Overview
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Thanks to its sky high base 125 Special Attack and 90 / 90 / 85 defenses, Moltres is one of the most fearsome Pokemon in RU. When it's given the right support, Moltres is capable of OHKOing or 2HKOing the entire tier with its powerful STAB moves. It's also able to boost its middling Speed to absurd levels with Agility to become an even deadlier sweeper. Moltres isn't limited to offense; it can run a defensive moveset to take advantage of its above average defenses, great typing, great ability in Pressure, and access to reliable recovery in Roost. Moltres should always have Rapid Spin or Defog support because of its weakness to Stealth Rock. Moltres also has common Rock-, Water-, and Electric-type weaknesses. Despite its flaws, Moltres is a lethal attacker that should never be overlooked.
Life Orb Attacker
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name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Roost
ability: Pressure
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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This is arguably the best Moltres set in RU; its power, versatility, and coverage are qualities that set it apart from the tier's offensive Pokemon. Fire Blast is Moltres's most useful STAB move, as it's capable of hitting a majority of the tier for large amounts of damage. Hurricane is Moltres's secondary STAB move that hits most things for great damage and covers most of the Pokemon that resist Fire Blast. Hidden Power Grass rounds out Moltres's coverage, and allows Moltres to hit Ground-, Water-, and Rock-types for super effective damage. Roost is handy, enabling Moltres to recover from Stealth Rock and Life Orb damage as well as resisted hits, increasing its longevity.
Set Details
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A Timid nature and maximum EV investment in Special Attack and Speed ensures that Moltres will hit as hard and fast as possible. It's also possible to give Moltres a Modest nature but it won't be able to outspeed Pokemon such as Rotom-C that it would normally. Life Orb adds to Moltres's exceptional power and is useful for ensuring Fire Blast and Hurricane attain crucial KOs. The 4 EVs in Defense instead of in HP will allow Moltres to switch into Stealth Rock twice without being KOed.
Usage Tips
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Because of Moltres's Fire / Flying typing, it loses 50% of its health every time it switches into Stealth Rock, which means Moltres should always be paired with a Pokemon who can remove entry hazards. Moltres also needs a teammate that can set hazards up as they are crucial to secure numerous OHKOs and 2HKOs. For example, after Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes, Assault Vest Slowking is 2HKOed by Hurricane.
Team Options
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Moltres needs a teammate that can clear the field of hazards because Stealth Rock cuts its health in half every time it switches in. Hitmonlee is RU's best offensive spinner because of its incredibly strong STAB move High Jump Kick, which allows Hitmonlee to eliminate hazard setters like Rhyperior and Druddigon. Shiftry is another Pokemon that shares great synergy with Moltres because of its ability to clear the field of all hazards with Defog, and at the same time, challenge Moltres's biggest counters, which are the tier's bulky Water-type Pokemon. Giving Moltres hazard support is just as important as pairing it with a teammate who can remove hazards. Druddigon is one of the best Pokemon to consider for a hazard supporting role, as with its great bulk and Dragon-typing, it's able to absorb Water- and Electric-type attacks aimed at Moltres. Druddigon is no sitting duck; it has a huge base 120 Attack and a plethora of moves that can take advantage of its sky-high Attack. Zoroark is another great option because of its ability to challenge Moltres's counters with its powerful attacks such as Knock Off, Grass Knot, Flamethrower, and Sucker Punch. Grass Knot allows it to beat Rock-, Water-, and Ground-type switch-ins and Knock Off devastates everything else. It's also able to masquerade as Moltres thanks to its ability, Illusion, and can confuse the opponent longer through the use of Flamethrower. Also, a Pokemon that can spread paralysis can also be very useful and it would make it possible for Moltres to beat Pokemon such as Cobalion, Virizion, and Delphox that outspeed it.
Agility
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name: Agility
move 1: Hurricane
move 2: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 3: Agility
move 4: Roost / Hidden Power Grass
ability: Pressure
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
evs: 104 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 148 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
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Agility is an extremely useful supporting move that enables Moltres to increase its base 90 Speed stat. After one boost, Moltres's Speed is propelled to an insane 506, which allows it to outspeed everything up to Choice Scarf base 105 Speed Pokemon. Flamethrower is used over Fire Blast because this set is mainly for mid- or late-game sweeping, which means Moltres can't afford to miss. Also, around that time in the game, most of the opponent's Pokemon would be weakened, so Flamethrower would clean up nicely. However, if you prefer the extra power, Fire Blast can be used over Flamethrower. Hurricane is Moltres's other insanely strong STAB attack that rounds out Moltres's near-perfect coverage. Roost is used to recover HP lost from resisted hits, Life Orb recoil, and Stealth Rock damage. Hidden Power Grass is a viable option over Roost, which allows Moltres to pick off weakened Water-, Rock-, and Ground-type Pokemon.
Set Details
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Maximum Special Attack, a Modest nature, and a Life Orb ensure Moltres hits as hard as possible. This moveset only recommends 148 Speed EVs because that's all the investment that's necessary for Moltres to outspeed the entire tier after using Agility. The rest of the EV investment was placed into HP for a little bulk. You can always use a 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe spread if you want Moltres to outspeed Pokemon like Hitmonlee and non-Choice Scarf Rotom-C. Be wary of Rock- and bulky Water-type Pokemon like Slowking and Lanturn because they can wall this set. There's no need to ever run a positive Speed nature since you'll be increasing your speed with Agility. The extra Speed may be nice but the drop off in power is noticeable.
Usage Tips
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This moveset functions just like the all-out attacking Life Orb moveset. The goal is to blast the opposing Pokemon with Moltres's extremely powerful STAB attacks after boosting Moltres's Speed with Agility. This moveset is best when used mid- or late-game, or after most of Moltres's checks and counters have been eliminated. For example, you would switch Moltres in on a resisted Grass-type attack from a Pokemon Moltres forces out, then boost its Speed with Agility as your opponent switches. It's also possible to masquerade as the conventional Life Orb wall breaking set in order to lure your opponent into a false sense of security. Your opponent is guaranteed to be stumped by this tactic, as their checks would be overwhelmed when matched against Moltres's insane Speed after using Agility.
Team Options
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Support from Substitute + Baton Pass Jolteon can prove to be very useful. With Substitute Moltres is able to avoid status moves and attacks, and set up Agility safely. Both Pokemon share decent synergy as Jolteon only has one weakness, which is to Ground. Moltres is a Flying-type Pokemon and is immune to the Ground-type moves aimed at Jolteon, so thanks to its typing, there's a higher probability Moltres will be passed a Substitute. Rotom-C is a great partner as well as it resists every one of Moltres's weaknesses. It's also able to remove some of Moltres's counters with its Grass- and Electric-type STAB attacks. It can also avoid Ice- and Fire-type attacks through the use of Volt Switch, which is a very effective way to switch Moltres in safely since Moltres can take Ice- and Fire-type attacks well. Moltres always needs a Pokemon that can rid the field of entry hazards. Hitmonlee and Shiftry are amazing offensive hazard removers that can eliminate Moltres's checks and counters and remove Stealth Rock at the same time. Hitmonlee's High Jump Kick is insanely strong and even 2HKOes Pokemon that resist Fighting-type attacks. Shiftry's ability to force out bulky Water-, Rock-, and Ground-type Pokemon with its Grass-type STAB attacks and its overpowered Knock Offs is unmatched.
SubRoost
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name: SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Toxic / Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Roost
ability: Pressure
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 124 Def / 136 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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This moveset is geared to take advantage of Moltres's ability Pressure, its amazing defensive typing, and its decent bulk. Pressure is an exceptional ability for a Pokemon that's used on stall or balanced teams because of its ability to shorten the PP of moves directed at Moltres. Substitute is used to avoid status ailments, but it can also be used in conjunction with Roost to PP stall opposing Pokemon. Moltres is able to wear down opponents with Toxic or cripple physical threats with Will-O-Wisp. Although Toxic is more useful because its passive damage increases every turn, Will-O-Wisp can be used if your team has problem with powerful physical attackers. Flamethrower is used so Moltres is not completely shut down by Taunt or Steel- and Poison-type Pokemon who are immune to Toxic. Roost is a very important part of this set because it allows Moltres to recover HP lost from passive damage and resisted hits.
Set Details
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Pressure is an amazing ability, especially for a set like this one. With Pressure, Moltres is able to limit the amount of PP a Pokemon has, which can prove to be very useful when used with Roost and Substitute. This moveset is difficult for bulky offensive and balanced teams to break through without losing a lot of PP or being crippled by Toxic. Leftovers are essential because they provide Moltres with much needed passive recovery. This moveset is geared to take advantage of Pressure and Moltres's great resistances, in order to Toxic stall the opponent. Moltres is given a Timid nature and 136 Speed EVs in order to outspeed everything up to Adamant Hitmonlee. The rest of the EVs are dumped into HP and Defense to give Moltres as much bulk as possible. The 124 Defense EVs can easily be moved to Special Defense to handle an uninvested Scald from Lanturn or Slowking.
Usage Tips
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Defensive SubRoost Moltres is best if used on a balanced, stall, or semi-stall team. Moltres is fast for a defensive Pokemon so it'll have the advantage against most of the tier's other defensive Pokemon. This is essential for this set because it's built to take advantage of Moltres's ability to PP stall with Pressure and wear down the opponent with Toxic. Moltres can switch in on many common defensive Pokemon such as Aromatisse, Amoonguss, Bronzong, Gligar, and Registeel, and then proceed to Toxic stall the aforementioned Pokemon and more into submission.
Team Options
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Like every Moltres moveset, this one needs a bulky Pokemon who can remove hazards. Hitmontop is a great defensive hazard remover. Hitmontop has great Defense and its ability, Intimidate, helps it when dealing with top-tier physical threats. Intimidate can also make it easier for Moltres to deal with physical threats. Hitmontop's Special Defense is also very high, so it's able to take Electric- and Water-type attacks aimed at Moltres. A powerful Ground-type Pokemon who can set up hazards would also be appreciated because it's able to get rid of Poison-type Pokemon who are immune to Toxic. Dragalge can also be a great supporting teammate because it can take the Water- and Electric-type attacks aimed at Moltres, as well as spread poison around with Toxic Spikes, thus making it easier for Moltres to Pressure stall the opponent. Drapion is also a great option for a defensive Toxic Spikes stacking Pokemon. A Pokemon with the ability to phaze opposing Pokemon is useful too, along with a Toxic Spikes stacking Pokemon and Moltres.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: U-turn
ability: Pressure
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA /252 Spe
nature: Modest / Timid
Moves
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Fire Blast is Moltres's main STAB move that can OHKO or 2HKO most of the tier. Hurricane is its second STAB move that is only resisted by Rock-, Steel-, and Electric-type Pokemon. Flamethrower is a much more reliable STAB which can be used on weakened Pokemon or for a late-game sweep if you can't afford to miss. U-turn is used in order to scout and keep or gain momentum. Roost is also an option but when your opponent realizes you're Choice-locked into it, Moltres becomes setup bait. Tailwind can be a last ditch move that allows Moltres to support its teammates after being KOed.
Set Details
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A Choice Scarf mitigates Moltres's awkward Speed and allows it to beat its normal checks along with its Choice Scarf checks and counters such as Jolteon, Heliosk, Rotom-C, and Cobalion. A Modest nature is preferred over a Timid nature for some extra power, although a Timid nature allows Moltres to outspeed Choice Scarf Rotom-C. U-turn is just a filler move and is used to gain momentum. As it won't be OHKOing anything, nothing wrong with a nature that lowers its Attack.
Usage Tips
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Choice Scarf Moltres can be used as an effective lead Pokemon. Choice Scarf Moltres also holds a bit of surprise factor because most people would assume it's a Life Orb or defensive variant. Its Choice Scarf allows it to get rid of its normal checks and counters, such as Jolteon, Cobalion with Stone Edge, Heliolisk, Virizion with Stone Edge, and Choice Scarf Rotom-C.
Team Options
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Moltres needs Rapid Spin support for every set it runs because of its severe weakness to Stealth Rock. Defog support is equally as effective as Rapid Spin is but at the cost of your own entry hazards. Hitmonlee is RU's best offensive spinner and does a great job of removing this set's counters. Shiftry can also be considered because it can eliminate the opposing teams bulky Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types that can cause huge problems for this moveset. Hazard support is a necessity as well. Druddigon is a good teammate because it can eat the Water- and Electric-type moves that Moltres can't handle. Cobalion is also a great option that offers great hazard support with Stealth Rock and provides a nice Rock-type resist. Spikes-stacking Pokemon such as Qwilfish, Roselia, and Accelgor are also excellent partners for Moltres. Accelgor and Qwilfish should be utilized on offensive teams as suicide lead support Pokemon. Heliosk and Jolteon are great teammates and they form a nice Volt-Turn core with Moltres because they can effectively switch into the others counters.
Other Options
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A set utilizing Sunny Day with Solar Beam could prove to be useful; this would allow Moltres to get past its biggest counters with little problems. Air Slash could be used on the Life Orb and Agility sets for greater accuracy but at the cost of a drop in power. Tailwind is also an interesting move that could allow Moltres to boost its teammates' Speed late game to ensure a win. Choice Specs is another option, it's used the same way as the Life Orb moveset just without the option of switching moves.
Checks & Counters
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**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock is Moltres's biggest counter because it rips 50% of its health every time it switches in.
**Bulky Water-type Pokemon**: Lanturn, Slowking, and Jellicent are also huge checks, they remain at the top of its check list because they are able to avoid being 2HKOed or 3HKOed by Moltres's Hidden Power Grass. They can also hit Moltres hard with Scald.
**Specially Defensive Rhyperior**: Despite being 2HKOed by Hidden Power Grass Rhyperior can still serve as a decent Moltres check. Rhyperior resist both of Moltres's STAB attacks and is able to KO Moltres with Rock Blast or Stone Edge.
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Both Jolteon and Heliosk outspeed and KO Moltres with their STAB Thunderbolt. Choice Scarf Rotom-C can also outspeed and KO Moltres with Thunderbolt.
**Strong Priority Abusing Pokemon**: Moltres resist Mach Punch so there's no problem there. However Pokemon that abuse Aqua Jet are able to KO Moltres or deal a huge amount of damage to Moltres. Sucker Punch users can be a problem for the Choice Scarfed moveset but are otherwise susceptible to being PP stalled with the use of Roost, Toxic, or Substitute.
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