Oct 15, 2015, 05:15 PM
A decent write up on a pretty under used powerhouse. There are just some things I would change.
Firstly, get rid of the entire first sentence. This is for a completely different format and is irrelevant to VGC, and may confuse newer players.
Secondly your calcs are wrong. For the Amoonguss calc, your Nidoqueen is level 100 while Amoonguss is level 50. Same with your Gardevoir calc.
252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Blizzard vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Amoonguss: 146-172 (66 - 77.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
You will almost never see a 0 HP / 0 SpDef Thundurus, they practically all carry sitrus berry, and a 252 HP / 252+ SpDef Sylveon is not a set. Charizard also often carry 252 HP / 20 SpDef as it allows it to survive Rock Slide for neutral Mamoswine and Garchomp and Modest Specs Draco from Hydreigon.
Third, I'm not a fan of the arbitrary speed investment. What specifically do those EVs allow you to outspeed, and what do you give up through having those EVs in speed as opposed to defences?
Finally the moves...why Blizzard? Ice beam guarantees the same OHKOs, has a higher base damage as it is single target and has 100% accuracy. While having a powerful spread move can be nice, having a reliable way of OHKOing M-Salamence, Landorus-T and Garchomp and 2HKOing anything weak to it is invaluable, especially where missing t=said move often means you lose the game due to the massive offensive pressure these mons provide. I also don't see why you have Flamethrower over Earth Power. While the ability to hit Ferrothorn and Scizor might be nice, being able to OHKO/2HKO more common Pokemon like Aegislash and Heatran which otherwise completely wall this set is far more valuable. Finally, Protect is far better in the final slot than Thunderbolt. You shouldn't be keeping Nidoqueen in against bulky waters and you have Ice Beam to KO flying types. The massive offensive pressure Nidoqueen provides, especially under tailwind, often makes it a target, so being able to prevent double targets can be very nice, allowing your partner to capitalise.
The following build was made by Bennett Piercey, who used it to great success, winning US Nationals Senior Division.
Nidoqueen @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
Level: 50
EVs: 148 HP / 84 Def / 252 SpA / 20 SpD / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
– Sludge Bomb
– Earth Power
– Ice Beam
– Protect
The EVs allowed him to survive a 252+ Earthquake from Landorus-T 100% of the time. He used tailwind support to mitigate Nidoqueen's poor speed. I think a build like this is far more suited to the current meta, being able to score important KOs and not having to bank on poor accuracy.
Firstly, get rid of the entire first sentence. This is for a completely different format and is irrelevant to VGC, and may confuse newer players.
Secondly your calcs are wrong. For the Amoonguss calc, your Nidoqueen is level 100 while Amoonguss is level 50. Same with your Gardevoir calc.
252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Blizzard vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Amoonguss: 146-172 (66 - 77.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
You will almost never see a 0 HP / 0 SpDef Thundurus, they practically all carry sitrus berry, and a 252 HP / 252+ SpDef Sylveon is not a set. Charizard also often carry 252 HP / 20 SpDef as it allows it to survive Rock Slide for neutral Mamoswine and Garchomp and Modest Specs Draco from Hydreigon.
Third, I'm not a fan of the arbitrary speed investment. What specifically do those EVs allow you to outspeed, and what do you give up through having those EVs in speed as opposed to defences?
Finally the moves...why Blizzard? Ice beam guarantees the same OHKOs, has a higher base damage as it is single target and has 100% accuracy. While having a powerful spread move can be nice, having a reliable way of OHKOing M-Salamence, Landorus-T and Garchomp and 2HKOing anything weak to it is invaluable, especially where missing t=said move often means you lose the game due to the massive offensive pressure these mons provide. I also don't see why you have Flamethrower over Earth Power. While the ability to hit Ferrothorn and Scizor might be nice, being able to OHKO/2HKO more common Pokemon like Aegislash and Heatran which otherwise completely wall this set is far more valuable. Finally, Protect is far better in the final slot than Thunderbolt. You shouldn't be keeping Nidoqueen in against bulky waters and you have Ice Beam to KO flying types. The massive offensive pressure Nidoqueen provides, especially under tailwind, often makes it a target, so being able to prevent double targets can be very nice, allowing your partner to capitalise.
The following build was made by Bennett Piercey, who used it to great success, winning US Nationals Senior Division.
Nidoqueen @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
Level: 50
EVs: 148 HP / 84 Def / 252 SpA / 20 SpD / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
– Sludge Bomb
– Earth Power
– Ice Beam
– Protect
The EVs allowed him to survive a 252+ Earthquake from Landorus-T 100% of the time. He used tailwind support to mitigate Nidoqueen's poor speed. I think a build like this is far more suited to the current meta, being able to score important KOs and not having to bank on poor accuracy.
