Plenty of type coverage to compensate for Registeels rather pathetic offensive stats. Just send Registeel in on one of its many resistances and fire away with the appropriate attack. Earthquake is the best attack against Metagross and Heatran, and it 2HKOs Lucario and dents Tyranitar. Hammer Arm provides more power against Tyranitar and also hurts Porygon-Z, while maintaining the ability to hit Lucario and Heatran for super-effective damage. The choice is mostly down to who you fear more: Metagross or Porygon-Z. Ice Punch covers Dragons, letting Registeel 2HKO a Garchomp stuck on Outrage (with Swords Dance, Adamant, and Life Orb, Garchomp can't even manage 50% on a maxed out Registeel). It dents Gliscor a bit too, but don't expect to hurt Donphan and Hippowdon much. The Electric attack prevents Gyarados and Skarmory coming in freely. Thunder is preferred to ThunderPunch due to the higher base power, and it does far more to Skarmory. Zap Cannon is also an option here, if you are willing to trade accuracy for guaranteed paralysis. Toxic is a good move to wear down many common switch-ins such as Hippowdon, Swampert, etc. and might lure out Skarmory, only for the metal bird to be met with Thunder or Zap Cannon. Explosion is Registeels best chance to kill something outright and should always be considered for a moveslot. Stealth Rock is also a good option here, should your team be lacking something to set it up.
Registeel's great defenses and massive list of resistances also come in handy in Uber battles, perhaps even more so than in OU. This works great against most Latios and Latias, sponging their STAB attacks, before hitting them with status or simply attacking directly with Ice Punch. Shadow Claw smacks the many Psychics you will find in Uber battles, and the critical hit rate can help make up for Registeel's lack of offensive power. Toxic is again a great choice on Registeel, although Thunder Wave is a worthwhile alternative.
Don't expect to sweep with this too often (or at all), but a Cursing Registeel can still cause a few problems for opponents if played correctly. Ice Punch can KO a Garchomp or Salamence after a Curse, and you survive everything that either of them can throw at you, including Garchomp's CB Earthquake. Earthquake offers good coverage alongside Ice Punch, but Counter is a very good option in its place, especially in Uber battles. Ice Punch barely scratches Groudon, but you can KO him by using Counter as he throws an Earthquake at you. If you think he'll set up a Swords Dance, simply take him out with Explosion. Explosion is still a good option in OU, but ThunderPunch is helpful for Gyarados.
It's doubtful your opponents will expect Registeel to show up with a respectable 409 Attack, so you might grab a surprise KO or two with this. The moves given allow for optimal coverage against many of Registeel's likely switch-ins. Iron Head isn't really much use here, as your other attacks will usually do equal or more damage. The problem here is that despite the great type coverage, many of the likely switch-ins are still only 3HKOed by Registeel. The list includes Donphan, Hippowdon, Milotic and Suicune, to name but a few. Other OptionsRest/Sleep Talk gives Registeel extra survivability, but you'll lose some type coverage. Aerial Ace is a nasty surprise for Heracross and Breloom, but is otherwise a poor choice. You may have noticed that there is no Iron Defense/Amnesia/Toxic/Rest set listed. There's a good reason for this: It's bloody awful. Substitute, Steel or Poison-types, Rest, Aromatherapy, Taunt... The list goes on. Too many things can easily shut it down for it to ever be a viable option in a serious battle. EVsA Relaxed nature with 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpDef will give Registeel equal defenses if you wish to use him to take hits from both ends of the attacking spectrum. If you're using it specifically to take attacks from only one type of attacker, then then simply max out the desired defensive stat. Focusing on Special Defense is preferable if Registeel is competiting in the Uber tier. Investment in attacking stats isn't required as Registeel is relying on hitting certain Pokemon with super effective attacks. For Choice Band sets, simply max out Attack and HP. OpinionIf there's one thing to be said for Registeel, it's that it really likes Pokemon carrying Choice items. With the backup of a sturdy Flying-type like Gyarados or Gliscor to discourage Ground and Fighting moves, Registeel can come in fairly easy on brawny battlers like Tyranitar, Heracross, and even Garchomp's Outrage. If you have a nasty response to a misplayed Choice Band Earthquake (hint: Belly Drum Charizard or Dragon Dance Gyarados), Registeel can be a real pest for your opponent. Registeel is useful for countering a handful of specific threats, thanks to those impressive defenses and long list of resistances, but can't significantly hurt anything that isn't hit super-effective by any of its attacks. CountersOU: Most Ground-types and Fighting-types. Heracross is a major problem as Registeel may end up activating Guts with a misplaced Toxic or Thunder Wave. Swampert will just shrug off all of Registeel's direct attacks, but will greatly dislike Toxic. The same goes for Hippowdon and Donphan. Ubers: Groudon and Ho-oh will both scare the hell out of Registeel. It also has problems getting past walls like Giratina and Deoxys-D. Kyogre and Palkia can beat him, but will not enjoy being paralyzed. As Earthquake is seldom on Registeel's Uber sets, Heatran also switches in with ease and hurts it severely with a Choice Specs boosted Fire attack. |
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