Now working on Rhyhorn. Rock Polish, Choice Band, and Defensive are the three most viable sets.
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http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/rhyhorn
Status: Complete.
Added:
Altered EVs for Bulky Rhyhorn set. More Attack lets it hit a new damage range per-hit with Rock Blast.
Choice Band Rhyhorn has Aqua Tail over Ice Fang, Adamant Nature.
Oran and Expert Belt abolished from RP Rhyhorn, type berries in Set Options.
Spelling and Grammar edits completed.
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Megahorn / Ice Fang
item: Life Orb
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 236 Atk / 236 Spe / 36 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>In Little Cup the difference between the Speeds of slow pokemon and fast pokemon is numerically insubstantial. Even dismally slow pokemon like Rhyhorn can reach the upper ranks after a single stat-up. Combine this with Rhyhorn's massive innate strength and huge movepool and it is a force to be reckoned with.</p>
<p>Not only do Earthquake and Stone Edge have nearly unresisted coverage in Little Cup, Rhyhorn has STAB on both of them. The two pokemon that resist the combo are Baltoy and Bronzor. Megahorn easily dispatches Baltoy and hits Bronzor quite hard. Ice Fang however is particularly effective against the omni-present Gligar, who can survive a Stone Edge coming in. Megahorn is generally more useful because it hits the Grass-types resistant to Earthquake much harder than Ice Fang, but Gligar is a common encounter.</p>
<p>Jolly is selected here because several threatening positive natured scarfers rest on 25 speed, most notably Mankey and Houndour, who can KO Rhyhorn with Close Combat and Hidden Power Grass respectively. You also want to avoid speed ties with a host of pokemon that rest on 24 like Scarf Cranidos and Wailmer. Thus the 26 Speed Rhyhorn has with Jolly greatly decreases Rhyhorn's potential checks.</p>
<p>Life Orb significantly increases damage, and with nearly unresisted STABs it KO's all but the sturdiest pokemon that come in to face it. Oran Berry isn't really viable here because you need the extra damage. You could however use Chople or Shuca Berry as a surprise to survive one Fighting or Ground attack, respectively. It really isn't worth it to halve damage from Water or Grass attacks, few of them are Physical and they still calculate at 2x damage.</p>
<p>Even without the set up Rhyhorn has a tremendous 18 Attack, so switch-ins should be very careful. Not even Gligar wants to eat multiple Stone Edges. That being said Rhyhorn is still quite slow and suffers from an extremely bad case of 4-moveslot syndrome in this set.</p>
<p>Rock Polish Rhyhorn is particularly weak to Aqua Jet, so Croagunk is an excellent partner to soak up Water attacks. Its further resistances to Vacuum Wave, Mach Punch, and Grass attacks are also welcome. Paras can be used to similar effect but unfortunately shares a weakness to Ice Shard. In the case of Bronzor, your primary concern is Flash Cannon so Magnet Rise Magnemite can come in quite handy. Watch out for Earthquake, though.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Megahorn / Fire Fang
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 156 HP/ 236 Atk / 76 Spe /36 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>There is no such thing as a safe switch-in to Choice Band Rhyhorn. Its STAB moves complement each other nearly perfectly and its other options are essentially limitless. Switching in expecting one STAB and receiving the other is usually a death sentence, especially if you were relying on resistance or immunity to save your hide. Even though Stone Edge has shaky accuracy, the critical hit chance makes it difficult even for resistant pokemon to come in without suffering tremendous damage. Aqua Tail always KOs standard Gligar variants with SR down. Its KO chances without SR are about 50% on 0/0 HP/Def Gligar and 3% on 156/0 HP/Def Gligar. The power of Choice Band combined with Aqua Tail's higher Base Power make it entirely superior to Ice Fang in this instance, and because it hits Max/Max Bronzor for about 40-45%, Bronzor is put in the difficult position of resting just above where Oran would activate. Assuming Oran is not activated in the meantime, Rhyhorn can KO it with Megahorn or Fire Fang from that HP level if Bronzor tries to switch in again. The final slot is between Megahorn and Fire Fang to address Bronzor. Fire Fang technically does more damage and guarantees a 2HKO on Max/Max HP/Def Bronzor factoring in Oran Berry, but Megahorn provides a much harder hit to random switch-ins.</p>
<p>Mercifully, Choice Band Rhyhorn is very slow and thus almost always has to take a hit before attacking. Otherwise prediction is your best hope of defeating it without suffering many losses. If you catch it on an Earthquake with your Levitating Ghost, burning Rhyhorn renders it largely harmless. Stone Edge is the safest move Rhyhorn can use despite its 80% accuracy, so both users and opponents should be aware of this when considering what, if anything, to switch in.</p>
<p>Adamant Nature is what allows Rhyhorn its high KO potential. Jolly misses out on too many potential KO's to be considered. The difference between 28 and 27 Attack is amazing for calculation purposes. If you for some reason want to pass CB Rhyhorn speed, Jolly and 236 Speed is better for reasons listed in the Rock Polish set, but such a move is risky and difficult to pull off.</p>
<p>Because of its low Speed, partners that can paralyze or otherwise incapacitate opponents serve Rhyhorn well. Exeggcute is notable for being able to sleep and paralyze enemies, it can also boost Fire Fang's power with Sunny Day and become a powerful sweeper in its own right. Magnemite can address Water-types and also incapacitate with Thunder Wave. It notably also traps Bronzor. Venonat takes Grass attacks well and can also pass Rhyhorn an Agility for a late-game sweep. It is difficult to stop a rampaging STAB Earthquake when all the Flying-types and Levitators have been removed (similarly, though with less consistent results, with Stone Edge).</p>
[SET]
name: Sub Rhyhorn
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Blast / Stone Edge
move 4: Ice Fang / Stealth Rock
item: Oran Berry
ability: Rock Head
nature: Impish
evs: 196 HP/ 236 Atk / 36 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Unmentioned so far are Rhyhorn's impressive HP and Defense stats. Combined with resistance to Stealth Rock and a boosted Special Defense in sandstorm, Rhyhorn can be a tough nut to crack when played properly. Although it has many common weaknesses, its ability to switch into Normal, Flying, Fire, Electric, and Rock attacks serves it well.</p>
<p>Substitute eases prediction a great deal, and can force opponents that would ordinarily stat-up to attack directly. This set plays much more conservatively that the others. You want to scout your opponent's team and determine the most likely switch-in, then use the attack most effective against them. Rock Blast is generally used over Stone Edge here to deal with Substituting Ghosts, Stone Edge does deal consistent damage however. Immunity to Charge Beam means Rhyhorn can come in on SubMisdreavus and break its Substitute while doing credible damage. The Calculation runs at 6-7 damage per hit, so 4 hits will KO through Sub.</p>
<p>Because Rhyhorn's Special Defense is still lackluster, Hippopotas is an excellent partner to bring on permanent sandstorm. Rhyhorn's defenses factoring the boost in are 27/18/15; not shabby at all. The same rules apply for many partners, Croagunk absorbing Water attacks, Magnemite trapping Bronzor, etc.</p>
<p>Rhyhorn generally has better things to do than Stealth Rock, but it is an option if your other slots are fill and you can use Rhyhorn's threat to set it up. Ice Fang is therefore preferred because of the coverage and the ability to ward off Gligar in one attack.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Rhyhorn's abyssmal Speed means it operates extremely well in Trick Room. Every set except Rock Polish can be converted into a functioning Trick Room set by selecting Brave (or Relaxed for defensive) Nature and 0 Speed IV. Place the Speed EVs into HP or Defense, 236 doesn't split well between Rhyhorn's defensive stats. Rock Blast and Stone Edge each have their advantages and are somewhat interchangeable on each set. Be aware though that Rock Blast's unreliable Base Power can mitigate its Sub-and-Sash-crushing abilities.</p>
<p>Rhyhorn has a massive physical movepool but generally the options outlined in the sets are superior. Crunch, Payback, Superpower, Reversal, Thunder Fang, Dragon Rush, and Double-edge are all there for anyone who wants to try something different or niche. Rhyhorn can also Fire Blast but its Special Attack is too low and Fire Fang has more synergy with all its sets.</p>
<p>Rhyhorn does have access to Swords Dance but is generally too slow to use it. In Trick Room it is on a timer and thus usually impractical. If you could pass it Speed you might be able to pull it off, and good luck stopping Rhyhorn then. Phazing isn't really valuable in Little Cup but Rhyhorn can Roar out opponents if need be. Rhyhorn has too many weaknesses to consider running Curse.</p>
<p>Counter is viable given the number of low-powered super effective physical attacks Rhyhorn can be exposed to in Little Cup. However, Rhyhorn is generally powerful enough that straight attacking is superior to Countering.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Unfortunately Rhyhorn's Attack, Defense, and Speed all end in 5, so it is difficult to allocate EV's efficiently when two of them are usually maxed in a given set. 36 Special Defense EVs bring it's SpD to 10, which becomes 15 in Sandstorm, letting it survive against 2x Super Effective Hidden Powers at high HP percentages.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Rhyhorn can sweep effectively given the chance but low Speed lets it down. Pokemon that can reliably paralyze like Exeggcute, Venonat, and Magnemite thus make excellent partners. Sandstorm boosts Rhyhorn's pitiful Special Defense to credible levels, so Hippopotas is a suitable partner despite doubling up on weaknesses. Croagunk can switch into many of the pokemon that threaten Rhyhorn and either set up itself or drive them out. A good lead to use with Rhyhorn is Voltorb, because it can keep Water-types at bay, Taunt opposing rocks (or Rain Dance leads), and its Static ability can paralyze lead U-turners or other physically offensive pokemon. The compound Ground weakness is unfortunate, but there are many potential teammates that can address Ground attacks. Duskull can ward off many of the Fighting- and Ground-types that come in to revenge kill Rhyhorn, as a burned Fighting- or Ground-type has minimal chance of KOing a healthy Rhyhorn. Watch out for Guts on Machop, although Dynamicpunch is usually the giveaway to burn it with impunity.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Rhyhorn is a freight train of a Pokemon with an impressive movepool, excellent physical stats, and suitable answers to many would-be checks and counters. Its biggest weakness is the poor Speed that allows many Pokemon to revenge kill or set up after scaring it out. Its greatest advantages over other Ground/Rock brethren is it ability to deal severe damage to what would ordinarily check based on type alone, Gligar being a prime example. It also has access to several 100+ Base Power moves simultaneously, making every attack a functional wrecking ball. Played properly it can run roughshod even over prepared opponents with its sheer power.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Gligar and Bronzor are the most immediate counters, assuming they do not switch in on an unresisted attack. Duskull can also perform admirably and is able to burn Rhyhorn with Will-O-Wisp or Disable its Rock attack. Cubone and Sandshrew resist Stone Edge and generally have enough Defense to retaliate with an Earthquake of their own. They usually stop Rock Polish in its tracks but cannot survive multiple Choice Banded Earthquakes. If Magnemite can Magnet Rise before an Earthquake, it effectively walls sets without Fire Fang or Superpower.</p>
<p>Revenge killers to Rhyhorn are legion, including most Water- and Grass-types and the aforementioned Gligar. Mankey and Machop can also KO it with their powerful Fighting moves. Generally speaking if your attack is super effective and STAB, you can revenge kill Rhyhorn. Diglett is especially notable here, although without Scarf or an unbroken Sash it has no hope against a Rhyhorn that has already used Rock Polish.</p>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/rhyhorn
Status: Complete.
Added:
Altered EVs for Bulky Rhyhorn set. More Attack lets it hit a new damage range per-hit with Rock Blast.
Choice Band Rhyhorn has Aqua Tail over Ice Fang, Adamant Nature.
Oran and Expert Belt abolished from RP Rhyhorn, type berries in Set Options.
Spelling and Grammar edits completed.
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Megahorn / Ice Fang
item: Life Orb
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 236 Atk / 236 Spe / 36 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>In Little Cup the difference between the Speeds of slow pokemon and fast pokemon is numerically insubstantial. Even dismally slow pokemon like Rhyhorn can reach the upper ranks after a single stat-up. Combine this with Rhyhorn's massive innate strength and huge movepool and it is a force to be reckoned with.</p>
<p>Not only do Earthquake and Stone Edge have nearly unresisted coverage in Little Cup, Rhyhorn has STAB on both of them. The two pokemon that resist the combo are Baltoy and Bronzor. Megahorn easily dispatches Baltoy and hits Bronzor quite hard. Ice Fang however is particularly effective against the omni-present Gligar, who can survive a Stone Edge coming in. Megahorn is generally more useful because it hits the Grass-types resistant to Earthquake much harder than Ice Fang, but Gligar is a common encounter.</p>
<p>Jolly is selected here because several threatening positive natured scarfers rest on 25 speed, most notably Mankey and Houndour, who can KO Rhyhorn with Close Combat and Hidden Power Grass respectively. You also want to avoid speed ties with a host of pokemon that rest on 24 like Scarf Cranidos and Wailmer. Thus the 26 Speed Rhyhorn has with Jolly greatly decreases Rhyhorn's potential checks.</p>
<p>Life Orb significantly increases damage, and with nearly unresisted STABs it KO's all but the sturdiest pokemon that come in to face it. Oran Berry isn't really viable here because you need the extra damage. You could however use Chople or Shuca Berry as a surprise to survive one Fighting or Ground attack, respectively. It really isn't worth it to halve damage from Water or Grass attacks, few of them are Physical and they still calculate at 2x damage.</p>
<p>Even without the set up Rhyhorn has a tremendous 18 Attack, so switch-ins should be very careful. Not even Gligar wants to eat multiple Stone Edges. That being said Rhyhorn is still quite slow and suffers from an extremely bad case of 4-moveslot syndrome in this set.</p>
<p>Rock Polish Rhyhorn is particularly weak to Aqua Jet, so Croagunk is an excellent partner to soak up Water attacks. Its further resistances to Vacuum Wave, Mach Punch, and Grass attacks are also welcome. Paras can be used to similar effect but unfortunately shares a weakness to Ice Shard. In the case of Bronzor, your primary concern is Flash Cannon so Magnet Rise Magnemite can come in quite handy. Watch out for Earthquake, though.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Megahorn / Fire Fang
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 156 HP/ 236 Atk / 76 Spe /36 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>There is no such thing as a safe switch-in to Choice Band Rhyhorn. Its STAB moves complement each other nearly perfectly and its other options are essentially limitless. Switching in expecting one STAB and receiving the other is usually a death sentence, especially if you were relying on resistance or immunity to save your hide. Even though Stone Edge has shaky accuracy, the critical hit chance makes it difficult even for resistant pokemon to come in without suffering tremendous damage. Aqua Tail always KOs standard Gligar variants with SR down. Its KO chances without SR are about 50% on 0/0 HP/Def Gligar and 3% on 156/0 HP/Def Gligar. The power of Choice Band combined with Aqua Tail's higher Base Power make it entirely superior to Ice Fang in this instance, and because it hits Max/Max Bronzor for about 40-45%, Bronzor is put in the difficult position of resting just above where Oran would activate. Assuming Oran is not activated in the meantime, Rhyhorn can KO it with Megahorn or Fire Fang from that HP level if Bronzor tries to switch in again. The final slot is between Megahorn and Fire Fang to address Bronzor. Fire Fang technically does more damage and guarantees a 2HKO on Max/Max HP/Def Bronzor factoring in Oran Berry, but Megahorn provides a much harder hit to random switch-ins.</p>
<p>Mercifully, Choice Band Rhyhorn is very slow and thus almost always has to take a hit before attacking. Otherwise prediction is your best hope of defeating it without suffering many losses. If you catch it on an Earthquake with your Levitating Ghost, burning Rhyhorn renders it largely harmless. Stone Edge is the safest move Rhyhorn can use despite its 80% accuracy, so both users and opponents should be aware of this when considering what, if anything, to switch in.</p>
<p>Adamant Nature is what allows Rhyhorn its high KO potential. Jolly misses out on too many potential KO's to be considered. The difference between 28 and 27 Attack is amazing for calculation purposes. If you for some reason want to pass CB Rhyhorn speed, Jolly and 236 Speed is better for reasons listed in the Rock Polish set, but such a move is risky and difficult to pull off.</p>
<p>Because of its low Speed, partners that can paralyze or otherwise incapacitate opponents serve Rhyhorn well. Exeggcute is notable for being able to sleep and paralyze enemies, it can also boost Fire Fang's power with Sunny Day and become a powerful sweeper in its own right. Magnemite can address Water-types and also incapacitate with Thunder Wave. It notably also traps Bronzor. Venonat takes Grass attacks well and can also pass Rhyhorn an Agility for a late-game sweep. It is difficult to stop a rampaging STAB Earthquake when all the Flying-types and Levitators have been removed (similarly, though with less consistent results, with Stone Edge).</p>
[SET]
name: Sub Rhyhorn
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Blast / Stone Edge
move 4: Ice Fang / Stealth Rock
item: Oran Berry
ability: Rock Head
nature: Impish
evs: 196 HP/ 236 Atk / 36 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Unmentioned so far are Rhyhorn's impressive HP and Defense stats. Combined with resistance to Stealth Rock and a boosted Special Defense in sandstorm, Rhyhorn can be a tough nut to crack when played properly. Although it has many common weaknesses, its ability to switch into Normal, Flying, Fire, Electric, and Rock attacks serves it well.</p>
<p>Substitute eases prediction a great deal, and can force opponents that would ordinarily stat-up to attack directly. This set plays much more conservatively that the others. You want to scout your opponent's team and determine the most likely switch-in, then use the attack most effective against them. Rock Blast is generally used over Stone Edge here to deal with Substituting Ghosts, Stone Edge does deal consistent damage however. Immunity to Charge Beam means Rhyhorn can come in on SubMisdreavus and break its Substitute while doing credible damage. The Calculation runs at 6-7 damage per hit, so 4 hits will KO through Sub.</p>
<p>Because Rhyhorn's Special Defense is still lackluster, Hippopotas is an excellent partner to bring on permanent sandstorm. Rhyhorn's defenses factoring the boost in are 27/18/15; not shabby at all. The same rules apply for many partners, Croagunk absorbing Water attacks, Magnemite trapping Bronzor, etc.</p>
<p>Rhyhorn generally has better things to do than Stealth Rock, but it is an option if your other slots are fill and you can use Rhyhorn's threat to set it up. Ice Fang is therefore preferred because of the coverage and the ability to ward off Gligar in one attack.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Rhyhorn's abyssmal Speed means it operates extremely well in Trick Room. Every set except Rock Polish can be converted into a functioning Trick Room set by selecting Brave (or Relaxed for defensive) Nature and 0 Speed IV. Place the Speed EVs into HP or Defense, 236 doesn't split well between Rhyhorn's defensive stats. Rock Blast and Stone Edge each have their advantages and are somewhat interchangeable on each set. Be aware though that Rock Blast's unreliable Base Power can mitigate its Sub-and-Sash-crushing abilities.</p>
<p>Rhyhorn has a massive physical movepool but generally the options outlined in the sets are superior. Crunch, Payback, Superpower, Reversal, Thunder Fang, Dragon Rush, and Double-edge are all there for anyone who wants to try something different or niche. Rhyhorn can also Fire Blast but its Special Attack is too low and Fire Fang has more synergy with all its sets.</p>
<p>Rhyhorn does have access to Swords Dance but is generally too slow to use it. In Trick Room it is on a timer and thus usually impractical. If you could pass it Speed you might be able to pull it off, and good luck stopping Rhyhorn then. Phazing isn't really valuable in Little Cup but Rhyhorn can Roar out opponents if need be. Rhyhorn has too many weaknesses to consider running Curse.</p>
<p>Counter is viable given the number of low-powered super effective physical attacks Rhyhorn can be exposed to in Little Cup. However, Rhyhorn is generally powerful enough that straight attacking is superior to Countering.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Unfortunately Rhyhorn's Attack, Defense, and Speed all end in 5, so it is difficult to allocate EV's efficiently when two of them are usually maxed in a given set. 36 Special Defense EVs bring it's SpD to 10, which becomes 15 in Sandstorm, letting it survive against 2x Super Effective Hidden Powers at high HP percentages.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Rhyhorn can sweep effectively given the chance but low Speed lets it down. Pokemon that can reliably paralyze like Exeggcute, Venonat, and Magnemite thus make excellent partners. Sandstorm boosts Rhyhorn's pitiful Special Defense to credible levels, so Hippopotas is a suitable partner despite doubling up on weaknesses. Croagunk can switch into many of the pokemon that threaten Rhyhorn and either set up itself or drive them out. A good lead to use with Rhyhorn is Voltorb, because it can keep Water-types at bay, Taunt opposing rocks (or Rain Dance leads), and its Static ability can paralyze lead U-turners or other physically offensive pokemon. The compound Ground weakness is unfortunate, but there are many potential teammates that can address Ground attacks. Duskull can ward off many of the Fighting- and Ground-types that come in to revenge kill Rhyhorn, as a burned Fighting- or Ground-type has minimal chance of KOing a healthy Rhyhorn. Watch out for Guts on Machop, although Dynamicpunch is usually the giveaway to burn it with impunity.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Rhyhorn is a freight train of a Pokemon with an impressive movepool, excellent physical stats, and suitable answers to many would-be checks and counters. Its biggest weakness is the poor Speed that allows many Pokemon to revenge kill or set up after scaring it out. Its greatest advantages over other Ground/Rock brethren is it ability to deal severe damage to what would ordinarily check based on type alone, Gligar being a prime example. It also has access to several 100+ Base Power moves simultaneously, making every attack a functional wrecking ball. Played properly it can run roughshod even over prepared opponents with its sheer power.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Gligar and Bronzor are the most immediate counters, assuming they do not switch in on an unresisted attack. Duskull can also perform admirably and is able to burn Rhyhorn with Will-O-Wisp or Disable its Rock attack. Cubone and Sandshrew resist Stone Edge and generally have enough Defense to retaliate with an Earthquake of their own. They usually stop Rock Polish in its tracks but cannot survive multiple Choice Banded Earthquakes. If Magnemite can Magnet Rise before an Earthquake, it effectively walls sets without Fire Fang or Superpower.</p>
<p>Revenge killers to Rhyhorn are legion, including most Water- and Grass-types and the aforementioned Gligar. Mankey and Machop can also KO it with their powerful Fighting moves. Generally speaking if your attack is super effective and STAB, you can revenge kill Rhyhorn. Diglett is especially notable here, although without Scarf or an unbroken Sash it has no hope against a Rhyhorn that has already used Rock Polish.</p>
