I posted this in the old N&C Movesets thread and didn't get too many responses, so I thought I might as well post here for posterity's sake. I've been using it with a lot of success - it is one of the most reliable leads I have ever used, and several of the opponent's I face regularly on the UU ladder can attest to its effectiveness.
Anit-Lead Arcanine
Arcanine @ Lum Berry
Intimidate
Adamant / Naughty
192 HP / 252 Atk / 64 Spe
- Flare Blitz
- Extremespeed
- Toxic
- Overheat / Thunder Fang
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Arcanine has excellent stats all round, and this set tries to make use of every one of them. It has the ability to be both very bulky and yet hit extremely hard at the same time, and with Intimidate and Extremespeed, makes a really great anti-lead. Flare Blitz is a high powered STAB move that does massive damage to everything that doesn't resist it. Extremespeed is the crux of this set, allowing Arcanine to take out faster, frail leads with ease. And because of the great bulk that this set has, it also allows Arcanine to serve as a great revenge killer later on in the game too. Against Arcanine, the bulky water switch in is inevitable, and a well predicted Toxic will cripple both Slowbro and Milotic for the rest of the battle. Steel types never switch into Arcanine, and Poison is usually paired up with Grass, so there's very little risk involved in using Toxic. Arcanine handily survives Surfs from both of them anyway. I personally prefer Overheat in the last slot to get the hit on things like Steelix and Cloyster, as well as giving me a high powered STAB attack when I don't fancy losing HP or have been Intimidated. Thunder Fang can be used to hit water types with, but because of its very low power I wouldn't recommend it (it doesn't 2HKO Milotic or Slowbro, meaning it is pretty worthless).
The EVs are quite straightforward. Max attack to make the most use of Extremespeed and Flare Blitz, enough speed to outrun max speed Adamant Honchkrow and Timid Abomasnow, and the rest put into HP to buff Arcanine up. It also gives Arcanine a HP divisible by 4, +1, although this will almost never come into account because of the attacks Arcanine has to take and Flare Blitz recoil.
Arcanine does very well against almost all of the common leads:
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(all calcs assume Intimidate)
152 Atk Brave Bird vs Arcanine: 30.1 - 35.8%
Arcanine's Flare Blitz vs 104/0 Crobat: 68.5 - 81.0%
Arcanine's Extremespeed vs 104/0 Crobat: 30.6 - 36.2%
Easy win for Arcanine - very little Crobat can do against it, and if it is one of the rare Hypnosis versions, Arcanine takes it with its Lum Berry.
252 SpA Ice Beam vs Arcanine: 18.2 - 21.7%
Arcanine's Flare Blitz vs 4/0 Froslass: 100%
Arcanine's Overheat vs 4/0 Froslass: 100%
Froslass will get a layer of Spikes up against Arcanine, but when it is at 1HP and tries to Destiny Bond you, simply finish it off with Toxic to avoid being taken down.
Silk Scarf 252 Atk Fake Out vs Arcanine: 21.4 - 25.5%
Arcanine's Flare Blitz vs 4/0 Ambipom: 92.7 - 100%
Arcanine's Extremespeed vs 4/0 Ambipom: 41.2 - 48.8%
With Intimidate, Arcanine takes Fake Out with ease, and if Ambipom makes the mistake of U-turning out, you can halve its health with Extremespeed.
252 SpA Roserade Sludge Bomb vs Arcanine: 46.6 - 55.3%
Arcanine's Flare Blitz vs 4/0 Roserade: 100%
Arcanine's Overheat vs 4/0 Roserade: 100%
Arcanine's Extremespeed vs 4/0 Roserade: 52.9 - 62.5%
Roserade will most likely try to sleep you, in which case your Lum will wake you up. Sludge Bomb does hurt, but you 2HKO Roserade with Extremespeed, and easily OHKO with either of your Fire moves.
252 SpA Thunderbolt vs Arcanine: 36.6 - 43.4%
4 Atk Explosion vs Arcanine: 44.4 - 52.6%
Arcanine's Flare Blitz vs 0/0 Electrode: 100%
Arcanine's Extremespeed vs 0/0 Electrode: 48.7 - 57.5%
Arcanine will take very little from anything Electrode tries to throw at it - even if by some twist of fate it manages to get a Thunderbolt and an Explosion in, it won't KO. In return, you have a guaranteed OHKO with Flare Blitz, or a 2HKO on average with Extremespeed.
Adamant 252 Atk Drill Peck / Sucker Punch vs Arcanine: 30.4 - 36.0%
Arcanine's Flare Blitz vs 4/0 Honckrow: 94.4 - 100%
Arcanine's Extremespeed vs 4/0 Honchkrow: 42.2 - 49.9%
Arcanine outdamages it easily, and OHKOs on average with Flare Blitz. Note that with the speed EVs it outspeeds Adamant Honchkrow, allowing Arcanine to go first with Extremespeed and make Sucker Punch fail.
Adamant 252 Atk Choice Band Brave Bird vs Arcanine: 66.7 - 78.3%
Overheat vs 4/0 Staraptor: 84.2 - 99.4%
Intimidated Extremespeed vs 4/0 Staraptor: 24.4 - 28.9%
Arcanine will live the strongest attack Staraptor can possibly throw at it (Adamant CB Giga Impact survival ftw =P) and can do big damage back with Overheat. Flare Blitz is not recommended as you have been Intimdated and so it won't KO, and if Arcanine has to take a CB Brave Bird first the recoil from Blitz can come close to KOing him. Overheat + Extremespeed will get rid of Staraptor.
0 SpA Psychic vs Arcanine: 25.2 - 29.5%
Flare Blitz vs Bold 252/252 Uxie: 32.5 - 38.4%
Arcanine will outdamage Uxie, will not be affected by its Thunder Wave or Yawn, and can get Toxic on it to effectively destroy its ability as a wall.
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Despite its excellent ability on taking on opposing leads, the thing I like best about Arcanine is that it is not a use and dispose pokemon. With its great bulk it can switch into many things later on in the game too and threaten KOs back (even unaffected by Intimidate, Registeel fails to 2HKO with Earthquake), although some spin support is recommended, as despite its bulk, repeated switch ins on Stealth Rock plus Flare Blitz recoil can add up quite fast. It can easily revenge threatening sweepers such as Blaziken, Roserade, Gallade, Typhlosion, etc, with Extremespeed, and can be used as a great final death fodder to get an Intimdate on the opponent.
Like I said, it is one of the most reliable leads I have ever used =).
