Hi. Phil said that he wanted someone to take over this analysis due to diinbong's absence, and so I talked to Aldaron and I'll be working on it now. Note that diinbong had a RestTalk set in his write-up (found here) but I tested it and didn't think it was very good (easy setup bait for Pokemon like Dragon Dance Salamence/Gyarados). However, if someone disagrees, then feel free to let me know; I would totally be glad to retest it more thoroughly (I only tested RestTalk for like three days). ^_^
-------------------------
QC approval x3 ------------------------------ GP approval x2
~Philip7086-----------------------------------~Draco Zephyr
~Setsuna.-------------------------------------~jc104
~remlabmez
~Quality Control approved~------------------~Grammar Prose Team approved~
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/nidoqueen
status: awaiting upload
[Overview]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>While Nidoqueen may seem like an unconventional choice for the OU tier, she is one of the few viable users of Toxic Spikes, which catapults her popularity. Nidoqueen's good typing and decent defensive stats allow her to stop many powerful physical attackers, such as Lucario and Tyranitar. While Nidoqueen is a solid Toxic Spikes user, her defenses are merely average by OU standards, meaning that powerful neutral attacks will heavily damage her and super effective hits will usually KO her. The fact that she lacks a reliable recovery move doesn't help her defensively, as she will often find herself low on health and unable to set up as easily. When using Nidoqueen, make sure that you use her as a go-to Pokemon against physical attackers whose STAB she resists (specifically, physical Fighting-types), as this is when she will find opportunities to set up Toxic Spikes. Overall, Nidoqueen is a good choice in OU if you want a Pokemon who can take a hit and support the team.</p>
[SET]
name: OU Toxic Spikes
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast / Super Fang
move 4: Stealth Rock / Taunt / Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Poison Point
nature: Relaxed / Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Nidoqueen's niche in OU is the ability to consistently set up Toxic Spikes, an ability that few other OU Pokemon share. The main reason to use Nidoqueen over more popular Toxic Spikes users is her ability to switch in on threats other users cannot, such as Lucario, Jolteon, and Tyranitar. She is also able to absorb an opposing team's Toxic Spikes on the switch-in, something that only two other Pokemon who are commonly seen in OU, Roserade and Tentacruel, are capable of.</p>
<p>Nidoqueen will find the most opportunities to set up Toxic Spikes when she switches in on a physical threat whom she can wall, such as Tyranitar, or a slower defensive Pokemon, such as Blissey. Earthquake is used in the second moveslot as a form of STAB, hitting Pokemon such as Heatran for huge damage and dealing a decent chunk to anyone who isn't resistant or immune to it. Fire Blast is the main choice in the second moveslot as it allows Nidoqueen to hit Steel-types who don't care about Earthquake, such as Skarmory and Forretress, for solid damage. However, Super Fang is a viable alternative, allowing Nidoqueen to immediately strip any switch-ins of half their health, bar Ghost-types. Stealth Rock is the main option in the fourth moveslot, as it allows Nidoqueen to further support her team; she can set it up in the same situations where she sets up Toxic Spikes. However, Taunt can be used instead to shut down the likes of Blissey and Skarmory. She can then set up Toxic Spikes on the aforementioned Pokemon. If neither of these moves tickle your fancy, then Roar can be a good choice, allowing Nidoqueen to phaze out threats, rack up residual damage from entry hazards, and spread poison around the opponent's team with Toxic Spikes.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Earth Power can be used instead of Earthquake to hit Metagross, Scizor, and Forretress harder; however, all of these Pokemon are already hit for healthy damage by Fire Blast. If you choose to use Earth Power, then use a Bold nature with 12 Special Attack EVs, as it allows Nidoqueen to 2HKO 252 HP Metagross after Stealth Rock damage. Ice Beam can be used to hit Gliscor and Flygon switch-ins for an OHKO, but both of these Pokemon can already deal catastrophic damage to Nidoqueen with Earthquake, making it an inferior choice.</p>
<p>The EVs on this set allow for maximum physical bulk and let Nidoqueen take hits more easily in general. A Relaxed nature is used to maximize Nidoqueen's Defense without lowering her Special Attack, but if you don't use Fire Blast in the third moveslot, then you should use an Impish nature, as it doesn't lower Nidoqueen's Speed. Shuca Berry is an alternate item if you're using Nidoqueen as a lead, as it allows her to take on Metagross and other Earthquake users more easily.</p>
<p>The main reason why one would use Nidoqueen in the first place is for her ability to set up Toxic Spikes; as such, you should pair her with Pokemon who can take advantage of Toxic Spikes support. Such Pokemon include Torment Heatran and SubRoost Zapdos. Agility Empoleon is also a good example of this, and sports resistances to the Ice- and Water-type attacks commonly aimed at Nidoqueen. Celebi is also a good teammate, as it can stall opponents out with Toxic Spikes support, defensively complements Nidoqueen, and checks Dragon Dance Gyarados, who can set up on Nidoqueen. Vaporeon is also a good defensive teammate to utilize. Not only does he synergize well with Nidoqueen, but he can also pass Wish to her, keeping her health high; this is even more important when you consider that Nidoqueen lacks a reliable recovery move. On a more stall-oriented team, Blissey is a great partner, as she is also capable of passing Wish to Nidoqueen. The pair also have good defensive synergy; Blissey can take the powerful special attacks Nidoqueen is unable to handle, while Nidoqueen can take the physical Fighting-type hits that will otherwise OHKO Blissey. Pairing Nidoqueen with a Pokemon who can block Rapid Spin, such as Rotom-A, is a great plan, as it prevents the opposition from spinning away her Toxic Spikes.</p>
[Team Options]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>If you're using Nidoqueen in OU, chances are that you're using her to set up Toxic Spikes. As such, you should always pair her with Pokemon who enjoy Toxic Spikes support. Good examples of this include Agility SubPetaya Empoleon and Torment Heatran; SubCharge Rotom-A can also utilize the support, and has the additional ability to block any attempts to Rapid Spin away Nidoqueen's Toxic Spikes. While Nidoqueen is a great support Pokemon, she is below average offensively, and will often be set up on. Dragon Dance Gyarados can set up on any Nidoqueen lacking Thunderbolt, and can pose a serious threat to most teams. If you use Nidoqueen, you should be prepared to deal with these threats. Defensive Celebi does a great job of checking Gyarados, and synergizes well with Nidoqueen. A Suicune who carries both Hidden Power Electric and Ice Beam can easily check Flygon and Gyarados thanks to its superior bulk. It can also take Ice- and Water-type attacks aimed at Nidoqueen, allowing you to maintain her HP and switch her in later in the match to set up entry hazards or check physical threats.</p>
<p>Since Nidoqueen lacks a reliable recovery move, Pokemon who are capable of passing Wish make great teammates, as Wish support ultimately increases Nidoqueen's longevity by leaps and bounds. Vaporeon and Blissey are both solid choices to supply this; Vaporeon comes with the additional ability to check Dragon Dance Gyarados with Hidden Power Electric. It's also a good idea to use a spinblocker alongside Nidoqueen, as your opponent may try and Rapid Spin away her Toxic Spikes. Using a Rotom forme is a good idea, as their high defensive stats allow them to switch in on most Rapid Spinners. In particular, Rotom-C can scare away Swampert, a large threat to Nidoqueen, with the prospect of a powerful Leaf Storm.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Nidoqueen could potentially use a Rest + Sleep Talk set, but this makes her easily walled, and turns her into setup fodder for many dangerous Pokemon, namely Dragon Dance Gyarados. If you're interested in providing Nidoqueen with recovery, it's probably a good idea to stick with Wish support. Thunderbolt could be used over Fire Blast / Super Fang to allow Nidoqueen to hit bulky Water-types, especially Gyarados, but its usage is extremely minimal outside of that. Ice Beam is an alternate option to allow Nidoqueen to OHKO Flygon and Gliscor switch-ins, but Fire Blast is usually the better choice as far as a special attack is concerned. When choosing Nidoqueen's ability, it's generally best to stick with Poison Point. While the power increase that Rivalry potentially grants may seem appealing, the fact of the matter is that it will often leave Nidoqueen's attacks underpowered, as the majority of Pokemon are male. Poison Point can at least occasionally poison physical attackers, and while it isn't a great ability, it's better than Rivalry.</p>
[Counters]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Depending on what special move Nidoqueen carries, certain Pokemon can cause her problems. If Nidoqueen lacks Ice Beam, then Flygon will easily switch in on her. If she lacks Fire Blast, then Skarmory and Forretress will waltz in and set up Spikes. Gyarados can freely switch in on Nidoqueen, set up Dragon Dance, and proceed to sweep her team; however, Gyarados must watch out for rare Thunderbolt variants. Opposing Rotom-A can easily switch in on Nidoqueen thanks to their immunity to Earthquake. They can then proceed to burn her with Will-O-Wisp or simply attack with Shadow Ball. Bulky Water-type Pokemon can switch in and threaten Nidoqueen with their STAB moves, but won't enjoy being poisoned by the Toxic Spikes that Nidoqueen sets up. At the end of the day, practically any Pokemon with decent defensive stats and a resistance to Ground-type moves will be able to take Nidoqueen on and come out on top. However, be wary of the special moves, namely Fire Blast and Ice Beam, that Nidoqueen may carry, as you could otherwise find yourself in a bad situation with the wrong switch-in.</p>
