[overview]
**Draft order**: Espathra's draft order varies quite a bit. With Tera, it may be drafted anywhere from late Round 1 to about Round 6. Usually, it is picked up in Round 3 or later, but sometimes it gets picked really early. Without Tera, it should be drafted in the last couple rounds, if at all.
**Price range**: If it is allowed to Terastallize, Espathra is around 11 or 12 points. When it is banned from Terastallizing, it should not be worth more than 3 points, and is usually not worth using.
**Overview**: Espathra is a setup sweeper that uses its Speed Boost ability, Calm Mind, Roost, Stored Power, and coverage that is beefed up by Tera to break through a weakened team in the endgame. It can also use other offensive sets with Lumina Crash and coverage like Shadow Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Energy Ball, and Tera Blast when the opponent has good checks to that set, such as Scream Tail or Ting Lu.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
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**Setup Sweeper**: Espathra will usually want to use Calm Mind + Stored Power and let its other team members chip down the opposing team to the point where it can switch in and set up.
**Wallbreaker**: If Espathra cannot effectively set up, it can sometimes still be a useful offensive piece with its decent speed tier and Lumina Crash's -2 Special Defense effect, alongside okay coverage
Common Moves
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**Primary STAB moves**: Stored Power, Lumina Crash
**Setup moves**: Calm Mind
**Utility moves**: Roost, Light Screen, Reflect, Substitute, Trick, Protect
**Coverage**: Dazzling Gleam, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Tera Blast, Flash Cannon
Niche Moves
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**U-turn**: U-turn is occasionally helpful. If Espathra is a screens setter in a matchup, but not the primary win condition, it can use U-turn to get a teammate into position. On wallbreaking sets, U-turn can be used to maneuver around Espathra's checks and gain momentum.
Common Items
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**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Espathra is not a super bulky Pokemon, so to ensure the greatest chance of sweeping or breaking, it should try and avoid hazard damage. Heavy-Duty Boots are especially good in matchups against Toxic Spikes setters like Slowking-G, Glimmora, and Tentacruel.
**Sitrus Berry**: A Sitrus Berry helps Espathra get through the early stages of a sweep without having to waste valuable Roost PP.
**Offensive items**: Using an offensive item on Espathra can surprise the opponent who prepped for Calm Mind + Stored Power. On Choice Specs sets, Trick can leave a defensive check to Espathra severely limited. Other offensive items, like Life Orb or Expert Belt, can also be valuable because they allow Espathra to switch up moves.
Niche Items
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**Light Clay**: Occasionally, Espathra can be used as a Light Screen and/or Reflect setter. Light Clay allows the screens to stay up for longer.
Tera
========
Espathra should always be a Tera Captain if it is drafted. It will usually use Tera types that threaten its biggest weaknesses: Dark- and Steel-types. Tera Fighting addresses both of these weaknesses well. Tera Fairy is also very common because it powers up Dazzling Gleam. Espathra can also use Tera Ground or Fire to address Steel-types offensively, but they don't give the Dark resistance that Tera Fighting and Fairy do. Tera Dark can be helpful because Espathra can struggle to break through other Psychic-types using Psyshock to bypass its Calm Mind boosts. It also provides valuable Ghost and Dark resistances.
Draft Strategy
========
Espathra should be on a team with strong hazard users and hazard control. The rest of the team should handle Dark- and Steel-types well so Espathra gets openings to sweep. Light Screen and Reflect can also help with getting Espathra off the ground.
**Hazard Setters**: Pokemon like Klefki, Meowscarada, Annihilape, Ribombee, and Great Tusk can set various hazards for Espathra. Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes whittle down the opposing team for Espathra, while Sticky Web can shut down Choice Scarf counterplay from the opponent.
**Hazard Control**: Rapid Spin users like Great Tusk, Excadrill, and Quaquaval, as well as Court Change Cinderace, will help keep Espathra at full health when it hits the field. Defog users like Talonflame and Mandibuzz can help too, but they remove hazards on the opponent's side as well. Rapid Spin blockers like Ceruledge, Gholdengo, Frosslass, and Annihilape keep hazards up for Espathra. Both Gholdengo and Annihilape also help against Defog: Gholdengo blocks it with Good As Gold and Annihilape gets a +2 Attack boost from Defiant if it gets used while it's on the battlefield.
**Dual Screens**: Light Screen and Reflect users can ensure an Espathra sweep is not cut short. Some Pokemon that can fit this role include Dragapult, Grimmsnarl, Klefki, Ribombee, and Scream Tail.
**Type Synergy**: Make sure that your team can remove the Stored Power resistances from the opposing team: Dark-, Psychic-, and Steel-types are Espathra's nemeses. For this reason, Annihilape, Great Tusk, Iron Valiant, and Meowscarada are often drafted alongside Espathra.
Checks and Counters
========
**Specially Defensive Psychic-, Dark-, and Steel-types:**: Espathra's Stored Power sets get walled by the likes of Ting Lu, Scream Tail, Bronzong, and Metagross. Scream Tail is particularly hard to break through because it can use Encore to lock Espathra into a set up move. Tera can help against these threats, but Espathra will need these types of Pokemon weakened in order to sweep.
**Strong Physical Priority**: Even when Espathra is fully set up, it cannot sponge strong priority attacks from like likes of Bullet Punch Scizor, Extreme Speed Dragonite, or Aqua Jet Azumarill very well. Espathra will often use heavy defense investment to lower this risk, that isn't always enough.
**Phasing**: Haze, Roar, or Whirlwind can end Espathra's Stored Power sweep early. If you are having trouble prepping for Espathra, see if your team has access to one of those moves. A Red Card an also be used to stop a sweep in a pinch.
[credits]
Written by:
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Last edited:
