Drain Bamage: Rampardos Discussion

Couldn't find a recent discussion on Rampardos, so here we are.


#409 Rampardos
Base Stats: 97 HP / 165 Atk / 60 Def / 65 SAtk / 50 SDef / 58 Spd
Ability: Mold Breaker (opponent's attack-negating abilities are negated)

Notable Physical Movepool
Rock Slide
Stone Edge
Head Smash
Earthquake
Zen Headbutt
Pursuit
Crunch
Assurance
Payback
Focus Punch
Hammer Arm
Brick Break
Iron Tail
Avalanche

Notable Support Movepool
Roar
Screech
Swords Dance
Substitute
Whirlwind
Rock Polish

The big big boost for Rampardos came in the news of Sandstorm granting a 1.5x increase in rock type's special defense, which turns that abysmal base SDef up to a much more manageable level. Rampardos hits damn hard with 165 base attack but unfortunately lacks much in the way of defenses and speed, although its base HP is quite impressive. Really Rampardos is a force to be reckoned with, but he needs to be played carefully. The Glass Cannon metaphor works well here.

It's ability, Mold Breaker, allows it to hit anything in the game that has an ability that would otherwise negate Rampardos' attacks. I only wish he got more attacks that made use of this, rather than just being able to Earthquake things like Gengar and Weezing (although that is quite good). Elemental fangs would have been nice, but I suppose you can't have everything.

Rampardos @ Choice Scarf
Nature: Adamant (+Atk -SAtk)
Trait: Mold Breaker
EVs: 112 HP / 188 Atk / 112 Spd / 96 SDef
-Earthquake
-Stone Edge
-Pursuit
-Hammer Arm

This is meant to take the lead. It survives an Adherence Scarf Gengar's Energy Ball guaranteed while it can OHKO with Earthquake. Pursuit, unfortunately, is not a OHKO unless Gengar attempts to switch out.

Rampardos @ Choice Band
Nature: Jolly (+Spd -SAtk)
Trait: Mold Breaker
EVs: 52 HP / 252 Atk / 204 Spd
-Stone Edge
-Earthquake
-Pursuit
-Hammer Arm

Use with a Tail Winder. Tail Wind, then switch to Rampardos and it outspeeds Jolly Garchomp, allowing you to hit hard with one of Rampardos' attacks. It also outspeeds Gyarados without any Dragon Dances and AG Salamence should they switch in on the same turn Rampardos comes in on Tail Wind. Stone Edge is an easy OHKO against both of them.

Rampardos @ Leftovers
Nature: Adamant (+Atk -SAtk)
Trait: Mold Breaker
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
-Stone Edge
-Earthquake
-Pursuit / Crunch
-Rock Polish

Outspeeds some Choice Scarf users after Rock Polish and hits hard with its attacks. Not very durable at all, but 471 attack isn't something that most Pokemon can just shrug off.

I really love this guy, but he is just too fragile.

The only way I can see him working is Choice Scarf really.

I still think Head Smash should be considered since he won't live long no matter how you look at it, recoil damage or not. Avalanche will also put the hurt on lots of things he's weak to.

On a side note I really like your movelist with those nice little icons. Should be a new standard :]

I would use Head Smash if it didn't kill yourself by the recoil if you do 100% to Blissey :-/

Ouch! But you have Hammer Arm for dealing with Blissey...

I would use Zen Headbutt on the CB set to kill Breloom, who resists QuakeSlide.

I wouldn't use this Pokemon without Head Smash, crappy as it is - it's the only real reason to use this Pokemon over Tyranitar or Rhyperior.

The great news is that even Jolly Rampardos 2hkos Suicune with Head Smash on average; therefore you can pump speed to max and Choice Scarf becomes pretty good - you beat Jolly Gengar and everything that just idles at 351.

Rampardos is pretty much the one and only Pokemon I might consider using Natural Gift on.

It's one use only, but that one well-timed NG Grass could be all you need to send Swampert packing and go into a mini-sweep.

Until you faint from Head Smash recoil that is. That said, Rampardos is not meant to stick around for very long, I feel, which is why I think that Natural Gift is not that bad an idea even if it wastes one moveslot.

Kill, kill, kill, die.

I also think it's obvious that this thing pairs a lot better with Hippowdown than it does Tyranitar.

Having one pokemon with a 4x fighting weak and a rock pokemon with 60 defense is just asking for trouble.

IMO Focus Sash on Rock Polishing Rampardos if it's a lead.

I love rampie. No idea why; I just liked him the first time I saw those stats (as bad as they are, honestly). Yeah, there were a few threads on him a bit ago...just for reference.

http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18377&highlight=rapie
http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthr...hlight=rampard

A bit later in the frist one gets down to some good discussion about rampie over rhyperior and whatnot. Double headbutt simply does not work on this thing. Period. You'll die instantly with the recoil from killing a full-HP Bliss. However, the move does have a certain "coolness" factor, so I might end up using it ingame anyways. IMO, this thing really only works with Rock Polish. A moveset is not necessary, you know that crap, except that it must have 192 EVs in speed. With that, rampie can outspeed basically everything ingame, including a Timid Jolt/Jolly Aero. Most would attach a Focus Strip, so you're guaranteed a Rock Polish. I dunno. 95 HP is very nice, as bad as the defenses are.

Personally, I think this is where rampie will be most practical: ingame. Rhyperior takes a freakin' 1,250,000 experience points to get to level 100. Rampardos gets to level 100 with only 600000 experience points, less than half of what it'd take to level up TWO Rhyperiors. To some it's a technicality, a mere matter of time, and in regards to competitor, it's not even an issue. For me, however, I like just having fun the first time through my poke games.

With the massive recoil of Head Smash, coupled with the very high base 150 attack power of it, I might consider Shell Bell on this thing.

Shell Bell could very well outstrip Leftovers in terms of healing when you factor in just how much damage it could be doing to an opponent.

SDShamshel said:

With the massive recoil of Head Smash, coupled with the very high base 150 attack power of it, I might consider Shell Bell on this thing.

Shell Bell could very well outstrip Leftovers in terms of healing when you factor in just how much damage it could be doing to an opponent.

Click to expand...

Unless Shell Bell switched to calculated damage, this doesn't work.

Example: 658 HP Blissey gets OHKO'd by Head Smash. Recoil is 329 HP, Shell Bell Recovery is 82.25 HP. This is the most extreme example possible and the Recovery Pales in comparison to the recoil. It just isn't worth it.

Rampardos @ Focus Sash/Leftovers/Life Orb -- Unconventional
64 HP/252 Attk/192 Spd -- Adamant
Rock Polish
Double Headbutt/Stone Edge
Earthquake
Crunch/Focus Punch/Arm Hammer/Pursuit

Focus Strip lols at Suicune/Milotic/Gyarados, even better if they try to outpredict you and don't attack. Life Orb for more damage, Lefties could work with the HP. Pick a fourth move and pwn everything. This is the Rampardos I'll be using.

Life Orb with Head Smash is dubious. I personally wouldn't bother with Head Smash and just stick to Stone Edge since, while it's a much weaker STAB, it allows him to stick around. I'm coming up with a Rampardos team right now, but Rampardos just needs a little team synergy to shine.

Deck Knight said:

Unless Shell Bell switched to calculated damage, this doesn't work.

Example: 658 HP Blissey gets OHKO'd by Head Smash. Recoil is 329 HP, Shell Bell Recovery is 82.25 HP. This is the most extreme example possible and the Recovery Pales in comparison to the recoil. It just isn't worth it.

Click to expand...

The point isn't to completely recover all damage from Head Smash, it's to recover just enough that you can come in again and use Head Smash on an opponent with significantly less HP than Blissey, or to use the other attacks to build up your HP again in order to be able to safely throw out another Head Smash.

ADH said:

Life Orb with Head Smash is dubious. I personally wouldn't bother with Head Smash and just stick to Stone Edge since, while it's a much weaker STAB, it allows him to stick around. I'm coming up with a Rampardos team right now, but Rampardos just needs a little team synergy to shine.

Click to expand...

Then you're forced to answer the question: "Why use this when I could just use Rhyperior or Tyranitar"? Unless you go with Nobie's "because I want to" answer, you're going to have to find ways to utilize Rampardos' potential.

efire_ said:

I love rampie. No idea why; I just liked him the first time I saw those stats (as bad as they are, honestly). Yeah, there were a few threads on him a bit ago...just for reference.

http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18377&highlight=rapie
http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthr...hlight=rampard

A bit later in the frist one gets down to some good discussion about rampie over rhyperior and whatnot. Double headbutt simply does not work on this thing. Period. You'll die instantly with the recoil from killing a full-HP Bliss. However, the move does have a certain "coolness" factor, so I might end up using it ingame anyways. IMO, this thing really only works with Rock Polish. A moveset is not necessary, you know that crap, except that it must have 192 EVs in speed. With that, rampie can outspeed basically everything ingame, including a Timid Jolt/Jolly Aero. Most would attach a Focus Strip, so you're guaranteed a Rock Polish. I dunno. 95 HP is very nice, as bad as the defenses are.

Personally, I think this is where rampie will be most practical: ingame. Rhyperior takes a freakin' 1,250,000 experience points to get to level 100. Rampardos gets to level 100 with only 600000 experience points, less than half of what it'd take to level up TWO Rhyperiors. To some it's a technicality, a mere matter of time, and in regards to competitor, it's not even an issue. For me, however, I like just having fun the first time through my poke games.

Click to expand...

I coulda sworn that the wi-fi battles auto leveled you, or am I mistaken?


Anyway, on to the subject matter. The last time I heard everyone thought that his humongous attack stat was the nuts, I was liek wait guys it dies to Squirtle's bubble, and people were still like NO MAN ITS THE NUTS, ROCK CART.

Well yeah glass cannon is a really good description for a poke like this. If you're careful with it, you can get off some huge chunks of damage, and maybe keep it alive with some wish support, that decent Sandstorm buff it gets, maybe even a little subpass.

So long as you dont go and Head Smash a blissey before he's taken down a couple guys (or at least hurt some foos) you can give some people a headache with it. (No pun intended)

Misty said:

Then you're forced to answer the question: "Why use this when I could just use Rhyperior or Tyranitar"? Unless you go with Nobie's "because I want to" answer, you're going to have to find ways to utilize Rampardos' potential.

Click to expand...

I can post a few reasons for people to steal:

- Fucking 165 base Atk
- Only QuakeSlide resist is Breloom which can't survive your attacks
- Pursuit maybe

Rhyperior and Tyranitar trade off like 20 base Attack for a lot more of everything else though. Also I'd like to note how QuakeSlide sounds quite dumb. Not as dumb as Ballbreak but pretty close.

Thanks to Rampard's trait, they suddenly dont.

hp [leaves] said:

- Only QuakeSlide resist is Breloom which can't survive your attacks

Click to expand...

Um, Flygon, Bronzong and Claydol anyone?

But Mold Breaker negates Levitate...

No Levitate for them.

Misty said:

Then you're forced to answer the question: "Why use this when I could just use Rhyperior or Tyranitar"? Unless you go with Nobie's "because I want to" answer, you're going to have to find ways to utilize Rampardos' potential.

Click to expand...

Rampardos is at his best when behind a substitute, since he can utterly beat the shit out of the opponent for two turns unopposed. Having that Substitute come from a slower Pokemon than some of the metagame allows him to wreak havoc. As odd as it sounds I like Focus Punch on it for that reason since he gets a free attack as they switch to a counter, who suddenly (usually) can't take the next hit from him.

I'm liking Head Smash / Zen Headbutt / Crunch / Focus Punch, as it is an excellent bunch of coverage with those attacks. I know I said that Head Smash is dubious but it works out with how the moveset and the team itself will function.

I'm uncertain if a Rampardos built around sub support really needs much speed, perhaps just enough to outspeed max neutral Rhyperior.

What's 714 divided by two? 357. Rampardos's max HP is 398. With Shell Bell, it has enough HP to still survive and then get back to around 100 HP. Rampardos can kill Blissey and survive. Wish support looks nice with this guy, as does SubPassing (no names). I would run both Stone Edge and Head Smash. As amazing as Focus Punch sounds, you can't kill Heracross and Claydol with one move, so I would run EQ. That leaves either Zen Headbutt for Breloom/Torterra or Pusuit for lots of fun.

Seems like another Slaking, increbily hard to use but amazing when used properly.