Riolu [QC 3/3]

[apt-get]

taken over from Gourghost (banned deucer)

QC 0/3: Mambo — Obvious Power — Hawkstar
GP 0/2: --- — ---

Overview
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• Offensive fighting-type
• Excellent boosting set, allowing it to sweep pretty easily
• Prankster Copycat allows it to either copy an opponent's attack or repeat the same attack multiple times in a row with priority
• Powerful STAB move in HJK and lots of coveragst te options
• Access to Swords Dance
• Defensive set from BW/2 isn't as good anymore, mostly outclassed by foo and timburr

Swords Dance Sweeper
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name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Copycat
move 3: High Jump Kick
move 4: Iron Tail / Blaze Kick / Protect
ability: Prankster
item: Eviolite / Berry Juice
evs: 116 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant

Moves
========

• Swords Dance allows Riolu to reach 32/34 attack
• HJK KOes most things at +2, excellent fighting STAB
• Copycat allows it to reuse HJK right after using it with priority, which means you p much outrun everything, including fletchling's acrobatics: you p much can't be RK'd
• Iron Tail allows you to hit Spritzee (2HKO with SR), while Blaze Kick deals with Foongus and Pumpkaboo (2HKO too). Both moves hit Cottonee, and 2HKO Abra and Gastly.
  
• Protect allows you to scout your opponent's move and possibly use it yourself, however it interrupts the copycat chain

Set Details
========

• Prankster ability for obvious Copycat, also allows you to SD before foo/voltorb/onix taunts you, which is very useful
  
• Eviolite allows you to prevent being 2HKOed by fighting types' drain punch, so you can setup on them
• Berry Juice seems more useful, but Riolu is so frail it'll get OHKOed by a lot of things without evio. Still a good alternative to evio
• EVs maximise attack + speed, puts rest in HP for tanking physical hits, AKA setting up on fightings
• Jolly nature is preferred for hitting 16 speed AKA outspeeding fast fletchling and tying with pawniard, but adamant can be used if you want to secure a lot more kills and OHKO 14 speed mienfoo and timburr without hazards

Usage Tips
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• To setup, force switches against things you threaten aka rock/steel/dark-types, things that would get KOed if you copycatted their attack, etc
• You'll mainly want to setup mid- to late-game on a fighting type if you can, as they're a generally safe matchup for evio riolu and setup bait for BJ
• Copycat, like mentioned previously, can be used to pick off weakened opponents with their own attacks. You can also copycat a support move like Rapid Spin or SR

Team Options
========

• Drilbur is a great partner for Riolu, as it takes on poison-types like Croagunk who can tank Riolu's hits, and provides SR support
  
• SR in general is helpful for Riolu, as it neuters Sturdy, weakens mons like Ponyta and Vullaby for a OHKO with +2 HJK
• Something like Pawniard that can weaken/KO/Pursuit Trap Psychic- and Fairy-types like Gothita/Spritzee is very helpful
• Gothita and Diglett traps poison-types, and Diglett can also trap Larvesta
• Fairy-types lure in steel-types, providing setup bait, and can also use Heal Bell / Aromatherapy to heal burns, while luring in poison-types for Gothita/Diglett to trap.

Other Options
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• Bulk Up can be used, but it's generally outclassed by Timburr due to its access to Knock Off and higher bulk, along with Guts. However, it can be quite potent.
• Life Orb guarantees a lot more KOes, like the potential OHKO on croagunk with +2 adamant blaze kick, but the loss in bulk makes it less viable.
  
• Drain Punch is an excellent move, but Riolu's frailty means it's better off running High Jump Kick. However, copycatting a Mienfoo's or a Timburr's Drain Punch at +2 is generally a good idea, as to be able to restore some health after setting up.
  
• Crunch can be used to hit Gothita, Gastly, and Frillish, but it has less use than the standard coverage moves.
• Earthquake and Zen Headbutt can both be used to hit Poison-types, but that job is better left to a teammate.
• Toxic can be used on a defensive set a la BW2, but the advent of Fairy-types and the ubiquity of Knock Off buff means it can't do its job as well anymore.

Checks & Counters
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**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types, such as Spritzee, can tank a +2 Iron Tail from Riolu, and easily OHKO it with Moonblast.

**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Croagunk and Trubbish resist High Jump Kick, Riolu's main STAB, and Iron Tail / Blaze Kick are too weak in order to hit them well.

**Psychic-types**: Faster Psychic-types, such as Abra and Scarf Gothita, can easily take out Riolu with their STAB while tanking a HJK.

**Fletchling**: Fletchling can switch in Swords Dance and force Riolu out with a priority Acrobatics. However, it can't deal with Riolu if it has already set up and used an attacking move.

**Ghost-Types**: Gastly can be trouble for Riolu, as it is immune to High Jump Kick and can can easily KO it with a STAB move, since it outspeeds Riolu. Frillish resists every common coverage move, except Crunch, which isn't that common, and can burn Riolu to interrupt its sweep. Pumpkaboo checks Riolu in a pinch if it runs Iron Tail.

**Taunt**: Taunt disallows the use of Copycat and Swords Dance, shutting down Riolu if it hasn't set up yet.

**Fire-Types**: Larvesta can easily tank any hit from Riolu, even boosted, and threaten it with a burn from will-o-wisp or Flame Body while healing with Morning Sun. Growlithe can tank a hit after Stealth Rock thanks to Intimdate and can either burn it or KO it. Ponyta can check it, but it'll get OHKOed by +2 HJK if SR is up.

 

[The Quasar]

My little cent. Toxic could be evaluated with an available move. It could work a good combo with Protect for stalling poison damage. Furthermore also Prankster's Substitute could be a safety move vs status and priority moves, above all in first set in place of Crunch (as other option).

 

[apt-get]

My little cent. Toxic could be evaluated with an available move. It could work a good combo with Protect for stalling poison damage. Furthermore also Prankster's Substitute could be a safety move vs status and priority moves, above all in first set in place of Crunch (as other option).

I didn't work on this yet, doing edits locally

 

[doomsday doink]

Overview:
- "repeat the same attack multiple times in a row"

Moves:
- Maybe mention how Gastly and Abra are 2HKOed by non-boosted Iron Tail / Blaze Kick and OHKed at +2, so Crunch isn't all that necessary
- Even so, I still think Crunch deserves a slash on the set, because it's still hitting Pumpkaboo and you can't get RK'd by Gastly, because a Copycatted Shadow Ball isn't KOing Gastly

Set Details:
- Adamant nature gives Riolu a chance to OHKO Abra with Iron Tail and Mienfoo/Timburr with HJK at +2; just something to note about damage difference, there's probably other more relevant calcs

Team Options:
- Mention Pawniard's Pursuit-trapping
- Gothita traps Poison-types
- Spritzee / Snubbull attract Steel-types to set up on and can Aromatherapy/Heal Bell if Riolu gets burned; also baits Poison-types so a ally Gothita can trap them

Other Options:
- You mention a lot of gimmicky stuff and stuff you deem useless; just remove that stuff from the section
- Life Orb guarantees a lot of KOes, maybe worth a mention
- Mental Herb and Coba Berry if real lol

Checks & Counters:
- "Poison-types such as Croagunk and Drain Punch resist High Jump Kick" - Drain Punch the Pokemon
Also, fun fact: Croagunk has a chance of getting OHKOed by +2 Adamant LO Blaze Kick; relevant

Good stuff, QC 1/3

 

[OP]

Set Details:
It's notable to be able to setup on Onix or random stuff like Voltorb, so I'd probably make the statement about taunt more generalized and not just about Mienfoo.
The extra EVs are in HP and not defense. I'm not sure which you intended, so just fix accordingly.
Adamant turns a lot of 60% or lower chances to kill to 100% from the calcs I ran. So instead of just saying additional power, maybe say more guaranteed kills.

Team Options:
Along with Gothita, you can mention Diglett for poison types as well as Larvesta. Provides SR support.

Other Options:
That Focus Sash+Reversal gimmick could be listed.

Checks & Counters:
You say scarfed Psychic-types and then immediately mention Abra. Instead say faster psychic types like Abra or Choice Scarf Gothita.

Mambo posted right before I was about to, sorry about not giving you a chance to implement the first check initially.
QC 2/3 after you add in both checks

 

[apt-get]

implemented both, thanks

Obvious Power : didn't implement the focus sash + reversal set, too much of a gimmick

Mambo : didn't put Crunch as a main slash, since I feel like it's too weak on the more common targets to be useful: hitting spritzee / foongus / cottonee / etc is way more useful, and you'd get RK'd by gastly anyway since you're spamming HJK. Blaze Kick and Iron Tail both hit Gastly hard enough to KO it most of the time. Also not mentioning mental herb because prankster allows you to kick 99% of things before they taunt you, and coba berry is kind of useless because riolu is fast enough to HJK Fletchling easily (it always KOes after SRo without boosts and even has a chance to KO without hazards if you run adamant).

 

[Celestavian]

In Other Options, Magnet Rise seems pretty awful. It's useful for setting up on exactly one common Pokemon (Drilbur), and forces you to lose a ton of coverage. It should probably be removed. I'd also say the same thing about Sunny Day and Rain Dance, unless you plan on adding a defensive set. Running either of those moves on a Swords Dance user that doesn't benefit from them at all is simply ridiculous, and even if you used them over SD, Rilou has no defensive investment and no recovery to reliably set weather. Save those moves for Cottonee. Now if a defensive set is being added, they could be used, but otherwise, let the offensive Pokemon focus on offense.

In Checks and Counters, I'd expand Gastly's section to Ghost-types in general. Obviously mention Gastly first since its the most threatening, and then Pumpkaboo, and then Frillish since it walls Riolu no matter whether it's running Blaze Kick or Iron Tail.

Good stuff Apt QC 3/3

 

[Pancham]

You mention Gothita and Diglett as Pokemon who can trap Poison-types, but then you remove Diglett in general when the discussion arrises later. In the Fairy-type team options section, i think you should keep the consistency and mention Diglett alongside Gothita.

I also think you should mention burns in checks and counters, as there are plenty pokemon who can come in and burn Riolu, including Frillish, Pumpkaboo (if Iron Tail is being use), Larvesta, Ponyta (Flame Body can ruin your sweep), Drifloon, Growlithe, ...

 

[apt-get]

thanks Hawkstar and Pancham, implemented

will write up some day

 

[OP]

This has been reassigned