[OVERVIEW]
The combination of Belly Drum and Extreme Speed makes Linoone a potent and often unprepared-for sweeper, while Seed Bomb allows Linoone to bypass traditional Normal-type checks such as Rhydon and Regirock and Unaware users such as Quagsire. Unfortunately, poor defensive stats and HP often make it challenging to successfully use Belly Drum. Linoone also lacks a reliable way to bypass Steel-types such as Steelix, Ferroseed, and Mawile even at +6, and its poor Attack stat means it will fail to OHKO bulkier Pokemon such as Weezing and Mega Audino. Lastly, Linoone is very one-dimensional, so an experienced opponent will know what to expect and be wary of giving Linoone an opportunity to set up.
[SET]
name: Belly Drum
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Seed Bomb
move 4: Shadow Claw / Substitute
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Pickup
nature: Adamant
evs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 48 Def / 44 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Belly Drum raises Linoone's otherwise lackluster Attack stat to +6 at the cost of 50% of its maximum HP. Extreme Speed is a powerful STAB and priority move and maximizes Linoone's sweeping potential alongside Belly Drum. Seed Bomb hits bulky Rock-types such as Rhydon, Regirock, and Omastar that resist Extreme Speed, with the added benefit of nailing Quagsire for 4x super effective damage. Shadow Claw smacks Gourgeist-XL and Trevenant for super effective damage while also hitting Ferroseed neutrally and nailing Psychic-types such as defensive Mesprit and Musharna for more damage than Extreme Speed. Substitute allows Linoone to dodge status from defensive Pokemon such as Bronzor, Altaria, and Clefairy and makes it even harder to revenge kill.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment allows Linoone to hit as hard as possible, while the HP and mixed defensive investment maximizes its bulk. An alternate spread of 160 HP /252 Atk / 96 Spe can be used to outpace non-Speed-boosting nature base 80s, such as Mesprit and Kabutops, and smack them with super effective Shadow Claw and Seed Bomb; however, this is fairly niche and normally outclassed by the increased bulk of the main EV spread. Another EV spread of 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe with a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Ghost-types that can usually revenge kill Linoone and cut its sweep short, such as Haunter and Rotom. This niche, however, is usually not worth the drop in power and loss of bulk when compared to the main spread. Sitrus Berry is the selected item, aiding Linoone in its search to find opportunities to set up a Belly Drum throughout a battle. Linoone's ability is largely irrelevant, as Quick Feet is illegal with Extreme Speed, and Sitrus Berry already activates at 50%, so Gluttony is essentially useless as well. Pickup is similarly almost never actually useful in battle but is slightly more optimal than the other abilities listed, as it can allow Linoone to pick up an item vs other Sitrus Berry users such as Drifblim and opposing Linoone on rare occasions.
Usage Tips
========
Linoone is a frail Pokemon that offers next to no defensive utility, so avoid switching it into attacks. Linoone is also typically best used as a late-game cleaner, once its checks such as Steelix, Ferroseed, Mawile, and faster Ghost-types have been weakened. In almost all cases, Linoone will only have one opportunity to set up Belly Drum throughout a battle, so do not recklessly attempt to do so. It is usually unwise to attempt to set up on any offensive Pokemon without the assistance of Light Screen, Reflect or Memento, and any defensive Pokemon with status moves such as Will-O-Wisp will also deter Linoone's sweep. Due to these factors, setting up with Linoone is often very difficult but can be done against Taunted defensive Pokemon such as Miltank, Bronzor, and Clefairy or a handicapped offensive Pokemon, such as a burned physical attacker or a Pokemon that has been put to sleep.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that can pressure or lure in opposing Steel-types such as Hidden Power Fire Mesprit, Heat Wave Archeops, and Focus Blast Garbodor work well with Linoone, as they blow through the aforementioned Steel-types that Linoone despises. Pursuit trappers such as Skuntank, Liepard, and Choice Band Scyther are solid teammates to pair with Linoone, as they can efficiently trap Ghost-types that make it hard for Linoone to spam Extreme Speed. In a similar vein, Probopass can trap Steel-types such as Steelix, Mawile, and Aggron with ease due to Magnet Pull while also setting up Stealth Rock to aid Linoone in an eventual Belly Drum sweep. Linoone greatly appreciates Spikes support from the likes of Garbodor, Ferroseed, and Omastar, as Spikes helps mitigate Linoone's mediocre Attack stat by weakening defensive Pokemon capable of surviving a +6 Extreme Speed, such as Mega Audino, Miltank, and Mawile. These entry hazards also break Focus Sashes and Sturdy, which would otherwise likely cut Linoone's sweep short. Similarly, Linoone requires hazard removal of its own, as it is already hard enough for Linoone to set up from full HP. Light Screen and Reflect help mitigate Linoone's somewhat poor defenses and make setting up a Belly Drum much easier. Some better users of Light Screen and Reflect are Xatu, Claydol, and Mesprit. Finally, Memento support from the likes of Skuntank and Mismagius also makes setting up with Linoone far easier and has the added benefit of providing Linoone with a free switch in against a vulnerable foe.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Return can be used to OHKO defensive Pokemon such as Weezing from full HP, but this is niche, and the added benefit of hitting Ghost-types super effectively with Shadow Claw is usually more useful. Protect can be used to bypass Fake Out from the likes of Kangaskhan and Hariyama but is again niche and usually less useful than Shadow Claw. Salac Berry can be used over Sitrus Berry, allowing Linoone to outspeed Ghost-types that usually revenge kill it such as Mismagius, Haunter, and Rotom while maintaining an Adamant nature, but most of the time the extra HP from a Sitrus Berry is more useful for setting up with Linoone and avoiding revenge killers with priority.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Steel-types, especially Steelix, Ferroseed, Mawile, and Aggron, completely wall Linoone and can beat it one-on-one even when it is at +6.
**Faster Ghost-Types**: Ghost-types that outpace Linoone such as Rotom, Mismagius, and Haunter are immune to Extreme Speed and can revenge kill Adamant Linoone.
**Chip Damage**: Any form of chip damage, such as from Rocky Helmet, entry hazards, sand and hail, or Aftermath from Garbodor and Skuntank, makes it very difficult to set up a Belly Drum with Linoone.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Incredibly physically bulky Pokemon such as Miltank, Weezing, and Mega Audino can take a +6 Extreme Speed from full and respond with a status move that will hinder Linoone's sweep. Similarly, Gurdurr and Gourgeist-XL can survive any +6 attack and OHKO back with Drain Punch and Foul Play, respectively.
The combination of Belly Drum and Extreme Speed makes Linoone a potent and often unprepared-for sweeper, while Seed Bomb allows Linoone to bypass traditional Normal-type checks such as Rhydon and Regirock and Unaware users such as Quagsire. Unfortunately, poor defensive stats and HP often make it challenging to successfully use Belly Drum. Linoone also lacks a reliable way to bypass Steel-types such as Steelix, Ferroseed, and Mawile even at +6, and its poor Attack stat means it will fail to OHKO bulkier Pokemon such as Weezing and Mega Audino. Lastly, Linoone is very one-dimensional, so an experienced opponent will know what to expect and be wary of giving Linoone an opportunity to set up.
[SET]
name: Belly Drum
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Seed Bomb
move 4: Shadow Claw / Substitute
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Pickup
nature: Adamant
evs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 48 Def / 44 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Belly Drum raises Linoone's otherwise lackluster Attack stat to +6 at the cost of 50% of its maximum HP. Extreme Speed is a powerful STAB and priority move and maximizes Linoone's sweeping potential alongside Belly Drum. Seed Bomb hits bulky Rock-types such as Rhydon, Regirock, and Omastar that resist Extreme Speed, with the added benefit of nailing Quagsire for 4x super effective damage. Shadow Claw smacks Gourgeist-XL and Trevenant for super effective damage while also hitting Ferroseed neutrally and nailing Psychic-types such as defensive Mesprit and Musharna for more damage than Extreme Speed. Substitute allows Linoone to dodge status from defensive Pokemon such as Bronzor, Altaria, and Clefairy and makes it even harder to revenge kill.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment allows Linoone to hit as hard as possible, while the HP and mixed defensive investment maximizes its bulk. An alternate spread of 160 HP /252 Atk / 96 Spe can be used to outpace non-Speed-boosting nature base 80s, such as Mesprit and Kabutops, and smack them with super effective Shadow Claw and Seed Bomb; however, this is fairly niche and normally outclassed by the increased bulk of the main EV spread. Another EV spread of 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe with a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Ghost-types that can usually revenge kill Linoone and cut its sweep short, such as Haunter and Rotom. This niche, however, is usually not worth the drop in power and loss of bulk when compared to the main spread. Sitrus Berry is the selected item, aiding Linoone in its search to find opportunities to set up a Belly Drum throughout a battle. Linoone's ability is largely irrelevant, as Quick Feet is illegal with Extreme Speed, and Sitrus Berry already activates at 50%, so Gluttony is essentially useless as well. Pickup is similarly almost never actually useful in battle but is slightly more optimal than the other abilities listed, as it can allow Linoone to pick up an item vs other Sitrus Berry users such as Drifblim and opposing Linoone on rare occasions.
Usage Tips
========
Linoone is a frail Pokemon that offers next to no defensive utility, so avoid switching it into attacks. Linoone is also typically best used as a late-game cleaner, once its checks such as Steelix, Ferroseed, Mawile, and faster Ghost-types have been weakened. In almost all cases, Linoone will only have one opportunity to set up Belly Drum throughout a battle, so do not recklessly attempt to do so. It is usually unwise to attempt to set up on any offensive Pokemon without the assistance of Light Screen, Reflect or Memento, and any defensive Pokemon with status moves such as Will-O-Wisp will also deter Linoone's sweep. Due to these factors, setting up with Linoone is often very difficult but can be done against Taunted defensive Pokemon such as Miltank, Bronzor, and Clefairy or a handicapped offensive Pokemon, such as a burned physical attacker or a Pokemon that has been put to sleep.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that can pressure or lure in opposing Steel-types such as Hidden Power Fire Mesprit, Heat Wave Archeops, and Focus Blast Garbodor work well with Linoone, as they blow through the aforementioned Steel-types that Linoone despises. Pursuit trappers such as Skuntank, Liepard, and Choice Band Scyther are solid teammates to pair with Linoone, as they can efficiently trap Ghost-types that make it hard for Linoone to spam Extreme Speed. In a similar vein, Probopass can trap Steel-types such as Steelix, Mawile, and Aggron with ease due to Magnet Pull while also setting up Stealth Rock to aid Linoone in an eventual Belly Drum sweep. Linoone greatly appreciates Spikes support from the likes of Garbodor, Ferroseed, and Omastar, as Spikes helps mitigate Linoone's mediocre Attack stat by weakening defensive Pokemon capable of surviving a +6 Extreme Speed, such as Mega Audino, Miltank, and Mawile. These entry hazards also break Focus Sashes and Sturdy, which would otherwise likely cut Linoone's sweep short. Similarly, Linoone requires hazard removal of its own, as it is already hard enough for Linoone to set up from full HP. Light Screen and Reflect help mitigate Linoone's somewhat poor defenses and make setting up a Belly Drum much easier. Some better users of Light Screen and Reflect are Xatu, Claydol, and Mesprit. Finally, Memento support from the likes of Skuntank and Mismagius also makes setting up with Linoone far easier and has the added benefit of providing Linoone with a free switch in against a vulnerable foe.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Return can be used to OHKO defensive Pokemon such as Weezing from full HP, but this is niche, and the added benefit of hitting Ghost-types super effectively with Shadow Claw is usually more useful. Protect can be used to bypass Fake Out from the likes of Kangaskhan and Hariyama but is again niche and usually less useful than Shadow Claw. Salac Berry can be used over Sitrus Berry, allowing Linoone to outspeed Ghost-types that usually revenge kill it such as Mismagius, Haunter, and Rotom while maintaining an Adamant nature, but most of the time the extra HP from a Sitrus Berry is more useful for setting up with Linoone and avoiding revenge killers with priority.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Steel-types, especially Steelix, Ferroseed, Mawile, and Aggron, completely wall Linoone and can beat it one-on-one even when it is at +6.
**Faster Ghost-Types**: Ghost-types that outpace Linoone such as Rotom, Mismagius, and Haunter are immune to Extreme Speed and can revenge kill Adamant Linoone.
**Chip Damage**: Any form of chip damage, such as from Rocky Helmet, entry hazards, sand and hail, or Aftermath from Garbodor and Skuntank, makes it very difficult to set up a Belly Drum with Linoone.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Incredibly physically bulky Pokemon such as Miltank, Weezing, and Mega Audino can take a +6 Extreme Speed from full and respond with a status move that will hinder Linoone's sweep. Similarly, Gurdurr and Gourgeist-XL can survive any +6 attack and OHKO back with Drain Punch and Foul Play, respectively.
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