Gouging Fire
VGC Guide
Gouging Fire is a versatile all-rounder on sun teams: Protosynthesis boosts Attack in sunlight, Heat Wave spread hits both opponents simultaneously, and Breaking Swipe lowers opposing Attack -1 to support allies. Fire/Dragon dual STAB under sun is nearly impossible to wall; 105 HP and 121 Defense provide solid physical bulk.
Breaking Swipe: Offense + Attack Debuff Support
Breaking Swipe is a Dragon physical spread move with 60 base power that hits both opponents and lowers their Attack by -1 simultaneously. Against dual physical attacker teams, one Breaking Swipe acts like a double Intimidate — lowering both targets' Attack in a single action. Combined with Protosynthesis activating in sun, Gouging Fire provides both offensive damage and comprehensive Attack suppression support in one turn.
Heat Wave: Special Fire Doubles Spread
Heat Wave hits both opponents at 95 base power spread (0.75 modifier in doubles), gaining ×1.5 in sunlight to reach effective 107 BP spread special output. Gouging Fire can flexibly switch between physical and special offense depending on matchup, making it impossible to counter with a single defensive EV allocation. Heat Wave under sun deals super-effective spread damage to Grass, Bug, and Ice targets alongside Koraidon.
EV Spreads
Team Partners
Koraidon’s Orichalcum Pulse auto-activates Gouging Fire’s Protosynthesis while simultaneously boosting Heat Wave and Flare Blitz ×1.5 in sun. Together they form a sun dual core — Koraidon’s Electric and Fighting coverage plus Gouging Fire’s Breaking Swipe Attack suppression provide comprehensive offensive pressure.
Flutter Mane’s Fairy STAB covers Gouging Fire’s Dragon and Fairy weakness, forming a complementary pair. Flutter Mane’s Protosynthesis also activates in sunlight — both share sun boosts and together form the sun team’s dual special attacker core.
Incineroar’s Intimidate lowers one opponent’s Attack; Gouging Fire’s Breaking Swipe simultaneously lowers both opponents’ Attack -1. Combined double Attack suppression severely limits opponents’ physical output, creating a suffocating physical pressure combination.
Tornadus’ Tailwind extends Gouging Fire’s base 91 Speed significantly. Prankster ensures priority setup; Gouging Fire’s spread moves become far more impactful when acting before more opponents, dramatically improving its Heat Wave and Breaking Swipe turn efficiency.
How to Counter Gouging Fire
Dragon typing’s Fairy weakness means Moonblast or Dazzling Gleam seriously threatens Gouging Fire. Flutter Mane’s Protosynthesis also activates in sunlight — it can outspeed and KO Gouging Fire with Fairy STAB on the same sun turns, making it the optimal sun-environment counter.
Rock moves hit Fire-type Gouging Fire for ×2 damage. Rock Slide or Stone Edge can threaten Gouging Fire. Outside sun, Rock spread moves simultaneously threaten Gouging Fire and Koraidon — providing high-value coverage against entire sun team structures.
Dragon types are hit super-effectively by Dragon moves. Garchomp or opposing Dragon-type Pokémon with Dragon STAB create effective matchups against Gouging Fire. High-speed Dragon users can outspeed and land super-effective Dragon STAB before Gouging Fire acts.
Without harsh sunlight, Gouging Fire loses Protosynthesis activation (absent Booster Energy) and Heat Wave loses its ×1.5 sun boost. Kyogre’s Primordial Sea or Tyranitar’s sandstorm overriding sun is the fundamental counter strategy to undermining Gouging Fire’s entire offensive framework.