Growlithe

[NeoSeth]

There wasn't a thread on this guy, so I thought it worth making one to highlight one of my new favorite LC Pokemon.

Growlithe

Fire 55/ 70/ 45/ 70/ 50/ 60 Intimidate/Flash Fire/Justice Heart

Justice Heart: Raises Attack when hit with a Dark-type move.

Level-Up Moves:

Hide

Lv1: Bite, Lv1: Roar, Lv6: Ember, Lv9: Leer, Lv14: Odor Sleuth, Lv17: Helping Hand, Lv20: Flame Wheel, Lv25: Reversal, Lv28: Fire Fang, Lv31: Flame Burst, Lv34: Take Down, Lv39: Flamethrower, Lv42: Agility, Lv45: Crunch, Lv48: Vengeance, Lv51: Heat Wave, Lv56: Flare Blitz

Flame Burst: A Fire-type attack that has 70 base power and does splash damage in doubles. Worthless in Singles.

Vengeance: Doubles in power if you come in after a Pokemon on your team has fainted. Pretty nichey, so not any real general use. It would be useful it it hit before a foe switched and had a type that could actually hit super-effectively, so it could be like a better Pursuit, but no.

Egg Moves:

Hide

Body Slam
Crunch
Thrash
Fire Spin
Howl
Heat Wave
Double-Edge
Flare Blitz
Morning Sun
Covet
Iron Tail
Double Kick
Close Combat F*** YES!!!

TM/HM Moves:

Hide

TM05 - Roar, TM06 - Toxic, TM10 - Hidden Power, TM11 - Sunny Day, TM17 - Protect, TM20 - Safeguard, TM21 - Frustration, TM27 - Return, TM28 - Dig, TM32 - Double Team, TM35 - Flamethower, TM38 - Fire Blast , TM40 - Aerial Ace, TM42 - Facade, TM43 - Nitro Charge, TM44 - Rest, TM45 - Attract, TM46 - Thief, TM48 - Troll, TM50 - Overheat, TM59 - Complete Burn, TM61 - Will-O-Wisp, TM67 - Get Even, TM87 - Swagger, TM90 - Substitute, TM93 - Wild Bolt, TM94 - Rock Smash, TM95 - Back Out, HM04 - Strength

Overview: Growlithe has an excellent movepool. It's stats allow it to move quickly and hit on either end of the spectrum. It's Special movepool is lacking, consisting only of Fire moves and Hidden Power, but it gets some AMAZING physical moves, like Flare Blitz, Wild Bolt and CLOSE COMBAT. It just got real.

Choice Scarf
EVs: 76 HP/196 Atk/196 Spe
Nature: Jolly/Adamant or Naive/Lonely
Ability: Intimidate/Flash Fire
Flare Blitz
Wild Bolt
Close Combat
Crunch/Overheat/HP Ice

Growlithe makes an excellent CS user, with 16 Speed using Jolly and a good 16 Atk (17 with Adamant, but the extra Speed is generally better). Growlithe has amazing coverage, and deals out an impressive amount of damage. Flare Blitz is a very powerful STAB move, dishing out punishing damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Wild Bolt covers bulky waters (Bar Chinchou), and Close Combat is generally awesome, letting it slam Rock, Steel and Normal types for enormous damage. The final move is up to preference. Crunch nails Ghosts, though may be superfluous with Wild Bolt hitting Puruiuru. Overheat can be used as a powerful Special STAB to hit a physical wall on the switch (Like Gligar), while HP Ice is just for Gligar. For the ability, Flash Fire is generally better unless you specifically need Intimidate for something (Like you're using Growlithe to check Zuruggu with Close Combat). Otherwise, use Flash Fire.

Agility
Growlithe w/ Life Orb
EVs: 196 Atk, 148 Def, 36 SpD, 116 Spe or 196 Atk, 196 SpA, 116 Spe
Nature: Adamant/Lonely
Intimidate/Flash Fire
Flare Blitz
Close Combat/Overheat
Wild Bolt/Crunch/Overheat/HP Ice
Agility

This set nets Growlithe 28 Spe and 17 Atk. You can run straight-up Phyiscal sets, or go for a mixed set. Growlithe is REALLY fast after an Agility, but picking moves for him can be hard. The first set grants you some decent bulk, while the second allows you to go all-out attacker. Evo Stone can be considered with the first set, but generally isn't as good. Flash Fire is generally the better ability to grant you a switch-in and a power boost, but Intimidate has it's merits for forcing switches and giving you time to set up. So basically, Intimidate with the bulky set and Flash Fire with the power set.

Mixed LO Attacker
Growlithe w/ Life Orb
Nature: Naive
Flash Fire
EVs: 196 Atk, 196 SpA, 116 Spe
Fire Blast/Overheat
Close Combat
Crunch/Nitro Charge
HP Ice or Grass/Wild Bolt/Morning Sun

This Growlithe splits it's EVs to allow it to beat many of it's common counters. HP Ice or Overheat on the switch does a number to Gligar, while Close Combat beats Munchlax. Morning Sun is a real boon to Growlithe, as it allows you to heal up before going on another rampage. It doesn't work as well against Sandstorm teams, obviously, so Vulpix support is necessary if you choose to run Morning Sun. Wild Bolt allows you to hit Waters not named Chinchou, who screws you every way with this set unless you hit it with HP Grass on the switch.

Howl
Growlithe w/ Life Orb
Nature: Jolly
Flash Fire
196 Atk, 196 Spe, 76 HP
Flare Blitz
Wild Bolt
Close Combat
Howl

OHKOs 252/252 Missy at +1 with LO Flare Blitz, OHKOs 252/252 Duskull with SR and Flare Blitz, OHKOs Houndour with Espeed and SR, OHKO Chinchou with Close Combat.

As a bonus, ghosts even get less back from Pain Split, due to recoil. So they can't outstall Flare Blitz.

Other Options: Nitro Charge works, but generally Agility is better since you get +2 Speed as opposed to +1. A Sub set might be nice, perhaps being Specially-based, but the fact that Growlithe runs recoil moves and having to split your EVs makes it seem unappealing. I might put it up anyway though.

 

[Nails]

Needs a howl set, as extremespeed allows it to dodge sucker punches. Even with a better movepool, it always loses to hippo (life orb fire blast might ko). A mixed wallbreaker with the ability to ohko bronzor, munchy, and piruriru is pretty cool (maybe not puru), so make that set.

 

[KratosAurion]

I've played against it, and it can be really fuzzy to find a safe Switch in.

Opening the slot in the Scarf Set could be the problem, though.

EDIT:
13 Atk vs 19 Def & 26 HP (70 Base Power): 16 - 20 (61.54% - 76.92%)
Scarf Growlithe Vs Evolution Stone Gligar with Max Hp.

Hidden Power Grass could also be an option, in order to deal some damage to Chinchou, although Ice will most likely be the preferred option, if just for setting Gligar on the run.

 

[NeoSeth]

About the Howl set: Is getting that +1 Attack boost really worth it? I think Growlithe is better off running an extra attack or Morning Sun in that slot.

 

[Darkamber8828]

About the Howl set:

OHKOs 252/252 Missy at +1 with LO Flare Blitz, OHKOs 252/252 Duskull with SR and Flare Blitz, OHKOs Houndour with Espeed and SR, OHKO Chinchou with Close Combat.

As a bonus, ghosts even get less back from Pain Split, due to recoil. So they can't outstall Flare Blitz.

Morning Sun is what sucks. Without Vulpy, that is. Snover doesn't need a theme team and is everywhere for beating weather and Gligar. Hippo for stall as well. Plus, 50% recovery isn't that great without bulk, and Intimidate only gets you so far, with that great defensive typing. Especially since Close Combat and Flare Blitz both weaken your defenses.

Anyway, Fighting/Fire/Normal is great coverage as is, only missing Hitomoshi and Pururiru iirc.

 

[Sledge]

Needs a howl set, as extremespeed allows it to dodge sucker punches. Even with a better movepool, it always loses to hippo (life orb fire blast might ko). A mixed wallbreaker with the ability to ohko bronzor, munchy, and piruriru is pretty cool (maybe not puru), so make that set.

Growlithe, unfortunately, does not learn extremespeed. Arcanine only gets it as a level up move after it evolves. So without extremespeed there really is no reason to use howl because it is ridiculously easy to revenge kill.

That being said, I'm really excited for Growlithe this gen. I have been able to try it out yet, but Close Combat and Wild Bolt (more so wild bolt) give it a major boost to its previously very, very shallow movepool. While it still isn't up to the caliber of Houndour I expect for it to be used much more now. Too bad it couldn't get a useful dream world ability.

 

[SlimMan]

Growlithe does not get Extremespeed


edit: I hate you ninj... I mean, Sledge.

Anyway, I've found it difficult to go mixed with Growlithe.
Maybe it's just my bad luck, but I've had numerous times where the one defensive point you lose by running Naive/Hasty has been the difference between being revenged or not being revenged.
Aside from my own difficulties, I think that a Choice set is probably best for this guy, although Agility could clean late-game.

But seriously, the amazing coverage that Flare Blitz/Wild Bolt/Crunch/Close Combat provide is amazing. Growlithe could be an excellent wallbreaker/revenge-killer this Gen. I'll be keeping my eye on it.

 

[Darkamber8828]

But seriously, the amazing coverage that Flare Blitz/Wild Bolt/Crunch/Close Combat provide is amazing.

Neutral Flare Blitz>SE Crunch

And Wild Bolt hits Pururiru.

So you can use Agility.

So that's not so bad.

 

[NeoSeth]

Well there are some instances where Crunch would be better, like to avoid the recoil. Or against something that's 4x weak to Dark, but nothing comes to mind.

 

[KratosAurion]

I don't think there's anything 4x Weak to Dark.

EDIT:
Nope, nothin'. Flare Blitz / Wild Bolt / Close Combat will stand as superior, with that 4rth slot free, there's better things to run.

 

[NeoSeth]

I didn't think so. So what attacking move works in that last slot? HP Ice and Overheat seem like the best options.

 

[(makeup)]

I think Nitro Charge would be better than Agility

 

[SlimMan]

I think Nitro Charge would be better than Agility

Setting up is hard in LC and +1 moves are slow. It could work, but unless you need the little extra damage, I'd use Agility every time.

Also, this guy is best used with Flash Fire, IMO. Unless you're using him to check a certain physical sweeper, he really needs the power. Between Flare Blitz and Wild Bolt and Close Combat, his survivability is absolutely pitiful, from my experience. He really needs the power to do as much damage as possible in the short time he has.

 

[googlyeyesultra]

I ran a defensive growlithe a little bit last generation on a stall team; it might still be fairly viable now. Intimidate with max hp/def and evo stone make it the most defensive fire type around, making it a decent choice to use alongside defensive water/grass cores. Morning sun gives it solid recovery and wisp lets it cripple physical attackers more permanently. For your last spots you can run flamethrower with either roar or hidden power.

 

[NeoSeth]

I suppose, but SS and Hail totally ruin that. The thing is that Fire is a pretty lousy defensive typing, being weak to SR and vulnerable to every entry hazard.

Flash Fire is also generally the better ability, which I think I said in the OP (If not, I'm editing it now). It grants you a Fire-immunity and a power boost. A boosted Flare Blitz hits everything pretty hard.

Agility > Nitro Charge. I mean, if Magnemite or Jolteon had Nasty Plot, would they ever run Charge Beam?