Rotom-C (B/W) - Smogon University

D/P
B/W
Strategy
Moves

Levitate: The wielder is immune to Ground-type moves.

Type	Tier
Electric / Grass	RU

Level 5 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
		Min-	Min	Max	Max+
HP	50	-	21	24	-
Atk	65	11	13	16	17
Def	107	15	17	20	22
SpA	105	15	17	20	22
SpD	107	15	17	20	22
Spe	86	13	15	18	19

Rarelyused
Underused
Overused

Overview

Rotom-C is the "middle" Rotom forme; it is neither the best of the five nor the worst. Whilst Rotom-H and Rotom-W are off gallivanting in the upper tiers, Rotom-C finds itself stuck in RU. This is by no means a bad thing, however; thanks to its great base 105 Special Attack stat and decent base 86 Speed, Rotom-C makes for an excellent sweeper and scout. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's defining move thanks to its incredibly high 140 Base Power (210 after STAB) and super effective coverage against several prominent RU threats, such as Slowking, Sandslash, and Kabutops. Rotom-C also has a unique typing that grants it useful resistances to Water-, Electric-, Grass-, and Steel-type attacks, making it the best counter to Lanturn and Rotom in RU. Rotom-C's defensive capabilities are further boosted by its great supporting movepool; it can use Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave to cripple opposing sweepers, and can use Pain Split to regain health.

Unfortunately, Rotom-C is highly susceptible to Fire-types, most notably Entei. It also struggles against bulky Grass-types, such as Roselia, which resists Rotom-C's STAB moves and can shrug off an unboosted Hidden Power Fire. Furthermore, Rotom-C's Grass / Electric typing doesn't grant the best type coverage, and almost all of Rotom-C's primary attacks have severe drawbacks: Leaf Storm sharply lowers its Special Attack, Volt Switch forces it to switch out, and Hidden Power Fire requires Rotom-C to slightly reduce its already low Speed. Regardless, Rotom-C is a great early- to mid-game Pokemon who can scout, hit hard, and cripple stall teams with Trick. Players, watch out for this little lawn mower, unless you want it to go all "Misery" on you.

Name	Item	Nature
Choice Scarf	Choice Scarf	Timid

Moveset	EVs
~ Volt Switch ~ Leaf Storm ~ Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire ~ Trick	252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

What do you get when you combine STAB Volt Switch, immunity to both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, as well as good Speed and Special Attack, with a Choice Scarf? The answer: one of RU's fastest, most resilient, and strongest scouts. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to escape its counters and hit them for considerable amounts of damage with its STAB Electric attack. Luckily, with a bit of prediction, Rotom-C can easily get rid of Ground-types on its own, thanks to Leaf Storm. Nevertheless, it is essential not to spam Volt Switch until all the opposing Ground-types have been KOed; if Rotom-C does use Volt Switch and a Ground-type switches in, not only will you have given your opponent a free turn, you will also lose any momentum you might have garnered up to that point.

Leaf Storm, being Rotom-C's most powerful attack, does huge amounts of damage to anything that doesn't resist it; it also destroys Ground-types, such as Sandslash and Rhydon, that might try to come in for free on Volt Switch. Thunderbolt offers a reliable alternative STAB to Volt Switch as it packs a lot more power and doesn't force Rotom-C to switch out after use. It also helps Rotom-C greatly against Substitute users such as Rotom, who can stall out Leaf Storm or force Rotom-C to switch out with Volt Switch. With only its STAB moves at its disposal, Rotom-C will find itself completely walled by defensive Grass-types, such as Roselia and Ferroseed; Hidden Power Fire enables Rotom-C to dent Roselia and to 2HKO Ferroseed and Tangrowth. Trick cripples a great number of Pokemon in RU, such as Eviolite Ferroseed and Roselia. They not only lose the defensive boosts that Eviolite gives them, but also the ability to switch moves, a disaster for any defensive Pokemon.

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

As this set is adept at forcing switches, entry hazard support is almost a necessity. Spikes in particular are very effective as they do more damage than Stealth Rock does to Ground-types that try to switch in on Volt Switch. Although Rotom-C is an excellent scout, it can also function well as a late-game sweeper as it has great Speed thanks to Choice Scarf, and can hit hard with STAB Thunderbolt. By using Team Preview to your advantage, you can make a decision as to whether Rotom-C should scout or sweep. If you see a team full of fast Pokemon that can tank Rotom-C's attacks, such as Entei and Cryogonal, it is important to get hazards down early and continually use Volt Switch as Rotom-C likely won't manage to break through those Pokemon. However, should you see a team that lacks a bulky Pokemon that resists or is immune to Electric, you should first aim to wear it down, then bring Rotom-C out late-game and proceed to sweep with Thunderbolt.

Rotom-C has a lot of trouble against Fire-types, as they resist Leaf Storm and take relatively little damage from Volt Switch. Entei in particular can switch into any of Rotom-C's attacks and OHKO it with Flare Blitz, or, if it is low enough in health, revenge kill it with ExtremeSpeed. Typhlosion takes a lot of damage from Volt Switch and Thunderbolt, but can quite easily tank a Leaf Storm. Choice Scarf Typhlosion can also switch into Trick with impunity and easily burn Rotom-C to a crisp with Eruption, or any other STAB move for that matter. Therefore, Feraligatr makes for an excellent teammate. It has great synergy with Rotom-C as it resists Fire- and Ice-type attacks—Rotom-C's most prominent weaknesses—and appreciates Rotom-C's 4x resistance to Electric and its 2x resistance to Grass. Feraligatr can take advantage of the Fire-types that Rotom-C lures in by setting up on them with either Swords Dance or Dragon Dance. On a more defensive note, Qwilfish also makes for an excellent teammate to Rotom-C. Not only does Qwilfish share near-perfect synergy with Rotom-C—only Psychic-type attacks hit both for super effective and neutral damage, respectively—it can also set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes for Rotom-C to take advantage of by forcing switches.

Name	Item	Nature
Choice Specs	Choice Specs	Timid

Moveset	EVs
~ Volt Switch ~ Leaf Storm ~ Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire ~ Trick	48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe

Thanks to its good bulk, great STAB moves, and above-average Special Attack and Speed, Rotom-C makes for a great user of Choice Specs. On top of this, most of Rotom-C's counters will be expecting it to run a Choice Scarf set; thanks to this set's much higher damage output, it is able to surprise a lot of its usual checks and counters. Volt Switch, Rotom-C's most useful STAB move, also lends itself well to Choice items, as it embodies the set's "hit-and-run" mindset. Rotom-C might seem outclassed as a Choice Specs user by other special attackers, such as Moltres and Typhlosion, due to their higher Speed and Special Attack stats, in addition to their better sweeping attacks. However, Rotom-C's good defensive typing—which means it takes little damage from entry hazards, unique STAB moves, and access to Trick, all ensure that Rotom-C isn't outclassed.

Volt Switch is Rotom-C's main STAB move. It hits very hard thanks to the Choice Specs boost, and enables Rotom-C to scout the opposing team while wearing down its counters with passive damage. A Choice Specs-boosted Leaf Storm is absurdly powerful and 2HKOes or OHKOes anything that doesn't resist it—or isn't named Munchlax. Even Pokemon that do resist it might fall; for example, after Stealth Rock damage, Leaf Storm 2HKOes Tangrowth and Sceptile, and also OHKOes Galvantula. Thunderbolt gives Rotom-C a more powerful Electric-type STAB attack that doesn't force it to switch, and helps Rotom-C beat Substitute users such as Rotom, who might try to stall out Leaf Storm. Hidden Power Fire hits Lilligant, Roselia, and Ferroseed, all bulky Grass-types that resist Rotom-C's STAB moves, but Roselia remains an effective counter as it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire. Trick enables Rotom-C to cripple many of its counters; for example, Roselia and Munchlax will be hard-pressed to wall Rotom-C if they lose the defensive boost from Eviolite, while even walls such as Clefable and Drapion are crippled if they cannot switch between moves.

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

The given EVs ensure that Rotom-C outspeeds all positive-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon, and also enable Rotom-C to hit extremely hard. The HP EVs grant Rotom-C a little extra bulk, which can come in handy when tanking weak neutral or resisted hits. Thanks to the Special Attack boost granted by Choice Specs, Rotom-C is no longer forced to switch out after using Leaf Storm, as it is still extremely powerful at -2. For example, Feraligatr and Sandslash are both OHKOed by -2 Leaf Storm. This set does extremely well against balanced teams, as it can take a hit or two quite easily thanks to its good Defense and Special Defense, and can dish out a lot of damage thanks to Choice Specs and its high attacking stats. However, without Choice Scarf's Speed boost, Rotom-C will find itself hard-pressed to revenge kill effectively as it will not be able to outspeed fast but frail Pokemon such as Aerodactyl and Archeops.

Rotom-C enjoys entry hazard support as much as any offensive Pokemon does—if not more, as this set is adept at forcing switches and grabbing momentum. With both entry hazard support and Choice Specs, Rotom-C can get past many of its usual counters, such as Typhlosion, who is always OHKOed by Thunderbolt after Stealth Rock. Entei, too, is OHKOed by Thunderbolt approximately 40% of the time after Stealth Rock, and always OHKOed after a layer of Spikes as well. Therefore, Pokemon who can set up entry hazards and also have good defensive synergy with Rotom-C, such as Qwilfish and Omastar, make for good teammates. If Rotom-C lacks Hidden Power Fire, it is handily countered by Ferroseed and Roselia, who resist its STAB moves and can paralyze it with Thunder Wave or KO it with Sludge Bomb, respectively. However, both must still be wary of Trick, which will cripple them for the remainder of the game. Camerupt makes for an unexpected but efficient counter to both Roselia and Ferroseed thanks to its powerful Fire-type STAB moves, its immunity to Thunder Wave, and resistances to Gyro Ball and Sludge Bomb.

Name	Item	Nature
Support	Leftovers	Modest

Moveset	EVs
~ Leaf Storm ~ Volt Switch / Thunderbolt ~ Will-O-Wisp ~ Pain Split	168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe

With significant HP investment and Leftovers, Rotom-C can be an effective counter to many of RU's most threatening physical attackers. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's most powerful option, and thanks to full investment in Special Attack and a Modest nature, it hits very hard. On top of this, Leaf Storm hits many physical attackers, such as Feraligatr, Sandslash, and Rhydon, for super effective damage. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to scout as well as grab momentum, and hits surprisingly hard. However, should you want a more reliable option, Thunderbolt is viable: it hits much harder than Volt Switch, and—in comparison to Leaf Storm—is a more accurate, consistent, and effective STAB attack against the likes of Feraligatr and Kabutops. Will-O-Wisp is this set's key to dealing with physical attackers. Once burned, Pokemon such as Gallade and Hitmonchan pose much less of a problem to Rotom-C as their sky-high Attack stats will be cut in half. Will-O-Wisp also enables Rotom-C to wear down the aforementioned physical attackers to a point where it can take them out with an attack other than Leaf Storm. As it lacks any better option for recovery, Pain Split is used to keep Rotom-C around for longer. Thanks to its low HP stat, Rotom-C is often able to recover large amounts of HP, especially against the bulky foes that wall it. Entei in particular has a very high HP stat, so if Rotom-C can hit it on the switch in, Entei is likely to lose a large portion of its HP.

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

The EVs serve several purposes. First of all, they boost Rotom-C's lackluster HP stat, which in turn enables it to take hits from a wide variety of opponents thanks to its good Defense and Special Defense stats. Investing in 88 Speed EVs enable Rotom-C to outspeed maximum Speed Omastar and Crawdaunt, a benchmark that many physical sweepers should aim to reach. An alternative spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe is perfectly viable to let Rotom-C outspeed neutral-natured Gallade, Feraligatr, Kabutops, and Hitmonchan, all of whom Rotom-C can cripple with Will-O-Wisp. A Timid nature along with the same spread enables Rotom-C to beat positive-natured variants of those Pokemon, but most of the aforementioned Pokemon only try to outrun Omastar, and the loss of a Modest boost will significantly reduce Rotom-C's power.

As with most Rotom-C sets, Fire-type Pokemon severely hamper this set's effectiveness. Entei and Typhlosion can switch in for free on Will-O-Wisp and vaporize Rotom-C with their powerful STAB moves, but the two—and Typhlosion in particular—won't enjoy being hit by Volt Switch or Thunderbolt. Nonetheless, Slowking, Qwilfish, and Lanturn are all good partners to Rotom-C as they counter the two aforementioned Fire-types effectively. Slowking can Toxic the two and force them to take further Stealth Rock damage with Dragon Tail; Qwilfish has Intimidate to lower Entei's damage output, and can set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes to discourage them from switching in; while Lanturn can heal Rotom-C of any troublesome status, such as Toxic or paralysis, and can paralyze Entei and Typhlosion. On top of this, all three Pokemon have good defensive synergy with Rotom-C and can hit Fire-types super effectively with their Water-type STAB moves. Clefable makes for a good teammate too, as she can make up for Rotom-C's lack of reliable recovery by passing big Wishes to it, and can also provide cleric support to Rotom-C and its teammates. Lilligant and Sceptile are potent threats to Rotom-C, as they resist both of Rotom-C's STABs and don't mind being burnt as they are special attackers. Therefore, Sap Sipper Pokemon, such as Sawsbuck and Bouffalant, make for excellent partners; they can absorb Lilligant and Sceptile's Grass-type moves while scoring an Attack boost, and either force them out or KO them with their Normal-type STAB moves.

