Rotom-C (Update)

SkullCandy · Apr 20, 2012

Rotom-C

[Overview]

Rotom-C is the "middle" Rotom forme; it is neither the best of the five nor the worst. Whilst Rotom-H and Rotom-W are off gallivanting in the upper tiers, Rotom-C finds itself stuck in RU. This is by no means a bad thing, however; thanks to its great base 105 Special Attack stat and decent base 86 Speed, Rotom-C makes for an excellent sweeper and scout. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's defining move thanks to its incredibly high 140 Base Power (210 after STAB) and super effective coverage against several prominent RU threats, such as Slowking, Sandslash, and Kabutops. Rotom-C also has a unique typing that grants it useful resistances to Water-, Electric-, Grass-, and Steel-type attacks, making it the best counter to Lanturn and Rotom in RU. Rotom-C's defensive capabilities are further boosted by its great supporting movepool; it can use Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave to cripple opposing sweepers, and can use Pain Split to regain health.

Unfortunately, Rotom-C is highly susceptible to Fire-types, most notably Entei. It also struggles against bulky Grass-types, such as Roselia, which resists Rotom-C's STAB moves and can shrug off an unboosted Hidden Power Fire. Furthermore, Rotom-C's Grass / Electric typing doesn't grant the best type coverage, and almost all of Rotom-C's primary attacks have severe drawbacks: Leaf Storm sharply lowers its Special Attack, Volt Switch forces it to switch out, and Hidden Power Fire requires Rotom-C to slightly reduce its already low Speed. Regardless, Rotom-C is a great early- to mid-game Pokemon who can scout, hit hard, and cripple stall teams with Trick. Players, watch out for this little lawn mower, unless you want it to go all "Misery" on you.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Leaf Storm
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

What do you get when you combine STAB Volt Switch, immunity to both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, as well as good Speed and Special Attack, with a Choice Scarf? The answer: one of RU's fastest, most resilient, and strongest scouts. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to escape its counters and hit them for considerable amounts of damage with its STAB Electric attack. Luckily, with a bit of prediction, Rotom-C can easily get rid of Ground-types on its own, thanks to Leaf Storm. Nevertheless, it is essential not to spam Volt Switch until all the opposing Ground-types have been KOed; if Rotom-C does use Volt Switch and a Ground-type switches in, not only will you have given your opponent a free turn, you will also lose any momentum you might have garnered up to that point. 

Leaf Storm, being Rotom-C's most powerful attack, does huge amounts of damage to anything that doesn't resist it; it also destroys Ground-types, such as Sandslash and Rhydon, that might try to come in for free on Volt Switch. Thunderbolt offers a reliable alternative STAB to Volt Switch as it packs a lot more power and doesn't force Rotom-C to switch out after use. It also helps Rotom-C greatly against Substitute users such as Rotom, who can stall out Leaf Storm or force Rotom-C to switch out with Volt Switch. With only its STAB moves at its disposal, Rotom-C will find itself completely walled by defensive Grass-types, such as Roselia and Ferroseed; Hidden Power Fire enables Rotom-C to dent Roselia and to 2HKO Ferroseed and Tangrowth. Trick cripples a great number of Pokemon in RU, such as Eviolite Ferroseed and Roselia. They not only lose the defensive boosts that Eviolite gives them, but also the ability to switch moves, a disaster for any defensive Pokemon.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

As this set is adept at forcing switches, entry hazard support is almost a necessity. Spikes in particular are very effective as they do more damage than Stealth Rock does to Ground-types that try to switch in on Volt Switch. Although Rotom-C is an excellent scout, it can also function well as a late-game sweeper as it has great Speed thanks to Choice Scarf, and can hit hard with STAB Thunderbolt. By using Team Preview to your advantage, you can make a decision as to whether Rotom-C should scout or sweep. If you see a team full of fast Pokemon that can tank Rotom-C's attacks, such as Entei and Cryogonal, it is important to get hazards down early and continually use Volt Switch as Rotom-C likely won't manage to break through those Pokemon. However, should you see a team that lacks a bulky Pokemon that resists or is immune to Electric, you should first aim to wear it down, then bring Rotom-C out late-game and proceed to sweep with Thunderbolt.

Rotom-C has a lot of trouble against Fire-types, as they resist Leaf Storm and take relatively little damage from Volt Switch. Entei in particular can switch into any of Rotom-C's attacks and OHKO it with Flare Blitz, or, if it is low enough in health, revenge kill it with ExtremeSpeed. Typhlosion takes a lot of damage from Volt Switch and Thunderbolt, but can quite easily tank a Leaf Storm. Choice Scarf Typhlosion can also switch into Trick with impunity and easily burn Rotom-C to a crisp with Eruption, or any other STAB move for that matter. Therefore, Feraligatr makes for an excellent teammate. It has great synergy with Rotom-C as it resists Fire- and Ice-type attacks—Rotom-C's most prominent weaknesses—and appreciates Rotom-C's 4x resistance to Electric and its 2x resistance to Grass. Feraligatr can take advantage of the Fire-types that Rotom-C lures in by setting up on them with either Swords Dance or Dragon Dance. On a more defensive note, Qwilfish also makes for an excellent teammate to Rotom-C. Not only does Qwilfish share near-perfect synergy with Rotom-C—only Psychic-type attacks hit both for super effective and neutral damage, respectively—it can also set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes for Rotom-C to take advantage of by forcing switches.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Leaf Storm
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Thanks to its good bulk, great STAB moves, and above-average Special Attack and Speed, Rotom-C makes for a great user of Choice Specs. On top of this, most of Rotom-C's counters will be expecting it to run a Choice Scarf set; thanks to this set's much higher damage output, it is able to surprise a lot of its usual checks and counters. Volt Switch, Rotom-C's most useful STAB move, also lends itself well to Choice items, as it embodies the set's "hit-and-run" mindset. Rotom-C might seem outclassed as a Choice Specs user by other special attackers, such as Moltres and Typhlosion, due to their higher Speed and Special Attack stats, in addition to their better sweeping attacks. However, Rotom-C's good defensive typing—which means it takes little damage from entry hazards, unique STAB moves, and access to Trick, all ensure that Rotom-C isn't outclassed.

Volt Switch is Rotom-C's main STAB move. It hits very hard thanks to the Choice Specs boost, and enables Rotom-C to scout the opposing team while wearing down its counters with passive damage. A Choice Specs-boosted Leaf Storm is absurdly powerful and 2HKOes or OHKOes anything that doesn't resist it—or isn't named Munchlax. Even Pokemon that do resist it might fall; for example, after Stealth Rock damage, Leaf Storm 2HKOes Tangrowth and Sceptile, and also OHKOes Galvantula. Thunderbolt gives Rotom-C a more powerful Electric-type STAB attack that doesn't force it to switch, and helps Rotom-C beat Substitute users such as Rotom, who might try to stall out Leaf Storm. Hidden Power Fire hits Lilligant, Roselia, and Ferroseed, all bulky Grass-types that resist Rotom-C's STAB moves, but Roselia remains an effective counter as it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire. Trick enables Rotom-C to cripple many of its counters; for example, Roselia and Munchlax will be hard-pressed to wall Rotom-C if they lose the defensive boost from Eviolite, while even walls such as Clefable and Drapion are crippled if they cannot switch between moves.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The given EVs ensure that Rotom-C outspeeds all positive-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon, and also enable Rotom-C to hit extremely hard. The HP EVs grant Rotom-C a little extra bulk, which can come in handy when tanking weak neutral or resisted hits. Thanks to the Special Attack boost granted by Choice Specs, Rotom-C is no longer forced to switch out after using Leaf Storm, as it is still extremely powerful at -2. For example, Feraligatr and Sandslash are both OHKOed by -2 Leaf Storm. This set does extremely well against balanced teams, as it can take a hit or two quite easily thanks to its good Defense and Special Defense, and can dish out a lot of damage thanks to Choice Specs and its high attacking stats. However, without Choice Scarf's Speed boost, Rotom-C will find itself hard-pressed to revenge kill effectively as it will not be able to outspeed fast but frail Pokemon such as Aerodactyl and Archeops.

Rotom-C enjoys entry hazard support as much as any offensive Pokemon does—if not more, as this set is adept at forcing switches and grabbing momentum. With both entry hazard support and Choice Specs, Rotom-C can get past many of its usual counters, such as Typhlosion, who is always OHKOed by Thunderbolt after Stealth Rock. Entei, too, is OHKOed by Thunderbolt approximately 40% of the time after Stealth Rock, and always OHKOed after a layer of Spikes as well. Therefore, Pokemon who can set up entry hazards and also have good defensive synergy with Rotom-C, such as Qwilfish and Omastar, make for good teammates. If Rotom-C lacks Hidden Power Fire, it is handily countered by Ferroseed and Roselia, who resist its STAB moves and can paralyze it with Thunder Wave or KO it with Sludge Bomb, respectively. However, both must still be wary of Trick, which will cripple them for the remainder of the game. Camerupt makes for an unexpected but efficient counter to both Roselia and Ferroseed thanks to its powerful Fire-type STAB moves, its immunity to Thunder Wave, and resistances to Gyro Ball and Sludge Bomb.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Volt Switch / Thunderbolt
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Pain Split
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With significant HP investment and Leftovers, Rotom-C can be an effective counter to many of RU's most threatening physical attackers. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's most powerful option, and thanks to full investment in Special Attack and a Modest nature, it hits very hard. On top of this, Leaf Storm hits many physical attackers, such as Feraligatr, Sandslash, and Rhydon, for super effective damage. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to scout as well as grab momentum, and hits surprisingly hard. However, should you want a more reliable option, Thunderbolt is viable: it hits much harder than Volt Switch, and—in comparison to Leaf Storm—is a more accurate, consistent, and effective STAB attack against the likes of Feraligatr and Kabutops. Will-O-Wisp is this set's key to dealing with physical attackers. Once burned, Pokemon such as Gallade and Hitmonchan pose much less of a problem to Rotom-C as their sky-high Attack stats will be cut in half. Will-O-Wisp also enables Rotom-C to wear down the aforementioned physical attackers to a point where it can take them out with an attack other than Leaf Storm. As it lacks any better option for recovery, Pain Split is used to keep Rotom-C around for longer. Thanks to its low HP stat, Rotom-C is often able to recover large amounts of HP, especially against the bulky foes that wall it. Entei in particular has a very high HP stat, so if Rotom-C can hit it on the switch in, Entei is likely to lose a large portion of its HP.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The EVs serve several purposes. First of all, they boost Rotom-C's lackluster HP stat, which in turn enables it to take hits from a wide variety of opponents thanks to its good Defense and Special Defense stats. Investing in 88 Speed EVs enable Rotom-C to outspeed maximum Speed Omastar and Crawdaunt, a benchmark that many physical sweepers should aim to reach. An alternative spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe is perfectly viable to let Rotom-C outspeed neutral-natured Gallade, Feraligatr, Kabutops, and Hitmonchan, all of whom Rotom-C can cripple with Will-O-Wisp. A Timid nature along with the same spread enables Rotom-C to beat positive-natured variants of those Pokemon, but most of the aforementioned Pokemon only try to outrun Omastar, and the loss of a Modest boost will significantly reduce Rotom-C's power.

As with most Rotom-C sets, Fire-type Pokemon severely hamper this set's effectiveness. Entei and Typhlosion can switch in for free on Will-O-Wisp and vaporize Rotom-C with their powerful STAB moves, but the two—and Typhlosion in particular—won't enjoy being hit by Volt Switch or Thunderbolt. Nonetheless, Slowking, Qwilfish, and Lanturn are all good partners to Rotom-C as they counter the two aforementioned Fire-types effectively. Slowking can Toxic the two and force them to take further Stealth Rock damage with Dragon Tail; Qwilfish has Intimidate to lower Entei's damage output, and can set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes to discourage them from switching in; while Lanturn can heal Rotom-C of any troublesome status, such as Toxic or paralysis, and can paralyze Entei and Typhlosion. On top of this, all three Pokemon have good defensive synergy with Rotom-C and can hit Fire-types super effectively with their Water-type STAB moves. Clefable makes for a good teammate too, as she can make up for Rotom-C's lack of reliable recovery by passing big Wishes to it, and can also provide cleric support to Rotom-C and its teammates. Lilligant and Sceptile are potent threats to Rotom-C, as they resist both of Rotom-C's STABs and don't mind being burnt as they are special attackers. Therefore, Sap Sipper Pokemon, such as Sawsbuck and Bouffalant, make for excellent partners; they can absorb Lilligant and Sceptile's Grass-type moves while scoring an Attack boost, and either force them out or KO them with their Normal-type STAB moves.

[SET]
name: Rain Dance
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Leaf Storm
item: Damp Rock
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Rotom-C's unique Electric / Grass typing makes it a great asset to rain teams. While one might think that Uxie—the most common weather supporter—outclasses Rotom-C in this role thanks to its superior bulk, Rotom-C's great typing and useful resistances give it an advantage over Uxie. Its 4x resistance to Electric and 2x resistance to Grass allow it to switch in easily on moves that its Water-type teammates often attract; therefore, each time the rain ends and a Water-type sweeper is on the field, Rotom-C can easily switch in to take a hit, then summon the downpour again. Furthermore, Rotom-C itself benefits from the rain, which mitigates its weakness to Fire and grants it a perfectly accurate Thunder. Even when rain is present, Rotom-C can still provide additional team support and some offensive momentum by spreading status and threatening bulky Water-types; it is never a dead weight.

Rain Dance provides compulsory support for all rain teams, and is the crux of this set. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to switch out and safely bring in a sweeper after setting up rain; its weaknesses to Fire and Ice grant it good synergy with Water-type sweepers. Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp are both great options for additional team support; the former's ability to slow down threats is useful for when the rain is absent and Swift Swim is deactivated, while the latter makes it easier for the likes of Omastar to set up on physical attackers. However, these support moves should not be used when rain is active, as this will waste a turn of rain. Note that these status moves are only secondary support options; Rotom-C's main aim should always be to set up rain and switch out as soon as possible. Finally, Leaf Storm is a neat coverage move to punish Ground-types and Lanturn that try to prevent Rotom-C from Volt Switching out.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The given EV spread allows Rotom-C to better sponge hits and set up rain more easily, and also provides it with additional power to pose an offensive threat. Additionally, the lack of Speed EVs also provides Rotom-C with a slower Volt Switch, which allows a teammate to come in unharmed. An alternative EV spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe lets Rotom-C outrun neutral-natured Kabutops, who is usually a threat to rain teams thanks to its access to Swift Swim and strong Water-type STAB moves. However, this will greatly reduce Rotom-C's bulk, which not only makes it harder for Rotom-C to set up rain against stronger attackers, but also hampers its ability to reliably beat Omastar. Damp Rock is the compulsory item on this set to prolong the rain. Pain Split is an option over Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp to give Rotom-C a semi-reliable recovery move, but it will rarely have the opportunity to heal itself as it should not usually stay in for more than one turn. Thunder is a viable option over Volt Switch for more power, as it has perfect accuracy in rain, but the latter move generally has more utility.

Teammates that can make use of the rain that Rotom-C summons are mandatory, as this set is designed only for use on rain teams. Gorebyss and Omastar are wonderful rain sweepers that have access to Shell Smash; they also have great synergy with Rotom-C. Rotom-C resists the Electric- and Grass-type attacks that they are weak to; Levitate also enables Rotom-C to freely switch in on Ground-type attacks aimed at Omastar. Qwilfish is yet another good teammate as it resists the Fire-, Ice-, and Bug-type attacks Rotom-C is weak to, while Rotom-C can shrug off Electric- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Qwilfish.

[Other Options]

Unfortunately, Rotom-C's offensive movepool is, in a word, barren. As Shadow Ball lacks STAB and doesn't afford Rotom-C any significant coverage, it is a lackluster option. Discharge has slightly less power than Thunderbolt, but makes up for that with a great 30% paralysis rate. However, Rotom-C often finds itself hard-pressed to fit Thunderbolt onto a set, let alone Discharge. A SubCharge set is an option, but its effectiveness has been significantly reduced with the loss of Rotom-C's Ghost typing. To compound this issue, Rotom-C's only decent Grass-type STAB move, Leaf Storm, lowers its Special Attack two stages upon use, which makes boosting up pointless in the first place.

Luckily for Rotom-C, it has a great support movepool that any of its support sets can make good use of. Rotom-C can run an extremely annoying parafusion set to spread status while healing with Pain Split and scouting with Volt Switch. Access to both Reflect and Light Screen enables Rotom-C to run an effective dual screens set thanks to its good bulk and relatively good Speed. Finally, Rotom-C can also set up Sunny Day, though it does this less effectively than it sets up Rain Dance as it doesn't enjoy the boost to Fire-type attacks.

[Checks and Counters]

The first step towards countering Rotom-C is scouting its set, as offensive and support variants have different checks. Roselia and Munchlax wall the Choice Scarf set with ease thanks to their titanic special bulk and lack of weaknesses to any of Rotom-C's moves. Ferroseed has a 4x resistance to Leaf Storm and a 2x resistance to Volt Switch, but must be wary of Hidden Power Fire. All the aforementioned switch-ins must be careful of being too predictable, however, as they will hate being Tricked a Choice item. As Choice Scarf Rotom-C doesn't hit too hard, it can also be checked by bulky Fire-types, particularly Entei, as they resist Leaf Storm and Hidden Power Fire, take relatively little damage from Volt Switch, and can KO Rotom-C with their STAB Fire attacks.

Choice Specs Rotom-C hits considerably harder than its Choice Scarf counterpart does, and can 2HKO all its usual checks with the appropriate move; as such, it doesn't have any surefire counters. Roselia is probably your best bet at countering Choice Specs Rotom-C as she is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire; she can then put Rotom-C to sleep or 2HKO it with Sludge Bomb. Munchlax takes significantly more damage from a Choice Specs Leaf Storm than it does a Choice Scarf one, but it can nonetheless stall Rotom-C out with Rest and Sleep Talk, or paralyze it with Body Slam. Specially defensive Cryogonal can stall out Leaf Storm with Recover if it has enough Speed, and it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire and Thunderbolt. Furthermore, Cryogonal can hit Rotom-C hard with STAB Ice Beam off its solid base 95 Special Attack.

Support Rotom-C is harder to counter in the strictest sense of the word, as its main purpose is to help the rest of its team rather than sweep or break walls. Most support sets are easily walled by Roselia, due to their lack of Trick, as well as their reduced damage output. The Rain Dance set in particular actually aids Roselia as it rids her of her weakness to Fire; furthermore, Giga Drain is super effective against the many Water-type Pokemon commonly seen on rain teams. Ferroseed and Munchlax can also wall support Rotom-C thanks to the former's plethora of resistances and the latter's monstrous special bulk. However, both must be careful of Will-O-Wisp as they will not enjoy having their already lackluster Attack stats halved for the remainder of the game.

complete legitimacy · Apr 20, 2012

I think that Thunderbolt should be the primary slash on the Choice Scarf set. Trick really cripples Roselia and Ferroseed, and the former beats you anyway while the latter can't touch you regardless. You're also not setup fodder at all since you can just use Volt Switch and switch to a counter. Thunderbolt is really helpful against things like Moltres that can take a Volt Switch but not a Thunderbolt.

~~Also, I think that Thunder needs a mention on the Rain Dance set for obvious reasons.~~
As usual I'm too lazy to read actual paragraphs...

SkullCandy · Apr 20, 2012

Thanks for the advice. I was never completely sold on Hidden Power Fire myself. I'll make it the primary slash. Also I do mention Thunder in the AC of the RD set.

SkullCandy · May 2, 2012

bumping for QC!

Upstart · May 3, 2012

QC Approved 1/3

Texas Cloverleaf · May 3, 2012

Ok

QC APPROVED 2/3

FlareBlitz · May 4, 2012

I'm not in RU QC or anything but why does the rain dance set have a Timid nature with no speed investment .__.

SilentVerse · May 4, 2012

Discussed this with the other QC members:

Support Rotom-C should run 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe Modest now that Honchkrow is gone. The on-site spread was for Honchkrow and for all the stuff around it, ie Hitmonchan, Feraligatr, etc, but now the benchmark those mons are aiming for is just above max Speed Omastar / Crawdaunt, so Rotom-C should do the same. Just mention throwing a few extra Speed EVs in AC so you can speed creep those other threats.
Mention the fast spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe in AC. This outspeeds those Adamant Gallade, etc since apparently your spread doesn't. Even mention Timid or something if you want to beat +Spe variants of those threats and Will-O-Wisp them, but make sure to say that this takes away from Rotom-C's power.
Make the nature for the Rain Dance set Modest and make the spread 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe to beat Modest Omastar.

Once you've made those changes, consider this:

QC APPROVED 3/3

SkullCandy · Jun 14, 2012

I made this extra long to make up for the month (x.x) this took me to write.

sirndpt · Jun 15, 2012

[Overview]

Rotom-C is the "middle" Rotom forme; it is neither the best of the five, nor the worst. Whilst Rotom-H and Rotom-W are off gallivanting in the upper tiers, Rotom-C finds itself stuck in RU. This is by no means a bad thing, however; thanks to its great base 105 Special Attack stat and decent base 86 Speed, Rotom-C makes for an excellent sweeper and scout. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's defining move thanks to its incredibly high 140 Base Power (210 after STAB) and super effective coverage against several prominent RU threats, such as Slowking, Sandslash, and Kabutops. Rotom-C also has a unique typing that grants it useful resistances to Water-, Electric-, Grass-, and Steel-type attacks, which make it the best counter to Lanturn and Rotom ~~counter~~ in RU. Rotom-C's defensive capabilities are further boosted by its great supporting movepool; it can use Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave to cripple opposing sweepers, ~~and~~ as well as Pain Split to regain health.

Unfortunately, Rotom-C is very susceptible to Fire-types, most notably Entei. It also struggles against bulky Grass-types, such as Roselia, who resists Rotom-C's STAB moves and can shrug off an unboosted Hidden Power Fire. ~~and~~ Furthermore, Grass / Electric doesn't grant the best type coverage, and almost all of Rotom-C's main attacks have ~~pretty~~ severe drawbacks: Leaf Storm sharply lowers its Special Attack, Volt Switch forces it to switch out, and Hidden Power Fire ~~lowers its Speed IV, which isn't great as Rotom-C isn't all that fast in the first place~~ requires Rotom-C reduce its already low Speed (in this context, given your wording of "Leaf Storm sharply lowers its Special Attack", it kinda implies HP Fire reduces Rotom's Speed IV everytime it's used). However, Rotom-C is a great early- to mid-game Pokemon who can scout, hit hard, and cripple stall teams with Trick. Watch out for this little lawn mower, unless you want it to go all "Misery" on you.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Leaf Storm
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: ~~Chocie~~ Choice Scarf
~~ability: Levitate~~
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

What do you get when you combine STAB Volt Switch, immunity to both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, as well as good Speed and Special Attack, with a Choice Scarf? The answer: one of RU's fastest, most resilient, and strongest scouts. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to escape its counters and hit them for considerable amounts of damage with its STAB Electric attack. Luckily, however, with a bit of prediction, Rotom-C can easily get rid of Ground-types on its own thanks to Leaf Storm. Nevertheless, it is essential not to spam Volt Switch until all the opposing Ground-types have been KOed; if Rotom-C does use Volt Switch and a Ground-type switches in, not only will you have given your opponent a free turn, you will also lose any momentum you might have garnered up to that point.

Leaf Storm, is being Rotom-C's most powerful attack, ~~and~~ does huge amounts of damage to anything that doesn't resist it; it also destroys ~~any~~ Ground-types, such as Sandslash and Rhydon, ~~trying~~ that might try to come in for free on Volt Switch. ~~Leaf Storm also does huge amounts of damage to anything that doesn't resist it.~~. Thunderbolt offers a reliable alternative STAB to Volt Switch as it packs a lot more power ~~than Volt Switch~~ and doesn't force Rotom-C to switch out after use. It also helps Rotom-C greatly against Substitute users (such as?), who can ~~merely~~ stall out Leaf Storm, or force Rotom-C to switch out with Volt Switch. With only its STAB moves at its disposal, Rotom-C will find itself completely walled by defensive Grass-types, such as Roselia and Ferroseed; Hidden Power Fire enables Rotom-C to dent Roselia and to 2HKO Ferroseed and Tangrowth. Trick cripples a great number of Pokemon in RU, ~~For example, Eviolite users,~~ such as Eviolite Ferroseed and Roselia. They not only lose the defensive boosts that Eviolite gives them, but also ~~lose~~ the ability to switch moves, a disaster for any defensive Pokemon.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Even though Rotom-C can scare Ground-types away with its powerful STAB Leaf Storm it is essential not to spam Volt Switch as one would U-turn until all the opposing team's Ground-types have been KOed. If Rotom-C does use Volt Switch and a Ground-type switches in, not only have you given your opponent a free turn, you have also lost any momentum you may have garnered up to that point. Luckily, however, with a bit of prediction it is easy for Rotom-C to get ride of the Ground-types itself thanks to Leaf Storm. As this set is adept at forcing switches, entry hazard support is almost a necessity. Spikes in particular are very effective as they ~~hit any Ground-type trying~~ do more damage than Stealth Rock does to Ground-types that try switch in on Volt Switch ~~for more damage than Stealth Rock~~. Although Rotom-C is an excellent scout, it can also function well as a late-game sweeper as it has great Speed thanks to Choice Scarf, and can hit hard with STAB Thunderbolt. By using Team Preview to your advantage, you can make a decision as to whether Rotom-C should scout or sweep. If you see a team full of fast Pokemon ~~who~~ that can tank Rotom-C's attacks, such as Entei and Cryogonal, it is important to get hazards down early and continually use Volt Switch as ~~it isn't going to get past those Pokemon any time soon~~ Rotom-C likely won't manage to break through those Pokemon. However, should you see a team that lacks a bulky ~~Electric-type resist~~ Pokemon that resists or is immune to Electric, you ~~can easily bring Rotom-C out late-game once your opponent's team has been worn down and~~ should aim to wear your opponent's team down, bring Rotom-C out late-game, and proceed to sweep with Thunderbolt.

Rotom-C has a lot of trouble against Fire-types, as they resist Leaf Storm and take relatively little damage from Volt Switch. Entei in particular can switch into any of Rotom-C's attacks and OHKO it with Flare Blitz, or, if it is a low enough health, revenge kill it with ExtremeSpeed. Typhlosion takes a lot of damage from Volt Switch and Thunderbolt, but can quite easily tank a Leaf Storm. ~~Seen as most Typhlosion carry Choice Scarf it~~ Choice Scarf Typhlosion can also switch into Trick with impunity and easily burn Rotom-C to a crisp with Eruption, or any other STAB move for that matter. ~~In terms of teammates~~ Therefore, Feraligatr makes for an excellent ~~choice~~ teammate. ~~Feraligatr~~ It has great synergy with Rotom-C~~; Feraligatr~~ as it resists Fire- and Ice-type attacks—Rotom-C's most prominent weaknesses—and appreciates Rotom-C's 4x resistance to Electric and its 2x resistance to Grass. Feraligatr can take advantage of the Fire-types that Rotom-C lures in by setting up on them with either Swords Dance or Dragon Dance. On a more defensive note, Qwilfish also makes for an excellent teammate to Rotom-C. Not only does Qwilfish share near-perfect synergy with Rotom-C—only Psychic-type attacks hit both for super effective and neutral damage, respectively—it can also set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes for Rotom-C to take advantage of ~~when~~ by forcing switches.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Leaf Storm
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
~~ability: Levitate~~
nature: Timid
evs: 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Thanks to its good bulk, great STAB moves, and above-average Special Attack and Speed, Rotom-C makes for a great user of Choice Specs. On top of this, most of Rotom-C's counters will be expecting it to ~~be running~~ run a Choice Scarf set; thanks to this set's much higher damage output, it is able to surprise a lot of its usual checks and counters. Volt Switch, Rotom-C's most useful STAB move, also lends itself well to Choice items as it embodies this set's "hit-and-run" mindset. Rotom-C ~~may~~ might seem outclassed as a Choice Specs user by other special attackers, such as Moltres and Typhlosion, due to their higher Speed and Special Attack stats, ~~and more spammable~~ as well as better sweeping attacks. However, Rotom-C's good defensive typing ~~and the fact that~~ —which means it takes little damage from entry hazards, ~~ensure that Rotom-C isn't outclassed. On top of this, Rotom-C's~~ unique STAB moves, ~~as well as~~ and ~~its~~ access to Trick, ~~help it stand out from its fellow RU special attackers~~ all ensure that Rotom-C isn't outclassed.

Volt Switch is Rotom-C's main STAB move. It hits very hard thanks to the Choice Specs ~~Choice Specs's~~ boost, and enables Rotom-C to scout the opposing team~~, as well as wearing down and racking up passive damage against its counters~~ while wearing down its counters with passive damage. A Choice Specs-boosted Leaf Storm is absurdly powerful and 2HKOes or OHKOes anything that doesn't resist it ( —or isn't named Munchlax). ~~Leaf Storm is so powerful that it is able to 2HKO even some~~ Even Pokemon that do resist it might fall; for example, after Stealth Rock damage, Leaf Storm 2HKOes Tangrowth and Sceptile, and also OHKOes Galvantula. Thunderbolt gives Rotom-C a more powerful Electric-type STAB attack that doesn't force it to switch, ~~Thunderbolt is Rotom-C's most reliable STAB attack,~~ and ~~also~~ helps Rotom-C beat Substitute users, such as Rotom, who ~~may~~ might try ~~and~~ to stall out Leaf Storm ~~until it can no longer break Rotom's Substitutes~~. Hidden Power Fire hits Lilligant, Roselia, and Ferroseed ~~who~~ , all bulky Grass-types that resist Rotom-C's STAB moves~~. However~~, but Roselia still remains an effective counter as it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire. Trick enables Rotom-C to cripple many of its counters; for example, Roselia and Munchlax will be hard-pressed to wall Rotom-C ~~when they have lost~~ if they lose the defensive boost from Eviolite and are forced to choose between attacking or recovering. Trick also cripples walls who don't use Eviolite but rely on their ability to switch moves to function effectively, such as Clefable and Drapion , while even walls such as Clefable and Drapion are crippled if they cannot switch between moves.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The given EVs ensure that Rotom-C outspeeds all positive-natured ~~Pokemon with base 80 Speed~~ base 80 Speed Pokemon ~~as well as enabling~~ and also enable Rotom-C to hit extremely hard. The HP EVs grant Rotom-C a little extra bulk, which can come in useful when tanking weak neutral or resisted hits. Thanks to the Special Attack boost granted by Choice Specs, Rotom-C is no longer forced to switch out after using Leaf Storm as it is still extremely powerful even at -2. For example, Feraligatr and Sandslash are both OHKOed by a -2 Leaf Storm. This set does extremely well against balanced teams as it can take a hit or two quite easily thanks to its good Defense and Special Defense, and can dish out a lot of damage thanks to Choice Specs and its high attacking stats. However, without Choice Scarf's Speed boost, Rotom-C will find itself hard-pressed to revenge kill effectively as it will not be able to outspeed fast but frail Pokemon such as Aerodactyl and Archeops.

Rotom-C enjoys entry hazard support as much as any offensive Pokemon does—if not more, ~~but~~ as this set is adept at forcing switches and grabbing momentum~~, they are particularly effective when used in conjunction with this set~~. With entry hazard support and Choice Specs, Rotom-C ~~is able to~~ can get past many of its usual counters, ~~for example,~~ such as Typhlosion, is , who is always OHKOed by Thunderbolt ~~100% of the time~~ after Stealth Rock. Entei, too, is OHKOed by Thunderbolt approximately 40% of the time after Stealth Rock, ~~but this chance rises to 100%~~ and always OHKOed after a layer of Spikes as well. (recommend some hazards users) If Rotom-C lacks Hidden Power Fire, it is handily countered by Ferroseed and Roselia ~~as they~~ , who resist its STAB moves and can paralyze it with Thunder Wave or KO it with Sludge Bomb, respectively. However, ~~they~~ both must still be wary of Trick, ~~as it~~ which will cripple them for the remainder of the game. Camerupt makes for an unexpected, but efficient, counter to both Roselia and Ferroseed thanks to its powerful Fire-type STAB moves, ~~and~~ its immunity to Thunder Wave, and resistances to Gyro Ball, Sludge Bomb, and Giga Drain.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Volt Switch / Thunderbolt
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Pain Split
item: Leftovers
~~ability: Levitate~~
nature: Modest
evs: 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With significant HP investment and Leftovers, Rotom-C can be an effective counter to many of RU's most ~~powerful~~ threatening physical attackers. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's most powerful option, and thanks to full investment in Special Attack and a Modest nature, it hits very hard. On top of this, Leaf Storm hits many physical attackers, such as Feraligatr, Sandslash, and Rhydon, for super effective damage. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to scout as well as grab momentum, and hits surprisingly hard. However, should you want a more reliable option, Thunderbolt is ~~preferable. Thunderbolt also~~ viable: it hits much harder than Volt Switch, and —in comparison to Leaf Storm—is a more accurate, consistent, and effective STAB attack ~~over Leaf Storm when dealing with Pokemon such as~~ against the likes of Feraligatr and Kabutops. Will-O-Wisp is this set's key to dealing with physical attackers. Once burned, Pokemon such as Gallade and Hitmonchan pose much less of a problem to Rotom-C as ~~there~~ their sky-high Attack stats ~~are~~ will be cut by in half. Will-O-Wisp also enables Rotom-C to wear down the aforementioned physical attackers~~, which makes taking~~ so it can take them out with an attack other than Leaf Storm ~~much easier~~. As it lacks any better option for recovery, Pain Split is used to keep Rotom-C around for longer. Thanks to its low HP stat, Rotom-C is often able to recover large amounts of HP, especially against the ~~Pokemon~~ bulky foes that wall it. Entei in particular has a very high HP stat, so if Rotom-C can hit it on the switch-in, it Entei is likely to lose a large portion of its HP.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The EVs serve several purposes. First of all, they boost Rotom-C's lackluster HP stat, which in turn enables it to take hits from a wide variety of opponents thanks to its good Defense and Special Defense stats. 88 Speed EVs enable Rotom-C to outspeed maximum Speed Omastar and Crawdaunt, a benchmark that many ~~physicals~~ physical sweepers should aim to reach. An alternative spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe is perfectly viable to let Rotom-C outspeed ~~Adamant~~ neutral-natured Gallade, ~~Adamant~~ Feraligatr, ~~Adamant~~ Kabutops, and ~~standard~~ Hitmonchan, all of which Rotom-C can cripple with Will-O-Wisp. A Timid nature can be run with the same spread to beat +Speed variants of those Pokemon, but this significantly reduces Rotom-C's power. Although this alternate spread is perfectly viable, most of the aforementioned Pokemon only try to outspeed max Speed Omastar, so the extra Speed EVs aren't always necessary. A Timid nature along with the same spread enables Rotom-C to beat positive-natured variants of those Pokemon, but most of the aforementioned Pokemon only try to outrun Omastar, and the loss of a Modest boost will significantly reduce Rotom-C's power.

As with most ~~of Rotom-C]'s sets~~ Rotom-C, Fire-type Pokemon severely hamper this set's effectiveness. Entei and Typhlosion can switch in for free on Will-O-Wisp and vaporize Rotom-C with their powerful STAB moves, ~~However,~~ but the two, —and Typhlosion in particular, —won't enjoy being hit by Volt Switch or Thunderbolt. ~~Due to this~~ Nonetheless, Slowking, Qwilfish, and Lanturn ~~all make for~~ are all good partners to Rotom-C as they counter the two aforementioned Fire-types effectively. Slowking can Toxic the two and force them to take further Stealth Rock damage with Dragon Tail. ; Qwilfish has Intimidate to lower Entei's damage output, and can set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes to discourage them from switching ~~into Rotom-C~~ in; while Lanturn can heal Rotom-C of any troublesome status, such as Toxic or paralysis, and can paralyze Entei and Typhlosion. On top of this, all three Pokemon have good defensive synergy with Rotom-C, and can hit Fire-types super effectively with their Water-type STAB moves. Clefable ~~also~~ makes for a good teammate too, as she can make up for Rotom-C's lack of reliable recovery by passing big Wishes to ~~Rotom-C~~ it, ~~Clefable can also heal Rotom-C and its teammates of any status with Heal Bell~~ and also provide cleric support to Rotom-C and its teammates. Lilligant and Sceptile resist both of Rotom-C's STABs and ~~don't really care about Will-O-Wisp seen~~ don't mind being burnt as they are special attackers. Therefore, ~~Sap Sippers~~ Sap Sipper Pokemon, such as Sawsbuck and Bouffalant, make for excellent partners; as they can absorb Grass-type moves from Lilligant and Sceptile~~'s Grass-type moves~~, while scoring an Attack boost, and either ~~forcing~~ force them out or ~~KOing~~ KO them with their Normal-type STAB moves.

[SET]
name: Rain Dance
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Leaf Storm
item: Damp Rock
~~ability: Levitate~~
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Rotom-C's unique Electric / Grass typing makes it a great asset to rain teams. While one might think that Uxie—the most common weather supporter—outclasses Rotom-C in this role thanks to its superior bulk, Rotom-C's great typing and useful resistances give it an advantage over Uxie. ~~It has a 4x Electric-type resistance~~ Its 4x resistance to Electric and 2x resistance to Grass~~, allowing~~ allow it to switch in easily on ~~these~~ moves that its Water-type teammates often attract; ~~This means that~~ therefore, each time the rain ends and a Water-type sweeper is on the field, Rotom-C can easily switch in to take a hit, then summon the downpour again. While one might think that Uxie—the most common weather supporter—outclasses Rotom-C in this role thanks to its superior bulk, but Rotom-C's great typing is what makes it so useful in supporting rain teams, as its useful resistances enable it to easily sponge hits that are directed at rain abusers. Furthermore, Rotom-C itself benefits from the rain, which ~~decreases the power of Fire-type moves~~ mitigates its weakness to Fire and grants it a perfectly accurate Thunder. It can even provide additional support to the team when rain is present, proving itself not to be a deadweight most of the time; Rotom-C can easily come in and threaten bulky Water-types that might wall your rain sweepers. This means that it can easily maintain offensive pressure even while supporting the team. Even when rain is present, it can still provide additional team support and some offensive momentum by spreading status and threatening bulky Water-types; it is never a dead weight.

Rain Dance~~, being the~~ provides compulsory ~~form of~~ support for all rain teams, and is the crux of this set. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to switch out and safely bring in a sweeper ~~safely once rain is up~~ after setting up rain; ~~Also, as Rotom-C is weak to Fire and Ice, it has~~ its weaknesses to Fire and Ice grant it good synergy with Water-type sweepers. Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp are both great options for ~~providing~~ additional team support ~~to the team~~; the former's ~~slows down~~ ability to slow down threats~~, proving to be useful~~ is useful for when rain is absent and ~~the~~ Swift Swim ~~ability of teammates~~ is deactivated, while the latter makes it easier for ~~teammates such as~~ the likes of Omastar to set up on physical attackers. However, ~~it is best not to use~~ these support moves should not be used when rain is active, as ~~it will cause~~ this will waste a turn of rain ~~to be wasted~~. ~~This means that Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp~~ These status moves are only secondary support options ~~that Rotom-C can provide outside rain~~; ~~the main aim is to set up rain and switch out via Volt Switch~~ Rotom-C's main aim should always be to set up rain and switch out as soon as possible. Finally, Leaf Storm is a neat coverage move to punish Ground-types and Lanturn ~~trying~~ that try to prevent Rotom-C from Volt Switching out. ~~Overall, with its unique typing and great offensive presence, Rotom-C is a huge asset to any rain team and has a niche over Uxie when it comes to rain support.~~

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The given EV spread allows Rotom-C to better sponge hits ~~better, making it easier to set up rain. Maximum Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature are used to provide additional power, allowing Rotom-C to maintain an offensive presence~~ and set up rain more easily, and also provides it with additional power to pose an offensive threat. Additionally, the lack of Speed EVs also provides Rotom-C with a slower Volt Switch, ~~allowing its~~ which allows a teammate to come in unharmed most of the time. An alternative EV spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe ~~can be used to outspeed Adamant Kabutops~~ lets Rotom-C outrun neutral-natured Kabutops, who is usually a threat to rain teams thanks to its access to Swift Swim and strong Water-type STAB moves. However, this will ~~sacrifice some of~~ greatly reduce Rotom-C's bulk, ~~making it harder~~ which not only makes it harder for Rotom-C

~~sacrifice some of Rotom-C's bulk, making it harder~~ greatly reduce Rotom-C's bulk, which not only makes it harder for Rotom-C to set up rain against stronger attackers, ~~as well as hampering~~ but also hampers its ability to reliably beat Omastar ~~reliably~~. Damp Rock is the compulsory item here to prolong the rain. Pain Split is an option over Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp to give Rotom-C a semi-reliable recovery move, ~~though it will usually not~~ but it will rarely have the opportunity to heal itself as it ~~rarely stays~~ should not usually stay in for more than one turn. Thunder is a viable option (over Volt Switch?) for more power, as it has perfect accuracy in rain, ~~however,~~ but the aforementioned ~~dual STAB moves~~ moves ("the latter move generally has") generally have more utility.

