Overview
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Hitmontop took a big hit in viability for VGC 2015. It lost Fighting Gem and Sucker Punch, and its weaknesses are now much more common. It's gone from a top-rate threat to an uncommon Pokemon relegated to mostly supportive uses. Still, its Fighting-type STAB coupled with Intimidate and its large support movepool is as usable as ever.
Support
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name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Wide Guard
move 4: Helping Hand / Quick Guard / Feint
ability: Intimidate
item: Sitrus Berry / Lum Berry
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Fake Out support allows Hitmontop to narrow down the situation for its partner for a turn. Close Combat is a powerful attack that gives Hitmontop some bite. Wide Guard protects Hitmontop and its partner from spread attacks, namely Sylveon's Hyper Voice and Landorus-T's Earthquake and Rock Slide. Helping Hand lets Hitmontop boost the power of its partner's attacks. Quick Guard protects your team from priority, mainly Sucker Punch, Talonflame's Brave Bird, and Thundurus's status moves. Feint lets Hitmontop's partner get off a valuable guaranteed hit. Stone Edge can also be used for coverage if you find Hitmontop's final support option unneeded.
Set Details
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A simple EV spread of 252 HP 252 / Atk is used to maximize bulk while also giving Hitmontop as strong a Close Combat as possible. Speed investment is optional. Hitmontop sits at the awkward Speed tier of 70. Investing enough to outspeed uninvested threats with a similar Speed can be useful. With 60 Speed EVs, Hitmontop outruns uninvested Heatran. 140 Speed EVs let Hitmontop outrun uninvested Rotom-W, though investing a little more is recommended, as Rotom-W often speed creeps. Investing in defenses is not heavily recommended, as it doesn't change what Hitmontop is OHKOed by unless it is a significant investment. Taking investment out of Attack is also not recommended; Hitmontop needs 244 Attack EVs to guarantee the KO on 4 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan. Close Combat's damage plummets as soon as you start removing Attack EVs.
Usage Tips
========
Bringing Hitmontop in swings the momentum in your favor most of the time thanks to its Intimidate and Fake Out pressure. Hitmontop make for a good, albeit very predictable and answerable lead. It's even better to switch in turn one if you decide on some other pair of leads and the situation isn't favorable. Because Intimidate and Fake Out are refreshed every time Hitmontop switches in, Hitmontop works very well with U-turn or Volt Switch users. If Hitmontop's Fake Out is very obviously telegraphed, consider using some other attack instead to punish your opponent for anticipating Fake Out.
Team Options
========
Hitmontop is great with Pokemon that have powerful spread moves, such as Mega Charizard Y, Sylveon, Heatran, Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Salamence, as it can shield them with Fake Out and boost their damage output with Helping Hand. Pokemon with Speed control such as Zapdos and Thundurus enjoy Fake Out and Intimidate. Hitmontop's Intimidate and Fake Out support makes partners with boosting moves such as its classic partner Quiver Dance Volcarona. Hitmontop's Fighting-type coverage is so helpful that almost any special attacker appreciates Hitmontop as a partner; notable mentions include Hydreigon and Gardevoir. Pokemon that loathe Landorus-T and its spread moves such as Talonflame, Mega Mawile, and Mega Charizard Y like Hitmontop's Intimidate and Wide Guard. Hitmontop enjoys working with Pokemon that can deal with Mega Mawile, Mega Salamence, and Talonflame. Rotom-W is good against Mega Mawile and Talonflame, while Landorus-T is good against all three.
Other Options
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Stone Edge or Payback can be used over any of the final support options on the main set if you're turned off by mono-Fighting coverage. Eject Button allows Hitmontop to get a Fake Out and Intimidate off, then switch out and do it all over again. However, the Eject Button can be a burden if you want Hitmontop to attack the foe. Roseli Berry and an EV investment of 252 HP / 28 SpD allow Hitmontop to survive even Choice Specs Sylveon's Hyper Voice. Hitmontop should be using Wide Guard to protect itself from the move most of the time, though. Hitmontop generally doesn't have enough space in its move set to use Protect or Detect, as it needs to be using a wide variety of support attacks to stay useful. Mach Punch gives Hitmontop some useful, although very weak, priority. It's good for sniping Bisharp, which likes having a free Intimidate boost. Technician Hitmontop is still very weak after the boost and is not recommended. Intimidate is integral in using Hitmontop.
Checks & Counters
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**Strong Fire-, Fairy-, and Psychic-type moves**: While Wide Guard and Quick Guard can protect Hitmontop from a few attacks, strong attacks of these types are the fastest way to KO Hitmontop. Mega Mawile's Play Rough cleanly OHKOs Hitmontop even at -1. Any Sylveon variant will be able to KO Hitmontop with Hyper Voice, though it will need to work around Wide Guard. Choice Band Talonflame's Brave Bird OHKOes Hitmontop even with an Attack drop, though it will have to scout for Quick Guard. Cresselia and Latios can use Psychic or Psyshock to bust through Hitmontop.
**Will-O-Wisp**: Close Combat is very weak once it's Hitmontop is burned. Rotom-W and Gengar do a great job at accomplishing that.
**Ghost-types**: Hitmontop usually forgoes a coverage attack to help its partner as much as possible, meaning Ghost-types wall it. Aegislash doesn't care about whatever coverage move Hitmontop has; it resists Stone Edge and is hit with a weaker Payback, as it's slower than Hitmontop.
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Hitmontop took a big hit in viability for VGC 2015. It lost Fighting Gem and Sucker Punch, and its weaknesses are now much more common. It's gone from a top-rate threat to an uncommon Pokemon relegated to mostly supportive uses. Still, its Fighting-type STAB coupled with Intimidate and its large support movepool is as usable as ever.
Support
########
name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Wide Guard
move 4: Helping Hand / Quick Guard / Feint
ability: Intimidate
item: Sitrus Berry / Lum Berry
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Fake Out support allows Hitmontop to narrow down the situation for its partner for a turn. Close Combat is a powerful attack that gives Hitmontop some bite. Wide Guard protects Hitmontop and its partner from spread attacks, namely Sylveon's Hyper Voice and Landorus-T's Earthquake and Rock Slide. Helping Hand lets Hitmontop boost the power of its partner's attacks. Quick Guard protects your team from priority, mainly Sucker Punch, Talonflame's Brave Bird, and Thundurus's status moves. Feint lets Hitmontop's partner get off a valuable guaranteed hit. Stone Edge can also be used for coverage if you find Hitmontop's final support option unneeded.
Set Details
========
A simple EV spread of 252 HP 252 / Atk is used to maximize bulk while also giving Hitmontop as strong a Close Combat as possible. Speed investment is optional. Hitmontop sits at the awkward Speed tier of 70. Investing enough to outspeed uninvested threats with a similar Speed can be useful. With 60 Speed EVs, Hitmontop outruns uninvested Heatran. 140 Speed EVs let Hitmontop outrun uninvested Rotom-W, though investing a little more is recommended, as Rotom-W often speed creeps. Investing in defenses is not heavily recommended, as it doesn't change what Hitmontop is OHKOed by unless it is a significant investment. Taking investment out of Attack is also not recommended; Hitmontop needs 244 Attack EVs to guarantee the KO on 4 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan. Close Combat's damage plummets as soon as you start removing Attack EVs.
Usage Tips
========
Bringing Hitmontop in swings the momentum in your favor most of the time thanks to its Intimidate and Fake Out pressure. Hitmontop make for a good, albeit very predictable and answerable lead. It's even better to switch in turn one if you decide on some other pair of leads and the situation isn't favorable. Because Intimidate and Fake Out are refreshed every time Hitmontop switches in, Hitmontop works very well with U-turn or Volt Switch users. If Hitmontop's Fake Out is very obviously telegraphed, consider using some other attack instead to punish your opponent for anticipating Fake Out.
Team Options
========
Hitmontop is great with Pokemon that have powerful spread moves, such as Mega Charizard Y, Sylveon, Heatran, Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Salamence, as it can shield them with Fake Out and boost their damage output with Helping Hand. Pokemon with Speed control such as Zapdos and Thundurus enjoy Fake Out and Intimidate. Hitmontop's Intimidate and Fake Out support makes partners with boosting moves such as its classic partner Quiver Dance Volcarona. Hitmontop's Fighting-type coverage is so helpful that almost any special attacker appreciates Hitmontop as a partner; notable mentions include Hydreigon and Gardevoir. Pokemon that loathe Landorus-T and its spread moves such as Talonflame, Mega Mawile, and Mega Charizard Y like Hitmontop's Intimidate and Wide Guard. Hitmontop enjoys working with Pokemon that can deal with Mega Mawile, Mega Salamence, and Talonflame. Rotom-W is good against Mega Mawile and Talonflame, while Landorus-T is good against all three.
Other Options
########
Stone Edge or Payback can be used over any of the final support options on the main set if you're turned off by mono-Fighting coverage. Eject Button allows Hitmontop to get a Fake Out and Intimidate off, then switch out and do it all over again. However, the Eject Button can be a burden if you want Hitmontop to attack the foe. Roseli Berry and an EV investment of 252 HP / 28 SpD allow Hitmontop to survive even Choice Specs Sylveon's Hyper Voice. Hitmontop should be using Wide Guard to protect itself from the move most of the time, though. Hitmontop generally doesn't have enough space in its move set to use Protect or Detect, as it needs to be using a wide variety of support attacks to stay useful. Mach Punch gives Hitmontop some useful, although very weak, priority. It's good for sniping Bisharp, which likes having a free Intimidate boost. Technician Hitmontop is still very weak after the boost and is not recommended. Intimidate is integral in using Hitmontop.
Checks & Counters
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**Strong Fire-, Fairy-, and Psychic-type moves**: While Wide Guard and Quick Guard can protect Hitmontop from a few attacks, strong attacks of these types are the fastest way to KO Hitmontop. Mega Mawile's Play Rough cleanly OHKOs Hitmontop even at -1. Any Sylveon variant will be able to KO Hitmontop with Hyper Voice, though it will need to work around Wide Guard. Choice Band Talonflame's Brave Bird OHKOes Hitmontop even with an Attack drop, though it will have to scout for Quick Guard. Cresselia and Latios can use Psychic or Psyshock to bust through Hitmontop.
**Will-O-Wisp**: Close Combat is very weak once it's Hitmontop is burned. Rotom-W and Gengar do a great job at accomplishing that.
**Ghost-types**: Hitmontop usually forgoes a coverage attack to help its partner as much as possible, meaning Ghost-types wall it. Aegislash doesn't care about whatever coverage move Hitmontop has; it resists Stone Edge and is hit with a weaker Payback, as it's slower than Hitmontop.
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