NationalDex
slugma
#218

Slugma

Lava Pokémon

Fire

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

Base Stats

HP 40
Attack 40
Defense 40
Sp. Atk 70
Sp. Def 40
Speed 20
Total 250

Type Effectiveness

Abilities

Evolution Chain

magcargo Magcargo Lv. 38

Moves

Locations

Details

Category Lava Pokémon
Height 0.7 m
Weight 35.0 kg
Base Exp 50
Growth Rate Medium
Capture Rate 190
Base Happiness 70
Gender 50% ♂ / 50% ♀
Habitat Mountain
Egg Groups Indeterminate

Sprites

slugma Front Front
slugma Back Back
slugma Front Shiny Front Shiny
slugma Back Shiny Back Shiny
slugma Official Art Official Art
slugma Official Art (Shiny) Official Art (Shiny)

Competitive

lc
Dual Screen Memento
Moves
Memento / Self-Destruct
Recover / Yawn / Flamethrower
Item
Light Clay / Oran Berry
Ability
Flame Body
Nature
Careful / Calm
EVs
HP 196
Def 196
SpD 118
Trick Room Attacker
Item
Life Orb
Ability
Flame Body
Nature
Quiet
EVs
HP 196
Atk 36
Def 36
SpA 200
SpD 36

Strategy Overview

At first glance, Slugma comes off as an extremely poor Pokemon. Its only above-average stat is its base 70 Special Attack, and a horrid 20 Speed means it won't be outspeeding many Pokemon. Due to this, it is easy to see why many people think Slugma follows in its older sibling Magcargo's footsteps.

However, if you look deeper, Slugma is actually one of the most underrated Pokemon in all of Little Cup, and in the right hands it can be devastating. It is one of the two Pokemon that possess both screens and Memento, making it a very potent screener. It also has access to two different recovery moves and the ability to spread status with Yawn and Will-O-Wisp. In terms of offense, Slugma's low Speed makes it great in Trick Room, with good coverage and the ability to blow up when done. While Fire-typing and average stats hold it back defensively, the lava slug makes up for this with the ability to support the team uniquely. When used under the right circumstances, Slugma can be a useful addition to most teams.

Competitive data from Smogon University via data.pkmn.cc