Fairy-types, like Primarina, Hatterene, and Togekiss, can help take care of Dragon-types like Hydreigon and Salamence. In return, Moltres can check threats like Zarude and Scizor.

Flamethrower and Hurricane serve as strong neutral coverage, with the latter being able to hit Fire-resistant foes like Primarina, Keldeo, and Slowking for big damage. U-turn allows Moltres to pivot against threatening Pokemon like Slowking, Nihilego, and Chansey while bringing in wallbreakers like Zygarde-10% and Keldeo. Roost gives Moltres the longevity necessary to check Zarude, Scizor, and Celesteela. Flame Body punishes U-turn users like Scizor, Zarude and Diggersby. Moltres works best on bulky offense, balance, and VoltTurn teams that appreciate its ability to punish Pokemon like Excadrill and Zarude while providing momentum against foes like Hippowdon. Knock Off absorbers, such as Cobalion and Amoonguss, are key in helping alleviate Moltres's biggest concern when facing foes like Scizor. Cobalion is a particularly good partner for Moltres, as it acts as a secondary check to Scizor, potentially forms a VoltTurn core with it, and checks Nihilego and Chansey. Toxic Cobalion luring in Hippowdon creates opportunities for Moltres to get past it. Zarude, Swampert, and Slowking deal with Pokemon like Hippowdon and Keldeo for Moltres while also forming momentum cores with it. Scizor also creates a momentum core and pressures Moltres checks like Chansey, Slowking, and Nihilego. Amoonguss, Tangrowth, and the aforementioned Zarude take on threatening Water- and Electric-types like Primarina, Keldeo, Rotom-W, and Thundurus-T for Moltres. Entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Nihilego is useful for helping Moltres break through Slowking. These Pokemon can also check Thundurus-T and Rotom-H. Physical wallbreakers, such as Zygarde-10% and Conkeldurr, can break through special walls like Chansey and overwhelm shared checks like Slowking. Zygarde-10% also revenge kills faster threats such as Nihilego and Rotom-W.

Moltres's niche in National Dex comes from its role compression, being able to check Grass-, Steel-, and Fire-types such as Rillaboom, Mega Scizor, Mega Mawile, Heatran, and Mega Charizard Y, provide Defog support against Heatran, and greatly assist stall teams. However, Moltres is completely outclassed as a Defogger by Corviknight, Tapu Fini, and Zapdos, since all three have better typing, bulk, and matchup against other common Stealth Rock setters such as Garchomp, Mega Tyranitar, and Landorus-T. A plethora of Pokemon it wants to check, such as Mega Mawile, Kartana, Rillaboom, and Mega Scizor, often carry Knock Off, which Moltres does not want to switch into, as it relies heavily on its Heavy-Duty Boots to avoid its crippling Stealth Rock weakness, making it a poor check in the long run. Mystical Fire allows Moltres to check Mega Charizard Y and Calm Mind Clefable more easily. Scorching Sands is a fantastic coverage move, as it notably 2HKOes Heatran and can also punish Garchomp and Mega Tyranitar due to its burn chance. Flame Body is chosen to cripple physical attackers like Rillaboom, Kartana, Mega Scizor, and U-turn from Corviknight and Mega Lopunny. Roost allows Moltres to stay healthy, letting it check Kartana and Mega Scizor better in the long run. U-turn and Toxic are also fine options to gain momentum or punish switch-ins. The suggested Defense investment allows Moltres to take Frustration from Mega Lopunny twice from full health, and 60 Speed EVs with a Timid nature are used to outspeed Modest Heatran. Moltres fits best on bulky offense teams that need a solid check to Grass-, Steel-, and Fire-types. Water-types like Slowbro and Tapu Fini appreciate Moltres's ability to check Rillaboom and Kartana, and in return, they can check Garchomp and Landorus-T. Moltres also appreciates teammates like Rillaboom and Ash-Greninja to deal with Rock-types or Pokemon with Rock-type coverage moves that would otherwise be able to threaten or set Stealth Rock in front of it, like Mega Diancie, Tyranitar, and Garchomp. In return, Rillaboom and Ash Greninja appreciate Moltres's ability to deal with Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn. Secondary entry hazard control options like Choice Scarf Landorus-T and Rapid Spin Excadrill are appreciated, as Moltres struggles to remove hazards if its Heavy-Duty Boots is removed. Due to Moltres's weakness to Electric-types such as Tapu Koko and Zapdos, sturdy checks like Gliscor, Amoonguss, and defensive Landorus-T are good teammates as well. Strong wallbreakers like Kyurem and Tapu Lele can cause problems for Moltres, so checks like Mega Scizor and Galarian Slowking make phenomenal partners.

Desolate Land Moltres is a strong special pivot due to a powerful STAB Weather Ball, U-turn, and above-average bulk that allows it to switch into several prevalent attackers such as Primordial Sea Barraskewda and Inteleon. Weather Ball is the attacking move of choice, dealing significant damage to much of the metagame. Weather Ball is preferred over Fire Blast or Flamethrower, as it can still deal damage against opposing Primordial Sea Pokemon such as Zapdos and Barraskewda. Roost gives Moltres a consistent form of recovery while U-turn lets Moltres pivot out versus switch-ins such as Garchomp, Nihilego, and Blissey. Defog makes Moltres a consistent form of entry hazard removal, while Toxic punishes common switch-ins such as Garchomp and Tapu Fini with status. The EV spread and nature make Moltres faster than maximum Speed Modest Heatran, with the rest of the EVs put into HP to maximize Moltres's natural bulk. Moltres is best paired with a strong, physical attacker that threatens its most common checks such as Toxapex, Garchomp, and Flash Fire Corviknight; Tapu Koko and Choice Band Zygarde-10% heavily pressure all of these checks. In return, Moltres can beat faster breakers that both invite in, such as Primordial Sea Barraskewda and Inteleon. Moltres appreciates consistent entry hazard support to wear down troublesome checks such as Garchomp. Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Dauntless Shield Mew, and Stealth Rock Garchomp are good partners, as they can easily set up their own entry hazards. Ferrothorn can also check Primordial Sea Water-types and Tapu Koko, while Skarmory and Mew check Terrakion and Stone Edge Landorus-T. Swords Dance Stealth Rock Garchomp is a notable partner, as it can easily pressure Magic Guard Blissey and Chansey, which would otherwise hard wall Moltres. Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Galarian Zapdos are able to pressure opposing Ferrothorn, which can prevent Moltres from switching in due to fear of Knock Off.

Magic Guard Moltres bypasses common special and physical walls such as Blissey, RegenVest Swampert, Dauntless Shield Mew, and Mandibuzz. Fire Blast is Moltres's primary STAB move, 2HKOing Dauntless Shield walls such as Mandibuzz and Mew. Brave Bird is a more consistent STAB move, 2HKOing RegenVest Swampert and Blissey after a layer of Spikes, and 2HKOing RegenVest Landorus-T after Stealth Rock damage. U-turn lets Moltres pivot out of walls such as Toxapex and Nihilego, while Roost gives Moltres a consistent form of recovery. The EV spread maximizes Moltres's damage with Fire Blast, and a Naive nature is preferred to outspeed Modest Tapu Lele, although a Rash nature better maximizes damage output. Magic Guard Moltres is best paired with Pokemon that can break bulky walls that it struggles with, such as Magic Guard Chansey and Flash Fire Corviknight. Tapu Lele, is a great partner as it threatens the aforementioned Chansey and Flash Fire Corviknight, as well as common defensive Pokemon like Nihilego and Toxapex. Physical attackers such as Zygarde-10% and Garchomp appreciate Moltres's ability to beat Dauntless Shield Mew and Mandibuzz, and in return they can pressure Regenerator Swampert and Tapu Fini for Moltres. As this set foregoes Weather Ball for Fire Blast, Pokemon that can beat Primordial Sea Water-types and Zapdos, such as Blissey, are necessary partners. Moltres should be paired with entry hazard setters that can secure the aforementioned 2HKOs for it, such as Ferrothorn and Blissey. As Moltres is still slow compared to other offensive Pokemon, revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Landorus-T pair well with it to check Pokemon such as Tapu Koko that threaten Moltres. Slow pivots like Rocky Helmet Swampert also pair well with it and shore up Moltres's lack of defensive utility.

Moves Defog is used to remove entry hazards, which Moltres has plenty of chances to do thanks to its good overall bulk and typing and its ability to directly switch into common setters such as Hippowdon, Klefki, and Mega Aggron with very little risk. Alternatively, Substitute can be used with Toxic on teams that already have hazard removal, as it can allow Moltres to gain free turns on threats like Tsareena and Scizor to begin Toxic stalling. Toxic is used to slowly wear down the opponent's team and to chip down Pokemon that tend to switch into Moltres; additionally, it has great synergy with Flamethrower's ability to threaten Steel-types, which are immune to Toxic. Will-O-Wisp can be used to cripple physical attackers and wear down non-Fire-type Pokemon, but this leaves Moltres completely open to Pokemon of that type. Roar forces out setup sweepers and racks up hazard damage. Set Details 224 EVs in Speed with a Timid nature are used to outspeed base 86 Speed Pokemon and lower, which includes important threats such as Rotom-C, Heracross, and Mamoswine. Pressure is one of the most important perks of this set, as it allows Moltres to PP stall, especially Stealth Rock and Spikes. This ability is one of the main reasons to use Moltres in stall, as it gives your team an edge over opposing defensive teams from turn 1. Usage Tips This set is specialized to be used in stall, paired with at least one other Defog user. It's not recommended to use this set outside of defensive teams. Moltres can and should switch in directly against certain entry hazard setters like Mega Aggron and Klefki, as they can't directly threaten it or keep hazards up, and they'll run out of PP long before Moltres does if it comes down to that. Use Pressure to burn PP from the foe's team, the earlier the better. In any match that has the potential to be relatively lengthy, Moltres should be switching into weak moves, status moves, and especially Stealth Rock and Defog as much as possible. Team Options Moltres should be run alongside another Defog user, such as Mega Altaria, Empoleon, or Togekiss. Mega Altaria and Togekiss easily Defog against Pokemon Moltres struggles against, such as Swampert, and Moltres reciprocates by shutting down Pokemon like Mega Aggron and Cobalion. As this set is meant to be used on stall teams, standard stall staples such as Blissey, Quagsire, and Alomomola will always be run alongside it. Blissey and Quagsire shut down all Electric-type Pokemon in the tier, while Moltres deals with most Fighting- and Grass-type moves aimed at them. Most combinations of Alomomola, Quagsire, Gligar, and Mega Altaria cover every Rock-type capable of KOing Moltres. Water-types are easily handled by Blissey and Alomomola.

Moves Hurricane isn't the most reliable STAB attack due to its 70% accuracy, but almost nothing switches into it for free, and it comes with a 30% confusion chance. Flyinium Z lessens the problems with Hurricane's unreliability and grants Moltres an extremely strong nuke. Fire Blast is a more reliable STAB attack in terms of accuracy and is just as strong. Only Rock-type Pokemon resist both STAB attacks. Roost is used for additional longevity, as Moltres can easily find opportunities to recover off damage thanks to its offensive presence, typing, and natural bulk. U-turn chips down checks and counters and allow Moltres's team to gain momentum. Moltres can run Defog and function as a secondary offensive Defogger for your team. as it heavily threatens most Stealth Rock users and Klefki. Agility can be used to turn Moltres into a late-game cleaner. Set Details 252 Special Attack EVs are used to maximize Moltres's power. 252 Speed EVs with a Timid nature are used to maximize its Speed. The 4 EVs can go into either defensive stat but should not be put into HP to avoid having an even HP number and taking additional damage from Stealth Rock. Flame Body allows Moltres to be one of the biggest deterrents to Scizor by just being healthy, as it cannot even go for U-turn for free without risking a burn and does minimal damage to Moltres with any of its common moves. Usage Tips This set is good against most playstyles, but it does struggle breaking through the sturdiest specially defensive walls, automatically making offensive Moltres weak against stall. Moltres should be using its typing to take advantage of common Pokemon such as Scizor and Cobalion to find opportunities to fire off its STAB attacks, gain momentum with U-turn, or use its support moves. Soften Moltres's checks with its high-powered STAB attacks or U-turn, and wait for the perfect moment to nuke them with Supersonic Skystrike. Note that most offensive checks to Moltres can only switch in once before being in Supersonic Skystrike's range. Alternatively, throw out Moltres's Z-Move early on to weaken potential switch-ins or to get a surprise KO against bulky Pokemon trying to tank its unboosted STAB attacks. If Agility is being used, you must wait until Moltres's offensive checks, such as Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Manectric, are low enough to be able to clean up. Team Options A dedicated Defog user or, at the very least, a secondary Defog user, such as Latias or Mega Altaria, is a must to let Moltres function properly. Spinners such as Mega Blastoise and Tentacruel can also provide entry hazard control for Moltres, but they aren't the most reliable way of making sure Stealth Rock isn't up. Moltres can form a strong, albeit unorthodox, VoltTurn or even multi-U-turn core with Pokemon such as Mega Manectric, Scizor, and Hydreigon. Wallbreakers, such as Terrakion and Primarina, can be used to punish the defensive teams that trouble Moltres, and they can get in for free thanks to U-turn. Just like every offensive Pokemon, Moltres appreciates having hazard support to become an even bigger threat, which makes Stealth Rock users in general good teammates. However, Moltres has awkward synergy with Spikes, as it's hard to set them up while preventing Stealth Rock from going up on your side of the field, and Moltres heavily relies on Defog support most of the time.

Moves Hurricane is an incredibly strong STAB move that hits most of the tier for neutral damage. In addition to this, Hurricane also threatens the tier's many Fighting- and Grass-types, allowing Moltres to be an offensive check to Pokemon such as Amoonguss, Infernape, and Heracross. Fire Blast is Moltres's secondary STAB move of choice, and it synergizes well offensively with Hurricane due to its ability to threaten Steel-types that would otherwise switch in safely to Hurricane. Flamethrower has perfect accuracy, meaning that Moltres can use it with few drawbacks and without relying on Fire Blast's shaky accuracy. However, this comes at the cost of not achieving key 2HKOs, such as Empoleon and Alolan Muk after Stealth Rock. Air Slash is used to give Moltres a Flying-type attack with next to no drawbacks, which can come in handy when it needs to go for a consistent, spammable attack. Like Flamethrower, however, this misses out on important 2HKOs achieved with Hurricane, such as against Sylveon, Tentacruel, and Mantine. U-turn allows Moltres to pivot out on its best switch-ins, such as Nihilego, Mega Aerodactyl, and Blissey, and keep up momentum for its team while its checks are still around. Sleep Talk makes Moltres a usable sleep absorber for its team, meaning that it can switch into Amoonguss's Spore without being entirely crippled. Hidden Power Grass is a coverage option that gives Moltres the ability to OHKO Swampert as well as severely dent Rhyperior, but it has low Base Power and is only useful for those Pokemon, making it easy to punish. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment allows Moltres to hit as fast and as hard as possible. Choice Specs multiplies Moltres's Special Attack by 1.5, making it extremely powerful, and it is a very effective user of the item due to its high Special Attack and the fantastic offensive coverage of its STAB attacks. A Timid nature is used because base 90 is a key Speed tier, putting Moltres above Togekiss, Chandelure, Mega Altaria, and Heracross. Flame Body is chosen as Moltres's ability over Pressure because Flame Body's 30% burn chance is a very powerful tool to punish physical attackers, such as Scizor and Cobalion. The lack of bulk investment or recovery also means Moltres cannot PP stall with Pressure very effectively. Usage Tips Make sure that Stealth Rock is off the field whenever possible, as Moltres's 4x weakness to Stealth Rock means it can only switch in twice while Stealth Rock is up before being KOed, while switching in even once means it will often fold to attacks it could otherwise take, such as +2 Close Combat from Cobalion and +2 Bullet Punch from Scizor. With Stealth Rock off the field, you can capitalize on Moltres's defensive utility by switching into attacks from foes such as Scizor and Cobalion and fishing for burns with Flame Body. Don't switch in too liberally, though, as even without Stealth Rock on the field, this set can get worn down quite quickly due to its lack of recovery. Choice Specs Moltres is best used as an early-game wallbreaker to set the stage for its teammates. It can frequently find opportunities to attack versus other wallbreakers, since it is faster than many of them, as well as against passive Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Amoonguss. This gives it a stellar matchup versus balance and bulky offense. Be selective with the use of Hurricane and Fire Blast, as their low accuracy can prove extremely punishing, and there are many scenarios in which going for Flamethrower or Air Slash will do sufficient damage without the risk of missing. If carrying U-turn, use it to pivot out on switch-ins such as Nihilego and Mega Aerodactyl to prevent giving them free turns, or being Pursuit trapped in the case of the latter. Team Options Reliable entry hazard removal is an absolute must when using Moltres. Empoleon is an effective Defogger whose stellar defensive typing also allows it to come in on many Pokemon that force Moltres out, such as Latias and Primarina. Silvally-Steel is an alternative Steel-type Defogger that has the ability to pivot out with Parting Shot and bring Moltres in for free. Other examples of Pokemon that can support Moltres with their pivoting ability include Scizor, Choice Scarf Hydreigon, and Mega Manectric, all of which are capable of baiting in Pokemon that are threatened by Moltres such as Cobalion, Hippowdon, and Amoonguss. Many of the tier's Stealth Rock setters have great synergy with Moltres, as they tend to struggle against Fighting-types and appreciate Moltres's ability to check Pokemon such as Cobalion. Such Pokemon include Nihilego, Empoleon, and Rhyperior. In return, the Stealth Rock support these Pokemon provide is crucial for putting foes in KO range of Moltres's attacks. These Pokemon also can form a very effective defensive backbone with Alomomola and Sylveon, which can very capably support Moltres with Wish and mitigate its susceptibility to chip damage. Mega Altaria, whether physical or special, greatly appreciates Moltres keeping Steel-types in check: bulky special variants can better support it with Defog, while Dragon Dance variants are able to set up much more freely with the likes of Scizor and Amoonguss eliminated. Mega Altaria's defensive typing also allows it to support Moltres by taking on dangerous Water- and Dragon-types that can check Moltres offensively. Sweepers such as Trick Room Stakataka and Mega Sharpedo do an excellent job capitalizing off of Moltres's wallbreaking ability, as they appreciate bulky Pokemon such as Cobalion and Hippowdon being weakened or eliminated. Revenge killers such as Scizor and Choice Scarf Krookodile are very useful for keeping faster offensive threats at bay that would otherwise harass Moltres, such as Mega Aerodactyl and Terrakion. Checks to Mega Manectric such as Hippowdon, Latias, and Choice Scarf Krookodile are necessary to prevent it from gaining momentum versus Moltres with impunity, and for this reason they are right at home on the bulky offense and balance teams that best utilize Moltres.

Moves Will-O-Wisp helps Moltres cripple foes and dissuade physically offensive Pokemon such as Tyranitar from switching in. Roost allows Moltres to recover off damage, while Defog removes entry hazards for its teammates. Flamethrower is a reliable STAB move to give Moltres some offensive presence, although Air Slash can be used to not be hard-walled by Flash Fire users such as Ferrothorn. Set Details Magic Guard allows Moltres to avoid taking damage from Stealth Rock, making it much more effective at removing it with Defog. The HP and Defense EVs allow Moltres to avoid the 2HKO from Adamant Life Orb Tough Claws Lucario's Close Combat, while the rest of the EVs are put into Special Defense to more reliably take on most special attackers in general. Leftovers provides extra passive recovery. Usage Tips Moltres can only take on certain strong attackers such as Lucario if it is at a sufficient amount of HP, so keep it healthy by using Roost frequently. Using Will-O-Wisp a lot is a good way to wear down opposing teams by spreading burns, and in particular it helps to wear down Primordial Sea switch-ins. Use free turns to remove entry hazards with Defog. Team Options Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock such as Dragonite and Multiscale users such as Altaria appreciate Moltres's entry hazard removal. Electric- and Water-type checks such as Motor Drive Manaphy and Volt Absorb Slowbro are appreciated, as these two types of Pokemon can easily switch into Moltres. Pokemon that can switch into Rock-type moves such as Hippowdon and Chesnaught are also appreciated, although most Pokemon carrying Rock-type coverage cannot safely switch into Moltres due to Will-O-Wisp. Moltres can be set up on by Dragon-types such as Latios and Mega Charizard X, so teammates such as Ferrothorn and Unaware Suicune are useful. Frail setup sweepers like Lucario appreciate Moltres's ability to spread burns to provide more setup opportunities.

Moves Hurricane is an incredibly strong priority STAB move backed by perfect accuracy under rain. Fire Blast hits Steel-types lacking Flash Fire or Primordial Sea that resist Hurricane, although it is weaker under rain. U-turn allows Moltres to pivot on predicted counters such as Diancie, and Hidden Power Water hits Rock-types that resist Moltres's STAB moves and has boosted power under rain. Sleep Talk can also be used to make Moltres a sleep absorber if its team lacks a decent check to sleep move users such as Breloom. Set Details Maximum Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature backed by Choice Specs allow Moltres to hit as hard as possible, while maximum Speed investment lets it outspeed as much as possible when not using Hurricane. Gale Wings gives Moltres priority on Hurricane so that it can KO faster foes such as Latios before they can attack. Usage Tips Moltres should ideally be brought in under rain so that Hurricane has perfect accuracy and Hidden Power Water is boosted. Moltres is still usable out of the rain as a strong attacker; it should just be wary of Hurricane misses. Moltres is best used as a late-game cleaner, as there are simply too many common threats that can prevent it from effectively wallbreaking. Use Hurricane unless specifically predicting a bulky Pokemon that resists it and that will be hit harder by a coverage move to switch in. U-turn in conjunction with entry hazards and Pursuit or Magnet Pull support can help to wear down Flash Fire Steel-types that wall Moltres, so use it when predicting a counter to switch in. Team Options This set fits best on rain teams, so Swift Swim sweepers such as Hoopa and Mega Swampert and rain setters such as Drizzle Zapdos and Rotom-W should be paired with Moltres. Lead rain-setting Deoxys-S is notable, as it provides both rain and entry hazard support to wear down foes, although other entry hazard setters are also appreciated. Entry hazard removal from Pokemon such as the aforementioned Zapdos and Latios is important to avoid having Moltres lose half of its health when switching in. Magic Bounce users such as Mew can also help with this. Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar and Magnet Pull users such as Suicune can be brought in after using U-turn to trap Moltres's counters.

Moves Fire Blast and Hurricane are Moltres's main STAB moves to hit Grass-, Fighting-, Steel-, and Bug-type foes, although Air Slash can be used to avoid missing Hurricane. Defog removes entry hazards to support Moltres's teammates, and Roost improves Moltres's longevity, allowing it to switch into weaker attackers multiple times. U-turn can be used to pivot out of predicted counters. Set Details Magic Guard prevents Moltres from taking damage from Stealth Rock as well as allowing it to use Life Orb without taking recoil. Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment helps to outspeed foes and hit them as hard as possible. A Timid nature increases Moltres's Speed further, and it is used despite lowering the power of U-turn, which is used primarily for pivoting purposes and is still weak without an Attack-decreasing nature. Life Orb increases Moltres's power without any drawback. Usage Tips Attempt to use free turns to remove entry hazards with Defog, but be careful of Defiant users predicting it and getting a free Attack boost from Moltres. Hurricane is Moltres's safest attack to use, as Fire Blast can provide a free switch in for Flash Fire foes. Use U-turn when predicting counters to come in to rack up damage more quickly. If relying on Moltres to check offensive threats such as Lucario, keep it at a high amount of health with Roost. Team Options Moltres should be used with teammates that require Stealth Rock removed to be effective, such as Charizard and Staraptor. Electric- and Water-type checks such as Ferrothorn and Breloom are useful to cover Moltres's main weaknesses. Moltres also appreciates bulky teammates such as Diancie and Skarmory to fall back on when forced out by faster Pokemon or users of priority attacks such as Latios and Braviary. Gale Wings sweepers such as Honchkrow and Staraptor appreciate the entry hazard support as well as Moltres's wallbreaking support; however, they do stack weaknesses to Electric and Rock. Pursuit trappers and Magnet Pull users such as Honchkrow and Manectric help to weaken or eliminate Moltres's checks and counters.

You'll find that by using Agility, Moltres has all the tools it needs to pull off an effective sweeping set. With enough power to 2HKO the entire tier, and ability to outspeed nearly the whole tier after a single boost, Moltres has the capability to double up as a simultaneous wallbreaker and sweeper. While Moltres is more often seen using traditional wallbreaking sets or acting as a wall itself, by making use of Agility, it can take it another step further by bringing its terrifying power to the face of both defensive and offensive teams alike. Exploiting this set's power is all about executing it at the best possible moment; in other words, save it for mid- to late-game. It is best to use Agility when Moltres forces out a bulky Grass-type or when facing an opponent that is Choice-locked into a resisted attack. When against a bulky target that takes neutral damage from all three of Moltres's attacks, such as Clefable, Bouffalant, and Uxie, it is better to use Hurricane as opposed to Flamethrower; this is especially true due to the fact that if either of the previously mentioned Pokemon have not attained enough residual damage, they will be able to take a Flamethrower and either cripple or outright OHKO Moltres. In stark contrast to Hurricane, Flamethrower doesn't have that shaky 70% accuracy. This is quite useful in situations where Moltres is up against fast, frail attackers such as Cinccino, Unburden Hitmonlee, and Accelgor. A miss against these types of Pokemon will likely make the difference between a continued sweep and a dead sweeper. The final two moves are dependent on how you plan to support Moltres. If you decide to make it a primary goal to keep Stealth Rock off the field, then making use of Hidden Power Grass is useful, as it allows Moltres to demolish both Rhydon and Omastar—two Pokemon that resist Moltres's STABs. Hidden Power Grass's perfect accuracy also makes it "safer" to use than Hurricane when it comes to dealing with bulky Water-types such as Alomomola. However, if you plan on supporting Moltres by pairing it with Grass-type attackers, you'll find that Roost can be useful in more ways than one. First off, Roost allows Moltres to regain its health from Stealth Rock should its Rapid Spinning partner fail to keep the entry hazard off the field. Second, you'll find that Moltres can take advantage of Pressure + Roost to play mindgames with the likes of Sucker Punch Absol. Thirdly, Roost will allow Moltres to offset the damage from Life Orb recoil and/or priority attacks against less threatening targets. In short, whichever of the two moves you decide to use in the last slot is dependent on how Moltres functions relative to the structure of your team. First and foremost, the given EVs allow Moltres to outspeed Choice Scarf Cinccino and Unburden Hitmonlee after an Agility boost; once boosted by Agility, the Speed EVs give Moltres an almost guaranteed win condition versus offensive teams. This win condition is supplemented by the fact that Moltres can easily one-shot most, if not all, standard hyper-offensive Pokemon and withstand the strongest priority moves in RU at least once. However, Moltres can make use of a bulkier spread. For example, a spread consisting of 96 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 156 Spe with Leftovers as the main item and a Modest nature is most certainly a viable alternative. After an Agility boost, the given spread allows Moltres to outspeed everything up to Choice Scarf Manectric. Moreover, the bulkier EV spread combined with Leftovers allows Moltres to withstand priority attacks with greater ease. For instance, Moltres now has the bulk to take not one, but two of Choice Band Entei's Extreme Speeds and avoid the 2HKO From Spiritomb's Black Glasses-boosted Sucker Punch. The only other viable move Moltres can make use of on this set is Fire Blast. Generally, it is better to use Flamethrower in place of Fire Blast, as having two inaccurate STABs can prove to be costly in situations where Moltres cannot afford to miss. However, Fire Blast's 85% accuracy isn't as shaky as Hurricane's 70%, so the risk factor is considerably lower. Although the main draw when it comes to utilizing Fire Blast is the increased damage output—in contrast to Flamethrower—along with the increased accuracy—in contrast to Hurricane—which allows Moltres to OHKO the likes of offensive Spiritomb and Mesprit without relying on Hurricane's coin flip-like consistency. As with any Moltres set, Pokemon that can utilize Rapid Spin aid it immensely, given that Stealth Rock damage will deteriorate its performance. When the pointed stones aren't jabbing away at its health, Moltres will have an easier time setting up and be better equipped to take on priority attackers. To get an idea of how vital it is to keep Stealth Rock off the field, Moltres is put into KO range for a slew of priority attacks it would have otherwise survived at full health. For example, Absol's Sucker Punch, Choice Band Entei's Extreme Speed, and Feraligatr's Aqua Jet get a clean OHKO after Stealth Rock damage. Moreover, Moltres now finds itself OHKOed by even resisted attacks such as Adamant Medicham's High Jump Kick. By providing Moltres with Rapid Spin support, it not only has an easier time setting up for a sweep, but it is able to maintain that sweep too. Kabutops and Cryogonal are the most reliable at providing Moltres with Rapid Spin support. Kabutops has the distinction of being able to defeat every spinblocker one-on-one, allowing it to pull off a Rapid Spin with a high success rate. Kabutops can even lure out Grass-types for Moltres to set up on. In terms of offensive synergy, both Kabutops and Moltres complement each other very well, as after a Swords Dance boost, Kabutops can take down Lanturn, Rhydon, and Omastar with ease, thus paving the way for Moltres's sweep. Unlike Kabutops, Cryogonal has a much easier time lasting throughout the match thanks to its access to reliable recovery. Cryogonal also checks Electric-types that harry Moltres, such as Manectric, Galvantula, Lanturn, and Rotom. Do note, however, that both Pokemon share some distinct flaws with Moltres; Kabutops and Moltres both share a weakness to Electric-type attacks, while Cryogonal and Moltres are both quickly dealt with by powerful Rock-types such as Aerodactyl. It is imperative to provide each of the following pairs with the right support. For example, Kabutops and Moltres will appreciate Druddigon's partnership so that it can provide the two with entry hazard support in the form of Stealth Rock and act as a bulwark for Electric- and Water-type attacks. On the other hand, Cryogonal and Moltres will appreciate support from the likes of Tangrowth, providing both with a solid switch-in to many physical attackers and a way to deal with Water-types in general. In order to optimize on Moltres's ability to dish out damage, entry hazard support is highly recommended. Entry hazard support allows Moltres to achieve a plethora of KOs it wouldn't have otherwise. For example, with the aid of Stealth Rock, Moltres can take out Bouffalant, Mesprit, offensive Spiritomb, and Entei in one shot with Hurricane. In addition, entry hazard support breaks Focus Sashes and Sturdy from the likes of Crustle and Accelgor, with the former item being common on hyper offensive teams. By removing their lease on life, Moltres will not have to fear an OHKO from either Accelgor's Hidden Power Rock or Crustle's Rock Blast. One of the best partners to set up Stealth Rock is Smeargle. On top of setting up Stealth Rock, Smeargle can also set up Spikes, give Moltres a chance to set up with the use of Spore, and help get it in safely with Explosion, Memento, or U-turn. Just like Smeargle, Rotom-C and Amoonguss can help get Moltres in safely or give it free setup opportunities with Volt Switch and Spore, respectively. Due to their Grass typing, offensive variants of Rotom-C and Amoonguss can take out many of Moltres's checks if it lacks Hidden Power Grass. Such Pokemon include Rhydon, Omastar, Lanturn, and Regirock. Similar offensive support involves Pokemon that can break down walls; the likes of Clefable, mixed Absol, and Emboar all work effectively at doing so. While none of those three Pokemon share particularly good synergy with Moltres, they all come with other added benefits. The entire premise of pairing Moltres and Emboar is to overload the opposition's Fire-type check(s), as they are more likely to stay in on Emboar as opposed to a Grass-type; by weakening these Pokemon, Moltres will have an easier time attempting to sweep. In contrast to Emboar, Clefable's respectable bulk allows it to easily switch into Moltres's defensive checks such as Lanturn and Slowking. From there, it can proceed to demolish the two with its STAB- and Life Orb-boosted Double-Edge. Absol can take it a step further by Pursuit trapping the likes of Uxie and Slowking, both of which can tank an attack at full health and cripple Moltres with Thunder Wave. In a similar vein to Absol, Escavalier can also Pursuit trap the above Pokemon and other dedicated special sponges such as Clefable and Lanturn (watch out for Scald burns), but its excellent bulk in comparison gives it a much easier time switching in.

Through metagame shifts and BW2, Moltres's standard set has remained mostly the same. Moltres is most commonly seen using a Life Orb to take advantage of its awesome power and coverage, making it very difficult to directly counter. Fire Blast is the primary STAB move of the set, and is preferred over Hurricane most of the time because Fire-type attacks have better coverage in RU, hitting special walls such as Roselia and Cryogonal super effectively. However, Hurricane is still very useful, as most notably it grants Moltres a way to 2HKO Slowking after Stealth Rock. This allows Moltres to singlehandedly beat the Tangrowth + Slowking Regenerator core with a single move, although this was more important in a past metagame. Hurricane is also useful for Dragon-types such as Druddigon and Fraxure, as well as Fire-types such as Entei, Magmortar, and opposing Moltres. Don't count on it too much though, as it has been known to let you down with its poor accuracy. While Moltres's two STAB moves are usually set in stone, its third move most certainly isn't. Hidden Power Grass and Substitute are both very good options, with the former being more threatening to stall, and the latter being more threatening to offense. Hidden Power Grass is useful for hitting the Pokemon that resist both Fire Blast and Hurricane, such as Lanturn, Kabutops, and Rhydon. Lanturn is typically a tough nut to crack, but can be beaten with multiple Hidden Power Grasses and the help of some entry hazards. On the other hand, Substitute allows Moltres to combat two of its biggest problems: status and revenge killers. While Moltres can set up a Substitute easily against most Fighting-types, Tangrowth, and Roselia as it forces them out, it is significantly worse against stall teams, since Lanturn becomes untouchable and Slowking has a lower chance to get 2HKOed by Hurricane due to the extra turn of Leftovers recovery. It is very rare to see a stall team without one of these two Pokemon. The reason that Moltres can feasibly run Substitute is the power of Hurricane; Kabutops and offensive Omastar are 2HKOed by it, and Rhydon that didn't invest heavily in Special Defense were already 2HKOed by Fire Blast. That being said, Hidden Power Grass will be sorely missed for its perfect accuracy. Roost is really the only option in the last slot, although Moltres hardly needs a fourth move to wreak havoc. Nevertheless, Roost is useful for healing damage taken from Stealth Rock, allowing you to brace for another switch-in if your spinner is dead, or if Moltres happens to be brought in via a phazing move. It also comes in handy against the likes of Absol and Spiritomb, as they must use Sucker Punch to KO Moltres or else they die to Fire Blast. If running Substitute, Roost is even more important, because while Hidden Power Grass variants tend to come in and smash things, Substitute variants use Substitute first and then smash things, and Roost is needed a lot earlier. Maximum Speed along with a Timid nature is absolutely necessary for Moltres because it needs to be able to outspeed Lilligant so it can avoid the Speed tie and KO it first. Note that while Lilligant shares the same base Speed as Moltres, it always uses a Hidden Power that lowers its Speed IV. While the 4 Defense EVs aren't especially helpful for surviving certain attacks, putting them here instead of in HP allows Moltres to switch into Stealth Rock twice without dying. Life Orb is the item of choice on this set, as Moltres absolutely needs its power to get several key KOs, such as the OHKO on Rhydon with Hidden Power Grass. However, Leftovers is a viable item choice when using Substitute. While Life Orb is still better most of the time, Leftovers works well since it doesn't force Moltres to use Roost as often. Despite this, note that the main reason that Moltres can afford to use only two attacking moves for coverage is that Hurricane can 2HKO most things that resist it; with Leftovers, that's no longer true. Flamethrower or Air Slash can be used for reliability, but only Flamethrower is worth the higher accuracy. Moltres should never be used without a spinner, and this set is no exception. Cryogonal and Kabutops are the two best choices, with Cryogonal taking on Electric-type revenge killers to Moltres, and Kabutops beating most of Moltres's checks with a Swords Dance set. Moltres also appreciates entry hazards so it can ensure a sweep. With Stealth Rock alone, Hurricane is a guaranteed 2HKO on Slowking, and OHKOes Magmortar and Entei. Ferroseed is a good teammate that can set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes, and also provides paralysis support for Moltres, which is useful against offensive teams. Smeargle is another effective hazard-setter that works well on offensive teams, and is certain to give your opponent a headache. Manectric is a good offensive partner that can use Switcheroo to cripple walls, and hits Slowking and Mandibuzz super effectively with its STAB moves. Tangrowth is another good partner that switches into Lanturn and Slowking that lack Fire Blast fairly easily before annihilating them with Leaf Storm. Moltres can also switch into and beat some of Tangrowth's best checks, such as Roselia and Cryogonal.

While the inaccuracy of Moltres's STAB moves and its massive 4x weakness to Stealth Rock may make it seem as if Moltres would be a poor candidate to attach a Choice Scarf to, the sheer power and neutral coverage of Hurricane makes it a very potent wielder of the item. So long as it is able to hit its moves, Choice Scarf Moltres can act as a potent revenge killer and check to some of the most dangerous threats in the tier, including Pokemon such as Durant and Sceptile, which are otherwise extremely difficult to answer on more offensive teams. Additionally, due to the lack of any common specially bulky Pokemon that are resistant to Flying-type moves, if Moltres can hit multiple Hurricanes in a row, this set is very capable of cleanly shredding though teams if it is allowed to simply spam the move, as Hurricane alone can cleanly 2HKO offensive checks such as Manectric. This set is also notable for being one of the best ways for Moltres to muscle past what is arguably its most common counter, Aerodactyl, due to its ability to outspeed and 2HKO most sets as long as Stealth Rock is up, barring significant HP or Special Defense investment. Hurricane is largely what allows this set to function, despite an awful 70% accuracy. Hurricane's 120 Base Power allows it to tear huge chunks of HP out of most switch-ins and is generally just extremely difficult to switch into due to its insanely good neutral coverage. Fire Blast acts as a powerful secondary STAB move that hits some of the threats that are resistant to Hurricane, notably Steel-types such as Steelix and Aggron, and its greater accuracy allows it to be used in situations where you need the reliability to secure a KO. Aside from these two moves, the remaining slots are essentially filler due to the fact that Moltres lacks strong additional coverage moves and generally doesn't want to be locked into anything other than the first two moves, but there are some neat utility moves that are usable in the last two slots. U-turn is a neat scouting move that is useful against teams where Moltres cannot freely spam Hurricane and Fire Blast, as it allows Moltres to force out a threat while gaining momentum for its team. However, due to Moltres's 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, it is a move that should be used conservatively unless you have effective entry hazard removal on your team. Finally, Sleep Talk is a nice niche option to have against teams with sleep inducers such as Lilligant and Tangrowth, but Flamethrower and Air Slash are acceptable options as well if you already have a sleep absorber and want the extra reliability those moves provide. The EV spread here is fairly straightforward. Maximum Speed EVs and a Timid nature are important, as they allow Moltres to outspeed Pokemon that sit below base 90 Speed and hold a Choice Scarf, including the prominent Rotom-C. Notably, these EVs will also allow Moltres to just barely outspeed Choice Scarf Lilligant the majority of the time, as Moltres's lack of a Speed-lowering Hidden Power will put it one Speed point ahead. Maximum Special Attack is needed given that Moltres's STAB moves are both special attacks, and the remaining 4 EVs can be placed in either Defense or Special Defense; either is effective, as the key thing is not putting them into HP, as doing so will give Moltres an even HP and only allow Moltres to switch into Stealth Rock once. The worst enemies of this set are specially defensive Pokemon that resist Hurricane and Fire Blast, as they can continuously switch into Moltres's most damaging moves and force it out, causing it to potentially lose 50% of its HP on its next switch into Stealth Rock and lose a ton of momentum for its team unless it predicts the switch effectively and is able to use U-turn. Pokemon such as Slowking, Lanturn, Regirock, and Rhydon are this set's worst nightmare, as they're bulky enough to shrug off multiple attacks and either pivot for momentum in the case of Slowking and Lanturn or set up Stealth Rock to dissuade Moltres from switching in. Rotom-C and Sceptile are excellent choices to deal with these threats, as they resist Water- and Electric-type attacks and are incredibly punishing to switch into due to the threat of Volt Switch from Rotom-C and Choice Specs-boosted Leaf Storm from Sceptile. Furthermore, although this set is less dependent on it than other Moltres sets, Rapid Spin support is appreciated due to Moltres's 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. Of the spinners available in RU, the only real options are Cryogonal and Kabutops, as the other spinners are too unreliable to be worth pairing with Moltres. Of the two, Cryogonal is the more reliable spinner, although its shared weakness with Moltres can prove to be problematic, while Kabutops has more synergy with Moltres in terms of typing.

While Moltres already carries immense power, it can obliterate everything in sight when equipped with Choice Specs. Choice Specs Moltres is one of the best wallbreakers in the tier, and is even better than it was before because of Hurricane. Defensive threats that used to be able to check Moltres, such as Lanturn and Clefable, don't stand a chance against this set. It's an effective lure as well, luring in the aforementioned special walls as well as Slowking, and 2HKOing all of them with the appropriate move. This set has very few safe switch-ins, but it is significantly easier to play around because of its lack of Roost. To demonstrate the destruction that Moltres is capable of causing, here are some damage calculations: Fire Blast vs. 252/252+ Clefable 56.29%-66.23% Fire Blast vs. 248/244+ Mandibuzz 50.95%-59.94% Fire Blast vs. 252/0 Dusknoir 75.44%-88.75% Hurricane vs. 248/116+ Slowking 55.18%-64.93% Hurricane vs. 104/0 Feraligatr 99.31%-116.38% Hurricane vs. 252/0 Druddigon 87.47%-102.91% Hidden Power Grass vs. 40/252+ Lanturn 47.99%-56.46% Hidden Power Grass vs. 252/240 Rhydon 91.99%-108.23% Fire Blast is the move that will see the most use, if only for its superior accuracy compared to Hurricane. It gets better neutral coverage overall as well, hitting the many Grass-types in RU as well as Cryogonal especially hard. Hurricane is another wildly powerful STAB move that hits a lot of the Pokemon that resist Fire Blast, with the most notable examples being Slowking, Entei, and Feraligatr. It is also useful to eliminate the need for prediction in certain instances such as when facing a Tangrowth + Slowking Regenerator core. While your opponent will most likely switch out of Tangrowth into Slowking, you don't have to make a choice of which move to use since Hurricane does as much damage to Tangrowth as Fire Blast does, but Slowking is hit much harder by Hurricane. Hidden Power Grass rounds out Moltres's coverage, hitting the Rock-types and Lanturn that resist both of its STABs. Hidden Power Grass can 2HKO Lanturn with Stealth Rock support, and is a guaranteed OHKO on most variants of Rhydon, as well as Kabutops. While the last slot is mostly filler as Moltres can accomplish its goal with three moves, U-turn is the best option, since it can keep momentum against stall or balanced teams and can take advantage of hazards. The 4 Defense EVs are of little importance, but if put into HP then Moltres wouldn't be able to switch into Stealth Rock twice without dying. A Modest nature might seem like it would be a good fit on the set to hit as hard as physically possible, but a Timid nature is strongly recommended as otherwise Moltres won't even be able to outspeed Pokemon with base 80 Speed such as Gallade, Mesprit, and Medicham. A Timid nature also allows Moltres to outspeed Rotom-C and Lilligant, two Pokemon that would be troublesome if Moltres couldn't outspeed them. Air Slash can be used for its higher accuracy and flinch chance, but Hurricane grants Moltres too many KOs for it to be easily given up. Roost can be used over U-turn if you feel that Moltres needs it, and it will probably be more useful than U-turn in some matches, but it's a question of sacrificing Moltres for momentum, or allowing Moltres to live while giving up momentum. Rapid Spin support is more crucial to this set's success more than any other set, mainly because Moltres doesn't even have Roost to offset Stealth Rock damage. Cryogonal and Kabutops are both trusty spinners that can beat the majority of spinblockers in the tier. Hitmonchan is a pretty good partner that appreciates the wallbreaking that Moltres does and appreciates both Tangrowth and Slowking out of the way. It can take on Lanturn decently well, and can even stick Rapid Spin on its set to aid Moltres; don't expect it to beat spinblockers though. Smeargle is a good hazard setter for offensive teams that Moltres works well in, and with entry hazards on the field Moltres will have no safe switch-ins. Lanturn is another good partner that offers paralysis support, and can switch into Slowking and opposing Fire-types that can take advantage of Moltres locked into Fire Blast, which is the move that it will be using most of the time.

Moltres can also use a more defensive set effectively. This set takes advantage of Moltres's handy resistances as well as Pressure to be an effective Toxic staller. With Pressure, Moltres can stall out low-PP moves such as Stone Edge, as well as Electric-type moves such as Thunderbolt. Moltres is fast for a defensive Pokemon, so it is easily able to stall out the likes of Entei and Magmortar, even though they carry threatening moves. Only Poison-types, such as Qwilfish and Drapion, can switch in freely without fear of Toxic, since bulky Water-types that would switch in to resist Moltres's Fire-type attack would be crippled by Toxic, while Steel-types that hope to avoid Toxic are wrecked by Flamethrower. Not only can Moltres spread Toxic around your opponent's team, it is also very capable of stalling out the damage using the combination of Substitute and Roost. What makes Moltres so effective as a Toxic staller is its Fire typing that can be used to obliterate Steel-types such as Escavalier and Steelix. This set is especially effective against balanced teams, since walls are stalled out, and offensive Pokemon don't want to switch in for fear of Toxic. 248 HP EVs are used to increase Moltres's overall bulk as much as possible while still allowing it to switch into Stealth Rock twice without dying. 228 Speed EVs are used to outspeed Adamant Entei, Magmortar, and Rotom-C, allowing you to stall out Stone Edge or Thunderbolt before they can KO Moltres, and the remaining EVs are thrown into Defense to take physical hits better. Leftovers is the only viable item choice, as the constant recovery allows Moltres to keep making Substitutes. For a slightly different variation of this set, you can use Will-O-Wisp and invest in Special Defense instead. This allows Moltres to take on physical attackers better, but it's generally much less effective because a draw of this set is that Moltres can either Toxic stall an opponent to death or KO Steel-types with Flamethrower. Moltres is completely helpless against Fire-types when using Will-O-Wisp, since they are immune to the move and don't take much damage from Flamethrower either. Cryogonal and Kabutops are the spinners that should be used along with Moltres; it's a necessity to carry a Rapid Spin user when using Moltres. While this set appreciates hazards, it appreciates a different kind of hazards than Moltres's other sets; Toxic Spikes allow Moltres to begin the cycle of Substitute and Roost without wasting a turn on Toxic, although they aren't that effective in the current metagame due to the number of grounded Poison-types. Nevertheless, Drapion, Qwilfish, and Omastar can all set them up with ease. To deal with Poison-types, a Ground-type like Rhydon or Golurk might be of use to your team, taking care of Drapion and Qwilfish somewhat easily. All of them can support Moltres with Stealth Rock should it come in handy, but Sandslash can also aid Moltres with Rapid Spin. This set is threatened by Rock Blast users, such as Rhydon, so something to absorb the hit, such as Ferroseed, is a good partner. Steelix and Mandibuzz are also fine partners because of their phazing abilities, allowing them to defeat Substitute users that can beat the set such as Gallade.

The first thing that jumps out as you gaze upon Moltres's Pokedex entry is its base 125 Special Attack. Augmented by excellent STAB moves, such as Fire Blast and Air Slash, you have yourself one deadly bird. In fact, Moltres is so offensively potent, that with Stealth Rock and Spikes support, it could even 2HKO Milotic, who is actually considered one of the best Moltres checks in the tier, with Fire Blast! Moltres is certainly no glass cannon, sporting a defensive stat distribution of 90 HP / 90 Def / 85 SpD, and with decent Speed, Moltres is far more durable than its 4x Stealth Rock weakness would indicate. Fire Blast and Air Slash provide it with two formidable STABs that hit much of the metagame for at least neutral damage. Hidden Power Grass disposes of those that resist this combination, such as Rhyperior, while simultaneously disposing of troublesome bulky Waters, such as Swampert. Roost is the preferred move in the final slot, as it temporarily removes its weakness to moves such as Thunderbolt, and also cancels out recoil damage from Life Orb or Stealth Rock. However, Flame Charge can be used instead to give Moltres the jump over potential revenge killers. Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment capitalizes on Moltres's offensive capabilities, and 0 HP EVs enable it two switches into Stealth Rock. While a Timid nature is preferred to Speed tie opposing base 90s, a Modest nature can be used to increase Moltres's damage output. For the same reason, Life Orb is the item of choice, although if using Flame Charge instead of Roost, Leftovers can be used to provide Moltres with a form of recovery, although this greatly neuters this set's destructive power. Status, especially Thunder Wave, puts a wrench into Moltres's plans, so Substitute can be used to block status, although the recoil damage will build up. Flamethrower can be used in place of Fire Blast if one prefers accuracy over power, although Moltres loses the ability to raze entire teams with just one move. Stealth Rock is the bane of Moltres's existence, and as such, Rapid Spin support is mandatory. Blastoise is an excellent choice, as it resists Water-type moves directed at Moltres, and disposes of troublesome Flash Fire Pokemon, such as Arcanine and Houndoom. The duo forms two-thirds of a Fire, Water, Grass core. Hitmontop is another great teammate, as it not only provides Rapid Spin support, it also disposes of Snorlax, which walls Moltres all day long, courtesy of Thick Fat. Although Stealth Rock sends Moltres screaming like a little girl, the phoenix appreciates entry hazards support of its own; Spikes are especially helpful, as they have the potential to turn numerous 3HKOs into 2HKOs and 2HKOs into OHKOs. Roserade is one of the premier Spikes users in the tier, who also happens to take out those pesky bulky Waters that swarm around Moltres like flies. Grass- and Electric-types, such as Shaymin and Raikou, ensure that Suicune wont ruin our little pyromaniac's fun.

Much like the Life Orb variant, Choice Specs Moltres can make any Pokemon (except Snorlax I guess) think twice about switching in. Especially in the Spikes infested UU tier, Moltres can blast through even the sturdiest walls by virtue of its sky high Special Attack, potentially opening up a sweep for a teammate. Backed by decent Speed and bulk, Moltres is a force to be reckoned with. This Pokemon is certainly not welcomed by those friendly forest animals we all know and love. Although Choice Specs Moltres can send most Pokemon running for the hills upon entrance, it is not without its flaws. First of all, as with any Choice item user, Moltres is expected to switch in and out multiple times throughout the game for fear of becoming setup fodder. While this isn't much of a problem for most Pokemon, Moltres has to contend with Stealth Rock, which effectively limits the volcanic bird to two switch-ins when active. Still, with proper Rapid Spin support, Moltres can find its way around this problem and proceed to execute any walls unfortunate enough to encounter this inferno assassin. Fire Blast can eradicate just about any Pokemon that does not resist it. Those that do resist Fire Blast must answer to Air Slash, which is doubly annoying thanks to the 30% flinch rate. Pokemon that resist this STAB combination, such as Rhyperior, get demolished by Hidden Power Grass. Even bulky Waters, such as Suicune and Milotic, that normally come in with ease, must watch out for Choice Specs Hidden Power Grass. U-turn is a useful move for scouting switch-ins, but be aware that if Stealth Rock is up, U-turn will do more harm than good. Since Moltres is bound to force many switches, U-turn helps the entry hazard damage pile up on the opposing side. Just remember, Moltres is usually much better off using one of its vicious attacks. Just set up entry hazards, sit back, and watch the KOs pile up. A Choice Scarf set is viable to get the jump on faster Pokemon, and would certainly be useful for revenge killing troublesome Pokemon, such as Weavile. Keep in mind, though, that Moltres's greatest asset is its ability to make opposing walls shudder in fear, and it is much more effective firing off a barrage of powerful Specs-boosted attacks. The duty of revenge killer can be left to a less, lets just say, Rock fearing pocket monster. Of course, Flamethrower can be used instead of Fire Blast for accuracy reasons; however, you will miss out on important KOs, including a 2HKO on Milotic after Stealth Rock and Spikes damage. If you opt for a Choice Scarf, though, Flamethrower is certainly an excellent option. Overheat can be used as a one-turn howitzer, but Fire Blast is much more useful in the long run, especially since Overheat forces Moltres to switch, which it should be doing as little as possible. Even more so than the Life Orb set, Stealth Rock prevention is crucial to this set's survival. Hitmontop is an excellent option, as it can take out Snorlax, who would otherwise induce Moltres into fits of rage. It also has access to Foresight to ensure a successful spin, because every turn Stealth Rock remains on the field is a turn Moltres can't even poke its head out of its nest. Blastoise is another Pokemon with access to Foresight, and has great defensive synergy alongside the blazing phoenix. Moltres would also love to just spam Choice Specs Fire Blasts, so carrying a Water-type, such as Suicune, Milotic, and the aforementioned Blastoise would certainly help. They, along with Roserade, form a solid Fire, Water, Grass core, where Roserade provides the Spikes support, Blastoise provides the spin support, and Moltres provides the firepower (pun not intended). Pokemon that can dispatch bulky Waters, such as Shaymin and Zapdos, are always welcome teammates. Pokemon that provide Spikes, such as Qwilfish, are welcomed guests as well.

