QC: Tone114, Magnemite, Raiza.
GP: Snobalt, P Squared
[OVERVIEW]
Lumineon is outclassed by every viable Defogger in the metagame, and, in particular, it is totally outperformed by Pelipper and Vullaby, which have far superior defensive stats and access to reliable recovery with Roost, unlike Lumineon. While it isn't weak to Stealth Rock and has an immunity to Water thanks to its ability, Storm Drain, Lumineon has terrible stats both defensively and offensively and is only slightly annoying with its access to Scald and Toxic, which can hinder foes with status upon switching in. Its only edge over other entry hazard removers in the metagame is its pure Water typing, which makes it one of the only entry hazard removers in the metagame not weak to Stealth Rock, and its fairly high Speed stat, even when uninvested.
[SET]
name: Defog
move 1: Defog
move 2: Scald
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Defog is the only reason to use Lumineon, as it can remove entry hazards for the rest of its team. Scald can deter potential switch-ins by threatening them with a burn, and it helps Lumineon to rack up residual damage slightly. U-turn allows Lumineon to function as a slow pivot to help bring in teammates for free, and Toxic can help cripple foes and get a little more residual damage.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense investment along with a Bold nature is used to help take hits from physical attackers, allowing Lumineon to survive a hit or two from slightly weaker foes such as Piloswine. The Attack-reducing nature is preferred despite Lumineon using a physical move, U-turn, as it is used for pivoting purposes rather than for attacking. The remaining 4 EVs are put into Special Defense, as Lumineon's offenses are too low to be worth investing into. Leftovers gives it a little extra longevity, and Storm Drain gives it an immunity to Water-type attacks, which can discourage foes such as Poliwrath from using their Water attacks so freely.
Usage Tips
========
Use Defog when there are entry hazards on your side of the field to remove them, as that is Lumineon's only purpose. However, be careful of using Defog against Defiant Pokemon such as Pawniard and Purugly, as they get an Attack boost and pressure Lumineon. Scald can be used on their predicted switch, as neither appreciates being burned. Lumineon will only be able to use Defog versus a slower, bulkier Pokemon lacking a super effective move against it such as Piloswine or Torkoal. Keep it away from stronger attackers or foes with super effective moves, such as Stoutland and Raichu, as they can easily OHKO it before it has a chance to remove entry hazards. Do not rely on Lumineon to wall Fire- or Water-types, as nearly every Pokemon of those types is capable of defeating Lumineon 1v1 aside from Torkoal, and Lumineon cannot switch into any of them safely. Use Toxic versus teams with a safe switch into Scald, such as Poliwrath, to get extra residual damage versus foes with Water-type immunities, as well as versus overall bulkier teams to wear them down with more passive damage. U-turn can also be used on predicted switches or versus faster foes to get a free switch into a teammate that prefers to avoid taking hits. Avoid taking damage as much as possible, as Lumineon lacks recovery and can easily be worn down, leaving it unable to remove entry hazards without a free switch into a slower foe. Once Lumineon has removed entry hazards, it can be used to tank hits or as death fodder.
Team Options
========
Due to its nonexistent offenses, Lumineon should only ever be used on balanced VoltTurn teams or bulkier teams that really need an entry hazard remover not weak to Stealth Rock. Teammates that fit well on VoltTurn teams, such as Raichu and Purugly, should be used in conjunction with Lumineon. Pokemon such as Rapidash and Ninjask can benefit from its removal of Stealth Rock, as they otherwise take significant damage upon switching in. Any defensive Pokemon can help take hits for Lumineon, as it needs teammates to switch into the attacks aimed at it. In particular, Pokemon that resist Electric or Grass, such as Stunfisk and Roselia, can help take super effective hits aimed at it, and Pokemon that resist Normal such as Carracosta can take on Stoutland, one of the few attackers not particularly bothered by being burned or poisoned thanks to Facade. Fire-types and other Pokemon weak to Water moves appreciate Lumineon's ability to deter foes from using Water-type attacks for fear of giving it a free switch in to Defog or spread status. Strong wallbreakers such as Stoutland can get a free switch in from Lumineon's slow U-turns to break down teams more effectively. Wish and Heal Bell users such as Lickilicky and Grumpig can keep Lumineon healthy to help combat its lack of recovery.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lumineon can utilize Tailwind over Toxic to function as a Tailwind setter with access to a still somewhat slow U-turn, but Tailwind in general is not a very effective strategy in PU. A specially defensive spread is viable to take hits from Water-types such as Simipour better but is generally inferior, as most special attackers in the metagame carry super effective coverage against Lumineon. Ice Beam can be run to hit Grass-types looking to switch in for super effective damage but does little off of Lumineon's poor Special Attack stat. Lumineon can also try a faster spread for a quicker Defog or even offensive sets to be a little more threatening, but these are still outclassed by the likes of Swanna and Pelipper, which have higher offensive stats, secondary Flying-type STAB moves, and better movepools. Charm is an option to cripple physical attackers before U-turning into a different Pokemon, but it can easily be switched around and does nothing useful versus special attackers.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Offensive Pokemon**: Lumineon's poor defensive stats and typing mean that nearly every offensive Pokemon in the metagame is capable of OHKOing or 2HKOing it, except those lacking a strong enough unresisted attack, such as Torkoal.
**Special Attackers**: Special attackers are not crippled by Scald burns upon switching in, leaving nearly every special attacker in the metagame capable of switching into and defeating Lumineon 1v1 thanks to its poor defenses and abysmal offenses.
**Electric-types**: Every Electric-type attacker can 2HKO Lumineon, and most are capable of OHKOing it thanks to its poor defenses. However, none enjoy switching into Lumineon's Scalds, as common Electric-types, such as Zebstrika and Raichu, can be worn down quickly with the combination of burn, Life Orb, and Stealth Rock.
**Grass-types**: Most Grass-types are not severely crippled by Scald burns, as nearly all are special attackers, and all Grass-types can OHKO or 2HKO Lumineon. Roselia in particular can heal its burns by switching out thanks to Natural Cure, can set up Toxic Spikes to cripple Lumineon, and does massive damage to it with STAB Giga Drain.
**Pokemon Not Crippled by Burns**: Pokemon that do not fear Scald burns from Lumineon have no trouble switching into and KOing it. This includes Guts and Quick Feet users such as Machoke and Ursaring, Pokemon with Natural Cure such as Roselia, Pokemon with Magic Guard such as Clefairy, and Stoutland running Facade.
**Residual Damage**: As Lumineon is forced to switch into entry hazards frequently to remove them with Defog, it can be worn down rather easily, making it unable to take even the few hits that it could normally survive. Status ailments can also wear it down quickly, especially when Lumineon is forced to switch into Toxic Spikes to remove them with Defog.
GP: Snobalt, P Squared
[OVERVIEW]
Lumineon is outclassed by every viable Defogger in the metagame, and, in particular, it is totally outperformed by Pelipper and Vullaby, which have far superior defensive stats and access to reliable recovery with Roost, unlike Lumineon. While it isn't weak to Stealth Rock and has an immunity to Water thanks to its ability, Storm Drain, Lumineon has terrible stats both defensively and offensively and is only slightly annoying with its access to Scald and Toxic, which can hinder foes with status upon switching in. Its only edge over other entry hazard removers in the metagame is its pure Water typing, which makes it one of the only entry hazard removers in the metagame not weak to Stealth Rock, and its fairly high Speed stat, even when uninvested.
[SET]
name: Defog
move 1: Defog
move 2: Scald
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Defog is the only reason to use Lumineon, as it can remove entry hazards for the rest of its team. Scald can deter potential switch-ins by threatening them with a burn, and it helps Lumineon to rack up residual damage slightly. U-turn allows Lumineon to function as a slow pivot to help bring in teammates for free, and Toxic can help cripple foes and get a little more residual damage.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense investment along with a Bold nature is used to help take hits from physical attackers, allowing Lumineon to survive a hit or two from slightly weaker foes such as Piloswine. The Attack-reducing nature is preferred despite Lumineon using a physical move, U-turn, as it is used for pivoting purposes rather than for attacking. The remaining 4 EVs are put into Special Defense, as Lumineon's offenses are too low to be worth investing into. Leftovers gives it a little extra longevity, and Storm Drain gives it an immunity to Water-type attacks, which can discourage foes such as Poliwrath from using their Water attacks so freely.
Usage Tips
========
Use Defog when there are entry hazards on your side of the field to remove them, as that is Lumineon's only purpose. However, be careful of using Defog against Defiant Pokemon such as Pawniard and Purugly, as they get an Attack boost and pressure Lumineon. Scald can be used on their predicted switch, as neither appreciates being burned. Lumineon will only be able to use Defog versus a slower, bulkier Pokemon lacking a super effective move against it such as Piloswine or Torkoal. Keep it away from stronger attackers or foes with super effective moves, such as Stoutland and Raichu, as they can easily OHKO it before it has a chance to remove entry hazards. Do not rely on Lumineon to wall Fire- or Water-types, as nearly every Pokemon of those types is capable of defeating Lumineon 1v1 aside from Torkoal, and Lumineon cannot switch into any of them safely. Use Toxic versus teams with a safe switch into Scald, such as Poliwrath, to get extra residual damage versus foes with Water-type immunities, as well as versus overall bulkier teams to wear them down with more passive damage. U-turn can also be used on predicted switches or versus faster foes to get a free switch into a teammate that prefers to avoid taking hits. Avoid taking damage as much as possible, as Lumineon lacks recovery and can easily be worn down, leaving it unable to remove entry hazards without a free switch into a slower foe. Once Lumineon has removed entry hazards, it can be used to tank hits or as death fodder.
Team Options
========
Due to its nonexistent offenses, Lumineon should only ever be used on balanced VoltTurn teams or bulkier teams that really need an entry hazard remover not weak to Stealth Rock. Teammates that fit well on VoltTurn teams, such as Raichu and Purugly, should be used in conjunction with Lumineon. Pokemon such as Rapidash and Ninjask can benefit from its removal of Stealth Rock, as they otherwise take significant damage upon switching in. Any defensive Pokemon can help take hits for Lumineon, as it needs teammates to switch into the attacks aimed at it. In particular, Pokemon that resist Electric or Grass, such as Stunfisk and Roselia, can help take super effective hits aimed at it, and Pokemon that resist Normal such as Carracosta can take on Stoutland, one of the few attackers not particularly bothered by being burned or poisoned thanks to Facade. Fire-types and other Pokemon weak to Water moves appreciate Lumineon's ability to deter foes from using Water-type attacks for fear of giving it a free switch in to Defog or spread status. Strong wallbreakers such as Stoutland can get a free switch in from Lumineon's slow U-turns to break down teams more effectively. Wish and Heal Bell users such as Lickilicky and Grumpig can keep Lumineon healthy to help combat its lack of recovery.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lumineon can utilize Tailwind over Toxic to function as a Tailwind setter with access to a still somewhat slow U-turn, but Tailwind in general is not a very effective strategy in PU. A specially defensive spread is viable to take hits from Water-types such as Simipour better but is generally inferior, as most special attackers in the metagame carry super effective coverage against Lumineon. Ice Beam can be run to hit Grass-types looking to switch in for super effective damage but does little off of Lumineon's poor Special Attack stat. Lumineon can also try a faster spread for a quicker Defog or even offensive sets to be a little more threatening, but these are still outclassed by the likes of Swanna and Pelipper, which have higher offensive stats, secondary Flying-type STAB moves, and better movepools. Charm is an option to cripple physical attackers before U-turning into a different Pokemon, but it can easily be switched around and does nothing useful versus special attackers.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Offensive Pokemon**: Lumineon's poor defensive stats and typing mean that nearly every offensive Pokemon in the metagame is capable of OHKOing or 2HKOing it, except those lacking a strong enough unresisted attack, such as Torkoal.
**Special Attackers**: Special attackers are not crippled by Scald burns upon switching in, leaving nearly every special attacker in the metagame capable of switching into and defeating Lumineon 1v1 thanks to its poor defenses and abysmal offenses.
**Electric-types**: Every Electric-type attacker can 2HKO Lumineon, and most are capable of OHKOing it thanks to its poor defenses. However, none enjoy switching into Lumineon's Scalds, as common Electric-types, such as Zebstrika and Raichu, can be worn down quickly with the combination of burn, Life Orb, and Stealth Rock.
**Grass-types**: Most Grass-types are not severely crippled by Scald burns, as nearly all are special attackers, and all Grass-types can OHKO or 2HKO Lumineon. Roselia in particular can heal its burns by switching out thanks to Natural Cure, can set up Toxic Spikes to cripple Lumineon, and does massive damage to it with STAB Giga Drain.
**Pokemon Not Crippled by Burns**: Pokemon that do not fear Scald burns from Lumineon have no trouble switching into and KOing it. This includes Guts and Quick Feet users such as Machoke and Ursaring, Pokemon with Natural Cure such as Roselia, Pokemon with Magic Guard such as Clefairy, and Stoutland running Facade.
**Residual Damage**: As Lumineon is forced to switch into entry hazards frequently to remove them with Defog, it can be worn down rather easily, making it unable to take even the few hits that it could normally survive. Status ailments can also wear it down quickly, especially when Lumineon is forced to switch into Toxic Spikes to remove them with Defog.
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