http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/hippopotas
[Overview]
<p>Surprisingly, summoning a permanent sandstorm is not the only thing of value Hippopotas can accomplish. It also has the convenient ability to set up Stealth Rock, and can do a decent job scouting from the lead slot, as well. However, expectations of Hippopotas should still be rather low. If it sets up Stealth Rock then dies, then its purpose has been served. If it sets up Stealth Rock, poisons or significantly damages something, and manages to scout a couple members of the opposing team, then a standing ovation may be in order.</p>
[SET]
name: UU Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Yawn
move 3: Earthquake / Toxic
move 4: Roar / Protect
item: Focus Sash
nature: Relaxed
IV: 13 Speed
evs: 252 HP / 164 Atk / 92 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Hippopotas is notable in standard play only for the ability Sandstream, which makes it the only Pokemon in UU play that can trigger a permanent sandstorm. This set attempts to make the most of Hippopotas' short lifespan by giving it the opportunity to status or scout the opponent's team as a lead. Hippopotas' primary goal, however, is to set up Stealth Rock, which should generally be made a priority over everything else. Yawn and Roar both provide effective ways of scouting opponents, one of the few things Hippopotas does well. Opting for Protect with Yawn can trick U-turners into getting put to sleep by Yawn and also block Fake Out. Meanwhile, Toxic allows Hippopotas to damage bulky Pokemon well, while Earthquake is better versus fragile Pokemon and Taunt users. The EVs let Hippopotas survive a Fake Out and Return from Ambipom while allowing for maximum attack power should you opt to use Earthquake. The nature and Speed IV allow it to be slower than all Snover, so that sandstorm takes precedence over hail if the two leads are opposing each other.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Hippopotas is the only Pokemon in the lower tiers that can set up a permanent sandstorm, upgrading it from NFE to a bona fide player in the UU metagame. Although at first this may appear to be a miserable attempt at a lead, Hippopotas actually functions quite well in the role when taking into account its horrid stats. The goal of this set is to play to Hippopotas's strengths, which are essentially limited to setting up Stealth Rock and scouting. Focus Sash allows you to bypass Hippopotas's weak defenses and, against most leads, do both of these things.</p>
<p>In some cases, Hippopotas will be forced to simply use Stealth Rock, then die on the next turn. Such instances will mostly occur against leads that you cannot switch into for free, or if you feel the need to get Stealth Rock in play immediately. An example of this is when Hippopotas is facing Moltres, who can OHKO it with its special attacks and can U-turn out of Yawn. In other cases, however, its usefulness can extend beyond the first few moves of the game. If Hippopotas sets up Stealth Rock without being damaged, you have several options. When facing a bulky lead like Donphan or Uxie, Toxic is a good option, if you opt for it, to help shorten their longevity. If you wish to scout your opponent's team, Yawn, Roar, or a combination of the two can accomplish this. Yawn will cause most Pokemon to switch, and if they don't, they will be put to sleep. Using Yawn against Pokemon with U-turn should not be done unless you are carrying Protect with it, in which case it is a very sneaky method of putting Uxie or Scyther to sleep. Because Yawn's effect activates on the second turn, you can use Roar on the subsequent move, which will allow you to scout not one, but two Pokemon, assuming your opponent decides to switch out the drowsy Pokemon. Another option is to simply switch out after using Stealth Rock, thus preserving Hippopotas's Focus Sash, provided your opponent has not set up any entry hazards. This can come in handy later in the game, as it allows Hippopotas to switch into a Pokemon like Mismagius or Feraligatr while they are boosting their stats, take a hit and survive due to the Sash, and then phaze them with Yawn or Roar, whichever is most appropriate. Doing this makes Hippopotas a great last line of defense against boosting sweepers, especially those hiding behind Substitutes.</p>
<p>As far as attacking options go, Hippopotas's outlook is pretty bleak. Earthquake is essentially its only viable option, as it desperately needs the STAB. For the most part, however, Hippopotas is too easily 2HKOed to spare many turns firing off relatively weak attacks. Although, Earthquake does have its merits against weak Taunt leads, which will attempt to stop Hippopotas from setting up Stealth Rock. If you are more inclined to damage leads like Uxie and spread status in general, then Toxic may be the better option. In the last slot, Roar gives Hippopotas the ability to phaze pokemon with Substitute, as mentioned, which it cannot do with Yawn, and makes it a better overall phazer and scouter. Protect allows you to scout your opponent's moveset, trick U-turners into falling asleep, deal a free turn of sandstorm damage, and block Ambipom's Fake Out, which in turn lets you commit all your EVs to Attack if you wish to do so.</p>
<p>Hippopotas's greatest fears are Taunt, Trick, and weather leads, and it may be in your best interest to switch out against all three. Taunt leads completely immobilize sets without Earthquake, and stop those with Earthquake from setting up Stealth Rock. Even though they do nothing to prevent Stealth Rock, Trick leads are also troublesome because they steal Hippopotas's Focus Sash, which they can then return to another one of your Pokemon that will inevitably find it worthless. In addition, Hippopotas will likely be forced to switch and be used as death fodder later on. Opposing weather teams will give your entire team trouble, because although Hippopotas can switch in and negate their weather effect immediately, its terrible defenses only allow it to do this so many times throughout the course of a match. If the opposing lead uses Sunny Day or Rain Dance, Hippopotas should flee the scene before taking any damage so that its Focus Sash is still preserved. Good prediction will then be required to sneak Hippopotas in as many times as possible to negate repeated uses of weather-inducing moves. On a related note, Snover leads have the ability to be slower than Hippopotas and therefore override sandstorm with hail on the first turn. To avoid this, Hippopotas should run a -Speed nature with an IV of 13 to ensure it is slower. The only downfall of doing this is that you will be slower than base 30s and other Hippopotas, but this should not be much cause for concern.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>In general, the standard principles for a sandstorm team apply to Hippopotas's teammates. You will want to take advantage of the passive damage provided by sandstorm and Stealth Rock, which can be supplemented by either form of Spikes. A Ghost-type is a necessity to keep your entry hazards in play as long as possible. Spiritomb is a great option, as it is the bulkiest of the UU Ghosts, meaning it will be able to switch into repeated Rapid Spin attempts.</p>
<p>Attackers like Rhyperior and Aggron bring awesome offensive power to the table and will certainly enjoy the boost to their miserable Special Defense stats. The same can be said for the Kanto fossils, Kabutops and Omastar, who can provide Rapid Spin and Spikes support, respectively, in addition to nice offensive power.</p>
<p>Cradily, Registeel, and Regirock can all serve as walls or Curse users, and they will probably have a representative on every sandstorm team between the three of them. Regirock's defenses reach ridiculous levels in a sandstorm, although it lacks the resistances of its metallic sibling, Registeel. Cradily arguably makes the best special wall out of the bunch, with slightly higher Special Defense than the other two (in sandstorm), better typing than Regirock, and access to Recover. Clefable is also a great option, as it ignores sandstorm damage, thanks to Magic Guard, and has amazing versatility. Wish + Protect might be its best option, as it can provide valuable healing support to your team and rack up extra residual damage on opponents with Protect. It can also serve as a status platform with Thunder Wave and/or Toxic, or even a surprise sweeper.</p>
<p>Pokemon with the ability Sand Veil also benefit from Hippopotas's presence. Cacturne turns into an absolute wrecking ball if it sets up a Substitute, which is made easier with increased evasion. Swords Dance boosts its already massive attack to new heights, making STAB Sucker Punch a force to be reckoned with. Gligar has similar ideas when it has a Substitute in front of it, with access to Swords Dance, Rock Polish, and Baton Pass if you choose to use it.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Hippopotas's list of viable moves does not extend far beyond those already mentioned. Put bluntly, this is because its Base Stats are severely lacking in every category. Its offensive movepool isn't terrible, sporting Crunch, Double-Edge, and Superpower in addition to Earthquake, although Stone Edge's absence is slightly unfortunate. The bad news is that Hippopotas will probably only get one or two chances to strike, and its base 72 Attack really doesn't go a long way. For this reason Toxic is quite often the better method of damaging bulkier foes over the long run. Curse and Slack Off are welcome additions to many movepools, but again, Hippopotas's defenses make them nearly worthless.</p>
<p>Chesto Berry can be used over Focus Sash, but with the departures of Roserade and Yanmega from UU, sleep-inducing moves are neither common nor worth relinquishing Focus Sash to prevent. Chesto Berry gets the edge over Lum Berry because Hippopotas typically won't live long enough to see Will-O-Wisp or Toxic do significant damage, so negating them with Lum Berry is useless. Leftovers is another option, but again, Focus Sash will typically do a much better job of prolonging Hippopotas's life.</p>
<p>The given EVs allow Hippopotas to maximize its attack power while still surviving Life Orbed Ambipom's combination of Fake Out and Return 100% of the time. If you are running Protect, feel free to ignore this EV spread and redistribute the EVs between Attack and Defense as you see fit.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Taunt and Trick leads cause Hippopotas immediate problems, as it is horribly one-dimensional when either of these moves are used on it, assuming it is passed a Choice item. Essentially any anti-lead should be able to 2HKO it with a powerful attack, and sadly the same goes for almost any special attacking Pokemon as well. As expected, it is not a difficult Pokemon to counter by any stretch of the imagination, but so long as it gets Stealth Rock in play it has done its job.</p>
[Overview]
<p>Surprisingly, summoning a permanent sandstorm is not the only thing of value Hippopotas can accomplish. It also has the convenient ability to set up Stealth Rock, and can do a decent job scouting from the lead slot, as well. However, expectations of Hippopotas should still be rather low. If it sets up Stealth Rock then dies, then its purpose has been served. If it sets up Stealth Rock, poisons or significantly damages something, and manages to scout a couple members of the opposing team, then a standing ovation may be in order.</p>
[SET]
name: UU Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Yawn
move 3: Earthquake / Toxic
move 4: Roar / Protect
item: Focus Sash
nature: Relaxed
IV: 13 Speed
evs: 252 HP / 164 Atk / 92 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Hippopotas is notable in standard play only for the ability Sandstream, which makes it the only Pokemon in UU play that can trigger a permanent sandstorm. This set attempts to make the most of Hippopotas' short lifespan by giving it the opportunity to status or scout the opponent's team as a lead. Hippopotas' primary goal, however, is to set up Stealth Rock, which should generally be made a priority over everything else. Yawn and Roar both provide effective ways of scouting opponents, one of the few things Hippopotas does well. Opting for Protect with Yawn can trick U-turners into getting put to sleep by Yawn and also block Fake Out. Meanwhile, Toxic allows Hippopotas to damage bulky Pokemon well, while Earthquake is better versus fragile Pokemon and Taunt users. The EVs let Hippopotas survive a Fake Out and Return from Ambipom while allowing for maximum attack power should you opt to use Earthquake. The nature and Speed IV allow it to be slower than all Snover, so that sandstorm takes precedence over hail if the two leads are opposing each other.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Hippopotas is the only Pokemon in the lower tiers that can set up a permanent sandstorm, upgrading it from NFE to a bona fide player in the UU metagame. Although at first this may appear to be a miserable attempt at a lead, Hippopotas actually functions quite well in the role when taking into account its horrid stats. The goal of this set is to play to Hippopotas's strengths, which are essentially limited to setting up Stealth Rock and scouting. Focus Sash allows you to bypass Hippopotas's weak defenses and, against most leads, do both of these things.</p>
<p>In some cases, Hippopotas will be forced to simply use Stealth Rock, then die on the next turn. Such instances will mostly occur against leads that you cannot switch into for free, or if you feel the need to get Stealth Rock in play immediately. An example of this is when Hippopotas is facing Moltres, who can OHKO it with its special attacks and can U-turn out of Yawn. In other cases, however, its usefulness can extend beyond the first few moves of the game. If Hippopotas sets up Stealth Rock without being damaged, you have several options. When facing a bulky lead like Donphan or Uxie, Toxic is a good option, if you opt for it, to help shorten their longevity. If you wish to scout your opponent's team, Yawn, Roar, or a combination of the two can accomplish this. Yawn will cause most Pokemon to switch, and if they don't, they will be put to sleep. Using Yawn against Pokemon with U-turn should not be done unless you are carrying Protect with it, in which case it is a very sneaky method of putting Uxie or Scyther to sleep. Because Yawn's effect activates on the second turn, you can use Roar on the subsequent move, which will allow you to scout not one, but two Pokemon, assuming your opponent decides to switch out the drowsy Pokemon. Another option is to simply switch out after using Stealth Rock, thus preserving Hippopotas's Focus Sash, provided your opponent has not set up any entry hazards. This can come in handy later in the game, as it allows Hippopotas to switch into a Pokemon like Mismagius or Feraligatr while they are boosting their stats, take a hit and survive due to the Sash, and then phaze them with Yawn or Roar, whichever is most appropriate. Doing this makes Hippopotas a great last line of defense against boosting sweepers, especially those hiding behind Substitutes.</p>
<p>As far as attacking options go, Hippopotas's outlook is pretty bleak. Earthquake is essentially its only viable option, as it desperately needs the STAB. For the most part, however, Hippopotas is too easily 2HKOed to spare many turns firing off relatively weak attacks. Although, Earthquake does have its merits against weak Taunt leads, which will attempt to stop Hippopotas from setting up Stealth Rock. If you are more inclined to damage leads like Uxie and spread status in general, then Toxic may be the better option. In the last slot, Roar gives Hippopotas the ability to phaze pokemon with Substitute, as mentioned, which it cannot do with Yawn, and makes it a better overall phazer and scouter. Protect allows you to scout your opponent's moveset, trick U-turners into falling asleep, deal a free turn of sandstorm damage, and block Ambipom's Fake Out, which in turn lets you commit all your EVs to Attack if you wish to do so.</p>
<p>Hippopotas's greatest fears are Taunt, Trick, and weather leads, and it may be in your best interest to switch out against all three. Taunt leads completely immobilize sets without Earthquake, and stop those with Earthquake from setting up Stealth Rock. Even though they do nothing to prevent Stealth Rock, Trick leads are also troublesome because they steal Hippopotas's Focus Sash, which they can then return to another one of your Pokemon that will inevitably find it worthless. In addition, Hippopotas will likely be forced to switch and be used as death fodder later on. Opposing weather teams will give your entire team trouble, because although Hippopotas can switch in and negate their weather effect immediately, its terrible defenses only allow it to do this so many times throughout the course of a match. If the opposing lead uses Sunny Day or Rain Dance, Hippopotas should flee the scene before taking any damage so that its Focus Sash is still preserved. Good prediction will then be required to sneak Hippopotas in as many times as possible to negate repeated uses of weather-inducing moves. On a related note, Snover leads have the ability to be slower than Hippopotas and therefore override sandstorm with hail on the first turn. To avoid this, Hippopotas should run a -Speed nature with an IV of 13 to ensure it is slower. The only downfall of doing this is that you will be slower than base 30s and other Hippopotas, but this should not be much cause for concern.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>In general, the standard principles for a sandstorm team apply to Hippopotas's teammates. You will want to take advantage of the passive damage provided by sandstorm and Stealth Rock, which can be supplemented by either form of Spikes. A Ghost-type is a necessity to keep your entry hazards in play as long as possible. Spiritomb is a great option, as it is the bulkiest of the UU Ghosts, meaning it will be able to switch into repeated Rapid Spin attempts.</p>
<p>Attackers like Rhyperior and Aggron bring awesome offensive power to the table and will certainly enjoy the boost to their miserable Special Defense stats. The same can be said for the Kanto fossils, Kabutops and Omastar, who can provide Rapid Spin and Spikes support, respectively, in addition to nice offensive power.</p>
<p>Cradily, Registeel, and Regirock can all serve as walls or Curse users, and they will probably have a representative on every sandstorm team between the three of them. Regirock's defenses reach ridiculous levels in a sandstorm, although it lacks the resistances of its metallic sibling, Registeel. Cradily arguably makes the best special wall out of the bunch, with slightly higher Special Defense than the other two (in sandstorm), better typing than Regirock, and access to Recover. Clefable is also a great option, as it ignores sandstorm damage, thanks to Magic Guard, and has amazing versatility. Wish + Protect might be its best option, as it can provide valuable healing support to your team and rack up extra residual damage on opponents with Protect. It can also serve as a status platform with Thunder Wave and/or Toxic, or even a surprise sweeper.</p>
<p>Pokemon with the ability Sand Veil also benefit from Hippopotas's presence. Cacturne turns into an absolute wrecking ball if it sets up a Substitute, which is made easier with increased evasion. Swords Dance boosts its already massive attack to new heights, making STAB Sucker Punch a force to be reckoned with. Gligar has similar ideas when it has a Substitute in front of it, with access to Swords Dance, Rock Polish, and Baton Pass if you choose to use it.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Hippopotas's list of viable moves does not extend far beyond those already mentioned. Put bluntly, this is because its Base Stats are severely lacking in every category. Its offensive movepool isn't terrible, sporting Crunch, Double-Edge, and Superpower in addition to Earthquake, although Stone Edge's absence is slightly unfortunate. The bad news is that Hippopotas will probably only get one or two chances to strike, and its base 72 Attack really doesn't go a long way. For this reason Toxic is quite often the better method of damaging bulkier foes over the long run. Curse and Slack Off are welcome additions to many movepools, but again, Hippopotas's defenses make them nearly worthless.</p>
<p>Chesto Berry can be used over Focus Sash, but with the departures of Roserade and Yanmega from UU, sleep-inducing moves are neither common nor worth relinquishing Focus Sash to prevent. Chesto Berry gets the edge over Lum Berry because Hippopotas typically won't live long enough to see Will-O-Wisp or Toxic do significant damage, so negating them with Lum Berry is useless. Leftovers is another option, but again, Focus Sash will typically do a much better job of prolonging Hippopotas's life.</p>
<p>The given EVs allow Hippopotas to maximize its attack power while still surviving Life Orbed Ambipom's combination of Fake Out and Return 100% of the time. If you are running Protect, feel free to ignore this EV spread and redistribute the EVs between Attack and Defense as you see fit.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Taunt and Trick leads cause Hippopotas immediate problems, as it is horribly one-dimensional when either of these moves are used on it, assuming it is passed a Choice item. Essentially any anti-lead should be able to 2HKO it with a powerful attack, and sadly the same goes for almost any special attacking Pokemon as well. As expected, it is not a difficult Pokemon to counter by any stretch of the imagination, but so long as it gets Stealth Rock in play it has done its job.</p>
