[OVERVIEW]
Everything about Rhyperior perfectly embodies what it means to be a tank: monstrous physical bulk and Attack, a shockingly colorful movepool, and multiple amazing defensive abilities. Even when not completely invested into offenses, Rhyperior's great EdgeQuake coverage can be quite difficult to pivot around. Options like Dragon Tail and Roar in tandem with entry hazard support make Rhyperior even more difficult to deal with, while Swords Dance sets can allow Rhyperior to cleave through bulky Water- and Grass-types like Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Tsareena, typically with the help of a timely defensive Terastallization. Solid Rock means Rhyperior's two 4x weaknesses to Water and Grass aren't as bad as they seem. There is no shortage of amazing Ground-types in NU, so Rhyperior faces some pretty stiff competition from the likes of Flygon, Krookodile, and Swampert, butA Rhyperior's raw strength and bulk among these is unmatched. Rhyperior's poor Speed often mandates very speedy teammates like Noivern and Inteleon, lest its whole team gets blitzed before they can even act, although with proper investment, Rhyperior can outpace the likes of Slowbro, Vileplume, and Vaporeon and threaten them with its boosted attacks. Teams using Swords Dance Rhyperior may struggle to find a teammate that can feasibly use Stealth Rock without stacking type weaknesses with Rhyperior and also occupying a very poor Speed tier, such as the aforementioned Ground-types as well as Rock- and Steel-types like Diancie, Registeel, and Copperajah. Despite Rhyperior's amazing physical bulk and Solid Rock ability, attackers like Thundurus, Lycanroc-D, and Munkidori which it may switch into frequently, have super effective coverage to hit Rhyperior.
[SET]
name: Defensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Blast / Stone Edge
move 4: Dragon Tail / Ice Punch / Megahorn
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
tera type: Water / Dragon / Fairy
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Rock Blast may be preferable to Stone Edge for the OHKO on Focus Sash leads like Froslass and Galvantula, as well as damaging Pokemon hiding behind a Substitute like Chandelure and Mew. Although, Stone Edge has some merits of consistency for always OHKOing Flying-types like Noivern and Thundurus that Rock Blast may miss out on. Dragon Tail works especially well with entry hazard support from the likes of Spikes Klefki and Quagsire, along with Knock Off from Pokemon like Mienshao and Reuniclus to remove Heavy-Duty Boots. Ice Punch lets Rhyperior punish Grass-type switch-ins, 2HKOing Tsareena and Brambleghast and pressuring Vileplume. Alternatively, Ice Punch also allows Rhyperior to check Dragon Dance Flygon in a pinch, which is one of few Pokemon capable of resisting Rhyperior's STAB combination. Megahorn gives Rhyperior a way to threaten Grass-types like Tsareena and Wo-Chien while also hitting Slowbro super effectively. The given Defense EVs and Impish nature reach a jump point for an extra stat, with the rest dumped into Special Defense to better take on special wallbreakers like Toxtricity and Chandelure. Alternatively, an Adamant nature with 16 Attack EVs can be used to always 2HKO Slowbro with Megahorn after Stealth Rock. Tera Water and Dragon invert Rhyperior's weaknesess to Water and Grass, with the former offering a resistance to Ice and the latter handling the combination of both Fire- and Grass-type attacks, improving Rhyperior's matchup against sun teams. Tera Fairy flips Rhyperior's matchup against common Fighting-types like Mienshao, Lucario, and Infernape.
Rhyperior works excellently on entry hazard stacking teams, especially given its positive matchup against Defog users like Noivern and Talonflame and ability to effectively bait Tsareena. Spikes users like Klefki and Alolan Sandslash offer a Grass resistance to Rhyperior while appreciating the Fire resistance granted from Rhyperior's Rock typing. Fighting-types like Mienshao and Infernape invite in Flying-types like Talonflame and Thundurus, which Rhyperior can take great advantage of. These Fighting-types, as well as special walls like Reuniclus and Alolan Muk, are great at removing Heavy-Duty Boots for Rhyperior's hazards and phazing to shine. Grass-types like Vileplume, Tsareena, and Wo-Chien are great at sponging Water- and Grass-type attacks for Rhyperior. Ghost-types like Chandelure and Hisuian Typhlosion can block Rapid Spin in a pinch to help ensure Rhyperior's hazard-stacking endeavors are seen through.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Substitute / Megahorn / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers / Custap Berry
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe or 108 HP / 196 Atk / 204 Spe
tera type: Water / Dragon / Fairy
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Thanks to Rhyperior's absurd natural bulk, it can easily boost with Swords Dance and hit harder than almost anything can retaliate with. Additionally, because of its near-perfect STAB combination, Rhyperior needs very little in the way of extra moves, so Substitute is a great option to protect it from status moves from slower Pokemon like Toxic Quagsire and Leech Seed Vileplume. With Tera Water or Grass, bulky Water-types like Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Milotic suddenly become setup fodder, unable to even break Rhyperior's Substitute with a single attack. Rhyperior may opt to use Megahorn over Substitute, which offers a way to remove Grass-types like Tsareena and Brute Bonnet in a single hit without a Swords Dance boost while also netting a very notable OHKO on Slowbro at +2. Rhyperior's immense bulk and poor Speed makes Custap Berry an item seemingly designed for it, letting it trade hits until its HP gets very low and is able to be picked off, but not before it unleashes one final blow. Rhyperior may also use Stealth Rock on teams that mandate it, as Rhyperior's EdgeQuake coverage is often sufficient without the extra coverage of Megahorn or utility of Substitute. 192 Attack EVs are the minimum needed to OHKO Slowbro with +2 Megahorn, while 204 Speed EVs give Rhyperior the jump on Vaporeon. This EV spread gives Rhyperior some extra bulk, but 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe is acceptable to maximize its overall offensive profile.
