Shadow Heatran
Attack
Defense
Stamina
Best Movesets
Analysis
Shadow Heatran is a top tier Fire attacker, boasting not only excellent DPS, but also great survivability. Thanks to its impressive bulk and seemingly endless resistances, which include a double-resistance to every type that's weak to Fire, Shadow Heatran can frequently stay active on the battlefield for an absurd amount of time, all while dealing heavy Fire damage.
Offense
- Fire Spin and Magma Storm* is Heatran’s optimal set.
- Fire Blast is a bit behind in DPS, but also less efficient as a 1-bar move. It can be Heatran's best option in Party Play due to its high damage.
- Bug Bite is the worse move in the situations where Heatran is useful. However, it can charge up Party Power more quickly than Fire Spin, which can make it more useful in some matchups.
- Iron Head is better for attacking Fairy-types.
- Stone Edge has no role on gym or raid offense.
- Flamethrower is objectively worse than Magma Storm*, but it's a fine non-Elite substitute with a close overall performance
Fire Spin has greater damage and energy than Bug Bite and benefits from STAB.
more-verticalplus
Magma Storm is recommended due to its cheap cost and STAB. Stone Edge grants the most overall coverage, nailing several Flying-type Pokemon that may not mind Heatran's Fire-type attacks. Earth Power can be used to dispatch opposing Dialga and Heatran more reliably, but its coverage is somewhat redundant otherwise. Iron Head benefits from STAB and costs the second least amount of energy, but its DPE is poor and its coverage isn't amazing. Flamethrower is outclassed by Magma Storm.
Despite its unique typing and unmatched array of double resistances, Shadow Heatran is not recommended in the Great League. Its frailty and competition with other Fire-type Pokemon are significant drawbacks. Further complicating Heatran's hopes is the metagame's unfriendliness towards its typing in general - numerous Water-, Ground-, and Fighting-type Pokemon await to prey on this poor fiery cockroach.
