Is Moltres viable in Gen 9 OU?

Moltres is ranked #40 in Gen 9 OU with 4.58% usage according to Smogon Apr 2026 - Jun 2026 data.

What beats Moltres in Gen 9 OU?

The best counter for Moltres in Gen 9 OU is Zamazenta with a 53.7% win rate when they meet. Based on Smogon's Apr 2026 - Jun 2026 usage data, the top Pokémon that beat Moltres include Zamazenta, Gholdengo, Dragonite, Great Tusk, Corviknight.

What is the best counter for Moltres in Gen 9 OU?

Zamazenta is the best counter for Moltres in Gen 9 OU, KOing or forcing it out in 53.7% of their encounters.

Moltres counters

Gen 9 OU · Sorted by reliability score · Smogon · Apr 2026 - Jun 2026

#0146 Moltres

FireFlying

USAGE 4.6% #40

ABILITYFlame Body

BASE STATS

HP 90

ATK 100

DEF 90

SPA 125

SPD 85

SPE 90

BST580

TYPE MATCHUPS

4×

Rock

2×

WaterElectric

½×

FireFightingSteelFairy

¼×

GrassBug

0×

Ground

Moves

Roost 98.7% Flamethrower 96.3% Roar 72.4% U-turn 68.0% Will-O-Wisp 38.6% Scorching Sands 14.4% Hurricane 5.0% Brave Bird 3.6%

Items

Heavy-Duty Boots 99.4% Life Orb 0.2% Choice Specs 0.2% Leftovers 0.1% Metronome 0.1% Rocky Helmet 0.0% Assault Vest 0.0% Red Card 0.0%

Abilities

Flame Body99.2%Pressure0.8%

Tera Types

Fairy 56.9% Grass 17.9% Dragon 7.1% Water 6.3% Poison 2.9% Ice 2.8% Ground 2.5% Fire 1.0%

Common Teammates

Ogerpon-Wellspring19.7%

Browse Gen 9 OU teams using Moltres →

Teams using Zamazenta 54% Teams using Gholdengo 47% Teams using Dragonite 34% Teams using Great Tusk 25% Teams using Corviknight 0%

Checks & Counters

Reliability ranks observed matchups; KO rate is how often the checker knocked out or forced out the target. “Checker faints” reports the checker's own observed death rate. Categories use matchup reliability plus offensive and defensive base stats.

How to read this table

Use encounter count to judge sample size. A high-reliability check with a modest KO rate can still be useful when it consistently forces switches or limits the target.

# Checker Encounters Reliability KO Rate

Zamazenta

Fighting SOFT CHECK

25.126

53.7% checker faints 9.95%

DAMAGE CALC

252+ Atk Zamazenta Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Moltres: 496-584 (129.1 - 152%) -- guaranteed OHKO

View Zamazenta counters → Teams with Zamazenta →

Gholdengo

SteelGhost SOFT CHECK

24.284

46.9% checker faints 10.13%