[SET]
name: Substitute + Dragon Dance
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Waterfall
item: Leftovers
ability: Anticipation
nature: Adamant
evs: 180 HP / 104 Atk / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Whiscash has the potential to sweep teams quickly with an all-out offensive set, it also has the option of taking a slower route to sweeping by using a bulky Dragon Dance set, just like Altaria and Shelgon. Whiscash's excellent defensive typing is often criticized for its 4x weakness to Grass-type attacks, but it provides Whiscash with a plethora of resistances and an immunity to Electric-type attacks as well, both of which it can make use of thanks to its large HP stat and decent defenses. Additionally, Whiscash can make 101 HP Substitutes, which cannot be destroyed in a single hit by Seismic Toss, letting it set up on Pokemon such as Miltank, Lickilicky, and Hypno. Due to its good bulk, Whiscash's Substitutes will often also survive neutral Hidden Powers, uninvested Scalds, and other weak attacks. In addition, phazing moves such as Lickilicky's Dragon Tail and Throh's Circle Throw, in addition to Clear Smog, will not affect Whiscash while it's behind a Substitute, letting Whiscash hit them with two boosted Earthquakes before being forced out, which will either deal heavy damage or KO them outright. By using Substitute tactically against less offensive opponents, Whiscash is able to set up multiple Dragon Dances more easily, and thus has a greater chance of sweeping teams that cannot immediately threaten it. Once opposing Grass-type Pokemon are removed, stall teams will find it much harder to deal with this variant of Whiscash than the standard, as Substitute blocks both Toxic and phazing moves, their next-best options at removing it from play.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread for this set is more complicated than that of the standard, but justifiably so. 180 HP EVs give Whiscash an HP stat of 406, which not only allows it to produce 101 HP Substitutes, but also enables it to set up five Substitutes in a row from full health, taking Leftovers recovery into account. Meanwhile, 224 Speed EVs allow +1 Whiscash to outpace Jynx and Haunter and OHKO them before they can break its Substitute. The remainder are invested in Attack; combined with the use of an Adamant nature, this helps to ensure that Whiscash is not simply setup bait for other sweepers. If you do not think this is necessary, investing these EVs in Defense will further complement Whiscash's bulk and defensive typing, and will help to ensure that weak U-turns will not break its Substitutes. Speed EVs can also be shifted into Defense or Special Defense as desired, but this will make Whiscash easier to revenge kill, and will not let it use Substitute as successfully before boosting.</p>
<p>Whiscash needs to run two attacks to have effective coverage within the tier, as unlike Altaria and Shelgon, both of its STAB attacks can be blocked with immunities and resistances. While Earthquake and Waterfall are the default options for their reliability and power, Stone Edge is also useful for taking down opponents such as Altaria while still maintaining good neutral coverage. Bounce is also an option in the last slot for hitting Grass- and Bug-types super effectively, but the charging turn is undesirable, and it lacks the power to break through bulky opponents such as Tangela. Anticipation is the best ability for this set, as it allows Whiscash to switch into opponents such as Magmortar and Eelektross, determine whether they are using Hidden Power Ice or Hidden Power Grass, and use Substitute or switch, respectively; the ability to eliminate the need for prediction in these situations is highly desirable. Furthermore, Substitute already blocks status effects, so the support provided by Hydration is not required as long as you don't switch Whiscash directly into Toxic or into faster users of the move. It's also inadvisable to use the Hydration + Rest combination with this set, as Whiscash does not have the coverage or power to sweep with a single STAB move, unlike its Dragon-type counterparts.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this set in particular requires a lot of team support to increase its chances of sweeping, and to prevent it from just being an annoyance. Firstly, Grass-type Pokemon absolutely must be removed before attempting a sweep, as they will take almost nothing from Whiscash's STAB attacks, especially as it lacks a Life Orb. Opponents such as Tangela and Leafeon can set up with Substitute and Swords Dance respectively, provide cleric or Wish support, or just go straight for the KO with their powerful STAB attacks. Magmortar and Swellow are highly appreciated for their ability to switch into Sleep Powder and OHKO any Grass-type Pokemon in their way; Vileplume is also useful in this respect as it can simultaneously absorb Toxic Spikes and prevent them from crippling Whiscash. Unaware Quagsire must also be dealt with, as it can set up with Curse while ignoring Whiscash's boosts; Grass-type Pokemon of your own such as Amoonguss and the aforementioned Vileplume can both force it out while still providing team support. Finally, Whiscash appreciates the benefits of all entry hazards, with Stealth Rock and Spikes making it easier to score direct KOs, and Toxic Spikes making it easier to deal with bulky opponents. Cacturne can set up Spikes and deal with Quagsire as well, while Torterra can do the same while providing Stealth Rock support instead.</p>
While I'm here, I'd also like to vouch for the current Dragon Dance set to have its name changed to "Offensive Dragon Dance" when this is uploaded. This set should also be slotted in between the current Dragon Dance set and the tank, as no one seems to use the latter ;_;
