[OVERVIEW]
Typhlosion's high Special Attack, relatively good Speed, and decent movepool allow it to function as a pretty good wallbreaker. Typhlosion is one of the few Pokemon with access to Eruption, letting it deal very high damage when at high HP, OHKOing or 2HKOing nearly all Pokemon bar special walls that resist it. Unfortunately, Typhlosion is highly outclassed by common Fire-types such as Houndoom and Delphox due to their additional STAB options and setup moves. It also lacks the coverage to break through Fire-resistant walls. Jellicent and Slowking can especially be issues. Finally, Typhlosion's large weakness to entry hazards leaves it overly reliant on hazard removers.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Focus Blast
item: Choice Specs
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Eruption is a powerful STAB move that hits almost anything extremely hard. Fire Blast is an alternative STAB move normally used when Typhlosion has lost enough HP to make Eruption too weak. Hidden Power Grass can help Typhlosion take down Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types such as Barbaracle, Rhydon, and Seismitoad. Focus Blast allows Typhlosion to deal heavy damage to Rock-types that aren't 4x weak to Hidden Power Grass, such as Regirock, and certain other Pokemon that resist or are immune to Fire such as Incineroar, Houndoom, and Guzzlord.
Set Details
========
Typhlosion's EVs maximize its Special Attack and Speed stats while putting a little extra investment into Defense. A Timid nature is also used to maximize its Speed stat, letting Typhlosion outspeed Kabutops, Meloetta, and Hitmonlee. Choice Specs helps maximize Typhlosion's damage output and, in tandem with STAB Eruption, lets Typhlosion deal truly massive amounts of damage. Flash Fire allows Typhlosion to switch into Fire-type moves from the likes of Emboar and Houndoom, although their coverage moves can make it hard to do so safely. Blaze can be used instead of Flash Fire to help boost Typhlosion's damage when at low HP.
Usage Tips
========
Typhlosion's primary purpose is as an early- to mid-game wallbreaker and late-game cleaner. Typhlosion should almost never be brought in on direct attacks. Instead, it is good to get Typhlosion in via U-turn, Volt Switch, or Parting Shot to avoid damage. It is also best to clear entry hazards before bringing Typhlosion in, as it loses nearly a quarter of its health to Stealth Rock and certainly doesn't appreciate Spikes and Toxic Spikes. However, even after one switch into Stealth Rock, Eruption is still more powerful than Fire Blast. With Flash Fire, Typhlosion can switch into predicted Fire-type attacks and get a boost, but this can be quite risky. Eruption should be used often to deal as much damage as possible, although once Typhlosion gets low on HP, it is good to switch to Fire Blast. Since Eruption 2HKOes even a lot of Fire-resistant Pokemon, Typhlosion can essentially throw out Eruption as much as possible when at high health. Since Choice Specs locks Typhlosion into one move, predicting on its first turn in is very important.
Team Options
========
Typhlosion should never be used without an entry hazard remover or Xatu. Good options include Hitmonlee, Kabutops, Shiftry, Braviary, Golbat, and Hitmontop. U-turn, Volt Switch, and Parting Shot users, such as Golbat, Rotom-C, and Alolan Persian, can help Typhlosion get in more easily. Grass-types such as Virizion and Sceptile can help Typhlosion break through bulky Water-types. Hazard setters such as Accelgor and Rhydon can help Typhlosion break through more threats. Vaporeon and Aromatisse can provide Wish support for Typhlosion, keeping its HP up and thus increasing Eruption's power. Water-types, such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and even Lanturn, can pivot into Rock-, Ground-, and Water-types quite well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Extrasensory is an option to hit Hariyama, but since it has nearly no use outside of hitting one uncommon Pokemon, it shouldn't be used over Typhlosion's other moves. A Choice Scarf set could be used, but it is heavily outclassed by Delphox due to its superior Speed and access to Trick, although Typhlosion's Eruption is still more powerful than Delphox's Fire Blast. A Z-Sunny Day set can make Typhlosion a sweeper, but Charizard performs this role better due to Solar Power and Roost. Firium Z can allow Typhlosion to use one extremely powerful attack, but this only boosts its power once. Overheat is a more powerful secondary Fire-type STAB move than Fire Blast, but its Special Attack drop makes it a bit worse. Solar Beam can be used in tandem with Grassium Z to give Typhlosion a powerful Bloom Doom to break through Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types, but it is a very situational lure.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Jellicent, Slowbro, Slowking, and Vaporeon can all easily take a Hidden Power Grass and any of Typhlosion's other attacks, and many can easily OHKO or 2HKO it with a STAB Water-type move, although Slowbro and Vaporeon can't directly switch into a full-power Eruption. Additionally, many bulky Water-types can heal off the damage Typhlosion does to them. Barbaracle can survive one Eruption and set up on Typhlosion for a sweep. Samurott can deal large amounts of damage to Typhlosion with Aqua Jet, crippling its Eruption immensely.
**Entry hazards**: Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and most of all Stealth Rock all deal passive damage to Typhlosion, weakening it and its Eruption considerably, as a full-power Eruption is the main reason Typhlosion is relevant.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon such as Delphox, Lycanroc, Tauros, Mismagius, Choice Scarf Hitmonlee, and Cinccino can outspeed and easily KO Typhlosion. Priority users like Absol, Hitmontop, and Samurott can also be an issue, as they weaken Typhlosion's Eruption.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types like Delphox and Emboar can switch into most of Typhlosion's attacks and are all powerful enough to retaliate. However, Delphox and Emboar are both 2HKOed by Eruption, meaning Delphox can only switch in once, and Emboar can only switch in once if it's holding a Choice Scarf. Houndoom is notable for being able to receive a Flash Fire boost from Eruption and Fire Blast, although it fears Focus Blast.
**Rock-types**: Many Rock-types such as Kabutops and Rhydon can switch in on an Eruption or Fire Blast and respond with a powerful attack. Shuckle can also set up entry hazards, but it gets 2HKOed by Eruption, so it can't switch in. Additionally, Rhydon, Barbaracle, and Omastar can set up on Typhlosion. However, all of these Rock-types bar Shuckle fear Hidden Power Grass or Focus Blast.
**Dragon-types**: Druddigon, Drampa, Guzzlord, Turtonator, and even Altaria can switch into Eruption easily and retaliate, although Drampa and Guzzlord are both hit hard by Focus Blast.
Typhlosion's high Special Attack, relatively good Speed, and decent movepool allow it to function as a pretty good wallbreaker. Typhlosion is one of the few Pokemon with access to Eruption, letting it deal very high damage when at high HP, OHKOing or 2HKOing nearly all Pokemon bar special walls that resist it. Unfortunately, Typhlosion is highly outclassed by common Fire-types such as Houndoom and Delphox due to their additional STAB options and setup moves. It also lacks the coverage to break through Fire-resistant walls. Jellicent and Slowking can especially be issues. Finally, Typhlosion's large weakness to entry hazards leaves it overly reliant on hazard removers.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Focus Blast
item: Choice Specs
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Eruption is a powerful STAB move that hits almost anything extremely hard. Fire Blast is an alternative STAB move normally used when Typhlosion has lost enough HP to make Eruption too weak. Hidden Power Grass can help Typhlosion take down Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types such as Barbaracle, Rhydon, and Seismitoad. Focus Blast allows Typhlosion to deal heavy damage to Rock-types that aren't 4x weak to Hidden Power Grass, such as Regirock, and certain other Pokemon that resist or are immune to Fire such as Incineroar, Houndoom, and Guzzlord.
Set Details
========
Typhlosion's EVs maximize its Special Attack and Speed stats while putting a little extra investment into Defense. A Timid nature is also used to maximize its Speed stat, letting Typhlosion outspeed Kabutops, Meloetta, and Hitmonlee. Choice Specs helps maximize Typhlosion's damage output and, in tandem with STAB Eruption, lets Typhlosion deal truly massive amounts of damage. Flash Fire allows Typhlosion to switch into Fire-type moves from the likes of Emboar and Houndoom, although their coverage moves can make it hard to do so safely. Blaze can be used instead of Flash Fire to help boost Typhlosion's damage when at low HP.
Usage Tips
========
Typhlosion's primary purpose is as an early- to mid-game wallbreaker and late-game cleaner. Typhlosion should almost never be brought in on direct attacks. Instead, it is good to get Typhlosion in via U-turn, Volt Switch, or Parting Shot to avoid damage. It is also best to clear entry hazards before bringing Typhlosion in, as it loses nearly a quarter of its health to Stealth Rock and certainly doesn't appreciate Spikes and Toxic Spikes. However, even after one switch into Stealth Rock, Eruption is still more powerful than Fire Blast. With Flash Fire, Typhlosion can switch into predicted Fire-type attacks and get a boost, but this can be quite risky. Eruption should be used often to deal as much damage as possible, although once Typhlosion gets low on HP, it is good to switch to Fire Blast. Since Eruption 2HKOes even a lot of Fire-resistant Pokemon, Typhlosion can essentially throw out Eruption as much as possible when at high health. Since Choice Specs locks Typhlosion into one move, predicting on its first turn in is very important.
Team Options
========
Typhlosion should never be used without an entry hazard remover or Xatu. Good options include Hitmonlee, Kabutops, Shiftry, Braviary, Golbat, and Hitmontop. U-turn, Volt Switch, and Parting Shot users, such as Golbat, Rotom-C, and Alolan Persian, can help Typhlosion get in more easily. Grass-types such as Virizion and Sceptile can help Typhlosion break through bulky Water-types. Hazard setters such as Accelgor and Rhydon can help Typhlosion break through more threats. Vaporeon and Aromatisse can provide Wish support for Typhlosion, keeping its HP up and thus increasing Eruption's power. Water-types, such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and even Lanturn, can pivot into Rock-, Ground-, and Water-types quite well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Extrasensory is an option to hit Hariyama, but since it has nearly no use outside of hitting one uncommon Pokemon, it shouldn't be used over Typhlosion's other moves. A Choice Scarf set could be used, but it is heavily outclassed by Delphox due to its superior Speed and access to Trick, although Typhlosion's Eruption is still more powerful than Delphox's Fire Blast. A Z-Sunny Day set can make Typhlosion a sweeper, but Charizard performs this role better due to Solar Power and Roost. Firium Z can allow Typhlosion to use one extremely powerful attack, but this only boosts its power once. Overheat is a more powerful secondary Fire-type STAB move than Fire Blast, but its Special Attack drop makes it a bit worse. Solar Beam can be used in tandem with Grassium Z to give Typhlosion a powerful Bloom Doom to break through Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types, but it is a very situational lure.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Jellicent, Slowbro, Slowking, and Vaporeon can all easily take a Hidden Power Grass and any of Typhlosion's other attacks, and many can easily OHKO or 2HKO it with a STAB Water-type move, although Slowbro and Vaporeon can't directly switch into a full-power Eruption. Additionally, many bulky Water-types can heal off the damage Typhlosion does to them. Barbaracle can survive one Eruption and set up on Typhlosion for a sweep. Samurott can deal large amounts of damage to Typhlosion with Aqua Jet, crippling its Eruption immensely.
**Entry hazards**: Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and most of all Stealth Rock all deal passive damage to Typhlosion, weakening it and its Eruption considerably, as a full-power Eruption is the main reason Typhlosion is relevant.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon such as Delphox, Lycanroc, Tauros, Mismagius, Choice Scarf Hitmonlee, and Cinccino can outspeed and easily KO Typhlosion. Priority users like Absol, Hitmontop, and Samurott can also be an issue, as they weaken Typhlosion's Eruption.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types like Delphox and Emboar can switch into most of Typhlosion's attacks and are all powerful enough to retaliate. However, Delphox and Emboar are both 2HKOed by Eruption, meaning Delphox can only switch in once, and Emboar can only switch in once if it's holding a Choice Scarf. Houndoom is notable for being able to receive a Flash Fire boost from Eruption and Fire Blast, although it fears Focus Blast.
**Rock-types**: Many Rock-types such as Kabutops and Rhydon can switch in on an Eruption or Fire Blast and respond with a powerful attack. Shuckle can also set up entry hazards, but it gets 2HKOed by Eruption, so it can't switch in. Additionally, Rhydon, Barbaracle, and Omastar can set up on Typhlosion. However, all of these Rock-types bar Shuckle fear Hidden Power Grass or Focus Blast.
**Dragon-types**: Druddigon, Drampa, Guzzlord, Turtonator, and even Altaria can switch into Eruption easily and retaliate, although Drampa and Guzzlord are both hit hard by Focus Blast.
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