Groudon (GP 2/2)

Rock Polish
########
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Dragon Claw / Swords Dance
move 4: Stone Edge / Overheat
ability: Drought
item: Red Orb
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 96 SpD / 56 Spe
nature: Adamant
I just wanted to say that Fire Punch is a very good option on the RP set and that Double Dance with a Fire/Ground coverage is useless.
EQ is viable for the DD set IMO.

Edit:

Rock Polish
########
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Precipice Blades / Earthquake
move 3: Overheat / Fire Punch / Swords Dance
move 4: Stone Edge / Dragon Claw
ability: Drought
item: Red Orb
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 96 SpD / 56 Spe
nature: Adamant

:]
 
I just wanted to say that Fire Punch is a very good option on the RP set and that Double Dance with a Fire/Ground coverage is useless.
EQ is viable for the DD set IMO.

Edit:

Rock Polish
########
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Precipice Blades / Earthquake
move 3: Overheat / Fire Punch / Swords Dance
move 4: Stone Edge / Dragon Claw
ability: Drought
item: Red Orb
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 96 SpD / 56 Spe
nature: Adamant

:]
Why didn't you edit that ?
 
"very few teams would benefit from not using this thing" is something of an overstatement, it is very clearly the best mon in the tier but i'd say at least a quarter of my teams don't have one. it can give defog opportunities for defensive mence on HO teams, and some stalls can easily do without it / cannot fit it

Toxic deserves a slash somewhere on the first set, it cripples Defog users as well as Phys Def Yveltal, Groundceus (immune to TWave), Lugia (bothered more by Toxic than TWave for the most part, Tina-O, etc. I'd slash it after Thunder Wave on move 4, although it shouldn't be used on the same set as Lava Plume.

Paradancer is terrible.

Mention Mixed Rock Polish in OO with Fire Blast, Dragon Pulse and Prec Blades, it's a lot of fun and fares better vs Groundceus, Phys Def Yveltal, and to a lesser extent Lugia so long SR is out, although you're walled by Latias and Ho-Oh. Did I mention Pulse smacks Mence around?

QC 2/3 nvm Shrang beat me to it
 

Fireburn

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yo I finally wrote it o_o

I did make some substantial changes though:
  • I merged Offensive SR as an alternative EV spread on the support set since they don't play too differently in practice + the set was hardly used
  • Paradancer was booted to OO
  • Mixed Rock Polish got a set
  • I replaced Overheat on the standard RP set with Fire Punch since Lando-T was deemed unviable, making Overheat unnecessary
I might rewrite the Overview tomorrow, not sure I'm satisfied with it
 
As hard as i tried, i couldn't find anything wrong with the write up...you must have perfected this in the past 5 months! lets finally get this dude moving.

QC 3/3
 

Lumari

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(comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
[OVERVIEW]

ORAS blessed Groudon with a Primal Reversion that turned it from a top metagame pick to possibly the best Pokemon in the Ubers tier. The added Fire typing (remove hyphen) and and Water immunity courtesy of Desolate Land allow Primal Groudon to fulfill many vital roles in one: it can check top metagame threats such as Xerneas and Kyogre, it can set up Stealth Rock and spread status, and it can threaten most switch-ins with extremely powerful physical and special STAB moves. When you consider that Primal Groudon can do all of these things in one set, it is a small wonder why it manages to find a spot on most teams. If that wasn't enough, it is also a very threatening offensive sweeper with boosting options in Rock Polish and Swords Dance and a wide array of both physical and special coverage moves to threaten almost everything in the metagame. Immunity to burns and Thunder Wave also make Primal Groudon quite difficult to stop as an offensive threat.

Despite all of its positive traits, Primal Groudon is not invincible. It is quite slow without Rock Polish, and its mediocre special bulk somewhat compounds this issue by necessitating hefty bulk investment to properly check powerful special threats such as Xerneas. Primal Groudon's utter lack of recovery and weakness to common Ground-type attacks also hinder its defensive capabilities. That being said, Primal Groudon's numerous strengths make it a very common sight on most teams, and any opponent not prepared to handle Primal Groudon will not make it far.

[SET]
name: Primal Support
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake / Precipice Blades
move 3: Lava Plume / Stone Edge
move 4: Roar / Thunder Wave / Dragon Tail
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpD

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

Primal Groudon is one of the best users of Stealth Rock, (AC) as it can almost always find a turn to set them it up. Choosing Earthquake or Precipice Blades as the STAB attack depends on whether or not you favor accuracy or power - both are solid options. Backed by sun, STAB, and Primal Groudon's high Special Attack, Lava Plume destroys Steel-types and does solid damage to most other targets. The high burn rate makes it very difficult to switch into, so it isn't a bad move to throw out when you don't know what's switching in next. Since Primal Groudon's choice of Ground-type STAB move is usually adequate for dealing with Steel-types, Stone Edge can be used instead for Ho-Oh insurance. The last moveslot is dedicated to halting a Xerneas sweep. Roar is the most reliable option to halt even healthy Aromatherapy Xerneas, and it also provides general phazing utility. However, Thunder Wave is usually adequate, and it is useful against many of Primal Groudon's other checks such as Lugia, Latias, and bulky Arceus formes. If Xerneas isn't a huge concern, Dragon Tail can also provide phazing utility while severely damaging Latias and pressuring other Dragon-types such as Giratina-O and Mega Salamence. Toxic is also an option, (AC) as it greatly hinders most of Primal Groudon's checks, but Primal Groudon often lacks a spare moveslot to use it.

Set Details
========

The EVs and nature are specifically tailored for Primal Groudon to survive certain attacks. Most importantly, Primal Groudon will always survive a boosted Focus Blast from Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage and two layers of Spikes. It also avoids the 2HKO from Primal Kyogre's Ice Beam, Zekrom's Outrage, and Jolly Mega Salamence's Double-Edge after Stealth Rock damage. This all assumes Primal Groudon takes Stealth Rock damage as regular Groudon before undergoing Primal Reversion. One can also use a Careful nature and put the Defense EVs into Special Defense to allow Primal Groudon to take on Xerneas and Kyogre better at the cost of some physical bulk.

If you want a more offensive Primal Groudon, you can use an Adamant nature with an EV spread of 224 HP / 240 Atk / 32 SpD / 12 Spe. If using this spread, make sure to run Precipice Blades instead of Earthquake and Dragon Tail in the fourth moveslot. This EV spread outspeeds allows Primal Groudon to outspeed Mega Diancie before it Mega Evolves, allows Primal Groudon to OHKO offensive Primal Kyogre fter after Stealth Rock, and still allows Primal Groudon to survive a boosted Focus Blast from Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage. The heavy Attack investment gives Primal Groudon much more offensive presence to pressure Defog users such as Latias, bulky Arceus formes, and Giratina-O. However, the lack of Special Defense investment makes Primal Groudon somewhat shaky against Xerneas and Primal Kyogre, so the bulkier spread is usually preferred even on more offensive teams, (AC) as Primal Groudon's natural offensive power and phazing capabilities usually prevent attempts to set up on it.

Usage Tips
========

Primal Groudon is capable of checking a very large number of Pokemon. In addition to Xerneas and Primal Kyogre, it is a solid option against most Electric-, Fairy-, and Steel-types, and if needed it can even act as a one-time check to Swords Dance Arceus or Mega Salamence. That being said, Primal Groudon has no way to recover HP, so don't be too reckless with it if the enemy still has something like a healthy Xerneas or Primal Kyogre in the back. Set up Stealth Rock as soon as possible, (AC) and don't be afraid to use Lava Plume a lot - the burn rate and good power make it a safe move to use on unknown switch-ins. Although Primal Groudon's Ground-type STAB move is very powerful, do not blindly use it if the opponent has Flying-types or Pokemon with Levitate - they are among the first Pokemon that usually switch into Primal Groudon. Try to catch them first with Lava Plume or another coverage option as appropriate.

Team Options
========

Primal Groudon can have some problems dealing with Ground-immune Dragon-types that also have Flying-typing or Levitate. Latias, Latios, Mega Salamence, and Giratina-O all resist Primal Groudon's STAB combination and can use Defog to remove the Stealth Rock Primal Groudon aims to set up, so solid checks to them are needed. Other Flying-types such as Yveltal and Lugia can be annoying as well. Klefki easily checks most of those Pokemon while providing extra hazard support in the form of Spikes. Pursuit users such as Aegislash and Mega Scizor offer Pursuit support to ensure the death of Latios and Latias, giving Primal Groudon free reign to set up Stealth Rock. Dark-types such as Yveltal, Darkrai, and Dark Arceus are also solid options for dealing with Lugia, Giratina-O, Latias, and Latios. Rock Arceus and Lugia are great options for dealing with Mega Salamence. Fairy-types work well in general with Primal Groudon, checking Dragon-types while Primal Groudon comes in on the Steel-types they tend to hate. Xerneas, Mega Diancie, and Fairy Arceus are all good choices for Fairy-types. Ground Arceus and other strong Ground-types are also thorns in Primal Groudon's side, preying on its sole weakness to Ground-type attacks. Lugia, Giratina-O, and Latias are good options to deal with Ground Arceus.

If using Primal Groudon on a more defensive team, Wish support is recommended to compensate for its lack of recovery, as is Aromatherapy support to heal off Toxics that will quickly take a toll on Primal Groudon. Blissey and Clefable can provide both. Defog support from Latias or a bulky Arceus forme is also recommended, as entry hazards can quickly wear down chip away at (or just 'wear down Primal Groudon', up to you) Primal Groudon's health.


[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Dragon Claw / Swords Dance
move 4: Stone Edge / Fire Punch
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Adamant
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 96 SpD / 56 Spe

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

Rock Polish remedies Primal Groudon's poor Speed and can let it become a very powerful sweeping threat late in the match. Precipice Blades is preferred over Earthquake for maximum power, despite the somewhat shaky accuracy. Dragon Claw decimates most Dragon-types that attempt to wall Primal Groudon. Giratina-O is 2HKOed affter Stealth Rock damage, and Latios and Latias are easily OHKOed. If Dragon-types aren't a huge concern, Swords Dance allows Primal Groudon to potentially muscle past walls such as Lugia and bulky Arceus formes. Although Primal Groudon is hardpressed hard-pressed to set up both Rock Polish and Swords Dance, it can very easily sweep whole teams if allowed to do so. Stone Edge takes care of Flying-types such as Lugia, Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, and Yveltal (RC) and is the best coverage move to use with Swords Dance. Fire Punch takes care of Skarmory and Grass Arceus (RC) and is almost as strong as Precipice Blades factoring in sunlight and STAB with while having better accuracy.

Set Details
========

The Speed EVs allow Primal Groudon to outrun Choice Scarf base 90 Speed Pokemon and below after a Rock Polish, while the HP and Special Defense EVs allow it to survive a boosted Focus Blast from Geomancy (presumably?) Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage. The rest of the EVs go into Attack to hit as hard as possible. If using Swords Dance, a bulkier EV spread of 248 HP / 152 Atk / 52 SpD / 56 Spe can give Primal Groudon more breathing room to potentially set up both boosts. More Speed EVs can also be used to outrun faster Choice Scarf users such as Xerneas and Genesect, but those are walled by Primal Groudon anyway, and Choice Scarf users that can potentially revenge kill Primal Groudon such as Yveltal are rare.

Usage Tips
========

Use Set up Rock Polish on Pokemon Primal Groudon can force out such as Steel- and Fairy-types. You can also use Primal Groudon's offensive presence to force a switch (RC) or just let it take a hit to set up the Rock Polish if it will win the game. Don't waste Primal Groudon's health trying to check too many things if it is needed to sweep later - this set is not meant to be played defensively. Try to chip at Primal Groudon's checks with its coverage moves if they are not yet weakened enough to sweep past after using Rock Polish.

Team Options
========

This set appreciates offensive teammates that can weaken checks such as Lugia, defensive Primal Kyogre, bulky Mega Salamence, and Ground Arceus. Darkrai is a good option for pressuring all of these, easily coming in on Lugia and pressuring Primal Kyogre and bulky Arceus formes with Dark Void and Nasty Plot-boosted (add hyphen) attacks. Wallbreakers such as Ho-Oh and mixed Rayquaza can weaken Lugia and other walls, paving the way for Primal Groudon later in the match. Mega Salamence can assist Primal Groudon in breaking through physical walls, and Swords Dance Arceus can easily finish the job if Primal Groudon is spent. Stealth Rock support is vital in breaking through Lugia and Mega Salamence - Deoxys formes are good Stealth Rock users for very offensive teams, while Dialga has the advantage of reliably checking Mega Salamence.

[SET]
name: Mixed Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Dragon Pulse
move 4: Precipice Blades
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Mild
evs: 96 Atk / 252 SpA / 104 SpD / 56 Spe

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

Although more well-known (add hyphen) for its enormous base 180 Attack stat, Primal Groudon can use its high Special Attack in conjunction with Rock Polish to surprise many of its usual checks. With maximum investment in Special Attack, sunlight, (space) and STAB, Fire Blast actually outdamages Precipice Blades, destroying Pokemon such as Ground Arceus and physically defensive Yveltal that could otherwise check the normal Rock Polish set, and it reliably nails Lugia for a 2HKO. Dragon Pulse OHKOes Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage while nailing Giratina-O and Latios for solid 2HKOes 2HKOs. Precipice Blades is retained to deal with Primal Kyogre and Blissey, though it can also take out Water Arceus that don't invest in Defense.

Set Details
========

56 Speed EVs outspeeds allow Primal Groudon to outspeed Choice Scarf base 90 Speed Pokemon, while 104 Special Defense EVs ensure Primal Groudon will always survive Focus Blast from a boosted Geomancy Xerneas at full health. 96 Attack EVs allow Primal Groudon to 2HKO Water Arceus with Precipice Blades after Stealth Rock if it lacks Defense investment. The rest of the EVs go to Special Attack to maximize the power of Fire Blast. A Mild nature increases Primal Groudon's Special Attack further while not hindering its Attack or Special Defense - its Defense is still plenty high even with the reduction besides.

Usage Tips
========

Use this set on a highly offensive team that appreciates having the usual Primal Groudon counters lured and KOed. This set isn't meant to act as a defensive check to any nasty sweepers such as Xerneas, so try to set it up as soon as possible once its checks are weakened. It might be prudent to use Precipice Blades liberally to bluff a physical set, then and (RC; 'then' is colloquial + redundant with subsequent 'once' clause) surprise the opponent's physical Primal Groudon check with a well-timed Fire Blast or Dragon Pulse once they come it comes in. Steel-types are ideal setup targets for this set.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard support is ideal for this Primal Groudon set. Deoxys-S, Custap Berry Forretress, and Cloyster are fine leads that can get up hazards quickly. Dialga and Mega Aerodactyl are also good partners, as this set needs Stealth Rock to ensure several KOes KOs, such as the OHKO on Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage. (redundant with prior information) Mega Aerodactyl is also a fine Ho-Oh check, which this set has trouble beating due to the lack of Stone Edge. Latias and Bold Arceus-Water Water Arceus are also troublesome, (AC) as Primal Groudon cannot 2HKO them with any move. Geomancy Xerneas, Darkrai, and Arceus-Ghost Ghost Arceus are offensive partners that can take advantage of Latias to set by setting up on it, while Shaymin-S is a fine answer to Arceus-Water Water Arceus. Swords Dance Arceus is also a good offensive partner to Primal Groudon, appreciating its ability to take down physical walls such as Lugia and physically defensive Yveltal.

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Dragon Tail / Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Drought
nature: Impish
evs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 Spe

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

Although Primal Groudon is better in most respects, its lack of Ground weakness and ability to hold Leftovers allow it regular Groudon to function as a solid physical tank that can support its team with Stealth Rock. Precipice Blades is preferred over Earthquake as the STAB move for the extra damage on opposing Primal Groudon. Stone Edge deals with Flying-types such as Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence to some degree. Dragon Tail gives Groudon the ability to phaze and can keep Defog users such as Latias, Latios, and Giratina-O at bay while getting valuable chip damage onto Mega Salamence. Roar can be used instead if you do not like Dragon Tail's imperfect accuracy, and it can also prevent Geomancy Xerneas from trying to set up on Groudon.

Set Details
========

12 Speed EVs allow Groudon to outspeed Diancie before it Mega Evolves and slay it with Precipice Blades. The rest of the EVs go to HP and Defense, with an Impish nature to maximize Groudon's physical bulk. Do not bother with any other EV spread - chances are Primal Groudon does it better.

Usage Tips
========

Groudon's lack of Ground weakness allows it to check some Pokemon its Primal counterpart cannot, such as Swords Dance Arceus with Earthquake, Excadrill, and opposing Primal Groudon. If this is not something you need, use Primal Groudon instead. Otherwise, Groudon can be sent in on most physical attackers to set up Stealth Rock. Use phazing moves liberally if entry hazards are up, especially if you think the opponent will try to bring in a Defog user. Bear in mind that Groudon's only source of recovery is Leftovers and it thus cannot take hits forever - save it if you need it to stop a sweeper on the enemy team.

Team Options
========

Unlike its Primal counterpart, Groudon cannot check Kyogre, so checks such as Latias or Palkia are necessary. Fire-types such as Ho-Oh and Mega Blaziken are solid partners to abuse Groudon's Drought and Stealth Rock support. Special attackers can prey easily on Groudon's mediocre special bulk, so Blissey and Clefable make solid teammates that can help keep Groudon alive with Wish. Klefki is also notable for checking many common special threats while setting up Spikes and further pressuring Defog users with Toxic.


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

Overheat is extremely powerful, but not very suitable for sweeping sets due to lowering Primal Groudon's special attack upon use its Special Attack-lowering side effect. Primal Groudon can run Swords Dance in conjunction with Thunder Wave to easily break Lugia, but the inability to fit Stealth Rock or Fire-type attacks on such a set hinders its utility. Rest gives Primal Groudon a source of recovery, but it has a very difficult time fitting it onto its moveset, even moreso if it tries to run Sleep Talk, (AC) as it will then have to give up one of its STAB moves or phazing. Rock Tomb can KO Ho-Oh while messing with switch-ins (add hyphen) that would normally be faster than Primal Groudon, such as Latios and bulky Arceus formes.

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

**Lugia**: Lugia is bulky enough to shrug off most of Primal Groudon's attacks and Toxic stall it, also packing Reflect and phazing moves to help handle Swords Dance variants. However, Lugia hates status and will still take a fair chunk from Stone Edge is Multiscale is not active.

**Ground-immune Dragon-types with Flying-typing or Levitate**: Pokemon in this group resist Primal Groudon's STAB combination and can usually beat it down through powerful STAB attacks. Mega Salamence has high Defense and can use Refresh to shrug off status, though it still doesn't like Stone Edge or Dragon-type attacks too much. Latios and Latias prey on Primal Groudon's weaker lower (a numerical value can't be weak) Special Defense with Draco Meteor, though Dragon Tail or Dragon Claw will severely damage them. Giratina-O has enough Defense to take Dragon-type attacks and Stone Edge fairly comfortably, but it lacks recovery and can thus be worn down. Rayquaza can notably pierce Desolate Land with Air Lock and easily OHKO Primal Groudon with Aqua Tail, though it is very vulnerable to Stone Edge, Dragon-type attacks, and status and is thus risky to use as a direct switch-in.

**Ground Arceus**: Ground Arceus cannot be OHKOed by any of Primal Groudon's attacks and can destroy it with STAB Ground-type moves. It also has Recover to heal off any incurred damage, but it needs to watch out for added damage from Lava Plume burns, especially if running a physical set.

**Water Arceus**: Water Arceus resists Fire-type attacks and has enough bulk to take Precipice Blades. It can then Toxic stall Primal Groudon to death, though it cannot easily beat Swords Dance variants.

**Yveltal**: Yveltal can take most of Primal Groudon's attacks with a physically defensive set and slay it with Foul Play. However, Lava Plume burns will cripple Yveltal if it relies only on Foul Play to damage Primal Groudon.

**Primal Kyogre**: While Primal Kyogre hates coming in directly on Precipice Blades, it can switch in on most other moves, overwrite Desolate Land with Primordial Sea, and OHKO Primal Groudon with its STAB Water-type attacks.

**Ho-Oh**: If Primal Groudon lacks Stone Edge, Ho-Oh easily switches in and KOes Primal Groudon with Earthquake. Unlike other potential checks, Ho-Oh cannot be burned by Lava Plume, so Primal Groudon has a harder time wearing it down. That being said, the sheer threat of Stone Edge makes Ho-Oh a risky switch-in unless Primal Groudon's moveset has already been scouted.

**Skarmory**: Skarmory can set up Spikes and Toxic stall Primal Groudon if it lacks a Fire-type move. Most Primal Groudon sets carry a Fire-type move, however, so sending in Skarmory is extremely risky.

**Grass Arceus**: Grass Arceus shrugs off Precipice Blades and can KO Primal Groudon with Grass Knot. Most Primal Groudon sets carry a Fire-type move, however, so sending in Grass Arceus is extremely risky. (reword this sentence a bit please, copypasting looks a bit careless)

**Giratina**: Giratina can shrug off most hits from defensive Primal Groudon sets and phaze it with Dragon Tail. Swords Dance Primal Groudon easily defeats Giratina, however, and Dragon-type attacks will hurt.

**Toxic and Entry Hazards**: Primal Groudon can be worn down quickly due to its lack of recovery, so it needs to be wary of passive damage from sources such as Toxic and entry hazards piling up.



GP 1/2
 
Last edited:

Nix_Hex

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[OVERVIEW]

ORAS blessed Groudon with a Primal Reversion that turned it from a top metagame pick to possibly the best Pokemon in the Ubers tier. The added Fire typing and Water immunity courtesy of Desolate Land allow Primal Groudon to fulfill many vital roles in one: it can check top metagame threats such as Xerneas and Kyogre, it can set up Stealth Rock and spread status, and it can threaten most switch-ins with extremely powerful physical and special STAB moves. When you consider that Primal Groudon can do all of these things in one set, it is a small wonder why it manages to find a spot on most teams. If that wasn't enough, it is also a very threatening offensive sweeper with boosting options in Rock Polish and Swords Dance and a wide array of both physical and special coverage moves to threaten almost everything in the metagame. Immunity to burns and Thunder Wave also make Primal Groudon quite difficult to stop as an offensive threat.

Despite all of its positive traits, Primal Groudon is not invincible. It is quite slow without Rock Polish, and its mediocre special bulk somewhat compounds this issue by necessitating hefty bulk investment to properly check powerful special threats such as Xerneas. Primal Groudon's utter lack of recovery and weakness to common Ground-type attacks also hinder its defensive capabilities. That being said, Primal Groudon's numerous strengths make it a very common sight on most teams, and any opponent not prepared to handle Primal Groudon will not make it far.

[SET]
name: Primal Support
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake / Precipice Blades
move 3: Lava Plume / Stone Edge
move 4: Roar / Thunder Wave / Dragon Tail
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpD

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

Primal Groudon is one of the best users of Stealth Rock, as it can almost always find a turn to set it up. Choosing Earthquake or Precipice Blades as the STAB attack depends on whether you favor accuracy or power - both are solid options. Backed by sun, STAB, and Primal Groudon's high Special Attack, Lava Plume destroys Steel-types and does solid damage to most other targets. The high burn rate makes it very difficult to switch into, so it isn't a bad move to throw out when you don't know what's switching in next. Since Primal Groudon's choice of Ground-type STAB move is usually adequate for dealing with Steel-types, Stone Edge can be used instead for Ho-Oh insurance. The last moveslot is dedicated to halting a Xerneas sweep. Roar is the most reliable option to halt even healthy Aromatherapy Xerneas, and it also provides general phazing utility. However, Thunder Wave is usually adequate, and it is useful against many of Primal Groudon's other checks such as Lugia, Latias, and bulky Arceus formes. If Xerneas isn't a huge concern, Dragon Tail can also provide phazing utility while severely damaging Latias and pressuring other Dragon-types such as Giratina-O and Mega Salamence. Toxic is also an option, as it greatly hinders most of Primal Groudon's checks, but Primal Groudon often lacks a spare moveslot to use it.

Set Details
========

The EVs and nature are specifically tailored for Primal Groudon to survive certain attacks. Most importantly, Primal Groudon will always survive a boosted Focus Blast from Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage and two layers of Spikes. It also avoids the 2HKO from Primal Kyogre's Ice Beam, Zekrom's Outrage, and Jolly Mega Salamence's Double-Edge after Stealth Rock damage. This all assumes Primal Groudon takes Stealth Rock damage as regular Groudon before undergoing Primal Reversion. One can also use a Careful nature and put the Defense EVs into Special Defense to allow Primal Groudon to take on Xerneas and Kyogre better at the cost of some physical bulk.

If you want a more offensive Primal Groudon, you can use an Adamant nature with an EV spread of 224 HP / 240 Atk / 32 SpD / 12 Spe. If using this spread, make sure to run Precipice Blades instead of Earthquake and Dragon Tail in the fourth moveslot. This EV spread allows Primal Groudon to outspeed Mega Diancie before it Mega Evolves, allows Primal Groudon to OHKO offensive Primal Kyogre after Stealth Rock, and still allows Primal Groudon to survive a boosted Focus Blast from Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage. The heavy Attack investment gives Primal Groudon much more offensive presence to pressure Defog users such as Latias, bulky Arceus formes, and Giratina-O. However, the lack of Special Defense investment makes Primal Groudon somewhat shaky against Xerneas and Primal Kyogre, so the bulkier spread is usually preferred even on more offensive teams, as Primal Groudon's natural offensive power and phazing capabilities usually prevent attempts to set up on it.

Usage Tips
========

Primal Groudon is capable of checking a very large number of Pokemon. In addition to Xerneas and Primal Kyogre, it is a solid option against most Electric-, Fairy-, and Steel-types, and if needed it can even act as a one-time check to Swords Dance Arceus or Mega Salamence. That being said, Primal Groudon has no way to recover HP, so don't be too reckless with it if the enemy still has something like a healthy Xerneas or Primal Kyogre in the back. Set up Stealth Rock as soon as possible, and don't be afraid to use Lava Plume a lot - the burn rate and good power make it a safe move to use on unknown switch-ins. Although Primal Groudon's Ground-type STAB move is very powerful, do not blindly use it if the opponent has Flying-types or Pokemon with Levitate - they are among the first Pokemon that usually switch into Primal Groudon. Try to catch them first with Lava Plume or another coverage option as appropriate.

Team Options
========

Primal Groudon can have some problems dealing with Ground-immune Dragon-types. Latias, Latios, Mega Salamence, and Giratina-O all resist Primal Groudon's STAB combination and can use Defog to remove the Stealth Rock Primal Groudon aims to set up, so solid checks to them are needed. Other Flying-types such as Yveltal and Lugia can be annoying as well. Klefki easily checks most of those Pokemon while providing extra hazard support in the form of Spikes. Pursuit users such as Aegislash and Mega Scizor ensure the death of Latios and Latias, giving Primal Groudon free reign to set up Stealth Rock. Dark-types such as Yveltal, Darkrai, and Dark Arceus are also solid options for dealing with Lugia, Giratina-O, Latias, and Latios. Rock Arceus and Lugia are great options for dealing with Mega Salamence. Fairy-types work well in general with Primal Groudon, checking Dragon-types while Primal Groudon comes in on the Steel-types they tend to hate. Xerneas, Mega Diancie, and Fairy Arceus are all good choices for Fairy-types. Ground Arceus and other strong Ground-types are also thorns in Primal Groudon's side, preying on its sole weakness to Ground-type attacks. Lugia, Giratina-O, and Latias are good options to deal with Ground Arceus.

If using Primal Groudon on a more defensive team, Wish support is recommended to compensate for its lack of recovery, as is Aromatherapy support to heal off Toxics that will quickly take a toll on Primal Groudon. Blissey and Clefable can provide both. Defog support from Latias or a bulky Arceus forme is also recommended, as entry hazards can quickly chip away at Primal Groudon's health.


[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Dragon Claw / Swords Dance
move 4: Stone Edge / Fire Punch
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Adamant
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 96 SpD / 56 Spe

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

Rock Polish remedies Primal Groudon's poor Speed and can let it become a very powerful sweeping threat late in the match. Precipice Blades is preferred over Earthquake for maximum power, despite the somewhat shaky accuracy. Dragon Claw decimates most Dragon-types that attempt to wall Primal Groudon. Giratina-O is 2HKOed affter Stealth Rock damage, andwhile Latios and Latias are easily OHKOed. If Dragon-types aren't a huge concern, Swords Dance allows Primal Groudon to potentially muscle past walls such as Lugia and bulky Arceus formes. Although Primal Groudon is hard-pressed to set up both Rock Polish and Swords Dance, it can very easily sweep whole teams if allowed to do so. Stone Edge takes care of Flying-types such as Lugia, Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, and Yveltal and is the best coverage move to use with Swords Dance. Fire Punch takes care of Skarmory and Grass Arceus and is almost as strong as Precipice Blades factoring in sunlight and STAB while having better accuracy.

Set Details
========

The Speed EVs allow Primal Groudon to outrun Choice Scarf base 90 Speed Pokemon and below after a Rock Polish, while the HP and Special Defense EVs allow it to survive a boosted Focus Blast from Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage. The rest of the EVs go into Attack to hit as hard as possible. If using Swords Dance, a bulkier EV spread of 248 HP / 152 Atk / 52 SpD / 56 Spe can give Primal Groudon more breathing room to potentially set up both boosts. More Speed EVs can also be used to outrun faster Choice Scarf users such as Xerneas and Genesect, but those are walled by Primal Groudon anyway, and Choice Scarf users that can revenge kill Primal Groudon such as Yveltal are rare.

Usage Tips
========

Set up Rock Polish on Pokemon Primal Groudon can force out such as Steel- and Fairy-types. You can also use Primal Groudon's offensive presence to force a switch or just let it take a hit to set up the Rock Polish if it will win the game. Don't waste Primal Groudon's health trying to check too many things if it is needed to sweep later;(semicolon) - this set is not meant to be played defensively. Try to chip at Primal Groudon's checks with its coverage moves if they are not yet weakened enough to sweep past after using Rock Polish.

Team Options
========

This set appreciates offensive teammates that can weaken checks such as Lugia, defensive Primal Kyogre, bulky Mega Salamence, and Ground Arceus. Darkrai is a good option for pressuring all of these, easily coming in on Lugia and pressuring Primal Kyogre and bulky Arceus formes with Dark Void and Nasty Plot-boosted attacks. Wallbreakers such as Ho-Oh and mixed Rayquaza can weaken Lugia and other walls, paving the way for Primal Groudon later in the match. Mega Salamence can assist Primal Groudon in breaking through physical walls, and Swords Dance Arceus can easily finish the job if Primal Groudon is spent. Stealth Rock support is vital in breaking through Lugia and Mega Salamence - Deoxys formes are good Stealth Rock users for very offensive teams, while Dialga has the advantage of reliably checking Mega Salamence.

[SET]
name: Mixed Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Dragon Pulse
move 4: Precipice Blades
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Mild
evs: 96 Atk / 252 SpA / 104 SpD / 56 Spe

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

Although more well-known for its enormous base 180 Attack stat, Primal Groudon can use its high Special Attack in conjunction with Rock Polish to surprise many of its usual checks. With maximum investment in Special Attack, sunlight, and STAB, Fire Blast actually outdamages Precipice Blades, destroying Pokemon such as Ground Arceus and physically defensive Yveltal that could otherwise check the normal Rock Polish set, and it reliably nails Lugia for a 2HKO. Dragon Pulse OHKOes Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage while nailing Giratina-O and Latios for solid 2HKOs. Precipice Blades is retained to deal with Primal Kyogre and Blissey, though it can also take out Water Arceus that don't invest in Defense.

Set Details
========

You may invest 56 Speed EVs in Speed to allow Primal Groudon to outspeed Choice Scarf base 90 Speed Pokemon, while 104 Special Defense EVs ensure Primal Groudon will always survive Focus Blast from a boosted Geomancy Xerneas at full health. You may also invest 96 Attack EVs to allow Primal Groudon to 2HKO Water Arceus with Precipice Blades after Stealth Rock if it lacks Defense investment. The rest of the EVs go to Special Attack to maximize the power of Fire Blast. A Mild nature increases Primal Groudon's Special Attack further while not hindering its Attack or Special Defense;semicolon - its Defense is still plenty high even with the reduction.

Usage Tips
========

Use this set on a highly offensive team that appreciates having the usual Primal Groudon counters lured and KOed. This set isn't meant to act as a defensive check to any nasty sweepers such as Xerneas, so try to set it up as soon as possible once its checks are weakened. It might be prudent to use Precipice Blades liberally to bluff a physical set and surprise the opponent's physical Primal Groudon check with a well-timed Fire Blast or Dragon Pulse once it comes in. Steel-types are ideal setup targets for this set.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard support is ideal for this Primal Groudon set. Deoxys-S, Custap Berry Forretress, and Cloyster are fine leads that can get up hazards quickly. Dialga and Mega Aerodactyl are also good partners, as this set needs Stealth Rock to ensure several KOs, such as the OHKO on Mega Salamence. Mega Aerodactyl is also a fine Ho-Oh check, which this set has trouble beating due to the lack of Stone Edge. Latias and Bold Water Arceus are also troublesome, as Primal Groudon cannot 2HKO them with any move. Geomancy Xerneas, Darkrai, and Ghost Arceus are offensive partners that can take advantage of Latias by setting up on it, while Shaymin-S is a fine answer to Water Arceus. Swords Dance Arceus is also a good offensive partner to Primal Groudon, appreciating its ability to take down physical walls such as Lugia and physically defensive Yveltal.

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Dragon Tail / Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Drought
nature: Impish
evs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 Spe

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

Although Primal Groudon is better in most respects, its regular Groudon's lack of Ground weakness and ability to hold Leftovers allow regular Groudon it to function as a solid physical tank that can support its team with Stealth Rock. Precipice Blades is preferred over Earthquake as the STAB move for the extra damage on opposing Primal Groudon. Stone Edge deals with Flying-types such as Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence to some degree. Dragon Tail gives Groudon the ability to phaze and can keep Defog users such as Latias, Latios, and Giratina-O at bay while getting valuable chip damage onto Mega Salamence. Roar can be used instead if you do not like Dragon Tail's imperfect accuracy, and it can also prevent Geomancy Xerneas from trying to set up on Groudon.

Set Details
========

12 Speed EVs allow Groudon to outspeed Diancie before it Mega Evolves and slay it with Precipice Blades. The rest of the EVs go to HP and Defense, with an Impish nature to maximize Groudon's physical bulk. Do not bother with any other EV spread - chances are Primal Groudon does it better.

Usage Tips
========

Groudon's lack of Ground weakness allows it to check some Pokemon its Primal counterpart cannot, such as Swords Dance Arceus with Earthquake, Excadrill, and opposing Primal Groudon. If this is not something you need, use Primal Groudon instead. Otherwise, Groudon can be sent in on most physical attackers to set up Stealth Rock. Use phazing moves liberally if entry hazards are up, especially if you think the opponent will try to bring in a Defog user. Bear in mind that Groudon's only source of recovery is Leftovers and it thus cannot take hits forever;(semicolon) - save it if you need it to stop a sweeper on the enemy team.

Team Options
========

Unlike its Primal counterpart, Groudon cannot check Kyogre, so checks such as Latias or Palkia are necessary. Fire-types such as Ho-Oh and Mega Blaziken are solid partners to abuse Groudon's Drought and Stealth Rock support. Special attackers can prey easily on Groudon's mediocre special bulk, so Blissey and Clefable make solid teammates that can help keep Groudon alive with Wish. Klefki is also notable for checking many common special threats while setting up Spikes and further pressuring Defog users with Toxic.


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

Overheat is extremely powerful, but not very suitable for sweeping sets due to its Special Attack-lowering side effect. Primal Groudon can run Swords Dance in conjunction with Thunder Wave to easily break Lugia, but the inability to fit Stealth Rock or Fire-type attacks on such a set hinders its utility. Rest gives Primal Groudon a source of recovery, but it has a very difficult time fitting it onto its moveset, even moreso if it tries to run Sleep Talk, as it will then have to give up one of its STAB moves or phazing. Rock Tomb can KO Ho-Oh while messing with switch-ins that would normally be faster than Primal Groudon, such as Latios and bulky Arceus formes.

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

**Lugia**: Lugia is bulky enough to shrug off most of Primal Groudon's attacks and Toxic stall it, also packing Reflect and phazing moves to help handle Swords Dance variants. However, Lugia hates status and will still take a fair chunk from Stone Edge is Multiscale is not active.

**Ground-immune Dragon-types**: Pokemon in this group resist Primal Groudon's STAB combination and can usually beat it down through powerful STAB attacks. Mega Salamence has high Defense and can use Refresh to shrug off status, though it still doesn't like Stone Edge or Dragon-type attacks too much. Latios and Latias prey on Primal Groudon's lower Special Defense with Draco Meteor, though Dragon Tail or Dragon Claw will severely damage them. Giratina-O has enough Defense to take Dragon-type attacks and Stone Edge fairly comfortably, but it lacks recovery and can thus be worn down. Rayquaza can notably pierce Desolate Land with Air Lock and easily OHKO Primal Groudon with Aqua Tail, though it is very vulnerable to Stone Edge, Dragon-type attacks, and status and is thus risky to use as a direct switch-in.

**Ground Arceus**: Ground Arceus cannot be OHKOed by any of Primal Groudon's attacks and can destroy it with STAB Ground-type moves. It also has Recover to heal off any incurred damage, but it needs to watch out for added damage from Lava Plume burns, especially if running a physical set.

**Water Arceus**: Water Arceus resists Fire-type attacks and has enough bulk to take Precipice Blades. It can then Toxic stall Primal Groudon to death, though it cannot easily beat Swords Dance variants.

**Yveltal**: Yveltal can take most of Primal Groudon's attacks with a physically defensive set and slay it with Foul Play. However, Lava Plume burns will cripple Yveltal if it relies only on Foul Play to damage Primal Groudon.

**Primal Kyogre**: While Primal Kyogre hates coming in directly on Precipice Blades, it can switch in on most other moves, overwrite Desolate Land with Primordial Sea, and OHKO Primal Groudon with its STAB Water-type attacks.

**Ho-Oh**: If Primal Groudon lacks Stone Edge, Ho-Oh easily switches in and KOes Primal Groudon with Earthquake. Unlike other potential checks, Ho-Oh cannot be burned by Lava Plume, so Primal Groudon has a harder time wearing it down. That being said, the sheer threat of Stone Edge makes Ho-Oh a risky switch-in unless Primal Groudon's moveset has already been scouted.

**Skarmory**: Skarmory can set up Spikes and Toxic stall Primal Groudon if it lacks a Fire-type move. Most Primal Groudon sets carry a Fire-type move, however, so sending in Skarmory is extremely risky.

**Grass Arceus**: Grass Arceus shrugs off Precipice Blades and can KO Primal Groudon with Grass Knot. Be careful though, as Grass Arceus should not switch in on Primal Groudon unless you are sure it does not have a Fire-type attack.

**Giratina**: Giratina can shrug off most hits from defensive Primal Groudon sets and phaze it with Dragon Tail. Swords Dance Primal Groudon easily defeats Giratina, however, and Dragon-type attacks will hurt.

**Toxic and Entry Hazards**: Primal Groudon can be worn down quickly due to its lack of recovery, so it needs to be wary of passive damage from sources such as Toxic and entry hazards piling up.

GP 2/2
 

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