RU Liepard (QC 3/3) [GP 2/2]

[EonX]

Overview
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Liepard is a very interesting Pokemon in the RU metagame. When you first look at its stats, you might wonder why you would use an offensively inclined Dark-type over the likes of Shiftry and Sharpedo. However, Liepard's niche lies in its ability, Prankster, along with its wide support movepool. Liepard will generally find a home on offensive teams that need the ability to revenge kill Pokemon such as Sigilyph, Delphox, and Meloetta while providing support in the form of Prankster Encore or Thunder Wave. Although weather teams aren't very common in RU, Liepard is one of the top choices for such teams thanks to its access to Encore and U-turn, giving weather sweepers a near-guaranteed switch-in opportunity. Liepard is still overshadowed offensively by Shiftry and Sharpedo, however. With paper-thin defenses and a lackluster defensive typing, Liepard is often ignored in favor of other Prankster users, such as Whimsicott and Mega Banette, for their supporting needs.

Offensive Support
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name: Offensive Support
move 1: Encore
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Sucker Punch / Pursuit
item: Black Glasses
ability: Prankster
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

Liepard's main niche is providing team support, despite its offensive nature. Encore allows Liepard to stop any setup sweeper in its tracks due to Prankster. Thanks to Liepard's high base Speed, even fast setup sweepers with a priority move, such as Kabutops and Fletchinder, can't outprioritize Encore. Knock Off is a reliable STAB move and annoys opposing Pokemon by removing their items. It easily OHKOes Meloetta, Slowking, Sigilyph, and Delphox, while reliably 2HKOing Doublade should it try to stay in to stall out the Encore turns. U-turn is a great follow-up move to Encore, as it will almost always provide a free switch-in for one of Liepard's teammates while also giving Liepard switch initiative. The last slot gives Liepard some added utility in a secondary STAB move. Sucker Punch is useful to pick off weakened threats. Again, thanks to Liepard's high base Speed, very few Pokemon can outprioritize it. Pursuit is another good option, as Liepard can easily force out most offensive Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon with the threat of Knock Off. Thunder Wave is a usable move if you feel that your team doesn't need Liepard to run a STAB move in the fourth slot, as Prankster Thunder Wave might be the only thing that can stop dangerous sweepers such as Cobalion, Virizion, and Durant. Yawn is yet another status move that can be used in the last slot. While it won't immediately cause sleep, it will generally force out whatever the move is used on, thus giving Liepard another way to force switches and giving its teammates free switch-in opportunities.

Set Details
======

This set's spread maximizes Attack and Speed so that Liepard can hit as hard and fast as possible. As Liepard isn't going to be surviving many hits, Black Glasses is used to give a boost to Liepard's STAB moves. The boost in power is what makes Liepard's Knock Off capable of OHKOing and 2HKOing Pokemon such as Meloetta and Doublade. While an Adamant nature might seem tempting, as Liepard has priority on Encore as-is and might also be using Sucker Punch, the boost in power is simply not worth being outsped by dangerous threats such as Mismagius and Calm Mind Delphox.

Usage Tips
======

Liepard doesn't play like most other Prankster users. Instead of using its bulk and good defensive typing, Liepard relies on its solid offensive presence to deny free switches, while Encore is used to punish anything that tries to set up on Liepard. You will generally want to get Liepard in safely against defensive threats with low offensive presence, or on a predicted setup move from a sweeper. Liepard absolutely detests paralysis and burns, so steer clear of possible inducers of these status ailments whenever possible.

Team Options
======

Liepard tends to force a lot of switches due to Encore, U-turn, and the threat of Knock Off, so entry hazard users can exploit this. Cobalion and Rhyperior are reliable Stealth Rock users, while Accelgor, Omastar, and Qwilfish can set up Spikes. As Liepard is capable of providing easy switch-in opportunities through the use of Encore + U-turn, it stands to reason that most offensive Pokemon can take advantage of these chances. Delphox, Sharpedo, and Hitmonlee are among the most dangerous offensive threats in RU when they're given a free switch-in. Liepard is next to helpless against Cobalion and Virizion, as both have Justified, resists Liepard's STAB moves, outspeed it, and don't need to set up in order to OHKO it. Cobalion is handled by Slowking, Gligar, and Alomomola reasonably well, while Virizion will have a difficult time with Amoonguss, Durant, and Fletchinder. If you're looking for a counter to both, look no further than Doublade, which can use both of them as setup fodder for a sweep of its own. It even spinblocks the hazards that Liepard will likely be accompanied with.

Weather Support
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name: Weather Support
move 1: Rain Dance / Sunny Day
move 2: Encore / Yawn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Damp Rock / Heat Rock
ability: Prankster
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

This set uses Liepard's support movepool and Prankster to reliably set up the desired weather. The choice between Rain Dance and Sunny Day is dependent on what your team is designed to take advantage of. Encore is the primary move in the second slot, as it can force the opponent into a weak or otherwise useless attack and allow a weather sweeper to come in unscathed. Yawn is a fine alternative, however, as it also tend to force the opponent to switch out. Knock Off gives Liepard a reliable STAB move and has the ability to handle the likes of Delphox, Meloetta, and Sigilyph reliably when needed. U-turn is a great move for this set, as it allows Liepard to immediately bring in a weather sweeper after it has set up the desired weather condition, and generally pairs well with either move chosen in the second slot. The only other move worth considering is Thunder Wave. This can allow a weather sweeper to continue its sweep if the desired weather ends prematurely. However, Thunder Wave is very hard to fit onto this moveset and is usually better left to bulkier Pokemon such as Volbeat and Uxie to utilize.

Set Details
======

As this Liepard aims to set up weather reliably, HP is maximized while minimizing opposing passive damage. Speed is maximized to stay in front of key threats such as Delphox and Mismagius, while the rest of the EVs are put into Attack. The item depends solely on the weather move Liepard uses. Damp Rock should be used with Rain Dance, while Heat Rock should be used with Sunny Day. You can shift all the HP EVs to Attack if you wish to have more firepower, but keep in mind that this Liepard's primary goal is to set up weather for its team, not to deal damage on its own.

Usage Tips
======

This Liepard is used to set up the desired weather condition, so it's best to get Liepard in on a weak or resisted attack once the desired weather wears off for a sweeper. Due to Prankster, Liepard can set up the desired weather in the face of Jolteon, Mach Punch Hitmonlee, Cobalion, and Virizion without fear of being KOed before setting up the weather. Keep Liepard away from paralysis and Knock Off if possible. Paralysis might keep Liepard from setting up weather again, while Knock Off will cut down on how long the weather lasts. Using Encore and U-turn after setting up the desired weather condition is ideal to bring in a sweeper unscathed so that it can wreak havoc.

Team Options
======

The only universally good partner for this Liepard set is Uxie, as it is also capable of setting up either weather condition as well as Stealth Rock. Aside from Uxie, teammates for Liepard largely depend on the weather condition it is setting up. Pokemon that benefit from rain, such as Ludicolo, Kabutops, Jolteon, Rotom-C, and Omastar, are fantastic choices for a Liepard carrying Rain Dance. Sunny Day variants of Liepard can allow the likes of Victreebel, Delphox, Moltres, Shiftry, and Emboar to truly shine. Volbeat and Bronzong are reliable Rain Dance users to pair with Liepard on a rain team, while Whimsicott is a good Sunny Day user to use with Liepard on a sun team.

Other Options
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Liepard has a ton of other moves. Perhaps the most notable of these is Taunt. As Liepard has Prankster, Taunt seems like a very effective move for it. However, Liepard's lackluster bulk and defensive typing make this a difficult move to use. Foul Play is another STAB option Liepard has that can punish physical attackers. However, Liepard generally hits what it needs to hard enough with its other STAB moves. A Nasty Plot + Copycat set might seem gimmicky at first, but such a set can become devastating if it gets a quick KO with a +2 Dark Pulse, as Liepard can then utilize Prankster Copycat to keep using Dark Pulse in the face of would-be revenge killers. However, this set is held back by Liepard's extreme frailty. Toxic can make life difficult for walls that Liepard has trouble with, specifically Alomomola and Tangrowth. Torment can force Choice-locked Pokemon to Struggle every other turn, but it has little use otherwise with Liepard's low defenses. Hone Claws can boost Liepard's Attack to decent levels, but Liepard is quite frail, making it hard to set up in the first place. Hidden Power, Gunk Shot, and Play Rough are decent coverage options, but Liepard is pressed for moveslots as it is. Finally, Trick can be used alongside a pointless item, such as Iron Ball or Ring Target, but Liepard generally wants an item it can benefit from.

Checks and Counters
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**Whimsicott**: Whimsicott has Prankster and a higher base Speed than Liepard, which allows it to Taunt Liepard before it can use any support moves. Whimsicott also resists Dark-type moves thanks to its Fairy typing. Offensive Whimsicott can simply OHKO Liepard with STAB Moonblast before it can fight back.

**Aromatisse**: Aromatisse can deal with anything Liepard throws at it and is immune to Encore and Taunt thanks to Aroma Veil.

**Cobalion and Virizion**: While most Fighting-types can fare well against Liepard, these are the best two by far. Cobalion and Virizion have Justified to benefit from a Dark-type move, have higher Speed than Liepard, and don't need to set up in order to OHKO it. Cobalion is the better choice due to a 4x resistance to U-turn and much higher physical bulk when compared to Virizion.

**Burn and Paralysis**: Burn and paralysis completely cripple Liepard, especially the offensive support variant. Amoonguss can handle Knock Off fairly well and has Stun Spore, while Alomomola has great physical bulk and access to Scald to potentially burn Liepard.

skelly

Overview
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• Prankster and a great support movepool
• Steel-type nerf helps it offensively
• Knock Off buff makes it more annoying
• Great Speed to outpace stuff like Delphox and Sigilyph
• Access to Sucker Punch and Pursuit gives it additional offensive roles
• U-turn lets it escape from bad situations
• Incredibly frail
• Overshadowed by Zoroark and Sharpedo offensively
• Has to compete with Whimsicott, Mega-Bannette and Meowstic-M for the role of Prankster supporter
• Has some 4MSS

Offensive Support
########
name: Offensive Support
move 1: Encore
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Sucker Punch / Pursuit
item: BlackGlasses
ability: Prankster
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

• Uses Liepard's good offensive typing, decent Attack, and Prankster to support its team
• Encore stops setup sweepers cold
• Knock Off removes items and is decently powerful with STAB and base 88 Attack
• U-turn allows Liepard to build momentum. Encore + U-turn is a guaranteed free switch-in for most offensive Pokemon
• Sucker Punch catches faster stuff like Jolteon, Sceptile, and Swellow for decent damage
• Pursuit is an alternative to catch fleeing Ghosts, Psychics, and setup sweepers after they've been Encored

Set Details
======

• EV spread maximizes Attack and Speed as Liepard's bulk isn't amazing anyway and this set makes use of many of Liepard's good offensive moves
• Use Jolly. Adamant seems tempting as this set will Encore most of the time, but Jolly lets Liepard beat out Delphox, commonly a major threat to offensive teams
• BlackGlasses is the item choice. Boosts the power of Liepard's STAB moves. Allows Knock Off to always 2HKO Doublade, OHKO Jellicent, Slowking, and Meloetta all the time, and OHKO Claydol 50% of the time
• If you don't need the second Dark STAB on your team, Thunder Wave is an alternative to cripple naturally fast attackers that don't use setup moves
• Yawn is another option to force switches.

Usage Tips
======

• Unlike most Prankster users, Liepard uses its offensive presence to deter free switch-ins while Encore deters setup sweepers
• Try to get it in on defensive Pokemon with minimal offensive presence
• Steer clear of paralysis or burns as much as possible. Either one will seriously cripple Liepard

Team Options
======

• Liepard is bound to force switches, so entry hazards are a good place to start
• Cobalion and Rhyperior are good for Stealth Rock
• Use Accelgor, Qwilfish, and Omastar for Spikes
• Most offensive Pokemon work well as they appreciate free switch-ins from Encore + U-turn
• Hitmonlee, Delphox, Sharpedo, and Yanmega are especially notable due to their threat level and ability to attack right off the bat
• Hates Cobalion and Virizion due to Justified and their lack of need to setup to beat Liepard
• Use Gligar, Alomomola, or Slowking to beat Cobalion
• Durant, Swellow, and Fletchinder can beat Virizion easily enough
• Doublade beats both handily

Weather Support
########
name: Weather Support
move 1: Rain Dance / Sunny Day
move 2: Encore / Yawn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Damp Rock / Heat Rock
ability: Prankster
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

• Uses Liepard's access to Prankster to easily setup weather for its teammates to take advantage of
• Rain Dance and Sunny Day are staples for this set. Use the move that benefits the team Liepard is intended to support
• Encore helps to create switch-in opportunities for your weather sweepers. Also can help Liepard set up weather
• Yawn is another way to help weather sweepers switch-in as it will either force the target to switch, or fall asleep next turn
• Knock Off provides decent support by removing Leftovers from walls, thus helping weather sweepers break through them more easily
• U-turn helps get weather sweepers in safely. Combined with Encore, this will give a near guaranteed switch-in opportunity

Set Details
======

• Maximize HP while rounding down passive damage. Maximize Speed to stay in front of Delphox and friends. Rest in Attack
• Damp Rock with Rain Dance. Heat Rock with Sunny Day. Use what your team needs
• Thunder Wave is an option to possibly let weather sweepers continue to do their thing if weather fizzles out before they finish their sweep. Hard to fit in though
• Move Attack to HP for more firepower, but this set's main focus is getting weather up, not dealing damage on its own

Usage Tips
======

• Try to get Liepard in on defensive Pokemon to set up weather
• If an opponent tries to setup as you set up weather, Encore them
• Use Knock Off with moderation. The fewer turns it takes to get weather up and a sweeper in, the better
• Even with maximum HP investment, Liepard isn't incredibly bulky. Only switch it in on offensive Pokemon if you absolutely have to

Team Options
======

• Flexible af due to being able to set up either rain or sun
• Uxie is good regardless. Great bulky weather setter for either rain or sun that also has Stealth Rock
• Rain sweepers / abusers with Rain Dance: So use Ludicolo, Omastar, Jolteon, Heliolisk, Kabutops, Gorebyss, Rotom-C, and the like
• Volbeat is also a solid rain setter
• Sun sweepers / abusers with Sunny Day: Victreebel, Delphox, Moltres, Shiftry, Emboar, Sawsbuck, etc.
• Whimsicott is a good sun setter as well

Other Options
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• Taunt
• Foul Play
• Nasty Plot + Copycat
• Toxic
• Torment
• Hidden Power
• Hone Claws
• Play Rough
• Trick + Iron Ball, Ring Target, etc.

Checks and Counters
########

• Whimsicott: Has Prankster Taunt and outspeeds Liepard
• Aromatisse: Aroma Veil lets it avoid Encore and it can p. much do as it pleases against Liepard
• Cobalion and Virizion: Both have Justified to deter Knock Off and they outspeed and OHKO with their Fighting STABs. Cobalion 4x resists U-turn and has better physical bulk
• Entry hazards take away from Liepard's already middling amount of chances to switch-in
• Burn or paralysis inducers spell doom
• Hard to outright counter as Liepard will typically be supporting its team in some way. Just have something to takes its moves so it can't deal damage on top of this

 

[Cherub Agent]

id honestly prefer blackglasses as the item on the first set over leftovers, the power increase is notable and you're not going to be taking hits anyway for leftovers to recover from. it gets the 2HKO on doublade, 50% chance to ohko claydol after SR, the guaranteed ohkos on jellicent, slowking and meloetta, and notably stronger hits on bulky stuff like bronzong and cresselia.

 

[EonX]

Ok, went ahead and made BlackGlasses the item of choice for the Offensive Support set. This should be ready now.

 

[boltsandbombers]

Why is taunt in other options? I would think that a prankster user would be using taunt a bit more.

 

[Punchshroom]

Why is taunt in other options? I would think that a prankster user would be using taunt a bit more.

You make it sound as if having Prankster + Taunt would automatically make it a staple, but Liepard's typing and bulk is absolutely abysmal for using Taunt (at least Whimsicott has many useful resists). It much prefers to spend its turn forcing out opponents or crippling/KOing them rather than risk dying immediately for nothing (at least Weather Cat can die knowing it gave its teammates ~7 turns of rampaging). Also, there's like no room for it on any of Liepard's movesets.

