Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
130
|
- |
401 |
464 |
- |
| Atk |
65
|
149 |
166 |
229 |
251 |
| Def |
60
|
140 |
156 |
219 |
240 |
| SpA |
110
|
230 |
256 |
319 |
350 |
| SpD |
95
|
203 |
226 |
289 |
317 |
| Spe |
65
|
149 |
166 |
229 |
251 |
Overview
With Wish's new mechanics and Vaporeon's massive HP stat, Vaporeon can really benefit your team by healing off any damage that it may have taken. Vaporeon also got a nifty new toy in Scald, allowing it to burn unsuspecting physical sweepers. Vaporeon can still utilize its Baton Passing capabilities with Acid Armor, Aqua Ring, and its new move Work Up. However, because the new generation both introduced more Pokemon who can hit Vaporeon hard (such as Virizion and Thundurus-T) and allowed older threats (such as Breloom and Rotom-W) to maintain their presence in the tier, Vaporeon will have difficulty walling to its full potential. In addition, Vaporeon is susceptible to all forms of entry hazard damage. Vaporeon is in for a tough time, but with help from teammates and the new tools it has received, it is fully capable of doing its job well.
This set utilizes two of the fifth generation's gifts to Vaporeon. With a defensive EV spread, Vaporeon can tank multiple hits from opposing Pokemon. Scald serves as Vaporeon's STAB move and has a handy 30% chance of burning the opposing Pokemon, which is great for crippling physically based Pokemon who think they will be getting a free switch-in. Wish heals an amount equal to 50% of Vaporeon's max HP to a teammate. That, combined with Vaporeon's large base 130 HP stat, means that it will be healing much of your team for at least 50%. Protect serves as a scouting move and ensures that Vaporeon gets healed by its own Wish.
There are several options for the last moveslot. Roar is the primary choice because Vaporeon can phaze out counters such as Ferrothorn and cause extra residual damage. Ice Beam is there for Hydreigon, Dragonite, Breloom, and any other Pokemon who resist Scald or take little damage from it. Finally, Toxic, in conjunction with Protect, enables Vaporeon to stall out Pokemon it walls. However, this may clash with the burn chance from Scald.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Haze can be used in the last spot to erase an opponent's boosts, but Roar is generally better since it also forces them out. Hidden Power Electric can be used to hit Gyarados but only scratches other Water-type Pokemon due to its low Base Power; Toxic is generally a better answer to enemy Water-types. Vaporeon can use Heal Bell to be the ultimate team supporter by providing status removal in addition to Wish-passing.
Ferrothorn can switch in and begin setting up entry hazards without much trouble due to Vaporeon's inability to seriously damage it. Skarmory does a similar job but uses Roost to heal off the damage from Scald. Donphan is a good choice for a partner as it can remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin and is immune to Electric-type attacks. Vaporeon can also switch into Water-type attacks aimed at Donphan. Breloom and Virizion can be dangerous if Vaporeon doesn't catch them on the switch with Ice Beam. Gliscor is a great counter for both of them as it wields an immunity to Spore with Poison Heal, has the Defense to take their attacks, and can hit them back with a STAB Acrobatics.
Ferrothorn also serves as a good partner. Vaporeon can easily take the Fire-type attacks aimed at Ferrothorn, while Ferrothorn can handle both the Electric- and Grass-type moves headed Vaporeon's way. Ferrothorn can also lay down entry hazards, which Vaporeon can abuse with Roar. Heatran is also an option to scare away Grass-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn. Vaporeon can also absorb the Water-type attacks aimed at Heatran. Additionally, Vaporeon dislikes Toxic Spikes because of the gradual residual damage it brings. Forretress has good defensive synergy with Vaporeon and can Rapid Spin away entry hazards.
While Vaporeon can attempt to use Hydration for its offensive potential, this set aims to use the combination of Hydration and Rest to turn Vaporeon into an unbreakable wall. The purpose of this set is to take incoming attacks, support the team, and deal out decent damage. With this physically defensive spread, Vaporeon's defenses become nearly balanced, allowing it to wall both special and physical threats with extreme proficiency. Additionally, the combination of Vaporeon's fantastic recovery in Rest and its immunity to status makes attempts to wear it down over time futile and allows the Pokemon to function as a surprisingly effective stallbreaker. Just remember that Vaporeon is slower than most threats, so use Rest early and often.
Scald is Vaporeon's main STAB attack, which hits very hard for a defensive Pokemon. This is thanks to its impressive base 110 Special Attack and the boost Scald acquires from the rain. The burn chance is an added boon that can greatly increase its walling potential. The choice between Roar and Wish is a tough one and mainly hinges on what your team needs more. If you need a reliable shuffler and phazer, Roar is the way to go. If you need a nearly invincible team healer, Wish is the move you should choose. Toxic is usually the preferred option in the final slot, allowing Vaporeon to beat the likes of Blissey and Porygon2 in a stall war while also making it much easier to wear down other Pokemon. Ice Beam is also an option if extra security against Dragon-types, Breloom, and other assorted threats is necessary.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Hydration Vaporeon is a greatly underestimated defensive threat. While all the other walls in the tier can only wall Pokemon that fail to 2HKO them, Vaporeon has the ability to wall any Pokemon who cannot OHKO it since it can recover all its HP in one turn with Rest. As such, the number of Pokemon it can wall is extremely high, as these calculations demonstrate. Even super effective attacks are possible to wall. All the below calculations include Leftovers recovery.
- 252 SpA Choice Scarf Rotom-W Volt Switch vs 252 HP/0 SpD Vaporeon: 44.61% - 53.02%
3HKO
- 252 SpA Choice Specs Rotom-W Volt Switch vs 252 HP/0 SpD Vaporeon: 66.59% - 78.88%
2HKO
- 252 Atk Conkeldurr Drain Punch vs 252 HP/252+ Def Vaporeon: 30.39% - 35.78%
4HKO
- 252 +1 Atk Conkeldurr Drain Punch vs 252 HP/252+ Def Vaporeon: 45.26% - 53.23%
2-3HKO
- 252 Atk Haxorus Outrage vs 252 HP/252+ Def Vaporeon: 50% - 59.05%
2-3HKO
- 252 Atk Choice Band Haxorus Outrage vs 252 HP/252+ Def Vaporeon: 75% - 88.58%
2HKO
- 8 SpA (Defensive Calm Mind) Virizion Giga Drain vs 252 HP/0 SpD Vaporeon: 33.62% - 40.09%
3-4HKO
- 8 +1 SpA (Defensive Calm Mind) Virizion Giga Drain vs 252 HP/0 SpD Vaporeon: 51.08% - 60.13%
2-3HKO
- 252 SpA Choice Specs Latios Draco Meteor vs 252 HP/0 SpD Vaporeon: 76.94% - 90.73%
2HKO
Vaporeon is gifted with a wide array of useful moves to abuse. While Rest is non-negotiable, all the other moves can be substituted out for other options. Surf is viable over Scald for the minor power boost (which is amplified by the rain). However, it usually lands the same OHKOs and 2HKOs that Scald lands, and that burn chance is hard to give up. The final two moveslots are where you can get really creative. Haze can be used over Roar, especially if you don't have much in the way of hazard support. Haze allows Vaporeon to crush Baton Pass teams built around Espeon and also gives you an edge in those tricky last Pokemon situations. Acid Armor can be used with a specially defensive EV spread, turning Vaporeon from a bulky Water-type into an immovable object. However, in order to do this, you have to give up either an attacking or a support option to make room for Acid Armor. Baton Pass can pass Acid Armor boosts and ease Wish passing, so it is worth consideration if you're running either move. Rain Dance can be used to effectively mess with opposing weather inducers as they switch in, but it is dead weight against teams without weather. There are many other moves Vaporeon can use effectively in the last two slots, so it can be worth the time to take a look at its movepool and pick whatever moves work best for your team. The 8 EVs in Speed are specifically used to outspeed and Toxic Jellicent before it can Taunt you, so you can move the Speed EVs into Special Defense if you're not running Toxic.
It goes without saying that Drizzle Politoed is absolutely vital for using this set effectively, as Rest is more of a liability than a benefit without rain. In order to ensure that Politoed and Vaporeon's roles don't overlap, it is recommended you run a Choice item on Politoed. The other kinds of support that Vaporeon needs largely depend on what moves you choose to use. If Vaporeon has Roar, hazard support is great since this Vaporeon is an extremely effective shuffler. If Toxic is not used, then Toxic Spikes support is nearly vital. Even when it does have Toxic, Toxic Spikes can give Vaporeon the ability to beat threats it normally would not be able to get an attack in against, such as Choice Band Haxorus. Forretress can lay all sorts of entry hazards and covers Vaporeon’s Grass-type weakness, so it fills that role well. If you don't have Roar, then something to deal with stat boosters is vital, as Vaporeon becomes setup bait for many of them. In terms of type synergy, Virizion and specially defensive Jirachi make great teammates; they can absorb the powerful Electric- and Grass-type attacks aimed at Vaporeon, while Vaporeon can absorb the Fire-type and physical attacks aimed at them. Virizion is also a great counter to Ferrothorn, who causes Vaporeon a lot of trouble.
Ferrothorn, in addition to being a formidable enemy, is a great ally as it can lay entry hazards for Vaporeon to abuse and resists Vaporeon's weaknesses. Tentacruel and Toxicroak completely wall Vaporeon and can use it as setup fodder, so a Psychic-type attacker can make a great partner. Latias and Latios make great partners in this respect because they also have great type synergy with Vaporeon, though they need to watch out for a boosted Sucker Punch from Toxicroak. Rain-abusing Dragonite can also help deal with those two if you give it Thunder and Hurricane, and it can shrug off any Grass-type moves thrown at Vaporeon. Ground-types can also threaten both Toxicroak and Tentacruel with their STAB moves and take those dangerous Electric-type attacks, but be careful not to amplify your Grass-type weakness too much when picking one.
Not only can Vaporeon take advantage of its large HP stat to pass Wishes, it can also use it to pass huge Substitutes to teammates on a Baton Pass chain. That, combined with a large support movepool, enables Vaporeon to fill many different roles. Baton Passing Acid Armor is a good way to patch up inferior defensive stats, while Wish allows Vaporeon and the team to create more Substitutes. Aqua Ring slowly heals off any damage from Substitutes that your team may have taken, acting like a weaker but more consistent Wish. The final moveslot is to stop other Pokemon from stopping your Baton Pass chain. Scald hits Taunt users, and any burns it may inflict will make it harder for a physical Pokemon to break Vaporeon's Substitute. Roar can be used to phaze away most phazers before Vaporeon is phazed away itself.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The given EVs maximize Vaporeon's Baton Passing capabilities. 128 Speed EVs enable Vaporeon to outspeed positive-natured base 130s with +2 Speed. 136 Defense EVs give a jump point with the given Bold nature, while 244 HP enables Vaporeon to make the largest HP Substitutes it can without being weak to entry hazards. Additionally, at +4 Defense, Ferrothorn can't break Vaporeon's Substitutes with a 0 Attack Power Whip. Vaporeon can also Baton Pass Work Up, but Baton Pass receivers are generally either physically or specially based to avoid splitting EVs.
Gliscor and Celebi are great partners for Vaporeon because they resist or are immune to Electric- and Grass-type moves. Gliscor can also Taunt to stop opposing Taunters or phazers from ruining your Baton Pass chain, while Celebi can Calm Mind and keep the Baton Pass chain running. Zapdos is also an acceptable choice because it resists Grass-type moves and can Baton Pass both Agility and Substitutes while recovering off any damage taken with Roost. Smeargle can pass anything you want, from Ingrain to Shell Smash to Shift Gear. As for a receiver, Metagross is always a good choice. It has Clear Body to protect it from Intimidate, a Steel typing to protect it from Toxic Spikes, and powerful moves such as Meteor Mash and Earthquake. Lucario is another potential choice; he's frailer than Metagross but still retains an immunity to Toxic Spikes.
Though it is mostly played defensively, an offensive Vaporeon isn't a completely irrational idea due to its often overlooked base 110 Special Attack and usable attacking movepool. This generation, Vaporeon can reach the peak of its offensive prowess thanks to the advent of permanent rain (which boosts the power of Vaporeon's Water-type moves) in OU and its brand new ability: Hydration. In spite of some redundancy with Drizzle Politoed, who shares the same typing, Vaporeon becomes an incredibly powerful and annoying force in the rain with the added ability to recover from low health instantly and ignore status completely through Hydration and Rest. The strategy is simple: Plow through any opponents in the way, using Rest when necessary. To avoid becoming death fodder for the next target, the use of Rest should be well-timed, such as when Vaporeon's health dips below 50% or before KOing the opposing Pokemon.
Vaporeon's main weapon is its chosen Water-type move due to the stacked boosts it receives from STAB, Life Orb, and the rain. Hydro Pump would be the preferred choice for raw power, coming close to 2HKOing the likes of Blissey and even Ferrothorn with some entry hazard damage. If Hydro Pump's low accuracy and PP do not appeal to you, Surf is a reliable alternative at the cost of power. The other attacking moves should only be used in certain situations; Ice Beam hits Dragon- and Grass-type foes super effectively, while Hidden Power Grass provides coverage against opposing Water-types, especially Gastrodon and Quagsire. Speaking of which, other Hidden Powers are less useful due to the popularity of said Pokemon (and Gastrodon's ability to wall rain-based teams), so replacing Hidden Power Grass is not recommended.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
If it wasn't apparent enough already, Vaporeon requires as much power as possible, so maximize its Special Attack with 252 EVs and a Modest nature first. 44 EVs are put in Speed to get the jump on base 70s that don't invest in Speed, and the rest are poured into Defense to improve Vaporeon's tanking capabilities. If maximum Special Attack seems excessive, some EVs can be transferred from Special Attack to either Defense or Speed for more bulk or to outspeed certain Pokemon, respectively. The reason that HP isn't touched is because Vaporeon has high HP as it is, and its average Defense would be a weakness otherwise.
As previously stated, Vaporeon needs to be paired up with Drizzle Politoed to maximize its potential. Doing so, however, results in an unfortunate typing overlap and overall redundancy. If you still wish to use Vaporeon, Politoed should cater to a defensive role. At this point, defensive synergy is desperately needed to cover up your team's Electric- and Grass-type weaknesses. You may consider using Dragon- or Grass-type teammates of your own to rectify this issue. For example, Ferrothorn stands out for its ability to provide entry hazards and paralysis support, both of which are beneficial for the power- and speed-starved Vaporeon. For Dragon-types, Dragonite and Latios are good choices, capable of sponging strikes aimed at Vaporeon and replying with their respective wallbreaking attacks. Additionally, as Vaporeon can lure and take out counters to rain (Blissey, Gastrodon, and weather inducers, to name a few), Pokemon that can take advantage of their absence are also highly recommended.
Vaporeon itself has a few problems bypassing some dedicated walls, especially Ferrothorn (if Vaporeon can't manage to 2HKO) and opposing bulky Water-types. Offensive support is necessary to defeat what Vaporeon can't. Therefore, employing teammates with Fighting- or Electric-type attacks can fend off these threats. On a Drizzle team, Toxicroak, Breloom, and Thunder users should naturally suffice. Additionally, Toxic Spikes support, preferably from Tentacruel or Roserade, allows Vaporeon to gain more KOs and bring down defensive Pokemon simply by using Rest and attacking constantly.
Other Options
Surf may be used over Scald on defensive sets for more power in lieu of the 30% burn chance. A Choice Specs set combined with Vaporeon's often overlooked base 110 Special Attack is plausible but is not without its downfalls. If you decide to use Hidden Power Fire, Vaporeon has difficulty with Water-type Pokemon. If you use Hidden Power Electric or Grass, Vaporeon has trouble with Ferrothorn.
Checks and Counters
Ferrothorn loves switching in on Vaporeon as it can use Leech Seed to sap Vaporeon's massive HP stat and heal huge amounts of damage it may have taken. From there, it can freely set up entry hazards or attack with Power Whip. Skarmory can come in easily because of Roost, but getting burned by Scald severely hampers his walling capabilities. Shaymin, Breloom, Virizion, Zapdos, and many other Pokemon all can come in on Vaporeon and threaten with a super effective STAB attack. Latios doesn't mind coming in on an Ice Beam because of his massive Special Defense. From there, he can freely launch Draco Meteors.
Without Roar, Vaporeon has trouble with boosting Pokemon. Jirachi and Espeon can both utilize Calm Mind and Wish to slowly boost up in front of Vaporeon. Jirachi's Steel typing means it's immune to Toxic, while Espeon has Magic Bounce to bounce it back. Reuniclus has Magic Guard, so it's immune to entry hazards and Toxic and can Calm Mind in Vaporeon's face. Virizion can also Calm Mind and use Giga Drain to heal off any damage it may have taken. Conkeldurr can use Bulk Up and Drain Punch to set up and doesn't mind a burn due to Guts. Both Blissey and Chansey can come in and stop Vaporeon cold, as Vaporeon can't break either of them. They also possess Toxic to reduce Vaporeon's walling capabilities and Natural Cure, Aromatherapy, and Heal Bell to rid themselves of harmful statuses.
