[OVERVIEW]
Flareon's most prominent trait is its high Attack, giving it the strongest Flare Blitz in the tier. However, this is much less scary than it sounds, as NU is home to some of the physically bulkiest Fire-resistant Pokemon in the game, such as Rhydon, Carracosta, Quagsire, and Regirock. Moreover, Flareon has some glaring issues holding it back, namely its mediocre Speed, low physical bulk, and susceptibility to entry hazards. These traits not only make Flareon prone to getting forced out but also give it a hard time entering the battle healthy; this is not helped by Flareon's constant use of Flare Blitz combined with its modest HP stat wearing it down even more quickly. Flareon is also strapped for coverage options, having only Superpower as its alternative attack against most Pokemon that resist Fire. While it's not awful coverage, it is very lackluster when considering what most other Fire-types have to offer.
Most notably, Flareon's primary issue is fierce competition with its Fire-type brethren. Rapidash also has Flash Fire and Flare Blitz, and while it is less immediately powerful than Flareon, Rapidash at least makes up for it with a much better Speed tier, improved coverage in Low Kick, Wild Charge, and Drill Run, and even immediate recovery in Morning Sun to heal off recoil damage. Flareon may have good Special Defense, but Assault Vest Magmortar performs the same role in checking most specially offensive threats while possessing better Speed, superior coverage, and an immunity to sleep moves such as Sleep Powder and Lovely Kiss. Between its natural downfalls and harsh competition with fellow Fire-types, Flareon very rarely warrants a spot on serious teams.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Superpower
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Choice Band
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Flare Blitz hits anything that doesn't resist Fire extremely hard; however, each use wears Flareon down extremely quickly. Superpower is Flareon's best bet against anything that resists Fire-type attacks, nailing Rock-types such as Rhydon, Regirock, and Carracosta while dealing decent damage to the likes of Lanturn and Quagsire. However, it comes at the cost of dropping Flareon's Attack and Defense. Quick Attack is used to mitigate Flareon's poor Speed, finishing off heavily weakened Pokemon that outspeed Flareon, such as Jynx, Swellow, and Floatzel. Baton Pass acts as a non-damaging U-turn, allowing Flareon to switch out of its counters and into its teammates accordingly.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed investment along with an Adamant nature allows Flareon to be as offensively threatening as possible. Flash Fire allows Flareon to switch in on Fire-type moves from the likes of Magmortar and Pyroar and gain a power boost for Flare Blitz rather than taking damage. Choice Band grants Flareon enough power to 2HKO physically defensive Mega Audino over 90% of the time with Flare Blitz as well as most bulky Pokemon that resist Fire, such as Lanturn and bulky Rhydon, with Superpower on the switch at the cost of being locked into one move. Charcoal can be considered if being locked into a move is unfavorable, but Flareon loses a very noticeable amount of power. In addition, Flareon gets forced out very often anyway, so the handicap of Choice Band usually isn't very noticeable.
Usage Tips
========
Flareon's main strategy is to punch holes into teams with Flare Blitz, preferably on a foe that is slower or cannot KO Flareon in return. It can be tricky to find an opening to get in safely; stray Will-O-Wisps from the likes of Gourgeist-XL and Rotom are Flareon's best bets, while Pyroar Choice-locked into a Fire-type move or Magmortar lacking Earthquake provide good opportunities as well. Flare Blitz dents anything that doesn't resist it; even bulky Pokemon such as Musharna and Mega Audino can be sent reeling from the blow. Note that the many frail Pokemon that resist Fire, such as Pyroar and Archeops, still take significant damage from Flare Blitz. Quick Attack should be used sparingly, as being Choice-locked into such a weak attack kills momentum and can give the opponent free turns. The stat drops caused by Superpower mean that it should only really be used to hit foes on the switch. Baton Pass can be used to nab momentum on the opponent's switches, but caution should be exercised, as using it at the wrong time can spell the end for Flareon. Note that Flareon is essentially meant to be a kamikaze attacker, meaning that it will not last long in battle at all, so try to do as much damage to the opponent's team as possible with little regard for Flareon's longevity.
Team Options
========
Shiftry and Cacturne are useful for combating Water-, Ground-, and Rock-types for Flareon, with Shiftry having access to Defog to get rid of entry hazards for Flareon and Cacturne having Water Absorb to switch into Water-type attacks. In return, Flareon punches through bulky foes they cannot break, such as Mawile, Weezing, and Mega Audino, while even offering a switch-in to Fire-type moves thanks to Flash Fire. Flareon is a wallbreaker, so sweepers appreciate its presence, particularly those like Lilligant, Torterra, and Jynx, which have little issue with Pokemon that Flareon can struggle to bypass, namely Water- and Rock-types. Fast Pokemon in general, such as Floatzel, Tauros, and Archeops, also help patch up Flareon's unfavorable matchup against faster teams.
Flareon can have a hard time entering the battle safely, so VoltTurn support is recommended to give it better opportunities to start blasting the opponent's team; the likes of U-turn Scyther, Volt Switch Lanturn, and Baton Pass Musharna can provide this. While not mandatory due to Flareon's already short lifespan, anti-entry hazard support can be nice to let Flareon stick around just a little bit longer. Shiftry and Kabutops can keep entry hazards off the field while maintaining strong offensive pressure, while Claydol and Xatu are bulkier alternatives that also serve as good switch-ins to Ground-type moves, as well as Rock-type moves in Claydol's case.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flareon has access to Natural Gift, which, with a Liechi Berry, becomes a 100-BP physical Grass-type attack for the likes of Rhydon, Carracosta, and Quagsire; should Natural Gift not prove necessary, Flareon can even attempt to consume Liechi Berry and make use of the Attack boost, although this will prove short lived due to Flareon's poor longevity. Additionally, this move can only be used once and thus should be used sparingly, and more importantly, it forces Flareon to forgo a power-boosting item to equip the Berry. While Flareon has a couple of status-inducing options, such as Will-O-Wisp, Toxic, and Yawn, that can mess with its counters, it should really just be breaking down foes or Baton Passing to its teammates to let them take over instead. Flareon can use Sleep Talk to absorb sleep from the likes of Lilligant, Vivillon, and Jynx, but the more effective Vital Spirit Magmortar should be considered as an option first. Flareon may seem appealing as a Toxic Orb Guts sweeper, but Flare Blitz recoil alongside poison damage reduces Flareon's longevity even more than usual, meaning that its most used attack would often be a non-STAB Facade, at which point it would be outclassed by Normal-type Facade sweepers, such as Zangoose and Ursaring. Flareon's high Special Defense and access to Wish may suggest that it can run a specially defensive set, but its Stealth Rock weakness and lackluster HP stat prevent Flareon from doing a good job at being a passive Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Water-type Pokemon are major nuisances for Flareon. The likes of Pelipper, Quagsire, and Lanturn can tank its Flare Blitz and threaten it with STAB moves or even set up on it. More offensive Water-types, such as Ludicolo, Floatzel, and Samurott, do not like switching into Flare Blitz but can swiftly revenge kill Flareon. Choice Band Superpower stings all Water-types bar Pelipper on the switch, though.
**Rock-types**: While Rock-types such as Rhydon, Carracosta, Kabutops, and Regirock are rather susceptible to Superpower, they are still massive threats to Flareon, as their STAB moves can easily punch through Flareon's low Defense while their high Defense allows them to shrug off Flare Blitz with ease.
**Faster Attackers**: Faster physical attackers such as Sawk, Tauros, Archeops, and even Shiftry can outspeed Flareon and easily OHKO it with their powerful STAB moves. Even then, Flareon usually inches itself into KO range via Flare Blitz recoil or Superpower's Defense drops, allowing other weaker attackers, such as Earthquake Magmortar and Eviolite Scyther, to KO it sooner or later. Priority moves from the likes of Carracosta, Gurdurr, Skuntank, and Hariyama are also major problems for Flareon.
**Residual Damage**: As Flareon already wears itself down very quickly with Flare Blitz, any other form of residual damage on Flareon adds up very quickly. Entry hazard damage, especially Stealth Rock, is the most common example, but Rocky Helmet, Aftermath, and poison damage can swiftly do Flareon in as well.
Flareon's most prominent trait is its high Attack, giving it the strongest Flare Blitz in the tier. However, this is much less scary than it sounds, as NU is home to some of the physically bulkiest Fire-resistant Pokemon in the game, such as Rhydon, Carracosta, Quagsire, and Regirock. Moreover, Flareon has some glaring issues holding it back, namely its mediocre Speed, low physical bulk, and susceptibility to entry hazards. These traits not only make Flareon prone to getting forced out but also give it a hard time entering the battle healthy; this is not helped by Flareon's constant use of Flare Blitz combined with its modest HP stat wearing it down even more quickly. Flareon is also strapped for coverage options, having only Superpower as its alternative attack against most Pokemon that resist Fire. While it's not awful coverage, it is very lackluster when considering what most other Fire-types have to offer.
Most notably, Flareon's primary issue is fierce competition with its Fire-type brethren. Rapidash also has Flash Fire and Flare Blitz, and while it is less immediately powerful than Flareon, Rapidash at least makes up for it with a much better Speed tier, improved coverage in Low Kick, Wild Charge, and Drill Run, and even immediate recovery in Morning Sun to heal off recoil damage. Flareon may have good Special Defense, but Assault Vest Magmortar performs the same role in checking most specially offensive threats while possessing better Speed, superior coverage, and an immunity to sleep moves such as Sleep Powder and Lovely Kiss. Between its natural downfalls and harsh competition with fellow Fire-types, Flareon very rarely warrants a spot on serious teams.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Superpower
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Choice Band
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Flare Blitz hits anything that doesn't resist Fire extremely hard; however, each use wears Flareon down extremely quickly. Superpower is Flareon's best bet against anything that resists Fire-type attacks, nailing Rock-types such as Rhydon, Regirock, and Carracosta while dealing decent damage to the likes of Lanturn and Quagsire. However, it comes at the cost of dropping Flareon's Attack and Defense. Quick Attack is used to mitigate Flareon's poor Speed, finishing off heavily weakened Pokemon that outspeed Flareon, such as Jynx, Swellow, and Floatzel. Baton Pass acts as a non-damaging U-turn, allowing Flareon to switch out of its counters and into its teammates accordingly.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed investment along with an Adamant nature allows Flareon to be as offensively threatening as possible. Flash Fire allows Flareon to switch in on Fire-type moves from the likes of Magmortar and Pyroar and gain a power boost for Flare Blitz rather than taking damage. Choice Band grants Flareon enough power to 2HKO physically defensive Mega Audino over 90% of the time with Flare Blitz as well as most bulky Pokemon that resist Fire, such as Lanturn and bulky Rhydon, with Superpower on the switch at the cost of being locked into one move. Charcoal can be considered if being locked into a move is unfavorable, but Flareon loses a very noticeable amount of power. In addition, Flareon gets forced out very often anyway, so the handicap of Choice Band usually isn't very noticeable.
Usage Tips
========
Flareon's main strategy is to punch holes into teams with Flare Blitz, preferably on a foe that is slower or cannot KO Flareon in return. It can be tricky to find an opening to get in safely; stray Will-O-Wisps from the likes of Gourgeist-XL and Rotom are Flareon's best bets, while Pyroar Choice-locked into a Fire-type move or Magmortar lacking Earthquake provide good opportunities as well. Flare Blitz dents anything that doesn't resist it; even bulky Pokemon such as Musharna and Mega Audino can be sent reeling from the blow. Note that the many frail Pokemon that resist Fire, such as Pyroar and Archeops, still take significant damage from Flare Blitz. Quick Attack should be used sparingly, as being Choice-locked into such a weak attack kills momentum and can give the opponent free turns. The stat drops caused by Superpower mean that it should only really be used to hit foes on the switch. Baton Pass can be used to nab momentum on the opponent's switches, but caution should be exercised, as using it at the wrong time can spell the end for Flareon. Note that Flareon is essentially meant to be a kamikaze attacker, meaning that it will not last long in battle at all, so try to do as much damage to the opponent's team as possible with little regard for Flareon's longevity.
Team Options
========
Shiftry and Cacturne are useful for combating Water-, Ground-, and Rock-types for Flareon, with Shiftry having access to Defog to get rid of entry hazards for Flareon and Cacturne having Water Absorb to switch into Water-type attacks. In return, Flareon punches through bulky foes they cannot break, such as Mawile, Weezing, and Mega Audino, while even offering a switch-in to Fire-type moves thanks to Flash Fire. Flareon is a wallbreaker, so sweepers appreciate its presence, particularly those like Lilligant, Torterra, and Jynx, which have little issue with Pokemon that Flareon can struggle to bypass, namely Water- and Rock-types. Fast Pokemon in general, such as Floatzel, Tauros, and Archeops, also help patch up Flareon's unfavorable matchup against faster teams.
Flareon can have a hard time entering the battle safely, so VoltTurn support is recommended to give it better opportunities to start blasting the opponent's team; the likes of U-turn Scyther, Volt Switch Lanturn, and Baton Pass Musharna can provide this. While not mandatory due to Flareon's already short lifespan, anti-entry hazard support can be nice to let Flareon stick around just a little bit longer. Shiftry and Kabutops can keep entry hazards off the field while maintaining strong offensive pressure, while Claydol and Xatu are bulkier alternatives that also serve as good switch-ins to Ground-type moves, as well as Rock-type moves in Claydol's case.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flareon has access to Natural Gift, which, with a Liechi Berry, becomes a 100-BP physical Grass-type attack for the likes of Rhydon, Carracosta, and Quagsire; should Natural Gift not prove necessary, Flareon can even attempt to consume Liechi Berry and make use of the Attack boost, although this will prove short lived due to Flareon's poor longevity. Additionally, this move can only be used once and thus should be used sparingly, and more importantly, it forces Flareon to forgo a power-boosting item to equip the Berry. While Flareon has a couple of status-inducing options, such as Will-O-Wisp, Toxic, and Yawn, that can mess with its counters, it should really just be breaking down foes or Baton Passing to its teammates to let them take over instead. Flareon can use Sleep Talk to absorb sleep from the likes of Lilligant, Vivillon, and Jynx, but the more effective Vital Spirit Magmortar should be considered as an option first. Flareon may seem appealing as a Toxic Orb Guts sweeper, but Flare Blitz recoil alongside poison damage reduces Flareon's longevity even more than usual, meaning that its most used attack would often be a non-STAB Facade, at which point it would be outclassed by Normal-type Facade sweepers, such as Zangoose and Ursaring. Flareon's high Special Defense and access to Wish may suggest that it can run a specially defensive set, but its Stealth Rock weakness and lackluster HP stat prevent Flareon from doing a good job at being a passive Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Water-type Pokemon are major nuisances for Flareon. The likes of Pelipper, Quagsire, and Lanturn can tank its Flare Blitz and threaten it with STAB moves or even set up on it. More offensive Water-types, such as Ludicolo, Floatzel, and Samurott, do not like switching into Flare Blitz but can swiftly revenge kill Flareon. Choice Band Superpower stings all Water-types bar Pelipper on the switch, though.
**Rock-types**: While Rock-types such as Rhydon, Carracosta, Kabutops, and Regirock are rather susceptible to Superpower, they are still massive threats to Flareon, as their STAB moves can easily punch through Flareon's low Defense while their high Defense allows them to shrug off Flare Blitz with ease.
**Faster Attackers**: Faster physical attackers such as Sawk, Tauros, Archeops, and even Shiftry can outspeed Flareon and easily OHKO it with their powerful STAB moves. Even then, Flareon usually inches itself into KO range via Flare Blitz recoil or Superpower's Defense drops, allowing other weaker attackers, such as Earthquake Magmortar and Eviolite Scyther, to KO it sooner or later. Priority moves from the likes of Carracosta, Gurdurr, Skuntank, and Hariyama are also major problems for Flareon.
**Residual Damage**: As Flareon already wears itself down very quickly with Flare Blitz, any other form of residual damage on Flareon adds up very quickly. Entry hazard damage, especially Stealth Rock, is the most common example, but Rocky Helmet, Aftermath, and poison damage can swiftly do Flareon in as well.
Last edited:
