[SET]
Tank (Rhyhorn) @ Leftovers
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 204 HP / 148 Atk / 20 Def / 136 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide / Rock Blast
- Megahorn
- Protect
[SET COMMENTS]
Rhyhorn's great physical bulk, solid Attack, and Rock typing distinguish it as an excellent tank in the face of top-tier Normal-types like Aipom and Doduo. Rhyhorn is much more powerful than other Rock-types like Onix and Lileep, and its powerful Earthquake ravages a tier with few Ground-resistant Pokemon. Rock Blast breaks past Substitute users like Anorith and Beedrill, but Rock Slide's consistent damage and higher accuracy make it more reliable. Megahorn 3HKOes defensive Mightyena even after Intimidate, and it destroys Lileep and other Bug-weak Grass-types. Protect helps Rhyhorn scout Choice Band users like Aipom, Anorith, and Volbeat to determine if it's safe to stay in and attack. In addition, the move lets Rhyhorn maximize its passive recovery from Leftovers. 204 HP and 20 Defense EVs give Rhyhorn enough bulk to generally avoid a 2HKO from Choice Band Aipom's Brick Break and survive Swords Dance Anorith's boosted Brick Break. 136 Speed EVs let Rhyhorn outspeed uninvested base 40 Speed Pokemon like Gloom and Porygon, Corsola, and bulky Clamperl variants. The rest of Rhyhorn's EVs are funneled into Attack to maximize its damage output.
Rhyhorn is a good fit for bulky offense teams to shore up their defensive backbones against physical attackers, and it doesn't exacerbate passivity issues like Lileep and Onix would. Specially bulky Pokemon like Gloom and Porygon can compensate for Rhyhorn's vulnerability to special attackers, and Rhyhorn returns the favor to them by checking physical attackers they would otherwise struggle against. Castform is especially good against weather users like Ponyta, and it manages Hidden Power Grass variants of Ponyta for Rhyhorn too. Ariados handles Gloom, a major threat to Rhyhorn, while Rhyhorn can switch into and pressure Doduo and Anorith for it. Baton Pass Ariados variants further support Rhyhorn, pivoting to it after drawing in vulnerable Rock-types like Onix, weakened Corsola looking to heal up, and Anorith. Fast attackers like Ponyta and Quilava enjoy the holes Rhyhorn opens up in teams relying on bulky Water-types like Seaking and Wartortle, as such holes enable them to more easily clean up. Additionally, both of these Fire-types offensively threaten Grass-types like Tropius and Gloom for Rhyhorn. Rhyhorn is vulnerable to Water-types and Water-type moves given its 4x weakness and poor special bulk, so Seaking, Gloom, and Chinchou pair very well with it. Koffing hard walls Rhyhorn, which can be mitigated by partners like defensive Ariados, Seaking, and Wartortle.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An alternative spread with maximum Speed and Attack investment can be run to outspeed defensive Tropius, Sunflora, and Drowzee, though doing so makes Rhyhorn less effective as a tank. Running Substitute instead of Protect lets Rhyhorn block status moves like Koffing's Will-O-Wisp and take advantage of switches it forces against Normal-types like Aipom, but Rhyhorn struggles to fit it over any of its moves without losing out on its great coverage or the utility of Protect for scouting and passive recovery.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Seaking and Clamperl have the bulk to take an Earthquake from Rhyhorn, Wartortle can survive two hits, and all of them can OHKO Rhyhorn. Chinchou and Tentacool cannot switch into Earthquake, but both of them outspeed Rhyhorn and can take it out. Despite its Ground weakness, Corsola has the bulk to survive an attack from Rhyhorn and OHKO it with Surf.
**Grass-types and Grass-type Coverage**: Swords Dance Gloom has the physical bulk to wall Rhyhorn despite lacking a Ground resistance, and all of its sets threaten Rhyhorn with their Grass-type moves. Sunny Day Tropius variants have the bulk to survive a Rock-type move from Rhyhorn and set up in front of it, and physically defensive Tropius isn't 2HKOed by Rock Slide. Though not all of them switch in against Rhyhorn safely, foes like Noctowl, Castform, Ponyta, and Quilava commonly run Hidden Power Grass.
**Meditite and Fighting-type Coverage**: Although Meditite cannot take an Earthquake from Rhyhorn, it does threaten to OHKO it. Choice Band physical attackers like Aipom, Anorith, and Volbeat often run Brick Break, threatening to 2HKO or 3HKO Rhyhorn with good prediction. However, they're often unable to tank more than one hit themselves.
**Koffing**: Levitate lets Koffing switch into Earthquake with impunity, and Rhyhorn is neutered by Koffing's Will-O-Wisp.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/danbear02.589016/
Tank (Rhyhorn) @ Leftovers
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 204 HP / 148 Atk / 20 Def / 136 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide / Rock Blast
- Megahorn
- Protect
[SET COMMENTS]
Rhyhorn's great physical bulk, solid Attack, and Rock typing distinguish it as an excellent tank in the face of top-tier Normal-types like Aipom and Doduo. Rhyhorn is much more powerful than other Rock-types like Onix and Lileep, and its powerful Earthquake ravages a tier with few Ground-resistant Pokemon. Rock Blast breaks past Substitute users like Anorith and Beedrill, but Rock Slide's consistent damage and higher accuracy make it more reliable. Megahorn 3HKOes defensive Mightyena even after Intimidate, and it destroys Lileep and other Bug-weak Grass-types. Protect helps Rhyhorn scout Choice Band users like Aipom, Anorith, and Volbeat to determine if it's safe to stay in and attack. In addition, the move lets Rhyhorn maximize its passive recovery from Leftovers. 204 HP and 20 Defense EVs give Rhyhorn enough bulk to generally avoid a 2HKO from Choice Band Aipom's Brick Break and survive Swords Dance Anorith's boosted Brick Break. 136 Speed EVs let Rhyhorn outspeed uninvested base 40 Speed Pokemon like Gloom and Porygon, Corsola, and bulky Clamperl variants. The rest of Rhyhorn's EVs are funneled into Attack to maximize its damage output.
Rhyhorn is a good fit for bulky offense teams to shore up their defensive backbones against physical attackers, and it doesn't exacerbate passivity issues like Lileep and Onix would. Specially bulky Pokemon like Gloom and Porygon can compensate for Rhyhorn's vulnerability to special attackers, and Rhyhorn returns the favor to them by checking physical attackers they would otherwise struggle against. Castform is especially good against weather users like Ponyta, and it manages Hidden Power Grass variants of Ponyta for Rhyhorn too. Ariados handles Gloom, a major threat to Rhyhorn, while Rhyhorn can switch into and pressure Doduo and Anorith for it. Baton Pass Ariados variants further support Rhyhorn, pivoting to it after drawing in vulnerable Rock-types like Onix, weakened Corsola looking to heal up, and Anorith. Fast attackers like Ponyta and Quilava enjoy the holes Rhyhorn opens up in teams relying on bulky Water-types like Seaking and Wartortle, as such holes enable them to more easily clean up. Additionally, both of these Fire-types offensively threaten Grass-types like Tropius and Gloom for Rhyhorn. Rhyhorn is vulnerable to Water-types and Water-type moves given its 4x weakness and poor special bulk, so Seaking, Gloom, and Chinchou pair very well with it. Koffing hard walls Rhyhorn, which can be mitigated by partners like defensive Ariados, Seaking, and Wartortle.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An alternative spread with maximum Speed and Attack investment can be run to outspeed defensive Tropius, Sunflora, and Drowzee, though doing so makes Rhyhorn less effective as a tank. Running Substitute instead of Protect lets Rhyhorn block status moves like Koffing's Will-O-Wisp and take advantage of switches it forces against Normal-types like Aipom, but Rhyhorn struggles to fit it over any of its moves without losing out on its great coverage or the utility of Protect for scouting and passive recovery.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Seaking and Clamperl have the bulk to take an Earthquake from Rhyhorn, Wartortle can survive two hits, and all of them can OHKO Rhyhorn. Chinchou and Tentacool cannot switch into Earthquake, but both of them outspeed Rhyhorn and can take it out. Despite its Ground weakness, Corsola has the bulk to survive an attack from Rhyhorn and OHKO it with Surf.
**Grass-types and Grass-type Coverage**: Swords Dance Gloom has the physical bulk to wall Rhyhorn despite lacking a Ground resistance, and all of its sets threaten Rhyhorn with their Grass-type moves. Sunny Day Tropius variants have the bulk to survive a Rock-type move from Rhyhorn and set up in front of it, and physically defensive Tropius isn't 2HKOed by Rock Slide. Though not all of them switch in against Rhyhorn safely, foes like Noctowl, Castform, Ponyta, and Quilava commonly run Hidden Power Grass.
**Meditite and Fighting-type Coverage**: Although Meditite cannot take an Earthquake from Rhyhorn, it does threaten to OHKO it. Choice Band physical attackers like Aipom, Anorith, and Volbeat often run Brick Break, threatening to 2HKO or 3HKO Rhyhorn with good prediction. However, they're often unable to tank more than one hit themselves.
**Koffing**: Levitate lets Koffing switch into Earthquake with impunity, and Rhyhorn is neutered by Koffing's Will-O-Wisp.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/danbear02.589016/
Last edited:
