Water
========
Expert Belt allows Greninja to take advantage of its fantastic coverage and ability Protean, allowing it to take on Flying, Water, and Ground teams quite easily.
[SET]
name: Expert Belt (Water)
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Grass Knot
move 3: Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Extrasensory
item: Expert Belt
ability: Protean
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Ice Beam hits Dragon-, Flying-, Ground-, and Grass-type Pokemon such as Kommo-o, Tornadus-T, Garchomp, and Tapu Bulu. Grass Knot nails Water- and Ground-type Pokemon such as Mega Swampert, Gastrodon, and Hippowdon. Hidden Power Electric is coverage that allows Greninja to specifically target Mantine, which easily switches into its other attacks. Extrasensory allows Greninja to hit Poison- and Fighting-type threats such as Mega Venusaur, Toxapex, and Keldeo.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment alongside a Timid nature allow Greninja to hit as fast and hard as possible. Protean allows Greninja to gain STAB on all of its moves attacks, making it an incredible all-out attacker. Expert Belt increases damage done by super effective attacks.
Usage Tips
========
Greninja has amazing coverage that it can easily take advantage of. Since it commonly runs Choice Scarf, it can spam one attack to bluff a Choice Scarf and lure in Pokemon that resist the coverage move it is pretending to be locked into. Greninja is amazing in the mirror matchup, as with its combined coverage of Grass Knot and Hidden Power Electric, it can easily hit every Water-type Pokemon super effectively, making it a dangerous threat late-game. The same thing goes for the Flying and Ground matchups, as its Ice- and Grass-type coverage can hit all Pokemon bar Excadrill and Mega Steelix for super effective damage in the Ground matchup. Greninja is frail and therefore weak to common priority attacks such as Dragonite's Extreme Speed and Breloom's Mach Punch, so it should switch out to a teammate such as Toxapex to handle these attacks. Furthermore, it should switch out of offensive Pokemon that it can't OHKO such as Kyurem-B, since it is so frail that oftentimes they will be able to OHKO Greninja in return. Because of this, Greninja should only be brought in safely to avoid taking unnecessary damage. Additionally, while Greninja certainly does not appreciate the chip damage from being poisoned or burned, it should absolutely at all costs avoid paralysis, as it severely cripples its ability to act as a fast revenge killer and allows it to get OHKOed by slower threats such as Kommo-o.
Team Options
========
Toxapex is a great defensive pivot that can switch into threats such as Mega Venusaur for Greninja and makes a solid wall thanks to Recover. Additionally, it provides Toxic Spikes support, chipping down Greninja's threats and allowing it to clean late-game more easily. Swampert and Mega Swampert provide Stealth Rock support and an Electric-type immunity. Swampert is a solid defensive tank that can switch into threats such as Tapu Koko and Terrakion for Greninja. Mega Swampert on the other hand is a more offensive option that is extremely threatening with rain, taking on Greninja's checks such as Tapu Koko and Volcarona with Earthquake and Waterfall. Keldeo and Greninja share similar checks and can help break each other's down. Keldeo can break bulky cores from types such as Normal and Flying with Calm Mind and Taunt or be a more offensive threat and just muscle through Pokemon such as Chansey with Choice Specs-boosted Secret Sword. It also takes on Steel-types such as Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn that otherwise wall Greninja. Mega Sharpedo is a great late-game cleaner that appreciates Greninja's ability to weaken many of its checks such as Hippowdon and Celesteela, allowing it to clean more easily. It is also able to outspeed threats such as Tapu Koko and Mega Lopunny for Greninja. Running Mega Sharpedo allows Greninja to run Extrasensory, allowing it to take on Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur that would otherwise wall it. Rotom-W and Mantine can clear entry hazards for Greninja as well as provide it with a Ground immunity. Rotom-W can provide a slow pivot with Volt Switch and cripple physical attackers such as Azumarill with Will-O-Wisp. On the other hand, Mantine is a solid special wall with access to Roost, allowing it to easily switch into attacks such as Latios's Draco Meteor. Gyarados can support Greninja by taking on its checks such as Mega Venusaur and Chansey with boosted Supersonic Skystrike. In return, Greninja can break past physical walls for Gyarados such as Celesteela and Swampert. Additionally, it provides Greninja with a solid switch-in to Ground-type attacks. Thanks to rain and Choice Specs-boosted Hurricane, Pelipper is able to take on a plethora of Grass- and Poison-type Pokemon for Greninja such as Ferrothorn, Mega Venusaur, and Toxapex. Additionally, it can pivot in Greninja safely with U-turn, can clear hazards with Defog, and shares similar checks with Greninja, allowing them to both help break down the other's checks. Manaphy helps break down Poison-type threats to Greninja such as Alolan Muk and Mega Venusaur after one Tail Glow boost thanks to Surf and Psychic, respectively.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dark Pulse can be used over Extrasensory to give Greninja the ability to hit Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon for super effective damage such as Mew, Victini, and Blacephalon.
Water
--------
Hidden Power Fire allows Greninja to hit Steel-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor that would otherwise wall it. Grassium Z allows Greninja to turn Grass Knot into Bloom Doom, allowing it to pick off Rotom-W more easily, which would allow it to break through Water's defensive core with more ease.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[maroon, 305839]]
- Water analysis by: [[maroon, 305839]]
- Quality checked by: [[Havens, 391540], [Decem, 362454], [Misaka Mikoto, 240969]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Estronic, 240732], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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