On QC recommendations, changed SD set to Agility.
[Overview]
• Has access to Swords Dance, Agility, Nasty Plot AND Cheer Up.
• Movepool on special side is rather poor, must rely on Focus Blast + Hidden Power Ghost, and has problems with Munchlax, not recommended.
[Set]
Name: Agility
Move 1: Agility
Move 2: Hi Jump Kick
Move 3: Crunch
Move 4: Ice Punch
Ability: Inner Focus / Steadfast
Item: Life Orb
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 36 HP / 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[Set Comments]
• Riolu’s only effective set that is not outclassed, reaching 30 Speed with a single turn of set up.
• STAB Hi Jump Kick does a lot of damage when backed by Life Orb.
• Crunch works well with Hi Jump Kick, only being resisted by Croagunk.
• Ice Punch hits Dragon-type Pokemon and Gligar.
[Additional Comments]
• Needs Stealth Rock support.
• Appreciates Stealth Rock and Spikes support to soften up Croagunk.
• Other options in the 4th slot are Blaze Kick(for hitting Grass types, especially paras, who resists Hi Jump Kick), ThunderPunch(for hitting Mantine harder) and Rock Slide(for hitting Fire types and Bug types).
[Team Options]
• Works well with Wynaut, who can get it a free set up turn.
• Gligar and Mantyke are excellent teammates, as they stop Croagunk.
• Misdreavus can take advantage of it luring in Meditite, who causes it major problems.
[Optional Changes]
• It can try to use Nasty Plot, Cheer Up or Swords Dance, but its movepool is too small for a special set, and it is too weak for a mixed set and too slow for Swords Dance.
• It can potentially run an Ankle Sweep + Inner Focus lead set, though that is gimmicky at best.
• It has access to Quick Attack and Bullet Punch, but they are not very useful on Riolu.
[Counters]
• Meditite causes it major problems.
• Croagunk can do heavy damage to it.
• Has major problems with bulky Pokemon like Hippopotas who can take a hit and retaliate, since Riolu is rather frail.
[Dream World]
• Riolu gets Mischievous Heart through the Dream World, but the only competitively viable moves that it boosts are its various stat-boosting moves, something...it probably won't need except to evade the rare users of Taunt who lack Mischievous Heart.
[Overview]
• Has access to Swords Dance, Agility, Nasty Plot AND Cheer Up.
• Movepool on special side is rather poor, must rely on Focus Blast + Hidden Power Ghost, and has problems with Munchlax, not recommended.
[Set]
Name: Agility
Move 1: Agility
Move 2: Hi Jump Kick
Move 3: Crunch
Move 4: Ice Punch
Ability: Inner Focus / Steadfast
Item: Life Orb
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 36 HP / 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[Set Comments]
• Riolu’s only effective set that is not outclassed, reaching 30 Speed with a single turn of set up.
• STAB Hi Jump Kick does a lot of damage when backed by Life Orb.
• Crunch works well with Hi Jump Kick, only being resisted by Croagunk.
• Ice Punch hits Dragon-type Pokemon and Gligar.
[Additional Comments]
• Needs Stealth Rock support.
• Appreciates Stealth Rock and Spikes support to soften up Croagunk.
• Other options in the 4th slot are Blaze Kick(for hitting Grass types, especially paras, who resists Hi Jump Kick), ThunderPunch(for hitting Mantine harder) and Rock Slide(for hitting Fire types and Bug types).
[Team Options]
• Works well with Wynaut, who can get it a free set up turn.
• Gligar and Mantyke are excellent teammates, as they stop Croagunk.
• Misdreavus can take advantage of it luring in Meditite, who causes it major problems.
[Optional Changes]
• It can try to use Nasty Plot, Cheer Up or Swords Dance, but its movepool is too small for a special set, and it is too weak for a mixed set and too slow for Swords Dance.
• It can potentially run an Ankle Sweep + Inner Focus lead set, though that is gimmicky at best.
• It has access to Quick Attack and Bullet Punch, but they are not very useful on Riolu.
[Counters]
• Meditite causes it major problems.
• Croagunk can do heavy damage to it.
• Has major problems with bulky Pokemon like Hippopotas who can take a hit and retaliate, since Riolu is rather frail.
[Dream World]
• Riolu gets Mischievous Heart through the Dream World, but the only competitively viable moves that it boosts are its various stat-boosting moves, something...it probably won't need except to evade the rare users of Taunt who lack Mischievous Heart.
