taken over from Gay Bird.
[OVERVIEW]
* Porygon2 is one of the bulkiest Pokemon in the VGC17 metagame.
* Access to Eviolite gives it a major boost to its defenses, making it nearly impossible to OHKO, even with most Fighting attacks.
* Normal typing is amazing, given its lack of weaknesses and the rarity of Fighting-types in the metagame.
* Its good Special Attack lets it deal a decent amount of damage as well, threatening Pokemon that are weak to its coverage moves.
* Porygon2 also offers the ability to set up Trick Room, allowing the numerous slower Pokemon in VGC17 to thrive alongside it.
* It should be noted that although Porygon2 is one of the best, if not the best Trick Room user, there are other Pokemon that can fill this role more effectively, such as Mimikyu and Oranguru depending on the team.
* Overall, Porygon2 is one of the strongest and most popular tanks in the metagame and is something that every team needs to prepare for.
[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunderbolt / Return / Toxic
move 4: Recover
item: Eviolite
ability: Download
nature: Sassy
evs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 188 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Porygon2's Trick Room is metagame defining. Porygon2's bulk and the relative lack of speed control in the metagame make it a move that you should always have on your Porygon2.
* Ice Beam is used to threaten Garchomp and Salamence and is in general an excellent attacking move.
* Thunderbolt can hit Water- and Flying-types, most notably Gyarados, Araquanid, and some Celesteela, which would otherwise use Porygon2 as setup fodder or simply beat it out with high-powered attacks.
* Return can be used as an alternative coverage move. While it may seem silly, it takes advantage of Download's otherwise useless Attack boosts. With an Attack boost, Return can 2HKO Tapu Lele and similarly bulky Pokemon, and it helps Porygon2 against Snarl Arcanine.
* Toxic is invaluable against other Porygon2 and other annoyingly bulky Pokemon such as Gastrodon. Once poisoned, these Pokemon are much easier to take down by Porygon2's teammates, as Recover fails to keep up with Toxic damage eventually.
* Recover is used to give Porygon2 more longevity, allowing it to sponge Z-moves, set up Trick Room more than once per game, and so on.
Set Details
========
* Eviolite is a staple because of Porygon2's not-fully-evolved status, giving it its absurd defenses. There is absolutely no reason to give Porygon2 another item.
* Download allows Porygon2 to OHKO Garchomp without Assault Vest if it gets a Special Attack boost or 2HKO Tapu Lele with Return and an Attack boost. Furthermore, while favorable Download boosts are great when they happen, Porygon2 does not necessarily need it because of its coverage with Ice Beam alone and its already respectable Special Attack stat.
* The nature and EV spread allow Porygon2 to survive Golduck's Hydro Vortex in the rain, plus a Scald from Pelipper, depending on the nature combination from the two of them. This is important to properly check the combination of the two; the idea is to survive the two attacks, set up Trick Room, and then Recover. The rest is dumped into Defense to balance out its bulk.
* The HP number hits 191, which makes it take less damage from Sandstorm and Burn damage.
* Sassy plus 0 Speed IVs is used to be as slow as possible under Trick Room.
* A Calm nature can also be used, particularly to outspeed Pokemon like Adamant Araquanid to help check them outside of Trick Room.
Usage Tips
========
* Porygon2's bulk means it can survive being double-targeted by almost anything, provided you maintain its health with Recover. It's often best to put Porygon2 in the back of your team during team selection, because with Porygon2's bulk, you essentially have a switch-in for almost any attack.
* Porygon2 makes a good lead as well if your opponent is particularly weak to Trick Room tactics.
* It's relatively safe to Earthquake into Porygon2 with your own Pokemon because of its absurd bulk and Recover; just be aware of the extra damage it'll be taking.
* Be careful in situations where both you and your opponent have Porygon2 or Trick Room users; using Trick Room twice, even if your opponent uses it, will cancel it out. There isn't a definite answer as to what to do in this situation; just be aware that it can be an awkward and somewhat dangerous position to be in.
Team Options
========
* Porygon2 is VGC17's yes man. It fits onto almost any team because of its insane bulk and decent offense, so if you're wondering what to put in your 6th slot on a team, try Porygon2.
* Porygon2 benefits slow Pokemon that thrive in Trick Room, so Pokemon such as Gigalith, Mudsdale, Alolan Marowak, and Araquanid are all great options.
* Torkoal in particular boasts a powerful Eruption and the lowest Speed stat in the metagame to take full advantage of Trick Room. Porygon2 can also eliminate Garchomp with Ice Beam, which would otherwise survive and OHKO with Tectonic Rage.
* Hariyama stands out as a dedicated Trick Room partner, as it has access to Fake Out, which prevents Taunt or Roar users from halting a Trick Room setup. Incineroar works similarly well as a Fake Out user given its powerful signature Z-move, Malicious Moonsault, Flare Blitz, and access to Taunt to prevent Trick Room from being reversed.
* Tapu Fini is a strong partner, as it can protect Porygon2 from Toxic and checks Fighting-types. It also helps against Arcanine, which would otherwise sit in front of Porygon2 and Snarl, and it can even use Swagger on Porygon2 to boost Return's damage output. Swagger's confusion is a nonissue here because of Misty Terrain; just be careful about using it if another guardian deity could switch in and change the terrain.
* The other guardian deities can be good partners as well, to turn off Misty Terrain so Porygon2 can Toxic defensive threats. Tapu Koko can also strengthen Porygon2's Thunderbolt, while Tapu Lele, particularly Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, checks Hariyama and Pheromosa comfortably.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Blizzard could be used instead of Ice Beam when using Alolan Ninetales or Vanilluxe on the same team. However, even with either of those Pokemon, Ice Beam is the more consistent option.
* Discharge is a good Electric attack to hit Water-types through Lightning Rod, and it has a nice 30% chance to paralyze. However, this can be counterproductive with Trick Room, and is much weaker than the single-target Thunderbolt.
* Shadow Ball is an option to hit Alolan Marowak and chunk Tapu Lele and Metagross comfortably, but it is otherwise outclassed by other attacking options.
* Tri Attack is a good STAB option, but it is still outclassed by Thunderbolt and Ice Beam in terms of damage. Return is also more useful if Download gives an Attack boost.
* Protect can be an unexpected move and prevents Porygon2 from being double targeted. For any other situation, Recover is the better option.
* Quiet or Modest natures can be used to make Porygon2 more offensive and allow Ice Beam to OHKO Garchomp reliably.
* Analytic offers more consistent damage output, especially if Porygon2 is using both Toxic and Ice Beam. In other situations, the potential Special Attack boost from Download outweighs the damage output from Analytic.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Strong Fighting-types, including Hariyama, Pheromosa, and Buzzwole, can strip Porygon2 of upwards of 70% of its HP, if not OHKO it with All-Out Pummeling or Guts-boosted attacks.
**Arcanine**: Arcanine can use Roar to stop Trick Room, but it can also comfortably spam Snarl into Porygon2 provided it doesn't have Toxic. With lowered Special Attack, Porygon2 can safely be ignored and is essentially forced to switch to maintain offensive presence.
**Slower Pokemon**: Slow Pokemon that can easily take advantage of Trick Room make Porygon2 think twice about setting Trick Room. Gigalith and Snorlax are two such Pokemon, threatening huge damage under Trick Room. Snorlax in particular can wall Toxic-less Porygon2, especially if it has Recycle with its Gluttony and Figy Berry combination. It is also relatively free to set up multiple Curses, or even a Belly Drum, in front of Porygon2.
**Taunt and Roar**: Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Krookodile, Mandibuzz, and other Taunt users can halt Trick Room and prevent Porygon2 from Recovering. Similarly, Roar forces Porygon2 to switch out before setting up Trick Room, forcing it to switch back in for another attempt. Arcanine is by far the most common user of Roar, but Whirlwind from Mandibuzz works in the same fashion.
**Toxic and Leech Seed**: Because Porygon2 can take so many hits, Toxic can be used in order to wear it down without attacking it, forcing it to Recover repeatedly or switch out to reset Toxic's timer. Other Porygon2 and Gastrodon are the most common users. Celesteela can wall out Porygon2, especially if it doesn't have Thunderbolt, with Leech Seed and Protect. Celesteela can also make good use of Toxic, making it a great way to stall out Porygon2.
**Knock Off**: Pokémon such as Alolan Muk and Hariyama can use Knock Off to remove Porygon2's Eviolite, lowering its defenses considerably.
[OVERVIEW]
* Porygon2 is one of the bulkiest Pokemon in the VGC17 metagame.
* Access to Eviolite gives it a major boost to its defenses, making it nearly impossible to OHKO, even with most Fighting attacks.
* Normal typing is amazing, given its lack of weaknesses and the rarity of Fighting-types in the metagame.
* Its good Special Attack lets it deal a decent amount of damage as well, threatening Pokemon that are weak to its coverage moves.
* Porygon2 also offers the ability to set up Trick Room, allowing the numerous slower Pokemon in VGC17 to thrive alongside it.
* It should be noted that although Porygon2 is one of the best, if not the best Trick Room user, there are other Pokemon that can fill this role more effectively, such as Mimikyu and Oranguru depending on the team.
* Overall, Porygon2 is one of the strongest and most popular tanks in the metagame and is something that every team needs to prepare for.
[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunderbolt / Return / Toxic
move 4: Recover
item: Eviolite
ability: Download
nature: Sassy
evs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 188 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Porygon2's Trick Room is metagame defining. Porygon2's bulk and the relative lack of speed control in the metagame make it a move that you should always have on your Porygon2.
* Ice Beam is used to threaten Garchomp and Salamence and is in general an excellent attacking move.
* Thunderbolt can hit Water- and Flying-types, most notably Gyarados, Araquanid, and some Celesteela, which would otherwise use Porygon2 as setup fodder or simply beat it out with high-powered attacks.
* Return can be used as an alternative coverage move. While it may seem silly, it takes advantage of Download's otherwise useless Attack boosts. With an Attack boost, Return can 2HKO Tapu Lele and similarly bulky Pokemon, and it helps Porygon2 against Snarl Arcanine.
* Toxic is invaluable against other Porygon2 and other annoyingly bulky Pokemon such as Gastrodon. Once poisoned, these Pokemon are much easier to take down by Porygon2's teammates, as Recover fails to keep up with Toxic damage eventually.
* Recover is used to give Porygon2 more longevity, allowing it to sponge Z-moves, set up Trick Room more than once per game, and so on.
Set Details
========
* Eviolite is a staple because of Porygon2's not-fully-evolved status, giving it its absurd defenses. There is absolutely no reason to give Porygon2 another item.
* Download allows Porygon2 to OHKO Garchomp without Assault Vest if it gets a Special Attack boost or 2HKO Tapu Lele with Return and an Attack boost. Furthermore, while favorable Download boosts are great when they happen, Porygon2 does not necessarily need it because of its coverage with Ice Beam alone and its already respectable Special Attack stat.
* The nature and EV spread allow Porygon2 to survive Golduck's Hydro Vortex in the rain, plus a Scald from Pelipper, depending on the nature combination from the two of them. This is important to properly check the combination of the two; the idea is to survive the two attacks, set up Trick Room, and then Recover. The rest is dumped into Defense to balance out its bulk.
* The HP number hits 191, which makes it take less damage from Sandstorm and Burn damage.
* Sassy plus 0 Speed IVs is used to be as slow as possible under Trick Room.
* A Calm nature can also be used, particularly to outspeed Pokemon like Adamant Araquanid to help check them outside of Trick Room.
Usage Tips
========
* Porygon2's bulk means it can survive being double-targeted by almost anything, provided you maintain its health with Recover. It's often best to put Porygon2 in the back of your team during team selection, because with Porygon2's bulk, you essentially have a switch-in for almost any attack.
* Porygon2 makes a good lead as well if your opponent is particularly weak to Trick Room tactics.
* It's relatively safe to Earthquake into Porygon2 with your own Pokemon because of its absurd bulk and Recover; just be aware of the extra damage it'll be taking.
* Be careful in situations where both you and your opponent have Porygon2 or Trick Room users; using Trick Room twice, even if your opponent uses it, will cancel it out. There isn't a definite answer as to what to do in this situation; just be aware that it can be an awkward and somewhat dangerous position to be in.
Team Options
========
* Porygon2 is VGC17's yes man. It fits onto almost any team because of its insane bulk and decent offense, so if you're wondering what to put in your 6th slot on a team, try Porygon2.
* Porygon2 benefits slow Pokemon that thrive in Trick Room, so Pokemon such as Gigalith, Mudsdale, Alolan Marowak, and Araquanid are all great options.
* Torkoal in particular boasts a powerful Eruption and the lowest Speed stat in the metagame to take full advantage of Trick Room. Porygon2 can also eliminate Garchomp with Ice Beam, which would otherwise survive and OHKO with Tectonic Rage.
* Hariyama stands out as a dedicated Trick Room partner, as it has access to Fake Out, which prevents Taunt or Roar users from halting a Trick Room setup. Incineroar works similarly well as a Fake Out user given its powerful signature Z-move, Malicious Moonsault, Flare Blitz, and access to Taunt to prevent Trick Room from being reversed.
* Tapu Fini is a strong partner, as it can protect Porygon2 from Toxic and checks Fighting-types. It also helps against Arcanine, which would otherwise sit in front of Porygon2 and Snarl, and it can even use Swagger on Porygon2 to boost Return's damage output. Swagger's confusion is a nonissue here because of Misty Terrain; just be careful about using it if another guardian deity could switch in and change the terrain.
* The other guardian deities can be good partners as well, to turn off Misty Terrain so Porygon2 can Toxic defensive threats. Tapu Koko can also strengthen Porygon2's Thunderbolt, while Tapu Lele, particularly Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, checks Hariyama and Pheromosa comfortably.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Blizzard could be used instead of Ice Beam when using Alolan Ninetales or Vanilluxe on the same team. However, even with either of those Pokemon, Ice Beam is the more consistent option.
* Discharge is a good Electric attack to hit Water-types through Lightning Rod, and it has a nice 30% chance to paralyze. However, this can be counterproductive with Trick Room, and is much weaker than the single-target Thunderbolt.
* Shadow Ball is an option to hit Alolan Marowak and chunk Tapu Lele and Metagross comfortably, but it is otherwise outclassed by other attacking options.
* Tri Attack is a good STAB option, but it is still outclassed by Thunderbolt and Ice Beam in terms of damage. Return is also more useful if Download gives an Attack boost.
* Protect can be an unexpected move and prevents Porygon2 from being double targeted. For any other situation, Recover is the better option.
* Quiet or Modest natures can be used to make Porygon2 more offensive and allow Ice Beam to OHKO Garchomp reliably.
* Analytic offers more consistent damage output, especially if Porygon2 is using both Toxic and Ice Beam. In other situations, the potential Special Attack boost from Download outweighs the damage output from Analytic.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Strong Fighting-types, including Hariyama, Pheromosa, and Buzzwole, can strip Porygon2 of upwards of 70% of its HP, if not OHKO it with All-Out Pummeling or Guts-boosted attacks.
**Arcanine**: Arcanine can use Roar to stop Trick Room, but it can also comfortably spam Snarl into Porygon2 provided it doesn't have Toxic. With lowered Special Attack, Porygon2 can safely be ignored and is essentially forced to switch to maintain offensive presence.
**Slower Pokemon**: Slow Pokemon that can easily take advantage of Trick Room make Porygon2 think twice about setting Trick Room. Gigalith and Snorlax are two such Pokemon, threatening huge damage under Trick Room. Snorlax in particular can wall Toxic-less Porygon2, especially if it has Recycle with its Gluttony and Figy Berry combination. It is also relatively free to set up multiple Curses, or even a Belly Drum, in front of Porygon2.
**Taunt and Roar**: Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Krookodile, Mandibuzz, and other Taunt users can halt Trick Room and prevent Porygon2 from Recovering. Similarly, Roar forces Porygon2 to switch out before setting up Trick Room, forcing it to switch back in for another attempt. Arcanine is by far the most common user of Roar, but Whirlwind from Mandibuzz works in the same fashion.
**Toxic and Leech Seed**: Because Porygon2 can take so many hits, Toxic can be used in order to wear it down without attacking it, forcing it to Recover repeatedly or switch out to reset Toxic's timer. Other Porygon2 and Gastrodon are the most common users. Celesteela can wall out Porygon2, especially if it doesn't have Thunderbolt, with Leech Seed and Protect. Celesteela can also make good use of Toxic, making it a great way to stall out Porygon2.
**Knock Off**: Pokémon such as Alolan Muk and Hariyama can use Knock Off to remove Porygon2's Eviolite, lowering its defenses considerably.
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