TL;DR
- Incineroar is an S-tier Doubles support Pokemon and one of the best in the game.
- Best Doubles build: Careful Nature, Intimidate, Sitrus Berry — Fake Out, Parting Shot, Flare Blitz, Snarl.
- Best Singles build: Impish Nature, Intimidate, Leftovers — Darkest Lariat, Will-O-Wisp, Parting Shot, Flare Blitz.
- An Adamant offensive build is viable in Doubles if your team already handles special threats.
- Incineroar no longer has access to Knock Off or U-Turn in Champions — play around that.
- Hard counters include Milotic, Kingambit, Dragapult, Sneasler, Garchomp, and Primarina.
Incineroar has dominated competitive Pokemon for years. Every major VGC event since its introduction has seen it near the top of team usage rates. Its arrival in Pokemon Champions has changed nothing — it sits at the top of the Doubles tier list and appears on the majority of high-ranked teams right now.
The reason is simple. No other Pokemon does what Incineroar does. Intimidate weakens both opposing physical attackers the moment it enters. Fake Out guarantees a flinch on turn one. Parting Shot debuffs both offensive stats and repositions safely. It fits on Balance teams, Trick Room teams, Sun teams, and Stall teams without changing much. That kind of versatility in a single roster slot is rare.
This guide covers every build option — what to run, why it works, what to watch out for, and who pairs well alongside it.
You can find Incineroar on the official Pokemon Champions site and recruit it through Roster Ranch or via Pokemon HOME transfer. For full recruitment tips, check our guide on how to add and play with friends in Pokemon Champions — Private Battles are a great way to test your Incineroar builds before taking them into ranked.
Incineroar Overview
Type: Fire / Dark
Ability (recommended): Intimidate — lowers the Attack of all opposing Pokemon by one stage when Incineroar enters battle.
Base Stats:
| Stat | Base Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 95 |
| Attack | 115 |
| Defense | 90 |
| Sp. Attack | 80 |
| Sp. Defense | 90 |
| Speed | 60 |
Incineroar is not fast and it is not a special attacker. What it is, is a physically bulky, high-HP disruptor with access to the most impactful support toolkit in the game. Its Speed being low is actually fine in Doubles — it means it can function well inside Trick Room teams as well as standard ones.
Type weaknesses: Water (2x), Fighting (2x), Ground (2x), Rock (2x)
Type resistances: Fire, Ice, Grass, Steel, Dark, Ghost (immune to Psychic)
The Psychic immunity is particularly notable because Hatterene and other Psychic-types are common in the current meta. Incineroar shrugs those off entirely.
What Incineroar Lost in Champions
Before building, it helps to know what changed compared to previous VGC formats.
Incineroar no longer has access to Knock Off in Pokemon Champions. In past seasons, Knock Off was one of its most impactful moves — removing held items from opponents disrupted Berry users, Assault Vest holders, and more. That tool is gone here.
It also does not have access to U-Turn in this format. U-Turn was a key pivoting move that let Incineroar cycle out while dealing chip damage. Parting Shot fills the pivoting role but without the damage.
The strategy adapts around Fake Out, Parting Shot, Snarl, and Flare Blitz. What Incineroar still has is excellent, and competitive teams have adjusted quickly.
Build 1 — Bulky Support (Best for Doubles Ranked)
This is the standard build. It is what the majority of top-ranked players are running and the one to start with.
Nature: Careful (+Sp. Def, −Sp. Atk) Ability: Intimidate Held Item: Sitrus Berry
Moveset:
- Fake Out
- Parting Shot
- Flare Blitz
- Snarl
Stat Points (in Champions format):
- HP: 32 (max)
- Defense: 10
- Sp. Defense: 20
- Leave remaining points in HP and Defense for bulk
Why this build works:
The Careful nature boosts Special Defense, which is the stat that matters most here. Incineroar’s Intimidate already softens incoming physical hits. What hurts it are special attackers — Primarina, Hatterene, and similar threats that completely bypass Intimidate. Careful and the Sp. Defense investment let Incineroar survive those hits and keep cycling.
Sitrus Berry triggers at half HP and restores a quarter of max HP instantly. In the fast-paced Doubles format where HP drops quickly and games end in a handful of turns, that burst of recovery is more valuable than Leftovers’ gradual regeneration.
How to play this build:
Lead with Incineroar to trigger Intimidate immediately on both opposing Pokemon. Use Fake Out on the biggest threat — it flinches guaranteed and wastes their turn completely. Then either deal damage with Flare Blitz, use Snarl to cut special attackers’ power, or fire off Parting Shot to debuff both of the opponent’s offensive stats and switch into a better matchup. When Incineroar re-enters later, Intimidate triggers again. Stacking Intimidate drops across a game is how this Pokemon wins.
Snarl is the fourth move and it is essential. It hits both opposing Pokemon in Doubles, lowering their Special Attack by one stage. This covers the special attackers that Intimidate does nothing against.
Build 2 — Offensive Support (Doubles)
This is a situational build for players whose teams already handle special threats and want more offensive pressure from Incineroar.
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, −Sp. Atk) Ability: Intimidate Held Item: Assault Vest or Sitrus Berry
Moveset:
- Fake Out
- Flare Blitz
- Darkest Lariat
- Parting Shot
Stat Points:
- HP: 20
- Attack: 20
- Defense: 12
- Sp. Defense: 10
Why this build works:
Adamant with Attack investment makes Fake Out noticeably stronger and gives Flare Blitz real punch. Darkest Lariat as a secondary STAB move ignores the opponent’s stat changes — useful against opponents who have boosted their Defense or are sitting behind screens.
This version trades the Snarl coverage and some special bulk for more offensive output. It can catch opponents off guard, particularly in the early meta where Steel and Grass-types are common matchups for Flare Blitz and Darkest Lariat respectively.
Important caveat: if you run Assault Vest, you cannot use Parting Shot or any other status move. The Vest locks Incineroar into attacking moves only. That limits the pivoting utility significantly. Only run Assault Vest if your team provides enough special bulk elsewhere.
If you are unsure, run Sitrus Berry with this build instead and keep Parting Shot. The offensive nature alone adds meaningful damage without fully gutting the support toolkit.
Build 3 — Singles Build
Incineroar is functional in Singles but not the first choice. Better options exist in the Singles meta, so only run this if you specifically want Incineroar for its utility in that format.
Nature: Impish (+Def, −Sp. Atk) Ability: Intimidate Held Item: Leftovers or Sitrus Berry
Moveset:
- Darkest Lariat
- Will-O-Wisp
- Parting Shot
- Flare Blitz
Stat Points:
- HP: 32 (max)
- Defense: 20
- Sp. Defense: 10
Why this build works:
Fake Out loses most of its value in Singles because there is no partner to take advantage of the free flinch turn. Darkest Lariat replaces it as the primary Dark-type STAB move.
Will-O-Wisp is the key addition. It burns the opponent, cutting their physical Attack in half permanently for the rest of the battle. Stack that on top of Intimidate’s Attack drop and physical attackers become nearly harmless. That is two layers of physical damage reduction from a single Pokemon.
Leftovers works better in Singles because games last longer. Incremental HP recovery across 15–20 turns adds up more meaningfully than in the shorter Doubles format. Sitrus Berry is fine here too if you prefer the burst option.
Impish boosts physical Defense, complementing Incineroar’s decent Defense base stat. Unlike the Doubles build, you are less worried about special hits in Singles because the game pace is slower and you have more time to switch around threats.
Held Item Options
| Item | Format | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sitrus Berry | Doubles (primary) | Burst recovery at 50% HP — reliable in fast exchanges |
| Rocky Helmet | Doubles (alternative) | Chip damage against physical attackers who make contact |
| Figy Berry | Doubles (alternative) | Similar to Sitrus, activates at 50% HP |
| Leftovers | Singles | Gradual recovery suits the longer format |
| Assault Vest | Doubles offensive build only | Boosts Sp. Defense but blocks status moves |
Sitrus Berry is the most common choice by a wide margin in competitive play right now, appearing on the majority of Incineroar builds in the current ladder data.
Best Teammates for Incineroar
Incineroar supports physical attackers best. Intimidate reduces incoming physical damage for the whole team, so Pokemon that would otherwise take heavy hits from physical attackers directly benefit from Incineroar being on the field.
Sinistcha is the most commonly paired teammate in current ladder data. A Grass/Ghost-type, it can switch into Fighting-type moves aimed at Incineroar and absorb them with its Ghost typing. It also brings Trick Room support and Rage Powder for redirection, which buys Incineroar free turns. Together with a Water-type like Palafin, they form a Grass-Fire-Water defensive core.
Garchomp appreciates Intimidate support. Physical Attackers that might threaten Garchomp become less dangerous when Incineroar has already dropped their Attack. Note that Garchomp’s Earthquake also hits both opposing Pokemon in Doubles, and Incineroar is hit by Earthquake. Plan your positioning carefully.
Dragonite benefits directly from Intimidate and Fake Out support. Those tools let Dragonite set up safely or get off an early hit without taking damage. Dragonite is also immune to Earthquake thanks to its Flying typing, making it a clean partner even if Garchomp is also on the team.
Kingambit has Defiant, which raises its Attack by two stages when any of its stats are lowered — including by Incineroar’s Parting Shot if misdirected. In a mirror match where the opponent’s Incineroar uses Intimidate on Kingambit, that Kingambit becomes significantly more dangerous. This works both for and against you depending on positioning.
Whimsicott pairs well as a speed control option. With Tailwind up, Incineroar’s low Speed stops being a liability for anything but Trick Room formats. Whimsicott’s Prankster also gives it priority on Tailwind itself.
Archaludon is a consistently strong Doubles teammate in the current meta. Its bulk and offensive pressure complement Incineroar’s support role well.
Incineroar Counters and Threats
Knowing what beats Incineroar lets you plan around it when you see it in team preview — and lets you account for these threats when you are running it.
Milotic — Its Competitive ability raises Special Attack sharply when any of its stats are lowered. When Incineroar uses Intimidate or Parting Shot, Milotic’s Sp. Attack skyrockets. This makes Milotic a hard counter that actively benefits from Incineroar being on the field.
Kingambit — Defiant gives it a +2 Attack boost when its stats are lowered. Similar to Milotic, Incineroar’s Intimidate directly powers up Kingambit. Watch for opposing teams pairing these two.
Dragapult — Clear Body completely blocks Intimidate. Dragapult ignores the Attack drop entirely. It is also a Ghost-type, making it immune to Fake Out. Two of Incineroar’s main tools simply do not work on it.
Sneasler — Has an even faster Fake Out than Incineroar due to higher Speed, which can flinch Incineroar before it acts. Its Close Combat also hits Incineroar’s Fighting weakness hard and can put it into two-hit KO range.
Garchomp — Ground typing threatens Incineroar directly with Earthquake. This is the most common way Incineroar gets knocked out in Doubles, so positioning around Earthquakes matters.
Primarina — A special Water attacker that bypasses Intimidate entirely. Special Water hits are one of Incineroar’s main weaknesses and the reason the Careful build invests so heavily in Sp. Defense.
Urshifu (Rapid-Strike) — Strong Water-type damage that bypasses defensive play with Unseen Fist.
How to Train Incineroar in Pokemon Champions
Pokemon Champions replaces traditional EV training with the Stat Point system. You get 66 Stat Points to distribute across six stats, with a maximum of 32 per stat. Each point costs 5 VP to assign. Changing the Stat Alignment (Nature) costs 500 VP.
For the full training process, read our guide on how to train EVs and change Nature in Pokemon Champions.
If you are bringing Incineroar from Pokemon HOME and it already has the right Nature and a good EV spread from another game, that carries over on the first transfer. That saves significant VP. Just make sure the Nature and stats are exactly right before the first transfer — Champions locks in that snapshot permanently.
Quick Build Reference
| Doubles Bulky Support | Doubles Offensive | Singles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | Careful | Adamant | Impish |
| Ability | Intimidate | Intimidate | Intimidate |
| Item | Sitrus Berry | Assault Vest / Sitrus | Leftovers |
| Move 1 | Fake Out | Fake Out | Darkest Lariat |
| Move 2 | Parting Shot | Flare Blitz | Will-O-Wisp |
| Move 3 | Flare Blitz | Darkest Lariat | Parting Shot |
| Move 4 | Snarl | Parting Shot | Flare Blitz |
Final Tips
Start with the Careful build. It is the most consistent version across all matchups. Only switch to the Adamant build if you are comfortable reading the meta and your team has clear special coverage elsewhere.
Use Parting Shot intelligently. It debuffs both offensive stats and repositions Incineroar for another Intimidate cycle. The timing of when to Parting Shot is one of the highest-skill decisions with this Pokemon.
Always have a Ghost-type teammate. Fighting-type moves are Incineroar’s most common threat in Doubles. Sinistcha or Gengar can switch into those attacks cleanly, keeping Incineroar healthy for multiple re-entries.
Do not forget Snarl. New Incineroar players sometimes skip it for a fourth attacking move. Snarl’s ability to lower both opposing Pokemon’s Special Attack in one move is irreplaceable in Doubles. It covers the exact threat — special attackers — that Intimidate ignores.
You can also check out the full Pokemon Champions item list to see all held item options currently available, and use Mystery Gift codes to get extra resources to fund your Incineroar training and recruitment.
