<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>Revenankh is a premier special wall and the best spin-blocker in the metagame with his fantastic 94/90/120 defenses and neutrality to Dark-type attacks, the bane of many other spin-blockers. He can take a beating from nearly any special attacker and set up on them or return fire with his unresisted STABs and base 110 Attack stat. Shed Skin with Rest as a reliable form of healing and a respectable movepool including many great supporting and offensive options round out Revenankh as a durable, consistent, and powerful Pokemon.</p>
<p>This mummy has his fair share of issues, though, as he's deathly afraid of being Tricked a choice item, hates being Taunted, and still has trouble with the most powerful special and physical attackers in the metagame. Not a lot outside of these things can really phase this ghost, however, and virtually every team has to adjust in order to handle him by using one of his counters. Revenankh is a menacing Pokemon to face down, regardless of his few and easily handled problems, and should be considered for a spot on offensive and defensive teams alike.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Hammer Arm
move 3: Shadow Sneak / Shadow Claw
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Revenankh can easily come in on his many resistances and immunities. Taking advantage of the switches he causes, Bulk Up makes him all but impregnable to physical attacks, as well as boosting his already decent Attack stat to make him a greater threat. As such, it is recommended that you invest heavily in his Special Defense with your EVs. Rest allows you to switch into Toxic Spikes or Will-o-Wisp with impunity and remove the status with his ability, Shed Skin. Unlike most Rest users, Sleep Talk is not necessary on this set, as you have a 51% chance of Revenankh waking up early with Shed Skin.</p>
<p>As for your offensive moves, Hammer Arm is a strong and reliable Fighting-type move, allowing him to put the hurt on many Pokemon who are neutral to it after a Bulk Up or two. Because of the Speed drop, Shadow Sneak is recommended in tandem with Hammer Arm. Shadow Sneak has priority, negating the Speed drop somewhat, and after a couple of Bulk Ups, it will easily OHKO Azelf and Gengar and severely dent the Rotom formes and other Revenankh. Shadow Claw is a stronger option if you don't care about priority, but you may find that Revenankh can be too easily revenge killed by powerful sweepers like Gengar and Azelf. However, you can also use Mach Punch and Shadow Claw if you would like to get the jump on Pokemon like Weavile and Choice Scarf Tyranitar. Sadly, Mach Punch and Shadow Sneak are illegal together. If you're not sold on Hammer Arm's accuracy and speed drops, use Brick Break instead. This also gets rid of pesky screens in your way.</p>
<p>This set functions very well on its own, and requires very little team support. Revenankh can take hits, set up, and instantly heal itself. Normally, the only things that can stop a Revenankh sweep are Trick users and phazers. Having a designated Trick absorber, such as Heatran or Flygon, will help against the first group. Roar users are a bit varied, but they are commonly weak to either Fire or Grass, such as Skarmory, Swampert, and Hippowdon. Celebi is a handy Pokemon to use against these. Generally, the only offensive threats to this set are powerful special attackers like Togekiss and Zapdos. To that end, Blissey makes a good choice for a teammate, as she can cover the majority of the Pokemon that give Revenankh a hard time. The only physical attackers who can normally handle Revenankh without being set-up bait are Taunt Gyarados and Zen Headbutt Metagross. Celebi will be of much use against these Pokemon as well.</p>
<p>However, Revenankh is not a Pokemon one would normally build a team around. Revenankh is often placed on teams that require his services to support the rest of the team, as he can shut down a surprisingly high number of Pokemon. Special attackers work very well with Revenankh, as Revenankh is a virtually infinite switch-in to Blissey and Snorlax. He makes a good partner to a Pokemon like Latias or Porygon-Z. Another bonus of this is that Revenankh is generally very good at switching into Scizor – he is doubly resistant to Bug and immune to Fighting. As it takes neutral damage from Steel, consider pairing Revenankh with a Pokemon that can take advantage of Choice Band Bullet Punches, like Empoleon or Magnezone. Other common Pokemon stopped cold by Revenankh include Machamp, Heracross, and Bronzong, so if your team needs an answer to any of these, Revenankh is an excellent choice.</p>
<p>Revenankh also functions as one of the best Rapid Spin blockers available. His solid defenses and ability to seriously hurt Starmie while setting up on most other Rapid Spin users is what sets him apart from other Ghosts. If you intend to keep your entry hazards laid down by Pokemon like Skarmory or Roserade on the opponent’s side, Revenankh is a safe bet.</p>
[SET]
name: Wall
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Hammer Arm
move 3: Knock Off / Shadow Claw
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SpD
<p>For a mixed wall, Revenankh's typing could not be much better. Three relatively uncommon weaknesses and great overall bulk make Revenankh an ideal switch-in to threatening Pokemon such as Scizor, Infernape, Lucario, and Machamp.</p>
<p>Will-O-Wisp is the most important move on this set; a burn status will prevent almost any physically-inclined Pokemon from beating Revenankh. At the top of this list is Salamence, who will likely try to Draco Meteor or Outrage Revenankh as soon as possible, only to find himself unable to deal much further damage. Will-O-Wisp can also catch many of Revenankh's usual counters off-guard, such as Gyarados, Hippowdon, Swampert, and Choice Scarf Jirachi. Hammer Arm is a direct and reliable way for Revenankh to deal damage, and allows him to be a good check to Choice Scarf Heatran. Rest is once again used in tandem with Shed Skin to allow for great survivability and virtual immunity to status. Knock Off is a very useful move on stall teams, especially in a sandstorm. Ideally, you will want to get rid of Leftovers, though removing Life Orb can make offensive opponents far easier to handle as well. However, offensive teams will likely find that Knock Off slows down the offensive momentum, so Shadow Claw is recommended instead; it offers perfect type coverage with Hammer Arm.</p>
<p>The EVs look complicated, but they make Revenankh as bulky as possible. To start with, HP is maxed as this provides maximum durability against mixed attackers. 96 Special Defense EVs with a Careful nature hits 330, which is usually enough and prevents MixApe from 2HKOing him with Fire Blast, though more can be used if you find Salamence's Draco Meteor does just a bit too much damage. A minor 12 Speed EV investment ensures you beat 16 Speed Skarmory, allowing you to Will-O-Wisp him before he can Brave Bird you. It also outruns Adamant Rhyperior. The remainder is thrown into Defense.</p>
<p>This Revenankh functions well on both stall and offense. On stall, he is used to block Rapid Spin. Revenankh is one of the best counters to Fighting-typed Pokemon in general, including Lucario, Heracross, Machamp, Breloom, and Infernape, so he makes a great partner to Blissey. Between Blissey and Revenankh, a stall team should be able to wall almost every special attacker you could imagine. Blissey also covers the few special attackers whom Revenankh doesn't like, including Togekiss, Azelf, and Alakazam. Revenankh has trouble with Gyarados that pack Taunt, so a reliable counter like Hidden Power Electric Vaporeon or Celebi is a very good idea. While Rest provides recovery, it has the potential risk of forcing Revenankh to idle for two turns, so Wish support from Blissey or Vaporeon will still be useful to keep Revenankh in tip-top shape.</p>
<p>On offense, Revenankh is used as a bulky pivot and for burn support. Snorlax is a good partner to Revenankh, as his main fear is powerful Fighting-typed Pokemon such as Machamp and Lucario. Tyranitar is in the same boat, as in addition to countering Fighting-types, Revenankh will help against Tyranitar's Scizor problem. Other Pokemon who fear Fighting-types will generally appreciate Revenankh's ability to force switches. This Revenankh shouldn't expect to get support from his teammates; he is used to add bulk to the team, not to sweep itself.</p>
[SET]
name: Three Attacks
move 1: Hammer Arm
move 2: Shadow Sneak / Shadow Claw
move 3: Ice Punch / Power Whip / ThunderPunch
move 4: Rest / Bulk Up
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set has an advantage over the Bulk Up set in the extra move slot, giving much better coverage and making him more of an immediate threat. Hammer Arm returns as the reliable STAB attack. Shadow Sneak and Shadow Claw are both viable and the choice is largely one of preference. The final attack can either be Ice Punch to deal with Dragon-types and Flying-types like Salamence, Togekiss, and Zapdos, or Power Whip to take down bulky Water and Ground-types such as Vaporeon, Hippowdon, and Swampert. ThunderPunch is also useful for smacking Gyarados as well as some Flying-types, like Togekiss, but is useless against Zapdos and Gliscor. Several other options can also be used, including Fire Punch for Forretress and Scizor, but unfortunately, this move will not prove effective against much else.</p>
<p>Rest is the main option in the last slot, allowing you to heal off the recoil damage of Life Orb, however Bulk Up is also viable if you wish to set up on some threats. Leftovers is also a viable option if you wish to trade some power for bulkiness, and it is recommended if you aren’t using Rest.</p>
<p>This set poses much less of a long-term threat to the opponent’s team. In exchange, it uses the surprise value gained by running three attacks to function as a lure. Normally, this set is used if you need to remove one of your opponent’s Pokemon from the battle. For example, if you intend to sweep with an Agility Metagross, this set can lure in Roaring Pokemon like Swampert and Hippowdon and do major damage with Power Whip. If Flying-types are more of a threat to your chosen lategame sweeper, Ice Punch can take care of them. For example, many battlers rely on Zapdos or Gliscor to handle Lucario. Neither of those Pokemon normally hesitates to switch into Revenankh (provided Gliscor has Taunt). If using Ice Punch, Stealth Rock support is absolutely vital. Gliscor has about a 50% chance of surviving a Life Orb Ice Punch without Stealth Rock. A +1 Ice Punch will fail to KO physically defensive Zapdos, even after Stealth Rock. You will need to force Zapdos to switch into Stealth Rock more than once to finish him off, but then be sure that you don’t Ice Punch while he Roosts. Offensive Zapdos will be OHKOed most of the time by a Life Orb Ice Punch after Stealth Rock. Another thing to keep in mind is that this set works extremely well on paralysis-based teams, so Pokemon like Celebi and Blissey (with Thunder Wave) and Jirachi (with Body Slam) are fantastic partners.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Shadow Claw / Shadow Sneak
move 2: Superpower / Mach Punch
move 3: Power Whip
move 4: Ice Punch / ThunderPunch
item: Choice Band
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Hp / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Revenankh can also run a bulky Choice Band set effectively. What sets Revenankh's Choice Band set apart from every other Fighting-type's Choice set is Shed Skin, which prevents him from ever being permanently statused. In this case, Shadow Claw and Superpower are the main options, as the Speed drop from Hammer Arm is undesirable. A priority move, Mach Punch or Shadow Sneak, can be used over Superpower or Payback if you want to revenge kill a dangerous sweeper, but you will lose a lot of power. Due to Revenankh's egg groups, the two priority moves cannot be used together. The first two moves are nearly unresisted, and Power Whip, along with Ice Punch or ThunderPunch, covering almost every type for super-effective damage, augment type coverage. The advantage of ThunderPunch is the ability to annihilate Gyarados as well as having a 100% accurate move to use against Water-types at low HP, but Ice Punch will often be preferred for the super effective hit on Salamence, Gliscor, and Zapdos. This set requires a lot of prediction, but can easily annihilate its counters. Pursuit is an option to hit physically weak Psychic-types and Ghost-types while they switch out.</p>
<p>The recommended EVs are extremely simple, but are free to be modified. Max Attack is an obvious necessity to hit the opposing Pokemon as hard as possible. Four Speed EVs is mostly just leftover, but it will allow you to outrun other Revenankh who don't invest in Speed. 32-36 Speed can be used to outrun many Scizor and nearly all Vaporeon, as well as Adamant Rhyperior, slow Metagross, and the vast majority of Skarmory. 140+ Speed will beat Suicune who don't invest and all but the fastest Metagross. Beyond that, there isn't anything notable that you can outrun, so any more Speed isn't recommended.</p>
<p>Choice Band Revenankh sacrifices durability for power and massive surprise value. Again, this set should be used when you need to surprise a key Pokemon and remove him from battle. You will need to know your opponent’s team almost inside and out in order to be able to use this set to the fullest degree of effectiveness. For that reason, many of the team-mates you select alongside Revenankh should be ones who are able to reveal information about the opponent’s team. The primary moves for this are Roar and U-turn. Pokemon like Skarmory and Swampert can use Roar very well; Flygon and Scizor are examples of Pokemon who can use U-turn. In general, Choice Band Revenankh shouldn’t come out until you can successfully predict which Pokemon is going to switch into him. Revenankh doesn’t pack that much power, so you can’t afford a miss-prediction.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Bulk Up Revenankh normally finds his place on stall or balanced teams. He needs very little support himself, and serves as a highly effective Rapid Spin blocker. Wall Revenankh is all about supporting his team, so he functions well almost anywhere. The other sets should be used on offensively-inclined teams.</p>
<p>In general, the Pokemon who can stop a Revenankh sweep are those who can hit him with powerful special attacks, or those that can survive his hits and use Trick or Roar/Whirlwind. The first group includes Pokemon like Togekiss, Calm Mind Jirachi, and Zapdos. Blissey will be able to cover these, especially with Toxic or Thunder Wave. Stealth Rock also helps quite a bit when using Revenankh, as many of his common switch-ins are Flying-types. The Trick users, such as Rotom-A, Latias, or Jirachi, will often hold their item once they’ve seen Revenankh until it has begun setting up. Tyranitar or Scizor can use a powerful Pursuit to remove many Trick users. Phazers are often bulky, and therefore difficult to remove, but a Magnezone with Hidden Power Grass can trap Skarmory and surprise Swampert.</p>
<p>Defensively, Revenankh is very fortunate in that none of his three weaknesses are common. Flying, Ghost, and Psychic are very easy to handle on any given team. Tyranitar resists all three, and Pursuit is very helpful in taking out some of Revenankh’s checks like Celebi, Rotom-A, and Gengar. Magnezone resists all three as well, and is very helpful in taking out Roar or Whirlwind users, as well as Flying-types in general. Heatran and Empoleon are examples of Pokemon who resist Ghost, Psychic, and Flying and will be able to take advantage of Revenankh’s ability to force Blissey out. Steel- and Dark-typed Pokemon in general resist most moves that worry Revenankh, so those are the Pokemon who should be kept in mind. Umbreon gets special mention because if he can successfully Baton Pass a Mean Look to Revenankh, the game is usually over. Until then, Revenankh is great at taking the U-turns that Umbreon loathes so deeply.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Like many Fighting-types, Revenankh has a wide selection of STAB moves to choose from, but Hammer Arm is almost always chosen. Probably the most useful alternative is Mach Punch, which sacrifices power for the ability to hit before your opponent. Force Palm comes with a 30% paralysis chance, which can be highly crippling to many of Revenankh's usual counters and a great boon to paralysis-themed teams, but it has a low base power and is illegal with Shadow Sneak. Substitute and Focus Punch can be used if you want an alternate way to protect yourself from status as well as a stronger Fighting attack, but it saps Revenankh of the HP he so dearly relies on; Focus Punch is even viable on its own, but will require perfect prediction to use effectively. Drain Punch can be used to restore Revenankh's health, however, it isn't very powerful and has low PP, and therefore shouldn't be used outside of a Bulk Up + three attacks set. Cross Chop is possible, but it is nearly always better to accept the Speed drop of Hammer Arm in return for the extra 10% accuracy. </p>
<p>Ice Punch and Mach Punch can be used on the Bulk Up set to hit a lot of Revenankh's counters. Fire Punch and Stone Edge are rarely used due to Revenankh's better options, but can be surprisingly effective. Sleep Talk can be used on any set that includes Rest, but with Shed Skin, Revenankh has a 51% chance of waking up early, so it may not see much use. Note that Shed Skin cures status at the end of a turn, however, so there is no chance of using Sleep Talk and wasting a turn due to waking up. Taunt and Knock Off are great utility moves which can be used to stop enemy tanks, stat-uppers, and Choice users. Toxic will catch many of Revenankh’s counters off-guard, such as Zapdos and Togekiss, but Revenankh almost always has better things to be doing. Likewise, Mean Look would be a good option if Revenankh had space for it, but Revenankh is extremely hard-pressed for moveslots as it is. One could try a gimmick Nasty Plot set with Vacuum Wave and Shadow Ball, but don't expect to have any success with it. Revenankh's secondary ability, Mold Breaker, has virtually no practical use.</p>
<p>When using Bulk Up, Special Defense and HP should be given priority. Careful, 252 HP and 216 Special Defense EVs gives Revenankh a free Special Defense point and protects you against many common threats. For example, that spread will not be 2HKOed by a Choice Scarf Heatran’s Fire Blast, OHKOed by Timid Life Orb Gengar’s Shadow Ball, or OHKOed by Empoleon’s Surf after Torrent and Petaya Berry. However, that spread is not fixed; any Special Defense between 136 and 252 is fine. Generally, the numbers to hit are 136, 176, or 216 for free stat points. Max Attack can also be used to OHKO Gengar and Azelf with Shadow Sneak after a Bulk Up. On any defensive set without Bulk Up, more EVs could be invested into Defense. Maximum HP should not be tampered with as it reaches optimal Leftovers recovery. Offensive sets should often just max HP and Attack.</p>
[CAP Metagame]
<p>The CAP metagame, unfortunately, is not as kind to Revenankh as standard OU is. The metagame is dominated by two of Revenankh’s very best counters: Fidgit and Arghonaut. Fidgit takes little damage from all of Revenankh’s attacks and can Encore Bulk Up, then set up on him or switch out to let another Pokemon do so. Arghonaut takes very little damage from any of Revenankh’s moves, and has no reason to be afraid of Bulk Up thanks to Unaware. All of this leaves Revenankh with only the potential to lure and KO these two with Ice Punch or Power Whip, but even then, it’s not easy to do so. Mold Breaker sounds like it has potential against Arghonaut, but it is not worth it; Shed Skin is far better against every other opponent. Kitsunoh and Cyclohm can also be a pain for Revenankh. ShadowStrike’s high chance of a Defence drop means that Kitsunoh will most often beat Revenankh one on one. Cyclohm has solid Defense, and between Life Orb Thunderbolt and Draco Meteor, Revenankh will take around 90%. Colossoil will rarely be seen switching in to Revenankh, due to his powerful Fighting moves, but with Life Orb, Revenankh will take a hefty chunk of damage from one of his Earthquakes, making him difficult to switch in.</p>
<p>The other CAP Pokemon are not as threatening; however, they aren’t as common, either. Syclant can’t do more than 70% to Revenankh, even with a +2 Ice Beam. Either STAB priority move means that Revenankh will most likely come out on top. Pyroak with Dragon Dance can be a problem, but if Revenankh and Pyroak try to set up against each other, Revenankh will usually be fine. Leech Seed and other bulky Pyroak will usually end up being set-up bait for Bulk Up. Stratagem can’t hit Revenankh nearly hard enough, while Revenankh easily hits his low Defense with strong Fighting moves, or better yet, Mach Punch.</p>
<p>However, not everything is bad news for Revenankh. In a metagame riddled with Spikes, a Spin-blocker who has excellent defenses and isn't Dark-weak is extremely welcome. If played correctly, even Fidgit can have a hard time using Rapid Spin. Further, Revenankh makes a great partner to the big special attacking threats of CAP. Stratagem and Cyclohm in particular are highly appreciative of Revenankh's ability to switch into special walls.</p>
<p>The only real difference to any of Revenankh's movesets in the CAP metagame is the increased viability of Force Palm as a Fighting STAB. It has low power and is generally an inferior choice, but it has the advantage of terrifying Fidgit and Krilowatt with the 30% paralysis chance. On the other hand, Cyclohm doesn't care about Force Palm, but Cyclohm rarely cares about Revenankh's attacks until he's got a couple of Bulk Ups anyway (other than the occasional Ice Punch).</p>
[Counters]
<p>Because Revenankh is constantly boosting his physical Defense with Bulk Up, some of his best checks and counters are special attackers. Togekiss is the best Revenankh check, because he has STAB Air Slash to beat him down, and he doesn’t have to worry as much about 2HKOing Revenankh due to the flinch rate, though he takes neutral damage from Hammer Arm and x2 damage while Roosting. Zapdos with Metal Sound will threaten a 2HKO on Revenankh with Thunderbolt after a Special Defense drop. Zapdos can also use HP Flying, although he will need a significant investment in Special Attack to ensure a 2HKO on even a 252 HP/96 Special Defense Revenankh. Calm Mind Jirachi with Psychic can switch in on Revenankh with virtual impunity and threaten to set up and sweep. Psychic Celebi, Slowbro, and Cresselia are similar, however they have to be more wary, as unlike Jirachi, Revenankh hits them super effectively with his Ghost STAB. Choice Specs Heatran can switch into any move that isn’t Fighting-typed (or Substitute) and can inflict upwards of 75% with Overheat.</p>
<p>Some physical attackers can hit hard enough to bypass Revenankh’s Defense boosts and force him out. Choice Band Staraptor is a serious threat to Revenankh, as he is immune to Shadow Sneak and will OHKO with Brave Bird even after a Bulk Up. Even Mach Punch isn't a problem thanks to Intimidate. Choice Band Metagross will easily 2HKO Revenankh with Zen Headbutt after a Bulk Up, and without one it will OHKO. Bulky Gyarados is one of the best switch-ins to Revenankh, as he has Intimidate to neutralize an Attack boost and has Taunt to stop it from setting up further. Salamence also has Intimidate, but Dragon Dance 'Mence won’t fare as well without Taunt. Choice Band Salamence will always 2HKO Revenankh with Outrage after a Bulk Up. All Salamence variants should be careful of the rare Ice Punch, though.</p>
<p>Some Pokemon can hinder or prevent Revenankh from sweeping through methods other than brute force. Any faster user of Trick can Trick a Choice item onto Revenankh anywhere in the middle of his setup, severely crippling his ability to sweep. Skarmory can come in and Whirlwind him away, or deal heavy damage with Brave Bird. He also has the ability to Taunt, if need be, and if he doesn’t switch in on a Bulk Up, Brave Bird will 2HKO. Bulky Suicune can also set up on Revenankh and Roar him out, or exploit his unboosted Special Defense with powerful Surfs. Gliscor takes very little damage from the standard set (watch out for Ice Punch), and can Taunt Revenankh before wearing him down with repeated Earthquakes. Defensive Celebi doesn’t mind Shadow Sneak too much and can force Revenankh out with Perish Song.</p>
<p>Revenankh is a premier special wall and the best spin-blocker in the metagame with his fantastic 94/90/120 defenses and neutrality to Dark-type attacks, the bane of many other spin-blockers. He can take a beating from nearly any special attacker and set up on them or return fire with his unresisted STABs and base 110 Attack stat. Shed Skin with Rest as a reliable form of healing and a respectable movepool including many great supporting and offensive options round out Revenankh as a durable, consistent, and powerful Pokemon.</p>
<p>This mummy has his fair share of issues, though, as he's deathly afraid of being Tricked a choice item, hates being Taunted, and still has trouble with the most powerful special and physical attackers in the metagame. Not a lot outside of these things can really phase this ghost, however, and virtually every team has to adjust in order to handle him by using one of his counters. Revenankh is a menacing Pokemon to face down, regardless of his few and easily handled problems, and should be considered for a spot on offensive and defensive teams alike.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Hammer Arm
move 3: Shadow Sneak / Shadow Claw
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Revenankh can easily come in on his many resistances and immunities. Taking advantage of the switches he causes, Bulk Up makes him all but impregnable to physical attacks, as well as boosting his already decent Attack stat to make him a greater threat. As such, it is recommended that you invest heavily in his Special Defense with your EVs. Rest allows you to switch into Toxic Spikes or Will-o-Wisp with impunity and remove the status with his ability, Shed Skin. Unlike most Rest users, Sleep Talk is not necessary on this set, as you have a 51% chance of Revenankh waking up early with Shed Skin.</p>
<p>As for your offensive moves, Hammer Arm is a strong and reliable Fighting-type move, allowing him to put the hurt on many Pokemon who are neutral to it after a Bulk Up or two. Because of the Speed drop, Shadow Sneak is recommended in tandem with Hammer Arm. Shadow Sneak has priority, negating the Speed drop somewhat, and after a couple of Bulk Ups, it will easily OHKO Azelf and Gengar and severely dent the Rotom formes and other Revenankh. Shadow Claw is a stronger option if you don't care about priority, but you may find that Revenankh can be too easily revenge killed by powerful sweepers like Gengar and Azelf. However, you can also use Mach Punch and Shadow Claw if you would like to get the jump on Pokemon like Weavile and Choice Scarf Tyranitar. Sadly, Mach Punch and Shadow Sneak are illegal together. If you're not sold on Hammer Arm's accuracy and speed drops, use Brick Break instead. This also gets rid of pesky screens in your way.</p>
<p>This set functions very well on its own, and requires very little team support. Revenankh can take hits, set up, and instantly heal itself. Normally, the only things that can stop a Revenankh sweep are Trick users and phazers. Having a designated Trick absorber, such as Heatran or Flygon, will help against the first group. Roar users are a bit varied, but they are commonly weak to either Fire or Grass, such as Skarmory, Swampert, and Hippowdon. Celebi is a handy Pokemon to use against these. Generally, the only offensive threats to this set are powerful special attackers like Togekiss and Zapdos. To that end, Blissey makes a good choice for a teammate, as she can cover the majority of the Pokemon that give Revenankh a hard time. The only physical attackers who can normally handle Revenankh without being set-up bait are Taunt Gyarados and Zen Headbutt Metagross. Celebi will be of much use against these Pokemon as well.</p>
<p>However, Revenankh is not a Pokemon one would normally build a team around. Revenankh is often placed on teams that require his services to support the rest of the team, as he can shut down a surprisingly high number of Pokemon. Special attackers work very well with Revenankh, as Revenankh is a virtually infinite switch-in to Blissey and Snorlax. He makes a good partner to a Pokemon like Latias or Porygon-Z. Another bonus of this is that Revenankh is generally very good at switching into Scizor – he is doubly resistant to Bug and immune to Fighting. As it takes neutral damage from Steel, consider pairing Revenankh with a Pokemon that can take advantage of Choice Band Bullet Punches, like Empoleon or Magnezone. Other common Pokemon stopped cold by Revenankh include Machamp, Heracross, and Bronzong, so if your team needs an answer to any of these, Revenankh is an excellent choice.</p>
<p>Revenankh also functions as one of the best Rapid Spin blockers available. His solid defenses and ability to seriously hurt Starmie while setting up on most other Rapid Spin users is what sets him apart from other Ghosts. If you intend to keep your entry hazards laid down by Pokemon like Skarmory or Roserade on the opponent’s side, Revenankh is a safe bet.</p>
[SET]
name: Wall
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Hammer Arm
move 3: Knock Off / Shadow Claw
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SpD
<p>For a mixed wall, Revenankh's typing could not be much better. Three relatively uncommon weaknesses and great overall bulk make Revenankh an ideal switch-in to threatening Pokemon such as Scizor, Infernape, Lucario, and Machamp.</p>
<p>Will-O-Wisp is the most important move on this set; a burn status will prevent almost any physically-inclined Pokemon from beating Revenankh. At the top of this list is Salamence, who will likely try to Draco Meteor or Outrage Revenankh as soon as possible, only to find himself unable to deal much further damage. Will-O-Wisp can also catch many of Revenankh's usual counters off-guard, such as Gyarados, Hippowdon, Swampert, and Choice Scarf Jirachi. Hammer Arm is a direct and reliable way for Revenankh to deal damage, and allows him to be a good check to Choice Scarf Heatran. Rest is once again used in tandem with Shed Skin to allow for great survivability and virtual immunity to status. Knock Off is a very useful move on stall teams, especially in a sandstorm. Ideally, you will want to get rid of Leftovers, though removing Life Orb can make offensive opponents far easier to handle as well. However, offensive teams will likely find that Knock Off slows down the offensive momentum, so Shadow Claw is recommended instead; it offers perfect type coverage with Hammer Arm.</p>
<p>The EVs look complicated, but they make Revenankh as bulky as possible. To start with, HP is maxed as this provides maximum durability against mixed attackers. 96 Special Defense EVs with a Careful nature hits 330, which is usually enough and prevents MixApe from 2HKOing him with Fire Blast, though more can be used if you find Salamence's Draco Meteor does just a bit too much damage. A minor 12 Speed EV investment ensures you beat 16 Speed Skarmory, allowing you to Will-O-Wisp him before he can Brave Bird you. It also outruns Adamant Rhyperior. The remainder is thrown into Defense.</p>
<p>This Revenankh functions well on both stall and offense. On stall, he is used to block Rapid Spin. Revenankh is one of the best counters to Fighting-typed Pokemon in general, including Lucario, Heracross, Machamp, Breloom, and Infernape, so he makes a great partner to Blissey. Between Blissey and Revenankh, a stall team should be able to wall almost every special attacker you could imagine. Blissey also covers the few special attackers whom Revenankh doesn't like, including Togekiss, Azelf, and Alakazam. Revenankh has trouble with Gyarados that pack Taunt, so a reliable counter like Hidden Power Electric Vaporeon or Celebi is a very good idea. While Rest provides recovery, it has the potential risk of forcing Revenankh to idle for two turns, so Wish support from Blissey or Vaporeon will still be useful to keep Revenankh in tip-top shape.</p>
<p>On offense, Revenankh is used as a bulky pivot and for burn support. Snorlax is a good partner to Revenankh, as his main fear is powerful Fighting-typed Pokemon such as Machamp and Lucario. Tyranitar is in the same boat, as in addition to countering Fighting-types, Revenankh will help against Tyranitar's Scizor problem. Other Pokemon who fear Fighting-types will generally appreciate Revenankh's ability to force switches. This Revenankh shouldn't expect to get support from his teammates; he is used to add bulk to the team, not to sweep itself.</p>
[SET]
name: Three Attacks
move 1: Hammer Arm
move 2: Shadow Sneak / Shadow Claw
move 3: Ice Punch / Power Whip / ThunderPunch
move 4: Rest / Bulk Up
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set has an advantage over the Bulk Up set in the extra move slot, giving much better coverage and making him more of an immediate threat. Hammer Arm returns as the reliable STAB attack. Shadow Sneak and Shadow Claw are both viable and the choice is largely one of preference. The final attack can either be Ice Punch to deal with Dragon-types and Flying-types like Salamence, Togekiss, and Zapdos, or Power Whip to take down bulky Water and Ground-types such as Vaporeon, Hippowdon, and Swampert. ThunderPunch is also useful for smacking Gyarados as well as some Flying-types, like Togekiss, but is useless against Zapdos and Gliscor. Several other options can also be used, including Fire Punch for Forretress and Scizor, but unfortunately, this move will not prove effective against much else.</p>
<p>Rest is the main option in the last slot, allowing you to heal off the recoil damage of Life Orb, however Bulk Up is also viable if you wish to set up on some threats. Leftovers is also a viable option if you wish to trade some power for bulkiness, and it is recommended if you aren’t using Rest.</p>
<p>This set poses much less of a long-term threat to the opponent’s team. In exchange, it uses the surprise value gained by running three attacks to function as a lure. Normally, this set is used if you need to remove one of your opponent’s Pokemon from the battle. For example, if you intend to sweep with an Agility Metagross, this set can lure in Roaring Pokemon like Swampert and Hippowdon and do major damage with Power Whip. If Flying-types are more of a threat to your chosen lategame sweeper, Ice Punch can take care of them. For example, many battlers rely on Zapdos or Gliscor to handle Lucario. Neither of those Pokemon normally hesitates to switch into Revenankh (provided Gliscor has Taunt). If using Ice Punch, Stealth Rock support is absolutely vital. Gliscor has about a 50% chance of surviving a Life Orb Ice Punch without Stealth Rock. A +1 Ice Punch will fail to KO physically defensive Zapdos, even after Stealth Rock. You will need to force Zapdos to switch into Stealth Rock more than once to finish him off, but then be sure that you don’t Ice Punch while he Roosts. Offensive Zapdos will be OHKOed most of the time by a Life Orb Ice Punch after Stealth Rock. Another thing to keep in mind is that this set works extremely well on paralysis-based teams, so Pokemon like Celebi and Blissey (with Thunder Wave) and Jirachi (with Body Slam) are fantastic partners.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Shadow Claw / Shadow Sneak
move 2: Superpower / Mach Punch
move 3: Power Whip
move 4: Ice Punch / ThunderPunch
item: Choice Band
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Hp / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Revenankh can also run a bulky Choice Band set effectively. What sets Revenankh's Choice Band set apart from every other Fighting-type's Choice set is Shed Skin, which prevents him from ever being permanently statused. In this case, Shadow Claw and Superpower are the main options, as the Speed drop from Hammer Arm is undesirable. A priority move, Mach Punch or Shadow Sneak, can be used over Superpower or Payback if you want to revenge kill a dangerous sweeper, but you will lose a lot of power. Due to Revenankh's egg groups, the two priority moves cannot be used together. The first two moves are nearly unresisted, and Power Whip, along with Ice Punch or ThunderPunch, covering almost every type for super-effective damage, augment type coverage. The advantage of ThunderPunch is the ability to annihilate Gyarados as well as having a 100% accurate move to use against Water-types at low HP, but Ice Punch will often be preferred for the super effective hit on Salamence, Gliscor, and Zapdos. This set requires a lot of prediction, but can easily annihilate its counters. Pursuit is an option to hit physically weak Psychic-types and Ghost-types while they switch out.</p>
<p>The recommended EVs are extremely simple, but are free to be modified. Max Attack is an obvious necessity to hit the opposing Pokemon as hard as possible. Four Speed EVs is mostly just leftover, but it will allow you to outrun other Revenankh who don't invest in Speed. 32-36 Speed can be used to outrun many Scizor and nearly all Vaporeon, as well as Adamant Rhyperior, slow Metagross, and the vast majority of Skarmory. 140+ Speed will beat Suicune who don't invest and all but the fastest Metagross. Beyond that, there isn't anything notable that you can outrun, so any more Speed isn't recommended.</p>
<p>Choice Band Revenankh sacrifices durability for power and massive surprise value. Again, this set should be used when you need to surprise a key Pokemon and remove him from battle. You will need to know your opponent’s team almost inside and out in order to be able to use this set to the fullest degree of effectiveness. For that reason, many of the team-mates you select alongside Revenankh should be ones who are able to reveal information about the opponent’s team. The primary moves for this are Roar and U-turn. Pokemon like Skarmory and Swampert can use Roar very well; Flygon and Scizor are examples of Pokemon who can use U-turn. In general, Choice Band Revenankh shouldn’t come out until you can successfully predict which Pokemon is going to switch into him. Revenankh doesn’t pack that much power, so you can’t afford a miss-prediction.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Bulk Up Revenankh normally finds his place on stall or balanced teams. He needs very little support himself, and serves as a highly effective Rapid Spin blocker. Wall Revenankh is all about supporting his team, so he functions well almost anywhere. The other sets should be used on offensively-inclined teams.</p>
<p>In general, the Pokemon who can stop a Revenankh sweep are those who can hit him with powerful special attacks, or those that can survive his hits and use Trick or Roar/Whirlwind. The first group includes Pokemon like Togekiss, Calm Mind Jirachi, and Zapdos. Blissey will be able to cover these, especially with Toxic or Thunder Wave. Stealth Rock also helps quite a bit when using Revenankh, as many of his common switch-ins are Flying-types. The Trick users, such as Rotom-A, Latias, or Jirachi, will often hold their item once they’ve seen Revenankh until it has begun setting up. Tyranitar or Scizor can use a powerful Pursuit to remove many Trick users. Phazers are often bulky, and therefore difficult to remove, but a Magnezone with Hidden Power Grass can trap Skarmory and surprise Swampert.</p>
<p>Defensively, Revenankh is very fortunate in that none of his three weaknesses are common. Flying, Ghost, and Psychic are very easy to handle on any given team. Tyranitar resists all three, and Pursuit is very helpful in taking out some of Revenankh’s checks like Celebi, Rotom-A, and Gengar. Magnezone resists all three as well, and is very helpful in taking out Roar or Whirlwind users, as well as Flying-types in general. Heatran and Empoleon are examples of Pokemon who resist Ghost, Psychic, and Flying and will be able to take advantage of Revenankh’s ability to force Blissey out. Steel- and Dark-typed Pokemon in general resist most moves that worry Revenankh, so those are the Pokemon who should be kept in mind. Umbreon gets special mention because if he can successfully Baton Pass a Mean Look to Revenankh, the game is usually over. Until then, Revenankh is great at taking the U-turns that Umbreon loathes so deeply.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Like many Fighting-types, Revenankh has a wide selection of STAB moves to choose from, but Hammer Arm is almost always chosen. Probably the most useful alternative is Mach Punch, which sacrifices power for the ability to hit before your opponent. Force Palm comes with a 30% paralysis chance, which can be highly crippling to many of Revenankh's usual counters and a great boon to paralysis-themed teams, but it has a low base power and is illegal with Shadow Sneak. Substitute and Focus Punch can be used if you want an alternate way to protect yourself from status as well as a stronger Fighting attack, but it saps Revenankh of the HP he so dearly relies on; Focus Punch is even viable on its own, but will require perfect prediction to use effectively. Drain Punch can be used to restore Revenankh's health, however, it isn't very powerful and has low PP, and therefore shouldn't be used outside of a Bulk Up + three attacks set. Cross Chop is possible, but it is nearly always better to accept the Speed drop of Hammer Arm in return for the extra 10% accuracy. </p>
<p>Ice Punch and Mach Punch can be used on the Bulk Up set to hit a lot of Revenankh's counters. Fire Punch and Stone Edge are rarely used due to Revenankh's better options, but can be surprisingly effective. Sleep Talk can be used on any set that includes Rest, but with Shed Skin, Revenankh has a 51% chance of waking up early, so it may not see much use. Note that Shed Skin cures status at the end of a turn, however, so there is no chance of using Sleep Talk and wasting a turn due to waking up. Taunt and Knock Off are great utility moves which can be used to stop enemy tanks, stat-uppers, and Choice users. Toxic will catch many of Revenankh’s counters off-guard, such as Zapdos and Togekiss, but Revenankh almost always has better things to be doing. Likewise, Mean Look would be a good option if Revenankh had space for it, but Revenankh is extremely hard-pressed for moveslots as it is. One could try a gimmick Nasty Plot set with Vacuum Wave and Shadow Ball, but don't expect to have any success with it. Revenankh's secondary ability, Mold Breaker, has virtually no practical use.</p>
<p>When using Bulk Up, Special Defense and HP should be given priority. Careful, 252 HP and 216 Special Defense EVs gives Revenankh a free Special Defense point and protects you against many common threats. For example, that spread will not be 2HKOed by a Choice Scarf Heatran’s Fire Blast, OHKOed by Timid Life Orb Gengar’s Shadow Ball, or OHKOed by Empoleon’s Surf after Torrent and Petaya Berry. However, that spread is not fixed; any Special Defense between 136 and 252 is fine. Generally, the numbers to hit are 136, 176, or 216 for free stat points. Max Attack can also be used to OHKO Gengar and Azelf with Shadow Sneak after a Bulk Up. On any defensive set without Bulk Up, more EVs could be invested into Defense. Maximum HP should not be tampered with as it reaches optimal Leftovers recovery. Offensive sets should often just max HP and Attack.</p>
[CAP Metagame]
<p>The CAP metagame, unfortunately, is not as kind to Revenankh as standard OU is. The metagame is dominated by two of Revenankh’s very best counters: Fidgit and Arghonaut. Fidgit takes little damage from all of Revenankh’s attacks and can Encore Bulk Up, then set up on him or switch out to let another Pokemon do so. Arghonaut takes very little damage from any of Revenankh’s moves, and has no reason to be afraid of Bulk Up thanks to Unaware. All of this leaves Revenankh with only the potential to lure and KO these two with Ice Punch or Power Whip, but even then, it’s not easy to do so. Mold Breaker sounds like it has potential against Arghonaut, but it is not worth it; Shed Skin is far better against every other opponent. Kitsunoh and Cyclohm can also be a pain for Revenankh. ShadowStrike’s high chance of a Defence drop means that Kitsunoh will most often beat Revenankh one on one. Cyclohm has solid Defense, and between Life Orb Thunderbolt and Draco Meteor, Revenankh will take around 90%. Colossoil will rarely be seen switching in to Revenankh, due to his powerful Fighting moves, but with Life Orb, Revenankh will take a hefty chunk of damage from one of his Earthquakes, making him difficult to switch in.</p>
<p>The other CAP Pokemon are not as threatening; however, they aren’t as common, either. Syclant can’t do more than 70% to Revenankh, even with a +2 Ice Beam. Either STAB priority move means that Revenankh will most likely come out on top. Pyroak with Dragon Dance can be a problem, but if Revenankh and Pyroak try to set up against each other, Revenankh will usually be fine. Leech Seed and other bulky Pyroak will usually end up being set-up bait for Bulk Up. Stratagem can’t hit Revenankh nearly hard enough, while Revenankh easily hits his low Defense with strong Fighting moves, or better yet, Mach Punch.</p>
<p>However, not everything is bad news for Revenankh. In a metagame riddled with Spikes, a Spin-blocker who has excellent defenses and isn't Dark-weak is extremely welcome. If played correctly, even Fidgit can have a hard time using Rapid Spin. Further, Revenankh makes a great partner to the big special attacking threats of CAP. Stratagem and Cyclohm in particular are highly appreciative of Revenankh's ability to switch into special walls.</p>
<p>The only real difference to any of Revenankh's movesets in the CAP metagame is the increased viability of Force Palm as a Fighting STAB. It has low power and is generally an inferior choice, but it has the advantage of terrifying Fidgit and Krilowatt with the 30% paralysis chance. On the other hand, Cyclohm doesn't care about Force Palm, but Cyclohm rarely cares about Revenankh's attacks until he's got a couple of Bulk Ups anyway (other than the occasional Ice Punch).</p>
[Counters]
<p>Because Revenankh is constantly boosting his physical Defense with Bulk Up, some of his best checks and counters are special attackers. Togekiss is the best Revenankh check, because he has STAB Air Slash to beat him down, and he doesn’t have to worry as much about 2HKOing Revenankh due to the flinch rate, though he takes neutral damage from Hammer Arm and x2 damage while Roosting. Zapdos with Metal Sound will threaten a 2HKO on Revenankh with Thunderbolt after a Special Defense drop. Zapdos can also use HP Flying, although he will need a significant investment in Special Attack to ensure a 2HKO on even a 252 HP/96 Special Defense Revenankh. Calm Mind Jirachi with Psychic can switch in on Revenankh with virtual impunity and threaten to set up and sweep. Psychic Celebi, Slowbro, and Cresselia are similar, however they have to be more wary, as unlike Jirachi, Revenankh hits them super effectively with his Ghost STAB. Choice Specs Heatran can switch into any move that isn’t Fighting-typed (or Substitute) and can inflict upwards of 75% with Overheat.</p>
<p>Some physical attackers can hit hard enough to bypass Revenankh’s Defense boosts and force him out. Choice Band Staraptor is a serious threat to Revenankh, as he is immune to Shadow Sneak and will OHKO with Brave Bird even after a Bulk Up. Even Mach Punch isn't a problem thanks to Intimidate. Choice Band Metagross will easily 2HKO Revenankh with Zen Headbutt after a Bulk Up, and without one it will OHKO. Bulky Gyarados is one of the best switch-ins to Revenankh, as he has Intimidate to neutralize an Attack boost and has Taunt to stop it from setting up further. Salamence also has Intimidate, but Dragon Dance 'Mence won’t fare as well without Taunt. Choice Band Salamence will always 2HKO Revenankh with Outrage after a Bulk Up. All Salamence variants should be careful of the rare Ice Punch, though.</p>
<p>Some Pokemon can hinder or prevent Revenankh from sweeping through methods other than brute force. Any faster user of Trick can Trick a Choice item onto Revenankh anywhere in the middle of his setup, severely crippling his ability to sweep. Skarmory can come in and Whirlwind him away, or deal heavy damage with Brave Bird. He also has the ability to Taunt, if need be, and if he doesn’t switch in on a Bulk Up, Brave Bird will 2HKO. Bulky Suicune can also set up on Revenankh and Roar him out, or exploit his unboosted Special Defense with powerful Surfs. Gliscor takes very little damage from the standard set (watch out for Ice Punch), and can Taunt Revenankh before wearing him down with repeated Earthquakes. Defensive Celebi doesn’t mind Shadow Sneak too much and can force Revenankh out with Perish Song.</p>
