[OVERVIEW]
Charizard is one of the tier's premier Fire-types, boasting great offensive stats and powerful attacks that threaten a good majority of the tier. While it is not as fast as Pyroar, Charizard sits in a comfortable Speed tier, able to outrun Pokemon such as Jynx, Primeape, Rotom, and Lilligant, and is equipped with good coverage options, such as Earthquake and Focus Blast. Charizard also has the choice to run a physical set, using Swords Dance alongside its physical Flying STAB move Acrobatics. Despite already possessing great strength and offensive versatility, Charizard is not a pushover when it comes to taking hits either, as its resistances, access to Roost, and not-too-shabby bulk allow it to withstand punishment decently well. However, Charizard still has its flaws; Water and Electric are common attacking types that can serve as annoyances to it. The Stealth Rock weakness is especially huge, as it greatly compromises Charizard's longevity and durability. Charizard's Rock weakness can also be exploited by certain Pokemon that it otherwise checks, such as Stone Edge Hariyama and Primeape and Hidden Power Rock Lilligant. Reliable entry hazard removal is mandatory to ensure Charizard's success at massacring the opponent's team.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Focus Blast
move 4: Roost / Earthquake
item: Life Orb
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fire Blast is Charizard's main attack, doing a lot of damage to any Pokemon that doesn't resist it. For example, it possesses enough power to OHKO the likes of Rotom and bulky Scyther and 2HKO Musharna. Air Slash is Charizard's alternate STAB attack. It doesn't hit a lot of Pokemon that Fire Blast does not, aside from Thick Fat Hariyama, certain Water-types, and opposing Fire-types such as Pyroar, Combusken, and opposing Charizard, but it still has decent neutral coverage and is a more accurate move to finish off a weakened target with. Hidden Power Grass primarily targets Pokemon that can withstand both of Charizard's STAB attacks, such as Rhydon, Gastrodon, Omastar, Barbaracle, and Kabutops. Focus Blast maintains coverage on the aforementioned Rock-type Pokemon as well as sturdier Pokemon that resist Fire, such as Regirock and Thick Fat Miltank, though it comes at the cost of accuracy. Roost is useful to offset Life Orb recoil and keep Charizard healthy, especially if Charizard is used to check Pokemon such as Grass-types and Fighting-types, as well as slightly helping Charizard to deal with its Stealth Rock weakness. Earthquake is primarily used to 2HKO less bulky variants of Lanturn and Assault Vest Magmortar.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed maximizes Charizard's offensive prowess, while a Timid nature is used to make the most out of Charizard's good Speed tier to outspeed the likes of Jynx, Primeape, Lilligant, and Rotom. The remaining investment should not be placed in HP, lest Charizard be KOed by two switches into Stealth Rock. Blaze is the ability of choice, as powering up Charizard's Fire Blast for massive damage is useful for a last-ditch attack. Solar Power also clashes with Life Orb, causing Charizard to take excessive damage. Note that even with a Timid nature, Earthquake can still 2HKO its main targets while preserving Charizard's bulk to take resisted hits, so there is no need to deviate from the suggested EV spread and nature. However, a Naive nature can be considered if Charizard prefers to dent more physically defensive variants of Lanturn with its Earthquake.
Usage Tips
========
Charizard would prefer nothing more than to raze foes to the ground with its powerful Fire Blast; its other attacks should usually only be used against threats that resist Fire or perhaps against a weakened foe. Charizard does an especially good job at punishing bulkier builds that rely on Hariyama as their Fire-type switch-in of choice, as Air Slash can tear through it with ease. Charizard can use its resistance to Grass- and Fighting-type moves as well as its immunity to Will-O-Wisp and Ground-type moves to enter battle and launch powerful attacks. Examples of Pokemon Charizard can switch into include Hariyama, Hitmonchan, Lilligant, Mismagius, Gourgeist-XL, and Steelix. With Roost, Charizard can check additional threats, such as Shiftry, Combusken, and Weezing, and handle the ones it already checks even more effectively, though Earthquake can delegate Charizard into an even more focused wallbreaking role, being able to break down Lanturn and Magmortar. In the mid- or late-game, should the opponent no longer have any faster Pokemon or priority users, Charizard can attempt to clean up the opposition with Blaze-boosted attacks and can even make use of Stealth Rock to activate Blaze if the situation permits it.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard removers are paramount to Charizard's success, as they get rid of Stealth Rock, which plagues Charizard. Shiftry and Kabutops are very strong offensive partners that can remove Stealth Rock with Defog and Rapid Spin, respectively. The two can also beat down or weaken most Water-types, Rock-types, and specially bulky Pokemon for Charizard, with Shiftry resisting Electric attacks as well, whereas Charizard can severely damage bulky Grass-types, Poison-types, and other physically defensive Pokemon while taking Will-O-Wisp plus Fighting-, Bug-, Grass-, and Ground-type attacks. Defog Skuntank can work as well, especially since it can easily dispatch of Grumpig, one of Charizard's few hard counters, and help lure Rock- and Ground-types, such as Rhydon and Gastrodon, to weaken them with Hidden Power Grass.
Hitmonchan and Claydol are great Rapid Spin partners from a defensive standpoint, as they resist Rock for Charizard, as well as Electric in Claydol's case, and can spin away Stealth Rock; both also beat down most Rock-types. Xatu's Magic Bounce can prevent Stealth Rock from being set on Charizard's side at all and can either support Charizard with Thunder Wave or U-turn or weaken its checks with its coverage moves. Outside of hazard control, Grass-types such as Lilligant and Shiftry appreciate Charizard breaking down their checks for them while offering Water and Electric resistances; Gastrodon offers perfect defensive synergy alongside Charizard and can wear down bulkier foes that Charizard cannot break through by using Toxic and Recover; and Lanturn can switch into Water- and Electric-type moves with ease while offering a slow Volt Switch to allow Charizard to safely enter battle, especially against opposing Grass-types that intend to take advantage of Lanturn.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Roost
item:
ability: Blaze
nature: Jolly
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance doubles Charizard's Attack, greatly improving its damage output. Acrobatics is the STAB move of choice, packing a solid 110 Base Power provided Charizard does not wield an item. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical Rock-types, which serve as hard counters to Charizard otherwise. It also weakens physical attackers in general, particularly Sucker Punch users, making it much easier for Charizard to set up. Roost keeps Charizard healthy, giving Charizard multiple opportunities to check foes or set up as well as offset Stealth Rock damage.
Set Details
========
248 HP EVs maximize Charizard's bulk without putting it at risk of being 2HKOed by Stealth Rock. 252 Speed EVs alongside a Jolly nature take advantage of Charizard's good Speed tier to outrun the likes of Primeape, Jynx, Lilligant, Haunter, and Vivillon. The remaining investment goes into Attack to add a bit more punch to Charizard's Acrobatics. Going itemless not only gives Charizard's Acrobatics consistent power but also allows Charizard to easily pivot into Knock Off from the likes of Hariyama and Shiftry. While neither ability benefits this variant of Charizard, Solar Power has the risk of depleting Charizard's health, so Blaze is chosen. Alternatively, a more offensive Swords Dance variant focusing on Attack and Speed investment can be considered. Said offensive Swords Dance Charizard may consider Earthquake or Flare Blitz over Will-O-Wisp for greater offensive potential.
Usage Tips
========
Charizard's main goal is to set up Swords Dances on a foe that cannot hurt it much, use Roost to remain healthy if necessary, and sweep with Acrobatics. Early-game, it's usually best to use Will-O-Wisp to cripple its checks, such as Rock- and Steel-types. Charizard can also check frailer foes, most notably Fighting- and Grass-types, as Acrobatics still has good initial power. However, Charizard must be wary about being nailed by Rock-type coverage moves on the switch from the Fighting-types. Once Charizard's checks and counters are sufficiently dealt with, Charizard can aim to set up Swords Dances on weaker foes; using Will-O-Wisp against physical attackers makes the task of setting up much easier for it as well.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard removers are crucial for Charizard, as Stealth Rock greatly hinders Charizard's ability to set up. Shiftry can Defog away Stealth Rock while synergizing very nicely with Charizard; it can crush Rock- and Water-types and resists Electric attacks for Charizard, while Charizard can set up on most Grass-, Poison-, and Fairy-types, resists Fighting- and Bug-type attacks, and can switch into Will-O-Wisp for Shiftry. Hitmonchan and Claydol are great Rapid Spin partners from a defensive standpoint. They resist Rock-type moves, as well as Electric in Claydol's case, can spin away Stealth Rock, and can take on Rock- and Steel-types for Charizard. Xatu's Magic Bounce can prevent Stealth Rock from being set on Charizard's side at all and can either support Charizard with Thunder Wave or U-turn or weaken its checks with its coverage moves. Charizard's burn support can be useful for specially bulky Pokemon such as Hariyama, Lanturn, and Gastrodon, as well as Calm Mind users such as Mega Audino, Musharna, and Xatu. Fast cleaners such as Tauros, Swellow, and Choice Scarf users, such as Primeape and Kabutops, can also capitalize on Charizard's ability to wear down their checks with burns and repeated Acrobatics.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Charizard has a couple of appealing offensive options at its disposal. A Dragon Dance set with Flare Blitz, Earthquake, and Thunder Punch has effective neutral coverage and decent sweeping potential, although Dragon Dance is incompatible with Acrobatics. Charizard can wield Choice Specs, which performs best with Solar Power to throw out obscenely strong attacks, although sun teams aren't known for good entry hazard control, which can limit Solar Power Charizard's presence. The limited entry hazard control on sun teams makes Solar Power Charizard a shaky idea in general, even with items such as Leftovers and Flame Plate to help preserve its longevity and staying power. Both Choice Specs and Choice Scarf sets also tend to be outperformed by Pyroar, as Pyroar is not as pressured by Stealth Rock while constantly switching, and Charizard's movepool advantage over Pyroar is diminished when it cannot switch moves. Charizard has access to other Speed-boosting options, including Flame Charge and Tailwind, to outrun its foes. Belly Drum is a far riskier alternative to Swords Dance, and the risk greatly outweighs the reward, as Charizard greatly depends on its bulk and health to set up and maintain a sweep, not to mention Swords Dance is effective enough as it is. Charizard can attempt a set without an item using Fire Blast and Acrobatics to exploit players that rely on Team Preview to deduce Charizard's set by determining the presence of its item. While this itemless all-out-attacking variant of Charizard can lure most of its traditional defensive checks to unfavorable positions, the relative lack of raw or potential power compared to its other sets adversely affects its consistency.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock**: Easily the bane of Charizard's existence, Stealth Rock renders Charizard much more vulnerable to being picked off. Being forced to start at only 50% of health will prompt Charizard to use Roost, delaying its attack, as well as make it very inconvenient for Life Orb Charizard to choose between attacking and healing.
**Faster Super Effective Attackers**: The likes of Archeops, Manectric, Floatzel, and Rock Slide Tauros can revenge kill Charizard. Alternatively, Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Kabutops, Barbaracle, Rotom, and Primeape can bring Charizard down with super effective STAB moves, or Rock coverage in Primeape's case. Charizard falls victim to Swift Swim sweepers as well, such as Ludicolo, Omastar, and Kabutops.
**Rock-types**: Rock-types resist both of Charizard's STAB moves and do an especially good job at fending off the Swords Dance variant while being able to retaliate for an easy KO with their Rock-type STAB moves. However, the special variant of Charizard can prove to be troublesome to handle, as it can hit them hard with Hidden Power Grass or Focus Blast, and only a few Rock-types aren't immediately crippled by Will-O-Wisp from Swords Dance Charizard.
**Water-types**: Water-types do well, as they resist Charizard's Fire-type STAB moves and usually have the bulk to take a hit from most of its other attacks. Lanturn does especially well due to its resistance to both of Charizard's STAB moves and even has Heal Bell to shrug off burns, though it does not appreciate taking Earthquake. Mantine fares decently against special Charizard and Omastar and Gastrodon can handle Swords Dance Charizard, but they fear boosted Acrobatics and Hidden Power Grass, respectively. If one's Water-type cannot reliably check Charizard defensively, Aqua Jet from the likes of Samurott or Kabutops can still fend off Charizard.
**Bulky Pokemon**: While it's not easy, there are a number of Pokemon in the tier that can shrug off most of Charizard's neutral attacks, although they're usually only able to handle one variant of Charizard at a time or only win in one-on-one scenarios as opposed to being able to switch into Charizard. Sliggoo, Calm Mind Mega Audino, and Calm Mind Musharna can boost on special Charizard, but they may risk getting overpowered by Swords Dance Charizard. Assault Vest Magmortar with Thunderbolt can check most variants of special Charizard but loses to Earthquake and Swords Dance variants. Many Electric- and Steel-type Pokemon can take advantage of Swords Dance Charizard's relatively lesser immediate offensive presence but detest taking Fire Blasts. If worst comes to worst, simply having a Pokemon with a Rock-type move and enough bulk and health to take a hit from Charizard may be enough to put Charizard out of commission.
Charizard is one of the tier's premier Fire-types, boasting great offensive stats and powerful attacks that threaten a good majority of the tier. While it is not as fast as Pyroar, Charizard sits in a comfortable Speed tier, able to outrun Pokemon such as Jynx, Primeape, Rotom, and Lilligant, and is equipped with good coverage options, such as Earthquake and Focus Blast. Charizard also has the choice to run a physical set, using Swords Dance alongside its physical Flying STAB move Acrobatics. Despite already possessing great strength and offensive versatility, Charizard is not a pushover when it comes to taking hits either, as its resistances, access to Roost, and not-too-shabby bulk allow it to withstand punishment decently well. However, Charizard still has its flaws; Water and Electric are common attacking types that can serve as annoyances to it. The Stealth Rock weakness is especially huge, as it greatly compromises Charizard's longevity and durability. Charizard's Rock weakness can also be exploited by certain Pokemon that it otherwise checks, such as Stone Edge Hariyama and Primeape and Hidden Power Rock Lilligant. Reliable entry hazard removal is mandatory to ensure Charizard's success at massacring the opponent's team.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Focus Blast
move 4: Roost / Earthquake
item: Life Orb
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fire Blast is Charizard's main attack, doing a lot of damage to any Pokemon that doesn't resist it. For example, it possesses enough power to OHKO the likes of Rotom and bulky Scyther and 2HKO Musharna. Air Slash is Charizard's alternate STAB attack. It doesn't hit a lot of Pokemon that Fire Blast does not, aside from Thick Fat Hariyama, certain Water-types, and opposing Fire-types such as Pyroar, Combusken, and opposing Charizard, but it still has decent neutral coverage and is a more accurate move to finish off a weakened target with. Hidden Power Grass primarily targets Pokemon that can withstand both of Charizard's STAB attacks, such as Rhydon, Gastrodon, Omastar, Barbaracle, and Kabutops. Focus Blast maintains coverage on the aforementioned Rock-type Pokemon as well as sturdier Pokemon that resist Fire, such as Regirock and Thick Fat Miltank, though it comes at the cost of accuracy. Roost is useful to offset Life Orb recoil and keep Charizard healthy, especially if Charizard is used to check Pokemon such as Grass-types and Fighting-types, as well as slightly helping Charizard to deal with its Stealth Rock weakness. Earthquake is primarily used to 2HKO less bulky variants of Lanturn and Assault Vest Magmortar.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed maximizes Charizard's offensive prowess, while a Timid nature is used to make the most out of Charizard's good Speed tier to outspeed the likes of Jynx, Primeape, Lilligant, and Rotom. The remaining investment should not be placed in HP, lest Charizard be KOed by two switches into Stealth Rock. Blaze is the ability of choice, as powering up Charizard's Fire Blast for massive damage is useful for a last-ditch attack. Solar Power also clashes with Life Orb, causing Charizard to take excessive damage. Note that even with a Timid nature, Earthquake can still 2HKO its main targets while preserving Charizard's bulk to take resisted hits, so there is no need to deviate from the suggested EV spread and nature. However, a Naive nature can be considered if Charizard prefers to dent more physically defensive variants of Lanturn with its Earthquake.
Usage Tips
========
Charizard would prefer nothing more than to raze foes to the ground with its powerful Fire Blast; its other attacks should usually only be used against threats that resist Fire or perhaps against a weakened foe. Charizard does an especially good job at punishing bulkier builds that rely on Hariyama as their Fire-type switch-in of choice, as Air Slash can tear through it with ease. Charizard can use its resistance to Grass- and Fighting-type moves as well as its immunity to Will-O-Wisp and Ground-type moves to enter battle and launch powerful attacks. Examples of Pokemon Charizard can switch into include Hariyama, Hitmonchan, Lilligant, Mismagius, Gourgeist-XL, and Steelix. With Roost, Charizard can check additional threats, such as Shiftry, Combusken, and Weezing, and handle the ones it already checks even more effectively, though Earthquake can delegate Charizard into an even more focused wallbreaking role, being able to break down Lanturn and Magmortar. In the mid- or late-game, should the opponent no longer have any faster Pokemon or priority users, Charizard can attempt to clean up the opposition with Blaze-boosted attacks and can even make use of Stealth Rock to activate Blaze if the situation permits it.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard removers are paramount to Charizard's success, as they get rid of Stealth Rock, which plagues Charizard. Shiftry and Kabutops are very strong offensive partners that can remove Stealth Rock with Defog and Rapid Spin, respectively. The two can also beat down or weaken most Water-types, Rock-types, and specially bulky Pokemon for Charizard, with Shiftry resisting Electric attacks as well, whereas Charizard can severely damage bulky Grass-types, Poison-types, and other physically defensive Pokemon while taking Will-O-Wisp plus Fighting-, Bug-, Grass-, and Ground-type attacks. Defog Skuntank can work as well, especially since it can easily dispatch of Grumpig, one of Charizard's few hard counters, and help lure Rock- and Ground-types, such as Rhydon and Gastrodon, to weaken them with Hidden Power Grass.
Hitmonchan and Claydol are great Rapid Spin partners from a defensive standpoint, as they resist Rock for Charizard, as well as Electric in Claydol's case, and can spin away Stealth Rock; both also beat down most Rock-types. Xatu's Magic Bounce can prevent Stealth Rock from being set on Charizard's side at all and can either support Charizard with Thunder Wave or U-turn or weaken its checks with its coverage moves. Outside of hazard control, Grass-types such as Lilligant and Shiftry appreciate Charizard breaking down their checks for them while offering Water and Electric resistances; Gastrodon offers perfect defensive synergy alongside Charizard and can wear down bulkier foes that Charizard cannot break through by using Toxic and Recover; and Lanturn can switch into Water- and Electric-type moves with ease while offering a slow Volt Switch to allow Charizard to safely enter battle, especially against opposing Grass-types that intend to take advantage of Lanturn.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Roost
item:
ability: Blaze
nature: Jolly
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance doubles Charizard's Attack, greatly improving its damage output. Acrobatics is the STAB move of choice, packing a solid 110 Base Power provided Charizard does not wield an item. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical Rock-types, which serve as hard counters to Charizard otherwise. It also weakens physical attackers in general, particularly Sucker Punch users, making it much easier for Charizard to set up. Roost keeps Charizard healthy, giving Charizard multiple opportunities to check foes or set up as well as offset Stealth Rock damage.
Set Details
========
248 HP EVs maximize Charizard's bulk without putting it at risk of being 2HKOed by Stealth Rock. 252 Speed EVs alongside a Jolly nature take advantage of Charizard's good Speed tier to outrun the likes of Primeape, Jynx, Lilligant, Haunter, and Vivillon. The remaining investment goes into Attack to add a bit more punch to Charizard's Acrobatics. Going itemless not only gives Charizard's Acrobatics consistent power but also allows Charizard to easily pivot into Knock Off from the likes of Hariyama and Shiftry. While neither ability benefits this variant of Charizard, Solar Power has the risk of depleting Charizard's health, so Blaze is chosen. Alternatively, a more offensive Swords Dance variant focusing on Attack and Speed investment can be considered. Said offensive Swords Dance Charizard may consider Earthquake or Flare Blitz over Will-O-Wisp for greater offensive potential.
Usage Tips
========
Charizard's main goal is to set up Swords Dances on a foe that cannot hurt it much, use Roost to remain healthy if necessary, and sweep with Acrobatics. Early-game, it's usually best to use Will-O-Wisp to cripple its checks, such as Rock- and Steel-types. Charizard can also check frailer foes, most notably Fighting- and Grass-types, as Acrobatics still has good initial power. However, Charizard must be wary about being nailed by Rock-type coverage moves on the switch from the Fighting-types. Once Charizard's checks and counters are sufficiently dealt with, Charizard can aim to set up Swords Dances on weaker foes; using Will-O-Wisp against physical attackers makes the task of setting up much easier for it as well.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard removers are crucial for Charizard, as Stealth Rock greatly hinders Charizard's ability to set up. Shiftry can Defog away Stealth Rock while synergizing very nicely with Charizard; it can crush Rock- and Water-types and resists Electric attacks for Charizard, while Charizard can set up on most Grass-, Poison-, and Fairy-types, resists Fighting- and Bug-type attacks, and can switch into Will-O-Wisp for Shiftry. Hitmonchan and Claydol are great Rapid Spin partners from a defensive standpoint. They resist Rock-type moves, as well as Electric in Claydol's case, can spin away Stealth Rock, and can take on Rock- and Steel-types for Charizard. Xatu's Magic Bounce can prevent Stealth Rock from being set on Charizard's side at all and can either support Charizard with Thunder Wave or U-turn or weaken its checks with its coverage moves. Charizard's burn support can be useful for specially bulky Pokemon such as Hariyama, Lanturn, and Gastrodon, as well as Calm Mind users such as Mega Audino, Musharna, and Xatu. Fast cleaners such as Tauros, Swellow, and Choice Scarf users, such as Primeape and Kabutops, can also capitalize on Charizard's ability to wear down their checks with burns and repeated Acrobatics.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Charizard has a couple of appealing offensive options at its disposal. A Dragon Dance set with Flare Blitz, Earthquake, and Thunder Punch has effective neutral coverage and decent sweeping potential, although Dragon Dance is incompatible with Acrobatics. Charizard can wield Choice Specs, which performs best with Solar Power to throw out obscenely strong attacks, although sun teams aren't known for good entry hazard control, which can limit Solar Power Charizard's presence. The limited entry hazard control on sun teams makes Solar Power Charizard a shaky idea in general, even with items such as Leftovers and Flame Plate to help preserve its longevity and staying power. Both Choice Specs and Choice Scarf sets also tend to be outperformed by Pyroar, as Pyroar is not as pressured by Stealth Rock while constantly switching, and Charizard's movepool advantage over Pyroar is diminished when it cannot switch moves. Charizard has access to other Speed-boosting options, including Flame Charge and Tailwind, to outrun its foes. Belly Drum is a far riskier alternative to Swords Dance, and the risk greatly outweighs the reward, as Charizard greatly depends on its bulk and health to set up and maintain a sweep, not to mention Swords Dance is effective enough as it is. Charizard can attempt a set without an item using Fire Blast and Acrobatics to exploit players that rely on Team Preview to deduce Charizard's set by determining the presence of its item. While this itemless all-out-attacking variant of Charizard can lure most of its traditional defensive checks to unfavorable positions, the relative lack of raw or potential power compared to its other sets adversely affects its consistency.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock**: Easily the bane of Charizard's existence, Stealth Rock renders Charizard much more vulnerable to being picked off. Being forced to start at only 50% of health will prompt Charizard to use Roost, delaying its attack, as well as make it very inconvenient for Life Orb Charizard to choose between attacking and healing.
**Faster Super Effective Attackers**: The likes of Archeops, Manectric, Floatzel, and Rock Slide Tauros can revenge kill Charizard. Alternatively, Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Kabutops, Barbaracle, Rotom, and Primeape can bring Charizard down with super effective STAB moves, or Rock coverage in Primeape's case. Charizard falls victim to Swift Swim sweepers as well, such as Ludicolo, Omastar, and Kabutops.
**Rock-types**: Rock-types resist both of Charizard's STAB moves and do an especially good job at fending off the Swords Dance variant while being able to retaliate for an easy KO with their Rock-type STAB moves. However, the special variant of Charizard can prove to be troublesome to handle, as it can hit them hard with Hidden Power Grass or Focus Blast, and only a few Rock-types aren't immediately crippled by Will-O-Wisp from Swords Dance Charizard.
**Water-types**: Water-types do well, as they resist Charizard's Fire-type STAB moves and usually have the bulk to take a hit from most of its other attacks. Lanturn does especially well due to its resistance to both of Charizard's STAB moves and even has Heal Bell to shrug off burns, though it does not appreciate taking Earthquake. Mantine fares decently against special Charizard and Omastar and Gastrodon can handle Swords Dance Charizard, but they fear boosted Acrobatics and Hidden Power Grass, respectively. If one's Water-type cannot reliably check Charizard defensively, Aqua Jet from the likes of Samurott or Kabutops can still fend off Charizard.
**Bulky Pokemon**: While it's not easy, there are a number of Pokemon in the tier that can shrug off most of Charizard's neutral attacks, although they're usually only able to handle one variant of Charizard at a time or only win in one-on-one scenarios as opposed to being able to switch into Charizard. Sliggoo, Calm Mind Mega Audino, and Calm Mind Musharna can boost on special Charizard, but they may risk getting overpowered by Swords Dance Charizard. Assault Vest Magmortar with Thunderbolt can check most variants of special Charizard but loses to Earthquake and Swords Dance variants. Many Electric- and Steel-type Pokemon can take advantage of Swords Dance Charizard's relatively lesser immediate offensive presence but detest taking Fire Blasts. If worst comes to worst, simply having a Pokemon with a Rock-type move and enough bulk and health to take a hit from Charizard may be enough to put Charizard out of commission.
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