TheSpecialOne
formerly Santuga
Rhyperior
QC: 1/3 (kokoloko), 2/3 (DestinyUnknown), 3/3 (PK Gaming)
GP: 1/2 (GatoDelFuego), 2/2 (Melvni)
[Overview]
<p>Rhyperior is, to say the least, a peculiar Pokemon. While its HP, Defense, and Attack stats are out of this world, its Special Defense and Speed leave much to be desired. When you see a Pokemon with base 140 Attack, you already know it's going to hit extremely hard and Rhyperior is no exception. Having both Rock and Ground typing means STAB on the EdgeQuake combination, which is a huge plus for Rhyperior's arsenal. It also packs a wide movepool: it has access to boosting moves, such as Swords Dance and Rock Polish, support moves, such as Stealth Rock and Toxic, and a plethora of offensive moves of different types. However, although the offensive coverage provided by Rhyperior's typing is amazing, the same can't be said about its resistances. Being a Rock / Ground type means Rhyperior has a huge weakness to Water- and Grass-types and is hit for super effective damage by the common Ground- and Fighting-type moves in the tier. However, don't let this fool you, as Rhyperior can partially mitigate these issues with its extremely useful ability in the form of Solid Rock, which reduces the power of super effective moves by 25%. If you know Rhyperior's weaknesses and play around them, you will find it extremely easy to incorporate the Drill Pokemon in any team with positive results.</p>
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Blast / Stone Edge
move 4: Dragon Tail
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>If you look at Rhyperior's stat distribution, you'll have a huge let down when you take a look at its Special Defense stat. However, with some EV investment, Rhyperior can surprise you in that aspect. Its typing and HP stat, when combined with some Special Defense EVs, make Rhyperior one of the best Raikou and Zapdos checks in the tier, unless they carry Hidden Power Grass. The same goes for Togekiss, Honchkrow, Victini, and Chandelure, although the latter two to a lesser extent due to their possibly having Grass Knot and Energy Ball respectively. Base 130 Defense backed up by base 115 HP means Rhyperior will be able to take physical hits without being heavily invested, giving it the capacity to take on physical threats such as Darmanitan and Honchkrow. Stealth Rock is a good asset for any team, and Rhyperior makes good use of it. Earthquake is standard on Rhyperior's moveset, being both its strongest and most reliable Ground-type move and hitting like a truck. Rock Blast has the amazing ability to attack through Substitutes, an invaluable aspect to beat Honchkrow, whereas Stone Edge is often more powerful due to its higher fixed Base Power. Dragon Tail hits Flygon switching in on a predicted Earthquake, helps shuffle the opponent's team, racks up nice damage in conjunction with Stealth Rock, and might be a handy last resort against a setup sweeper.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV distribution lets Rhyperior take special hits as well as possible while also hitting a Leftovers number. An Adamant nature with 16 EVs provides Rhyperior a little bit more power and leaves a good amount of EVs left to invest in its bulk. An alternative spread of 208 HP / 252 Atk / 48 SpD can be used for a more offensive approach. It should be noted that Rhyperior needs 52 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature to OHKO Empoleon. Roar can be used over Dragon Tail in the last slot if you prefer Rhyperior having the ability to force out the opponent when it has a Substitute up to it being able to hit the opponent when under the effects of Taunt. Megahorn is a good alternative over Rhyperior's Rock-type STAB move to hit Grass-types harder. Ice Punch is a direct answer to Gligar which walls Rhyperior's entire set otherwise, while also nailing Flygon and Virizion on the switch. Toxic is a good surprise weapon to cripple some opponents such as Slowbro and Porygon2, but it's not as effective as it once was due to the fact that one of its main targets, Gligar, now almost always carries Immunity. Bulky Water- and Grass-types, such as Slowbro, Blastoise, Milotic, Suicune, Azumarill, and Shaymin can all threaten Rhyperior with their STAB move once they get onto the battlefield. Porygon2 can trace Rhyperior's Solid Rock ability and threaten it with a super effective Ice Beam or poison it with Toxic, severely crippling it for the rest of the battle. Cofagrigus, being a defensive powerhouse, can take any of Rhyperior's hits, burn it with Will-O-Wisp, and use Rhyperior's absurdly high HP stat against it by recovering a huge portion, if not all, of its health by using Pain Split. Hitmontop resists Rhyperior's Rock-type STAB and can take any of its other hits due to Intimidate, retaliating with Close Combat or poisoning Rhyperior with Toxic. Bronzong can take any of Rhyperior's moves as if they were nothing and strike back with a super effective Gyro Ball, hit hard with a super effective Earthquake, or poison Rhyperior with Toxic. As for teammates, Rhyperior benefits from the use of Roserade, since it can take Water- and Grass-type moves with ease and set up Spikes on the opponent's side of the field, making Rhyperior's shuffling moves increase in effectiveness. Zapdos and Rotom-H resist Grass-type moves and can take Grass-types and Bronzong out with Heat Wave and Overheat respectively, while destroying Water-types with their Electric-type STAB moves. Crobat enjoys having Grass-types around and can Taunt Cofagrigus, thus shutting it down completely, while completely walling Hitmontop. Raikou dents Water-types with its STAB and can potentially earn a free switch for Rhyperior with Volt Switch. Houndoom can function as a backup plan against Cofagrigus, while also dealing with Grass-types easily. Having a spinblocker around is also helpful to keep entry hazards on the field seeing as Rhyperior struggles against both Hitmontop and Blastoise, the best spinners in the tier. Cofagrigus and Sableye are good options.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Megahorn
move 4: Ice Punch / Rock Blast
item: Choice Band
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 160 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> We all know Rhyperior has a sky-high Attack stat, so why not make use of it? That's right, Choice Band Rhyperior! 624 Attack right off the bat is nothing to mess around with, especially when it's Rhyperior we're talking about. The STAB EdgeQuake combo provides amazing coverage, hitting every Pokemon in the tier for neutral damage except for Bronzong, Flygon, Virizion, and Claydol. Stone Edge is the Rock-type STAB move of choice, hitting the Flying-types, such as Zapdos, Togekiss, and Xatu, and Levitate Pokemon, such as Rotom-H and Azelf, that are immune to Ground-type moves hard. Earthquake is directed at Fire-types, such as Arcanine, Victini, Darmanitan, and Chandelure, Electric-types, such as Raikou, and Steel-types, such as Registeel, Bisharp, and Cobalion. However, due to the amount of Flying-types and levitating Pokemon in the tier, being locked into Earthquake can have huge drawbacks, giving the opponent a free switch in for any of these Pokemon. Megahorn decimates Grass-types, such as Shaymin and Tangrowth, and Psychic-types, such as Slowbro, Mew, and Meloetta. Ice Punch is there for Flygon, Virizion, and Gligar, although its accuracy helps out against Grass-types when Megahorn's power is unnecessary. Rock Blast can be used to be more effective against Substitute users, mainly Honchkrow and Zapdos. It is important to note that most of Rhyperior's moves have imperfect accuracy, meaning one miss can turn the table around, leaving the opponent with a lot more HP than it should have as well as possibly leaving Rhyperior with way less HP, potentially cutting Rhyperior's time on the field short.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The listed EV spread ensures that Rhyperior outpaces Swampert, Clefable, uninvested Empoleon, and Bulk Up Scrafty while also having a good amount of bulk. An alternative spread of 120 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Def / 124 Spe can be used to guarantee Rhyperior doesn't go down to five Seismic Tosses or Night Shades and give Rhyperior more leeway to take on physical attackers, such as Darmanitan, Honchkrow, and Choice Scarf Flygon when it's not locked into Earthquake. Another EV spread of 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 SpD gives Rhyperior a bit more survivability against special hits, even surviving a Hidden Power Grass from both Zapdos and Raikou and OHKOing them back with Stone Edge and Earthquake respectively. Aqua Tail and Avalanche are possible options, but Ice Punch is more reliable overall. Due to Rhyperior's sheer power, there's not a Pokemon in UU that is safe from being knocked out by Rhyperior once it has been a bit weakened. Slowbro, Bronzong, Gligar, Qwilfish, Flygon, Hitmontop, and Nidoqueen can switch into Rhyperior with caution (when predicted correctly) and force it out afterwards. Shaymin deals with all the aforementioned Pokemon with the exception of Bronzong, though Flygon poses a threat with both U-Turn and Outrage. Zapdos deals with Rhyperior's common switch-ins and makes the opponent think twice about using Earthquake with Flygon, giving Rhyperior the upper hand in the prediction game in this scenario. Free switches are extremely appreciated, since Rhyperior will be needing as much HP as possible to do its job. For this reason, Flygon, Azelf, Zapdos, and Raikou can make good use of U-Turn or Volt Switch to get Rhyperior in safely. Pokemon that lure resisted physical hits, such as Roserade, Shaymin, and Togekiss, are also good options. They also resist some of Rhyperior's weaknesses, especially Grass-type moves.
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Megahorn
item: Life Orb
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Rhyperior is not known as a fast paced Pokemon. However, it has a way to remedy this: Rock Polish. At +2 Speed, Rhyperior reaches a Speed stat of 392, only being outpaced by Crobat fully invested in Speed, making it an extremely efficient late-game sweeper. Earthquake is Rhyperior's best move to spam and hits incredibly hard. Stone Edge gives Rhyperior the powerful EdgeQuake combo, giving the Drill Pokemon good offensive coverage. Megahorn hits Grass-types very hard, especially Shaymin, as well as hitting Slowbro for super effective damage and hitting Flygon on the spot. Even after Rhyperior doubles its Speed stat, it is still outsped by base 70 Speed Pokemon with a Speed boosting nature holding a Choice Scarf. Unfortunately, most Choice Scarf users stand above that mark. For this reason, all Choice Scarf users must be removed from the battlefield in order to give Rhyperior the spotlight it deserves.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread makes sure Rhyperior outpaces Modest Choice Scarf Chandelure and Togekiss after a Rock Polish boost. Life Orb is invaluable on this set to guarantee some KOs. Leftovers could be used to add survivability or Lum Berry to prevent Rhyperior from getting statused, but the power drop is very noticeable. Aqua Tail can be used to over Megahorn to beat Gligar and opposing Rhyperior. Ice Punch deals with Gligar and Virizion better than any of the other moves listed above. Substitute is a nifty choice, easing prediction and letting Rhyperior have a pseudo-immunity to status conditions. An Adamant nature can be used over Jolly nature to increase Rhyperior's power, but it then loses the ability to outspeed key Pokemon, such as Modest Choice Scarf Chandelure and Togekiss. Choice Scarf users, such as Krookodile, Flygon, Heracross, Shaymin, and Nidoking can block Rhyperior's sweep with ease by taking it out with a super effective move. Suicune, Tangrowth, Porygon2, Gligar, and Slowbro can take a hit and retaliate with a super effective move to knock out Rhyperior. Roserade, Shaymin, and Zapdos can prove to be helpful to eliminate the aforementioned threats with the exception of Porygon2. Heracross fixes this problem while also being able to dent Slowbro, Tangrowth, Shaymin, and Krookodile. Weavile is a good offensive partner to have around due to the fact that it beats Rhyperior's bulky checks with its STAB moves with the exception of Suicune, while revenge killing the Choice Scarf users with Ice Shard. Entry hazards support is mandatory to help out Rhyperior in getting additional KOs. Roserade and Bronzong are good options.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Rhyperior doesn't have too many other options that are worth using. An exception goes to Fire Punch, which hits Bronzong harder than any other move while also hitting Grass-types as hard as Ice Punch. Protect can also be used to scout your opponent's moveset, especially if they are holding a Choice item, force Mienshao to hit itself with Hi Jump Kick, and gain what could be a crucial turn of Leftovers recovery. Rhyperior can perform very well under the effects of Trick Room and Tailwind, removing its Speed problems for a few turns. A set of Substitute + Swords Dance can be used, but Rhyperior's low Speed is fatal. Due to its sheer power and bulk, Rhyperior is an extremely viable Baton Pass receiver, taking entire teams apart with the proper support.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Gligar can take every single hit from Rhyperior aside from a Choice Band-boosted Ice Punch and can recover its HP with Roost and hit back with Earthquake or poison Rhyperior, crippling it for the rest of the match. Slowbro is in the same boat as Gligar, only fearing Megahorn. It also has Water-type attacks at its disposal that take out Rhyperior with ease, has access to instant recovery in the form of Slack Off, and can always switch out to regain even more HP due to Regenerator. Bronzong takes close to no damage from Rhyperior's STAB moves, and Megahorn doesn't dish out as much damage as desired. Bulky Water-types, such as Suicune, Blastoise, and Milotic can take a hit, outspeed, and retaliate with Scald or Surf. Bulky Grass-types, such as Shaymin and Tangrowth, resist Earthquake and destroy Rhyperior with a STAB move, but Megahorn will seriously damage them. Porygon2 can trace the Solid Rock ability or get a Special Attack boost from Download, take a hit due to its bulk backed up by Eviolite, and threaten Rhyperior with Ice Beam or Toxic. Faster and potent special attackers, such as Nidoking, Roserade, Kingdra, Nidoqueen, and Lilligant, can take out Rhyperior as easily as taking a walk in the park due to Rhyperior's low Special Defense stat. Choice Scarf users, such as Flygon, Heracross, Shaymin, and Krookodile, can pose a threat to Rock Polish Rhyperior, cutting its sweep short. Rhyperior has great vulnerability to Rapid Spin users, such as Hitmontop and Blastoise, which can very easily Rapid Spin the Stealth Rock away from the opponent's side.</p>