Jirachi (Ubers analysis)

Flashstorm1 · Aug 4th, 2009, 9:20:00 PM

http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/jirachi

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Changes:

Added in individual Uber sets and descriptions
Added in team options for all sets, which are in purple
Added in respective Team Options section
Updated the Other Options, EVs, Opinion, and Counters section for ubers

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[SET]
name: Ubers Wish Support
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Toxic / Body Slam
nature: Careful
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Jirachi is a relatively uncommon Pokémon in the Uber tier, as it is usually ignored in favor of Blissey in regards to "Wish Passing". However, there are many traits that makes Jirachi a unique Pokémon in the Uber tier, most notably its typing and great defensive stats. Apart from Metagross, Jirachi is the only Pokémon commonly used in the Uber tier to sport a Steel / Psychic typing, allowing Jirachi to act as a great defensive buffer to the most common attacks in the Uber tier. Jirachi is easily able to come in on Dragon- and Ice-type attacks, with the former being one of the most devastating attacking types in Ubers. Jirachi also packs a useful neutrality to Fighting, Bug, Ghost, Dark, Electric, and Water, making it difficult to take down Jirachi without being able to hit it with a super effective attack - this fact is made worse when Kyogre, one of the most common Pokémon in the Uber tier, cancels out Jirachi's weakness to Fire-type attacks, thanks to its unique ability in Drizzle.

What makes Jirachi so much more different than Metagross is its unique movepool, giving it access to a lot of possible roles Metagross could not undertake. Jirachi's access to Wish makes it extremely useful for keeping other team members alive, especially those without any suitable form of recovery, such as Palkia. Protect is required on this set to prevent Jirachi from being 2HKOed by some of the more powerful attacks in Ubers, such as Modest Kyogre's Rain-boosted (non-Choice Specs) Surf, which deals anywhere from 52.23% - 61.88% to Jirachi. Toxic, when combined with both Wish and Protect, allows you to take down many of the common special attackers in Ubers, such as the aforementioned Kyogre, Palkia, Darkrai, and some variants of Giratina-O. U-turn is an extremely useful move for this set, as it allows Jirachi to safely pass a Wish to a weakened teammate, without having to worry about it taking damage from the opponent, and with Jirachi's low Speed investment, very rarely will Jirachi use U-turn before the opponent. U-turn is also helpful in being able to escape Wobbufett's Shadow Tag, which can be very crippling to this set, as Jirachi has no reliable attacking moves and can easily give the opponent a free turn of set-up. Body Slam is an option over Toxic if you want to have a chance of paralyzing faster sweepers like Darkrai, which are made useless when crippled by the effects of paralysis.

The given EV spread allows Jirachi to repeatedly come into the high powered special attacks in Ubers, in particular Draco Meteor, and it also protects Jirachi from unsuspected Fire Blasts coming from Palkia or Dialga, which have a tendency to use their respective excluse items to bluff a Choice item. The given EV spread also gives extra insurance against Life Orb Rayquaza's Overheat, and, as a bonus, Jirachi is never OHKOed by Adamant Life Orb Rayquaza's Earthquake, even with Stealth Rock damage factored in. Jirachi also survives a Choice Scarf Garchomp's Earthquake 80% of the time when at full health. Jirachi is also an effective switch-in to Darkrai without Nasty Plot, but very rarely will Darkrai not run Nasty Plot, unless it is in the lead position, so switching Jirachi into Darkrai is not recommended.

Jirachi's great defensive typing and access to Wish allows it to easily fit into most teams in need of a Steel-type and/or a "Wish Passer". Many of the game's strongest sweepers, such as Kyogre and Rayquaza, tend to get worn down from entry hazards, so the Wish support is greatly appreciated. Jirachi can easily come into Grass-type attacks aimed at Kyogre, and Dragon-, Rock-, and Ice-type attacks aimed at Rayquaza, and use the free turn to use Wish, and then U-turn back to the weakened Pokémon on the next turn. Rayquaza will have the easiest time in switching into Jirachi's counters, which will often launch a power Ground- or Fire-type attack to dispose of Jirachi, both of which do not effect or are resisted by Rayquaza. Kyogre also has an easy time switching into Fire-type attacks aimed at Jirachi and using the next turn to launch a full powered Water Spout thanks to the recovery effects of Wish. Apart from Rayquaza, most Pokémon who lack a form of recovery of their own will greatly appreciate having Jirachi as a partner; some of these Pokémon include Palkia, Giratina-o, and Darkrai, none of which share any common weaknesses with Jirachi.

As mentioned before, Jirachi has a difficult time against Ground-types like Groudon and Garchomp, so anything that can switch into the two and take them down would also be a beneficial partner to Jirachi. Wobbufett is one of the best choices to consider, thanks to its ability, which will prevent any of Jirachi's counters from switching. Against Groudon, Wobbufett can easily use Encore on any of its attacks and then use either Counter if Groudon is locked into Earthquake, or Safeguard if Groudon is locked into a status move such as Thunder Wave or Toxic. Wobbufett can easily deal with any Choice Scarf Garchomp, as not as it is not locked into Outrage, which has a small chance of 2HKOing Wobbufett, especially if entry hazards are up. In both scenarios, you could even switch in one of your own sweepers, such as Giratina-O and Shaymin-S, both of which are immune to Ground-type attacks, and then take the free turn to set up a Substitute or use any other move of your choice. Jirachi, in return, is able to keep Wobbufett healthy through Wish, making it nearly impossible to take down and cause an even greater annoyance to the opponent. Even Giratina-O and Shaymin-S would appreciate the same Wish support, as both can be repeatedly worn down from repeated switches into Stealth Rock; both are also able to easily come in on Ground-type attacks aimed at Jirachi, which in turn, can switch into Ice-type attacks aimed at Giratina-O and Shaymin-S.

[SET]
name: Ubers Choice Scarf
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Trick
move 3: U-turn / Fire Punch
move 4: Ice Punch / Fire Punch
nature: Jolly
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Although Jirachi is often overlooked in favor of Palkia, Garchomp, and Darkrai when it comes to "revenge killing" opponents, Jirachi does have some qualities that the others do not have, namely, its resistance to all of the common priority attacks seen in Ubers, which are Bullet Punch and ExtremeSpeed. Jirachi also gets an extremely useful ability in Serene Grace, which allows Jirachi to easily outstall opposing Pokémon with Iron Head, which has a 60% chance of flinching the opponent, and this ability is capitalized by Jirachi's increased Speed thanks to Choice Scarf. Namely, Jirachi is best used on a team which requires a check against Swords Dance or Dragon Dance Rayquaza and/or Nasty Plot Darkrai, both of which are easily taken out by this set. Rayquaza is an extremely powerful sweeper in the metagame, and all of the common Choice Scarfers in Ubers fall to a +2 ExtremeSpeed from the Swords Dance set; Jirachi, however, has a resistance to Normal-type attacks, making it the perfect check to Swords Dance Rayquaza in the Uber tier. Darkrai is also a threatening sweeper in the Ubers metagame, and Jirachi's Iron Head should allow you to take it out a major portion of the time, provided you don't get unlucky with the flinch rate. Another big problem that other Choice Scarfers have that Jirachi does not is their weakness to Wobbufett, which is often used on a team to take out Choice Scarfers that may prevent another Pokémon on the opponent's team from sweeping. However, Jirachi has two very useful options in taking out Wobbufett: Iron Head and U-turn. Iron Head allows you to repeatedly flinch Wobbufett, making it unable to retaliate with Counter 40% of the time, while U-turn safely allows to you escape the clutches of Wobbufett's Shadow Tag ability.

The magic of Jirachi's viability as a revenge killer all comes down to the large movepool available to Jirachi, and the given moves for this set allows Jirachi to take down a variety of opponents. Iron Head is the bread-and-butter of this set, as with the added Speed boost from Choice Scarf, Jirachi will have an extremely easy time outspeeding most Pokémon you are likely to encounter, making it much easier to repeatedly flinch opponents without any drawbacks. Iron Head also benefits from STAB gained through Jirachi's Steel-typing, but don't expect to hit too hard regardless, as Jirachi has a really low Attack stat compared to the rest of the Ubers metagame. Trick is an extremely useful option for Jirachi, since it has problems getting through the defensive behemoths known as Giratina and Lugia. If you manage to use Trick on a timely switch, you have essentially crippled either Giratina or Lugia for the rest of the match. However, be warned that if you use Trick too early, Jirachi will lose the ability to take down Darkrai and Dragon Dance Rayquaza later in the game. U-turn is also a useful move for this set, particularly if you are unsure as to how the opponent will react when they see Jirachi - U-turn gives Jirachi a great scouting ability early- to mid-game. Finally, in the last slot, Ice Punch is the best option to use on this set. The reason for using Ice Punch is that Rayquaza is such a big threat as it is, and if you are unable to take it down with Iron Head, you could find yourself getting swept by Rayquaza. Fire Punch is also an option over U-turn or Ice Punch, as it allows you to hit Forretress switch-ins who expect to freely set up Spikes as you are forced to switch. Fire Punch also allows you to effective counter Lucario, which is also capable of taking down other common Scarfers with its own ExtremeSpeed. As an alternative option, you can drop Trick to run both Ice Punch and Fire Punch.

The given EVs allow Jirachi to work at its best for what it was meant to do. 216 Speed EVs allows Jirachi to outspeed positive base 95's and below, which includes Rayquaza, the number one reason to use Jirachi over any other Scarfer in the first place. Maximum Attack is used to allow Jirachi to hit as hard as possible, since a base 100 Attack stat in Ubers is pretty mediocre in comparison to the rest of the Pokémon in the tier. For example, Jirachi's Iron Head does anywhere from 47.16% - 55.67% to the standard 4/0 Darkrai, which will always 2HKO after Stealth Rock, even with Leftovers factored in. Rayquaza takes anywhere from 37.78% - 44.60% from the same attack, which is also a 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage. Stealth Rock support is required to OHKO Rayquaza with Ice Punch as well though, since Rayquaza does have a 25.64% chance of surviving Ice Punch at full health. Lastly, the rest of the EVs are dumped into HP to allow Jirachi to take weaker hits a little bit easier.

Generally, the most troublesome Pokémon to Jirachi are ones with either a particularly high Defense stats or those that pack a resist to Steel-type attacks. Unofrtunately, the list is not short. The most common Pokémon you are likely to encounter in either of these categories are Kyogre, Palkia, Dialga, Groudon, Giratina, Lugia, and Scizor. As such, when using Jirachi on your team, you will want to make sure you have a way to deal with the aforementioned Pokémon. Kyogre and Palkia will normally direct Water-type attacks at Jirachi, meaning Latias is one of the best candidates as a partner to Jirachi in order to take down both of the mentioned Pokémon. Thanks to Soul Dew, even Water Spout from Choice Specs Kyogre isn't able to KO Latias, meaning it can easily switch in and defeat it with repeated Grass Knots or Thunders. Palkia falls in a similar fashion, as a STAB Dragon Pulse will always OHKO Palkia, even without a Calm Mind. As a plus, Latias outspeeds both Kyogre and Palkia, meaning that Latias should always win against the two. On another note, Latias and Jirachi cover each other's weaknesses extremely well. Jirachi can switch into Dragon- and Ghost-type attacks aimed at Latias, while Latias can switch into Fire- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Jirachi. Latias can also take down Groudon if you are using Grass Knot, but you must be careful not to switch into a Dragon Claw, which is capable of severely damaging Latias. If Groudon is running Rock Polish, a Lugia or Giratina of your own is a good way to prevent it from sweeping to your team; Giratina is capable of crippling it with Will-O-Wisp, while Lugia can stall out Groudon with a combination of Reflect, Roost, and its Pressure ability. A specially defensive Groudon is a good way to keep Dialga in check, as Dialga is severely weak to Earthquakes coming off of Groudon's base 150 Attack stat, but Groudon must make sure not to switch into Choice Specs Draco Meteor, which can really wear out Groudon over time. Giratina and Lugia are both vulnerable to Dark- and Ghost-type attacks, making them extremely vulnerable to Pursuit from both Tyranitar and Scizor, especially if you manage to use Tickle from Wobbufett to lower their Defense stats. Scizor is best handled by anything with a Fire-type attack, as long as said attack still manages to OHKO Scizor even in the rain.

When using this set, it is recommend that you supply Jirachi with entry hazards support, namely in Stealth Rock and Spikes, with the former being the more important of the two. As explained before, Stealth Rock is required to get the necessary 2HKOes on Darkrai and Rayquaza, who can otherwise prove trouble if they manage to not get flinched by Iron Head on the one turn they would have fainted were Stealth Rock in play. Spikes is essential in wearing down the common switch-ins to Jirachi, namely Kyogre and Groudon, both of which lack a form of recovery of their own. With Spikes in play, Kyogre's Water Spout is significantly weaker, making it easier to switch in Latias or a specially defensive Dialga. Spikes also lessens the amount of turns needed to KO Wobbufett, giving it less chances to strike back with Counter. Deoxys-E is a good choice to lay down Stealth Rock and at least one layer of Spikes, as Deoxys-E manages to outspeed most of the common leads in the Uber metagame, bar Choice Scarf Darkrai and the rare Choice Scarf Shaymin and Mewtwo. Deoxys-E also prevents slower leads from setting down their own entry hazards, thanks to Taunt. If opting to use entry hazard support, it is essential that your team pack a Ghost-type to prevent Forretress from being able to use Rapid Spin to get rid of your entry hazards. Giratina is a good choice for this task, as it is capabe of burning Forretress with Will-O-Wisp to lessen the amount of damage Payback does, as well as being able to recover any damage taken with Rest. Giratina-O can be considered as well, but must watch out for Forretress's Payback, which deals an average of 30%.

[Team Options]
Jirachi is one of those Pokémon that works pretty well as a standalone Pokémon, especially with the high flinch rate from Serene Grace and Iron Head combined. However, entry hazards allow Jirachi to become a much more reliable revenge killer, as it lacks the raw power needed to OHKO most of the Pokémon you are likely trying to take down, as opposed to Palkia and Garchomp, both of whom have a high Special Attack and Attack stat respectively, combined with high powered attacks in Draco Meteor and Outrage. Stealth Rock support is the most useful out of the entry hazards that make Jirachi's job easier. With Stealth Rock on the field, Jirachi will always 2HKO Darkrai and Rayquaza with Iron Head, and always OHKO Rayquaza with Ice Punch. Spikes is a useful option in weakening Jirachi's common switch-ins, such as Kyogre and Groudon, both of whom immediately threaten Jirachi with their STAB attacks. Additionally, Toxic Spikes can also be considered to continously wear down Kyogre, Groudon, and Giratina, and when combined with Stealth Rock and Spikes, Jirachi will be much harder to counter. Reflect and Light Screen are also viable options for the "Ubers Wish Support" set if you want Jirachi to take less damage from incoming Ground- and Water-type attacks. Fire-type attacks aren't as much of a problem thanks to the infinitely lasting rain provided by Kyogre.

Offensively, Jirachi will have trouble getting past the common Water- and Steel-type Pokémon in the Uber metagame, which includes, but is not limited to, Kyogre, Palkia, Dialga, Forretress, and Scizor. Addtionally, any Pokémon with a high Defense stat will prove troublesome for Jirachi, namely Groudon, Lugia, and Giratina. Kyogre and Palkia, fortunately, share a somewhat similar similar list of checks. Latias is great at swtching into Water Spouts and Surfs aimed at Jirachi, and Latias can hit Kyogre with Grass Knot or Thunder and Palkia with Dragon Pulse. Even though Latias is weak to Palkia's Dragon-type attacks, very rarely will Palkia attempt to use such an attack on Jirachi, so switching in Latias is usually risk free if you have yet to reveal it to your opponent. Jirachi and Latias also complement each other really well type-wise, as Jirachi can switch into Ice- and Dragon-type attacks aimed at Latias, while Latias can switch into Ground- and Fire-type attacks aimed at Jirachi. Dialga is a bit more tough to take down to his high Special Attack stat, access to Draco Meteor, and numerous amount of resistances. Generally, a specially defensive Groudon will be your best option for handling Dialga, who can esily be worn down by Groudon's STAB Earthquake. When tackling Forretress and Scizor, you'll either want to hit them with a strong Fire-type attack or a powerful special STAB attack that can wear both down. A Dialga of your own can prove to be useful here, as Dialga packs a handy resistance to Bug-, Steel-, and Dark-type attacks often found on both Forretress and Scizor, and Dialga can utilize Fire Blast to take down both. Kyogre is also a good option (albeit it does have to watch out for switching into U-turn from Scizor), as its Drizzle ability instantly boosts the power of Kyogre's STAB Water-type attacks; active rain also reduces the amount of damage Jirachi takes from Fire-type attacks. Both Kyogre and Latias are good in weaking Groudon, as Kyogre can easily replace active sunshine with its own rain and OHKO Groudon with Surf or Water Spout, while Latias has an easy time switching into Earthquakes and threatening Groudon with Grass Knot. Lugia and Giratina can both be worn down by repeated super effective attacks, such as Ice Beam coming from a Life Orb Mewtwo or a Dragon Pulse coming from Calm Mind Latias. Scizor and Tyranitar are also excellent options in taking down the two, as Pursuit essentially "traps" both Pokemon, but for this strategy, Tickle support from Wobbufett is a must, as even a Pursuit from Choice Band Tyranitar doesn't OHKO either Lugia or Giratina, even on the switch.

Defensively, Jirachi will have trouble taking boosted attacks having been boosted by either Choice Specs or Calm Mind, as well as the standard Ground- and Fire-type attacks mentioned before. Normally, the strongest special attack you are likely to encounter is Choice Specs Kyogre's Water Spout, and to have a chance at not being KOed, Jirachi will usually want either Palkia or Latias as a partner to switch into Water-type attacks. Palkia has a 4x resist to Water-type attacks, and a Choice Specs Kyogre's Water Spout never 2HKOes Palkia. Latias depends on her high Special Defense stat and the effects of Soul Dew to switch into the same attack. Both are capable of outspeeding Kyogre and hitting back with Thunder. The most common Calm Mind users in the Uber tier are Giratina-O and Mewtwo. Unfortunately, Jirachi has no business trying to counter Giratina-O unless you are running the Choice Scarf set, as Giratina-O outspeeds Jirachi and can utilize Calm Mind to eventually defeat Jirachi with boosted Shadow Balls. The best counter to Giratina-O is something that can either "phaze" out Giratina-O with little risk to itself, set up alongside it to wear it down, or is a Steel-type with a good investment in Special Defense. A specially defensive Groudon can accomplish the first objective quite well with Roar, but won't enjoy taking repeated Dragon Pulses. Calm Mind Blissey can easily set up alongside Giratina-O and eventually take it out with Ice Beam. For the third objective, Light Screen Forretress with Payback is a good option, since Giratina-O rarely pack Hidden Power Fire, but unfortunately, Forretress shares the same Fire-type weakness with Jirachi, so caution is recommended when using both on the same team. Finally, Lugia is a good switch-in to most Ground-type attacks aimed at Jirachi, especially since it has access to Pressure, Reflect, and Roost to wear down Groudon, the strongest user of Ground-type attacks in the Uber tier. As explained many times before, Latias is also a worthwhile option to handle Groudon, but extreme caution is recommended when switching in, as a Rock Polish Groudon can easily set up on the switch and obliterate Latias with Dragon Claw.

Most of the problematic Pokémon you will encounter tend to be paired with each other, but there are some other teammates that you will want to consider carrying a counter or check to so your team does not get swept. For example, Kyogre's most common teammate is Palkia, a Pokémon that has already been mentioned as a counter before. Additionally, Darkrai and Rayquaza are both common teammates for Kyogre, and both are easily taken down by the Choice Scarf set. If using the Wish Support set, then Choice Scarf Garchomp is a good option in taking both down, although Garchomp must be wary of Swords Dance Rayquaza's +2 ExtremeSpeed, which has a chance of OHKOing Garchomp if it has switched in more than once into a layer of Spikes. Generally, a team using Jirachi should already be prepared to counter the most common teammates for the counters mentioned in the previous paragraps, as, already stated, most of Jirachi's counters are all found on the same team anyways.

[Other Options]

*Will be updated once Theorymon has confirmed other Jirachi sets he feels should be added*

[EVs]
Defensive variants of Jirachi will usually want max HP and a large investment in either Special Defense or Defense, depending on what type of attacks you want Jirachi to switch into. Generally, most defensive variants of Jirachi should run 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD along with a Careful nature. Running this EV spread allows Jirachi to switch into Palkia and Dialga's Draco Meteors with greater ease, will allow you to outstall Modest Kyogre's rain boosted non-Specs Surf (which only does 52.23% - 61.88%), and will always guarantee survival against non-boosted Adamant Rayquaza's Life Orbed Earthquake and Choice Scarf Garchomp's Earthquake 80% of the time. Physicall defensive versions of Jirachi would probably run a similar EV spread, but the presence of Groudon and Swords Dance / Dragon Dance Rayquaza really prevents Jirachi from being able to wall much in the physical spectrum in Ubers.

Physical offensive versions of Jirachi will always want to run max Attack, as you need to hit as hard as possible when most Pokémon already have a higher-than-average Defense stat. Generally, you will also want to run a Jolly nature with 216 Speed EVs, as they will allow you to always outspeed Rayquaza, which is important in preventing Rayquaza from obliterating you with Earthquake. The rest of the EVs can go into HP to allow you to take hits marginally better.

*Section may be updated when Theorymon helps out with more sets*

[Opinion]
Although Jirachi is normally seen in the OU tier, Jirachi is also an interesting option to consider for Uber teams. Jirachi is one of the few Steel-types in the game which can switch into the powerful Dragon-type attacks which dominate the Uber tier. Jirachi has many useful options to contribute to its teammates, namely serving as a useful revenge killer to all variants of Rayquaza, Mewtwo, and non-Substitute variants of Nasty Plot Darkrai, especially with the flinch rate of Iron Head factored in. All in all, Jirachi is always a useful Pokémon to consider if you need certain holes in your team patched up, or if you are just looking for something new to use.

[Counters]
Kyogre is probably the #1 counter to Jirachi in the Uber tier, as it is able to come in on any of Jirachi's most common attacking moves and easily bypass its defenses with a rain-boosted Surf or Water Spout. The Choice Specs set in particular can easily OHKO Jirachi with Water Spout, and even a Surf will leave a large dent on the most specially defensive variants of Jirachi. Calm Mind variants of Kyogre can set up on Jirachi with relative ease, especially if they are locked into a resisted move. Kyogre does have to be careful of switching into Body Slam or Toxic though, which can cripple Kyogre that do not carry Rest. Palkia sits in a similar boat as Kyogre, as the ever constant rain can easily boost Palkia's Water-type attacks to the point where they can overwhelm Jirachi. The rarely seen Manaphy is also a large threat to Jirachi, as it can easily set up on all variants of Jirachi with Tail Glow.

Steel-types in general will give most Jirachi sets trouble, as they can easily come in on a resisted Iron Head or on any of Jirachi's most common support moves. Choice Band Scizor can come in without much of a problem and use a U-turn to either weaken Jirachi or scout for counters. Metagross can easily dent Jirachi with a Choice Banded Earthquake. Dialga can also use Fire Blast to roast Jirachi with. Skarmory and Forretress will easily find time to come in on Jirachi and take the time to lay down entry hazards. However, Scizor, Metagross, Skarmory, and Forretress must be wary of being hit by Fire Punch, although both should be able to survive one hit, even without rain on the field.

The defensive behemoths of the Uber tier, Groudon, Giratina, and Lugia, will be able to switch into Jirachi with no problem at all. Groudon can easily take the oppurtunity to set up Swords Dance or Rock Polish, or even take the opportunity to use Roar to inflict more damage with entry hazards. Giratina can cripple Jirachi with a well timed Will-O-Wisp, and Rest negates any attempts Jirachi might take at trying to stall you out with Toxic. Lugia has Reflect and Roost to switch into Jirachi with little difficulty, and it can also take the time to use Whirlwind to inflict entry hazard damage. However, Groudon and Lugia must be careful of accidently switching into Toxic, and all three must be especially careful of switching into Trick.

Ho-oh has Sacred Fire to easily obliterate Jirachi with, but must be wary of repeated switch-ins into Stealth Rock. Garchomp can switch into most sets, outspeed, and have a large chance of OHKOing with Earthquake. Wobbufett is a safe bet to take on the Choice Scarf set, provided you switch into anything bar Iron Head, which can overwhelm Wobbufett with repeated flinches.

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As a final note, I want to let everyone know that Theorymon will be assisting me on other sets viable in the tier. He will be adding sets accordingly.

Also, I will be gone on vacation from 8/6/09 - 8/17/09. I appreciate everyone's cooperation. Thanks.

ferron · Aug 4th, 2009, 9:48:23 PM

Quote:

Apart from Metagross, Jirachi is the only Pokémon to sport a Steel/Psychic typing

bronzong?

other than that, it was seems well written.

tripe · Aug 4th, 2009, 9:53:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat ferron

bronzong?

other than that, it was seems well written.

Bronzong, almost never makes an appearance in the ubers tier.

**Stellar** · Aug 4th, 2009, 9:56:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat tripe

Bronzong, almost never makes an appearance in the ubers tier.

The sentence doesn't say, "Apart from Metagross, Jirachi is the only Pokémon commonly used in the Uber tier to sport a Steel / Psychic typing."

So it still needs changing. We need to be as factual here as possible.

tripe · Aug 4th, 2009, 10:16:20 PM

I disagree withing removing U-turn on the scarf set, because with only a 21.6% of 3 flinches occurring, that doesn't make very good odds. U-turn does around 29.92% to standard wobbuffet, which isn't bad, but allows Jirachi to escape and go to a more threatening sweeper or mixed attacker, such as Giratina-o, who should be mentioned in the offensive team comments, because he can remove non-bulky Groudon with draco meteor, non-specs Kyogre with thunder, Giratina, and Wobbuffet with somewhat of an easy time. Giratina can also switch into ground and fire attacks which Jirachi fears, and Jirachi can swap into dragon attacks, but both fear strong dark and ghost attacks.

~~Taokaka~~ · Aug 4th, 2009, 10:39:19 PM

This time I'm keeping it short and sweet because when trying to post before I was fucked over.

An updated Wish passer set with Wish, Thunder Wave, U-Turn, Iron Head would be much more suitable for the current Uber metagame. The set in the analysis now was used to counter specific threats such as the Lati twins and various special attackers. However recently with the increase in anything from Scizor to Blissey Pokemon such as Latias are not seen as much as they used to be.

For that reason I believe the set I posted is easier to fit in your team since it can easily cripple the large amount of fast offensive sweepers. The EV's can remain the same, however a slight change may be preferred. Throwing some EV's into attack can make it easier for Jirachi to deal some better damage to Pokemon such as Mewtwo.

***credit for the set goes to loco and duh since i pretty much stole it from them in ou.

Fireburn · Aug 4th, 2009, 10:45:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Flashstorm1

http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/jirachi

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Changes:

Added in individual Uber sets and descriptions
Added in team options for all sets, which are in purple
Added in respective Team Options section
Updated the Other Options, EVs, Opinion, and Counters section for ubers

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[SET]
name: Ubers Wish Support
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Toxic / Body Slam
nature: Careful
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Jirachi is a relatively uncommon Pokémon in the Uber tier, as it is usually ignored in favor of Blissey in regards to "Wish Passing". However, there are many traits that makes Jirachi a unique Pokémon in the Uber tier, most notably its typing and great defensive stats. Apart from Metagross, Jirachi is the only Pokémon commonly used in the Uber tier to sport a Steel / Psychic typing, allowing Jirachi to act as a great defensive buffer to the most common attacks in the Uber tier. (I think Bronzong at least deserves some sort of mention, as it shares Jirachi's typing.) Jirachi is easily able to come in on Dragon- and Ice-type attacks, with the former being one of the most devastating attacking types in Ubers. Jirachi also packs (Removed a) useful neutralities to Fighting, Bug-, Ghost-, Dark-, Electric-, and Water-type attacks, making it difficult to take down Jirachi without being able to hit it with a super effective attack - this fact is made worse when Kyogre, one of the most common Pokémon in the Uber tier, cancels out Jirachi's weakness to Fire-type attacks, thanks to its unique ability in Drizzle.

What makes Jirachi so much more different than Metagross is its unique movepool, giving it access to a lot of possible roles that Metagross could not undertake. Jirachi's access to Wish makes it extremely useful for keeping other team members alive, especially those without any suitable form of recovery, such as Palkia. Protect is required on this set to prevent Jirachi from being 2HKOed by some of the more powerful attacks in Ubers, such as Modest Kyogre's Rain-boosted (non-Choice Specs) Surf, which deals anywhere from 52.23% - 61.88% to Jirachi. Toxic, when combined with both Wish and Protect, allows you to take down many of the common special attackers in Ubers, such as the aforementioned Kyogre, Palkia, Darkrai, and some variants of Giratina-O. U-turn is an extremely useful move for this set, as it allows Jirachi to safely pass a Wish to a weakened teammate, without having to worry about it taking damage from the opponent, and with Jirachi's low Speed investment, very rarely will Jirachi use U-turn before the opponent. U-turn is also helpful in being able to escape Wobbuffet's Shadow Tag, which can be very crippling to this set, as Jirachi has no reliable attacking moves and can easily give the opponent a free turn of set-up. Body Slam is an option over Toxic if you want to have a chance of paralyzing faster sweepers like Darkrai, which are made useless when crippled by the effects of paralysis.

The given EV spread allows Jirachi to repeatedly come into the high powered special attacks in Ubers, in particular Draco Meteor, and it also protects Jirachi from unsuspected Fire Blasts coming from Palkia or Dialga, which have a tendency to use their respective exclusive items to bluff a Choice item. The given EV spread also gives extra insurance against Life Orb Rayquaza's Overheat, and, as a bonus, Jirachi is never OHKOed by Adamant Life Orb Rayquaza's Earthquake, even with Stealth Rock damage factored in. Jirachi also survives a Choice Scarf Garchomp's Earthquake 80% of the time when at full health. Jirachi is also an effective switch-in to Darkrai without Nasty Plot, but very rarely will Darkrai not run Nasty Plot, unless it is in the lead position, so switching Jirachi into Darkrai is not recommended.

Jirachi's great defensive typing and access to Wish allows it to easily fit into most teams in need of a Steel-type and/or a "Wish Passer". Many of the game's strongest sweepers, such as Kyogre and Rayquaza, tend to get worn down from entry hazards, so the Wish support is greatly appreciated. Jirachi can easily come into Grass-type attacks aimed at Kyogre, and Dragon-, Rock-, and Ice-type attacks aimed at Rayquaza, and use the free turn to use Wish, and then U-turn back to the weakened Pokémon on the next turn. Rayquaza will have the easiest time in switching into Jirachi's counters, which will often launch a powerful Ground- or Fire-type attack to dispose of Jirachi, both of which do not affect or are resisted by Rayquaza. Kyogre also has an easy time switching into Fire-type attacks aimed at Jirachi and using the next turn to launch a full powered Water Spout thanks to the recovery effects of Wish. Apart from Rayquaza, most Pokémon who lack a form of recovery of their own will greatly appreciate having Jirachi as a partner; some of these Pokémon include Palkia, Giratina-o, and Darkrai, none of which share any common weaknesses with Jirachi.

As mentioned before, Jirachi has a difficult time against Ground-types like Groudon and Garchomp, so anything that can switch into the two and take them down would also be a beneficial partner to Jirachi. Wobbuffet is one of the best choices to consider, thanks to its ability, which will prevent any of Jirachi's counters from switching. Against Groudon, Wobbuffet can easily use Encore on any of its attacks and then use either Counter if Groudon is locked into Earthquake, or Safeguard if Groudon is locked into a status move such as Thunder Wave or Toxic. Wobbuffet can easily deal with any Choice Scarf Garchomp, as not as it is not locked into Outrage, which has a small chance of 2HKOing Wobbuffet, especially if entry hazards are up. In both scenarios, you could even switch in one of your own sweepers, such as Giratina-O and Shaymin-S, both of which are immune to Ground-type attacks, and then take the free turn to set up a Substitute or use any other move of your choice. Jirachi, in return, is able to keep Wobbuffet healthy through Wish, making it nearly impossible to take down and cause an even greater annoyance to the opponent. Even Giratina-O and Shaymin-S would appreciate the same Wish support, as both can be repeatedly worn down from repeated switches into Stealth Rock; both are also able to easily come in on Ground-type attacks aimed at Jirachi, which in turn, can switch into Ice-type attacks aimed at Giratina-O and Shaymin-S. (I would point out that Shaymin-S shares a Fire weakness with Jirachi.)

[SET]
name: Ubers Choice Scarf
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Trick
move 3: U-turn / Fire Punch
move 4: Ice Punch / Fire Punch
nature: Jolly
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Although Jirachi is often overlooked in favor of Palkia, Garchomp, and Darkrai when it comes to "revenge killing" opponents, Jirachi does have some qualities that the others do not have, namely (Removed comma) its resistance to all of the common priority attacks seen in Ubers, which are Bullet Punch and ExtremeSpeed. Jirachi also gets an extremely useful ability in Serene Grace, which allows Jirachi to easily outstall opposing Pokémon with Iron Head, which has a 60% chance of flinching the opponent, and this ability is capitalized by Jirachi's increased Speed thanks to Choice Scarf. Namely, Jirachi is best used on a team which requires a check against Swords Dance or Dragon Dance Rayquaza and/or Nasty Plot Darkrai, both of which are easily taken out by this set. Rayquaza is an extremely powerful sweeper in the metagame, and all of the common Choice Scarfers in Ubers fall to a +2 ExtremeSpeed from the Swords Dance set (Except Dialga); Jirachi, however, has a resistance to Normal-type attacks, making it the perfect check to Swords Dance Rayquaza in the Uber tier. Darkrai is also a threatening sweeper in the Ubers metagame, and Jirachi's Iron Head should allow you to take it out a major portion of the time, provided you don't get unlucky with the flinch rate. Another big problem that other Choice Scarfers have that Jirachi does not is their weakness to Wobbuffet, which is often used on a team to take out Choice Scarfers that may prevent another Pokémon on the opponent's team from sweeping. However, Jirachi has two very useful options in taking out Wobbuffet: Iron Head and U-turn. Iron Head allows you to repeatedly flinch Wobbuffet, making it unable to retaliate with Counter 40% of the time, while U-turn safely allows to you escape the clutches of Wobbufett's Shadow Tag ability.

The magic of Jirachi's viability as a revenge killer all comes down to the large movepool available to Jirachi, and the given moves for this set allows Jirachi to take down a variety of opponents. Iron Head is the bread and butter of this set, as with the added Speed boost from Choice Scarf, Jirachi will have an extremely easy time outspeeding most Pokémon you are likely to encounter, making it much easier to repeatedly flinch opponents without any drawbacks. Iron Head also benefits from STAB gained through Jirachi's Steel-typing, but don't expect to hit too hard regardless, as Jirachi has a really low Attack stat compared to the rest of the Ubers metagame. Trick is an extremely useful option for Jirachi, since it has problems getting through the defensive behemoths known as Giratina and Lugia. If you manage to use Trick on a timely switch, you have essentially crippled either Giratina or Lugia for the rest of the match. However, be warned that if you use Trick too early, Jirachi will lose the ability to take down Darkrai and Dragon Dance Rayquaza later in the game. U-turn is also a useful move for this set, particularly if you are unsure as to how the opponent will react when they see Jirachi - U-turn gives Jirachi a great scouting ability early- to mid-game. Finally, in the last slot, Ice Punch is the best option to use on this set. The reason for using Ice Punch is that Rayquaza is such a big threat as it is, and if you are unable to take it down with Iron Head, you could find yourself getting swept by Rayquaza. Fire Punch is also an option over U-turn or Ice Punch, as it allows you to hit Forretress switch-ins who expect to freely set up Spikes as you are forced to switch. Fire Punch also allows you to effective counter Lucario, which is also capable of taking down other common Scarfers with its own ExtremeSpeed. As an alternative option, you can drop Trick to run both Ice Punch and Fire Punch.

The given EVs allow Jirachi to work at its best for what it was meant to do. 216 Speed EVs allows Jirachi to outspeed positive base 95's and below, which includes Rayquaza, the number one reason to use Jirachi over any other Scarfer in the first place. Maximum Attack is used to allow Jirachi to hit as hard as possible, since a base 100 Attack stat in Ubers is pretty mediocre in comparison to the rest of the Pokémon in the tier. For example, Jirachi's Iron Head does anywhere from 47.16% - 55.67% to the standard 4/0 Darkrai, which will always 2HKO after Stealth Rock, even with Leftovers factored in. Rayquaza takes anywhere from 37.78% - 44.60% from the same attack, which is also a 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage. Stealth Rock support is required to OHKO Rayquaza with Ice Punch as well though, since Rayquaza does have a 25.64% chance of surviving Ice Punch at full health. Lastly, the rest of the EVs are dumped into HP to allow Jirachi to take weaker hits a little bit easier.

Generally, the most troublesome Pokémon to Jirachi are ones with either a particularly high Defense stats or those that pack a resist to Steel-type attacks. Unfortunately, the list is not short. The most common Pokémon you are likely to encounter in either of these categories are Kyogre, Palkia, Dialga, Groudon, Giratina, Lugia, and Scizor. As such, when using Jirachi on your team, you will want to make sure you have a way to deal with the aforementioned Pokémon. Kyogre and Palkia will normally direct Water-type attacks at Jirachi, meaning Latias is one of the best candidates as a partner to Jirachi in order to take down both of the mentioned Pokémon. Thanks to Soul Dew, even Water Spout from Choice Specs Kyogre isn't able to KO Latias, meaning it can easily switch in and defeat it with repeated Grass Knots or Thunders. Palkia falls in a similar fashion, as a STAB Dragon Pulse will always OHKO Palkia, even without a Calm Mind. As a plus, Latias outspeeds both Kyogre and Palkia, meaning that Latias should always win against the two (Palkia can beat Latias if its Scarfed some of the time). On another note, Latias and Jirachi cover each other's weaknesses extremely well. Jirachi can switch into Dragon- and Ghost-type attacks aimed at Latias, while Latias can switch into Fire- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Jirachi. Latias can also take down Groudon if you are using Grass Knot, but you must be careful not to switch into a Dragon Claw, which is capable of severely damaging Latias. If Groudon is running Rock Polish, a Lugia or Giratina of your own is a good way to prevent it from sweeping to your team; Giratina is capable of crippling it with Will-O-Wisp, while Lugia can stall out Groudon with a combination of Reflect, Roost, and its Pressure ability. A specially defensive Groudon is a good way to keep Dialga in check, as Dialga is severely weak to Earthquakes coming off of Groudon's base 150 Attack stat, but Groudon must make sure not to switch into Choice Specs Draco Meteor, which can really wear out Groudon over time. Giratina and Lugia are both vulnerable to Dark- and Ghost-type attacks, making them extremely vulnerable to Pursuit from both Tyranitar and Scizor, especially if you manage to use Tickle from Wobbuffet to lower their Defense stats. Scizor is best handled by anything with a Fire-type attack, as long as said attack still manages to OHKO Scizor even in the rain (And as long as Scizor can't hurt them that much, so mention one or two specific counters.).

When using this set, it is recommended that you supply Jirachi with entry hazards support, namely in Stealth Rock and Spikes, with the former being the more important of the two. As explained before, Stealth Rock is required to get the necessary 2HKOes on Darkrai and Rayquaza, who can otherwise prove trouble if they manage to not get flinched by Iron Head on the one turn they would have fainted were Stealth Rock in play. Spikes is essential in wearing down the common switch-ins to Jirachi, namely Kyogre and Groudon, both of which lack a form of recovery of their own. With Spikes in play, Kyogre's Water Spout is significantly weaker, making it easier to switch in Latias or a specially defensive Dialga. Spikes also lessens the amount of turns needed to KO Wobbuffet, giving it less chances to strike back with Counter. Deoxys-E is a good choice to lay down Stealth Rock and at least one layer of Spikes, as Deoxys-E manages to outspeed most of the common leads in the Uber metagame, bar Choice Scarf Darkrai and the rare Choice Scarf Shaymin-S and Mewtwo. Deoxys-E also prevents slower leads from setting down their own entry hazards, thanks to Taunt. If opting to use entry hazard support, it is essential that your team pack a Ghost-type to prevent Forretress from being able to use Rapid Spin to get rid of your entry hazards. Giratina is a good choice for this task, as it is capable of burning Forretress with Will-O-Wisp to lessen the amount of damage Payback does, as well as being able to recover any damage taken with Rest. Giratina-O can be considered as well, but must watch out for Forretress's Payback, which deals an average of 30% to it.

[Team Options]
Jirachi is one of those Pokémon that works pretty well as a standalone Pokémon, especially with the high flinch rate from Serene Grace and Iron Head combined. However, entry hazards allow Jirachi to become a much more reliable revenge killer, as it lacks the raw power needed to OHKO most of the Pokémon you are likely trying to take down, as opposed to Palkia and Garchomp, both of whom have a high Special Attack and Attack stat respectively, combined with high powered attacks in Draco Meteor and Outrage. Stealth Rock support is the most useful out of the entry hazards that make Jirachi's job easier. With Stealth Rock on the field, Jirachi will always 2HKO Darkrai and Rayquaza with Iron Head, and always OHKO Rayquaza with Ice Punch. Spikes is a useful option in weakening Jirachi's common switch-ins, such as Kyogre and Groudon, both of whom immediately threaten Jirachi with their STAB attacks. Additionally, Toxic Spikes can also be considered to continously wear down Kyogre, Groudon, and Giratina, and when combined with Stealth Rock and Spikes, Jirachi will be much harder to counter. Reflect and Light Screen are also viable options for the "Ubers Wish Support" set if you want Jirachi to take less damage from incoming Ground- and Water-type attacks. Fire-type attacks aren't as much of a problem thanks to the infinitely lasting rain provided by Kyogre. (I think you should point out specific Pokemon who can provide this support.)

Offensively, Jirachi will have trouble getting past the common Water- and Steel-type Pokémon in the Uber metagame, which includes, but is not limited to, Kyogre, Palkia, Dialga, Forretress, and Scizor. Additionally, any Pokémon with a high Defense stat will prove troublesome for Jirachi, namely Groudon, Lugia, and Giratina. Kyogre and Palkia, fortunately, share a somewhat similar similar list of checks. Latias is great at swtching into Water Spouts and Surfs aimed at Jirachi, and Latias can hit Kyogre with Grass Knot or Thunder and Palkia with Dragon Pulse. Even though Latias is weak to Palkia's Dragon-type attacks, very rarely will Palkia attempt to use such an attack on Jirachi, so switching in Latias is usually risk free if you have yet to reveal it to your opponent. Jirachi and Latias also complement each other really well typewise, as Jirachi can switch into Ice- and Dragon-type attacks aimed at Latias, while Latias can switch into Ground- and Fire-type attacks aimed at Jirachi. Dialga is a bit more tough to take down to his high Special Attack stat, access to Draco Meteor, and numerous amount of resistances. Generally, a specially defensive Groudon will be your best option for handling Dialga, who can easily be worn down by Groudon's STAB Earthquake. When tackling Forretress and Scizor, you'll either want to hit them with a strong Fire-type attack or a powerful special STAB attack that can wear both down. A Dialga of your own can prove to be useful here, as Dialga packs a handy resistance to Bug-, Steel-, and Dark-type attacks often found on both Forretress and Scizor, and Dialga can utilize Fire Blast to take down both. Kyogre is also a good option (albeit it does have to watch out for switching into U-turn from Scizor), as its Drizzle ability instantly boosts the power of Kyogre's STAB Water-type attacks; active rain also reduces the amount of damage Jirachi takes from Fire-type attacks. Both Kyogre and Latias are good in weakening Groudon, as Kyogre can easily replace active sunshine with its own rain and OHKO Groudon with Surf or Water Spout, while Latias has an easy time switching into Earthquakes and threatening Groudon with Grass Knot. Lugia and Giratina can both be worn down by repeated super effective attacks, such as Ice Beam coming from a Life Orb Mewtwo or a Dragon Pulse coming from Calm Mind Latias. Scizor and Tyranitar are also excellent options in taking down the two, as Pursuit essentially "traps" both Pokemon, but for this strategy, Tickle support from Wobbuffet is a must, as even a Pursuit from Choice Band Tyranitar doesn't OHKO either Lugia or Giratina, even on the switch.

Defensively, Jirachi will have trouble taking boosted attacks having been boosted by either Choice Specs or Calm Mind, as well as the standard Ground- and Fire-type attacks mentioned before. Normally, the strongest special attack you are likely to encounter is Choice Specs Kyogre's Water Spout, and to have a chance at not being KOed, Jirachi will usually want either Palkia or Latias as a partner to switch into Water-type attacks. Palkia has a 4x resist to Water-type attacks, and a Choice Specs Kyogre's Water Spout never 2HKOes Palkia. Latias depends on her high Special Defense stat and the effects of Soul Dew to switch into the same attack. Both are capable of outspeeding Kyogre and hitting back with Thunder. The most common Calm Mind users in the Uber tier are Giratina-O and Mewtwo. Unfortunately, Jirachi has no business trying to counter Giratina-O unless you are running the Choice Scarf set, as Giratina-O outspeeds Jirachi and can utilize Calm Mind to eventually defeat Jirachi with boosted Shadow Balls. The best counter to Giratina-O is something that can either "phaze" out Giratina-O with little risk to itself, set up alongside it to wear it down, or is a Steel-type with a good investment in Special Defense. A specially defensive Groudon can accomplish the first objective quite well with Roar, but won't enjoy taking repeated Dragon Pulses. Calm Mind Blissey can easily set up alongside Giratina-O and eventually take it out with Ice Beam. For the third objective, Light Screen Forretress with Payback is a good option, since Giratina-O rarely pack Hidden Power Fire, but unfortunately, Forretress shares the same Fire-type weakness with Jirachi, so caution is recommended when using both on the same team. Finally, Lugia is a good switch-in to most Ground-type attacks aimed at Jirachi, especially since it has access to Pressure, Reflect, and Roost to wear down Groudon, the strongest user of Ground-type attacks in the Uber tier (Garchomp should also be mentioned.). As explained many times before, Latias is also a worthwhile option to handle Groudon, but extreme caution is recommended when switching in, as a Rock Polish Groudon can easily set up on the switch and obliterate Latias with Dragon Claw.

Most of the problematic Pokémon you will encounter tend to be paired with each other, but there are some other teammates that you will want to consider carrying a counter or check to so your team does not get swept. For example, Kyogre's most common teammate is Palkia, a Pokémon that has already been mentioned as a counter before. Additionally, Darkrai and Rayquaza are both common teammates for Kyogre, and both are easily taken down by the Choice Scarf set. If using the Wish Support set, then Choice Scarf Garchomp is a good option in taking both down, although Garchomp must be wary of Swords Dance Rayquaza's +2 ExtremeSpeed, which has a chance of OHKOing Garchomp if it has switched (Removed in) more than once into a layer of Spikes. Generally, a team using Jirachi should already be prepared to counter the most common teammates for the counters mentioned in the previous paragraps, as, already stated, most of Jirachi's counters are all found on the same team anyways.

[Other Options]

*Will be updated once Theorymon has confirmed other Jirachi sets he feels should be added*

[EVs]
Defensive variants of Jirachi will usually want max HP and a large investment in either Special Defense or Defense, depending on what type of attacks you want Jirachi to switch into. Generally, most defensive variants of Jirachi should run 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD along with a Careful nature. Running this EV spread allows Jirachi to switch into Palkia and Dialga's Draco Meteors with greater ease, will allow you to outstall Modest Kyogre's rain boosted non-Specs Surf (which only does 52.23% - 61.88%), and will always guarantee survival against non-boosted Adamant Rayquaza's Life Orbed Earthquake and Choice Scarf Garchomp's Earthquake 80% of the time. Physicall defensive versions of Jirachi would probably run a similar EV spread, but the presence of Groudon and Swords Dance / Dragon Dance Rayquaza really prevents Jirachi from being able to wall much in the physical spectrum in Ubers.

Physically offensive versions of Jirachi will always want to run max Attack, as you need to hit as hard as possible when most Pokémon already have a higher-than-average Defense stat. Generally, you will also want to run a Jolly nature with 216 Speed EVs, as they will allow you to always outspeed Rayquaza, which is important in preventing Rayquaza from obliterating you with Earthquake. The rest of the EVs can go into HP to allow you to take hits marginally better.

*Section may be updated when Theorymon helps out with more sets*

[Opinion]
Although Jirachi is normally seen in the OU tier, Jirachi is also an interesting option to consider for Uber teams. Jirachi is one of the few Steel-types in the game which can switch into the powerful Dragon-type attacks which dominate the Uber tier. Jirachi has many useful options to contribute to its teammates, namely serving as a useful revenge killer to all variants of Rayquaza, Mewtwo, and non-Substitute variants of Nasty Plot Darkrai, especially with the flinch rate of Iron Head factored in. All in all, Jirachi is generally outclassed in the Uber tier, either by Scizor and Metagross in terms of typing, Palkia and Dialga in terms of revenge killing, and even Latias in terms of Wish passing (excluding the presence of Pursuit), but Jirachi is always a useful Pokémon to consider if you need certain holes in your team patched up, or if you are just looking for something new to use. (I wouldn't exactly say Jirachi is outclassed, it has several advantages over the aforementioned Pokemon that it can take advantage of.)

[Counters]
Kyogre is probably the #1 counter to Jirachi in the Uber tier, as it is able to come in on any of Jirachi's most common attacking moves and easily bypass its defenses with a rain-boosted Surf or Water Spout. The Choice Specs set in particular can easily OHKO Jirachi with Water Spout, and even a Surf will leave a large dent on the most specially defensive variants of Jirachi. Calm Mind variants of Kyogre can set up on Jirachi with relative ease, especially if they are locked into a resisted move. Kyogre does have to be careful of switching into Body Slam or Toxic though, which can cripple Kyogre that do not carry Rest. Palkia sits in a similar boat as Kyogre, as the ever constant rain can easily boost Palkia's Water-type attacks to the point where they can overwhelm Jirachi. The rarely seen Manaphy is also a large threat to Jirachi, as it can easily set up on all variants of Jirachi with Tail Glow.

Steel-types in general will give most Jirachi sets trouble, as they can easily come in on a resisted Iron Head or on any of Jirachi's most common support moves. Choice Band Scizor can come in without much of a problem and use a U-turn to either weaken Jirachi or scout for counters. Metagross can easily dent Jirachi with a Choice Banded Earthquake. Dialga can also use Fire Blast to roast Jirachi with. Skarmory and Forretress will easily find time to come in on Jirachi and take the time to lay down entry hazards. However, Scizor, Metagross, Skarmory, and Forretress must be wary of being hit by Fire Punch, although both should be able to survive one hit, even without rain on the field.

The defensive behemoths of the Uber tier, Groudon, Giratina, and Lugia, will be able to switch into Jirachi with no problem at all. Groudon can easily take the oppurtunity to set up Swords Dance or Rock Polish, or even take the opportunity to use Roar to inflict more damage with entry hazards. Giratina can cripple Jirachi with a well timed Will-O-Wisp, and Rest negates any attempts Jirachi might take at trying to stall you out with Toxic. Lugia has Reflect and Roost to switch into Jirachi with little difficulty, and it can also take the time to use Whirlwind to inflict entry hazard damage. However, Groudon and Lugia must be careful of accidently switching into Toxic, and all three must be especially careful of switching into Trick.

Ho-oh has Sacred Fire to easily obliterate Jirachi with, but must be wary of repeated switch-ins into Stealth Rock. Garchomp can switch into most sets, outspeed, and have a large chance of OHKOing with Earthquake. Wobbuffet is a safe bet to take on the Choice Scarf set, provided you switch into anything bar Iron Head, which can overwhelm Wobbuffet with repeated flinches.

----

As a final note, I want to let everyone know that Theorymon will be assisting me on other sets viable in the tier. He will be adding sets accordingly.

Also, I will be gone on vacation from 8/6/09 - 8/17/09. I appreciate everyone's cooperation. Thanks.

Nice job Flash.

Flashstorm1 · Aug 4th, 2009, 11:00:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Taokaka

This time I'm keeping it short and sweet because when trying to post before I was fucked over.

An updated Wish passer set with Wish, Thunder Wave, U-Turn, Iron Head would be much more suitable for the current Uber metagame. The set in the analysis now was used to counter specific threats such as the Lati twins and various special attackers. However recently with the increase in anything from Scizor to Blissey Pokemon such as Latias are not seen as much as they used to be.

For that reason I believe the set I posted is easier to fit in your team since it can easily cripple the large amount of fast offensive sweepers. The EV's can remain the same, however a slight change may be preferred. Throwing some EV's into attack can make it easier for Jirachi to deal some better damage to Pokemon such as Mewtwo.

***credit for the set goes to loco and duh since i pretty much stole it from them in ou.

I and several users in #ubers have discussed this set and we have *somewhat* agreed that two sets might need to be used. Our reasoning so far has been that the previous set is more defensive that this set, which is basically geared to hit as initially hard as possible while recovering HP as needed.

Any comments on this?

Also thanks for the proofread Fireburn. I'm going to wait on updating though until we get our current dilemma with the WishPasser set figured out.

**Theorymon** · Aug 5th, 2009, 4:49:30 PM

I think you should get the outclassed comment out of the opinion, Jirachi really isn't outclassed in Ubers due to its typing, movepool, ability, and 100 base Speed. Also, I am testing several Jirachi sets (Expert Belt and Calm Mind ATM), so Jirachi defintly needs some more tests due to its versatility.

Edit: BTW, do not expect the other sets for quite a while, they are going to require a lot of testing.

mtr · Aug 5th, 2009, 4:56:31 PM

I think it was Thorns that used a Jirachi as an Ubers anti-lead in one RMT. The purpose was to defeat Deoxys-S, Deoxys-A, and Darkrai by using Thunder Wave on both (Lum Berry deals with Darkrai's DVoid) and Iron Heading them to death. I've tested this, and it's certainly usable, but the new Kyogre and Groudon leads give it trouble. If the Ubers Celebi lead stays in its analysis, this should definitely go in there.

Fuzznip · Jan 22nd, 2010, 10:23:39 PM

Quote:

Ho-Oh has Sacred Fire to easily obliterate Jirachi with, but must be wary of repeated switch-ins into Stealth Rock.

Capitalize the second 'o' in Ho-oh.

Darkmalice · Apr 2nd, 2010, 5:32:51 AM

With Ubers Wish Jirachi, Thunder Wave should be mentioned in place of Body Slam. It's much more reliable, and Jirachi isn't going to be doing much damage with Body Slam anyway. It also prevents Giratina-O from switching in for free (along with Giratina and Gengar). For the two common Ground-types in Ubers, Groudon usually doesn't mind paralysis (and may actually enjoy it to provide protection against TSpikes, Toxic, and Dark Void), and Giratina-O is more common and usually more threatening than Garchomp. Or at the very least, it deserves a slash before Body Slam.

calze6 · Jul 11th, 2010, 4:34:47 AM

I'd like a sub wave set mentioned or added on to the current OU analysis. I have felt that it has worked very well in ubers by paralysing and flinching everything to death. In my opinion, thunder wave is more usefal than body slam as groudon and garchomp will kill jirachi regardless with earthquake whereas thunder wave is certain and hits giratina-o.

**Theorymon** · Jul 11th, 2010, 4:38:56 AM

Im not sure who is going to take this over, but I WILL make sure that is mentioned calze6, its been a great set for me as well

RaikouLover · Jul 11th, 2010, 3:46:32 PM

For the Uber's Wisher, I actually ran a Sassy nature and Thunder and had great results. Jirachi loves being partnered with Kyogre already so why not? It hits Lugia and other Kyogre harder (they love switching in).

AbsolDeath · Jul 13th, 2010, 12:00:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Darkmalice

With Ubers Wish Jirachi, Thunder Wave should be mentioned in place of Body Slam. It's much more reliable, and Jirachi isn't going to be doing much damage with Body Slam anyway. It also prevents Giratina-O from switching in for free (along with Giratina and Gengar). For the two common Ground-types in Ubers, Groudon usually doesn't mind paralysis (and may actually enjoy it to provide protection against TSpikes, Toxic, and Dark Void), and Giratina-O is more common and usually more threatening than Garchomp. Or at the very least, it deserves a slash before Body Slam.

T-Wave isn't exactly effective on this set because with it Groudon and Garchomp give great troubles to this set. I feel Toxic is a much better option as you can hit these Ground types as well as Toxic stall with Wish + Protect as opposed to paralyzing your opponent. It's good that you have U-Turn here to scout, rack up some damage and move to an effective counter. However, you could easily throw in a different attacking move such as Thunder to hit Kyogre who actually would love to come in on this set. The only real necessity for Body Slam is if you wanted to slow down a RP/SD Groudon, Choice Scarf Garchomp, or wanted to finish the game with a slower sweeper and wanted paralysis support. Regardless, Jirachi makes a great Wish supporter in Ubers as not only is it a Steel type, it also has effective base stats.

***Jibaku**** · Aug 28th, 2010, 2:02:20 PM

This analysis has been dead for quite a while. I rewrote Choice Scarf Jirachi and shortened it a bit, as well as focusing onto more of its role in the team than as a standalone Pokemon

...

The Wish set would also welcome a few changes. While the classic wisher set can stay, perhaps the most effective set in today's metagame is Wish/[TWave/Body Slam]/Iron Head/U-turn. I may not have the time to write that up so if someone can do it I would highly appreciate it. Actually, I would appreciate anyone updating this analysis in general, really, because it's been dead for exactly a year (-1 day).

calze6 · Aug 29th, 2010, 1:20:45 AM

Could I do it? I'm a common user of jirachi and would like to write a new analysis.

***Jibaku**** · Sep 6th, 2010, 12:57:37 PM

Sure

calze6 · Sep 7th, 2010, 2:12:04 AM

Do I rewrite the whole thing up or repost it in QC?

***Jibaku**** · Sep 7th, 2010, 10:58:45 AM

post skeleteon in QC. Once it's approved, you can post the whole thing

Aug 4th, 2009, 10:16:20 PM	#5
tripe Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 672 in a dream like state	I disagree withing removing U-turn on the scarf set, because with only a 21.6% of 3 flinches occurring, that doesn't make very good odds. U-turn does around 29.92% to standard wobbuffet, which isn't bad, but allows Jirachi to escape and go to a more threatening sweeper or mixed attacker, such as Giratina-o, who should be mentioned in the offensive team comments, because he can remove non-bulky Groudon with draco meteor, non-specs Kyogre with thunder, Giratina, and Wobbuffet with somewhat of an easy time. Giratina can also switch into ground and fire attacks which Jirachi fears, and Jirachi can swap into dragon attacks, but both fear strong dark and ghost attacks. Last edited by tripe; Aug 4th, 2009 at 10:17:58 PM. Reason: forgot the set i was talking about.

Aug 5th, 2009, 4:56:31 PM	#10
mtr Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,754	I think it was Thorns that used a Jirachi as an Ubers anti-lead in one RMT. The purpose was to defeat Deoxys-S, Deoxys-A, and Darkrai by using Thunder Wave on both (Lum Berry deals with Darkrai's DVoid) and Iron Heading them to death. I've tested this, and it's certainly usable, but the new Kyogre and Groudon leads give it trouble. If the Ubers Celebi lead stays in its analysis, this should definitely go in there. __________________ Huehuehue

Apr 2nd, 2010, 5:32:51 AM	#12
Darkmalice Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,178 Adelaide, Australia	With Ubers Wish Jirachi, Thunder Wave should be mentioned in place of Body Slam. It's much more reliable, and Jirachi isn't going to be doing much damage with Body Slam anyway. It also prevents Giratina-O from switching in for free (along with Giratina and Gengar). For the two common Ground-types in Ubers, Groudon usually doesn't mind paralysis (and may actually enjoy it to provide protection against TSpikes, Toxic, and Dark Void), and Giratina-O is more common and usually more threatening than Garchomp. Or at the very least, it deserves a slash before Body Slam. __________________ Wanna play Doubles? Check it out here! Let's make this metagame official!

Jul 11th, 2010, 3:46:32 PM	#15
RaikouLover Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,430	For the Uber's Wisher, I actually ran a Sassy nature and Thunder and had great results. Jirachi loves being partnered with Kyogre already so why not? It hits Lugia and other Kyogre harder (they love switching in). __________________ ImStillGood (Salamence) (M) @ Life Orb Trait: Intimidate EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Spd Rash Nature (+SAtk, -SDef) Draco Meteor / Flamethrower / Brick Break / Roost

Aug 28th, 2010, 2:02:20 PM	#17
*Jibaku I will bait you and outsmart you Super Moderator** Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 5,919 Foursquare, a sprained ankle, bottlecap ninjas, and wallball	This analysis has been dead for quite a while. I rewrote Choice Scarf Jirachi and shortened it a bit, as well as focusing onto more of its role in the team than as a standalone Pokemon ... [SET] name: Ubers Choice Scarf move 1: Iron Head move 2: U-turn move 3: Ice Punch / Fire Punch move 4: Trick nature: Jolly item: Choice Scarf evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe [SET COMMENTS] <p>When it comes into revenge killing, Jirachi is often overlooked in favor of fellow Choice Scarf holding Pokemon such as Garchomp, Palkia, and Dialga. Even though Jirachi lacks the raw power that they have, it boasts many qualities that they can only wish to have. One of these qualities is Jirachi's long list of resistances, most notably to Dragon- type moves, allowing Jirachi to more easily switch into the likes of Latios, Latias, Garchomp, and Rayquaza. Due to Jirachi's resistance to ExtremeSpeed as well as possessing a moderately high base 100 Speed, Jirachi can revenge kill both Swords Dance and Dragon Dance Rayquaza with ease, something only Choice Scarf Gengar can do otherwise. Finally, unlike other Choice Scarfers, Jirachi is remarkably difficult to trap via Wobbuffet as it can cripple it with Trick, escape its shadowy clutches via U-turn, or possibly flinch it to death with Iron Head.</p> <p>Iron Head is the bread-and-butter of this set, as with the added Speed boost from Choice Scarf, Jirachi will have an extremely easy time outspeeding most Pokémon you are likely to encounter, making it much easier to repeatedly flinch opponents. It is also Jirachi's strongest reliable physical attack - that said, however, don't expect it to hit hard due to Jirachi's overall mediocre offensive power as well as the fact that it is resisted by a number of Pokemon. However, the incredibly high chance of flinching granted via Serene Grace turn this into an mere illusion. Jirachi is capable of chaining a a few flinches now and then and inflict a great deal of damage. U-turn is a great move for maintaining momentum, allowing it to scout for potential switch ins as well as leaving quite a dent on the likes of Mewtwo, Latias, and Latios. Ice Punch is the preferred option on the third moveslot as it can easily dispatch of Rayquaza, Garchomp, and Shaymin-S, though the former two require a bit of residual damage to be knocked out by it. However, Fire Punch can be used to fry Forretress, Scizor, and Lucario, as all three can otherwise wall the set. Finally, Trick is great for crippling targets after Jirachi's job is done, and can be used in dire emergencies. However, be warned that Tricking too early forfeits Jirachi's role as a revenge killer, and furthermore, Trick fails against Giratina-O and does essentially nothing against other Choice Scarfers, so use with extreme care.</p> [ADDITIONAL COMMENTS] <p>The EVs are relatively simple. Maximizing Attack allows it to deal as much damage as possible - this is particularly important as its offensive prowess is rather lackluster. Maximum Speed allows it to speedtie with a Dragon Danced Salamence at worst. Even with no investment in bulk, Jirachi's naturally decent HP and Defenses, coupled with its resistances, allow it to absorb most resisted hits with ease.</p> <p>Jirachi is best fitted on a team that requires the use of all of its qualities, which are revenging both Swords Dance and Dragon Dance Rayquaza, Nasty Plot Darkrai, Calm Mind Mewtwo, and Latias and Latios. It should not have a team built around it, but it will appreciate the partnership of several Pokemon. Stealth Rock support is required so that it can land a clean OHKO on Rayquaza with Ice Punch, as well as 2HKOing Darkrai with Iron Head. Groudon, Tyranitar, and Deoxys-S are all excellent choices for that role. Spikes support is highly appreciated as well and it works extremely well in tandem with U-turn. Deoxys-S, Forretress, and Skarmory can provide the Spikes support. The last two can also aid Jirachi in taking Dragon-type attacks, as Jirachi lacks recovery and power, and thus can not be entirely relied on all the time on taking those powerful blows.</p> <p>As Jirachi fulfills the role of a revenge killer as well as a Steel-type, it makes fitting Latias and Latios easier on your team. Both of these Pokemon cover up all of Jirachi's weaknesses, while Jirachi resists their Dragon- and Ice- type weaknesses. Giratina-O is in a similar boat. Choice Scarf Jirachi can often land a U-turn on the likes of Mewtwo, Latias, and Latios as they fire attacks that threatens Jirachi, such as Thunder or Flamethrower (or in the latter two's case, Hidden Power Fire), only to have Giratina-O to absorb the ineffective hit instead. Giratina-O can then finish the remains of their HP with Shadow Sneak. For this tactic to have the most success, however, entry hazards are absolutely necessary, and Giratina-O preserves them thanks to its immunity to Rapid Spin.</p> <p>As mentioned before, Choice Scarf Jirachi lacks recovery and power, and repeated Dragon-type attacks from the likes of Dialga and Palkia will wear it down. Furthermore, Jirachi's weakness to Fire-type attacks means that it can be OHKOed if it switches in incorrectly. A backup Steel-type Pokemon is appreciated. Heatran in particular gets a nod as it can absorb Fire-type attacks that are aimed at Jirachi. The aforementioned Skarmory also help. Skarmory may have troubles with Mewtwo, Latias, and Latios, which Jirachi can cover to an extent, while Skarmory's immunity to Earthquake allows it to handle Garchomp and Groudon. Although Tyranitar is not a Steel-type Pokemon, its resistance to Fire-type attacks and boosted Special Defense grants it the ability to take on special Dragon-type attacks with moderate ease.</p> The Wish set would also welcome a few changes. While the classic wisher set can stay, perhaps the most effective set in today's metagame is Wish/[TWave/Body Slam]/Iron Head/U-turn. I may not have the time to write that up so if someone can do it I would highly appreciate it. Actually, I would appreciate anyone updating this analysis in general, really, because it's been dead for exactly a year (-1 day). __________________ Last edited by Jibaku; Aug 28th, 2010 at 2:18:42 PM.

Aug 4th, 2009, 10:39:19 PM	#6
~~Taokaka~~ Banned deucer. Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 44	This time I'm keeping it short and sweet because when trying to post before I was fucked over. An updated Wish passer set with Wish, Thunder Wave, U-Turn, Iron Head would be much more suitable for the current Uber metagame. The set in the analysis now was used to counter specific threats such as the Lati twins and various special attackers. However recently with the increase in anything from Scizor to Blissey Pokemon such as Latias are not seen as much as they used to be. For that reason I believe the set I posted is easier to fit in your team since it can easily cripple the large amount of fast offensive sweepers. The EV's can remain the same, however a slight change may be preferred. Throwing some EV's into attack can make it easier for Jirachi to deal some better damage to Pokemon such as Mewtwo. ***credit for the set goes to loco and duh since i pretty much stole it from them in ou.

Jul 11th, 2010, 4:34:47 AM	#13
calze6 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 548	I'd like a sub wave set mentioned or added on to the current OU analysis. I have felt that it has worked very well in ubers by paralysing and flinching everything to death. In my opinion, thunder wave is more usefal than body slam as groudon and garchomp will kill jirachi regardless with earthquake whereas thunder wave is certain and hits giratina-o.

Aug 29th, 2010, 1:20:45 AM	#18
calze6 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 548	Could I do it? I'm a common user of jirachi and would like to write a new analysis. __________________ Computer back up! The end of gyara... Trickroom: yeah Gyarados isn't that great in Ubers. Try Jellicent maybe, since it worked out great for me. Gyarados kinda lacks recovery and bad stats which is horrible.

Sep 6th, 2010, 12:57:37 PM	#19
*Jibaku I will bait you and outsmart you Super Moderator** Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 5,919 Foursquare, a sprained ankle, bottlecap ninjas, and wallball	Sure __________________

Sep 7th, 2010, 2:12:04 AM	#20
calze6 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 548	Do I rewrite the whole thing up or repost it in QC? __________________ Computer back up! The end of gyara... Trickroom: yeah Gyarados isn't that great in Ubers. Try Jellicent maybe, since it worked out great for me. Gyarados kinda lacks recovery and bad stats which is horrible.

Sep 7th, 2010, 10:58:45 AM	#21
*Jibaku I will bait you and outsmart you Super Moderator** Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 5,919 Foursquare, a sprained ankle, bottlecap ninjas, and wallball	post skeleteon in QC. Once it's approved, you can post the whole thing __________________