[OVERVIEW]
- Entei is one of RU's most devastating wallbreakers, capable of posing a massive threat to offensive and defensive teams alike because of its access to a powerful STAB move that has a high chance to burn foes in Sacred Fire, meaning that many of its checks and counters struggle with switching directly into it.
- Entei boasts rather solid bulk for a wallbreaker of its calibur, allowing it to take neutral attacks from Pokemon like Gardevoir and Doublade relatively well before retaliating with a stronger attack.
- Though its Speed tier is relatively average, it's high enough for Entei to outpace common offensive threats like Toxicroak, Necrozma, Rotom-C, and Medicham.
- Furthermore, Entei's access to fairly powerful priority in Extreme Speed slightly mitigates this and improves its matchup against more offensive teams.
- However, Entei's mono-Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards, most notably Stealth Rock, which prevents it from taking complete advantage of its bulk and limits its ability to switch in.
- Since Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed are event moves, Entei is forced to run an Adamant nature, meaning that it is always outsped by common Pokemon such as Roserade and Drapion.
name: Second Track on My Mixtape
move 1: Sacred Fire
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Pressure
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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- Sacred Fire is Entei's main and most threatening STAB move, possessing a staggering 50% chance to burn the opposing Pokemon, which limits the number of times its checks and counters can safely switch in. The move's reliability is hindered by its low PP, however.
- Flare Blitz is Entei's secondary STAB move. It is stronger and has more PP than Sacred Fire and can potentially 2HKO even certain Fire-resistant Pokemon like Mega Blastoise without HP investment after Stealth Rock, though the move's recoil prevents it from being as spammable as Sacred Fire.
- Extreme Speed mitigates Entei's average Speed by giving it a better matchup against offensive teams and allowing it to pick off weakened, faster Pokemon like Flygon, Ninetales, and Zygarde-10%.
- Stone Edge provides Entei with coverage for Fire-resistant foes that can handle Extreme Speed such as Barbaracle, Noivern, Mega Blastoise, and Alolan Marowak.
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- The investment in Attack maximizes Entei's offensive presence, and the investment in Speed allows Entei to outpace Pokemon such as Toxicroak, Rotom-C, and Nidoqueen. An Adamant nature increases Entei's power, though it is required, since Sacred Fire and Extreme Speed are event moves.
- Choice Band makes Entei even harder to switch into by further increasing its damage output.
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- Entei should mainly be brought in through double switches to Pokemon like Escavalier, Bronzong, and Bewear as well as on weaker or resisted attacks from Pokemon such as Doublade and Rotom-C, since Entei has the bulk to take these hits well and threaten them with a stronger attack in return.
- However, since Entei's typing leaves it vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards and it lacks recovery, try and refrain from switching it in if any hazards are up, especially Stealth Rock. Being weakened limits Entei's ability to switch in and reliably wallbreak.
- Because Entei can be easily exploited by faster Pokemon such as Flygon and Noivern as well as threatening setup sweepers like Barbaracle when locked into its STAB moves, it should be played as a hit-and-run wallbreaker, switching out after dishing out heavy hits.
- Sacred Fire is the main move Entei should be using early- and mid-game, as the move is very powerful and the high chance to burn foes can often put opposing teams on the back foot.
- Late-game, Entei should primarily make use of Extreme Speed to finish weakened teams off. Extreme Speed should also be used when attempting to take out threats that outpace Entei like Mega Sceptile.
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- Entry hazard removers such as Mega Blastoise, Rotom-C, Gligar, and Flygon are capable of mitigating Entei's vulnerability to all forms of entry hazards. Mega Blastoise comes with the advantage of not compromising any potential hazards that are set by Entei's team, while Rotom-C can pressure bulky Water-types for Entei, particularly Milotic. In return, Entei can switch into Grass-type attacks for the former as well as Ice-type attacks for the latter three.
- Entei appreciates being paired with entry hazard setters like Mega Steelix, Rhyperior, and Roserade, as the chip damage provided is useful for potentially bringing certain bulkier Pokemon like Mega Blastoise, Slowking, and Snorlax into 2HKO range. Mega Steelix and Rhyperior can also handle Rock-type moves for Entei, while Roserade can switch into Water-type moves.
- Because Entei baits in bulky Water- and Rock-types like Milotic, Mega Slowbro, and Diancie, pairing it with teammates that can take advantage of them such as Toxicroak, Virizion, Shaymin, and Roserade is ideal, with the former two also dealing with Snorlax. These Pokemon appreciate Entei breaking through Pokemon like Doublade, Escavalier, and Bronzong.
- Strong special wallbreakers like Noivern, Mega Sceptile, and Mega Abomasnow are capable of placing pressure on physically bulky Pokemon that Entei can struggle with breaking such as Gligar and Mega Slowbro, while Entei can break through specially defensive Pokemon like Florges for them.
- Late-game cleaners such as Barbaracle and Choice Scarf Gardevoir have an easier time finishing off weakened teams as a result of Entei breaking through them. Gardevoir can also provide useful Healing Wish support should Entei get worn down too soon.
Other Options
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- Solar Beam can be used alongside Grassium Z to enable Entei to bait in and heavily damage bulky Water-types, with Entei's passable Special Attack allowing this to be an effective lure.
- Toxic can be used over Stone Edge to put Entei's switch-ins on a timer and limit their ability to switch into it, though it is slightly reliant on prediction, and being locked into it tends to be a momentum drain.
- Iron Head is an option to hit Diancie for 4x super effective damage as well as threaten other Rock-types like Gigalith, though it doesn't hit much outside of these Pokemon.
- A set of Substitute, Calm Mind, Protect, and Lava Plume can be used to turn Entei into a bulky setup sweeper, though Entei's Stealth Rock weakness, relative lack of strength prior to setting up, and lack of recovery hinder this set.
- Charcoal increases the power of Entei's STAB moves while allowing it to use different moves, though its other moves become much weaker.
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**Water-types**: Bulky Water-types like Milotic, Pyukumuku, Quagsire, and Mega Slowbro are capable of easily taking all of Entei's attacks and retaliating with either Scald or Toxic. Mega Blastoise outspeeds and OHKOs Entei, though it lacks recovery and can experience difficulty directly switching in, especially if it gets burned by Sacred Fire.
**Rock-types**: Diancie can switch into Entei's attacks with ease, circumvent being burned with Heal Bell, and set Stealth Rock as it forces Entei out. Similarly, Rhyperior and Gigalith don't take very much from Entei's attacks and can set Stealth Rock as they force Entei out, though they don't appreciate being burned. Finally, Barbaracle switches into Entei after it achieves a KO and forces out it, which gives Barbaracle an opportunity to set up with Shell Smash, though it can't directly switch in because of Sacred Fire.
**Entry Hazards**: Entei is vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards and lacks recovery, meaning that switching in when they're up wears Entei down faster and prevents it from reliably wallbreaking.
**Snorlax**: Because of Thick Fat, Snorlax doesn't take very much from Entei's STAB moves and proceeds to set up on Entei with Curse and beat it in a one-on-one situation.
**Revenge Killers**: Faster Pokemon like Zygarde-10%, Flygon, Noivern, and Mismagius as well as Choice Scarf users like Tyrantrum and Medicham are capable of revenge killing Entei after it KOes a foe. Most of these examples struggle to stomach Extreme Speed, though Zygarde-10%'s Extreme Speed out-prioritizes Entei's.
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