What is a good moveset for Rapidash?

Question

This thread is for Kantonian Rapidash. For Galarian Rapidash, please go here.

If you have a good competitive moveset for Rapidash, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Rapidash Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Rapidash (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)

• Wild Charge
• Flare Blitz
• Low Kick
• Megahorn

Standard sweeper, down to the EVs. Choice band makes Rapidash do more damage. Flare Blitz is STAB. Everything else is type coverage. Flash Fire can make Flare Blitz do even more damage.

Answer 2

Role: Sweeper / Sun Sweeper

Rapidash (M) @ Life Orb

Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)

• Flare Blitz
• Megahorn
• Wild Charge
• Morning Sun

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He can be used in or out of the sun.

In the Sun, Flare Blitz gets completely Super Charged and Morning Sun heals more.

But in basicness, Flare Blitz is for Strong STAB With Wild Charge as coverage, and MegaHorn for further coverage, Morning Sun to heal off recoil.

Answer 3

Sweeper Rapidash

Rapidash @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire / Flame Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 6 HP
Naive Nature (+Spe, -SpD)
- Flare Blitz
- Overheat
- Wild Charge
- Megahorn / Protect / Morning Sun

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Okay, Rapidash is a very fragile Pokemon with poor defenses. You should bring it out when anticipating a Fire type attack to boost Flash Fire, when you know Rapidash can take a hit, or to scare off some foes. Flare Blitz is there for obvious STAB and powerful reasons, and so is Overheat. Overheat is there for a one time thing (until you switch out) where if you're sweeping with physical moves, and a foe decides to bring in something Defensively built, throw an Overheat in their face! Wild Charge is to help cover some Water weakness and for extra random coverage if needed. Now you have the choice between Megahorn and Protect in this set. I must say Megahorn is impressive with 120 Atk and finally no recoil, but 85 accuracy doesn't really appeal to me. I would personally go for Protect in some cases, just for a free turn of Lefties heal. Sometimes, Protect just doesn't cut it, so then get Megahorn. With all that recoil damage going around, you're bound to need a chance to heal/stall. If stalling isn't your case and you just need to heal, get Morning Sun for immediate heal.

Answer 4

Rapidash @ Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire (better than Flame Body if you need to switch in on a Fire move)
EVs: 252 SpA /252 Spe / 4 HP
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)

• Solar Beam
• Overheat
• Morning Sun
• Charm

Best used in the sun/on a sun team, Solar Beam is coverage , Overheat is STAB (whose power is boosted by 50% in the sun and can be boosted before or after use via Flash Fire), Morning Sun for recovery, and Charm to bottom-out attack power of Stone Edgers and Earthquakers.

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Rapidash @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe.
Jolly Nature (-SpA, +Spe)

• Hypnosis
• Horn Drill
• Double Team
• Flare Blitz

Here's the strategy for this one:
Put foe to sleep with Hypnosis, start firing away a mixture of Horn Drill (since both Pokemon are level 50-30% accuracy) and Double Team (to max-out your evasiveness while foe's asleep), and Flare Blitz for STAB (Leftovers held to heal away recoil damage).

Comments

Overheats power is not doubled in the sun. I believe fire type moves have an increase in base power by 50%.

Answer 5

Gen 8 ZU

Rapidash @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

• Flare Blitz
• Wild Charge / High Horsepower
• Morning Sun
• Will-O-Wisp / Swords Dance / Toxic

Flare Blitz is STAB and can get a Flash Fire boost. Wild Charge covers Water types, High Horsepower covers Rock types and other Fire types and doesn't have recoil. Morning Sun is recovery and lets you heal from Flare Blitz and Wild Charge recoil. Will-O-Wisp for burns, Swords Dance to set up, Toxic to hit any potential switch-in, including bulky waters which HHP Rapidash doesn't do as well against.

Answer 6

Double/Triple Battle

Rapidash (M) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Bounce
- Flare Blitz
- Megahorn
- Low Kick

Bounce is actually a good move in Double and especially Triple battles. Not only can it be used to avoid ally Earthquakes and Surfs, it can hit any foe in a Triple Battle, and the opponent does not know who you are going for with Bounce. This makes it difficult to switch out. Even if they do manage to correctly predict who you are attacking, your other teammates can take advantage of a switch to cause some major damage. So yeah, it's a good move. Flare Blitz is STAB. Megahorn and Low Kick are coverage. Flash Fire can be used with a Lava Plume teammate to do some damage.

Answer 7

Rapidash @ Expert Belt
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Flare Blitz- High power STAB
- Drill Run- New move tutor move that provides great coverage
- Will-O-Wisp / Morning Sun- Heal yourself or cripple your opponent
- Megahorn- High power coverage

Answer 8

Rapidash (F) @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Flame Charge
- Flare Blitz
- Wild Charge
- Drill Run / Low Kick

I love this Rapidash. It can sweep with relative ease and also functions extremely well as a late game cleaner. You come in on a weakened opponent or an obvious Fire type attack, Flame Charge to finish them off/as they switch, and then proceed to wreak havoc.

Flare Blitz is hard hitting STAB, especially boosted by Flash Fire. Wild Charge covers Waters. The last move hits Rock types; Drill Run is more consistent, but Low Kick hits Regirock harder.

Finally, Leftovers is usable over Life Orb to heal some of your recoil and prevent unnecessary damage from Flame Charge. 

Comments

Still not sure you need 2 fire moves...

Answer 9

Rapidash @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 244 HP / 252 Def / 12 Spe
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
- Megahorn / Drill Run
- Will-O-Wisp
- Morning Sun
- Flare Blitz / Flame Charge
A defensive Rapidash set (yea I said it). Rapidash can actually be a fairly good defensive wall in the NU tier, and not expected at all. Flame Body and Will-O-Wisp are there to help your physical bulkiness by halving the opponent's Physical move's BP. Morning Sun provides good recovery. Drill Run and Megahorn both provide good coverage, just matters which your team needs more of. Flare Blitz is a strong STAB Fire move but if you don't want to deal with recoil you may want to go with Flame Charge which ups your speed as a plus but is much weaker. This set actually works, I have used it and it is quite helpful.

Comments

Flame Charge ups your Speed, not your attack.

Answer 10

ok this one is a bit weird but it might work

Role: Mixed Sun Sweeper

Rapidash @ Life Orb
Ability: flash fire
EVs: 132 Atk / 126 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature (we want speed :D)

- Morning Sun (healing Life Orb damage and recoil)
- Solar Beam (weakness coverage, good power, and great in the sun)
- Flare Blitz ( STAB, awesome in the sun, recoil heal with Morning Sun)
- Drill Run / Wild Charge/ Megahorn (whichever you feel is better coverage)
OK so its simple, after sun is up switch in on a fire move or that your resistant to (careful though Rapidash is frail sometimes) then kill everything that comes at you and heal with Morning Sun.

Note: watch out fore those fast ground types.

Hope this helps :D

Answer 11

Rapidash @ Expert Belt / Razor Claw
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Wild Charge
- Drill Run
- Flame Charge / Megahorn

The Expert Belt gives him extra power on his moves (I wouldn't go for Life Orb- too much recoil!) and Wild Charge covers Flying Types and 2x weakness to Water, while Drill Run covers Fire, Electric, Poison, Rock, and Steel!

Have fun with your Fire Horse and name him Mr. Unicorn!

Answer 12

Here's a special set! Just for something different =)

Rapidash @ Heat Rock / Life Orb
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature / Timid Nature
- Sunny Day / Hidden Power [Rock] / Morning Sun
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Hypnosis / Morning Sun

The basic idea is to use him in the sun. If you are not confident you will have any, and it benefits your team, slap a Heat Rock on it and use Sunny Day! Then you can blast away with Fire Blast and Solar Beam at will! =D
Hypnosis is there, well, just to make people mad when you land it, but it's accuracy is super shaky, so maybe Morning Sun is more to your liking, as it works best in the sun you will always have up.
Modest Nature in order to hit harder (you will need it), or Timid if you want to try and land that Hypnosis before your enemy can move, or just make sure the sun is blazing.

If you are already confident in your other Pokémon's weather-setting abilities, or if using a Rapidash for Sunny Day support is just too weird for you, give it a Life Orb for extra damage! This also will free up a moveslot, so if you like you can run Hypnosis and Morning Sun, or replace one of those with Hidden Power for coverage. I suggest Hidden Power [Rock] as it has the best coverage options, as only Hakamo-o and Kommo-o resist it.
Since you are using Life Orb, I would recommend running Timid for the speed, but you can always run Modest if you are feeling you are not hitting hard enough.

Answer 13

Scarfed Sweeper

Rapidash @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flame Body
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Wild Charge
- Low Kick
- Megahorn

First thing to note about this Rapidash, being able to outspeed Marshadow, Calyrex-Shadow, this is mainly meant for a quick hit & run or finisher, other than that, Rapidash is extremely fragile and could get one shot by almost anything, running Focus Sash would be good, but being able to outspeed is better.

Comments

I...don’t dislike the set, but this thing is horrible in Ubers and AG.

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@PrimalKyogre think they didn't told to use Rapidash in Ubers/AG. They only told that it is able to outsped Marshadow, Calyrex-Shadow etc with a Scarf but Rapidash is frail, and not to use it in the tiers.

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Mentioning those two Pokémon seem to imply it but ok

Answer 14

More dynamax :D
Gen 8 Battle Stadium Singles
Rapidash @ Life Orb
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance / Low Kick
- Flare Blitz
- High Horsepower / Wild Charge
- Bounce
Swords Dance boosts attack, Low Kick boosts attack in dynamax, Flare Blitz is STAB, High Horsepower is coverage, Wild Charge is more coverage, and Bounce boosts speed in dynamax.

Answer 15

Fast Physical Sweeper With Counters + Doubles Support

Rapidash (F) @ Passho Berry/Power Herb
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Flamethrower
- Protect/Ally Switch/Solar Blade
- Solar Blade/Swords Dance
- Horn Drill

I have flamethrower as it is a reliable STAB move and pretty good overall. I prefer protect for the second one as it is good move to have but you should go for solar blade if you pick swords dance for the third one. I picked solar blade and not solar beam as it is more powerful and it is a physical attack and I invested in physical attack. Flash fire is good if you have a Pokemon that is weak to fire so you use ally switch or just switch out the Pokemon to the rapidash. Also horn drill is on there cause it can be. If you dont like OHKO moves just switch it for anything. If you have a Pokemon that can set up the sun, go for the passho berry as water types are more common than ground types in my opinion. If you don't have a Pokemon that can set up the sun, go for the power herb as it will insure that solar blade with be a one turn move. If you want a good Pokemon that can set up the sun, definitely go for groudon as it is a great Pokemon and there is no type overlap.