Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
60
|
- |
261 |
324 |
- |
| Atk |
70
|
158 |
176 |
239 |
262 |
| Def |
55
|
131 |
146 |
209 |
229 |
| SpA |
125
|
257 |
286 |
349 |
383 |
| SpD |
105
|
221 |
246 |
309 |
339 |
| Spe |
90
|
194 |
216 |
279 |
306 |
Overview
Roserade is, hands down, one of the best Toxic Spikes users in OU. She can easily dispense Toxic Spikes in the lead position thanks to Sleep Powder, which allows her to neuter opposing leads, and her decent Speed stat. While Roserade is usually seen as a Toxic Spikes user, she can also be employed as an exceptional offensive Pokemon. She has access to two powerful STAB moves in Leaf Storm and Sludge Bomb, and as a result of this, can successfully run both a Life Orb and a Choice Scarf set. On top of this, she is also an excellent Spikes user, and can use a SubSeeding strategy to stall out the opposing team.
However, there exist some downsides to using Roserade. She is very frail on the physical side, so most powerful physical attacks will KO her. Priority moves, such as ExtremeSpeed and Bullet Punch, will often spell doom for Roserade. Additionally, her Grass/Poison STAB combination is resisted by many common Pokemon, such as Heatran, Scizor, and Jirachi, and so she must rely on a Hidden Power type to cover all of these threats. Despite these downsides, however, Roserade is a solid choice on any OU team looking for a versatile entry hazard supporter or special sweeper.
Thanks to her decent Speed and access to Sleep Powder, Roserade serves as an excellent lead with her ability to shut down many common leads and proceed to set up on them. She works best against slow, bulky leads who are unable to defend themselves from Sleep Powder.
As previously mentioned, Sleep Powder is extremely important on Roserade, as it allows her to sleep and set up on common leads, such as Swampert and Metagross. Toxic Spikes is a great support move, and Roserade can set layers up reliably. The third moveslot is for Roserade's STAB move of choice. Leaf Storm is preferred for its sheer power, but Grass Knot can be used instead if the Special Attack drop Leaf Storm causes is unattractive. If the inconsistency of both moves is unappealing to you, then Energy Ball is a fairly decent replacement, albeit much less powerful than Leaf Storm. In the final moveslot, Roserade has her choice of Hidden Power to use. Hidden Power Fire is the primary option as it allows Roserade to hit Skarmory and Forretress leads who will otherwise easily set up on her. Hidden Power Ice is a good option as well for its ability to OHKO Gliscor and Dragonite, who will often switch in on Roserade hoping to set up with Dragon Dance.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Roserade can also use Hidden Power Ground quite well. It allows Roserade to beat Heatran and Occa Berry Metagross leads, whom Roserade otherwise has difficulty damaging. However, its use outside of this function is extremely limited, and so you are usually better off sticking to one of the Hidden Power options that is already listed above.
The EV spread is very simple, yet still quite effective. 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature are an absolute must when using Roserade, as they allow her to outspeed as much as possible. Considering Roserade is not one of the bulkiest Pokemon out there, it is important that she is able to outspeed as many leads as she can so that she can sleep them before they attack her. 252 Special Attack EVs are used so that Roserade can deal as much damage as possible with both her STAB attack and her choice of Hidden Power. The remaining EVs are placed in HP to give Roserade a one point boost. Focus Sash is the only item that should ever be used on this Roserade set, as without it, she is OHKOed by many opposing leads and never gets the chance to set up Toxic Spikes.
Heatran is one of the best partners to this set. He is capable of switching in on many leads who otherwise threaten Roserade, such as Jirachi, and battering the opposition with his powerful STAB Fire-type attacks. He is also a capable user of Stealth Rock, which makes a good complement to Roserade's entry hazards. In turn, Roserade can switch in on Water-types who threaten Heatran. Magnezone also makes a good partner, particularly if Roserade is running Hidden Power Ice; it can easily switch in on the numerous Steel-types who will attempt to KO or set up on Roserade, trap them with Magnet Pull, and proceed to KO them with its powerful Thunderbolt. Machamp leads are very troublesome for Roserade to take on. They can absorb Sleep Powder with Lum Berry, and use a combination of Ice Punch + Bullet Punch to swiftly KO Roserade. For this reason, defensive Rotom-A is a good partner to have, as it is immune to DynamicPunch, takes small damage from Ice Punch, and can cripple Machamp with Will-O-Wisp (though Machamp's Lum Berry must be used first) or attack him with its STAB Thunderbolt. Rotom-A is also a great spinblocker and can prevent Roserade's precious Toxic Spikes from being spun away. It is also important to pair Roserade with Pokemon who enjoy Toxic Spikes support. SubRoost Zapdos and Torment Heatran and great examples of this; they are very stall-oriented Pokemon, and with Toxic Spikes support, their stalling is much swifter and easier to carry out.
While Roserade is a great Toxic Spikes user, she can also set up Spikes, and thanks to her good base 105 Special Defense and ability to heavily damage many common Rapid Spin users, she is an exceptional and often overlooked user of the move. Her sky-high Special Attack sets her apart from other Spikes users like Skarmory, as does her decent special bulk.
Spikes is a great support move, wearing down opposing teams to the point where teammates can sweep. Grass Knot is the primary choice for Roserade's STAB option, but Energy Ball works just as well if the inconsistency of Grass Knot is unappealing to you. Hidden Power Fire is used in the third slot for hitting Steel-types who will commonly switch in on Roserade, such as Scizor and Skarmory, but Hidden Power Ice is a viable alternative if you wish to be able to hit Dragon-types such as Dragonite, who will otherwise set up on Roserade. It should be noted, however, that if you choose to use Hidden Power Ice you are losing out on the ability to hit Forretress, who will delight in switching in on Roserade, spinning away her Spikes, and then setting up Spikes of his own. In the last moveslot, you have several decent options to choose from. Stun Spore is the primary choice, as it allows Roserade to afflict Pokemon switching into her with crippling paralysis; it also comes with the neat ability to paralyze Ground-types, like Flygon, who are immune to most paralysis-inducing moves. If Stun Spore isn't your cup of tea, Rest can be used instead, as it allows Roserade to fully recover her health, switch out, and come back in later with no status effects thanks to Natural Cure. Leech Seed can also be used if you want Roserade to further stall out opposing Pokemon while setting up Spikes; it also allows Roserade to stall Blissey, who otherwise walls her absolutely.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Synthesis can be used in the fourth moveslot in order to give Roserade an alternative instant recovery move. The main issue with this is that Synthesis' recovery is decreased from 50% to 25% when sandstorm is active on the field. Seeing how common Tyranitar is, this will be quite often, and will severely lower Roserade's ability to take the special hits that she is meant to take. Overall, if you're in the market for an instant recovery move on Roserade, Rest is the better option due to its reliability.
The EV spread allows Roserade to maintain acceptable physical bulk and excellent special bulk. With the given HP and Defense EVs, Roserade will always survive an Adamant Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch, even after Stealth Rock damage. 136 Special Defense EVs and a Calm nature allow her to easily switch in on resisted hits like Starmie's Surf and Rotom-A's Thunderbolt and proceed to set up Spikes. If surviving Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch isn't of importance to you, then an alternate EV spread of 252 HP / 136 SpD / 120 Spe can be used; it allows Roserade to outspeed 36 Speed Celebi, Zapdos, and Jirachi, as well as 252 Speed Jolly Tyranitar. Leftovers is the item of choice for its ability to slowly-but-surely recover Roserade's health.
Good teammates for Roserade are Pokemon who will force a lot of switches; this allows the team to take advantage of her Spikes and wear down the opposition through indirect damage. The specific Pokemon to use alongside Roserade depend on the kind of team that you are using. If you are using a more stall-oriented team, then more defensive partners will be the better choices. A simple Skarmory + Blissey combination will form the infamous "SkarmBliss" duo, capable of walling a significant portion of the metagame and forcing numerous switches. On an offensive team, Pokemon who force switches with their offensive presence are good partners for Roserade. Infernape, for instance, can switch in on a predicted Fire-type attackand U-turn as the opponent switches to a counter, forcing more residual damage. Dragonite will also force a lot of switches with his versatility. Another effective way to take advantage of Roserade's Spikes is to utilize a Fire + Water + Grass defensive core. Using Roserade in tandem with a combination of Pokemon such as Heatran and Vaporeon will work well. This will force the opponent to switch multiple times due to defensive synergy, racking up more Spikes damage and keeping your core at high health.
Thanks to Roserade's amazing Special Attack and decent Speed, she is able to utilize a Choice Scarf set to great effect. The main selling point over other Choice Scarf users is her access to a blazing fast Sleep Powder, allowing her to outpace and cripple any Pokemon in the game (bar other Choice Scarf users).
Leaf Storm is the main option in the first moveslot because of its immense power. Energy Ball is a less powerful, but more reliable, option for the more conservative player. Sludge Bomb is used in the second slot as it gives Roserade an effective means of hitting the Pokemon who take little damage from Leaf Storm, such as Celebi and Dragonite. However, be wary when you're using Sludge Bomb, as it is a risky move on a Choice Pokemon; opposing Steel-types will be able to switch in and set up on Roserade with their immunity to Poison-type attacks. Hidden Power Ice is the primary option in the third moveslot as it allows Roserade to outspeed and OHKO Dragonite and Gliscor; Dragonite in particular is a threat to this set as he can freely come in on Leaf Storm, so it helps to have a means of revenge killing him before a Dragon Dance. Hidden Power Ground is viable solely for hitting Heatran, who will otherwise be able to freely switch in on Roserade throughout the entire match and wreak havoc. Sleep Powder is the best move in the final moveslot as it allows Roserade to outspeed and cripple almost any threat, which helps her team immensely in the long run.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Hidden Power Fire is an alternate move for Roserade to use. It allows her to hit most Steel-types who switch in on her quite hard, which is helpful as Steel-types will otherwise wall the set indefinitely. However, if you are using Scarf Roserade you should already have a way to deal with Steel-types, so the need for Hidden Power Fire is alleviated. Roserade can also use Grass Knot, but the inconsistency of its base power is unattractive on a Choice set where she is unable to switch attacks.
The EV spread is extremely simple. 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature are absolutely necessary, because Roserade needs to be able to outspeed all of the threats she possibly can. 252 Special Attack EVs are used to boost Roserade's already immense Special Attack stat. The remaining EVs are placed in HP to give Roserade a tiny boost in defensive capability. Modest is an alternate nature if you wish to hit harder, but Roserade needs all the Speed she can get.
When using Choice Scarf Roserade, you absolutely must have a Pokemon who can take out Steel-types.They will otherwise switch in on her throughout the entire match with no consequences and be free to set up. Substitute Heatran in particular works splendidly with this set for this reason, as he can switch in on any Steel-type causing Roserade problems, like Skarmory, set up a Substitute on the switch, and proceed to heavily damage the opposition with STAB Fire Blast. Heatran is an even better partner if he carries Explosion, as this allows him to lure in and OHKO Blissey, who otherwise walls both he and Roserade completely. While Heatran is a great partner to this Roserade, he is also a great counter to her. Unless you're running Hidden Power Ground, opposing Heatran will wall Roserade. For this reason, bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Vaporeon work well alongside Roserade, as they can easily switch in on and scare off opposing Heatran. Both Fighting- and Fire-types are good offensive partners to this set; fortunately, Infernape can use both of these types, making him an ideal offensive partner for Roserade. He can easily break the Skarmory + Blissey combination that Roserade is completely helpless against.
This set aims to take advantage of Roserade's high Special Attack and above-average Speed by turning her into a full-blown special sweeper. While this set may appear to be outclassed by Life Orb Sceptile, Roserade has higher Special Attack and the advantage of being able to run a great support move in tandem with her attacking options, whether it be Sleep Powder, Spikes, or Toxic Spikes. Any one of these support moves works excellently on this set, and you can use any option you like depending on your team’s needs, making Roserade stand out from other all-out-attacking Life Orb users.
Leaf Storm is the best option in the first moveslot for the immense power that it packs, but Energy Ball can be used instead if you want a more consistent move. Sludge Bomb is used in the second slot as a secondary source of STAB that allows Roserade to severely damage Shaymin and other Roserade. It also allows Roserade to 2HKO offensive Dragonite. The third slot is for Roserade's choice of Hidden Power; Hidden Power Fire is the best option for hitting Steel-types such as Skarmory and Forretress who otherwise completely wall Roserade, while Hidden Power Ground can be used instead as a means of hitting Heatran, who is immune to Sludge Bomb and has a 4x resistance to Leaf Storm. The final moveslot is what sets Roserade apart from other Life Orb attackers: the ability to successfully use a support move. The choice of move depends solely on your team's needs, and as such, there is no "better" option. Sleep Powder is listed as the first option as it allows Roserade to cripple any Pokemon switching into her (bar RestTalkers and status absorbers). However, Spikes or Toxic Spikes can be used if your team can abuse the entry hazard support. Using Spikes and Leaf Storm on the same set is illegal, so keep that in mind when deciding what moves to use.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Hidden Power Ice can be used in place of the two listed Hidden Powers, as it allows Roserade to OHKO Dragonite, Flygon, and Gliscor switch-ins. However, Dragonite already takes a ton of damage from Sludge Bomb, while Flygon and Gliscor are both OHKOed by Leaf Storm; as such, Hidden Power Ice becomes a mostly redundant option. Expert Belt can be used to help Roserade bluff a Choice item and surprise a counter with Sleep Powder, but Life Orb grants her significantly more power and enables many key OHKOes, such as against Flygon.
252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature are necessary on this set as they allow Roserade to outspeed as many threats as possible; considering Roserade isn't particularly bulky, it is important that she be fast. 252 Special Attack EVs are used so that she hits as hard as she possibly can, and with her base 125 Special Attack stat, very few Pokemon can switch into her safely. The remaining EVs are placed in HP as filler. While some people may see it as a good idea to run a Modest nature on this set to deal more damage to incoming Pokemon, it is almost always more valuable to be able to outspeed and damage the opponent's Pokemon as opposed to simply hitting them harder on the switch-in.
Blissey completely walls this set, not caring about Sleep Powder due to Natural Cure and sponging all of Roserade's attacks with her astronomical Special Defense. Snorlax walls Roserade in a similar fashion, but will be temporarily shut down by Sleep Powder. In order to deal with these Pokemon, offensive support is needed. Lucario makes a good choice for this with his ability to switch in on Blissey and a sleeping Snorlax, set up a Swords Dance, and sweep. Mixed Dragonite can break down stall teams that will otherwise usually have a solid response to this set. Mixed Infernape accomplishes the same thing, and has the additional bonus of easily breaking the dreaded "SkarmBliss" combination. Unless you’re running Hidden Power Ground, Heatran will completely wall Roserade; as such, Dragon Dance Gyarados is a wonderful offensive partner to switch into Heatran and set up a Dragon Dance (beware of rare Hidden Power Electric variants, however). With entry hazard support, very few Pokemon will be able to switch into this Roserade safely. Stealth Rock support is a must, as with it, Roserade is able to OHKO Shaymin with Sludge Bomb. A Heatran of your own makes a great choice for setting it up with his defensive synergy with Roserade. Spikes support is also a good idea when using this set,as it secures several OHKOs for Roserade. Physically defensive Skarmory is a good Spikes user alongside Roserade. Although they share a weakness to Fire-type moves, he can switch into the physical moves that will otherwise easily take down Roserade, making him a solid teammate.
This is a more stall-oriented Roserade set that combines her ability to successfully use Spikes with her ability to take resisted special attacks like a champ. Roserade's main advantage over other SubSeeders is her access to Spikes, her Poison-type STAB in Sludge Bomb, and her base 105 Special Defense.
Substitute allows Roserade to set up a safety net against critical hits and status. It also makes it much easier to stall out the opponent, as they will have to hit through Roserade's Substitute directly, giving her more time to stall them out. Leech Seed is used to allow Roserade to both stall out her opponent and gain back some of her own HP at the same time. When used in tandem with her Leftovers, Roserade will often have restored all of the health that she used in order to create a Substitute in just two turns. Sludge Bomb is the primary attacking option in the third slot as it allows Roserade to nail Grass-type switch-ins, such as Celebi, for serious damage, who would otherwise absorb Leech Seed without trouble. Energy Ball is a passable option as well, allowing Roserade to hit bulky Water-type Pokemon as well as Pokemon who are resistant to Sludge Bomb. Spikes is used in the final slot as a means of allowing Roserade to support her team while she stalls out the opposition with her SubSeeding combo. With her base 105 Special Defense, Roserade can easily set up Spikes on powerful resisted special attacks, and will often set up one to two layers, making it harder for the opponent to switch.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Roserade can use Hidden Power Fire in the third moveslot in order to hit Steel-types who will otherwise wall her completely. However, this leaves her open to being set up on by many threats, such as the ever-dangerous Dragonite, and so it is often an inferior option, especially when you consider the fact that Roserade only has one attacking option on this set.
The EVs on this set are customized to maximize Roserade's defensive potential. 236 HP EVs allow for much more overall bulk, and let Roserade take attacks that she otherwise would be unable to. 160 Special Defense EVs and a Calm nature allow Roserade to set up a Substitute on any resisted special attack up to Modest Magnezone's STAB Thunderbolt. 112 Speed EVs allow Roserade to outspeed Jolly Tyranitar. If Speed is more important than overall defensive ability when using this set, then an alternate EV spread of 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with a Timid nature becomes a viable option. While this does allow Roserade to outspeed and Leech Seed more threats, it leaves her unable to easily set up a Substitute against many of the powerful special attackers against whom she can set up on with the main EV spread.
Though this set is capable of handling many threats on its own, it can really shine with proper team support. Toxic Spikes support can be a huge blessing when used in tandem with a set like this; Roserade will often find herself stalling out opponents, and with two layers of Toxic Spikes on the opponent's side of the field, she can do so much more easily and quickly. Tentacruel makes a good choice to provide Toxic Spikes support, as he can also Rapid Spin away any entry hazards that the opponent set up, making it much easier for Roserade to switch in and begin her SubSeeding process. If you aren't interested in Toxic Spikes, however, then paralysis support can be employed to allow Roserade to outspeed more threats and set up on them. Rotom-A is a good choice for this, as it is also capable of preventing the opponent from spinning away Roserade's Spikes. Stealth Rock support also helps this set, as Roserade will be forcing a lot of switches with Leech Seed. Metagross, Swampert, and Heatran are solid Stealth Rock users, and all three synergize well with Roserade defensively. Taunt Gyarados will easily set up on this set, so Hidden Power Electric Vaporeon makes a good defensive partner. Vaporeon can also pass Wishes to Roserade, keeping her health high.
Roserade boasts great Special Attack and Speed, allowing it to outpace a large portion of Pokemon and use Rain Dance or Sunny Day before taking a hit. Sleep Powder is a big asset to Roserade's movepool, as it effectively gives Roserade a free turn for setting up and also incapacitates an opposing Pokemon for several turns, allowing fellow sweepers to switch in without risk. The second moveslot is for Roserade's STAB move of choice. Leaf Storm is preferred for its sheer power, but Grass Knot is a viable alternative if Leaf Storm's Special Attack drop is unattractive. Weather Ball greatly benefits Roserade in weather, as it is essentially either a boosted Fire- or Water-type move in sun or rain, respectively. Roserade can use either Rain Dance and Damp Rock, or Sunny Day and Heat Rock; the choice between the two depends on the kind of support that your team requires.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EV spread is fairly straightforward for an offensive Pokemon such as Roserade. 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature are necessary on this set as they allow Roserade to outspeed as many threats as possible; considering that Roserade isn't particularly bulky, it is important for it to be fast. The 252 Special Attack EVs ensure that Roserade hits as hard as possible with its massive base 125 Special Attack. Energy Ball is an option to consider if Leaf Storm and Grass Knot are unappealing to you.
As it is Roserade's role to set up either Rain Dance or Sunny Day, Pokemon with Swift Swim or Chlorophyll are required for your team to take advantage of the weather it sets up. Heatran makes a great partner as it can come in on Fire-type attacks aimed at Roserade, get a Flash Fire boost, and start to wreak havoc if Sunny Day is up. Faster Taunt users can prevent Roserade from setting up weather or using Sleep Powder, but most of them are fragile and are OHKOed by Leaf Storm. Rapid Spin support is always welcome as Roserade is quite frail, and the removal of entry hazards effectively increases Roserade's lifespan.
Other Options
Roserade has a few other decent moves that will usually struggle to find a place on her set. Extrasensory can be used in order to hit Fighting-types, but the only Pokemon whom it will hit harder than Roserade's other moves are Machamp, Gengar, and Breloom, usually making it a wasted moveslot. Roserade also makes for a decent weather supporter due to access to both Rain Dance and Sunny Day, as well as Weather Ball, but she is extremely physically frail, and will usually only get a maximum of one opportunity to set up weather. She can also succeed on sandstorm teams, as she resists Water- and Grass-type moves and has access to a powerful Rock-type attack in Weather Ball. GrassWhistle can be used as a sleep-inducing move on sets where Sleep Powder is illegal, but its poor accuracy often makes it an undesirable choice. Roserade makes a decent cleric with Aromatherapy, but traditional clerics like Blissey and Celebi are usually better choices for such a role. Shadow Ball can be used on offensive sets, but it will usually only hit Gengar harder than Roserade's other moves, as Rotom-A is already hit for tremendous damage by Leaf Storm. Growth is an option to boost Roserade’s already-high Special Attack, but she is often too slow and physically frail to successfully sweep.
Checks and Counters
While Roserade may be an extremely powerful special attacker, she is easily walled by many common Pokemon. Any Roserade set lacking Hidden Power Fire will be completely shut down by opposing Steel-types, as they aren’t heavily damaged by any other move Roserade commonly carries. This means Pokemon like Skarmory and Forretress can easily set up on Roserade, while Pokemon like Scizor can switch in and score serious damage on her. Dragonite will set up on most Roserade sets lacking Hidden Power Ice, but must be wary of Sludge Bomb from the Life Orb set, as it will hurt them significantly. Blissey and Snorlax effortlessly wall most Roserade sets, but the SubSeed set will do a number on them due to their large HP stats. Heatran can easily switch in on Roserade and proceed to either set up or simply spam his powerful STAB Fire Blast, but must beware rare Hidden Power Ground variants. Overall, almost anyone faster than Roserade with a decently powered physical STAB move will beat her, as her Defense leaves a lot to be desired, and her Speed is average at best.
