● Midnight Sun ●
● Introduction ●
● Team Analysis ●
● Introduction ●
About a month-and-a-half ago I posted up a RMT based on my favourite mechanic, Sunny Day. The team worked out pretty well although there were a few things that started to bug me with it. Furthermore the metagame has now been turned on its head (in a good way) with the departure of Froslass and Raikou. I feel this is a period where offense will flourish, and the more offensive a team can be (with the right synergy, of course) the better it will perform. With that in mind, I have upped the ante in terms of offense on my Sunny Day team, and I am posting up a slightly revamped squad. The team has performed very well for me, getting me up to around mid-to-high 1400s with relative ease. That's not too high compared to a lot of teams, but I don't have time to be playing this game anymore really, so I'm posting this now and (hopefully) going into hiatus for a while. I believe if I were to continue playing though, I would get to a respectable CRE.
● Team Analysis ●
"Death brings meaning to our lives. It gives importance and value to time;
time would become meaningless if there were too much of it."
A. The lead
Moltres @ Heat Rock
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Sunny Day
- Solarbeam
- Roost / Morning Sun / Air Slash
- Fire Blast
time would become meaningless if there were too much of it."
A. The lead
Moltres @ Heat Rock
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Sunny Day
- Solarbeam
- Roost / Morning Sun / Air Slash
- Fire Blast
Why Moltres?
Moltres is arguably the most intimidating Pokemon to face in the tier right now. Her (despite being genderless, go figure) counters are incredibly limited and can be counted on on hand. Moltres is also commonly used in the lead position using two different sets: Choice scarf and Life Orb. This adds an element of surprise for players who switch in their Milotic etc. only to have me set up the sun to cut their super effective attacks and 2HKO them with Solarbeam. Boosted Fire Blast is not pretty for anything that isn't incredibly specially bulky or resists it either.
Nature, EVs and item.
For this set speed is maximised to help ensure I get the job done. The rest of the EVs are poured into SAtk for obvious reasons, and 4 Def just for a little, albeit insignificant, defense buffer. HP remains an odd number for if by some miracle I can switch in to Stealth Rock three times. Heat Rock offers full support to the team, allowing me to get my maximum 8 turns in the sun.
Conversely, a modest nature can be used for maximum power, and both natures have been used to equal effectiveness.
Moveset.
Sunny Day: Sunny Day is the crux of the set. Moltres' primary objective is to get the sun up, regardless of if she stays conscious or not. With the sun up Moltres can take on common bulky waters, or start throwing around boosted Fire Blasts. If I go down in the process, I get a sweeper in to continue the work.
Fire Blast: Moltres' most powerful practical STAB move outside of Overheat. With the sun up this attack does monstrous damage to anything that isn't Chansey, or doesn't resist it in some way. Flamethrower is an option, however the point of Moltres is to inflict as much damage as possible before going down to get another sweeper in.
Solarbeam: With the sun in play, Solarbeam allows Moltres to take on water-types who like to switch-in. Thanks to Moltres' great power (even with a timid nature) Solarbeam is capable of 2HKO-ing Milotic.
Roost / Morning Sun / Air Slash: Despite being played more or less as a sacrificial (suicidal lacks patriotism) lead, sometimes it just makes sense to keep Moltres intact. Sometimes I will get the sun up and have a bit of a one-on-one with a Pokemon like Milotic and come out on top. Why not try and heal up and see what else I can fight? Roost has superior PP which is why I use it, although Morning Sun does have the better healing power in the sun. Air Slash is an option for better coverage against fellow fire-types, or more importantly, Flash Fire Pokemon.
Fire Blast: Moltres' most powerful practical STAB move outside of Overheat. With the sun up this attack does monstrous damage to anything that isn't Chansey, or doesn't resist it in some way. Flamethrower is an option, however the point of Moltres is to inflict as much damage as possible before going down to get another sweeper in.
Solarbeam: With the sun in play, Solarbeam allows Moltres to take on water-types who like to switch-in. Thanks to Moltres' great power (even with a timid nature) Solarbeam is capable of 2HKO-ing Milotic.
Roost / Morning Sun / Air Slash: Despite being played more or less as a sacrificial (suicidal lacks patriotism) lead, sometimes it just makes sense to keep Moltres intact. Sometimes I will get the sun up and have a bit of a one-on-one with a Pokemon like Milotic and come out on top. Why not try and heal up and see what else I can fight? Roost has superior PP which is why I use it, although Morning Sun does have the better healing power in the sun. Air Slash is an option for better coverage against fellow fire-types, or more importantly, Flash Fire Pokemon.
Moltres vs. common leads.
Uxie: A lot of Uxies these days carry Trick and scarves, which is really annoying. However, their primary goal when they know they are facing Moltres is to get Stealth Rocks up. My primary goal is to get the sun up, so I go for Sunny Day. If they are slow and bulky, I outspeed them and get the sun up, setting me up for a 2HKO. If they trick me, they have just become setup fodder for Rhyperior. Trick -> T-Wave -> SR -> U-Turn is a common ploy by Uxie; T-Wave gives me a free switch-in, SR gives me a free Rock Polish, and U-Turn gets me a Swords Dance.