Teammates that can make use of the rain that Rotom-C summons are mandatory, as this set is designed ~~to only be used~~ only for use on rain teams. Gorebyss and Omastar are wonderful rain sweepers ~~with~~ that have access to Shell Smash~~, and~~ ; they also have great synergy with Rotom-C. Rotom-C resists the Electric- and Grass-type attacks that they are weak to; ~~while~~ Levitate also ~~means that it can~~ enables Rotom-C to freely switch in on Ground-type attacks aimed at Omastar. Qwilfish is yet another good teammate, as it resists the Fire-, Ice-, and, Bug-type attacks Rotom-C is weak to, while ~~the latter~~ Rotom-C can shrug off ~~the~~ Electric- and Ground-type attacks ~~targeting it~~ aimed at Qwilfish. All in all, this set aims to support rain teams multiple times by making it rain cats and dogs, while also being able to keep a strong offensive presence, taking advantage of Rotom-C's typing to the fullest.

[Other Options]

Unfortunately, Rotom-C's offensive movepool is, in a word, ~~pretty~~ barren. As Shadow Ball ~~now loses out on~~ lacks STAB and doesn't afford Rotom-C any ~~necessary~~ significant coverage, ~~which makes~~ it is a lackluster option. Discharge has slightly less power than Thunderbolt, but makes up for it with a great 30% paralysis rate. However, Rotom-C ~~will often find~~ often finds itself hard-pressed to fit Thunderbolt onto a set, ~~which means that it will probably not be ablt to find space for~~ let alone Discharge. A SubCharge ~~Beam~~ set is ~~still~~ an option, but ~~it has lost a significant amount of effectiveness due to~~ its effectiveness has been reduced with the loss of ~~its~~ Rotom-C's Ghost typing. To compound this issue, Rotom-C's only decent Grass-type STAB move, Leaf Storm, lowers its Special Attack two stages every time it ~~uses it~~ is used, which makes boosting up pointless in the first place. 

Luckily for Rotom-C, it has a great support movepool ~~which it can make good use of on~~ that any of its support sets can make good use of. Rotom-C can run an extremely annoying parafusion set~~, spreading paralysis and confusion left and right~~ to spread annoying status ~~whilst~~ while healing with Pain Split and scouting with Volt Switch. ~~Rotom-C has~~ Access to both Reflect and Light Screen~~, and can~~ enables Rotom-C to run an effective dual screens set thanks to its good bulk and ~~above average Speed for a defensive Pokemon~~ relatively good Speed. Finally, Rotom-C can also set up Sunny Day, ~~however, it does so much~~ though less effectively than it can Rain Dance as it won't enjoy the boost to Fire-type attacks.

[Checks and Counters]

The first step towards countering Rotom-C is ~~finding out what set it is running~~ scouting its set(, as offensive and support variants have different checks?). Roselia and Munchlax wall the Choice Scarf set with ease thanks to their titanic special bulk and ~~because they are not weak to any of the attacks Rotom-C commonly carries~~ lack of weaknesses to any of Rotom-C's moves. Ferroseed 4x resists Leaf Storm 4x and ~~2x resists~~ Volt Switch 2x, but must be wary of Hidden Power Fire. All the aforementioned Pokemon must be extremely careful of switching into Rotom-C too often unless your opponent wises up and Tricks Rotom-C's Choice Scarf onto your wall, thus robbing it of its precious Eviolite and crippling it for the rest of the match. All the aforementioned switch-ins must be careful of being too predictable, however, as they will hate being Tricked a Choice item. As Choice Scarf Rotom-C doesn't hit too hard, ~~and can~~ it can also be checked by bulky Fire-types, particularly Entei, as they resist Leaf Storm and Hidden Power Fire, ~~and~~ take relatively little damage from Volt Switch, ~~They can then~~ and can KO Rotom-C with their STAB Fire attacks. 

Choice Specs Rotom-C hits considerably harder than ~~the~~ its Choice Scarf ~~set~~ counterpart does, and~~, as such, doesn't have any sure-fire counters, as~~ can 2HKO all its usual checks ~~can be 2HKOed by~~ with the appropriate move; as such, it doesn't have any surefire counters. ~~However,~~ Roselia is probably your best bet at countering Choice Specs Rotom-C as she is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire; ~~and~~ she can then can put Rotom-C to sleep or 2HKO it with Sludge Bomb. Munchlax takes significantly more damage from a Choice Specs Leaf Storm than it does a Choice Scarf ~~Leaf Storm~~ one, but it can nonetheless stall it Rotom-C out with Rest and Sleep Talk, ~~Munchlax can also~~ or paralyze ~~Rotom-C~~ it with Body Slam. ~~Cryogonal with full Special Defense and enough Speed to outrun standard Rotom-C~~ Specially defensive Cryogonal can stall out Leaf Storm with Recover if it has enough Speed, and it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire or and Thunderbolt. Furthermore, Cryogonal can ~~also~~ hit Rotom-C hard with STAB Ice Beam~~, thanks to its~~ off its solid base 95 Special Attack.

Support ~~variants of Rotom-C aren't really countered as such~~ Rotom-C is harder to counter in the strictest sense of the word, as ~~their~~ its main purpose is to help the rest of ~~your~~ its team, rather than ~~attempting to sweep or blow holes in the opponent's team~~ sweep or break walls. ~~However,~~ Most support sets are ~~hard countered~~ easily walled by Roselia due to their lack of Trick, ~~and the sets'~~ as well as their reduced damage output. The Rain Dance set in particular actually aids Roselia as it rids her of her ~~Fire-type weakness~~ weakness to Fire; ~~and enables her to Giga Drain with impunity due to the abundance of~~ furthermore, Giga Drain is super effective against the many Water-type Pokemon commonly seen on rain teams. Ferroseed and Munchlax can wall support as well Rotom-C thanks to the former's plethora of resistances, and the latter's monstrous special bulk. However, both ~~Ferroseed and Munchlax~~ must be careful of Will-O-Wisp as they will not enjoy having their already lackluster Attack stats halved for the rest of the game.

[Overview]

Rotom-C is the "middle" Rotom forme; it is neither the best of the five nor the worst. Whilst Rotom-H and Rotom-W are off gallivanting in the upper tiers, Rotom-C finds itself stuck in RU. This is by no means a bad thing, however; thanks to its great base 105 Special Attack stat and decent base 86 Speed, Rotom-C makes for an excellent sweeper and scout. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's defining move thanks to its incredibly high 140 Base Power (210 after STAB) and super effective coverage against several prominent RU threats, such as Slowking, Sandslash, and Kabutops. Rotom-C also has a unique typing that grants it useful resistances to Water-, Electric-, Grass-, and Steel-type attacks, which make it the best counter to Lanturn and Rotom in RU. Rotom-C's defensive capabilities are further boosted by its great supporting movepool; it can use Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave to cripple opposing sweepers, as well as Pain Split to regain health.

Unfortunately, Rotom-C is very susceptible to Fire-types, most notably Entei. It also struggles against bulky Grass-types, such as Roselia, who resists Rotom-C's STAB moves and can shrug off an unboosted Hidden Power Fire. Furthermore, Grass / Electric doesn't grant the best type coverage, and almost all of Rotom-C's main attacks have severe drawbacks: Leaf Storm sharply lowers its Special Attack, Volt Switch forces it to switch out, and Hidden Power Fire requires Rotom-C reduce its already low Speed (in this context, given your wording of "Leaf Storm sharply lowers its Special Attack", it kinda implies HP Fire reduces Rotom's Speed IV everytime it's used). However, Rotom-C is a great early- to mid-game Pokemon who can scout, hit hard, and cripple stall teams with Trick. Watch out for this little lawn mower, unless you want it to go all "Misery" on you.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Leaf Storm
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

What do you get when you combine STAB Volt Switch, immunity to both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, as well as good Speed and Special Attack, with a Choice Scarf? The answer: one of RU's fastest, most resilient, and strongest scouts. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to escape its counters and hit them for considerable amounts of damage with its STAB Electric attack. Luckily, however, with a bit of prediction, Rotom-C can easily get rid of Ground-types on its own thanks to Leaf Storm. Nevertheless, it is essential not to spam Volt Switch until all the opposing Ground-types have been KOed; if Rotom-C does use Volt Switch and a Ground-type switches in, not only will you have given your opponent a free turn, you will also lose any momentum you might have garnered up to that point. 

Leaf Storm, being Rotom-C's most powerful attack, does huge amounts of damage to anything that doesn't resist it; it also destroys Ground-types, such as Sandslash and Rhydon, that might try to come in for free on Volt Switch. Thunderbolt offers a reliable alternative STAB to Volt Switch as it packs a lot more power and doesn't force Rotom-C to switch out after use. It also helps Rotom-C greatly against Substitute users (such as?), who can stall out Leaf Storm or force Rotom-C to switch out with Volt Switch. With only its STAB moves at its disposal, Rotom-C will find itself completely walled by defensive Grass-types, such as Roselia and Ferroseed; Hidden Power Fire enables Rotom-C to dent Roselia and to 2HKO Ferroseed and Tangrowth. Trick cripples a great number of Pokemon in RU, such as Eviolite Ferroseed and Roselia. They not only lose the defensive boosts that Eviolite gives them, but also the ability to switch moves, a disaster for any defensive Pokemon.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

As this set is adept at forcing switches, entry hazard support is almost a necessity. Spikes in particular are very effective as they do more damage than Stealth Rock does to Ground-types that try to switch in on Volt Switch. Although Rotom-C is an excellent scout, it can also function well as a late-game sweeper as it has great Speed thanks to Choice Scarf, and can hit hard with STAB Thunderbolt. By using Team Preview to your advantage, you can make a decision as to whether Rotom-C should scout or sweep. If you see a team full of fast Pokemon that can tank Rotom-C's attacks, such as Entei and Cryogonal, it is important to get hazards down early and continually use Volt Switch as Rotom-C likely won't manage to break through those Pokemon. However, should you see a team that lacks a bulky Pokemon that resists or is immune to Electric, you should aim to wear your opponent's team down, bring Rotom-C out late-game, and proceed to sweep with Thunderbolt.

Rotom-C has a lot of trouble against Fire-types, as they resist Leaf Storm and take relatively little damage from Volt Switch. Entei in particular can switch into any of Rotom-C's attacks and OHKO it with Flare Blitz, or, if it is a low enough health, revenge kill it with ExtremeSpeed. Typhlosion takes a lot of damage from Volt Switch and Thunderbolt, but can quite easily tank a Leaf Storm. Choice Scarf Typhlosion can also switch into Trick with impunity and easily burn Rotom-C to a crisp with Eruption, or any other STAB move for that matter. Therefore, Feraligatr makes for an excellent teammate. It has great synergy with Rotom-C as it resists Fire- and Ice-type attacks—Rotom-C's most prominent weaknesses—and appreciates Rotom-C's 4x resistance to Electric and its 2x resistance to Grass. Feraligatr can take advantage of the Fire-types that Rotom-C lures in by setting up on them with either Swords Dance or Dragon Dance. On a more defensive note, Qwilfish also makes for an excellent teammate to Rotom-C. Not only does Qwilfish share near-perfect synergy with Rotom-C—only Psychic-type attacks hit both for super effective and neutral damage, respectively—it can also set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes for Rotom-C to take advantage of by forcing switches.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Leaf Storm
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Thanks to its good bulk, great STAB moves, and above-average Special Attack and Speed, Rotom-C makes for a great user of Choice Specs. On top of this, most of Rotom-C's counters will be expecting it to run a Choice Scarf set; thanks to this set's much higher damage output, it is able to surprise a lot of its usual checks and counters. Volt Switch, Rotom-C's most useful STAB move, also lends itself well to Choice items as it embodies this set's "hit-and-run" mindset. Rotom-C might seem outclassed as a Choice Specs user by other special attackers, such as Moltres and Typhlosion, due to their higher Speed and Special Attack stats, as well as better sweeping attacks. However, Rotom-C's good defensive typing—which means it takes little damage from entry hazards, unique STAB moves, and access to Trick, all ensure that Rotom-C isn't outclassed.

