Ninetales — Abilities, Weaknesses & Best Builds
"Ninetales is a speed utility built around special attacks (81 Sp. Atk). It can outspeed most of the format, and it's commonly used because its fire typing resists 6 attack types but you'll need to play around 3 weaknesses."
✅ Strong against
Resisted or immune to these attack types
⚠️ Watch out for
These attack types deal extra damage
How to actually play it
- 1
Open Ninetales into a favorable type matchup using its fire STAB.
- 2
Pick the move that does the most damage to the most likely switch-in, not just the current Pokémon.
- 3
Pivot out once the opponent brings in a counter — don't get walled and lose a turn.
What new players get wrong
- ✕
Switching Ninetales into water and ground attacks — it's a fast way to lose half your team's plan.
- ✕
Expecting it to OHKO things — its job is usually role compression, not raw damage.
Base Stats
Total: 505Use EVs to amplify the highest two — that's usually where this Pokémon's job lives.
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| Move | Type | Cat | Pwr | Acc | PP | How |
|---|
Where Ninetales shows up
#179
Usage ~1.21% · Win rate ~50.52%
#109
Usage ~1.96% · Win rate ~52.27%
Ninetales FAQ
- What are Ninetales's abilities in Pokémon Champions?
- Ninetales can run flash-fire, drought. The competitive default is usually flash-fire — see the abilities section above for the trade-offs.
- What is Ninetales weak to in Pokémon Champions?
- Ninetales takes extra damage from water, ground, rock. The full weakness breakdown is in the Weaknesses section, including any 4× type matchups.
- What is the best moveset for Ninetales?
- The best moveset for Ninetales depends on whether you're running it in Singles or Doubles. The Best Moveset section above lists the standard competitive set used at the top of the Pokémon Champions ladder.
- What counters Ninetales in Pokémon Champions?
- The most reliable counters to Ninetales are Pokémon with strong water, ground, rock attacks that outspeed it. See the Best Counters section for specific picks.
- Is Ninetales good in the current Pokémon Champions meta?
- Ninetales's usage and win rate in M-B Singles and Doubles are shown in the Format Snapshot section. Cross-reference with the Champions Lab tier list for full context.