Statistics
|
Stat |
| HP |
90
|
383 |
| Atk |
75
|
248 |
| Def |
75
|
248 |
| SpA |
115
|
328 |
| SpD |
90
|
278 |
| Spe |
55
|
208 |
Ampharos can make a great starter, as it can shut down Spikers before they can Spike. Thunderbolt is a given for that STAB which is great for those Water and Flying-types, and Fire Punch will hit the Grass-types that resist Thunderbolt. Fire Punch also hits Forretress (a common starter with Spikes) and Steelix, arguably the most popular Ground-type. If they switch in a special wall like Snorlax or Blissey, you can paralyze them with Thunder Wave (it also helps for other things since Ampharos is slow), and have a chance to start out ahead with Dynamicpunch. If it hits, you can have a potentially paralyzed and confused opponent, which makes it hard for them to do anything. A popular alternative is Hidden Power Ice, which will hit almost all Ground-types for super-effective damage while still being super-effective on Grass-types.
Ampharos is a sturdy Electric and can easily be switched into a lot of Water-types, so we can let him Sleep Talk if you need one on your team to eat status. Thunderbolt and Fire Punch are a good little combo of attacks. You can also use Hidden Power Ice over Fire Punch if you like.
Other Options
Ampharos learns both Light Screen and Reflect, so if you're looking for a pseudo-Passer to help your team out, Ampharos is an excellent choice.
Opinion
Ampharos is a solid all-around Pokémon; it's one of the better underused Pokémon and is arguably the best non-legendary Electric in GSC (others will argue for Jolteon or maybe Electabuzz). It is a lot less fragile than most Electrics and sports some useful moves. It also has very well-rounded stats and a Special Attack that is equal to the most popular pure Electric, Raikou. Ampharos's biggest drawback, however, is its Speed, which is very uncharacteristic of the typical Electric type. However, since this is GSC, Speed is not the most essential stat, and Ampharos does learn Thunder Wave to compensate for it. Just be wary of physical attacks.
Counters
Ground-types in general can make life hard for Ampharos, but depending on what that Ground-type is and what moveset Ampharos is running, the Ground-type can get hit hard with Fire Punch or Hidden Power Ice before it goes. Physical attackers or other Electrics with high Special Defense can also shut out Ampharos, but again, they can get potentially paralyzed or hit with Dynamicpunch. If you're in standard, watch out for Nidoking, Marowak, Donphan, Rhydon, Steelix, Exeggutor, Snorlax, Blissey, Raikou, and Tyranitar. In underused, keep an eye out for Quagsire, Sandslash, Piloswine, Meganium, Clefable, Electabuzz, and Muk.
