Taken over from Amp Pharaohs
Overview
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As the only Fire / Normal type in Little Cup, Litleo has a unique set of resistances and immunities. It has good Speed and Special Attack, as well as great dual STAB coverage. However, its rather useless abilities and weakness to the omnipresent Fighting-type attacks in Little Cup hinder it greatly. Litleo's Fire-typing also limits its ability to switch in due to the prevalence of Stealth Rock.
Special Attacker
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Hyper Voice
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Will-O-Wisp
ability: Unnerve
item: Life Orb
evs: 20 HP / 52 Def / 176 SpA / 4 SpD / 180 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Fire Blast is Litleo's primary STAB attack and its most powerful move. Flamethrower can be used instead for more consistent accuracy, but it lacks the raw power of Fire Blast. Hyper Voice is the secondary STAB move on the set, granting Litleo nice neutral coverage on everything but Rock-types. Hidden Power Grass is Litleo's main means of hitting Rock-types, such as Tirtouga, Onix, and Omanyte; however, due to the IV drop, its use causes Litleo to only have 16 Special Attack instead of 17. Will-O-Wisp nabs the final slot, providing Litleo with a nifty support move to cripple opposing physical attackers, mainly the Fighting-types that cause Litleo trouble.
Set Details
========
The Speed EVs and Timid nature allow Litleo to reach 17 Speed, a very important Speed tier in Little Cup. 176 Special Attack EVs allow to Litleo to hit 16 Special Attack, and the rest of the EVs are distributed to bolster Litleo's bulk. Life Orb is the preferred item to boost Litleo's offensive capabilities. Unnerve is Litleo's only ability actually worth using, as Moxie is useless for a special set and Rivalry is unreliable for boosts.
Usage Tips
========
Litleo is useful for dealing with Steel-types, such as Ferroseed and Pawniard, which it can outspeed and KO; however, Litleo does not enjoy taking Thunder Waves or Knock Offs, respectively. Litleo can also easily KO Grass-types, but it is vulnerable to Foongus's Spore and some of the various coverage moves that common Grass-types run. Ghost-types cannot hit Litleo with their STAB moves, making Litleo a decent check to these Pokemon. Litleo can also effectively lure in Water- and Fighting-types and burn them with Will-O-Wisp, effectively diminishing their offensive presence if they are physical attackers.
Team Options
========
Due to Litleo's weakness to entry hazards, entry hazard removers such as Drilbur and Vullaby, are very helpful. Foongus makes a decent partner thanks to its handy resistances to Fighting- and Water-type moves and its ability to handle Rock- and Ground-type Pokemon. Water-types aid in defeating Rock- and Ground-type Pokemon, and Staryu in particular can provide Rapid Spin support for Litleo. Fighting-types can deal with Rock-types and appreciate Litleo's ability to soak up Will-O-Wisp, especially from Ghost-types. Pokemon that can handle Timburr, such as Fletchling and Doduo, are incredibly helpful as Timburr can safely switch into a Will-O-Wisp and threaten Litleo with a super effective Mach Punch. Spritzee can take Fighting-type moves and provide cleric support for Litleo, which can handle Steel-type Pokemon in return. Snubbull fulfills a similar role and can spread paralysis with Thunder Wave. Both of the aforementioned Fairy-type Pokemon can also check Carvanha, which otherwise threatens Litleo with Waterfall and Aqua Jet.
Other Options
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Rivalry is an option, boosting Litleo's offensive stats versus opponents of the same gender. However, this ability is extremely matchup reliant and also drops Litleo's offensive stats versus opponents of the opposite gender. Flame Charge, although weak, can be used to finish off a weakened foe and allows Litleo to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame, which can be very valuable when cleaning up teams that carry faster Pokemon. Dark Pulse and Snarl both provide Litleo with a means of hitting Ghost-types super effectively. Dark Pulse is the stronger of the two and has a chance to flinch, while Snarl, although weaker, lowers the Special Attack of the foe. Taunt makes use of Litleo's above average Speed stat to stop entry hazards and status. Hidden Power Rock can be used to hit Archen, which otherwise switches into Litleo with little fear. Litleo has access to the ability Moxie, allowing it to increase its low Attack to tolerable levels after one boost. With a decent physical movepool and access to Flame Charge, Moxie Litleo has the potential to sweep an unsuspecting opponent. However, due to the amount of setup required to accomplish this, the Special Attacker set is usually more effective. Litleo's decent Speed stat can also warrant the use of a Choice Scarf, allowing Litleo to outspeed the common 16 Speed Choice Scarf Pokemon that roam around Little Cup.
Checks & Counters
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**Rock-types**: Rock-types resist both of Litleo's STAB moves and can hit Litleo with super effective STAB moves. Sturdy + Berry Juice Rock-types, such as Onix and Tirtouga, can also stay in against Litleo with little fear of getting KOed by Hidden Power Grass.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types can destroy Litleo with their super effective STAB moves. Timburr, in particular, is a huge threat as it does not care about Will-O-Wisp, which boosts its Attack stat thanks to Guts.
**Water-types**: Litleo relies on Hidden Power Grass and Hyper Voice to hit Water-types; as such, bulkier Water-types will be able to switch in and threaten Litleo with their super effective STAB moves. Staryu is especially threatening, as it can outspeed Litleo and take any of its moves, using Recover to restore its health and repeatedly bother Litleo. Carvanah can revenge kill Litleo very easily with access to both Speed Boost and Aqua Jet; however, it generally cannot switch into Will-O-Wisp, Hyper Voice, and Hidden Power Grass.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types can easily dispatch Litleo with their super effective STAB moves; however, Litleo can still hit Ground-types hard with its Fire-type STAB moves, limiting their ability to switch in. Even so, Litleo is outsped by Diglett, and risks a Speed tie with Drilbur.
Overview
########
As the only Fire / Normal type in Little Cup, Litleo has a unique set of resistances and immunities. It has good Speed and Special Attack, as well as great dual STAB coverage. However, its rather useless abilities and weakness to the omnipresent Fighting-type attacks in Little Cup hinder it greatly. Litleo's Fire-typing also limits its ability to switch in due to the prevalence of Stealth Rock.
Special Attacker
########
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Hyper Voice
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Will-O-Wisp
ability: Unnerve
item: Life Orb
evs: 20 HP / 52 Def / 176 SpA / 4 SpD / 180 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Fire Blast is Litleo's primary STAB attack and its most powerful move. Flamethrower can be used instead for more consistent accuracy, but it lacks the raw power of Fire Blast. Hyper Voice is the secondary STAB move on the set, granting Litleo nice neutral coverage on everything but Rock-types. Hidden Power Grass is Litleo's main means of hitting Rock-types, such as Tirtouga, Onix, and Omanyte; however, due to the IV drop, its use causes Litleo to only have 16 Special Attack instead of 17. Will-O-Wisp nabs the final slot, providing Litleo with a nifty support move to cripple opposing physical attackers, mainly the Fighting-types that cause Litleo trouble.
Set Details
========
The Speed EVs and Timid nature allow Litleo to reach 17 Speed, a very important Speed tier in Little Cup. 176 Special Attack EVs allow to Litleo to hit 16 Special Attack, and the rest of the EVs are distributed to bolster Litleo's bulk. Life Orb is the preferred item to boost Litleo's offensive capabilities. Unnerve is Litleo's only ability actually worth using, as Moxie is useless for a special set and Rivalry is unreliable for boosts.
