....so many god damn sets......
www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/blaziken
I think I may have tweaked one or two things. Notably, I added Adamant as a slash to the reversal set, and added Stone Edge as an option onto the mixed Scarf set.
[Overview]
<p>Blaziken is arguably one of the best wall breakers in the UU metagame, with its base 120 Attack and base 110 Special Attack. With a Fighting STAB to take out the special walls of the metagame, and a powerful Fire STAB to deal major damage, Blaziken is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Blaziken is one of the main reasons that Chansey is not used as a primary special wall as often as it should.</p>
<p>The main thing holding Blaziken back is its Speed coupled with poor defenses. Speed is very important for sweeping, and the fact that Blaziken can be easily revenge killed holds it back from sweeping effectively; Blaziken will ideally knock out one Pokemon, then be forced out or trapped by Dugtrio. However, Blaziken's offensive nature makes it very appealing for any team that needs something to break stall and balanced teams alike, while also providing some decent revenge killing power for offensive teams. Which brings up another advantage Blaziken has - it's a very versatile Pokemon with so many viable options. With so many possibilities, no one can ever be sure of what set it is running until it attacks.</p>
<p>In the OU metagame, Blaziken is generally outclassed by Infernape because of the latter's superior Speed and movepool, but Blaziken's role in the UU metagame can only be filled by a select few Pokemon, though none of them are as versatile. Nidoking can be used as a wall breaker with its superior Speed and movepool, but it lacks the brute force that Blaziken brings. Magmortar can also be a good wall breaker, but it bears a weakness to Stealth Rock and lacks the physical STAB Fighting attacks and priority to pull it off as effectively as well, though it hits a little harder than Blaziken from the special side. Blaziken has the benefit of having a secondary STAB that is enhanced by Blaze for Reversal sets, an advantage over Pokemon such as Medicham and Hitmonlee. For its Agility set, an advantage over other Agility users such as Moltres is that it has a STAB Fighting attack to dispose of Chansey and Clefable. Moltres, however, is much more durable and hits a little harder from the special side.</p>
<p>If you need a Pokemon to break down walls, revenge kill, or sweep late game, definitely consider Blaziken for a slot on your team with one of its many viable sets.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Choice
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Low Kick / Superpower
move 3: ThunderPunch
move 4: Stone Edge / Blaze Kick
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set focuses on using Blaziken's excellent Attack stat, coverage, and decent Speed. Blaziken's main attack is Flare Blitz which will OHKO almost any Pokemon that doesn't resist it. Superpower and Low Kick hit Rock-types for major damage, while also nailing most Water-types hard on the switch. ThunderPunch hits Water-types like Milotic for a 2HKO, as well as the troublesome Moltres, who resists both of Blaziken's STAB attacks. Stone Edge is in the fourth slot because it can hit opposing Fire-types and Altaria super effectively, while Blaze Kick is a great move to sweep with late game (especially if you are in Blaze range). These moves are backed by Blaziken's excellent attack stat which is 558 with an Adamant nature and Choice Band factored in.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Blaziken can be a powerful physical sweeper with its superior Attack stat and movepool. With two 120 Base Power STAB attacks coming off a base 120 Attack stat, many Pokemon will think twice before switching into this monster. ThunderPunch is an excellent move for Blaziken on this set, as a Choice Band boosted ThunderPunch always 2HKOs Milotic, which is one of the safer switch-ins to the other sets. The sheer power of a Choice Band boosted Flare Blitz can OHKO a good portion of the metagame on its own; there only a select few Pokemon who don't resist Flare Blitz that can survive a Flare Blitz (such as Donphan or Intimidate Hitmontop). It also 2HKOs most defensive Pokemon as well. Altaria, who would otherwise commonly switch into any of the other sets, is 2HKOed with Stealth Rock in play, and a predicted Stone Edge will even OHKO the poor dragon. The main disadvantage of using this set, however, is that Slowbro can switch into it all day, with ThunderPunch barely missing out on the 2HKO.</p>
<p>Superpower and Low Kick are both great moves for Blaziken, making it a tough choice to make for the second slot. Superpower and Low Kick both 2HKO Milotic. Superpower hits Pokemon like Omastar for a OHKO, while Low Kick gets the important 2HKO on many bulky Rock-types. With a Choice Band, Low Kick and Superpower are both effective; however, the Choice Scarf set prefers Superpower because of its more reliable immediate power.</p>
<p>With a Choice Scarf, Blaziken is a more powerful revenge killer than the mixed set, but it will not last as long due to recoil and may be set up on by a physically defensive Pokemon.</p>
<p>The reason Blaze Kick is an option on this set is because Flare Blitz comes with a price, recoil. However, Blaziken can use this recoil to its advantage and sweep teams late game with a Blaze boosted Blaze Kick, which has a nice 127.5 base power after Blaze is activated.</p>
<p>Spikes help this Blaziken set out a lot. With Spikes and Stealth Rock, Choice Band Blaziken can actually 2HKO Slowbro with ThunderPunch, and OHKO Donphan with Flare Blitz. With a Choice Scarf, Blaziken will appreciate any residual damage to compensate for the lack of power.</p>
<p>This Blaziken variant takes out many of the Pokemon that the Life Orb and Choice Specs sets cannot, such as Altaria, but gets walled by Pokemon such as Slowbro. As such, Blaziken benefits from a Pokemon who can easily switch in on Slowbro and threaten the opponent's team. A Pokemon like Venusaur, similar to the other sets, can switch in on Slowbro and threaten it with a STAB Grass attack.</p>
<p>Special attacking Pokemon in general appreciate the fact that Blaziken can take out many of the special walls with this set. Pokemon such as Alakazam, Espeon, Mismagius, and many other special attackers benefit from Altaria going down, as well as the other Pokemon taking their special hits with ease.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed (Priority) Attacker
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Superpower
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Vacuum Wave / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
nature: Mild / Rash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is designed to take advantage of Blaziken's great offensive stats and break down most of the walls in UU. The strategy is simple - send Blaziken in on a support move or a weak attack, such as Spiritomb's Will-O-Wisp or Stealth Rock from Registeel or Steelix. After this, proceed to hit the inevitable switch-in with Fire Blast or Superpower, and then finish them off with another hard-hitting attack, or Vacuum Wave if they outspeed Blaziken. An additional slower spread can be used that sacrifices outpacing key threats in order to get more KOs with Superpower.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Fire Blast will be your main attack, and Hidden Power is for the common Water-type switch-ins. Both Hidden Powers get the important 2HKOs on bulky Water-types such Slowbro who always falls to a Fire Blast followed by Hidden Power as long as Stealth Rock is in play. Other walls such as Registeel and Regice are dispatched by any of Blaziken's STAB attacks, and Chansey is easily OHKOed by Superpower, which lets another special sweeper dominate. Vacuum Wave helps Blaziken become a fairly decent revenge killer as well, nearly OHKOing dangerous Pokemon such as Omastar and Kabutops (if it does not carry Aqua Jet) in the rain.</p>
<p>Alternatively, Stone Edge over Vacuum Wave is viable to hit Altaria, who otherwise can safely switch into this set. Vacuum Wave is generally a better choice though, taking into account Blaziken's mediocre Speed and Vacuum Wave's revenge killing power.</p>
<p>Max Speed allows Blaziken to outspeed notably Absol, and tie with other base 80 Speed Pokemon. Superpower OHKOes Chansey with no Attack investment, so the rest of the EVs can go to Special Attack to deal as much damage as possible. Alternatively, 240 Atk / 252 SpA / 16 Spe allows much more firepower, giving Blaziken more of a stall breaking ability. 16 Spe beats minimum Milotic, who otherwise would counter Blaziken. Superpower will OHKO Lanturn with Stealth Rock, KO Gastrodon and Omastar after a Fire Blast, and KO Milotic after a Hidden Power. Superpower followed by Vacuum Wave is also Blaziken's only means of 2HKOing Azumarill before getting hit by Aqua Jet. The extra power may often benefit you over the extra Speed. Nature wise, Mild is useful if you want Blaziken to be switching into Houndoom's and Spiritomb's assaults, whereas Rash is more helpful against priority users such as Arcanine.</p>
<p>This Blaziken set is great at breaking your opponent's walls, such as Registeel, Chansey, and Slowbro, who may cause significant trouble for your sweepers. Mismagius and Alakazam make great teammates for Blaziken, because with Registeel and Chansey out of the way, they can set up a couple of Calm Minds and sweep the opponent's team. Pokemon such as Swords Dance Drapion can take advantage of a possible Steelix or Regirock kill as well, as they are solid counters to it. Azumarill is a good choice with Blaziken too, because with Slowbro out of the way, Azumarill can sweep more effectively. Stealth Rock is also needed to take advantage of this set, giving many more KOes.</p>
<p>Defensively, Venusaur is a great Pokemon to use alongside Blaziken, as it can take the Water-type attacks aimed at Blaziken, while dealing with the bulky Water-types that Blaziken may have trouble with. It is also recommended that you carry an Ice-type attack on your team when you use Blaziken, because Altaria severely hinders Blaziken's wall breaking power, especially as it's able to Roost off damage. Someone to take Ground-type attacks is appreciated as well - Mismagius makes a nice partner. It also combines well with Blaziken offensively, as Blaziken blows through Registeel, one of Mismagius's best counters. Alakazam can help eliminate Hariyama, who may otherwise give Blaziken problems with Thick Fat and great bulk.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Agility Sweeper
move 1: Agility
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Hidden Power Electric
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
nature: Rash
evs: 192 Atk / 252 SpA / 64 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This Blaziken set aims to take advantage of its wall-breaking abilities to set up a sweep for itself using Agility. Fire Blast and Superpower are nearly unresisted in UU, save for a couple Pokemon such Slowbro and Moltres which are hit hard by Hidden Power. The strategy is simple, you send out Blaziken on a weak or harmless attack and start wailing on the opponent's walls. Once a wall is in KO range, use Agility on the switch and begin to sweep.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>An oft-heard complaint about Blaziken is that while it hits hard, it lacks the Speed to actually sweep. This is remedied by utilizing Agility to take Blaziken's Speed to a whole new level and is one of its best shots at sweeping.</p>
<p>Fire Blast will be your main sweeping attack, and it really leaves its mark coming off of base 110 Special Attack. Superpower deals with what Fire Blast cannot, and the drops in Attack are not very important as you should be sweeping primarily with special moves. Finally, Hidden Power Electric is used for coverage against bulky Water- and Flying-types. Most importantly, it allows you to beat Moltres if Stealth Rock is up.</p>
<p>Naturally, Blaziken draws out its counters, but what is remarkable about Blaziken is that it can actually beat its counters before setting up its sweep. The EVs reflect this, allowing you to KO Milotic with Hidden Power followed by Superpower, assuming Stealth Rock in play. Maximum Special Attack allows Fire Blast to outright annihilate most things that do not resist it. 64 Speed EVs outspeeds Adamant Torterra before an Agility and Choice Scarf base 90s such as Moltres after an Agility.</p>
<p>The item choice is slightly tricky. Life Orb is preferred because of the damage output against neutrally-hit Pokemon such as Hariyama, but Expert Belt lets you bluff a Choice Scarf or Choice Specs set before you use Agility, and you take no recoil damage. A Rash nature is used over Mild because this set needs as much protection against priority attacks as possible.</p>
<p>This set works a lot like the previous set, but without priority; instead, it increases its Speed. Since this variant of Blaziken is a stand-alone sweeper (as in it breaks walls for itself), this set only has trouble with Pokemon like Altaria, Slowking, and Hariyama, who wall this set with their resistances and bulkiness. A Pokemon who can deal with Altaria is a must. Something like Scarf Glaceon or a bulky Rock-type do well in this regard. Stealth Rock also helps, taking away 25% from Altaria every time it switches in. Even though this set functions fine without any other boosts, it can benefit greatly from Calm Mind boosts from Espeon, who can Baton Pass to Blaziken on any Bug- or Dark-type attack.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Superpower
move 3: ThunderPunch / Stone Edge
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Rash / Mild
evs: 84 Atk / 184 SpA / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to reliably revenge kill as many threats as possible, while also maintaining some late-game sweeping power. Fire Blast will finish off many Pokemon quite easily, while Superpower will finish off most of the rest that Fire Blast wouldn't. With ThunderPunch or Stone Edge along with Hidden Power Ice, Blaziken can hit many Pokemon for super effective damage, which aids Blaziken with revenge killing. Once Blaziken had taken some residual damage or priority attacks, it can sweep late game with a Blaze boosted Fire Blast.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Blaziken's brilliant offensive stats are often offset by its mediocre Speed. This can be remedied by a Choice Scarf, which gives Blaziken a break from its usual wall breaking duties to becoming a good revenge killer and sweeper. With a Choice Scarf, Blaziken reaches 384 Speed, which outspeeds max Speed base 125s such as Swellow. Blaziken also boasts a STAB Fighting-type attack in Superpower, which always OHKOs Chansey and Clefable.</p>
<p>The advantage of using a mixed set over a purely physical set is that it broadens Blaziken's revenge killing spectrum, though it is slightly lower in power. With this set, Blaziken can open with a STAB Fire Blast to deal a lot of damage to whatever it is attempting to revenge kill, and it works well as an opportunity to scout your opponent's Blaziken counters. With "BoltBeam" coverage alongside its STABs, there are few Pokemon that Blaziken will not hit for super effective, which is important for a choice set. Additionally, Stone Edge can be used for hitting Pokemon such as Moltres for a clean OHKO, since ThunderPunch isn't a necessity like it is on the other sets (as this set can't 2HKO Milotic anyway). After its revenge killing job is completed, Blaziken can utilize whatever residual damage it has taken and use a Blaze boosted Fire Blast to sweep your opponent.</p>
<p>This set is best used with a team that needs some revenge killing and late game sweeping power. Choice Scarf Blaziken works great offensively with Pokemon such as Swords Dance Drapion or Rock Polish Torterra, being able to outspeed and OHKO many of their counters.</p>
<p>Defensively, Blaziken needs something to sponge hits from the Pokemon who can take a hit while also hitting Blaziken for a KO back. With the lack of an attack boosting item, Water-types will be more common switch-ins to this set. Pokemon such as Venusaur can easily force them out and will greatly appreciate the free turn to set up (Toxic) Spikes for your team. Dugtrio can come in on ThunderPunch and KO Blaziken, so a strong fast Pursuit user like Swellow will help deal with Dugtrio before Dugtrio can get rid of Blaziken.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Due to Blaziken having so many viable sets, there is some more ground to be covered here, as there are still a few sets that Blaziken could run that are not mentioned above.</p>
<p>For example, a Reversal set could be devastating, but without a reliable way to remove priority attackers it is very hard to pull off a sweep. A Choice Specs set is also viable because of Blaziken's great coverage and STAB attacks. However, this set is purely outclassed by the Life Orb set due to Superpower and priority being more effective when you aren't locked into using them by a Choice item.</p>
<p>Flamethrower can replace Fire Blast on any set if you dislike Fire Blast's accuracy, but there is a significant drop in power. On the note of Sky Uppercut, Blaziken can replace Superpower with it on almost any of the sets if you dislike the stat drops from Superpower, but you lose many important KOs such as Milotic on the mixed Life Orb set. Blaziken can also run a purely physical Agility set, with the same attacks as mentioned for the Swords Dance set. It can sweep in the same fashion that the mixed Agility sweeper can, but the fact that Fire Blast does not have recoil and that it can effectively use Superpower without lowering its main attacking stat makes the mixed set superior in most cases. Overheat can go over Fire Blast in some places for the extra power, but it will only work effectively on the mixed Choice Scarf set and even a Choice Specs set due to being more "hit and run" oriented.</p>
<p>With some commonly used UU Pokemon able to learn the move Gravity (such as Alakazam, Chansey, and Clefable), Blaziken can run a powerful Gravity abusing sweeper set. 100% accurate Focus Blasts and Fire Blasts can tear through most teams, with the former OHKOing Pokemon such as Regirock, who can survive a Superpower with a small amount of HP left. With an Agility under its belt, Blaziken can pull off a quick sweep.</p>
<p>Blaziken can also play the role of a Baton Passer, capable of passing Swords Dance, Agility, and Bulk Up, along with a Substitute. It's actually very good at doing it, because Blaziken forces a lot of switches, which allows you to use Substitute and then pass along the stat boosts.</p>
<p>Blaziken can effectively pull off an Agility SubPetaya set, similar to Empoleon in OU, but you might as well use Reversal if you are going to get that low on health.</p>
<p>The mixed attacking set can run an alternate spread of 240 Atk / 252 SpAtk / 16 Spe. This spread is especially suggested if you opt to use Hidden Power Electric, as it allows Blaziken to KO Gastrodon, Omastar and Quagsire with Fire Blast followed by Superpower. It also gives Superpower more oomph, but the general rule of thumb is that Speed is more useful on a sweeper. The 16 Speed EVs still allow you to outrun minimum speed Milotic, which is important, as Milotic is otherwise one of Blaziken's primary counters. Adding Attack power allows Blaziken to be one of the best wall-breakers in UU, at the expense of being a bit easier for your opponent to revenge kill.</p>
<p>On the Choice Specs set, Blaziken can sacrifice some Speed EVs for bulk, due to Vacuum Wave and the fact that the Pokemon it comes in on are generally slow walls. Safely, the lowest Speed that Blaziken should be at is 201 (Modest with 20 Speed EVs), which outspeeds Milotic and max Speed Azumarill. With the remaining 152 EVs in HP, and 84 EVs put into Defense, Blaziken can survive a Choice Band boosted Aqua Jet and 2HKO Azumarill. The bulkier EV Spread looks like this: 152 HP / 84 Def / 252 SpA / 20 Spe.</p>
<p>Of the Choice Scarf sets, only the physical set can take advantage of a Jolly nature to outspeed Torterra after a Rock Polish because the mixed Choice Scarf set has its EVs split up already, so the sacrifice in power is not worth it. Without a boosting nature 384 Speed outruns base 125s, mainly Swellow.</p>
[Hidden Power]
<p>With many of Blaziken's sets using Hidden Power, it is important to know which ones to use and why.</p>
<p>Hidden Power Grass is one of the two Hidden Power types that hit Water-type Pokemon. It is important on many sets to hit Pokemon such as Omastar for a OHKO, who can otherwise survive and get a layer of Spikes up. It also hits the odd Gastrodon and Quagsire, who can take a couple of Superpowers and be a general annoyance to Blaziken. However, with Blaziken's STABs, Hidden Power Grass leaves you open to Altaria, Moltres, and Charizard.</p>
<p>Hidden Power Electric also hits Water-type Pokemon, but they each have different uses. Hidden Power Electric hits Charizard and Moltres, who otherwise wall Blaziken and force it out. It also hits Omastar for super effective, but a defensive Omastar can survive and either KO Blaziken with Surf or set up Spikes. Hidden Power Electric leaves you open to Gastrodon and Quagsire, as well as Altaria. The Pokemon hit super effectively by Hidden Power Electric can also be dealt with by simply using Stealth Rock, as they are both easily 2HKOed by a combination of Fire Blast and Vacuum Wave after Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>Hidden Power Ice has pretty much one use in UU for Blaziken: OHKOing Altaria. Without Stone Edge, Blaziken needs Hidden Power Ice to have any chance of breaking through Altaria, who resists both of Blaziken's STAB attacks and has great Special Defense with a recovery move to boot. This leaves you painfully open to Water-types, Charizard, and Moltres, so it is only recommended if you have those Pokemon covered some other way. The reason it's used on the mixed Choice Scarf set is because it is used in conjunction with ThunderPunch, which hits these Flying- and Water-type Pokemon super effectively.</p>
<p>The last viable Hidden Power option is the Rock-type version. Hidden Power Rock hits Moltres and Charizard for OHKOs, but also dents Altaria. Again, the issue is that Blaziken needs to be able to hit Water-types hard, as they are the most common switch-ins. Stone Edge is often a better option unless it's on the Choice Specs set.</p>
Yea.
www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/blaziken
I think I may have tweaked one or two things. Notably, I added Adamant as a slash to the reversal set, and added Stone Edge as an option onto the mixed Scarf set.
[Overview]
<p>Blaziken is arguably one of the best wall breakers in the UU metagame, with its base 120 Attack and base 110 Special Attack. With a Fighting STAB to take out the special walls of the metagame, and a powerful Fire STAB to deal major damage, Blaziken is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Blaziken is one of the main reasons that Chansey is not used as a primary special wall as often as it should.</p>
<p>The main thing holding Blaziken back is its Speed coupled with poor defenses. Speed is very important for sweeping, and the fact that Blaziken can be easily revenge killed holds it back from sweeping effectively; Blaziken will ideally knock out one Pokemon, then be forced out or trapped by Dugtrio. However, Blaziken's offensive nature makes it very appealing for any team that needs something to break stall and balanced teams alike, while also providing some decent revenge killing power for offensive teams. Which brings up another advantage Blaziken has - it's a very versatile Pokemon with so many viable options. With so many possibilities, no one can ever be sure of what set it is running until it attacks.</p>
<p>In the OU metagame, Blaziken is generally outclassed by Infernape because of the latter's superior Speed and movepool, but Blaziken's role in the UU metagame can only be filled by a select few Pokemon, though none of them are as versatile. Nidoking can be used as a wall breaker with its superior Speed and movepool, but it lacks the brute force that Blaziken brings. Magmortar can also be a good wall breaker, but it bears a weakness to Stealth Rock and lacks the physical STAB Fighting attacks and priority to pull it off as effectively as well, though it hits a little harder than Blaziken from the special side. Blaziken has the benefit of having a secondary STAB that is enhanced by Blaze for Reversal sets, an advantage over Pokemon such as Medicham and Hitmonlee. For its Agility set, an advantage over other Agility users such as Moltres is that it has a STAB Fighting attack to dispose of Chansey and Clefable. Moltres, however, is much more durable and hits a little harder from the special side.</p>
<p>If you need a Pokemon to break down walls, revenge kill, or sweep late game, definitely consider Blaziken for a slot on your team with one of its many viable sets.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Choice
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Low Kick / Superpower
move 3: ThunderPunch
move 4: Stone Edge / Blaze Kick
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set focuses on using Blaziken's excellent Attack stat, coverage, and decent Speed. Blaziken's main attack is Flare Blitz which will OHKO almost any Pokemon that doesn't resist it. Superpower and Low Kick hit Rock-types for major damage, while also nailing most Water-types hard on the switch. ThunderPunch hits Water-types like Milotic for a 2HKO, as well as the troublesome Moltres, who resists both of Blaziken's STAB attacks. Stone Edge is in the fourth slot because it can hit opposing Fire-types and Altaria super effectively, while Blaze Kick is a great move to sweep with late game (especially if you are in Blaze range). These moves are backed by Blaziken's excellent attack stat which is 558 with an Adamant nature and Choice Band factored in.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Blaziken can be a powerful physical sweeper with its superior Attack stat and movepool. With two 120 Base Power STAB attacks coming off a base 120 Attack stat, many Pokemon will think twice before switching into this monster. ThunderPunch is an excellent move for Blaziken on this set, as a Choice Band boosted ThunderPunch always 2HKOs Milotic, which is one of the safer switch-ins to the other sets. The sheer power of a Choice Band boosted Flare Blitz can OHKO a good portion of the metagame on its own; there only a select few Pokemon who don't resist Flare Blitz that can survive a Flare Blitz (such as Donphan or Intimidate Hitmontop). It also 2HKOs most defensive Pokemon as well. Altaria, who would otherwise commonly switch into any of the other sets, is 2HKOed with Stealth Rock in play, and a predicted Stone Edge will even OHKO the poor dragon. The main disadvantage of using this set, however, is that Slowbro can switch into it all day, with ThunderPunch barely missing out on the 2HKO.</p>
<p>Superpower and Low Kick are both great moves for Blaziken, making it a tough choice to make for the second slot. Superpower and Low Kick both 2HKO Milotic. Superpower hits Pokemon like Omastar for a OHKO, while Low Kick gets the important 2HKO on many bulky Rock-types. With a Choice Band, Low Kick and Superpower are both effective; however, the Choice Scarf set prefers Superpower because of its more reliable immediate power.</p>
<p>With a Choice Scarf, Blaziken is a more powerful revenge killer than the mixed set, but it will not last as long due to recoil and may be set up on by a physically defensive Pokemon.</p>
<p>The reason Blaze Kick is an option on this set is because Flare Blitz comes with a price, recoil. However, Blaziken can use this recoil to its advantage and sweep teams late game with a Blaze boosted Blaze Kick, which has a nice 127.5 base power after Blaze is activated.</p>
<p>Spikes help this Blaziken set out a lot. With Spikes and Stealth Rock, Choice Band Blaziken can actually 2HKO Slowbro with ThunderPunch, and OHKO Donphan with Flare Blitz. With a Choice Scarf, Blaziken will appreciate any residual damage to compensate for the lack of power.</p>
<p>This Blaziken variant takes out many of the Pokemon that the Life Orb and Choice Specs sets cannot, such as Altaria, but gets walled by Pokemon such as Slowbro. As such, Blaziken benefits from a Pokemon who can easily switch in on Slowbro and threaten the opponent's team. A Pokemon like Venusaur, similar to the other sets, can switch in on Slowbro and threaten it with a STAB Grass attack.</p>
<p>Special attacking Pokemon in general appreciate the fact that Blaziken can take out many of the special walls with this set. Pokemon such as Alakazam, Espeon, Mismagius, and many other special attackers benefit from Altaria going down, as well as the other Pokemon taking their special hits with ease.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed (Priority) Attacker
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Superpower
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Vacuum Wave / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
nature: Mild / Rash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is designed to take advantage of Blaziken's great offensive stats and break down most of the walls in UU. The strategy is simple - send Blaziken in on a support move or a weak attack, such as Spiritomb's Will-O-Wisp or Stealth Rock from Registeel or Steelix. After this, proceed to hit the inevitable switch-in with Fire Blast or Superpower, and then finish them off with another hard-hitting attack, or Vacuum Wave if they outspeed Blaziken. An additional slower spread can be used that sacrifices outpacing key threats in order to get more KOs with Superpower.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Fire Blast will be your main attack, and Hidden Power is for the common Water-type switch-ins. Both Hidden Powers get the important 2HKOs on bulky Water-types such Slowbro who always falls to a Fire Blast followed by Hidden Power as long as Stealth Rock is in play. Other walls such as Registeel and Regice are dispatched by any of Blaziken's STAB attacks, and Chansey is easily OHKOed by Superpower, which lets another special sweeper dominate. Vacuum Wave helps Blaziken become a fairly decent revenge killer as well, nearly OHKOing dangerous Pokemon such as Omastar and Kabutops (if it does not carry Aqua Jet) in the rain.</p>
<p>Alternatively, Stone Edge over Vacuum Wave is viable to hit Altaria, who otherwise can safely switch into this set. Vacuum Wave is generally a better choice though, taking into account Blaziken's mediocre Speed and Vacuum Wave's revenge killing power.</p>
<p>Max Speed allows Blaziken to outspeed notably Absol, and tie with other base 80 Speed Pokemon. Superpower OHKOes Chansey with no Attack investment, so the rest of the EVs can go to Special Attack to deal as much damage as possible. Alternatively, 240 Atk / 252 SpA / 16 Spe allows much more firepower, giving Blaziken more of a stall breaking ability. 16 Spe beats minimum Milotic, who otherwise would counter Blaziken. Superpower will OHKO Lanturn with Stealth Rock, KO Gastrodon and Omastar after a Fire Blast, and KO Milotic after a Hidden Power. Superpower followed by Vacuum Wave is also Blaziken's only means of 2HKOing Azumarill before getting hit by Aqua Jet. The extra power may often benefit you over the extra Speed. Nature wise, Mild is useful if you want Blaziken to be switching into Houndoom's and Spiritomb's assaults, whereas Rash is more helpful against priority users such as Arcanine.</p>
<p>This Blaziken set is great at breaking your opponent's walls, such as Registeel, Chansey, and Slowbro, who may cause significant trouble for your sweepers. Mismagius and Alakazam make great teammates for Blaziken, because with Registeel and Chansey out of the way, they can set up a couple of Calm Minds and sweep the opponent's team. Pokemon such as Swords Dance Drapion can take advantage of a possible Steelix or Regirock kill as well, as they are solid counters to it. Azumarill is a good choice with Blaziken too, because with Slowbro out of the way, Azumarill can sweep more effectively. Stealth Rock is also needed to take advantage of this set, giving many more KOes.</p>
<p>Defensively, Venusaur is a great Pokemon to use alongside Blaziken, as it can take the Water-type attacks aimed at Blaziken, while dealing with the bulky Water-types that Blaziken may have trouble with. It is also recommended that you carry an Ice-type attack on your team when you use Blaziken, because Altaria severely hinders Blaziken's wall breaking power, especially as it's able to Roost off damage. Someone to take Ground-type attacks is appreciated as well - Mismagius makes a nice partner. It also combines well with Blaziken offensively, as Blaziken blows through Registeel, one of Mismagius's best counters. Alakazam can help eliminate Hariyama, who may otherwise give Blaziken problems with Thick Fat and great bulk.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Agility Sweeper
move 1: Agility
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Hidden Power Electric
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
nature: Rash
evs: 192 Atk / 252 SpA / 64 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This Blaziken set aims to take advantage of its wall-breaking abilities to set up a sweep for itself using Agility. Fire Blast and Superpower are nearly unresisted in UU, save for a couple Pokemon such Slowbro and Moltres which are hit hard by Hidden Power. The strategy is simple, you send out Blaziken on a weak or harmless attack and start wailing on the opponent's walls. Once a wall is in KO range, use Agility on the switch and begin to sweep.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>An oft-heard complaint about Blaziken is that while it hits hard, it lacks the Speed to actually sweep. This is remedied by utilizing Agility to take Blaziken's Speed to a whole new level and is one of its best shots at sweeping.</p>
<p>Fire Blast will be your main sweeping attack, and it really leaves its mark coming off of base 110 Special Attack. Superpower deals with what Fire Blast cannot, and the drops in Attack are not very important as you should be sweeping primarily with special moves. Finally, Hidden Power Electric is used for coverage against bulky Water- and Flying-types. Most importantly, it allows you to beat Moltres if Stealth Rock is up.</p>
<p>Naturally, Blaziken draws out its counters, but what is remarkable about Blaziken is that it can actually beat its counters before setting up its sweep. The EVs reflect this, allowing you to KO Milotic with Hidden Power followed by Superpower, assuming Stealth Rock in play. Maximum Special Attack allows Fire Blast to outright annihilate most things that do not resist it. 64 Speed EVs outspeeds Adamant Torterra before an Agility and Choice Scarf base 90s such as Moltres after an Agility.</p>
<p>The item choice is slightly tricky. Life Orb is preferred because of the damage output against neutrally-hit Pokemon such as Hariyama, but Expert Belt lets you bluff a Choice Scarf or Choice Specs set before you use Agility, and you take no recoil damage. A Rash nature is used over Mild because this set needs as much protection against priority attacks as possible.</p>
<p>This set works a lot like the previous set, but without priority; instead, it increases its Speed. Since this variant of Blaziken is a stand-alone sweeper (as in it breaks walls for itself), this set only has trouble with Pokemon like Altaria, Slowking, and Hariyama, who wall this set with their resistances and bulkiness. A Pokemon who can deal with Altaria is a must. Something like Scarf Glaceon or a bulky Rock-type do well in this regard. Stealth Rock also helps, taking away 25% from Altaria every time it switches in. Even though this set functions fine without any other boosts, it can benefit greatly from Calm Mind boosts from Espeon, who can Baton Pass to Blaziken on any Bug- or Dark-type attack.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Superpower
move 3: ThunderPunch / Stone Edge
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Rash / Mild
evs: 84 Atk / 184 SpA / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to reliably revenge kill as many threats as possible, while also maintaining some late-game sweeping power. Fire Blast will finish off many Pokemon quite easily, while Superpower will finish off most of the rest that Fire Blast wouldn't. With ThunderPunch or Stone Edge along with Hidden Power Ice, Blaziken can hit many Pokemon for super effective damage, which aids Blaziken with revenge killing. Once Blaziken had taken some residual damage or priority attacks, it can sweep late game with a Blaze boosted Fire Blast.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Blaziken's brilliant offensive stats are often offset by its mediocre Speed. This can be remedied by a Choice Scarf, which gives Blaziken a break from its usual wall breaking duties to becoming a good revenge killer and sweeper. With a Choice Scarf, Blaziken reaches 384 Speed, which outspeeds max Speed base 125s such as Swellow. Blaziken also boasts a STAB Fighting-type attack in Superpower, which always OHKOs Chansey and Clefable.</p>
<p>The advantage of using a mixed set over a purely physical set is that it broadens Blaziken's revenge killing spectrum, though it is slightly lower in power. With this set, Blaziken can open with a STAB Fire Blast to deal a lot of damage to whatever it is attempting to revenge kill, and it works well as an opportunity to scout your opponent's Blaziken counters. With "BoltBeam" coverage alongside its STABs, there are few Pokemon that Blaziken will not hit for super effective, which is important for a choice set. Additionally, Stone Edge can be used for hitting Pokemon such as Moltres for a clean OHKO, since ThunderPunch isn't a necessity like it is on the other sets (as this set can't 2HKO Milotic anyway). After its revenge killing job is completed, Blaziken can utilize whatever residual damage it has taken and use a Blaze boosted Fire Blast to sweep your opponent.</p>
<p>This set is best used with a team that needs some revenge killing and late game sweeping power. Choice Scarf Blaziken works great offensively with Pokemon such as Swords Dance Drapion or Rock Polish Torterra, being able to outspeed and OHKO many of their counters.</p>
<p>Defensively, Blaziken needs something to sponge hits from the Pokemon who can take a hit while also hitting Blaziken for a KO back. With the lack of an attack boosting item, Water-types will be more common switch-ins to this set. Pokemon such as Venusaur can easily force them out and will greatly appreciate the free turn to set up (Toxic) Spikes for your team. Dugtrio can come in on ThunderPunch and KO Blaziken, so a strong fast Pursuit user like Swellow will help deal with Dugtrio before Dugtrio can get rid of Blaziken.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Due to Blaziken having so many viable sets, there is some more ground to be covered here, as there are still a few sets that Blaziken could run that are not mentioned above.</p>
<p>For example, a Reversal set could be devastating, but without a reliable way to remove priority attackers it is very hard to pull off a sweep. A Choice Specs set is also viable because of Blaziken's great coverage and STAB attacks. However, this set is purely outclassed by the Life Orb set due to Superpower and priority being more effective when you aren't locked into using them by a Choice item.</p>
<p>Flamethrower can replace Fire Blast on any set if you dislike Fire Blast's accuracy, but there is a significant drop in power. On the note of Sky Uppercut, Blaziken can replace Superpower with it on almost any of the sets if you dislike the stat drops from Superpower, but you lose many important KOs such as Milotic on the mixed Life Orb set. Blaziken can also run a purely physical Agility set, with the same attacks as mentioned for the Swords Dance set. It can sweep in the same fashion that the mixed Agility sweeper can, but the fact that Fire Blast does not have recoil and that it can effectively use Superpower without lowering its main attacking stat makes the mixed set superior in most cases. Overheat can go over Fire Blast in some places for the extra power, but it will only work effectively on the mixed Choice Scarf set and even a Choice Specs set due to being more "hit and run" oriented.</p>
<p>With some commonly used UU Pokemon able to learn the move Gravity (such as Alakazam, Chansey, and Clefable), Blaziken can run a powerful Gravity abusing sweeper set. 100% accurate Focus Blasts and Fire Blasts can tear through most teams, with the former OHKOing Pokemon such as Regirock, who can survive a Superpower with a small amount of HP left. With an Agility under its belt, Blaziken can pull off a quick sweep.</p>
<p>Blaziken can also play the role of a Baton Passer, capable of passing Swords Dance, Agility, and Bulk Up, along with a Substitute. It's actually very good at doing it, because Blaziken forces a lot of switches, which allows you to use Substitute and then pass along the stat boosts.</p>
<p>Blaziken can effectively pull off an Agility SubPetaya set, similar to Empoleon in OU, but you might as well use Reversal if you are going to get that low on health.</p>
<p>The mixed attacking set can run an alternate spread of 240 Atk / 252 SpAtk / 16 Spe. This spread is especially suggested if you opt to use Hidden Power Electric, as it allows Blaziken to KO Gastrodon, Omastar and Quagsire with Fire Blast followed by Superpower. It also gives Superpower more oomph, but the general rule of thumb is that Speed is more useful on a sweeper. The 16 Speed EVs still allow you to outrun minimum speed Milotic, which is important, as Milotic is otherwise one of Blaziken's primary counters. Adding Attack power allows Blaziken to be one of the best wall-breakers in UU, at the expense of being a bit easier for your opponent to revenge kill.</p>
<p>On the Choice Specs set, Blaziken can sacrifice some Speed EVs for bulk, due to Vacuum Wave and the fact that the Pokemon it comes in on are generally slow walls. Safely, the lowest Speed that Blaziken should be at is 201 (Modest with 20 Speed EVs), which outspeeds Milotic and max Speed Azumarill. With the remaining 152 EVs in HP, and 84 EVs put into Defense, Blaziken can survive a Choice Band boosted Aqua Jet and 2HKO Azumarill. The bulkier EV Spread looks like this: 152 HP / 84 Def / 252 SpA / 20 Spe.</p>
<p>Of the Choice Scarf sets, only the physical set can take advantage of a Jolly nature to outspeed Torterra after a Rock Polish because the mixed Choice Scarf set has its EVs split up already, so the sacrifice in power is not worth it. Without a boosting nature 384 Speed outruns base 125s, mainly Swellow.</p>
[Hidden Power]
<p>With many of Blaziken's sets using Hidden Power, it is important to know which ones to use and why.</p>
<p>Hidden Power Grass is one of the two Hidden Power types that hit Water-type Pokemon. It is important on many sets to hit Pokemon such as Omastar for a OHKO, who can otherwise survive and get a layer of Spikes up. It also hits the odd Gastrodon and Quagsire, who can take a couple of Superpowers and be a general annoyance to Blaziken. However, with Blaziken's STABs, Hidden Power Grass leaves you open to Altaria, Moltres, and Charizard.</p>
<p>Hidden Power Electric also hits Water-type Pokemon, but they each have different uses. Hidden Power Electric hits Charizard and Moltres, who otherwise wall Blaziken and force it out. It also hits Omastar for super effective, but a defensive Omastar can survive and either KO Blaziken with Surf or set up Spikes. Hidden Power Electric leaves you open to Gastrodon and Quagsire, as well as Altaria. The Pokemon hit super effectively by Hidden Power Electric can also be dealt with by simply using Stealth Rock, as they are both easily 2HKOed by a combination of Fire Blast and Vacuum Wave after Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>Hidden Power Ice has pretty much one use in UU for Blaziken: OHKOing Altaria. Without Stone Edge, Blaziken needs Hidden Power Ice to have any chance of breaking through Altaria, who resists both of Blaziken's STAB attacks and has great Special Defense with a recovery move to boot. This leaves you painfully open to Water-types, Charizard, and Moltres, so it is only recommended if you have those Pokemon covered some other way. The reason it's used on the mixed Choice Scarf set is because it is used in conjunction with ThunderPunch, which hits these Flying- and Water-type Pokemon super effectively.</p>
<p>The last viable Hidden Power option is the Rock-type version. Hidden Power Rock hits Moltres and Charizard for OHKOs, but also dents Altaria. Again, the issue is that Blaziken needs to be able to hit Water-types hard, as they are the most common switch-ins. Stone Edge is often a better option unless it's on the Choice Specs set.</p>
Yea.
