Espeon [QC 2/3] [ON HOLD]

[anttyaalt]

Definition of 4 move syndrome ._.

Overview

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Espeon is still the cutest offensive Dual Screener and Magic Bouncer but it’s usefulness may of been reduced this generation. Mostly because of Klefiki who has a much better typing and possibly, a better ability for the role, Deoxys-S, who is faster and has a better movepool that includes rocks. The Hidden Power nerf doesn’t really help it either.But Defog’s popularity is also something new this generation and Magic Bounce keeps your own screens intact while removing your opponent’s screens making Espeon a good Defog counter. Unfortunately it’s still frail and outclassed by many other Pokemon but it is still a VIP member in Baton Passing teams.

Dual Screens

########

name: Dual Screens

move 1: Psychic / Psyshock

move 2: Hidden Power Fire / Baton Pass

move 3: Reflect

move 4: Light Screen

ability: Magic Bounce

item: Light Clay

evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

nature: Timid

Moves

========

With its solid 110 base speed Espeon can outspeed the opposing Pokemon and set up screens or just attack the opposing Pokemon with a move coming from Espeon’s base 130 Special Attack. Psychic is stronger than Psyshock but without it specially defensive tanks will win the stall war. Hidden Power Fire and Baton Pass have their own purpose. Baton Pass helps Espeon escape Tyranitar’s Pursuit while Hidden Power will prevent Espeon from being set-up bait with Scizor.

Set Details

========

Light Clay is obvious since it maximizes Espeon’s screen time making it easier for frail sweepers to set up. Max Hp and speed is used so Espeon can set up screens a little bit easier while outspeeding common threats like Keldeo and Terrakion and doing a ton of damage even without investment. Another EV spread with be a bulkier version with Max HP and Sp Def / Def, but Cresselia would be a better choice with its bulkier stats.

Usage Tips

========

Although it may be tempting to get screens up right away in turn 1, Espeon is best used alive somewhere in your party, this makes your opponent wary of using status moves since Espeon can bounce them right back. Another thing is that Espeon should use Reflect first so it can get the needed defense boost against it’s most common switch ins, and since Espeon is used on Hyper Offensive teams a good strategy is to U-turn / Volt Switch into Espeon threatening whatever Pokemon that is out giving Espeon a free screen before Baton Passing out.

Team Options

========

Justified is Espeon’s best friend. Espeon can Baton Pass into a Pokemon that has Justified giving them an Attack boost, and you can strike back or set up. Frail sweepers will appreciate screens making it easier for them to set up, and Pokemon that are weak to rocks such as Talon, and Dragonite will love the absence of rocks. Also having Espeon on a Sun team will also benefit them both since Fire types hate rocks and Espeon heals 75% of health with Morning Sun.

Baton Pass

########

name: Baton Pass

move 1: Baton Pass

move 2: Stored Power

move 3: Substitute

move 4: Morning Sun / Dazzling Gleam

ability: Magic Bounce

item: Leftovers

evs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 SpD

nature: Bold

Moves

========

Espeon is a must on Baton Pass teams, with it’s ability Magic Bounce, it can bounce back Whirlwinds, Taunts, anything that can ruin the chain. Substitute is crucial so Dragon Tail and crits don’t ruin your day, and the choice between Morning Sun and Dazzling Gleam is yours. Morning Sun restores lost HP if your opponent somehow gets enough crits to endanger Espeon while Dazzling Gleam is the only way to hit Dark types. Baton Pass is so you can switch back and forth between Pokemon without losing your boosts while avoiding Pursuit. By the time you are are going to use an attacking move you’re probably pretty buffed in every way possible so Stored Power would be the optimal choice.

Set Details

========

Unlike the Dual Sceens set the EV’s concentrate on bulk instead of Speed. The Hp and Def is necessary because Espeon will still have trouble tanking STAB dark attacks after an Iron Defense because of its pitiful defenses. The 32 Speed Evs help Espeon outspeed Jolteon at +1 and scarf Latios at +2. Another set would have Espeon passing Calm Minds onto something else, but Celebi does a better job because of it’s bulk and superior typing.

Usage Tips

========


Crits will bypass screens and defensive boosts so playing it safe by Substituing whenever possible and healing back up would be a good idea since Espeon was never really bulky in the first place and a crit may kill it. Another thing is that Magic Bounce bounces back non-damaging moves and Dragon Tail will force Espeon out, although this can be solved by Baton Passing to a fairy type it is important to be wary of a stray Dragon Tail user. This may not be important but keep in mind that Morning Sun only heals 25% in rain (75% in sun) so try not to send Espeon in when your opponent’s Pokemon will bring Espeon down to 30% range.

Team Options

========

There are tons of good members for a Baton Pass team such as:

Scizor (Mega)- Iron Defense, Swords Dance, Roost

Vaporeon- Acid Armor, Iron Defense, Wish

Celebi- Nasty Plot, Calm Mind, Recover

Scrollipede- Speed Boost, Swords Dance, Iron Defense

Mr. Mime- Calm Mind, Immune to Perish Song, Immune to Dragon Taill

Gliscor- Swords Dance, Roost

Togekiss- Nasty Plot, Roost (Softboil)

Mew- Nasty Plot, Barrier, Swords Dance, Amnesia, Rock Polish, Roost

Zapdos- Charge Beam, Roost, Agility

Sylveon- Calm Mind, Wish

Other Options

########

Espeon has great Speed and Sp Attack making it a great choice for an offensive Life Orb set. But Deoxys-S outclasses Espeon with better bulk, speed and coverage. Also Espeon has a pretty lacking movepool making it rely on Hidden Power for coverage (the Hidden Power nerf doesn’t help it either.) Another option is to Band / Scarf it but since Psychic moves has an immunity it isn’t a good idea to get locked into it. Yawn + Baton Pass is pretty useful because it prevents Espeon from being set-up on, but Vaporeon would be a better choice because it has much better bulk.

Checks & Counters

########

**Tyranitar**:

Tyranitar is Espeon’s biggest nightmare. It carries STAB Pursuit, and with sand, Espeon’s moves won’t be doing much to it unless if you are carrying Hidden Power Fighting. (W/o investment Hidden Power Fighting won’t even 2HKO 252 HP / 4 Sp Def Tyranitar.) It’s even worse if Tyranitar is wearing an Assault Vest (0 SpA Espeon Hidden Power Fighting vs. 4 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Tyranitar in Sand: 80-96 (23.3 - 28%) -- 72.9% chance to 4HKO) Another variant that is even threatening to Espeon is the scarf set since you don’t expect it to be scarfed.

**Blissey / Chansey and other Sp Def tanks**:

Although Espeon has an extremely good Special Attack stat it won’t be doing much to dedicated Sp Def walls like Blissey, Goodra and Heatran. Psychically defensive Chansey just straight up walls Espeon. Blissey can Seismic Toss / Wall Life Orb variants to death while Goodra just shrugs off whatever Espeon hits it with and hits back even harder. Same goes to Heatran but Heatran resists Stored Power + Dazzling Gleam so the only way to hit it is with Hidden Power Fighting (Possible 6HKO after leftovers). Psyshock deals with Goodra and Blissey pretty well.

**Scizor**:

Another common Pursuit user, but Scizor resists Espeon’s STAB moves and it can just set setting up Sword Dances or just kill it with Bullet Punch. Scizor doesn’t even get 1HKOed by Hidden Power Fire but it does bring it low enough so it doesn’t set up all over you.

**Fast / Scarfed Psychical Attackers**:

Espeon has defenses worst than most Pokemon so don’t expect it to live a Stone Edge from a scarf Terrakion, and most scarfed Pokemon have high attacking stats so scarfed Pokemon are a threat to Espeon.

**Priority**:

Most priority moves are physical attacks so Aqua Jets + Extremespeeds are going to do a lot, if not kill it.

 

[Hrothgar]

Call me crazy but I find morning sun a fine addition to the dual screen set with the weather nerf, behind screens it allows you to outlast and kill some things you normally couldn't or have much improved health for the next round of screening should you decide to switch to a stronger counter

 

[Alter]

Hey there man. My bro Crypto and I wrote the Espeon preview together so hopefully my advice on this analysis will help guide you.

First up, mentioning that Espeon's Speed stat allows it to outrun most leads in the overview isn't very relevant is it isn't a dedicated lead and not every Pokemon will be mindlessly spamming entry hazards if they are aware that you're carrying Espeon. I'm also unsure about how relevant mentioning Hidden Power so much in the overview is considering that every job Espeon performs better than other Pokemon is not offensive. Your current slashing for the Dual Screens set also looks a bit odd. I'd personally change it to something more along the lines of this:

move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Baton Pass / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Psychic / Psyshock

Hidden Power Fighting is doing pitiful damage to essentially every variant of Tyranitar who will pretty much always be a jerk. You're better off relying on teammates to handle it, thus making Baton Pass a superior option. Baton Pass also lets you scout for switch-ins to Espeon as well. Reflect and Light Screen are the most important moves on the set as this Espeon intends to support teammates through a combination of Magic Bounce and dual screens support.

-A good bulky sweeper would benefit from the screens (Volcarona, Mega-Gyarados, Mega Aggron)

Dual Screens are best fit for more frail set up sweepers which have a dependency on the screens to accumulate boosts. Volcarona is an example of a more frail sweeper given its HP and Defense stats are fairly low. I'd replace mentions of Mega Gyarados and Aggron with Pokemon such as Thundurus-I or Mega Lucario.

Mentioning "a misclick could be the end of Espeon" doesn't add much to the analysis since it applies for virtually every Pokemon and is something that shouldn't be taking into account when explaining how to use a Pokemon. A good usage tip for Espeon would something like "Choosing to set up Reflect before Light Screen is usually ideal as it gives Espeon extra protection from common answers and switch-ins to it."

On the Baton Pass set I'd personally place Dazzling Gleam over Hidden Power Fighting because it hits the Dark-types you need to (especially including Sableye, which otherwise walls the set completely) while Stored Power kills everything else. This also comes with the benefit of not messing around your IVs; however, this second point is probably not with mention in the analysis. Your item slashes look a bit strange on this set so I'd personally recommend having Leftovers (and maybe Red Card in AC) instead of your other options. This Espeon set is a win condition for Baton Pass teams and needs to be able to perform this role as well as possible.

In addition, it's a good idea to balance out Espeon's bulk by fulling investing the physically defensive side. Speed and Special Attack are pretty much pointless given that you can easily boost these stats with teammates. White Herb serves little purpose as there exist far better receives to Quick Pass, such as Kyurem-B and Jirachi. (Bold nature + 252 HP / 252 Def). I realize you haven't written up dot points for this section yet so I'd just recommend you make clear that it is the main win condition for dedicated baton pass teams when writing it up.

If you need any more advice on Espeon feel free to VM me when writing it up.

 

[shadowyoshi64]

You should fix the Baton Pass set, Espeon doesn't get Own Tempo, should be Magic Bounce instead. I'm not sure it needs a White Herb, and you should slash Stored Power after Psychic, as I find it rather good on a Baton Pass team, and especially with Calm Mind. I'm not sure what others think about it though.

 

[anttyaalt]

You should fix the Baton Pass set, Espeon doesn't get Own Tempo, should be Magic Bounce instead. I'm not sure it needs a White Herb, and you should slash Stored Power after Psychic, as I find it rather good on a Baton Pass team, and especially with Calm Mind. I'm not sure what others think about it though.

Thanks, I used the Smeargle template instead and I forgot to delete some stuff ^^' Thanks tho

 

[anttyaalt]

Hey there man. My man Crypto and I wrote the Espeon preview together so hopefully my advice on this analysis will help guide you.

First up, mentioning that Espeon's Speed stat allows it to outrun most leads in the overview isn't very relevant is it isn't a dedicated lead and not every Pokemon will be mindlessly spamming entry hazards if they are aware that you're carrying Espeon. I'm also unsure about how relevant mentioning Hidden Power so much in the overview is considering that every job Espeon performs better than other Pokemon is not offensive. Your current slashing for the Dual Screens set also looks a bit odd. I'd personally change it to something more along the lines of this:

move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Baton Pass / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Psychic / Psyshock

Hidden Power Fighting is doing pitiful damage to essentially every variant of Tyranitar who will pretty much always be a jerk. You're better off relying on teammates to handle it, thus making Baton Pass a superior option. Baton Pass also lets you scout for switch-ins to Espeon as well. Reflect and Light Screen are the most important moves on the set as this Espeon intends to support teammates through a combination of Magic Bounce and dual screens support.


Dual Screens are best fit for more frail set up sweepers which have a dependency on the screens to accumulate boosts. Volcarona is an example of a more frail sweeper given its HP and Defense stats are fairly low. I'd replace mentions of Mega Gyarados and Aggron with Pokemon such as Thundurus-I or Mega Lucario.

Mentioning "a misclick could be the end of Espeon" doesn't add much to the analysis since it applies for virtually every Pokemon and is something that shouldn't be taking into account when explaining how to use a Pokemon. A good usage tip for Espeon would something like "Choosing to set up Reflect before Light Screen is usually ideal as it gives Espeon extra protection from common answers and switch-ins to it."

On the Baton Pass set I'd personally place Dazzling Gleam over Hidden Power Fighting because it hits the Dark-types you need to (especially including Sableye, which otherwise walls the set completely) while Stored Power kills everything else. This also comes with the benefit of not messing around your IVs; however, this second point is probably not with mention in the analysis. Your item slashes look a bit strange on this set so I'd personally recommend having Leftovers (and maybe Red Card in AC) instead of your other options. This Espeon set is a win condition for Baton Pass teams and needs to be able to perform this role as well as possible.

In addition, it's a good idea to balance out Espeon's bulk by fulling investing the physically defensive side. Speed and Special Attack are pretty much pointless given that you can easily boost these stats with teammates. White Herb serves little purpose as there exist far better receives to Quick Pass, such as Kyurem-B and Jirachi. (Bold nature + 252 HP / 252 Def). I realize you haven't written up dot points for this section yet so I'd just recommend you make clear that it is the main win condition for dedicated baton pass teams when writing it up.

If you need any more advice on Espeon feel free to VM me when writing it up.

This is very helpful, I'll add it as soon as possible ^^ Thanks!

 

[anttyaalt]

Call me crazy but I find morning sun a fine addition to the dual screen set with the weather nerf, behind screens it allows you to outlast and kill some things you normally couldn't or have much improved health for the next round of screening should you decide to switch to a stronger counter

It is, I'm using it for the Baton Pass set. Thanks for mentioning it ^^

 

[silfan]

I think Espeon should run 0 Atk IVs.
Espeon won't ever use its horrible attack stats and Sableye/Mandibuzz love to use it against Espeon.

 

[Alter]

I think Espeon should run 0 Atk IVs.
Espeon won't ever use its horrible attack stats and Sableye/Mandibuzz love to use it against Espeon.

IVs such as this are always assumed in analyses and they're not added because it's up to the user to do this themselves. It also saves having to explain why this is done in every single analysis. This isn't to say you shouldn't make Attack IVs 0, but rather it shouldn't be done in the official analyses.

 

[Seven Lions]

Writing that Hidden Power has 240 BP can be confusing to readers especially newer members of the community when they read it. You don't even specify that it's Hidden Power Fire when you talk about it. I feel like the first set name should be called Dual Screens not whatever you just put there.

I also feel like Choice Specs is a terrible item on Espeon as Mono Psychic is a pretty bad type to be locked into when you could just get checkmated by Tyranitar with Steel-types resisting it and such. Espeon needs that freedom to switch moves, to use Dazzling Gleam to at least dent dark-types and so on so moving Specs to OO is my recommendation although I'm not QC review.

One quick thing I'm noticing, on Moves sections, you seem to start describing things that aren't relevant to moves, such as saying Espeon cannot be phazed out when this is false as Dragon Tail exists, but nonetheless is irrelevant to the section.

 

[Fuzznip]

Agreeing with Se7en.

Also, please fix the spacing issues. I don't know why you spaced out everything.

 

[Sturdynips]

I feel as though your Checks and Counters section is a bit skinny. Espeon is really stopped cold by Tyranitar, Blissey, and Chansey no matter what set it runs. You should probably emphasise this. If running Psychic, most special walls are pretty much hard counters; things like Goodra and Latias probably deserve mentions. Also, building on from this, make sure you mention specific Pokemon. Saying that naturally faster/scarf physical threats are good checks is fine, just state some relevant examples like Talonflame and Landorus-T. Aegislash probably warrants a mention because of how common it is and its access to Shadow Ball and Sneak.

Now obviously i'm not QC but I question the effectiveness of the Life Orb attacking set. From my experience in BW and early XY, Espeon is really only used due to Magic Bounce. With no way to boost its speed and abysmal physical defense, Espeon is way too easy to revenge kill. IMO, team support should be its only role. I'm happy to hear arguments in favour of the LO set, it's just I've never seen it used effectively.

 

[Seven Lions]

I feel as though your Checks and Counters section is a bit skinny. Espeon is really stopped cold by Tyranitar, Blissey, and Chansey no matter what set it runs. You should probably emphasise this. If running Psychic, most special walls are pretty much hard counters; things like Goodra and Latias probably deserve mentions. Also, building on from this, make sure you mention specific Pokemon. Saying that naturally faster/scarf physical threats are good checks is fine, just state some relevant examples like Talonflame and Landorus-T. Aegislash probably warrants a mention because of how common it is and its access to Shadow Ball and Sneak.

Now obviously i'm not QC but I question the effectiveness of the Life Orb attacking set. From my experience in BW and early XY, Espeon is really only used due to Magic Bounce. With no way to boost its speed and abysmal physical defense, Espeon is way too easy to revenge kill. IMO, team support should be its only role. I'm happy to hear arguments in favour of the LO set, it's just I've never seen it used effectively.

It benefits it's team from it's ability alone, preventing SR and random status from plaguing it's team. It's best support set is Dual Screens, which all that hard work can be put to waste with Defog. It can work well on Offensive teams who need a special threat but cannot afford to lose momentum with a Rapid Spinner such as Starmie or Defogger such as Lati@s which can open up an opportunity for the opposing team to setup a sweep while you helplessly use Rapid Spin or Defog respectively.

 

[ohnoyoudient]

I may be small and cute but I pack a punch!

Overview

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-Has Magic Bounce

-Has Access to dual screens

-130 base Special Attack is nothing to laugh at

-110 base Speed outruns most leads

-Horrible bulk on the physical side

-Hidden Power nerf

-Very small movepool making it rely on Hidden Power


Dual Screens

########

name: Stealth Rocks? HA

move 1: Psychic / Psyshock

move 2: Hidden Power Fire / Baton Pass

move 3: Reflect

move 4: Light Screen

ability: Magic Bounce

item: Light Clay

evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

nature: Timid

Moves

========

-Psychic is your strongest STAB, also good for picking off opponents with low health

-Psyshock hurts Blissey and surprises many special walls that switch in

-Hidden Power Power is a good surprise move to any Scizor. Even though Hidden Power was nerfed it still has 240 base power which hurts

-Reflect is the first staple in the set. It halves damage done to Espeon making it live at least another turn to set up Light Screen before going down

-Light Screen makes it much easier for Pokemon to set up that are weak to special attackers

-Baton Pass is to escape Scizor or Tyranitar’s pursuit

Set Details

========

-Light Clay is used to maximize screen time

-Dual screens lessens damage done to sweepers- prolonging their time on field

-Max Hp is run so it doesn’t die immediately while Max Speed is so it outspeeds a majority of the metagame although you can switch the defense with speed so it can sponge some more hits

- Don’t lead unless if you are sure that your opponent will lead off with a Skarmory / Smeargle or something, it is best kept alive so your opponent is skeptical about using status moves

Usage Tips

========

-It is best to use Reflect first so Espeon gets the much needed defense boost against most common switch-ins

-Best switches would be support Pokemon like Smeargle and Skarmory. Be wary of Brave Bird from Skarmory though


Team Options

========

-Best used if there is a Pokemon that can abuse Justified from the dark type boost. Lucario would be a good option because it resists Pursuit while threatening out Tyranitar with Close Combat giving it a chance to set up or just attack

-A good bulky sweeper would benefit from the screens (Volcarona, Mega-Gyarados, Mega Aggron)

Baton Pass

########

name: Baton Pass

move 1: Calm Mind

move 2: Baton Pass

move 3: Psychic / Stored Power

move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Morning Sun / Dazzling Glame

ability: Magic Bounce

item: Leftovers / Colbur Berry

evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

nature: Bold

Moves

========

-Can’t be phazed out

-Psychic is for killing low health Pokemon

-Dazzling Gleam hurts dark types that are expecting Psychic

-Hidden Power Fire is to make sure that Scizor can’t just switch in freely and ruin Espeon’s party

-Stored Power is for staying in for long periods of time. If you want to pass the boosts to another Pokemon then staying with Psychic is safer.

-Baton Pass is the crux of the set, It passes the boosts to another Pokemon and it avoids Tyranitar’s Crunch / Pursuit

-Calm Mind boosts Espeon’s decent Special Defence and raises Special Attack making Psychic hit harder

-Morning Sun is to recover lost Hp and so it can be a SpDef Tank. It also prolongs Espeon’s time on field letting it set up another Calm Mind or 2

-Leftovers is if so you regain lost HP if you stay in field long enough

-Colbur Berry makes sure that you can survive a Crunch / Pursuit from Tyranitar at full health

Set Details

========

-Have a good Sp Attacker recipient so you can get the most from this set

-A pure Baton Pass team works well to (Calm Mind from Espeon and pass it to a Acid Armor Vaporeon until you get the ultimate Pokemon)

-Defense EV’s are needed because a Brave Bird from Skarmory hurts without it

-HP EV’s are needed so it can sponge more hits from the opposing Pokemon

-Stored Power is recommended with Morning Sun and Leftovers so it can recover the lost health

-Hp Fighting puts a dent in Tyranitar w/o Assault Vest

Usage Tips

========

-Best used as a lead because it can’t be phazed out

-If you use it in the middle of the match make sure that all of the threats are dead

-Rain weakens Morning Sun by half (25% healed in rain) so don’t send it out during rain unless necessary

-If you use Colbur berry try not to use it as a free switch in, it’s best used as a surprise factor

-Take caution that you don’t switch into a move that would be fatal to the recipient. (Ex. Baton Passing the Calm Mind boosts to a Gardevoir just as the opponent uses Bullet Punch/ Thunder Wave

-Don’t be greedy, a crit will bypass screens and boosts. Even though it was nerfed (1.5) it is always better not to take too many risks

Team Options

========

-Mega Gardevoir would be a good recipient. Pretty much any fast and frail Pokemon who appreciate the Sp Def boost would benefit from it. (Alakazam, Porygon-Z, Gengar)

-Vaporeon is also a good option for full Baton Pass teams because of its High Health and good support moves. (Wish / Acid Armor / Roar)

Offensive

########

name: Offensive

move 1: Psychic / Psyshock

move 2: Hidden Power Fire / Shadow Ball

move 3: Dazzling Gleam

move 4: Grass Knot / Shadow Ball

ability: Magic Bounce

item: Choice Specs / Life Orb

evs: 4 HP / 252 SpAtk / 4 Spd

nature: Modest / Timid

Moves

========

-130 base Sp Attack is nothing to laugh at

-110 Spd is above average as it outspeeds all base 100s and Terrakion / Keldeo

-Psychic is the move you should spam for the most damage

-Psyshock is so you don’t get walled by Blissey / Chansey

-Hp Fire hurts Scizor but it doesn’t have any real use after that

-Shadow Ball is for Aegislash and Ghost types, its more useful because of the steel nerf letting it hit Bronzong for super effective damage

-Dazzling Gleam covers dark and dragon weaknesses making it possible to not run Hidden Power Ice

-Grass Knot hurts Gastradon / Swampert / Quagsire and other heavy Pokemon. It isn’t really a good move to be locked in though

-Life Orb would be better because Espeon has just enough coverage moves to cover most Pokemon while Specs would be a little bit stronger

Set Details

========

-Makes a great late game sweeper because of its speed

-Timid is run so you outspeed Terrakion and Keldeo while Modest is for extra power

-252 Sp Attack is to make sure that you hit hard, Espeon is too frail to live most hits anyway so no HP investment is needed

Usage Tips

========

-Making sure anything that outspeeds is out of the game because it prolongs its time on field

-Be careful of spamming Psychic if you are using specs because of dark immunity, also Gyarados’s mega evolution is part dark

-Some EV’s from Spd can be taken and put on Hp so priority doesn’t hurt as much


Team Options

========

-Any Fighting and Fire type Pokemon so they could eliminate dark and steel types that may be blocking Espeon’s sweep (Infernape’s great because it gets both STABs but be wary because of its frailness it can’t switch into a lot of moves.)

-


Other Options

########

-Scarf would we a good surprise factor but being locked into a move isn’t good and its speed is already above average

-Offensive Calm Mind could work with support, but then again Espeon is your support Pokemon. It also doesn’t have the bulk to live most priority moves / physical moves

-Yawn could work but Vaporeon would be a better user because of its bulk

-Psych Up and Baton Pass is gimmicky at best. Ditto would also be better at copying stat boosts because of Imposter


Checks & Counters

########

**Tyranitar**:

-Assault Vest is extremely annoying, it can tank a move then KO with Crunch or Pursuit

-Scarf Tyranitar/Scizor is Espeon’s biggest nightmare. If it has a scarf then it is faster than Espeon’s Baton Pass and most times you never suspect it being a scarf.

**Blissey**:

-Can’t touch Espeon with Toxic / Thunder Wave but it can --V

-Walls Espeon unless if it carries Psyshock

-Can Softboil / Wish Life Orb variants to death

**Fast / Scarfed Psychical Attackers**:

-Because of Espeon’s pitiful Hp and Def it can’t live most STAB attacks

**Priority**:

-All Priority moves are physical attacks which target Espeon’s horrible defense

Idk man. I never send out an Espeon without givin her grass knot. Kills all heavy steel/ground/rock types very easily. Its saved her a bunch

 

[Seven Lions]

Only things I can think of it being useful against is Gastrodon/Quagsire and Terrakion. Does pitiful damage to Rotom-W. Steel-types can take the Grass Knot and just KO Espeon. It's okay but I feel like the optimal moveset for Offensive Espeon which is the only spot Grass Knot should have any consideration is Psychic or Psyshock/Dazzling Gleam/Shadow Ball/HP Fire or Ground.

 

[anttyaalt]

Only things I can think of it being useful against is Gastrodon/Quagsire and Terrakion. Does pitiful damage to Rotom-W. Steel-types can take the Grass Knot and just KO Espeon. It's okay but I feel like the optimal moveset for Offensive Espeon which is the only spot Grass Knot should have any consideration is Psychic or Psyshock/Dazzling Gleam/Shadow Ball/HP Fire or Ground.

Thanks for the help, but why Hp Ground?

 

[Kejmur]

Thanks for the help, but why Hp Ground?

Heatran. He also resists your Psychic STAB attacks.

 

[anttyaalt]

Heatran. He also resists your Psychic STAB attacks.

That's true, thanks ^^

 

[mrglass]

Under team options, you might want to add Ninetales and Charizard Y. The both appreciate the bouncing of SR, and Sun is great to have on Espeon's Morning Sun and HP Fire sets.

Also, with the weather nerf, I'd say a bulky screens set with Morning Sun is also viable.

Something along the lines of:
Espeon@Leftovers
Magic Bounce
252HP/ 252 Def/ 4 Sp. Def
Calm/Bold Nature
-Light Screen
-Reflect
-Morning Sun
-Psychic/Psyshock

 

[anttyaalt]

Hey there man. My bro Crypto and I wrote the Espeon preview together so hopefully my advice on this analysis will help guide you.

First up, mentioning that Espeon's Speed stat allows it to outrun most leads in the overview isn't very relevant is it isn't a dedicated lead and not every Pokemon will be mindlessly spamming entry hazards if they are aware that you're carrying Espeon. I'm also unsure about how relevant mentioning Hidden Power so much in the overview is considering that every job Espeon performs better than other Pokemon is not offensive. Your current slashing for the Dual Screens set also looks a bit odd. I'd personally change it to something more along the lines of this:

move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Baton Pass / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Psychic / Psyshock

Hidden Power Fighting is doing pitiful damage to essentially every variant of Tyranitar who will pretty much always be a jerk. You're better off relying on teammates to handle it, thus making Baton Pass a superior option. Baton Pass also lets you scout for switch-ins to Espeon as well. Reflect and Light Screen are the most important moves on the set as this Espeon intends to support teammates through a combination of Magic Bounce and dual screens support.


Dual Screens are best fit for more frail set up sweepers which have a dependency on the screens to accumulate boosts. Volcarona is an example of a more frail sweeper given its HP and Defense stats are fairly low. I'd replace mentions of Mega Gyarados and Aggron with Pokemon such as Thundurus-I or Mega Lucario.

Mentioning "a misclick could be the end of Espeon" doesn't add much to the analysis since it applies for virtually every Pokemon and is something that shouldn't be taking into account when explaining how to use a Pokemon. A good usage tip for Espeon would something like "Choosing to set up Reflect before Light Screen is usually ideal as it gives Espeon extra protection from common answers and switch-ins to it."

On the Baton Pass set I'd personally place Dazzling Gleam over Hidden Power Fighting because it hits the Dark-types you need to (especially including Sableye, which otherwise walls the set completely) while Stored Power kills everything else. This also comes with the benefit of not messing around your IVs; however, this second point is probably not with mention in the analysis. Your item slashes look a bit strange on this set so I'd personally recommend having Leftovers (and maybe Red Card in AC) instead of your other options. This Espeon set is a win condition for Baton Pass teams and needs to be able to perform this role as well as possible.

In addition, it's a good idea to balance out Espeon's bulk by fulling investing the physically defensive side. Speed and Special Attack are pretty much pointless given that you can easily boost these stats with teammates. White Herb serves little purpose as there exist far better receives to Quick Pass, such as Kyurem-B and Jirachi. (Bold nature + 252 HP / 252 Def). I realize you haven't written up dot points for this section yet so I'd just recommend you make clear that it is the main win condition for dedicated baton pass teams when writing it up.

If you need any more advice on Espeon feel free to VM me when writing it up.

That's true, thanks for the help ^^

 

[shadowyoshi64]

a few things to fix. in the first set, you put the title as "Dual Screens", and "Stealth Rocks? HA". You also said "Hidden Power Power", instead of Hidden Power Fire. In the second set, you said that you should use Colbur Berry for Pursuit, which isn't the case, because Baton Pass doesn't activate it (you even stated that in the first set). Espeon can get phazed out by Dragon Tail. Also scarfed Scizor fails to OHKO the BP set, 6.3% with Rocks, while Tyranitar only has a 12.5% chance to OHKO, 93.8% with Rocks. Neither outspeed the dual screen set, unless they run a +Speed nature.

I believe Psychic/Fairy/Ghost gives perfect neutral coverage, so it really doesn't need to rely on Hidden Power, but it's useful to damage some steels pretty hard.

 

[Jukain]

alright tbh I think you should have Stored Power slashed first (and probably alone) on bp espeon

espeon has pretty much one use with baton pass: to bounce back taunt, roar, etc. for bp teams. it is also, usually, the final sweeper with stored power. by the time you've got to espeon, you probably have speed boosts from ninjask and some sort of defensive boost from like vaporeon or scizor, so espeon is plenty powerful. even if you have to send in early to take care of a phazer, it still shouldn't be devoid of boosts. besides, you'll want to spend the turns setting up instead of attacking.

i would consider slashing in hp fighting because it deals with bisharp and tyranitar, which are the big stops to stored power in the end-game of bp.

you don't use cm espeon as a standalone bp mon, there are better things for that like celebi. stored power is important for bp teams.

 

[anttyaalt]

alright tbh I think you should have Stored Power slashed first (and probably alone) on bp espeon

espeon has pretty much one use with baton pass: to bounce back taunt, roar, etc. for bp teams. it is also, usually, the final sweeper with stored power. by the time you've got to espeon, you probably have speed boosts from ninjask and some sort of defensive boost from like vaporeon or scizor, so espeon is plenty powerful. even if you have to send in early to take care of a phazer, it still shouldn't be devoid of boosts. besides, you'll want to spend the turns setting up instead of attacking.

i would consider slashing in hp fighting because it deals with bisharp and tyranitar, which are the big stops to stored power in the end-game of bp.

you don't use cm espeon as a standalone bp mon, there are better things for that like celebi. stored power is important for bp teams.

Thanks! I'll be sure to switch it around, but I think Psychic is still a good reliable attack though so I'll leave it as an option.

 

[anttyaalt]

a few things to fix. in the first set, you put the title as "Dual Screens", and "Stealth Rocks? HA". You also said "Hidden Power Power", instead of Hidden Power Fire. In the second set, you said that you should use Colbur Berry for Pursuit, which isn't the case, because Baton Pass doesn't activate it (you even stated that in the first set). Espeon can get phazed out by Dragon Tail. Also scarfed Scizor fails to OHKO the BP set, 6.3% with Rocks, while Tyranitar only has a 12.5% chance to OHKO, 93.8% with Rocks. Neither outspeed the dual screen set, unless they run a +Speed nature.

I believe Psychic/Fairy/Ghost gives perfect neutral coverage, so it really doesn't need to rely on Hidden Power, but it's useful to damage some steels pretty hard.

Your right about the title things, I'll be sure to change it. Also your right about the coverage but it doesn't seem to hit a lot of Poke's super effectively. (I'll put it in though) Thanks again!

 

[jc104]

I haven't played too much baton pass this gen, but I'm quite sure that the baton pass set is not right. The main use is on dedicated baton pass teams. As far as "suicide lead" baton passers go, there are much stronger options - you could be passing Shell Smash instead of a measly Calm Mind. You might have some success using Espeon as a baton passing pivot, but frankly I would consider this another option on the offensive set rather than a dedicated baton passer.

As Jukain said, Espeon's job is to reflect dangerous moves, and to sweep right at the end with a LOT of boosts (mostly in defenses, but also in Speed and special attack from calm minds). With this many boosts, resistance to stored power is more or less irrelevant - the only problem is dark types. Up until that point, Espeon is extremely valuable and should not be risked for anything. The opponent might try to wear espeon down, for instance by attacking with potential phazers and taunters, and you need to be as ready for this as you can be. Trying to set up boosts is just giving up precious health on your espeon and risking a crit.

The moveset should probably be:

-Baton Pass
-Stored Power
-Hidden Power Fighting / Dazzling Gleam (you need one of these at least in order to actually hit dark types)
-Morning Sun / Substitute

Keeping a sub up is really important for a baton pass team, as you need to block crits. Calm Mind is best left to something else.

edit: also, some recommended partners would be: Scolipede, Vaporeon, Scizor/Mawile, Mr Mime. You don't need a recipient. Espeon IS the recipient.