Entei, the Volcano Pokémon. It is said that when it roars, a volcano erupts somewhere around the globe.

Overview

The star of the Third Pokémon movie, Entei has long languished in Arcanine’s shadow, who boasted far better abilities and utility, though the generational shifts have started to make up the difference. Receiving impressive tools like Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed, Entei boasts incredible utility and offense regardless of the set, Sacred Fire threatening both massive damage and a hefty Burn chance leaves few Pokémon willing to switch in. Extreme Speed may be the bigger boon. This generation has been incredibly kind to any Pokémon that has received Extreme Speed, with Terastalization enabling an amazing STAB priority move that is more than capable of cleaning up weakened teams with little recourse. Entei, just isn’t offense, with Base 115 HP and average defenses along with the many resists that Fire affords gives Entei plenty of hit taking ability even before Sacred Fire burns, and offers it many chances to switch in through out the match. Base 100 Speed rounds out the package, hitting an important benchmark for many offensive Pokémon, let alone one as bulky as Entei.

Entei flaws are much more apparent in comparison than in isolation. As an Extreme Speed abuser, it is wholly outclassed by Dragonite, who boasts far better effective bulk with Multiscale, a much higher base Attack and a far more synergistic base typing for Tera Normal than Entei’s mono-Fire. Entei being only Fire drags it down in comparison to other defensive Fire types like Ceruledge, Heatran and even its own ersatz doppelganger in Gouging Fire, who offer far superior resistances than Entei. A lack of recovery further compounds Entei’s defensive aspirations, causing it to be worn down quickly over a match, especially given its exposure to entry hazards. Even offensively, Entei is awkward compared to its counterparts, its coverage after Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed being largely unimpressive and lacking in power, especially given Entei has no way to boost its higher Attack. Entei is fantastic on many fronts, it is just that its competition is so much better.
Positives
Base 115 Attack provides immense power, enabling Entei to hit hard even before items and especially after.
Sacred Fire is a house of a STAB move, offering incredibly power and utility in a single slot.
Extreme Speed is amazing on any Pokémon that gets it, especially in a generation with Terastalization to boost it further.
Base 115 HP is well above average, and with base Fire typing and decent defenses, Entei boasts appreciable hit taking ability.

Negatives
Lack of recovery and exposure to entry hazards leaves Entei prone to being worn down.
Spotty coverage and lack of boosting leaves Entei’s offense wanting against physical walls aside from Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed.
Far better Fire types and Dragonite take up most niches Entei could otherwise fill.

Movesets

Blazing Band

-Extreme Speed
-Sacred Fire
-Crunch
-Stomping Tantrum
Ability: Inner Focus
Item: Choice Band
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature

Choice Band Entei acts as both a powerful breaker and late game cleaner thanks to its access to Extreme Speed. +2 Priority is rare in an offensive move, and Extreme Speed’s high base power coupled with Entei being tied for the 5th strongest user of the move makes it great at cleaning up teams once the answers to Extreme Speed have been removed, as well as give Entei utility at revenge killing in the early game. Entei’s other moves help it get to the point where it can threaten everything with Extreme Speed. Sacred Fire is a strong contender for one of the best Fire attacks in the game. On top of its already impressive Base 100 power, Sacred Fire has an incredible 50% chance to burn, dissuading physical attackers from coming in to answer Entei lest they be crippled and fantastic at softening up walls for the late game. Sacred Fire is Entei’s primary answer into Steel types that resist Extreme Speed such as Registeel, Bronzong, Cobalion and Metagross. In turn, Crunch answers Ghost types, obliterating would be answers to Extreme Speed such as Zoroark-Hisui, and Basculegion, while giving bulky Psychic types like Slowbro pause. Stomping Tantrum rounds out the anti-Extreme Speed coverage, targeting the Rock types that resist both Extreme Speed and Entei’s STAB Sacred Fire and often have the Defense to do so comfortably. Stomping Tantrum also provides valuable coverage against opposing Fire types, one of the few safe switches into Sacred Fire, giving Entei the leg up against otherwise good walls to it, especially Heatran.

Tera Types:
Extreme Speed goes so well with Tera Normal it is hard to justify anything else. The cleaning power afforded to Entei post Terastalization is absurd, 2HKOing Pokémon as bulky as Volcanion, while capable outright OHKOing frailer faster Pokémon such as Scarf Gardevoir, Cyclizar, Maushold, and Thundurus-Therian.

EVs and Items:
Max Attack and Speed are recommended. Entei wants to hit hard and fast when not using Extreme Speed. Adamant Nature is recommended for the extra power it provides, enabling Entei to possibly get a 2HKO at Slowbro with Crunch, possibly OHKO Terrakion with Stomping Tantrum after Stealth Rock, and the OHKO on Thundurus-Therian with Extreme Speed, Adamant hits a lot of important thresholds. Jolly Nature has plenty of value too, helping Speed tie with Salamence, Galarian Zapdos, and Flygon, outspeed Jolly Krookodile, Adamant Terrakion, and Adamant Lycanroc-Dusk. Choice Band is the namesake of the set, and provides Entei badly needed power.

Partners:
Answers to physical walls like Rhyperior who otherwise stop Entei cold are invaluable in enabling a late game sweep, even if said walls dislike Sacred Fire. Water and Grass types are greatly preferred for the Grass-Fire-Water core synergies. Scarf Basculegion Female stands out for its ability to obliterate not only Water weak walls like Rhyperior and Hippowdon, but also Slowbro, Deoxys Defense, and opposing Basculegion. If Entei is going to have utility in the early game and be more than be a late game sweeper, Hazard control is imperative so hazards doesn’t make Entei isn’t easy pickings to anything it can’t KO in the late game. Cyclizar is unsurprisingly king at this role, between Regenerator enabling it to clear hazards repeatedly, U-Turn to safely get Entei in and Knock Off a fantastic tool for softening targets up for Entei to prey upon either.

Other Options:
Stone Edge is a much stronger alternative for answering opposing Fire types, especially Moltres, who can stop a sweep post Terastalization, and Volcanion who can OHKO with its Water STAB, as well as threaten Gyarados. Bulldoze sacrifices power for utility, sapping the speed of a switch in, making them more vulnerable to Entei or its teammates, though probably better suited for defensive sets.

VGC & Doubles Options

While Inner Focus was buffed in the eighth generation, Entei arrived in a format very hostile to it, with restricted Pokémon running everywhere and Fake Out being less valuable given Dynamax’s inbuilt immunity to flinching, Entei set the eight generation out by the wayside. However, everything came together for Entei in the ninth generation. Fake Out is more prevalent than ever, and Entei is not only immune thanks to Inner Focus, but possesses an extremely advantageous matchup in the two most prominent users Rillaboom and Incineroar, obliterating the former with its STAB and being incredibly resistant to the latter. Terastalization is also an incredible boon, giving Entei the same brutal Extreme Speed Dragonite has been using to fantastic effect, offering both offensive and defensive utility in a single team slot. The return of restricted Pokémon has put a damper on Entei’s parade. While its key targets in Rillaboom and Incineroar are as prominent as ever, Entei fares incredibly poorly against many restricted Pokémon. This is troublesome in a format defined by the management and enabling of both the opposing restricted Pokémon and your own, something Entei struggles to do, given its difficulties to meaningfully damage such targets. Between Pelipper’s popularity blunting Entei’s favored STAB, most Fire weak restricted running Fire resistant Teras, and the general bulk of such targets making it difficult for Entei to meaningfully damage. Entei still has a place between its access to the burn doling Sacred Fire and better matchup into Mienshao, but its services look to be more niche after a long season of excellence.

Flaming Aegis

-Sacred Fire
-Snarl
-Extreme Speed
-Stone Edge
Tera Type: Normal
Ability: Inner Focus
Item: Assault Vest
EVs and Nature:
148 HP / 244 Atk / 104 Def / 32 SDef
Adamant Nature

This Entei set combines offense and support, leaving Entei a bulwark that blunts the oppositions offense while picking off select targets with its STABs, priority, and coverage. Sacred Fire is Entei's claim to fame, and while Ho-oh is available, Ho-oh lacks Inner Focus and costs the restricted slot, making Entei one of the most cost-effective users of the move, threatening great damage and its meaty burn chance is something few physical attackers are prepared to handle. Even redirectors are not fond of the move, with Amoongus getting obliterated by Sacred Fire and Ogerpon loathing the Burn neutering its effectiveness. Snarl is Entei's second shield, blunting the power of special attackers that may threaten Entei's team, and enabling Entei to temporarily match Terapagos in Calm Mind wars, blunting its offense and breaking its shell, making it vulnerable to Entei's teammates. Extreme Speed is Entei's offensive tool, picking off weakened targets that are hanging on a Focus Sash before they can act. Stone Edge provides coverage, primarily for Incineroar, who Entei matches quite well into. Stone Edge wrecking Tornadus and Pelipper is a nice bonus, as well as threatening Tera Fire Koraidon in a pinch.

Assault Vest is necessary, enabling Entei to endure huge amounts of special punishment, especially from the likes of Calyrex-Shadow and Terapagos. As Entei is called to handle both physical and special attackers, the EV spread handles both, enabling Entei to live a +3 Body Press from Zamazenta no matter what, helping get off that crucial burn. Tera Normal is recommended, giving an immunity to Astral Barrage, and buffing Extreme Speed to pick off KOs at relatively high thresholds.

Other Options and Preferred Partners:

Calm Mind users love Entei as a partner, the burns from Sacred Fire and Snarl support making them that much harder to break and greatly easing setup. Raging Bolt is a key benefactor and returns the favor with an incredible matchup against opposing Water types. Calm Mind Terapagos could work similarly, taking advantage of Burns to safely setup a Calm Mind or two and then just grind the opposing team down. As Entei matches well into Incineroar and Rillaboom, Pokémon that struggle against those two also find value in Entei. Koraidon loves Entei for being able to roast Rillaboom and grind down Incineroar, who can otherwise stymie Koraidon’s blistering offenses, while Entei provides damage mitigation without sacrificing the momentum Miraidon teams tend to operate at.

Stomping Tantrum is Entei’s best move into Miriadon and Raging Bolt while still covering Incineroar.

Countering Entei

Physical walls are a consistent problem for Entei, given its complete inability to boost up over them, though Sacred Fire’s frequent burns complicates most physical walls.

Defensive Fire types tend to work well into Sacred Fire, but Entei commonly carries coverage for such matchups, which leads cripples most otherwise would be answers. If not running Stone Edge, physically defensive Moltres is a large problem, able to tank any other attack with ease and able to cripple Entei if it has Terastalized.

Defensive Water types also work well. Suicune can stall out both Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed poor PP with Substitute and Protect, though a burn does negate Leftovers recovery. Marvel Scale Milotic relishes switching into Sacred Fire, the Burn making it incredibly difficult to remove. Vaporeon can’t switch into Tera Normal Extreme Speed without getting overwhelmed but can come in after a KO and stall out with Wish + Protect and Scald.

If not carrying Stomping Tantrum, Rhyperior can be sacrificed, its massive bulk ensuring Entei’s attacks bounce right off, and it is likely to outlast Entei though the Sacred Fire burn is just as ruinous to Rhyperior.

Playing around Choice sets is an option. Ceruledge and Chandelure are immune to both Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed and can easily force Entei to switch or be KOd but cannot switch into any of Entei’s coverage.

Anime Appearences

Entei has made a few appearances in the anime. Most notably one was created by Unown to befriend Molly. Ash met one in another timeline at the start of his journey and Lucius, the Ancient Adventurer, travelled with one. # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics M3 The Spell of the Unown The Lord of the Unknown Tower Pics 229 For Ho-oh the Bells Toll Suicune and Eusine! Legend Of Ho-oh!! Pics 261 Entei at Your Own Risk Entei and Friends of the Hot Spring! Pics M6 Jirachi - Wish Maker The Wishing Star of Seven Nights - Jirachi Pics S20 The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon The Terrifying Mirage Pokémon Pics M10 The Rise of Darkrai Dialga VS Palkia VS Darkrai Pics M12 Arceus & The Jewel of Life Arceus - Towards Conquering Space-Time Pics 611 An Egg Scramble Johto Festa! Chikorita and Totodile Appear!! Pics M13 Zoroark - Master of Illusions Phantom Champion Zoroark Pics M20 Pokémon I Choose You! Pokémon I Choose You! Pics 25 Rivals in the Dark of Night! Rivals in the Moonless Night Pics