QC approval x3 ------------------------------ GP approval x2
~Philip7086-----------------------------------~Draco Zephyr
~Setsuna.-------------------------------------~jc104
~remlabmez
~Quality Control approved~------------------~Grammar Prose Team approved~
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/nidoqueen
status: awaiting upload
[Overview]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>While Nidoqueen may seem like an unconventional choice for the OU tier, she is one of the few viable users of Toxic Spikes, which catapults her popularity. Nidoqueen's good typing and decent defensive stats allow her to stop many powerful physical attackers, such as Lucario and Tyranitar. While Nidoqueen is a solid Toxic Spikes user, her defenses are merely average by OU standards, meaning that powerful neutral attacks will heavily damage her and super effective hits will usually KO her. The fact that she lacks a reliable recovery move doesn't help her defensively, as she will often find herself low on health and unable to set up as easily. When using Nidoqueen, make sure that you use her as a go-to Pokemon against physical attackers whose STAB she resists (specifically, physical Fighting-types), as this is when she will find opportunities to set up Toxic Spikes. Overall, Nidoqueen is a good choice in OU if you want a Pokemon who can take a hit and support the team.</p>
[SET]
name: OU Toxic Spikes
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast / Super Fang
move 4: Stealth Rock / Taunt / Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Poison Point
nature: Relaxed / Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Nidoqueen's niche in OU is the ability to consistently set up Toxic Spikes, an ability that few other OU Pokemon share. The main reason to use Nidoqueen over more popular Toxic Spikes users is her ability to switch in on threats other users cannot, such as Lucario, Jolteon, and Tyranitar. She is also able to absorb an opposing team's Toxic Spikes on the switch-in, something that only two other Pokemon who are commonly seen in OU, Roserade and Tentacruel, are capable of.</p>
<p>Nidoqueen will find the most opportunities to set up Toxic Spikes when she switches in on a physical threat whom she can wall, such as Tyranitar, or a slower defensive Pokemon, such as Blissey. Earthquake is used in the second moveslot as a form of STAB, hitting Pokemon such as Heatran for huge damage and dealing a decent chunk to anyone who isn't resistant or immune to it. Fire Blast is the main choice in the second moveslot as it allows Nidoqueen to hit Steel-types who don't care about Earthquake, such as Skarmory and Forretress, for solid damage. However, Super Fang is a viable alternative, allowing Nidoqueen to immediately strip any switch-ins of half their health, bar Ghost-types. Stealth Rock is the main option in the fourth moveslot, as it allows Nidoqueen to further support her team; she can set it up in the same situations where she sets up Toxic Spikes. However, Taunt can be used instead to shut down the likes of Blissey and Skarmory. She can then set up Toxic Spikes on the aforementioned Pokemon. If neither of these moves tickle your fancy, then Roar can be a good choice, allowing Nidoqueen to phaze out threats, rack up residual damage from entry hazards, and spread poison around the opponent's team with Toxic Spikes.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Earth Power can be used instead of Earthquake to hit Metagross, Scizor, and Forretress harder; however, all of these Pokemon are already hit for healthy damage by Fire Blast. If you choose to use Earth Power, then use a Bold nature with 12 Special Attack EVs, as it allows Nidoqueen to 2HKO 252 HP Metagross after Stealth Rock damage. Ice Beam can be used to hit Gliscor and Flygon switch-ins for an OHKO, but both of these Pokemon can already deal catastrophic damage to Nidoqueen with Earthquake, making it an inferior choice.</p>
<p>The EVs on this set allow for maximum physical bulk and let Nidoqueen take hits more easily in general. A Relaxed nature is used to maximize Nidoqueen's Defense without lowering her Special Attack, but if you don't use Fire Blast in the third moveslot, then you should use an Impish nature, as it doesn't lower Nidoqueen's Speed. Shuca Berry is an alternate item if you're using Nidoqueen as a lead, as it allows her to take on Metagross and other Earthquake users more easily.</p>
<p>The main reason why one would use Nidoqueen in the first place is for her ability to set up Toxic Spikes; as such, you should pair her with Pokemon who can take advantage of Toxic Spikes support. Such Pokemon include Torment Heatran and SubRoost Zapdos. Agility Empoleon is also a good example of this, and sports resistances to the Ice- and Water-type attacks commonly aimed at Nidoqueen. Celebi is also a good teammate, as it can stall opponents out with Toxic Spikes support, defensively complements Nidoqueen, and checks Dragon Dance Gyarados, who can set up on Nidoqueen. Vaporeon is also a good defensive teammate to utilize. Not only does he synergize well with Nidoqueen, but he can also pass Wish to her, keeping her health high; this is even more important when you consider that Nidoqueen lacks a reliable recovery move. On a more stall-oriented team, Blissey is a great partner, as she is also capable of passing Wish to Nidoqueen. The pair also have good defensive synergy; Blissey can take the powerful special attacks Nidoqueen is unable to handle, while Nidoqueen can take the physical Fighting-type hits that will otherwise OHKO Blissey. Pairing Nidoqueen with a Pokemon who can block Rapid Spin, such as Rotom-A, is a great plan, as it prevents the opposition from spinning away her Toxic Spikes.</p>
[Team Options]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>If you're using Nidoqueen in OU, chances are that you're using her to set up Toxic Spikes. As such, you should always pair her with Pokemon who enjoy Toxic Spikes support. Good examples of this include Agility SubPetaya Empoleon and Torment Heatran; SubCharge Rotom-A can also utilize the support, and has the additional ability to block any attempts to Rapid Spin away Nidoqueen's Toxic Spikes. While Nidoqueen is a great support Pokemon, she is below average offensively, and will often be set up on. Dragon Dance Gyarados can set up on any Nidoqueen lacking Thunderbolt, and can pose a serious threat to most teams. If you use Nidoqueen, you should be prepared to deal with these threats. Defensive Celebi does a great job of checking Gyarados, and synergizes well with Nidoqueen. A Suicune who carries both Hidden Power Electric and Ice Beam can easily check Flygon and Gyarados thanks to its superior bulk. It can also take Ice- and Water-type attacks aimed at Nidoqueen, allowing you to maintain her HP and switch her in later in the match to set up entry hazards or check physical threats.</p>
<p>Since Nidoqueen lacks a reliable recovery move, Pokemon who are capable of passing Wish make great teammates, as Wish support ultimately increases Nidoqueen's longevity by leaps and bounds. Vaporeon and Blissey are both solid choices to supply this; Vaporeon comes with the additional ability to check Dragon Dance Gyarados with Hidden Power Electric. It's also a good idea to use a spinblocker alongside Nidoqueen, as your opponent may try and Rapid Spin away her Toxic Spikes. Using a Rotom forme is a good idea, as their high defensive stats allow them to switch in on most Rapid Spinners. In particular, Rotom-C can scare away Swampert, a large threat to Nidoqueen, with the prospect of a powerful Leaf Storm.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Nidoqueen could potentially use a Rest + Sleep Talk set, but this makes her easily walled, and turns her into setup fodder for many dangerous Pokemon, namely Dragon Dance Gyarados. If you're interested in providing Nidoqueen with recovery, it's probably a good idea to stick with Wish support. Thunderbolt could be used over Fire Blast / Super Fang to allow Nidoqueen to hit bulky Water-types, especially Gyarados, but its usage is extremely minimal outside of that. Ice Beam is an alternate option to allow Nidoqueen to OHKO Flygon and Gliscor switch-ins, but Fire Blast is usually the better choice as far as a special attack is concerned. When choosing Nidoqueen's ability, it's generally best to stick with Poison Point. While the power increase that Rivalry potentially grants may seem appealing, the fact of the matter is that it will often leave Nidoqueen's attacks underpowered, as the majority of Pokemon are male. Poison Point can at least occasionally poison physical attackers, and while it isn't a great ability, it's better than Rivalry.</p>
[Counters]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Depending on what special move Nidoqueen carries, certain Pokemon can cause her problems. If Nidoqueen lacks Ice Beam, then Flygon will easily switch in on her. If she lacks Fire Blast, then Skarmory and Forretress will waltz in and set up Spikes. Gyarados can freely switch in on Nidoqueen, set up Dragon Dance, and proceed to sweep her team; however, Gyarados must watch out for rare Thunderbolt variants. Opposing Rotom-A can easily switch in on Nidoqueen thanks to their immunity to Earthquake. They can then proceed to burn her with Will-O-Wisp or simply attack with Shadow Ball. Bulky Water-type Pokemon can switch in and threaten Nidoqueen with their STAB moves, but won't enjoy being poisoned by the Toxic Spikes that Nidoqueen sets up. At the end of the day, practically any Pokemon with decent defensive stats and a resistance to Ground-type moves will be able to take Nidoqueen on and come out on top. However, be wary of the special moves, namely Fire Blast and Ice Beam, that Nidoqueen may carry, as you could otherwise find yourself in a bad situation with the wrong switch-in.</p>
