RU sets: Good vs. Bad, Part Two (GP 2/2)

[Molk]

Sigilyph

Cosmic Power vs. Calm Mind

Cosmic Power:

[SET]
name: Cosmic Power
move 1: Cosmic Power
move 2: Psycho Shift
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Roost
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

While Cosmic Power Sigilyph might look good, or even overpowering, on paper, it simply doesn't perform in practice. Despite Cosmic Power Sigilyph having the potential to deal major damage after it has boosted a few times, Stored Power's paltry initial 20 Base Power leaves it offensively inept before it does so. Cosmic Power Sigilyph simply takes too long to set up and become threatening, giving the opponent ample time to switch in a check or a counter and force it out—or score a critical hit! Sigilyph also has major trouble with bulky Psychic-type Pokemon with Calm Mind, such as Uxie and Slowking, which always win, as without Special Attack boosts, Stored Power doesn't have a hope in hell of beating them even with a critical hit. Dark-type Pokemon are also extremely problematic for Sigilyph, being immune to its only damaging attack; Pokemon such as Spiritomb (Crotomb) and Mandibuzz beat it easily. Cosmic Power Sigilyph also has the burden of being stopped easily by Taunt, which prevents it from setting up further, and Haze, which eliminates all existing stat boosts. Haze Cryogonal and Taunt Drapion are both common examples of Pokemon which carry these moves; moreover, they both have super effective STAB moves against Sigilyph, making them superb checks—although Drapion without Lum Berry has to watch out for Psycho Shift, as Sigilyph barely outpaces it. If you want to use Sigilyph, a Calm Mind set is much more effective—like this one!

Calm Mind:

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 Spa / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Calm Mind Sigilyph is a devastating force and can sweep quite easily after just 1 or 2 boosts, unlike the Cosmic Power set. Using its good Speed tier, reliable recovery, and decent coverage, Sigilyph can easily smack around faster offensive teams; Calm Mind's Special Defense boost and Sigilyph's ability, Magic Guard, put the squeeze on more defensive teams, rendering residual damage useless and weakening already feeble special attacks. Calm Mind Sigilyph is also less susceptible to Taunt and Haze, being able to get past both Drapion and Cryogonal at +1 with the appropriate move. Unlike the Cosmic Power set, this set has the potential to actually sweep the opponent's team; Cosmic Power Sigilyph usually gets one of: phazed, debilitated by Taunt or Haze, or struck by a critical hit, whereas Calm Mind Sigilyph's improved coverage and power—courtesy of Life Orb and maximized Special Attack investment—make it far more difficult to handle.

Typhlosion

Choice Scarf vs. Choice Specs

Choice Scarf:

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

With its excellent Special Attack and Speed, powerful STAB Eruption, and decent coverage, the average player would probably think that Choice Scarf Typhlosion is a great choice for a revenge killer in RU. In reality, Choice Scarf Typhlosion is rather mediocre. While it has one of the most powerful STAB moves in the game at its disposal, ironically, it doesn't hit hard enough to KO a large portion of Pokemon in the RU tier. Moreover, Typhlosion rarely even gets to abuse its max power Eruption thanks to one of the most important mechanics in the game: entry hazards. Entry hazards lower the power of Typhlosion's Eruption greatly, and to make matters worse, the blazing badger takes full damage from every hazard, even being weak to Stealth Rock. Typhlosion is also vulnerable to the many priority moves in RU, such as Kabutops's Aqua Jet and Entei's ExtremeSpeed, both of which can KO a slightly weakened Typhlosion without much trouble. Thankfully, a simple item change can dramatically affect Typhlosion's performance in the tier.

Choice Specs:

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Although the only thing on this set that changed was an item, Choice Specs Typhlosion's improvement over its lesser set is vast. Choice Specs Typhlosion's added power is both significant and notable; in fact, a max power Eruption from Choice Scarf Typhlosion is weaker than a Choice Specs Typhlosion Fire Blast by a significant margin! While Choice Specs Typhlosion loses the ability to revenge kill some boosted threats, such as Lilligant, it still outspeeds the vast majority of the unboosted tier with its good 100 Speed stat. Here are some damage calculations of Choice Specs Typhlosion's damage output compared to Choice Scarf:

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 180-214 (44.88 - 53.36%) -- 95.31% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 226-267 (50.9 - 60.13%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 205-242 (55.25 - 65.22%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 176-207 (45.83 - 53.9%) -- 53.13% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Choice Scarf:

252 SpA Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 122-144 (30.42 - 35.91%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 151-178 (34 - 40.09%) -- 39.14% chance to 3HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 137-162 (36.92 - 43.66%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 118-139 (30.72 - 36.19%) -- 5.37% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock

As you can see, Choice Specs Typhlosion can blow past Typhlosion's conventional checks, whereas Choice Scarf doesn't even come close. Ultimately, Choice Specs is simply the better set because Choice Scarf fails to even be a decent revenge killer, let alone the mighty wallbreaker that Typhlosion should be.

Whimsicott

SubSeed vs. Support

SubSeed:

[SET]
name: SubSeed
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Encore
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

Whimsicott's poor reputation as a competitive Pokemon comes from this set. To put it bluntly, a moveset centered around priority Leech Seed is simply not effective in RU. Not only are there numerous Grass-type Pokemon that populate the tier, but Magic Guard Pokemon, such as Sigilyph and Clefable, also exist, and are similarly immune to Leech Seed. Moreover, Pokemon with the Sap Sipper ability, such as Bouffalant, Sawsbuck, and Miltank, can even get an Attack boost when switching in on Leech Seed. Ultimately, using Leech Seed and Substitute is a total waste of two moveslots; Whimsicott has better moves in its arsenal and should be putting them to use.

Support:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Stun Spore
move 2: U-turn / Memento
move 3: Encore
move 4: Giga Drain / Taunt / Leech Seed
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's better:

Unlike the SubSeed set, Support Whimsicott can actually accomplish something with priority Stun Spore; paralyzing the opponent's Pokemon can open up the path for a teammate to sweep. This set has much more utility than the SubSeed set as well, acting as a pivot for offensive teams and providing setup opportunities for sweepers. U-turn provides momentum when used on switches that Encore can force. Encore can also create opportunities for setup sweepers, such as Gallade and Sigilyph; Memento does this as well, but Whimsicott must be sacrificed in the process. Taunt prevents opposing sweepers from setting up and hazards from going down, while shutting down Pokemon reliant on support moves such as Uxie and Smeargle. If running a sun team, Whimsicott can forgo Giga Drain or Stun Spore for priority Sunny Day. With sun up, Victreebel and Charizard become offensive juggernauts, having the ability to sweep your opponent's entire team, should they be unprepared. Do not waste any of Whimsicott's moveslots with Substitute and Leech Seed, it has a cornucopia of moves with far greater utility.

 

[Molk]

ready for GP

 

[His Eminence Lord Poppington II]

Sigilyph

Cosmic Power vs. Calm Mind

Cosmic Power:

[SET]
name: Cosmic Power
move 1: Cosmic Power
move 2: Psycho Shift
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Roost
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Spa / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

While Cosmic Power Sigilyph mayight look good, or even overpowering, on paper, it simply doesn't perform as well as its made out to be in practice. Despite Cosmic Power Sigilyph may haveing the potential to deal major damage after it has boosted a few times, but before it reaches a certain amount of boosts, its completely helpless offensively, with Stored Power having an absolutely pathetic base 20 power initially. Cosmic Power Sigilyph takes quite aStored Power's paltry 20 initial base power leaves it offensively inept before it does so. Cosmic Power Sigilyph simply takes too long time to set up, and during these turns, yourbecome threatening, giving the opponent has ample opportunity to either switch intotime to switch in a check or a counter and force the nazca monstrosity out, —or score a critical hit on it, most likely knocking it out! Sigilyph also has major trouble with bulky Psychic-Ttypes with recovery as well as Dark-types even after its boosted enough to do damage. Cosmic Power Sigilyph also has the burden of being stopped easily by Taunt and Haze, which will stop its set up and erase what it has already gained, respectively. Pokemon with Calm Mind, such as Uxie and Slowking, which always win, as without Special Attack boosts Stored Power doesn't have a hope in hell of beating them, even with a critical hit. Dark-type Pokemon are also extremely problematic for Sigilyph, being immune to its only Attack; Pokemon such as Crotomb and Houndoom beat it easily, as neither of them can be worn down by Will-O-Wisp. Cosmic Power Sigilyph also has the burden of being stopped easily by Taunt, which prevents it from setting up further, and Haze, which eliminates all existing stat boosts. Haze Cryogonal and Taunt Drapion are both common and often carry these moves, reducing Cosmic Power Sigilyph's potential greatlyexamples of Pokemon which carry these moves; moreover, they both have super effective STAB against Sigilyph, making them superb checks—although Drapion without Lum Berry has to watch out for Will-O-Wisp, as Sigilyph barely outpaces it. If you want to use Sigilyph, a Calm Mind set is much more effective, —like this one!

Calm Mind:

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 Spa / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Calm Mind Sigilyph is a devastating force and can sweep quite easily after just 1 or 2 boosts, unlike the Cosmic Power set. Using its good speed tier, reliable recovery, and decent coverage, Sigilyph can easily smack around the faster, offensive teams, while using its boosting move, Calm Mind, and it; Calm Mind's Special Defense boost and Sigilyph's ability, Magic Guard to, put the squeeze on more defensive teams, rendering residual damage useless, and weakening already feeble special attacks. Calm Mind Sigilyph is also less susceptible to Taunt and Haze, being able to get past both Drapion and Cryogonal at +1 with the appropriate move. Unlike the Cosmic Power set, this set has the potential to actually sweep the opponent's team, instead of just sitting there and waiting to be phazed, taunted, or hit by a critical hit like the Cosmic Power set usually ends up doing; Cosmic Power Sigilyph usually gets one of: phazed, debilitated by Taunt or Haze, or struck by a critical hit. Whereas Calm Mind Sigilyph's improved coverage and power—courtesy of Life Orb and maximized Special Attack investment—make it far more difficult to handle.

Typhlosion

Choice Scarf vs. Choice Specs

Choice Scarf:

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 Spa / 252 Spe

Why its bad:

With its excellent Special Attack and Speed, powerful STAB Eruption, and decent coverage, the average player would probably think that Choice Scarf Typhlosion is a great choice for a revenge killer in RU, right?. In reality, Choice Scarf Typhlosion is rather mediocre as both a Choice Scarf user and a Pokemon. While it has one of the most powerful STAB moves in the game at its disposal, it ironically, it doesn't hit hard enough to outright KO a large amountportion of Pokemon in the RU tier. Moreover, Typhlosion rarely even gets to abuse its max power Eruption, thanks to one of the most important mechanics in the game: entry hazards. Entry hazards lower the power of Typhlosion's Eruption greatly, and to make matters worse, the blazing badger takes full damage from every hazard, even being weak to Stealth Rock! Typhlosion is also vulnerable to the many priority moves in RU, such as Kabutops's Aqua Jet and Entei's Extremspeed, both of which can both KO a slightly weakened Typhlosion without much trouble. Thankfully, a simple item change can dramatically affect Typhlosion's performance in the tier.

Choice Specs:

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Specs
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 Spa / 252 Spe

Why its better:

Although the only thing on this set that changed was an item, Choice Specs Typhlosion is much better than Choice Scarf. Choice Specs Typhlosion hits way harder than Choice Scarf Typhlosion right off the bat, which is always good for a Special Attacker. I's improvement over its lesser set is vast. Choice Specs Typhlosion's added power is both significant and notable; in fact, a max power Eruption from Choice Scarf Typhlosion is weaker than a Choice Specs Typhlosion Fire Blast by a significant amountmargin! While Choice Specs Typhlosion loses the ability to revenge kill some boostinged threats, such as xx, yy, and zz, it still outspeeds the vast majority of the unboosted tier with its good 100 Speed stat. Here are some damage calculations of Choice Specs Typhlosion's sheer damage potentialoutput compared to Choice Scarf.:

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 180-214 (44.88 - 53.36%) -- 95.31% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 226-267 (50.9 - 60.13%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 205-242 (55.25 - 65.22%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 176-207 (45.83 - 53.9%) -- 53.13% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock


Scarf Calcs:

252 SpA Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 122-144 (30.42 - 35.91%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 151-178 (34 - 40.09%) -- 39.14% chance to 3HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 137-162 (36.92 - 43.66%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 118-139 (30.72 - 36.19%) -- 5.37% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock

As one can see, Choice Specs Typhlosion can blow past Typhlosion's conventional checks, whereas Choice Scarf doesn't even come close. Ultimately, Choice Specs is simply the better set because Choice Scarf fails to even be a decent revenge killer, let alone the mighty wallbreaker that Typhlosion should be.

Whimsicott

SubSeed vs. Support

SubSeed:

[SET]
name: Subseed
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Encore
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why its bad:

Whimsicott's poor reputation derivas a competitive Pokemon comes from this set. To put it bluntly, this set is just not effective in RU. While a priority Leech Seed may seem appealing, in reality,a moveset centered around priority Leech Seed is simply not effective in RU. Not only are there are numerous Grass-types in the tier who block the move and completely shut down Whimsicott. Besides Grass-types, there are other Pokemon that make this set worthless. Sigilyph and Clefable both render SubSeed Whimsicott useless, as they take no damage from it due to Magic Guard. Pokemon with the Sap Sipper ability, such as Bouffalant, Sawsbuck, and Miltank, also wall this set. U Pokemon that populate the tier, but Magic Guard Pokemon, such as Sigilyph and Clefable, also exist, and are similarly immune to Leech Seed. Moreover, Pokemon with the Sap Sipper ability, such as Bouffalant, Sawsbuck, and Miltank, can even get an Attack boost when switching in on Leech Seed. Ultimately, using Leech Seed and Substitute is a total waste of two moveslots.; Whimsicott has better moves in its arsenal and should be putting them to use.

Support:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Stun Spore
move 2: U-turn/ Memento
move 3: Encore
move 4: Giga Drain / Taunt / Leech Seed
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why its better:

Unlike the SubSeed set, Support Whimsicott can actually accomplish something. Priority paralysis in Stun Spore is the correct way to annoy the opponent with priority Stun Spore; paralyzing the opponent's Pokemon can open up the path for a teammate to sweep. This set has much more utility than the SubSeed set as well, acting as a pivot for offensive teams, and providing setup opportunities for sweepers. U-turn provides momentum for twhen used on switches team, Memento and Encore can force switches and aid setup sweepers, while Taunt can prevent the opponent from setting up. Aside from this set, Whimsicott can also set up Sunny Day for a sun team, giving teammates such as Victreebel and Charizardhat Encore can force. Encore can also create opportunities for setup sweepers, such as xx, yy, and zz; Memento does this also, but Whimsicott must be sacrificed in the process. Taunt prevents opposing sweepers from setting up and hazards from going down, while shutting down Pokemon reliant on support moves, such as xx, yy, and zz. If running a sun team, Whimsicott can forgo Giga Drain or Stun Spore for priority Sunny Day. With sun up Victreebel and Charizard become offensive juggernauts, having the ability to sweep your opponent's entire team easily, should they be unprepared. Do not waste any of Whimsicott's moveslots with Substitute and Leech Seed, it has a cornucopia of moves with far greater utility.

Dittocrow and i are working together on this, but we decided to make it a two part article with three pokemon each, also, ill remove the whimsi bashing in the writeup, and of course, i will not be keeping the comment on whimsicott in the writeup :P

spacing issues shown fixed in c/p

c/p

Sigilyph

Cosmic Power vs. Calm Mind

Cosmic Power:

[SET]
name: Cosmic Power
move 1: Cosmic Power
move 2: Psycho Shift
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Roost
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Spa / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

While Cosmic Power Sigilyph might look good, or even overpowering, on paper, it simply doesn't perform in practice. Despite Cosmic Power Sigilyph having the potential to deal major damage after it has boosted a few times, Stored Power's paltry 20 initial base power leaves it offensively inept before it does so. Cosmic Power Sigilyph simply takes too long to set up and become threatening, giving the opponent ample time to switch in a check or a counter and force it out—or score a critical hit! Sigilyph also has major trouble with bulky Psychic-type Pokemon with Calm Mind, such as Uxie and Slowking, which always win, as without Special Attack boosts Stored Power doesn't have a hope in hell of beating them, even with a critical hit. Dark-type Pokemon are also extremely problematic for Sigilyph, being immune to its only Attack; Pokemon such as Crotomb and Houndoom beat it easily, as neither of them can be worn down by Will-O-Wisp. Cosmic Power Sigilyph also has the burden of being stopped easily by Taunt, which prevents it from setting up further, and Haze, which eliminates all existing stat boosts. Haze Cryogonal and Taunt Drapion are both common examples of Pokemon which carry these moves; moreover, they both have super effective STAB against Sigilyph, making them superb checks—although Drapion without Lum Berry has to watch out for Will-O-Wisp, as Sigilyph barely outpaces it. If you want to use Sigilyph, a Calm Mind set is much more effective—like this one!

Calm Mind:

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 Spa / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Calm Mind Sigilyph is a devastating force and can sweep quite easily after just 1 or 2 boosts, unlike the Cosmic Power set. Using its good speed tier, reliable recovery, and decent coverage, Sigilyph can easily smack around faster offensive teams; Calm Mind's Special Defense boost and Sigilyph's ability, Magic Guard, put the squeeze on more defensive teams, rendering residual damage useless, and weakening already feeble special attacks. Calm Mind Sigilyph is also less susceptible to Taunt and Haze, being able to get past both Drapion and Cryogonal at +1 with the appropriate move. Unlike the Cosmic Power set, this set has the potential to actually sweep the opponent's team; Cosmic Power Sigilyph usually gets one of: phazed, debilitated by Taunt or Haze, or struck by a critical hit. Whereas Calm Mind Sigilyph's improved coverage and power—courtesy of Life Orb and maximized Special Attack investment—make it far more difficult to handle.

Typhlosion

Choice Scarf vs. Choice Specs

Choice Scarf:

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 Spa / 252 Spe

Why its bad:

With its excellent Special Attack and Speed, powerful STAB Eruption, and decent coverage, the average player would probably think that Choice Scarf Typhlosion is a great choice for a revenge killer in RU. In reality, Choice Scarf Typhlosion is rather mediocre. While it has one of the most powerful STAB moves in the game at its disposal, ironically, it doesn't hit hard enough to KO a large portion of Pokemon in the RU tier. Moreover, Typhlosion rarely even gets to abuse its max power Eruption, thanks to one of the most important mechanics in the game: entry hazards. Entry hazards lower the power of Typhlosion's Eruption greatly, and to make matters worse, the blazing badger takes full damage from every hazard, even being weak to Stealth Rock! Typhlosion is also vulnerable to the many priority moves in RU, such as Kabutops's Aqua Jet and Entei's Extremspeed, both of which can KO a slightly weakened Typhlosion without much trouble. Thankfully, a simple item change can dramatically affect Typhlosion's performance in the tier.

Choice Specs:

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Specs
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 Spa / 252 Spe

Why its better:

Although the only thing on this set that changed was an item, Choice Specs Typhlosion's improvement over its lesser set is vast. Choice Specs Typhlosion's added power is both significant and notable; in fact, a max power Eruption from Choice Scarf Typhlosion is weaker than a Choice Specs Typhlosion Fire Blast by a significant margin! While Choice Specs Typhlosion loses the ability to revenge kill some boosted threats, such as xx, yy, and zz, it still outspeeds the vast majority of the unboosted tier with its good 100 Speed stat. Here are some damage calculations of Choice Specs Typhlosion's damage output compared to Choice Scarf:

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 180-214 (44.88 - 53.36%) -- 95.31% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 226-267 (50.9 - 60.13%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 205-242 (55.25 - 65.22%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 176-207 (45.83 - 53.9%) -- 53.13% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Scarf Calcs:

252 SpA Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 122-144 (30.42 - 35.91%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 151-178 (34 - 40.09%) -- 39.14% chance to 3HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 137-162 (36.92 - 43.66%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 118-139 (30.72 - 36.19%) -- 5.37% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock

As one can see, Choice Specs Typhlosion can blow past Typhlosion's conventional checks, whereas Choice Scarf doesn't even come close. Ultimately, Choice Specs is simply the better set because Choice Scarf fails to even be a decent revenge killer, let alone the mighty wallbreaker that Typhlosion should be.

Whimsicott

SubSeed vs. Support

SubSeed:

[SET]
name: Subseed
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Encore
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why its bad:

Whimsicott's poor reputation as a competitive Pokemon comes from this set. To put it bluntly, a moveset centered around priority Leech Seed is simply not effective in RU. Not only are there numerous Grass-type Pokemon that populate the tier, but Magic Guard Pokemon, such as Sigilyph and Clefable, also exist, and are similarly immune to Leech Seed. Moreover, Pokemon with the Sap Sipper ability, such as Bouffalant, Sawsbuck, and Miltank, can even get an Attack boost when switching in on Leech Seed. Ultimately, using Leech Seed and Substitute is a total waste of two moveslots; Whimsicott has better moves in its arsenal and should be putting them to use.

Support:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Stun Spore
move 2: U-turn/ Memento
move 3: Encore
move 4: Giga Drain / Taunt / Leech Seed
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why its better:

Unlike the SubSeed set, Support Whimsicott can actually accomplish something with priority Stun Spore; paralyzing the opponent's Pokemon can open up the path for a teammate to sweep. This set has much more utility than the SubSeed set as well, acting as a pivot for offensive teams, and providing set up opportunities for sweepers. U-turn provides momentum when used on switches that Encore can force. Encore can also create opportunities for setup sweepers, such as xx, yy, and zz; Memento does this also, but Whimsicott must be sacrificed in the process. Taunt prevents opposing sweepers from setting up and hazards from going down, while shutting down Pokemon reliant on support moves, such as xx, yy, and zz. If running a sun team, Whimsicott can forgo Giga Drain or Stun Spore for priority Sunny Day. With sun up Victreebel and Charizard become offensive juggernauts, having the ability to sweep your opponent's entire team, should they be unprepared. Do not waste any of Whimsicott's moveslots with Substitute and Leech Seed, it has a cornucopia of moves with far greater utility.

Dittocrow and i are working together on this, but we decided to make it a two part article with three pokemon each, also, ill remove the whimsi bashing in the writeup, and of course, i will not be keeping the comment on whimsicott in the writeup :P

note: xx, yy, and zz doesn't mean you have to include exactly three examples


amcheck

 

[Swamp-Rocket]

I noticed that the last GP Check had Houndoom in Sigilyph's "why its bad" section - be sure to get rid of that.

 

[Molk]

implemented!

 

[DittoCrow]

Hide

Sigilyph

Cosmic Power vs. Calm Mind

Cosmic Power:

[SET]
name: Cosmic Power
move 1: Cosmic Power
move 2: Psycho Shift
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Roost
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

While Cosmic Power Sigilyph might look good, or even overpowering, on paper, it simply doesn't perform in practice. Despite Cosmic Power Sigilyph having the potential to deal major damage after it has boosted a few times, Stored Power's paltry 20 initial bBase pPower leaves it offensively inept before it does so. Cosmic Power Sigilyph simply takes too long to set up and become threatening, giving the opponent ample time to switch in a check or a counter and force it out—or score a critical hit! Sigilyph also has major trouble with bulky Psychic-type Pokemon with Calm Mind, such as Uxie and Slowking, which always win, as without Special Attack boosts, Stored Power doesn't have a hope in hell of beating them, even with a critical hit. Dark-type Pokemon are also extremely problematic for Sigilyph, being immune to its only Adamaging attack; Pokemon such as Spiritomb (Crotomb) and Mandibuzz beat it easily. Cosmic Power Sigilyph also has the burden of being stopped easily by Taunt, which prevents it from setting up further, and Haze, which eliminates all existing stat boosts. Haze Cryogonal and Taunt Drapion are both common examples of Pokemon which carry these moves; moreover, they both have super effective STAB moves against Sigilyph, making them superb checks—although Drapion without Lum Berry has to watch out for Will-O-WispPsycho Shift, as Sigilyph barely outpaces it. If you want to use Sigilyph, a Calm Mind set is much more effective—like this one!

Calm Mind:

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 Spa / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Calm Mind Sigilyph is a devastating force and can sweep quite easily after just 1 or 2 boosts, unlike the Cosmic Power set. Using its good sSpeed tier, reliable recovery, and decent coverage, Sigilyph can easily smack around faster offensive teams; Calm Mind's Special Defense boost and Sigilyph's ability, Magic Guard, put the squeeze on more defensive teams, rendering residual damage useless, and weakening already feeble special attacks. Calm Mind Sigilyph is also less susceptible to Taunt and Haze, being able to get past both Drapion and Cryogonal at +1 with the appropriate move. Unlike the Cosmic Power set, this set has the potential to actually sweep the opponent's team; Cosmic Power Sigilyph usually gets one of: phazed, debilitated by Taunt or Haze, or struck by a critical hit. W, whereas Calm Mind Sigilyph's improved coverage and power—courtesy of Life Orb and maximized Special Attack investment—make it far more difficult to handle.

Typhlosion

Choice Scarf vs. Choice Specs

Choice Scarf:

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpaA / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

With its excellent Special Attack and Speed, powerful STAB Eruption, and decent coverage, the average player would probably think that Choice Scarf Typhlosion is a great choice for a revenge killer in RU. In reality, Choice Scarf Typhlosion is rather mediocre. While it has one of the most powerful STAB moves in the game at its disposal, ironically, it doesn't hit hard enough to KO a large portion of Pokemon in the RU tier. Moreover, Typhlosion rarely even gets to abuse its max power Eruption, thanks to one of the most important mechanics in the game: entry hazards. Entry hazards lower the power of Typhlosion's Eruption greatly, and to make matters worse, the blazing badger takes full damage from every hazard, even being weak to Stealth Rock!. Typhlosion is also vulnerable to the many priority moves in RU, such as Kabutops's Aqua Jet and Entei's Extremspeed, both of which can KO a slightly weakened Typhlosion without much trouble. Thankfully, a simple item change can dramatically affect Typhlosion's performance in the tier.

Choice Specs:

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Specs
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpaA / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Although the only thing on this set that changed was an item, Choice Specs Typhlosion's improvement over its lesser set is vast. Choice Specs Typhlosion's added power is both significant and notable; in fact, a max power Eruption from Choice Scarf Typhlosion is weaker than a Choice Specs Typhlosion Fire Blast by a significant margin! While Choice Specs Typhlosion loses the ability to revenge kill some boosted threats, such as Lilligant, it still outspeeds the vast majority of the unboosted tier with its good 100 Speed stat. Here are some damage calculations of Choice Specs Typhlosion's damage output compared to Choice Scarf:

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 180-214 (44.88 - 53.36%) -- 95.31% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 226-267 (50.9 - 60.13%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 205-242 (55.25 - 65.22%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 176-207 (45.83 - 53.9%) -- 53.13% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Scarf CalcsChoice Scarf:

252 SpA Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 122-144 (30.42 - 35.91%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 151-178 (34 - 40.09%) -- 39.14% chance to 3HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 137-162 (36.92 - 43.66%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 118-139 (30.72 - 36.19%) -- 5.37% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock

As oneyou can see, Choice Specs Typhlosion can blow past Typhlosion's conventional checks, whereas Choice Scarf doesn't even come close. Ultimately, Choice Specs is simply the better set because Choice Scarf fails to even be a decent revenge killer, let alone the mighty wallbreaker that Typhlosion should be.

Whimsicott

SubSeed vs. Support

SubSeed:

[SET]
name: SubsSeed
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Encore
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

Whimsicott's poor reputation as a competitive Pokemon comes from this set. To put it bluntly, a moveset centered around priority Leech Seed is simply not effective in RU. Not only are there numerous Grass-type Pokemon that populate the tier, but Magic Guard Pokemon, such as Sigilyph and Clefable, also exist, and are similarly immune to Leech Seed. Moreover, Pokemon with the Sap Sipper ability, such as Bouffalant, Sawsbuck, and Miltank, can even get an Attack boost when switching in on Leech Seed. Ultimately, using Leech Seed and Substitute is a total waste of two moveslots; Whimsicott has better moves in its arsenal and should be putting them to use.

Support:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Stun Spore
move 2: U-turn/ Memento
move 3: Encore
move 4: Giga Drain / Taunt / Leech Seed
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's better:

Unlike the SubSeed set, Support Whimsicott can actually accomplish something with priority Stun Spore; paralyzing the opponent's Pokemon can open up the path for a teammate to sweep. This set has much more utility than the SubSeed set as well, acting as a pivot for offensive teams, and providing set up opportunities for sweepers. U-turn provides momentum when used on switches that Encore can force. Encore can also create opportunities for setup sweepers, such as xx, yy, and zzGallade and Sigilyph; Memento does this alsos well, but Whimsicott must be sacrificed in the process. Taunt prevents opposing sweepers from setting up and hazards from going down, while shutting down Pokemon reliant on support moves, such as Uxie, and Smeargle, and Opposing Whimsicott. If running a sun team, Whimsicott can forgo Giga Drain or Stun Spore for priority Sunny Day. With sun up, Victreebel and Charizard become offensive juggernauts, having the ability to sweep your opponent's entire team, should they be unprepared. Do not waste any of Whimsicott's moveslots with Substitute and Leech Seed, it has a cornucopia of moves with far greater utility.

c/p

Sigilyph

Cosmic Power vs. Calm Mind

Cosmic Power:

[SET]
name: Cosmic Power
move 1: Cosmic Power
move 2: Psycho Shift
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Roost
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

While Cosmic Power Sigilyph might look good, or even overpowering, on paper, it simply doesn't perform in practice. Despite Cosmic Power Sigilyph having the potential to deal major damage after it has boosted a few times, Stored Power's paltry 20 initial Base Power leaves it offensively inept before it does so. Cosmic Power Sigilyph simply takes too long to set up and become threatening, giving the opponent ample time to switch in a check or a counter and force it out—or score a critical hit! Sigilyph also has major trouble with bulky Psychic-type Pokemon with Calm Mind, such as Uxie and Slowking, which always win, as without Special Attack boosts, Stored Power doesn't have a hope in hell of beating them even with a critical hit. Dark-type Pokemon are also extremely problematic for Sigilyph, being immune to its only damaging attack; Pokemon such as Spiritomb (Crotomb) and Mandibuzz beat it easily. Cosmic Power Sigilyph also has the burden of being stopped easily by Taunt, which prevents it from setting up further, and Haze, which eliminates all existing stat boosts. Haze Cryogonal and Taunt Drapion are both common examples of Pokemon which carry these moves; moreover, they both have super effective STAB moves against Sigilyph, making them superb checks—although Drapion without Lum Berry has to watch out for Psycho Shift, as Sigilyph barely outpaces it. If you want to use Sigilyph, a Calm Mind set is much more effective—like this one!

Calm Mind:

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 Spa / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Calm Mind Sigilyph is a devastating force and can sweep quite easily after just 1 or 2 boosts, unlike the Cosmic Power set. Using its good Speed tier, reliable recovery, and decent coverage, Sigilyph can easily smack around faster offensive teams; Calm Mind's Special Defense boost and Sigilyph's ability, Magic Guard, put the squeeze on more defensive teams, rendering residual damage useless and weakening already feeble special attacks. Calm Mind Sigilyph is also less susceptible to Taunt and Haze, being able to get past both Drapion and Cryogonal at +1 with the appropriate move. Unlike the Cosmic Power set, this set has the potential to actually sweep the opponent's team; Cosmic Power Sigilyph usually gets one of: phazed, debilitated by Taunt or Haze, or struck by a critical hit, whereas Calm Mind Sigilyph's improved coverage and power—courtesy of Life Orb and maximized Special Attack investment—make it far more difficult to handle.

Typhlosion

Choice Scarf vs. Choice Specs

Choice Scarf:

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

With its excellent Special Attack and Speed, powerful STAB Eruption, and decent coverage, the average player would probably think that Choice Scarf Typhlosion is a great choice for a revenge killer in RU. In reality, Choice Scarf Typhlosion is rather mediocre. While it has one of the most powerful STAB moves in the game at its disposal, ironically, it doesn't hit hard enough to KO a large portion of Pokemon in the RU tier. Moreover, Typhlosion rarely even gets to abuse its max power Eruption thanks to one of the most important mechanics in the game: entry hazards. Entry hazards lower the power of Typhlosion's Eruption greatly, and to make matters worse, the blazing badger takes full damage from every hazard, even being weak to Stealth Rock. Typhlosion is also vulnerable to the many priority moves in RU, such as Kabutops's Aqua Jet and Entei's Extremspeed, both of which can KO a slightly weakened Typhlosion without much trouble. Thankfully, a simple item change can dramatically affect Typhlosion's performance in the tier.

Choice Specs:

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Specs
ability: Blaze
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Although the only thing on this set that changed was an item, Choice Specs Typhlosion's improvement over its lesser set is vast. Choice Specs Typhlosion's added power is both significant and notable; in fact, a max power Eruption from Choice Scarf Typhlosion is weaker than a Choice Specs Typhlosion Fire Blast by a significant margin! While Choice Specs Typhlosion loses the ability to revenge kill some boosted threats, such as Lilligant, it still outspeeds the vast majority of the unboosted tier with its good 100 Speed stat. Here are some damage calculations of Choice Specs Typhlosion's damage output compared to Choice Scarf:

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 180-214 (44.88 - 53.36%) -- 95.31% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 226-267 (50.9 - 60.13%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 205-242 (55.25 - 65.22%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 176-207 (45.83 - 53.9%) -- 53.13% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Choice Scarf:

252 SpA Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 122-144 (30.42 - 35.91%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 151-178 (34 - 40.09%) -- 39.14% chance to 3HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 137-162 (36.92 - 43.66%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 118-139 (30.72 - 36.19%) -- 5.37% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock

As you can see, Choice Specs Typhlosion can blow past Typhlosion's conventional checks, whereas Choice Scarf doesn't even come close. Ultimately, Choice Specs is simply the better set because Choice Scarf fails to even be a decent revenge killer, let alone the mighty wallbreaker that Typhlosion should be.

Whimsicott

SubSeed vs. Support

SubSeed:

[SET]
name: SubSeed
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Encore
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

Whimsicott's poor reputation as a competitive Pokemon comes from this set. To put it bluntly, a moveset centered around priority Leech Seed is simply not effective in RU. Not only are there numerous Grass-type Pokemon that populate the tier, but Magic Guard Pokemon, such as Sigilyph and Clefable, also exist, and are similarly immune to Leech Seed. Moreover, Pokemon with the Sap Sipper ability, such as Bouffalant, Sawsbuck, and Miltank, can even get an Attack boost when switching in on Leech Seed. Ultimately, using Leech Seed and Substitute is a total waste of two moveslots; Whimsicott has better moves in its arsenal and should be putting them to use.

Support:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Stun Spore
move 2: U-turn/ Memento
move 3: Encore
move 4: Giga Drain / Taunt / Leech Seed
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's better:

Unlike the SubSeed set, Support Whimsicott can actually accomplish something with priority Stun Spore; paralyzing the opponent's Pokemon can open up the path for a teammate to sweep. This set has much more utility than the SubSeed set as well, acting as a pivot for offensive teams and providing setup opportunities for sweepers. U-turn provides momentum when used on switches that Encore can force. Encore can also create opportunities for setup sweepers, such as Gallade and Sigilyph; Memento does this as well, but Whimsicott must be sacrificed in the process. Taunt prevents opposing sweepers from setting up and hazards from going down, while shutting down Pokemon reliant on support moves, such as Uxie and Smeargle. If running a sun team, Whimsicott can forgo Giga Drain or Stun Spore for priority Sunny Day. With sun up, Victreebel and Charizard become offensive juggernauts, having the ability to sweep your opponent's entire team, should they be unprepared. Do not waste any of Whimsicott's moveslots with Substitute and Leech Seed, it has a cornucopia of moves with far greater utility.

I guess Poppy meant to stamp his own check so:

[gp]2/2[/gp]

 

[Molk]

changes have been implemented!

 

[Oglemi]

I'll HTML and upload this

 

[Oglemi]

[title]
RU Sets: Good vs. Bad #2

[head]

[page]

<div class="author">by<a href="/forums/member.php?u=99727">Molk</a> with help from <a href="/forums/member.php?u=46362">DittoCrow</a>, <a href="/forums/member.php?u=86133">TropiOUs</a>, and <a href="/forums/member.php?u=42607">SilentVerse</a>.</div>

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/591.png" alt="" />

<p><strong>Sigilyph</strong></p>

<p><strong>Cosmic Power</strong> vs. <strong>Calm Mind</strong></p>

<p><strong>Cosmic Power:</strong></p>

 <p>[SET]<br />
 name: Cosmic Power<br />
 move 1: Cosmic Power<br />
 move 2: Psycho Shift<br />
 move 3: Stored Power<br />
 move 4: Roost<br />
 item: Flame Orb<br />
 ability: Magic Guard<br />
 nature: Timid<br />
 evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe</p>

<p><strong>Why it's bad:</strong></p>

 <p>While Cosmic Power Sigilyph might look good, or even overpowering, on paper, it simply doesn't perform in practice. Despite Cosmic Power Sigilyph having the potential to deal major damage after it has boosted a few times, Stored Power's paltry initial 20 Base Power leaves it offensively inept before it does so. Cosmic Power Sigilyph simply takes too long to set up and become threatening, giving the opponent ample time to switch in a check or a counter and force it out&mdash;or score a critical hit! Sigilyph also has major trouble with bulky Psychic-type Pokemon with Calm Mind, such as Uxie and Slowking, which always win, as without Special Attack boosts, Stored Power doesn't have a hope in hell of beating them even with a critical hit. Dark-type Pokemon are also extremely problematic for Sigilyph, being immune to its only damaging attack; Pokemon such as Spiritomb (Crotomb) and Mandibuzz beat it easily. Cosmic Power Sigilyph also has the burden of being stopped easily by Taunt, which prevents it from setting up further, and Haze, which eliminates all existing stat boosts. Haze Cryogonal and Taunt Drapion are both common examples of Pokemon which carry these moves; moreover, they both have super effective STAB moves against Sigilyph, making them superb checks&mdash;although Drapion without Lum Berry has to watch out for Psycho Shift, as Sigilyph barely outpaces it. If you want to use Sigilyph, a Calm Mind set is much more effective&mdash;like this one!</p>

<p><strong>Calm Mind:</strong></p>

 <p>[SET]<br />
 name: Calm Mind<br />
 move 1: Calm Mind<br />
 move 2: Psyshock<br />
 move 3: Heat Wave<br />
 move 4: Roost<br />
 item: Life Orb<br />
 ability: Magic Guard<br />
 nature: Timid<br />
 evs: 4 HP / 252 Spa / 252 Spe</p>

<p><strong>Why it's better:</strong></p>

 <p>Calm Mind Sigilyph is a devastating force and can sweep quite easily after just 1 or 2 boosts, unlike the Cosmic Power set. Using its good Speed tier, reliable recovery, and decent coverage, Sigilyph can easily smack around faster offensive teams; Calm Mind's Special Defense boost and Sigilyph's ability, Magic Guard, put the squeeze on more defensive teams, rendering residual damage useless and weakening already feeble special attacks. Calm Mind Sigilyph is also less susceptible to Taunt and Haze, being able to get past both Drapion and Cryogonal at +1 with the appropriate move. Unlike the Cosmic Power set, this set has the potential to actually sweep the opponent's team; Cosmic Power Sigilyph usually gets one of: phazed, debilitated by Taunt or Haze, or struck by a critical hit, whereas Calm Mind Sigilyph's improved coverage and power&mdash;courtesy of Life Orb and maximized Special Attack investment&mdash;make it far more difficult to handle.</p>

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/157.png" alt="" />
 
<p><strong>Typhlosion</strong></p>

<p><strong>Choice Scarf</strong> vs. <strong>Choice Specs</strong></p>

<p><strong>Choice Scarf:</strong></p>

 <p>[SET]<br />
 name: Choice Scarf<br />
 move 1: Eruption<br />
 move 2: Fire Blast<br />
 move 3: Focus Blast<br />
 move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock<br />
 item: Choice Scarf<br />
 nature: Timid<br />
 evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</p>

<p><strong>Why it's bad:</strong></p>

 <p>With its excellent Special Attack and Speed, powerful STAB Eruption, and decent coverage, the average player would probably think that Choice Scarf Typhlosion is a great choice for a revenge killer in RU. In reality, Choice Scarf Typhlosion is rather mediocre. While it has one of the most powerful STAB moves in the game at its disposal, ironically, it doesn't hit hard enough to KO a large portion of Pokemon in the RU tier. Moreover, Typhlosion rarely even gets to abuse its max power Eruption thanks to one of the most important mechanics in the game: entry hazards. Entry hazards lower the power of Typhlosion's Eruption greatly, and to make matters worse, the blazing badger takes full damage from every hazard, even being weak to Stealth Rock. Typhlosion is also vulnerable to the many priority moves in RU, such as Kabutops's Aqua Jet and Entei's ExtremeSpeed, both of which can KO a slightly weakened Typhlosion without much trouble. Thankfully, a simple item change can dramatically affect Typhlosion's performance in the tier.</p>

<p><strong>Choice Specs:</strong></p>

 <p>[SET]<br />
 name: Choice Specs<br />
 move 1: Eruption<br />
 move 2: Fire Blast<br />
 move 3: Focus Blast<br />
 move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Rock<br />
 item: Choice Specs<br />
 nature: Timid<br />
 evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe</p>
 
<p><strong>Why it's better:</strong></p>

 <p>Although the only thing on this set that changed was an item, Choice Specs Typhlosion's improvement over its lesser set is vast. Choice Specs Typhlosion's added power is both significant and notable; in fact, a max power Eruption from Choice Scarf Typhlosion is weaker than a Choice Specs Typhlosion Fire Blast by a significant margin! While Choice Specs Typhlosion loses the ability to revenge kill some boosted threats, such as Lilligant, it still outspeeds the vast majority of the unboosted tier with its good 100 Speed stat. Here are some damage calculations of Choice Specs Typhlosion's damage output compared to Choice Scarf:</p>

 <ul="damage calculations">
 <li>252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 180-214 (44.88 - 53.36%) -- 95.31% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock</li>
<li>252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 226-267 (50.9 - 60.13%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO></li>
<li>252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 205-242 (55.25 - 65.22%) -- guaranteed 2HKO</li>
<li>252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 176-207 (45.83 - 53.9%) -- 53.13% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Choice Scarf:</strong></p>

<ul="damage calculations">
<li>252 SpA Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 122-144 (30.42 - 35.91%) -- guaranteed 4HKO</li>
<li>252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 151-178 (34 - 40.09%) -- 39.14% chance to 3HKO</li>
<li>252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 137-162 (36.92 - 43.66%) -- guaranteed 3HKO</li>
<li>252 SpA Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 118-139 (30.72 - 36.19%) -- 5.37% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock</li>
</ul>

<p>As you can see, Choice Specs Typhlosion can blow past Typhlosion's conventional checks, whereas Choice Scarf doesn't even come close. Ultimately, Choice Specs is simply the better set because Choice Scarf fails to even be a decent revenge killer, let alone the mighty wallbreaker that Typhlosion should be.</p>

<img src="/download/sprites/bw/575.png" alt="" />

<p><strong>Whimsicott</strong></p>

<p><strong>SubSeed</strong> vs. <strong>Support</strong></p>

<p><strong>SubSeed:</strong></p>

 <p>[SET]<br />
 name: SubSeed<br />
 move 1: Leech Seed<br />
 move 2: Substitute<br />
 move 3: Encore<br />
 move 4: Taunt<br />
 item: Leftovers<br />
 ability: Prankster<br />
 nature: Bold<br />
 evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD</p>

<p><strong>Why it's bad:</strong></p>

<p>Whimsicott's poor reputation as a competitive Pokemon comes from this set. To put it bluntly, a moveset centered around priority Leech Seed is simply not effective in RU. Not only are there numerous Grass-type Pokemon that populate the tier, but Magic Guard Pokemon, such as Sigilyph and Clefable, also exist, and are similarly immune to Leech Seed. Moreover, Pokemon with the Sap Sipper ability, such as Bouffalant, Sawsbuck, and Miltank, can even get an Attack boost when switching in on Leech Seed. Ultimately, using Leech Seed and Substitute is a total waste of two moveslots; Whimsicott has better moves in its arsenal and should be putting them to use.</p>

<p><strong>Support:</strong></p>

 <p>[SET]<br />
 name: Support<br />
 move 1: Stun Spore<br />
 move 2: U-turn / Memento<br />
 move 3: Encore<br />
 move 4: Giga Drain / Taunt / Leech Seed <br />
 item: Leftovers<br />
 ability: Prankster<br />
 nature: Bold<br />
 evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD</p>

<p><strong>Why it's better:</strong></p>

<p>Unlike the SubSeed set, Support Whimsicott can actually accomplish something with priority Stun Spore; paralyzing the opponent's Pokemon can open up the path for a teammate to sweep. This set has much more utility than the SubSeed set as well, acting as a pivot for offensive teams and providing setup opportunities for sweepers. U-turn provides momentum when used on switches that Encore can force. Encore can also create opportunities for setup sweepers, such as Gallade and Sigilyph; Memento does this as well, but Whimsicott must be sacrificed in the process. Taunt prevents opposing sweepers from setting up and hazards from going down, while shutting down Pokemon reliant on support moves such as Uxie and Smeargle. If running a sun team, Whimsicott can forgo Giga Drain or Stun Spore for priority Sunny Day. With sun up, Victreebel and Charizard become offensive juggernauts, having the ability to sweep your opponent's entire team, should they be unprepared. Do not waste any of Whimsicott's moveslots with Substitute and Leech Seed, it has a cornucopia of moves with far greater utility.</p>