[OVERVIEW]
Ponyta is a great offensive Pokemon thanks to its versatility, bulk, and high Speed stat allowing it to outpace most of the unboosted metagame and dent most teams. It also has great coverage options in High Horsepower and Wild Charge, can use Flame Charge to outpace Diglett and most Choice Scarf users, and has utility options like Will-O-Wisp and Morning Sun. Furthermore, its ability Flame Body gives a chance to cripple physical attackers like Mienfoo, Vullaby, and Pawniard. However, Ponyta's weakness to entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, makes it easier to wear down. Ponyta suffers from trappers such as Diglett and Trapinch, as Diglett traps, outpaces, and revenge kills non-Flame Charge Ponyta while Trapinch can take care of Ponyta at the cost of most of its health.
[SET]
name: Eviolite
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: High Horsepower / Flame Charge / Wild Charge
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Morning Sun
item: Eviolite
ability: Flame Body
nature: Jolly
evs: 76 Atk / 156 Def / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Flare Blitz does decent damage to any Pokemon that does not resist it and takes care of Steel- and Grass-types such as Pawniard, Ferroseed, and Foongus. High Horsepower is able to hit common switch-ins to Ponyta super effectively, like Mareanie and Onix. Flame Charge can be run over High Horsepower or Will-O-Wisp to avoid being trapped by Diglett after a KOing a Pokemon. Alternatively, Wild Charge gives Ponyta a way to hit Water-types such as Wingull, Staryu, and Mareanie. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers such as Pawniard, Trapinch, Mienfoo, and Onix. Morning Sun allows Ponyta to keep itself healthy and outlast a burned Trapinch's Earthquake. Though not as useful as the listed moves, Toxic can be used to cripple bulky walls like Porygon and Spritzee.
Set Details
========
Ponyta runs 196 Speed EVs to outpace Onix and Mienfoo and Speed tie Wingull, Staryu, and Abra. 76 Attack EVs make Ponyta's attacks a bit stronger. 156 Defense EVs with Eviolite make Ponyta able to take physical attacks from Mienfoo, Pawniard, Vullaby, and a burned Onix. Flame Body gives Ponyta a chance to burn physical attackers such as Mienfoo and Vullaby when they use contact moves.
Usage Tips
========
Be wary about leaving Ponyta in or double switching to it if the opponent has a Diglett, because it can trap Ponyta and take care of it. Use Ponyta early-game to status Pokemon and cripple physical foes like Mienfoo and Trapinch with Will-O-Wisp. However, be wary about using Will-O-Wisp on Timburr, as Guts variants can use the Attack boost to KO Ponyta. Switch Ponyta into contact moves like Pawniard's Iron Head and Mienfoo's Fake Out to try to get a burn from Flame Body. Ponyta can also switch into predicted attacks from Spritzee, Ferroseed, and Foongus, as their attacks do not do much to it, and it can use the opportunity to do major damage to these with Flare Blitz or predict a switch and use High Horsepower or Will-O-Wisp. Make sure that entry hazards are not on the field before Ponyta tries to switch in, as they will cripple it. Use High Horsepower on a predicted switch to Onix or Mareanie. If running Flame Charge, use it on a predicted switch or on a weakened Pokemon to avoid Diglett coming in, trapping Ponyta, and taking care of it with Earthquake.
Team Options
========
Grass-types such as Foongus, Grookey, and Ferroseed are good to pair with Ponyta because they check Ground- and Water-types like Onix, Mudbray, and Staryu. Foongus can also use Spore to force switches and sponges attacks from Mienfoo, while Grookey provides passive recovery with Grassy Terrain. Ferroseed can use Thunder Wave to cripple Vullaby and opposing Ponyta that switch into Ponyta or use Knock Off to make it easier for Ponyta to KO them. Stealth Rock and Spikes setters like Onix and Ferroseed help Ponyta sweep late-game. Onix's Rock / Ground typing is especially useful to check Vullaby and opposing Ponyta; Ferroseed is able to come in on Water-type attacks from Staryu. Defog and Rapid Spin users such as Timburr, Vullaby, and Staryu remove Stealth Rock, which greatly hinders Ponyta from freely switching in; Vullaby and Timburr can also use Knock Off to soften Pokemon like Mareanie and Mienfoo, and Vullaby can also threaten Timburr and Mienfoo with its Flying STAB moves. Staryu can also take care of Mudbray and Onix with its Water STAB moves and has Thunderbolt to help with opposing Water-types like Mareanie and opposing Staryu. Trapinch traps Pokemon that usually check Ponyta, like Onix and Diglett, while Trace Porygon is a great option to counter-trap Trapinch and Diglett, making it easier for Ponyta to drop Flame Charge in favor of one of its coverage moves.
[SET]
name: Berry Juice
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Flame Charge
move 3: High Horsepower
move 4: Wild Charge / Will-O-Wisp
item: Berry Juice
ability: Flame Body
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Flare Blitz is the main way to do damage and can take care of Pawniard, Foongus, and Ferroseed. Flame Charge allows Ponyta to outspeed and beat Diglett that try to trap it. High Horsepower hits Mareanie and Onix. Wild Charge is used to let Ponyta better take on Water-types like Staryu, Dewpider, and Wingull. Will-O-Wisp can be used over Wild Charge to cripple physical attackers like Mienfoo, Pawniard, and Trapinch.
Set Details
========
236 Attack EVs allow Ponyta to wallbreak better. 196 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature make Ponyta outpace Onix and Mienfoo while Speed tying Wingull, Staryu, and Abra. Berry Juice makes Ponyta recover more easily from recoil and Stealth Rock damage, going particularly well with Wild Charge.
Usage Tips
========
Do not switch Ponyta in on strong attacks like Abra's Psychic and Mienfoo's High Jump Kick, as it cannot take these attacks well. Switch Ponyta into predicted attacks from Ferroseed and Spritzee, as it takes their attacks well. Use Flame Charge on forced switches to allow Ponyta to outpace all of the unboosted metagame and most Choice Scarf users; this also stops Diglett from trapping it. Use Flare Blitz to do decent damage to most Pokemon, especially when Pokemon that resist it are KOed or have low HP. Use High Horsepower on predicted switches to Onix and Mareanie, and, if running Wild Charge, use it to OHKO Wingull and do major damage to Staryu. Be wary about switching into Knock Off users such as Vullaby and Pawniard, as Ponyta will lose its only way to recover HP, becoming easier to take care of. Ponyta can be kept until late-game to clean up weakened teams once trappers such as Trapinch and Diglett and Water-types like Wingull and Staryu are gone. Be careful about attacking with Ponyta when Diglett or Trapinch is present, as both can trap Ponyta and take care of it with Earthquake. Only switch Ponyta into Stealth Rock when it is in range of Berry Juice to restore itself.
Team Options
========
Counter-trappers like Trace Porygon and trappers like Trapinch are good to pair with Ponyta to get rid of Diglett. Fighting-types such as Timburr and Mienfoo go well with Ponyta because they can use Knock Off to get rid of items and make it easier to sweep. Dewpider is great to get down Sticky Web to let Ponyta outpace Pokemon like Abra, Staryu, and Diglett without needing to use Flame Charge. Defog and Rapid Spin users like Vullaby, Timburr, and Staryu are needed in order to prevent Ponyta from taking extra damage or being slowed down from Sticky Web. Timburr can also help against Onix, while Staryu can help with Ground-types like Mudbray and Drilbur. Onix, Mudbray, and Ferroseed help Ponyta sweep by setting entry hazards to wear down opposing Pokemon. Onix is also a great switch-in to Knock Off from Vullaby to keep Ponyta from losing its Berry Juice. Ferroseed can also help with Water-types like Staryu, while Mudbray can come in on opposing Onix's attacks. Mareanie sets down Toxic Spikes, comes in on Fighting- and Water-type attacks from Mienfoo and Wingull, and can use Iron Defense to help with facing common Knock Off users like Pawniard, Mienfoo, and Vullaby.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sunny Day + Solar Blade can be used in order to lure in and take out Water-types such as Staryu and Ground-types such as Onix; however, the turn needed to set up Sunny Day makes this unreliable. Sunny Day can be run on a Sticky Web team over Will-O-Wisp to make Ponyta a more dangerous sweeper with Flare Blitz; however, when not on Sticky Web teams, it is very hard to justify using. Ponyta can run Flash Fire for Vulpix, but this lets Trace Porygon beat it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Pokemon like Staryu, Wingull, and Mareanie take care of Ponyta with Scald.
**Earthquake**: Onix, Archen, Tyrunt, and Mudbray can give Ponyta trouble due to Earthquake OHKOing it. Weak Armor Onix can outpace Ponyta after coming in on Flare Blitz and take care of it with Earthquake.
**Trappers**: Diglett revenge kills Ponyta. Trapinch can also trap Ponyta and take care of it with Earthquake, but only at the cost of much of its health.
**Porygon**: Porygon gives Ponyta trouble due to its high bulk withstanding Ponyta's attacks and Tri Attack or Thunder Wave doing major damage to Ponyta or slowing it down.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Yami, 393488]]
- Quality checked by: [[Fiend, 208173], [Dreamcatcher, 449990], [San Tomas, 255030]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Ponyta is a great offensive Pokemon thanks to its versatility, bulk, and high Speed stat allowing it to outpace most of the unboosted metagame and dent most teams. It also has great coverage options in High Horsepower and Wild Charge, can use Flame Charge to outpace Diglett and most Choice Scarf users, and has utility options like Will-O-Wisp and Morning Sun. Furthermore, its ability Flame Body gives a chance to cripple physical attackers like Mienfoo, Vullaby, and Pawniard. However, Ponyta's weakness to entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, makes it easier to wear down. Ponyta suffers from trappers such as Diglett and Trapinch, as Diglett traps, outpaces, and revenge kills non-Flame Charge Ponyta while Trapinch can take care of Ponyta at the cost of most of its health.
[SET]
name: Eviolite
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: High Horsepower / Flame Charge / Wild Charge
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Morning Sun
item: Eviolite
ability: Flame Body
nature: Jolly
evs: 76 Atk / 156 Def / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Flare Blitz does decent damage to any Pokemon that does not resist it and takes care of Steel- and Grass-types such as Pawniard, Ferroseed, and Foongus. High Horsepower is able to hit common switch-ins to Ponyta super effectively, like Mareanie and Onix. Flame Charge can be run over High Horsepower or Will-O-Wisp to avoid being trapped by Diglett after a KOing a Pokemon. Alternatively, Wild Charge gives Ponyta a way to hit Water-types such as Wingull, Staryu, and Mareanie. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers such as Pawniard, Trapinch, Mienfoo, and Onix. Morning Sun allows Ponyta to keep itself healthy and outlast a burned Trapinch's Earthquake. Though not as useful as the listed moves, Toxic can be used to cripple bulky walls like Porygon and Spritzee.
Set Details
========
Ponyta runs 196 Speed EVs to outpace Onix and Mienfoo and Speed tie Wingull, Staryu, and Abra. 76 Attack EVs make Ponyta's attacks a bit stronger. 156 Defense EVs with Eviolite make Ponyta able to take physical attacks from Mienfoo, Pawniard, Vullaby, and a burned Onix. Flame Body gives Ponyta a chance to burn physical attackers such as Mienfoo and Vullaby when they use contact moves.
Usage Tips
========
Be wary about leaving Ponyta in or double switching to it if the opponent has a Diglett, because it can trap Ponyta and take care of it. Use Ponyta early-game to status Pokemon and cripple physical foes like Mienfoo and Trapinch with Will-O-Wisp. However, be wary about using Will-O-Wisp on Timburr, as Guts variants can use the Attack boost to KO Ponyta. Switch Ponyta into contact moves like Pawniard's Iron Head and Mienfoo's Fake Out to try to get a burn from Flame Body. Ponyta can also switch into predicted attacks from Spritzee, Ferroseed, and Foongus, as their attacks do not do much to it, and it can use the opportunity to do major damage to these with Flare Blitz or predict a switch and use High Horsepower or Will-O-Wisp. Make sure that entry hazards are not on the field before Ponyta tries to switch in, as they will cripple it. Use High Horsepower on a predicted switch to Onix or Mareanie. If running Flame Charge, use it on a predicted switch or on a weakened Pokemon to avoid Diglett coming in, trapping Ponyta, and taking care of it with Earthquake.
Team Options
========
Grass-types such as Foongus, Grookey, and Ferroseed are good to pair with Ponyta because they check Ground- and Water-types like Onix, Mudbray, and Staryu. Foongus can also use Spore to force switches and sponges attacks from Mienfoo, while Grookey provides passive recovery with Grassy Terrain. Ferroseed can use Thunder Wave to cripple Vullaby and opposing Ponyta that switch into Ponyta or use Knock Off to make it easier for Ponyta to KO them. Stealth Rock and Spikes setters like Onix and Ferroseed help Ponyta sweep late-game. Onix's Rock / Ground typing is especially useful to check Vullaby and opposing Ponyta; Ferroseed is able to come in on Water-type attacks from Staryu. Defog and Rapid Spin users such as Timburr, Vullaby, and Staryu remove Stealth Rock, which greatly hinders Ponyta from freely switching in; Vullaby and Timburr can also use Knock Off to soften Pokemon like Mareanie and Mienfoo, and Vullaby can also threaten Timburr and Mienfoo with its Flying STAB moves. Staryu can also take care of Mudbray and Onix with its Water STAB moves and has Thunderbolt to help with opposing Water-types like Mareanie and opposing Staryu. Trapinch traps Pokemon that usually check Ponyta, like Onix and Diglett, while Trace Porygon is a great option to counter-trap Trapinch and Diglett, making it easier for Ponyta to drop Flame Charge in favor of one of its coverage moves.
[SET]
name: Berry Juice
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Flame Charge
move 3: High Horsepower
move 4: Wild Charge / Will-O-Wisp
item: Berry Juice
ability: Flame Body
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Flare Blitz is the main way to do damage and can take care of Pawniard, Foongus, and Ferroseed. Flame Charge allows Ponyta to outspeed and beat Diglett that try to trap it. High Horsepower hits Mareanie and Onix. Wild Charge is used to let Ponyta better take on Water-types like Staryu, Dewpider, and Wingull. Will-O-Wisp can be used over Wild Charge to cripple physical attackers like Mienfoo, Pawniard, and Trapinch.
Set Details
========
236 Attack EVs allow Ponyta to wallbreak better. 196 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature make Ponyta outpace Onix and Mienfoo while Speed tying Wingull, Staryu, and Abra. Berry Juice makes Ponyta recover more easily from recoil and Stealth Rock damage, going particularly well with Wild Charge.
Usage Tips
========
Do not switch Ponyta in on strong attacks like Abra's Psychic and Mienfoo's High Jump Kick, as it cannot take these attacks well. Switch Ponyta into predicted attacks from Ferroseed and Spritzee, as it takes their attacks well. Use Flame Charge on forced switches to allow Ponyta to outpace all of the unboosted metagame and most Choice Scarf users; this also stops Diglett from trapping it. Use Flare Blitz to do decent damage to most Pokemon, especially when Pokemon that resist it are KOed or have low HP. Use High Horsepower on predicted switches to Onix and Mareanie, and, if running Wild Charge, use it to OHKO Wingull and do major damage to Staryu. Be wary about switching into Knock Off users such as Vullaby and Pawniard, as Ponyta will lose its only way to recover HP, becoming easier to take care of. Ponyta can be kept until late-game to clean up weakened teams once trappers such as Trapinch and Diglett and Water-types like Wingull and Staryu are gone. Be careful about attacking with Ponyta when Diglett or Trapinch is present, as both can trap Ponyta and take care of it with Earthquake. Only switch Ponyta into Stealth Rock when it is in range of Berry Juice to restore itself.
Team Options
========
Counter-trappers like Trace Porygon and trappers like Trapinch are good to pair with Ponyta to get rid of Diglett. Fighting-types such as Timburr and Mienfoo go well with Ponyta because they can use Knock Off to get rid of items and make it easier to sweep. Dewpider is great to get down Sticky Web to let Ponyta outpace Pokemon like Abra, Staryu, and Diglett without needing to use Flame Charge. Defog and Rapid Spin users like Vullaby, Timburr, and Staryu are needed in order to prevent Ponyta from taking extra damage or being slowed down from Sticky Web. Timburr can also help against Onix, while Staryu can help with Ground-types like Mudbray and Drilbur. Onix, Mudbray, and Ferroseed help Ponyta sweep by setting entry hazards to wear down opposing Pokemon. Onix is also a great switch-in to Knock Off from Vullaby to keep Ponyta from losing its Berry Juice. Ferroseed can also help with Water-types like Staryu, while Mudbray can come in on opposing Onix's attacks. Mareanie sets down Toxic Spikes, comes in on Fighting- and Water-type attacks from Mienfoo and Wingull, and can use Iron Defense to help with facing common Knock Off users like Pawniard, Mienfoo, and Vullaby.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sunny Day + Solar Blade can be used in order to lure in and take out Water-types such as Staryu and Ground-types such as Onix; however, the turn needed to set up Sunny Day makes this unreliable. Sunny Day can be run on a Sticky Web team over Will-O-Wisp to make Ponyta a more dangerous sweeper with Flare Blitz; however, when not on Sticky Web teams, it is very hard to justify using. Ponyta can run Flash Fire for Vulpix, but this lets Trace Porygon beat it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Pokemon like Staryu, Wingull, and Mareanie take care of Ponyta with Scald.
**Earthquake**: Onix, Archen, Tyrunt, and Mudbray can give Ponyta trouble due to Earthquake OHKOing it. Weak Armor Onix can outpace Ponyta after coming in on Flare Blitz and take care of it with Earthquake.
**Trappers**: Diglett revenge kills Ponyta. Trapinch can also trap Ponyta and take care of it with Earthquake, but only at the cost of much of its health.
**Porygon**: Porygon gives Ponyta trouble due to its high bulk withstanding Ponyta's attacks and Tri Attack or Thunder Wave doing major damage to Ponyta or slowing it down.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Yami, 393488]]
- Quality checked by: [[Fiend, 208173], [Dreamcatcher, 449990], [San Tomas, 255030]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Last edited:
