Blastoise (Gave to Hootie, pls lock)

[astroboy]

[OVERVIEW]

• powerful special attacker with great coverage
• mega launcher gives pseudo-stab on aura sphere and dark pulse. also boosts water pulse but lol
• solid bulk, unlikely any non super effective hit will ohko
• access to rapid spin
• 4mss
• underwhelming speed
• competition with other special attacking water types, particularly keldeo

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Scald / Hydro Pump
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Aura Sphere / Ice Beam
move 4: Rapid Spin / Ice Beam
item: Blastoisinite
ability: Rain Dish
nature: Modest
evs: 236 HP / 252 SpA / 20 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• scald is scald lol. deals reliable damage with a good chance to burn
• hydro pump is stronger than scald but has unreliable accuracy
• dark pulse hits lati@s, celebi, and all other psychic types for good damage
• aura sphere provides decent neutral coverage with dpulse and scald/hydro, hitting ferrothorn and other steel types hard
• ice beam hits things like chomp, dragonite, birdnadus, or serperior for solid damage
• spin lets you get rid of hazards, but stoise faces stiff competition with starmie for the role of an offnesive spinner
• water pulse is basically surf with a chance to confuse. its pretty bad, atleast compared to scald or hydro

Set Details
========

• 20 speed evs let you outspeed uninvested base 80s, like support alt
• max spa modest to hit as hard as possible
• remaining evs in hp to maximize bulk
• rain dish will almost never come into play, but if you need to switch stoise in on something while rain is up then badabing badaboom u get a nice 12% health back
• an alternate spread of 56 hp/ 252+ spa / 200 speed is okay for outspeeding jolly crawdaunt, adamant base 70s, and everything in between.

Usage Tips
========

• in a pinch, blastoise is able to stomach most attacks. however, due to its lack of reliable recovery, switchining into attacks might not be the best situations
• spam scald (if you have it)
• use spin when nesecary (if you have it)

Team Options
========

• flying types, particularly talonflame or tornadus, make for great answers to grass types that trash stoise, while appreciating blastoises ability to spin and blastoise breaks the rock- and ground-types that can wall talon. hella weak to electric types tho
• fire and grass types form a fwg core alongside stoise.
• amoonguss is a cool partner, as it provides a counter to azumarill and non-fb altaria, who curbstomps blastoise, aswell water- and grass- types in general.
• cleaners that appreciate physical walls broken down, such as weavile or dnite, make for good partners. also, if you decide to run spin, both weav and dnite appreciate it greatly, as they get worn down easily

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

• roar can be used to to rack up hazard damage on things like chansey or azu that counter stoise otherwise
• flash cannon to hit clefable or alt? (qc input on this would be appreciated)

Checks and Counters
===================

**Bulky Grass-types**: Due to their typing, Grass-types take little from Blastoise's STAB attacks, and the only coverage move that can deal much damage is Ice Beam. Mega-Venusaur in particular takes little from any move Blastoise might choose to go for, and can retaliate with a Giga Drain. If Blastoise does not have Aura Sphere, Ferrothorn completely walls Blastoise, and can use Power Whip for significant damage.

 

[Alfalfa]

I recognize this is a WIP, but if Mega Blastoise's niche is as an offensive spinner, then why would Rapid Spin be slashed with Ice Beam? Isn't Mega Blastoise's niche as a bulky offensive spinner? If so, why would Rapid Spin be slashed at all?

 

[astroboy]

i mean, blastoise is a special attacker with access to rapid spin. it doesnt nesecarily have to run it. its a cool option, but blastoise is an attacker first imo

 

[Karxrida]

Flash Cannon doesn't get boosted by Mega Launcher.

What does Dark Pulse hit that warrants its own slot without a slash? Aegislash isn't around, several of its targets like the Latis and Celebi are already hit by Ice Beam (albeit not as hard), and Ice Beam hits other Dragons and Grass-types harder. I personally would slash it with Ice Beam and give Rapid Spin its own slot like Alfalfa said.

 

[AM]

Flash Cannon doesn't get boosted by Mega Launcher.

What does Dark Pulse hit that warrants its own slot without a slash? Aegislash isn't around, several of its targets like the Latis and Celebi are already hit by Ice Beam (albeit not as hard), and Ice Beam hits other Dragons and Grass-types harder. I personally would slash it with Ice Beam and give Rapid Spin its own slot like Alfalfa said.

All the Psychics, Ice Beam is weaker due to no mega launcher boost.

I think set is fine as is. Not a fan of Rapid Spin Mega Blastoise at all anyways but whatever other QC guys decide on I'm fine with.