[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Water
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Toxic / Quick Attack
item: Leftovers / Petaya Berry / Salac Berry
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe or 12 HP / 28 Def / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Quilava functions primarily as an offensive special attacker that can pressure bulkier teams thanks to its powerful STAB moves and excellent Speed tier. Fire Blast is used as Quilava’s preferred its ability to break through damaged teams without relying as heavily on Blaze or Petaya Berry. Despite the drop in damage output, Flamethrower is a reliable alternative that comes with improved accuracy and more PP. Hidden Power Grass provides coverage versus Water-, Ground-, and Rock-type Pokemon such as Corsola, Chinchou, Onix, and Rhyhorn. Hidden Power Water hits Ponyta while still threatening Pokemon like Onix and Rhyhorn. Substitute is used for its synergy with the ability Blaze; it also maximizes Toxic damage, and takes advantage of Petaya Berry or Salac Berry. Quilava also tends to force its foes out, which can allow it to set up a Substitute. Toxic threatens special walls like Drowzee, Porygon, Noctowl, and it can punish Ponyta trying to switch in on Fire Blast or Flamethrower. Quick Attack is a great countermeasure to Substitute + pinch Berry sweepers like Abra, and Beedrill as well as against Flail and Reversal users like Doduo and Meditite. 216 Speed EVs allow Quilava to outspeed base 75 Speed Pokemon like Anorith and Doduo, and it can invest its remaining EVs into bulk to guarantee survival against Silk Scarf Ponyta’s Quick Attack at 25% HP and a Double Edge from Choice Band Ponyta at Full health. With the added bulk, Quilava can also guarantee that it can still use Substitute after taking Silk Scarf Ponyta’s Double Edge at full health. This bulk even allows for Quilava to survive a Double-Edge from Choice Band Ponyta. Petaya Berry turns Quilava into an even scarier special attacker that can OHKO a majority of the tier, and 2HKO specially walls like Delcatty, Drowzee, Noctowl. Salac Berry enables Quilava to threaten a sweep versus faster Pokemon within the tier like Abra, Elekid, Ponyta, and Voltorb. This allows Quilava to function as a late-game sweeper against faster teams.
Quilava fits well on balance, offense, and sun teams that benefit from its stellar Special Attack. Its ability to deal heavy damage to more defensive options like Corsola, Lileep, and Koffing enables physical attackers like Aipom, Doduo, and Meditite. While Quilava can threaten Ponyta with Toxic and Hidden Power Water, it may not always get the chance to, so it benefits greatly from defensive Normal-resistant Pokemon, and Rock-resistsant Pokemon such as Corsola, Lileep, Nosepass, Onix, and Rhyhorn as they can handle physical attackers like Aipom and Ponyta. Water-types like Corsola, Seaking, and Wartortle can also threaten Quilava, and Hidden Power Grass won’t do enough against healthy Water-types with decent Special Defense. This makes Electric-types like Elekid, Flaaffy, and Voltorb a great asset for Quilava to deal with Water-types. Late-game, Quilava can threaten a KO with the assistance of a Petaya Berry. Until that is feasible, Quilava needs the support of a special wall like Delcatty, Gloom, Porygon, or Wartortle for its ability to shrug off most special attacks. Clerics like Flaaffy and Mightyena can allow Quilava to not be as hindered by fear of Thunder Wave, Stun Spore, or Toxic.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Overheat can work in place of Toxic or Quick Attack when paired with Charcoal because of its ability to break through threats that would survive a Fire Blast, like specially defensive Gloom.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ponyta**: Ponyta is a big hurdle to Quilava due to its ability Flash Fire and resistance to Hidden Power Grass. Even when running Hidden Power Water, Quilava is still challenged by Ponyta's superior Speed.
**Water-types**: Bulky Water-types like Corsola, Seaking, and Wartortle all make Quilava’s ability to make an impact very difficult. Wartortle is especially troublesome due to its solid Special Defense and access to Refresh to easily manage Toxic.
**Special Walls**: Calm Mind Drowzee and specially defensive Noctowl can take any attack Quilava has to throw at them. Even if Quilava can break through these checks with Toxic, and a Blaze-boosted Fire Blast, it would prefer to maintain its HP and resources for other threats.
[Credits]
Written By:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/joaf.345087/
Quality Checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Grammar Checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
name: Offensive
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Water
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Toxic / Quick Attack
item: Leftovers / Petaya Berry / Salac Berry
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe or 12 HP / 28 Def / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Quilava functions primarily as an offensive special attacker that can pressure bulkier teams thanks to its powerful STAB moves and excellent Speed tier. Fire Blast is used as Quilava’s preferred its ability to break through damaged teams without relying as heavily on Blaze or Petaya Berry. Despite the drop in damage output, Flamethrower is a reliable alternative that comes with improved accuracy and more PP. Hidden Power Grass provides coverage versus Water-, Ground-, and Rock-type Pokemon such as Corsola, Chinchou, Onix, and Rhyhorn. Hidden Power Water hits Ponyta while still threatening Pokemon like Onix and Rhyhorn. Substitute is used for its synergy with the ability Blaze; it also maximizes Toxic damage, and takes advantage of Petaya Berry or Salac Berry. Quilava also tends to force its foes out, which can allow it to set up a Substitute. Toxic threatens special walls like Drowzee, Porygon, Noctowl, and it can punish Ponyta trying to switch in on Fire Blast or Flamethrower. Quick Attack is a great countermeasure to Substitute + pinch Berry sweepers like Abra, and Beedrill as well as against Flail and Reversal users like Doduo and Meditite. 216 Speed EVs allow Quilava to outspeed base 75 Speed Pokemon like Anorith and Doduo, and it can invest its remaining EVs into bulk to guarantee survival against Silk Scarf Ponyta’s Quick Attack at 25% HP and a Double Edge from Choice Band Ponyta at Full health. With the added bulk, Quilava can also guarantee that it can still use Substitute after taking Silk Scarf Ponyta’s Double Edge at full health. This bulk even allows for Quilava to survive a Double-Edge from Choice Band Ponyta. Petaya Berry turns Quilava into an even scarier special attacker that can OHKO a majority of the tier, and 2HKO specially walls like Delcatty, Drowzee, Noctowl. Salac Berry enables Quilava to threaten a sweep versus faster Pokemon within the tier like Abra, Elekid, Ponyta, and Voltorb. This allows Quilava to function as a late-game sweeper against faster teams.
Quilava fits well on balance, offense, and sun teams that benefit from its stellar Special Attack. Its ability to deal heavy damage to more defensive options like Corsola, Lileep, and Koffing enables physical attackers like Aipom, Doduo, and Meditite. While Quilava can threaten Ponyta with Toxic and Hidden Power Water, it may not always get the chance to, so it benefits greatly from defensive Normal-resistant Pokemon, and Rock-resistsant Pokemon such as Corsola, Lileep, Nosepass, Onix, and Rhyhorn as they can handle physical attackers like Aipom and Ponyta. Water-types like Corsola, Seaking, and Wartortle can also threaten Quilava, and Hidden Power Grass won’t do enough against healthy Water-types with decent Special Defense. This makes Electric-types like Elekid, Flaaffy, and Voltorb a great asset for Quilava to deal with Water-types. Late-game, Quilava can threaten a KO with the assistance of a Petaya Berry. Until that is feasible, Quilava needs the support of a special wall like Delcatty, Gloom, Porygon, or Wartortle for its ability to shrug off most special attacks. Clerics like Flaaffy and Mightyena can allow Quilava to not be as hindered by fear of Thunder Wave, Stun Spore, or Toxic.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Overheat can work in place of Toxic or Quick Attack when paired with Charcoal because of its ability to break through threats that would survive a Fire Blast, like specially defensive Gloom.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ponyta**: Ponyta is a big hurdle to Quilava due to its ability Flash Fire and resistance to Hidden Power Grass. Even when running Hidden Power Water, Quilava is still challenged by Ponyta's superior Speed.
**Water-types**: Bulky Water-types like Corsola, Seaking, and Wartortle all make Quilava’s ability to make an impact very difficult. Wartortle is especially troublesome due to its solid Special Defense and access to Refresh to easily manage Toxic.
**Special Walls**: Calm Mind Drowzee and specially defensive Noctowl can take any attack Quilava has to throw at them. Even if Quilava can break through these checks with Toxic, and a Blaze-boosted Fire Blast, it would prefer to maintain its HP and resources for other threats.
[Credits]
Written By:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/joaf.345087/
Quality Checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Grammar Checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited: