http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/lucario
status: done
[Overview]
<p>Lucario is one of the top offensive threats of DPP OU, boasting high Attack and Special Attack stats, decent Speed, great STAB attacks in Close Combat and Aura Sphere, and many other useful attacking options. Its immunity to Toxic Spikes and numerous 4x and 2x resistances (most notably to Rock-, Dark-, and Dragon-type attacks) give Lucario many opportunities to switch in and wreak havoc on the opposing team. While it does have auspicious typing, Lucario's defensive stats leave much to be desired, and its relative frailty remains its largest weakness. In spite of that, Lucario is an extremely worthwhile addition to any team, and is almost certain to leave its mark on the opponent.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: ExtremeSpeed
move 4: Crunch / Stone Edge / Bullet Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With one turn of setup, a 120 Base Power STAB attack, and one of the strongest priority moves available, Swords Dance Lucario is arguably the best late-game sweeper in OU. After a Swords Dance, even defensive Skarmory is OHKOed by Close Combat, assuming Stealth Rock damage and an Adamant nature. Meanwhile, many of the Pokémon who are faster than Lucario are frail enough to be OHKOed by ExtremeSpeed after a Swords Dance.</p>
<p>The final move is the most difficult to choose. If bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types like Rotom-A and Celebi are of concern, Crunch is the best option. If Flying-types are giving Lucario the blues, Stone Edge is generally more useful. Bullet Punch can also be used to hit Pokémon who resist or are immune to Normal-type attacks and are faster than Lucario, such as Gengar and Choice Scarf Tyranitar. While it may be tempting to replace ExtremeSpeed with Bullet Punch, it isn't advised due to ExtremeSpeed's ability to effectively hit Starmie, Jolteon, and Infernape, along with its higher base power.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>To show how powerful this set is, here are some calculations against many defensive Pokémon Pokemon after a single Swords Dance. These calculations assume an Adamant nature.</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Close Combat vs. 252/252+ Skarmory 84.4% - 99.7%</li>
<li>Close Combat vs. 252/0+ Skarmory 101.5% - 119.5%</li>
<li>Close Combat vs. 252/252+ Bronzong: 95.2% - 100%</li>
<li>Close Combat vs. 252/176+ Hippowdon: 80.7% - 95%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 252/220+ Celebi: 81.2% - 95.5%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 252/252+ Rotom-A: 100% - 117.8%</li>
<li>ExtremeSpeed vs. 0/0 Starmie: 97.3% - 114.6%</li>
<li>ExtremeSpeed vs 0/0 Zapdos: 79.1% - 93.1%</li>
<li>Bullet Punch vs. 0/0 Gengar: 95.8% - 113%</li>
<li>Bullet Punch vs. 0/0 Tyranitar: 89.7% - 105.6%</li>
<li>Stone Edge (+1) vs. 156/96 Gyarados: 121.6% - 143.2%</li>
<li>Stone Edge vs. 248/228+ Zapdos: 118% - 138.9%</li>
</ul>
<p>Whether you choose an Adamant or Jolly nature depends on your team. Adamant gets important OHKOs against Bronzong and Skarmory, but a Jolly nature allows Lucario to outspeed Jolly Gyarados, Timid Suicune, and Timid Rotom-A.</p>
<p>Having a Pokemon on your team who attracts Pursuit is very useful as this is one of the easiest ways for Lucario to set up a Swords Dance due to its 4x Dark-type resistance. Gengar, Choice Scarf Rotom-A, and Starmie are great options for this role. Stealth Rock support from the likes of Azelf, Heatran, Infernape, Metagross, and Swampert is very helpful since it allows Lucario to OHKO Pokemon such as Bronzong and Skarmory with a +2 Close Combat. Stealth Rock also makes it much tougher for Gyarados and Zapdos to continuously switch into Lucario if you decide against Stone Edge.</p>
[insert Agility set here]
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Aura Sphere
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Rock
move 4: Vacuum Wave
item: Choice Specs
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Lucario is not a purely physical beast; its base 115 Special Attack is actually the higher of its two attacking stats, and a Choice Specs set can inflict massive damage on many of Swords Dance Lucario's physically bulky counters.</p>
<p>Lucario's STAB Aura Sphere is an all-around great attack with decent power and perfect accuracy. Shadow Ball gives Lucario perfect type coverage in conjunction with Aura Sphere and is its best attack against the Ghost- and Psychic-types who try to switch into expected Fighting-type attacks. Dragon Pulse also provides perfect coverage with Aura Sphere, but more importantly, 2HKOs Lucario's common Gyarados and Gliscor switch-ins. Hidden Power Rock is also an option to hit Flying-type Pokemon, but the Speed IV lost can be significant in Lucario mirror matches and against Timid Heatran (instead of outpacing it by one point, Lucario now ties). Lucario's final attack is STAB Vacuum Wave, which is useful against faster, frailer Pokémon and anything attempting a sweep at low health.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Specially defensive Zapdos performs quite well against this set since it can Roost off damage and hit Lucario with Heat Wave or Thunderbolt. However, it must beware of Hidden Power Rock, which 2HKOes it. While Gliscor takes heavy damage from Shadow Ball and Dragon Pulse, it can usually outpace Lucario and retaliate with Earthquake. If Choice Scarf Magnezone switches into Shadow Ball or Dragon Pulse, it can trap Lucario and do at least 75% with Thunderbolt. Spiritomb is uncommon but causes problems for this set since it isn't 2HKOed by any attack while it 2HKOes in return with Hidden Power Fighting. Once your opponent has determined that Lucario is a special attacker, Blissey can switch in, survive two Aura Spheres (as long as it is Calm), and cripple Lucario with Thunder Wave or hit it hard with Flamethrower.</p>
<p>Since this set is great at luring in Pokemon such as Gliscor, Gyarados, and Rotom-A and either OHKOing or 2HKOing them, Pokemon that can take advantage of their absence are great partners. Swords Dance Scizor, Agility Metagross, and Dragon Dance Gyarados make solid partners since Rotom-A is a common counter to all three. Tyranitar is a nice partner since it appreciates having Gliscor out of the way. Tyranitar can also counter Zapdos and switch into Blissey relatively easily, although it is not a fan of Toxic or Thunder Wave. Heatran can deal with Spiritomb and does well against Magnezone provided it's in good health. Stealth Rock support is also much appreciated, since it is needed to guarantee 2HKOs against Gyarados, Gliscor, and defensive Rotom-A with Dragon Pulse.</p>
[SET]
name: Anti-Lead
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Counter / Swords Dance
item: Focus Sash
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Lonely
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Lucario's ability to - quite literally - "counter" common leads of OU with its versatility and power makes it a worthwhile lead. It is an ideal Counter lead due to Inner Focus, immunity to sandstorm, and the ability to use Swords Dance. Inner Focus prevents Infernape and Weavile from breaking Lucario's Focus Sash for free, while Lucario's Steel typing lets it Counter attacks from Hippowdon and Tyranitar without dying to sandstorm. Since many Lucario run Swords Dance, your opponent will be more likely to attack Lucario to thwart a potential set-up attempt.</p>
<p>A combination of Close Combat and ExtremeSpeed will 2HKO common suicide leads like Aerodactyl and Infernape. Both of these attacks miss the 2HKO on Azelf, so Crunch is the recommended third attacking option. Counter's main use is against bulky leads such as Bronzong, Metagross, Swampert, and Hippowdon that you normally wouldn't be able to touch, and also helps against various attackers like Flygon, Mamoswine, and Machamp (although confusion makes Countering Machamp a tossup).</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Lonely nature and a 0 IV in Defense are used to maximize damage from Counter. Max Speed is required to outrun Heatran which allows you to OHKO it before it can setup.</p>
<p>Other possibilities in the third slot include assorted Hidden Powers; Hidden Power Grass 2HKOes Swampert, while Hidden Power Ice or Electric can be used against Gliscor and Gyarados, respectively. Magic Coat can be used to bounce Sleep Powder / Spore back at Roserade and Smeargle. Swords Dance can also be used as a sort of inverse Counter; while bulky leads would normally have the chance to set up, you can turn the tables and prepare for an early-game sweep. It is recommended that such a choice replace Counter to retain type coverage.</p>
<p>Gyarados can set up on Lucario easily; Pokemon like Vaporeon and Suicune can be used to counter it and Choice Scarf Rotom-A is a good check. Since Scizor or Metagross may try to finish off Lucario with Bullet Punch after its Focus Sash activates, Magnezone can be a good partner to trap them. Dragon Dance Tyranitar can take advantage of Scizor and Metagross being taken out. Other Fighting-types, such as Heracross and Infernape, are good options for partners as Anti-Lead Lucario is a great way to scout your opponent's Fighting-type resistances in order to concentrate on taking them out. Since this lead doesn't set up Stealth Rock, you should have a Pokemon to set it up once Lucario has done its job. Heatran, Metagross, and Swampert are all good options for this.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Stone Edge / Ice Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a Choice Band equipped, Lucario can take advantage of the frequent switches it gets from its typing and break down the opposing team. While the Swords Dance set aims for a clean sweep, this set hits harder off the bat and aims to break down defensive pivots.</p>
<p>Close Combat is Lucario's most powerful attack and will put a large dent in anything that does not resist it. It is important to remember that a neutral Close Combat does more damage than a super effective Crunch or Ice Punch, so those should only be used in the face of a resisted Close Combat or to exploit a 4x weakness. ExtremeSpeed hits Pokémon that are usually faster than Lucario, such as Starmie and Azelf. Bullet Punch is a fine option over ExtremeSpeed if your team needs help dealing with Gengar or Choice Scarf Tyranitar. Crunch allows Lucario to hit Celebi and Rotom-A for a 2HKO to clear the way for a Close Combat sweep later in the game. In the last slot, Stone Edge is an excellent attack to eliminate Gyarados and Zapdos with one attack, while Ice Punch will destroy any Gliscor that switch in.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Jolly nature can be used to outpace Impish Gliscor, Jolly Gyarados, Timid Rotom-A, Timid Suicune, and Modest Zapdos; however, Adamant is the preferred nature to take advantage of the boost from Choice Band and to make ExtremeSpeed a more powerful revenge killing tool.</p>
<p>Since this set shares many of the same moves and counters with the Swords Dance set, the two sets also share effective teammates. Bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Vaporeon are great partners to deal with Gliscor and Gyarados if they have Hidden Power Electric. Heatran is a fine partner to scare off Celebi and Magnezone; unfortunately, Choice Scarf Magnezone will always be able to defeat Lucario as long as it doesn't switch directly into a Close Combat. Tyranitar is a solid partner to deal with Celebi, Zapdos, and Rotom-A. Life Orb Starmie can do a lot of damage to many of Lucario's counters. The combo of Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Thunderbolt gets OHKOs on Gliscor and Gyarados and 2HKOs on Celebi and Rotom-A. Stealth Rock support from Azelf, Heatran, Infernape, Metagross, or Swampert is very useful in hurting common switch-ins such as Gyarados and Zapdos.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Stealth Rock is very useful for all sets to get important KOs on Pokemon such as Bronzong, Gyarados, Salamence, and Skarmory. Azelf, Heatran, Infernape, Metagross, and Swampert are great options for this role. Spikes support isn't necessary, but it is very useful since Lucario can cause lots of switches. One of its most important uses is getting the definite OHKO on Hippowdon with a +2 Close Combat assuming you have three layers of entry hazards. Smeargle, Forretress, Roserade, and Skarmory are the most reliable choices for this. Toxic Spikes support from the likes of Forretress and Roserade can help in dealing with Celebi and Hippowdon, but it is the least useful of the entry hazards for Lucario. Dual screen support is very useful in making it easier for the Swords Danc set to achieve its boosts. Azelf, Bronzong, Cresselia, and Rotom-A are ideal choices for this.</p>
<p>Lucario has many great offensive support options. Gyarados and Starmie are great offensive partners as they deal with Gliscor and can both take Fire- and Fighting-type moves aimed at Lucario. Gyarados also has a Ground immunity. Tyranitar can Pursuit many of the Ghost-types Lucario hates, deal with Zapdos, and take Fire-type moves aimed at Lucario. Heatran is a effective offensive partner, as not only does it gain power from Fire-type moves and Will-O-Wisp aimed at Lucario, but it also performs well against Jirachi and Magnezone, who Lucario has trouble with.</p>
<p>Lucario also has some useful defensive partners. Bulky Water-types can deal with the number one Lucario counter, Gliscor, as well as most Heatran and (if they have Hidden Power Electric) Gyarados. They can also take the Fire-type moves aimed at Lucario with relative ease. Defensive RestTalk Gyarados is a great defensive partner since it deals with Heatran easily and has great defensive synergy with Lucario. Celebi can take Fighting- and Ground-type moves aimed at Lucario, but results in a dual Fire weakness. Rotom-A is immune to Fighting- and Ground-type moves and scares off Gyarados, but Choice Scarf Heatran still presents a problem.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Maxing out Attack and Speed is recommended for the Swords Dance and Choice Band sets. The same goes for the Choice Specs set, but with Special Attack instead of Attack. Otherwise, the given EVs will do for the appropriate sets. A slightly bulkier spread for the Swords Dance set is 252 HP / 96 Def / 136 SpD / 24 Spe with an Adamant nature and Leftovers, which makes better use of Lucario's numerous resistances and gives you some extra durability while setting up.</p>
<p>On the Choice Specs set, the choice between Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball comes down to the flinch rate versus the Special Defense drop. Shadow Ball is generally more useful for the special sets, which will enjoy getting a Special Defense drop on the switch and could not use the flinch against faster opponents anyway. Lucario can also run a mixed set, but this will involve losing Speed to make full use of it, so this is typically better left to Infernape. Calm Mind is another option for Lucario to boost its Special Attack and give it a bit of special bulk. It gives it an easier time against the Rotom formes, for example, and after a few boosts, it will be hard to deal with via special attacks. However, the Swords Dance set is a better stall breaker, and Lucario may find it hard to get in enough Calm Minds to sweep.</p>
<p>Focus Sash is a decent alternative item on the Sword Dance set, as it can ensure a second Swords Dance if you can keep the field clear of hail, Spikes, and Stealth Rock. Lucario can also make use of a Shuca Berry and Ice Punch to take down Gliscor and Hippowdon. Lucario can even use Ice Punch without a Shuca Berry on the standard Swords Dance set, but its most common target, Gliscor, usually EVs itself to outpace Jolly Lucario (but hitting it on the switch is a distinct possibility). Like most Pokemon, Lucario can use Choice Scarf with either a physical, special, or mixed movepool. Lucario also makes a decent Reversal user, since he is immune to sandstorm damage; however, the prevalence of priority attacks in OU means that it is much harder for this set to sweep when compared to Lucario's Swords Dance set.</p>
[Counters]
<p>The first step to countering Lucario is knowing the set. Physical variants are the most difficult to counter since there are many possible combinations of attacks. Hippowdon can switch into nearly any physical Lucario set, survive a Swords Dance boosted Close Combat, and OHKO with Earthquake (after the Defense drop from Close Combat); it also has access to reliable recovery to ensure that it can perform this job repeatedly throughout the match. Gliscor can take any physical attack from Lucario barring Ice Punch, outpace Lucario with its 95 base Speed, and OHKO with Earthquake. Any set that does not run Stone Edge or ThunderPunch must worry about Gyarados. Without Crunch, Celebi makes a fine counter provided it has Psychic, Earth Power, or Hidden Power Fire; Rotom-A also performs well against Crunch-less Lucario. Even if Lucario does have Crunch, Timid Rotom-A can outpace Adamant Lucario and either burn it with Will-O-Wisp or OHKO it with Overheat (in the case of Rotom-H). SubCM Jirachi can use Substitute twice while Lucario fights back with Close Combat and then OHKO with Psychic, while Physical Jirachi can OHKO after a Defense drop with Fire Punch. Gengar is immune to Close Combat and ExtremeSpeed and can OHKO with either Focus Blast or a Life Orb Hidden Power Fire, but falls to the rare Bullet Punch Lucario.</p>
<p>On the Special side of things, Blissey beats most Lucario. Calm Blissey isn't 2HKOed by a Modest Specs Aura Sphere and has Thunder Wave, Seismic Toss, and Flamethrower with which to juggle Lucario around. Softboiled, Wish, and Protect also make it difficult to kill a healthy Blissey with Lucario, so the only fear that Blissey should have is if Close Combat is present on the Specs set. Spiritomb boasts an immunity to Aura Sphere and also has no weaknesses for Lucario to prey upon. The Special Defense drops from Shadow Ball and flinches from Dark Pulse can prove annoying, but the only attack Spiritomb should fear is a 2HKO from a Specs Flash Cannon, which is almost never used. Gyarados is also a decent counter to the special Lucario sets thanks to its naturally high Special Defense. The RestTalk strategy is Gyarados's best way of countering the Choice Specs set. Zapdos fears the rare Hidden Power Ice or Rock, but can switch into every other attack and send Lucario to the grim reaper with Heat Wave or STAB Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, Gyarados and Zapdos will take 25% Stealth Rock damage each time they switch in, so they should not be totally relied upon to counter Lucario.</p>
<p>Cresselia and Dusknoir are fine switch-ins for Lucario provided they are not switching into Crunch or Shadow Ball. Cresselia can set up Reflect and use Thunder Wave to slow Lucario down while retaliating with Psychic and using Rest or Moonlight to recover health. Dusknoir is immune to Fighting-type attacks and ExtremeSpeed, and also takes little damage from Stone Edge and Ice Punch. Will-O-Wisp will cripple Lucario while Fire Punch, Earthquake, or Brick Break will make Lucario quickly crumble before Dusknoir. Choice Scarf Heatran cannot switch into Lucario directly but is a good check because it resists Bullet Punch and ExtremeSpeed and has Earth Power or STAB Fire Blast to take down Lucario. Choice Scarf Magnezone can switch into any non-Fighting attack, trap Lucario, and deal at least 75% with Thunderbolt. Choice Scarf Tyranitar must also take care not to switch into a Fighting-type attack, but can check and OHKO Lucario with Superpower or Earthquake provided it lacks Bullet Punch.</p>
status: done
[Overview]
<p>Lucario is one of the top offensive threats of DPP OU, boasting high Attack and Special Attack stats, decent Speed, great STAB attacks in Close Combat and Aura Sphere, and many other useful attacking options. Its immunity to Toxic Spikes and numerous 4x and 2x resistances (most notably to Rock-, Dark-, and Dragon-type attacks) give Lucario many opportunities to switch in and wreak havoc on the opposing team. While it does have auspicious typing, Lucario's defensive stats leave much to be desired, and its relative frailty remains its largest weakness. In spite of that, Lucario is an extremely worthwhile addition to any team, and is almost certain to leave its mark on the opponent.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: ExtremeSpeed
move 4: Crunch / Stone Edge / Bullet Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With one turn of setup, a 120 Base Power STAB attack, and one of the strongest priority moves available, Swords Dance Lucario is arguably the best late-game sweeper in OU. After a Swords Dance, even defensive Skarmory is OHKOed by Close Combat, assuming Stealth Rock damage and an Adamant nature. Meanwhile, many of the Pokémon who are faster than Lucario are frail enough to be OHKOed by ExtremeSpeed after a Swords Dance.</p>
<p>The final move is the most difficult to choose. If bulky Ghost- and Psychic-types like Rotom-A and Celebi are of concern, Crunch is the best option. If Flying-types are giving Lucario the blues, Stone Edge is generally more useful. Bullet Punch can also be used to hit Pokémon who resist or are immune to Normal-type attacks and are faster than Lucario, such as Gengar and Choice Scarf Tyranitar. While it may be tempting to replace ExtremeSpeed with Bullet Punch, it isn't advised due to ExtremeSpeed's ability to effectively hit Starmie, Jolteon, and Infernape, along with its higher base power.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>To show how powerful this set is, here are some calculations against many defensive Pokémon Pokemon after a single Swords Dance. These calculations assume an Adamant nature.</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Close Combat vs. 252/252+ Skarmory 84.4% - 99.7%</li>
<li>Close Combat vs. 252/0+ Skarmory 101.5% - 119.5%</li>
<li>Close Combat vs. 252/252+ Bronzong: 95.2% - 100%</li>
<li>Close Combat vs. 252/176+ Hippowdon: 80.7% - 95%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 252/220+ Celebi: 81.2% - 95.5%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 252/252+ Rotom-A: 100% - 117.8%</li>
<li>ExtremeSpeed vs. 0/0 Starmie: 97.3% - 114.6%</li>
<li>ExtremeSpeed vs 0/0 Zapdos: 79.1% - 93.1%</li>
<li>Bullet Punch vs. 0/0 Gengar: 95.8% - 113%</li>
<li>Bullet Punch vs. 0/0 Tyranitar: 89.7% - 105.6%</li>
<li>Stone Edge (+1) vs. 156/96 Gyarados: 121.6% - 143.2%</li>
<li>Stone Edge vs. 248/228+ Zapdos: 118% - 138.9%</li>
</ul>
<p>Whether you choose an Adamant or Jolly nature depends on your team. Adamant gets important OHKOs against Bronzong and Skarmory, but a Jolly nature allows Lucario to outspeed Jolly Gyarados, Timid Suicune, and Timid Rotom-A.</p>
<p>Having a Pokemon on your team who attracts Pursuit is very useful as this is one of the easiest ways for Lucario to set up a Swords Dance due to its 4x Dark-type resistance. Gengar, Choice Scarf Rotom-A, and Starmie are great options for this role. Stealth Rock support from the likes of Azelf, Heatran, Infernape, Metagross, and Swampert is very helpful since it allows Lucario to OHKO Pokemon such as Bronzong and Skarmory with a +2 Close Combat. Stealth Rock also makes it much tougher for Gyarados and Zapdos to continuously switch into Lucario if you decide against Stone Edge.</p>
[insert Agility set here]
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Aura Sphere
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Rock
move 4: Vacuum Wave
item: Choice Specs
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Lucario is not a purely physical beast; its base 115 Special Attack is actually the higher of its two attacking stats, and a Choice Specs set can inflict massive damage on many of Swords Dance Lucario's physically bulky counters.</p>
<p>Lucario's STAB Aura Sphere is an all-around great attack with decent power and perfect accuracy. Shadow Ball gives Lucario perfect type coverage in conjunction with Aura Sphere and is its best attack against the Ghost- and Psychic-types who try to switch into expected Fighting-type attacks. Dragon Pulse also provides perfect coverage with Aura Sphere, but more importantly, 2HKOs Lucario's common Gyarados and Gliscor switch-ins. Hidden Power Rock is also an option to hit Flying-type Pokemon, but the Speed IV lost can be significant in Lucario mirror matches and against Timid Heatran (instead of outpacing it by one point, Lucario now ties). Lucario's final attack is STAB Vacuum Wave, which is useful against faster, frailer Pokémon and anything attempting a sweep at low health.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Specially defensive Zapdos performs quite well against this set since it can Roost off damage and hit Lucario with Heat Wave or Thunderbolt. However, it must beware of Hidden Power Rock, which 2HKOes it. While Gliscor takes heavy damage from Shadow Ball and Dragon Pulse, it can usually outpace Lucario and retaliate with Earthquake. If Choice Scarf Magnezone switches into Shadow Ball or Dragon Pulse, it can trap Lucario and do at least 75% with Thunderbolt. Spiritomb is uncommon but causes problems for this set since it isn't 2HKOed by any attack while it 2HKOes in return with Hidden Power Fighting. Once your opponent has determined that Lucario is a special attacker, Blissey can switch in, survive two Aura Spheres (as long as it is Calm), and cripple Lucario with Thunder Wave or hit it hard with Flamethrower.</p>
<p>Since this set is great at luring in Pokemon such as Gliscor, Gyarados, and Rotom-A and either OHKOing or 2HKOing them, Pokemon that can take advantage of their absence are great partners. Swords Dance Scizor, Agility Metagross, and Dragon Dance Gyarados make solid partners since Rotom-A is a common counter to all three. Tyranitar is a nice partner since it appreciates having Gliscor out of the way. Tyranitar can also counter Zapdos and switch into Blissey relatively easily, although it is not a fan of Toxic or Thunder Wave. Heatran can deal with Spiritomb and does well against Magnezone provided it's in good health. Stealth Rock support is also much appreciated, since it is needed to guarantee 2HKOs against Gyarados, Gliscor, and defensive Rotom-A with Dragon Pulse.</p>
[SET]
name: Anti-Lead
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Counter / Swords Dance
item: Focus Sash
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Lonely
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Lucario's ability to - quite literally - "counter" common leads of OU with its versatility and power makes it a worthwhile lead. It is an ideal Counter lead due to Inner Focus, immunity to sandstorm, and the ability to use Swords Dance. Inner Focus prevents Infernape and Weavile from breaking Lucario's Focus Sash for free, while Lucario's Steel typing lets it Counter attacks from Hippowdon and Tyranitar without dying to sandstorm. Since many Lucario run Swords Dance, your opponent will be more likely to attack Lucario to thwart a potential set-up attempt.</p>
<p>A combination of Close Combat and ExtremeSpeed will 2HKO common suicide leads like Aerodactyl and Infernape. Both of these attacks miss the 2HKO on Azelf, so Crunch is the recommended third attacking option. Counter's main use is against bulky leads such as Bronzong, Metagross, Swampert, and Hippowdon that you normally wouldn't be able to touch, and also helps against various attackers like Flygon, Mamoswine, and Machamp (although confusion makes Countering Machamp a tossup).</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Lonely nature and a 0 IV in Defense are used to maximize damage from Counter. Max Speed is required to outrun Heatran which allows you to OHKO it before it can setup.</p>
<p>Other possibilities in the third slot include assorted Hidden Powers; Hidden Power Grass 2HKOes Swampert, while Hidden Power Ice or Electric can be used against Gliscor and Gyarados, respectively. Magic Coat can be used to bounce Sleep Powder / Spore back at Roserade and Smeargle. Swords Dance can also be used as a sort of inverse Counter; while bulky leads would normally have the chance to set up, you can turn the tables and prepare for an early-game sweep. It is recommended that such a choice replace Counter to retain type coverage.</p>
<p>Gyarados can set up on Lucario easily; Pokemon like Vaporeon and Suicune can be used to counter it and Choice Scarf Rotom-A is a good check. Since Scizor or Metagross may try to finish off Lucario with Bullet Punch after its Focus Sash activates, Magnezone can be a good partner to trap them. Dragon Dance Tyranitar can take advantage of Scizor and Metagross being taken out. Other Fighting-types, such as Heracross and Infernape, are good options for partners as Anti-Lead Lucario is a great way to scout your opponent's Fighting-type resistances in order to concentrate on taking them out. Since this lead doesn't set up Stealth Rock, you should have a Pokemon to set it up once Lucario has done its job. Heatran, Metagross, and Swampert are all good options for this.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Stone Edge / Ice Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a Choice Band equipped, Lucario can take advantage of the frequent switches it gets from its typing and break down the opposing team. While the Swords Dance set aims for a clean sweep, this set hits harder off the bat and aims to break down defensive pivots.</p>
<p>Close Combat is Lucario's most powerful attack and will put a large dent in anything that does not resist it. It is important to remember that a neutral Close Combat does more damage than a super effective Crunch or Ice Punch, so those should only be used in the face of a resisted Close Combat or to exploit a 4x weakness. ExtremeSpeed hits Pokémon that are usually faster than Lucario, such as Starmie and Azelf. Bullet Punch is a fine option over ExtremeSpeed if your team needs help dealing with Gengar or Choice Scarf Tyranitar. Crunch allows Lucario to hit Celebi and Rotom-A for a 2HKO to clear the way for a Close Combat sweep later in the game. In the last slot, Stone Edge is an excellent attack to eliminate Gyarados and Zapdos with one attack, while Ice Punch will destroy any Gliscor that switch in.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Jolly nature can be used to outpace Impish Gliscor, Jolly Gyarados, Timid Rotom-A, Timid Suicune, and Modest Zapdos; however, Adamant is the preferred nature to take advantage of the boost from Choice Band and to make ExtremeSpeed a more powerful revenge killing tool.</p>
<p>Since this set shares many of the same moves and counters with the Swords Dance set, the two sets also share effective teammates. Bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Vaporeon are great partners to deal with Gliscor and Gyarados if they have Hidden Power Electric. Heatran is a fine partner to scare off Celebi and Magnezone; unfortunately, Choice Scarf Magnezone will always be able to defeat Lucario as long as it doesn't switch directly into a Close Combat. Tyranitar is a solid partner to deal with Celebi, Zapdos, and Rotom-A. Life Orb Starmie can do a lot of damage to many of Lucario's counters. The combo of Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Thunderbolt gets OHKOs on Gliscor and Gyarados and 2HKOs on Celebi and Rotom-A. Stealth Rock support from Azelf, Heatran, Infernape, Metagross, or Swampert is very useful in hurting common switch-ins such as Gyarados and Zapdos.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Stealth Rock is very useful for all sets to get important KOs on Pokemon such as Bronzong, Gyarados, Salamence, and Skarmory. Azelf, Heatran, Infernape, Metagross, and Swampert are great options for this role. Spikes support isn't necessary, but it is very useful since Lucario can cause lots of switches. One of its most important uses is getting the definite OHKO on Hippowdon with a +2 Close Combat assuming you have three layers of entry hazards. Smeargle, Forretress, Roserade, and Skarmory are the most reliable choices for this. Toxic Spikes support from the likes of Forretress and Roserade can help in dealing with Celebi and Hippowdon, but it is the least useful of the entry hazards for Lucario. Dual screen support is very useful in making it easier for the Swords Danc set to achieve its boosts. Azelf, Bronzong, Cresselia, and Rotom-A are ideal choices for this.</p>
<p>Lucario has many great offensive support options. Gyarados and Starmie are great offensive partners as they deal with Gliscor and can both take Fire- and Fighting-type moves aimed at Lucario. Gyarados also has a Ground immunity. Tyranitar can Pursuit many of the Ghost-types Lucario hates, deal with Zapdos, and take Fire-type moves aimed at Lucario. Heatran is a effective offensive partner, as not only does it gain power from Fire-type moves and Will-O-Wisp aimed at Lucario, but it also performs well against Jirachi and Magnezone, who Lucario has trouble with.</p>
<p>Lucario also has some useful defensive partners. Bulky Water-types can deal with the number one Lucario counter, Gliscor, as well as most Heatran and (if they have Hidden Power Electric) Gyarados. They can also take the Fire-type moves aimed at Lucario with relative ease. Defensive RestTalk Gyarados is a great defensive partner since it deals with Heatran easily and has great defensive synergy with Lucario. Celebi can take Fighting- and Ground-type moves aimed at Lucario, but results in a dual Fire weakness. Rotom-A is immune to Fighting- and Ground-type moves and scares off Gyarados, but Choice Scarf Heatran still presents a problem.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Maxing out Attack and Speed is recommended for the Swords Dance and Choice Band sets. The same goes for the Choice Specs set, but with Special Attack instead of Attack. Otherwise, the given EVs will do for the appropriate sets. A slightly bulkier spread for the Swords Dance set is 252 HP / 96 Def / 136 SpD / 24 Spe with an Adamant nature and Leftovers, which makes better use of Lucario's numerous resistances and gives you some extra durability while setting up.</p>
<p>On the Choice Specs set, the choice between Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball comes down to the flinch rate versus the Special Defense drop. Shadow Ball is generally more useful for the special sets, which will enjoy getting a Special Defense drop on the switch and could not use the flinch against faster opponents anyway. Lucario can also run a mixed set, but this will involve losing Speed to make full use of it, so this is typically better left to Infernape. Calm Mind is another option for Lucario to boost its Special Attack and give it a bit of special bulk. It gives it an easier time against the Rotom formes, for example, and after a few boosts, it will be hard to deal with via special attacks. However, the Swords Dance set is a better stall breaker, and Lucario may find it hard to get in enough Calm Minds to sweep.</p>
<p>Focus Sash is a decent alternative item on the Sword Dance set, as it can ensure a second Swords Dance if you can keep the field clear of hail, Spikes, and Stealth Rock. Lucario can also make use of a Shuca Berry and Ice Punch to take down Gliscor and Hippowdon. Lucario can even use Ice Punch without a Shuca Berry on the standard Swords Dance set, but its most common target, Gliscor, usually EVs itself to outpace Jolly Lucario (but hitting it on the switch is a distinct possibility). Like most Pokemon, Lucario can use Choice Scarf with either a physical, special, or mixed movepool. Lucario also makes a decent Reversal user, since he is immune to sandstorm damage; however, the prevalence of priority attacks in OU means that it is much harder for this set to sweep when compared to Lucario's Swords Dance set.</p>
[Counters]
<p>The first step to countering Lucario is knowing the set. Physical variants are the most difficult to counter since there are many possible combinations of attacks. Hippowdon can switch into nearly any physical Lucario set, survive a Swords Dance boosted Close Combat, and OHKO with Earthquake (after the Defense drop from Close Combat); it also has access to reliable recovery to ensure that it can perform this job repeatedly throughout the match. Gliscor can take any physical attack from Lucario barring Ice Punch, outpace Lucario with its 95 base Speed, and OHKO with Earthquake. Any set that does not run Stone Edge or ThunderPunch must worry about Gyarados. Without Crunch, Celebi makes a fine counter provided it has Psychic, Earth Power, or Hidden Power Fire; Rotom-A also performs well against Crunch-less Lucario. Even if Lucario does have Crunch, Timid Rotom-A can outpace Adamant Lucario and either burn it with Will-O-Wisp or OHKO it with Overheat (in the case of Rotom-H). SubCM Jirachi can use Substitute twice while Lucario fights back with Close Combat and then OHKO with Psychic, while Physical Jirachi can OHKO after a Defense drop with Fire Punch. Gengar is immune to Close Combat and ExtremeSpeed and can OHKO with either Focus Blast or a Life Orb Hidden Power Fire, but falls to the rare Bullet Punch Lucario.</p>
<p>On the Special side of things, Blissey beats most Lucario. Calm Blissey isn't 2HKOed by a Modest Specs Aura Sphere and has Thunder Wave, Seismic Toss, and Flamethrower with which to juggle Lucario around. Softboiled, Wish, and Protect also make it difficult to kill a healthy Blissey with Lucario, so the only fear that Blissey should have is if Close Combat is present on the Specs set. Spiritomb boasts an immunity to Aura Sphere and also has no weaknesses for Lucario to prey upon. The Special Defense drops from Shadow Ball and flinches from Dark Pulse can prove annoying, but the only attack Spiritomb should fear is a 2HKO from a Specs Flash Cannon, which is almost never used. Gyarados is also a decent counter to the special Lucario sets thanks to its naturally high Special Defense. The RestTalk strategy is Gyarados's best way of countering the Choice Specs set. Zapdos fears the rare Hidden Power Ice or Rock, but can switch into every other attack and send Lucario to the grim reaper with Heat Wave or STAB Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, Gyarados and Zapdos will take 25% Stealth Rock damage each time they switch in, so they should not be totally relied upon to counter Lucario.</p>
<p>Cresselia and Dusknoir are fine switch-ins for Lucario provided they are not switching into Crunch or Shadow Ball. Cresselia can set up Reflect and use Thunder Wave to slow Lucario down while retaliating with Psychic and using Rest or Moonlight to recover health. Dusknoir is immune to Fighting-type attacks and ExtremeSpeed, and also takes little damage from Stone Edge and Ice Punch. Will-O-Wisp will cripple Lucario while Fire Punch, Earthquake, or Brick Break will make Lucario quickly crumble before Dusknoir. Choice Scarf Heatran cannot switch into Lucario directly but is a good check because it resists Bullet Punch and ExtremeSpeed and has Earth Power or STAB Fire Blast to take down Lucario. Choice Scarf Magnezone can switch into any non-Fighting attack, trap Lucario, and deal at least 75% with Thunderbolt. Choice Scarf Tyranitar must also take care not to switch into a Fighting-type attack, but can check and OHKO Lucario with Superpower or Earthquake provided it lacks Bullet Punch.</p>
