[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Megahorn
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 16 Atk / 240 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Rhyperior makes use of its good bulk, good power, and decent typing to have notable defensive utility as a team's Electric immunity while also offensively threatening a decent amount of the tier and punishing switches by setting Stealth Rock. Its bulk in conjunction with Solid Rock means that Rhyperior is capable of taking hits from certain threats, including Darmanitan, Entei, and Steelix, and taking at least one big hit from huge threats such as Metagross, Zygarde-10%, and Mienshao. Substitute can be used if your team already has a Stealth Rock setter, allowing Rhyperior to still punish switches by giving itself cover to deliver a big hit. Megahorn is the preferred option in the last slot, as it OHKOes Zarude and 2HKOes Psychic-types such as Reuniclus and Necrozma. Investing most EVs into HP and Special Defense allows Rhyperior to take hits from Toxtricity and Raikou better. Substitute Rhyperior can also consider using a more offensively oriented EV spread, such as 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe with an Adamant nature, which lets it outrun Registeel and Diancie.
Rhyperior's mix of offensive and defensive utility allows it to fit on balance and bulky offense teams that appreciate it taking some big hits while also dishing out good damage and setting up Stealth Rock. Like many Ground-types in RU, Rhyperior is not able to handle the Electric-types permeating the tier on its own. Teams should also have alternate forms of counterplay, which could include their own Electric-type, such as Raikou, or Grass-types such as Zarude and Celebi, in order to properly check these threatening Pokemon. Rhyperior's typing gives it a very useful Flying resistance, which allows it to check Pokemon such as Togekiss, Crobat, and Talonflame; this is appreciated by teammates such as Zarude, Heracross, and Mienshao. Rhyperior's quadruple weakness to Water- and Grass-type moves means that it needs resistances to both of these backing it up. Options such as Volcanion, Zarude, and Togekiss are good teammates in this regard.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Megahorn
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Choice Band Rhyperior is a powerful wallbreaker that is capable of 2HKOing virtually the entire tier. In addition, it also retains some of its defensive utility thanks to Solid Rock and its excellent natural bulk. Megahorn is used in order to OHKO Zarude, Necrozma, and Celebi as well as giving Rhyperior a chance to OHKO some Reuniclus sets. Ice Punch confirms an OHKO on Noivern without having to rely on Stone Edge while also having generally good coverage and reliably pushing damage onto Flying- and Grass-types. Solid Rock is still the preferred ability in order to maximize Rhyperior's defensive presence. An Adamant nature is used for maximum power, although a Jolly nature can be run to outrun Seismitoad.
Choice Band Rhyperior should be used as an early- or mid-game wallbreaker that can break down defensive cores consisting of common Pokemon such as Togekiss, Cobalion, and Registeel for faster teammates to clean up later in the game. Some excellent faster teammates are Raikou, Xurkitree, Zarude, Shift Gear Toxtricity, and Choice Scarf Heracross. Many of the aforementioned can also deal with the bulky Water- and Grass-types that Rhyperior sometimes struggles to remove outright, such as Suicune, Seismitoad, and Celebi. Choice Band Rhyperior is not a very good check to most of the tier's Electric-types, so alternate forms of counterplay should be employed. This can include Grass-types, such as Zarude and Celebi, as well as your own Electric-types, such as Raikou. Pivots such as Zarude, Thundurus, and Raikou should be employed to get Rhyperior in safely so it can fire away, and the aforementioned trio also aid Rhyperior in handling bulky Water-types, which it can struggle with.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sputnik, 475916]]
- Quality checked by: [[zizalith, 410251], [gorex, 244449]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429]]
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