darkie
.
[SET]
name: LO Attacker (Levitate)
move 1: Calm Mind / Substitute
move 2: Paleo Wave
move 3: Flamethrower / Ice Beam
move 3: Energy Ball / Earth Power / Focus Blast
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Utilizing Stratagem's copious Special Attack and Speed, this set focuses on sweeping the opponent's team once their special wall is gone.
As Stratagem's most reliable STAB move, after a Calm Mind, Paleo Wave will wreak havoc on anything that does not resist Rock. Energy Ball is useful to hit Swampert and other bulky Waters and Grounds who otherwise wall you. Flamethrower is Stratagem's best option against Scizor, who threatens with STAB Bullet Punch off an excellent attack stat; however, Stratagem can only win an encounter with Scizor if it Flamethrowers on the switch-in. Focus Blast hits Steels as well, though its shaky accuracy is doubtful considering Stratagem's less than stellar defenses. Although it also hurts the flying Dragons, Ice Beam is often unnecessary, as they are already covered by Paleo Wave; it is more useful to damage bulky Ground-types such as Hippowdon. Earth Power can be used to fill in the gaps, hitting non-Levitating Steel-types for super effective damage.
Substitute is another option over Calm Mind, protecting against revenge kills while loosing the sheer power of Calm Mind.
[SET]
name: Sub CM
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Paleo Wave / Weather Ball
move 4: Earth Power / Flamethrower
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 64 HP / 96 SpA / 96 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This set plays much like Sub/CM Raikou, except with much better speed and special attack, in exchange for less durability. This set is best used in Sandstorm, because <Rockmon> will become a very fast special tank with all the boosts. The strategy is simple. First, switch in on something you can use as set-up bait, such as a choiced Earthquake or Earth Power. Then, Sub as they bring in a revenge killer or wall. If they bring in something like Blissey, you can continue to set up on it, alternating between Substitute and Calm Mind. If they bring in Scizor, attack it and get out once it breaks your sub.
Paleo Wave and Earth Power provide the best coverage, but if bulky waters and Tyranitar aren't a problem, you can run Flamethrower over Earth Power to hit Scizor and Bronzong harder. Be aware that without a sub up, both will still kill you. Weather Ball is a more powerful option than Paleo Wave in Sandstorm, but be aware that when Sandstorm isn't running, Weather Ball is a Base 50 power Normal-type move.
The EVs allow for a leftovers number +1, allowing you to use Substitute five consecutive times before having to switch out. Max speed is needed to revenge kill Shaymin-s, since the only things faster than you are Ninjask, Electrode, and scarfed Pokemon.
[SET]
name: LO Attacker (Technician)
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Ancientpower
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Fire Blast / Vacuum Wave / Air Cutter
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
With the invaluable Ground immunity granted by Levitate, people often overlook Stratagem's second ability, Technician. They are mistaken, as Technician allows you to utilize the better abilities of some of the weaker moves at his disposal.
The idea is simple. Get in a Calm Mind and do some damage. Ancientpower is your STAB move, which hits Flying-types hard. 10% of the time, you may also get a +1 boost in all stats, setting up Stratagem for a sweep. Giga Drain is one of the biggest assets granted by Technician, as the HP drain will let you last longer and even beat Toxic-less Blissey one-on-one.
Your last move is an issue of preference. Fire Blast OHKOs just about everything weak to it after a Calm Mind including Bronzong, but Vacuum Wave lets you get the drop on other Stratagem and is your strongest move against Tyranitar. Lastly, Air Cutter lets Stratagem beat up on its best counters, Hariyama and Revenankh.
[SET]
name: 4 Attacks (Levitate)
move 1: Paleo Wave
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Energy Ball / Ice Beam
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 252 SpA / 6 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This Stratagem boasts better coverage than the Calm Mind sets, however it will not be able to power up and therefore is more vulnerable to some opponents.
While the first two moves are pretty much set as they give coverage against every OU threat bar Bronzong, the last two slots are really up for grabs. Energy Ball hits Bulky Ground types and Bulky Waters harder than any of Stratagem's other options, while Ice beam hits Dragons hard. Bear in mind that Paleo Wave will hit flying types anyway, so Ice Beam is largely unnecessary.
[SET]
name: 4 Attacks (Technician)
move 1: Ancientpower
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: HP Flying 60/ Vacuum Wave
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 252 SpA / 6 SpD / 252 Spd
[SET COMMENTS]
Technician allows Stratagem access to some of the more interesting moves it has to offer, in exchange for immunity to Ground. Ancientpower, while only slightly more powerful than Paleo Wave with Technician, has that 10% chance of boosting Stratagem's stats by one stage each, which can make it a beast. Giga Drain is a very useful move for Technician Stratagem, especially if it's carrying Life Orb. Not only is it Stratagem's most powerful move against bulky Ground and Water types (excluding Gyarados), but it can also offset, or even heal off completely, the damage Stratagem takes from Life Orb. Flamethrower is the move of choice for hitting non-Heatran Steel Pokemon, especially Bronzong, which will otherwise wall Stratagem.
The last move is up for grabs. HP Flying 60 has a near-guaranteed chance of 2HKO'ing the otherwise dangerous Revenankh (and, by extension, the other bulky Fighting types) with Sandstorm and/or Stealth Rock in play.
[SET]
name: Choice (Levitate)
move 1: Paleo Wave
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Energy Ball / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
nature: Timid / Modest
ability: Levitate
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Stratagem already has frightening Special Attack and Speed stats, and this set aims to boost one or the other even more.
With Choice Specs and a Timid nature, Stratagem reaches 508 Special Attack and 394 Speed. Paleo Wave provides a reliable STAB option, and with Earth Power and Flamethrower, provides almost perfect coverage for most OU threats. The last slot can be used for coverage; Energy Ball hits bulky Ground-types and bulky Water-types hard. Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are more specialized options, but are not recommended since they do not give any superior coverage to the other four moves.
With Choice Scarf and a Modest ature, Stratagem only reaches 372 Special Attack, but obtains a Speed stat of 538. This outspeeds Timid Scarf Gengar, and Modest Scarf Shaymin-s. This functions more as a revenge killer than a sweeper, unlike the Choice Specs set.
Explosion is another option with both items, but be aware that even with a neutral nature it will fail to OHKO Calm Blissey at full health, and most common switch-ins resist Normal-type moves. Focus Blast is an option over Flamethrower to hit Rock-types and Steel-types harder, but the accuracy generally isn't worth it.
[SET]
name: Choice (Technician)
move 1: Ancientpower
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Vacuum Wave / Earth Power / Air Cutter
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
nature: Timid / Modest
ability: Technician
evs: 252 SpA / 6 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This set differs from the other Choice Set significantly, because of its ability to beat Blissey. Ancientpower is now your main STAB attack, due to it being boosted by Technician to 90 Base Power. Flamethrower is once again there for coverage, as is Giga Drain. Giga Drain also has the added bonus of healing you, which is why it's a good option on a Choice Specs set: the more damage you do, the more health you regain. In the last slot, Vacuum Wave is another move boosted by Technician, and has priority to beat Heatran. Earth Power is a good option too, but isn't necessary due to Vacuum Wave. Air Cutter is a specialized option to beat Revenankh, but you significantly lose coverage.
On a Choice Scarf set, Vacuum Wave should be replaced by Earth Power in the last slot, due to you being faster than almost everything in the metagame. You could also use Hidden Power Fighting 59 if you like the idea of a Fighting-type move more than a Ground-type move.
[SET]
name: Metal Sound
move 1: Metal Sound
move 2: Ancientpower
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Vacuum Wave
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
ability: Technician
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Stratagem's ability to force switches is a fantastic reason why a Metal Sound set is viable on it. With Metal Sound, Stratagem has the potential to beat its biggest counter, Blissey.
With this set, the more you know about your opponent's team, the better. If you know that your opponent has a Scizor, use Flamethrower on the switch. If their Stratagem counter is Blissey, use Metal Sound. After a Metal Sound, a Technician-boosted Hidden Power Fighting has a 35.77% chance to 2HKO Calm Blissey. With Stealth Rock in play, that percentage changes to 91.32%. If Blissey is Bold, instead, Hidden Power Fighting after a Metal Sound has a 95.6% chance to 2HKO, even without Stealth Rock.
If you're not worried about Blissey, Vacuum Wave is a viable option on Stratagem; however, as Stratagem is already so fast, the move is nearly always a lesser option.
The EVs are fairly self explanatory for a sweeper like this. Timid is generally the best option, but Modest is always a viable choice.
[SET]
name: Suicide Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Explosion / U-turn
move 3: Paleo Wave
move 4: Shadow Ball / Earth Power
item: Focus Sash
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
By taking advantage of Stratagem's remarkable speed, a suicide lead set is especially viable. Most notably, Stratagem outspeeds common leads such as Azelf, Gyarados, and Zapdos. This Stratagem set makes sure that your Stealth Rock gets up.
Paleo Wave takes care of opponents such as Gyarados, Zapdos, and Yanmega, whereas the other move can help take out Azelf or Metagross. Explosion is a good move when your Stealth Rock is up, though if Exploding as a last-ditch effort does not appeal to you, U-turn is also a viable option.
The EVs maximize Stratagem's Speed first, then, by pouring EVs into Special Attack, you can to help eliminate bulky foes such as Metagross. If a more powerful Explosion is wanted, you can switch to a Naive or Hasty nature, and even put EVs into Attack instead of Special Attack.
[Other Options]
<p>Rock Polish could be useful to boost your already monstrous speed to astronomical levels, however you won't be able to ever out-speed priority moves, the bane of Stratagem's existence. Thunder Wave can also serve almost the same purpose by slowing down opponents and crippling sweepers and walls trying to force you out.</p>
<p>Stratagem gets Swords Dance, Head Smash, Explosion, and Earthquake, which amounts to a suicidal Physical Set. With Stratagem's high speed, it could surprise some counters, however with 60 base Attack it most likely won't go far.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Max your speed before doing anything, it's of utmost importance to outspeed Shaymin-s and Weavile, and tie with other Stratagem. The only reason to not max the speed is to use a Technician Hidden Power.</p>
<p>After maxing your speed, on sweeper sets, max Special Attack. However, on the Sub/CM set you should invest some EVs in HP and Special Defense to take advantage of the boosts.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Fireworks. Stratagem can rip a hole right through the heart of any offensive team without priority moves or a bulky Pokemon. However, it is easily forced out when faced with priority attacks or Pokemon it cannot OHKO. After a CM or two however, the list shortens considerably.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Countering Stratagem in the traditional sense is neigh-on impossible; it's too versatile. However, it is possible to force Stratagem out depending on the moveset. If Stratagem lacks a Fire Move, Bronzong is an excellent counter for it, surviving Stratagem's onslaught and promptly OHKOing with Gyro Ball. Scizor is an excellent revenge killer, as Bullet Punch preys on Stratagem's weaker physical defense. However, be wary that Scizor is neutral to Rock attacks, and can be OHKO'd by Weather Ball in Sand after a Calm Mind.</p>
<p>If Stratagem lacks a Ground attack, Tyranitar is an excellent counter due to it's boosted special defense in the Sand, and can OHKO with Aqua Tail, or severely damage Stratagem with Pursuit. Lucario can revenge kill Stratagem with Bullet Punch or Vacuum Wave, as can Infernape with Mach Punch.</p>
<p>For Stratagem without Giga Drain, bulky Water-types and bulky Ground-types are excellent counters to it, tanking hits and dishing out Super-Effective attacks. In particular, Vaporeon is an excellent check due to Wish and monstrous HP; Hippowdon has Slack Off and excellent HP and Attack. Both Pokemon can also Phaze out Stratagem's boosts if they choose with Roar to rack up passive damage and set up on their own.</p>
<p>Stratagem has a very hard time getting past Revenankh, and Machamp, due to their high Attack, relative bulkyness, healing moves, and super effective Fighting attacks. Finally, Stratagem cannot get past Blissey short of Explosion, and Blissey can either status it or just kill it with Seismic Toss, which will always break Stratagem's subs. The same goes for Snorlax, except that Snorlax can outright kill Stratagem.</p>
name: LO Attacker (Levitate)
move 1: Calm Mind / Substitute
move 2: Paleo Wave
move 3: Flamethrower / Ice Beam
move 3: Energy Ball / Earth Power / Focus Blast
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Utilizing Stratagem's copious Special Attack and Speed, this set focuses on sweeping the opponent's team once their special wall is gone.
