Regigigas
Hi C&C. I was approved to write an update for Regigigas, so here I am. I feel that the Choice Band set is totally underwhelming, Choice Specs is terrible without any STAB option and a relatively underwhelming Special Attack stat, and the SubPunch set is awful because of Regigigas's low Attack (after Slow Start) and lack of STAB. I'm open to discussion about any of them, though, if QC thinks they deserve a set.
Status:
Done (Ready For Uploading)
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[Overview]
<p>This is Regigigas; he needs no introduction, as with stats like his, everyone knows that he should be able to do some serious damage. Unfortunately, the biggest letdown with Regigigas is that in order for him to 'do serious damage', he has to survive five turns in battle before his crippling ability, Slow Start, wears off. During those five turns, the opponent almost always either massacres Regigigas or does whatever he or she pleases and phazes him at the last possible moment.</p>
<p>Regigigas isn't all bad news, though, and can actually do something useful in the UU tier, where his raw defensive stats make his survival possible. Base 110 defenses across the board are tough to break, and the general lack of phazers helps Regigigas even more. Once Regigigas has stalled those five turns, he can proceed to crush skulls with his base 160 Attack stat and base 100 Speed stat. While he may not be the prodigal son of legendary Pokemon, Regigigas can certainly hold his own in a tier that isn't used to dealing with Pokemon of his stature.</p>
[SET]
name: Stall
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Return
move 3: Substitute / Confuse Ray
move 4: Earthquake / Fire Punch
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
evs: 48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The first order of business for any offensively minded Regigigas is to stall out the Slow Start turns so Regigigas can grind bones to make his bread. Because Regigigas lacks obvious means to do this, such as Rest and Protect, more creative methods are employed.</p>
<p>Thunder Wave slows opposing Pokemon down so that even Regigigas can outspeed them and then either repeatedly Substitute or employ Confuse Ray to complete the parafusion combo. Both strategies work effectively in different situations for stalling the Slow Start turns, but Regigigas's Substitutes are notoriously difficult to break without super effective or very powerful STAB attacks, generally making Substitute the way to go. In the last slot, Earthquake and Fire Punch are both useful. Earthquake leaves Regigigas helpless against the commonly seen Ground-immune Ghost-types of UU, Mismagius and Rotom, whereas Fire Punch is much weaker and will make it difficult to break through Rhyperior, Omastar, and even Kabutops.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is designed primarily for after Slow Start has worn off, as Regigigas is painfully slow and painfully weak during the turns he has to stall. 252 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature allow Regigigas to pound opposing Pokemon as hard as possible. Once Slow Start has worn off, 208 Speed EVs allow Regigigas to outspeed all Milotic, which is an important benchmark. A more physically or specially bulky spread can be used to great effect, particularly with 252 HP EVs so that Seismic Toss will never break Regigigas's Substitutes. Lastly, mono-Normal-type coverage is not bad in UU, so you can replace the attacking move in the last slot with whichever move from the third slot you didn't use; however, doing this leaves Regigigas walled by a few key threats, so it can be a risky move.</p>
<p>Make sure that your team can cover whichever Pokemon totally wall Regigigas's attacking options. If you go with Earthquake, Pursuit Houndoom and Choice Band Spiritomb make excellent partners for their ability to brutally massacre Ghost-types that try to wall Regigigas. With Fire Punch, Pokemon like Donphan, Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Leafeon make great partners. Donphan can come in on brutally powerful physical attacks from the likes of Rhyperior and Aggron, both of which stop Regigigas cold. Bulky variants of Tangrowth, Venusaur, and Leafeon can switch into Kabutops and Omastar and threaten them with support moves and powerful Grass-type attacks. It is also useful to have Pokemon that can take the Fighting-type attacks that Regigigas will lure during his setup. Good options for this are Nidoqueen and Weezing, the former of which can set up Toxic Spikes and the latter of which can burn pesky Fighting-type Pokemon.</p>
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Return
move 2: Earthquake / Fire Punch
move 3: Thunder Wave / Toxic
move 4: Knock Off
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Regigigas actually has one of the best sets of combined defensive stats of any Pokemon in the tier, beating out even Uxie and Milotic. Couple this defensive prowess with the potential to do serious damage after Slow Start has worn off and Regigigas can pose a serious threat to any team without super effective Fighting-type attacks to fight back with.</p>
<p>Return and one of Earthquake or Fire Punch are Regigigas's attacking options. With Earthquake, Ghost-type Pokemon are an issue, and with Fire Punch, Rock-type Pokemon are a problem. In the third slot, either Thunder Wave or Toxic is selected to cripple opposing Pokemon. Lastly, Knock Off is a really irritating move to hit anything with, as virtually every Pokemon in the game relies on their item to some extent. Choice Band Rhyperior will hate losing that power, while Hitmontop and Hitmonlee will be loath to lose Leftovers and Choice Scarf, respectively.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is chosen for maximum defensive prowess, but a specially bulky build is entirely viable as well based on what your team needs. No Attack or Speed is necessary on this set as Regigigas really isn't aiming to stall out the Slow Start turns and is instead using his impressive defenses to stop opponents in their tracks.</p>
<p>For teammates, this Regigigas particularly wants Pokemon that can switch into powerful Fighting-type attacks and simultaneously take the threats that Regigigas misses with his coverage. If running Earthquake, a specially defensive Altaria makes a great teammate for just that reason. With Fire Punch, Donphan, Weezing, and Nidoqueen become more valuable teammates. These three Pokemon can come in on the assorted offensive threats that can mash Regigigas and take his attacks with ease, like Rhyperior and Aggron. Bulky Milotic is also a useful teammate since it is able to take these powerful attacks at full health and OHKO back. Additionally, Grass-type teammates, such as Tangrowth and Venusaur, are exceptional partners with their resistances and support options.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Regigigas's best teammates are those that cover his Fighting-type weakness and those that cover the Pokemon he can't do anything to. More often than not, Regigigas will only be running two attacking moves: Return and one of Earthquake or Fire Punch. Depending on the latter move, different Pokemon will trouble Regigigas.</p>
<p>To handle threats with powerful Fighting-type attacks, Pokemon like Nidoqueen, Weezing, and Spiritomb should be partnered with Regigigas. Spiritomb is especially valuable because he can trap opposing levitating Ghost-type Pokemon that wall Return and Earthquake with his Pursuit. Nidoqueen can set up Toxic Spikes, which really hurts the effectiveness of some defensive switch-ins to Regigigas, like Milotic. Spiritomb, as well as Pursuit Houndoom and Drapion, can handle the Ghost-types that plague Regigigas; however, Houndoom shares a Fighting-type weakness with Regigigas, so covering that is critical. When Regigigas runs Fire Punch over Earthquake, dealing with Rock-type opponents is a must for your team. Omastar and Kabutops can be handled by powerful and bulky Grass-type teammates, such as Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Leafeon. Donphan is also a good teammate to have for his ability to switch into Rhyperior and Aggron's immensely powerful attacks and come out ahead.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Regigigas doesn't have a shallow movepool by any means, but almost all of his worthwhile options are rendered useless by Slow Start. Rock Polish would be great if he wasn't at half Speed and Attack for 5 turns. A set consisting of Focus Punch and Substitute might sound great on paper, but it's pretty terrible when you factor in Slow Start's effect on Regigigas's Attack and the lack of STAB. Outside of that, Regigigas has a decent special movepool in Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, and Earth Power, but lacks both the Special Attack and the Speed to utilize it effectively.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Regigigas's best responses are Fighting-type Pokemon. No matter which attacking moves Regigigas runs, Fighting-type Pokemon will trouble him. Hitmontop tops this list—no pun intended—with Intimidate to catch Regigigas before he can Substitute and STAB Close Combat to eliminate him. After Hitmontop, Guts Hariyama is a superb response because of Guts turning status used against it into a deadly weapon. Lastly, Hitmonlee is also an excellent choice because of his immunity to Thunder Wave and immense power. Bulky Ghost-type Pokemon fare well against Regigigas even if he carries Fire Punch; they are immune to Regigigas's only STAB and will do quite a bit of damage if they pack Hidden Power Fighting.</p>
<p>One of the worst things you can do is try to stall Regigigas out with Pokemon like Steelix or Chansey. If Slow Start ever wears off, your Pokemon will be in for a world of hurt. The only time you should attempt to stall Regigigas out is if you have Toxic Spikes in play. If Regigigas gets poisoned, he is pretty much dead in the water, as he then no longer has even the slimmest chance to stall out Slow Start. Phazing is also one of the best ways to deal with Regigigas; Perish Song, Whirlwind, and Roar will all force Regigigas out prematurely, killing any chance he has of threatening your team.</p>
