Introduced in generation three, with the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, Marshtomp is a dual type ground and water Pokemon. It is the second stage of its three stage evolution line and evolves from Mudkip and into Swampert. Marshtomp is classified by the Pokedex as the “Mud Fish Pokemon” which indicates its general design. This guide will showcase Marshtomp’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Marshtomp.
About Marshtomp
As a generation three Pokemon, Marshtomp first appeared in the Ruby and Sapphire season of the anime in the episode A Chip Off the Old Brock. This episode featured Brock’s Mudkip evolving into a Marshtomp. Marshtomp is the second stage of its evolution line and will evolve from Mudkip and into Swampert when it reaches level 16 and 36 respectively. The Pokedex mentions how Marshtomp’s body allows it to live on land.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire A Chip Off the Old Brock |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Evolution | Evolves from Mudkip, evolves into Swampert |
| 1st Evo level | 16 |
| 2nd Evo level | 36 |
| Pokedex Entry | The surface of Marshtomp's body is enveloped by a thin, sticky film that enables it to live on land. This Pokémon plays in mud on beaches when the ocean tide is low. |
Marshtomp Base Stats
| HP | 70 |
| ATTACK | 85 |
| DEFENCE | 70 |
| SP. ATTACK | 60 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 70 |
| SPEED | 50 |
| TOTAL | 405 |
Appearance
Marshtomp is a bipedal, amphibian Pokemon that has a light blue body with orange spots and spiked orange cheeks. There are dark blue fins and flippers found throughout Marshtomp’s body. Its eyes are orange with black pupils and it has a large toothless mouth while Marshtomp’s arms extend out into three fingers and its feet end with three digits. Marshtomp is fairly small at only 2 feet and 4 inches, or 0.7 meters, tall.
Behavior
Marshtomp made a few appearances throughout the Ruby and Sapphire season as it was one of Brock’s Pokemon. It was eventually left at Pewter City, but it was shown to be a reliable companion throughout their adventures. Many of Marshtomp’s appearances show it in battle, but there are a few cases where wild Marshtomp are seen together in packs. The Pokedex states that Marshtomp has to keep its skin from drying out by playing in the mud.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As the second stage evolution in its line, Marshtomp has yet to reach its strongest peak. Most of its stats are balanced with a decent physical attack but a slow speed stat. It can also be considered a decent defensive Pokemon as it has a resistant typing just as good as its line of defensive stats. As a dual type water and ground Pokemon, Marshtomp takes 4x damage from grass type moves but is immune to electric type moves and resistant to poison, rock, steel, and fire type moves.
Best Moveset
Since Marshtomp is not fully evolved, it is typically seen in the NFE (Not Fully Evolved) format of competitive play. In this format it does not have to face premier Pokemon, giving Marshtomp a fighting chance. Typically, Marshtomp is used as a counter to fire type Pokemon as well as providing some hazards to place on the opposing field. Consider running Stealth Rock, Scald, Earthquake, and Ice Punch/Toxic. The chip damage from Stealth Rock can add up quickly, Scald and Earthquake both benefit from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus), and Ice Punch/Toxic are interchangeable as options to get through difficult match ups.
| Stealth Rock | Scald |
| Earthquake | Ice Punch/Toxic |
How to Catch Marshtomp in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Marshtomp in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Mudkip to eventually evolve into Marshtomp. This is because like most evolved Pokemon, the base evolution is a more common spawn to encounter in the wild. Mudkip can be hatched from 2 and 5 km eggs, and it can also be found in the wild, at a boosted spawn rate, near oceans, lakes, harbors, and other watery areas, especially while it is raining. Furthermore, both Marshtomp and Mudkip have appeared as a tier one raid boss at Pokemon Gyms in the past. To evolve Mudkip into Marshtomp you will need 25 candies, and another 100 to evolves it into Swampert.
Trivia
- Of all the water starters in the franchise, Marshtomp is the only starter to receive a second type at its second stage evolution.
- The inspiration for Marshtomp’s design is likely based on mudpuppies or mudskippers.
- The name Marshtomp is a combination of the words marsh and stomp.
Explainer Video
FAQ
Is Marshtomp weak to Water?
Marshtomp is part water type so it does not take super effective damage against water type moves. However, due to its partly ground typing it does take regular damage instead of resisting water type moves. Marshtomp only takes super effective damage from grass type moves, although it does take 4x instead of 2x.
What level does Marshtomp evolve at?
Your Marshtomp will evolve into Swampert once it reaches level 36. There are no special conditions to fulfill and you will just need to reach the level threshold. Once your Marshtomp hits level 36, you just need to let the evolution animation play without pressing the “B” button.
Where is Marshtomp in Omega Ruby?
Omega Ruby is no different than regular Ruby in that you can only obtain Marshtomp through selecting Mudkip as your starter Pokemon. Of course you can trade for a Marshtomp down the line through multiplayer means, but otherwise it is identical to Pokemon Ruby. You will just need to select Mudkip as your starter in your Omega Ruby playthrough.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Mud Fish Pokemon”. While Marshtomp still requires some investment in order to reach its full potential, it was fortunate enough to receive a mega evolution in the generation six games. It is also unique as a starter Pokemon with only one true weakness in terms of type advantages. Reserve a slot on your team for Marshtomp if you want a Pokemon with only one type weakness.
