**Water-Types**: Specially Defensive Kyogre can switch in and take Reshiram's assaults quite nicely, reducing Blue Flare's power by 50% as well due to its.
its....?
**Water-Types**: Specially Defensive Kyogre can switch in and take Reshiram's assaults quite nicely, reducing Blue Flare's power by 50% as well due to its.
its....?
Amcheck.
additions removals
Overview
########
Even though Reshiram is considered to have a very good offensive dual typing in the Uberstierenvironment, Generation VI has not been very kind to it. Drought'sbeing nerfed to five turns means that Reshiram can no longer use its ridiculously powerful sun-boosted Blue Flare to wallbreakwallsas effectively, and its Dragon-type STAB now has an immunity, meaning that there are new tier members that can switch in on Reshiram more safely. Its weakness to all hazards, Stealth Rock in particular, still causes it huge problems, and its Speed is still mediocre at base 90. Generation VI arrivals Yveltal and Xerneas both outspeed it, with Xerneas also being immune to Reshiram's Dragon-type STAB. The rise of Ho-Oh as a premier threat this generation doesn't help Reshiram either, as Ho-Oh now finds it much easier to pivot in and out of Reshiram's attacks. Finally, Reshiram faces competition from Kyurem-W, astheywhile both have poor defensive typing but great offensive STAB-, Kyurem-W has higher Special Attack and Speed, as well as having a slightly larger movepool. Add to this that Reshiram's archenemy Kyogre is still as centralizing as ever, and you begin to wonder if Reshiram can do anything at all in the Ubers metagame. However, Reshiram does have some advantages over its fellow Dragons. It shares the honour with Dialga of being the only Dragons in the tierthat isn'not weak to Fairy, with its Fire typing protecting it from Fairy-type moves. Its 150 base Special Attack is still as good as ever, and Reshiram gets access to Flame Charge, allowing it to deal damage whilst fixing its lackluster Speed - this, along with the decline of former Scarf users such as Palkia and Garchomp, means that Reshiram is harder to revenge kill, as the most popular Scarf users this generation can only hope to speed tie with Reshiram. Changes to Defog mechanics mean that Reshiram's hazards weakness can be dealt with much more easily than before. Its ability Turboblaze, whilst uninspiring, comes inusefulhandy, allowing it to hit through Flash Fire Heatran and essentially have unresisted STAB coverage in the tier, something no other tier member can boast. It hasniceuseful resistances to Fire, Steel, and Grass, and with Steel-Ttypes more prevalent than ever to deal with Fairy-Ttypes as well as the ubiquitous Dragon-Ttypes, Reshiram can now spam its signature move Blue Flare more easilynow. A nice perk is thatReshiram's main STAB option wasn't nerfed,whereaswhile Pokemon like Palkia have to deal with the nerf to specialmovesattacks, Reshiram's main STAB option wasn't nerfed. Overall, whilst Reshiram may be more niche than some of its Dragon brethren, it has several advantages over them that, with the right team support and structure, can serve to make Reshiram a dangerous threat intheUberstier.
Flame Charge
########
Nname: Flame Charge
Mmove 1: Flame Charge
Mmove 2: Blue Flare
Mmove 3: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
Mmove 4: Roost / Stone Edge / Focus Blast
item: Life Orb / Flame Plate
Nature: Timid
EVevs: 4 Atk / 252 SpAtk/ 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves:
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram's main STAB move, and should be used as much as possible.Due toReshiram's initially low speed, itshould use Flame Charge as soon as it finds an opportunityto, as with it Reshiram can boost its mediocre, to boost its initially low speed. Dragon Pulse is more reliable than Draco Meteor as Reshiram wants to be staying in for several turns. However, Dragonco Meteor tends to be the better option, as targets of Draco Meteor, such as Palkia, can sometimes survive Dragon Pulse and retaliate back with super effective moves. Blue Flare is the superior option most of the time anyway, and should be the go-to spam move. The last slot is quite interchangeable. Reshiram can run Stone Edge for Ho-Oh, Roost for HP recovery and longevity, or Focus Blast for coverage against Tyranitar and Rock Arceus-Rock. Pick which one you want depending on the rest of your team.
Set Details
========
EVs and nature optimisze firepower and speed. Naive can be used if Stone Edge is used, otherwise Timid is the best choice. Timid is better than Modest as it allows Reshiram to at worstsSpeed tie with opposing Choice Scarf Zekrom/Kyogre/Reshiram - also, said Choice Scarfers usually run neutral speed natures such as Adamant or Modest, so Reshiram will often outspeed thema lot of the time. Life Orb is usually the best item, as at +1sSpeed, Reshiram will want to hit hard with all of its moves. Flame Plate can be used to power up its main STAB move (Blue Flare) as well as Flame Charge, and also stops annoying Life Orb recoil when using Flame Charge. If you aren't using Stone Edge, Attack EVs go into a defensive stat - not HP though, as Reshiram needs to maintain a Stealth Rock-friendly HP number.
Usage Tips
========
Bringing Reshiram in on things it can threaten out or kill is the best thing to do. For example, Reshiram can come in on Pokemon such as Scizor and Ferrothorn, and get a Flame Charge for free, killing them if they stay in or getting the boost if they switch. Aegislash, whilst not dying to Flame Charge, will switch out as well in fear of Blue Flare. Using a set of Flame Charge / Blue Flare / Dragon STAB / Roost to pile pressure on certain Arceus formes can also be a good tactic, as those without a super effective move struggle to stop Reshiram boosting with Flame Charge-—0 Special Attack Judgment does a maxinum of 44% -mum of 44%—meaning that Reshiram can boost and heal off damage with Roost, and eventually get around to Blue Flaring the opposing Arceus. Switching in on Will-O-Wisp from said Arceus formes is nice and easy too, although this needs to be done carefully by scouting their moveset, as switching in on other moves can cause huge problems for Reshiram.
Team Options
========
Groudon support is very nice for Blue Flare. Groudon can also set up Stealth Rock so that Ho-Oh can't switch into Reshiram whenever it wants. Physically defensive Ho-Oh can take on opposing Ho-Oh nicely too, as well as benefitting from the sun to wall Palkia and boost its Sacred Fire - this does mean that there is an exacaerbated Rock weakness however. Checking Kyogre is necessary too, as Kyogre can come in easily after one of its teammates dies, comeing in on a predicted Blue Flare or if Reshiram is at -2 following a Draco Meteor. Palkia also works well as a teammate. Defog or Rapid Spin support is very nice too, as Life Orb recoil and hazardsdamage stack up very quickly indeed. An ArceusFforme that syngernergizes well with Reshiram, such asArceus-WaterorArceus-or Grass Arceus, can provide Defog support as well as nicely checking Scarf Kyogrenicely. They can both check Palkia in different weathers (Grass Arceus-Grassin rain, Water Arceus-Waterin sun). Grass Arceus-Grasscan also take on Earthquakes aimed at Reshiram, but doesn't appreciate the amplified Fire weakness if under sun. Fairies aren't asomuch of an issue as they don't appreciate Blue Flare. Fairy-Ttypes of your own to deal with faster dragons are nice, although if said Dragons aren't scarfed, Reshiram can deal with them itself -sChoice Scarf Zekrom can only hope to speed tie after a Flame Charge as well. Other faster scarfed Dragons such as Palkia and Kyurem-W aren't really relevant this generation. Interestingly, Reshiram speed ties at worst with Choice Scarf Kyogre after a Flame Charge, although this should obviously not be relied on.
Toxic/+ RoostReshiram
########
Set Nname: ToxicStall
M+ Roost
move 1: Blue Flare
Mmove 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
Mmove 3: Toxic
Mmove 4: Roost
Iitem: Leftovers
Nature: Modest
EVevs: 252 SpAtk/ 4 SpDef/ 252 Spe
nature: modest
Moves
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram'smainprimary STAB move as always, and should be its main attacking move. Draco Meteor vs Dragon Pulse is a choice to make, Draco Meteor is probably better though, due to its higher initial power and the fact that Dragonco Meteor targets tend to force Reshiram out - it is better to try and catch things like Kyogre on the switch. Toxic is a very useful tool this generation, and is integral to this set's success. Lastly, Roost is to heal off any damage that Reshiram takes.
Set Details:
========
EVs optimisze firepower and speed as usual. Modest is the only slash as it gives Reshiram a lot more firepower, and this particular Reshiram set's prey tends to be faster anyway. Leftovers are great for passive recovery, working nicely alongside Roost. Roost allows Reshiram to heal off damage taken and stay healthy, allowing it to win the war of attrition against its opponents. Dual STAB moves allow Reshiram to maintain an impressive offensive presence despite the lack of a boosting item.
Usage Tips:
========
Toxic means that this Reshiram set is tailored to stall out certain support ArceusFformes such as Fairy Arceus. Reshiram's bulk allows it to take weak unboosted Judgments from support Arceus formes, whilst they slowly perish to Toxic Damage. Using Roost allows Reshiram to stay healthy, as alongside Leftovers it can easily heal off damage much faster than support Arceus can do with Judgment. Using Blue Flare as the main attacking move is advised, as it can help support Arceus along to their deaths. Be careful when using Draco Meteor, as after using it once Reshiram's offensive presence is cut in half, leaving it open to being set up on. Draco Meteor is mostly for slower Dragons (there aren't many unless they are paralyzed), Water Arceus-Water(which dies off to Toxic anyway), and overeager Kyogre switch-ins. Staying in to try and Meteor these targets is a bad idea, as Kyogre can easily be Scarfed, whereas the Dragons that would die to it can be scarfed (Zekrom) or just plain faster (Palkia) - try to catch these on the switch. Support Dialga is immune to Toxic and can take both Blue Flare and Draco Meteor from this set, albeit not nicely, and can retaliate with its own Draco Meteor to KO Reshiram - however, it can only switch in on Toxic or Roost. Watch out for non-Will-O-Wisp status from ArceusFformes (Thunder Wave and Toxic), as both of these are more than usable on Arceus and can cripple Reshiram significantly.
Team Options:
========
Groudon is nice for Blue Flare, but as this set isn't as all out offensive as the others it isn't mandatory. Teammates to take on those that this Reshiram can't deal with, such as Rock Arceus-Rockand Ground Arceus-Ground, and Geomancy Xerneas (although Reshiram will typically be faster and deal heavy damage with Blue Flare before Xerneas can use Geomancyits thing) are needed. Physically defensive Yveltal can handle Swords DanceArceus-Ground Arceus as well as checking ExtremekKiller, which can set up on this set, especially if ithacarries Lum Berry, or simply threaten it with Earthquake. Aegislash or Scizor can take on Xerneas. Kyogre, Palkia and other Water-types can take on Rock Arceus-Rock. Mega-Blaziken can murder Rock Arceus-Rock tooas well whilst benefitting from sun-boosted Flare Blitz. Grass Arceus-Grass can handle Ground Arceus-Groundand Rock Arceus-Rockpretty well too, and can also handle Kyogre reasonably well, meaning that Reshiram doesn't drown toscarfedChoice Scarf Water Spout. A Ho-Oh check is also needed, as the turkey can come into this set with impunity - Blue Flare and Draco Meteor do no meaningful damage, especially after Regenerator, and Toxic isn't that big an issue either, again due to Regenerator. Groudon can set up Stealth Rock and boost Blue Flare, but also boosts enemy Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire. Landorus-Theriancan sponge Ho-Oh's attacks reasonably well and retaliate with a Rock move of choice. Zekrom can murder Ho-Oh, but shares a Dragon and Ground weakness, and dislikes switching into Ho-Oh due to the threat of Sacred Fire burns. Physically defensive Ho-Oh works well, although it also shares certain weaknesses with Reshiram. Defog and Rapid Spinisare appreciated as always, as Reshiram intensely dislikes losing huge amounts of its health upon switch-in.
Choice Scarf
########
Set Nname: Choice Scarf
Mmove 1: Blue Flare
Mmove 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
Mmove 3: Toxic
Mmove 4: Stone Edge
Iitem: Choice Scarf
Nature: Rash / Naive
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpAtk/ 252 Spe
nature: Rash / Naive
Moves
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram's main STAB, and with sun support is very powerful even with no boosting item - for example, it can OHKO any forme of Mewtwo under bright sunlight. Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse allows Reshiram to revenge kill other Dragon-Ttypes, with one being more consistent and the other being much more powerful. Stone Edge is there to murder Ho-Oh, either revenge killing it or predicting its switch-in. Toxic, whilstmaybesoundingstupid, but it can be useful to status something that is about to sweep your team: e.g. Toxicing a Calm Mind Arceus. Finally, if a Darkrai check is needed, Sleep Talk can be run in the last slot, along with Focus Blast in the third slot, so that Reshiram can serve as a check to Darkrai, hitting it very hard with any of its 3 moves - bear in mind that this means Reshiram can no longer relaiably revenge kill other threats if asleep.
Set Details
========
EVs maximize special attacking power and Speed, whilst not lowering the power of Reshiram's Stone Edge. Rash vs Naive is a choice to make, either more power or the possibility of outspeeding/tying with other base 90sSpeed Choice Scarf users. Dragon Pulse is weaker but more reliable than Draco Meteor - however, Palkia can survive a Dragon Pulse, especially with AV or if it isssault Vest or with a bulky set, so Draco Meteor is almost always better. If aiming to clean late-game, Blue Flare should be the move used anyway.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Reshiram is best used as a revenge killer, and perhaps as a late -game cleaner with Blue Flare. Again, prediction is required to try and ensure that Kyogre and Ho-Oh are not given free turns to come in and fire off attacks. Something to note is thatto killa 248 HP Ho-Oh variant with Stone Edge, it needs to have taken around 12% damage for Stone Edge to be a sure OHKO.CBe careful when using moves, as Choice Scarf Reshiram is not particularly powerful, and various dangerous members of the tier can set up on each move.
Team Options
==========
Groudon support is again appreciated, as it can check sweepers that can set up on Reshiram, boost Blue Flare with sun, and set up Sneaky Pebbles so that Ho-Oh cannot freely pivot in and out of Reshiram. Something to take on Kyogre is needed, as it can come into Blue Flare with impunity. Palkia is a good partner, as it can also thrive under sunlight, can carry Thunder to get rid of Kyogre, and can form a double dragon core with Reshiram, potentially overwhelming the opposing team's dragon check. Something to take on Ho-Oh is needed as well, if you aren't using Groudon already, as it can come in on fire moves and proceed to set up a Substitute or hit your team for heavy damage. Defog or Rapid Spin support again is nice, as it allows Reshiram to switch in and out to revenge kill Pokemon without taking lots of damage upon each switch-in. A sturdy Fairy check is also useful again, as the opponent can potentially sack something to a Choice-Llocked Dragon move, or just come in on one, and gain a free turn as Reshiram is forced to switch out. Teammates to handle setup sweepers such as ExtremekKiller and Ground Arceus-Groundare absolutely essential as well, as many tier members can set up on resisted moves or -2 Draco Meteor.
Other Options
########
Substitute + Roost with Leftovers or Life Orb can work alongside Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor and Blue Flare, as it blocks status and protects it from revenge killers. SunnydDay and/or SolarbBeam is gimmicky, but couldmaybework as a Kyogre lure. Tailwind is interesting, as it doubles Reshiram's speed, but doesn't really last long enough, and Reshiram can find it hard to set it up. If you want to use Tailwind, a neutral Speed nature and 176 Speed EVs letsyouit outrun Scarf Terrakion. Choice Specs is a nice item (and a throwback tolast generationBW), but Life Orb tends to be powerful enough and there are too many Pokemon in the tier that can set up on a choice-locked move, and Kyurem-Wdoes the role ofuses Choice Specsnukemuch better anyway. An all-out attacker set isn't bad, but, again, Kyurem-W tends to do it better with higher Speed and Special Attack. Will-O-Wisp can be nice to catch certain physical attackers off guard. Dragon Tail can be used to scout switch-ins and rack up hazard damage, but is weak, has negative priority and is useless otherwise useless. Focus Blast can be considered on certain, sets, but it's unreliable, very specialiszed, hard to find a slot for, andiseasily to takenadvantage of, especially ifcChoice locked.
Checks and Counters
########
**Blissey**: Blissey has huge special bulk and can switch in on Reshiram pretty much all the time. It has to watch out for sun-boosted Blue Flare though.
**Water-Ttypes**: SpeciallyDdefensive Kyogre can switch in and take Reshiram's assaults quite nicely, reducing Blue Flare's power by 50% as well due to Drizzle. Water Arceus-Waterdoesn't have Drizzle, but can switch in on Reshiram all the time, and is one of the only safe switch-ins to Reshiram in sunlight.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh can pivot into Reshiram (nowithout Stealth Rockof course) and heal itself with Regenerator. She has to watch out for Stone Edge though.
**Arceus-Rock-types**: Rock Arceus can take most hits from Reshiram all day, especially in sand(except for, other than a boosted Focus Blast).Arceus doesn't appreciate Toxic though.
**Tyranitar**:'s Special Defense helps it take everything but Focus Blast nicely. Both neesd to watch out for Toxic though.
**Fairy-Ttypes in rain**:bBeing immune to DragoneSTABmoveand protected fromthe other oneFire STAB by rain, both specially defensive Xerneas and defensive Fairy Arceus-Fairycan take hits from Reshiram when it's raining.NThey need to watch out for Flame Charge/+ Roost or Toxic/+ Roost setsthoughhowever, as these can wait for the rain to go away.
**Calm Mind ArceusFformes": Arceus with Calm Mind can set up in Reshiram's face, especially after a Draco Meteor drop or if Reshiram is locked into a move. Rain-dampened Blue Flare is also inviting for them. However, none like switching into boosted Draco Meteor or Blue Flare, and they hate Toxic too.
**rRevenge killers**: Banded Ho-Oh can kill with EQarthquake. Faster Dragons can kill Reshiram easily. Priority from Normal Arceus-Normal/Yveltal can take large parts of Reshiram's health, and kill it once it is weakened. Terrakion can easily revenge with Stone Edge. Chice ScarfedXerneas can kill weakened Reshiram, andscarfedChoice Scarf Kyogre can do the same.
**Stealth Rock and other hHazards**: Reshiram despises hazards, being weak to Stealth Rock andall other hazards, being weakvulnerable to everything.
Copy/paste:
Overview
########
Even though Reshiram is considered to have a very good offensive dual typing in the Ubers environment, Generation VI has not been very kind to it. Drought being nerfed to five turns means that Reshiram can no longer use its ridiculously powerful sun-boosted Blue Flare to wallbreak as effectively, and its Dragon-type STAB now has an immunity, meaning that there are new tier members that can switch in on Reshiram more safely. Its weakness to all hazards, Stealth Rock in particular, still causes it huge problems, and its Speed is still mediocre at base 90. Generation VI arrivals Yveltal and Xerneas both outspeed it, with Xerneas also being immune to Reshiram's Dragon-type STAB. The rise of Ho-Oh as a premier threat this generation doesn't help Reshiram either, as Ho-Oh now finds it much easier to pivot in and out of Reshiram's attacks. Finally, Reshiram faces competition from Kyurem-W, as while both have poor defensive typing but great offensive STAB, Kyurem-W has higher Special Attack and Speed, as well as having a slightly larger movepool. Add to this that Reshiram's archenemy Kyogre is still as centralizing as ever, and you begin to wonder if Reshiram can do anything at all in the Ubers metagame. However, Reshiram does have some advantages over its fellow Dragons. It shares the honor with Dialga of being the only Dragons in the tier not weak to Fairy, with its Fire typing protecting it from Fairy-type moves. Its 150 base Special Attack is still as good as ever, and Reshiram gets access to Flame Charge, allowing it to deal damage whilst fixing its lackluster Speed - this, along with the decline of former Scarf users such as Palkia and Garchomp, means that Reshiram is harder to revenge kill, as the most popular Scarf users this generation can only hope to speed tie with Reshiram. Changes to Defog mechanics mean that Reshiram's hazards weakness can be dealt with much more easily than before. Its ability Turboblaze, whilst uninspiring, comes in handy, allowing it to hit through Flash Fire Heatran and essentially have unresisted STAB coverage in the tier, something no other tier member can boast. It has useful resistances to Fire, Steel, and Grass, and with Steel-types more prevalent than ever to deal with Fairy-types as well as the ubiquitous Dragon-types, Reshiram can now spam its signature move Blue Flare more easily. A nice perk is that, while Pokemon like Palkia have to deal with the nerf to special attacks, Reshiram's main STAB option wasn't nerfed. Overall, whilst Reshiram may be more niche than some of its Dragon brethren, it has several advantages over them that, with the right team support and structure, can serve to make Reshiram a dangerous threat in Ubers.
Flame Charge
########
name: Flame Charge
move 1: Flame Charge
move 2: Blue Flare
move 3: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 4: Roost / Stone Edge / Focus Blast
item: Life Orb / Flame Plate
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves:
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram's main STAB move, and should be used as much as possible. Reshiram should use Flame Charge as soon as it finds an opportunity, to boost its initially low speed. Dragon Pulse is more reliable than Draco Meteor as Reshiram wants to be staying in for several turns. However, Draco Meteor tends to be the better option, as targets of Draco Meteor, such as Palkia, can sometimes survive Dragon Pulse and retaliate back with super effective moves. Blue Flare is the superior option most of the time anyway, and should be the go-to spam move. The last slot is quite interchangeable. Reshiram can run Stone Edge for Ho-Oh, Roost for HP recovery and longevity, or Focus Blast for coverage against Tyranitar and Rock Arceus. Pick which one you want depending on the rest of your team.
Set Details
========
EVs and nature optimize firepower and speed. Naive can be used if Stone Edge is used, otherwise Timid is the best choice. Timid is better than Modest as it allows Reshiram to at worst Speed tie with opposing Choice Scarf Zekrom/Kyogre/Reshiram - also, said Choice Scarfers usually run neutral speed natures such as Adamant or Modest, so Reshiram will often outspeed them. Life Orb is usually the best item, as at +1 Speed, Reshiram will want to hit hard with all of its moves. Flame Plate can be used to power up its main STAB move (Blue Flare) as well as Flame Charge, and also stops annoying Life Orb recoil when using Flame Charge. If you aren't using Stone Edge, Attack EVs go into a defensive stat - not HP though, as Reshiram needs to maintain a Stealth Rock-friendly HP number.
Usage Tips
========
Bringing Reshiram in on things it can threaten out or kill is the best thing to do. For example, Reshiram can come in on Pokemon such as Scizor and Ferrothorn, and get a Flame Charge for free, killing them if they stay in or getting the boost if they switch. Aegislash, whilst not dying to Flame Charge, will switch out as well in fear of Blue Flare. Using a set of Flame Charge / Blue Flare / Dragon STAB / Roost to pile pressure on certain Arceus formes can also be a good tactic, as those without a super effective move struggle to stop Reshiram boosting with Flame Charge—0 Special Attack Judgment does a maximum of 44%—meaning that Reshiram can boost and heal off damage with Roost, and eventually get around to Blue Flaring the opposing Arceus. Switching in on Will-O-Wisp from said Arceus formes is nice and easy too, although this needs to be done carefully by scouting their moveset, as switching in on other moves can cause huge problems for Reshiram.
Team Options
========
Groudon support is very nice for Blue Flare. Groudon can also set up Stealth Rock so that Ho-Oh can't switch into Reshiram whenever it wants. Physically defensive Ho-Oh can take on opposing Ho-Oh nicely too, as well as benefiting from the sun to wall Palkia and boost its Sacred Fire - this does mean that there is an exacerbated Rock weakness however. Checking Kyogre is necessary too, as Kyogre can come in easily after one of its teammates dies, coming in on a predicted Blue Flare or if Reshiram is at -2 following a Draco Meteor. Palkia also works well as a teammate. Defog or Rapid Spin support is very nice too, as Life Orb recoil and hazard damage stack up very quickly indeed. An Arceus forme that synergizes well with Reshiram, such as Water Arceus or Grass Arceus, can provide Defog support as well as nicely checking Scarf Kyogre. They can both check Palkia in different weathers (Grass Arceus in rain, Water Arceus in sun). Grass Arceus can also take on Earthquakes aimed at Reshiram, but doesn't appreciate the amplified Fire weakness if under sun. Fairies aren't as much of an issue as they don't appreciate Blue Flare. Fairy-types of your own to deal with faster dragons are nice, although if said Dragons aren't scarfed, Reshiram can deal with them itself - Choice Scarf Zekrom can only hope to speed tie after a Flame Charge as well. Other faster scarfed Dragons such as Palkia and Kyurem-W aren't really relevant this generation. Interestingly, Reshiram speed ties at worst with Choice Scarf Kyogre after a Flame Charge, although this should obviously not be relied on.
Toxic + Roost
########
name: Toxic + Roost
move 1: Blue Flare
move 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: modest
Moves
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram's primary STAB move and should be its main attacking move. Draco Meteor vs Dragon Pulse is a choice to make, Draco Meteor is probably better though, due to its higher initial power and the fact that Draco Meteor targets tend to force Reshiram out - it is better to try and catch things like Kyogre on the switch. Toxic is a very useful tool this generation, and is integral to this set's success. Lastly, Roost is to heal off any damage that Reshiram takes.
Set Details:
========
EVs optimize firepower and speed as usual. Modest is the only slash as it gives Reshiram a lot more firepower, and this particular Reshiram set's prey tends to be faster anyway. Leftovers are great for passive recovery, working nicely alongside Roost. Roost allows Reshiram to heal off damage taken and stay healthy, allowing it to win the war of attrition against its opponents. Dual STAB moves allow Reshiram to maintain an impressive offensive presence despite the lack of a boosting item.
Usage Tips:
========
Toxic means that this Reshiram set is tailored to stall out certain support Arceus formes such as Fairy Arceus. Reshiram's bulk allows it to take weak unboosted Judgments from support Arceus formes, whilst they slowly perish to Toxic Damage. Using Roost allows Reshiram to stay healthy, as alongside Leftovers it can easily heal off damage much faster than support Arceus can do with Judgment. Using Blue Flare as the main attacking move is advised, as it can help support Arceus along to their deaths. Be careful when using Draco Meteor, as after using it once Reshiram's offensive presence is cut in half, leaving it open to being set up on. Draco Meteor is mostly for slower Dragons (there aren't many unless they are paralyzed), Water Arceus (which dies off to Toxic anyway), and overeager Kyogre switch-ins. Staying in to try and Meteor these targets is a bad idea, as Kyogre can easily be Scarfed, whereas the Dragons that would die to it can be scarfed (Zekrom) or just plain faster (Palkia) - try to catch these on the switch. Support Dialga is immune to Toxic and can take both Blue Flare and Draco Meteor from this set, albeit not nicely, and can retaliate with its own Draco Meteor to KO Reshiram - however, it can only switch in on Toxic or Roost. Watch out for non-Will-O-Wisp status from Arceus formes (Thunder Wave and Toxic), as both of these are more than usable on Arceus and can cripple Reshiram significantly.
Team Options:
========
Groudon is nice for Blue Flare, but as this set isn't as all out offensive as the others it isn't mandatory. Teammates to take on those that this Reshiram can't deal with, such as Rock Arceus and Ground Arceus, and Geomancy Xerneas (although Reshiram will typically be faster and deal heavy damage with Blue Flare before Xerneas can use Geomancy) are needed. Physically defensive Yveltal can handle Swords Dance Ground Arceus as well as checking Extreme Killer, which can set up on this set, especially if it carries Lum Berry, or simply threaten it with Earthquake. Aegislash or Scizor can take on Xerneas. Kyogre, Palkia and other Water-types can take on Rock Arceus. Mega Blaziken can murder Rock Arceus as well whilst benefiting from sun-boosted Flare Blitz. Grass Arceus can handle Ground Arceus and Rock Arceus pretty well too, and can also handle Kyogre reasonably well, meaning that Reshiram doesn't drown to Choice Scarf Water Spout. A Ho-Oh check is also needed, as the turkey can come into this set with impunity - Blue Flare and Draco Meteor do no meaningful damage, especially after Regenerator, and Toxic isn't that big an issue either, again due to Regenerator. Groudon can set up Stealth Rock and boost Blue Flare, but also boosts enemy Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire. Landorus-T can sponge Ho-Oh's attacks reasonably well and retaliate with a Rock move of choice. Zekrom can murder Ho-Oh, but shares a Dragon and Ground weakness, and dislikes switching into Ho-Oh due to the threat of Sacred Fire burns. Physically defensive Ho-Oh works well, although it also shares certain weaknesses with Reshiram. Defog and Rapid Spin are appreciated as always, as Reshiram intensely dislikes losing huge amounts of its health upon switch-in.
Choice Scarf
########
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Blue Flare
move 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Choice Scarf
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Rash / Naive
Moves
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram's main STAB, and with sun support is very powerful even with no boosting item - for example, it can OHKO any forme of Mewtwo under bright sunlight. Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse allows Reshiram to revenge kill other Dragon-types, with one being more consistent and the other being much more powerful. Stone Edge is there to murder Ho-Oh, either revenge killing it or predicting its switch-in. Toxic may sound stupid, but it can be useful to status something that is about to sweep your team: e.g. Toxicing a Calm Mind Arceus. Finally, if a Darkrai check is needed, Sleep Talk can be run in the last slot, along with Focus Blast in the third slot, so that Reshiram can serve as a check to Darkrai, hitting it very hard with any of its 3 moves - bear in mind that this means Reshiram can no longer reliably revenge kill other threats if asleep.
Set Details
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EVs maximize special attacking power and Speed, whilst not lowering the power of Reshiram's Stone Edge. Rash vs Naive is a choice to make, either more power or the possibility of outspeeding/tying with other base 90 Speed Choice Scarf users. Dragon Pulse is weaker but more reliable than Draco Meteor - however, Palkia can survive a Dragon Pulse, especially with Assault Vest or with a bulky set, so Draco Meteor is almost always better. If aiming to clean late-game, Blue Flare should be the move used anyway.
Usage Tips
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Choice Scarf Reshiram is best used as a revenge killer, and perhaps as a late-game cleaner with Blue Flare. Again, prediction is required to try and ensure that Kyogre and Ho-Oh are not given free turns to come in and fire off attacks. Something to note is that a 248 HP Ho-Oh variant needs to have taken around 12% damage for Stone Edge to be a sure OHKO. Be careful when using moves, as Choice Scarf Reshiram is not particularly powerful, and various dangerous members of the tier can set up on each move.
Team Options
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Groudon support is again appreciated, as it can check sweepers that can set up on Reshiram, boost Blue Flare with sun, and set up Sneaky Pebbles so that Ho-Oh cannot freely pivot in and out of Reshiram. Something to take on Kyogre is needed, as it can come into Blue Flare with impunity. Palkia is a good partner, as it can also thrive under sunlight, can carry Thunder to get rid of Kyogre, and can form a double dragon core with Reshiram, potentially overwhelming the opposing team's dragon check. Something to take on Ho-Oh is needed as well, if you aren't using Groudon already, as it can come in on fire moves and proceed to set up a Substitute or hit your team for heavy damage. Defog or Rapid Spin support again is nice, as it allows Reshiram to switch in and out to revenge kill Pokemon without taking lots of damage upon each switch-in. A sturdy Fairy check is also useful again, as the opponent can potentially sack something to a Choice-locked Dragon move, or just come in on one, and gain a free turn as Reshiram is forced to switch out. Teammates to handle setup sweepers such as Extreme Killer and Ground Arceus are absolutely essential as well, as many tier members can set up on resisted moves or -2 Draco Meteor.
Other Options
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Substitute + Roost with Leftovers or Life Orb can work alongside Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor and Blue Flare, as it blocks status and protects it from revenge killers. Sunny Day and/or SolarBeam is gimmicky, but could work as a Kyogre lure. Tailwind is interesting, as it doubles Reshiram's speed, but doesn't really last long enough, and Reshiram can find it hard to set it up. If you want to use Tailwind, a neutral Speed nature and 176 Speed EVs lets it outrun Scarf Terrakion. Choice Specs is a nice item (and a throwback to BW), but Life Orb tends to be powerful enough and there are too many Pokemon in the tier that can set up on a choice-locked move, and Kyurem-W uses Choice Specs much better anyway. An all-out attacker set isn't bad, but, again, Kyurem-W tends to do it better with higher Speed and Special Attack. Will-O-Wisp can be nice to catch certain physical attackers off guard. Dragon Tail can be used to scout switch-ins and rack up hazard damage, but is weak, has negative priority and is otherwise useless. Focus Blast can be considered on certain, sets, but it's unreliable, very specialized, hard to find a slot for, and easy to take advantage of, especially if Choice locked.
Checks and Counters
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**Blissey**: Blissey has huge special bulk and can switch in on Reshiram pretty much all the time. It has to watch out for sun-boosted Blue Flare though.
**Water-types**: Specially defensive Kyogre can switch in and take Reshiram's assaults quite nicely, reducing Blue Flare's power by 50% as well due to Drizzle. Water Arceus doesn't have Drizzle, but can switch in on Reshiram all the time, and is one of the only safe switch-ins to Reshiram in sunlight.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh can pivot into Reshiram (without Stealth Rock) and heal itself with Regenerator. She has to watch out for Stone Edge though.
**Rock-types**: Rock Arceus can take most hits from Reshiram all day, especially in sand, other than a boosted Focus Blast. Tyranitar's Special Defense helps it take everything but Focus Blast nicely. Both need to watch out for Toxic though.
**Fairy-types in rain**: Being immune to Dragon STAB and protected from Fire STAB by rain, both specially defensive Xerneas and defensive Fairy Arceus can take hits from Reshiram when it's raining. They need to watch out for Flame Charge + Roost or Toxic + Roost sets however, as these can wait for the rain to go away.
**Calm Mind Arceus formes": Arceus with Calm Mind can set up in Reshiram's face, especially after a Draco Meteor drop or if Reshiram is locked into a move. Rain-dampened Blue Flare is also inviting for them. However, none like switching into boosted Draco Meteor or Blue Flare, and they hate Toxic too.
**Revenge killers**: Banded Ho-Oh can kill with Earthquake. Faster Dragons can kill Reshiram easily. Priority from Normal Arceus/Yveltal can take large parts of Reshiram's health, and kill it once it is weakened. Terrakion can easily revenge with Stone Edge. Chice Scarf Xerneas can kill weakened Reshiram, and Choice Scarf Kyogre can do the same.
**Hazards**: Reshiram despises hazards, being weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to everything.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh can pivot into Reshiram (no Stealth Rock of course) and heal itself with Regenerator. She has to watch out for Stone Edge though.
Calm Pokemaster FieldArmada thanks for the GPing guys.
there are maybe 3 things i'm curious about, I highlighted them in red in the analysis, could you tell me if they are better/worse?
also, I'm wondering about:
Arceus-Whatever vs Whateverceus vs Whatever Arceus (Whatever = type, e.g. Arceus-Fairy vs Fairyceus vs Fairy Arceus)
Arceus Formes vs Arceus formes (no capital)
otherwise, all GP changes have been implemented, thanks guys, do i repost this in the GP thread for its second check?
- Other Options: it should be, "... it is weak, has negative priority, and is otherwise useless." Sorry, I must have fallen asleep or something n_n
- C&C, Revenge Killers: Hmm ok, you can include 'away' if you think it's better, though it isn't wrong as it is.
- C&C, Hazards: imo putting 'else' there makes it sound like Reshiram isn't vulnerable to SR. Leave it as it is.
- Arceus-Fairy and Fairy Arceus are both fine; just make sure you stick with only one of them in an analysis. And no, for christ's sake no Fairyceus :/