Camerupt, the Eruption Pokémon. The volcanoes on its back have a major eruption every 10 years—or whenever it becomes really angry.
Overview
The ace of Team Magma’s Maxie, Camerupt never really cut an imposing figure. This is in part due to its speed. Base 40 is a abysmally slow having Camerupt outran by even the likes of Kingambit and Hippowdon, to say nothing of the numerous offensive staples that are considered fast. This would be salvageable if Camerupt had bulk worth talking about. 70/75 defenses are below average at best and base 70 HP is not enough to make up for it, even when fully invested. This is even before getting into Camerupt’s extremely common Ground and Water weaknesses. Solid Rock does not make up the difference either, given how extreme Camerupt’s Water weakness is that it is still dropping to such attacks, and low overall bulk meaning neutral attacks are just as much to be feared. With such low Speed and bulk, Camerupt struggles to do anything before being expediently removed.
Which is a shame as Camerupt does have a bit going for it offensively. Fire Ground is one of the more potent STAB combinations, hitting over half the type chart for super effective damage while being slightly synergistic with Ground covering opposing Rock and Fire types and Fire covering Ground resistant Grass and Bug types. Add in Rock coverage on both sides of the spectrum and high powered STAB options like Earthquake, Fire Blast, and Flare Blitz and valuable special STAB Ground coverage in Earth Power and Camerupt’s offensive reach is quite vast. However, even this falls short given Camerupt’s barely usable offenses and no means of reliably boosting them. While base Camerupt promises the raging might of a volcano, its prospects have long since gone dormant with no sign of waking up.
Positives
Fire Ground is an amazing type combination with superb offensive coverage and numerous resistances and immunities.
Powerful STAB options on both sides of the offensive spectrum keep opponents guessing.
Negatives
Base 40 Speed is abysmal, forcing Camerupt to tank a hit before acting.
70/70/75 defenses are underwhelming even with investment and Solid Rock, giving Camerupt little staying power.
100/105 offenses teeter on the edge of usable and with no way to boost, Camerupt struggles to pick up knock outs against bulkier foes.
Movesets
Focus Fire
-Focus Energy
-Overheat
-Earth Power
-Stealth Rock
Ability: Solid Rock
Item: Scope Lens
Stats and Nature:
32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SAtk
Modest Nature
One way Camerupt can address its low offenses is by exploiting the interaction between Focus Energy and Scope Lens, ensuring guaranteed critical hits after a single turn of setup. This gives Camerupt an effective Choice item boost in terms of power, while being able to ignore damage mitigation like Screens, stat boosting and stat drops. This becomes extremely relevant with Overheat, allowing Camerupt to repeatedly throw out an extremely powerful Fire STAB option with no drawback. With such, Camerupt is capable of OHKOing targets as bulky as 32 HP Hippowdon, and dealing 79-94% to Mega Baxcalibur. Earth Power is secondary STAB but no less invaluable given the rarity of STAB Earth Powers from a Pokémon with decent Special Attack. The ability to efficiently clean up the likes of Archaludon, Torkoal, and Skeledirge without having to contend with their high Defense cannot be understated. Stealth Rock rounds out the set, giving Camerupt utility for when its special offense is not enough and a strong deterrent for the many Flying types that would otherwise look to take advantage of Camerupt’s Ground STAB as an entry point.
Stats and Items:
Max HP is highly recommended for Camerupt. As underwhelming as its bulk is, Camerupt’s speed is unsalvageable, and with HP investment, Camerupt can be expected to survive a blow. Everything else goes into Special Attack as Camerupt’s offensive prowess is barely viable and needs all the help it can get for offensive sets. For more supportive Camerupt, foregoing offensive investment in place of defense investment is preferred. Special Defense synergizes nicely with Camerupt’s resistance to Fire, and Fairy on top of its immunity to Electric, allowing it to better handle prominent attackers like Mega Floette, Sylveon, Mega Raichu Y lacking Surf, etc. For the given set, Scope Lens is mandatory for the guaranteed critical hit after Focus Energy. If not running Focus Energy, Shuca Berry is a strong option for more defensive sets, as between that and Solid Rock, Camerupt can easily weather a Ground attack and strike back.
Partners:
If wanting to use Camerupt in a consistent offensive matter, Trick Room support is highly recommended, flipping Camerupt’s low speed onto its head. Slowbro is a solid option, thanks to its solid bulk and Regenerator allowing it to set Trick Room repeatedly. Also by merit of typing it forms a solid Fire-Water core with Camerupt, loving Camerupt’s ability to threaten Grass types and completely shut out Electric attacks, while handling the opposing Water, Ground and ungrounded Fire types that Camerupt struggles against. Hatterene is also notable as one of the few reliable Singles Trick Room setters and attackers thanks to its good bulk and loves Camerupt’s ability to destroy most Steel types with ease. In turn Hatterene handles the ungrounded Dragon types that can stymie Camerupt’s offense.
Other Options:
Yawn is a powerful disruptive option, forcing opponents to lose a turn or switch out and synergizes.
Flare Blitz and Earthquake are viable physical options if looking to run physical Camerupt.
Rock Slide, and to a lesser extent, Ancient Power handle the Fire resistant Flying types that otherwise wall Camerupt’s STABs.
Will-O-Wisp is another excellent form of disruption in Camerupt’s toolkit.
Countering Camerupt
While Camerupt’s offense is surprisingly potent, its poor speed and flawed defensive profile means it struggles to make the most of it.
Bulky Water types are Camerupt’s bane both offensively and defensively, with Camerupt lacking the sheer firepower to burst through them with its STABs and any Water type threatening an instant KO back with their own. 32 HP Gyarados takes this to the extreme, thanks to its immunity to Ground STAB, leaving Camerupt with only Rock coverage. 32+ Atk Rock Slide capping out at 55% at best and even then, Intimidate drops that down to 37%. Rotom Wash is even worse, resisting Fire and immune to Ground while not fearing Will-O-Wisp. 32 HP Primarina is reliably 2HKOd by Earthquake but tanks any other move with ease. Mega Blastoise takes at most 49% from Earthquake, allowing it in the absence of Yawn to safely setup Shell Smash to sweep. Basculegion abhors Will-O-Wisp, and is 2HKOd by 32+ Atk Earthquake, but otherwise easily grabs a knock out, even with Aqua Jet. Mega Swampert is also similarly bulky enough to not be 2HKOd by Ground moves and barring Will-O-Wisp or Yawn can easily dispatch Camerupt with Wave Crash. 32 HP/32+ Def Milotic is similarly bulky and can pivot into Camerupt repeatedly thanks to Recover. Others like Palafin Azumarill, and Vamporeon can also stave off Camerupt with ease.
Ground immune Fire resists are also a considerable problem for Camerupt given the relative weakness of its Rock coverage. Salamence and Dragonite are both 3HKOd at best by Anicent Power while being able to 2HKO back with their STABs, to say nothing of their Mega Evolutions. Mega Garchomp Z and Hydreigon even lack this weakness to Rock, allowing them to comfortably 2HKO with Dragon Pulse or OHKO with Draco Meteor. While Mega Delphox takes a whopping 67-80% from Rock Slide, nothing else Camerupt has does appreciable damage, allowing Mega Delphox to easily setup and sweep.
Other bulky Pokémon can work as well in staving off Camerupt. Hippowdon solidly walls any physical set and barring Will-O-Wisp threatens an easy 2HKO with Earthquake. 32 HP Umbreon takes at worst 43-50% from Flare Blitz (the only attack that even has a chance of 2HKOing it) and can 2-3HKO back with Foul Play while keeping healthy with Wish. 32 HP Mega Tyranitar walls off Special Camerupt with ease with threatening an OHKO back with Earthquake.
Checking Camerupt offensively is even easier given how slow it is. It is already dire that every listed defensive check naturally outspeeds Camerupt, making it easier to overwhelm, let alone the scores of attackers that can outrun and OHKO it like Garchomp, Excadrill, Greninja, Maushold, Mamoswine, Blaziken, and Life Orb Pawmot. To say nothing of the many others that can picky off a slightly damaged Camerupt, of which there are too many to list.
Mega Camerupt, the Eruption Pokémon. When this Pokémon's rage reaches a boiling point, the huge volcano in the hump on its back erupts violently, spewing molten lava.
Overview
The ace of Omega Ruby’s Team Magma leader Maxie, Mega Camerupt brings the full might of a volcano upon all who stand against it. How could it not, with a fantastic base 145 Special Attack and fantastic Fire Ground STABs valued for their coverage? Yet Mega Camerupt goes even further beyond its already high power thanks to its ability Sheer Force. With Sheer Force, Mega Camerupt’s power skyrockets, boasting the strongest unboosted Earth Power in Champions and the second strongest in the series history, while its Fire Blast falls just under max power Eruption. Even Mega Camerupt’s coverage flourishes, with the likes of Ancient Power becoming viable with the boost. All this power is backed up by newly improved base 100/105 defenses. While Mega Camerupt would not excel as a traditional defensive wall, this boost in conjunction with its valuable Fairy, Fire, and Steel resistances plus Electric immunity gives Mega Camerupt plenty of opportunity to switch in and stick around.
However, these boosts came at a heavy cost. Mega Camerupt speed was dropped for all the boosts it received down to a horrific base 20. Base 20 Speed is the second slowest currently available in Champions, only outspeeding Pinurchin and tied for 5th slowest fully evolved Pokémon in series history. Mega Camerupt is all but assured to move second in any fight and considering that, its defenses just are not sufficient, especially with the lack of reliable recovery, making it easy to wear down and revenge KO. The extreme Water weakness does little to help matters either, giving opponents an easy out despite Mega Camerupt’s improved defenses. It is too the point that Mega Camerupt mandates Trick Room support to excel, which given the nature of singles is incredibly difficult for a non Trick Room setter to get mileage out of. This is especially agonizing given the steep opportunity cost of Mega Camerupt as your Mega Evolution. Furthermore, while Mega Camerupt’s offensive profile cannot be singularly matched, the many excellent Fire typed Mega Evolutions and Ground staples like the Mega Charizards, Mega Blaziken, Mega Delphox, Garchomp, Hippowdon, etc. all can check similar foes without mandating the same steep team support. While Mega Camerupt’s offense is top class, the requirements to use it effectively are too high a cost in most cases.
Positives
Base 145 Special Attack is immense and with Sheer Force, Mega Camerupt can hit absurdly hard.
Base 120 Attack is viable, especially with the Sheer Force boost, allowing Mega Camerupt to run mixed with ease.
Fire Ground is an amazing type combination with superb offensive coverage and numerous resistances and immunities.
70/100/105 defenses allows Mega Camerupt to tank a hit or two…
Negatives
Base 20 Speed is absolutely horrid, meaning Mega Camerupt is all but always moving last.
Defenses are not great enough to compensate for horrid speed.
Quadruple Water weakness is easily exploitable for easy removal.
Movesets
Cladera Camel
-Fire Blast
-Earth Power
-Ancient Power
-Flash Cannon
Ability: Solid Rock -> Sheer Force
Item: Cameruptite
Stats and Nature:
32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SAtk
Modest Nature
While getting Mega Camerupt into position may be difficult, once it is there, it can unleash untold havoc. Fire Blast is primary STAB due to sheer firepower. With the Sheer Force boost, Fire Blast hits an effective base 143 power before STAB, just a few points shy of a full power Eruption. As such Fire Blast is critical for blasting through walls like Hippowdon (1/8 chance to OHKO), Unaware Clefable (77-91% -2HKOing through Calm Mind), to say nothing of Steel typed walls like Corviknight, Mega Golisopod, Aegislash, etc. Earth Power is secondary STAB, and invaluable given the relative scarcity of viable special Ground attackers, of which Mega Camerupt is one of the best. With Earth Power, Mega Camerupt cleanly removes or compromises walls like Galarian-Slowking (80-95%), Toxapex (1/8 chance to OHKO 32 HP/32+ SDef Toxapex), Empoleon (37.5% chance to OHKO) Skeledirge (81.25% chance to OHKO 32 HP/32+ SDef) and Archaludon (guaranteed OHKO). Ancient Power is coverage for the Fire resistant Flying types that otherwise could reliably switch into Mega Camerupt’s fearsome STABs and respectable with the Sheer Force boost. With Ancient Power, Dragonite, Mega Delphox, Meg Charizard Y and Mega Salamence cannot come in safely on a Fire Blast as they will be KOd by the follow up Ancient Power. Last move is up to preference. Flash Cannon is a strong option, providing coverage against ungrounded Rock types, namely Mega Aerodactyl and Air Balloon Glimmora.
Stats and Items:
Full HP and Special Attack investment are recommended for Mega Camerupt, balancing out survivability is sheer offensive power. Mega Camerupt’s bottom tier speed ensures that it will take a hit before acting so 32 HP at the very least is necessary for Mega Camerupt to function. Further investment can be considered if looking to survive select blows. At the most extreme, 32 Defense ensures that Adamant Scarf Garchomp cannot OHKO with Earthquake, allowing Mega Camerupt to 2HKO with Earth Power in Trick Room. 6 Defense is necessary to survive Mega Baxcalibur’s Earthquake, while 3 Defense is enough for Life Orb Rillaboom’s High Horsepower. Conversely, 20 Special Defense avoids the 2HKO from Mega Delphox’s Psychic. Otherwise, full Special Attack investment is recommended for Mega Camerupt to reach the necessary knockouts. Item is locked to the Cameruptite.
Partners:
Given Mega Camerupt’s bottom tier speed, Trick Room support is highly recommended. Slowbro is a solid option, thanks to its solid bulk and Regenerator allowing it to set Trick Room repeatedly. Also by merit of typing it forms a solid Fire-Water core with Mega Camerupt, loving Mega Camerupt’s ability to threaten Grass types and completely shut out Electric attacks, while handling the opposing Water, Ground and ungrounded Fire types that Mega Camerupt struggles against. Hatterene is also notable as one of the few reliable Singles Trick Room setters and attackers thanks to its good bulk and loves Mega Camerupt’s ability to destroy most Steel types with ease. In turn Hatterene handles the ungrounded Dragon types that can stymie Mega Camerupt’s offense.
It is highly recommended to run Mega Camerupt as a secondary Mega Evolution. When doing so, Mega Golisopod makes for a great primary Mega evolution, due to Mega Camerupt’s good matchups into the Fire and Steel types that give Mega Golisopod trouble, while Mega Golisopod has generally strong matchups while both highly benefit from Trick Room.
Rillaboom is another excellent partner for Mega Camerupt, its Grassy Surge weakening the omnipresent Earthquake that allows so many Pokémon to check Mega Camerupt while giving it extra longevity. The pair forming a Grass-Fire core is another excellent bonus, with Rillaboom destroying the Ground and Water types that are anathema to Mega Camerupt and Mega Camerupt handling the Grass, Poison, and Steel types that give Rillaboom so much trouble.
Other Options:
Stealth Rocks is always a strong option, breaking Focus Sash and Sturdy and chipping the Flying types that are more consistently problematic for Mega Camerupt.
Flamethrower is a reliable alternative Fire STAB option when Mega Camerupt is assured of the knock out and cannot afford the miss chance.
Will-O-Wisp is great for crippling incoming Salamence and Gyarados looking to reduce the damage from Mega Camerupt’s assault.
Yawn is excellent disruption that punishes opponents trying to use Mega Camerupt for setup.
Doubles and VGC Options
Given Trick Room’s much greater strength in Doubles, it comes as little surprise that Mega Camerupt has excelled there. Indeed, the sheer value of special Ground offense cannot be understated in a format where Intimidate users are everywhere, allowing Mega Camerupt to easily remove staples like Incineroar, Tyranitar, and Archaludon all vital support pieces or win conditions. Add in plentiful spread and single target Fire STAB options and Mega Camerupt is an exemplary Trick Room attacker. However, Mega Camerupt faces extremely stiff competition from fellow Fiery Path Denizen Torkoal, whose equally low speed and even more devastating Eruptions thanks to Drought allow it to fulfill many of the same niches as Mega Camerupt, while offering even more utility by enabling alternate team modes with Drought. All without using up one’s Mega Evolution. That is not to say Torkoal completely eclipses Mega Camerupt, whose far greater coverage allows it to threaten targets Torkoal could only dream of.
Volcanic Room
-Earth Power
-Heat Wave
-Ancient Power
-Protect
Ability: Solid Rock -> Sheer Force
Item: Cameruptite
Stat Points and Nature:
32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SAtk
Quie Nature
Mega Camerupt is a fearsome Trick Room attacker, using its fantastic STABs and sheer power to pile on damage quickly while giving opponents scarce opportunities for respite. Mega Camerupt's Earth Power is one of the strongest in the history of the series and a key reason to use it, annihilating bulky targets like Archaludon, Kingambit, Aegislash while still dealing a whopping 64-78% to a Pokémon as bulky as 32 HP Mega Tyranitar in Sand. The ability to check Fire types, especially Flash Fire users like Ceruledge and Armarouge is also invaluable. Heat Wave is secondary STAB and fantastic spread damage at that. This makes it difficult for opponents to stall out Trick Room by attempting to predict who Mega Camerupt will target when it can consistently threaten damage to both. The ability to incinerate Grass typed staples like Whimsicott, Rillaboom, and Sinistcha along with bulky Steel types like Mega Golisopod. Ancient Power is the preferred coverage for Mega Camerupt handling the Mega Charizard Y, Mega Delphox, (Mega) Dragonite, and Mega Salamence that are immune to Earth Power and resist Fire STAB, allowing Mega Camerupt to trade much more positively in such matchups. The ability to check (Mega) Aerodactyl and its Heat Wave blocking Wide Guard is another plus. Protect is the doubles staple, allowing Mega Camerupt to block Fake Out, stall for Trick Room setup, stall out detremental field conditions, punish focus fire attempts and more. The utility of Protect in Doubles cannot be understated, especially on Trick Room attackers.
Standard Trick Room attacker array of full HP and appropriate offensive investment to maximize bulk and damage. Quiet nature is so that Mega Camerupt is tied for Torkoal as the second fastest Pokémon in Trick Room outslowing all but Pinurchin.
Preferred Partners & Other Options:
Mega Camerupt needs Trick Room to excel as it is otherwise far too easily outsped and knocked out without having contributed much. Farigiraf and Indeedee are of course the standard setters, their priority blocking Armor Tail and Psychic Surge denying Fake Out not only in preventing Trick Room's setup, but also preventing opponents from cycling Fake Out to stall out Trick Room. Indeedee-F stands out even more with its Follow Me keeping Mega Camerupt healthy and allowing it to fire off more attacks. Hatterene is also notable, its Fairy STAB threatening the Ground immune Dragon types that give Mega Camerupt trouble. These three also form a powerful PsySpam core with Expanding Force spam that Mega Camerupt greatly enables, melting the troublesome Kingambit that threatens such strategies as well as handling Steel types and select opposing Psychic types like Mega Metagross, Armarouge, and Mega Delphox with its own STABs and Ancient Power.
Rain archetypes are incredibly troublesome for Mega Camerupt for the obvious reasons. As such, an alternative Mega Evolution that can handle such teams like Mega Mawile or Mega Golisopod are greatly preferred. Vanilluxe was also notable in regulation M-B as a non-Mega Evolution that disrupted Rain archetypes with its Freeze Dry annihilating Mega Swampert and Pelipper while not being weak to the latter's Hurricane. Mega Abomasnow could also serve a similar niche, though it must be more wary around Pelipper and at a higher opportunity cost. Both also being able to setup Aurora Veil to improve Mega Camerupt's bulk is a nice added bonus.
Eruption is a powerful spread option that eclipses even Sheer Force boosted Heat Wave at full health but once Mega Camerupt drops below 85%, Heat Wave is better, and is thus a very small viable window.
Flamethrower is a single target Fire STAB option for cases where the opponent is threatening Wide Guard but Mega Camerupt really needs its Fire STAB..
Countering Mega Camerupt
Mega Camerupt’s power is as terrifying as expected for a Mega Evolution but is let down by molasses speed and defenses that do not match such speed.
Defensively checking Mega Camerupt is easier said than done given the superb coverage of Fire, Ground and Rock, but not impossible, especially given the much poorer power of Mega Camerupt’s Rock coverage. 32 HP Rotom-Wash all but counters Mega Camerupt, being resistant to Fire, immune to Ground and neutral to Rock with Fire Blast only having a 10% chance to 2HKO before accounting for accuracy. Hydreigon also does well, but it needs Water coverage to OHKO Mega Camerupt back as otherwise Fire Blast has a solid 71% chance to 2HKO. 32 HP/32+ Special Defense Umbreon with Leftovers can only be 3HKOd by Fire Blast, and can easily stall out PP between Wish and Protect while 3HKOing with Foul Play. 32 HP/32+ SDef Tyranitar can switch into anything except Earth Power (which does 56-66%) and 2HKO with Ground coverage. 32 HP Leftovers Araquanid also has the sheer bulk to be favored to avoid the 3HKO and OHKOs with its own Water STAB. Sitrus Berry 32 HP Primarina is favored to avoid the 2HKO from Earth Power (and it has to be Earth Power) and overkills with its own Water STAB. 32 HP/13 SDef Sitrus Berry Politoed also avoids the 2HKO from Earth Power and OHKOs back with Weather Ball.
If one can catch Mega Camerupt outside of Trick Room, Water attackers of all stripes make short work of it. Even in Trick Room, Basculegion, Mega Starmie, Azumarill and Palafin can OHKO with Aqua Jet and Jet Punch respectively while Hisuian-Samurott deals a whopping 74-90% with Aqua Jet.
As for non Water attackers, ground attacks from the likes of Garchomp, Excadrill, and Mamoswine easily secure the OHKO. Maushold’s Population Bomb will also OHKO if all 10 hits connect. Non STAB Ground attacks in general will deal catastrophic damage, reliably 2HKOing Mega Camerupt, as will powerful attackers like Mega Salamence (74-88% with Double Edge), Baxcalibur (75-89% with Earthquake), Mega Charizard X (70-83%), Mega Metagross (70-82% with Earthquake), easily picking off a slightly chipped Mega Camerupt.
It should be noted how easy it is to overwhelm Mega Camerupt, especially given its horrid speed forcing it to move last, allowing most attackers to simply 2HKO it with their STABs.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Not in game
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Evolve Numel
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Trade from Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald
Colosseum/XD:
Evolve Numel (XD)
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Route 227, Stark Mountain
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Numel
Black/White:
Trade from White 2
Black 2/White 2:
Reversal Mountain (White 2)
X/Y:
Friend Safari
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Evolve Numel
Sun/Moon:
Transfer from Pokémon Bank
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Transfer from Pokémon Bank
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game
Sword/Shield:
Not in game
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Route 227, Stark Mountain, Grand Underground
Legends: Arceus:
Not in game
Scarlet/Violet:
Area Zero, North Province Area Two, Coastal Biome, Polar Biome, Torchlit Labyrinth
Tera Raid Battles: 5 Star Raid Battles
Legends: Z-A:
Wild Zone 8
Hyperspace Lumiose - Ground (4 Star), Fire (4 Star)
Anime Appearences
