Time to push all the SPL sets that were posted in that thread through c&c @_@.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Hurricane
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Sleep Talk / Flamethrower
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
While the inaccuracy of Moltres's STAB moves and its massive 4x weakness to Stealth Rock may make it seem as if Moltres would be a poor candidate to attach a Choice Scarf to, the sheer power and neutral coverage of Hurricane makes it a very potent wielder of the item. So long as it is able to hit its moves, Choice Scarf Moltres can act as a potent revenge killer and check to some of the most dangerous threats in the tier, including Pokemon such as Durant and Sceptile, which are otherwise extremely difficult to answer on more offensive teams. Additionally, due to the lack of any common specially bulky Pokemon that are resistant to Flying-type moves, if Moltres can hit multiple Hurricanes in a row, this set is very capable of cleanly shredding though teams if it is allowed to simply spam the move, as Hurricane alone can cleanly 2HKO offensive checks such as Manectric. This set is also notable for being one of the best ways for Moltres to muscle past what is arguably its most common counter, Aerodactyl, due to its ability to outspeed and 2HKO most sets as long as Stealth Rock is up, barring significant HP or Special Defense investment.
Hurricane is largely what allows this set to function, despite an awful 70% accuracy. Hurricane's 120 Base Power allows it to tear huge chunks of HP out of most switch-ins and is generally just extremely difficult to switch into due to its insanely good neutral coverage. Fire Blast acts as a powerful secondary STAB move that hits some of the threats that are resistant to Hurricane, notably Steel-types such as Steelix and Aggron, and its greater accuracy allows it to be used in situations where you need the reliability to secure a KO. Aside from these two moves, the remaining slots are essentially filler due to the fact that Moltres lacks strong additional coverage moves and generally doesn't want to be locked into anything other than the first two moves, but there are some neat utility moves that are usable in the last two slots. U-turn is a neat scouting move that is useful against teams where Moltres cannot freely spam Hurricane and Fire Blast, as it allows Moltres to force out a threat while gaining momentum for its team. However, due to Moltres's 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, it is a move that should be used conservatively unless you have effective entry hazard removal on your team. Finally, Sleep Talk is a nice niche option to have against teams with sleep inducers such as Lilligant and Tangrowth, but Flamethrower and Air Slash are acceptable options as well if you already have a sleep absorber and want the extra reliability those moves provide.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
The EV spread here is fairly straightforward. Maximum Speed EVs and a Timid nature are important, as they allow Moltres to outspeed Pokemon that sit below base 90 Speed and hold a Choice Scarf, including the prominent Rotom-C. Notably, these EVs will also allow Moltres to just barely outspeed Choice Scarf Lilligant the majority of the time, as Moltres's lack of a Speed-lowering Hidden Power will put it one Speed point ahead. Maximum Special Attack is needed given that Moltres's STAB moves are both special attacks, and the remaining 4 EVs can be placed in either Defense or Special Defense; either is effective, as the key thing is not putting them into HP, as doing so will give Moltres an even HP and only allow Moltres to switch into Stealth Rock once.
The worst enemies of this set are specially defensive Pokemon that resist Hurricane and Fire Blast, as they can continuously switch into Moltres's most damaging moves and force it out, causing it to potentially lose 50% of its HP on its next switch into Stealth Rock and lose a ton of momentum for its team unless it predicts the switch effectively and is able to use U-turn. Pokemon such as Slowking, Lanturn, Regirock, and Rhydon are this set's worst nightmare, as they're bulky enough to shrug off multiple attacks and either pivot for momentum in the case of Slowking and Lanturn or set up Stealth Rock to dissuade Moltres from switching in. Rotom-C and Sceptile are excellent choices to deal with these threats, as they resist Water- and Electric-type attacks and are incredibly punishing to switch into due to the threat of Volt Switch from Rotom-C and Choice Specs-boosted Leaf Storm from Sceptile.
Furthermore, although this set is less dependent on it than other Moltres sets, Rapid Spin support is appreciated due to Moltres's 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. Of the spinners available in RU, the only real options are Cryogonal and Kabutops, as the other spinners are too unreliable to be worth pairing with Moltres. Of the two, Cryogonal is the more reliable spinner, although its shared weakness with Moltres can prove to be problematic, while Kabutops has more synergy with Moltres in terms of typing.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Hurricane
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Sleep Talk / Flamethrower
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
While the inaccuracy of Moltres's STAB moves and its massive 4x weakness to Stealth Rock may make it seem as if Moltres would be a poor candidate to attach a Choice Scarf to, the sheer power and neutral coverage of Hurricane makes it a very potent wielder of the item. So long as it is able to hit its moves, Choice Scarf Moltres can act as a potent revenge killer and check to some of the most dangerous threats in the tier, including Pokemon such as Durant and Sceptile, which are otherwise extremely difficult to answer on more offensive teams. Additionally, due to the lack of any common specially bulky Pokemon that are resistant to Flying-type moves, if Moltres can hit multiple Hurricanes in a row, this set is very capable of cleanly shredding though teams if it is allowed to simply spam the move, as Hurricane alone can cleanly 2HKO offensive checks such as Manectric. This set is also notable for being one of the best ways for Moltres to muscle past what is arguably its most common counter, Aerodactyl, due to its ability to outspeed and 2HKO most sets as long as Stealth Rock is up, barring significant HP or Special Defense investment.
Hurricane is largely what allows this set to function, despite an awful 70% accuracy. Hurricane's 120 Base Power allows it to tear huge chunks of HP out of most switch-ins and is generally just extremely difficult to switch into due to its insanely good neutral coverage. Fire Blast acts as a powerful secondary STAB move that hits some of the threats that are resistant to Hurricane, notably Steel-types such as Steelix and Aggron, and its greater accuracy allows it to be used in situations where you need the reliability to secure a KO. Aside from these two moves, the remaining slots are essentially filler due to the fact that Moltres lacks strong additional coverage moves and generally doesn't want to be locked into anything other than the first two moves, but there are some neat utility moves that are usable in the last two slots. U-turn is a neat scouting move that is useful against teams where Moltres cannot freely spam Hurricane and Fire Blast, as it allows Moltres to force out a threat while gaining momentum for its team. However, due to Moltres's 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, it is a move that should be used conservatively unless you have effective entry hazard removal on your team. Finally, Sleep Talk is a nice niche option to have against teams with sleep inducers such as Lilligant and Tangrowth, but Flamethrower and Air Slash are acceptable options as well if you already have a sleep absorber and want the extra reliability those moves provide.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
The EV spread here is fairly straightforward. Maximum Speed EVs and a Timid nature are important, as they allow Moltres to outspeed Pokemon that sit below base 90 Speed and hold a Choice Scarf, including the prominent Rotom-C. Notably, these EVs will also allow Moltres to just barely outspeed Choice Scarf Lilligant the majority of the time, as Moltres's lack of a Speed-lowering Hidden Power will put it one Speed point ahead. Maximum Special Attack is needed given that Moltres's STAB moves are both special attacks, and the remaining 4 EVs can be placed in either Defense or Special Defense; either is effective, as the key thing is not putting them into HP, as doing so will give Moltres an even HP and only allow Moltres to switch into Stealth Rock once.
The worst enemies of this set are specially defensive Pokemon that resist Hurricane and Fire Blast, as they can continuously switch into Moltres's most damaging moves and force it out, causing it to potentially lose 50% of its HP on its next switch into Stealth Rock and lose a ton of momentum for its team unless it predicts the switch effectively and is able to use U-turn. Pokemon such as Slowking, Lanturn, Regirock, and Rhydon are this set's worst nightmare, as they're bulky enough to shrug off multiple attacks and either pivot for momentum in the case of Slowking and Lanturn or set up Stealth Rock to dissuade Moltres from switching in. Rotom-C and Sceptile are excellent choices to deal with these threats, as they resist Water- and Electric-type attacks and are incredibly punishing to switch into due to the threat of Volt Switch from Rotom-C and Choice Specs-boosted Leaf Storm from Sceptile.
Furthermore, although this set is less dependent on it than other Moltres sets, Rapid Spin support is appreciated due to Moltres's 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. Of the spinners available in RU, the only real options are Cryogonal and Kabutops, as the other spinners are too unreliable to be worth pairing with Moltres. Of the two, Cryogonal is the more reliable spinner, although its shared weakness with Moltres can prove to be problematic, while Kabutops has more synergy with Moltres in terms of typing.
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