[OVERVIEW]
Whimsicott is the fastest Pokemon with the ability Prankster; this, coupled with its expansive support movepool, makes it a niche choice for a disrupter and Tailwind setter. However, Whimsicott has a myriad of flaws that can hold it back from performing its role in the Doubles OU metagame. For starters, Whimsicott has almost no offensive presence, leaving it able to do real damage only against targets that are weak to its STAB moves. Whimsicott's defenses are also lackluster, forcing it to equip a Focus Sash and making it tough for it to stay on the field and perform its role for more than a couple of turns. Furthermore, Whimsicott's typing is not very good defensively, as it is weak to common Ice-, Fire-, and Flying-type moves. Finally, Whimsicott is almost wholly outclassed by Thundurus and Talonflame. Thundurus also has Prankster but, unlike Whimsicott, also boasts a good typing and offenses, while Talonflame has priority Tailwind and a great offensive presence.
[SET]
name: Prankster
move 1: Moonblast / Energy Ball
move 2: Encore
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Protect / Fake Tears / Taunt
item: Focus Sash
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 196 HP / 96 SpA / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Moonblast is Whimsicott's best STAB move, which offers coverage against Fighting-types such as Conkeldurr, Dark-types such as Weavile, and Dragon-types such as Latios. Energy Ball is another option for a STAB attack, as it can damage Water-types such as Suicune and Rock-types such as Rhyperior. Encore gives Whimsicott the ability to lock an opposing Pokemon into an unfavorable move, such as Fake Out, Protect, Trick Room, or Substitute. Tailwind provides speed control by doubling the Speed of all allies, and Whimsicott can set Tailwind reliably at least once per game thanks to Prankster. Protect helps Whimsicott scout to see if it wants to Encore the foe the next turn. For example, if the opponent uses Fake Out, Protect can shield Whimsicott from damage and allow it to Encore the opponent the following turn. It is also useful for stalling out opposing speed control and shielding Whimsicott from damage and move disruption while its partner deals with a threat. Fake Tears can allow Whimsicott to help a specially-attacking partner take out foes it normally would not be able to, thanks to the Special Defense drop. Taunt can also be used to stop other Prankster users, most notably Thundurus, from firing off disruptive moves. It can also be used to stop support moves from other Pokemon, such as sleep moves, redirection, setup moves, and speed control.
Set Details
========
Giving Whimsicott 216 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allows it to outspeed maximum Speed Thundurus, which is vitally important because Thundurus is the most relevant Prankster Pokemon in Doubles OU. 96 Special Attack EVs make sure Whimsicott always OHKOes 252 HP Scrafty with Moonblast. If using Energy Ball, move the Special Attack EVs into HP and Defense, as there is no relevant offensive benchmark for this move. The leftover EVs are placed in HP to allow Whimsicott to take as many hits as possible. Focus Sash allows Whimsicott to survive any one hit, which makes it its best item choice because Whimsicott's defensive stats are so poor and it will often find itself at the mercy of strong and super effective attacks. Prankster boosts the priority of Whimsicott's utility moves, allowing Whimsicott to disrupt its foes before they have a chance to move.
Usage Tips
========
Whimsicott works well as a lead to beat opposing Fake Out users and speed control Pokemon with Encore or Taunt, or to set up Tailwind for its own team. Whimsicott can use Protect on opposing Fake Outs and then Encore the Fake Out user the next turn. Keep in mind that other players may be wary of an incoming Encore and may switch out the target Pokemon to avoid this. It is okay for Whimsicott to stay in on a strong attacker such as Talonflame if Whimsicott is at full health and desperately needs to get off a support move. Whimsicott is not supposed to be filling an attacking role; as such, it should only attack when none of its support moves would be useful or when it can take out an opposing Pokemon that is weak to its STAB attack, such as Scrafty or Gastrodon depending on your choice in STAB move.
Team Options
========
A fantastic Pokemon to pair with Whimsicott is Mega Gengar. Trapping is incredibly valuable for Whimsicott, as it can Encore or Taunt opposing Pokemon while Gengar forces them to stay in. Disable is a fantastic move on a Mega Gengar that is paired with Whimsicott, as it allows you to Encore and Disable an opposing Pokemon into one move on the same turn, forcing it to Struggle and preventing it from switching out. Pokemon that appreciate the Speed boost of Tailwind are great partners for Whimsicott, as it is very good at setting Tailwind at least once per game. Strong attackers with middling Speed tiers, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Hoopa-U, and Heatran, are good choices in partners. Whimsicott needs to be paired with Pokemon that beat common Fire-types such as Heatran and Talonflame, as they are huge threats to Whimsicott. Landorus-T and Rotom-W do extremely well against the previously mentioned Pokemon. Steel-type Pokemon are also extremely threatening to Whimsicott. Aegislash and Mega Metagross are particularly threatening, which makes Heatran and Landorus-T great options to add to the team. If Whimsicott is using Fake Tears, strong special attackers, such as Sylveon, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Gengar, benefit greatly from the Special Defense drop.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Beat Up can set you up for a big sweep when used on a partner that has Justified, usually Terrakion, but this is a very situational play and one that many players will see coming. It also limits both Whimsicott, which could be using a more useful move than Beat Up, and the team, which might not be optimal with Terrakion, the only viable Beat Up recipient. Helping Hand allows Whimsicott to boost the power of a partner's move, but it is fairly situational and outclassed by Whimsicott's other moves. Swagger can be used to confuse special attackers and increase the damage they may do to themselves—this is especially good against Aegislash, as it will be in Blade forme when confusion activates. Charm is helpful for weakening the power of physical attackers and providing your other Pokemon a chance to set up against a weakened foe. It should only be used on teams that are very weak to physical attackers like Mega Kangaskhan, as this move is, like most moves on this list, fairly situational. Sitrus Berry is an item option that allows Whimsicott to have some reliable recovery and avoid a notable OHKO from Mega Kangaskhan, but Focus Sash is generally preferred because Whimsicott wants to make sure it always survives strong attacks from the likes of Talonflame and Kyurem-B. An offensive set with Life Orb and maximum Speed and Special Attack investment can be used as well; the combination of Grass and Fairy coverage with support moves gives it a niche. Even with all of this, however, Whimsicott's damage output is fairly low; therefore, this set is outclassed by many of the other common offensive Grass-types, such as Serperior, Venusaur, and Breloom.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-type Pokemon**: Fire-types, such as Heatran and Talonflame, resist both Fairy- and Grass-type attacks and can OHKO or do a lot of damage to Whimsicott.
**Steel-type Pokemon**: Steel-types resist both Grass- and Fairy-type attacks and can take out Whimsicott. The notable threat here is Aegislash, although Whimsicott can Taunt or Encore Aegislash into King's Shield or Substitute. Other dangerous Steel-types include Mega Metagross and Ferrothorn.
**Ice-type Pokemon**: Kyurem-B and Mega Abomasnow are large threats to Whimsicott, and although Whimsicott can Encore Kyurem-B into Substitute, most Kyurem will just use Ice Beam on Whimsicott. Weavile can also break down Whimsicott through Fake Out and Ice Shard, which move before Whimsicott's status moves.
**Taunt**: Even though Whimsicott is the fastest Prankster Taunt user in the game, it still gets shut down by a Taunt from Pokemon such as Thundurus, and without its ability to use support moves, Whimsicott is a near-worthless Pokemon.
**Quick Guard**: Quick Guard totally shuts down Whimsicott's targeted Prankster moves, which is most of the set's arsenal. It can still use Tailwind and attack, but without the ability to use Encore, Taunt, or Fake Tears, Whimsicott's ability to disrupt is weakened considerably.
Whimsicott is the fastest Pokemon with the ability Prankster; this, coupled with its expansive support movepool, makes it a niche choice for a disrupter and Tailwind setter. However, Whimsicott has a myriad of flaws that can hold it back from performing its role in the Doubles OU metagame. For starters, Whimsicott has almost no offensive presence, leaving it able to do real damage only against targets that are weak to its STAB moves. Whimsicott's defenses are also lackluster, forcing it to equip a Focus Sash and making it tough for it to stay on the field and perform its role for more than a couple of turns. Furthermore, Whimsicott's typing is not very good defensively, as it is weak to common Ice-, Fire-, and Flying-type moves. Finally, Whimsicott is almost wholly outclassed by Thundurus and Talonflame. Thundurus also has Prankster but, unlike Whimsicott, also boasts a good typing and offenses, while Talonflame has priority Tailwind and a great offensive presence.
[SET]
name: Prankster
move 1: Moonblast / Energy Ball
move 2: Encore
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Protect / Fake Tears / Taunt
item: Focus Sash
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 196 HP / 96 SpA / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Moonblast is Whimsicott's best STAB move, which offers coverage against Fighting-types such as Conkeldurr, Dark-types such as Weavile, and Dragon-types such as Latios. Energy Ball is another option for a STAB attack, as it can damage Water-types such as Suicune and Rock-types such as Rhyperior. Encore gives Whimsicott the ability to lock an opposing Pokemon into an unfavorable move, such as Fake Out, Protect, Trick Room, or Substitute. Tailwind provides speed control by doubling the Speed of all allies, and Whimsicott can set Tailwind reliably at least once per game thanks to Prankster. Protect helps Whimsicott scout to see if it wants to Encore the foe the next turn. For example, if the opponent uses Fake Out, Protect can shield Whimsicott from damage and allow it to Encore the opponent the following turn. It is also useful for stalling out opposing speed control and shielding Whimsicott from damage and move disruption while its partner deals with a threat. Fake Tears can allow Whimsicott to help a specially-attacking partner take out foes it normally would not be able to, thanks to the Special Defense drop. Taunt can also be used to stop other Prankster users, most notably Thundurus, from firing off disruptive moves. It can also be used to stop support moves from other Pokemon, such as sleep moves, redirection, setup moves, and speed control.
