[Overview]
<p>Masquerain is quite the sight to behold. Just look at those huge angry ey—oh wait, those are its wings. This cute little trickster is one of the few lucky Bug-types that received Quiver Dance in the generation shift. Though it receives some competition from Butterfree and Mothim, who are arguably better Quiver Dance sweepers, Masquerain makes up for it by being a little different from the other Bug-types. It is one of two Pokemon in the game that has access to the combination of Quiver Dance and Baton Pass—the other being Venomoth, who is locked away in the higher tiers. This means that Masquerain has a unique niche in NU as a QuiverPasser. Additionally, Masquerain has access to Hydro Pump, which handily takes care of the Rock- and Steel-types that resist its STAB combination.</p>
<p>Masquerain's most unique feature is its Intimidate ability, which complements its 4x Fighting-type resistance really well. Thanks to Intimidate, Masquerain can tank physical hits quite well, and makes good use of Roost's HP recovery and Quiver Dance's Special Defense boosts. Unfortunately, poor Masquerain is 4x weak to Stealth Rock, so Rapid Spin support is absolutely mandatory. Masquerain isn't the kind of Pokemon that can be thrown onto any team; it needs lots of support, and works best on teams that can best take advantage of what it brings to the table.</p>
[SET]
name: QuiverPass
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Roost
move 4: Bug Buzz
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set can be lethal when played correctly. Thanks to its Intimidate ability, Masquerain can switch into physical attackers quite easily and heal away any damage with Roost. Even a single Quiver Dance can be deadly when passed to the right teammate, and Masquerain is capable of accumulating several with shocking ease. Bug Buzz is preferred as the mono-attacking STAB option because it is stronger than Air Slash and provides good neutral coverage in general.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>248 HP EVs are used rather than 252, as the latter would produce an even HP stat, and running 248 prevents Masquerain from being KOed by two switches into Stealth Rock. A Bold nature and 252 Defense EVs give Masquerain as much physical bulk as possible, allowing it to take both physical and special hits reasonably well after a few Quiver Dance boosts. Rapid Spin support is absolutely mandatory if you're running this set, as Stealth Rock damage robs Masquerain of 50% of its HP. Braviary and Swellow cause problems for this set, so packing a Regirock or Golem that can eliminate them will make it much easier for Masquerain to execute a successful pass. Paralysis from Pokemon such as Miltank, Lickilicky, and Regirock can hamper Masquerain, so a cleric, such as Miltank or Leafeon, can support Masquerain well and increase its chances of passing. Regirock is a huge problem for this Masquerain variant, as it is bulky enough to survive the bug's boosted Bug Buzzes and can threaten with Thunder Wave and Stone Edge, both of which are lethal to Masquerain. Exeggutor and Marowak can both deal with Regirock, and are thus good teammates. Magmortar can outspeed and OHKO +1 Masquerain with Fire Blast, so packing a Camerupt, Altaria, or Quagsire can clear the way for Masquerain to set up.</p>
<p>As for Baton Pass recipients, Magmortar is one of the best available; even with a single boost, its decent Speed and immense power are jacked up to nightmarish levels, and it is able to annihilate entire teams with its powerful attacks. Substitute + Disable Haunter is also a good choice, as its usual hair-tearing antics are dialed up to eleven with a few Quiver Dances thrown in. Jynx is absolutely terrifying with a few Speed boosts under her wig, as she is swift enough to outpace the entire metagame, and can safely set up a Substitute or use Lovely Kiss on almost anything. Any Pokemon with a powerful Grass-type attack is an excellent recipient, as Unaware Quagsire looms in the background, fearlessly standing up to your jacked-up sweeper's attacks and doing any of a number of things in return. Ludicolo, Serperior, and Exeggutor are all great choices that can annihilate the mudfish. Even Tangela is a good recipient; with a few boosts its Special Defense will become quite formidable, and its attacking power isn't that bad either. Good coverage with Giga Drain and Hidden Power plus a fast Sleep Powder actually makes Tangela quite dangerous.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Quiver Dance
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Air Slash
move 4: Hydro Pump / Roost
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thankfully, Masquerain doesn't miss out on any of the staple moves of Bug / Flying type Pokemon—Air Slash, Bug Buzz, Roost, it's all here. Masquerain can use these moves to great effect on a Quiver Dance sweeper set. Quiver Dance boosts Masquerain's offensive stats steadily, and also increases its Special Defense. Between Intimidate, the Special Defense boosts, and Roost, Masquerain can prove quite difficult to take down. Air Slash and Bug Buzz have great neutral coverage bar Rock- and Steel-types such as Golem, Probopass, and Bastiodon. Fortunately, Hydro Pump scores a powerful super effective hit on all of these Pokemon, and can thus be used over Roost; OHKOing Magmortar at +1 is also a plus. Note that Golem can endure the hit with its Sturdy ability and KO in return with Rock Blast, so Spikes support—or just some residual damage—will be needed to ensure the KO.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb can be used for additional power—and with its measly base 80 Special Attack stat, Masquerain might need it. However, Masquerain is extremely vulnerable to residual damage, and Life Orb recoil might stunt a sweep that could have been possible with Leftovers recovery. A Rapid Spin user will be needed to avoid this, and Cryogonal and Wartortle are the best candidates. Although Hydro Pump is immensely useful for getting past Golem and Probopass, Masquerain can also use Roost to boost its longevity, as this move is useful for healing Stealth Rock damage, tanking repeated hits while setting up, and halving damage from Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type moves. If you do opt for Roost, a Pokemon that can get rid of Golem and Probopass, such as Marowak or Sawk, will be needed. Swellow and Choice Scarf Braviary are speedy enough to outrun +1 Masquerain, and can OHKO with Brave Bird. Carrying a Pokemon that can eliminate them, such as Golem, Armaldo, or Choice Scarf Rotom-S, will ensure a bird-free sweep. If Masquerain forgoes Hydro Pump, Regirock and Magmortar will both give it a hard time. With enough bulk to tank a Bug Buzz, Regirock can OHKO with Stone Edge or paralyze with Thunder Wave, bringing Masquerain's sweep to a screeching halt. Magmortar can survive an Air Slash and retaliate with a powerful Fire Blast, KOing Masquerain on the spot. Pokemon such as Quagsire, Gurdurr, and Samurott can clear out these threats for Masquerain.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Masquerain should stick to abusing Quiver Dance, but there are a few different tacks it can try. A bulky sweeper set is possible, using the EV spread of the QuiverPass set and the moves of the offensive set. Such a set would be harder to take down once it sets up, but the lack of Speed and power would make it much harder to set up and sweep, and more boosts would be needed to achieve KOs on foes. A simple, direct offensive set is also an option. Substitute is a great move for Masquerain, as it can block status and give Masquerain protection from attacks. It also becomes harder to revenge kill while behind a Substitute, especially with a few boosts. Giga Drain is a nifty alternative to Hydro Pump on the offensive set; though it is weaker, it scores a super effective hit on both Rock- and Water-types, such as Golem, Regirock, Wartortle, and Alomomola, and a recovery option—though a tad unreliable—in lieu of Roost isn't too shabby either. Another option is Scald. While this move is much weaker than Hydro Pump, it can burn foes. When their Attack stat has taken a hit from both Intimidate and a burn, most physical attackers will be forced to switch out, giving Masquerain a free turn of setup.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Stealth Rock is the best way to keep Masquerain in check. Having 50% of its maximum HP torn away just for switching in is a huge problem for the bug, and seriously detracts from its bulk. Rock-type moves are also effective, as Golem can KO the bulkiest Masquerain variant with three hits of Rock Blast even after an Intimidate. Similarly, Regirock will OHKO Masquerain with Stone Edge, no questions asked. The rocky monolith is also quite bulky, and can stand up to Masquerain's boosted attacks rather well. Outspeeding Masquerain is also quite easy; the QuiverPass set only reaches 236 Speed after one boost, so it can be outsped and KOed by the vast majority of sweepers in NU. However, you must act quickly when faced with QuiverPass Masquerain; respond before it becomes too fast, powerful, and bulky, or it might pull off a game-ending pass or sweep. Cryogonal is an excellent check, as it outspeeds Masquerain at +1, is bulky enough to tank its attacks—even after a few boosts—and heal any damage taken with Recover, can neutralize its boosts with Haze, and has a powerful super effective Ice Beam with which to scare Masquerain away. Miltank Speed-ties with +1 Masquerain, can threaten to paralyze it with Body Slam, and has Milk Drink and good special bulk with which to take it on. Swellow and Choice Band Braviary—the dreaded birds of NU—both outspeed Masquerain, can effortlessly OHKO it with Brave Bird, and also resist Bug Buzz, making the two excellent checks. In Swellow's case, even +3 Masquerain is outsped.</p>
<p>Most Choice Scarf users make short work of Masquerain. Sawk can survive a hit if needed with its Sturdy ability and shred the bug with Stone Edge. Rotom-S has powerful Electric-type moves, namely Volt Switch and Thunderbolt, to sizzle it with. Rotom-S can also Trick a Choice Scarf onto Masquerain and render it completely useless, unable to set up or Baton Pass boosts. Magmortar is able to OHKO +1 Masquerain with its Life Orb set, and resists Bug Buzz; with Stealth Rock support, Fire Blast will OHKO the bug without fail, even at +5 Special Defense. Absol's Life Orb-boosted Sucker Punch can KO Masquerain with Stealth Rock support, but it must watch out for Bug Buzz. Wartortle has great special bulk and can erase Masquerain's boosts with Haze. Misdreavus resists Bug Buzz, can prevent Masquerain from setting up or passing with Taunt, and can burn the bug with Will-O-Wisp, slashing its longevity drastically. Finally, Jynx can cause trouble for Masquerain, as it outspeeds the QuiverPass set even after one boost, can disarm it with Lovely Kiss, and threatens it with a powerful STAB Ice Beam.</p>
