Rotom-W
QC 3/3: sparktrain, HeaLnDeaL, cbrevan
GP 2/2: P Squared, The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
Rotom-W has a great defensive typing that gives it important resistances to Flying-, Water-, Ice-, Fire-, and Steel-type attacks and thus allows it to pivot into common Pokemon such as Talonflame, Tomohawk, Naviathan, and Cawmodore. In Levitate, Rotom-W possesses a useful ability that more or less removes one of its key weaknesses, leaving it with just one weakness—to the relatively uncommon Grass type. Its base 86 Speed means that Rotom-W can act as a slow pivot against faster offensive threats while also outspeeding walls such as Tomohawk and Cyclohm. Everybody's favorite washing machine also has access to a small number of useful moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Volt Switch, which allows it to function as a defensive pivot and give massive momentum to teammates.
However, Rotom-W's otherwise limited movepool means that it can be somewhat one dimensional offensively. This is further compounded by a lack of reliable recovery, forcing it to rely on Pain Split or Rest to extend its longevity. Lastly, a poor HP stat leaves its otherwise decent defenses weak without sufficient investment.
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive Pivot
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Pain Split / Rest
item: Leftovers / Chesto Berry
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Volt Switch is Rotom-W's Electric-type STAB move, and it also allows Rotom-W to give momentum to its teammates. Hydro Pump is the only relevant Water-type move that Rotom-W learns and acts as a powerful but unreliable Water-type STAB move, allowing it to punish common Ground-type Pokemon that switch in to absorb its Volt Switch. Will-O-Wisp allows Rotom-W to cripple physically offensive threats, furthering its ability to act as a physically defensive wall. The last move is a choice of the type of recovery Rotom-W uses; Pain Split is dependent upon the foe's HP but has the advantage of being able to reduce the foe's HP, while Rest is dependent upon Rotom-W holding a Chesto Berry, as it puts Rotom-W to sleep for two turns otherwise. Therefore, it is a single-use strategy, whereas Pain Split can be used multiple times throughout a match and is useful for dealing with bulky Pokemon with large HP stats such as Colossoil.
Set Details
========
Leftovers should be used in conjunction with Pain Split, while the preferred item for Rotom-W running Rest is Chesto Berry.
248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD and a Bold nature are used to maximize Rotom-W's physical bulk while also limiting the damage it takes from entry hazards, although the 8 EVs put into Special Defense could just as easily be put into Speed to outspeed Adamant Crawdaunt. 44 Speed EVs can be used to outspeed Jolly Azumarill, while 128 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed Adamant Bisharp. Rotom-W can also run a mixed defensive spread of 248 HP / 152 Def / 108 SpD, which allows it to tank special attacks from the likes of Mega Manectric, Latios, and Latias more effectively. A specially defensive spread of 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD is also a viable option, as it allows Rotom-W to act as specially defensive pivot. This set can also act as a mixed wall due to Rotom-W's access to Will-O-Wisp.
Usage Tips
========
Rotom-W uses its great defensive typing, good bulk, and useful ability to act as physically defensive pivot, taking physical hits from common Pokemon such as Talonflame before using Volt Switch to give momentum to its teammates or spreading burns throughout the opponent's team with Will-O-Wisp.
Rotom-W's ability, Levitate, allows it to switch in on Ground-type attacks, but many common Ground-type Pokemon, such as Colossoil and Garchomp, have secondary attacks (in this case, Knock Off and Outrage) that can harm Rotom-W. However, Rotom-W can limit the damage done through the use of Will-O-Wisp and Pain Split, and Hydro Pump hits most Ground-types for great damage, assuming that it doesn't miss. It should also be noted that Pokemon with Mold Breaker such as Excadrill and Mega Gyarados, which might otherwise be checked by Rotom-W, can hit it with a super effective Ground-type attack due to their ability.
Through its pivoting, Rotom-W can acquire a lot of damage, particularly if there are any entry hazards on the field, so prudency is required to ensure that Rotom-W does not faint due to the damage it builds up. In the same way, non-Rest variants of Rotom-W do not appreciate being statused, as it wears them down. It is essential that care be taken to prevent Rotom-W from being worn down, because it needs to be healthy to deal with many of the Pokemon it checks. To avoid this, be prudent when using Will-O-Wisp against teams with Magic Bounce users such as Mega Diancie and Mega Sableye, as well as Rebound Colossoil. In a similar vein, Guts users such as Colossoil can take advantage of Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp to boost their own Attack.
Team Options
========
Rotom-W is an excellent defensive addition to most VoltTurn teams, forming good defensive VoltTurn cores with Landorus-T, Scizor, and Colossoil. Together, Landorus-T and Rotom-W can stop many of the physically offensive threats prominent in the CAP metagame. U-turn Colossoil handles the Electric-types and specially offensive Pokemon such as Mollux that annoy Rotom-W, while Rotom-W handles the bulky Water-types that plague Colossoil. In terms of offensive partners, Mega Beedrill and Talonflame are good picks, as they handle the Grass-types that threaten Rotom-W while it deals with the physically offensive threats such as opposing Talonflame that force them out. Similarly, Pokemon that appreciate Rotom-W's ability to check many common physically offensive threats such as Mega Lopunny are good teammates.
Rotom-W can also be a great teammate for wallbreakers like Mega Gardevoir, which are usually frail, as it can utilize its slow Volt Switch to enable them to switch in safely. Likewise, setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Talonflame appreciate Rotom-W's pivoting, as it allows them to set up safely.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=========
Choice Scarf can be used to allow Rotom-W to outspeed a good proportion of the metagame, acting as a fast pivot. Access to Trick allows it to cripple foes by Tricking them its Choice Scarf, while Thunderbolt gives it a more powerful alternative to Volt Switch that also doesn't force it to switch. Although a much rarer option, Choice Specs is also a viable item, boosting Rotom-W's mediocre base 105 Special Attack to good levels and allowing it to function as a hard-hitting slow pivot.
Thunder Wave can be used instead of Will-O-Wisp to cut foes' Speed rather than their Attack. Hidden Power Fire can be used to lure in and dispatch of Ferrothorn on more offensive sets. Hidden Power Ground can be used to damage Mollux and Plasmanta, which would otherwise be able to switch in on Rotom-W easily.
Checks and Counters
==============
**Grass-types**: A resistance to both of Rotom-W's STAB types and super effective STAB moves of their own give Grass-types the best chance of countering Rotom-W. In particular, Serperior can set up on Rotom-W with Contrary Leaf Storm, while Celebi's ability Natural Cure and Pyroak's typing prevent Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp from being effective on them. Most of the time, Rotom-W will be forced to Volt Switch out should a Grass-type come in.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Powerful special attackers such as Mega Gardevoir and Choice Specs Sylveon can heavily damage Rotom-W with their powerful STAB moves.
**Pokemon with an Immunity to Water-type Attacks**: Mollux and Plasmanta can check Rotom-W, as they are immune to its most powerful attack, Hydro Pump. Mollux is also immune to Will-O-Wisp, and Plasmanta resists Volt Switch.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Latios, Latias, Mega Altaria, and specially defensive Mega Charizard X don't take much damage from Rotom-W's STAB moves and don't necessarily mind the burns it can dole out with Will-O-Wisp. In particular, Mega Altaria with Heal Bell or Refresh can easily set up on Rotom-W, while specially offensive sets can hit Rotom-W hard with a Pixilate-boosted STAB Hyper Voice. Kyurem-B can switch into any of Rotom-W's attacks well, and it can also Roost off damage or KO with Teravolt Earth Power.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Most specially defensive Pokemon, such as specially defensive Jirachi, force Rotom-W to Volt Switch out, as it cannot do anything apart from burning them with Will-O-Wisp or trying to take out a chunk of their HP with Pain Split. In particular, those with an immunity to burns or a method of removing them, such as Natural Cure Chansey, Magic Guard Clefable, and Mega Sableye, can prevent Rotom-W from doing anything except switching out with Volt Switch.
QC 3/3: sparktrain, HeaLnDeaL, cbrevan
GP 2/2: P Squared, The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
Rotom-W has a great defensive typing that gives it important resistances to Flying-, Water-, Ice-, Fire-, and Steel-type attacks and thus allows it to pivot into common Pokemon such as Talonflame, Tomohawk, Naviathan, and Cawmodore. In Levitate, Rotom-W possesses a useful ability that more or less removes one of its key weaknesses, leaving it with just one weakness—to the relatively uncommon Grass type. Its base 86 Speed means that Rotom-W can act as a slow pivot against faster offensive threats while also outspeeding walls such as Tomohawk and Cyclohm. Everybody's favorite washing machine also has access to a small number of useful moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Volt Switch, which allows it to function as a defensive pivot and give massive momentum to teammates.
However, Rotom-W's otherwise limited movepool means that it can be somewhat one dimensional offensively. This is further compounded by a lack of reliable recovery, forcing it to rely on Pain Split or Rest to extend its longevity. Lastly, a poor HP stat leaves its otherwise decent defenses weak without sufficient investment.
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive Pivot
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Pain Split / Rest
item: Leftovers / Chesto Berry
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Volt Switch is Rotom-W's Electric-type STAB move, and it also allows Rotom-W to give momentum to its teammates. Hydro Pump is the only relevant Water-type move that Rotom-W learns and acts as a powerful but unreliable Water-type STAB move, allowing it to punish common Ground-type Pokemon that switch in to absorb its Volt Switch. Will-O-Wisp allows Rotom-W to cripple physically offensive threats, furthering its ability to act as a physically defensive wall. The last move is a choice of the type of recovery Rotom-W uses; Pain Split is dependent upon the foe's HP but has the advantage of being able to reduce the foe's HP, while Rest is dependent upon Rotom-W holding a Chesto Berry, as it puts Rotom-W to sleep for two turns otherwise. Therefore, it is a single-use strategy, whereas Pain Split can be used multiple times throughout a match and is useful for dealing with bulky Pokemon with large HP stats such as Colossoil.
Set Details
========
Leftovers should be used in conjunction with Pain Split, while the preferred item for Rotom-W running Rest is Chesto Berry.
248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD and a Bold nature are used to maximize Rotom-W's physical bulk while also limiting the damage it takes from entry hazards, although the 8 EVs put into Special Defense could just as easily be put into Speed to outspeed Adamant Crawdaunt. 44 Speed EVs can be used to outspeed Jolly Azumarill, while 128 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed Adamant Bisharp. Rotom-W can also run a mixed defensive spread of 248 HP / 152 Def / 108 SpD, which allows it to tank special attacks from the likes of Mega Manectric, Latios, and Latias more effectively. A specially defensive spread of 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD is also a viable option, as it allows Rotom-W to act as specially defensive pivot. This set can also act as a mixed wall due to Rotom-W's access to Will-O-Wisp.
Usage Tips
========
Rotom-W uses its great defensive typing, good bulk, and useful ability to act as physically defensive pivot, taking physical hits from common Pokemon such as Talonflame before using Volt Switch to give momentum to its teammates or spreading burns throughout the opponent's team with Will-O-Wisp.
Rotom-W's ability, Levitate, allows it to switch in on Ground-type attacks, but many common Ground-type Pokemon, such as Colossoil and Garchomp, have secondary attacks (in this case, Knock Off and Outrage) that can harm Rotom-W. However, Rotom-W can limit the damage done through the use of Will-O-Wisp and Pain Split, and Hydro Pump hits most Ground-types for great damage, assuming that it doesn't miss. It should also be noted that Pokemon with Mold Breaker such as Excadrill and Mega Gyarados, which might otherwise be checked by Rotom-W, can hit it with a super effective Ground-type attack due to their ability.
Through its pivoting, Rotom-W can acquire a lot of damage, particularly if there are any entry hazards on the field, so prudency is required to ensure that Rotom-W does not faint due to the damage it builds up. In the same way, non-Rest variants of Rotom-W do not appreciate being statused, as it wears them down. It is essential that care be taken to prevent Rotom-W from being worn down, because it needs to be healthy to deal with many of the Pokemon it checks. To avoid this, be prudent when using Will-O-Wisp against teams with Magic Bounce users such as Mega Diancie and Mega Sableye, as well as Rebound Colossoil. In a similar vein, Guts users such as Colossoil can take advantage of Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp to boost their own Attack.
Team Options
========
Rotom-W is an excellent defensive addition to most VoltTurn teams, forming good defensive VoltTurn cores with Landorus-T, Scizor, and Colossoil. Together, Landorus-T and Rotom-W can stop many of the physically offensive threats prominent in the CAP metagame. U-turn Colossoil handles the Electric-types and specially offensive Pokemon such as Mollux that annoy Rotom-W, while Rotom-W handles the bulky Water-types that plague Colossoil. In terms of offensive partners, Mega Beedrill and Talonflame are good picks, as they handle the Grass-types that threaten Rotom-W while it deals with the physically offensive threats such as opposing Talonflame that force them out. Similarly, Pokemon that appreciate Rotom-W's ability to check many common physically offensive threats such as Mega Lopunny are good teammates.
Rotom-W can also be a great teammate for wallbreakers like Mega Gardevoir, which are usually frail, as it can utilize its slow Volt Switch to enable them to switch in safely. Likewise, setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Talonflame appreciate Rotom-W's pivoting, as it allows them to set up safely.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=========
Choice Scarf can be used to allow Rotom-W to outspeed a good proportion of the metagame, acting as a fast pivot. Access to Trick allows it to cripple foes by Tricking them its Choice Scarf, while Thunderbolt gives it a more powerful alternative to Volt Switch that also doesn't force it to switch. Although a much rarer option, Choice Specs is also a viable item, boosting Rotom-W's mediocre base 105 Special Attack to good levels and allowing it to function as a hard-hitting slow pivot.
Thunder Wave can be used instead of Will-O-Wisp to cut foes' Speed rather than their Attack. Hidden Power Fire can be used to lure in and dispatch of Ferrothorn on more offensive sets. Hidden Power Ground can be used to damage Mollux and Plasmanta, which would otherwise be able to switch in on Rotom-W easily.
Checks and Counters
==============
**Grass-types**: A resistance to both of Rotom-W's STAB types and super effective STAB moves of their own give Grass-types the best chance of countering Rotom-W. In particular, Serperior can set up on Rotom-W with Contrary Leaf Storm, while Celebi's ability Natural Cure and Pyroak's typing prevent Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp from being effective on them. Most of the time, Rotom-W will be forced to Volt Switch out should a Grass-type come in.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Powerful special attackers such as Mega Gardevoir and Choice Specs Sylveon can heavily damage Rotom-W with their powerful STAB moves.
**Pokemon with an Immunity to Water-type Attacks**: Mollux and Plasmanta can check Rotom-W, as they are immune to its most powerful attack, Hydro Pump. Mollux is also immune to Will-O-Wisp, and Plasmanta resists Volt Switch.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Latios, Latias, Mega Altaria, and specially defensive Mega Charizard X don't take much damage from Rotom-W's STAB moves and don't necessarily mind the burns it can dole out with Will-O-Wisp. In particular, Mega Altaria with Heal Bell or Refresh can easily set up on Rotom-W, while specially offensive sets can hit Rotom-W hard with a Pixilate-boosted STAB Hyper Voice. Kyurem-B can switch into any of Rotom-W's attacks well, and it can also Roost off damage or KO with Teravolt Earth Power.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Most specially defensive Pokemon, such as specially defensive Jirachi, force Rotom-W to Volt Switch out, as it cannot do anything apart from burning them with Will-O-Wisp or trying to take out a chunk of their HP with Pain Split. In particular, those with an immunity to burns or a method of removing them, such as Natural Cure Chansey, Magic Guard Clefable, and Mega Sableye, can prevent Rotom-W from doing anything except switching out with Volt Switch.
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