This re-vamp came about because I felt it needed it. A lot of the descriptions were very lacking, I added quite a bit to the Other Options, EVs and Counters sections which I found very un-informative. I included some damage calculations on the Mixed set and I have added additional comments to all three sets. I am also doing a test of a Howl set with Caelum at the moment, and I would be interested on what the rest of the community has to think about that as well:
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/manectric
[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Substitute / Charge Beam
item: Petaya Berry / Life Orb
ability: Static
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A simple but effective special sweeping set up, hammer opponents with powerful STAB Thunderbolts and beat down Grass-types with Flamethrower. The IVs provided return Hidden Power Grass, which offers the best coverage in UU, as it hits Golem, Gastrodon, Quagsire, Lanturn and Whiscash for super effective damage.</p>
<p>The final slot is mostly filler, but either choice can help power Manectric up in preparation for a sweep. Charge Beam can grab you a Special Attack boost, it can be utilized when finishing off a slower weakened Pokémon, and will have the same effect as a Petaya Berry after one boost. Substitute works with Petaya Berry to give Manectric a power boost for sweeping and also helps protect against status. If you're not using Petaya Berry, then Life Orb is a good choice to give Manectric some extra power, without having to waste 75% of its health to do so.</p>
<p>The EVs provided allow Manectric to reach its maximum sweeping potential by maxing out Speed and Special Attack. If running the Substitute and the boosting Berry strategy you may elect to use the alternative 12 HP / 244 SpA / 252 Spe spread to allows the Berry to activate after only three Substitutes.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Crunch
item: Life Orb
ability: Static
nature: Hasty
evs: 84 Atk / 208 SpA / 216 Spe
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Manectric’s special sets are often easily countered by dedicated special walls, and they also have large problems with Calm Mind and Light Screen users. This set attempts to rectify that problem. UU’s common special walls such as Hypno and Grumpig can be dealt with by investing a small amount in Attack and using Crunch.</p>
<p>Hypno is 2HKOed by Crunch after Stealth Rock with the given EVs and Grumpig is 2HKOed no matter what. By removing these counters it becomes easier for Manectric to sweep an opponents team. The removal of its counters by this method may swing the game opening up holes, and allowing Manectric or another Special sweeper to clean up easily. Note that this set will not be enough to beat Clefable who will still not be 2HKOd and may opt to Thunder Wave or set up on you.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Overheat
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Signal Beam / Thunder
item: Choice Specs
ability: Static
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set packs more immediate power than the first two sets and is best used for hit and runs. Overheat is the more powerful option for a Fire attack and will allow Manectric to do more damage over two turns than Flamethrower. Thunderbolt is a necessary STAB. Hidden Power Grass is used for reasons already stated, although an alternative Hidden Power type could be used here if you have a special need for it. The last move is mainly filler. Thunder can be used to hit Grumpig and Hypno with a bit more power, and will do more damage than Singal Beam, but if you prefer Signal Beam's reliability it is your move of choice. Thunder will definitely 2HKO standard Grumpig and Hypno, assuming it hits. Signal Beam will have a harder time accomplishing that job. Hyper Beam is a quirky alternative that is basically a suicide move, the main purpose of which being to hit Camerupt for up to 90% damage; otherwise it is a poor option though. Make sure the likes of Aggron are out of the way before trying it, or you will give it a free turn to set up a Substitute. A number of Manectric’s support options can also go in the last spot if you have need of them.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Most of Manectric’s options lie in alternative Hidden Power types. Ice is the most obvious, and will allow it to hit Nidoking, Nidoqueen and Altaria for super effective damage. It should be noted, however, that Overheat will have the same base power against the Nidos, and a Choice Specs Thunderbolt will also 2HKO Altaria. If you attempt to use Manectric in OU battles, it is the preferred choice, as it allows you to hit Gliscor and Salamence hard, but at the expense of coverage against Swampert. Hidden Power Water is your only option against Camperupt, but will leave you helpless against Lanturn, Quagsire and Gastrodon.</p>
<p>Manectric has a few team support options too. It can use Thunder Wave to cripple opposing sweepers, or it can use Toxic as a nasty surprise against its counters that aren’t named Clefable. Light Screen can aid its ability to take special hits, or help it to set up a team mate. In OU battles, Signal Beam is Manectric’s best bet against Celebi, and it is also useful in UU for hitting bulky Psychic-types. On the Life Orb set, Signal Beam will definitely OHKO standard Celebi after Stealth Rock, whereas Flamethrower will only muster 57% - 68% damage. Lastly, Discharge can be used to mirror the effects of both Thunderbolt and Thunder Wave, but will not work consistently.</p>
[EVs]
<p> There are a few nice numbers that Manectric can hit if EVd properly. You will probably choose to max out its Speed but if tieing with other Manectric is not important to you, 330 Speed (216 EVs) will give you the ability to outrun base 100s and neutral Base 90s holding a Choice Scarf, in OU Battles the same will work as you can also hit neutral base 115s and positive Speed base 100s such as Salamence. 32 HP EVs will reach a magic Life Orb number, but 28 EVs will make its HP divisible by four, allowing it to get a pinch boost in only three Substitutes.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Manectric’s great Speed and Special Attack make it a good candidate for Choice Specs and it will hit hard with Overheat and STAB Thunderbolt; the same principle holds for the Life Orb set too. Manectric is an above average special attacker but it is outclassed in many areas by other Electric-types. Its fellow special attackers, like Jolteon and Raikou, have superior offensive stats and almost completely outclass it in OU, so its special attacking prowess only really has a chance to shine in the UU metagame. Other Electric-types such as Raichu, and even Plusle or Minun, have wider movepools, most notably in terms of support options. It is also let down by its very average defenses, which will not allow it to take repeated hits when switching in. If you are using Manectric, focus on its Speed and Special Attack to get a job done. It is outclassed in Support jobs.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Cradily is the number one counter for Manectric. It can easily survive four Thunderbolts and OHKO back with Earthquake, it can also Recover off damage and accomplishes this task even better in a Sandstorm, courtesy of its Special Defense boost. Choice Specs Flamethrower is the best that Manctric can muster against it and will only 3HKO with Stealth Rock in play. Grumpig and Hypno can both handle its Thunderbolts quite well and throw up a Light Screen or boost with Calm Mind. They should both be wary of the mixed set, as a Life Orb Crunch will 2HKO with Stealth Rock damage. Standard Claydol (252 HP / 0 SpD) fears only a Specs or Life Orb boosted Hidden Power, which will 2HKO 90% of the time with Stealth Rock up, but if it switches in on anything else it can OHKO back with either Earthquake or Earth Power. More specially defensive versions of Claydol do not need to worry as they will not suffer the 2HKO and can freely attack back. Muk will survive three Thunderbolts from a Life Orb set if holding Leftovers and will 2HKO back with Poison Jab.</p>
<p>Probopass can easily take two Thunderbolts and hit back with Earth Power, or cripple it Thunder Wave. Camerupt is immune to Electric, resists Fire and is neutral to both Hidden Power Ice and Grass. STAB Earthquake or Earth Power will bring down Manectric. Pokemon with a combination of Water and Ground-typing such as Gastrodon and Quagsire beat it if he doesn't have Hidden Power Grass. Nidoqueen does a decent job of countering it if it isn't packing Hidden Power Ice; just beware of repeated hits from Overheat on the Choice Specs set. Lanturn is also a good reliable counter since it cannot be 2HKOed by Hidden Power Grass, and it regains Health from Thunderbolt and resists Flamethrower.</p>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/manectric
[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Substitute / Charge Beam
item: Petaya Berry / Life Orb
ability: Static
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A simple but effective special sweeping set up, hammer opponents with powerful STAB Thunderbolts and beat down Grass-types with Flamethrower. The IVs provided return Hidden Power Grass, which offers the best coverage in UU, as it hits Golem, Gastrodon, Quagsire, Lanturn and Whiscash for super effective damage.</p>
<p>The final slot is mostly filler, but either choice can help power Manectric up in preparation for a sweep. Charge Beam can grab you a Special Attack boost, it can be utilized when finishing off a slower weakened Pokémon, and will have the same effect as a Petaya Berry after one boost. Substitute works with Petaya Berry to give Manectric a power boost for sweeping and also helps protect against status. If you're not using Petaya Berry, then Life Orb is a good choice to give Manectric some extra power, without having to waste 75% of its health to do so.</p>
<p>The EVs provided allow Manectric to reach its maximum sweeping potential by maxing out Speed and Special Attack. If running the Substitute and the boosting Berry strategy you may elect to use the alternative 12 HP / 244 SpA / 252 Spe spread to allows the Berry to activate after only three Substitutes.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Flamethrower
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Crunch
item: Life Orb
ability: Static
nature: Hasty
evs: 84 Atk / 208 SpA / 216 Spe
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Manectric’s special sets are often easily countered by dedicated special walls, and they also have large problems with Calm Mind and Light Screen users. This set attempts to rectify that problem. UU’s common special walls such as Hypno and Grumpig can be dealt with by investing a small amount in Attack and using Crunch.</p>
<p>Hypno is 2HKOed by Crunch after Stealth Rock with the given EVs and Grumpig is 2HKOed no matter what. By removing these counters it becomes easier for Manectric to sweep an opponents team. The removal of its counters by this method may swing the game opening up holes, and allowing Manectric or another Special sweeper to clean up easily. Note that this set will not be enough to beat Clefable who will still not be 2HKOd and may opt to Thunder Wave or set up on you.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Overheat
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Signal Beam / Thunder
item: Choice Specs
ability: Static
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set packs more immediate power than the first two sets and is best used for hit and runs. Overheat is the more powerful option for a Fire attack and will allow Manectric to do more damage over two turns than Flamethrower. Thunderbolt is a necessary STAB. Hidden Power Grass is used for reasons already stated, although an alternative Hidden Power type could be used here if you have a special need for it. The last move is mainly filler. Thunder can be used to hit Grumpig and Hypno with a bit more power, and will do more damage than Singal Beam, but if you prefer Signal Beam's reliability it is your move of choice. Thunder will definitely 2HKO standard Grumpig and Hypno, assuming it hits. Signal Beam will have a harder time accomplishing that job. Hyper Beam is a quirky alternative that is basically a suicide move, the main purpose of which being to hit Camerupt for up to 90% damage; otherwise it is a poor option though. Make sure the likes of Aggron are out of the way before trying it, or you will give it a free turn to set up a Substitute. A number of Manectric’s support options can also go in the last spot if you have need of them.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Most of Manectric’s options lie in alternative Hidden Power types. Ice is the most obvious, and will allow it to hit Nidoking, Nidoqueen and Altaria for super effective damage. It should be noted, however, that Overheat will have the same base power against the Nidos, and a Choice Specs Thunderbolt will also 2HKO Altaria. If you attempt to use Manectric in OU battles, it is the preferred choice, as it allows you to hit Gliscor and Salamence hard, but at the expense of coverage against Swampert. Hidden Power Water is your only option against Camperupt, but will leave you helpless against Lanturn, Quagsire and Gastrodon.</p>
<p>Manectric has a few team support options too. It can use Thunder Wave to cripple opposing sweepers, or it can use Toxic as a nasty surprise against its counters that aren’t named Clefable. Light Screen can aid its ability to take special hits, or help it to set up a team mate. In OU battles, Signal Beam is Manectric’s best bet against Celebi, and it is also useful in UU for hitting bulky Psychic-types. On the Life Orb set, Signal Beam will definitely OHKO standard Celebi after Stealth Rock, whereas Flamethrower will only muster 57% - 68% damage. Lastly, Discharge can be used to mirror the effects of both Thunderbolt and Thunder Wave, but will not work consistently.</p>
[EVs]
<p> There are a few nice numbers that Manectric can hit if EVd properly. You will probably choose to max out its Speed but if tieing with other Manectric is not important to you, 330 Speed (216 EVs) will give you the ability to outrun base 100s and neutral Base 90s holding a Choice Scarf, in OU Battles the same will work as you can also hit neutral base 115s and positive Speed base 100s such as Salamence. 32 HP EVs will reach a magic Life Orb number, but 28 EVs will make its HP divisible by four, allowing it to get a pinch boost in only three Substitutes.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Manectric’s great Speed and Special Attack make it a good candidate for Choice Specs and it will hit hard with Overheat and STAB Thunderbolt; the same principle holds for the Life Orb set too. Manectric is an above average special attacker but it is outclassed in many areas by other Electric-types. Its fellow special attackers, like Jolteon and Raikou, have superior offensive stats and almost completely outclass it in OU, so its special attacking prowess only really has a chance to shine in the UU metagame. Other Electric-types such as Raichu, and even Plusle or Minun, have wider movepools, most notably in terms of support options. It is also let down by its very average defenses, which will not allow it to take repeated hits when switching in. If you are using Manectric, focus on its Speed and Special Attack to get a job done. It is outclassed in Support jobs.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Cradily is the number one counter for Manectric. It can easily survive four Thunderbolts and OHKO back with Earthquake, it can also Recover off damage and accomplishes this task even better in a Sandstorm, courtesy of its Special Defense boost. Choice Specs Flamethrower is the best that Manctric can muster against it and will only 3HKO with Stealth Rock in play. Grumpig and Hypno can both handle its Thunderbolts quite well and throw up a Light Screen or boost with Calm Mind. They should both be wary of the mixed set, as a Life Orb Crunch will 2HKO with Stealth Rock damage. Standard Claydol (252 HP / 0 SpD) fears only a Specs or Life Orb boosted Hidden Power, which will 2HKO 90% of the time with Stealth Rock up, but if it switches in on anything else it can OHKO back with either Earthquake or Earth Power. More specially defensive versions of Claydol do not need to worry as they will not suffer the 2HKO and can freely attack back. Muk will survive three Thunderbolts from a Life Orb set if holding Leftovers and will 2HKO back with Poison Jab.</p>
<p>Probopass can easily take two Thunderbolts and hit back with Earth Power, or cripple it Thunder Wave. Camerupt is immune to Electric, resists Fire and is neutral to both Hidden Power Ice and Grass. STAB Earthquake or Earth Power will bring down Manectric. Pokemon with a combination of Water and Ground-typing such as Gastrodon and Quagsire beat it if he doesn't have Hidden Power Grass. Nidoqueen does a decent job of countering it if it isn't packing Hidden Power Ice; just beware of repeated hits from Overheat on the Choice Specs set. Lanturn is also a good reliable counter since it cannot be 2HKOed by Hidden Power Grass, and it regains Health from Thunderbolt and resists Flamethrower.</p>
