Pokémon Rotom-Wash

[Haze Milotic]

#479 Rotom-Wash
Type:

Abilities
Levitate: Damage dealing Ground-type moves have no effect on this Pokémon. Cannot be trapped by Arena Trap ability. Takes no damage from Spikes.
BS: 50/65/107/105/107/86
BST: 520

Viable Moves
Will-O-Wisp
Volt Switch
Trick
Toxic
Thunderbolt
Thunder Wave
Substitute
Pain Split
Hydro Pump

General Analysis
How Rotom-Wash managed to slip through the cracks and not have it's own thread is a mystery. There is just a Rotom thread, but I believe Rotom-Wash deserves it's own thread, as it is in high usage and is a great Pokémon to have on any team. But regardless, Rotom-Wash is an amazing Pokémon. With it's ability Levitate getting rid of an otherwise crippling Ground weakness, Rotom-W has only one weakness in Grass type moves. Rotom-W is also blessed with an amazing support movepool, with Trick, Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, and Pain Split as viable options for this washing machine. It also isn't lacking in attack power either. A base 105 special attack stat won't be netting OHKO's left and right, but it's usable enough to do some serious damage. Speaking of stats, Rotom-W has superb defensive stats, with defense and special defense both at 107, Rotom-W will be able to take some hits. Overall, Rotom-W is a very viable Pokémon, and one that is getting a lot of usage.

Potential Movesets

Specially Defensive
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 232 SDef / 248 HP / 28 SAtk
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp/ Thunder Wave
- Pain Split

The anti-rain Pokémon from Generation 5 comes back with a new purpose: to cripple the opponent's team. Having trouble with a physical attacker? Let Rotom-W switch in, tank a hit, then retaliate with a Will-O-Wisp, making their physical attacker unable to hurt you. Volt Switch and Hydro Pump have great coverage, as Volt Switch allows you to scout, while Hydro Pump does decent damage, and additionally, both moves get STAB. Pain Split is just there to mess with your opponent's head. This set counters Talonflame well, as Rotom-W resists both of it's STABs. Even at +2, Talonflame Brave Bird fails to OHKO Rotom-Wash, while a Hydro Pump OHKO's Talonflame.
+2 252 Atk Choice Band Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Rotom-W: 201-237 (66.3 - 78.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
28 SpA Rotom-W Hydro Pump vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Talonflame: 344-408 (115.4 - 136.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Choice Scarf
Suggested by Folex
Rotom-Wash @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch/Thunderbolt
- Trick
- Hidden Power [Ice]/Hidden Power [Fire]
- Hydro Pump

This set makes a great lead as well as a great revenge killer. Volt switch is for scouting while Trick can swap your Choice Scarf for an opponents item. Hydro pump is the main STAB move while Hidden Power Fire and Hidden Power Ice both counter Rotom's sole weakness which is grass.

Physically Defensive
Suggested by Prosecutor Godot
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers/Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spd
Bold Nature
- Pain Split/Rest
- Will-O-Wisp/Thunder Wave
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch

44 speed outspeeds Jolly Azumarill, and the rest goes into HP and Defense allowing Rotom-W to actually stop what it should be walling or crippling with Will-O-Wisp (Talonflame, Azumarill, SD Aegislash, Garchomp, Dragonite, Mega-Pinsir, etc)

Counters and Checks
With Excadrill back in OU, Rotom-W is having some trouble due to Excadrill's Mold Breaker ability, allowing Excadrill to ignore Levitate and hit Rotom-W with a SE Earthquake. As always, the pink blobs (Chansey and Blissey) can take hits from Rotom-W, and can switch out and get burns or paralysis healed due to Natural Cure. Although not widely seen, Celebi resists all of Rotom-W's moves and with Natural Cure, doesn't mind a status infliction. Mega-Venusaur is also a check and is rising in popularity due to it's effective shutdown of Rotom-Wash and other things it brings to teams.

Personal Opinion
I really like Rotom-Wash. It's a cool Pokémon with an interesting concept. It's a lot better than all of the other Rotom forms (looking at you, Rotom-Fan), and it is really fun to play with.

What sets do you have that work well?

 

[B0bGary]

Nice! Might also be worthy to mention a chesto rest set? Also, personally I switch pain split for a stab electric move and scarf it. Just my thoughts.

 

[KurashiDragon]

Ugh I hate the Chesto-Rest set. I just don't think it's as useful as the Pain Split. Anyway, as to rotom-w itself, it's just to awesome. I use it on nearly every team I have. It's just such a good pokemon in this day and age. Heck it's been that way sense 5th gen but Talonflame really made it's usage explode. I like how you did a +2 Choice Band set. It may or may not have been a mistake on your part but I feel it really emphasizes how well Rotom-W can take Talonflame. Let's do Choice Band and +2 though. I prefer adamant nature with my Talonflames personally.

+2 252+ Atk Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Rotom-W: 148-174 (48.6 - 57.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Choice Band Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Rotom-W: 111-131 (36.5 - 43%) -- 97.9% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

Straight up countering The Choice Band set and can force out Talonflame if it tries to set up on Rotom-w though it cant switch in on a +2 Brave Bird.

It's not just Talonflame though, it's like the 6th gen was designed to be Rotom-w's metagame. It has so much synergy with almost any OU Pokemon and takes so much before it goes down. It deserves that #1 spot.

 

[Mitchhhhhh]

Physically Defensive is the norm nowadays cause it takes Talonflames hits much much better, Specially Defensive can check it twice and that's about it unless you get off a good painsplit.

Chesto Restv should be mentioned regardless of your personal opinion of the set, being able to deal with status, especially Toxic, is a huge boon not to mention giving you a way to deal with Smeargle if you lack a grass type.

A Scarf/Specs + Trick set deserves a mention too, with TBolt/Discharge/HP Ice in the last slot.

That being said, Rotom-W didn't really get anything new and there's a Rotom thread already where mainly Rotom-W gets discussed so I'm not sure this requires its own thread.

 

[JSteele]

Why no scarf mention? Scarf Rotom-W is legit.

 

[Folex]

Wash Rotom @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)

• Volt Switch/Thunderbolt
• Trick
• Hidden Power [Ice]/Hidden Power [Fire]
• Hydro Pump

This set makes a great lead as well as a great revenge killer. Volt switch is for scouting while trick can swap your choice scarf for an opponents item. Hydro pump is the main STAB move while hidden power fire and hidden power ice both counter Rotoms weakness, grass.

 

[Prinz]

give some speed on any defensive set plz (im looking at the op), you really don't wanna to get smashed by bdrum azumarill / jolly mega mawile after they setup (running 44 EVs is enough for both jolly azumarill and maw)

 

[Baharoth]

With Excadrill back in OU, Rotom-W is having some trouble due to Excadrill's Mold Breaker ability, allowing Excadrill to ignore Levitate and hit Rotom-W with a SE Earthquake.

I wouldnt mention Excadrill as a counter, its hardly even a check.

Excadrill can by no means switch into Rotom-w so its definetely not a counter and even if it gets in savely it fails to ohko (the very if not most common) physical defensive Rotom-w while beeing ohkoed back 80% of the time. The only set that could at least be called a check is an Assault Vest Set and that set isnt all that common.

Personaly i prefer the chesto rest set since pain split is a very unreliable recovery, having a solid second life is more useful imo. Also it can be nice sometimes to absorb sleep induce with it.

 

[Prinz]

i would also remove celebi from counters. i mean, i know it walls hard rotom-w but it's p a bad mon nowadays and it isnt used anymore (cuz genesect + knock off everywhere yer) so it doesnt deserve to get a mention imo but if you wanna it there there is no problems i guess. otherwise i'd add mega venusaur, it acts in a similiar way celebi would act if it was still here (it just fears will-o-wisp but m venusaur is more common in stall teams with cleric so whatever) but it's much more useful than celebi.

 

[bwebber]

Excadrill is very much a check, being faster and capable of OHKOing and what not.

Pretty much any Grass type bulky enough counters Rotom. Venusaur is the most common one.

 

[Baharoth]

Excadrill is very much a check, being faster and capable of OHKOing and what not.

Pretty much any Grass type bulky enough counters Rotom. Venusaur is the most common one.

252+ Atk Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom-W: 254-300 (83.5 - 98.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery. So no, it doesnt OHKO and what not.

 

[bwebber]

252+ Atk Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom-W: 254-300 (83.5 - 98.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery. So no, it doesnt OHKO and what not.

252/252+ isn't Rotom's most common or most optimal set.

I mean, even in your extreme example that leaves Rotom severely crippled, meaning any prior damage means it's going to go down. So yes, Excadrill is a check. Saying "under the absolute best case scenario it narrowly avoids being OHKOed" doesn't dispute that.

 

[Baharoth]

252/252+ isn't Rotom's most common or most optimal set.

Do u have usage statistics to back that up? From my experience its the most common and given the fact that most of things that u want to counter/check with rotom are physical i think it is definetly viable, dont know about optimal but doesnt realy matter anyways. Yes it leaves Rotom crippled but still, failing to OHKO while beeing OHKOed back is certainly not the definition of a check. If we consider the scarfed set as another possibility its even more risky. If u know exactly that ur up against a specialy defensive set or a physical set thats already damaged, yes under these circumstances Excadrill can check but only then. Even if we consider it a check, its a shaky one at best.

 

[Nivvius]

Do u have usage statistics to back that up? From my experience its the most common and given the fact that most of things that u want to counter/check with rotom are physical i think it is definetly viable, dont know about optimal but doesnt realy matter anyways. Yes it leaves Rotom crippled but still, failing to OHKO while beeing OHKOed back is certainly not the definition of a check. If we consider the scarfed set as another possibility its even more risky. If u know exactly that ur up against a specialy defensive set or a physical set thats already damaged, yes under these circumstances Excadrill can check but only then. Even if we consider it a check, its a shaky one at best.

I think Bwebber is right. I very much doubt that there is a Rotom out there running a 252HP/252+DEF set. Seems like a waste of EVs (and most Rotom tend to want to run some special attack to net certian KOs anyway). Excadrill definitely would be a check, considering your scenario seems much more unlikely than a more common special attacking set.

 

[Albacore]

Do u have usage statistics to back that up? From my experience its the most common and given the fact that most of things that u want to counter/check with rotom are physical i think it is definetly viable, dont know about optimal but doesnt realy matter anyways. Yes it leaves Rotom crippled but still, failing to OHKO while beeing OHKOed back is certainly not the definition of a check. If we consider the scarfed set as another possibility its even more risky. If u know exactly that ur up against a specialy defensive set or a physical set thats already damaged, yes under these circumstances Excadrill can check but only then. Even if we consider it a check, its a shaky one at best.

Spreads
Calm:252/0/0/4/252/0 22.101%
Bold:252/0/252/4/0/0 9.818%
Timid:0/0/0/252/4/252 7.548%
Modest:232/0/0/56/0/220 4.306%
Modest:252/0/0/252/4/0 3.848%
Bold:252/0/252/0/4/0 3.746%
Other 48.633%

So physically defensive Rotom-W is common-ish, but not as common as Specially Defensive Rotom-W. Excadrill is a check, but a very risky one. You can only switch into one of its 3 possible moves (unless you predict Pain Split/Rest), but the one move it can switch into is by far its most likely, so the risk is relative.
220 Speed EVs w/ Modest enbales it to outspeed Max Speed Jolly Breloom, in case you were wondering. Not sure what the deal is about 56 SpA EVs, though.

Scarf Rotom with Will-O-Wisp should be mentioned. It seems silly, but it's able to cripple a lot of powerful threats before they get a chance to steamroll it, particularly Garchomp and +1 Dragonite if you correctly predict EQ.

 

[ProfPuppyPunter]

Due to me and my dumb garbage, I run Physically Defensive Wash w/ Assault Vest to kind of cover both sides of the spectrum.
I usually run VoltSwitch/Hydro/ShadowBall or Signal Beam/HP Ice. Works relatively well besides lack of Will o' Wisp.

Btw Haze where did u get dat signature >w<

 

[gnr61]

regardless of the usage statistics, if you are facing a spdef rotom-w you are facing a vastly sub-optimal (in most cases) rotom-w and shouldn't worry too much about preparing for it, since your physical attackers (aka the things rotom does best at checking) will be muscling through it fairly quickly. if i had a guess, i'd say Calm is most common because it's the auto-generated recommended spread by Pokemon Showdown!, but its official analysis here and most competent players will say a spread of 252 HP/212+ Def/44 Spe is rotom's best set for this metagame.

anyway even against physically defensive exca does fine most of the time 1v1, since rotom is a magnet for prior chip damage. still, it's a shaky check against the best variant and can in no way switch in. rotom-w is best handled by lati@s, bulky grasses and guts AV conkeldurr; pretty much anything else has to play games with it to get in safely.

 

[Prosecutor Godot]

The set in the OP should be Defensive, not Specially Defensive.

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers/Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spd
Bold Nature
- Pain Split/Rest
- Will-O-Wisp/Thunder Wave
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch

This is Rotom-W's bread and butter set, and the one that should be included in the OP. 44 speed outspeeds Jolly Azumarill, and the rest goes into HP and Defense allowing Rotom-W to actually stop what it should be walling or crippling with Will-O-Wisp (Talonflame, Azumarill, SD Aegislash, SD Mega-Lucario, SG Genesect, Garchomp, Dragonite, Mega-Pinsir, etc)

 

[Albacore]

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers/Chesto Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spd
Bold Nature
- Pain Split/Rest
- Will-O-Wisp/Thunder Wave
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch

I'd have slashed T-Wave with Pain Split/Rest, not Will-O-Wisp. Being able to burn your opponents is one of the main reasons Rotom-W is so good, since being a Will-O-Wisp user with the ability to demolish Fire-types is a fantastic niche. I see no reason for non-choiced Rotom-W to pass on that move.
Physically Defensive Rotom-W is probably the best since it shouldn't really be facing special attackers in the first place.
I didn't know Jolly Azumarill was a thing. I assumed they were all Adamant with Max HP and Max Attack.

 

[bwebber]

So physically defensive Rotom-W is common-ish, but not as common as Specially Defensive Rotom-W. Excadrill is a check, but a very risky one. You can only switch into one of its 3 possible moves (unless you predict Pain Split/Rest), but the one move it can switch into is by far its most likely, so the risk is relative.
220 Speed EVs w/ Modest enbales it to outspeed Max Speed Jolly Breloom, in case you were wondering. Not sure what the deal is about 56 SpA EVs, though.

Scarf Rotom with Will-O-Wisp should be mentioned. It seems silly, but it's able to cripple a lot of powerful threats before they get a chance to steamroll it, particularly Garchomp and +1 Dragonite if you correctly predict EQ.

It doesn't have to switch in to any of Rotom's moves. Hence, check.

 

[Albacore]

It doesn't have to switch in to any of Rotom's moves. Hence, check.

Yeah, I worded that badly. It's a pretty solid check and a very risky counter.

 

[Baharoth]

I didn't know Jolly Azumarill was a thing. I assumed they were all Adamant with Max HP and Max Attack.

From what i know, Jolly isnt all that common but it can sweep unprepared teams on its own so those speed IVs can be critical.

It doesn't have to switch in to any of Rotom's moves. Hence, check.

Against 1 of 3 Sets. Honestly there are far better things to check Rotom.

 

[Mitchhhhhh]

Honestly Gastrodon is pretty much the best counter to Rotom-W, being immune to both it's STABs and not caring much about burn, it also stops the VoltTurn death in it's tracks and can threaten back with Toxic.

 

[Nysyr]

Go ahead and use the spdef set.

+2 252 Atk Aerilate Mega Pinsir Return vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Rotom-W: 233-275 (76.6 - 90.4%) -- 25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Switch into Sr once and then 100% ohko at +2.

Yeah, good set.

 

[Prosecutor Godot]

I'd have slashed T-Wave with Pain Split/Rest, not Will-O-Wisp. Being able to burn your opponents is one of the main reasons Rotom-W is so good, since being a Will-O-Wisp user with the ability to demolish Fire-types is a fantastic niche. I see no reason for non-choiced Rotom-W to pass on that move.
Physically Defensive Rotom-W is probably the best since it shouldn't really be facing special attackers in the first place.
I didn't know Jolly Azumarill was a thing. I assumed they were all Adamant with Max HP and Max Attack.

I should've said that 144 guarantees to outspeed all Azumarill and Mawile-Mega. Rotom-W will need to move before both of them for the Will-O-Wisp, and it's a matter of a better safe than sorry speed creep.

As for slashing Pain Split/Rest with T-Wave, eh..I don't think Rotom-W should ever be run without some way to recover lost health unless choiced, obviously. Honestly, I don't see the benefits of T-Wave over Will-O-Wisp either (apart from crippling Charizard), but apparently it's an option that some people take.