[OVERVIEW]
Rotom-S carves a niche for itself among many pivots and support Pokemon in the metagame due to its typing, stats, and fantastic support movepool. It further separates itself from other pivots and Defoggers because of its ability to soft check numerous top threats such Swanna, Combusken, Leafeon, and Pinsir. Similarly, Rotom-S is a great Choice Scarf user because of its ability to check various threats, pivot on forced switches, and threaten switch-ins with Will-O-Wisp or Trick. Moreover, utility moves in Trick and Will-O-Wisp make up for Rotom-S's relatively weak offensive coverage and middling Speed compared to Choice Scarf Electivire. However, Rotom-S's weakness to Stealth Rock significantly hinders its ability to pivot. Moreover, a lack of reliable recovery and vulnerability to residual damage limit its ability to repeatedly switch into Pokemon it checks. While its STAB attacks offer decent coverage, Choice Scarf Rotom-S is still easy to wall and usually has to rely on Trick or Will-O-Wisp to cripple switch-ins, which leaves Rotom-S unable to revenge kill faster threats or makes it easy to take advantage of. Also, Rotom-S's typing leaves it unable to directly switch into popular entry hazard setters such as Golem and Bronzor.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Pain Split
move 4: Defog
item: Wiki Berry
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Will-O-Wisp allows Rotom-S to burn slower physical attackers such as Pawniard and Marowak and prevents Electivire and Golem from switching in freely. Pain Split can be used over Will-O-Wisp to give Rotom-S somewhat reliable recovery so it can pivot around and check threats such as Pinsir, Simisage, and Poliwrath.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and HP investment and a Timid nature are necessary so Rotom-S can check Pokemon such as Pinsir, Monferno, and Servine. Wiki Berry is preferred over Leftovers because Rotom-S benefits more from the one-time recovery than it does from residual recovery and can use its Stealth Rock weakness to activate Wiki Berry.
Usage Tips
========
Rotom-S should cripple switch-ins with Will-O-Wisp and wear down Ground-types such as Silvally-Ground and Camerupt with Air Slash. This helps it use Volt Switch more freely, as typical Volt Switch switch-ins fear burn or do not want to be worn down. Rotom-S should be wary of what it uses Defog against. For example, Rotom-S loses to entry hazard setters such as offensive Golem and Bronzor, but it can threaten out defensive Torterra, Mareanie, and Mawile. If entry hazards are present, Rotom-S should use Defog against Pokemon it forces out such as Leafeon, Pawniard, and Machoke; be wary of a Knock Off from these three, though, as staying in can jeopardize Rotom-S's recovery later on by removing its Wiki Berry. This also means that Rotom-S should be mindful of its HP, as certain attacks such as Ice Punch from Electivire can 2HKO it without activating Wiki Berry. Similarly, Rotom-S can sometimes use its Stealth Rock weakness to knock itself down to 25% health or less to activate Wiki Berry, which helps it check Pokemon such as Swanna, Combusken, and Simisage in a pinch.
Team Options
========
Rotom-S fits best on balance and bulky teams that appreciate a pivot and soft check to Grass-, Water-, and Fighting-types such as Leafeon, Simipour, and Silvally-Fighting. As such, Rotom-S pairs well with Pokemon such as Poliwrath, Combusken, and Komala. Wallbreakers such as Swords Dance Torterra and Choice Specs Beheeyem appreciate Rotom-S's ability to pivot with Volt Switch against defensive Pokemon they take advantage of such as Lickilicky and Curse Muk. In addition, Rotom-S checks Flying- and Grass-types such as Swanna, Toucannon, and Exeggutor for Torterra and checks Bug- and Dark-types such as Pinsir, Ninjask, and Pawniard for Beheeyem. On more defensive teams, Rotom-S forms a good defensive backbone alongside bulky Pokemon such as Komala, defensive Golem, defensive Torterra, and Gourgeist-XL. In particular, Komala provides Wish support and creates a VoltTurn core with Rotom-S, defensive Golem checks Electric-types, and both defensive Torterra and Gourgeist-XL check Rock- and Ground-types. Setup Pokemon such as Nasty Plot Simipour, Substitute Swords Dance Bouffalant, and Swords Dance Leafeon appreciate Rotom-S's ability to clear entry hazards.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Thunderbolt gives Rotom-S a strong Electric-type STAB attack and makes it more of a revenge killer, but Will-O-Wisp is generally preferred because it punishes typical switch-ins such as Electivire and Golem and gives Rotom-S utility as a Choice Scarf user. Trick enables Rotom-S to cripple counters such as Bronzor, Dusclops, and Lickilicky. It also helps it cripple slower setup sweepers such as Nasty Plot Beheeyem and Bulk Up Vigoroth.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment with a Timid nature enables Rotom-S to revenge kill foes such as Floatzel, Simisage, and Combusken.
Usage Tips
========
Rotom-S's main focus should be to pivot with Volt Switch, but it also needs to anticipate Pokemon such as Silvally-Ground, Sandslash, Electivire, and Raichu switching in and blocking Volt Switch. Will-O-Wisp immediately cripples physical attackers and Ground-types, while Air Slash wears down switch-ins immediately and 2HKOes the aforementioned Ground-types if they are weakened enough. However, being locked into Will-O-Wisp invites in offensive Pokemon such as Combusken, Komala, and Silvally-Dragon, which forces Rotom-S out and loses momentum in the process. Similarly, being locked into Air Slash invites in Flying-type switch-ins such as Bronzor and Silvally-Electric, so be mindful of what Rotom-S locks itself into. Once faster threats are removed and Rotom-S no longer needs to act as a revenge killer, Trick should be used to cripple switch-ins such as defensive Golem, Lickilicky, and Bronzor that Rotom-S cannot hurt otherwise. If Rotom-S needs its Choice Scarf for faster threats, avoid using Trick to cripple those Pokemon and double switch to a teammate instead. Against more defensive teams where Rotom-S's Speed is less valuable, Trick should be used early on to cripple bulky Pokemon such as Wish Komala, Altaria, and Dusclops.
Team Options
========
Choice Scarf Rotom-S is an excellent pivot and check to offensive Pokemon such as Simisage, Pinsir, and Swanna, so Pokemon that appreciate them being revenge killed such as Torterra, Beheeyem, and Combusken make for good partners. These Pokemon can also wallbreak and pave way for a late-game cleanup for Rotom-S. Grass-, Water-, and Ground-types pair well with Rotom-S, as they check Ground- and Electric-types, which helps Rotom-S use Volt Switch freely. Grass- and Water-types such as Exeggutor, Torterra, Simipour, and Floatzel beat common Ground-types, while Pokemon such as Golem, Marowak, and Silvally-Ground pair well with Rotom-S because they can check Electric-types such as Electivire, Raichu, and Silvally-Electric. Rotom-S is slower than common Choice Scarf users such as Electivire and Silvally and loses its ability to revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Simipour and Leafeon after using Trick. Because of this, pair Rotom-S with Pokemon such as Golem, Choice Band Furfrou, and Kadabra that can check those Pokemon. Entry hazard removers such as Sandslash, Silvally-Fighting, and Silvally-Water help keep Rotom-S healthy and able to pivot around by removing Stealth Rock. The latter two also form a VoltTurn core alongside Rotom-S.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Leftovers with a bulkier spread of 252 HP / 208 Def / 48 Spe and a Bold nature is an option on the defensive pivot set. The Speed EVs ensure Rotom-S outspeeds Adamant Pawniard, and the HP and Defense EVs make it a better switch-in for physical attackers such as Z-Mirror Move Swanna and Swords Dance Leafeon. However, the loss of Speed is not ideal, as it forces Rotom-S to trade damage against Pokemon it would otherwise outspeed and threaten such as Swords Dance Bibarel, Monferno, and Swords Dance Pinsir. On this set, Protect is an option in the third move slot that allows Rotom-S to generate additional turns of Leftovers recovery and scout out Choice Scarf users such as Electivire and Silvally. Flyinium Z is an option over Wiki Berry if your team lacks a Z-Move user that makes Rotom-S a better Knock Off switch-in and consequently a better check to Leafeon, Pawniard, and Kecleon, and it also allows Rotom-S to OHKO most Grass-types with Supersonic Skystrike. However, without a form of recovery from Wiki Berry, Rotom-S becomes much more reliant on Pain Split and more susceptible to chip damage. Hidden Power Ground over Will-O-Wisp on the Choice Scarf set can help Rotom-S nail would-be switch-ins such as Electivire, Raichu, and Golem, but Hidden Power Ground is a very exploitable move and usually inferior to the utility Will-O-Wisp brings.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Electivire, Raichu, and Silvally-Electric all switch into Rotom-S easily and threaten it out. In particular, Electivire and Raichu block Volt Switch thanks to Motor Drive and Lighting Rod, respectively, but they must watch out for Will-O-Wisp and being worn down by Air Slash.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Golem, Sandslash, Silvally-Ground, and Marowak block Volt Switch and cause Rotom-S to lose momentum as a result. While these Pokemon check the Choice Scarf set, Rotom-S threatens to cripple them with Will-O-Wisp.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Electivire, Silvally, Simipour, and Rapidash threaten to OHKO Choice Scarf Rotom-S after it is weakened. Similarly, offensive Pokemon such as Choice Band Basculin, Silvally-Dragon, and Simisear outspeed defensive Rotom-S and can OHKO it after some chip damage, though they need to consider knocking Rotom-S down into Wiki Berry range.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Walls such as Bronzor, Lickilicky, and Dusclops easily switch into Rotom-S and only fear Trick. Other bulky Pokemon such as Muk, Beheeyem, and Assault Vest Bouffalant comfortably take on Rotom-S, but they cannot block Volt Switch, and the latter two fear Trick. Rest variants of Silvally-Dark and Silvally-Poison used on stall teams can also switch into Rotom-S and do not fear Trick, but they cannot block Volt Switch.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[5gen, 296755]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ho3nConfirm3d, 231074], [uhuhuhu7, 407249]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Estronic, 240732], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
[/hide]
Rotom-S carves a niche for itself among many pivots and support Pokemon in the metagame due to its typing, stats, and fantastic support movepool. It further separates itself from other pivots and Defoggers because of its ability to soft check numerous top threats such Swanna, Combusken, Leafeon, and Pinsir. Similarly, Rotom-S is a great Choice Scarf user because of its ability to check various threats, pivot on forced switches, and threaten switch-ins with Will-O-Wisp or Trick. Moreover, utility moves in Trick and Will-O-Wisp make up for Rotom-S's relatively weak offensive coverage and middling Speed compared to Choice Scarf Electivire. However, Rotom-S's weakness to Stealth Rock significantly hinders its ability to pivot. Moreover, a lack of reliable recovery and vulnerability to residual damage limit its ability to repeatedly switch into Pokemon it checks. While its STAB attacks offer decent coverage, Choice Scarf Rotom-S is still easy to wall and usually has to rely on Trick or Will-O-Wisp to cripple switch-ins, which leaves Rotom-S unable to revenge kill faster threats or makes it easy to take advantage of. Also, Rotom-S's typing leaves it unable to directly switch into popular entry hazard setters such as Golem and Bronzor.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Pain Split
move 4: Defog
item: Wiki Berry
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Will-O-Wisp allows Rotom-S to burn slower physical attackers such as Pawniard and Marowak and prevents Electivire and Golem from switching in freely. Pain Split can be used over Will-O-Wisp to give Rotom-S somewhat reliable recovery so it can pivot around and check threats such as Pinsir, Simisage, and Poliwrath.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and HP investment and a Timid nature are necessary so Rotom-S can check Pokemon such as Pinsir, Monferno, and Servine. Wiki Berry is preferred over Leftovers because Rotom-S benefits more from the one-time recovery than it does from residual recovery and can use its Stealth Rock weakness to activate Wiki Berry.
Usage Tips
========
Rotom-S should cripple switch-ins with Will-O-Wisp and wear down Ground-types such as Silvally-Ground and Camerupt with Air Slash. This helps it use Volt Switch more freely, as typical Volt Switch switch-ins fear burn or do not want to be worn down. Rotom-S should be wary of what it uses Defog against. For example, Rotom-S loses to entry hazard setters such as offensive Golem and Bronzor, but it can threaten out defensive Torterra, Mareanie, and Mawile. If entry hazards are present, Rotom-S should use Defog against Pokemon it forces out such as Leafeon, Pawniard, and Machoke; be wary of a Knock Off from these three, though, as staying in can jeopardize Rotom-S's recovery later on by removing its Wiki Berry. This also means that Rotom-S should be mindful of its HP, as certain attacks such as Ice Punch from Electivire can 2HKO it without activating Wiki Berry. Similarly, Rotom-S can sometimes use its Stealth Rock weakness to knock itself down to 25% health or less to activate Wiki Berry, which helps it check Pokemon such as Swanna, Combusken, and Simisage in a pinch.
Team Options
========
Rotom-S fits best on balance and bulky teams that appreciate a pivot and soft check to Grass-, Water-, and Fighting-types such as Leafeon, Simipour, and Silvally-Fighting. As such, Rotom-S pairs well with Pokemon such as Poliwrath, Combusken, and Komala. Wallbreakers such as Swords Dance Torterra and Choice Specs Beheeyem appreciate Rotom-S's ability to pivot with Volt Switch against defensive Pokemon they take advantage of such as Lickilicky and Curse Muk. In addition, Rotom-S checks Flying- and Grass-types such as Swanna, Toucannon, and Exeggutor for Torterra and checks Bug- and Dark-types such as Pinsir, Ninjask, and Pawniard for Beheeyem. On more defensive teams, Rotom-S forms a good defensive backbone alongside bulky Pokemon such as Komala, defensive Golem, defensive Torterra, and Gourgeist-XL. In particular, Komala provides Wish support and creates a VoltTurn core with Rotom-S, defensive Golem checks Electric-types, and both defensive Torterra and Gourgeist-XL check Rock- and Ground-types. Setup Pokemon such as Nasty Plot Simipour, Substitute Swords Dance Bouffalant, and Swords Dance Leafeon appreciate Rotom-S's ability to clear entry hazards.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Thunderbolt gives Rotom-S a strong Electric-type STAB attack and makes it more of a revenge killer, but Will-O-Wisp is generally preferred because it punishes typical switch-ins such as Electivire and Golem and gives Rotom-S utility as a Choice Scarf user. Trick enables Rotom-S to cripple counters such as Bronzor, Dusclops, and Lickilicky. It also helps it cripple slower setup sweepers such as Nasty Plot Beheeyem and Bulk Up Vigoroth.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment with a Timid nature enables Rotom-S to revenge kill foes such as Floatzel, Simisage, and Combusken.
Usage Tips
========
Rotom-S's main focus should be to pivot with Volt Switch, but it also needs to anticipate Pokemon such as Silvally-Ground, Sandslash, Electivire, and Raichu switching in and blocking Volt Switch. Will-O-Wisp immediately cripples physical attackers and Ground-types, while Air Slash wears down switch-ins immediately and 2HKOes the aforementioned Ground-types if they are weakened enough. However, being locked into Will-O-Wisp invites in offensive Pokemon such as Combusken, Komala, and Silvally-Dragon, which forces Rotom-S out and loses momentum in the process. Similarly, being locked into Air Slash invites in Flying-type switch-ins such as Bronzor and Silvally-Electric, so be mindful of what Rotom-S locks itself into. Once faster threats are removed and Rotom-S no longer needs to act as a revenge killer, Trick should be used to cripple switch-ins such as defensive Golem, Lickilicky, and Bronzor that Rotom-S cannot hurt otherwise. If Rotom-S needs its Choice Scarf for faster threats, avoid using Trick to cripple those Pokemon and double switch to a teammate instead. Against more defensive teams where Rotom-S's Speed is less valuable, Trick should be used early on to cripple bulky Pokemon such as Wish Komala, Altaria, and Dusclops.
Team Options
========
Choice Scarf Rotom-S is an excellent pivot and check to offensive Pokemon such as Simisage, Pinsir, and Swanna, so Pokemon that appreciate them being revenge killed such as Torterra, Beheeyem, and Combusken make for good partners. These Pokemon can also wallbreak and pave way for a late-game cleanup for Rotom-S. Grass-, Water-, and Ground-types pair well with Rotom-S, as they check Ground- and Electric-types, which helps Rotom-S use Volt Switch freely. Grass- and Water-types such as Exeggutor, Torterra, Simipour, and Floatzel beat common Ground-types, while Pokemon such as Golem, Marowak, and Silvally-Ground pair well with Rotom-S because they can check Electric-types such as Electivire, Raichu, and Silvally-Electric. Rotom-S is slower than common Choice Scarf users such as Electivire and Silvally and loses its ability to revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Simipour and Leafeon after using Trick. Because of this, pair Rotom-S with Pokemon such as Golem, Choice Band Furfrou, and Kadabra that can check those Pokemon. Entry hazard removers such as Sandslash, Silvally-Fighting, and Silvally-Water help keep Rotom-S healthy and able to pivot around by removing Stealth Rock. The latter two also form a VoltTurn core alongside Rotom-S.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Leftovers with a bulkier spread of 252 HP / 208 Def / 48 Spe and a Bold nature is an option on the defensive pivot set. The Speed EVs ensure Rotom-S outspeeds Adamant Pawniard, and the HP and Defense EVs make it a better switch-in for physical attackers such as Z-Mirror Move Swanna and Swords Dance Leafeon. However, the loss of Speed is not ideal, as it forces Rotom-S to trade damage against Pokemon it would otherwise outspeed and threaten such as Swords Dance Bibarel, Monferno, and Swords Dance Pinsir. On this set, Protect is an option in the third move slot that allows Rotom-S to generate additional turns of Leftovers recovery and scout out Choice Scarf users such as Electivire and Silvally. Flyinium Z is an option over Wiki Berry if your team lacks a Z-Move user that makes Rotom-S a better Knock Off switch-in and consequently a better check to Leafeon, Pawniard, and Kecleon, and it also allows Rotom-S to OHKO most Grass-types with Supersonic Skystrike. However, without a form of recovery from Wiki Berry, Rotom-S becomes much more reliant on Pain Split and more susceptible to chip damage. Hidden Power Ground over Will-O-Wisp on the Choice Scarf set can help Rotom-S nail would-be switch-ins such as Electivire, Raichu, and Golem, but Hidden Power Ground is a very exploitable move and usually inferior to the utility Will-O-Wisp brings.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Electivire, Raichu, and Silvally-Electric all switch into Rotom-S easily and threaten it out. In particular, Electivire and Raichu block Volt Switch thanks to Motor Drive and Lighting Rod, respectively, but they must watch out for Will-O-Wisp and being worn down by Air Slash.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Golem, Sandslash, Silvally-Ground, and Marowak block Volt Switch and cause Rotom-S to lose momentum as a result. While these Pokemon check the Choice Scarf set, Rotom-S threatens to cripple them with Will-O-Wisp.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Electivire, Silvally, Simipour, and Rapidash threaten to OHKO Choice Scarf Rotom-S after it is weakened. Similarly, offensive Pokemon such as Choice Band Basculin, Silvally-Dragon, and Simisear outspeed defensive Rotom-S and can OHKO it after some chip damage, though they need to consider knocking Rotom-S down into Wiki Berry range.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Walls such as Bronzor, Lickilicky, and Dusclops easily switch into Rotom-S and only fear Trick. Other bulky Pokemon such as Muk, Beheeyem, and Assault Vest Bouffalant comfortably take on Rotom-S, but they cannot block Volt Switch, and the latter two fear Trick. Rest variants of Silvally-Dark and Silvally-Poison used on stall teams can also switch into Rotom-S and do not fear Trick, but they cannot block Volt Switch.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[5gen, 296755]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ho3nConfirm3d, 231074], [uhuhuhu7, 407249]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Estronic, 240732], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
[/hide]
Last edited:
