[A.P.]

While playing nUU a few weeks ago, I felt my team had extreme weaknesses to Fire-types, even though I ran Moltres, Ludicolo, and Feraligatr (granted, the last was a late-game sweeper). After a little messing around, I decided to use an Arcanine in place of Moltres, and a Rock Polish Torterra instead of Ludicolo. Pay no attention to the latter switch...the former is the 'gimmick'. I decided to use the Mixed Arcanine set, with Thunder Fang over Flare Blitz and HP Ground instead of the more common and useful HP Grass. After tweaking the set, and taking a cue from the Anti-Lead Arcanine set posted in the nUU discussion thread, what I currently use is this.

Arcanine (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 228 Atk/92 Sp.Atk/188 Spd
Naive nature (+Spd, -Sp.Def)
- ExtremeSpeed
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power (Water)
- Will-o-Wisp


ExtremeSpeed has always been on the set, for obvious reasons.

Fire Blast used to be Overheat, but the Special Attack drop made it unsavory because it allowed for free set-ups, and sometimes these would not be 2HKOed by E-Speed.

Hidden Power was originally Ground, but problems with Defensive Ground types, as well as problems with KOing certain Pokémon (aka Camerupt + Rhydon, both normally decent counters after an Overheat). HP Water solved that, and it threatened these Pokémon who might otherwise set up and sweep. It's also a decent opening move when I use Arcanine in the early game, scouting for other Fire-types.

Will-O-Wisp replaced Thunder Fang, and was never really used, save for hitting stuff like Mismagius after an Overheat, to prevent a set-up. I was looking at the Anti-Lead Arcanine set, which had Toxic, and I decided to give status a whirl on my Arcanine (not a lead). I already had Toxic somewhere else, so I wanted to try burning switch-ins. It works beautifully, especially against Azumarill and other physical water that love to switch in, as well as hampering stuff like Slowbro and Milotic - Water-types in general, actually.

This set works beautifully, in my opinion. It loves absorbing Fire-type moves in particular, from all sorts of stuff. Although it began as a Mixed Arcanine, I'm thinking of getting around to adding more Special Attack EVs, and dropping some attack ones, just because this thing is more Specially-based.

I also use a Defensive Luxray on this team. This set is not my creation, and actually was suggested in the nUU discussion thread in countering many prominent physical attackers and statusing switch-ins. I forgot the EVs after reading the post the first time, and just use the EVs from the Defensive Luxray in the analysis. Although it may seem like an over-specific Staraptor counter, it stops other things cold too, and can cripple a third of the opposing team if proper prediction is used. The biggest enemies are Steelix and the Nidos, because they are immune to both his statuses. Before I say anything further on this set, I'd like to show you the set itself - or, at least, my variant of it.

Luxray (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/6 Sp. Def
Nature: Relaxed (+Def, -Spd)
- Thunder Wave
- Toxic
- Thunderbolt
- Crunch

Relaxed over Bold so Crunch can stop stuff more quickly (and break Raikou's Substitutes), and because Luxray doesn't really need the speed.

Thunder Wave is crucial, because it stops Staraptor dead-cold by taking away its greatest weapon against unprepared teams: Speed. It also stops Manectric and Raikou, both who may hinder an eventual Torterra or Feraligatr sweep (at least while setting up).

Toxic is usually her first move on the field, because most people assume Offensive Luxray who will open up with an Electric Attack, and because people tend to switch in Ground-types.

Thunderbolt is for STAB, and is more powerful than Spark or Thunder Fang (and more accurate, though the difference is minimal).

Crunch has good synergy with Thunderbolt, and is a nice weapon against Ghosts, especially SubCM Mismagius (very deadly when set up).

This set is key to crippling the opponent's team, and possibly taking out a physical sweeper like Staraptor or Azumarill in the process.