Overview
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Blaziken takes the title of being is the first, and currently sole only, starter to be banished to [Ubers]Use "Uber" to refer to the tier, though "Ubers" is acceptable when referring to the Ubers metagame. thanks to its hidden ability Speed Boost. With Speed Boost, Blaziken can outspeed and KO many threats, and can pass boosts to the rest of the team thanks to with Baton Pass. Blaziken makes its second debut appearance in Ubers with a new boon: a Mega Evolution. Blaziken continues to be a formidable threat in the Ubers metagame; with base 100 speed when Mega-Evolved Mega Evolved, it can come in and outspeed the common base 90 sSpeed Pokemon in the Ubers metagame. Blaziken can use a physical attacking set to sweep opposing teams, or, but if you want a different Mega Evolution for your team, it can use a Life Orb can be used; h instead. However, Blaziken isn't held to only restricted to utilizing an offensive set as it can also run an effective Baton Pass set. The nerf to weather this generation is a mixed bag for Blaziken. On the one hand, it doesn't have ever-present no longer has permanent sun support anymore to boost its power; on the other hand, the rain that used to cripple Blaziken doesn't last forever either, so Drought is no longer needed to counter Kyogre's rain.
However, not everything is not as perfect as it may seem for the speedy chicken. It has rather poor bulk even with the improvements of the its Mega Evolution, which leavesing it open to being revenge killed by priority, and makesing it rather tough to switch it in and difficult to set up. It also depends on Flare Blitz as its STAB move, whose recoil doesn't help its Blaziken's rather poor bulk. Its Mega Evolution set, which is arguably its best set, has an opportunity cost, albeit a very small one, compared to other available Megas Evolutions such as Mewtwo and Gengar, albeit a very small one. Nevertheless, with proper switching in and setting up, Blaziken is a formidable threat to look out for when it is able to switch in and set up.
Offensive
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name: Blaze is Back
move 1: Low Kick
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Protect / Swords Dance
move 4: Protect / Knock Off
ability: Speed Boost
item: [Blazikinite Blazikenite]Highlighting this misspelling here so you don't miss it. / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
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Low Kick is Blaziken's main fighting type Fighting-type STAB, dealing maximum massive damage against most of to the many heavy pPokemon in the Ubers metagame; i. It is also not as high risky as High Jump Kick. Flare Blitz is Blaziken's Fire-type (AH) STAB; when used in conjunction with Low Kick, Blaziken hits most of the commonly used Pokemon in Ubers for super effective or neutral damage. Swords Dance allows [you Blaziken]Use "you" only to refer to the battler, not to a Pokemon. to get a quick +2 to Attack to massively increase, doubling its damage output. Protect allows not only guaranteesd Speed boosts, but also allows you to scout your opponent's move. Knock Off is another great utility move as it allows Blaziken to deal massive damage to direct resists to Flare Blitz and Low Kick in both Giratina formes; i, who resist Flare Blitz and Low Kick. It also allows you to catch your opponent on a the switch, potentially taking off an otherwise useful item from the Pokemon they switch into that comes in. Baton Pass can be used in this set to provide Speed boosts to other team members if Blaziken's HPis HP is low; always make sure to use Protect with Baton Pass since it will guarantee Speed boosts. High Jump Kick can be an alternative to Low Kick, offering 10 more bBase pPower at the cost with the chance that Blaziken will dealing massive damage to itself if it misses; h. However, Low Kick is preferred, as High Jump Kick only deals more damage to the rare Quagsire. Stone Edge can be used instead of Knock Off if your team needs to damage Ho-Oh; it also has the added benefit of denting Lugia and physically defensive Yveltal.
Set Details
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252 Attack and 252 Speed allow Mega Blaziken to come in and immediately get to work, capitalizing on Blaziken's offensive stats and allowing it to become the a fearsome wallbreaker it is. The slashes represent three possible sets that you can run: Protect + threattacks and three attacks, Swords Dance and three attacks, or Swords Dance and Protect with 2 two attacks. An Adamant nature is used to lets Blaziken OHKO Pokemon such as Kyogre who are not that it cannot normally OHKO'd if using Jolly. Jolly can be used over Adamant in order to allow it to let Blaziken outspeed Scarfers Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Zekrom after one or two boosts, depending on whether you are in Blaziken has Mega forme Evolved or is using the Life Orb set. However, by using Jolly, Blaziken loses offensive prowess it would otherwise enjoy. The main benefit to Life Orb Blaziken is that it allows you to use a different Mega Evolution on your team.
Usage Tips
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Be wary about flat out switching in Blaziken in as its relatively low bulk leaves its vulnerable to taking heavy damage. In addition, watch out for priority moves that can revenge kill you Blaziken such as Extreme Speed from Arceus or and Rayquaza. Protect allows you Blaziken to gain +1 from Speed Boost, helping you easily build momentum; it also offers added utility in seeing what move your opponent was going for, giving you an advantage scouting your opponent's move. Don't just spam Flare Blitz blindly as recoil racks up quickly, leaving Blaziken vulnerable to revenge killers. If you opt for Knock Off, it allows Blaziken to can catch Pokemon such as Giratina on the switch and cripple them; it even allows more damage against Giratina, a common check to.
Team Options
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Stealth Rocks helps Blaziken deal with Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Yveltal, so Pokemon such as Groudon or Landorus-T make great teammates. Groudon also helps Mega Blaziken by setting up sun and dispelling rain; it also, checkings Extreme Killer Arceus with its great physical bulk, and can retaliate with an attack or cripple with Thunder Wave; Groudon can also run Lava Plume in order to catching opposing Landorus-T off guard and score a burn, leaving Landorus-T crippled for the rest of the match with a potential burn from Lava Plume. Landorus-T as a team mate provides Intimidate support and checks Ho-oh, a notable counter to Blaziken. Landorus-T also carries U-turn, which allows Blaziken to get a free switch in. Yveltal breaks many of the Pokemon that can wall Blaziken such as the Giratina formes. Xerneas can be used as is another offensive sweeper who is also able to that can deal with both Giratina formes. Wobbuffet is an interesting team member as it is able to can trap and take out any checks or counters to Blaziken;. Wobbuffet can be used with alongside Xerneas that carrying Hidden Power Fire to, creatinge a powerful core that greatly benefits Blaziken greatly. Palkia is a great team member as it can sponge water moves thrown at Blaziken and deal with Rayquaza that, who can revenge kill Blaziken. U-turn/Volt Switch users such as Genesect and Zekrom can get Blaziken a free switch in, which Blaziken appreciates greatly. Extreme-Killer Extreme Killer Arceus can be a good team member as well; Blaziken can weaken the opponent's team by KOing or debilitating Arceus's checks, allowing Arceus to come in and sweep.
Baton Pass
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name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Protect
move 3: Substitute / Roar
move 4: Flare Blitz
ability: Speed Boost
item: Leftovers
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Baton Pass is used to pass on Speed boosts to another team member. Protect is absolutely vital for this set as it allows Blaziken to gain guaranteed Speed boosts and is absolutely necessary for this set. Substitute used in conjunction with Protect allows you the best option in makes getting sSpeed boosts as even easier as Blaziken can alternateing between them allows Blaziken to get boosts two moves without fearing much damage. On the other hand, Roar is an interesting option that allows you to prevents Blaziken from being phazed out and losing its Speed boosts; it also prevents stops opponents from setting up on you. Flare Blitz provides a reliable and powerful physical Fire-type STAB to deal with opposing Pokemon with Taunt.
Set Details
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252 Attack and 252 Speed allow Blaziken to switch in, use a pProtect, and begin to outspeed the opponent while having respectable Attack in case Flare Blitz needs to be used. By investing in Attack, Blaziken is not a sitting duck to set up sweepers and can actually deal significant damage while gaining boosts. A Jolly nature is used here to ensure a safe Substitute after your the first Protect. After one boost, Blaziken can outspeeds many of the non-Scarfed Ubers Pokemon. (AP) This, preventings Blaziken from taking severe damage or being completely knocked out. Its survival is necessary to pass on Speed boosts to the rest of the team. Leftovers is used to increases Blaziken's longevity; it and works great in conjunction with Protect as you it gets a Speed boost and +6.25% recovery.
Usage Tips
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Watch out for potential Taunt users like Deoxys-S as they can cripple this entire set. Protect is a cornerstone of this set, allowing you to stay in and get Speed boosts. It also provides utility as you can scout what move your opponent is going for, allowing you to plan accordingly. A good strategy is to come in and and use pProtect to get a Speed boost. Then, alternate Protect with Substitute and continue to do so to maximize your the Speed boosts for it will Baton Pass to another Pokemon. Also In addition, a predicted switch allows you to use Substitute and then Protect on the next turn, allowing you Blaziken to gain a sSpeed boost and to pass on a Substitute to another Pokemon on your team. Roar is used mainly to prevent Blaziken from being phazed out. It is faster thanmost than most phazers after one Speed boost, so its Roar will go first and prevent it from being switched out. Watch out for priority moves such as Extremespeed or Shadow Sneak that can mortally damage you. By passing your Speed boosts to another Pokemon that is powerful but slow, you are able to turn the tide against your opponent and potentially sweep their team with your Speed-boosted switch-in.
Team Options
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Groudon can be used to helps boost Blaziken's Flare Blitz by setting up the sun and dispelling any rain; sun support also lowers any damage from Water-type moves. You can Baton Pass Speed boosts to terrifying offensive Pokemon plagued by their that have sub-par Speed, allowing them to pull off sweeps that would otherwise be difficult. These Pokemon include Life Orb or Choice Band Zekrom, Mega Kangaskhan, Life Orb or Tank Ho-Oh, Lustrous Orb or Life Orb Palkia, Choice Specs Kyogre, or and Choice Band Groudon. By passing to these Pokemon, you are able to use Baton Pass Blaziken to its fullest the best of its ability.
Other Options
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Brave Bird can be utilized as it provides neutral damage against most Pokemon, but the only common threats it hits for super-effective super effective damage are Mega Mewtwo-X Mewtwo X and Arceus-Fighting, who already take massive damage from Flare Blitz as is. Otherwise, Brave Bird is another recoil move that shouldn't really be used over any other moves in any set. Rock Slide can be used, but its main target is Ho-Oh. Stone Edge is a better option in order to deal more damage to Yveltal and Lugia. Shadow Claw can be used instead of Knock Off to deal more damage to Mega Gengar and Giratina-O since their items can't be knocked off. However, it doesn't have as much the same utility against opposing tanks and switch-ins by knocking off as Knock Off can remove Leftovers or and Choice items. Boosting moves such as Swords Dance and Bulk Up can be used in on the Baton Passing set, but, they have provide a marginal or nonexistent bonus for benefit to special attackers and require more turns to set up, limiting Blaziken's longevity. Overheat can be used in on the Baton Pass set to cut down on recoil damage, but using it repeatedly usage deals less damage with overall due to the drop of Special Attack by two stages and also has a drops and chance to miss. By lowering In addition, Overheat's Special Attack, it drops limits your Blaziken's Baton Pass recipients to physical attackers. Choice Band can be used to grant Blaziken an immediate power boost, but it is constrictive and counterproductive with Speed Boost. Blaziken won't be able to switch attacks with Choice Band, making it easily blocked by opposing tanks such as Arceus-Water and Arceus-Fairy, and forcing it to switch out and lose its Speed boosts.
Checks & Counters
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**Giratina**: Both Giratina formes can take anything Blaziken throws at them except for a boosted Knock Off and are able to eventually KO it or phaze it out.
**Gyarados**: Gyarados resists both of Blaziken's STABs, letting it easily come in and get inflict an aAttack drop from with Intimidate. It can also threaten to KO Blaziken with Waterfall.
**Landorus-Therian**: Landorus-T can switch in and take a hit with Defense investment and Intimidate, although it doesn't appreciate a boosted Flare Blitz. It is able to KO Blaziken with Earthquake as well.
**Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Water**: Physically Ddefensive variants can tank a few hits. They each resist Blaziken's Fire-type STAB, but [don't appreciate the Fighting-type STAB that it can go for.]Arceus-Fairy resists Fighting as well. Please consider using "Arceus-Water doesn't appreciate taking Blaziken's Fighting-type STAB" here.
**Arceus-Ghost**: Arceus-Ghost is immune to Blaziken's Fighting-type STAB and can retaliate back with a Judgment. Consequently However, it must be wary of Flare Blitz.
**Quagsire**: Unaware can lets Quagsire ignore Blaziken's stat boosts and attack back with its Water- type and Ground-type STABs; it doesn't fare well against High Jump Kick though.
**Kyogre**: Kyogre can come in and set up rain, which severely limits Blaziken's coverage and helps out assists Pokemon that resist or are immune to Blaziken's Fighting-type STAB such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ghost. Kyogre also threatens to KO Blaziken with its Water-type STAB attacks.
**Phazers**: Phazers are able to Whirlwind/Roar/Dragon Tail the Baton Pass set. They can also force the Ooffensive set out, canceling its Speed boosts.
**Prankster Users**: Thundurus and Klefki can use priority Thunder Wave to cripple the offensive set or, while Thundurus can Taunt to shut down the Baton Pass set.
**PoisonToxic**: Poison Toxic limits Blaziken's longevity as it increases in damage each turn and. It is especially harmful for the Baton Pass set, lowering the time Blaziken can stay in and thus lowering the amount of boosts it can pass on.
**Revenge Killers**: Pokemon such as Arceus-Normal or Rayquaza with Extremespeed are able to revenge kill Blaziken due to its paltry bulk and recoil damage from Life Orb.