but loving him was red
Burning Red
[SET]
name: Shell Smash Wonder Guard
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Techno Blast
move 3: Flash Cannon / Earth Power / Secret Sword / Gastro Acid
move 4: Freeze-Dry / Grass Knot / Moonblast / Bug Buzz
item: Burn Drive
ability: Wonder Guard
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Genesect's good Special Attack, solid Bug / Steel typing, and unique interaction with Burn Drive make it a decent option for a Wonder Guard Shell Smash sweeper. Techno Blast and Burn Drive allow Genesect to both Imposter-proof itself and OHKO opposing Bug / Steel Wonder Guard users. Additionally, Burn Drive grants Genesect an immunity to Trick without sacrificing its ability to beat Imposter users—a property that only Fist Plate Arceus shares among Wonder Guard Shell Smash sweepers. The remaining two moveslots are devoted to coverage moves to hit as many Wonder Guard users as possible. Flash Cannon is a decently powerful Steel-type STAB that hits Xerneas, Mega Audino, and Mega Gardevoir. Earth Power hits Mega Manectric and Mega Lucario, in addition to OHKOing Primal Groudon at +2. Secret Sword hits Normal-type Wonder Guard users like Slaking and Blissey. Freeze-Dry hits Water-type Wonder Guard users like Primal Kyogre and Gyarados, as well as 2HKOes standard Giratina at +2. Grass Knot similarly hits Water-type Wonder Guard users, excluding Gyarados, but its situationally higher Base Power improves its matchup versus foes like Whirlwind Kyogre. Moonblast has good neutral coverage and at +2 OHKOes Wonder Guard Mega Sableye and Mega Mewtwo X and 2HKOes Giratina. Bug Buzz is another STAB option that allows Genesect to break through Psychic-type Wonder Guard users like Mega Mewtwo Y, Cresselia, Meloetta, and Deoxys-S—notably bypassing Substitute + Baton Pass Mega Mewtwo Y and Deoxys-S's Substitutes. Alternatively, Genesect can make use of Gastro Acid to break through any Wonder Guard user that can't immediately KO it or force it out with Whirlwind. However, Gastro Acid essentially restricts Genesect's final coverage option to either Freeze-Dry or Moonblast, else it is unable to break through Prankster Giratina.
Genesect fits best on balance and offense teams as a late-game wincon. Offensive Shadow Tag users like Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y make excellent teammates for their ability to trap and KO opposing Wonder Guard users that frequently forgo Shed Shell, such as Xerneas, Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Manectric. Choice item Mold Breaker users like Primal Groudon and Mega Rayquaza also make excellent teammates for their ability to blow holes in opposing Wonder Guard cores. In particular, Choice Band Primal Groudon is notable for its ability to essentially delete the majority of opposing Wonder Guard users with its STAB V-create. No Guard users such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Aerodactyl are helpful teammates, (comma) as they provide Genesect with an abundance of free turns to use Shell Smash, in addition to forcing out Prankster Giratina. Similarly, Huge Power Pursuit users are valuable teammates for their ability to Pursuit trap Prankster Giratina, as well as the Choice item Shadow Tag users that like to switch into Genesect. Refrigerate and Pixilate users like Mega Abomasnow and Mega Diancie are likewise noteworthy teammates for their ability to force out Giratina with their powerful Boomburst. In particular, Mega Abomasnow is notable for its ability to revenge kill many variants of Primal Groudon, which most Genesect sets struggle against even while boosted. Furthermore, -ate Speed users make excellent entry hazard setters, and Genesect appreciates entry hazard support to turn some of its favorable rolls, such as +2 Grass Knot versus physically defensive Kyogre, into guaranteed KOs, improving its overall effectiveness as a wincon. Finally, Aromatherapy, Defog, and Wish support from defensive Wonder Guard teammates is greatly appreciated to offset any chip damage or status conditions Genesect might acquire during a game, easing its job as a late-game cleaner.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An EV spread of 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe alongside a Naughty nature can be used to OHKO physically defensive Primal Kyogre with +2 Bolt Strike and standard Wonder Guard Xerneas with +2 Gear Grind while still OHKOing Bug / Steel type Wonder Guard users with Techno Blast. However, such a set is largely outclassed by Mega Lucario and Mega Scizor, of which the former has higher Speed, better overall damage output, and can OHKO Primal Groudon at +2 with its Fist Plate Judgment. Genesect has a few other viable coverage options available to it; Scald OHKOes most variants of Primal Groudon without needing to boost first, Aura Sphere hits Normal-type Wonder Guard users not named Blissey or Chansey harder than Secret Sword, Night Daze hits Wonder Guard Dusclops, Knock Off removes items and hits Psychic-type Wonder Guard users, and Giga Drain hits Water-type Wonder Guard users like Mega Swampert while also providing recovery. Finally, Flame Plate and Judgment are options over Burn Drive and Techno Blast if Judgment’s greater PP is valued more than the immunity to item removal that Burn Drive grants.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-type Coverage**: A quadruple weakness to Fire and below average bulk means that Genesect drops to even relatively weak Fire-type attacks. Furthermore, Sacred Fire, V-Create, Searing Shot, and Lava Plume are all very common coverage moves on Huge Power, Protean, Parental Bond, and opposing Shell Smash + Wonder Guard users.
**Powerful Mold Breaker Users**: A weakness to powerful Mold Breaker users like Primal Groudon and Mega Rayquaza isn't unique to Genesect. However, unlike other Wonder Guard + Shell Smash sweepers like Mega Gardevoir and Mega Lucario, Genesect's comparatively low Special Attack means that it cannot OHKO many Mold Breaker users even after a Shell Smash depending on its coverage moves, leaving it vulnerable to being OHKOed in return.
**Opposing Wonder Guard**: Wonder Guard sweepers are inherently matchup dependent, so Wonder Guard users Genesect's coverage can’t touch will force it out.
**Prankster Giratina**: Genesect's relatively low Special Attack for a Wonder Guard + Shell Smash sweeper means that Giratina can easily switch in and force an unboosted Genesect out. In particular, Haze variants of Giratina can wall Genesect almost endlessly, barring an unlucky freeze from Freeze-Dry. Once Genesect is neutralized with Encore or Haze, Giratina can also chip it with Will-O-Wisp or remove its sweeping potential with Glare.
**Offensive Shadow Tag Users**: Genesect's lack of a Shed Shell leaves it vulnerable to offensive Shadow Tag users like Mega Mewtwo Y, Mega Mewtwo X, and Primal Groudon. However, they cannot consistently check a boosted Genesect depending on its coverage moves; +2 Bug Buzz OHKOes Mega Mewtwo Y, +2 Moonblast OHKOes Mega Mewtwo X, and +2 Earth Power OHKOes Primal Groudon.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Daylight, 562267]]
- Quality checked by: [[berry, 226455], [Mbouchon, 515077]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523866]]
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