[OVERVIEW]
Empoleon's combination of typing, bulk and overall good stats make him a good pokemon and a good option for balanced or defensive teams. Its typing allows Empoleon to check several dangerous threats in OU, like Mega-Scizor lacking Superpower, Mimikyu, Latios, Primarina, Latias, some Greninja sets and Nihilego or even Mega-Pinsir to an extent, and its good 111 base Special Attack makes its attacks dent on most targets that are weak to them, and it has access to some good moves, like Scald, Ice Beam or Flash Cannon. Furthermore, its godlike typing gives him immunity to Toxic and resiatances to Fairy, Dragon, Water and Ice, as well as a neutrality to Fire and Grass type attacks, and good natural bulk to back it up. Also, its support movepool gives most teams an uncommon ability this generation: hazard control. It has access to Stealth Rock, Defog, Yawn, Knock Off and Roar, which allow him to perform its main role perfectly. However, this comes with its flaws, the first one being its weakness to Electric type attacks, which are very common this generation, mainly due to Tapu Koko and its Electric Terrain, which makes Electric-Type attacks really hurt Empoleon. Also, it is weak to trapping from the likes of Dugtrio and Magnezone. Still, Empoleon is a good option for defensive or balanced teams than need a way to make KOs easier or even a powerful setup sweeper or special attacker.
[SET]
Name: Stealth Rock
Move 1: Stealth Rock
Move 2: Defog
Move 3: Scald
Move 4: Roar / Yawn / Flash Cannon
Item: Leftovers / Shuca Berry
Ability: Torrent
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves:
=======
Stealth Rock and Defog allow Empoleon to perform as an excellent setter and remover at the same time, which is one of its most selling points. Scald is a very spammable move that has a nice 30% chance to burn, making some switch-ins a bit more risky. The fourth moveslot is very dependant of your team, you can choose Roar to phase opponents and make Stealth Rock really sting on some potential targets, Yawn makes switching into Empoleon even more dangerous, since it can switch out after the Yawn while putting the other pokemon to sleep, and Flash Cannon is a secondary STAB that might come in handy on some situations, when hitting Fairy-Types like the Tapus or when looking for neutral targets that Empoleon is supposed to wall, like Latios and Latias or Mimikyu. Knock Off or Ice Beam can also be used, but it comes at the cost of phazing or Yawn, which is not all that good. Toxic can also be used in the last moveslot to cripple most switch-ins, but watch out for Tapu Fini's Mystic Terrain, which will make Toxic a useless move.
Set Details:
==========
Max HP and Special Defense with a Calm nature allow Empoleon to tank special hits like a champ. The item is very situational aswell, since you might want to go for Leftovers for recovery or Shuca Berry, to bait in Dugtrio or Excadrill. Torrent is the chosen ability, since Attack boosts will not matter when using Empoleon and if it survives on a slower foe, it can dish out more damage than expected. Other type-resistant berries like Chople Berry can be used to lure in other specific pokemon, but is generaly not that good, since Ground-Types are more common in the tier than Fighting
Usage Tips:
==========
Bring Empoleon on a foe it can force out, like most Dragon-Types or some Ice-Types or even Poison-Types to comfortably set up rocks or clean their hazards, and since Empoleon is resistant to Stealth Rocks and immune to Toxic Spikes, defogging isn’t that hard. Use Scald to put other pokemon in danger of switching in, or phaze opponents with Roar to keep on doing damage with Stealth Rock. Watch out when switching in, since some pokemon might carry super-effective coverage or Knock Off, which really annoy Empoleon, also, Spikes are quite annoying to deal with aswell, since Empoleon does need to be healthy in order to provide hazard control because of its low speed. Also, you should watch out for Taunt, since most users of the move, like Tapu Fini or Mew, will outspeed Empoleon and cripple him, forcing it to use Scald, making hazard control harder to perform correctly. Use Roar if you think that a dangerous switch-in is coming, like an Electric or Fighting-Type, but if you expect a Ground-Type to switch in because you might go for Defog or SR, use Scald and cripple it with a potential burn.
Team Options:
==========
Pokemon that do not appreciate being worn down by hazards are always good options, mainly Mega Pinsir, Mega Zard-Y/Zard-X or Weavile. Some Fire-Types like Heatran, Mega-Zard X/Y or Alolan Marowak can check several Grass-Types that might be annoying for Empoleon, like Breloom, Serperior or Ferrothorn and Kartana (which are immune to Toxic). Mega-Venusaur is a perfect partner for Empoleon, since it only takes neutral from Ground and it resists all of other Empoleon's weaknesses, and Empoleon resists Psychic and Flying-Type attacks that hurt Mega-Venusaur. Tapu Bulu works in a similar way as Mega-Venusaur, but it trades defensive presence for Grassy Terrain, which helps him giving him more recovery. Ground-Types also make for good partners, since they can remove Electric-Types and other Ground-Types. Landorus-T is a really good example of it, since it can U-Turn out of other Water-Types like Pelipper or Manaphy, providing Empoleon with a safe switch-in to either set up rocks or use Defog. With the same example, it can check for other Fighting-Types (with the exceptionnof Keldeo and Pheromosa), however, he should watch out for Ice-Type attacks. Landorus-T can also check for Ground-Types like Excadrill or Garchomp, since they can’t touch him at all.
[SET]
Name: Offensive
Move 1: Hydro Pump
Move 2: Ice Beam
Move 3: Grass Knot / Flash Cannon
Move 4: Flash Cannon / Agility / Substitute
Item: Life Orb / Petaya Berry / Shuca Berry
Ability: Torrent
Nature: Timid
EVs: 64 HP / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves:
======
Hydro Pump hits very hard with Empoleon’s base 111 Special Attack, and it can punch holes in many teams. Ice Beam hits most Grass-Types like Breloom or Serperior for great damage. The latter two moveslots can be combined in most ways, and each one has its good and bad points. Grass Knot makes it so that other Water-Types think it twice before switching in, but it has gaps in OU coverage, mainly Ferrothorn and Mega-Venusaur. On the other hand, Flash Cannon deals a lot of damage to Ice-Types like Weavile or Kyurem-B and Fairy-Types like Clefable. Agility makes Empoleon a threatening setup sweeper that is capable of outspeeding a lot of its original checks, like Dugtrio or Non-Choice Scarf Magnezone, while Substitute can be used to avoid status, making Petaya Berry’s activation easier and easing prediction.
Set Details:
==========
Timid nature and 192 Spe EVs allow Empoleon to outspeed most of the metagame and Scarfed Rotom forms after one use of Agility. 252 SpA EVs make Empoleon hit as hard as possible with Hydro Pump, and with a potential +1 from Petaya Berry and Torrent boosted, it deals huge damage to most of the tier that does not resist it. Also, 64 HP EVs activate a potential Petaya Berry with just 3 Substitutes. The item can also vary a lot, Life Orb powering up from the very beginning, Petaya Berry boosting its Special Attack that, when coupled with Torrent, allows Empoleon to deal massive damage to a high portion of the tier. However, Shuca Berry might be a good option also, since you can use a Ground-Type as a one time setup and then finish it with Ice Beam or Hydro Pump (but you should watch out for Hydro Pump’s lower accuracy). Chople Berry can also be used in a similar way as Shuca Berry, but its lower Defense makes some Fighting-Type moves still KO, so it’s generaly not that good of an idea.
Usage Tips:
==========
Watch out for priority, since it can finish Empoleon when he is low fishing for Torrent or Petaya Berry boosts, so Mach Punch from the likes of Breloom can be dangerous, but its resistance on common priority moves like Bullet Punch, Aerilate Quick Attack, E-Speed and Ice Shard make it a bit harder to KO it from full HP. Don’t be fooled into thinking that Empoleon needs Petaya Berry or Agility to sweep, with a Shuca Bery it can act as a check to Dragon and Fairy-Types by virtue of its typing and good natural bulk, and it can also setup on Choice-locked attacks, like Tapu Bulu’s Zen Headbutt or Stone Edge. Watch out, because pokemon that are naturally faster than Rotom formes with a Choice Scarf will still outspeed Empoleon, even after an Agility.
Team Options:
==========
Spikes support is good for Empoleon, since it is a reliable way to wear down Empoleon’s checks, since they are mostly grounded, meaning that pokemon like Ferrothorn are good ideas for partners. If it does not carry Grass Knot, he needs a way to remove opposing Water-Types, so support from Breloom is also appreciated, but Ferrothorn is a just a perfect partner for him. Empoleon also has trouble against dedicated special walls, so strong physical attackers are a good option, which means that pokemon like Buzzwole, Mega-Beedrill, Alolan Marowak or Mega-Zard X are good partners, and the latter two can also switch in on boosted Fire-Type attacks that might be troublesome for Empoleon’s team. Slower U-Turn and rain from Pelipper is very good, since it allows Empoleon to use Agility or Substitute on a foe that is forced to switch out, and rain boosts Hydro Pump’s power even further.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options:
============
A Choice Specs set might seem rather nice, being able to sweep without requiring setup, but being locked on a move can sometimes be a problem for Empoleon, and if he is forced to switch out many times, Spikes will annoy him. Since it has access to Swords Dance and Defiant, you might think that a physically offensive set could also be possible, since it could lure special walls while boosting, and it uses its good physical movepool also, consisting in Earthquake, Aqua Jet, Drill Peck, Knock Off, Rock Slide and Waterfall. HP Fire could be used in the Offensive set as a way to iht Ferrothorn and Magnezone, but it has little use otherwise.
Checks and Counters:
==================
Electric-Types: Most Electric-Types, like Tapu Koko or Zapdos can outspeed and OHKO Empoleon, but they don’t like taking a boosted Hydro Pump from the Special Attacker Set. Pokemon like Xurkitree and CM Tapu Koko can set up on him, since they usually use a bit more of defensive investment.
Tapu Fini: Mystic Surge hurts Empoleon the most, since it blocks Toxic and negates Scald burns. Also, Tapu Fini can use Taunt to stop Defog and Stealth Rock and wear him down with Nature’s Madness. However, offensive sets can KO it with Grass Knot, and Nature’s Madness will only activate Petaya Berry faster.
Grass-Types: Since his main STAB move is Scald or Hydro Pump, pokemon that resist it can be troublesome. Mega-Venusaur and Ferrothorn are good examples, since the can use Leech Seed to turn Empoleon into a healing machine for themselves. Breloom can also do a similar job, hitting with Mach Punch instead of stalling him out. These pokemon, however, should not switch into Scald, because burns really annoy most of them.
Fighting-Types: Most Fighting-Types can’t switch into Scald, but Assault Vest Guts Conkeldurr is particularly threatening, since he benefits from Scald burns, has access to Drain Punch to prevent being worn down and his good special bulk thanks to Assault Vest and his high HP stat make Empoleon’s attacks quite worthless. Keldeo and other specially based Fighting-Types like Kommo-O can switch in freely and force him out, but Keldeo should watch out for Grass Knot and Kommo-O dislikes Ice Beam.
Trapping: Unfortunately, Empoleon is weak to the most common forms of trapping in OU, Magnezone and Dugtrio. However, they shouldn’t switch into rain-boosted Hydro Pump and Scald, respectively.
Special Walls: Pokemon that have absurd special bulk like Assault Vest users, Chansey or Snorlax can turn Offensive variants of Empoleon into nothing, since they won’t take anything from its attacks. Snorlax, while not that common, is particularly threatening, since it can setup on him and hit hard back with High Horsepower, but Chansey can also stall him out via Seismic Toss or stop a sweep with T-Wave.
Knock Off: Since defensive variants rely on Leftovers to recover HP or Shuca Berry to check certain pokemon he is meant to, Knock Off realy hurts him. The offensive set also has a bit of trouble, either losing offensive presence or setup , but most Knock Off users don’t want to switch into +1 rain-boosted Hydro Pumps.
Empoleon's combination of typing, bulk and overall good stats make him a good pokemon and a good option for balanced or defensive teams. Its typing allows Empoleon to check several dangerous threats in OU, like Mega-Scizor lacking Superpower, Mimikyu, Latios, Primarina, Latias, some Greninja sets and Nihilego or even Mega-Pinsir to an extent, and its good 111 base Special Attack makes its attacks dent on most targets that are weak to them, and it has access to some good moves, like Scald, Ice Beam or Flash Cannon. Furthermore, its godlike typing gives him immunity to Toxic and resiatances to Fairy, Dragon, Water and Ice, as well as a neutrality to Fire and Grass type attacks, and good natural bulk to back it up. Also, its support movepool gives most teams an uncommon ability this generation: hazard control. It has access to Stealth Rock, Defog, Yawn, Knock Off and Roar, which allow him to perform its main role perfectly. However, this comes with its flaws, the first one being its weakness to Electric type attacks, which are very common this generation, mainly due to Tapu Koko and its Electric Terrain, which makes Electric-Type attacks really hurt Empoleon. Also, it is weak to trapping from the likes of Dugtrio and Magnezone. Still, Empoleon is a good option for defensive or balanced teams than need a way to make KOs easier or even a powerful setup sweeper or special attacker.
[SET]
Name: Stealth Rock
Move 1: Stealth Rock
Move 2: Defog
Move 3: Scald
Move 4: Roar / Yawn / Flash Cannon
Item: Leftovers / Shuca Berry
Ability: Torrent
Nature: Calm
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves:
=======
Stealth Rock and Defog allow Empoleon to perform as an excellent setter and remover at the same time, which is one of its most selling points. Scald is a very spammable move that has a nice 30% chance to burn, making some switch-ins a bit more risky. The fourth moveslot is very dependant of your team, you can choose Roar to phase opponents and make Stealth Rock really sting on some potential targets, Yawn makes switching into Empoleon even more dangerous, since it can switch out after the Yawn while putting the other pokemon to sleep, and Flash Cannon is a secondary STAB that might come in handy on some situations, when hitting Fairy-Types like the Tapus or when looking for neutral targets that Empoleon is supposed to wall, like Latios and Latias or Mimikyu. Knock Off or Ice Beam can also be used, but it comes at the cost of phazing or Yawn, which is not all that good. Toxic can also be used in the last moveslot to cripple most switch-ins, but watch out for Tapu Fini's Mystic Terrain, which will make Toxic a useless move.
Set Details:
==========
Max HP and Special Defense with a Calm nature allow Empoleon to tank special hits like a champ. The item is very situational aswell, since you might want to go for Leftovers for recovery or Shuca Berry, to bait in Dugtrio or Excadrill. Torrent is the chosen ability, since Attack boosts will not matter when using Empoleon and if it survives on a slower foe, it can dish out more damage than expected. Other type-resistant berries like Chople Berry can be used to lure in other specific pokemon, but is generaly not that good, since Ground-Types are more common in the tier than Fighting
Usage Tips:
==========
Bring Empoleon on a foe it can force out, like most Dragon-Types or some Ice-Types or even Poison-Types to comfortably set up rocks or clean their hazards, and since Empoleon is resistant to Stealth Rocks and immune to Toxic Spikes, defogging isn’t that hard. Use Scald to put other pokemon in danger of switching in, or phaze opponents with Roar to keep on doing damage with Stealth Rock. Watch out when switching in, since some pokemon might carry super-effective coverage or Knock Off, which really annoy Empoleon, also, Spikes are quite annoying to deal with aswell, since Empoleon does need to be healthy in order to provide hazard control because of its low speed. Also, you should watch out for Taunt, since most users of the move, like Tapu Fini or Mew, will outspeed Empoleon and cripple him, forcing it to use Scald, making hazard control harder to perform correctly. Use Roar if you think that a dangerous switch-in is coming, like an Electric or Fighting-Type, but if you expect a Ground-Type to switch in because you might go for Defog or SR, use Scald and cripple it with a potential burn.
Team Options:
==========
Pokemon that do not appreciate being worn down by hazards are always good options, mainly Mega Pinsir, Mega Zard-Y/Zard-X or Weavile. Some Fire-Types like Heatran, Mega-Zard X/Y or Alolan Marowak can check several Grass-Types that might be annoying for Empoleon, like Breloom, Serperior or Ferrothorn and Kartana (which are immune to Toxic). Mega-Venusaur is a perfect partner for Empoleon, since it only takes neutral from Ground and it resists all of other Empoleon's weaknesses, and Empoleon resists Psychic and Flying-Type attacks that hurt Mega-Venusaur. Tapu Bulu works in a similar way as Mega-Venusaur, but it trades defensive presence for Grassy Terrain, which helps him giving him more recovery. Ground-Types also make for good partners, since they can remove Electric-Types and other Ground-Types. Landorus-T is a really good example of it, since it can U-Turn out of other Water-Types like Pelipper or Manaphy, providing Empoleon with a safe switch-in to either set up rocks or use Defog. With the same example, it can check for other Fighting-Types (with the exceptionnof Keldeo and Pheromosa), however, he should watch out for Ice-Type attacks. Landorus-T can also check for Ground-Types like Excadrill or Garchomp, since they can’t touch him at all.
[SET]
Name: Offensive
Move 1: Hydro Pump
Move 2: Ice Beam
Move 3: Grass Knot / Flash Cannon
Move 4: Flash Cannon / Agility / Substitute
Item: Life Orb / Petaya Berry / Shuca Berry
Ability: Torrent
Nature: Timid
EVs: 64 HP / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves:
======
Hydro Pump hits very hard with Empoleon’s base 111 Special Attack, and it can punch holes in many teams. Ice Beam hits most Grass-Types like Breloom or Serperior for great damage. The latter two moveslots can be combined in most ways, and each one has its good and bad points. Grass Knot makes it so that other Water-Types think it twice before switching in, but it has gaps in OU coverage, mainly Ferrothorn and Mega-Venusaur. On the other hand, Flash Cannon deals a lot of damage to Ice-Types like Weavile or Kyurem-B and Fairy-Types like Clefable. Agility makes Empoleon a threatening setup sweeper that is capable of outspeeding a lot of its original checks, like Dugtrio or Non-Choice Scarf Magnezone, while Substitute can be used to avoid status, making Petaya Berry’s activation easier and easing prediction.
Set Details:
==========
Timid nature and 192 Spe EVs allow Empoleon to outspeed most of the metagame and Scarfed Rotom forms after one use of Agility. 252 SpA EVs make Empoleon hit as hard as possible with Hydro Pump, and with a potential +1 from Petaya Berry and Torrent boosted, it deals huge damage to most of the tier that does not resist it. Also, 64 HP EVs activate a potential Petaya Berry with just 3 Substitutes. The item can also vary a lot, Life Orb powering up from the very beginning, Petaya Berry boosting its Special Attack that, when coupled with Torrent, allows Empoleon to deal massive damage to a high portion of the tier. However, Shuca Berry might be a good option also, since you can use a Ground-Type as a one time setup and then finish it with Ice Beam or Hydro Pump (but you should watch out for Hydro Pump’s lower accuracy). Chople Berry can also be used in a similar way as Shuca Berry, but its lower Defense makes some Fighting-Type moves still KO, so it’s generaly not that good of an idea.
Usage Tips:
==========
Watch out for priority, since it can finish Empoleon when he is low fishing for Torrent or Petaya Berry boosts, so Mach Punch from the likes of Breloom can be dangerous, but its resistance on common priority moves like Bullet Punch, Aerilate Quick Attack, E-Speed and Ice Shard make it a bit harder to KO it from full HP. Don’t be fooled into thinking that Empoleon needs Petaya Berry or Agility to sweep, with a Shuca Bery it can act as a check to Dragon and Fairy-Types by virtue of its typing and good natural bulk, and it can also setup on Choice-locked attacks, like Tapu Bulu’s Zen Headbutt or Stone Edge. Watch out, because pokemon that are naturally faster than Rotom formes with a Choice Scarf will still outspeed Empoleon, even after an Agility.
Team Options:
==========
Spikes support is good for Empoleon, since it is a reliable way to wear down Empoleon’s checks, since they are mostly grounded, meaning that pokemon like Ferrothorn are good ideas for partners. If it does not carry Grass Knot, he needs a way to remove opposing Water-Types, so support from Breloom is also appreciated, but Ferrothorn is a just a perfect partner for him. Empoleon also has trouble against dedicated special walls, so strong physical attackers are a good option, which means that pokemon like Buzzwole, Mega-Beedrill, Alolan Marowak or Mega-Zard X are good partners, and the latter two can also switch in on boosted Fire-Type attacks that might be troublesome for Empoleon’s team. Slower U-Turn and rain from Pelipper is very good, since it allows Empoleon to use Agility or Substitute on a foe that is forced to switch out, and rain boosts Hydro Pump’s power even further.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options:
============
A Choice Specs set might seem rather nice, being able to sweep without requiring setup, but being locked on a move can sometimes be a problem for Empoleon, and if he is forced to switch out many times, Spikes will annoy him. Since it has access to Swords Dance and Defiant, you might think that a physically offensive set could also be possible, since it could lure special walls while boosting, and it uses its good physical movepool also, consisting in Earthquake, Aqua Jet, Drill Peck, Knock Off, Rock Slide and Waterfall. HP Fire could be used in the Offensive set as a way to iht Ferrothorn and Magnezone, but it has little use otherwise.
Checks and Counters:
==================
Electric-Types: Most Electric-Types, like Tapu Koko or Zapdos can outspeed and OHKO Empoleon, but they don’t like taking a boosted Hydro Pump from the Special Attacker Set. Pokemon like Xurkitree and CM Tapu Koko can set up on him, since they usually use a bit more of defensive investment.
Tapu Fini: Mystic Surge hurts Empoleon the most, since it blocks Toxic and negates Scald burns. Also, Tapu Fini can use Taunt to stop Defog and Stealth Rock and wear him down with Nature’s Madness. However, offensive sets can KO it with Grass Knot, and Nature’s Madness will only activate Petaya Berry faster.
Grass-Types: Since his main STAB move is Scald or Hydro Pump, pokemon that resist it can be troublesome. Mega-Venusaur and Ferrothorn are good examples, since the can use Leech Seed to turn Empoleon into a healing machine for themselves. Breloom can also do a similar job, hitting with Mach Punch instead of stalling him out. These pokemon, however, should not switch into Scald, because burns really annoy most of them.
Fighting-Types: Most Fighting-Types can’t switch into Scald, but Assault Vest Guts Conkeldurr is particularly threatening, since he benefits from Scald burns, has access to Drain Punch to prevent being worn down and his good special bulk thanks to Assault Vest and his high HP stat make Empoleon’s attacks quite worthless. Keldeo and other specially based Fighting-Types like Kommo-O can switch in freely and force him out, but Keldeo should watch out for Grass Knot and Kommo-O dislikes Ice Beam.
Trapping: Unfortunately, Empoleon is weak to the most common forms of trapping in OU, Magnezone and Dugtrio. However, they shouldn’t switch into rain-boosted Hydro Pump and Scald, respectively.
Special Walls: Pokemon that have absurd special bulk like Assault Vest users, Chansey or Snorlax can turn Offensive variants of Empoleon into nothing, since they won’t take anything from its attacks. Snorlax, while not that common, is particularly threatening, since it can setup on him and hit hard back with High Horsepower, but Chansey can also stall him out via Seismic Toss or stop a sweep with T-Wave.
Knock Off: Since defensive variants rely on Leftovers to recover HP or Shuca Berry to check certain pokemon he is meant to, Knock Off realy hurts him. The offensive set also has a bit of trouble, either losing offensive presence or setup , but most Knock Off users don’t want to switch into +1 rain-boosted Hydro Pumps.
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