Overview
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Because of its great stats, especially in HP, Attack, and Defense, Rhyperior is a very effective Pokemon in the RU metagame. It has an awesome STAB combination in Ground/Rock that lets it hit hard and provides it with great coverage. Rhyperior is also quite versatile and can fit in a variety of teams, from offense to stall, thanks to its ability to reliably check threatening Pokemon such as Moltres and Jolteon thanks to its great bulk and its ability Solid Rock. Rhyperior also has both a very wide attacking and support movepool, with access to moves such as Megahorn, Roar, and Stealth Rock. However, Rhyperior is very prone to the common Water-, Grass-, and Fighting-type attacks that are common in the tier and is also quite slow, being outsped by the majority of the offensive Pokemon in the tier.
Tank
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name: Tank
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Roar / Protect
ability: Solid Rock
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Stealth Rock is the first move on this set because Rhyperior is one of the better setters in the tier thanks to its great bulk and ability to force switches. Earthquake is Rhyperior's most reliable STAB move and deals a lot of damage to anything that doesn't resist it or is not a physical wall such as Alomomola. Rock Blast complements Earthquake almost perfectly, hitting almost any Pokemon that might want to switch into Rhyperior, such as Flying-types, for super effective damage. It is preferred to Stone Edge on this set for its higher accuracy and ability to break and hit through Delphox and Moltres's Substitute. Roar phazes switch-ins to Rhyperior, such as Virizion, forcing them to take extra rounds of entry hazards damage, and it can also be useful to phaze bulkier setup sweepers such as Braviary and Calm Mind Reuniclus not carrying Focus Blast. It is used over Dragon Tail because it lets Rhyperior phaze through Substitute and Protect and because nothing is immune to it. Dragon Tail, however, has some use in the last slot, as it ignores Taunt and Xatu's Magic Bounce, allowing Rhyperior to stop most Combusken+Xatu Baton Pass teams almost singlehandedly. It is also nice to rack up a bit more residual damage. Protect is a legitimate option too, as it lets Rhyperior gain an extra round of Leftovers recovery, scout against Choiced attackers such as Sawk, Magneton, and Gallade, scout for surprise Hidden Power Grass or Water from Moltres and Jolteon, and possibly block a High Jump Kick from Hitmonlee.
Set Details
========
The HP and Special Defense EVs maximize Rhyperior's special bulk while giving it enough power to 2HKO uninvested Slowking after Stealth Rock damage. It also guarantees the OHKO on any offensive Drapion variant, even without any entry hazards up. Using a Careful nature over Adamant is a viable option if Rhyperior is your only answer to threats such as Exploud and Moltres, as it helps check them a bit better. Leftovers is the best item on this set, as it increases Rhyperior's longevity and lets it stay quite healthy throughout the game, even moreso in combination with Protect. Solid Rock is Rhyperior's best ability, as it reduces the power of super effective moves by 25%, helping it take Fighting- and Ground-type moves as well as weaker Grass- and Water-type moves. Its other abilities are not to be considered, as they are useless anyway.
Usage Tips
========
Rhyperior can switch in and set up Stealth Rock quite easily on a lot of physical and special attackers, including Druddigon, Braviary, Drapion, Moltres, and Jolteon, while fearing almost nothing from them. Rhyperior can also set up Stealth Rock effectively on most walls that do not use Water- and Grass-type moves, such as Aromatisse, Registeel, and Cresselia. While Defog users such as Golbat and Skuntank somewhat struggle to switch in on Rhyperior, others such as Gligar and Shiftry have an easy time switching on it and walling it or forcing it out. In that case you should use Roar or attack them on the switch as opposed to setting up Stealth Rock, especially if they are also paired with Pokemon very weak to Stealth Rock, such as Moltres. Earthquake is quite a safe move to go for after Stealth Rock has been set up, as a lot of the Pokemon that are immune to it can't touch Rhyperior back or take heavy damage from Rock Blast. Rhyperior is also very powerful, meaning that offensive Pokemon can take a big chunk from it, even if they resist the move. While Protect is quite a safe move to go for against threats such as Hitmonlee, you should be careful while using it, as it might lead to a free switch into a threatening Pokemon such as a Grass- or a Water-type or to a free setup turn for Pokemon such as Braviary.
Team Options
========
Because of Rhyperior's Grass and Water weaknesses Grass-types are obvious partners. If Rhyperior is being used on a more balanced team, Amoonguss is a great choice, as in addition to resisting both Grass and Water it can also take on Fighting-types quite well. It also beats Virizion very easily, which is the most common Rhyperior check found on offensive teams, and appreciates its Fire-type weakness being covered. Rotom-C can easily gain momentum on the bulky Water-types that threaten Rhyperior and scare away Ground-types with Leaf Storm. Water-types such as Slowking are good partners as well, as they provide a check to Water- and Ice-type Pokemon. Slowking is a very good choice on balanced teams, as it can take on most Water-types very well and fire off strong hits with its Assault Vest set or set up with Calm Mind. Fire-types such as Moltres and Delphox can use their powerful STAB moves to deal with the Grass-types that tend to switch into Rhyperior, such as Tangrowth and Amoonguss. Aromatisse is another good partner for Rhyperior, as it a great check to most of the Fighting-types that threaten Rhyperior such as Gurdurr, Hitmonlee, and Sawk. It can also provide cleric and Wish support to Rhyperior and easily comes in on Pokemon that tend to trouble Rhyperior, such as Slowking and Alomomola. Reuniclus also pairs well with Rhyperior, as it can set up on Pokemon that usually switch into Rhyperior, such as Amoonguss, Slowking, and Alomomola. In return Rhyperior deals with some of its checks, such as Drapion and Skuntank.
Rock Polish
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name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Ice Punch / Megahorn
ability: Solid Rock
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Rock Polish doubles Rhyperior's Speed in one turn, allowing it to outspeed the whole unboosted metagame with a Jolly Nature. Earthquake is Rhyperior's most spammable move and does heavy damage to anything that doesn't resist it, especially with Life Orb and maximum Attack investment. Stone Edge is Rhyperior's secondary STAB move and hits most Pokemon that resist or are immune to Earthquake, such as Flying- and Bug-types, for super effective damage. Ice Punch is the preferred option in the last slot, as it hits Gligar, which commonly walls Rhyperior, very hard, allowing Rhyperior to take it out after some residual damage. It also OHKOes Virizion after some residual damage. Megahorn can also be used to hit Psychic-types such as Cresselia and Meloetta as well as Grass-types such as Tangrowth for more damage than any of the other moves. However, it is mostly an inferior option, as Psychic-types can be easily weakened with Pursuit support and Tangrowth is not that common either. Rhyperior can also use Swords Dance in the last slot, as it still allows it to beat Gligar and can be more useful than Rock Polish against more defensive teams thanks to Rhyperior's astonishing power after a boost.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment and Life Orb let Rhyperior OHKO most offensive Pokemon with ease by using its STAB moves. Maximum Speed investment along with a Jolly nature is necessary to let Rhyperior outspeed base 120 Pokemon after a Rock Polish, such as Dugtrio, Sceptile, Choice Scarf Emboar, and Substitute + Baton Pass Jolteon. An Adamant nature gives Rhyperior a lot more power; however, it is ill-advised, as Rhyperior fails to outspeed base 115 Pokemon such as Cinccino and Sneasel with it. The extra power is also often not even needed. Life Orb is necessary to guarantee some KOs on Pokemon such as Cobalion, Virizion, and Durant that aren't possible otherwise without heavy entry hazards support. Weakness Policy is another possible item for Rhyperior, as even without investment in bulk it can still take physical hits such as Earthquake, and it can sweep very easily with a +2 Attack boost. It is also particularly good if Rhyperior has dual screens support.
Usage Tips
========
Rhyperior can set up a Rock Polish with ease on the multitude of Pokemon it tends to force out, such as Braviary, Moltres, Drapion, and choice locked Normal-, Electric- and Fire-types. Mind that this set is a lot less bulky than the Tank set and lacks Leftovers. Be more careful while switching it into attacks. Rhyperior, while very powerful, still needs some support to take out bulky Pokemon such as Amoonguss and Alomomola, so make sure they are out of the way before attempting a sweep. Try to keep Rhyperior's set hidden until later in the game when you can set up and sweep. Revealing that Rhyperior doesn't have Leftovers easily shows that it is using a more offensive set such as Choice Band or Rock Polish, meaning that your opponent might be more wary before switching out and possibly granting a setup opportunity.
Team Options
========
Like any late-game sweeper, Rhyperior likes entry hazards support to wear down its checks to Earthquake or Stone Edge range. Accelgor, Omastar, and Qwilfish are all good setters for offensive teams. Setup sweepers such as Substitute+Swords Dance Cobalion and Swords Dance Drapion all set up on and beat Rhyperior's biggest checks in Alomomola, Tangrowth, and Amoonguss, while Rhyperior can lure in and severely weaken their best check in Gligar with Ice Punch. Moltres also has great offensive synergy with Rhyperior, as it takes out Grass-types such as Amoonguss with ease and 2HKOes Alomomola with Hurricane. Rhyperior can also lure in and OHKO Slowking if it is running Megahorn.
Choice Band
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name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Megahorn / Rock Blast
ability: Solid Rock
item: Choice Band
evs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Earthquake is Rhyperior's most reliable STAB move and the main move on this set. While it is usually ill-advised to use Earthquake on a Choice-locked Pokemon , its incredible power and the threat of Stone Edge make it a great option on this set. Stone Edge is Rhyperior's secondary STAB move and hits most Pokemon that resist or are immune to Earthquake, such as Flying- and Bug-types, for super effective damage. Ice Punch is used in the third slot, as it 2HKOes Gligar and OHKOes Virizion on the switch, both common switch-ins to Rhyperior. Megahorn is the preferred move for the last slot, as it lets Rhyperior hit Psychic-types such as Cresselia that usually counter it for a lot of damage. It is also a more powerful and accurate move to hit Tangrowth with. Alternatively, Rock Blast can be used as a more reliable Rock-type STAB move.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature lets Rhyperior hit as hard as possible.
84 EVs are put in Speed to let Rhyperior outspeed uninvested base 50s such as Tangrowth to let Rhyperior 2HKO it before it can OHKO it with Giga Drain. Choice Band makes Rhyperior a terrifying wallbreaker capable of 2HKOing anything in the RU metagame that doesn't resist its moves.
Usage Tips
========
Be careful while switching Rhyperior in on neutral hits in because this set isn't as bulky as the tank set and cannot take them repeatedly. Be careful before locking Rhyperior into Earthquake, as it is a very exploitable move in many ways. Giving a free switch to a Pokemon such as Moltres can be very dangerous. However, if the opponent doesn't have aPokemon immune to it, spamming Earthquake is never a bad idea. Stone Edge is a safer move to be locked into because nothing is immune to it; however, be careful because it has bad accuracy and common Rhyperior switch-ins such as Virizion resist it regardless. Use Ice Punch if the opponent has a Gligar, as they will likely switch it in, predicting the usual tank set. It is also an useful move to hit Grass- and Flying-types when you can't afford to miss Stone Edge. Likewise, use Megahorn if the opponent has a Cresselia.
Team Options
========
Anything that appreciates Gligar lured and beaten loves Rhyperior's wallbreaking support. Some of the sweepers that are walled by Gligar are Swords Dance Cobalion and Swords Dance Drapion. Like any wallbreaker Rhyperior loves entry hazard support to guarantee some 2HKOs. For example, Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes guarantee the 2HKO on Alomomola. Virizion likes Rhyperior luring in and heavily damaging Amoonguss and can switch into bulky Water-types for it. It also appreciates Rhyperior outspeeding and OHKOing any Doublade variant that might switch into it. Assault Vest and Calm Mind Slowking are both effective pivots to fall back on when Rhyperior is forced out. Amoonguss is in the same boat, as it can switch into Grass- and Water-types that check Rhyperior with ease and proceed to threaten them back with STAB Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb.
Other Options
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Toxic is a good option on Rhyperior's tank set, as a lot of Rhyperior's switch-ins, such as Alomomola and Gligar, hate to be poisoned and Rhyperior has STAB Earthquake to threaten the Steel- and the Poison-types that are immune to it. Rhyperior can also use a Substitute set to take advantage of the switches it forces, but Rhyperior is usually too slow to do that effectively. Metal Burst is a gimmicky option on the tank set, as Rhyperior can live a weaker Giga Drain from Pokemon such as Amoonguss and KO back. Finally, Fire Punch is another decent coverage option if Bronzong is a big threat to your team.
Checks & Counters
########
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Tangrowth, the Gourgeist formes, and Amoonguss can come in with relative ease on most Rhyperior sets and threaten it with Giga Drain. They former only fears Megahorn from the Choice Band set, while the latter two must be wary of Earthquake or Stone Edge from this set. More offensive Grass-types such as Virizion, Whimsicott, Rotom-C, and to a lesser extent Shiftry can also switch in quite comfortably on the Tank set and force Rhyperior out, but they should be wary of Stone Edge, Megahorn, or Ice Punch from more offensive sets.
**Water-types**: While they can't really come in with ease on Earthquake or Stone Edge if they don't have defensive investment, Water-types such as Alomomola, Seismitoad, Defensive or Calm Mind Slowking, and Gastrodon can quite reliably switch into Rhyperior multiple times throughout a game and force it out with the threat of a Water-type attack. Most of them also outspeed Rhyperior, meaning that they can usually beat the Choice Band set. Offensive Water-types such as Sharpedo and Clawitzer are also good checks to Rhyperior, but they struggle to switch in on any move other than Stealth Rock. Pelipper gets an honorable mention because it can come in quite easily on the Tank set despite its Rock weakness and proceed to use Defog or heal up with Roost while removing its Rock weakness.
**Gligar**: Thanks to its great typing and huge physical bulk Gligar can come in repeated times against Rhyperior, only fearing Ice Punch from Choice Band and Life Orb sets. Once in, it can use Defog to remove Stealth Rock, wear it down with Earthquake, or annoy it with Knock Off or Toxic.
**Grass- and Water-type coverage**: Hidden Power Water or Grass from Pokemon that Rhyperior normally checks, such as Moltres and Jolteon, can put a huge dent in Rhyperior, which will be forced back out if hit on the switch.
**Fighting-types**: While they lack recovery and don't like switching into Earthquake that much, bulky Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Hitmontop are great checks to Rhyperior. Hitmontop can spin away Stealth Rock and wear it down with Close Combat or Toxic, while Gurdurr can use Drain Punch or start setting up Bulk Up. While they hate switching into it, more offensive Fighting-types such as Hitmonlee, Gallade, and Sawk can also threaten Rhyperior with their strong STAB moves.
**Cresselia**: Thanks to its immunity to Earthquake and its great physical bulk Cresselia is a stellar switch-in to Rhyperior, only fearing Megahorn from the Choice Band set and the uncommon Toxic. Support variants can cut Rhyperior's longevity down with Toxic and Calm Mind sets set up all over it if it lacks Roar.
**Bronzong**: While it can't do much against Rhyperior bar Toxic, Bronzong is a great switch-in. It is immune to Earthquake, resists Stone Edge, and can simply set up Stealth Rock or use Rain Dance against Rhyperior.
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Because of its great stats, especially in HP, Attack, and Defense, Rhyperior is a very effective Pokemon in the RU metagame. It has an awesome STAB combination in Ground/Rock that lets it hit hard and provides it with great coverage. Rhyperior is also quite versatile and can fit in a variety of teams, from offense to stall, thanks to its ability to reliably check threatening Pokemon such as Moltres and Jolteon thanks to its great bulk and its ability Solid Rock. Rhyperior also has both a very wide attacking and support movepool, with access to moves such as Megahorn, Roar, and Stealth Rock. However, Rhyperior is very prone to the common Water-, Grass-, and Fighting-type attacks that are common in the tier and is also quite slow, being outsped by the majority of the offensive Pokemon in the tier.
Tank
########
name: Tank
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Roar / Protect
ability: Solid Rock
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Stealth Rock is the first move on this set because Rhyperior is one of the better setters in the tier thanks to its great bulk and ability to force switches. Earthquake is Rhyperior's most reliable STAB move and deals a lot of damage to anything that doesn't resist it or is not a physical wall such as Alomomola. Rock Blast complements Earthquake almost perfectly, hitting almost any Pokemon that might want to switch into Rhyperior, such as Flying-types, for super effective damage. It is preferred to Stone Edge on this set for its higher accuracy and ability to break and hit through Delphox and Moltres's Substitute. Roar phazes switch-ins to Rhyperior, such as Virizion, forcing them to take extra rounds of entry hazards damage, and it can also be useful to phaze bulkier setup sweepers such as Braviary and Calm Mind Reuniclus not carrying Focus Blast. It is used over Dragon Tail because it lets Rhyperior phaze through Substitute and Protect and because nothing is immune to it. Dragon Tail, however, has some use in the last slot, as it ignores Taunt and Xatu's Magic Bounce, allowing Rhyperior to stop most Combusken+Xatu Baton Pass teams almost singlehandedly. It is also nice to rack up a bit more residual damage. Protect is a legitimate option too, as it lets Rhyperior gain an extra round of Leftovers recovery, scout against Choiced attackers such as Sawk, Magneton, and Gallade, scout for surprise Hidden Power Grass or Water from Moltres and Jolteon, and possibly block a High Jump Kick from Hitmonlee.
Set Details
========
The HP and Special Defense EVs maximize Rhyperior's special bulk while giving it enough power to 2HKO uninvested Slowking after Stealth Rock damage. It also guarantees the OHKO on any offensive Drapion variant, even without any entry hazards up. Using a Careful nature over Adamant is a viable option if Rhyperior is your only answer to threats such as Exploud and Moltres, as it helps check them a bit better. Leftovers is the best item on this set, as it increases Rhyperior's longevity and lets it stay quite healthy throughout the game, even moreso in combination with Protect. Solid Rock is Rhyperior's best ability, as it reduces the power of super effective moves by 25%, helping it take Fighting- and Ground-type moves as well as weaker Grass- and Water-type moves. Its other abilities are not to be considered, as they are useless anyway.
Usage Tips
========
Rhyperior can switch in and set up Stealth Rock quite easily on a lot of physical and special attackers, including Druddigon, Braviary, Drapion, Moltres, and Jolteon, while fearing almost nothing from them. Rhyperior can also set up Stealth Rock effectively on most walls that do not use Water- and Grass-type moves, such as Aromatisse, Registeel, and Cresselia. While Defog users such as Golbat and Skuntank somewhat struggle to switch in on Rhyperior, others such as Gligar and Shiftry have an easy time switching on it and walling it or forcing it out. In that case you should use Roar or attack them on the switch as opposed to setting up Stealth Rock, especially if they are also paired with Pokemon very weak to Stealth Rock, such as Moltres. Earthquake is quite a safe move to go for after Stealth Rock has been set up, as a lot of the Pokemon that are immune to it can't touch Rhyperior back or take heavy damage from Rock Blast. Rhyperior is also very powerful, meaning that offensive Pokemon can take a big chunk from it, even if they resist the move. While Protect is quite a safe move to go for against threats such as Hitmonlee, you should be careful while using it, as it might lead to a free switch into a threatening Pokemon such as a Grass- or a Water-type or to a free setup turn for Pokemon such as Braviary.
Team Options
========
Because of Rhyperior's Grass and Water weaknesses Grass-types are obvious partners. If Rhyperior is being used on a more balanced team, Amoonguss is a great choice, as in addition to resisting both Grass and Water it can also take on Fighting-types quite well. It also beats Virizion very easily, which is the most common Rhyperior check found on offensive teams, and appreciates its Fire-type weakness being covered. Rotom-C can easily gain momentum on the bulky Water-types that threaten Rhyperior and scare away Ground-types with Leaf Storm. Water-types such as Slowking are good partners as well, as they provide a check to Water- and Ice-type Pokemon. Slowking is a very good choice on balanced teams, as it can take on most Water-types very well and fire off strong hits with its Assault Vest set or set up with Calm Mind. Fire-types such as Moltres and Delphox can use their powerful STAB moves to deal with the Grass-types that tend to switch into Rhyperior, such as Tangrowth and Amoonguss. Aromatisse is another good partner for Rhyperior, as it a great check to most of the Fighting-types that threaten Rhyperior such as Gurdurr, Hitmonlee, and Sawk. It can also provide cleric and Wish support to Rhyperior and easily comes in on Pokemon that tend to trouble Rhyperior, such as Slowking and Alomomola. Reuniclus also pairs well with Rhyperior, as it can set up on Pokemon that usually switch into Rhyperior, such as Amoonguss, Slowking, and Alomomola. In return Rhyperior deals with some of its checks, such as Drapion and Skuntank.
Rock Polish
########
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Ice Punch / Megahorn
ability: Solid Rock
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Rock Polish doubles Rhyperior's Speed in one turn, allowing it to outspeed the whole unboosted metagame with a Jolly Nature. Earthquake is Rhyperior's most spammable move and does heavy damage to anything that doesn't resist it, especially with Life Orb and maximum Attack investment. Stone Edge is Rhyperior's secondary STAB move and hits most Pokemon that resist or are immune to Earthquake, such as Flying- and Bug-types, for super effective damage. Ice Punch is the preferred option in the last slot, as it hits Gligar, which commonly walls Rhyperior, very hard, allowing Rhyperior to take it out after some residual damage. It also OHKOes Virizion after some residual damage. Megahorn can also be used to hit Psychic-types such as Cresselia and Meloetta as well as Grass-types such as Tangrowth for more damage than any of the other moves. However, it is mostly an inferior option, as Psychic-types can be easily weakened with Pursuit support and Tangrowth is not that common either. Rhyperior can also use Swords Dance in the last slot, as it still allows it to beat Gligar and can be more useful than Rock Polish against more defensive teams thanks to Rhyperior's astonishing power after a boost.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment and Life Orb let Rhyperior OHKO most offensive Pokemon with ease by using its STAB moves. Maximum Speed investment along with a Jolly nature is necessary to let Rhyperior outspeed base 120 Pokemon after a Rock Polish, such as Dugtrio, Sceptile, Choice Scarf Emboar, and Substitute + Baton Pass Jolteon. An Adamant nature gives Rhyperior a lot more power; however, it is ill-advised, as Rhyperior fails to outspeed base 115 Pokemon such as Cinccino and Sneasel with it. The extra power is also often not even needed. Life Orb is necessary to guarantee some KOs on Pokemon such as Cobalion, Virizion, and Durant that aren't possible otherwise without heavy entry hazards support. Weakness Policy is another possible item for Rhyperior, as even without investment in bulk it can still take physical hits such as Earthquake, and it can sweep very easily with a +2 Attack boost. It is also particularly good if Rhyperior has dual screens support.
Usage Tips
========
Rhyperior can set up a Rock Polish with ease on the multitude of Pokemon it tends to force out, such as Braviary, Moltres, Drapion, and choice locked Normal-, Electric- and Fire-types. Mind that this set is a lot less bulky than the Tank set and lacks Leftovers. Be more careful while switching it into attacks. Rhyperior, while very powerful, still needs some support to take out bulky Pokemon such as Amoonguss and Alomomola, so make sure they are out of the way before attempting a sweep. Try to keep Rhyperior's set hidden until later in the game when you can set up and sweep. Revealing that Rhyperior doesn't have Leftovers easily shows that it is using a more offensive set such as Choice Band or Rock Polish, meaning that your opponent might be more wary before switching out and possibly granting a setup opportunity.
Team Options
========
Like any late-game sweeper, Rhyperior likes entry hazards support to wear down its checks to Earthquake or Stone Edge range. Accelgor, Omastar, and Qwilfish are all good setters for offensive teams. Setup sweepers such as Substitute+Swords Dance Cobalion and Swords Dance Drapion all set up on and beat Rhyperior's biggest checks in Alomomola, Tangrowth, and Amoonguss, while Rhyperior can lure in and severely weaken their best check in Gligar with Ice Punch. Moltres also has great offensive synergy with Rhyperior, as it takes out Grass-types such as Amoonguss with ease and 2HKOes Alomomola with Hurricane. Rhyperior can also lure in and OHKO Slowking if it is running Megahorn.
Choice Band
########
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Megahorn / Rock Blast
ability: Solid Rock
item: Choice Band
evs: 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Earthquake is Rhyperior's most reliable STAB move and the main move on this set. While it is usually ill-advised to use Earthquake on a Choice-locked Pokemon , its incredible power and the threat of Stone Edge make it a great option on this set. Stone Edge is Rhyperior's secondary STAB move and hits most Pokemon that resist or are immune to Earthquake, such as Flying- and Bug-types, for super effective damage. Ice Punch is used in the third slot, as it 2HKOes Gligar and OHKOes Virizion on the switch, both common switch-ins to Rhyperior. Megahorn is the preferred move for the last slot, as it lets Rhyperior hit Psychic-types such as Cresselia that usually counter it for a lot of damage. It is also a more powerful and accurate move to hit Tangrowth with. Alternatively, Rock Blast can be used as a more reliable Rock-type STAB move.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature lets Rhyperior hit as hard as possible.
84 EVs are put in Speed to let Rhyperior outspeed uninvested base 50s such as Tangrowth to let Rhyperior 2HKO it before it can OHKO it with Giga Drain. Choice Band makes Rhyperior a terrifying wallbreaker capable of 2HKOing anything in the RU metagame that doesn't resist its moves.
Usage Tips
========
Be careful while switching Rhyperior in on neutral hits in because this set isn't as bulky as the tank set and cannot take them repeatedly. Be careful before locking Rhyperior into Earthquake, as it is a very exploitable move in many ways. Giving a free switch to a Pokemon such as Moltres can be very dangerous. However, if the opponent doesn't have aPokemon immune to it, spamming Earthquake is never a bad idea. Stone Edge is a safer move to be locked into because nothing is immune to it; however, be careful because it has bad accuracy and common Rhyperior switch-ins such as Virizion resist it regardless. Use Ice Punch if the opponent has a Gligar, as they will likely switch it in, predicting the usual tank set. It is also an useful move to hit Grass- and Flying-types when you can't afford to miss Stone Edge. Likewise, use Megahorn if the opponent has a Cresselia.
Team Options
========
Anything that appreciates Gligar lured and beaten loves Rhyperior's wallbreaking support. Some of the sweepers that are walled by Gligar are Swords Dance Cobalion and Swords Dance Drapion. Like any wallbreaker Rhyperior loves entry hazard support to guarantee some 2HKOs. For example, Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes guarantee the 2HKO on Alomomola. Virizion likes Rhyperior luring in and heavily damaging Amoonguss and can switch into bulky Water-types for it. It also appreciates Rhyperior outspeeding and OHKOing any Doublade variant that might switch into it. Assault Vest and Calm Mind Slowking are both effective pivots to fall back on when Rhyperior is forced out. Amoonguss is in the same boat, as it can switch into Grass- and Water-types that check Rhyperior with ease and proceed to threaten them back with STAB Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb.
Other Options
########
Toxic is a good option on Rhyperior's tank set, as a lot of Rhyperior's switch-ins, such as Alomomola and Gligar, hate to be poisoned and Rhyperior has STAB Earthquake to threaten the Steel- and the Poison-types that are immune to it. Rhyperior can also use a Substitute set to take advantage of the switches it forces, but Rhyperior is usually too slow to do that effectively. Metal Burst is a gimmicky option on the tank set, as Rhyperior can live a weaker Giga Drain from Pokemon such as Amoonguss and KO back. Finally, Fire Punch is another decent coverage option if Bronzong is a big threat to your team.
Checks & Counters
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**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Tangrowth, the Gourgeist formes, and Amoonguss can come in with relative ease on most Rhyperior sets and threaten it with Giga Drain. They former only fears Megahorn from the Choice Band set, while the latter two must be wary of Earthquake or Stone Edge from this set. More offensive Grass-types such as Virizion, Whimsicott, Rotom-C, and to a lesser extent Shiftry can also switch in quite comfortably on the Tank set and force Rhyperior out, but they should be wary of Stone Edge, Megahorn, or Ice Punch from more offensive sets.
**Water-types**: While they can't really come in with ease on Earthquake or Stone Edge if they don't have defensive investment, Water-types such as Alomomola, Seismitoad, Defensive or Calm Mind Slowking, and Gastrodon can quite reliably switch into Rhyperior multiple times throughout a game and force it out with the threat of a Water-type attack. Most of them also outspeed Rhyperior, meaning that they can usually beat the Choice Band set. Offensive Water-types such as Sharpedo and Clawitzer are also good checks to Rhyperior, but they struggle to switch in on any move other than Stealth Rock. Pelipper gets an honorable mention because it can come in quite easily on the Tank set despite its Rock weakness and proceed to use Defog or heal up with Roost while removing its Rock weakness.
**Gligar**: Thanks to its great typing and huge physical bulk Gligar can come in repeated times against Rhyperior, only fearing Ice Punch from Choice Band and Life Orb sets. Once in, it can use Defog to remove Stealth Rock, wear it down with Earthquake, or annoy it with Knock Off or Toxic.
**Grass- and Water-type coverage**: Hidden Power Water or Grass from Pokemon that Rhyperior normally checks, such as Moltres and Jolteon, can put a huge dent in Rhyperior, which will be forced back out if hit on the switch.
**Fighting-types**: While they lack recovery and don't like switching into Earthquake that much, bulky Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Hitmontop are great checks to Rhyperior. Hitmontop can spin away Stealth Rock and wear it down with Close Combat or Toxic, while Gurdurr can use Drain Punch or start setting up Bulk Up. While they hate switching into it, more offensive Fighting-types such as Hitmonlee, Gallade, and Sawk can also threaten Rhyperior with their strong STAB moves.
**Cresselia**: Thanks to its immunity to Earthquake and its great physical bulk Cresselia is a stellar switch-in to Rhyperior, only fearing Megahorn from the Choice Band set and the uncommon Toxic. Support variants can cut Rhyperior's longevity down with Toxic and Calm Mind sets set up all over it if it lacks Roar.
**Bronzong**: While it can't do much against Rhyperior bar Toxic, Bronzong is a great switch-in. It is immune to Earthquake, resists Stone Edge, and can simply set up Stealth Rock or use Rain Dance against Rhyperior.
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