Infernape [Lead]

[nmitchell890]

Not all his old sets are useless...

Infernape @ Focus Sash
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 72 Atk / 184 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Fake Out
- Stealth Rock
- Close Combat
- Fire Blast

In a metagame that is so harsh to his wallbreaking sets, Infernape still manages to carve a niche for itself as one of the best leads available. Specifically, its claim to fame is that it can KO Custap Berry leads Skarmory and Forretress before they can even move with the combination of Fake Out and Fire Blast. Terrakion loses to Infernape too, even if it wins the speed tie it can only prevent Stealth Rock or bring Infernape down to its Focus Sash as Fake Out followed by Close Combat is a guaranteed OHKO. Slower leads can't stop Stealth Rock, they are often able to KO Infernape once his job is done though. Garchomp and Mamoswine are best at this due to Rough Skin and Ice Shard respectively. No current lead is able to prevent Infernape from getting Stealth Rock set up.

Don't know which prefix to use sorry...

 

[Jirachee]

I think that this set has too many issues to be viable

First, beating Skarmory / Forretress and possibly Terrakion is nice, but all of those leads are not as common as they used to be anyway. On the other hand, the mon that is by far the most common dedicated lead, Garchomp, trades SR with you and then kills you, which is a win for the Garchomp user. Close Combat is never even a 2HKO with your current investment which makes it a pretty lame trade off. If you want guarenteed SR, why would you not use Aerodactyl or Azelf which can both reliably set up Stealth Rock while also denying other leads' stuff?

There's also the fact that this set can't touch the two most popular spinners, Starmie and Tentacruel. When you use a dedicated lead, you don't want it to be bait for the most common hazard removers, right? What can you realistically do to stop them from coming in right on turn 1 and then spin your stuff? They resist your two attacks and then they have a free turn to do w/e the fuck they want. Infernape can't keep switching out and coming back in, which is why it's a lead. Jellicent is the only thing capable of spinblocking them but I can't see it as a viable partner.

You're probably better off using something else.

 

[nmitchell890]

I see your point about Starmie and Tentacruel. Ok fair enough