Politoed (Revamp) (GP 2/2)


Hey dog, wart's up?

[Overview]

<p>When the VGC 2012 ruleset was announced, it didn't take long for Politoed to take hold onf the metagame. With an entourage of Swift Swim Pokemonusers capable of utilizing Drizzle &mdash; that range from the humble Anorith to the mighty Kingdra,&mdash; Politoed is never in shortage of teammates to occupy vacant team slots. Politoed isn't just good for Drizzle, however, as it can deal major damage to anything without a resistance or high Special Defense with its STAB, rain-boosted Water moves, or support its team using moves such as Helping Hand and Icy Wind.</p>

<p>Politoed doesn't really have many issues either, besides the obvious weaknesses to Grass- and Electric-type attacks, such as those from Thundurus and Breloom. The only things that really trouble it are other weather changers, such as Abomasnow, Tyranitar, and Ninetales. Luckily, Politoed can surround itself with Pokemon that have great defensive synergy, allowing it to switch in and out to reinstate weather if need be, as well as having a good matchup type-wise against two-thirds of the other weather changers. Because of its versatility, power, and workable bulk, Politoed won't be budging from its top 10 position anytime soon.</p>

[SET]
name: Rain Support
move 1: Hydro Pump / Scald
move 2: Icy Wind / Ice Beam
move 3: Helping Hand / Encore
move 4: Protect
item: Water Gem / Sitrus Berry
ability: Drizzle
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 180 SpA / 76 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Like a lot of Pokemon in today's metagame, this set aims to be both bulky and offensive while also capitalizing on Politoed's great support moves. Icy Wind and Helping Hand form the backbone of Politoed's supportive side by helping its teammates outspeed dangerous opponents and getting the OHKOes that they desire. Ice Beam is more powerful and can nab just enough damage on Pokemon such as bulky Thundurus for better follow-throughs such as Hidden Power Ice or Draco Meteor. Encore is tricky to use, but is highly rewarding, especially when paired with Icy Wind. The trick is to use Icy Wind on Pokemon that will most likely Protect later, and when they become slower, you can lock them into Protect when they do slip up. Another perk to this is that you can punish faster Pokemon that use Trick Room in hopes of outspeeding your Swift Swimmers, forcing them to reverse their own Trick Room.</p>

<p>Water Gem should only be used in conjunction with Hydro Pump. The reason for this is that with said Gem, Hydro Pump is able to score quick KOes on numerous Pokemon, such as Thundurus-T, Metagross, and Hitmontop, as well as severely damage anything else that doesn't resist it, such as bulky Thundurus and even Cresselia. Sitrus Berry is the next best thing if you're not interested in such power, or if you're using Scald. With a Sitrus Berry, Politoed can bounce back from an unboosted Thunderbolt (Pokemon such as Rotom-A and Thundurus-T can't OHKO without a boosting item) and continue to spew Icy Winds and Helping Hands all over the field, or simply have enough HP to last another switch. Protect is a staple on Politoed because of the attention it draws, especially when it's involved in a weather war with its all-time rivals, Abomasnow and Tyranitar.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Other viable options to consider are Surf, Hidden Power Grass, and Wacan Berry. Surf is great for spread damage, but shouldn't be used unless you have a partner Pokemon that has Telepathy, Water Absorb, Storm Drain or a partner Pokemon that doubly resists it, as Surf is very powerful in the rain. Hidden Power Grass is really only good for Gastrodon and Rotom-W, but it can come in handy if your team lacks a Grass-type to deal with them. If you're worried about Choice Specs Thundurus-T or Electric Gem Rotom-A, Wacan Berry is a great item, although Politoed generally appreciates the power of Water Gem or Sitrus Berry's healing effect.</p>

<p>The first Pokemon that springs to mind for a great partner for Politoed is Kingdra. A Life Orb and Helping Hand boosted Draco Meteor is one of the most dangerous attacks in the game, and is quickly becoming the next big attack to EV against, as it OHKOes common rain checks such as Thundurus. Additionally, it so happens that Kingdra can learn Disable, allowing Politoed and Kingdra to KO bulkier opponents such as Cresselia or bypass the normally threatening Shedinja by causing them to prematurely Struggle as Encore locks the opponent into a move that is Disabled. The downside to this is that Kingdra cannot learn both Muddy Water and Disable at the same time, but Hydro Pump is certainly a viable alternative. Ludicolo can take advantage of Surf Politoed with Absorb Bulb and Fake Out the opposition, as well as being able to comfortably check Gastrodon and Rotom-W, both of which are big threats to rain teams. Other Swift Swim users such as Kabutops, Armaldo, and Beartic are good contenders for the role of Politoed's teammates, as they are all capable of dealing with bothersome Pokemon such as Thundurus. The downside to these Pokemon are that they are vulnerable to Intimidate, don't have particularly useful moves outside of their STABs, and (mostly) don't have STAB Water moves to use.</p>

<p>Grass- and Electric-type attacks plague Politoed and its buddies, so naturally, it would be a good idea to pack a Pokemon that can switch into such moves. Thundurus-T is an excellent option in this regard because its typing gives it a Grass resistance, while Volt Absorb allows it to freely switch into the horrible Thunderbolts aimed at Politoed; conversely, Politoed can switch into Ice Beams aimed at Thundurus. In a similar vein, Landorus-T can switch into Thunderbolts and weakens the more common offensive Grass-types (Breloom and Virizion) with Intimidate, though having to Protect whenever it uses Earthquake is a downside. Rotom-W can stomach Grass Knots and has a powerful STAB Hydro Pump to make use of Drizzle, but has a hard time switching into multiple Thunderbolts. Pokemon weak to Fire-type moves love to get soaked with rain; the most viable are Amoonguss, Scizor, and Metagross. Amoonguss is great against other rain teams and can keep Thunderbolts off of Politoed with Rage Powder, and after one or two Icy Winds, Amoonguss is all set to Spore everything in front of it. Both Scizor and Metagross serve largely the same role: to destroy Abomasnow and Tyranitar. While Abomasnow immediately recoils at the prospect of either Steel-type's STAB moves, Tyranitar may try to get smart with them and throw a Fire Punch their way, which obviously won't work because of their newfound neutrality (in Scizor's case, only a 2x weakness).</p>

[SET]
name: Bulky Rain Support
move 1: Scald
move 2: Icy Wind
move 3: Helping Hand / Perish Song / Encore
move 4: Protect
item: Sitrus Berry / Wacan Berry
ability: Drizzle
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set's aim is to simply not die. While it certainly isn't going to be leaving any smarts, it can take moves such as Fighting Gem Close Combat from Terrakion and Modest Hydreigon's Dragon Gem Draco Meteor much more comfortably than a more offensive set can. As such, this set is better for people who think Politoed should be saving its own skin and preserving the rain rather than joining the fray and getting fried. Scald and Icy Wind are excellent supportive moves as they can't be Taunted, and Protect does as advertised, which is all the more important on a defensive set such as this.</p>

<p>Because of its newfound bulk, the third slot is going to be all the more useful. Helping Hand is first on the list as it is easy to use and instantly rewards the player with OHKOes that would previously be impossible. Encore is as useful as ever to lock your opponent into undesirable moves and causes them to make risky plays. Perish Song is a more deadly move because Politoed isn't easily 2HKOed between Protects, which allows it to become your opponent's worst nightmare. However, this requires at least one Pokemon to be KOed and for you to have at least one of your own Pokemon still intact to negate the drawback. In the right hands however, Perish Song is an incredibly dangerous attack that can instantly force your opponent into a checkmate position, should the score be something like 2-3 in your favor.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Sitrus Berry is preferred as Politoed lacks recovery outside of Rest, but a Wacan Berry is useful to survive a deadly Thunderbolt, especially when Politoed is busy setting up Perish Song. Leftovers combos well with Protect, though it is only as useful as Sitrus Berry if Politoed receives four turns of its effect.</p>

<p>The partners for this set are largely the same as the first rain support set (Swift Swim users and switch-ins to Grass- and Electric-type attacks), although said partners are expected to be more offensive to pick up Politoed's slack. Shadow Tag Gothitelle pairs well with Perish Song Politoed for obvious reasons, as with Gothitelle's support, Politoed can instantly turn the game into 4-2 in your favor. However, since the combo relies on Gothitelle staying behind Protect and Politoed actually setting up Perish Song, Feint or Taunt can easily bring the two to their knees, so it is prudent that you pay attention to the Team Preview and wait for just the right team to take advantage of.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Scald
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
item: Choice Specs
ability: Drizzle
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 176 SpA / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>If you can appreciate the power of Water Gem Hydro Pump and how often Politoed switches in and out, then Choice Specs Politoed provides all the firepower a little frog could ever ask for. With Hydro Pump OHKOing everything within the grey area of bulk in which Hitmontop and Metagross reside, and 2HKOing just about everything else, all of the other moves are mostly filler. Ice Beam OHKOes 4/0 Thundurus and Tornadus and deals around 87% to Latios. Hidden Power Grass comes as a surprise to incoming Gastrodon that think they can soak up a Scald or at the very least be lightly touched by Icy Wind, but doesn't have much use besides that as 252/0 Rotom-W only takes about 60% from it. Scald is weaker than Hydro Pump, but comes in handy when you need a powerful Water-type move that won't miss. As a small bonus, Scald can even ward off freeze hax, most notably from Abomasnow as Politoed switches in.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Surf and Focus Blast are the only other real options for this set. Surf hurts your partners even more than usual, so it's best to either build your team around it or be prepared to Protect when Politoed Surfs. Focus Blast is great for Ferrothorn, but that's really the only notable Pokemon it can hurt more than Hydro Pump does, and even then it only has 70% accuracy with no way to boost it.</p>

<p>Again, Swift Swim users have a love affair with Drizzle, but more importantly, Choice Specs Politoed needs solid switch-ins. Thundurus-T takes the forefront once again, as it resists Grass-type moves and is completely immune to Thunderbolts, though it has to give up its Choice Specs for Politoed to wear them. In a similar yet more obscure way, Lightningrod Raichu can lead away Thunderbolts and provide Fake Out support, as well as Feint and Thunder Wave support to set up faster Pokemon and Protecting Pokemon for surprise Hydro Pump KOes. Amoonguss can lead away Thunderbolts and completely neuter any Ferrothorn lacking Thunder Wave or Iron Head, and gains the benefit of weakened Fire-type moves and Politoed's ability to OHKO Amoonguss's mortal enemy, Metagross. Trick Room is also appreciated, but should not be used together with Swift Swim Pokemon.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Haze, Toxic, Hypnosis, Rain Dance, Mud Shot, and Swagger make up the lesser-used support side of Politoed's movepool. Haze can be useful to erase Kingdra's Special Attack drop after a Draco Meteor, as well as any Intimidate drops, but seeing as you could just as easily switch to remove the effects, it isn't worth the moveslot. Toxic can easily beat non-Resting Cresselia, but the effects of poison can sometimes prove to be too slow for the fast-paced VGC metagame. Hypnosis would be a great move to capitalize on the lack of Sleep Clause if it didn't have an awful 60% accuracy, but it can be a nice option on defensive sets should Politoed find itself twiddling its thumbs instead of providing meaningful support. Swagger can power up Pokemon such as Kabutops and Metagross while also potentially disrupting the opponent, but Politoed's partners are typically faster than it is, and as such, a Swagger boost is slower than a Helping Hand boost. Rain Dance might seem odd on something with an auto-weather ability, but can come in handy against Abomasnow and Tyranitar, as they are slower and therefore get the weather advantage should they and Politoed be sent out at the same time. Theoretically, Mud Shot hits Electric-types super effectively as well as having the same Speed drop as Icy Wind, but is in reality less useful than Icy Wind as firstly, the most common Electric-types are either Flying or Levitating, and secondly, it only affects one Pokemon.</p>