As Stratagem's most reliable STAB move, after a Calm Mind, Paleo Wave will wreak havoc on anything that does not resist Rock. Energy Ball is useful to hit Swampert and other bulky Waters and Grounds who otherwise wall you. Flamethrower is Stratagem's best option against Scizor, who threatens with STAB Bullet Punch off an excellent attack stat; however, Stratagem can only win an encounter with Scizor if it Flamethrowers on the switch-in. Focus Blast hits Steels as well, though its shaky accuracy is doubtful considering Stratagem's less than stellar defenses. Although it also hurts the flying Dragons, Ice Beam is often unnecessary, as they are already covered by Paleo Wave; it is more useful to damage bulky Ground-types such as Hippowdon. Earth Power can be used to fill in the gaps, hitting non-Levitating Steel-types for super effective damage.
Substitute is another option over Calm Mind, protecting against revenge kills while loosing the sheer power of Calm Mind.
[SET]
name: Sub CM
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Paleo Wave / Weather Ball
move 4: Earth Power / Flamethrower
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 64 HP / 96 SpA / 96 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This set plays much like Sub/CM Raikou, except with much better speed and special attack, in exchange for less durability. This set is best used in Sandstorm, because <Rockmon> will become a very fast special tank with all the boosts. The strategy is simple. First, switch in on something you can use as set-up bait, such as a choiced Earthquake or Earth Power. Then, Sub as they bring in a revenge killer or wall. If they bring in something like Blissey, you can continue to set up on it, alternating between Substitute and Calm Mind. If they bring in Scizor, attack it and get out once it breaks your sub.
Paleo Wave and Earth Power provide the best coverage, but if bulky waters and Tyranitar aren't a problem, you can run Flamethrower over Earth Power to hit Scizor and Bronzong harder. Be aware that without a sub up, both will still kill you. Weather Ball is a more powerful option than Paleo Wave in Sandstorm, but be aware that when Sandstorm isn't running, Weather Ball is a Base 50 power Normal-type move.
The EVs allow for a leftovers number +1, allowing you to use Substitute five consecutive times before having to switch out. Max speed is needed to revenge kill Shaymin-s, since the only things faster than you are Ninjask, Electrode, and scarfed Pokemon.
[SET]
name: LO Attacker (Technician)
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Ancientpower
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Fire Blast / Vacuum Wave / Air Cutter
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
With the invaluable Ground immunity granted by Levitate, people often overlook Stratagem's second ability, Technician. They are mistaken, as Technician allows you to utilize the better abilities of some of the weaker moves at his disposal.
The idea is simple. Get in a Calm Mind and do some damage. Ancientpower is your STAB move, which hits Flying-types hard. 10% of the time, you may also get a +1 boost in all stats, setting up Stratagem for a sweep. Giga Drain is one of the biggest assets granted by Technician, as the HP drain will let you last longer and even beat Toxic-less Blissey one-on-one.
Your last move is an issue of preference. Fire Blast OHKOs just about everything weak to it after a Calm Mind including Bronzong, but Vacuum Wave lets you get the drop on other Stratagem and is your strongest move against Tyranitar. Lastly, Air Cutter lets Stratagem beat up on its best counters, Hariyama and Revenankh.
[SET]
name: 4 Attacks (Levitate)
move 1: Paleo Wave
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Energy Ball / Ice Beam
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 252 SpA / 6 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This Stratagem boasts better coverage than the Calm Mind sets, however it will not be able to power up and therefore is more vulnerable to some opponents.
While the first two moves are pretty much set as they give coverage against every OU threat bar Bronzong, the last two slots are really up for grabs. Energy Ball hits Bulky Ground types and Bulky Waters harder than any of Stratagem's other options, while Ice beam hits Dragons hard. Bear in mind that Paleo Wave will hit flying types anyway, so Ice Beam is largely unnecessary.
[SET]
name: 4 Attacks (Technician)
move 1: Ancientpower
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: HP Flying 60/ Vacuum Wave
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 252 SpA / 6 SpD / 252 Spd
[SET COMMENTS]
Technician allows Stratagem access to some of the more interesting moves it has to offer, in exchange for immunity to Ground. Ancientpower, while only slightly more powerful than Paleo Wave with Technician, has that 10% chance of boosting Stratagem's stats by one stage each, which can make it a beast. Giga Drain is a very useful move for Technician Stratagem, especially if it's carrying Life Orb. Not only is it Stratagem's most powerful move against bulky Ground and Water types (excluding Gyarados), but it can also offset, or even heal off completely, the damage Stratagem takes from Life Orb. Flamethrower is the move of choice for hitting non-Heatran Steel Pokemon, especially Bronzong, which will otherwise wall Stratagem.
The last move is up for grabs. HP Flying 60 has a near-guaranteed chance of 2HKO'ing the otherwise dangerous Revenankh (and, by extension, the other bulky Fighting types) with Sandstorm and/or Stealth Rock in play.
[SET]
name: Choice (Levitate)
move 1: Paleo Wave
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Energy Ball / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
nature: Timid / Modest
ability: Levitate
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Stratagem already has frightening Special Attack and Speed stats, and this set aims to boost one or the other even more.
With Choice Specs and a Timid nature, Stratagem reaches 508 Special Attack and 394 Speed. Paleo Wave provides a reliable STAB option, and with Earth Power and Flamethrower, provides almost perfect coverage for most OU threats. The last slot can be used for coverage; Energy Ball hits bulky Ground-types and bulky Water-types hard. Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are more specialized options, but are not recommended since they do not give any superior coverage to the other four moves.
With Choice Scarf and a Modest ature, Stratagem only reaches 372 Special Attack, but obtains a Speed stat of 538. This outspeeds Timid Scarf Gengar, and Modest Scarf Shaymin-s. This functions more as a revenge killer than a sweeper, unlike the Choice Specs set.
Explosion is another option with both items, but be aware that even with a neutral nature it will fail to OHKO Calm Blissey at full health, and most common switch-ins resist Normal-type moves. Focus Blast is an option over Flamethrower to hit Rock-types and Steel-types harder, but the accuracy generally isn't worth it.
[SET]
name: Choice (Technician)
move 1: Ancientpower
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Vacuum Wave / Earth Power / Air Cutter
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
nature: Timid / Modest
ability: Technician
evs: 252 SpA / 6 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This set differs from the other Choice Set significantly, because of its ability to beat Blissey. Ancientpower is now your main STAB attack, due to it being boosted by Technician to 90 Base Power. Flamethrower is once again there for coverage, as is Giga Drain. Giga Drain also has the added bonus of healing you, which is why it's a good option on a Choice Specs set: the more damage you do, the more health you regain. In the last slot, Vacuum Wave is another move boosted by Technician, and has priority to beat Heatran. Earth Power is a good option too, but isn't necessary due to Vacuum Wave. Air Cutter is a specialized option to beat Revenankh, but you significantly lose coverage.
On a Choice Scarf set, Vacuum Wave should be replaced by Earth Power in the last slot, due to you being faster than almost everything in the metagame. You could also use Hidden Power Fighting 59 if you like the idea of a Fighting-type move more than a Ground-type move.
[SET]
name: Metal Sound
move 1: Metal Sound
move 2: Ancientpower
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Vacuum Wave
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
ability: Technician
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Stratagem's ability to force switches is a fantastic reason why a Metal Sound set is viable on it. With Metal Sound, Stratagem has the potential to beat its biggest counter, Blissey.
With this set, the more you know about your opponent's team, the better. If you know that your opponent has a Scizor, use Flamethrower on the switch. If their Stratagem counter is Blissey, use Metal Sound. After a Metal Sound, a Technician-boosted Hidden Power Fighting has a 35.77% chance to 2HKO Calm Blissey. With Stealth Rock in play, that percentage changes to 91.32%. If Blissey is Bold, instead, Hidden Power Fighting after a Metal Sound has a 95.6% chance to 2HKO, even without Stealth Rock.
If you're not worried about Blissey, Vacuum Wave is a viable option on Stratagem; however, as Stratagem is already so fast, the move is nearly always a lesser option.
The EVs are fairly self explanatory for a sweeper like this. Timid is generally the best option, but Modest is always a viable choice.
[SET]
name: Suicide Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Explosion / U-turn
move 3: Paleo Wave
move 4: Shadow Ball / Earth Power
item: Focus Sash
nature: Timid
ability: Levitate
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
By taking advantage of Stratagem's remarkable speed, a suicide lead set is especially viable. Most notably, Stratagem outspeeds common leads such as Azelf, Gyarados, and Zapdos. This Stratagem set makes sure that your Stealth Rock gets up.
Paleo Wave takes care of opponents such as Gyarados, Zapdos, and Yanmega, whereas the other move can help take out Azelf or Metagross. Explosion is a good move when your Stealth Rock is up, though if Exploding as a last-ditch effort does not appeal to you, U-turn is also a viable option.
The EVs maximize Stratagem's Speed first, then, by pouring EVs into Special Attack, you can to help eliminate bulky foes such as Metagross. If a more powerful Explosion is wanted, you can switch to a Naive or Hasty nature, and even put EVs into Attack instead of Special Attack.
[Other Options]
<p>Rock Polish could be useful to boost your already monstrous speed to astronomical levels, however you won't be able to ever out-speed priority moves, the bane of Stratagem's existence. Thunder Wave can also serve almost the same purpose by slowing down opponents and crippling sweepers and walls trying to force you out.</p>
<p>Stratagem gets Swords Dance, Head Smash, Explosion, and Earthquake, which amounts to a suicidal Physical Set. With Stratagem's high speed, it could surprise some counters, however with 60 base Attack it most likely won't go far.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Max your speed before doing anything, it's of utmost importance to outspeed Shaymin-s and Weavile, and tie with other Stratagem. The only reason to not max the speed is to use a Technician Hidden Power.</p>
<p>After maxing your speed, on sweeper sets, max Special Attack. However, on the Sub/CM set you should invest some EVs in HP and Special Defense to take advantage of the boosts.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Fireworks. Stratagem can rip a hole right through the heart of any offensive team without priority moves or a bulky Pokemon. However, it is easily forced out when faced with priority attacks or Pokemon it cannot OHKO. After a CM or two however, the list shortens considerably.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Countering Stratagem in the traditional sense is neigh-on impossible; it's too versatile. However, it is possible to force Stratagem out depending on the moveset. If Stratagem lacks a Fire Move, Bronzong is an excellent counter for it, surviving Stratagem's onslaught and promptly OHKOing with Gyro Ball. Scizor is an excellent revenge killer, as Bullet Punch preys on Stratagem's weaker physical defense. However, be wary that Scizor is neutral to Rock attacks, and can be OHKO'd by Weather Ball in Sand after a Calm Mind.</p>
<p>If Stratagem lacks a Ground attack, Tyranitar is an excellent counter due to it's boosted special defense in the Sand, and can OHKO with Aqua Tail, or severely damage Stratagem with Pursuit. Lucario can revenge kill Stratagem with Bullet Punch or Vacuum Wave, as can Infernape with Mach Punch.</p>
<p>For Stratagem without Giga Drain, bulky Water-types and bulky Ground-types are excellent counters to it, tanking hits and dishing out Super-Effective attacks. In particular, Vaporeon is an excellent check due to Wish and monstrous HP; Hippowdon has Slack Off and excellent HP and Attack. Both Pokemon can also Phaze out Stratagem's boosts if they choose with Roar to rack up passive damage and set up on their own.</p>
<p>Stratagem has a very hard time getting past Revenankh, and Machamp, due to their high Attack, relative bulkyness, healing moves, and super effective Fighting attacks. Finally, Stratagem cannot get past Blissey short of Explosion, and Blissey can either status it or just kill it with Seismic Toss, which will always break Stratagem's subs. The same goes for Snorlax, except that Snorlax can outright kill Stratagem.</p>