Gigantamax Cinderace in 2026: The Meta-Defining Fire Attacker

Gigantamax Cinderace Fire

Gigantamax Cinderace makes its rerun on October 3, 2026, the first time since its release during the lead up to Pokémon GO Fest 2025; and the excitement around its return cannot be any higher (and no, it’s not because I absolutely adore Cinderace and have been waiting for this day for so long…).

Cinderace has long been the go-to Fire attacker since its release in 2025; and more than a year later, with more than 100 different Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokémon making their entrance, the Galarian Bunny still remains the #1 damage dealer for this typing in the current Max meta. Together with its debuting shiny form, it makes it all the more worthwhile to take part in this Max Battle Day event.

Gigantamax Cinderace: Stats, Typing, and Moves

As an Attacker: A Really Strong Contender Against Many Typings

The tables below compare every Pokémon at a 15 ATK IV value. Percentages are calculated relative to G-Max Cinderace’s ATK value.

Fire-type Damage: The #1 for a Long Time

Ranking	Pokémon	Max Attack Damage vs. G-Max Cinderace
1	Gigantamax Cinderace	–
2	Gigantamax Charizard	-5.9%
3	Dynamax Darmanitan	-14.5%
4	Dynamax Moltres	-18.2%
5	Dynamax Magmortar	-19.4%

At 238 ATK, and further buffed by its Gigantamax status, Gigantamax Cinderace hops (bunny, heh.) far ahead of every other Fire damage dealer currently exists in Max Battles in Pokémon GO. It deals nearly 6% more damage than Gigantamax Charizard, and roughly 15% or above compared to the rest.

G-Max Cinderace will continue to prove its usefulness even in the future when all Pokémons make their debuts in Max Battles. Unless there is a new Fire Gigantamax attacker that gets introduced in the mainstream game (and eventually Pokémon GO), Cinderace will continue to hold the #1 spot until either of the following come out: Galarian Darmanitan (Zen Mode) and Blacephalon, with the former outdamaging Cinderace by 4%, and the latter just roughly 1%. However, considering Galarian Darmanitan (Zen Mode) is not even in the game yet, while Blacephalon is an Ultra Beast that may take months or even years to make its way to Max Battles, G-Max Cinderace is safely the strongest Fire damage dealer in Max Battles for a long, long time.

: Is Cinderace Still #1 Against Every Typing That Is Weak to Fire?

While being comfortably the #1 Fire attacker, it is also worth comparing Gigantamax Cinderace against other Pokémon of different typings that also counter Bug, Grass, Ice and Steel to ultimately conclude whether the Galarian Bunny is indeed the ultimate choice that is worth serious investment into.

Each table below compares Cinderace’s Gigantamax-boosted ATK against the top four damage dealers across every type that deals Super Effective damage to that particular typing.

vs. Bug (weak to , , )

vs. Grass (weak to , , , , )

Ranking	Pokémon	Max Attack Damage vs. G-Max Cinderace
1	Gigantamax Cinderace	–
2	Gigantamax Charizard	-5.9%
3	Dynamax Darmanitan	-14.5%
4	Dynamax Moltres	-18.2%
5	Dynamax Magmortar	-19.4%

Without any competition from Flying, Rock, Poison, Bug and Ice-type damage dealers, Fire remains the go-to type against Bug and Grass Pokémon in Max Battles, with Gigantamax Cinderace comfortably sitting at the top in the current meta.

vs. Steel (weak to , , )

Ranking	Pokémon	Max Attack Damage vs. G-Max Cinderace
1	Gigantamax Cinderace	–
2	Gigantamax Machamp	-1.6%
3	Gigantamax Charizard	-5.9%
4	Dynamax Darmanitan	-14.5%
5	Dynamax Excadrill	-16.9%

Gigantamax Cinderace faces a bit more competition in the damage race vs. Steel-type Pokémon, with Gigantamax Machamp and its G-Max Chi Strike trailing closely behind at just 1.6% gap. Still, Cinderace remains the best choice against this typing in the current meta.

Interestingly, as we add Fighting type into the comparison, besides Galarian Darmanitan (Zen Mode) and Blacephalon, there is just one more Pokémon that is on par with G-Max Cinderace in the future, and that is Pheromosa.

vs. Ice (weak to , , , )

Ranking	Pokémon	Max Attack Damage vs. G-Max Cinderace
1	Crowned Sword Zacian	+6.7%
2	Gigantamax Cinderace	–
3	Gigantamax Machamp	-1.6%
4	Gigantamax Charizard	-5.9%
5	Dynamax Dialga	-10.8%

G-Max Cinderace finally faces serious competition in dealing damage against Ice-type Pokémon, with Crowned Sword Zacian taking the #1 spot with roughly a 7% gap in damage. It is still a very strong choice though at #2, pushing as far as 11% ahead of the next legendary Pokémon in the list, i.e. Dynamax Dialga.

As a Tank: Not a Role Worth Considering

The table below compares Cinderace’s tanking ranks by damage taken against each incoming attack type. 

As much of a top-tier damage dealer as it can be, with its subpar DEF and HP values, unfortunately G-Max Cinderace is just not suited to be a tank at all, even though it has Tackle that can help generate Max Meter fast enough. It barely breaks into top 20 tanks of any elements in the current meta, and should be considered strictly in the damage dealing spot of the team.

Verdict: An S-rank Fire Attacker

Gigantamax Cinderace is hands down the ultimate Fire-type damage dealer for a long time, holding the #1 spot firmly against Bug, Grass and Steel-type Pokémon, and losing out only to Crowned Sword Zacian against Ice-type. As it is not suited to be a tank, getting one with 15 ATK IV would be the goal for most trainers; and with a debuting shiny form, it makes it even more worthwhile to take part in its Max Battle Day event and use up as many Max Particles that you could to farm for the best Cinderace possible.