Arcanine (QC 0/2)

[Ika Ika Musume]

name: Bulky Wall
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Wild Charge / Play Rough
move 4: Morning Sun / Close Combat
item: Rocky Helmet / Assault Vest / Sitrus Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 140 HP / 204 Atk / 156 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Arcanine serves as a decent check to physical attackers in the tier such as Mimikyu while also taking advantage of opposing Steels such as Corviknight and Ferrothorn. Flare Blitz is the best STAB Arcanine gets and Extreme Speed is an excellent Priority move and are seen on most sets. On Assault Vest sets, the last two moveslots are occupied by two of Wild Charge, Close Combat and Play Rough. Wild Charge hits Gyarados super effectively, Close Combat hits Tyranitar and Excadrill hard and Play Rough hits Hydreigon and Dragapult. On Non-Assault Vest Will-o-wisp allows Arcanine to burn Excadrill, Tyranitar, Mimikyu and Dragapult and covers many water / ground type switchins when Arcanine finds itself in against Ferrothorn or Corviknight. Morning Sun is another option to consider for recovery. The EV spread allows Arcanine to take a Max Quake from Jolly Excadrill after Intimidate and the rest is placed into Attack for the most possible Damage.

Pair Arcanine with pokemon that mitigate its water and ground weaknesses such as Rotom-Wash and Ferrothorn. Mandibuzz is a more niche pokemon that does pair well with Arcanine to cover physical attackers such as Gyarados and Excadrill that Arcanine would prefer not to have to take a hit from.

name: Offensive
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Wild Charge / Play Rough
item: Expert Belt / Choice Band
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
This set functions as a more offensive variant of the set above. The extra speed puts more pressure on Defensive Walls such as Corviknight and allows Arcanine to outspeed threats such as Mimikyu and Excadrill. Close Combat turns into Max Knuckle when Dynamaxed, increasing Arcanine's attack and allowing it to sweep with boosted Extreme Speeds when out of Dynamax.

 

[LouisCyphre]

As the meta develops it's starting to look like Arcanine's best coverage option is actually Play Rough--Arcanine comfortably switches in on opponents like Haxorus, Conkeldurr, and special Tyranitar.

For the offensive EV spread, suggest an Assault Vest set to give Arcanine staying power against a wide variety of threats. 140 HP / 160 Atk / 204 Spe Jolly takes 99.4% from Adamant Excadrill Earthquake, outspeeds Jolly Exca, and KOs back cleanly with Flare Blitz or Max Flare. The same spread survives 5 hits of Tyranitar's Rock Blast (max 87.4%). With this spread and Max Flare, Arcanine can both check dangerous attackers and threaten to go on its own sweep, so it seems more valuable than a spread that just relegates it to walling things.

 

[1_TrickPhony]

Second the AV set. I've used it a good bit on a QR team and its quite good, particularly when Dynamaxed you can easily beat out special attackers and physical ones that are intimidated. It also allows you to run 3 coverage options + Extreme Speed which is really solid in the Dynamax meta.

 

[Ika Ika Musume]

I've changed a lot of Arcanine, I haven't used the particular spread suggested above, but I've used a somewhat different one and added a second set.

 

[1_TrickPhony]

Just semantics, but for the first set, I dont like how the non-attacking options line up with assault vest. That would mean the copy paste would prioritize having an Assault vest with wisp and morning sun.

 

[Ika Ika Musume]

I just put it based on commonality of set since the spread itself is similar, I could put helmet first though

 

[cant say]

As the meta develops it's starting to look like Arcanine's best coverage option is actually Play Rough--Arcanine comfortably switches in on opponents like Haxorus, Conkeldurr, and special Tyranitar.

For the offensive EV spread, suggest an Assault Vest set to give Arcanine staying power against a wide variety of threats. 140 HP / 160 Atk / 204 Spe Jolly takes 99.4% from Adamant Excadrill Earthquake, outspeeds Jolly Exca, and KOs back cleanly with Flare Blitz or Max Flare. The same spread survives 5 hits of Tyranitar's Rock Blast (max 87.4%). With this spread and Max Flare, Arcanine can both check dangerous attackers and threaten to go on its own sweep, so it seems more valuable than a spread that just relegates it to walling things.

agree with this very much so. it seems the best set for this is offensive with Play Rough (and should be the main set, with bulky being second). Close Combat doesn’t really hit anything notable except getting the attack boost while dynamaxed. Blitz / Espeed / PR / wild charge is enough for this thing to be a massive threat. I’ve seen a tonne of items; WeakPol being the obvious, Expert Belt really nice. Berries are cool too.

 

[Ika Ika Musume]

Of course CC has that max knuckle utility but I'm unsure that the idea that Close Combat doesn't hit anything notable as opposed to Play Rough when used as coverage is correct.

CC hits far harder than Play Rough even on things that both are super effective vs. such as getting the 2HKO on Bold Umbreon and the OHKO on Tyranitar, whereas these pokemon eat Play Rough up for breakfast, the latter getting free Weakness Policy on this without even having to Dynamax. It also leads Arcanine to being walled by Snorlax and Rotom-H. CC hits Rotom formes asides from Rotom-Fan harder in general anyways. There are also other more niche interactions such as White Herb Cloyster being able to live a Wild Charge into Extreme Speed. So not entirely sure where people are getting this idea from. I'd argue hitting these pokemon is more important than hitting Conkeldurr and Haxorus, pokemon that Arcanine doesn't even check well if it is offensive or partially offensive. The spread mentioned by Louis for example is 2HKOed by Conkeldurr's Drain Punch and any Haxorus attack not named Iron Tail. Play Rough doesn't even KO these pokemon back and max starfall doesn't KO Conkeldurr. For sure there is some use in it, I think mainly hitting Dragapult is excellent which is why I have mentioned it, but outside of that CC does have more utility.

I do agree that Offensive should probably be changed around as first with a more defensive set second.

 

[marilli]

Yeah, I'd put the offensive one as first, and the defensive one should be second. Also Bulky Wall really is a very misleading title for a Pokemon with 2-3 attacks 204 Attack EVs with Adamant nature. I'd probably call it bulky cushion / pivot or even just bulky attacker. The offensive set description really seems incomplete - tell me if it's actually meant to be complete or just respond / ping when you add the obvious stuff, so we can get this the stamp!

Personally AV or Charcoal type of item seemed OK options too over Expert Belt, but I want commentary from other QCers on this.

 

[1_TrickPhony]

Ill probably be taking this over at some point.

Couple things I agree with: offensive being the main set, particularly AV. Life Orb can also be mentioned, since few mons will ohko Arcanine due to its natural bulk but will 2hko anyways, so 1 strong hit into ESpeed can be useful to snag 2hkos.

I dont get the love over Play Rough: its a totally viable option but so is Close Combat. Id probably change the secondary for Play Rough to Close Combat’s slot since they hit some similar targets. but having fighting coverage is more valuable than fairy IMHO at neutral, and a stronger coverage at that. I think Wild Charge is more important than both CC and PR, to not get completely momentum drained by Water Types on the offensive set.