PU Rampardos


uploaded-TONE
[OVERVIEW]

Rampardos fills a tiny niche in the PU metagame due to its monstrous Attack stat that complements its ability Sheer Force. Head Smash's overwhelming power combined with coverage moves such as Zen Headbutt gives Rampardos the minuscule niche of a Choice Scarf user. However, Rampardos faces massive competition from Lycanroc, which is naturally fast, has priority, and can utilize Swords Dance if it gains the opportunity. Rampardos also has competition against Aggron as a wallbreaker due to its ability able to spam Head Smash with zero drawbacks. While a Choice Scarf is able to patch up Rampardos's middling Speed, it still fails to outspeed faster threats like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, Floatzel, and other Choice Scarf users like Primeape, Kabutops, and Mesprit. Furthermore, Rampardos's primary attack, Head Smash, racks up recoil damage fairly easily, which further hinders its longevity. Rampardos is also pretty susceptible to priority moves like Mach Punch and Aqua Jet, which aren't too uncommon to come across in PU.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Superpower / Pursuit
move 4: Zen Headbutt
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

Rock Slide is used on this set as a much safer and accurate attack if you do not want to take the recoil damage from Head Smash. However, this move can be unreliable in some situations, as it fails to 2HKO Lurantis and defensive Mesprit. Superpower is Rampardos's main move to hit Steel-types like Aggron and Alolan Dugtrio, but Pursuit can also work if you would like to trap Alolan Raichu and Oricorio-G at the expense of lacking the coverage to handle Steel-types. Finally, Zen Headbutt is necessary coverage on Rampardos to give it some sort of counterplay against Gurdurr and Poliwrath, which would otherwise wall Rampardos.

Set Details
========

A Choice Scarf along with a Jolly nature places Rampardos at a decent Speed tier that allows it to outpace Pokemon that are around base 110 Speed like Dodrio, Alolan Raichu, and Froslass.

Usage Tips
========

Due to how frail Rampardos is, you should find opportunities to give it free switches through slow pivots or aggressively coming in through double switches. You will have to occasionally predict perfectly in order to land super effective damage on the opponent's Pokemon. Having to guess between Zen Headbutt and Superpower is a situation that could possibly occur, and guessing wrong will result in you giving your opponent free turns. There is a fine difference between whether Head Smash or Rock Slide should be used in specific scenarios. If Rampardos accumulates too much Head Smash recoil, it puts itself into the range of getting KOed by priority moves like Mach Punch from Hitmonchan. However, the extra damage from Head Smash can be important for claiming a KO on defensive Mesprit. Rampardos is also capable of performing the role of a late-game cleaner, as it will often want its checks removed or at least chipped and faster Pokemon eliminated so it can fire off Head Smash far more with fewer drawbacks.

Team Options
========

Rampardos often likes the use of pivots in order to get it in more easily so it can score KOs or deal hefty chip damage. Mesprit is a great option, as it lures in Scyther to then pivot out into Rampardos for Rampardos to take advantage of, can use Healing Wish to allow Rampardos to spam Head Smash far more liberally, and is an effective check to the Fighting-types that can be a nuisance for Rampardos. Alolan Persian also can soften up any incoming blows with Parting Shot before sending Rampardos in. Rampardos often finds itself completely hopeless against Fighting-types if they get in safely, so Ghost-types like Jellicent and Oricorio-G works well as a secondary measure. This also makes Qwilfish and Froslass two strong Fighting-type checks for Rampardos that can also set up Spikes to weaken its checks in order to provide an opportunity to sweep late-game. Alolan Raticate and Swords Dance Abomasnow both capitalize on the speed that Rampardos offers, as it can weaken their checks to open up a sweep. Water- and Grass-types like Lilligant and Floatzel that can seriously pressure or remove Ground-types and most of the other answers to Rampardos allow it to thrive late-game. Rampardos can use Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Primeape or Ground-types like Mudsdale and Quagsire to deal with Steel-types that can usually switch into Rampardos.

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

Rampardos can utilize Life Orb to further strengthen Head Smash and prevent it from being locked into a move, but this set is usually outclassed by Choice Band Aggron, whose Defense and ability Rock Head allow it multiple opportunities to switch in throughout the game while not being affected by Head Smash recoil. Rampardos can also use Rock Polish as another way to fix up its Speed, but its paper-thin defenses give it very minimal opportunities to set up and Rampardos can still get revenge killed by common priority moves.

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

**Ground-types**: Defensive Ground-types such as Mudsdale, Gastrodon, Quagsire, and Golurk all resist Rampardos's Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal hefty damage back with Earthquake, and Golurk and Mudsdale completely wall it.

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types like Gurdurr and Poliwrath do have to be more wary of Zen Headbutt, but they still resist Rampardos's STAB moves and brutalize it. Gurdurr and Hitmonchan gets the added benefit of Mach Punch to take out Rampardos with super effective priority.

**Faster Pokemon**: Rampardos's poor base Speed prevents it from outspeeding Pokemon like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, and Floatzel, and it also gets outsped by almost every other viable Choice Scarf user in the tier such as Kabutops, Primeape, and Mesprit.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Aggron and Alolan Dugtrio need to watch out for Superpower, but they all resist Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal super effective damage to Rampardos too.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[BackAtYouBro, 451000]]
- Quality checked by: [[tondas, 442732], [UberSkitty, 355061], [TONE, 213583]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Fireflame479, 231476]]
 
Last edited by a moderator:

tondas

YOU DONT WANT NO PROBLEMS YOU JUST TALKING
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
am check, note that I likely haven't included everything I have to say because there's already quite a lot in this.


[OVERVIEW]

  • Rampardos fills a tiny niche in the PU metagame due to its monstrous Attack stat that compliments Sheer Force.
  • These attributes combined allow it to be a decent revenge killer. Would talk about the high base power of head smash and zhb's ability to 2hko gurdurr and then merge with the first bullet since this is largely rampardos's niche over smth like lycanroc
  • However, Rampardos faces massive competition from Lycanroc since it is naturally fast, has priority, and can outright sweep itself if it gains the opportunity.
  • Even with a Choice Scarf, Rampardos still fails to outspeed fast threats like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, Floatzel, and other Choice Scarf users like Mesprit, Primeape, and Togedemaru.
  • Furthermore, Rampardos's fragility is amplified even further with Head Smash which while very powerful, racks up recoil damage fairly easily.
  • Rampardos is also pretty susceptible to Mach Punch and Aqua Jet which aren't too uncommon in PU.
  • Coverage moves aren't too great outside of hitting specific mons which means it's easy for rampardos to get forced out after koing something, like being forced to click zhb due to fighters on the field sucks

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Superpower / Pursuit
move 4: Zen Headbutt
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

  • Rock Slide is used on this set as a much safer attack if you do not want to take the recoil damage from Head Smash. Does this miss out on any important KOs?
  • Superpower is your main move to hit Steel-types like Aggron, Togedemaru, and Alolan Dugtrio but Pursuit can also work if you need an unconventional way to trap Ghost-types like Jellicent, Golurk, and Oricorio-Sensu. I would include mentions of frail mons like alolachu and dodrio which are forced out by scarf head smash. it's also not really unconventional in Ori-G's case since that's naturally threatened out by scarf. (Would also swap out the first two examples since you pose the risk of defensive jelli and golurk will rarely actually switch out of rampardos.)
  • Include what ZHB does, not STAB and isn't terribly strong so it doesn't immediately strike me as an obvious option

Set Details
========

  • The Choice Scarf places Rampardos at a decent speed tier that allows it to outpace Pokemon that are at 110 Base Speed like Dodrio, Alolan Raichu, and Froslass. Rampardos doesn't need an Attack boosting nature due to how massive that stat already is and that the Speed is far more necessary. this last part can just be condensed to why jolly is absolutely mandatory on it and included in the first sentence

Usage Tips
========

  • Due to how frail it is, Rampardos should only function as a revenge killer which means it should only be sent in when it is given a free switch. pivots? double switching?
  • Rampardos will have to occasionally predict perfectly in order to land super effective damage on the opponent's Pokemon. Guessing incorrectly however, can greatly punish you as the opponent is given practically a free switch. This bullet feels quite vague and it doesn't draw out any realistic scenario. When do I want to use Zen Headbutt? When is it worth using Pursuit to chip slower foes that switch out?
  • Proceed with caution against a Pokemon that is viable with a Choice Scarf. If you haven't scouted the Choice Scarf, then you should most likely not proceed to send your Rampardos in to revenge kill. What. This bullet makes no sense. Like yeah u don't wanna get outsped but this feels so unnecessary to include especially w/o examples.
  • Something about when to use Head Smash over Rock Slide and vice versa. Head Smash chip can potentially put it in range of Chan's mach punch for instance
  • Talk about its performance late-game and how it wants faster things removed. Clearing away rock resists also allows it to spam stab moves more liberally

Team Options
========

  • Rampardos despises any Fighting type attack moreso fighters in general so pairing it with a Ghost-type like Jellicent or Oricorio-Sensu who also gives a Ground immunity.
  • Scyther finds value in Rampardos as it revenge kills every Flying-type in the tier nope, scarf swanna and dodrio outspeed it and chips away at walls to open up a late-game clean for Scyther. you should really be listing multiple different mons anyway, not just scyther
  • Rampardos likes Gurdurr to scare Steel-types away so that it has a much easier time firing away Head Smash. This extends far more than just gurdurr... you can list things that check fighting- and ground-types as well since they're just as threatening and discourage the use of stab just as easily. This should mainly be an extension of the first bullet anyway, idk why you're dividing the two sections
  • Rampardos can play as an unorthodox Pursuit trapper which is a quality that Hitmonchan capitalizes on in order to have an easier time removing hazards. Again this only really extends to ori-g which doesn't really make this worth listing
  • Pivots to generate momentum and bring it in safely. List out ones that can give rampardos the upper hand, eg mesprit can lure in scyther
  • What all appreciates Rampardos's speed control?
  • Grasses, fighters, psychics check grounds, steels and other fighters
  • Weezing and Qwilfish can check fighters and set hazards to wear at them and give rampardos more leeway with cleaning late-game
This whole section really needs to be looked over if I have to be blunt. Most of these bullets are so esoteric or list one specific partner so it doesn't really give me the broadest idea of what teammates I should be pairing with this thing.

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

  • A Life Orb set is a possibility that could make Rampardos an even greater physical powerhouse but due to its poor speed, it could only really be effective on Trick Room teams which are overall very gimmicky and rarely ever see serious play. Nah, this set is moreso being a worse aggron

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

**Faster Pokemon**: Rampardos's poor base Speed prevents it from outspeeding Pokemon like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, and Floatzel and it also gets outsped by almost every other viable user of Choice Scarf in the tier.

**Ground-types**: Defensive Ground-types such as Mudsdale and Golurk both resist Rampardos's Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal hefty damage back with their Earthquake.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Aggron, Togedemaru, and Alolan Dugtrio need to watch out for Superpower but they all resist Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal super effective damage too.

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types like Gurdurr and Poliwrath do have to be more wary of Zen Headbutt but they still resist Rampardos's STAB and brutalize it. give mach punch users a shout and also make this the first section

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[BackAtYouBro, 451000]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 
Last edited:

tondas

YOU DONT WANT NO PROBLEMS YOU JUST TALKING
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
on qc now, implement the previous check and I'll give this a second look
 
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tondas so I’ve done a thing. As I said before I completely reworked the Team Options section and it definitely appears to be a massive upgrade from the last one. Is there anything you’d like to add or is this ready for a 2nd check?
 

tondas

YOU DONT WANT NO PROBLEMS YOU JUST TALKING
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus

[OVERVIEW]

  • Rampardos fills a tiny niche in the PU metagame due to its monstrous Attack stat that compliments Sheer Force. Head Smash's overwhelming amount of power and coverage moves such as Zen Headbutt gives Rampardos the miniscule niche of a Choice Scarf user.
  • However, Rampardos faces massive competition from Lycanroc since it is naturally fast, has priority, and can outright sweep itself (would rather say it can use swords dance effectively) if it gains the opportunity.
  • Even with a Choice Scarf, Rampardos still fails to outspeed fast threats like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, Floatzel, and other Choice Scarf users like Mesprit, Primeape, and Togedemaru (emphasize toge and primeape first).
  • Furthermore, Rampardos's fragility is amplified even further with Head Smash which while very powerful, racks up recoil damage fairly easily.
  • Rampardos is also pretty susceptible to Mach Punch and Aqua Jet which aren't too uncommon in PU.
  • Rampardos's coverage moves are quite lacking and they only stop specific Pokemon which restricts Rampardos's time on the field. (looking back at my old am I'm inclined to say this isn't rly worth a point. this is kinda with any choiced mon with certain coverage moves targeting a few specific targets)

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Superpower / Pursuit
move 4: Zen Headbutt
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

  • Rock Slide is used on this set as a much safer attack if you do not want to take the recoil damage from Head Smash. This move can be unreliable in some situations as it fails to OHKO Clefairy and Skunktank.
  • Superpower is your main move to hit Steel-types like Aggron, Togedemaru, and Alolan Dugtrio but Pursuit can also work if you would like to trap Alolan Raichu and Oricorio-G (downsides to not having superpower?)
  • Zen Headbutt is necessary coverage on Rampardos to give it some sort of counterplay against Gurdurr who other wise walls Rampardos. (also hits chan, poliwrath...)

Set Details
========

  • Choice Scarf places Rampardos at a decent speed tier that allows it to outpace Pokemon that are at 110 Base Speed like Dodrio, Alolan Raichu, and Froslass however Rampardos needs Jolly or else the Pokemon mentioned above will outpace Rampardos. (fluff, just say "alongside a jolly nature" with scarf)

Usage Tips
========

  • Due to how frail it is, Rampardos should only function as a revenge killer which means it should only be sent in when it is given a free switch. Pivoting with U-turn or Volt Switch and double switching are very beneficial with the latter strategy not requiring as much prediction. (make this an extension of the previous sentence instead. I'd also omit the "latter strategy" part since it's pretty trivial)
  • Rampardos will have to occasionally predict perfectly in order to land super effective damage on the opponent's Pokemon. Guessing incorrectly such as clicking Head Smash as your opponent brings in a Gurdurr for example, can greatly punish you as the opponent is given practically a free switch (this should mainly be about using zhb/superpower).
  • There is a fine difference between whether Head Smash or Rock Slide should be used in specific scenarios. If you accumulate too much Head Smash chip than you put yourself into the range of getting KOed by priority like Mach Punch from Hitmonchan. (when's the extra damage from head smash important?)
  • Rampardos often performs the role of a late-game cleaner it will often wants its checks removed or at least chipped and faster speed control also eliminated so that it can fire off Head Smash far more with fewer drawbacks.
Team Options
========

  • Rampardos often likes the use of pivots in order to get it in a lot easier so it can score KOs or hefty chip damage. Mesprit is a great pivot as it lures in Scyther then pivots out into Rampardos (is also a fighting check, can heal up rampardos to full so it can click head smash more). Alolan Persian also can soften up any incoming blows with Parting Shot before sending Rampardos in.
  • Rampardos often finds it completely hopeless against Fighting-types if they get in safely so it finds Ghost-types like Jellicent and Oricorio-G to be a secondary measure (move the weezing and qwilfish bit here since these can also set hazards to help rampardos sweep). Rampardos also likes Gurdurr, Primeape, Floatzel, Swanna, Bellossom, Lurantis, and Leafeon who are all able to scare away any of Rampardos’s answers and so it can much more freely fire off Head Smash. (this is far too many examples, and you don't go into any depth of these "answers", you're just throwing out a bunch of mons)
  • Alolan Raticate and Swords Dance Abomasnow both capitalize on the speed control that Rampardos offers as it can weaken their checks to open up a sweep. (what does this bullet even mean. also both of these mons have priority so I'm not quite sure what this is getting at)
  • Weezing and Qwilfish are both strong Fighting checks for Rampardos that also lays down hazards to weaken its checks in order to provide a late-game clean (you can move this up).
  • Mention some wallbreakers that let rampardos thrive more late-game. specs eggy is a good start
  • What are some things that break through other rock resists? Answers to steels and grounds are nice, and even though the former is threatened by superpower their removal lets you spam your stabs more. essentially you should be taking the point where you list out the 6-7 mons and expand on it

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

  • A Life Orb set is a possibility that could make Rampardos an even greater physical powerhouse but this set is mostly outclassed by Choice Band Aggron who is blessed with an amazing dual typing and top notch defensive stats (specify physdef) (mention how it doesn't have recoil on head smash either)

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

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types like Gurdurr and Poliwrath do have to be more wary of Zen Headbutt but they still resist Rampardos's STAB and brutalize it. Gurdurr gets the added benefit of Mach Punch along with Hitmonchan to take out Rampardos with super effective priority (this should be about all relevant fighters since poli gets vacuum wave/primeape is naturally faster) (smth about gurdurr turning it into setup fodder if it's not locked into zhb).

**Faster Pokemon**: Rampardos's poor base Speed prevents it from outspeeding Pokemon like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, and Floatzel and it also gets outsped by almost every other viable user of Choice Scarf in the tier (specify which ones since most of them are especially threatening to rampardos).

**Ground-types**: Defensive Ground-types such as Mudsdale and Golurk both resist Rampardos's Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal hefty damage back with their Earthquake (mudsdale kinda walls it completely tho).

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Aggron, Togedemaru, and Alolan Dugtrio need to watch out for Superpower but they all resist Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal super effective damage too.

(do a thing for residual damage, basically whatever limits how many times it can click head smash or puts it in range of priority)

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[BackAtYouBro, 451000]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
aight, qc 1/3.
 

UberSkitty

Assist Skitty was too broken for NDUbers
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon

[OVERVIEW]

  • Rampardos fills a tiny niche in the PU metagame due to its monstrous Attack stat that compliments Sheer Force. Head Smash's overwhelming amount of power and coverage moves such as Zen Headbutt gives Rampardos the miniscule (minuscule)niche of a Choice Scarf user.
  • However, Rampardos faces massive competition from Lycanroc since it is naturally fast, has priority, and can utilize Swords Dance if it gains the opportunity.(also aggron)
  • Even with a Choice Scarf, Rampardos still fails to outspeed fast threats like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, Floatzel, and other Choice Scarf users like Primeape, Kabutops, and Mesprit.
  • Furthermore, Rampardos's fragility is amplified even further with Head Smash which while very powerful, racks up recoil damage fairly easily.
  • Rampardos is also pretty susceptible to Mach Punch and Aqua Jet which aren't too uncommon in PU.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Superpower / Pursuit
move 4: Zen Headbutt
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

  • Rock Slide is used on this set as a much safer attack if you do not want to take the recoil damage from Head Smash. (also more accurate)This move can be unreliable in some situations as it fails to OHKO Clefairy and Skunktank.(I mean rock slide 2HKOes both)
  • Superpower is your main move to hit Steel-types like Aggron and Alolan Dugtrio but Pursuit can also work if you would like to trap Alolan Raichu and Oricorio-G at the expense of lacking the coverage to handle Steel-types such as Aggron and Probopass.(you just mentioned the steel mons superpower hits, no need to mention again)
  • Zen Headbutt is necessary coverage on Rampardos to give it some sort of counterplay against Gurdurr, Poliwrath, and Hitmonchan who other wise wall Rampardos.(I wouldnt say hitmonchan walls rampardos, since it takes a lot from head smash)

Set Details
========

  • The Choice Scarf places Rampardos at a decent speed tier that allows it to outpace Pokemon that are at 110 Base Speed like Dodrio, Alolan Raichu, and Froslass alongside a Jolly nature.(this makes it sound like froslass is jolly)

Usage Tips
========

  • Due to how frail it is, Rampardos should find opportunities to claim free switches through pivoting with U-turn, Volt Switch, and Parting Shot (just say slow pivots)or aggressively coming in through double switches.(also revenge killing)
  • Rampardos will have to occasionally predict perfectly in order to land super effective damage on the opponent's Pokemon. Guessing between Zen Headbutt and Superpower are situations that could possibly occur and if you guess wrong, you could open up free turns for your opponent such as clicking Superpower as they bring in their Gurdurr for example.(this example is unneeded, remove)
  • There is a fine difference between whether Head Smash or Rock Slide should be used in specific scenarios. If you accumulate too much Head Smash chip (recoil)than you put yourself into the range of getting KOed by priority like Mach Punch from Hitmonchan. However the extra damage from Head Smash can be important to claiming KOs on Skunktank and Clefairy.(rock slide still 2HKOes both)
  • Rampardos often (often is an overstatement, since it can also wallbreak throughout the match)performs the role of a late-game cleaner as it will often wants its checks removed or at least chipped and faster speed control also eliminated so that it can fire off Head Smash far more with fewer drawbacks.
Team Options
========

  • Rampardos often likes the use of pivots in order to get it in a lot easier so it can score KOs or hefty chip damage. Mesprit is a great pivot as it lures in Scyther then pivots out into Rampardos and can use Healing Wish to allow Rampardos to click Head Smash more. Alolan Persian also can soften up any incoming blows with Parting Shot before sending Rampardos in.
  • Rampardos often finds it completely hopeless against Fighting-types if they get in safely so it finds Ghost-types like Jellicent and Oricorio-G to be a secondary measure. This also makes Qwilfish a strong Fighting check for Rampardos that also lays down hazards to weaken its checks in order to provide a late-game clean.(also provides spikes)(maybe also mention froslass here too)
  • Alolan Raticate and Swords Dance Abomasnow both capitalize on the speed control that Rampardos offers as it can weaken their checks to open up a sweep.
  • Wallbreakers (change to water and grass types)like Choice Specs Alolan Exeggutor(no need to specify specs), Lilligant, and Floatzel can seriously pressure or remove Ground-types and most of Rampardos’s other answers to allow it to thrive in the late-game.
  • Rampardos can use Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Primeape or Ground-types like Mudsdale and Quagsire to bully Steel-types that can usually switch into Rampardos without fearing much. (I kinda get wat ur saying, but the sentence structure is kinda confusing)Water and Grass-types like Jellicent, Swanna, and Bellossom can deal with bulky Ground-types that also limit the use of Head Smash.(you already mention this, remove)

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

  • A Life Orb set is a possibility that could make Rampardos an even greater physical powerhouse but this set is mostly outclassed by Choice Band Aggron who is blessed with an amazing dual typing and physical defense while not being affected by Head Smash recoil.
(also mention rock polish)
Checks and Counters
===================

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types like Gurdurr and Poliwrath do have to be more wary of Zen Headbutt but they still resist Rampardos's STAB and brutalize it. Gurdurr gets the added benefit of Mach Punch along with Hitmonchan to take out Rampardos with super effective priority.

**Faster Pokemon**: Rampardos's poor base Speed prevents it from outspeeding Pokemon like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, and Floatzel and it also gets outsped by almost every other viable user of Choice Scarf in the tier.(such as?)

**Ground-types**: Defensive Ground-types such as Mudsdale, Gastrodon, Quagsire, and Golurk all resist or completely wall in the latter’s case Rampardos's Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal hefty damage back with Earthquake.(move this to first)

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Aggron, Togedemaru(dead), and Alolan Dugtrio need to watch out for Superpower but they all resist Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal super effective damage too.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[BackAtYouBro, 451000]]
- Quality checked by: [[tondas, 442732], [UberSkitty, 355061], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
QC 2/3
Running Skitty Stamp - Big.gif
 

TONE

I don't have to take this. I'm going for a walk.
is a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnus

[OVERVIEW]

Rampardos fills a tiny niche in the PU metagame due to its monstrous Attack stat that compliments Sheer Force. Head Smash's overwhelming amount of power and coverage moves such as Zen Headbutt gives Rampardos the minuscule niche of a Choice Scarf user. However, Rampardos faces massive competition from Lycanroc since it is naturally fast, has priority, and can utilize Swords Dance if it gains the opportunity. It also has competition against Aggron as a breaker due to it being able to spam Head Smash with zero drawbacks. While a Choice Scarf is able to patch up Rampardos's middling speed, it still fails to outspeed faster threats like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, Floatzel, and other Choice Scarf users like Primeape, Kabutops, and Mesprit. Furthermore, Rampardos's primary attack, Head Smash, racks up recoil damage fairly easily which further hinders its longevity. Rampardos is also pretty susceptible to priority like Mach Punch and Aqua Jet which aren't too uncommon to come across in PU.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Superpower / Pursuit
move 4: Zen Headbutt
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

Rock Slide is used on this set as a much safer and accurate attack if you do not want to take the recoil damage from Head Smash. However, this move can be unreliable in some situations as it fails to 2HKO Defensive Mesprit and Lurantis. Superpower is your main move to hit Steel-types like Aggron and Alolan Dugtrio but Pursuit can also work if you would like to trap Alolan Raichu and Oricorio-G at the expense of lacking the coverage to handle Steel-types. Finally, Zen Headbutt is necessary coverage on Rampardos to give it some sort of counterplay against Gurdurr and Poliwrath who other wise wall Rampardos.

Set Details
========

With a Jolly nature, a Choice Scarf places Rampardos at a decent speed tier that allows it to outpace Pokemon that are around 110 Base Speed like Dodrio, Alolan Raichu, and Froslass.

Usage Tips
========

Due to how frail it is, Rampardos should find opportunities to claim free switches through slow pivots or aggressively coming in through double switches. Rampardos will have to occasionally predict perfectly in order to land super effective damage on the opponent's Pokemon. Guessing between Zen Headbutt and Superpower are situations that could possibly occur. Guessing wrong will result in you giving your opponent free turns. There is a fine difference between whether Head Smash or Rock Slide should be used in specific scenarios. If you accumulate too much Head Smash chip than you put yourself into the range of getting KOed by priority like Mach Punch from Hitmonchan. However the extra damage from Head Smash can be important to claiming a KO on Defensive Mesprit. Rampardos is also capable of performing the role of a late-game cleaner as it will often wants its checks removed or at least chipped and faster speed control also eliminated so that it can fire off Head Smash far more with fewer drawbacks.

Team Options
========

Rampardos often likes the use of pivots in order to get it in a lot easier so it can score KOs or hefty chip damage. Mesprit is a great pivot as it lures in Scyther then pivots out into Rampardos and can use Healing Wish to allow Rampardos to spam Head Smash far more liberally. (Mesprit can also deal with the FIghting-types that resist Rampardos's STAB.)Alolan Persian also can soften up any incoming blows with Parting Shot before sending Rampardos in. Rampardos often finds it completely hopeless against Fighting-types if they get in safely so it finds Ghost-types like Jellicent and Oricorio-G to be a secondary measure. This also makes Qwilfish and Froslass two strong Fighting checks for Rampardos that also lay down Spikes to weaken its checks in order to provide a late-game clean. Alolan Raticate and Swords Dance Abomasnow both capitalize on the speed control that Rampardos offers as it can weaken their checks to open up a sweep. Water- and Grass-types like Alolan Exeggutor(rip), Lilligant, and Floatzel can seriously pressure or remove Ground-types and most of Rampardos’s other answers to allow it to thrive in the late-game. Rampardos can use Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Primeape or Ground-types like Mudsdale and Quagsire to bully Steel-types that can usually switch into Rampardos.

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

Rampardos can utilize a Life Orb to further strengthen Rampardos's Head Smash and also prevents it from being locked into a move, but this set is usually outclassed by Choice Band Aggron who's physical defense and ability allows it multiple switch-ins throughout the game while not being affected by Head Smash recoil. Rampardos can also use Rock Polish as another way to fix up its speed but its paper-thin defenses gives it a very minimal amount of opportunities to set up and Rampardos can still get revenge killed by common priority.

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

**Ground-types**: Defensive Ground-types such as Mudsdale, Gastrodon, Quagsire, and Golurk all resist or completely wall in the latter’s case Rampardos's Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal hefty damage back with Earthquake.

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types like Gurdurr and Poliwrath do have to be more wary of Zen Headbutt but they still resist Rampardos's STAB and brutalize it. Gurdurr gets the added benefit of Mach Punch along with Hitmonchan to take out Rampardos with super effective priority.

**Faster Pokemon**: Rampardos's poor base Speed prevents it from outspeeding Pokemon like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, and Floatzel and it also gets outsped by almost every other viable user of Choice Scarf in the tier such as Kabutops, Primeape, and Mesprit.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Aggron and Alolan Dugtrio need to watch out for Superpower but they all resist Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal super effective damage too.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[BackAtYouBro, 451000]]
- Quality checked by: [[tondas, 442732], [UberSkitty, 355061], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
QC 3/3.

 

Astra

talk to me nice
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Community Leader Alumnus
amcheck :blobthumbsup:
add remove (comments)
[OVERVIEW]

Rampardos fills a tiny niche in the PU metagame due to its monstrous Attack stat that compliments its ability Sheer Force. Head Smash's overwhelming amount of power and coverage moves such as Zen Headbutt gives Rampardos the minuscule niche of a Choice Scarf user. However, Rampardos faces massive competition from Lycanroc since it is naturally fast, has priority, and can utilize Swords Dance if it gains the opportunity. It also has competition against Aggron as a breaker due to it being able to spam Head Smash with zero drawbacks. While a Choice Scarf is able to patch up Rampardos's middling speed Speed, it still fails to outspeed faster threats like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, Floatzel, and other Choice Scarf users like Primeape, Kabutops, and Mesprit. Furthermore, Rampardos's primary attack, Head Smash, racks up recoil damage fairly easily, (AC) which further hinders its longevity. Rampardos is also pretty susceptible to priority moves like Mach Punch and Aqua Jet, (AC) which aren't too uncommon to come across in PU.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Superpower / Pursuit
move 4: Zen Headbutt
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

Rock Slide is used on this set as a much safer and accurate attack if you do not want to take the recoil damage from Head Smash. However, this move can be unreliable in some situations, (AC) as it fails to 2HKO Defensive defensive Mesprit and Lurantis (is lurantis also defensive? if not, swap their placement in the sentence so it won't sound like lurantis is defensive). Superpower is your main move to hit Steel-types like Aggron and Alolan Dugtrio, (AC) but Pursuit can also work if you would like to trap Alolan Raichu and Oricorio-G at the expense of lacking the coverage to handle Steel-types. Finally, Zen Headbutt is necessary coverage on Rampardos to give it some sort of counterplay against Gurdurr and Poliwrath who other wise, (AC) which would otherwise wall Rampardos.

Set Details
========

With a Jolly nature, a A Choice Scarf along with a Jolly nature (this change makes the sentence feel smoother) places Rampardos at a decent speed Speed tier that allows it to outpace Pokemon that are around base 110 Base Speed like Dodrio, Alolan Raichu, and Froslass.

Usage Tips
========

Due to how frail it Rampardos is, Rampardos you should find opportunities to claim give it free switches through slow pivots or aggressively coming in through double switches. Rampardos You (you predict, not rampardos) will have to occasionally predict perfectly in order to land super effective damage on the opponent's Pokemon. Guessing between Zen Headbutt and Superpower are situations that could possibly occur. Guessing, and guessing wrong will result in you giving your opponent free turns (making this one sentence helps with flow). There is a fine difference between whether Head Smash or Rock Slide should be used in specific scenarios. If you Rampardos accumulates too much Head Smash chip than recoil, (AC) you put yourself it puts itself into the range of getting KOed by priority moves like Mach Punch from Hitmonchan. However, (AC) the extra damage from Head Smash can be important to claiming a KO on Defensive defensive Mesprit. Rampardos is also capable of performing the role of a late-game cleaner, (AC) as it will often wants its checks removed or at least chipped and faster speed control Pokemon also eliminated so that it can fire off Head Smash far more with fewer drawbacks.

Team Options
========

Rampardos often likes the use of pivots in order to get it in a lot easier more easily so it can score KOs or deal hefty chip damage. Mesprit is a great pivot, (AC) as it lures in Scyther to then pivots out into Rampardos, can use Healing Wish to allow Rampardos to spam Head Smash far more liberally, and also is an effective check to the Fighting-types that can be a nuisance for Rampardos. Alolan Persian also can soften up any incoming blows with Parting Shot before sending Rampardos in. Rampardos often finds it completely hopeless against Fighting-types if they get in safely, (AC) so it finds Ghost-types like Jellicent and Oricorio-G to be a secondary measure. This also makes Qwilfish and Froslass two strong Fighting-type checks for Rampardos that can also lay down set up Spikes to weaken its checks in order to provide a late-game clean. Alolan Raticate and Swords Dance Abomasnow both capitalize on the speed control (replace this with whatever would be correct, just speed control cannot be used in this context) that Rampardos offers, (AC) as it can weaken their checks to open up a sweep. Water- and Grass-types like Lilligant and Floatzel that can seriously pressure or remove Ground-types and most of the other answers to Rampardos’s other answers to allow it to thrive in the late-game. Rampardos can use Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Primeape or Ground-types like Mudsdale and Quagsire to bully Steel-types that can usually switch into Rampardos.

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

Rampardos can utilize a Life Orb to further strengthen Rampardos's Head Smash and also prevents it from being locked into a move, but this set is usually outclassed by Choice Band Aggron, (AC) whose who's physical defense and ability (say which ability) allows it multiple opportunities to switch-ins (remove hyphen) throughout the game while not being affected by Head Smash recoil. Rampardos can also use Rock Polish as another way to fix up its speed Speed, (AC) but its paper-thin defenses gives it a very minimal amount of opportunities to set up, (AC) and Rampardos can still get revenge killed by common priority moves.

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

**Ground-types**: Defensive Ground-types such as Mudsdale, Gastrodon, Quagsire, and Golurk all resist or completely wall in the latter’s case Rampardos's Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal hefty damage back with Earthquake. (this sentence doesn't really make sense mostly in the middle so i can't really comment on it because i might content change, so i highly recommend you reword it, also former/latter used in context of more than two objects gets awkward and confusing so i recommend you change that too)

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types like Gurdurr and Poliwrath do have to be more wary of Zen Headbutt, (AC) but they still resist Rampardos's STAB moves and brutalize it. Gurdurr along with Hitmonchan gets the added benefit of Mach Punch along with Hitmonchan to take out Rampardos with super effective priority.

**Faster Pokemon**: Rampardos's poor base Speed prevents it from outspeeding Pokemon like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, and Floatzel, (AC) and it also gets outsped by almost every other viable user of Choice Scarf in the tier such as Kabutops, Primeape, and Mesprit.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Aggron and Alolan Dugtrio need to watch out for Superpower, (AC) but they all resist Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal super effective damage to Rampardos too.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[BackAtYouBro, 451000]]
- Quality checked by: [[tondas, 442732], [UberSkitty, 355061], [TONE, 213583]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
Estronic: add remove (comments)
tdp: add / fix remove (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
[OVERVIEW]

Rampardos fills a tiny niche in the PU metagame due to its monstrous Attack stat that compliments complements its ability Sheer Force. Head Smash's overwhelming amount of power and combined with (structurally this reads like "Head Smash's coverage moves", "ambiguity is in the perception of the reader" ya but this goes a little too far) coverage moves such as Zen Headbutt gives (and then don't make this change) Rampardos the minuscule niche of a Choice Scarf user. However, Rampardos faces massive competition from Lycanroc, (AC) since it which is naturally fast, has priority, and can utilize Swords Dance if it gains the opportunity. It also has competition against Aggron as a wallbreaker due to it being its ability able to spam Head Smash with zero drawbacks. While a Choice Scarf is able to patch up Rampardos's middling speed Speed, it still fails to outspeed faster threats like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, Floatzel, and other Choice Scarf users like Primeape, Kabutops, and Mesprit. Furthermore, Rampardos's primary attack, Head Smash, racks up recoil damage fairly easily, (AC) which further hinders its longevity. Rampardos is also pretty susceptible to priority moves like Mach Punch and Aqua Jet, (AC) which aren't too uncommon to come across in PU.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Superpower / Pursuit
move 4: Zen Headbutt
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

Rock Slide is used on this set as a much safer and accurate attack if you do not want to take the recoil damage from Head Smash. However, this move can be unreliable in some situations, (AC) as it fails to 2HKO Defensive defensive Mesprit and Lurantis (is lurantis also defensive? if not, swap their placement in the sentence so it won't sound like lurantis is defensive). Superpower is your Rampardos's main move to hit Steel-types like Aggron and Alolan Dugtrio, (AC) but Pursuit can also work if you would like to trap Alolan Raichu and Oricorio-G at the expense of lacking the coverage to handle Steel-types. Finally, Zen Headbutt is necessary coverage on Rampardos to give it some sort of counterplay against Gurdurr and Poliwrath who other wise, (AC) which would otherwise wall Rampardos.

Set Details
========

With a Jolly nature, a A Choice Scarf along with a Jolly nature (this change makes the sentence feel smoother) places Rampardos at a decent speed Speed tier that allows it to outpace Pokemon that are around base 110 Base Speed like Dodrio, Alolan Raichu, and Froslass.

Usage Tips
========

Due to how frail it Rampardos is, Rampardos you should find opportunities to claim give it free switches through slow pivots or aggressively coming in through double switches. Rampardos You (you predict, not rampardos) will have to occasionally predict perfectly in order to land super effective damage on the opponent's Pokemon. Guessing Having to guess between Zen Headbutt and Superpower are situations is a situation that could possibly occur. Guessing, and guessing wrong will result in you giving your opponent free turns (making this one sentence helps with flow). There is a fine difference between whether Head Smash or Rock Slide should be used in specific scenarios. If you Rampardos accumulates too much Head Smash chip than recoil, (AC) you put yourself it puts itself into the range of getting KOed by priority moves like Mach Punch from Hitmonchan. However, (AC) the extra damage from Head Smash can be important to claiming a KO on Defensive defensive Mesprit. Rampardos is also capable of performing the role of a late-game cleaner, (AC) as it will often wants its checks removed or at least chipped and faster speed control Pokemon also eliminated so that it can fire off Head Smash far more with fewer drawbacks.

Team Options
========

Rampardos often likes the use of pivots in order to get it in a lot easier more easily so it can score KOs or deal hefty chip damage. Mesprit is a great pivot option, (AC) as it lures in Scyther to then pivots out into Rampardos, ("for Rampardos to take advantage of") can use Healing Wish to allow Rampardos to spam Head Smash far more liberally, and also is an effective check to the Fighting-types that can be a nuisance for Rampardos. Alolan Persian also can soften up any incoming blows with Parting Shot before sending Rampardos in. Rampardos often finds itself completely hopeless against Fighting-types if they get in safely, (AC) so it finds Ghost-types like Jellicent and Oricorio-G to be work well as a secondary measure. This also makes Qwilfish and Froslass two strong Fighting-type checks for Rampardos that can also lay down set up Spikes to weaken its checks in order to provide a late-game clean. Alolan Raticate and Swords Dance Abomasnow both capitalize on the speed control (replace this with whatever would be correct, just speed control cannot be used in this context) that Rampardos offers, (AC) as it can weaken their checks to open up a sweep. Water- and Grass-types like Lilligant and Floatzel that can seriously pressure or remove Ground-types and most of the other answers to Rampardos’s other answers to allow it to thrive in the late-game. Rampardos can use Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Primeape or Ground-types like Mudsdale and Quagsire to bully Steel-types that can usually switch into Rampardos.

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

Rampardos can utilize a Life Orb to further strengthen Rampardos's Head Smash and also prevents it from being locked into a move, but this set is usually outclassed by Choice Band Aggron, (AC) whose who's physical defense and ability (say which ability) allows it multiple opportunities to switch-ins (remove hyphen) throughout the game while not being affected by Head Smash recoil. Rampardos can also use Rock Polish as another way to fix up its speed Speed, (AC) but its paper-thin defenses gives it a very minimal amount of opportunities to set up, (AC) and Rampardos can still get revenge killed by common priority moves.

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

**Ground-types**: Defensive Ground-types such as Mudsdale, Gastrodon, Quagsire, and Golurk all resist or completely wall in the latter’s case Rampardos's Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal hefty damage back with Earthquake, while Golurk completely walls it. (this sentence doesn't really make sense mostly in the middle so i can't really comment on it because i might content change, so i highly recommend you reword it, also former/latter used in context of more than two objects gets awkward and confusing so i recommend you change that too) (this probably works)

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types like Gurdurr and Poliwrath do have to be more wary of Zen Headbutt, (AC) but they still resist Rampardos's STAB moves and brutalize it. Gurdurr along with Hitmonchan gets the added benefit of Mach Punch along with Hitmonchan to take out Rampardos with super effective priority.

**Faster Pokemon**: Rampardos's poor base Speed prevents it from outspeeding Pokemon like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, and Floatzel, (AC) and it also gets outsped by almost every other viable user of Choice Scarf user in the tier such as Kabutops, Primeape, and Mesprit.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Aggron and Alolan Dugtrio need to watch out for Superpower, (AC) but they all resist Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal super effective damage to Rampardos too.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[BackAtYouBro, 451000]]
- Quality checked by: [[tondas, 442732], [UberSkitty, 355061], [TONE, 213583]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]



GP 1/2
 

Fireflame

Silksong when
is a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
[OVERVIEW]

Rampardos fills a tiny niche in the PU metagame due to its monstrous Attack stat that complements its ability Sheer Force. Head Smash's overwhelming power combined with coverage moves such as Zen Headbutt gives Rampardos the minuscule niche of a Choice Scarf user. However, Rampardos faces massive competition from Lycanroc, which is naturally fast, has priority, and can utilize Swords Dance if it gains the opportunity. It Rampardos also has competition against Aggron as a wallbreaker due to its ability able to spam Head Smash with zero drawbacks. While a Choice Scarf is able to patch up Rampardos's middling Speed, it still fails to outspeed faster threats like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, Floatzel, and other Choice Scarf users like Primeape, Kabutops, and Mesprit. Furthermore, Rampardos's primary attack, Head Smash, racks up recoil damage fairly easily, which further hinders its longevity. Rampardos is also pretty susceptible to priority moves like Mach Punch and Aqua Jet, which aren't too uncommon to come across in PU.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Head Smash
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Superpower / Pursuit
move 4: Zen Headbutt
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

Rock Slide is used on this set as a much safer and accurate attack if you do not want to take the recoil damage from Head Smash. However, this move can be unreliable in some situations, as it fails to 2HKO Lurantis and defensive Mesprit. Superpower is Rampardos's main move to hit Steel-types like Aggron and Alolan Dugtrio, but Pursuit can also work if you would like to trap Alolan Raichu and Oricorio-G at the expense of lacking the coverage to handle Steel-types. Finally, Zen Headbutt is necessary coverage on Rampardos to give it some sort of counterplay against Gurdurr and Poliwrath, which would otherwise wall Rampardos.

Set Details
========

A Choice Scarf along with a Jolly nature places Rampardos at a decent Speed tier that allows it to outpace Pokemon that are around base 110 Speed like Dodrio, Alolan Raichu, and Froslass.

Usage Tips
========

Due to how frail Rampardos is, you should find opportunities to give it free switches through slow pivots or aggressively coming in through double switches. You will have to occasionally predict perfectly in order to land super effective damage on the opponent's Pokemon. Having to guess between Zen Headbutt and Superpower is a situation that could possibly occur, and guessing wrong will result in you giving your opponent free turns. There is a fine difference between whether Head Smash or Rock Slide should be used in specific scenarios. If Rampardos If Rampardos (fixed spacing) accumulates too much Head Smash recoil, it puts itself into the range of getting KOed by priority moves like Mach Punch from Hitmonchan. However, the extra damage from Head Smash can be important to for claiming a KO on defensive Mesprit. Rampardos is also capable of performing the role of a late-game cleaner, as it will often want its checks removed or at least chipped and faster Pokemon eliminated so that it can fire off Head Smash far more with fewer drawbacks.

Team Options
========

Rampardos often likes the use of pivots in order to get it in more easily so it can score KOs or deal hefty chip damage. Mesprit is a great option, as it lures in Scyther to then pivot out into Rampardos for Rampardos to take advantage of, can use Healing Wish to allow Rampardos to spam Head Smash far more liberally, and is an effective check to the Fighting-types that can be a nuisance for Rampardos. Alolan Persian also can soften up any incoming blows with Parting Shot before sending Rampardos in. Rampardos often finds itself completely hopeless against Fighting-types if they get in safely, so Ghost-types like Jellicent and Oricorio-G works well as a secondary measure. This also makes Qwilfish and Froslass two strong Fighting-type checks for Rampardos that can also set up Spikes to weaken its checks in order to provide an opportunity to sweep late-game clean. Alolan Raticate and Swords Dance Abomasnow both capitalize on the speed that Rampardos offers, as it can weaken their checks to open up a sweep. Water- and Grass-types like Lilligant and Floatzel that can seriously pressure or remove Ground-types and most of the other answers to Rampardos allow it to thrive late-game. Rampardos can use Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Primeape or Ground-types like Mudsdale and Quagsire to bully deal with Steel-types that can usually switch into Rampardos.

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

Rampardos can utilize a Life Orb to further strengthen Head Smash and prevent it from being locked into a move, but this set is usually outclassed by Choice Band Aggron, whose physical Defense and ability Rock Head allow it multiple opportunities to switch in throughout the game while not being affected by Head Smash recoil. Rampardos can also use Rock Polish as another way to fix up its Speed, but its paper-thin defenses give it very it very (fixed spacing) minimal opportunities to set up and Rampardos can still get revenge killed by common priority moves.

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

**Ground-types**: Defensive Ground-types such as Mudsdale, Gastrodon, Quagsire, and Golurk all resist Rampardos's Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal hefty damage back with Earthquake, and Golurk and Mudsdale completely wall it.

**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types like Gurdurr and Poliwrath do have to be more wary of Zen Headbutt, but they still resist Rampardos's STAB moves and brutalize it. Gurdurr along with and Hitmonchan gets the added benefit of Mach Punch to take out Rampardos with super effective priority.

**Faster Pokemon**: Rampardos's poor base Speed prevents it from outspeeding Pokemon like Lycanroc, Alolan Persian, and Floatzel,(AC) and it also gets outsped by almost every other viable Choice Scarf user in the tier such as Kabutops, Primeape, and Mesprit.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Aggron and Alolan Dugtrio need to watch out for Superpower, but they all resist Head Smash and Rock Slide and deal super effective damage to Rampardos too.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[BackAtYouBro, 451000]]
- Quality checked by: [[tondas, 442732], [UberSkitty, 355061], [TONE, 213583]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [, ]]
GP 2/2
 

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