I'm sure all of that are active in C & C are familiar with the beast that is the Heatran analysis. Now, considering that I wrote the analysis the first time around, I figured I should be the one to shorten it.
Anyways, my main objective with the consise project is to eliminate redundant information that does not apply solely to Heatran and limit the description on certain strategies that I feel are important to keep in remind.
Anyways, for reference, the original analysis is outlined below...
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Finally, the consise analysis is below...
Choice Scarf:
<p>When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Heatran can effectively take on the role of revenge killer, outpacing dangerous threats such as Lucario, Salamence, and neutral-natured Gyarados. Heatran reaches a maximum Speed stat of 417 when wielding Choice Scarf, outspeeding all Pokémon in OU, bar Ninjask.<p>
<p>Fire Blast serves as Heatran's main STAB move, allowing it to deal a ridiculous amount of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Pokémon such as Naive Salamence risk being 2HKOed by Fire Blast due to Heatran's impressive Special Attack stat of 359. Flamethrower is an option over Fire Blast if you prefer accuracy over power, but it should be noted that the power difference is evident if you opt for Flamethrower. Earth Power is necessary on this set because it provides Heatran with a way of disposing of other Fire-types, specifically opposing Heatran. Explosion fills the third slot, giving Heatran an effective way of eliminating Blissey and Latias who dare to switch in. For the last slot, Dragon Pulse, Hidden Power Grass, and Hidden Power Ice are all decent options. Dragon Pulse allows Heatran to revenge kill Salamence and Kingdra without having to resort to Explosion, while Hidden Power Grass is useful in wearing down Water-types who can otherwise wall you. Finally, Hidden Power Ice, although the least recommended option out of the three, is useful in guaranteeing the kill on Salamence. On an additional note, Overheat is an option over Fire Blast, but Fire Blast is the preferred option as it deals more damage over two turns, outweighing the benefits of 5% increased accuracy.</p>
<p>A Modest or Rash nature can be considered if you feel the extra power is more beneficial to your team, but you will miss out on outpacing Adamant Gyarados, Adamant Heracross, and at least tying with opposing Scarfed Heatran.</p>
<p>This set has trouble against Water-types and Blissey, so Pokémon that can take down both are effective options for this set. Celebi covers Heatran's weaknesses perfectly and can take down most Water-types with a STAB Grass Knot or Leaf Storm. Specifically, Celebi works best at countering Gyarados, which can set up on Heatran locked into Choice Scarf. Additionally, Heatran also covers Celebi's weaknesses. Scizor is another excellent teammate to Heatran, providing teams with extra insurance against Dragon Dance Salamence which might have set up on Heatran; not only that, but Scizor is great at luring Fire-type attacks which activate Heatran's Flash Fire ability. Latias, a common counter to Heatran, will also fall to Scizor's U-turn or Pursuit. Finally, Scizor can also dispose of Blissey with Superpower if you are unable to KO it with Heatran.</p>
Stealth Rock (Lead):
<p>Heatran makes for a fine lead and overall user of Stealth Rock, having the ability to easily take on the ever so common Metagross and Azelf. The only commonly seen leads that stand a chance against Heatran are Aerodactyl, Infernape, and Swampert, but only the former twocan actually prevent Heatran from laying down Stealth Rock. If you decide to not use this set as a lead, players may assume that Heatran is holding a Choice Scarf. Due to this, Heatran can often net surprise kills on Salamence and Gyarados with Explosion, especially with Shuca Berry ensuring that Heatran survives any Earthquakes coming from the two. Even Latias can be caught off guard with a well-timed Explosion, which can easily allow other special sweepers on the team to plow through the opponent's team, such as Calm Mind Celebi.</p>
<p>Shuca Berry guarantees Heatran will rarely ever be OHKOed by an Earthquake or Earth Power.</p>
<p>Speed and Special Attack are maximized to allow Heatran to function as a special sweeper later in the game, especially with its ability to switch in fairly easily with its handy typing. Running a Timid nature is an option if you want to be guaranteed to survive Azelf's Psychic + Explosion, but even with Naive, Azelf will need to roll nearly maximum damage from Explosion and above average damage from Psychic in order to score a KO, and the 10% boost to your own Explosion is often worth the risk.</p>
<p>This set benefits most from partners that can switch into the leads Heatran has trouble against, namely Aerodactyl, Infernape, and Swampert. Gyarados is a great choice to consider pairing with this set because not only can it set up on Infernape and Swampert with relative ease (especially if it switches in as the opponent uses Stealth Rock), but it also provides Heatran with a good Water- and Ground-type resist/immunity. Against Aerodactyl, anything not weak to Rock or Ground will be of decent consideration to pair with this set. Suicune and its bulky defenses allow it to take on all three of the aforementioned leads relatively well and it can also dispose of other Water-types which switch into Heatran with Hidden Power Electric. However, Suicune does not provide Heatran with the same type resistances that Gyarados does.</p>
Substitute:
<p>Heatran should be sent out against something that will likely switch out, such as Celebi or a Steel-type. It is often useful to send Heatran out for the first time after your opponent KOs one of your Pokemon; most players assume it has a Choice Scarf and will switch out. This, along with Heatran's powerful offense and great resistances, allows Heatran to easily get up a Substitute. Then Heatran can stall with Toxic, using Fire Blast and Earth Power for the Poison and Steel Pokemon that are immune to it. Most of Heatran's switch-ins, like Salamence, Tyranitar, and Water-types, hate being poisoned.</p>
<p>However, Toxic is less effective if your team is not bulky. You can use Explosion, instead, as it takes out most problem Pokemon in one hit. Few players will predict an Explosion coming from a Heatran behind a Substitute, so they are unlikely to bring in something to take it, like a Ghost. Alternatively, Heatran can use Hidden Power to take out Pokemon like Salamence, Gyarados, or Swampert, if you want a more offensive alternative to Toxic. Heatran can Roar on defensive teams that have Stealth Rock and Spikes. Another option is Will-O-Wisp, but it kills even slower than Toxic and has worse accuracy in exchange for weakening physical moves. If you want to use a move other than Toxic, it is helpful to pair Heatran with Toxic Spikes, but keep in mind that they won't hit Gyarados or Salamence.</p>
<p>It may seem strange to use a +Speed nature without a Choice Scarf, but due to Heatran's popularity, max Speed can be a huge aid. Heatran can attack before +Speed Breloom and Metagross; neutral nature Gyarados, Dragonite, and Heracross; and defensive base 100 Pokemon. These can all OHKO Heatran, so being faster is crucial.</p>
<p>This set partners best with Pokémon that can take advantage of a poisoned Water-type or Latias, or even both. For this reason, a Water-type of your own makes a decent partner to this set. Curse + RestSTalk Swampert is one of the best partners to this set because it can take hits repeatedly, due to Rest, while Toxic wears down the opponent's Pokémon. Swords Dance Scizor, albeit not a Water-type, also pairs well with this set because Water-types, primarily Gyarados, have no trouble walling the set otherwise. This Heatran also benefits from Wish. This is because you'll be wanting to switch into attacks often, and you are losing HP due to using Substitute. Vaporeon is probably the best option for this due to Water Absorb.</p>
Torment:
<p>Torment, combined with Heatran’s impressive set of resistances and considerable bulk, turns Heatran into one of the toughest Pokemon to KO in the game. The idea behind this set is that not many Pokemon carry more than one attack powerful enough to break Heatran’s Substitutes. With that in mind, Torment allows you to stay safe by using Protect to prevent your opponent from breaking your Substitute with their STAB or super effective attack. That means that every other turn, you can attack with Lava Plume for free without having to worry about being damaged. This set slowly chips away at your opponent while maintaining your Substitute at the end of the duel when they faint.</p>
<p>Lava Plume is the move of choice on this set, due to its high PP and 30% burn rate. Many Heatran switch-ins (such as Gyarados, Tyranitar, and Swampert) do not like getting burned. The chance to burn also helps slowly drain your opponent’s HP, meaning you do not even have to attack. Instead, Heatran can alternate between Substitute and Protect to rack up residual damage. If you do not want to use Lava Plume, Taunt is another viable option to fill the 4th move slot. It prevents Pokemon from healing and forces them to attack your Substitutes in vain. Pokemon such as mono-attacking Blissey and Suicune will struggle every other turn if Taunted. Taunt can help Heatran beat certain Pokemon that would otherwise completely counter it; however, Taunt also makes Heatran lose to other Pokemon that he would normally be able to beat. In fact, any Pokemon with more than one attack, or a faster Pokemon with Taunt will be able to beat this set unless you can inflict a status condition.</p>
<p>Although this set is effective on its own, with the proper team support it can single-handedly run through a team. If you manage to set up two layers of Toxic Spikes before sending this in, Heatran (especially those with Taunt) will beat Blissey, Swampert, Vaporeon, Milotic, Porygon2, and other common switch-ins lacking Rest. This brings up the bane of this set: Rest + Sleep Talk stat uppers. Pokemon such as Suicune, Snorlax, Swampert, and Tyranitar running the aforementioned strategy can walk all over this Heatran. This is why it is suggested that your team has a Choiced Trick supporter or two to prevent these set up Pokemon from beating Heatran. On top of that, remember that any Choiced Pokemon will Struggle against Torment Tran, which makes Tricking a Choice item an all around superb support option for this set.</p>
<p>The HP EVs allow Heatran to hit its highest Leftovers number, which is very important, considering you will be seeing a lot of Leftovers recovery with this set. The Speed EVs bring Heatran to 245 Speed, which allows you to outspeed Zapdos and Celebi at 244 Speed. Getting your Substitute up before being hit by Thunder Wave is very important for this set. The Special Defense EVs allow Heatran to take 24% max from a neutral natured, 0 Special Attack Rotom’s Discharge, meaning they will never break your Substitute. This is important because you really do not want Heatran to randomly get paralyzed from Discharge. The Special Attack EVs ensure that you do a minimum of 33% to max HP Machamp, meaning that the Rest + Sleep Talk sets will be 3HKOed. You don’t have to worry about DynamicPunch with Torment. Heatran always 3HKOs bulky Rotom, so not even the Rest + Sleep Talk versions can stop you.</p>
<p>The four biggest non-Resting threats to this set are Gyarados, Swampert, non-Choiced Heatran, and Latias. The first two usually carry two moves that can break Heatran’s Substitutes, while resisting Lava Plume. Latias can alternate between Calm Mind and Surf to beat Heatran. It is therefore recommended that you pair this Heatran with Celebi, who can handle Gyarados and Swampert. Also, the CeleTran combo is always great in terms of synergy. Tyranitar also makes a great support Pokemon for this set by giving you a reliable Heatran and Latias switch-in, while also setting up Sand Stream, which will chip away at opposing Pokemon without damaging Heatran. Also, keep in mind that if Latias comes in on Torment, it cannot use Surf on your Tyranitar switch-in, guaranteeing its safety.</p>
Life Orb:
<p>Heatran is a great candidate for utilizing Life Orb to further boost its already massive Special Attack stat. This set allows Heatran to act as a fluent sweeper without the restrictions of a Choice item,while maintaining the power needed to achieve certain KOs that Heatran would otherwise miss without the boost Life Orb gives.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is Heatran's STAB move for this set, causing decent amounts of damage to common switch-ins such as Gyarados and Salamence, while also ruining Scizor, Jirachi, and Celebi. Earth Power is essential in providing Heatran with a way of eliminating opposing Fire-types. The third moveslot is used to hit Water-types who may try to wall you and hit back for super effective damage. Hidden Power Grass should be used if Swampert is more of a concern while Hidden Power Electric works best against Gyarados. For the last moveslot, Taunt, Explosion, and Substitute are all great options that benefit this set. Taunt negates any of your opponent's attempts to heal or set up. Explosion is an option that complements this set by providing a surefire way of taking out Blissey, OHKOing even max Defense versions after Stealth Rock, and other Pokémon that resist your Fire-type attack of choice. Finally, Substitute eases prediction at the cost of 25% of Heatran's HP each time it is used.</p>
<p>Expert Belt can be used over Life Orb to bluff a Choice Scarf. Many players will attempt to set up on what they believe to be a Choiced Heatran only to be promptly KOed by a super effective attack (or Explosion). In any case, a Naive nature is recommended when running Explosion in order to deal as much damage as possible; otherwise, a Timid nature should be used. Special Attack and Speed are maxed to provide Heatran with the best sweeping potential, being able to 2HKO Salamence with Fire Blast after Stealth Rock and outpacing all neutral base 85's and below.</p>
<p>This set benefits greatly from Stealth Rock support, ensuring that Heatran gets the 2HKO on 4/0 Gyarados and Salamence with Fire Blast. Azelf and Swampert can both efficiently lay down Stealth Rock. Azelf is particularly useful because it can Taunt opposing leads who may try to set up Stealth Rock and can use Explosion to create a free switch-in for Heatran, giving it more chances to attack if it comes in unscathed. Swampert is a reliable lead that has much more durability than Azelf, and it is also great for luring out Will-O-Wisps that provide Heatran with a free Flash Fire boost. Heatran also covers Swampert's weakness to Grass.</p>
<p>Paralysis support is also a decent option to consider, giving Heatran a much easier time in taking down opposing Pokémon who otherwise outspeed it. Celebi is a great candidate to take this role, as it can not only use Thunder Wave effectively, but it also provides Heatran with valuable resistances to Fighting, Water, and Ground. Finally, Choice Band Scizor also pairs well with this set as Bullet Punch can take out foes Heatran has weakened. Specifically, Scizor works great at taking out Salamence and weakened Gyarados which may have attempted to set up on Heatran.</p>
Choice Specs:
<p>Although mainly seen as a revenge killer, Choice Specs provides Heatran with quite a bit of destructive power. For example, even Blissey risks being 2HKOed by a Flash Fire-boosted Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage, and anything that doesn't resist Fire will be permanently destroyed. Between Fire Blast and Overheat, Fire Blast deals more damage over two turns with no Special Attack drop, while Overheats deals much more damage on the first turn and has slightly better accuracy.</p>
<p>As with other Choice users, prediction is required. Earth Power will OHKO opposing Heatran who may try to nab a free Flash Fire boost, while Hidden Power Grass will 2HKO the majority of Water-types. As such, using either move when initially switching in Heatran is a good idea to catch the opponent off guard. For the last slot, Dragon Pulse and Flamethrower are both decent options to consider. Dragon Pulse can be used to eliminate Latias, a common switch-in to Heatran, while Flamethrower deals consistent damage and also helps you sweep later in the game if you are using Overheat.</p>
<p>While not as much of a team supporter as the other Heatran sets, Choice Specs Heatran is worth considering as a high powered special sweeper, and will greatly benefit most teams. The Speed EVs allow you to outrun Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Metagross. Max Special Attack is a must to deal as much damage as possible. Running a +Speed nature can be considered at the risk of some crucial 2HKOes, such as those on bulkier Water-types.</p>
<p>This set, much like the Life Orb set, benefits from entry hazards to further weaken the opponent. Smeargle is a good choice to lay down both Spikes and Stealth Rock early in the game, also having access to Spore to cause further trouble for the opponent. At the very least, Stealth Rock should be used to guarantee a 2HKO on 4/0 Gyarados and Salamence; Spikes, in turn, will make it easier to land KOes on Blissey and Water-types like Suicune.</p>
<p>Individual Pokémon that pair well with this set are Rotom-A and Scizor. Rotom-A works well at taking out Water-types with its STAB Thunderbolt and respectable 105 base Special Attack stat, while Trick can be utilized to further incapacitate Blissey. Finally, Scizor is a great Pokémon to lure out Fire-type attacks which can nab Heatran a Flash Fire boost. Additionally, Scizor makes a great check to Latias, Salamence, and Gyarados, all three being threats this set must watch out for.</p>
Rest + Sleep Talk:
<p>While Heatran lacks any form of recovery outside of Rest and Sleep Talk, its large number of resistances and above average defenses make it an excellent status absorber and special wall. Typically, it would be better to choose a special sponge that had access to instant recovery, but Heatran is sturdy enough that it doesn't matter, and his huge Special Attack stat makes him a difficult wall to switch into. With Heatran's decent typing and good defenses it can easily take on special attackers such as Celebi, Rotom-A, Jirachi, Zapdos, and many others.</p>
<p>Lava Plume makes physical attackers think twice before switching in, as a 30% burn rate is nothing to scoff at. Fire Blast, on the other hand, carries significantly more raw power, and Sleep Talk makes Fire Blast's low PP a non-issue. However, since this is a defensive set, Lava Plume is still the primary option because it provides better team support. Earth Power has excellent coverage with Lava Plume, hitting Fire- and Rock-types who resist it.</p>
<p>A more offensive spin on the Rest + Sleep Talk set is achieved by changing to Timid nature, using an EV spread of 248 HP/ 36 SpA / 224 Spe, and giving Heatran a Life Orb. This outruns Adamant Heracross. This variation functions as a sweeper by giving Heatran back its monstrous Special Attack and decent Speed, and at the same time retaining the ability to shrug off status and heal itself. Note that Fire Blast should be used in this case, as the extra power is significant.</p>
<p>This set has trouble against Pokémon which resist the combination of Fire and Ground, which includes, but is not limited to, Latias, Salamence, and Gyarados. As such, Latias makes a decent partner to this set for its ability to take on all three of the noted Pokémon, to some extent. Particularly, the Choice Scarf set works best here, as it outpaces even Salamence and Gyarados with +1 Speed whle packing enough power to OHKO both. Latias will also benefit from Heatran's weaknesses to Ground and Fighting, often proving Latias with a free switch-in. Heatran, in return, can cover Scizor and Tyranitar, both common counters to Latias, with Lava Plume and Earth Power respectively.</p>
<p>Toxic Spikes support also works decently with this set to further make use of Heatran's durability. Mainly, Toxic Spikes should be considered to eliminate Water-types which wall this set entirely, while even allowing Heatran to outstall Blissey and cause havoc to Pokémon immune to Toxic Spikes with Lava Plume's 30% burn rate. Roserade is a good candidate for laying down Toxic Spikes which also packs a handy resist to Heatran's weakness to Water-type attacks.</p>
Burn Support:
<p>For physical attacking switch-ins, this Heatran is definitely not what they were expecting. Overall, the goal is to quickly set up Stealth Rock, while hopefully luring out a Salamence, Gyarados, or Tyranitar. Later in the battle, once you're sure they will switch in said physical attacking counter, you can cripple them with Will-O-Wisp, or Roar to chip away at your opponent's team with Stealth Rock and other entry hazards you may have placed.</p>
<p>Will-O-Wisp is an extremely effective move, and can seriously damage entire teams if used cleverly. Most Gyarados, Salamence, and Tyranitar usually have little worry when switching into an unsuspecting Heatran. Will-O-Wisp is a panacea for Heatran's worries, rendering your opponent's physical attacker nearly helpless, losing 12.5% of its HP every turn, and having a halved Attack stat.</p>
<p>With the given EVs, this Heatran is an especially effective Gengar check. Timid Life Orb Gengar's Focus Blast will never KO Heatran, even if Heatran switches into a Shadow Ball first. Meanwhile, Heatran will always OHKO 4 HP / 0 SpD Gengar with Overheat. With its high Special Defense, Heatran can even afford to take a Suicune's Surf and Roar it away to deal with later.</p>
<p>With Will-O-Wisp crippling the physical spectrum of sweepers, this set benefits from Pokémon which can set up on such Pokémon. Dragon Dance Gyarados is an extremely attractive choice to complement this set. Gyarados can come in on Ground- and Fighting-type attacks aimed at Heatran with little worry, while hopefully being able to set up Dragon Dance and sweep. Latias also works as a decent partner to this set, provided Lava Plume will likely burn Tyranitar making Pursuit a non-issue. Latias will also find itself being able to set up Calm Minds with ease due to its excellent resistances and increased durability against physical attackers. As an added bonus, Latias provides Heatran with a Fighting and Water-type resist along with a Ground immunity.</p>
<p>This set also benefits from entry hazards support to increase the effectivenessof Roar. As this set can take quite a bit of hits, you can afford to run more defensive Spikers alongside this set compared to others. Both Skarmory and Forretress are effectively options to take on this role. Specially Defensive Skarmory, in particular, can set up Spikes against most bulky Water-types with relative ease and can force them out with Whirlwind if they attempt to set up. Skarmory also provides Heatran with a reliable Latias counter, which walls this set completely and could care less about being burned.</p>
Taunt:
<p>Because of its reasonable bulk and plethora of resistances, Taunt Heatran can prevent your opponent from both setting up and inflicting nasty status attacks. Metal Sound is an effective way to beat Blissey (though if your team needs Stealth Rock support then that is a helpful option as well). Merely Taunt as they switch in Blissey, and then it will be unable to use Thunder Wave, Wish, Softboiled, or Protect. You can then Metal Sound them, making Fire Blast a clean 3HKO. Earth Power is for other Heatran, but you will have to catch them on the switch to avoid being taken out by Earth Power. Hidden Power Grass allows you to dent bulky Water-type counters after a Metal Sound. The ability to lure in and take out Blissey is vital to teams that have trouble with her, and the surprise value should not be underestimated. Taunt Heatran is easily as effective as the other sets, and is a dangerous threat in its own right.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this Heatran has to be a lot slower than the other builds to be effective. 380 HP allows Heatran to take 4 Seismic Tosses, even after Stealth Rock damage, and still survive with 1 HP left. This allows you to defeat any kind of Blissey, no matter what moveset they are running. The Special Attack is maximized for a high damage output. The remaining Speed EVs, coincidentally put you at 197, which outruns base 80s who lack Speed investment.</p>
<p>Eliminating opposing Water-types should be a main priority when running this set, as most are capable of dealing immediate damage to Heatran and don't care about being Taunted. Life Orb Starmie is a good choice to fill this role, as it can murder opposing Water-types with Thunderbolt coming off of a respectable base 100 Special Attack stat. Aside from covering Water-types, partners which can set up on Taunted opponents will also work wonders here. Swords Dance Scizor can set up on Latias without Hidden Power Fire with little to no trouble, provided it has some Special Defense investment, while Gyarados and Salamence can both Dragon Dance on Taunted Blissey. Suicune, on the other hand, can handle Taunted Salamence and Gyarados with Ice Beam and Hidden Power Electric respectively.</p>
Team Options:
<p>As with any other offensively oriented Pokémon, entry hazards support benefits Heatran's sweeping capabilities. Stealth Rock, in particular, is the most helpful out of the three types. For example, Stealth Rock gives Heatran a 75% chance of 2HKOing Naive/Rash Salamence with Fire Blast, very helpful if Heatran is Scarfed. Azelf and Swampert are both effective leads which can reliably set up Stealth Rock. Toxic Spikes can be considered to wear down Water-types which commonly try to wall Heatran, such as Swampert, Vaporeon, and Suicune. Roserade is an effective lead who can lay down Toxic Spikes while also shutting down slower leads without Lum Berry with Sleep Powder. Additionally, Roserade provides Heatran with a valuable Water resist. Finally, Spikes is helpful in further weakening grounded counters to Heatran, most notably Blissey and Water-types, but is not nearly as beneficial as Stealth Rock. Smeargle is a good option in laying down Spikes, particularly because Heatran can take on Azelf one-on-one.</p>
<p>Offensively speaking, partners to Heatran should aim to take out bulky Waters and to check Pokémon which can set up on Heatran's more common attacks. Celebi and Rotom-A are both excellent options in taking out Water-types. Both Celebi and Rotom-A pack STAB moves capable of hitting Water-types for super effective, while both also provide Heatran with a valuable Ground and Fighting resist. Additionally, Celebi also resists Water-type attacks commonly aimed at Heatran. In turn, Heatran provides Celebi and Rotom-A with a Dark and Ghost resist, while further providing the former with a resist to Bug and an immunity to Fire. Rotom-A and Celebi also make excellent checks to Lucario provided they outspeed it. Choice Band Scizor is a good partner which fulfills the second requirement. Scizor's Bullet Punch will KO Salamence after Stealth Rock and one turn of Life Orb recoil, Quick Attack can take down weakened Gyarados (albeit both Celebi and Rotom-A wall it as well), while both Bullet Punch and Pursuit keep Latias in check. Heatran also takes advantage of Scizor's weakness to Fire, possibly nabbing a free Flash Fire boost. On another note, Superpower can also eliminate Blissey, perhaps Heatran's #1 counter.</p>
<p>Defensively speaking, partners to Heatran should be able to switch into Ground-, Fighting-, and Water-type attacks. Luckily, OU is blessed with many Pokémon that either resist or are immune to all three types of attacks. As such, Salamence, Gyarados, and Latias all make excellent defensive partners to this set. Salamence and Gyarados can easily set up Dragon Dance and proceed to wreak havoc on the opponent's team, which might even create a hole in the opponent's team for Heatran to sweep. Latias can wreak havoc on the Special side of the spectrum, setting up Calm Mind and obliterating any Water-type who tries to wall Heatran. If carrying Refresh, Latias can even beat Blissey one-on-one.</p>
<p>The single most common teammate you will find for any of the counters repeatedly mentioned in the analysis is Scizor. Heatran itself reliably counters opposing Scizor, as long as you avoid switching into Superpower. There aren't any other threatening teammates you are likely to encounter that hasn't been mentioned thus far. If facing Blissey, common teammates you are likely to encounter are Forretress, Skarmory, and Gyarados. A Dragon Dance Salamence has access to Fire Blast to hit any Steel-types expecting to wall it, and a +1 Life Orb Outrage can KO even the most defensive of Gyarados after Stealth Rock damage. Salamence's Classic MixMence set works in much the same way, but requires no set-up, little prediction, and it also has access to Roost, which is important if you plan on switching in repeatedly. Heatran can also beat Forretress and Skarmory on its own.</p>
Other Options:
<p>Hidden Power Electric can be used to nab a surprise kill on Gyarados, especially if they suspect you are Choiced. Hidden Power Rock gets 2HKOes on both Gyarados and Salamence while also hitting opposing Heatran for neutral, easing prediction on Choiced sets. However, running either will leave you completely walled by Swampert. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast on most sets if you prefer accuracy at the cost of some important KOes. Magma Storm, Heatran's signature move, can be used to trap Blissey and subsequently KO with Explosion, but is not a recommended option otherwise due to its shaky 70% accuracy. Dragon Pulse is an option on sets other than Choice Scarf to hit Kingdra, Latias, and Salamence for super effective while also maintaining neutrality on Gyarados and other Water-types. As far as items go, Shed Shell can be used to escape Dugtrio and Magnezone's clutches while a Salac Berry can be used on Substitute sets to gain a Speed boost and possibly sweep.</p>
<p>Do not be tempted to use moves like Dark Pulse, Flash Cannon, and AncientPower. Their type coverage is poor, and Heatran's Fire Blast will hit for the same or greater damage on nearly everything in OU.</p>
EVs:
<p>Always maximize Heatran's Special Attack unless you are running a defensive set. Then decide what you would like to outrun. 128 EVs and a Modest nature beats Adamant Tyranitar. Modest and 216 EVs beats Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Metagross. On the Scarf set, just maximize Speed. You don't want to lose a speed tie with another Scarftran if it comes down to it.</p>
Opinion:
<p>Heatran is the anti-metagame Pokemon, capable of keeping top threats such as Scizor, Lucario, Infernape, and Salamence in check. With the ability to counter some of the biggest threats in the game and being neutral to Stealth Rock, he is far beyond the level of any other Fire-type in Pokemon. The secondary Steel typing gives him a lot of good resistances, and Flash Fire allows him to take on his fellow Fire-types quite easily. While the weaknesses to extremely common moves such as Earthquake, Surf, and Close Combat hinder its walling potential, its ability as a defensive Pokemon should not be overlooked. With decent defensive typing and one of the highest Special Attack stats in the Overused tier, Heatran should not be underestimated.</p>
<p>Heatran will be seen on a lot of teams, so be prepared for it. It's a sturdy tank, a great team player, and a frightening sweeper. His frequent presence near the top of the usage list is for a good reason, and if your team is not prepared to deal with it then you cannot expect to have a healthy winning record.</p>
Counters:
<p>Bulky Waters such as Milotic, Suicune, Slowking, Tentacruel, Vaporeon, and Swampert can counter Heatran quite effectively, but Specs boosted Hidden Power Grass and Earth Power can take them down. Suicune is the best of these, as its high defenses allow it to take an Explosion as well as most Special Attacks, it is faster than the defensive Heatran sets, and its Pressure forces Heatran to watch its remaining Fire Blast PP. Gyarados can handle Heatran on occasion, but Stealth Rock, potential burns, and the occasional Hidden Power Electric are a nuisance. Porygon2 is an interesting counter. It traces Flash Fire and isn't weak to any other moves. Porygon2 can then paralyze Heatran and wear it down with Thunderbolt, using Recover as necessary. Latias and Kingdra can come in on Heatran and set up unless they switch into a Dragon Pulse.</p>
<p>Blissey is a fairly good counter to Heatran, provided she has some means of hitting it. With the increase in Fire-type attacks thanks to Scizor, getting a Flash Fire boost is easier, which means Blissey might have to take boosted Fire-type attacks. Explosion also gets rid of Blissey, but at the cost of Heatran's own life. Heatran counters itself as long as it doesn't come into Earth Power. Adamant Choice Scarf Dugtrio can trap and KO Heatran no matter the set, and Magnezone does the same if Heatran is locked into a Hidden Power or Dragon Pulse.</p>
<p>Snorlax can come into Heatran with relative impunity thanks to Thick Fat and canthreaten it back with Earthquake. Hariyama does the same, but uses Fighting-type attacks instead. Like Blissey, both will fall to Explosion. A Careful Tyranitar can shrug off any hits not boosted by Choice Specs, even Earth Power, which barely 4HKOes.</p>
<p>Out of all the sets, Choice Scarf Heatran is the one you are most likely to encounter. Take advantage of this fact when you decide what to switch in.</p>
I will get to work on this later in the week. Mainly just wanted to post for activity.
Anyways, my main objective with the consise project is to eliminate redundant information that does not apply solely to Heatran and limit the description on certain strategies that I feel are important to keep in remind.
Anyways, for reference, the original analysis is outlined below...
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Naive / Rash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Scarf Heatran is the ultimate revenge killer, holding many dangerous threats at bay. This includes, but is not limited to, Scizor, Salamence, Lucario, and even other Heatran. With its numerous resistances and immunity to Fire-type attacks, Heatran can come in with a little prediction and force all of these Pokemon to switch or risk being KO'd. The Choice Scarf puts Heatran at 417 Speed, allowing it to outspeed all unscarfed Pokémon, bar Ninjask, in OU.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is your main STAB move, forcing out Scizor, Lucario, Jirachi, Celebi, and more. Coming off of an impressive 359 Special Attack, it even hurts when resisted. Earth Power is an absolute necessity, due to the popularity of Heatran, and complements Fire Blast by removing other Fire-types. Giving an enemy Heatran a Flash Fire boost is extremely dangerous, so a well predicted Earth Power is often key to winning a match. Explosion should be used when Heatran is on the verge of death, and it will likely take something down with it if pulled off successfully. Dragon Pulse is the main option for the final slot, as it provides excellent neutrality against most opponent's and still provides as a solid option to revenge kill Salamence and even Kingdra. Hidden Power Ice deals more damage to Salamence and also provides an immediate way to take out Gliscor. Hidden Power Grass is an option allows you to wear down bulky Water-type counters, who usually switch into Heatran without thinking twice. If you're mainly using Heatran as a revenge killer, Flamethrower is a reliable option over Fire Blast. The improved accuracy could be the difference between winning and losing a game if your opponent's last two Pokemon are a somewhat weakened Celebi with Earth Power and a Scizor. In a case like this, a case not particularly situational, a reliable move like Flamethrower is a better option than Fire Blast; both will KO the rest of your opponent's team, but Fire Blast has a 15% chance to miss. That chance could cost you the game. Overheat is also an option. Overheat has a slightly higher base power than Fire Blast, but you will be forced to switch out on the following turn due to the Special Attack drop. However, Fire Blast deals more damage than Overheat over the course of two turns. It should be noted that Overheat does have 5% more accuracy than Fire Blast though.</p>
<p>A beneficial Speed nature is not absolutely necessary, but it allows you to revenge kill Adamant Gyarados even after a Dragon Dance, Adamant Heracross even with a Choice Scarf, and all the base 130 Speed Pokemon. Additionally, given the popularity of Heatran, it is not a bad idea to at least force a speed tie should your opponent use one as well.</p>
<p>While Choice Scarf Heatran makes a great revenge killer to a large portion of the metagame, it faces problems against Pokémon which can attempt set up on it, particularly if they either resist or are immune to the attack Heatran is locked into. Although Stealth Rock hampers it's ability to switch in repeatedly, Jolly Dragon Dance Gyarados can easily take a Fire Blast, boost both its Attack and Speed, and KO you with Waterfall on the next turn, as Jolly variants outspeed Heatran. At most, Heatran can only manage 34.94% with Fire Blast against Gyarados, which fails to 2HKO, even with Stealth Rock and Sandstorm damage factored in. Dragon Dance Salamence can also switch into a Heatran locked into anything bar Dragon Pulse, Hidden Power Ice, or a well-timed Explosion, and set up, as Fire Blast manages, at most, 46.69%, to any variant of Salamence. Afterwards, Salamence will proceed to KO you with Earthquake or Outrage against any Pokémon you might have switched in against it. It should be noted that Salamence can't actually switch into Heatran directly, especially if it is running a Special Defense hindering nature, as it faces a large risk of being 2HKOed by Fire Blast, even if resisted. In fact, Salamence without any HP investment faces a 75.48% chance of being 2HKOed by Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage, and will always be 2HKOed if using a Special Defense hindering nature. Latias can switch into most of Heatran's attacks with ease due to her high Special Defense stat and resistance to Fire-type attacks and proceed to set up Calm Minds or hit you with Surf. Kingdra, in particular, will cause the most trouble, as it has a 4x resistance to Fire-type attacks and is usually bulky enough to take at least 1 non-boosted attack that isn't Dragon-typed, meaning it will usually be at +2 in Attack and Speed if you attempt to revenge kill it with Heatran, which will obviously fail to outspeed Kingdra. And to top it all off, Blissey can switch into this Heatran with no trouble at all as long as it avoids Explosion. Bulky Water-types can also switch into Heatran with ease; Suicune gains a special mention as its ability, Pressure, can easily drain Fire Blast's low PP.</p>
<p>While the number of Pokémon that can set up on Heatran is particularly high, especially after it has revenge killed something, most of the Pokémon mentioned share common counters which pair well with Heatran. Celebi has a relatively easy time taking on Gyarados, as long as it avoids a Life Orbed Bounce, which can OHKO if Gyarados is running an Adamant nature. However, Heatran can switch back in, outspeed, and KO with Explosion, assuming you don't get screwed by Bounce's 30% paralysis rate. Celebi has many options to retaliate with against Gyarados, particularly Thunder Wave, which completely cripples Gyarados, Reflect, which halves all damage Gyarados can deal against Celebi, and finally Grass Knot, which deals anywhere from 38.86% - 46.08% to the standard 4/0 Gyarados. Kingdra faces a similar problem, as a Kingdra at +1 in Attack can only deal, at most, 72.77% with a Life Orbed Outrage against the standard Defensive Celebi; in return, Celebi can use Thunder Wave or Reflect to shrug off Kingdra's attacks and heal any damage taken with Recover. Celebi has Grass Knot and Leaf Storm to hit other bulky Water-types with as well. Celebi is also Heatran's best partner, forming the famous defensive combination known as "CeleTran". Both Pokémon, when paired together, resist 16 of the 17 types, and both are bulky enough to take resisted hits.</p>
<p>Salamence and Latias, unfortunately, are not countered by Celebi, so a different Pokémon is required. Salamence is best handled by a strong priority user, such as Scizor. Scizor pairs well with Heatran type-wise, as Heatran essentially negates any Fire-type attacks thrown at Scizor, and actually benefits from them thanks to its ability, Flash Fire. Choice Band Scizor manages to OHKO 4/0 Salamence with Bullet Punch, provided it has taken previous damage from Stealth Rock and one or two turns of Life Orb recoil. Sandstorm guarantees Salamence will be KOed by Bullet Punch after one turn of Life Orb recoil, as Bullet Punch will do anywhere from 58.73% - 68.98% to Salamence. Latias can also be countered by Scizor, as both U-turn and Pursuit are excellent moves in keeping Latias in check. Latias is OHKOed by U-turn if it stays in, and Pursuit manages to deal anywhere from 86.75% - 102.65% against 4/0 Latias if it stays in, a likely OHKO after Stealth Rock damage, and a definite OHKO if it switches out. Be careful though, as a Life Orbed Surf from max Special Attack Timid Latias has a likely chance of 2HKOing Scizor after Stealth Rock damage, and Hidden Power Fire will OHKO, although it is uncommon to find it on Latias. Scizor has Superpower to hit Blissey with, but one must be careful of accidentally switching into Flamethrower.</p>
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock (Lead)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Explosion
item: Shuca Berry
nature: Naive / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Heatran makes for a fine lead and overall user of Stealth Rock, having the ability to easily take on Metagross and Azelf, the two most commonly seen leads in OU. The only commonly seen leads that stand a chance against Heatran are Aerodactyl and Swampert, but only the former can actually prevent Heatran from laying down Stealth Rock. If you decide to not use this set as a lead, many players will assume that Heatran is holding a Choice Scarf. Due to this, Heatran can often net surprise kills on Salamence and Gyarados with Explosion, especially with Shuca Berry ensuring that Heatran survives any Earthquakes coming from the two. Even Latias can be caught off guard with a well-timed Explosion, which can easily allow other special sweepers on the team to plow through the opponent's team, such as Calm Mind Celebi.</p>
<p>Shuca Berry is used here to all but guarantee that Heatran will survive one attack. The only common leads that can OHKO Heatran are Infernape, which can easily set up its own Stealth Rock and proceed to put the hurt on Heatran with Close Combat, and Tyranitar, which often does not run Choice Band and Adamant, both of which are required for an OHKO, as a lead. Life Orb Mamoswine, another Pokémon rising in popularity as a lead, always OHKOes Heatran, even through Shuca Berry. If you really fear a first turn OHKO, you can equip a Focus Sash instead; however, a 1 HP Heatran is nearly useless once your opponent gets Stealth Rock up.</p>
<p>Speed and Special Attack are maximized to allow Heatran to sweep as well as it can. This is important because a lot of the time you will want to save Heatran for later in the game, due to its high Special Attack, decent Speed, and huge number of useful resists, most notably to Dragon-type attacks. If you manage to keep the Shuca berry intact, you will also have a powerful weapon against opposing Heatran and anything using Earthquake. If you want to have that weapon late game regardless, this Heatran does have some effectiveness when it is not a lead. However, getting Stealth Rock up on the first turn is extremely beneficial, and this Pokemon is exceptionally good at doing just that.</p>
<p>Running a Timid nature is an option if you want to be guaranteed to survive Azelf's Psychic + Explosion, but even with Naive, Azelf will need to roll nearly maximum damage from Explosion and above average damage from Psychic in order to score a KO, and the 10% boost to your own Explosion is often worth the risk. As a final note, this lead is not meant to be used on a team which does poorly against Stealth Rock. It can get its own Stealth Rock up in almost every game, but unless your opponent leads with something weak to Fire, they will likely lay their own layer of Stealth Rock as well.</p>
<p>As the name of this set states, Heatran's primary job here is to set up Stealth Rock as early as possible. For this reason, any Pokémon that can prevent Heatran from setting up Stealth Rock will be the biggest adversary to this set. Taunt, becoming increasingly more common among both suicide and bulky leads, will prevent Heatran from setting up Stealth Rock reliably, forcing it to switch out and set it up later, unless you're lucky and the effect of Taunt only lasts the minimum of two turns on Heatran. Out of the top 10 leads used in the OU metagame, the only two most likely to carry Taunt are Azelf and Aerodactyl. Heatran resists most attacks that lead Azelf is likely to throw at it, meaning you can dispatch it with two successful Fire Blast hits. Aerodactyl, on the other hand, will prove to be more difficult to take down. Not only will Pressure drain Fire Blast's PP, but Aerodactyl also resists Fire Blast and Explosion, and is immune to Earth Power. Aerodactyl will usually do one of two choices: 1) Set up Taunt, then Stealth Rock or 2) Use Earthquake consecutively to KO Heatran. In either scenario, Heatran should not stay in on Aerodactyl. Aside from Taunt leads, other troublesome lead Pokémon you will encounter include Swampert, Infernape, and Tyranitar. Swampert will more than likely set up Stealth Rock on you and then attack with Earthquake, so unless you Explode, you cannot get past it. In a worse case scenario, Swampert can block your attempt to Explode with Protect. Infernape has Close Combat to dispatch you with, and you will be unable to even break its Focus Sash due to it outspeeding you. Tyranitar can prove troublesome if it packs Earthquake or Superpower, but you can survive either attack and set up Stealth Rock, being the overall primary objective of this set.</p>
<p>Proper team support will need to be provided to dispatch leads that can cause Heatran trouble. Looking at all of the previously mentioned threats, one group of Pokémon in particular can counter all of those stated: bulky Waters. Bulky Water-types, such as Suicune, will prove to be effective, as it has a STAB Surf to hit both Aerodactyl and Infernape with; in return, both can only do, at most, 25% to Suicune with their strongest attack, being Stone Edge / Rock Slide and Close Combat respectively. More importantly, Suicune can use Rest to heal off any damage taken. Another interesting option to consider is Vaporeon, who can also provide Wish support should you plan on Heatran being an important member on your team whose only objective wouldn't be to simply set up Stealth Rock and then Explode. Additionally, both Suicune and Vaporeon can comfortably take Water- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Heatran, which in return, takes Grass-types attacks thrown at them. Swampert can also be weakened through repeated Surfs, and will be unable to deal much damage to Suicune and Vaporeon. Alternatively, you can use Celebi to deal with it, since it resists both of Swampert's STAB options, and takes little damage from Ice Beam. Tyranitar won't prove to be too much of a problem due to its many weaknesses and slow speed, so as long as you switch in a Pokémon that runs 244 Speed or higher and can threaten it with a super effective attack, you should be fine. However, it is necessary to make sure that said Pokémon is actually able to take down Tyranitar, as otherwise, it can easily overcome your switch-in with repeated hits coming off of a 403 maximum Attack stat.</p>
<p>This Heatran can also be paired with other leads you may want to use, as Heatran has the bulk to use Stealth Rock reliably at any stage of the game. Roserade makes for an interesting lead to pair with Heatran, as it can not only put other foes to sleep with Sleep Powder, but it can also set up Toxic Spikes, which cripples most Water-types who will try to switch in on Heatran. Additionally, Heatran can take Ice- and Fire-type attacks thrown at Roserade, while Roserade takes the same Water-type attacks mentioned before. Gliscor is another good lead to consider pairing with Heatran, as it can prevent slower leads from using Stealth Rock with Taunt, and can use U-turn to scout for Ice- and Water-type attacks, with Heatran making an excellent switch-in to the former.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Toxic / Explosion
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid / Naive
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Heatran should be sent out against something that will likely switch out, such as Celebi or a Steel-type. It is often useful to send Heatran out for the first time after your opponent KOs one of your Pokemon; most players assume it has a Choice Scarf and will switch out. This, along with Heatran's powerful offense and great resistances, allows Heatran to easily get up a Substitute. Then Heatran can stall with Toxic, using Fire Blast and Earth Power for the Poison and Steel Pokemon that are immune to it. Most of Heatran's switch ins, like Salamence, Tyranitar, and Water-types, hate being poisoned.</p>
<p>However, Toxic is less effective if your team is not bulky. You can use Explosion, instead, as it takes out most problem Pokemon in one hit. Few players will predict an Explosion coming from a Heatran behind a Substitute, so they are unlikely to bring in something to take it, like a Ghost. Alternatively, Heatran can use Hidden Power to take out Pokemon like Salamence, Gyarados, or Swampert, if you want a more offensive alternative to Toxic. Heatran can Roar on defensive teams that have Stealth Rock and Spikes. Another option is Will-O-Wisp, but it kills even slower than Toxic and has worse accuracy in exchange for weakening physical moves. If you want to use a move other than Toxic, it is helpful to pair Heatran with Toxic Spikes, but keep in mind that they won't hit Gyarados or Salamence.</p>
<p>It may seem strange to use a +Speed nature without a Choice Scarf, but due to Heatran's popularity, max Speed can be a huge aid. Heatran can attack before +Speed Breloom and Metagross; neutral nature Gyarados, Dragonite, and Heracross; and defensive base 100 Pokemon. These can all OHKO Heatran, so being faster is crucial.</p>
<p>This Heatran in particular benefits from Wish. This is because you'll be wanting to switch into attacks often, and you are losing HP due to using Substitute. Vaporeon is probably the best option for this due to Water Absorb.</p>
[SET]
name: Torment Tran
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Torment
move 3: Protect
move 4: Lava Plume / Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Calm
EVs: 244 HP / 32 SpA / 12 SpD / 220 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Torment, combined with Heatran’s impressive set of resistances and considerable bulk, turns Heatran into one of the toughest Pokemon to KO in the game. The idea behind this set is that not many Pokemon carry more than one attack that is powerful enough to break Heatran’s Substitutes. With that in mind, Torment allows you to stay safe by using Protect to prevent your opponent from breaking your Substitute with their STAB or super effective attack. That means that every other turn, you can attack with Lava Plume for free without having to worry about being damaged. This set slowly chips away at your opponent while maintaining your Substitute at the end of the duel when they faint.</p>
<p>Lava Plume is the move of choice on this set, due to its high PP and 30% burn rate. Many Heatran switch-ins (such as Gyarados, Tyranitar, and Swampert) do not like getting burned. The chance to burn also helps slowly drain your opponent’s HP, meaning you do not even have to attack. Instead, Heatran can alternate between Substitute and Protect to rack up residual damage. If you do not want to use Lava Plume, Taunt is another viable option to fill the 4th move slot. It prevents Pokemon from healing and forces them to attack your Substitutes in vain. Pokemon such as mono-attacking Blissey and Suicune will struggle every other turn if Taunted. Taunt can help Heatran beat certain Pokemon that would otherwise completely counter it; however, Taunt also makes Heatran lose to other Pokemon that he would normally be able to beat. In fact, any Pokemon with more than one attack, or a faster Pokemon with Taunt will be able to beat this set unless you can inflict a status condition.</p>
<p>Although this set is effective on its own, with the proper team support it can single-handedly run through a team. If you manage to set up two layers of Toxic Spikes before sending this in, Heatran (especially those with Taunt) will beat Blissey, Swampert, Vaporeon, Milotic, Porygon2, and other common switch-ins lacking Rest. This brings up the bane of this set: Rest + Sleep Talk stat uppers. Pokemon such as Suicune, Snorlax, Swampert, and Tyranitar running the aforementioned strategy can walk all over this Heatran. This is why it is suggested that your team has a Choiced Trick supporter or two to prevent these set up Pokemon from beating Heatran. On top of that, remember that any Choiced Pokemon will Struggle against Torment Tran, which makes Tricking a Choice item an all around superb support option for this set.</p>
<p>The HP EVs allow Heatran to hit its highest Leftovers number, which is very important, considering you will be seeing a lot of Leftovers recovery with this set. The Speed EVs bring Heatran to 245 Speed, which allows you to outspeed Zapdos and Celebi at 244 Speed. Getting your Substitute up before being hit by Thunder Wave is very important for this set. The Special Defense EVs allow Heatran to take 24% max from a neutral natured, 0 Special Attack Rotom’s Discharge, meaning they will never break your Substitute. This is important because you really do not want Heatran to randomly get paralyzed from Discharge. The Special Attack EVs ensure that you do a minimum of 33% to max HP Machamp, meaning that the Rest + Sleep Talk sets will be 3HKOed. You don’t have to worry about DynamicPunch with Torment. Heatran always 3HKOs bulky Rotom, so not even the Rest + Sleep Talk versions can stop you.</p>
<p>The four biggest non-Resting threats to this set are Gyarados, Swampert, non-Choiced Heatran, and Latias. The first two usually carry two moves that can break Heatran’s Substitutes, while resisting Lava Plume. Latias can alternate between Calm Mind and Surf to beat Heatran. It is therefore recommended that you pair this Heatran with Celebi, who can handle Gyarados and Swampert. Also, the CeleTran combo is always great in terms of covering each other's weaknesses. Tyranitar also makes a great support Pokemon for this set by giving you a reliable Heatran and Latias switch-in, while also setting up Sand Stream, which will chip away at opposing Pokemon without damaging Heatran. Also, keep in mind that if Latias comes in on Torment, it cannot use Surf on your Tyranitar switch-in, guaranteeing its safety.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Taunt / Explosion / Substitute
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Heatran is a great candidate for utilizing Life Orb to further boost its already massive Special Attack stat. This set allows Heatran to act as a fluent sweeper without the restrictions that Choice Scarf and Choice Specs hold on it, while maintaining the power needed to achieve certain KOs that Heatran would otherwise miss without the boost Life Orb gives.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is Heatran's STAB move for this set, causing decent amounts of damage to common switch-ins such as Gyarados and Salamence, while also ruining Scizor, Jirachi, and Celebi. Earth Power complements Fire Blast by hitting other opposing Heatran that may switch-in predicting Fire Blast and looking for a Flash Fire boost, and is also necessary for removing other common Fire-type Pokemon who may otherwise try to cushion Fire Blast. Explosion is amazingly powerful, and can guarantee an OHKO on a 0 HP / 252 Def Bold Blissey after Stealth Rock damage, which may be useful to open a sweep for another Pokemon in your team. Hidden Power is optional depending on whether you wish to eliminate either Gyarados or Swampert. Taunt is also a decent option on this set, as it stops Pokemon such as Blissey and Cresselia from inflicting horrible status moves which could otherwise affect Heatran's sweeping efficiency, while also stopping any healing attempts from the two. Substitute is a useful option in easing prediction, but sadly, it comes at the cost of 25% of Heatran's health each time it's used, making it worn down much more quickly when combined with the recoil from Life Orb.</p>
<p>Expert Belt along with Heatran's attacks will bluff Choice Scarf, often causing the opponent to assume that Heatran is holding a Choice Scarf and send in something like Gyarados or Swampert to take the opportunity to set up, but will fall to one of Heatran's other unnoticed attacks. A Naive nature is recommended as it boosts Heatran's Speed stat without hindering its Special Attack or Attack stat, but a Naive nature should only be used over a Timid nature if Heatran is running Explosion. The EVs maximizes Heatran's Special Attack stat for maximum damage inflicted upon foes, and allows Heatran to outspeed all neutral base 85 Speed Pokemon.</p>
<p>As with most of the other sweeping sets, Life Orb Heatran really appreciates outside support in weakening its counters, most notably Dragon-types that pack super effective moves, and some bulky Water-types, such as Gyarados. Blissey can also prove a bit troublesome to this set, although Taunt and Explosion limit its effectiveness. For this reason, entry hazard support is an extremely viable option to consider using with this set. Stealth Rock allows you to reduce the effectiveness of Gyarados and Salamence switch-ins, especially since they will only be able to switch in once with Stealth Rock in play, even with their resistance to Fire-type attacks. Spikes support is particularly useful in weakening grounded Pokémon that can give Heatran trouble, such as faster Suicune, Starmie, etc. And lastly, Toxic Spikes deserves a big mention here, as it is extremely effective in crippling bulky Water-types, and when you consider the recovery-nullifying effects of Taunt, the opposing Pokémon can be easily worn down by the inflicted poison. Smeargle is particularly good at setting up the first two of the mentioned entry hazards, as it makes quite the effective lead with a 100% accuracy Spore, but will usually be unable to get more than 1 layer of Spikes up, and even then, Taunt completely cripples it. Roserade is a good option for providing Toxic Spikes support, as it complements Heatran well type-wise; Roserade can take Water-type attacks aimed at Heatran, while Heatran takes Ice-, Flying-, and Psychic-type attacks aimed at Roserade.</p>
<p>Since most of the troublesome Pokémon to this set are those that outspeed it, paralysis support is particularly useful when using this type of Heatran. When you consider that Heatran's most common switch-ins, Gyarados and Latias, are effectively crippled by paralysis, using paralysis support seems like an even more attractive option to consider. There are plenty of viable paralysis users to consider, but Celebi is arguably the best paralysis inducer to pair with Heatran. Celebi has access to Thunder Wave, and since Celebi also lures in Latias quite often, you should have no trouble paralyzing it. Not only that, but Celebi makes a good counter to any Gyarados set without Bounce. If Celebi does not seem like a good option to you, Togekiss is another viable Thunder Wave user. Additionally, Togekiss and Heatran pair extremely well in regards to typing. Togekiss can switch into the Ground-type attacks aimed at Heatran, while it can switch into Ice-type attacks aimed at Togekiss.</p>
<p>After Heatran has completed its job of weakening down the opponent's team, any Pokémon that works well in cleaning up what Heatran couldn't finish off is a great offensive partner to this set. Choice Band Scizor is an extremely good and powerful Pokémon that can fill this role, as its Bullet Punch is able to put a dent on a lot of opposing Pokémon. For example, after switching into Heatran's Fire Blast, Scizor can easily take out Salamence and Latias who have opted not to recover any damage taken. Scizor also allows you to scout for Heatran's potential counters with U-turn, since it often lures in Flying-types with moves capable of dealing super effective damage on Heatran. Additionally, Scizor has access to Pursuit to "trap" Latias, which allows Heatran to sweep with far more ease. However, Scizor is incapable of switching into Surfs aimed at Heatran, so it is often best to switch to a bulky Water-type beforehand, then switch to Scizor to take the expected Dragon-type attack.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Dragon Pulse / Flamethrower
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
evs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Choice Specs equipped, the damage from Heatran's Fire Blast rivals that of Choice Specs Salamence's Draco Meteor, absolutely destroying most Pokémon that don't resist it. If you can get a Flash Fire boost, even Blissey will fear it, possibly being 2HKOed with Stealth Rock damage. Overheat is even more ridiculous, with the first hit dealing up to 50% damage even to Blissey, though Overheat's negative effect will severely reduce the power of Heatran's next attack. It's a matter of preference, and depends on the rest of your team: do you need Heatran to be a hit and run attacker, handily nuking whatever switches in, or do you want consistent yet high damage? The accuracy is also an issue, with Overheat being 90% accurate, and Fire Blast being 85% accurate. Over the course of two turns, however, Fire Blast deals more damage.</p>
<p>Like with any Choice user, prediction is required. Quite often, your opponent will predict a Fire-type attack coming from miles away. They will likely switch in a bulky Water-type or a Flash Fire Pokemon. Hidden Power Grass should 2HKO the majority of bulky Waters, while Earth Power destroys Fire-types. By carefully removing these pokemon, Heatran can eventually set your team up for a sweep.</p>
<p>While not as much of a team supporter as the other Heatran sets, Choice Specs Heatran is worth considering as a high powered special sweeper, and will greatly benefit most teams. The Speed EVs allow you to outrun Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Metagross. If you chose Fire Blast as your sweeping move, use Dragon Pulse in the last moveslot. If you chose Overheat, put Flamethrower in the final slot to make it easier to sweep late game and to combat PP loss.</p>
<p>This Heatran requires a bit more support from its teammates than the previous sets, as Heatran, while dealing an insane amount of damage to most Pokémon when coupled with Choice Specs, will have trouble retaliating against faster foes due to its less than spectacular Speed stat. The first idea to probably come to mind when using this type of Heatran is to provide it with paralysis support, which in fact, is a recommended strategy to consider if you want Heatran to outspeed Pokémon that will attempt to switch in. There are many viable Thunder Wave users in OU, but very few actually complement Heatran well type-wise. For example, Jirachi shares Heatran's weakness to Ground-types, Porygon2 shares Heatran's weakness to Fighting-types, and Togekiss takes neutral damage from most attacks thrown at Heatran, except for Ground-type attacks for obvious reasons. However, there is one Thunder Wave user that outshines the rest when paired with Heatran, and that special Pokémon is Celebi. As mentioned multiple times in the analysis, Celebi is the best partner imaginable to Heatran, particularly for its ability to take most bulky hits that are not super effective. Both the "Defensive" and "Tinkerbell" sets can use Thunder Wave effectively. The "Defensive" set is more adept at taking hits, while the "Tinkerbell" set allows you to beat counters to Celebi, such as Scizor and Tyranitar. By using Celebi, you should be able to handily cripple key counters to Heatran, such as Gyarados and Latias without Refresh, but you must also watch out for boosted hits thrown at Celebi, particularly if they are special-based or hit it for super effective. Additionally, Celebi makes a great switch in to most Water-types who will attempt to wall Heatran.</p>
<p>Although Celebi can Thunder Wave most of Heatran's counters, there are a few Pokémon who can set up on Heatran and also defeat Celebi one-on-one, making any attempts to use Thunder Wave futile. Such examples include Offensive Calm Mind Suicune, Calm Mind Latias, and Dragon Dance Salamence, although it will take a large amount of damage even from a resisted Fire Blast, due to its low Special Defense stat, coupled with the boost from Choice Specs. Salamence will often carry Earthquake as well, so it's recommended Heatran switches out regardless, especially if you depend on it for your sweeping duties. Unfortunately, none of the noted counters above share similar counters, but there are Pokémon who can hinder those noted. Suicune can be a bit difficult to switch into due to its attacking options hitting most of the Pokémon in the OU metagame for super effective damage; however, a strong Electric-type which outspeeds it, such as max speed Rotom-A or Zapdos, can switch in and deal a large amount of damage with their STAB attacks, even through a Calm Mind boost. Latias is susceptible to Scizor as long as you avoid switching into a Life Orbed Surf, which has the potential to 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage; Scizor can also check Salamence with Bullet Punch after it has taken previous damage. Choice Scarf Latias is also a worthwhile option, as it has Thunderbolt to hit Suicune with, and Draco Meteor to cover both Latias and Salamence, as long as you avoid switching into Ice Beam and Dragon Pulse respectively.</p>
<p>Entry hazards are particularly useful for this set, as they prevent most of Heatran's counters from switching in repeatedly, and also helps weaken those counters that are slower than Heatran. Stealth Rock should be used regardless, as it prevents Gyarados and Latias from switching in freely. Spikes can be used to weaken Vaporeon and defensive versions of Suicune, which will take a total of 37.5% from a layer of Stealth Rock and three layers of Spikes when switching in. The only worthwhile options to consider for Spikes support alongside Heatran are Smeargle and Froslass, as other common Spikers, such as Skarmory and Forretress, have trouble fitting into an offensive team. Smeargle gets access to both Spore and Stealth Rock, making it slightly more useful than Froslass. However, Froslass does have access to Destiny Bond, which allows you to take down slower foes once you faint. Both have their uses undoubtedly, but both must also watch out for Taunt from Azelf and Aerodactyl, which will render any attempts to set up Spikes useless.</p>
[SET]
name: Rest + Sleep Talk
move 1: Lava Plume / Fire Blast
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 56 SpA / 204 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Heatran lacks any form of recovery outside of Rest and Sleep Talk, its large number of resistances and above average defenses make it an excellent status absorber and special wall. Typically it would be better to choose a special sponge that had access to instant recovery, but Heatran is sturdy enough that it doesn't matter, and his huge Special Attack stat makes him a difficult wall to switch into. With Heatran's decent typing and good defenses it can easily take on special attackers such as Celebi, Rotom-A, Jirachi, Zapdos, and many others. This Heatran can even beat Blissey one on one, thanks to the burn rate of Lava Plume, and the Special Defense dropping effects of Earth Power.</p>
<p>Lava Plume makes physical attackers think twice before switching in, as a 30% burn rate is nothing to scoff at. Fire Blast, on the other hand, carries significantly more raw power, and Sleep Talk makes Fire Blast's low PP a non issue. However, since this is a defensive set, Lava Plume is still the primary option because it provides better team support. Earth Power has excellent coverage with Lava Plume, hitting Fire-types and Rock-types who resist it.</p>
<p>A more offensive spin on the Rest + Sleep Talk set is achieved by changing to Timid nature, using an EV spread of 248 HP/ 36 SpA / 224 Spe, and giving Heatran a Life Orb. This outruns Adamant Heracross. This variation functions as a sweeper by giving Heatran back its monstrous Special Attack and decent Speed, and at the same time retaining the ability to shrug off status and heal itself. Note that Fire Blast should be used in this case, as the extra power is significant.</p>
<p>This variant of Heatran works great on a defensive team that is in need of a good status absorber, along with one that would make perfect use of Heatran's typing. Since this Heatran is meant to be played defensively, any Pokémon that could potentially set up on this set would be the most troublesome for Heatran. This list includes, but is not limited to, Pokémon that resist or are immune to both Fire- and Ground-type attacks. Pokémon that come to mind here are Salamence, Gyarados, and Latias, in which all three resist Heatran's Fire-type attacks and are immune to its Earth Power. Salamence can easily come in on a predicted Earth Power or Rest with relative ease, but must be wary of Lava Plume's 30% burn rate. Gyarados works in much the same way, but its higher Special Defense stat, as compared to Salamence, allows it to take even less from Heatran's Fire-type attack of choice. However, both are just about equal in the nuisance they can be to Heatran. Both Salamence and Gyarados can easily set up a Dragon Dance, especially when you consider Heatran's low investment in Special Attack, and then proceed to take out Heatran with a boosted Earthquake or Waterfall, respectively. Latias works in a similar way, except it has less to fear from Lava Plume since it is primarily a special attacker. Latias can easily set up Calm Mind, and unlike the former two, heal off any damage with Recover; Heatran won't enjoy taking boosted Surfs either. Outside of the three aforementioned sweepers, bulky Water-types will give Heatran the most trouble. Vaporeon can easily come in and use the time to pass Wish to other weakened Pokémon on the team, Suicune wouldn't mind setting up Calm Mind, and Swampert can easily set up Curse. For this reason, when using this set, it is important that you are able to switch into the attacking types that Heatran is weak to, and either stall out the Pokémon or use offensive means to take it out before it sets up.</p>
<p>Generally, a team that makes use of this set will be defensively oriented, so it is important to consider Pokémon that have a viable form of recovery along with high defensive stats, which will allow such a Pokémon to remain active through the match. When switching into Salamence, it is essential that you know what set it is running, as each set requires a different Pokémon to combat it. The Dragon Dancer is best handled by Pokémon that can survive a boosted Outrage, or one that resists Dragon-type attacks and won't be KO'd by a boosted Earthquake or Fire Blast. Swampert makes a decent choice to handle Dragon Dance Salamence, as it is never OHKOed by a +1 Outrage when at full health. In return, Swampert will always OHKO Salamence with Ice Beam after Stealth Rock damage. Speaking of which, Stealth Rock support is very useful to consider on a team that makes use of Rest + Sleep Talk Heatran. From the counters mentioned in the previous paragraph, two in particular will be hit hard when switching into Stealth Rock: Salamence and Gyarados. Swampert is a great candidate to set up Stealth Rock, especially in the lead position, where very few Pokémon are able to KO it. As always, the drawback to Swampert is that it lacks a form of recovery, so it is best to keep it healthy if you plan on using it as your answer to physical variants of Salamence. Mixed variants of Salamence can give defensive teams a lot of trouble, since it is capable of dealing a large amount of damage to just about anything with no set-up required. As such, Stealth Rock is required to at least force Salamence to Roost when it's low on health, giving you an ample opportunity to switch in your response to it. Since Heatran lures out Ground-type attacks, anything that can switch into Earthquake (or Brick Break) and outspeed Salamence can serve as a great teammate to Heatran. Calm Mind Latias is a worthwhile choice here, as it is capable of hitting Salamence hard with a STAB Dragon Pulse, and can even take the time to set up if you predict Salamence is going to switch out. As a bonus, Heatran can easily switch into Dragon-, Ice-, Dark-, Ghost-, and Bug-type attacks aimed at Latias, which in turn is more than willing to switch into Water- and Fighting-type attacks, as well as the previously mentioned Ground-type attacks. However, using Latias as a direct counter to mixed Salamence can be a bit risky, as Salamence is fully capable of KOing it with Draco Meteor on an untimely switch. In such a case, a user of priority can also server as a good check to Salamence. Scizor is a fine choice thanks to Technician and its access to STAB Bullet Punch, but finds little use on a defensively oriented team. After considering a check to Salamence, you must remember to also pack a counter to Gyarados. Anything that can switch into Water-type attacks, and isn't weak to Rock-, Ground-, or Ice-type attacks makes a great choice here. Vaporeon and Suicune are both solid choices to fill this role, as they not only have the sufficient defenses to easily take any of Gyarados's attacks, even when boosted, but both can easily take down Gyarados with well timed Hidden Power Electric. Heatran also complements both type-wise, as it is able to easily switch into most Grass- and Electric-type attacks that can give Vaporeon and Suicune trouble. Celebi is also another great option, as even a boosted Ice Fang, although super effective, does little to Celebi, which can easily take down Gyarados with a 120 BP STAB Grass Knot. In turn, Celebi is also able to switch into all of Heatran's weaknesses. In extreme cases, Celebi can even use Heal Bell, which can immediately cure Heatran of its sleep status. In short, most Salamence and all Gyarados you will encounter will be physically based, so any strong, durable physical wall, which preferably complements Heatran type-wise, is a good choice for team support.</p>
<p>After you consider what can give Heatran trouble on the physical side of the spectrum, you will also want to pack a response to Pokémon who can give you trouble on the special side of the spectrum. As previously mentioned, your biggest concerns will be Latias and bulky Water-types. Latias commonly carries Dragon- and Water-type attacks, namely Dragon Pulse/Draco Meteor and Surf, so anything that preferably resists Dragon-type attacks and is not hit super effective by Water-type attacks, or is simply capable of shrugging off special attacks without much difficulty, makes a good choice here. Unfortunately, most Steel-types are also weak to the same Ground-type attacks that give Heatran trouble; nevertheless, they are still the best candidates to choose from. Scizor is ultimately regarded as the #1 Latias counter, as it has access to both U-turn and Pursuit to cripple Latias; the bad news is, a Life Orb Surf, which will obviously be aimed at Heatran, is capable of 2HKOing the standard 248/0 Scizor, so if you desire Scizor as your response to Latias, you will need to use an EV spread which allows you to survive two Life Orb Surfs after Stealth Rock damage. Other feasible options include Metagross and Jirachi, although they offer little support to Heatran apart from countering Latias efficiently. Another interesting option to consider is a specially defensive Tyranitar. It's ability to set up a sandstorm can be particularly useful to a defensive team, especially when you consider that Heatran is immune to the effects of it; however, Tyranitar and Heatran complement each other poorly type-wise, and as such, is not the best option. Blissey, although being the best special wall in the game, is not recommended, because it offers little in the offensive department and teams using this variant of Heatran should also be able to pose an offensive threat to the opponent. Bulky Water-types are much easier to handle than Latias, as they pack a definite list of counters. Celebi remains an effective choice to take on most bulky Water-types, as its most commonly seen Grass-type attack, Grass Knot, gets at least 100 BP on most of the Water-types you are likely to encounter; the only exception is Vaporeon, which can't really do much to you in return anyways. Outside of Celebi, you can also use Latias to handle most of the bulky Water-types you are likely to come across.</p>
<p>Apart from being able to counter Pokémon that give this set trouble, Heatran (when running this set) can benefit from additional support that can make its role as a defensive tank much easier. Although there aren't too many useful support options, there are a few which makes Heatran's job much easier. Toxic Spikes support is highly recommended on this set, as this set is great at tanking multiple hits while the poison would help weaken the opponent. In particular, Toxic Spikes best helps against grounded Water-type Pokémon, which will enjoy coming into Heatran. Outside of Water-types, the number of Pokémon actually hindered by the "badly poisoned" status is severely limited. Heatran is best at switching into Steel-types, none of which are affected by Toxic Spikes. If you plan on using Heatran to force multiple switches, then Spikes support is also a useful option. However, due to the presence of Leftovers, Heatran is unlikely to pose as much of an offensive threat as the other sets, in turn limiting the number of times your opponent is likely to switch. When using this strategy, you will want to switch Heatran into Pokémon, such as Scizor, which will nearly always switch out due to the impending presence of your Fire-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Burn Support
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Stealth Rock / Substitute
move 3: Overheat
move 4: Roar / Earth Power
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 16 SpA / 240 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>For physical attacking switch-ins, this Heatran is definitely not what they were expecting. Overall, the goal is to set up Stealth Rock as soon as possible, while hopefully luring out a Salamence, Gyarados, or Tyranitar. Later in the battle, once you're sure they will switch in said physical attacking counter, you can use Will-O-Wisp on the switch, crippling your counter, or Roar to chip away at your opponent's team with Stealth Rock and other entry hazards you may have placed.</p>
<p>Will-O-Wisp is an extremely effective move, and can seriously damage entire teams if used cleverly. Most Gyarados, Salamence, and Tyranitar usually have little worry when switching into an unsuspecting Heatran. Will-O-Wisp is a panacea for Heatran's worries, rendering your opponent's physical attacker nearly helpless, losing 12.5% of its HP every turn(or more depending on what entry hazards you have placed),and a halved Attack stat.</p>
<p>With the given EVs, this Heatran is an especially effective Gengar check. Timid Life Orb Gengar's Focus Blast will never KO Heatran, even if Heatran switches into a Shadow Ball first. Meanwhile, Heatran will always OHKO 4 HP / 0 SpD Gengar with Overheat. With its high Special Defense, Heatran can even afford to take a Suicune's Surf and Roar it away to deal with later in the battle.</p>
<p>This Heatran is a bit more difficult to utilize in a specific team than the other sets, as its moveset necessitates proper support from other teammates. As a general note, this set works best when used on a balanced team that can benefit from the typing provided by Heatran. Generally, the teammates for Heatran remain consistent, as Heatran has a very specific role on a team: spreading status and damage through the use of entry hazards. On a balanced team, you will definitely need something that can reliably set up Spikes and pose an offensive threat (or make a good lead) as well. Smeargle is an excellent teammate to Heatran in this regard. Although it shares a Fighting-type weakness with Heatran, Smeargle is one of the most effective leads in the current OU metagame; Smeargle can easily use Spore against a slower opponent, incapacitating it, and then proceed to set up at least one layer of Spikes. On a more defensive team, both Skarmory and Forretress are worthwhile choices to consider. Skarmory has the advantage of being able to easily come in on Ground-type attacks aimed at Heatran, and it even has access to a suitable form of recovery. Forretress, on the other hand, has two qualities to it that Skarmory does not: the ability to also lay down Toxic Spikes, and more importantly, the ability to Rapid Spin. Heatran is also capable of switching into Fire-type attacks aimed at both thanks to its ability, Flash Fire.</p>
<p>After proving Heatran with some entry hazards support, you will generally want to include a bulky sweeper who is capable of coming into attacks aimed at Heatran. Dragonite is a good choice here, as it has the defenses to take multiple hits from burned opponents. Dragonite also gets access to Light Screen, which reduces the amount of damage your team takes from special attacks, making it extremely easy for Dragonite to get multiple Dragon Dances set up. Heatran is even capable of taking out the Steel-types which can prevent Dragonite from sweeping thanks to Overheat. If you feel Dragonite is a bit outclassed in the OU metagame, there are other solid bulky sweepers you can choose from. Dragon Dance Gyarados is an excellent choice, as its above average Special Defense and HP, combined with Intimidate, allow it to easily come in on Pokémon that can give Heatran trouble, such as Lucario or Flygon. Generally, any sweeper who appreciates its main counter being weakened by Spikes makes a great addition here, as long as said Pokémon doesn't share too many of the same weaknesses with Heatran.</p>
<p>As with any Pokémon, Heatran will need to watch out for Pokémon who can switch in and give it a lot of trouble. Latias will definitely be one of the things that will enjoy switching into Heatran, as Overheat does mediocre damage to it, and it doesn't really mind being burned, as it would protect it from other crippling status moves. Suicune works in a similar way, as it can also set up Calm Mind against Heatran and wear it down with boosted Surfs. For this reason, it is essential that you have a way to handle Latias, and any bulky Water-type in general. As with the Rest + Sleep Talk set, Scizor makes a good choice in being able to take down Latias, thanks to its access to U-turn and Pursuit. Bulky Water-types have trouble against Celebi, as its naturally high defensive stats allow it to take multiple hits - just make sure to keep Celebi away from Ice Beam, particularly if they are boosted by Life Orb or Calm Mind. Vaporeon is also a worthwhile choice to consider. It's ability, Water Absorb, makes it immune to any Water-type attacks directed at Heatran, and Hidden Power Electric allows it to wear down most bulky Water-types as well. Additionally, Vaporeon can even utilize Wish, which is essential in keeping Heatran's HP at a suitable level, as it can tend to get worn down over an extended period of time, especially with its lack of recovery.</p>
[SET]
name: Taunt
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Metal Sound / Stealth Rock
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earth Power / Hidden Power Grass
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 228 HP / 252 SpA / 30 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Because of its reasonable bulk and plethora of resistances, Taunt Heatran can prevent your opponent from both setting up and inflicting nasty status attacks. Metal Sound is an effective way to beat Blissey (though if your team needs Stealth Rock support then that is a helpful option as well). Merely Taunt as they switch in Blissey, and then it will be unable to use Thunder Wave, Wish, Softboiled, or Protect. You can then Metal Sound them, making Fire Blast a clean 3HKO. Earth Power is for other Heatran, but you will have to catch them on the switch to avoid being taken out by Earth Power. Hidden Power Grass allows you to dent bulky Water-type counters after a Metal Sound. The ability to lure in and take out Blissey is vital to teams that have trouble with her, and the surprise value should not be underestimated. Taunt Heatran is easily as effective as the other sets, and is a dangerous threat in its own right.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this Heatran has to be a lot slower than the other builds to be effective. 380 HP allows Heatran to take 4 Seismic Tosses, even after Stealth Rock damage, and still survive with 1 HP left. This allows you to defeat any kind of Blissey, no matter what moveset they are running. The Special Attack is maximized for a high damage output. The remaining Speed EVs, by an interesting coincidence, put you at 197, which outruns base 80s without any Speed investment.</p>
<p>Taunt Heatran is an undermined beauty that can be a really great team player. Taunt is a move that cannot be described by mere words, especially when you examine just how much Heatran's possible partners can benefit from it. The crux of this set obviously revolves around Taunt, whose effect is to force the opponent to use attacks that deal damage. As such, when choosing partners to this set, you should ask the following question: Which Pokémon can switch into Heatran's main counters when they are affected by Taunt? First, you should outline a quick list of Pokémon that will repeatedly switch into Heatran; such Pokémon include bulky Waters like Suicune, Swampert, and Gyarados, Latias, which resists Heatran's main form of attack, and Blissey, who can take any of Heatran's attacks with ease. From here, you should choose effective sweepers that can set up on those Pokémon noted previously.</p>
<p>Switching into Bulky Waters can be a bit difficult for an offensive team, as they often carry attacks that can hit Pokémon that resist Water-type attacks for super effective damage. The most common attacks you can expect from bulky Waters include Surf/Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Hidden Power Electric. Sadly, there is no one Pokémon in OU which can freely set up against the combination of Water-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks without expecting to take at least neutral damage, except for Lanturn, which is hardly ever seen outside of the UU tier. However, it is important to keep in mind that the opponent will be unable to set up as well, due to Taunt, so any Pokémon who can at least switch into a Water-type attack and set up makes a beneficial partner to this set. Calm Mind Latias is a great example, as it can easily switch into most Water-types, use Calm Mind while the opponent either switches or deals mediocre damage with their Ice-type attack, Recover off any damage as needed, and proceed to sweep. Life Orb Starmie is a great option to consider as well, as it handily beats most bulky Water-types one-on-one, and is a general menace to any offensive team.</p>
<p>A different list of Pokémon that can set up on Latias can be considered to use as other possible partners to Heatran. Latias will normally carry Dragon Pulse/Draco Meteor, Surf, and Thunderbolt as her main attacking options, so any Pokémon who isn't weak to any of the listed attacks will greatly benefit from a Latias who is unable to use either Calm Mind or Recover. The first set of Pokémon to come to mind are Steel-types, as they resist Dragon-type attacks. Scizor can set up Swords Dance against a crippled Latias as it either attacks or switches out, while Metagross can use Agility and hit incoming Pokémon with a Life Orbed Meteor Mash; both can easily plow through a weakened team. The same bulky Water-type counters listed in the previous paragraph will also make it easier for either Scizor or Metagross to sweep. A Blissey crippled by Taunt can be set up on by pretty much any physically based Pokémon in OU, as Seismic Toss deals a fixed amount of damage, as well as Heatran itself, assuming you are running Metal Sound. Dragon Dance Salamence and Dragon Dance Gyarados are both great options to consider pairing with Taunt Heatran, as both can set up and proceed to use Outrage or Waterfall respectively against the opponent's incoming counters; it is even better when you consider that Salamence and Gyarados absolutely hate being statused, so Heatran's Taunt can eliminate that fear completely. Note that in this case, Salamence and Gyarados can also switch into Fighting- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Heatran as well.</p>
<p>Although not as necessary, there are other options you can consider using with Taunt Heatran. Choice Scarf Roserade is an amazing lead to pair with Taunt Heatran running Stealth Rock, as Roserade not only complements Heatran type-wise by taking Water-type attacks directed at it, but it will nearly always prevent your opponent from setting up Stealth Rock (as most people expect the Focus Sash set), making it much easier to switch in other team members repeatedly; in particular, Salamence and Gyarados will appreciate not having to take damage from Stealth Rock. Wish support works well with Taunt Heatran if you desire for it to last a while, which, unlike other sets, usually does.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As with most other offensive Pokémon, Heatran appreciates having a layer of Stealth Rock on the field, as it prevents Salamence and Gyarados from switching in too freely on a resisted Fire Blast, especially when you consider that both Pokémon can set up against you and possibly sweep through the rest of your team. It is worth noting that after Stealth Rock damage, Heatran has a 75% chance of 2HKOing 4/0 Salamence with Fire Blast, and it will always be 2HKOed if running a Special Defense hindering nature, which is extremely beneficial if your Heatran is equipped with Choice Scarf. Toxic Spikes support is also a worthwhile option to consider when using Heatran, as most of the bulky Water-types that enjoy coming in on Heatran are effectively crippled by Toxic Spikes; however, Suicune usually has Rest to cure itself of status, and Gyarados is immune to Toxic Spikes. Roserade is the best user of Toxic Spikes in OU, and pairs extremely well with Heatran type-wise. Additionally, Spikes support helps in further weakening grounded Pokémon attempting to wall you, such as Blissey. However, most Pokémon that learns Spikes don't pair well with Heatran, due to either shared weaknesses or the defensive nature of most of the given Pokémon. If opting for Spikes support, Froslass and Smeargle will be your best options to lay them down, but the prevalence of Taunt leads can make any attempts to lay down Spikes ineffective.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, most Heatran will have trouble taking out foes that meet either of the following criteria: 1) a Pokémon which can take Fire-type attacks with ease, and doesn't fear much from Heatran's other potential attacks, 2) a Pokémon which can potentially set up on a Choiced Heatran, and 3) any Pokémon which is faster than Heatran and has access to an attack which deals super effective damage on it. The most common Pokémon you'll encounter that meet the first criteria are bulky Water-types, Latias, and Blissey. Any Pokémon which resists Water-type attacks and can outspeed common bulky Water-types, being Swampert, Suicune, and Gyarados, will more often than not be a beneficial partner for Heatran. Calm Mind Celebi is a great option to handle all of the Pokémon noted above, as it can use Calm Mind to lessen the damage taken from Ice Beam, and can then hit back hard with Grass Knot; just make sure to watch out for Gyarados's Bounce, as that will KO the green pixie. Another good option to consider is Life Orb Starmie or an Electric-type such as Rotom-A, both of whom have access to Thunderbolt, which hits most Water-types for a high amount of damage. Latias can easily be handled by any sturdy Pursuit user. Scizor is a good choice because it resists Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor, and takes neutral damage from Surf; be warned though, as a Life Orbed Surf has a good chance of 2HKOing the standard 248/0 Scizor after Stealth Rock damage. Scizor also lures in Fire-type attacks, which can often net Heatran a free boost from Flash Fire. Blissey can be handled by any strong physical hitter who doesn't mind potentially switching into a Thunder Wave. As for the second criteria, the most common Pokémon you will encounter that will attempt to set up on a Choiced Heatran are Dragon Dance Gyarados and Salamence. Both can be reliably checked through Choice Scarf Latias, which has access to Draco Meteor and Thunderbolt to hit Salamence and Gyarados respectively. Choice Band Scizor works in a similar way, but Quick Attack is required to reliably revenge kill Gyarados. The third criteria includes most of the Pokémon already mentioned, but other Pokémon that can potentially give you trouble includes Lucario. Lucario can be reliably countered through a bulky Intimidate user, such as Salamence or Gyarados, or a Rotom-A with at least 280 Speed, which outruns Adamant Lucario.</p>
<p>Upon taking a closer look, you might notice that Heatran's weaknesses can usually be covered by just a single Pokémon, as Ground-, Fighting-, and Water-type attacks offer similar coverage in the OU metagame. Dragon Dance Gyarados is an excellent partner to Heatran, as it reliably takes all of the attacks listed previously. Not only that, but after a boost or two, Gyarados can easily plow through a weakened team. Dragon Dance Salamence works in a similar way; although it hits much harder than Gyarados through Outrage, it risks taking more damage from attacks likely to be thrown at it. In both scenarios, Stealth Rock can hamper both Gyarados and Salamence's ability to switch in repeatedly, so it's a good idea to analyze Heatran's counters on the opponent's team and come up with a plan which will allow you to sweep. Calm Mind Latias, particularly if its carrying Refresh, can easily be considered of one Heatran's best partners. Calm Mind Latias can easily switch into Water-type attacks aimed at Heatran, and thanks to Levitate, it is even immune to Ground-type attacks; however, Fighting-type attacks can still give it trouble since most will hit Latias on her frailer Defense stat. Refresh is mentioned because it allows you to switch into possible Thunder Waves directed at Heatran, and it also allows you to beat any variant of Blissey, outside of the Calm Mind set, one-on-one.</p>
<p>The single most common teammate you will find for any of the counters repeatedly mentioned in the analysis is Scizor. Without a doubt, Heatran reliably counters Scizor, as long as you avoid switching into Superpower. There aren't other threatening teammates you are likely to encounter, as you usually find a Bulky Water-type, Gyarados, and Salamence/Latias all on the same team anyways. If facing against Blissey, common teammates you are likely to encounter are Forretress, Skarmory, and Gyarados. A Dragon Dance Salamence has access to Fire Blast to hit any Steel-types expecting to wall it, and a +1 Life Orb Outrage can KO even the most defensive of Gyarados after Stealth Rock damage. Salamence's Classic MixMence set works in much the same way, but requires no set-up, little prediction, and it also has access to Roost, which is important if you plan on switching in repeatedly. Heatran can also beat Forretress and Skarmory on its own.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hidden Power Electric can get surprise kills on Gyarados, especially if you use it on Choice Scarf Heatran as you will be able to outrun Gyarados with a Dragon Dance under its belt. Hidden Power Rock has the advantage of scoring 2HKOs on both Gyarados and Salamence, while maintaining neutrality against other Heatran, easing prediction somewhat with the Choice sets. However, it will leave you walled badly by Swampert, and the loss of one speed point means that you will never speed tie other Heatran with the same nature. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast on many of the sets if you fear accuracy, though Fire Blast deals more damage on average. Heatran's signature attack, Magma Storm, can be used to trap something like Blissey and Explode on them, freeing you to sweep with special attackers. This is risky, however, as Magma Storm only has 70% accuracy. Dragon Pulse deserves a mention as well, since it is your best weapon against Kingdra and it still puts a significant dent in the other Dragon-types. For item choices, Shuca Berry and Shed Shell can work on a few of the sets. Shuca Berry allows you to survive a powerful Ground attack, which is a good way to kill enemy Heatran. Shed Shell allows you to escape from Dugtrio and Magnezone. A Salac Berry is usable for a Speed boost when coupled with Substitute.</p>
<p>Do not be tempted to use moves like Dark Pulse, Flash Cannon, and AncientPower. Their type coverage is poor, and Heatran's Fire Blast will hit for the same or greater damage on nearly everything in OU.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Always maximize Heatran's Special Attack unless you are running a defensive set. Then decide what you would like to outrun. 128 EVs and a Modest nature beats Adamant Tyranitar. Modest and 216 EVs beats Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Metagross. On the Scarf set, just maximize Speed. You don't want to lose a speed tie with another Scarftran if it comes down to it.</p>
[Legal IVs for Hidden Power]
<p>The following IVs are necessary for each Hidden Power type with the given natures, assuming all other IVs are 31 (or odd):</p>
<dl>
<dt>Hidden Power Grass</dt>
<dd>Modest: 2 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Naive: 26 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Rash: 26 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Timid: 2 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dt>Hidden Power Ice</dt>
<dd>Modest: 10 Atk / 30 Def</dd>
<dd>Naive: 30 Atk / 30 Def</dd>
<dd>Rash: 30 Atk / 30 Def</dd>
<dd>Timid: 22 Atk / 30 Def</dd>
<dt>Hidden Power Electric</dt>
<dd>Modest: 23 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Naive: 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Rash: 27 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Timid: 30 SpA</dd>
</dl>
[Opinion]
<p>Heatran is the anti-metagame Pokemon, capable of keeping top threats such as Scizor, Lucario, Infernape, and Salamence in check. With the ability to counter some of the biggest threats in the game and being neutral to Stealth Rock, he is far beyond the level of any other Fire-type in Pokemon. The secondary Steel typing gives him a lot of good resistances, and Flash Fire allows him to take on his fellow Fire-types quite easily. While the weaknesses to extremely common moves such as Earthquake, Surf, and Close Combat hinder its walling potential, its ability as a defensive Pokemon should not be overlooked. With decent defensive typing, neutrality to Stealth Rock, and one of the highest Special Attack stats in the Overused tier, Heatran should not be underestimated.</p>
<p>Heatran will be seen on a lot of teams, so be prepared for it. It's a sturdy tank, a great team player, and a frightening sweeper. His frequent presence near the top of the usage list is for a good reason, and if your team is not prepared to deal with it then you cannot expect to have a healthy winning record.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Bulky Waters such as Milotic, Suicune, Slowking, Tentacruel, Vaporeon, and Swampert can counter Heatran quite effectively, but Specs boosted Hidden Power Grass and Earth Power can take them down. Suicune is the best of these, as its high defenses allow it to take an Explosion as well as most Special Attacks, it is faster than the defensive Heatran sets, and its Pressure forces Heatran to watch its remaining Fire Blast PP. Gyarados can handle Heatran on occasion, but Stealth Rock, potential burns, and the occasional Hidden Power Electric on Heatran are a nuisance. Porygon2 is an interesting counter. It traces Flash Fire and isn't weak to any other moves. Porygon2 can then paralyze Heatran and wear it down with Thunderbolt, using Recover as necessary. Latias and Kingdra can come in on Heatran and set up unless they switch into a Dragon Pulse.</p>
<p>Blissey is a fairly good counter to Heatran, provided she has some means of hitting it. With the increase in Fire-type attacks thanks to Scizor, getting a Flash Fire boost is easier, which means Blissey might have to take boosted Fire-type attacks. Explosion also gets rid of Blissey, but at the cost of Heatran's own life. Heatran counters itself as long as it doesn't come into Earth Power. Adamant Choice Scarf Dugtrio can trap and KO Heatran no matter the set, and Magnezone do the same if Heatran is locked into Hidden Power or Dragon Pulse.</p>
<p>Snorlax can come into Heatran with relative impunity thanks to Thick Fat and threaten it back with Earthquake. Hariyama does the same, but uses Fighting-type attacks instead. Like Blissey, both will fall to Explosion. A Careful Tyranitar can shrug off any hits not boosted by Choice Specs, even Earth Power, which barely 4HKOes.</p>
<p>Most Heatran you face will be Choiced. Take advantage of this when deciding what you will switch in.</p>
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Naive / Rash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Scarf Heatran is the ultimate revenge killer, holding many dangerous threats at bay. This includes, but is not limited to, Scizor, Salamence, Lucario, and even other Heatran. With its numerous resistances and immunity to Fire-type attacks, Heatran can come in with a little prediction and force all of these Pokemon to switch or risk being KO'd. The Choice Scarf puts Heatran at 417 Speed, allowing it to outspeed all unscarfed Pokémon, bar Ninjask, in OU.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is your main STAB move, forcing out Scizor, Lucario, Jirachi, Celebi, and more. Coming off of an impressive 359 Special Attack, it even hurts when resisted. Earth Power is an absolute necessity, due to the popularity of Heatran, and complements Fire Blast by removing other Fire-types. Giving an enemy Heatran a Flash Fire boost is extremely dangerous, so a well predicted Earth Power is often key to winning a match. Explosion should be used when Heatran is on the verge of death, and it will likely take something down with it if pulled off successfully. Dragon Pulse is the main option for the final slot, as it provides excellent neutrality against most opponent's and still provides as a solid option to revenge kill Salamence and even Kingdra. Hidden Power Ice deals more damage to Salamence and also provides an immediate way to take out Gliscor. Hidden Power Grass is an option allows you to wear down bulky Water-type counters, who usually switch into Heatran without thinking twice. If you're mainly using Heatran as a revenge killer, Flamethrower is a reliable option over Fire Blast. The improved accuracy could be the difference between winning and losing a game if your opponent's last two Pokemon are a somewhat weakened Celebi with Earth Power and a Scizor. In a case like this, a case not particularly situational, a reliable move like Flamethrower is a better option than Fire Blast; both will KO the rest of your opponent's team, but Fire Blast has a 15% chance to miss. That chance could cost you the game. Overheat is also an option. Overheat has a slightly higher base power than Fire Blast, but you will be forced to switch out on the following turn due to the Special Attack drop. However, Fire Blast deals more damage than Overheat over the course of two turns. It should be noted that Overheat does have 5% more accuracy than Fire Blast though.</p>
<p>A beneficial Speed nature is not absolutely necessary, but it allows you to revenge kill Adamant Gyarados even after a Dragon Dance, Adamant Heracross even with a Choice Scarf, and all the base 130 Speed Pokemon. Additionally, given the popularity of Heatran, it is not a bad idea to at least force a speed tie should your opponent use one as well.</p>
<p>While Choice Scarf Heatran makes a great revenge killer to a large portion of the metagame, it faces problems against Pokémon which can attempt set up on it, particularly if they either resist or are immune to the attack Heatran is locked into. Although Stealth Rock hampers it's ability to switch in repeatedly, Jolly Dragon Dance Gyarados can easily take a Fire Blast, boost both its Attack and Speed, and KO you with Waterfall on the next turn, as Jolly variants outspeed Heatran. At most, Heatran can only manage 34.94% with Fire Blast against Gyarados, which fails to 2HKO, even with Stealth Rock and Sandstorm damage factored in. Dragon Dance Salamence can also switch into a Heatran locked into anything bar Dragon Pulse, Hidden Power Ice, or a well-timed Explosion, and set up, as Fire Blast manages, at most, 46.69%, to any variant of Salamence. Afterwards, Salamence will proceed to KO you with Earthquake or Outrage against any Pokémon you might have switched in against it. It should be noted that Salamence can't actually switch into Heatran directly, especially if it is running a Special Defense hindering nature, as it faces a large risk of being 2HKOed by Fire Blast, even if resisted. In fact, Salamence without any HP investment faces a 75.48% chance of being 2HKOed by Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage, and will always be 2HKOed if using a Special Defense hindering nature. Latias can switch into most of Heatran's attacks with ease due to her high Special Defense stat and resistance to Fire-type attacks and proceed to set up Calm Minds or hit you with Surf. Kingdra, in particular, will cause the most trouble, as it has a 4x resistance to Fire-type attacks and is usually bulky enough to take at least 1 non-boosted attack that isn't Dragon-typed, meaning it will usually be at +2 in Attack and Speed if you attempt to revenge kill it with Heatran, which will obviously fail to outspeed Kingdra. And to top it all off, Blissey can switch into this Heatran with no trouble at all as long as it avoids Explosion. Bulky Water-types can also switch into Heatran with ease; Suicune gains a special mention as its ability, Pressure, can easily drain Fire Blast's low PP.</p>
<p>While the number of Pokémon that can set up on Heatran is particularly high, especially after it has revenge killed something, most of the Pokémon mentioned share common counters which pair well with Heatran. Celebi has a relatively easy time taking on Gyarados, as long as it avoids a Life Orbed Bounce, which can OHKO if Gyarados is running an Adamant nature. However, Heatran can switch back in, outspeed, and KO with Explosion, assuming you don't get screwed by Bounce's 30% paralysis rate. Celebi has many options to retaliate with against Gyarados, particularly Thunder Wave, which completely cripples Gyarados, Reflect, which halves all damage Gyarados can deal against Celebi, and finally Grass Knot, which deals anywhere from 38.86% - 46.08% to the standard 4/0 Gyarados. Kingdra faces a similar problem, as a Kingdra at +1 in Attack can only deal, at most, 72.77% with a Life Orbed Outrage against the standard Defensive Celebi; in return, Celebi can use Thunder Wave or Reflect to shrug off Kingdra's attacks and heal any damage taken with Recover. Celebi has Grass Knot and Leaf Storm to hit other bulky Water-types with as well. Celebi is also Heatran's best partner, forming the famous defensive combination known as "CeleTran". Both Pokémon, when paired together, resist 16 of the 17 types, and both are bulky enough to take resisted hits.</p>
<p>Salamence and Latias, unfortunately, are not countered by Celebi, so a different Pokémon is required. Salamence is best handled by a strong priority user, such as Scizor. Scizor pairs well with Heatran type-wise, as Heatran essentially negates any Fire-type attacks thrown at Scizor, and actually benefits from them thanks to its ability, Flash Fire. Choice Band Scizor manages to OHKO 4/0 Salamence with Bullet Punch, provided it has taken previous damage from Stealth Rock and one or two turns of Life Orb recoil. Sandstorm guarantees Salamence will be KOed by Bullet Punch after one turn of Life Orb recoil, as Bullet Punch will do anywhere from 58.73% - 68.98% to Salamence. Latias can also be countered by Scizor, as both U-turn and Pursuit are excellent moves in keeping Latias in check. Latias is OHKOed by U-turn if it stays in, and Pursuit manages to deal anywhere from 86.75% - 102.65% against 4/0 Latias if it stays in, a likely OHKO after Stealth Rock damage, and a definite OHKO if it switches out. Be careful though, as a Life Orbed Surf from max Special Attack Timid Latias has a likely chance of 2HKOing Scizor after Stealth Rock damage, and Hidden Power Fire will OHKO, although it is uncommon to find it on Latias. Scizor has Superpower to hit Blissey with, but one must be careful of accidentally switching into Flamethrower.</p>
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock (Lead)
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Explosion
item: Shuca Berry
nature: Naive / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Heatran makes for a fine lead and overall user of Stealth Rock, having the ability to easily take on Metagross and Azelf, the two most commonly seen leads in OU. The only commonly seen leads that stand a chance against Heatran are Aerodactyl and Swampert, but only the former can actually prevent Heatran from laying down Stealth Rock. If you decide to not use this set as a lead, many players will assume that Heatran is holding a Choice Scarf. Due to this, Heatran can often net surprise kills on Salamence and Gyarados with Explosion, especially with Shuca Berry ensuring that Heatran survives any Earthquakes coming from the two. Even Latias can be caught off guard with a well-timed Explosion, which can easily allow other special sweepers on the team to plow through the opponent's team, such as Calm Mind Celebi.</p>
<p>Shuca Berry is used here to all but guarantee that Heatran will survive one attack. The only common leads that can OHKO Heatran are Infernape, which can easily set up its own Stealth Rock and proceed to put the hurt on Heatran with Close Combat, and Tyranitar, which often does not run Choice Band and Adamant, both of which are required for an OHKO, as a lead. Life Orb Mamoswine, another Pokémon rising in popularity as a lead, always OHKOes Heatran, even through Shuca Berry. If you really fear a first turn OHKO, you can equip a Focus Sash instead; however, a 1 HP Heatran is nearly useless once your opponent gets Stealth Rock up.</p>
<p>Speed and Special Attack are maximized to allow Heatran to sweep as well as it can. This is important because a lot of the time you will want to save Heatran for later in the game, due to its high Special Attack, decent Speed, and huge number of useful resists, most notably to Dragon-type attacks. If you manage to keep the Shuca berry intact, you will also have a powerful weapon against opposing Heatran and anything using Earthquake. If you want to have that weapon late game regardless, this Heatran does have some effectiveness when it is not a lead. However, getting Stealth Rock up on the first turn is extremely beneficial, and this Pokemon is exceptionally good at doing just that.</p>
<p>Running a Timid nature is an option if you want to be guaranteed to survive Azelf's Psychic + Explosion, but even with Naive, Azelf will need to roll nearly maximum damage from Explosion and above average damage from Psychic in order to score a KO, and the 10% boost to your own Explosion is often worth the risk. As a final note, this lead is not meant to be used on a team which does poorly against Stealth Rock. It can get its own Stealth Rock up in almost every game, but unless your opponent leads with something weak to Fire, they will likely lay their own layer of Stealth Rock as well.</p>
<p>As the name of this set states, Heatran's primary job here is to set up Stealth Rock as early as possible. For this reason, any Pokémon that can prevent Heatran from setting up Stealth Rock will be the biggest adversary to this set. Taunt, becoming increasingly more common among both suicide and bulky leads, will prevent Heatran from setting up Stealth Rock reliably, forcing it to switch out and set it up later, unless you're lucky and the effect of Taunt only lasts the minimum of two turns on Heatran. Out of the top 10 leads used in the OU metagame, the only two most likely to carry Taunt are Azelf and Aerodactyl. Heatran resists most attacks that lead Azelf is likely to throw at it, meaning you can dispatch it with two successful Fire Blast hits. Aerodactyl, on the other hand, will prove to be more difficult to take down. Not only will Pressure drain Fire Blast's PP, but Aerodactyl also resists Fire Blast and Explosion, and is immune to Earth Power. Aerodactyl will usually do one of two choices: 1) Set up Taunt, then Stealth Rock or 2) Use Earthquake consecutively to KO Heatran. In either scenario, Heatran should not stay in on Aerodactyl. Aside from Taunt leads, other troublesome lead Pokémon you will encounter include Swampert, Infernape, and Tyranitar. Swampert will more than likely set up Stealth Rock on you and then attack with Earthquake, so unless you Explode, you cannot get past it. In a worse case scenario, Swampert can block your attempt to Explode with Protect. Infernape has Close Combat to dispatch you with, and you will be unable to even break its Focus Sash due to it outspeeding you. Tyranitar can prove troublesome if it packs Earthquake or Superpower, but you can survive either attack and set up Stealth Rock, being the overall primary objective of this set.</p>
<p>Proper team support will need to be provided to dispatch leads that can cause Heatran trouble. Looking at all of the previously mentioned threats, one group of Pokémon in particular can counter all of those stated: bulky Waters. Bulky Water-types, such as Suicune, will prove to be effective, as it has a STAB Surf to hit both Aerodactyl and Infernape with; in return, both can only do, at most, 25% to Suicune with their strongest attack, being Stone Edge / Rock Slide and Close Combat respectively. More importantly, Suicune can use Rest to heal off any damage taken. Another interesting option to consider is Vaporeon, who can also provide Wish support should you plan on Heatran being an important member on your team whose only objective wouldn't be to simply set up Stealth Rock and then Explode. Additionally, both Suicune and Vaporeon can comfortably take Water- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Heatran, which in return, takes Grass-types attacks thrown at them. Swampert can also be weakened through repeated Surfs, and will be unable to deal much damage to Suicune and Vaporeon. Alternatively, you can use Celebi to deal with it, since it resists both of Swampert's STAB options, and takes little damage from Ice Beam. Tyranitar won't prove to be too much of a problem due to its many weaknesses and slow speed, so as long as you switch in a Pokémon that runs 244 Speed or higher and can threaten it with a super effective attack, you should be fine. However, it is necessary to make sure that said Pokémon is actually able to take down Tyranitar, as otherwise, it can easily overcome your switch-in with repeated hits coming off of a 403 maximum Attack stat.</p>
<p>This Heatran can also be paired with other leads you may want to use, as Heatran has the bulk to use Stealth Rock reliably at any stage of the game. Roserade makes for an interesting lead to pair with Heatran, as it can not only put other foes to sleep with Sleep Powder, but it can also set up Toxic Spikes, which cripples most Water-types who will try to switch in on Heatran. Additionally, Heatran can take Ice- and Fire-type attacks thrown at Roserade, while Roserade takes the same Water-type attacks mentioned before. Gliscor is another good lead to consider pairing with Heatran, as it can prevent slower leads from using Stealth Rock with Taunt, and can use U-turn to scout for Ice- and Water-type attacks, with Heatran making an excellent switch-in to the former.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Toxic / Explosion
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid / Naive
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Heatran should be sent out against something that will likely switch out, such as Celebi or a Steel-type. It is often useful to send Heatran out for the first time after your opponent KOs one of your Pokemon; most players assume it has a Choice Scarf and will switch out. This, along with Heatran's powerful offense and great resistances, allows Heatran to easily get up a Substitute. Then Heatran can stall with Toxic, using Fire Blast and Earth Power for the Poison and Steel Pokemon that are immune to it. Most of Heatran's switch ins, like Salamence, Tyranitar, and Water-types, hate being poisoned.</p>
<p>However, Toxic is less effective if your team is not bulky. You can use Explosion, instead, as it takes out most problem Pokemon in one hit. Few players will predict an Explosion coming from a Heatran behind a Substitute, so they are unlikely to bring in something to take it, like a Ghost. Alternatively, Heatran can use Hidden Power to take out Pokemon like Salamence, Gyarados, or Swampert, if you want a more offensive alternative to Toxic. Heatran can Roar on defensive teams that have Stealth Rock and Spikes. Another option is Will-O-Wisp, but it kills even slower than Toxic and has worse accuracy in exchange for weakening physical moves. If you want to use a move other than Toxic, it is helpful to pair Heatran with Toxic Spikes, but keep in mind that they won't hit Gyarados or Salamence.</p>
<p>It may seem strange to use a +Speed nature without a Choice Scarf, but due to Heatran's popularity, max Speed can be a huge aid. Heatran can attack before +Speed Breloom and Metagross; neutral nature Gyarados, Dragonite, and Heracross; and defensive base 100 Pokemon. These can all OHKO Heatran, so being faster is crucial.</p>
<p>This Heatran in particular benefits from Wish. This is because you'll be wanting to switch into attacks often, and you are losing HP due to using Substitute. Vaporeon is probably the best option for this due to Water Absorb.</p>
[SET]
name: Torment Tran
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Torment
move 3: Protect
move 4: Lava Plume / Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Calm
EVs: 244 HP / 32 SpA / 12 SpD / 220 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Torment, combined with Heatran’s impressive set of resistances and considerable bulk, turns Heatran into one of the toughest Pokemon to KO in the game. The idea behind this set is that not many Pokemon carry more than one attack that is powerful enough to break Heatran’s Substitutes. With that in mind, Torment allows you to stay safe by using Protect to prevent your opponent from breaking your Substitute with their STAB or super effective attack. That means that every other turn, you can attack with Lava Plume for free without having to worry about being damaged. This set slowly chips away at your opponent while maintaining your Substitute at the end of the duel when they faint.</p>
<p>Lava Plume is the move of choice on this set, due to its high PP and 30% burn rate. Many Heatran switch-ins (such as Gyarados, Tyranitar, and Swampert) do not like getting burned. The chance to burn also helps slowly drain your opponent’s HP, meaning you do not even have to attack. Instead, Heatran can alternate between Substitute and Protect to rack up residual damage. If you do not want to use Lava Plume, Taunt is another viable option to fill the 4th move slot. It prevents Pokemon from healing and forces them to attack your Substitutes in vain. Pokemon such as mono-attacking Blissey and Suicune will struggle every other turn if Taunted. Taunt can help Heatran beat certain Pokemon that would otherwise completely counter it; however, Taunt also makes Heatran lose to other Pokemon that he would normally be able to beat. In fact, any Pokemon with more than one attack, or a faster Pokemon with Taunt will be able to beat this set unless you can inflict a status condition.</p>
<p>Although this set is effective on its own, with the proper team support it can single-handedly run through a team. If you manage to set up two layers of Toxic Spikes before sending this in, Heatran (especially those with Taunt) will beat Blissey, Swampert, Vaporeon, Milotic, Porygon2, and other common switch-ins lacking Rest. This brings up the bane of this set: Rest + Sleep Talk stat uppers. Pokemon such as Suicune, Snorlax, Swampert, and Tyranitar running the aforementioned strategy can walk all over this Heatran. This is why it is suggested that your team has a Choiced Trick supporter or two to prevent these set up Pokemon from beating Heatran. On top of that, remember that any Choiced Pokemon will Struggle against Torment Tran, which makes Tricking a Choice item an all around superb support option for this set.</p>
<p>The HP EVs allow Heatran to hit its highest Leftovers number, which is very important, considering you will be seeing a lot of Leftovers recovery with this set. The Speed EVs bring Heatran to 245 Speed, which allows you to outspeed Zapdos and Celebi at 244 Speed. Getting your Substitute up before being hit by Thunder Wave is very important for this set. The Special Defense EVs allow Heatran to take 24% max from a neutral natured, 0 Special Attack Rotom’s Discharge, meaning they will never break your Substitute. This is important because you really do not want Heatran to randomly get paralyzed from Discharge. The Special Attack EVs ensure that you do a minimum of 33% to max HP Machamp, meaning that the Rest + Sleep Talk sets will be 3HKOed. You don’t have to worry about DynamicPunch with Torment. Heatran always 3HKOs bulky Rotom, so not even the Rest + Sleep Talk versions can stop you.</p>
<p>The four biggest non-Resting threats to this set are Gyarados, Swampert, non-Choiced Heatran, and Latias. The first two usually carry two moves that can break Heatran’s Substitutes, while resisting Lava Plume. Latias can alternate between Calm Mind and Surf to beat Heatran. It is therefore recommended that you pair this Heatran with Celebi, who can handle Gyarados and Swampert. Also, the CeleTran combo is always great in terms of covering each other's weaknesses. Tyranitar also makes a great support Pokemon for this set by giving you a reliable Heatran and Latias switch-in, while also setting up Sand Stream, which will chip away at opposing Pokemon without damaging Heatran. Also, keep in mind that if Latias comes in on Torment, it cannot use Surf on your Tyranitar switch-in, guaranteeing its safety.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Taunt / Explosion / Substitute
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Heatran is a great candidate for utilizing Life Orb to further boost its already massive Special Attack stat. This set allows Heatran to act as a fluent sweeper without the restrictions that Choice Scarf and Choice Specs hold on it, while maintaining the power needed to achieve certain KOs that Heatran would otherwise miss without the boost Life Orb gives.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is Heatran's STAB move for this set, causing decent amounts of damage to common switch-ins such as Gyarados and Salamence, while also ruining Scizor, Jirachi, and Celebi. Earth Power complements Fire Blast by hitting other opposing Heatran that may switch-in predicting Fire Blast and looking for a Flash Fire boost, and is also necessary for removing other common Fire-type Pokemon who may otherwise try to cushion Fire Blast. Explosion is amazingly powerful, and can guarantee an OHKO on a 0 HP / 252 Def Bold Blissey after Stealth Rock damage, which may be useful to open a sweep for another Pokemon in your team. Hidden Power is optional depending on whether you wish to eliminate either Gyarados or Swampert. Taunt is also a decent option on this set, as it stops Pokemon such as Blissey and Cresselia from inflicting horrible status moves which could otherwise affect Heatran's sweeping efficiency, while also stopping any healing attempts from the two. Substitute is a useful option in easing prediction, but sadly, it comes at the cost of 25% of Heatran's health each time it's used, making it worn down much more quickly when combined with the recoil from Life Orb.</p>
<p>Expert Belt along with Heatran's attacks will bluff Choice Scarf, often causing the opponent to assume that Heatran is holding a Choice Scarf and send in something like Gyarados or Swampert to take the opportunity to set up, but will fall to one of Heatran's other unnoticed attacks. A Naive nature is recommended as it boosts Heatran's Speed stat without hindering its Special Attack or Attack stat, but a Naive nature should only be used over a Timid nature if Heatran is running Explosion. The EVs maximizes Heatran's Special Attack stat for maximum damage inflicted upon foes, and allows Heatran to outspeed all neutral base 85 Speed Pokemon.</p>
<p>As with most of the other sweeping sets, Life Orb Heatran really appreciates outside support in weakening its counters, most notably Dragon-types that pack super effective moves, and some bulky Water-types, such as Gyarados. Blissey can also prove a bit troublesome to this set, although Taunt and Explosion limit its effectiveness. For this reason, entry hazard support is an extremely viable option to consider using with this set. Stealth Rock allows you to reduce the effectiveness of Gyarados and Salamence switch-ins, especially since they will only be able to switch in once with Stealth Rock in play, even with their resistance to Fire-type attacks. Spikes support is particularly useful in weakening grounded Pokémon that can give Heatran trouble, such as faster Suicune, Starmie, etc. And lastly, Toxic Spikes deserves a big mention here, as it is extremely effective in crippling bulky Water-types, and when you consider the recovery-nullifying effects of Taunt, the opposing Pokémon can be easily worn down by the inflicted poison. Smeargle is particularly good at setting up the first two of the mentioned entry hazards, as it makes quite the effective lead with a 100% accuracy Spore, but will usually be unable to get more than 1 layer of Spikes up, and even then, Taunt completely cripples it. Roserade is a good option for providing Toxic Spikes support, as it complements Heatran well type-wise; Roserade can take Water-type attacks aimed at Heatran, while Heatran takes Ice-, Flying-, and Psychic-type attacks aimed at Roserade.</p>
<p>Since most of the troublesome Pokémon to this set are those that outspeed it, paralysis support is particularly useful when using this type of Heatran. When you consider that Heatran's most common switch-ins, Gyarados and Latias, are effectively crippled by paralysis, using paralysis support seems like an even more attractive option to consider. There are plenty of viable paralysis users to consider, but Celebi is arguably the best paralysis inducer to pair with Heatran. Celebi has access to Thunder Wave, and since Celebi also lures in Latias quite often, you should have no trouble paralyzing it. Not only that, but Celebi makes a good counter to any Gyarados set without Bounce. If Celebi does not seem like a good option to you, Togekiss is another viable Thunder Wave user. Additionally, Togekiss and Heatran pair extremely well in regards to typing. Togekiss can switch into the Ground-type attacks aimed at Heatran, while it can switch into Ice-type attacks aimed at Togekiss.</p>
<p>After Heatran has completed its job of weakening down the opponent's team, any Pokémon that works well in cleaning up what Heatran couldn't finish off is a great offensive partner to this set. Choice Band Scizor is an extremely good and powerful Pokémon that can fill this role, as its Bullet Punch is able to put a dent on a lot of opposing Pokémon. For example, after switching into Heatran's Fire Blast, Scizor can easily take out Salamence and Latias who have opted not to recover any damage taken. Scizor also allows you to scout for Heatran's potential counters with U-turn, since it often lures in Flying-types with moves capable of dealing super effective damage on Heatran. Additionally, Scizor has access to Pursuit to "trap" Latias, which allows Heatran to sweep with far more ease. However, Scizor is incapable of switching into Surfs aimed at Heatran, so it is often best to switch to a bulky Water-type beforehand, then switch to Scizor to take the expected Dragon-type attack.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Dragon Pulse / Flamethrower
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
evs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Choice Specs equipped, the damage from Heatran's Fire Blast rivals that of Choice Specs Salamence's Draco Meteor, absolutely destroying most Pokémon that don't resist it. If you can get a Flash Fire boost, even Blissey will fear it, possibly being 2HKOed with Stealth Rock damage. Overheat is even more ridiculous, with the first hit dealing up to 50% damage even to Blissey, though Overheat's negative effect will severely reduce the power of Heatran's next attack. It's a matter of preference, and depends on the rest of your team: do you need Heatran to be a hit and run attacker, handily nuking whatever switches in, or do you want consistent yet high damage? The accuracy is also an issue, with Overheat being 90% accurate, and Fire Blast being 85% accurate. Over the course of two turns, however, Fire Blast deals more damage.</p>
<p>Like with any Choice user, prediction is required. Quite often, your opponent will predict a Fire-type attack coming from miles away. They will likely switch in a bulky Water-type or a Flash Fire Pokemon. Hidden Power Grass should 2HKO the majority of bulky Waters, while Earth Power destroys Fire-types. By carefully removing these pokemon, Heatran can eventually set your team up for a sweep.</p>
<p>While not as much of a team supporter as the other Heatran sets, Choice Specs Heatran is worth considering as a high powered special sweeper, and will greatly benefit most teams. The Speed EVs allow you to outrun Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Metagross. If you chose Fire Blast as your sweeping move, use Dragon Pulse in the last moveslot. If you chose Overheat, put Flamethrower in the final slot to make it easier to sweep late game and to combat PP loss.</p>
<p>This Heatran requires a bit more support from its teammates than the previous sets, as Heatran, while dealing an insane amount of damage to most Pokémon when coupled with Choice Specs, will have trouble retaliating against faster foes due to its less than spectacular Speed stat. The first idea to probably come to mind when using this type of Heatran is to provide it with paralysis support, which in fact, is a recommended strategy to consider if you want Heatran to outspeed Pokémon that will attempt to switch in. There are many viable Thunder Wave users in OU, but very few actually complement Heatran well type-wise. For example, Jirachi shares Heatran's weakness to Ground-types, Porygon2 shares Heatran's weakness to Fighting-types, and Togekiss takes neutral damage from most attacks thrown at Heatran, except for Ground-type attacks for obvious reasons. However, there is one Thunder Wave user that outshines the rest when paired with Heatran, and that special Pokémon is Celebi. As mentioned multiple times in the analysis, Celebi is the best partner imaginable to Heatran, particularly for its ability to take most bulky hits that are not super effective. Both the "Defensive" and "Tinkerbell" sets can use Thunder Wave effectively. The "Defensive" set is more adept at taking hits, while the "Tinkerbell" set allows you to beat counters to Celebi, such as Scizor and Tyranitar. By using Celebi, you should be able to handily cripple key counters to Heatran, such as Gyarados and Latias without Refresh, but you must also watch out for boosted hits thrown at Celebi, particularly if they are special-based or hit it for super effective. Additionally, Celebi makes a great switch in to most Water-types who will attempt to wall Heatran.</p>
<p>Although Celebi can Thunder Wave most of Heatran's counters, there are a few Pokémon who can set up on Heatran and also defeat Celebi one-on-one, making any attempts to use Thunder Wave futile. Such examples include Offensive Calm Mind Suicune, Calm Mind Latias, and Dragon Dance Salamence, although it will take a large amount of damage even from a resisted Fire Blast, due to its low Special Defense stat, coupled with the boost from Choice Specs. Salamence will often carry Earthquake as well, so it's recommended Heatran switches out regardless, especially if you depend on it for your sweeping duties. Unfortunately, none of the noted counters above share similar counters, but there are Pokémon who can hinder those noted. Suicune can be a bit difficult to switch into due to its attacking options hitting most of the Pokémon in the OU metagame for super effective damage; however, a strong Electric-type which outspeeds it, such as max speed Rotom-A or Zapdos, can switch in and deal a large amount of damage with their STAB attacks, even through a Calm Mind boost. Latias is susceptible to Scizor as long as you avoid switching into a Life Orbed Surf, which has the potential to 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage; Scizor can also check Salamence with Bullet Punch after it has taken previous damage. Choice Scarf Latias is also a worthwhile option, as it has Thunderbolt to hit Suicune with, and Draco Meteor to cover both Latias and Salamence, as long as you avoid switching into Ice Beam and Dragon Pulse respectively.</p>
<p>Entry hazards are particularly useful for this set, as they prevent most of Heatran's counters from switching in repeatedly, and also helps weaken those counters that are slower than Heatran. Stealth Rock should be used regardless, as it prevents Gyarados and Latias from switching in freely. Spikes can be used to weaken Vaporeon and defensive versions of Suicune, which will take a total of 37.5% from a layer of Stealth Rock and three layers of Spikes when switching in. The only worthwhile options to consider for Spikes support alongside Heatran are Smeargle and Froslass, as other common Spikers, such as Skarmory and Forretress, have trouble fitting into an offensive team. Smeargle gets access to both Spore and Stealth Rock, making it slightly more useful than Froslass. However, Froslass does have access to Destiny Bond, which allows you to take down slower foes once you faint. Both have their uses undoubtedly, but both must also watch out for Taunt from Azelf and Aerodactyl, which will render any attempts to set up Spikes useless.</p>
[SET]
name: Rest + Sleep Talk
move 1: Lava Plume / Fire Blast
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 56 SpA / 204 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Heatran lacks any form of recovery outside of Rest and Sleep Talk, its large number of resistances and above average defenses make it an excellent status absorber and special wall. Typically it would be better to choose a special sponge that had access to instant recovery, but Heatran is sturdy enough that it doesn't matter, and his huge Special Attack stat makes him a difficult wall to switch into. With Heatran's decent typing and good defenses it can easily take on special attackers such as Celebi, Rotom-A, Jirachi, Zapdos, and many others. This Heatran can even beat Blissey one on one, thanks to the burn rate of Lava Plume, and the Special Defense dropping effects of Earth Power.</p>
<p>Lava Plume makes physical attackers think twice before switching in, as a 30% burn rate is nothing to scoff at. Fire Blast, on the other hand, carries significantly more raw power, and Sleep Talk makes Fire Blast's low PP a non issue. However, since this is a defensive set, Lava Plume is still the primary option because it provides better team support. Earth Power has excellent coverage with Lava Plume, hitting Fire-types and Rock-types who resist it.</p>
<p>A more offensive spin on the Rest + Sleep Talk set is achieved by changing to Timid nature, using an EV spread of 248 HP/ 36 SpA / 224 Spe, and giving Heatran a Life Orb. This outruns Adamant Heracross. This variation functions as a sweeper by giving Heatran back its monstrous Special Attack and decent Speed, and at the same time retaining the ability to shrug off status and heal itself. Note that Fire Blast should be used in this case, as the extra power is significant.</p>
<p>This variant of Heatran works great on a defensive team that is in need of a good status absorber, along with one that would make perfect use of Heatran's typing. Since this Heatran is meant to be played defensively, any Pokémon that could potentially set up on this set would be the most troublesome for Heatran. This list includes, but is not limited to, Pokémon that resist or are immune to both Fire- and Ground-type attacks. Pokémon that come to mind here are Salamence, Gyarados, and Latias, in which all three resist Heatran's Fire-type attacks and are immune to its Earth Power. Salamence can easily come in on a predicted Earth Power or Rest with relative ease, but must be wary of Lava Plume's 30% burn rate. Gyarados works in much the same way, but its higher Special Defense stat, as compared to Salamence, allows it to take even less from Heatran's Fire-type attack of choice. However, both are just about equal in the nuisance they can be to Heatran. Both Salamence and Gyarados can easily set up a Dragon Dance, especially when you consider Heatran's low investment in Special Attack, and then proceed to take out Heatran with a boosted Earthquake or Waterfall, respectively. Latias works in a similar way, except it has less to fear from Lava Plume since it is primarily a special attacker. Latias can easily set up Calm Mind, and unlike the former two, heal off any damage with Recover; Heatran won't enjoy taking boosted Surfs either. Outside of the three aforementioned sweepers, bulky Water-types will give Heatran the most trouble. Vaporeon can easily come in and use the time to pass Wish to other weakened Pokémon on the team, Suicune wouldn't mind setting up Calm Mind, and Swampert can easily set up Curse. For this reason, when using this set, it is important that you are able to switch into the attacking types that Heatran is weak to, and either stall out the Pokémon or use offensive means to take it out before it sets up.</p>
<p>Generally, a team that makes use of this set will be defensively oriented, so it is important to consider Pokémon that have a viable form of recovery along with high defensive stats, which will allow such a Pokémon to remain active through the match. When switching into Salamence, it is essential that you know what set it is running, as each set requires a different Pokémon to combat it. The Dragon Dancer is best handled by Pokémon that can survive a boosted Outrage, or one that resists Dragon-type attacks and won't be KO'd by a boosted Earthquake or Fire Blast. Swampert makes a decent choice to handle Dragon Dance Salamence, as it is never OHKOed by a +1 Outrage when at full health. In return, Swampert will always OHKO Salamence with Ice Beam after Stealth Rock damage. Speaking of which, Stealth Rock support is very useful to consider on a team that makes use of Rest + Sleep Talk Heatran. From the counters mentioned in the previous paragraph, two in particular will be hit hard when switching into Stealth Rock: Salamence and Gyarados. Swampert is a great candidate to set up Stealth Rock, especially in the lead position, where very few Pokémon are able to KO it. As always, the drawback to Swampert is that it lacks a form of recovery, so it is best to keep it healthy if you plan on using it as your answer to physical variants of Salamence. Mixed variants of Salamence can give defensive teams a lot of trouble, since it is capable of dealing a large amount of damage to just about anything with no set-up required. As such, Stealth Rock is required to at least force Salamence to Roost when it's low on health, giving you an ample opportunity to switch in your response to it. Since Heatran lures out Ground-type attacks, anything that can switch into Earthquake (or Brick Break) and outspeed Salamence can serve as a great teammate to Heatran. Calm Mind Latias is a worthwhile choice here, as it is capable of hitting Salamence hard with a STAB Dragon Pulse, and can even take the time to set up if you predict Salamence is going to switch out. As a bonus, Heatran can easily switch into Dragon-, Ice-, Dark-, Ghost-, and Bug-type attacks aimed at Latias, which in turn is more than willing to switch into Water- and Fighting-type attacks, as well as the previously mentioned Ground-type attacks. However, using Latias as a direct counter to mixed Salamence can be a bit risky, as Salamence is fully capable of KOing it with Draco Meteor on an untimely switch. In such a case, a user of priority can also server as a good check to Salamence. Scizor is a fine choice thanks to Technician and its access to STAB Bullet Punch, but finds little use on a defensively oriented team. After considering a check to Salamence, you must remember to also pack a counter to Gyarados. Anything that can switch into Water-type attacks, and isn't weak to Rock-, Ground-, or Ice-type attacks makes a great choice here. Vaporeon and Suicune are both solid choices to fill this role, as they not only have the sufficient defenses to easily take any of Gyarados's attacks, even when boosted, but both can easily take down Gyarados with well timed Hidden Power Electric. Heatran also complements both type-wise, as it is able to easily switch into most Grass- and Electric-type attacks that can give Vaporeon and Suicune trouble. Celebi is also another great option, as even a boosted Ice Fang, although super effective, does little to Celebi, which can easily take down Gyarados with a 120 BP STAB Grass Knot. In turn, Celebi is also able to switch into all of Heatran's weaknesses. In extreme cases, Celebi can even use Heal Bell, which can immediately cure Heatran of its sleep status. In short, most Salamence and all Gyarados you will encounter will be physically based, so any strong, durable physical wall, which preferably complements Heatran type-wise, is a good choice for team support.</p>
<p>After you consider what can give Heatran trouble on the physical side of the spectrum, you will also want to pack a response to Pokémon who can give you trouble on the special side of the spectrum. As previously mentioned, your biggest concerns will be Latias and bulky Water-types. Latias commonly carries Dragon- and Water-type attacks, namely Dragon Pulse/Draco Meteor and Surf, so anything that preferably resists Dragon-type attacks and is not hit super effective by Water-type attacks, or is simply capable of shrugging off special attacks without much difficulty, makes a good choice here. Unfortunately, most Steel-types are also weak to the same Ground-type attacks that give Heatran trouble; nevertheless, they are still the best candidates to choose from. Scizor is ultimately regarded as the #1 Latias counter, as it has access to both U-turn and Pursuit to cripple Latias; the bad news is, a Life Orb Surf, which will obviously be aimed at Heatran, is capable of 2HKOing the standard 248/0 Scizor, so if you desire Scizor as your response to Latias, you will need to use an EV spread which allows you to survive two Life Orb Surfs after Stealth Rock damage. Other feasible options include Metagross and Jirachi, although they offer little support to Heatran apart from countering Latias efficiently. Another interesting option to consider is a specially defensive Tyranitar. It's ability to set up a sandstorm can be particularly useful to a defensive team, especially when you consider that Heatran is immune to the effects of it; however, Tyranitar and Heatran complement each other poorly type-wise, and as such, is not the best option. Blissey, although being the best special wall in the game, is not recommended, because it offers little in the offensive department and teams using this variant of Heatran should also be able to pose an offensive threat to the opponent. Bulky Water-types are much easier to handle than Latias, as they pack a definite list of counters. Celebi remains an effective choice to take on most bulky Water-types, as its most commonly seen Grass-type attack, Grass Knot, gets at least 100 BP on most of the Water-types you are likely to encounter; the only exception is Vaporeon, which can't really do much to you in return anyways. Outside of Celebi, you can also use Latias to handle most of the bulky Water-types you are likely to come across.</p>
<p>Apart from being able to counter Pokémon that give this set trouble, Heatran (when running this set) can benefit from additional support that can make its role as a defensive tank much easier. Although there aren't too many useful support options, there are a few which makes Heatran's job much easier. Toxic Spikes support is highly recommended on this set, as this set is great at tanking multiple hits while the poison would help weaken the opponent. In particular, Toxic Spikes best helps against grounded Water-type Pokémon, which will enjoy coming into Heatran. Outside of Water-types, the number of Pokémon actually hindered by the "badly poisoned" status is severely limited. Heatran is best at switching into Steel-types, none of which are affected by Toxic Spikes. If you plan on using Heatran to force multiple switches, then Spikes support is also a useful option. However, due to the presence of Leftovers, Heatran is unlikely to pose as much of an offensive threat as the other sets, in turn limiting the number of times your opponent is likely to switch. When using this strategy, you will want to switch Heatran into Pokémon, such as Scizor, which will nearly always switch out due to the impending presence of your Fire-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Burn Support
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Stealth Rock / Substitute
move 3: Overheat
move 4: Roar / Earth Power
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 16 SpA / 240 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>For physical attacking switch-ins, this Heatran is definitely not what they were expecting. Overall, the goal is to set up Stealth Rock as soon as possible, while hopefully luring out a Salamence, Gyarados, or Tyranitar. Later in the battle, once you're sure they will switch in said physical attacking counter, you can use Will-O-Wisp on the switch, crippling your counter, or Roar to chip away at your opponent's team with Stealth Rock and other entry hazards you may have placed.</p>
<p>Will-O-Wisp is an extremely effective move, and can seriously damage entire teams if used cleverly. Most Gyarados, Salamence, and Tyranitar usually have little worry when switching into an unsuspecting Heatran. Will-O-Wisp is a panacea for Heatran's worries, rendering your opponent's physical attacker nearly helpless, losing 12.5% of its HP every turn(or more depending on what entry hazards you have placed),and a halved Attack stat.</p>
<p>With the given EVs, this Heatran is an especially effective Gengar check. Timid Life Orb Gengar's Focus Blast will never KO Heatran, even if Heatran switches into a Shadow Ball first. Meanwhile, Heatran will always OHKO 4 HP / 0 SpD Gengar with Overheat. With its high Special Defense, Heatran can even afford to take a Suicune's Surf and Roar it away to deal with later in the battle.</p>
<p>This Heatran is a bit more difficult to utilize in a specific team than the other sets, as its moveset necessitates proper support from other teammates. As a general note, this set works best when used on a balanced team that can benefit from the typing provided by Heatran. Generally, the teammates for Heatran remain consistent, as Heatran has a very specific role on a team: spreading status and damage through the use of entry hazards. On a balanced team, you will definitely need something that can reliably set up Spikes and pose an offensive threat (or make a good lead) as well. Smeargle is an excellent teammate to Heatran in this regard. Although it shares a Fighting-type weakness with Heatran, Smeargle is one of the most effective leads in the current OU metagame; Smeargle can easily use Spore against a slower opponent, incapacitating it, and then proceed to set up at least one layer of Spikes. On a more defensive team, both Skarmory and Forretress are worthwhile choices to consider. Skarmory has the advantage of being able to easily come in on Ground-type attacks aimed at Heatran, and it even has access to a suitable form of recovery. Forretress, on the other hand, has two qualities to it that Skarmory does not: the ability to also lay down Toxic Spikes, and more importantly, the ability to Rapid Spin. Heatran is also capable of switching into Fire-type attacks aimed at both thanks to its ability, Flash Fire.</p>
<p>After proving Heatran with some entry hazards support, you will generally want to include a bulky sweeper who is capable of coming into attacks aimed at Heatran. Dragonite is a good choice here, as it has the defenses to take multiple hits from burned opponents. Dragonite also gets access to Light Screen, which reduces the amount of damage your team takes from special attacks, making it extremely easy for Dragonite to get multiple Dragon Dances set up. Heatran is even capable of taking out the Steel-types which can prevent Dragonite from sweeping thanks to Overheat. If you feel Dragonite is a bit outclassed in the OU metagame, there are other solid bulky sweepers you can choose from. Dragon Dance Gyarados is an excellent choice, as its above average Special Defense and HP, combined with Intimidate, allow it to easily come in on Pokémon that can give Heatran trouble, such as Lucario or Flygon. Generally, any sweeper who appreciates its main counter being weakened by Spikes makes a great addition here, as long as said Pokémon doesn't share too many of the same weaknesses with Heatran.</p>
<p>As with any Pokémon, Heatran will need to watch out for Pokémon who can switch in and give it a lot of trouble. Latias will definitely be one of the things that will enjoy switching into Heatran, as Overheat does mediocre damage to it, and it doesn't really mind being burned, as it would protect it from other crippling status moves. Suicune works in a similar way, as it can also set up Calm Mind against Heatran and wear it down with boosted Surfs. For this reason, it is essential that you have a way to handle Latias, and any bulky Water-type in general. As with the Rest + Sleep Talk set, Scizor makes a good choice in being able to take down Latias, thanks to its access to U-turn and Pursuit. Bulky Water-types have trouble against Celebi, as its naturally high defensive stats allow it to take multiple hits - just make sure to keep Celebi away from Ice Beam, particularly if they are boosted by Life Orb or Calm Mind. Vaporeon is also a worthwhile choice to consider. It's ability, Water Absorb, makes it immune to any Water-type attacks directed at Heatran, and Hidden Power Electric allows it to wear down most bulky Water-types as well. Additionally, Vaporeon can even utilize Wish, which is essential in keeping Heatran's HP at a suitable level, as it can tend to get worn down over an extended period of time, especially with its lack of recovery.</p>
[SET]
name: Taunt
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Metal Sound / Stealth Rock
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earth Power / Hidden Power Grass
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 228 HP / 252 SpA / 30 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Because of its reasonable bulk and plethora of resistances, Taunt Heatran can prevent your opponent from both setting up and inflicting nasty status attacks. Metal Sound is an effective way to beat Blissey (though if your team needs Stealth Rock support then that is a helpful option as well). Merely Taunt as they switch in Blissey, and then it will be unable to use Thunder Wave, Wish, Softboiled, or Protect. You can then Metal Sound them, making Fire Blast a clean 3HKO. Earth Power is for other Heatran, but you will have to catch them on the switch to avoid being taken out by Earth Power. Hidden Power Grass allows you to dent bulky Water-type counters after a Metal Sound. The ability to lure in and take out Blissey is vital to teams that have trouble with her, and the surprise value should not be underestimated. Taunt Heatran is easily as effective as the other sets, and is a dangerous threat in its own right.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this Heatran has to be a lot slower than the other builds to be effective. 380 HP allows Heatran to take 4 Seismic Tosses, even after Stealth Rock damage, and still survive with 1 HP left. This allows you to defeat any kind of Blissey, no matter what moveset they are running. The Special Attack is maximized for a high damage output. The remaining Speed EVs, by an interesting coincidence, put you at 197, which outruns base 80s without any Speed investment.</p>
<p>Taunt Heatran is an undermined beauty that can be a really great team player. Taunt is a move that cannot be described by mere words, especially when you examine just how much Heatran's possible partners can benefit from it. The crux of this set obviously revolves around Taunt, whose effect is to force the opponent to use attacks that deal damage. As such, when choosing partners to this set, you should ask the following question: Which Pokémon can switch into Heatran's main counters when they are affected by Taunt? First, you should outline a quick list of Pokémon that will repeatedly switch into Heatran; such Pokémon include bulky Waters like Suicune, Swampert, and Gyarados, Latias, which resists Heatran's main form of attack, and Blissey, who can take any of Heatran's attacks with ease. From here, you should choose effective sweepers that can set up on those Pokémon noted previously.</p>
<p>Switching into Bulky Waters can be a bit difficult for an offensive team, as they often carry attacks that can hit Pokémon that resist Water-type attacks for super effective damage. The most common attacks you can expect from bulky Waters include Surf/Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Hidden Power Electric. Sadly, there is no one Pokémon in OU which can freely set up against the combination of Water-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks without expecting to take at least neutral damage, except for Lanturn, which is hardly ever seen outside of the UU tier. However, it is important to keep in mind that the opponent will be unable to set up as well, due to Taunt, so any Pokémon who can at least switch into a Water-type attack and set up makes a beneficial partner to this set. Calm Mind Latias is a great example, as it can easily switch into most Water-types, use Calm Mind while the opponent either switches or deals mediocre damage with their Ice-type attack, Recover off any damage as needed, and proceed to sweep. Life Orb Starmie is a great option to consider as well, as it handily beats most bulky Water-types one-on-one, and is a general menace to any offensive team.</p>
<p>A different list of Pokémon that can set up on Latias can be considered to use as other possible partners to Heatran. Latias will normally carry Dragon Pulse/Draco Meteor, Surf, and Thunderbolt as her main attacking options, so any Pokémon who isn't weak to any of the listed attacks will greatly benefit from a Latias who is unable to use either Calm Mind or Recover. The first set of Pokémon to come to mind are Steel-types, as they resist Dragon-type attacks. Scizor can set up Swords Dance against a crippled Latias as it either attacks or switches out, while Metagross can use Agility and hit incoming Pokémon with a Life Orbed Meteor Mash; both can easily plow through a weakened team. The same bulky Water-type counters listed in the previous paragraph will also make it easier for either Scizor or Metagross to sweep. A Blissey crippled by Taunt can be set up on by pretty much any physically based Pokémon in OU, as Seismic Toss deals a fixed amount of damage, as well as Heatran itself, assuming you are running Metal Sound. Dragon Dance Salamence and Dragon Dance Gyarados are both great options to consider pairing with Taunt Heatran, as both can set up and proceed to use Outrage or Waterfall respectively against the opponent's incoming counters; it is even better when you consider that Salamence and Gyarados absolutely hate being statused, so Heatran's Taunt can eliminate that fear completely. Note that in this case, Salamence and Gyarados can also switch into Fighting- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Heatran as well.</p>
<p>Although not as necessary, there are other options you can consider using with Taunt Heatran. Choice Scarf Roserade is an amazing lead to pair with Taunt Heatran running Stealth Rock, as Roserade not only complements Heatran type-wise by taking Water-type attacks directed at it, but it will nearly always prevent your opponent from setting up Stealth Rock (as most people expect the Focus Sash set), making it much easier to switch in other team members repeatedly; in particular, Salamence and Gyarados will appreciate not having to take damage from Stealth Rock. Wish support works well with Taunt Heatran if you desire for it to last a while, which, unlike other sets, usually does.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As with most other offensive Pokémon, Heatran appreciates having a layer of Stealth Rock on the field, as it prevents Salamence and Gyarados from switching in too freely on a resisted Fire Blast, especially when you consider that both Pokémon can set up against you and possibly sweep through the rest of your team. It is worth noting that after Stealth Rock damage, Heatran has a 75% chance of 2HKOing 4/0 Salamence with Fire Blast, and it will always be 2HKOed if running a Special Defense hindering nature, which is extremely beneficial if your Heatran is equipped with Choice Scarf. Toxic Spikes support is also a worthwhile option to consider when using Heatran, as most of the bulky Water-types that enjoy coming in on Heatran are effectively crippled by Toxic Spikes; however, Suicune usually has Rest to cure itself of status, and Gyarados is immune to Toxic Spikes. Roserade is the best user of Toxic Spikes in OU, and pairs extremely well with Heatran type-wise. Additionally, Spikes support helps in further weakening grounded Pokémon attempting to wall you, such as Blissey. However, most Pokémon that learns Spikes don't pair well with Heatran, due to either shared weaknesses or the defensive nature of most of the given Pokémon. If opting for Spikes support, Froslass and Smeargle will be your best options to lay them down, but the prevalence of Taunt leads can make any attempts to lay down Spikes ineffective.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, most Heatran will have trouble taking out foes that meet either of the following criteria: 1) a Pokémon which can take Fire-type attacks with ease, and doesn't fear much from Heatran's other potential attacks, 2) a Pokémon which can potentially set up on a Choiced Heatran, and 3) any Pokémon which is faster than Heatran and has access to an attack which deals super effective damage on it. The most common Pokémon you'll encounter that meet the first criteria are bulky Water-types, Latias, and Blissey. Any Pokémon which resists Water-type attacks and can outspeed common bulky Water-types, being Swampert, Suicune, and Gyarados, will more often than not be a beneficial partner for Heatran. Calm Mind Celebi is a great option to handle all of the Pokémon noted above, as it can use Calm Mind to lessen the damage taken from Ice Beam, and can then hit back hard with Grass Knot; just make sure to watch out for Gyarados's Bounce, as that will KO the green pixie. Another good option to consider is Life Orb Starmie or an Electric-type such as Rotom-A, both of whom have access to Thunderbolt, which hits most Water-types for a high amount of damage. Latias can easily be handled by any sturdy Pursuit user. Scizor is a good choice because it resists Dragon Pulse and Draco Meteor, and takes neutral damage from Surf; be warned though, as a Life Orbed Surf has a good chance of 2HKOing the standard 248/0 Scizor after Stealth Rock damage. Scizor also lures in Fire-type attacks, which can often net Heatran a free boost from Flash Fire. Blissey can be handled by any strong physical hitter who doesn't mind potentially switching into a Thunder Wave. As for the second criteria, the most common Pokémon you will encounter that will attempt to set up on a Choiced Heatran are Dragon Dance Gyarados and Salamence. Both can be reliably checked through Choice Scarf Latias, which has access to Draco Meteor and Thunderbolt to hit Salamence and Gyarados respectively. Choice Band Scizor works in a similar way, but Quick Attack is required to reliably revenge kill Gyarados. The third criteria includes most of the Pokémon already mentioned, but other Pokémon that can potentially give you trouble includes Lucario. Lucario can be reliably countered through a bulky Intimidate user, such as Salamence or Gyarados, or a Rotom-A with at least 280 Speed, which outruns Adamant Lucario.</p>
<p>Upon taking a closer look, you might notice that Heatran's weaknesses can usually be covered by just a single Pokémon, as Ground-, Fighting-, and Water-type attacks offer similar coverage in the OU metagame. Dragon Dance Gyarados is an excellent partner to Heatran, as it reliably takes all of the attacks listed previously. Not only that, but after a boost or two, Gyarados can easily plow through a weakened team. Dragon Dance Salamence works in a similar way; although it hits much harder than Gyarados through Outrage, it risks taking more damage from attacks likely to be thrown at it. In both scenarios, Stealth Rock can hamper both Gyarados and Salamence's ability to switch in repeatedly, so it's a good idea to analyze Heatran's counters on the opponent's team and come up with a plan which will allow you to sweep. Calm Mind Latias, particularly if its carrying Refresh, can easily be considered of one Heatran's best partners. Calm Mind Latias can easily switch into Water-type attacks aimed at Heatran, and thanks to Levitate, it is even immune to Ground-type attacks; however, Fighting-type attacks can still give it trouble since most will hit Latias on her frailer Defense stat. Refresh is mentioned because it allows you to switch into possible Thunder Waves directed at Heatran, and it also allows you to beat any variant of Blissey, outside of the Calm Mind set, one-on-one.</p>
<p>The single most common teammate you will find for any of the counters repeatedly mentioned in the analysis is Scizor. Without a doubt, Heatran reliably counters Scizor, as long as you avoid switching into Superpower. There aren't other threatening teammates you are likely to encounter, as you usually find a Bulky Water-type, Gyarados, and Salamence/Latias all on the same team anyways. If facing against Blissey, common teammates you are likely to encounter are Forretress, Skarmory, and Gyarados. A Dragon Dance Salamence has access to Fire Blast to hit any Steel-types expecting to wall it, and a +1 Life Orb Outrage can KO even the most defensive of Gyarados after Stealth Rock damage. Salamence's Classic MixMence set works in much the same way, but requires no set-up, little prediction, and it also has access to Roost, which is important if you plan on switching in repeatedly. Heatran can also beat Forretress and Skarmory on its own.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hidden Power Electric can get surprise kills on Gyarados, especially if you use it on Choice Scarf Heatran as you will be able to outrun Gyarados with a Dragon Dance under its belt. Hidden Power Rock has the advantage of scoring 2HKOs on both Gyarados and Salamence, while maintaining neutrality against other Heatran, easing prediction somewhat with the Choice sets. However, it will leave you walled badly by Swampert, and the loss of one speed point means that you will never speed tie other Heatran with the same nature. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast on many of the sets if you fear accuracy, though Fire Blast deals more damage on average. Heatran's signature attack, Magma Storm, can be used to trap something like Blissey and Explode on them, freeing you to sweep with special attackers. This is risky, however, as Magma Storm only has 70% accuracy. Dragon Pulse deserves a mention as well, since it is your best weapon against Kingdra and it still puts a significant dent in the other Dragon-types. For item choices, Shuca Berry and Shed Shell can work on a few of the sets. Shuca Berry allows you to survive a powerful Ground attack, which is a good way to kill enemy Heatran. Shed Shell allows you to escape from Dugtrio and Magnezone. A Salac Berry is usable for a Speed boost when coupled with Substitute.</p>
<p>Do not be tempted to use moves like Dark Pulse, Flash Cannon, and AncientPower. Their type coverage is poor, and Heatran's Fire Blast will hit for the same or greater damage on nearly everything in OU.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Always maximize Heatran's Special Attack unless you are running a defensive set. Then decide what you would like to outrun. 128 EVs and a Modest nature beats Adamant Tyranitar. Modest and 216 EVs beats Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Metagross. On the Scarf set, just maximize Speed. You don't want to lose a speed tie with another Scarftran if it comes down to it.</p>
[Legal IVs for Hidden Power]
<p>The following IVs are necessary for each Hidden Power type with the given natures, assuming all other IVs are 31 (or odd):</p>
<dl>
<dt>Hidden Power Grass</dt>
<dd>Modest: 2 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Naive: 26 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Rash: 26 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Timid: 2 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dt>Hidden Power Ice</dt>
<dd>Modest: 10 Atk / 30 Def</dd>
<dd>Naive: 30 Atk / 30 Def</dd>
<dd>Rash: 30 Atk / 30 Def</dd>
<dd>Timid: 22 Atk / 30 Def</dd>
<dt>Hidden Power Electric</dt>
<dd>Modest: 23 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Naive: 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Rash: 27 Atk / 30 SpA</dd>
<dd>Timid: 30 SpA</dd>
</dl>
[Opinion]
<p>Heatran is the anti-metagame Pokemon, capable of keeping top threats such as Scizor, Lucario, Infernape, and Salamence in check. With the ability to counter some of the biggest threats in the game and being neutral to Stealth Rock, he is far beyond the level of any other Fire-type in Pokemon. The secondary Steel typing gives him a lot of good resistances, and Flash Fire allows him to take on his fellow Fire-types quite easily. While the weaknesses to extremely common moves such as Earthquake, Surf, and Close Combat hinder its walling potential, its ability as a defensive Pokemon should not be overlooked. With decent defensive typing, neutrality to Stealth Rock, and one of the highest Special Attack stats in the Overused tier, Heatran should not be underestimated.</p>
<p>Heatran will be seen on a lot of teams, so be prepared for it. It's a sturdy tank, a great team player, and a frightening sweeper. His frequent presence near the top of the usage list is for a good reason, and if your team is not prepared to deal with it then you cannot expect to have a healthy winning record.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Bulky Waters such as Milotic, Suicune, Slowking, Tentacruel, Vaporeon, and Swampert can counter Heatran quite effectively, but Specs boosted Hidden Power Grass and Earth Power can take them down. Suicune is the best of these, as its high defenses allow it to take an Explosion as well as most Special Attacks, it is faster than the defensive Heatran sets, and its Pressure forces Heatran to watch its remaining Fire Blast PP. Gyarados can handle Heatran on occasion, but Stealth Rock, potential burns, and the occasional Hidden Power Electric on Heatran are a nuisance. Porygon2 is an interesting counter. It traces Flash Fire and isn't weak to any other moves. Porygon2 can then paralyze Heatran and wear it down with Thunderbolt, using Recover as necessary. Latias and Kingdra can come in on Heatran and set up unless they switch into a Dragon Pulse.</p>
<p>Blissey is a fairly good counter to Heatran, provided she has some means of hitting it. With the increase in Fire-type attacks thanks to Scizor, getting a Flash Fire boost is easier, which means Blissey might have to take boosted Fire-type attacks. Explosion also gets rid of Blissey, but at the cost of Heatran's own life. Heatran counters itself as long as it doesn't come into Earth Power. Adamant Choice Scarf Dugtrio can trap and KO Heatran no matter the set, and Magnezone do the same if Heatran is locked into Hidden Power or Dragon Pulse.</p>
<p>Snorlax can come into Heatran with relative impunity thanks to Thick Fat and threaten it back with Earthquake. Hariyama does the same, but uses Fighting-type attacks instead. Like Blissey, both will fall to Explosion. A Careful Tyranitar can shrug off any hits not boosted by Choice Specs, even Earth Power, which barely 4HKOes.</p>
<p>Most Heatran you face will be Choiced. Take advantage of this when deciding what you will switch in.</p>
--------------
Finally, the consise analysis is below...
Choice Scarf:
<p>When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Heatran can effectively take on the role of revenge killer, outpacing dangerous threats such as Lucario, Salamence, and neutral-natured Gyarados. Heatran reaches a maximum Speed stat of 417 when wielding Choice Scarf, outspeeding all Pokémon in OU, bar Ninjask.<p>
<p>Fire Blast serves as Heatran's main STAB move, allowing it to deal a ridiculous amount of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Pokémon such as Naive Salamence risk being 2HKOed by Fire Blast due to Heatran's impressive Special Attack stat of 359. Flamethrower is an option over Fire Blast if you prefer accuracy over power, but it should be noted that the power difference is evident if you opt for Flamethrower. Earth Power is necessary on this set because it provides Heatran with a way of disposing of other Fire-types, specifically opposing Heatran. Explosion fills the third slot, giving Heatran an effective way of eliminating Blissey and Latias who dare to switch in. For the last slot, Dragon Pulse, Hidden Power Grass, and Hidden Power Ice are all decent options. Dragon Pulse allows Heatran to revenge kill Salamence and Kingdra without having to resort to Explosion, while Hidden Power Grass is useful in wearing down Water-types who can otherwise wall you. Finally, Hidden Power Ice, although the least recommended option out of the three, is useful in guaranteeing the kill on Salamence. On an additional note, Overheat is an option over Fire Blast, but Fire Blast is the preferred option as it deals more damage over two turns, outweighing the benefits of 5% increased accuracy.</p>
<p>A Modest or Rash nature can be considered if you feel the extra power is more beneficial to your team, but you will miss out on outpacing Adamant Gyarados, Adamant Heracross, and at least tying with opposing Scarfed Heatran.</p>
<p>This set has trouble against Water-types and Blissey, so Pokémon that can take down both are effective options for this set. Celebi covers Heatran's weaknesses perfectly and can take down most Water-types with a STAB Grass Knot or Leaf Storm. Specifically, Celebi works best at countering Gyarados, which can set up on Heatran locked into Choice Scarf. Additionally, Heatran also covers Celebi's weaknesses. Scizor is another excellent teammate to Heatran, providing teams with extra insurance against Dragon Dance Salamence which might have set up on Heatran; not only that, but Scizor is great at luring Fire-type attacks which activate Heatran's Flash Fire ability. Latias, a common counter to Heatran, will also fall to Scizor's U-turn or Pursuit. Finally, Scizor can also dispose of Blissey with Superpower if you are unable to KO it with Heatran.</p>
Stealth Rock (Lead):
<p>Heatran makes for a fine lead and overall user of Stealth Rock, having the ability to easily take on the ever so common Metagross and Azelf. The only commonly seen leads that stand a chance against Heatran are Aerodactyl, Infernape, and Swampert, but only the former twocan actually prevent Heatran from laying down Stealth Rock. If you decide to not use this set as a lead, players may assume that Heatran is holding a Choice Scarf. Due to this, Heatran can often net surprise kills on Salamence and Gyarados with Explosion, especially with Shuca Berry ensuring that Heatran survives any Earthquakes coming from the two. Even Latias can be caught off guard with a well-timed Explosion, which can easily allow other special sweepers on the team to plow through the opponent's team, such as Calm Mind Celebi.</p>
<p>Shuca Berry guarantees Heatran will rarely ever be OHKOed by an Earthquake or Earth Power.</p>
<p>Speed and Special Attack are maximized to allow Heatran to function as a special sweeper later in the game, especially with its ability to switch in fairly easily with its handy typing. Running a Timid nature is an option if you want to be guaranteed to survive Azelf's Psychic + Explosion, but even with Naive, Azelf will need to roll nearly maximum damage from Explosion and above average damage from Psychic in order to score a KO, and the 10% boost to your own Explosion is often worth the risk.</p>
<p>This set benefits most from partners that can switch into the leads Heatran has trouble against, namely Aerodactyl, Infernape, and Swampert. Gyarados is a great choice to consider pairing with this set because not only can it set up on Infernape and Swampert with relative ease (especially if it switches in as the opponent uses Stealth Rock), but it also provides Heatran with a good Water- and Ground-type resist/immunity. Against Aerodactyl, anything not weak to Rock or Ground will be of decent consideration to pair with this set. Suicune and its bulky defenses allow it to take on all three of the aforementioned leads relatively well and it can also dispose of other Water-types which switch into Heatran with Hidden Power Electric. However, Suicune does not provide Heatran with the same type resistances that Gyarados does.</p>
Substitute:
<p>Heatran should be sent out against something that will likely switch out, such as Celebi or a Steel-type. It is often useful to send Heatran out for the first time after your opponent KOs one of your Pokemon; most players assume it has a Choice Scarf and will switch out. This, along with Heatran's powerful offense and great resistances, allows Heatran to easily get up a Substitute. Then Heatran can stall with Toxic, using Fire Blast and Earth Power for the Poison and Steel Pokemon that are immune to it. Most of Heatran's switch-ins, like Salamence, Tyranitar, and Water-types, hate being poisoned.</p>
<p>However, Toxic is less effective if your team is not bulky. You can use Explosion, instead, as it takes out most problem Pokemon in one hit. Few players will predict an Explosion coming from a Heatran behind a Substitute, so they are unlikely to bring in something to take it, like a Ghost. Alternatively, Heatran can use Hidden Power to take out Pokemon like Salamence, Gyarados, or Swampert, if you want a more offensive alternative to Toxic. Heatran can Roar on defensive teams that have Stealth Rock and Spikes. Another option is Will-O-Wisp, but it kills even slower than Toxic and has worse accuracy in exchange for weakening physical moves. If you want to use a move other than Toxic, it is helpful to pair Heatran with Toxic Spikes, but keep in mind that they won't hit Gyarados or Salamence.</p>
<p>It may seem strange to use a +Speed nature without a Choice Scarf, but due to Heatran's popularity, max Speed can be a huge aid. Heatran can attack before +Speed Breloom and Metagross; neutral nature Gyarados, Dragonite, and Heracross; and defensive base 100 Pokemon. These can all OHKO Heatran, so being faster is crucial.</p>
<p>This set partners best with Pokémon that can take advantage of a poisoned Water-type or Latias, or even both. For this reason, a Water-type of your own makes a decent partner to this set. Curse + RestSTalk Swampert is one of the best partners to this set because it can take hits repeatedly, due to Rest, while Toxic wears down the opponent's Pokémon. Swords Dance Scizor, albeit not a Water-type, also pairs well with this set because Water-types, primarily Gyarados, have no trouble walling the set otherwise. This Heatran also benefits from Wish. This is because you'll be wanting to switch into attacks often, and you are losing HP due to using Substitute. Vaporeon is probably the best option for this due to Water Absorb.</p>
Torment:
<p>Torment, combined with Heatran’s impressive set of resistances and considerable bulk, turns Heatran into one of the toughest Pokemon to KO in the game. The idea behind this set is that not many Pokemon carry more than one attack powerful enough to break Heatran’s Substitutes. With that in mind, Torment allows you to stay safe by using Protect to prevent your opponent from breaking your Substitute with their STAB or super effective attack. That means that every other turn, you can attack with Lava Plume for free without having to worry about being damaged. This set slowly chips away at your opponent while maintaining your Substitute at the end of the duel when they faint.</p>
<p>Lava Plume is the move of choice on this set, due to its high PP and 30% burn rate. Many Heatran switch-ins (such as Gyarados, Tyranitar, and Swampert) do not like getting burned. The chance to burn also helps slowly drain your opponent’s HP, meaning you do not even have to attack. Instead, Heatran can alternate between Substitute and Protect to rack up residual damage. If you do not want to use Lava Plume, Taunt is another viable option to fill the 4th move slot. It prevents Pokemon from healing and forces them to attack your Substitutes in vain. Pokemon such as mono-attacking Blissey and Suicune will struggle every other turn if Taunted. Taunt can help Heatran beat certain Pokemon that would otherwise completely counter it; however, Taunt also makes Heatran lose to other Pokemon that he would normally be able to beat. In fact, any Pokemon with more than one attack, or a faster Pokemon with Taunt will be able to beat this set unless you can inflict a status condition.</p>
<p>Although this set is effective on its own, with the proper team support it can single-handedly run through a team. If you manage to set up two layers of Toxic Spikes before sending this in, Heatran (especially those with Taunt) will beat Blissey, Swampert, Vaporeon, Milotic, Porygon2, and other common switch-ins lacking Rest. This brings up the bane of this set: Rest + Sleep Talk stat uppers. Pokemon such as Suicune, Snorlax, Swampert, and Tyranitar running the aforementioned strategy can walk all over this Heatran. This is why it is suggested that your team has a Choiced Trick supporter or two to prevent these set up Pokemon from beating Heatran. On top of that, remember that any Choiced Pokemon will Struggle against Torment Tran, which makes Tricking a Choice item an all around superb support option for this set.</p>
<p>The HP EVs allow Heatran to hit its highest Leftovers number, which is very important, considering you will be seeing a lot of Leftovers recovery with this set. The Speed EVs bring Heatran to 245 Speed, which allows you to outspeed Zapdos and Celebi at 244 Speed. Getting your Substitute up before being hit by Thunder Wave is very important for this set. The Special Defense EVs allow Heatran to take 24% max from a neutral natured, 0 Special Attack Rotom’s Discharge, meaning they will never break your Substitute. This is important because you really do not want Heatran to randomly get paralyzed from Discharge. The Special Attack EVs ensure that you do a minimum of 33% to max HP Machamp, meaning that the Rest + Sleep Talk sets will be 3HKOed. You don’t have to worry about DynamicPunch with Torment. Heatran always 3HKOs bulky Rotom, so not even the Rest + Sleep Talk versions can stop you.</p>
<p>The four biggest non-Resting threats to this set are Gyarados, Swampert, non-Choiced Heatran, and Latias. The first two usually carry two moves that can break Heatran’s Substitutes, while resisting Lava Plume. Latias can alternate between Calm Mind and Surf to beat Heatran. It is therefore recommended that you pair this Heatran with Celebi, who can handle Gyarados and Swampert. Also, the CeleTran combo is always great in terms of synergy. Tyranitar also makes a great support Pokemon for this set by giving you a reliable Heatran and Latias switch-in, while also setting up Sand Stream, which will chip away at opposing Pokemon without damaging Heatran. Also, keep in mind that if Latias comes in on Torment, it cannot use Surf on your Tyranitar switch-in, guaranteeing its safety.</p>
Life Orb:
<p>Heatran is a great candidate for utilizing Life Orb to further boost its already massive Special Attack stat. This set allows Heatran to act as a fluent sweeper without the restrictions of a Choice item,while maintaining the power needed to achieve certain KOs that Heatran would otherwise miss without the boost Life Orb gives.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is Heatran's STAB move for this set, causing decent amounts of damage to common switch-ins such as Gyarados and Salamence, while also ruining Scizor, Jirachi, and Celebi. Earth Power is essential in providing Heatran with a way of eliminating opposing Fire-types. The third moveslot is used to hit Water-types who may try to wall you and hit back for super effective damage. Hidden Power Grass should be used if Swampert is more of a concern while Hidden Power Electric works best against Gyarados. For the last moveslot, Taunt, Explosion, and Substitute are all great options that benefit this set. Taunt negates any of your opponent's attempts to heal or set up. Explosion is an option that complements this set by providing a surefire way of taking out Blissey, OHKOing even max Defense versions after Stealth Rock, and other Pokémon that resist your Fire-type attack of choice. Finally, Substitute eases prediction at the cost of 25% of Heatran's HP each time it is used.</p>
<p>Expert Belt can be used over Life Orb to bluff a Choice Scarf. Many players will attempt to set up on what they believe to be a Choiced Heatran only to be promptly KOed by a super effective attack (or Explosion). In any case, a Naive nature is recommended when running Explosion in order to deal as much damage as possible; otherwise, a Timid nature should be used. Special Attack and Speed are maxed to provide Heatran with the best sweeping potential, being able to 2HKO Salamence with Fire Blast after Stealth Rock and outpacing all neutral base 85's and below.</p>
<p>This set benefits greatly from Stealth Rock support, ensuring that Heatran gets the 2HKO on 4/0 Gyarados and Salamence with Fire Blast. Azelf and Swampert can both efficiently lay down Stealth Rock. Azelf is particularly useful because it can Taunt opposing leads who may try to set up Stealth Rock and can use Explosion to create a free switch-in for Heatran, giving it more chances to attack if it comes in unscathed. Swampert is a reliable lead that has much more durability than Azelf, and it is also great for luring out Will-O-Wisps that provide Heatran with a free Flash Fire boost. Heatran also covers Swampert's weakness to Grass.</p>
<p>Paralysis support is also a decent option to consider, giving Heatran a much easier time in taking down opposing Pokémon who otherwise outspeed it. Celebi is a great candidate to take this role, as it can not only use Thunder Wave effectively, but it also provides Heatran with valuable resistances to Fighting, Water, and Ground. Finally, Choice Band Scizor also pairs well with this set as Bullet Punch can take out foes Heatran has weakened. Specifically, Scizor works great at taking out Salamence and weakened Gyarados which may have attempted to set up on Heatran.</p>
Choice Specs:
<p>Although mainly seen as a revenge killer, Choice Specs provides Heatran with quite a bit of destructive power. For example, even Blissey risks being 2HKOed by a Flash Fire-boosted Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage, and anything that doesn't resist Fire will be permanently destroyed. Between Fire Blast and Overheat, Fire Blast deals more damage over two turns with no Special Attack drop, while Overheats deals much more damage on the first turn and has slightly better accuracy.</p>
<p>As with other Choice users, prediction is required. Earth Power will OHKO opposing Heatran who may try to nab a free Flash Fire boost, while Hidden Power Grass will 2HKO the majority of Water-types. As such, using either move when initially switching in Heatran is a good idea to catch the opponent off guard. For the last slot, Dragon Pulse and Flamethrower are both decent options to consider. Dragon Pulse can be used to eliminate Latias, a common switch-in to Heatran, while Flamethrower deals consistent damage and also helps you sweep later in the game if you are using Overheat.</p>
<p>While not as much of a team supporter as the other Heatran sets, Choice Specs Heatran is worth considering as a high powered special sweeper, and will greatly benefit most teams. The Speed EVs allow you to outrun Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Metagross. Max Special Attack is a must to deal as much damage as possible. Running a +Speed nature can be considered at the risk of some crucial 2HKOes, such as those on bulkier Water-types.</p>
<p>This set, much like the Life Orb set, benefits from entry hazards to further weaken the opponent. Smeargle is a good choice to lay down both Spikes and Stealth Rock early in the game, also having access to Spore to cause further trouble for the opponent. At the very least, Stealth Rock should be used to guarantee a 2HKO on 4/0 Gyarados and Salamence; Spikes, in turn, will make it easier to land KOes on Blissey and Water-types like Suicune.</p>
<p>Individual Pokémon that pair well with this set are Rotom-A and Scizor. Rotom-A works well at taking out Water-types with its STAB Thunderbolt and respectable 105 base Special Attack stat, while Trick can be utilized to further incapacitate Blissey. Finally, Scizor is a great Pokémon to lure out Fire-type attacks which can nab Heatran a Flash Fire boost. Additionally, Scizor makes a great check to Latias, Salamence, and Gyarados, all three being threats this set must watch out for.</p>
Rest + Sleep Talk:
<p>While Heatran lacks any form of recovery outside of Rest and Sleep Talk, its large number of resistances and above average defenses make it an excellent status absorber and special wall. Typically, it would be better to choose a special sponge that had access to instant recovery, but Heatran is sturdy enough that it doesn't matter, and his huge Special Attack stat makes him a difficult wall to switch into. With Heatran's decent typing and good defenses it can easily take on special attackers such as Celebi, Rotom-A, Jirachi, Zapdos, and many others.</p>
<p>Lava Plume makes physical attackers think twice before switching in, as a 30% burn rate is nothing to scoff at. Fire Blast, on the other hand, carries significantly more raw power, and Sleep Talk makes Fire Blast's low PP a non-issue. However, since this is a defensive set, Lava Plume is still the primary option because it provides better team support. Earth Power has excellent coverage with Lava Plume, hitting Fire- and Rock-types who resist it.</p>
<p>A more offensive spin on the Rest + Sleep Talk set is achieved by changing to Timid nature, using an EV spread of 248 HP/ 36 SpA / 224 Spe, and giving Heatran a Life Orb. This outruns Adamant Heracross. This variation functions as a sweeper by giving Heatran back its monstrous Special Attack and decent Speed, and at the same time retaining the ability to shrug off status and heal itself. Note that Fire Blast should be used in this case, as the extra power is significant.</p>
<p>This set has trouble against Pokémon which resist the combination of Fire and Ground, which includes, but is not limited to, Latias, Salamence, and Gyarados. As such, Latias makes a decent partner to this set for its ability to take on all three of the noted Pokémon, to some extent. Particularly, the Choice Scarf set works best here, as it outpaces even Salamence and Gyarados with +1 Speed whle packing enough power to OHKO both. Latias will also benefit from Heatran's weaknesses to Ground and Fighting, often proving Latias with a free switch-in. Heatran, in return, can cover Scizor and Tyranitar, both common counters to Latias, with Lava Plume and Earth Power respectively.</p>
<p>Toxic Spikes support also works decently with this set to further make use of Heatran's durability. Mainly, Toxic Spikes should be considered to eliminate Water-types which wall this set entirely, while even allowing Heatran to outstall Blissey and cause havoc to Pokémon immune to Toxic Spikes with Lava Plume's 30% burn rate. Roserade is a good candidate for laying down Toxic Spikes which also packs a handy resist to Heatran's weakness to Water-type attacks.</p>
Burn Support:
<p>For physical attacking switch-ins, this Heatran is definitely not what they were expecting. Overall, the goal is to quickly set up Stealth Rock, while hopefully luring out a Salamence, Gyarados, or Tyranitar. Later in the battle, once you're sure they will switch in said physical attacking counter, you can cripple them with Will-O-Wisp, or Roar to chip away at your opponent's team with Stealth Rock and other entry hazards you may have placed.</p>
<p>Will-O-Wisp is an extremely effective move, and can seriously damage entire teams if used cleverly. Most Gyarados, Salamence, and Tyranitar usually have little worry when switching into an unsuspecting Heatran. Will-O-Wisp is a panacea for Heatran's worries, rendering your opponent's physical attacker nearly helpless, losing 12.5% of its HP every turn, and having a halved Attack stat.</p>
<p>With the given EVs, this Heatran is an especially effective Gengar check. Timid Life Orb Gengar's Focus Blast will never KO Heatran, even if Heatran switches into a Shadow Ball first. Meanwhile, Heatran will always OHKO 4 HP / 0 SpD Gengar with Overheat. With its high Special Defense, Heatran can even afford to take a Suicune's Surf and Roar it away to deal with later.</p>
<p>With Will-O-Wisp crippling the physical spectrum of sweepers, this set benefits from Pokémon which can set up on such Pokémon. Dragon Dance Gyarados is an extremely attractive choice to complement this set. Gyarados can come in on Ground- and Fighting-type attacks aimed at Heatran with little worry, while hopefully being able to set up Dragon Dance and sweep. Latias also works as a decent partner to this set, provided Lava Plume will likely burn Tyranitar making Pursuit a non-issue. Latias will also find itself being able to set up Calm Minds with ease due to its excellent resistances and increased durability against physical attackers. As an added bonus, Latias provides Heatran with a Fighting and Water-type resist along with a Ground immunity.</p>
<p>This set also benefits from entry hazards support to increase the effectivenessof Roar. As this set can take quite a bit of hits, you can afford to run more defensive Spikers alongside this set compared to others. Both Skarmory and Forretress are effectively options to take on this role. Specially Defensive Skarmory, in particular, can set up Spikes against most bulky Water-types with relative ease and can force them out with Whirlwind if they attempt to set up. Skarmory also provides Heatran with a reliable Latias counter, which walls this set completely and could care less about being burned.</p>
Taunt:
<p>Because of its reasonable bulk and plethora of resistances, Taunt Heatran can prevent your opponent from both setting up and inflicting nasty status attacks. Metal Sound is an effective way to beat Blissey (though if your team needs Stealth Rock support then that is a helpful option as well). Merely Taunt as they switch in Blissey, and then it will be unable to use Thunder Wave, Wish, Softboiled, or Protect. You can then Metal Sound them, making Fire Blast a clean 3HKO. Earth Power is for other Heatran, but you will have to catch them on the switch to avoid being taken out by Earth Power. Hidden Power Grass allows you to dent bulky Water-type counters after a Metal Sound. The ability to lure in and take out Blissey is vital to teams that have trouble with her, and the surprise value should not be underestimated. Taunt Heatran is easily as effective as the other sets, and is a dangerous threat in its own right.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this Heatran has to be a lot slower than the other builds to be effective. 380 HP allows Heatran to take 4 Seismic Tosses, even after Stealth Rock damage, and still survive with 1 HP left. This allows you to defeat any kind of Blissey, no matter what moveset they are running. The Special Attack is maximized for a high damage output. The remaining Speed EVs, coincidentally put you at 197, which outruns base 80s who lack Speed investment.</p>
<p>Eliminating opposing Water-types should be a main priority when running this set, as most are capable of dealing immediate damage to Heatran and don't care about being Taunted. Life Orb Starmie is a good choice to fill this role, as it can murder opposing Water-types with Thunderbolt coming off of a respectable base 100 Special Attack stat. Aside from covering Water-types, partners which can set up on Taunted opponents will also work wonders here. Swords Dance Scizor can set up on Latias without Hidden Power Fire with little to no trouble, provided it has some Special Defense investment, while Gyarados and Salamence can both Dragon Dance on Taunted Blissey. Suicune, on the other hand, can handle Taunted Salamence and Gyarados with Ice Beam and Hidden Power Electric respectively.</p>
Team Options:
<p>As with any other offensively oriented Pokémon, entry hazards support benefits Heatran's sweeping capabilities. Stealth Rock, in particular, is the most helpful out of the three types. For example, Stealth Rock gives Heatran a 75% chance of 2HKOing Naive/Rash Salamence with Fire Blast, very helpful if Heatran is Scarfed. Azelf and Swampert are both effective leads which can reliably set up Stealth Rock. Toxic Spikes can be considered to wear down Water-types which commonly try to wall Heatran, such as Swampert, Vaporeon, and Suicune. Roserade is an effective lead who can lay down Toxic Spikes while also shutting down slower leads without Lum Berry with Sleep Powder. Additionally, Roserade provides Heatran with a valuable Water resist. Finally, Spikes is helpful in further weakening grounded counters to Heatran, most notably Blissey and Water-types, but is not nearly as beneficial as Stealth Rock. Smeargle is a good option in laying down Spikes, particularly because Heatran can take on Azelf one-on-one.</p>
<p>Offensively speaking, partners to Heatran should aim to take out bulky Waters and to check Pokémon which can set up on Heatran's more common attacks. Celebi and Rotom-A are both excellent options in taking out Water-types. Both Celebi and Rotom-A pack STAB moves capable of hitting Water-types for super effective, while both also provide Heatran with a valuable Ground and Fighting resist. Additionally, Celebi also resists Water-type attacks commonly aimed at Heatran. In turn, Heatran provides Celebi and Rotom-A with a Dark and Ghost resist, while further providing the former with a resist to Bug and an immunity to Fire. Rotom-A and Celebi also make excellent checks to Lucario provided they outspeed it. Choice Band Scizor is a good partner which fulfills the second requirement. Scizor's Bullet Punch will KO Salamence after Stealth Rock and one turn of Life Orb recoil, Quick Attack can take down weakened Gyarados (albeit both Celebi and Rotom-A wall it as well), while both Bullet Punch and Pursuit keep Latias in check. Heatran also takes advantage of Scizor's weakness to Fire, possibly nabbing a free Flash Fire boost. On another note, Superpower can also eliminate Blissey, perhaps Heatran's #1 counter.</p>
<p>Defensively speaking, partners to Heatran should be able to switch into Ground-, Fighting-, and Water-type attacks. Luckily, OU is blessed with many Pokémon that either resist or are immune to all three types of attacks. As such, Salamence, Gyarados, and Latias all make excellent defensive partners to this set. Salamence and Gyarados can easily set up Dragon Dance and proceed to wreak havoc on the opponent's team, which might even create a hole in the opponent's team for Heatran to sweep. Latias can wreak havoc on the Special side of the spectrum, setting up Calm Mind and obliterating any Water-type who tries to wall Heatran. If carrying Refresh, Latias can even beat Blissey one-on-one.</p>
<p>The single most common teammate you will find for any of the counters repeatedly mentioned in the analysis is Scizor. Heatran itself reliably counters opposing Scizor, as long as you avoid switching into Superpower. There aren't any other threatening teammates you are likely to encounter that hasn't been mentioned thus far. If facing Blissey, common teammates you are likely to encounter are Forretress, Skarmory, and Gyarados. A Dragon Dance Salamence has access to Fire Blast to hit any Steel-types expecting to wall it, and a +1 Life Orb Outrage can KO even the most defensive of Gyarados after Stealth Rock damage. Salamence's Classic MixMence set works in much the same way, but requires no set-up, little prediction, and it also has access to Roost, which is important if you plan on switching in repeatedly. Heatran can also beat Forretress and Skarmory on its own.</p>
Other Options:
<p>Hidden Power Electric can be used to nab a surprise kill on Gyarados, especially if they suspect you are Choiced. Hidden Power Rock gets 2HKOes on both Gyarados and Salamence while also hitting opposing Heatran for neutral, easing prediction on Choiced sets. However, running either will leave you completely walled by Swampert. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast on most sets if you prefer accuracy at the cost of some important KOes. Magma Storm, Heatran's signature move, can be used to trap Blissey and subsequently KO with Explosion, but is not a recommended option otherwise due to its shaky 70% accuracy. Dragon Pulse is an option on sets other than Choice Scarf to hit Kingdra, Latias, and Salamence for super effective while also maintaining neutrality on Gyarados and other Water-types. As far as items go, Shed Shell can be used to escape Dugtrio and Magnezone's clutches while a Salac Berry can be used on Substitute sets to gain a Speed boost and possibly sweep.</p>
<p>Do not be tempted to use moves like Dark Pulse, Flash Cannon, and AncientPower. Their type coverage is poor, and Heatran's Fire Blast will hit for the same or greater damage on nearly everything in OU.</p>
EVs:
<p>Always maximize Heatran's Special Attack unless you are running a defensive set. Then decide what you would like to outrun. 128 EVs and a Modest nature beats Adamant Tyranitar. Modest and 216 EVs beats Jolly Tyranitar and Adamant Metagross. On the Scarf set, just maximize Speed. You don't want to lose a speed tie with another Scarftran if it comes down to it.</p>
Opinion:
<p>Heatran is the anti-metagame Pokemon, capable of keeping top threats such as Scizor, Lucario, Infernape, and Salamence in check. With the ability to counter some of the biggest threats in the game and being neutral to Stealth Rock, he is far beyond the level of any other Fire-type in Pokemon. The secondary Steel typing gives him a lot of good resistances, and Flash Fire allows him to take on his fellow Fire-types quite easily. While the weaknesses to extremely common moves such as Earthquake, Surf, and Close Combat hinder its walling potential, its ability as a defensive Pokemon should not be overlooked. With decent defensive typing and one of the highest Special Attack stats in the Overused tier, Heatran should not be underestimated.</p>
<p>Heatran will be seen on a lot of teams, so be prepared for it. It's a sturdy tank, a great team player, and a frightening sweeper. His frequent presence near the top of the usage list is for a good reason, and if your team is not prepared to deal with it then you cannot expect to have a healthy winning record.</p>
Counters:
<p>Bulky Waters such as Milotic, Suicune, Slowking, Tentacruel, Vaporeon, and Swampert can counter Heatran quite effectively, but Specs boosted Hidden Power Grass and Earth Power can take them down. Suicune is the best of these, as its high defenses allow it to take an Explosion as well as most Special Attacks, it is faster than the defensive Heatran sets, and its Pressure forces Heatran to watch its remaining Fire Blast PP. Gyarados can handle Heatran on occasion, but Stealth Rock, potential burns, and the occasional Hidden Power Electric are a nuisance. Porygon2 is an interesting counter. It traces Flash Fire and isn't weak to any other moves. Porygon2 can then paralyze Heatran and wear it down with Thunderbolt, using Recover as necessary. Latias and Kingdra can come in on Heatran and set up unless they switch into a Dragon Pulse.</p>
<p>Blissey is a fairly good counter to Heatran, provided she has some means of hitting it. With the increase in Fire-type attacks thanks to Scizor, getting a Flash Fire boost is easier, which means Blissey might have to take boosted Fire-type attacks. Explosion also gets rid of Blissey, but at the cost of Heatran's own life. Heatran counters itself as long as it doesn't come into Earth Power. Adamant Choice Scarf Dugtrio can trap and KO Heatran no matter the set, and Magnezone does the same if Heatran is locked into a Hidden Power or Dragon Pulse.</p>
<p>Snorlax can come into Heatran with relative impunity thanks to Thick Fat and canthreaten it back with Earthquake. Hariyama does the same, but uses Fighting-type attacks instead. Like Blissey, both will fall to Explosion. A Careful Tyranitar can shrug off any hits not boosted by Choice Specs, even Earth Power, which barely 4HKOes.</p>
<p>Out of all the sets, Choice Scarf Heatran is the one you are most likely to encounter. Take advantage of this fact when you decide what to switch in.</p>
I will get to work on this later in the week. Mainly just wanted to post for activity.
