[OVERVIEW]
As one of the few Pokemon with Prankster in Little Cup and even fewer that can warrant an offensive set, Riolu holds a specific niche as a revenge killer and late-game cleaner. With access to both Copycat and Prankster, it can fire off powerful High Jump Kicks and chain them together so the opponent cannot react. Prankster also makes sure that Riolu can set up Swords Dance before a Pokemon Taunts it. Its decently sized movepool gives it enough options to cover potential checks and a variety of threats. However, it is somewhat outclassed as a Fighting-type with Pokemon like Timburr and Mienfoo being dominant in the tier. Its Copycat chain is also easily interruptible through faster priority or Protect.
[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: High Jump Kick
move 3: Copycat
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Protect / Crunch
item: Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 196 Atk / 116 Def / 196 Spe
ivs: 0 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance is Riolu's setup move and separates it from other Fighting-types by gaining +1 priority from Prankster. High Jump Kick should be the main STAB move, as it has the most power and is devastating after a boost. Copycat is essential because it allows Riolu to consistently spam its High Jump Kick without any drawbacks, as it will always be at +1 priority. Protect can be used in order to scout the foe and potentially copy its move, such as a Mienfoo using U-turn. This is also useful for copying moves such as Knock Off to weaken High Jump Kick switch-ins. Zen Headbutt can be the second offensive move, as it hits Croagunk, Gastly, and other Fighting-types super effectively. It's also the best option against threats like Foongus. Crunch can be an option to hit other Ghost types, specifically Drifloon. Cross Chop and Drain Punch are two Fighting-type moves that can be options over High Jump Kick if one prefers not to risk Riolu losing half of its HP on a miss. Cross Chop has decent power but can lack killing power if unboosted and misses more often than High Jump Kick, while Drain Punch fails to KO many foes even when boosted but provides a safer alternative for Eviolite and bulkier sets.
Set Details
========
The EV spread maximizes Speed and Attack while investing the rest into Defense in order for Riolu to last slightly longer. It's imperative that the HP EVs be invested into the defenses instead and the HP IV lowered to 0 in order to hit exactly 19 HP for good Life Orb recoil rolls. A Life Orb is generally preferred for a regular Swords Dance set, as it lets Riolu net more KOs than an Eviolite would.
Usage Tips
========
Riolu should be sure to set up when common Ghost-types like Drifloon and Gastly are gone and walls like Spritzee and Snubbull taken care of. It'(apostrophe)s best to set up on Pokemon that can't really OHKO Riolu or Pokemon that it forces out, such as Pawniard. One can also set up on Pokemon that have been hit with Memento, which makes Stunky an excellent partner. Due to Riolu's poor bulk, Memento support is almost always preferred to help Riolu set up.
Team Options
========
Stunky and Honedge are two excellent partners. Stunky takes care of Ghost-types for Riolu to sweep while also beating Spritzee and Snubbull with its Poison-type STAB moves. Honedge can easily switch in on Fletchling and Spritzee, as well as take out Abra with Pursuit. Pawniard is another option, as Pawniard can check Spritzee and Snubbull while spreading Knock Off and supporting the team with moves like Thunder Wave and Stealth Rock. Houndour is a good teammate as well, since it checks Drifloon and can wallbreak for Riolu. Memento users make for great teammates, so Pokemon like Cottonee and, again, Stunky are excellent partners. Riolu often needs some sort of defensive core, which makes Pokemon like Ferroseed and Spritzee really good. Ponyta is also an excellent teammate, as it can burn foes like Mienfoo, which will allow Riolu to set up more easily. Gothita can be used to help eliminate Fairy-types and Croagunk, as well as other Poison-types.
[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: High Jump Kick
move 3: Copycat
move 4: Protect / Iron Tail
item: Eviolite / Roseli Berry
ability: Prankster
nature: Adamant
evs: 116 HP / 196 Atk / 36 SpD / 116 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance is the main boosting move, and High Jump Kick is the primary attacking move that can easily be spammed through Copycat. Copycat gains +1 priority through Riolu's ability Prankster, thus allowing for a chain of attacks that can otherwise make up for Riolu's poor Speed. Protect can be used in the last slot in order to scout Choice Scarf Pokemon and copy different utility moves, such as Rapid Spin, Stealth Rock, U-turn, Volt Switch, and Knock Off. However, Iron Tail can be used on a Fairy-type lure set, as with a Roseli Berry, one can set up on Snubbull and Spritzee and KO them after a boost. Riolu has a few others move it can use in the last slot, such as Crunch to stop Ghost-types and Zen Headbutt to try to KO Foongus.
Set Details
========
If you're using a Roseli Berry, it is better to run a little bulk, as this lets Riolu survive Spritzee's +1 Moonblast most of the time, while Riolu would otherwise lose in a perfect one-on-one situation. The extra bulk investment also lets Riolu survive several weak neutral attacks, such as Omanyte's Surf. 14 Speed EVs let Riolu outspeed 13 Speed Fletchling and outprioritize it with a Copycat High Jump Kick, while an Adamant nature should be used to get as much power as possible, notably guaranteeing the OHKO on Spritzee with Stealth Rock up. An Eviolite can be used in order to create more setup opportunities at the cost of lower power. A Roseli Berry can be used if one wants to lure in Snubbull or Spritzee and KO them, as well as use them as setup bait. This can often leave Riolu open to being revenge killed by any sort of priority attack, as setting up with a Roseli Berry will leave it with only a couple of health points left.
Usage Tips
========
With a Roseli Berry, it's beneficial to bait in Pokemon like Spritzee and set up a Swords Dance so Riolu can lure it in and beat it. From there, you can click High Jump Kick throughout the game to wear down checks. Riolu needs to make sure to set up after Ghost-types have already been removed, as its main sweeping move is High Jump Kick. Use Riolu to bait in Fairy-types, and then send in a teammate that appreciates the Fairy-type being gone. This set focuses less on sweeping by itself and more on clearing the way for its teammates.
Team Options
========
Stunky is one of the best partners for Riolu, as it traps Gothita, Gastly, and Abra and can also support Riolu with Memento. It also can check Spritzee thanks to its Poison typing. Houndour is a good teammate as well, since it checks Drifloon and can wallbreak for Riolu. Cottonee, Wynaut, and other support Pokemon are good teammates, as they can allow Riolu to get easy boosts via moves like Encore, Taunt, and Memento. Pokemon that can take advantage of Spritzee and Snubbull being gone, such as Timburr, Choice Scarf Mienfoo, Scraggy, and Carvanha, make for excellent partners. Trappers like Gothita and Diglett pair well with Riolu, as they can remove Poison-types and make sweeping easier.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Berry Juice can be used in place of Eviolite on the bulkier set, but Riolu's bulk is so low that a lot of neutral attacks can OHKO it anyway. A Focus Sash can be used on hyper offensive teams but is otherwise outclassed by other items. Rock Slide can be used to deal with Flying-types on the switch as well as Ponyta and Larvesta. Magnet Rise can be used in order to beat Diglett and Drilbur, as Diglett now cannot trap Riolu and KO it with Earthquake. Role Play can be used on foes like Mienfoo and Foongus in order to copy their Regenerator ability and regain health on a switch. However, outside that, it has limited use. A Substitute set can be useful, but Riolu does not have the power to be threatening enough without an Attack boost. A weather setter set can be useful on teams dedicated to weather, but manual weather is generally a poor strategy anyway.
Checks & Counters
========
**Abra**: Abra can function as one of the best checks to Riolu, as it often carries a Focus Sash and sometimes carries Protect and can OHKO with Psychic.
**Fairy-types**: Spritzee and Snubbull can completely counter Riolu unless it happens to run both a Roseli Berry and Iron Tail. They can switch in on almost anything else and OHKO with their Fairy-type STAB moves.
**Flying-types**: Fast Fletchling can outspeed and outprioritize Riolu and OHKO it with Acrobatics, and other Flying-types can typically outspeed Riolu and OHKO it with their STAB moves; however, they must sometimes be wary of switching into Riolu, as High Jump Kick can 2HKO some of them with Stealth Rock up.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Bulky Grass-types like Foongus can switch into almost anything except the uncommon Zen Headbutt and Blaze Kick, and they can typically use Spore to put Riolu to sleep.
**Ponyta and Larvesta**: Ponyta and Larvesta check most Fighting-types and can possibly burn Riolu. If Riolu doesn't get burned, however, a +2 High Jump Kick or Rock Slide OHKOes them after Stealth Rock.
**Gothita**: Gothita can trap and OHKO Riolu; however, it has to be wary of a +2 High Jump Kick with entry hazards up.
**Faster Priority Users**: Pokemon such as Cottonee and +1 Carvanha can outspeed Riolu and cripple it, either through Encoring Riolu's setup move or revenge killing it with a priority move.
