
Blaziken @ Air Balloon / Protective Pads
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Thunder Punch / Knock Off
This kickin' chicken has clawed out a niche for itself in SS OU as a mighty setup sweeper, slotting on offense teams for its explosive power and utility in checking Weavile and Grass-types. Despite Flare Blitz's recoil and Close Combat's stat drops, these high-BP STAB moves are necessary to break past foes like Clefable, Zapdos, and Rotom-W at +2. Thunder Punch improves Blaziken's matchup versus bulky Water-types and is a recoilless option against some Flying-types like Tornadus-T, while Knock Off lets Blaziken OHKO Dragapult. Air Balloon turns the table on would-be checks like Landorus-T and Garchomp, while Protective Pads avoids contact effects from Zapdos, Ferrothorn, and Rocky Helmet users. An Adamant nature is preferred for greater odds to OHKO bulky Garchomp and Landorus-T at +2 and +1 Attack, respectively; however, a Jolly nature outspeeds Tapu Koko, Dragapult, and Zeraora at +1 Speed. Teammates like Rillaboom and Kartana can pressure the Water-types that Blaziken has difficulty with and overwhelm shared checks like Dragonite; meanwhile, Dragon Dance Dragapult enjoys Blaziken removing Clefable and threatening Steel-types, while hazard leads like Mew greatly bolster Blaziken's wallbreaking potential.
Last edited: