you wouldn't download a moveset
QC 3/3 (Fireburn, Hack, Minority)
GP 1/1 (The Dutch Plumberjack)
[OVERVIEW]
* Genesect's movepool is very diverse, giving it the options to run multiple different items and movesets. Download further supports these attacking options, making it seemingly unpredictable.
* However, four-moveslot syndrome is a real detriment to Genesect's viability. It is difficult to get an ideal set out of Genesect, as it will sorely miss anything that it is forced to drop.
* Genesect is even forced to choose between many different items such as all three of the Choice items and a Life Orb, with each item having an annoying drawback to Genesect's ability in and out of battle, as they restrict what moves it can use on the set and what moves it can use in a match.
* Genesect's stats don't mesh with its Steel typing very well, as when it comes to the roles required of a Steel-type on Ubers teams, the number of Pokemon it can check is limited. It will fail to stop regular Geomancy Xerneas sets in most cases, though it does well against Z-Geomancy sets. This can hurt its ability to fit onto teams.
* For an offensive Steel-type, it faces steep competition from other Pokemon such as Mega Lucario, Mega Scizor, and Mega Metagross, which all have access to the coveted Bullet Punch to aid their teams against opposing offensive threats. Genesect does learn Extreme Speed, but this is a non-STAB move and can be weak against ideal targets of priority attacks such as Mewtwo and Geomancy Xerneas.
* Genesect's ability to run a fully special set with good results, as well as not being a Mega Evolution, helps to separate it from its offensive Steel-type competition, as nearly all of them are physical attackers.
* Base 99 Speed gets the jump on a good number of the crowded base 90 to 100 Speed tier, but sadly it lets Genesect Speed tie with Xerneas and Yveltal.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Techno Blast
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Specs
ability: Download
nature: Timid
evs: 68 HP / 188 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Techno Blast is the main attack of choice. With a Download boost and Choice Specs behind it, Techno Blast scores 2HKOs on the bulkiest of Primal Groudon spreads and support Arceus formes and deals heavy damage to anything else that doesn't resist it.
* Flamethrower targets opposing Steel-types that resist Techno Blast. Even Dialga is 2HKOed by a Flamethrower backed up by Download and Choice Specs boosts.
* Flash Cannon has the greatest damage output against Fairy-types. Arceus-Fairy and Clefable are hit for an outright OHKO, while most Xerneas sets are likely to be OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage without a Download boost and are blown away if Genesect has one. Z-Geomancy Xerneas in its first stage of Z-Geomancy is hit for upwards of 96%, making Genesect a great check to it. Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar are also Flash Cannon targets, with Arceus-Rock being OHKOed after a Download boost and Tyranitar being either OHKOed or 2HKOed, depending on its spread.
* U-turn is used primarily for momentum purposes, keeping offensive pressure on the opponent in times where choosing to stay in and lock into a different attack is risky.
* Ice Beam picks up easy OHKOs on Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, Zygarde-C, and Giratina-O. It also deals upwards of 80% against Giratina and potentially OHKOes Lugia after Stealth Rock damage if Download boosted.
* Dark Pulse OHKOes Mega Gengar and Lunala if its Shadow Shield is compromised, making it a potential coverage option, as they can switch into Techno Blast for free. It also has a chance to OHKO Arceus-Ghost and Giratina-O with a Download boost and Stealth Rock damage factored in.
* Extreme Speed can be used as a priority option, but note that this locks Genesect into a Hasty nature and its shiny forme. To get better use from Extreme Speed, consider a Life Orb as the set item.
Set Details
========
* 68 HP EVs allow Genesect to avoid being OHKOed after Stealth Rock by a boosted Z-Geomancy Xerneas.
* 252 Speed EVs allow Genesect to Speed tie at worst with maximum Speed Xerneas and Yveltal, while outspeeding anything with a lower base Speed. A Timid nature is used to avoid compromising Genesect's defensive stats, as while they are low, due to its Steel typing it can still make use of them. U-turn is used mainly for momentum purposes, so the power loss isn't an issue.
* The rest of the EVs go to Special Attack for damage purposes.
* Life Orb makes better use of Extreme Speed and avoids being locked into moves, but the damage loss can be annoying against many of Genesect's targets. All of the previously noted damage benchmarks in the Moves section were done with Choice Specs in mind, and Life Orb misses out on some of them.
Usage Tips
========
* As an offensive Steel-type, Genesect is best brought in in low-risk or free turn situations, such as a teammate going down, allowing Genesect to revenge kill the foe or take out whatever switches in.
* Techno Blast is the move Genesect will be using most often, as it offers the most damage across a large majority of the tier. Pokemon resistant or immune to Techno Blast such as Mega Gengar, Lunala, and Tyranitar are usually wary of switching into Genesect.
* If Genesect has a Download boost on top of its Choice Specs boost, its damage becomes much more threatening to bulky teams. Aim to get Genesect in against Pokemon that it can gain a Special Attack boost from.
* Genesect's coverage options are potent against the right targets, but it can be prediction reliant due to the Choice lock. Be careful.
* If the opposing team is carrying multiple Pokemon that check Genesect, consider using U-turn over locking into an attack. The momentum gained and switches offered to teammates can clear a path, making a move choice easier later in the match.
* Keeping healthy is key to standing a chance against threats such as Z-Geomancy Xerneas. Taking repeated entry hazard or other forms of small damage could even leave Genesect vulnerable to priority attacks, despite being resistant to most of them.
Team Options
========
* Dark-types such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark appreciate Genesect's pressure against opposing Fairy-types while also assisting against the Ghost-types immune to Techno Blast. Yveltal can even use U-turn itself to get Genesect into play against Xerneas.
* A Mega Salamence running Facade can help against Ho-Oh, a Pokemon that Genesect has a very hard time with.
* Primal Groudon handles Primal Kyogre, adds an extra buffer against standard Geomancy Xerneas sets, and can set Stealth Rock to help against Ho-Oh, making it an ideal teammate. Offensive Primal Groudon sets can fit with Genesect as well, taking advantage of Genesect's ability to 2HKO support Arceus formes and then clean up later in the match.
* Primal Kyogre can take advantage of Genesect's U-turn to come in and cause chaos against Genesect's switch-ins such as Ho-Oh, Primal Groudon, as well as Steel-types if having Genesect lock into Flamethrower is a dangerous option.
* Xerneas appreciates Genesect's ability to smack Primal Groudon and Steel-types around so that it can get either a Geomancy or Z-Geomancy sweep going later in the match.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Choice Scarf improves Genesect's revenge killing ability, but this requires a more physical set and is much easier to play around than Choice Specs.
* Choice Band takes Genesect's good physical movepool and turns them into strong attacks. However, it lacks the spammable move in Techno Blast and has a lot of trouble dealing with physical walls.
* Thunder can be used on the Choice Specs set to hit Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre for 2HKOs, or to OHKO them after Stealth Rock with a Download boost. However, these targets are far more limited compared to different coverage options, and Thunder is hard to rely on when facing Ho-Oh.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh's high special bulk combined with its typing as well as Regenerator makes it very difficult for Genesect to take it down. Ho-Oh is neutral or resistant to all of the moves Genesect can typically use outside of the rare Thunder, leaving Genesect with the only option of using U-turn to switch to a more suited teammate. If Ho-Oh switches into Genesect while Stealth Rock is up, it risks being 2HKOed by Techno Blast.
**Ghost-types**: Arceus-Ghost, Lunala, Mega Gengar, and both Giratina formes are immune to Techno Blast, and most of them can take an attack from Genesect's coverage options, Dark Pulse excluded.
**Steel-types**: A lot of the Steel-types in Ubers are able to switch into Techno Blast and most of Genesect's coverage. Flamethrower can deal with them, but it can be risky to lock into.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Primal Kyogre, Blissey, Chansey, and Alolan Muk are able to switch into Genesect with relative ease, but they risk having Genesect U-turn to a teammate as they switch in. Primal Kyogre also has to be careful of being 2HKOed by Techno Blast after Stealth Rock damage if Genesect has a Download boost.
**Revenge Killers**: Genesect's base 99 Speed becomes an issue when facing anything faster than it. Pokemon such as Mewtwo and Deoxys-A that could be be handled by a Choice Scarf set now become revenge killers to Genesect, unless it has Extreme Speed and they are low enough to be taken out. Most Pokemon faster than Genesect have methods of dealing heavy damage to it.
Last edited:
