Best Starter Pokémon in PokéSurvivor: Tier Rankings, Base Stats, and Moves

Selecting the best starter Pokémon in PokéSurvivor hinges on base stat totals, defensive survivability, and the crowd-clearing efficiency of each species' starting move.

The 29 Starter Species Roster and Regional Selection

When launching a run in PokéSurvivor, players select a starter partner from a carousel featuring three starter Pokémon from each of the nine regions (Kanto through Paldea), alongside bonus additions Psyduck and Slowpoke. Each starter arrives with an innate starting attack and permanent base attributes that shape early-game navigation before shop upgrades come into play.

Starter Pokémon Base Stat Rankings Table

Base stat totals (BST) vary between 307 and 320 across the 29 starters. In the upper bracket, four species achieve 320 BST: Rowlet, Litten, Popplio, and Psyduck. Kanto starters Bulbasaur (BST 318), Squirtle (BST 314), and Charmander (BST 309) showcase balanced distributions, while heavy defensive frontliners like Slowpoke boast 110 HP and 65 defense.

Starter Pokémon	Region	Types	BST	Starting Move	HP	Defense	Speed
Rowlet	Alola	Grass, Flying	320	Razor Leaf	101	55	96
Litten	Alola	Fire	320	Ember	90	40	107
Popplio	Alola	Water	320	Bubble	92	54	95
Psyduck	Kanto	Water	320	Confusion	92	48	101
Bulbasaur	Kanto	Grass, Poison	318	Vine Whip	90	49	97
Chikorita	Johto	Grass	318	Vine Whip	90	65	97
Turtwig	Sinnoh	Grass	318	Vine Whip	95	64	91
Slowpoke	Kanto	Water, Psychic	315	Confusion	110	65	84
Squirtle	Kanto	Water	314	Water Gun	90	65	96
Totodile	Johto	Water	314	Water Gun	92	64	96
Piplup	Sinnoh	Water	314	Bubble	94	53	95
Froakie	Kalos	Water	314	Water Gun	88	40	108
Chespin	Kalos	Grass	313	Vine Whip	95	65	94
Treecko	Hoenn	Grass	310	Razor Leaf	88	35	107
Torchic	Hoenn	Fire	310	Ember	90	40	97
Mudkip	Hoenn	Water	310	Water Gun	92	50	95
Grookey	Galar	Grass	310	Vine Whip	92	50	105
Scorbunny	Galar	Fire	310	Ember	92	40	107
Sobble	Galar	Water	310	Water Gun	92	40	107
Sprigatito	Paldea	Grass	310	Razor Leaf	88	54	105
Fuecoco	Paldea	Fire	310	Ember	100	59	93
Quaxly	Paldea	Water	310	Water Gun	95	45	99
Charmander	Kanto	Fire	309	Ember	88	43	105
Cyndaquil	Johto	Fire	309	Ember	88	43	105
Chimchar	Sinnoh	Fire	309	Ember	90	44	104
Snivy	Unova	Grass	308	Razor Leaf	90	55	104
Tepig	Unova	Fire	308	Ember	99	45	97
Oshawott	Unova	Water	308	Water Gun	95	45	97
Fennekin	Kalos	Fire	307	Ember	88	40	103

Top Starter Tier Recommendations for Survival

High-performing early pick Bulbasaur combines Grass and Poison dual typing with 90 HP, 65 special defense, and Vine Whip. Vine Whip strikes multiple foes in an immediate forward arc, making it dependable against early swarms. Another strong early contender, Rowlet offers 320 BST and 101 HP with Razor Leaf. In A-tier, Squirtle provides 65 defense and Water Gun for safe directional kiting, while Fuecoco brings 100 HP, 59 defense, and Ember.

Transitioning Starter Moves into Mid-Game Evolutions

Starter moves evolve into high-tier forms through partner items, as outlined in our attack evolution guide. Vine Whip evolves into Vine Whip + via Strength, converting its forward lash into a full 360-degree sweep with ×1.9 damage. Similarly, Water Gun and Ember evolve into Water Gun + and Ember + with Strength, gaining +2 projectiles and +2 pierce to handle escalating swarms analyzed in our delivery archetype comparison.