Blastoise (UU) QC 2/2 GP 2/2

[Diophantine]

[OVERVIEW]

The poster child of Pokemon Blue has the stats and typing to make it the most reliable spinner in GSC UU. Blastoise's Speed tier, respectable Special Attack, and bulk mean that it is a viable answer to several of the tier's threats, most notably the omnipresent Nidoqueen. Access to Rapid Spin in a tier where such a trait is rare also boosts Blastoise's viability. It faces competition from Qwilfish and Omastar, two other viable bulky Water-types, but its access to Rapid Spin and its lack of a weakness to Ground differentiates it from its peers.

[SET]
name: Spinstoise (Rapid Spin)
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk / Roar
item: Leftovers


[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Blastoise is highly regarded as the best spinner in the tier. Its ability to beat Qwilfish one-on-one with the longevity gained from Rest means that it can remove Spikes reliably in the long term. However, Curse Qwilfish or a well-timed critical hit can give it some trouble. Although Haunter can spinblock Blastoise, it does not appreciate a hard-hitting Surf that has a chance to 2HKO. Blastoise's Speed and respectably powerful Surf make it a viable counter to the Ground-types of the tier—even Thunder Nidoqueen. It also hits Pokemon with low Special Defense reasonably hard, like Granbull and Kabutops. Sleep Talk makes Blastoise less passive when asleep and lets it use Rapid Spin—mainly on Qwilfish—while asleep. Sleep Talk also allows Blastoise to play around status inducers and gives it better odds against Sandslash and Lovely Kiss Nidoqueen. Roar can be used instead as an emergency button against some of the setup Pokemon like Scyther and Granbull, but it means that Blastoise should be supported by a Heal Bell user like Granbull or Chansey to reduce the drawbacks of Rest without Sleep Talk.

Team Options
========

As the tier's best spinner and due to the defensive utility it offers, Blastoise finds relevance in making defensive teams work. Rapid Spin support reinforces the resilience of walls such as Slowbro and Hypno, greatly improving their performance as Nidoqueen checks. It also works well with sweepers that are difficult to wall in the long term, such as Belly Drum Quagsire, Growth or Belly Drum Politoed, and Swords Dance Pinsir. These can all work as standalone sweepers on defensive teams and use its teammates' defensive utility to wait for an opportunity to set up. Pokemon that can stomach hard-hitting Electric-type attacks, such as Nidoqueen, Ampharos, and Chansey, make good partners for Blastoise because they take away the burden of one of its weaknesses. All of these appreciate the removal of Spikes that Blastoise offers.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ice Beam can be used to surprise Jumpluff with a heavy hit and even has a chance to freeze on all non-Ice-type targets, though sacrificing a moveslot for this can be difficult, as Blastoise will struggle to perform its usual roles if any of its moves are replaced. However, you could forgo Rapid Spin, as Ice Beam and Surf give you perfect Sleep Talks against the likes of Nidoqueen and Sandslash. Toxic can be used to surprise Bellossom and Jumpluff, two checks to Blastoise that find it difficult to deal with status inflictions. Zap Cannon can be used to catch Pokemon that do not appreciate paralysis off guard, such as Scyther and Qwilfish, while also being a generally hard-hitting Electric-type attack, though the lack of PP and the accuracy of the move mean it is not much more than a gimmick. Reflect strengthens Blastoise against physical threats such as Granbull. Haze can stop the likes of Ancient Power Kabutops, Belly Drum Quagsire, and Growth Politoed from sweeping. Mirror Coat can be used to catch a Pokemon using an Electric-type attack by surprise. Counter can be used to take advantage of boosted Granbull and Scyther that may try to punch through Blastoise. Finally, Earthquake allows Blastoise to hit Electric-types and Qwilfish for super effective damage, but it is not usually used, as Blastoise with Sleep Talk has good long-term odds against Qwilfish, and the damage done by Surf can rack up over time against Electric-types.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: All Electric-types offensively pressure Blastoise with a hard-hitting Thunder, and aggressive play from these Pokemon with Spikes down can pressure it by forcing it to switch and take residual damage. However, Magneton, Pikachu, and Electabuzz cannot switch into Blastoise easily, as Surf 3HKOes the former and hinders the latter two because they are not Pokemon that typically use Rest. These Pokemon should also be careful of the rare Mirror Coat.

**Chansey and Hypno**: Chansey and Hypno can stalemate Blastoise with their high special bulk and set up Light Screen for teammates that would usually find difficulty in beating it one-on-one, like Granbull. They can also paralyze it with Thunder Wave and, in Chansey's case, damage it with Present. Blastoise can, however, take this as an opportunity to remove Spikes.

**Setup Physical Attackers**: Granbull safely 2HKOes Blastoise after a Curse, Victreebel walls Blastoise and can set up with Swords Dance, and Scyther threatens to Baton Pass an Attack boost to an ally along with being able to deal some decent damage itself.

**Water-types that resist Water**: Slowbro and Slowking wall Blastoise and, while Blastoise does have more PP thanks to Rapid Spin, can aim for Special Defense drops with Psychic or even to try to take it out with a critical hit, which Blastoise cannot reciprocate. Lanturn safely comes in and counters Blastoise, scaring it out with the threat of a STAB Thunder. If Blastoise does not have Roar, Politoed can set up with Growth or Belly Drum.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Victreebel, Jumpluff, and Bellossom check Blastoise well and can exploit the free turn generated by Blastoise's inability to do any meaningful damage to them. Victreebel can set up with Swords Dance, Jumpluff can use Encore on Blastoise and turn it into setup fodder, and Bellossom can deal a chunk of damage with Hidden Power Grass.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Diophantine, 370164]]
- Quality checked by: [[Earthworm, 15210], [Century Express, 234737]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]

 

[Earthworm]

Its ability to beat Qwilfish one-on-one with the longevity gained from Rest means that it can remove Spikes reliably in the long term,

This is arguably the most important matchup for Blastoise, I think it needs some more elaborate description. e.g. Qwilfish has some odds of getting past Blastoise, it just needs a well-timed crit.

Roar can be used instead as an emergency button against some of the setup Pokemon like Scyther and Granbull, but means that Blastoise should be supported by a Heal Bell user like Granbull or Chansey to reduce the drawbacks of Rest without Sleep Talk.

Losing Sleep Talk is also a huge deal against Qwilfish, I'd mention that. To be honest I think Roar Blastoise (at least with Spin) is quite bad because of the durability of the Pokemon it has to phaze, these are often Pokemon that will probably be back again to set up after a few turns and they hit Blastoise quite hard.

Pokemon that can abuse passivity of Bellossom and Jumpluff like Qwilfish, Magneton and Hypno are also good partners for Blastoise as the Water starter draws them in fairly easily.

I don't like the phrasing "draws them in fairly easily", it kinda sounds like that's Blastoise's intent which it probably isn't really. Blastoise can't really make anything come in, it can force things out but it has numerous counters so the opponent has many options typically.

