Wing Attack Charizard PvP IV Deep-Dive

Putting together these PvP IV guides can be a time consuming process. Each different Fast Move will have its own unique Breakpoints and matchup goals. Between 2 Leagues and 2 Charizard variants, you can imagine how the work would pile up fast. Wing Attack is Charizard’s best Fast Move, so it is the current priority. Dragon Breath, Ember, and Fire Spin can all have niche utility. In the future, this guide may be updated to include information on those. 

This guide also doesn’t currently include non-Shadow Charizard for the Great League. Unlike the Ultra League, there aren’t many benefits to running the non-Shadow. 

The tables hyperlinked below feature the IV spreads that meet some of the more important stat checks highlighted in the article. It’s important to review the guide itself to make sure you’re getting what you want out of your Charizard. For example, you may want a slightly higher Atk or Def weight for higher Breakpoint potential.

GL- Shadow General Good (107.45 Def, 115)

• Higher HP is ideal

UL- Shadow General Good (138 Def, 150 HP)

• 139.45 Def for BB Umbreon 0-0
• 142.42 Def for BB Mandibuzz 0-0
• 152 HP for Moonblast Cresselia 0-1
• 153 HP for Charm Shadow Alolan Ninetales 0-1
• 171.44 for Shadow Machamp 1-2 & Poliwrath 1-1
• 172.38 Atk for Jellicent 2-1 & Nidoqueen 0-1

UL- Non-Shadow Def Focus (143 Def, 147 HP)

• Covers Dragon Breath Giratina and Gliscor better

UL- Non-Shadow HP Focus (140 Def, 150 HP)

• Covers Shadow Swampert, Golisopod, and Umbreon better

In the Great League, Shadow Charizard is mostly concerned about its bulk. 108.75 Def with 117 HP is the goal, but ~107.45 Def with at least 115 HP is a workable minimum. If you don’t happen to have this level of bulk though, I wouldn’t sweat it as Charizard generally lives and dies by Shields and Charge Moves. 

Shadow Charizard’s Def Breakpoints, against Rank 1 opponents unless stated otherwise:

• 106.88+, Shadow Charizard mirror protection
  • Ideally 107.45-107.91 to account for the upper Atk range of 117 and 115 HP Shadow Charizard
• 108.7+, Charm Shadow Alolan Ninetales 2-2
• 108.71+, Obstagoon 2-1
  • Likely unreachable, as Obstagoon prefers a heavy Atk weight
• 108.75+, Mandibuzz 0-0
• 109.18+, Skarmory 2-2 no bait
• 110.79+, Venusaur 0-1, 1-2 consistency

Shadow Charizard’s HP Checks, against Rank 1 opponents unless stated otherwise:

• 115-117, Sableye 0-0
  • You can mitigate the HP check by slowly counter-swapping in, as Sableye needs the Shadow Claw damage to KO
• 115, Toxapex 2-1
  • 117 for 2-2 potential
• 116, Tapu Fini 1-0 potential
• 116, Powder Snow Alolan Ninetales 1-1 no bait
• 118, Altaria 2-1

While the focus is on bulk, a slight Atk weight could offer benefits in the following matchups, against Rank 1 opponents unless stated otherwise

• 131.95, Registeel 1-2 w/ -1 Atk a la Zap Cannon debuff
• 132.76, Venusaur 0-1 if you don't have the Def BP
• 133.06, Sableye 2-2

Discussing Shadow Charizard PvP IVs with Wdage, the 2023 1st place NAIC Champion, 3rd place 2023 World Champion, & 1st place Hartford 2023, 23EJB, 1st place Bochum 2023, and ThoTechtical, 2nd Place Lille 2023, all have Charizard with 115 HP and commented on how they’d like to have higher HP than that. Reis2Occasion, 2nd place NAIC 2023 & 1st place Knoxville 2023, on the other hand, rolled with a higher Atk and lower HP weighted Charizard, which gave him an advantage in the mirror. 

Overall, Charizard rarely suffers consequences based on its bulk, as a single Charge Move often takes it out. The desire for higher HP is so it may squeak out that extra Charge Move in uneven, dire situations. When it comes to PvP IVs, especially with Shadow Pokemon, you kind of have to work with what you have. What’s most important it knowing what your Pokemon can and can’t handle.  

As with the Great League, Shadow Charizard’s main concern in the Ultra League is bulk, with 138 Def and 150 HP as the soft minimum. 138 Def covers the Empoleon 1-0, 1-1, & 2-1, as well as the Gliscor 0-1. 139.45 Def covers the Best Buddy Umbreon 0-0, and 142.42 Def covers the Best Buddy Mandibuzz 0-0. As for HP, 150 should cover most things, but 152 offers an improved Cresselia 0-1 (without Future Sight) and 153 can enable Zard to overcome the Charm Shadow Alolan Ninetales 0-1.

Slight Atk weights include 171.44 for the Shadow Machamp 1-2 & Poliwrath 1-1, and 172.38 for the Jellicent 2-1 & Nidoqueen 0-1 (Blast Burn Breakpoint). If you want to get spicy, 175 Atk can offer improved Charge Move Priority against Machamp & the mirror, and also secures a Breakpoint on Tapu Fini. 

While Shadow Charizard is the preference, due to Charizard’s low bulk and absurd Blast Burn damage, the non-Shadow has enough bulk to carve out a niche for itself in the Ultra League. Its main claims over the Shadow is surviving a Hydro Cannon from Shadow Swampert (starting at ~148 HP) and surviving a Future Sight from Cresselia in the 1-1 & 2-2. Higher HP stats offer improved matchups against Gliscor (149, 1-1) and Golisopod (149-151, 1-1). 

139.16-141.61 Def can improve the Dragon Breath Giratina matchup (2-1, 1-1 potential). An even higher Def stat of 143+ covers higher Atk raid weighted Giratina and can enable the Gliscor 2-2. This higher Def can also shave off some HP required for the Golisopod 1-1 and Best Buddy Umbreon 1-1 too (check PvPoke for details). 

For a cheeky tie-breaker, a 170.88 Atk stat can enable Aurorus 2-1 and Nidoqueen 2-2. This higher Atk may also get a Blast Burn Breakpoint on Tapu Fini for a potential 1-0. 

Shadow Charizard finally has the speed it needs to Blast Burn its foes into ash. While the PvP IV Deep Dive focuses on some of the higher end, bulk based matchups, if you want one on your team, you don’t have to be picky- even the pro’s appear to just be working with what they have.