[STABmons] Blastoise

[InfernapeTropius11]

QC: X / X / X
GP: X / X

[OVERVIEW]

• One of the top Rapid Spin users in STABmons
• Ability to punish Ghost-types that try to block Rapid Spin
• Very strong STAB attack to use with its ability Mega Launcher
• Low speed means it can't do much against offense
• While its bulk is pretty good, it can only take at most one or two strong neutral hits, and no super effective hits
• Crippled by sleep users such as Sableye, Serperior, and Weavile

[SET]
name: Spinning Mega Nuke
move 1: Origin Pulse
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Rapid Spin
move 4: Dark Pulse
item: Blastoisinite
ability: Rain Dish
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Origin Pulse is your main attack, being boosted by both STAB and Mega Launcher. It is strong enough to even 2HKO some resists, such as Azumarill and Tangrowth
• Ice Beam is coverage for Grass-types and Dragon-types
• Rapid Spin allows Mega Blastoise to remove entry hazards from your own side of the field without removing the entry hazards your team has set
• Dark Pulse hits the Ghost-types that want to switch in on Mega Blastoise to prevent it from spinning for a lot of damage
• Aura Sphere can be used as a strong Mega Launcher boosted Fighting-type attack, hitting Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Mega Gyarados hard

Set Details
========

• 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature allow Mega Blastoise to hit as hard as possible
• 248 HP EVs allow Mega Blastoise to be as bulky as possible on both sides, while taking slightly less damage from passive damage such as weather, harmful status, and entry hazards
• Blastoisinite is the item so Blastoise can Mega evolve and gain Mega Launcher to spam Origin Pulse
• Rain Dish is the base ability for the niche of getting one turn of Leftovers recovery when against Rain team. Torrent has no beneficial effects for Blastoise in this case, so Rain Dish is preferred

Usage Tips
========

• Should be brought in against weaker attackers and Pokemon without super effective coverage for Mega Blastoise to remove entry hazards
• Can be brought in at many points throughout the game to fire off Origin Pulses and break walls
• Should not be brought in to take attacks directly, as it has no recovery and its bulk is only good enough to tank a couple of hits to perform its role
• Don't let Mega Blastoise fall asleep before the opposing entry hazard setter has been KOed, as otherwise it is free to set up entry hazards and you will be unable to remove them
• Mega Blastoise's coverage should only be used to attack Pokemon on a predicted switch, as most Pokemon that are threatened by Mega Blastoise's coverage can threaten it out

Team Options
========

• As Rapid Spin is most beneficial to teams that set their own entry hazards and don't want them removed, entry hazard setters such as Landorus-Therian, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn make good teammates for Mega Blastoise
• Similarly, Defiant users such as Bisharp and Braviary are great on these teams
• Grass-types such as Ferrothorn and Serperior are great teammates as they can take any of the Grass-type or Electric-type attacks aimed at Mega Blastoise
• Wish and Heal Bell support from Pokemon such as Chansey and Clefable prevents Mega Blastoise from getting worn down as fast, giving it more opportunities to spin away entry hazards and wallbreak

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

• Scald is an option as an alternate STAB with perfect accuracy and a 30% burn chance to cripple opponents, but generally the raw power of Origin Pulse is preferred
• Rest can be used as it is Mega Blastoise's only form of recovery, however it leaves it as major set up bait and it doesn't have the moveslots to run Sleep Talk as well. Mega Blastoise would prefer teammates that can support it via passing Wishes to stay healthy
• Toxic can be used to catch switchins by surprise and wear them down, but is generally inferior to Mega Blastoise's other options
  
• Dragon Pulse is another powerful attack boosted by Mega Blastoise's ability, Mega Launcher, that hits Dragon-types very hard, but Mega Blastoise prefers Ice Beam, as it hits Dragon-types and Grass-types, and Dragon Pulse and Ice Beam on the same set would be redundant coverage

Checks and Counters
===================

**Serperior**: Serperior has the ability to outspeed Mega Blastoise and put it to sleep, before using it as set up bait and KOing it with Leaf Storm. It can even switch in on Mega Blastoise safely. While it takes a lot of damage from Ice Beam, Mega Blastoise can't OHKO Serperior.

**Sableye**: Sableye can also put Mega Blastoise to sleep, and it can block its attempts to Rapid Spin as well. It must be brought in safely however, as it has a high chance to be OHKOed by Origin Pulse.

**Chansey**: Chansey has enough natural bulk, that when combined with Eviolite, it can easily stall out Mega Blastoise.

**Mega Gyarados**: Mega Gyarados resists all of Mega Blastoise's main attacks, and can set up Dragon Dances for free against Mega Blastoise if it does not run Aura Sphere

*Thundurus**: Thundurus outspeeds Mega Blastoise, and, depending on the set, can usually OHKO Mega Blastoise with either Thunderbolt or Bolt Strike

 

[EV]

I was really really joking when I said to do a non-mega Blastoise set. Vaporeon outclasses non-mega all the way. Please just do the mega set.

 

[InfernapeTropius11]

I was really really joking when I said to do a non-mega Blastoise set. Vaporeon outclasses non-mega all the way. Please just do the mega set.

I was going to, but unfixable though I should include the non-Mega set as well. It's advantages are mainly that it doesn't take up a mega slot and functions as a good check to Rain (MegaPert can't 2HKO, and Kabutops only has a 1.2% chance to iirc) while also checking Scizor and still spinning. I personally would still just use the Mega set myself, but I'm open to either option.

 

[skies]

I was really really joking when I said to do a non-mega Blastoise set. Vaporeon outclasses non-mega all the way. Please just do the mega set.

I told him to keep a non-Mega set. Remember, we talked about this.

Anyways, Ellipse, please comment. You're the deciding option.

 

[Klang]

I'm not ellipse, but honestly non-mega Blastoise sounds like a horrible option - it doesn't gain anything significant, and is already rather bad in standard courtesy of no recovery moves. I can't see any single merit that makes it worth using over other spinners in STABmons, given that while it is somewhat unique in that it can spin + beat rain, it is very much inferior to everything else aside fulfilling this tiny niche.

Checking Scizor is also a pretty questionable claim, considering it's moreso "please burn" than having actual checking going on. You have two Scalds (Only one if Scizor gets a crit on any Gear Grind hit [~22,8% chance] or you've taken a bit of prior damage, considering Gear Grind does up to 52%) to land a burn after coming in on Scizor after a Shift Gear, and if you don't burn Blastoise just dies and Scizor proceeds to break through your team. Given the chance of Scald burning when used twice is 51%, you are very much playing with the RNG.

 

[skies]

Don't include a Blastoise set since the consensus is that it's a bad set. (it's not)

 

[InfernapeTropius11]

Done and ready for QC!

 

[skies]

Alright, after thinking about this and reading the analysis, I'm going to have to reject this. You go on and on about how great Mega Blastoise is at Rapid Spinning, when it's much better at simply nuking. It's worn down incredibly easy, easily pressured into not being able to Spin, faces incredibly stiff competition from Stoutland (the best Rapid Spinner in STABmons) and by Vaporeon, even, because Vaporeon has recovery. Your mentions of Sleep repeatedly really make no sense considering Mega Blastoise does in fact beat Sableye and Weavile one on one, only losing to Serperior which is not going to waste time using Spore. I feel that you don't have the required experience with the Pokemon to write the analysis, and there are multiple flaws that I feel need to be addressed which would essentially be the QC team re-writing the entire analysis. It's just easier to have someone with a lot of experience using it to take it over so that we don't have to do more work than needed. Spoke with Ellipse about this, and I think we're eye to eye right now. It's just... lacking. Sorry.

QC Reject 1/2

 

[ellipse]

Agreeing with unfixable about the rejection, mainly because of the lack of variety in listed sets and other options mentions (only one). It can run at least two sets, one with O-Pulse and coverage, and one that's tankier with RestTalk and takes advantage of Roar/DTail (which is mentioned, but regarded as a bad option). The fact that neither of these sets is the one that you wrote, combined with the fact that you described Rapid Spin as its most appealing Quality (and not Origin O Pulse) strikes me as a sign of inexperience with the pokemon, and that someone else should write this.

QC Reject 2/2