[Overview]
<p>Although its dual STABs are notorious for being unresisted, Reshiram's reliance on weather, lack of defensive utility, and susceptibility to hazards make it a lesser player on the Ubers scene. Additionally, the advent of BW2 did Reshiram no
favors; various introductions to the Uber metagame have caused it to become relatively obsolete, the most drastic of which is Kyurem-W. Kyurem-W and Reshiram are tailored to perform similar tasks, but Reshiram's dependence on sun causes it to be, in the minds of many, outclassed. In addition; the introduction of Regenerator
Ho-Oh causes more problems; if Stealth Rock isn't up,
Ho-Oh can now switch into a Choice Specs Draco Meteor and switch out to a resist on the second hit; any other move on the Choice Specs set—save for the uncommon Stone Edge—can be easily weathered by the flaming turkey. Taking into account all of these drawbacks, one might wonder if there
are even reason to consider using
Reshiram in BW2.</p>
<p>However, the transition to BW2 wasn't completely negative for Reshiram. New move tutors give it access to two new toys, Roost and Tailwind, that enable it to step outside of its quintessential nuking role and make it less of a one-trick pony. Reshiram has also brought its excellent repertoire from BW1; after all, the ability to 2HKO the entire game isn't exactly commonplace! These changes allow Reshiram to become a versatile, powerful threat that one would be foolish to dismiss the viability of.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Blue Flare
move 3: Dragon Pulse
move 4: Focus Blast
item: Choice Specs
ability: Turboblaze
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4
SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Reshiram's flagship set from BW1;
carrying Choice Specs pushes Reshiram's power to new heights. Its sun-boosted Blue Flare can 2HKO even the specially defensive behemoth that is Chansey with only minor residual damage; needless to say, more common walls, such as Lugia, Giratina, Groudon, and
252/0 Arceus (with the exception of the rarely seen
Arceus-Water), are blasted to bits by either of Reshiram's potent STABs. Because of this, Reshiram functions as an excellent wallbreaker; under sun, its power is so great that Blue Flare can OHKO Manaphy with no prior damage! That said, Choice Specs Reshiram has its fair share of flaws. A weakness to hazards severely limits Reshiram's ability to switch in and out freely. This is further compounded by its middling Speed, being forced out by a multitude of faster threats. Moreover, the ubiquitous Kyogre can easily stomach a Blue Flare and dampen Reshiram's Fire-type attacks to a mere ember. Overall, though, Choice Specs Reshiram is a powerful wallbreaker that every team needs to be prepared for.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Because it has impeccable STAB coverage, Reshiram's coverage moves take less of a "I need to hit everything for neutral damage" role and more of a "What threats can I hit for super-effective damage?" role. For this reason, Focus Blast is the main coverage option for this set, as it allows Reshiram to wipe the floor with Tyranitar and land a solid hit on Arceus-Rock. Alternatively, one could run Stone Edge to get a solid hit on
Ho-Oh. However, due to the fact that it isn't a guaranteed OHKO, Stone Edge isn't recommended. One could also run Flamethrower over Dragon Pulse for a perfectly accurate Fire STAB. However, Dragon Pulse's lack of a Special Attack drop generally proves itself to be more useful than the extra accuracy of Flamethrower.</p>
<p>Weather is unarguably the most important factor in determining Reshiram's success. As such, Groudon is a mandatory partner. Without control over weather, Reshiram will be rendered ineffective against a large portion of teams due to the ubiquity of rain. Groudon's access to Stealth Rock compounds its usefulness; Choice Specs Reshiram greatly appreciates the presence of entry hazards on the opponent's field because they aid it in breaking through common switch-ins
Ho-Oh—which can no longer switch into Reshiram at 50%—, Kyogre, and Arceus-Rock. Finally, Choice Specs Reshiram's wall-shattering power makes cleaners, such as Darkrai, Mewtwo, and Choice Scarf Palkia, great partners due to their ability to easily sweep through a weakened team.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Blue Flare
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Roost
move 4: Outrage / Stone Edge / Tailwind
item: Life Orb
ability: Turboblaze
nature: Mild / Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252
SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While a Choice Specs set allows Reshiram to destroy stall, this set allows for more flexibility and greater staying power in exchange for a drop in damage output. With its new ability to switch attacks, Reshiram poses a more significant threat to slow, bulky teams, which rely on pivoting to deal with it. This set thrives on forced switches, and against a hyper offense team Reshiram's bulk often won't be enough; it's exceedingly susceptible to getting revenge killed unless it runs Tailwind or Flame Charge.</p>
<p>Due to Reshiram's impeccable two-move coverage, an all-out offensive set is redundant; unfortunately, before BW2 Reshiram lacked the movepool to run an effective
3 Attacks + Support set. BW2 gave Reshiram exactly what it wanted: Roost. With reliable recovery, Reshiram can capitalize on the switches that it causes to get rid of hazard and Life Orb damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set's last moveslot is mainly filler, but the choice that fills it can define the set's potential. Outrage is the primary option, 2HKOing Chansey after Stealth Rock, 2HKOing Ho-Oh, and doing significant damage to Kyogre should Reshiram have already used Draco Meteor. Alternatively, Stone Edge
is usable can be used to OHKO Ho-Oh, but Outrage is still preferable due to its ability to threaten Chansey and Kyogre. The choice of nature is the eternal
speed vs power debate, Reshiram appreciates both of these qualities, but ultimately the choice is personal preference—needless to say, a Modest or a Timid nature should be used with Tailwind.</p>
<p>If one does not require a tertiary attacking move, Tailwind is also viable. Running Tailwind turns Reshiram into a momentum snatcher for its team, setting up on a forced switch and potentially sweeping. Although Modest Reshiram hits 558 Speed—which easily outspeeds most relevant threats—after a Tailwind, a Timid nature is still usable, as there will be times when Reshiram will not have time to use Tailwind. If
Speed is of no concern, one could run an alternative EV spread of 80 Atk / 252 SAtk / 176 Spe, which allows Reshiram to outspeed the fastest commonly seen Ubers Choice Scarf user, Terrakion. However, 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe is generally better, because when Tailwind isn't in effect the loss
in of Speed is noticeable. Running Tailwind also allows Reshiram to support its team; powerful offensive wallbreakers, such as Rayquaza, mixed Zekrom, four attacks Mewtwo, and Lustrous
Orb Palkia, all become far more threatening with their
Speed doubled.</p>
<p>As will always be the case with Reshiram, sun support is mandatory for this set. Without it, Blue Flare will often be gimped by rain. Despite having Roost, Reshiram still appreciates Rapid Spin support, as the more turns spent recovering, the less turns are spent attacking. Entry hazards on the opponent's field are, as always, important. They allow Reshiram to get many of the KOs that it would otherwise miss. Finally, this set also appreciates not only the aforementioned wallbreakers, but a fast cleaner that can take advantage of the holes that Reshiram makes in teams.
provide examples of hazard setters / cleaners that work particularly well w/ reshiram? it's a little vague here</p>
[SET]
name: Flame Charge
move 1: Flame Charge
move 2: Blue Flare
move 3: Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
move 4: Draco Meteor / Outrage / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
ability: Turboblaze
nature: Timid / Hasty
evs: 4 Def / 252
SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Yet another exploitation of Reshiram's natural power and coverage, this set aims to sweep unprepared teams through the use of Flame Charge; frail offensive teams often are simply unable to handle a Reshiram at +1.
After a Flame Charge, Reshiram hits 459
Speed after a Flame Charge, this which allows it to outspeed all relevant non-Choice Scarf Ubers threats, bar Deoxys-S—which does not commonly carry moves which can impede Reshiram—and users of Chlorophyll or Swift Swim. In addition, Flame Charge's chip damage can often make a difference or force a favorable situation. Under sun, Arceus-Rock can be KOed by the combination of Flame Charge and Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock; Ferrothorn or Forretress in sunlight are forced to switch, and Reshiram gets the Speed boost either way.</p>
<p>However, common Choice Scarf users, such as Terrakion and Palkia, can still outspeed and revenge kill +1 Reshiram; despite this, Genesect, another common Choice Scarf user, while still outspeeding Reshiram, is unable to revenge kill it without sacrificing itself with Explosion.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>There are two main variants of Flame Charge Reshiram: mixed and special. If one decides to go mixed (i.e. use Outrage or Stone Edge in the last slot), then one of Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse has to be forgone. Draco Meteor has much higher power, allowing it to take out Choice Scarf Kyogre more easily, but its Special Attack drop is somewhat counter-intuitive with the sweeping—as opposed to nuking—nature of this set. If one chooses to run Draco Meteor, it's recommended that Outrage is run in the last slot to have a moderately powerful Dragon-type STAB on hand. Stone Edge makes another appearance, and is, again, solely for taking Ho-Oh
out in a single hit, as it would otherwise be a pest, forcing Reshiram into Outrage (which does not even OHKO unless Stealth Rock is present).</p>
<p>Alternatively, one could just run a special Flame Charge variant and get the best of both worlds. Having access to Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor lets Reshiram get rid of some of its own checks before sweeping. While this is a viable strategy, it suffers from the
fundamental flaw that huge block to almost all special attackers
encounter: Chansey. Even under sun, Blue Flare can't 2HKO after Stealth Rock, which means Chansey can come in and PP or Toxic stall Reshiram out. Moreover, Ho-Oh is only threatened by Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock, making it a fine check. In addition to its problems with Chansey, purely special Flame Charge Reshiram is complete setup bait after it uses Draco Meteor.</p>
<p>Flame Charge is pretty much the most high-maintenance Reshiram set there is. Due to the fact that Reshiram
needs to be able to OHKO
or 2HKO as
much many foes as possible when sweeping, sun support is, as always, mandatory. Entry hazards need to be up on the opponent field as well, for the same reason. Because this set lacks as much power as some others, it needs all the help it can get; carrying a reliable Spikes user, such as Forretress, will work wonders. On the topic of Forretress, Rapid Spin support is helpful as well; however, it's not as important as with the Choice Specs set due to the fact that the aim of this set is to sweep. That said, it is important to keep the residual damage down on Reshiram, as not only does Flame Charge expose Reshiram for a turn, but should its HP get too low, it is liable to be sniped by the myriad of priority in Ubers. For the same reason, try to bring Reshiram in off of a KO or a slow
U-turn or Volt Switch to keep the extra damage down. Finally, a wallbreaker, such as Kyurem-W or Mewtwo, will help to soften up Reshiram's checks so it can sweep; this will especially help get Reshiram past
Ho-Oh and Chansey, two of its most reliable checks.</p>
[SET]
name: SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Blue Flare
move 4: Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
item: Leftovers
ability: Turboblaze
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252
SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>On such an offensively-leaning
Pokemon, one might wonder why a SubRoost set is even considered. SubRoost Reshiram is a bit of a strange notion, but in practice it works. Because Reshiram only needs two moveslots to get perfect neutral coverage, it can run SubRoost alongside its attacking moves and not lose out on any major threats. Reshiram can set up Substitutes on a multitude of defensive Pokemon, most notable Ferrothorn and Forretress, with no fear of having its Substitute broken. With Substitute, Reshiram no longer has to rely on predicting the switch-in; with a Substitute up, the opponent has to stand and fight regardless of how fast or strong they are. Because of this, SubRoost Reshiram makes a great lure to weaken its checks; use Substitute on the switch, attack while they break the sub, and switch out to a pivot. Roost allows Reshiram to recover HP lost from Substitute, hazards, and other miscellaneous damage. With the combination of Substitute and Roost, Reshiram becomes an efficient weapon against bulky teams; even with Leftovers, its attacks are fearsomely powerful.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The choice between Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse is one of power vs. reliability. With Draco Meteor, Reshiram has an enormous amount of immediate power, consistently being able to OHKO Kyurem-W at -2 after Stealth Rock and 2HKO offensive Dialga. However, Reshiram become a giant, flaming, sitting duck after using it due to the stat drop. On the other hand, Dragon Pulse is significantly weaker but cannot be played around like Draco Meteor, due to its consistent damage.</p>
<p>Because this set forces a lot of switches, hazards are mandatory to its success. SubRoost Reshiram excels at wearing down balanced teams that are simply unable to juggle coping with the onslaught of attacks that Reshiram throws at it and breaking Reshiram's Substitutes; as such, cleaners that can sweep crippled opponents are welcome partners. Also, SubRoost Reshiram is fairly slow. Because of this, it will struggle against offensive teams unless it has paralysis support.</p>
<p>This set is unique for being Reshiram's only set that can accomplish much of its intended goal under rain. As such, while sun support is highly recommended, it is not required; if running this set without Groudon as a partner, one should run Dragon Pulse in the last slot. The trio of Substitute, Roost, and Dragon Pulse allow Reshiram to outlast a surprising amount of foes. Because this set does not rely on sheer force to get past opponents, Leftovers is recommended to offset Substitute's HP cost. Life Orb is a feasible option to increase Reshiram's damage output; however, its recoil is not appreciated in conjunction with Substitute.</p>
[SET]
name: Sunny Day
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Blue Flare
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Focus Blast / SolarBeam
item: Life Orb
ability: Turboblaze
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252
SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While other Reshiram sets aim to break teams apart after their checks are gone, Sunny Day Reshiram
is intended intends to lure some of those same checks in and eliminate them. By using Sunny Day, Reshiram can beat Kyogre, although variants that outspeed it, such as Choice Scarf, one needs to predict the switch-in. However, in the case of
specially defensive Kyogre, Reshiram doesn't even need to predict, as it outspeeds; under sun, Kyogre deals a pitiful 15.24-18.18% with Scald. However, Reshiram will not be able to KO the same Kyogre reliably unless it is using SolarBeam. Sunny Day Reshiram plays a little more conservatively than the other sets; while they capitalize on Reshiram's power and coverage to force switches, this set focuses on eliminating its counters. Because of this, one will have to adjust their use of Reshiram accordingly. Sunny Day Reshiram has to be played carefully, as it lacks the immediate power, speed, or safety that the other sets have.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>In addition to its upfront purpose, Sunny Day Reshiram also fulfills a hidden task: weather backup. If one's weather inducer (presumably Groudon) is KOed, the opponent will automatically start playing more recklessly with theirs. Once their inducer faints, Sunny Day Reshiram swoops in, creating sun for
five turns and permanently eradicating the adverse weather. The illusion of not having a second inducer can be augmented by bluffing a
Choice item on Reshiram through the use of Charcoal; however, the loss in power is glaring on everything but its Fire-type STAB.</p>
<p>Roost is usable for the same reasons as the offensive set. Reshiram does have a bit of bulk to its name (+1 U-turn from
252+ Genesect deals 23.75 – 28.15%), and with Roost it could act as a bulky weather pivot. That said, running Roost requires Reshiram to forgo its coverage move, which means that it'll be tough to take down Tyranitar even under sun.</p>
<p>Sunny Day Reshiram isn't meant to be a weather inducer for the team; rather, it is counter-inducer. Thus, Groudon is mandatory as a partner as usual. Plenty of hazards help Reshiram get past Kyogre and Tyranitar, as well as its old foes. Due to Sunny Day Reshiram's ability to increase one's control over weather, running sun-dependent Pokemon, such as Blaziken and Ho-Oh, is a good idea with this set.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Blue Flare
move 3: Dragon Pulse
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Turboblaze
nature: Mild / Hasty
missing evs XD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>In a similar vein to Flame Charge, Choice Scarf enables Reshiram to clean through weakened opposing teams with relative ease. Though it competes with Kyurem-W, Reshiram has a potent niche as a
Choice Scarf user due to its Blue Flare. Even without a boosting item, a sun-boosted Blue Flare is incredibly powerful—
252/0 Arceus can be
OHKOed after Stealth Rock, while Great Wall Lugia is swiftly
2HKOed. Ironically,
Choice Scarf Reshiram can also check
Ho-Oh with decent success due to its ability to switch in on Sacred Fire with impunity and deal heavy damage with Stone Edge. Unfortunately, Reshiram's weather dependence holds it back at times. Without a boosting item, Blue Flare loses much of its menace under rain, severely limiting the scope of opponents that it can efficiently revenge kill.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Though it's best to stick to the given set, Focus Blast could theoretically be run over Stone Edge to dent Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock. However, the extra damage does not usually warrant a slot over the ability to eliminate
Ho-Oh semi-reliably. The choice between Mild and Hasty is the eternal battle between speed and power; Hasty grants
Reshiram the ability to tie with other +1 base 90s, whereas Mild grants
it the extra boost that is needed to get some notable
KOs.</p>
<p>When using
Choice Scarf Reshiram, it is of cardinal importance that one makes sure that it is not outclassed by Kyurem-W. As has been touched on (or rather, bludgeoned repeatedly) previously, Reshiram needs
sun to function at the top of its game. As it is a potent cleaner,
Choice Scarf Reshiram settles into a defensive
sun team quite nicely, increasing the team's ability to handle threats
like such as Ghost Arceus, Mewtwo, and Genesect
, as well as ripping through weakened offense. Defensive
sun teams are pretty much the most reliable format with which to maintain sun; as
Choice Scarf Reshiram isn't as powerful as
its other sets other Reshiram variants, it arguably requires weather to be in its favor the most of all of them
'it is arguably most dependent on weather'?. In addition, due to its aforementioned lowered damage output,
Choice Scarf Reshiram appreciates the hazards that a stall team can get up and keep up greatly.</p>
<p>On the other hand, offensive sun also appreciates
Choice Scarf Reshiram's combination of speed and power. Ironically, Reshiram forms a powerful offensive core with Kyurem-W
, by breaking each
other's checks. Reshiram also appreciates the wall-breakers that are so commonly found on sun offense
such as?, as they weaken opposing teams—this in turn allows Reshiram to smash through the opponent by way of sheer force.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>While Reshiram has other possible sets, it's best that one sticks to the trodden path. Reshiram can run a Choice Scarf set (similar to its Scarf set from BW1), but it is generally outclassed by Kyurem-W because of its weather dependence, lack of super-effective coverage, and lower Speed—although, sun-boosted Blue Flares are still extremely threatening
this should probably be removed?. A lure set with Expert Belt is also feasible, but Reshiram's STABs provide neutral, not super effective, coverage. However, if one was to run such a set, a moveset of Draco Meteor, Blue Flare, Focus Blast, and Stone Edge best deals with Reshiram's most prominent checks.</p>
<p>Even farther down the factory reject line, one gets to some even stranger possibilities. Though it's highly unrecommended, Reshiram can run a dual screens set with Roost, Reflect, Light Screen, and Draco Meteor. While it works in theory, the opportunity cost is high, and it's heavily outclassed in practice by Deoxys-S and Latios due to their higher Speed and better utility moves.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Although Reshiram might not have counters in the strictest definition of the word, specially defensive Kyogre and
Arceus-Water come pretty damn close. Without Stealth Rock down
,(comma) the only set that can hope to best them is Sunny Day Reshiram with SolarBeam, although Kyogre will also fall to Outrage. Even Chansey can't switch in safely, for fear of being
2HKOed by Blue Flare after Stealth Rock. However, Reshiram loses a lot of its menace when it doesn't have sun, and even more
is lost when it's raining. Once the weather has been changed, Chansey and Blissey can both safely avoid a 2HKO from Choice Specs Reshiram and stall it out. Ho-Oh and Arceus-Rock under sand can also defeat Reshiram handily with conditions their way, but Ho-Oh's Stealth Rock weakness and Arceus-Rock's susceptibility to Focus Blast mean that they are not strict counters. Tank Tyranitar can weather both Blue Flare and Draco Meteor, but falls to Focus Blast.</p>
<p>Palkia, Kyurem-W, Terrakion, Latias, and Choice Scarf Kyogre can all revenge kill Choice Specs and
offensive Reshiram, but it's hard to get them in. Flame Charge Reshiram can still be taken down by
Scarf Kyurem-W, Scarf Terrakion, and Scarf Palkia faster Choice Scarf Pokemon, namely Kyurem-W, Terrakion, and Palkia. However,
if against an Offensive Reshiram that uses Tailwind on the switch, one will often struggle to deal with it offensively one will often struggle to deal offensively with an offensive Reshiram that uses Tailwind on the switch. Reshiram's perfect
two-move coverage
between two moves means that it can almost always hit
one move's viable switch-ins
to one move for enormous damage with the other move. That said, it's rather slow
, so if one can get something in that can hurt it, it's pretty easy to force Reshiram out.</p>
<p>Finally, Reshiram is quite susceptible to residual damage. Sandstorm, Life Orb recoil, and entry hazards all lower its life expectancy considerably. Exploit its weakness to hazards, and Reshiram will fall quickly. Conversely, it's recommended that if Reshiram is on the opponent's team, try to keep hazards off the field. Getting extra HP chipped away can compromise a wall's ability to continuously switch into Reshiram. Finally, Toxic poison is a viable option for dealing with Reshiram; Chansey can poison it and stall it out with Softboiled.</p>
