[OVERVIEW]
Lycanroc is a decent suicide lead in the NU metagame due to its above average Speed and access to a multitude of useful utility options such as Stealth Rock, Endeavor, and Taunt. In addition, Lycanroc's STAB Stone Edge is super effective against the only Magic Bounce user in NU, Xatu, further ensuring that Stealth Rock is safely set up without much fear of it being bounced back. Lycanroc is also considerably fast and is thus able to Taunt Defog users such as Rotom and Decidueye, preventing them from removing Stealth Rock. However, Lycanroc has an extremely poor matchup against Ground-types such as Steelix and Rhydon, both of which threaten to KO it, and it has to worry about taking a massive hit if these Ground-types end up attacking it as Lycanroc goes for Taunt to try and prevent the opposing team from setting their own Stealth Rock. Lycanroc also faces competition from Archeops as a Stealth Rock suicide lead, which, while slightly slower, has access to Head Smash to KO itself and bring in a teammate for free, gaining momentum in the process. Lastly, the metagame prefers not only bulkier playstyles but bulkier entry hazard setters as well, such as Torterra and Steelix, which can more reliably set up Stealth Rock over the course of the battle. Lycanroc also doesn't fit on many types of teams, only fitting on considerably niche hyper offense teams.
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Focus Sash
ability: Steadfast
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Access to a fast Stealth Rock is one the primary reasons why lead Lycanroc works. Due to its general frailty in combination with its Focus Sash, Lycanroc can utilize Endeavor to bring foes down to one HP that could otherwise eat a Stone Edge such as Steelix and Rhydon. Lycanroc's access to a fast Endeavor also separates it from other leads such as Aerodactyl and Smeargle. Taunt shuts down slower opposing entry hazard setters such as Diancie and Rhydon. Stone Edge is Lycanroc's strongest STAB attacking option, nailing top-tier threats such as Incineroar and Braviary. Conversely, Accelerock is not overly strong but has +1 priority, working better than Stone Edge in tandem with Endeavor, notably picking off Rock-weak Choice Scarf users such as Vanilluxe and Delphox. However, Lycanroc is already faster than most foes, and Accelerock is considerably weaker. Running Accelerock also means that Lycanroc can no longer beat Xatu one-on-one.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed EVs alongside a Naive nature allow Lycanroc to outspeed a large portion of the metagame. While typical suicide leads opt for maximum HP investment, Lycanroc wants its defensive stats as low as possible to ideally get the foe down to one HP with Endeavor. This is the reasoning behind having Lycanroc's HP, Defense, and Special Defense IVs being lowered to zero. The remaining EVs have nowhere else to go except to be invested into Attack to make Stone Edge or Accelerock even stronger. Focus Sash ensures that Lycanroc will survive any single hit, allowing it to adequately perform the role of a suicide lead and get Stealth Rock up at all costs. While all of Lycanroc's abilities are incredibly niche, Steadfast is by far the best option to deal with Fake Out users such as Ambipom that try to prematurely nullify its Focus Sash.
Usage Tips
========
Lycanroc's main goal is to set up Stealth Rock turn one, leaving its teammates with the job to put enough offensive pressure on the opposing team to prevent them from removing entry hazards. Waiting until later to set up Stealth Rock may end up breaking Lycanroc's Focus Sash if the opposing team puts up their own entry hazards. Lycanroc is incredibly frail, so in most instances letting it faint is more optimal than trying to preserve it after Lycanroc takes a major hit. There isn't going to be much of an opportunity to set Stealth Rock back up again with Lycanroc at such low health anyway. Purposefully letting Lycanroc faint conserves momentum by enabling whatever teammate needed to switch in without fear of taking damage or becoming induced with status. If Lycanroc has its Focus Sash still intact and you predict a non-attacking move, use Taunt. Potentially shutting down the foe from setting entry hazards or inflicting a status ailment is more important than immediately setting Stealth Rock, considering that even in the worst possible scenario, Lycanroc is brought down to one HP and sets up Stealth Rock on the second turn. If Lycanroc can keep its Focus Sash intact after setting up Stealth Rock, it can be switched out and change roles from a suicide lead to a revenge killer. Xatu can bounce back Stealth Rock with its ability Magic Bounce, so if it appears at Team Preview and you predict it switching in, use Stone Edge to KO it. Endeavor is the primary reason to use Lycanroc over Aerodactyl, so once it has taken a sizable hit, Lycanroc should try to make use of this move by heavily wearing down its checks such as Rhydon and Steelix.
Team Options
========
Offensive Pokemon that can force switches and gain momentum such as Passimian, Whimsicott, and Heliolisk make great partners, as they all appreciate the residual damage that Stealth Rock does. In particular, these Pokemon enjoy being brought in immediately after Lycanroc goes down, as Passimian has a great matchup against Steel-types, Whimsicott against Fighting- and Ground-types, and lastly Heliolisk against bulky Water-types. Setup sweepers such as Vivillon and Scrafty can clean late-game and appreciate the Stealth Rock support Lycanroc provides. Braviary is also notable, as it can get a Defiant boost if the opposition tries to use Defog to clear away Stealth Rock. Both Vivillon and Braviary also appreciate Lycanroc being able to Taunt opposing Stealth Rock users and use Endeavor against super bulky Pokemon such as Rhydon and Steelix to bring them down to a considerably low amount of health and put them in range of their STAB attacks. Ghost-types such as Decidueye and Mismagius are useful for spinblocking common Rapid Spin users such as Blastoise and Cryogonal. Mismagius in particular is also notable for being able to use Taunt to stop Defog users such as Silvally-Steel. Options to check faster foes such as Sceptile, Sneasel, and the aforementioned Whimsicott and Heliolisk are important for maintaining offensive pressure and picking off weakened Pokemon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lycanroc can run an offensive set using Swords Dance, Stone Edge, Accelerock, and either Drill Run or Brick Break alongside Lycanium Z. Such a set is notable for OHKOing any non-Rock resistant foe at +2 with Splintered Stormshards. Life Orb can replace Lycanium Z on the Swords Dance set if the team already has a Z-Crystal user. However, Lycanroc's frailty limits it from setting up Swords Dance more than once per game, and it still has difficulty breaking certain Ground-types such as Steelix and Torterra.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-type Pokemon such as Palossand, Torterra, and Rhydon give Lycanroc trouble, as they threaten it with a super effective Earthquake or Earth Power. Palossand is especially notable, as it is immune to Endeavor and has access to reliable recovery via Shore Up.
**Steel-types**: Steel-type Pokemon such as Klinklang, Silvally-Steel, Steelix, and Ferroseed take minimal damage from Lycanroc's STAB attacks and either OHKO or 2HKO it back. However, the rare offensive set threatens to OHKO all of them besides Steelix with the appropriate coverage move.
**Defensive Water-types**: Defensive Water-types such as Slowbro, Jellicent, Blastoise, and Vaporeon can take on an unboosted Lycanroc fairly easily. Blastoise can also remove entry hazards via Rapid Spin.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-type Pokemon in NU each have their own perks in their ability to check and defeat Lycanroc. Passimian can make use of its Choice Scarf, while Hariyama and Medicham carry a super effective priority move in Bullet Punch.
**Grass-types**: Certain Grass-types such as Sceptile and Whimsicott are able to use their offensive prowess and high base Speed to revenge kill Lycanroc.
**Priority Users**: Priority users such as Sneasel and Comfey are all able to revenge kill Lycanroc once it has been taken down to its Focus Sash.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Aaronboyer, 239454]]
- Quality checked by: [[allstarapology, 400292], [Rabia, 336073], [quziel, 297895]]
- Grammar checked by: [[martha, 384270], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Lycanroc is a decent suicide lead in the NU metagame due to its above average Speed and access to a multitude of useful utility options such as Stealth Rock, Endeavor, and Taunt. In addition, Lycanroc's STAB Stone Edge is super effective against the only Magic Bounce user in NU, Xatu, further ensuring that Stealth Rock is safely set up without much fear of it being bounced back. Lycanroc is also considerably fast and is thus able to Taunt Defog users such as Rotom and Decidueye, preventing them from removing Stealth Rock. However, Lycanroc has an extremely poor matchup against Ground-types such as Steelix and Rhydon, both of which threaten to KO it, and it has to worry about taking a massive hit if these Ground-types end up attacking it as Lycanroc goes for Taunt to try and prevent the opposing team from setting their own Stealth Rock. Lycanroc also faces competition from Archeops as a Stealth Rock suicide lead, which, while slightly slower, has access to Head Smash to KO itself and bring in a teammate for free, gaining momentum in the process. Lastly, the metagame prefers not only bulkier playstyles but bulkier entry hazard setters as well, such as Torterra and Steelix, which can more reliably set up Stealth Rock over the course of the battle. Lycanroc also doesn't fit on many types of teams, only fitting on considerably niche hyper offense teams.
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Focus Sash
ability: Steadfast
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Access to a fast Stealth Rock is one the primary reasons why lead Lycanroc works. Due to its general frailty in combination with its Focus Sash, Lycanroc can utilize Endeavor to bring foes down to one HP that could otherwise eat a Stone Edge such as Steelix and Rhydon. Lycanroc's access to a fast Endeavor also separates it from other leads such as Aerodactyl and Smeargle. Taunt shuts down slower opposing entry hazard setters such as Diancie and Rhydon. Stone Edge is Lycanroc's strongest STAB attacking option, nailing top-tier threats such as Incineroar and Braviary. Conversely, Accelerock is not overly strong but has +1 priority, working better than Stone Edge in tandem with Endeavor, notably picking off Rock-weak Choice Scarf users such as Vanilluxe and Delphox. However, Lycanroc is already faster than most foes, and Accelerock is considerably weaker. Running Accelerock also means that Lycanroc can no longer beat Xatu one-on-one.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed EVs alongside a Naive nature allow Lycanroc to outspeed a large portion of the metagame. While typical suicide leads opt for maximum HP investment, Lycanroc wants its defensive stats as low as possible to ideally get the foe down to one HP with Endeavor. This is the reasoning behind having Lycanroc's HP, Defense, and Special Defense IVs being lowered to zero. The remaining EVs have nowhere else to go except to be invested into Attack to make Stone Edge or Accelerock even stronger. Focus Sash ensures that Lycanroc will survive any single hit, allowing it to adequately perform the role of a suicide lead and get Stealth Rock up at all costs. While all of Lycanroc's abilities are incredibly niche, Steadfast is by far the best option to deal with Fake Out users such as Ambipom that try to prematurely nullify its Focus Sash.
Usage Tips
========
Lycanroc's main goal is to set up Stealth Rock turn one, leaving its teammates with the job to put enough offensive pressure on the opposing team to prevent them from removing entry hazards. Waiting until later to set up Stealth Rock may end up breaking Lycanroc's Focus Sash if the opposing team puts up their own entry hazards. Lycanroc is incredibly frail, so in most instances letting it faint is more optimal than trying to preserve it after Lycanroc takes a major hit. There isn't going to be much of an opportunity to set Stealth Rock back up again with Lycanroc at such low health anyway. Purposefully letting Lycanroc faint conserves momentum by enabling whatever teammate needed to switch in without fear of taking damage or becoming induced with status. If Lycanroc has its Focus Sash still intact and you predict a non-attacking move, use Taunt. Potentially shutting down the foe from setting entry hazards or inflicting a status ailment is more important than immediately setting Stealth Rock, considering that even in the worst possible scenario, Lycanroc is brought down to one HP and sets up Stealth Rock on the second turn. If Lycanroc can keep its Focus Sash intact after setting up Stealth Rock, it can be switched out and change roles from a suicide lead to a revenge killer. Xatu can bounce back Stealth Rock with its ability Magic Bounce, so if it appears at Team Preview and you predict it switching in, use Stone Edge to KO it. Endeavor is the primary reason to use Lycanroc over Aerodactyl, so once it has taken a sizable hit, Lycanroc should try to make use of this move by heavily wearing down its checks such as Rhydon and Steelix.
Team Options
========
Offensive Pokemon that can force switches and gain momentum such as Passimian, Whimsicott, and Heliolisk make great partners, as they all appreciate the residual damage that Stealth Rock does. In particular, these Pokemon enjoy being brought in immediately after Lycanroc goes down, as Passimian has a great matchup against Steel-types, Whimsicott against Fighting- and Ground-types, and lastly Heliolisk against bulky Water-types. Setup sweepers such as Vivillon and Scrafty can clean late-game and appreciate the Stealth Rock support Lycanroc provides. Braviary is also notable, as it can get a Defiant boost if the opposition tries to use Defog to clear away Stealth Rock. Both Vivillon and Braviary also appreciate Lycanroc being able to Taunt opposing Stealth Rock users and use Endeavor against super bulky Pokemon such as Rhydon and Steelix to bring them down to a considerably low amount of health and put them in range of their STAB attacks. Ghost-types such as Decidueye and Mismagius are useful for spinblocking common Rapid Spin users such as Blastoise and Cryogonal. Mismagius in particular is also notable for being able to use Taunt to stop Defog users such as Silvally-Steel. Options to check faster foes such as Sceptile, Sneasel, and the aforementioned Whimsicott and Heliolisk are important for maintaining offensive pressure and picking off weakened Pokemon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lycanroc can run an offensive set using Swords Dance, Stone Edge, Accelerock, and either Drill Run or Brick Break alongside Lycanium Z. Such a set is notable for OHKOing any non-Rock resistant foe at +2 with Splintered Stormshards. Life Orb can replace Lycanium Z on the Swords Dance set if the team already has a Z-Crystal user. However, Lycanroc's frailty limits it from setting up Swords Dance more than once per game, and it still has difficulty breaking certain Ground-types such as Steelix and Torterra.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-type Pokemon such as Palossand, Torterra, and Rhydon give Lycanroc trouble, as they threaten it with a super effective Earthquake or Earth Power. Palossand is especially notable, as it is immune to Endeavor and has access to reliable recovery via Shore Up.
**Steel-types**: Steel-type Pokemon such as Klinklang, Silvally-Steel, Steelix, and Ferroseed take minimal damage from Lycanroc's STAB attacks and either OHKO or 2HKO it back. However, the rare offensive set threatens to OHKO all of them besides Steelix with the appropriate coverage move.
**Defensive Water-types**: Defensive Water-types such as Slowbro, Jellicent, Blastoise, and Vaporeon can take on an unboosted Lycanroc fairly easily. Blastoise can also remove entry hazards via Rapid Spin.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-type Pokemon in NU each have their own perks in their ability to check and defeat Lycanroc. Passimian can make use of its Choice Scarf, while Hariyama and Medicham carry a super effective priority move in Bullet Punch.
**Grass-types**: Certain Grass-types such as Sceptile and Whimsicott are able to use their offensive prowess and high base Speed to revenge kill Lycanroc.
**Priority Users**: Priority users such as Sneasel and Comfey are all able to revenge kill Lycanroc once it has been taken down to its Focus Sash.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Aaronboyer, 239454]]
- Quality checked by: [[allstarapology, 400292], [Rabia, 336073], [quziel, 297895]]
- Grammar checked by: [[martha, 384270], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Last edited:
also change the wording on this, Slowbro, Passimian and Lix are top tier stuff that don't mind taking Stone Edge
it doesn't really matter, although you may as well, 
