|
-
Levitate
- The wielder is immune to Ground-type moves.
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Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
50
|
- |
241 |
304 |
- |
| Atk |
50
|
122 |
136 |
199 |
218 |
| Def |
77
|
171 |
190 |
253 |
278 |
| SpA |
95
|
203 |
226 |
289 |
317 |
| SpD |
77
|
171 |
190 |
253 |
278 |
| Spe |
91
|
196 |
218 |
281 |
309 |
Overview
Unlike its appliance counterparts, Rotom doesn't have access to any special moves and it remains a Ghost-type. Rotom's defenses and Special Attack are also lower than that of the appliances. Rotom's Ghost typing is a blessing in disguise, as not only does it grant Rotom an immunity to Normal- and Fighting-type moves, but it also renders Rotom immune to Rapid Spin. In place of its lower defenses and Special Attack, Rotom has higher Speed, allowing it to outrun faster threats, such as positive Speed natured Moltres. Rotom's support movepool isn't too shabby either; a combination of Trick, Will-O-Wisp, Pain Split, and Volt Switch can royally screw the opponent while aiding Rotom's teammates in sweeping. Rotom is unpredictable, and if you're not prepared for it, you'll be in for a shock.
The idea behind this set is fairly simple: use a combination of Substitute and Pain Split to weaken the opponent into KO range, then finish them off with one of Rotom's STAB moves. Rotom acts as an effective wallbreaker, as it can weaken the opponent with Pain Split, and should the opponent decide to use a recovery move, Rotom can restore even more of its HP. Instead of outright attacking, Rotom relies on setting up Substitutes and wearing down the opponent slowly and painfully. Good prediction is key, especially if Rotom is slower than the opponent. Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt provide excellent type coverage against everything in the tier bar Magneton, Ferroseed, and Sawsbuck, and they both receive a boost from STAB.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs are pretty self-explanatory; a Timid nature and maximum Speed investment allow Rotom to outspeed positive-natured base 90 Pokemon, such as Moltres. In truth, only 248 Speed EVs are needed to outrun said Moltres, but generally, adding an extra stat point to anything else won't make a huge difference. Will-O-Wisp can be used over one of Rotom's coverage moves, but doing so will leave it walled by either Ground- or Normal-types. A more defensive spread of 252 HP / 8 Def / 248 Spe should be used with Will-O-Wisp, along with Leftovers for extra survivability.
Thanks to this set's ability to force switches, support from entry hazards is greatly appreciated. Ferroseed can set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, while crippling faster threats with Thunder Wave. Scolipede and Garbodor can set up Toxic Spikes for your team, and they can break through Grass-types that slow Rotom down. Uxie and Sandslash can set up Stealth Rock, and they both have access to some useful support moves. Rotom's Ghost typing means that entry hazards will remain on the field for as long as possible, and Shadow Ball will deal a number on Sandslash, a common Rapid Spinner.
Partners that can switch into Rotom's Dark- and Ghost-type weaknesses are essential to keeping it alive. Ferroseed can switch into both of Rotom's weaknesses and proceed to set up entry hazards, and Drapion can switch in and fire off powerful attacks. Thanks to their high Special Attack and Speed stats, special attackers, such as Moltres, can pull off a final sweep of a weakened team.
With a Choice Scarf equipped, Rotom becomes a potent revenge killer and momentum booster. Thanks to Volt Switch, Rotom is very difficult to KO, especially since it avoids taking a boosted Pursuit if the opponent is faster than Rotom. Furthermore, Rotom is immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, giving it an easier time switching in to wreak havoc. Shadow Ball provides Rotom with a secondary STAB move, and its type coverage is excellent in combination with Volt Switch. Hidden Power Ice is used to hit Ground- and Grass-types super effectively, whereas Thunderbolt is another Electric-type STAB that doesn't force Rotom to switch out. The idea is to abuse Volt Switch to scout the opponent's Rotom switch-in, and proceed to weaken the opponent with a combination of passive damage and powerful moves. Sucker Punch is a problem for this set, and Trick is the only option to avoid it if you encounter it.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
A Modest nature should be used as the Choice Scarf provides extra Speed while maintaining Rotom's offensive power. Choice Specs can be used with a Modest nature, but this makes Rotom significantly slower, and leaves it prone to being revenge killed. A Timid nature can be used with Choice Specs for the best of power and Speed, whereas the combination of a Timid nature and a Choice Scarf enables Rotom to outrun even boosted sweepers, such as Shell Smash Crustle and Gorebyss. Hidden Power Fighting can be used in the third slot, as it provides perfect neutral type coverage alongside Shadow Ball. Will-O-Wisp can be used in the last slot as well to fake out the opponent and bluff a bulky set or cripple a dangerous physical sweeper.
This set forces a lot of switches, so entry hazard support is something to consider. Ferroseed can set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, Clefable and Uxie can set up Stealth Rock, and Scolipede can set up Toxic Spikes. Rotom's Ghost typing help keep hazards on the field, and its useful resistances grant it an easier switch in. Throh and Hariyama are also good partners as they can take out specially defensive Pokemon, such as Clefable. Furthermore, Guts Hariyama can switch into status moves and receive an Attack boost. Munchlax and Ferroseed are common switch-ins, making Fighting-type moves favorable. Again, Hariyama can abuse STAB Close Combat.
Although Rotom is usually seen shocking its opponents with its great Speed and Special Attack and mediocre defensive stats, it can also pull off a decent defensive set thanks to its great resistances and access to Pain Split. These attributes allow Rotom to function as a check to many top-tier attackers, including the extraordinarily powerful Escavalier. Rotom's resistance to both Iron Head and Megahorn means it can wall and stall as much as it wants. Rotom's Ghost typing allows it to function as a spinblocker, and a pretty good one at that. Rotom is the only Ghost-type that can reliably beat Kabutops, which most Ghost-types in the tier struggle to defeat. Furthermore, many players will be taken by surprise by Will-O-Wisp, as more offensive sets have no room for it. However, one should keep in mind that Rotom's defenses are not impregnable, so it's best used on a balanced team.
Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball provide excellent coverage—hitting most common Pokemon neutrally. Rotom's dual STAB enables it to hit every common spinner and deal with threats such as Gallade, Tauros, and Absol, even without investment. Pain Split keeps Rotom in top shape throughout the match, and is an excellent tool to wear down opposing Pokemon when Rotom has low health. Pain Split also helps Rotom survive when taking Megahorns from Escavalier. Will-O-Wisp is Rotom's greatest weapon against physical attackers and makes this set much more threatening. It also provides constant residual damage to help Rotom KO foes with greater ease.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The Speed EVs given allow Rotom to outrun Adamant Kabutops and Braviary; this helps Rotom switch in and KO them the following turn with Thunderbolt. Choice Band Braviary's Brave Bird will 2HKO Rotom after Stealth Rock damage, but with the given EVs Rotom can outspeed and KO it. Jolly variants fail to 2HKO Rotom, making more Speed investment unnecessary. The remaining EVs maximize Rotom's physical bulk, capitalizing on Defense rather than HP as it allows Rotom to recover a higher percentage from Pain Split.
Discharge can be used over Thunderbolt for its higher paralysis rate, but the additional power that Thunderbolt provides is invaluable. Furthermore, the chance of paralysis may conflict with your plans to burn a strong physical attacker. The RestTalk combination can be used over Pain Split and Will-O-Wisp to heal off any status that Rotom may be afflicted with, most notably Toxic; however, Will-O-Wisp is absolutely vital to this set, providing residual damage and making physical attackers much less threatening. Even Pain Split plays a vital role in wearing down opponents—not to mention that Sleep Talk is unreliable, with a 33% chance of picking Rest and doing nothing. In addition to all this, BW's sleep mechanics make RestTalk an even less viable option. However, if you really don't want Rotom statused and cannot provide cleric support, RestTalk is your best possible option.
Unlike other Rotom variants, this set requires different types of support. It appreciates entry hazards to wear down opponents, and thanks to its Ghost typing, can keep them up easily. Crustle, Smeargle, Accelgor, Ferroseed, and Roselia are all excellent choices for the job. Cleric support is also recommended as Toxic can spell doom for Rotom, making it unable to stay in for very long and tank hits. Clefable is the best choice for this, also providing Wish support for Rotom and its teammates. Although Rotom has its own recovery, Pain Split isn't reliable enough at times because it doesn't do a lot to targets at a low range of health or with a generally low HP stat. Steelix is another wonderful partner as it can switch into Ghost- and Dark-type moves aimed at Rotom and set up Stealth Rock. Mandibuzz also covers Rotom's weaknesses, and in return Rotom can take Megahorn from Escavalier as well as burn Aggron in a pinch.
Other Options
Rotom is a versatile little spark, and there are a variety of specialized movesets it can run. Rotom can make use of Rain Dance and SubCharge sets, but they're hard to pull off and don't use Rotom to the best of its abilities. A RestTalk set can be used instead of having to rely on Pain Split for recovery, but this generation's sleep mechanics make it unreliable. Charge is an effective way to raise the power of Rotom's Electric-type STAB, but unlike Charge Beam, it doesn't deal damage. Spite can be used alongside Substitute and Pain Split to drain an opponent's PP, but it's not very effective as Rotom doesn't have Pressure as its ability. Rotom can support its teammates with Sunny Day, but it doesn't benefit from it in any way. Thunder Wave can be used with a defensive EV spread to cripple fast threats, and it works wonders in tandem with Substitute. Finally, Rotom can support its team with dual screens, but this is largely outclassed by its other sets.
Checks and Counters
In terms of counters, almost anything with a good Special Defense stat can take on Rotom. Clefable is the most notorious special wall in the tier; thanks to its Normal typing and Magic Guard, Clefable is immune to Shadow Ball and Will-O-Wisp, respectively, so the only move it has to worry about is Trick. Steelix is immune to Electric-type attacks and resists Shadow Ball, though Will-O-Wisp and Trick will cause it problems. Ferroseed resists Shadow Ball and Electric-type moves, and Will-O-Wisp isn't going to stop it from setting up entry hazards. Munchlax is immune to Shadow Ball, takes little damage from specially-based attacks, and has access to Curse to set up. Electivire receives a Motor Drive boost from Electric-type attacks, but unfortunately, it can't do a lot to Rotom in return. Thanks to its great typing, Drapion boasts a resistance to Shadow Ball, takes little damage from Electric-type moves, and can hit Rotom with its STAB Dark-type moves. Sawsbuck is an interesting option, as it has an immunity to Shadow Ball and resists Electric-type moves. Lanturn is a less common counter, but Volt Absorb grants it an immunity to Electric-type moves, and its excellent HP stat means it'll take a pittance from any of Rotom's attacks. Cryogonal and Regice both have massive Special Defense stats, so the best Rotom can do is Trick them a Choice item. Furthermore, Cryogonal has access to Rapid Spin and Recover to support its teammates and keep itself alive, respectively.
Most Grass-, Dark-, Normal-, Ground-, and Steel-types can take on Rotom, just predict carefully, as Trick and Will-O-Wisp can be problematic. Sucker Punch users, such as Absol, can switch into Shadow Ball, and threaten to KO Rotom before it can attack. Shadow Sneak Gallade is another fine choice as it has a good Special Defense stat and poses as a decent offensive threat. Spiritomb is a hard stop to most Rotom as it can nail it with any of Shadow Sneak, Sucker Punch, and Pursuit. Calm Mind and RestTalk sets also wall Rotom pretty well but must be wary of Trick. Finally, revenge killing Rotom is a last resort, but if one of your Pokemon has a decently powered attack and enough Speed, it shouldn't be a difficult task.
