i did it..... for madden
[Overview]
<p>Reuniclus is an anomalous Pokemon to say the least. Even though it has an awful typing and an even worse Speed stat, it is still one of the most threatening sweepers in the metagame. Reuniclus has the bulk, power, and movepool to be an effective sweeper through the use of either Calm Mind or Trick Room. In addition, its Magic Guard ability is among the best in the game, allowing Reuniclus to avoid the wildly popular entry hazard and sandstorm damage, as well as letting Reuniclus abuse Life Orb by preventing recoil. Despite all its strengths, not all is perfect for Reuniclus. Its counters, such as Tyranitar, Scizor, and Jirachi, are among the most popular in OU, which can make it very difficult for it to sweep. However, with a bit of proper team support and some intelligent playing, Reuniclus can easily rip through virtually any type of team.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Recover
move 3: Psychic / Psyshock
move 4: Focus Blast
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Despite its terrible Speed and relatively bad typing, access to useful sweeping moves and excellent stats make Reuniclus one of the most prominent threats in the Black and White metagame. With Calm Mind, Recover, and a ton of defensive bulk, Reuniclus becomes a potent sweeper that is extremely hard to take down. Reuniclus separates itself from other Calm Mind users thanks to its ability, Magic Guard, which means it doesn't care at all about the Achilles' heel of other bulky sweepers: Toxic damage. As such, Reuniclus can easily defeat Blissey and Chansey one-on-one, and most stall teams will crumble at its hands.</p>
<p>Calm Mind is the crux of the set, allowing Reuniclus to boost its fantastic Special Attack and modest Special Defense to higher levels. Thanks to Recover, Reuniclus can heal off damage it sustains while it sets up, and the ability to heal at any given moment along with the boosts that Calm Mind provides make Reuniclus very difficult to counter. Psychic and Focus Blast are Reuniclus's attacks of choice, and they provide excellent coverage alongside one another. Psychic is Reuniclus's obligatory powerful STAB attack, whereas Focus Blast is necessary to combat Reuniclus's main counters that resist Psychic. Psyshock is a decent option over Psychic mainly to defeat Calm Mind Latios and Latias, but it has little utility other than that, as it isn't required to beat special walls like Blissey. Although the accuracy of Focus Blast can be a letdown sometimes, it is inadvisable to use Hidden Power Fighting in its place because it only does a paltry 45% to max Special Defense Tyranitar after a Calm Mind, while Focus Blast will OHKO the same Tyranitar after it has taken Stealth Rock damage twice. The purpose of this set is to gradually set up for a sweep, so a Bold nature with max Defense is required to absorb hits from the likes of Gliscor and Ferrothorn. Leftovers is also crucial, as it allows Reuniclus to escape the 2HKO from Sassy Tyranitar's Crunch. However, Life Orb is still a perfectly usable alternative to take advantage of Magic Guard and for more immediate power.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Reuniclus is very difficult to beat due to its power and longevity, but there are several very common Pokemon that can counter it well. Bulky Scizor is easily Reuniclus's most legitimate threat, as it can take multiple Focus Blasts and retaliate with powerful Bug Bites. Although a +1 Focus Blast will almost OHKO, Tyranitar can come in freely on Psychic or Calm Mind and threaten with either Crunch or Pursuit. Latias with Roar is an excellent counter to Reuniclus, as it can set up its own Calm Minds and Roar Reuniclus to prevent Reuniclus's own setup. However, Latias will lose if Reuniclus carries Psyshock and will have to rely on a critical hit if Reuniclus is the last Pokemon on an opponent's team. Psychic-types with Taunt, such as Mew and Deoxys-D, can prevent Reuniclus from setting up, but they will be forced to outstall it since they will struggle to do any meaningful damage to Reuniclus. Jirachi with investment in Special Defense is an excellent Reuniclus counter; it can paralyze and usually flinch its way past Reuniclus with Iron Head, while also healing itself with Wish in the process. Defensive Metagross works similarly, and although it isn't nearly as bulky as Jirachi, it can fire off very powerful Meteor Mashes to wear down Reuniclus. Despite its rarity and general lack of utility, Spiritomb is probably the best Reuniclus counter in existence, being immune to both Psychic and Focus Blast, and able to trap Reuniclus with Pursuit.</p>
<p>Pokemon that can beat the wildly popular Scizor and Tyranitar are usually the best partners for Reuniclus. Fighting-type Pokemon pair particularly well with Reuniclus, because they resist Scizor's Bug- and Tyranitar's Dark-type STABs, while Reuniclus covers their weakness to Psychic. Infernape gets a special mention for being able to take Scizor's Bullet Punches despite its frailty and hit back with a powerful Fire-type attack. Conkeldurr is a fairly solid partner for Reuniclus, since it can boast being one of the best Tyranitar counters in the game, and it can also hit Scizor with powerful Drain Punches. Although it doesn't contribute as many useful resistances, Rotom-W pairs extremely well with Reuniclus thanks to its excellent defenses, and it can hit Scizor and Tyranitar with either Will-O-Wisp or Hydro Pump. A Tyranitar of your own, particularly Pursuit variants, can prove useful for eliminating Latios and Latias, and it can hit Mew and Deoxys-D hard, assuming it avoids Will-O-Wisp from the former. Heatran is a good Reuniclus teammate; it is a fantastic Mew counter, and it can also deal with the likes of Scizor and Deoxys-D. You'll find that Reuniclus is quite easy to fit onto most teams thanks to its combination of bulk and power, especially those that are weak to stall.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Quiet
evs: 192 HP / 64 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Reuniclus's low Speed and excellent Special Attack make it a natural candidate for a Trick Room sweeper. Magic Guard further adds to Reuniclus's potent sweeping capabilities, as it is not affected by residual damage, including Life Orb recoil, sandstorm, and entry hazards. Whereas most Reuniclus use Calm Mind and Recover to break down stall, this set gives fast offensive teams a great deal of problems thanks to its excellent coverage and ability to outpace virtually all Pokemon when Trick Room is active.</p>
<p>The idea of this set is to come in on a non-threatening Pokemon, such as Conkeldurr, set up a Trick Room, and attempt a sweep. With a Quiet nature and an IV of 0, Reuniclus reaches a Speed stat of 58, allowing it to outpace every common Pokemon bar minimum Speed Ferrothorn after it sets up Trick Room. The three listed attacks provide Reuniclus with perfect coverage, and they each have a solid Base Power to take advantage of Reuniclus's great Special Attack. Despite its relatively bad coverage, Psychic is still a very solid STAB that hits anything that doesn't resist it very hard thanks to Life Orb and the investment in Special Attack. As always, Psyshock is an option to 2HKO Blissey after Stealth Rock and hit Jellicent harder, but its lower Base Power makes it weaker against most opponents. Focus Blast and Shadow Ball are excellent auxiliary attacks for Reuniclus, nailing the Dark- and Psychic-types, respectively, that resist Psychic. Unlike Calm Mind variants, Trick Room Reuniclus has little to fear from Tyranitar, as Focus Blast OHKOes all versions regardless of its EV spread or nature. Although Shadow Ball is necessary to hit the likes of Latios, Latias, and Mew super effectively, Hidden Power Fire is still a worthwhile consideration in its place to lure and OHKO Scizor, who is one of the most common counters to Trick Room Reuniclus.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Blissey (and by extension, Chansey) is public enemy number one. She or her pre-evolved form can come in on any Reuniclus that lacks Psyshock and wear it down with Seismic Toss while healing off any damage she sustains with Softboiled or Wish. Scizor will hate taking a Focus Blast, but Reuniclus can't OHKO him without Hidden Power Fire, whereas Scizor can easily KO back with Choice Band U-turn or an unboosted Bug Bite followed by a Bullet Punch. Although other bulky Steel-types won't be able to keep up with Reuniclus, Jirachi deserves mention as a solid counter thanks to its neutrality to Focus Blast, as well as its ability to stall turns of Trick Room with Wish and Protect. Jirachi will have to be wary of a Special Defense drop, but it will still be able to paralyze Reuniclus with Body Slam or Thunder Wave and flinch it with Iron Head. For these reasons, Infernape is a fantastic partner for Reuniclus, thanks to its ability to OHKO Blissey, Chansey, Scizor, and Jirachi with its powerful STABs. It can also use U-turn to scout and potentially allow Reuniclus to come in for free. Conkeldurr is another excellent partner for Reuniclus, as again, it can take out Blissey and Chansey, and its typing pairs nicely with that of Reuniclus. Gliscor is a solid choice to use alongside Reuniclus due to the fact that most Blissey and Chansey don't have Ice Beam. It also beats most Scizor variants as long as it runs Taunt, and it is a very solid Jirachi counter as well. Since Trick Room Reuniclus is a fantastic way of luring and OHKOing Tyranitar, Pokemon that take advantage of Tyranitar's absence make decent partners. Latios and Latias, despite sharing similar weaknesses with Reuniclus, are probably the best examples, as many teams will fall without Tyranitar to counter them.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick
move 1: Trick
move 2: Calm Mind / Focus Blast
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Recover
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Due to the absurd prevalence of Tyranitar and Scizor, it can sometimes be difficult for Reuniclus to perform well even with teammates that are devoted to removing them. This set aims to lure and cripple some of Reuniclus's most common counters by utilizing Trick and Flame Orb as a pseudo, albeit 100% accurate, Will-O-Wisp. In addition to Tyranitar and Scizor, most of Reuniclus's counters are physically-inclined, such as Metagross and Jirachi. As such, crippling them with a burn will not only allow Reuniclus to do more damage to the opponent's team, it can also effectively facilitate a sweep for a teammate who shares a common counter with Reuniclus.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Trick Orb Reuniclus is best used early- or mid-game to lure and cripple its counters. Team Preview is your best friend here, as it will allow you to scout if your opponent has a dedicated Reuniclus counter, such as Tyranitar, which will in turn indicate what you should Trick Reuniclus's Flame Orb onto. Whereas some Reuniclus counters may be hesitant to switch in after Flame Orb is revealed, Calm Mind is an excellent way to virtually force the likes of Tyranitar and Scizor to come in against Reuniclus, as most special attackers won't be able to handle Reuniclus after a few Calm Minds. Once Reuniclus has Tricked its Flame Orb onto what should hopefully be one of its counters, it can proceed to attempt a sweep with Calm Mind and Psychic. Recover works nicely with the flow of this set, as it allows Reuniclus to heal while setting up, and also lets it outstall burned Pokemon that are immune to Psychic, such as Tyranitar. Focus Blast can be used in place of Calm Mind for a way of hitting Steel- and Dark-types, although it leaves Reuniclus with no way of boosting its Special Attack and generally makes Reuniclus less threatening.</p>
<p>There are very few Pokemon that can switch into Reuniclus, either because they'll hate being burned or be unable to stop Reuniclus once it begins using Calm Mind. Calm Mind Latias with Roar is probably the only Pokemon that can do both, as it isn't bothered too much by Flame Orb and can set up alongside Reuniclus. Other than that, countering Reuniclus involves ensuring your Reuniclus counter does not get burned, using something along the lines of Heatran to absorb the Flame Orb. Tyranitar is an obvious teammate to eliminate Latias, but this Reuniclus set takes a more support-oriented approach than other variants, meaning its teammates should be the ones who benefit from Reuniclus's ability to lure and burn Pokemon like Tyranitar and Scizor. Latios is a prime example, as it is usually stopped cold by most of Reuniclus's counters, and so having them burned will make things much easier for Latios. Other Pokemon such as Hydreigon, that have trouble with Tyranitar and specially defensive Steel-types, are also good partners.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>There aren't many other viable options for Reuniclus to run. A Choice Specs set may sound nice for more immediate power, but it is outclassed by Life Orb in virtually every sense thanks to Magic Guard. A three attack set with Recover and max Special Attack is also a possibility, although Reuniclus is far too slow to attempt a sweep without any defensive investment.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Reuniclus's diversity can make it difficult to counter, although each set is perfectly beatable. Calm Mind sets will struggle against Tyranitar and Scizor thanks to their good Special Defense and super effective attacks. Scizor also fares nicely against Trick Room variants due to its ability to take a Life Orb Focus Blast and KO Reuniclus back. Bulky Steel-types like Jirachi and Metagross can also prove to be good counters as long as they invest in Special Defense. Psychic-types such as Mew and Deoxys-D can come in thanks to their resistances to Psychic and Focus Blast and Taunt Reuniclus to prevent it from using Calm Mind. Victini also resists Calm Mind Reuniclus's attacks, and it can severly damage Reuniclus with either V-create or U-turn. Spiritomb is considered one of the best Calm Mind Reuniclus counters thanks to its immunity to both of its attacks, allowing Spiritomb to either set up its own Calm Minds or damage Reuniclus with Pursuit. Trick Room Reuniclus without Psyshock will be stopped entirely by Blissey and Chansey due to their enormous Special Defense and their ability to heal off any damage they sustain. Latias is considered one of the best overall Reuniclus counters, as it is able to handily defeat Calm Mind, Trick Room, and Trick Orb variants by using Calm Mind and Roar. However, any Calm Mind Reuniclus with Psyshock will be a big problem for Latias.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Reuniclus receives Regenerator through Dream World, which is an amazing ability that heals Reuniclus each time it switches out. However, it is usually inferior to Magic Guard, as immunity to damage from Stealth Rock, Spikes, weather, status and Life Orb recoil will generally be more useful than an extra 33% HP each time Reuniclus exits a battle.</p>
