[Overview]
<p>With a high base Attack stat, great coverage, and usable Speed, it may seem strange that Riolu has such low usage. It can either hit hard with Swords Dance or sweep quickly with Agility. Riolu may at first look underwhelming when compared to Fighting-types such as Mienfoo, Scraggy, and Croagunk, but it has enough advantages over the myriad of Fighting-types in LC—such as beating Mienfoo and Scraggy, access to an excellent boosting move, and an excellent movepool—to warrant a spot on any team in need of a fast, powerful cleaner with excellent coverage.</p>
[SET]
name: Agility
move 1: Agility
move 2: Hi Jump Kick
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Crunch
item: Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant
ivs: 0 HP
evs: 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Riolu's best set returns for another go in BW LC, but unfortunately, it is not nearly as effective as it was back in DPP. Agility is the crux of the set, granting Riolu the ability to hit a Speed stat of 30 after one Agility, outspeeding every threat without a Choice Scarf, as well as some with it. Hi Jump Kick is Riolu's best STAB option and hits incredibly hard thanks to its 130 Base Power. Crunch is obligatory for getting rid of pesky Ghost-types such as Gastly and Misdreavus that plague Riolu's existence; it can also 2HKO Staryu after some residual damage. Ice Punch is mandatory so that Riolu doesn't get walled by the extremely common Gligar, also serving as a safer option for hitting Murkrow hard if you don't want to risk Hi Jump Kick's potential recoil.</p>
<p>To demonstrate this set's effectiveness with entry hazards, here are some damage calculations against several common LC Pokemon. All of these assume an Adamant nature and Life Orb.</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 0/196+ Eviolite Mienfoo 76.2% - 90.5%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 0/0 Eviolite Scraggy 171.43% - 200%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 220/152+ Eviolite Bronzor 48% - 60%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 0/52 Eviolite Chinchou 87.5% - 100%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 0/0 Eviolite Misdreavus 72.7% – 90.9%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 236/196+ Eviolite Frillish 48% - 56%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 36/0 Eviolite Staryu 40% - 50%</li>
<li>Ice Punch vs. 156/156+ Eviolite Gligar 80% - 96%</li>
<li>Ice Punch vs. 0/0 Eviolite Murkrow 72.7% - 90.9%</li>
</ul>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With 196 Speed EVs, Riolu hits 30 Speed after an Agility, allowing it to outspeed every notable threat in LC. A HP IV of 0 is used to ensure that Riolu hits 19 HP, minimizing Life Orb recoil. The remaining EVs go into Riolu's defenses to make it slightly more bulky. Adamant is the nature of choice here since Riolu wouldn't really need the Speed boost provided by Jolly after it sets up an Agility. Life Orb jacks up the power of Riolu's attacks, making it harder to wall.</p>
<p>It is important to realise that this set is not meant to be used early-game for two reasons: First of all, Riolu cannot possibly sweep a well-built LC team that hasn’t taken some form of prior damage. Secondly, although it may be tempting at first to use Riolu as an early-game Pokemon to blast holes in an opponent's team, it is not a good move because Riolu needs all the health it can get, and it can't keep getting weakened by entry hazards and Life Orb. Riolu is also pretty ineffective against stall teams due to its relatively low damage output with regards to strong physical walls.</p>
<p>Ghost-types such as Frillish and Misdreavus can switch into Riolu on the Agility, take a Crunch, and burn it with Will-O-Wisp. Therefore, a powerful Pursuit user such as Houndour makes an excellent teammate, thanks to Flash Fire and STAB Pursuit. Ferroseed is also an excellent teammate, as it can set up Spikes and Stealth Rock to assist Riolu in getting essential OHKOs and 2HKOs on Pokemon such as Bronzor, Murkrow, and Gligar, also providing a form of recovery through Leech Seed. Unfortunately, Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Leech Seed are an illegal combination, so you can only use two of the three moves on the same set. Mienfoo partners well with Riolu because it can often lure out your opponents' Fighting-type check and weaken it, therefore aiding Riolu’s sweep. Mienfoo also forces a lot of switches and maintains momentum with U-turn, so with entry hazards on the field, the opponent's Pokemon will be taking considerable damage on just switching in.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Riolu has several other moves which give it coverage against more specific LC threats. ThunderPunch hits Water-type Pokemon such as Mantyke and Shellder, Rock Slide hurts many Flying-type Pokemon that threaten Riolu, such as Tailow and Murkrow, and Blaze Kick destroys Bronzor. Drain Punch is an option over Hi Jump Kick, as it is more reliable and can be used to heal some damage that might have been taken, but the power loss is quite significant. Bullet Punch is Riolu's best bet for a physical priority move, but once Riolu sets up an Agility, it will rarely need a priority move. Swords Dance will allow Riolu to hit very hard, but it will make Riolu easy to revenge kill. A Jolly nature can be used over Adamant to further boost Riolu's Speed, but the Attack boost provided by Adamant nature is generally preferred. Zen Headbutt can be used over Crunch to give Riolu coverage against Poison- and Fighting-type Pokemon, but Riolu will lose its only coverage option against Ghost- and Psychic-types.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Bulky Ghost-types such as Frillish and Misdreavus can take a super effective Crunch considerably well with a defensive EV spread, and then burn Riolu with Will-O-Wisp or just KO it with a special attack. Priority threatens Riolu as it circumvents its Speed, even after it sets up Agility. Powerful priority users such as Croagunk thus make great checks to Riolu. All types of status are a big threat to Riolu: paralysis lowers its Speed, burn lowers its attack, and poison, when coupled with Life Orb recoil, sharply truncates Riolu’s life span. Hippopotas can take one hit with ease due to its excellent physical bulk and either hit back with a powerful STAB Earthquake or cripple Riolu with Toxic. If Hippopotas chooses the latter, then it can repeatedly use Slack Off to stall out Riolu with Life Orb recoil, Toxic damage, and damage taken from sandstorm.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Riolu receives the ability Prankster from the Dream World. Whilst this is a fantastic ability, it is wasted on Riolu, who lacks the appropriate bulk and support moves to make good use of it. However, a gimmicky set consisting of Screech, Copycat, Substitute, and Toxic can spread status and force lots of switches while protecting Riolu with Substitute and punishing attackers with Copycat. This has the potential to work, especially with entry hazard support, but Riolu's standard sets are far more effective.</p>
<p>With a high base Attack stat, great coverage, and usable Speed, it may seem strange that Riolu has such low usage. It can either hit hard with Swords Dance or sweep quickly with Agility. Riolu may at first look underwhelming when compared to Fighting-types such as Mienfoo, Scraggy, and Croagunk, but it has enough advantages over the myriad of Fighting-types in LC—such as beating Mienfoo and Scraggy, access to an excellent boosting move, and an excellent movepool—to warrant a spot on any team in need of a fast, powerful cleaner with excellent coverage.</p>
[SET]
name: Agility
move 1: Agility
move 2: Hi Jump Kick
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Crunch
item: Life Orb
ability: Inner Focus
nature: Adamant
ivs: 0 HP
evs: 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Riolu's best set returns for another go in BW LC, but unfortunately, it is not nearly as effective as it was back in DPP. Agility is the crux of the set, granting Riolu the ability to hit a Speed stat of 30 after one Agility, outspeeding every threat without a Choice Scarf, as well as some with it. Hi Jump Kick is Riolu's best STAB option and hits incredibly hard thanks to its 130 Base Power. Crunch is obligatory for getting rid of pesky Ghost-types such as Gastly and Misdreavus that plague Riolu's existence; it can also 2HKO Staryu after some residual damage. Ice Punch is mandatory so that Riolu doesn't get walled by the extremely common Gligar, also serving as a safer option for hitting Murkrow hard if you don't want to risk Hi Jump Kick's potential recoil.</p>
<p>To demonstrate this set's effectiveness with entry hazards, here are some damage calculations against several common LC Pokemon. All of these assume an Adamant nature and Life Orb.</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 0/196+ Eviolite Mienfoo 76.2% - 90.5%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 0/0 Eviolite Scraggy 171.43% - 200%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 220/152+ Eviolite Bronzor 48% - 60%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 0/52 Eviolite Chinchou 87.5% - 100%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 0/0 Eviolite Misdreavus 72.7% – 90.9%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 236/196+ Eviolite Frillish 48% - 56%</li>
<li>Crunch vs. 36/0 Eviolite Staryu 40% - 50%</li>
<li>Ice Punch vs. 156/156+ Eviolite Gligar 80% - 96%</li>
<li>Ice Punch vs. 0/0 Eviolite Murkrow 72.7% - 90.9%</li>
</ul>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With 196 Speed EVs, Riolu hits 30 Speed after an Agility, allowing it to outspeed every notable threat in LC. A HP IV of 0 is used to ensure that Riolu hits 19 HP, minimizing Life Orb recoil. The remaining EVs go into Riolu's defenses to make it slightly more bulky. Adamant is the nature of choice here since Riolu wouldn't really need the Speed boost provided by Jolly after it sets up an Agility. Life Orb jacks up the power of Riolu's attacks, making it harder to wall.</p>
<p>It is important to realise that this set is not meant to be used early-game for two reasons: First of all, Riolu cannot possibly sweep a well-built LC team that hasn’t taken some form of prior damage. Secondly, although it may be tempting at first to use Riolu as an early-game Pokemon to blast holes in an opponent's team, it is not a good move because Riolu needs all the health it can get, and it can't keep getting weakened by entry hazards and Life Orb. Riolu is also pretty ineffective against stall teams due to its relatively low damage output with regards to strong physical walls.</p>
<p>Ghost-types such as Frillish and Misdreavus can switch into Riolu on the Agility, take a Crunch, and burn it with Will-O-Wisp. Therefore, a powerful Pursuit user such as Houndour makes an excellent teammate, thanks to Flash Fire and STAB Pursuit. Ferroseed is also an excellent teammate, as it can set up Spikes and Stealth Rock to assist Riolu in getting essential OHKOs and 2HKOs on Pokemon such as Bronzor, Murkrow, and Gligar, also providing a form of recovery through Leech Seed. Unfortunately, Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Leech Seed are an illegal combination, so you can only use two of the three moves on the same set. Mienfoo partners well with Riolu because it can often lure out your opponents' Fighting-type check and weaken it, therefore aiding Riolu’s sweep. Mienfoo also forces a lot of switches and maintains momentum with U-turn, so with entry hazards on the field, the opponent's Pokemon will be taking considerable damage on just switching in.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Riolu has several other moves which give it coverage against more specific LC threats. ThunderPunch hits Water-type Pokemon such as Mantyke and Shellder, Rock Slide hurts many Flying-type Pokemon that threaten Riolu, such as Tailow and Murkrow, and Blaze Kick destroys Bronzor. Drain Punch is an option over Hi Jump Kick, as it is more reliable and can be used to heal some damage that might have been taken, but the power loss is quite significant. Bullet Punch is Riolu's best bet for a physical priority move, but once Riolu sets up an Agility, it will rarely need a priority move. Swords Dance will allow Riolu to hit very hard, but it will make Riolu easy to revenge kill. A Jolly nature can be used over Adamant to further boost Riolu's Speed, but the Attack boost provided by Adamant nature is generally preferred. Zen Headbutt can be used over Crunch to give Riolu coverage against Poison- and Fighting-type Pokemon, but Riolu will lose its only coverage option against Ghost- and Psychic-types.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Bulky Ghost-types such as Frillish and Misdreavus can take a super effective Crunch considerably well with a defensive EV spread, and then burn Riolu with Will-O-Wisp or just KO it with a special attack. Priority threatens Riolu as it circumvents its Speed, even after it sets up Agility. Powerful priority users such as Croagunk thus make great checks to Riolu. All types of status are a big threat to Riolu: paralysis lowers its Speed, burn lowers its attack, and poison, when coupled with Life Orb recoil, sharply truncates Riolu’s life span. Hippopotas can take one hit with ease due to its excellent physical bulk and either hit back with a powerful STAB Earthquake or cripple Riolu with Toxic. If Hippopotas chooses the latter, then it can repeatedly use Slack Off to stall out Riolu with Life Orb recoil, Toxic damage, and damage taken from sandstorm.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Riolu receives the ability Prankster from the Dream World. Whilst this is a fantastic ability, it is wasted on Riolu, who lacks the appropriate bulk and support moves to make good use of it. However, a gimmicky set consisting of Screech, Copycat, Substitute, and Toxic can spread status and force lots of switches while protecting Riolu with Substitute and punishing attackers with Copycat. This has the potential to work, especially with entry hazard support, but Riolu's standard sets are far more effective.</p>
