[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Fickle Beam / Giga Drain
item: Choice Specs
ability: Regenerator
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
tera type: Steel / Fairy
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Specs Hydrapple is a dangerous wallbreaker that provides a lot of defensive utility through its typing to answer threats like Excadrill, Sandy Shocks, and Ogerpon. Leaf Storm and Draco Meteor are powerful and spammable STAB moves despite the Special Attack drop drawback. Earth Power provides coverage against Steel-types like Tinkaton and Metagross. Hydrapple lacks coverage outside of Earth Power, so Fickle Beam is usually preferred to have a secondary Dragon-type STAB move that doesn't have the ramification of lowering its Special Attack. Similarly, Giga Drain is another option to provide a secondary Grass-type STAB move that doesn't force Hydrapple to switch out and provides it with more longevity. Regenerator helps Hydrapple answer Excadrill and the Ogerpon formes and provides ample opportunities for Hydrapple to get into a position to wallbreak by keeping it healthy across a match. The EV spread allows Hydrapple to outspeed Azumarill and Ursaluna while maximizing its damage output. Tera Steel should primarily be used for its defensive value to flip the matchup against threats like Latios, Azumarill, and Scizor. Tera Fairy allows Hydrapple to combat Latios and opposing Hydrapple. However, Hydrapple should only Terastallize when necessary, as giving up its great defensive typing greatly hinders its matchup against Pokemon like Rotom-W and Excadrill.
Hydrapple fits best on offensive teams that can help it get in safely and take pressure off it being the sole answer to the likes of Excadrill and Ogerpon. Pivots such as Tornadus-T and Zapdos are fantastic partners for these reasons; the former forms a Regenerator core, while the latter can punish Pokemon like Scizor and Azumarill with Static, crippling them for Hydrapple to outspeed. Steel-types like Tinkaton and Metagross prevent Hydrapple from easily locking into its STAB moves, so Pokemon like Excadrill, Slowking, and Sandy Shocks can help check and apply pressure on them. Excadrill notably provides Rapid Spin support to prevent Hydrapple being worn down by entry hazards and can act as a check to Latios, allowing Hydrapple to preserve the option to Terastallize. Sandy Shocks can provide Spikes support to wear down Pokemon like specially defensive Tyranitar and Toxapex into OHKO range while also checking Tornadus-T and Zapdos. Assault Vest Tornadus-T is a fairly consistent pivot into Hydrapple, so it is essential to have means to overwhelm it. Tyranitar, Tinkaton, and Rhyperior can provide Stealth Rock support to restrict Tornadus-T's ability to pivot into Hydrapple while being great defensive checks to Tornadus-T. Tinkaton can also provide Knock Off support to help remove key items like Tornadus-T's Assault Vest. Other Knock Off users like Scizor and Lokix can also achieve this while also getting Hydrapple in against Pokemon they struggle to get through like Toxapex and Cobalion.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/twilight.344575/
Quality Checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monky25.515132/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/thatoneapple.620325/
Grammar Checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Fickle Beam / Giga Drain
item: Choice Specs
ability: Regenerator
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
tera type: Steel / Fairy
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Specs Hydrapple is a dangerous wallbreaker that provides a lot of defensive utility through its typing to answer threats like Excadrill, Sandy Shocks, and Ogerpon. Leaf Storm and Draco Meteor are powerful and spammable STAB moves despite the Special Attack drop drawback. Earth Power provides coverage against Steel-types like Tinkaton and Metagross. Hydrapple lacks coverage outside of Earth Power, so Fickle Beam is usually preferred to have a secondary Dragon-type STAB move that doesn't have the ramification of lowering its Special Attack. Similarly, Giga Drain is another option to provide a secondary Grass-type STAB move that doesn't force Hydrapple to switch out and provides it with more longevity. Regenerator helps Hydrapple answer Excadrill and the Ogerpon formes and provides ample opportunities for Hydrapple to get into a position to wallbreak by keeping it healthy across a match. The EV spread allows Hydrapple to outspeed Azumarill and Ursaluna while maximizing its damage output. Tera Steel should primarily be used for its defensive value to flip the matchup against threats like Latios, Azumarill, and Scizor. Tera Fairy allows Hydrapple to combat Latios and opposing Hydrapple. However, Hydrapple should only Terastallize when necessary, as giving up its great defensive typing greatly hinders its matchup against Pokemon like Rotom-W and Excadrill.
Hydrapple fits best on offensive teams that can help it get in safely and take pressure off it being the sole answer to the likes of Excadrill and Ogerpon. Pivots such as Tornadus-T and Zapdos are fantastic partners for these reasons; the former forms a Regenerator core, while the latter can punish Pokemon like Scizor and Azumarill with Static, crippling them for Hydrapple to outspeed. Steel-types like Tinkaton and Metagross prevent Hydrapple from easily locking into its STAB moves, so Pokemon like Excadrill, Slowking, and Sandy Shocks can help check and apply pressure on them. Excadrill notably provides Rapid Spin support to prevent Hydrapple being worn down by entry hazards and can act as a check to Latios, allowing Hydrapple to preserve the option to Terastallize. Sandy Shocks can provide Spikes support to wear down Pokemon like specially defensive Tyranitar and Toxapex into OHKO range while also checking Tornadus-T and Zapdos. Assault Vest Tornadus-T is a fairly consistent pivot into Hydrapple, so it is essential to have means to overwhelm it. Tyranitar, Tinkaton, and Rhyperior can provide Stealth Rock support to restrict Tornadus-T's ability to pivot into Hydrapple while being great defensive checks to Tornadus-T. Tinkaton can also provide Knock Off support to help remove key items like Tornadus-T's Assault Vest. Other Knock Off users like Scizor and Lokix can also achieve this while also getting Hydrapple in against Pokemon they struggle to get through like Toxapex and Cobalion.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/twilight.344575/
Quality Checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monky25.515132/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/thatoneapple.620325/
Grammar Checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
