[OVERVIEW]
Ash-Greninja's high Speed and solid offensive stats make it an effective attacker. STAB-boosted Surging Strikes and Wicked Blow are excellent options for Choice Band sets, taking advantage of good Attack and Sniper to power through physical walls and force out non-resistant foes. Alternatively, Sheer Force sets can circumvent common Dark-resistant checks, like Mega Audino and Arceus-Fairy, with special attacks like Steam Eruption or super effective coverage like Noxious Torque. Ash-Greninja's main issue is that it requires prediction to do significant damage; Rocky Helmet + Fur Coat users, most of which resist Dark, can mostly stop Sniper sets from doing meaningful damage until a Knock Off lands in the right place. Sheer Force sets are strong but not mind-bogglingly so, meaning constant predictions are necessary to keep up damage. Ash-Greninja also sits in an awkward Speed tier that commonly leaves it forced out by foes like Mega Sceptile and Flutter Mane. Both sets also lack recovery, meaning that entry hazards wear into its HP, especially given the Rocky Helmet issue.
[SET]
Sniper (Greninja-Ash) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Wicked Blow
- Flower Trick
- Knock Off
[SET COMMENTS]
Sniper's immense damage buff makes Ash-Greninja a strong Choice Band user, with even the bulkiest physical walls like Fur Coat Arceus-Fairy taking 40% per attack. Flower Trick is largely an Imposter deterrent, but it helps out against the occasional Fur Coat Arceus-Water and Dondozo, albeit needing entry hazard support for the latter. Knock Off allows Ash-Greninja to remove Rocky Helmets for itself, which are its primary bottleneck for dealing damage in most games; removing Heavy-Duty Boots from foes like Mega Audino also greatly helps, as does Eviolite from Imposter users.
Sniper Ash-Greninja is generally best on balance teams as the primary progress maker thanks to its commanding damage output. Slow pivot support is mandatory, as Ash-Greninja cannot afford to take Knock Off and severely dislikes status from moves like Mortal Spin and Glare; this usually comes in the form of RegenVest users, which also help via Stone Axe and Knock Off. A secondary physical wallbreaker can prove useful, as it's possible that Ash-Greninja can get hung up on walls chosen specifically to counter it, namely faster Dark-resistant foes like Koraidon and Zamazenta. Strong hazard removal is also highly recommended due to Ash-Greninja's lack of recovery, with Mortal Spin's poison additionally helping to pick off frailer targets.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sniper sets can occasionally find use in Frost Breath, which gives Ash-Greninja an easier time dispatching Koraidon and other Fur Coat Dragon-types, but these are very seldom used, and Frost Breathis a terrible move to be locked into. Similarly, Tough Claws can be used in place of Sniper thanks to Electro Drift, which both hits Imposter users and dispatches Celesteela and Dondozo, but the damage drop on Ash-Greninja's physical attacks is less than desirable. Magic Guard is an option to retain health much more safely and get use out of Water Spout, but the set still falters to Fur Coat Dragon-types, and its Dark-type damage falls to almost insignificance, compounded by Dark being its only real damaging option when needing to heal. Ash-Greninja is also arguably the best rain sweeper with Tinted Lens + Water Spout, but this requires commitment of the entire team and is generally unreliable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rocky Helmet**: Sniper sets are essentially stalled until Rocky Helmet is removed from physical walls, as most ones looking to check Ash-Greninja will resist Dark, meaning the only major damage they take costs Ash-Greninja 50% of its HP.
**Faster Pokemon**: Ash-Greninja's awkward Speed means that Koraidon, Zamazenta, and Miraidon can outspeed and defensively check it should they have Fur Coat. Offensive Pokemon used primarily for their Speed, like Mega Sceptile, Mega Alakazam, and Flutter Mane, can also all chase it out, but can't switch in.
**Strength Sap**: While Surging Strikes and Wicked Blow ignore Strength Sap's Attack drops, Ash-Greninja struggles to KO neutral targets from full, and one of its STAB-boosted moves will usually be near-dead weight due to the opponent's Fur Coat user's typing. This limits Ash-Greninja's switch-in opportunities and pressures its PP conservation. Sheer Force sets also similarly don't enjoy Bolt Strike and Combat Torque faltering against Ice Scales users.
**Entry Hazards**: Ash-Greninja's lack of recovery and already-high contact move usage means entry hazards can largely keep it off the field.
**Fur Coat**: Fur Coat walls can dodge all 2HKOes from Sniper sets and PP stall it long-term without extensive hazard chip. Those faster than Ash-Greninja, like Zamazenta, are almost impossible to wear down.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/chessking345.355040/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
Ash-Greninja's high Speed and solid offensive stats make it an effective attacker. STAB-boosted Surging Strikes and Wicked Blow are excellent options for Choice Band sets, taking advantage of good Attack and Sniper to power through physical walls and force out non-resistant foes. Alternatively, Sheer Force sets can circumvent common Dark-resistant checks, like Mega Audino and Arceus-Fairy, with special attacks like Steam Eruption or super effective coverage like Noxious Torque. Ash-Greninja's main issue is that it requires prediction to do significant damage; Rocky Helmet + Fur Coat users, most of which resist Dark, can mostly stop Sniper sets from doing meaningful damage until a Knock Off lands in the right place. Sheer Force sets are strong but not mind-bogglingly so, meaning constant predictions are necessary to keep up damage. Ash-Greninja also sits in an awkward Speed tier that commonly leaves it forced out by foes like Mega Sceptile and Flutter Mane. Both sets also lack recovery, meaning that entry hazards wear into its HP, especially given the Rocky Helmet issue.
[SET]
Sniper (Greninja-Ash) (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Wicked Blow
- Flower Trick
- Knock Off
[SET COMMENTS]
Sniper's immense damage buff makes Ash-Greninja a strong Choice Band user, with even the bulkiest physical walls like Fur Coat Arceus-Fairy taking 40% per attack. Flower Trick is largely an Imposter deterrent, but it helps out against the occasional Fur Coat Arceus-Water and Dondozo, albeit needing entry hazard support for the latter. Knock Off allows Ash-Greninja to remove Rocky Helmets for itself, which are its primary bottleneck for dealing damage in most games; removing Heavy-Duty Boots from foes like Mega Audino also greatly helps, as does Eviolite from Imposter users.
Sniper Ash-Greninja is generally best on balance teams as the primary progress maker thanks to its commanding damage output. Slow pivot support is mandatory, as Ash-Greninja cannot afford to take Knock Off and severely dislikes status from moves like Mortal Spin and Glare; this usually comes in the form of RegenVest users, which also help via Stone Axe and Knock Off. A secondary physical wallbreaker can prove useful, as it's possible that Ash-Greninja can get hung up on walls chosen specifically to counter it, namely faster Dark-resistant foes like Koraidon and Zamazenta. Strong hazard removal is also highly recommended due to Ash-Greninja's lack of recovery, with Mortal Spin's poison additionally helping to pick off frailer targets.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sniper sets can occasionally find use in Frost Breath, which gives Ash-Greninja an easier time dispatching Koraidon and other Fur Coat Dragon-types, but these are very seldom used, and Frost Breathis a terrible move to be locked into. Similarly, Tough Claws can be used in place of Sniper thanks to Electro Drift, which both hits Imposter users and dispatches Celesteela and Dondozo, but the damage drop on Ash-Greninja's physical attacks is less than desirable. Magic Guard is an option to retain health much more safely and get use out of Water Spout, but the set still falters to Fur Coat Dragon-types, and its Dark-type damage falls to almost insignificance, compounded by Dark being its only real damaging option when needing to heal. Ash-Greninja is also arguably the best rain sweeper with Tinted Lens + Water Spout, but this requires commitment of the entire team and is generally unreliable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rocky Helmet**: Sniper sets are essentially stalled until Rocky Helmet is removed from physical walls, as most ones looking to check Ash-Greninja will resist Dark, meaning the only major damage they take costs Ash-Greninja 50% of its HP.
**Faster Pokemon**: Ash-Greninja's awkward Speed means that Koraidon, Zamazenta, and Miraidon can outspeed and defensively check it should they have Fur Coat. Offensive Pokemon used primarily for their Speed, like Mega Sceptile, Mega Alakazam, and Flutter Mane, can also all chase it out, but can't switch in.
**Strength Sap**: While Surging Strikes and Wicked Blow ignore Strength Sap's Attack drops, Ash-Greninja struggles to KO neutral targets from full, and one of its STAB-boosted moves will usually be near-dead weight due to the opponent's Fur Coat user's typing. This limits Ash-Greninja's switch-in opportunities and pressures its PP conservation. Sheer Force sets also similarly don't enjoy Bolt Strike and Combat Torque faltering against Ice Scales users.
**Entry Hazards**: Ash-Greninja's lack of recovery and already-high contact move usage means entry hazards can largely keep it off the field.
**Fur Coat**: Fur Coat walls can dodge all 2HKOes from Sniper sets and PP stall it long-term without extensive hazard chip. Those faster than Ash-Greninja, like Zamazenta, are almost impossible to wear down.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/chessking345.355040/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
Last edited:
