Taken over from here
I've lost the moon while trying to count the stars. I've lost my mind, but that's okay, 'cause I've been trying to fix my heart.
QC: 49 / AM / bludz
GP: The Dutch Plumberjack / Snobalt
[OVERVIEW]
Despite Manaphy's adorable facade, it is one of the most capable Pokemon in the entire OU tier, being one of the most prominent wallbreakers and stallbreakers. Tail Glow makes it immediately threatening, boosting Manaphy's Special Attack by whole stages in the span of only one turn. With this tool, Manaphy can easily set up on and destroy many common defensive Pokemon, such as Mega Sableye, Mega Scizor, Mandibuzz, Alomomola, Tentacruel, Skarmory, Starmie, Heatran, Hippowdon, and Slowbro. Manaphy also has decent all-around bulk, allowing it to take on the likes of Mega Metagross, Gliscor, and Keldeo when utilizing a defensive EV spread and hold its own against defensive Pokemon such as Mega Sableye and Chansey and take a hit from more offensive Pokemon when utilizing a more offensively inclined EV spread. Manaphy's prowess at breaking down defensive teams and cores is further aided by its wide movepool consisting of many coverage options, including Ice Beam for the likes of Mega Altaria, Latios, and Celebi, Energy Ball for Slowbro, Keldeo, and Azumarill, and Psychic for Toxicroak, Amoonguss, and Mega Venusaur, thus greatly limiting Manaphy's number of viable checks. Hydration works great with Rain Dance, as it gives Manaphy an immunity to status ailments in the rain and, in tandem with Rest, gives Manaphy great longevity. Rain Dance also powers up Manaphy's Water-type STAB attacks, making it capable of 2HKOing Chansey and Unaware Clefable, although Manaphy has to be at +6 to defeat the former.
Manaphy, however, possesses quite an average Speed stat, leaving it easily revenge killed by offensive Pokemon such as Mega Manectric, Raikou, Thundurus, Mega Lopunny, Serperior, and Mega Sceptile. Manaphy's Special Attack, when unboosted, also pales in comparison to other offensive behemoths in the tier such as Latios and Gengar. Lastly, despite Manaphy's good coverage, it can't cover the entire tier with two or three coverage moves, meaning Manaphy will always be walled by something no matter what.
[SET]
name: Tail Glow + 3 Attacks
move 1: Tail Glow
move 2: Scald
move 3: Ice Beam / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Energy Ball / Psychic
item: Leftovers
ability: Hydration
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Tail Glow makes Manaphy immediately threatening and lets it break past defensive teams with ease. Scald has a nifty 30% chance to burn the foe, which is extremely useful to cripple the likes of Chansey, Unaware Clefable, and Ferrothorn. In particular, Ferrothorn's defensive capabilities get hit hard when burned, as its health will get slowly whittled away, particularly with no means of recovery outside of Leech Seed and Leftovers, and its offensive moves will be neutered. Scald also nets a neutral hit on many defensive Pokemon such as Mega Sableye. Ice Beam deals with Grass- and Dragon-types such as Celebi, Amoonguss, Mega Altaria, and Latios. Energy Ball handles bulky Water-types such as Slowbro, Starmie, Rotom-W, and Azumarill looking to tank Manaphy's Scald and Ice Beam. Hidden Power Fire lets Manaphy circumvent Ferrothorn, which normally checks it. On bulky offensive teams, Hidden Power Fire has additional utility in being able to pressure Mega Scizor, which threatens balance teams built around Hippowdon. Psychic OHKOes Mega Venusaur at +3, hits Poison and Fighting-types such as Toxicroak, Amoonguss, Keldeo, and Conkeldurr for super effective damage, and hits Water-types such as Suicune and Azumarill for neutral damage. Shadow Ball can be used as a catch-all move to hit Psychic-types such as Slowbro, Latios, Celebi, Jirachi, and Starmie in only one moveslot, as well as hit the likes of Rotom-W and Mega Venusaur for neutral damage. In particular, it works well alongside Hidden Power Fire, as Shadow Ball somewhat compresses the roles of Ice Beam and Energy Ball into one moveslot but is more team dependent.
Set Details
========
Manaphy is most effective when utilizing maximum Speed EVs and a Timid nature, as it Speed ties with opposing Manaphy, Mega Medicham, Mega Gardevoir, and both Mega Charizard formes and outspeeds Adamant Terrakion, standard Volcarona, Jolly Landorus-T, Naive Kyurem-B, and Jolly Excadrill. If you value bulk over Speed, an EV spread of 96 HP / 252 SpA / 160 Spe is perfectly viable to just outpace Excadrill, while retaining a bit of bulk to take on the likes of Mega Lopunny more easily; 164 Speed EVs should be run if using Hidden Power Fire to make up for the lost Speed IV. Leftovers provides much-needed longevity for Manaphy, meaning it can switch into resisted moves such as Scald Pokemon like Heatran more easily. Other viable items include Wacan Berry to let Manaphy take on an Electric-type such as Raikou, Mega Manectric, or Thundurus once, Salac Berry to patch up Manaphy's mediocre Speed stat against offensive teams, Lum Berry to allow Manaphy to shrug off status ailments such as Clefable's or Klefki's Thunder Wave, especially against teams lacking a definite answer to it, and Sitrus Berry to let Manaphy recover one-quarter of its health after it has been been brought down to or below 50% HP, which greatly benefits certain offensive teams that play Manaphy more aggressively.
Usage Tips
========
Manaphy fares well against defensive or balanced teams, as the extra coverage helps it break down its checks, making Manaphy even harder for defensive teams to beat. Against defensive teams, set up on the likes of Mandibuzz, Mega Sableye, and Tentacruel, which pose no threat to Manaphy. However, keep in mind that, without Rain Dance, Manaphy can only beat Unaware Clefable and Chansey if they have been weakened beforehand. It is obvious that you should eliminate Clefable and weaken Chansey first so that Manaphy can sweep. Manaphy can also hit Clefable or Chansey with Scald on the switch as to potentially cripple them with a burn. Manaphy can set up on Calm Mind users such as Mega Sableye, Mega Slowbro, and Magic Guard Clefable, as Tail Glow allows Manaphy to boost faster than them and then KO them with the appropriate coverage move. However, Magic Guard Clefable is easily able to hit Manaphy with Thunder Wave, and without a Lum Berry or rain support, Manaphy will remain crippled for the remainder of the battle. Manaphy can be easily revenge killed by offensive Grass- or Electric-types such as Serperior and Thundurus, so do not attempt to pull of a sweep with Tail Glow against offensive teams unless the coast is clear. At the start of a match, using Scald is usually beneficial to cripple potential checks to Manaphy.
Team Options
========
Pursuit support greatly aids Manaphy, as it can struggle with Psychic-types such as Celebi, Latios, Latias, Cresselia, and Slowking, making the likes of Bisharp, Mega Metagross, Weavile, and Tyranitar ideal partners. Gothitelle traps and eliminates Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn, while Magnezone also traps and eliminates Ferrothorn can checks the likes of Latios. Hidden Power Fire Mega Diancie is able to surprise Ferrothorn, allowing Manaphy to break apart slower teams more easily. If Manaphy is running Hidden Power Fire, this relationship is inverted, allowing Mega Diancie to sweep instead. Mega Lopunny deals with faster offensive Pokemon such as Tornadus-T, Raikou, and Starmie, while Manaphy easily breaks defensive teams thanks to Tail Glow in return. Similarly, Mega Alakazam fares well against fast teams, as it's capable of checking fast Pokemon such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Manectric that trouble Manaphy, as well as weather sweepers such as Excadrill and Kingdra. Mega Scizor beats Ferrothorn and Chansey, as well as Psychic-types such as Celebi, Latios, Latias, and Cresselia. Defensive Garchomp can set up Stealth Rock to whittle down switch-ins and check fast offensive threats to Manaphy such as Mega Metagross, Mega Lopunny, and Hawlucha. Mega Gallade has Close Combat to break past Chansey, Ferrothorn, and Kyurem-B, Zen Headbutt for Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Toxicroak, and Knock Off for bulky Psychic-types such as Celebi, Latios, and Jirachi. In turn, it appreciates Manaphy's ability to break past Mega Sableye, Magic Guard Clefable, and Mega Slowbro. Chansey is a problem for non-Rain Dance Manaphy, so Knock Off users, Chansey lures, or strong wallbreakers are good teammates.
Answers to Electric-types such as Mega Altaria, Raikou, and Hippowdon are good teammates if Manaphy lacks Wacan Berry, while answers to Grass-types, mainly Serperior, Mega Venusaur, and Celebi, are appreciated as well. These Pokemon include Talonflame, Mega Charizard X, Tornadus-T, Weavile, Mega Aerodactyl, and Mamoswine. In particular, Talonflame and Mega Charizard X appreciate Manaphy's ability to beat Water- and Ground-types. If not running Energy Ball, Grass-types such as Celebi and Serperior are good partners thanks to their ability to check Water-types that resist Manaphy's Scald and Ice Beam, and they can potentially complete Fire-Water-Grass cores. If Manaphy lacks Psychic, Psychic or Hidden Power Flying Thundurus makes for a good teammate thanks to its ability to beat Mega Venusaur, and if Manaphy lacks Hidden Power Fire, Hidden Power Fire Kyurem-B and Latios are good partners thanks to their ability to beat Ferrothorn.
[SET]
name: Tail Glow + Rain Dance
move 1: Tail Glow
move 2: Rain Dance
move 3: Scald
move 4: Psychic / Energy Ball
item: Leftovers
ability: Hydration
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Tail Glow boosts Manaphy's Special Attack by three stages, making it capable of cutting through defensive teams. Rain Dance further boosts Manaphy's power, allowing it to break past Clefable and Chansey more easily and making it effectively immune to status ailments. Scald has a nifty 30% chance to burn the foe and is Manaphy's strongest STAB move, and its power is augmented even further via Tail Glow and Rain Dance. Psychic allows Manaphy to circumvent Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, Conkeldurr, Dragalge, Toxicroak, and Keldeo. Using Psychic means that Manaphy has an easier time against stall utilizing Mega Sableye + Amoonguss or Mega Venusaur + Heatran cores. Energy Ball hits Water-types such as Slowbro, Suicune, and Rotom-W for super effective damage. It also lets Manaphy beat Calm Mind Slowbro and Suicune one-on-one due to Tail Glow boosting Manaphy's Special Attack more than Calm Mind boosts the foe's Special Defense. Alternatively, Ice Beam deals with Grass- and Dragon-types such as Celebi and Mega Altaria. Rest can be used, which works fantastically in combination with Rain Dance and Hydration.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment in tandem with a Timid nature allows Manaphy to Speed tie with positive-natured Mega Medicham, opposing Manaphy, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Charizard X, and Mega Charizard Y, and outspeed Adamant Mega Charizard X, Modest Mega Charizard Y, standard Volcarona, Adamant Terrakion, Naive Kyurem-B, and Jolly Landorus-T. The rest of the EVs are put into Special Attack for more power. Leftovers provides passive recovery, allowing Manaphy to have an easier time against defensive and balance teams. If running Rest, a bulkier EV spread of 248 HP / 108 Def /136 SpA / 16 Spe can be used to outpace Bisharp, beat Clefable, and handle Mega Altaria and Mega Metagross. The combination of Hydration and Rain Dance makes Manaphy effectively immune to status ailments. Modest is an option if you prefer raw power over Speed and if outspeeding Jolly Excadrill and Speed tying with base 100 Speed Pokemon isn't necessary. In particular, the combination of a Modest nature, Splash Plate, Rain Dance, and Surf is a viable option to 2HKO Unaware Clefable when unboosted.
Usage Tips
========
As this Manaphy variant only has two coverage moves, it lacks the ability to break past a wider range of defensive Pokemon, so identify any Pokemon that Manaphy cannot beat using its two coverage moves and either weaken it or remove it prior to attempting a sweep with Manaphy. Use Scald at the start of the game to potentially cripple Manaphy's checks. How you set up Manaphy depends on what the opposing team consists of, as if Chansey is present, having rain active as well as obtaining two Tail Glow boosts is necessary to beat it with Scald. If facing a foe that relies on status moves, Manaphy should use Rain Dance before attempting to set up Tail Glow. Don't reveal what coverage move Manaphy has, as it may come in handy to surprise would-be answers such as Mega Venusaur if running Psychic. If Unaware Clefable is the opposing team's answer to Manaphy, don't reveal Rain Dance too early either. Set up on defensive Pokemon lacking a way to deal a lot of damage to Manaphy, such as Mega Sableye, Mega Slowbro, Mandibuzz, and Alomomola. Manaphy is revenge killed easily by offensive threats such as Thundurus, Serperior, and Mega Lopunny. However Manaphy's bulk allows it to take a hit from them and retaliate, but don't play too aggressively. Weaken Manaphy's checks first so that it can potentially break through them with Scald depending on what coverage move Manaphy opts for.
Team Options
========
Fast offensive Pokemon such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Lopunny, Tornadus-T, Talonflame, Thundurus, and Mega Sceptile are ideal partners for Manaphy due to their ability to handle offensive teams Depending on the coverage move that Manaphy runs, teammates that cover the targets of the other coverage move are good partners. For example, Energy Ball Manaphy struggles with Grass- and Dragon-types, so Ice-types such as Weavile and Mamoswine are good partners to deal with them. Answers to Grass-types, such as Mega Charizard X, Tornadus-T, and Mega Scizor, are good partners, as Manaphy struggles against the likes of Celebi, Mega Venusaur, and Amoonguss if lacking Ice Beam. Answers to Electric-types, such as Mega Charizard X, Mamoswine, Raikou, and Serperior, are good teammates as well due to Manaphy's susceptibility to being revenge killed by the likes of Raikou, Mega Manectric, and Thundurus. Pursuit trappers such as Mega Metagross, Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Weavile can get rid of Psychic-types such as Latios, Latias, Gothitelle, and Celebi. Mega Metagross also deals with Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Keldeo, which Manaphy fails to beat without the right coverage. Magnezone and Gothitelle can trap and eliminate Ferrothorn. However, their Hidden Power Fire gets weakened in rain, so be wary of activating rain when about to trap Ferrothorn. Jirachi deals with Psychic-types such as Latios, Latias, and Celebi and Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur and Serperior. Thanks to the rain, Mega Venusaur and Serperior's Hidden Power Fire is weakened. Rain users and Swift Swim sweepers such as Tornadus-T, Raikou, Kabutops, Kingdra, and Mega Swampert appreciate Manaphy's ability to set up rain to power up their own attacks. Mega Scizor also deserves a mention for functioning nicely in rain and checking Ferrothorn and numerous Psychic-types such as Latios, Celebi, and Cresselia.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Scald
move 3: Rain Dance
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Hydration
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind boosts Manaphy's Special Attack and Special Defense slowly to make it more powerful and impervious to special attacks. Scald is Manaphy's main STAB move and is chosen for its nifty 30% chance to burn the foe. On a set utilizing mono-Water coverage, this is particularly important, as the burn chance means that Manaphy can potentially cripple and stall out would-be answers such as Ferrothorn. Rain Dance summons rain, activating Hydration to provide Manaphy with an effective immunity to status ailments and powering up Scald. Rest functions very effectively alongside Rain Dance, recovering all of Manaphy's health under rain without needing to put Manaphy to sleep, making it a good check to the likes of Mega Metagross, Keldeo, and Bisharp.
Set Details
========
16 Speed EVs allow Manaphy to outpace Adamant Bisharp and potentially burn it first before getting hit by Knock Off. The remaining EVs are placed into HP and Defense, alongside a Bold nature to check physical threats such as Mega Lopunny better. Though both 240 HP / 252 Def and 252 HP / 240 Def arrive at the same defensive benchmark, maximum HP investment is chosen to deal with special attackers such as Slowbro and Keldeo slightly better. Leftovers is the chosen item to provide Manaphy with passive recovery and to make sure it sticks around for longer.
Usage Tips
========
Manaphy can function as a check to the likes of Talonflame, Mega Metagross, Mega Aerodactyl, Keldeo, Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon due to the Defense investment. It is to be highlighted that Calm Mind Manaphy does have a few advantages over CroCune, such as a better Speed stat, better damage output in general, especially taking Rain Dance into account, and reliable recovery without having to depend on the unreliable Sleep Talk for two turns. Manaphy can switch into and set up Rain Dance and Calm Mind against the above and then use Rest to be able to continuously set up and sweep when low at health. Manaphy should not be forced into a position where the foe can KO it easily, so don't wait until the last minute to use Rest, as Manaphy will be vulnerable for two turns if rain ends. Manaphy also functions well against defensive teams, as it's capable of finding opportunities to set up on many common defensive Pokemon such as Slowbro, Alomomola, Mandibuzz, Mega Sableye, Chansey, Clefable, Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and opposing Manaphy, as well as specific defensive wincons such as Mega Scizor, Keldeo, and Gliscor. Manaphy can also use Calm Mind against offensive teams to tank hits from special attackers such as Latios, Clefable, and Starmie. Remove Grass-, Electric-, and Dragon-types that Manaphy cannot remove by itself. In terms of Dragon-types, prioritize taking down strong physical attackers such as Mega Altaria, Dragonite, and Garchomp.
Team Options
========
Amoonguss is a good defensive partner that appreciates Manaphy's ability to stallbreak and provides an answer to the majority of Electric- and Grass-types such as Mega Manectric and Celebi, which hit Manaphy super effectively with their STAB moves. The rain that Manaphy summons also further increases the defensive synergy between the duo, making Amoonguss less susceptible to Fire-type attacks. Amoonguss is also capable of beating Ferrothorn with Hidden Power Fire. Magnezone and Gothitelle trap and eliminate Ferrothorn with Hidden Power Fire as well. As an added bonus, they can also take down Water-types such as Slowking, Gyarados, and Azumarill that resist Manaphy's mono-Water coverage. Gothitelle can also deal with most Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss. Dragon-, Grass-, and Ground-types such as Latios, Ferrothorn, and Hippowdon can take care of Electric-types. Rain setters such as Klefki and Politoed can set up rain in a pinch, activating Hydration and letting Manaphy use Rest without any repercussions. Grass-types such as Serperior, Mega Venusaur, and Celebi check Water- and Electric-types and, in Mega Venusaur's case, opposing Grass-types. Because Manaphy is running mono-Water coverage, it is very susceptible to Pokemon that resist Water.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Specially defensive Manaphy with Scald, Rain Dance, U-turn, and Rest is very effective at beating special attackers such as Heatran, Clefable, and Gengar, avoiding being trapped by Gothitelle, and preserving momentum with U-turn. For sets utilizing Tail Glow, Sitrus Berry and Salac Berry are viable options, with the former recovering one-quarter of Manaphy's health in a pinch, allowing it to take a hit from an offensive Pokemon such as Mega Lopunny more easily, and the latter letting Manaphy patch up its average Speed, which is especially useful against offensive teams. Knock Off cripples Chansey, Ferrothorn, and Clefable on the switch, and when combined with a defensive EV spread, Manaphy can perform the role of a good defensive utility Pokemon. Heart Swap can allow Manaphy to steal boosts from the likes of Calm Mind Mega Sableye, Calm Mind Clefable, and Agility Mega Metagross, but it is extremely matchup dependent. Heal Bell provides good clerical support, especially when Manaphy is paired up with offensive Pokemon such as Bisharp and Mega Lopunny that hate status ailments. Rindo Berry negates Manaphy's weakness to Grass-type moves, albeit for only one turn, allowing it to turn the tables on the likes of Serperior and Mega Sceptile. Substitute allows Manaphy to ease setup and prediction, particularly against offensive teams. Lastly, Dazzling Gleam hits Kyurem-B and Kingdra, but other than that, it does not have many notable targets, and losing a coverage option such as Energy Ball or Ice Beam is usually not worth it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fast Offensive Pokemon**: Due to Manaphy's average Speed, fast offensive Pokemon such as Mega Lopunny, Hawlucha, Gengar, Tornadus-T, Alakazam, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Medicham can easily revenge kill it. Weather sweepers such as Kingdra, Mega Swampert, Venusaur, and Excadrill outspeed and revenge kill Manaphy as well under their respective weather conditions.
**Priority Users**: Priority mobes from the likes of Talonflame, Breloom, Dragonite, Conkeldurr, and Diggersby can easily KO a weakened Manaphy, as it lacks priority of its own.
**Hoopa-U**: Thanks to its ridiculously high special bulk, Hoopa-U can take on Manaphy, as it is not OHKOed by any of Manaphy's attacks, even at +3. However, it is not an extremely reliable check, as being burned severely hinders its time on the field, and if Manaphy is at +3, it has to be substantially weakened for Hoopa-U to beat it.
**Grass-types**: Mega Sceptile, Celebi, Serperior, Shaymin, and Tangrowth check non-Ice Beam Manaphy very well, as they all resist Manaphy's main STAB moves. Amoonguss and Mega Venusaur check non-Ice Beam and non-Psychic variants of Manaphy, while Ferrothorn beats non-Hidden Power Fire Manaphy. In return, they can all retaliate with their own Grass-type STAB moves.
**Electric-types**: Though they cannot directly switch in, Electric-types such as Mega Manectric, Raikou, and Thundurus can safely revenge kill Manaphy as they are all faster than Manaphy.
**Dragon-types**: Being resistant to Scald and being able to counter non-Ice Beam variants of Manaphy, various Dragon-types such as Latios, Mega Altaria, Latias, Kyurem-B, Dragalge, Dragonite, and Kingdra are great answers to it. Among them, Pokemon neutral to Ice Beam, such as Kingdra and Kyurem-B, are even better answers. However, none of these Pokemon enjoy switching into Scald, as the burns slowly whittle away at their health.
**Unaware Clefable**: Unaware Clefable counters Manaphy, as Scald fails to 2HKO it even after Stealth Rock and burn damage. With Special Defense investment and a Calm nature, it can even avoid the 2HKO from rain-boosted Scald. Clefable can then use Manaphy as setup fodder for Calm Mind, cripple Manaphy with Thunder Wave, or pass Wishes to teammates. However, it can be overwhelmed by Splash Plate Manaphy.
I've lost the moon while trying to count the stars. I've lost my mind, but that's okay, 'cause I've been trying to fix my heart.
QC: 49 / AM / bludz
GP: The Dutch Plumberjack / Snobalt
[OVERVIEW]
Despite Manaphy's adorable facade, it is one of the most capable Pokemon in the entire OU tier, being one of the most prominent wallbreakers and stallbreakers. Tail Glow makes it immediately threatening, boosting Manaphy's Special Attack by whole stages in the span of only one turn. With this tool, Manaphy can easily set up on and destroy many common defensive Pokemon, such as Mega Sableye, Mega Scizor, Mandibuzz, Alomomola, Tentacruel, Skarmory, Starmie, Heatran, Hippowdon, and Slowbro. Manaphy also has decent all-around bulk, allowing it to take on the likes of Mega Metagross, Gliscor, and Keldeo when utilizing a defensive EV spread and hold its own against defensive Pokemon such as Mega Sableye and Chansey and take a hit from more offensive Pokemon when utilizing a more offensively inclined EV spread. Manaphy's prowess at breaking down defensive teams and cores is further aided by its wide movepool consisting of many coverage options, including Ice Beam for the likes of Mega Altaria, Latios, and Celebi, Energy Ball for Slowbro, Keldeo, and Azumarill, and Psychic for Toxicroak, Amoonguss, and Mega Venusaur, thus greatly limiting Manaphy's number of viable checks. Hydration works great with Rain Dance, as it gives Manaphy an immunity to status ailments in the rain and, in tandem with Rest, gives Manaphy great longevity. Rain Dance also powers up Manaphy's Water-type STAB attacks, making it capable of 2HKOing Chansey and Unaware Clefable, although Manaphy has to be at +6 to defeat the former.
Manaphy, however, possesses quite an average Speed stat, leaving it easily revenge killed by offensive Pokemon such as Mega Manectric, Raikou, Thundurus, Mega Lopunny, Serperior, and Mega Sceptile. Manaphy's Special Attack, when unboosted, also pales in comparison to other offensive behemoths in the tier such as Latios and Gengar. Lastly, despite Manaphy's good coverage, it can't cover the entire tier with two or three coverage moves, meaning Manaphy will always be walled by something no matter what.
[SET]
name: Tail Glow + 3 Attacks
move 1: Tail Glow
move 2: Scald
move 3: Ice Beam / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Energy Ball / Psychic
item: Leftovers
ability: Hydration
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Tail Glow makes Manaphy immediately threatening and lets it break past defensive teams with ease. Scald has a nifty 30% chance to burn the foe, which is extremely useful to cripple the likes of Chansey, Unaware Clefable, and Ferrothorn. In particular, Ferrothorn's defensive capabilities get hit hard when burned, as its health will get slowly whittled away, particularly with no means of recovery outside of Leech Seed and Leftovers, and its offensive moves will be neutered. Scald also nets a neutral hit on many defensive Pokemon such as Mega Sableye. Ice Beam deals with Grass- and Dragon-types such as Celebi, Amoonguss, Mega Altaria, and Latios. Energy Ball handles bulky Water-types such as Slowbro, Starmie, Rotom-W, and Azumarill looking to tank Manaphy's Scald and Ice Beam. Hidden Power Fire lets Manaphy circumvent Ferrothorn, which normally checks it. On bulky offensive teams, Hidden Power Fire has additional utility in being able to pressure Mega Scizor, which threatens balance teams built around Hippowdon. Psychic OHKOes Mega Venusaur at +3, hits Poison and Fighting-types such as Toxicroak, Amoonguss, Keldeo, and Conkeldurr for super effective damage, and hits Water-types such as Suicune and Azumarill for neutral damage. Shadow Ball can be used as a catch-all move to hit Psychic-types such as Slowbro, Latios, Celebi, Jirachi, and Starmie in only one moveslot, as well as hit the likes of Rotom-W and Mega Venusaur for neutral damage. In particular, it works well alongside Hidden Power Fire, as Shadow Ball somewhat compresses the roles of Ice Beam and Energy Ball into one moveslot but is more team dependent.
Set Details
========
Manaphy is most effective when utilizing maximum Speed EVs and a Timid nature, as it Speed ties with opposing Manaphy, Mega Medicham, Mega Gardevoir, and both Mega Charizard formes and outspeeds Adamant Terrakion, standard Volcarona, Jolly Landorus-T, Naive Kyurem-B, and Jolly Excadrill. If you value bulk over Speed, an EV spread of 96 HP / 252 SpA / 160 Spe is perfectly viable to just outpace Excadrill, while retaining a bit of bulk to take on the likes of Mega Lopunny more easily; 164 Speed EVs should be run if using Hidden Power Fire to make up for the lost Speed IV. Leftovers provides much-needed longevity for Manaphy, meaning it can switch into resisted moves such as Scald Pokemon like Heatran more easily. Other viable items include Wacan Berry to let Manaphy take on an Electric-type such as Raikou, Mega Manectric, or Thundurus once, Salac Berry to patch up Manaphy's mediocre Speed stat against offensive teams, Lum Berry to allow Manaphy to shrug off status ailments such as Clefable's or Klefki's Thunder Wave, especially against teams lacking a definite answer to it, and Sitrus Berry to let Manaphy recover one-quarter of its health after it has been been brought down to or below 50% HP, which greatly benefits certain offensive teams that play Manaphy more aggressively.
Usage Tips
========
Manaphy fares well against defensive or balanced teams, as the extra coverage helps it break down its checks, making Manaphy even harder for defensive teams to beat. Against defensive teams, set up on the likes of Mandibuzz, Mega Sableye, and Tentacruel, which pose no threat to Manaphy. However, keep in mind that, without Rain Dance, Manaphy can only beat Unaware Clefable and Chansey if they have been weakened beforehand. It is obvious that you should eliminate Clefable and weaken Chansey first so that Manaphy can sweep. Manaphy can also hit Clefable or Chansey with Scald on the switch as to potentially cripple them with a burn. Manaphy can set up on Calm Mind users such as Mega Sableye, Mega Slowbro, and Magic Guard Clefable, as Tail Glow allows Manaphy to boost faster than them and then KO them with the appropriate coverage move. However, Magic Guard Clefable is easily able to hit Manaphy with Thunder Wave, and without a Lum Berry or rain support, Manaphy will remain crippled for the remainder of the battle. Manaphy can be easily revenge killed by offensive Grass- or Electric-types such as Serperior and Thundurus, so do not attempt to pull of a sweep with Tail Glow against offensive teams unless the coast is clear. At the start of a match, using Scald is usually beneficial to cripple potential checks to Manaphy.
Team Options
========
Pursuit support greatly aids Manaphy, as it can struggle with Psychic-types such as Celebi, Latios, Latias, Cresselia, and Slowking, making the likes of Bisharp, Mega Metagross, Weavile, and Tyranitar ideal partners. Gothitelle traps and eliminates Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn, while Magnezone also traps and eliminates Ferrothorn can checks the likes of Latios. Hidden Power Fire Mega Diancie is able to surprise Ferrothorn, allowing Manaphy to break apart slower teams more easily. If Manaphy is running Hidden Power Fire, this relationship is inverted, allowing Mega Diancie to sweep instead. Mega Lopunny deals with faster offensive Pokemon such as Tornadus-T, Raikou, and Starmie, while Manaphy easily breaks defensive teams thanks to Tail Glow in return. Similarly, Mega Alakazam fares well against fast teams, as it's capable of checking fast Pokemon such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Manectric that trouble Manaphy, as well as weather sweepers such as Excadrill and Kingdra. Mega Scizor beats Ferrothorn and Chansey, as well as Psychic-types such as Celebi, Latios, Latias, and Cresselia. Defensive Garchomp can set up Stealth Rock to whittle down switch-ins and check fast offensive threats to Manaphy such as Mega Metagross, Mega Lopunny, and Hawlucha. Mega Gallade has Close Combat to break past Chansey, Ferrothorn, and Kyurem-B, Zen Headbutt for Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Toxicroak, and Knock Off for bulky Psychic-types such as Celebi, Latios, and Jirachi. In turn, it appreciates Manaphy's ability to break past Mega Sableye, Magic Guard Clefable, and Mega Slowbro. Chansey is a problem for non-Rain Dance Manaphy, so Knock Off users, Chansey lures, or strong wallbreakers are good teammates.
Answers to Electric-types such as Mega Altaria, Raikou, and Hippowdon are good teammates if Manaphy lacks Wacan Berry, while answers to Grass-types, mainly Serperior, Mega Venusaur, and Celebi, are appreciated as well. These Pokemon include Talonflame, Mega Charizard X, Tornadus-T, Weavile, Mega Aerodactyl, and Mamoswine. In particular, Talonflame and Mega Charizard X appreciate Manaphy's ability to beat Water- and Ground-types. If not running Energy Ball, Grass-types such as Celebi and Serperior are good partners thanks to their ability to check Water-types that resist Manaphy's Scald and Ice Beam, and they can potentially complete Fire-Water-Grass cores. If Manaphy lacks Psychic, Psychic or Hidden Power Flying Thundurus makes for a good teammate thanks to its ability to beat Mega Venusaur, and if Manaphy lacks Hidden Power Fire, Hidden Power Fire Kyurem-B and Latios are good partners thanks to their ability to beat Ferrothorn.
[SET]
name: Tail Glow + Rain Dance
move 1: Tail Glow
move 2: Rain Dance
move 3: Scald
move 4: Psychic / Energy Ball
item: Leftovers
ability: Hydration
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Tail Glow boosts Manaphy's Special Attack by three stages, making it capable of cutting through defensive teams. Rain Dance further boosts Manaphy's power, allowing it to break past Clefable and Chansey more easily and making it effectively immune to status ailments. Scald has a nifty 30% chance to burn the foe and is Manaphy's strongest STAB move, and its power is augmented even further via Tail Glow and Rain Dance. Psychic allows Manaphy to circumvent Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, Conkeldurr, Dragalge, Toxicroak, and Keldeo. Using Psychic means that Manaphy has an easier time against stall utilizing Mega Sableye + Amoonguss or Mega Venusaur + Heatran cores. Energy Ball hits Water-types such as Slowbro, Suicune, and Rotom-W for super effective damage. It also lets Manaphy beat Calm Mind Slowbro and Suicune one-on-one due to Tail Glow boosting Manaphy's Special Attack more than Calm Mind boosts the foe's Special Defense. Alternatively, Ice Beam deals with Grass- and Dragon-types such as Celebi and Mega Altaria. Rest can be used, which works fantastically in combination with Rain Dance and Hydration.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment in tandem with a Timid nature allows Manaphy to Speed tie with positive-natured Mega Medicham, opposing Manaphy, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Charizard X, and Mega Charizard Y, and outspeed Adamant Mega Charizard X, Modest Mega Charizard Y, standard Volcarona, Adamant Terrakion, Naive Kyurem-B, and Jolly Landorus-T. The rest of the EVs are put into Special Attack for more power. Leftovers provides passive recovery, allowing Manaphy to have an easier time against defensive and balance teams. If running Rest, a bulkier EV spread of 248 HP / 108 Def /136 SpA / 16 Spe can be used to outpace Bisharp, beat Clefable, and handle Mega Altaria and Mega Metagross. The combination of Hydration and Rain Dance makes Manaphy effectively immune to status ailments. Modest is an option if you prefer raw power over Speed and if outspeeding Jolly Excadrill and Speed tying with base 100 Speed Pokemon isn't necessary. In particular, the combination of a Modest nature, Splash Plate, Rain Dance, and Surf is a viable option to 2HKO Unaware Clefable when unboosted.
Usage Tips
========
As this Manaphy variant only has two coverage moves, it lacks the ability to break past a wider range of defensive Pokemon, so identify any Pokemon that Manaphy cannot beat using its two coverage moves and either weaken it or remove it prior to attempting a sweep with Manaphy. Use Scald at the start of the game to potentially cripple Manaphy's checks. How you set up Manaphy depends on what the opposing team consists of, as if Chansey is present, having rain active as well as obtaining two Tail Glow boosts is necessary to beat it with Scald. If facing a foe that relies on status moves, Manaphy should use Rain Dance before attempting to set up Tail Glow. Don't reveal what coverage move Manaphy has, as it may come in handy to surprise would-be answers such as Mega Venusaur if running Psychic. If Unaware Clefable is the opposing team's answer to Manaphy, don't reveal Rain Dance too early either. Set up on defensive Pokemon lacking a way to deal a lot of damage to Manaphy, such as Mega Sableye, Mega Slowbro, Mandibuzz, and Alomomola. Manaphy is revenge killed easily by offensive threats such as Thundurus, Serperior, and Mega Lopunny. However Manaphy's bulk allows it to take a hit from them and retaliate, but don't play too aggressively. Weaken Manaphy's checks first so that it can potentially break through them with Scald depending on what coverage move Manaphy opts for.
Team Options
========
Fast offensive Pokemon such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Lopunny, Tornadus-T, Talonflame, Thundurus, and Mega Sceptile are ideal partners for Manaphy due to their ability to handle offensive teams Depending on the coverage move that Manaphy runs, teammates that cover the targets of the other coverage move are good partners. For example, Energy Ball Manaphy struggles with Grass- and Dragon-types, so Ice-types such as Weavile and Mamoswine are good partners to deal with them. Answers to Grass-types, such as Mega Charizard X, Tornadus-T, and Mega Scizor, are good partners, as Manaphy struggles against the likes of Celebi, Mega Venusaur, and Amoonguss if lacking Ice Beam. Answers to Electric-types, such as Mega Charizard X, Mamoswine, Raikou, and Serperior, are good teammates as well due to Manaphy's susceptibility to being revenge killed by the likes of Raikou, Mega Manectric, and Thundurus. Pursuit trappers such as Mega Metagross, Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Weavile can get rid of Psychic-types such as Latios, Latias, Gothitelle, and Celebi. Mega Metagross also deals with Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Keldeo, which Manaphy fails to beat without the right coverage. Magnezone and Gothitelle can trap and eliminate Ferrothorn. However, their Hidden Power Fire gets weakened in rain, so be wary of activating rain when about to trap Ferrothorn. Jirachi deals with Psychic-types such as Latios, Latias, and Celebi and Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur and Serperior. Thanks to the rain, Mega Venusaur and Serperior's Hidden Power Fire is weakened. Rain users and Swift Swim sweepers such as Tornadus-T, Raikou, Kabutops, Kingdra, and Mega Swampert appreciate Manaphy's ability to set up rain to power up their own attacks. Mega Scizor also deserves a mention for functioning nicely in rain and checking Ferrothorn and numerous Psychic-types such as Latios, Celebi, and Cresselia.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Scald
move 3: Rain Dance
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Hydration
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind boosts Manaphy's Special Attack and Special Defense slowly to make it more powerful and impervious to special attacks. Scald is Manaphy's main STAB move and is chosen for its nifty 30% chance to burn the foe. On a set utilizing mono-Water coverage, this is particularly important, as the burn chance means that Manaphy can potentially cripple and stall out would-be answers such as Ferrothorn. Rain Dance summons rain, activating Hydration to provide Manaphy with an effective immunity to status ailments and powering up Scald. Rest functions very effectively alongside Rain Dance, recovering all of Manaphy's health under rain without needing to put Manaphy to sleep, making it a good check to the likes of Mega Metagross, Keldeo, and Bisharp.
Set Details
========
16 Speed EVs allow Manaphy to outpace Adamant Bisharp and potentially burn it first before getting hit by Knock Off. The remaining EVs are placed into HP and Defense, alongside a Bold nature to check physical threats such as Mega Lopunny better. Though both 240 HP / 252 Def and 252 HP / 240 Def arrive at the same defensive benchmark, maximum HP investment is chosen to deal with special attackers such as Slowbro and Keldeo slightly better. Leftovers is the chosen item to provide Manaphy with passive recovery and to make sure it sticks around for longer.
Usage Tips
========
Manaphy can function as a check to the likes of Talonflame, Mega Metagross, Mega Aerodactyl, Keldeo, Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon due to the Defense investment. It is to be highlighted that Calm Mind Manaphy does have a few advantages over CroCune, such as a better Speed stat, better damage output in general, especially taking Rain Dance into account, and reliable recovery without having to depend on the unreliable Sleep Talk for two turns. Manaphy can switch into and set up Rain Dance and Calm Mind against the above and then use Rest to be able to continuously set up and sweep when low at health. Manaphy should not be forced into a position where the foe can KO it easily, so don't wait until the last minute to use Rest, as Manaphy will be vulnerable for two turns if rain ends. Manaphy also functions well against defensive teams, as it's capable of finding opportunities to set up on many common defensive Pokemon such as Slowbro, Alomomola, Mandibuzz, Mega Sableye, Chansey, Clefable, Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and opposing Manaphy, as well as specific defensive wincons such as Mega Scizor, Keldeo, and Gliscor. Manaphy can also use Calm Mind against offensive teams to tank hits from special attackers such as Latios, Clefable, and Starmie. Remove Grass-, Electric-, and Dragon-types that Manaphy cannot remove by itself. In terms of Dragon-types, prioritize taking down strong physical attackers such as Mega Altaria, Dragonite, and Garchomp.
Team Options
========
Amoonguss is a good defensive partner that appreciates Manaphy's ability to stallbreak and provides an answer to the majority of Electric- and Grass-types such as Mega Manectric and Celebi, which hit Manaphy super effectively with their STAB moves. The rain that Manaphy summons also further increases the defensive synergy between the duo, making Amoonguss less susceptible to Fire-type attacks. Amoonguss is also capable of beating Ferrothorn with Hidden Power Fire. Magnezone and Gothitelle trap and eliminate Ferrothorn with Hidden Power Fire as well. As an added bonus, they can also take down Water-types such as Slowking, Gyarados, and Azumarill that resist Manaphy's mono-Water coverage. Gothitelle can also deal with most Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss. Dragon-, Grass-, and Ground-types such as Latios, Ferrothorn, and Hippowdon can take care of Electric-types. Rain setters such as Klefki and Politoed can set up rain in a pinch, activating Hydration and letting Manaphy use Rest without any repercussions. Grass-types such as Serperior, Mega Venusaur, and Celebi check Water- and Electric-types and, in Mega Venusaur's case, opposing Grass-types. Because Manaphy is running mono-Water coverage, it is very susceptible to Pokemon that resist Water.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Specially defensive Manaphy with Scald, Rain Dance, U-turn, and Rest is very effective at beating special attackers such as Heatran, Clefable, and Gengar, avoiding being trapped by Gothitelle, and preserving momentum with U-turn. For sets utilizing Tail Glow, Sitrus Berry and Salac Berry are viable options, with the former recovering one-quarter of Manaphy's health in a pinch, allowing it to take a hit from an offensive Pokemon such as Mega Lopunny more easily, and the latter letting Manaphy patch up its average Speed, which is especially useful against offensive teams. Knock Off cripples Chansey, Ferrothorn, and Clefable on the switch, and when combined with a defensive EV spread, Manaphy can perform the role of a good defensive utility Pokemon. Heart Swap can allow Manaphy to steal boosts from the likes of Calm Mind Mega Sableye, Calm Mind Clefable, and Agility Mega Metagross, but it is extremely matchup dependent. Heal Bell provides good clerical support, especially when Manaphy is paired up with offensive Pokemon such as Bisharp and Mega Lopunny that hate status ailments. Rindo Berry negates Manaphy's weakness to Grass-type moves, albeit for only one turn, allowing it to turn the tables on the likes of Serperior and Mega Sceptile. Substitute allows Manaphy to ease setup and prediction, particularly against offensive teams. Lastly, Dazzling Gleam hits Kyurem-B and Kingdra, but other than that, it does not have many notable targets, and losing a coverage option such as Energy Ball or Ice Beam is usually not worth it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fast Offensive Pokemon**: Due to Manaphy's average Speed, fast offensive Pokemon such as Mega Lopunny, Hawlucha, Gengar, Tornadus-T, Alakazam, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Medicham can easily revenge kill it. Weather sweepers such as Kingdra, Mega Swampert, Venusaur, and Excadrill outspeed and revenge kill Manaphy as well under their respective weather conditions.
**Priority Users**: Priority mobes from the likes of Talonflame, Breloom, Dragonite, Conkeldurr, and Diggersby can easily KO a weakened Manaphy, as it lacks priority of its own.
**Hoopa-U**: Thanks to its ridiculously high special bulk, Hoopa-U can take on Manaphy, as it is not OHKOed by any of Manaphy's attacks, even at +3. However, it is not an extremely reliable check, as being burned severely hinders its time on the field, and if Manaphy is at +3, it has to be substantially weakened for Hoopa-U to beat it.
**Grass-types**: Mega Sceptile, Celebi, Serperior, Shaymin, and Tangrowth check non-Ice Beam Manaphy very well, as they all resist Manaphy's main STAB moves. Amoonguss and Mega Venusaur check non-Ice Beam and non-Psychic variants of Manaphy, while Ferrothorn beats non-Hidden Power Fire Manaphy. In return, they can all retaliate with their own Grass-type STAB moves.
**Electric-types**: Though they cannot directly switch in, Electric-types such as Mega Manectric, Raikou, and Thundurus can safely revenge kill Manaphy as they are all faster than Manaphy.
**Dragon-types**: Being resistant to Scald and being able to counter non-Ice Beam variants of Manaphy, various Dragon-types such as Latios, Mega Altaria, Latias, Kyurem-B, Dragalge, Dragonite, and Kingdra are great answers to it. Among them, Pokemon neutral to Ice Beam, such as Kingdra and Kyurem-B, are even better answers. However, none of these Pokemon enjoy switching into Scald, as the burns slowly whittle away at their health.
**Unaware Clefable**: Unaware Clefable counters Manaphy, as Scald fails to 2HKO it even after Stealth Rock and burn damage. With Special Defense investment and a Calm nature, it can even avoid the 2HKO from rain-boosted Scald. Clefable can then use Manaphy as setup fodder for Calm Mind, cripple Manaphy with Thunder Wave, or pass Wishes to teammates. However, it can be overwhelmed by Splash Plate Manaphy.
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