[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 2 onwards
**Price Range**: 17 points
**Overview**: Despite being only allowed to have Torrent as its ability, Greninja is greatly valued for its high Speed, mixed offensive capabilities, and access to entry hazards that allow it to pressure teams in most matchups. With access to good STAB moves and other coverage options, it is able to handle most Pokemon well, and with access to Z-Crystals, it is capable of breaking past its checks. With Spikes and Toxic Spikes, Greninja is able to weaken teams that lack reliable entry hazard control and provide support alongside its other utility moves in U-turn and Taunt. Aside from its frail defenses, it can struggle to keep up offensively compared to other top-tier threats, and it doesn't have a reliable setup option to make up for it. As such, it tends to work well alongside other strong Pokemon by supporting their offense and providing a valuable Speed tier.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Revenge Killer**: Greninja is able to use its high Speed and decent offensive stats to pick up KOs on weakened Pokemon, allowing it to be a good cleaner late-game; it can even use priority Water Shuriken to take out faster Pokemon that it would normally struggle to beat.
**Wallbreaker**: With Choice Specs or Z-Crystals, Greninja is able to break past Pokemon that it would normally struggle to get past to generate progress.
**Entry Hazard Setter**: Greninja can use Spikes to pressure teams that lack reliable entry hazard control, usually as a lead with Taunt to shut down opposing leads. It also has Toxic Spikes that work well in matchups where teams don't have reliable grounded Poison-types.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Surf, Dark Pulse, Hydro Pump, Scald, Water Shuriken, Waterfall, Night Slash
**Setup Moves**: None
**Utility Moves**: Spikes, Toxic Spikes, U-Turn, Taunt, Toxic, Substitute
**Coverage**: Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Extrasensory, Gunk Shot, Hidden Power, Low Kick, Ice Punch, Rock Slide, Acrobatics
Niche Moves
========
**Power-Up Punch / Work Up**: Power-Up Punch and Work Up are are Greninja's only means of setup that can allow it to muscle through Pokemon that it could struggle against and potentially sweep on its own.
**Haze**: Greninja can use Haze to neutralize setup sweepers.
**Dig**: With Groundium Z, Dig can become a strong Ground coverage option to hit Steel- and Poison-type Pokemon that have weak physical Defense such as Alolan Muk, Tentacruel, and Empoleon.
Common Items
========
**Damage-boosting items**: With items such as Expert Belt and Life Orb, Greninja is able to bolster its average offenses to threaten more KOs that it would normally struggle to get.
**Z-Crystal**: Greninja can be a great user of Z-Crystals, since they let it either hit foes with stronger STAB moves or hit specific targets with stronger coverage options.
**Choice Specs**: Choice Specs allows Greninja to become a better wallbreaker against teams that struggle resisting its STAB moves and coverage.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash allows Greninja to either set up entry hazards as a lead or play as an emergency check to an opposing offensive threat.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf boosts Greninja's Speed even further as a countermeasure against opposing Choice Scarf users, setup sweepers, and faster foes.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band allows Greninja to catch certain teams by surprise, taking advantage of its decent Attack to take care of special walls that have weak Defense.
Draft Strategy
========
Greninja is usually drafted for its role versatility and good Speed that is hard to come by, which allows it to work well with the abundant offensive options in the tier.
**Wallbreakers**: While Greninja isn't weak by its own, it appreciates having strong wallbreakers that can take advantage of its Spikes and pivoting from U-turn. Pokemon such as Kyurem-B, Infernape, and Mega Medicham pair well offensively with it.
**Other Pivots**: With access to U-turn, Greninja can benefit from having other Pokemon like Zapdos, Uxie, and Victini that can also pivot in order to maintain momentum and keep opponents on the backfoot while their Pokemon take entry hazard chip.
**Entry Hazard Setters**: While Greninja can be an effective Spikes setter, it does appreciate other teammates that are able to set up entry hazards as well so that it isn't forced into the role. Pokemon such as Klefki, Roserade, and Scolipede can help alleviate that problem.
Checks and Counters
========
**Faster Pokemon**: Greninja can be prone to getting KOed by Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, Zeraora, and Mega Lopunny that naturally outspeed it. Choice Scarf users also need to be accounted for given the amount of Pokemon that can use it to catch it off guard.
**Priority**: Given its frailty, any strong priority attack such as Mach Punch from Infernape, Fake Out from Mega Medicham, and even Bullet Punch from Scizor can KO Greninja at low health.
**Special Walls**: Without a damage-boosting item, Greninja can struggle to exert offensive pressure, which lets Pokemon such as Tapu Fini, Snorlax, and Alolan Muk handle it well or force it to run mixed attacking coverage.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sablolol.466715/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/odinrm.613514/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Draft Order**: Round 2 onwards
**Price Range**: 17 points
**Overview**: Despite being only allowed to have Torrent as its ability, Greninja is greatly valued for its high Speed, mixed offensive capabilities, and access to entry hazards that allow it to pressure teams in most matchups. With access to good STAB moves and other coverage options, it is able to handle most Pokemon well, and with access to Z-Crystals, it is capable of breaking past its checks. With Spikes and Toxic Spikes, Greninja is able to weaken teams that lack reliable entry hazard control and provide support alongside its other utility moves in U-turn and Taunt. Aside from its frail defenses, it can struggle to keep up offensively compared to other top-tier threats, and it doesn't have a reliable setup option to make up for it. As such, it tends to work well alongside other strong Pokemon by supporting their offense and providing a valuable Speed tier.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Revenge Killer**: Greninja is able to use its high Speed and decent offensive stats to pick up KOs on weakened Pokemon, allowing it to be a good cleaner late-game; it can even use priority Water Shuriken to take out faster Pokemon that it would normally struggle to beat.
**Wallbreaker**: With Choice Specs or Z-Crystals, Greninja is able to break past Pokemon that it would normally struggle to get past to generate progress.
**Entry Hazard Setter**: Greninja can use Spikes to pressure teams that lack reliable entry hazard control, usually as a lead with Taunt to shut down opposing leads. It also has Toxic Spikes that work well in matchups where teams don't have reliable grounded Poison-types.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Surf, Dark Pulse, Hydro Pump, Scald, Water Shuriken, Waterfall, Night Slash
**Setup Moves**: None
**Utility Moves**: Spikes, Toxic Spikes, U-Turn, Taunt, Toxic, Substitute
**Coverage**: Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Extrasensory, Gunk Shot, Hidden Power, Low Kick, Ice Punch, Rock Slide, Acrobatics
Niche Moves
========
**Power-Up Punch / Work Up**: Power-Up Punch and Work Up are are Greninja's only means of setup that can allow it to muscle through Pokemon that it could struggle against and potentially sweep on its own.
**Haze**: Greninja can use Haze to neutralize setup sweepers.
**Dig**: With Groundium Z, Dig can become a strong Ground coverage option to hit Steel- and Poison-type Pokemon that have weak physical Defense such as Alolan Muk, Tentacruel, and Empoleon.
Common Items
========
**Damage-boosting items**: With items such as Expert Belt and Life Orb, Greninja is able to bolster its average offenses to threaten more KOs that it would normally struggle to get.
**Z-Crystal**: Greninja can be a great user of Z-Crystals, since they let it either hit foes with stronger STAB moves or hit specific targets with stronger coverage options.
**Choice Specs**: Choice Specs allows Greninja to become a better wallbreaker against teams that struggle resisting its STAB moves and coverage.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash allows Greninja to either set up entry hazards as a lead or play as an emergency check to an opposing offensive threat.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf boosts Greninja's Speed even further as a countermeasure against opposing Choice Scarf users, setup sweepers, and faster foes.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band allows Greninja to catch certain teams by surprise, taking advantage of its decent Attack to take care of special walls that have weak Defense.
Draft Strategy
========
Greninja is usually drafted for its role versatility and good Speed that is hard to come by, which allows it to work well with the abundant offensive options in the tier.
**Wallbreakers**: While Greninja isn't weak by its own, it appreciates having strong wallbreakers that can take advantage of its Spikes and pivoting from U-turn. Pokemon such as Kyurem-B, Infernape, and Mega Medicham pair well offensively with it.
**Other Pivots**: With access to U-turn, Greninja can benefit from having other Pokemon like Zapdos, Uxie, and Victini that can also pivot in order to maintain momentum and keep opponents on the backfoot while their Pokemon take entry hazard chip.
**Entry Hazard Setters**: While Greninja can be an effective Spikes setter, it does appreciate other teammates that are able to set up entry hazards as well so that it isn't forced into the role. Pokemon such as Klefki, Roserade, and Scolipede can help alleviate that problem.
Checks and Counters
========
**Faster Pokemon**: Greninja can be prone to getting KOed by Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, Zeraora, and Mega Lopunny that naturally outspeed it. Choice Scarf users also need to be accounted for given the amount of Pokemon that can use it to catch it off guard.
**Priority**: Given its frailty, any strong priority attack such as Mach Punch from Infernape, Fake Out from Mega Medicham, and even Bullet Punch from Scizor can KO Greninja at low health.
**Special Walls**: Without a damage-boosting item, Greninja can struggle to exert offensive pressure, which lets Pokemon such as Tapu Fini, Snorlax, and Alolan Muk handle it well or force it to run mixed attacking coverage.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sablolol.466715/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/odinrm.613514/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
