ZU [ADV] Rhyhorn [QC 1/2]

missangelic

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[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 especially threatening given how it's much more powerful than other Rock-types like Onix and Lileep, as its powerful Earthquake ravages a metagame with few Ground-resistant Pokemon. Rock Blast breaks past Substitute users like Anorith and Beedrill to shut down their attempts at setup, but Rock Slide's consistent damage and higher accuracy make it the more reliable option. Megahorn 3HKOs 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 likely 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. 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.

Rhyhorn is a good fit for bulky offense teams to shore up their defensive backbones against physical attackers without becoming as passive or weak as alternatives like Lileep and Onix. 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 against weather users, and it manages Hidden Power variants of Ponyta for Rhyhorn too. Ariados handles Gloom, a major threat to Rhyhorn, and Rhyhorn can switch into and pressure Doduo and Anorith for Ariados in exchange. Baton Pass Ariados variants further support Rhyhorn, pivoting into it after drawing in Rock-types like Onix, Corsola, and Anorith. Fast attackers like Ponyta and Quilava enjoy the holes Rhyhorn opens up in teams, as it enables 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.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Substitute lets Rhyhorn block status moves like Koffing's Will-O-Wisp and take advantage of switches it forces, but Rhyhorn struggles to fit it over any of its moves without losing out on its great coverage or 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 retaliate by OHKOing Rhyhorn with their STAB Water moves. 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 safely or without taking a lot of damage from Rhyhorn's attacks, foes like Noctowl, Castform, Ponyta, and Quilava commonly run Hidden Power Grass.

**Meditite and Fighting-type Coverage**: Though Meditite cannot take an Earthquake from Rhyhorn, it does threaten to OHKO it with Brick Break. Choice Band physical attackers like Aipom, Anorith, and Volbeat often run Brick Break and threaten to 2HKO or 3HKO Rhyhorn with good prediction, though they're often unable to tank multiple hits in return.

**Koffing**: Levitate lets Koffing switch into Rhyhorn's Earthquake with impunity, and Rhyhorn is neutered as a tank 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/

Grammar checked by:
 
Last edited:
ADD REMOVE COMMENT

[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. Rock Blast breaks past Substitute users like Anorith and Beedrill to shut down their attempts at setup, but Rock Slide's consistent damage and higher accuracy make it the more reliable option. Megahorn 3HKOs 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 likely 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. 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.

You don't mention Earthquake at all, and while it should be self-explanatory what it's there for, it should still be mentioned. Talk about how Quake allows it to beat its main contender, Onix, as well as damage ranges on physical that may try and switch in.

Rhyhorn is a good fit for bulky offense teams to shore up their defensive backbones against physical attackers without becoming as passive or weak as alternatives like Lileep and Onix. Specially bulky Pokemon like Gloom, Castform, 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(I wouldn't qualify Castform as specially bulky). Ariados handles Gloom, a major threat to Rhyhorn, and Rhyhorn can switch into and pressure Doduo and Anorith for Ariados in exchange(Mention Ariados' access to Baton Pass here). Fast attackers like Ponyta and Quilava enjoy the holes Rhyhorn opens up in teams, as it enables them to more easily clean up. Additionally, both of these Fire-types offensively threaten Grass-types like Tropius and Gloom for Rhyhorn. Rhyhorn is very 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.

Give Castform its own sentence here as it not only helps the MU against weather, which Rhyhorn is quite susceptible to, but also beats Ponyta, which Rhyhorn loses to, assuming it has HP coverage.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Substitute lets Rhyhorn block status moves like Koffing's Will-O-Wisp and take advantage of switches it forces, but Rhyhorn struggles to fit it over any of its moves without losing out on its great coverage or 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 retaliate by OHKOing Rhyhorn with their STAB Water moves. 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 safely or without taking a lot of damage from Rhyhorn's attacks, foes like Noctowl, Castform, Ponyta, and Quilava commonly run Hidden Power Grass.

**Meditite and Fighting-type Coverage**: Though Meditite cannot take an Earthquake from Rhyhorn, it does threaten to OHKO it with Brick Break. Choice Band physical attackers like Aipom, Anorith, and Volbeat often run Brick Break and threaten to 2HKO or 3HKO Rhyhorn with good prediction, though they're often unable to tank multiple hits in return.

**Koffing**: Levitate lets Koffing switch into Rhyhorn's Earthquake with impunity, and Rhyhorn is neutered as a tank 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/

Grammar checked by:

Good Work!

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