|
-
Trace
- Copies foe's ability.
-
Download
- The wielder gets a stat boost depending on its opponent's stats.
-
Analytic
- Raises the power of all moves by 30% if the wielder moves last.
|
Level 50 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
85
|
- |
160 |
192 |
- |
| Atk |
80
|
90 |
100 |
132 |
145 |
| Def |
90
|
99 |
110 |
142 |
156 |
| SpA |
105
|
112 |
125 |
157 |
172 |
| SpD |
95
|
103 |
115 |
147 |
161 |
| Spe |
60
|
72 |
80 |
112 |
123 |
Overview
With good overall bulk further boosted by Eviolite, an expansive support movepool, and access to the coveted Recover, one might question why Porygon2 is not a more commonly seen Pokemon in the VGC metagame. The answer is simple: Porygon2's lack of a good Special Attack stat and reliance on Eviolite make it quite possibly the biggest Taunt bait in the metagame. While Magic Coat might help to assuage this significant problem, it does not spare Porygon2 from the wrath of Pokemon bearing Imprison, which hinders its usefulness even more. Porygon2's Speed also leaves much to be desired, which means it is only really useful as a Trick Room supporter. Regardless of these shortcomings, Porygon2 should not be overlooked as an option when searching for a bulky Trick Room user. Give Porygon2 a try, and you will be assured of distorted dimensions and a duck that refuses to faint.
One of the ways of stopping an enemy from setting up Trick Room is to kill it. Porygon2's immense defenses eliminate the chances of it fainting quickly, enabling it to successfully set up Trick Room for the team. Trick Room is the crux of the set, giving Porygon2's slow partners the upper hand by allowing them to move first. Tri Attack is Porygon2's only usable special STAB attack and can dent the opposition should Porygon2 be Taunted, as well as soften enemies for Porygon2's partners. Ice Beam, however, hits most common Taunt users, namely Thundurus, Tornadus, Whimsicott, and Murkrow, for super effective damage, and hence might be more useful if you wish to prevent Porygon2 from being Taunted. Recover is what separates Porygon2 from the many other bulky Trick Room users, as it gives Porygon2 a reliable way of restoring 50% of its health. Protect is overall a great move in doubles, as it shields Porygon2 from attacks, scouts the enemy, and stalls turns. Lastly, Magic Coat allows Porygon2 to take advantage of the fact that it is an enormous Taunt bait, and reflect Taunt back at the opposition.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Porygon2 attracts Taunts like how a flame attracts moths; this issue must therefore be dealt with. Fake Out support is the traditional way of stopping Taunt, and buys Porygon2 time to set up Trick Room. Porygon2's sky-high defenses, combined with access to a reliable recovery move, make it very hard to take down mid- and late-game. However, one must be careful to make best use of Porygon2's niche as a Trick Room user. Porygon2's vulnerability to both Taunt and Fake Out often make it a poor choice if you are using it to lead and set up Trick Room. In that role, it is far outclassed by the likes of Dusknoir and Dusclops, both of whom have good defenses, while also being immune to Fake Out.
Porygon2 has two great abilities to choose from: Download and Trace. Trace allows Porygon2 to copy the opponent's ability, which can be game-changing. For example, if Porygon2 traces Bronzong's or Cresselia's Levitate, it will further delay, if not prevent its death in battle. However, there are times where Porygon2 might Trace something useless or even detrimental to itself, such as Speed Boost. To insure some degree of reliability, one might opt to use Download, which gives Porygon2 the strength to dent things, but once again, there is a chance the ability might boost Porygon2's Attack instead.
Porygon2 can run an alternate spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD to decrease the damage it takes from special attacks. Additionally, Porygon2 can utilize Thunderbolt, Thunder, or Discharge over one of its support moves to gain good coverage with Ice Beam, but this is not recommended as Porygon2's attacks are normally far too weak to pose an offensive threat. Such a change would also hamper Porygon2's ability to support its team, its primary role.
Other Options
While Porygon2's movepool is massive, it does not consist of many useful supporting options. Icy Wind gives Porygon2 the ability to cut the enemies' Speed while preventing it from being Taunt bait, but is rather weak and allows opposing Trick Room teams to become even more threatening. Gravity, Rain Dance, and Sunny Day are all field moves that Porygon2 can utilize nicely to easily disrupt the match, courtesy of its great bulk. Toxic and Thunder Wave are good status alternatives, which Porygon2 has little to no problem spreading around due to its bulk. Lastly, Porygon2 can utilize its Dream World ability, Analytic, nicely, due to Porygon2's relatively low Speed and Analytic's reliability in comparison to Trace or Download. However, Analytic is most useful outside of Trick Room, which conflicts with Porygon2's best role.
Checks and Counters
While it might be difficult to destroy the cyber duck, it is much easier to simply neuter it by preventing it from supporting its team. Certain threats can utilize Imprison in conjunction with Trick Room to immediately shut down Porygon2's ability to Trick Room, forcing it out and making it a burden to its team. Chandelure excels at this thanks to key resistances and immunities to Ice- and Normal-type moves, which allow it to evade Fake Out and Tri Attack while taking little damage from Ice Beam. If your team cannot spare a slot for such a Pokemon, then it might be beneficial to just Taunt Porygon2. Once Porygon2 is Taunted, not only is it a sitting duck (pun intended), but it also cannot Recover back its HP, which will result in a slow, painful death. If you lack Taunt or a user of Imprison + Trick Room, then your best option will be to target Porygon2's weakness—powerful Fighting-type attacks—which will inevitably lead to its doom. Hariyama does an excellent job at this, as its presence discourages Trick Room, and it can hit Porygon2 hard with a Guts-boosted STAB Close Combat for the KO.
