Lugia

haxiom

haxiom

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Lugia
lugia.gif


[QC 3/3] -- Sweep / Nayrz / WreckDra
[GP 2/2] -- GatoDelFuego / Snobalt

[OVERVIEW]

Lugia has amazing defensive stats, access to reliable recovery, and a fantastic ability in Multiscale, which make it a defensive monster in Ubers. Lugia has an unusually high base Speed of 110 for a defensive Pokemon, which allows it to outspeed many opposing Pokemon and Roost before they can attack with only a little investment, if any. Lugia also has a wide support movepool and enough room in its four moveslots for its set to be specifically tailored to better deal with a threat. Unfortunately, Lugia necessitates additional entry hazard control and cleric support to keep Multiscale intact and to continue to be able to check powerful physical threats. Additionally, a lack of offensive presence makes Lugia susceptible to Taunt and unable to keep momentum for more offensive teams. As such, Lugia is relatively one-dimensional in spite of its movepool, as it fulfills only one role and can only fit on stall and a few balanced teams.

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Roost
move 2: Whirlwind
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Ice Beam / Reflect
item: Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Bold

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Roost provides reliable recovery for Lugia, allowing it to consistently stay healthy and keep Multiscale intact. Whirlwind phazes setup sweepers, preventing them from overwhelming Lugia with repeated boosted hits. Toxic is Lugia's main way of dealing damage and allows it to wear down threats such as Primal Groudon. Ice Beam circumvents Taunt and hits Mega Salamence for doubly super effective damage, which is especially important against Refresh Mega Salamence if it is the last Pokemon on the opposing team. Reflect helps Lugia wall foes reliably, even when Multiscale is not intact; it also provides support for Lugia's teammates, though this is not the primary purpose of Reflect. Dragon Tail can be used over Whirlwind, as it bypasses Taunt at the cost of not being able to hit Fairy-types.

Set Details
========

252 HP EVs give Lugia maximum mixed bulk while also giving Lugia an HP value that is divisible by 16, which increases Leftovers recovery. 252 Defense EVs with a Bold nature help Lugia consistently take hits from the physical attackers in Ubers. Alternate Speed benchmarks include moving 96 Defense EVs to Speed to outspeed neutral-natured, fully invested base 90 Speed, while 136 Speed EVs allow Lugia to outspeed 252 Speed Adamant Rayquaza. Multiscale halves the damage that Lugia takes while at full HP, which lets Lugia take boosted hits from strong attackers relatively well. Leftovers provides nice passive recovery in addition to Roost.

Usage Tips
========

It is very important to keep Multiscale intact by using Roost, avoiding burns and Toxic, and clearing Stealth Rock; however, it should be noted that keeping entry hazards on the opponent's side will greatly increase the effectiveness of Lugia's phazing. Generally, switch Lugia into almost any physical attacker and proceed to spread Toxic, use Roost if Lugia is in danger of being overwhelmed, and phaze setup sweepers with Whirlwind. Make sure to use Toxic first before phazing a setup sweeper that cannot 2HKO Lugia, with the exception of a potential Geomancy Xerneas, which should be phazed immediately with Whirlwind. Toxic is generally the more effective way for Lugia to deal damage, but Ice Beam should be used on predicted Taunts and against some Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence and Rayquaza. When the opponent has a strong switch-in for Lugia, especially one that can take advantage of a switching opportunity such as Mega Gengar or Klefki, double switching can keep momentum and prevent these Pokemon from taking advantage of the opportunity.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard control is extremely important to keep Multiscale intact, so Defog Arceus formes, Latias, Latios, and Rapid Spin Excadrill make for good partners. Pokemon with Magic Bounce can also help keep away Stealth Rock, so Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie pair well with Lugia; they also serve as status absorbers by bouncing back status moves. Other status absorbers that can switch into status moves, such as RestTalk Primal Kyogre and Refresh Arceus, are good teammates. Additionally, Steel- and Poison-types can switch into Toxic, while Fire-types can absorb burns. Instead of absorbing status, cleric support from the likes of Clefable, Blissey, Mega Diancie, and Xerneas can remove status conditions that weaken Lugia. Lugia also appreciates Spikes support from Ferrothorn and Klefki, as Spikes synergizes well with Lugia's walling capabilities and Whirlwind by punishing switches; however, because of Lugia's inability to keep momentum through offensive pressure, suicide entry hazard setters such as the Deoxys formes are not good partners. Pursuit users such as Tyranitar and Aegislash can trap Mega Gengar, which threatens to Taunt and remove Lugia. Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon can take advantage of the Steel-types that frequently switch into Lugia.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Lugia can opt for Thunder Wave as an alternate status move, as it cripples fast threats such as Mewtwo and Xerneas, but Lugia will have difficulty dealing damage without Toxic. Substitute can be used to block status moves and stall out Toxic while also forcing the foe to try to break the Substitute. Aeroblast is a stronger move than Ice Beam in general, but it does not hit anything in particular and has low PP. Psyshock is another usable STAB move that hits Mega Gengar super effectively.

Checks & Counters
===================

**Toxic**: Toxic cripples Lugia and renders it unable to wall the physical threats that it is supposed to counter. Because Toxic damage occurs at the end of each turn, Lugia must repeatedly Roost to keep Multiscale intact and loses most of the staying power it needs to stall out a foe.

**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock breaks Lugia's Multiscale, leaving Lugia susceptible to being 2HKOed by a strong attack if it tries to switch in with Stealth Rock up. Lugia can also be overwhelmed much more easily, as it is forced to Roost more often when it takes 25% damage upon switching in.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types completely wall Lugia because they are immune to Toxic and resist all of Lugia's common attacks. Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory can all set up Spikes against Lugia; Klefki is also able to hit Lugia with Toxic. Dialga can also set up Stealth Rock and use Toxic on Lugia.

**Magic Bounce**: Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie can both bounce back Whirlwind and Toxic thanks to Magic Bounce. In return, Mega Sableye can Taunt Lugia and burn it with Will-O-Wisp while easily shrugging off any damage dealt by Lugia with Recover. Mega Diancie can set up Calm Mind and overwhelm Lugia, or hit it with a super effective Diamond Storm, though Lugia will not be beaten by repeated Diamond Storms; Mega Diancie is also immune to Dragon Tail.

**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can come in on Lugia and use Taunt, preventing Lugia from using Recover or Whirlwind. It can then KO Lugia by repeatedly using Shadow Ball, while Lugia is unable to switch because of Shadow Tag. Mega Gengar can also remove Lugia with Perish Song. However, Dragon Tail will force out Mega Gengar in spite of Taunt, and Psyshock easily 2HKOes it.

**Taunt**: Lugia's reliance on Toxic to deal damage makes it bait for Taunt. Ice Beam is not very strong against most neutral foes, so when Lugia is hit by Taunt, it is usually forced out, as otherwise an opposing setup sweeper could use the Taunt as an opportunity to set up for free. Dragon Tail will bypass Taunt in this situation, however.

**Arceus Formes with a Type Advantage**: Arceus formes that have a type advantage can beat Lugia, although not very efficiently. These include Dark, Electric, Ghost, Ice, and Rock Arceus. Calm Mind variants fare especially well against Lugia because they can set up and beat Lugia with repeated boosted Judgments, though they absolutely hate Toxic and can be phazed by Whirlwind. Dark Arceus is particularly dangerous because it has Refresh to clear Toxic.

**Teravolt and Turboblaze**: Teravolt and Turboblaze bypass Multiscale, so Zekrom and Kyurem-W can ignore Lugia's ability and OHKO or 2HKO it with Bolt Strike or Ice Beam, respectively.
 
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Not QC, but a friendly reminder that Kyurem-W should be grouped with Zekrom in C&C because it also bypasses Multiscale and can murder Lugia with Ice Beam :)
 
Reflect and that spread really don't sit right with me for some reason, I will go on a calcing frenzy tomorrow when I am not too tired to think just to see if my suspicions can be justified. Don't think I am ignoring this, I just don't know enough about these two elements of this analysis to make a good QC post yet.
 
Remove "Remaining 4 EVs are placed in SpD, as it offers a slight buffer against special attacks," filler.

Expand on usage tips a bit. Briefly mention when attacking with Ice Beam is a good idea (dragons / when you expect something like Mewtwo to Taunt) and definitely talk about doubling out of this when your opponent has a Klefki, evolved Mega Gengar, etc.

Mention Electric and Ice Arceus in Checks & Counters, they're JUST relevant enough to worth mentioning (the latter is anyway). Also CM Rock Arceus is an ass to Lugia.

QC 1/3 x D
 
In Usage Tips, if you could talk about what to do against the big 3-4 set up sweepers instead of just saying "kick them out with whirlwind", that would be huge, since we have seen even us UPL players use Lugia wrong in this regard. The first three are pretty much the same and can be condensed into one statement I feel: Groudon you Toxic then Whirlwind since it needs 3 boosts (RP and 2 SDs) to even dream of beating Lugia at Multiscale. E-Killer is the same story only it needs +4 with Stone Edge and +6 with Shadow Claw. Mega Mence you Toxic then begin using Ice Beam or Toxic then switch to your refresh mence check if using Reflect. Xerneas gets kicked out immediately if you suspect geoxern or it has already used Geomancy against a team with a Lugia at Scale for some reason. The big 3 physical ones need to Toxiced in order for Lugia's encounter with them to be worth while, though. Also tag along a line that says it is OK to statically WW if 1) Lugia is not at scale and could be 2HKOed, 2) The sweeper 2hits Lugia with the boosts it has. I know this seems like a lot for a little detail, so condense it how you will (it can be condensed massively), but I feel it is important. I am also tired of seeing myself and many others misplay Lugia by just statically clicking WW when actual work could be done to the set up sweeper.

In Team Options, a statement about NOT using suicide leads alongside Lugiafor spikes is a good idea, because Lugia is very easy to Defog on once, multiple is harder though due to the Defog user being Poisoned by it. Your examples are good, just make sure the reader knows not to use suicide hazard setters. I guess an alternate way of saying this is by adding Entry Hazard users that can set their respective hazards up multiple times since it also excludes the suicider leads. This will hopefully help with the HO team + Lugia syndrome the ladder has sometimes.

In C&C mention how most Calm Mind Arceus formes hate the Toxic Lugia spits at them, typing advantage or not. Yu are trading your lugia for ruining a sweeper, i think its a good trade in some scenarios. You did good to mention Dark Arceus as the biggest threat though.

I could stamp this now, but I would like to see how the usage tips suggestions are implemented first, I am sure you will do a good job though.
 
I guess the phrase could just be condensed into: "Make sure to use Toxic on set up sweepers that can't 2HKO Lugia in there current state, and then Whirlwind" with the Xerneas exception oc. Sorry, I was a bit scatter brained last night. I hope my above explanation makes sense though.

You can also put rule #1 in actual concrete wording if you want even though it is implied throughout the analysis:

Rule #1 when using Lugia: When in doubt against any physical attacker not named Zekrom, go to Lugia.

haxiom
 
WreckDra

Okay, I condensed it further, I also have added something like "generally switch into almost all physical attackers and proceed to..." if that works for the second point.
 
haxiom

REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS

[OVERVIEW]

Lugia has a combination of amazing defensive stats, access to reliable recovery, and a fantastic ability, (RC) in normally wouldn't do this but it makes the commas much better Multiscale, which make it a defensive monster in Ubers. Lugia has an unusually high base Speed of 110 for a defensive Pokemon, which allows it to outspeed many opposing Pokemon and Roost before they can attack with only a little investment if at all. Lugia also has a wide support movepool and enough room in its four moveslots for its set to be specifically tailored to better deal with a threat. Unfortunately, Lugia necessitates additional entry hazard control and cleric support to keep Multiscale intact and to continue to be able to check powerful physical threats. Additionally, a lack of offensive presence makes Lugia susceptible to Taunt and unable to keep momentum for more offensive builds. As such, Lugia is relatively one-dimensional in spite of its movepool, as it fulfills only one role and can only fit on stall and a few balanced builds. This is probably one of the best overviews I've seen. Keep up the good work mang, your analyses are top :)

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Roost
move 2: Whirlwind
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Ice Beam / Reflect
item: Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Bold

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Roost provides reliable recovery for Lugia, allowing it to consistently keep healthy with Multiscale intact. Whirlwind phazes setup sweepers, preventing them from overwhelming Lugia with repeated boosted hits. Toxic is Lugia's main way of dealing damage and allows it to wear down threats such as Primal Groudon. Ice Beam circumvents Taunt and hits Mega Salamence for 4x super effective damage, which is especially important against Refresh Mega Salamence if it is the last Pokemon on the opposing team. Reflect helps Lugia wall things foes reliably, even when Multiscale is not intact; it also provides support for Lugia's teammates, though this is not the primary purpose of Reflect. Dragon Tail can be used over Whirlwind, as it bypasses Taunt at the cost of not being able to hit Fairy-types.

Set Details
========

252 HP EVs give Lugia maximum mixed bulk, while also giving Lugia an HP value that is divisible by 16, which increases Leftovers recovery. 252 Defense EVs with a Bold nature help Lugia consistently take hits from the physical attackers in Ubers. Alternate Speed benchmarks include moving 96 Defense EVs to Speed to outspeed neutral-natured max Speed base 90s, while moving 136 Speed EVs allows Lugia to outspeed 252 Speed Adamant Rayquaza. Multiscale is the ability of choice, as it halves the damage that Lugia takes from while at full HP which lets Lugia take boosted hits from strong attackers relatively well. Leftovers provides nice passive recovery in addition to Roost.

Usage Tips
========

It is very important to keep Multiscale intact by using Roost to keep healthy, avoiding burns and Toxic, and clearing Stealth Rock; however, it should be noted that keeping entry hazards on the opponent's side will greatly increase the effectiveness of Lugia's phazing. Generally, switch Lugia into almost all any physical attackers and proceed to spread Toxic, use Roost if Lugia is in danger of being overwhelmed, and phaze setup sweepers with Whirlwind. Make sure to use Toxic first before phazing a setup sweeper that cannot 2HKO Lugia, with the exception of a potential Geomancy Xerneas which should be phazed immediately with Whirlwind. Toxic is generally the more effective way for Lugia to deal damage, but Ice Beam should be used on predicted Taunts and against some Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence and Rayquaza. When the opponent has a strong switch-in for Lugia, especially one that can take advantage of a switching opportunity such as Mega Gengar or Klefki, double switching can keep momentum and prevent these Pokemon from taking advantage of the opportunity.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard It's good to say 'entry hazards' once per paragraph (that's the rule I use at least), but then from there I usually don't change anything :> control is extremely important to keep Multiscale intact, so Defog Arceus formes, Latias, Latios, and Rapid Spin Excadrill make for good partners. Pokemon with Magic Bounce can also help keep away Stealth Rock, so Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie pair well with Lugia; they also serve as status absorbers by bouncing back status moves. Other status absorbers that can switch into status moves such as RestTalk Primal Kyogre and Refresh Arceus are good teammates. Additionally, Steel- and Poison-types can switch into Toxic, while Fire-types can absorb burns. Instead of absorbing status, cleric support from the likes of Clefable, Blissey, Mega Diancie, and Xerneas can remove status conditions that weaken Lugia. Lugia also appreciates Spikes support from Ferrothorn and Klefki, as Spikes synergize well with Lugia's walling capabilities in addition to and very subjective but I think that the space between 'walling capabilities and 'Whirlwind' should be as small as possible to avoid associating just Whirlwind with 'punishing switches' Whirlwind by punishing switches; however, because of Lugia's inability to keep momentum through offensive pressure, suicide entry hazard setters such as Deoxys formes are not good partners. Pursuit users such as Tyranitar and Aegislash can trap Mega Gengar which threatens to Taunt and remove Lugia. Finally, Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon can take advantage of the Steel-types that frequently switch into Lugia.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Lugia can opt for Thunder Wave as an alternate status move, as it cripples fast threats like such as Mewtwo and Xerneas, but Lugia will have difficulty dealing damage without Toxic. Substitute can be used to block status and stall out Toxic, while also forcing the opponent to try to break the Substitute. Aeroblast is a stronger move than Ice Beam in general, but it does not hit anything in particular and has low PP. Psyshock is another usable STAB move that hits Mega Gengar super effectively.

Checks & Counters
===================

**Toxic**: Toxic cripples Lugia and renders it unable to wall the physical threats that it is supposed to counter. Because of the Toxic damage which occurs at the end of each turn, Lugia must repeatedly Roost to keep Multiscale intact and loses much most p subjective really this is just my personal taste of words take this change the lightest you can of the staying power it needs to stall out a foe.

**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock breaks Lugia's Multiscale upon switching in, atm this seems to be 'Stealth Rock...switching in' while Lugia is switching in, but more importantly this is redundant with the end of the sentence, which imo captures the idea much better leaving it Lugia susceptible to being 2HKOed by a strong attack if it tries to switch in with Stealth Rock up. It Lugia can also be overwhelmed much more easily, as it is forced to Roost more often when it takes 25% damage upon switching in.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types completely wall Lugia, (RC) because they are immune to Toxic and resist all of Lugia's common attacks. Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory can all also set up Spikes against Lugia; (SC) while I make this because of the while/wheras 'problem' Klefki is also able to Toxic Lugia. Dialga can set up Stealth Rock and Toxic Lugia.

**Magic Bounce**: Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie can both bounce back Whirlwind and Toxic by virtue of their ability, Magic Bounce. In return, Mega Sableye can Taunt Lugia and burn it with Will-O-Wisp, (RC) while easily shrugging off any damage dealt by Lugia with Recover. Mega Diancie can set up Calm Mind and overwhelm Lugia, or hit it with a super effective Diamond Storm, though Lugia will not be beaten by repeated Diamond Storms; Mega Diancie is also immune to Dragon Tail.

**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can come in on Lugia and use Taunt, preventing Lugia from using Recover or Whirlwind. It can then KO Lugia by repeatedly using Shadow Ball, while Lugia is unable to switch because of Shadow Tag. Mega Gengar can also remove Lugia with Perish Song. However, Dragon Tail will force out Mega Gengar in spite of Taunt, and Psyshock easily 2HKOes it.

**Taunt**: Lugia's reliance on Toxic to deal damage makes it bait for Taunt. Ice Beam is not very strong against most neutral foes, so when Lugia is hit by Taunt, it is usually forced out, (AC) as otherwise, (RC) an opposing setup sweeper could use the Taunt as an opportunity to set up for free. Dragon Tail will bypass Taunt in this situation, however.

**Arceus Formes with a Type Advantage**: Arceus formes that have a type advantage can beat Lugia, although not very efficiently. These include Dark, Electric, Ghost, Ice, and Rock Arceus. Calm Mind variants fare especially well against Lugia because they can set up and beat Lugia with repeated boosted Judgments, though they absolutely hate Toxic and can be phazed by Whirlwind. Dark Arceus is particularly dangerous, (RC) because it has Refresh to clear Toxic.

**Teravolt and Turboblaze**: The abilities imo Teravolt and Turboblaze bypass Multiscale, so Zekrom and Kyurem-W can ignore Lugia's ability and OHKO or 2HKO it with Bolt Strike or Ice Beam respectively.
gato

1/2

awesome work
 
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[OVERVIEW]

Lugia has a combination of amazing defensive stats, access to reliable recovery, and a fantastic ability in Multiscale, which make it a defensive monster in Ubers. Lugia has an unusually high base Speed of 110 for a defensive Pokemon, which allows it to outspeed many opposing Pokemon and Roost before they can attack with only a little investment, (AC) if at all any. Lugia also has a wide support movepool and enough room in its four moveslots for its set to be specifically tailored to better deal with a threat. Unfortunately, Lugia necessitates additional entry hazard control and cleric support to keep Multiscale intact and to continue to be able to check powerful physical threats. Additionally, a lack of offensive presence makes Lugia susceptible to Taunt and unable to keep momentum for more offensive builds teams. As such, Lugia is relatively one-dimensional in spite of its movepool, as it fulfills only one role and can only fit on stall and a few balanced builds teams.

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Roost
move 2: Whirlwind
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Ice Beam / Reflect
item: Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Bold

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Roost provides reliable recovery for Lugia, allowing it to consistently keep stay healthy with and keep Multiscale intact. Whirlwind phazes setup sweepers, preventing them from overwhelming Lugia with repeated boosted hits. Toxic is Lugia's main way of dealing damage and allows it to wear down threats such as Primal Groudon. Ice Beam circumvents Taunt and hits Mega Salamence for 4x doubly super effective damage, which is especially important against Refresh Mega Salamence if it is the last Pokemon on the opposing team. Reflect helps Lugia wall foes reliably, even when Multiscale is not intact; it also provides support for Lugia's teammates, though this is not the primary purpose of Reflect. Dragon Tail can be used over Whirlwind, as it bypasses Taunt at the cost of not being able to hit Fairy-types.

Set Details
========

252 HP EVs give Lugia maximum mixed bulk, (RC) while also giving Lugia an HP value that is divisible by 16, which increases Leftovers recovery. 252 Defense EVs with a Bold nature help Lugia consistently take hits from the physical attackers in Ubers. Alternate Speed benchmarks include moving 96 Defense EVs to Speed to outspeed neutral-natured, fully invested max Speed base 90s 90 Speed, while moving 136 Speed EVs allows Lugia to outspeed 252 Speed Adamant Rayquaza. Multiscale is the ability of choice, as it halves the damage that Lugia takes while at full HP, (AC) which lets Lugia take boosted hits from strong attackers relatively well. Leftovers provides nice passive recovery in addition to Roost.

Usage Tips
========

It is very important to keep Multiscale intact by using Roost, avoiding burns and Toxic, and clearing Stealth Rock; however, it should be noted that keeping entry hazards on the opponent's side will greatly increase the effectiveness of Lugia's phazing. Generally, switch Lugia into almost any physical attacker and proceed to spread Toxic, use Roost if Lugia is in danger of being overwhelmed, and phaze setup sweepers with Whirlwind. Make sure to use Toxic first before phazing a setup sweeper that cannot 2HKO Lugia, with the exception of a potential Geomancy Xerneas, (AC) which should be phazed immediately with Whirlwind. Toxic is generally the more effective way for Lugia to deal damage, but Ice Beam should be used on predicted Taunts and against some Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence and Rayquaza. When the opponent has a strong switch-in for Lugia, especially one that can take advantage of a switching opportunity such as Mega Gengar or Klefki, double switching can keep momentum and prevent these Pokemon from taking advantage of the opportunity.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard control is extremely important to keep Multiscale intact, so Defog Arceus formes, Latias, Latios, and Rapid Spin Excadrill make for good partners. Pokemon with Magic Bounce can also help keep away Stealth Rock, so Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie pair well with Lugia; they also serve as status absorbers by bouncing back status moves. Other status absorbers that can switch into status moves, (AC) such as RestTalk Primal Kyogre and Refresh Arceus, (AC) (added these b/c P-Ogre and Arceus are not status moves) are good teammates. Additionally, Steel- and Poison-types can switch into Toxic, while Fire-types can absorb burns. Instead of absorbing status, cleric support from the likes of Clefable, Blissey, Mega Diancie, and Xerneas can remove status conditions that weaken Lugia. Lugia also appreciates Spikes support from Ferrothorn and Klefki, as Spikes synergizes (strange as it may seem, Spikes is singular) well with Lugia's walling capabilities and Whirlwind by punishing switches; however, because of Lugia's inability to keep momentum through offensive pressure, suicide entry hazard setters such as the Deoxys formes are not good partners. Pursuit users such as Tyranitar and Aegislash can trap Mega Gengar, (AC) which threatens to Taunt and remove Lugia. Finally, Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon can take advantage of the Steel-types that frequently switch into Lugia.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Lugia can opt for Thunder Wave as an alternate status move, as it cripples fast threats such as Mewtwo and Xerneas, but Lugia will have difficulty dealing damage without Toxic. Substitute can be used to block status moves and stall out Toxic, (RC) while also forcing the opponent foe to try to break the Substitute. Aeroblast is a stronger move than Ice Beam in general, but it does not hit anything in particular and has low PP. Psyshock is another usable STAB move that hits Mega Gengar super effectively.

Checks & Counters
===================

**Toxic**: Toxic cripples Lugia and renders it unable to wall the physical threats that it is supposed to counter. Because Toxic damage occurs at the end of each turn, Lugia must repeatedly Roost to keep Multiscale intact and loses most of the staying power it needs to stall out a foe.

**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock breaks Lugia's Multiscale, leaving Lugia susceptible to being 2HKOed by a strong attack if it tries to switch in with Stealth Rock up. Lugia can also be overwhelmed much more easily, as it is forced to Roost more often when it takes 25% damage upon switching in.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types completely wall Lugia because they are immune to Toxic and resist all of Lugia's common attacks. Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory can all also set up Spikes against Lugia; Klefki is also able to Toxic hit Lugia with Toxic. Dialga can also set up Stealth Rock and use Toxic on Lugia.

**Magic Bounce**: Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie can both bounce back Whirlwind and Toxic by virtue of their ability, thanks to Magic Bounce. In return, Mega Sableye can Taunt Lugia and burn it with Will-O-Wisp while easily shrugging off any damage dealt by Lugia with Recover. Mega Diancie can set up Calm Mind and overwhelm Lugia, or hit it with a super effective Diamond Storm, though Lugia will not be beaten by repeated Diamond Storms; Mega Diancie is also immune to Dragon Tail.

**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can come in on Lugia and use Taunt, preventing Lugia from using Recover or Whirlwind. It can then KO Lugia by repeatedly using Shadow Ball, while Lugia is unable to switch because of Shadow Tag. Mega Gengar can also remove Lugia with Perish Song. However, Dragon Tail will force out Mega Gengar in spite of Taunt, and Psyshock easily 2HKOes it.

**Taunt**: Lugia's reliance on Toxic to deal damage makes it bait for Taunt. Ice Beam is not very strong against most neutral foes, so when Lugia is hit by Taunt, it is usually forced out, as otherwise an opposing setup sweeper could use the Taunt as an opportunity to set up for free. Dragon Tail will bypass Taunt in this situation, however.

**Arceus Formes with a Type Advantage**: Arceus formes that have a type advantage can beat Lugia, although not very efficiently. These include Dark, Electric, Ghost, Ice, and Rock Arceus. Calm Mind variants fare especially well against Lugia because they can set up and beat Lugia with repeated boosted Judgments, though they absolutely hate Toxic and can be phazed by Whirlwind. Dark Arceus is particularly dangerous because it has Refresh to clear Toxic.

**Teravolt and Turboblaze**: Teravolt and Turboblaze bypass Multiscale, so Zekrom and Kyurem-W can ignore Lugia's ability and OHKO or 2HKO it with Bolt Strike or Ice Beam, (AC) respectively.
GP 2/2
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