<p>Iron Ball could be used to gain the weather advantage over Abomasnow and Tyranitar, but being slower than the two subjects Politoed to Rock Slide or Giga Drain while it cannot recover from either attack without a partner using Heal Pulse or Trick in conjunction with its own Sitrus Berry. A Choice Scarf can be used like Choice Specs, but Politoed is in general too weak to make use of the Choice Scarf and requires Speed investment, which cuts into its bulk. Leftovers should really only be considered as an alternative to Sitrus Berry in the case of Item Clause, though this isn't to say that it's a terrible item; it simply isn't as fast as Sitrus Berry, which heals four times as much as Leftovers in a single turn. Lastly, Psychic could be useful to combat Fighting-types and Amoonguss, but both are hit just as hard by Hydro Pump and Ice Beam, respectively.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Politoed's checks and counters are fairly straightforward. Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, Rotom-C, Zapdos, Abomasnow, and Toxicroak are but a few, though Politoed is probably going to be played conservatively until your opponent is absolutely sure you aren't going to change the weather. A surprise Sunny Day, Hail, or Sandstorm is a great way to take advantage of this, though you have to be careful about repeated Hydro Pumps from Politoed's teammates. To expound on the mentioned counters, Ferrothorn takes absolutely nothing from any Politoed assault bar a Scald burn, and is a general nuisance to rain teams. Rotom-W, Rotom-C, and Zapdos electrocute Politoed with their STAB Thunderbolts or Thunders while Politoed cannot OHKO them back. Abomasnow, a weather inducer itself, is Politoed's natural enemy, and the best Politoed can do to it is a neutral Ice Beam. With Drain Punch and Dry Skin healing, Toxicroak walls any Politoed if it doesn't get frozen, which is a real possibility if you let the match drag on too long. Opposing rain teams pack their own Ludicolo and Thunder users who of course can make frog leg stew out of Politoed in a heartbeat, though mirror matches generally lead to mind games of who's going to bring their Politoed. Amoonguss might be weak to Ice Beam, but it can definitely take one or two hits, Spore Politoed, and heal off the damage with Giga Drain. BW2 brought Thundurus-T to deal with Politoed, and it can usually succeed in doing so as long as it is equipped with either an Electric Gem or Choice Specs, and Politoed isn't equipped with a Wacan Berry. Virizion doesn't mind Ice Beams as much as it does Scald burns, and can 2HKO Politoed with Leaf Blade or use Sunny Day to weaken its partners.</p>

[Overview]

-drizzle is amazing because rain is amazing
-has a bunch of cool moves
-workable stats unlike ninetales
-good defensive typing unlike abomasnow and maybe ttar
-often seen nowadays with kingdra since its draco meteors are absurdly powerful with helping hand
-its good bulk allows it to be played conservatively to reinstate rain should another weather get in its way
-a pretty solid mon all in all, really. all that's holding it back is powerful pokemons like thundurus and

[SET]
name: Rain Support
move 1: Scald / Hydro Pump
move 2: Icy Wind / Ice Beam
move 3: Helping Hand / Encore / Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Protect
item: Sitrus Berry / Wacan Berry / Water Gem
ability: Drizzle
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 180 SpA / 76 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

-capitalizes on the power of politoeds stab moves in rain
-ice beam for power, icy wind for utility (not all your members are going to have swift swim ideally)
-helping hand to make your pokemons super strong. nobody wants to take a hh boosted hydro pump except gastrodon, really.
-encore makes your opponent WISH they didnt protect their ttar and punishes slow fake outs from scrafty or fake outs not aimed at politoed, though this is hard to pull off without icy wind
-hp grass is mainly for gastrodon since that can be a major pain in the ass for rain teams although it doesn't hit anything else particularly hard. gastrodon is a fucker so its worth the slot if you dont have ludicolo or something
-protect is staple on toed since you want to keep it alive

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

-surf
-evs survive latios's draco meteor and some thunderbolts provided they arent boosted by electric gem
-calm/more defensive (probs will have to move to a new set)
-water gem is for hydro pump ONLY. water gem hydro pump is pretty strong; it ohko's metagross provided it doesnt miss (which is always)
-sitrus and wacan for survivability. rindo could be used but not many grass moves can ohko politoed, and none of them are particularly common

-kingdra
-ludicolo
-kabu--jk lol i was actually going to say thundurus-t
-rotom-w
-fire weak mons like scizor, metagross and amoonguss

[SET]
name: Bulky Rain Support
move 1: Scald
move 2: Icy Wind
move 3: Helping Hand / Perish Song / Encore
move 4: Protect
item: Sitrus Berry / Wacan Berry
ability: Drizzle
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

-plays a lot like regular politoed only it takes a lot more to take it down
-better for people that don't think politoed should be attacking but rather saving its own skin (by this i mean drizzle)
-perish song is easy to take advantage of with a more bulky set since your opponent will have a hard time OHKOing it between protects without feint or imprisoned protect
-evs survive bone crushing attacks like modest hydreigon d gem draco meteor, scarf thund-t thunderbolts, fighting gem close combat terrakion and other stuff
-sitrus is preferred since toed lacks recovery but wacan is okay if you think slowing down specs thundurus-t is a priority

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

-you can probably pull off resto chesto more easily than the other sets
-use more offensive partners that can take advantage of toed's support but more importantly pick up its slack
-gothitelle is politoeds number one partner when using perish song, since politoed is arguably the bulkiest user

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Scald
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
item: Choice Specs
ability: Drizzle
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 176 SpA / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

-do you like water gem hydro pump? do you switch your politoed out so often it's like a revolving door of pokemon? if you answered yes to any of those questions, specs politoed is for you!
-hydro pump ohko's metagross and pretty much ohko's anything around that grey area of bulk and dents everything else (it does like 70% to hydreigon iirc)
-scald isn't as powerful but still dents a lot of stuff and is more accurate which is better in some scenarios
-ice beam ohko's 4 hp tornadus and thundurus-t but is mainly here for coverage
-hidden power grass is here for gastrodon and water absorb mons since they would wall the ever lasting shit out of this toed. it still isn't all that strong since it only does like uh 60% to rotom-w

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

-don't use focus blast. you'll thank me later.
-surf

-every mon in the first set
-amoonguss gets special mention here since it resists both of toeds weaknesses and protects it with rage powder
-thundurus-t is a great switch in since you'll be wanting to switch often
-so is raichu (woah whos that pokemon) and it has feint, fake out and thunder (wave) to help toed nab ko's, but is balls weak without a lightningrod boost

[Other Options]

-Hypnosis
-Psychic
-Rain Dance
-Mud Shot
-Resto Chesto
-Haze
-Toxic
-Swagger
-Focus Blast
-Choice Scarf
-Iron Ball
-Leftovers

[Checks and Counters]

Politoed's checks and counters are fairly straightforward. Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, Rotom-C, Zapdos, Abomasnow, and Toxicroak are but a few, though Politoed is probably going to be played conservatively until your opponent is absolutely sure you aren't going to change the weather. A surprise Sunny Day, Hail, or Sandstorm is a great way to take advantage of this, though you have to be careful about repeated Hydro Pumps from Politoed's teammates. To expound on the mentioned counters, Ferrothorn takes absolutely nothing from any Politoed assault bar a Scald burn, and is a general nuisance to rain teams. Rotom-W, Rotom-C, and Zapdos electrify Politoed with their STAB Thunderbolts or Thunders while Politoed cannot OHKO them back. Abomasnow, a weather inducer itself, is Politoed's natural enemy, and the best Politoed can do to it is a neutral Ice Beam. With Drain Punch and Dry Skin healing, Toxicroak walls any Politoed if it doesn't get frozen, which is a real possibility if you let the match drag on too long. Opposing rain teams pack their own Ludicolo and Thunder abusers who of course can make frog leg stew out of Politoed in a heartbeat, though mirror matches generally lead to mind games of who's going to bring their Politoed. Amoonguss may be weak to Ice Beam, but it can definitely take one or two hits, Spore Politoed, and heal off the damage with Giga Drain. Black and White 2 brought Thundurus-Therian to deal with Politoed, and it can usually succeed in doing so as long as it is equipped with either an Electric Gem or Choice Specs and Politoed isn't equipped with Wacan. Virizion doesn't mind Ice Beams as much as it does Scald burns, and can 2HKO Politoed with Leaf Blade or use Sunny Day to weaken its partners.

do do: add thund-t, gyarados (?) and virizion mentions. ttar needs to be here too since it stops politoed's drizzle which is the reason for its existence but otherwise it gets fucked hard by scald burns or STAB hydro pumps. move toxicroak since that doesnt need to be mentioned in the same breath as amoonguss or ludicolo because it sucks
 
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[Overview]

When the VGC 2012 ruleset was announced, it didn't take long for Politoed to take hold on the metagame. With a whole slew of Swift Swim Pokemon capable of abusing Drizzle ranging from the humble Anorith to the mighty Kingdra, all of whom are used solely because of Drizzle Politoed's existence. Politoed isn't just good for Drizzle, however, as it can deal major damage to anything without a resistance or high Special Defense with its STAB, rain-boosted Water moves,(comma) or support its team with moves such as Helping Hand and Icy Wind.

Politoed doesn't really have many issues either, besides the obvious Grass- and Electric-types such as Thundurus and Breloom, with the only things that trouble it are being the other weather changers, Abomasnow, Tyranitar,(comma) and Ninetales. Luckily, Politoed can surround itself with Pokemon that have great defensive synergy, allowing it to switch in and out to reinstate weather if need be, as well as having a good matchup type-wise against two-thirds of the other weather changers. Because of its versatility, power,(comma) and workable bulk, Politoed won't be budging from its top 10 position anytime soon.

[SET]
name: Rain Support
move 1: Hydro Pump / Scald
move 2: Icy Wind / Ice Beam
move 3: Helping Hand / Encore
move 4: Protect
item: Water Gem / Sitrus Berry
ability: Drizzle
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 180 SpA / 76 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

Like a lot of Pokemon in today's metagame, this set aims to be both bulky and offensive while also capitalizing on Politoed's great support moves. Icy Wind and Helping Hand form the backbone of Politoed's supportive side by helping its teammates outspeed dangerous opponents and getting the OHKOs that their hearts desire. Ice Beam is more powerful and can nab just enough damage on Pokemon such as bulky Thundurus-I for better follow-throughs such as Hidden Power Ice or Draco Meteor. Encore is tricky to use, but is highly rewarding, especially when paired with Icy Wind. The trick is to use Icy Wind on Pokemon that will most likely Protect later, and when they become slower, you can lock them into Protect when they do slip up. Another perk to this is that you can punish faster Pokemon that use Trick Room in hopes of outspeeding your Swift Swimmers, forcing them to reverse their own Trick Room.

Water Gem should only be used in conjunction with Hydro Pump. The reason for this is that with said Gem, Hydro Pump is able to score quick KOs on numerous Pokemon,(comma) such as Thundurus-T, Metagross,(comma) and Hitmontop, as well as severely damaging anything else that doesn't resist it, such as bulky Thundurus and even Cresselia. Sitrus Berry is the next best thing if you're not interested in such power, or if you're using Scald. With a Sitrus Berry, Politoed can bounce back from an unboosted Thunderbolt (Pokemon such as Rotom-A and Thundurus-T can't OHKO without a boosting item) and continue to spew Icy Winds and Helping Hands all over the field or simply have enough HP to last another switch. Protect is a staple on Politoed because of the attention it draws, especially when it's involved in a weather war with its all-time rivals, Abomasnow and Tyranitar.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Other viable options to consider are Surf, Hidden Power Grass, and Wacan Berry. Surf is great for spread damage, but shouldn't be used unless you have a Telepathy, Water Absorb, Storm Drain or a partner Pokemon that doubly resists it, as Surf is very powerful in the rain. Hidden Power Grass is really only good for Gastrodon and Rotom-W, but it can come in handy if your team lacks a Grass-type to deal with them. If you're worried about Choice Specs Thundurus-T or Electric Gem Rotom-A, Wacan Berry is a great item, although in general Politoed appreciates the power of Water Gem or Sitrus Berry's healing effect.


The first Pokemon that springs to mind for a great partner for Politoed is Kingdra. A Life Orb and Helping Hand boosted Draco Meteor is one of the most dangerous attacks in the game, and is quickly becoming the next big attack to EV against, as it OHKOes normal rain checks such as Thundurus. Additionally, it just so happens that Kingdra can learn Disable, allowing Politoed and Kingdra to KO bulkier opponents such as Cresselia or bypassing the normally threatening Shedinja by causing them to prematurely Struggle as Encore locks the opponent into a move that is Disabled. The downside to this is that Kingdra cannot learn both Muddy Water and Disable at the same time, but Hydro Pump is certainly a viable alternative. Ludicolo can take advantage of Surf Politoed with Absorb Bulb and Fake Out the opposition, as well as comfortably checking Gastrodon and Rotom-W, both of which are big threats to rain teams. Other Swift Swimmers such as Kabutops, Armaldo,(comma) and Beartic are other good contestants for the role of Politoed's playmate, as they are all capable of dealing with bothersome Pokemon like such as Thundurus. The downside to these Pokemon are that they are vulnerable to Intimidate, don't have particularly useful moves outside of their STABs, and (mostly) don't have STAB Water moves to abuse.

Grass- and Electric-type attacks plague Politoed and its buddies, so naturally it would be a good idea to pack a Pokemon that can switch into such moves. Thundurus-T is an excellent option in this regard because its typing gives it a Grass resistance, while of Volt Absorb, allowing Volt Absorb allows it to freely switch into the horrible Thunderbolts aimed at Politoed, as well as resisting Grass moves while ; conversely, Politoed can switch into Ice Beams aimed at Thundurus. In a similar vein, Landorus-T can switch into Thunderbolts and weakens the more common offensive Grass-types (Breloom and Virizion) with Intimidate, though having to Protect whenever it uses Earthquake is a downside. Rotom-W can stomach Grass Knots and has a powerful STAB Hydro Pump to make use of Drizzle, but has a hard time switching into multiple Thunderbolts. Pokemon weak to Fire-type moves love to get soaked with rain; the most viable being are Amoonguss, Scizor,(comma) and Metagross. Amoonguss is great against other rain teams and can keep Thunderbolts off of Politoed with Rage Powder, and after one or two Icy Winds, Amoonguss is all set to Spore everything in front of it. Scizor and Metagross serve largely the same role: to destroy Abomasnow and Tyranitar. While Abomasnow immediately recoils at the prospect of either Steel-type, Tyranitar may try to get smart with them and throw a Fire Punch their way, which obviously won't work because of their newfound neutrality (in Scizor's case, only a x2 weakness).

[SET]
name: Bulky Rain Support
move 1: Scald
move 2: Icy Wind
move 3: Helping Hand / Perish Song / Encore
move 4: Protect
item: Sitrus Berry / Wacan Berry
ability: Drizzle
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Unlike the first, this set's aim is to simply not die. While it certainly isn't going to be leaving any smarts, it can take moves such as Fighting Gem Close Combat from Terrakion and Modest Hydreigon's Dragon Gem Draco Meteor much more comfortably than a more offensive set can. As such, this set is better for people who think Politoed should be saving its own skin and preserving the rain rather than joining the fray and getting fried. Scald and Icy Wind are excellent supportive moves as they can't be Taunted, and Protect does as advertized, which is all the more important on a defensive set such as this.

Because of its newfound bulk, the third slot is going to be all the more useful. Helping Hand is first on the list as it is easy to use and instantly rewards the player with OHKOs that would be previously impossible. Encore is as useful as ever to lock your opponent into undesirable moves and causes them to make risky plays. Perish Song is a more deadly move because Politoed isn't easily 2HKOed between Protects, which allows the rather harmless frog to become your opponent's worst nightmare. However, this requires at least one Pokemon to be KOed and for you to have at least one of your own Pokemon still intact to negate the drawback. In the right hands however, Perish Song is an incredibly dangerous attack that can instantly force your opponent into a checkmate position should the score be something like 2-3 in your favor.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

A Sitrus Berry is preferred as Politoed lacks recovery outside of Rest, but a Wacan Berry is useful to survive a deadly Thunderbolt, especially when Politoed is busy setting up Perish Song. Leftovers combos well with Protect, though it is only as useful as Sitrus Berry if Politoed receives four turns of its effect.

The partners for this set are largely the same as the first rain support set (Swift Swimmers and Grass/Electric switch-ins to Grass and Electric attacks), although said partners are expected to be more offensive to pick up Politoed's slack. Shadow Tag Gothitelle pairs well with Perish Song Politoed for obvious reasons, as with Gothitelle support, Politoed can instantly turn the game into 4-2 in your favor. However, since the combo relies on Gothitelle staying behind Protect and Politoed actually setting up Perish Song, Feint or Taunt can easily bring the two to their knees, so it is prudent that you pay attention to the team preview and wait for just the right team to take advantage of.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Scald
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
item: Choice Specs
ability: Drizzle
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 176 SpA / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

If you can appreciate the power of Water Gem Hydro Pump and how often Politoed switches in and out, then Choice Specs Politoed provides all the firepower a little frog could ever ask for. With Hydro Pump OHKOing everything within the grey area of bulk in which Hitmontop and Metagross reside and 2HKOing just about everything else, all of the other moves are mostly filler. Ice Beam OHKOes 4 HP 4/0 Thundurus and Tornadus,(remove) and deals around 87% to Latios.(period) and Hidden Power Grass comes to as a surprise to incoming Gastrodon that think they can soak up a Scald or at the very least be lightly touched by Icy Wind, but doesn't have much use besides that as 252 HP 252/0 Rotom-W only takes about 60% from it. Scald is weaker than Hydro Pump, but comes in handy when you need a powerful Water-type move that won't miss. As a small bonus, Scald can even ward off freeze hax, most notably from Abomasnow as you Politoed switch in.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Surf and Focus Blast are the only other real options for this set. Surf hurts your partners even more than usual, so it's best to either build your team around it or be prepared to Protect when Politoed Surfs. Focus Blast is great for Ferrothorn, but that's really the only notable Pokemon it can hurt more than Hydro Pump does, and even then it only has 70% accuracy with no way to boost it.

Again, Swift Swimmers have a love affair with Drizzle, but more importantly, Choice Specs Politoed needs solid switch-ins. Thundurus-T takes the forefront once again, as it resists Grass-type moves and is completely immune to Thunderbolts, though it has to give up its Choice Specs for Politoed to wear them. In a similar yet more obscure way, Lightningrod Raichu can lead away Thunderbolts and provide Fake Out support, as well as Feint and Thunder Wave support to set up faster Pokemon and Protecting Pokemon for surprise Hydro Pump KOs. Amoonguss can lead away Thunderbolts and completely neuter any Ferrothorn lacking Thunder Wave or Iron Head, as well as and gains the benefit of weakened Fire-type moves and Politoed's ability to OHKO Amoonguss's mortal enemy, Metagross. Trick Room is also appreciated, but should be kept away from not be used together with Swift Swim Pokemon.

[Other Options]

Haze, Toxic, Hypnosis, Rain Dance, Mud Shot,(comma) and Swagger make up Politoed's the lesser-used support side of Politoed's movepool. Haze can be useful to erase Kingdra's Special Attack drop after a Draco Meteor, as well as any Intimidate drops, but seeing as you could just as easily switch to remove the effects, it doesn't seem isn't worth the moveslot. Toxic can easily beat non-Resting Cresselia, but the effects of poison can sometimes prove to be too slow for the fast-paced VGC metagame. Hypnosis would be a great move to abuse capitalize on the lack of Sleep Clause if it didn't have an awful 60% accuracy, but it can be a nice option on defensive sets should Politoed find itself twiddling its thumbs instead of providing meaningful support. Swagger can power up Pokemon such as Kabutops and Metagross while also potentially disrupting the opponent, but Politoed's partners are typically faster than it is, and as such, a Swagger boost is slower than a Helping Hand boost. Rain Dance may might seem odd on something with an auto-weather ability, but can come in handy against Abomasnow and Tyranitar,(comma) as they are slower and therefore get the weather advantage should they and Politoed be sent out at the same time. Theoretically, Mud Shot hits Electric-types super-effectively as well as having the same Speed drop as Icy Wind, but is in reality,(remove) less useful than Icy Wind as firstly, the most common Electric-types are either Flying or Levitating, as well as and secondly, it only affecting affects one Pokemon.

Iron Ball could be used to gain the weather advantage over Abomasnow and Tyranitar, but being slower than the two subjects,(comma) Politoed to could be hit with Rock Slide or Giga Drain,(comma) while it and cannot recover from either attack without a partner using Heal Pulse or Trick in conjunction with its own Sitrus Berry. A Choice Scarf can be used like Choice Specs, but Politoed is in general too weak to make use of the Choice Scarf and requires Speed investment, which cuts into Politoed's its bulk. Leftovers should really only be considered as an alternative to Sitrus Berry in the case of Item Clause, though this isn't to say that it's a terrible item; it simply isn't as fast as Sitrus Berry,(comma) as it which heals four times as much as Leftovers in a single turn. Lastly, Psychic could be useful to combat Fighting-types and Amoonguss, but both are hit just as hard from by Hydro Pump and Ice Beam, respectively.

[Checks and Counters]

Politoed's checks and counters are fairly straightforward. Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, Rotom-C, Zapdos, Abomasnow, and Toxicroak are but a few, though Politoed is probably going to be played conservatively until your opponent is absolutely sure you aren't going to change the weather. A surprise Sunny Day, Hail, or Sandstorm is a great way to take advantage of this, though you have to be careful about repeated Hydro Pumps from Politoed's teammates. To expound on the mentioned counters, Ferrothorn takes absolutely nothing from any Politoed assault bar a Scald burn, and is a general nuisance to rain teams. Rotom-W, Rotom-C, and Zapdos electrify electrocute Politoed with their STAB Thunderbolts or Thunders while Politoed cannot OHKO them back. Abomasnow, a weather inducer itself, is Politoed's natural enemy, and the best Politoed can do to it is a neutral Ice Beam. With Drain Punch and Dry Skin healing, Toxicroak walls any Politoed if it doesn't get frozen, which is a real possibility if you let the match drag on too long. Opposing rain teams pack their own Ludicolo and Thunder abusers who of course can make frog leg stew out of Politoed in a heartbeat, though mirror matches generally lead to mind games of who's going to bring their Politoed. Amoonguss may might be weak to Ice Beam, but it can definitely take one or two hits, Spore Politoed, and heal off the damage with Giga Drain. Black and White 2 BW2 brought Thundurus-T to deal with Politoed, and it can usually succeed in doing so as long as it is equipped with either an Electric Gem or Choice Specs and Politoed isn't equipped with Wacan Berry. Virizion doesn't mind Ice Beams as much as it does Scald burns, and can 2HKO Politoed with Leaf Blade or use Sunny Day to weaken its partners.
add <p>/</p> tags too :>

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Arkian

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Diff said:
[Overview]

<p>When the VGC 2012 ruleset was announced, it didn't take long for Politoed to take hold onf the metagame. With an entouragabundance of Swift Swim Pokemonusers capable of abusutilizing ("Abuse" should never be used in these types of situation.) Drizzle&mdash;that ranginge from the humble Anorith to the mighty Kingdra,&mdash;Politoed is never in shortage of teammates to occupy vacant team slots. Politoed isn't just good for Drizzle, however, as it can deal major damage to anything without a resistance or high Special Defense with its STAB, rain-boosted Water moves, or become a team support its team wither using moves such as Helping Hand and Icy Wind.</p>

<p>Politoed doesn't really have many issues either, besides the obvious weaknesses to Grass- and Electric-type attacks, (AC) such as those from Thundurus and Breloom, with t. (AP) The only things that really trouble it being thare other weather changers, such as Abomasnow, Tyranitar, and Ninetales. Luckily, Politoed can surround itself with Pokemon that have great defensive synergy, allowing it to switch in and out to reinstate weather if need be, as well as having a good matchup type-wise against two-thirds of the other weather changers. Because of its versatility, power, and workable bulk, Politoed won't be budging from its top 10 position anytime soon.</p> A little subjective here, feel free to ignore it if my change doesn't suit what you're trying to say.

[SET]
name: Rain Support
move 1: Hydro Pump / Scald
move 2: Icy Wind / Ice Beam
move 3: Helping Hand / Encore
move 4: Protect
item: Water Gem / Sitrus Berry
ability: Drizzle
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 180 SpA / 76 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Like a lot of Pokemon in today's metagame, this set aims to be both bulky and offensive, (AC) while also capitalizing on Politoed's great support moves. Icy Wind and Helping Hand form the backbone of Politoed's supportive side by helping its teammates outspeed dangerous opponents and getting the OHKOes that their heartsy desire. Ice Beam is more powerful and can nab just enough damage on Pokemon such as bulky Thundurus for better follow-throughs such as Hidden Power Ice or Draco Meteor. Encore is tricky to use, but is highly rewarding, especially when paired with Icy Wind. The trick is to use Icy Wind on Pokemon that will most likely Protect later, and when they become slower, you can lock them into Protect when they do slip up. Another perk to this is that you can punish faster Pokemon that use Trick Room in hopes of outspeeding your Swift Swimmers, forcing them to reverse their own Trick Room.</p>

<p>Water Gem should only be used in conjunction with Hydro Pump. The reason for this is that with said Gem, Hydro Pump is able to score quick KOes on numerous Pokemon, such as Thundurus-T, Metagross, and Hitmontop, as well as severely damaginge anything else that doesn't resist it, such as bulky Thundurus and even Cresselia. Sitrus Berry is the next best thing if you're not interested in such power, or if you're using Scald. With a Sitrus Berry, Politoed can bounce back from an unboosted Thunderbolt (Pokemon such as Rotom-A and Thundurus-T can't OHKO without a boosting item) and continue to spew Icy Winds and Helping Hands all over the field, (AC) or simply have enough HP to last another switch. Protect is a staple on Politoed because of the attention it draws, especially when it's involved in a weather war with its all-time rivals, Abomasnow and Tyranitar.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Other viable options to consider are Surf, Hidden Power Grass, and the Wacan Berry. Surf is great for spread damage, but shouldn't be used unless you have a partner Pokemon that has Telepathy, Water Absorb, Storm Drain or a partner Pokemon that doubly resists it, as Surf is very powerful in the rain. Hidden Power Grass is really only good for Gastrodon and Rotom-W, but it can come in handy if your team lacks a Grass-type to deal with them. If you're worried about Choice Specs Thundurus-T or Electric Gem Rotom-A, Wacan Berry is a great item, although inPolitoed general Politoedly appreciates the power of Water Gem or Sitrus Berry's healing effect.</p>

<p>The first Pokemon that springs to mind for a great partner for Politoed is Kingdra. A Life Orb and Helping Hand boosted Draco Meteor is one of the most dangerous attacks in the game, and is quickly becoming the next big attack to EV against, as it OHKOes normalcommon rain checks such as Thundurus. Additionally, it just so happens that Kingdra can learn Disable, allowing Politoed and Kingdra to KO bulkier opponents such as Cresselia or bypassing the normally threatening Shedinja by causing them to prematurely Struggle as Encore locks the opponent into a move that is Disabled. The downside to this is that Kingdra cannot learn both Muddy Water and Disable at the same time, but Hydro Pump is certainly a viable alternative. Ludicolo can take advantage of Surf Politoed with Absorb Bulb and Fake Out the opposition, as well as comfortbeing ably checkinge to comfortably check Gastrodon and Rotom-W, both of which are big threats to rain teams. Other Swift Swimm users such as Kabutops, Armaldo, and Beartic are other good contestantnders for the role of Politoed's playteammates, as they are all capable of dealing with bothersome Pokemon such as Thundurus. The downside to these Pokemon are that they are vulnerable to Intimidate, don't have particularly useful moves outside of their STABs, and (mostly) don't have STAB Water moves to abuse.</p>

<p>Grass- and Electric-type attacks plague Politoed and its buddies, so naturally, (AC) it would be a good idea to pack a Pokemon that can switch into such moves. Thundurus-T is an excellent option in this regard because its typing gives it a Grass resistance, while Volt Absorb allows it to freely switch into the horrible Thunderbolts aimed at Politoed; conversely, Politoed can switch into Ice Beams aimed at Thundurus. In a similar vein, Landorus-T can switch into Thunderbolts and weakens the more common offensive Grass-types (Breloom and Virizion) with Intimidate, though having to Protect whenever it uses Earthquake is a downside. Rotom-W can stomach Grass Knots and has a powerful STAB Hydro Pump to make use of Drizzle, but has a hard time switching into multiple Thunderbolts. Pokemon weak to Fire-type moves love to get soaked with rain; the most viable are Amoonguss, Scizor, and Metagross. Amoonguss is great against other rain teams and can keep Thunderbolts off of Politoed with Rage Powder, and after one or two Icy Winds, Amoonguss is all set to Spore everything in front of it. Scizor and Metagross both serve largely the same role: to destroy Abomasnow and Tyranitar. While Abomasnow immediately recoilswitches at the prospecsight (A little subjective here as well.) of either Steel-type, Tyranitar may try to get smart with them and throw a Fire Punch their way, which obviously won't work because of their newfound neutrality (in Scizor's case, only a x2x weakness).</p>

[SET]
name: Bulky Rain Support
move 1: Scald
move 2: Icy Wind
move 3: Helping Hand / Perish Song / Encore
move 4: Protect
item: Sitrus Berry / Wacan Berry
ability: Drizzle
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Unlike the first set, this setone's aim is to simply not die. While it certainly isn't going to be leaving any smarts, it can take moves such as Fighting Gem Close Combat from Terrakion and Modest Hydreigon's Dragon Gem Draco Meteor much more comfortably than a more offensive set can. As such, this set is better for people who think Politoed should be saving its own skin and preserving the rain rather than joining the fray and getting fried. Scald and Icy Wind are excellent supportive moves as they can't be Taunted, and Protect does as advertizsed, which is all the more important on a defensive set such as this.</p>

<p>Because of its newfound bulk, the third slot is going to be all the more useful. Helping Hand is first on the list as it is easy to use and instantly rewards the player with OHKOes that would be previously be impossible. Encore is as useful as ever to lock your opponent into undesirable moves and causes them to make risky plays. Perish Song is a more deadly move because Politoed isn't easily 2HKOed between Protects, which allows the rather harmless frogit(No nicknames please.) to become your opponent's worst nightmare. However, this requires at least one Pokemon to be KOed and for you to have at least one of your own Pokemon still intact to negate the drawback. In the right hands however, Perish Song is an incredibly dangerous attack that can instantly force your opponent into a checkmate position, (AC) should the score be something like 2-3 in your favor.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Sitrus Berry is preferred as Politoed lacks recovery outside of Rest, but a Wacan Berry is useful to survive a deadly Thunderbolt, especially when Politoed is busy setting up Perish Song. Leftovers combos well with Protect, though it is only as useful as Sitrus Berry if Politoed receives four turns of its effect.</p>

<p>The partners for this set are largely the same as the first rain support set (Swift Swimm users and switch-ins to Grass-(hyphen) and Electric-type attacks), although said partners are expected to be more offensive to pick up Politoed's slack. Shadow Tag Gothitelle pairs well with Perish Song Politoed for obvious reasons, as with Gothitelle's support, Politoed can instantly turn the game into 4-2 in your favor. However, since the combo relies on Gothitelle staying behind Protect and Politoed actually setting up Perish Song, Feint or Taunt can easily bring the two to their knees, so it is prudent that you pay attention to the team preview and wait for just the right team to take advantage of.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Scald
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
item: Choice Specs
ability: Drizzle
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 176 SpA / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>If you can appreciate the power of Water Gem Hydro Pump and how often Politoed switches in and out, then Choice Specs Politoed provides all the firepower a little frog could ever ask for. With Hydro Pump OHKOing everything within the grey area of bulk in which Hitmontop and Metagross reside, (AC) and 2HKOing just about everything else, all of the other moves are mostly filler. Ice Beam OHKOes 4/0 Thundurus and Tornadus and deals around 87% to Latios. Hidden Power Grass comes as a surprise to incoming Gastrodon that think they can soak up a Scald or at the very least be lightly touched by Icy Wind, but doesn't have much use besides that as 252/0 Rotom-W only takes about 60% from it. Scald is weaker than Hydro Pump, but comes in handy when you need a powerful Water-type move that won't miss. As a small bonus, Scald can even ward off freeze hax, most notably from Abomasnow as Politoed switches in.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Surf and Focus Blast are the only other real options for this set. Surf hurts your partners even more than usual, so it's best to either build your team around it or be prepared to Protect when Politoed Surfs. Focus Blast is great for Ferrothorn, but that's really the only notable Pokemon it can hurt more than Hydro Pump does, and even then it only has 70% accuracy with no way to boost it.</p>

<p>Again, Swift Swimm users have a love affair with Drizzle, but more importantly, Choice Specs Politoed needs solid switch-ins. Thundurus-T takes the forefront once again, as it resists Grass-type moves and is completely immune to Thunderbolts, though it has to give up its Choice Specs for Politoed to wear them. In a similar yet more obscure way, Lightningrod Raichu can lead away Thunderbolts and provide Fake Out support, as well as Feint and Thunder Wave support to set up faster Pokemon and Protecting Pokemon for surprise Hydro Pump KOes. Amoonguss can lead away Thunderbolts and completely neuter any Ferrothorn lacking Thunder Wave or Iron Head, and gains the benefit of weakened Fire-type moves and Politoed's ability to OHKO Amoonguss's mortal enemy, Metagross. Trick Room is also appreciated, but should not be used together with Swift Swim Pokemon.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Haze, Toxic, Hypnosis, Rain Dance, Mud Shot, and Swagger make up the lesser-used support side of Politoed's movepool. Haze can be useful to erase Kingdra's Special Attack drop after a Draco Meteor, as well as any Intimidate drops, but seeing as you could just as easily switch to remove the effects, it isn't worth the moveslot. Toxic can easily beat non-Resting Cresselia, but the effects of poison can sometimes prove to be too slow for the fast-paced VGC metagame. Hypnosis would be a great move to capitalize on the lack of Sleep Clause if it didn't have an awful 60% accuracy, but it can be a nice option on defensive sets should Politoed find itself twiddling its thumbs instead of providing meaningful support. Swagger can power up Pokemon such as Kabutops and Metagross while also potentially disrupting the opponent, but Politoed's partners are typically faster than it is, and as such, a Swagger boost is slower than a Helping Hand boost. Rain Dance might seem odd on something with an auto-weather ability, but can come in handy against Abomasnow and Tyranitar, as they are slower and therefore get the weather advantage should they and Politoed be sent out at the same time. Theoretically, Mud Shot hits Electric-types super-(remove hyphen(add space)effectively as well as having the same Speed drop as Icy Wind, but is in reality less useful than Icy Wind as firstly, the most common Electric-types are either Flying or Levitating, and secondly, it only affects one Pokemon.</p>

<p>Iron Ball could be used to gain the weather advantage over Abomasnow and Tyranitar, but being slower than the two subjects Politoed to Rock Slide or Giga Drain while it cannot recover from either attack without a partner using Heal Pulse or Trick in conjunction with its own Sitrus Berry. A Choice Scarf can be used like Choice Specs, but Politoed is in general too weak to make use of the Choice Scarf and requires Speed investment, which cuts into its bulk. Leftovers should really only be considered as an alternative to Sitrus Berry in the case of Item Clause, though this isn't to say that it's a terrible item; it simply isn't as fast as Sitrus Berry, which heals four times as much as Leftovers in a single turn. Lastly, Psychic could be useful to combat Fighting-types and Amoonguss, but both are hit just as hard by Hydro Pump and Ice Beam, respectively.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Politoed's checks and counters are fairly straightforward. Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, Rotom-C, Zapdos, Abomasnow, and Toxicroak are but a few, though Politoed is probably going to be played conservatively until your opponent is absolutely sure you aren't going to change the weather. A surprise Sunny Day, Hail, or Sandstorm is a great way to take advantage of this, though you have to be careful about repeated Hydro Pumps from Politoed's teammates. To expound on the mentioned counters, Ferrothorn takes absolutely nothing from any Politoed assault bar a Scald burn, and is a general nuisance to rain teams. Rotom-W, Rotom-C, and Zapdos electrocute Politoed with their STAB Thunderbolts or Thunders while Politoed cannot OHKO them back. Abomasnow, a weather inducer itself, is Politoed's natural enemy, and the best Politoed can do to it is a neutral Ice Beam. With Drain Punch and Dry Skin healing, Toxicroak walls any Politoed if it doesn't get frozen, which is a real possibility if you let the match drag on too long. Opposing rain teams pack their own Ludicolo and Thunder abusers who of course can make frog leg stew out of Politoed in a heartbeat, though mirror matches generally lead to mind games of who's going to bring their Politoed. Amoonguss might be weak to Ice Beam, but it can definitely take one or two hits, Spore Politoed, and heal off the damage with Giga Drain. BW2 brought Thundurus-T to deal with Politoed, and it can usually succeed in doing so as long as it is equipped with either an Electric Gem or Choice Specs, (AC) and Politoed isn't equipped with a Wacan Berry. Virizion doesn't mind Ice Beams as much as it does Scald burns, and can 2HKO Politoed with Leaf Blade or use Sunny Day to weaken its partners.</p>
Excellent job, it was a really good read.
 

Oglemi

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Set 1 Comments

- Like a lot of Pokemon in today's metagame, this set aims to be both bulky and offensive, (AC) while also capitalizing on Politoed's great support moves.

This does not require a comma. "While" only requires a comma if it's separating two full clauses, "also capitalizing on Politoed's great support moves" is not technically a full clause.

Additional Comments

- Other viable options to consider are Surf, Hidden Power Grass, and the Wacan Berry.

You added "the" here before Wacan Berry, that is not needed.

- Additionally, it just so happens that Kingdra can learn Disable,

You slashed out the "so" here, which is unneeded.

Set 2 Comments

- Unlike the first set, this setone's aim is to simply not die.

The "unlike the first set" should have just been deleted

Additional Comments

- so it is prudent that you pay attention to the team preview and wait for just the right team to take advantage of.

Team Preview here should have been capitalized

Checks and Counters

- Opposing rain teams pack their own Ludicolo and Thunder abusers who of course can make frog leg stew out of Politoed in a heartbeat,

abusers should be users


Looks good otherwise

GP Approved 2/2
 

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