Charizard (QC 3/3)

marilli

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Repost from Cherub's

Will edit stuff, looking for inputs in set order. I took the liberty to put Acrobat > Dragon Claw on the physical set.

[Overview]

- Charizard is my favourite Pokemon
- Practically one of, if not the most powerful Pokemon in the tier
- Can now use Roost in conjunction with Solar Power
- Typing is a mixed bag (only downside is 4x SR weak, but spinners and Roost can help with this) and has many good resistances
- pretty great stats actually, very fast, very strong, not frail either
- mostly goes special, but can pull off effective physical sets (especially with quagsire gone)
- doesn't face competition from magmortar anymore; charizard is the best offensive fire-type in the tier
- almost always requires a spinner, which is annoying, as the ghosts in this tier tend to be much better than the spinners

[SET]
name: Sunny Day
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Roost
move 4: SolarBeam
item: Leftovers / Heat Rock
ability: Solar Power
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

- Charizard's most powerful set
- Stacks a bunch of boosts in a single turn: 120 BP, Sun, Solar Power; Fire Blast = 324 BP STAB move
- In other words Fire Blast is the main move that will be used, as it basically doesnt care about things resisting it.
- In the Sun it's more powerful than Air Slash against bulky waters
- Sunny Day obviously gives you the Sun and SP boost, and loses your Water weakness (but also your Fire resistance)
- However some bulkier things like Regirock and Alomola can stomach a Fire Blast, so SolarBeam takes them out.
- It finally gained Roost as a tutor move again, so that REALLY helps with Zard's SR weakness and Solar Power recoil. It can also remove Charizard's Electric weakness, give it an Ice resistance, and cut its Rock weakness in half. Just... watch out for Earthquake :/

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

- the EVs are obviously very simple: max Speed is to outrun Pokemon such as Sawsbuck (without Chlorophyll). Fun fact is that Zard can also survive a LO Double Edge from Sawsbuck at full health, max SpA, and the Defense EVs give Zard to SR switchins if its not Sunny
- Lefties really helps with Solar Power recoil. Heat Rock is another option if Charizard is on a dedicated Sun team. Another option is to use Flame Plate, if you want Charizard to only rely on Roost. Flame Plate makes you noticeably stronger, as Fire Blast will be your main move, and can bluff choice early game. But Lefties is normally more useful for survivability.
- teammates are various: a Spinner isn't REQUIRED per se, as Zard has Roost, but Zard obviously benefits immensely from one. Trouble is they suck; Armaldo is probably the best now, and Wartortle is bulky but weak.
- alternatively you can simply prevent SR from being set up at all. Bullet Seed users, CB Rampardos can easily break down Golem and Carracosta, the most popular SRers. Natu can reflect it
- Zard doesn't neccessarily have to function on a dedicated Sun team. However, since it deals so much destruction, the Speed boost that Chlorophyllers get allows them to mop up the mess Charizard leaves behind. Examples are Sawsbuck, Victreebel, Shiftry and Exeggutor.
- Marvel Scale Dragonair can actually counter this, you might want a really strong heavy hitter to take it out (that attacks from the physical side). Emboar is a good choice, as it also benefits from Sun. Charizard resists Klang's weaknesses and can setup on Dragonair.

[SET]
name: SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Air Slash
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

- Charizard can easily force switches, which gives him ample time to set up a Substitute, after which he can simply sweep a team (and it obviously lets him avoid Sucker Punch/status etc.)
- Roost lets you bring back the health you lose from SR, LO, Substitute, attacks, etc. Also can negate the weaknesses that come with the Flying-type
- Fire Blast and Air Slash are simply your STAB moves, both very powerful
- Solar Power, while legal, is not a recommended ability. You'd simply lose health far too quickly
- Life Orb is needed not only for the increased power, but also because it can speed up the process of getting Charizard into Blaze range

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

- Focus Blast is an option to kill Rock-types such as Carracosta, Golem, and Regirock, and is perfectly legitimate. Charizard depends on Substitute for a clean sweep though
- Leftovers can heal more HP, but the lack of power is definetly noticeable
- obviously teammates that can dispose of Rock-types are excellent. Nukes such as Specs Exeggutor or Choice Band Sawk can OHKO practically any Rock-type they encounter
- Charizard may have Roost, but since it also has Substitute and Life Orb, it's even more vulnerable to passive damage (i.e. SR). Spinner is definetly recommended, as are the afore mentioned Sturdy breakers
- Cinccino can outspeed and OHKO through Sub. Steel-types such as Klang and Probopass can handle it and set up.

[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Focus Blast / SolarBeam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
ability: Solar Power / Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

- Choiced Charizard works best on a dedicated Sun team
- This is easily the most powerful Pokemon in NU, and perhaps the most powerful one in the game that doesn't requre any set up
- 252 SpAtk Choice Specs Solar Power Charizard Fire Blast vs 252 HP/252 SpDef Lickilicky (+SpDef) : 102.12% - 120.52%
- Honestly, just click the Fire Blast button and watch HP bars drain like there's no tomorrow. Resistances have literally no effect, so you won't be using the other moves much.
- Honestly though, this Zard won't exactly be lasting for a long time
- Air Slash is a good secondary STAB move if you want to scout for bulky waters
- HP Grass kills off Water- and Rock-types, wheres Ice is your best move againt Altaria and other Dragon-types.
- Focus Blast is a very powerful move for Rock-types, but is not spammable due to its terrible accuracy, and this Charizard really can't afford to miss
- SolarBeam on the other hand is just as powerful as Focus Blast and hits both Water- and Rock- types very hard. Easily the better option (but only in the Sun obviously)
- Sorry if that isnt clear: it's either SolarBeam + HP Ice, OR Focus Blast + HP Grass


[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

- You MUST have a Rapid Spinner on your team. Armaldo, Torkaol and Wartortle are the only viable ones, but there's crapmons like Sandshrew, Tentacool and Baltoy if they happen to fit your team's needs. Sturdy breakers are even more recommended here
- The other support he needs is Sun. Volbeat can go for the priority Sun, whereas Regirock is a far more sturdy and durable supporter.
- Also likes other Sun abusers on his side: Victreebel and Sawsbuck are the most powerful
- Choice Scarf lets him outspeed basically everything, and is still very powerful. Specs is simply for pure carnage, but is now much easier to revenge kill. Specs however is recommended as Sun teams already have fastmons in Chlorophyll, whereas Charizard is more of a wallbreaker

[SET]
name: Physical
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Flare Blitz / Fire Punch
item: Flying Gem
ability: Blaze
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

- Zard's SD set is perfectly viable
- He may only have 84 Attack, but being able to double it in a turn is invaluable, and his great Speed and good typing help as well
- Is a great lategame cleaner that can lure out common counters such as Flareon and Altaria and take them out (the latter only with Rock Slide)
- Flare Blitz is a powerful STAB move
- Earthquake hits Rock- and Fire- types that resist Fire
- Roost is recommended to offset SR, LO and Flare Blitz recoil, but Dragon Claw can be used to KO Altaria, and other Charizard at +2, the only common Pokemon that resist the Fire/Ground moves. Dragon Claw also gets the super effective hit on Shelgon, Dragonair and Fraxure


[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

- Outrage is a more powerful Dragon move, but since it's un STAB Charizard won't be doing much damage
- Rock Slide hits other Charizard and Altaria, while also hitting Mantine. ThunderPunch gets the super effective hit on Mantine, Charizard and other Water types, but misses out on Altaria
- ThunderPunch is another usable move for Water-types, but still won't scratch Alomomola
- Dragon Dance can make Charizard much harder to revenge kill, but he's already fast and prefers the extra power given by Swords Dance
- Life Orb is needed for power, but the continuous flow of recoil can be devastating. Leftovers is a perfectly viable relacement, as Charizard is boosting his Attack anyway
- Rapid Spinner, Sturdy breakers, same old same old
- Grass-types once again make excellent teammates; Exeggutor and Serperior can scare off any Water- or Rock-type
- Not as powerful as the other sets, so it really likes entry hazards. Cacturne can set up Spikes and scare away Water- and Rock-types, while Garbodor is a sturdier choice when it comes to Spikes. SR is SR, all teams have it...


[Other Options]

<p>Perhaps the most interesting other option that Charizard has is the classic '99 Belly Drum set. It requires massive support to use effectively, but the payoff can be enormous, especially now that Salac Berry has been released. However, a metagame filled with priority moves, Stealth Rock and hard hitters mean that BellyZard can no longer function as effectively as it used to.</p>

<p>Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast on any of the specially oriented sets, as the perfect accuracy can save you. However, Fire Blast deals more damage in the long run (102 BP vs. 95 BP), and Charizard likes to hit as hard as possible. Overheat is another special STAB move; unfortunately Charizard is one of the few Fire-types that cannot use it effectively. The hit-and-run strategy asociated with Overheat clashes horribly with Charizard as a Pokemon: it cannot afford to be switching in and out due to it's massive Stealth Rock weakness. Charizard is a Pokemon that should try and stay in for as long as possible, and attempt a continuous sweep under the sun with Fire Blast. The last viable STAB move that Charizard can use is Flame Charge, as the ability to outspeed Choice Scarf Pokemon is very much appreciated. However, Charizard has trouble sparing a moveslot for it.</p>

<p>Charizard has a wide movepool, both special and physical. Charizard has the option of going mixed with Earthquake to dispose of Flareon, but this requires splitting EVs for a rather rarely-seen Pokemon, and generally is not worth it. Focus Punch can be used to dispose of Lickilicky and Audino, but requires perfect prediction to pull it off efficiently. Quick Attack is mentioned only because it should never be used; Charizard is fast enough that it should never have to rely on a priority move, especially one as weak as Quick Attack. On the special side, Charizard can use Dragon Pulse, as it has perfect coverage alongside its Fire-type STAB moves. However, Dragons are quite rare in NU, and repeated Fire Blasts are usually enough to take down Fraxure and Shelgon. Dragon Pulse does see more merit against Altaria and Dragonair however. Finally, Charizard can use other Hidden Power types, such as Rock (for other Charizards), Electric (Charizard's best move against Mantine).</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>It should be clear that the most efficient way of countering Charizard is by keeping Stealth Rock up. Every time Charizard switches in it will lose half of its HP, which means that any decently powered STAB move should be able to bring Charizard down. It will often have to Roost as soon as it comes in when Stealth Rock is up; use this turn to your advantage to hit it hard, or to bring in something that can outspeed and OHKO Charizard. However, despite Charizard's awesome firepower, it's not without a few hard counters.</p>

<p>Rock-types in general are good switchins to Charizard. They resist both of Charizards STABs and can always OHKO with their own, furthermore, most pack enough Defense to be able to shrug off boosted Earthquake's from the physical set. They do have to beware of Hidden Power Grass and Focus Blast however. Flareon is also an extremely effective counter. An immunity to Charizard's incredibly powerful Fire-type STAB moves, and excellent Special Defense mean that Charizard will be unable to break through the hellcat. Flareon can either whittle Charizard down with Toxic, abuse Charizard's own Sun to hit it with its own Fire-type moves, or simply KO it with Hidden Power Rock. The mono-attacking set can cheerfully sponge Charizard's attacks thanks to its high Special Defense, Eviolite, and resistance to Fire- and Grass-type moves. It can set up multiple Dragon Dances, Rest off the damage it takes, and eventually take Charizard out with Outrage. Mantine has massive Special Defense, a resistance to Fire, and is neutral to Grass courtesy of its Flying-typing. It can then proceed to wash Charizard away with its STAB Water-type moves. Altaria is in the same boat: it resists the Fire / Grass/ Fighting combination and can easily shrug off Air Slash with its great Special Defense. It must beware of Hidden Power Ice however. Regirock can take Charizard's STAB moves with ease, especially if it's using a specially defensive set, and will always OHKO Charizard with its STAB moves. It must beware of SolarBeam however. Grumpig isn't weak to any of Charizard's commonly used moves, and gains a pseudo-resistance to Fire thanks to its ability, Thick Fat. Its excellent Special Defense allows it to shrug off Charizard's attacks, but it can only OHKO in return if it uses Power Gem. Alomomola gets a special mention as being a perfect counter to the physical set, but will promptly fall to the specially based sets.</p>

<p>However, many of the aforementioned Pokemon are rarely used, as the NU tier is predominantly physically based. For this reason, special walls are an uncommon sight. Therefore, should you lack a counter to Charizard, the best way to prevent it from sweeping you is to carry at least one check to it in your team. Cinccino will always outspeed Charizard (even if Adamant), and can KO it with either Rock Blast or Tail Slap without the need for Stealth Rock. Tauros can outspeed Charizard and bring it down with either Rock Climb or Rock Slide. Swellow is another fine offensive check: it's another Pokemon that will always outspeed Charizard, and it can KO it with a Guts boosted Facade or Brave Bird. Zebstrika and Electrode fall into the same category and can fry Charizard with its STAB Electric-type moves. Floatzel will also always outspeed Charizard, even if it has a neutral nature, and can take it out with its STAB Water-type moves. Simpour's 101 base Speed allows it to outspeed Charizard and OHKO it with either Surf or Hydro Pump. Another option is to use Chlorophyll Pokemon such as Exeggutor and Victreebel, as they can abuse the Sun that normally accompanies Charizard and KO it with their Psychic and Sludge Bomb respectively. Alternatively, they can simply put Charizard to sleep with Sleep Powder.</p>

<p>Seeing as Charizard is faster than a good portion of the NU metagame, you may have to resort to using Choice Scarf Pokemon in order to deal with it. Rotom-S is an extremely common user of Choice Scarf, and can force Charizard out by threatening it with Volt Switch. This means that Charizard will again be forced to lose 50% of its health upon re-entering the battlefield, and the Rotom-S player will have gained momentum. Haunter also often uses Choice Scarf, and can threaten to OHKO Charizard with Thunderbolt. A final option is to use priority moves. One can prey upon Charizard's weakness to Aqua Jet with Pokemon such as Carracosta and Samurott. The former can come in on either Fire Blast or Air Slash, and the latter can play guessing games with the Charizard user, either by going for the kill with Aqua Jet or by setting up a Swords Dance to threaten the rest of the Charizard user's team. Sucker Punch users can also KO Charizard after Stealth Rock; of these, Absol and Skuntank are easily the best options. They have to careful however when facing the SubRoost set, as Charizard can protect itself from Sucker Punch by using Substitute. </p>
 
maybe a brief mention of how it gets Will-O-Wisp like every Fire-type. Otherwise Zard hasn't changed.

[qc]2/3[/qc]
 

TROP

BAN DRUDDIGON. FIREWALL DRAGON DID NOTHING WRONG
is a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
There is no need for Flare Blitz on the SD set, it gets no kills that acrobatics doesn't, and the few targets that it might harder, are roasted by a Fire Blast with a NEGATIVE nature anyway such as Tangela, Mawile(lol), Klang(this needs a bit of prior damage, but it can be done). Things that can't get Acrobatics to death are dealt with Earthquake, except for Regirock that is beating Charizard anyway.

And consider the following for how much better Acrobatics is:
252Atk Flight Gem +2 Solar Power Charizard (Neutral) Acrobatics vs 252HP/252Def Leftovers Alomomola (+Def): 61% - 73% (331 - 391 HP). Guaranteed 2HKO.
You either force it out here or get another SD to ohko it after SR+Spikes next time.



Roost is reallly bad on SD Zard.
 

marilli

With you
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Past SPL Championis a Former Other Tournament Circuit Champion
OK trop i know acro is good i heard you enough times on irc already.

I'll edit things later, as i said, because I'm going to go to class really soon. This is a full-out Ctrl-C because having those hyphens instead of bullets make my eyes hurt. I'll actually look at them when my eyes are ready.

Swear will be done by sunday, though.

If this pleases you, Trop, how about this: no last QC until i actually edit something alright?
 

marilli

With you
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Past SPL Championis a Former Other Tournament Circuit Champion
OK now some person finally realizes that they're talking about the wrong metagame. SD Charizard does not need Fire Blast when lowering defense makes it weaker to priority, lowering special defense makes it take too much from special resistances.

[qc]3/3[/qc]
thanks for wasting my time trop
 
The Swords Dance set was a bit baffling at first, but now that I look at it, it looks pretty solid. I am wondering though, if a Dragon Dance set could be cleaner in NU. I was successful with Dragon Dance up in UU, even with people screaming, "Use Arcanine or Victini!" But I do wonder how DDZard would fare in NU.
 

marilli

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Dragon Dance is unfortunately incompatible with Acrobat, its best move by far. Flare Blitz not only gives the nasty recoil, but is unable to never ever break through Alomomola. Alomo will only switch in after you SD first, and +4 Gem Acro just flat out GG's Alomomola. Also, if you can get SR cleared, you can tank a Scald, so you can boost while it switches in, tank a STAB to boost for the second time, and wreck the whole regenerator stall team concept. That alone makes SD significantly more viable than DD.

Also the absurd amount of priority makes DD easy to revenge kill after SR and Flare Blitz recoil.
 
Flareon can either whittle Charizard down with Toxic, abuse Charizard's own Sun to hit it with its own Fire-type moves, or simply KO it with Hidden Power Rock. The mono-attacking set can cheerfully sponge Charizard's attacks thanks to its high Special Defense, Eviolite, and resistance to Fire- and Grass-type moves.

quick proofread
 

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