https://www.smogon.com/dex/dp/pokemon/regirock/
[OVERVIEW]
Regirock is arguably the best tank in NU and inarguably one of the easiest Pokemon to fit on a team. Every serious NU team needs to be able to set up Stealth Rock, check Charizard, and check Tauros, and Regirock is an excellent choice for all three of those jobs. It also innately checks most other offensive Pokemon that don't have a super effective STAB move thanks to its remarkable bulk and respectable offensive presence. On top of that, it has access to Explosion, ensuring it will almost always at least trade one-for-one and preventing it from draining its team's momentum the way other defensive Pokemon sometimes do. Its only real flaw is its lack of a reliable recovery move, which makes it fairly easy to wear down, especially since it's often expected to counter multiple opposing Pokemon per match. That said, Regirock is a rock-solid pick for just about any team.
[SET]
name: Offensive Tank
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake / Thunder Wave
move 4: Explosion
item: Leftovers / Custap Berry / Lum Berry
ability: Clear Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 144 Atk / 112 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
With this set, Regirock is a very reliable pivot and Stealth Rock setter that fits well on just about any offensive or balanced team. It easily switches in on common threats like Charizard and Tauros and can set up Stealth Rock multiple times per match. It's no mere passive entry hazard setter, however; with non-trivial Attack investment, Regirock's STAB Stone Edge is actually quite difficult to switch in on without a resistance. Earthquake provides perfect neutral coverage alongside Stone Edge and gives Regirock a more accurate attack to finish off weakened foes without risking Stone Edge's 20% chance to miss. If you're willing to give up Earthquake's coverage, Thunder Wave is always a useful move to cripple opposing offensive Pokemon and assist your own wallbreakers. If you opt for Thunder Wave in this slot, Rock Slide becomes a decent alternative to Stone Edge, as its flinch rate pairs nicely with paralysis, and it gives Regirock more than Stone Edge's 8 PP to work with. Explosion is the move that truly sets Regirock apart from other bulky Pokemon; it prevents Regirock from losing momentum when faced with a counter and allows it to almost always trade efficiently.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
Leftovers is great for any bulky pivot and is the most consistently useful item for Regirock, but there are some viable alternatives for more offensive teams that don't expect Regirock to stick around for too long. Custap Berry allows a weakened Regirock to throw out a last-ditch Stealth Rock or Explosion against a faster Pokemon before being KOed, and it's fairly easy for Regirock to activate given its excellent overall bulk. If you're using Regirock as your lead, Lum Berry is a good option to prevent it from being put to sleep on the first turn by Jynx or Venomoth.
252 HP EVs improve Regirock's overall bulk, most notably making it very unlikely to be 2HKOed by Choice Band Tauros's Earthquake after Stealth Rock damage. 144 Attack EVs and an Adamant nature give Regirock enough power to always break Poliwrath's Substitute with Earthquake, preventing it from setting up on Regirock for free, and to almost always 2HKO Tauros with Stone Edge. 112 Special Defense EVs ensure that Choice Specs Charizard and Typhlosion will almost never OHKO Regirock with Focus Blast and that Life Orb Charizard's Focus Blast will never OHKO even after Stealth Rock damage. If you're using Rock Slide and Thunder Wave instead of Stone Edge and Earthquake, you may want to shift some more of the Attack EVs into Special Defense to help Regirock counter Pokemon like Life Orb Charizard and Substitute + Calm Mind Drifblim more consistently. On the other hand, if your team doesn't need Regirock to switch in on special attackers, maximizing Regirock's Attack is also a viable option that allows it to do serious damage to Pokemon like Hitmonchan and Nidoqueen that think they can switch in for free.
This set works best on offensive-leaning teams, where it's meant to pivot in on Normal- and Fire-types a couple of times, set up Stealth Rock, fire off an attack or two, and then use Explosion to get a KO and safely bring in a sweeper. Most teams will want to have at least one other bulky Pokemon to switch in on the threats that Regirock can't handle. Slowking is a great partner that counters many of the Pokemon that give Regirock trouble, such as Poliwrath, Hitmonchan, and Gligar; this pairing is the most popular core in NU. Due to its lack of a recovery move, Regirock is prone to being worn down and therefore shouldn't be your team's only answer to Fire-types and Tauros, since they can work together to break past it. Slowking or another bulky Water-type can provide defensive backup against Fire-types, but more fast-paced teams can instead rely on an offensive check like Floatzel, Tauros, or Ninetales as your secondary method of keeping opposing Fire-types in line.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Toxic / Thunder Wave
move 4: Protect / Explosion / Earthquake
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Investing fully in Regirock's Special Defense makes it a more reliable counter to Fire-types and a great Stealth Rock setter for defensive teams. This set faces competition from Cradily, which not only can check some of the same Pokemon and set up Stealth Rock, but also has access to Recover. However, Regirock's resistances to Fire and Flying make it a better counter to Pokemon like Choice Specs Typhlosion and Choice Band Dodrio that are otherwise very difficult to switch into. Regirock's access to Thunder Wave and Explosion also makes it less of a momentum killer than Cradily, since opponents must respect the possibility that their switch-in will be crippled by one of those moves.
Toxic is this set's best way to deal meaningful damage to most of its switch-ins and fits well on defensive teams. Protect stalls for additional Leftovers recovery and Toxic damage, scouts Choice item users, and punishes Medicham that think they can break through Regirock with High Jump Kick. Balanced teams may prefer to forgo Toxic and Protect in favor of Thunder Wave alongside either Explosion or Earthquake. Thunder Wave pairs well with Rock Slide's flinch rate, and it punishes offensive Pokemon that think they can switch in relatively freely on Rock Slide, such as Medicham and Shiftry. Explosion OHKOes most of the metagame despite this set's lack of Attack investment, and it prevents Pokemon like Poliwrath and Whiscash from setting up on Regirock. On the other hand, Earthquake prevents Pokemon like Nidoqueen and opposing Regirock from switching in and setting up their own entry hazards for free. On teams that have cleric support, Rest is also an option in the final moveslot that allows Regirock to continue countering its targets throughout the match without relying on Wish support for recovery.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
Maximizing Regirock's Special Defense allows it to counter all specially attacking Fire-types so long as it doesn't switch in on a Choice Specs-boosted Focus Blast. However, if Regirock is your team's only answer to Tauros, you can shift 52 EVs into Defense to ensure that its Choice Band-boosted Earthquake will never 2HKO Regirock after Stealth Rock damage.
Since Regirock lacks a recovery move, Wish support is very useful to help it stay healthy, especially on stall teams. Lickilicky is the tier's best Wish passer, although it shares a Fighting-type weakness with Regirock that other teammates will need to handle. Gardevoir and Hypno are the tier's other notable Wish users, but they can be risky to use on stall teams due to their weakness to Pursuit. Cleric support from a teammate like Lickilicky, Vileplume, Meganium, or Grumpig is also helpful, especially if Regirock has Rest. Regirock needs a teammate that can handle Ground- and Fighting-types, especially if Rock Slide is its only attacking move. Slowking is a great teammate on balanced teams, but it's less popular on stall due to its Pursuit weakness and its inability to truly counter Fighting-types with Thunder Punch and Ground-types with boosting moves. Sableye and Dusclops are stall teams' best answers to Fighting-types, while Meganium is an excellent counter to Ground-types. It's also worth keeping in mind that Regirock shouldn't be your team's only response to Fire-types and Tauros, as they can work together to wear Regirock down due to its lack of reliable recovery. Your team should have at least one other Pokemon that can switch in on Fire-types or reliably revenge kill them.
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Explosion / Ice Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Clear Body
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
With Rock Polish and a Life Orb, Regirock can be surprisingly effective offensively. Although it lacks the power to OHKO most Pokemon unless it hits them super effectively or uses Explosion, it does outspeed and 2HKO most of the metagame after a boost, and its excellent natural bulk makes it difficult to revenge kill even without any defensive investment. This set faces some competition from Rhydon, which gets STAB on Earthquake and hits significantly harder overall, but Regirock is able to set up much more easily and is significantly harder to revenge kill due to its greater bulk, lack of 4x weaknesses, and ability to outspeed many common Choice Scarf users after boosting its Speed. Regirock also has Explosion to almost guarantee that it will KO at least one foe even if it isn't able to sweep, although it can use Ice Punch in the final moveslot instead if you want Regirock to be able to muscle past Ground-types without sacrificing itself.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
A Jolly nature allows Regirock to outspeed Choice Scarf Medicham, Gardevoir, and Shiftry and Speed tie with Choice Scarf Magmortar, all of which can OHKO Regirock after it's taken any damage from Stealth Rock or Life Orb recoil. On the other hand, an Adamant nature gives Regirock the power to 2HKO walls such as Slowking and Cradily with Stone Edge without needing them to take entry hazard damage first, although Spikes support from Cacturne or Glalie can help make that a moot point. If Regirock lacks Explosion, it will be unable to break through physically bulky Ground-, Water-, and Grass-types like Poliwrath, Quagsire, and Meganium, so it needs a teammate that can switch in on them such as Victreebel or Vileplume. Conversely, a Regirock that has Explosion is likely to use it against those targets, potentially opening up a sweeping opportunity for a teammate such as Floatzel or Tauros.
[SET]
name: Sunny Day Support
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Explosion
item: Heat Rock
ability: Clear Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Regirock is the perfect mid-game Sunny Day user for dedicated sun teams. Its bulk allows it to reliably set up both Stealth Rock and Sunny Day, and it can follow that up with Explosion to get out of the way so one of your sweepers can come in safely. It also naturally checks opposing Fire-types like Choice Scarf Typhlosion that might otherwise be able to use the harsh sunlight to countersweep you. Ideally, Regirock will only stay on the battlefield long enough to set up and then sacrifice itself, but its powerful Stone Edge is still useful in a few scenarios, such as when there is one turn of sun remaining and you need to burn a turn before setting it up again, or when faced with a Ghost-type that would otherwise set up a free Substitute.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
The straightforward EV spread gives Regirock enough bulk to reliably set up both Stealth Rock and Sunny Day while maximizing the power of its Explosion, almost guaranteeing that it will KO any target that doesn't resist it. You can shift some of the Attack EVs into Special Defense if you want to make it even easier for Regirock to set up, but keep in mind that this set really only wants to survive for three turns before ceding the stage to a Sunny Day sweeper.
This set obviously belongs on a dedicated Sunny Day team. Victreebel and Shiftry are by far the two most dangerous Chlorophyll sweepers, and every sun team should carry at least one, if not both, of them. Fast Fire-types such as Choice Scarf Typhlosion are also good choices, since the sun powers up their STAB attacks but they aren't as dependent on it as Chlorophyll sweepers are, meaning they can act as a wincon even if you aren't able to keep sunlight active. Your sun team should also include at least two additional Sunny Day users, including one that can lead, since Regirock is too slow to set up Sunny Day against common Taunt leads. Persian and Jumpluff are much safer Sunny Day leads that outspeed most other leads and can use Taunt or Sleep Powder to keep opposing entry hazards out of play. Outside of the lead slot, Skuntank, Lickilicky, and Hypno are all good options for your third Sunny Day setter.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
================
If your team needs a lure to eliminate a Fighting- or Water-type in order for a teammate to sweep, Regirock equipped with a Chople or Passho Berry is the best you could ask for. Regirock can survive even the most powerful STAB moves from Choice Band Fighting-types and Choice Specs Water-types when holding the appropriate Berry, and it can respond with Explosion to take its target out.
Regirock can run a mono-attacking Curse set with Rest, Sleep Talk, and Rock Slide. This set needs significant team support to remove the opponent's Water-, Ground-, Fighting-, and Grass-types before it can sweep, but with that support, it is a formidable sweeper. Alternatively, a more offensive Curse set with three attacks allows Regirock to punish opponents that respond to it passively. Most notably, after a single Curse, Regirock still outspeeds Slowking despite the Speed drop and can now 2HKO it with Stone Edge, and it also beats Sandslash that don't have Swords Dance or Toxic.
Regirock is a decent Choice Band user that can surprise some of its usual counters early in the game with a boosted Ice Punch or Earthquake and come back in later to either dish out its powerful STAB Stone Edge or simply use Explosion for a nearly guaranteed OHKO. Regirock can also viably run a Substitute + Focus Punch set with Stone Edge and either Toxic or Explosion. It has no trouble finding opportunities to set up a Substitute, and teams that lack a bulky Rock-resistant Pokemon will be hard pressed to deal with it. The main reason these offensive sets are uncommon is that Regirock is so efficient at the more important role of setting up Stealth Rock, so for most teams it's easier to have it stick to that job and give the more dedicated offensive sets to another Pokemon.
Counter allows Regirock to potentially KO bulky Ground-types without blowing itself up, but many Ground-types will try to set up on Regirock instead of attacking it immediately, so Explosion is generally the safer choice. Finally, Regirock can use a set with Block and Rest to attempt to trap and stall out an opposing Pokemon while potentially setting up with Curse. However, with the exception of defensive Sandslash, most of the Pokemon that commonly switch in on Regirock can disrupt it with Taunt or Encore, can boost their own Attack to prevent it from stalling them out, or simply have enough power to 3HKO it through Rest even after it has boosted with Curse.
Checks and Counters
================
Bulky Ground-types that aren't weak to Earthquake such as Sandslash, Gligar, and Quagsire have little to fear from Regirock other than Toxic and Explosion. More offensive Ground-types such as Whiscash, Marowak, and Rhydon can also switch in on Regirock at least once and force it out but will take non-negligible damage from Earthquake if Regirock has it. Poliwrath can switch in on any move other than Toxic or Explosion and then use Encore and Substitute to shut Regirock down if it doesn't switch out. Medicham and Hitmonchan can switch in on Regirock's STAB moves but dislike being paralyzed and take heavy damage from Earthquake. Dusclops and Sableye can burn Regirock and stall it out and are the only counters that don't fear Explosion. Physically defensive Grass-types with recovery such as Cradily, Meganium, and Vileplume are also solid defensive answers. For offensive teams that don't have room for a defensive counter, beating Regirock generally requires you to overload it with multiple attackers, as its bulk allows it to survive even super effective STAB attacks like Life Orb Hitmonchan's Close Combat and Choice Specs Magneton's Flash Cannon and cripple its attackers with Thunder Wave or KO them with Explosion.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Honko, 42413]]
- Quality checked by: [[Bughouse, 52547], [Oglemi, 40358]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Empress, 175616]]
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