QC: WhiteDMist / Anty / TONE114
GP: GatoDelFuego + Ununhexium / The Dutch Plumberjack
Skeleton by: BadPandaPancham
[OVERVIEW]
Raticate has access to the deadly Guts + STAB Facade combination, making it a powerful sweeper. Guts makes Raticate unable to be crippled by burn or paralysis, while Facade receives a STAB boost and doubles in Base Power when Raticate is inflicted with a status condition. However, Raticate is outclassed by Quick Feet Ursaring, which hits a higher Speed tier and isn't completely walled by Rock- and Steel-types. Although it is partially outclassed, Raticate has a few niches that separate it from Ursaring, including access to U-turn, which gives your team momentum, and Sucker Punch, which has priority if the foe was about to use an attacking move. That said, a mediocre Attack stat, bad defensive stats, and an average Speed stat limit Raticate's potential for sweeping and cleaning up.
[SET]
name: Offense
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Facade
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Protect / Swords Dance
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
U-turn allows Raticate to keep momentum for the team. Facade inflicts heavy damage due its STAB and Guts boosts. Sucker Punch allows Raticate to move first against faster targets, as its base 97 Speed stat isn't too great, and hits Ghost-types immune to Facade. Crunch is an alternative to Sucker Punch to remove the need to predict around Ghost-types such as Gourgeist-XL and Misdreavus, but it comes at the cost of the chance to attack first. Protect allows Raticate to freely activate Toxic Orb without taking damage or if it is unable to KO a Pokemon the first turn without Guts activated. Swords Dance allows Raticate to bluff a Protect or freely set up on a forced switch, as a base 81 Attack stat doesn't allow it to truly unlock it's true potential in sweeping and wallbreaking. Revenge could be used to hit common Rock-, Ice- and Steel-types on the switch such as Probopass, Golem, Piloswine, and Avalugg.
Set Details
========
252 EVs invested in Speed ensures that Raticate outspeeds as much as possible, including base 95 Speed Pokemon such as Sawsbuck. Guts is chosen over Hustle to take advantage of its synergy with Facade. Toxic Orb is ran over Flame Orb because the first two turns of Toxic deal less damage to Raticate than a burn. A Jolly nature is chosen over an Adamant nature to take advantage of Raticate's higher Speed stat that Ursaring doesn't have.
Usage Tips
========
Take advantage of Guts by switching into moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp and using them to Raticate's advantage. Be wary of switching Raticate in on possible attacks, however, as Raticate is not only very frail but it takes damage from its status. Watch out for Steel- and Rock-types. as Raticate cannot do very much damage to them; it's good to U-turn or switch out into a Pokemon with a favorable match up unless Raticate is set up and the opposing Steel- and Rock-types have taken damage. Try to activate Raticate Toxic Orb as soon as possible without having to take a hit, as it is very weak without the boost, which can be done by using Protect, revenge killing a foe, forcing a switch, or having a teammate bringing Raticate in with a pivoting move such as U-turn. Although Raticate has Sucker Punch, be careful of Pokemon with priority moves such as Piloswine and Carracosta, as Raticate is very frail. Many people assume Raticate will use Protect, so use this to your advantage when it comes to predicting and use Swords Dance as Pokemon such as Roselia and Fraxure are forced out.
Team Options
========
Any Pokemon with Spikes or Stealth Rock such as Roselia, Whirlipede, Quilladin, Piloswine, Golem, or Probopass will allow Raticate to KO Pokemon with Sturdy and KO other Pokemon, such as Avalugg more easily, as a +2 Raticate with Facade knocks it out after Stealth Rock damage. Raticate has trouble with Steel-, Rock-, and bulky Ghost-types such as Misdreavus, making Piloswine and Poliwrath great teammates. The only type of team you would put Raticate on is on a VoltTurn team, so a Pokemon such as Raichu and Purugly pairs well with Raticate. Slow pivots such as Pelipper are also great for absorbing damage and allowing Raticate to get its Toxic Orb activated for free. Stallbreaker Misdreavus and Raticate make a great pairing, as Misdreavus can counter or check Pokemon that wall Raticate such as Avalugg, Golem, and Gourgeist. Misdreavus can burn opposing physical attackers as well as walls to wither them down, allowing Raticate to clean up easily, as well as Taunt walls to make sure they cannot use utility moves. Carry a Pokemon with Rapid Spin or Defog, as Raticate will be switching in and out often and therefore taking lots of entry hazard damage, making Pokemon such as Armaldo, Togetic, Swanna, Vullaby, and Avalugg great teammates. Kricketune and Leavanny are great on teams with Raticate because Sticky Web allows Raticate to outspeed almost all grounded Pokemon in the tier. Wallbreakers such as Marowak and Simipour help to weaken the enemy team so that Raticate to come in and clean up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Super Fang allows Raticate to cripple walls more easily, while Taunt could be used for more of a supportive utility set. Wild Charge, Zen Headbutt, and Grass Knot could be used to cover Water-, Fighting-, and Rock- type Pokemon such as Carracosta, Poliwrath, and Golem, respectively. Pursuit can be used for trapping and eliminating Pokemon that might switch out Raticate's attack. A Choice Band set with Hustle is not recommended, but when it hits, it packs a punch.
Checks & Counters
========
**Rock- and Steel-types**: Raticate can't really damage Rock- and Steel-types at all, with the exception of Pokemon such as Metang, which could still take a Sucker Punch anyway. Golem is free to do whatever it wants when in on Raticate. The same goes for Barbaracle and Carracosta.
**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon able to outspeed Raticate naturally and Choice Scarf users are able to KO Raticate fairly easily due to how frail it is. These Pokemon include Raichu, Ninetales, and Rotom-F. However, they have to watch out for Sucker Punch.
**Bulky Ghost-types**: Bulky Ghost-types such as Misdreavus and Gourgeist easily stall out Raticate due to Raticate's inability to hit them with Sucker Punch. In addition, Raticate can't set up Swords Dances because of Taunt and takes lots of residual damage from Pokemon such as SubSeed Gourgeist, which behind a Substitute can safely Seed Bomb.
**Physical Walls**: Physical walls, such as Avalugg and Tangela, have no problem absorbing Raticate's attacks. Avalugg can take a Facade from Raticate and hit back with an Avalanche or stall with Recover. Avalugg can also take a Swords Dance-boosted Facade as long as it is over 87% health. Physically defensive Tangela easily tanks a Facade from Raticate and can retaliate with Giga Drain or stall with Leech Seed. A Swords-Dance boosted Facade from Raticate 2HKOes Tangela, however.
**Priority Moves**: Although Raticate has Sucker Punch to predict a priority move, it is susceptible to priority moves such as Aqua Jet, Vacuum Wave, and Ice Shard, as it is very frail.
**Residual Damage**: Raticate is easily worn down by Toxic damage and entry hazards, limiting the amount of turns that it can attack.
**Fighting-types** Fighting-types such as Poliwrath and Machoke can switch on a predicted Sucker Punch, survive a hit from Facade, and KO with their Fighting-type STAB moves.
GP: GatoDelFuego + Ununhexium / The Dutch Plumberjack
Skeleton by: BadPandaPancham
Overview
########
Offense
########
name: Offense
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Facade
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Protect / Swords Dance
ability: Guts
item: Toxic Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
========
========
========
Other Options
########
Checks & Counters
########
**Rock- and Steel-Types**: Raticate can't really damage these types at all, with the exception of Pokemon such as Metang, which could still take a Sucker Punch from Raticate. Golem is free to do whatever he wants when in on a Raticate, same with Barbaracle and Carracosta.
**Choice Scarf Pokemon**: Choice Scarf users are all able to 1v1 Raticate due to, again, his bad defensive stats, such as Tauros and Rotom-F.
**Faster Pokemon**: Common Pokemon with naturally high Speed stats are able to KO Raticate fairly easily due to how frail Raticate is. These Pokemon include, but are not limited to, Scyther, Raichu, Ninetales, etc.
**Bulky Ghost-types**: Bulky Ghost-types such as Misdreavus and Gourgeist easily stall out Raticate due to Raticate being unable to Sucker Punch them, while he can't set up Swords Dances either due to moves like Taunt, and takes high residual damage from moves like SubSeed Gourgeist, who once behind a substitute can safely Seed Bomb.
**Avalugg**: Avalugg can take a Facade from Raticate and hit back with an Avalanche. It can also stall out Raticate with Recover or stack damage with Rocky Helmet plus Toxic Damage. Avalugg can take a Swords Dance boosted Facade as long as it is over 87% healthy.
########
- Access to Guts and STAB Facade
- Guts unable to be crippled by burn or paralysis
- Priority in Sucker Punch
- Faster than Guts Ursaring
- Late-game sweeper
- Raticate pros: U-turn, Sucker Punch, outspeeds Haunter and Sawsbuck, speed ties with Frogadier
- Mediocre Attack stat
- Frail defensive stats
- Average Speed stat limits his potential to late game sweeping or clean up
Offense
########
name: Offense
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Facade
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Protect / Swords Dance
ability: Guts
item: Toxic Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
- U-turn allows Raticate to keep team momentum and also prevent getting burn or toxic damage while still taking advantage of the activated Guts boost
- Facade allows for heavy damage due to the STAB, status, and Guts boosts it gets
- Sucker Punch allows Raticate to move first against faster targets due to it's semi-mediocre base 97 Speed stat and also allows for coverage against Ghost-types
- Crunch is an alternative to Sucker Punch to allow reliable damage without worrying about Ghost-types such as Gourgeist and Misdreavus as much. You still have to sacrifice priority for it though.
- Protect allows Raticate to freely activate Toxic Orb without receiving damage or if it is unable to KO a Pokemon that turn without Guts activated
- Swords Dance allows Raticate to bluff a protect of just freely set up on a prediction due to it's meager base 81 Attack stat, allowing it to truly unlock it's true potential in sweeping and wallbreaking
========
- 252 EVs invested in Speed to ensure Raticate outspeeds as much as possible
- Toxic Orb is ran over Flame Orb due to the first 2 turns of Toxic dealing less damage to Raticate compared to a burn.
- Jolly over Adamant to take advantage of Raticate's higher Speed stat that Ursaring doesn't have
========
- Take advantage of the fact that Raticate can't be crippled by Wil-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave (or moves of the like) by using it to predict moves such as Toxic (note that Thunder Wave cripples Raticate's speed, but it still gets the Guts boost)
- Be wary of switching Raticate in on possible attacks, as Raticate is not only very frail but it takes status damage as well
- Be wary of Steel- and Rock-types as Raticate cannot do very much damage to them; it's good to U-turn or switch out unless you are set up and they have already taken damage
- Try to activate your Toxic Orb as soon as possible without having to take a hit as Raticate is very weak without the boost
- Be wary of common Pokemon with priority moves such as Sneasel, Purugly, Piloswine, etc.
- Take advantage of using U-turn when you have the clear favorable match-up and you can tell your opponent are going to make a switch into a Pokemon that handles Raticate
- A lot of people assume Protect on Raticate. Use this to your advantage when it comes to predicting and you are running Swords Dance
- Activate your Toxic Orb as soon as possible, which can be done even without Protect by revenge killing, forcing switches, or having a teammate with a slow pivot move like U-turn come in after absorbing the damage for Raticate
========
- Carry a Pokemon with hazards such as Spikes (Roselia) or Stealth Rocks (Piloswine/Golem), that way you won't have to worry about sashes and it allows Pokemon to get into KO range easier (+2 Raticate Facade knocks out an Avalugg after Stealth Rock damage, guarantees an OHKO on Tauros, 50% chance to OHKO a Bouffalant after triple stacked Spikes)
- Raticate as trouble with Steel- and Rock-types, and non-offensive Ghost-types such as Misdreavus, making Throh or Piloswine great teammates
- Take advantage of U-turn momentum and build a U-turn or Volt/Turn core with a Pokemon like Raichu, Purugly, or Scyther. Slow pivots such as Pelipper are also great for Raticate to absorb any damage and allow Raticate to get it's Toxic Orb activated for free.
- Stallbreaker Misdreavus and Raticate make a great pairing due to Misdreavus being able to counter or check Pokemon that wall Raticate like Avalugg, Golem, or Gourgeist. Misdreavus can Burn opposing physical attackers as well as walls to wither them down, allowing Raticate to clean up easily, as well as Taunt walls to make sure their utility moves are denied.
- Carry Pokemon with Rapid Spin or Defog as Raticate will be switching in and out, making Pokemon such as Togetic, Swanna, Vullaby, or in some cases Avalugg great teammates
- Kricketune and Ariados are great on teams with Raticate because Sticky Webs allows Raticate to outspeed some Choice Scarf Pokemon and almost all grounded Pokemon in the tier
- Wall breakers such as Scyther and Marowak are great teammates for Raticate because they weaken the enemy team enough for Raticate to come in and clean up
Other Options
########
- Super Fang to cripple walls
- Taunt for more of a supportive utility set
- Wild Charge for bulky Water-types
- Zen Headbutt for Fighting-types
- Grass Knot for Golem/Bastiodon/etc.
- Pursuit for trapping and eliminating Pokemon
- Choice Band Hustle is not recommended, but it can hit hard (when it hits)
Checks & Counters
########
**Rock- and Steel-Types**: Raticate can't really damage these types at all, with the exception of Pokemon such as Metang, which could still take a Sucker Punch from Raticate. Golem is free to do whatever he wants when in on a Raticate, same with Barbaracle and Carracosta.
**Choice Scarf Pokemon**: Choice Scarf users are all able to 1v1 Raticate due to, again, his bad defensive stats, such as Tauros and Rotom-F.
**Faster Pokemon**: Common Pokemon with naturally high Speed stats are able to KO Raticate fairly easily due to how frail Raticate is. These Pokemon include, but are not limited to, Scyther, Raichu, Ninetales, etc.
**Bulky Ghost-types**: Bulky Ghost-types such as Misdreavus and Gourgeist easily stall out Raticate due to Raticate being unable to Sucker Punch them, while he can't set up Swords Dances either due to moves like Taunt, and takes high residual damage from moves like SubSeed Gourgeist, who once behind a substitute can safely Seed Bomb.
**Avalugg**: Avalugg can take a Facade from Raticate and hit back with an Avalanche. It can also stall out Raticate with Recover or stack damage with Rocky Helmet plus Toxic Damage. Avalugg can take a Swords Dance boosted Facade as long as it is over 87% healthy.
[OVERVIEW]
Raticate has access to the deadly Guts + STAB Facade combination, making it a powerful sweeper. Guts makes Raticate unable to be crippled by burn or paralysis, while Facade receives a STAB boost and doubles in Base Power when Raticate is inflicted with a status condition. However, Raticate is outclassed by Quick Feet Ursaring, which hits a higher Speed tier and isn't completely walled by Rock- and Steel-types. Although it is partially outclassed, Raticate has a few niches that separate it from Ursaring, including access to U-turn, which gives your team momentum, and Sucker Punch, which has priority if the foe was about to use an attacking move. That said, a mediocre Attack stat, bad defensive stats, and an average Speed stat limit Raticate's potential for sweeping and cleaning up.
[SET]
name: Offense
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Facade
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Protect / Swords Dance
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
U-turn allows Raticate to keep momentum for the team. Facade inflicts heavy damage due its STAB and Guts boosts. Sucker Punch allows Raticate to move first against faster targets, as its base 97 Speed stat isn't too great, and hits Ghost-types immune to Facade. Crunch is an alternative to Sucker Punch to remove the need to predict around Ghost-types such as Gourgeist-XL and Misdreavus, but it comes at the cost of the chance to attack first. Protect allows Raticate to freely activate Toxic Orb without taking damage or if it is unable to KO a Pokemon the first turn without Guts activated. Swords Dance allows Raticate to bluff a Protect or freely set up on a forced switch, as a base 81 Attack stat doesn't allow it to truly unlock it's true potential in sweeping and wallbreaking. Revenge could be used to hit common Rock-, Ice- and Steel-types on the switch such as Probopass, Golem, Piloswine, and Avalugg.
Set Details
========
252 EVs invested in Speed ensures that Raticate outspeeds as much as possible, including base 95 Speed Pokemon such as Sawsbuck. Guts is chosen over Hustle to take advantage of its synergy with Facade. Toxic Orb is ran over Flame Orb because the first two turns of Toxic deal less damage to Raticate than a burn. A Jolly nature is chosen over an Adamant nature to take advantage of Raticate's higher Speed stat that Ursaring doesn't have.
Usage Tips
========
Take advantage of Guts by switching into moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp and using them to Raticate's advantage. Be wary of switching Raticate in on possible attacks, however, as Raticate is not only very frail but it takes damage from its status. Watch out for Steel- and Rock-types. as Raticate cannot do very much damage to them; it's good to U-turn or switch out into a Pokemon with a favorable match up unless Raticate is set up and the opposing Steel- and Rock-types have taken damage. Try to activate Raticate Toxic Orb as soon as possible without having to take a hit, as it is very weak without the boost, which can be done by using Protect, revenge killing a foe, forcing a switch, or having a teammate bringing Raticate in with a pivoting move such as U-turn. Although Raticate has Sucker Punch, be careful of Pokemon with priority moves such as Piloswine and Carracosta, as Raticate is very frail. Many people assume Raticate will use Protect, so use this to your advantage when it comes to predicting and use Swords Dance as Pokemon such as Roselia and Fraxure are forced out.
Team Options
========
Any Pokemon with Spikes or Stealth Rock such as Roselia, Whirlipede, Quilladin, Piloswine, Golem, or Probopass will allow Raticate to KO Pokemon with Sturdy and KO other Pokemon, such as Avalugg more easily, as a +2 Raticate with Facade knocks it out after Stealth Rock damage. Raticate has trouble with Steel-, Rock-, and bulky Ghost-types such as Misdreavus, making Piloswine and Poliwrath great teammates. The only type of team you would put Raticate on is on a VoltTurn team, so a Pokemon such as Raichu and Purugly pairs well with Raticate. Slow pivots such as Pelipper are also great for absorbing damage and allowing Raticate to get its Toxic Orb activated for free. Stallbreaker Misdreavus and Raticate make a great pairing, as Misdreavus can counter or check Pokemon that wall Raticate such as Avalugg, Golem, and Gourgeist. Misdreavus can burn opposing physical attackers as well as walls to wither them down, allowing Raticate to clean up easily, as well as Taunt walls to make sure they cannot use utility moves. Carry a Pokemon with Rapid Spin or Defog, as Raticate will be switching in and out often and therefore taking lots of entry hazard damage, making Pokemon such as Armaldo, Togetic, Swanna, Vullaby, and Avalugg great teammates. Kricketune and Leavanny are great on teams with Raticate because Sticky Web allows Raticate to outspeed almost all grounded Pokemon in the tier. Wallbreakers such as Marowak and Simipour help to weaken the enemy team so that Raticate to come in and clean up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Super Fang allows Raticate to cripple walls more easily, while Taunt could be used for more of a supportive utility set. Wild Charge, Zen Headbutt, and Grass Knot could be used to cover Water-, Fighting-, and Rock- type Pokemon such as Carracosta, Poliwrath, and Golem, respectively. Pursuit can be used for trapping and eliminating Pokemon that might switch out Raticate's attack. A Choice Band set with Hustle is not recommended, but when it hits, it packs a punch.
Checks & Counters
========
**Rock- and Steel-types**: Raticate can't really damage Rock- and Steel-types at all, with the exception of Pokemon such as Metang, which could still take a Sucker Punch anyway. Golem is free to do whatever it wants when in on Raticate. The same goes for Barbaracle and Carracosta.
**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon able to outspeed Raticate naturally and Choice Scarf users are able to KO Raticate fairly easily due to how frail it is. These Pokemon include Raichu, Ninetales, and Rotom-F. However, they have to watch out for Sucker Punch.
**Bulky Ghost-types**: Bulky Ghost-types such as Misdreavus and Gourgeist easily stall out Raticate due to Raticate's inability to hit them with Sucker Punch. In addition, Raticate can't set up Swords Dances because of Taunt and takes lots of residual damage from Pokemon such as SubSeed Gourgeist, which behind a Substitute can safely Seed Bomb.
**Physical Walls**: Physical walls, such as Avalugg and Tangela, have no problem absorbing Raticate's attacks. Avalugg can take a Facade from Raticate and hit back with an Avalanche or stall with Recover. Avalugg can also take a Swords Dance-boosted Facade as long as it is over 87% health. Physically defensive Tangela easily tanks a Facade from Raticate and can retaliate with Giga Drain or stall with Leech Seed. A Swords-Dance boosted Facade from Raticate 2HKOes Tangela, however.
**Priority Moves**: Although Raticate has Sucker Punch to predict a priority move, it is susceptible to priority moves such as Aqua Jet, Vacuum Wave, and Ice Shard, as it is very frail.
**Residual Damage**: Raticate is easily worn down by Toxic damage and entry hazards, limiting the amount of turns that it can attack.
**Fighting-types** Fighting-types such as Poliwrath and Machoke can switch on a predicted Sucker Punch, survive a hit from Facade, and KO with their Fighting-type STAB moves.
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