Suicune
Hello, C&C. I've requested through Bojangles to work on Suicune and update it, since it really needs it. Anyway, I am currently adding in sections of this analysis one at a time, so feel free to stop by and read them over as I go. Cheers.
Status:
Uploaded. Great work.
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[Overview]
<p>Once upon a time, in a generation far, far away, Suicune was one of the best Pokemon in the game. D/P has changed the game substantially, and has brought with it many powerful attackers and new items that have made Suicune fall ever-so-slightly out of the limelight. That isn't to say that Suicune isn't still a top-tier threat, however, as it still has monstrous defensive stats, excellent typing, and the ability to set up on a vast portion of the metagame. Anyone doubting Suicune's effectiveness will realize the truth the hard way. Suicune is an exceptionally bulky Water-type Pokemon and doubles as a substantial offensive threat once set up. It has just the right tools to keep up with the fast-paced and brutal D/P metagame, and although not the monster it was in R/S, it remains a solid OU Pokemon.</p>
<p>Suicune, unfortunately, is a relatively predictable Pokemon. With its incredibly shallow movepool, it has very few options to surprise its opponents. Even worse still is that it is a magnet for being Tricked Choice items that utterly cripple its most common sets and make it very easy to play around. Suicune is also not a very fast Pokemon, falling short of many landmarks that would make it that much more threatening if it hit them. Despite these downfalls, its excellent defenses and Water-typing allow it to take an impressive amount of punishment before going down, scaring many Pokemon away and maybe taking a few with it on the way.</p>
[SET]
name: CroCune
move 1: Surf
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>CroCune is a relic from the R/S era, combining setup and survival into a set that can be surprisingly difficult to handle, but at the cost of having Surf as your only attack. This Suicune is not an immediate threat, but is very problematic for many Pokemon to deal with and can be a superb late-game sweeper. Its natural defenses and EV investment make it an impressive wall and prevent it from being 3HKOed by most physical attacks, while Calm Mind boosts protect it from special attacks.</p>
<p>Surf has excellent neutral coverage as Suicune's sole attack, resisted only by opposing Water-, Dragon-, and Grass-type Pokemon. Calm Mind boosts both Suicune's damage output and its Special Defense, allowing it to set up even on super effective STAB attacks from the likes of Rotom-A after a boost or two. Rest serves as Suicune's only method of healing and also stands as insurance against status attacks from Blissey and her kin, while Sleep Talk keeps it from being useless by allowing it to boost itself further while asleep. Running Rest and Sleep Talk also conveniently makes Suicune an excellent sleep (and general status) absorber for its team, being able to come in on a predicted status-inducing move, take it, and either proceed to Rest, Sleep Talk if the status was sleep, or switch out to do so later.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature for this set are chosen to maximize Suicune's physical durability, giving it the best chance to survive the attacks it will be luring when it is at its most vulnerable as it sets up its first Calm Mind. Pressure as an ability does not go to waste on a Pokemon like Suicune; CroCune makes an excellent PP stalling Pokemon with its capacity to take hits extremely well and then heal the damage off. Leftovers rounds out the set by giving Suicune the ability to sustain itself better over time.</p>
<p>Vaporeon is a hard stop to this Suicune due to Water Absorb. Vaporeon can be PP stalled out with Pressure, but unless he is the last Pokemon on a team, this is undesirable. Physical attackers that resist Surf, such as Salamence and Gyarados, can set up on this Suicune with ease and ravage it. Defensive Rotom-A can come in on Vaporeon and Gyarados and scare them away with Thunderbolt, while it can also burn the likes of Salamence with Will-O-Wisp in a pinch. Jolteon also deserves a mention for being able to absorb the Electric-type attacks aimed at Suicune and fire back powerful Thunderbolts. Offensive variants of Celebi and Shaymin have the power to punch through CroCune easily with their super effective Grass-type attacks, despite Suicune's defenses. Choice