Heatran, The Lava Dome Pokémon. It dwells in volcanic caves. It digs in with its cross-shaped feet to crawl on ceilings and walls. Boiling blood, like magma, circulates through its body. It makes its dwelling place in volcanic caves.
Overview
Every generation brings in a few Pokémon that shake up the meta, Heatran was one. Being Fire/Steel, Heatran has incredible typing, resisting a lot of threats, including Fire with its ability as well as having solid defensive status and moves. This has made Heatran a staple for balanced and bulky offensive teams since its release.
Positives
+ Strong defensive stats and typing make Heatran a solid answer to most Fires, Dragons, Steels, Grass, and Fairy threats
+ 130 Special Attack is nice, making Heatran a powerful threat, even with a defensive EV build while offensive sets blow up targets
+ Heatran has a wide move pool in including an exclusive move Magma Storm, a Fire Blast powered version of Fire Spin, making Heatran a powerful trapper
Negatives
- Quad weakness to Ground, a common coverage move and offensive type
- Heatran suffers from an odd speed tier, outpacing base 70 but losing to 80 base speed. This hinders its ability as a revenge killer with a lot speed tier.
- Tanky based builds suffer from Heatran's lack of a recovery move bar Rest, which is less than optimal.
Abilities
Flash Fire-Grants immunity to Fire, gain 50% bonus damage to Fire moves when hit with a Fire move - This is a solid ability as it furthers Heatran's ability as a pivot/wall with another immunity. This makes Heatran very flexible and makes the opponent less likely to spam Fire moves
Hidden Ability (Not vailable):
Flame Body - The opponent has a 30% chance of being induced with Burn when using an attack, that requires physical contact, against this Pokémon. - This is not that bad an ability, it's luck based but is outclassed by Flash Fire, plus it isn't available so discussion of it is moot.
Movesets
Status Wall
-Taunt/Protect
-Stealth Rocks
-Lava Plume
-Toxic
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs and Nature:
248HP/220SpDef/40Speed
Calm Nature
With its high defenses, Heatran makes an excellent wall in the Fairy dominated metagame. Like this, Heatran can beat all the Tapus bar Bulu and check Mega Gardevoir, however Focus Blast hurts a lot. Toxic and Lava Plume work together to spread status across the enemy team, Toxic crippling walls while Lava Plume's 30% burn chance cripples physical attackers aiding Heatran's tankiness. With its great bulk, Stealth Rocks are excellent on Heatran as it creates many chances to set them up with its pressure. Finally Taunt can be used to help beat other tanky targets as well as stop things from boosting on it while Protect can be used to stall status damage as well as Leftover's recovery. Lastly, the 40 Speed EVS allow Heatran to outpace neutral natured Mega Mawile with no Speed EVS, which is standard.
Bloom Doom
-Solarbeam
-Magma Storm
-Earth Power
-Hidden Power Ice/Taunt/Stealth Rock
Item Attached: Grassium Z
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs and Nature:
252SpAtk/4SpDef/252Speed
Timid Nature
With Grassium Z, Heatran can reprise its role from 5th gen as a water trapper, but without needing sun support. As such, Magma Storm and Solarbeam are both key moves, Magma Storm trapping something, which gives a positive position even if it's not something Heatran wants to face as its forces whatever is in to stay in for the turn Heatran switches. Solarbeam is mostly for Bloom Doom, but a 180 base special attack will KO most waters. Earth Power is nice for nailing other Fires and Steels with a more reliable accuracy move. Lastly Taunt allows Heatran to best walls by stopping their recovery, Stealth Rocks because Heatran is a solid offensive rock setter, or Hidden Power Ice for Zygarde and Landorus Therian.
Trapping Support
-Substitute
-Toxic
-Magma Storm
-Earth Power
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs and Nature:
212HP/44Def/252Speed
Timid Nature
With Substitute Heatran can create more chances to annoy the opposing team. As such, Toxic and Magma Storm are nice as it can trap in a wall and just have it slowly lose to the damage of Toxic as well as chunk or guarantee Toxic on wall breakers. Earth Power rounds the set out to hit Fires and such hard and reliable. However without Taunt or a recovery move, Heatran needs to be careful of boosting sweepers as well as using Substitute too much and crippling itself.
Other Options
Choice Scarf - Despite its low base Speed Heatran can use a Choice Scarf in a bait set manor. This can be used to check would be answers such as Mega Medicham and Landorus Therian.
Choice Spec - Choice Specs make Heatran a powerful wall breaker, spamming Fire Blast for the most part to just wear threats down similar to Mega Charizard Y
Air Balloon - An old option, Air Balloon can be used to give Heatran a temporary immunity to Ground moves, letting it answer some threats it normally struggles with such as Landorus Therian.
Possible Partners
Zygarde - Zygarde struggles with Tangrowth, as well as Landorus Therian and the Tapus, all which Heatran can handle easily, bar Landorus Therian. Zygarde also likes Bloom Doom Heatran's ability to remove bulky Waters.
Volcarona - Heatran's ability to bait in waters and wear them down or KO with Bloom Doom, Volcarona loves having Heatran. Defensive Heatran can also cripple some other threats to Volcarona with their shared switch ins such as Landorus Therian and Zygarde with burns.
Greninja - Greninja loves Heatran's ability to beat its main counter, Assault Vest Magearna. Heatran can also trap other threats to Greninja or hit water switch ins with Bloom Doom.
VGC, Double, & Triple Battle Options
Heatran has been one of the most used Pokemon in VGC for years, most recently as part of the infamous “CHALK” core (Cresselia, Heatran, Amoongus, Landorus-T, and (Mega) Kangaskhan) in 2015. This year, however, it is not found in the Alolan Pokedex, so the lava Pokemon has had to stay in Battle Spot Doubles. Online ranking battles have given use a glimpse of what Heatran can do in future VGC formats, and a new core made up of past CHALK members is sure to frustrate trainers. The core of Mega Kangaskhan, Landorus-T, Cresselia, Heatran, Tapu Fini, and either Amoongus or Tapu Koko was discovered by multiple trainers to deal with a variety of teams with good synergy, and variants of it are found all over the ladder. Even considering Heatran own its own though, it is a great answer to Mega Charizard Y teams, and can shake off most attacks from Tapu Lele or Mega Gardevoir, but be sure to keep it safe from Earthquake and Tectonic Rage.
The Blacksmith
-Heat Wave
-Earth Power
-Flash Cannon / Substitute
-Protect
Item Attached: Shuca Berry / Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs and Nature:
148 HP / 252 SpA / 108 Spe
Modest Nature
Heatran typically likes to fire off strong attacks with its great special attack stat, while being able to take a variety of hits, especially as a switch-in. Max special attack with a Modest nature hits very hard. 148 EVs in HP gives Heatran good bulk, allowing it to survive a spread Earthquake from Adamant Landorus-T with the Shuca Berry, a Superpower from the same Landorus-T, and Jolly Mega Kangaskhan’s Low Kick only has a 13% chance to OHKO. More bulk can be added, but 108 speed EVs backed by Tailwind support help Heatran outspeed Modest Choice Scarf Tapu Lele. While Lele is not typically threatening to Heatran, this investment shows how fast Heatran reaches. The most notable Pokemon you may want to outspeed and invest more speed for is actually opposing Heatran, who will usually carry Earth Power. Flash Fire is the only ability available, but a great one as a switch-in to fire moves to boost its own attacks, and it lets Heatran wall certain Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y or Torkoal. Shuca Berry survives Landorus-T’s and any weaker Pokemon’s Earthquake, as well as Earth Power from opposing Heatran, while Leftovers is commonly found on the sets with Substitute.
