Sparky: The Defensive Luxray to Charge Up Your Game

Farewell

luxray.png



Similar to Pepper the Arcanine thread, I have devised a set for the often ignored Electric feline.

Sparky has a few advantages over Pepper:

~ No Stealth Rock Weakness.

~ Only 1 weakness.

~ Has access to Light Screen to handle Special Attacks.

~ Never-miss status move.


Here is a set I devised for Luxray:


Sparky (Luxray): @ Leftovers
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
EVs 252 HP, 232 Def, 24SpD

Thunder Wave/Roar
Hidden Power [Ice]
Thunderbolt/Discharge
Light Screen


With this spread, I made Luxray achieve 200 Special Defense (effectively 400 when factoring in Light Screen), maxed its HP for maximum sturdiness, and put the rest into Defense to achieve 276 Defense, and 364 HP.


Thunderbolt + HP Ice is used over Spark + Ice Fang because Ground , Grass , & Flying types have a heavier investment in Defense than Special Defense.

~ Roar can be used over Thunder Wave if Sparky is using using Discharge, but it isn't necessary otherwise.


I often use Sparky to weaken Physical Sweepers, and Thunder-Wave on their switch out so their faster counter (Infernape) will be Paralyzed. Light Screen is there to specifically handle Special and Mixed Sweepers (like Infernape), who think they can stay in on Sparky after the Intimidate, or just in general and under-estimate Sparky dual Defensive capability.

Not to mention Sparky's Light Screen really does surprise enemies, and allows me to switch into my counter much easier, especially when the last thing the opponent expects to see is a Luxray, let alone a Luxray with Light Screen, where as a pokemon like Bronzong would be more likely to use Light Screen.

I also love using Sparky to counter Brave Bird users, as not only does Sparky resist Flying, and cut down their Attack with Intimidate, but their recoil hurts them and gives me a free turn to set-up Light Screen. Luxray, therefore makes a great counter to Staraptor, and Swellow.

Sparky can also stall-out Magnezone by spamming Thunderwaves and Light Screen, not forgetting its resistances to both Thunderbolt and Flash Cannon. Not to mention it switches in just fine against Gyro Ball Bronzong users with its handy resistance and Intimidate.


Sparky does work well even when I switch it into Earthquakes.

Here are some calculations courtesy of Metalkid's Calculator:

Sparky, when factoring in Intimidate, makes a Jolly Garchomp's EQ is a 3hko when NOT even factoring in Leftovers:

According to Metalkid's calculator, it only does 39.56% -46.7%
This also means Luxray, under Intimidate can survive a Jolly Swords Danced Garchomp's EQ.

Without Intimidate, it does 78.02%-91.76, effectively making it a 2hko always.

For CB Jolly Dugtrio, it does 84.34% - 99.18%, less than a 1hko, and factoring in Intimidate: 42.86% - 50.27%

 Tyranitar does 58.24% - 68.68% without Intimidate while Adamant and with max attack (404), if it uses EQ.With Intimidate Adamant Tyranitars EQ does 39.24% - 34.68% to Sparky.

*These are all based on Metalkid's calculator.



What do you guys think?
 
As much as I love defensive Luxray (my go-to pokemon in UU), for some reason seeing a topic biting off another one this badly makes me groan. >.>

My critique would be, and this goes for "Pepper"-chan as well, that you'll have a hard time convincing me that they do this better than gyarados.

Yes, I know typing/inability-to-go-special/ and a host of other reasons make luxray "different." But taking a step back and just looking at the overall perspective, Gyarados really just does this better in general in OU.

-Better defensive stats
-Better STAB optioins (you know lux is dying to use that 120 base ATK stat)
-Better secondary attacks (Hidden Power just does not cut it when we're talking about things like celebi and swampert).
-TAUNT
-Access to DRAGON DANCE
-And other viable sets to confuse the opponent.

Other than the fact that lux (arcanine) can attack special (which I really don't care much about when gyara has 125 ATK and good moves to work with) and have different typing (which really makes them "different" rather than "better"), I just can't see them performing much better than the giant dragon does.

BTW Roar + Intimidate seems rather counter productive in my book, which is why I don't run roar on my lux.
 
Neither do I, I run the Thunderwave+Thunderbolt variant.

As for Roar, it works to spam Discharge (spread Paralysis), and escape Dugtrios switching in, much like Skarmary may use WWind when predicting Magnezone coming in, so it can switch-out next turn (when it isn't holding Shed Shell).


The thing about Gyarados is that it is weak to SR, and has better things to do: Sweep.
*Much in the same way Dragonite has better things to do than use Heal Bell: Sweep.


Any useful advice, suggestions, criticisms?
 
and keep Discharge?

I did think of that, perhaps that makes more sense.


Hmm I should probably invest some EVs into speed to outrun them too...
 
Those calcs are rather impressive, i used to run a Luxray lead way back in february in OU, and it actually worked out pretty well. The set looks rather interesting, but im not entirely sure it would be effective.
 
Sorry to burst your bubble but Pepper is better at this then Luxray. Better stats and movepool make Pepper superior for this type of job. This more than makes up for Luxray's advantages (a few of which can be easily negated with proper team support). UU sure but it's going to have a lot of trouble in OU.
 
Also, these calcs are wrong.

Jolly Garchomp EQ to your Luxray (276 DEF) : 51%-61% [when factoring Intimidate]

So you can't call it a 'counter' under no circumstances.

Jolly CB Dugtrio EQ does 56% - 65% factoring Intimidate.
 
hhjj said:
Neither do I, I run the Thunderwave+Thunderbolt variant.

As for Roar, it works to spam Discharge (spread Paralysis), and escape Dugtrios switching in, much like Skarmary may use WWind when predicting Magnezone coming in, so it can switch-out next turn (when it isn't holding Shed Shell).


The thing about Gyarados is that it is weak to SR, and has better things to do: Sweep.
*Much in the same way Dragonite has better things to do than use Heal Bell: Sweep.


Any useful advice, suggestions, criticisms?
Click to expand...

-Who cares if other people say "It has better things to do"? If it works, it works, and if it works on your team, you should run it. Tyranitar has 135 base ATK and dragon dance. That's not going to stop it from running Quiet/Modest and flamethrowering your bronzong to hell every now and then.

-SR weak does not stop gyara from being one of the top pokemon in the game, and that's with people running bulky variants as well. Bulky Thunderwave Gyara is a poke that already sees some play after all.
 
hhjj said:
For CB Jolly Dugtrio, it does 84.34% - 99.18%, less than a 1hko, and factoring in Intimidate: 42.86% - 50.27%
Click to expand...
Except you can't switch in so the 2nd value is useless. Also this means that Adamant CB Dugtrio(which I believe is more common just to 2hko bliss) OHKOs it.
 
I wasn't a big fan of pepper either, to be honest.
The only-slightly above terrible defenses on arcanine and no access to a recovery move was going to make it impossible to use.
On top of that, it's weak to SR and get hits hard every time it tries to do anything.

Luxray is even worse. Worse defenses, no way to bother your opponents pokemon...
Your calculations don't work, considering they
1. are innaccurate
2. prove that it can't take repeated pressure
3. don't show how luxray threatens any of these pokemon

Also, shouldn't these be going into the "post creative movesets here" thread? This is like the fourth thread and I'm not sure this is so terribly groundbreaking to give it it's own thread.
 
I do apologize if I wasted everyone's time, I just saw the reviews in the Pepper thread and thought of a similar approach.

I do now see it isn't very good outside of having Intimidate (at least Defensively, Offensively it does get Rivalary), so I apologize, and next time I will post Individual Pokemon Unique Movesets in the thread you suggested.
 
hhjj said:
I often use Sparky to weaken Physical Sweepers, and Thunder-Wave on their switch out so their faster counter (Infernape) will be Paralyzed.
Click to expand...

I'm not entirely sure who you're playing but no one should be switching infernape (or similar fast, frail things that take neutral damage from electric) in against Luxray. I kind of doubt you have done this on multiple occasions.

Also, in all calcs where intimidate is factored in you are assuming you'll switch in to those attacks. I don't think the best way to use your electric type is to switch it into earthquakes. As other people mentioned those calcs look off regardless of who switched in on who.
 
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