Chandelure
[Overview]
<p>Having been blessed with the single highest non-Uber Special Attack stat in the entire game, Chandelure is sure to tear huge holes into opposing teams. Its unique typing gives it a high degree of defensive utility as one of the most reliable checks to dangerous threats, such as Roserade and Heracross, and two very potent STAB moves in Shadow Ball and Fire Blast. However, it also comes with weaknesses to common Water-, Ground-, Ghost-, Rock-, and Dark-type attacks; the latter two are especially crippling due to Stealth Rock and Pursuit, respectively. Additionally, its lackluster bulk and below-average Speed prevent it from taking full advantage of its hole-punching capabilities. However, if you know its limitations and play it to its advantages, this haunted chandelier is sure never to let you down.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Pain Split / Energy Ball
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Forcing as many switches as it does, Chandelure is an excellent user of Substitute, as it not only eases prediction and blocks status, but also allows Chandelure to switch out of Pursuit users safely. The next two slots are dedicated to Chandelure's two fantastic STAB moves, Shadow Ball and Fire Blast. Together, they have such a wide range of coverage that a coverage move is not even needed. The final slot is reserved for the support move of choice. Pain Split is very useful for prolonging Chandelure's lifespan, and is usually best used with Life Orb. On the other hand, Energy Ball puts the hurt on Blastoise, making it much harder for it to take on Chandelure and then spin later in the game, effectively allowing you to keep your hazards down much more easily. Leftovers is probably the better item if you go this route though, as otherwise Chandelure will accumulate residual damage rather quickly.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs are straightforward: they simply maximize Special Attack and Speed in order to hit as hard and as fast as possible. The remaining 4 EVs get tossed into Special Defense in order to avoid giving a Special Attack boost to Download Pokemon as they come in. A Modest nature is recommended due to the higher damage output, but Timid is usable in order to outpace obscure threats such as Adamant Heracross, Modest Nidoking, and Jolly Bisharp. Although the given moves are usually best, Chandelure has a couple other options which work very well in the fourth moveslot—namely Taunt and Will-O-Wisp. Taunt can be used to prevent Rapid Spin users such as Blastoise and Hitmontop from using Foresight or recovering health through Rest, while Will-O-Wisp delivers a crippling blow to some of Chandelure's common enemies, most notably Snorlax. Both of these options are often more effective when you opt for Leftovers as Chandelure's item.</p>
<p>Because of its weakness to Stealth Rock and vulnerability to both types of Spikes, a teammate with access to Rapid Spin is recommended. Blastoise works well in the sense that it can easily switch in on the Water-type attacks that plague Chandelure and use that turn to Rapid Spin. Similarly, Hitmontop resists Dark- and Rock-type moves and also threatens Porygon2 and Snorlax, two Pokemon that completely wall Chandelure. Roserade also makes a fantastic partner, as it not only counters the Water-type Pokemon which Chandelure dislikes, but also absorbs Toxic Spikes upon entry and can even lay them down, greatly increasing this set's effectiveness. It's worth noting that Blastoise, Roserade, and Chandelure form one of the ever-famous Fire / Water / Grass cores you have probably heard about, which says a bit about how effective they are when used together.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With immense Special Attack and below average Speed, Chandelure is the epitome of a classic Choice Scarf wielder. Fire Blast is Chandelure's primary STAB move, and due its naturally high Base Power, it's sure to dent anything that doesn't resist it. Shadow Ball acts as its secondary STAB attack, complementing Fire Blast excellently by providing a very wide range of coverage. Energy Ball gives Chandelure the ability to hit the Water-types that resist its main STAB move, such as Milotic and Suicune, super effectively. Finally, Hidden Power Fighting nets a super effective hit on the few Pokemon that otherwise have no trouble walling Chandelure: Houndoom, Snorlax, and Trace Porygon2.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs simply allow Chandelure to perform its job of revenge killing with maximum efficiency. A Modest nature is preferred because there simply aren't many threats that Chandelure outruns with a Timid one while failing to do so with a Modest one. However, in the event that you do run into the odd Adamant Choice Scarf Heracross or Krookodile, Chandelure will need a Timid nature to outpace them. Because of the very specific coverage this moveset possesses, it's hard to replace any of the given moves. That said, some consider having a fast user of Will-O-Wisp a good asset, so dropping one of its coverage moves in favor of this is not necessarily a bad idea. When it comes to useful teammates, this set doesn't quite have any specific needs, as it is primarily a revenge killer. However, if you wish to make the most out of this set, a teammate with access to Rapid Spin is necessary, not only due to Chandelure's weakness to Stealth Rock, but also because of its vulnerability to entry hazards in general. Hitmontop and Blastoise both make fine partners, as the former resists Rock- and Dark-type moves for Chandelure while the latter resists Water-type moves for it. Chandelure also appreciates a partner that can take advantage of the Pokemon that usually switch into its attacks, namely Porygon2, Snorlax, Houndoom, and various Water-types. Therefore, it stands to reason that Fighting-types, such as Machamp, and Grass-types, such as Shaymin, are excellent teammates.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Overheat / Fire Blast
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Flamethrower / Energy Ball
item: Choice Specs
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set focuses on one thing and one thing only: power. The main draw of this set is that it can OHKO or 2HKO a huge portion of the metagame with the appropriate move. Overheat is the primary Fire-type STAB attack here due to this set's hit-and-run nature, which will most likely force it to switch out after firing off a move anyway, nullifying Overheat's Special Attack drop. Fire Blast is also usable though, as it is still very powerful and allows Chandelure to stay in for longer. Shadow Ball is used as the secondary STAB move as it provides a wide range of neutral coverage with Chandelure's Fire-type STAB. Hidden Power Fighting is used specifically to hit Snorlax, Houndoom, and Trace Porygon2, three Pokemon that would otherwise be able to switch into Chandelure without a problem. The use of two Fire-type moves on the same set might seem a little redundant, but keep in mind that Flamethrower is much more reliable than either of the aforementioned ones, making it a suitable option for late-game cleaning. Energy Ball can be used over it, however, as it scores a super effective hit on the Water- and Rock-types that resist Chandelure's primary STAB attack, although a Choice Specs-boosted STAB Shadow Ball is usually enough to deal with these threats.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs are tailored to let Chandelure get the most out of its the sheer power by maximizing its Speed and Special Attack. The remainder gets tossed into Special Defense in order to avoiding giving Download Pokemon a boost to Special Attack as they enter the field. A Modest nature is a given here, as Chandelure doesn't outpace anything noteworthy with a Timid one, aside from the very rare Adamant Heracross and Modest Nidoking. Chandelure has access to the move Psychic, which scores a super effective hit on Fighting- and Poison-types; however, keep in mind that its Fire-type STAB already maims these threats, so there is no need to use it. Much like any other Choiced Fire-type, this set requires Rapid Spin support to be fully effective. Therefore, it stands to reason that Hitmontop and Blastoise would make fantastic teammates. They both have decent defensive synergy with the haunted chandelier, the former resisting Dark- and Rock-type attacks and the latter resisting Water-type moves for it. A Fighting-type partner can take advantage of the few Pokemon that can safely switch into this set, namely Snorlax, Trace Porygon2, and Houndoom. Machamp stands out as the primary candidate here, as it doesn't necessarily mind the paralysis that the former two can inflict on it and is also neutral to Houndoom's Fire-type STAB, unlike Heracross and Cobalion.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Chandelure has an above average movepool for a Fire-type, and because of this, it can run a few other sets which have not been already covered. For example, a Calm Mind set is viable, but due to Chandelure's low Speed and inconvenient defensive typing, it's usually outclassed by other Calm Mind users, such as Mismagius. A support set employing Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, and Pain Split might also seem like a good idea on paper, but other Pokemon, such as Mew and Sableye, can pull this off much better due to higher Speed and access to Prankster, respectively. Another interesting offensive alternative is the use of Sunny Day and SolarBeam, which effectively lets Chandelure best even the most fearsome Water-types in the tier. However, the prevalence of sand in UU and the set's limited utility outside of beating Water-types makes this a much less appealing option. Other support options Chandelure has access to include Memento, Flame Charge, Trick Room, and Toxic, and all of these can be used if your team is in need of such support. Chandelure's secondary ability, Flame Body, might seem good at first, but when you consider the many switch-in opportunities Flash Fire grants, it becomes obvious that the latter is superior.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Due to its sheer power and versatility, Chandelure lacks foolproof counters. However, the three most reliable Pokemon you can have to take it on are Thick Fat Snorlax, Trace Porygon2, and Houndoom. The first two are immune to Shadow Ball by virtue of their Normal typing, and thanks to their abilities, they also resist or become immune to Chandelure's Fire-type STAB. On the other hand, Houndoom simply resists Shadow Ball, is immune to Fire-type moves due to its own Flash Fire, and also has its Dark-type STAB moves to hurt Chandelure with. However, all of these Pokemon share one crucial flaw: they're weak to Hidden Power Fighting, a coverage move Chandelure commonly carries. Bulky Water-types, such as Milotic and Suicune, are the next best bet, but they need to be careful of switching into a Choice Specs-boosted Energy Ball. The most effective way to neuter Chandelure is with a well-timed Pursuit from Pokemon such as Krookodile, and if this is impossible, you can always prey on its low Speed and extreme vulnerability to entry hazards to bring it down.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Chandelure receives Shadow Tag through the Dream World, an ability which prevents the opposition from switching out once they face the haunted chandelier. This turns Chandelure from an already dangerous threat into an absolute killing machine, as all it needs to do is equip itself with a Choice Scarf and have fun revenge killing almost anything in the game without worrying about prediction. As sweet as this might sound, the release of Shadow Tag will guarantee Chandelure's departure from UU, as it will, at the very least, receive enough usage to become OU once this occurs.</p>