The phoenix is a mythical bird that never dies; legend has it that each time tragedy befalls it, it revives itself to grace the Earth once more. This set may have had some influence on that legend, for SubRoost Moltres is incredibly difficult to bring down. Moltres is generally thought of as a ferocious attacker who scorches the Earth with its mighty flames, but it also has underrated bulk. This, on top of a solid defensive typing (pretend Stealth Rock doesn't exist), as well as a solid stalling ability in Pressure, means Moltres is quite an impressive wall as well. Even with Stealth Rock in play, Moltres can often stop a number of powerful attackers in their tracks, such as Machamp, Heracross, Escavalier, and Cobalion. Substitute and Roost keep Moltres healthy, status free, and happy to serve you game after game. Substitute, of course, blocks Toxic, Thunder Wave, and other troublesome moves targeted at Moltres, while simultaneously acting as a buffer against potential revenge killers and easing prediction. Roost, on the other hand, provides Moltres with valuable healing, and can cancel out Stealth Rock damage should Moltres be dragged out by a rogue Roar before you have a chance to spin. In tandem with Pressure, Moltres can also attempt to Roost stall moves, such as Thunderbolt. Toxic is Moltres's status move of choice, as Moltres could easily stall out a myriad of threats between Substitute and Roost. It has excellent coverage alongside Flamethrower, Moltres's most reliable STAB move. 224 Speed EVs allow Moltres to outpace max Speed Rotom-H and neuter it with Toxic, behind a Substitute of course. 248 HP EVs ensure maximum overall bulk, and enable 2 switches into Stealth Rock. The remaining EVs are dumped into Defense, as the majority of Moltres's targets are physically oriented. Will-O-Wisp can be used in place of Toxic, but mono Fire-coverage leaves Moltres helpless against Flash Fire versions of Houndoom and Arcanine. Air Slash can be used in place of Flamethrower, but Flamethrower is necessary to dispose of Escavalier and crew. Protect can be used to rack up status damage, but Substitute is generally a superior option, as it blocks status. As with any good team that employs Moltres, Rapid Spin support is a necessity. While this set is more self sufficient, and doesn't despise Stealth Rock as much as the previous two sets, you would be much better off using that turn to use Substitute or Toxic instead of Roost. As previously mentioned, Hitmontop and Blastoise are your two best choices. Both have access to Foresight; the former can take out the ever so annoying Snorlax, while the latter can take Water-type moves directed at Moltres. This set definitely needs a teammate to get rid of bulky Waters, as it does not have the offensive potential to bring them down, nor can it stall them out between Substitute and Roost. Pokemon such as Shaymin, Raikou, and Zapdos are great as always, but Roserade is still probably the best choice. This time, rather than carrying Spikes, Roserade can provide Toxic Spikes to make Moltres's life that much easier.

Moltres is able to utilize Choice items effectively due to its type coverage, excellent Special Attack, and decent Speed. Fire Blast is always a great move on Moltres, but Flamethrower is a reliable and acceptable move on Choiced Moltres due to the power of Choice Specs or the sweeping ability of the Choice Scarf set. Air Slash is another great STAB move. The choice of Hidden Power is much different on a Choice set because of the lack of versatility and/or power. Hidden Power Grass is probably the best option with its ability to hit Water-, Ground-, and Rock-types very hard, making it a very good general attack for hitting Moltres's counters. Hidden Power Ice is useful on the Choice Scarf set for revenge killing Dragon Dance Altaria, but other than that it does not have much use. U-turn is a fun move to have, wearing down counters and scouting the opposing team by forcing switches. Overheat is available to deliver a fierce blow stronger than a SpecsMence Draco Meteor on anything without the Flash Fire ability. Choice sets are usually used in a hit-and-run manner, and the significant power drop from Overheat reflects that. A Choice Scarf set with U-turn always makes an effective lead due to its scouting ability and a bit of a surprise factor. Stealth Rock also gets up rather early in the game, so Moltres is free from it on the first turn. Moltres can also scare off Registeel and Steelix leads with its Fire STAB, and prevent Stealth Rock from getting down early. Moltres does not care about opposing Trick Scarf leads like Uxie and Mesprit, and can proceed to wear down the bulky Psychics, either by U-turning or attacking right away. The Choice Specs set does not make Moltres as effective as a lead, but the boost makes Moltres a monstrous attacker capable of taking out many of its counters, provided you use the correct attack. As with any Choice user, keen prediction is needed in order to both blast holes in the opposing team, and conserve Moltres's HP from unnecessary Stealth Rock damage. Be careful about abusing U-turn when Stealth Rock is set up, though, as each switch in will rob it of 50% of its health. A Rapid Spinner is absolutely necessary for a Choice item wielding Moltres, because it loses the ability to Roost and possible Leftovers recovery. Other noteworthy Spinners besides Hitmontop are Claydol, Donphan, and Blastoise. Claydol and Donphan can take Electric and Rock attacks nicely and also can set up Stealth Rock. Blastoise can take Stone Edges from Ground-types, but other than that it doesn't help Moltres much as far as type coverage goes. These Spinners mentioned are not as useful as Hitmontop as a partner, but Spinners are difficult to come by and Choice Scarf or Choice Specs Moltres definitely needs it. With a Modest nature, 26 IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Special Attack is necessary for a maximum Base Power Hidden Power Grass. For a Timid nature, 2 IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Special Attack is necessary. If you opt for Hidden Power Ice, 22 IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Defense is necessary for maximum Base Power. If you're using a Modest nature, 10 IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Defense is necessary.

This set aims to fuse Moltres's ability to sweep with its ability to stall. Common problems Moltres encounters when sweeping in the UU tier are Chansey and bulky Waters. With Toxic Spikes support, Moltres can use Substitute to stall these Pokemon to their deaths while avoiding status ailments. On the offensive side, Moltres has great coverage with its dual STAB, which is resisted only by Lanturn and Rock-types like Rhyperior and Regirock. However, most Rock-types in UU use Stone Edge as their STAB attack, which leaves them vulnerable to SubRoost Pressure stalling. Fire Blast and Air Slash are obviously Moltres's dual STABs and hit very hard if unresisted. Flamethrower can be used instead of Fire Blast if you're concerned about accuracy. Substitute and Roost allow Moltres to stall out potential counters like Milotic and Chansey. Timid is the preferred nature to ensure Moltres outspeeds the common base 80 Speed Pokemon, including Venusaur and Blaziken, as well as other Pokemon like Hitmonlee and Toxicroak. However, Modest is still a decent option since it lets Moltres take full advantage of its massive Special Attack stat. Life Orb is the preferred item on this set, as it elevates Moltres's power to massive heights and allows it to 2HKO enemies like Slowbro. Leftovers can also be used to provide more survivability, especially when creating Substitutes; however, the loss of power against neutral targets will be noticeable. Just like against offensive Moltres, Milotic and Chansey can cause this Moltres problems if you use Substitute and Roost at the wrong times. Toxic Spikes are crucial to let Moltres stall them out. Cloyster is a good Toxic Spikes user to use alongside Moltres, as it can easily take Aqua Jet and Waterfall aimed at Moltres while spinning away Stealth Rock. Nidoqueen can switch into Rock attacks aimed at Moltres and proceed to set up Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock. Venomoth is a good Toxic Spiking lead, as it can incapacitate the opposing lead with Sleep Powder to prevent Stealth Rock from being set up while setting up Toxic Spikes of its own. However, keeping Toxic Spikes up in UU is easier said than done due to the large number of viable grounded Poison-types and proficient Rapid Spinners. Fortunately, most grounded Poison types can be trapped and killed by Dugtrio, while Venusaur (the only one who isn't weak to Ground) hates to switch into Moltres's powerful attacks. Dugtrio can also trap and remove Chansey. To block Rapid Spin, Spiritomb, bulky Mismagius, and bulky Rotom can be used. Offensive partners who pair well with Moltres include Venusaur, who can switch into RestTalk Milotic (possibly the best counter for this Moltres) and set up Swords Dance for a sweep. Swords Dance Leafeon works in a similar manner. Notable Spinners who can be partnered with Moltres (other than Cloyster) include Hitmontop, who can take Rock attacks with ease while utilizing the reliable Foresight + Rapid Spin combination that only a double-Ghost strategy can stop. Donphan is also a reliable Rapid Spinner, capable of taking Rock attacks with impunity while dealing with Levitating Ghost-type switch-ins with Assurance and Spiritomb with Earthquake.

