Statistics
|
Stat |
| HP |
55
|
313 |
| Atk |
81
|
260 |
| Def |
60
|
218 |
| SpA |
50
|
198 |
| SpD |
70
|
238 |
| Spe |
97
|
292 |
Super Fang makes Raticate worth using. The set listed is a starter set that I believe McGraw used and if he didn't, it's based around that same Sub/Mimic combo that he helped make popular. It has the speed, so on the first turn Raticate can come out and Sub against certain starters. If it's a Spiker, you pick up Spikes with Mimic and put them out there too. Maybe you just avoided a Toxic or Thunder Wave or better yet Sleep Powder. Grab it and go nuts. Body Slam is there because speed is important when toying around with Substitute and there are things out there just barely faster than Raticate with that annoying base 97 speed.
Other Options
You can also generalize Raticate a bit more and follow the format of Super Fang; STAB move of choice such as Return, Frustration, Double-Edge; Shadow Ball; Filler working with the moves above. You can always use Hyper Beam after you Super Fang, but don't really expect a guarantee OHKO. An Endure and Reversal set isn't promising, but it's there for its other options. Thief, Toxic, and Screech give Raticate that element of surprise, but Super Fang pretty much makes up for it.
Opinion
Rati-who? Yeah... you know all those annoying rats that attack you in the grass of RBY and GSC? This is the evolution of those things. I will admit Raticate sees almost zero playing time because it quite frankly is not all that good. Its typing is not unique (in fact it is one of the most common types), all stats are really sub-par or borderline average, and the movepool isn't exactly something to drool over when compared to others with better stats. However, there is hope for this cool-looking rodent yet. Super Fang puts huge dents all over the place which is hard to do with underused teams that go up against standards. Raticate makes a decent UU starter with its speed and can steal fun stuff like Spikes and Sleep Powder. Not the best normal of the bunch, but it is somewhat cool and usually very unexpected. Plus it can always wave around the fact that it can 2HKO Blissey.
Counters
There's so many, to be honest—weak defensive stats make anything an easy kill. Anything that has a strong attacking ability hits hard on Raticate. The move Counter is always something to watch out for... Pokémon like Nidoking can't exactly OHKO with Earthquake, but they can if they Counter your Super Fang.