Volt Switch is Rotom-C's main STAB move. It hits very hard thanks to the Choice Specs boost, and enables Rotom-C to scout the opposing team while wearing down its counters with passive damage. A Choice Specs-boosted Leaf Storm is absurdly powerful and 2HKOes or OHKOes anything that doesn't resist it—or isn't named Munchlax. Even Pokemon that do resist it might fall; for example, after Stealth Rock damage, Leaf Storm 2HKOes Tangrowth and Sceptile, and also OHKOes Galvantula. Thunderbolt gives Rotom-C a more powerful Electric-type STAB attack that doesn't force it to switch, and helps Rotom-C beat Substitute users such as Rotom, who might try to stall out Leaf Storm. Hidden Power Fire hits Lilligant, Roselia, and Ferroseed, all bulky Grass-types that resist Rotom-C's STAB moves, but Roselia still remains an effective counter as it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire. Trick enables Rotom-C to cripple many of its counters; for example, Roselia and Munchlax will be hard-pressed to wall Rotom-C if they lose the defensive boost from Eviolite, while even walls such as Clefable and Drapion are crippled if they cannot switch between moves.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The given EVs ensure that Rotom-C outspeeds all positive-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon, and also enable Rotom-C to hit extremely hard. The HP EVs grant Rotom-C a little extra bulk, which can come in useful when tanking weak neutral or resisted hits. Thanks to the Special Attack boost granted by Choice Specs, Rotom-C is no longer forced to switch out after using Leaf Storm as it is still extremely powerful even at -2. For example, Feraligatr and Sandslash are both OHKOed by -2 Leaf Storm. This set does extremely well against balanced teams as it can take a hit or two quite easily thanks to its good Defense and Special Defense, and can dish out a lot of damage thanks to Choice Specs and its high attacking stats. However, without Choice Scarf's Speed boost, Rotom-C will find itself hard-pressed to revenge kill effectively as it will not be able to outspeed fast but frail Pokemon such as Aerodactyl and Archeops.

Rotom-C enjoys entry hazard support as much as any offensive Pokemon does—if not more, as this set is adept at forcing switches and grabbing momentum. With entry hazard support and Choice Specs, Rotom-C can get past many of its usual counters, such as Typhlosion, who is always OHKOed by Thunderbolt after Stealth Rock. Entei, too, is OHKOed by Thunderbolt approximately 40% of the time after Stealth Rock, and always OHKOed after a layer of Spikes as well. (recommend some hazards users) If Rotom-C lacks Hidden Power Fire, it is handily countered by Ferroseed and Roselia, who resist its STAB moves and can paralyze it with Thunder Wave or KO it with Sludge Bomb, respectively. However, both must still be wary of Trick, which will cripple them for the remainder of the game. Camerupt makes for an unexpected but efficient counter to both Roselia and Ferroseed thanks to its powerful Fire-type STAB moves, its immunity to Thunder Wave, and resistances to Gyro Ball, Sludge Bomb, and Giga Drain.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Volt Switch / Thunderbolt
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Pain Split
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With significant HP investment and Leftovers, Rotom-C can be an effective counter to many of RU's most threatening physical attackers. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's most powerful option, and thanks to full investment in Special Attack and a Modest nature, it hits very hard. On top of this, Leaf Storm hits many physical attackers, such as Feraligatr, Sandslash, and Rhydon, for super effective damage. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to scout as well as grab momentum, and hits surprisingly hard. However, should you want a more reliable option, Thunderbolt is viable: it hits much harder than Volt Switch, and—in comparison to Leaf Storm—is a more accurate, consistent, and effective STAB attack against the likes of Feraligatr and Kabutops. Will-O-Wisp is this set's key to dealing with physical attackers. Once burned, Pokemon such as Gallade and Hitmonchan pose much less of a problem to Rotom-C as their sky-high Attack stats will be cut in half. Will-O-Wisp also enables Rotom-C to wear down the aforementioned physical attackers so it can take them out with an attack other than Leaf Storm. As it lacks any better option for recovery, Pain Split is used to keep Rotom-C around for longer. Thanks to its low HP stat, Rotom-C is often able to recover large amounts of HP, especially against the bulky foes that wall it. Entei in particular has a very high HP stat, so if Rotom-C can hit it on the switch-in, Entei is likely to lose a large portion of its HP.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The EVs serve several purposes. First of all, they boost Rotom-C's lackluster HP stat, which in turn enables it to take hits from a wide variety of opponents thanks to its good Defense and Special Defense stats. 88 Speed EVs enable Rotom-C to outspeed maximum Speed Omastar and Crawdaunt, a benchmark that many physical sweepers should aim to reach. An alternative spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe is perfectly viable to let Rotom-C outspeed neutral-natured Gallade, Feraligatr, Kabutops, and Hitmonchan, all of whom Rotom-C can cripple with Will-O-Wisp. A Timid nature along with the same spread enables Rotom-C to beat positive-natured variants of those Pokemon, but most of the aforementioned Pokemon only try to outrun Omastar, and the loss of a Modest boost will significantly reduce Rotom-C's power.

As with most Rotom-C, Fire-type Pokemon severely hamper this set's effectiveness. Entei and Typhlosion can switch in for free on Will-O-Wisp and vaporize Rotom-C with their powerful STAB moves, but the two—and Typhlosion in particular—won't enjoy being hit by Volt Switch or Thunderbolt. Nonetheless, Slowking, Qwilfish, and Lanturn are all good partners to Rotom-C as they counter the two aforementioned Fire-types effectively. Slowking can Toxic the two and force them to take further Stealth Rock damage with Dragon Tail; Qwilfish has Intimidate to lower Entei's damage output, and can set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes to discourage them from switching in; while Lanturn can heal Rotom-C of any troublesome status, such as Toxic or paralysis, and can paralyze Entei and Typhlosion. On top of this, all three Pokemon have good defensive synergy with Rotom-C and can hit Fire-types super effectively with their Water-type STAB moves. Clefable makes for a good teammate too, as she can make up for Rotom-C's lack of reliable recovery by passing big Wishes to it, and also provide cleric support to Rotom-C and its teammates. Lilligant and Sceptile resist both of Rotom-C's STABs and don't mind being burnt as they are special attackers. Therefore, Sap Sipper Pokemon, such as Sawsbuck and Bouffalant, make for excellent partners; they can absorb Lilligant and Sceptile's Grass-type moves while scoring an Attack boost, and either force them out or KO them with their Normal-type STAB moves.

[SET]
name: Rain Dance
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Leaf Storm
item: Damp Rock
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Rotom-C's unique Electric / Grass typing makes it a great asset to rain teams. While one might think that Uxie—the most common weather supporter—outclasses Rotom-C in this role thanks to its superior bulk, Rotom-C's great typing and useful resistances give it an advantage over Uxie. Its 4x resistance to Electric and 2x resistance to Grass allow it to switch in easily on moves that its Water-type teammates often attract; therefore, each time the rain ends and a Water-type sweeper is on the field, Rotom-C can easily switch in to take a hit, then summon the downpour again. Furthermore, Rotom-C itself benefits from the rain, which mitigates its weakness to Fire and grants it a perfectly accurate Thunder. Even when rain is present, it can still provide additional team support and some offensive momentum by spreading status and threatening bulky Water-types; it is never a dead weight.

Rain Dance provides compulsory support for all rain teams, and is the crux of this set. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to switch out and safely bring in a sweeper after setting up rain; its weaknesses to Fire and Ice grant it good synergy with Water-type sweepers. Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp are both great options for additional team support; the former's ability to slow down threats is useful for when rain is absent and Swift Swim is deactivated, while the latter makes it easier for the likes of Omastar to set up on physical attackers. However, these support moves should not be used when rain is active, as this will waste a turn of rain. These status moves are only secondary support options; Rotom-C's main aim should always be to set up rain and switch out as soon as possible. Finally, Leaf Storm is a neat coverage move to punish Ground-types and Lanturn that try to prevent Rotom-C from Volt Switching out.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The given EV spread allows Rotom-C to better sponge hits and set up rain more easily, and also provides it with additional power to pose an offensive threat. Additionally, the lack of Speed EVs also provides Rotom-C with a slower Volt Switch, which allows a teammate to come in unharmed most of the time. An alternative EV spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe lets Rotom-C outrun neutral-natured Kabutops, who is usually a threat to rain teams thanks to its access to Swift Swim and strong Water-type STAB moves. However, this will greatly reduce Rotom-C's bulk, which not only makes it harder for Rotom-C to set up rain against stronger attackers, but also hampers its ability to reliably beat Omastar. Damp Rock is the compulsory item here to prolong the rain. Pain Split is an option over Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp to give Rotom-C a semi-reliable recovery move, but it will rarely have the opportunity to heal itself as it should not usually stay in for more than one turn. Thunder is a viable option (over Volt Switch?) for more power as it has perfect accuracy in rain, but the aforementioned moves ("the latter move generally has") generally have more utility.

Teammates that can make use of the rain that Rotom-C summons are mandatory, as this set is designed only for use on rain teams. Gorebyss and Omastar are wonderful rain sweepers that have access to Shell Smash; they also have great synergy with Rotom-C. Rotom-C resists the Electric- and Grass-type attacks that they are weak to; Levitate also enables Rotom-C to freely switch in on Ground-type attacks aimed at Omastar. Qwilfish is yet another good teammate as it resists the Fire-, Ice-, and Bug-type attacks Rotom-C is weak to, while Rotom-C can shrug off Electric- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Qwilfish.

[Other Options]

Unfortunately, Rotom-C's offensive movepool is, in a word, barren. As Shadow Ball lacks STAB and doesn't afford Rotom-C any significant coverage, it is a lackluster option. Discharge has slightly less power than Thunderbolt, but makes up for it with a great 30% paralysis rate. However, Rotom-C often finds itself hard-pressed to fit Thunderbolt onto a set, let alone Discharge. A SubCharge set is an option, but its effectiveness has been significantly reduced with the loss of Rotom-C's Ghost typing. To compound this issue, Rotom-C's only decent Grass-type STAB move, Leaf Storm, lowers its Special Attack two stages every time it is used, which makes boosting up pointless in the first place.

Luckily for Rotom-C, it has a great support movepool that any of its support sets can make good use of. Rotom-C can run an extremely annoying parafusion set to spread annoying status while healing with Pain Split and scouting with Volt Switch. Access to both Reflect and Light Screen enables Rotom-C to run an effective dual screens set thanks to its good bulk and relatively good Speed. Finally, Rotom-C can also set up Sunny Day, though less effectively than it can Rain Dance as it won't enjoy the boost to Fire-type attacks.

[Checks and Counters]

The first step towards countering Rotom-C is scouting its set(, as offensive and support variants have different checks?). Roselia and Munchlax wall the Choice Scarf set with ease thanks to their titanic special bulk and lack of weaknesses to any of Rotom-C's moves. Ferroseed resists Leaf Storm 4x and Volt Switch 2x, but must be wary of Hidden Power Fire. All the aforementioned switch-ins must be careful of being too predictable, however, as they will hate being Tricked a Choice item. As Choice Scarf Rotom-C doesn't hit too hard, it can also be checked by bulky Fire-types, particularly Entei, as they resist Leaf Storm and Hidden Power Fire, take relatively little damage from Volt Switch, and can KO Rotom-C with their STAB Fire attacks.

Choice Specs Rotom-C hits considerably harder than its Choice Scarf counterpart does, and can 2HKO all its usual checks with the appropriate move; as such, it doesn't have any surefire counters. Roselia is probably your best bet at countering Choice Specs Rotom-C as she is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire; she can then can put Rotom-C to sleep or 2HKO it with Sludge Bomb. Munchlax takes significantly more damage from a Choice Specs Leaf Storm than it does a Choice Scarf one, but it can nonetheless stall Rotom-C out with Rest and Sleep Talk, or paralyze it with Body Slam. Specially defensive Cryogonal can stall out Leaf Storm with Recover if it has enough Speed, and it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire and Thunderbolt. Furthermore, Cryogonal can hit Rotom-C hard with STAB Ice Beam off its solid base 95 Special Attack.

Support Rotom-C is harder to counter in the strictest sense of the word, as its main purpose is to help the rest of its team rather than sweep or break walls. Most support sets are easily walled by Roselia due to their lack of Trick, as well as their reduced damage output. The Rain Dance set in particular actually aids Roselia as it rids her of her weakness to Fire; furthermore, Giga Drain is super effective against the many Water-type Pokemon commonly seen on rain teams. Ferroseed and Munchlax can wall support as well Rotom-C thanks to the former's plethora of resistances and the latter's monstrous special bulk. However, both must be careful of Will-O-Wisp as they will not enjoy having their already lackluster Attack stats halved for the rest of the game.

just two things:

the phrase is "seeing as", not "seen as"
there's no need for an ability tag; the rotom formes only have one ability

other than that, gj!

SkullCandy · Jun 15, 2012

Thanks sirndpt! Check implemented, this is ready for 2/2.

Perfexionist · Jun 25, 2012

It appears this article needs another check. :)

Here is an amateur check for ya:

[Overview]

Rotom-C is lies in the "middle" of Rotom formes; it is neither the best of the five nor the worst. Whilst Rotom-H and Rotom-W are off gallivanting in the upper tiers, Rotom-C finds itself stuck in RU. This is by no means a bad thing, however; thanks to its great base 105 Special Attack ~~stat~~ and decent base 86 Speed, Rotom-C makes for an excellent sweeper and scout. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's defining move, <comma> thanks to its incredibly high 140 Base Power (210 after STAB) and super effective coverage against several prominent RU threats, such as Slowking, Sandslash, and Kabutops. Rotom-C also has a unique typing that grants it useful resistances to Water-, Electric-, Grass-, and Steel-type attacks, ~~which make~~making it the best counter to Lanturn and Rotom in RU. Rotom-C's defensive capabilities are further boosted by its great supporting movepool; it can use Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave to cripple opposing sweepers, a~~s well as~~nd can use Pain Split to regain health.

