Ray Jay
"Jump first, ask questions later, oui oui!"
[Overview]
<p>Lileep stands out as traditionally one of the best walls in Little Cup. A good stat variation, adequate typing that provides it a defensive boost in sandstorm, access to Stealth Rock, and a slew of other options generally leave little to be desired, letting Lileep check a variety of Pokemon, with the exception of Fighting-types. Lileep can bend to fit what the team needs; for example, on a sandstorm team, it can serve as a special sponge, while it can act as a hazard setter and mixed wall on a team without Hippopotas. Although it does possess a crippling weakness to Fighting-type moves and an annoying neutrality to Fire-type attacks, it is still capable of making the most of its intricate set of resistances, acting as a check to nigh all bulky Water-types, powerhouses such as Murkrow and Misdreavus, and opposing walls due to its good recovery options, Giga Drain and Recover. Nonetheless, it still needs some help from the team to unleash its full potential, so it may be wise to look before you leep.</p>
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Giga Drain
move 2: Recover
move 3: Stealth Rock / AncientPower
move 4: Toxic
item: Eviolite
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Bold
evs: 228 HP / 220 Def / 60 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With the combination of Storm Drain, venerable typing, and a wide movepool, Lileep has the potential to become a fantastic sponge for LC balance teams. With Giga Drain, it deals surprising damage to Chinchou, Staryu, and plenty of other common Pokemon. This works in conjunction with Recover to keep Lileep healthy throughout the match while the opponent may suffer from repeatedly switching into Stealth Rock. Speaking of Stealth Rock, Lileep does that too, and it pulls it off with aplomb. Lileep is rarely immediately forced out early-game, and is thus a wise candidate for setting up Stealth Rock. However, if the team already has Stealth Rock support, AncientPower can be a wise choice to bust Murkrow, Larvesta, Ponyta, and perhaps nab a convenient stat boost.</p>
<p>This particular set has a few merits. Primarily, Lileep is one of the best Drilbur answers around; it has STAB Giga Drain, gains a boost from sandstorm, and fears only the increasingly rare X-Scissor from the mole. Furthermore, it is a fantastic choice for setting up Stealth Rock, as it beats the two most common Rapid Spin users, Staryu and Drilbur, one on one (the former with absolutely no effort). Toxic rounds out the set nicely due to the late-game pace of LC. The switch-ins Lileep baits are generally predictable, and scoring an early Toxic on a Mienfoo or a Misdreavus can be paramount to winning later in the game.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Initially, Hidden Power Rock may seem superior to AncientPower due to its higher PP and power, but it is actually inferior as it messes with Lileep's IVs, which in turn corrupts this fantastic EV spread. On the other hand, Hidden Power Fire is an option, as it blasts Ferroseed and Snover, who may think they can switch in without trouble <seemed kind of abrupt before>. If this Lileep is being used on a sandstorm team, Hippopotas should take care of Stealth Rock, giving Lileep an extra slot with which it can do a few nifty things. Barrier and Stockpile both become viable, as Lileep becomes a true monster when it has sandstorm support and the opponent's Fighting-types are removed. Alternatively, Lileep is free to use AncientPower alongside Toxic, which ensures it can best all variants of Murkrow.</p>
<p>Coincidentally, Lileep also fears Toxic, and a cleric is thus a wise teammate. Chinchou is a good choice, possessing passable synergy with Lileep and executing the RestTalk + Heal Bell strategy with style. Lileep also needs a teammate that isn't afraid of Fighting-types; Misdreavus, Drifloon, Larvesta, Ponyta, and Shelmet all make good choices for their own reasons. In turn, Lileep can provide Stealth Rock to aid sweepers, including Drifloon, Dratini, and Scraggy. Lileep also needs a Scraggy check of its own around, and both Mienfoo and Croagunk work well. Natu can act as a hard stop to other Grass-types, such as Foongus and Shroomish, that try to beat Lileep via status, and it can work conveniently on teams that can't afford to give a spot to a spinner. Murkrow is arguably one of the best offensive partners for Lileep, as offensive Murkrow struggles to break only a few walls <seems kind of weird to talk about murkrow singular and the plural, so I changed struggle to struggles>, such as Chinchou and Eviolite Archen, which Lileep can take on handily.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Stockpile and Barrier are both useful in their own rights, but are difficult to execute perfectly due to the prevalence of three things: Fighting-types, Toxic, and Knock Off. A spread of 228 HP / 156 Def / 32 SpA / 72 SpD / 12 Spe with a Calm nature provides more HP and balanced stats across the board, but it does so at the cost of hitting numbers that make the most of Eviolite. Hidden Power Ice could surprise Dratini while maintaining a super effective hit on Murkrow and a neutral one on Snover. Lileep's potential as a Baton Pass recipient should not be forgotten; it has Suction Cups, along with Stockpile or Barrier, and passable Special Attack, meaning Drifloon can pass it a few Calm Minds and a sweep can be attempted. It should be noted that this strategy is relatively unreliable, however. Other than that, Lileep struggles to find much variation in its moveslots; however, the spread can, of course, be tailored depending on the team, and whether or not a few more points in Defense or Special Defense would be more useful.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Mienfoo is the most common check to Lileep, not fearing its attacks due to Regenerator and Drain Punch. Magnemite takes a pittance from anything Lileep throws at it, and possesses a super effective Flash Cannon and Volt Switch to maintain momentum. A surprise Ice-type move from a Water-type, such as Blizzard from Chinchou or Ice Beam from Staryu, could catch Lileep off guard as it switches in. Scraggy can set up Dragon Dances all day on Lileep, and isn't afraid of Toxic due to Shed Skin. Croagunk has Drain Punch, but has to be careful because it is slightly weaker than the other Fighting-types. Larvesta has a super effective STAB U-turn, but must be wary of AncientPower. Toxic is probably the biggest threat to Lileep, as it shuts down its stalling potential long term. Will-O-Wisp from Misdreavus can work well in a pinch as well. Snover removes the sandstorm that Lileep loves and does massive damage to it with Blizzard. Timburr actually enjoys taking the Toxic from Lileep, as does Dratini, although the latter is relatively weak until it gets set up. Natu reflects Stealth Rock, and it can Roost through AncientPower's PP, provided Lileep does not accrue too many boosts.</p>