Diophantine
Banned deucer.
Taking over from Beds' attempt. I made the suggested changes by Earthworm and Lavos. Also made some minor changes of my own.
[OVERVIEW]
Charizard is the fastest user of Belly Drum in the whole tier and also packs a respectable special punch. However, due to its poor defensive stats and typing, Charizard fills very few defensive niches and is rather dependent on support from its teammates. Compared to other Belly Drum users, it lacks the bulk and recovery options to work consistently and won't be able to overcome most bulky Water-types, but it outshines them with its Speed and the ability to beat walls like Skarmory and Steelix with its powerful Fire Blast. Generally, Charizard needs quite a lot to go right for it to succeed, but with the right support, this fan-favorite Fire-type starter can become a powerhouse that can end games much like its anime counterpart.
[SET]
name: BellyZard (Belly Drum)
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Belly Drum is a high-risk, high-reward move that boosts Charizard's Attack to the maximum level. Earthquake and Rock Slide form an arsenal of physical attacks that hits everything in the tier for at least neutral damage. After a Belly Drum, Earthquake gets several notable OHKOs against the likes of Tyranitar, Raikou, Misdreavus, Nidoking, Gengar, and Rhydon. Everything else that doesn't resist it or is immune to it gets 2HKOed. Rock Slide is necessary for Zapdos and other less common Flying-types such as Dragonite, Moltres, and opposing Charizard. It can also come in handy in situations where you need the 30% flinch rate to overcome bulky Pokemon such as Snorlax and Suicune. Fire Blast uses Charizard's high Special Attack and Fire typing to get the OHKO on Skarmory, Steelix, Forretress, and Exeggutor after Spikes as well as a 2HKO on Cloyster and Heracross.
For a successful Charizard sweep, you want everything that outspeeds it paralyzed or removed completely. That includes Raikou, Starmie, Gengar, Jolteon, and the rarely seen Alakazam. Charizard Speed ties with Zapdos, Miltank, and Tentacruel, so it is best to paralyze or eliminate them too. Pokemon such as Cloyster, Machamp, Marowak, Suicune, Snorlax, and Vaporeon should also be weakened beforehand, as they can survive a hit from +6 Attack Charizard. The other issue you have with Charizard is getting a free turn to use Belly Drum without being taken down in the process. Threatening with the immediate OHKO on Steelix, Skarmory, Forretress, or Exeggutor is a good way to force a switch and get off the Belly Drum. It can also be done with Reflect or Light Screen support or by channeling your luck against paralyzed or sleeping Pokemon. Charizard will usually not get any opportunities to switch out and attempt another sweep at a later point in the game, which means that often you will have to go for Speed ties and flinches—the fact that it is a realistic possibility for Charizard to succeed in these scenarios is a major reason it's considered so dangerous. It should also be noted that the probability of getting two flinches in a row from Rock Slide is greater than that of getting a critical hit with Earthquake.
Team Options
========
Cloyster pairs well with Charizard, as it can use Explosion to take out Suicune, Raikou, Zapdos, and most importantly Starmie. It also provides Spikes support, which can wear down the Pokemon listed above, other than Zapdos. Paralysis and sleep spreading is quite essential to prevent key Pokemon on the opposing team from blocking a sweep. Exeggutor can be quite useful, since it can inflict both of these status problems thanks to its access to Sleep Powder and Stun Spore; it can also use Explosion on Zapdos, Raikou, or Umbreon. Body Slam or Dragon Breath Steelix can also attempt to paralyze Zapdos and can use Explosion to eliminate bulky Water-types. Dragonite also does a good job of luring in the Electric-types and catching them with Thunder Wave on the switch. Gengar can be an effective teammate because it can land an Explosion against Raikou quite reliably. Snorlax can be used to spread status with Body Slam or Lovely Kiss or take out walls like Suicune with Self-Destruct or Belly Drum. Reflect or Light Screen users also pair up well with Charizard to support it when it's setting up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===========
Miracle Berry is a great alternative to Leftovers. When paired with Light Screen or Reflect support, Miracle Berry can be used to take advantage of Pokemon that may try to cripple Charizard with status-inducing moves such as Gengar's Hypnosis and Snorlax's Body Slam. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast for its higher accuracy, but misses out on the OHKO on Skarmory. Hyper Beam is an interesting option that can be used after Belly Drum to eliminate certain bulky Pokemon like Snorlax and Suicune with minimal prior damage. The recharge turn will make Charizard basically useless afterwards, but you can still take down something that Charizard wouldn't be able to otherwise, which can potentially lead to beneficial situations. Sunny Day is a possibility, since not only does it boost Charizard's Fire Blast for useful 2HKOs on Zapdos or Raikou, it also weakens incoming Water-type attacks and makes the common Thunder less accurate.
Checks and Counters
=============
**Starmie**: Starmie is probably the best counter, as it outspeeds Charizard and can take it down with Surf after it uses Belly Drum.
**Raikou and Gengar**: Raikou and Gengar outspeed Charizard and beat it with Thunder or Thunderbolt, but they have to be wary about the OHKO from a boosted Earthquake. A low damage roll from Gengar's Thunderbolt can fail to KO after Leftovers recovery, so it may be forced to use Explosion instead.
**Zapdos**: Zapdos is not a reliable check because it Speed ties with Charizard, may be reliant on Thunder hitting, and gets OHKOed by a boosted Rock Slide. However, it still has a decent shot at stopping a sweep through winning the Speed tie.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Keeping bulky Pokemon like Suicune and Snorlax healthy throughout the game is a good way to stop an attempted sweep. Machamp can take a boosted Earthquake if it is kept healthy and retaliate with a Rock Slide for a KO. Vaporeon also survives a boosted Earthquake and easily KOes Charizard with Surf after it has used Belly Drum.
**Status**: Charizard cannot sweep if it has been paralyzed as it relies heavily on its Speed to be effective. Poisoning Charizard before it can set up is another good way to make it more difficult for it to set up a sweep.
**Keeping Key Pokemon Healthy**: Preventing the necessary support Charizard needs to set up is usually enough to render it useless, so make sure to not let status conditions get spread too far and try to preserve key Pokemon such as Starmie and the Electric-types if you suspect a Charizard may be waiting in the wings.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Bedschibaer, 194413], [Diophantine, 370164]]
- Quality checked by: [[Lavos, 129513], [Fear, 2005]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Empress, 175616], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
[OVERVIEW]
Charizard is the fastest user of Belly Drum in the whole tier and also packs a respectable special punch. However, due to its poor defensive stats and typing, Charizard fills very few defensive niches and is rather dependent on support from its teammates. Compared to other Belly Drum users, it lacks the bulk and recovery options to work consistently and won't be able to overcome most bulky Water-types, but it outshines them with its Speed and the ability to beat walls like Skarmory and Steelix with its powerful Fire Blast. Generally, Charizard needs quite a lot to go right for it to succeed, but with the right support, this fan-favorite Fire-type starter can become a powerhouse that can end games much like its anime counterpart.
[SET]
name: BellyZard (Belly Drum)
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Belly Drum is a high-risk, high-reward move that boosts Charizard's Attack to the maximum level. Earthquake and Rock Slide form an arsenal of physical attacks that hits everything in the tier for at least neutral damage. After a Belly Drum, Earthquake gets several notable OHKOs against the likes of Tyranitar, Raikou, Misdreavus, Nidoking, Gengar, and Rhydon. Everything else that doesn't resist it or is immune to it gets 2HKOed. Rock Slide is necessary for Zapdos and other less common Flying-types such as Dragonite, Moltres, and opposing Charizard. It can also come in handy in situations where you need the 30% flinch rate to overcome bulky Pokemon such as Snorlax and Suicune. Fire Blast uses Charizard's high Special Attack and Fire typing to get the OHKO on Skarmory, Steelix, Forretress, and Exeggutor after Spikes as well as a 2HKO on Cloyster and Heracross.
For a successful Charizard sweep, you want everything that outspeeds it paralyzed or removed completely. That includes Raikou, Starmie, Gengar, Jolteon, and the rarely seen Alakazam. Charizard Speed ties with Zapdos, Miltank, and Tentacruel, so it is best to paralyze or eliminate them too. Pokemon such as Cloyster, Machamp, Marowak, Suicune, Snorlax, and Vaporeon should also be weakened beforehand, as they can survive a hit from +6 Attack Charizard. The other issue you have with Charizard is getting a free turn to use Belly Drum without being taken down in the process. Threatening with the immediate OHKO on Steelix, Skarmory, Forretress, or Exeggutor is a good way to force a switch and get off the Belly Drum. It can also be done with Reflect or Light Screen support or by channeling your luck against paralyzed or sleeping Pokemon. Charizard will usually not get any opportunities to switch out and attempt another sweep at a later point in the game, which means that often you will have to go for Speed ties and flinches—the fact that it is a realistic possibility for Charizard to succeed in these scenarios is a major reason it's considered so dangerous. It should also be noted that the probability of getting two flinches in a row from Rock Slide is greater than that of getting a critical hit with Earthquake.
Team Options
========
Cloyster pairs well with Charizard, as it can use Explosion to take out Suicune, Raikou, Zapdos, and most importantly Starmie. It also provides Spikes support, which can wear down the Pokemon listed above, other than Zapdos. Paralysis and sleep spreading is quite essential to prevent key Pokemon on the opposing team from blocking a sweep. Exeggutor can be quite useful, since it can inflict both of these status problems thanks to its access to Sleep Powder and Stun Spore; it can also use Explosion on Zapdos, Raikou, or Umbreon. Body Slam or Dragon Breath Steelix can also attempt to paralyze Zapdos and can use Explosion to eliminate bulky Water-types. Dragonite also does a good job of luring in the Electric-types and catching them with Thunder Wave on the switch. Gengar can be an effective teammate because it can land an Explosion against Raikou quite reliably. Snorlax can be used to spread status with Body Slam or Lovely Kiss or take out walls like Suicune with Self-Destruct or Belly Drum. Reflect or Light Screen users also pair up well with Charizard to support it when it's setting up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===========
Miracle Berry is a great alternative to Leftovers. When paired with Light Screen or Reflect support, Miracle Berry can be used to take advantage of Pokemon that may try to cripple Charizard with status-inducing moves such as Gengar's Hypnosis and Snorlax's Body Slam. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast for its higher accuracy, but misses out on the OHKO on Skarmory. Hyper Beam is an interesting option that can be used after Belly Drum to eliminate certain bulky Pokemon like Snorlax and Suicune with minimal prior damage. The recharge turn will make Charizard basically useless afterwards, but you can still take down something that Charizard wouldn't be able to otherwise, which can potentially lead to beneficial situations. Sunny Day is a possibility, since not only does it boost Charizard's Fire Blast for useful 2HKOs on Zapdos or Raikou, it also weakens incoming Water-type attacks and makes the common Thunder less accurate.
Checks and Counters
=============
**Starmie**: Starmie is probably the best counter, as it outspeeds Charizard and can take it down with Surf after it uses Belly Drum.
**Raikou and Gengar**: Raikou and Gengar outspeed Charizard and beat it with Thunder or Thunderbolt, but they have to be wary about the OHKO from a boosted Earthquake. A low damage roll from Gengar's Thunderbolt can fail to KO after Leftovers recovery, so it may be forced to use Explosion instead.
**Zapdos**: Zapdos is not a reliable check because it Speed ties with Charizard, may be reliant on Thunder hitting, and gets OHKOed by a boosted Rock Slide. However, it still has a decent shot at stopping a sweep through winning the Speed tie.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Keeping bulky Pokemon like Suicune and Snorlax healthy throughout the game is a good way to stop an attempted sweep. Machamp can take a boosted Earthquake if it is kept healthy and retaliate with a Rock Slide for a KO. Vaporeon also survives a boosted Earthquake and easily KOes Charizard with Surf after it has used Belly Drum.
**Status**: Charizard cannot sweep if it has been paralyzed as it relies heavily on its Speed to be effective. Poisoning Charizard before it can set up is another good way to make it more difficult for it to set up a sweep.
**Keeping Key Pokemon Healthy**: Preventing the necessary support Charizard needs to set up is usually enough to render it useless, so make sure to not let status conditions get spread too far and try to preserve key Pokemon such as Starmie and the Electric-types if you suspect a Charizard may be waiting in the wings.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Bedschibaer, 194413], [Diophantine, 370164]]
- Quality checked by: [[Lavos, 129513], [Fear, 2005]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Empress, 175616], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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