Cyclohm


Storm Hydra

QC: 3/3
GP: 2/2

[OVERVIEW]

Cyclohm is one of the best physical walls in the CAP metagame, as it has solid HP and Defense as well as handy resistances to common attacking types in Water, Grass, Steel, Fire, Electric, and Flying. Cyclohm's high bulk and resistance to Flying allow it to serve as one of the best counters to Cawmodore and Talonflame. It is not weak offensively, either, as a base 112 Special Attack prevents it from being taken advantage of by setup sweepers and Taunt. Its wide special movepool grants it the options it needs to handle most threats in the metagame. In addition, it has two great abilities: Static punishes foes using contact moves, and Shield Dust blocks the secondary effects of moves. However, Cyclohm's Special Defense is merely average, allowing special attackers to prey on it. It also has some annoying weaknesses to common attacking types in Dragon, Fairy, Ground, and Ice. Its vulnerability to entry hazards also threatens to reduce its longevity.

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Slack Off
move 2: Discharge / Thunderbolt
move 3: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 4: Whirlwind / Heal Bell / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Static / Shield Dust
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Slack Off is a reliable form of recovery that enables Cyclohm to hold its own against many physical attackers. An Electric-type STAB attack is used to hit anything that does not resist it for decent damage. Discharge is preferred due to its higher chance to paralyze threats, while Thunderbolt can be an alternative if Toxic is used to prevent clashing status. Fire Blast and Flamethrower hit Grass-, Ice-, Bug-, and Steel-types, such as Necturna, Kitsunoh, Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and, most notably, Cawmodore. Fire Blast should be used on any set with Shield Dust due to its chance of OHKOing Cawmodore, but if Static is chosen, Flamethrower is an option for a more accurate Fire-type move. Whirlwind allows Cyclohm to phaze setup sweepers and rack up entry hazard damage on foes. Heal Bell turns Cyclohm into a cleric that can cure the team of status and free up a moveslot for a teammate. Toxic can be used to place a timer on walls and hit switch-ins that can otherwise threaten Cyclohm, such as Mega Gardevoir. A Water-type attack such as Surf or Hydro Pump can hit Landorus-T, Colossoil, Mega Diancie, and Gliscor, though there is little room for it in this set. Surf is more reliable than Hydro Pump and does not miss out on any important KOs, while Hydro Pump is an option for more power. Dragon Pulse can also be used for coverage against Dragon-types, but it is hard to fit in this set.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature maximizes Cyclohm's physical bulk. Leftovers is used for passive recovery, further increasing Cyclohm's longevity. Static allows Cyclohm to punish attackers using contact moves, especially Talonflame and Cawmodore, while Shield Dust is an alternative to prevent secondary effects such as burns from Scald and Lava Plume, poison from Sludge Bomb, and Defense drops from Shadow Strike. Static is notable in that it allows any set lacking Whirlwind to repeatedly use Slack Off until Cawmodore gets paralyzed, leaving it vulnerable to Flamethrower. An alternate spread of 252 HP / 116 Def / 140 SpD can be used to enable Cyclohm to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Charizard Y's Fire Blast, Keldeo's Hydro Pump, Thundurus's Hidden Power Ice, and uninvested Heatran's Earth Power, allowing Cyclohm to use Slack Off against these foes.

Usage Tips
========

This set is more suited for defensive and balanced teams that need a wall to deal with Cawmodore and Talonflame. Cyclohm should switch in on Pokemon that cannot deal much damage to it. Due to Cyclohm's high physical bulk, it is a good switch-in to physical attackers, especially Talonflame and Cawmodore. If Cyclohm is up against a setup sweeper, it should use Whirlwind to phaze it. If running Heal Bell, Cyclohm should use it whenever the team needs status ailments removed. If running Toxic, it should be used on a predicted switch-in to put it on a timer. Cyclohm should use Slack Off when needed to avoid getting KOed.

Team Options
========

Clerics such as Chansey, Clefable, and Sylveon can pass Wishes to Cyclohm and also cure it of any status inflicted onto it with Heal Bell. Chansey can take on any special attacker lacking Psyshock or Secret Sword, while Clefable and Sylveon deal with Dark-types, Fighting-types, and Dragon-types. Tomohawk and Skarmory are also good teammates, as they can switch into Ground-types such as Colossoil and Landorus-T. Colossoil and Bisharp make for good teammates as well, as they can trap Gothitelle with Pursuit and revenge kill Syclant with Sucker Punch. Bulky Water-types such as Rotom-W, Arghonaut, and Slowbro as well as Mega Scizor can switch into Ice-type moves aimed at Cyclohm, and Arghonaut and Mega Scizor can also check Syclant. Mega Venusaur, Mega Scizor, Mollux, Pyroak, Ferrothorn, and Heatran are also great partners to Cyclohm, as they can deal with Fairy-types. Any sweeper that appreciates Talonflame and Cawmodore removed is a good option as well; Aurumoth and Revenankh are some great sweepers in the metagame that can set up once Talonflame and Cawmodore are removed from the game.

[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 3: Hydro Pump
move 4: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf / Life Orb
ability: Shield Dust / Static
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Thunderbolt is a reliable STAB move that deals decent damage to any Pokemon that does not resist it. Thunder can be used on a rain team for more power. Draco Meteor is used to hit Dragon-types for super effective damage; however, Dragon Pulse is an alternative to prevent Cyclohm's Special Attack from being lowered. Hydro Pump hits Ground-types such as Colossoil and Landorus-T, Fire-types such as Heatran and Victini, and Rock-types such as Stratagem and Mega Diancie, 2HKOing specially defensive Heatran and having a chance to OHKO Cawmodore after Stealth Rock. Fire Blast is used to hit Grass-, Ice-, Bug-, and Steel-types such as Necturna, Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Cawmodore. Ice Beam can be used instead to hit Mega Altaria, which can otherwise wall Cyclohm. Slack Off is an option alongside Life Orb to negate recoil damage and increase Cyclohm's longevity.

Set Details
========

Shield Dust is the preferred ability to prevent secondary effects such as poison from Sludge Bomb, burn from Scald and Lava Plume, and Defense drops from Shadow Strike. Static is an option to punish foes that use contact moves, such as Talonflame and Cawmodore. Both Choice Specs and Life Orb increase Cyclohm's damage output , with Choice Specs offering no recoil damage and more power and Life Orb enabling Cyclohm to switch moves. A Choice Scarf gives a different role to this set, enabling Cyclohm to lure in and deal with a few faster threats such as Stratagem and be a decent revenge killer. Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs with a Timid nature are used to hit as hard and as fast as possible; with Choice Specs or Life Orb, Cyclohm can outspeed Tomohawk, uninvested Landorus-T, uninvested Kyurem-B, and Assault Vest Colossoil. A Modest nature can be used for more power on sets with Life Orb and Choice Specs, as it only loses out on outspeeding Timid Togekiss, Mega Scizor, Mega Altaria, 232 Speed Landorus-T, 224 Speed Gliscor, and 200 Speed Kyurem-B. An alternate spread of 212 HP / 252 SpA / 44 Spe with a Modest nature can be used on sets with Choice Specs or Life Orb for more bulk while still outspeeding uninvested Tomohawk. When using a Choice Scarf, it is vital to run a Timid nature with maximum Speed investment to be able to outspeed and revenge kill Stratagem, Mega Lopunny, +1 Adamant Mega Gyarados, and Adamant Mega Beedrill. Note that no matter what item Cyclohm is holding, it will fail to OHKO Assault Vest Colossoil, and prior damage is needed for sets with Choice Scarf to guarantee an OHKO on Mega Diancie if running a Timid nature. The shared quality between all three items is the extra power of this set to surprise an unsuspecting opponent.

Usage Tips
========

This set is more effective on offensive teams, though it can work on balanced teams as well. When using offensive Cyclohm, try to find the perfect opportunity to surprise the opponent, such as when the opponent's current Pokemon tries to attack Cyclohm or set up on it, expecting to survive an incoming attack from Cyclohm. If using Choice Specs or Life Orb, Cyclohm should be used early- and mid-game to punch holes in teams for Cyclohm's teammates to clean up late-game. If using Choice Scarf, Cyclohm should come in once a teammate is KOed, as it can then revenge kill the foe. The Choice Scarf set can also clean up late-game once its checks and counters are removed. If Cyclohm can take a hit from the foe, it should switch in to deal with the threat. Cawmodore, Talonflame, and Kitsunoh are good targets for Cyclohm to switch in on and take advantage of. Cyclohm should use the appropriate coverage moves to hit the foe hard, taking advantage of its ability to lure in common switch-ins such as Colossoil and Mega Altaria.

Team Options
========

Clerics such as Chansey, Clefable, and Sylveon can offer Wish support to Cyclohm and also remove its status ailment should it have one. Chansey can also deal with special attackers, while Clefable and Sylveon are better answers to Dragon-types, Fighting-types, and Dark-types. A teammate that can deal with Ground-types such as Colossoil is also helpful; Keldeo, Tomohawk, and Skarmory are good options. Keldeo is notable, as it can fit on rain teams due to rain boosting its Water-type STAB attacks. A wallbreaker that can remove special walls such as Chansey and Sylveon is helpful; Mega Gardevoir, Kyurem-B, and Mega Metagross are useful wallbreakers. Mollux, Ferrothorn, Plasmanta, Mega Scizor, Heatran, and Kitsunoh are also great teammates, as they can check Fairy-types, and Mollux can also fit on rain teams due to Dry Skin increasing its longevity. Clefable, Mega Diancie, Sylveon, and Ferrothorn are also great partners because they can handle Dragon-types. Necturna is also a good partner, as it can use Sticky Web to allow Cyclohm to outspeed the majority of grounded threats. Politoed and Rain Dance Tomohawk can set up rain to power up Hydro Pump and make Thunder more reliable. Sweepers that appreciate having Talonflame and Cawmodore removed, such as Aurumoth and Revenankh, are great partners to Cyclohm, as it helps open the way for them to set up.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Cyclohm can use Light Screen with maximum investment in Special Defense and a Calm nature to tank hits from Volkraken, Mega Charizard Y, Krilowatt, and Stratagem. Charge Beam can be used to set up a sweep, but common threats such as Colossoil and Unaware Clefable can easily force Cyclohm out. Thunder Wave is an option to cripple faster Pokemon. Rain Dance can be used to take advantage of Cyclohm's bulk by using it as a supporter for rain teams. Power Gem can be used to hit Pyroak and Mollux, though it has no other uses. Substitute can be used for more insurance against switch-ins.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Chansey, Cresselia, and Mollux can take hits from Cyclohm by virtue of their special bulk and can cripple Cyclohm with Toxic or strike it with super effective moves. Mega Venusaur can use Leech Seed to whittle down Cyclohm's health, though it can't do much else. Heatran takes on any set lacking Hydro Pump.

**Fairy-types**: Not only are Fairy-types immune to Cyclohm's Dragon-type STAB attacks, but most of them also have enough bulk to take Cyclohm's other attacks. Clefable, Sylveon, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Diancie, and Mega Altaria can inflict a considerable amount of damage onto Cyclohm or even OHKO it with their own STAB attacks. However, physical Mega Altaria has to set up Dragon Dance before it can OHKO Cyclohm, and Cyclohm can run Hydro Pump to discourage Diancie from switching in and Mega Evolving.

**Ground-types**: Mamoswine, Excadrill, Diggersby, Garchomp, Colossoil, Mega Swampert, Mega Camerupt, and Landorus-T force Cyclohm out with Earthquake or Earth Power. Colossoil can even come in on Toxic to bounce it back at Cyclohm with Rebound or gain an Attack boost with Guts.

**Special Attackers**: Syclant, Stratagem, Krilowatt, Latias, Latios, Noivern, Mega Sceptile, opposing Cyclohm, and Kyurem-B prey on Cyclohm's weaker Special Defense with super effective moves. However, aside from Krilowatt, none of them are safe switch-ins; Syclant gets taken down by Fire Blast, Stratagem falls to Hydro Pump, and Kyurem-B, Mega Sceptile, Cyclohm, Noivern, Latios, and Latias do not like Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor.

**Gothitelle**: Gothitelle can trap Cyclohm and wear it down to the point where it will have a hard time dealing with the Pokemon it is meant to check.
[OVERVIEW]

+ Good HP and Defense stats
+ Great physical wall
+ Ability to check common threats like Cawmodore and Talonflame
+ Base 112 Special Attack enables it to not be setup and Taunt bait
+ Great special movepool
+ Both abilities are useful for it
- Special Defense, while usable, is only average
- Weak to common Ground-, Dragon-, Fairy-, and Ice-type attacks
- Vulnerable to all hazards

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Slack Off
move 2: Discharge / Thunderbolt
move 3: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 4: Whirlwind / Heal Bell / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Static / Shield Dust
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
ivs: 0 Atk

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

- Slack Off is to ensure that Cyclohm will be able to wall physical attackers.
- Discharge is STAB used for the added effect of paralysis.
- Thunderbolt is an alternative if paralysis is of no concern. It should be used when running Toxic due to clashing status.
- Whirlwind allows Cyclohm to phaze setup sweepers, rack up hazard damage, and spread paralysis
- Heal Bell removes status, which can aid stall or help the team break through it, can also free up a moveslot for a teammate.
- Toxic places a timer on walls and also wears down offensive Pokemon, catching switch-ins off-guard.
- Fire Blast or Flamethrower cover Grass-, Ice-, Bug-, and Steel-types, especially Necturna, Bisharp, Kitsunoh, Aurumoth, Syclant, Cawmodore, Mega Beedrill, Mega Metagross, and Ferrothorn—Syclant and Aurumoth must be hit on the switch. The choice of attack depends on if you prefer power or accuracy, but it should always run Fire Blast on sets with Shield Dust, as it has a chance of OHKOing Cawmodore.
- Surf and Hydro Pump can hit Landorus, Colossoil, Gliscor, Mega Diancie, and Landorus-T, but it's hard to fit it into this set. Surf is more reliable and doesn't miss out on any noticeable KOs, while Hydro Pump offers more power.
- Dragon Pulse can be used to hit opposing Dragons, however is also hard to fit in this set.

Set Details
========
- Max HP and max defense EVs and a Bold Nature max out physical bulk, while 0 Attack EVs reduce Foul Play/confusion damage.
- Leftovers for passive recovery.
- Static for the chance to cripple Cawmodore and Talonflame with paralysis on the switch-in or after a few hits
- Shield Dust is an alternative if paralysis clashes with other status, can help Cyclohm avoid the Defense drop from Kitsunoh's Shadow Strike
- Alternate EV spread of 252 HP / 116 Def / 140 SpD allows it to take some special attacks like Mega Charizard Y's Fire Blast, Keldeo's Hydro Pump, Thundurus's Hidden Power Ice, and uninvested Heatran's Earth Power, avoiding the 2HKO and allowing Cyclohm to Slack Off against these opponents.

Usage Tips
========

- Use this set on stall or balanced teams
- Switch Cyclohm in on Pokemon it can wall. Most physical attackers serve as good switch-ins, most notably Cawmodore and Talonflame
- Use Whirlwind to phaze setup sweepers and rack up hazard damage on predicted switch-ins, and spread paralysis
- If needed, use Heal Bell to cure the team of status
- Use Toxic on predicted switch-ins to cripple checks
- Make sure to Slack Off if necessary


Team Options
========
- Wish Passers such as Chansey, Clefable, and Sylveon offer Wish and/or Heal Bell support for Cyclohm. Chansey and walls special attackers lacking Psyshock or Secret Sword while Clefable and Sylveon handle Dragon-types, Fighting-types, and Dark-types better.
- Tomohawk and Skarmory deal with threats like Colossoil and Landorus-T that beat Cyclohm
- Cresselia can check certain threats like Landorus
- Colossoil Pursuit traps Gothitelle and can revenge kill Syclant
- Arghonaut, Slowbro, Mega Scizor, and Rotom-W can take Ice-type attacks aimed at Cyclohm
- Pyroak, Mollux, Mega Scizor, Mega Venusaur, Ferrothorn and Heatran can take Fairy-type attacks
- Any sweeper that appreciates the removal of Cawmodore and Talonflame (Aurumoth, Revenankh, Necturna, Syclant, Bisharp, Excadrill, Keldeo, Mega Pinsir)

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 3: Hydro Pump
move 4: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf / Life Orb
ability: Shield Dust / Static
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

- Thunderbolt is STAB to hit most unresisted opponents
- Thunder can be used for even more power in a rain team
- Draco Meteor hits opposing Dragons hard
- Draco Pulse if you want to hit hard without SpA drop.
- Hydro Pump hits Ground-types like Colossoil, Landorus, Mamoswine, Diggersby, Landorus-T, and Gliscor, Fire-types like Heatran and Victini, and Rock-types like Stratagem, Mega Diancie, and Terrakion. With rain, it can 2HKO specially defensive Heatran and can OHKO Cawmodore after Stealth Rock.
- Fire Blast covers Grass-, Ice-, Bug-, and Steel-types, especially Necturna, Bisharp, Kitsunoh, Aurumoth, Syclant, Cawmodore, Mega Beedrill, Mega Metagross, and Ferrothorn—Syclant and Aurumoth must be hit on the switch. The choice of attack depends on if you want power or accuracy.
- Ice Beam hits Mega Altaria harder than any of Cyclohm's other moves.
- If using a Life Orb, Slack Off is an option to heal off Life Orb recoil and increase longetivity.

Set Details
========
- Standard EV spread maximizes Special Attack and Speed to hit as hard as possible and outspeed as many threats as possible, most notably Tomohawk, uninvested Landorus-T, uninvested Kyurem-B, and Assault Vest Colossoil
- Shield Dust protects Cyclohm from occasional Sludge Bomb poisoning, Scald/Lava Plume burns, and defense drops from Kitsunoh's Shadow Strike
- On the other hand, Static can be used to paralyze opponents using contact moves, most notably Talonflame and Cawmodore
- An alternate spread of 212 HP / 252 SpA / 44 Spe with a Modest nature can be used if using Choice Specs or Life Orb as a bulkier spread that can still outspeed uninvested Tomohawk
- Either Choice Specs or Life Orb offers power to Cyclohm's attacks to put pressure on teams; Choice Specs sacrifices the freedom to switch moves for more power and no recoil, while Life Orb has recoil damage but allows Cyclohm to switch moves
- On the other hand, a Choice Scarf enables Cyclohm to revenge kill and also to lure in faster Pokemon like Stratagem, Landorus, weakened Scarf Mollux, and Mega Diancie

Usage Tips
========

- Use this set on balanced or more offense teams
- Sets with Choice Specs or Life Orb function early to mid-game to punch holes in teams for Cyclohm's teammates to clean up late game
- The Choice Scarf set functions as a revenge killer, so the best time to come in is when a teammate is taken out. It can also clean up late game once its checks and counters are removed.
- Switch Cyclohm in on Pokemon it can take a hit from, if possible, such as Talonflame, Necturna, Kitsunoh, and unboosted Cawmodore
- Click the appropriate coverage move to hit the opponent hard. Hydro Pump should be used on predicted Heatran, Ground-type or Rock-type switch-ins, Ice Beam should be used on predicted Ground-type or Altaria switch-ins, Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse should be used against all other Dragon-types switching in, and Fire Blast should be used against Cawmodore and Steel-type switch-ins.

Team Options
========
- Wish Passers such as Chansey, Clefable, and Sylveon offer Wish and/or Heal Bell support for Cyclohm. Chansey and walls special attackers lacking Psyshock or Secret Sword while Clefable and Sylveon handle Dragon-types, Fighting-types, and Dark-types better.
- Keldeo, Tomohawk, and Skarmory can check Ground-types like Colossoil. Keldeo can also threaten Landorus and is a great option in rain teams for its boosted STAB.
- Wallbreakers like Landorus, Mega Gardevoir, and Kyurem-B can remove special walls like Chansey
- Mollux, Plasmanta, Mega Scizor, Heatran, and Kitsunoh can remove opposing Fairy-types. Mollux can also fit in rain teams.
- Clefable, Ferrothorn, Mega Diancie, and Sylveon can check opposing Dragon-types
- Colossoil eliminates specially defensive Pokémon and Pursuit traps Gothitelle
- Sticky Web from Necturna allows Choice Specs or Life Orb Cyclohm to outspeed many unboosted grounded theats
- Politoed and Rain Dance Tomohawk provide rain to power up Cyclohm's Hydro Pump and make Thunder more reliable
- Any sweeper that appreciates the removal of Cawmodore and Talonflame (Aurumoth, Revenankh, Necturna, Syclant, Bisharp, Excadrill, Keldeo, Mega Pinsir)

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

- Light Screen can be used tank hits from Volkraken, Mega Charizard Y, Krilowatt, and Stratagem. If using Light Screen, then a Calm nature with 252 SpD EVs should be used for maximum special tankiness.
- Rain Dance can be used due to Cyclohm's bulk
- Power Gem but it only hits Mollux and Pyroak
- Substitute can help Cyclohm have more insurance against switch-ins
- Charge Beam can be used to sweep but is defeated by common threats like Colossoil and Unaware Clefable
- Thunder Wave can cripple faster offensive threats

Checks and Counters
===================

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Chansey, Cresselia, and Mollux can take hits from Cyclohm by virtue of their special bulk and can cripple Cyclohm with Toxic or strike it with super-effective moves. Mega Venusaur can use Leech Seed to sap Cyclohm's health, though it can't do much else. Heatran takes on any set lacking Hydro Pump.
**Fairy-types**: Not only are Fairy-types immune to Cyclohm's Dragon-type STAB attacks, most of them have enough bulk to take Cyclohm's other attacks. Clefable, Sylveon, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Diancie, and Mega Altaria can inflict a considerable amount of damage onto Cyclohm or even OHKO it with their own STAB attacks. However, physical Mega Altaria has to set up Dragon Dance before it can OHKO Cyclohm, and Cyclohm can run Hydro Pump to discourage Diancie from switching in and Mega Evolving.
**Ground-types**: Mamoswine, Excadrill, Diggersby, Garchomp, Colossoil, Mega Swampert, Mega Camerupt, Landorus, and Landorus-T force Cyclohm out with Earthquake or Earth Power. Colossoil can even come in on Toxic to bounce it back at Cyclohm with Rebound or gain a boost with Guts.
**Special Attackers**: Syclant, Stratagem, Krilowatt, Latias, Latios, Noivern, Mega Sceptile, opposing Cyclohm, and Kyurem-B prey on Cyclohm's weaker Special Defense with super-effective moves. However, aside from Krilowatt, none of them are safe switch-ins; Syclant gets taken down by Fire Blast, Stratagem falls to Hydro Pump, and Kyurem-B, Mega Sceptile, Cyclohm, Noivern, Latios and Latias do not like Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor.
**Gothitelle**: Gothitelle can trap physically defensive Cyclohm and wear it down to the point where it will have a hard time dealing with the Pokémon it is meant to check.
 
Last edited:

Vryheid

fudge jelly
specially defensive Cyclohm is a monster and deserves to be one of the primary listed sets, i'd say it's much better than the offensive sets at the very least

this is what I suggest:

Cyclohm @ Leftovers
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Slack Off
- Light Screen/Heal Bell
- Discharge/Charge Beam
- Dragon Pulse/Fire Blast/Ice Beam

This Cyclohm is an excellent mixed wall and answer to Cawmodore, and can also reliably break through some stall cores with Charge Beam and Heal Bell. Its one of the best answers to Volkraken and Mega Charizard Y in the meta right now, and with Light Screen up can easily tank super effective hits from the likes of Krilowatt and Stratagem. Light Screen is a good move in general to keep momentum and help Pokemon switch into counters like Landorus and Clefable.
 

jas61292

used substitute
is a Community Contributoris a Top CAP Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Fire Blast should be used over Flamethrower on the physically defensive set. One of the biggest draws of defensive Cyclohm is the ability to shut down Cawmodore, but without Fire Blast, it fails to reliably do that. Sitrus + a Drain Punch bring a +6 Cawmodore back up to full health, and 8 SpA Cyclohm can never OHKO it with Flamethrower. Even if Stealth Rock is in play and it gets a min damage roll on its Drain Punch, Flamethrower will fail to KO it. Fire Blast, on the other hand, OHKOs 56% of the time from full health, and Stealth Rock can only make that chance better. When factoring in accuracy, that might not seem like a huge importance, however, a good chance for the OHKO is incredibly important, as without it, a Cyclohm at 85% or less risks dying to a Drain Punch + Acrobatics combo (91% if you come in after a KO and don't get Lefties on the switch turn), and thus completely failing to do its job at all.
 

HeaLnDeaL

Let's Keep Fighting
is an Artistis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnus
I know you're still working on OO, but one of the most important moves you should consider is Heal Bell, as it can free up space elsewhere on a teammate's moveslot. Cyclohm, like many bulky attackers, is fairly crippled by toxic, and being able to heal this status is a great advantage.

Personally, I disagree with Jas when it come to the Fire Blast/Flamethrower debate, though I do think both options are viable (and I would prefer to see Flamethrower slashed in on the set after Fire Blast).

+6 252 Atk Cawmodore Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Zekrom: 182-214 (43.4 - 51%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO
(182, 183, 186, 188, 190, 192, 195, 197, 198, 201, 203, 205, 207, 210, 212, 214)

Coupled with leftovers, this means Cylclohm can consistently slack off and not truly have to worry about anything except for crits. Also, it should be mentioned that with Static, Cawmodore will likely get paralyzed after a few hits, allowing Cylcohm to Slack Off and use Flamethrower at his own pace. If you're running Shield Dust, however, I can see that Fire Blast would be more useful.
 
Added Flamethrower as secondary slashes, added Heal Bell to the physically defensive set, and added Specs and Scarf in OO for now. Should they be main sets?
 

HeaLnDeaL

Let's Keep Fighting
is an Artistis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnus
I briefly mentioned the choice items to jas on PS chat, and it seems we both agree OO would be best. They have their moments, but being locked in makes Cyclohm able to be played around, in my opinion. Although, choice scarf has caught me off guard a few times.
 
Come to think of it, should I slash Ice Beam on the other sets? Landorus is such a common and dangerous threat that its removal might help several teams...
 

HeaLnDeaL

Let's Keep Fighting
is an Artistis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnus
The main problem with that is Landorus is obviously faster, so the only chance of Ice Beam working (other than scarf) would be if he switches in. Generally, a Landorus won't want to switch into even a Dragon Pulse, so overall the chances of one switching in I would think are low. However, it could be put into OO as an alternative to Dragon Pulse, I would think.
 
With a recent RMT published, there are now two EV spreads for offensive Cyclohm. Should I stick to Tadasuke's spread or should I use Vansalon's spread?
 

Tadasuke

Tuh-dah-skay
is a Community Contributoris a CAP Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnus
With a recent RMT published, there are now two EV spreads for offensive Cyclohm. Should I stick to Tadasuke's spread or should I use Vansalon's spread?
He specifically said that his spread was for speed creeping, so I think mine still holds as the standard.
 

jas61292

used substitute
is a Community Contributoris a Top CAP Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
If the only reason for a speed stat is to creep, don't use it. It is one thing to outspeed a common set of something you want to beat, but it is completely different to try and outspeed things just to outspeed them. If becoming standard makes it less effective, it should not be in an analysis.

With that said, the RMT didn't even know why they were using the spread. Analyses should focus on what is optimal, not what just happens to work.
 

QueenOfLuvdiscs

Tier 3 Audino sub
is a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Alright, we're making a few changes to this.
First off, remove the spdef/tank sets; they don't get enough usage to justify them having their own sets. Replace them with a general 'choiced' set as that is more viable then the other 2.

Secondly, remove Assault Vest / Trick Room from the Other Options. AV removes all Cyclohm's recovery and makes it easily worn down and Trick Room isn't used in the metagame at all.

Thirdly, mention how Cyclohm needs to be wary of Gothitelle as it can trap it and severely weaken / knock it out and allows birdspam teams to wreck.
 

cbrevan

spin, spin, spin
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Specially defensive set should be put into Other Options as Cyclohm certainly can go specially defensive, its just not as good or used as physically defensive.
 
Implemented, though a few questions.

Should I change the EVs on the choice sets to have a bulkier spread?
Should I split the choiced set into two separate sets? I mean specs and scarf play different roles, unless I'm wrong.
 
Proposing some changes of my own (add to C&C):

Mega Altaria: Fairy-type, only fears rare Ice Beam.
Mega Diancie: Fairy-type. Can't take a Hydro Pump however.
Mega Swampert: What Cyclohm runs HP Grass?
 

HeaLnDeaL

Let's Keep Fighting
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Yes, go ahead and add all three of the above mons to checks/counters. You should rearrange the checks/counters headings and include a Fairy section (and add Mega Altaria and Mega Diancie to it, though mention that Altaria needs to be set up beforehand-- Mega Swampert can simply be added to your Ground section).

Other than that, in the the overview you list Cyclohm's speed as a negative, and I for the most part disagree with this. 80 Base Speed is great for a defensive mon, and still usable for a scarf. Furthermore, Cylclohm itself is a defensive mon, so saying his speed is poor for an offensive mon doesn't make too much sense to me.

I'm still torn about having the Choice set listed as a full set, but I guess it might be the second most viable set after physically defensive... It's a tough call and I'll probably talk to the other QCers about it some more.
 

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