What is the best moveset for Combusken in Pokemon GO? (February 2023)

Pokemon GO's Primal Rumblings event offers trainers an easier way to catch some of the beloved creatures from the Hoenn region, including the mid-stage of the Fire-type Starter Pokemon, Combusken. While some trainers may want to add this rare Pokemon to their party for the mobile title's Battle League, it's not advisable. However, lucky trainers may be able to use it in the Great League or one of the game's alternate leagues.

While it may not be the most practical choice, some dedicated players might still want to include Combusken in their battle team in Pokemon GO. In order to maximize its strengths and minimize its weaknesses, it's important to understand how to use it effectively. Here are the best strategies for using Combusken in battle.

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Using Combusken in Pokemon GO: Everything to know about the Fire and Fighting-type

Official artwork for Combusken (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The first thing every trainer should know before they intend on using any particular pick in Pokemon GO is its elemental typing. Combusken is a Fire and Fighting-type Pokemon which leaves it with more resistances than weaknesses. Combusken is only weak to Water, Psychic, Ground, and Flying-type attacks.

Combusken has a relatively balanced stat spread in Pokemon GO for a Pokemon that hasn't reached its final evolutionary stage. Its highest stat is its Attack, sitting at a respectable 163. This is followed by its Defense of 155, then its Stamina at 115. While Combusken's stats may seem adequate, they fail to be effective against more powerful offensive Pokemon with higher overall stats.

For an optimal Fast Attack, players should aim to take Ember. This attack has the same base damage as Peck, but since it comes out much faster, it has a slightly higher damage per second value, making it the better choice. While Peck is not a terrible move, most of Combusken's matchups will be weak to Fire-type attacks anyway, so Ember is still the superior choice from a typing perspective as well.

For Combusken's best Charged Attack, players will want to bring Flame Charge. While Flamethrower does deal significantly more damage at the start of a battle, Flame Charge is important to take for most early PvP encounters as it boosts Combusken's attacking power with every use, allowing it to snowball if left unchecked.

For the truly dedicated, Combusken can get even better if trainers want to unlock its secondary charged attack slot. If so, taking Rock Slide will be their best bet as it allows Combusken to clip the wings of any Flying-type the opponent tries to counter it with. However, maxing out any Pokemon takes a significant amount of resources and is not recommended for casual players.

Overall, Combusken is not a terrible choice in Pokemon GO, thanks to it having access to the self-buffing Flame Charge. While there are much better Fire-types to use in the Great League, Combusken can easily snowball battles against enemy trainers that underestimate what it is capable of.