[OVERVIEW]
Rhyperior is a great bulky Stealth Rock user in RU and an immense offensive threat, as few Pokemon can take STAB EdgeQuake in combination with its other options like Toxic and Megahorn. Rhyperior also provides plenty of defensive utility by checking many common Pokemon like Mimikyu, Crobat, and Togekiss. Rhyperior has many advantages over competing Stealth Rock users, as it's less passive than the likes of Steelix and Seismitoad while having a generally stronger defensive presence than Nidoqueen. Unfortunately, despite Rhyperior's strengths, bulky Water-types like Milotic, Jellicent, and Vaporeon can stand against it well. Moreover, unlike other Ground-types like Nidoqueen and Flygon, Rhyperior is an inadequate check to the metagame's Electric-types like Xurkitree, Heliolisk, and Raikou due to their 4x super effective Grass- and Water-type coverage moves.
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Toxic / Megahorn / Swords Dance
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 240 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Toxic allows Rhyperior to cripple switch-ins like Flygon and bulky Water-types such as Milotic, Jellicent, and Gastrodon. Megahorn gives Rhyperior the means to OHKO Celebi and 2HKO offensive variants of Flygon, Calm Mind Reuniclus, and Umbreon. Swords Dance allows Rhyperior to break past the likes of Gastrodon, Reuniclus, Umbreon, and utility Flygon, and it's useful for checking Cosmic Power Metagross. The given Special Defense EVs are important to check Togekiss and take super effective attacks like Nidoqueen's Earth Power and Raikou's Scald in a pinch. Throwing 16 EVs into Attack slightly optimizes the stat. Toxic, Megahorn, or Swords Dance can also be run over Stealth Rock on teams with alternative Stealth Rock users.
Grass- and Electric-types like Celebi, Xurkitree, and Heliolisk make great teammates to check bulky Water-types like Milotic and Jellicent for Rhyperior. Crobat and Noivern can lure in Rock- and Steel-types like Diancie, Stakataka, and Registeel to pivot Rhyperior in with U-turn. Moreover, they can check Grass- and Fighting-types like Celebi, Roserade, and Heracross. Rhyperior cannot reliably check Electric-types like Xurkitree, Heliolisk, and Raikou due to their Grass- and Water-type coverage moves; this makes Grass-types and bulky specially defensive Pokemon like Celebi, Registeel, and Umbreon good teammates. Rhyperior drawing bulky Water-types in and crippling them with Toxic can assist teammates such as Incineroar, Metagross, and Flygon. Steel-types like Registeel, Escavalier, and Metagross can check Grass-types like Celebi and Roserade for Rhyperior.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Rhyperior can run a maximum Speed EVs Choice Band set, which can 2HKO the whole metagame and importantly turn the tables on typical Water-type switch-ins like Milotic, Jellicent, and Vaporeon, even outspeeding the latter two; however, such a set makes Rhyperior less defensively useful, notably a worse Togekiss answer. Ice Punch OHKOes Flygon, allows Rhyperior to check Dragon Dance variants of Flygon, and is mildly useful as an accurate option to hit Flying- and Grass-types like Togekiss and Dhelmise; however, Rhyperior can fairly easily overwhelm Flygon with Toxic or Swords Dance anyway, Megahorn 2HKOs non-defensive Flygon variants, and Ice Punch has limited usefulness otherwise. Protect alongside Toxic allows Rhyperior to safely rack up more damage on bulky Water-types, forcing them to recover more frequently. It also enables it to accumulate more Leftovers healing and scout the intentions of Choice item Pokemon like Flygon and Pangoro. However, Toxic must replace Stealth Rock and Protect still contends with other options like Megahorn and Swords Dance. Substitute is an option over Stealth Rock that allows Rhyperior to punish switch-ins and leave its EdgeQuake combination less prediction reliant.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Bulky Water-types like Milotic, Jellicent, and Seismitoad can comfortably take Rhyperior's attacks and thwart it, though Toxic limits their defensive capabilities by forcing them to recover more frequently. Vaporeon is a more distinct threat because it can shrug off Toxic with Heal Bell.
**Grass-types and Grass-type Coverage**: Celebi, Roserade, Xurkitree, and Heliolisk can easily outspeed and take down Rhyperior with their Grass-type attacks; however, none switch safely into Stone Edge, only Celebi can switch safely into Earthquake, and even Celebi fears Megahorn.
**Flygon**: Dragon Dance Flygon can use Rhyperior to set up and may have Lum Berry to shrug off Toxic, though Megahorn Rhyperior can 2HKO Flygon. Utility Flygon isn't 2HKOed by Megahorn, so it can thwart these variants well, but Toxic and Swords Dance Rhyperior can overpower this Flygon set.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Yourwelcomethanku, 541847]]
- Quality checked by: [[zizalith, 410251], [gorex, 244449]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429]]
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