<![CDATA[Pokemon Forever - Pokemon Moveset Archive]]>

<![CDATA[Pokemon Forever - Pokemon Moveset Archive]]> http://pokemonforever.com/ Sun, 17 May 2026 10:12:30 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[[SMOGON] [UU] Umbreon - Wish Support/Cleric]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-SMOGON-UU-Umbreon-Wish-Support-Cleric Thu, 06 Oct 2016 08:04:19 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-SMOGON-UU-Umbreon-Wish-Support-Cleric [Image: umbreon_by_dancergurl4u2nv-d32kig4.jpg]

[Image: umbreon_by_dancergurl4u2nv-d32kig4.jpg]

Credit to http://silverkiwi78.deviantart.com/

Introduction

Umbreon is a great Cleric in the UU Metagame, due to its wonderful base Special Defense stat of 130, and decent Defense stat of 110. Umbreon's access to Wish and other Cleric moves makes it very annoying to deal with, and it supports your team greatly. I highly recommend using it, if you aren't running Florges of course. Umbreon and Florges are the most used clerics in the UU Tier. Umbreon deserves its spot as a cleric in the UU tier, because it, once again, supports your team greatly.

This moveset will explain the Moveset/EVs/IVs/Item I recommend when using Umbreon in Pokemon Showdown, and in UU Battles against others in Pokemon Omega and Alpha Sapphire. Aside from the moveset and build. I will also explain some team mates that appreciate Umbreon that work well with it, its Weakness/Strengths, and some Damage Calculations as well. Also, sorry if the color palette of this Build is too bland, it is Umbreon themed after all!

Umbreon: The Basics

Type: Dark
Weaknesses: Fighting (x2) / Bug (x2) / Fairy (x2)
Resistances: Dark (x0.5) / Ghost (x0.5)
Immunities: Psychic (x0)
Abilities:
Synchronize: "When statused, the enemy is also statused. Can pass nature to wild Pokemon." A Pokemon can not be statused if it is immune. This passes on a Status given to the Pokemon, to the Pokemon who gave the status to it! In this set, Synchronize is the best option for Umbreon to have as its Ability.
Hidden Ability)
Inner Focus: This prevents the Pokemon from flinching. This isn't really used much to be honest. Its Regular Ability benefits Umbreon more than Inner Focus does. There isn't much to say about Inner Focus really.
Base Stats: 95 HP / 65 Atk / 110 Def / 60 SpAtk / 130 SpD / 65 Spe

The Set: Specially Defensive Cleric

Umbreon @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Baton Pass
- Foul Play

The Explanation:

Leftovers: Umbreon should be given Leftovers, as it heals 1/16 of the holder's HP each turn. This is meant to be used so Umbreon can recover Hit Points, giving it a better chance of surviving longer.
Ability: Synchronize is the best choice as an ability, since it punishes the opposing Pokemon for statusing Umbreon. This is usually in Umbreon's favor. However, remember that some Pokemon and their abilities benefit from being statused.
EVs: Umbreon needs full HP and SpD investment to take a lot of hits from Special Attackers/Special Moves in general. Unfortunately, Umbreon's HP is not great in any way, but HP EV investment covers this. Special Defense EVs make Umbreon a tough wall, and it can act as a Cleric much easier. The final 4 EVs are in Defense, since it is the next highest stat after Special Defense. Umbreon's Fighting type weakness appreciates investment in Defense.
Nature: Calm Nature gives Umbreon a boost in Special Defense, but lowers its Special Attack. Since Umbreon doesn't use any Special Attacks at all, Calm Nature is the ideal nature for Umbreon.
The Moves:
Wish: The first move on Umbreon is Wish. Wish heals 50% of the users HP after two turns. It can heal an ally in the user's place. This means if Umbreon uses Wish, and switches out to a Pokemon, the Pokemon in its place will heal on the second turn after Wish is used.
Protect: Protect, one of the most common moves in Pokemon, is the second move you should give Umbreon. It can protect Umbreon from any moves if you know/predict an attack from the opposing Pokemon. Usually, this is a great choice for Umbreon if you want to block any Strong Attacks, or you want to heal from Leftovers quickly. I recommend it, because a lot of Pokemon can status and damage Umbreon easily. If you want to save Synchronize, or want to block a Mach Punch from Conkeldurr, use Protect!
Baton Pass: One reason you should give Umbreon Baton Pass, is that it is the best way to pass off Wish to another team member. Sometimes, Baton Pass makes it easier for your opponent to attack the Pokemon switching in, but it can benefit you greatly when Wish finally activates. Also, Baton Pass can pass on Stat Boosts to the Pokemon you are switching in to. If by chance, Umbreon's stats get boosted, and it can benefit a Pokemon, you can pass it on. Just like some good old Mashed Potatoes at Thanksgiving!
Foul Play: The last moveslot goes to Foul Play. The amount of damage it does is equal to the Attack Stat of the target (unless it resists Dark-Type moves of course. This can work out very well if you want to take out a weakened Physical Attacker that happens to be at low health. This is a coverage move really. Even though it is Umbreon's only attack in this set, it can take out Psychic-Types and Physical Attackers with low health.

Damage Calculations

Defensively:
0 SpA Cresselia Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 66-78 (16.7 - 19.7%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Cobalion Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 186-218 (47.2 - 55.3%) -- 15.2% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Gardevoir Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 228-270 (57.8 - 68.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 118-139 (29.9 - 35.2%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Chandelure Energy Ball vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 64-76 (16.2 - 19.2%) -- possible 8HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Cresselia Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 66-78 (16.7 - 19.7%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Lucario Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 95-113 (24.1 - 28.6%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Lucario Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 283-335 (71.8 - 85%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 SpA Empoleon Scald vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 58-69 (14.7 - 17.5%) -- possible 9HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Whimsicott Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 102-120 (25.8 - 30.4%) -- 0.6% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Whimsicott Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 198-234 (50.2 - 59.3%) -- 76.2% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers
252 SpA Life Orb Toxicroak Vacuum Wave vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Umbreon: 81-96 (20.5 - 24.3%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery

Possible Teammates

Crobat and Gligar: Current UU Flying Types, like Crobat and Gligar, work well with Umbreon, because they resist Fighting Types, Bug Types, and (in Crobat's case) Fairy Types. Crobat can also use Defog to get rid of Hazards on the battlefield, while Gligar can be used to set up hazards like Stealth Rock.These two Pokemon assist Umbreon by giving Utility and Pivot support. They do this by using moves like Defog, U-Turn, Roost, and Taunt to heal up and work against many of Umbreon's threats.
Swampert: Pokemon that oppose Umbreon by using Taunt, like Aerodactyl, Krookodile, and Crobat are frail and can be beaten down by Swampert. None of these "Tauntmons" are really a threat to Swampert. Umbreon can give Wish Support to Swampert, while Swampert can take out some annoying mons to deal with. Swampert just so happens to work well with Crobat too. Swampert has good coverage against Steel/Fire/Flying/Rock types, which are mostly Physical Attacking Pokemon (except for Fire).
Rapid Spin/Defog: Pokemon that use Rapid Spin and Defog, like Blastoise/Forretress/CROBAT/Tentacruel, and other good Hazard Removers are a great help to Umbreon, so Umbreon doesn't have to worry about getting switch-in damage and having to heal too much. Rapid Spinners/Defoggers are great on any team, even those without Umbreon.
Wallbreakers: Wallbreakers like Choice Band Machamp, Choice Band Krookodile, and Choice Specs Yanmega work well with Umbreon, because they apprecate the support Umbreon provides. Two of these Pokemon (aside from Krook really) resist some of Umbreon's weaknesses. The combination of support and healing from Umbreon, along with the resistances and Sweeping Abilities of these 'mons, makes them good team members for Umbreon.

Threats

Fighting Types: Umbreon is really weak against Physical Fighting Type Pokemon like Machamp and Mienshao. Pokemon that use Superpower, like Mega Absol are a pain to Umbreon as well. These Fighting Types, as well as other Set-up Sweepers, make it difficult for Umbreon to use Wish+Baton Pass to help out the team.
Taunt Users: Due to the fact that Umbreon has only 1 Offensive Move (and a kind of weak one at that) means that Taunt can cripple Umbreon to the point where keeping Umbreon out is completely useless. You should be cautioned of these Pokemon, and have Pokemon that can defeat them.
Those Notorious Trick Users: Trick users, like Rotom Cut or Chandelure, make it impossible for Umbreon to have access to all of its Moves (or Kit) for all of those TF2/Overwatch Elitists. Beware for them. Pokemon that can use the trending Trick Items can stop them though.
Bulky Set-Up Sweepers: Bulky Pokemon that can set-up well, like Substitute + Calm Mind Suicune, the Cleric Florges, or the Ferocious CurseLax give Umbreon more trouble than it is worth. So be cautious of these types of Pokemon as well.

Other Viable Moves

Toxic can be used in place of Protect or Foul Play, as it can slowly kill a Pokemon, or even cripple it. Toxic sends defensive pressure to Bulky Teams (aka Suicune and Stall Teams.)
Taunt is another move Umbreon can use. If you can't beat them, join them! Taunt stops Hazard Setters, Healers, and most set-up 'mons from using their utility moves. This can put pressure on teams that rely on their Support 'mons.

Warning: These two moves can be great... but Umbreon is already low on available moveslots if Wish and Baton Pass are being used together.

Other Viable Items

None

Thanks for viewing this Build Submission! I will continue to make more Competitive Builds for UU and below Pokemon in the future. Support me by leaving Positive Feedback!

]]>

Credit to http://silverkiwi78.deviantart.com/

Introduction

Umbreon: The Basics

The Set: Specially Defensive Cleric

Umbreon @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Baton Pass
- Foul Play

The Explanation:

Leftovers: Umbreon should be given Leftovers, as it heals 1/16 of the holder's HP each turn. This is meant to be used so Umbreon can recover Hit Points, giving it a better chance of surviving longer.
Ability: Synchronize is the best choice as an ability, since it punishes the opposing Pokemon for statusing Umbreon. This is usually in Umbreon's favor. However, remember that some Pokemon and their abilities benefit from being statused.
EVs: Umbreon needs full HP and SpD investment to take a lot of hits from Special Attackers/Special Moves in general. Unfortunately, Umbreon's HP is not great in any way, but HP EV investment covers this. Special Defense EVs make Umbreon a tough wall, and it can act as a Cleric much easier. The final 4 EVs are in Defense, since it is the next highest stat after Special Defense. Umbreon's Fighting type weakness appreciates investment in Defense.
Nature: Calm Nature gives Umbreon a boost in Special Defense, but lowers its Special Attack. Since Umbreon doesn't use any Special Attacks at all, Calm Nature is the ideal nature for Umbreon.
The Moves:
Wish: The first move on Umbreon is Wish. Wish heals 50% of the users HP after two turns. It can heal an ally in the user's place. This means if Umbreon uses Wish, and switches out to a Pokemon, the Pokemon in its place will heal on the second turn after Wish is used.
Protect: Protect, one of the most common moves in Pokemon, is the second move you should give Umbreon. It can protect Umbreon from any moves if you know/predict an attack from the opposing Pokemon. Usually, this is a great choice for Umbreon if you want to block any Strong Attacks, or you want to heal from Leftovers quickly. I recommend it, because a lot of Pokemon can status and damage Umbreon easily. If you want to save Synchronize, or want to block a Mach Punch from Conkeldurr, use Protect!
Baton Pass: One reason you should give Umbreon Baton Pass, is that it is the best way to pass off Wish to another team member. Sometimes, Baton Pass makes it easier for your opponent to attack the Pokemon switching in, but it can benefit you greatly when Wish finally activates. Also, Baton Pass can pass on Stat Boosts to the Pokemon you are switching in to. If by chance, Umbreon's stats get boosted, and it can benefit a Pokemon, you can pass it on. Just like some good old Mashed Potatoes at Thanksgiving!
Foul Play: The last moveslot goes to Foul Play. The amount of damage it does is equal to the Attack Stat of the target (unless it resists Dark-Type moves of course. This can work out very well if you want to take out a weakened Physical Attacker that happens to be at low health. This is a coverage move really. Even though it is Umbreon's only attack in this set, it can take out Psychic-Types and Physical Attackers with low health.

Damage Calculations

Possible Teammates

Crobat and Gligar: Current UU Flying Types, like Crobat and Gligar, work well with Umbreon, because they resist Fighting Types, Bug Types, and (in Crobat's case) Fairy Types. Crobat can also use Defog to get rid of Hazards on the battlefield, while Gligar can be used to set up hazards like Stealth Rock.These two Pokemon assist Umbreon by giving Utility and Pivot support. They do this by using moves like Defog, U-Turn, Roost, and Taunt to heal up and work against many of Umbreon's threats.
Swampert: Pokemon that oppose Umbreon by using Taunt, like Aerodactyl, Krookodile, and Crobat are frail and can be beaten down by Swampert. None of these "Tauntmons" are really a threat to Swampert. Umbreon can give Wish Support to Swampert, while Swampert can take out some annoying mons to deal with. Swampert just so happens to work well with Crobat too. Swampert has good coverage against Steel/Fire/Flying/Rock types, which are mostly Physical Attacking Pokemon (except for Fire).
Rapid Spin/Defog: Pokemon that use Rapid Spin and Defog, like Blastoise/Forretress/CROBAT/Tentacruel, and other good Hazard Removers are a great help to Umbreon, so Umbreon doesn't have to worry about getting switch-in damage and having to heal too much. Rapid Spinners/Defoggers are great on any team, even those without Umbreon.
Wallbreakers: Wallbreakers like Choice Band Machamp, Choice Band Krookodile, and Choice Specs Yanmega work well with Umbreon, because they apprecate the support Umbreon provides. Two of these Pokemon (aside from Krook really) resist some of Umbreon's weaknesses. The combination of support and healing from Umbreon, along with the resistances and Sweeping Abilities of these 'mons, makes them good team members for Umbreon.

Threats

Fighting Types: Umbreon is really weak against Physical Fighting Type Pokemon like Machamp and Mienshao. Pokemon that use Superpower, like Mega Absol are a pain to Umbreon as well. These Fighting Types, as well as other Set-up Sweepers, make it difficult for Umbreon to use Wish+Baton Pass to help out the team.
Taunt Users: Due to the fact that Umbreon has only 1 Offensive Move (and a kind of weak one at that) means that Taunt can cripple Umbreon to the point where keeping Umbreon out is completely useless. You should be cautioned of these Pokemon, and have Pokemon that can defeat them.
Those Notorious Trick Users: Trick users, like Rotom Cut or Chandelure, make it impossible for Umbreon to have access to all of its Moves (or Kit) for all of those TF2/Overwatch Elitists. Beware for them. Pokemon that can use the trending Trick Items can stop them though.
Bulky Set-Up Sweepers: Bulky Pokemon that can set-up well, like Substitute + Calm Mind Suicune, the Cleric Florges, or the Ferocious CurseLax give Umbreon more trouble than it is worth. So be cautious of these types of Pokemon as well.

Other Viable Moves

Other Viable Items

None

Thanks for viewing this Build Submission! I will continue to make more Competitive Builds for UU and below Pokemon in the future. Support me by leaving Positive Feedback!

]]> <![CDATA[[SMOGON] [UU] Chesnaught - Sweeper]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-SMOGON-UU-Chesnaught-Sweeper Sat, 24 Sep 2016 02:33:54 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-SMOGON-UU-Chesnaught-Sweeper

I'm back on the forum! Everybody run! > : D

This time I'm trying my hand at posting competitive builds.

What did I used to do on here? I don't know. So should you run? Maybe not. But I think you should definitely run this set at least once. #MasterOfSegways

[Image: chesnaught.gif]

Pokemon: Chesnaught
Base Stats 88 HP / 107 ATK / 122 DEF / 74 SpA / 75 SpD / 64 Spe
Types: Grass/Fighting
Weaknesses: Flying (X4), Fire (X2), Ice (X2), Psychic (X2), Poison (X2), Fairy (X2)
Resistances: Dark (X0.5), Grass (X0.5), Water (X0.5), Electric (X0.5), Rock (X0.5), Ground (X0.5)
Abilities: Overgrow - Boosts the power of Grass types moves by 50% if the user's health is 1/3 or below.

Bulletproof (Hidden Ability) - Protects user from some ball and bomb moves, such as Gyro Ball and Sludge Bomb.

Set of the Day

Chesnaught @ Salac Berry
Ability: Overgrow / Bulletproof
EVs: 12 HP / 244 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Belly Drum
- Seed Bomb
- Drain Punch

Pretty simple spread, huh? That is what makes this set so powerful. The goal with this Chesnaught, is to setup a Substitute. Either while leading (which is kind of risky) or by switching in on something that doesn't hit you very well (i.e. Krookodile, Umbreon w/o Taunt). The following turn, you want to go for a Belly Drum. For those of you who don't know what Belly Drum does, it boosts the user's Attack to it's maximum, at the expense of half of their health. You've lost a lot of health going for Substitute and Belly Drum, haven't you? This is actually a good thing. Because of the 12 EVs in your Health, you should be at 25% HP. This is the range where Salac Berry activates. Salac Berry boosts your Pokemon's health by 1 stage. At this speed, Chesnaught can outspeed max speed Alakazam, Dugtrio, and Sceptile by 1 point (just to put this in perspective). In just a few turns, your Chesnaught has become a monster.

In the right situation, this is an endgame because your opponent can't deal with your speed and power. Seed Bomb is used on this set for some nice STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) damage to pick up quick KOs. It can be used in conjunction with Overgrow to do EVEN MORE damage. Drain Punch is used to get some of your health back. Instead of going the all-out attacker route with Overgrow, you can preserve for sweeper Chesnaught for longer. Because of Chesnaught's natural bulk, there isn't much for priority that can take it out if it gets back it's HP. No Talonflames in OU muhaha.

Other moveset options: Chesnaught has other physical attack options that might cause your opponent some trouble if they are not prepared. Chesnaught gets access to Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Iron Head, Poison Jab, Rock Slide, Shadow Claw, Thunderpunch, Zen Headbutt, etc. It certainly has options for various situations adding a little extra surprise to this Chesnaught.

Offensive Calculations

Defensive Calculations
Not really sure what to add to this section since this set relies on taking out Pokemon quickly and hiding behind Substitutes. I was thinking maybe throwing in something like how much you can take from a Life Orb Mamoswine Ice Shard in the event you want to know that calc. Let me know any defensive calcs you might be interesting in below.

Team Options
Hazard setters are appreciated because they can remove the effects of Focus Sash and Sturdy from Pokemon such as Donphan and Infernape. It can also put a Pokemon in range of being knocked out by Chesnaught's moves that otherwise wouldn't, like the aforementioned Mega Aggron in the Offensive Calculations. There are a lot of options for hazard setters in UU so I won't name any specific Pokemon off. I'm not completely sure what synergizes best with Chesnaught anyway :P . A Wish Passer would be handy in giving Chesnaught a second chance at setting up. Something like Umbreon could work as a Wish Passer and Cleric so that Chesnaught can gain health back and have status ailments removed. Chesnaught has 6 weaknesses, including a massive Flying one. It would be quite helpful to have Pokemon that can take those kinds of attacks for it, like Suicune or Metagross.

Checks and Counters

Choice Scarfed Pokemon: Chesnaught isn't naturally fast. Even with +1 from Salac, it won't outspeed a Scarf user like Hydreigon. Which could in turn, finish it off with Fire coverage like Flamethrower or Fire Blast.

Infiltrators: Unfortunately, there are a lot of these in UU. Noivern, Crobat, Chandelure, Whimsicott. Imfiltrator makes moves pass through Substitute. And all of those Pokemon have a super effective move with your name on it.

Resistances The Pokemon mentioned above also resist the Seed Bomb/Drain Punch set. There are others that do this too, such as Dragalge. So they could just stick around and keep causing trouble.

Status: You do not want to take a status move. Burn and paralysis cripple your sweeping potential and poison (especially Toxic poison) puts you on a timer, limiting your time with Chesnaught.

Replays

UHEW-WWWW-WW46-SJAF Week 1 IBL (It's a Pokemon league) : Tommy (me) vs Connor

I knew how well BD Chesnaught could do in this battle, remembering that I saw it a little while back on a Poketuber's channel (I think it was Lord Emvee, don't quote me.), and I wanted to give it a shot since Connor's team looked pretty scary. Volcanion and Krookodile are beasts in league play. I lost my Mega Gardevoir early on, which was crumby. But it's amazing how things can turn around so quickly. I waited for him to bring in Umbreon and went to Chesnaught ASAP.

In Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my analysis on Belly Drum Chesnaught. Sorry it wasn't as fancy as some other people make theirs look Smile

Let me know what you thought and if you have any concerns!]]>

I'm back on the forum! Everybody run! > : D

This time I'm trying my hand at posting competitive builds.

What did I used to do on here? I don't know. So should you run? Maybe not. But I think you should definitely run this set at least once. #MasterOfSegways

[Image: chesnaught.gif]

Let me know what you thought and if you have any concerns!]]> <![CDATA[[SMOGON] [UU] Nidoking - Special Attacker (Wallbreaker)]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-SMOGON-UU-Nidoking-Special-Attacker-Wallbreaker Sun, 11 Sep 2016 17:58:24 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-SMOGON-UU-Nidoking-Special-Attacker-Wallbreaker
[Image: nidoking_by_creepyjellyfish-d7a499b.gif]

[Image: nidoking_by_creepyjellyfish-d7a499b.gif]

Type: Ground/Poison
Weaknesses: Ground (X2), Water (X2), Psychic (X2), Ice (X2)
Resistances: Fighting (X0,5), Bug (X0,5), Fairy (X0,5), Rock (X0,5), Poison (X0,25), Electric (X0)
Abilities: Poison Point - Rivalry - Sheer Force (Hidden Ability)
Poison Point: The opponent has a 30% chance of being induced with Poison when using an attack, that requires physical contact, against this Pokémon.
Rivalry: Attack & Special Attack is increased by 25% if the foe is of the same gender; Attack & Special Attack is decreased by 25% if the foe is of the opposite gender.
Hidden Ability: Sheer Force: Moves with a secondary effect are increased in power by 33% but lose their secondary effect.

Base stats: 81 HP / 102 Attack / 77 Defense / 85 Special Attack / 75 Special Defense / 85 Speed
______________________________________________________

The set: Special Wallbreaker

[Image: nidoking_by_creepyjellyfish-d7a499b.gif]

Nidoking @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid / Naive Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Sludge Wave
- Superpower/Flamethrower

This moveset uses Nidoking's combination of decent Special Attack, extremely wide movepool and good ability to get past walls. Earth Power and Sludge Wave are Nidoking's primary STAB moves, being able to hit a lot of very common Pokémon in UU such as Florges, Arcanine, Entei, M-Aggron and Sylveon. Ice Beam can hit a lot of the Pokémon that resists his STAB combination, the best example being Gligar. In the last slot, two options stand out; Superpower helps against special walls like Umbreon and Blissey, while Flamethrower hits Bronzong, who has been rising in popularity.
This moveset is also very viable in OU, but if you use it there, you should always go with Flamethrower in the last slot to hit Scizor and Ferrothorn.

Calcs

Offensive:

0 Atk Life Orb Nidoking Superpower vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Blissey: 413-489 (57.8 - 68.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Florges: 273-322 (75.8 - 89.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

0 Atk Life Orb Nidoking Superpower vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Umbreon: 211-250 (53.5 - 63.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 240 SpD Filter Mega Aggron: 259-306 (75.2 - 88.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Defensive

It doesn't live much, because it has really poor defenses. I'll still throw in some calcs.

252+ Atk Mega Absol Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Nidoking: 238-282 (78.5 - 93%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0 SpA Celebi Psychic vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Nidoking: 246-290 (81.1 - 95.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Good Partners

- Nidoking appreciates hazard support to take down walls with more ease.
- Volt-Turn cores are a nice way to bring in Nidoking in a safe situation, so Pokémon like Rotom, Scizor, Forretress, Gligar and others can pair well with him.
- Set-up sweepers such as CroCune and Calm Mind Cresselia appreciate walls being beaten by Nidoking.
- Physical wallbreakers like Machamp and Conkeldurr can help Nidoking by beating special walls.

Threats:

- Special Walls can stop Nidoking with ease, though Umbreon and Blissey need to be careful because of Superpower.
- Faster attackers can take advantage of Nidoking's poor bulk and KO it.

Other Options:

- Nidoking has coverage for days, so if your team needs it, it can run Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, Megahorn, Sucker Punch, etc.
- Stealth Rock can be a decent option on offensive teams in need of a rocker.]]> <![CDATA[[SMOGON] [UU] Nidoqueen - Offensive Support (Wallbreaker/Hazard Setter)]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-SMOGON-UU-Nidoqueen-Offensive-Support-Wallbreaker-Hazard-Setter Sun, 11 Sep 2016 16:05:30 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-SMOGON-UU-Nidoqueen-Offensive-Support-Wallbreaker-Hazard-Setter

Type: Ground/Poison
Weaknesses: Ground (X2), Water (X2), Psychic (X2), Ice (X2)
Resistances: Fighting (X0,5), Bug (X0,5), Fairy (X0,5), Rock (X0,5), Poison (X0,25), Electric (X0)
Abilities: Poison Point - Rivalry - Sheer Force (Hidden Ability)
Poison Point: The opponent has a 30% chance of being induced with Poison when using an attack, that requires physical contact, against this Pokémon.
Rivalry: Attack & Special Attack is increased by 25% if the foe is of the same gender; Attack & Special Attack is decreased by 25% if the foe is of the opposite gender.
Hidden Ability: Sheer Force: Moves with a secondary effect are increased in power by 33% but lose their secondary effect.

Base stats: 90 HP / 92 Attack / 87 Defense / 75 Special Attack / 85 Special Defense / 76 Speed
______________________________________________________

The set: Offensive Hazard Setter/Wallbreaker

[Image: nidoqueen_by_creepyjellyfish-d7a499a.gif]

[Image: nidoqueen_by_creepyjellyfish-d7a499a.gif]

Nidoqueen @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 180 HP / 252 SpA / 76 Spe
Modest Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock
- Sludge Wave/Thunderbolt/Toxic Spikes

This set uses Nidoqueen's decent Special Attack and her colourful movepool that includes a plethora of moves that are boosted by Sheer Force, including the famous BoltBeam combo, as well as good support moves in Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes. Life Orb is also the perfect item for this set as Sheer Force negates the Life Orb recoil damage on boosted moves. The EVs provided allows her to outspeed the standard CroCune set with being as powerful as possible and keeping a fair amount of bulk, but you can also run 216 Speed EVs to outspeed defensive Arcanine and Adamant Honchkrow. The 3 most important moves here are Earth Power, which is a good STAB move that is boosted by Sheer Force, Ice Beam, which hits Grass and Flying types who resists Ground type attacks, and Stealth Rock, which wears down the opposing team during the whole battle. For the last moveslot, it's up to you; Sludge Wave is a powerful secondary STAB move, Thunderbolt gives Nidoqueen excellent coverage paired with Ice Beam, and Toxic Spikes is for stacking hazards and furthermore weakening opposing Pokémon when they switch.

Calcs

Offensive:

252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Earth Power vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Arcanine: 455-538 (118.7 - 140.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Florges: 276-328 (76.6 - 91.1%) -- 25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Sylveon: 320-377 (81.2 - 95.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock Good Partners

252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Suicune: 224-265 (55.4 - 65.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Defensive

252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 180 HP / 0 Def Nidoqueen: 303-357 (82.7 - 97.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Mega Sceptile Leaf Storm vs. 180 HP / 0 SpD Nidoqueen: 264-312 (72.1 - 85.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Hydreigon Draco Meteor vs. 180 HP / 0 SpD Nidoqueen: 237-280 (64.7 - 76.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Slowking Scald vs. 180 HP / 0 SpD Nidoqueen: 272-324 (74.3 - 88.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Good Partners

-Machamp and Conkeldurr are both excellent partners, because they are excellents physical wallbreakers who can deal with the special walls that Nidoqueen struggles with while not having to worry about Fairy types. Assault Vest/Guts Conkeldurr gets a special mention since it can switch to Calm Mind-boosted Suicune and absorb the burn.
-Both Choice Scarf and mixed wallbreaker Hydreigon sets have good synergy with Nidoqueen, being able to get past threats like Krookodile. It also loves the fact that Nidoqueen can get past Fairy types.
-Pokémon that can pass Wishes, such as Umbreon, help Nidoqueen not being worn down too quickly.

Threats:

-While Nidoqueen can 2HKO a lot of bulky Water types, if they get a free switch, they can threaten Nidoqueen immediately by simply attacking or, in the case of Suicune and Slowking, setting up Calm Mind.

-Fast Ground Types, Ice types and Psychic types can be very dangerous because of her lack of speed.

-Nidoqueen struggles against very specially defensive Pokémon like Umbreon.]]>

Type: Ground/Poison
Weaknesses: Ground (X2), Water (X2), Psychic (X2), Ice (X2)
Resistances: Fighting (X0,5), Bug (X0,5), Fairy (X0,5), Rock (X0,5), Poison (X0,25), Electric (X0)
Abilities: Poison Point - Rivalry - Sheer Force (Hidden Ability)
Poison Point: The opponent has a 30% chance of being induced with Poison when using an attack, that requires physical contact, against this Pokémon.
Rivalry: Attack & Special Attack is increased by 25% if the foe is of the same gender; Attack & Special Attack is decreased by 25% if the foe is of the opposite gender.
Hidden Ability: Sheer Force: Moves with a secondary effect are increased in power by 33% but lose their secondary effect.

Base stats: 90 HP / 92 Attack / 87 Defense / 75 Special Attack / 85 Special Defense / 76 Speed
______________________________________________________

The set: Offensive Hazard Setter/Wallbreaker

[Image: nidoqueen_by_creepyjellyfish-d7a499a.gif]

Nidoqueen @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 180 HP / 252 SpA / 76 Spe
Modest Nature
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock
- Sludge Wave/Thunderbolt/Toxic Spikes

This set uses Nidoqueen's decent Special Attack and her colourful movepool that includes a plethora of moves that are boosted by Sheer Force, including the famous BoltBeam combo, as well as good support moves in Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes. Life Orb is also the perfect item for this set as Sheer Force negates the Life Orb recoil damage on boosted moves. The EVs provided allows her to outspeed the standard CroCune set with being as powerful as possible and keeping a fair amount of bulk, but you can also run 216 Speed EVs to outspeed defensive Arcanine and Adamant Honchkrow. The 3 most important moves here are Earth Power, which is a good STAB move that is boosted by Sheer Force, Ice Beam, which hits Grass and Flying types who resists Ground type attacks, and Stealth Rock, which wears down the opposing team during the whole battle. For the last moveslot, it's up to you; Sludge Wave is a powerful secondary STAB move, Thunderbolt gives Nidoqueen excellent coverage paired with Ice Beam, and Toxic Spikes is for stacking hazards and furthermore weakening opposing Pokémon when they switch.

Calcs

Offensive:

252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Earth Power vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Arcanine: 455-538 (118.7 - 140.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Florges: 276-328 (76.6 - 91.1%) -- 25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Sylveon: 320-377 (81.2 - 95.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock Good Partners

252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoqueen Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Suicune: 224-265 (55.4 - 65.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Defensive

252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 180 HP / 0 Def Nidoqueen: 303-357 (82.7 - 97.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Mega Sceptile Leaf Storm vs. 180 HP / 0 SpD Nidoqueen: 264-312 (72.1 - 85.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Hydreigon Draco Meteor vs. 180 HP / 0 SpD Nidoqueen: 237-280 (64.7 - 76.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Slowking Scald vs. 180 HP / 0 SpD Nidoqueen: 272-324 (74.3 - 88.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Good Partners

-Machamp and Conkeldurr are both excellent partners, because they are excellents physical wallbreakers who can deal with the special walls that Nidoqueen struggles with while not having to worry about Fairy types. Assault Vest/Guts Conkeldurr gets a special mention since it can switch to Calm Mind-boosted Suicune and absorb the burn.
-Both Choice Scarf and mixed wallbreaker Hydreigon sets have good synergy with Nidoqueen, being able to get past threats like Krookodile. It also loves the fact that Nidoqueen can get past Fairy types.
-Pokémon that can pass Wishes, such as Umbreon, help Nidoqueen not being worn down too quickly.

Threats:

-While Nidoqueen can 2HKO a lot of bulky Water types, if they get a free switch, they can threaten Nidoqueen immediately by simply attacking or, in the case of Suicune and Slowking, setting up Calm Mind.

-Fast Ground Types, Ice types and Psychic types can be very dangerous because of her lack of speed.

-Nidoqueen struggles against very specially defensive Pokémon like Umbreon.]]> <![CDATA[Sylveon - Attack (Special Attacker) 2 options]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-Sylveon-Attack-Special-Attacker-2-options Mon, 21 Dec 2015 09:43:30 -0800 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-Sylveon-Attack-Special-Attacker-2-options [Image: sylveon.gif]

"Caution: High Noise Area. Use Ear Protection!"

(VGC) or (Battle Spot Doubles) Sylveon - Attack (Special Attacker) 2 Options

Type: Fairy
Base Stats: 95 HP / 65 Attack / 65 Defense / 110 Special Attack / 130 Special Defense / 60 Speed
Weaknesses: Poison (x2) , Steel (x2)
Resistances: Dark (x0.5), Fighting (x0.5), Bug (x0.5)
Immunities: Dragon (x0)
Abilities:
Cute Charm: - If the target makes contact with the user, there's a 30% chance in which the user will become infatuated if the user is opposite gender that of the attacker.
Pixilate: - Changes all Normal-type moves into the Fairy type and receives an additional 1.3x boost before STAB.

Overview

Since its introduction in Gen 6, Sylveon is a popular Fairy-type Pokemon used by many competitive players having access to the Pixilate ability to change any Normal-type attacks like Hyper Voice, Quick Attack, and Hyper Beam into Fairy-type. The reintroduction of Hyper Voice as a move tutor for XY/ORAS-born Sylveon resulted in a large usage in the VGC format / Battle Spot Doubles with players realizing how powerful Sylveon hits with Pixilate Hyper Voice even as a spread damage. With the VGC 15 season coming to a close, Sylveon has proven itself to be the most powerful non-Legendary/non-Mega Fairy-type in the format just because its duel move-ability combo in Pixilate Hyper Voice, however Sylveon is not limited to screaming at its opponents. Coverage-wise, Sylveon has access to a wide support options like Helping Hand, Light Screen, Reflect, Calm Mind, Toxic, etc as well as a good amount of coverage to anything not super effective against Pixilate Hyper Voice. Even from a defensive standpoint with 95 HP / 65 Def / 130 SpD overall, Sylveon is relatively bulky enough to take nearly all special hits (not super effective) as well as strong physical attacks like Double Edge or Iron Head with the proper EV spread. Though its base 60 speed isn't as high as one would hope, its slow enough to be a threatening Trick Room sweeper in case Sylveon in partnered with one.

All that aside, Sylveon is always at a constant battle against Steel-type and Poison-types who can take most of its attacks and can either KO or wall the fairy entirely. As mentioned before, Sylveon is a slow special attacker so any potential double target or super effective target can take out Sylveon before it can even strikes with it Pixilate Hyper Voice. Despite these flaws, Sylveon is still a low risk, high reward Pokemon give the power of Pixilate Hyper Voice. If the opponent doesn't have a clear answer for Sylveon, there's a strong likelihood this Fairy will scream its way to victory.

Offensive Support
[Image: sylveon.png]

Sylveon @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Pixilate
Level: 50
EVs: 228 HP / 180 Def / 80 SpA / 20 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
Modest Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Hidden Power [Ground] / Shadow Ball
- Helping Hand / Reflect / Light Screen
- Protect / Detect

Milestones:
-Survives a Double Edge from Jolly 252 Atk Mega Kangaskhan 0.4% of the time and Mega Salamence's Double Edge 100% of the time
-Survives an Iron Plate / Metal Coat boosted Flash Cannon from Modest Aegislash 100% of the time.
-Survives a non-boosted Iron Head from Bisharp.
-Has a 81.3% chance OHKO 4 HP Jolly Mega Salamence (but can OHKO if Double Edge recoil is taken).
-2HKOees 252 HP Heatran with Hidden Power Ground.
-HP investment is optimized for Life Orb and sandstorm damage.
-Pixie Plate Pixilate boosted Hyper Voice can either 3HKO to 2HKO many neutral targets given spread damage.

Notice: If the IVs aren't "suitable" (for HP Ground), just run an EV spread as shown with the lowest possible attack and an ideal coverage move. The EV spread should be adjusted with a couple points to use afterward.

Given how powerful Pixilate Hyper Voice hits against both targets, this set will focus mostly on the other things Sylveon can do. As mentioned many times, Sylveon is one of the most powerful Fairy-type Pokemon in the game since Pixilate Hyper Voice is enough to often either 2HKO or 3HKO at least majority of the game bar resisted types like Steel-, Fire-, and Poison-type Pokemon. Pixie Plate is the intended item for this set given how there's a lack of Special Attack investment just to allocate enough effort values into HP and Defense. The new defensive investment allows Sylveon to take a Double Edge from both Mega Salamence and Mega Kangaskhan most of the time as well as a super effective Iron Head from Bisharp which is impressive. There's no need to invest too much into Special Defense since Sylveon already has a large base 130 SpD to take powerful strong special hits even from a Flash Cannon from Aegislash. As far as other coverage options goes, Hidden Power Ground is the best option given it hits both Fire-/Steel-types especially Heatran for a 2HKO. Shadow Ball is another option to run if Sylveon's team doesn't have great answers for Ghost-/Psychic-types like Mega Gardevoir, Aegislash, Gengar, etc for considerable damage. Generally speaking, Sylveon will far likely use its Pixilate Hyper Voice attack to inflict enough damage for either it or an allied partner can finish the weaken Pokemon.

Helping Hand is a great support option for Sylveon with its +7 priority to power up any partner with a 1.5x boost. This support coverage is useful in case a key target needs to be OHKOed and if Sylveon likely faints the following turn. Sylveon has access to both Light Screen and Reflect to reduce the damage of either physical or special attacks by a third. This can allow Sylveon and its partners to take either physical or special hits better than usual and can sway the battle in their favor. Lastly, Protect is an option for Sylveon to have given how easily its a common Pokemon that gets double targeted due to Pixilate Hyper Voice threaten the opposing side. Detect can be used since Sylveon gets shut down by Imprison Mega Gardevoir so at least it can protect itself from incoming attacks, however it cannot retaliate back if Mega Gardevoir knows Hyper Voice which they do most of the time.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - Most of the damage calculations will focus on Pixie Plate-boosted Pixilate Hyper Voice, Hidden Power Ground, and Shadow Ball assuming Sylveon has about 80 SpA EVs with an SpA IV of 30.

Pixilate Hyper Voice with Pixie Plate (80 SpA EVs with an SpA IV of 30)

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan: 76-91 (41.9 - 50.2%) -- 1.2% chance to 2HKO

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence: 168-198 (98.2 - 115.7%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 168-198 (100.5 - 118.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gardevoir: 58-70 (40.2 - 48.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Aegislash-Blade: 65-77 (38.9 - 46.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 91-108 (55.1 - 65.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 236 HP / 128+ SpD Thundurus: 72-85 (39.1 - 46.1%) -- 76.4% chance to 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 220 HP / 92+ SpD Cresselia: 51-61 (22.8 - 27.3%) -- 58.4% chance to 4HKO

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 102-120 (72.3 - 85.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 8 SpD Assault Vest Scrafty: 180-216 (104.6 - 125.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Assault Vest Conkeldurr: 140-168 (66.3 - 79.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

80+ SpA Pixie Plate Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 84-99 (42.6 - 50.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

Hidden Power Ground (8 SpA EVs)

80+ SpA Sylveon Hidden Power Ground vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 112-136 (56.5 - 68.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

80+ SpA Sylveon Hidden Power Ground vs. 252 HP / 48 SpD Arcanine: 68-80 (34.5 - 40.6%) -- 42.4% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

80+ SpA Sylveon Hidden Power Ground vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Blade: 100-118 (59.8 - 70.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

8 SpA Porygon2 Hidden Power Ground vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Excadrill: 68-82 (36.5 - 44%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Note - Offensively you can tell that this Porygon2 build isn't meant to be an all out attacker, but rather get the 2HKOs it needs for the team. The Modest/Quiet variants with Download are the most preferred for an offensive Porygon2.

Defensive - With 228 HP / 180 Def Modest Nature and 30 IVs in Special Defense.

Physically Defense

252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 228 HP / 180 Def Sylveon: 168-199 (84.4 - 100%) -- 0.4% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 228 HP / 180 Def Sylveon: 160-190 (80.4 - 95.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Bisharp Iron Head vs. 228 HP / 180 Def Sylveon: 164-194 (82.4 - 97.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 228 HP / 180 Def Sylveon: 84-100 (42.2 - 50.2%) -- 1.2% chance to 2HKO

252+ Atk Mold Breaker Excadrill Iron Head vs. 228 HP / 180 Def Sylveon: 170-204 (85.4 - 102.5%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Tyranitar Rock Slide vs. 228 HP / 180 Def Sylveon: 54-64 (27.1 - 32.1%) -- 59.9% chance to 3HKO after sandstorm damage

252+ Atk Mega Swampert Waterfall vs. 228 HP / 180 Def Sylveon in Rain: 141-166 (70.8 - 83.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Entei Sacred Fire vs. 228 HP / 180 Def Sylveon: 88-105 (44.2 - 52.7%) -- 21.5% chance to 2HKO

148 Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (94 BP) vs. 228 HP / 180 Def Sylveon: 132-156 (66.3 - 78.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 228 HP / 180 Def Sylveon: 138-163 (69.3 - 81.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Specially Defensive

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon: 88-105 (44.2 - 52.7%) -- 21.5% chance to 2HKO

44+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon in Sun: 81-96 (40.7 - 48.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

44+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon in Sun: 150-177 (75.3 - 88.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Iron Plate Aegislash-Blade Flash Cannon vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon: 162-192 (81.4 - 96.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

76 SpA Mega Venusaur Sludge Bomb vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon: 104-126 (52.2 - 63.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

236+ SpA Ludicolo Scald vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon in Rain: 72-85 (36.1 - 42.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Mega Gengar Sludge Bomb vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon: 152-180 (76.3 - 90.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Life Orb Heatran Flash Cannon vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon: 156-187 (78.3 - 93.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

212 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon: 55-66 (27.6 - 33.1%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

252 SpA Pixilate Mega Gardevoir Hyper Voice vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon: 72-85 (36.1 - 42.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon: 60-72 (30.1 - 36.1%) -- 43% chance to 3HKO

252 SpA Life Orb Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 228 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon: 78-94 (39.1 - 47.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Note: I mentioned earlier that Sylveon doesn't need too much Special Defense investment...because it doesn't need any more with its base 95 HP and 130 Special Defense. Let's be honest here, Sylveon is going to stay clear from Aegislash, Mega Venusaur, Gengar, Heatran most of the time and the fact they can't OKHO Sylveon means it can stay in if need be and retaliate with Pixilate Hyper Voice to deal damage against not just these targets, but their partners as well.

Calm Mind

Sylveon @ Pixie Plate / Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
Level: 50
EVs: 228 HP / 100 Def / 160 SpA / 20 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
- Hyper Voice
- Calm Mind
- Hidden Power [Ground] / Shadow Ball / Substitute
- Protect

Notice: Sylveon must have 30 IVs in both special attack and special defense in order to have Hidden Power Ground.

Milestones
-Pixilate Hyper Voice with Pixie Plate strong enough to OHKO Mega Salamence, Terrakion, and AV Scrafty with relative ease.
-Can survive a Life Orb Aegislash Flash Cannon after Special Defense boost from Calm Mind.
-After Calm Mind boost can OHKO 108 HP Heatran with Hidden Power Ground.
-Survives up Jolly 252 Atk Mega Kangaskhan's Return all the time.

Calm Mind Sylveon has received a strong push in usage towards the end of the VGC 2015 / Battle Spot Doubles and with good reason. With arguably the strongest Fairy-type attack in the game, Sylveon can boost this attack along with both its highest stats (Sp. Atk and Sp. Def) into frightening levels thanks to Calm Mind. Now why would people use something like Calm Mind setup over something like an the immediate fire power of Specs or Life Orb. In some matchups where Sylveon is paired against low special attacking Pokemon like Rotom-W or Milotic, it can use this opportunity to setup as much Calm Mind boost. To top it off, Sylveon is already a decent special pivot and to boost its special defense even further while giving the player a clear win condition for a late game Hyper Voice sweep. Of course Sylveon won't be able to setup on the likes of a Amoonguss + Azumarrill, or a strong physical attacker, but once setup even the most bulkiest/resistant Pokemon will get hampered by the combination of Hyper Voice/HP Ground. The only notable move for this set are HP Ground and Shadow Ball as both allows Sylveon to bypass certain checks and counters. HP Ground lets Sylveon hit Fire-type Pokemon, notable Heatran for massive damage and with a Calm Mind boost or two, Sylveon can tank a resisted Flash Cannon from Heatran. Shadow Ball is in case the the player doesn't have access to an HP Ground Sylveon so Shadow Ball can be used to hit Aegislash and Mega Gardevoir for considerable damage. Remember the goal of this Sylveon set is to find a time where it up against targets it can threaten out or can't OHKO Sylveon, get as many Calm Mind boost (preferably two boost max unless you are greedy) necessary, and proceed with the end game sweep.

Now there are some alternatives for this set anyone can use for a Calm Mind Syleon. Substitute allows Sylveon to avoid status moves and with a couple of CM boost even some STAB special attacks won't break the Sub. Keep in mind that this takes too much setup and forfeits onf of Sylveon's coverage moves or Protect. Leftovers can be used in either Sub or non-Sub set given Sylveon can recover off residual damage and semi weak special attacks over time. While Sylveon loses out in attacking power from Pixie Plate (or Life Orb as some players use), Leftovers gives Sylveon a bit of sustainability over time to complement the Calm Mind boost.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - All the damage calculations were done with 160 SpA, Pixie Plate, and a +1 boost in special attack.

Defensive - With 228 HP / 100 Def / 8 SpD Modest Nature (Neutral) and 30 IVs in Special Defense (with CM Boosts)

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Speed Control: Sylveon is an incredibly slow Pokemon in the VGC / Battle Spot Doubles format so it needs speed control from either Trick Room, Thunder Wave, Tailwind, Icy Wind, etc. Trick Room setters Pokemon like Cresselia, Gothitelle, Jellicent, and others can reverse the speed order so Sylveon can move faster than its usual checks and fire fast Hyper Voices. Thunder Wave support won't grant Sylveon an overall speed advantage like Trick Room, however once a key target like Mega Salamence or Terrakion is paralyzed, Sylveon can easily outspeed them and get a potential knock out with Hyper Voice. While Sylveon isn't known for its speed, by investing in about 116 Spe EVs, a Tailwind setter (Zapdos, Talonflame, Salamence, Suicune, etc just to name a few) can outspeed at most max speed Mega Salamence an get some surprise knockouts.
Intimidate + Fake Out: Pokemon like Landorus-T, Gyarados, Mawile, Salamence, Scrafty, Arcanine, etc are examples of Pokemon who can drop the physical attack of both targets to patch up Sylveon's rather low defense stat and increase its longevity. Fake Out users like Mega Kangaskhan, Scrafty, Hitmontop, Mega Lopunny, etc can provide one guarantee turn of flinch against a target so Sylveon can either setup with Calm Mind, or go straight for Hyper Voice.
Fire-type Pokemon Given some of Sylveon's best counters (Aegislash, Mega Mawile, Mega Metagross, Ferrothorn, Bisharp, etc) are Steel-type Pokemon, having a Fire-type like Mega Charizard Y, Volcarona, Entei, Heatran, Arcanine, Rotom-H, etc can help mitigate its weakness a bit. Sylveon can threaten out some Dragon-type Pokemon like Garchomp, Kingdra, some variants of Mega Salamence, and even take a special Water-type hit for a for a Fire-type partner due to its fantastic special bulk. One last thing to mention is the combination of Fire-type STAB + Pixilate Hyper Voice means there are very few Pokemon how can switch into the battle aside from taking a strong neutral hit.

Threats

Steel-type Pokemon: Steel-type Pokemon like Mega Metagross, Mega Mawile, Bisharp, Scizor, Heatran, Aegislash, etc can all take an incoming Hyper Voice with ease and potentially OHKO it back with a super effective Steel STAB. Be weary that Sylveon can have another coverage option like HP Fire/Ground or have its partner deal with them.
Poison-type Pokemon: There are only a handful of Poison-type Pokemon who can come into Sylveon's Pixilate Hyper Voice and can at least 2HKO it with their Poison STABs. Mega Venusaur, Crobat, Amoonguss, Gengar, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, etc are some of the few Pokemon who can either 2HKO Sylveon with their respective Poison-type STAB, take a Hyper Voice, or setup for its own teammate by spreading status conditions.
Physical Attackers (In General): With a rather low base defense of 65, Sylveon will often faint due to the opponent using strong physical attackers like Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Salamence, Mega Metagross, Landorus-T, Mega Mawile, etc. Literally the best way to deal with Sylveon if one doesn't have a way to at least neutralize it is to overwhelm it with powerful physical attacks before it can fire its own Pixilate Hyper Voice.
Bulky Fire-types: Another Pokemon type Sylveon cannot beat without using a different coverage option is the Fire-type due to its resistance to Fairy-type attacks. Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, Rotom-H, Volcarona, Entei, Arcanine, and others can easily come in on Hyper Voice while either spread Will-O-Wisp burns, Snarl, setup, or even attack with their STAB Fire-type moves.
Wide Guard : If Pixilate Hyper Voice is an issue with your entire team, Wide Guard such as from Aegislash, Swampert, Aerodactyl, Conkeldurr, Hitmontop, etc can provide protection from this attack and other notable spread damage for consecutive turns.

Other Notable Moves
Here are a list of notable attacks in Sylveon can utilize well:

Moonblast - A base 95 Fairy-type single target attack used to bypass Wide Guard user predicting a Hyper Voice.
Shadow Ball - A base 80 Ghost-type attack and coverage for Aegislash, Gengar, and Mega Gardevoir.
Reflect - Cuts the damage of all physical attacks by one-third in doubles.
Light Screen - Cuts the damage of all special attacks by one-third in doubles.
Hyper Beam - A base 150 Normal-turned-Fairy move (Pixilate) which deals massive damage, though at the cost of recharging for one turn.
Sleep Talk - Allows the user to attack while they are asleep. Useful in case Sylveon takes a Spore or Dark Void.
Quick Attack - A base 40 Normal-turned-Fairy move (Pixilate) which allows Sylveon to attack first.
Psyshock - A base 80 Psychic move that calculates against defense instead of special defense. Used for Amoonguss, Gengar, and Mega Venusaur.

"Caution: High Noise Area. Use Ear Protection!"

(VGC) or (Battle Spot Doubles) Sylveon - Attack (Special Attacker) 2 Options

Overview

Offensive Support
[Image: sylveon.png]

Defensive - With 228 HP / 180 Def Modest Nature and 30 IVs in Special Defense.

Calm Mind

Defensive - With 228 HP / 100 Def / 8 SpD Modest Nature (Neutral) and 30 IVs in Special Defense (with CM Boosts)

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Speed Control: Sylveon is an incredibly slow Pokemon in the VGC / Battle Spot Doubles format so it needs speed control from either Trick Room, Thunder Wave, Tailwind, Icy Wind, etc. Trick Room setters Pokemon like Cresselia, Gothitelle, Jellicent, and others can reverse the speed order so Sylveon can move faster than its usual checks and fire fast Hyper Voices. Thunder Wave support won't grant Sylveon an overall speed advantage like Trick Room, however once a key target like Mega Salamence or Terrakion is paralyzed, Sylveon can easily outspeed them and get a potential knock out with Hyper Voice. While Sylveon isn't known for its speed, by investing in about 116 Spe EVs, a Tailwind setter (Zapdos, Talonflame, Salamence, Suicune, etc just to name a few) can outspeed at most max speed Mega Salamence an get some surprise knockouts.
Intimidate + Fake Out: Pokemon like Landorus-T, Gyarados, Mawile, Salamence, Scrafty, Arcanine, etc are examples of Pokemon who can drop the physical attack of both targets to patch up Sylveon's rather low defense stat and increase its longevity. Fake Out users like Mega Kangaskhan, Scrafty, Hitmontop, Mega Lopunny, etc can provide one guarantee turn of flinch against a target so Sylveon can either setup with Calm Mind, or go straight for Hyper Voice.
Fire-type Pokemon Given some of Sylveon's best counters (Aegislash, Mega Mawile, Mega Metagross, Ferrothorn, Bisharp, etc) are Steel-type Pokemon, having a Fire-type like Mega Charizard Y, Volcarona, Entei, Heatran, Arcanine, Rotom-H, etc can help mitigate its weakness a bit. Sylveon can threaten out some Dragon-type Pokemon like Garchomp, Kingdra, some variants of Mega Salamence, and even take a special Water-type hit for a for a Fire-type partner due to its fantastic special bulk. One last thing to mention is the combination of Fire-type STAB + Pixilate Hyper Voice means there are very few Pokemon how can switch into the battle aside from taking a strong neutral hit.

Threats

Steel-type Pokemon: Steel-type Pokemon like Mega Metagross, Mega Mawile, Bisharp, Scizor, Heatran, Aegislash, etc can all take an incoming Hyper Voice with ease and potentially OHKO it back with a super effective Steel STAB. Be weary that Sylveon can have another coverage option like HP Fire/Ground or have its partner deal with them.
Poison-type Pokemon: There are only a handful of Poison-type Pokemon who can come into Sylveon's Pixilate Hyper Voice and can at least 2HKO it with their Poison STABs. Mega Venusaur, Crobat, Amoonguss, Gengar, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, etc are some of the few Pokemon who can either 2HKO Sylveon with their respective Poison-type STAB, take a Hyper Voice, or setup for its own teammate by spreading status conditions.
Physical Attackers (In General): With a rather low base defense of 65, Sylveon will often faint due to the opponent using strong physical attackers like Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Salamence, Mega Metagross, Landorus-T, Mega Mawile, etc. Literally the best way to deal with Sylveon if one doesn't have a way to at least neutralize it is to overwhelm it with powerful physical attacks before it can fire its own Pixilate Hyper Voice.
Bulky Fire-types: Another Pokemon type Sylveon cannot beat without using a different coverage option is the Fire-type due to its resistance to Fairy-type attacks. Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, Rotom-H, Volcarona, Entei, Arcanine, and others can easily come in on Hyper Voice while either spread Will-O-Wisp burns, Snarl, setup, or even attack with their STAB Fire-type moves.
Wide Guard : If Pixilate Hyper Voice is an issue with your entire team, Wide Guard such as from Aegislash, Swampert, Aerodactyl, Conkeldurr, Hitmontop, etc can provide protection from this attack and other notable spread damage for consecutive turns.

Other Notable Moves
Here are a list of notable attacks in Sylveon can utilize well:

Moonblast - A base 95 Fairy-type single target attack used to bypass Wide Guard user predicting a Hyper Voice.
Shadow Ball - A base 80 Ghost-type attack and coverage for Aegislash, Gengar, and Mega Gardevoir.
Reflect - Cuts the damage of all physical attacks by one-third in doubles.
Light Screen - Cuts the damage of all special attacks by one-third in doubles.
Hyper Beam - A base 150 Normal-turned-Fairy move (Pixilate) which deals massive damage, though at the cost of recharging for one turn.
Sleep Talk - Allows the user to attack while they are asleep. Useful in case Sylveon takes a Spore or Dark Void.
Quick Attack - A base 40 Normal-turned-Fairy move (Pixilate) which allows Sylveon to attack first.
Psyshock - A base 80 Psychic move that calculates against defense instead of special defense. Used for Amoonguss, Gengar, and Mega Venusaur.

For those who got this far thanks for reading this article! Wanted to make this as short as possible given we already have a couple of Sylveon post from last year though I'll admit those are a bit outdated for Battle Spot and the current VGC format. I'm likely going to take a break from doing these and post some set suggestions for the new 2016 metagame so look for some sets about the current VGC meta there for the time being.]]> <![CDATA[Mega Charizard Y (VGC 2015 Revamp) - Attack (Special Attacker) 3 Options]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-Mega-Charizard-Y-VGC-2015-Revamp-Attack-Special-Attacker-3-Options Fri, 13 Nov 2015 09:16:04 -0800 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-Mega-Charizard-Y-VGC-2015-Revamp-Attack-Special-Attacker-3-Options
Deviantart by DarthOwen

"Still four times weak to Stealth Rocks..."
[Image: charizard-megay.gif]

(VGC) Mega Charizard Y - Attack (Special Attacker) 3 Options

Type: Fire/Flying
Base Stats: 78 HP / 84 Attack / 78 Defense / 109 Special Attack / 85 Special Defense / 100 Speed
Mega Stats: 78 HP / 104 Attack / 78 Defense / 159 Special Attack / 115 Special Defense / 100 Speed
Weaknesses: Rock (x4), Water (x2), Electric (x2)
Resistances: Grass (X0.25), Bug (X0.25), Steel (X0.5), Fire (x0.5), Fighting (x0.5), Fairy (0.5x)
Immunities: Ground, Burns
Blaze: Increases the power of Fire moves by 50% when the user's HP is at or below 33%.
Solar Power (Hidden Ability): - During harsh sunlight, increases the Special Attack by 50% however the user loses 1/8th of their maximum HP per turn.
Drought (Mega Ability): Creates harsh sunlight whenever the user enters into battle for about 5 turns, essentially the same effects as Sunny Day. If the user with Drought is sent out at the same time when another Pokemon with a weather ability (Drizzle, Sand Stream, Snow Warning), the slower Pokemon will always override the faster Pokemon's weather.

Overview

Charizard Y one of the most commonly seen Mega Evolutions in VGC and Battle Spot Doubles given its main ability Drought paired and its new its base 159 Special Attack to abuse. With access to powerful now sun-boosted Fire attacks like Heat Wave, Fire Pledge, Over Heat, Fire Blast, etc Charizard Y is an difficult Pokemon to switch in as few Pokemon are able to take these attacks relatively well. Coverage-wise, all Mega Charizard Y really needs is the powerful Grass-type move Solar Beam to conveniently hit any Water-, Rock-, and Ground-type Pokemon for super effective damage without ever taking the turn to charge up while in the sun. Even Pokemon who are normally resistant to Fire-type attacks (Water-types, Fire-types, Dragon-types, Rock-types) still get a chunk of their HP taken away from any of Mega Charizard Y Drought-boost fire attacks. Additional bonuses of using Mega Charizard Y include the following as well: cutting the power of Water-type attacks to half for neutral effectiveness during harsh sunlight, a considerable buff to its base Special Defense to take most special hits including Pixilate Hyper Voice from Sylveon/Mega Gardevoir better than others, and a relatively high speed base speed of 100 to hit its sun-boosted Fire attacks against its opponent.

Despite the frightening sheer power from a Drought Mega Charizard Y, it still reliant on those 5 turns of hash sunlight to either initiate offense with its boosted Fire-type attacks/Solar Beam. After those 5 turns of sun are over, Charizard Y once again becomes weak against most strong Water-type attacks (sun cuts the power of Water-type attacks in half). As weather abuser itself, Charizard Y will spar in opposing "weather wars" against rain teams with the Drizzle-summoning Politoed and the Sand Stream spuming teams with Tyranitar (small tangent here but lets be honest Abomasnow really needs help when facing off against this Fire Pokemon) to maintain dominance. Mega Charizard Y is still weak against most Electric-type attacks and quadruple weak against Rock-types meaning a single Rock Slide can drop the Fire starter completely if it doesn't have investment. Surely Charizard Y has it flaws but its sheer nuking capabilities thanks to the sun-boosted attacks and the massive damage output far outweigh the risk of using the classic Fire-type starter in either VGC/Battle Spot Doubles.

Ability Discussion: How to Use Drought Turns Wisely

Alright before we go in-depth about the ability Drought lets just to clear some misconceptions. Anyone who's using ever seen a Charizard in team preview during a VGC/Battle Spot Doubles match is far likely going to the Y variant (unless its Mega Charizard X). The main reason why Charizard Y or Charizard has seen usage in the VGC format is due to the fact of how game changing both its Mega Evolution and its new ability Drought nearly complement each other considering how powerful sun-boosted fire attacks hit. Regular Charizard isn't as good compared to its Mega forms since both excel in either physical or special offense in case respectively. As far as pre-Mega abilities goes, Blaze Charizard is better than Solar Power variants since 1) Solar Power doesn't stack with Drought during Mega Evolving for those asking and 2) in the event that an opposing Charizard Mega Evolves into the Y variant and the Solar Power Charizard (either the Mega or regular) protects it will lose 1/8th of its health due to how Solar Power Pokemon take recoil per turn of sun.

Now that's out of the way, here's some pointer everyone should know about Charizard Y. For starters, Drought isn't activated until Charizard Y goes for the Mega Evolution in the same turn, or has switched back in to setup up/or clear opposing weather for its own. While some might think this is a direct disadvantage for Charizard Y as a weather setter, this "delay" pretty much acts as a buffer against opposing weather teams. Consider the following example: Charizard (with a Charizardite Y stone) and its partner is facing off against a Politoed/Ludicolo lead with the setup prior before the first turn is made. This is rather a favorable position for the Charizard Y user considering they can clear the rain by Mega Evolving to summon Drought and easily going for a Solar Beam or a sun-boosted attack.

Here's an example of this: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/vgc2015-287838238

Now say if there's a Politoed/Tyranitar in Team Preview and aren't chosen as leads but are likely in the back or the two other Pokemon the opponent brought. In these situations, try to either protect Charizard Y on the first turn possibly without Mega Evolving to activate the sun. Alternatively the Charizard Y user can be aggressive and activate Drought by Mega Evolving so none of the opposing weather beneficiaries gain most of their effects or just to force the switch out from the opposing weather setter. The only case in which Charizard Y cannot prevent an opposing weather effect is the speed order of a Pokemon, say an Excadrill or Ludicolo as Charizard Mega Evolves the first turn while rain/sand is up. Speed order are decided before the turn goes so Excadrill with Sand Rush will likely go first and the same can be said about Kingdra/Ludicolo in rain even if Charizard Y changes the weather. If Charizard Y is able to protect, then Mega Evolve the following turn, this can likely prevent the opponent from maintaining their weather setter for potentially up to turn 3 (or turn 1 if they happen to lead) since Charizard Y will override the opposing switch out as it Mega Evolves. By then, Charizard Y can switch into a partner so it can take maintain the sun instead of the opposing weather throughout the battle.

Again here's an example of this scenario where Charizard Y is able to catch an opposing Politoed on the switch: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/vgc2015-287840944

Now as far as matchups is concern, Charizard Y fairs best against hail teams....ok that one was kinda self explanatory if it a fast hail team unless they have either Heatran, a Rock Slide user, or Trick Room to make Charizard Y go last. With Abomasnow being quad weak to Fire, Charizard Y can easily just target its other allies before it even goes after the snow tree Pokemon with a for sure KO. Rain teams are somewhat tricky to deal with if the opposing user has experience using this team archetype and maintains Politoed to the end. Its kinda funny if you ask me that rain and sun counter balance each other since either or just drop the effectiveness of Water- or Fire-type attacks in half. This fact is somewhat of a double-edge sword since Charizard Y can easily cut the power of Water-type attacks while boost its in Fire-type attacks and can even go for Solar Beam without charging up. At the same time, if a Politoed (or any other weather setter) switches in as Charizard Y goes for Solar Beam, it will be forced into the recharging phase and vulnerable to any rain-boosted water attacks. Sand-based teams are Charizard Y's worse matchup as they typically carry Pokemon with Rock Slide like Tyranitar, Excadrill, Terrakion, Mega Salamence, Cradily, etc. For this matchup, its advisable to not go for a Solar Beam unless Tyranitar isn't Scarf, or not the Mega, and its already on the field with some prior damage with the sun up. The only possibly way for Charizard Y to beat this archetype is with team support (Intimidate, Wide Guard, Fighting typed) and speed control so it can outspeed the common Scarf Tyranitar and Excadrill if sand is up.

As mentioned here's an example to not Solar Beam, but rather scout out the turn against most weather teams: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/vgc2015-287842545

Remember to always count the turns of sun as well since Charizard Y needs its weather to effectively hit opposing teams with sun-boosted Fire-type moves. This is crucial especially if the five turns of sun run out since Mega Charizard Y won't have any of its STAB Fire-type attacks boosted, won't take Water-type hits well again, or use one-turn Solar Beam for that matter. Fortunately for Charizard Y, its has a extremely high base 159 Special Attack to work with and pairing its main STAB options in the sun means few Pokemon bar resisted targets won't take sun-boosted attacks for long. The double-style nature of the VGC format shouldn't be a concern especially if Charizard Y or its partners can take out two targets within those 5 turns of sun. Once this is achieved, Charizard Y can easily maintain the weather and reset it back by switching out to take on the remaining two Pokemon with its threatening sun-boosted STABs.

Fast Charizard Y
[Image: mega_charizard_y_sprite_by_flamejow-d6m3y7l.png]

Charizard-Mega-Y @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
Level: 50
EVs: 60 HP / 4 Def / 188 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heat Wave / Flamethrower / Fire Pledge
- Solar Beam
- Overheat / Flamethrower
- Protect

Milestones:
-Outspeeds both Jolly Landorus-T and Mega Kangaskhan (1st turn during Mega Evolution or base form) by 1 point.
-STAB Overheat in the sun OHKOs 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Gardevoir 100% of the time (factoring it hits).
-From the special defensive side, survives both a Modest Life Orb Draco Meteor from Hydreigon 93.7% of the time and a Timid Thunderbolt Thundurus-Incarnate form both with 252 SpA investment.
-Solar Beam 2HKOs standard 252 HP / 148 SpD Calm Rotom-W and 252 HP / 52 SpD Suicune with Sitrus Berry
-Max speed to speed tie with base 100s and outspeed anything else below.
-Solar Beam OHKOS 4 HP Terrakion 100% of the time.

This Mega Charizard Y set is designated to be a fast hit-and-run attacker with the full 252 speed investment in order to outspeed most Pokemon without relying on its team speed control while having strong offensive presence. That said, Charizard Y won't be able to take a Rock Slide from either Landorus-T/Terrakion or Double Edge from Mega Kangaskhan/Salamence without having proper support like Intimidate, Reflect, Wide Guard, Will-O-Wisp etc. Timid Charizard Y has seen a significant rise in usage given that most of the other base 90-100 Pokemon (Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Gardevoir, Hydreigon, Landorus-T, Arcanine, Zapdos, Landorus-T, Volcarona, Entei etc) are running near max speed, or speed tie at worse. Since Charizard is naturally at base 100 speed already, it can be able to outspeed neutral Mega Kangaskhan or Mega Gardevoir before they are able to get a opposing attack off. As far as the standard set goes, most Timid Charizard Y sets typically carry 2 Fire attacks + Solar Beam to round out its coverage options. The main reason for this is Charizard Y's main fire attacks (Heat Wave, Fire Blast, Flamethrower, Overheat) already receive two 1.5x boosts from STAB and from Drought making it an incredibly powerful Pokemon. Even most Pokemon who are resisted to Charizard Y's sun-boosted attacks will take about a 20% to 33% of their heath which is good enough so its partners can potentially OHKO them. Almost anything else that's unresisted to these sun-boosted Fire-type STAB will likely get 2HKOed just by the sheer power. Solar Beam rounds out most of Charizard Y's attacks since it doesn't suffer from the standard recharge due to the drought and can be used automatically to hit Rock-, Ground-, and Water-type Pokemon for super effective damage.

So with that out of the way, lets go in-depth of Charizard Y's main Fire-type STABs used with most of these sets. Heat Wave is the most standard Fire-type STAB for the Fire Starter given it deals a sizable amount of damage to both unresisted targets since its boosted by STAB and from the sunlight. The main use of sun-boosted Heat Wave is to inflict as much damage as possible against both targets or can be used as a finishing attack to clean up against weaken targets. The only issue with this is Wide Guard is rather common so Charizard Y might opt for the following Fire-type STABs: Flamethrower, Fire Pledge, or Overheat. Flamethrower while doesn't deal more total damage output from attack both targets, its able to bypass Wide Guard and deals a heavy damage against one Pokemon considering its single target. Fire Pledge is ten base power weaker than Flamethrower, however if combo'd successfully with a fast Grass-type starter (mainly chlorophyll Venusaur), its base power doubles to a powerful base 160 and can essentially roast any target that's not resisted, or named Heatran. Overheat is the main standard "overkill" option since it can OHKO 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Gardevoir 100% of the time as well as deal incredibly damage even against resisted targets like Mega Salamence, Rotom-W, or Suicune if it needs OHKO them (assuming some chip damage was already inflicted).

Damage Calculations
Offensive- Just going to focus on the highlighted attacks (Heat Wave, Flamethrower, Fire Pledge (full power), Overheat, and Solar Beam) for the Timid Charizard Y build. Note this is going to be the main of offensive damage calculations for this thread given all three sets have very similar damage output off by a couple of percentage points like 1-4%. Charizard Y will still get the notable 2HKOs against neutral targets due to just how powerful sun-boosted atttacks come from a base 159 Special Attack.

(All calculations were done with 188 SpA with a Timid nature)

Heat Wave ( 188 SpA with Drought boost)

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan in Sun: 102-121 (56.3 - 66.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 212 HP / 20 SpD Mega Kangaskhan in Sun: 99-117 (47.8 - 56.5%) -- 83.2% chance to 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence in Sun: 55-66 (32.1 - 38.5%) -- 97.6% chance to 3HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Thick Fat Mega Venusaur in Sun: 84-98 (44.9 - 52.4%) -- 18% chance to 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gardevoir in Sun: 79-94 (54.8 - 65.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T in Sun: 121-144 (73.3 - 87.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 236 HP / 128+ SpD Thundurus in Sun: 96-114 (52.1 - 61.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 92 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon in Sun: 81-96 (44.5 - 52.7%) -- 19.1% chance to 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Shield in Sun: 144-170 (86.2 - 101.7%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 220 HP / 92+ SpD Cresselia in Sun: 69-82 (30.9 - 36.7%) -- 69.4% chance to 3HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 188 HP / 156+ SpD Amoonguss in Sun: 186-218 (87.3 - 102.3%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 44 SpD Mega Gengar in Sun: 102-121 (61 - 72.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross in Sun: 188-224 (120.5 - 143.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Flamethrower (188 SpA with Drought boost)

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan in Sun: 129-153 (71.2 - 84.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gardevoir in Sun: 100-118 (69.4 - 81.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 156 SpD Aegislash-Shield in Sun: 168-198 (100.5 - 118.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 236 HP / 128+ SpD Thundurus in Sun: 123-145 (66.8 - 78.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T in Sun: 156-184 (94.5 - 111.5%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 92 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon in Sun: 103-123 (56.5 - 67.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 156 SpD Aegislash-Shield in Sun: 168-198 (100.5 - 118.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 220 HP / 92+ SpD Cresselia in Sun: 88-105 (39.4 - 47%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 44 SpD Mega Gengar in Sun: 129-153 (77.2 - 91.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Overheat (188 SpA with Drought boost )

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 220 HP / 92+ SpD Cresselia in Sun: 127-150 (56.9 - 67.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan in Sun: 186-220 (102.7 - 121.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Thick Fat Mega Venusaur in Sun: 152-182 (81.2 - 97.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gardevoir in Sun: 144-171 (100 - 118.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence in Sun: 102-120 (59.6 - 70.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 92 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon in Sun: 150-177 (82.4 - 97.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 236 HP / 128+ SpD Thundurus in Sun: 177-208 (96.1 - 113%) -- 75% chance to OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar in Sun: 93-110 (52.8 - 62.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 252 HP / 44 SpD Mega Gengar in Sun: 184-217 (110.1 - 129.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Solar Beam (188 SpA)

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 168-198 (100.5 - 118.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 252 HP / 148+ SpD Rotom-W: 114-136 (72.6 - 86.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Suicune: 130-154 (62.8 - 74.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 212 HP / 116+ SpD Politoed: 124-148 (64.5 - 77%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar: 154-182 (87.5 - 103.4%) -- 25% chance to OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 236 HP / 20 SpD Milotic: 124-148 (62 - 74%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Swampert: 332-392 (160.3 - 189.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 68 HP / 188 SpD Solid Rock Rhyperior: 279-330 (140.2 - 165.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Greninja: 202-238 (136.4 - 160.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Excadrill: 108-128 (58 - 68.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Fire Pledge (160 full power) Note: Damage Calculations don't know "Flamethrower" but I manually changed the base power to 160 to reflect the following below:

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Pledge (160 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan in Sun: 229-271 (126.5 - 149.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Pledge (160 BP) vs. 252 HP / 132+ SpD Thundurus in Sun: 214-253 (115 - 136%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Pledge (160 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Gardevoir in Sun: 177-208 (101.1 - 118.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Pledge (160 BP) vs. 212 HP / 20 SpD Mega Kangaskhan in Sun: 225-265 (108.6 - 128%) -- guaranteed OHKO

188 SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Pledge (160 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence in Sun: 124-147 (72.5 - 85.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Defensive -
Since this Mega Charizard Y won't be taking Rock Slides/Double Edge anytime soon, I've also included damage calculations if say another target is at -1 by an Intimidate. Keep in mind that this Charizard Y set isn't meant to fulfill defensive role rather dish out as much damage as possible with sun-boosted fire attacks.

Bulky Charizard Y
[Image: mega_charizard_y_sprite_by_flamejow-d6m3y7l.png]

Charizard-Mega-Y @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Drought
Level: 50
EVs: 188 HP / 196 Def / 8 SpA / 116 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 1 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
- Heat Wave / Flamethrower
- Solar Beam
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Protect

Milestones:
-This is Calisweeper's Mega Charizard Y so here are some achievements below:
-Survives a Rock Slide from an Adamant 252 Atk Landorus-T 100% of the time.
-Survives a Double Edge from Jolly Mega Kangaskhan/Salamence 100% of the time.
-Can take a +2 Shadow Ball from Weakness Policy Aegislash
-Outspeed positive base 70 Pokemon like Jolly Breloom.
-The Special Attack stat for this set is about 5 points less (203>198).

With Charizard Y being frail from the defensive end, chances of it taking a Double Edge from Mega Kangaskhan/Salamence or a Rock Slide from Landorus-T are rather low. This Charizard Y EV spread from Calisweeper is an example of how players will opt significant investment to HP and Defense to survive such attack so Charizard can get off a strong sun-boosted fire attack. STAB Heat Wave with the sun-boost is still strong enough to 2HKO most targets that aren't resisted or naturally bulky on the special defensive end. Again Flamethrower can be opted in case the player doesn't want to either a) give an opposing Heatran a Flash Fire boost on a switch in, b) inflict higher damage output against single target Pokemon, and c) bypass Wide Guard from Aegislash. Solar Beam is still a great coverage option in case Charizard Y is up against Rock-, Ground-, and mostly Water-types like Suicune, Milotic, Politoed, or Rotom-W. The only notable change from the moveset is this Charizard Y acts as a lure against opposing Heatrans and can deal heavy damage with Hidden Power Ground. Heatran is considered the go-to counter to Charizard Y since none of the sun-boosted fire attacks will damage Heatran and Solar Beam does almost nothing to the Fire/Steel type. Though it won't faint even the least bulkier variants or with Shuca Berry, Hidden Power Ground will still deal around 80% so another partner can take out Heatran with a neutral hit. Hidden Power Ground is another way to take out opposing Fire types considering the fact the opponent will likely use this same tactic to pivot against Charizard Y.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - Not going to focus on offensive power as much other than Hidden Power Ground since this Charizard Y's has about 5 Special Attack points less. Despite this Heat Wave and Flamethrower with the sun up can 2HKO most neutral targets unless they are either resistant or naturally bulky like Cresselia/Sylveon. Solar Beam however won't guarantee the OHKO / 2HKO on either standard Terrakion or Suicune respectively though Charizard Y has a favorable damage roll against these two.

Defensive - Here I'm going to feature the defensive achievements that Calisweeper's Charizard Y set was able to accomplish with some damage calculation using Intimidate drops.

Tailwind

Charizard-Mega-Y @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 12 Def / 44 SpA / 4 SpD / 196 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower / Heat Wave
- Solar Beam
- Tailwind
- Protect

Milestones:
-This set is mostly based off of Blake Hooper's and Level 51's Charizard Y set.
-OHKOes 252 HP /156 SpD Aegislash with Flamethrower
-Outspeeds neutral Landorus-T with 252 Spe
-Survives a -1 Rock Slide from Landorus-T, Jolly Tyranitar, and Jolly Terrakion with an Intimidate drop 100% of the time.
-Survives Specs Draco Meteor from Modest Hydreigon 15/16th of the time.
-Has near same damage output compared with the first set (Timid 188 SpA) shown.
-Outspeed Adamant Excadrill and Smeargle.

This Charizard Y set is based on among the most standard and effective sets available which allows it to outspeed Adamant Landorus-T, Excadrill, or even positive speed Smeargle. The full HP investment along with a few EVs in its defenses allows Charizard Y to take most Rock Slides up to Jolly Terrakion after an Intimidate drop while can take a Modest Draco Meteor from Hydreigon most of the time. That said for this Charizard Y set, the main objective is to setup Tailwind support for its teammates so both can outspeed the opponent for the next three turns. Try to use Tailwind when there are targets who are generally weak against Charizard Y like a Grass or Steel Pokemon that can't threaten Charizard Y to well without either switching out or protecting that turn. Once the Tailwind is setup, Charizard Y and its partners will have the next 3 turns to continuously target down key targets with its sun-boosted Fire-type attacks or coverage options to hopefully win the battle during this time. Since Tailwind will take up a moveslot, either Flamethrower or Heat Wave should be used for optimal Fire STAB. Again the choice if up to the player to decide which Fire-type attack is better since Flamethrower deals far greater damage against single target Pokemon and bypasses Wide Guard while Heat Wave can target down both Pokemon, however it can get walled easily with Wide Guard user. Solar Beam is self-explanatory at this point so us this Grass-type coverage against any Water-, Rock-, or Ground type Pokemon while Drought is in effect. Lastly protect is there to scout out for any attacks or protect Charizard from any opposing attacks.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - Again this Charizard Y has the similar damage output to the other two shown which is off by a couple percentage points so not much of a difference unless it has full max special attack with a Modest Nature.

Defensive - Here some of the damage calculations will feature key benchmarks while using Intimidate drops when comparing it to something like Rock Slide or Double Edge.

Physical Defense (252 HP / 12 Def with some factoring in Intimidate)

-1 252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Mega Charizard Y: 123-145 (66.4 - 78.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

-1 252 Atk Terrakion Rock Slide vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Mega Charizard Y: 156-184 (84.3 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

-1 252 Atk Tyranitar Rock Slide vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Mega Charizard Y: 156-184 (84.3 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after sandstorm damage

-1 252+ Atk Landorus-T Rock Slide vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Mega Charizard Y: 124-148 (67 - 80%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

-1 252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Mega Charizard Y: 115-136 (62.1 - 73.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Life Orb Garchomp Dragon Claw vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Mega Charizard Y: 118-140 (63.7 - 75.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Life Orb Bisharp Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Mega Charizard Y: 114-136 (61.6 - 73.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Mega Charizard Y: 82-97 (44.3 - 52.4%) -- 9% chance to 2HKO

252+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Mega Charizard Y: 104-123 (56.2 - 66.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Mega Charizard Y: 148-175 (80 - 94.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Special Defense (252 HP / 4 SpD)

252+ SpA Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 146-174 (78.9 - 94%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 48-57 (25.9 - 30.8%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

252 SpA Mega Gardevoir Psychic vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 82-97 (44.3 - 52.4%) -- 19.1% chance to 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 157-186 (84.8 - 100.5%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Politoed Scald vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y in Rain: 158-188 (85.4 - 101.6%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO

212 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 61-73 (32.9 - 39.4%) -- 100% chance to 3HKO

100 SpA Suicune Scald vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y in Sun: 38-48 (20.5 - 25.9%) -- 0.1% chance to 4HKO

60 SpA Rotom-W Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 102-120 (55.1 - 64.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Mega Gengar Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 84-99 (45.4 - 53.5%) -- 32.4% chance to 2HKO

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to

Intimidate Support: Pokemon like Landorus-T, Scrafty, Hitmontop, Gyarados, Acaranine, etc are able to mitigate the physical damage done to Charizard Y with Intimidate are vital partners to ensure its longevity.
Offensive Synergy Partners: Garchomp, Mamoswine, Landorus-T, Rhyperior and Excadrill are among the best partners considering Charizard Y can easily threaten most Water-/Ice-type Pokemon with its Fire + Solar Beam coverage while any of these Ground-types can come in on an Electric-type attack and are free to Earthquake without hurting its partner at all. Sand-based teams with Tyranitar + Excadrill appreciate Mega Charizard Y by improving its matchup against rain teams by cutting the power of Water-type attacks in half and maintaining weather dominance of sand + sun. Sylveon is the one of (if not) the best special attacker to pair with Charizard Y as only Fire-types along with Water/Poison-types could resist the combination of Pixilate Hyper Voice or sun-boosted Heat Wave/Flamethrower, and anything else will get severely damaged. Terrakion is another Pokemon seen with Charizard Y since it capable of OHKOing Mega Kangaskhan, Tyranitar, etc with STAB Close Combat and threatening Mega Salamence, Thundurus, Zapdos, Talonflame, etc with a STAB Rock Slide.
Wide Guard: Since Charizard Y is extremely deceptive to Rock Slide, Pokemon like Aegislash, Conkeldurr, Hitmontop, Machamp, Hariyama, Mienshao, Swampert, and others can provide Wide Guard support while most of them have an additional bonus of being checks/counters to most Rock Slide users like Excadrill, Tyranitar, Terrakion, etc.
Speed Control: Though Charizard Y has an above average base speed of 100, this isn't enough to allow Charizard Y to outspeed targets/threats like Mega Salamence, Terrakion, Scarf Tyranitar/Landorus-T, or Sand Rush Exadrill. Speed Control is almost a necessity to allow Charizard Y to outspeed key targets while firing Drought-boosted STAB attacks before it goes down. Example of speed control options include Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, Electro-Web, Tailwind, and Trick Room.
Beneficiaries of Drought: One of the most common partners with Charizard Y is Chlorophyll Venusaur since its speed is doubled during the sun though it has to wait an extra turn if the sun isn't settled. An interesting point regarding these two since both can learn two of the pledge moves Grass Pledge and Fire Pledge and both these attacks combine to create a powerful single target base 160 power Fire-type attack boosted in the sun. If Venusaur or Charizard Y are able to connect with their attacks, the combined Fire Pledge should be able to bypass speed orders an attack any intended target. The last thing about to mention is a "Sea of Fire" is created which deals 1/8th damage against all non-Fire-type Pokemon on the field. It shouldn't take a genius to realize that other Fire-type Pokemon paired with Charizard Y can benefit from the extra five turns of sun as well.
Grass types: Grass type Pokemon like Breloom, Virizion, Ferrothorn, Shifty, Venusaur, Whimsicott, and others can come in against Water-, Rock-, or Ground-type Pokemon well should Charizard Y's Drought wears off.

Threats

Rock-Types and Rock-type attack: In all seriousness, Charizard Y cannot withstand the any quad super effective Rock-type hit especially if its STAB coming from a Tyranitar, Terrakion, Rhyperior, Aerodactyl, etc while most Rock-types can take a Drought-boosted Fire-type attack relatively well. Rock Slide is a common non-STAB coverage option found on Pokemon like Landorus-T, Excadrill, Mamoswine, Mega Salamence, Blaziken, Mega Swampert, Greninja, and other fast threats who can easily drop Chaizard Y if it doesn't have any defensive investment. Lastly Stone Edge is an option to bypass any Wide Guard user paired with Charizard Y and deal far more damage than Rock Slide.
Opposing Weather (Rain / Sand): In term of weather, Charizard Y cannot recklessly stay in too often against opposing weather teams since Politoed, Tyranitar, or any others can easily remove the Drought. Despite being counterbalanced to sun, rain teams can still attempt to catch Charizard Y off with a rain-boosted attack especially once Charizard Y can no longer switch out. Keep in mind that Charizard Y will likely be switching in and out so use the water-boosted attack wisely while keep Politoed around to trap it in the late game. Sand teams honestly fair better than rain against Charizard Y since Tyranitar can easily come in on any Fire-type attack with a boosted Special Defense and knock it out with a quad effective Rock Slide. Once it has Sand Rush activated, Excadrill can outspeed Charizard Y and fire a super effective Rock Slide to drop the Mega. Lastly since this has been picking up lately, manual weather like Prankster/fast Rain Dance from Thundurus, Liepard, Meowstic, etc can shut down Charizard Y quick and have its partner KO with a rain boosted Water-type attack.
Physical Attackers: Since Charizard Y has a low base HP and Defense stats, Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Salamence, Talonflame, Arcanine, Garchomp, Entei as well as the other Rock-type coverage users mentioned earlier threaten it reasonably well to to force a switch out so take advantage of this. Some of these Pokemon mentioned here have priority moves so these attacks in case they cannot outspeed Charizard Y before they get hit or possibly KOed.
Electric-types: Most Electric-type Pokemon like Thundurus, Raichu, Mega Manetric, Raikou, Rotom-A, Zapdos, Heliolisk, etc are all able to take fire super effective hits against Charizard Y especially if its boosted as as well. If any of these Electric-types can't OHKO Charizard Y, the least they can do is paralyze it with Thunder Wave so Charizard Y can't move first or even move at all on certain turns.
Opposing Speed Control: Virtually any form of speed control that allows Charizard Y to move last is beneficially in beating the Mega Evolution. Pokemon who can setup Tailwind like Suicune, Zapdos, Hydreigon, Lati@s, Talonflame, etc are mostly bulky enough to take on the Mega Evolution's sun-boosted fire attacks or have a super effective typing advantage. Thunder Wave as mentioned before can be use by a variety of non-Electric-type Pokemon such as Cresselia, Togekiss, Gothitelle, Porygon2, Tyranitar, etc to slow down Charizard Y so it won't outspeed the opposing side. Icy Wind/Electro Web is a somewhat difficult speed control to pull off since this requires knowing the speed tier stats however this can slow down Charizard Y enough so threats like Mega Kangashan, Landorus-T, Tyranitar, etc can easily KO it. Lastly Trick Room is a viable strategy to ensure that most Charizard Y won't be moving first for 5 turns.
Dragon-types: Opposing Dragon-type Pokemon like Hydreigon, Latios, Latias, Mega Salamence, Garchomp, Kingdra, and plenty of others are able to switch in on most of Charizard Y's sun boosted attacks due to their resistance to fire attacks while capable of knocking the Fire Starter with the strong Draco Meteor, Double Edge, Dragon Claw, Rock Slide, or other coverage options respectively.
Fire-types: Lastly, Fire-type Pokemon can check Mega Charizard Y reasonably well and can abuse the sun to power up their own Fire-type attacks. Probably the best counter to Chrarizard Y is Heatran as it take no damage from any sun-boosted STABs thanks to Flash Fire, resist Solar Beam attacks, and can get a Flash Fire / sun boost to potentially sweep the opposing team with its own Fire-type attacks. Rotom-H resist both of Charizard Y's duel STABs along with Solar Beam so it can easily launch a Thunderbolt or OHKO its partner with a sun-boosted Overheat. Other Fire types like Blaziken, Inferape, Entei, Talonflame. etc can threaten Charizard Y with their coverage option as well abuse the sun for themselves.

Other Notable Moves
Here are some other options for Charizard Y to run if someone is looking for alternatives to its movepool.

Fire Blast - A base 110 Fire-type move and the only other Fire-type attack that wasn't mentioned as often in this thread while still receiving the Drought boost. While Mega Charizard Y has stronger attackers liker Overheat or a full-power Fire Pledge, both these attacks have some minor issues with Overheat dropping the Special Attack stat by 2 stages (1/2) with the chance to miss or Fire Pledge requiring chlorophyll Venusaur with Grass Pledge to setup. Fire Blast is an alternative if the Overheat drops doesn't appeal to one however Charizard Y will surely miss out on key KOs like against 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan or use as a finishing attack against those who either resist or have a high special defense.
Hidden Power Ice - A base 60 special coverage attack mainly used against other quadruple weak Pokemon like Mega Salamence or Landorus-T. Given Charizard Y's rather high Special Attack stat, Hidden Power Ice can do either heavy damage or even OHKO these two targets nicely though the issue is Landorus-T could be Scarf variant who can fire Rock Slides and Mega Salamence nautrally outspeeds and beats Y most of the time with its Physical/Mixed sets. Maintaining speed control here is really important in order to secure these surprise knock outs.
Focus Blast -A base 120 Fighting-type special move which is powerful enough on the hands of Charizard Y to potentially OHKO Hydreigon, Heatran, Tyranitar, or even Mega Kangaskhan however the base 70% accuracy can be rather atrocious at times especially if its in a best of one setting.
Ancient Power - A base 60 Rock-type move which can be advantage against opposing Flying and Fire types like Mega Salamence, Arcanine, Rotom-H, or even opposing Charizard Y mirror matches.
Will-O-Wisp- A status ailment attack which burns the target Pokemon about 85% of the time otherwise used to cut the power of physical attackers. Can be a nice surprise move coming from a Charizard Y though I'd think other Pokemon are better in spreading burn status.
Air Slash- A base 75 Flying type special attack in which has a 30% chance to flinch the opponent though a small 5% chance to miss. This is pretty much Charizard Y's only STAB option that's not a Fire-type move though since its not ridiculous boosted by Drought its kinda obsolute. I guess the only notable thing from Air Slash is using it for Fighting-types with the potential flinch factor.

"Still four times weak to Stealth Rocks..."
[Image: charizard-megay.gif]

(VGC) Mega Charizard Y - Attack (Special Attacker) 3 Options

Overview

Ability Discussion: How to Use Drought Turns Wisely

Fast Charizard Y
[Image: mega_charizard_y_sprite_by_flamejow-d6m3y7l.png]

Bulky Charizard Y
[Image: mega_charizard_y_sprite_by_flamejow-d6m3y7l.png]

Defensive - Here I'm going to feature the defensive achievements that Calisweeper's Charizard Y set was able to accomplish with some damage calculation using Intimidate drops.

Tailwind

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to

Intimidate Support: Pokemon like Landorus-T, Scrafty, Hitmontop, Gyarados, Acaranine, etc are able to mitigate the physical damage done to Charizard Y with Intimidate are vital partners to ensure its longevity.
Offensive Synergy Partners: Garchomp, Mamoswine, Landorus-T, Rhyperior and Excadrill are among the best partners considering Charizard Y can easily threaten most Water-/Ice-type Pokemon with its Fire + Solar Beam coverage while any of these Ground-types can come in on an Electric-type attack and are free to Earthquake without hurting its partner at all. Sand-based teams with Tyranitar + Excadrill appreciate Mega Charizard Y by improving its matchup against rain teams by cutting the power of Water-type attacks in half and maintaining weather dominance of sand + sun. Sylveon is the one of (if not) the best special attacker to pair with Charizard Y as only Fire-types along with Water/Poison-types could resist the combination of Pixilate Hyper Voice or sun-boosted Heat Wave/Flamethrower, and anything else will get severely damaged. Terrakion is another Pokemon seen with Charizard Y since it capable of OHKOing Mega Kangaskhan, Tyranitar, etc with STAB Close Combat and threatening Mega Salamence, Thundurus, Zapdos, Talonflame, etc with a STAB Rock Slide.
Wide Guard: Since Charizard Y is extremely deceptive to Rock Slide, Pokemon like Aegislash, Conkeldurr, Hitmontop, Machamp, Hariyama, Mienshao, Swampert, and others can provide Wide Guard support while most of them have an additional bonus of being checks/counters to most Rock Slide users like Excadrill, Tyranitar, Terrakion, etc.
Speed Control: Though Charizard Y has an above average base speed of 100, this isn't enough to allow Charizard Y to outspeed targets/threats like Mega Salamence, Terrakion, Scarf Tyranitar/Landorus-T, or Sand Rush Exadrill. Speed Control is almost a necessity to allow Charizard Y to outspeed key targets while firing Drought-boosted STAB attacks before it goes down. Example of speed control options include Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, Electro-Web, Tailwind, and Trick Room.
Beneficiaries of Drought: One of the most common partners with Charizard Y is Chlorophyll Venusaur since its speed is doubled during the sun though it has to wait an extra turn if the sun isn't settled. An interesting point regarding these two since both can learn two of the pledge moves Grass Pledge and Fire Pledge and both these attacks combine to create a powerful single target base 160 power Fire-type attack boosted in the sun. If Venusaur or Charizard Y are able to connect with their attacks, the combined Fire Pledge should be able to bypass speed orders an attack any intended target. The last thing about to mention is a "Sea of Fire" is created which deals 1/8th damage against all non-Fire-type Pokemon on the field. It shouldn't take a genius to realize that other Fire-type Pokemon paired with Charizard Y can benefit from the extra five turns of sun as well.
Grass types: Grass type Pokemon like Breloom, Virizion, Ferrothorn, Shifty, Venusaur, Whimsicott, and others can come in against Water-, Rock-, or Ground-type Pokemon well should Charizard Y's Drought wears off.

Threats

Rock-Types and Rock-type attack: In all seriousness, Charizard Y cannot withstand the any quad super effective Rock-type hit especially if its STAB coming from a Tyranitar, Terrakion, Rhyperior, Aerodactyl, etc while most Rock-types can take a Drought-boosted Fire-type attack relatively well. Rock Slide is a common non-STAB coverage option found on Pokemon like Landorus-T, Excadrill, Mamoswine, Mega Salamence, Blaziken, Mega Swampert, Greninja, and other fast threats who can easily drop Chaizard Y if it doesn't have any defensive investment. Lastly Stone Edge is an option to bypass any Wide Guard user paired with Charizard Y and deal far more damage than Rock Slide.
Opposing Weather (Rain / Sand): In term of weather, Charizard Y cannot recklessly stay in too often against opposing weather teams since Politoed, Tyranitar, or any others can easily remove the Drought. Despite being counterbalanced to sun, rain teams can still attempt to catch Charizard Y off with a rain-boosted attack especially once Charizard Y can no longer switch out. Keep in mind that Charizard Y will likely be switching in and out so use the water-boosted attack wisely while keep Politoed around to trap it in the late game. Sand teams honestly fair better than rain against Charizard Y since Tyranitar can easily come in on any Fire-type attack with a boosted Special Defense and knock it out with a quad effective Rock Slide. Once it has Sand Rush activated, Excadrill can outspeed Charizard Y and fire a super effective Rock Slide to drop the Mega. Lastly since this has been picking up lately, manual weather like Prankster/fast Rain Dance from Thundurus, Liepard, Meowstic, etc can shut down Charizard Y quick and have its partner KO with a rain boosted Water-type attack.
Physical Attackers: Since Charizard Y has a low base HP and Defense stats, Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Salamence, Talonflame, Arcanine, Garchomp, Entei as well as the other Rock-type coverage users mentioned earlier threaten it reasonably well to to force a switch out so take advantage of this. Some of these Pokemon mentioned here have priority moves so these attacks in case they cannot outspeed Charizard Y before they get hit or possibly KOed.
Electric-types: Most Electric-type Pokemon like Thundurus, Raichu, Mega Manetric, Raikou, Rotom-A, Zapdos, Heliolisk, etc are all able to take fire super effective hits against Charizard Y especially if its boosted as as well. If any of these Electric-types can't OHKO Charizard Y, the least they can do is paralyze it with Thunder Wave so Charizard Y can't move first or even move at all on certain turns.
Opposing Speed Control: Virtually any form of speed control that allows Charizard Y to move last is beneficially in beating the Mega Evolution. Pokemon who can setup Tailwind like Suicune, Zapdos, Hydreigon, Lati@s, Talonflame, etc are mostly bulky enough to take on the Mega Evolution's sun-boosted fire attacks or have a super effective typing advantage. Thunder Wave as mentioned before can be use by a variety of non-Electric-type Pokemon such as Cresselia, Togekiss, Gothitelle, Porygon2, Tyranitar, etc to slow down Charizard Y so it won't outspeed the opposing side. Icy Wind/Electro Web is a somewhat difficult speed control to pull off since this requires knowing the speed tier stats however this can slow down Charizard Y enough so threats like Mega Kangashan, Landorus-T, Tyranitar, etc can easily KO it. Lastly Trick Room is a viable strategy to ensure that most Charizard Y won't be moving first for 5 turns.
Dragon-types: Opposing Dragon-type Pokemon like Hydreigon, Latios, Latias, Mega Salamence, Garchomp, Kingdra, and plenty of others are able to switch in on most of Charizard Y's sun boosted attacks due to their resistance to fire attacks while capable of knocking the Fire Starter with the strong Draco Meteor, Double Edge, Dragon Claw, Rock Slide, or other coverage options respectively.
Fire-types: Lastly, Fire-type Pokemon can check Mega Charizard Y reasonably well and can abuse the sun to power up their own Fire-type attacks. Probably the best counter to Chrarizard Y is Heatran as it take no damage from any sun-boosted STABs thanks to Flash Fire, resist Solar Beam attacks, and can get a Flash Fire / sun boost to potentially sweep the opposing team with its own Fire-type attacks. Rotom-H resist both of Charizard Y's duel STABs along with Solar Beam so it can easily launch a Thunderbolt or OHKO its partner with a sun-boosted Overheat. Other Fire types like Blaziken, Inferape, Entei, Talonflame. etc can threaten Charizard Y with their coverage option as well abuse the sun for themselves.

Other Notable Moves
Here are some other options for Charizard Y to run if someone is looking for alternatives to its movepool.

Fire Blast - A base 110 Fire-type move and the only other Fire-type attack that wasn't mentioned as often in this thread while still receiving the Drought boost. While Mega Charizard Y has stronger attackers liker Overheat or a full-power Fire Pledge, both these attacks have some minor issues with Overheat dropping the Special Attack stat by 2 stages (1/2) with the chance to miss or Fire Pledge requiring chlorophyll Venusaur with Grass Pledge to setup. Fire Blast is an alternative if the Overheat drops doesn't appeal to one however Charizard Y will surely miss out on key KOs like against 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan or use as a finishing attack against those who either resist or have a high special defense.
Hidden Power Ice - A base 60 special coverage attack mainly used against other quadruple weak Pokemon like Mega Salamence or Landorus-T. Given Charizard Y's rather high Special Attack stat, Hidden Power Ice can do either heavy damage or even OHKO these two targets nicely though the issue is Landorus-T could be Scarf variant who can fire Rock Slides and Mega Salamence nautrally outspeeds and beats Y most of the time with its Physical/Mixed sets. Maintaining speed control here is really important in order to secure these surprise knock outs.
Focus Blast -A base 120 Fighting-type special move which is powerful enough on the hands of Charizard Y to potentially OHKO Hydreigon, Heatran, Tyranitar, or even Mega Kangaskhan however the base 70% accuracy can be rather atrocious at times especially if its in a best of one setting.
Ancient Power - A base 60 Rock-type move which can be advantage against opposing Flying and Fire types like Mega Salamence, Arcanine, Rotom-H, or even opposing Charizard Y mirror matches.
Will-O-Wisp- A status ailment attack which burns the target Pokemon about 85% of the time otherwise used to cut the power of physical attackers. Can be a nice surprise move coming from a Charizard Y though I'd think other Pokemon are better in spreading burn status.
Air Slash- A base 75 Flying type special attack in which has a 30% chance to flinch the opponent though a small 5% chance to miss. This is pretty much Charizard Y's only STAB option that's not a Fire-type move though since its not ridiculous boosted by Drought its kinda obsolute. I guess the only notable thing from Air Slash is using it for Fighting-types with the potential flinch factor.

Thanks for reading this overview. This one took a bit longer than expected given how many issues I had with my laptop so I'm going to work on both Sylveon and Heatran which should be done by the end of the month.]]> <![CDATA[[VGC or Smogon] Mienshao - Physical Attacker (Pivot)]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-or-Smogon-Mienshao-Physical-Attacker-Pivot Tue, 03 Nov 2015 17:58:15 -0800 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-or-Smogon-Mienshao-Physical-Attacker-Pivot [Image: Mienshao.full.1777080.jpg]

Mienshao has to be, without a doubt, one of the best Fighting types introduced in Gen 5 and Pokemon. It has a monstrous base attack stat of 125, a workable special attack stat of 95 and 105 base speed which allows it to outspeed a good amount of Pokemon in the UU meta as well as a fewer amount in the VGC'15 meta. In singles, this Pokemon makes a great pivot and a great clean up sweeper. With access to U-turn as well as its ability, Regenerator, Mienshao can easily deal damage while simultaneously regain health. In VGC, however, Mienshao's usefulness is limited as a majority of the meta is comprised of CHALK, Japanese Sand, Trick Room Mega Gardevoir, alongside other uprising trends. Mienshao can effectively take on 2 out of 5 Pokemon in CHALK (Kang and Heatran) but it struggles greatly with Cresselia, Amoonguss and Landorus, since it has no strong means of KOing these mons without getting tanked out then either statused or KOd. Mega Salamence, Terrakion, Suicune, Excadrill (in sand), scarfed T-Tar, among others easily cripple or outright take this mon out. I know you're thinking "Mienshao gets Fake Out, Wide Guard, Quick Guard, Helping Hand and Feint so why not use it as a support mon?" Simply put, Mienshao has abysmal bulk of 65/60/60 so your only option is to be fast and hit hard.

Type: Fighting
Base Stats: 65 HP, 125 Atk, 60 Def, 95 SpA., 60 SpD., 105 Spe
Weaknesses: Fairy, Flying, Psychic
Resistances: Rock, Dark, Bug
Immunities: N/A
Abilities:

Regenerator: This Pokemon restores 1/3 of its max health, rounded down, when it switches out. Mienshao's ideal ability in Smogon. As stated before, the combination of U-turn and this ability makes Mienshao a great pivot option as it easily shrugs off entry hazard damage, High Jump Kick miss damage and Life Orb damage. I personally use this over Reckless because it has more perks in my opinion.

Inner Focus: This Pokemon cannot be made to flinch. VGC-wise, this ability is ideal for checking Kangaskhan as well as other Fake Out users and people who pray for Rock Slide to flinch. It has more perks in VGC than the other abilities but in Singles it is useless.

Reckless: This Pokemon's attacks with recoil or crash damage have 1.2x power; not Struggle High Jump Kick does 20% more is basically all you need to know. The damage boost is notable but trust me, you'll be U-turning more with Mienshao than actually attacking with this move. You should never run High Jump Kick in VGC so this ability is redundant for the format.

Pivot Set for Smogon

[Image: mienshao.png]

Mienshao @ Choice Scarf / Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator / Reckless
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Stone Edge / Fake Out

Choice Scarfed Mienshao with a Jolly Nature outspeeds scarfed Darm, Infernape, Krookodile, Salamence, among other fast Pokemon in UU and even OU. Life Orb gives you a good damage output so if that's more important for you, go with this item. It really doesn't matter which ability you use on this set. High Jump Kick is Mienshao's strongest viable STAB move, U-turn for pivoting, Knock Off for coverage against Ghost types and Psychic types and Stone Edge to hit Crobat, Salamence, Aerodactyl among other threats in the UU tier. Please note that you can substitute Stone Edge for Fake Out if running Life Orb.

All Out Attacker; VGC

[Image: mienshao.png]

Mienshao @ Life Orb / Focus Sash
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Low Kick
- Rock Slide
- Protect / Fake Out
- Feint / Fake Out

Firstly allow me to state that Mienshao's shallow movepool combined with its speed makes it near nonviable for VGC offensively and its defenses make it nonviable for a support role. You would only run Mienshao over Lucario or Sawk because it outpaces the 100 speed tier. Otherwise, the latter do better jobs in the format. Mienshao is extremely frail so don't expect any defensive calcs here. This set is geared towards taking out Kangaskhan, Heatran and Charizard Y as Low Kick and Rock Slide OHKO these mons. If your concern is with faster Pokemon, Focus Sash at least allows you to sponge a possible OHKO and retaliate.

Damage Calculations:

Offensive

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Dark/Ghost Types - Primarily Bisharp, Gengar and scarf Tyranitar, Dark and Ghost types can hold off Pokemon that Mienshao can't touch with it's movepool.
Prankster Pokemon - Not specifically Pranksters but they're preferred. To compensate for Mienshao's abysmal speed tier and bulk, status moves such as Thunder Wave, Will-o-Wisp, Quash, screens and Tailwind give Mienshao a better chance to get the job done

Threats include, but aren't limited to;

Bulky Support Pokemon - As I've mentioned before, Cresselia and Amoonguss poop on Mienshao. Not only that, Pokemon like Porygon2, AV Lando, Rotom-Wash, Suicune etc. can easily wear down Mienshao and hinder its full offensive power.
Aegislash - Barring Knock Off, you can't hit Aegislash at all for at least neutral and it strikes back with fatal Life Orb boosted Shadow Balls
Faster Pokemon - Get outsped and it's GG. Mienshao is a glass cannon so don't expect to survive a lot of neutral hits or even some not very effective ones

Other Notable Moves

Hidden Power Ice - If you want to opt for a mixed set, you can run HP Ice with LO as it allows Mienshao to OHKO Landorus-T and gives it a chance to OHKO Mence (which doesn't matter since it outspeeds)
Knock Off - It removes items and does a good chunk to Cresselia, Gengar and Aegislash

Other Notable Items

Choice Band - More damage output
Expert Belt - If LO recoil is an issue and Mienshao only needs to attack against things it hits for super-effective then this will work for you

CONCLUSION

Mienshao is great in Smogon but is nearly nonviable for this year's VGC metagame with there being so much that do a better job than it.]]> [Image: Mienshao.full.1777080.jpg]

Pivot Set for Smogon

[Image: mienshao.png]

All Out Attacker; VGC

[Image: mienshao.png]

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Dark/Ghost Types - Primarily Bisharp, Gengar and scarf Tyranitar, Dark and Ghost types can hold off Pokemon that Mienshao can't touch with it's movepool.
Prankster Pokemon - Not specifically Pranksters but they're preferred. To compensate for Mienshao's abysmal speed tier and bulk, status moves such as Thunder Wave, Will-o-Wisp, Quash, screens and Tailwind give Mienshao a better chance to get the job done

Threats include, but aren't limited to;

Bulky Support Pokemon - As I've mentioned before, Cresselia and Amoonguss poop on Mienshao. Not only that, Pokemon like Porygon2, AV Lando, Rotom-Wash, Suicune etc. can easily wear down Mienshao and hinder its full offensive power.
Aegislash - Barring Knock Off, you can't hit Aegislash at all for at least neutral and it strikes back with fatal Life Orb boosted Shadow Balls
Faster Pokemon - Get outsped and it's GG. Mienshao is a glass cannon so don't expect to survive a lot of neutral hits or even some not very effective ones

Other Notable Moves

Hidden Power Ice - If you want to opt for a mixed set, you can run HP Ice with LO as it allows Mienshao to OHKO Landorus-T and gives it a chance to OHKO Mence (which doesn't matter since it outspeeds)
Knock Off - It removes items and does a good chunk to Cresselia, Gengar and Aegislash

Other Notable Items

Choice Band - More damage output
Expert Belt - If LO recoil is an issue and Mienshao only needs to attack against things it hits for super-effective then this will work for you

CONCLUSION

Mienshao is great in Smogon but is nearly nonviable for this year's VGC metagame with there being so much that do a better job than it.]]> <![CDATA[[VGC] Escavalier - Physical Attacker]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Escavalier-Physical-Attacker Mon, 26 Oct 2015 19:26:24 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Escavalier-Physical-Attacker

Credit to Bulbapedia

In a metagame plagued with bulky Psychics that set up Calm Minds and sweep your team, crazy kangaroos that click to KO your team, highly decorated dogs that scream your team to death and mushrooms that put your entire team to sleep, you're bound to eventually get tired of these mons running shop on your team. Well let me introduce you to one of the best answers to each scenario. Enter Escavalier. Escavalier was introduced in the 5th generation and still holds powerful to this day. With an amazing typing of Bug/Steel, it resists a lot and is only hit super effectively by one out of sixteen types. Sure Bug and Steel aren't the best offensively, but looking at how much of the meta is threatened by this offensive type combination, you're bound to think otherwise.

Type: Bug/Steel
Base Stats: 70 HP, 135 Atk, 105 Def, 60 SpAtk, 105 SpDef, 20 Spe
Weaknesses: Fire x4
Resistances: Normal x.5, Bug x.5, Steel x.5, Grass x.25, Fairy x.5, Dragon x.5, Ice x.5, Psychic x.5
Immunities: Poison
Abilities:
Swarm - When this Pokemon has 1/3 or less amount of HP, its bug attacks do 1.5x damage. Not a bad ability if I say so myself. It does make Megahorn hit like a truck and pick up KOs. It is however a bit more on the situational side.
Shell Armor - This Pokemon cannot be struck by a critical hit. If you really care about crit hax then sure. To be honest, without moves that boost your defenses in conjunction with reliable recovery, this ability is garbage, especially for Escavalier.
Overcoat - This Pokemon is immune to powder moves and damage from Sandstorm or Hail. This ability is very handy in VGC as it makes Escavalier immune to Rage Powder and Spore, two very commonly used moves in the format. Though it is situational, it still has a better niche than Swarm.

Kyle the Cavalier!

[Image: escavalier-3.gif]

Escavalier @ Lum Berry
Ability: Overcoat
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 188 Atk / 36 Def / 32 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
- Protect

This Escavalier puts in a lot of work against the opponent. It easily one shots the common fairies in the meta barring Azumarill, does a huge chunk to Cresselia and can OHKO Aegislash in Blade Form. Defensively, Double Edge from Adamant Kangaskhan is a 3HKO while Hyper Voice from Pixie Plate Sylveon is a 4HKO. These benchmarks, among others, were used to achieve the EV spread seen here. And yes, Double Edge from Kang does more than Sucker Punch and Low Kick to Escavalier, I'm amazed as well. The moves here are pretty standard. Megahorn is its best Bug STAB and Iron Head is its best Steel STAB. Sure the accuracy is a bit shaky for Megahorn but it does 50% more BP than X-Scissor which is a more important factor in my opinion. I opted for Knock Off over Drill Run seeing as how Drill Run really only helps against the mons that OHKO Escavalier a.k.a. fire Types. Knock Off at least removes items as well as gives Escavalier answers to Ghost types as well as a good neutral hit against attackers. Lum Berry is crucial and was chosen over the rest because Escavalier's speed tier leaves it open to many status moves, primarily Will-o-Wisp. The berry stops Escavalier from getting crippled before even being able to attack

Damage Calculations:

Offensive

Defensive

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Milotic, Rotom-W, Gastrodon - These three specifically because Milotic discourages Intimidates and allows Escavalier to attack without the stat reduction. Also Water/Ground coverage from each mon helps in swatting Fire types that destroy Escavalier
Defensive Trick Room setters - I say defensively, mainly because Escavalier holds its own well enough but it still needs boosts from Helping Hand, Will-o-Wisp (on the opponent), among other moves to allow it to attack relentlessly

Threats include, but aren't limited to;

Fire Types and attacks - That quadruple weakness to Fire has no foreplay. Any type of fire move will OHKO this thing guaranteed
Aegislash - Aegislash resists all of Escavalier's STABs, not to mention since all of Escavalier's moves are contact moves, you'll have to be extra cautious to not attack carelessly and get the stat reduction. Because of this, Aegislash can play around with Escavalier, especially if it's the SubLefties set

Other Notable Moves

Quick Guard - If you really need to block Pranksters from crippling your Pokemon or priority moves from finishing you off then go ahead
X-Scissor - It has more accuracy than Megahorn but significantly less damage.

Other Notable Items

Life Orb - If you have enough answers for status users, then this item turns Escavalier into an all out beast allowing it to pick up significantly more KOs.
Assault Vest - If you really want Escavalier to tank special hits then this is an option.

]]>

Credit to Bulbapedia

Kyle the Cavalier!

[Image: escavalier-3.gif]

Defensive

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Milotic, Rotom-W, Gastrodon - These three specifically because Milotic discourages Intimidates and allows Escavalier to attack without the stat reduction. Also Water/Ground coverage from each mon helps in swatting Fire types that destroy Escavalier
Defensive Trick Room setters - I say defensively, mainly because Escavalier holds its own well enough but it still needs boosts from Helping Hand, Will-o-Wisp (on the opponent), among other moves to allow it to attack relentlessly

Threats include, but aren't limited to;

Fire Types and attacks - That quadruple weakness to Fire has no foreplay. Any type of fire move will OHKO this thing guaranteed
Aegislash - Aegislash resists all of Escavalier's STABs, not to mention since all of Escavalier's moves are contact moves, you'll have to be extra cautious to not attack carelessly and get the stat reduction. Because of this, Aegislash can play around with Escavalier, especially if it's the SubLefties set

Other Notable Moves

Quick Guard - If you really need to block Pranksters from crippling your Pokemon or priority moves from finishing you off then go ahead
X-Scissor - It has more accuracy than Megahorn but significantly less damage.

Other Notable Items

Life Orb - If you have enough answers for status users, then this item turns Escavalier into an all out beast allowing it to pick up significantly more KOs.
Assault Vest - If you really want Escavalier to tank special hits then this is an option.

]]> <![CDATA[(VGC) Volcarona - Utility/Attack (Redirection/Quiver Dance/Scarf) 3 Options]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Volcarona-Utility-Attack-Redirection-Quiver-Dance-Scarf-3-Options Wed, 21 Oct 2015 20:18:35 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Volcarona-Utility-Attack-Redirection-Quiver-Dance-Scarf-3-Options
Art by Tomycase

"Best Butterfly or Moth in the Game..."

[Image: volcarona.gif]

(VGC) Volcarona - Utility/Attack (Redirection/Quiver Dance/Scarf) 3 Options

Type: Bug/Fire
Base Stats: 85 HP / 60 Attack / 65 Defense / 135 Special Attack / 105 Special Defense / 100 Speed
Weaknesses: Rock (x4), Water (x2), Flying (x2)
Resistances: Fighting (X0.5), Bug (X0.5), Ice (X0.5), Fairy (x0.5), Steel (x0.5), Grass (x0.25)
Immunities: Burns
Flame Body Any enemy contact with the wielder has a 30% chance of a burn being inflicted to the foe.
Swarm (Hidden Ability) Boost the power of Bug-type attacks by 50% if its HP is around a third or less.

Overview

Since its introduction in Generation 5, Volcarona has be seen as one of the most powerful special attackers in the game with access to a strong special offensive stats of 135 SpA / 105 SpD / 100 Spe and a method to raise all three at once with Quiver Dance. Prior to the VGC 2015 format when Volcarona was allowed in 2013, it was among the most dominant Pokemon in the metagame being able to sweep entire teams with a +1 Heat Waves sometimes boosted with Fire Gem (or Bug Gem). The transition between Gen 5 to Gen 6 hasn't been too kind to Volcarona with the lose of the Gems and the power creep with things like Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Charizard Y existing. In fact, its because these two Pokemon, not Volcarona itself who gave rise to Rock Slide users like Terrakion and Landorus-T, who both can beat Volcarona in these situations as well. Despite the small drop in usage, Volcarona is still a dangerous Bug/Fire type Pokemon to contend against with access to other viable moves like Tailwind/Rage Powder, and being one of the few Pokemon who can handle Cresselia, Amoonguss and Aegislash. With its part Bug/Fire coverage, Volcarona inflicts super effective STAB damage against the likes of Mega Metagross, Mega Mawile, Gothitelle, Lati@s, Ferrothorn, Excadrill, Tyranitar (though not it + Sand Rush Excadrill!), Bisharp, and a host of other popular Pokemon.

What makes Volcarona a viable Pokemon is due to its flexibility how well it can run either a defensive support set like Rage Powder redirection, Tailwind for speed control, or a setup Quiver Dance set for an offensive role. Volcarona's special offensive stats 135 Special Attack, 105 Special Defense, and 100 Speed Volcarona is no laughing matter as it has the highest Special Attack for a part Bug-type and fast enough to potentially speed tie with Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Charizard Y, etc. The best part of an offensive Volcarona is it can further boost these three stats with a Quiver Dance boost making it a threatening special sweeper. Flame Body still has its use as it has a 51% chance to burn Mega Kangakhan if it contacts with Volcarona, while a regular 30% chance for other single target contact hits. Once the main threats are gone, Volcarona can setup against the most special attackers like Sylveon and Aegislash for an end game sweep. Not everything is fine for Volcarona as Rock Slide and other Rock-/Water-/Flying- types can dispatch the fire moth quickly. Volcarona has a rather low Base 85 HP and 65 Defense stats making it vulnerable to powerful physical attackers from the likes of Mega Salamence or Charizard Y.
Despite these flaws, do not underestimate any Volcarona at all, for one free setup and it will rain its fiery scales against the foe.

Rage Powder + Tailwind Support
[Image: volcarona.png]

Volcarona @ Sitrus Berry / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Flame Body
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 236 Def / 12 SpA / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
– Heat Wave / Flamethrower / Fiery Dance
– Bug Buzz
– Rage Powder
– Tailwind / Protect

Milestones
-This Volcarona set was used by Bennett Piercy, or Qertyk in his winning 1st Place US Seniors Nationals team.
-Survives max attack Jolly Mega Kangaskhan's Double Edge with Sitrus Berry recovery.
-Most Aerilate Hyper Voice from Mega Salamence is a 2HKO.
-Takes a Rock Slide from Adamant max attack Landorus-T and Garchomp (non-boosted)
-100 SpA Suicune has a 9.4% chance to 2HKO with STAB Scald with Sitrus Berry recovery.

This Volcarona set has seen a large spike in usage following Qertyk's 1st Place win in US Senior Nationals mostly because it shows how Volcarona isn't limited to a offensive Quiver Dance role. For coverage options, Heat Wave and Bug Buzz offer Volcarona vital STAB options considering most of its EVs aren't pumped into Special Attack or Speed Stats. Heat Wave gives Volcarona a solid spread damage against the opposing side and super effective on any Grass-, Bug-, Ice-, or Steel types. Bug Buzz is Volcarona's strongest attack in this set as it allows the moth to deal solid damage against the likes of Hydreigon, Tyranitar, Gothitelle, LAti@S and can even 2HKO most Cresselia sets. For this set, Qertyk opted to have both Rage Powder and Tailwind to give Volcarona a supportive role rather than its classic Quiver Dance offense. Rage Powder is essentially a redirection-based status move which all opposing targets (bar Grass-types and Safety Goggles users) attack Volcarona instead of its ally with their respective single target hits. Some might question the use of Volcarona as a redirection user, but paired with Flame Body, Volcarona can be used to redirect attacks away from vital partners while potentially snagging a burn 30% of the time. Fun Fact: Mega Kangaskhan if it attacks twice on a Flame Body Volcarona has a 51% chance to get burn so this is another way to deal with the strongest Mega in the format. Tailwind doubles the speed stats of Volcarona's entire team for 4 turns so essentially a pseudo +2 boost in speed. This can be useful to allow slower but bulkier Pokemon like Suicune, Mega Venusaur, AV Landorus-T, Nidoqueen, Sylveon, Mega Gardevoir, and a host of others to break the opposing teams.

As far as other options is concern, Volcarona can use a variety of special Fire type attacks not just Heat Wave which may get blocked by Wide Guard users. Flamethrower is Volcarona's most strongest and consistent Fire-type attack unlike Heat Wave/Overheat/Fire Blast in which it can deal strong STAB damage without fear of missing any hits. Fiery Dance is Volcarona's signature attack that has a 50% chance to boost its Special Attack stat by one stage. Given the high probability of the boost occurring more often, Volcarona can get a a potential setup along with Tailwind to almost mimic its Quiver Dance setup so there's that idea. Lastly, Protect can be used over either Rage Powder or Tailwind in case Volcarona can scout out any rogue super effective attacks or allow itself to use either Rage Powder/Tailwind in the long run of the battle. Rocky Helmet is another potential item to run on Volcarona os it can inflict residual damage against the contact attacks from physical attackers mostly. Ending on an important note, Volcarona's speed investment in this set is one point below Bisharp's speed tier (Base 70 or 122 speed) so try to setup Tailwind with Volcarona against slower targets that either don't threat the fire moth, or fear a potential faster set.

Damage Calculations

Offensive- All calculations were done with a Modest 12 SpA.

Heat Wave ( Modest 12 SpA )

12+ SpA Volcarona Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Amoonguss: 138-164 (62.4 - 74.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 84-98 (50.2 - 58.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Heat Wave vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross: 108-128 (69.2 - 82%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Mawile: 120-144 (76.4 - 91.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Heat Wave vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 152-182 (107.8 - 129%) -- guaranteed OHKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Heat Wave vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan: 58-69 (32 - 38.1%) -- 92.8% chance to 3HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Heat Wave vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 69-82 (41.8 - 49.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Heat Wave vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Excadrill: 162-192 (87 - 103.2%) -- 25% chance to OHKO

Bug Buzz ( Modest 12 SpA )

12+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 220 HP / 92+ SpD Cresselia: 102-120 (45.7 - 53.8%) -- 32% chance to 2HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Cresselia: 116-140 (51.1 - 61.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan: 73-87 (40.3 - 48%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Latios: 134-158 (86.4 - 101.9%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar in Sand: 98-116 (55.6 - 65.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Greninja: 192-228 (129.7 - 154%) -- guaranteed OHKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Gothitelle: 102-120 (57.6 - 67.7%) -- 41.4% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

12+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Mega Latias: 102-122 (65.8 - 78.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gardevoir: 57-67 (39.5 - 46.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Flamethrower ( Modest 12 SpA )

12+ SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 102-122 (61 - 73%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross: 134-162 (85.8 - 103.8%) -- 25% chance to OHKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Mega Mawile: 144-170 (91.7 - 108.2%) -- 50% chance to OHKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Sylveon: 58-70 (28.8 - 34.8%) -- 10.4% chance to 3HKO

12+ SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Excadrill: 206-246 (110.7 - 132.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Defensive - All Calculations were based on 252 HP / 236 Def / 4 SpD

Bulky Quiver Dance
[Image: volcarona.png]

Volcarona @ Rocky Helmet / Sitrus Berry / Lum Berry
Ability: Flame Body
Level: 50
EVs: 164 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA / 4 SpD / 84 Spe
Timid Nature
– Flamethrower / Fiery Dance / Heat Wave
– Bug Buzz / Giga Drain
– Quiver Dance
– Protect

Milestones
-This is Alexander Kuhn or Hibiki's Volcarona set used to get 4th in a Arena Cup Würzburg
-Outspeeds Adamant Landorus-T by one point.
-Jolly Mega Kangaskhan's Double Edge has a 6.6% to OHKO Volcarona.
-Adamant 252 Atk Landorus-T has a 18.8% chance to OHKO Volcarona.
-Modest 252 SpA Mega Salamence's Aerilate Hyper Voice can only 2HKO.
-Specs 252 SpA Modest Sylveon has a 2.5% chance to 3HKO.
-After one Quiver Dance Volcarona outspeeds Scarf Landorus-T, standard Suicune in Tailwind, and positive base 130 speed tier.

This is some of the many "bulky" Quiver Dance Volcarona sets utilized especially this one in particular used by Hibiki from Nugget Bridge to get 4th place in a Arena Cup Würzburg Regional Championship. What makes Quiver Dance Volcarona extremely threatening is the fact it boost its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed all in one turn. Not only does Volcarona become a threatening setup user but most special hits won't inflict much damage with the SpD increase. Flamethrower is opted over Fiery Dance/Heat Wave for the higher damage output single targets and bypassing Wide Guard. Bug Buzz is Volcarona's secondary STAB option to handle common Psychic and Dark type Pokemon like Hydreigon and Cresselia. After a Quiver Dance boost, Volcarona is strong enough to KO most Amoonguss, Mega Metagross, Virizion (on a roll), Hydreigon, Tyranitar (without sand), and 2HKO most other targets. Now alternatively Volcarona can run Fiery Dance over Flamethrower to get another SpA boost to compensate for the lack of special attack investment on a bulkier build. Heat Wave is still a relatively strong Fire-type coverage that can damage both targets as well, though Volcarona will likely get walled by Aegislash with Wide Guard. Giga Drain is a coverage option specifically for bulky Water types like Rotom-W, Milotic, Swampert, Gastrodon, or Suicune since Volcarona can setup one Quiver Dance and recover HP while dealing super effective damage. Finally as usual to any setup Pokemon with stat boost, Protect is vital in case Volcarona can draw in double targets.

Item choices vary on most Volcarona sets, but this set uses Rocky Helmet in tandem with Flame Body to not only punish any contact moves targets on Volcarona, but get a 30% burn chance. Rocky Helmet + Flame Body is another way to deal with Mega Kangaskhan as the item deals about a third to Kangaskhan's HP while has a 51% chance of burn. Sitrus Berry can be used to regain 25% of Volcarona's HP so it can setup another Quiver Dance or attack in general. Lastly, Lum Berry ensures that Prankster Thunder Wave/Swagger, Spore, Poison, or any other random status ailment doesn't hinder Volcarona's sweeping potential.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - (All damage calculations were based on a Quiver Dance boost with just 4 SpA)

+1 Flamethrower ( 4 SpA with Quiver Dance Boost )

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan: 100-118 (55.2 - 65.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Virizion: 162-192 (97 - 114.9%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross: 186-218 (119.2 - 139.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 118-141 (71.5 - 85.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Amoonguss: 236-278 (106.7 - 125.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 140-168 (83.8 - 100.5%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gardevoir: 76-91 (52.7 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 92 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon: 79-94 (43.4 - 51.6%) -- 9.4% chance to 2HKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 236 HP / 128+ SpD Thundurus: 93-111 (50.5 - 60.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 109-129 (55.3 - 65.4%) -- 16.8% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

+1 Bug Buzz ( 4 SpA with a Quiver Dance Boost )

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 220 HP / 92+ SpD Cresselia: 134-162 (60 - 72.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Hydreigon: 218-258 (129.7 - 153.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Gothitelle: 134-162 (75.7 - 91.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Latios: 182-216 (117.4 - 139.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Ludicolo: 134-158 (71.6 - 84.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 148+ SpD Rotom-W: 75-88 (47.7 - 56%) -- 16.8% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar in Sand: 134-158 (76.1 - 89.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 Giga Drain ( 4 SpA with a Quiver Dance Boost )

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 148+ SpD Rotom-W: 84-100 (53.5 - 63.6%) -- 5.1% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Swampert: 204-240 (98.5 - 115.9%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Giga Drain vs. 244 HP / 88 SpD Gastrodon: 236-280 (108.7 - 129%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Suicune: 94-112 (45.4 - 54.1%) -- 7.8% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Milotic: 92-110 (45.5 - 54.4%) -- 6.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Giga Drain vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 122-144 (73 - 86.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 4 SpA Volcarona Giga Drain vs. 68 HP / 188 SpD Solid Rock Rhyperior: 204-240 (102.5 - 120.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Defensive - Most defensive damage calculations were based on just HP 164 / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Choice Scarf "Lure"
[Image: volcarona.png]

Volcarona @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flame Body
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpA / 244 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
- Fiery Dance
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Bug Buzz

Milestones:
-Scarf Volcarona was used by Genaro Vallejo (ReckonerX) to get 9th place at 2015 Worlds. (Though not sure if this is the same set.)
-Outspeed Modest Hydreigon with a Choice Scarf by one point.
-OHKOs Hydreigon with Bug Buzz 100% of the time.
-OHKOs 4 HP Mega Salamence and Landorus-T (up to 164 HP) with Hidden Power Ice 100% of the time.
-OHKOs 252 HP / 100 SpD Aegislash with Overheat 100% of the time.
-2HKOs 220 HP / 92 SpD Calm Cresselia with Bug Buzz.
-Has a 15/16th chance to KO 4 HP Tyranitar without sand.

Though it might sound counterproductive to use a Choice Scarf on a Volcarona when it has moves like Quiver Dance, Tailwind, and even String Shot outspeed its opponents, this has a ton of surprise potential value. Paired with 100 Base Speed, probably the only faster Choice Scarf users are the Lati twins (Latios/Latias or Lati@s as I like to call them) in the VGC format, however even they fear a powerful Bug-type like Volcarona. The goal of the Volcarona set is to act as a lure towards targets (maybe with some prior damage from teammates) like Scalrf Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, Aegislash, Cresselia, Hydreigon, etc and KO the with the proper move. Hidden Power Ice is a coverage option specific to lure and KO most non AV Landorus-T and 4 HP Mega Salamence 100% or with prior damage to avoid getting KOed by either a potential Rock Slide or Double Edge. With the Choice Scarf, Volcarona should be able to outspeed these two quad Ice-type weak Pokemon and net an immediate KO. Bug Buzz is Volcarona's main Bug-type STAB option reserved for Pokemon like Cresselia, Lati@s, Gothitelle, Mega Gardevoir, Tyranitar, and can even KO most Hydreigon sets 100% unless they invest heavily into their Special Defense. Regarding its Fire STAB, this Volcarona opts not just one, but two Fire-type attacks in both Fiery Dance and Overheat reserved for specific roles. The idea of using Fiery Dance with a Scarf Volcarona set is to gradually gain as much Special Attack boost as possible give the move has 50% chance to do so. This setup can allows Volcarona to become a dangerous late game sweeper as it can continuously spams Fiery Dance while receiving a +1 boost in Special Attack every so often. Overheat is intended to "overkill" most Aegislash sets as well as attempt to finish off any weaken targets with one of the strongest Fire-type attacks in the game.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - These Damage Calculations are based on 252 SpA Modest Special Attack investment (won't include Fiery Dance boosts)

Fiery Dance (252 SpA Modest)

252+ SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Amoonguss: 186-218 (84.1 - 98.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gardevoir: 60-72 (34.2 - 41.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan: 78-93 (43 - 51.3%) -- 5.5% chance to 2HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Sylveon: 61-73 (30.3 - 36.3%) -- 57% chance to 3HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 236 HP / 128+ SpD Thundurus: 73-87 (39.6 - 47.2%) -- 89.6% chance to 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 110-132 (65.8 - 79%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross: 144-170 (92.3 - 108.9%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Thick Fat Mega Venusaur: 66-78 (35.2 - 41.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Virizion: 126-150 (75.4 - 89.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 93-111 (56.3 - 67.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Overheat ( 252 SpA Modest )

252+ SpA Volcarona Overheat vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gardevoir: 97-115 (55.4 - 65.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Overheat vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan: 126-148 (69.6 - 81.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Overheat vs. 252 HP / 104 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 168-198 (100.5 - 118.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Overheat vs. 188 HP / 156+ SpD Amoonguss: 228-270 (107 - 126.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Overheat vs. 92 HP / 0 SpD Sylveon: 102-120 (56 - 65.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Overheat vs. 44 HP / 4 SpD Mega Metagross: 230-272 (142.8 - 168.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Overheat vs. 236 HP / 128+ SpD Thundurus: 118-141 (64.1 - 76.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

Hidden Power Ice ( 252 SpA Modest )

252+ SpA Volcarona Hidden Power Ice vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Garchomp: 180-212 (98.3 - 115.8%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Hidden Power Ice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence: 172-204 (100.5 - 119.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Hidden Power Ice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 188-224 (113.9 - 135.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Hidden Power Ice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Thundurus: 94-112 (60.6 - 72.2%) -- 94.9% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

Bug Buzz ( 252 SpA Modest )

252+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 164 HP / 0 SpD Hydreigon: 188-224 (100 - 119.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Latios: 158-188 (101.9 - 121.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Gothitelle: 116-140 (65.5 - 79%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 220 HP / 92+ SpD Cresselia: 116-140 (52 - 62.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar in Sand: 116-140 (65.9 - 79.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar: 174-206 (98.8 - 117%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Ludicolo: 116-138 (62 - 73.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Volcarona Bug Buzz vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Politoed: 87-103 (52.4 - 62%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Defensive - This Volcarona is meant for an offensive Scarf role but there isn't too many notable achievements aside from taking 2 Specs Hyper Voice from Sylveon. Most super effective hits will either OHKO or 2HKO Volcarona at worse.

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Intimidate, Wide Guard, Fake Out: Since Volcarona is severely weak from the defensive side, Pokemon with Intimidate like Scrafty, Gyarados, Landorus-T, Krookodile, Hitmontop, Salamence, etc can lower the attack stats of both enemy Pokemon by one stage. Wide Guard users like Aegislash, Hitmontop, Swampert, Hariyama, Aerodactyl, Conkeldurr, Machamp, etc can protect Volcarona from any Rock Slides knock out and allow it to setup freely. Lastly, Fake Out is another way to allow Volcarona a turn to setup Tailwind, Quiver Dance, etc for the team. Common Fake Out users include Mega Kangaskhan, Scrafty, Hitmontop, Ludicolo, Lopunny, Raichu, Sableye, Weavile, etc
Steel types: With Volcarona having a disadvantage against both Flying- and Rock- type Pokemon, the best defensive typing to pair with the fire moth are Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Aegislash, Mega Metagross, Mega Mawile, Excadrill, Bisharp, etc. Ferrothorn is an interesting partner as it resist all of Volcarona's main weaknesses while handling nearly every Water-, Rock- and some Flying- types with its walling capabilities. Aegislash is a unique partner to Volcarona as it help block most fatal Rock Slides by using Wide Guard so Volcarona can go for a potential setup. The rest of the other Steel types mentioned work best with utility Volcarona as they appreciate either any form of redirection and speed control.
Grass and Water types: These two types help Volcarona form a strong "elemental core" in each other's own weakness and apply support for the fire moth. Grass type Pokemon like Virizion, Ferrothorn, Breloom, Ludicolo, Mega Venusaur, etc are able to beat the majority of Water- and Rock-types while Volcarona in turn easily threatens every Bug-, Ice-, Steel-, and even opposing Grass types. Most bulky Water types like Milotic, Rotom-W, Swampert, Jellicent, Suicune, etc can stay in on the likes of Tyranitar/Terrakion and hopefully burn the target with a potential Scald/Will-O-Wisp burn so Volcarona can setup one Quiver Dance. In return, Volcarona can beat most Grass types Pokemon as well as redirect any strong Electric- or Grass-type hits with Rage Powder.
Offensive Partners: This section is geared towards the utility based Volcarona since it needs offensiev partners to work with a Rage Powder/Tailwind set. Mega Evolutions like Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Salamence, and Mega Gardevoir appreciate a support Volcarona set as it setups Tailwind to outspeed threats or redirect any Fighting-, Ice-, and Steel-types respectively. Frailer Pokemon like Weavile, Greninja, Breloom, Blaziken, Bisharp, Exacdrill, Terrakion, Thundurus, etc appreciate redirection support from Volcarona as it can buy time to take out a target or setup on as well. Slower Pokemon who appreciate Tailwind support like Sylveon, Suicune, Mega Venusaur, Conkeldurr, Tyraniter etc so they can outspeed and use their powerful STAB options.
Other Misc. Support: Speed control/disruption is extremely important to allow an offensive Volcarona to maintain its offensive pressure. Thundurus, Tornadus, Whimsicott, Meowstic-M, Sableye, and Liepard usually carry some form of speed control (Tailwind/Thunder Wave) while having a disruption moves like Encore, Taunt, Torment, Swagger, etc to stop opposing setup as well.

Threats

Rock types + Any Rock Moves: Since Volcarona has a severe quadruple weakness to Rock-type attacks like Stone Edge and Rock Slide Pokemon like Landorus-T, Aerodactyl, Tyranitar, Excadrill (in sand), Terrakion, Rhyperior, Aurorus, and others can dispatch the fire moth relatively easily. Any other Pokemon with physical Rock type coverage can beat most Volcarona sets with ease. Sand teams in particular which usually consist of Scarf Tyranitar + Excadrill as well as other Volcarona counters like Mega Salamence and Rotom-W usually fair well against the fire bug.
Flying and Water types: Basically Flying type Pokemon like Talonflame, Mega Salamence, Mega Charizard Y, Staraptor, Aerodactyl, Crobat, Braviery, etc resist Volcarona's Bug-type moves and KO it with super effective Flying type damage. Water-types Pokemon like Gyarados, Suicune, Rotom-W, Milotic, Gastrodon, Jellicent, Politoed, etc have moderately high special defense to take most of Volcarona's Fire-type attacks. Keep in mind, Volcarona can still beat most of these Water Pokemon if it has Giga Drain for coverage with Quiver Dance setup.
Powerful Physical Attacks and Priority: With Volcarona's rather low base 65 Defensive stat, pretty much most hits from physical attackers like Mega Kangaskhan, Talonflame Blaziken, Azumarill, Bisharp, Conkeldurr, Mega Mawile, Hariyama, etc can deal over 50% to Volcarona. Most of the Pokemon listed carry a form of priority or even Rock-type coverage as well to either outspeed the fire moth or squash it with pebbles.
Fire and Dragon Pokemon; Virtually most Fire types like Mega Charizrd Y, Heatran, Arcanine, Rotom-H, Entei, Mega Camerupt, Chandelure and others wall both Volcarona's Fire/Bug type STABs and hit it with neutral their own Fire-type attacks. Dragon Pokemon like Garchomp, Mega Salamence, Kingdra, Hydreigon (without Bug Buzz), Mega Altaria, and others can resist both of the fire moth's STABs and deal heavy damage with a coverage option or STAB options.

Other Notable Moves
Here are some other options that Volcarona can run not just the other moves mentioned:

Fire Blast/Overheat - Since Flamethrower, Heat Wave, and Fiery Dance are shown in the OP sets, its logical to give both Fire Blast and Overheat more credit. Both of these Fire-type attacks are among the strongest in the game with the Fire Blast being at 110 base power and Overheat at 130 power. These attacks don't come without their flaws as both can miss while Overheat drops the special attack stat by 2 stages following one use.
Hurricane - A base 110 Can be used by Volcarona for coverage against Fighting types with a 30% to confuse but with a 30% chance to miss as well. Some Volcarona sets do opt for Hurricane on rain teams to give this attack 100% accuracy.
Will-O-Wisp - A status ailment with an 85% chance to burn a target and deals 1/8th residual damage. Volcarona can use this attack to cripple physical attackers in like Mega Kangaskhan or Landorus-T.
Hidden Power Ground - A base 60 Ground coverage specifically used to hit Fire type Pokemon like Heatran for heavy damage instead of being walled completely.
Roost - One of Volcarona's recovery options which is seen often on bulkier Quiver Dance sets to replenish about 50% of its HP.
Struggle Bug- Ok... so I guess I should explain myself here. Basically this Bug-type attack has a base 50 power that reduces the special attack stat of both targets by one stage similar to how Snarl function.
String Shot - A hilarious form of speed control with drops the speed of both Pokemon by 2 stages though it has a 95% accuracy so this can miss.

Other Notable Items:

Coba Berry: Reduces the damage of super effective Flying-type attacks by 50%.
Passho Berry: Reduces the damage of super effective Water-type attacks by 50%.
Leftovers: Gradually replenishes the wielder's HP by 1/16th of its health every turn.
Charti Berry: Reduces the damage of super effective Rock-type attacks by 50%.
Lum Berry: Cures the user of any status ailments.
Safety Goggles: Protects the user from both weather-based damage and powder moves.

For those who read the overview, thanks for getting this far into the analysis.]]>
Art by Tomycase

"Best Butterfly or Moth in the Game..."

[Image: volcarona.gif]

(VGC) Volcarona - Utility/Attack (Redirection/Quiver Dance/Scarf) 3 Options

Overview

Rage Powder + Tailwind Support
[Image: volcarona.png]

Defensive - All Calculations were based on 252 HP / 236 Def / 4 SpD

Bulky Quiver Dance
[Image: volcarona.png]

Defensive - Most defensive damage calculations were based on just HP 164 / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Choice Scarf "Lure"
[Image: volcarona.png]

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Intimidate, Wide Guard, Fake Out: Since Volcarona is severely weak from the defensive side, Pokemon with Intimidate like Scrafty, Gyarados, Landorus-T, Krookodile, Hitmontop, Salamence, etc can lower the attack stats of both enemy Pokemon by one stage. Wide Guard users like Aegislash, Hitmontop, Swampert, Hariyama, Aerodactyl, Conkeldurr, Machamp, etc can protect Volcarona from any Rock Slides knock out and allow it to setup freely. Lastly, Fake Out is another way to allow Volcarona a turn to setup Tailwind, Quiver Dance, etc for the team. Common Fake Out users include Mega Kangaskhan, Scrafty, Hitmontop, Ludicolo, Lopunny, Raichu, Sableye, Weavile, etc
Steel types: With Volcarona having a disadvantage against both Flying- and Rock- type Pokemon, the best defensive typing to pair with the fire moth are Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Aegislash, Mega Metagross, Mega Mawile, Excadrill, Bisharp, etc. Ferrothorn is an interesting partner as it resist all of Volcarona's main weaknesses while handling nearly every Water-, Rock- and some Flying- types with its walling capabilities. Aegislash is a unique partner to Volcarona as it help block most fatal Rock Slides by using Wide Guard so Volcarona can go for a potential setup. The rest of the other Steel types mentioned work best with utility Volcarona as they appreciate either any form of redirection and speed control.
Grass and Water types: These two types help Volcarona form a strong "elemental core" in each other's own weakness and apply support for the fire moth. Grass type Pokemon like Virizion, Ferrothorn, Breloom, Ludicolo, Mega Venusaur, etc are able to beat the majority of Water- and Rock-types while Volcarona in turn easily threatens every Bug-, Ice-, Steel-, and even opposing Grass types. Most bulky Water types like Milotic, Rotom-W, Swampert, Jellicent, Suicune, etc can stay in on the likes of Tyranitar/Terrakion and hopefully burn the target with a potential Scald/Will-O-Wisp burn so Volcarona can setup one Quiver Dance. In return, Volcarona can beat most Grass types Pokemon as well as redirect any strong Electric- or Grass-type hits with Rage Powder.
Offensive Partners: This section is geared towards the utility based Volcarona since it needs offensiev partners to work with a Rage Powder/Tailwind set. Mega Evolutions like Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Salamence, and Mega Gardevoir appreciate a support Volcarona set as it setups Tailwind to outspeed threats or redirect any Fighting-, Ice-, and Steel-types respectively. Frailer Pokemon like Weavile, Greninja, Breloom, Blaziken, Bisharp, Exacdrill, Terrakion, Thundurus, etc appreciate redirection support from Volcarona as it can buy time to take out a target or setup on as well. Slower Pokemon who appreciate Tailwind support like Sylveon, Suicune, Mega Venusaur, Conkeldurr, Tyraniter etc so they can outspeed and use their powerful STAB options.
Other Misc. Support: Speed control/disruption is extremely important to allow an offensive Volcarona to maintain its offensive pressure. Thundurus, Tornadus, Whimsicott, Meowstic-M, Sableye, and Liepard usually carry some form of speed control (Tailwind/Thunder Wave) while having a disruption moves like Encore, Taunt, Torment, Swagger, etc to stop opposing setup as well.

Threats

Rock types + Any Rock Moves: Since Volcarona has a severe quadruple weakness to Rock-type attacks like Stone Edge and Rock Slide Pokemon like Landorus-T, Aerodactyl, Tyranitar, Excadrill (in sand), Terrakion, Rhyperior, Aurorus, and others can dispatch the fire moth relatively easily. Any other Pokemon with physical Rock type coverage can beat most Volcarona sets with ease. Sand teams in particular which usually consist of Scarf Tyranitar + Excadrill as well as other Volcarona counters like Mega Salamence and Rotom-W usually fair well against the fire bug.
Flying and Water types: Basically Flying type Pokemon like Talonflame, Mega Salamence, Mega Charizard Y, Staraptor, Aerodactyl, Crobat, Braviery, etc resist Volcarona's Bug-type moves and KO it with super effective Flying type damage. Water-types Pokemon like Gyarados, Suicune, Rotom-W, Milotic, Gastrodon, Jellicent, Politoed, etc have moderately high special defense to take most of Volcarona's Fire-type attacks. Keep in mind, Volcarona can still beat most of these Water Pokemon if it has Giga Drain for coverage with Quiver Dance setup.
Powerful Physical Attacks and Priority: With Volcarona's rather low base 65 Defensive stat, pretty much most hits from physical attackers like Mega Kangaskhan, Talonflame Blaziken, Azumarill, Bisharp, Conkeldurr, Mega Mawile, Hariyama, etc can deal over 50% to Volcarona. Most of the Pokemon listed carry a form of priority or even Rock-type coverage as well to either outspeed the fire moth or squash it with pebbles.
Fire and Dragon Pokemon; Virtually most Fire types like Mega Charizrd Y, Heatran, Arcanine, Rotom-H, Entei, Mega Camerupt, Chandelure and others wall both Volcarona's Fire/Bug type STABs and hit it with neutral their own Fire-type attacks. Dragon Pokemon like Garchomp, Mega Salamence, Kingdra, Hydreigon (without Bug Buzz), Mega Altaria, and others can resist both of the fire moth's STABs and deal heavy damage with a coverage option or STAB options.

Other Notable Moves
Here are some other options that Volcarona can run not just the other moves mentioned:

Fire Blast/Overheat - Since Flamethrower, Heat Wave, and Fiery Dance are shown in the OP sets, its logical to give both Fire Blast and Overheat more credit. Both of these Fire-type attacks are among the strongest in the game with the Fire Blast being at 110 base power and Overheat at 130 power. These attacks don't come without their flaws as both can miss while Overheat drops the special attack stat by 2 stages following one use.
Hurricane - A base 110 Can be used by Volcarona for coverage against Fighting types with a 30% to confuse but with a 30% chance to miss as well. Some Volcarona sets do opt for Hurricane on rain teams to give this attack 100% accuracy.
Will-O-Wisp - A status ailment with an 85% chance to burn a target and deals 1/8th residual damage. Volcarona can use this attack to cripple physical attackers in like Mega Kangaskhan or Landorus-T.
Hidden Power Ground - A base 60 Ground coverage specifically used to hit Fire type Pokemon like Heatran for heavy damage instead of being walled completely.
Roost - One of Volcarona's recovery options which is seen often on bulkier Quiver Dance sets to replenish about 50% of its HP.
Struggle Bug- Ok... so I guess I should explain myself here. Basically this Bug-type attack has a base 50 power that reduces the special attack stat of both targets by one stage similar to how Snarl function.
String Shot - A hilarious form of speed control with drops the speed of both Pokemon by 2 stages though it has a 95% accuracy so this can miss.

Other Notable Items:

Coba Berry: Reduces the damage of super effective Flying-type attacks by 50%.
Passho Berry: Reduces the damage of super effective Water-type attacks by 50%.
Leftovers: Gradually replenishes the wielder's HP by 1/16th of its health every turn.
Charti Berry: Reduces the damage of super effective Rock-type attacks by 50%.
Lum Berry: Cures the user of any status ailments.
Safety Goggles: Protects the user from both weather-based damage and powder moves.

For those who read the overview, thanks for getting this far into the analysis.]]> <![CDATA[(VGC) Jellicent - Support (Pivot/Trick Room) 2 Options]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Jellicent-Support-Pivot-Trick-Room-2-Options Sun, 18 Oct 2015 00:27:05 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Jellicent-Support-Pivot-Trick-Room-2-Options
Deviantart by Psh07

"The Monopoly Pokemon - Jellicent"

(VGC) Jellicent - Utility (Pivot/ Trick Room) 2 Options

Typing: Water/Ghost
Base Stats : HP: 100 / Attack: 60 / Defense: 70 / Sp. Atk: 85 / Sp. Def: 105 / Speed: 60
Immune: Normal, Fighting, Water (if ability is Water Absorb)
Resist: Poison, Bug, Steel, Fire, Ice, Water (if ability isn't Water Absorb) [ all 1/2x ]
Weak: Ghost, Grass, Dark, Electric [ all 2x ]
Water Absorb: When the Pokemon is hit with a Water-type attack, its HP is restored to a quarter (25%) and the move will have no effect on the Pokemon. If the Pokemon already has its HP bar at full, nothing happens other than the Water immunity taking effect.
Cursed Body: Has a 30% chance of disabling the opponent's used offensive attack when used on the Pokemon. If inflicted, Curse Body will be in effect for three turns (including the the ability activated). Curse Body can activate if the attack is behind a Substitute or if the wielder is knocked out.
Damp: Prevents the opponents from using Explosion and Self Destruct as it will fail if picked. Prevents the ability Aftermath from taking into effect.

OVERVIEW

Jellicent is one of the interesting choices to consider as the team's main 'bulky Water-type" as it has stiff competition with Rotom-W, Suicune, Competitive Milotic, or even the dancing pineapple from under the Sea: Ludicolo (what you expect me to make a joke here and there well you got one kappa). Alright after that failed attempted..let go back to Pringles Mon here (this thing looks like the man from the "Pringles"). Anyways one of the main advantages Jellicent has over these Pokemon is it can switch in on either a Fighting-, Normal-, or even Water-types with Water Absorb. One of the main selling points of Pringles here is it can hard wall most Water-types as well as be a hard counter to Mega Kangaskhan. With "CHALK" teams surging in usage, Jellicent is used as a pivot against Mega Kangashan, Cresselia, Heatran, Landorus-T, and even Amoonguss at times. Paired with a solid 100 HP / 70 Def / 105 overall bulk, Jellicent is capable of taking most special attacks while burning physical attackers with either Will-O-Wisp or Scald. Paired with a low base 60 speed along with access to Water Spout and Recover, Jellicent can make a formidable Trick Room user capable of supporting the team with other options like Scald, Will-O-Wisp, Toxic, Ice Beam, Hex, Shadow Ball, Blizzard, etc. Even Jellicent's abilities can be rather annoying to deal. Water Absorb granting Jellicent immunity to Water-type attacks with limited recovery while Cursed Body has a 30% chance of disabling any move its hit with. Not everything is clear seas for Jellicent as it fears Grass-, Electric-, Ghost-, and Dark-types like Breloom, Virizion, Thundurus, Zapdos, Aegislash, Hydreigon, and Tyranitar just to name who prey on the Water/Ghost weakness. While Jellicent is capable of taking most non-super effective special attacks, it still has a mediocre base 70 defense in which physical attacker will surely exploit.

Bulky Pivot
[Image: jellicent.png]

Jellicent @ Leftovers / Safety Goggles
Ability: Cursed Body / Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 100 SpD
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
- Recover / Protect
- Toxic / Ice Beam / Shadow Ball / Hex / Taunt

Milestones:
-Survives Modest Specs Dark Pulse from Hydreigon 100% of the time.
-Survives Modest Life Orb Shadow Ball from Aegislash 100% of the time.
-Jolly Mega Salamence's max attack Double Edge is a 2HKO
-Choice Specs Sylveon has a 2% chance to 2HKO without Leftovers
-Adamant max attack Landorus-T's Earthquake is a 3HKO only.
-Survives a Jolly Life Orb Leaf Blade from Virizion most of the time baring high crit ratio.

Jellicent find itself at the front faced against some of the common VGC and Battle Spot Doubles Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Salamence, Aegislash, Cresselia, Amoonguss, Landorus-T, Heatran, etc. As with any "bulky" Water-type, Scald is self-explanatory STAB option with the 30% chance to burn most targets. If Jellicent can snag a Scald burn against a physical attacker, this will only extend its longevity as a defensive pivot for the team and make its walling potential easier with the 1/8th residual burn damage. Alternatively, Jellicent can opt to run Will-O-Wisp, a safer option to burn targets at an instant and to punish any Sucker Punch users like Mega Kangaskhan, Bisharp, or Mega Mawile. If Jellicent finds itself at risk of being knocked out the following turn, Recover can replenish about 50% of its health retaining Jellicent into the fight. Another strategy Jellicent can use with Recover is spam the health-restoring move multiple times so that it can activate Cursed Body to prevent the opponent from going for the same attack. Protect can be an option over Recover in case double targeting becomes an issue for Jellicent. The last moveslots is often a choice between Toxic, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, or Hex. Toxic allows Jellicent to leave Pokemon like Cresselia/Sylveon on a timer preventing any long term setup as well as wearing down a vast majority of bulky Water- types like Gastrodon, Milotic, Rotom-W, Suicune, and even opposing Jellicent. Ice Beam is optimal coverage for any Grass, Flying, and Dragon types thinking they can easily come in against Jellicent, though it won't achieve key OHKOs or 2HKOs. Shadow Ball is a STAB option Jellicent can use given how strong Ghost types is offensively by doing super effective damage against Aegislash. Alternatively, Hex can be used over Shadow Ball do deal massive damage against opponents who have been afflicted with status ailment, likely from Jellicent. Last but not least, Taunt can be used to shut down Pokemon lie Cresselia, Amoonguss, or any other support Pokemon.

With its potential moveset explained, Jellicent has the option of using either Cursed Body or Water Absorb which both are extremely viable. To be honest, Cursed Body is the better of the two abilities at hand given how Jellicent can already take most Water type hits like Scald or Hydro Pump since its also a Water type, but with high HP and Special Defense. If a situation occurs where Jellicent has to 1v1 an opposing bulky Water type, it can easily stall out with Recover and the opposing Water type might inexplicable activate Cursed Body. As far as item choice is concern, Leftovers is a great option to have so Jellicent can gradually replenish 1/16th of its health per turn. Safety Goggles Jellicent has picked up in usage given that it can bypass Spore and Rage Powder and potentially burn targets with Will-O-Wisp.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - Just going to focus on Scald, Shadow Ball, and Ice Beam without any investments

Scald

0 SpA Jellicent Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 96-114 (58.1 - 69%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0 SpA Jellicent Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 78-92 (46.7 - 55%) -- 8.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

0 SpA Jellicent Scald vs. 236 HP / 128+ SpD Thundurus: 39-46 (21.1 - 25%) -- possible 5HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

0 SpA Jellicent Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan: 40-48 (22 - 26.5%) -- 8.8% chance to 4HKO

0 SpA Jellicent Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Excadrill: 114-134 (61.2 - 72%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0 SpA Jellicent Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar in Sand: 54-66 (30.6 - 37.5%) -- 67% chance to 3HKO

0 SpA Jellicent Scald vs. 132 HP / 84 SpD Entei: 90-108 (43.4 - 52.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

0 SpA Jellicent Scald vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Rotom-H: 74-90 (47.1 - 57.3%) -- 84% chance to 2HKO

0 SpA Jellicent Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 86-104 (51.4 - 62.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Shadow Ball + Hex

0 SpA Jellicent Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Blade: 134-162 (80.2 - 97%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0 SpA Jellicent Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Gengar: 102-120 (75.5 - 88.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0 SpA Jellicent Shadow Ball vs. 220 HP / 92+ SpD Cresselia: 54-66 (24.2 - 29.5%) -- 98.2% chance to 4HKO

0 SpA Jellicent Hex (130 BP) vs. 220 HP / 92+ SpD Cresselia: 86-104 (38.5 - 46.6%) -- 23.4% chance to 2HKO after burn damage

Ice Beam

0 SpA Jellicent Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence: 132-156 (77.1 - 91.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0 SpA Jellicent Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 144-172 (87.2 - 104.2%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO

0 SpA Jellicent Ice Beam vs. 212 HP / 76 SpD Thundurus: 66-78 (36.4 - 43%) -- 4.2% chance to 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

0 SpA Jellicent Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Amoonguss: 72-86 (32.5 - 38.9%) -- 98% chance to 3HKO

With a base 85 special attack Jellicent won't likely be the one initiating the offense as its purely a defensive pivot for its teammates. This is due to its EV spread being reserved for defensive purposes as demonstrated in the defensive section.

Defensive - With an EV Spread of 252 HP / 156 Def /100 SpD and Calm Nature

Physical Defense

252+ Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 156 Def Jellicent: 172-204 (83 - 98.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 156 Def Jellicent: 84-99 (40.5 - 47.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 Atk Tyranitar Crunch vs. 252 HP / 156 Def Jellicent: 152-182 (73.4 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after sandstorm damage

252 Atk Life Orb Virizion Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 156 Def Jellicent: 174-205 (84 - 99%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 156 Def Jellicent: 148-176 (71.4 - 85%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 156 Def Jellicent: 79-94 (38.1 - 45.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 Atk Terrakion Rock Slide vs. 252 HP / 156 Def Jellicent: 52-63 (25.1 - 30.4%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

252+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 156 Def Jellicent: 159-187 (76.8 - 90.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Tough Claws Mega Metagross Zen Headbutt vs. 252 HP / 156 Def Jellicent: 108-127 (52.1 - 61.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Scrafty Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 156 Def Jellicent: 156-186 (75.3 - 89.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Special Defense

252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 100+ SpD Jellicent: 174-206 (84 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Life Orb Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 100+ SpD Jellicent: 174-205 (84 - 99%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 100+ SpD Jellicent: 88-105 (42.5 - 50.7%) -- 2% chance to 2HKO

252+ SpA Ludicolo Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 100+ SpD Jellicent: 90-108 (43.4 - 52.1%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO

252 SpA Life Orb Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 100+ SpD Jellicent: 156-187 (75.3 - 90.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

144+ SpA Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 100+ SpD Jellicent: 120-144 (57.9 - 69.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Pixilate Mega Gardevoir Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 100+ SpD Jellicent: 70-84 (33.8 - 40.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

0 SpA Amoonguss Energy Ball vs. 252 HP / 100+ SpD Jellicent: 72-86 (34.7 - 41.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

44+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 252 HP / 100+ SpD Jellicent: 122-144 (58.9 - 69.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

44+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 100+ SpD Jellicent in Sun: 40-48 (19.3 - 23.1%) -- possible 5HKO

Some of these defensive calculations demonstrate how Jellicent can take a beating from even super effective his. If Jellicent can, it could a super effective hit like Life Orb Thundurus's Thunderbolt or a Solar Beam from Charizard Y.

Trick Room Setter
[Image: jellicent-female.png]

Jellicent @ Safety Goggles / Colbur Berry
Ability: Cursed Body
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
Relaxed Nature
- Trick Room
- Water Spout / Scald
- Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
- Recover

Milestones
- Without Colbur Berry, survives Modest Life Orb Hydregon's Dark Pulse, Non-Life Orb Bisharp's Knock Off, and Adamant Mega Tyranitar's Crunch 100% of the time.
-Survives Shadow Ball from non Life Orb Aegislash 100% of the time (but not boosted).
-Timid 252 SpA Mega Gardevoir's Hyper Voice is a 3HKO.
-Timid Life Orb 252 SpA Thundurus's Thunderbolt cannot KO Jellicent (84%-99%).

The moveset is somewhat similar to the previous build in terms of attacks but this Jellicent is built with significant defensive investment to take some of the strongest possible attacks (even some super effective hits) in order to setup Trick Room. Basically what Trick Room does is it reverses the speed orders of all Pokemon on the field with naturally faster Pokemon like Jolteon or Aerodactyl moving first and slower Pokemon like Jellicent and Conkeldurr moving first now. Once Jellicent has setup Trick Room, it can easily fire powerful Water Spout attacks which at maximum power, or max HP results in a 150 STAB spread damage against both. Even if Jellicent loses health over the course of the battle, Recover is a viable option to replenish Jellicent's health and keep attacking with high-powered Water Spouts. If Water Spout's low Power Point value of 8 isn't suitable, Scald is an great alternative so Jellicent get snag Scald burns 30% of the time. Will-O-Wisp is an great status ailment to burn physical attackers since Scald might not burn physically-oriented Pokemon. Toxic is another option which allows Jellicent to stall out bulky Pokemon (Cresselia, Sylveon, Mega Kangaskhan, Porygon2, Suicune, Milotic) by inflicting (N+1)/16th damage with N being the number of turns the badly poisoned foe has been on the field.

If Jellicent has Tyranitar or Abomasnow as a potential teammate, Safety Googles is used to prevent residual damage from either hail/sandstorm. At the same time, Safety Goggles can prevent Jellicent from being either Spored (and Sleep Powdered) so that it can setup Trick Room while being immune to redirection from Rage Powder. The latter part basically means Jellicent can easily burn targets like Mega Kangakhan, Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, etc if in case they do attempt to setup. An alternative item Jellicent can run is Colbur Berry so every super effective Dark-type attack is reduced by able 50%. This allows Jellicent to survive a strong Choice Specs Dark Pulse from Hydreigon comfortable and a potential double target against from a Timid Hyper Voice Mega Salamence and a full-power Assurance from Jolly Tyranitar.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - Only going to show Water Spout since Scald has been demonstrated with the same damage output.

Defensive- (With an EV Spread of 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD Relaxed Nature)

Physical Defense

252+ Atk Mega Tyranitar Crunch vs. 252 HP / 180+ Def Jellicent: 174-206 (84 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Bisharp Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 180+ Def Jellicent: 170-204 (82.1 - 98.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 180+ Def Jellicent: 73-87 (35.2 - 42%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252+ Atk Life Orb Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 180+ Def Jellicent: 90-107 (43.4 - 51.6%) -- 6.3% chance to 2HKO

252+ Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 180+ Def Jellicent: 153-181 (73.9 - 87.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 156 Def Jellicent: 79-94 (38.1 - 45.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 Atk Terrakion Rock Slide vs. 252 HP / 180+ Def Jellicent: 46-55 (22.2 - 26.5%) -- 17.8% chance to 4HKO

252 Atk Tough Claws Mega Metagross Zen Headbutt vs. 252 HP / 180+ Def Jellicent: 96-114 (46.3 - 55%) -- 62.5% chance to 2HKO

252 Atk Tyranitar Assurance vs. 252 HP / 180+ Def Colbur Berry Jellicent: 102-121 (49.2 - 58.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after sandstorm damage

Special Defense

252+ SpA Life Orb Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Jellicent: 172-203 (83 - 98%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Jellicent: 150-176 (72.4 - 85%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Life Orb Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Jellicent: 86-101 (41.5 - 48.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

148+ SpA Ludicolo Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Jellicent: 90-108 (43.4 - 52.1%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO

252 SpA Life Orb Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 100+ SpD Jellicent: 156-187 (75.3 - 90.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Jellicent: 63-75 (30.4 - 36.2%) -- 47.6% chance to 3HKO

144+ SpA Zapdos Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Jellicent: 134-162 (64.7 - 78.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Pixilate Mega Gardevoir Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Jellicent: 79-94 (38.1 - 45.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

44+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 252 HP / 76 SpD Jellicent: 136-162 (65.7 - 78.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Defensive Synergy: Essentially any Pokemon who can effectively threaten most Electric, Grass-, Dark-, and Ghost-types are seen as viable partners for Jellicent. Grass-type Pokemon like Amoonguss, Mega Venusaur and Ferrthorn all take opposing Electric-/Grass-type hits for either double/quadruple resistance. Fire type Pokemon like Heatran, Rotom-H, Arcanine, Entei, etc are another key element of the FWG core in which protect any Grass-types Jellicent fears. Jellicent appreciates any Fairy-, Bug-, or Fighting-type Pokemon who can handle Dark- type Pokemon like Hydreigon, Tyranitar, Scrafty, Weavile, Greninja, etc. Fairy-type Pokemon like Mega Gardevoir and Sylveon destroy most Dark-types with a Pixilate Hyper Voice, Bug-types like Scizor, Escavelier, Volcarona, Heracross, etc can beat these with their respective Bug-type STAB, and finally Fighting Pokemon such as Scrafty, Conkeldurr, Hariyama, Machamp, Terrakion, etc can threaten most Dark-types for a potential knock out. Finally for Ghost-type Pokemon, any Dark types like Tyranitar, Hydreigon, Scrafty, etc are capable of dealing with Ghosts with a powerful STAB Dark Pulse, Crunch, or Knock Off respectively.
Trick Room Pokemon: If Jellicent is the main Trick Room setter, its partners must inflict massive damage output against the opposing side for the next 4 turns to maintain offensive momentum. Some of the most common Trick Room sweepers are Mega Evolutions like Mega Mawile, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Camerupt, Mega Abomasnow, Mega Tyranitar, and even Mega Kangaskhan who can deal massive damage against the opponent's Pokemon within those 4 turns (not counting when Trick Room is setup). Fake Out Pokemon like Scrafty, Hitmontop, Hariyama, Kangaskhan, Meowstic, and Sableye are extremely important for Jellicent to setup Trick Room as it prevents a potential double target or super effective attack onto the floating Pokemon. Redirection users is another safe alternative to setup Trick Room safely so Jellicent doesn't get harmed. Most redirection users like Amoonguss, Togekiss, Tangela, Clefable, Clefariy, etc can fulfill such a role for a Trick Room based team as well as provide defensive synergy with Jellicent. Lastly, Pokemon who are usually seen in Trick Room teams like Escavelier, Gastrodon, Metagross, Heatran, Sylveon, Ferrothorn, Abomasnow, Rhyperior, Conkeldurr, Azumarill, Machamp, and Tyranitar can provide offensive momentum and cover some of Jellicents weakness well.

Threats

Grass and Electric Types: Grass-type Pokemon like Amoonguss, Breloom, Mega Venusaur, Virizion, Ferrothorn, Mega Abomasnow, Ludicolo, Cradily etc are an nightmare for Jellicent to face as they can go for a super effective attack for a potential KO or whither it down with Leech Seed, Spore, and Toxic if Cursed Body deactivates a Grass STAB. Electric-type Pokemon like Raichu, Raikou, Zapdos, Rotom-W, Thundurus, Mega Manetric, etc can easily 2HKO most variants of Jellicent, except if Cursed Body activates, they will likely get walled without an super effective attack.
Dark and Ghost Types: Most Dark-type Pokemon like Hydreigon, Tyranitar, Bisharp, Scrafty, Mega Gyarados, Greninja, etc can potentially KO or leave Jellicent within range of another attack to do so. Keep in mind that some of these physical Dark-types will be rendered useless if Jellicent gets a Scald burn or Will-O-Wisp off easily. Ghost-type Pokemon like Aegislash, Gengar, Mega Gengar, Chandelure, Sableye, etc can hit Jellicent for super effective damage and render it useless as a wall.
Disruption + Residual Damage: Again like most bulky pivots, Jellicent is vulnerable to incoming status moves like Taunt, Spore, Sleep Powder, Swagger, Encore, Torment, etc. Some of the attacks mentioned here are usually carried by Pokemon who are super effective to Jellicent like Thundurus, Breloom, Mega Venusaur, Hydreigon, etc so they can go for these involuntary attacks instead. Taunt can shut down the Floating Pokemon given that it cannot fulfill its job in spreading status ailments or replenishing itself.

Other Notable Moves
Here are a list of notable attack in which Jellicent can utilize well:

Blizzard - Often seen in Hail Room teams paired with an Abomasnow to fire 100% accurate Blizzards with a base power of 110.
Psychic - A base 90 coverage move in case Poison- and Fighting-types become problematic.
Energy Ball - A base 90 Grass type attack reserved for any opposing Water types.
Dazzling Gleam - A base 80 Fairy-type move reserved for Pokemon like Hydreigon or Scrafty.
Confuse Ray - Confuses the target with them having a 50/50 chance of moving or hitting itself.
Icy Wind - A low base 55 spread Ice-type attack that reduced the speed stat of both targets by one stage.
Pain Split - Pretty much a semi-recovery option where the user and opponent's HP are equalized.

Other Notable Items

Sitrus Berry - Restores about 25% of the Pokemon's HP if its health falls below 50%.
Mental Herb - Cures the user from infatuation, Taunt, Encore, Torment, Disable, and Cursed Body.
Kasib Berry - Reduces the damage of Ghost-type attacks by 50%.
Wacan Berry - Reduces the damage of Electric-type attacks by 50%.
Rindo Berry - Reduces the damage of Grass-type attacks by 50%.
Rocky Helmet - Any contact moves used against the wielder will damage the attacker by 1/6th of their total HP.

For those who got this far thanks for reading this article!]]>
Deviantart by Psh07

"The Monopoly Pokemon - Jellicent"

(VGC) Jellicent - Utility (Pivot/ Trick Room) 2 Options

OVERVIEW

Bulky Pivot
[Image: jellicent.png]

Defensive - With an EV Spread of 252 HP / 156 Def /100 SpD and Calm Nature

Trick Room Setter
[Image: jellicent-female.png]

Defensive- (With an EV Spread of 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD Relaxed Nature)

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Defensive Synergy: Essentially any Pokemon who can effectively threaten most Electric, Grass-, Dark-, and Ghost-types are seen as viable partners for Jellicent. Grass-type Pokemon like Amoonguss, Mega Venusaur and Ferrthorn all take opposing Electric-/Grass-type hits for either double/quadruple resistance. Fire type Pokemon like Heatran, Rotom-H, Arcanine, Entei, etc are another key element of the FWG core in which protect any Grass-types Jellicent fears. Jellicent appreciates any Fairy-, Bug-, or Fighting-type Pokemon who can handle Dark- type Pokemon like Hydreigon, Tyranitar, Scrafty, Weavile, Greninja, etc. Fairy-type Pokemon like Mega Gardevoir and Sylveon destroy most Dark-types with a Pixilate Hyper Voice, Bug-types like Scizor, Escavelier, Volcarona, Heracross, etc can beat these with their respective Bug-type STAB, and finally Fighting Pokemon such as Scrafty, Conkeldurr, Hariyama, Machamp, Terrakion, etc can threaten most Dark-types for a potential knock out. Finally for Ghost-type Pokemon, any Dark types like Tyranitar, Hydreigon, Scrafty, etc are capable of dealing with Ghosts with a powerful STAB Dark Pulse, Crunch, or Knock Off respectively.
Trick Room Pokemon: If Jellicent is the main Trick Room setter, its partners must inflict massive damage output against the opposing side for the next 4 turns to maintain offensive momentum. Some of the most common Trick Room sweepers are Mega Evolutions like Mega Mawile, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Camerupt, Mega Abomasnow, Mega Tyranitar, and even Mega Kangaskhan who can deal massive damage against the opponent's Pokemon within those 4 turns (not counting when Trick Room is setup). Fake Out Pokemon like Scrafty, Hitmontop, Hariyama, Kangaskhan, Meowstic, and Sableye are extremely important for Jellicent to setup Trick Room as it prevents a potential double target or super effective attack onto the floating Pokemon. Redirection users is another safe alternative to setup Trick Room safely so Jellicent doesn't get harmed. Most redirection users like Amoonguss, Togekiss, Tangela, Clefable, Clefariy, etc can fulfill such a role for a Trick Room based team as well as provide defensive synergy with Jellicent. Lastly, Pokemon who are usually seen in Trick Room teams like Escavelier, Gastrodon, Metagross, Heatran, Sylveon, Ferrothorn, Abomasnow, Rhyperior, Conkeldurr, Azumarill, Machamp, and Tyranitar can provide offensive momentum and cover some of Jellicents weakness well.

Threats

Grass and Electric Types: Grass-type Pokemon like Amoonguss, Breloom, Mega Venusaur, Virizion, Ferrothorn, Mega Abomasnow, Ludicolo, Cradily etc are an nightmare for Jellicent to face as they can go for a super effective attack for a potential KO or whither it down with Leech Seed, Spore, and Toxic if Cursed Body deactivates a Grass STAB. Electric-type Pokemon like Raichu, Raikou, Zapdos, Rotom-W, Thundurus, Mega Manetric, etc can easily 2HKO most variants of Jellicent, except if Cursed Body activates, they will likely get walled without an super effective attack.
Dark and Ghost Types: Most Dark-type Pokemon like Hydreigon, Tyranitar, Bisharp, Scrafty, Mega Gyarados, Greninja, etc can potentially KO or leave Jellicent within range of another attack to do so. Keep in mind that some of these physical Dark-types will be rendered useless if Jellicent gets a Scald burn or Will-O-Wisp off easily. Ghost-type Pokemon like Aegislash, Gengar, Mega Gengar, Chandelure, Sableye, etc can hit Jellicent for super effective damage and render it useless as a wall.
Disruption + Residual Damage: Again like most bulky pivots, Jellicent is vulnerable to incoming status moves like Taunt, Spore, Sleep Powder, Swagger, Encore, Torment, etc. Some of the attacks mentioned here are usually carried by Pokemon who are super effective to Jellicent like Thundurus, Breloom, Mega Venusaur, Hydreigon, etc so they can go for these involuntary attacks instead. Taunt can shut down the Floating Pokemon given that it cannot fulfill its job in spreading status ailments or replenishing itself.

Other Notable Moves
Here are a list of notable attack in which Jellicent can utilize well:

Blizzard - Often seen in Hail Room teams paired with an Abomasnow to fire 100% accurate Blizzards with a base power of 110.
Psychic - A base 90 coverage move in case Poison- and Fighting-types become problematic.
Energy Ball - A base 90 Grass type attack reserved for any opposing Water types.
Dazzling Gleam - A base 80 Fairy-type move reserved for Pokemon like Hydreigon or Scrafty.
Confuse Ray - Confuses the target with them having a 50/50 chance of moving or hitting itself.
Icy Wind - A low base 55 spread Ice-type attack that reduced the speed stat of both targets by one stage.
Pain Split - Pretty much a semi-recovery option where the user and opponent's HP are equalized.

Other Notable Items

Sitrus Berry - Restores about 25% of the Pokemon's HP if its health falls below 50%.
Mental Herb - Cures the user from infatuation, Taunt, Encore, Torment, Disable, and Cursed Body.
Kasib Berry - Reduces the damage of Ghost-type attacks by 50%.
Wacan Berry - Reduces the damage of Electric-type attacks by 50%.
Rindo Berry - Reduces the damage of Grass-type attacks by 50%.
Rocky Helmet - Any contact moves used against the wielder will damage the attacker by 1/6th of their total HP.

For those who got this far thanks for reading this article!]]> <![CDATA[[VGC] Porygon2 - Support (Trick Room/Pivot) 2 options]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Porygon2-Support-Trick-Room-Pivot-2-options Sat, 17 Oct 2015 03:05:54 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Porygon2-Support-Trick-Room-Pivot-2-options
Art by Krisantyne

"Meet the new and improved ... AnimeKid2!"
[Image: porygon2.gif]

(VGC) Porygon2 - Utility (Trick Room Setter/Pivot) 2 Options

Type: Normal
Base Stats: 85 HP / 80 Attack / 90 Defense / 105 Special Attack / 95 Special Defense / 60 Speed
Weaknesses: Fighting (x2)
Resistances: None
Immunities: Ghost (x0)
Abilities:
Trace: - Changes the user's main ability (Trace) into the Ability of the opponent. In Doubles, Triples, and Horde battles, Trace randomly copies the ability of one of the opposing adjacent Pokemon's ability to its use. Here are the following abilities Trace cannot copy and won't activate: Multitype, Illusion, Flower Gift, Imposter, or Stance Change. If the of of the opposing Pokemon has either of these abilities in a Double Battle, Trace will automatically copy the other opponent's ability. If this isn't the case, the Trace user will have to wait to for another Pokemon to activate the ability which isn't any of the five mentioned here.

Download: - Raises the attack or special attack by one stage of the user depending on the lowest defensive stats (defense or special defense) as it switches into the battle. Download will raise the user's attack if the opponent's defense stats is lower than special defense, or increase special attack if special defense is either lower or equal to its defense. For Double/Triple Battles, Download compares opposing Pokemons' sum of all their defense and special defense separately and follows the same formula mentioned above.

Analytic: - Boosts the power of moves by 30% when the user goes last after the opposing target went first.

Overview

In a metagame where Pocket Monsters can easily OHKO one another with either just two-pronged attacks from a mutant kangaroo and a baby Joey (or whatever you call that thing), screeching Fairies, Kamikaze birds/dragons/kangaroos, treacherous genies, cursed swords, lava turtles, flying lizards causing droughts, or anything else will result to Trainers searching for solutions to stop the onslaught. Today we turn to one Pokemon with a stone filled with the latest technological enhancements can suppress the incoming carnage. Its its up to this one Pokemon...or should we say duck: Porygon2!

Ok overly exaggerated points about Pokemon aside, Porygon2 has seen a rise in usage following the start and the current post VGC 2015 Worlds metagame partly because its ability to check some of the most common and high tiered Pokemon thanks to its Eviolite item. Introduced in Gen 5, Eviolite has turn some Not-Fully-Evolved Pokemon like Chansey and Porygon2 into incredibly bulky Pokemon by receiving a 50% boost in both defensive stats. Given how Porygon2 already has a fairly solid 85 HP / 90 Def / 90 Sp. Def defensive stats, the Evolite item turns Porygon2's overall defenses to a whopping 85 HP / 145 Def / 152 Sp. Def given after adjusting the stat totals in a damage calculator. One of Porygon2's greatest strength is having a rather flexible EV spread similar to Cresselia given how it has three somewhat viable abilities in Trace/Download/Analytic to chose from. Unlike most Trick Room setters, Porygon2 has the distinct advantage of being immune to Aegislash's Shadow Ball and tanks Flash Cannons. Other Dark types are won't be able to knock out Porygon2 without having to double target onto the slot as well.

While Porygon2 is able to setup Trick Room and function as an effective pivot, its will quickly find itself worn down after taking repeated hits from possible double targets. This is practically due to Porygon2's lack of resistances bar its sole immunity to Ghost, which no one is going to attack the duck with a Ghost type move anyways unless its switch into one. One thing to note about Porygon2 is that its not a one size fits all Pokemon, rather a strong pivot for a switch ins and/or a viable Trick Room setter who can beat Aegislash 1v1.

Ability Discussion: Trace, Download, or Analytic

Given how Porygon2 has three potentially viable abilities which can drastically change role for its team, we'll go over the abilities based on a competitive standpoint starting by order introduced. Another reason for having this additional section is all of these abilities aren't say "reliable" anyways given how each requires a condition for it to be useful like having to get a random ability from either target, whether Porygon2 gets its +1 in special attack boost, or can go last after its target has gone before.

Trace: Basically Porygon2 is hoping on a 50/50 to get a fairly useful ability like say Flash Fire from an enemy Heatran to be immune to its Fire type attacks or Parental Bond from Mega Kangaskhan to get to attack twice in one turn. Unfortunately Porygon2 will likely get an ability that is extremely situational such as Pixilate from Sylveon when it doesn't have a Normal type attack like Tri Attack to abuse from or something like Drought from Charizard Y when the sun is either up, or just activated again to boost the opposing side's Fire hits. Trace is only usable for Porygon2 sets who are either Pivots or Trick Room setters hoping to copy a defensive like Intimidate from Landorus-T, Flash Fire from Heatran, Prankster from Thundurus for fast recovery, Regenerator from Amoonguss, etc. Remember that getting either of these abilities depend on 50/50 chances often times, unless there is an Aegislash on the field so Porygon2 will automatically copy the other foes' ability.

Download: This ability is seen on offensive-oriented Porygon2 sets who after a +1 boost to its special attack can start doing modest damage to the opponent's Pokemon. The only problem is that for Porygon2 to get the special attack boost, it relies both the sum of the defense and special defense stats, adds each in its respective category (defense/special defense), and see that the combined special defense is lower or equal to the combine defense stats of the opposing side. Essentially the player has to hope that they are able to get +1 special attack raise and not a useless attack since it will make an offensive Porygon2 less viable in battle. However the only advantages that Download gets over Analytic is that the special attack raise is permanent and deals far more damage than a 30% boost. Download Porygon2 can always come back to the battle to see if it can get the special attack raise since stat modifiers changes when switching out so it can try again on a different pair. Last, though just some suggestions from myself is that just figure out that base and the real stats of every common Mega and other Pokemon used in VGC to increase your chances of knowing if Porygon2 can get a special attack raise. For instance, since Mega Salamence and Amoonguss's combine defenses are larger than its combine special defense, you can basically assure oneself that the Porygon2 can get a Download boost in SpA. I can go as far as mention someone capable of inferring someone's actual EV spreads (either physically/specially defensive oriented) of each Pokemon by using a bit of mental math, logic, and what other Pokemon's EVs/stats look like but that's stretching it when you have able 45 seconds to 2 minutes (Battle Spot/VGC) on the clock per turn.

Analytic: Honestly the only somewhat reliable ability Porygon2 gets considering the fact that its rather slow and perfect to abuse this ability consider most targets will be faster than it. I've kept saying "targets" since Porygon2 has to target the Pokemon that just attacked/moved before it can do anything. This ability is somewhat "useless" in Trick Room considering if Porygon2 gets the field condition up and with slower Pokemon going first means its going to lose out in the 30% Analytic boost. Other forms of speed control like the user's own Thunder Wave, Tailwind, Icy Wind, etc will likely negate the boost as well if Porygon2 doesn't move last at least. Lastly Download give Porygon2 a stronger damage output than the Analytic boost though not as reliable.

Trick Room Setter
[Image: porygon2.png]

Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Ability: Trace
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 180 Def / 8 SpA / 76 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 1 Spe
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Ground] / Thunderbolt / Tri Attack
- Recover / Protect
- Trick Room

Milestones:
-Double Edge from max attack Jolly Mega Salamence is a 3HKO.
-Gets 3HKOed by Choice Specs 252 SpA Modest Sylveon's Hyper Voice (spread damage).
-Jolly max attack Mega Kangaskhan has a 5.6% to 2HKO.
-Can KO 4 HP Naive Mega Salamence and standard Landorus-T with Ice Beam
-Can 2HKO 104 HP Heatran with just Hidden Power Ground.
-Dumped Special Defense

Notice: If the IVs aren't "suitable" (for HP Ground), just run an EV spread as shown with the lowest possible speed IV stat for Trick Room. The EV spread will have one extra point for special defense, though the same 4 leftover EVs if either speed or attack is 0 IV.

One of the main advantages Eviolite Porygon2 has over most other Trick Room setters like Mega Gardevoir, Cresselia, Dusclops, Whimsicott, Cofagrigus, Gothitelle, Jellicent, and Aromatisse is the lack of Ghost, Dark, or Steel weakness. Given that all these three attack respectively do neutral damage against Porygon2, the only way in which the opponent can stop the incoming Trick Room is by double targeting, or using either Taunt, Spore, or a phazing move. This is the main goal for Porygon2 by setuping up multiple Trick Rooms throughout the battle in order to maintain speed control for its slower team. Ice Beam is a must on nearly ever Porygon2 sets as it allows it to handle Dragon, Grass, Ground, and Flying types such as the common Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, Thundurus, Zapdos, etc. Hidden Power Ground is a tech move for Porygon2 to hopefully 2HKO most non Shuca Berry Heatrans as well as catch Aegislash off by surprise in Blade form. Porygon2 is a great lure options against these two Pokemon thinking they're safe against a Porygon2 with just Ice and Electric/Normal coverage. If you can get access to an HP Ground Porygon2, Thunderbolt is an alternative in case Water and Flying types become problematic. Tri Attack is Porygon2's STAB best attack with the chance of either causing either a burn, paralysis, or freeze. Recover allows Porygon2 to regain about 50% of its health to maintain its usefulness as a bulky Trick Room setter. Protect is an alternative for Recover while losing a replenishing option, Porygon2 can shield itself against double targeting.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - Most of the damage calculations will focus on Ice Beam and Hidden Power Ground. This is also with having any sorta stat boost on Porygon2

Defensive - With 244 HP / 180 Def / 72 SpD Relaxed Nature Evolite and 30 IVs in Special Defense

Physically Defensive

252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 244 HP / 180+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 83-100 (43.4 - 52.3%) -- 5.6% chance to 2HKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 244 HP / 180+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 79-94 (41.3 - 49.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 Atk Terrakion Close Combat vs. 244 HP / 180+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 114-134 (59.6 - 70.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 244 HP / 180+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 42-51 (21.9 - 26.7%) -- 11.2% chance to 4HKO

252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Low Kick (60 BP) vs. 244 HP / 180+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 58-70 (30.3 - 36.6%) -- 29.6% chance to 3HKO

252+ Atk Landorus-T Superpower vs. 244 HP / 180+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 90-108 (47.1 - 56.5%) -- 81.3% chance to 2HKO

252 Atk Tyranitar Rock Slide vs. 244 HP / 180+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 27-33 (14.1 - 17.2%) -- possible 5HKO after sandstorm damage

252 Atk Tough Claws Mega Metagross Iron Head vs. 244 HP / 180+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 54-64 (28.2 - 33.5%) -- 0.2% chance to 3HKO

252+ Atk Life Orb Iron Fist Conkeldurr Drain Punch vs. 244 HP / 180+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 133-156 (69.6 - 81.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Entei Sacred Fire vs. 244 HP / 180+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 43-52 (22.5 - 27.2%) -- 48.2% chance to 4HKO

252+ Atk Life Orb Bisharp Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 244 HP / 180+ Def Eviolite Porygon2: 64-75 (33.5 - 39.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Specially Defensive

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 244 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Porygon2: 70-84 (36.6 - 43.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Pixilate Mega Gardevoir Hyper Voice vs. 244 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Porygon2: 58-69 (30.3 - 36.1%) -- 38.3% chance to 3HKO

252 SpA Life Orb Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 244 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Porygon2: 64-75 (33.5 - 39.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Draco Meteor vs. 244 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Porygon2: 115-136 (60.2 - 71.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

44+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 244 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Porygon2 in Sun: 66-78 (34.5 - 40.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

44+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 244 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Porygon2 in Sun: 121-144 (63.3 - 75.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Flash Cannon vs. 244 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Porygon2: 54-64 (28.2 - 33.5%) -- 0.2% chance to 3HKO

252+ SpA Heatran Heat Wave vs. 244 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Porygon2: 42-51 (21.9 - 26.7%) -- 11.2% chance to 4HKO

Note: While its isn't known for having a strong offensive presence, Porygon2 is shown for its defensive flexibility by tanking some of the strongest hits in the game.

Pivot Special Attacker
[Image: porygon2.png]

Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
Level: 50
EVs: 244 HP / 132 Def / 120 SpA / 8 SpD / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Ground] / Thunderbolt / Tri Attack
- Recover
- Toxic / Thunder Wave / Foul Play

Notice: Porygon2 must have 30 IVs in both special attack and special defense in order to have Hidden Power Ground. An optimal EV spread can be the following: EVs: 244 HP / 132 Def / 116 SpA / 12 SpD / 4 Spe.

Milestones
- OHKOS most Non-Assault Vest/Yache Berry Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence variants.
-Jolly Mega Kangaskhan's Return with max attack has a minuscule 0.1% to 2HKO Porygon2.
-With Download boost, can OHKO 4 HP Heatran, and deals heavy damage to Aegislash in Blade form.
-Choice Specs Sylveon with Modest max special attack is still a 3HKO.

What makes Porygon2 a viable option over an established Pokemon like Cresselia is its able to confront Pokemon like Aegislash or Heatran better with its higher special attack and potential Download boost. As mentioned in the Download section, the key is to find an opportunity to get a +1 in special attack so Porygon2 can actually start dealing significant damage to its opponents with the coverage options available. Ice Beam is a standard on most Porygon2 sets as it able to OHKO most variants of Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, and Garchomp while KOing most "bulkier" variants after a Download boost. HP Ground is much more stronger in a Download build than from Trace (unless Porygon2 gets Parental Bond) given it has the chance to OHKO 4 HP Heatran and severely damage Aegislash in blade form by doing around 87%. This is all assuming that Porygon2 is able to get the Download boost in special attack, otherwise it as to result to being a subpar special attacker. Toxic is one way to let Porygon2 break most bulkier sets like Suicune, Milotic, Cresselia, Sylveon, etc by wearing them down turn by turn. With Recover at hand, the virtual Pokemon can effectively stall its opponents enough so that Porygon2's allies can potentially net the knock outs.

Here are a couple of options for Porygon2 con run as well. Thunder Wave is a great form of speed control by quartering the opposing Pokemon's speed stat with the added 25% chance of paralyzing the opponent's Pokemon. Foul Play is another option to have on Porygon2 as it can straight up OHKO Blade form Aegislash by using is own high attack. This practically ensure that any attack setup will get punished by just using Foul Play. Thunderbolt forms a strong "bolt-beam" coverage with Ice Beam in case HP Ground isn't an option for Porygon2 as well as damage most Water and Flying type Pokemon. Tri Attack is Porygon2's strongest STAB option as it can deal the most damage against neutral opponents with the added chance of either burning, paralyzing, or freezing a target.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - All the damage calculations were done with 120 SpA with a Modest. Download boost will be included on some of the sections.

Ice Beam ( 120 SpA Modest)

120+ SpA Porygon2 Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence: 192-228 (112.2 - 133.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

120+ SpA Porygon2 Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 208-248 (126 - 150.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 120+ SpA Porygon2 Ice Beam vs. 182 HP / 92 SpD Assault Vest Landorus-T: 188-224 (100.5 - 119.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

120+ SpA Porygon2 Ice Beam vs. 236 HP / 128+ SpD Thundurus: 84-100 (45.6 - 54.3%) -- 12.1% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

120+ SpA Porygon2 Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 96-114 (48.7 - 57.8%) -- 14.5% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

120+ SpA Porygon2 Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 92 SpD Amoonguss: 94-112 (42.5 - 50.6%) -- 1.2% chance to 2HKO

+1 120+ SpA Porygon2 Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 92 SpD Amoonguss: 140-166 (63.3 - 75.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Hidden Power Ground ( 120 SpA Modest)

120+ SpA Porygon2 Hidden Power Ground vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 112-136 (67 - 81.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

+1 120+ SpA Porygon2 Hidden Power Ground vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 168-200 (100.5 - 119.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

120+ SpA Porygon2 Hidden Power Ground vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Blade: 100-118 (59.8 - 70.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 120+ SpA Porygon2 Hidden Power Ground vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Blade: 146-174 (87.4 - 104.1%) -- 25% chance to OHKO

120+ SpA Porygon2 Hidden Power Ground vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Excadrill: 82-98 (44 - 52.6%) -- 23.8% chance to 2HKO

Foul Play (Based on the opponent's own attack stat)

+2 0- Atk Porygon2 Foul Play vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Kangaskhan: 106-125 (58.5 - 69%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0- Atk Porygon2 Foul Play vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Aegislash-Blade: 174-206 (104.1 - 123.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

0- Atk Porygon2 Foul Play vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Metagross: 84-100 (53.8 - 64.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0- Atk Porygon2 Foul Play vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Excadrill: 92-109 (49.4 - 58.6%) -- 98.8% chance to 2HKO

Thunderbolt (120 SpA Modest )

120+ SpA Porygon2 Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Suicune: 74-88 (35.7 - 42.5%) -- 1.5% chance to 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

120+ SpA Porygon2 Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Milotic: 74-88 (36.6 - 43.5%) -- 99.2% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

120+ SpA Porygon2 Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Gyarados: 176-208 (103.5 - 122.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

120+ SpA Porygon2 Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 20 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 78-92 (42.1 - 49.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

120+ SpA Porygon2 Thunderbolt vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Talonflame: 118-140 (76.6 - 90.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Defensive - With 244 HP / 132 Def / 8 SpD Modest Nature (Neutral) and 30 IVs in Special Defense

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Offensively-Capable Pokemon: Since Porygon2's role is to tank hits for its allies, the teammates have to be comprised of offensively capable Pokemon able to wallbreak opposing teams. Most of the major Mega Evolutions (Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Salamence, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Gardevoir) in VGC and Battle Spot Doubles appreciate Porygon2's role as a bulky pivot switching into a would be super effective targets. Strong Trick Room Pokemon like Mega Mawile, Heatran, Rhyperior, Mega Camerupt, Mega Abomasnow, Sylveon, Escavalier, Conkeldurr, Gastrodon, Scrafty, Tyranitar, etc help initiate the offense while Porygon2 can hit key targets like the Double Genies, Aegislash, or Heatran.
Intimidate + Other Support: Pokemon who can supply Porygon2 by spreading Intimidate, spreading Will-O-Wisp burns, screen support, Snarl users, and even Helping Hand are vital partners. Mega Mawile in its pre-Mega form can use its Intimidate ability to reduce the the damage of the physical attacker by 1 stage enough so that Porygon2 can easily wall them. Other Intimidate users like Landorus-T, Gyarados, Acranine, Salamence, Scrafty, etc can all provide similar roles for Porygon2 to do its job as a defensive pivot better. Will-O-Wisp, Scald users, and virtually anything else that can burn targets like Rotom-W, Suicune, Entei, Milotic, Arcanine, etc can provide Porygon2 enough support to stop most physical attackers. Snarl users like Raikou, Acranine, Scrafty, Entei, and Suicune can lower the damage output of special attackers so Porygon2 can deal with them easier.
Fighting Resistances: Porygon2 doesn't enjoy confronting Fighting type Pokemon who are surely able to leave a huge dent to it HP bar so Pokemon with Fairy, Flying, Poison, Psychic or Ghost typing can surely help. Fairy types like Mega Gardevoir and Sylveon can protect Porygon2 from deadly Fighting moves while hitting with Pixilate Hyper Voice. Talonflame and Mega Salamence can provide can threaten most Fighting types with their STAB options while Porygon2 can absorb most Ice, Rock, Electric, and Dragon hits in return. Volcarona and Amoonguss can deal with fighting types by either setting up/spreading Spore or redirect targets with Rage Powder. Other Pokemon like Mega Metagross, Aegislash, Lati@s, etc hit most Fighting Pokemon for super effective damage while Porygon2 can sponge some super effective targets or even Ghost hits as it switches in.

Threats

Knock Off: Pretty simple method to reduce Porygon2's usefulness is to remove its Evolite item with the move Knock Off. Pokemon like Scrafty, Scizor, Conkeldurr, Bisharp, Machamp Blaziken, Hariyama, etc come to mind as most have access to both Knock Off and a Fighting STAB to KO Porygon2 easily. Just revoming Porygon2's Evolite item is enough as it loses out on the 50% boost in its defenses and becomes easily open to any strong neutral attacks that follow suit.
Fighting Types and Coverage: Most Fighting type Pokemon are able to deal with Porygon2 quite effectively given they are the only ones who can hit it for super effective damage. Some of them even carry Knock Off so they can remove Porygon's Evolite item easily and KO the following turn. Pokemon with Fighting coverage like Mega Kangaskhan, Tyranitar, Greninja, Landorus-T, Aegislash, etc can hit Porygon2 hard but it will likely live the attack but severely damage at worse.
Double Targeting: Porygon2 might be able to take a single target attack most of the time, it will find itself wear down if the opponent aggressively double targets. Most of the time Porygon2 elect not to carry Protect leaving it open to double target attacks. The best example of this is Mega Kangaskhan or Sylveon attack at once, Tyranitar and Excadrill going for Rock Slide/Superpower, Politoed and Ludicolo going for rain boosted Scalds, Landorus-T and Thundurus attacking with their respective STAB, etc.
Residual Damage: Will-O-Wisp, Scald burns, Spore, Poison, Toxic, Leech Seed, and Hail/Sandstorm damage can render Porygon2's walling capabilities over time as it will be force to go for protect more often and leaving it expose to double targets.
Taunt: Having a Pokemon with either Taunt can help prevent Porygon2 from either setting up Trick Room, spread status ailments, or even recovering.

Other Notable Moves
Here are a list of notable attack in which Porygon2 can utilize well:

Icy Wind / Electoweb - Both of these attacks have a base power of 55 with the added bonus of hitting both target with a drop in their speed stats.
Shadow Ball - Base 80 Ghost type attack for coverage against Ghost and Psychic types like Aegislash, Gengar, and Mega Gardevoir.
Discharge - Another speed control method in which Porygon2 has a 30% chance to paralyze either target and coverage against Water and Flying types.
Psychic - A base 90 Psychic type attack in case Porygon2 has to battle against Fighting types.
SolarBeam - A base 120 base power Grass move but requires a turn to recharge. Can be useful with Charizard Y Sun based teams.
Magic Coat - A high based priority move which protects the user from any status conditions.
Swagger - Raises the attack by 2 stages but causes confusion as well.

For those who got this far thanks for reading this article!]]>
Art by Krisantyne

"Meet the new and improved ... AnimeKid2!"
[Image: porygon2.gif]

(VGC) Porygon2 - Utility (Trick Room Setter/Pivot) 2 Options

Overview

Ability Discussion: Trace, Download, or Analytic

Trick Room Setter
[Image: porygon2.png]

Defensive - With 244 HP / 180 Def / 72 SpD Relaxed Nature Evolite and 30 IVs in Special Defense

Pivot Special Attacker
[Image: porygon2.png]

Defensive - With 244 HP / 132 Def / 8 SpD Modest Nature (Neutral) and 30 IVs in Special Defense

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Offensively-Capable Pokemon: Since Porygon2's role is to tank hits for its allies, the teammates have to be comprised of offensively capable Pokemon able to wallbreak opposing teams. Most of the major Mega Evolutions (Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Salamence, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Gardevoir) in VGC and Battle Spot Doubles appreciate Porygon2's role as a bulky pivot switching into a would be super effective targets. Strong Trick Room Pokemon like Mega Mawile, Heatran, Rhyperior, Mega Camerupt, Mega Abomasnow, Sylveon, Escavalier, Conkeldurr, Gastrodon, Scrafty, Tyranitar, etc help initiate the offense while Porygon2 can hit key targets like the Double Genies, Aegislash, or Heatran.
Intimidate + Other Support: Pokemon who can supply Porygon2 by spreading Intimidate, spreading Will-O-Wisp burns, screen support, Snarl users, and even Helping Hand are vital partners. Mega Mawile in its pre-Mega form can use its Intimidate ability to reduce the the damage of the physical attacker by 1 stage enough so that Porygon2 can easily wall them. Other Intimidate users like Landorus-T, Gyarados, Acranine, Salamence, Scrafty, etc can all provide similar roles for Porygon2 to do its job as a defensive pivot better. Will-O-Wisp, Scald users, and virtually anything else that can burn targets like Rotom-W, Suicune, Entei, Milotic, Arcanine, etc can provide Porygon2 enough support to stop most physical attackers. Snarl users like Raikou, Acranine, Scrafty, Entei, and Suicune can lower the damage output of special attackers so Porygon2 can deal with them easier.
Fighting Resistances: Porygon2 doesn't enjoy confronting Fighting type Pokemon who are surely able to leave a huge dent to it HP bar so Pokemon with Fairy, Flying, Poison, Psychic or Ghost typing can surely help. Fairy types like Mega Gardevoir and Sylveon can protect Porygon2 from deadly Fighting moves while hitting with Pixilate Hyper Voice. Talonflame and Mega Salamence can provide can threaten most Fighting types with their STAB options while Porygon2 can absorb most Ice, Rock, Electric, and Dragon hits in return. Volcarona and Amoonguss can deal with fighting types by either setting up/spreading Spore or redirect targets with Rage Powder. Other Pokemon like Mega Metagross, Aegislash, Lati@s, etc hit most Fighting Pokemon for super effective damage while Porygon2 can sponge some super effective targets or even Ghost hits as it switches in.

Threats

Knock Off: Pretty simple method to reduce Porygon2's usefulness is to remove its Evolite item with the move Knock Off. Pokemon like Scrafty, Scizor, Conkeldurr, Bisharp, Machamp Blaziken, Hariyama, etc come to mind as most have access to both Knock Off and a Fighting STAB to KO Porygon2 easily. Just revoming Porygon2's Evolite item is enough as it loses out on the 50% boost in its defenses and becomes easily open to any strong neutral attacks that follow suit.
Fighting Types and Coverage: Most Fighting type Pokemon are able to deal with Porygon2 quite effectively given they are the only ones who can hit it for super effective damage. Some of them even carry Knock Off so they can remove Porygon's Evolite item easily and KO the following turn. Pokemon with Fighting coverage like Mega Kangaskhan, Tyranitar, Greninja, Landorus-T, Aegislash, etc can hit Porygon2 hard but it will likely live the attack but severely damage at worse.
Double Targeting: Porygon2 might be able to take a single target attack most of the time, it will find itself wear down if the opponent aggressively double targets. Most of the time Porygon2 elect not to carry Protect leaving it open to double target attacks. The best example of this is Mega Kangaskhan or Sylveon attack at once, Tyranitar and Excadrill going for Rock Slide/Superpower, Politoed and Ludicolo going for rain boosted Scalds, Landorus-T and Thundurus attacking with their respective STAB, etc.
Residual Damage: Will-O-Wisp, Scald burns, Spore, Poison, Toxic, Leech Seed, and Hail/Sandstorm damage can render Porygon2's walling capabilities over time as it will be force to go for protect more often and leaving it expose to double targets.
Taunt: Having a Pokemon with either Taunt can help prevent Porygon2 from either setting up Trick Room, spread status ailments, or even recovering.

Other Notable Moves
Here are a list of notable attack in which Porygon2 can utilize well:

Icy Wind / Electoweb - Both of these attacks have a base power of 55 with the added bonus of hitting both target with a drop in their speed stats.
Shadow Ball - Base 80 Ghost type attack for coverage against Ghost and Psychic types like Aegislash, Gengar, and Mega Gardevoir.
Discharge - Another speed control method in which Porygon2 has a 30% chance to paralyze either target and coverage against Water and Flying types.
Psychic - A base 90 Psychic type attack in case Porygon2 has to battle against Fighting types.
SolarBeam - A base 120 base power Grass move but requires a turn to recharge. Can be useful with Charizard Y Sun based teams.
Magic Coat - A high based priority move which protects the user from any status conditions.
Swagger - Raises the attack by 2 stages but causes confusion as well.

For those who got this far thanks for reading this article!]]> <![CDATA[(VGC) Ferrothorn - Support (Pivot/Tank) 2 Options]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Ferrothorn-Support-Pivot-Tank-2-Options Fri, 16 Oct 2015 19:35:24 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Ferrothorn-Support-Pivot-Tank-2-Options
Art by Ishmam

"Either Love Him or Hate Him, He's a Complete Thorn"

(VGC) Ferrothorn - Support (Pivot/Tank) 2 Options

Type: Grass/Steel
Base Stats: 74 HP / 94 Attack / 131 Defense / 54 Special Attack / 116 Special Defense / 20 Speed
Weaknesses: Fire (x4), Fighting (x2)
Resistances: Grass (x 1/4), Normal, Psychic, Steel, Water, Electric, Rock, Dragon, Fairy
Immunities: Poison
Iron Barbs: - "When a user is hit by an attacking Pokemon upon any contacting moves, the attacking Pokemon loses about 1/8 of its health. If Iron Barbs causes both Pokemon to faint, the attacking Pokemon will faint first followed by the Iron Barbs user. Multi-Strike Moves/Abilities will cause Iron Barbs to activate more than once. (Best Ability Overall)
Anticipation (Hidden Ability): - When the Pokemon with this ability enters the battle, the user will shudder if any enemy Pokemon has a super effective hit.

Overview

Ferrothorn is a solid choice in the VGC/Battle Spot Doubles metagame as a deter to physical attackers like Mega Kangaskhan, rain offense and against teams who don't have a way to harm the iron durian. Just look at its ability, typing paired up with its defensive stats alone and anyone will see why this Pokemon literally a thorn. Iron Barbs will always inflict residual damage against Pokemon (mostly physical attackers) who make contact with Ferrothorn by about 1/8 of its health. Give this plant a Rocky Helmet and physical attackers have to think twice before striking at Ferrothorn unless its either a Fire, Fighting, or strong neutral attack. Mega Kangakhan will take about 25% its health (accounting for both hits) if its targets Ferrothorn and nearly half its health (58%) if there it has Rocky Helmet. Defensive-wise Ferrothorn is doesn't lack much with 74 HP/ 131 Def / 116 SpD overall defensive prowess, 8 resistances which are rather common (Fairy, Electric, Normal, Steel, Rock, Water, Psychic, Dragon) and a immunity to Poison thanks to its Steel typing. Offensively, Ferrothorn is somewhat lacking 94 Atk / 54 SpA / 20 Spe, however fortunately for the Grass/Steel Pokemon, it has access relatively strong STAB options like Gyro Ball to hit faster Pokemon extremely hard due to its low speed, and a base 120 Power Whip to hit Water, Ground, and Rock types hard. With its typing alone, Ferrothorn is able to check a plethora of Pokemon like the following: Mega Metagross, Mega Gardevoir, Sylveon, Clefable, Kingdra, Mega Swampert, Scizor, Azumarill, Suicune, Ludicolo, Milotic, Rotom-W, Politoed, Thundurus, Landorus-T, Excadrill, Gastrodon, Rhyperior and many a host of others more. As you can see, Ferrothorn is the de facto best counter to rain teams given Ferrothorn's part Grass typing helps it tank rain boosted Water moves and recover or deal with threats with Power Whip and Leech Seed respectively. In all, Ferrothorn is a Pokemon any VGC player must prepare for as its either disposed of easily with a powerful Fire, Fighting, etc or it just sits there and walls the whole team.

Physical Attacker
[Image: ferrothorn.png]

Ferrothorn @ Lum Berry / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 168 Atk / 84 Def / 4 SpD (Dumped 4 EVs in Atk)
Brave / Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 Spe / 31 Spe
– Power Whip / Seed Bomb
– Gyro Ball / Iron Head
– Knock Off / Thunder Wave
– Protect

Notice: If Ferrothorn isn't opting for 0 Spe IVs for Gyro Ball or an Adamant nature, it should have have and EV spread of the following: 252 HP / 164 Atk / 84 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe for optimization.

Milestones:
-Survives a Low Kick from 252 Adamant Mega Kangaskhan and Close Combat from Standard Terrakion.
-Minimum speed (Brave with 0 IV in speed) to allow maximum damage for Gyro Ball
-OHKOs the following at least 93.8% of the time with: 252 HP / 4 Def Rotom-W, 4 HP Politoed.
-2HKOs a plethora of defensive Water types with Power Whip.

One set commonly seen on most Battle Spot / VGC matches are aggressive Brave / Adamant nature builds with its strong STAB options like Power Whip and Gyro Ball. Ferrothorn is a flexible Pokemon capable of many roles for the team whether its just full offense or support role with spreading paralysis. Power Whip smacks any Water, Rock, and Ground types with a strong base 120 STAB damage, though the 15% accuracy can be an issue at times. Seed Bomb is an alternative Grass type move with a base power of 80 STAB for Ferrothorn to utilize in case the accuracy is an issue, however it misses out in key 1-2 hit knock outs like on a Sitrus Berry Suicune or physically defensive Milotic. Gyro Ball at times is Ferrothorn's strongest attack that varies in power, but will hit at max 150 STAB base power if the targets speed is around 132 or higher. Knock Off is a coverage option for one particular Pokemon who can wall Ferrothorn quite well: Aegislash. If Aegislash leaves itself in shield form, it will leave itself open for an Knock Off which will not only deal plenty of damage to Aegislash but as well as reveal the item its using. Ferrothorn has access to Thunder Wave as it can paralyze unsuspecting targets while giving the team the slight edge in speed control. If Thunder Wave is being used in its movepool, Iron Head should be used instead with an Adamant nature and max speed IVs in case Ferrothorn happens to paralyze any targets with a speed of 159 or less (not 160 due to the chance of 50/50 speed ties). Pretty much this para-flinch strategy with Iron Head/Thunder Wave can be potent if in case the target is slow enough to be flinch after the paralysis.

The choice of item here is up to the player given both are extremely viable options in certain battle scenarios. Lum Berry allows Ferrothorn to absorb a potential status hit whether its either a Scald burn, Will-O-Wisp, confusion, Thunder Wave paralysis, Dark Void, Freeze, etc. Most of the time Pokemon like Rotom-W will likely stay in to burn Ferrothorn, however the Lum Berry can prevent the status ailment and give Ferrothorn a opportunity to retaliate with a STAB super effective Power Whip without any hassles. Rocky Helmet is kinda of a no-brainer for a Pokemon with a overall strong defensive typing and Iron Barbs ability to pick up additional residual damage. Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan or Mega Salamence will risk losing a ton of HP immediately if they target onto a Ferrothorn especially if it carries Rocky Helmet. One last note about an Iron Barbs/Rocky Helmet Ferrothorn is that if it ever faints to a Pokemon who just went for a contact move which will likely end in a double KO, the Pokemon who made contact with Ferrothorn will faint first regardless. This is important battle mechanic information if in case Ferrothorn is ever in a 1v1 situation against a physical contact Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - (All calculations were done with only 164 Atks EVs since its the same as 168 Atk EVs with a positive attack nature of either Brave/Adamant)

Power Whip ( 164 Atk EVs)

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 44 Def Rotom-W: 152-180 (96.8 - 114.6%) -- 75% chance to OHKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 100+ Def Suicune: 126-150 (60.8 - 72.4%) -- 96.5% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 212 HP / 132 Def Politoed: 180-212 (93.7 - 110.4%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Politoed: 212-252 (127.7 - 151.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ludicolo: 100-118 (53.4 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Terrakion: 186-218 (111.3 - 130.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 156-186 (88.6 - 105.6%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 68 HP / 0 Def Solid Rock Rhyperior: 201-243 (101 - 122.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 196 HP / 20 Def Azumarill: 194-230 (97 - 115%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Mega Swampert: 304-364 (146.8 - 175.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Gyro Ball ( 164 Atk EVs )

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Terrakion: 228-270 (136.5 - 161.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 116 Def Mega Gardevoir: 252-296 (144 - 169.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (140 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 182-216 (103.4 - 122.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

-1 164+ Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Landorus-T: 76-90 (46 - 54.5%) -- 52% chance to 2HKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Kangaskhan: 105-124 (58 - 68.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Salamence: 84-100 (49.1 - 58.4%) -- 98.4% chance to 2HKO

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (125 BP) vs. 252 HP / 116+ Def Togekiss: 146-174 (76 - 90.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

164+ Atk Ferrothorn Gyro Ball (97 BP) vs. 92 HP / 116 Def Sylveon: 164-194 (90.1 - 106.5%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO

Pretty much Power Whip Gyro Ball are able to get the KOs more often than given that Power Whip has a total power of 180 factoring STAB to the 120 for Seed Bomb. Though Gyro Ball varies in power, the fact that Ferrothorn has a base speed of 20 is great to at least do about 90% damage to the average Sylveon set with 92 HP and 116 Defense.

Defensive - Here are a couple of damage calculations for Ferrothorn's overall defense of 252 HP / 84 Def / 4 SpD.

Physical Defense (252 HP / 84 Def)

252 Atk Terrakion Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ferrothorn: 152-180 (83.9 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Low Kick (100 BP) vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ferrothorn: 136-164 (75.1 - 90.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ferrothorn: 108-127 (59.6 - 70.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Landorus-T Superpower vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ferrothorn: 122-144 (67.4 - 79.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ferrothorn: 57-67 (31.4 - 37%) -- 77.6% chance to 3HKO

252+ Atk Life Orb Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ferrothorn: 70-83 (38.6 - 45.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252+ Atk Conkeldurr Drain Punch vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ferrothorn: 110-132 (60.7 - 72.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Tyranitar Superpower vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ferrothorn: 104-124 (57.4 - 68.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Life Orb Virizion Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ferrothorn: 156-187 (86.1 - 103.3%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO

60 Atk Choice Band Landorus-T Superpower vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ferrothorn: 146-172 (80.6 - 95%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Special Defense (252 HP / 4 SpD)

252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn: 96-114 (53 - 62.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn: 75-88 (41.4 - 48.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn: 48-57 (26.5 - 31.4%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

252 SpA Gengar Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn: 60-72 (33.1 - 39.7%) -- 100% chance to 3HKO

252+ SpA Mega Abomasnow Blizzard vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn: 69-82 (38.1 - 45.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after hail damage

148+ SpA Ludicolo Scald vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn in Rain: 36-42 (19.8 - 23.2%) -- possible 5HKO

252+ SpA Life Orb Kingdra Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn in Rain: 70-84 (38.6 - 46.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Life Orb Sand Force Landorus Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn in Sand: 105-125 (58 - 69%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Mega Salamence Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn: 172-204 (95 - 112.7%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO

Ferrothorn should stay away from Fire Pokemon or Pokemon with likely Fire type coverage as any of these Pokemon can potentially OHKO th Grass/Steel type easily.

Defensive Support
[Image: ferrothorn.png]

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Iron Barbs
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 148 Atk / 108 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
– Leech Seed
– Gyro Ball
– Power Whip
– Protect

Milestones:
-Survives a 252 Atk Terrakion's Close Combat and has a 6.3% chance that Life Orb 252 Atk Close Combat from Virizon OHKOs.
-Timid 252 Life Orb Hydreigon can only 3HKO this set.
-Iron Fist Conkeldurr cannot KO Ferrothorn immediately without a boost or item.
-Adamant Mega Kangaskhan cannot KO Ferrothorn with Low Kick.
-

Contrary the the previous set, this particular build (from Level 51's 1st Place Singapore Asia Qualifier) is all about setting up Leech Seed recovery and stalling out the last remnants of the opposing team who is unable to handle Ferrothorn. This is basically Ferrothorn's best set to run no either Battle Spot Doubles or VGC Doubles since the only ways to beat Ferrothorn are simply overwhelming it with Fire, Fighting, or strong neutral attacks. Anything else will likely get walled by Ferrothorn as it can easily recover off any weaker coverage options with a round of Leech Seeds, Leftovers, and a turn to Protect for additional recovery. Of course Ferrothorn cannot stall out entire teams if there's a timer in place, but fortunately with access to high power STAB options like Power Whip (base 120) and Gyro Ball ( Base 150 max) to hit the opposing team with. Power Whip is reserved for any Water, Rock, or Ground type Pokemon who won't appreciate getting whipped to shreds. Though Gyro Ball's power often depend on fast the opposing Pokemon is, most targets with a speed of 132 or higher will get hit by a base 150 Steel type attack (assuming Ferrothorn has a negative speed nature with 0 IVs). With just the combination of these two attacks alone, Ferrothorn can 2HKO most Pokemon in the game with residual damage from Leech Seed, Iron Barbs, and a Rocky Helmet item will make its walling potential extremely potent.

Try to avoid using Ferrothorn early game as its works best once all the main Fire / Fighting type users are gone unless it has to confront Rain teams by itself. With Pokemon like Mega Gardevoir and Azumarill (paired with Amoonguss), Ferrothorn makes a great counter as it can bypass Rage Powder, is immune to poison and spore attacks from Amoonguss, and can easily OHKO either with a Power Whip or Gyro Ball. Ferrrothorn is one of the few Pokemon which can handle both Rain and Sand teams given its resistances to Water/Rock with its naturally high defenses and can easily retaliate with a strong Power Whip or Gyro Ball. When using Leech Seed, never use get into the habit of "Protect Stalling" as the opponent can easily take advantage of this and go after Ferrothorn's partner instead. Finally Relaxed nature was used so that Ferrothorn can optimizes its EVs as well as survive 252 Atk Terrakion's Close Combat without no other EVs being allocated.

Damage Calculations

Offensive - ( 148 Atk )

Defensive - ( With 252 HP / 108 SpD Relaxed Nature and Leftovers Recovery)

Physical Defense ( With 252 HP + Relaxed Nature only)

252 Atk Terrakion Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 150-176 (82.8 - 97.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Landorus-T Superpower vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 118-140 (65.1 - 77.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Low Kick (100 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 134-160 (74 - 88.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 55-66 (30.3 - 36.4%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Life Orb Virizion Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 151-182 (83.4 - 100.5%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 105-124 (58 - 68.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Tyranitar Superpower vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 102-122 (56.3 - 67.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Life Orb Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 68-82 (37.5 - 45.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Mega Swampert Superpower vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 122-144 (67.4 - 79.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Tough Claws Mega Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 120-142 (66.2 - 78.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Conkeldurr Drain Punch vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 108-128 (59.6 - 70.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Low Kick (100 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0+ Def Ferrothorn: 133-156 (73.4 - 86.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Special Defense ( 252 HP / 108 SpD )

252 SpA Mega Salamence Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn: 156-188 (86.1 - 103.8%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO

252 SpA Life Orb Thundurus-T Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn: 43-52 (23.7 - 28.7%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery

100 SpA Suicune Scald vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn: 18-22 (9.9 - 12.1%) -- possibly the worst move ever

252 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn: 58-69 (32 - 38.1%) -- 0.6% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Life Orb Kingdra Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn in Rain: 65-77 (35.9 - 42.5%) -- 90.8% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn: 44-52 (24.3 - 28.7%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Pixilate Mega Gardevoir Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn: 36-42 (19.8 - 23.2%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Politoed Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn: 94-112 (51.9 - 61.8%) -- 98% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn: 71-84 (39.2 - 46.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn: 88-105 (48.6 - 58%) -- 53.5% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Life Orb Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn: 87-105 (48 - 58%) -- 53.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Ferrothorn: 67-81 (37 - 44.7%) -- 100% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Rain and Bulky Water types: In all honestly, Rain is such convenient way to patch Ferrohthorn's main quadruple Fire weakness by reducing the damage output by 50%. Essentially Water Pokemon like Politoed, Kingdra, Rotom-W, Gyarados, Suicune, Milotic can protect Ferrothorn against Fire type attacks while at the same time retaliate with a STAB Water hit. Some of these Pokemon have the potential to neutralize physical attackers with either Scald burns, Intimidate, or Will-O-Wisp to make Ferrothorn's walling potential much easier. In turn, Ferrothorn easily handles most Electric and Grass types since it either takes half or quarter damage.
Fighting Resistant Pokemon (Fairy and Flying types): So what do Pokemon like Mega Gardvoir, Sylveon, Azumarill, Mega Salamence, Talonflame, Tornadus, Gyarados, and Landorus-T have in common. All of them can take a resisted Fighting type hit for Ferrothorn considering its one of its only two major weaknesses. Mega Gardevoir, Sylveon, Azumarill, and other Fairy types are offensively capable enough to beat a vast majority of Fighting Pokemon with just Pixilate Hyper Voice and Play Rough alone. Mega Salamence, Talonflame, and Tornadus fuffill the same role like their Fairy counterparts as they are able to KO most Fighting Pokemon with an Aerilate hit, Brave Bird, or Hurricane receptively. Landorus-T and Gyarados are resisted to most Fighting types and help Ferrothorn by reducing the damage done from Fighting types so that it can continue attacking or spreading Leech Seeds. One last thing to note is that most Fighting type Pokemon usually carry either Ice or Rock type coverage for Flying types.
Offensive Partners Rock and Ground type Pokemon like Tyranitar, Terrakiom, Excadrill, Rhyperior, Landorus-T, Aerodactyl, Krookdile, Swampert, Garchomp, Mamoswine are able to deal with Fire types with their own STAB options while Ferrothorn can easily sponge Water, Grass, and moderate Ice hits without breaking a sweat. Ironically some Fire types like Heatran, Entei, Arcanine, Rotom-H, and others need ways to deal with either Rock, Ground, or Water types in which Ferrothorn can easily hit with a STAB Power Whip or setup on with Leech Seed.

Threats

Fire Types and Coverage: In all seriousness, Ferrothorn absolutely cannot take a Fire type hit well otherwise it will faint immediately due to both Grass/Steel being quad weak to Fire. Pretty much every Fire Pokemon in the game can be mentioned as a hard counter since they all resist Ferrothorn's STABs and just eliminate it with a STAB Fire attack. The following Fire Pokemon who can handle Ferrothorn are Mega Charizard Y/X, Entei, Arcanine, Rotom-H, Heatran, Blaziken, Infernape, Mega Camerupt, Talonflame, Volcarona, Chandelure, etc. Pokemon with Fire type coverage like Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Fire Punch/Overheat on Mega Salamence, Hydreigon, NidoKing/Nidoqueen, Tyranitar, Mega Manetric, Mega Altaria, Garchomp, Togekiss, Eleketross, Goodra, Mega Kangaskhan, etc can all deal heavy damage or are capable of knock out Ferrothorn with ease as well.
Fighting Types and Coverage: Though not quad weak to Fighting unlike Fire type attacks, Ferrothorn cannot take Fighting attacks without losing too much health to the point where it will get knocked out the in the sequential turns. Fighting type Pokemon like Terrakion, Virizion, Cobalion, Infernape, Blaziken, Conkeldurr, Machamp, Scrafty, Mega Gallade, Breloom, Heracross, Mega Lopunny, Mega Lucario, etc all can either inflict substantial damage or can even OHKO Ferrothorn at times. Pokemon with strong Fighting coverage like Mega Kangaskhan, Tyranitar, Scizor, Landorus-T, etc can deal heavy damage to Ferrothorn to reduce its effectiveness as a vital wall to the opposing team.
Negating its Effectiveness: Have something like an Intimidate user or a burn spreader like Will-O-Wisp to mitigate Ferrothorn's physical attack to reduce its damage potential. Burning Ferrothorn is a great way to stop most sets as Ferrothorn's health is wither away to the point a strong neutral attack or super effective Fire/Fighting move deal with it. Taunt is another utility option to have for Ferrothorn so it doesn't use Leech Seed-Protect or have any setup in general.
Strong Neutral Attackers and Double Targeting : Continue hitting Ferrothorn for as much residual damage as possible and result to double targeting in case the team doesn't have any of the above options for Ferrothorn. Consider using Substitute Pokemon so they won't be effected with Leech Seed or any other status ailment.

Other Notable Moves
While Ferrothorn has a completely viable set to use here are a couple of suggestions for moveslots:

Curse: - A overall strong setup option for Ferrothorn as it increases both its attacks and defense stats by one stage however reduces its abysmal speed stat by only one stage as well. Since Ferrothorn is likely going last every turn, this is a great option to have for a long term sweeping potential.
Explosion:- A base 250 attack in which Ferrothorn faints itself to inflict heavy damage against the opposing side of the field including its ally. Make sure that Ferrothorn's ally hasn't gone for Protect or there's no Feint user to break the Protect since this is basically all about deal enough damage to the opposing side. Normal Gem, Life Orb, or Choice Band should be the preferred items of choice for this strategy.
Sword Dance: - Can increase Ferrothorn's physical attacks by 2 stages and makes it a formidable offensive threat with already powerful STABs like Power Whip and Gyro Ball.
Toxic - A status ailment in which the target is "badly poisoned" and every turn the target is inflicted with N+1/16 damage base on its full HP. Given how defensively oriented Ferrothorn is Toxic can wear down teams in addition to Leech Seed set as well though its better off attack targets. This tech move is a great answer for Calm Mind users like Cresselia or Sylveon who can immediately become threatening after a couple of boost.
Worry Seed - Give the target Pokemon the ability "Insomnia" while negating the target's primary ability until it switches out. Basically if you want a creative way to deal with Pixilate Sylveon/Mega Gardevoir, Prankster Thundurus, or even Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan just fire a Worry Seed to neuter their attacking potential.
Endeavor - Can be a fun move to utilize if timed well. Essentially Endeavor equalizes the opponent's HP to the user's HP so in case Ferrothorn is low in health it can deal heavy damage to the opposing target. This will fail if Ferrothorn has more HP than its opponent so predict if the opponent is going for a strong hit against Ferrothorn.
Bulldoze - Bulldoze not only deals deals super effective damage to Fire type Pokemon especially Heatran but reduces the speed of all three Pokemon (the opposing side and the ally) by one stage. This can also work as an effective speed control method in case Ferrothorn's team lacks one.

Other Notable Items

Occa Berry - Cuts the power of Fire move by 50%.
Chople Berry - Cuts the power of Fighting move by 50%.
Choice Band - The holder's physical attack is boosted by 50% at the cost of losing the ability to alternate items.

For those who've gotten this far into the analysis thanks for reading this thread.]]>
Art by Ishmam

"Either Love Him or Hate Him, He's a Complete Thorn"

(VGC) Ferrothorn - Support (Pivot/Tank) 2 Options

Overview

Physical Attacker
[Image: ferrothorn.png]

Defensive - Here are a couple of damage calculations for Ferrothorn's overall defense of 252 HP / 84 Def / 4 SpD.

Defensive Support
[Image: ferrothorn.png]

Defensive - ( With 252 HP / 108 SpD Relaxed Nature and Leftovers Recovery)

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Rain and Bulky Water types: In all honestly, Rain is such convenient way to patch Ferrohthorn's main quadruple Fire weakness by reducing the damage output by 50%. Essentially Water Pokemon like Politoed, Kingdra, Rotom-W, Gyarados, Suicune, Milotic can protect Ferrothorn against Fire type attacks while at the same time retaliate with a STAB Water hit. Some of these Pokemon have the potential to neutralize physical attackers with either Scald burns, Intimidate, or Will-O-Wisp to make Ferrothorn's walling potential much easier. In turn, Ferrothorn easily handles most Electric and Grass types since it either takes half or quarter damage.
Fighting Resistant Pokemon (Fairy and Flying types): So what do Pokemon like Mega Gardvoir, Sylveon, Azumarill, Mega Salamence, Talonflame, Tornadus, Gyarados, and Landorus-T have in common. All of them can take a resisted Fighting type hit for Ferrothorn considering its one of its only two major weaknesses. Mega Gardevoir, Sylveon, Azumarill, and other Fairy types are offensively capable enough to beat a vast majority of Fighting Pokemon with just Pixilate Hyper Voice and Play Rough alone. Mega Salamence, Talonflame, and Tornadus fuffill the same role like their Fairy counterparts as they are able to KO most Fighting Pokemon with an Aerilate hit, Brave Bird, or Hurricane receptively. Landorus-T and Gyarados are resisted to most Fighting types and help Ferrothorn by reducing the damage done from Fighting types so that it can continue attacking or spreading Leech Seeds. One last thing to note is that most Fighting type Pokemon usually carry either Ice or Rock type coverage for Flying types.
Offensive Partners Rock and Ground type Pokemon like Tyranitar, Terrakiom, Excadrill, Rhyperior, Landorus-T, Aerodactyl, Krookdile, Swampert, Garchomp, Mamoswine are able to deal with Fire types with their own STAB options while Ferrothorn can easily sponge Water, Grass, and moderate Ice hits without breaking a sweat. Ironically some Fire types like Heatran, Entei, Arcanine, Rotom-H, and others need ways to deal with either Rock, Ground, or Water types in which Ferrothorn can easily hit with a STAB Power Whip or setup on with Leech Seed.

Threats

Fire Types and Coverage: In all seriousness, Ferrothorn absolutely cannot take a Fire type hit well otherwise it will faint immediately due to both Grass/Steel being quad weak to Fire. Pretty much every Fire Pokemon in the game can be mentioned as a hard counter since they all resist Ferrothorn's STABs and just eliminate it with a STAB Fire attack. The following Fire Pokemon who can handle Ferrothorn are Mega Charizard Y/X, Entei, Arcanine, Rotom-H, Heatran, Blaziken, Infernape, Mega Camerupt, Talonflame, Volcarona, Chandelure, etc. Pokemon with Fire type coverage like Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Fire Punch/Overheat on Mega Salamence, Hydreigon, NidoKing/Nidoqueen, Tyranitar, Mega Manetric, Mega Altaria, Garchomp, Togekiss, Eleketross, Goodra, Mega Kangaskhan, etc can all deal heavy damage or are capable of knock out Ferrothorn with ease as well.
Fighting Types and Coverage: Though not quad weak to Fighting unlike Fire type attacks, Ferrothorn cannot take Fighting attacks without losing too much health to the point where it will get knocked out the in the sequential turns. Fighting type Pokemon like Terrakion, Virizion, Cobalion, Infernape, Blaziken, Conkeldurr, Machamp, Scrafty, Mega Gallade, Breloom, Heracross, Mega Lopunny, Mega Lucario, etc all can either inflict substantial damage or can even OHKO Ferrothorn at times. Pokemon with strong Fighting coverage like Mega Kangaskhan, Tyranitar, Scizor, Landorus-T, etc can deal heavy damage to Ferrothorn to reduce its effectiveness as a vital wall to the opposing team.
Negating its Effectiveness: Have something like an Intimidate user or a burn spreader like Will-O-Wisp to mitigate Ferrothorn's physical attack to reduce its damage potential. Burning Ferrothorn is a great way to stop most sets as Ferrothorn's health is wither away to the point a strong neutral attack or super effective Fire/Fighting move deal with it. Taunt is another utility option to have for Ferrothorn so it doesn't use Leech Seed-Protect or have any setup in general.
Strong Neutral Attackers and Double Targeting : Continue hitting Ferrothorn for as much residual damage as possible and result to double targeting in case the team doesn't have any of the above options for Ferrothorn. Consider using Substitute Pokemon so they won't be effected with Leech Seed or any other status ailment.

Other Notable Moves
While Ferrothorn has a completely viable set to use here are a couple of suggestions for moveslots:

Curse: - A overall strong setup option for Ferrothorn as it increases both its attacks and defense stats by one stage however reduces its abysmal speed stat by only one stage as well. Since Ferrothorn is likely going last every turn, this is a great option to have for a long term sweeping potential.
Explosion:- A base 250 attack in which Ferrothorn faints itself to inflict heavy damage against the opposing side of the field including its ally. Make sure that Ferrothorn's ally hasn't gone for Protect or there's no Feint user to break the Protect since this is basically all about deal enough damage to the opposing side. Normal Gem, Life Orb, or Choice Band should be the preferred items of choice for this strategy.
Sword Dance: - Can increase Ferrothorn's physical attacks by 2 stages and makes it a formidable offensive threat with already powerful STABs like Power Whip and Gyro Ball.
Toxic - A status ailment in which the target is "badly poisoned" and every turn the target is inflicted with N+1/16 damage base on its full HP. Given how defensively oriented Ferrothorn is Toxic can wear down teams in addition to Leech Seed set as well though its better off attack targets. This tech move is a great answer for Calm Mind users like Cresselia or Sylveon who can immediately become threatening after a couple of boost.
Worry Seed - Give the target Pokemon the ability "Insomnia" while negating the target's primary ability until it switches out. Basically if you want a creative way to deal with Pixilate Sylveon/Mega Gardevoir, Prankster Thundurus, or even Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan just fire a Worry Seed to neuter their attacking potential.
Endeavor - Can be a fun move to utilize if timed well. Essentially Endeavor equalizes the opponent's HP to the user's HP so in case Ferrothorn is low in health it can deal heavy damage to the opposing target. This will fail if Ferrothorn has more HP than its opponent so predict if the opponent is going for a strong hit against Ferrothorn.
Bulldoze - Bulldoze not only deals deals super effective damage to Fire type Pokemon especially Heatran but reduces the speed of all three Pokemon (the opposing side and the ally) by one stage. This can also work as an effective speed control method in case Ferrothorn's team lacks one.

Other Notable Items

Occa Berry - Cuts the power of Fire move by 50%.
Chople Berry - Cuts the power of Fighting move by 50%.
Choice Band - The holder's physical attack is boosted by 50% at the cost of losing the ability to alternate items.

For those who've gotten this far into the analysis thanks for reading this thread.]]> <![CDATA[[VGC] Nidoqueen Moveset - Special Attacker (Sheer Force)]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Nidoqueen-Moveset-Special-Attacker-Sheer-Force Thu, 15 Oct 2015 16:27:15 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Nidoqueen-Moveset-Special-Attacker-Sheer-Force
(Also, credit to RebornFX for helping me out with this set, as my original was flawed in some areas)

[Image: 031.png]

TYPE: Poison/Ground
WEAKNESSES: Ground(x2), Water(x2), Psychic(x2), Ice(x2)
RESISTANCES: Fighting(x1/2), Poison(x1/2), Rock(x1/2), Bug(x1/2), Fairy(x1/2)
IMMUNITIES: Electric
ABILITIES: Poison Point-When a Pokémon with this Ability is hit by a move that makes contact, there is a 30% chance that the attacking Pokémon will become poisoned.
If a Pokémon with this Ability is hit by a multi-strike move that makes contact (such as Fury Swipes), each hit has an independent chance to activate this Ability

Rivalry-Rivalry raises the base power of a move by 25% if the foe and the user have the same gender, but reduces base power by 25% if the foe and the user have opposite genders.
If the user or the foe is genderless, the move's base power is unaffected

Sheer Force-Sheer Force raises the base power of all attacking moves that have an additional effect by 30%, but the additional effects are ignored.
Sheer Force does not negate primary effects such as recoil, stat penalty or status condition for the user, increased critical hit rate, moves that never miss, moves that change power, two-turn moves, etc. Sheer Force will, however, negate all secondary effects, such as reducing the target's stats, increasing the user's stats, or causing a status condition to the target. Moves that have both a primary and secondary effect will have only their secondary effect negated (and gain the power boost). For example, Flare Blitz has both a primary recoil effect and a secondary chance to burn; its damage will be boosted by 30% (but not cause burn) and still inflict recoil to the user after attacking.
If (and only if) a move is boosted by the effect of Sheer Force, it will no longer trigger item or Ability effects that activate after attacking. This includes the effects of Eject Button, Shell Bell, and Red Card, as well as the Ability Color Change. If an item has two effects, only the effect(s) that activate after attacking will be negated. Therefore, if a Pokémon holds a Life Orb, it will gain the passive damage boost (because it is not activated after the attack) but the recoil effect afterward will be ignored.

BASE STATS: HP 90/ATK 92/ DEF 87/ SP ATK 75/ SP DEF 85/ SPEED 76

Special Attacker

[Image: 031.png]

Nidoqueen @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EV's: 252 SP ATK / 126 HP / 126 DEF
Modest Nature
IV's: Atk is not needed, but having 31 in the rest is very useful. SpA is required.
-Sludge Bomb
-Flamethrower/Earth Power
-Thunderbolt/Thunder
-Blizzard/Ice Beam

This Nidoqueen is designed for lots of special damage and type coverage. Nidoqueen is has super effective moves against the following types: Bug, Dragon, Fairy, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Water and Steel. That's half of the types. And considering so many Pokemon are dual type Nidoqueen has great type coverage in my opinion. The other thing about this Pokemon is the Sheer( KappaHD

) damage it does. Considering the 1/3 boost with Sheer Force and the additional 1/3 boost the Life Orb has, this Pokemon can destroy, especially when its super effective. Not to mention the STAB bonus Sludge Bomb and Earth Power get. The base power of Sludge Bomb and Earth Power with the effects on go from 90 to a whopping 230. Even without the STAB bonus Blizzard has 185 base power, and Flamethrower,Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam have a base power of 152. All of this without the loss of HP Life Orb usually brings.

I chose the items for all the reasons above. The entire core of this set comes in the Life Orb/ Sheer Force interaction, so I don't really think any other items are useful here.

I chose the EV's in SpA for the obvious. All of the moves used are Special. As for the HP and Def, I want to be able to take some more physical hits. The spread is adjustable, but I personally like the one I listed.

As for the moves, I chose the moves that were affected by Sheer Force that had the best type coverage along with the highest base power. There were better Special options than Physical, so that's why I chose to run a Special Attacker rather than a Physical one, despite Nidoqueens Base Atk being higher.

Damage Calculations

Defensive(Opponent vs. Nidoqueen)-For these I looked at some of the top Pokemon used in Battle Spot Doubles

Offensive(Nidoqueen vs. Opponent) I did the same thing as the defensive calculations

Potential Partners

Any good support Pokemon that can restore your HP.
Another good partner is Politoed. With Drizzle it will get rid of sun and add rain, making M-Charizard Y less of a threat, and allowing you to use thunder with 100% accuracy.
A tailwind setter like Whimsicott could be useful, as could a Trick Room setter.
A Rage Powder Pokemon like Amoongus could be useful, especially if you fear a Knock Off, as you don't lose the Life Orb

Threats(Not all, but some)

M-Charizard Y- The Sun Fire Blast is a guaranteed OHKO, and Solar Beam is 2HKO. Counter it with a Rain Dance or Drizzle Pokemon as a partner

Landorus-T- Both Earth Power and Earthquake are guaranteed OHKO. You can counter it with a Tailwind setter to land a OHKO Blizzard or a Rage Powder Pokemon to take the Earth Power.

M-Gardevior- Psyshock has a 80% chance to OHKO, so be careful.

]]>
(Also, credit to RebornFX for helping me out with this set, as my original was flawed in some areas)

[Image: 031.png]

Special Attacker

[Image: 031.png]

Damage Calculations

Defensive(Opponent vs. Nidoqueen)-For these I looked at some of the top Pokemon used in Battle Spot Doubles

Offensive(Nidoqueen vs. Opponent) I did the same thing as the defensive calculations

]]> <![CDATA[[VGC] Greninja - Attack (Mixed/Special) 2 Options]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Greninja-Attack-Mixed-Special-2-Options Mon, 12 Oct 2015 22:54:43 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Greninja-Attack-Mixed-Special-2-Options
Art by Ishmam

"Nerf Greninja Plz...for Smash at Least"
[Image: greninja.gif]

(VGC) Greninja - Attack (Mixed/Special) 2 Options

Type: Water/Dark
Base Stats: 72 HP / 95 Attack / 67 Defense / 103 Special Attack / 71 Special Defense / 122 Speed
Weaknesses: Fighting, Bug, Grass, Electric, Fairy (all 2x weak)
Resistances: Ghost, Steel, Fire, Water, Dark, Ice (all 2x resistant)
Immunities: Psychic
Ability: Torrent - Increases the power of Water moves if the user's health is 33% or less.
Hidden Ability: Protean (Hidden Ability) - Before the user performs its attack, the user changes types correspond to the move its using (become a single type Pokemon) and receive the same 50% Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) as any ordinary Pokemon.

Overview

With its introduction in the latest generation, Greninja has definitely made a huge splash (and mess on Smogon) in the competitive battling field credited to arguably the one of the best offensive abilities in the game: Protean. Honestly there hasn't been a single abilities known in which Protean can create an immediate offensive pressure (plus some defensive utility) other than Parental Bond from Mega Kangaskhan (still miles ahead as the best ability). Regardless, Protein has definitely made Greninja an offensive threat in XY and a complete monster in ORAS with Move Tutor attacks such as Low Kick, Gunk Shot, Icy Wind, and Ice Punch only adding to its inventory. Other proven moves like Scald, Dark Pulse, Rock Slide, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, and Hidden Power makes Greninja incredibly unpredictable to single out since it has neutral or super effective coverage with almost everything in the game. Most people use Greninja similar to how Mixed Blaziken functions by OHKOing targets before the opponent can even use them thanks to its trollish 122 speed placement. There's no doubting Greninja's natural speed, versatile movepool, and passable 95 Atk / 103 SpA with Protean makes it a smart bomb capable of achieving its role in achieving hyper offensive for the team.

Mixed Attacker
[Image: greninja.gif]

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Ice Beam
- Low Kick
- Gunk Shot / Dark Pulse
- Protect

Milestones:

Greninja is best used mid to late game once the opposing team has taken chip damage enough so the frog ninja can KO targets with either of its three attacks thanks to the Protean. Ice Beam is the most widely used attack on Greninja's inventory for good reasons considering it becomes an Ice type, receives STAB, and hit most Dragon, Flying, Ground, and Grass types. Pretty much with Protein, Greninja will be Ice type most of the time so be careful against Fire, Fighting, Rock, and Steel types especially those who have priority like Breloom, Infernape, Conkeldurr, or Mega Lucario. Essentially Greninja's Protean Ice Beam is strong enough to OHKO Mega Salamence, most AV Landorus-T, offensive Thundurus, Garchomp and deals heavy damage against those weak to Ice. Low Kick and Gunk Shot are two new additions which transform Greninja into one of the most potent offensive threats the game. Life Orb Low Kick with 252 Atk is strong enough to KO Mega Tyranitar, Hydreigon, Heatran, Mega Gyarados, Mamoswine, Terrakion and deals heavy damage to Mega Kangaskhan. Gunk Shot is a powerful base 120 Poison type attack for any Fairy types like Mega Gardevoir or Sylveon who think they can take any hit from Greninja but can't. Factoring in Life Orb, Gunk Shot easily knocks out the bulkiest of Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir as well as deal considerable damage to others Fairy types...provided it hits. Dark Pulse is an option over Gunk Shot in case the accuracy isn't appealing and want a reliable Dark coverage in case Ghost types like Jellicent, Chandelure, Aegislash, etc become an issues. With Ice/Fighting/Dark coverage, the only Azumarill and Marill are able to take any one of Greninja's coverage options. Despite those, Greninja's able to hit basically everything in the game for neutral coverage at least thanks to Protean.

Damage Calculations

I'm just going to focus on the highlighted attacks but with Life Orb only. No Defensive investment for Greninja is frail + Life Orb recoil chips away at its HP by 10%.

Offensive-

(All calculations were done with 252 Atk 4 SpA with a Naive nature)

Low Kick ( 252 Atk Life Orb Protean)

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Low Kick (100 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Kangaskhan: 179-213 (98.8 - 117.6%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Low Kick (120 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 205-244 (122.7 - 146.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Low Kick (100 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Ferrothorn: 143-172 (79 - 95%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Low Kick (100 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Hydreigon: 198-234 (117.8 - 139.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Low Kick (120 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Tyranitar: 302-364 (171.5 - 206.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Low Kick (120 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mamoswine: 260-307 (140.5 - 165.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Low Kick (120 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Terrakion: 237-281 (141.9 - 168.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Low Kick (120 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Gyarados: 203-242 (118.7 - 141.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Low Kick (60 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Scrafty: 96-117 (56.1 - 68.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Gunk Shot (252 Atk Naive)

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Gunk Shot vs. 252 HP / 44 Def Rotom-W: 99-117 (63 - 74.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Gunk Shot vs. 244 HP / 164+ Def Clefable: 211-250 (104.9 - 124.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Gunk Shot vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Clefairy: 159-190 (89.8 - 107.3%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Gunk Shot vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Sylveon: 203-242 (100.4 - 119.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Gunk Shot vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Gardevoir: 203-242 (116 - 138.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Gunk Shot vs. 236 HP / 196+ Def Togekiss: 172-203 (90.5 - 106.8%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Life Orb Protean Greninja Gunk Shot vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Ludicolo: 257-304 (137.4 - 162.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Ice Beam (0 SpA Naive )

4 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 100 SpD Assault Vest Landorus-T: 203-239 (103.5 - 121.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

4 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence: 302-359 (176.6 - 209.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

4 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 151-179 (76.6 - 90.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

4 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Hydreigon: 151-179 (89.8 - 106.5%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO

4 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Amoonguss: 164-195 (74.2 - 88.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

4 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Nidoqueen: 156-187 (79.1 - 94.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

4 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Garchomp: 312-374 (170.4 - 204.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

4 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Thundurus: 166-198 (107 - 127.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

4 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Latios: 127-151 (81.9 - 97.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

4 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 28 HP / 0 SpD Krookodile: 182-218 (104.5 - 125.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Dark Pulse ( 4 SpA Naive)

4 SpA Life Orb Greninja Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 86-104 (51.4 - 62.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

4 SpA Life Orb Greninja Dark Pulse vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross: 112-135 (71.7 - 86.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

4 SpA Life Orb Greninja Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Mega Banette: 101-120 (59 - 70.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

4 SpA Life Orb Greninja Dark Pulse vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Gengar: 151-182 (111.8 - 134.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

4 SpA Life Orb Greninja Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Gengar: 127-151 (76 - 90.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

4 SpA Life Orb Greninja Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 116 SpD Jellicent: 109-127 (52.6 - 61.3%) -- 96.5% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

All-Out Special Attacker
[Image: greninja.gif]

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 4 Def / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 or 1 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot / Dark Pulse
- Hidden Power [Ground] / Scald
- Protect

Notice: If Greninja has just full 31 IVs in at least most of its important stats bar attack or doesn't have the IV combination for HP Ground just run an EV spread of the following: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe.

Milestones

Greninja is still a potent threat in the current format due to its unpredictable movepool so its important to use this to your advantage as best as possible. Though Ice Beam is somewhat staple (and contrary to what was mentioned earlier), but with Life Orb STAB allow Greninja to KO Landorus-T, Garchomp, Salamence and bulky Thundurus/Zapdos depending on the EV spread. Ice overage is one of the best coverage options in the game given most of the highly used Pokemon are weak to Ice and moderately fast. From that list mentioned, Greninja just has to worry about any opposing speed control or potential Choice Scarf users like Landorus-T but its fast enough to outspeed Mega Salamence by only a couple points. Grass Knot allow Greninja to hit a wide array of Pokemon including most bulky Water types like Milotic, Suicune, Jellicent, Gastrodon, Swampert, Slowbro, Azumarill, and even opposing Greninjas (though risking the speed tie) for heavy damage. Additionally Grass Knot allows Greninja to faint a host of Ground/Rock types like Rhyperior, Tyranitar without sand, Mamoswine, and even 2HKO 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan with no issues. Hidden Power Ground might sound like an odd choice for Greninja given special sets tend to carry either Dark Pulse or Scald for Water/Dark "STAB", but there are some key features for this decision. Unlike Scald, LO Protean Hidden Power Ground can OHKO any variant of Heatran bar Shuca Berry/Assault Vest/fully specially defensive (one seen from 6v6 singles) compared to Scald which is doesn't have a guaranteed KO even with Life Orb! Greninja can use HP Ground to transform itself into a Ground type to avoid taking any super effective Electric type attacks or even not get paralyzed by Prankster Thunder Wave by Thundurus. Scald is still a great option to have for a offensive fast Water type like Greninja with the added bonus of netting Burns yet the problem is aside from hitting Fire Types water isn't too great offensively compare to having HP Ground. Dark Pulse is an option in case Aegislash, Gengar, and Mega Metagross become problematic.

One of the reasons why special Greninja still receives usage is the ability to immediately threaten common cores like Whimsicott + Terrakion, Bisharp + Terrakion, Landorus-T + Thundurus, Tyranitar + Mega Salamence, and most Fire-Water-Grass cores like Heatran/Amoonguss/Azumarill. Though some of these Pokemon won't get immediately OHKOed quickly, its best to get prior damage on those Pokemon before going for the kill with Greninja. There's also a moderate level of skill required to use Greninja effectively similar to most other glass cannons like Blaziken or Bisharp. Pretty much its up to the player to make the right call in debating whether to attack either target, call the opponent's protect/switch plays, or even switch out to avoid risking Greninja too earlier.

Damage Calculations

All the damage calculations were done with 248 SpA with a Life Orb.

Offensive -

Ice Beam ( 248 SpA Timid )

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 80 SpD Thundurus: 187-221 (100.5 - 118.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 236 HP / 128+ SpD Thundurus: 164-195 (89.1 - 105.9%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Amoonguss: 203-242 (91.8 - 109.5%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Hydreigon: 187-221 (111.3 - 131.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Latios: 156-187 (100.6 - 120.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Ice Beam vs. 236 HP / 12 SpD Togekiss: 151-179 (79.4 - 94.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

Salamence and Landorus-T can't take an Ice Beam without something that'll reduce the damage.

Hidden Power Ground ( 248 SpA Timid )

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Hidden Power Ground vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 218-265 (110.1 - 133.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Hidden Power Ground vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 151-182 (107 - 129%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Hidden Power Ground vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Mega Lucario: 151-179 (104.1 - 123.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Hidden Power Ground vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Infernape: 151-179 (100 - 118.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Hidden Power Ground vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Blade: 195-229 (116.7 - 137.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Hidden Power Ground vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Raichu: 135-164 (99.2 - 120.5%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO

Grass Knot (248 SpA Timid)

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (100 BP) vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Mega Blastoise: 166-198 (89.7 - 107%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (100 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Milotic: 156-187 (77.2 - 92.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (100 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Swampert: 348-411 (168.1 - 198.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (100 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Mega Slowbro: 226-268 (112.4 - 133.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (60 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Greninja: 151-179 (102 - 120.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (60 BP) vs. 244 HP / 88 SpD Gastrodon: 239-286 (110.1 - 131.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (100 BP) vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Suicune: 159-190 (76.8 - 91.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Terrakion: 244-291 (146.1 - 174.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (60 BP) vs. 196 HP / 12 SpD Azumarill: 133-159 (66.5 - 79.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Mamoswine: 335-398 (181 - 215.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (100 BP) vs. 252 HP / 116+ SpD Jellicent: 151-179 (72.9 - 86.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (100 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan: 95-113 (52.4 - 62.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar in Sand: 151-182 (85.7 - 103.4%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar: 226-268 (128.4 - 152.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (20 BP) vs. 252 HP / 148+ SpD Rotom-W: 31-39 (19.7 - 24.8%) -- possible 6HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

Don't use Grass Knot on a Rotom-W please...

Scald (248 SpA Timid )

248 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Nidoqueen: 174-205 (88.3 - 104%) -- 25% chance to OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 132 HP / 84 SpD Entei: 174-205 (84 - 99%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

248 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Excadrill: 213-252 (114.5 - 135.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Infernape: 198-234 (131.1 - 154.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 182-218 (110.3 - 132.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Heatran: 148-174 (88.6 - 104.1%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Volcarona: 148-174 (91.9 - 108%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Chandelure: 166-198 (122 - 145.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

248 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 252 HP / 92+ SpD Arcanine: 151-179 (76.6 - 90.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Offensive Pokemon: Given Greninja's offensive capabilities, Pokemon who are generally fast or just blatantly powerful enough to deal chip damage so the ninja frog can clean up are appreciated. Pokemon like Garchomp, Mega Kangakhan, Thundurus, Zapdos, Sylveon, Mega Salamence, etc are great partners given they can help initiate and maintain offensive pressure. Both Thundurus and Zapdos are able to supply speed control with Thunder Wave/Tailwind to ensure they and Greninja will outspeed targets. Fake Out users like Mega Kangaskhan, Raichu, Scrafty, etc can guarantee a flinch on a target while Greninja can go after a key target. Sylveon and Mega Salamence are great offensive and switch in partners in case Greninja wants to get out of the battlefield. Additionally both Sylveon and Mega Salamence are hard counters for Fighting types since they can KO most of them with powerful Aerilate and Pixilate attacks.
Spread Damage Dealers: Pokemon who can deal strong spread damage are key partners for Greninja given it cannot KO targets 100% of the time. Practically the same thing I've mentioned about earlier about some partners but Greninja typically want to be at the driver seat initiating the offense pressure and not at the receiving end. Those like Garchomp, Landorus-T, Sylveon, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Salamence, Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, and a host of others who can deal strong spread damage can ensure enough chip damage so the opposing target hopefully doesn't take any of Greninja's Protean hits.
Redirection + Helping Hand Support: Pretty much any Pokemon who can support Greninja with redirection (Follow Me/Rage Powder and Helping Hand boost work fine. Redirection is somewhat self-explanatory given Greninja is rather frail and just about any strong neutral hit in the format can potentially KO Greninja. Pokemon like Amoonguss, Clefable, Clefairy, Togekiss, and Volcarona can redirect attacks away from Greninja as it continues to break down the opposing team. There are numerous Helping Hand users (Sylveon, Gothitelle, Cresselia, Politoed, etc) who can power up Greninja's Protean hit enough to KO specific targets. For instance, LO Grass Knot from Protean Greninja can get the surprise KOs on standard Milotic and Suicune while Hidden Power Ground can with the boosts can KO 4 HP Shuca Berry Heatran 81.3% of the time. Speed control is appreciated so Greninja can ensure it and its ally are the fast on the field, but don't use this Pokemon with a full Trick Room without any others who can function in a fast mode.

Threats

Priority: In short, Greninja doesn't enough taking priority hits given its rather low defensive stats and the use of Life Orb will hinder it down. Pokemon like Talonflame, Breloom, Infernape, Conkeldurr, etc can surely KO Greninja provided none of these Pokemon receive and attack drop from like Intimidate.
Opposing Speed Control : Any form of speed control against an opposing Greninja will slow both its speed and offensive pressure enough so any Pokemon can KO it with a strong neutral hit. Pokemon like Suicune, Zapdos, Milotic, Thundurus, Cresselia, Rotom-W, etc all have some form of speed control (Tailwind, Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, Electroweb, Trick Room), though most of them have to be careful with possibly a potential super effective hit coming from Greninja. Trick Room is probably the most effective since usually Pokemon like Cresselia is able to take any of Greninja's attacks even from a Dark Pulse so that another TR ally can effectively deal with the ninja frog.
Fighting types: Given that Greninja will usually carry either Ice Beam, Protect, or Dark Pulse means that most Fighting Pokemon can exploit the use of Protean and retaliate with a super effective hit. Pokemon like Breloom, Conkeldurr, Infernape, Lucario, Hitmontop, etc can take out Greninja with a Mach Punch. However be weary of switch most of these Pokemon in as Greninja surely has some form of coverage (Ice Beam, Scald, Extrasensory [rare]) to beat these Fighting types.
Brute Force Offense: This is pretty much self explanatory but basically most of the common VGC Pokemon are able to apply immediate offensive pressure against Greninja given how frail it is. Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Gardevoir, Sylveon, Charizard Y, Aegislash, Thundurus, Terrakion, etc are able capable of knocking out Greninja in one hit provided they're able to get off the attack. Greninja has an overall defensive stats of 72/67/71 so practically most of the strongest attackers in the VGC format can KO the Kalos starter provided it can take the hit.
Redirection: Since most of Greninja's attacks are single target, Pokemon with Follow Me/Rage powder (Amoonguss, Clefable, Volcarona, Togekiss) are able to redirect attacks away from key targets Greninja would love to faint immediately. However this come at the cost that the Greninja user can just simply target the redirection based Pokemon with a super effective attack.

Other Notable moves

Rock Slide - Rock coverage with the 30% chance to flinch on either target. A Naive Greninja without no investment can actually faint a standard 252 HP / 4 Def Charizard Y with Rock Slide provided it hits
Blizzard - Used this attack with a Choice Scarf Abomasnow since it can easily threaten the common Double Genie core in addition to having 100% accuracy.
Extrasensory - Coverage option in case Fighting and Poison types are somewhat problematic for the team.
Hidden Power - Pretty much referring to the "other" Hidden Power types like Rock, Electric, Flying, Fire, etc since Greninja can change to any type in the game bar Fairy.
Icy Wind - A base 55 Ice type move which drops both the opposing Pokemon's speed by about one stage.
Toxic Spikes or Spikes - Because if Aaron "Cybertron" Zheng lost to Toxic Spikes Greninja at the International Challenge, then its good enough kappa jk don't use hazards in VGC

Other Notable Items

Expert Belt - A replacement for Life Orb in case the 10% recoil isn't suitable and want just the 1.2x boost against super effective targets only.
Focus Sash - Allows Greninja to take one hit from a target and live on 1 HP (assuming the opponent doesn't double target).

For those who got this far thanks for reading this article!]]>
Art by Ishmam

"Nerf Greninja Plz...for Smash at Least"
[Image: greninja.gif]

(VGC) Greninja - Attack (Mixed/Special) 2 Options

Overview

Mixed Attacker
[Image: greninja.gif]

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Ice Beam
- Low Kick
- Gunk Shot / Dark Pulse
- Protect

Milestones:

All-Out Special Attacker
[Image: greninja.gif]

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Offensive Pokemon: Given Greninja's offensive capabilities, Pokemon who are generally fast or just blatantly powerful enough to deal chip damage so the ninja frog can clean up are appreciated. Pokemon like Garchomp, Mega Kangakhan, Thundurus, Zapdos, Sylveon, Mega Salamence, etc are great partners given they can help initiate and maintain offensive pressure. Both Thundurus and Zapdos are able to supply speed control with Thunder Wave/Tailwind to ensure they and Greninja will outspeed targets. Fake Out users like Mega Kangaskhan, Raichu, Scrafty, etc can guarantee a flinch on a target while Greninja can go after a key target. Sylveon and Mega Salamence are great offensive and switch in partners in case Greninja wants to get out of the battlefield. Additionally both Sylveon and Mega Salamence are hard counters for Fighting types since they can KO most of them with powerful Aerilate and Pixilate attacks.
Spread Damage Dealers: Pokemon who can deal strong spread damage are key partners for Greninja given it cannot KO targets 100% of the time. Practically the same thing I've mentioned about earlier about some partners but Greninja typically want to be at the driver seat initiating the offense pressure and not at the receiving end. Those like Garchomp, Landorus-T, Sylveon, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Salamence, Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, and a host of others who can deal strong spread damage can ensure enough chip damage so the opposing target hopefully doesn't take any of Greninja's Protean hits.
Redirection + Helping Hand Support: Pretty much any Pokemon who can support Greninja with redirection (Follow Me/Rage Powder and Helping Hand boost work fine. Redirection is somewhat self-explanatory given Greninja is rather frail and just about any strong neutral hit in the format can potentially KO Greninja. Pokemon like Amoonguss, Clefable, Clefairy, Togekiss, and Volcarona can redirect attacks away from Greninja as it continues to break down the opposing team. There are numerous Helping Hand users (Sylveon, Gothitelle, Cresselia, Politoed, etc) who can power up Greninja's Protean hit enough to KO specific targets. For instance, LO Grass Knot from Protean Greninja can get the surprise KOs on standard Milotic and Suicune while Hidden Power Ground can with the boosts can KO 4 HP Shuca Berry Heatran 81.3% of the time. Speed control is appreciated so Greninja can ensure it and its ally are the fast on the field, but don't use this Pokemon with a full Trick Room without any others who can function in a fast mode.

Threats

Priority: In short, Greninja doesn't enough taking priority hits given its rather low defensive stats and the use of Life Orb will hinder it down. Pokemon like Talonflame, Breloom, Infernape, Conkeldurr, etc can surely KO Greninja provided none of these Pokemon receive and attack drop from like Intimidate.
Opposing Speed Control : Any form of speed control against an opposing Greninja will slow both its speed and offensive pressure enough so any Pokemon can KO it with a strong neutral hit. Pokemon like Suicune, Zapdos, Milotic, Thundurus, Cresselia, Rotom-W, etc all have some form of speed control (Tailwind, Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, Electroweb, Trick Room), though most of them have to be careful with possibly a potential super effective hit coming from Greninja. Trick Room is probably the most effective since usually Pokemon like Cresselia is able to take any of Greninja's attacks even from a Dark Pulse so that another TR ally can effectively deal with the ninja frog.
Fighting types: Given that Greninja will usually carry either Ice Beam, Protect, or Dark Pulse means that most Fighting Pokemon can exploit the use of Protean and retaliate with a super effective hit. Pokemon like Breloom, Conkeldurr, Infernape, Lucario, Hitmontop, etc can take out Greninja with a Mach Punch. However be weary of switch most of these Pokemon in as Greninja surely has some form of coverage (Ice Beam, Scald, Extrasensory [rare]) to beat these Fighting types.
Brute Force Offense: This is pretty much self explanatory but basically most of the common VGC Pokemon are able to apply immediate offensive pressure against Greninja given how frail it is. Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Gardevoir, Sylveon, Charizard Y, Aegislash, Thundurus, Terrakion, etc are able capable of knocking out Greninja in one hit provided they're able to get off the attack. Greninja has an overall defensive stats of 72/67/71 so practically most of the strongest attackers in the VGC format can KO the Kalos starter provided it can take the hit.
Redirection: Since most of Greninja's attacks are single target, Pokemon with Follow Me/Rage powder (Amoonguss, Clefable, Volcarona, Togekiss) are able to redirect attacks away from key targets Greninja would love to faint immediately. However this come at the cost that the Greninja user can just simply target the redirection based Pokemon with a super effective attack.

Other Notable moves

Rock Slide - Rock coverage with the 30% chance to flinch on either target. A Naive Greninja without no investment can actually faint a standard 252 HP / 4 Def Charizard Y with Rock Slide provided it hits
Blizzard - Used this attack with a Choice Scarf Abomasnow since it can easily threaten the common Double Genie core in addition to having 100% accuracy.
Extrasensory - Coverage option in case Fighting and Poison types are somewhat problematic for the team.
Hidden Power - Pretty much referring to the "other" Hidden Power types like Rock, Electric, Flying, Fire, etc since Greninja can change to any type in the game bar Fairy.
Icy Wind - A base 55 Ice type move which drops both the opposing Pokemon's speed by about one stage.
Toxic Spikes or Spikes - Because if Aaron "Cybertron" Zheng lost to Toxic Spikes Greninja at the International Challenge, then its good enough kappa jk don't use hazards in VGC

Other Notable Items

Expert Belt - A replacement for Life Orb in case the 10% recoil isn't suitable and want just the 1.2x boost against super effective targets only.
Focus Sash - Allows Greninja to take one hit from a target and live on 1 HP (assuming the opponent doesn't double target).

For those who got this far thanks for reading this article!]]> <![CDATA[[VGC] Gothitelle Moveset - Support]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Gothitelle-Moveset-Support Sun, 11 Oct 2015 08:37:01 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Gothitelle-Moveset-Support [Image: gothitelle_used_future_sight__by_iamchii...70kqb6.jpg]

[Image: gothitelle_used_future_sight__by_iamchii...70kqb6.jpg]

Credit to: iamchiiyousee

Gothitelle has a very unique ability in Shadow Tag, being the bulkiest of the Shadow Tag users (without being a Wobbuffet or needing the Eviolite). Being locked in to an unfavorable lead matchup can essentially lose you the game turn one, as it allows your opponent to either set up or pick off 1 or both of your Pokemon. While Gothitelle usually features on Trick room or Perish Trap, it can feature on many different types of teams, particularly ones with a setup sweeper which appreciates its foes being softened up.

Type: Psychic
Weaknesses: Dark (X2), Ghost (X2), Bug (X2)
Resistances: Fighting (x0.5), Psychic (x0.5)
Abilities:
Frisk - Frisk allows the Pokémon to see the opponent's held item upon entering battle. If the foe is holding an item, a message identifying the item will be shown right after the Pokémon with Frisk enters the battle. If the foe is not holding an item, no message will appear. In a Double Battle, the held items of all opposing Pokémon, regardless of position.

Competitive - When a stat of a Pokémon with this Ability is lowered by an opponent, its Special Attack is increased by two stages. Competitive will not activate if the Pokémon with this Ability lowers its own stats (such as with Close Combat) or if its stats are lowered by an ally. If the Pokémon with this Ability is holding a White Herb, if a stat other than Special Attack is lowered, Competitive will trigger before the White Herb, so the user will receive the Special Attack boost and then the lowered stat will be restored. If its Special Attack is lowered, Competitive will activate first, increasing its Special Attack so that the White Herb cannot activate.

Shadow Tag - Shadow Tag prevents foes from switching out while the Pokémon with this Ability is on the field. Using Baton Pass, U-turn, Volt Switch, or Parting Shot will still cause the Pokémon to switch out. Shadow Tag does not affect allies. Shadow Tag makes the Pokémon immune to the effects of other Pokémon's Shadow Tag. Holding a Shed Shell allows the Pokémon to switch out. Ghost-type Pokémon are immune to Shadow Tag.

Base Stats: 70 HP / 55 ATK / 95 DEF / 95 SpA / 110 SpD / 65 Spe

Common Trick Room Support

[Image: 576.gif]

Gothitelle @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 252 HP / 12 Def / 244 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Psychic
- Trick Room
- Helping Hand/Heal Pulse
- Protect

This is the build that you will see for the majority of Gothitelles. It's purpose is to trap Pokemon which have an unfavourable match up and set up Trick room to allow the rest of your team to outspeed your opponent. The EVs allow Gothitelle to survive a Modest Choice Specs Dark Pulse from Hydreigon, with the rest of the EVs placed in Defence. A Sassy nature and 0 Speed IVs increase Gothitelle's speed under trick room. Psychic is used to get chip damage to guarantee KOs with you teammate. Trick Room is used as a form of speed control, making slower Pokemon on your team faster for 5 turns. Helping Hand can be used to turn 3HKOs in to 2HKOs and 2HKOs in to OHKOs. Heal Pulse can be used to increase the longevity of your teammate. As Gothitelle's trapping capabilities draw attention to Gothitelle, having Protect is incredibly useful and can give your teammate free turns to deal damage.

Damage Calculations

Defensive:

252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Gothitelle: 150-176 (84.7 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Life Orb Bisharp Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Gothitelle: 237-281 (133.8 - 158.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Gothitelle: 78-93 (44 - 52.5%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Landorus-T Rock Slide vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Gothitelle: 39-46 (22 - 25.9%) -- possible 5HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Landorus-T U-turn vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Gothitelle: 98-116 (55.3 - 65.5%) -- 15.6% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Gothitelle: 148-175 (83.6 - 98.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Gothitelle: 169-200 (95.4 - 112.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Return vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Gothitelle: 145-172 (81.9 - 97.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Gothitelle: 150-177 (84.7 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Mega Tyranitar Crunch vs. 252 HP / 12 Def Gothitelle: 168-198 (94.9 - 111.8%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Gothitelle: 75-88 (42.3 - 49.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ SpA Pixilate Mega Gardevoir Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Gothitelle: 67-79 (37.8 - 44.6%) -- 33.4% chance to 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Gothitelle in Sun: 144-171 (81.3 - 96.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Gothitelle in Sun: 79-94 (44.6 - 53.1%) -- 9% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

148+ SpA Ludicolo Scald vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Gothitelle in Rain: 57-67 (32.2 - 37.8%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Gothitelle: 49-58 (27.6 - 32.7%) -- 8.5% chance to 4HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ SpA Life Orb Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 244+ SpD Gothitelle: 151-179 (85.3 - 101.1%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

Offensive:

Sejun Park's Gothitelle

[Image: 576.gif]

Gothitelle @ Leftovers
Shadow Tag | Calm
252 HP / 172 Def / 4 SpA / 76 SpD / 4 Spe
– Psyshock
– Thunder Wave
– Tickle
– Protect

While less common, this Gothitelle proved to be incredibly useful in Sejun Park's 2014 Worlds team. The EVs are more well rounded to take both physical and special hits. While the ability to take a Specs Dark Pulse from Hydreigon is very nice, on some teams that benchmark is simply unnecessary. For example, on Sejun's team if he was expecting Hydreigon to lead he could bring his Scarfed Gardevoir to outspeed and OHKO with Dazzling Gleam. The moveset is used to neuter the trapped Pokemon, allowing for a teammate's setup. Tickle is used to lower the Attack and Defence of a trapped Pokemon, softening it up for his teammates. Psyshock is used
to capitalise on Defence drops from Tickle. Thunder Wave is used as a form of speed control. Protect is used to protect Gothitelle from double targets. Leftovers are used over Sitrus Berry as Gothitelle is intended to survive for the majority of the match.

Damage Calculations

Defensive:

252+ Atk Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 172 Def Gothitelle: 67-79 (37.8 - 44.6%) -- 33.4% chance to 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Landorus-T Rock Slide vs. 252 HP / 172 Def Gothitelle: 34-40 (19.2 - 22.5%) -- possible 6HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 172 Def Gothitelle: 127-150 (71.7 - 84.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 172 Def Gothitelle: 145-172 (81.9 - 97.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Return vs. 252 HP / 172 Def Gothitelle: 124-146 (70 - 82.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Fake Out vs. 252 HP / 172 Def Gothitelle: 49-60 (27.6 - 33.8%) -- 7.6% chance to 4HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 172 Def Gothitelle: 127-151 (71.7 - 85.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252 Atk Mega Tyranitar Crunch vs. 252 HP / 172 Def Gothitelle: 144-170 (81.3 - 96%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after sandstorm damage and Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ Atk Life Orb Bisharp Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 172 Def Gothitelle: 203-242 (114.6 - 136.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 76+ SpD Gothitelle: 85-102 (48 - 57.6%) -- 17.6% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252 SpA Pixilate Mega Gardevoir Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 76+ SpD Gothitelle: 69-82 (38.9 - 46.3%) -- 77.9% chance to 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Overheat vs. 252 HP / 76+ SpD Gothitelle in Sun: 168-198 (94.9 - 111.8%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO

148+ SpA Ludicolo Scald vs. 252 HP / 76+ SpD Gothitelle in Rain: 64-76 (36.1 - 42.9%) -- 3.1% chance to 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 76+ SpD Gothitelle: 170-204 (96 - 115.2%) -- 75% chance to OHKO

252 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 76+ SpD Gothitelle: 55-66 (31 - 37.2%) -- 100% chance to 4HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ SpA Life Orb Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 76+ SpD Gothitelle: 172-203 (97.1 - 114.6%) -- 75% chance to OHKO

Offensive:

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Mawile and Gothitelle is a classic Trick Room core. Mawile greatly appreciates Trick Room, allowing it to outspeed a huge portion of the metagame and OHKOing them with its monstrous attack stat with Huge Power. This is only made easier with the knowledge that the opponent cannot switch. Shadow Tag and Intimidate have great synergy, as physical Pokemon will be unable to switch to reset stat changes.
Choice Scarfed Landorus-T makes a great partner, with its ability Intimidate having great synergy with Shadow Tag and its high speed allowing you to U-turn out to an appropriate Check/Counter if it has an unfavorable match up. On Trick room teams, it provides a fast mode for if/when Trick room expires.
Gothitelle appreciates Fake Out and redirection to increase its longevity. Gothitelle in turn can provide Heal Pulse support.
In a Perish Trap team, Perish Song users such as Politoed, Lapras and Azumarill are useful, as well as Mega Gengar.

Threats include but aren't limited to;

Dark types such as Bisharp, Tyranitar and Hydreigon completely wall Gothitelle and can OHKO and 2HKO in return. Ghost and Steel types are also able to wall Gothitelle.
Taunt users can render Gothitelle useless.
Spore users can put Gothitelle to sleep before it is able to set up Trick Room.
Encore users can lock Gothitelle in to an unfavourable move. Prankster encore users can move before Gothitelle after it uses Trick Room, forcing you to reverse your own trick room.

Other notable moves

Light Screen - Reduces special damage for both allies taken for 5 turns.
Swagger - If you want be THAT guy...
Fake Tears - Reduces the Special Defence of the opponent
Taunt - Can be used to shut down Aegislash and prevent your Trick Room from being reversed.
Foul Play - Can be used to punish physical attackers.
Rest - A long with a Chesto Berry, Rest can be a nice option for Gothitelle, especially if another Pokemon has already taken the Sitrus Berry. However, this would replace Protect which can leave Gothitelle susceptible to double targeting.

Other Notable Items

Chesto Berry - A replacement for the Sitrus Berry a long with the move Rest.
Mental Herb - Used to prevent Taunt, preventing Gothitelle from being shut down.

]]>

Credit to: iamchiiyousee

Common Trick Room Support

[Image: 576.gif]

Offensive:

Sejun Park's Gothitelle

[Image: 576.gif]

Offensive:

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Mawile and Gothitelle is a classic Trick Room core. Mawile greatly appreciates Trick Room, allowing it to outspeed a huge portion of the metagame and OHKOing them with its monstrous attack stat with Huge Power. This is only made easier with the knowledge that the opponent cannot switch. Shadow Tag and Intimidate have great synergy, as physical Pokemon will be unable to switch to reset stat changes.
Choice Scarfed Landorus-T makes a great partner, with its ability Intimidate having great synergy with Shadow Tag and its high speed allowing you to U-turn out to an appropriate Check/Counter if it has an unfavorable match up. On Trick room teams, it provides a fast mode for if/when Trick room expires.
Gothitelle appreciates Fake Out and redirection to increase its longevity. Gothitelle in turn can provide Heal Pulse support.
In a Perish Trap team, Perish Song users such as Politoed, Lapras and Azumarill are useful, as well as Mega Gengar.

Threats include but aren't limited to;

Dark types such as Bisharp, Tyranitar and Hydreigon completely wall Gothitelle and can OHKO and 2HKO in return. Ghost and Steel types are also able to wall Gothitelle.
Taunt users can render Gothitelle useless.
Spore users can put Gothitelle to sleep before it is able to set up Trick Room.
Encore users can lock Gothitelle in to an unfavourable move. Prankster encore users can move before Gothitelle after it uses Trick Room, forcing you to reverse your own trick room.

Other notable moves

Light Screen - Reduces special damage for both allies taken for 5 turns.
Swagger - If you want be THAT guy...
Fake Tears - Reduces the Special Defence of the opponent
Taunt - Can be used to shut down Aegislash and prevent your Trick Room from being reversed.
Foul Play - Can be used to punish physical attackers.
Rest - A long with a Chesto Berry, Rest can be a nice option for Gothitelle, especially if another Pokemon has already taken the Sitrus Berry. However, this would replace Protect which can leave Gothitelle susceptible to double targeting.

Other Notable Items

Chesto Berry - A replacement for the Sitrus Berry a long with the move Rest.
Mental Herb - Used to prevent Taunt, preventing Gothitelle from being shut down.

]]> <![CDATA[[VGC] Swampert Moveset - Tank (Sweeper)]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Swampert-Moveset-Tank-Sweeper Thu, 08 Oct 2015 14:08:44 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Swampert-Moveset-Tank-Sweeper [Image: swampert___muddy_water_by_ishmam-d8255ny.png]

[Image: swampert___muddy_water_by_ishmam-d8255ny.png]

Credit to Ishmam

When I first played the original Pokemon Sapphire
and was given the option to choose my starter. I was so ready to choose the Fire starter Torchic. In previous Gen's I always chose the fire starter. But Gen 3 and mudkip, how could I not choose him? He's adorable! And thus my fascination with mudkip and his evolutions began. Being the first water starter to have a dual typing after evolving was awesome. Not to mention that made him a beast of a pokemon with only one true weakness, Grass. Regardless of that weakness Swampert became my favorite starter, even to this day. With his Defensive Bulk, high HP and Typing. It allows for Swampert to be a bulky Cannon of a pokemon. With the inclusion of his Mega Evolution in the Gen 6 Remake of Sapphire, Swampert gained even more Bulk and Attack power.
Hitting hard and being able take hits, that's the plan here.
I hope you find this build useful!

Type: Water / Ground
Base Stats: 100 HP / 110 ATT / 90 DEF / 85 SPA / 90 SPD / 60 SPE
Weaknesses: GRASS
Resistances: Poison Rock Steel Fire
Immunities: Electric
Abilities: Torrent

Pressure Tank

[Image: giphy.gif]

Swampert @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 200 HP / 52 Atk / 129 Def / x SpA / 129 SpD / x Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Waterfall
- Avalanche
- Barrier / Curse

This build for Swampert is meant to Take hits and dish out even harder ones.
I Chose the EV spread to make sure that Swampert can take hits from common threats. 200 in HP gives Swampert good longevity combined with the 129 in both DEF and SPD Swampert can easily survive a moonblast from a Mega Gardevoir. With leftovers included to possibly make Swampert a 3HKO in most situations. Giving him time to set up if necessary with Barrier or Curse. With Curse Swampert can take advantage of Avalanche in a way. reducing his speed even further incase the priority of the move is matched by one of the opposing pokemon, while also increasing the damage dealt and Swamperts DEF. Avalanche will OHKO both Landorus and Thundurus, two very common threats in the VGC scene. With Avalanche doubling its base power when used after the opposing pokemon. I feel it's more viable than ice punch for this set, especially since we shouldn't be expecting Swampert to out speed most Mons in the first place. Earthqauke for Great STAB and waterfall for STAB and possible flinches. Pairing Swampert up with a mon that has intimidate could help prolong his potential for sweeping against physical threats like Kangaskhan. Or having a pkemon setup light screen to help with SPA pokemon like Hydriegon or Mega Gardevoir. With a light screen up Swampert can take more than a couple of grass Knots from Timid full EV & IV thundurus
(252 SpA Thundurus Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. +2 200 HP / 129 SpD Swampert: 88-104 (44 - 52%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery)
Most Pokemon that Swampert hits neutrally will go down in 2 hits. There's more detail in the damage Calcs down below.

Damage Calculations:

Offensive

Defensive

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Arcanine is a great teammate for Swampert. with the intimidate to lower the opponents attack. If you are running a Bulkier Arcanine with will-o-wisp you can Nerf the opponents physical threats even more, possibly forcing a switch. Or at the very least put on a bit of pressure.
TalonFlame is also a good partner for Swampert. It brings the pressure to your opponents. Galewings - Brave bird, followed by an earthquake (if applicable in that situation) Can KO atleast one of your opponents Mons. Making them really weigh out their options early in the match.
Whimsicott is probably my favorite support for Swampert. With prankster allowing for boosting of both Mon's Defenses and adding pressure by throwing status effects on the opponents Mons. giving Whimsicott the light clay to boost the duration of light screen, keeps Swampert in the green a bit longer for more sweeping possibilities.

Threats include, but aren't limited to;

Let's be honest Grass Types or Grass type Moves are your only real concern here.
Thundurus, Klefki, and Whimsicott are all tricky due to there ability prankster. Causing Swampert less time to shine on your team with toxic or by buffing their own team as well.
Greninja can be a problem for any team. Being able to learn Grass Knot and the ability Protean, This means trouble. Grass Knots power will be 80 (due to Swamperts weight) Protean triggers + Greninja gets STAB = Not fun for Swampert.

252 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 200 HP / 129 SpD Swampert: 296-348 (148 - 174%) -- guaranteed OHKO

If you use light screen: 252 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. +2 200 HP / 129 SpD Swampert: 146-177 (73 - 88.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Other Notable Moves

Aqua Tail: More base power than Waterfall, but that chance to miss is crucial to me. I'd rather take my chances with waterfall and possibly get a flinch or two out of it.
Iron Tail: If you want a way to get a Possible OHKO on mega Gardevoir then this move is decent. but with Earthquake (STAB) having a better type coverage, the only other benfit outside of Fairy Killing is Ice Types.
Hammer Arm: This move is more for taking out the every annoying Bisharp that makes rare appearances on teams. Yea we do have earthquake for this, but with Bisharp taking 4x the damage from this move you can guarantee an OHKO. Not to mention Mega Kangaskhan does not appreciate a Hammer Arm to the face.

52 Atk Swampert Iron Tail vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Gardevoir: 122-144 (84.7 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
52 Atk Swampert Hammer Arm vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Bisharp: 176-208 (124.8 - 147.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 200 HP / 129+ Def Swampert: 130-155 (65 - 77.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Other Notable Items

Expert Belt: If you want to take advantage of Swamperts decent type coverage in its moves, then the Expert belt is a nice little extra Oomph for those Super Effective hits.
Lum Berry: If you want to be really nasty. Pair your Swampert up with someone who knows Swagger (Whimsicott). And watch as your Swampert begins to become a serious threat in only one turn. Or for the possible Will-o-wisp from a Gardevoir. It never hurts to be prepared.

And that's it! I hope this gave you all some ideas on how awesome a Swampert can be in VGC format. As I'm sure there are plenty of different ways to run every Pokemon out there. This is just one of the many. If it's not for you, then it's just not for you. No Harm done there! :D
If you found this enjoyable or informational or if you have any constructive criticism, then please let me know by dropping a comment down below. I'm Still new here, so my eyes and ears are open to constructive input.
Thank you for reading!

]]>

Credit to Ishmam

Type: Water / Ground
Base Stats: 100 HP / 110 ATT / 90 DEF / 85 SPA / 90 SPD / 60 SPE
Weaknesses: GRASS
Resistances: Poison Rock Steel Fire
Immunities: Electric
Abilities: Torrent

Pressure Tank

[Image: giphy.gif]

Defensive

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Arcanine is a great teammate for Swampert. with the intimidate to lower the opponents attack. If you are running a Bulkier Arcanine with will-o-wisp you can Nerf the opponents physical threats even more, possibly forcing a switch. Or at the very least put on a bit of pressure.
TalonFlame is also a good partner for Swampert. It brings the pressure to your opponents. Galewings - Brave bird, followed by an earthquake (if applicable in that situation) Can KO atleast one of your opponents Mons. Making them really weigh out their options early in the match.
Whimsicott is probably my favorite support for Swampert. With prankster allowing for boosting of both Mon's Defenses and adding pressure by throwing status effects on the opponents Mons. giving Whimsicott the light clay to boost the duration of light screen, keeps Swampert in the green a bit longer for more sweeping possibilities.

Threats include, but aren't limited to;

Let's be honest Grass Types or Grass type Moves are your only real concern here.
Thundurus, Klefki, and Whimsicott are all tricky due to there ability prankster. Causing Swampert less time to shine on your team with toxic or by buffing their own team as well.
Greninja can be a problem for any team. Being able to learn Grass Knot and the ability Protean, This means trouble. Grass Knots power will be 80 (due to Swamperts weight) Protean triggers + Greninja gets STAB = Not fun for Swampert.

252 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 200 HP / 129 SpD Swampert: 296-348 (148 - 174%) -- guaranteed OHKO

If you use light screen: 252 SpA Life Orb Protean Greninja Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. +2 200 HP / 129 SpD Swampert: 146-177 (73 - 88.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Other Notable Moves

Aqua Tail: More base power than Waterfall, but that chance to miss is crucial to me. I'd rather take my chances with waterfall and possibly get a flinch or two out of it.
Iron Tail: If you want a way to get a Possible OHKO on mega Gardevoir then this move is decent. but with Earthquake (STAB) having a better type coverage, the only other benfit outside of Fairy Killing is Ice Types.
Hammer Arm: This move is more for taking out the every annoying Bisharp that makes rare appearances on teams. Yea we do have earthquake for this, but with Bisharp taking 4x the damage from this move you can guarantee an OHKO. Not to mention Mega Kangaskhan does not appreciate a Hammer Arm to the face.

52 Atk Swampert Iron Tail vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Gardevoir: 122-144 (84.7 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
52 Atk Swampert Hammer Arm vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Bisharp: 176-208 (124.8 - 147.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 200 HP / 129+ Def Swampert: 130-155 (65 - 77.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Other Notable Items

Expert Belt: If you want to take advantage of Swamperts decent type coverage in its moves, then the Expert belt is a nice little extra Oomph for those Super Effective hits.
Lum Berry: If you want to be really nasty. Pair your Swampert up with someone who knows Swagger (Whimsicott). And watch as your Swampert begins to become a serious threat in only one turn. Or for the possible Will-o-wisp from a Gardevoir. It never hurts to be prepared.

]]> <![CDATA[[VGC] Mega Salamence - Attack (Mixed/Mono-Dragon Dance) Options]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Mega-Salamence-Attack-Mixed-Mono-Dragon-Dance-Options Thu, 08 Oct 2015 13:51:45 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Mega-Salamence-Attack-Mixed-Mono-Dragon-Dance-Options
Art by MachManV2

"The Flying Kite of Doom"
[Image: salamence-mega.gif]

(VGC) Mega Salamence - Attack (Mixed/Mono-Dragon Dance) Options

Type: Dragon/Flying
Base Stats: 95 HP / 135 Attack / 80 Defense / 110 Special Attack / 80 Special Defense / 100 Speed
Mega Stats: 95 HP / 145 Attack / 130 Defense / 120 Special Attack / 90 Special Defense / 120 Speed
Weaknesses: Ice (x4), Dragon (x2), Fairy (x2), Rock (x2)
Resistances: Fighting (X0.5), Bug (X0.5), Water (X0.5), Fire (x0.5), Grass (x0.5)
Immunities: Ground
Ability 1: Intimidate - Cuts the attack of the opposing Pokemons by 1 stage.
Ability 2: Moxie (Hidden Ability) - Raises the base attack power of the Pokemon if it caused the opposing Pokemon (or allied Pokemon) to faint.
Mega Ability: Aerilate - Turns all Normal type moves into the Flying type and receive a 30% boost.

Overview

Historically Salamence has seen play with among the top tier Pokemon in VGC thanks in part with its massive movepool, two great abilities (Inimitdate/Moxie), and its Dragon/Flying typing. With ORAS, Salamence received a Mega Evolution which transforms this already powerful pseudo-Legendary into a offensive juggernaut capable of wall-breaking opposing teams in part because of its new ability: Aerilate. With Mega Salamence's new Aerilate ability, all Normal type moves become Flying type and receive a 1.3x bonus in power so attacks such as Return, Double Edge, and Hyper Voice hit harder than most of Salamence's Dragon STAB attack (bar Draco Meteor). Offensively, Mega Salamence sports a solid 145 Atk /120 SpA /120 Spe offensive stats with its 120 base speed stat being the most notable as its already outspeed the base 100s, 110s, and other threats such as Mega Kangaskhan, Charizard Y, Mega Gardevoir, Raikou, offensive Thundurus, and even Scarf Tyranitar. Defensively, this classic gen 3 dragon is no slouch garnering a powerful 95 HP /130 Def / 95 SP def stats with arguably its physical defense being the strongest factoring in the potential Intimidate drops prior before Mega Evolving. Typing-wise Mega Salamence has some rather solid resistances in Fire, Grass, Water, Fighting, Bug and an immunity to Ground type attacks so it can come in on most elemental and Earthquake hits.

There's no doubt Mega Salamence is one of the best Mega Evolutions in the format in part because of its sheer unpredictability in what set the Hoenn dragon will run effectively. Is it going to be a mono Dragon Dance setup build? Is it fully physical? Special? Heck even mixed? Aside from scouting your opponent's team prior, you can't really tell what set Mega Salamence is goint to run before its possibly too late. Of course Mega Salamance has to stay away from taking strong special attacks like Pixilate Hyper Voice, Ice Beam, Hidden Power Ice, Draco Meteors, and as well as relatively strong physical hits such as Ice Punch ( especially from Mega Kang/Metagross ) and Play Rough. Opposing speed control can mess up Mega Salamence ( Trick Room/Thunder Wave ), as well as "bulky" stuff like Cresselia, Porygon2, the Rotom-A forms, Aegislash, Heatran, and other depending on the set. Despite the competition and some of these notable threats, Mega Salamance is still regarded as among the top Mega Evolution given its highly unpredictable nature and sheer power it can deal against foes.

Physically Mixed Based Attacker
[Image: MegaSalamenceV25_zps11d6a0e1.png]

Salamence-Mega @ Salamencite
Ability: Aerilate
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Naive / Jolly Nature
- Double-Edge / Return
- Earthquake / Dragon Claw
- Draco Meteor / Dragon Dance / Flamethrower / Rock Slide
- Protect

I'm not gonna lie but there are a wide variety of viable options for the Mega Salamence users to consider from and its better off just to list them out here IMO. Yes I get there's a "other options" section people do for this situation, but considering how unpredictable Mega Salamence can be I'll mention them as well. To start of with the set, I'd like to point out the rather "bland" 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe you all see for this set. Yes its unoriginal LOL but if you look at most of the reports from Nugget Bridge featuring an all out attacker Mega Salamence with Double-Edge, the players don't opt for some complex EV spreads likely for one reason I'd just implied: recoil. Yes if this Salamence spread were Jolly it could run 100 HP / 4 SpD minimum investment to take a Ice Beam from a standard Suicune set 100% of the time, however factoring in recoil from the consecutive usage of Double Edge will make it easy for Suicune to beat. In the end, Mega Salamence can opt for a bulky set, but its taking recoil from Double Edge defeats the purpose of being bulky and it should either run Return or something else. *One valid point I forgot to make is that Double Edge can allow you to get potential free switch ins since recoil + any strong attack in general can knock out Mence. Free switch ins can be valuable especially for the late game where most of the enemy team is worn down (hopefully).

Double Edge is the crux of any all-out attacker set since its essentially 156 base power before STAB that hits slightly harder than Adamant Return from Mega Kangaskhan and just slightly on par with a 252 atk Jolly Double Edge variant. Thanks to Aerilate, Mega Salamance can hit majority of the meta hard with just one Double Edge while practically nukes any Grass, Fighting, and Bug types as well as any frailer Pokemon. Earthquake allows Mega Salamence to hit Fire, Rock, Poison, Electric and Steel types such as Arcanine, Raikou, Heatran, Terrakion, Entei, Tyranitar, Nidoking, etc for hard super effective damage. Honestly just Flying / Ground coverage allows Mega Salamence to hits majority of the game at least neutrally bar Thundurus, Zapdos, the Rotom forms, and Aerodactyl. Draco Meteor a strong special STAB option to KO 4 HP Dragon types like Garchomp, Hydreigon, Latios and even opposing Mega Salamence while confusion the opponent in figuring out whether its specially mixed or physically mixed. Protect is the last moveslot since virtually mandatory for Mega Salamence to avoid getting hit by super effective attacks or stall out field conditions (Tailwind / Trick Room).

As far as other options are concern, Return is an alternative in case the recoil from Double Edge isn't appealing and allows for it to run more bulkier set. Dragon Claw is a great physical STAB alternative to hit anything that isn't resisted/immune to either Double Edge/Return or Earthquake not named Skarmory. Dragon Dance can turn Mega Salamence into an offensive powerhouse and allow it to get KOs such as the ever threatening Mega Kangaskhan and Landorus-T. If you do plan to opt for Dragon Dance or with an all out physical attacking moveset than Jolly nature should be opted to take some special attacks better. Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Heat wave is a great coverage option in case the team doesn't have an appropriate answer for Scizor or Ferrothorn aside from using neutral hits with Mega Salamence. Rock Slide rounds out the other options since its a strong spread coverage against Flying types (particularly Zapdos/Thundurus) and the flinch factor on both targets can be annoying.

Damage Calculations
I'm just going to focus on the highlighted attacks for here on out.

Offensive-

(All calculations were done with 252 Atk with a Naive nature)

Double Edge ( 252 Atk with Aerilate boost)

-1 252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Landorus-T: 105-124 (63.6 - 75.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Landorus-T: 157-186 (95.1 - 112.7%) -- 75% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Terrakion: 157-186 (94 - 111.3%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 92 HP / 116 Def Sylveon: 174-205 (95.6 - 112.6%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Kangaskhan: 144-171 (79.5 - 94.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Amoonguss: 258-306 (116.7 - 138.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 116 Def Mega Gardevoir: 174-205 (99.4 - 117.1%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 100+ Def Suicune: 108-127 (52.1 - 61.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 132 HP / 4 Def Entei: 163-193 (78.7 - 93.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 124+ Def Mega Venusaur: 200-236 (106.9 - 126.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Mega Charizard Y: 175-207 (94.5 - 111.8%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO

252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 220 HP / 172 Def Cresselia: 108-127 (48.4 - 56.9%) -- 90.6% chance to 2HKO

Earthquake (252 Atk Naive)

252 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 176-208 (105.3 - 124.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Shuca Berry Heatran: 88-104 (52.6 - 62.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 86-102 (48.8 - 57.9%) -- 95.3% chance to 2HKO

252 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Excadrill: 138-164 (74.1 - 88.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Aegislash-Shield: 66-78 (39.5 - 46.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Raikou: 118-140 (71.5 - 84.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Nidoking: 114-136 (72.6 - 86.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 132 HP / 4 Def Entei: 104-124 (50.2 - 59.9%) -- 83.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Draco Meteor (0 SpA Naive )

0 SpA Mega Salamence Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Garchomp: 194-230 (106 - 125.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

0 SpA Mega Salamence Draco Meteor vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Hydreigon: 186-222 (110.7 - 132.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

0 SpA Mega Salamence Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Latios: 158-188 (101.9 - 121.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

0 SpA Mega Salamence Draco Meteor vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence: 186-222 (108.7 - 129.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Defensive -

Specially Mixed Based Attacker
[Image: MegaSalamenceV25_zps11d6a0e1.png]

Salamence-Mega @ Salamencite
Ability: Aerilate
Level: 50
EVs: 44 Atk / 212 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive / Timid Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Draco Meteor
- Double-Edge / Flamethrower / Hydro Pump
- Protect

This Mega Salamence should be familiar to some of you as its the same one Cybetron used to get 4th in US Nationals with his Sand based team. Like Mega Gardevoir and Sylveon, Mega Salamence has access to Hyper Voice with the only key difference is instead of it being Flying type than Fairy thanks to the Aerilate boost. This set just proves how powerful Flying STAB truly is given few Pokemon in the game can take the combination of Aerilate Hyper Voice and Double Edge from Mega Salamence. Some of the perks for opting for Aerilate Hyper Voice means non-AV Landorus-T will do about 45% and will leave it within range of a Double Edge or another Hyper Voice (though likely a roll). the same can be said about even Mega Kangaskhan as Hyper Voice will do over a third of its health leaving it within range of a Double Edge. Aerilate Hyper Voice is a strong spread damage that will literally render Rage Powder redirection users nearly obsolete since most of them like Amoonguss, Volcarona, Tangrowth, and other Grass / Bug types are weak to Flying and will still deal damage against the partner it try to protect. Other redirection users won't appreciate taking Hyper Voice damage since it can possibly leave them in range or a Double Edge. Since Mega Salamence has some special attack investment this time, STAB Dragon Meteor will KO most 4 HP Dragon types and inflict some "meaningful" damage to targets like Thundurus, Rotom-W, and Mega Kangaskhan to avoid going for additional Double Edge recoil.

As far as other options are concern, Mega Salamance can opt to run Fire type coverage like Flamethrower in case Steel types like Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Ferrothorn become an issue. Hydro Pump is a rather fun move to use on Mega Salamence against Heatran since most of them have either Shuca or even Chople Berry to reduce the damage of those super effective hits, but rather not from a strong hit like Hydro Pump. Preferably consider Hydro Pump in case Mega Salamence is being used on a Rain team since it will power the move up. If Mega Salamence is going to be fully special and not mixed, use an standard 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with a Timid nature so it can take special attack hits better.

Damage Calculations

Offensive -

Hyper Voice ( 212 SpA with Aerilate )

212 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan: 69-82 (38.1 - 45.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

212 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 84 HP / 12 SpD Landorus-T: 81-96 (46.2 - 54.8%) -- 58.6% chance to 2HKO

212 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Volcarona: 132-156 (68.7 - 81.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

212 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Amoonguss: 164-194 (74.2 - 87.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

212 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 188 HP / 156+ SpD Amoonguss: 126-150 (59.1 - 70.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

212 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence: 76-90 (44.4 - 52.6%) -- 18.8% chance to 2HKO

212 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Gardevoir: 54-64 (30.8 - 36.5%) -- 59.9% chance to 3HKO

212 SpA Aerilate Mega Salamence Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Mega Venusaur: 114-134 (60.9 - 71.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Aerilate Double Edge ( 44 Atk )

44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Kangaskhan: 126-148 (69.6 - 81.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 92 HP / 116 Def Sylveon: 151-178 (82.9 - 97.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Mega Gardevoir: 175-207 (100 - 118.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Mega Charizard Y: 153-180 (82.7 - 97.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Landorus-T: 136-162 (82.4 - 98.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

-1 44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 148 Def Ludicolo: 186-218 (99.4 - 116.5%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

Draco Meteor (212 SpA)

KOs the four Dragon types: 4 HP Latios, Garchomp, Hydreigon, and Mega Salamence

212 SpA Mega Salamence Draco Meteor vs. 236 HP / 128+ SpD Thundurus: 97-115 (52.7 - 62.5%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

212 SpA Mega Salamence Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 148+ SpD Rotom-W: 76-91 (48.4 - 57.9%) -- 10.2% chance to 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

212 SpA Mega Salamence Draco Meteor vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan: 102-121 (56.3 - 66.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Flamethrower (212 SpA )

212 SpA Mega Salamence Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Scizor: 224-268 (126.5 - 151.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

212 SpA Mega Salamence Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Ferrothorn: 160-192 (88.3 - 106%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO

212 SpA Mega Salamence Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 116 SpD Mega Scizor: 168-200 (94.9 - 112.9%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO

212 SpA Mega Salamence Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Escavalier: 180-216 (101.6 - 122%) -- guaranteed OHKO

212 SpA Mega Salamence Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Mega Mawile: 94-112 (59.8 - 71.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

212 SpA Mega Salamence Flamethrower vs. 44 HP / 0 SpD Mega Metagross: 88-104 (54.6 - 64.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Defensive -

Mono-Dragon Dance
[Image: MegaSalamenceV25_zps11d6a0e1.png]

Salamence-Mega @ Salamencite
Ability: Aerilate
Level: 50
EVs: 100 HP / 196 Atk / 4 Def / 12 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Roost / Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
- Protect

Milestones:
-Outspeed max speed offensive Thundurus by 2 points and base 110s.
-Takes an Ice Beam from 100 SpA Suicune 100% of the time.
-Takes an -1 Icicle Crash from 252 Atk Mamoswine 15/16th of the time.
-KOs 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan (7/8th of time), Terrakion, and Landorus-T (without Intimdate drop) after one Dragon Dance boost.
-2HKOs 4 HP Heatran with one Dragon Dance boost.
-Takes a Dragon Pulse from 252 SpA Mega Salamence 100% of the time.

This is an offensive Dragon Dance set courtesy of GMX from the forums here since we both used this set at our respective tournaments and went pretty far in the competition with it. To start off, this Mega Salamence isn't opting Double Edge as the main attacking move, rather Return to maximize the defensive value of the EV Spread and ensure that it sweep opposing teams at ease without fainting at critical junctions of the battle from like recoil. After a Dragon Dance boost, Mega Salamance is able to KO a vast majority of targets like standard 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan, Terrakion, Landorus-T (without Intimidate drop), and deals heavy damage to anything else that's not a Rock, Steel, or Electric type. Protect is vital given a boosted Mega Salamence will be a prime target and its great to stall out field conditions. The last moveset is either between Roost and Earthquake given the exclusive situation Mega Salamence will run into. Roost is a recovery option that replenishes about 50% of Mega Salamence HP at the cost of losing its Flying typing. Though Ground type hits will Mega Salamence, this will allow it to take Electric, Rock, and Ice hits fairly better now especially since an Ice attack will do twice as much damage compared to a quadruple super effective hit. Earthquake is a strong Ground attack for any Steel, Fire, Rock, Poison, and "grounded" Electric types and forms a strong coverage against majority of the metagame.

For this Dragon Dance Mega Salamence set to work, it needs to be guarded against any form of opposing speed control, burns, paralysis, and notable "bulky" Pokemon that can take a hit. Redirection is one of the best ways to allow Mega Salamence to setup given Pokemon like Amoonguss, Clefairy, or even Volcarona can Follow me/Rage Powder away single target hits safely. Taunters like Thundurus and Liepard can help prevent most status moves so Mega Salamence get one Dragon Dance one boost while prevent opposing setup as well. Wide Guard users like Aegislash or Conkeldurr are great partners as they can shield Salamence from powerful Pixilate Hyper Voice attacks and Rock Slides. One last point to make about a typical Dragon Dance set is to NOT USE SALAMENCE AS A PIVOT SWITCH against physical attackers. This is not due to the possibility of a rouge Ice attack, rather Mega Salamence will need all the health it can to maintain a sweep. Try to keep Salamence in its base form before Mega Evolving since Intimidate is a great ability in general to reduce the attack of physical attackers and setup with ease.

Damage Calculations

Offensive -

Return (+1 196 Atk After Dragon Dance )

+1 196 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Return vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Amoonguss: 320-378 (144.7 - 171%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 196 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Return vs. 252 HP / 116 Def Mega Gardevoir: 213-252 (121.7 - 144%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 196 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Return vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Kangaskhan: 178-210 (98.3 - 116%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

+1 196 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Return vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Landorus-T: 195-229 (118.1 - 138.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 196 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Return vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 84-100 (50.2 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 196 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Return vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Hydreigon: 195-229 (116 - 136.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 196 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Return vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Salamence: 144-169 (84.2 - 98.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 196 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Return vs. 236 HP / 116 Def Thundurus: 102-120 (55.4 - 65.2%) -- 15.6% chance

+1 196 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Return vs. 196 HP / 116 Def Sylveon: 213-252 (109.2 - 129.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 196 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Return vs. 220 HP / 172 Def Cresselia: 132-156 (59.1 - 69.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Earthquake ( 196 atk )

196 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 82-98 (46.5 - 55.6%) -- 76.2% chance to 2HKO

196 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Excadrill: 134-158 (72 - 84.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

196 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Raichu: 144-170 (105.8 - 125%) -- guaranteed OHKO

196 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 172-204 (102.9 - 122.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

196 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Raikou: 112-134 (67.8 - 81.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

196 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 44 Def Mega Gengar: 102-120 (61 - 71.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

196 Atk Mega Salamence Earthquake vs. 132 HP / 0 Def Entei: 102-122 (49.2 - 58.9%) -- 71.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.

Not going to include +1 since anything else that's being inflicted about 67% of greater will likely result in a KO after a Dragon Dance boost. This isn't factoring Shuca Berry, Reflect, Burns, or any attack drops.

Defensive -

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Steel types: Since Mega Salamence is weak to Dragon, Fairy, Rock, and Ice type attacks it would make ever more sense to have Steel type partners who can easily take these hits since most of them are resisted to at least 3/4 of these attacks (factoring in dual typings). Arguably the best part Steel type Pokemon (& to me the best partner for Mega Salamence) who can threaten all 4 types as well as an additional 8 types (resisted and immune) is Aegislash. I can't really think of another Pokemon who forms a great defensive synergy with a pseudo 150/150 in both offensive and defensive stats than Aegislash since it walls threats like Abomasnow, Thundurus, Sylveon, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Mawile, Cresselia, and even opposing Mega Salamences. Heck 3 of the 4 types mentioned here (Ice, Fairy, and Rock) are extremely weak to a STAB Iron Head / Flash Cannon from a base 150 Physical/Special Attack from Aegislash. Another trait Aegislash has over some other Steel types is the fact it can shield Mega Salamence from spread damage from Rock Slide, Blizzard, and even Pixilate Hyper Voice by spamming Wide Guard. In turn, Mega Salamence can provide Aegislash with a Intimidate drop to add to its overall bulk and go head to head against opposing Fire and Ground types with strong Aerilate hits or with Earthquake.

As far as other Steel type partners are concern, Heatran, Ferrothorn, Exadrill, Bisharp, Scizor, and Metagross make great teammates for Mega Salamence. Heatran is the most notable here since thanks to its Fire/Steel typing, it has a quad resistance to Ice/Fairy, takes incoming Will-O-Wisp hits with Flash Fire, can deal with opposing Steel types in case Mence doesn't have a coverage option, and can retaliate against those Rock, Ice, and Fairy types with a super effective Flash Cannon. Ferrothorn is an amazing defensive wall which can effectively deal with Water types like Rotom-W or Milotic who can give Mega Salamence some headaches. Excadrill is a great offensive partner considering Mega Salamence's part Flying typing allows driller to hit STAB Earthquakes against its opponents. Bisharp can be used as an Intimidate/Icy Wind deter given it would receive a +1/+2 in its physical attack which can allows the Dark/Steel type to hit significantly harder. Scizor is able to KO most Fairy types like Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir with a Life Orb STAB Bullet Punch and can protect Mence from Prankster Thunder Wave with Quick Guard. Regular Metagross is a creative, yet clever way to trick your opponents into having a duel Mega options as Metagross can deal massive damage against opposing threats.
Electric Types: Mega Salamence needs ways to deal with bulky Water Pokemon since they can take a Aerilate Double Edge/ Hyper Voice and finish the psudo-legendary off with an Ice Beam. Electric type Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Zapdos, Raikou, and Thundurus make great partners as Salamence can provide Intimidate support for these bulky threats as they can fire off super effective Thunderbolts on Water types. Some of these Pokemon mention can provide speed control with Thunder Wave or Electroweb to slow down the opposition enough for Salamence to outspeed.
Sand Archetype : Ever since early April, Japanese Sand-based teams have used Mega Salamence as the premier Mega Evolution of choice to beat annoying Grass and Fighting type Pokemon that threaten Tyranitar and Excadrill. In turn, both Tyranitar and Excadrill have wider liberty to use their coverage options such as Rock Slide, Iron Head, Crunch, and etc to deal with things such as Cresselia, Thundurus, Aegislash, Charizard Y, etc. Both of these Pokemon threaten opposing Steel types like Mega Metagross, Heatran, and Aegislash since none of them want to take either an Earthquake from Excadrill or Crunch from Tyranitar. Mega Salamence and Tyranitar really pair well with each other since Tyranitar can easily take a Ice Beam or Draco Meteor for Salamence due to its 1.5x special defense boost from the sand. In fact, Hyper Voice + Assurance is a powerful combination to try out since Mega Salamence will get off its attack first, then Tyranitar can hit a base 120 STAB Dark move who has taken chip damage, surely knocking them out.
Redirection Users Pokemon like Amoonguss, Clefable, Evolite Clefairy, Togekiss, and even Volcarona can provide redirection support with either Rage Powder or Follow Me. Amoonguss is statistically the most used redirection partner paired with Mega Salamence given how it can Rage Powder away single target hits from Mega Salamence, threaten Water and sometimes Fairy types with Giga Drain/Sludge Bomb, or even Spore targets so Mega Salamence take out targets easily. Clefable and Evolite Clefariy are some somewhat similar in support, yet Clefable is more offensive option with the ability to hold an item along with a 95 SpA stat while Evolite Clefairy provides its ally with Friend Guar defense boost which can be clutch. Both are solid options especially for a Dragon Dance Mega Salmanence, however if you want more offensive capabilities that doesn't rely on its item, go with Clefable. For those intrigued Friend Guard's 25% attack reduction to the teammates and in need of an item (Sitrus Berry on Rotom-W), go with Clefairy. Togekiss and Volcarona are slightly more offensive redirection partners as they can also provide Tailwind support, though it would only compound Mega Salamence's Rock type weakness.
"Support" Pokemon In order to support Mega Salamence effectively, you'd want to have Pokemon who can stop opposing speed control with Taunt (possibly maintaining your own), have disruption options, or can simply give a Helping Hand to power Mega Salamence. Thundurus-Incarnate is one of the most paired partners with Mega Salamence since it can use Prankster Taunt, Thunder Wave, Swagger, etc to disrupt the opponent from using speed control or any setup. Liepard is another Prankster user who's in the same boat as Thundurus except it can Encore opponents into Protects or use Fake Tears so Hyper Voice can KO a certain target. Snarl users like Arcanine, Suicune, Raikou, Scrafty, and Entei can drop the special attack (or attack with the Intimidate drop) of both targets by stage to allow Mega Salamence to attack freely or setup with Dragon Dance. Other Pokemon such as Cresselia, Sylveon, Clefable, Clefairy, and etc can simply offer a Helping Hand to boost Mega Salamence's attack for potential knock outs. Gothetelle is another great partner for Mega Salamence as it can trap any physical attacks as Mence can easily either take out the targets or setup if needed.

Threats

Bulky Water with Ice Coverage: In all seriousness, Mega Salamence cannot one shot the vast majority of the bulky water types like Rotom-W, Suicune, Milotic, Gastrodon, Swampert, Lapras, etc without some prior damage in general and all of theme can retaliate with their respective coverage ice coverage. Rotom-W deserves somewhat of a special mention here as Mega Salamence cannot KO the washing machine Pokemon at all thanks to its Electric/Water typing to resist Flying and its ability Levitate to negate the Earthquake damage completely. In turn, Rotom-W can either Will-O-Wisp it to cripple Mega Salamence or paralyze it so a slower Pokemon like Sylveon can knock it out.
Electric Types : While I've discuss Rotom-W as a soft counter to Mega Salamence, other Electric Pokemon like Thundurus (both forms), Zapdos, the Rotom-A forms, Raikou, and etc can take an Aerilate hit quite well and fire a neutral Thunderbolt or HP Ice. In fact, all of these Electric types can potentially OHKO Mega Salamence with an HP Ice or can elect to paralyze the dragon with Thunder Wave to neuter its fast offensive capabilities.
Steel Types: While most Mega Salamance carry at least Earthquake or a Fire move to deal with Steel types, it can find itself walled completely if its doesn't have either option. Aegislash is the premier Steel counter for Mega Salamence as it resist all of its Aerilate attacks, blocks Hyper Voice with Wide Guard, or can go for King's Shield to reduce Mega Salamence's physically attack to -2 if Mence uses a contact move. Other Steel types like Mega Metagross, Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Klefki can hold their own against Mega Salamence provided it doesn't have a coverage option.
Other "Bulky" Pokemon with High Defensive Stats: This time we are talking about Pokemon which Mega Salamance cannot even 2HKO at times if they have maximum defensive investment, or are just stupidly bulky. Pokemon like Cresselia, Porygon2, heck even Mega Kangaskhan can take a hit and retaliate with an Ice coverage attack. Tyranitar is another threat as it can take a spread Earthquake fine as it can outspeed slower variants with a Scarf, paraylze it with Thunder Wave, or just use Ice Beam or Ice Punch for a potential knock out.
Opposing Speed Control: Though Mega Salamence enjoys having speed control to maintain momentum, it certainly doesn't want to be facing off against a Suicune in Tailwind or Cresselia with Trick Room. In fact, every form of speed control will surely slow down Mega Salamence enough so a teammate can knock it out with a super effective hit. Funny enough, most of the common speed control based Pokemon like Prankster Thundurus, Zapdos, Cresselia, Rotom-W, Suicune, Milotic, and others can easily threaten Mega Salamence with a coverage option or a speed reduction.
Defiant/Competitive Users: Prior to Mega Evolving, Salamence can set off Defiant/Competitive on either Bisharp, Milotic, Braviery, Wigglytuff, Primape, etc and receive a +1 Atk / +2 SpA depending on the Pokemon. Since its part Steel type, Bisharp can handle most of Mega Salamence's Aerilate boosted attack and threaten it with a Sucker Punch, but an Earthquake or Fire coverage retaliate it as well. Milotic can take most of Mega Salamence's hits (bar a crit) and respond with a +2 Icy Wind or Ice Beam.
Random (or fast) Ice Moves Hitters: Pretty much same thing I've said about the Landorus-Incarnate thread so here's the deal: Mega Salamence hates Ice type moves...at least special. Whats even more scarier are Pokemon who can outspeed its impressive base 120 speed like Greninja, Mega Gengar, Mega Manetric, Weavile, and a host of other speedier Pokemon who are non Scarf.
Powerful Fairy Hits: While Mega Salamence can outspeed and threaten most Fairy types, it surely cannot take a single Fairy hit like a Pixilate Hyper Voice or Play Rough. Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir can effectively knock out Mega Salamence if they don't prioritize on knocking out the two Pixilate users. Mega Mawile can Intimdate Mega Salamence in its base form as it switches in, and threaten it with a Huge Power Play Rough from base 105 attack. Azumarill is another Huge Power Fairy who can easily exploit Mega Salamence's Fairy weakness as it Belly Drums on a Protect to threaten the rest of the team.

Other Notable Moves
Mega Salamence has a vast movepool in which I really didn't want to cover every attack or status move so here are some other options.

Tailwind - Mega Salamence does have access to Tailwind as a means of maintaining speed control for the rest of the team by doubling the speed stats for three turns Given how fast and bulky Mega Salamence is, Tailwind can be set with ease so that the teammates can outspeed the opposing team. This gives Mega Salamence the same speed if it had gone for two Dragon Dances and allows it outspeed weather sweepers like Ludicolo, Excadrill, or a Kingdra while being capable of knocking them out.
Fire Blast / Heat Wave - Alternative for using Flamethrower are both Fire Blast and Heat Wave which both are dependent of a designated role. Fire Blast is Mega Salamence's Strongest Fire base coverage attack as it can surely KO most Ferrothorn variants about 85% of the time. The only problem is the other 15% when Fire Blast misses and low Power Point value of 8 in case the battles are drawn out longer. Heat Wave is a spread coverage so Mega Salamence can hit Steel types but their opposing partners with chip damage with the small chance to burn on either target.
Rock Tomb / Bulldoze - Mega Salamence can learn some speed control attack such as Rock Tomb and Bulldoze to support the team by dropping the speed stats of the opposing Pokemon[s] by one stage.
Hidden Power Ice / Ground - An interesting option to consider for Mega Salamence is running Hidden Power Ice to catch opposing Landorus-T and other Dragon types off guard. HP Ground is there in case you are worried about Wide Guard and want to hit Fire and Steel types like Arcanine or Heatran hard.
Leer - Ok... why should anyone run Leer where one could easily just damage off or go for a Dragon Dance? Basically what Leer does is it drops the defensive stats of both Pokemon one stage, effectively giving Mega Salamence a pseudo "+1" boost rather by attacking either targets. The defense drops can help physical attackers like Tyranitar, Excadrill, Scizor, etc get off a kill against a -1 Pokemon especially if they have don't have switch-ins.
Frustration - In case Smeargle or Ditto want to transform to your Mega Salamence, just run Frustration in place of Return since its likely that the trainer will have a higher happiness to copy utilize a Return. Essentially Frustration and Return are the same, the difference is being how the level of happiness/affection each Pokemon. Max/Min happiness and will result to having the a damage output of 102 in Return/Frustration respectively and the base power varies between 1-102.

"The Flying Kite of Doom"
[Image: salamence-mega.gif]

(VGC) Mega Salamence - Attack (Mixed/Mono-Dragon Dance) Options

Overview

Physically Mixed Based Attacker
[Image: MegaSalamenceV25_zps11d6a0e1.png]

Defensive -

Specially Mixed Based Attacker
[Image: MegaSalamenceV25_zps11d6a0e1.png]

Defensive -

Mono-Dragon Dance
[Image: MegaSalamenceV25_zps11d6a0e1.png]

Defensive -

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Steel types: Since Mega Salamence is weak to Dragon, Fairy, Rock, and Ice type attacks it would make ever more sense to have Steel type partners who can easily take these hits since most of them are resisted to at least 3/4 of these attacks (factoring in dual typings). Arguably the best part Steel type Pokemon (& to me the best partner for Mega Salamence) who can threaten all 4 types as well as an additional 8 types (resisted and immune) is Aegislash. I can't really think of another Pokemon who forms a great defensive synergy with a pseudo 150/150 in both offensive and defensive stats than Aegislash since it walls threats like Abomasnow, Thundurus, Sylveon, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Mawile, Cresselia, and even opposing Mega Salamences. Heck 3 of the 4 types mentioned here (Ice, Fairy, and Rock) are extremely weak to a STAB Iron Head / Flash Cannon from a base 150 Physical/Special Attack from Aegislash. Another trait Aegislash has over some other Steel types is the fact it can shield Mega Salamence from spread damage from Rock Slide, Blizzard, and even Pixilate Hyper Voice by spamming Wide Guard. In turn, Mega Salamence can provide Aegislash with a Intimidate drop to add to its overall bulk and go head to head against opposing Fire and Ground types with strong Aerilate hits or with Earthquake.

As far as other Steel type partners are concern, Heatran, Ferrothorn, Exadrill, Bisharp, Scizor, and Metagross make great teammates for Mega Salamence. Heatran is the most notable here since thanks to its Fire/Steel typing, it has a quad resistance to Ice/Fairy, takes incoming Will-O-Wisp hits with Flash Fire, can deal with opposing Steel types in case Mence doesn't have a coverage option, and can retaliate against those Rock, Ice, and Fairy types with a super effective Flash Cannon. Ferrothorn is an amazing defensive wall which can effectively deal with Water types like Rotom-W or Milotic who can give Mega Salamence some headaches. Excadrill is a great offensive partner considering Mega Salamence's part Flying typing allows driller to hit STAB Earthquakes against its opponents. Bisharp can be used as an Intimidate/Icy Wind deter given it would receive a +1/+2 in its physical attack which can allows the Dark/Steel type to hit significantly harder. Scizor is able to KO most Fairy types like Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir with a Life Orb STAB Bullet Punch and can protect Mence from Prankster Thunder Wave with Quick Guard. Regular Metagross is a creative, yet clever way to trick your opponents into having a duel Mega options as Metagross can deal massive damage against opposing threats.
Electric Types: Mega Salamence needs ways to deal with bulky Water Pokemon since they can take a Aerilate Double Edge/ Hyper Voice and finish the psudo-legendary off with an Ice Beam. Electric type Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Zapdos, Raikou, and Thundurus make great partners as Salamence can provide Intimidate support for these bulky threats as they can fire off super effective Thunderbolts on Water types. Some of these Pokemon mention can provide speed control with Thunder Wave or Electroweb to slow down the opposition enough for Salamence to outspeed.
Sand Archetype : Ever since early April, Japanese Sand-based teams have used Mega Salamence as the premier Mega Evolution of choice to beat annoying Grass and Fighting type Pokemon that threaten Tyranitar and Excadrill. In turn, both Tyranitar and Excadrill have wider liberty to use their coverage options such as Rock Slide, Iron Head, Crunch, and etc to deal with things such as Cresselia, Thundurus, Aegislash, Charizard Y, etc. Both of these Pokemon threaten opposing Steel types like Mega Metagross, Heatran, and Aegislash since none of them want to take either an Earthquake from Excadrill or Crunch from Tyranitar. Mega Salamence and Tyranitar really pair well with each other since Tyranitar can easily take a Ice Beam or Draco Meteor for Salamence due to its 1.5x special defense boost from the sand. In fact, Hyper Voice + Assurance is a powerful combination to try out since Mega Salamence will get off its attack first, then Tyranitar can hit a base 120 STAB Dark move who has taken chip damage, surely knocking them out.
Redirection Users Pokemon like Amoonguss, Clefable, Evolite Clefairy, Togekiss, and even Volcarona can provide redirection support with either Rage Powder or Follow Me. Amoonguss is statistically the most used redirection partner paired with Mega Salamence given how it can Rage Powder away single target hits from Mega Salamence, threaten Water and sometimes Fairy types with Giga Drain/Sludge Bomb, or even Spore targets so Mega Salamence take out targets easily. Clefable and Evolite Clefariy are some somewhat similar in support, yet Clefable is more offensive option with the ability to hold an item along with a 95 SpA stat while Evolite Clefairy provides its ally with Friend Guar defense boost which can be clutch. Both are solid options especially for a Dragon Dance Mega Salmanence, however if you want more offensive capabilities that doesn't rely on its item, go with Clefable. For those intrigued Friend Guard's 25% attack reduction to the teammates and in need of an item (Sitrus Berry on Rotom-W), go with Clefairy. Togekiss and Volcarona are slightly more offensive redirection partners as they can also provide Tailwind support, though it would only compound Mega Salamence's Rock type weakness.
"Support" Pokemon In order to support Mega Salamence effectively, you'd want to have Pokemon who can stop opposing speed control with Taunt (possibly maintaining your own), have disruption options, or can simply give a Helping Hand to power Mega Salamence. Thundurus-Incarnate is one of the most paired partners with Mega Salamence since it can use Prankster Taunt, Thunder Wave, Swagger, etc to disrupt the opponent from using speed control or any setup. Liepard is another Prankster user who's in the same boat as Thundurus except it can Encore opponents into Protects or use Fake Tears so Hyper Voice can KO a certain target. Snarl users like Arcanine, Suicune, Raikou, Scrafty, and Entei can drop the special attack (or attack with the Intimidate drop) of both targets by stage to allow Mega Salamence to attack freely or setup with Dragon Dance. Other Pokemon such as Cresselia, Sylveon, Clefable, Clefairy, and etc can simply offer a Helping Hand to boost Mega Salamence's attack for potential knock outs. Gothetelle is another great partner for Mega Salamence as it can trap any physical attacks as Mence can easily either take out the targets or setup if needed.

Threats

Bulky Water with Ice Coverage: In all seriousness, Mega Salamence cannot one shot the vast majority of the bulky water types like Rotom-W, Suicune, Milotic, Gastrodon, Swampert, Lapras, etc without some prior damage in general and all of theme can retaliate with their respective coverage ice coverage. Rotom-W deserves somewhat of a special mention here as Mega Salamence cannot KO the washing machine Pokemon at all thanks to its Electric/Water typing to resist Flying and its ability Levitate to negate the Earthquake damage completely. In turn, Rotom-W can either Will-O-Wisp it to cripple Mega Salamence or paralyze it so a slower Pokemon like Sylveon can knock it out.
Electric Types : While I've discuss Rotom-W as a soft counter to Mega Salamence, other Electric Pokemon like Thundurus (both forms), Zapdos, the Rotom-A forms, Raikou, and etc can take an Aerilate hit quite well and fire a neutral Thunderbolt or HP Ice. In fact, all of these Electric types can potentially OHKO Mega Salamence with an HP Ice or can elect to paralyze the dragon with Thunder Wave to neuter its fast offensive capabilities.
Steel Types: While most Mega Salamance carry at least Earthquake or a Fire move to deal with Steel types, it can find itself walled completely if its doesn't have either option. Aegislash is the premier Steel counter for Mega Salamence as it resist all of its Aerilate attacks, blocks Hyper Voice with Wide Guard, or can go for King's Shield to reduce Mega Salamence's physically attack to -2 if Mence uses a contact move. Other Steel types like Mega Metagross, Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Klefki can hold their own against Mega Salamence provided it doesn't have a coverage option.
Other "Bulky" Pokemon with High Defensive Stats: This time we are talking about Pokemon which Mega Salamance cannot even 2HKO at times if they have maximum defensive investment, or are just stupidly bulky. Pokemon like Cresselia, Porygon2, heck even Mega Kangaskhan can take a hit and retaliate with an Ice coverage attack. Tyranitar is another threat as it can take a spread Earthquake fine as it can outspeed slower variants with a Scarf, paraylze it with Thunder Wave, or just use Ice Beam or Ice Punch for a potential knock out.
Opposing Speed Control: Though Mega Salamence enjoys having speed control to maintain momentum, it certainly doesn't want to be facing off against a Suicune in Tailwind or Cresselia with Trick Room. In fact, every form of speed control will surely slow down Mega Salamence enough so a teammate can knock it out with a super effective hit. Funny enough, most of the common speed control based Pokemon like Prankster Thundurus, Zapdos, Cresselia, Rotom-W, Suicune, Milotic, and others can easily threaten Mega Salamence with a coverage option or a speed reduction.
Defiant/Competitive Users: Prior to Mega Evolving, Salamence can set off Defiant/Competitive on either Bisharp, Milotic, Braviery, Wigglytuff, Primape, etc and receive a +1 Atk / +2 SpA depending on the Pokemon. Since its part Steel type, Bisharp can handle most of Mega Salamence's Aerilate boosted attack and threaten it with a Sucker Punch, but an Earthquake or Fire coverage retaliate it as well. Milotic can take most of Mega Salamence's hits (bar a crit) and respond with a +2 Icy Wind or Ice Beam.
Random (or fast) Ice Moves Hitters: Pretty much same thing I've said about the Landorus-Incarnate thread so here's the deal: Mega Salamence hates Ice type moves...at least special. Whats even more scarier are Pokemon who can outspeed its impressive base 120 speed like Greninja, Mega Gengar, Mega Manetric, Weavile, and a host of other speedier Pokemon who are non Scarf.
Powerful Fairy Hits: While Mega Salamence can outspeed and threaten most Fairy types, it surely cannot take a single Fairy hit like a Pixilate Hyper Voice or Play Rough. Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir can effectively knock out Mega Salamence if they don't prioritize on knocking out the two Pixilate users. Mega Mawile can Intimdate Mega Salamence in its base form as it switches in, and threaten it with a Huge Power Play Rough from base 105 attack. Azumarill is another Huge Power Fairy who can easily exploit Mega Salamence's Fairy weakness as it Belly Drums on a Protect to threaten the rest of the team.

Other Notable Moves
Mega Salamence has a vast movepool in which I really didn't want to cover every attack or status move so here are some other options.

Tailwind - Mega Salamence does have access to Tailwind as a means of maintaining speed control for the rest of the team by doubling the speed stats for three turns Given how fast and bulky Mega Salamence is, Tailwind can be set with ease so that the teammates can outspeed the opposing team. This gives Mega Salamence the same speed if it had gone for two Dragon Dances and allows it outspeed weather sweepers like Ludicolo, Excadrill, or a Kingdra while being capable of knocking them out.
Fire Blast / Heat Wave - Alternative for using Flamethrower are both Fire Blast and Heat Wave which both are dependent of a designated role. Fire Blast is Mega Salamence's Strongest Fire base coverage attack as it can surely KO most Ferrothorn variants about 85% of the time. The only problem is the other 15% when Fire Blast misses and low Power Point value of 8 in case the battles are drawn out longer. Heat Wave is a spread coverage so Mega Salamence can hit Steel types but their opposing partners with chip damage with the small chance to burn on either target.
Rock Tomb / Bulldoze - Mega Salamence can learn some speed control attack such as Rock Tomb and Bulldoze to support the team by dropping the speed stats of the opposing Pokemon[s] by one stage.
Hidden Power Ice / Ground - An interesting option to consider for Mega Salamence is running Hidden Power Ice to catch opposing Landorus-T and other Dragon types off guard. HP Ground is there in case you are worried about Wide Guard and want to hit Fire and Steel types like Arcanine or Heatran hard.
Leer - Ok... why should anyone run Leer where one could easily just damage off or go for a Dragon Dance? Basically what Leer does is it drops the defensive stats of both Pokemon one stage, effectively giving Mega Salamence a pseudo "+1" boost rather by attacking either targets. The defense drops can help physical attackers like Tyranitar, Excadrill, Scizor, etc get off a kill against a -1 Pokemon especially if they have don't have switch-ins.
Frustration - In case Smeargle or Ditto want to transform to your Mega Salamence, just run Frustration in place of Return since its likely that the trainer will have a higher happiness to copy utilize a Return. Essentially Frustration and Return are the same, the difference is being how the level of happiness/affection each Pokemon. Max/Min happiness and will result to having the a damage output of 102 in Return/Frustration respectively and the base power varies between 1-102.

Thanks for reading this overview. I'm going to work on the following Pokemon for this week and the following in case people are curious: Greninja, Porygon2, Jellicent, Volcarona, and Ferrothorn. Expect 3 of these analysis to be done by Friday of next week with a special "surprise" coming.]]> <![CDATA[[VGC '15] Zapdos Moveset - Support / Special Attacker (3 Options)]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-15-Zapdos-Moveset-Support-Special-Attacker-3-Options Wed, 07 Oct 2015 12:42:27 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-15-Zapdos-Moveset-Support-Special-Attacker-3-Options [Image: erectric_rain_by_ouroporos-d4qesih.jpg]

[Image: erectric_rain_by_ouroporos-d4qesih.jpg]

Credit to ouroporos

Despite Thundurus being more popular, Zapdos definitely has a couple of tricks up it's sleeve (under it's wing..?) that warrants it being used over the genie. Zapdos has respectable bulk and a relatively high Special Attack stat allowing it to take a few hits and do some decent damage in return. One thing that sets Zapdos apart from Thundurus is it's ability to recover using Roost, which means it can stay around a little longer to support the team. If you're looking for a well rounded Pokemon that can Support your team and hit pretty hard, Zapdos may be the choice for you.

Type: Electric/Flying
Base Stats: 90 HP / 90 Attack / 85 Defense / 125 Special Attack / 90 Special Defense / 100 Speed
Weaknesses: Ice (X2), Rock (X2)
Resistances: Fighting (X0.5), Bug (X0.5), Flying (X0.5), Steel (X0.5), Grass (X0.5)
Immunities: Ground
Abilities: Pressure - When a Pokémon with Pressure is targeted by a foe's move, one additional PP is deducted upon execution. Consequently, extra PP is deducted even if the foe's move misses, has multiple targets, or is rendered ineffective due to immunity. If the move of a Pokémon targets several foes with Pressure, one additional PP will be deducted for each one.

Static (Hidden Ability, NOT RELEASED) - When a Pokémon with this Ability is hit by a move that makes contact, there is a 30% chance that the attacking Pokémon will become paralyzed. This can affect Ground-type Pokémon.
If a Pokémon with this Ability is hit by a multi-strike move that makes contact, each hit has an independent chance to activate this Ability.

Tailwind Support
[Image: zapdos.gif]

Zapdos @ Sitrus Berry / Safety Goggles
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 244 HP / 44 Def / 52 SpA / 148 SpD / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def (for HP Ice)
-Thunderbolt
-Hidden Power [Ice] / Heat Wave
-Tailwind
-Roost / Protect

Although this may seem like an unnecessarily complicated spread, it does quite a few different things.
First of all 244 HP gives a HP stat of 196 (assuming you have 31 IVs) which is divisible by 2 allowing the Sitrus to proc on a Super Fang. (Thanks to Willem for pointing this out to me!). Secondly, the 20 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed Adamant Bisharp (Base 70 Speed)
Next, while looking on Global Link, I noticed the top 12 were predominantly Special Attackers, and thus I decided to invest quite heavily in Special Defense, but it also has enough Physical Bulk to survive strong hits such as Double Edge from Adamant Max Attack Mega Kangaskhan, which you'll see in the damage calculations
Sitrus Berry or Safety Goggles is personal preference. Sitrus is for longevity, while Safety Goggles allows Zapdos tho ignore Spore from Amoonguss and Breloom (the latter of which tends to be Jolly, Max Speed thus outspeeding this particular build)

Damage Calculations

Defensive

Offensive

Choice Specs
[Image: zapdos.gif]

Zapdos @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 32 Def / 44 SpA / 64 SpD / 116 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def (for HP Ice)
-Thunderbolt
-Hidden Power [Ice]
-Heat Wave
-Volt Switch

First benchmark for this spread was outspeeding Jolly Breloom, which is achieved with 116 Speed EVs. Obviously we have less bulk so you may have to play a bit safer, especially since we're locked into a move and don't have Sitrus or Roost for recovery.
Choice Specs may catch a few people off guard, as it's able to pick up OHKO's on DaWoblefet's Mega Salamence and Bulky, non-assault vested Landorus-T's, and Volt Switch allows you to switch out while dealing some decent chip damage

Damage Calculations

Defensive

Offenive

Rogue's Expert Belt set
[Image: zapdos.gif]

Zapdos @ Expert Belt
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 140 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 30 Atk / 30 Def (for HP Ice)
-Thunderbolt
-Hidden Power [Ice]
-Roost
-Heat Wave

Read the team write up Here!

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Any Pokemon with that awkward mid-tier speed range such as Mega Venusaur, Heatran and even slightly lower speed Pokemon like Sylveon
Intimidate users such as Landorus-T, who can help Zapdos stay around against Physical Attackers with the Intimidate, while being able to Earthquake freely thanks to Zapdos' typing
Strong Attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Metagross can potentially sacrifice some Speed for Bulk if you run the Tailwind set

Threats include, but aren't limited to;

Fast Rock Slides or Stone Edges from Terrakion Landorus-T and Tyranitar
Taunt users, specifically Thundurus since it has access to Prankster and can stop you setting up Tailwind
Strong attacks such as Mega Kangaskhan's Double Edge and Charizard Y's Overheat

Other Notable Moves

Light Screen - Reduce the damage taken from Special Attacks for five turns
Thunder Wave - Used as an alternative to Tailwind
Hidden Power [Flying] - If you have trouble against Mega Venusaur and you have enough Ice coverage
Swagger - Raise the foes attack by 2 stages and confuse them. Can be annoying if paired with Thunder Wave

Other Notable Items

Rocky Helmet - Physical Attackers take some chip damage if they target Zapdos
Life Orb - Boost damage output at the cost of 10% of you max HP at the end of each turn of damaging a foe
Leftovers - Gradually restore HP at the end of each turn
Weakness Policy - Raise your Attack and Special Attack by 2 stages if hit by a Super Effective attack

Credit to ouroporos

Tailwind Support
[Image: zapdos.gif]

Offensive

Choice Specs
[Image: zapdos.gif]

Offenive

Rogue's Expert Belt set
[Image: zapdos.gif]

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Any Pokemon with that awkward mid-tier speed range such as Mega Venusaur, Heatran and even slightly lower speed Pokemon like Sylveon
Intimidate users such as Landorus-T, who can help Zapdos stay around against Physical Attackers with the Intimidate, while being able to Earthquake freely thanks to Zapdos' typing
Strong Attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Metagross can potentially sacrifice some Speed for Bulk if you run the Tailwind set

Threats include, but aren't limited to;

Fast Rock Slides or Stone Edges from Terrakion Landorus-T and Tyranitar
Taunt users, specifically Thundurus since it has access to Prankster and can stop you setting up Tailwind
Strong attacks such as Mega Kangaskhan's Double Edge and Charizard Y's Overheat

Other Notable Moves

Light Screen - Reduce the damage taken from Special Attacks for five turns
Thunder Wave - Used as an alternative to Tailwind
Hidden Power [Flying] - If you have trouble against Mega Venusaur and you have enough Ice coverage
Swagger - Raise the foes attack by 2 stages and confuse them. Can be annoying if paired with Thunder Wave

Other Notable Items

Rocky Helmet - Physical Attackers take some chip damage if they target Zapdos
Life Orb - Boost damage output at the cost of 10% of you max HP at the end of each turn of damaging a foe
Leftovers - Gradually restore HP at the end of each turn
Weakness Policy - Raise your Attack and Special Attack by 2 stages if hit by a Super Effective attack

Thanks for reading! If you have any sets of your own to add, PM me or post a comment. Zapdos definitely has it's uses on certain teams, and is a brilliant alternative to Thundurus, especially since it has a way to recover with Roost, and Tailwind affects alllies which means, unlike Thunder Wave, it isn't blocked by Protect. Hopefully one of these set will prove helpful to some of you :]]]> <![CDATA[[VGC] Mega Banette Moveset - Offensive Support]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Mega-Banette-Moveset-Offensive-Support Wed, 07 Oct 2015 11:55:42 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-Mega-Banette-Moveset-Offensive-Support [Image: tumblr_mujahfltHw1sc0sygo1_500.png]

[Image: tumblr_mujahfltHw1sc0sygo1_500.png]

Credit to TheChaoticHarmony

This haunted Marionette Pokemon has been sitting on the sidelines of the VGC metagame for a very long time, thats why im here to show you why Banette is not the weakest mega and why he should be feared by his foes, let me show you the power of this spoooooky pokemon.

Type: Ghost
Base Stats:
Non-Mega: 64 Hp / 115 Atk / 65 Def / 83 SpAtk / 63 SpDef / 65 Spe
Mega: 64 Hp / 165 Atk / 75 Def / 93 SpAtk / 83 SpDef / 75 Spe
Weaknesses: Ghost (2x), Dark (2x)
Resistances: Poison (.5x), Bug (.5x)
Immunities: Normal (0x), Fighting (0x)
Abilities:

Non-Mega:

Insomnia: The Pokémon cannot be put to Sleep while having this ability.
Frisk: Reveals the foe’s held item.
[HA] Cursed Body: When a move makes contact with the Pokémon, that move has a 30% chance of getting disabled

Mega:

Prankster: Status category moves have their Speed Priority increased by 1

[VGC] Mega Banette Moveset - Offensive Support

[Image: 354-mega.gif]

Banette-Mega @ Banettite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Atk / 148 Def / 68 SpD
Impish Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Phantom Force / Shadow Claw / Shadow Sneak / Sucker Punch
- Disable / Taunt
- Destiny Bond / Will-O-Wisp / Thunder Wave

Alot of people complain that Mega Banette obtains the prankster ability but doesn't get the Stat investment to benefit from it, but i say that it the perfect opportunity to go for a Offensive Support, Banette, with his monstrous base Attack of 165 ca OHKO or 2HKO most of the metagame, plus all his status moves allows his to be a nuisance to your opponent, remember your mega doesn't necessarily have to be the base of your team, you could also have a dual mega team.
Now onto the moves, first lets start of with Gunk Shot a move no one would expect to be on Banette and man this move hits like a truck, let me show you this:
0 Atk Mega Banette Gunk Shot vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Sylveon: 180-214 (89.5 - 106.4%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO,
0 Atk Mega Banette Phantom Force vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Gardevoir: 204-242 (141.6 - 168%) -- guaranteed OHKO.
That is with 0 Evs, 0 Ivs, and a neutral Nature and it still has a chance to OHKO.
Next is Phantom force, the main reason i love this attack is because its ability to hit through protect, while also have a 90 base power with still does alot of damage. Some alternative for Phantom Force or even Gunk Shot are, Shadow Claw a pretty strong Ghost type move, Shadow Sneak allowing you to potential attack first and finish of your opponent, and Sucker Punch which basically is the same as Shadow Sneak but if the opponent doesn't attack the move fails. Disable plus Prankster ability is an amazing combination, is there is a move you fear, just disable it, and unless the opponent uses a priority faster than Banette its always gonna disable to move they used last turn. An alternative is turn, preventing your foe from using a status move. Since Banette still is a fragile Pokemon Prankster Destiny Bound is a great combination, know your gonna be KO'd next turn why not take your opponent down with you. Finally some alternative are Will-o-wisp and Thunder Wave to shut down your opponent. Now the Ev spread is used to survive certain attacks suck as, Sucker Punch from Kang, Showball from Sylveon and so on. Please remember that i compared these to common sets, so Banette wont survive every time its just based on the EV spread of the opponent.
Damage Calculations:

Offensive

Defensive

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Hard Hitting Pokemon: Banette is able to pokemon such as Bisharp while also doing a good amount of damage from his own attacks.
Redirecting Pokemon: Pokemon Such as Amoongus is able to redirect attacking keeping Banette alive for a little bit longer.

Threats include, but aren't limited to;

Hard Hitting Pokemon: As you can see from the Damage Calculations above, Pokemon such as Bisharp can OHKO Banette easily, so watch out for them.
Taunt Pokemon/Priority Moves: Pokemon Faster than Banette using a priority move can stop Banette in his tracks and finish him off quick.

Other Notable Moves

Knock off: Dealing a decent amount of damage and also removing the users item
Trick Room: Banette isnt the fastest of Pokemon so being on a Trick Room team could be good
Pain Split: The user adds its HP to the target's HP, then equally shares the combined HP with the target.
Magic Coat: A barrier reflects back to the target moves like Leech Seed and moves that damage status.
Foul Play: The user turns the target's power against it. The higher the target's Attack stat, the greater the damage.
Protect: Protecting from Damage

Other Notable Items

None: Its a mega pokemon set

Credit to TheChaoticHarmony

Insomnia: The Pokémon cannot be put to Sleep while having this ability.
Frisk: Reveals the foe’s held item.
[HA] Cursed Body: When a move makes contact with the Pokémon, that move has a 30% chance of getting disabled

Mega:

Prankster: Status category moves have their Speed Priority increased by 1

[VGC] Mega Banette Moveset - Offensive Support

[Image: 354-mega.gif]

Defensive

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Hard Hitting Pokemon: Banette is able to pokemon such as Bisharp while also doing a good amount of damage from his own attacks.
Redirecting Pokemon: Pokemon Such as Amoongus is able to redirect attacking keeping Banette alive for a little bit longer.

Threats include, but aren't limited to;

Hard Hitting Pokemon: As you can see from the Damage Calculations above, Pokemon such as Bisharp can OHKO Banette easily, so watch out for them.
Taunt Pokemon/Priority Moves: Pokemon Faster than Banette using a priority move can stop Banette in his tracks and finish him off quick.

Other Notable Moves

Knock off: Dealing a decent amount of damage and also removing the users item
Trick Room: Banette isnt the fastest of Pokemon so being on a Trick Room team could be good
Pain Split: The user adds its HP to the target's HP, then equally shares the combined HP with the target.
Magic Coat: A barrier reflects back to the target moves like Leech Seed and moves that damage status.
Foul Play: The user turns the target's power against it. The higher the target's Attack stat, the greater the damage.
Protect: Protecting from Damage

Other Notable Items

None: Its a mega pokemon set

If anyone has any suggestions I will gladly add it to the original post, also if you see any mistakes in my calcs please say so, I know Banette isn't the best competitive pokemon but I hope this showed you the power Banette posses :D]]> <![CDATA[[VGC '15] Rotom-H Moveset - Special Attacker / Support (3 Options)]]> http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-15-Rotom-H-Moveset-Special-Attacker-Support-3-Options Tue, 06 Oct 2015 16:43:39 -0700 http://pokemonforever.com/Thread-VGC-15-Rotom-H-Moveset-Special-Attacker-Support-3-Options [Image: heat_forme_rotom_by_zekewatson-d4m8xs7.png]

[Image: heat_forme_rotom_by_zekewatson-d4m8xs7.png]

Credit to ZekeWatson
Who wants cookies? No one? Good, because all Rotom-H does is burn stuff. Often overlooked for it's Wash counterpart, Rotom-H is actually a very good choice to use on quite a few teams. Despite a low HP stat, Rotom-H can be a very versatile Pokemon, with resistances to a lot fairly common types. With Defenses of 50 HP / 107 Def / 107 SpD and a base 105 SpA, Rotom can fill the role of an offensive and/or a support Pokemon.
Due to it's typing, it can do well against a lot of the most used Pokemon such as Thundurus, Heatran, Amoonguss, Aegislash and Charizard Y.

Type: Electric/Fire
Base Stats: 50 HP / 65 Attack / 107 Defense / 105 Special Attack / 107 Special Defense / 86 Speed
Weaknesses: Rock (X2), Water (X2)
Resistances: Flying (X0.5), Bug (X0.5), Steel (X0.25), Fire (X0.5), Grass (X0.5), Electric (X0.5), Ice (X0.5), Fairy (X0.5)
Immunities: Ground
Ability: Levitate - Levitate renders the user immune to Ground-type moves (except Sand Attack), Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Misty Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Electric Terrain, Arena Trap, and damage from Sky Drop. These immunities can be lost if the user is holding an Iron Ball, is under the effects of Smack Down, Gravity, or Ingrain or if the opponent has Mold Breaker, Teravolt, or Turboblaze.

Bulky Life Orb
[Image: rotom-heat.gif]

Rotom-Heat @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 20 SpA / 4 SpD / 132 Spe
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Protect

Most people expect a more supportive Rotom, so this may catch a few people off guard. Thunderbolt and Overheat for STAB options, and Hidden Power Ice to hit Landorus-Ts and Mega Salamences. Although we only have 20 EVs in Special Attack, Life Orb is the item choice to boost it's damage output, allowing us to invest more in bulk

The speed investment is to outspeed Adamant Bisharp (Base 70). If you''d like to outspeed Jolly Brellom, you can use a Timidnature with 132 Speed EVs or 228 Speed EVs with a Neutral Speed nature.

Damage Calculations;

Defensive

Offensive

Life Orb v2
[Image: rotom-heat.gif]

Rotom-Heat @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 124 SpA / 20 SpD / 12 Spe
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Protect

Similar build to the first set, but substituting Speed for more Attacking power to pick up KOs on slightly bulkier variants of Pokemon. Both of these sets ideally need some speed control to enable them to attack first.

Damage Calculations;

Defensive

Offensive

Support

Rotom-Heat @ Sitrus Berry / Safety Goggles
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 244 HP / 84 Def / 52 SpA / 116 SpD / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Overheat
- Will-O-Wisp / Reflect / Thunder Wave / Electroweb / Light Screen
- Protect

You can pick and choose which support options benefit your team. Sitrus allows Rotom to stay around a little longer, while Safety Goggles shut down Breloom and Amoonguss.
As you can see, Rotom has the option to cripple physical attackers with W-o-W, set up a Light Screen if the opponent has a team of Special Attackers or even
provide Speed control through Thunder Wave / Electroweb, and that's essentially the idea of this set; Support the team as necessary and maybe pick off weakened foes with Thunderbolts and Overheats.. The Special Attack investment is enough to 2HKO Level 51's Charizard Y (252 HP / 20 SpD).

Damage Calculations

Defensive

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Bulky Water Types such as Suicune and Milotic to take care of Pokemon like Landorus-T, Terrakion an Tyranitar
Mega Venusaur to handle Bulky Water Types
I mean, Mega Kangaskhan goes with anything, so....

Threats include, but aren't imited to;

Fast Rock Slides from Terrakion and Landorus-T
Bulky Water Types such as Gastrodon Rotom-W and Milotic
Rain Teams

Other Notable Moves

Trick - If you run a Choice Scarf set tis could potentially cripple your Foes, particularlly support Pokemon
Swagger - Raise your Foes Attack by two stages, but confuses them
Confuse Ray - Confuses the opponent
Volt Switch - Useful to swirtch out while doing some chip damage. Used mainly on Specs or Scarf Sets.
Pain Split - Pain Split adds the current HP of the user and target Pokémon. It then divides this value by two and sets the HP of both Pokémon to the result. If the new value is higher than the maximum HP of either Pokémon, that Pokémon will have its HP set to that maximum.
Pain Split will fail if the target is behind a Substitute

Other Notable Items

Charti or Passho Berry - Decreases the amount of damage taken from a Super Effective Rock or Water Type attack respectively
Choice Scarf - Able to outspeed your opponent at the cost of locking yourself into a move
Choice Specs - Higher damage output at the cost of locking yourself into a move

Thanks for reading. Hopefully these builds will help some of you or even give you a base to come up with your own. If you have any builds of your own feel free to PM me :]]]> [Image: heat_forme_rotom_by_zekewatson-d4m8xs7.png]

Bulky Life Orb
[Image: rotom-heat.gif]

Offensive

Life Orb v2
[Image: rotom-heat.gif]

Offensive

Support

Potential Teammates include, but aren't limited to;

Bulky Water Types such as Suicune and Milotic to take care of Pokemon like Landorus-T, Terrakion an Tyranitar
Mega Venusaur to handle Bulky Water Types
I mean, Mega Kangaskhan goes with anything, so....

Threats include, but aren't imited to;

Fast Rock Slides from Terrakion and Landorus-T
Bulky Water Types such as Gastrodon Rotom-W and Milotic
Rain Teams

Other Notable Moves

Trick - If you run a Choice Scarf set tis could potentially cripple your Foes, particularlly support Pokemon
Swagger - Raise your Foes Attack by two stages, but confuses them
Confuse Ray - Confuses the opponent
Volt Switch - Useful to swirtch out while doing some chip damage. Used mainly on Specs or Scarf Sets.
Pain Split - Pain Split adds the current HP of the user and target Pokémon. It then divides this value by two and sets the HP of both Pokémon to the result. If the new value is higher than the maximum HP of either Pokémon, that Pokémon will have its HP set to that maximum.
Pain Split will fail if the target is behind a Substitute

Other Notable Items

Charti or Passho Berry - Decreases the amount of damage taken from a Super Effective Rock or Water Type attack respectively
Choice Scarf - Able to outspeed your opponent at the cost of locking yourself into a move
Choice Specs - Higher damage output at the cost of locking yourself into a move

Thanks for reading. Hopefully these builds will help some of you or even give you a base to come up with your own. If you have any builds of your own feel free to PM me :]]]>