Sunny Day was one of Moltres's best options in Gen 3. Thanks to the improvements in Moltres's movepool and item choices, it is more commonly seen using a Life Orb, using Choice items, and even stalling. Therefore, many doubt the old Sunny Day set's potential. Sunny Day is still an effective option in the UU metagame and if the conditions are right, Moltres will crush the opposition. Sunny Day benefits Moltres in various ways. Firstly, the shining sun will boost the power of Moltres's STAB moves to the power Choice Specs provides. With a Life Orb, Moltres can actually do more damage with Fire-type moves than if it was using Choice Specs. Secondly, it allows Moltres to use a stronger Grass-type attack in the form of Solar Beam. While some Water Pokemon can switch in on Hidden Power Grass and recover off the damage, Solar Beam will deal a lot more damage and can take down Pokemon other sets struggle with. For example, a defensive Milotic will only take around 35% damage from a Life Orb Hidden Power Grass on average; Solar Beam will 2HKO the same Milotic. And thirdly, the sun will make Moltres neutral to Water. Water is a common type in UU, and most Moltres will be under threat by Pokemon such as Azumarill. By removing this weakness, in conjunction with Solar Beam, Moltres is much more adept in taking out Water Pokemon than other sets. Fire Blast is the primary option for a STAB move, but Flamethrower can be used if the accuracy worries you. Roost is useful for the ability to remove its Electric weakness and soften Rock attacks, but Morning Sun can prove efficient as it recovers 66% health in the sun. Air Slash is mainly put in because Moltres's movepool is fairly limited. It can allow Moltres to use the flinch rate to fight its way past slower opponents. Air Slash isn't necessarily needed, as Fire Blast will do a ton of damage on most Fighting-types. If the sun is shining, a Modest Life Orb Fire Blast will OHKO Adamant Hitmontop and Rash Blaziken, and has a chance of OHKOing Mild Blaziken. It is still a nice move to hit Hariyama super effectively and Fire-types for neutral damage. The item choice is rather tricky. With a Life Orb, Moltres can pack an extremely powerful punch with all its attacks. However, Heat Rock allows Moltres and its teammates to utilize the benefits of the sun for a few more turns. If you have another Pokemon around to set up sun, Life Orb is the superior option. Moltres is a great asset to Sunny Day teams, thanks to a high base Speed and powerful STAB Fire attacks coming off of 125 base Special Attack. If you are using Moltres in a Sunny Day team, it is ideal to have a Pokemon who can quickly set it up. Ambipom can run Sunny Day, as most people expect a standard lead and Sunny Day can be summoned easily, thanks to the element of surprise. If Moltres is using Sunny Day, having some team members that can take advantage of it will be helpful. Tangrowth can use the sun to activate Chlorophyll, doubling its Speed, very helpful when attempting a sweep. Tangrowth also has good defensive synergy with Moltres, easily taking Electric-type attacks aimed at Moltres.

Moltres can also play the role of an extremely annoying staller, aided significantly in this role by its Pressure ability. It can switch in easily on pretty much any purely physical attacker with a base Speed of 80 or below (most notably Absol), and is one of the most reliable counters to Blaziken available. Once it's in, it can proceed to stall out much of an opponent's team, as many of the most intuitive "counters" won't actually help much at all. For example, Regirock can be easily stalled out of Stone Edge PP all too quickly thanks to Roost and Pressure. Chansey can Seismic Toss its Substitutes away, but needs good prediction to hit Moltres with status. Otherwise, it will gladly sit there eating away Seismic Toss' PP with Pressure, as it will have inevitably hit Chansey with a status move that will eat away its HP as well. Flamethrower and Toxic are Moltres's best options for stalling, although it does have a few other options at its disposal. Air Slash can be paired with Will-O-Wisp for a set designed to counter physical threats. However, Arcanine outclasses Moltres in this role, especially with Intimidate and a lesser Stealth Rock weakness. Since Stealth Rock is extremely detrimental to this Moltres's ability to switch in on physical attacks, it is absolutely vital to have Rapid Spin support. Hitmontop is probably the best means of this, as using Claydol or Donphan would mean having two defensive team members with a Water weakness. Dugtrio is another excellent means of team support, as it can trap and kill many Pokemon whom this Moltres tends to fear. Getting entry hazards on the field makes Moltres's job that much easier, the greatest for this set being Toxic Spikes. You can go one step further in preventing Stealth Rock by adding a Taunter in your lead spot. Ambipom, Sharpedo, and Houndoom are all capable of helping Moltres, although the latter two share more strategy with Moltres than Ambipom. Houndoom can lure out many of Moltres's common counters, like Milotic, thanks to their common type, Fire. Once these threats are gone, Moltres is free to set up and start stalling. You'll need another Pokemon besides Houndoom to dispose of these threats, however, making Toxicroak another great teammate. Sharpedo tends to lure out Grass-types, like Venusaur, giving Moltres the chance to switch in on a resisted attack and set up a Substitute as they switch out. It should also be noted that the given EV spread allows Moltres to outpace many common variants of Venusaur.

Moltres is one of the most fearsome special attackers in the Underused metagame, capable of OHKOing and 2HKOing the vast majority of the tier with its powerful STAB moves and excellent type coverage. Fire Blast is one of Moltres's strongest moves. To show the power of Moltres's STAB Life Orb Fire Blast, a standard Chansey takes an average of 70% from two Fire Blasts, meaning with support from entry hazards and previous attacks, Moltres taking out the pink blob is a very probable scenario. Air Slash is a great STAB move that is able to quickly take out Fighting-types, in addition to being a great late-game attack due to its high PP and 30% flinch rate. Hidden Power Grass complements Moltres's STAB moves nicely, hitting both Rock- and Water-types very hard. Hidden Power Grass can also OHKO the lesser seen Water/Ground-types Quagsire and Gastrodon. Roost is a great move for Moltres because it can replenish health lost from Life Orb recoil and Stealth Rock (though Moltres should only be switching into Stealth Rock as a last resort), aiding Moltres to further blast away at the opposing team. Roost, coupled with Moltres's Pressure ability, can be used to stall out the PP of moves from weak attackers. Life Orb is the preferred option for this set because it pushes Moltres's power to incredible levels. However, if you prefer durability over power, Leftovers is a fine option. Moltres has the ability to counter Fighting-, Grass-, and opposing Fire-types with its decent defenses and Speed, and Leftovers helps Moltres switch in more easily. The given EVs allow Moltres to deal as much damage as possible while still keeping an eye on threats. An alternate spread containing 200 Speed EVs ensure Moltres outspeeds Modest Magmortar, and the 52 extra EVs should be allocated to HP to help Moltres endure retaliation hits from Pokemon who can handle a hit from Moltres, such as Arcanine. Hitmontop is excellent as both an offensive and defensive partner for Moltres. Hitmontop is one of UU's most reliable Spinners with the Foresight + Rapid Spin combination, freeing Moltres of its worst enemy, Stealth Rock. In addition, Hitmontop has the ability to come in on and threaten many Pokemon who are able to withstand Moltres's assaults, such as Chansey, specially defensive Clefable, and Regirock. Furthermore, Hitmontop can take the Rock attacks aimed at Moltres. Moltres also appreciates having a Pokemon to take Water attacks. Grass Pokemon such as Venusaur can switch in with ease on Water-types with their high Special Defense and retaliate with Grass attacks and status moves. Lanturn also makes a great partner, stopping both Water- and Electric-type attacks from ruining Moltres. For offensive partners, Pursuit users work well with their ability to scare off Chansey. After taking some Pursuit damage, Moltres can proceed to blast away one of UU's toughest special walls, freeing its own sweep. Steelix is a notable partner, in that it can take Rock- and Electric-attacks with impunity, set up Stealth Rock for Moltres, and Explode on Water-types, paving the way for heavy Moltres hits. Steelix is also a great switch-in to Chansey. Dugtrio can trap both Chansey and Regirock, giving Moltres a much easier time sweeping. For a Modest nature, 26 IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Special Attack is necessary for a maximum Base Power Hidden Power Grass. For a Timid nature, two IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Special Attack is necessary.

Other Options: Substitute