[Overview]
<p>Although Rotom-W didn't gain any improvements in BW2, it has managed to stay in the spotlight due to its ability to handle many new threats such as Keldeo, Genesect, Tornadus-T, and rain teams in general, which are on the rampage, in addition to the Pokemon it used to check. Its awesome typing, useful ability, and great dual STABs make it one of the few Electric-types that can beat Tyranitar and check
Ground-types, while also allowing it to fit on any team with little worries; it performs especially well in team archetypes revolving around the VoltTurn strategy, mainly offensive ones. Alongside Scizor, Genesect, and Tornadus-T, it can run circles around whole teams with little effort, making it a very annoying Pokemon to face. Rotom-W may not have a lot of options, but it does its job well, and has carved its own niche as a premier VoltTurn partner.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Will-o-Wisp
move 4: Pain Split / Hidden Power Ice
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 184 HP / 4 Def / 144 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With this set, Rotom-W is able to use its good coverage and power to check many dangerous Pokemon that are otherwise very difficult to face, such as Tornadus-T and Genesect, while retaining good bulk and longevity. Volt Switch is an awesome STAB move that scouts for potential checks and counters, scares away Water- and Flying-types, and deals respectable damage to most Pokemon that don't resist it. It is also Rotom-W's most spammable move in the early game if the opponent lacks Ground-type Pokemon and can give you the upper hand if used at the right moment. Hydro Pump complements Volt Switch brilliantly, hitting any Ground-type looking to block your
Volt Switch and providing coverage against Rock- and Fire-types. With Drizzle Politoed everywhere, Hydro Pump will often have a 1.5x boost, making it a very powerful nuke. Will-O-Wisp is used to handle some Pokemon that would otherwise wall Rotom-W, such as Ferrothorn, Dragonite, and Abomasnow. It also cripples Pokemon that Rotom-W outspeeds but cannot OHKO, such as Scizor and Breloom, making Rotom-W a good check against them. Pain Split is Rotom-W's only means of recovery outside of Rest; although very unreliable, it is usually enough to get the job done and works well with
Rotom-W's its low HP stat. However, Hidden Power Ice offers some much needed coverage against Dragon-type Pokemon and Pokemon that you don't want to risk missing with Hydro Pump, such as Gliscor, Garchomp, and Thundurus-T.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The HP EVs allows Rotom-W to avoid the 2HKO from Life Orb Tornadus-T's Hurricane after Stealth Rock
and sandstorm damage this will never happen. The Speed EVs are used to outspeed max Speed Jolly Scizor, max Speed neutral Politoed, and Breloom. 4 Def EVs are used to avoid giving Genesect an Attack boost, which could damage Rotom-W seriously with U-turn. Scizor and Technician variants of Breloom are neutralized by Will-O-Wisp, and Politoed is hit for upwards of 50% with Volt Switch. The rest of the EVs are thrown into Special Attack to hit as hard as possible. Thunderbolt can be used over Pain Split and Hidden Power Ice to have a more reliable STAB move, as Hydro Pump has bad accuracy and Volt Switch forces you out. Thunderbolt also helps Rotom-W beat Keldeo and Gyarados, as Volt Switch can be bypassed by Substitute, which both Pokemon commonly carry, is too weak to hurt Keldeo with a few Calm Mind boosts under its belt, and forces you to bring something else in, which may not be able to handle Keldeo. If using Rotom-W in rain, Thunder is also an option, having more power than Thunderbolt and a decent chance to paralyze the foe. Rotom-W can also spread paralysis with Thunder Wave, and many of the Pokemon that like to switch into Rotom-W hate this status, such as Latios, Latias, and Hydreigon; however, many of its common checks and counters don't mind getting paralyzed at all, such as Ferrothorn, Celebi, and Gastrodon. Discharge is a middle road between Thunder Wave and Thunderbolt, providing Rotom-W with both a reliable STAB attack and a move to paralyze opponents, although unreliably. Hidden Power Fire hits Ferrothorn, Scizor, Genesect, and Breloom pretty hard, if not OHKOing them, but is rendered useless in rain, a pretty common battle condition. Rest can be used alongside Chesto Berry to give Rotom-W a second life and let it get around its status problem. Just make sure you don't use this combination on a
sand team, because residual damage will rack up pretty fast. An alternate spread can be used with 248 HP / 120 SpA / 52 SpD / 88 Spe and a Modest nature. This spread allows Rotom-W to tank Hurricanes easier while retaining enough Speed EVs to outspeed Adamant max Speed Scizor.</p>
<p>Rotom-W appreciates teammates able to deal with the Grass- and Dragon-types that trouble it. Choice Band Scizor and Choice Scarf Genesect are the best partners for this purpose, as they are able to threaten most Dragon- and Grass- types, while having exceptional type synergy, as they resist each others weaknesses. They also form the famous VoltTurn core, which puts huge pressure to the opponent and forces a ton of switches. Tornadus-T is also a great teammate as it outspeeds most Pokemon that would want to switch into Rotom-W and can hit them hard with Hurricane, while murdering any Grass type wanting to rain on Rotom-W's parade and still having great type synergy with Rotom-W as well as access to U-turn. Mamoswine is one the best Dragon-type killers in OU and handles most Grass-types excellently, so it makes for a good Rotom-W partner. Offensive Heatran deals with Grass-types and checks most Dragon-types with its Balloon intact, while setting up Stealth Rock which benefits Rotom-W greatly, as it forces many switches due to its
hit and run nature. Because of Rotom-W's good resistances, nice bulk, and singular weakness, it is able to fit well in most VoltTurn cores. If Pain Split lets you down, or you want to run another move instead, Wish support is a perfect solution to Rotom-W's longevity issues. Jirachi is the best partner for this role, as it has perfect synergy with Rotom-W, resisting Grass, while Rotom-W resists Fire and is immune to Ground. Finally
, (AC) entry hazard support is very beneficial for Rotom-W, as it causes many switches and works best on VoltTurn teams, which also force a ton of switches. Forretress, Heatran, and Ferrothorn are good choices for such support, being able to set up against many Pokemon that Rotom-W attracts.</p>
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Pain Split
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 28 SpA / 232 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set sacrifices power for bulk, and is one of the best Genesect and Tornadus-T checks in the game. In addition to checking those Pokemon, it is able to tank powerful Water attacks from Pokemon such as Politoed and Starmie, which the bulky attacker cannot do so reliably, serving as an awesome anti-rain Pokemon with lots of utility. Volt Switch is a standard move on Rotom-W, and for good reason, as it prevents it from being set up on, which is a problem many defensive Pokemon face, and lets it act as a useful pivot. It also deals decent damage due to STAB and provides coverage against Water- and Flying-types. Hydro Pump hits hard even without investment and is your main way of dealing damage and hurting Pokemon such as Landorus, Heatran, and Terrakion. Thunder Wave is a useful move to cripple Pokemon that you check or that would want to switch into Rotom-W, such as Genesect, Keldeo, Venusaur, and many offensive Pokemon, while Will-O-Wisp lets Rotom-W patch up its uninvested physical side by neutralizing many physical attackers, such as Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Breloom. Pain Split gives Rotom-W some much needed recovery, and allows Rotom-W to hold back Tornadus-T for an extended period.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>28 SpA EVs are used to OHKO max HP Gliscor with Hydro Pump, which could otherwise Toxic stall Rotom-W, and the rest are thrown into HP and Special Defense to make it as specially bulky as possible. Thunderbolt can be used for a stronger electric attack, but you must give up Rotom-W's status move, which takes away a lot of its utility. Thunder is an option too, if you use Rotom-W in tandem with Politoed. Hidden Power Ice is useful to deal with Garchomp, Thundurus-T, and Dragon-types in general
better. Hidden Power Fire is an option to hit Ferrothorn, Scizor, Foretress, and Genesect hard, but Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave usually get the job done better, and Hidden Power Fire's viability is hurt by the omnipresence of rain. A spread geared towards taking physical hits can be used, with 248 HP / 232 Def / 28 SpA and a Bold nature, to better handle threats such as physical Landorus, Mamoswine, Cloyster, Gyarados, and Infernape.</p>
<p>As always, Rotom-W's best partners are Pokemon able to deal with Grass- and Dragon-types. Choice Scarf Genesect and Choice Band Scizor are awesome teammates as they are able to deal with Celebi, Latios, Latias, and Ferrothorn while having perfect defensive synergy. Celebi is another great teammate, due to its ability to counter Breloom, because this set gets outsped by offensive variants before it is able to cripple them. Celebi also gives Gastrodon a run for its money and takes strong Electric attacks that Rotom-W can't from Pokemon such as Thundurus-T, Jolteon, and opposing Rotom-W. Specially defensive Heatran scares away Grass-types and tanks hits from special attacking dragons pretty well, while also setting up Stealth Rock, which complements Rotom-W's ability to force switches very nicely. Ferrothorn is another Steel-type that works great with Rotom-W, cock-blocking Dragon-types and walling most Grass-types and Gastrodon, while having both Stealth Rock and Spikes to
set up and help Rotom-W rack up damage. This Rotom-W works particularly well on teams that have a weakness to rain teams in general, such as
sand or weatherless teams, so take this into consideration when team building.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Trick / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Volt Switch works great with a Choice item, and Rotom-W is one of its best users. Volt Switch is the crux of the set, dealing damage, racking up
entry hazards damage, and giving you the switch advantage against Pokemon that Rotom-W scares out. Hydro Pump is a strong STAB move that has good coverage with Volt Switch, hitting most Ground-types immune to it for super effective damage and offering super effective coverage against Fire- and Rock-types. It also has the potential to receive a Drizzle boost, making it even more powerful. Hidden Power Ice is used mainly to revenge kill Dragon-types, but it is also great against Gliscor when you're trying to conserve Hydro Pump's PP; it is also good for picking off Breloom and for breaking Thundurus-T's Substitutes without risking
a miss missing. Trick messes up any special wall looking to scare Rotom-W out, especially Chansey and Blissey, which Rotom-W has no other way to get past. Finally, Thunderbolt is generally a good attacking move and lets you stay in with your Electric STAB. This means that Rotom-W can handle Dragon Dance Gyarados with Substitute and Keldeo much better than with only Volt Switch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With a Choice Scarf, Rotom-W can act as a decent revenge killer for fast paced offensive teams, but faces a lot of competition from Genesect, which has better coverage and Speed. You should use Scarf Rotom-W on your team if you appreciate the things it brings to the table over Genesect, such as its resistances to Fire, Water, and Flying
, (AC) and an immunity to Ground moves, its STAB Hydro Pump, and its access to Trick. On the other hand, Choice Specs Rotom-W is meant to abuse all the easy switch-ins that Rotom-W gets to lay the hurt on the opposing team, as most teams without Chansey, Blissey, or a dedicated special wall resistant or immune to Rotom-W's STAB moves will have a difficult time taking its attacks. To enhance its power even more, Drizzle support is greatly advised, as under it the list of Pokemon able to wall Rotom-W gets even smaller, due to its stronger Hydro Pump and ability to use Thunder instead of Thunderbolt. The Speed EVs allow Choice Scarf Rotom-W to outspeed +1
Speed Dragonite, Gyarados, and neutral natured Haxorus and Hydreigon. A Modest nature can be used for more power, but Rotom-W is already a bit slow, so it appreciates all the Speed it can get when holding a Choice Scarf. Howeve
r, (AC) when running Choice Specs, using a Modest nature is a good choice alongside max HP, as Rotom-W often doesn't need the extra Speed and appreciates the extra bulk and power. Hidden Power Fire can be used to dent Ferrothorn and Abomasnow but is usually ineffective due to the prevalence of rain teams. Will-O-Wisp is also an option to cripple dangerous threats that you cannot OHKO, such as Jirachi, Ferrothorn, and some Pokemon under sun, such as Terrakion and Lucario. It also often comes in handy after you Trick away your Choice Scarf.
Running Thunder over Thunderbolt is a good choice if running Rotom-W on a rain team. This was said previously</p>
Genesect and Scizor are all around great partners for Rotom-W, and this set is no exception. Their offensive and defensive synergy is superb, they do an awesome job of keeping momentum, and they abuse hazards to the fullest with their VoltTurn shenanigans. Tornadus-T complements Rotom-W nicely on rain teams, as it is able to threaten most Grass- and Dragon-types with its powerful Hurricanes. Rapid Spin support is vital, because Rotom-W and its teammates are going to be switching a lot, and they need
entry hazards gone in order to function successfully. Forretress is the best candidate for this role, as it provides Rapid Spin support, has perfect synergy with Rotom-W, and possesses Volt Switch to preserve momentum.
Entry hazard support is essential as well for Choiced Rotom-W, because offensive teams need the residual damage alongside the damage from Volt Switch and any potential U-turn from teammates to end the game as quickly as possible and weaken any checks and counters your opponent may have for your sweepers. Forretress and Cobalion are the best choices, as they provide Stealth Rock,
and Spikes in Forretress's case, have perfect synergy with Rotom-W, and are able to use Volt Switch to keep the pressure on the opponent.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Rotom-W has quite a few other options going for it. A set utilizing dual Screens can be used if your team benefits from Rotom-W's resistances and Volt Switch. A SubSplit set with Life Orb can act as a strong attacker with the benefits of Substitute and Pain Split combined, but is usually outclassed by Pokemon more fitted for this job, such as Gengar, which gets perfect neutral coverage with only two attacking moves. An all out attacking set with Life Orb or Expert Belt gives Rotom-W the best coverage possible, while retaining the ability to switch attacks and bluff Choice sets, but you are better off using another Pokemon to handle the few Pokemon that Rotom-W has trouble with, as in the case of the first two sets, the utility of the status move or Pain Split will be missed, and in the case of the Choice set, the power or the Speed will be missed. Rotom-W can use Signal Beam
, (RC) if Celebi is giving you nightmares
, (RC) and still hit Latios, Latias, and Hydreigon for super effective damage, but otherwise it is not bringing anything to the table. Hidden Power Grass can be used on any offensive set to 2HKO Gastrodon and opposing Rotom-W, but has no use otherwise. Toxic is an option over other status moves, as it is Rotom-W's only move that cripples both Gastrodon and Latias, two of the best Rotom-W switch-ins. Lastly, Charge Beam is the only way Rotom-W has to boost its Special Attack, but Rotom-W is too slow to utilize it effectively and usually needs all of its regular moves to function properly.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Rotom-W's biggest problems tend to be Grass-types with good bulk and specially defensive behemoths, particularly Chansey, Blissey, and Latias. Celebi is a common answer to Rotom-W
, (AC) as it resists both Rotom-W's STAB moves and doesn't mind Will-O-Wisp or Thunder Wave due to Natural Cure. Celebi can take a Hidden Power Fire or Ice nicely and retaliate with a STAB Grass-type move of choice. Amoonguss resists both Hydro Pump and Volt Switch, and like Celebi doesn't mind a super effective Hidden Power due to its good special bulk. It also has Regenerator
, and Giga Drain
, and Synthesis No it doesn't. It really doesn't, so wearing it down is not an option. Another Pokemon in this category is Ferrothorn, who can set up Stealth Rock and Spikes on Rotom-W and then use Power Whip. Ferrothorn is also commonly seen on rain teams, which will reduce the damage output of Hidden Power Fire. However, Ferrothorn must be cautious of being burned by Will-O-Wisp. Virizion can come in on anything and destroy Rotom-W with Giga Drain due to its good Special Defense. Breloom sets are viable switch-ins, although a Breloom with no Special Defense EVs must watch out for boosted Hydro Pumps in the rain. Gastrodon with Storm Drain can come in on basically anything Rotom-W has apart from Hidden Power Grass and Toxic, and use Toxic to wear down Rotom-W. It should be noted that a lot of these Pokemon hate being Tricked a Choice Scarf, and the player should be cautious when deciding what set Rotom-W might be by looking at Team Preview, or alternatively noting the presence or lack of Leftovers recovery after Rotom-W takes residual damage.</p>
<p>Chansey and Blissey stop Rotom-W cold in pretty much every way possible and can simply Toxic it, meaning it will struggle to repeatedly sponge hits from the likes of Politoed in the rain. Chansey and Blissey should watch out for Pain Split when they switch in however, as it will significantly heal Rotom-W
, (AC) who which has a low base HP stat. As with the above counters, they need to be cautious of Trick
, (AC) too. Latias can come in on Rotom-W due to
its resistances and
simply Calm Mind and set up all over it, while all Rotom-W can do in return is Will-O-Wisp.</p>
<p>Rotom-W also has to watch out for immensely powerful attacks from faster Pokemon such as Choice Band Terrakion,
who which can put it out of commission with Close Combat. Fighting-type friends, such as Infernape, can do a big chunk to Rotom-W with Close Combat too. Latios, Hydreigon, and Kyurem can come in on any move and use Draco Meteor to OHKO Rotom-W and dent anything else that decides to switch in. They also have Roost to take attacks repeatedly. Lum Berry Dragonite can set up on Rotom-W with Dragon Dance and then smash it with Outrage. Thundurus-T and Jolteon can come in on Volt Switch or Thunderbolt, which will truly throw a spanner in the machine if Rotom-W is running a Choice set. Specially defensive Ninetales isn't too bad of an option either, although you should be careful not to switch it in too many times, especially if Stealth Rock is up. On the subject of sun, Venusaur is another friendly face Rotom-W would hate to see, as it can come in on anything but Hidden Power Fire and defeat Rotom-W. Substitute and Protect Gliscor can stall out Rotom-W's Hydro Pump, then cripple it with Toxic
as it fails to do anything worthwhile.</p>
<p>Generally, what makes Rotom-W most frustrating to counter is its access to Volt Switch and its immunity to Spikes and Toxic Spikes. These attributes make Rotom-W hard to "nail" down, but a combination of Stealth Rock, any other potential residual damage, hitting it hard with STAB moves as it switches in, and having something to take Volt Switch comfortably will usually take it out.</p>
