[SET]
Fast Attacker (Lopunny) @ Leftovers / Silk Scarf / Flame Orb
Ability: Limber / Klutz
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Jump Kick
- Toxic / Fire Punch / Switcheroo
- Fire Punch / Encore / Healing Wish / Protect / Thunder Wave
[SET COMMENTS]
Although it lacks Technician and the Speed tier that makes Persian so elite, Lopunny still manages to carve a respectable niche thanks to its higher base stats with still incredible Speed, deep well of utility moves, and access to offensive physical coverage Persian could only dream of in Jump Kick and Fire Punch. Return preserves Lopunny's good bulk, allowing it to trade with the likes of Muk and Emolga without putting itself in KO range with Double-Edge. Jump Kick compliments its Normal-type STAB option very well and differentiates it from Persian, allowing it to break through Lairon without resorting to Hidden Power or Water Pulse. Lopunny only requires these two moves to be competent offensively, which allows two moveslots to be filled with its extensive movepool. The most common option is Fire Punch, which allows Lopunny to dispatch the other common Normal-resistant Pokemon in Wormadam-S on the switch, as Anticipation will alert it of Fire Punch if it gets in clean. However, Wormadam-S is not particularly threatening, so coverage on this Pokemon can be dropped if Lopunny does not need to pressure it. Toxic is an important move on Lopunny in order to cripple Frillish and especially Solrock, which will always wall it. Protect has good synergy with Toxic and makes the most out of Lopunny's solid bulk with Leftovers. Blocking Fake Out from Persian and scouting Choice-locked Pokemon is also very valuable for Lopunny. A very unique option Lopunny has access to is Healing Wish, which is particularly powerful on offense and hyper offense teams to keep momentum and restore very trade heavy threats such as Muk and Shelgon. Encore makes use of Lopunny's amazing Speed, locking common setup Pokemon such as Shelgon, Arbok, or Muk into exploitable moves and giving a strong wallbreaker the chance to take them out. Thunder Wave is surprisingly synergistic with Lopunny's Speed, power, and Toxic; Lopunny naturally outspeeds and beats Emolga and Raichu while threatening bulky Ground-types like Hippopotas and Vibrava with Toxic, allowing it to spread paralysis on the likes of Meganium and Mienfoo with surprising consistency. Limber's paralysis immunity is very useful so Lopunny is not deathly afraid of Clefairy. However, the unique ability Klutz allows Lopunny to make use of Switcheroo with otherwise crippling items like Flame Orb, Toxic Orb, or Sticky Barb. Although it is a one-time effect and Lopunny loses out on the benefits of items, usual checks such as Hippopotas, Solrock, Frillish, and Leafeon are completely ruined by the loss of their item and a crippling status condition. Maximum Speed and a Jolly nature is used for Lopunny to outrun Raichu, Simisear, and Emolga as well as Speed tie any opposing Lopunny. Leftovers is the preferred item on Limber sets in order to keep Lopunny in healthy condition over the course of a game, but Silk Scarf can be used to give Return even more power.
Lopunny's lower Speed and lack of priority attacks makes it more difficult to slot on a team compared to Persian. Lopunny is best used when the lack of a defensive backbone would compromise Persian's ability to pivot out compared to Lopunny's better bulk and self sufficiency, and it also can be run when a team might appreciate its unique utility options. As a result, Lopunny is most commonly found on hyper offense and bulky offense, where it can best use its unique traits. Swords Dance Leafeon and to a lesser extent Meganium are two of Lopunny's best partners. Together they help break down mutual checks such as Muk and Lairon while also beating in each other's individual checks. Lopunny has a strong matchup against Wormadam-S and Poison-type Pokemon with its STAB and coverage moves or utility options, while offensive Leafeon and Meganium threaten Frillish, Solrock, and Hippopotas very hard, especially with Lum Berry to shrug off Toxic or Will-O Wisp. Muk is one of the most reliable tanks on offense, able to duel a variety of Pokemon in the tier and make up for Lopunny's lack of priority with its Shadow Sneak. Lopunny in turn is a reliable revenge killer once Muk is inevitably KOed, and it can support Muk with its unique utility, crippling checks such as Solrock, Hippopotas, and Arbok with Toxic or Flame Orb; it can even restore a battered Muk with Healing Wish. Solrock is able to check and take advantage of Normal- and Ground-type checks for Lopunny while also spreading status, or it can even make use of Rock Polish to sweep if Lopunny cripples said Ground-types with Switcheroo or Toxic. Lairon is another Rock-type partner that also appreciates Ground-types crippled by Lopunny, but it has an extremely powerful Head Smash to break Solrock more directly once it has been statused or worn down.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lopunny has a deep movepool and could feasibly tailor very specific moves or items for different situations. Focus Punch can 2HKO Clefairy while doing enough damage to Solrock after Stealth Rock and Toxic to force it to heal, although Lopunny can break these Pokemon through status and consistent pressure, respectively. Iron Tail or even Grass Knot could be used to brute force past Solrock and Graveler, which are otherwise very reliable answers. However, Toxic and Jump Kick is usually sufficient. Low Sweep is an option to cut Persian and Lairon's Speed while damaging them significantly, although Thunder Wave is sufficient in ruining them and does it permanently. Lopunny can run Fake Out to mimic Persian while retaining higher base stats and good physical coverage, although Persian's Technician, U-turn, and other utility moves makes it much more effective in this role. Lopunny could use Last Resort alongside Fake Out, performing it better than Persian thanks to its higher Attack stat, but this is a gimmick at best because Lopunny needs its coverage. Magic Coat can reflect status and Stealth Rock, turning the tables on primarily Solrock and other status spreaders like Frillish. However, this is a very risky move to throw out considering Lopunny's only passable bulk, and Switcheroo usually cripples these Pokemon just as sufficiently. Heal Bell could cleanse Lopunny and its teammates of status, although this is usually done better by bulkier Pokemon with plenty of free turns like Meganium.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Normal-resistant Walls and Tanks**: Pokemon with good bulk and a resistance to Normal such as Frillish, Solrock, and Graveler are able to switch in multiple times and must be worn down with status and Stealth Rock. Wormadam-S and Lairon are only 2HKOed by Fire Punch and Jump Kick, respectively, so they are able to pivot in and out of Lopunny's Return. Solrock must be given emphasis as the most consistent Lopunny counter thanks to its access to Morning Sun and Will-O Wisp as well as a neutrality to Jump Kick, although it can be worn down by Toxic.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Lopunny is not particularly strong and cannot hit anything super effectively with its STAB move. Physically defensive Pokemon such as Hippopotas, Ivysaur, Leafeon, and Shelgon are not immediately threatened by Lopunny and can hit it back quite hard, although their ability to wall Lopunny is neutered by paralysis or Toxic.
**Choice Scarf Users and Persian**: While mostly unable to switch into Lopunny, Choice Scarf users like Grumpig, Mienfoo, and Kingler are able to outspeed and threaten an OHKO on it. Persian is the only Pokemon in the tier faster than Lopunny and is able to do upwards of 80% with Fake Out and Double-Edge.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monai.482455/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Fast Attacker (Lopunny) @ Leftovers / Silk Scarf / Flame Orb
Ability: Limber / Klutz
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Jump Kick
- Toxic / Fire Punch / Switcheroo
- Fire Punch / Encore / Healing Wish / Protect / Thunder Wave
[SET COMMENTS]
Although it lacks Technician and the Speed tier that makes Persian so elite, Lopunny still manages to carve a respectable niche thanks to its higher base stats with still incredible Speed, deep well of utility moves, and access to offensive physical coverage Persian could only dream of in Jump Kick and Fire Punch. Return preserves Lopunny's good bulk, allowing it to trade with the likes of Muk and Emolga without putting itself in KO range with Double-Edge. Jump Kick compliments its Normal-type STAB option very well and differentiates it from Persian, allowing it to break through Lairon without resorting to Hidden Power or Water Pulse. Lopunny only requires these two moves to be competent offensively, which allows two moveslots to be filled with its extensive movepool. The most common option is Fire Punch, which allows Lopunny to dispatch the other common Normal-resistant Pokemon in Wormadam-S on the switch, as Anticipation will alert it of Fire Punch if it gets in clean. However, Wormadam-S is not particularly threatening, so coverage on this Pokemon can be dropped if Lopunny does not need to pressure it. Toxic is an important move on Lopunny in order to cripple Frillish and especially Solrock, which will always wall it. Protect has good synergy with Toxic and makes the most out of Lopunny's solid bulk with Leftovers. Blocking Fake Out from Persian and scouting Choice-locked Pokemon is also very valuable for Lopunny. A very unique option Lopunny has access to is Healing Wish, which is particularly powerful on offense and hyper offense teams to keep momentum and restore very trade heavy threats such as Muk and Shelgon. Encore makes use of Lopunny's amazing Speed, locking common setup Pokemon such as Shelgon, Arbok, or Muk into exploitable moves and giving a strong wallbreaker the chance to take them out. Thunder Wave is surprisingly synergistic with Lopunny's Speed, power, and Toxic; Lopunny naturally outspeeds and beats Emolga and Raichu while threatening bulky Ground-types like Hippopotas and Vibrava with Toxic, allowing it to spread paralysis on the likes of Meganium and Mienfoo with surprising consistency. Limber's paralysis immunity is very useful so Lopunny is not deathly afraid of Clefairy. However, the unique ability Klutz allows Lopunny to make use of Switcheroo with otherwise crippling items like Flame Orb, Toxic Orb, or Sticky Barb. Although it is a one-time effect and Lopunny loses out on the benefits of items, usual checks such as Hippopotas, Solrock, Frillish, and Leafeon are completely ruined by the loss of their item and a crippling status condition. Maximum Speed and a Jolly nature is used for Lopunny to outrun Raichu, Simisear, and Emolga as well as Speed tie any opposing Lopunny. Leftovers is the preferred item on Limber sets in order to keep Lopunny in healthy condition over the course of a game, but Silk Scarf can be used to give Return even more power.
Lopunny's lower Speed and lack of priority attacks makes it more difficult to slot on a team compared to Persian. Lopunny is best used when the lack of a defensive backbone would compromise Persian's ability to pivot out compared to Lopunny's better bulk and self sufficiency, and it also can be run when a team might appreciate its unique utility options. As a result, Lopunny is most commonly found on hyper offense and bulky offense, where it can best use its unique traits. Swords Dance Leafeon and to a lesser extent Meganium are two of Lopunny's best partners. Together they help break down mutual checks such as Muk and Lairon while also beating in each other's individual checks. Lopunny has a strong matchup against Wormadam-S and Poison-type Pokemon with its STAB and coverage moves or utility options, while offensive Leafeon and Meganium threaten Frillish, Solrock, and Hippopotas very hard, especially with Lum Berry to shrug off Toxic or Will-O Wisp. Muk is one of the most reliable tanks on offense, able to duel a variety of Pokemon in the tier and make up for Lopunny's lack of priority with its Shadow Sneak. Lopunny in turn is a reliable revenge killer once Muk is inevitably KOed, and it can support Muk with its unique utility, crippling checks such as Solrock, Hippopotas, and Arbok with Toxic or Flame Orb; it can even restore a battered Muk with Healing Wish. Solrock is able to check and take advantage of Normal- and Ground-type checks for Lopunny while also spreading status, or it can even make use of Rock Polish to sweep if Lopunny cripples said Ground-types with Switcheroo or Toxic. Lairon is another Rock-type partner that also appreciates Ground-types crippled by Lopunny, but it has an extremely powerful Head Smash to break Solrock more directly once it has been statused or worn down.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lopunny has a deep movepool and could feasibly tailor very specific moves or items for different situations. Focus Punch can 2HKO Clefairy while doing enough damage to Solrock after Stealth Rock and Toxic to force it to heal, although Lopunny can break these Pokemon through status and consistent pressure, respectively. Iron Tail or even Grass Knot could be used to brute force past Solrock and Graveler, which are otherwise very reliable answers. However, Toxic and Jump Kick is usually sufficient. Low Sweep is an option to cut Persian and Lairon's Speed while damaging them significantly, although Thunder Wave is sufficient in ruining them and does it permanently. Lopunny can run Fake Out to mimic Persian while retaining higher base stats and good physical coverage, although Persian's Technician, U-turn, and other utility moves makes it much more effective in this role. Lopunny could use Last Resort alongside Fake Out, performing it better than Persian thanks to its higher Attack stat, but this is a gimmick at best because Lopunny needs its coverage. Magic Coat can reflect status and Stealth Rock, turning the tables on primarily Solrock and other status spreaders like Frillish. However, this is a very risky move to throw out considering Lopunny's only passable bulk, and Switcheroo usually cripples these Pokemon just as sufficiently. Heal Bell could cleanse Lopunny and its teammates of status, although this is usually done better by bulkier Pokemon with plenty of free turns like Meganium.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Normal-resistant Walls and Tanks**: Pokemon with good bulk and a resistance to Normal such as Frillish, Solrock, and Graveler are able to switch in multiple times and must be worn down with status and Stealth Rock. Wormadam-S and Lairon are only 2HKOed by Fire Punch and Jump Kick, respectively, so they are able to pivot in and out of Lopunny's Return. Solrock must be given emphasis as the most consistent Lopunny counter thanks to its access to Morning Sun and Will-O Wisp as well as a neutrality to Jump Kick, although it can be worn down by Toxic.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Lopunny is not particularly strong and cannot hit anything super effectively with its STAB move. Physically defensive Pokemon such as Hippopotas, Ivysaur, Leafeon, and Shelgon are not immediately threatened by Lopunny and can hit it back quite hard, although their ability to wall Lopunny is neutered by paralysis or Toxic.
**Choice Scarf Users and Persian**: While mostly unable to switch into Lopunny, Choice Scarf users like Grumpig, Mienfoo, and Kingler are able to outspeed and threaten an OHKO on it. Persian is the only Pokemon in the tier faster than Lopunny and is able to do upwards of 80% with Fake Out and Double-Edge.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monai.482455/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Last edited by a moderator:
