Jirachi (Substitute + Thunder Wave)

[Philip7086]

First and foremost, I wanted to say that I know this set is very effective and annoying from personal experience, so it gets the QC stamp of approval. However, there are a few things about this analysis that need to be fixed:

Added
Reworded
Take out
(Comments)

Jirachi Analysis

---

[SET]
name: Substitute + Thunder Wave
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunder Wave / Body Slam
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 164 HP / 168 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By utilizing paralysis and Iron Head's boosted flinch rate from Serene Grace, Jirachi can ensure that its opponents will only ever have a 30% chance of successfully attacking with a 100% accurate move. This set takes full advantage of these odds by providing Jirachi with the ability to heal 6.25% of its health for free with Leftovers, every time its opponent gets flinched or is fully paralyzed. Substitute allows Jirachi to safely attempt to flinch opponents who would otherwise OHKO it. With Leftovers, Jirachi fully regains all its health lost from Substitute after successfully preventing its opponent from attacking four times. At this point, Jirachi has likely done significant damage, and is now back to full health.</p>

<p>Unlike most other sets, this set should be played with long-term planning in mind. In other words, it often takes two switch-ins from this Jirachi to be as successful as possible. The first time Jirachi comes it, it should paralyze its opponent's counter, and then switch out. The next time Jirachi finds an opening to come in, it should use Substitute while its opponent switches back to the same paralyzed counter, and then begin to wreck havoc. Of course, Jirachi could attempt to keep using Substitute the first time it comes out until its opponent is fully paralyzed, but that is not the most reliable strategy.</p>

<p>When played correctly, this Jirachi is incredibly hard to take out, and is sure to cause its opponent extreme frustration.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>176 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow Jirachi to outpace all the base 90 Speed Pokemon, most notably Lucario. 168 Attack EVs allow Jirachi to then OHKO Lucario after Life Orb recoil and a Defense drop. They still allow Jirachi to get the OHKOs and 2HKOs that it would get with 252 EVs. The rest are thrown into HP to give Jirachi a nice amount of bulk as well. Besides the minimum recommended Speed though, the other EVs are fairly adjustable for whatever you need (you said "besides the Speed," and then changed the Speed in the next sentence's example. I think you mean to say "besides the minimum recommended speed"). 252 Atk and 252 Spe will work better against offensive teams, as you can speed tie with other Pokemon with base 100 Speed. The given spread will be more effective in general though.</p>

<p>Body Slam may be considered over Thunder Wave, as it allows Jirachi to paralyze Pokemon immune to Electric-type attacks, such as Swampert, Gliscor, Flygon, Hippowdon, Jolteon, and Electivire. It also provides Jirachi with a form of neutral damage versus Water-type Pokemon who otherwise resist all of Jirachi's attacks. It is generally an inferior option to Thunder Wave though, as Body Slam only has a 60% chance to paralyze, and does not effect Ghost-type Pokemon.</p>

<p>This set does have some notable counters though. Pokemon that are immune to Thunder Wave or resist Iron Head and Fire Punch usually fit the bill. Such Pokemon are Swampert, Gliscor, and Flygon. They each are immune to Thunder Wave, take very little from Iron Head, and can hit back with powerful Ground-type attacks. Starmie is also a good counter because it resists Jirachi's attacks, and even though Jirachi can paralyze it, Starmie can easily switch out, ridding itself of paralysis. Heatran is a decent counter as well. Jirachi is able to paralyze it, but it still takes very little from Jirachi's attacks, and can hit hard with its STAB Fire-type attacks. Jolteon is also a good check because it is immune to Thunder Wave, resists Iron Head, and can break through Jirachi's Substitutes with STAB Thunderbolt without worrying about being flinched, because it's faster.</p>

<p>Latias is probably the best partner for this Jirachi. They have excellent defensive synergy, which often allows Jirachi to easily switch in and set up a Substitute. Jirachi's counters are also fairly vulnerable to Latias' specially based attacks (examples? Latias does not like switching into Flygon, LO Jolteon, and LO Starmie). Starmie also works well when paired with Jirachi. It has excellent coverage, especially when dealing with Jirachi's counters (again, examples? Why is Starmie's coverage "especially" excellent when paired with Jirachi? This sentence seems kinda off to me). Starmie can also switch in on Fire-type attacks aimed at Jirachi. Gyarados also resists Fire-type attacks, and is also immune to Ground-type attacks thanks to its Flying typing. Although they share a weakness to Fire, Skarmory also makes a decent partner. Jirachi can force many switches, which are emphasized with the addition of Spikes. (This Jirachi set does not make people switch anymore than other sets do, in my experience. In fact, people tend to stubbornly stay in, waiting to get an attack off) Skarmory also walls some of Jirachi's counters like Swampert, Gliscor, and Flygon. Any Pokemon who appreciates paralysis will work with this set too. (This analysis kinda ends on a weird note. Needs a more solid conclusion)</p>

First of all, I rewrote the whole Set Comments, because I felt like the original one did not really explain why this set is effective, and how it is used. Those things need to be in SC to convince people to use the set.

Also, Body Slam deserves more than just a mention, because Swampert is one of the number 1 switch-ins on Jirachi. On top of that, hitting Water-type Pokemon for neutral damage is always welcome.

Finally, the last paragraph probably needs to be redone. It just doesn't flow too well, and there needs to be more evidence/details, IMO. Also, I would focus on Pokemon that enjoy paralysis support, such as Machamp or Breloom as team options, because this set does a great job at opening opportunities for them. Other than that, I agree that Gyarados and Skarm work pretty well with this set.

Overall, good stuff. This set definitely needs to be on-site. Just needs a bit more work in the written department.

 

[DJXO9]

Thank you to Phil, Setsuna, kingra22, etc., for the input. Sorry for some of the content lack; this is my first time writing an analysis, so i expected plenty of content stuff. I've done plenty of proofreading in the past, so I knew what I was aiming for at least.

I'll work on making these changes within the next couple of days.

Edit: Ok. I edited in Philip7086's edits, and made the necessary tweaks here and there.

 

[Philip7086]

Much better! Great job!

 

[Blue_Tornado]

If you want the greatest amount of bulk, a 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Spe spread works too. 36 Speed EVs let Jirachi outrun max Speed Tyranitar and other Pokemon who attempt to outrun him by one point. For that spread, a Calm, Bold, or Adamant nature will work, and really depends on what you need. Calm allows Jirachi to take attacks from Latias and other special attackers more easily. Bold does the same, except for physical attackers like Machamp.

Calm and Bold lower Attack. You should instead mention Careful and Impish, which lower SpA.

 

[DJXO9]

Calm and Bold lower Attack. You should instead mention Careful and Impish, which lower SpA.

Gahh oops you're right. I just thought bold for defensive Jirachi and put calm then instinctively. Will fix.

 

[les gets]

if you're going to use only 36 speed, I would just max attack and use adamant

 

[DJXO9]

if you're going to use only 36 speed, I would just max attack and use adamant

Max HP gets you 101 HP Substitutes which is invaluable because Seismic Toss won't break it. The difference between 220 and 252 Atk EVs is very small anyways, especially with Adamant.

 

[Snorlaxe]

[SET]
name: Substitute + Thunder Wave
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunder Wave / Body Slam
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 164 HP / 168 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By utilizing paralysis and Iron Head's boosted flinch rate from Serene Grace, Jirachi can ensure that its opponents will only ever have a 30% chance of successfully attacking with a 100% accurate move. This set takes full advantage of these odds by providing Jirachi with the ability to heal 6.25% of its health for free with Leftovers every time its opponent gets flinched or is fully paralyzed. Substitute allows Jirachi to safely attempt to flinch opponents who would otherwise OHKO it. With Leftovers, Jirachi fully regains all its health lost from Substitute after successfully preventing its opponent from attacking four times. At this point, Jirachi has likely done significant damage, and is now back to full health.</p>

<p>Unlike most other sets, this set should be played with long-term planning in mind. In other words, it often takes two switch-ins from this Jirachi to be as successful as possible. The first time Jirachi comes in, it should paralyze its opponent's counter, and then switch out. The next time Jirachi finds an opening to come in, it should use Substitute while its opponent switches back to the same paralyzed counter, and then begin to wreck havoc. Of course, Jirachi could attempt to keep using Substitute the first time it comes out until its opponent is fully paralyzed, but that is not the most reliable strategy.</p>

<p>When played correctly, this Jirachi is incredibly hard to take out, and is sure to cause its opponent extreme frustration.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>176 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow Jirachi to outpace all base 90 Speed Pokemon, most notably Lucario. 168 Attack EVs allow Jirachi to then OHKO Lucario after Life Orb recoil and a Defense drop. They still allow Jirachi to get the OHKOs and 2HKOs that it would get with 252 EVs. The rest are thrown into HP and give Jirachi a nice amount of bulk as well. Besides the minimum recommended Speed, the other EVs are fairly adjustable for whatever you need. Because Jirachi should be paralyzing most switch-ins, max Speed is generally not needed. If you want to maximize Attack, go with 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Speed with a Jolly nature. If you want the greatest amount of bulk, a 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Spe spread works too. 36 Speed EVs let Jirachi outrun max Speed Tyranitar and other Pokemon who attempt to outrun it by one point. The 252 HP EVs give Jirachi 101 HP Substitutes that aren't broken by Seismic Toss. For that spread, a Careful, Impish, or Adamant nature will work, and really depends on what you need. Careful allows Jirachi to take attacks from Latias and other special attackers more easily. Impish does the same, except for physical attackers like Machamp. </p>

<p>Body Slam may be considered over Thunder Wave, as it allows Jirachi to paralyze Pokemon immune to Electric-type attacks, such as Swampert, Gliscor, Flygon, Hippowdon, Jolteon, and Electivire. It also provides Jirachi with a form of neutral damage versus Water-type Pokemon, who otherwise resist all of Jirachi's attacks. It is generally an inferior option to Thunder Wave though, as Body Slam only has a 60% chance to paralyze, and does not affect Ghost-type Pokemon.</p>

<p>This set does have some notable counters, though. Pokemon who are immune to Thunder Wave or resist Iron Head and Fire Punch usually fit the bill. Such Pokemon are Hipppowdon, Swampert, Gliscor, and Flygon. They each are immune to Thunder Wave, take very little from Iron Head, and can hit back with powerful Ground-type attacks. Starmie is also a good counter because it resists Jirachi's attacks, and even though Jirachi can paralyze it, Starmie can easily switch out, ridding itself of paralysis thanks to Natural Cure. Heatran is a decent counter as well: Jirachi is able to paralyze it, but it still takes very little from Jirachi's attacks, and can hit hard with its STAB Fire-type attacks. Jolteon is also a good check because it is immune to Thunder Wave, resists Iron Head, and can break through Jirachi's Substitutes with STAB Thunderbolt without worrying about being flinched.</p>

<p>Because Jirachi should be behind a Substitute most of the time, the opponent should be eager to break it. That makes any Pokemon who resists Fire- and Ground-type attacks a solid partner with Jirachi. Latias and Gyarados are both excellent choices. Latias can switch in on either of those, and use moves like Surf and Dragon Pulse to force out bulky Ground- and Water-types. Gyarados loves getting free switch-ins so it can set up with Dragon Dance. Its STAB Water-type attacks can also scare off the Ground-types that hinder Jirachi. Jirachi will also appreciate a Heatran with Toxic on its team. Heatran is a great lure for the same Pokemon, like Swampert and Vaporeon, who stop Jirachi. Toxic will make them essentially useless when facing Jirachi. Specially Defensive Skarmory walls Pokemon like Hippowdon and Vaporeon and appreciates the extra turns to set up Spikes. Any Pokemon who benefit from a paralyzed opponent, like Machamp and Salamence, will work great with this set too.</p>

 

[DJXO9]

Thanks Snorlaxe

fixed

 

[picklesword]

Gosh dang it guys. Someone actually posted this set. I run max attack and speed because it seems better to out speed all Mix Salamence and to get that Twave off first. Even will live life orb EQ without EV's in hp / def. The main idea behind substitute is that you can risk staying in on things like heatran / gliscor and just try to flinch away. Eventually things that could happen, most being likely that you won't flinch x5 times in a row, but when against something like Heatran you can take into account that fire blast does in fact miss as well as paralysis will occur. Leftovers is there to heal from these occurrences.

 

[DJXO9]

Gosh dang it guys. Someone actually posted this set. I run max attack and speed because it seems better to out speed all Mix Salamence and to get that Twave off first. Even will live life orb EQ without EV's in hp / def. The main idea behind substitute is that you can risk staying in on things like heatran / gliscor and just try to flinch away. Eventually things that could happen, most being likely that you won't flinch x5 times in a row, but when against something like Heatran you can take into account that fire blast does in fact miss as well as paralysis will occur. Leftovers is there to heal from these occurrences.

Trying to speed tie with Salamence is really risky. The safest route is to just paralyze him, and so you outspeed him regardless of your speed. >70% of Salamence in March had max speed too.

I think this is pretty close. Maybe another check or two?

 

[DJXO9]

Changed all "it" or "its" to "he" or "his" in accordance with this.

 

[tangramman]

I read through the analysis thrice and couldn't find any mistakes. Have you considered slashing Fire Punch with Body Slam though? It would allow you to literally paralyze anything, but leaves you with atrocious coverage; your call whether you think it's worth mentioning.

Seems to be ready for uploading, as far as I can see. Good job.

 

[Demoness]

good old place holder

[SET]
name: Substitute + Thunder Wave
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunder Wave / Body Slam
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 164 HP / 168 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By utilizing paralysis and Iron Head's boosted flinch rate from Serene Grace, Jirachi can ensure that his opponents will only ever have a 30% chance of successfully attacking with a 100% accurate move. This set takes full advantage of these odds by providing Jirachi with the ability to heal 6.25% of his health for free with Leftovers every time his opponent gets flinched or is fully paralyzed. Substitute allows Jirachi to safely attempt to flinch opponents who would otherwise OHKO him. With Leftovers, Jirachi fully regains all his health lost from Substitute after successfully preventing his opponent from attacking four times. At this point, Jirachi has likely done significant damage, and is now back to full health.</p>

<p>Unlike most other sets, this set should be played with long-term planning in mind. In other words, it often takes two switch-ins from this Jirachi to be as successful as possible. The first time Jirachi comes in, he should paralyze his opponent's counter, and then switch out. The next time Jirachi finds an opening to come in, he should use Substitute while his opponent switches back to the same paralyzed counter, and then begin to wreck havoc. Of course, Jirachi could attempt to keep using Substitute the first time he comes out until his opponent is fully paralyzed, but that is not the most reliable strategy.</p>

<p>When played correctly, this Jirachi is incredibly hard to take out, and is sure to cause his opponent extreme frustration.</p> ( this honestly doesn't seem nescessary)

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>176 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow Jirachi to outpace all base 90 Speed Pokemon, most notably Lucario. 168 Attack EVs allow Jirachi to then OHKO Lucario after Life Orb recoil and a Defense drop. They still allow Jirachi to get the OHKOs and 2HKOs that he would get with 252 EVs. The rest are thrown into HP and give Jirachi a nice amount of bulk as well. Besides the minimum recommended Speed, the other EVs are fairly adjustable for whatever you need. Because Jirachi should be paralyzing most switch-ins, max Speed is generally not needed. If you want to maximize Attack, go with 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe with a Jolly nature. If you want the greatest amount of bulk, a 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Spe spread works too. 36 Speed EVs let Jirachi outrun max Speed Tyranitar and other Pokemon who attempt to outrun him by one point. The 252 HP EVs give Jirachi 101 HP Substitutes that aren't broken by Seismic Toss. For that spread, a Careful, Impish, or Adamant nature will work, and really depends on what you need. Careful allows Jirachi to take attacks from Latias and other special attackers more easily. Impish does the same, except for physical attackers like Machamp. Adamant will give Jirachi a nice boost in Attack.</p>

<p>Body Slam may be considered over Thunder Wave, as it allows Jirachi to paralyze Pokemon immune to Electric-type attacks, such as Swampert, Gliscor, Flygon, Hippowdon, Jolteon, and Electivire. It also provides Jirachi with a form of neutral damage versus Water-type Pokemon, who otherwise resist all of Jirachi's attacks. It is generally an inferior option to Thunder Wave though, as Body Slam only has a 60% chance to paralyze, and does not affect Ghost-type Pokemon.</p>

<p>This set does have some notable counters, though. Pokemon who are immune to Thunder Wave or resist Iron Head and Fire Punch usually fit the bill. Such Pokemon are Hippowdon, Swampert, Gliscor, and Flygon. They each are immune to Thunder Wave, take very little from Iron Head, and can hit back with powerful Ground-type attacks. Starmie is also a good counter because he resists Jirachi's attacks, and even though Jirachi can paralyze him, Starmie can easily switch out, ridding itself of paralysis thanks to Natural Cure. Heatran is a decent counter as well; Jirachi is able to paralyze him, but he still takes very little from Jirachi's attacks, and can hit hard with his STAB Fire-type attacks. Jolteon is also a good check because he is immune to Thunder Wave, resists Iron Head, and can break through Jirachi's Substitutes with STAB Thunderbolt without worrying about being flinched.</p>

<p>Because Jirachi should be behind a Substitute most of the time, the opponent should be eager to break it. That makes any Pokemon who resists Fire- and Ground-type attacks a solid partner with Jirachi. Latias and Gyarados are both excellent choices. Latias can switch in on either of those, and use moves like Surf and Dragon Pulse to force out bulky Ground- and Water-types. Gyarados loves getting free switch-ins so he can set up with Dragon Dance. Its STAB Water-type attacks can also scare off the Ground-types that hinder Jirachi. Jirachi will also appreciate a Heatran with Toxic on his team. Heatran is a great lure for the same Pokemon, like Swampert and Vaporeon, who stop Jirachi. Toxic will make them essentially useless when facing Jirachi. Specially Defensive Skarmory walls Pokemon like Hippowdonand Vaporeon and appreciates the extra turns to set up Spikes. Any Pokemon who benefit from a paralyzed opponent, like Machamp and Salamence, will work great with this set too.</p>


red means remove

all i could find

 

[DJXO9]

I read through the analysis thrice and couldn't find any mistakes. Have you considered slashing Fire Punch with Body Slam though? It would allow you to literally paralyze anything, but leaves you with atrocious coverage; your call whether you think it's worth mentioning.

Seems to be ready for uploading, as far as I can see. Good job.

Thanks, and the immense loss of coverage just is not worth it, for so little gained.

Berserker Lord's post

good old place holder

[SET]
name: Substitute + Thunder Wave
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunder Wave / Body Slam
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 164 HP / 168 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By utilizing paralysis and Iron Head's boosted flinch rate from Serene Grace, Jirachi can ensure that his opponents will only ever have a 30% chance of successfully attacking with a 100% accurate move. This set takes full advantage of these odds by providing Jirachi with the ability to heal 6.25% of his health for free with Leftovers every time his opponent gets flinched or is fully paralyzed. Substitute allows Jirachi to safely attempt to flinch opponents who would otherwise OHKO him. With Leftovers, Jirachi fully regains all his health lost from Substitute after successfully preventing his opponent from attacking four times. At this point, Jirachi has likely done significant damage, and is now back to full health.</p>

<p>Unlike most other sets, this set should be played with long-term planning in mind. In other words, it often takes two switch-ins from this Jirachi to be as successful as possible. The first time Jirachi comes in, he should paralyze his opponent's counter, and then switch out. The next time Jirachi finds an opening to come in, he should use Substitute while his opponent switches back to the same paralyzed counter, and then begin to wreck havoc. Of course, Jirachi could attempt to keep using Substitute the first time he comes out until his opponent is fully paralyzed, but that is not the most reliable strategy.</p>

<p>When played correctly, this Jirachi is incredibly hard to take out, and is sure to cause his opponent extreme frustration.</p> ( this honestly doesn't seem nescessary)

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>176 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow Jirachi to outpace all base 90 Speed Pokemon, most notably Lucario. 168 Attack EVs allow Jirachi to then OHKO Lucario after Life Orb recoil and a Defense drop. They still allow Jirachi to get the OHKOs and 2HKOs that he would get with 252 EVs. The rest are thrown into HP and give Jirachi a nice amount of bulk as well. Besides the minimum recommended Speed, the other EVs are fairly adjustable for whatever you need. Because Jirachi should be paralyzing most switch-ins, max Speed is generally not needed. If you want to maximize Attack, go with 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe with a Jolly nature. If you want the greatest amount of bulk, a 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Spe spread works too. 36 Speed EVs let Jirachi outrun max Speed Tyranitar and other Pokemon who attempt to outrun him by one point. The 252 HP EVs give Jirachi 101 HP Substitutes that aren't broken by Seismic Toss. For that spread, a Careful, Impish, or Adamant nature will work, and really depends on what you need. Careful allows Jirachi to take attacks from Latias and other special attackers more easily. Impish does the same, except for physical attackers like Machamp. Adamant will give Jirachi a nice boost in Attack.</p>

<p>Body Slam may be considered over Thunder Wave, as it allows Jirachi to paralyze Pokemon immune to Electric-type attacks, such as Swampert, Gliscor, Flygon, Hippowdon, Jolteon, and Electivire. It also provides Jirachi with a form of neutral damage versus Water-type Pokemon, who otherwise resist all of Jirachi's attacks. It is generally an inferior option to Thunder Wave though, as Body Slam only has a 60% chance to paralyze, and does not affect Ghost-type Pokemon.</p>

<p>This set does have some notable counters, though. Pokemon who are immune to Thunder Wave or resist Iron Head and Fire Punch usually fit the bill. Such Pokemon are Hippowdon, Swampert, Gliscor, and Flygon. They each are immune to Thunder Wave, take very little from Iron Head, and can hit back with powerful Ground-type attacks. Starmie is also a good counter because he resists Jirachi's attacks, and even though Jirachi can paralyze him, Starmie can easily switch out, ridding itself of paralysis thanks to Natural Cure. Heatran is a decent counter as well; Jirachi is able to paralyze him, but he still takes very little from Jirachi's attacks, and can hit hard with his STAB Fire-type attacks. Jolteon is also a good check because he is immune to Thunder Wave, resists Iron Head, and can break through Jirachi's Substitutes with STAB Thunderbolt without worrying about being flinched.</p>

<p>Because Jirachi should be behind a Substitute most of the time, the opponent should be eager to break it. That makes any Pokemon who resists Fire- and Ground-type attacks a solid partner with Jirachi. Latias and Gyarados are both excellent choices. Latias can switch in on either of those, and use moves like Surf and Dragon Pulse to force out bulky Ground- and Water-types. Gyarados loves getting free switch-ins so he can set up with Dragon Dance. Its STAB Water-type attacks can also scare off the Ground-types that hinder Jirachi. Jirachi will also appreciate a Heatran with Toxic on his team. Heatran is a great lure for the same Pokemon, like Swampert and Vaporeon, who stop Jirachi. Toxic will make them essentially useless when facing Jirachi. Specially Defensive Skarmory walls Pokemon like Hippowdonand Vaporeon and appreciates the extra turns to set up Spikes. Any Pokemon who benefit from a paralyzed opponent, like Machamp and Salamence, will work great with this set too.</p>


red means remove

all i could find

Agreed.

 

[CHENN]

I'd just like to say this is an amazing set! I actually ended up a set just like this one in the past (although the EV spread was inferior) and it worked extremely well. And to trangramman's suggestion, maybe Body Slam could go in the comments as an alternative over maybe Thunder Wave? 60% chance to para is still pretty high, and a little bit of damage is nice. Don't think it could be slashed in over T-wave though, because this set really relies on paralyzing/flinching.

 

[DJXO9]

I'd just like to say this is an amazing set! I actually ended up a set just like this one in the past (although the EV spread was inferior) and it worked extremely well. And to trangramman's suggestion, maybe Body Slam could go in the comments as an alternative over maybe Thunder Wave? 60% chance to para is still pretty high, and a little bit of damage is nice. Don't think it could be slashed in over T-wave though, because this set really relies on paralyzing/flinching.

Body Slam is already discussed in the Additional Comments. I've also talked at length with people and in this thread about giving Body Slam a slash, and decided it deserves one.

 

[Warped Worlds]

Wouldn't Lum Berry DD Sub Kingdra be a check? It can DD as the Jirachi uses Thunder Wave, and then Sub and block Thunder Wave next turn. The subs cannot be broken by Fire Punch or Iron Head either, so the Kingdra can easily get a +2 or worse.

 

[kokoloko]

If I may, I would like to suggest an alternate EV spread for this set. I've been testing a 252 HP / 76 Def / 176 SpD / 4 Spe with an Impish nature, which also runs Wish over Fire Punch. The stats reached with this spread are 404/236/280/x/280/237. With this Jirachi becomes a lot more support oriented, while still retaining the ability to paraflinch shit to death and spread paralysis around. On top of that, it also can pass Wish around and use it to heal itself after switching into shit like Latias for example. A Specs Latias Draco Meteor does 37.4% max to Jirachi and all other attacks that she can throw at him do even less.

The problem is that I'm not entirely sure if this spread could fit into the same set as the ones already on there, because this spread loses the ability to check Lucario and hurt some things with Fire Punch.

 

[AccidentalGreed]

Latias is now banned to ubers. I suggest that this set actually focus hindering the opponent rather than trying to survive attacks.

 

[Lucknade]

What does this set excel against? I've been trying it out lately, but it just isn't doing it for me. I assume I'm probably not using it properly.

 

[Snorlaxe]

yeah this definitely needs to get uploaded soon, proofreading a second time to help with the process


[SET]
name: Substitute + Thunder Wave
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunder Wave / Body Slam
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 164 HP / 168 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By utilizing paralysis and Iron Head's Serene Grace-enhanced flinch rate, Jirachi can ensure that his opponents will only ever have a 30% chance of successfully attacking with a 100% accurate move. This set takes full advantage of these odds by providing Jirachi with the ability to heal 6.25% of his health for free with Leftovers every time his opponent gets flinched or is fully paralyzed. Substitute allows Jirachi to safely attempt to flinch opponents who would otherwise OHKO him. With Leftovers, Jirachi fully regains all his health lost from Substitute after successfully preventing his opponent from attacking four times. At this point, Jirachi has likely done significant damage, and is now back to full health.</p>

