glass shard (Glastrier) @ Choice Band
Ability: Chilling Neigh
EVs: 240 HP / 96 Atk / 172 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Spear
- Close Combat
- Heavy Slam
- Payback
ghostly stylist (Spectrier) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Grim Neigh
EVs: 52 HP / 116 SpA / 208 SpD / 132 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hex
- Taunt
echoed singer (Primarina) @ Wacan Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 96 SpA / 60 SpD / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Cannon
- Moonblast
- Substitute
- Sparkling Aria
Ability: Chilling Neigh
EVs: 240 HP / 96 Atk / 172 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Icicle Spear
- Close Combat
- Heavy Slam
- Payback
ghostly stylist (Spectrier) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Grim Neigh
EVs: 52 HP / 116 SpA / 208 SpD / 132 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hex
- Taunt
echoed singer (Primarina) @ Wacan Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 96 SpA / 60 SpD / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Cannon
- Moonblast
- Substitute
- Sparkling Aria
With banded icicle spear all zygarde problems are out the window (thankfully, as fully countering that mon is so annoying).
Close combat secures the non chople ttar matchup and scarf kartana (if one is worried about it). This can be swapped out for icicle crash for absolute zarude reliability (granted you don’t miss).
Heavy slam lets it beat all the pure fairies very reliably (and even some water fairies) unless they are carrying babiri, and if babiri counter is suspected icicle spear should still do good damage.
Payback secures the spectrier matchup.
Close combat secures the non chople ttar matchup and scarf kartana (if one is worried about it). This can be swapped out for icicle crash for absolute zarude reliability (granted you don’t miss).
Heavy slam lets it beat all the pure fairies very reliably (and even some water fairies) unless they are carrying babiri, and if babiri counter is suspected icicle spear should still do good damage.
Payback secures the spectrier matchup.
252+ SpA Choice Specs Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Beam vs. 240 HP / 172 SpD Glastrier: 339-400 (84.5 - 99.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
96+ Atk Choice Band Glastrier Heavy Slam (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Aromatisse: 372-438 (91.6 - 107.8%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
96+ Atk Choice Band Glastrier Struggle vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Aromatisse: 78-92 (19.2 - 22.6%) -- possible 5HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Rillaboom Fake Out vs. 240 HP / 0 Def Glastrier: 49-58 (12.2 - 14.4%) -- possibly the worst move ever
252+ Atk Life Orb Rillaboom Wood Hammer vs. 240 HP / 0 Def Glastrier in Grassy Terrain: 282-333 (70.3 - 83%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
96+ Atk Choice Band Glastrier Heavy Slam (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Aromatisse: 372-438 (91.6 - 107.8%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
96+ Atk Choice Band Glastrier Struggle vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Aromatisse: 78-92 (19.2 - 22.6%) -- possible 5HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Rillaboom Fake Out vs. 240 HP / 0 Def Glastrier: 49-58 (12.2 - 14.4%) -- possibly the worst move ever
252+ Atk Life Orb Rillaboom Wood Hammer vs. 240 HP / 0 Def Glastrier in Grassy Terrain: 282-333 (70.3 - 83%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
Spectrier is really underappreciated right now, and many times its only a will-o-wisp away from winning a diverse amount of matchups which works wonders with its great speed tier. I opted for a more specially bulky spectrier as defensively primarina and glastrier do a pretty good job.
Speed for base 100s, spdef for non specs primarina hydro cannon into hydro cannon after cm, rest in special attack.
Speed for base 100s, spdef for non specs primarina hydro cannon into hydro cannon after cm, rest in special attack.
Wisp into 2 hexes beats ferro
116+ SpA Spectrier Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Ferrothorn: 204-240 (57.9 - 68.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
116+ SpA Spectrier Hex (130 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Darmanitan-Galar: 373-439 (106.2 - 125%) -- guaranteed OHKO
116+ SpA Spectrier Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Ferrothorn: 204-240 (57.9 - 68.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
116+ SpA Spectrier Hex (130 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Darmanitan-Galar: 373-439 (106.2 - 125%) -- guaranteed OHKO
To round out the core I opted for the compendium wacan primarina, an underused set that can catch a lot of unprepared teams off guard.
Hydro cannon is the good old reliable nuke, moonblast the usual broken stab move, and sparkling aria secures the Entei matchup along with helping against tyranitar/times you don’t want to lock yourself into a recharge turn.
Substitute is for the light screen nihilego matchup, though this can be replaced with endure for the specs Porygon-z matchup which otherwise 3-0s.
Hydro cannon is the good old reliable nuke, moonblast the usual broken stab move, and sparkling aria secures the Entei matchup along with helping against tyranitar/times you don’t want to lock yourself into a recharge turn.
Substitute is for the light screen nihilego matchup, though this can be replaced with endure for the specs Porygon-z matchup which otherwise 3-0s.
Glastrier covers AV tyranitar and primarina covers the rest.
Zeraora requires outplaying if very bulky taunt.
In the Spectrier versus metagross matchup a fast scarf variant can trick lock you into wisp but weakness policy wins if you hex t1.
Primarina can outplay rhyperior with substitute
In general, strong physically offensive pokemon need to be set-guessed for scarf vs band/custap as primarina/glastrier take care of the scarfers and spectrier handles the rest.
Glastrier takes care of scarf fini while spectrier handles the rest (hex isn't a good roll to 3 hit).
116+ SpA Spectrier Hex (65 BP) vs. 80 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Fini: 93-109 (30.8 - 36.2%) -- 53% chance to 3HKO
Nihilego and primarina also requires setguessing, specs being checked by glastrier and the rest by primarina/spectrier. Light screen nihilego is especially tricky. It can be outplayed with sparkling aria into sub spam into torrent hydro cannon.
Nihilego
252 SpA Choice Specs Nihilego Power Gem vs. 240 HP / 172 SpD Glastrier: 306-360 (76.3 - 89.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
96+ SpA Primarina Hydro Cannon vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Nihilego: 372-440 (99.7 - 117.9%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
+1 200 SpA Nihilego Meteor Beam vs. 252 HP / 60 SpD Primarina: 232-274 (63.7 - 75.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
200 SpA Nihilego Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 60 SpD Primarina: 246-290 (67.5 - 79.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
96+ SpA Primarina Sparkling Aria vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Nihilego through Light Screen: 112-133 (30 - 35.6%) -- 34% chance to 3HKO
96+ SpA Torrent Primarina Hydro Cannon vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Nihilego through Light Screen: 279-328 (74.7 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Primarina
108+ SpA Choice Specs Primarina Moonblast vs. 240 HP / 172 SpD Glastrier: 178-210 (44.3 - 52.3%) -- 17.6% chance to 2HKO
104+ SpA Primarina Hydro Cannon vs. 52 HP / 208 SpD Spectrier: 225-265 (63.5 - 74.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
28+ SpA Spectrier Hex (130 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Primarina: 192-226 (52.8 - 62.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
versus most prim wisp into cm/hex should be fine but against encore prim its a 50/50 between taunt and wisp/cm.
Zeraora requires outplaying if very bulky taunt.
In the Spectrier versus metagross matchup a fast scarf variant can trick lock you into wisp but weakness policy wins if you hex t1.
Primarina can outplay rhyperior with substitute
In general, strong physically offensive pokemon need to be set-guessed for scarf vs band/custap as primarina/glastrier take care of the scarfers and spectrier handles the rest.
Glastrier takes care of scarf fini while spectrier handles the rest (hex isn't a good roll to 3 hit).
116+ SpA Spectrier Hex (65 BP) vs. 80 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Fini: 93-109 (30.8 - 36.2%) -- 53% chance to 3HKO
Nihilego and primarina also requires setguessing, specs being checked by glastrier and the rest by primarina/spectrier. Light screen nihilego is especially tricky. It can be outplayed with sparkling aria into sub spam into torrent hydro cannon.
Nihilego
252 SpA Choice Specs Nihilego Power Gem vs. 240 HP / 172 SpD Glastrier: 306-360 (76.3 - 89.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
96+ SpA Primarina Hydro Cannon vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Nihilego: 372-440 (99.7 - 117.9%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
+1 200 SpA Nihilego Meteor Beam vs. 252 HP / 60 SpD Primarina: 232-274 (63.7 - 75.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
200 SpA Nihilego Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 60 SpD Primarina: 246-290 (67.5 - 79.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
96+ SpA Primarina Sparkling Aria vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Nihilego through Light Screen: 112-133 (30 - 35.6%) -- 34% chance to 3HKO
96+ SpA Torrent Primarina Hydro Cannon vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Nihilego through Light Screen: 279-328 (74.7 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Primarina
108+ SpA Choice Specs Primarina Moonblast vs. 240 HP / 172 SpD Glastrier: 178-210 (44.3 - 52.3%) -- 17.6% chance to 2HKO
104+ SpA Primarina Hydro Cannon vs. 52 HP / 208 SpD Spectrier: 225-265 (63.5 - 74.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
28+ SpA Spectrier Hex (130 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Primarina: 192-226 (52.8 - 62.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
versus most prim wisp into cm/hex should be fine but against encore prim its a 50/50 between taunt and wisp/cm.
Banded urshifu and pheromosa with poison jab are rolls on primarina and are otherwise unchecked.
252+ Atk Choice Band Urshifu Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 56 Def Primarina: 342-404 (93.9 - 110.9%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Choice Band Pheromosa Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 56 Def Primarina: 324-382 (89 - 104.9%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
Spectrier hex is a roll on specs volcanion
+1 116+ SpA Spectrier Hex (65 BP) vs. 252 HP / 96 SpD Volcanion: 171-202 (46.9 - 55.4%) -- 74.2% chance to 2HKO
Iron defense tapu koko, stall arcanine and specs porygon-z are problematic as well.
Lastly, without icicle crash, the glastrier vs zarude matchup is slightly shaky.
If bulk up, icicle spear should win however if they power whip t1 and you don’t get the roll the next power whip can ohko. Overall the matchup is in glastrier’s favor though.
96+ Atk Choice Band Glastrier Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 28 Def Zarude: 366-438 (88.4 - 105.7%) -- approx. 31.3% chance to OHKO
0 Atk Zarude Power Whip vs. 240 HP / 0 Def Glastrier: 120-142 (29.9 - 35.4%) -- 27.5% chance to 3HKO
With icicle crash:
96+ Atk Choice Band Glastrier Icicle Crash vs. 252 HP / 28 Def Zarude: 416-492 (100.4 - 118.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Urshifu Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 56 Def Primarina: 342-404 (93.9 - 110.9%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Choice Band Pheromosa Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 56 Def Primarina: 324-382 (89 - 104.9%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
Spectrier hex is a roll on specs volcanion
+1 116+ SpA Spectrier Hex (65 BP) vs. 252 HP / 96 SpD Volcanion: 171-202 (46.9 - 55.4%) -- 74.2% chance to 2HKO
Iron defense tapu koko, stall arcanine and specs porygon-z are problematic as well.
Lastly, without icicle crash, the glastrier vs zarude matchup is slightly shaky.
If bulk up, icicle spear should win however if they power whip t1 and you don’t get the roll the next power whip can ohko. Overall the matchup is in glastrier’s favor though.
96+ Atk Choice Band Glastrier Icicle Spear (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 28 Def Zarude: 366-438 (88.4 - 105.7%) -- approx. 31.3% chance to OHKO
0 Atk Zarude Power Whip vs. 240 HP / 0 Def Glastrier: 120-142 (29.9 - 35.4%) -- 27.5% chance to 3HKO
With icicle crash:
96+ Atk Choice Band Glastrier Icicle Crash vs. 252 HP / 28 Def Zarude: 416-492 (100.4 - 118.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO