Reuniclus through the years

[Spyro190]

Reuniclus through the years

Type:
Damage Taken
Resistances: (.5x) (.5x)
Weaknesses: (2x) (2x) (2x)
Immunity N/A
Base Stat Total (BST): HP 110 / Atk 65 / Def 75 / SpA 125 / SpD 85 / Spe 30
 

BW BSD, VGC11, VGC12, VGC13, BW Doubles OU, ORAS BSD, VGC14 and ORAS Doubles OU
Reuniclus @ Life Orb/Mental Herb
Ability: Magic Guard/Overcoat
EVs: 172 HP / 32 Def / 252 SpA / 52 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
Quiet Nature
- Trick Room
- Psychic/Psyshock
- Shadow Ball/Protect
- Focus Blast/Protect

This is Reuniclus: a Psychic type TR setter able to inflict huge damages abusing LO thanks to Magic Guard. It can also work with Mental Herb and Overcoat to set TR more easily, but that kind of choices is more suitable for bulkier pokèmon. Despite the aggressive competition (Musharna, Gothitelle, Cresselia, P2, Aromatisse) its firepower has always been sufficient to get a seat in almost every Doubles tier in fifth and sixth generations. The EVs spread in that set is a famous one taken from Smogon, with wich Reuniclus outlives max SpA Chandelure's Shadow Ball without enhancing items and has good possibilities not to be killed by +4 Terrakion's Rock Slide. Focus Blast and Shadow Ball are common coverage moves as they hit Steel, Dark and Psychic types. The arrive of VGC15 marked the end of the viability of Reuniclus in new Doubles, as in a meta with strong Sucker Punches, (MKanga, MMawile, Bisharp) strong anti-TR measures (Amoonguss, Azumarill, TR removers) and strong hard hitters (MEs everywhere, LandoT, Hydreigon...) it was completely outclassed by Cresselia. The same is true for VGC16, while things aren't so different even in seventh generation.
 

(early) BW OU
Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast

Before BW2, stall in BW OU was a solid playstyle. With the introduction of Eviolite ChansMory became a more dangerous core than the old BlissMory, and Balanced teams couldn't break it easily. CMind Reuniclus was a perfect answer to stall: able to setup in front of Chansey, Skarmory and some of their usual mates and threatening for common Taunt users (Crobat, Heatran) thanks to Focus Blast and its STAB. In these cases it's even easy to choose between Psychic and Psyshock, because the second one is necessary to destroy Chansey and eventually Blissey. Sadly the arrive of Keldeo, LandoT and Move Tutors upset the metagame, making stall teams less effective and reducing their usage: this set lost its value.
 

BW OU and SM OU
Reuniclus @ Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
Quiet Nature
- Trick Room
- Psychic/Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Shadow Ball/Hidden Power [Fire]

In addition to being a great stallbreaker Reuniclus can be an anti-meta sweeper, one of the few able to use TR in Singles in order to counter Hyper Offensive teams and fast Offensive ones. To this purpose Psychic should be the preferred STAB, as it hits better physically bulky pokèmon like Lando-T, while HP Fire can be used to beat Scizor and its ME.
 

ORAS UU
Reuniclus @ Leftovers  
Ability: Magic Guard  
EVs: 220 HP / 240 Def / 48 Spe  
Bold Nature  
IVs: 0 Atk  
- Calm Mind  
- Recover  
- Psyshock  
- Focus Blast

In the current ORAS UU stall teams aren't so common, but defensive threats like MAggron and Blissey must be taken into consideration. Maxing HP and Def isn't necessary here, while in early BW OU reducing the possibilities to be OHKOed by Band Ttar's Crunch was a must. This set has just the EVs it needs to regain as much as possible from Leftovers and outspeed by 2 points uninvesteed Doublade, wich is a good Speed tier considering how many slow threats are in ORAS UU.
 

ORAS OU
Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 220 HP / 192 Def / 96 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast

After MSableye's ban stall teams lost a lot of popularity in ORAS OU. Despite this CMind Reuniclus can be used as a less passive version of Mew: with this EVs spread it avoids 2HKO by commonest MEs (MLopunny, MMedicham, MDiancie) but instead of using utility moves like WoW, SR and Defog it can setup CMind in order to become a wincon without fearing indirect damages. Bisharp's usage is a serious problem, but it has to pay attention to Focus Blast when it enters the field.
 

SM OU
Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 220 HP / 148 Def / 96 SpD / 44 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast

Life is hard for CMind Reuniclus in SM OU. MSableye (immune to both Psyshock and Focus Blast) is present in almost every stall team, and Toxapex obliges us to invest at least 44 EVs in Spe in order to use our STAB first of its Haze, wich is crucial not to be PP stalled. The purposes of Reuniclus are the same it has in ORAS OU, but here it can also counter Celesteela and Scarf Lele.



To sum up Reuniclus is the classic stereotype of a Psychic type: few options but high results. Even if its golden days will probably never come back there's no reason to understimate the bulkiest Magic Guard user except Knock Off.