Reflect support from Hypno, Magneton and Chansey means that Blastoise deals with Physically Offensive threats even better like the ferocious boosted Granbull.

I am not sure about this. I don't think Blastoise is a great beneficiary of Reflect.

I would also mention that Blastoise is core to making GSC UU stall work. And separately (?) it goes well with sweepers that are difficult to wall long term, like Drum Quagsire, Politoed with whatever boosting move(s), and SD Pinsir, which can work as standalone threats on a defensive team that aims to just stall until an opportunity arises. Sandslash probably fits here too but you already mentioned it, Victreebel might fit too.

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

Blastoise can also use Haze, Mirror Coat, Reflect, and Earthquake, though they're admittedly pretty mediocre options. Mirror Coat and Zap Cannon are both illegal with both Counter and Reflect apparently. Also, it would probably be worth discussing how Blastoise can fit its OOs onto its set.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Chansey**: Chansey can stalemate Blastoise with its high Special bulk and set up Light Screen for its teammates that would usually find difficulty in beating it one-on-one like Granbull. Blastoise can, however, take this as an opportunity to remove Spikes.

Should mention Present in here. Maybe Thunder Wave too. I'm also thinking Hypno could go in here maybe.

**Swords Dance-boosted Physical Attackers**: While Granbull finds difficulty taking on Blastoise by itself, if it has an Attack boost passed from Scyther, it can fight through Blastoise with its Return.

I am unsure about the Granbull statement, it 2HKOes pretty safely at +1. But SD boosters like Victreebel, Scyther, and Pinsir are all Pokemon Blastoise fears. The threat of SD pass from Scyther is also a huge alarm bell for Blastoise to get outta there as you have implied (at least RestTalk versions).

**Slowbro and Slowking**: These two wall Blastoise and, while Blastoise does have more PP thanks to Rapid Spin, the Psychic-types can aim for Special Defense drops with Psychic.

Maybe mention that it is also at risk of being KOed by a critical hit whereas the Slow things are not.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Victreebel, Jumpluff and Bellossom check Blastoise well and can exploit the free turn generated by Blastoise’s inability to do any meaningful damage to them.

I would explicitly say to inflict status or set up.

Curse Qwilfish can be discussed here.

Gyarados/Lanturn/Politoed/whatever other niche polis might go here too.

 

[Diophantine]

Losing Sleep Talk is also a huge deal against Qwilfish, I'd mention that. To be honest I think Roar Blastoise (at least with Spin) is quite bad because of the durability of the Pokemon it has to phaze, these are often Pokemon that will probably be back again to set up after a few turns and they hit Blastoise quite hard.

Should I drop Roar from the main set and leave it as an OO?

Blastoise can also use Haze, Mirror Coat, Reflect, and Earthquake, though they're admittedly pretty mediocre options.

I am pretty unsure of using Earthquake, but I will mention the others.

I am not sure about this. I don't think Blastoise is a great beneficiary of Reflect.

Deleted.

 

[Earthworm]

Team Options
========

Pokemon that can abuse passivity of Bellossom and Jumpluff like Qwilfish, Magneton and Hypno are also good partners for Blastoise, as these types of Pokemon can attempt to wall it.

Probably better to say "can threaten it or turn it into setup fodder." (referring to HP Grass Bellossom and Encore Jumpluff)

However, using Qwilfish alongside Blastoise means that several roles and weaknesses overlap due to the similar typing.

I would change this from roles and weaknesses to something like due to their shared typing, Qwilfish's lack of complementing useful resistances means that there is a greater burden on the rest of the team to check more Pokemon? or something along those lines maybe.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============

Haze can stop the likes of Ancient Power Kabutops and other setup sweepers from punching holes Blastoise's team.

I'd use slower Pokemon as examples here like BD users and Growth toed.

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

**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Victreebel, Jumpluff and Bellossom check Blastoise well and can exploit the free turn generated by Blastoise’s inability to do any meaningful damage to them. Victreebel can setup with Swords Dance, whereas the latter two can inflict Blastoise with status.

Bellossom can threaten it with HP Grass as well and Jumpluff can use Encore to lock it into Rapid Spin for a free switch if it stays in.

These were all very minor nitpicks but better to fix them now.

QC 1/2 once implemented.

 

[Diophantine]

Probably better to say "can threaten it or turn it into setup fodder." (referring to HP Grass Bellossom and Encore Jumpluff)

I would change this from roles and weaknesses to something like due to their shared typing, Qwilfish's lack of complementing useful resistances means that there is a greater burden on the rest of the team to check more Pokemon? or something along those lines maybe.


I'd use slower Pokemon as examples here like BD users and Growth toed.

Bellossom can threaten it with HP Grass as well and Jumpluff can use Encore to lock it into Rapid Spin for a free switch if it stays in.

These were all very minor nitpicks but better to fix them now.

QC 1/2 once implemented.

Done thanks :D

 

[Century Express]

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Blastoise’s stats and typing make it the most reliable user of Rapid Spin in the GSC UnderUsed tier. Its Speed tier, respectable Special Attack and bulk mean that it is a viable answer to several of the tiers threats, most notably the omnipresent Nidoqueen. Access to Rapid Spin in a tier where such a trait is rare boosts Blastoise’s viability. The poster child of Pokemon Blue translates its reliability and usefulness in winning gym badges and conquering the Indigo Plateau from that game to the fierce battleground of the GSC UU metagame.

[SET]
name: Spinstoise (Rapid Spin)
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk / Roar
Item: Leftovers


[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description
=========

Blastoise is highly regarded as the best user of Rapid Spin in the tier. Its ability to beat Qwilfish one-on-one with the longevity gained from Rest means that it can remove Spikes reliably in the long term. However, Curse Qwilfish or a well-timed Critical Hit can give it some trouble. Haunter can Spin-block Blastoise, it does not appreciate a hard hitting Surf that has a chance to 2HKO. Blastoise’s Speed and respectably powerful Surf make it a viable counter to the Ground-types of the tier - even the Thunder abusing Nidoqueen. It also hits Pokemon with low Special Defense reasonably hard like Granbull and Kabutops. Sleep Talk is used for more reliability in recovery and being able to Rapid Spin - mainly on Qwilfish - while asleep. As a Sleep Talk user, Blastoise is also able to freely wall the likes Jumpluff and other passive status inflictors I'd remove the Jumpluff mention, since it's an isolated example, and just mention it allows Blastoise to play more comfortably around status inducers and improve its odds vs. Lovely Kiss Nidoqueen and Sandslash. Roar can be used instead as an emergency button against some of the setup Pokemon like Scyther and Granbull, but means that Blastoise should be supported by a Heal Bell user like Granbull or Chansey to reduce the drawbacks of Rest without Sleep Talk.

Team Options
========

Blastoise pairs well with many Pokemon that enjoy Spikes gone like Bellossom - which means it can pivot more freely - and Sandslash - which means it has more HP to setup a sweep. This part of section looks a bit vague, i'd remove the individual Sandslash / Bellossom mentions (I mean, every Grounded 'mon enjoys Spin support) - It's more informative to give a more broad example, for example, saying Blastoise's spin allows Stalls to more work efficiently just like you did in the 2nd paragraph of Team Options, which is a very good example!. Pokemon that can stomach hard hitting Electric-type attacks such as Nidoqueen, Ampharos and Chansey make good partners for Blastoise as they take away the burden of one of its weaknesses. Pokemon that can abuse passivity of Bellossom and Jumpluff like Qwilfish, Magneton and Hypno are also good partners for Blastoise, as these types of Pokemon can threaten it and turn it into setup fodder I'm a bit confused with this section, could you elaborate it?. The latter two can threaten with paralysis and set up a screen, whereas former grants Spikes and threatens with a Sludge Bomb. However, using Qwilfish alongside Blastoise means that Qwilfish's lack of notable resistances that Blastoise does not have leads to a burden on the rest of the team to check more Pokemon.

As the tier's best user of Rapid Spin, and due to the defensive utility it offers, Blastoise finds importance in making defensive teams in the tier work. It also works well with sweepers that are difficult to wall in the long term such as Belly Drum Quagsire, Growth or Belly Drum Politoed, and Swords Dance Pinsir. These can all work as stand alone sweepers on defensive teams that use its teammates' defensive utility to wait for an opportunity to setup.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============

Ice Beam can be used to surprise Jumpluff with a heavy hit and even a chance to freeze on all non-Ice-type targets, though sacrificing a moveslot for this can be difficult, as Blastoise will find it harder to remove hazards. Toxic can also be used to surprise the non-Poison-type Grass-type answers to Blastoise as they generally find it difficult to deal with status infliction. Zap Cannon can be used to catch Pokemon that do not appreciate paralysis off-guard such as Scyther and Qwilfish while also being a generally hard hitting Electric-type attack, though the lack of PP and the accuracy of the move means it is not much more than a gimmick. Reflect can be used to strengthen Blastoise against physical threats such as Granbull. Haze can stop the likes of Ancient Power Kabutops, Belly Drum Quagsire, and Growth Politoed from sweeping. Mirror Coat can be used to catch an Electric-type attack by surprise. Finally, Counter can be used to take advantage of boosted Granbull or Scyther which may try to punch through Blastoise.

- Earthquake is a shaky, but viable option - discouraging Qwilfish and Electric-type switch-ins in a single slot makes it worth of OO.
- I'd mention a pure non-Spin set composed of Surf / Ice Beam / Rest / Sleep Talk. Unlike Slowbroking, it outspeeds Nidoqueen and Sanslash and IB guarantees pretty much only good Sleep Talk rolls against these threats.

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

**Electric-types**: All Electric-types offensively pressure Blastoise with hard hitting a Thunder, and aggressive play from these Pokemon with Spikes down can pressure it by forcing it to switch and take residual damage. However, Magneton and Electabuzz cannot switch into Blastoise easily, as Surf 3HKOs the former and hinders the latter as it is not a Pokemon that typically uses Rest. (Nitpicking it's not a bad idea to scout for Mirror Coat variants, even though they're very rare)

**Chansey and Hypno**: Both can stalemate Blastoise with their high Special bulk and set up Light Screen for its teammates that would usually find difficulty in beating it one-on-one like Granbull. They can also paralyze it with Thunder Wave, and in Chansey's case damage it with Present. Blastoise can, however, take this as an opportunity to remove Spikes.

**Set up Physical Attackers**: Granbull safely 2HKOes Blastoise after a Curse; Victreebel walls Blastoise and can set up with Swords Dance, and Scyther threatens to Baton Pass a boosted Attack stat to an ally, along with being able to deal some decent damage itself.

**Water-types that resist Water**: Slowbro and Slowking wall Blastoise and, while Blastoise does have more PP thanks to Rapid Spin, the Psychic-types can aim for Special Defense drops with Psychic, or even to try to take it out with a Critical Hit, which Blastoise cannot reciprocate. Lanturn safely comes in and counters Blastoise, scaring it out with the threat of a STAB Thunder. If Blastoise does not have Roar, then it can allow Politoed to set up with Growth or Belly Drum.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Victreebel, Jumpluff and Bellossom check Blastoise well and can exploit the free turn generated by Blastoise’s inability to do any meaningful damage to them. Victreebel can setup with Swords Dance, Jumpluff can Encore Blastoise and turn it into setup fodder, while Bellossom can deal a chunk of damage with Hidden Power Grass.

 

[Diophantine]

Done, thanks.

 

[Diophantine]

Updated: Made a few changes to Team Options with Century Express.

 

[Century Express]

Confirming!

QC 2/2

 

[Dawn of Ares]

amcheck
Additions
Removals
Comments

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Blastoise’s stats and typing make it the most reliable user of Rapid Spin in the GSC UnderUsed tier. Its Speed tier, respectable Special Attack Attack, and bulk mean that it is a viable answer to several of the tiers tier's threats, most notably the omnipresent Nidoqueen. Access to Rapid Spin in a tier where such a trait is rare boosts Blastoise’s viability. The poster child of Pokemon Blue translates its reliability and usefulness in winning gym badges and conquering the Indigo Plateau from that game to the fierce battleground of the GSC UU metagame. (Filler)

[SET]
name: Spinstoise (Rapid Spin)
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk / Roar
Item: item: Leftovers


[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description
=========

Blastoise is highly regarded as the best user of Rapid Spin in the tier. Its ability to beat Qwilfish one-on-one with the longevity gained from Rest means that it can remove Spikes reliably in the long term. However, Curse Qwilfish or a well-timed Critical Hit critical hit can give it some trouble. While Haunter can Spin-block spinblock Blastoise, it does not appreciate a hard hitting hard-hitting Surf that has a chance to 2HKO. Blastoise’s Speed and respectably powerful Surf make it a viable counter to the Ground-types of the tier - —even the Thunder abusing Thunder-abusing Nidoqueen. It also hits Pokemon with low Special Defense reasonably hard, (add comma) like Granbull and Kabutops. Sleep Talk is used for more reliability in recovery and being able to use Rapid Spin - —mainly on Qwilfish - —while asleep. Sleep Talk also allows Blastoise to play around status inducers inflictors and gives it better odds against Lovely Kiss Nidoqueen and Sandslash. Roar can be used instead as an emergency button against some of the setup Pokemon like Scyther and Granbull, but it means that Blastoise should be supported by a Heal Bell user like Granbull or Chansey to reduce the drawbacks of Rest without Sleep Talk.

Team Options
========

As the tier's best user of Rapid Spin, and due to the defensive utility it offers, Blastoise finds importance in making defensive teams in the tier work. Rapid Spin support reinforces the resilience of walls such as Slowbro and Hypno, greatly improving their performance as Nidoqueen checks. It also works well with sweepers that are difficult to wall in the long term, (add comma) such as Belly Drum Quagsire, Growth or Belly Drum Politoed, and Swords Dance Pinsir. These can all work as stand alone standalone sweepers on defensive teams that and use its teammates' defensive utility to wait for an opportunity to setup. set up. Pokemon that can stomach hard hitting hard-hitting Electric-type attacks, (add comma) such as Nidoqueen, Ampharos, (add comma) and Chansey make good partners for Blastoise as they take away the burden of one of its weaknesses. All of these appreciate the removal of Spikes that Blastoise offers.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============

Ice Beam can be used to surprise Jumpluff with a heavy hit and even a chance to freeze on all non-Ice-type targets, though sacrificing a moveslot for this can be difficult, as Blastoise will find it harder to remove hazards. However, you could forgo Rapid Spin, as Ice Beam and Surf give you perfect Sleep Talks against the likes of Nidoqueen and Sandslash. Toxic can also be used to surprise the non-Poison-type Grass-type answers to Blastoise, (add comma) as they generally find it difficult to deal with status infliction. Zap Cannon can be used to catch Pokemon that do not appreciate paralysis off-guard, (add comma) such as Scyther and Qwilfish, (add comma) while also being a generally hard hitting hard-hitting Electric-type attack, though the lack of PP and the accuracy of the move means mean it is not much more than a gimmick. Reflect can be used to strengthen Blastoise against physical threats such as Granbull. Haze can stop the likes of Ancient Power Kabutops, Belly Drum Quagsire, and Growth Politoed from sweeping. Mirror Coat can be used to catch an Electric-type attack by surprise. Finally, Counter can be used to take advantage of boosted Granbull or Scyther which that may try to punch through Blastoise. Finally, Earthquake can also be considered, as it allows Blastoise to hit the Electric-types and Qwilfish for super effective damage, but it is not usually used, as Blastoise with Sleep Talk has good long term long-term odds against Qwilfish, and the damage done by Surf can rack up over time against the Electric-types.


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

**Electric-types**: All Electric-types offensively pressure Blastoise with a hard-hitting hard hitting a Thunder, and aggressive play from these Pokemon with Spikes down can pressure it by forcing it to switch and take residual damage. However, Magneton and Electabuzz cannot switch into Blastoise easily, as Surf 3HKOs 3HKOes the former and hinders the latter, (add comma) as it is not a Pokemon that typically uses Rest. These Pokemon should also be careful of the rare Mirror Coat.

**Chansey and Hypno**: Both can stalemate Blastoise with their high Special special bulk and set up Light Screen for its teammates that would usually find difficulty in beating it one-on-one, (add comma) like Granbull. They can also paralyze it with Thunder Wave, and in Chansey's case, (add comma) damage it with Present. Blastoise can, however, take this as an opportunity to remove Spikes.

**Set up **Setup Physical Attackers**: Granbull safely 2HKOes Blastoise after a Curse; Victreebel walls Blastoise and can set up with Swords Dance, and Scyther threatens to Baton Pass a boosted Attack stat to an ally, (remove comma) along with being able to deal some decent damage itself.

**Water-types that resist Water**: Slowbro and Slowking wall Blastoise and, while Blastoise does have more PP thanks to Rapid Spin, the Psychic-types can aim for Special Defense drops with Psychic, Psychic or even to try to take it out with a Critical Hit, critical hit, which Blastoise cannot reciprocate. Lanturn safely comes in and counters Blastoise, scaring it out with the threat of a STAB Thunder. If Blastoise does not have Roar, then it can allow Politoed can to set up with Growth or Belly Drum.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Victreebel, Jumpluff, (add comma) and Bellossom check Blastoise well and can exploit the free turn generated by Blastoise’s inability to do any meaningful damage to them. Victreebel can setup set up with Swords Dance, Jumpluff can Encore Blastoise and turn it into setup fodder, while Bellossom can deal a chunk of damage with Hidden Power Grass.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Diophantine, 370164]]
- Quality checked by: [[Earthworm, 15210], [Century Express, 234737]]
- Grammar checked by: [[,], [, ]]

 

[Diophantine]

amcheck
Additions
Removals
Comments

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Blastoise’s stats and typing make it the most reliable user of Rapid Spin in the GSC UnderUsed tier. Its Speed tier, respectable Special Attack Attack, and bulk mean that it is a viable answer to several of the tiers tier's threats, most notably the omnipresent Nidoqueen. Access to Rapid Spin in a tier where such a trait is rare boosts Blastoise’s viability. The poster child of Pokemon Blue translates its reliability and usefulness in winning gym badges and conquering the Indigo Plateau from that game to the fierce battleground of the GSC UU metagame. (Filler)

[SET]
name: Spinstoise (Rapid Spin)
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk / Roar
Item: item: Leftovers


[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description
=========

Blastoise is highly regarded as the best user of Rapid Spin in the tier. Its ability to beat Qwilfish one-on-one with the longevity gained from Rest means that it can remove Spikes reliably in the long term. However, Curse Qwilfish or a well-timed Critical Hit critical hit can give it some trouble. While Haunter can Spin-block spinblock Blastoise, it does not appreciate a hard hitting hard-hitting Surf that has a chance to 2HKO. Blastoise’s Speed and respectably powerful Surf make it a viable counter to the Ground-types of the tier - —even the Thunder abusing Thunder-abusing Nidoqueen. It also hits Pokemon with low Special Defense reasonably hard, (add comma) like Granbull and Kabutops. Sleep Talk is used for more reliability in recovery and being able to use Rapid Spin - —mainly on Qwilfish - —while asleep. Sleep Talk also allows Blastoise to play around status inducers inflictors and gives it better odds against Lovely Kiss Nidoqueen and Sandslash. Roar can be used instead as an emergency button against some of the setup Pokemon like Scyther and Granbull, but it means that Blastoise should be supported by a Heal Bell user like Granbull or Chansey to reduce the drawbacks of Rest without Sleep Talk.

Team Options
========

As the tier's best user of Rapid Spin, and due to the defensive utility it offers, Blastoise finds importance in making defensive teams in the tier work. Rapid Spin support reinforces the resilience of walls such as Slowbro and Hypno, greatly improving their performance as Nidoqueen checks. It also works well with sweepers that are difficult to wall in the long term, (add comma) such as Belly Drum Quagsire, Growth or Belly Drum Politoed, and Swords Dance Pinsir. These can all work as stand alone standalone sweepers on defensive teams that and use its teammates' defensive utility to wait for an opportunity to setup. set up. Pokemon that can stomach hard hitting hard-hitting Electric-type attacks, (add comma) such as Nidoqueen, Ampharos, (add comma) and Chansey make good partners for Blastoise as they take away the burden of one of its weaknesses. All of these appreciate the removal of Spikes that Blastoise offers.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============

Ice Beam can be used to surprise Jumpluff with a heavy hit and even a chance to freeze on all non-Ice-type targets, though sacrificing a moveslot for this can be difficult, as Blastoise will find it harder to remove hazards. However, you could forgo Rapid Spin, as Ice Beam and Surf give you perfect Sleep Talks against the likes of Nidoqueen and Sandslash. Toxic can also be used to surprise the non-Poison-type Grass-type answers to Blastoise, (add comma) as they generally find it difficult to deal with status infliction. Zap Cannon can be used to catch Pokemon that do not appreciate paralysis off-guard, (add comma) such as Scyther and Qwilfish, (add comma) while also being a generally hard hitting hard-hitting Electric-type attack, though the lack of PP and the accuracy of the move means mean it is not much more than a gimmick. Reflect can be used to strengthen Blastoise against physical threats such as Granbull. Haze can stop the likes of Ancient Power Kabutops, Belly Drum Quagsire, and Growth Politoed from sweeping. Mirror Coat can be used to catch an Electric-type attack by surprise. Finally, Counter can be used to take advantage of boosted Granbull or Scyther which that may try to punch through Blastoise. Finally, Earthquake can also be considered, as it allows Blastoise to hit the Electric-types and Qwilfish for super effective damage, but it is not usually used, as Blastoise with Sleep Talk has good long term long-term odds against Qwilfish, and the damage done by Surf can rack up over time against the Electric-types.


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

**Electric-types**: All Electric-types offensively pressure Blastoise with a hard-hitting hard hitting a Thunder, and aggressive play from these Pokemon with Spikes down can pressure it by forcing it to switch and take residual damage. However, Magneton and Electabuzz cannot switch into Blastoise easily, as Surf 3HKOs 3HKOes the former and hinders the latter, (add comma) as it is not a Pokemon that typically uses Rest. These Pokemon should also be careful of the rare Mirror Coat.

**Chansey and Hypno**: Both can stalemate Blastoise with their high Special special bulk and set up Light Screen for its teammates that would usually find difficulty in beating it one-on-one, (add comma) like Granbull. They can also paralyze it with Thunder Wave, and in Chansey's case, (add comma) damage it with Present. Blastoise can, however, take this as an opportunity to remove Spikes.

**Set up **Setup Physical Attackers**: Granbull safely 2HKOes Blastoise after a Curse; Victreebel walls Blastoise and can set up with Swords Dance, and Scyther threatens to Baton Pass a boosted Attack stat to an ally, (remove comma) along with being able to deal some decent damage itself.

**Water-types that resist Water**: Slowbro and Slowking wall Blastoise and, while Blastoise does have more PP thanks to Rapid Spin, the Psychic-types can aim for Special Defense drops with Psychic, Psychic or even to try to take it out with a Critical Hit, critical hit, which Blastoise cannot reciprocate. Lanturn safely comes in and counters Blastoise, scaring it out with the threat of a STAB Thunder. If Blastoise does not have Roar, then it can allow Politoed can to set up with Growth or Belly Drum.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Victreebel, Jumpluff, (add comma) and Bellossom check Blastoise well and can exploit the free turn generated by Blastoise’s inability to do any meaningful damage to them. Victreebel can setup set up with Swords Dance, Jumpluff can Encore Blastoise and turn it into setup fodder, while Bellossom can deal a chunk of damage with Hidden Power Grass.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Diophantine, 370164]]
- Quality checked by: [[Earthworm, 15210], [Century Express, 234737]]
- Grammar checked by: [[,], [, ]]

Done, thanks.

 

[Dawn of Ares]

Eh, I'm not an official GPer, you should rewrite the title so it shows 0/2

 

[Rabia]

add remove comments

gp

[OVERVIEW]

The poster child of Pokemon Blue has the stats and typing to make it the most reliable user of Rapid Spin spinner in the GSC UnderUsed tier UU. Blastoise's Speed tier, respectable Special Attack, and bulk mean that it is a viable answer to several of the tier's threats, most notably the omnipresent Nidoqueen. Access to Rapid Spin in a tier where such a trait is rare also boosts Blastoise’s Blastoise's viability. (are there no drawbacks to Blastoise that you can note here? as far as I'm aware it is not in a ranking of its own on the VR a la ADV UU Kangaskhan, which makes me question why you have listed only the positives)

[SET]
name: Spinstoise (Rapid Spin)
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk / Roar
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Blastoise is highly regarded as the best user of Rapid Spin spinner in the tier. Its ability to beat Qwilfish one-on-one with the longevity gained from Rest means that it can remove Spikes reliably in the long term. However, Curse Qwilfish or a well-timed critical hit can give it some trouble. Although Haunter can spinblock Blastoise, it does not appreciate a hard-hitting Surf that has a chance to 2HKO. Blastoise’s Blastoise's Speed and respectably powerful Surf make it a viable counter to the Ground-types of the tier—even the Thunder-abusing Thunder Nidoqueen. It also hits Pokemon with low Special Defense reasonably hard, like Granbull and Kabutops. Sleep Talk is used for more reliability in recovery makes Blastoise less passive when asleep and being able to lets it use Rapid Spin—mainly on Qwilfish—while asleep.(there was some awkward phrasing here that I worked to fix) Sleep Talk also allows Blastoise to play around status inflicters inducers and gives it better odds against Lovely Kiss Nidoqueen and Sandslash and Lovely Kiss Nidoqueen. Roar can be used instead as an emergency button against some of the setup Pokemon like Scyther and Granbull, but it means that Blastoise should be supported by a Heal Bell user like Granbull or Chansey to reduce the drawbacks of Rest without Sleep Talk.

Team Options
========

As the tier's best user of Rapid Spin (RC) spinner and due to the defensive utility it offers, Blastoise finds importance in relevancy by making defensive teams in the tier work.(awkward wording) Rapid Spin support reinforces the resilience of walls such as Slowbro and Hypno, greatly improving their performance as Nidoqueen checks. It also works well with sweepers that are difficult to wall in the long term, such as Belly Drum Quagsire, Growth or Belly Drum Politoed, and Swords Dance Pinsir. These can all work as standalone sweepers on defensive teams and use its teammates' defensive utility to wait for an opportunity to set up. Pokemon that can stomach hard-hitting Electric-type attacks, such as Nidoqueen, Ampharos,(AC) and Chansey, make good partners for Blastoise as because they take away the burden of one of its weaknesses. All of these appreciate the removal of Spikes that Blastoise offers.

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

Ice Beam can be used to surprise Jumpluff with a heavy hit and even has a chance to freeze on all non-Ice-type targets, though sacrificing a moveslot for this can be difficult, as Blastoise will find it harder to remove entry hazards. However, you could forgo Rapid Spin, as Ice Beam and Surf give you perfect Sleep Talks against the likes of Nidoqueen and Sandslash. Toxic can also be used to surprise surprises the non-Poison-type Grass-type non-Poison / Grass type answers to Blastoise, as they generally find it difficult to deal with status infliction. Zap Cannon can be used to catch Pokemon that do not appreciate paralysis off guard(RH), such as Scyther and Qwilfish, while also being a generally hard-hitting Electric-type attack, though the lack of PP and the accuracy of the move mean it is not much more than a gimmick. Reflect can be used to strengthen strengthens Blastoise against physical threats such as Granbull. Haze can stop the likes of Ancient Power Kabutops, Belly Drum Quagsire, and Growth Politoed from sweeping. Mirror Coat can be used to catch a Pokemon using an Electric-type attack by surprise. Counter can be used to take advantage of boosted Granbull or Scyther that may try to punch through Blastoise. Finally, Earthquake can also be considered, as it allows Blastoise to hit the Electric-types and Qwilfish for super effective damage, but it is not usually used, as Blastoise with Sleep Talk has good long-term odds against Qwilfish, and the damage done by Surf can rack up over time against the Electric-types. (try to avoid repetitive sentence structure; there is an overuse of the form "x can be used to y" here)

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

**Electric-types**: All Electric-types offensively pressure Blastoise with a hard-hitting Thunder, and aggressive play from these Pokemon with Spikes down can pressure it by forcing it to switch and take residual damage. However, Magneton and Electabuzz cannot switch into Blastoise easily, as Surf 3HKOes the former and hinders the latter (RC) as because it is not a Pokemon that typically uses Rest. These Pokemon should also be careful of the rare Mirror Coat.

**Chansey and Hypno**: Both can stalemate Blastoise with their high special bulk and set up Light Screen for its teammates that would usually find difficulty in beating it one-on-one, like Granbull. They can also paralyze it with Thunder Wave (RC) and,(AC) in Chansey's case, damage it with Present. Blastoise can, however, take this as an opportunity to remove Spikes.

**Setup Physical Attackers**: Granbull safely 2HKOes Blastoise after a Curse; Victreebel walls Blastoise and can set up with Swords Dance;(comma -> semicolon) and Scyther threatens to Baton Pass a boosted Attack stat an Attack boost to an ally along with being able to deal some decent damage itself.

**Water-types that resist Water**: Slowbro and Slowking wall Blastoise and, while Blastoise does have more PP thanks to Rapid Spin, can aim for Special Defense drops with Psychic or even to try to take it out with a critical hit, which Blastoise cannot reciprocate. Lanturn safely comes in and counters Blastoise, scaring it out with the threat of a STAB Thunder. If Blastoise does not have Roar, Politoed can set up with Growth or Belly Drum.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Victreebel, Jumpluff, and Bellossom check Blastoise well and can exploit the free turn generated by Blastoise’s Blastoise's inability to do any meaningful damage to them. Victreebel can set up with Swords Dance, Jumpluff can use Encore on Blastoise and turn it into setup fodder, while and Bellossom can deal a chunk of damage with Hidden Power Grass.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Diophantine, 370164]]
- Quality checked by: [[Earthworm, 15210], [Century Express, 234737]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Dawn of ares, 467437], [, ]] (remove the amchecker from the credits)

gp 1/2 when done, Dawn of ares feel free to ask me over Discord about changes I made in my check that you excluded from yours

 

[Diophantine]

add remove comments

gp

[OVERVIEW]

The poster child of Pokemon Blue has the stats and typing to make it the most reliable user of Rapid Spin spinner in the GSC UnderUsed tier UU. Blastoise's Speed tier, respectable Special Attack, and bulk mean that it is a viable answer to several of the tier's threats, most notably the omnipresent Nidoqueen. Access to Rapid Spin in a tier where such a trait is rare also boosts Blastoise’s Blastoise's viability. (are there no drawbacks to Blastoise that you can note here? as far as I'm aware it is not in a ranking of its own on the VR a la ADV UU Kangaskhan, which makes me question why you have listed only the positives)

[SET]
name: Spinstoise (Rapid Spin)
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk / Roar
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Blastoise is highly regarded as the best user of Rapid Spin spinner in the tier. Its ability to beat Qwilfish one-on-one with the longevity gained from Rest means that it can remove Spikes reliably in the long term. However, Curse Qwilfish or a well-timed critical hit can give it some trouble. Although Haunter can spinblock Blastoise, it does not appreciate a hard-hitting Surf that has a chance to 2HKO. Blastoise’s Blastoise's Speed and respectably powerful Surf make it a viable counter to the Ground-types of the tier—even the Thunder-abusing Thunder Nidoqueen. It also hits Pokemon with low Special Defense reasonably hard, like Granbull and Kabutops. Sleep Talk is used for more reliability in recovery makes Blastoise less passive when asleep and being able to lets it use Rapid Spin—mainly on Qwilfish—while asleep.(there was some awkward phrasing here that I worked to fix) Sleep Talk also allows Blastoise to play around status inflicters inducers and gives it better odds against Lovely Kiss Nidoqueen and Sandslash and Lovely Kiss Nidoqueen. Roar can be used instead as an emergency button against some of the setup Pokemon like Scyther and Granbull, but it means that Blastoise should be supported by a Heal Bell user like Granbull or Chansey to reduce the drawbacks of Rest without Sleep Talk.

Team Options
========

As the tier's best user of Rapid Spin (RC) spinner and due to the defensive utility it offers, Blastoise finds importance in relevancy by making defensive teams in the tier work.(awkward wording) Rapid Spin support reinforces the resilience of walls such as Slowbro and Hypno, greatly improving their performance as Nidoqueen checks. It also works well with sweepers that are difficult to wall in the long term, such as Belly Drum Quagsire, Growth or Belly Drum Politoed, and Swords Dance Pinsir. These can all work as standalone sweepers on defensive teams and use its teammates' defensive utility to wait for an opportunity to set up. Pokemon that can stomach hard-hitting Electric-type attacks, such as Nidoqueen, Ampharos,(AC) and Chansey, make good partners for Blastoise as because they take away the burden of one of its weaknesses. All of these appreciate the removal of Spikes that Blastoise offers.

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

Ice Beam can be used to surprise Jumpluff with a heavy hit and even has a chance to freeze on all non-Ice-type targets, though sacrificing a moveslot for this can be difficult, as Blastoise will find it harder to remove entry hazards. However, you could forgo Rapid Spin, as Ice Beam and Surf give you perfect Sleep Talks against the likes of Nidoqueen and Sandslash. Toxic can also be used to surprise surprises the non-Poison-type Grass-type non-Poison / Grass type answers to Blastoise, as they generally find it difficult to deal with status infliction. Zap Cannon can be used to catch Pokemon that do not appreciate paralysis off guard(RH), such as Scyther and Qwilfish, while also being a generally hard-hitting Electric-type attack, though the lack of PP and the accuracy of the move mean it is not much more than a gimmick. Reflect can be used to strengthen strengthens Blastoise against physical threats such as Granbull. Haze can stop the likes of Ancient Power Kabutops, Belly Drum Quagsire, and Growth Politoed from sweeping. Mirror Coat can be used to catch a Pokemon using an Electric-type attack by surprise. Counter can be used to take advantage of boosted Granbull or Scyther that may try to punch through Blastoise. Finally, Earthquake can also be considered, as it allows Blastoise to hit the Electric-types and Qwilfish for super effective damage, but it is not usually used, as Blastoise with Sleep Talk has good long-term odds against Qwilfish, and the damage done by Surf can rack up over time against the Electric-types. (try to avoid repetitive sentence structure; there is an overuse of the form "x can be used to y" here)

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

**Electric-types**: All Electric-types offensively pressure Blastoise with a hard-hitting Thunder, and aggressive play from these Pokemon with Spikes down can pressure it by forcing it to switch and take residual damage. However, Magneton and Electabuzz cannot switch into Blastoise easily, as Surf 3HKOes the former and hinders the latter (RC) as because it is not a Pokemon that typically uses Rest. These Pokemon should also be careful of the rare Mirror Coat.

**Chansey and Hypno**: Both can stalemate Blastoise with their high special bulk and set up Light Screen for its teammates that would usually find difficulty in beating it one-on-one, like Granbull. They can also paralyze it with Thunder Wave (RC) and,(AC) in Chansey's case, damage it with Present. Blastoise can, however, take this as an opportunity to remove Spikes.

**Setup Physical Attackers**: Granbull safely 2HKOes Blastoise after a Curse; Victreebel walls Blastoise and can set up with Swords Dance;(comma -> semicolon) and Scyther threatens to Baton Pass a boosted Attack stat an Attack boost to an ally along with being able to deal some decent damage itself.

**Water-types that resist Water**: Slowbro and Slowking wall Blastoise and, while Blastoise does have more PP thanks to Rapid Spin, can aim for Special Defense drops with Psychic or even to try to take it out with a critical hit, which Blastoise cannot reciprocate. Lanturn safely comes in and counters Blastoise, scaring it out with the threat of a STAB Thunder. If Blastoise does not have Roar, Politoed can set up with Growth or Belly Drum.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Victreebel, Jumpluff, and Bellossom check Blastoise well and can exploit the free turn generated by Blastoise’s Blastoise's inability to do any meaningful damage to them. Victreebel can set up with Swords Dance, Jumpluff can use Encore on Blastoise and turn it into setup fodder, while and Bellossom can deal a chunk of damage with Hidden Power Grass.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Diophantine, 370164]]
- Quality checked by: [[Earthworm, 15210], [Century Express, 234737]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Dawn of ares, 467437], [, ]] (remove the amchecker from the credits)

gp 1/2 when done, Dawn of ares feel free to ask me over Discord about changes I made in my check that you excluded from yours

Done, thank you.

 

[Astra]

a good amount of these chances were things not implemented from rabia's check, so make sure you're being careful when implementing checks
add remove

gaming

[OVERVIEW]

The poster child of Pokemon Blue has the stats and typing to make it the most reliable spinner in GSC UU. Blastoise's Speed tier, respectable Special Attack, and bulk mean that it is a viable answer to several of the tier's threats, most notably the omnipresent Nidoqueen. Access to Rapid Spin in a tier where such a trait is rare also boosts Blastoise's viability. It faces competition from Qwilfish and Omastar, two other viable bulky Water-types (AH), but its access to Rapid Spin and its lack of a weakness to Ground differentiates it from its peers.

[SET]
name: Spinstoise (Rapid Spin)
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk / Roar
item: Leftovers


[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description
=========

Blastoise is highly regarded as the best spinner in the tier. Its ability to beat Qwilfish one-on-one with the longevity gained from Rest means that it can remove Spikes reliably in the long term. However, Curse Qwilfish or a well-timed critical hit can give it some trouble. Although Haunter can spinblock Blastoise, it does not appreciate a hard-hitting Surf that has a chance to 2HKO. Blastoise's Speed and respectably powerful Surf make it a viable counter to the Ground-types of the tier—even Thunder Nidoqueen. It also hits Pokemon with low Special Defense reasonably hard, like Granbull and Kabutops. Sleep Talk makes Blastoise less passive when asleep and lets it use Rapid Spin—mainly on Qwilfish—while asleep. Sleep Talk also allows Blastoise to play around status inducers and gives it better odds against Sandslash and Lovely Kiss Nidoqueen. Roar can be used instead as an emergency button against some of the setup Pokemon like Scyther and Granbull, but it means that Blastoise should be supported by a Heal Bell user like Granbull or Chansey to reduce the drawbacks of Rest without Sleep Talk.

Team Options
========

As the tier's best spinner and due to the defensive utility it offers, Blastoise finds relevancy in making defensive teams work. Rapid Spin support reinforces the resilience of walls such as Slowbro and Hypno, greatly improving their performance as Nidoqueen checks. It also works well with sweepers that are difficult to wall in the long term, such as Belly Drum Quagsire, Growth or Belly Drum Politoed, and Swords Dance Pinsir. These can all work as standalone sweepers on defensive teams and use its teammates' defensive utility to wait for an opportunity to set up. Pokemon that can stomach hard-hitting Electric-type attacks, such as Nidoqueen, Ampharos, and Chansey, make good partners for Blastoise because they take away the burden of one of its weaknesses. All of these appreciate the removal of Spikes that Blastoise offers.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============

Ice Beam can be used to surprise Jumpluff with a heavy hit and even has a chance to freeze on all non-Ice-type targets, though sacrificing a moveslot for this can be difficult, as Blastoise will find it harder to remove Spikes. However, you could forgo Rapid Spin, as Ice Beam and Surf give you perfect Sleep Talks against the likes of Nidoqueen and Sandslash. Toxic surprises the non-Poison / Grass-type (RH) answers to Blastoise, as they generally find it difficult to deal with status infliction. Zap Cannon can be used to catch Pokemon that do not appreciate paralysis off guard, such as Scyther and Qwilfish, while also being a generally hard-hitting Electric-type attack, though the lack of PP and the accuracy of the move mean it is not much more than a gimmick. Reflect strengthens Blastoise against physical threats such as Granbull. Haze can stop the likes of Ancient Power Kabutops, Belly Drum Quagsire, and Growth Politoed from sweeping. Mirror Coat can be used to catch an Pokemon using an Electric-type attack by surprise. Counter can be used to take advantage of boosted Granbull or and Scyther that may try to punch through Blastoise. Finally, Earthquake allows Blastoise to hit Electric-types and Qwilfish for super effective damage, but it is not usually used, as Blastoise with Sleep Talk has good long-term odds against Qwilfish, and the damage done by Surf can rack up over time against Electric-types.


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

**Electric-types**: All Electric-types offensively pressure Blastoise with a hard-hitting Thunder, and aggressive play from these Pokemon with Spikes down can pressure it by forcing it to switch and take residual damage. However, Magneton, Pikachu, (AC) and Electabuzz cannot switch into Blastoise easily, as Surf 3HKOes the former and hinders the latter two, (RC) because they are not Pokemon that typically use Rest. These Pokemon should also be careful of the rare Mirror Coat.

**Chansey and Hypno**: Both Chansey and Hypno can stalemate Blastoise with their high special bulk and set up Light Screen for teammates that would usually find difficulty in beating it one-on-one, like Granbull. They can also paralyze it with Thunder Wave and, in Chansey's case, damage it with Present. Blastoise can, however, take this as an opportunity to remove Spikes.

**Setup Physical Attackers**: Granbull safely 2HKOes Blastoise after a Curse; Victreebel walls Blastoise and can set up with Swords Dance; and Scyther threatens to Baton Pass an Attack boost to an ally along with being able to deal some decent damage itself.

**Water-types that resist Water**: Slowbro and Slowking wall Blastoise and, while Blastoise does have more PP thanks to Rapid Spin, can aim for Special Defense drops with Psychic or even to try to take it out with a critical hit, which Blastoise cannot reciprocate. Lanturn safely comes in and counters Blastoise, scaring it out with the threat of a STAB Thunder. If Blastoise does not have Roar, Politoed can set up with Growth or Belly Drum.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Victreebel, Jumpluff, and Bellossom check Blastoise well and can exploit the free turn generated by Blastoise's inability to do any meaningful damage to them. Victreebel can set up with Swords Dance, Jumpluff can use Encore on Blastoise and turn it into setup fodder, and Bellossom can deal a chunk of damage with Hidden Power Grass.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Diophantine, 370164]]
- Quality checked by: [[Earthworm, 15210], [Century Express, 234737]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [, ]]

2/2

 

[Diophantine]

a good amount of these chances were things not implemented from rabia's check, so make sure you're being careful when implementing checks
add remove

gaming

[OVERVIEW]

The poster child of Pokemon Blue has the stats and typing to make it the most reliable spinner in GSC UU. Blastoise's Speed tier, respectable Special Attack, and bulk mean that it is a viable answer to several of the tier's threats, most notably the omnipresent Nidoqueen. Access to Rapid Spin in a tier where such a trait is rare also boosts Blastoise's viability. It faces competition from Qwilfish and Omastar, two other viable bulky Water-types (AH), but its access to Rapid Spin and its lack of a weakness to Ground differentiates it from its peers.

[SET]
name: Spinstoise (Rapid Spin)
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk / Roar
item: Leftovers


[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description
=========

Blastoise is highly regarded as the best spinner in the tier. Its ability to beat Qwilfish one-on-one with the longevity gained from Rest means that it can remove Spikes reliably in the long term. However, Curse Qwilfish or a well-timed critical hit can give it some trouble. Although Haunter can spinblock Blastoise, it does not appreciate a hard-hitting Surf that has a chance to 2HKO. Blastoise's Speed and respectably powerful Surf make it a viable counter to the Ground-types of the tier—even Thunder Nidoqueen. It also hits Pokemon with low Special Defense reasonably hard, like Granbull and Kabutops. Sleep Talk makes Blastoise less passive when asleep and lets it use Rapid Spin—mainly on Qwilfish—while asleep. Sleep Talk also allows Blastoise to play around status inducers and gives it better odds against Sandslash and Lovely Kiss Nidoqueen. Roar can be used instead as an emergency button against some of the setup Pokemon like Scyther and Granbull, but it means that Blastoise should be supported by a Heal Bell user like Granbull or Chansey to reduce the drawbacks of Rest without Sleep Talk.

Team Options
========

As the tier's best spinner and due to the defensive utility it offers, Blastoise finds relevancy in making defensive teams work. Rapid Spin support reinforces the resilience of walls such as Slowbro and Hypno, greatly improving their performance as Nidoqueen checks. It also works well with sweepers that are difficult to wall in the long term, such as Belly Drum Quagsire, Growth or Belly Drum Politoed, and Swords Dance Pinsir. These can all work as standalone sweepers on defensive teams and use its teammates' defensive utility to wait for an opportunity to set up. Pokemon that can stomach hard-hitting Electric-type attacks, such as Nidoqueen, Ampharos, and Chansey, make good partners for Blastoise because they take away the burden of one of its weaknesses. All of these appreciate the removal of Spikes that Blastoise offers.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============

Ice Beam can be used to surprise Jumpluff with a heavy hit and even has a chance to freeze on all non-Ice-type targets, though sacrificing a moveslot for this can be difficult, as Blastoise will find it harder to remove Spikes. However, you could forgo Rapid Spin, as Ice Beam and Surf give you perfect Sleep Talks against the likes of Nidoqueen and Sandslash. Toxic surprises the non-Poison / Grass-type (RH) answers to Blastoise, as they generally find it difficult to deal with status infliction. Zap Cannon can be used to catch Pokemon that do not appreciate paralysis off guard, such as Scyther and Qwilfish, while also being a generally hard-hitting Electric-type attack, though the lack of PP and the accuracy of the move mean it is not much more than a gimmick. Reflect strengthens Blastoise against physical threats such as Granbull. Haze can stop the likes of Ancient Power Kabutops, Belly Drum Quagsire, and Growth Politoed from sweeping. Mirror Coat can be used to catch an Pokemon using an Electric-type attack by surprise. Counter can be used to take advantage of boosted Granbull or and Scyther that may try to punch through Blastoise. Finally, Earthquake allows Blastoise to hit Electric-types and Qwilfish for super effective damage, but it is not usually used, as Blastoise with Sleep Talk has good long-term odds against Qwilfish, and the damage done by Surf can rack up over time against Electric-types.


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

**Electric-types**: All Electric-types offensively pressure Blastoise with a hard-hitting Thunder, and aggressive play from these Pokemon with Spikes down can pressure it by forcing it to switch and take residual damage. However, Magneton, Pikachu, (AC) and Electabuzz cannot switch into Blastoise easily, as Surf 3HKOes the former and hinders the latter two, (RC) because they are not Pokemon that typically use Rest. These Pokemon should also be careful of the rare Mirror Coat.

**Chansey and Hypno**: Both Chansey and Hypno can stalemate Blastoise with their high special bulk and set up Light Screen for teammates that would usually find difficulty in beating it one-on-one, like Granbull. They can also paralyze it with Thunder Wave and, in Chansey's case, damage it with Present. Blastoise can, however, take this as an opportunity to remove Spikes.

**Setup Physical Attackers**: Granbull safely 2HKOes Blastoise after a Curse; Victreebel walls Blastoise and can set up with Swords Dance; and Scyther threatens to Baton Pass an Attack boost to an ally along with being able to deal some decent damage itself.

**Water-types that resist Water**: Slowbro and Slowking wall Blastoise and, while Blastoise does have more PP thanks to Rapid Spin, can aim for Special Defense drops with Psychic or even to try to take it out with a critical hit, which Blastoise cannot reciprocate. Lanturn safely comes in and counters Blastoise, scaring it out with the threat of a STAB Thunder. If Blastoise does not have Roar, Politoed can set up with Growth or Belly Drum.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Victreebel, Jumpluff, and Bellossom check Blastoise well and can exploit the free turn generated by Blastoise's inability to do any meaningful damage to them. Victreebel can set up with Swords Dance, Jumpluff can use Encore on Blastoise and turn it into setup fodder, and Bellossom can deal a chunk of damage with Hidden Power Grass.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Diophantine, 370164]]
- Quality checked by: [[Earthworm, 15210], [Century Express, 234737]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [, ]]

2/2
View attachment 249388

Done, thanks. Earthworm Excal vapicuno xJoelituh all ready to go.

 

[Earthworm]

Uploaded.