[OVERVIEW]
Massive special bulk, nifty typing, high Attack, and elite STAB moves make Ho-Oh a threatening physical attacker that is difficult to bring down. Its typing and bulk give it opportunities to prey on Steel-types and, should it have Substitute, Blissey, and throw out STAB moves that are very difficult for the majority of the tier to switch into, as most Pokemon hate getting burned by Sacred Fire or smashed by Brave Bird. Its great bulk is accentuated by the fact that many of the Pokemon that want to hit it super effectively have to do so with inaccurate moves, especially Thunder and Stone Edge. In Groudon's sun, Ho-Oh really becomes an immortal phoenix; Water-type attacks simply bounce off it while Thunder becomes as reliable as Zap Cannon.
Ho-Oh's quadruple weakness to Stealth Rock is truly debilitating, especially in a tier where the presence of elite Ghost-types means removing entry hazards is practically impossible. This limits it to early- and mid-game play, as it will be carved up by the time the battle has nearly concluded. Ho-Oh is often used in the lead position for this reason, even if it struggles into lead Tyranitar, Kyogre, and especially Deoxys-S. Laying Stealth Rock and then forcing Ho-Oh to switch, either by threatening to KO it or by phazing it, is one of the best ways of getting meaningful damage on it. Many teams come equipped with the best Pokemon to do this, Kyogre. Kyogre, as well as Tyranitar, can also neutralize Groudon's sun, making dealing with Ho-Oh more bearable. Winning the weather war makes the move coverage used to super effectively threaten Ho-Oh more impactful as well.
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Sacred Fire
move 3: Roost
move 4: Substitute / Earthquake
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry / Passho Berry
ability: Pressure
nature: Adamant
evs: 208 HP / 188 Atk / 112 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird and Sacred Fire provide Ho-Oh with great coverage coming off highly powerful STAB attacks. Brave Bird smashes Water- and Dragon-types that resist Fire like Kyogre and Palkia, while Sacred Fire threatens Steel-types that can handle Brave Bird like Bronzong and Forretress. Ho-Oh prefers using Roost has its primary recovery move because it reduces the impact of subsequent Electric-type moves and, if the foe is burned, Stone Edge. Substitute is a very nasty option for Ho-Oh, punishing switches like no other move and giving Ho-Oh more opportunities to have an inaccurate move like Stone Edge, Hydro Pump, or Thunder miss and give it more free turns. Earthquake, on the other hand, allows Ho-Oh to directly threaten Tyranitar and Heatran, which are two of the only viable Pokemon in the metagame to resist its STAB combination.
Set Details
========
The passive recovery of Leftovers is very handy, especially when using Substitute on Ho-Oh, as it would be able to get one extra Substitute without having to use a recovery move. Lum Berry and Passho Berry are both best used on lead Ho-Oh; Lum Berry allows Ho-Oh to absorb a Dark Void from Darkrai and then either attack or set up a Substitute. Passho Berry lets Ho-Oh take all but a fully-powered Choice Specs Water Spout from Kyogre and retaliate, heavily damaging Kyogre for the benefit of a sun team in the rear. Ho-Oh prefers to use an odd maximum HP value because it grants an additional switch-in opportunity if Stealth Rock is on the field. The HP EVs allow Ho-Oh to produce 101 HP Substitutes that do not get broken by Blissey's Seismic Toss, giving Ho-Oh absolutely free reign on it. The 112 Speed EVs give Ho-Oh the jump on Tyranitar. However, Ho-Oh is one of the Pokemon that sun teams want to utilize Speed creep for, as it wants to outspeed and 2HKO opposing Ho-Oh and, if holding Passho Berry, Kyogre.
Usage Tips
========
This Ho-Oh set is a tank that can absorb damage from special attackers and retaliate in kind. Its typing and the fact that it likes to be paired with sun makes it difficult for many teams to remove once it is in position. In particular, opposing sun teams may require immense preparation to deal with it. It uses the sun that teams require to thrive against them, entering before or when Stealth Rock is being set and burning physical attackers that try to use Stone Edge to deal with it. This isn't to say rain teams cannot struggle against it, either; if Kyogre has been weakened or removed, then these teams can struggle to take down Ho-Oh in sun. Faster physical attackers are generally the best way to prevent Ho-Oh from being able to outheal incoming damage that tries to remove it.
Because removing Stealth Rock is so difficult in DPP Ubers, Ho-Oh rarely sees the end of a battle. Instead, expect to use Ho-Oh early- or mid-game and bring it in before Stealth Rock has been laid or as it's being laid. Ho-Oh often sees use in the lead slot because it's the only time in a battle that Ho-Oh can guarantee that Stealth Rock won't have been laid. Ho-Oh has naturally favorable matchups into lead Forretress and, assuming it doesn't carry the uncommon Hydro Pump, Tentacruel. Lum Berry variants also tend to beat lead Darkrai, while Passho Berry variants can do well against lead Kyogre. However, Ho-Oh's other lead matchups are quite dire. Tyranitar resists Ho-Oh's STAB attacks and commonly carries Lum Berry to bypass Sacred Fire burns, so lead Ho-Oh prefers Earthquake to Substitute so that it can hit Tyranitar. If Ho-Oh lacks Passho Berry, it runs in fear from lead Kyogre. Facing off against lead Rayquaza is a dicey proposition because Ho-Oh will lose if Rayquaza carries Outrage or Stone Edge. Otherwise, Ho-Oh will win out against it if it carries Roost or Recover because it can heal off the damage. A similar scenario plays out for Giratina-O; Ho-Oh outdamages it unless it carries Stone Edge. Ho-Oh's worst matchup is inarguably against Deoxys-S, as against Focus Sash variants, it will concede both Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes.
Team Options
========
Generally, teams that use lead Ho-Oh should be offensive in nature because lead Ho-Oh will start the battle by immediately posing a threat and concedes two layers of entry hazards from Deoxys-S. An offensive team is best positioned to take advantage of the damage spread by Ho-Oh and is less likely to fall behind as quickly thanks to the entry hazards.
If Ho-Oh doesn't lead, then it would ideally be paired with leads that prevent lead Deoxys-S from keeping Stealth Rock. Three such leads are Forretress, Tentacruel, and Choice Scarf Darkrai. Forretress and Tentacruel are both capable of setting Toxic Spikes, which Ho-Oh benefits from because Ho-Oh threatens Steel-types and its checks are vulnerable to poison. Forretress has the ability to go all-in on eliminating lead Kyogre for the benefit of Ho-Oh if it holds a Focus Sash and uses Explosion. This heavily weakens Kyogre, if not outright KOing it. When Ho-Oh's teammate, Groudon, enters afterward, it will essentially have won the weather war and set the conditions for Ho-Oh to utilize the sun to absolutely dominate. The sun weakens Water-types and nerfs the accuracy of Thunder, letting Ho-Oh completely stonewall Palkia. Additionally, the sun boosts the damage of Sacred Fire, making it nearly impossible to switch into Ho-Oh.
In general, having a teammate that can switch into Kyogre is greatly appreciated; Latios, Latias, Palkia, and specially defensive Dialga fit the bill.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Sacred Fire
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Choice Band
ability: Pressure
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Choice Band Ho-Oh uses the sheer power of its STAB moves to run over opposing threats. Brave Bird and Sacred Fire already have naturally great coverage, and when completed with Earthquake to hit Tyranitar and Heatran, most viable Pokemon in the metagame fear switching into it. Sleep Talk in the last slot allows Ho-Oh to absorb Dark Void from Darkrai and then retaliate with a Choice Band-boosted move. Its naturally high Special Defense assists in its ability to take on Darkrai as well.
