OU Nihilego [QC 3/3] [GP 2/2]

Egor

нет, товарищ генерал, это вы даёте
is a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
RoAPL Champion

[OVERVIEW]

Nihilego is a niche Toxic Spikes setter, one of the selling points of which is its ability to beat Toxapex, the best Toxic Spikes absorber. A good matchup against prominent Defog users like Tornadus-T and Tapu Fini also helps Nihilego keep Toxic Spikes up. Additionally, Nihilego's high Special Defense and typing let it act as a decent check to threats like Tornadus-T and Mega Charizard Y. Nihilego's typing has some major drawbacks, however, as every Ground-type in the tier easily beats Nihilego, and its STAB combination is walled by most Steel-types; this cuts Nihilego's effectiveness a lot given that both Ground- and Steel-types see use on almost every team. Nihilego also faces competition as a Toxic Spikes setter from Toxapex, which provides a ton of defensive utility to the team, and from Greninja, which is far more versatile and unpredictable than Nihilego and potentially can lure in and KO Toxapex too.

[SET]
name: Toxic Spikes Setter
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Power Gem
move 4: Thunder
item: Electrium Z
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Electrium Z turns Thunder into Gigavolt Havoc, which hits most Steel-types for either neutral or super effective damage. Thunder is used over Thunderbolt in order to fire off a stronger Z-Move; Gigavolt Havoc from Thunder allows Nihilego to OHKO Toxapex and Celesteela after Stealth Rock and one Power Gem as well as inflict more damage on Steel-types like Magearna, Mega Mawile, and Celesteela.

Set Details
========

Electrium Z is necessary to turn Thunder into Gigavolt Havoc, which prevents Nihilego from being a deadweight against Steel-types and lets it beat Toxapex.

Usage Tips
========

Nihilego's main aim is to set up Toxic Spikes and keep them up during the battle by aggressively playing around your opponent's entry hazard removers and positioning your team so they won't have free turns to remove Toxic Spikes. The best method to bring Nihilego in on the field is through aggressive plays and double switches to keep momentum up and pressure attempts to remove Toxic Spikes. Use Gigavolt Havoc wisely, since Nihilego absolutely requires it to break past certain threats; also, be sure to chip down your intended Z-Move target before firing Gigavolt Havoc off. The chip damage is necessary because most Gigavolt Havoc targets, like Toxapex and Celesteela, are capable of surviving it from full HP. Be wary of Baneful Bunker and Protect from these two, however. Be especially careful with Gigavolt Havoc if any of your opponent's Ground-types are still active; if the move hits one of them, you will completely waste your team's Z-Move and all your momentum.

Team Options
========

Toxic Spikes is a pretty niche move, so Nihilego fits only on teams containing Pokemon that can make use of it, like Mega Latias, Reuniclus, and Suicune. The former two also appreciate Nihilego being able to weaken Steel-types with a well-timed Gigavolt Havoc. Since Nihilego loses to any Ground-type in the tier, sturdy answers to them like Tangrowth, Mega Latias, and Tapu Bulu are necessary teammates. Pokemon that can take advantage of Steel-types make for great allies to Nihilego; for example, Suicune and Reuniclus can capitalize on passive Steel-types like Celesteela and Ferrothorn, while Heatran can also handle more offensive ones, like Magearna and Jirachi. Additionally, Heatran's Magma Storm synergizes very well with Nihilego's Toxic Spikes. Bulky Steel- and Grass-types such as Celesteela, Mega Scizor, Tangrowth, and Ferrothorn can switch into Pokemon that force Nihilego out, like Mega Alakazam and Ash-Greninja.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Hidden Power Ice prevents Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T from coming in on Nihilego for free. However, Nihilego struggles to fit this move onto its set.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ground-types**: Garchomp, Gliscor, Gastrodon, and other Ground-types can come in on Nihilego and beat it one-on-one. Most of them dislike being poisoned, however. Landorus-T, while it can't really switch in on Nihilego, is able to revenge kill it with Earthquake. Gliscor is an especially notable counter to Nihilego because it is immune to poison and has a form of reliable recovery in Roost.

**Steel-types**: Pokemon like Magearna, Heatran, and Jirachi don't care about Nihilego's STAB moves, and their defensive sets take relatively small damage from Thunder and Gigavolt Havoc. Celesteela also sponges Nihilego's STAB combination relatively well, but it hates eating Gigavolt Havoc. Ferrothorn deserves a special mention because it resists or is immune to all of Nihilego's attacks and can set up entry hazards on it.

**Physical Attacks**: Nihilego's nonexistent physical bulk means that any physical attack will put a heavy dent in it.

**Faster Attackers**: While Nihilego's Speed tier isn't bad, there are still plenty of faster threats like Ash-Greninja, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Kartana, and Mega Alakazam, all of which beat Nihilego.

**Chansey**: This Pokemon absolutely counters Nihilego thanks to its sky-high special bulk and cannot be outstalled by poison thanks to Natural Cure, reliable recovery in Soft-Boiled, and potentially Heal Bell.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Egor, 439341]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jordy, 395754], [GMars, 237636], [curiosity, 443485]]
- Grammar checked by: [[deetah, 297659], [Empress, 175616]]
 
Last edited:

bigtalk

Banned deucer.
Here are some suggestions I have (as someone who's tried Nihilego before):
  • Overview: Don't say that it's a check to Tapu Lele
  • Team Options:
    • Mention Koko as partner to boost power of Z-Thunder, provides a secondary Flying resist to take on threats Nihilego can't like handle Hawlucha/Mega Pinsir
    • Zapdos checks Kartana/Mega Scizor in addition to the above and provides a Ground immunity
    • Celesteela checks Mega Alakazam/Choice Scarf Tapu Lele in addition to the above
    • Magnezone traps Steel-types that give Nihilego trouble including Ferrothorn, Kartana, and Mega Scizor
    • Most of the team options you suggested lose to Heatran, which can force out Nihilego due to Earth Power. I would suggest teammates that deal with it like Gliscor
  • Other Options:
    • Knock Off over Sludge Bomb targets Ferrothorn, AV Mage, etc
    • Hidden Power Fire over Sludge Bomb hits Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, etc
    • Rockium Z does a lot of damage to Gliscor/Lando-T, which can be a good option since Rock-type resists are sparse
    • Choice Scarf can revenge kill threats like Mega Charizard X and Volcarona, but it's easily walled/revenge killed
  • Checks & Counters: Ferrothorn deserves a special mention in Steel-types since it resists Thunder + can trade Spikes if Nihilego goes for Toxic Spikes
 
comments in purple things to remove in red

[OVERVIEW]

* Nihilego is a niche Toxic Spikes setter that fits only on certain builds. This doesn't tell me anything.

* One of Nihilego's selling points is its ability to lure in and beat Toxapex, the most common Toxic Spikes absorber.

* Good matchup against prominent Defog users like Tornadus-T and Tapu Fini also helps Nihilego keep Toxic Spikes up.

* Nihilego's high Special Defense and typing let it act as a decent check to threats like the aforementioned Tornadus-T, Tapu Lele, and Mega Charizard Y. Nihilego is indeed a check to Tapu Lele, but I don't think it's worth noting. This might give off the wrong impression and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele still exists.

* Nihilego's typing also has some major drawbacks: literally any Ground-type in the tier easily beats Nihilego, and its STAB combination is walled by most Steel-types. Given that both Ground- and Steel-types exist in almost any team, it cuts Nihilego's effectiveness in the tier a lot. You should emphasize that it can be very punishing to give these Pokemon free turns, which you currently don't do.

* Nihilego also faces a competition as a Toxic Spikes setter from Toxapex, which provides a ton of defensive utility to the team, and from Greninja, which is far more versatile and unpredictable than Nihilego and potentially can lure in and KO Toxapex too.

[SET]
name: Toxic Spikes Setter
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Power Gem
move 4: Thunder
item: Electrium Z
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Since Nihilego is able to pressure common Defog users and beat Toxapex, it is a good user of Toxic Spikes. You already said this in the Overview.

* Sludge Bomb is preferred to Sludge Wave because of increased chance to poison the foe, which could be useful for beating Ground-types in the long run or if you failed to keep Toxic Spikes on the field.

* Thunder lets Nihilego hit Steel-types like Magearna, Mega Mawile, and Celesteela for either neutral or super effective damage. It is used over Thunderbolt on order to fire off a stronger Z-Move: Gigavolt Havoc from Thunder allows Nihilego to OHKO chipped Toxapex and inflict more damage on Steel-types.

Set Details
========

* Electrium Z is necessary for power up Thunder into Gigavolt Havoc. This doesn't tell me why Electrium Z is important at all; you provide no context.

* Timid nature is preferred to Modest in order to outpace threats like Tapu Lele and Manaphy.

Usage Tips
========

* Nihilego's main aim is to set up Toxic Spikes and keep them up during the battle. This doesn't tell me how to keep Toxic Spikes up, so it's pointless to say this.

* The best method to bring Nihilego in on the field is through aggressive plays and double switches so it can keep momentum up and pressure attempts to remove Toxic Spikes.

* Early-game, you might want to fish for poison from Sludge Bomb on incoming Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T in order to soften them up and preventing them from consistently pressuring your attepmts to set Toxic Spikes up.

* Use your Z-Move wisely: don't waste it on the wrong Pokemon and chip down a Z-Move target before throwing your Gigavolt Havoc off. The chip damage is necessary because most usual Gigavolt Havoc targets, like Toxapex and Celesteela, are capable of surviving it from full HP.

* Be especially careful with Z-Move if any of your opponent's Ground-types are still alive - if your Gigavolt Havoc occasionally lands on one of them, you will completely waste a Z-Move and all your momentum.

Team Options
========

* Toxic Spikes is a pretty niche move, so Nihilego fits only on teams containing Pokemon that can make use of it, like Suicune, Reuniclus, and Mega Latias. It's definitely worth mentioning that both Reuniclus and Mega Latias appreciate Nihilego's ability to significantly weaken Steel-types with a well-timed Gigavolt Havoc.

* Since Nihilego loses to any Ground-type in the tier, sturdy answers on them, like Tangrowth and the aforementioned Mega Latias, are necessary teammates.

* Pokemon that can take advantage of or outright beat Steel-types, like Suicune, Reuniclus, and Mega Lopunny, make for great allies to Nihilego. None of these Pokemon are particularly good at taking advantage of Steel-types in general, they're only good at taking advantage of some particular Steel-types. In the case of Mega Lopunny, it can't directly switch into any Steel-type really, it's just good at pressuring them. I think you should look to replace all these mentions, or be more specific about what Steel-types in particular they can take advantage of.

* Bulky Steel- and Grass-types such as Celesteela, Tangrowth, and Ferrothorn can switch into Pokemon that force Nihilego out, like Mega Alakazam and Ash-Greninja, respectively.

* Other entry hazards setters like Ferrothorn and Hippowdon are capable of creating decent hazard stacking cores with Nihilego. Hippowdon seems like a really niche pick on a team with an already very niche Pokemon, consider replacing it.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Nihilego also can act as a Stealth Rock setter but its entire niche lies in Toxic Spikes; additionally, the metagame has a lot better Stealth Rock setters like Garchomp and Heatran, meaning that Nihilego's ability to set Stealth Rock is rather obsolete. This is just to add clarity to why you shouldn't consider running Stealth Rock on Nihilego.

* Hidden Power Ice prevents Ground-types like Gliscor, Garchomp and Landorus-T from coming in on Nihilego for free. However, Nihilego struggles to fit this move on its set.

You should swap the Stealth Rock and Hidden Power Ice bullet around; Hidden Power Ice actually has some merit to it, unlike Stealth Rock, so it makes more sense in that order.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ground-types**: Landorus-T, Garchomp, Gliscor, Gastrodon, and others can freely come in on Nihilego and beat it 1v1. It's not necessarily for free because Nihilego can set Toxic Spikes on the switch or attempt to cripple them with Sludge Bomb, so I think that you should change the wording slightly. Most of them dislike being poisoned, however. Gliscor is an especially notable counter to Nihilego because it is immune to poison and has a form of reliable recovery in Roost.

**Steel-types**: Pokemon like Magearna and Jirachi don't care about Nihilego's STAB moves, and their defensive sets take relatively small damage from Thunder or Gigavolt Havoc. The likes of Heatran, Celesteela, and Skarmory are neutral to Power Gem, however, and the latter two hate eating Gigavolt Havoc. Skarmory doesn't really make sense because it simply doesn't possess the special bulk to switch into Nihilego. Ferrothorn deserves a special mention.

**Physical Attacks**: Nihilego's inexistent physical bulk means that any physical attack will put a heavy dent on it.

**Faster Attackers**: While Nihilego's Speed tier isn't bad, there are still a plenty of faster threats like Ash-Greninja, Kartana, and Mega Alakazam, all of which outpace and beat Nihilego.

**Chansey**: This Pokemon absolutely counters Nihilego thanks to its sky-high special bulk and cannot be outstalled by poison thanks to Natural Cure, a reliable recovery in Soft-Boiled, and potential Heal Bell.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[, ]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
I'll check this again after all this is implemented. There are a bunch of issues with the way a lot of this is phrased, so please go over everything carefully.
 

Egor

нет, товарищ генерал, это вы даёте
is a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
RoAPL Champion
will implement the check on the next week.
 
comments in purple things to bin red

[OVERVIEW]

* Nihilego is a niche Toxic Spikes setter, one of the selling points of which is the ability to lure in and beat Toxapex, the most common best Toxic Spikes absorber and one of the best Pokemon in general.

* Good matchup against prominent Defog users like Tornadus-T and Tapu Fini also helps Nihilego keep Toxic Spikes up.

* Nihilego's high Special Defense and typing let it act as a decent check to threats like the aforementioned Tornadus-T and Mega Charizard Y.

* Nihilego's typing also has some major drawbacks: literally any Ground-type in the tier easily beats Nihilego, and its STAB combination is walled by most Steel-types. Given that both Ground- and Steel-types easily get free turns on Nihilego and exist in almost any team, it cuts Nihilego's effectiveness in the tier a lot.

* Nihilego also faces a competition as a Toxic Spikes setter from Toxapex, which provides a ton of defensive utility to the team, and from Greninja, which is far more versatile and unpredictable than Nihilego and potentially can lure in and KO Toxapex too.

[SET]
name: Toxic Spikes Setter
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Power Gem
move 4: Thunder
item: Electrium Z
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Sludge Bomb is preferred to Sludge Wave because of increased chance to poison the foe, which could be useful for beating Ground-types in the long run or if you failed to keep Toxic Spikes on the field.

* Thunder lets Nihilego hit Steel-types like Magearna, Mega Mawile, and Celesteela for either neutral or super effective damage. Thunder is run purely for the Z-Move, so focus on that when talking about what it hits rather than Thunder itself. It is used over Thunderbolt on order to fire off a stronger Z-Move: Gigavolt Havoc from Thunder allows Nihilego to OHKO chipped Toxapex and inflict more damage on Steel-types.

Set Details
========

* Electrium Z is necessary for power up Thunder into Gigavolt Havoc which prevents Nihilego from being a deadweight against Steel-types and lets it beat Toxapex.

* Timid nature is preferred to Modest in order to outpace threats like Tapu Lele and Manaphy.

Usage Tips
========

* Nihilego's main aim is to set up Toxic Spikes and keep them up during the battle by aggressively playing around your opponent's hazard removers and positioning yourself so they don't have free turns to remove Toxic Spikes.

* The best method to bring Nihilego in on the field is through aggressive plays and double switches so it can keep momentum up and pressure attempts to remove Toxic Spikes.

* Early-game, you might want to fish for poison from Sludge Bomb on incoming Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T in order to soften them up and prevent them from consistently pressuring your attepmts to set Toxic Spikes up.

* Use your Z-Move wisely: don't waste it on the wrong Pokemon and chip down a Z-Move target before throwing your Gigavolt Havoc off. The chip damage is necessary because most usual Gigavolt Havoc targets, like Toxapex and Celesteela, are capable of surviving it from full HP. Be careful of Baneful Bunker and Protect respectively too.

* Be especially careful with Z-Move if any of your opponent's Ground-types are still alive - if your Gigavolt Havoc occasionally lands on one of them, you will completely waste a Z-Move and all your momentum.

Team Options
========

* Toxic Spikes is a pretty niche move, so Nihilego fits only on teams containing Pokemon that can make use of it, like Suicune, Reuniclus, and Mega Latias. The latter two also appreciate Nihilego being able to weaken Steel-types with a well-timed Gigavolt Havoc.

* Since Nihilego loses to any Ground-type in the tier, sturdy answers on them, like Tangrowth and the aforementioned Mega Latias, are necessary teammates.

* Pokemon that can take advantage of Steel-types make for great allies to Nihilego: for example, Suicune and Reuniclus can capitalize on passive Steel-types like Celesteela and Ferrothorn.

* Bulky Steel- and Grass-types such as Celesteela, Tangrowth, and Ferrothorn can switch into Pokemon that force Nihilego out, like Mega Alakazam and Ash-Greninja, respectively.

* Other entry hazards setters like Ferrothorn are capable of creating decent hazard stacking cores with Nihilego. As long as a Pokemon doesn't need hazard stacking to function, there's no point in pointing something like this out.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Hidden Power Ice prevents Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T from coming in on Nihilego for free. However, Nihilego struggles to fit this move on its set.

* Nihilego also can act as a Stealth Rock setter but its entire niche lies in Toxic Spikes; additionally, the metagame has a lot better Stealth Rock setters like Garchomp and Heatran, meaning that Nihilego's ability to set Stealth Rock is rather obsolete.

You could definitely make a case for Sludge Wave because it actually hits Kommo-o, whereas it's otherwise completely walled.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ground-types**: Landorus-T, Garchomp, Gliscor, Gastrodon, and others can come in on Nihilego and beat it 1v1. Most of them dislike being poisoned, however. Gliscor is an especially notable counter to Nihilego because it is immune to poison and has a form of reliable recovery in Roost.

**Steel-types**: Pokemon like Magearna and Jirachi don't care about Nihilego's STAB moves, and their defensive sets take relatively small damage from Thunder or Gigavolt Havoc. The likes of Heatran and Celesteela are neutral to Power Gem, however, and the latter hates eating Gigavolt Havoc. Ferrothorn deserves a special mention because it resists or is immune to any of Nihilego's attacks and can trade hazards with it.

**Physical Attacks**: Nihilego's inexistent physical bulk means that any physical attack will put a heavy dent on it.

**Faster Attackers**: While Nihilego's Speed tier isn't bad, there are still a plenty of faster threats like Ash-Greninja, Kartana, and Mega Alakazam, all of which outpace and beat Nihilego.

**Chansey**: This Pokemon absolutely counters Nihilego thanks to its sky-high special bulk and cannot be outstalled by poison thanks to Natural Cure, a reliable recovery in Soft-Boiled, and potential Heal Bell.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[, ]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
Good job, 1/3 once implemented.
 

Egor

нет, товарищ генерал, это вы даёте
is a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
RoAPL Champion
implemented, thx. ready for the 2nd check.
 

Egor

нет, товарищ генерал, это вы даёте
is a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
RoAPL Champion
wrote up this, ready for the 3rd check.
 

[OVERVIEW]

Nihilego is a niche Toxic Spikes setter, one of the selling points of which is the ability to lure in and beat Toxapex, the best Toxic Spikes absorber. Good matchup against prominent Defog users like Tornadus-T and Tapu Fini also helps Nihilego keep Toxic Spikes up. Additionally, Nihilego's high Special Defense and typing let it act as a decent check to threats like the aforementioned Tornadus-T and Mega Charizard Y. Nihilego's typing has some major drawbacks, however: literally any Ground-type in the tier easily beats Nihilego, and its STAB combination is walled by most Steel-types; given that both Ground- and Steel-types easily get free turns on Nihilego and exist in almost any team, it cuts Nihilego's effectiveness in the tier a lot. Nihilego also faces a competition as a Toxic Spikes setter from Toxapex, which provides a ton of defensive utility to the team, and from Greninja, which is far more versatile and unpredictable than Nihilego and potentially can lure in and KO Toxapex too.

[SET]
name: Toxic Spikes Setter
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Power Gem
move 4: Thunder
item: Electrium Z
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

why is this sludge bomb? legit the only ground / mon in general you’re really crippling w/ poison is chomp (which is realistically the only ground you’re ever breaking through) since everything else is already taking more from gem anyways and is walling you regardless of whether you actually poison them or not so please change this to wave. Being walled by kommo-o in this meta ian absolute shit

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Sludge Bomb is preferred to Sludge Wave because of increased chance to poison the foe, which could be useful for beating Ground-types in the long run. remove accordingly. Thunder is needed for a Gigavolt Havoc which hits Steel-types like Magearna, Mega Mawile, and Celesteela for either neutral or super effective damage. It is used over Thunderbolt in order to fire off a stronger Z-Move: Gigavolt Havoc from Thunder allows Nihilego to OHKO chipped Toxapex + celesteela and inflict more damage on Steel-types. examples?

Set Details
========

Electrium Z is necessary for power up Thunder into Gigavolt Havoc which prevents Nihilego from being a deadweight against Steel-types and lets it beat Toxapex. Timid nature is preferred to Modest in order to outpace threats like Tapu Lele and Manaphy. this is filler, remove it.

Usage Tips
========

Nihilego's main aim is to set up Toxic Spikes and keep them up during the battle by aggressively playing around your opponent's hazard removers and positioning yourself so they won't have free turns to remove Toxic Spikes. The best method to bring Nihilego in on the field is through aggressive plays and double switches to keep momentum up and pressure attempts to remove Toxic Spikes. Early-game, you might want to fish for poison from Sludge Bomb on incoming Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T ik i’ve already told you to remove all sludge bomb mentions but why tf are you using lando as an example here? legit gem is 2hkoing from full so it’s actually pointless to try fish for the poison in order to soften them up and prevent them from consistently pressuring your attepmts to set Toxic Spikes up. Use your Z-Move wisely: don't waste it on the wrong Pokemon and chip down a Z-Move target before throwing your Gigavolt Havoc off. this really needs to emphasise how it absolutely needs the z to actually break past anything The chip damage is necessary because most usual Gigavolt Havoc targets, like Toxapex and Celesteela, are capable of surviving it from full HP. Be wary of Baneful Bunker and Protect respectively from these two, however. Be especially careful with Z-Move if any of your opponent's Ground-types are still alive - if your Gigavolt Havoc occasionally lands on one of them, you will completely waste a Z-Move and all your momentum.

Team Options
========

Toxic Spikes is a pretty niche move, so Nihilego fits only on teams containing Pokemon that can make use of it, like Suicune, Reuniclus, and Mega Latias. why is suicune before lati? i get that cune nihi was / still barely a thing but this section has always gone off of vr rankings when ordering shit The latter two also appreciate Nihilego being able to weaken Steel-types with a well-timed Gigavolt Havoc. Since Nihilego loses to any Ground-type in the tier, sturdy answers on them, like Tangrowth and the aforementioned Mega Latias, are necessary teammates. add mentions of bulu here Pokemon that can take advantage of Steel-types make for great allies to Nihilego: for example, Suicune and Reuniclus see: last; add mentions of Heatran since magma tspikes is actually insane can capitalize on passive Steel-types like Celesteela and Ferrothorn. Bulky Steel- and Grass-types such as Celesteela, Tangrowth, and Ferrothorn can switch into Pokemon that force Nihilego out, like Mega Alakazam and Ash-Greninja, respectively. add mentions of scizor, it knocks a lot of its checks while also forcing zammer out + is definitely one of nihi’s better partners

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Sludge Wave prevents Nihilego from being walled by Kommo-o but Sludge Bomb's increased poison chance is generally more useful. Hidden Power Ice prevents Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T from coming in on Nihilego for free. However, Nihilego struggles to fit this move on its set. Nihilego also can act as a Stealth Rock setter but its entire niche lies in Toxic Spikes if its entire niche relies on tspike then why are you telling people to use it over tspike??; additionally, the metagame has a lot better Stealth Rock setters like Garchomp and Heatran, meaning that Nihilego's ability to set Stealth Rock is rather obsolete.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ground-types**: Landorus-T, Garchomp, Gliscor, Gastrodon, and others can come in on Nihilego and beat it 1v1. Most of them dislike being poisoned, however. Gliscor is an especially notable counter to Nihilego because it is immune to poison and has a form of reliable recovery in Roost. again lando doesn’t really come in on it, so mention that it can revenge it rather than hard into it

**Steel-types**: Pokemon like Magearna and Jirachi don't care about Nihilego's STAB moves, and their defensive sets take relatively small damage from Thunder or Gigavolt Havoc. The likes of Heatran and Celesteela are neutral to Power Gem, however, i mean is it really important to state that it’s neutral when it does nothing to begin with? and the latter hates eating Gigavolt Havoc. Ferrothorn deserves a special mention because it resists or is immune to any of Nihilego's attacks and can trade hazards with it.

**Physical Attacks**: Nihilego's inexistent physical bulk means that any physical attack will put a heavy dent on it.

**Faster Attackers**: While Nihilego's Speed tier isn't bad, there are still a plenty of faster threats like Ash-Greninja, Kartana, and Mega Alakazam, all of which outpace and beat Nihilego. add mentions of lando here

**Chansey**: This Pokemon absolutely counters Nihilego thanks to its sky-high special bulk and cannot be outstalled by poison thanks to Natural Cure, a reliable recovery in Soft-Boiled, and potential Heal Bell.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Egor, 439341]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jordy, 395754], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

fix this


qc 3/3
 

Egor

нет, товарищ генерал, это вы даёте
is a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
RoAPL Champion
implemented, thx. sending this to gp.
 

deetah

Bright like a diamond
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris an Artistis a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributor
GP & SocMed Lead
Add Remove Comments (AC) = Add Comma (AP) = Add Period (SC) = Semicolon

GP 1/2

garchompstamp.gif



[OVERVIEW]

Nihilego is a niche Toxic Spikes setter, one of the selling points of which is the its ability to lure in and beat Toxapex, the best Toxic Spikes absorber. A good matchup against prominent Defog users like Tornadus-T and Tapu Fini also helps Nihilego keep Toxic Spikes up. Additionally, Nihilego's high Special Defense and typing let it act as a decent check to threats like the aforementioned Tornadus-T and Mega Charizard Y. Nihilego's typing has some major drawbacks, however, (AC) as literally any Ground-type in the tier easily beats Nihilego, and its STAB combination is walled by most Steel-types; given that both Ground- and Steel-types easily get free turns on Nihilego and exist in almost any team, it cuts Nihilego's effectiveness in the tier a lot. Nihilego also faces a competition as a Toxic Spikes setter from Toxapex, which provides a ton of defensive utility to the team, and from Greninja, which is far more versatile and unpredictable than Nihilego and potentially can lure in and KO Toxapex too.

[SET]
name: Toxic Spikes Setter
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Power Gem
move 4: Thunder
item: Electrium Z
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Electrium Z turns Thunder is needed for a into Gigavolt Havoc, (AC) which hits most Steel-types for either neutral or super effective damage. It Thunder is used over Thunderbolt in order to fire off a stronger Z-Move; (SC) Gigavolt Havoc from Thunder allows Nihilego to OHKO chipped Toxapex and Celesteela as well as inflict more damage on Steel-types like Magearna, Mega Mawile, and Celesteela. (Fix the end of this paragraph so it's like this)

Set Details
========

Electrium Z is necessary for power up to turn Thunder into Gigavolt Havoc, (AC) which prevents Nihilego from being a deadweight against Steel-types and lets it beat Toxapex.

Usage Tips
========

Nihilego's main aim is to set up Toxic Spikes and keep them up during the battle by aggressively playing around your opponent's entry hazard removers and positioning yourself so they won't have free turns to remove Toxic Spikes. The best method to bring Nihilego in on the field is through aggressive plays and double switches to keep momentum up and pressure attempts to remove Toxic Spikes. Use your Z-Move wisely, since Nihilego absolutely requires it to break past certain threats; (SC) don't waste it on the wrong Pokemon and chip down a Z-Move target before throwing your Gigavolt Havoc off. The chip damage is necessary because most usual Gigavolt Havoc targets, like Toxapex and Celesteela, are capable of surviving it from full HP. Be wary of Baneful Bunker and Protect respectively from these two, however. Be especially careful with your Z-Move if any of your opponent's Ground-types are still alive; (SC) - (Remove hyphen) if your Gigavolt Havoc occasionally lands on one of them, you will completely waste a Z-Move and all your momentum.

Team Options
========

Toxic Spikes is a pretty niche move, so Nihilego fits only on teams containing Pokemon that can make use of it, like Mega Latias, Reuniclus, and Suicune. The former two also appreciate Nihilego being able to weaken Steel-types with a well-timed Gigavolt Havoc. Since Nihilego loses to any Ground-type in the tier, sturdy answers on them, like Tangrowth, the aforementioned Mega Latias, and Tapu Bulu are necessary teammates. Pokemon that can take advantage of Steel-types make for great allies to Nihilego; (SC) for example, Suicune and Reuniclus can capitalize on passive Steel-types like Celesteela and Ferrothorn, while Heatran can also handle more proactive ones, like Magearna and Jirachi. (AP) Additionally, Heatran's Magma Storm synergizes very well with Nihilego's Toxic Spikes. Bulky Steel- and Grass-types such as Celesteela, Mega Scizor, Tangrowth, and Ferrothorn can switch into Pokemon that force Nihilego out, like Mega Alakazam and Ash-Greninja, respectively.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Hidden Power Ice prevents Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T from coming in on Nihilego for free. However, Nihilego struggles to fit this move on its set.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ground-types**: Garchomp, Gliscor, Gastrodon, and others can come in on Nihilego and beat it 1v1 one-on-one. Most of them dislike being poisoned, however. Landorus-T, while it can't really switch in on Nihilego, is able to revenge kill it with Earthquake. Gliscor is an especially notable counter to Nihilego because it is immune to poison and has a form of reliable recovery in Roost.

**Steel-types**: Pokemon like Magearna, Heatran, and Jirachi don't care about Nihilego's STAB moves, and their defensive sets take relatively small damage from Thunder or Gigavolt Havoc. Celesteela also sponges Nihilego's STAB combination relatively well, (AC) but it hates eating Gigavolt Havoc. Ferrothorn deserves a special mention because it resists or is immune to any of Nihilego's attacks and can trade entry hazards with it.

**Physical Attacks**: Nihilego's inexistent physical bulk means that any physical attack will put a heavy dent on it.

**Faster Attackers**: While Nihilego's Speed tier isn't bad, there are still a plenty of faster threats like Ash-Greninja, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Kartana, and Mega Alakazam, all of which outpace and beat Nihilego.

**Chansey**: This Pokemon absolutely counters Nihilego thanks to its sky-high special bulk and cannot be outstalled by poison thanks to Natural Cure, a reliable recovery in Soft-Boiled, and potential Heal Bell.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Egor, 439341]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jordy, 395754], [GMars, 237636], [curiosity, 443485]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 

Egor

нет, товарищ генерал, это вы даёте
is a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
RoAPL Champion
implemented, thx. ready for the last check.
 

Empress

Warning: may contain traces of nuts
is a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
add remove comment

[OVERVIEW]

Nihilego is a niche Toxic Spikes setter, one of the selling points of which is its ability to lure in and (If this is Nihilego's only viable set, then it's the one that the opponent will expect, so I wouldn't say that it lures in Toxapex.) beat Toxapex, the best Toxic Spikes absorber. A good matchup against prominent Defog users like Tornadus-T and Tapu Fini also helps Nihilego keep Toxic Spikes up. Additionally, Nihilego's high Special Defense and typing let it act as a decent check to threats like the aforementioned (not totally necessary, but you have the option to keep it) Tornadus-T and Mega Charizard Y. Nihilego's typing has some major drawbacks, however, as literally any every (I'd allow this in a Flying Press article) Ground-type in the tier easily beats Nihilego, and its STAB combination is walled by most Steel-types; this cuts Nihilego's effectiveness a lot given that both Ground- and Steel-types easily get free turns on Nihilego and exist in see use on almost any every team, it cuts Nihilego's effectiveness in the tier a lot. (wordiness, phrasing) Nihilego also faces competition as a Toxic Spikes setter from Toxapex, which provides a ton of defensive utility to the team, and from Greninja, which is far more versatile and unpredictable than Nihilego and potentially can lure in and KO Toxapex too.

[SET]
name: Toxic Spikes Setter
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Power Gem
move 4: Thunder
item: Electrium Z
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

(What do Toxic Spikes, Sludge Wave, and Power Gem do? Electrium Z turns Thunder into Gigavolt Havoc, which hits most Steel-types for either neutral or super effective damage. Thunder is used over Thunderbolt in order to fire off a stronger Z-Move; Gigavolt Havoc from Thunder allows Nihilego to OHKO chipped Toxapex (State what residual damage is needed; otherwise, it's not an OHKO) and Celesteela as well as inflict more damage on Steel-types like Magearna, Mega Mawile, and Celesteela.

Set Details
========

Electrium Z is necessary to turn Thunder into Gigavolt Havoc, which prevents Nihilego from being a dead(space)weight against Steel-types and lets it beat Toxapex.

Usage Tips
========

Nihilego's main aim is to set up Toxic Spikes and keep them up during the battle by aggressively playing around your opponent's entry hazard removers and positioning yourself your team so they won't have free turns to remove Toxic Spikes. The best method to bring Nihilego in on the field is through aggressive plays and double switches to keep momentum up and pressure attempts to remove Toxic Spikes. Use your Z-Move Gigavolt Havoc (It's Nihilego's move, not the player's move) wisely, since Nihilego absolutely requires it to break past certain threats; don't waste it on the wrong Pokemon and also, be sure to chip down a your intended (Is this what you were trying to say?) Z-Move target before throwing your firing ("throwing" -> "firing" is a subjective change) Gigavolt Havoc off. The chip damage is necessary because most usual (Do you need this word? You can keep it if you think you do) Gigavolt Havoc targets, like Toxapex and Celesteela, are capable of surviving it from full HP. Be wary of Baneful Bunker and Protect respectively from these two, however. Be especially careful with your Z-Move Gigavolt Havoc if any of your opponent's Ground-types are still alive active; if your Gigavolt Havoc occasionally lands on the move hits one of them, you will completely waste a your team's Z-Move and all your momentum.

Team Options
========

Toxic Spikes is a pretty niche move, so Nihilego fits only on teams containing Pokemon that can make use of it, like Mega Latias, Reuniclus, and Suicune. The former two also appreciate Nihilego being able to weaken Steel-types with a well-timed Gigavolt Havoc. Since Nihilego loses to any Ground-type in the tier, sturdy answers on to them, (RC) like Tangrowth, the aforementioned Mega Latias, and Tapu Bulu are necessary teammates. Pokemon that can take advantage of Steel-types make for great allies to Nihilego; for example, Suicune and Reuniclus can capitalize on passive Steel-types like Celesteela and Ferrothorn, while Heatran can also handle more proactive offensive ones, like Magearna and Jirachi. Additionally, Heatran's Magma Storm synergizes very well with Nihilego's Toxic Spikes. Bulky Steel- and Grass-types such as Celesteela, Mega Scizor, Tangrowth, and Ferrothorn can switch into Pokemon that force Nihilego out, like Mega Alakazam and Ash-Greninja, respectively.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Hidden Power Ice prevents Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T from coming in on Nihilego for free. However, Nihilego struggles to fit this move on onto its set.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ground-types**: Garchomp, Gliscor, Gastrodon, and others other Ground-types can come in on Nihilego and beat it one-on-one. Most of them dislike being poisoned, however. Landorus-T, while it can't really switch in on Nihilego, is able to revenge kill it with Earthquake. Gliscor is an especially notable counter to Nihilego because it is immune to poison and has a form of reliable recovery in Roost.

**Steel-types**: Pokemon like Magearna, Heatran, and Jirachi don't care about Nihilego's STAB moves, and their defensive sets take relatively small damage from Thunder or and Gigavolt Havoc. Celesteela also sponges Nihilego's STAB combination relatively well, but it hates eating Gigavolt Havoc. Ferrothorn deserves a special mention because it resists or is immune to any all of Nihilego's attacks and can trade set up entry hazards with on it.

**Physical Attacks**: Nihilego's inexistent nonexistent physical bulk means that any physical attack will put a heavy dent on in it.

**Faster Attackers**: While Nihilego's Speed tier isn't bad, there are still plenty of faster threats like Ash-Greninja, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Kartana, and Mega Alakazam, all of which outpace and beat Nihilego.

**Chansey**: This Pokemon absolutely counters Nihilego thanks to its sky-high special bulk and cannot be outstalled by poison thanks to Natural Cure, reliable recovery in Soft-Boiled, and potential potentially Heal Bell.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Egor, 439341]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jordy, 395754], [GMars, 237636], [curiosity, 443485]]
- Grammar checked by: [[deetah, 297659], [, ]]

GP 2/2
 

Egor

нет, товарищ генерал, это вы даёте
is a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
RoAPL Champion
implemented, thx. the analysis is done!:blobthumbsup:
 

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