Unfortunately, Rotom-C is ~~ver~~highly susceptible to Fire-types, most notably Entei. It also struggles against bulky Grass-types, such as Roselia, whoich resists Rotom-C's STAB moves and can shrug off an unboosted Hidden Power Fire. Furthermore, Rotom-C's Grass / Electric typing doesn't grant the best type coverage, and almost all of Rotom-C's ~~main~~primary attacks have severe drawbacks: Leaf Storm sharply lowers its Special Attack, Volt Switch forces it to switch out, and Hidden Power Fire requires Rotom-C to reduce its already low Speed. ~~However~~Regardless, Rotom-C is a great early- to mid-game Pokemon who can scout, hit hard, and cripple stall teams with Trick. WPlayers, watch out for this little lawn mower~~, unless you want it to~~; otherwise it will go all "Misery" on you.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Leaf Storm
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

What do you get when you combine STAB Volt Switch, immunity to both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, a~~s well as~~nd good Speed and Special Attack, with a Choice Scarf? The answer: one of RU's fastest, most resilient, and strongest scouts. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to escape its counters and hit them for a considerable amounts of damage ~~with its~~as a STAB Electric attack. Luckily, ~~however,~~ with a bit of prediction, Rotom-C can also easily get rid of Ground-types on its own, thanks to Leaf Storm. Nevertheless, it is essential not to spam Volt Switch until all the opposing Ground-types have been KOed; if Rotom-C ~~does~~ uses Volt Switch and a Ground-type switches in, not only will ~~you have~~it given your opponent a free turn, ~~you will also lose~~but any momentum you might have garnered up to that point will be lost. 

Leaf Storm, being Rotom-C's most powerful attack, does huge amounts of damage to anything that doesn't resist it~~; i~~. It also destroys Ground-types, such as Sandslash and Rhydon, that might try to ~~come~~switch in for free on Volt Switch. Thunderbolt offers a reliable, alternative STAB to Volt Switch, as it packs ~~a lot~~much more power and doesn't force Rotom-C to switch out after use. It also helps Rotom-C greatly against Substitute users such as Rotom, whoich can stall out Leaf Storm or force Rotom-C to switch out with Volt Switch. With only ~~its~~ STAB moves at its disposal, Rotom-C will find itself completely walled by defensive Grass-types, such as Roselia and Ferroseed; Hidden Power Fire enables Rotom-C to dent Roselia and to 2HKO Ferroseed and Tangrowth. Trick cripples a great number of Pokemon in RU, such as Eviolite Ferroseed and Roselia. They not only lose the defensive boosts that Eviolite g~~ive~~rants them, but also the ability to ~~switch~~use more than one moves, a disaster for any defensive Pokemon.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

As this set is adept at forcing switches, entry hazard support is ~~almost a necessity. Spikes i~~practically necessary. In particular, Spikes are very effective, as they do more damage than Stealth Rock ~~does~~ to Ground-types that try to switch in on Volt Switch. Although Rotom-C is an excellent scout, it can also function well as a late-game sweeper ~~as i~~. It has great Speed thanks to Choice Scarf, and can hit hard with STAB Thunderbolt. By using Team Preview to your advantage, you can ~~make a decision as to~~decide whether Rotom-C should scout or sweep. If you see a team full of fast Pokemon that can tank Rotom-C's attacks, such as Entei and Cryogonal, it is important to get hazards down early and continually use Volt Switch, as ~~Rotom-C likely~~it is likely Rotom-C won't manage to break through those Pokemon. However, should you see a team that lacks a bulky Pokemon that resists or is immune to Electric, you should first aim to wear ~~your opponent's team~~it down, then bring Rotom-C out late-game, and proceed to sweep with Thunderbolt.

Rotom-C has a lot of trouble against Fire-types, as they resist Leaf Storm and take relatively little damage from Volt Switch. ~~Entei i~~In particular, Entei can switch into any of Rotom-C's attacks and OHKO it with Flare Blitz, or, if it is a low enough health, revenge kill it with ExtremeSpeed. Typhlosion takes a lot of damage from Volt Switch and Thunderbolt, but can ~~quite~~ easily tank a Leaf Storm. Choice Scarf Typhlosion can also switch into Trick with impunity and easily burn Rotom-C to a crisp with Eruption, or, for that matter, any other STAB move ~~for that matter~~. Therefore, Feraligatr makes for an excellent teammate. It has great synergy with Rotom-C as it resists Fire- and Ice-type attacks—Rotom-C's most prominent weaknesses—and ~~appreciates~~benefits from Rotom-C's 4x resistance to Electric and ~~its~~ 2x resistance to Grass. Feraligatr can take advantage of the Fire-types that Rotom-C lures in by setting up on them with either Swords Dance or Dragon Dance. OQwilfish, on a more defensive note, ~~Qwilfish~~ also makes for an excellent teammate to Rotom-C. Not only does Qwilfish share near-perfect synergy with Rotom-C—only Psychic-type attacks hit both for super effective and neutral damage, respectively—it can also set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes for Rotom-C to take advantage of by forcing switches.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Leaf Storm
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Thanks to its good bulk, great STAB moves, and above-average Special Attack and Speed, Rotom-C makes for a great user of Choice Specs. On top of this, most of Rotom-C's counters will be expecting it to run a Choice Scarf set; thanks to this set's much higher damage output, it is able to surprise a lot of its usual checks and counters. Volt Switch, Rotom-C's most useful STAB move, also lends itself well to Choice items, as it embodies thise set's "hit-and-run" mindset. As a Choice Specs user, Rotom-C might seem outclassed ~~as a Choice Specs user~~ by other special attackers, such as Moltres and Typhlosion, due to their higher Speed and Special Attack stats, ~~as well as~~in addition to their better sweeping attacks. However, Rotom-C's good defensive typing—which means it takes little damage from entry hazards, unique STAB moves, and access to Trick~~, all~~ —ensures that Rotom-C isn't outclassed.

Volt Switch is Rotom-C's main STAB move. It hits very hard thanks to the Choice Specs boost, and enables Rotom-C to scout the opposing team while wearing down its counters with passive damage. A Choice Specs-boosted Leaf Storm is absurdly powerful and 2HKOes or OHKOes anything that doesn't resist it—, or isn't named Munchlax. Even Pokemon that do resist it might fall; for example, after Stealth Rock damage, Leaf Storm 2HKOes Tangrowth and Sceptile, and also OHKOes Galvantula. Thunderbolt gives Rotom-C a more powerful Electric-type STAB attack that doesn't force it to switch, and it helps Rotom-C beat Substitute users such as Rotom, who might try to stall out Leaf Storm. Hidden Power Fire hits Lilligant, Roselia, and Ferroseed, all bulky Grass-types that resist Rotom-C's STAB moves, but Roselia ~~still~~ remains an effective counter as it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire. Trick enables Rotom-C to cripple many of its counters; for example, Roselia and Munchlax will be hard-pressed to wall Rotom-C if they lose their defensive boost from Eviolite, ~~while~~and even walls such as Clefable and Drapion are crippled if they cannot ~~switch betwe~~use different moves.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The given EVs ensure that Rotom-C outspeeds all positive-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon, and also enable Rotom-C to hit extremely hard. The HP EVs grant Rotom-C a little extra bulk, which can come in ~~useful~~handy when tanking weak neutral or resisted hits. Thanks to the Special Attack boost granted by Choice Specs, Rotom-C is no longer forced to switch out after using Leaf Storm, as it is still extremely powerful ~~even~~ at -2. ~~For example~~To illustrate this, Feraligatr and Sandslash are both OHKOed by -2 Leaf Storm. This set does extremely well against balanced teams, as it can take a hit or two quite easily thanks to its good Defense and Special Defense, and can dish out a lot of damage thanks to Choice Specs and its high attacking stats. However, without Choice Scarf's Speed boost, Rotom-C will find itself hard-pressed to ~~revenge kill effectively~~effectively revenge kill, as it will not be able to outspeed fast but frail Pokemon such as Aerodactyl and Archeops.

Rotom-C enjoys entry hazard support as much as ~~any~~, if not more than, any other offensive Pokemon does—~~if not more, as~~ this set is adept at forcing switches and grabbing momentum. With both entry hazard support and Choice Specs, Rotom-C can get past many of its usual counters, such as Typhlosion, who is always OHKOed by Thunderbolt after Stealth Rock. Entei, too, is OHKOed by Thunderbolt approximately 40% of the time after Stealth Rock, and always OHKOed after an additional layer of Spikes ~~as well~~. Therefore, Pokemon ~~who~~that can set up entry hazards and ~~also~~ have good defensive synergy with Rotom-C, such as Qwilfish and Omastar, make for good teammates. If Rotom-C lacks Hidden Power Fire, it is handily countered by Ferroseed and Roselia, whoich resist its STAB moves and can, respectively, paralyze it with Thunder Wave or KO it with Sludge Bomb~~, respectively~~. However, both must still be wary of Trick, which will cripple them for the remainder of the game. Camerupt makes for an unexpected but efficient counter to both Roselia and Ferroseed thanks to its powerful Fire-type STAB moves, its immunity to Thunder Wave, and resistances to Gyro Ball, Sludge Bomb, and Giga Drain.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Volt Switch / Thunderbolt
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Pain Split
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With significant HP investment and Leftovers, Rotom-C can be an effective counter to many of RU's most threatening physical attackers. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's most powerful option, and thanks to full investment in Special Attack and a Modest nature, it hits very hard. On top of this, Leaf Storm hits many physical attackers, such as Feraligatr, Sandslash, and Rhydon, for super effective damage. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to scout a~~s well as~~nd grab momentum, and hits surprisingly hard. However, should you want a more reliable option, Thunderbolt is viable: it hits much harder than Volt Switch, and—in comparison to Leaf Storm—is a more accurate, consistent, and effective STAB attack against the likes of Feraligatr and Kabutops. Will-O-Wisp is this set's key to dealing with physical attackers. Once burned, Pokemon such as Gallade and Hitmonchan pose much less of a problem to Rotom-C, as their sky-high Attack stats ~~will b~~are cut in half. Will-O-Wisp also enables Rotom-C to wear down the aforementioned physical attackers soto a point where it can take them out with an attack other than Leaf Storm. As it lacks any better option for recovery, Pain Split is used to keep Rotom-C around ~~for~~ longer. Thanks to its low HP stat, Rotom-C is often able to recover large amounts of HP, especially against the bulky foes that wall it. Entei in particular has a very high HP stat, so if Rotom-C can hit it on the switch-in, Entei is likely to lose a large portion of its HP.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The EVs serve several purposes. First of all, they boost Rotom-C's lackluster HP stat, which in turn enables it to take hits from a wide variety of opponents ~~thanks~~due to its good Defense and Special Defense stats. Investing in [avoid starting a sentence with a number] 88 Speed EVs enable Rotom-C to outspeed maximum Speed Omastar and Crawdaunt, a benchmark that many physical sweepers should aim to reach. An alternative spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe is perfectly viable to let Rotom-C outspeed neutral-natured Gallade, Feraligatr, Kabutops, and Hitmonchan, all of whomich Rotom-C can cripple with Will-O-Wisp. A Timid nature ~~along with the same~~in addition to the aforementioned spread enables Rotom-C to beat positive-natured variants of those Pokemon, but most of the ~~aforementioned Pokemon~~m only try to outrun Omastar, and the loss of a Modest boost will significantly reduce Rotom-C's power.

As with most of Rotom-C sets, Fire-type Pokemon severely hamper this set's effectiveness. Entei and Typhlosion can switch in for free on Will-O-Wisp and vaporize Rotom-C with their powerful STAB moves, but the two—~~and~~ Typhlosion in particular—won't enjoy being hit by Volt Switch or Thunderbolt. Nonetheless, Slowking, Qwilfish, and Lanturn are all good partners to Rotom-C, as they counter the two aforementioned Fire-types effectively. Slowking can Toxic the ~~two~~m and force them to take further Stealth Rock damage with Dragon Tail; Qwilfish has Intimidate to lower Entei's damage output, and can set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes to discourage them from switching in; ~~while~~ Lanturn can heal Rotom-C of any troublesome status, such as Toxic or paralysis, and can paralyze Entei and Typhlosion. On top of this, all three Pokemon have good defensive synergy with Rotom-C and can hit Fire-types super effectively with their Water-type STAB moves. Clefable makes for a good teammate, too, as she can make up for Rotom-C's lack of reliable recovery by passing big Wishes to it, and can also provide cleric support [I don't know what "cleric support" is. Is it an accepted term?] to Rotom-C and its teammates. Lilligant and Sceptile are potent threats to Rotom-C, as they resist both of Rotom-C's STABs and don't mind being burnt ~~as they are~~, being special attackers. Therefore, Sap Sipper Pokemon, such as Sawsbuck and Bouffalant, make for excellent partners; they can absorb Lilligant and Sceptile's Grass-type moves while scoring an Attack boost, and either force them out or KO them with their Normal-type STAB moves.

[SET]
name: Rain Dance
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Leaf Storm
item: Damp Rock
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Rotom-C's unique Electric / Grass typing makes it a great asset to rain teams. While one might think that Uxie—the most common weather supporter—outclasses Rotom-C in this role ~~thanks~~due to its superior bulk, Rotom-C's great typing and useful resistances give it an advantage over Uxie. Its 4x resistance to Electric and 2x resistance to Grass allow it to switch in easily on moves that its Water-type teammates often attract; therefore, each time the rain ends and a Water-type sweeper is on the field, Rotom-C can ~~easily~~ switch in to easily take a hit, and then summon the downpour again. Furthermore, Rotom-C ~~itself~~ benefits from the rain, which mitigates its weakness to Fire and grants it a perfectly accurate Thunder. Even when rain is present, itRotom-C can still provide additional team support and some offensive momentum by spreading status and threatening bulky Water-types; it is never a dead weight.

Rain Dance provides ~~compulsory~~natural support for all rain teams, and is the crux of this set. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to switch out and safely bring in a sweeper after setting up rain; its weaknesses to Fire and Ice grant it good synergy with Water-type sweepers. Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp are both great options for additional team support; the former's ability to slow down threats is useful ~~for~~ when rain is absent and Swift Swim is deactivated, while the latter makes it easier for the likes of Omastar to set up on physical attackers. However, these support moves should not be used when rain is active, as this will waste a turn of rain. TNote that these status moves are only secondary support options; Rotom-C's main aim should always be to set up rain and switch out as soon as possible. Finally, Leaf Storm is a neat coverage move to punish Ground-types and Lanturn that try to prevent Rotom-C from Volt Switching out.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The given EV spread allows Rotom-C to better sponge hits and set up rain more easily, and also provides it with additional power to pose an offensive threat. Additionally, the lack of Speed EVs also provides Rotom-C with a slower Volt Switch, which, most of the time, allows a teammate to come in unharmed ~~most of the time~~. An alternative EV spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe lets Rotom-C outrun neutral-natured Kabutops, who is usually a threat to rain teams thanks to its access to Swift Swim and strong Water-type STAB moves. However, this will greatly reduce Rotom-C's bulk, which not only makes it harder for Rotom-C to set up rain against stronger attackers, but also hampers its ability to reliably beat Omastar. Damp Rock is the ~~compulsory item here~~standard item used on this set to prolong the rain. Pain Split is an option over Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp, if you want to give Rotom-C a semi-reliable recovery move, but itRotom-C will rarely have the opportunity to heal itself as it ~~should~~will not usually stay in for more than one turn. Thunder is a viable option to use over Volt Switch for more power, as it has perfect accuracy in rain, but the latter move generally has more utility.

Teammates that can make use of the rain that Rotom-C summons are mandatory, as this set is designed only for use on rain teams. Gorebyss and Omastar are wonderful rain sweepers that have access to Shell Smash; they also have great synergy with Rotom-C. Rotom-C resists the Electric- and Grass-type attacks that they are weak to;, and Levitate ~~also~~ enables Rotom-C to freely switch in on Ground-type attacks aimed at Omastar. Qwilfish is yet another good teammate as it resists the Fire-, Ice-, and Bug-type attacks Rotom-C is weak to, while Rotom-C can shrug off Electric- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Qwilfish.

[Other Options]

Unfortunately, Rotom-C's offensive movepool is, in a word, barren. As Shadow Ball lacks STAB and doesn't afford Rotom-C any significant coverage, it is a ~~lackluste~~poor option. Discharge has slightly less power than Thunderbolt, but makes up for ithat with a great 30% paralysis rate. However, Rotom-C often finds it~~self~~ hard-pressed to fit Thunderbolt onto a set, let alone Discharge. A SubCharge set is an option, but its effectiveness has been significantly reduced with the loss of Rotom-C's Ghost typing. To compound this issue, Rotom-C's only decent Grass-type STAB move, Leaf Storm, lowers its Special Attack two stages ~~every time it is~~upon used, which makes boosting up ~~pointless~~ in the first place pointless.

Luckily for Rotom-C, it has a great support movepool that any of its support sets can make good use of. Rotom-C can run an extremely annoying parafusion set to spread ~~annoying~~ status while healing with Pain Split and scouting with Volt Switch. Access to both Reflect and Light Screen ~~enables Rotom-C to run an effective dual screens set thanks to its good bulk and relatively good Speed~~, in conjunction with Rotom-C's good bulk and relatively good Speed, enables Rotom-C to run an effective dual screens set. Finally, Rotom-C can also set up Sunny Day, though it does this less effectively than it ~~can~~sets up Rain Dance as it wodoesn't enjoy the boost to Fire-type attacks.

[Checks and Counters]

The first step towards countering Rotom-C is scouting its set, as offensive and support variants have different checks. Roselia and Munchlax wall the Choice Scarf set with ease thanks to their titanic special bulk and lack of weaknesses to any of Rotom-C's moves. Ferroseed ~~resists Leaf Storm 4x and~~has a 4x resistance to Leaf Storm 4x and a 2x resistance to Volt Switc~~h 2x~~, but it must be wary of Hidden Power Fire. All the aforementioned switch-ins must be careful of being too predictable, however, as they w~~ill~~ould hate being Tricked a Choice item. As Choice Scarf Rotom-C doesn't hit too hard, it can also be checked by bulky Fire-types, particularly Entei, as ~~they~~it resists Leaf Storm and Hidden Power Fire, takes relatively little damage from Volt Switch, and can KO Rotom-C with ~~their~~its STAB Fire attacks. [I believe that is the correct way to agree with subject and verb, but I'm not sure. This is a tricky one I couldn't find a definite rule for.]

Choice Specs Rotom-C hits considerably harder than its non-[I believe that is what you were trying to say]Choice Scarf counterpart does, and can 2HKO all its usual checks with the appropriate move; as such, it doesn't have any surefire counters. Roselia is probably your best bet at countering Choice Specs Rotom-C as she is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire; she can ~~then can~~ put Rotom-C to sleep or 2HKO it with Sludge Bomb. Munchlax takes significantly more damage from a Choice Specs Leaf Storm than it does a Choice Scarf one, but it can nonetheless stall Rotom-C out with Rest and Sleep Talk, or paralyze it with Body Slam. Specially defensive Cryogonal can stall out Leaf Storm with Recover if it has enough Speed, and it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire and Thunderbolt. Furthermore, Cryogonal can hit Rotom-C hard with STAB Ice Beam off its solid base 95 Special Attack.

Support Rotom-C is harder to counter in the strictest sense of the word, as its main purpose is to help the rest of its team rather than sweep or break walls. Most support sets ~~are easily walled by Roselia~~, due to their lack of Ttrick~~, as well as their reduced damage output~~ and reduced damage output, are easily walled by Roselia. The Rain Dance set ~~in particular~~ actually aids Roselia as it rids her of her weakness to Fire; furthermore, Giga Drain is super effective against the many Water-type Pokemon commonly seen on rain teams. Ferroseed and Munchlax can also wall support ~~as well~~ Rotom-C thanks to the former's plethora of resistances and the latter's monstrous special bulk. However, both must be careful of Will-O-Wisp, as they will not enjoy having their already lackluster Attack stats halved for the restmainder of the game.

[Overview]

Rotom-C lies in the middle of Rotom formes; it is neither the best of the five nor the worst. Whilst Rotom-H and Rotom-W are off gallivanting in the upper tiers, Rotom-C finds itself stuck in RU. This is by no means a bad thing, however; thanks to its great base 105 Special Attack and decent base 86 Speed, Rotom-C makes for an excellent sweeper and scout. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's defining move, <comma> thanks to its incredibly high 140 Base Power (210 after STAB) and super effective coverage against several prominent RU threats, such as Slowking, Sandslash, and Kabutops. Rotom-C also has a unique typing that grants it useful resistances to Water-, Electric-, Grass-, and Steel-type attacks, making it the best counter to Lanturn and Rotom in RU. Rotom-C's defensive capabilities are further boosted by its great supporting movepool; it can use Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave to cripple opposing sweepers, and can use Pain Split to regain health.

Unfortunately, Rotom-C is highly susceptible to Fire-types, most notably Entei. It also struggles against bulky Grass-types, such as Roselia, which resists Rotom-C's STAB moves and can shrug off an unboosted Hidden Power Fire. Furthermore, Rotom-C's Grass / Electric typing doesn't grant the best type coverage, and almost all of Rotom-C's primary attacks have severe drawbacks: Leaf Storm sharply lowers its Special Attack, Volt Switch forces it to switch out, and Hidden Power Fire requires Rotom-C to reduce its already low Speed. Regardless, Rotom-C is a great early- to mid-game Pokemon who can scout, hit hard, and cripple stall teams with Trick. Players, watch out for this little lawn mower; otherwise it will go all "Misery" on you.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Leaf Storm
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

What do you get when you combine STAB Volt Switch, immunity to both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, and good Speed and Special Attack with a Choice Scarf? The answer: one of RU's fastest, most resilient, and strongest scouts. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to escape its counters and hit them for a considerable amount of damage as a STAB Electric attack. Luckily, with a bit of prediction, Rotom-C can also easily get rid of Ground-types on its own, thanks to Leaf Storm. Nevertheless, it is essential not to spam Volt Switch until all the opposing Ground-types have been KOed; if Rotom-C uses Volt Switch and a Ground-type switches in, not only will it give your opponent a free turn, but any momentum you might have garnered up to that point will be lost. 

Leaf Storm, being Rotom-C's most powerful attack, does huge amounts of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. It also destroys Ground-types, such as Sandslash and Rhydon, that might try to switch in for free on Volt Switch. Thunderbolt offers a reliable, alternative STAB to Volt Switch, as it packs much more power and doesn't force Rotom-C to switch out after use. It also helps Rotom-C greatly against Substitute users such as Rotom, which can stall out Leaf Storm or force Rotom-C to switch out with Volt Switch. With only STAB moves at its disposal, Rotom-C will find itself completely walled by defensive Grass-types, such as Roselia and Ferroseed; Hidden Power Fire enables Rotom-C to dent Roselia and 2HKO Ferroseed and Tangrowth. Trick cripples a great number of Pokemon in RU, such as Eviolite Ferroseed and Roselia. They not only lose the defensive boosts that Eviolite grants them, but also the ability to use more than one move, a disaster for any defensive Pokemon.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

As this set is adept at forcing switches, entry hazard support is practically necessary. In particular, Spikes are very effective, as they do more damage than Stealth Rock to Ground-types that try to switch in on Volt Switch. Although Rotom-C is an excellent scout, it can also function well as a late-game sweeper. It has great Speed thanks to Choice Scarf, and can hit hard with STAB Thunderbolt. By using Team Preview to your advantage, you can decide whether Rotom-C should scout or sweep. If you see a team full of fast Pokemon that can tank Rotom-C's attacks, such as Entei and Cryogonal, it is important to get hazards down early and continually use Volt Switch, as it is likely Rotom-C won't manage to break through those Pokemon. However, should you see a team that lacks a bulky Pokemon that resists or is immune to Electric, you should first aim to wear it down, then bring Rotom-C out late-game and proceed to sweep with Thunderbolt.

Rotom-C has a lot of trouble against Fire-types, as they resist Leaf Storm and take relatively little damage from Volt Switch. In particular, Entei can switch into any of Rotom-C's attacks and OHKO it with Flare Blitz, or, if it is low enough health, revenge kill it with ExtremeSpeed. Typhlosion takes a lot of damage from Volt Switch and Thunderbolt, but can easily tank a Leaf Storm. Choice Scarf Typhlosion can also switch into Trick with impunity and easily burn Rotom-C to a crisp with Eruption, or, for that matter, any other STAB move. Therefore, Feraligatr makes for an excellent teammate. It has great synergy with Rotom-C as it resists Fire- and Ice-type attacks—Rotom-C's most prominent weaknesses—and benefits from Rotom-C's 4x resistance to Electric and 2x resistance to Grass. Feraligatr can take advantage of the Fire-types that Rotom-C lures in by setting up on them with either Swords Dance or Dragon Dance. Qwilfish, on a more defensive note, also makes for an excellent teammate to Rotom-C. Not only does Qwilfish share near-perfect synergy with Rotom-C—only Psychic-type attacks hit both for super effective and neutral damage, respectively—it can also set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes for Rotom-C to take advantage of by forcing switches.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Leaf Storm
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Thanks to its good bulk, great STAB moves, and above-average Special Attack and Speed, Rotom-C makes for a great user of Choice Specs. On top of this, most of Rotom-C's counters will be expecting it to run a Choice Scarf set; thanks to this set's much higher damage output, it is able to surprise a lot of its usual checks and counters. Volt Switch, Rotom-C's most useful STAB move, also lends itself well to Choice items, as it embodies the set's "hit-and-run" mindset. As a Choice Specs user, Rotom-C might seem outclassed by other special attackers, such as Moltres and Typhlosion, due to their higher Speed and Special Attack stats, in addition to their better sweeping attacks. However, Rotom-C's good defensive typing—which means it takes little damage from entry hazards, unique STAB moves, and access to Trick—ensures that Rotom-C isn't outclassed.

Volt Switch is Rotom-C's main STAB move. It hits very hard thanks to the Choice Specs boost, and enables Rotom-C to scout the opposing team while wearing down its counters with passive damage. A Choice Specs-boosted Leaf Storm is absurdly powerful and 2HKOes or OHKOes anything that doesn't resist it, or isn't named Munchlax. Even Pokemon that do resist it might fall; for example, after Stealth Rock damage, Leaf Storm 2HKOes Tangrowth and Sceptile, and also OHKOes Galvantula. Thunderbolt gives Rotom-C a more powerful Electric-type STAB attack that doesn't force it to switch, and it helps Rotom-C beat Substitute users such as Rotom, who might try to stall out Leaf Storm. Hidden Power Fire hits Lilligant, Roselia, and Ferroseed, all bulky Grass-types that resist Rotom-C's STAB moves, but Roselia remains an effective counter as it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire. Trick enables Rotom-C to cripple many of its counters; for example, Roselia and Munchlax will be hard-pressed to wall Rotom-C if they lose their defensive boost from Eviolite, and even walls such as Clefable and Drapion are crippled if they cannot use different moves.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The given EVs ensure that Rotom-C outspeeds all positive-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon, and also enable Rotom-C to hit extremely hard. The HP EVs grant Rotom-C a little extra bulk, which can come in handy when tanking weak neutral or resisted hits. Thanks to the Special Attack boost granted by Choice Specs, Rotom-C is no longer forced to switch out after using Leaf Storm, as it is still extremely powerful at -2. To illustrate this, Feraligatr and Sandslash are both OHKOed by -2 Leaf Storm. This set does extremely well against balanced teams, as it can take a hit or two quite easily thanks to its good Defense and Special Defense, and can dish out a lot of damage thanks to Choice Specs and its high attacking stats. However, without Choice Scarf's Speed boost, Rotom-C will find itself hard-pressed to effectively revenge kill, as it will not be able to outspeed fast but frail Pokemon such as Aerodactyl and Archeops.

Rotom-C enjoys entry hazard support as much as, if not more than, any other offensive Pokemon does—this set is adept at forcing switches and grabbing momentum. With both entry hazard support and Choice Specs, Rotom-C can get past many of its usual counters, such as Typhlosion, who is always OHKOed by Thunderbolt after Stealth Rock. Entei, too, is OHKOed by Thunderbolt approximately 40% of the time after Stealth Rock, and always OHKOed after an additional layer of Spikes. Therefore, Pokemon that can set up entry hazards and have good defensive synergy with Rotom-C, such as Qwilfish and Omastar, make for good teammates. If Rotom-C lacks Hidden Power Fire, it is handily countered by Ferroseed and Roselia, which resist its STAB moves and can, respectively, paralyze it with Thunder Wave or KO it with Sludge Bomb. However, both must still be wary of Trick, which will cripple them for the remainder of the game. Camerupt makes for an unexpected but efficient counter to both Roselia and Ferroseed thanks to its powerful Fire-type STAB moves, its immunity to Thunder Wave, and resistances to Gyro Ball, Sludge Bomb, and Giga Drain.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Volt Switch / Thunderbolt
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Pain Split
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With significant HP investment and Leftovers, Rotom-C can be an effective counter to many of RU's most threatening physical attackers. Leaf Storm is Rotom-C's most powerful option, and thanks to full investment in Special Attack and a Modest nature, it hits very hard. On top of this, Leaf Storm hits many physical attackers, such as Feraligatr, Sandslash, and Rhydon, for super effective damage. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to scout and grab momentum, and hits surprisingly hard. However, should you want a more reliable option, Thunderbolt is viable: it hits much harder than Volt Switch, and—in comparison to Leaf Storm—is a more accurate, consistent, and effective STAB attack against the likes of Feraligatr and Kabutops. Will-O-Wisp is this set's key to dealing with physical attackers. Once burned, Pokemon such as Gallade and Hitmonchan pose much less of a problem to Rotom-C, as their sky-high Attack stats are cut in half. Will-O-Wisp also enables Rotom-C to wear down the aforementioned physical attackers to a point where it can take them out with an attack other than Leaf Storm. As it lacks any better option for recovery, Pain Split is used to keep Rotom-C around longer. Thanks to its low HP stat, Rotom-C is often able to recover large amounts of HP, especially against the bulky foes that wall it. Entei in particular has a very high HP stat, so if Rotom-C can hit it on the switch-in, Entei is likely to lose a large portion of its HP.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The EVs serve several purposes. First of all, they boost Rotom-C's lackluster HP stat, which in turn enables it to take hits from a wide variety of opponents due to its good Defense and Special Defense stats. Investing in 88 Speed EVs enable Rotom-C to outspeed maximum Speed Omastar and Crawdaunt, a benchmark that many physical sweepers should aim to reach. An alternative spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe is perfectly viable to let Rotom-C outspeed neutral-natured Gallade, Feraligatr, Kabutops, and Hitmonchan, all of which Rotom-C can cripple with Will-O-Wisp. A Timid nature in addition to the aforementioned spread enables Rotom-C to beat positive-natured variants of those Pokemon, but most of them only try to outrun Omastar, and the loss of a Modest boost will significantly reduce Rotom-C's power.

As with most of Rotom-C sets, Fire-type Pokemon severely hamper this set's effectiveness. Entei and Typhlosion can switch in for free on Will-O-Wisp and vaporize Rotom-C with their powerful STAB moves, but the two—Typhlosion in particular—won't enjoy being hit by Volt Switch or Thunderbolt. Nonetheless, Slowking, Qwilfish, and Lanturn are all good partners to Rotom-C, as they counter the two aforementioned Fire-types effectively. Slowking can Toxic them and force them to take further Stealth Rock damage with Dragon Tail; Qwilfish has Intimidate to lower Entei's damage output, and can set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes to discourage them from switching in; Lanturn can heal Rotom-C of any troublesome status, such as Toxic or paralysis, and can paralyze Entei and Typhlosion. On top of this, all three Pokemon have good defensive synergy with Rotom-C and can hit Fire-types super effectively with their Water-type STAB moves. Clefable makes for a good teammate, too, as she can make up for Rotom-C's lack of reliable recovery by passing big Wishes to it, and can also provide cleric support to Rotom-C and its teammates. Lilligant and Sceptile are potent threats to Rotom-C, as they resist both of Rotom-C's STABs and don't mind being burnt, being special attackers. Therefore, Sap Sipper Pokemon, such as Sawsbuck and Bouffalant, make for excellent partners; they can absorb Lilligant and Sceptile's Grass-type moves while scoring an Attack boost, and either force them out or KO them with their Normal-type STAB moves.

[SET]
name: Rain Dance
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Leaf Storm
item: Damp Rock
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Rotom-C's unique Electric / Grass typing makes it a great asset to rain teams. While one might think that Uxie—the most common weather supporter—outclasses Rotom-C in this role due to its superior bulk, Rotom-C's great typing and useful resistances give it an advantage over Uxie. Its 4x resistance to Electric and 2x resistance to Grass allow it to switch in easily on moves that its Water-type teammates often attract; therefore, each time the rain ends and a Water-type sweeper is on the field, Rotom-C can switch in to easily take a hit and then summon the downpour again. Furthermore, Rotom-C benefits from the rain, which mitigates its weakness to Fire and grants it a perfectly accurate Thunder. Even when rain is present, Rotom-C can still provide additional team support and some offensive momentum by spreading status and threatening bulky Water-types; it is never a dead weight.

Rain Dance provides natural support for all rain teams, and is the crux of this set. Volt Switch enables Rotom-C to switch out and safely bring in a sweeper after setting up rain; its weaknesses to Fire and Ice grant it good synergy with Water-type sweepers. Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp are both great options for additional team support; the former's ability to slow down threats is useful when rain is absent and Swift Swim is deactivated, while the latter makes it easier for the likes of Omastar to set up on physical attackers. However, these support moves should not be used when rain is active, as this will waste a turn of rain. Note that these status moves are only secondary support options; Rotom-C's main aim should always be to set up rain and switch out as soon as possible. Finally, Leaf Storm is a neat coverage move to punish Ground-types and Lanturn that try to prevent Rotom-C from Volt Switching out.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The given EV spread allows Rotom-C to better sponge hits and set up rain more easily, and also provides it with additional power to pose an offensive threat. Additionally, the lack of Speed EVs also provides Rotom-C with a slower Volt Switch, which, most of the time, allows a teammate to come in unharmed. An alternative EV spread of 48 HP / 252 SpA / 208 Spe lets Rotom-C outrun neutral-natured Kabutops, who is usually a threat to rain teams thanks to its access to Swift Swim and strong Water-type STAB moves. However, this will greatly reduce Rotom-C's bulk, which not only makes it harder for Rotom-C to set up rain against stronger attackers, but also hampers its ability to reliably beat Omastar. Damp Rock is the standard item used on this set to prolong the rain. Pain Split is an option over Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp, if you want to give Rotom-C a semi-reliable recovery move, but Rotom-C will rarely have the opportunity to heal itself as it will not usually stay in for more than one turn. Thunder is a viable option to use over Volt Switch for more power, as it has perfect accuracy in rain, but the latter move generally has more utility.

Teammates that can make use of the rain that Rotom-C summons are mandatory, as this set is designed only for use on rain teams. Gorebyss and Omastar are wonderful rain sweepers that have access to Shell Smash; they also have great synergy with Rotom-C. Rotom-C resists the Electric- and Grass-type attacks that they are weak to, and Levitate enables Rotom-C to freely switch in on Ground-type attacks aimed at Omastar. Qwilfish is yet another good teammate as it resists the Fire-, Ice-, and Bug-type attacks Rotom-C is weak to, while Rotom-C can shrug off Electric- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Qwilfish.

[Other Options]

Unfortunately, Rotom-C's offensive movepool is, in a word, barren. As Shadow Ball lacks STAB and doesn't afford Rotom-C any significant coverage, it is a poor option. Discharge has slightly less power than Thunderbolt, but makes up for that with a great 30% paralysis rate. However, Rotom-C often finds it hard-pressed to fit Thunderbolt onto a set, let alone Discharge. A SubCharge set is an option, but its effectiveness has been significantly reduced with the loss of Rotom-C's Ghost typing. To compound this issue, Rotom-C's only decent Grass-type STAB move, Leaf Storm, lowers its Special Attack two stages upon use, which makes boosting up in the first place pointless.

Luckily for Rotom-C, it has a great support movepool that any of its support sets can make good use of. Rotom-C can run an extremely annoying parafusion set to spread status while healing with Pain Split and scouting with Volt Switch. Access to both Reflect and Light Screen, in conjunction with Rotom-C's good bulk and relatively good Speed, enables Rotom-C to run an effective dual screens set. Finally, Rotom-C can also set up Sunny Day, though it does this less effectively than it sets up Rain Dance as it doesn't enjoy the boost to Fire-type attacks.

[Checks and Counters]

The first step towards countering Rotom-C is scouting its set, as offensive and support variants have different checks. Roselia and Munchlax wall the Choice Scarf set with ease thanks to their titanic special bulk and lack of weaknesses to any of Rotom-C's moves. Ferroseed has a 4x resistance to Leaf Storm 4x and a 2x resistance to Volt Switc, but it must be wary of Hidden Power Fire. All the aforementioned switch-ins must be careful of being too predictable, however, as they would hate being Tricked a Choice item. As Choice Scarf Rotom-C doesn't hit too hard, it can also be checked by bulky Fire-types, particularly Entei, as it resists Leaf Storm and Hidden Power Fire, takes relatively little damage from Volt Switch, and can KO Rotom-C with its STAB Fire attacks.

Choice Specs Rotom-C hits considerably harder than its non-Choice Scarf counterpart does, and can 2HKO all its usual checks with the appropriate move; as such, it doesn't have any surefire counters. Roselia is probably your best bet at countering Choice Specs Rotom-C as she is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire; she can put Rotom-C to sleep or 2HKO it with Sludge Bomb. Munchlax takes significantly more damage from a Choice Specs Leaf Storm than it does a Choice Scarf one, but it can nonetheless stall Rotom-C out with Rest and Sleep Talk, or paralyze it with Body Slam. Specially defensive Cryogonal can stall out Leaf Storm with Recover if it has enough Speed, and it is only 3HKOed by Hidden Power Fire and Thunderbolt. Furthermore, Cryogonal can hit Rotom-C hard with STAB Ice Beam off its solid base 95 Special Attack.

Support Rotom-C is harder to counter in the strictest sense of the word, as its main purpose is to help the rest of its team rather than sweep or break walls. Most support sets, due to their lack of trick and reduced damage output, are easily walled by Roselia. The Rain Dance set actually aids Roselia as it rids her of her weakness to Fire; furthermore, Giga Drain is super effective against the many Water-type Pokemon commonly seen on rain teams. Ferroseed and Munchlax can also wall support Rotom-C thanks to the former's plethora of resistances and the latter's monstrous special bulk. However, both must be careful of Will-O-Wisp, as they will not enjoy having their already lackluster Attack stats halved for the remainder of the game.

SkullCandy · Jun 28, 2012

OK, so I implemented a lot of perfexionist's checks. However, I'm not going to stamp this yet because I want to give him feedback on his check because there were a couple of recurring errors that are easy to fix.

Basically, I'll edit in some comments tommorrow/over the weekend and then stamp it.

OK, there were a couple of things that need to be rectified in you check.

All the inversions (e.g. which makes boosting up pointless in the first place pointless) are kind of unnecessary and actually slow the text down.
[I don't know what "cleric support" is. Is it an accepted term?] It means providing support in terms of Heal Bell or Aromatherapy (clearing status basically)
to let Rotom-C outspeed neutral-natured Gallade, Feraligatr, Kabutops, and Hitmonchan, all of whomich Rotom-C can cripple with Will-O-Wisp. It's usually better to refer to Pokemon as people not things.

Otherwise, good check!

And stamping if that's OK

GP approved 2/2

Oglemi · Jun 29, 2012

uploaded

Rotom-C (Update)

SkullCandy

She Bangs The Drums

complete legitimacy

is it cold in the water?

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Upstart

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Relaxed nature. Loves to eat.

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