What is a good moveset for Cinderace?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Cinderace, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Cinderace Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Cinderace @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Blaze Kick / Pyro Ball
- High Jump Kick
- Zen Headbutt
- U-Turn

I have U-turn to pivot and if anyone is wondering why I'm saying this it's because with libero you could resist anything so why pivot? Because there's just a chance that the opponent could have moves to hit you super effectively no matter your type (According to the moveset)

Answer 2

Cinderace @ Life Orb
Ability: Libero
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- High Jump Kick
- Zen Headbutt
- Pyro Ball

They actually gave this thing Swords Dance in Gen 9. They actually did. Even with the Libero nerf, this thing is back. Swords Dance makes this thing into a scary wallbreaker. High Jump Kick Tyranitar, hits Ting-Lu and OHKOes it, and also hits Garganacl and OHKOes. +2 252 Atk Life Orb Libero Cinderace High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ting-Lu: 627-741 (121.9 - 144.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO and +2 252 Atk Life Orb Libero Cinderace High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Garganacl: 611-720 (151.2 - 178.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO. Pyro Ball is a strong move OHKOes Amoonguss, Iron Treads, Orthworm, Gholdengo, Corviknight, and more. This calc shows this thing's power: +2 252 Atk Life Orb Cinderace Pyro Ball vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight: 655-772 (163.7 - 193%) -- guaranteed OHKO (I'll add the calcs for the other mons if people would like). Zen Headbutt hits Glimmora, Toxapex, Great Tusk, Annihilape, and Clodsire. For Tera Types, I don't really know what Tera type is best, so recommendations would be appreciated. I'll add all the calcs later, but I'm not sure if I should; I don't want this answer to be too long, as I'm planning to put down counters for this set.

Comments

Maybe Tera Psychic to turn its Psychic weakness into a resistance, and to give Zen Headbutt Tera STAB?

Answer 3

Gen 9 OU

Cinderace @ No Item
Ability: Libero
Tera Type: Fire / Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Acrobatics
- U-turn / Sucker Punch
- Electro Ball

This is a weird set because of Electro Ball, but it is used here to do a lot to a common check in Dondozo. Acrobatics and Counter are both for defensive Great Tusk. U-turn and Sucker Punch are for momentum or to revenge-kill ghost types, which is pretty important since you have so many Dragapults and Gholdengos running around. Other than that Pyro Ball is your regular strong spammable move.

Comments

Passho Berry is a very niche item, mainly because you have Libero to change types. Second, if you don’t make much use of Libero, Cinderace has some other weaknesses such as Ground and Rock.

Answer 4

Messi (Cinderace) @ Wide Lens
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Attack / 4 Defense / 252 Speed
IVs: 31 on everything (of course)
Adamant Nature
- Pyro Ball
- High Jump Kick
- Zen Headbutt
- Sucker Punch
Pyro Ball High Jump Kick, and Zen Headbutt get accuracy boosted by Wide Lens from 90 to 99 percent, which basically means they won't miss (unless you're really unlucky).
Libero basically means it will be able to get STAB from all moves. Pyro Ball is just there because it is the signature move and it has a high BP. High Jump Kick same thing, just more coverage for normal, dark, steel, rock, and ice. Especially rock. Zen Headbutt, just in case a poison or fighting type come along. Sucker Punch for priority and coverage against psychic and ghost types.

Answer 5

This is my setup from gen 8 so apologies if you got confused as to why there is nothing regarding to generation 9.

Cinderace @ Life Orb / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Iron Head / Gunk Shot
- Double Kick / Zen Headbutt
- U-turn

Pyro Ball: Best stab move with decent coverage. Has a 1/10 chances to burn.

Iron Head: Decent coverage with good damage. Has a 1/3 chances to flinch.

Gunk Shot: A high damage stab move with a 1/3 chance of poisoning.

Double Kick: Good coverage with decent damage. Nullifies the move Substitute and the item Focus Sash.

Zen Headbutt: Good damage with a 1/5 chances to flinch.

U-Turn: Good damage with a decent get-away method. Effective against Pokèmon that Cinderace cannot fight.

Answer 6

Fast Buns :D
Cinderace @ Charcoal / Wide Lens
Ability: Libero
Tera: Grass/Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 HP / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- High Jump Kick
- Tera Blast / Trailblaze
- Iron Head

Time for a little fast bunny! You can use Charcoal to boost Pyro Ball, or Wide Lens so HJK and Pyro Ball land more easy (and less of a risk losing half of your HP). Libero to cover your weaknesses. Tera isn't really necessary since Cinderace has Libero but with the change of Libero in Gen 9 it still can be useful. Grass Tera for Coverage against all your weaknesses and Tera Blast / Trailblaze power, or Fire for STAB + Tera Pyro Ball. Jolly for +Speed -SpA. Pyro Ball for STAB and Tera Boost (If you choose Fire). HJK Is powerful and with Wide Lens you won't be taking damage unless the opponent uses Protect and it is STAB if your Libero Fighting. Tera Blast (Grass) to cover your weaknesses or Trailblaze to gain +Speed and Super Effective damage on your Weaknesses and STAB if Libero Grass. Iron Head has a chance to flinch and is pretty good and STAB if Libero Steel.
Hope this helped!

Answer 7

Cinderace @ Assault vest
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly / Adamant Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Iron Head
- High Jump Kick
- Sucker Punch

• Pyro Ball (STAB)
• Iron Head (Coverage)

Both adamant and jolly are good, but I would prefer jolly, but it's choice. Libero makes it more unpredictable and better. Assault vest helps cinderace be more bulky while also fast and hitting hard. Pyro ball can be used as a main attack since its STAB. Iron head gives good damage, type coverage and chance to flinch. high jump kick for more coverage and sucker punch to finish off opponents. I hope this helps <3

Comments

You’re missing 4 EVs.

Answer 8

Gen 9 National Dex UU Bulky Pivot

Cinderace @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Blaze
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 120 HP / 180 Atk / 208 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- U-turn
- Will-O-Wisp
- Court Change

Ah, Cinderace, the Pokemon known as an offensive Pokemon with Libero. However, this Cinderace set isn't your typical Cinderace set. For starters, this is a Bulky Pivot set, as Cinderace's pure Fire typing and decent natural bulk lets it serve as a bulky pivot for the current NatDex UU Meta. The second thing is its Ability being Blaze. Because pure Fire is a decent defesive type, Cinderace doesn't really want to change its typing should it need to use Court Change. This set is essentially the SV OU Bulky Pivot set, but with the EVs adjusted to suit the Gen 9 NatDex UU Meta.

Pyro Ball is Cinderace's strongest Fire STAB, being useful to threaten Steel-types such as Aegislash, Excadrill, Iron Treads, and Celesteela. U-turn lets Cinderace escape problematic matchups and lets it generate or keep up momentum for your team. Cinderace got Will-O-Wisp in Gen 9, which means Cinderace can use it in Gen 9 NatDex UU to burn Pokemon that are problematic to Cinderace or would expect Cinderace to use U-turn such as Mega Tyranitar, Lead Excadrill, Iron Treads, and Hippowdon, as burning them cripples them (Burning Hippowdon also negates its Leftovers recovery). Court Change allows Cinderace to serve as hazard control for bulky offense teams since there aren't much good Defoggers in the tier. Heavy-Duty Boots is used to prevent Cinderace from being chipped by entry hazards.

Despite having decent natural bulk, you shouldn't be so reckless hard switching Cinderace into opposing Pokemon. It's best to bring in Cinderace on attacks it can resist or use slow pivots such as Alomomola and Galarian Slowking.

180 Attack EVs allow Cinderace to OHKO Offensive Aegislash after it (Aegislash) takes damage from Stealth Rock. 208 Speed EVs allow Cinderace to outspeed Serperior. The rest of the EVs are used in HP to give Cinderace some bulk.

Answer 9

An uncommon set for Cinderace (Gen 9 OU)
Cinderace @ Nothing
Ability: Libero
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Acrobatics
- Iron Head
- Bulk Up

Specific moveset choices I need to explain:
I did not give it a held item because for the other consumable held items: 1) Focus Sash activation is unreliable, 2) Cinderace has too low defenses to utilize Weakness Policy, and 3) Grassy/Misty/Electric/Psychic Seed makes you devote another teammate for it, and most if not all of these setters (preferably ones which set terrain on switchin) only purpose is to set the terrain, which means a teammate slot wasted effectively.

I gave it Libero instead of Blaze because it boosts the 1st move it uses after switch in, and the main move we are trying to boost is Acrobatics, not Pyro Ball (Acrobatics is not Blaze boosted). Also it helps predict Ground Types coming in and pressing Earthquake/Earth Power/any Ground type coverage.

Terastallize Fighting for rock types, don't need to care much about fairy because Cinderace has a natural resistance to them. Also makes Cinderace Stealth Rock resistant, seeing that there are no Heavy-Duty Boots.

Moves:
Pyro Ball for STAB
Acrobatics for surprise factor
Iron Head to hit Rock types
Bulk Up for a boosting move (and also to set up on Rock Types)
Chose Bulk Up over Swords Dance because of Libero type changes (mentioned above)

Calcs:
Outspeeds non Booster Energy/Scarf Iron Valiant and OHKOs:
252 Atk Libero Cinderace Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Valiant: 362-428 (125.2 - 148%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Threatens Defensive Great Tusk with a possible 2HKO:
252 Atk Libero Cinderace Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Great Tusk: 200-236 (46 - 54.3%) -- 57.4% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Answer 10

The Burning Rabbit

Cinderace @ Magnet
Ability: Libero
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Serious Nature
- Pyro Ball
- Electro Ball
- Flame Charge
- Low Sweeep

Ok, so you already know the role of Pyro Ball right? So Pyro Ball is a powerful move that kills opponents then leaves them with a burn. Then Electro Ball comes in to take place of a disadvantage against water types with Cinderace's ability, Libero. So if Cinderace just used Electro Ball, it's all over because Cinderace is already an electric type. The Magnet is a backup for Electro Ball if the opponent is faster than Cinderace. That's when Flame Charge comes in to help. Electro Ball only hits stronger if the user is faster right? Yes, Flame Charge can help by BOOSTING Cinderace's speed and backup fire type move for Pyro Ball because Pyro Ball has a shacky 90 accuracy only. Low Sweep can only take down rock types but also can take down ground types. Since Cinderace's ability is Libero, with the type switch, ground type won't have to make super effective hits.

Hope this helps for Cinderace users!

Comments

Electro ball, magnet, Flame Charge, and Low Sweeep are all bad on Cinderace.

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this is just my opinion. i used this to my shiny gmax cinderace and it's great

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anyways my cinderace has good coverage against weaknesses

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Low Kick is way better than Low Sweep, and High Jump Kick is way better than Low Kick. I wonder why the nature is serious. Also Electro Ball doesn't do hand in hand with Cinderace's Low SpA. And, why Flame Charge? Cinderella is already fast.

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high jump kick has not that bad accuracy but loses half the hp it has unless it misses. low kick only gets stronger when the opponent is heavier. so if your going against like a light pokemon, it will do less damage. also you can make cinderace more faster using flame charge and make your electro ball stronger against water types.

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Also just covering weaknesses doesn't mean that you can win match ups against those types. And because of the ability Libero, you wouldn't have to worry about weaknesses.