<p>Unlike most other sets, this set should be played with long-term planning in mind. In other words, it often takes two switch-ins from this Jirachi to be as successful as possible. The first time Jirachi comes in, he should paralyze his opponent's counter, and then switch out. The next time Jirachi finds an opening to come in, he should use Substitute while his opponent switches back to the same paralyzed counter, and then begin to wreck havoc. Of course, Jirachi could attempt to keep using Substitute the first time he comes out until his opponent is fully paralyzed, but that is not the most reliable strategy.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>176 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow Jirachi to outpace all positive-nature base 90 Speed Pokemon, most notably Lucario. 168 Attack EVs allow Jirachi to then OHKO Lucario after Life Orb recoil and a Defense drop. They still allow Jirachi to get the OHKOs and 2HKOs that he would get with 252 EVs. The rest are thrown into HP and give Jirachi a nice amount of bulk as well. Besides the minimum recommended Speed, the other EVs are fairly adjustable for whatever you need. Because Jirachi should be paralyzing most switch-ins, max Speed is generally not needed. If you want to maximize Attack, go with 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe with a Jolly nature. If you want the greatest amount of bulk, a 252 HP / 220 Atk / 36 Spe spread works too. 36 Speed EVs let Jirachi outrun max Speed Tyranitar and other Pokemon who attempt to outrun him by one point. The 252 HP EVs give Jirachi 101 HP Substitutes that aren't broken by Seismic Toss. For that spread, a Careful, Impish, or Adamant nature will work, and really depends on what you need. Careful allows Jirachi to take attacks from Starmie and other special attackers more easily. Impish does the same, except for it helps against physical attackers like Machamp. Adamant will give Jirachi a nice boost in Attack.</p>

<p>Body Slam may be considered over Thunder Wave, as it allows Jirachi to paralyze Pokemon immune to Electric-type attacks, such as Swampert, Gliscor, Flygon, Hippowdon, Jolteon, and Electivire. It also provides Jirachi with a form of neutral damage versus Water-type Pokemon, who otherwise resist all of Jirachi's attacks. It is generally an inferior option to Thunder Wave though, as Body Slam only has a 60% chance to paralyze, and does not affect Ghost-type Pokemon.</p>

<p>This set does have some notable counters, though. Pokemon who are immune to Thunder Wave or resist Iron Head and Fire Punch usually fit the bill. Such Pokemon are Hippowdon, Swampert, Gliscor, and Flygon. They each are immune to Thunder Wave, take very little from Iron Head [Flygon actually takes a pretty solid chunk of damage from Iron Head?], and can hit back with powerful Ground-type attacks. Starmie is also a good counter because it [Starmie = genderless] resists Jirachi's attacks, and even though Jirachi can paralyze it, Starmie can easily switch out, ridding itself of paralysis thanks to Natural Cure. Heatran is a decent counter as well; Jirachi is able to paralyze him, but he still takes very little from Jirachi's attacks, and can hit hard with his STAB Fire-type attacks. Jolteon is also a good check because he is immune to Thunder Wave, resists Iron Head, and can break through Jirachi's Substitutes with STAB Thunderbolt without worrying about being flinched.</p>

<p>Because Jirachi should be behind a Substitute most of the time, the opponent will be eager to break it. That makes any Pokemon who resists Fire- and Ground-type attacks a solid partner with Jirachi. Salamence and Gyarados are both excellent choices. Mixed Salamence can switch in on either of those, and use moves like Draco Meteor to force out bulky Ground- and Water-types. Gyarados loves getting free switch-ins so he can set up with Dragon Dance. His STAB Water-type attacks can also scare off the Ground-types who hinder Jirachi. Jirachi will also appreciate a Heatran with Toxic on his team. Heatran is a great lure for the same Pokemon, like Swampert and Vaporeon, who stop Jirachi. Toxic will make them essentially useless when facing Jirachi. Specially Defensive Skarmory walls Pokemon like Hippowdon and Vaporeon and appreciates the extra turns to set up Spikes. Any Pokemon who benefit from a paralyzed opponent, like Machamp and Salamence, will work great with this set too.</p>


Pretty good, just a few inconsistent pronouns here and there. Also, there were like two Latias mentions in the analysis, but I subbed them out for Starmie and Salamence, respectively, and tried to make it fit.

 

[DJXO9]

Beautiful. Thanks a ton for the 2nd go at it :)
Editing in changes.

Alright. I think this is ready for the upload.

 

[Jonathan]

Mention Lanturn as a counter =)

 

[Philip7086]

Alright, I made a lot of changes to this analysis. It's almost ready to be uploaded, but I want you to add Suicune to the counter's list. It resists Iron Head and Fire Punch, and often packs Rest which sheds it of paralysis. Let me know when that's done.