Taking this over from Texas Cloverleaf.
Nidoqueen
[Overview]
<p>Nidoqueen has always been a somewhat unique Pokemon. Her base stats are extremely balanced, giving her solid all-around bulk without leaving her helpless offensively. Her interesting typing, shared only with her brother Nidoking, provides her with an excellent set of physical resistances, including Fighting, Rock, and Bug, but also leaves her with weaknesses to extremely common attacking types such as Ground, Water, and Ice. She can both set up and absorb Toxic Spikes, making her a popular addition to stall teams, and her STAB Ground-type attacks help dissuade opposing Poison-types from switching in to wipe out the Toxic Spikes she puts down. Her surprisingly large special movepool allows her to hit nearly any Pokemon super effectively, but her mediocre attacking stats and the presence of Nidoking, who hits harder and faster, have always prevented her from truly becoming an offensive force.</p>
<p>While most of that is still true, Nidoqueen received one major upgrade in the transition to the fifth generation. Sheer Force, Nidoqueen's new Dream World ability, boosts the power of most of her special attacks by 30%. This helps her keep up with the ever-increasing pace of the metagame, and even enables her to pose a real offensive threat, although she remains mostly outclassed by Nidoking in that regard. Her average Speed, common weaknesses, and lack of reliable recovery do limit her potential somewhat, but Nidoqueen is nevertheless one of the most well-rounded Pokemon in UU and is well worth considering for nearly any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 2: Dragon Tail
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Sheer Force / Poison Point
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With above average defenses and key resistances to Fighting-, Rock-, and Bug-type moves, Nidoqueen can comfortably switch in on several prominent physical attackers and set up entry hazards to support her team. Powerful threats such as Heracross, Escavalier, and Cobalion can cause major problems for a lot of teams, but Nidoqueen easily brushes off their attacks and forces them out, giving her a chance to set up Toxic Spikes or rack up some residual damage with Dragon Tail. Earth Power is Nidoqueen's best special STAB attack, and with the boost from Sheer Force it does an excellent job of warding off opposing Poison-types that might otherwise switch in to absorb Toxic Spikes. Ice Beam is the leading option in the last slot thanks to its super effective coverage against Flying-types that are immune to Earth Power and Toxic Spikes. Fire Blast is a worthy replacement, however, as it augments Nidoqueen's ability to counter the likes of Heracross, Escavalier, and Durant. Nidoqueen can also set up Stealth Rock, either in place of Toxic Spikes or a coverage move. Unfortuntely, Sheer Force is illegal with Stealth Rock, leaving her restricted to using the inferior (but still useful) Poison Point.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>If Dragon Tail's imperfect accuracy and inability to phaze Pokemon behind a Substitute worry you, Nidoqueen can use Roar instead. Similarly, Flamethrower can replace Fire Blast if you are afraid of an untimely miss, but the reduced power takes away Nidoqueen's ability to consistently OHKO Escavalier and 2HKO Heracross. When using Stealth Rock in place of a coverage move, Nidoqueen should switch to an Impish nature and use Earthquake instead of Earth Power to take advantage of Earthquake's higher Base Power and her higher Attack stat.</p>
<p>While STAB Earth Power discourages Poison-types from absorbing Nidoqueen's Toxic Spikes, it doesn't do much to scare away Rapid Spin users, so pairing Nidoqueen with a spinblocker such as Dusclops is a good idea. Nidoqueen can't handle most Water- and Psychic-types, so be sure to carry teammates who can. Grass-types such as Roserade and Shaymin take on Water-types quite well; both have high enough Special Defense to withstand non-STAB Ice Beams, and Roserade can put an opponent to sleep or set up Spikes, while Shaymin punishes switch-ins with her powerful Seed Flare. Mixed Houndoom is a great answer to most offensive Psychic-types, with Sucker Punch to KO the ones who try to attack and Pursuit to KO those who flee.</p>
<p>Nidoqueen's effectiveness at laying hazards, phazing, absorbing Toxic Spikes, and simply acting as a general defensive pivot all in one set makes her a useful addition to many different teams, but her contributions are perhaps most valuable to Hail teams. The Toxic Spikes Nidoqueen sets up greatly increase the potency of Hail stall strategies, and her ability to absorb Toxic Spikes on her own side of the field is equally important to the stalling effort. Hail teams are typically also quite vulnerable to powerful Fighting- and Rock-type attacks, making Nidoqueen's unique set of resistances all the more important. If you are using Nidoqueen on a Hail team, remember to replace Ice Beam with Blizzard in her fourth moveslot.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Toxic Spikes
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Thunderbolt / Fire Blast
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Modest
evs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As an offensive threat, Nidoqueen is generally labelled inferior to Nidoking, who has higher Special Attack and Speed. However, with Sheer Force boosting her power, Nidoqueen can take advantage of that stereotype to surprise and defeat many of her usual counters while still retaining enough defensive utility to set her apart from her brother.</p>
<p>This Nidoqueen is a solid team supporter with balanced defenses, useful resistances, and the ability to set up and absorb Toxic Spikes, but she can also be surprisingly difficult for opponents to safely switch into. Earth Power keeps Poison-types from coming in and is a powerful move in general thanks to the investment in Nidoqueen's Special Attack. Ice Beam provides excellent complementary coverage with Earth Power, hitting Flying- and Grass-types for heavy damage. Notably, Nidoqueen can 2HKO Hitmontop with Earth Power and OHKO Donphan with Ice Beam, making it very difficult for opponents to spin away Nidoqueen's Toxic Spikes. Thunderbolt is Nidoqueen's trump card; bulky Water-types normally counter Nidoqueen's defensive sets, but this Nidoqueen outspeeds and 2HKOes defensive Suicune, Milotic, and Blastoise with Thunderbolt before they can 2HKO her with Surf. Fire Blast is also an option in the last slot to OHKO Bug- and Ice-types such as Heracross and Mamoswine, although Nidoqueen can usually 2HKO them with her other attacks anyway.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb is the best item for this set, as it gives Nidoqueen the power to 2HKO Pokemon such as Suicune and Hitmontop, and the recoil is cancelled by Sheer Force, but Leftovers is a decent conservative option for teams that need her to be more defensive. Nidoqueen's wide movepool includes several other feasible options in the final slot. Shadow Ball gives Nidoqueen perfect neutral coverage on all of UU and can surprise Psychic- and Ghost-types on the switch. Sludge Wave is Nidoqueen's most powerful STAB move and her best option against Rotom-H. Finally, Focus Blast has high Base Power and allows Nidoqueen to beat Snorlax, but it has low accuracy and mostly redundant coverage with Earth Power. This set also works well on offensive Hail teams; just remember to replace Ice Beam with Blizzard.</p>
<p>A Modest nature and 252 Special Attack EVs maximize Nidoqueen's power, giving her an effective Special Attack stat of 354 after Sheer Force. The Speed EVs allow her to beat minimum Speed base 86s and below, such as Rotom-H, Suicune, and Cresselia, as well as maximum Speed base 56s with a neutral nature, such as Torterra, Omastar, Golurk, Gorebyss, and Tangrowth. The rest of the EVs go into HP to take advantage of Nidoqueen's natural bulk. Further investment in Speed can help Nidoqueen beat additional threats, but the less you invest in Nidoqueen's bulk, the closer she comes to being outclassed by Nidoking.</p>
<p>Nidoqueen can beat many of her potential counters with the correct move, but there are still some Pokemon she cannot get past. Mew and Celebi outspeed Nidoqueen and can take a Shadow Ball on the switch, then OHKO her with Psychic. While Nidoqueen can handle defensive Water-types with Thunderbolt, she always loses to offensive Suicune and Milotic. If Nidoqueen doesn't have Fire Blast or Focus Blast, Mamoswine and Rotom-F can take any move on the switch and OHKO Nidoqueen with their STAB attacks. Rotom-H walls everything except Sludge Wave and will do massive damage with Overheat. A single teammate cannot cover all these threats at once, but there are a few potential partners that stand out. Houndoom is an excellent check to most Psychic-types and can revenge kill Mamoswine and Rotom-F. Gastrodon stops Rotom-H and any Water-type that lacks Hidden Power Grass. Roserade keeps Water-types at bay, and it can also lure in many of Nidoqueen's counters and incapacitate them with Sleep Powder.