TanKing is my bitch!
[Overview]
<p>Nidoqueen is one of the most influential Pokemon in the RU tier. Her unparalleled power, perfect coverage, amazing ability, lack of Life Orb recoil, all in tandem with her good bulk and typing, makes her one of the best special attackers in the tier. When she's not ripping apart the entire opposition, Nidoqueen can set up Stealth Rock and support her teammates. That's not all, Nidoqueen is one of the best offensive users of the move—not only can she force many switches, but she can also 2HKO every spinner in the tier. Despite all of these advantages, Nidoqueen does have a major flaw: her mediocre Speed. Furthermore, her four common weaknesses make her easy to revenge kill. As long as you can overcome her flaws, Nidoqueen will always pull her weight by destroying defensive cores and setting up Stealth Rock.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Sludge Wave / Stealth Rock
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Nidoqueen's most effective set. With maximum Special Attack investment, a Modest nature, Sheer Force, and a Life Orb, she has the equivalent of 461 Special Attack. This monstrous power coupled with her perfect neutral coverage means that with the right prediction, the majority of RU can be 2HKOed. Earth Power is her main STAB that destroys anything that does not resist it, while a Fire-type move is the best option to deal with Grass-, Bug-, Steel-, and Ice-types, such as Cryogonal, Escavalier, Rotom-C, and Ferroseed. Fire Blast is preferred for its greater power, but Flamethrower can be used for its perfect accuracy and higher PP. The next piece of Nidoqueen's impeccable coverage is Thunderbolt, which allows Nidoqueen to get past Water- and Flying-types, such as Slowking, Mandibuzz, Aerodactyl, and Moltres. Sludge Wave is useful as it eases prediction, 2HKOes Uxie (after Stealth Rock damage) and Mesprit, and provides decent neutral coverage. Furthermore, Nidoqueen can 2HKO most of her checks with Sludge Wave followed with a coverage move. For example, Slowking can be 2HKOed with a combination of Sludge Wave and Thunderbolt. Stealth Rock is also a good option to support Nidoqueen's team, as she will find many opportunities to set up on the many switches she forces.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Maximum Special Attack and a Modest nature is required to hit as hard as possible. Maximum Speed investment allows Nidoqueen to outspeed max Speed Absol and minimum Speed Cryogonal, while the remaining EVs are dumped into HP. A Timid nature can be used to outspeed many important Pokemon, such as max Speed base 80s, max Speed Jolly Smeargle, 156 Speed Klinklang, and max Speed Feraligatr. However, it is worth noting that the power loss is quite noticeable, turning several OHKOes and 2HKOes into 2HKOes and 3HKOes. Ice Beam hits Dragon-types very hard, OHKOing max HP Druddigon after Stealth Rock, Altaria and Fraxure unconditionally, and 2HKOing Dragonair. Focus Blast can be used to 2HKO Clefable and Munchlax, but its low accuracy makes it undesirable. Shadow Ball is the only move Nidoqueen learns that can 2HKO support Gardevoir and Misdreavus, however rare they may be, and also deals with Psychic-types, namely Uxie and Mesprit. Substitute is an option to ease prediction against offensive teams, and it works pretty well considering the amount of forced switches. Lastly, a bulkier spread can be used with 96 HP / 244 SpA / 168 Spe and a Modest nature, outspeeding max Speed Jolly Crawdaunt. With 96 HP EVs, Nidoqueen always survives a Fire Blast from Life Orb Moltres and Leaf Storm from Life Orb Sceptile and OHKOes back with Thunderbolt and Fire Blast, respectively.</p>
<p>As with most offensive Pokemon, entry hazards are very helpful. Thanks to its ability to force switches and 2HKO every spinner in the tier, Nidoqueen is an excellent offensive pivot. Smeargle, Uxie, Accelgor, and Aerodactyl can all set up hazards and synergize well with Nidoqueen. Smeargle works well because it can use Explosion to bring Nidoqueen in safely. Uxie, Accelgor, and Aerodactyl have decent synergy with Nidoqueen, resisting one or more of her weaknesses. Partners that can handle the Pokemon that outspeed Nidoqueen are valuable. Slowking is a good example as it resists three of Nidoqueen's weaknesses, while Nidoqueen can take care of Electric-types that threaten Slowking. Aerodactyl is another great partner as it can take out the majority of Fire-types that force her out, while also revenge killing threats such as Sceptile, Rotom-C, Sigilyph, and Uxie.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Nidoqueen can run a defensive set with a Bold nature and an EV spread of 252 HP / 132 Def / 126 SpD. Earth Power, Fire Punch, Ice Beam, and Stealth Rock provide the highest level of utility and coverage, and the EV spread means she can check a decent number of threats, such as Manectric, Galvantula, Electivire, and Choice-locked Fighting-type attacks. A set utilizing a Choice Scarf can be used for its surprise factor, but other than that, she is outclassed as a Choice Scarf user by Pokemon with better Speed, power, and STAB moves. Lastly, Toxic Spikes can be used over Stealth Rock, but in a tier filled with Poison-types, particularly opposing Nidoqueen, you will rarely manage to keep them up for longer than a few turns. However, if you can remove opposing Poison-types from play, then Toxic Spikes can be very useful, affecting many dangerous Pokemon, such as Entei, Cofagrigus, and Sceptile.</p>
[Check and Counters]
<p>Nidoqueen only has a handful of counters, but plenty of checks. Clefable and Munchlax are the only true counters she has in RU, as aside from Focus Blast, they are not 2HKOed by any of her moves; in return they can wear her down with Seismic Toss and Body Slam, respectively. Lickilicky, Misdreavus, and Gardevoir can wall Nidoqueen and kill her with Body Slam, Shadow Ball, and Psychic, respectively. Slowking and Cryogonal can switch into half of Nidoqueen's moveset and deal great damage back, if not OHKO her. Other than that, anything that can switch into her attacks and hit her super effectively will do the trick. Moltres, Entei, Aerodactyl, Uxie, Mesprit, Sigilyph, Sceptile, Rotom-C, Gallade, and Kabutops are all great examples of this. Moltres can switch into Earth Power, Fire Blast, and Stealth Rock, and proceed to deal huge damage with Fire Blast, Entei can switch into Fire Blast, Thunderbolt, and Stealth Rock, and OHKO Nidoqueen with Flare Blitz, and Aerodactyl can switch into Earth Power, Fire Blast, Sludge Wave, and Stealth Rock, and threaten her with Earthquake. Uxie can switch into anything apart from Sludge Wave and 2HKO Nidoqueen with Psychic or Zen Headbutt, while Mesprit can threaten Nidoqueen with Psychic or Psyshock. Rotom-C can switch into anything bar Fire Blast and Sludge Wave and hit hard with Leaf Storm. Offensive Gallade can switch into any non-STAB move that Nidoqueen carries and OHKO back with Zen Headbutt. Finally, Kabutops can switch into Fire Blast, Sludge Wave, and Stealth Rock and threaten back with Aqua Jet or Waterfall.</p>
