EonX
Battle Soul
[OVERVIEW]
Manectric has solid Speed and Special Attack to go along with great Electric + Fire coverage. Fire-type coverage is particularly good for an Electric-type in RU, as it prevents the likes of Registeel, Tangrowth, and Venusaur from reliably checking Manectric. As with other Electric-types, Manectric has STAB Volt Switch to easily build or maintain momentum for its team in order to keep up offensive pressure. Lightning Rod allows Manectric to switch into any Electric-type move in order to boost its Special Attack to become even more threatening than normal. It's also a check to Fletchinder that can fit on offensive teams in an attempt to keep the bird from sweeping through a team. However, Manectric is frail, with even lower bulk than Jolteon, and falls just behind key threats in Virizion and Sneasel, thus limiting its effectiveness against very fast teams it would otherwise be able to pressure. Manectric also faces a fair bit of competition as an Electric-type from Jolteon, Rotom-C, and Eelektross, although Manectric boasts the good Speed of the former two and the Fire-type coverage of the latter.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Flamethrower / Overheat
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
A simple attacking set gets the most out of Manectric's coverage, speed, and power in order to allow it to pressure more balanced teams significantly. Volt Switch allows Manectric to wear down the likes of Diancie, Aromatisse, and Meloetta into KO range of the proper move later while also building or maintaining offensive momentum for its team. Thunderbolt allows Manectric to stay in later in the game when its checks and counters are sufficiently weakened, and it's also useful for when the opponent simply lacks a reliable switch-in. Manectric's choice of Fire-type coverage comes down to whether the team needs Manectric to have a better chance of cleaning or to have a stronger move off the bat to wear down or KO walls quicker. Flamethrower is generally preferred for its accuracy and it keeps Manectric from becoming setup fodder. However, Overheat hits much harder on the first turn, thus making it better for teams that simply need Manectric to quickly remove Steel- and Grass-type Pokemon. Hidden Power Ice rounds off the coverage by allowing Manectric to deal with Flygon and also to hit Druddigon harder than any other move on this set. Hidden Power Grass is an option if Manectric's team is weak to Rhyperior and Seismitoad, while Hidden Power Water can be used to maintain coverage on Rhyperior and also KO Mega Camerupt, one of Manectric's most feared offensive checks, after it has been lured in. Keep in mind that Manectric needs some chip damage to KO specially defensive Rhyperior with the proper Hidden Power thanks to Solid Rock. Although it sounds a bit unorthodox, Ice Fang can be used over Volt Switch or Thunderbolt to allow Manectric to run Hidden Power Grass in order to cover both Flygon and Rhyperior, but it usually isn't worth giving up the utility of Volt Switch or the power of Thunderbolt.
Set Details
========
There isn't much of a point in going with anything other than maximum Speed and Special Attack, as Manectric is quite frail. Life Orb is the primary item choice thanks to the overall power boost that it gives to Manectric's moves. Manectric won't be standing up to many hits anyway, so the recoil doesn't matter. Expert Belt is a viable alternative due to the super effective coverage Manectric possesses and can be especially useful if Manectric is the team's offensive check to Fletchinder. Lightning Rod should be the only ability to consider, as it gives Manectric a Special Attack boost if it finds the chance to switch into a stray Electric-type move like Volt Switch or Thunder Wave.
Usage Tips
========
Manectric is quite frail and won't survive many attacks, so try to switch it in after a KO, via Volt Switch or U-turn, or on predicted double switches by the opponent. Stray Electric-type moves, such as Thunder Wave from Uxie and Slowking, can also give Manectric opportunities to switch in and a boost to its Special Attack via Lightning Rod. Alomomola and Qwilfish are generally two of the very few Pokemon that Manectric fears very little from offensively due to their tendency to run Scald as their only attacking move. Volt Switch is a good move to use early on to see what the opponent intends to do against Manectric. Should Manectric have the ability to push past the initial response, keep that in mind for when Manectric comes in next time. Although Manectric's primary role should be a balance breaker, it can reliably clean should it be running Flamethrower once faster Pokemon are removed. When using Overheat, Manectric should aggressively try to eliminate or heavily damage Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Registeel after they've taken a little bit of chip damage from entry hazards or Thunderbolt. Manectric's Hidden Power type should not be revealed until the proper target switches into battle, as it's quite a weak move against most Pokemon that aren't 4x weak to it.
Team Options
========
Manectric is able to reliably remove bulky Grass- and Steel-type Pokemon, so it stands to reason that its teammates should be able to take advantage of this. Aerodactyl and Fletchinder can greatly benefit from a fallen or severely damaged Steelix and Registeel while a KOed or weakened Tangrowth can help Virizion flourish offensively. Manectric struggles to get past Rhyperior, Seismitoad, and Mega Camerupt due to their Electric-type immunity and its tendency to not run the proper Hidden Power for them in order to cover Flygon. Grass-types, Tangrowth and Virizion in particular, generally fare well against Rhyperior and Seismitoad. Venusaur is a more offensive answer, but it's a bit shakier against Rhyperior than the former two Grass-types. Flygon and Slowking can stomach Mega Camerupt's STAB moves reliably. In particular, Flygon can work especially well with Manectric due to being able to form an offensive VoltTurn core with Manectric and it can also run a Choice Scarf set with Tailwind to let Manectric clean up offensive teams late-game with a crucial Speed boost. Other Pokemon to consider for a VoltTurn core are Scyther and Magneton, as Scyther appreciates Steel- and bulky Water-type Pokemon being removed and Magneton shares similar checks and counters to Manectric. Although it isn't weak to Stealth Rock, Manectric likes to switch in and out a lot and is vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards. This makes Flygon, Blastoise, and Hitmontop solid options, as they can utilize Defog and Rapid Spin to get rid of entry hazards. Meloetta and Diancie are key specially bulky Pokemon that can take a hit or two from Manectric and hit back pretty hard. Spiritomb makes Meloetta's life miserable due to being immune to both of its STAB moves, while Choice Band Escavalier can maintain offensive pressure against both of them as well as less common specially bulky checks to Manectric, such as Mega Audino and regular Audino. Although they are not as common as they used to be, Toxic Spikes can be a big help to Manectric in wearing down common answers, such as Mega Camerupt and Seismitoad. Qwilfish is most notable, as it can use Mega Audino and Aromatisse as Toxic Spikes fodder, even able to Taunt the former to keep it from setting up Calm Minds or supporting its team, while also drawing in Electric-type moves for Manectric to switch into.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
============
Manectric's movepool is somewhat sparse, but there are a couple of other options to consider. Iron Tail can severely damage lured Diancie; however, it has next to no use otherwise, and Manectric can simply pressure Diancie by Volt Switching into a reliable check or counter. Substitute can be used on Expert Belt sets to punish sacrificial switches by the opponent, but this causes Manectric to lose some of its utility by forcing it to drop Volt Switch. Choice items can be used on Manectric, but Choice Scarf leaves Manectric incredibly weak while Choice Specs keeps it from utilizing its coverage to the fullest extent. With that said, Manectric does have Switcheroo to allow it to cripple defensive Pokemon, most notably Aromatisse, that it wouldn't be able to get through otherwise. Discharge is a little weaker than Thunderbolt, but it does have a 30% paralysis chance if a team requires some speed control. Thunder Wave can accomplish similar things, but Manectric is frail and would much rather spend its time taking advantage of its coverage in order to punch holes into opposing teams.
Checks and Counters
============
**Mega Camerupt**: Barring the rare Hidden Power Water, Manectric can't do much against Mega Camerupt and is forced out due to Mega Camerupt's ridiculously powerful STAB moves.
**Ground-types**: Regardless of the set, Manectric will be walled off by certain Ground-types. Rhyperior and Seismitoad only fear Hidden Power Grass, and Flygon can win if Manectric opts not to run Hidden Power Ice. Be sure to scout for Manectric's Hidden Power type before sending in these Pokemon.
**Special Tanks**: Pokemon with decent Special Defense and a neutrality to Electric-type moves, such as Meloetta, Gallade, Mega Audino, Diancie, and Audino, can usually stomach a single hit from Manectric and KO back or support their team reliably.
**Faster Pokemon**: Anything faster than Manectric can usually threaten a KO due to its lackluster defenses. Dugtrio is most notable thanks to Arena Trap preventing Manectric from switching out, but Virizion, Aerodactyl, and Sneasel are other notable faster threats.
Manectric has solid Speed and Special Attack to go along with great Electric + Fire coverage. Fire-type coverage is particularly good for an Electric-type in RU, as it prevents the likes of Registeel, Tangrowth, and Venusaur from reliably checking Manectric. As with other Electric-types, Manectric has STAB Volt Switch to easily build or maintain momentum for its team in order to keep up offensive pressure. Lightning Rod allows Manectric to switch into any Electric-type move in order to boost its Special Attack to become even more threatening than normal. It's also a check to Fletchinder that can fit on offensive teams in an attempt to keep the bird from sweeping through a team. However, Manectric is frail, with even lower bulk than Jolteon, and falls just behind key threats in Virizion and Sneasel, thus limiting its effectiveness against very fast teams it would otherwise be able to pressure. Manectric also faces a fair bit of competition as an Electric-type from Jolteon, Rotom-C, and Eelektross, although Manectric boasts the good Speed of the former two and the Fire-type coverage of the latter.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Flamethrower / Overheat
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Lightning Rod
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
A simple attacking set gets the most out of Manectric's coverage, speed, and power in order to allow it to pressure more balanced teams significantly. Volt Switch allows Manectric to wear down the likes of Diancie, Aromatisse, and Meloetta into KO range of the proper move later while also building or maintaining offensive momentum for its team. Thunderbolt allows Manectric to stay in later in the game when its checks and counters are sufficiently weakened, and it's also useful for when the opponent simply lacks a reliable switch-in. Manectric's choice of Fire-type coverage comes down to whether the team needs Manectric to have a better chance of cleaning or to have a stronger move off the bat to wear down or KO walls quicker. Flamethrower is generally preferred for its accuracy and it keeps Manectric from becoming setup fodder. However, Overheat hits much harder on the first turn, thus making it better for teams that simply need Manectric to quickly remove Steel- and Grass-type Pokemon. Hidden Power Ice rounds off the coverage by allowing Manectric to deal with Flygon and also to hit Druddigon harder than any other move on this set. Hidden Power Grass is an option if Manectric's team is weak to Rhyperior and Seismitoad, while Hidden Power Water can be used to maintain coverage on Rhyperior and also KO Mega Camerupt, one of Manectric's most feared offensive checks, after it has been lured in. Keep in mind that Manectric needs some chip damage to KO specially defensive Rhyperior with the proper Hidden Power thanks to Solid Rock. Although it sounds a bit unorthodox, Ice Fang can be used over Volt Switch or Thunderbolt to allow Manectric to run Hidden Power Grass in order to cover both Flygon and Rhyperior, but it usually isn't worth giving up the utility of Volt Switch or the power of Thunderbolt.
Set Details
========
There isn't much of a point in going with anything other than maximum Speed and Special Attack, as Manectric is quite frail. Life Orb is the primary item choice thanks to the overall power boost that it gives to Manectric's moves. Manectric won't be standing up to many hits anyway, so the recoil doesn't matter. Expert Belt is a viable alternative due to the super effective coverage Manectric possesses and can be especially useful if Manectric is the team's offensive check to Fletchinder. Lightning Rod should be the only ability to consider, as it gives Manectric a Special Attack boost if it finds the chance to switch into a stray Electric-type move like Volt Switch or Thunder Wave.
Usage Tips
========
Manectric is quite frail and won't survive many attacks, so try to switch it in after a KO, via Volt Switch or U-turn, or on predicted double switches by the opponent. Stray Electric-type moves, such as Thunder Wave from Uxie and Slowking, can also give Manectric opportunities to switch in and a boost to its Special Attack via Lightning Rod. Alomomola and Qwilfish are generally two of the very few Pokemon that Manectric fears very little from offensively due to their tendency to run Scald as their only attacking move. Volt Switch is a good move to use early on to see what the opponent intends to do against Manectric. Should Manectric have the ability to push past the initial response, keep that in mind for when Manectric comes in next time. Although Manectric's primary role should be a balance breaker, it can reliably clean should it be running Flamethrower once faster Pokemon are removed. When using Overheat, Manectric should aggressively try to eliminate or heavily damage Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Registeel after they've taken a little bit of chip damage from entry hazards or Thunderbolt. Manectric's Hidden Power type should not be revealed until the proper target switches into battle, as it's quite a weak move against most Pokemon that aren't 4x weak to it.
Team Options
========
Manectric is able to reliably remove bulky Grass- and Steel-type Pokemon, so it stands to reason that its teammates should be able to take advantage of this. Aerodactyl and Fletchinder can greatly benefit from a fallen or severely damaged Steelix and Registeel while a KOed or weakened Tangrowth can help Virizion flourish offensively. Manectric struggles to get past Rhyperior, Seismitoad, and Mega Camerupt due to their Electric-type immunity and its tendency to not run the proper Hidden Power for them in order to cover Flygon. Grass-types, Tangrowth and Virizion in particular, generally fare well against Rhyperior and Seismitoad. Venusaur is a more offensive answer, but it's a bit shakier against Rhyperior than the former two Grass-types. Flygon and Slowking can stomach Mega Camerupt's STAB moves reliably. In particular, Flygon can work especially well with Manectric due to being able to form an offensive VoltTurn core with Manectric and it can also run a Choice Scarf set with Tailwind to let Manectric clean up offensive teams late-game with a crucial Speed boost. Other Pokemon to consider for a VoltTurn core are Scyther and Magneton, as Scyther appreciates Steel- and bulky Water-type Pokemon being removed and Magneton shares similar checks and counters to Manectric. Although it isn't weak to Stealth Rock, Manectric likes to switch in and out a lot and is vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards. This makes Flygon, Blastoise, and Hitmontop solid options, as they can utilize Defog and Rapid Spin to get rid of entry hazards. Meloetta and Diancie are key specially bulky Pokemon that can take a hit or two from Manectric and hit back pretty hard. Spiritomb makes Meloetta's life miserable due to being immune to both of its STAB moves, while Choice Band Escavalier can maintain offensive pressure against both of them as well as less common specially bulky checks to Manectric, such as Mega Audino and regular Audino. Although they are not as common as they used to be, Toxic Spikes can be a big help to Manectric in wearing down common answers, such as Mega Camerupt and Seismitoad. Qwilfish is most notable, as it can use Mega Audino and Aromatisse as Toxic Spikes fodder, even able to Taunt the former to keep it from setting up Calm Minds or supporting its team, while also drawing in Electric-type moves for Manectric to switch into.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
============
Manectric's movepool is somewhat sparse, but there are a couple of other options to consider. Iron Tail can severely damage lured Diancie; however, it has next to no use otherwise, and Manectric can simply pressure Diancie by Volt Switching into a reliable check or counter. Substitute can be used on Expert Belt sets to punish sacrificial switches by the opponent, but this causes Manectric to lose some of its utility by forcing it to drop Volt Switch. Choice items can be used on Manectric, but Choice Scarf leaves Manectric incredibly weak while Choice Specs keeps it from utilizing its coverage to the fullest extent. With that said, Manectric does have Switcheroo to allow it to cripple defensive Pokemon, most notably Aromatisse, that it wouldn't be able to get through otherwise. Discharge is a little weaker than Thunderbolt, but it does have a 30% paralysis chance if a team requires some speed control. Thunder Wave can accomplish similar things, but Manectric is frail and would much rather spend its time taking advantage of its coverage in order to punch holes into opposing teams.
Checks and Counters
============
**Mega Camerupt**: Barring the rare Hidden Power Water, Manectric can't do much against Mega Camerupt and is forced out due to Mega Camerupt's ridiculously powerful STAB moves.
**Ground-types**: Regardless of the set, Manectric will be walled off by certain Ground-types. Rhyperior and Seismitoad only fear Hidden Power Grass, and Flygon can win if Manectric opts not to run Hidden Power Ice. Be sure to scout for Manectric's Hidden Power type before sending in these Pokemon.
**Special Tanks**: Pokemon with decent Special Defense and a neutrality to Electric-type moves, such as Meloetta, Gallade, Mega Audino, Diancie, and Audino, can usually stomach a single hit from Manectric and KO back or support their team reliably.
**Faster Pokemon**: Anything faster than Manectric can usually threaten a KO due to its lackluster defenses. Dugtrio is most notable thanks to Arena Trap preventing Manectric from switching out, but Virizion, Aerodactyl, and Sneasel are other notable faster threats.
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