The Best Fighting-Type Pokémon for Competitive Play

When it comes to competitive play in Pokémon, Fighting-type Pokémon often serve as crucial assets due to their high offensive capabilities and versatility. These Pokémon are strong contenders in various battle formats, especially when they can exploit the common weaknesses of other popular types like Normal, Rock, Ice, and Steel. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best Fighting-type Pokémon for competitive play, considering factors like stat distribution, movepool, and synergy with other types.

1. Conkeldurr

Conkeldurr stands out as one of the most powerful Fighting-types in competitive play. With access to great offensive moves like Drain Punch, Mach Punch, and Knock Off, Conkeldurr can break through a variety of opponents. Its excellent base Attack stat (140) combined with decent bulk (105 HP, 85 Defense) makes it a strong physical attacker that can take hits and dish out heavy damage in return. Conkeldurr also benefits from the ability Guts, which boosts its Attack when it is inflicted with a status condition like Burn. This allows it to work well in a wide range of situations, especially in stall-heavy metagames.

Best Set:

• Ability: Guts
• Moves: Drain Punch, Knock Off, Ice Punch, Mach Punch
• EVs: 252 Attack, 252 HP, 4 Defense
• Nature: Adamant

2. Ferrothorn

Though technically a Grass/Steel-type, Ferrothorn deserves a mention due to its key role in competitive teams. With the Iron Barbs ability, it punishes opponents that make contact with it, and it can set up hazards like Stealth Rock or Spikes to wear down enemies over time. Ferrothorn is a bulky Pokémon with excellent defensive stats (131 Defense, 116 Special Defense), making it a great utility Pokémon that can also deal decent damage with moves like Power Whip and Gyro Ball.

Best Set:

• Ability: Iron Barbs
• Moves: Stealth Rock, Leech Seed, Gyro Ball, Power Whip
• EVs: 252 HP, 88 Defense, 168 Special Defense
• Nature: Relaxed

3. Lucario

Lucario, a dual Fighting/Steel-type, is an incredibly versatile Pokémon in competitive battles. Its ability to use both physical and special moves effectively sets it apart from other Fighting-types. With access to Aura Sphere, Close Combat, and Bullet Punch, Lucario can hit opponents from a variety of angles. Its Justified ability, which increases its Attack when hit by a Dark-type move, adds an additional layer of utility. Lucario can also use setup moves like Swords Dance or Calm Mind, allowing it to sweep teams with ease.

Best Set:

• Ability: Justified
• Moves: Close Combat, Aura Sphere, Swords Dance, Bullet Punch
• EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
• Nature: Jolly or Adamant

4. Machamp

Machamp has been a staple of Fighting-types in competitive play for a long time, and for good reason. Its high base Attack (130) combined with access to Dynamic Punch, Stone Edge, and Knock Off makes it a formidable physical attacker. The No Guard ability ensures that moves like Dynamic Punch always hit, which can be a major threat to any opponent. Machamp is also fairly bulky with decent HP and Defense stats (90 HP, 80 Defense), allowing it to take hits while dishing out significant damage.

Best Set:

• Ability: No Guard
• Moves: Dynamic Punch, Knock Off, Stone Edge, Ice Punch
• EVs: 252 Attack, 252 HP, 4 Defense
• Nature: Adamant

5. Terrakion

Terrakion, a legendary Pokémon from the Unova region, is one of the best offensive Fighting-types in competitive play. With an incredible base Attack stat (129) and Speed (108), it can outspeed and hit hard against a variety of foes. Close Combat and Stone Edge provide excellent STAB options, and its Justified ability boosts its Attack when hit by a Dark-type move. Terrakion can be a great lead due to its offensive power and ability to quickly eliminate threats with a strong physical set.

Best Set:

• Ability: Justified
• Moves: Close Combat, Stone Edge, Knock Off, Stealth Rock
• EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
• Nature: Jolly or Adamant

6. Hawlucha

Hawlucha is a unique Fighting/Flying-type Pokémon with a solid niche in competitive battling. Its ability Unburden allows it to double its Speed when it loses its held item, making it an extremely fast and dangerous sweeper once it activates. High Jump Kick, Acrobatics, and Swords Dance give Hawlucha the tools it needs to hit hard and fast, especially when using the move Acrobatics after its item is consumed. With decent bulk (78 HP, 84 Defense), Hawlucha can also survive hits long enough to sweep in the late game.

Best Set:

• Ability: Unburden
• Moves: High Jump Kick, Acrobatics, Swords Dance, Roost
• EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
• Nature: Jolly

7. Blaziken

Blaziken is a Fire/Fighting-type Pokémon known for its explosive power, thanks to its Speed Boost ability. This ability increases Blaziken’s Speed by one stage at the end of each turn, allowing it to outspeed most Pokémon in the later stages of the battle. With access to powerful moves like Flare Blitz, High Jump Kick, and Swords Dance, Blaziken can sweep entire teams once it gets a Speed boost. While its defensive stats aren’t the best, the offensive pressure it exerts is often enough to make it a formidable threat.

Best Set:

• Ability: Speed Boost
• Moves: Flare Blitz, High Jump Kick, Swords Dance, Protect
• EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
• Nature: Jolly

8. Cobalion

Cobalion, another legendary Fighting/Steel-type, is a solid option for defensive teams. With a respectable base Defense stat (129) and a solid Speed stat (108), Cobalion is excellent for checking threats like Dark-types and Fairy-types. Its Steel typing also grants it a useful resistance to Fairy-type moves, making it an excellent physical wall. Cobalion’s movepool includes Close Combat, Iron Head, and Stealth Rock, and it can also utilize Swords Dance or Toxic to cripple opposing teams.

Best Set:

• Ability: Justified
• Moves: Close Combat, Iron Head, Stealth Rock, Toxic
• EVs: 252 HP, 252 Defense, 4 Speed
• Nature: Impish

9. Scrafty

Scrafty is a unique Dark/Fighting-type Pokémon with a great combination of typing and movepool. Its ability Moxie boosts its Attack after knocking out an opponent, making it a strong late-game sweeper. Scrafty’s excellent typing provides useful resistances, including immunity to Psychic-type moves. With access to moves like Knock Off, Drain Punch, and Ice Punch, Scrafty can deal with a wide range of threats while maintaining good bulk, especially with its high Special Defense (115). It’s a reliable option for handling Dark and Ghost-type Pokémon.

Best Set:

• Ability: Moxie
• Moves: Knock Off, Drain Punch, Ice Punch, Dragon Dance
• EVs: 252 HP, 252 Attack, 4 Defense
• Nature: Adamant

Conclusion

Fighting-type Pokémon are a staple in competitive Pokémon battling due to their strong offensive capabilities and versatility. Whether you prefer powerful physical attackers like Conkeldurr and Terrakion, or bulky utility Pokémon like Cobalion and Ferrothorn, there’s a Fighting-type for nearly every role. When selecting a Fighting-type for your team, consider factors such as typing, movepool, and synergy with the rest of your team to maximize your chances in battle.