Set Details
========
A simple EV spread with maximum Speed allows Choice Band Ho-Oh to outspeed and threaten as many Pokemon as possible. It is especially important when facing off against other base 90 Speed Pokemon like Kyogre and opposing Ho-Oh. Ho-Oh may even utilize a Jolly nature in service of getting the jump on these Pokemon, but Adamant is preferred to really demolish Kyogre and let Brave Bird 3HKO and Scared Fire 2HKO maximum HP Dialga. Ho-Oh may also consider dropping some Speed for additional HP investment; some common Speed benchmarks are 112 Speed EVs for Tyranitar and 140 Speed EVs for common variants of Rock Polish Groudon, or at least before Groudon has accrued that boost. Regardless of the HP investment on Ho-Oh, ensure that it ends up with an odd maximum HP value, as this gives it an additional switch-in when Stealth Rock is on the field.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Band Ho-Oh is a wallbreaker that is at its best in the lead slot. Its instant power and Speed allow it to fare better against many leads it would otherwise struggle against, such as Tyranitar, Kyogre, and Deoxys-S. Choice Band Earthquake 2HKOes Tyranitar, while Tyranitar only OHKOes in return if using the rare Counter or the even rarer Rock-type attack. However, many lead Tyranitar sets can set Stealth Rock and switch out to a Pokemon that is immune to Earthquake, which makes this lead less of a win than it seems. Before deciding to stay in against opposing lead Kyogre, pay attention to the order in which their abilities activate; if Pressure activates first, then Ho-Oh is more likely than not faster and will push major damage into the Kyogre with Brave Bird; even the bulkiest lead Kyogre takes massive damage and gives Ho-Oh's team the leg up in the weather war. If Drizzle activates first, then Kyogre probably has a Timid nature and will probably OHKO Ho-Oh before it gets a chance to attack. Ho-Oh being forced out in this scenario is fine because Kyogre cannot set Stealth Rock. Against Deoxys-S lead, Ho-Oh has to hope Sacred Fire hits and burns Deoxys-S; while not very reliable, it at least gives Ho-Oh a chance of denying Deoxys-S a second layer of entry hazards. Finally, against lead Darkrai, it is safer to use an attacking move, usually Brave Bird, on turn 1. If Darkrai uses Dark Void, then Ho-Oh will still be able to use Sleep Talk thr next turn and take a shot at Darkrai's teammate. Attacking turn 1 prevents scenarios where Darkrai uses Trick while Ho-Oh uses Sleep Talk, leading to Ho-Oh failing to punish one of its best lead matchups.
Team Options
========
Choice Band Ho-Oh is a very solid lead thanks to its ability to generate positive value against most other leads. However, it's not infallible at preventing early entry hazards and the fact that it's locked into a single move means that many offensive teams can generate momentum off of it.
Choice Band Ho-Oh is inevitably going to face off against a Pokemon that can take the attack it has locked itself into. Steel-types and Tyranitar tend to switch into after Ho-Oh has locked itself into Brave Bird, and Kyogre and Groudon tend to scare them out. Be careful about Roar Dialga, though; Ho-Oh may occasionally want to stay in and just hit Dialga with Brave Bird just to mitigate the potential damage caused by its phazing. Water-types like Kyogre and Palkia can come in on Sacred Fire. Latias, Latios, and Palkia can switch into Kyogre. Palkia's switch-ins are more limited, but smart pivoting can safely bring in the Lati twins, both of which threaten out Palkia. These Dragon-types tend to draw in Steel-types and Blissey that Ho-Oh threatens utterly. Ground-immune threats like the Lati twins, Rayquaza, and Giratina-O can take advantage of a Ho-Oh locked into Earthquake. Steel-types tend to switch into these threats well. Do keep in mind that one of Earthquake's primary targets is Heatran, which is usually seen on sun teams. If one of these Dragon-types comes in after Heatran has been KOed, then it will frequently carry a Fire-type move to hit Steel-types.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Scarf Ho-Oh uses the fact that most Uber Pokemon don't resist Brave Bird or Sacred Fire to revenge kill a large portion of the tier. However, its vulnerability to Stealth Rock makes it difficult to actually have Ho-Oh revenge kill all the threats it needs to throughout the game. Ho-Oh can also consider Recover instead of Roost if one is paranoid about opposing Groudon getting to use Earthquake when it uses Roost. However, the defensive advantages given by Roost are more practical. Ho-Oh also has a small but useful set of utility moves that it can tap into. The fact that it scares away Steel-types with its Sacred Fire makes it great at spreading Toxic poison, but most of the Pokemon that don't like being poisoned also don't like eating Brave Bird. Thunder Wave can slow down faster Pokemon such that they get trucked by Ho-Oh. Finally, Protect is a safer but less rewarding alternative to Substitute; it allows to Ho-Oh to better scout the items used by Choice item attackers while similarly wasting PP and pushing extra passive damage into the opposing Pokemon. Protect unfortunately doesn't let Ho-Oh punish switches as well, though.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Kyogre**: Kyogre sets the rain and uses it to OHKO Ho-Oh. It cannot switch into Brave Bird, however.
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar resists Ho-Oh's STAB combination and sets sand, removing Ho-Oh's preferred weather. It has to be wary of Earthquake and Sacred Fire, burns, though.
**Stealth Rock**: A solid plan to set up Stealth Rock and prevent Rapid Spin makes dealing with Ho-Oh much easier. This often involves backing up the Stealth Rock setter with a spinblocker as well as a Pokemon that forces out Ho-Oh.
**Rock-type Coverage**: Teams that lack natural checks to Ho-Oh will have Pokemon that carry Rock-type coverage to beat it. Some Pokemon that can do so include Groudon and Giratina-O. Just be sure that these Pokemon don't get burned by Ho-Oh before they can use their attack.
**Heatran**: Heatran resists Brave Bird and is immune to Sacred Fire, meaning it doesn't have to fear its burn. However, it gets obliterated by Earthquake.
**Giratina**: Physically defensive Giratina takes Ho-Oh's Brave Bird with ease and stalls it out thanks to Rest and Pressure.
**Fast Physical Attackers**: Physically attackers that outspeed Ho-Oh like Rayquaza and Garchomp can cut through Ho-Oh's relatively weak Defense before it has a chance to respond or heal. These Pokemon are solid at finishing off a Ho-Oh that has been weakened by Stealth Rock or the attacks of other Pokemon.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/seldanna.471586/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Massive special bulk, nifty typing, high Attack, and elite STAB moves make Ho-Oh a threatening physical attacker that is difficult to bring down. Its typing and bulk give it opportunities to prey on Steel-types and, should it have Substitute, Blissey, and throw out STAB moves that are very difficult for the majority of the tier to switch into, as most Pokemon hate getting burned by Sacred Fire or smashed by Brave Bird. Its great bulk is accentuated by the fact that many of the Pokemon that want to hit it super effectively have to do so with inaccurate moves, especially Thunder and Stone Edge. In Groudon's sun, Ho-Oh really becomes an immortal phoenix; Water-type attacks simply bounce off it while Thunder becomes as reliable as Zap Cannon.
Ho-Oh's quadruple weakness to Stealth Rock is truly debilitating, especially in a tier where the presence of elite Ghost-types means removing entry hazards is practically impossible. This limits it to early- and mid-game play, as it will be carved up by the time the battle has nearly concluded. Ho-Oh is often used in the lead position for this reason, even if it struggles into lead Tyranitar, Kyogre, and especially Deoxys-S. Laying Stealth Rock and then forcing Ho-Oh to switch, either by threatening to KO it or by phazing it, is one of the best ways of getting meaningful damage on it. Many teams come equipped with the best Pokemon to do this, Kyogre. Kyogre, as well as Tyranitar, can also neutralize Groudon's sun, making dealing with Ho-Oh more bearable. Winning the weather war makes the move coverage used to super effectively threaten Ho-Oh more impactful as well.
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Sacred Fire
move 3: Roost
move 4: Substitute / Earthquake
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry / Passho Berry
ability: Pressure
nature: Adamant
evs: 208 HP / 188 Atk / 112 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird and Sacred Fire provide Ho-Oh with great coverage coming off highly powerful STAB attacks. Brave Bird smashes Water- and Dragon-types that resist Fire like Kyogre and Palkia, while Sacred Fire threatens Steel-types that can handle Brave Bird like Bronzong and Forretress. Ho-Oh prefers using Roost has its primary recovery move because it reduces the impact of subsequent Electric-type moves and, if the foe is burned, Stone Edge. Substitute is a very nasty option for Ho-Oh, punishing switches like no other move and giving Ho-Oh more opportunities to have an inaccurate move like Stone Edge, Hydro Pump, or Thunder miss and give it more free turns. Earthquake, on the other hand, allows Ho-Oh to directly threaten Tyranitar and Heatran, which are two of the only viable Pokemon in the metagame to resist its STAB combination.
Set Details
========
The passive recovery of Leftovers is very handy, especially when using Substitute on Ho-Oh, as it would be able to get one extra Substitute without having to use a recovery move. Lum Berry and Passho Berry are both best used on lead Ho-Oh; Lum Berry allows Ho-Oh to absorb a Dark Void from Darkrai and then either attack or set up a Substitute. Passho Berry lets Ho-Oh take all but a fully-powered Choice Specs Water Spout from Kyogre and retaliate, heavily damaging Kyogre for the benefit of a sun team in the rear. Ho-Oh prefers to use an odd maximum HP value because it grants an additional switch-in opportunity if Stealth Rock is on the field. The HP EVs allow Ho-Oh to produce 101 HP Substitutes that do not get broken by Blissey's Seismic Toss, giving Ho-Oh absolutely free reign on it. The 112 Speed EVs give Ho-Oh the jump on Tyranitar. However, Ho-Oh is one of the Pokemon that sun teams want to utilize Speed creep for, as it wants to outspeed and 2HKO opposing Ho-Oh and, if holding Passho Berry, Kyogre.
Usage Tips
========
This Ho-Oh set is a tank that can absorb damage from special attackers and retaliate in kind. Its typing and the fact that it likes to be paired with sun makes it difficult for many teams to remove once it is in position. In particular, opposing sun teams may require immense preparation to deal with it. It uses the sun that teams require to thrive against them, entering before or when Stealth Rock is being set and burning physical attackers that try to use Stone Edge to deal with it. This isn't to say rain teams cannot struggle against it, either; if Kyogre has been weakened or removed, then these teams can struggle to take down Ho-Oh in sun. Faster physical attackers are generally the best way to prevent Ho-Oh from being able to outheal incoming damage that tries to remove it.
Because removing Stealth Rock is so difficult in DPP Ubers, Ho-Oh rarely sees the end of a battle. Instead, expect to use Ho-Oh early- or mid-game and bring it in before Stealth Rock has been laid or as it's being laid. Ho-Oh often sees use in the lead slot because it's the only time in a battle that Ho-Oh can guarantee that Stealth Rock won't have been laid. Ho-Oh has naturally favorable matchups into lead Forretress and, assuming it doesn't carry the uncommon Hydro Pump, Tentacruel. Lum Berry variants also tend to beat lead Darkrai, while Passho Berry variants can do well against lead Kyogre. However, Ho-Oh's other lead matchups are quite dire. Tyranitar resists Ho-Oh's STAB attacks and commonly carries Lum Berry to bypass Sacred Fire burns, so lead Ho-Oh prefers Earthquake to Substitute so that it can hit Tyranitar. If Ho-Oh lacks Passho Berry, it runs in fear from lead Kyogre. Facing off against lead Rayquaza is a dicey proposition because Ho-Oh will lose if Rayquaza carries Outrage or Stone Edge. Otherwise, Ho-Oh will win out against it if it carries Roost or Recover because it can heal off the damage. A similar scenario plays out for Giratina-O; Ho-Oh outdamages it unless it carries Stone Edge. Ho-Oh's worst matchup is inarguably against Deoxys-S, as against Focus Sash variants, it will concede both Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes.
Team Options
========
Generally, teams that use lead Ho-Oh should be offensive in nature because lead Ho-Oh will start the battle by immediately posing a threat and concedes two layers of entry hazards from Deoxys-S. An offensive team is best positioned to take advantage of the damage spread by Ho-Oh and is less likely to fall behind as quickly thanks to the entry hazards.
If Ho-Oh doesn't lead, then it would ideally be paired with leads that prevent lead Deoxys-S from keeping Stealth Rock. Three such leads are Forretress, Tentacruel, and Choice Scarf Darkrai. Forretress and Tentacruel are both capable of setting Toxic Spikes, which Ho-Oh benefits from because Ho-Oh threatens Steel-types and its checks are vulnerable to poison. Forretress has the ability to go all-in on eliminating lead Kyogre for the benefit of Ho-Oh if it holds a Focus Sash and uses Explosion. This heavily weakens Kyogre, if not outright KOing it. When Ho-Oh's teammate, Groudon, enters afterward, it will essentially have won the weather war and set the conditions for Ho-Oh to utilize the sun to absolutely dominate. The sun weakens Water-types and nerfs the accuracy of Thunder, letting Ho-Oh completely stonewall Palkia. Additionally, the sun boosts the damage of Sacred Fire, making it nearly impossible to switch into Ho-Oh.
In general, having a teammate that can switch into Kyogre is greatly appreciated; Latios, Latias, Palkia, and specially defensive Dialga fit the bill.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Sacred Fire
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Choice Band
ability: Pressure
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Choice Band Ho-Oh uses the sheer power of its STAB moves to run over opposing threats. Brave Bird and Sacred Fire already have naturally great coverage, and when completed with Earthquake to hit Tyranitar and Heatran, most viable Pokemon in the metagame fear switching into it. Sleep Talk in the last slot allows Ho-Oh to absorb Dark Void from Darkrai and then retaliate with a Choice Band-boosted move. Its naturally high Special Defense assists in its ability to take on Darkrai as well.
Set Details
========
A simple EV spread with maximum Speed allows Choice Band Ho-Oh to outspeed and threaten as many Pokemon as possible. It is especially important when facing off against other base 90 Speed Pokemon like Kyogre and opposing Ho-Oh. Ho-Oh may even utilize a Jolly nature in service of getting the jump on these Pokemon, but Adamant is preferred to really demolish Kyogre and let Brave Bird 3HKO and Scared Fire 2HKO maximum HP Dialga. Ho-Oh may also consider dropping some Speed for additional HP investment; some common Speed benchmarks are 112 Speed EVs for Tyranitar and 140 Speed EVs for common variants of Rock Polish Groudon, or at least before Groudon has accrued that boost. Regardless of the HP investment on Ho-Oh, ensure that it ends up with an odd maximum HP value, as this gives it an additional switch-in when Stealth Rock is on the field.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Band Ho-Oh is a wallbreaker that is at its best in the lead slot. Its instant power and Speed allow it to fare better against many leads it would otherwise struggle against, such as Tyranitar, Kyogre, and Deoxys-S. Choice Band Earthquake 2HKOes Tyranitar, while Tyranitar only OHKOes in return if using the rare Counter or the even rarer Rock-type attack. However, many lead Tyranitar sets can set Stealth Rock and switch out to a Pokemon that is immune to Earthquake, which makes this lead less of a win than it seems. Before deciding to stay in against opposing lead Kyogre, pay attention to the order in which their abilities activate; if Pressure activates first, then Ho-Oh is more likely than not faster and will push major damage into the Kyogre with Brave Bird; even the bulkiest lead Kyogre takes massive damage and gives Ho-Oh's team the leg up in the weather war. If Drizzle activates first, then Kyogre probably has a Timid nature and will probably OHKO Ho-Oh before it gets a chance to attack. Ho-Oh being forced out in this scenario is fine because Kyogre cannot set Stealth Rock. Against Deoxys-S lead, Ho-Oh has to hope Sacred Fire hits and burns Deoxys-S; while not very reliable, it at least gives Ho-Oh a chance of denying Deoxys-S a second layer of entry hazards. Finally, against lead Darkrai, it is safer to use an attacking move, usually Brave Bird, on turn 1. If Darkrai uses Dark Void, then Ho-Oh will still be able to use Sleep Talk thr next turn and take a shot at Darkrai's teammate. Attacking turn 1 prevents scenarios where Darkrai uses Trick while Ho-Oh uses Sleep Talk, leading to Ho-Oh failing to punish one of its best lead matchups.
Team Options
========
Choice Band Ho-Oh is a very solid lead thanks to its ability to generate positive value against most other leads. However, it's not infallible at preventing early entry hazards and the fact that it's locked into a single move means that many offensive teams can generate momentum off of it.
Choice Band Ho-Oh is inevitably going to face off against a Pokemon that can take the attack it has locked itself into. Steel-types and Tyranitar tend to switch into after Ho-Oh has locked itself into Brave Bird, and Kyogre and Groudon tend to scare them out. Be careful about Roar Dialga, though; Ho-Oh may occasionally want to stay in and just hit Dialga with Brave Bird just to mitigate the potential damage caused by its phazing. Water-types like Kyogre and Palkia can come in on Sacred Fire. Latias, Latios, and Palkia can switch into Kyogre. Palkia's switch-ins are more limited, but smart pivoting can safely bring in the Lati twins, both of which threaten out Palkia. These Dragon-types tend to draw in Steel-types and Blissey that Ho-Oh threatens utterly. Ground-immune threats like the Lati twins, Rayquaza, and Giratina-O can take advantage of a Ho-Oh locked into Earthquake. Steel-types tend to switch into these threats well. Do keep in mind that one of Earthquake's primary targets is Heatran, which is usually seen on sun teams. If one of these Dragon-types comes in after Heatran has been KOed, then it will frequently carry a Fire-type move to hit Steel-types.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Scarf Ho-Oh uses the fact that most Uber Pokemon don't resist Brave Bird or Sacred Fire to revenge kill a large portion of the tier. However, its vulnerability to Stealth Rock makes it difficult to actually have Ho-Oh revenge kill all the threats it needs to throughout the game. Ho-Oh can also consider Recover instead of Roost if one is paranoid about opposing Groudon getting to use Earthquake when it uses Roost. However, the defensive advantages given by Roost are more practical. Ho-Oh also has a small but useful set of utility moves that it can tap into. The fact that it scares away Steel-types with its Sacred Fire makes it great at spreading Toxic poison, but most of the Pokemon that don't like being poisoned also don't like eating Brave Bird. Thunder Wave can slow down faster Pokemon such that they get trucked by Ho-Oh. Finally, Protect is a safer but less rewarding alternative to Substitute; it allows to Ho-Oh to better scout the items used by Choice item attackers while similarly wasting PP and pushing extra passive damage into the opposing Pokemon. Protect unfortunately doesn't let Ho-Oh punish switches as well, though.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Kyogre**: Kyogre sets the rain and uses it to OHKO Ho-Oh. It cannot switch into Brave Bird, however.
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar resists Ho-Oh's STAB combination and sets sand, removing Ho-Oh's preferred weather. It has to be wary of Earthquake and Sacred Fire, burns, though.
**Stealth Rock**: A solid plan to set up Stealth Rock and prevent Rapid Spin makes dealing with Ho-Oh much easier. This often involves backing up the Stealth Rock setter with a spinblocker as well as a Pokemon that forces out Ho-Oh.
**Rock-type Coverage**: Teams that lack natural checks to Ho-Oh will have Pokemon that carry Rock-type coverage to beat it. Some Pokemon that can do so include Groudon and Giratina-O. Just be sure that these Pokemon don't get burned by Ho-Oh before they can use their attack.
**Heatran**: Heatran resists Brave Bird and is immune to Sacred Fire, meaning it doesn't have to fear its burn. However, it gets obliterated by Earthquake.
**Giratina**: Physically defensive Giratina takes Ho-Oh's Brave Bird with ease and stalls it out thanks to Rest and Pressure.
**Fast Physical Attackers**: Physically attackers that outspeed Ho-Oh like Rayquaza and Garchomp can cut through Ho-Oh's relatively weak Defense before it has a chance to respond or heal. These Pokemon are solid at finishing off a Ho-Oh that has been weakened by Stealth Rock or the attacks of other Pokemon.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/seldanna.471586/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Last edited: