Rotom-W

[TheMantyke]

This analysis was written as part of the mass skeleton production query. QC is free to check it, but its main purpose for now is just to get the skeleton out the door.

Overview
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• One of the best Pokemon in the format.
• Amazing typing, lots of useful resistances, great immunity, rare and easily accountable weakness.
• Answer to some of the format's other best Pokemon like Talonflame
• Two good STAB attacks allow it to hit multiple relevant targets for big damage
• Fantastic support movepool, especially with Will-o-Wisp
• Among the easiest Pokemon in the format to just slap on a team to patch up weaknesses and do work
• Low HP hinders reasonable defenses
• Walled by Grass-types
• Every competent team will have some plan for Rotom-W

Bulky Attacker
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name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Will-o-Wisp
move 4: Protect / Light Screen / Reflect
ability: Levitate
item: Sitrus Berry
evs: 252 HP / 44 Def / 60 SpAtk / 148 SpDef / 4 Spd
nature: Calm

Moves
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• Thunderbolt is your reliable STAB
• Hydro Pump is your less reliable, more powerful secondary STAB
• Will-o-Wisp lets you incapacitate a Physical Attacker
• Protect gives the awesome utilities of Protect in doubles
• Rotom-W is bulky enough to the point where it can afford not to run Protect to some extent. Light Screen or Reflect can give you additional support if you find Protect not worth it.

Set Details
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• HP and Special Defense EV investment always allows you to always live 252 positive nature Mega Charizard Y's Solar Beam when at full health and get back to a comfortable health with your Sitrus Berry.
• Defense Investment allows you to always live Mega Mawile's Adamant Max Attack Play Rough
• The rest is invested in Special Attack. One point in speed due to level 50 investment leaving you with on free point.
• Speed creep is VERY HIGHLY recommended with Rotom-W just to win the Rotom-W mirror but how extreme you want to go with it is up to you. Detract from Special Attack first.
• If you're itching for more power, switching to Modest and taking your EVs out of Special Defense into Special Attack is perfectly viable.

Usage Tips
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• Bring Rotom-W in whenever and start spreading burns and damage.
• Does not necessarily need to come out at any particular part of the game, though reserving it for a switch in opportunity for one of your Pokemon vulnerable to Rotom-W's immunities is really useful and really easy.
• When in doubt, Burn. Your STAB moves and their targets are a bit predictable so you'll entice a few obvious switches. If you're hesitant, make the safer play and go for a burn.

Team Options
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• Not so much a question of what goes well with Rotom-W as what doesn't go well with Rotom-W. Most anything will appreciate it hanging around.
• Pokemon that enjoy the Flying, Ground, Water, Ice, and Fire resistances make great partners.
• Pokemon like Talonflame are welcomes for their ability to pick off the Grass-type Pokemon that give Rotom-W a headache (Amoonguss)
• Fake Out users like Mega Kangaskhan can give Rotom-W extra time to burn stuff
• Earthquake users love Rotom-W so they can spam it willy nilly. Garchomp and to some extent Krookodile like this.

Other Options
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• Volt Switch
• Choice Specs and Trick
• HP Ice
• Discharge
• Thunder Wave

Checks & Counters
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• Grass-type Pokemon: Specially oriented ones like Venusaur, Rotom-C and especially Amoonguss get the biggest nods here. That said, stuff like Ferrothorn can carry a Lum Berry and OHKO with Power Whip.
• Double Targetting- Great resistances, but only okay bulk to back it up. Smacking Rotom-W with big hits like Mega Kangaskhan's Return alongside your partner's strong attacks can land Rotom-W in trouble
• Specially Oriented Pokemon indifferent to your STAB attacks- Pokemon with good special bulk that don't mind Will-O-Wisp are decent answers. Stuff like Hydreigon and Gardevoir are alright. Goodra, though rare, gets a special shoutout for being a hard counter to Rotom-W in a 1v1 situation.
• Fast and powerful Grass-type attacks- Mainly Charizard Y's Solar Beam, can OHKO Rotom-w if it doesn't invest to take the hit

 

[Marenzio]

If i'm doing it right you need to invest 4 more SpD EV to always live 252 positive nature Mega Charizard Y's Solar Beam when at full health

252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 252 HP / 144+ SpD Rotom-W: 134-158 (85.3 - 100.6%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Mega Charizard Y Solar Beam vs. 252 HP / 148+ SpD Rotom-W: 132-156 (84 - 99.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

 

[TheMantyke]

Yup, misplaced the 4 EVs there by accident, wil fix.

 

[R Inanimate]

Not too much to say here. I think you've covered what Rotom-W does here for the majority of the times that you see it.

I guess it would have to watch out for Mold Breaker Earthquakes, but that's a bit few and far in between as far as users go.

QC 1/2

 

[Biosci]

Everything looks good to me here. I would be completely ok with a choice specs set of its own in the analysis, but I'll leave it up to you if you feel it should stay in OO.

Add in the mention that a set up DD Mega Gyarados or boosted Kangaskhan are extremely scary to face for Rotom-W to face. Just add an Amoonguss next to either of those and Rotom-W becomes a sitting duck. Maybe even mention Safety Goggles in OO to prevent Rage Powder+Set up scenarios.

QC 2/2

 

[Martin]

Shadow Ball could be good for OO in the same bullet point as HP Ice as it has a higher BP and better coverage with Thunderbolt than Hidden Power Ice does at the expense of hitting Garchomp and Salamence (really) hard