 

[EonX]

Why is taunt in other options? I would think that a prankster user would be using taunt a bit more.

Liepard doesn't play like most Prankster users. Dark is a good offensive typing, but a fairly mediocre defensive typing. Liepard's pitiful bulk only amplifies this. Instead, Liepard likes to spend its turns dealing damage to the opponent and punishing setup sweepers if they get trigger happy. That's why the first set's name is Offensive Support, not Defensive Support. Liepard is an offensive Pokemon that can utilize Prankster and U-turn to provide support for offensive teams.

 

[atomicllamas]

Looks good and all

QC approved 1/3

 

[EonX]

2nd QC, let's go!

 

[SilentVerse]

Mention Thunder Wave on the Offensive Support set cuz Prankster Thunder Wave is always super cool. Otherwise:

QC APPROVED 2/3

 

[EonX]

Got this written up. Let's get that 3rd QC now

 

[ForgottenOnes]

bump for EonX

 

[Molk]

QC approved 3/3

 

[EonX]

Thanks Molk. This is finally ready for GP checks!

 

[Lumari]

amcheck, implement whatever you like and don't implement whatever you don't like ^_^ mostly some fluff issues
add (Capitalize)
remove
(comments)

hello kitty

Overview
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Liepard is a very interesting Pokemon in the RU metagame. When you first look at its stats, you would probably wonder why you would use an offensively inclined (remove hyphen) Dark-type over the likes of Shiftry or Sharpedo. However, Liepard's niche lies in its ability, Prankster, along with its wide support movepool to take advantage of this. Liepard will generally find a home on offensive teams that need the ability to easily revenge kill the likes of Sigilyph, Delphox, and Meloetta, while providing support in the form of Prankster Encore, Taunt (seems a bit out of place here, considering it's not even mentioned on the sets), or Thunder Wave. Although weather isn't very common in RU, Liepard should be one of the top choices for such teams thanks to its access to Encore + and U-turn, giving weather sweepers a near-guaranteed switch in (remove hyphen) opportunity. Liepard is still overshadowed offensively by Shiftry and Sharpedo, however. With paper thin defenses and a lackluster defensive typing, many teams may opt to use other Prankster users, such as Whimsicott or Mega-Bannette, for their supporting needs. Liepard is more of a niche Pokemon, but if you're willing to support it well, Liepard won't disappoint you. (fluffy but it's a rather strange sentence regardless, as you shouldn't be supporting a support pokemon)

Offensive Support
########
name: Offensive Support
move 1: Encore
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Sucker Punch / Pursuit
item: BlackGlasses
ability: Prankster
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

Liepard's main niche is the fact that it can provide providing support, despite being an offensive Pokemon its offensive nature. This set aims to take full advantage of this fact. Encore is a great move as it allows Liepard to stop any setup sweeper in its tracks thanks to Prankster. Thanks to Liepard's high base Speed, even faster (if by 'faster' you simply mean 'relatively fast', it's better not to use the comparative, because this way it seemed to say 'faster than Liepard') setup sweepers with a priority move, such as Kabutops and Fletchinder, can't get around outprioritize Encore by using their priority move (the repetition of 'priority move' comes off rather messy; if you know a better way to fix this, go ahead). Knock Off is a reliable STAB move and annoys opposing Pokemon by removing their items. (add period) It easily OHKOes Meloetta, Slowking, Sigilyph, and Delphox while reliably 2HKOing Doublade, (AC) should it try to stay in to burn off the Encore turns. U-turn is a great follow-up move from Encore, as it will almost always provide a free switch-in ('switch-in' primarily refers to Pokemon, if you simply mean 'switch' it's best to use that word. Imo it would also make sense to mention switch initiative here, that's kind of really sexy) for one of Liepard's teammates. The last slot gives Liepard some added utility with in a secondary STAB move. Sucker Punch is useful to pick off weakened threats. Again, thanks to Liepard's high base Speed, very few Pokemon can prevent Sucker Punch from working through the use of their own priority move by outprioritizing it. Pursuit is another good option, (AC) as Liepard can easily force out most offensive Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon due to the threat of a Knock Off, and this allows Liepard to punish these Pokemon that opt to switch out instead of testing their luck them. Thunder Wave is a usable move if you feel that your team doesn't need Liepard to run a situational STAB move in the 4th last slot, (AC) as a Prankster Thunder Wave may be the only thing that can spare you from something like Cobalion, Virizion, or Durant from sweeping through the rest of your team stop a threatening sweeper such as Cobalion, Virizion, or Durant (original was too fluffy. I'm also not sure if the examples are necessary, but w/e). Yawn is yet another status inducing move that can be used in the last slot. While it won't immediately cause sleep, it will generally force out whatever the move is used on, thus giving another way Liepard another way can to force switches and give its teammates free switch-in opportunities for its teammates.

Set Details
======

This set simply maximizes Attack and Speed, (AC) so that Liepard can hit as hard and as fast as possible. Encore's use on this set is is used to stop setup sweepers before they can attack Liepard. As Liepard isn't going to be surviving many hits in general, BlackGlasses is used as the hold item to give a boost to Liepard's STAB moves. The boost in power is what makes Liepard's Knock Off capable of many of the OHKOs and 2HKOs it can accomplish. While an Adamant nature may seem tempting, (AC) as Liepard has priority on Encore as is, (RC) and could also be using Sucker Punch, this is simply not worth losing out on dangerous threats such as Calm Mind Delphox and Mismagius in general.

Usage Tips
======

Liepard doesn't play like most other Prankster users. Instead of using its bulk and good defensive typing, like Whimsicott, Liepard relies on its solid offensive presence to deny free switch-ins switches, (AC) while Encore is used to punish anything that tries to set up on Liepard. You will generally want to get Liepard safely in against defensive threats with low offensive presence, (RC) or on a predicted setup (one word) move by from a sweeper (the 'from a sweeper' part can probably be left out as well, but I've left it in for the contrast with the defensive threats). Liepard absolutely detests paralysis or burns, so steer clear of possible inducers of those status ailments whenever possible.

Team Options
======

Liepard tends to force a lot of switches due to Encore, U-turn, and the threat of Knock Off, so entry hazard users can generally exploit these traits this (you only mention one trait). Cobalion and Rhyperior are reliable Stealth Rock users, (AC) while Accelgor, Omastar, and Qwilfish can set up Spikes reliably. As Liepard is capable of providing easy switch-in opportunities through the use of Encore + U-turn, it stands to reason that most offensive Pokemon can take advantage of these chances. Delphox, Sharpedo, Yanmega, and Hitmonlee are among the most dangerous offensive threats in RU when they're given a free switch-in. Liepard is next to helpless against Cobalion and Virizion, (AC) as both have Justified, resists Liepard's STAB moves, outspeed it, and don't need to set up in order to OHKO it. Cobalion is handled by Slowking, Gligar, and Alomomola reasonably well, while Virizion will have a difficult time with Amoonguss, Durant, and Fletchinder. If you're looking for a counter to both, look no further than Doublade, who which can use both of them as setup fodder for a sweep of its own. It even spinblocks the hazards that Liepard will likely be accompanied with!

Weather Support
########
name: Weather Support
move 1: Rain Dance / Sunny Day
move 2: Encore / Yawn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Damp Rock / Heat Rock
ability: Prankster
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

This set uses Liepard's support movepool and Prankster to reliably set up (two words) a desired weather condition for its team to take advantage of (already implied in 'desired'). The choice between Rain Dance and Sunny Day is simple. Do you want Liepard to set up dounpours downpours or harsh sunlight? Use the move that your team is designed to take advantage of. Encore is the primary move in the second slot, (AC) as it can force the opponent into a weak or otherwise useless attack to allow a weather sweeper to come in at free will unscathed. Yawn is a fine alternative, however, as it will also generally force the opponent to switch out, unless he or she is ok with having the affected Pokemon fall asleep the next turn. Knock Off gives Liepard a reliable STAB move and retains its ability to handle the likes of Delphox, Meloetta, and Sigilyph reliably when needed. U-turn is a great move for this set, (AC) as it allows Liepard to immediately bring in a weather sweeper after it has set up the desired weather condition, and it generally pairs well with either move chosen in the second slot. The only other move worth considering is Thunder Wave. This can allow a weather sweeper to continue its sweep if the desired weather fizzles out before the end of a sweep prematurely. However, Thunder Wave is very hard to fit onto this moveset, (RC) and is usually better left to something like Volbeat or Uxie to utilize.

Set Details
======

As this Liepard aims to set up weather reliably, HP is maximized while rounding down passive damage. Speed is maximized to stay in front of key threats, such as Zoroark, Delphox, (RC) and Mismagius, while the rest is put into Attack. The item choice is solely dependent depends on the weather move Liepard uses. Damp Rock should be used with Rain Dance, (AC) while Heat Rock should be the item used with Sunny Day. You can shift all the HP EVs to Attack if you wish to have more firepower, but keep in mind that this Liepard's primary goal is to set up weather for its team, not to deal damage on its own.

Team Options
======

The only universally good partner for this Liepard is Uxie, as it is also capable of setting up either weather condition, and also carries as well as (the way it was written it suggested Liepard carries SR as well) Stealth Rock. Aside from Uxie, teammates for Liepard largely depend on the weather condition it is setting up. Pokemon that benefit from rain, such as Ludicolo, Kabutops, Jolteon, Rotom-C, and Omastar, (AC) are fantastic choices for a Liepard carrying Rain Dance. Sunny Day variants of Liepard can allow the likes of Victreebel, Delphox, Moltres, Shiftry, and Emboar to truly shine (nice pun) thanks to the bright sunlight. Volbeat and Bronzong are reliable Rain Dance users to pair with Liepard on a rain team, while Whimsicott is a good Sunny Day user to use with Liepard on a sun team.

Other Options
########

Liepard has a ton of other moves hiding within its moveset. Perhaps the most notable of these would be Taunt. As Liepard has Prankster, you would think Taunt would be a staple move on it. However, this is not the case as Liepard's lackluster bulk and defensive typing make this a difficult move to use. Foul Play is another STAB option Liepard has that can punish physical attackers. However, Liepard generally hits what it needs to hard enough with its other STAB options moves (i think this is better in this context, as you're talking about actively attacking here, rather than assembling a moveset). Nasty Plot + Copycat may seem gimmicky at first, but such a set can become devastating should if it gets a quick KO with +2 Dark Pulse, as it Liepard can then utilize Prankster Copycat to keep using Dark Pulse in the face of would-be revenge killers. However, this set is held back by Liepard's extreme frailty. Toxic can make life difficult for walls that Liepard has trouble with, specifically Alomomola and Tangrowth. Torment can completely screw over Choice item users, but has little use otherwise with Liepard's low defenses. Hone Claws can boost Liepard's physical Attack to decent levels, but it Liepard is quite frail, making it hard to set up in the first place. Hidden Power and Play Rough are decent coverage options Liepard has, but it Liepard is pressed for moveslots as it is. Finally, Trick can be used alongside a pointless item, such as Iron Ball or Ring Target, but Liepard generally wants to benefit from an item.

Checks and Counters
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Liepard is hard to outright counter, (AC) as it will generally be used to support a team with Prankster moves, such as Encore or Yawn. In general, having something to handle Liepard's STAB moves and U-turn will keep it from doing too much.

(use two asterisks and a break after each bullet throughout)
***Whimsicott***: Whimsicott has Prankster and a higher base Speed than Liepard, thus allowing which allows it to Taunt Liepard before it can use any support moves. Whimsicott also resists Dark thanks to its Fairy-typing.
***Aromatisse***: Aromatisse can deal with anything Liepard throws at it and is completely immune to Encore and Taunt thanks to Aroma Veil.
***Cobalion and Virizion***: While most Fighting-types can fare well against Liepard, these are the best two, by far. Cobalion and Virizion have Justified to benefit from a Dark-type move, have higher Speed than Liepard, and don't need to use a set up move in order to OHKO Liepard it. Cobalion is the better choice due to a 4x resistance to U-turn and much higher physical bulk when compared to Virizion.
***Burn or paralysis inducers***: These status ailments completely cripple Liepard, especially the offensive support variant. Amoonguss can handle Knock Off fairly well and has Stun Spore, (AC) while Alomomola has great physical bulk and access to Scald to potentially burn Liepard.

skelly

Overview
########

• Prankster and a great support movepool
• Steel-type nerf helps it offensively
• Knock Off buff makes it more annoying
• Great Speed to outpace stuff like Delphox and Sigilyph
• Access to Sucker Punch and Pursuit gives it additional offensive roles
• U-turn lets it escape from bad situations
• Incredibly frail
• Overshadowed by Zoroark and Sharpedo offensively
• Has to compete with Whimsicott, Mega-Bannette and Meowstic-M for the role of Prankster supporter
• Has some 4MSS

Offensive Support
########
name: Offensive Support
move 1: Encore
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Sucker Punch / Pursuit
item: BlackGlasses
ability: Prankster
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

• Uses Liepard's good offensive typing, decent Attack, and Prankster to support its team
• Encore stops setup sweepers cold
• Knock Off removes items and is decently powerful with STAB and base 88 Attack
• U-turn allows Liepard to build momentum. Encore + U-turn is a guaranteed free switch-in for most offensive Pokemon
• Sucker Punch catches faster stuff like Jolteon, Sceptile, and Swellow for decent damage
• Pursuit is an alternative to catch fleeing Ghosts, Psychics, and setup sweepers after they've been Encored

Set Details
======

• EV spread maximizes Attack and Speed as Liepard's bulk isn't amazing anyway and this set makes use of many of Liepard's good offensive moves
• Use Jolly. Adamant seems tempting as this set will Encore most of the time, but Jolly lets Liepard beat out Delphox, commonly a major threat to offensive teams
• BlackGlasses is the item choice. Boosts the power of Liepard's STAB moves. Allows Knock Off to always 2HKO Doublade, OHKO Jellicent, Slowking, and Meloetta all the time, and OHKO Claydol 50% of the time
• If you don't need the second Dark STAB on your team, Thunder Wave is an alternative to cripple naturally fast attackers that don't use setup moves
• Yawn is another option to force switches.

Usage Tips
======

• Unlike most Prankster users, Liepard uses its offensive presence to deter free switch-ins while Encore deters setup sweepers
• Try to get it in on defensive Pokemon with minimal offensive presence
• Steer clear of paralysis or burns as much as possible. Either one will seriously cripple Liepard

Team Options
======

• Liepard is bound to force switches, so entry hazards are a good place to start
• Cobalion and Rhyperior are good for Stealth Rock
• Use Accelgor, Qwilfish, and Omastar for Spikes
• Most offensive Pokemon work well as they appreciate free switch-ins from Encore + U-turn
• Hitmonlee, Delphox, Sharpedo, and Yanmega are especially notable due to their threat level and ability to attack right off the bat
• Hates Cobalion and Virizion due to Justified and their lack of need to setup to beat Liepard
• Use Gligar, Alomomola, or Slowking to beat Cobalion
• Durant, Swellow, and Fletchinder can beat Virizion easily enough
• Doublade beats both handily

Weather Support
########
name: Weather Support
move 1: Rain Dance / Sunny Day
move 2: Encore / Yawn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Damp Rock / Heat Rock
ability: Prankster
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

• Uses Liepard's access to Prankster to easily setup weather for its teammates to take advantage of
• Rain Dance and Sunny Day are staples for this set. Use the move that benefits the team Liepard is intended to support
• Encore helps to create switch-in opportunities for your weather sweepers. Also can help Liepard set up weather
• Yawn is another way to help weather sweepers switch-in as it will either force the target to switch, or fall asleep next turn
• Knock Off provides decent support by removing Leftovers from walls, thus helping weather sweepers break through them more easily
• U-turn helps get weather sweepers in safely. Combined with Encore, this will give a near guaranteed switch-in opportunity

Set Details
======

• Maximize HP while rounding down passive damage. Maximize Speed to stay in front of Delphox and friends. Rest in Attack
• Damp Rock with Rain Dance. Heat Rock with Sunny Day. Use what your team needs
• Thunder Wave is an option to possibly let weather sweepers continue to do their thing if weather fizzles out before they finish their sweep. Hard to fit in though
• Move Attack to HP for more firepower, but this set's main focus is getting weather up, not dealing damage on its own

Usage Tips
======

• Try to get Liepard in on defensive Pokemon to set up weather
• If an opponent tries to setup as you set up weather, Encore them
• Use Knock Off with moderation. The fewer turns it takes to get weather up and a sweeper in, the better
• Even with maximum HP investment, Liepard isn't incredibly bulky. Only switch it in on offensive Pokemon if you absolutely have to

Team Options
======

• Flexible af due to being able to set up either rain or sun
• Uxie is good regardless. Great bulky weather setter for either rain or sun that also has Stealth Rock
• Rain sweepers / abusers with Rain Dance: So use Ludicolo, Omastar, Jolteon, Heliolisk, Kabutops, Gorebyss, Rotom-C, and the like
• Volbeat is also a solid rain setter
• Sun sweepers / abusers with Sunny Day: Victreebel, Delphox, Moltres, Shiftry, Emboar, Sawsbuck, etc.
• Whimsicott is a good sun setter as well

Other Options
########

• Taunt
• Foul Play
• Nasty Plot + Copycat
• Toxic
• Torment
• Hidden Power
• Hone Claws
• Play Rough
• Trick + Iron Ball, Ring Target, etc.

Checks and Counters
########

• Whimsicott: Has Prankster Taunt and outspeeds Liepard
• Aromatisse: Aroma Veil lets it avoid Encore and it can p. much do as it pleases against Liepard
• Cobalion and Virizion: Both have Justified to deter Knock Off and they outspeed and OHKO with their Fighting STABs. Cobalion 4x resists U-turn and has better physical bulk
• Entry hazards take away from Liepard's already middling amount of chances to switch-in
• Burn or paralysis inducers spell doom
• Hard to outright counter as Liepard will typically be supporting its team in some way. Just have something to takes its moves so it can't deal damage on top of this

 

[EonX]

Implemented what I felt was necessary. Thanks!

 

[GatoDelFuego]

EonX

REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS

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Overview
########

Liepard is a very interesting Pokemon in the RU metagame. When you first look at its stats, you would probably wonder why you would use an offensively inclined Dark-type over the likes of Shiftry or Sharpedo. However, Liepard's niche lies in its ability, Prankster, along with its wide support movepool. Liepard will generally find a home on offensive teams that need the ability to easily revenge kill the likes of Sigilyph, Delphox, and Meloetta, (RC) while providing support in the form of Prankster Encore or Thunder Wave. Although weather isn't very common in RU, Liepard should be one of the top choices for such teams thanks to its access to Encore and U-turn, giving weather sweepers a near-guaranteed switch-in opportunity. Liepard is still overshadowed offensively by Shiftry and Sharpedo, however. With paper-thin defenses and a lackluster defensive typing, many teams may can opt to use other Prankster users, such as Whimsicott or Mega-Bannette, for their supporting needs.

Offensive Support
########
name: Offensive Support
move 1: Encore
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Sucker Punch / Pursuit
item: BlackGlasses
ability: Prankster
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

Liepard's main niche is providing support, despite its offensive nature. This set aims to take full advantage of this. Encore allows Liepard to stop any setup sweeper in its tracks thanks to Prankster. Thanks to Liepard's high base Speed, even fast setup sweepers with a priority move, such as Kabutops and Fletchinder, can't outprioritize Encore. Knock Off is a reliable STAB move and annoys opposing Pokemon by removing their items. It easily OHKOes Meloetta, Slowking, Sigilyph, and Delphox while reliably 2HKOing Doublade, should it try to stay in to burn off the Encore turns. U-turn is a great follow-up move from to Encore, as it will almost always provide a free switch for one of Liepard's teammates, (RC) while also giving Liepard switch initiative. The last slot gives Liepard some added utility in a secondary STAB move. Sucker Punch is useful to pick off weakened threats. Again, thanks to Liepard's high base Speed, very few Pokemon can outprioritize it. Pursuit is another good option, as Liepard can easily force out most offensive Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon due to the threat of a Knock Off; (SC) and this allows Liepard to punish them. Thunder Wave is a usable move if you feel that your team doesn't need Liepard to run a situational STAB move in the 4th slot as a Prankster Thunder Wave may might be the only thing that can stop dangerous sweepers, such as Cobalion, Virizion, or Durant. Yawn is yet another status move that can be used in the last slot. While it won't immediately cause sleep, it will generally force out whatever the move is used on, thus giving Liepard another way to force switches and give free switch-in opportunities for its Liepard's teammates.

Set Details
======

This set simply maximizes Attack and Speed, (RC) so Liepard can hit as hard and as fast as possible. Encore is used to stop setup sweepers before they can attack Liepard. As Liepard isn't going to be surviving many hits, BlackGlasses is used as the held item to give a boost to Liepard's STAB moves. The boost in power is what makes Liepard's Knock Off capable of many of the OHKOs and 2HKOs it can accomplish. While an Adamant nature may might seem tempting, as Liepard has priority on Encore as-is and could also be using Sucker Punch, this is simply not worth losing out on being outsped by this is the reason, right? dangerous threats such as Calm Mind Delphox and Mismagius.

Usage Tips
======

Liepard doesn't play like most other Prankster users. Instead of using its bulk and good defensive typing, like Whimsicott, Liepard relies on its solid offensive presence to deny free switches, while Encore is used to punish anything that tries to set up on Liepard. You will generally want to get Liepard safely in against defensive threats with low offensive presence, or on a predicted setup move from a sweeper. Liepard absolutely detests paralysis or burns, so steer clear of possible inducers of those status ailments whenever possible.

Team Options
======

Liepard tends to force a lot of switches due to Encore, U-turn, and the threat of Knock Off, so entry hazard users can generally exploit this. Cobalion and Rhyperior are reliable Stealth Rock users, while Accelgor, Omastar, and Qwilfish can set up Spikes reliably. As Liepard is capable of providing easy switch-in opportunities through the use of Encore + U-turn, it stands to reason that most offensive Pokemon can take advantage of these chances. Delphox, Sharpedo, and Hitmonlee are among the most dangerous offensive threats in RU when they're given a free switch-in. Liepard is next to helpless against Cobalion and Virizion, as both have Justified, resists Liepard's STAB moves, outspeed it, and don't need to set up in order to OHKO it. Cobalion is handled by Slowking, Gligar, and Alomomola reasonably well, while Virizion will have a difficult time with Amoonguss, Durant, and Fletchinder. If you're looking for a counter to both, look no further than Doublade, which can use both of them as setup fodder for a sweep of its own. It even spinblocks the hazards that Liepard will likely be accompanied with!

Weather Support
########
name: Weather Support
move 1: Rain Dance / Sunny Day
move 2: Encore / Yawn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Damp Rock / Heat Rock
ability: Prankster
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

This set uses Liepard's support movepool and Prankster to reliably set up a desired weather condition. The choice between Rain Dance and Sunny Day is simple. Do you want Liepard to set up downpours or harsh sunlight? Use the move that your team is designed to take advantage of. Encore is the primary move in the second slot, as it can force the opponent into a weak or otherwise useless attack to allow a weather sweeper to come in unscathed. Yawn is a fine alternative, however, as it will also generally force the opponent to switch out. Knock Off gives Liepard a reliable STAB move and retains its ability to handle the likes of Delphox, Meloetta, and Sigilyph reliably when needed. U-turn is a great move for this set, as it allows Liepard to immediately bring in a weather sweeper after it has set up the desired weather condition, and generally pairs well with either move chosen in the second slot. The only other move worth considering is Thunder Wave. This can allow a weather sweeper to continue its sweep if the desired weather fizzles out prematurely. However, Thunder Wave is very hard to fit onto this moveset and is usually better left to something like Volbeat or Uxie to utilize.

Set Details
======

As this Liepard aims to set up weather reliably, HP is maximized while rounding down minimizing opposing passive damage. Speed is maximized to stay in front of key threats, such as Delphox and Mismagius, while the rest is put into Attack. The item solely depends on the weather move Liepard uses. Damp Rock should be used with Rain Dance, while Heat Rock should be the item used with Sunny Day. You can shift all the HP EVs to Attack if you wish to have more firepower, but keep in mind that this Liepard's primary goal is to set up weather for its team, not to deal damage on its own.

Usage Tips
======

This Liepard is used to set up desired weather conditions, so it's best to get Liepard in on a weak or resisted attack once the desired weather wears off for a sweeper. Due to Prankster, you Liepard can set up the desired weather in the face of Jolteon, Mach Punch Hitmonlee, Cobalion, and Virizion without fear of being KOed before setting up the weather if it's absolutely necessary. Keep Liepard away from paralysis and Knock Off if possible. Paralysis may might keep Liepard from setting up weather again while Knock Off will cut down on how long the weather lasts. Using Encore and U-turn after setting up the desired weather condition is ideal to bring in a sweeper unscathed so they can wreak havoc.

Team Options
======

The only universally good partner for this Liepard is Uxie, as it is also capable of setting up either weather condition as well as Stealth Rock. Aside from Uxie, teammates for Liepard largely depend on the weather condition it is setting up. Pokemon that benefit from rain, such as Ludicolo, Kabutops, Jolteon, Rotom-C, and Omastar, are fantastic choices for a Liepard carrying Rain Dance. Sunny Day variants of Liepard can allow the likes of Victreebel, Delphox, Moltres, Shiftry, and Emboar to truly shine thanks to the bright sunlight. Volbeat and Bronzong are reliable Rain Dance users to pair with Liepard on a rain team, while Whimsicott is a good Sunny Day user to use with Liepard on a sun team.

Other Options
########

Liepard has a ton of other moves hiding within its moveset. Perhaps the most notable of these would be Taunt. As Liepard has Prankster, you would think Taunt would be a staple move on it. However, Liepard's lackluster bulk and defensive typing make this a difficult move to use. Foul Play is another STAB option Liepard has that can punish physical attackers. However, Liepard generally hits what it needs to hard enough with its other STAB moves. Nasty Plot + Copycat may might seem gimmicky at first, but such a set can become devastating if it gets a quick KO with a +2 Dark Pulse, as Liepard can then utilize Prankster Copycat to keep using Dark Pulse in the face of would-be revenge killers. However, this set is held back by Liepard's extreme frailty. Toxic can make life difficult for walls that Liepard has trouble with, specifically Alomomola and Tangrowth. Torment can completely screw over Choice item users, but has little use otherwise with Liepard's low defenses. Hone Claws can boost Liepard's Attack to decent levels, but Liepard is quite frail, making it hard to set up in the first place. Hidden Power and Play Rough are decent coverage options, but Liepard is pressed for moveslots as it is. Finally, Trick can be used alongside a pointless item, such as Iron Ball or Ring Target, but Liepard generally wants to benefit from an item.

Checks and Counters
########

Liepard is hard to outright counter, as it will generally be used to support a team with Prankster moves, such as Encore or Yawn. In general, having something to handle Liepard's STAB moves and U-turn will keep it from doing too much.

**Whimsicott**: Whimsicott has Prankster and a higher base Speed than Liepard, which allows it to Taunt Liepard before it can use any support moves. Whimsicott also resists Dark thanks to its Fairy typing. Offensive Whimsicott can simply OHKO Liepard with its STAB Moonblast before it can fight back.

**Aromatisse**: Aromatisse can deal with anything Liepard throws at it and is completely immune to Encore and Taunt thanks to Aroma Veil.

**Cobalion and Virizion**: While most Fighting-types can fare well against Liepard, these are the best two, by far. Cobalion and Virizion have Justified to benefit from a Dark-type move, have higher Speed than Liepard, and don't need to use a setup move in order to OHKO it. Cobalion is the better choice due to a 4x resistance to U-turn and much higher physical bulk when compared to Virizion.

**Burn or Paralysis**: These Status ailments completely cripple Liepard, especially the offensive support variant. Amoonguss can handle Knock Off fairly well and has Stun Spore, while Alomomola has great physical bulk and access to Scald to potentially burn Liepard.

1/2

 

[aVocado]

no results :o

should be mentioned somewhere imo, probably in OO along with the offensive sets. it hits aromatisse hard.

 

[LightningLuxray]

am check

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Overview
########

Liepard is a very interesting Pokemon in the RU metagame. When you first look at its stats, you would probably might wonder why you would use an offensively inclined Dark-type over the likes of Shiftry or Sharpedo. However, Liepard's niche lies in its ability, Prankster, along with its wide support movepool. Liepard will generally find a home on offensive teams that need the ability to easily revenge kill the likes of Pokemon such as Sigilyph, Delphox, and Meloetta, (RC) while providing support in the form of Prankster Encore or Thunder Wave. (Isn't on either of the sets so :x) Although weather isn't very common in RU, Liepard should be is one of the top choices for such teams thanks to its access to Encore and U-turn, giving weather sweepers a near-guaranteed switch in opportunity. Liepard is still overshadowed offensively by Shiftry and Sharpedo, however. (Why? Mention that) With paper thin defenses and a lackluster defensive typing, many teams may opt to use other Prankster users, (RC) such as Whimsicott or Mega-Bannette, (RC) Mega Bannette for their supporting needs.

Offensive Support
########
name: Offensive Support
move 1: Encore
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Sucker Punch / Pursuit
item: BlackGlasses Black Glasses
ability: Prankster
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

Liepard's main niche is providing team support, despite its offensive nature. This set aims to take full advantage of this. Encore allows Liepard to stop any setup sweeper in its tracks thanks due to Prankster. Thanks to Liepard's high base Speed, even fast setup sweepers with a priority move, such as Kabutops and Fletchinder, can't outprioritize Encore. Knock Off is a reliable STAB move and annoys opposing Pokemon by removing their items. It easily OHKOes Meloetta, Slowking, Sigilyph, and Delphox while reliably 2HKOing Doublade, should it try to stay in to burn off the Encore turns. U-turn is a great follow-up move from to Encore, as it will almost always provide a free switch-in for one of Liepard's teammates, (RC) while also giving Liepard switch initiative. The last slot gives Liepard some added utility in a secondary STAB move. Sucker Punch is useful to pick off weakened threats. Again, thanks to Liepard's high base Speed, very few Pokemon can outprioritize it. Pursuit is another good option, as Liepard can easily force out most offensive Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon due to the threat of a Knock Off, and this allows allowing Liepard to punish them as they switch out. Thunder Wave is a usable move if you feel that your team doesn't need Liepard to run a situational STAB move in the 4th fourth slot, (AC) as a Prankster Thunder Wave may might be the only thing that can stop dangerous sweepers, such as Cobalion, Virizion, or Durant. Yawn is yet another status move that can be used in the last slot. While it won't immediately cause sleep, it will generally force out whatever the move is used on, thus giving Liepard another way to force switches and give free switch-in opportunities for to its teammates.

Set Details
======

This set simply maximizes Attack and Speed, (RC) so Liepard can hit as hard and as fast as possible. Encore is used to stop setup sweepers before they can attack Liepard. (Already mentioned in Moves) As Liepard isn't going to be surviving many hits, BlackGlasses Black Glasses is used as the hold item to give a boost to Liepard's STAB moves. The boost in power is what makes Liepard's Knock Off capable of many of the OHKOs and 2HKOs it can accomplish OHKOing and 2HKOing Pokemon such as Meloetta and Doublade. (If you have better examples, feel free to use them.) While an Adamant nature may might seem tempting, as Liepard has priority on Encore as is and could might also be using Sucker Punch, this the boost in power is simply not worth losing out on to dangerous threats such as Calm Mind Delphox and Mismagius. (I'm not really sure what you mean by "losing out on". Feel free to change it however you feel best.)

Usage Tips
======

Liepard doesn't play like most other Prankster users. Instead of using its bulk and good defensive typing, like Whimsicott, (RC) Liepard relies on its solid offensive presence to deny free switches, while Encore is used to punish anything that tries to set up on Liepard. You will generally want to get Liepard in safely in against defensive threats with low offensive presence, or on a predicted setup move from a sweeper. Liepard absolutely detests paralysis or and burns, so steer clear of possible inducers of those these status ailments whenever possible.

Team Options
======

Liepard tends to force a lot of switches due to Encore, U-turn, and the threat of Knock Off, so entry hazard users can generally exploit this. Cobalion and Rhyperior are reliable Stealth Rock users, while Accelgor, Omastar, and Qwilfish can set up Spikes reliably. As Liepard is capable of providing easy switch-in opportunities through the use of Encore + U-turn, it stands to reason that most offensive Pokemon can take advantage of these chances. Delphox, Sharpedo, and Hitmonlee are among the most dangerous offensive threats in RU when they're given a free switch-in. Liepard is next to helpless against Cobalion and Virizion, as both have Justified, resists Liepard's STAB moves, outspeed it, and don't need to set up in order to OHKO it. Cobalion is handled by Slowking, Gligar, and Alomomola reasonably well, while Virizion will have a difficult time with Amoonguss, Durant, and Fletchinder. If you're looking for a counter to both, look no further than Doublade, which can use both of them as setup fodder for a sweep of its own. It even spinblocks the hazards that Liepard will likely be accompanied with. (AP) ! (REP)

Weather Support
########
name: Weather Support
move 1: Rain Dance / Sunny Day
move 2: Encore / Yawn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Damp Rock / Heat Rock
ability: Prankster
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
======

This set uses Liepard's support movepool and Prankster to reliably set up a desired weather condition. The choice between Rain Dance and Sunny Day is simple. (RP) Do you want Liepard to set up downpours or harsh sunlight? (RQM) Use the move that dependent on what your team is designed to take advantage of. (Pretty fluffy and unnecessary tbh :x) Encore is the primary move in the second slot, as it can force the opponent into a weak or otherwise useless attack to and allow a weather sweeper to come in unscathed. Yawn is a fine alternative, however, as it will also generally tends to force the opponent to switch out. Knock Off gives Liepard a reliable STAB move and retains its has the ability to handle the likes of Delphox, Meloetta, and Sigilyph reliably when needed. U-turn is a great move for this set, as it allows Liepard to immediately bring in a weather sweeper after it has set up the desired weather condition, and generally pairs well with either move chosen in the second slot. The only other move worth considering is Thunder Wave. This can allow a weather sweeper to continue its sweep if the desired weather fizzles out ends prematurely. However, Thunder Wave is very hard to fit onto this moveset and is usually better left to something like Volbeat or Uxie to utilize.

Set Details
======

As this Liepard aims to set up weather reliably, HP is maximized while rounding down passive damage. Speed is maximized to stay in front of key threats, (RC) such as Delphox and Mismagius, while the rest is put into Attack. The item solely depends on the weather move Liepard uses. Damp Rock should be used with Rain Dance, while Heat Rock should be the item used with Sunny Day. You can shift all the HP EVs to Attack if you wish to have more firepower, but keep in mind that this Liepard's primary goal is to set up weather for its team, not to deal damage on its own.

Usage Tips
======

This Liepard is used to set up a desired weather conditions condition, so it's best to get Liepard in on a weak or resisted attack once the desired weather wears off for a sweeper. Due to Prankster, you Liepard can set up the desired weather in the face of Jolteon, Mach Punch Hitmonlee, Cobalion, and Virizion without fear of being KOed before setting up the weather if it's absolutely necessary. Keep Liepard away from paralysis and Knock Off if possible. Paralysis may might keep Liepard from setting up weather again while Knock Off will cut down on how long the weather lasts. Using Encore and U-turn after setting up the desired weather condition is ideal to bring in a sweeper unscathed so they can wreak havoc.

Team Options
======

The only universally good partner for this Liepard set is Uxie, as it is also capable of setting up either weather condition as well as Stealth Rock. Aside from Uxie, teammates for Liepard largely depend on the weather condition it is setting up. Pokemon that benefit from rain, (RC) such as Ludicolo, Kabutops, Jolteon, Rotom-C, and Omastar, (RC) are fantastic choices for a Liepard carrying Rain Dance. Sunny Day variants of Liepard can allow the likes of Victreebel, Delphox, Moltres, Shiftry, and Emboar truly shine thanks to the bright sunlight. Volbeat and Bronzong are reliable Rain Dance users to pair well with Liepard on a rain team, while Whimsicott is a good Sunny Day user to use with Liepard on a sun team.

Other Options
########

Liepard has a ton of other moves hiding within its moveset. Perhaps the most notable of these would be is Taunt. As Liepard has Prankster, you would think Taunt would be a staple seems like a very effective move on for it. However, Liepard's lackluster bulk and defensive typing make this a difficult move to use. Foul Play is another STAB option Liepard has that can punish physical attackers. However, Liepard generally hits what it needs to hard enough with its other STAB moves. Nasty Plot + in combination with Copycat may seem gimmicky at first, but such a set can become devastating if it gets a quick KO with +2 Dark Pulse, as Liepard can then utilize Prankster Copycat to keep using Dark Pulse in the face of would-be revenge killers. However, this set is held back by Liepard's extreme frailty. Toxic can make life difficult for walls that Liepard has trouble with, specifically Alomomola and Tangrowth. Torment can completely screw over Choice item users force a Choice-locked Pokemon to struggle each turn, but has little use otherwise with Liepard's low defenses. Hone Claws can boost Liepard's Attack to decent levels, but Liepard is quite frail, making it hard to set up in the first place. Hidden Power and Play Rough are decent coverage options, but Liepard is pressed for moveslots as it is. Finally, Trick can be used alongside a pointless item, such as Iron Ball or Ring Target, but Liepard generally wants to an item it can benefit from an item.

Checks and Counters
########

Liepard is hard to outright counter, as it will generally be used to support a team with Prankster moves, such as Encore or Yawn. In general, having something to handle Liepard's STAB moves and U-turn will keep it from doing too much. (Sentences like these are not allowed in C&C, unfortunately.)

**Whimsicott**: Whimsicott has Prankster and a higher base Speed than Liepard, which allows it to Taunt Liepard before it can use any support moves. Whimsicott also resists Dark-type moves thanks to its Fairy-typing Fairy typing. Offensive Whimsicott can simply OHKO Liepard with STAB Moonblast before it can fight back.

**Aromatisse**: Aromatisse can deal with anything Liepard throws at it and is completely immune to Encore and Taunt thanks to Aroma Veil.

**Cobalion and Virizion**: While most Fighting-types can fare well against Liepard, these are the best two, (RC) by far. Cobalion and Virizion have Justified to benefit from a Dark-type move, have higher Speed than Liepard, and don't need to use a set up move in order to OHKO it. Cobalion is the better choice due to a 4x resistance to U-turn and much higher physical bulk when compared to Virizion.

**Burn or paralysis and Paralysis**: These status ailments Burn and paralysis completely cripple Liepard, especially the offensive support variant. Amoonguss can handle Knock Off fairly well and has Stun Spore, while Alomomola has great physical bulk and access to Scald to potentially burn Liepard.

 

[EonX]

Did this. One more to go!

 

[frenzyplant]

2/2 :)

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Overview
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Liepard is a very interesting Pokemon in the RU metagame. When you first look at its stats, you might wonder why you would use an offensively inclined Dark-type over the likes of Shiftry or and Sharpedo. However, Liepard's niche lies in its ability, Prankster, along with its wide support movepool. Liepard will generally find a home on offensive teams that need the ability to revenge kill Pokemon such as Sigilyph, Delphox, and Meloetta while providing support in the form of Prankster Encore or Thunder Wave. Although weather isn't teams aren't very common in RU, Liepard is one of the top choices for such teams thanks to its access to Encore and U-turn, giving weather sweepers a near-guaranteed switch-in opportunity. Liepard is still overshadowed offensively by Shiftry and Sharpedo, however. With paper-thin defenses and a lackluster defensive typing, Liepard is often ignored in favor of many teams can opt to use (dangling participle) other Prankster users, such as Whimsicott or and Mega Banette, for their supporting needs.
Offensive Support
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name: Offensive Support
move 1: Encore
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Sucker Punch / Pursuit
item: Black Glasses
ability: Prankster
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
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Liepard's main niche is providing team support, despite its offensive nature. Encore allows Liepard to stop any setup sweeper in its tracks due to Prankster. Thanks to Liepard's high base Speed, even fast setup sweepers with a priority move, such as Kabutops and Fletchinder, can't outprioritize Encore. Knock Off is a reliable STAB move and annoys opposing Pokemon by removing their items. It easily OHKOes Meloetta, Slowking, Sigilyph, and Delphox, (comma) while reliably 2HKOing Doublade, (remove comma) should it try to stay in to burn off the stall out Encore turns. U-turn is a great follow-up move to Encore, as it will almost always provide a free switch-in for one of Liepard's teammates while also giving Liepard switch initiative. The last slot gives Liepard some added utility in a secondary STAB move. Sucker Punch is useful to pick off weakened threats. Again, thanks to Liepard's high base Speed, very few Pokemon can outprioritize it. Pursuit is another good option, as Liepard can easily force out most offensive Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon due to with the threat of Knock Off; this allows Liepard to punish them. Thunder Wave is a usable move if you feel that your team doesn't need Liepard to run a STAB move in the fourth slot, as Prankster Thunder Wave might be the only thing that can stop dangerous sweepers, (remove comma) such as Cobalion, Virizion, or and Durant. Yawn is yet another status move that can be used in the last slot. While it won't immediately cause sleep, it will generally force out whatever the move is used on, thus giving Liepard another way to force switches and give giving its teammates (parallel structure) free switch-in opportunities to Liepard's teammates.

Set Details
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This set's spread maximizes Attack and Speed so that Liepard can hit as hard and fast as possible. As Liepard isn't going to be surviving many hits, Black Glasses is used to give a boost to Liepard's STAB moves. The boost in power is what makes Liepard's Knock Off capable of OHKOing and 2HKOing Pokemon such as Meloetta and Doublade. While an Adamant nature might seem tempting, as Liepard has priority on Encore as-is and might also be using Sucker Punch, the boost in power is simply not worth being outsped by dangerous threats such as Mismagius and Calm Mind Delphox and Mismagius.

Usage Tips
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Liepard doesn't play like most other Prankster users. Instead of using its bulk and good defensive typing, Liepard relies on its solid offensive presence to deny free switches, while Encore is used to punish anything that tries to set up on Liepard. You will generally want to get Liepard in safely against defensive threats with low offensive presence, or on a predicted setup move from a sweeper. Liepard absolutely detests paralysis and burns, so steer clear of possible inducers of these status ailments whenever possible.

Team Options
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Liepard tends to force a lot of switches due to Encore, U-turn, and the threat of Knock Off, so entry hazard users can exploit this. Cobalion and Rhyperior are reliable Stealth Rock users, while Accelgor, Omastar, and Qwilfish can set up Spikes reliably. (remove or find another word to remove the repetition of reliable) As Liepard is capable of providing easy switch-in opportunities through the use of Encore + U-turn, it stands to reason that most offensive Pokemon can take advantage of these chances. Delphox, Sharpedo, and Hitmonlee are among the most dangerous offensive threats in RU when they're given a free switch-in. Liepard is next to helpless against Cobalion and Virizion, as both have Justified, resists Liepard's STAB moves, outspeed it, and don't need to set up in order to OHKO it. Cobalion is handled by Slowking, Gligar, and Alomomola reasonably well, while Virizion will have a difficult time with Amoonguss, Durant, and Fletchinder. If you're looking for a counter to both, look no further than Doublade, which can use both of them as setup fodder for a sweep of its own. It even spinblocks the hazards that Liepard will likely be accompanied with.

Weather Support
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name: Weather Support
move 1: Rain Dance / Sunny Day
move 2: Encore / Yawn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Damp Rock / Heat Rock
ability: Prankster
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
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This set uses Liepard's support movepool and Prankster to reliably set up a the desired weather condition. The choice between Rain Dance and Sunny Day is dependent on what your team is designed to take advantage of. Encore is the primary move in the second slot, as it can force the opponent into a weak or otherwise useless attack and allow a weather sweeper to come in unscathed. Yawn is a fine alternative, however, as it also tend to force the opponent to switch out. Knock Off gives Liepard a reliable STAB move and has the ability to handle the likes of Delphox, Meloetta, and Sigilyph reliably when needed. U-turn is a great move for this set, as it allows Liepard to immediately bring in a weather sweeper after it has set up the desired weather condition, and it generally pairs well with either move chosen in the second slot. The only other move worth considering is Thunder Wave. This can allow a weather sweeper to continue its sweep if the desired weather ends prematurely. However, Thunder Wave is very hard to fit onto this moveset and is usually better left to something like bulkier Pokemon such as Volbeat or and Uxie to utilize.

Set Details
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As this Liepard aims to set up weather reliably, HP is maximized while minimizing opposing passive damage. Speed is maximized to stay in front of key threats such as Delphox and Mismagius, while the rest of the EVs are is put into Attack. The item solely depends solely on the weather move Liepard uses. Damp Rock should be used with Rain Dance, while Heat Rock should be used with Sunny Day. You can shift all the HP EVs to Attack if you wish to have more firepower, but keep in mind that this Liepard's primary goal is to set up weather for its team, not to deal damage on its own.

Usage Tips
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This Liepard is used to set up the desired weather condition, so it's best to get Liepard in on a weak or resisted attack once the desired weather wears off for a sweeper. Due to Prankster, Liepard can set up the desired weather in the face of Jolteon, Mach Punch Hitmonlee, Cobalion, and Virizion without fear of being KOed before setting up the weather if it's absolutely necessary. Keep Liepard away from paralysis and Knock Off if possible. Paralysis might keep Liepard from setting up weather again, (comma) while Knock Off will cut down on how long the weather lasts. Using Encore and U-turn after setting up the desired weather condition is ideal to bring in a sweeper unscathed so they that it can wreak havoc.

Team Options
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The only universally good partner for this Liepard set is Uxie, as it is also capable of setting up either weather condition as well as Stealth Rock. Aside from Uxie, teammates for Liepard largely depend on the weather condition it is setting up. Pokemon that benefit from rain, such as Ludicolo, Kabutops, Jolteon, Rotom-C, and Omastar, are fantastic choices for a Liepard carrying Rain Dance. Sunny Day variants of Liepard can allow the likes of Victreebel, Delphox, Moltres, Shiftry, and Emboar to truly shine thanks to the bright sunlight. Volbeat and Bronzong are reliable Rain Dance users to pair with Liepard on a rain team, while Whimsicott is a good Sunny Day user to use with Liepard on a sun team.

Other Options
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Liepard has a ton of other moves hiding within its moveset. Perhaps the most notable of these is Taunt. As Liepard has Prankster, Taunt seems like a very effective move for it. However, Liepard's lackluster bulk and defensive typing make this a difficult move to use. Foul Play is another STAB option Liepard has that can punish physical attackers. However, Liepard generally hits what it needs to hard enough with its other STAB moves. A Nasty Plot in combination with + Copycat set might seem gimmicky at first, but such a set can become devastating if it gets a quick KO with a +2 Dark Pulse, as Liepard can then utilize Prankster Copycat to keep using Dark Pulse in the face of would-be revenge killers. However, this set is held back by Liepard's extreme frailty. Toxic can make life difficult for walls that Liepard has trouble with, specifically Alomomola and Tangrowth. Torment can force Choice-locked Pokemon to Struggle every other turn, but it has little use otherwise with Liepard's low defenses. Hone Claws can boost Liepard's Attack to decent levels, but Liepard is quite frail, making it hard to set up in the first place. Hidden Power, Gunk Shot, and Play Rough are decent coverage options, but Liepard is pressed for moveslots as it is. Finally, Trick can be used alongside a pointless item, such as Iron Ball or Ring Target, but Liepard generally wants an item it can benefit from.

Checks and Counters
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**Whimsicott**: Whimsicott has Prankster and a higher base Speed than Liepard, which allows it to Taunt Liepard before it can use any support moves. Whimsicott also resists Dark-type moves thanks to its Fairy typing. Offensive Whimsicott can simply OHKO Liepard with STAB Moonblast before it can fight back.

**Aromatisse**: Aromatisse can deal with anything Liepard throws at it and is completely immune to Encore and Taunt thanks to Aroma Veil.

**Cobalion and Virizion**: While most Fighting-types can fare well against Liepard, these are the best two by far. Cobalion and Virizion have Justified to benefit from a Dark-type move, have higher Speed than Liepard, and don't need to use a set up move in order to OHKO it. Cobalion is the better choice due to a 4x resistance to U-turn and much higher physical bulk when compared to Virizion.

**Burn and Paralysis**: Burn and paralysis completely cripple Liepard, especially the offensive support variant. Amoonguss can handle Knock Off fairly well and has Stun Spore, while Alomomola has great physical bulk and access to Scald to potentially burn Liepard.

 

[Molk]

uploaded! for future reference Black Glasses has no space