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Overview
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Milotic has good defensive stats, with base 95 HP and a high base 125 Special Defense, and its Water typing is great defensively and helpful for checking many Fire-type attackers in UU. Milotic also has a decent base 81 Speed and some offensive presence, meaning it is not entirely passive. However, Milotic is vulnerable to status, especially Toxic. Although it has great special bulk, it has a mediocre base 79 Defense, which keeps it from switching into strong neutral attacks. Milotic also has problems with users of either Substitute or Taunt, depending on what moves it chooses to run.
Defensive
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name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Recover
move 3: Haze / Dragon Tail
move 4: Ice Beam
ability: Marvel Scale
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
nature: Bold
Moves
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Scald is Milotic's STAB move; it has a 30% chance to burn, hindering physical attackers, and it also hits Fire-types super effectively. The possibility of burning a foe and halving its Attack complements Milotic's high special bulk nicely. Recover gives Milotic longevity and reliable recovery, letting it stay healthy throughout the match. Haze resets the stat changes of even foes behind a Substitute but can be stopped with Taunt. On the other hand, Dragon Tail does some damage and phazes the foe; however, this leaves Milotic helpless against most Substitute sweepers, as Dragon Tail often cannot break their Substitutes. Dragon Tail also has the benefit of racking up entry hazard damage. Ice Beam provides good coverage, hitting Grass- and Dragon-types such as Trevenant, Haxorus, and Flygon super effectively.
Set Details
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248 HP EVs maximize Milotic's overall bulk and allow it to receive less damage from Stealth Rock than 252 HP EVs would, while 252 Defense EVs and a Bold nature increase physical bulk, as Milotic already has high Special Defense. Leftovers allows Milotic to recover small amounts of HP every turn, increasing its longevity. Marvel Scale is the chosen ability, as it boosts Milotic's Defense when it has a status condition.
Usage Tips
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Milotic functions as a tank that can switch in and sponge many physical and special attacks thanks its good bulk and typing. After tanking an attack, Milotic should use Recover to heal off the damage taken. Dragon Tail or Haze should be used to deal with any setup attempts, but be careful of Substitute or Taunt users, respectively. Do not risk using Dragon Tail if the foe can still hurt Milotic, unless you are very sure the foe will switch, as Milotic can be put in jeopardy if it takes repeated attacks. Milotic generally should not switch into very strong neutral hits, such as Honchkrow's Brave Bird and Haxorus's Dragon Claw. Do not use Milotic to absorb Toxic, as the passive damage outweighs the Defense boost in the long run.
Team Options
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Milotic appreciates cleric support to remove Toxic and burns, which limit its walling abilities. Bulky Grass-types such as Roserade and Shaymin are good partners, as they can switch into Grass-type moves. Roserade in particular can set up Spikes to wear down the opposing team, helping Milotic rack up entry hazard damage with Dragon Tail. Both Rotom-H and Mega Ampharos make for great partners, as they can sponge Electric-type attacks, and the latter can also cure Milotic's status with Heal Bell. Dragon Tail variants of Milotic are weak Substitute sweepers such as Substitute + Calm Mind Cresselia, so teammates that can take them on, such as Noivern, make for good partners. Fire-types such as Entei and Rotom-H can help beat the bulky Grass-types that Milotic has problems with. Fighting-types such as Machamp and Toxicroak can break through opposing walls such as Blissey and Umbreon, and Toxicroak can also come in on bulky Water-types, which Milotic can't hurt.
Other Options
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A RestTalk set can be used to absorb status and benefit from Marvel Scale, but it is generally better to use Recover along with cleric support. Competitive allows Milotic to try to take advantage of Defog and Intimidate; however, Milotic has a hard time taking advantage of Competitive, because of its average Special Attack and inability to hurt Empoleon, a common Defog user. Toxic can be used over Dragon Tail or Haze, but it leaves Milotic without a method of phazing, and burn is the more favorable status to inflict most of the time. Mirror Coat can occasionally surprise foes such as Roserade, but it means giving up another, more reliable move in return. Hidden Power Grass can hurt Water-types such as Cloyster and Swampert more than Scald or Ice Beam can but gives up important coverage, making it undesirable.
Checks & Counters
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**Special Walls**: Special walls such as Blissey, Tentacruel, and Umbreon can tank Milotic's attacks, use Toxic, and then stall it out.
**Bulky Water-types**: Pokemon such as Empoleon and Tentacruel take little damage from Milotic's attacks and can set up entry hazards on it or phaze it.
**Substitute Sweepers**: Substitute sweepers such as Cresselia and Suicune can use Milotic as setup fodder if it lacks Haze.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Bulky Grass-types such as Shaymin and Roserade can switch into Ice Beam and easily hurt Milotic with their STAB moves.
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