Swords Dance Rhyperior is amazing at luring in and removing physical walls like Slowbro, Swampert, and Vileplume, so Pokemon that struggle to break through these like Choice Scarf Mienshao and Dragon Dance Feraligatr are great teammates. Despite Rhyperior's ability to effectively beat many Grass- and Water-types one-on-one, it will need to commit to Terastallizing to do so. Talonflame, Noivern, and Alolan Muk do great jobs at effectively checking Grass-types for Rhyperior, while Basculegion, Thundurus, and Tsareena are good Water-type checks. Fast sweepers like Inteleon, Noivern, and Choice Scarf Munkidori greatly appreciate Rhyperior's wallbreaking capabilities, often able to clean up after Rhyperior punches holes in the opposition. With an offensive EV spread, Rhyperior may find itself much more susceptible to being revenge killed by fast Fighting-types and special attackers. Fighting-types like Mienshao and Gallade can be managed with the likes of Talonflame, Vileplume, and Bellibolt, while special attackers like Munkidori, Toxtricity, and Sylveon can be managed with Klefki, Alolan Muk, or Assault Vest Magnezone.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Rhyperior can use its amazing overall bulk and a timely defensive Terastallization to pull off a Rock Polish set, although it often finds itself too slow to pull off sweeps even if it gets the opportunity to use both Swords Dance and Rock Polish. Roar can be used over Dragon Tail for an accurate phazing move that thwarts Fairy-types like Sylveon and Tera Fairy Mew, but extra chip damage and the inability to be blocked by Taunt are usually preferred. Smack Down can be used to alleviate prediction on Rhyperior's part, letting it spam Earthquake more freely, but the power of Stone Edge is greatly missed. Rhyperior can use Temper Flare or Heat Crash as an accurate way to hit Grass-types, with the former doubling in power after a Stone Edge miss, but they tend to lack the same power that Megahorn has while not hitting as many Pokemon. Lightning Rod can be used in conjunction with a Tera type weak to Electric to bait in Thundurus and Rotom-H, but this usually isn’t worth it, as it forces Rhyperior to Terastallize, and Solid Rock is better in every other situation. Tera Grass allows Rhyperior to take Grass-, Water-, and Ground-type attacks from Tsareena, Milotic, and Flygon, but they tend to carry super effective coverage like Triple Axel, Ice Beam, and U-turn. Tera Flying alleviates Rhyperior's Fighting- and Ground-type weaknesses; however, it leaves Rhyperior weak to Stealth Rock and Electric-types. Tera Steel Rhyperior retains its resistance to Normal-type attacks while becoming more suited to take on special attackers like Munkidori, Mew, and Dragalge.
Checks and Counters
====
**Bulky Water-types**: A 4x weakness to Water spells trouble for Rhyperior in a tier dominated by Slowbro, with other Water-types like Vaporeon, Milotic, and Swampert not far behind. Although Rhyperior has the tools to get around these Pokemon, they force a Terastallization at a minimum, not to mention a Scald burn can put Rhyperior out of commission for the entire game.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Tsareena, Brambleghast, and Brute Bonnet, although they don't particularly enjoy taking a powerful Stone Edge, can still pivot into Rhyperior and force a switch with their powerful STAB attacks. Bulkier Grass-types like Vileplume and Wo-Chien can find entry against Rhyperior fairly consistently.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Rhyperior's poor Special Defense and Speed leave it in the dust against pretty much any special wallbreaker; Inteleon, Chandelure, Venusaur, and Thundurus all have super effective coverage against Rhyperior, while other wallbreakers like Sylveon, Munkidori, and Toxtricity simply have the sheer strength to 2HKO Rhyperior even without coverage.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/stories.400664/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
Everything about Rhyperior perfectly embodies what it means to be a tank: monstrous physical bulk and Attack, a shockingly colorful movepool, and multiple amazing defensive abilities. Even when not completely invested into offenses, Rhyperior's great EdgeQuake coverage can be quite difficult to pivot around. Options like Dragon Tail and Roar in tandem with entry hazard support make Rhyperior even more difficult to deal with, while Swords Dance sets can allow Rhyperior to cleave through bulky Water- and Grass-types like Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Tsareena, typically with the help of a timely defensive Terastallization. Solid Rock means Rhyperior's two 4x weaknesses to Water and Grass aren't as bad as they seem. There is no shortage of amazing Ground-types in NU, so Rhyperior faces some pretty stiff competition from the likes of Flygon, Krookodile, and Swampert, butA Rhyperior's raw strength and bulk among these is unmatched. Rhyperior's poor Speed often mandates very speedy teammates like Noivern and Inteleon, lest its whole team gets blitzed before they can even act, although with proper investment, Rhyperior can outpace the likes of Slowbro, Vileplume, and Vaporeon and threaten them with its boosted attacks. Teams using Swords Dance Rhyperior may struggle to find a teammate that can feasibly use Stealth Rock without stacking type weaknesses with Rhyperior and also occupying a very poor Speed tier, such as the aforementioned Ground-types as well as Rock- and Steel-types like Diancie, Registeel, and Copperajah. Despite Rhyperior's amazing physical bulk and Solid Rock ability, attackers like Thundurus, Lycanroc-D, and Munkidori which it may switch into frequently, have super effective coverage to hit Rhyperior.
[SET]
name: Defensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Blast / Stone Edge
move 4: Dragon Tail / Ice Punch / Megahorn
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 240 SpD
tera type: Water / Dragon / Fairy
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Rock Blast may be preferable to Stone Edge for the OHKO on Focus Sash leads like Froslass and Galvantula, as well as damaging Pokemon hiding behind a Substitute like Chandelure and Mew. Although, Stone Edge has some merits of consistency for always OHKOing Flying-types like Noivern and Thundurus that Rock Blast may miss out on. Dragon Tail works especially well with entry hazard support from the likes of Spikes Klefki and Quagsire, along with Knock Off from Pokemon like Mienshao and Reuniclus to remove Heavy-Duty Boots. Ice Punch lets Rhyperior punish Grass-type switch-ins, 2HKOing Tsareena and Brambleghast and pressuring Vileplume. Alternatively, Ice Punch also allows Rhyperior to check Dragon Dance Flygon in a pinch, which is one of few Pokemon capable of resisting Rhyperior's STAB combination. Megahorn gives Rhyperior a way to threaten Grass-types like Tsareena and Wo-Chien while also hitting Slowbro super effectively. The given Defense EVs and Impish nature reach a jump point for an extra stat, with the rest dumped into Special Defense to better take on special wallbreakers like Toxtricity and Chandelure. Alternatively, an Adamant nature with 16 Attack EVs can be used to always 2HKO Slowbro with Megahorn after Stealth Rock. Tera Water and Dragon invert Rhyperior's weaknesess to Water and Grass, with the former offering a resistance to Ice and the latter handling the combination of both Fire- and Grass-type attacks, improving Rhyperior's matchup against sun teams. Tera Fairy flips Rhyperior's matchup against common Fighting-types like Mienshao, Lucario, and Infernape.
Rhyperior works excellently on entry hazard stacking teams, especially given its positive matchup against Defog users like Noivern and Talonflame and ability to effectively bait Tsareena. Spikes users like Klefki and Alolan Sandslash offer a Grass resistance to Rhyperior while appreciating the Fire resistance granted from Rhyperior's Rock typing. Fighting-types like Mienshao and Infernape invite in Flying-types like Talonflame and Thundurus, which Rhyperior can take great advantage of. These Fighting-types, as well as special walls like Reuniclus and Alolan Muk, are great at removing Heavy-Duty Boots for Rhyperior's hazards and phazing to shine. Grass-types like Vileplume, Tsareena, and Wo-Chien are great at sponging Water- and Grass-type attacks for Rhyperior. Ghost-types like Chandelure and Hisuian Typhlosion can block Rapid Spin in a pinch to help ensure Rhyperior's hazard-stacking endeavors are seen through.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Substitute / Megahorn / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers / Custap Berry
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe or 108 HP / 196 Atk / 204 Spe
tera type: Water / Dragon / Fairy
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Thanks to Rhyperior's absurd natural bulk, it can easily boost with Swords Dance and hit harder than almost anything can retaliate with. Additionally, because of its near-perfect STAB combination, Rhyperior needs very little in the way of extra moves, so Substitute is a great option to protect it from status moves from slower Pokemon like Toxic Quagsire and Leech Seed Vileplume. With Tera Water or Grass, bulky Water-types like Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Milotic suddenly become setup fodder, unable to even break Rhyperior's Substitute with a single attack. Rhyperior may opt to use Megahorn over Substitute, which offers a way to remove Grass-types like Tsareena and Brute Bonnet in a single hit without a Swords Dance boost while also netting a very notable OHKO on Slowbro at +2. Rhyperior's immense bulk and poor Speed makes Custap Berry an item seemingly designed for it, letting it trade hits until its HP gets very low and is able to be picked off, but not before it unleashes one final blow. Rhyperior may also use Stealth Rock on teams that mandate it, as Rhyperior's EdgeQuake coverage is often sufficient without the extra coverage of Megahorn or utility of Substitute. 192 Attack EVs are the minimum needed to OHKO Slowbro with +2 Megahorn, while 204 Speed EVs give Rhyperior the jump on Vaporeon. This EV spread gives Rhyperior some extra bulk, but 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe is acceptable to maximize its overall offensive profile.
Swords Dance Rhyperior is amazing at luring in and removing physical walls like Slowbro, Swampert, and Vileplume, so Pokemon that struggle to break through these like Choice Scarf Mienshao and Dragon Dance Feraligatr are great teammates. Despite Rhyperior's ability to effectively beat many Grass- and Water-types one-on-one, it will need to commit to Terastallizing to do so. Talonflame, Noivern, and Alolan Muk do great jobs at effectively checking Grass-types for Rhyperior, while Basculegion, Thundurus, and Tsareena are good Water-type checks. Fast sweepers like Inteleon, Noivern, and Choice Scarf Munkidori greatly appreciate Rhyperior's wallbreaking capabilities, often able to clean up after Rhyperior punches holes in the opposition. With an offensive EV spread, Rhyperior may find itself much more susceptible to being revenge killed by fast Fighting-types and special attackers. Fighting-types like Mienshao and Gallade can be managed with the likes of Talonflame, Vileplume, and Bellibolt, while special attackers like Munkidori, Toxtricity, and Sylveon can be managed with Klefki, Alolan Muk, or Assault Vest Magnezone.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Rhyperior can use its amazing overall bulk and a timely defensive Terastallization to pull off a Rock Polish set, although it often finds itself too slow to pull off sweeps even if it gets the opportunity to use both Swords Dance and Rock Polish. Roar can be used over Dragon Tail for an accurate phazing move that thwarts Fairy-types like Sylveon and Tera Fairy Mew, but extra chip damage and the inability to be blocked by Taunt are usually preferred. Smack Down can be used to alleviate prediction on Rhyperior's part, letting it spam Earthquake more freely, but the power of Stone Edge is greatly missed. Rhyperior can use Temper Flare or Heat Crash as an accurate way to hit Grass-types, with the former doubling in power after a Stone Edge miss, but they tend to lack the same power that Megahorn has while not hitting as many Pokemon. Lightning Rod can be used in conjunction with a Tera type weak to Electric to bait in Thundurus and Rotom-H, but this usually isn’t worth it, as it forces Rhyperior to Terastallize, and Solid Rock is better in every other situation. Tera Grass allows Rhyperior to take Grass-, Water-, and Ground-type attacks from Tsareena, Milotic, and Flygon, but they tend to carry super effective coverage like Triple Axel, Ice Beam, and U-turn. Tera Flying alleviates Rhyperior's Fighting- and Ground-type weaknesses; however, it leaves Rhyperior weak to Stealth Rock and Electric-types. Tera Steel Rhyperior retains its resistance to Normal-type attacks while becoming more suited to take on special attackers like Munkidori, Mew, and Dragalge.
Checks and Counters
====
**Bulky Water-types**: A 4x weakness to Water spells trouble for Rhyperior in a tier dominated by Slowbro, with other Water-types like Vaporeon, Milotic, and Swampert not far behind. Although Rhyperior has the tools to get around these Pokemon, they force a Terastallization at a minimum, not to mention a Scald burn can put Rhyperior out of commission for the entire game.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Tsareena, Brambleghast, and Brute Bonnet, although they don't particularly enjoy taking a powerful Stone Edge, can still pivot into Rhyperior and force a switch with their powerful STAB attacks. Bulkier Grass-types like Vileplume and Wo-Chien can find entry against Rhyperior fairly consistently.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Rhyperior's poor Special Defense and Speed leave it in the dust against pretty much any special wallbreaker; Inteleon, Chandelure, Venusaur, and Thundurus all have super effective coverage against Rhyperior, while other wallbreakers like Sylveon, Munkidori, and Toxtricity simply have the sheer strength to 2HKO Rhyperior even without coverage.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/stories.400664/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
Last edited:
