STATUS: DONE
Code:
[B]QC Checks:[/B] Theorymon, Jibaku, trickroom
[B]GP Checks:[/B] sirndpt, Steven Snype[Overview]
<p>Although it may seem like Wobbuffet has dramatically fallen from grace this generation, not much has actually changed for the blue blob in Ubers. A common misconception about Wobbuffett is that Encore's nerf has greatly diminished Wobbuffet's utility, but this doesn't actually affect it much in Ubers. As Wobbuffet will almost always use Encore last—the main exception is against Ferrothorn—Wobbuffet's Encore will almost always last the full three turns, which is more than enough time for fearsome sweepers such as Mewtwo and Rayquaza to setup. Wobbuffet's real downgrade in BW Ubers was the loss of Custap Berry. Without Custap Berry, Wobbuffet is usually only able to take down one Pokemon per match instead of two, meaning that Wobbuffet is not as easy to fit on an offensive team as it was last generation.</p>
<p>Don't let these setbacks fool you because while OU's changes have greatly weakened Wobbuffet in that environment, the Ubers metagame has been far kinder to Wobbuffet. While a variety of common Choice Scarf users , such as Palkia and Zekrom, plague the Ubers metagame, Shadow Tag means Wobbuffet does an excellent job of revenge killing them, allowing insanely powerful sweepers such as Mewtwo and Darkrai to crush the many teams that rely on Choice Scarf users to beat them! Wobbuffet's utility doesn't stop there either. Encore still allows Wobbuffet to aid in setting up sweepers, and with most Mewtwo forgoing Taunt this generation, Wobbuffet can now check most Mewtwo in the rain. Finally, Wobbuffet's classic Tickle + Pursuit strategy is still an extremely effective way of defeating walls such as Lugia and Blissey, opening up holes for the many powerful sweepers of Ubers to demolish even a well-constructed stall team. Overall, despite Wobbuffet's downgrades this generation, its amazing and unique support capabilities make it a fine choice for any offensive Ubers team.</p>
[SET]
name: OH NO, IT'S WOBBA!
move 1: Counter
move 2: Mirror Coat
move 3: Encore
move 4: Safeguard / Tickle
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 28 HP / 228 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Wobbuffet's most famous and only set. This set is all Wobbuffet can really do because of its shallow movepool. Once the foe sees Wobbuffet in your team, you can be sure he is going to play very carefully, as only minimal prediction is required for Wobbuffet to take at least one member of his team down. Mirror Coat and Counter are staples on Wobbuffet: if you predict the foe to use a special attack, if he is Choice-locked, or if Wobbuffet has used Encore to lock him into a special move, obviously go for Mirror Coat. Otherwise, Counter is the obvious choice.</p>
<p>Both Safeguard and Tickle are great support moves. Safeguard is the main option, as it protects Wobbuffet and the rest of the team from status and can also allow setup sweepers to nab a free turn if Wobbuffet Encores a status move. Tickle, however, requires a teammate that can use Pursuit, and while that strategy does not always fit in every team, it's still as solid as before.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 Special Defense EVs and a Calm nature give Wobbuffet a much-needed Special Defense boost so it can better take hits from special attackers, which are more common than physical attackers in Ubers. 28 HP EVs grant Wobbuffet a Leftovers number, and with the 252 EVs invested in Special Defense, a healthy Wobbuffet can take Kyogre's full-health rain-boosted STAB Water Spout, the hardest hitting attack in Ubers. The leftover EVs are dumped into Defense so Wobbuffet will take physical attacks better. As long as Custap Berry is unreleased, Leftovers is the main item as it gives Wobbuffet its only way to gain some health back.</p>
<p>Because Wobbuffet's support allows many Pokemon to switch in safely, setup sweepers make fantastic partners. Not only does Wobbuffet let them switch in safely, it also lets them set up freely. Extreme Killer Arceus really appreciates the opportunity to come in safely, set up, and wreak havoc. It also appreciates Wobbuffet's ability to remove Choice Scarf users; Terrakion in particular is a huge threat for the Killer. Ghost Arceus and Ground Arceus fall in the same boat. Perhaps the Arceus forme that most needs Wobbuffet's support is Dragon Arceus, as the huge amount of Choice Scarf Dragon-types in the tier, such as Palkia and Zekrom, can OHKO Dragon Arceus with their STAB Dragon-type moves, and therefore ruin His sweep. Salamence, Garchomp, and Rayquaza also fall in the category of sweepers who appreciate Wobbuffet support because Wobbuffet can Encore Earthquake or Thunder to let the respective teammate switch in and set up safely.</p>
<p>Darkrai and Mewtwo are two Pokemon that strike fear into the hearts of any team, as with a single boost from Nasty Plot or Calm Mind, they can completely tear most teams apart. Most teams rely on Choice Scarf users to beat them, and if they play wrongly they will fall to Wobbuffet, and allow Darkrai or Mewtwo to sweep with ease. The two can also use Substitute to scout the opponent's team, and take advantage of it to either set up or hit with the appropriate move and run.</p>
<p>Cloyster is one of the most fearsome setup sweepers in the entire game, especially in Ubers. After a Shell Smash boost, Cloyster can OHKO the three main physical walls in Ubers—Groudon, Lugia, and Giratina—with Icicle Spear. However, Cloyster's terrible Special Defense makes it almost impossible to switch in. Thus, Wobbuffet's support is almost mandatory for Cloyster to work. Blaziken and Excadrill are similarly not bulky enough to switch in, but the latter also needs sandstorm support in order to sweep effectively.</p>
<p>Double Dance Groudon and Terrakion can also make use of Wobbuffet's capabilities. If Wobbuffet Encores a move that Groudon or Terrakion resist, they can put a lot of pressure on the opponent. If the opponent's team is slow, they can boost their Attack to a sky-high level and rip the opposing team apart. However, if the opponent's team is frail and offensive, both can simply boost their Speed by a single Rock Polish and wreak havoc. Though it cannot boost its already respectable Speed, Manaphy falls in the same category. The bonuses it gets over Groudon and Terrakion are immediate +3 Special Attack by using a single Tail Glow and immunity to status and instant recovery in rain by using Rest.</p>
<p>Wobbuffet can also trap and eliminate Ferrothorn: it switches in on any move not named Spikes, Encores it, and if Ferrothorn uses Power Whip or Gyro Ball, it will become dead weight. Palkia, Manaphy, Water Arceus, and Kyogre will appreciate this support, as Ferrothorn puts a cold stop to their stay on the battleground due to its STAB and amazing typing.</p>
<p>If using Tickle, be sure to carry a Pursuit user such as Tyranitar, Scizor, or Metagross on your team, as these Pokemon can OHKO the foe as it attempts to switch out after a few Tickles. For example, after 3 Tickles, 56 Attack Choice Band Scizor has a 74.36% chance to OHKO standard Chansey as she switches out, and after 4 Tickles it's an OHKO. 252 Attack Scizor will always OHKO -3 Chansey after Stealth Rock as she attempts to switch out, while 64 Attack Choice Band Tyranitar can OHKO a -2 fleeing Chansey. Lugia is at more risk. 252 Attack Choice Band Scizor will always OHKO -3 Lugia switching out, while Tyranitar only needs Lugia to be Tickled twice to always OHKO with Pursuit.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Wobbuffet doesn't have any other options, as the aforementioned set is all it can do. Splash is completely useless, and Wobbuffet is not bulky enough to utilize Charm. Before Wobbuffet can use Charm enough times to completely cripple the foe, it would take too much damage, making it prone to any attack. In comparison to Safeguard or Tickle, the aforementioned moves are completely useless. Destiny Bond is a great option to take the opponent down with Wobbuffet if it is KOed, but as Wobbuffet is slow and Custap Berry is unavailable, Wobbuffet cannot make any use out of it.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Wobbuffet's Shadow Tag ability doesn't let most opponents switch out; therefore, Wobbuffet has no real counters. However, there are a few ways to deal with it, as Wobbuffet does have its weaknesses. Once you see Wobbuffet in the opponent's team roster, be sure to play carefully, as you do not want to lose a team member to a poorly thought-out move. Hitting hard and hitting fast as Wobbuffet switches in is the most solid way to deal with it, as even with its respectable bulk, Wobbuffet cannot take repeated hard-hitting moves such as Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, Thunder, Hydro Pump, and more. Unless Wobbuffet has used Safeguard, inflicting it with status, especially poison, also helps; this puts a lot of pressure on the opponent while also shortening Wobbuffet's lifespan.</p>
<p>Wobbuffet also has no reliable form of recovery, which makes the "hit hard and hit fast" strategy much more solid. A common mistake of many Wobbuffet users is using Encore on Spikes or Toxic Spikes. Not only does that directly impact Wobbuffet's effectiveness, it affects your teammates by stripping down their HP or poisoning them.</p>
<p>Overall, Psychic is not a great defensive type: it makes Wobbuffet weak to Ghost-, Dark-, and Bug-type moves. Darkrai is probably the biggest threat to Wobbuffet. Not only is it immune to Mirror Coat, but it packs a super effective STAB in Dark Pulse and can put Wobbuffet to sleep with Dark Void to avoid the Encore if Safeguard is not in effect. From there, Darkrai can set up Nasty Plot and proceed to sweep. Scizor also is a huge problem for Wobbuffet. It can U-turn to scout Wobbuffet's next move, and if Wobbuffet stays in, it gets KOed easily. Scizor can also use Pursuit on the switch to hit a fleeing Wobbuffet very hard. Ghost Arceus and Dark Arceus also make great examples of Pokemon that have super effective attacks against Wobbuffet. Both can set up Calm Mind and hit very hard with their STAB Judgment but risk being Encored by Wobbuffet. Choice Specs Kyogre and Reshiram are the hardest hitters in the entire tier, utilizing Water Spout or Blue Flare to OHKO Wobbuffet with the aid of rain or sun, respectively.</p>
<p>Another way to deal with Wobbuffet is to simply Taunt it. Taunt prevents Wobbuffet from using Encore or Safeguard, thus making it setup fodder for the likes of Extreme Killer Arceus, Rayquaza, Mewtwo, and Cloyster. Wobbuffet also becomes weak to status, as it cannot use Safeguard to protect itself.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Shadow Tag should remain the main ability as it gives Wobbuffet its main niche in Ubers; furthermore, Telepathy is completely useless in singles play.</p>
<p>In the Dream World environment, a new enemy for Wobbuffet approaches: Shadow Tag Chandelure. Chandelure cannot trap Wobbuffet and vice versa, allowing it to be the only Choice Scarf user that cannot be revenge killed by Wobbuffet. Furthermore, Chandelure takes out over 70% of Wobbuffet's health with a sun-boosted Overheat.</p>
<p>However, Wobbuffet does benefit from the Dream World as well, in the form of Custap Berry. Custap Berry ensures Wobbuffet can move first once when it is at low health, thus making Destiny Bond a great move in conjunction with it. As the opponent proceeds to KO Wobbuffet with its next move, Custap Berry will be activated, allowing Wobbuffet to take down the opponent with it by using a faster Destiny Bond. Moreover, when using Custap Berry, Wobbuffet can utilize the foe's entry hazards against itself to turn the tables around, getting itself into Custap Berry range. However, Mewtwo gets Unnerve from the Dream World, which negates the effect of Custap Berry, so Wobbuffet will not be able to take it down with Destiny Bond. If such a situation should arise, Wobbuffet should switch out, keeping the Berry for later.</p>
<p>Wobbuffet also gains some useful teammates from the Dream World. Chandelure pairs nicely with Wobbuffet for a vicious combination, trapping opponents and revenge killing them easily. Wobbuffet takes care of a Pokemon that threatens your team by its unique capabilities while Chandelure can snipe it off with brute force. Chandelure can also use Toxic, allowing Wobbuffet to defeat foes such as Lugia much more easily. Calm Mind Latias receives Soul Dew from the Dream World, making her a great teammate that can use Wobbuffet's support as well. Latias can also shrug off Kyogre's Water Spout due to her high Special Defense boosted by Soul Dew. Latios, like Latias, also receives Soul Dew, which makes it a very powerful threat.</p>