Usage Tips
========
Litleo is useful for dealing with Steel-types, such as Ferroseed and Pawniard, which it can outspeed and KO; however, Litleo does not enjoy taking Thunder Waves or Knock Offs, respectively. Litleo can also easily KO Grass-types, but it is vulnerable to Foongus's Spore and some of the various coverage moves that common Grass-types run. Ghost-types cannot hit Litleo with their STAB moves, making Litleo a decent check to these Pokemon. Litleo can also effectively lure in Water- and Fighting-types and burn them with Will-O-Wisp, effectively diminishing their offensive presence if they are physical attackers.
Team Options
========
Due to Litleo's weakness to entry hazards, entry hazard removers such as Drilbur and Vullaby, are very helpful. Foongus makes a decent partner thanks to its handy resistances to Fighting- and Water-type moves and its ability to handle Rock- and Ground-type Pokemon. Water-types aid in defeating Rock- and Ground-type Pokemon, and Staryu in particular can provide Rapid Spin support for Litleo. Fighting-types can deal with Rock-types and appreciate Litleo's ability to soak up Will-O-Wisp, especially from Ghost-types. Pokemon that can handle Timburr, such as Fletchling and Doduo, are incredibly helpful as Timburr can safely switch into a Will-O-Wisp and threaten Litleo with a super effective Mach Punch. Spritzee can take Fighting-type moves and provide cleric support for Litleo, which can handle Steel-type Pokemon in return. Snubbull fulfills a similar role and can spread paralysis with Thunder Wave. Both of the aforementioned Fairy-type Pokemon can also check Carvanha, which otherwise threatens Litleo with Waterfall and Aqua Jet.
Other Options
########
Rivalry is an option, boosting Litleo's offensive stats versus opponents of the same gender. However, this ability is extremely matchup reliant and also drops Litleo's offensive stats versus opponents of the opposite gender. Flame Charge, although weak, can be used to finish off a weakened foe and allows Litleo to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame, which can be very valuable when cleaning up teams that carry faster Pokemon. Dark Pulse and Snarl both provide Litleo with a means of hitting Ghost-types super effectively. Dark Pulse is the stronger of the two and has a chance to flinch, while Snarl, although weaker, lowers the Special Attack of the foe. Taunt makes use of Litleo's above average Speed stat to stop entry hazards and status. Hidden Power Rock can be used to hit Archen, which otherwise switches into Litleo with little fear. Litleo has access to the ability Moxie, allowing it to increase its low Attack to tolerable levels after one boost. With a decent physical movepool and access to Flame Charge, Moxie Litleo has the potential to sweep an unsuspecting opponent. However, due to the amount of setup required to accomplish this, the Special Attacker set is usually more effective. Litleo's decent Speed stat can also warrant the use of a Choice Scarf, allowing Litleo to outspeed the common 16 Speed Choice Scarf Pokemon that roam around Little Cup.
Checks & Counters
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**Rock-types**: Rock-types resist both of Litleo's STAB moves and can hit Litleo with super effective STAB moves. Sturdy + Berry Juice Rock-types, such as Onix and Tirtouga, can also stay in against Litleo with little fear of getting KOed by Hidden Power Grass.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types can destroy Litleo with their super effective STAB moves. Timburr, in particular, is a huge threat as it does not care about Will-O-Wisp, which boosts its Attack stat thanks to Guts.
**Water-types**: Litleo relies on Hidden Power Grass and Hyper Voice to hit Water-types; as such, bulkier Water-types will be able to switch in and threaten Litleo with their super effective STAB moves. Staryu is especially threatening, as it can outspeed Litleo and take any of its moves, using Recover to restore its health and repeatedly bother Litleo. Carvanah can revenge kill Litleo very easily with access to both Speed Boost and Aqua Jet; however, it generally cannot switch into Will-O-Wisp, Hyper Voice, and Hidden Power Grass.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types can easily dispatch Litleo with their super effective STAB moves; however, Litleo can still hit Ground-types hard with its Fire-type STAB moves, limiting their ability to switch in. Even so, Litleo is outsped by Diglett, and risks a Speed tie with Drilbur.
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