Heat Wave is a very strong spread move in doubles, while Earth Power allows it to hit other Heatran. Flash Cannon is strong secondary STAB, but is mainly for fairies, which Heatran does not have an issue with typically. Instead, many Heatran run Substitute, as with the number of Pokemon that it can wall, you can often freely Substitute on an opponent’s switch. Protect is necessary to avoid threatening ground or fighting type attacks and allow a teammate to deal with the threat.
Other Options & Team Ideas
-Firium Z can pair with Heatran’s Heat Wave (or even stronger fire attacks) for a very powerful attack that will also avoid Wide Guard from something like Celesteela.
-Air Balloon is not useful in every situation, but can keep Heatran safe from ground attacks and may help it wall other Heatran.
-Flamethrower has perfect accuracy and is a bit stronger than Heat Wave against a single target due to the latter’s spread damage. Fire Blast and Overheat are other single-target options, but have other drawbacks like worse accuracy.
-Hidden Power Ice can do a lot of damage to Landorus-T and Mega Salamence, who can be difficult to damage otherwise if you do not carry Flash Cannon.
-Ancient Power provides a quick way to take down Mega Charizard Y.
-Solarbeam gives grass coverage for water types, but you will want sun support, Grassium Z, or at least a Power Herb so that it is not a two-turn move.
-Lava Plume is a slightly weaker spread attack with perfect accuracy (and nice chances to burn), but it hits Heatran’s teammate as well, so Telepathy or other Flash Fire Pokemon next to it are preferred.
-Taunt and Roar can prevent Trick Room and other setups.
-Will-O-Wisp is another support move to cripple most physical attackers.
-Incinerate is a cool tech move to get rid of the target’s berry, which is very nice since the 50% pinch berries have received a buff.
-Eruption is rare nowadays since is it not even Battle Spot Doubles legal, but it was very strong in VGC many years ago, and can be very strong in formats where you can use it, especially with strategies to support Heatran’s power with an item, the sun, or activating Flash Fire.
-Mega Charizard Y is often on Heatran teams to boost its fire moves, and weaken water attacks against it. As previously mentioned, Heatran is also a great counter to opposing Charizard Y teams if you need a way to deal with it.
-Tapu Bulu’s Grassy Terrain weakens Earthquake against Heatran, and the terrain also restores HP, which is especially useful on the Substitute sets.
-Wide Guard can keep Heatran safe from Earthquake.
-Intimidate support improves Heatran’s bulk even more, and can guarantee that Heatran survives moves such as Mega Kangaskhan’s Low Kick and other super-effective attacks.
-Heatran is somewhere in the middle of the pack for speed tiers, so speed control like Tailwind (or even Trick Room, situationally) can benefit it to attack first.
Countering Heatran
Water types - Most water types beat Heatran, walling both stab moves. While Bloom Doom Heatran can beat them, most faster waters are still a big threat such as Keldeo and Greninja. However other bulky waters beat Heatran's other sets. Pokémon include Rotom Wash, Tapu Fini, and Gyarados, however watch out for burns.
Tyranitar - Tyranitar can easily walls Heatran with ease and KO back with Earthquake or Superpower. Heatran also losing its resistance to Dark allows Heatran to be Pursuit trapped or hit with Crunch.
Volcarona - More a check, Heatran struggles to handle Volcarona if Stealth Rocks aren't up. With Volcarona's high Special Defense and higher base Speed than Heatran, it can Quiver Dance in Heatran's face without a lot of concern and KO with Hidden Power Ground. Toxic can cause problems however shortening Volcarona's lifespan.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Not in game
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in game
Colosseum/XD:
Not in game
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Stark Mountain
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Trade from Diamond/Pearl/Platinum
Black/White:
Trade from Black 2/White 2
Black 2/White 2:
Reversal Mountain
X/Y:
Trade from Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Scorched Slab
Sun/Moon:
Transfer from Generation VI
Animé Appearences
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Heatran has made multiple appearances in the anime. Most notably Ash helped protect one from Team Rocket |
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