Set Details
========
Giving Whimsicott 216 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allows it to outspeed maximum Speed Thundurus, which is vitally important because Thundurus is the most relevant Prankster Pokemon in Doubles OU. 96 Special Attack EVs make sure Whimsicott always OHKOes 252 HP Scrafty with Moonblast. If using Energy Ball, move the Special Attack EVs into HP and Defense, as there is no relevant offensive benchmark for this move. The leftover EVs are placed in HP to allow Whimsicott to take as many hits as possible. Focus Sash allows Whimsicott to survive any one hit, which makes it its best item choice because Whimsicott's defensive stats are so poor and it will often find itself at the mercy of strong and super effective attacks. Prankster boosts the priority of Whimsicott's utility moves, allowing Whimsicott to disrupt its foes before they have a chance to move.
Usage Tips
========
Whimsicott works well as a lead to beat opposing Fake Out users and speed control Pokemon with Encore or Taunt, or to set up Tailwind for its own team. Whimsicott can use Protect on opposing Fake Outs and then Encore the Fake Out user the next turn. Keep in mind that other players may be wary of an incoming Encore and may switch out the target Pokemon to avoid this. It is okay for Whimsicott to stay in on a strong attacker such as Talonflame if Whimsicott is at full health and desperately needs to get off a support move. Whimsicott is not supposed to be filling an attacking role; as such, it should only attack when none of its support moves would be useful or when it can take out an opposing Pokemon that is weak to its STAB attack, such as Scrafty or Gastrodon depending on your choice in STAB move.
Team Options
========
A fantastic Pokemon to pair with Whimsicott is Mega Gengar. Trapping is incredibly valuable for Whimsicott, as it can Encore or Taunt opposing Pokemon while Gengar forces them to stay in. Disable is a fantastic move on a Mega Gengar that is paired with Whimsicott, as it allows you to Encore and Disable an opposing Pokemon into one move on the same turn, forcing it to Struggle and preventing it from switching out. Pokemon that appreciate the Speed boost of Tailwind are great partners for Whimsicott, as it is very good at setting Tailwind at least once per game. Strong attackers with middling Speed tiers, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Hoopa-U, and Heatran, are good choices in partners. Whimsicott needs to be paired with Pokemon that beat common Fire-types such as Heatran and Talonflame, as they are huge threats to Whimsicott. Landorus-T and Rotom-W do extremely well against the previously mentioned Pokemon. Steel-type Pokemon are also extremely threatening to Whimsicott. Aegislash and Mega Metagross are particularly threatening, which makes Heatran and Landorus-T great options to add to the team. If Whimsicott is using Fake Tears, strong special attackers, such as Sylveon, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Gengar, benefit greatly from the Special Defense drop.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Beat Up can set you up for a big sweep when used on a partner that has Justified, usually Terrakion, but this is a very situational play and one that many players will see coming. It also limits both Whimsicott, which could be using a more useful move than Beat Up, and the team, which might not be optimal with Terrakion, the only viable Beat Up recipient. Helping Hand allows Whimsicott to boost the power of a partner's move, but it is fairly situational and outclassed by Whimsicott's other moves. Swagger can be used to confuse special attackers and increase the damage they may do to themselves—this is especially good against Aegislash, as it will be in Blade forme when confusion activates. Charm is helpful for weakening the power of physical attackers and providing your other Pokemon a chance to set up against a weakened foe. It should only be used on teams that are very weak to physical attackers like Mega Kangaskhan, as this move is, like most moves on this list, fairly situational. Sitrus Berry is an item option that allows Whimsicott to have some reliable recovery and avoid a notable OHKO from Mega Kangaskhan, but Focus Sash is generally preferred because Whimsicott wants to make sure it always survives strong attacks from the likes of Talonflame and Kyurem-B. An offensive set with Life Orb and maximum Speed and Special Attack investment can be used as well; the combination of Grass and Fairy coverage with support moves gives it a niche. Even with all of this, however, Whimsicott's damage output is fairly low; therefore, this set is outclassed by many of the other common offensive Grass-types, such as Serperior, Venusaur, and Breloom.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-type Pokemon**: Fire-types, such as Heatran and Talonflame, resist both Fairy- and Grass-type attacks and can OHKO or do a lot of damage to Whimsicott.
**Steel-type Pokemon**: Steel-types resist both Grass- and Fairy-type attacks and can take out Whimsicott. The notable threat here is Aegislash, although Whimsicott can Taunt or Encore Aegislash into King's Shield or Substitute. Other dangerous Steel-types include Mega Metagross and Ferrothorn.
**Ice-type Pokemon**: Kyurem-B and Mega Abomasnow are large threats to Whimsicott, and although Whimsicott can Encore Kyurem-B into Substitute, most Kyurem will just use Ice Beam on Whimsicott. Weavile can also break down Whimsicott through Fake Out and Ice Shard, which move before Whimsicott's status moves.
**Taunt**: Even though Whimsicott is the fastest Prankster Taunt user in the game, it still gets shut down by a Taunt from Pokemon such as Thundurus, and without its ability to use support moves, Whimsicott is a near-worthless Pokemon.
**Quick Guard**: Quick Guard totally shuts down Whimsicott's targeted Prankster moves, which is most of the set's arsenal. It can still use Tailwind and attack, but without the ability to use Encore, Taunt, or Fake Tears, Whimsicott's ability to disrupt is weakened considerably.
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