Ambipom: I don't like trying my hand against Ambipom, since it can pretty much wreck me without taking a hit, and come back and annoy my team by using Fake Out to chip damage off and stall the time in the sun. I go straight to Rhyperior and try to setup with Rock Polish. If they are brave they might Taunt which is a nuisance, and Low Kick does a number on me too. But if I can use it to setup, then I am happy. I can also go to Rhyperior, then to Uxie on a predicted switch to get rocks up and set up the sun, bypassing the little bugger's Taunt.
To be completed.
Ambipom: I don't like trying my hand against Ambipom, since it can pretty much wreck me without taking a hit, and come back and annoy my team by using Fake Out to chip damage off and stall the time in the sun. I go straight to Rhyperior and try to setup with Rock Polish. If they are brave they might Taunt which is a nuisance, and Low Kick does a number on me too. But if I can use it to setup, then I am happy. I can also go to Rhyperior, then to Uxie on a predicted switch to get rocks up and set up the sun, bypassing the little bugger's Taunt.
To be completed.
Other lead options.
Arcanine (M) @ Heat Rock
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 80 HP/176 Spd/252 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Agility
- Sunny Day
- Fire Blast
- Solarbeam
This lead was more versatile than Moltres, being able to take on common rain leads such as Electrode and Ambipom. I am still trying to think of a way to move Arcanine into the lead slot, and the only reason that he isn't is that he is such a solid mid-team Pokemon. A quick analysis of the set: Agility is the key to beating common leads and rain teams. After an Agility, Electrode, and no common neutral-natured Swift Swimmers barring Floatzel can outspeed me. I have swept entire rain teams with Arcanine leading. Sunny Day, Fire Blast and Solarbeam are pretty self-explanitory. Under the sun, Arcanine can beat Milotic, and smashes Slowbro. 176 Spd outpaces Adamant Qwilfish, 252 SAtk and modest nature for max power, and 80 HP remaining.
Persian (M) @ Heat Rock
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Hypnosis
- Taunt
- Sunny Day
- U-turn
Persian was the lead for my last team, and I loved her to bits. A quick Taunt and Hypnosis allowed me to set up and ruin a lot of teams from the very start. With the removal of Froslass from the tier, I no longer see the need for these tools. I finally decided to move on from Persian because of his lack of offense. A lead like Moltres lets me hurt teams from the word go. Hypnosis was shaky and cost me a lot of battles by dying without getting the sun up.
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 80 HP/176 Spd/252 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Agility
- Sunny Day
- Fire Blast
- Solarbeam
This lead was more versatile than Moltres, being able to take on common rain leads such as Electrode and Ambipom. I am still trying to think of a way to move Arcanine into the lead slot, and the only reason that he isn't is that he is such a solid mid-team Pokemon. A quick analysis of the set: Agility is the key to beating common leads and rain teams. After an Agility, Electrode, and no common neutral-natured Swift Swimmers barring Floatzel can outspeed me. I have swept entire rain teams with Arcanine leading. Sunny Day, Fire Blast and Solarbeam are pretty self-explanitory. Under the sun, Arcanine can beat Milotic, and smashes Slowbro. 176 Spd outpaces Adamant Qwilfish, 252 SAtk and modest nature for max power, and 80 HP remaining.
Persian (M) @ Heat Rock
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Hypnosis
- Taunt
- Sunny Day
- U-turn
Persian was the lead for my last team, and I loved her to bits. A quick Taunt and Hypnosis allowed me to set up and ruin a lot of teams from the very start. With the removal of Froslass from the tier, I no longer see the need for these tools. I finally decided to move on from Persian because of his lack of offense. A lead like Moltres lets me hurt teams from the word go. Hypnosis was shaky and cost me a lot of battles by dying without getting the sun up.
"An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind."
B. The dedicated
Uxie @ Heat Rock
Ability: Levitate
IVs: 26 Atk /26 Spd/30 SAtk*
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SDef
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spd)
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
- Sunny Day
- Light Screen / Hidden Power [Fire]*
Why Uxie?
Uxie is an almightily bulky Pokemon. At full health, it takes some serious firepower to take it out, which gives me opportunities to set up the sun for a sweeper to come in. Access to a variety of support moves also lets me tailor a pretty nifty support Pokemon; however, this variety has left me constantly procrastinating about how to use Uxie optimally. Still, its primary role is to get the sun up and switch out to a sweeper. Uxie is often my best chance against a rain team once they are set up, since a OHKO from their sweepers is highly unlikely.
Nature, EVs and item.
Without thought I've just gone for the standard physically bulky Uxie set. When I get around to testing it, I will look at using a balanced defense set just to see how it fares. Despite Uxie being fantastic at its job of tanking and setting the sun up, I am trying to figure out how to utilise it best. At the moment however, Uxie is EV'd to tank physical hits and set up the sun / Stealth Rock. IVs allow for HP Fire, which is just a filler right now (discussed next). In any case, I have cut speed so that I am slower than Milotic. The reason is that many good players tend to predict a chlorophyl switch-in, and use Ice Beam to maim my grass Pokemon. Slow U-Turn lets me take hits to preserve my sweepers. I only have two of them, so they need to stay in tact.
Moveset.
To be honest Uxie is the one Pokemon on the team that I want to tinker around with the most. As a supporter I need this Pokemon to be as versatile and useful as anyone else on the team. I'm considering dual screens right now, but we'll see.
DISCLAIMER: Momento will not be going on Uxie.
U-turn: As mentioned above, Uxie is responsible for setting up my sweepers, as well as getting them in safely. U-Turn usually lets me take the hit for my sweeper and/or scouting switches to bring in the appropriate Pokemon.
Stealth Rock: Stealth Rock really helps out Exeggutor, allowing me to get KOs with Psychic against weakened fire-types. The problem here is that Uxie is a secondary setter, and the rocks would really be more useful from the start. I will be testing Uxie as a lead again to achieve this. If I don't like that, then I may forego Stealth Rock altogether and use dual screens.
Sunny Day: Sunny Day.
Hidden Power [Fire] / Light Screen: I usually/have been running Light Screen since my team is so weak on the special side. HP Fire has just been slapped on to offer some sort of attack really. Uxie is rarely in a position to attack anyway - it's all about the sun then sneaking in a sweeper.
Stealth Rock: Stealth Rock really helps out Exeggutor, allowing me to get KOs with Psychic against weakened fire-types. The problem here is that Uxie is a secondary setter, and the rocks would really be more useful from the start. I will be testing Uxie as a lead again to achieve this. If I don't like that, then I may forego Stealth Rock altogether and use dual screens.
Sunny Day: Sunny Day.
Hidden Power [Fire] / Light Screen: I usually/have been running Light Screen since my team is so weak on the special side. HP Fire has just been slapped on to offer some sort of attack really. Uxie is rarely in a position to attack anyway - it's all about the sun then sneaking in a sweeper.
“Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative.”
C. The chlorophyls
Exeggutor (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Sleep Powder
- Solarbeam
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire] / Sludge Bomb
Why Exeggutor?
Very few Pokemon are gifted with a special attack stat of 125 or more. Furthermore, even fewer have a base 120 STAB attack to utilise. Those who know this game know the potential of Exeggutor with sun support. With this in mind, Exeggutor is a staple on my Sunny Day teams. With Sleep Powder in its repertoire, Exeggutor can impose itself in the early, mid or late game.
Nature, EVs and item.
Exeggutor is all about attack. With the sun shining, only the minority group of scarfers can outspeed me. For clarification, this means maximum EVs and a positive SAtk nature. Life Orb rounds out the attacking power for sweeping.
Moveset.
Sleep Powder: Sleep Powder is Exeggutor's best bet against threats such as Drapion and common Pursuit/Sucker Punch trappers like Absol, Spiritomb, and increasingly Houndoom. Anything that might need more than one hit to take down often gets shut down with Sleep Powder.
Solarbeam: Base 120 STAB coming off 383 LO attack with 100% accuracy? Sold.
Psychic: Exeggutor has access to a nifty secondary STAB which can deal with a lot of the tier, especially with Stealth Rock support. Having a OHKO option against offensive Venusaur is a big plus too.
Hidden Power Fire / Sludge Bomb: HP Fire is always the recommended third attack for taking down other grass-types and steels. Since the only steel that really walls me is Registeel (who can be put to sleep or used as an easy entry for Rhyperior), I am seriously considering swapping this for Sludge Bomb. The reason for this is that HP Fire causes me to lose one speed EV, which puts me in a speed tie with opposing Exeggutor. Sludge Bomb rectifies this (unless they are timid) allowing me to OHKO (along with other grass-types). Despite not getting a KO, it also stops me from being completely walled by Houndoom.
Solarbeam: Base 120 STAB coming off 383 LO attack with 100% accuracy? Sold.
Psychic: Exeggutor has access to a nifty secondary STAB which can deal with a lot of the tier, especially with Stealth Rock support. Having a OHKO option against offensive Venusaur is a big plus too.
Hidden Power Fire / Sludge Bomb: HP Fire is always the recommended third attack for taking down other grass-types and steels. Since the only steel that really walls me is Registeel (who can be put to sleep or used as an easy entry for Rhyperior), I am seriously considering swapping this for Sludge Bomb. The reason for this is that HP Fire causes me to lose one speed EV, which puts me in a speed tie with opposing Exeggutor. Sludge Bomb rectifies this (unless they are timid) allowing me to OHKO (along with other grass-types). Despite not getting a KO, it also stops me from being completely walled by Houndoom.
Threats.
Exeggutor, despite its raw power, has its limitations. Most of the counters are annoying walls like Chansey (whore), and priority users such as... well you know who.
Offensive:
Absol - Sleep Powder, Arcanine
Drapion - Sleep Powder, Arcanine
Houndoom - Sleep Powder, Arcanine
Moltres (scarf) - Arcanine to scout the move
Rotom (scarf) - Arcanine to scout the move, hopefully a WoW or a Trick
Spiritomb - Sleep Powder
Defensive:
Altaria - Sleep Powder, Arcanine, Uxie
Chansey - Rhyperior
Drapion - Sleep Powder, Arcanine
Registeel - Rhyperior
Uxie - Sleep Powder, Rhyperior
Absol - Sleep Powder, Arcanine
Drapion - Sleep Powder, Arcanine
Houndoom - Sleep Powder, Arcanine
Moltres (scarf) - Arcanine to scout the move
Rotom (scarf) - Arcanine to scout the move, hopefully a WoW or a Trick
Spiritomb - Sleep Powder
Defensive:
Altaria - Sleep Powder, Arcanine, Uxie
Chansey - Rhyperior
Drapion - Sleep Powder, Arcanine
Registeel - Rhyperior
Uxie - Sleep Powder, Rhyperior
Tangrowth (M) @ Leftovers / Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Power Whip
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
Why Tangrowth?
Tangrowth has a great movepool to fulfil the role of physical sweeper. Swords Dance transforms this guy into a true sweeping force with the sun in play. Not only that, but Tangrowth has a secondary niche that offers me some in-built protection against the likes of Rock Polish Torterra and Rhyperior. Like Exeggutor, Tangrowth pretty much shows up on all of my Sunny Day teams.
Nature, EVs and item.
Tangrowth is EV'd for physical sweeping, although there are some considerations that must be explained. Firstly, I have gone for a jolly nature over adamant. The reason for this is that with 436 speed in the sun, I can outspeed common scarfed fire-types up to a neutral-natured, 95-base; a list which often includes Houndoom, Moltres and Blaziken (as well as Rotom). Annoyingly, I can't do anything about scarf Typhlosion.
EV's, as mentioned, are poured into attack and speed for sweeping. The remainder are in HP for the heck of it.
Item choice is pretty much down to preference. I like to use Leftovers on Tangrowth because it does tend to increase his survivability, particularly when he is looking to Swords Dance and potentially take hits in the process. Life Orb does, however, allow Earthquake to KO offensive Venusaur. Since I am fairly conservative, I like the HP recovery to keep Tangrowth in decent health. Unlike Exeggutor, who can just come in and blast stuff straight away, Tangrowth sometimes needs a turn to set up, or a couple of hits to take something down. For that reason, I prefer Leftovers.
Moveset.
Power Whip: This is a move that has shot Venusaur up in terms of offensive popularity, and Venusaur has considerably less attacking power than Tangrowth. Base 120 physical STAB without any drawbacks besides accuracy is a worthy addition.
Earthquake: Without Earthquake, I can't sweep. This is my most powerful tool against opposing fire- and steel-types, and covers my ass against poison-types barring Weezing. The coverage offered by Earthquake and Powerwhip is great, and I use these two moves more than any others.
Rock Slide: I sometimes have thoughts of putting Return here to deliver more damage to neutral opponents such as Venusaur and opposing grass-types. However, I am usually quick to remind myself that Rock Slide lets me defeat Moltres, Scyther and Swellow without a Swords Dance, which is not always guaranteed.
Swords Dance: Swords Dance is the end-gamer of the set. I will admit that the amount of times that I have been allowed to get a Swords Dance up safely is limited, however when I do it usually spells the end. I have run Synthesis here before with great results, however I felt this team is too offensively inclined to warrant passing up Swords Dance. Being able to heal was great, but healing-attacking-healing as opposed to boosting-attacking is a rather inefficient way to utilise the sun.
Earthquake: Without Earthquake, I can't sweep. This is my most powerful tool against opposing fire- and steel-types, and covers my ass against poison-types barring Weezing. The coverage offered by Earthquake and Powerwhip is great, and I use these two moves more than any others.
Rock Slide: I sometimes have thoughts of putting Return here to deliver more damage to neutral opponents such as Venusaur and opposing grass-types. However, I am usually quick to remind myself that Rock Slide lets me defeat Moltres, Scyther and Swellow without a Swords Dance, which is not always guaranteed.
Swords Dance: Swords Dance is the end-gamer of the set. I will admit that the amount of times that I have been allowed to get a Swords Dance up safely is limited, however when I do it usually spells the end. I have run Synthesis here before with great results, however I felt this team is too offensively inclined to warrant passing up Swords Dance. Being able to heal was great, but healing-attacking-healing as opposed to boosting-attacking is a rather inefficient way to utilise the sun.
Threats.
Tangrowth's threat list kind of depends on whether or not he has a Swords Dance under his belt. Most of the threats are defensive, and threaten with annoying status such as Thunder Wave and Will-o-wisp. Exceptions to this are Weezing and Venusaur, who have STAB poison moves to hit Tangrwoth's weak special side
Defensive (without Swords Dance):
Registeel - Rhyperior
Venusaur - Arcanine, Uxie
Spiritomb - Arcanine
Defensive (with Swords Dance):
Venusaur - Arcanine, Uxie
Uxie - Rhyperior
Weezing - Arcanine
Registeel - Rhyperior
Venusaur - Arcanine, Uxie
Spiritomb - Arcanine
Defensive (with Swords Dance):
Venusaur - Arcanine, Uxie
Uxie - Rhyperior
Weezing - Arcanine
D. The fire.
“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them,
glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.”
Arcanine (M) @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 120 HP/252 Atk/136 Spd
Naive nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Morning Sun
- Extremespeed
- Flare Blitz
-Solarbeam
Why Arcanine?
Arcanine is a solid Pokemon, and this set has worked wonders for me for a long time. The premise of Arcanine is not to be entirely bulky, but to be very powerful under the sun as well. Solarbeam + Morning Sun in the sunlight can be used to beat the likes of Slowbro and even Miloic who often come in to counter. Arcanine is pretty much a defensive pivot, albeit a reasonably (physically) bulky one (thanks to Intimidate).
Nature, EVs and item.
The nature and EVs allow me to outpace base 80 Pokemon (named Venusaur). EVs are fully distributed to Attack to maximise the power of Flare Blitz and Extremespeed (barring the nature boost). 120 HP EVs allow Arcanine to take some more hits, particularly from incoming Surfs etc. Item choice comes down to if you want raw power, or a little more tanking ability. Life Orb ensures 2HKOs against Blastoise and Slowbro without Stealth Rock, and has a chance of scoring a 2HKO on Milotic with rocks.
The 120 HP EVs can probably be distributed to SAtk or speed. SAtk doesn't change too much in terms of KOs, although you are assured the 2HKO on Slowbro in which case you can run Leftovers; alternatively, you may wish to outspeed Moltres, who isn't scared of Extremespeed and is 2HKOd in the sun.
Intimidate vs. Flash Fire.
Many people advocate Flash Fire over Intimidate for the offensive boosts that it can draw. Many more would probably argue that with grass-types acting as lures for fire attacks, I would be stupid not to use Flash Fire. I don't entirely agree. For example, grass-types aren't necessarily the best lures for fire attacks - steels are. A Moltres facing my grass-types, for example, is more likely to use Air Slash for either the KO or the predicted switch, in which case Flash Fire is just as useless as Intimidate. Intimidate and some added HP bulk lets me come in against the likes of Blaziken if I am not aided by the sun, and deal with it.
Ultimately, Intimidate fits my playstyle better. I like being able to switch in on physical threats and neuter them. It also gives me a secondary way of neutering the likes of Ambipom, Swellow and Scyther, as well as physically offensive Venusaur.
Moveset.
Morning Sun: Morning Sun was a massive addition to Arcanine's movepool. Being able to heal off Flare Blitz recoil, as well as tank against poisoned water-types in the sun is a great way to improve Arcanine's survivability. Since receiving this move, Arcanine has definitely become much more difficult to take down.
Extremespeed: Extremespeed is just good for picking off weakened opponents, or dealing some damage before going down. Extremespeed 2HKOs Houndoom, and lets me take a huge chunk out of Dugtrio before going down should I be caught.
Flare Blitz: Obviously Arcanine's most dangerous weapon, especially with sunlight support. Attack is maximised to make this move as powerful as possibe (albeit without item support) especially in the sun. With the sun up, Arcanine OHKOs and 2HKOs a good chunk of the tier.
Solarbeam: Solarbeam keeps common checks such as Slowbro, Blastoise and Rhyperior at bay, while putting a massive dent in Milotic.
Arcanine vs. Slowbro - 236 Atk vs 196 Def & 394 HP (120 Base Power): 208 - 246 (52.93% - 62.60%; 52.93% - 62.60% without Life Orb)
Slowbro vs. Arcanine - 236 Atk vs 176 Def & 351 HP (95 Base Power): 138 - 164 (39.32% - 46.72%)
Arcanine vs. Blastoise - 236 Atk vs 246 Def & 362 HP (120 Base Power): 214 - 254 (59.12% - 70.17%)
Blastoise vs. Arcanine - 206 Atk vs 176 Def & 351 HP (95 Base Power): 120 - 144 (34.19% - 41.03%)
Arcanine vs. Milotic - 236 Atk vs 286 Def & 393 HP (120 Base Power): 186 - 220 (47.33% - 55.98%)
Arcanine vs. Rhyperior - 236 Atk vs 146 Def & 405 HP (120 Base Power): 543 - 639 (134.07% - 157.78%; 102.96% - 121.48% without Life Orb)
Extremespeed: Extremespeed is just good for picking off weakened opponents, or dealing some damage before going down. Extremespeed 2HKOs Houndoom, and lets me take a huge chunk out of Dugtrio before going down should I be caught.
Flare Blitz: Obviously Arcanine's most dangerous weapon, especially with sunlight support. Attack is maximised to make this move as powerful as possibe (albeit without item support) especially in the sun. With the sun up, Arcanine OHKOs and 2HKOs a good chunk of the tier.
Solarbeam: Solarbeam keeps common checks such as Slowbro, Blastoise and Rhyperior at bay, while putting a massive dent in Milotic.
Arcanine vs. Slowbro - 236 Atk vs 196 Def & 394 HP (120 Base Power): 208 - 246 (52.93% - 62.60%; 52.93% - 62.60% without Life Orb)
Slowbro vs. Arcanine - 236 Atk vs 176 Def & 351 HP (95 Base Power): 138 - 164 (39.32% - 46.72%)
Arcanine vs. Blastoise - 236 Atk vs 246 Def & 362 HP (120 Base Power): 214 - 254 (59.12% - 70.17%)
Blastoise vs. Arcanine - 206 Atk vs 176 Def & 351 HP (95 Base Power): 120 - 144 (34.19% - 41.03%)
Arcanine vs. Milotic - 236 Atk vs 286 Def & 393 HP (120 Base Power): 186 - 220 (47.33% - 55.98%)
Arcanine vs. Rhyperior - 236 Atk vs 146 Def & 405 HP (120 Base Power): 543 - 639 (134.07% - 157.78%; 102.96% - 121.48% without Life Orb)
D. The enforcer.
“When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt”
Rhyperior (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Solid Rock
EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Megahorn / Fire Punch / Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge / Rock Blast
/ Rock Polish
Why Rhyperior?
Exeggutor attracts the likes of Chansey and Registeel like crazy, and I want something to be able to come in and scare them off. Walls like these guys usually do two things: set up Stealth Rock or try to cripple switch-ins with Thunder Wave. I thought of going with Dugtrio to trap these blocks to Exeggutor and remove them. However, Dugrio was somewhat underwhelming outside of this function. I’ve chosen Rhyperior for an Arcanine and Swellow check, atop of the functions outlined above.
Also, thanks to Solid Rock and the sunlight, Rhyperior can even withstand unboosted Surfs from the likes of Slowbro and Milotic despite his x4 weakness and pathetic special defense. Therefore, Rhyperior is aided by the sun, which helps the 'theme'.
Nature, EVs and item.
I was originally running SubPerior, which was then changed to Choice Band for the added power to pummel switch-ins. The problem is that sometimes if you miss that Stone Edge, or get out-predicted, the consequences can be very costly. That said, Rock Polish seems like the way to go. Rhyperior still comes in on the same defensive threats and uses the turn to set up.
I received a PM from End Fashion the other day suggesting I try a Swords Dance / Rock Polish / Rock Blast / Earthquake Rhyperior with a type-resist berry (preferrably Passho since sunlight + Solid Rock makes Milotic's Surf ~40%). I tried it out a couple of times and pulled off some nice sweeps (see below), even managing to set up on a Milotic and Azumarill (CB Azumarill Waterfall does a pathetic 46% max) and sweep. E. Fashion said it was complete gimmick, hardly serious, but fun to pull off.
In any case, it has made me think about RP / SD + 2 attacks, and I like the prospects. Here is a little sweep that goes to show how much of a beast Rhyperior can truly be:
Rules: Ladder Match, Sleep Clause, Freeze Clause, OHKO Clause, Evasion Clause, Species Clause, Strict Damage Clause
Futile.ALT sent out Moltres (lvl 100 Moltres).
Opponent sent out Alakazam (lvl 100 Alakazam ?).
Moltres is exerting its pressure!
Futile.ALT switched in Uxie (lvl 100 Uxie).
Alakazam used Psychic.
It's not very effective...
Uxie lost 17% of its health.
---
Alakazam used Taunt.
Uxie fell for the taunt!
Uxie used U-turn.
It's super effective!
Alakazam lost 59% of its health.
Futile.ALT switched in Arcanine (lvl 100 Arcanine ?).
Arcanine's Intimidate cut Alakazam's attack!
---
Opponent switched in Claydol (lvl 100 Claydol).
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
Claydol lost 22% of its health.
---
Futile.ALT switched in Moltres (lvl 100 Moltres).
Moltres is exerting its pressure!
Claydol used Reflect.
A barrier was formed!
---
Moltres used Fire Blast.
Claydol lost 51% of its health.
Claydol used Stealth Rock.
Pointed stones float in the air around the foe's team!
---
Opponent switched in Arcanine (lvl 100 Arcanine ?).
Moltres used Sunny Day.
The sun began to shine!
The sun continues to shine.
---
Futile.ALT switched in Arcanine (lvl 100 Arcanine ?).
Arcanine's Intimidate cut Arcanine's attack!
Pointed stones dug into Arcanine.
Arcanine lost 25% of its health.
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
Arcanine lost 26% of its health.
Arcanine lost 10% of its health.
The sun continues to shine.
Arcanine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Arcanine restored 6% of its health.
---
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
Arcanine lost 23% of its health.
Arcanine lost 10% of its health.
Arcanine used Morning Sun.
Arcanine restored 67% of its health.
Arcanine's reflect wore off!
The sun continues to shine.
Arcanine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Arcanine restored 2% of its health.
---
Arcanine used Morning Sun.
Arcanine restored 20% of its health.
Arcanine used Toxic.
Arcanine was badly poisoned!
The sun continues to shine.
Arcanine is hurt by poison!
Arcanine lost 6% of its health.
---
Futile.ALT switched in Rhyperior (lvl 100 Rhyperior ?).
Pointed stones dug into Rhyperior.
Rhyperior lost 6% of its health.
Opponent switched in Clefable (lvl 100 Clefable ?).
The sun continues to shine.
---
Opponent switched in Claydol (lvl 100 Claydol).
Rhyperior used Rock Polish.
Rhyperior's speed was sharply raised.
The sun continues to shine.
---
Opponent switched in Clefable (lvl 100 Clefable ?).
Rhyperior used Stone Edge.
A critical hit!
Clefable lost 95% of its health.
The sun continues to shine.
Clefable's leftovers restored its health a little!
Clefable restored 6% of its health.
---
Opponent switched in Exeggutor (lvl 100 Exeggutor ?).
Rhyperior used Swords Dance.
Rhyperior's attack was sharply raised.
The sun faded.
---
Rhyperior used Stone Edge.
Exeggutor lost 100% of its health.
Opponent's Exeggutor fainted.
---
Opponent switched in Alakazam (lvl 100 Alakazam ?).
Rhyperior used Earthquake.
Alakazam lost 41% of its health.
Opponent's Alakazam fainted.
---
Opponent switched in Clefable (lvl 100 Clefable ?).
Rhyperior used Earthquake.
Clefable lost 11% of its health.
Opponent's Clefable fainted.
---
Opponent switched in Arcanine (lvl 100 Arcanine ?).
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
It's not very effective...
Rhyperior lost 13% of its health.
Arcanine lost 10% of its health.
Rhyperior used Earthquake.
It's super effective!
Arcanine lost 84% of its health.
Opponent's Arcanine fainted.
---
Opponent switched in Claydol (lvl 100 Claydol).
Rhyperior used Stone Edge.
It's not very effective...
Claydol lost 27% of its health.
Opponent's Claydol fainted.
---
Opponent switched in Victreebel (lvl 100 Victreebel ?).
Rhyperior used Earthquake.
Victreebel lost 100% of its health.
Opponent's Victreebel fainted.
Futile.ALT sent out Moltres (lvl 100 Moltres).
Opponent sent out Alakazam (lvl 100 Alakazam ?).
Moltres is exerting its pressure!
Futile.ALT switched in Uxie (lvl 100 Uxie).
Alakazam used Psychic.
It's not very effective...
Uxie lost 17% of its health.
---
Alakazam used Taunt.
Uxie fell for the taunt!
Uxie used U-turn.
It's super effective!
Alakazam lost 59% of its health.
Futile.ALT switched in Arcanine (lvl 100 Arcanine ?).
Arcanine's Intimidate cut Alakazam's attack!
---
Opponent switched in Claydol (lvl 100 Claydol).
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
Claydol lost 22% of its health.
---
Futile.ALT switched in Moltres (lvl 100 Moltres).
Moltres is exerting its pressure!
Claydol used Reflect.
A barrier was formed!
---
Moltres used Fire Blast.
Claydol lost 51% of its health.
Claydol used Stealth Rock.
Pointed stones float in the air around the foe's team!
---
Opponent switched in Arcanine (lvl 100 Arcanine ?).
Moltres used Sunny Day.
The sun began to shine!
The sun continues to shine.
---
Futile.ALT switched in Arcanine (lvl 100 Arcanine ?).
Arcanine's Intimidate cut Arcanine's attack!
Pointed stones dug into Arcanine.
Arcanine lost 25% of its health.
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
Arcanine lost 26% of its health.
Arcanine lost 10% of its health.
The sun continues to shine.
Arcanine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Arcanine restored 6% of its health.
---
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
Arcanine lost 23% of its health.
Arcanine lost 10% of its health.
Arcanine used Morning Sun.
Arcanine restored 67% of its health.
Arcanine's reflect wore off!
The sun continues to shine.
Arcanine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Arcanine restored 2% of its health.
---
Arcanine used Morning Sun.
Arcanine restored 20% of its health.
Arcanine used Toxic.
Arcanine was badly poisoned!
The sun continues to shine.
Arcanine is hurt by poison!
Arcanine lost 6% of its health.
---
Futile.ALT switched in Rhyperior (lvl 100 Rhyperior ?).
Pointed stones dug into Rhyperior.
Rhyperior lost 6% of its health.
Opponent switched in Clefable (lvl 100 Clefable ?).
The sun continues to shine.
---
Opponent switched in Claydol (lvl 100 Claydol).
Rhyperior used Rock Polish.
Rhyperior's speed was sharply raised.
The sun continues to shine.
---
Opponent switched in Clefable (lvl 100 Clefable ?).
Rhyperior used Stone Edge.
A critical hit!
Clefable lost 95% of its health.
The sun continues to shine.
Clefable's leftovers restored its health a little!
Clefable restored 6% of its health.
---
Opponent switched in Exeggutor (lvl 100 Exeggutor ?).
Rhyperior used Swords Dance.
Rhyperior's attack was sharply raised.
The sun faded.
---
Rhyperior used Stone Edge.
Exeggutor lost 100% of its health.
Opponent's Exeggutor fainted.
---
Opponent switched in Alakazam (lvl 100 Alakazam ?).
Rhyperior used Earthquake.
Alakazam lost 41% of its health.
Opponent's Alakazam fainted.
---
Opponent switched in Clefable (lvl 100 Clefable ?).
Rhyperior used Earthquake.
Clefable lost 11% of its health.
Opponent's Clefable fainted.
---
Opponent switched in Arcanine (lvl 100 Arcanine ?).
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
It's not very effective...
Rhyperior lost 13% of its health.
Arcanine lost 10% of its health.
Rhyperior used Earthquake.
It's super effective!
Arcanine lost 84% of its health.
Opponent's Arcanine fainted.
---
Opponent switched in Claydol (lvl 100 Claydol).
Rhyperior used Stone Edge.
It's not very effective...
Claydol lost 27% of its health.
Opponent's Claydol fainted.
---
Opponent switched in Victreebel (lvl 100 Victreebel ?).
Rhyperior used Earthquake.
Victreebel lost 100% of its health.
Opponent's Victreebel fainted.
Moveset.
For a long time I was using the SubPerior set, which was okay but not as powerful as I had hoped. For the sake of experimentation I tried the choice band set, and I can’t believe how much I underestimated this set’s power.
Megahorn / Fire Punch / Swords Dance: Megahorn gives me a powerful attack to hurt psychics and dark-types with. The main culprit is Claydol, who resists/is immune to Rhyperior's STABS. Fire Punch on the other hand pretty much assures a KO against Venusaur, who I hate and is a real threat to the team. Eartquake does about the same damage when the sun isn't up, but with the sun up grass-types are boned. Swords Dance limits me to two moves, but they are immensely powerful STABs that can be enough to sweep.
Earthquake: STAB Earthquake is a massively useful tool to have on any team, especially with a 416 attack stat backing it. So, this is obviously for STAB and steel/fire killing. More reliable than Stone Edge against neutral threats too.
Stone Edge / Rock Blast: Stone Edge, arguably one of the most hit-and-miss attacks any Pokemon can carry. The base 100 power is hard to look past, although it is really there to hit anything that Earthquake won't. With a Swords Dance, Rock Blast becomes insanely powerful if you get more than 2 hits, and beats stall Moltres which has been raised as a threat.
Rock Polish: Rhyperior now sets up and can start its own sweep. Enough said, really.
Earthquake: STAB Earthquake is a massively useful tool to have on any team, especially with a 416 attack stat backing it. So, this is obviously for STAB and steel/fire killing. More reliable than Stone Edge against neutral threats too.
Stone Edge / Rock Blast: Stone Edge, arguably one of the most hit-and-miss attacks any Pokemon can carry. The base 100 power is hard to look past, although it is really there to hit anything that Earthquake won't. With a Swords Dance, Rock Blast becomes insanely powerful if you get more than 2 hits, and beats stall Moltres which has been raised as a threat.
Rock Polish: Rhyperior now sets up and can start its own sweep. Enough said, really.
Other options.
As mentioned above, Dugtrio can be used to trap and remove Chansey and Registeel more reliably, but his usefulness outside of this is pretty limited. With Dugtrio I would be wide open to Swellow and slightly more vulnerable to Arcanine and Scyther. Regirock is another option for a more supportive role, and he fares rather well against Moltres and even better against Arcanine and Swellow. Sadly his is nowhere near as offensive as Rhyperior, and falls prey to Thunder Wave which I am trying to avoid. Steelix is another option again, and works well to bait fire-types which could see Arcanine use Flash Fire and go offensive.
The set itself could be changed to Rock Polish with Stone Edge / Earthquake / Megahorn or Fire Punch.
● Concluding ●
Threat list.
A fully-fledged threat list is considered impractical and not necessary for this team. With the way it is set up and played, I aim to push forward aggressively to get my sweepers safely into play. From there, it is defensive threats that are of primary concern, hence why they are prioritised in this analysis. If I am to update this post, it will be this section that will receive the added attention. Completing an in-depth list would likely let me iron out any issues, however the decent win-loss rate suggests that my playing ability his more to do with the team's success now than the team itself.
Opposing team styles.
Rain Dance: Rain Dance is undoubtedly the more sound and... privileged weather mechanic. That said, rain and sun are direct competitors, so I have to be able to beat it. The thing with rain vs sun is this: rain usually has an easier time setting up than sun due to the ability to utilise Electrode and pretty sound leads such as Qwilfish. However, sun can easily rip a rain team to shreds with the sun up. Basically, against rain, I have Uxie. A Pokemon is usually sacrificed so that I can get Uxie in at full health. Then, since she can't be OHKO'd most times, she sets up the sun, and either dies on the next turn, or U-Turns to Exeggutor. Exeggutor is key since if the opponent has Uxie, Exeggutor must put it to sleep to stop the rain coming down again (since I can't OHKO it). Then I go on the offensive. If I can stop the rain from coming into play again, I fare very well.
Hail/Sandstorm: These teams have serious issues against Moltres, since I can nullify their weather condition from turn one. Their specially defensive Pokemon is usually Chansey, who lures in Rhyperior to deal masses of damage. I have swept a number of these teams with Moltres alone.