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Nidoqueen could run a fully offensive set with four attacks and a Life Orb or Choice Scarf, but this is better left to Nidoking. Physical moves such as Earthquake, Superpower, Body Slam, and Stone Edge are available, but they should only be used on sets that lack Sheer Force. Taunt can prevent opponents from setting up hazards or boosts, but Nidoqueen isn't fast enough to use it to its full potential. She could use it with Super Fang to become a dangerous stallbreaker with an immunity to Toxic and Thunder Wave, but this is difficult to pull off without access to instant recovery outside of Rest. Speaking of Rest, Nidoqueen can use it on a defensive set to keep healthy throughout a match, although cleric support is essential to this strategy as Nidoqueen's common weaknesses will make it very difficult for her to wake up on her own. Disable is a fun move that can mess up a Pokemon such as Raikou that relies on one attack to hit Nidoqueen, but it is only useful in certain situations. Finally, Counter is always a good surprise option on a Pokemon with Nidoqueen's bulk, but she is usually better off using her wide movepool and Sheer Force to deal damage.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>If Nidoqueen lacks Thunderbolt, bulky Water-types counter her very effectively, especially Blastoise, who can use Rapid Spin to remove the entry hazards she has set up. Psychic-types also defeat her without any trouble, especially if she isn't carrying Shadow Ball. Mamoswine and Rotom-F counter any set that lacks Fire Blast or Focus Blast, while Rotom-H fears nothing outside of Sludge Wave. Chansey endlessly walls Nidoqueen's attacks, but she greatly dislikes the Toxic Spikes Nidoqueen sets up. In general, take advantage of Nidoqueen's common weaknesses to Ground-, Water-, Ice-, and Psychic-type attacks. She may survive the first wave, but with no recovery outside of Leftovers and Rest, she will eventually fall.</p>
Nidoqueen
[Overview]
<p>Nidoqueen has always been a somewhat unique Pokemon. Her base stats are extremely balanced, giving her solid all-around bulk without leaving her helpless offensively. Her interesting typing, shared only with her brother Nidoking, provides her with an excellent set of physical resistances, including Fighting, Rock, and Bug, but also leaves her with weaknesses to extremely common attacking types such as Ground, Water, and Ice. She can both set up and absorb Toxic Spikes, making her a popular addition to stall teams, and her STAB Ground-type attacks help dissuade opposing Poison-types from switching in to wipe out the Toxic Spikes she puts down. Her surprisingly large special movepool allows her to hit nearly any Pokemon super effectively, but her mediocre attacking stats and the presence of Nidoking, who hits harder and faster, have always prevented her from truly becoming an offensive force.</p>
<p>While most of that is still true, Nidoqueen received one major upgrade in the transition to the fifth generation. Sheer Force, Nidoqueen's new Dream World ability, boosts the power of most of her special attacks by 30%. This helps her keep up with the ever-increasing pace of the metagame, and even enables her to pose a real offensive threat, although she remains mostly outclassed by Nidoking in that regard. Her average Speed, common weaknesses, and lack of reliable recovery do limit her potential somewhat, but Nidoqueen is nevertheless one of the most well-rounded Pokemon in UU and is well worth considering for nearly any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 2: Dragon Tail
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast / Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Sheer Force / Poison Point
