Manaphy (Analysis)

We need some prefixes.

I am not at a location where I can just run all the way through this, so I'm going to work on this as a WIP here. Expect it done by mid-day tomorrow, if not tonight.

[pimg]495[/pimg]


[Overview]

<p>Manaphy's banishment from standard OU to Ubers is a no-brainer when you consider all it has going for it. Instant recovery? Check. The ability to boost its offense to unimaginable levels in two turns? Check. An immunity to status and stall? Near-universal coverage with just two moves? You understand where this is headed. Manaphy is the ultimate rain abuser. Hydration lets it heal any status instantaneously during rain, most importantly the sleep induced by Rest. Surf in the rain coming from two Tail Glow boosts accompanied by a Life Orb is enough to take down beefy special walls such as Blissey and Ferrothorn in no time. Manaphy also has no problem playing a defensive role. Access to Calm Mind and Rest make it a pain to take down after a few boosts. Unfortunately, Manaphy is not infallible. Its base 100 Speed only gets it so far, leaving it to be outsped by Thundurus and Speed tie with Zapdos, both of whom can make short work of Manaphy. Don't let these issues discourage you from using Manaphy, however, as after such threats are gone, you'll find yourself effortlessly sweeping teams.</p>

[SET]
name: Tail Glow
move 1: Tail Glow
move 2: Surf
move 3: Ice Beam / Energy Ball
move 4: Rest
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Manaphy's most destructive set. After just two turns of setup, Manaphy is capable of storming through everything it can outspeed. Some Blissey variants, particularly those that don't run 252 HP, have a chance to be OHKOed by Surf in the rain. This just goes to show just how powerful Manaphy can be with just one move. Despite Surf's excellent neutral coverage, there are still a few threats that you must be aware of. A great deal of threats resist Surf and can easily switch in on Manaphy's first Tail Glow and either outspeed it or survive the first Surf. Latios and Garchomp both outspeed Manaphy, Salamence Speed-ties, and Dragonite can easily take a +3 Surf through Multiscale. This problem is easily remedied through Ice Beam, which OHKOes all of these threats at +3. However, Ice Beam does very little to Jellicent and Gastrodon, both of whom are immune to Surf thanks to their abilities. Energy Ball can be used to remedy this problem, hitting the aforementioned targets for 4x damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Timid nature with maximum Speed and Special Attack investment is the best way to go here. At +6, Manaphy does not need the extra power offered by Modest. Make sure to invest the extra 4 EVs into Special Defense, since Manaphy has the luxury of having equal defenses and can prevent Genesect from getting a Special Attack boost from Download. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe allows Manaphy to set up in front of support Pokemon who pose little threat to Manaphy, as well as take on Excadrill, Blaziken, and Garchomp at +2 and OHKO with Surf after one Tail Glow, with 16 Speed EVs to outrun Breloom.</p>

<p>Rain support from Drizzle Politoed is a must in order to use this set properly. Only in the rain can Manaphy utilize the instant recovery from Rest and immunity to status from Hydration, as well as attaining that extra boost to Surf. Paralysis support from the likes of Thundurus buys Manaphy some much needed time in order to set up two Tail Glows; it essentially cripples the many counters that outspeed and KO Manaphy, such as Thundurus. Although at a slight disadvantage in the rain, Chandelure can help eliminate Grass-types such as Ferrothorn and Breloom, who normally give Manaphy trouble while attempting to set up.</p>

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Rest
move 3: Surf
move 4: Ice Beam / Energy Ball
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While the Tail Glow set focuses on its huge offensive presence, Manaphy can run a simple Calm Mind set to maximize its physical bulk while slowly increasing its Special Defense and Special Attack. Rest is as important as ever, giving Manaphy instant recovery if it somehow manages to lose too much HP. With a few Calm Mind boosts, Manaphy gains some offensive power, allowing it to take on Pokemon who are hit for 4x damage from the listed moves, including Salamence, Garchomp, Dragonite, and Latios. Again, Energy Ball is a great alternative to hit Gastrodon and Jellicent, as well as anything else that is immune to Water-type attacks.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>With full investment in Defense, Manaphy can easily switch in on a Blaziken hoping to use Protect to pull off a Speed Boost, and demolish it with Surf while surviving +0 Hi Jump Kick. Unfortunately, if Blaziken is daring enough to use Swords Dance instead of Protect, Hi Jump Kick OHKOes Manaphy. Similarly, Manaphy can switch into Excadrill using Swords Dance, survive the +2 Earthquake assuming Excadrill lacks Life Orb, and OHKO with Surf in rain. Unfortunately, if Excadrill has Life Orb, it has a 62% chance to OHKO Manaphy after the boost. Additionally, Thundurus can't afford to switch in on Manaphy after a Calm Mind, as Surf has a 50% chance to OHKO, and even Thunder won't OHKO Manaphy without a Life Orb.</p>

<p>As always, rain from Drizzle Politoed is a must. Without it, Manaphy is hard-pressed to make use of its bulk, being buffeted by sand or outright killed by various SolarBeams on sun teams. Entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, are vital for doing extra damage to sun teams and aiding in Manaphy's attempts at offense. Breloom makes a fantastic check to Tyranitar and Excadrill, forcing them to switch out repeatedly in order to avoid the OHKO from Mach Punch. Sun teams are a bit more troublesome, but Dugtrio traps and makes short work of Ninetales, while Choice Scarf Terrakion easily outspeeds and OHKOes Volcarona after a Quiver Dance. Finally, Tentacruel can lay down Toxic Spikes to aid Manaphy in setting up as well as use Rapid Spin in order to get rid of entry hazards that may hinder Manaphy's chances at boosting and surviving powerful attacks from its checks and counters.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>For the Tail Glow set, there really are no other options necessary. Surf and Energy Ball are really all that are needed to obliterate wreak havoc. Manaphy can utilize Toxic on the Calm Mind set to further wear down its opponents while it boosts, but giving up Energy Ball or Ice Beam means it is completely walled by Toxicroak. Wacan Berry can be used to soften blows from unboosted Thunders from Thundurus and Zapdos, but it is extremely situational and is a very gimmicky option.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Any Pokemon who can outspeed Manaphy and land a powerful super effective hit can beat it. Thundurus comes to mind as the obvious option, outspeeding all variants of Manaphy, but it must beware of the Calm Mind variant as it has no time to set up and even Thunder won't OHKO it without a Life Orb. Latios can do heavy damage to Manaphy with a Life Orb or Choice Specs Draco Meteor, but fears a boosted Ice Beam. Ferrothorn can stand up to unboosted Surfs with max Special Attack and retaliate with Power Whip, or use Leech Seed on the Calm Mind variant to wear it down more quickly.</p>

I know you're still working on this, I personally think bulky Talk Glow is outclassed by the Calm Mind set. Tail Glow doesn't boost your Special Defense, and even with investment, Manaphy is still likely to get OHKOed by powerful STAB super effective attacks. I think an AC mention of a bulkier spread in the first Tail Glow set makes sense (it'll also save you writing time!).

Manaphy gets Energy Ball >__>

At present I think that's all that needs commenting, at least until you get more of this up.

Omicron said:

I know you're still working on this, I personally think bulky Talk Glow is outclassed by the Calm Mind set. Tail Glow doesn't boost your Special Defense, and even with investment, Manaphy is still likely to get OHKOed by powerful STAB super effective attacks. I think an AC mention of a bulkier spread in the first Tail Glow set makes sense (it'll also save you writing time!).

Click to expand...

I agree with maybe just mentioning it in the additional comments section, but I feel I should add this so there isn't any confusion. The bulky Tail Glow set is meant to be able to set up in the face of physical attackers such as Ferrothorn (and pretty much any other) and can even take on +2 Blaziken, Garchomp and Excadrill, all of which are some of the most powerful pokemon in the tier. Being bulky on the physical side means that it obviously won't live super effective special hits, but anything that KOs this Manaphy bar Specs Draco Meteors will do severe damage to the Calm Mind set, meaning it wouldn't be able to set up either. Much like Dragonite shouldn't set up in front of Mamoswine, this Manaphy set is not meant to go up against strong special attackers. The main draw of the bulky Tail Glow set is the ability to defeat Ferrothorn, something no other Manaphy can do. With the prevalence of Ferro in the tier that at least deserves a mention if not the entire set included in the analysis.

am gp check
status: done

NixHex said:

[pimg]495[/pimg]


[Overview]

<p>Manaphy's banishment from standard OU to Ubers is a no-brainerblue(Add Comma) when you consider all it has going for it. Instant recovery? Check. Ability to boost its offense to unimaginable levels in two turns? Check. Immunity to status and stall? Near universal coverage with two moves? You understand where this is headed. Manaphy is the ultimate rain partner. Hydration lets it heal status instantaneously during rain, most importantly,(Add Comma) the sleep induced by Rest. Surf in the rain coming from two Tail Glow boosts accompanied by a Life Orb is enough to take down beefy special walls such as Blissey and Ferrothorn in short time. Manaphy has no problem playing a defensive roll, either. Access to Calm Mind and Rest make it a pain to take down after a few boosts. Unfortunately, Manaphy is not infallible. Its base 100 Speed only gets it so far, leaving it outsped by Thundurus and at a crucial and dangerous Speed tie with Zapdos, both of whom can make short work of Manaphy. Don't let these issues discourage you from using Manaphy, because after such threats are gone, you'll find yourself effortlessly sweeping teams.</p>

[SET]
name: Tail Glow
move 1: Tail Glow
move 2: Surf
move 3: Ice Beam / Energy Ball
move 4: Rest
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Manaphy's most destructive set. After just two turns of set up, Manaphy is capable of storming through everything it can outspeed. Some Blissey variants, particularly those that don't run 252 HP, have a chance to be OHKOed by Surf in the rain. This just goes to show just how powerful Manaphy can be with just one move. Despite Surf's excellent mono-type coverage, there are still a few threats that you must be aware of. A great deal of threats resist Surf and could actually switch in on Manaphy's first Tail Glow and either outspeed it or survive the first Surf. Latios and Garchomp both outspeed Manaphy, Salamence Speed-ties, and Dragonite can easily take a +3 Surf through Multiscale. This problem is easily remedied through Ice Beam, which OHKOes all of these threats at +3. However, Ice Beam does very little to Jellicent and Gastrodon, while Surf hits Unaware Quagsire quite weakly. Energy Ball can be used to remedy these problems, hitting the latter two for 4x damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Timid nature with maximum Speed and Special Attack investment is the best way to go here. At +6, Manaphy does not need the extra waterpower offered by Modest. Make sure to invest the extra 4 EVs into Special Defense, since Manaphy has the luxury of having equal defenses and can prevent Genesect from getting a more often needed Special Attack boost from Download. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe allows Manaphy to set up in front of support Pokemon who pose little threat to Manaphy, as well as take on Excadrill, Blaziken, and Garchomp at +2 and OHKO with Surf after one Tail Glow, with 16 Speed EVs to outrun Breloom.</p>

<p>Rain support from Drizzle Politoed is a must in order to use this set properly. Only in the rain can Manaphy utilize the instant recovery from Rest and immunity to status from Hydration, as well as attaining that extra boost to Surf gets. Paralysis support from the likes of Thundurus buys Manaphy some much needed time to set up two Tail Glows, as well as crippling the many counters that outspeed and KO Manaphy, such as Thundurus itself. Although somewhat weakened in the rain, Chandelure can help eliminate Grass-types such as Ferrothorn and Breloom, who normally give Manaphy trouble while setting up.</p>

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Rest
move 3: Surf
move 4: Ice Beam / Energy Ball
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While the Tail Glow set focuses on its huge offensive presence, Manaphy can run a simple Calm Mind set to maximize its physical bulk while slowly inflating its Special Defense and Special Attack. Rest is as important as ever, giving Manaphy instant recovery if it somehow manages to lose too much HP. With a few Calm Mind boosts, Manaphy gains some offensive power, allowing it to take on Pokemon who are hit for 4x damage from the listed moves, including Salamence, Garchomp, and Dragonite, and Latios. Again, Energy Ball is a great alternative to hit Gastrodon, Quagsire, and Jellicent.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>With full investment in Defense, Manaphy can easily switch in on a Blaziken hoping to use Protect to pull off the a Speed Boost, and demolish it with Surf while surviving +0 Hi Jump Kick. Unfortunately, if Blaziken is daring enough to use Swords Dance instead of Protect, Hi Jump Kick OHKOes Manaphy. Similarly, Manaphy can switch into Excadrill using Swords Dance, survive the +2 Earthquake assuming Excadrill lacks Life Orb, and OHKO with Surf in rain. Unfortunately, if Excadrill has Life Orb, it has a 62% chance to OHKO Manaphy after the boost. Additionally, Thundurus can't afford to switch in on Manaphy after a Calm Mind, as Surf has a 50% chance to OHKO, and even Thunder won't OHKO Manaphy without a Life Orb.</p>

<p>As as always, rain from Drizzle Politoed is a must. Without it, Manaphy is hard-pressed to make use of its bulk, being buffeted by sand or outright killed by various Solar Beams on sun teams. Entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, are vital for doing extra damage to sun teams and aiding in Manaphy's attempts at offense. Breloom makes a fantastic check to Tyranitar and Excadrill, forcing them to switch out repeatedly to avoid the OHKO from Mach Punch. Sun teams are a bit more troublesome, but Dugtrio traps and makes short work of Ninetales, while Choice Scarf Terrakion can easily outspeed and OHKO Volcarona after a Quiver Dance. Finally, Tentacruel can lay down Toxic Spikes to aid Manaphy in setting up as well as use Rapid Spin to get rid of entry hazards that hinder Manaphy's chances at boosting and surviving powerful attacks from its counters.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>For the Tail Glow set, there really are no other options necessary. Surf and Energy Ball are really all that are needed to obliterate wreak havoc. Manaphy can utilize Toxic on the Calm Mind set to further wear down its opponents while it boosts, but giving up Energy Ball or Ice Beam means it is completely walled by the rare Toxicroak. Wacan Berry can be used to soften blows from unboosted Thunders from Thundurus and Zapdos, but it is extremely situational and is a very gimmicky option.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Any Pokemon who can outspeed Manaphy and land a powerful super effective hit can beat it. Thundurus comes to mind as the obvious option, outspeeding all Manaphy, but it must beware of Calm Mind variants as it has no time to set up and even Thunder won't OHKO it without a Life Orb. Latios can do heavy damage to Manaphy with a Life Orb or Choice Specs Draco Meteor,(Add Comma) but fears a boosted Ice Beam. Ferrothorn can stand up to unboosted Surfs with max Special Attack and retaliate with Power Whip, or use Leech Seed on the Calm Mind variant to wear it down more quickly.</p>

Click to expand...

Okay, I made most of those changes. Awaiting stamp and a second check.
edit: fine

[GP 1/2]

Just stamp it yoself fool

hold yo place





I'm a little disappointed NixHex...



GP 2/2