BH Ho-Oh (QC 2/3)

[willdbeast]

[OVERVIEW]

Ho-oh boasts very good special bulk which along with its resistance to many offensive types, including Fairy, Fire, Steel, and Fighting with a Ground immunity make it a useful defensive Pokemon. These resistances and bulk allow it to check a variety of threats such as Xerneas, Pixilate Mega Diancie, and some Mega Mewtwo X sets. The Fire resist and Ground immunity help with the common coverage run by Fairy-type attackers, but against those carrying Thousand Arrows it can fall flat. Similarly Ho-oh can struggle against Ground-types who utilise this move rather than Precipice Blades or Earth Power. Additionally, resisting U-turn helps to ensure Ho-oh isn't easily worn down when forced to switch into opposing pivots and the special bulk mitigates the Volt Switch weakness.
Offensively a respectable 130 base attack as well as powerful STAB attack options, including V-Create, mean Ho-oh is difficult to switch into without a Fire resist and helps to threaten other defensive Pokemon.
The 4x weakness to Rock means Ho-oh can easily be crippled by Stealth Rock which rather limits the viable sets and makes it somewhat predictable meaning it fits onto a limited number of teams meaning it is usually used primarily as an Imposter-proofer for Pokemon such as Mega Diancie or other teammates.
[SET]
name: Magic Guard
move 1: Shore Up
move 2: V-Create / Flare Blitz
move 3: Anchor Shot
move 4: Defog / Spectral Thief
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Impish / Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shore Up is to ensure Ho-oh can remain healthy to consistently switch in throughout the match. V-Create is an extremely powerful STAB move making use of Ho-oh's base 130 attack to threaten most neutral Pokemon, notably 2HKOing most Mega Audino and possibly OHKOing Mega Gengar after Stealth Rock. Flare Blitz is significantly less powerful meaning it misses 2HKOs on most Pokemon but does not have the downside of the Defence drops which make it much easier to force out and also Ho-oh can benefit from Flare Blitz's greater PP to use the attack more liberally. Anchor Shot is used to trap Imposter-users to PP stall them as well as trapping many other Pokemon Ho-oh checks such as Xerneas and Mega Diancie and heavily damaging Mega Diancie in particular and damaging other Rock-types. Defog makes use of the ability Magic Guard to come in safely on any hazard and remove it, and also makes use of Ho-oh being a safe switch in to some common hazard setters such as Pixilate Mega Diancie and Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X. Spectral Thief is used primarily to steal opponent's stat boosts which makes them easier to wall and makes Ho-oh a more reliable check to setup users. It also provides coverage for some Pokemon such as Flash Fire Aegislash and Giratina. Topsy-Turvy is also a viable option for the last move slot thanks to having greater PP than Spectral Thief and making Ho-oh more reliably Imposter-proof due to not stealing Attack boosts, as well as effecting Normal-type Pokemon such as Tail Glow Arceus. Psycho Shift is another option that can be used to spread Poison status thanks to Ho-oh's Toxic Orb and is especially useful for inflicting status on Magic Bounce users. However, using Psycho Shift after the item has been removed will permanently remove Ho-oh's status.

Set Details
========
Full EVs to maximise bulk, Speed, and power, with maximum Speed being used to outspeed most defensive Pokemon even after a Speed drop and to outspeed many offensive Pokemon if a Speed boost is stolen. The nature is chosen to further increase bulk with Impish allowing Ho-oh to better handle physical moves such as Sunsteel Strike from some Kartana sets and Extreme Speed from Refrigerate Kyurem-B while Careful helps Ho-oh to check special threats such as Mega Gengar, specifically avoiding a 2HKO from Adaptability Mega Gengar and reduced the heavy damage from Choice Specs Mega Diancie, particularly those with Volt Switch.
Magic Guard prevents hazard damage allowing Ho-oh to function effectively even when Stealth Rock is up and also allows the use of recoil moves, Flare Blitz in particular, without taking recoil damage. Toxic Orb makes further use of the ability to block any other status while not causing any adverse affects. This is particularly useful in countering Poison Heal Xerneas which very commonly utilises sleep.

Usage Tips
========
Ho-oh should be brought in carefully the first time to ensure the Toxic Orb can activate without being removed since not being poisoned will leave Ho-oh vulnerable to sleep, which is often used by Poison Heal Xerneas and Mega Mewtwo X. V-Create is a powerful attack and can be used to threaten many Pokemon but most opposing teams will have a save switch-in for V-Create so be careful not to waste PP if they switch to common defensive Pokemon such as Flash Fire Steel-types, Giratina and Primal Kyogre, so ideally scout for Flash Fire or weaken these Pokemon first. The Defense drops from V-Create can also make Ho-oh much easier to force out and can give the opponent chances to set up. Once the Toxic Orb is activated Ho-oh can be brought in against opposing Xerneas safely since no common Xerneas sets can threaten it and Ho-oh will also be a safer check to other sleep users such as Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X. Watch out for opposing Pokemon with Core Enforcer, Entrainment, or other moves for removing abilities since these will cause Ho-oh to take poison damage and force it out, and will be deadly if Ho-oh is trapped prior to this. These moves are very common especially on defensive pivots such as Giratina and Flash Fire Registeel. If possible it's best to scout opposing Mega Diancie's set before switching in since there is a chance they might have Rock-type moves, specifically Head Smash on Magic Guard sets. Spectral Thief can be used if a setup move is predicted to steal the boosts before the opposing Pokemon can make use of them. Anchor Shot traps Imposter-users making the set self-Imposter-proof. However, after a defense drop from V-create, Imposter-users can potentially 2HKO so be more cautious in this situation.

Team Options
========
Ho-oh is best used alongside an offensive Pokemon which can make use of Ho-oh's many resists to be an effective Imposter-proofer. Examples include Pixilate Mega Mewtwo X, Kartana and Pixilate Mega Diancie. Both defensive and offensive pivots can be good teammates for Ho-oh since it usually lacks any pivoting moves of its own. These give you something to switch to to gain momentum if they have a solid defensive answer to Ho-oh and can be used to bring Ho-oh in safely to activate its Toxic Orb. Zygarde-Complete sets such as Poison Heal can be effective partners for Ho-oh because they check many Rock-types, other than Mega Diancie, as well as Poison Heal Regigigas, Mega Gyarados, Primal Groudon, and some Mega Garchomp sets depending on the Zygarde's set. Zygarde can also act as a defensive pivot and can threaten most Flash Fire Steel-types. In return Ho-oh counters many users of Fairy-type moves which threaten Zygarde. Zygarde can also act as a backup Imposter-proofer in the case Ho-oh has defense drops or has stolen attack boosts. Dialga can be a good teammate, as it resists all three of Ho-oh's weaknesses as well as Ho-oh resisting both Ground and Fighting to cover Dialga's weaknesses. RegenVest Dialga can scout for lures such as Magic Guard Diancie or Electric-type coverage and most Dialga sets can force out Giratina which Ho-oh struggles against. RegenVest Dialga also checks Normalize Gengar which Ho-oh is forced out by despite its special bulk. Imposter-users offer incredible support for Ho-oh by scouting for coverage moves such as Rock-type moves or Bolt Strike as well as Core Enforcer or Entrainment and acts as a blanket check for many Pokemon that threaten Ho-oh. In return Ho-oh can absorb status moves that would potentially cripple the Imposter-user.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Minimum Speed can be used to avoid having Magic Guard suppressed by some Core Enforcer users and, if using Spectral Thief, to steal the stat boosts after the opposing Pokemon uses a setup move. However lower speed reduces the ability to threaten weakened Pokemon and means Ho-oh is less likely to outspeed and kill opposing setup-users after stealing a Speed boost, notably outspeeding Mega Mewtwo Y at +2. Other abilities such as Poison Heal and Magic Bounce fulfil the same role as Magic Guard Ho-oh and can be superior in many situations, but they suffer from the crippling Stealth Rock weakness, meaning they require significant team support and as such are far less splash-able. Magic Bounce Ho-oh also struggles against some hazard setters such as Giratina and Primal Groudon. Ho-oh can make use of status moves such as Poison Fang, Toxic, Nuzzle, and Will-o-wisp without fearing Magic Bounce or Imposter-users using these moves against it due to being Poisoned by its item. Alternative STAB attacks can such as Sacred Fire or Beak Blast can also be used to inflict Burns but both lack the power of V-Create and even Flare Blitz. Life Orb can be used over Toxic Orb to make Ho-oh more threatening and is best used in conjunction with a more offensive moveset, with Spectral Thief rather than other utility moves or coverage for Flash Fire Steel-types for example. However this leaves Ho-oh vulnerable to other status conditions which can compromise it, especially Sleep. Life Orb sets can also be used with Shell Smash and taking advantage of Light of Ruin to be a potential sweeper while also checking similar threats, however this requires a separate Imposter-proofer and does make Ho-oh a much less reliable check for longer matches.
Checks and Counters
===================

**Flash Fire Steel-types**: Flash Fire Steel-types can switch in safely thanks to their ability and are not threatened by Ho-oh, giving them the opportunity to gain momentum or set hazards. However, due to their dual typing, some Steel-types such as Aegislash and Necrozma Dusk Mane can be threatened by Spectral Thief.
**Giratina and Zygarde-Complete**: Both of these Pokemon can switch in to Ho-oh reliably thanks to their Fire resist and high physical bulk and commonly have Core Enforcer or Entrainment which force Ho-oh out if Poisoned. Giratina is weak to Spectral Thief but must be quite heavily chipped before this is threatening.
**Magic Guard Diancie**: Magic Guard Mega Diancie almost always has Head Smash which will OHKO Ho-oh and is especially threatening because Ho-oh is a good check to other Mega Diancie sets so Magic Guard can be an effective lure. However thanks to its typing Mega Diancie cannot safely switch in due to fear of Anchor Shot which can OHKO and Magic Guard is not nearly as common as Pixilate as Mega Diancie's ability.
**Other Rock-types**: Other Rock-types such as Mega Tyranitar also threaten to OHKO Ho-oh and aren't threatened as much by Anchor Shot as Mega Diancie is.
**Water-types**: Thanks to Primal Kyogre's Water-type it resists V-Create and threatens to 2HKO Ho-oh with Revelation Dance or Scald while Mega Gyarados resists every move commonly used by Ho-oh and can OHKO with Water-type attacks or wear Ho-oh down with Knock Off. Both Kyogre and Gyarados also sometimes carry Core Enforcer or Entrainment which force Ho-oh out.
**Mega Garchomp and Primal Groudon**: Both of these Pokemon can make use of Thousand Arrows to 2HKO Ho-oh and neither are particularly threatened in return, with Primal Groudon possibly being 3HKOed by V-Create. Primal Groudon lacking Thousand Arrows can still 2HKO Ho-oh with V-Create despite the resist or with some less common coverage moves such as Bolt Strike.
**Regigigas and Slaking**: With their Poison Heal sets these Pokemon can 2HKO Ho-oh with their Facade or use Shift Gear for a potential OHKO at +1. Regigigas can potentially be 2HKOed in return with V-Create so it isn't a reliable counter, but due to the defense drop Ho-oh is forced out despite the opposing Regigigas being weakened.
**Zekrom**: Zekrom resists Fire-type attacks and Anchor shot meaning it can switch in comfortably to most Ho-oh sets and threatens Ho-oh with strong Electric-type attacks, with most sets OHKOing. However Zekrom rarely uses recovery so most opponents will be weary of it being worn down.
**Normalize Mega Gengar**: This Pokemon can force out Ho-oh by using Entrainment to give Ho-oh the ability Normalize. However no Mega Gengar sets can switch into V-Create safely.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Most strong wallbreakers such as Sheer Force Mega Mewtwo Y and Choice Band Mega Mewtwo X can OHKO Ho-oh after some chip damage.
**Sturdy Shedinja**: Sturdy Shedinja counters some Ho-oh sets but cannot switch in to varieties with status moves such as Psycho Shift Sacred Fire.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Willdbeast,285201]]
- Quality checked by: [[GL Volkner, 330455], [Funbot28, 255984], [E4 Flint, 203690]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

 

[Ren]

[OVERVIEW]

• Good special bulk. use a word like fantastic here, good isnt suitable for a mon w/ 106/154
• Resists many offensive types, including Fairy, Fire, Steel, and Fighting with a Ground immunity.
• These resistances and bulk allow it to check a variety of threats such as Poison Heal Xerneas p much all xern i think, Pixilate Mega Diancie, and some Mega Mewtwo X sets. The Fire resist and Ground immunity help with the common coverage run by Fairy-type attackers, but against those carrying Thousand Arrows it can fall flat.
• U-turn resist helps to ensure Ho-oh isn't easily worn down when forced to switch into opposing pivots. if youre gonna make this a point then id also make a note on how its overwhelming special bulk mean the vast majority of volt switches don't do much to it either
• Respectable 130 base attack as well as powerful STAB attack options, including V-Create, mean Ho-oh is not overly passive. mention how this means that other defensive pokemon, such as registeel and mega audino, can have difficulty coming in on it.
• 4x weakness to Rock means Ho-oh can easily be crippled by Stealth Rock which rather limits the viable sets and makes it somewhat predictable meaning it fits onto a limited number of teams.

[SET]
name: Magic Guard
move 1: Shore Up
move 2: V-Create / Flare Blitz
move 3: Anchor Shot
move 4: Defog / Spectral Thief
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Impish / Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Shore up is to regain health and make sure Ho-oh can remain healthy the entire part preceding this sentence seems a bit redundant, you can make it shorter. to consistently switch in throughout the match.
• V-Create is an extremely powerful STAB move making use of Ho-oh's base 130 attack to threaten most neutral Pokemon give examples of what it threatens to 2hko, ohko, etc (mega audino after sr is a solid one, it threatens to 2hko every variant minus bold ph which is hella uncommon). Flare Blitz is significantly less powerful talk about the kos it misses vs v-create, also flare blitz should be a separate bullet but does not have the downside of the Defence drops which make it much easier to force out and also Ho-oh can benefit from Flare Blitz's greater PP to use the attack more liberally.
• Anchor Shot is used to trap Imposter-users to PP stall them as well as trapping many other Pokemon Ho-oh checks such as Xerneas and Mega Diancie and heavily damaging Mega Diancie in particular.
• Defog makes use of the ability Magic Guard to come in safely on any hazard and remove it, and also makes use of Ho-oh being a safe switch in to some common hazard setters such as Pixilate Mega Diancie and Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X.
• Spectral Thief is used primarily to steal opponent's stat boosts which makes them easier to wall and makes Ho-oh a more reliable check to setup users. It also provides coverage for some Pokemon such as Flash Fire Aegislash and Giratina.
• topsy turvy bullet here but dont slash in moves. talk about how it means hooh doesnt steal boosts so it's more reliably self imposterproofed

Set Details
========

• Full EVs to maximise Bulk, Speed, and Power. dont need to mention this other than why youre running max speed
• Nature to further increase bulk. Impish allows Ho-oh to better handle physical moves such as Sunsteel Strike from some Kartana sets and Extreme Speed from Refrigerate Kyurem-B while Careful helps Ho-oh to check special threats such as Mega Gengar, specifically avoiding a 2HKO from Adaptability Mega Gengar.
• Magic Guard prevents hazard damage allowing Ho-oh to function effectively even when Stealth Rock is up and also allows the use of recoil moves wording here but it doesnt allow you to use recoil moves, it just makes them safe for you to use as you can spam em without recoil, Flare Blitz in particular, without taking damage.
• Toxic Orb makes further use of the ability to block any other status while not causing any adverse affects. This is particularly useful in countering Poison Heal Xerneas which very commonly utilises sleep.

Usage Tips
========

• Ho-oh should be brought in carefully the first time to ensure the Toxic Orb can activate without being removed since not being poisoned will compromise Ho-oh's ability to check some threats. like what, instead of "some threats" say Poison Heal Xerneas and Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X
• V-Create is a powerful attack and can be used to threaten many Pokemon, 2HKOing Mega Audino for example, and also forcing out non-Flash Fire Steel-types you can talk about the 2hkos and ohkos it gets in the moves section as that's where it belongs. here just talk about when it's safe to use it. However most opposing teams will have a save switch-in for V-Create so be careful not to waste PP if they switch. The Defense drops from V-Create can also make Ho-oh much easier to force out and can give the opponent chances to set up. as well as make it harder for hooh to imposterproof itself
• Flare Blitz is much less powerful but doesn't suffer the same drawbacks so can be used repeatedly to wear down opposing Pokemon, while it still forces out most non-Flash Fire Steel types. this is a point that should be raised in moves, not here. usage tips is for how to use the pokemon in the game, not talk about the merit one move has over another
• Once the Toxic Orb is activated Ho-oh can be brought in against opposing Xerneas safely since no common Xerneas sets can threaten it.
• Watch out for opposing Pokemon with Core Enforcer, Entrainment, or other moves for removing abilities since these will cause Ho-oh to take poison damage and force it out. emphasis on mons that have these moves + trapping moves
• If possible it's best to scout opposing Mega Diancie's set before switching in since there is a chance they might have Rock-type moves, specifically Head Smash on Magic Guard sets.
• Spectral Thief can be used if a setup move is predicted to steal the boosts before the opposing Pokemon can make use of them.
• Anchor Shot traps Imposter-users making the set self-Imposter-proof. However, after a defense drop from V-create, Imposter-users can potentially 2HKO so be more cautious in this situation.

Team Options
========

• Ho-oh is best used alongside an offensive Pokemon which can make use of Ho-oh's many resists to be an effective Imposter-proofer. Examples include Pixilate Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Diancie with Ground-type coverage. why specifically ground type coverage? v-create is fine too
• Both defensive and offensive pivots can be good teammates for Ho-oh since it usually lacks any pivoting moves of its own. These give you something to switch to to gain momentum if they have a solid defensive answer to Ho-oh. Note to elf: think of good examples. have the examples ready for your 2nd qc check, id hold this back but it's only the first qc and other two qcers who do this can comment on the examples fine.
• Zygarde-Complete sets such as Poison Heal can be effective partners for Ho-oh because they check many Rock-types, other than Mega Diancie, as well as Poison Heal Regigigas, Mega Gyarados, Primal Groudon and some Zekrom and Mega Garchomp sets depending on the Zygarde's set. Zygarde can also act as a defensive pivot and can threaten most Flash Fire Steel-types. In return Ho-oh counters many users of Fairy-type moves which threaten Zygarde. mention how zygc can also improof hooh in case imposter ever comes in on it while it's at -1
• Dialga can be a good teammate, as it resists all three of Ho-oh's weaknesses as well as Ho-oh resisting both Ground and Fighting to cover Dialga's weaknesses. you're talking about this from a type chart point of view, but when writing analyses you need to mention what this does for it in the meta. anyone can use a type chart, but the audience our analyses target don't understand which mons dialga checks that hooh gets checked by.
• I whats themposter-users offer incredible support for Ho-oh by scouting for coverage moves such as Rock-type moves or Bolt Strike and acts as a blanket check for many Pokemon that threaten Ho-oh. In return Ho-oh can absorb status moves that would potentially cripple the Imposter-user.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

• Minimum Speed can be used to avoid having Magic Guard suppressed by some Core Enforcer users and, if using Spectral Thief, to steal the stat boosts after the opposing Pokemon uses a setup move. However lower speed reduces the ability to threaten weakened Pokemon and means Ho-oh is less likely to outspeed and kill opposing setup-users after stealing a Speed boost. this belongs in set details imo
• Other abilities such as Poison Heal and Magic Bounce fulfil the same role as Magic Guard Ho-oh and can be superior in many situations, but they suffer from the crippling Stealth Rock weakness, meaning they require significant team support and as such are far less splash-able.
• Ho-oh can make use of status moves such as Poison Fang, Toxic, Nuzzle, and Will-o-wisp without fearing Magic Bounce Imposter-users wat using these moves against it due to being Poisoned by its item. Alternative STAB attacks can such as Sacred Fire or Beak Blast can also be used to inflict Burns. explain why these choices are inferior to the choices on the main set
• Life Orb can be used over Toxic Orb to make Ho-oh more threatening and is best used in conjunction with a more offensive moveset whats the moveset? i use smash mind blown/flare blitz light of ruin brave bird but let me know if you feel different, with Spectral Thief rather than other utility moves for example spectral thief on lo seems mediocre. However this leaves Ho-oh vulnerable to other status conditions which can compromise it, especially Sleep.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Flash Fire Steel-types**: Flash Fire Steel-types can switch in safely thanks to their ability and can gain momentum by pivoting with U-turn or can do w/e they want [idk how to word this] say that ho-oh cannot threaten flash fire steel types, giving them the opportunity to gain momentum or set hazards. However, due to their dual typing, some Steel-types such as Aegislash only aegislash. youre not threatening celesteela or ferrothorn (ig you can threaten ferro w beak blast tho) can be threatened by Spectral Thief.
**Magic Guard Diancie**: Magic Guard Mega Diancie almost always has Head Smash which will OHKO Ho-oh and is especially threatening because Ho-oh is a good check to other Mega Diancie sets so Magic Guard can be an effective lure. However thanks to its typing Mega Diancie cannot safely switch in due to fear of Anchor Shot which can OHKO and Magic Guard is not nearly as common as Pixilate as Mega Diancie's ability.
**Other Rock-types**: Other Rock-types such as Mega Tyranitar and Mega Aerodactyl idk if maero is relevant enough to make it onto an analysis but feel free to ask other qc their thoughts also threaten to OHKO Ho-oh and aren't threatened as much by Anchor Shot as Diancie is.
**Giratina and Zygarde-Complete**: Both of these Pokemon can switch in to Ho-oh reliably thanks to their Fire resist and high physical bulk and commonly have Core Enforcer or Entrainment which force Ho-oh out if Poisoned. Giratina is weak to Spectral Thief but must be quite heavily chipped before this is threatening.
**Primal Kyogre**: Thanks to Primal Kyogre's Water-type it resists V-Create and threatens to 2HKO Ho-oh with Revelation Dance or Scald.
**Zekrom**: Zekrom resists Fire-type attacks and Anchor shot meaning it can switch in comfortably to most Ho-oh sets and threatens Ho-oh with strong Electric-type attacks, with most sets OHKOing. However Zekrom rarely uses recovery so most opponents will be weary of it being worn down.
**Mega Gyarados**: This Pokemon resists every move commonly used by Ho-oh. Offensive sets can threaten with Water-type attacks or wear down Ho-oh with Knock Off while taking little damage in return if they have recovery and defensive sets can do the same or make use of Core Enforcer or Entrainment. merge this w primal kyogre
**Regigigas and Slaking**: With their Poison Heal sets these Pokemon can 2HKO Ho-oh with their Facade or use Shift Gear for a potential OHKO at +1. Regigigas can potentially be 2HKOed in return with V-Create so it isn't a reliable counter, but due to the defense drop Ho-oh is forced out despite the opposing Regigigas being weakened.
**Mega Garchomp and Primal Groudon**: Both of these Pokemon can make use of Thousand Arrows to 2HKO Ho-oh and neither are particularly threatened in return, with Primal Groudon possibly being 3HKOed by V-Create. Primal Groudon lacking Thousand Arrows can still 2HKO Ho-oh with V-Create despite the resist or with some less common coverage moves such as Bolt Strike.
**Normalize Mega Gengar**: This Pokemon can force out Ho-oh by using Entrainment to give Ho-oh the ability Normalize. However no Mega Gengar sets can switch into V-Create safely.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Most strong wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Mega Rayquaza, Sheer Force Mega Mewtwo Y, and Choice Band Mega Mewtwo X can OHKO Ho-oh after some chip damage.
**Sturdy Shedinja**: Sturdy Shedinja counters some Ho-oh sets but cannot switch in to varieties with status moves such as Sacred Fire.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[, ]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

kyoocy 1/3

 

[willdbeast]

• topsy turvy bullet here but dont slash in moves. talk about how it means hooh doesnt steal boosts so it's more reliably self imposterproofed

Should I mention the pp and how it can kinda check offensive (special) arceus?

• Ho-oh should be brought in carefully the first time to ensure the Toxic Orb can activate without being removed since not being poisoned will compromise Ho-oh's ability to check some threats. like what, instead of "some threats" say Poison Heal Xerneas and Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X

should I reword it along the lines of "... not being poisoned will leave Ho-oh vulnerable to sleep and paralysis particularly from PH xern"

• Ho-oh is best used alongside an offensive Pokemon which can make use of Ho-oh's many resists to be an effective Imposter-proofer. Examples include Pixilate Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Diancie with Ground-type coverage. why specifically ground type coverage? v-create is fine too

I wanted to say something it can be used with where it couldn't be replaced by a ff registeel since imo on most teams steels are better and also it seemed better to to have ground coverage diancie bc ho-oh is more helpful against prank/fc/any non-ff steel that diancie will struggle with, but I can change it if it's confusing or unneeded or elaborate more on why

Note to elf: think of good examples. have the examples ready for your 2nd qc check, id hold this back but it's only the first qc and other two qcers who do this can comment on the examples fine.

oops thought I did this, was gonna say PH mmx and other offensive PH mons as well as defensive stuff like tina and expand in the dialga section that it can do this.

• I whats themposter-users offer incredible support for Ho-oh by scouting for coverage moves such as Rock-type moves or Bolt Strike and acts as a blanket check for many Pokemon that threaten Ho-oh. In return Ho-oh can absorb status moves that would potentially cripple the Imposter-user.

Aren't humans? whats the? so many questions science is yet to answer

• Life Orb can be used over Toxic Orb to make Ho-oh more threatening and is best used in conjunction with a more offensive moveset whats the moveset? i use smash mind blown/flare blitz light of ruin brave bird but let me know if you feel different, with Spectral Thief rather than other utility moves for examplespectral thief on lo seems mediocre. However this leaves Ho-oh vulnerable to other status conditions which can compromise it, especially Sleep.

I'm not a huge fan of this set bc you can't switch into diancie which seems lame (although the ho-oh's improof prolly can) and xern sleeps you then goes to someone else and it's not a great sweeper unless you can lure the prank tina/ff steel. I sometimes just run almost the standard set with recover, v-create, spectral, anchor/flying move/coverage depending on the team so it still sort of checks the same stuff (although weak to sleep) but just does a bit more. I agree it is sometimes underwhelming though but you can do decent damage with low kick to registeel or w/e and you can ohko mmy and stuff but idk i've only seen it be useful on specific teams

**Flash Fire Steel-types**: Flash Fire Steel-types can switch in safely thanks to their ability and can gain momentum by pivoting with U-turn or can do w/e they want [idk how to word this] say that ho-oh cannot threaten flash fire steel types, giving them the opportunity to gain momentum or set hazards. However, due to their dual typing, some Steel-types such as Aegislash only aegislash. youre not threatening celesteela or ferrothorn (ig you can threaten ferro w beak blast tho) can be threatened by Spectral Thief.

I was thinking mainly aegi but also simba and scar, even though they're less common now as well as some meme stuff like mgross and doublade

**Other Rock-types**: Other Rock-types such as Mega Tyranitar and Mega Aerodactyl idk if maero is relevant enough to make it onto an analysis but feel free to ask other qc their thoughts also threaten to OHKO Ho-oh and aren't threatened as much by Anchor Shot as Diancie is.

i just wanted to give more than one example since it was a general category rather than just "ttar", but I can remove it and phrase it something like "most notably ttar" if that's better

 

[Ren]

Should I mention the pp and how it can kinda check offensive (special) arceus?

should I reword it along the lines of "... not being poisoned will leave Ho-oh vulnerable to sleep and paralysis particularly from PH xern"

I wanted to say something it can be used with where it couldn't be replaced by a ff registeel since imo on most teams steels are better and also it seemed better to to have ground coverage diancie bc ho-oh is more helpful against prank/fc/any non-ff steel that diancie will struggle with, but I can change it if it's confusing or unneeded or elaborate more on why

oops thought I did this, was gonna say PH mmx and other offensive PH mons as well as defensive stuff like tina and expand in the dialga section that it can do this.

Aren't humans? whats the? so many questions science is yet to answer

I'm not a huge fan of this set bc you can't switch into diancie which seems lame (although the ho-oh's improof prolly can) and xern sleeps you then goes to someone else and it's not a great sweeper unless you can lure the prank tina/ff steel. I sometimes just run almost the standard set with recover, v-create, spectral, anchor/flying move/coverage depending on the team so it still sort of checks the same stuff (although weak to sleep) but just does a bit more. I agree it is sometimes underwhelming though but you can do decent damage with low kick to registeel or w/e and you can ohko mmy and stuff but idk i've only seen it be useful on specific teams

I was thinking mainly aegi but also simba and scar, even though they're less common now as well as some meme stuff like mgross and doublade

i just wanted to give more than one example since it was a general category rather than just "ttar", but I can remove it and phrase it something like "most notably ttar" if that's better

all of this is fine, re: the diancie bullet you can just say pixilate diancie w every kind of steel coverage or smth (just make it more eloquent than that)

add in necrozma dm to the aegislash mention

offensive lo sweeper can be a diff oo then

examples are fine

 

[Ren]

Willdbeast

 

[willdbeast]

No double posting in my thread

implementerinoed

 

[Funbot28]

[OVERVIEW]

• Very good special bulk.
• Resists many offensive types, including Fairy, Fire, Steel, and Fighting with a Ground immunity.
• These resistances and bulk allow it to check a variety of threats such as Xerneas, Pixilate Mega Diancie, and some Mega Mewtwo X sets. The Fire resist and Ground immunity help with the common coverage run by Fairy-type attackers, but against those carrying Thousand Arrows it can fall flat. I would expand this to Ground-types in general, as stuff like Pdon and Mega Chomp can be annoying to switch into as well if they run Tarrows > Pblades.
• U-turn resist helps to ensure Ho-oh isn't easily worn down when forced to switch into opposing pivots and the special bulk mitigates the Volt Switch weakness.
• Respectable 130 base attack as well as powerful STAB attack options, including V-Create, mean Ho-oh is difficult to switch into without a Fire resist and helps to threaten other defensive Pokemon.
• 4x weakness to Rock means Ho-oh can easily be crippled by Stealth Rock which rather limits the viable sets and makes it somewhat predictable meaning it fits onto a limited number of teams. Expand on its niche as a general improof mon that can help check partners like Mega Diancie, Pixie MMX, and Mega Blaziken. It can be used as a standalone mon, but it often is seen on teams for this pupose solely.

[SET]
name: Magic Guard
move 1: Shore Up
move 2: V-Create / Flare Blitz
move 3: Anchor Shot
move 4: Defog / Spectral Thief
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Impish / Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Shore Up is to ensure Ho-oh can remain healthy to consistently switch in throughout the match.
• V-Create is an extremely powerful STAB move making use of Ho-oh's base 130 attack to threaten most neutral Pokemon, notably 2HKOing most Mega Audino and possibly OHKOing Mega Gengar after Stealth Rock.
• Flare Blitz is significantly less powerful meaning it misses 2HKOs on most Pokemon but does not have the downside of the Defence drops which make it much easier to force out and also Ho-oh can benefit from Flare Blitz's greater PP to use the attack more liberally.
• Anchor Shot is used to trap Imposter-users to PP stall them as well as trapping many other Pokemon Ho-oh checks such as Xerneas and Mega Diancie and heavily damaging Mega Diancie in particular. You can also mention damaging Mega Tyanitar as well.
• Defog makes use of the ability Magic Guard to come in safely on any hazard and remove it, and also makes use of Ho-oh being a safe switch in to some common hazard setters such as Pixilate Mega Diancie and Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X.
• Spectral Thief is used primarily to steal opponent's stat boosts which makes them easier to wall and makes Ho-oh a more reliable check to setup users. It also provides coverage for some Pokemon such as Flash Fire Aegislash and Giratina.
• Topsy-Turvy is also a viable option for the last move slot thanks to having greater PP than Spectral Thief and making Ho-oh more reliably Imposter-proof due to not stealing Attack boosts, as well as effecting Normal-type Pokemon such as Tail Glow Arceus.
• Would like to see a mention of Psycho Shift here. Can help spread status while enabling Ho-Oh to actually wear down Mbounce mons.

Set Details
========

• Full EVs to maximize bulk, Speed, and power, with maximum Speed being used to outspeed most defensive Pokemon even after a Speed drop and to outspeed many offensive Pokemon if a Speed boost is stolen.
• Nature to further increase bulk. Impish allows Ho-oh to better handle physical moves such as Sunsteel Strike from some Kartana sets and Extreme Speed from Refrigerate Kyurem-B while Careful helps Ho-oh to check special threats such as Mega Gengar, specifically avoiding a 2HKO from Adaptability Mega Gengar. Also mention how careful can help avoid heavy damage from Specs Mega Diancie as well (mainly from Volt Switch).
• Magic Guard prevents hazard damage allowing Ho-oh to function effectively even when Stealth Rock is up and also allows the use of recoil moves, Flare Blitz in particular, without taking recoil damage.
• Toxic Orb makes further use of the ability to block any other status while not causing any adverse affects. This is particularly useful in countering Poison Heal Xerneas which very commonly utilises sleep.

Usage Tips
========

• Ho-oh should be brought in carefully the first time to ensure the Toxic Orb can activate without being removed since not being poisoned will leave Ho-oh vulnerable to sleep, which is often used by Poison Heal Xerneas and Mega Mewtwo X.
• V-Create is a powerful attack and can be used to threaten many Pokemon but most opposing teams will have a save switch-in for V-Create so be careful not to waste PP if they switch to common defensive Pokemon such as Flash Fire Steel-types, Giratina and Primal Kyogre, so ideally scout for Flash Fire or weaken these Pokemon first. The Defense drops from V-Create can also make Ho-oh much easier to force out and can give the opponent chances to set up as well as making it vulnerable to Imposter users. You mention the imposter situation in a later bullet, remove that part here or merge the last point here.
• Flare Blitz doesn't suffer the same drawbacks so can be used repeatedly to wear down opposing Pokemon with less concern for PP. This is already mentioned in moves section. Remove.
• Once the Toxic Orb is activated Ho-oh can be brought in against opposing Xerneas safely since no common Xerneas sets can threaten it. Expand this to sleep abusers in general such as PH MMX and other stuff like Triage Rayquaza.
• Watch out for opposing Pokemon with Core Enforcer, Entrainment, or other moves for removing abilities since these will cause Ho-oh to take poison damage and force it out, and will be deadly if Ho-oh is trapped prior to this. Give examples of common users.
• If possible it's best to scout opposing Mega Diancie's set before switching in since there is a chance they might have Rock-type moves, specifically Head Smash on Magic Guard sets.
• Spectral Thief can be used if a setup move is predicted to steal the boosts before the opposing Pokemon can make use of them.
• Anchor Shot traps Imposter-users making the set self-Imposter-proof. However, after a defense drop from V-create, Imposter-users can potentially 2HKO so be more cautious in this situation.

Team Options
========

• Ho-oh is best used alongside an offensive Pokemon which can make use of Ho-oh's many resists to be an effective Imposter-proofer. Examples include Pixilate Mega Mewtwo X and Pixilate Mega Diancie. Mention Kartana too.
• Both defensive and offensive pivots can be good teammates for Ho-oh since it usually lacks any pivoting moves of its own. These give you something to switch to to gain momentum if they have a solid defensive answer to Ho-oh. Note to elf: think of good examples. Also note that slow pivoting can help enable Ho-Oh to get statused safely.
• Zygarde-Complete sets such as Poison Heal can be effective partners for Ho-oh because they check many Rock-types, other than Mega Diancie, as well as Poison Heal Regigigas, Mega Gyarados, Primal Groudon and some Zekrom A lot of Zek's now run some form of Dragon STAB, would remove this mention and Mega Garchomp sets depending on the Zygarde's set. Zygarde can also act as a defensive pivot and can threaten most Flash Fire Steel-types. In return Ho-oh counters many users of Fairy-type moves which threaten Zygarde. Zygarde can also act as a backup Imposter-proofer in the case Ho-oh has defense drops or has stolen attack boosts.
• Dialga can be a good teammate, as it resists all three of Ho-oh's weaknesses as well as Ho-oh resisting both Ground and Fighting to cover Dialga's weaknesses. RegenVest Dialga can scout for lures such as Magic Guard Diancie or Electric-type coverage and most Dialga sets can force out Giratina which Ho-oh struggles against. RegenVest Dialga can also help check Normalize Gengar which is huge too.
• Imposter-users offer incredible support for Ho-oh by scouting for coverage moves such as Rock-type moves or Bolt Strike and acts as a blanket check for many Pokemon that threaten Ho-oh. In return Ho-oh can absorb status moves that would potentially cripple the Imposter-user. Also note how they can scout for Entrainment and Core Enforcer.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

• Minimum Speed can be used to avoid having Magic Guard suppressed by some Core Enforcer users and, if using Spectral Thief, to steal the stat boosts after the opposing Pokemon uses a setup move. However lower speed reduces the ability to threaten weakened Pokemon and means Ho-oh is less likely to outspeed and kill opposing setup-users after stealing a Speed boost. You can mention the 220 benchmark to outspeed MMY and under at +2.
• Other abilities such as Poison Heal and Magic Bounce fulfil the same role as Magic Guard Ho-oh and can be superior in many situations, but they suffer from the crippling Stealth Rock weakness, meaning they require significant team support and as such are far less splash-able. Also note how Mbounce can struggle against certain SR setters such as Giratina.
• Ho-oh can make use of status moves such as Poison Fang, Toxic, Nuzzle, and Will-o-wisp without fearing Magic Bounce or Imposter-users using these moves against it due to being Poisoned by its item. Alternative STAB attacks can such as Sacred Fire or Beak Blast can also be used to inflict Burns but both lack the power of V-Create and even Flare Blitz.
• Life Orb can be used over Toxic Orb to make Ho-oh more threatening and is best used in conjunction with a more offensive moveset, with Spectral Thief rather than other utility moves or coverage for Flash Fire Steel-types for example. However this leaves Ho-oh vulnerable to other status conditions which can compromise it, especially Sleep.
• Life Orb sets can also be used with Shell Smash and taking advantage of Light of Ruin to be a potential sweeper while also checking similar threats, however this requires a separate Imposter-proofer and does make Ho-oh a much less reliable check for longer matches.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Flash Fire Steel-types**: Flash Fire Steel-types can switch in safely thanks to their ability and are not threatened by Ho-oh, giving them the opportunity to gain momentum or set hazards. However, due to their dual typing, some Steel-types such as Aegislash and Necrozma Dusk Mane can be threatened by Spectral Thief.
**Magic Guard Diancie**: Magic Guard Mega Diancie almost always has Head Smash which will OHKO Ho-oh and is especially threatening because Ho-oh is a good check to other Mega Diancie sets so Magic Guard can be an effective lure. However thanks to its typing Mega Diancie cannot safely switch in due to fear of Anchor Shot which can OHKO and Magic Guard is not nearly as common as Pixilate as Mega Diancie's ability.
**Other Rock-types**: Other Rock-types such as Mega Tyranitar also threaten to OHKO Ho-oh and aren't threatened as much by Anchor Shot as Mega Diancie is.
**Giratina and Zygarde-Complete**: Both of these Pokemon can switch in to Ho-oh reliably thanks to their Fire resist and high physical bulk and commonly have Core Enforcer or Entrainment which force Ho-oh out if Poisoned. Giratina is weak to Spectral Thief but must be quite heavily chipped before this is threatening. Move this one slot higher.
**Water-types**: Thanks to Primal Kyogre's Water-type it resists V-Create and threatens to 2HKO Ho-oh with Revelation Dance or Scald while Mega Gyarados resists every move commonly used by Ho-oh and can OHKO with Water-type attacks or wear Ho-oh down with Knock Off. Both Kyogre and Gyarados also sometimes carry Core Enforcer or Entrainment which force Ho-oh out.
**Zekrom**: Zekrom resists Fire-type attacks and Anchor shot meaning it can switch in comfortably to most Ho-oh sets and threatens Ho-oh with strong Electric-type attacks, with most sets OHKOing. However Zekrom rarely uses recovery so most opponents will be weary of it being worn down.
**Regigigas and Slaking**: With their Poison Heal sets these Pokemon can 2HKO Ho-oh with their Facade or use Shift Gear for a potential OHKO at +1. Regigigas can potentially be 2HKOed in return with V-Create so it isn't a reliable counter, but due to the defense drop Ho-oh is forced out despite the opposing Regigigas being weakened.
**Mega Garchomp and Primal Groudon**: Both of these Pokemon can make use of Thousand Arrows to 2HKO Ho-oh and neither are particularly threatened in return, with Primal Groudon possibly being 3HKOed by V-Create. Primal Groudon lacking Thousand Arrows can still 2HKO Ho-oh with V-Create despite the resist or with some less common coverage moves such as Bolt Strike.
**Normalize Mega Gengar**: This Pokemon can force out Ho-oh by using Entrainment to give Ho-oh the ability Normalize. However no Mega Gengar sets can switch into V-Create safely.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Most strong wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Mega Rayquaza, Sheer Force Mega Mewtwo Y, and Choice Band Mega Mewtwo X can OHKO Ho-oh after some chip damage.
**Sturdy Shedinja**: Sturdy Shedinja counters some Ho-oh sets but cannot switch in to varieties with status moves such as Sacred Fire. Or Psycho Shift.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[, ]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

Great job! QC 2/3

 

[willdbeast]

• Minimum Speed can be used to avoid having Magic Guard suppressed by some Core Enforcer users and, if using Spectral Thief, to steal the stat boosts after the opposing Pokemon uses a setup move. However lower speed reduces the ability to threaten weakened Pokemon and means Ho-oh is less likely to outspeed and kill opposing setup-users after stealing a Speed boost. You can mention the 220 benchmark to outspeed MMY and under at +2.

Should I mention the number 220 or just put mmy as an example of an important mon to outspeed at +2? I feel like if I explicitly mention that benchmark I should also explain that you can just go 252 to catch deo-a and friends at +2 since there aren't many relevant speed tiers in between other than stuff you probably are better off outspeeding

**Giratina and Zygarde-Complete**: Both of these Pokemon can switch in to Ho-oh reliably thanks to their Fire resist and high physical bulk and commonly have Core Enforcer or Entrainment which force Ho-oh out if Poisoned. Giratina is weak to Spectral Thief but must be quite heavily chipped before this is threatening. Move this one slot higher.

I'd rather move it two higher so it still reads mg diancie then other rock types immediately after if that's okay

also now that you mention the ordering I might move zekrom down a slot or two because it's not as prevalent as gigas or pdon and maybe swap gigas and pdon

 

[Funbot28]

Should I mention the number 220 or just put mmy as an example of an important mon to outspeed at +2? I feel like if I explicitly mention that benchmark I should also explain that you can just go 252 to catch deo-a and friends at +2 since there aren't many relevant speed tiers in between other than stuff you probably are better off outspeeding

Ye you can just mention MMY specifically.

I'd rather move it two higher so it still reads mg diancie then other rock types immediately after if that's okay

also now that you mention the ordering I might move zekrom down a slot or two because it's not as prevalent as gigas or pdon and maybe swap gigas and pdon

Sounds Good

 

[willdbeast]

Great job! QC 2/3
View attachment 160490

Psycho Shift is another option that can be used to spread Poison status thanks to Ho-oh's Toxic Orb and is especially useful for inflicting status on Magic Bounce users. However, using Psycho Shift after the item has been removed will permanently remove Ho-oh's status.

does this cover everything you want said for psycho shift?

other than that, implemented

edit: i'll reformat into paragraphs soon(ish)

 

[E4 Flint]

QC Check 3

[OVERVIEW]

Ho-oh boasts very good "great" special bulk which along with its resistance to many offensive types, including Fairy, Fire, Steel, and Fighting with a Ground immunity make it a useful defensive Pokemon. These resistances and bulk allow it to check a variety of threats such as Xerneas, Pixilate Mega Diancie, and some Mega Mewtwo X sets. The Fire resist and Ground immunity help with the common coverage run by Fairy-type attackers, but against those carrying Thousand Arrows it can fall flat. Similarly Ho-oh can struggle against Ground-types who utilise this move rather than Precipice Blades or Earth Power. Additionally, resisting U-turn helps to ensure Ho-oh isn't easily worn down when forced to switch into opposing pivots and the special bulk mitigates the Volt Switch weakness. Imo, this paragraph should be structured into all resists and then weaknesses; should pull out tarrows in its own sentence and volt switch in its own sentence. also rephrase so that it's more like "though it is weak to volt switch, its special bulk mitigates that to some extent" - it will not take specs volt switch for long for example. should also mention the grass resist in conjunction with steel resist that lets it tank kartana unlike something like ogre
Offensively a respectable 130 base attack as well as powerful STAB attack options, including V-Create, mean Ho-oh is difficult to switch into without a Fire resist and helps to threaten other defensive Pokemon. this also sets it apart from other defensive sets that can tank the above mons - it has some bite. highlight this as well, you dont need to have offensive hooh to use stuff like bb and/or blitz and vcreate as a way to deal respectable damage even as a wall
The 4x weakness to Rock means Ho-oh can easily be crippled by Stealth Rock which rather limits the viable sets and makes it somewhat predictable meaning it fits onto a limited number of teams meaning it is usually used primarily as an Imposter-proofer for Pokemon such as Mega Diancie or other teammates. should also mention hooh can also be lured by diamond storm and head smash. weakness to bolt strike otherwise it could check m2y.
[SET]
name: Magic Guard
move 1: Shore Up
move 2: V-Create / Flare Blitz
move 3: Anchor Shot
move 4: Defog / Spectral Thief
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Impish / Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shore Up is to ensure Ho-oh can remain healthy to consistently switch in throughout the match. V-Create is an extremely powerful STAB move making use of Ho-oh's base 130 attack to threaten most neutral Pokemon, notably 2HKOing most Mega Audino also dialga, pretty important with anchor resist and possibly OHKOing Mega Gengar after Stealth Rock. Flare Blitz is significantly less powerful meaning it misses 2HKOs on most Pokemon but does not have the downside of the Defence drops which make it much easier to force out and also Ho-oh can benefit from Flare Blitz's greater PP to use the attack more liberally. Anchor Shot is used to trap Imposter-users to PP stall them as well as trapping many other Pokemon Ho-oh checks such as Xerneas and Mega Diancie and heavily damaging Mega Diancie in particular and damaging other Rock-types l mention ttar by name - and also dino. Defog makes use of the ability Magic Guard to come in safely on any hazard and remove it, and also makes use of Ho-oh being a safe switch in to some common hazard setters such as Pixilate Mega Diancie and Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X. Spectral Thief is used primarily to steal opponent's stat boosts which makes them easier to wall and makes Ho-oh a more reliable check to setup users. It also provides coverage for "against" fits better, i was wondering why youd have ff aegi and hooh on the same team some Pokemon such as Flash Fire Aegislash and Giratina. Topsy-Turvy is also a viable option for the last move slot thanks to having greater PP than Spectral Thief and making Ho-oh more reliably Imposter-proof due to not stealing Attack boosts, as well as effecting Normal-type Pokemon such as Tail Glow Arceus effective against normgar. Psycho Shift is another option that can be used to spread Poison status thanks to Ho-oh's Toxic Orb and is especially useful for inflicting status on Magic Bounce users. However, using Psycho Shift after the item has been removed will permanently remove Ho-oh's status. how is the item removed? mention koff explicitly also mention how it cant be koff absorber if you choose to do this. personally id move psycho to OO - will discuss with other qc.

i think bb should mentioned here personally even if it's not on the main set. recommend bb as another option it lets you do damage to stuff like ogre, giratina, chomp, zyg and ray as well - ohko m2x, consistent pp w/ damage, also helps against random stuff like sceptile or blaziken (dont have to include the last two if you dont want to)

Set Details
========
focus on mg first and foremost, that is the core strength of the set! also useful features like infest, curse, leech immunity. bring that paragraph up here.
Full EVs to maximise bulk, Speed, and power, with maximum Speed being used to outspeed most defensive Pokemon even after a Speed drop and to outspeed many offensive Pokemon if a Speed boost is stolen. The nature is chosen to further increase bulk with Impish allowing Ho-oh to better handle physical moves such as Sunsteel Strike from some Kartana sets and Extreme Speed from Refrigerate Kyurem-B while Careful helps Ho-oh to check special threats such as Mega Gengar, specifically avoiding a 2HKO from Adaptability Mega Gengar and reduced the heavy damage from Choice Specs Mega Diancie, particularly those with Volt Switch.
Magic Guard prevents hazard damage allowing Ho-oh to function effectively even when Stealth Rock is up and also allows the use of recoil moves, Flare Blitz and bb in particular, without taking recoil damage. Toxic Orb makes further use of the ability to block any other status while not causing any adverse affects. This is particularly useful in countering Poison Heal Xerneas which very commonly utilises sleep.

Usage Tips
========
Ho-oh should be brought in carefully the first time to ensure the Toxic Orb can activate without being removed since not being poisoned will leave Ho-oh vulnerable to sleep, which is often used by Poison Heal Xerneas and Mega Mewtwo X. V-Create is a powerful attack and can be used to threaten many Pokemon but most opposing teams will have a save switch-in for V-Create so be careful not to waste PP if they switch to common defensive Pokemon such as Flash Fire Steel-types, Giratina and Primal Kyogre, so ideally scout for Flash Fire or weaken these Pokemon first. The Defense drops from V-Create can also make Ho-oh much easier to force out and can give the opponent chances to set up. careful about excessively using vcreate - chan at -2 can nearly ohko even impish, dangerous esp when youre outsped when you move from -1 to -2 Once the Toxic Orb is activated Ho-oh can be brought in against opposing Xerneas safely since no common Xerneas sets can threaten it and Ho-oh will also be a safer check to other sleep users such as Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X. Watch out for opposing Pokemon with Core Enforcer, Entrainment, or other moves for removing abilities since these will cause Ho-oh to take poison damage and force it out, and will be deadly if Ho-oh is trapped prior to this. These moves are very common especially on defensive pivots such as Giratina and Flash Fire Registeel. If possible it's best to scout opposing Mega Diancie's set before switching in since there is a chance they might have Rock-type moves, specifically Head Smash on Magic Guard sets. Spectral Thief can be used if a setup move is predicted to steal the boosts before the opposing Pokemon can make use of them. Anchor Shot traps Imposter-users making the set self-Imposter-proof anchor doesnt just trap imp - xern and also forces the opp to use mons that have pivot moves. However, after a defense drop from V-create, Imposter-users can potentially 2HKO so be more cautious in this situation. mention above where i have it written imo, move this whole part about imp up

Team Options
========
Ho-oh is best used alongside an offensive Pokemon which can make use of Ho-oh's many resists to be an effective Imposter-proofer. Examples include Pixilate Mega Mewtwo X, Kartana and Pixilate Mega Diancie. Both defensive and offensive pivots can be good teammates for Ho-oh since it usually lacks any pivoting moves of its own. These give you something to switch to to gain momentum if they have a solid defensive answer to Ho-oh and can be used to bring Ho-oh in safely to activate its Toxic Orb. Zygarde-Complete sets such as Poison Heal can be effective partners for Ho-oh because they check many Rock-types, other than Mega Diancie again, like? have to mention ttar explicitly or any other mon you can think of (i dont think anything else is relevant, anchor will not do much to regirock) as well as Poison Heal Regigigas, Mega Gyarados, Primal Groudon, and even some Mega Garchomp sets depending on the Zygarde's set. Zygarde can also act as a defensive pivot and can threaten most Flash Fire Steel-types. In return Ho-oh counters many users of Fairy-type moves which threaten Zygarde. Zygarde can also act as a backup Imposter-proofer in the case Ho-oh has defense drops or has stolen attack boosts. Dialga can be a good teammate, as it resists all three of Ho-oh's weaknesses as well as Ho-oh resisting both Ground and Fighting to cover Dialga's weaknesses. RegenVest Dialga can scout for lures such as Magic Guard Diancie or Electric-type coverage and most Dialga sets can force out Giratina which Ho-oh struggles against. RegenVest Dialga also checks Normalize Gengar which Ho-oh is forced out by despite its special bulk mention regenvest with rev explicitly imo. Imposter-users offer incredible support for Ho-oh by scouting for coverage moves such as Rock-type moves or Bolt Strike as well as Core Enforcer or Entrainment and acts as a blanket check for many Pokemon that threaten Ho-oh. In return Ho-oh can absorb status moves that would potentially cripple the Imposter-user. probably should talk about megaray and m2y (with bolt strike) - need something to come in - possibly dialga. also something for ogre which can probably repeatedly come in on this set and threaten with core or scald - another reason why bb can be a good option. also, need something against zygC, it can reverse-trap hooh and core it and also takes 0 from its attacks

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Minimum Speed can be used to avoid having Magic Guard suppressed by some Core Enforcer users and, if using Spectral Thief, to steal the stat boosts after the opposing Pokemon uses a setup move. However lower speed reduces the ability to threaten weakened Pokemon and means Ho-oh is less likely to outspeed and kill opposing setup-users after stealing a Speed boost, notably outspeeding Mega Mewtwo Y at +2. Other abilities such as Poison Heal and Magic Bounce fulfil the same role as Magic Guard Ho-oh and can be superior in many situations which situations? mention, bounce can be for better mu against normgar along with the requried xern check but also one with hazards (no setup), ph can take chip damage better from stuff like pixilate or even triage ray but they suffer from the crippling Stealth Rock weakness, meaning they require significant team support and as such are far less splash-able. Magic Bounce Ho-oh also struggles against some hazard setters such as Giratina and Primal Groudon how does it struggle against giratina? need to be specific and im not sure which sets you are referring to - seems like itd to fine against generic ph ones etc. same thing with groudon, be more specific . Ho-oh can make use of status moves such as Poison Fang, Toxic, Nuzzle, and Will-o-wisp without fearing Magic Bounce or Imposter-users using these moves against it due to being Poisoned by its item nuzzle can also be used on mg - likely good choice for a pivot set, also toxic/pfang on mg/ph not a great idea, mention and group by set . Alternative STAB attacks can such as Sacred Fire or Beak Blast can also be used to inflict Burns but both lack the power of V-Create and even Flare Blitz. Life Orb can be used over Toxic Orb to make Ho-oh more threatening and is best used in conjunction with a more offensive moveset, with Spectral Thief rather than other utility moves or coverage for Flash Fire Steel-types for example. However this leaves Ho-oh vulnerable to other status conditions which can compromise it, especially Sleep. Life Orb sets can also be used with Shell Smash and taking advantage of Light of Ruin to be a potential sweeper while also checking similar threats, however this requires a separate Imposter-proofer and does make Ho-oh a much less reliable check for longer matches. imo can mention a pivot set with nuzzle esp taking advantage of its x4 weakness for imp leading to further setups, helpful if you already have a defogger

Checks and Counters
===================

**Flash Fire Steel-types**: Flash Fire Steel-types can switch in safely thanks to their ability and are not threatened by Ho-oh, giving them the opportunity to gain momentum or set hazards. However, due to their dual typing, some Steel-types such as Aegislash and Necrozma Dusk Mane can be threatened by Spectral Thief.
**Giratina and Zygarde-Complete**: Both of these Pokemon can switch in to Ho-oh reliably thanks to their Fire resist and high physical bulk and commonly have Core Enforcer or Entrainment which force Ho-oh out if Poisoned. Giratina is weak to Spectral Thief but must be quite heavily chipped before this is threatening.
**Magic Guard Diancie**: Magic Guard Mega Diancie almost always has Head Smash which will OHKO Ho-oh and is especially threatening because Ho-oh is a good check to other Mega Diancie sets so Magic Guard can be an effective lure. However thanks to its typing Mega Diancie cannot safely switch in due to fear of Anchor Shot which can OHKO and Magic Guard is not nearly as common as Pixilate as Mega Diancie's ability.
**Other Rock-types**: Other Rock-types such as Mega Tyranitar also threaten to OHKO Ho-oh and aren't threatened as much by Anchor Shot as Mega Diancie is. if you can think of a second rock type then include it otherwise just change this category to "ttar or rock coverage"
**Water-types**: Thanks to Primal Kyogre's Water-type it resists V-Create and anchor and threatens to 2HKO Ho-oh with Revelation Dance or Scald while Mega Gyarados further resists spectral resists every move commonly used by Ho-oh and can OHKO with Water-type attacks or wear Ho-oh down with Knock Off. Both Kyogre and Gyarados also sometimes carry Core Enforcer or Entrainment which force Ho-oh out.
**Mega Garchomp and Primal Groudon**: Both of these Pokemon can make use of Thousand Arrows to 2HKO Ho-oh and neither are particularly threatened in return, with Primal Groudon possibly being 3HKOed by V-Create. Primal Groudon lacking Thousand Arrows can still 2HKO Ho-oh with V-Create despite the resist or with some less common coverage moves such as Bolt Strike.
**Regigigas and Slaking**: With their Poison Heal sets these Pokemon can 2HKO Ho-oh with their Facade or use Shift Gear for a potential OHKO at +1. Regigigas can potentially be 2HKOed in return with V-Create so it isn't a reliable counter, but due to the defense drop Ho-oh is forced out despite the opposing Regigigas being weakened.
**Zekrom**: Zekrom resists Fire-type attacks and Anchor shot meaning it can switch in comfortably to most Ho-oh sets and threatens Ho-oh with strong Electric-type attacks, with most sets OHKOing. However Zekrom rarely uses recovery so most opponents will be weary of it being worn down.
**Normalize Mega Gengar**: This Pokemon can force out Ho-oh by using Entrainment to give Ho-oh the ability Normalize. However no Mega Gengar sets can switch into V-Create safely.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Most strong wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Mega Rayquaza, Sheer Force Mega Mewtwo Y or m2y with psystrike (optional), and Choice Band Mega Mewtwo X can OHKO Ho-oh after some chip damage.
**Sturdy Shedinja**: Sturdy Shedinja counters some Ho-oh sets but cannot switch in to varieties with status moves such as Psycho Shift or Sacred Fire.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[, ]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

final notes: i think it's mostly good, just suffers from lack of clarity/specificity in some bits. should get a general idea without having to flip between various analyses what the mon is supposed to do and cant make assumptions on the reader to understand things like it being a koff absorber etc. when you implement this check read your analysis and see if it reads like how i mentioned. qc 3/3

to previous qcer's, Funbot28 GL Volkner - my opinion is that psycho shift is on the wane, should be mentioned more in the OO along with possibly a pivot nuzzle set, and I think BB has merit of being mentioned in the main set moves even if it doesnt need to be slashed (reasoning in quote). feel free to weigh in if you object

 

[Ren]

Agreed

 

[Ren]

Willdbeast

 

[willdbeast]

Willdbeast

smells

edit: I'll get to this soon, I'm busy with exams for a week or two though :[

 

[Ren]

Willdbeast

 

[willdbeast]

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Ho-oh boasts great special bulk which along with its resistance to many offensive types, including Fairy, Fire, Steel, and Fighting with a Ground immunity make it a useful defensive Pokemon. These resistances and bulk allow it to check a variety of threats such as Xerneas, Pixilate Mega Diancie, and some Mega Mewtwo X sets. The Fire resist and Ground immunity help with the common coverage run by Fairy-type attackers. Additionally, resisting U-turn helps to ensure Ho-oh isn't easily worn down when forced to switch into opposing pivots. However Ho-oh can fall flat against Ground-types who utilise Thousand Arrows rather than Precipice Blades or Earth Power.
Offensively a respectable 130 base attack as well as powerful STAB attack options, including V-Create, mean Ho-oh is difficult to switch into without a Fire resist and helps to threaten other defensive Pokemon which sets it apart from other defensive Pokemon that check similar threats.
The 4x weakness to Rock means Ho-oh can easily be crippled by Stealth Rock which rather limits the viable sets and makes it somewhat predictable while also meaning it can be easily lured with Diamond Storm or Head Smash. Being weak to Electric means Ho-oh can struggle against Volt Switch users, although the special bulk mitigates this to some extent, and also means Ho-oh cannon check Sheer Force users such as Mega Mewtwo Y which commonly run Bolt Strike.
[SET]
name: Magic Guard
move 1: Shore Up
move 2: V-Create / Flare Blitz
move 3: Anchor Shot
move 4: Defog / Spectral Thief
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Impish / Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shore Up is to ensure Ho-oh can remain healthy to consistently switch in throughout the match. V-Create is an extremely powerful STAB move making use of Ho-oh's base 130 attack to threaten most neutral Pokemon, notably 2HKOing most Mega Audino and Dialga, and possibly OHKOing Mega Gengar after Stealth Rock. Flare Blitz is significantly less powerful meaning it misses 2HKOs on most Pokemon but does not have the downside of the Defence drops which make it much easier to force out and also Ho-oh can benefit from Flare Blitz's greater PP to use the attack more liberally. Anchor Shot is used to trap Imposter-users to PP stall them as well as trapping many other Pokemon Ho-oh checks such as Xerneas and Mega Diancie and heavily damaging Mega Diancie in particular and damaging other Rock-types such as Mega Tyranitar. Defog makes use of the ability Magic Guard to come in safely on any hazard and remove it, and also makes use of Ho-oh being a safe switch in to some common hazard setters such as Pixilate Mega Diancie and Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X. Spectral Thief is used primarily to steal opponent's stat boosts which makes them easier to wall and makes Ho-oh a more reliable check to setup users. It also provides coverage against some Pokemon such as Flash Fire Aegislash and Giratina. Topsy-Turvy is also a viable option for the last move slot thanks to having greater PP than Spectral Thief and making Ho-oh more reliably Imposter-proof due to not stealing Attack boosts, as well as effecting Normal-type Pokemon such as Tail Glow Arceus and is also effective against Normalize Mega Gengar.
Brave Bird is also an option for a strong STAB attack that makes use of Magic Guard and provides good neutral coverage against Fire resists such as Primal Kyogre and Mega Rayquaza and heavily damages Pokemon such as Mega Mewtwo X as well as having good PP.

Set Details
========
Magic Guard prevents hazard damage allowing Ho-oh to function effectively even when Stealth Rock is up and also allows the use of recoil moves, Flare Blitz and Brave Bird in particular, without taking recoil damage. Toxic Orb makes further use of the ability to block any other status while not causing any adverse affects. This is particularly useful in countering Poison Heal Xerneas which very commonly utilises sleep. The ability also provides immunity to numerous less common strategies such as Leech Seed and Sandstorm damage.
Full EVs to maximise bulk, Speed, and power, with maximum Speed being used to outspeed most defensive Pokemon even after a Speed drop and to outspeed many offensive Pokemon if a Speed boost is stolen. The nature is chosen to further increase bulk with Impish allowing Ho-oh to better handle physical moves such as Sunsteel Strike from some Kartana sets and Extreme Speed from Refrigerate Kyurem-B while Careful helps Ho-oh to check special threats such as Mega Gengar, specifically avoiding a 2HKO from Adaptability Mega Gengar and reduced the heavy damage from Choice Specs Mega Diancie, particularly those with Volt Switch.

Usage Tips
========
Ho-oh should be brought in carefully the first time to ensure the Toxic Orb can activate without being removed since not being poisoned will leave Ho-oh vulnerable to sleep, which is often used by Poison Heal Xerneas and Mega Mewtwo X. V-Create is a powerful attack and can be used to threaten many Pokemon but most opposing teams will have a save switch-in for V-Create so be careful not to waste PP if they switch to common defensive Pokemon such as Flash Fire Steel-types, Giratina and Primal Kyogre, so ideally scout for Flash Fire or weaken these Pokemon first. The Defense drops from V-Create can also make Ho-oh much easier to force out and can give the opponent chances to set up. Once the Toxic Orb is activated Ho-oh can be brought in against opposing Xerneas safely since no common Xerneas sets can threaten it and Ho-oh will also be a safer check to other sleep users such as Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X. Watch out for opposing Pokemon with Core Enforcer, Entrainment, or other moves for removing abilities since these will cause Ho-oh to take poison damage and force it out, and will be deadly if Ho-oh is trapped prior to this. These moves are very common especially on defensive pivots such as Giratina and Flash Fire Registeel. If possible it's best to scout opposing Mega Diancie's set before switching in since there is a chance they might have Rock-type moves, specifically Head Smash on Magic Guard sets. Spectral Thief can be used if a setup move is predicted to steal the boosts before the opposing Pokemon can make use of them. Anchor Shot traps Imposter-users making the set self-Imposter-proof. However, after a defense drop from V-create, Imposter-users can potentially 2HKO so be more cautious in this situation.

Team Options
========
Ho-oh is best used alongside an offensive Pokemon which can make use of Ho-oh's many resists to be an effective Imposter-proofer. Examples include Pixilate Mega Mewtwo X, Kartana and Pixilate Mega Diancie. Both defensive and offensive pivots can be good teammates for Ho-oh since it usually lacks any pivoting moves of its own. These give you something to switch to to gain momentum if they have a solid defensive answer to Ho-oh and can be used to bring Ho-oh in safely to activate its Toxic Orb. Zygarde-Complete sets such as Poison Heal can be effective partners for Ho-oh because they check many Rock-types, other than Mega Diancie, as well as Poison Heal Regigigas, Mega Gyarados, Primal Groudon, and some Mega Garchomp sets depending on the Zygarde's set. Zygarde can also act as a defensive pivot and can threaten most Flash Fire Steel-types. In return Ho-oh counters many users of Fairy-type moves which threaten Zygarde. Zygarde can also act as a backup Imposter-proofer in the case Ho-oh has defense drops or has stolen attack boosts. Dialga can be a good teammate, as it resists all three of Ho-oh's weaknesses as well as Ho-oh resisting both Ground and Fighting to cover Dialga's weaknesses. RegenVest Dialga can scout for lures such as Magic Guard Diancie or Electric-type coverage and most Dialga sets can force out Giratina which Ho-oh struggles against. RegenVest Dialga also checks Normalize Gengar which Ho-oh is forced out by despite its special bulk. Imposter-users offer incredible support for Ho-oh by scouting for coverage moves such as Rock-type moves or Bolt Strike as well as Core Enforcer or Entrainment and acts as a blanket check for many Pokemon that threaten Ho-oh. In return Ho-oh can absorb status moves that would potentially cripple the Imposter-user.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Minimum Speed can be used to avoid having Magic Guard suppressed by some Core Enforcer users and, if using Spectral Thief, to steal the stat boosts after the opposing Pokemon uses a setup move. However lower speed reduces the ability to threaten weakened Pokemon and means Ho-oh is less likely to outspeed and kill opposing setup-users after stealing a Speed boost, notably outspeeding Mega Mewtwo Y at +2. Other abilities such as Poison Heal and Magic Bounce fulfil the same role as Magic Guard Ho-oh and can be superior in many situations, but they suffer from the crippling Stealth Rock weakness, meaning they require significant team support and as such are far less splash-able. Magic Bounce Ho-oh also struggles against some hazard setters such as Giratina and Primal Groudon. Ho-oh can make use of status moves such as Poison Fang, Toxic, Nuzzle, and Will-o-wisp without fearing Magic Bounce or Imposter-users using these moves against it due to being Poisoned by its item. Alternative STAB attacks can such as Sacred Fire or Beak Blast can also be used to inflict Burns but both lack the power of V-Create and even Flare Blitz. Life Orb can be used over Toxic Orb to make Ho-oh more threatening and is best used in conjunction with a more offensive moveset, with Spectral Thief rather than other utility moves or coverage for Flash Fire Steel-types for example. However this leaves Ho-oh vulnerable to other status conditions which can compromise it, especially Sleep. Life Orb sets can also be used with Shell Smash and taking advantage of Light of Ruin to be a potential sweeper while also checking similar threats, however this requires a separate Imposter-proofer and does make Ho-oh a much less reliable check for longer matches.
Psycho Shift is another option that can be used to spread Poison status thanks to Ho-oh's Toxic Orb and is especially useful for inflicting status on Magic Bounce users. However, using Psycho Shift after the item has been removed by Knock Off will permanently remove Ho-oh's status.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Flash Fire Steel-types**: Flash Fire Steel-types can switch in safely thanks to their ability and are not threatened by Ho-oh, giving them the opportunity to gain momentum or set hazards. However, due to their dual typing, some Steel-types such as Aegislash and Necrozma Dusk Mane can be threatened by Spectral Thief.
**Giratina and Zygarde-Complete**: Both of these Pokemon can switch in to Ho-oh reliably thanks to their Fire resist and high physical bulk and commonly have Core Enforcer or Entrainment which force Ho-oh out if Poisoned. Giratina is weak to Spectral Thief but must be quite heavily chipped before this is threatening.
**Magic Guard Diancie**: Magic Guard Mega Diancie almost always has Head Smash which will OHKO Ho-oh and is especially threatening because Ho-oh is a good check to other Mega Diancie sets so Magic Guard can be an effective lure. However thanks to its typing Mega Diancie cannot safely switch in due to fear of Anchor Shot which can OHKO and Magic Guard is not nearly as common as Pixilate as Mega Diancie's ability.
**Other Rock-types**: Other Rock-types such as Mega Tyranitar also threaten to OHKO Ho-oh and aren't threatened as much by Anchor Shot as Mega Diancie is.
**Water-types**: Thanks to Primal Kyogre's Water-type it resists V-Create and threatens to 2HKO Ho-oh with Revelation Dance or Scald while Mega Gyarados resists every move commonly used by Ho-oh and can OHKO with Water-type attacks or wear Ho-oh down with Knock Off. Both Kyogre and Gyarados also sometimes carry Core Enforcer or Entrainment which force Ho-oh out.
**Mega Garchomp and Primal Groudon**: Both of these Pokemon can make use of Thousand Arrows to 2HKO Ho-oh and neither are particularly threatened in return, with Primal Groudon possibly being 3HKOed by V-Create. Primal Groudon lacking Thousand Arrows can still 2HKO Ho-oh with V-Create despite the resist or with some less common coverage moves such as Bolt Strike.
**Regigigas and Slaking**: With their Poison Heal sets these Pokemon can 2HKO Ho-oh with their Facade or use Shift Gear for a potential OHKO at +1. Regigigas can potentially be 2HKOed in return with V-Create so it isn't a reliable counter, but due to the defense drop Ho-oh is forced out despite the opposing Regigigas being weakened.
**Zekrom**: Zekrom resists Fire-type attacks and Anchor shot meaning it can switch in comfortably to most Ho-oh sets and threatens Ho-oh with strong Electric-type attacks, with most sets OHKOing. However Zekrom rarely uses recovery so most opponents will be weary of it being worn down.
**Normalize Mega Gengar**: This Pokemon can force out Ho-oh by using Entrainment to give Ho-oh the ability Normalize. However no Mega Gengar sets can switch into V-Create safely.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Most strong wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Mega Rayquaza, Sheer Force Mega Mewtwo Y, and Choice Band Mega Mewtwo X can OHKO Ho-oh after some chip damage.
**Sturdy Shedinja**: Sturdy Shedinja counters some Ho-oh sets but cannot switch in to varieties with status moves such as Psycho Shift Sacred Fire.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[, ]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

implementing wip
"The 4x weakness to Rock means Ho-oh can easily be crippled by Stealth Rock which rather limits the viable sets and makes it somewhat predictable meaning it fits onto a limited number of teams meaning it is usually used primarily as an Imposter-proofer for Pokemon such as Mega Diancie or other teammates. " I removed the second part of this because it's a horrible horrible sentence and also recently more and more ho-oh have been not magic guard so I toned back what I was saying a bit, although I still want to mention how it's mainly a niche improof but idk now. might just add a sentence at the end of the overview

this is the problem with taking so long the meta changes :/

 

[Ginger Princess]

Willdbeast did you ever finish the work for this?

 

[willdbeast]

Willdbeast did you ever finish the work for this?

A couple of suspects happened and i couldn't bear the thought of rewriting it then I forgot :[
I'll try to get it done this weekend, sorry for the delay

 

[Ginger Princess]

A couple of suspects happened and i couldn't bear the thought of rewriting it then I forgot :[
I'll try to get it done this weekend, sorry for the delay

Yeah, don't sweat it. Mega Ray Ban is big

 

[willdbeast]

new set is WIP, just posting so it doesnt get deleted or w/e

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Ho-oh boasts great special bulk which along with its resistance to many offensive types, including Fairy, Fire, Steel, and Fighting with a Ground immunity make it a useful defensive Pokemon. These resistances and bulk allow it to check a variety of threats such as Xerneas, Pixilate Mega Diancie, and some Mega Mewtwo X sets. The Fire resist and Ground immunity help with the common coverage run by Fairy-type attackers. Additionally, resisting U-turn helps to ensure Ho-oh isn't easily worn down when forced to switch into opposing pivots. However Ho-oh can fall flat against Ground-types who utilise Thousand Arrows rather than Precipice Blades or Earth Power.
Offensively a respectable 130 base attack as well as powerful STAB attack options, including V-Create, mean Ho-oh is difficult to switch into without a Fire resist and helps to threaten other defensive Pokemon which sets it apart from other defensive Pokemon that check similar threats.
The 4x weakness to Rock means Ho-oh can easily be crippled by Stealth Rock which necessitates Magic Guard or strong team support while also meaning it can be easily lured with Diamond Storm or Head Smash. Being weak to Electric means Ho-oh can struggle against Volt Switch users, although the special bulk mitigates this to some extent, and also means Ho-oh cannot check Sheer Force users such as Mega Mewtwo Y which commonly run Bolt Strike.
[SET]
name: Magic Bounce
move 1: Shore Up
move 2: V-Create / Lava Plume
move 3: Anchor Shot
move 4: Spectral Thief
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Impish / Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Shore up to ensure Ho-oh can stay healthy throughout the match.
• V-create is a very powerful STAB attack which allows Ho-oh to threaten many opposing pokemon and makes the set much harder to switch into for offensive pokemon such as Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y
• Lava Plume is a less offensive option that can be used for its ability to burn opposing pokemon to wear them down passively.
• Anchor Shot is used for its trapping ability, which can trap many of the pokemon ho-oh checks and also imposter, while doing significant damage to rock and fairy-types such as xerneas and mega tyranitar.
• Spectral Thief is used to remove stat boosts from opposing pokemon to ensure they cannot increase their power to break past Ho-oh which is useful for checking pokemon such as Mega Gengar and Xerneas. Spectral Thief also hits Ghost and Psychic-types such as Giratina, Flash Fire Aegislash and Flash Fire Solgaleo which could otherwise more safely switch in.
• Other support moves such as Knock Off or Beak Blast can be used in place of V-create to provide more utility, however this makes the set quite passive.

Set Details
========

• Magic Bounce is used primarily to prevent hazards from non-Mold Breaker pokemon, for example Xerneas, and Mega Mewtwo X and also protects Ho-oh from many status moves such as Taunt.
• Magic Bounce also means Ho-oh is a solid check to Normgar.
• EVs + nature same as below.
• Leftovers helps to ensure Ho-oh remains healthy and negates most chip damage from switching into U-turn users.

Usage Tips
========

• Magic Bounce Ho-oh should be switched into many potential hazard setters such as Mega Mewtwo X and Poison Heal Xerneas. Thanks to Leftovers and its typing Ho-oh can also switch into hazard setters with U-turn without risking being worn down quickly.
• Due to Magic Bounce Ho-oh can be used as a counter to Normalize Mega Gengar since Entrainment will be bounced back and thanks to Ho-oh's special bulk it can take even a +2 Judgment if Gengar uses Shell Smash on the switch and OHKO in return with Spectral Thief.
• If the opponent manages to set Stealth Rock then Ho-oh is best not sent out until the hazards are removed.
• Against Imposter users Ho-oh can use Anchor Shot to trap and PP stall them, assuming they have no Shed Shell item. However if you've used V-create Ho-oh is at risk of being 2hko due to the defense drop so in these cases it might be best to switch out.
• Spectral Thief can be used against many potential setup sweepers such as Mega Gengar, Xerneas, and Mega Mewtwo X if you expect them to set up.
• V-create should be used sparingly due to the low PP and Ho-oh being easier to force out after the defense and speed drops.
• Lava Plume however can be used more liberally due to the high PP which enables you to fish for burns against opposing defensive Pokemon and make it very risky for most physical pokemon to switch into, and due to the high PP and passive damage from burn many defensive pokemon can be stalled out to waste their recovery PP.

Team Options
========

• Best used with reliable hazard removal due to the Stealth Rock weakness such as defog Zygarde Complete or Rapid Spin Magearna.
• Magic Bounce Ho-oh can be used as an Imposter proofer for many hazard setters such as Poison Heal Xerneas or Pixilate Mega Mewtwo X.

[SET]
name: Magic Guard
move 1: Shore Up
move 2: V-Create / Flare Blitz
move 3: Anchor Shot
move 4: Defog / Spectral Thief
item: Life Orb / Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Impish / Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shore Up is to ensure Ho-oh can remain healthy to consistently switch in throughout the match. V-Create is an extremely powerful STAB move making use of Ho-oh's base 130 attack to threaten most neutral Pokemon, notably 2HKOing most Mega Audino and Dialga, and possibly OHKOing Mega Gengar after Stealth Rock. Flare Blitz is significantly less powerful meaning it misses 2HKOs on most Pokemon but does not have the downside of the Defence drops which make it much easier to force out and also Ho-oh can benefit from Flare Blitz's greater PP to use the attack more liberally. Anchor Shot is used to trap Imposter-users to PP stall them as well as trapping many other Pokemon Ho-oh checks such as Xerneas and Mega Diancie and heavily damaging Mega Diancie in particular and damaging other Rock-types such as Mega Tyranitar. Defog makes use of the ability Magic Guard to come in safely on any hazard and remove it, and also makes use of Ho-oh being a safe switch in to some common hazard setters such as Pixilate Mega Diancie and Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X. Spectral Thief is used primarily to steal opponent's stat boosts which makes them easier to wall and makes Ho-oh a more reliable check to setup users. It also provides coverage against some Pokemon such as Flash Fire Aegislash and Giratina. Topsy-Turvy is also a viable option for the last move slot thanks to having greater PP than Spectral Thief and making Ho-oh more reliably Imposter-proof due to not stealing Attack boosts, as well as effecting Normal-type Pokemon such as Tail Glow Arceus and is also effective against Normalize Mega Gengar.
Brave Bird is also an option for a strong STAB attack that makes use of Magic Guard and provides good neutral coverage against Fire resists such as Primal Kyogre and Giratina and heavily damages Pokemon such as Mega Mewtwo X as well as having good PP.

Set Details
========
Magic Guard prevents hazard damage allowing Ho-oh to function effectively even when Stealth Rock is up and also allows the use of recoil moves, Flare Blitz and Brave Bird in particular, without taking recoil damage. Toxic Orb makes further use of the ability to block any other status while not causing any adverse affects. This is particularly useful in countering Poison Heal Xerneas which very commonly utilises sleep. The ability also provides immunity to numerous less common strategies such as Leech Seed and Sandstorm damage.
Full EVs to maximise bulk, Speed, and power, with maximum Speed being used to outspeed most defensive Pokemon even after a Speed drop and to outspeed many offensive Pokemon if a Speed boost is stolen. The nature is chosen to further increase bulk with Impish allowing Ho-oh to better handle physical moves such as Sunsteel Strike from some Kartana sets and Extreme Speed from Refrigerate Kyurem-B while Careful helps Ho-oh to check special threats such as Mega Gengar, specifically avoiding a 2HKO from Adaptability Mega Gengar and reducing the heavy damage from Choice Specs Mega Diancie, particularly those with Volt Switch.

Usage Tips
========
If using Toxic Orb, Ho-oh should be brought in carefully the first time to ensure the Toxic Orb can activate without being removed since not being poisoned will leave Ho-oh vulnerable to sleep and paralysis, which are often used by Poison Heal Xerneas and Mega Mewtwo X. V-Create is a powerful attack and can be used to threaten many Pokemon but most opposing teams will have a save switch-in for V-Create so be careful not to waste PP if they switch to common defensive Pokemon such as Flash Fire Steel-types, Giratina and Primal Kyogre, so ideally scout for Flash Fire or weaken these Pokemon first. The Defense drops from V-Create can also make Ho-oh much easier to force out and can give the opponent chances to set up. [note to self: this needs changing] Once the Toxic Orb is activated Ho-oh can be brought in against opposing Xerneas safely since no common Xerneas sets can threaten it and Ho-oh will also be a safer check to other sleep users such as Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X. Watch out for opposing Pokemon with Core Enforcer, Entrainment, or other moves for removing abilities since these will cause Ho-oh to take poison damage and force it out, and will be deadly if Ho-oh is trapped prior to this. These moves are very common especially on defensive pivots such as Giratina and Flash Fire Registeel. If possible it's best to scout opposing Mega Diancie's set before switching in since there is a chance they might have Rock-type moves, specifically Head Smash on Magic Guard sets. Spectral Thief can be used if a setup move is predicted to steal the boosts before the opposing Pokemon can make use of them. Anchor Shot traps Imposter-users making the set self-Imposter-proof. However, after a defense drop from V-create, Imposter-users can potentially 2HKO so be more cautious in this situation.

Team Options
========
Ho-oh is best used alongside an offensive Pokemon which can make use of Ho-oh's many resists to be an effective Imposter-proofer. Examples include Pixilate Mega Mewtwo X, Kartana and Pixilate Mega Diancie. Both defensive and offensive pivots can be good teammates for Ho-oh since it usually lacks any pivoting moves of its own. These give you something to switch to to gain momentum if they have a solid defensive answer to Ho-oh and can be used to bring Ho-oh in safely to activate its Toxic Orb. Zygarde-Complete sets such as Poison Heal can be effective partners for Ho-oh because they check many Rock-types, other than Mega Diancie, as well as Poison Heal Regigigas, Mega Gyarados, Primal Groudon, and some Mega Garchomp sets depending on the Zygarde's set. Zygarde can also act as a defensive pivot and can threaten most Flash Fire Steel-types. In return Ho-oh counters many users of Fairy-type moves which threaten Zygarde. Zygarde can also act as a backup Imposter-proofer in the case Ho-oh has defense drops or has stolen attack boosts. Dialga can be a good teammate, as it resists all three of Ho-oh's weaknesses as well as Ho-oh resisting both Ground and Fighting to cover Dialga's weaknesses. RegenVest Dialga can scout for lures such as Magic Guard Diancie or Electric-type coverage and most Dialga sets can force out Giratina which Ho-oh struggles against. RegenVest Dialga also checks Normalize Gengar which Ho-oh is forced out by despite its special bulk. Imposter-users offer incredible support for Ho-oh by scouting for coverage moves such as Rock-type moves or Bolt Strike as well as Core Enforcer or Entrainment and acts as a blanket check for many Pokemon that threaten Ho-oh. In return Ho-oh can absorb status moves that would potentially cripple the Imposter-user.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Minimum Speed can be used to avoid having Magic Guard suppressed by some Core Enforcer users and, if using Spectral Thief, to steal the stat boosts after the opposing Pokemon uses a setup move. However lower speed reduces the ability to threaten weakened Pokemon and means Ho-oh is less likely to outspeed and kill opposing setup-users after stealing a Speed boost, notably outspeeding Mega Mewtwo Y at +2. Other abilities such as Poison Heal and Magic Bounce fulfil the same role as Magic Guard Ho-oh and can be superior in many situations, but they suffer from the crippling Stealth Rock weakness, meaning they require significant team support and as such are far less splash-able. Magic Bounce Ho-oh also struggles against some hazard setters such as Giratina and Primal Groudon. Ho-oh can make use of status moves such as Poison Fang, Toxic, Nuzzle, and Will-o-wisp without fearing Magic Bounce or Imposter-users using these moves against it due to being Poisoned by its item. Alternative STAB attacks can such as Sacred Fire or Beak Blast can also be used to inflict Burns but both lack the power of V-Create and even Flare Blitz. Life Orb can be used over Toxic Orb to make Ho-oh more threatening and is best used in conjunction with a more offensive moveset, with Spectral Thief rather than other utility moves or coverage for Flash Fire Steel-types for example. However this leaves Ho-oh vulnerable to other status conditions which can compromise it, especially Sleep. Life Orb sets can also be used with Shell Smash and taking advantage of Light of Ruin to be a potential sweeper while also checking similar threats, however this requires a separate Imposter-proofer and does make Ho-oh a much less reliable check for longer matches.
Psycho Shift is another option that can be used to spread Poison status thanks to Ho-oh's Toxic Orb and is especially useful for inflicting status on Magic Bounce users. However, using Psycho Shift after the item has been removed by Knock Off will permanently remove Ho-oh's status.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Flash Fire Steel-types**: Flash Fire Steel-types can switch in safely thanks to their ability and are not threatened by Ho-oh, giving them the opportunity to gain momentum or set hazards. However, due to their dual typing, some Steel-types such as Aegislash and Necrozma Dusk Mane can be threatened by Spectral Thief.
**Giratina and Zygarde-Complete**: Both of these Pokemon can switch in to Ho-oh reliably thanks to their Fire resist and high physical bulk and commonly have Core Enforcer or Entrainment which force Ho-oh out if Poisoned. Giratina is weak to Spectral Thief but must be quite heavily chipped before this is threatening.
**Magic Guard Diancie**: Magic Guard Mega Diancie almost always has Head Smash which will OHKO Ho-oh and is especially threatening because Ho-oh is a good check to other Mega Diancie sets so Magic Guard can be an effective lure. However thanks to its typing Mega Diancie cannot safely switch in due to fear of Anchor Shot which can OHKO and Magic Guard is not nearly as common as Pixilate as Mega Diancie's ability.
**Other Rock-types**: Other Rock-types such as Mega Tyranitar also threaten to OHKO Ho-oh and aren't threatened as much by Anchor Shot as Mega Diancie is.
**Water-types**: Thanks to Primal Kyogre's Water-type it resists V-Create and threatens to 2HKO Ho-oh with Revelation Dance or Scald while Mega Gyarados resists most moves commonly used by Ho-oh and can OHKO with Water-type attacks or wear Ho-oh down with Knock Off.
**Mega Garchomp and Primal Groudon**: Both of these Pokemon can make use of Thousand Arrows to 2HKO Ho-oh and neither are particularly threatened in return, with Primal Groudon possibly being 3HKOed by V-Create. Primal Groudon lacking Thousand Arrows can still 2HKO Ho-oh with V-Create despite the resist or with some less common coverage moves such as Bolt Strike.
**Regigigas and Slaking**: With their Poison Heal sets these Pokemon can 2HKO Ho-oh with their Facade or use Shift Gear for a potential OHKO at +1. Regigigas can potentially be 2HKOed in return with V-Create so it isn't a reliable counter, but due to the defense drop Ho-oh is forced out despite the opposing Regigigas being weakened.
**Zekrom**: Zekrom resists Fire-type attacks and Anchor shot meaning it can switch in comfortably to most Ho-oh sets and threatens Ho-oh with strong Electric-type attacks, with most sets OHKOing. However Zekrom rarely uses recovery so most opponents will be weary of it being worn down.
**Normalize Mega Gengar**: This Pokemon can force out Ho-oh by using Entrainment to give Ho-oh the ability Normalize. However no Mega Gengar sets can switch into V-Create safely.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Most strong wallbreakers such as Sheer Force Mega Mewtwo Y, Choice Band Mega Mewtwo X, and Tinted Lens Mega Blaziken can OHKO Ho-oh after some chip damage.
**Sturdy Shedinja**: Sturdy Shedinja counters some Ho-oh sets but cannot switch in to varieties with status moves such as Psycho Shift Sacred Fire.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[, ]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
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[Ginger Princess]

okay this hasn't been touched in 3 weeks, and the other OMs need to move on. Archiving this, we can work on it in Gen 8 OMQC if u want