As one of the few Pokemon with Prankster in Little Cup and even fewer that can warrant an offensive set, Riolu holds a specific niche as a revenge killer and late-game cleaner. With access to both Copycat and Prankster, it can fire off powerful High Jump Kicks and chain them together so the opponent cannot react. Prankster also makes sure that Riolu can set up Swords Dance before a Pokemon Taunts it. Its decently sized movepool gives it enough options to cover potential checks and a variety of threats. However, it is somewhat outclassed as a Fighting-type with Pokemon like Timburr and Mienfoo being dominant in the tier. Its Copycat chain is also easily interruptible through faster priority or Protect.
[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: High Jump Kick
move 3: Copycat
move 4: Zen Headbutt / Protect / Crunch
item: Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 196 Atk / 116 Def / 196 Spe
ivs: 0 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance is Riolu's setup move and separates it from other Fighting-types by gaining +1 priority from Prankster. High Jump Kick should be the main STAB move, as it has the most power and is devastating after a boost. Copycat is essential because it allows Riolu to consistently spam its High Jump Kick without any drawbacks, as it will always be at +1 priority. Protect can be used in order to scout the foe and potentially copy its move, such as a Mienfoo using U-turn. This is also useful for copying moves such as Knock Off to weaken High Jump Kick switch-ins. Zen Headbutt can be the second offensive move, as it hits Croagunk, Gastly, and other Fighting-types super effectively. It's also the best option against threats like Foongus. Crunch can be an option to hit other Ghost types, specifically Drifloon. Cross Chop and Drain Punch are two Fighting-type moves that can be options over High Jump Kick if one prefers not to risk Riolu losing half of its HP on a miss. Cross Chop has decent power but can lack killing power if unboosted and misses more often than High Jump Kick, while Drain Punch fails to KO many foes even when boosted but provides a safer alternative for Eviolite and bulkier sets.
Set Details
========
The EV spread maximizes Speed and Attack while investing the rest into Defense in order for Riolu to last slightly longer. It's imperative that the HP EVs be invested into the defenses instead and the HP IV lowered to 0 in order to hit exactly 19 HP for good Life Orb recoil rolls. A Life Orb is generally preferred for a regular Swords Dance set, as it lets Riolu net more KOs than an Eviolite would.
Usage Tips
========
Riolu should be sure to set up when common Ghost-types like Drifloon and Gastly are gone and walls like Spritzee and Snubbull taken care of. It'(apostrophe)s best to set up on Pokemon that can't really OHKO Riolu or Pokemon that it forces out, such as Pawniard. One can also set up on Pokemon that have been hit with Memento, which makes Stunky an excellent partner. Due to Riolu's poor bulk, Memento support is almost always preferred to help Riolu set up.
Team Options
========
Stunky and Honedge are two excellent partners. Stunky takes care of Ghost-types for Riolu to sweep while also beating Spritzee and Snubbull with its Poison-type STAB moves. Honedge can easily switch in on Fletchling and Spritzee, as well as take out Abra with Pursuit. Pawniard is another option, as Pawniard can check Spritzee and Snubbull while spreading Knock Off and supporting the team with moves like Thunder Wave and Stealth Rock. Houndour is a good teammate as well, since it checks Drifloon and can wallbreak for Riolu. Memento users make for great teammates, so Pokemon like Cottonee and, again, Stunky are excellent partners. Riolu often needs some sort of defensive core, which makes Pokemon like Ferroseed and Spritzee really good. Ponyta is also an excellent teammate, as it can burn foes like Mienfoo, which will allow Riolu to set up more easily. Gothita can be used to help eliminate Fairy-types and Croagunk, as well as other Poison-types.
[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: High Jump Kick
move 3: Copycat
move 4: Protect / Iron Tail
item: Eviolite / Roseli Berry
ability: Prankster
nature: Adamant
evs: 116 HP / 196 Atk / 36 SpD / 116 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance is the main boosting move, and High Jump Kick is the primary attacking move that can easily be spammed through Copycat. Copycat gains +1 priority through Riolu's ability Prankster, thus allowing for a chain of attacks that can otherwise make up for Riolu's poor Speed. Protect can be used in the last slot in order to scout Choice Scarf Pokemon and copy different utility moves, such as Rapid Spin, Stealth Rock, U-turn, Volt Switch, and Knock Off. However, Iron Tail can be used on a Fairy-type lure set, as with a Roseli Berry, one can set up on Snubbull and Spritzee and KO them after a boost. Riolu has a few others move it can use in the last slot, such as Crunch to stop Ghost-types and Zen Headbutt to try to KO Foongus.
Set Details
========
If you're using a Roseli Berry, it is better to run a little bulk, as this lets Riolu survive Spritzee's +1 Moonblast most of the time, while Riolu would otherwise lose in a perfect one-on-one situation. The extra bulk investment also lets Riolu survive several weak neutral attacks, such as Omanyte's Surf. 14 Speed EVs let Riolu outspeed 13 Speed Fletchling and outprioritize it with a Copycat High Jump Kick, while an Adamant nature should be used to get as much power as possible, notably guaranteeing the OHKO on Spritzee with Stealth Rock up. An Eviolite can be used in order to create more setup opportunities at the cost of lower power. A Roseli Berry can be used if one wants to lure in Snubbull or Spritzee and KO them, as well as use them as setup bait. This can often leave Riolu open to being revenge killed by any sort of priority attack, as setting up with a Roseli Berry will leave it with only a couple of health points left.
Usage Tips
========
With a Roseli Berry, it's beneficial to bait in Pokemon like Spritzee and set up a Swords Dance so Riolu can lure it in and beat it. From there, you can click High Jump Kick throughout the game to wear down checks. Riolu needs to make sure to set up after Ghost-types have already been removed, as its main sweeping move is High Jump Kick. Use Riolu to bait in Fairy-types, and then send in a teammate that appreciates the Fairy-type being gone. This set focuses less on sweeping by itself and more on clearing the way for its teammates.
Team Options
========
Stunky is one of the best partners for Riolu, as it traps Gothita, Gastly, and Abra and can also support Riolu with Memento. It also can check Spritzee thanks to its Poison typing. Houndour is a good teammate as well, since it checks Drifloon and can wallbreak for Riolu. Cottonee, Wynaut, and other support Pokemon are good teammates, as they can allow Riolu to get easy boosts via moves like Encore, Taunt, and Memento. Pokemon that can take advantage of Spritzee and Snubbull being gone, such as Timburr, Choice Scarf Mienfoo, Scraggy, and Carvanha, make for excellent partners. Trappers like Gothita and Diglett pair well with Riolu, as they can remove Poison-types and make sweeping easier.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Berry Juice can be used in place of Eviolite on the bulkier set, but Riolu's bulk is so low that a lot of neutral attacks can OHKO it anyway. A Focus Sash can be used on hyper offensive teams but is otherwise outclassed by other items. Rock Slide can be used to deal with Flying-types on the switch as well as Ponyta and Larvesta. Magnet Rise can be used in order to beat Diglett and Drilbur, as Diglett now cannot trap Riolu and KO it with Earthquake. Role Play can be used on foes like Mienfoo and Foongus in order to copy their Regenerator ability and regain health on a switch. However, outside that, it has limited use. A Substitute set can be useful, but Riolu does not have the power to be threatening enough without an Attack boost. A weather setter set can be useful on teams dedicated to weather, but manual weather is generally a poor strategy anyway.
Checks & Counters
========
**Abra**: Abra can function as one of the best checks to Riolu, as it often carries a Focus Sash and sometimes carries Protect and can OHKO with Psychic.
**Fairy-types**: Spritzee and Snubbull can completely counter Riolu unless it happens to run both a Roseli Berry and Iron Tail. They can switch in on almost anything else and OHKO with their Fairy-type STAB moves.
**Flying-types**: Fast Fletchling can outspeed and outprioritize Riolu and OHKO it with Acrobatics, and other Flying-types can typically outspeed Riolu and OHKO it with their STAB moves; however, they must sometimes be wary of switching into Riolu, as High Jump Kick can 2HKO some of them with Stealth Rock up.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Bulky Grass-types like Foongus can switch into almost anything except the uncommon Zen Headbutt and Blaze Kick, and they can typically use Spore to put Riolu to sleep.
**Ponyta and Larvesta**: Ponyta and Larvesta check most Fighting-types and can possibly burn Riolu. If Riolu doesn't get burned, however, a +2 High Jump Kick or Rock Slide OHKOes them after Stealth Rock.
**Gothita**: Gothita can trap and OHKO Riolu; however, it has to be wary of a +2 High Jump Kick with entry hazards up.
**Faster Priority Users**: Pokemon such as Cottonee and +1 Carvanha can outspeed Riolu and cripple it, either through Encoring Riolu's setup move or revenge killing it with a priority move.
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