**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 3-4 points
**Overview**: Espeon is a Pokemon that looks a lot more promising in theory than in practice. On the plus side, Espeon has a good speed and special attack stat and can threaten to sweep with Calm Mind. Furthermore, Magic Bounce can be useful to punish would be hazard setters and can assist with hazard control to a degree. However, poor physical bulk and only an average special movepool hold Espeon back from its full potential. Even with Magic Bounce, switching in against hazard setters is risky as many of them can hit Espeon hard with physical attacks to punish its efforts meaning that it can't function as a team's sole answer to entry hazards.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Set Up Sweeper**: Espeon has the potential to snowball with Calm Mind as a late game sweeper since Magic Bounce protects it from disruption and status, allowing it to pick off weakened teams.
**Special Wallbreaker**: Espeon can take the route of an all out attacker with Choice Specs in order to break holes in teams that can’t withstand its strong Psychic attacks and acceptable coverage options.
**Fast Utility**: Espeon’s high speed can allow it to play the role of a fast utility Pokemon that can set both Light Screen and Reflect, while also spreading status for its teammates.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Psychic, Psyshock, Psychic Noise, Stored Power, Future Sight
**Setup Moves**: Calm Mind, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Light Screen, Protect, Reflect, Thunder Wave, Trick, Yawn
**Coverage**: Alluring Voice, Draining Kiss, Grass Knot, Power Gem, Shadow Ball, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Weather Ball**: If given weather support, Espeon can solve its coverage issues by using Weather Ball to surprise a check.
**Wish**: While it is flawed in this role due to its poor physical bulk, Espeon can sometimes slot in Wish to assist its teammates.
Common Items
========
**Choice Specs** Espeon can make a solid user of Choice Specs due to its good special attack stat as well as access to Trick to punish walls.
**Damage Boosting Items**: Calm Mind sets can benefit greatly with items such as Life Orb, Twistedspoon, and Expert Belt to increase damage output.
**Choice Scarf**: Espeon can beat would be revenge killers and faster sweepers by donning a Choice Scarf to catch a surprise KO.
Niche Items
========
**Leftovers**: Provides Espeon extra longevity and can allow it to more easily stack boosts with Calm Mind.
**Light Clay**: Espeon can make a decent enough screen setter to help its teammates set up since it can prevent Defog from clearing them.
**Resistance Berries**: Chople, Tanga Berry, and Kasib Berry can allow Espeon to tank a super effective hit and remove a woukd be revenge killer with its coverage.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots allows Espeon to switch in repeatedly against any hazards that may have been used before Espeon hit the field.
Tera
========
Espeon can make a good secondary Tera captain, however, the sink cost can make it hard to justify since it often relies on it at the expense of its stronger teammates. Offensive Tera types work best, such as Tera Fire or Fairy in order to defeat bulky Steel-types and Dark-types respectively. Tera Ghost is an option to boost Shadow Ball’s power should the opponent lack solid Ghost resists while Tera Psychic can sometimes be useful to strengthen Choice sets. Finally, Tera Fighting works to break past Steel and Dark-types on Calm Mind sets.
Draft Strategy
========
Espeon is a cheaper special wallbreaker that teams can use if they want additional speed control and protection from entry hazards.
**Physical Tanks** Espeon has poor physical bulk and greatly appreciates the presence of Pokemon that can switch in on these attacks. Pokemon such as Alomomola, Galarian Weezing and Amoonguss can make solid choices for this purpose. Pokemon that can punish contact moves such as Garchomp are also solid options to punish moves like U-turn.
**Hazard Setters**: Espeon loves entry hazards being stacked on the opposing side, so Pokémon such as Ting Lu, Gliscor, and Garganacl can make great partners to ease Espeon’s ability to wallbreak. In return, Espeon can help prevent opposing hazards from being stacked which will ease their ability to hit the field.
**Physical Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Blaziken, Kingambit, and Scizor can break past the special walls that Espeon can find itself walled by.
Checks and Counters
========
**Priority Attacks**: Espeon’s physical frailty means that strong priority moves such as Bullet Punch, Extreme Speed and especially Sucker Punch can threaten to do massive damage.
**Special Walls**: Pokemon that are tanky enough to survive Espeon’s attacks, especially dark types such as Kingambit and Tyranitar can be roadblocks that limit Espeon’s wallbreaking capabilities.
**Faster Opponents**: Espeon can be beaten by faster Pokemon such as Roaring Moon and Meowscarada, while common Choice Scarf users such as Landorus-T and Krookodile can be similarly dangerous.
**Super-Effective Attacks**: Espeon fears Super-Effective attacks that can KO it outright if it isn't careful. U-turn is not only threatening but can allow for the opponent to pivot as Espeon is forced out while Knock Off can do heavy damage while also punishing a defensive switch-in.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/patar136.571123/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/e-man.617175/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
**Price Range**: 3-4 points
**Overview**: Espeon is a Pokemon that looks a lot more promising in theory than in practice. On the plus side, Espeon has a good speed and special attack stat and can threaten to sweep with Calm Mind. Furthermore, Magic Bounce can be useful to punish would be hazard setters and can assist with hazard control to a degree. However, poor physical bulk and only an average special movepool hold Espeon back from its full potential. Even with Magic Bounce, switching in against hazard setters is risky as many of them can hit Espeon hard with physical attacks to punish its efforts meaning that it can't function as a team's sole answer to entry hazards.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Set Up Sweeper**: Espeon has the potential to snowball with Calm Mind as a late game sweeper since Magic Bounce protects it from disruption and status, allowing it to pick off weakened teams.
**Special Wallbreaker**: Espeon can take the route of an all out attacker with Choice Specs in order to break holes in teams that can’t withstand its strong Psychic attacks and acceptable coverage options.
**Fast Utility**: Espeon’s high speed can allow it to play the role of a fast utility Pokemon that can set both Light Screen and Reflect, while also spreading status for its teammates.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Psychic, Psyshock, Psychic Noise, Stored Power, Future Sight
**Setup Moves**: Calm Mind, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Light Screen, Protect, Reflect, Thunder Wave, Trick, Yawn
**Coverage**: Alluring Voice, Draining Kiss, Grass Knot, Power Gem, Shadow Ball, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Weather Ball**: If given weather support, Espeon can solve its coverage issues by using Weather Ball to surprise a check.
**Wish**: While it is flawed in this role due to its poor physical bulk, Espeon can sometimes slot in Wish to assist its teammates.
Common Items
========
**Choice Specs** Espeon can make a solid user of Choice Specs due to its good special attack stat as well as access to Trick to punish walls.
**Damage Boosting Items**: Calm Mind sets can benefit greatly with items such as Life Orb, Twistedspoon, and Expert Belt to increase damage output.
**Choice Scarf**: Espeon can beat would be revenge killers and faster sweepers by donning a Choice Scarf to catch a surprise KO.
Niche Items
========
**Leftovers**: Provides Espeon extra longevity and can allow it to more easily stack boosts with Calm Mind.
**Light Clay**: Espeon can make a decent enough screen setter to help its teammates set up since it can prevent Defog from clearing them.
**Resistance Berries**: Chople, Tanga Berry, and Kasib Berry can allow Espeon to tank a super effective hit and remove a woukd be revenge killer with its coverage.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots allows Espeon to switch in repeatedly against any hazards that may have been used before Espeon hit the field.
Tera
========
Espeon can make a good secondary Tera captain, however, the sink cost can make it hard to justify since it often relies on it at the expense of its stronger teammates. Offensive Tera types work best, such as Tera Fire or Fairy in order to defeat bulky Steel-types and Dark-types respectively. Tera Ghost is an option to boost Shadow Ball’s power should the opponent lack solid Ghost resists while Tera Psychic can sometimes be useful to strengthen Choice sets. Finally, Tera Fighting works to break past Steel and Dark-types on Calm Mind sets.
Draft Strategy
========
Espeon is a cheaper special wallbreaker that teams can use if they want additional speed control and protection from entry hazards.
**Physical Tanks** Espeon has poor physical bulk and greatly appreciates the presence of Pokemon that can switch in on these attacks. Pokemon such as Alomomola, Galarian Weezing and Amoonguss can make solid choices for this purpose. Pokemon that can punish contact moves such as Garchomp are also solid options to punish moves like U-turn.
**Hazard Setters**: Espeon loves entry hazards being stacked on the opposing side, so Pokémon such as Ting Lu, Gliscor, and Garganacl can make great partners to ease Espeon’s ability to wallbreak. In return, Espeon can help prevent opposing hazards from being stacked which will ease their ability to hit the field.
**Physical Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Blaziken, Kingambit, and Scizor can break past the special walls that Espeon can find itself walled by.
Checks and Counters
========
**Priority Attacks**: Espeon’s physical frailty means that strong priority moves such as Bullet Punch, Extreme Speed and especially Sucker Punch can threaten to do massive damage.
**Special Walls**: Pokemon that are tanky enough to survive Espeon’s attacks, especially dark types such as Kingambit and Tyranitar can be roadblocks that limit Espeon’s wallbreaking capabilities.
**Faster Opponents**: Espeon can be beaten by faster Pokemon such as Roaring Moon and Meowscarada, while common Choice Scarf users such as Landorus-T and Krookodile can be similarly dangerous.
**Super-Effective Attacks**: Espeon fears Super-Effective attacks that can KO it outright if it isn't careful. U-turn is not only threatening but can allow for the opponent to pivot as Espeon is forced out while Knock Off can do heavy damage while also punishing a defensive switch-in.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/patar136.571123/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/e-man.617175/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
Last edited:
