Funbot28
Banned deucer.
QC Stamps: Spirit / col49 / DTC
AM GP Stamps: Xayah / Sobi
GP Stamps: piikachuu / Fireflame479
[OVERVIEW]
Milotic sets itself apart as a solid defensive threat in the RU metagame thanks to its great Water typing alongside its fantastic 95 / 79 / 125 bulk, turning it into a great mixed defensive wall. This enables it to check common offensive threats such as Nidoqueen, Zoroark, Heracross, Sneasel, Salazzle, and Mega Glalie. It also holds respectable power, preventing it from being passive. Two great abilities in Marvel Scale and Competitive alongside a great movepool consisting of options such as Ice Beam, Haze, and Recover also allow Milotic to act as a potent offensive or defensive threat. However, its typing prevents it from checking common threats such as Rotom-C, Shaymin, Venusaur, and Jolteon. Its Defense is also quite lacking at times even with investment, so physical setup sweepers such as Heracross, Flygon, and Honchkrow can easily break through Milotic once they have acquired enough boosts. Milotic can find itself competing against other defensive Water-types like Mantine and Pyukumuku due to the former's access to Defog and the latter's utility in checking setup sweepers thanks to Unaware. However, Milotic's mixed defensive capabilities, solid offensive presence, and customization within its moveslots give it an edge over the two aforementioned examples.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Recover
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Haze / Refresh / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Marvel Scale / Competitive
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald deals a respectable amount of damage and also has the added chance of burning the opposing foe. It thus augments Milotic's sustainability when tanking physical attacks. Recover is a great utility move that prolongs Milotic's durability, improving its defensive capabilities exponentially. Toxic allows Milotic to cripple other defensive walls such as Mantine, Pyukumuku, Cresselia, and Porygon2. Haze is another great utility move that prevents Milotic from being used as setup fodder by threats such as Comfey, Slurpuff, Cloyster, and Snorlax. Refresh can be used instead, allowing Milotic to cure itself from crippling status conditions, such as poison and burn, and beat other defensive threats like Umbreon, Porygon2, and opposing Milotic one-on-one. Ice Beam acts as a coverage option that lets Milotic hit Grass- and Dragon-types such as Shaymin, Venusaur, Kommo-o, Flygon, and Dragalge.
Set Details
========
Marvel Scale improves Milotic's physical bulk when inflicted by a status condition, making it even more difficult to break through. Competitive can be used instead, allowing Milotic to gain a +2 Special Attack boost when coming in on Defog users such as Mantine and Gligar, turning it into a great offensive wallbreaker. It also allows Milotic to potentially gain a +1 Special Attack boost when switching in against common Moonblast users such as Diancie and Florges. On sets with Competitive, Refresh should be used. Leftovers allows Milotic to gain passive recovery each turn, increasing its sustainability. EVs have been fully invested in HP, and the rest have been shared between its Defense and Special Defense stats with a Calm nature to turn Milotic into a sturdy mixed defensive wall, preventing it from being 2HKOed by threats such as Swellow, Kommo-o, Moltres, Reuniclus, +1 Snorlax, and Thunderbolt Nidoqueen if Stealth Rock is not up. A more physically defensive spread can also be utilized, allowing Milotic to check threats such as Flygon, Cloyster, Durant, and Minior much better. Nonetheless, Milotic can run a variety of different EV spreads depending on what its team needs it to check due to its flexibility as a wall.
Usage Tips
========
Milotic is best used as a defensive wall that pivots into the majority of offensive threats in the metagame, and it either cripples them with Toxic or hits them hard with Scald or Ice Beam. Although Marvel Scale improves Milotic's bulk when inflicted by a status condition, it should still avoid being crippled by threats such as Registeel and Mantine if it does not carry Refresh to prevent it from being worn down immensely. Milotic should avoid switching into potent wallbreakers such as Escavalier, Reuniclus, and Tyrantrum, as they can all threaten to 2HKO Milotic. Taunt users such as Mismagius, Comfey, and Noivern can prevent Milotic from using status moves such as Recover and Toxic, diminishing its defensive utility. Therefore, it should pivot out against these threats to prevent it from either being used as setup fodder or severely crippled.
Team Options
========
Teammates that can switch into Grass- and Electric-type attacks are extremely beneficial for Milotic. Great examples include Nidoqueen, Chesnaught, and Goodra, since the former two can also set up entry hazards, and the latter can help Milotic break through opposing Dragon- and Water-types. Entry hazard removal from Pokemon such as Gligar, Dhelmise, and Donphan is also useful, since they not only let Milotic switch in more frequently but also hold great type synergy with it as well. Gligar is a notable example, since it can also check Fighting-types such as Heracross and Virizion if it carries Acrobatics. Other entry hazard setters such as Rhyperior, Bronzong, and Registeel also work well with Milotic sets equipped with Competitive, since it can discourage opposing Defog users from clearing entry hazards off the field. Heal Bell support from teammates like Diancie, Umbreon, and Florges can cure Milotic from crippling status conditions, improving its endurance and allowing Milotic to use another option over Refresh.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An offensive set with Competitive can be used as a great wallbreaker on Sticky Web teams, letting Milotic break through defensive teams more consistently by discouraging the use of Defog. Dragon Tail is an alternative option on defensive sets, enabling Milotic to shuffle out setup sweepers that carry Taunt such as Mismagius and Hoopa. However, Haze is generally preferred due to it hitting Fairy-types and bypassing Substitute. Other utility moves such as Hypnosis and Mirror Coat can be utilized to catch the opponent off guard, although these options offer less overall usefulness compared to Milotic's better options.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Venusaur, Shaymin, Virizion, and Dhelmise resist Milotic's STAB Water-type moves and can threaten to severely cripple it with their STAB moves in return. However, they must fear coming in on the potential Ice Beam.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types such as Heliolisk, Jolteon, and Galvantula can all threaten to OHKO or significantly weaken Milotic with their Electric-type attacks.
**Physical Wallbreakers*: Threats such as Heracross, Honchkrow, Escavalier, and Tyrantrum can threaten to 2HKO Milotic with their powerful attacks, though they fear switching into Scald due to its high burn chance.
**Status Conditions*: Unless it runs Refresh, Milotic can be subject to being worn down by status moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp, disrupting its capabilities as a defensive wall regardless of the defensive boost coming from Marvel Scale.
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