[OVERVIEW]
Whimsicott is one of the most annoying Pokemon in VGC15 thanks to its disruptive support movepool and Prankster. Between Taunt, Encore, and being the fastest Prankster user in the game, Whimsicott has the unique ability to shut down almost any Pokemon, from Aegislash to Thundurus. With Prankster, Whimsicott can easily use Encore to lock the opposing Pokemon into the ever-present Protect. The mere threat of being locked into Protect forces an opponent to play more aggressively even when it is not beneficial to them. Beyond sheer disruption, Whimsicott can provide direct support to its own team with Tailwind.
Whimsicott's main drawback is that it is incredibly frail, which forces it to use a Focus Sash or risk being OHKOed by even neutral hits, and it is unlikely that Whimsicott will survive for more than two turns. While Whimsicott can be very disruptive, because of its shallow movepool, Whimsicott is very predictable, and its poor offensive stats and limited movepool leave it with little to no offensive presence.
[SET]
name: Disruptive Support
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Encore
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Moonblast / Giga Drain
item: Focus Sash
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Whimsicott is primarily used for its ability to disrupt the opponent's strategy; the two best moves for doing this are Taunt and Encore. Taunt prevents the usage of status moves, whereas Encore locks the target into the move it used last. Taunt has the advantage of shutting down Pokemon that rely on support moves to preform well, such as Thundurus, Aegislash, and Amoonguss. While Encore is far more situational, it also has the advantage of being far more general, as Protect is such a prevalent move. This allows Whimsicott to incapacitate almost any Pokemon; Encore can also lock an opposing Pokemon into Trick Room, and Mega Salamence into Dragon Dance. When these moves are used in tandem with each other, Whimsicott has the capability to force switches or allow its partner to pick up KOs or set up. Whimsicott is also capable of providing more direct team support through Tailwind. Doubling your teams's Speed allows for offensive Pokemon, such as Terrakion, Kangaskhan, and Heatran, to attack more freely, as they do not have to worry about being outsped and potentially KOed. Because Whimsicott lacks a real offensive presence, the fourth moveslot should be reserved either Moonblast or Giga Drain. Moonblast OHKOes Hydreigon and 2HKOes Mega Salamence with no HP investment. Giga Drain hits Water-types for super effective damage and lets Whimsicott recover some health. The move that you opt for should be based around the coverage that your team needs the most.
Set Details
========
Whimsicott is a pretty straightforward Pokemon; maximum Speed EVs along with Prankster guarantee that its priority moves will go before Thundurus's. Maximum HP EVs do very little given how frail Whimsicott is anyway; however, no other stat benefits from the investment. Focus Sash ensures that Whimsicott is able to use at least one move before fainting.
Usage Tips
========
Whimsicott works best as a lead, as it offers very little late-game support due to its lack of an offensive presence. While counterintuitive, it's often better to let Whimsicott faint once it has provided its support to allow a more offensive Pokemon to come in and effectively use the disruption that Whimsicott provided early-game. Encore is used to lock an opposing Pokemon into Protect; however, it can effectively be used after Fake Out, Trick Room, or setup moves. As Whimsicott's Special Attack is so poor, it deals very little neutral damage, and it is almost always better to go for either Taunt or Encore. Whimsicott should use Tailwind when it is appropriate, such as when your Pokemon to be faster to win, or when Whimsicott is about to faint and is used as a final form of support.
Team Options
========
Mega Kangaskhan makes good use of Whimsicott's support. Taunt shuts down Aegislash, preventing it from either using King's Shield or Substitute. Taunt also prevents Pokemon from using status moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave, two other common ways of checking Mega Kangaskhan. On top of that, Tailwind allows Mega Kangaskhan to outspeed every major threat with boosted or unboosted Speed. Mega Gengar has a far easier time setting up Perish Songs with Whimsicott's support. Whimsicott can also preventMega Gengar from being Taunted itself, as Whimsicott has the fastest Taunt in the game thanks to it Speed and Prankster. With Whimsicott's support, Mega Metagross has an easier time both setting up and maintaining a Substitute. Mega Metagross also appreciates the Speed boost from Tailwind, as it allows it to outspeed Landorus-T and OHKO it with Ice Punch. Offensive Pokemon in general enjoy Tailwind support, with Terrakion and Heatran being two good examples.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Helping Hand is one of Whimsicott's better other options, in tandem with Tailwind it allows Whimsicott's partner to both hit harder and faster. Protect is an option if you are opting for longevity on Whimsicott; however, it is harder to fit on a set without becoming Taunt bait. Mental Herb is an option over Focus Sash if you are concerned with Whimsicott getting Taunted; however, this is very situational. Both Trick Room and Stun Spore are potential options over Tailwind. Trick Room Whimsicott is primarily for the surprise value, but is largely outclassed by Cresselia. Stun Spore lets you paralyze Pokemon, most importantly Landorus-T, but outside of that it is outclassed Thundurus. Charm and Confide are both potential options, as they lower the opposing Pokemon's Attack or Special Attack by two stages, respectively. These moves can be nice for crippling the opponent's powerhouses, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence; however, these drops can be reset by switching out, and the moves take up slots which can be better used by other moves. Fake Tears is an option that lowers the opposing Pokemon's Special Defense by two stages. It can be useful when used alongside strong special attackers such as Mega Gardevoir and Life Orb Rotom-W, which enjoy Tailwind support as well. However, Fake Tears is generally an inferior option to Helping Hand, as it only lowers Special Defense. The TerraCott combination is one which needs mentioning. The combination of Beat Up Whimsicott and Terrakion is both very strong and very obvious. A half decent player will be able to see this strategy coming very easily and will be prepared for it, be it through Choice Scarf Landorus-T or a Wide Guard user. While this strategy is far from a top-tier strategy, but it can be fun to try out.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Ferrothorn and Mega Venusaur are some of the best ways of dealing with Whimsicott. Ferrothorn has either Gyro Ball or Iron Head while Mega Venusaur as Sludge Bomb, which will bring Whimsicott down to its Focus Sash.
**Mega Kangaskhan**: Mega Kangaskhan can OHKO Whimsicott through its Focus Sash, limiting Whimsicott's effectiveness, as it will only be able to use one move before fainting. Be wary of using Fake Out on Whimsicott if you aren't double targeting it, as Whimsicott will use Encore to lock Kangaskhan into Fake Out.
**Fire-types**: Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran all threaten Whimsicott. Talonflame will hit Whimsicott first due to Brave Bird's priority and also has access to Quick Guard , limiting Whimiscott to using at most one move. Heatran and Mega Charizard Y both offensively threaten Whimsicott and don't rely on support moves.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types, particularly Mega Metagross and Heatran, all offensively threaten Whimsicott. Aegislash will win this matchup; however, Aegislash must be careful of Taunt and Encore forcing it to switch, as they block it from or lock it into using King's Shield.
**Quick Guard**: Quick Guard blocks Whimsicott's primary means of support, largely making it useless. Talonflame and Virizion are two of the best users of Quick Guard in the format.
**Ignoring Whimsicott**: If your Pokemon aren't bothered by Taunt or Encore, Whimsicott's lack of offensive presence can be capitalized on. You can double target one Pokemon safely while the opponent is forced to switch out Whimsicott or lose momentum.
Whimsicott is one of the most annoying Pokemon in VGC15 thanks to its disruptive support movepool and Prankster. Between Taunt, Encore, and being the fastest Prankster user in the game, Whimsicott has the unique ability to shut down almost any Pokemon, from Aegislash to Thundurus. With Prankster, Whimsicott can easily use Encore to lock the opposing Pokemon into the ever-present Protect. The mere threat of being locked into Protect forces an opponent to play more aggressively even when it is not beneficial to them. Beyond sheer disruption, Whimsicott can provide direct support to its own team with Tailwind.
Whimsicott's main drawback is that it is incredibly frail, which forces it to use a Focus Sash or risk being OHKOed by even neutral hits, and it is unlikely that Whimsicott will survive for more than two turns. While Whimsicott can be very disruptive, because of its shallow movepool, Whimsicott is very predictable, and its poor offensive stats and limited movepool leave it with little to no offensive presence.
[SET]
name: Disruptive Support
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Encore
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Moonblast / Giga Drain
item: Focus Sash
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Whimsicott is primarily used for its ability to disrupt the opponent's strategy; the two best moves for doing this are Taunt and Encore. Taunt prevents the usage of status moves, whereas Encore locks the target into the move it used last. Taunt has the advantage of shutting down Pokemon that rely on support moves to preform well, such as Thundurus, Aegislash, and Amoonguss. While Encore is far more situational, it also has the advantage of being far more general, as Protect is such a prevalent move. This allows Whimsicott to incapacitate almost any Pokemon; Encore can also lock an opposing Pokemon into Trick Room, and Mega Salamence into Dragon Dance. When these moves are used in tandem with each other, Whimsicott has the capability to force switches or allow its partner to pick up KOs or set up. Whimsicott is also capable of providing more direct team support through Tailwind. Doubling your teams's Speed allows for offensive Pokemon, such as Terrakion, Kangaskhan, and Heatran, to attack more freely, as they do not have to worry about being outsped and potentially KOed. Because Whimsicott lacks a real offensive presence, the fourth moveslot should be reserved either Moonblast or Giga Drain. Moonblast OHKOes Hydreigon and 2HKOes Mega Salamence with no HP investment. Giga Drain hits Water-types for super effective damage and lets Whimsicott recover some health. The move that you opt for should be based around the coverage that your team needs the most.
Set Details
========
Whimsicott is a pretty straightforward Pokemon; maximum Speed EVs along with Prankster guarantee that its priority moves will go before Thundurus's. Maximum HP EVs do very little given how frail Whimsicott is anyway; however, no other stat benefits from the investment. Focus Sash ensures that Whimsicott is able to use at least one move before fainting.
Usage Tips
========
Whimsicott works best as a lead, as it offers very little late-game support due to its lack of an offensive presence. While counterintuitive, it's often better to let Whimsicott faint once it has provided its support to allow a more offensive Pokemon to come in and effectively use the disruption that Whimsicott provided early-game. Encore is used to lock an opposing Pokemon into Protect; however, it can effectively be used after Fake Out, Trick Room, or setup moves. As Whimsicott's Special Attack is so poor, it deals very little neutral damage, and it is almost always better to go for either Taunt or Encore. Whimsicott should use Tailwind when it is appropriate, such as when your Pokemon to be faster to win, or when Whimsicott is about to faint and is used as a final form of support.
Team Options
========
Mega Kangaskhan makes good use of Whimsicott's support. Taunt shuts down Aegislash, preventing it from either using King's Shield or Substitute. Taunt also prevents Pokemon from using status moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave, two other common ways of checking Mega Kangaskhan. On top of that, Tailwind allows Mega Kangaskhan to outspeed every major threat with boosted or unboosted Speed. Mega Gengar has a far easier time setting up Perish Songs with Whimsicott's support. Whimsicott can also preventMega Gengar from being Taunted itself, as Whimsicott has the fastest Taunt in the game thanks to it Speed and Prankster. With Whimsicott's support, Mega Metagross has an easier time both setting up and maintaining a Substitute. Mega Metagross also appreciates the Speed boost from Tailwind, as it allows it to outspeed Landorus-T and OHKO it with Ice Punch. Offensive Pokemon in general enjoy Tailwind support, with Terrakion and Heatran being two good examples.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Helping Hand is one of Whimsicott's better other options, in tandem with Tailwind it allows Whimsicott's partner to both hit harder and faster. Protect is an option if you are opting for longevity on Whimsicott; however, it is harder to fit on a set without becoming Taunt bait. Mental Herb is an option over Focus Sash if you are concerned with Whimsicott getting Taunted; however, this is very situational. Both Trick Room and Stun Spore are potential options over Tailwind. Trick Room Whimsicott is primarily for the surprise value, but is largely outclassed by Cresselia. Stun Spore lets you paralyze Pokemon, most importantly Landorus-T, but outside of that it is outclassed Thundurus. Charm and Confide are both potential options, as they lower the opposing Pokemon's Attack or Special Attack by two stages, respectively. These moves can be nice for crippling the opponent's powerhouses, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence; however, these drops can be reset by switching out, and the moves take up slots which can be better used by other moves. Fake Tears is an option that lowers the opposing Pokemon's Special Defense by two stages. It can be useful when used alongside strong special attackers such as Mega Gardevoir and Life Orb Rotom-W, which enjoy Tailwind support as well. However, Fake Tears is generally an inferior option to Helping Hand, as it only lowers Special Defense. The TerraCott combination is one which needs mentioning. The combination of Beat Up Whimsicott and Terrakion is both very strong and very obvious. A half decent player will be able to see this strategy coming very easily and will be prepared for it, be it through Choice Scarf Landorus-T or a Wide Guard user. While this strategy is far from a top-tier strategy, but it can be fun to try out.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Ferrothorn and Mega Venusaur are some of the best ways of dealing with Whimsicott. Ferrothorn has either Gyro Ball or Iron Head while Mega Venusaur as Sludge Bomb, which will bring Whimsicott down to its Focus Sash.
**Mega Kangaskhan**: Mega Kangaskhan can OHKO Whimsicott through its Focus Sash, limiting Whimsicott's effectiveness, as it will only be able to use one move before fainting. Be wary of using Fake Out on Whimsicott if you aren't double targeting it, as Whimsicott will use Encore to lock Kangaskhan into Fake Out.
**Fire-types**: Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran all threaten Whimsicott. Talonflame will hit Whimsicott first due to Brave Bird's priority and also has access to Quick Guard , limiting Whimiscott to using at most one move. Heatran and Mega Charizard Y both offensively threaten Whimsicott and don't rely on support moves.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types, particularly Mega Metagross and Heatran, all offensively threaten Whimsicott. Aegislash will win this matchup; however, Aegislash must be careful of Taunt and Encore forcing it to switch, as they block it from or lock it into using King's Shield.
**Quick Guard**: Quick Guard blocks Whimsicott's primary means of support, largely making it useless. Talonflame and Virizion are two of the best users of Quick Guard in the format.
**Ignoring Whimsicott**: If your Pokemon aren't bothered by Taunt or Encore, Whimsicott's lack of offensive presence can be capitalized on. You can double target one Pokemon safely while the opponent is forced to switch out Whimsicott or lose momentum.
[OVERVIEW]
[pros]
name: Disruptive Support
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Encore
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Moonblast / Giga Drain
item: Focus Sash
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
========
========
========
Other Options
=============
===================
**Grass-types**: Ferrothorn, Iron Head or Gyro Ball. Mega Venusaur has Sludge Bomb.
**Mega Kangaskhan**: Mega Kangaskhan can OHKO Whimsicott through its Focus Sash, limiting Whimsicott's effectiveness.
**Talonflame**: Brave Bird, Quick Guard, faster, type advantage.
**Steel-type**: Mega Metagross, Heatran, Aegislash.
**Quick Guard**: Blocks Taunt, Encore, et cetera. Virizion, Talonflame.
**Ignoring Whimiscott**: If your Pokemon aren't bothered by Taunt or Encore, Whimsicott's lack of offensive presence can be capitalized on. You can double target one Pokemon safely, while the opponent is forced to switch or lose momentum.
[pros]
- Prankster, alongside great support movepool.
- Taunt and Encore, shut down many Pokemon. Whimsicott can be very disruptive to the opponent's team.
- Tailwind provides nice team support.
- Fastest Prankster Pokemon.
- Incredibly frail.
- Very obvious, limited options mean it's very predictable.
- No offensive presence.
name: Disruptive Support
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Encore
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Moonblast / Giga Drain
item: Focus Sash
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Taunt and Encore provide the primary form of support. Taunt shutting down Pokemon such as Aegislash and Thundurus. Whereas Encore locks a Pokemon into a single move, Protect and Trick Room importantly.
- Tailwind provides team support. Doubling Speed is beneficial to offensive Pokemon, Terrakion, etc.
- Giga Drain and Moonblast provides minimal offensive presence. Giga Drain hits Water-types for super-effective damage, and recovers some health. Moonblast OHKOes Hydreigon, and 2HKOes Mega Salamence with no HP investment.
========
- Max Speed guarantees that Whimsicott priority moves will go before from Thundurus's.
- Max HP does very little given Whimsicott's poor defenses, but no other stat benefits from it.
- Focus Sash ensures that Whimsicott will be able to live on hit.
========
- If being used Whimsicott should always be lead with, as it offers very little late game.
- After providing it's support Whimsicott should be left to faint, so that a Pokemon with more offensive presence can come in and make use of the disruption that Whimsicott provided.
- Encore Pokemon into Protect to shut them down.
- Taunt or Encore are almost always better than attacking. Whimsicott's neutral damage is poor.
- Tailwind when required, you need your Pokemon to be faster to win, or when it is a better option than Taunt or Encore.
========
- Mega Kangaskhan. Taunt shuts down Aegislash, one of its biggest counters. Taunt also prevents status moves, Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp. Tailwind Makes Mega Kangaskhan faster than everything with boosted and unboosted Speed.
- Mega Gengar has a far easier time setting up Perish Songs with Whimsicott's support. Whimsicott can neutralize Pokemon by locking them into moves such as Protect or Fake Out with Encore, as well preventing Mega Gengar from being Taunted as Whimsicott has the fastest Taunt in the game, thanks to it Speed and Prankster.
- Mega Metagross, Whimsicott's support gives it an easier time setting up and maintaining Substitutes. Mega Metagross also appreciates Tailwind support.
- Offensive Pokemon which need Tailwind support, such as Terrakion and Heatran.
Other Options
=============
- Helping Hand.
- Protect.
- Trick Room. Over Tailwind.
- Mental Herb.
- Stun Spore. Over Tailwind.
- Charm/Confide.
- Fake Tears. Helping hand usually better.
- Beat up + Terrakion. Very strong, but obvious. Scarf Landorus-T, priority, faster Pokemon in general all threaten it. With the right support it can be very threatening.
===================
**Grass-types**: Ferrothorn, Iron Head or Gyro Ball. Mega Venusaur has Sludge Bomb.
**Mega Kangaskhan**: Mega Kangaskhan can OHKO Whimsicott through its Focus Sash, limiting Whimsicott's effectiveness.
**Talonflame**: Brave Bird, Quick Guard, faster, type advantage.
**Steel-type**: Mega Metagross, Heatran, Aegislash.
**Quick Guard**: Blocks Taunt, Encore, et cetera. Virizion, Talonflame.
**Ignoring Whimiscott**: If your Pokemon aren't bothered by Taunt or Encore, Whimsicott's lack of offensive presence can be capitalized on. You can double target one Pokemon safely, while the opponent is forced to switch or lose momentum.
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