Hearthflame Mask
Type: Grass/Fire
Stats: 80 HP/120 ATK/84 DEF/60 SPA/96 SPD/110 SPE (Total: 550)
Ability: Mold Breaker and Embody Aspect (starts as Mold Breaker, changes to Embody Aspect when it terastalizes.
New Ability:
Embody Aspect - The Pokémon's heart fills with memories, causing the Hearthflame Mask to shine and the Pokémon's Attack stat to be boosted.
New Move:
Ivy Cudgel - The user strikes with an ivy-wrapped cudgel. This move's type changes depending on the mask worn by the user, and it has a heightened chance of landing a critical hit.
100 BP/100 ACC/10 PP/Physical, Fire when holding Hearthflame Mask
Notable Moves:
Ivy Cudgel
Wood Hammer
Power Whip
Swords Dance
Knock Off
U-Turn
Spikes
Superpower
Horn Leech
Play Rough
Zen Headbutt
Encore
Synthesis
Taunt
Pros:
- Speed tier of 110 allows Ogerpon to outspeed threats like Walking Wake and Enamorus while tying with Iron Moth
- Gaining Embody Aspect after Terastalization increases Ogerpons damage output even further for the rest of the game
- Swords Dance alongside a great STAB combo of Ivy Cudgel and one of Wood Hammer or Power Whip allows Ogeepon to be a threatening wallbreaker, even bypassing defensive abilities like Flash Fire and Unaware before terastalization
- Great coverage in primarily Knock Off and Superpower allowing Ogerpon to add more reach in the slower pokemon it instantly threatens
- Utility options such as Spikes and U-Turn to punish predicted switches, Taunt to block hazards, status, setup and recovery, Encore for easier SD and the ability to check Kingambit and Knock Off to remove items
- Hearthflame Mask gives an unremovable 20% damage bonus to all attacks, making it a solid option.
- Hearthflame Ogerpon requires the held item "Hearthflame Mask" to use, making Ogerpon very vulnerable to hazards and limiting Ogerpons speed tier. Update: Masks were found to boost the damage of both of Ogerpons STAB moves by 20%! Source: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/scarlet-violet-battle-mechanics-research.3709545/post-9780615
- While holding the Hearthflame Mask, Ogerpon is locked to Tera Fire making the hazard problem even worse and limiting it's set diversity
- Due to Species Clause, you will not be able to use Teal Mask, Wellspring Mask or Cornerstone Mask on your team by using this Ogerpon form
- Lack of Choice Scarf leaves Ogerpon always outsped by threats like Iron Valiant, Cinderace and Sneasler
- While Ogerpon is not frail, hazard vulnerability combined with a typing that doesn't resist common priority leaves Ogerpon easy to pick off with priority
Hearthflame Mask Ogerpon is locked to Tera Fire and it's terastalization has a special effect that gives Ogerpon Embody Aspect Attack.
Mold Breaker isn't too useful for Ogerpon and the attack boost turns Ogerpon into even more of a nuke, especially in sun. However, Ogerpons Terastalization is very telegraphed due to only being possibly one type that it already is so defensive applications will be limited.
Potential Sets:
Ogerpon @ Hearthflame Mask
Ability: Mold Breaker
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Ivy Cudgel
- Power Whip/Wood Hammer/Horn Leech
- Knock Off/Superpower/Horn Leech/Play Rough
Swords Dance allows Ogerpon to be a truly threatening wallbreaker, with it's high pase power STAB and good attack stat. Ivy Cudgel is it's only fire move, for Grass stab it has the options of Wood Hammer and Power Whip, Wood Hammer comes at the cost of valuable HP and Power Whip is innacurate. Alternatively, Horn Leech can be used to try and offset Stealth Rocks. For slot four, none of the moves are necessary but Knock and Superpower are good coverage and Horn Leech can be used in slot four instead if you want the 120 base power of Wood Hammer and Power Whip. Play Rough ohkos dragons after an SD.
Ability: Mold Breaker
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Ivy Cudgel
- Power Whip/Wood Hammer/Horn Leech
- Knock Off/Superpower/Horn Leech/Play Rough
Swords Dance allows Ogerpon to be a truly threatening wallbreaker, with it's high pase power STAB and good attack stat. Ivy Cudgel is it's only fire move, for Grass stab it has the options of Wood Hammer and Power Whip, Wood Hammer comes at the cost of valuable HP and Power Whip is innacurate. Alternatively, Horn Leech can be used to try and offset Stealth Rocks. For slot four, none of the moves are necessary but Knock and Superpower are good coverage and Horn Leech can be used in slot four instead if you want the 120 base power of Wood Hammer and Power Whip. Play Rough ohkos dragons after an SD.
Ogerpon @ Hearthflame Mask
Ability: Mold Breaker
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-Turn
- Ivy Cudgel
- Power Whip/Spikes/Horn Leech/Knock Off
- Power Whip/Spikes/Horn Leech/Knock Off
With it's good speed tier and movepool, Ogerpon has potential to be an effective offensive pivot. U-Turn is mandatory for a pivot set and Ivy Cudgel is hard to pass on, however Ogerpon has some choices in the third and fourth slots. Wood Hammer is not an option on this set because the recoil is too much when it's hazard weak and can't run boots and pivoting with u-turn. Power Whip is a strong secondary STAB, Knock Off is gauranteed progress and pairs excellently alongside Spikes, Spikes is a great option to spike on forced switches à la Greninja, and Horn Leech can offset Stealth Rock.
Other moves that could work but would be hard fitting include Encore and Taunt.
Ability: Mold Breaker
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-Turn
- Ivy Cudgel
- Power Whip/Spikes/Horn Leech/Knock Off
- Power Whip/Spikes/Horn Leech/Knock Off
With it's good speed tier and movepool, Ogerpon has potential to be an effective offensive pivot. U-Turn is mandatory for a pivot set and Ivy Cudgel is hard to pass on, however Ogerpon has some choices in the third and fourth slots. Wood Hammer is not an option on this set because the recoil is too much when it's hazard weak and can't run boots and pivoting with u-turn. Power Whip is a strong secondary STAB, Knock Off is gauranteed progress and pairs excellently alongside Spikes, Spikes is a great option to spike on forced switches à la Greninja, and Horn Leech can offset Stealth Rock.
Other moves that could work but would be hard fitting include Encore and Taunt.
Final Thoughts:
Hearthflame Ogerpon looks like it has potential to be a solid but not defining OU pokemon. Despite it's huge flaws, it has good offensive stats and an amazing offensive/utility movepool, I'm looking forward to seeing how Ogerpon develops over the next few months. I could see it dropping to BL but I doubt it will go below the B Ranks on the VR.
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