QC Checks: Hogg / GrilledClawitzer / dodmen
GP Checks: P Squared
[OVERVIEW]
* Suicune is one of the sturdiest walls the tier has to offer thanks to its amazing natural bulk and really solid defensive typing.
* Due to the qualities mentioned above, Suicune easily sets up Calm Mind against a large portion of the tier.
* Its ability puts a huge amount of pressure on bulkier squads.
* Suicune has a decent Speed stat, which means it outspeeds many common Pokemon with the correct EV spread.
* It doesn't have a reliable form of recovery and as such, must rely on Rest.
* It is weak to Grass- and Electric-types, which are common offensive teams.
* The introduction of Z-Moves made it easier for certain wallbreakers, such as Cobalion, to get past Suicune.
[SET]
name: RoarCune
move 1: Roar
move 2: Scald
move 3: Rest
move 4: Calm Mind / Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* As many setup sweepers, such as Latias and Reuniclus, will seek to set up on Suicune, Roar gives Suicune a tool to prevent such setup.
* Scald is its main STAB move, as it has a high chance to burn the few physical attackers that threaten Suicune.
* Rest gives Suicune a form of recovery and allows it to cure status.
* Calm Mind helps shore up Suicune's Special Defense and can make Suicune a potent sweeper in the late-game; however, without Sleep Talk, Suicune can be taken advantage of while resting.
* Sleep Talk can be used instead Calm Mind if the team has solid wincons and is lacking a dedicated phazer.
Set Details
========
* Leftovers gives Suicune a form of passive recovery that increases its longevity.
* The given EV spread with a Bold nature allows Suicune to outspeed Modest Primarina and uninvested Togekiss, while the rest of the EVs are invested in its HP and Defense to maximize its bulk.
* Pressure allows Suicune to PP stall many of the tier's staples, such as Clefable.
Usage Tips
========
* Playing aggressively with Suicune during the early-game with Scald and Roar and then setting up Calm Mind in the late-game is strongly recommended, unless the Special Defense boosts are helpful for Suicune during the early- or mid-game, such as taking advantage of Primarina and Gengar.
* Suicune finds opportunities to switch in against passive Pokemon and has the needed bulk to check some physical attackers such as Krookodile and Mega Aerodactyl. It dislikes having its item knocked off, though, and Hone Claws variants of Mega Aerodactyl can still break through it.
* Suicune finds opportunities to set up with Calm Mind against passive walls such as Blissey and Clefable. Some walls, such as Slowbro, can boost up alongside it and eventually beat it, though. Roar can usually deal with such Pokemon, but if they are the last remaining Pokemon, Suicune will lose.
Team Options
========
* Spikes setters, such as Klefki and Chesnaught, are always good partners to Roar sets, as opposing Pokemon are easily worn down by the layers of Spikes.
* Cleric support from Pokemon such as Clefable and Blissey is appreciated, and it's mandatory if Suicune is lacking Sleep Talk.
* Suicune is very appreciated on balance and semi-stall archetypes due to its phazing capabilities as well as the sweeping ability during the late-game.
* Scizor has a good synergy with Suicune, as it resists Grass and takes hits from strong Psychic-types, such as Alakazam and Latias, while Suicune provides a check to Fire-types.
* Ground-types such as Hippowdon and Krookodile are amazing teammates because they are immune to Electric and provide Suicune with Stealth Rock support.
* Strong wallbreakers such as Bisharp and Gengar punish Defoggers and spinners that can remove entry hazards on Suicune, such as Latias, Tsareena, and Starmie.
* Pokemon such as Clefable and Amoonguss that can deal with strong special attackers are good teammates as well.
* Grass-types, mainly Tsareena and Celebi, are solid partners, as they check Electric- and Grass-types really well while playing important roles on a team, such as removing entry hazards or setting them, respectively.
* Suicune appreciates entry hazard removal a lot, as it doesn't have a reliable form of recovery. This means Tsareena, Starmie, Tentacruel, and Scizor are solid teammates.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind + Protect
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Protect
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Scald
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 40 SpD / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Calm Mind gives Suicune a way to boost its Special Attack and Special Defense, and even strong special attackers will struggle against Suicune if it sets up.
* Protect is used to stall the PP of opposing Pokemon while restoring 6.25% of Suicune's health each turn, not to mention that it can be used to scout attacks.
* Substitute can be used in conjunction with Calm Mind to make it harder for special attackers to break the Substitute. In addition, it allows Suicune to avoid status and provides insurance against possible critical hits, but its main role is to stall the PP of common Pokemon on stall builds, such as Amoonguss, Blissey, and Clefable.
* Scald is Suicune's main way to deal damage to foes, as it has a decent Base Power and an excellent chance to burn.
Set Details
========
* Leftovers are mandatory, as its passive recovery allows for Suicune to stay healthy. It also allows for recovering off the health lost upon creating a Substitute.
* The given Speed EVs are used to outspeed maximum Speed Togekiss and base 70s, such as Volcanion and Bisharp. Maximum HP investment gives Suicune 404 HP so Substitute is never broken by a Seismic Toss. The rest of the EVs ensure Amoonguss is not breaking Suicune's Substitute at +1, and make it easier to take hits from strong special attackers such as Primarina.
* Pressure allows Suicune to wear down opposing bulkier Pokemon, such as Blissey and Quagsire, as the PP of these will be reduced by 2 instead of 1 if a move is targeting Suicune.
Usage Tips
========
* This set must be played carefully, as it depends on having a huge amount of HP to begin setting up.
* Avoid having Leftovers removed via Trick or Knock Off, as Suicune already heavily relies on it to recover its health.
* Playing patiently against bulkier builds, mainly semi-stall and stall, is strongly recommended, as Suicune performs really well against these.
* This set finds a lot of setup opportunities against passive Pokemon, such as non-Swords Dance Scizor, Blissey, and Clefable.
* Use Substitute to avoid status, as it will eventually stop Suicune's opportunities to set up and sweep.
Team Options
========
* Entry hazard removal support from Pokemon such as Scizor, Tsareena, and Starmie is for sure one of the best forms of support to this set, since it hates switching in on Stealth Rock and Spikes repeatedly, especially because this set lacks Rest.
* Cleric support from Togekiss and Tsareena is well appreciated, as this set is easily worn down by status.
* Wish support from Pokemon such as Clefable and Blissey is helpful, since Suicune lacks a reliable form of recovery.
* Wallbreakers that can remove Calm Mind attackers, namely Raikou and Latias, are appreciated, as Suicune can't beat those.
* Ground- and Steel-types such as Hippowdon and Scizor support this set really well, as they easily tank Electric- and Grass-type attacks.
* Hippowdon and Clefable, Pokemon that can take hits from strong wallbreakers, are good teammates as well, as this set is not specialized in taking strong hits from wallbreakers.
* Grounded Poison-types such as Amoonguss and Nidoqueen can absorb Toxic Spikes, a hazard that compromises Suicune's longevity.
[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Hydro Pump / Scald
move 3: Ice Beam / Signal Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Electric / Tailwind
item: Leftovers / Waterium Z
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Calm Mind is mainly used to boost Suicune's Special Attack on this set, as its main purpose is to hit as hard as possible. The Special Defense boosts are still appreciated, though, as they allow Suicune to take some special attacks better.
* Hydro Pump is Suicune's main STAB attack due to its high Base Power, not to mention that it OHKOes some Pokemon at +1, such as Cobalion, Bisharp, and offensive Scizor.
* Scald can be used over Hydro Pump as the STAB move, as trading a high Base Power for a move with a burn chance and perfect accuracy move is sometimes worth it.
* Ice Beam hits Grass- and Dragon-types such as Tsareena and Latias really hard at +1.
* Signal Beam, however, can be used instead of Ice Beam, as it hits Celebi harder while still hitting relevant Dragon-types such as Latias and Hydreigon.
* Hidden Power Electric surprises Mantine, Empoleon, and Volcanion, which hard checks to Suicune.
* Tailwind can be used instead of Hidden Power Electric, as it is a better option against offensive archetypes.
Set Details
========
* Leftovers gives Suicune a form of passive recovery, and based on that, certain opponents will assume that Suicune is running a defensive set.
* Waterium Z can be used instead of Leftovers, as Suicune will take less damage from Knock Off and will hit Pokemon that would otherwise wall it, such as Clefable, harder, with a one-time nuke.
* The given EV spread, along with a Timid nature, maximizes Suicune's Speed and Special Attack stats, which Suicune needs to outspeed threats such as Adamant Lucario while hitting as hard as possible.
* A Modest nature can be used too, but then Suicune loses out on outspeeding some Pokemon, such as Chandelure and Togekiss.
* An alternative spread of 200 HP / 252 SpA / 56 Spe with a Modest nature for Tailwind variants can be used, as it outspeeds Mega Aerodactyl under Tailwind and gives Suicune more bulk and power.
Usage Tips
========
* This set is a good mid- or late-game sweeper, as it isn't hard to overload its checks.
* Using this set as an early-game wallbreaker is also recommended, as many answers to it, such as Mantine and Celebi, can be removed due to the element of surprise.
* Bluffing defensive sets is strongly recommended, as opponents may use Pokemon such as Mantine to remove the Calm Mind boosts through Haze or Celebi to set up Nasty Plot, which Suicune can take advantage of to get a KO.
* As Suicune is lacking bulk while using this set, switching it into strong attacks is suboptimal.
Team Options
========
* This set fits better on teams with Spikes support from Pokemon such as Klefki and Roserade, as Suicune appreciates the passive damage to more easily wallbreak.
* Fighting-types can easily remove its counters, especially Blissey.
* Pokemon that resist Grass, such as Scizor and Celebi, are great teammates as well.
* Ground-types, such as Krookodile and Gliscor, help Suicune to take Electric-type attacks while it provides a check against Ice-types.
* Strong wallbreakers such as Hydreigon and Gengar can wear down Suicune's checks easily.
* Pursuit trappers, especially Mega Absol and Mega Aerodactyl, can trap Latias and Alakazam, Pokemon that can threaten Suicune if it didn't have the opportunity to set up Calm Mind.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Calm Mind alongside Rest and Sleep Talk is a solid option, but it is a bait for setup sweepers such as Celebi and Slowbro, as it lacks Roar.
* Toxic can be used to surprise Pokemon such as Mantine, Gastrodon, and Volcanion, but Suicune rarely has room for it.
* Suicune can run Extrasensory or Air Slash to hit Toxicroak, but its uses are pretty limited otherwise.
* Rain Dance is an option on a set with Waterium Z, but offensive Suicune lacks coverage with only two attacking moves, so this set is largely outclassed by stronger sweepers such as Keldeo.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Celebi and Decidueye threaten Suicune with their powerful STAB moves while taking little damage from Scald, but the latter hates being burned and both struggle against the offensive variant.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types such as Raikou and Magneton can OHKO Suicune with their hard-hitting Electric-type STAB moves, but they hate being burned too.
**Water-immune Pokemon**: Pokemon that are immune to Water, such as Mantine, Volcanion, Gastrodon, and Toxicroak, can wall Suicune perfectly. Mantine and Volcanion can carry Haze, Gastrodon can run Curse and defeat Suicune one-on-one, and Toxicroak easily sets up Swords Dance in front of Suicune.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Choice Band Krookodile, Swords Dance Bisharp, and Choice Specs Keldeo can take advantage of Suicune's lack of reliable recovery and easily wear it down.
**Bulky Taunt Users**: Hydreigon and Mew can take hits from Suicune really well, as they have a reliable form of recovery, and proceed to wear down Suicune easily with Taunt. Hydreigon has to, however, scout for Ice Beam.
**Opposing Calm Mind Sweepers**: Pokemon that are commonly seen using Calm Mind, such as Keldeo, Latias, Reuniclus, and Slowbro, can easily beat Suicune one-on-one if it's lacking Roar.
**Phazers and Haze Users**: Pokemon with Roar, Haze, and Clear Smog can easily remove Suicune's Calm Mind boosts.
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