Name	Item	Nature
Rain Dance	Damp Rock	Modest

Moveset	EVs
~ Rain Dance ~ Volt Switch ~ Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp ~ Leaf Storm	248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe

Rotom-C's unique Electric / Grass typing makes it a great asset to rain teams. While one might think that Uxie—the most common weather supporter—outclasses Rotom-C in this role thanks to its superior bulk, Rotom-C's great typing and useful resistances give it an advantage over Uxie. Its 4x resistance to Electric and 2x resistance to Grass allow it to switch in easily on moves that its Water-type teammates often attract; therefore, each time the rain ends and a Water-type sweeper is on the field, Rotom-C can easily switch in to take a hit, then summon the downpour again. Furthermore, Rotom-C itself benefits from the rain, which mitigates its weakness to Fire and grants it a perfectly accurate Thunder. Even when rain is present, Rotom-C can still provide additional team support and some offensive momentum by spreading status and threatening bulky Water-types; it is never a dead weight.

Rain Dance provides compulsory support for all rain teams. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to switch out and safely bring in a sweeper after setting up rain; its weaknesses to Fire and Ice grant it good synergy with Water-type sweepers. Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp are both great options for additional team support; the former's ability to slow down threats is useful for when the rain is absent and Swift Swim is deactivated, while the latter makes it easier for the likes of Omastar to set up on physical attackers. However, these support moves should not be used when rain is active, as this will waste a turn of rain. Note that these status moves are only secondary support options; Rotom-C's main aim should always be to set up rain and switch out as soon as possible. Finally, Leaf Storm is a neat coverage move to punish Ground-types and Lanturn that try to prevent Rotom-C from Volt Switching out.

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Other Options

Unfortunately, Rotom-C's offensive movepool is, in a word, barren. As Shadow Ball lacks STAB and doesn't afford Rotom-C any significant coverage, it is a lackluster option. Discharge has slightly less power than Thunderbolt, but makes up for that with a great 30% paralysis rate. However, Rotom-C often finds itself hard-pressed to fit Thunderbolt onto a set, let alone Discharge. A SubCharge set is an option, but its effectiveness has been significantly reduced with the loss of Rotom-C's Ghost typing. To compound this issue, Rotom-C's only decent Grass-type STAB move, Leaf Storm, lowers its Special Attack two stages upon use, which makes boosting up pointless in the first place.

Luckily for Rotom-C, it has a great support movepool that any of its support sets can make good use of. Rotom-C can run an extremely annoying parafusion set to spread status while healing with Pain Split and scouting with Volt Switch. Access to both Reflect and Light Screen enables Rotom-C to run an effective dual screens set thanks to its good bulk and relatively good Speed. Finally, Rotom-C can also set up Sunny Day, though it does this less effectively than it sets up Rain Dance as it doesn't enjoy the boost to Fire-type attacks.

Checks and Counters

The first step towards countering Rotom-C is scouting its set, as offensive and support variants have different checks. Roselia and Amoonguss wall the Choice Scarf set with ease thanks to their titanic special bulk and lack of weaknesses to any of Rotom-C's moves. Ferroseed has a 4x resistance to Leaf Storm and a 2x resistance to Volt Switch, but must be wary of Hidden Power Fire. All the aforementioned switch-ins must be careful of being too predictable, however, as they will hate being Tricked a Choice item. As Choice Scarf Rotom-C doesn't hit too hard, it can also be checked by bulky Fire-types, particularly Entei, as they resist Leaf Storm and Hidden Power Fire, take relatively little damage from Volt Switch, and can KO Rotom-C with their STAB Fire attacks.

Choice Specs Rotom-C hits considerably harder than its Choice Scarf counterpart does, and can 2HKO all its usual checks with the appropriate move; as such, it doesn't have any surefire counters. Roselia is probably your best bet at countering Choice Specs Rotom-C as she is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire; she can then put Rotom-C to sleep or 2HKO it with Sludge Bomb. Lickilicky takes significantly more damage from a Choice Specs Leaf Storm than it does a Choice Scarf one, but it can nonetheless stall Rotom-C out with Wish and Protect, or paralyze it with Body Slam. Specially defensive Cryogonal can stall out Leaf Storm with Recover if it has enough Speed, and it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire and Thunderbolt. Furthermore, Cryogonal can hit Rotom-C hard with STAB Ice Beam off its solid base 95 Special Attack.

Support Rotom-C is harder to counter in the strictest sense of the word, as its main purpose is to help the rest of its team rather than sweep or break walls. Most support sets are easily walled by Roselia, due to their lack of Trick, as well as their reduced damage output. The Rain Dance set in particular actually aids Roselia as it rids her of her weakness to Fire; furthermore, Giga Drain is super effective against the many Water-type Pokemon commonly seen on rain teams. Ferroseed and Amoonguss can also wall support Rotom-C thanks to the former's plethora of resistances and the latter's monstrous special bulk. However, both must be careful of Will-O-Wisp as they will not enjoy having their already lackluster Attack stats halved for the remainder of the game.