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With above average defenses and key resistances to Fighting-, Rock-, and Bug-type moves, Nidoqueen can comfortably switch in on several prominent physical attackers and set up entry hazards to support her team. Powerful threats such as Heracross, Escavalier, and Cobalion can cause major problems for a lot of teams, but Nidoqueen easily brushes off their attacks and forces them out, giving her a chance to set up Toxic Spikes or rack up some residual damage with Dragon Tail. Earth Power is Nidoqueen's best special STAB attack, and with the boost from Sheer Force it does an excellent job of warding off opposing Poison-types that might otherwise switch in to absorb Toxic Spikes. Ice Beam is the leading option in the last slot thanks to its super effective coverage against Flying-types that are immune to Earth Power and Toxic Spikes. Fire Blast is a worthy replacement, however, as it augments Nidoqueen's ability to counter the likes of Heracross, Escavalier, and Durant. Nidoqueen can also set up Stealth Rock, either in place of Toxic Spikes or a coverage move. Unfortuntely, Sheer Force is illegal with Stealth Rock, leaving her restricted to using the inferior (but still useful) Poison Point.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>If Dragon Tail's imperfect accuracy and inability to phaze Pokemon behind a Substitute worry you, Nidoqueen can use Roar instead. Similarly, Flamethrower can replace Fire Blast if you are afraid of an untimely miss, but the reduced power takes away Nidoqueen's ability to consistently OHKO Escavalier and 2HKO Heracross. When using Stealth Rock in place of a coverage move, Nidoqueen should switch to an Impish nature and use Earthquake instead of Earth Power to take advantage of Earthquake's higher Base Power and her higher Attack stat.</p>
<p>While STAB Earth Power discourages Poison-types from absorbing Nidoqueen's Toxic Spikes, it doesn't do much to scare away Rapid Spin users, so pairing Nidoqueen with a spinblocker such as Dusclops is a good idea. Nidoqueen can't handle most Water- and Psychic-types, so be sure to carry teammates who can. Grass-types such as Roserade and Shaymin take on Water-types quite well; both have high enough Special Defense to withstand non-STAB Ice Beams, and Roserade can put an opponent to sleep or set up Spikes, while Shaymin punishes switch-ins with her powerful Seed Flare. Mixed Houndoom is a great answer to most offensive Psychic-types, with Sucker Punch to KO the ones who try to attack and Pursuit to KO those who flee.</p>
<p>Nidoqueen's effectiveness at laying hazards, phazing, absorbing Toxic Spikes, and simply acting as a general defensive pivot all in one set makes her a useful addition to many different teams, but her contributions are perhaps most valuable to Hail teams. The Toxic Spikes Nidoqueen sets up greatly increase the potency of Hail stall strategies, and her ability to absorb Toxic Spikes on her own side of the field is equally important to the stalling effort. Hail teams are typically also quite vulnerable to powerful Fighting- and Rock-type attacks, making Nidoqueen's unique set of resistances all the more important. If you are using Nidoqueen on a Hail team, remember to replace Ice Beam with Blizzard in her fourth moveslot.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Toxic Spikes
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Thunderbolt / Fire Blast
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Modest
evs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As an offensive threat, Nidoqueen is generally labelled inferior to Nidoking, who has higher Special Attack and Speed. However, with Sheer Force boosting her power, Nidoqueen can take advantage of that stereotype to surprise and defeat many of her usual counters while still retaining enough defensive utility to set her apart from her brother.</p>
<p>This Nidoqueen is a solid team supporter with balanced defenses, useful resistances, and the ability to set up and absorb Toxic Spikes, but she can also be surprisingly difficult for opponents to safely switch into. Earth Power keeps Poison-types from coming in and is a powerful move in general thanks to the investment in Nidoqueen's Special Attack. Ice Beam provides excellent complementary coverage with Earth Power, hitting Flying- and Grass-types for heavy damage. Notably, Nidoqueen can 2HKO Hitmontop with Earth Power and OHKO Donphan with Ice Beam, making it very difficult for opponents to spin away Nidoqueen's Toxic Spikes. Thunderbolt is Nidoqueen's trump card; bulky Water-types normally counter Nidoqueen's defensive sets, but this Nidoqueen outspeeds and 2HKOes defensive Suicune, Milotic, and Blastoise with Thunderbolt before they can 2HKO her with Surf. Fire Blast is also an option in the last slot to OHKO Bug- and Ice-types such as Heracross and Mamoswine, although Nidoqueen can usually 2HKO them with her other attacks anyway.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb is the best item for this set, as it gives Nidoqueen the power to 2HKO Pokemon such as Suicune and Hitmontop, and the recoil is cancelled by Sheer Force, but Leftovers is a decent conservative option for teams that need her to be more defensive. Nidoqueen's wide movepool includes several other feasible options in the final slot. Shadow Ball gives Nidoqueen perfect neutral coverage on all of UU and can surprise Psychic- and Ghost-types on the switch. Sludge Wave is Nidoqueen's most powerful STAB move and her best option against Rotom-H. Finally, Focus Blast has high Base Power and allows Nidoqueen to beat Snorlax, but it has low accuracy and mostly redundant coverage with Earth Power. This set also works well on offensive Hail teams; just remember to replace Ice Beam with Blizzard.</p>
<p>A Modest nature and 252 Special Attack EVs maximize Nidoqueen's power, giving her an effective Special Attack stat of 354 after Sheer Force. The Speed EVs allow her to beat minimum Speed base 86s and below, such as Rotom-H, Suicune, and Cresselia, as well as maximum Speed base 56s with a neutral nature, such as Torterra, Omastar, Golurk, Gorebyss, and Tangrowth. The rest of the EVs go into HP to take advantage of Nidoqueen's natural bulk. Further investment in Speed can help Nidoqueen beat additional threats, but the less you invest in Nidoqueen's bulk, the closer she comes to being outclassed by Nidoking.</p>
<p>Nidoqueen can beat many of her potential counters with the correct move, but there are still some Pokemon she cannot get past. Mew and Celebi outspeed Nidoqueen and can take a Shadow Ball on the switch, then OHKO her with Psychic. While Nidoqueen can handle defensive Water-types with Thunderbolt, she always loses to offensive Suicune and Milotic. If Nidoqueen doesn't have Fire Blast or Focus Blast, Mamoswine and Rotom-F can take any move on the switch and OHKO Nidoqueen with their STAB attacks. Rotom-H walls everything except Sludge Wave and will do massive damage with Overheat. A single teammate cannot cover all these threats at once, but there are a few potential partners that stand out. Houndoom is an excellent check to most Psychic-types and can revenge kill Mamoswine and Rotom-F. Gastrodon stops Rotom-H and any Water-type that lacks Hidden Power Grass. Roserade keeps Water-types at bay, and it can also lure in many of Nidoqueen's counters and incapacitate them with Sleep Powder.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Nidoqueen could run a fully offensive set with four attacks and a Life Orb or Choice Scarf, but this is better left to Nidoking. Physical moves such as Earthquake, Superpower, Body Slam, and Stone Edge are available, but they should only be used on sets that lack Sheer Force. Taunt can prevent opponents from setting up hazards or boosts, but Nidoqueen isn't fast enough to use it to its full potential. She could use it with Super Fang to become a dangerous stallbreaker with an immunity to Toxic and Thunder Wave, but this is difficult to pull off without access to instant recovery outside of Rest. Speaking of Rest, Nidoqueen can use it on a defensive set to keep healthy throughout a match, although cleric support is essential to this strategy as Nidoqueen's common weaknesses will make it very difficult for her to wake up on her own. Disable is a fun move that can mess up a Pokemon such as Raikou that relies on one attack to hit Nidoqueen, but it is only useful in certain situations. Finally, Counter is always a good surprise option on a Pokemon with Nidoqueen's bulk, but she is usually better off using her wide movepool and Sheer Force to deal damage.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>If Nidoqueen lacks Thunderbolt, bulky Water-types counter her very effectively, especially Blastoise, who can use Rapid Spin to remove the entry hazards she has set up. Psychic-types also defeat her without any trouble, especially if she isn't carrying Shadow Ball. Mamoswine and Rotom-F counter any set that lacks Fire Blast or Focus Blast, while Rotom-H fears nothing outside of Sludge Wave. Chansey endlessly walls Nidoqueen's attacks, but she greatly dislikes the Toxic Spikes Nidoqueen sets up. In general, take advantage of Nidoqueen's common weaknesses to Ground-, Water-, Ice-, and Psychic-type attacks. She may survive the first wave, but with no recovery outside of Leftovers and Rest, she will eventually fall.</p>
