.
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/arcanine
__________________
Changes:
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[SET]
name: Physical Choice
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Thunder Fang
move 4: Iron Head / Overheat
item: Choice Band
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Arcanine has always been strong on the attacking side with nice stats on both ends, but it has often lacked the moves to back up the statistics, particularly on the physical spectrum. Flare Blitz gives the legendary dog a powerful physical Fire attack that is sure to put a big dent in anything that doesn't resist it. ExtremeSpeed's usefulness goes without saying, but even without the priority modifier it is still a strong 80 base power attack that can do consistent damage. Coming from Arcanine's naturally high Attack stat and further boosted by Choice Band, it can be used to pick off faster Pokémon with ease. For example, Hitmonlee is often Scarfed and can outrun Arcanine to deal a hefty Close Combat, but a Choice Band ExtremeSpeed has the power to OHKO with Stealth Rock damage. Arcanine can do upwards of 85% to other physically frail sweepers such as Houndoom, Espeon, Primeape, Roserade, and Swellow, giving it great utility as a revenge killer and a check against these fast threats.</p>
<p>The last two slots are used to cover against Arcanine's common switch ins, namely Rock and Water-types. Thunder Fang's low base power can often be a letdown against the bulkier Water-types such as Slowbro, but can be used to 2HKO Milotic and Azumarill. Iron Head won't be doing enough to 2HKO the likes of Regirock, but it will almost always get a 3HKO, and in situations like this the 30% flinch rate may really pay off. Overheat can be run to hit the physical walls harder on their weaker side, and will outdamage Flare Blitz against the likes of Steelix and Cloyster. Arcanine has quite a limited movepool, and that is the extent of its viable attacking options. However, Arcanine's tendency to lure in bulky Pokémon not fearful of ExtremeSpeed can be used to its advantage, and Toxic can be run in the last slot as a crippling surprise for many of its checks.</p>
<p>Having a teammate lay down Stealth Rock can turn many 3HKOs on Arcanine's common switchins into 2HKOs. Most notable out of these is Milotic - after taking Stealth Rock damage, even the bulkiest of Milotic will be 2HKOed by a Choice Band Thunder Fang. Stealth Rock also means that Moltres won't come in on Arcanine with impunity, as Flare Blitz is an easy 2HKO on a 50% Moltres, and Thunder Fang will get a clean OHKO. Since you will often find yourself wanting to bring Arcanine in to ExtremeSpeed a weakened sweeper, keeping the rocks off your own side of the field will greatly increase Arcanine's lifespan, as well as giving you the freedom to switch it in and out and abuse Intimidate and ExtremeSpeed. Blastoise pairs up well with Arcanine as a Rapid Spinner, with good defenses on both sides allowing it to come in on Surfs as well as Rock Slide and Earthquake from Regirock and Arcanine's other physically oriented counters. Blastoise can scare off Regirock and Moltres with the threat of a super effective Surf, and has Toxic to cripple other bulky Water-types, weakening them and making them far less reliable switchins to Arcanine. Being able to come in on the majority of Arcanine's counters gives Blastoise ample time to Rapid Spin, and can continue to support Arcanine throughout the game.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Choice
move 1: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / ExtremeSpeed
move 4: Overheat / ExtremeSpeed
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
ability: Intimidate
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Special Arcanine is more versatile than the physical type, but not quite as strong. Flamethrower and Dragon Pulse combine for excellent type coverage and accuracy and are the foundation of this set. Fire Blast is useful for compensating for Arcanine's average Special Attack, and is the preferred choice for a Scarf set so that it can do acceptable amounts of damage. Beyond that, Arcanine doesn't have too many special attacking options. While physical Arcanine dearly misses the ability to use Hidden Power, special sets greatly benefit from the move's ability to help it cover particular threats. Grass is recommended, as it will be able to put the hurt on the Rock and Water-types that tend to switch into it. Whereas physical Arcanine missed the 2HKO on Slowbro with Thunder Fang but was able to get Milotic, Hidden Power Grass works in the opposite way, hitting Slowbro on its lower Special Defense for up to 75% of its health. It will also 2HKO Regirock that don't run a Special Defense boosting nature after Stealth Rock damage, provided a sandstorm is not raging.</p>
<p>Overheat works well as a hit-and-run move for Specs Arcanine, similar to Salamence's Draco Meteor in OU (complete with Intimidate and a Stealth Rock weakness!). However, Scarf sets will prefer Fire Blasts consistent damage, as without a Special Attack boosting item, Overheat may fail to get crucial KOs, and a second Fire Blast will outdamage two Overheats if the first failed to KO. However, it is hard to recommend an Arcanine set without ExtremeSpeed, as the usefulness of that move cannot be emphasized enough.</p>
<p>Toxic Spike support is particularly helpful for this set in wearing down Milotic (without disadvantaging yourself by giving it a Marvel Scale boost) and Chansey, and in particular will stop Chansey from staying in and trying to outstall Arcanine with Softboiled. Roserade makes a fine partner for Arcanine, as it has a Water resistance and a decent Special Defense stat for switching into Surf. Milotic can be scared off with the threat of a super effective Leaf Storm, while Roserade can take advantage of its own low HP stat by annoying Chansey to no end with Leech Seed. All this gives it plenty of time to set up two layers of Toxic Spikes, which will make sweeping with Specs Arcanine a lot easier.</p>
[SET]
name: Anti-Lead
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Overheat
item: Lum Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 192 HP / 252 Atk / 64 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Arcanine's good all-round stats allow it to be both bulky and yet hit extremely hard at the same time. This fact, combined with its Intimidate ability and access to ExtremeSpeed, allows it to function as a very effective anti-lead.</p>
<p>Flare Blitz is a high powered STAB attack that does big damage to pretty much anything that doesn't resist it. ExtremeSpeed is the real crux of the set, allowing Arcanine to beat Focus Sash users without having to take another attack, and can 2HKO some faster, frailer leads. Against Arcanine, the bulky Water switch in is almost inevitable, and a well-timed Toxic can cripple both Slowbro and Milotic (despite activating Marvel Scale, if it doesn't have Rest, it's not going to enjoy Toxic). Steel-types never switch into Arcanine, and Poison is usually paired with Grass, meaning there is usually very little risk involved in using Toxic.</p>
<p>Arcanine has a couple of different moves that all work well in the last slot. Hidden Power Grass is noted because otherwise, Rock / Water-types fear next to nothing from this set. Since Kabutops and Omastar are occasionally seen as Stealth Rock / Spiker leads, being able to hit them with a 4x super effective attack has great benefits. Hidden Power Grass also lets Arcanine do a bit of damage to incoming Slowbro, although with no Special Attack investment the damage isn't enough to 2HKO. Overheat is another good choice for the last slot. It can be used when you're low on health and can't afford the recoil from Flare Blitz, when you've been Intimidated, or when you want to hit high-Defense Pokémon, such as Steelix, Cloyster, and Gligar, convincingly hard.</p>
<p>Attack is maxed so as to give Arcanine as strong a Flare Blitz and ExtremeSpeed as possible, and to allow it to put out enough damage in the lead scenario to KO the opposing Pokémon. The Speed EVs allow it to outrun Adamant Honchkrow and +Speed base 60s, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP to bulk Arcanine up. Lum Berry is a great item on a leading Pokémon, allowing Arcanine to easily come out on top against Roserade and Smeargle leads by using Flare Blitz and ExtremeSpeed.</p>
<p>One of the most appealing things about this set is that it can function as a good revenge killer with ExtremeSpeed later on in the game as well. It is not limited to just the lead scenario, and with its decent defensive stats and Intimidate, can become a real asset for the team later on too by revenge killing faster sweepers with ExtremeSpeed. Since this set will be leading, it generally doesn't need too much in the way of support to be effective. However, if you're not running Hidden Power Grass, having a way to deal with Rock/Water-types is recommended, as otherwise they can just sit there and Spike (Omastar) or Swords Dance (Kabutops) away. Having a good switchin to Moltres is useful as well, as unless you catch it with a Toxic as it switches in, it will completely wall Arcanine.</p>
[SET]
name: Howl
move 1: Howl
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Flare Blitz
move 4: Thunder Fang / Iron Head
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 76 HP / 252 Atk / 180 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Arcanine's ExtremeSpeed is just as powerful as Lucario's, but the fiery dog misses out on Swords Dance to instantly double its Attack stat, and so has to do with the weaker Howl. However, Arcanine's overall bulk and Intimidate gives it the staying power to get multiple Howls off and boost its Attack to similarly high levels.</p>
<p>This is best used in late game when things have been weakened a bit. Switch in when it is advantageous, get off a Howl or two, and go to work. Attack is maxed to make ExtremeSpeed as powerful as possible, and the Speed EVs allow Arcanine to outrun neutral natured base 85s such as Toxicroak and Nidoking. The remaining EVs are placed into Arcanine's HP, to allow it to take hits better as it tries to get Howls under its belt. Generally, Arcanine likes to be fast, but provided you can secure a few Howls, you can afford to be slower since you can use ExtremeSpeed to finish off faster, more fragile threats.</p>
<p>Since Arcanine has no recovery outside of Leftovers, it greatly appreciates starting off with 100% health instead of 75% when it comes into battle. Keeping Stealth Rock off the field could mean Arcanine gets in one more Howl, giving it just enough power to sweep with ExtremeSpeed. With the limited coverage provided by running only three attacking moves, you should have a way of dealing with either Rock or Water-types, depending on which of Thunder Fang or Iron Head you decide to run. Screen support can greatly extend Arcanine's longevity and allow it to potentially get twice as many Howls in, and Gardevoir and Uxie make good choices to support Arcanine with. Gardevoir has a high Special Defense stat and Thunderbolt to scare off bulky Water-types, and Uxie can use its tankish mixed walling stats in conjunction with Toxic to wear opponents down, as well as using Memento to further weaken the foe as Arcanine switches in.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Hidden Power Ground
move 3: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 4: Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Bold
evs: 240 HP / 168 Def / 28 SpA / 72 Spe
ivs: 30 SpD / 30 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Bulky Arcanine is not something to laugh at since it can counter a lot of the major physical threats in the OU metagame thanks to Intimidate. The EVs above ensure that you survive a variety of physical attacks from Pokémon like Choice Band Jolly Dugtrio and non-Life Orb Gyarados. The Speed EVs ensure you outspeed Jolly Tyranitar and other Pokémon who EV to outspeed Jolly Tyranitar by one point.</p>
<p>Will-O-Wisp is probably the most important move here, since the ability to cut the opponents Attack in half is key to this set. Using this move on a wall also limits the durability they have, which will be needed sooner or later. Hidden Power Ground is needed to combat and 2HKO Fire-type threats that are immune to Will-o-Wisp such as Heatran and Infernape. The Fire-type move is your choice. Flamethrower is for reliability, while Fire Blast may be used for the extra kick. Roar is used to scout, cause some damage from Spikes or Stealth Rock if you set them up, and abuse Leftovers. </p>
<p>The EVs are very specific on this type of Arcanine, as the HP and Defense EVs will maximize defensive capabilities while still 2HKOing Heatran and Infernape and being able to outspeed Jolly Tyranitar plus those that aim to outspeed Jolly Tyranitar by a single point. This is very important as you will be able to further diminish Tyranitar's Attack with Will-o-Wisp before it can hit you with an Earthquake, which (with the suggested HP and Defense EVs) won't KO anyways.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Most of the sets suggest the use of Intimidate, as it is a consistently great ability. You can use Flash Fire on any Arcanine set to give Arcanine an immunity to Fire attacks and a free power boost every time it switches into one, but you'll usually find Intimidate lets you stay alive longer and switch into physical threats a lot easier. Crunch can be used on the Choice Bander set to 2HKO Slowbro with Stealth Rock, as well as being a powerful option against Uxie and Mesprit. However, it will mean Arcanine loses coverage against some other more general foe, and so isn't a standard move because of its specificity. Iron Tail is a more powerful version of Iron Head, but it doesn't turn any 3HKOs into 2HKOs, and Iron Head's superior accuracy and flinch rate is preferable when taking on these super-defensive Rock-types.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Speed boosting natures and considerable EV dedication can help it outspeed Pokémon with a base Speed of up to 105, provided they are using a neutral Speed nature. However, Arcanine doesn't have stellar offensive stats, and by boosting its Speed too much you often lose out on a lot of power. ExtremeSpeed makes up for relatively Speed a lot of the time, which is why offensive stat boosting natures are generally preferred to Speed boosting ones. Fire-types are hardly known for their survivability, and even though Arcanine is one of the sturdier of the bunch, trying to make it defensive is usually a waste of effort. Focus on Speed and the primary attacking stat, and dump the remaining points into HP.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Arcanine's potential is maximized if one can manage entry hazards well. While its offensive stats are above average, neither of them are outstanding, and so having Stealth Rock and possibly Spikes and Toxic Spikes on the opponent's field can be very valuable in damaging bulkier Pokémon so that Flare Blitz can take them out, as well as breaking sashes and weakening frailer Pokémon into ExtremeSpeed's kill range. Similarly, by removing Stealth Rock from your own side of the field, Arcanine can make the most of its bulk and Intimidate, and greatly lengthens the time it will stay alive. Blastoise has already been mentioned as a good Rapid Spinner to pair up with Arcanine on account of its Water resistance and its own STAB Water-type attacks. Hitmontop also pairs up very well with Arcanine, its high Special Defense stat allowing it to come into uninvested Surfs with little problem, and Intimidate and a Rock resistance make it a good switchin to Regirock as well. From the team's perspective, having two bulky Intimidators will go a good way in improving the team's durability against physical threats as a whole.</p>
<p>Having a good switchin to Water-types is paramount when using Arcanine. Although it has moves to hit them super effectively with, chances are they will come in on your Fire attack, and so having a relatively safe switchin prepared for the likes of Milotic and Slowbro can pay great dividends. Shaymin and Roserade both work as great partners for Arcanine on offensive teams. Both resist Water and possess decent Special Defense, allowing them to come in with ease. Roserade is immune to Poison altogether, and both possess Natural Cure to make status moves in general ineffective. Shaymin also resists Ground, and so can come in on Earthquakes from Regirock quite easily. STAB Grass moves will scare off both Water and Rock-types.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>While not quite up to snuff with all the standards, Arcanine has a strong presence in UU, where its overall high base stats, both offensive and defensive, can overwhelm a lot of the other Pokémon. Flare Blitz was the 4th generation's greatest gift to Arcanine, finally giving it some powerful physical STAB to use off its neglected base 110 Attack. Combined with ExtremeSpeed and the bulk to switch into neutral attacks with relative ease, Arcanine can take weakened teams by storm. However, despite being able to hit hard with both physical and special attacks, Arcanine has a limited and predictable movepool which can easily be countered if one knows its set. Stealth Rock often ends up squandering its bulk as well, meaning Arcanine really has to be played strategically to get the most out of it.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Arcanine's biggest counters are bulky Water-types, packing a resistance to Arcanine's STAB Fire attacks and generally having the defenses to take neutral attacks without too much difficulty. The most common bulky Waters of UU, Slowbro and Milotic, have skewed defenses and may have trouble with super effective attacks hitting on their lower defensive stat. Milotic doesn't particularly enjoy Choice Band Thunder Fangs, and Slowbro can't withstand Choice Specs Hidden Power Grass. Blastoise has more even defenses and can take all the punishment Arcanine can deliver it. Azumarill has generally bulky stats as well, even though they aren't too heavily invested in normally, but it poses a much more direct threat to Arcanine with a super effective Aqua Jet off its sky high Attack.</p>
<p>The Rock/Water types such as Kabutops and Omastar enjoy a 4x resistance to Fire as well resisting ExtremSpeed, and their naturally high Defense stats mean that Thunder Fang isn't an immediate problem. However, they have to be very wary of being KOed by a 4x super effective Hidden Power Grass. Regirock is practically a full stop to any Arcanine set, especially in sandstorm, as it can threaten back with big damage from Stone Edge.</p>
<p>Moltres counters the lead set particularly well if it can switch in on anything but a Toxic. It can Roost off Flare Blitz damage and quickly deplete ExtremeSpeed's limited PP with its Pressure ability. However, it has to be cautious of switching into other Arcanine sets as they can threaten it with Thunder Fang, and Arcanine has a naturally higher Speed stat than Moltres and so the fiery bird will be unable to use Roost and remove its Electric weakness. Stealth Rock will also halve Moltres' health every time it comes into play. A physically defensive Altaria functions similarly to Moltres, but won't mind Toxic as much because of its Natural Cure ability.</p>
<p>Hariyama and Miltank have high defensive stats and aren't weak to any of Arcanine's moves, and by running Thick Fat, obtain a useful resistance to Fire. Miltank has Earthquake to scare Arcanine out with, whereas Hariyama wields a wide array of Fighting moves off its own high Attack stat. Porygon2 makes for an interesting counter, since both of Arcanine's abilities can be used against it. It can cripple sweeper sets with paralysis, while Recover off the damage it takes as it slowly chips away at Arcanine's health with Thunderbolt.</p>
<p>In OU, Rhyperior and Swampert quickly come to mind if Arcanine does not include Hidden Power Grass. Even with the move, both are likely to survive if at full health and will easily OHKO with Earthquake. Bulky Waters will always limit Arcanine’s effectiveness, but Thunder Fang at least gives the pooch a chance to fight back, especially against Gyarados. Additionally, Flash Fire users, particularly Heatran, can pose a problem, as, unless Arcanine carries Hidden Power Ground, it does not have anything to deal considerable damage to them should they switch in on a Fire move.</p>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/arcanine
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Changes:
- Added Anti-Lead Arcanine set.
- Rewrote the Physical Choice set to make it relevant to UU, as well as expanding on it generally.
- Minor revamp of Special Choice.
- Expanded on Howl set.
- Removed Mixed Attacker - the EVs and moveset were specifically designed for OU, and I felt the only reason it was in there in the first place was to bulk up Arcanine's analysis. Infernape does it unequivocally better. I think Arcanine has the stats to run mixed in UU though, so if anyone has a successful set feel free to post it (as long as it isn't badly outclassed by the likes of Magmortar and Blaziken).
- Removed mentions of Garchomp from the 'Bulky' set.
- Rewrote Other Options and expanded EVs.
- Rewrote Opinion to make it more relevant to UU, and greatly expanded Counters section.
- Expanded set comments with team support.
- Added 'Team Options' section.
__________________
[SET]
name: Physical Choice
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Thunder Fang
move 4: Iron Head / Overheat
item: Choice Band
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Arcanine has always been strong on the attacking side with nice stats on both ends, but it has often lacked the moves to back up the statistics, particularly on the physical spectrum. Flare Blitz gives the legendary dog a powerful physical Fire attack that is sure to put a big dent in anything that doesn't resist it. ExtremeSpeed's usefulness goes without saying, but even without the priority modifier it is still a strong 80 base power attack that can do consistent damage. Coming from Arcanine's naturally high Attack stat and further boosted by Choice Band, it can be used to pick off faster Pokémon with ease. For example, Hitmonlee is often Scarfed and can outrun Arcanine to deal a hefty Close Combat, but a Choice Band ExtremeSpeed has the power to OHKO with Stealth Rock damage. Arcanine can do upwards of 85% to other physically frail sweepers such as Houndoom, Espeon, Primeape, Roserade, and Swellow, giving it great utility as a revenge killer and a check against these fast threats.</p>
<p>The last two slots are used to cover against Arcanine's common switch ins, namely Rock and Water-types. Thunder Fang's low base power can often be a letdown against the bulkier Water-types such as Slowbro, but can be used to 2HKO Milotic and Azumarill. Iron Head won't be doing enough to 2HKO the likes of Regirock, but it will almost always get a 3HKO, and in situations like this the 30% flinch rate may really pay off. Overheat can be run to hit the physical walls harder on their weaker side, and will outdamage Flare Blitz against the likes of Steelix and Cloyster. Arcanine has quite a limited movepool, and that is the extent of its viable attacking options. However, Arcanine's tendency to lure in bulky Pokémon not fearful of ExtremeSpeed can be used to its advantage, and Toxic can be run in the last slot as a crippling surprise for many of its checks.</p>
<p>Having a teammate lay down Stealth Rock can turn many 3HKOs on Arcanine's common switchins into 2HKOs. Most notable out of these is Milotic - after taking Stealth Rock damage, even the bulkiest of Milotic will be 2HKOed by a Choice Band Thunder Fang. Stealth Rock also means that Moltres won't come in on Arcanine with impunity, as Flare Blitz is an easy 2HKO on a 50% Moltres, and Thunder Fang will get a clean OHKO. Since you will often find yourself wanting to bring Arcanine in to ExtremeSpeed a weakened sweeper, keeping the rocks off your own side of the field will greatly increase Arcanine's lifespan, as well as giving you the freedom to switch it in and out and abuse Intimidate and ExtremeSpeed. Blastoise pairs up well with Arcanine as a Rapid Spinner, with good defenses on both sides allowing it to come in on Surfs as well as Rock Slide and Earthquake from Regirock and Arcanine's other physically oriented counters. Blastoise can scare off Regirock and Moltres with the threat of a super effective Surf, and has Toxic to cripple other bulky Water-types, weakening them and making them far less reliable switchins to Arcanine. Being able to come in on the majority of Arcanine's counters gives Blastoise ample time to Rapid Spin, and can continue to support Arcanine throughout the game.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Choice
move 1: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / ExtremeSpeed
move 4: Overheat / ExtremeSpeed
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
ability: Intimidate
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Special Arcanine is more versatile than the physical type, but not quite as strong. Flamethrower and Dragon Pulse combine for excellent type coverage and accuracy and are the foundation of this set. Fire Blast is useful for compensating for Arcanine's average Special Attack, and is the preferred choice for a Scarf set so that it can do acceptable amounts of damage. Beyond that, Arcanine doesn't have too many special attacking options. While physical Arcanine dearly misses the ability to use Hidden Power, special sets greatly benefit from the move's ability to help it cover particular threats. Grass is recommended, as it will be able to put the hurt on the Rock and Water-types that tend to switch into it. Whereas physical Arcanine missed the 2HKO on Slowbro with Thunder Fang but was able to get Milotic, Hidden Power Grass works in the opposite way, hitting Slowbro on its lower Special Defense for up to 75% of its health. It will also 2HKO Regirock that don't run a Special Defense boosting nature after Stealth Rock damage, provided a sandstorm is not raging.</p>
<p>Overheat works well as a hit-and-run move for Specs Arcanine, similar to Salamence's Draco Meteor in OU (complete with Intimidate and a Stealth Rock weakness!). However, Scarf sets will prefer Fire Blasts consistent damage, as without a Special Attack boosting item, Overheat may fail to get crucial KOs, and a second Fire Blast will outdamage two Overheats if the first failed to KO. However, it is hard to recommend an Arcanine set without ExtremeSpeed, as the usefulness of that move cannot be emphasized enough.</p>
<p>Toxic Spike support is particularly helpful for this set in wearing down Milotic (without disadvantaging yourself by giving it a Marvel Scale boost) and Chansey, and in particular will stop Chansey from staying in and trying to outstall Arcanine with Softboiled. Roserade makes a fine partner for Arcanine, as it has a Water resistance and a decent Special Defense stat for switching into Surf. Milotic can be scared off with the threat of a super effective Leaf Storm, while Roserade can take advantage of its own low HP stat by annoying Chansey to no end with Leech Seed. All this gives it plenty of time to set up two layers of Toxic Spikes, which will make sweeping with Specs Arcanine a lot easier.</p>
[SET]
name: Anti-Lead
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Overheat
item: Lum Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 192 HP / 252 Atk / 64 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Arcanine's good all-round stats allow it to be both bulky and yet hit extremely hard at the same time. This fact, combined with its Intimidate ability and access to ExtremeSpeed, allows it to function as a very effective anti-lead.</p>
<p>Flare Blitz is a high powered STAB attack that does big damage to pretty much anything that doesn't resist it. ExtremeSpeed is the real crux of the set, allowing Arcanine to beat Focus Sash users without having to take another attack, and can 2HKO some faster, frailer leads. Against Arcanine, the bulky Water switch in is almost inevitable, and a well-timed Toxic can cripple both Slowbro and Milotic (despite activating Marvel Scale, if it doesn't have Rest, it's not going to enjoy Toxic). Steel-types never switch into Arcanine, and Poison is usually paired with Grass, meaning there is usually very little risk involved in using Toxic.</p>
<p>Arcanine has a couple of different moves that all work well in the last slot. Hidden Power Grass is noted because otherwise, Rock / Water-types fear next to nothing from this set. Since Kabutops and Omastar are occasionally seen as Stealth Rock / Spiker leads, being able to hit them with a 4x super effective attack has great benefits. Hidden Power Grass also lets Arcanine do a bit of damage to incoming Slowbro, although with no Special Attack investment the damage isn't enough to 2HKO. Overheat is another good choice for the last slot. It can be used when you're low on health and can't afford the recoil from Flare Blitz, when you've been Intimidated, or when you want to hit high-Defense Pokémon, such as Steelix, Cloyster, and Gligar, convincingly hard.</p>
<p>Attack is maxed so as to give Arcanine as strong a Flare Blitz and ExtremeSpeed as possible, and to allow it to put out enough damage in the lead scenario to KO the opposing Pokémon. The Speed EVs allow it to outrun Adamant Honchkrow and +Speed base 60s, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP to bulk Arcanine up. Lum Berry is a great item on a leading Pokémon, allowing Arcanine to easily come out on top against Roserade and Smeargle leads by using Flare Blitz and ExtremeSpeed.</p>
<p>One of the most appealing things about this set is that it can function as a good revenge killer with ExtremeSpeed later on in the game as well. It is not limited to just the lead scenario, and with its decent defensive stats and Intimidate, can become a real asset for the team later on too by revenge killing faster sweepers with ExtremeSpeed. Since this set will be leading, it generally doesn't need too much in the way of support to be effective. However, if you're not running Hidden Power Grass, having a way to deal with Rock/Water-types is recommended, as otherwise they can just sit there and Spike (Omastar) or Swords Dance (Kabutops) away. Having a good switchin to Moltres is useful as well, as unless you catch it with a Toxic as it switches in, it will completely wall Arcanine.</p>
[SET]
name: Howl
move 1: Howl
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Flare Blitz
move 4: Thunder Fang / Iron Head
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 76 HP / 252 Atk / 180 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Arcanine's ExtremeSpeed is just as powerful as Lucario's, but the fiery dog misses out on Swords Dance to instantly double its Attack stat, and so has to do with the weaker Howl. However, Arcanine's overall bulk and Intimidate gives it the staying power to get multiple Howls off and boost its Attack to similarly high levels.</p>
<p>This is best used in late game when things have been weakened a bit. Switch in when it is advantageous, get off a Howl or two, and go to work. Attack is maxed to make ExtremeSpeed as powerful as possible, and the Speed EVs allow Arcanine to outrun neutral natured base 85s such as Toxicroak and Nidoking. The remaining EVs are placed into Arcanine's HP, to allow it to take hits better as it tries to get Howls under its belt. Generally, Arcanine likes to be fast, but provided you can secure a few Howls, you can afford to be slower since you can use ExtremeSpeed to finish off faster, more fragile threats.</p>
<p>Since Arcanine has no recovery outside of Leftovers, it greatly appreciates starting off with 100% health instead of 75% when it comes into battle. Keeping Stealth Rock off the field could mean Arcanine gets in one more Howl, giving it just enough power to sweep with ExtremeSpeed. With the limited coverage provided by running only three attacking moves, you should have a way of dealing with either Rock or Water-types, depending on which of Thunder Fang or Iron Head you decide to run. Screen support can greatly extend Arcanine's longevity and allow it to potentially get twice as many Howls in, and Gardevoir and Uxie make good choices to support Arcanine with. Gardevoir has a high Special Defense stat and Thunderbolt to scare off bulky Water-types, and Uxie can use its tankish mixed walling stats in conjunction with Toxic to wear opponents down, as well as using Memento to further weaken the foe as Arcanine switches in.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Hidden Power Ground
move 3: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 4: Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Bold
evs: 240 HP / 168 Def / 28 SpA / 72 Spe
ivs: 30 SpD / 30 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Bulky Arcanine is not something to laugh at since it can counter a lot of the major physical threats in the OU metagame thanks to Intimidate. The EVs above ensure that you survive a variety of physical attacks from Pokémon like Choice Band Jolly Dugtrio and non-Life Orb Gyarados. The Speed EVs ensure you outspeed Jolly Tyranitar and other Pokémon who EV to outspeed Jolly Tyranitar by one point.</p>
<p>Will-O-Wisp is probably the most important move here, since the ability to cut the opponents Attack in half is key to this set. Using this move on a wall also limits the durability they have, which will be needed sooner or later. Hidden Power Ground is needed to combat and 2HKO Fire-type threats that are immune to Will-o-Wisp such as Heatran and Infernape. The Fire-type move is your choice. Flamethrower is for reliability, while Fire Blast may be used for the extra kick. Roar is used to scout, cause some damage from Spikes or Stealth Rock if you set them up, and abuse Leftovers. </p>
<p>The EVs are very specific on this type of Arcanine, as the HP and Defense EVs will maximize defensive capabilities while still 2HKOing Heatran and Infernape and being able to outspeed Jolly Tyranitar plus those that aim to outspeed Jolly Tyranitar by a single point. This is very important as you will be able to further diminish Tyranitar's Attack with Will-o-Wisp before it can hit you with an Earthquake, which (with the suggested HP and Defense EVs) won't KO anyways.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Most of the sets suggest the use of Intimidate, as it is a consistently great ability. You can use Flash Fire on any Arcanine set to give Arcanine an immunity to Fire attacks and a free power boost every time it switches into one, but you'll usually find Intimidate lets you stay alive longer and switch into physical threats a lot easier. Crunch can be used on the Choice Bander set to 2HKO Slowbro with Stealth Rock, as well as being a powerful option against Uxie and Mesprit. However, it will mean Arcanine loses coverage against some other more general foe, and so isn't a standard move because of its specificity. Iron Tail is a more powerful version of Iron Head, but it doesn't turn any 3HKOs into 2HKOs, and Iron Head's superior accuracy and flinch rate is preferable when taking on these super-defensive Rock-types.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Speed boosting natures and considerable EV dedication can help it outspeed Pokémon with a base Speed of up to 105, provided they are using a neutral Speed nature. However, Arcanine doesn't have stellar offensive stats, and by boosting its Speed too much you often lose out on a lot of power. ExtremeSpeed makes up for relatively Speed a lot of the time, which is why offensive stat boosting natures are generally preferred to Speed boosting ones. Fire-types are hardly known for their survivability, and even though Arcanine is one of the sturdier of the bunch, trying to make it defensive is usually a waste of effort. Focus on Speed and the primary attacking stat, and dump the remaining points into HP.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Arcanine's potential is maximized if one can manage entry hazards well. While its offensive stats are above average, neither of them are outstanding, and so having Stealth Rock and possibly Spikes and Toxic Spikes on the opponent's field can be very valuable in damaging bulkier Pokémon so that Flare Blitz can take them out, as well as breaking sashes and weakening frailer Pokémon into ExtremeSpeed's kill range. Similarly, by removing Stealth Rock from your own side of the field, Arcanine can make the most of its bulk and Intimidate, and greatly lengthens the time it will stay alive. Blastoise has already been mentioned as a good Rapid Spinner to pair up with Arcanine on account of its Water resistance and its own STAB Water-type attacks. Hitmontop also pairs up very well with Arcanine, its high Special Defense stat allowing it to come into uninvested Surfs with little problem, and Intimidate and a Rock resistance make it a good switchin to Regirock as well. From the team's perspective, having two bulky Intimidators will go a good way in improving the team's durability against physical threats as a whole.</p>
<p>Having a good switchin to Water-types is paramount when using Arcanine. Although it has moves to hit them super effectively with, chances are they will come in on your Fire attack, and so having a relatively safe switchin prepared for the likes of Milotic and Slowbro can pay great dividends. Shaymin and Roserade both work as great partners for Arcanine on offensive teams. Both resist Water and possess decent Special Defense, allowing them to come in with ease. Roserade is immune to Poison altogether, and both possess Natural Cure to make status moves in general ineffective. Shaymin also resists Ground, and so can come in on Earthquakes from Regirock quite easily. STAB Grass moves will scare off both Water and Rock-types.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>While not quite up to snuff with all the standards, Arcanine has a strong presence in UU, where its overall high base stats, both offensive and defensive, can overwhelm a lot of the other Pokémon. Flare Blitz was the 4th generation's greatest gift to Arcanine, finally giving it some powerful physical STAB to use off its neglected base 110 Attack. Combined with ExtremeSpeed and the bulk to switch into neutral attacks with relative ease, Arcanine can take weakened teams by storm. However, despite being able to hit hard with both physical and special attacks, Arcanine has a limited and predictable movepool which can easily be countered if one knows its set. Stealth Rock often ends up squandering its bulk as well, meaning Arcanine really has to be played strategically to get the most out of it.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Arcanine's biggest counters are bulky Water-types, packing a resistance to Arcanine's STAB Fire attacks and generally having the defenses to take neutral attacks without too much difficulty. The most common bulky Waters of UU, Slowbro and Milotic, have skewed defenses and may have trouble with super effective attacks hitting on their lower defensive stat. Milotic doesn't particularly enjoy Choice Band Thunder Fangs, and Slowbro can't withstand Choice Specs Hidden Power Grass. Blastoise has more even defenses and can take all the punishment Arcanine can deliver it. Azumarill has generally bulky stats as well, even though they aren't too heavily invested in normally, but it poses a much more direct threat to Arcanine with a super effective Aqua Jet off its sky high Attack.</p>
<p>The Rock/Water types such as Kabutops and Omastar enjoy a 4x resistance to Fire as well resisting ExtremSpeed, and their naturally high Defense stats mean that Thunder Fang isn't an immediate problem. However, they have to be very wary of being KOed by a 4x super effective Hidden Power Grass. Regirock is practically a full stop to any Arcanine set, especially in sandstorm, as it can threaten back with big damage from Stone Edge.</p>
<p>Moltres counters the lead set particularly well if it can switch in on anything but a Toxic. It can Roost off Flare Blitz damage and quickly deplete ExtremeSpeed's limited PP with its Pressure ability. However, it has to be cautious of switching into other Arcanine sets as they can threaten it with Thunder Fang, and Arcanine has a naturally higher Speed stat than Moltres and so the fiery bird will be unable to use Roost and remove its Electric weakness. Stealth Rock will also halve Moltres' health every time it comes into play. A physically defensive Altaria functions similarly to Moltres, but won't mind Toxic as much because of its Natural Cure ability.</p>
<p>Hariyama and Miltank have high defensive stats and aren't weak to any of Arcanine's moves, and by running Thick Fat, obtain a useful resistance to Fire. Miltank has Earthquake to scare Arcanine out with, whereas Hariyama wields a wide array of Fighting moves off its own high Attack stat. Porygon2 makes for an interesting counter, since both of Arcanine's abilities can be used against it. It can cripple sweeper sets with paralysis, while Recover off the damage it takes as it slowly chips away at Arcanine's health with Thunderbolt.</p>
<p>In OU, Rhyperior and Swampert quickly come to mind if Arcanine does not include Hidden Power Grass. Even with the move, both are likely to survive if at full health and will easily OHKO with Earthquake. Bulky Waters will always limit Arcanine’s effectiveness, but Thunder Fang at least gives the pooch a chance to fight back, especially against Gyarados. Additionally, Flash Fire users, particularly Heatran, can pose a problem, as, unless Arcanine carries Hidden Power Ground, it does not have anything to deal considerable damage to them should they switch in on a Fire move.</p>
