Ring Around the Metagame: Hoopa's Competitive Prospects

By The Pokemon Engineer. Art by The Mega Lotad.
« Previous Article Home Next Article »
Hoopa-U art by The Mega Lotad

Introduction

Flash back to about two years ago when Pokémon X and Y games were freshly unpacked and put onto retail store shelves. At the time, a couple of hackers got busy decrypting and decoding their new copies of X & Y. To their surprise, an unreleased group of mysterious Kalos Legendary Pokémon were found. One of those Pokémon was this curious little oddity with gold rings hanging off its horns and a malicious expression on its face. In due time, this Pokémon would be soon known as Hoopa: the Mischief Pokémon. Following the path of fellow Kalos Legendary Diancie, which was officially announced by Game Freak last year and got a Mega Evolution, Hoopa scored an official broadcast in CoroCoro's February 2015 issue. Then as time went by, garnering hype for Hoopa, surprisingly enough, in same manner that Diancie got a Mega Evolution, Hoopa was bestowed an alternate forme named Hoopa-Unbound. Hoopa, now called Hoopa-Confined, transforms into its monstrous Unbound forme in ORAS after using a key item called the Prison Bottle. The Djinn Pokémon also proves to be an extremely interesting Pokémon, with offensive stats on par with that of Ubers Pokémon plus two very unique signature moves. Recently, Hoopa started being distributed in Japan for its movie debut, and thus Hoopa and Hoopa-U are available for use on Pokémon Showdown!, though Hoopa's competitive prospects still remain experimental.

Hoopa's Qualities

Hoopa also has quite the interesting and unique typing: Ghost / Psychic. This grants Hoopa immunities to Normal and Fighting and resistances to Psychic and Poison. Unfortunately, it also grants Hoopa a 4x weakness to Ghost and Dark, making Hoopa extremely susceptible to Dark- and Ghost-type revenge killers. Hoopa's defining quality, however, is its insane special stats: a base 150 Special Attack and a base 130 Special Defense, which make Hoopa a major threat to Pokémon with lacking Special Defense or mediocre Special Attack. Its movepool is decent, including solid moves such as Destiny Bond, Nasty Plot, Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, Trick Room, Magic Coat, Trick, and its signature move Hyperspace Hole, an interesting 80 Base Power attack that hits the foe even through protection.

While Hoopa's Attack is pretty okay, it has some major flaws such as its horrendous base 60 Defense and base 70 Speed. For all its attacking skill, Hoopa can't take a physical attack or outspeed many of its threats. Another one of Hoopa's flaws is its relatively useless ability, Magician, which has the effect of stealing the foe's item when Hoopa hits it with an attack as long as Hoopa has no item.

Now onto to the giant that is Hoopa-U, which was tapped by the wand of the based Game Freak wizards and gained a few gifts. First, Hoopa-U was given a Dark typing in lieu of Ghost, granting it neutralities to Ghost and Dark but also making it 4x weak to Bug and 2x weak to Fairy. The Djinn Pokémon was also blessed with massive boosts to its Attack and Special Attack stats, at a crazy base 160 and 170, respectively, making it an ideal mixed attacker. When packed with a Life Orb or any offense-boosting item, Hoopa-U can hit immensely hard. It was also given an increase to its Speed, now at base 80, making it capable of outspeeding a bit more than it did before. Its Defense and Special Defense stats were sadly not changed, but it was bestowed a new and handy move. Hyperspace Fury is a 100 Base Power Dark-type physical attack that can break through protection, but drops Hoopa's Defense by one stage after use.

Testing Out Hoopa

A Common Set: Hoopa-Troopa

Hoopa

Setting up on your opponent is always a strategic and potentially hilarious moment in a battle, and Hoopa can pull it off extremely well with its great offensive typing. The setup move in question is Nasty Plot, an amazing boosting move that raises Hoopa's already outstanding Special Attack to extreme levels. Calm Mind is another option here, as it boosts Hoopa's Special Attack and Special Defense, making it more specially bulky. Psyshock is the go-to STAB move that hurts physically frail Pokémon and special walls such as Mega Lopunny and Sylveon, as well as beefy Pokémon such as defensive Mega Venusaur, OHKOing it after one boost. Shadow Ball is a great Ghost-type STAB move that cleans up pesky Psychic- and Ghost-types that run amok or try to retaliate with their own Shadow Ball, such as Latios and Gengar. Focus Blast is the preferred coverage move, as it takes care of Hoopa's fear of Dark-types, wrecking the likes of Tyranitar and Hydreigon. Substitute is a good alternative, protecting Hoopa from status and defensive Pokémon that can't break its Substitutes. It must be used carefully so that Hoopa does not lose valuable HP. Item-wise, Life Orb increases Hoopa's damage output at the cost of one-tenth of its HP; Leftovers can be used as well to passively recover health lost from Substitute. Full investment to its Special Attack and Speed is recommended; a Modest nature increases its Special Attack, while Timid boosts its Speed. Hoopa can make short work of specially defensive Pokémon in balanced or stall teams, and once its threats are gone, it can be used as a win condition. Pokémon such as Cresselia and Clefable should be used as setup fodder, and Hoopa can stall them out after using Substitute. Hoopa can also set up on special attackers that don't do much damage to it, such as Mega Venusaur and -2 Special Attack Latias.

Testing Out Hoopa-U

A Common Set: Hoopa the Tormentor

Hoopa-Unbound

With Hoopa's transformation comes better stats, especially a major boost to its offenses. On that account, Life Orb Hoopa-U can easily become a deadly and dangerous wallbreaker. Dark Pulse and Psyshock play the part of its main STAB moves, though Psyshock could be swapped out for Psychic for more power, but note that it fails to significantly damage specially defensive walls. For coverage, both Drain Punch and Focus Blast beat Dark- and Steel-types. Drain Punch provides passive recovery, while Focus Blast is a powerful special move. Lastly, Gunk Shot practically eliminates Fairies, OHKOing and 2HKOing Fairy-types such as cleric Sylveon, Mega Altaria, and physically defensive Clefable. The positive Speed nature and full Speed investment allow Hoopa-U to Speed tie with Mega Altaria, which would otherwise OHKO Hoopa-U with a Pixilate-boosted Return. The mixed offensive investment ensures that Hoopa's special moves do massive damage and its physical coverage moves OHKO or 2HKO threats. Hoopa-U can't switch into attacks well, especially physical ones, so it is best to bring it in on a predicted switch or through Volt Switch or U-turn. You can also utilize its immunity to Psychic or its ability to take some weak special attacks such as Mega Venusaur's Hidden Power Fire to switch it in safely.

An Interesting Set: Speed Demon

Hoopa-Unbound

With a Choice Scarf strapped to its belt and boasting mixed offensive stats, Hoopa-U can slide into the role of a revenge killer and a late-game cleaner. This set uses 252 Speed EVs, a boosting Speed nature, and a Choice Scarf, which allows Hoopa-U to outspeed and combat threats. Its mixed offensive EVs give Hoopa-U more flexibility in "tidying up" the battlefield. Hyperspace Fury is practically an always full-powered Knock Off that can OHKO Gengar and Alakazam, though it is an option to use Knock Off instead to cripple Pokémon that are dependent on their items. Psyshock clears the field of Poison- and Fighting-types such as Tentacruel and Conkeldurr. Gunk Shot annihilates Fairies; for example, Mega Altaria and Mega Gardevoir are swiftly OHKOed after Stealth Rock. Drain Punch and Focus Blast are used to wipe away Steel- and Dark-types such as Heatran and Bisharp. Choice Scarf Hoopa-U should be used during the late-game, when threats to Hoopa-U are weak or have fainted. Hoopa-U evidently must be wary of physical attacks, because many, such as Bisharp's Knock Off, can hurt it badly if it is not careful. A U-turn or Volt Switch from a teammate or a predicted switch tends to be handy to bring Hoopa-U in safely.

Other Options

Hoopa-U can luckily run a couple of other sets, contrary to its Confined companion, such as an Assault Vest and a Nasty Plot sweeper set. "Assault Vest is the Assault Best," and AV Hoopa-U can be the best, turning into a fearsome Pokémon with the boost to its Special Defense as well as some EVs in HP and Special Defense. This allows Hoopa-U to practically shrug off special attacks, even taking a Thunderbolt from a +2 Thundurus or a Draco Meteor from Life Orb Latios and then striking back with a STAB Hyperspace Fury. Nasty Plot Hoopa-U allows Hoopa to be even stronger, especially with full Special Attack and Speed investment. After one Nasty Plot, Hoopa-U can OHKO Landorus-T on the switch with Dark Pulse and OHKO a maximum Defense Mega Altaria with Psyshock. Like Nasty Plot Hoopa-C, but even more so because of its higher stats, Hoopa-U can set up on slow, bulky walls that don't do much damage to it.

Hoopa's Potential Checks and Counters

As previously stated, Hoopa is immensely physically frail, and the poor thing faces the threat of the fast and powerful physical Dark-types in the metagame. Pokémon that can can Pursuit trap and play mind games with Hoopa with Sucker Punch such as Bisharp can be a disaster. However, if Hoopa is lucky, its Focus Blast can OHKO it if Bisharp uses Knock Off or Iron Head. Strong physical attacks are truly something to fear when running Hoopa, as scores of them can OHKO or 2HKO Hoopa, such as a solid Knock Off from Landorus-T or a Flare Blitz from Mega Charizard X. Mege Sableye can be considered to be a hard counter to Hoopa, as it can shrug off Hoopa's moves and proceed to Recover off the damage and set up Calm Mind. Any form of residual damage such as chip damage, entry hazards, sandstorm, and status can really hurt Hoopa due to the fact it has no recovery moves outside of Rest and Drain Punch.

Hoopa-U faces similar problem with physical attackers, especially Fairy- and Bug-types. Mega Altaria and Azumarill, for example, can OHKO Hoopa-U if it loses a Speed tie or unluckily misses Gunk Shot. Scizor is a pretty hard check for a Hoopa-U that doesn't run Fire Punch and can take all of Hoopa-U's attacks and then dish out a U-turn to OHKO. Choice Scarf users or generally faster Pokémon that run U-turn or any strong Bug-type move, such as Choice Scarf Landorus-T, pose an enormous threat to Hoopa-U. Virtually any fast and powerful physical attacker, such as Terrakion or Talonflame, can make short work of Hoopa-U if it is not played intelligently. The same thing goes for Pokémon that just use raw power to fight, such as Mega Charizard X and Mega Altaria. Dragonite is a particularly noteworthy counter because Hoopa-U can barely dent it and it can strike back with a Choice Band-boosted Banded Outrage or Superpower, OHKOing poor Hoopa-U. Mega Sableye can tank Hoopa-U's attacks, set up Calm Mind, and 2HKO with Shadow Ball. Residual damage to Hoopa-U wears it down easily, whether from Spikes, Stealth Rock, chip damage, or status. Burn is a major problem for physical Hoopa-U, as it both wears down its HP and cuts its Attack stat.

Hoopa's Potential Teammates

Hoopa fits pretty well on balanced or bulky offense teams and can even put in work on a hyper offensive team with the Hoopa-Troopa set. Because Hoopa is frail physically, a nice defensive Pokémon such as Landorus-T, which can provide U-turn and a much-needed Intimidate to mitigate physical damage, is a good partner. Hoopa can function amazingly well with entry hazards, which let it OHKO more Pokémon than it would without them. Hoopa also likes entry hazards off its own side of the field, so it pairs well with a spinner. Though Mega Lopunny adds a Fairy weakness, the two go hand-in-hand, as Mega Lopunny covers all of Hoopa's weaknesses, even protecting it from Bisharp's Knock Off. Strong Dark-types such as Bisharp, Weavile, and Crawdaunt make for good partners as well, appreciating Hoopa's immunity to Fighting and supporting it with their resistances to Ghost and Dark. Hoopa greatly appreciates Wish and status support, so Pokémon like Unaware Wall Clefable would fit the role perfectly.

In terms of teammates, Hoopa-U tends to be like Hoopa, with the only difference being its typing and roles. Hoopa-U thrives on entry hazards being on the other side and its own side being cleared of them. Stealth Rock and Sticky Web are the best entry hazards to use, as they are reliable and easy to set up. VoltTurn support is one of the best ways to have Hoopa-U come in safely and wallbreak, so partners such as Mega Manectric and Landorus-T can work wonders for Hoopa-U, especially because both additionally provide Intimidate support. Rotom-W can work in tandem with Hoopa-U and Landorus-T by forming a VoltTurn core, countering Talonflame, and dishing out Will-O-Wisps. Mega Diancie can support Hoopa-U with Magic Bounce by deflecting Thunder Waves, Will-O-Wisps, and Stealth Rock and can tank Knock Offs for it. Steel-types tend to work in Hoopa's favor, resisting Bug and Fairy for it; notable Pokémon include Heatran, Klefki, and Mega Scizor. Heatran can set up Stealth Rock and phaze foes, Klefki can offer much-needed paralysis and Dual Screens support, and Mega Scizor can take physical hits and set up for a sweep. Hoopa works well with status support, so Pokémon that have Heal Bell or Aromatherapy are a solid option. TankChomp works pretty well with Hoopa-U due to its ability to set up Stealth Rock and phaze easily.

A Future for Hoopa

Just some final thoughts here: all things considered, Hoopa doesn't really fit in OverUsed. It is really outclassed by its counterpart Hoopa-U, which has the advantage of running mixed sets and powerful physical or special ones due to its massive offensive stats. Hoopa also can't handle the dominant forces in OU such as Mega Altaria and Mega Charizard X. Furthermore, it most definitely can't handle Knock Off, Sucker Punch, or Shadow Ball and is outsped by almost every viable Dark- or Ghost-type move user in the OverUsed metagame. As for Hoopa-U, I expect it to be a staple in the OverUsed metagame. When switched in safely, it is a big threat that has very few safe switch-ins, as it can OHKO or 2HKO a good portion of the metagame. Though, on paper, Hoopa-U may seem extremely broken with huge offenses and great signature moves, its bad Defense, mediocre Speed, and unhelpful defensive typing keep it from moving on to Ubers. In conclusion, soon the Mischief Pokémon Hoopa-Confined and the Djinn Pokémon Hoopa-Unbound will find their place in the vast tiers of Smogon, and it will be fun using them in whatever tier they place.

« Previous Article Home Next Article »