Scarf Heatran has little trouble dealing with these Grass-type Pokemon, being 4x resistant to Grass-type attacks and nailing both with Fire Blast. Rotom-A can also handle Celebi relatively well with Shadow Ball. Choice Scarf Tyranitar can also be helpful for his ability to absorb the deadly Trick aimed at Suicune and trap Pokemon like Celebi or Rotom-A with STAB Pursuit. A Celebi of your own creates a strong defensive core with Heatran and Suicune based on complementary typing. Toxic Spikes also deserves a mention for working excellently with the stalling nature of CroCune. Roserade is a particularly good user of Toxic Spikes, especially as a partner to Suicune due to her resistances to Electric- and Grass-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Suicune
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 3: Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Suicune is most often seen as a defensive Pokemon, but enjoys near-perfect neutral coverage with its attacking options and Calm Mind to make it immediately threatening. Offensive Suicune greatly appreciates its own natural bulk, which makes it almost impossible to OHKO and can give it lots of chances to set up. Furthermore, most of the Pokemon who switch into Suicune expecting to handle a defensive set will be met with a deadly super effective attack.</p>
<p>Suicune naturally forces a lot of switches, especially since most players will assume it to be the CroCune set. With just one Calm Mind under its belt, Suicune becomes a powerful sweeper. Hydro Pump affords Suicune many notable guaranteed OHKOs after a Calm Mind boost against Pokemon such as Scizor, Lucario, Tyranitar, and Specially Defensive Skarmory. Surf is still an option for its accuracy and higher PP, however. Hidden Power Electric and Ice Beam create a pseudo-BoltBeam combo that together with Hydro Pump or Surf hit everyone in the game for neutral damage except Shedinja and Lanturn.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs are very straightforward here, maximizing Suicune's Speed and Special Attack stats. Timid is the preferred nature so that Suicune can outspeed all Gyarados and Adamant Lucario. Modest can be used, however, as Suicune greatly appreciates the Special Attack bonus. Life Orb is the item of choice here so that Suicune can achieve all of its necessary KOs, although Leftovers works excellently with Suicune's natural bulk. Life Orb allows Suicune to 2HKO Vaporeon switch-ins with Hidden Power Electric after a single Calm Mind, a feat only possible with Modest if using Leftovers. A bulkier EV spread of 172 HP / 112 SpA / 224 Spe can be run with Leftovers and a Timid nature to take greater advantage of Suicune's natural bulk. Using Leftovers also assists the player in bluffing a typical defensive set.</p>
<p>Since this Suicune isn't using Rest and doesn't always carry Leftovers, free switch-ins are appreciated above all else. U-turn is the best way to get Suicune in, especially slow U-turns from Scizor, who makes a good offensive partner. Suicune can take the Fire-type attacks that Scizor lures and in return, Scizor will happily tear down Blissey for Suicune. Flygon also makes an excellent partner with its luring of Ice-type attacks and fast U-turn. Wish support is also helpful for this Suicune if it has to come in on powerful attacks or just to give it a second chance at a sweep. Jirachi makes a strong teammate for this as Suicune can easily get in on the attacks that Jirachi draws. Lastly, as this Suicune particularly dislikes status, unlike CroCune, cleric support from the likes of Celebi can be beneficial. This Suicune particularly appreciates entry hazards in the form of Spikes and Stealth Rock. Both wear down many common switch-ins and put them in OHKO or 2HKO range. Forretress makes a good user of Spikes for its ability to lure Fire-type attacks and take the physical hits this Suicune dislikes.</p>
[SET]
name: SubCM
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Surf
move 4: Ice Beam / Hidden Power Electric / Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 32 HP / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Suicune takes full advantage of its defensive nature and ability to force switches with this set by using Substitute. Set up a Substitute as your opponent switches to their Suicune response and then deal with the switch-in accordingly, either by setting up or attacking. There are two ways to play this Suicune, either offensively or defensively. Both are equally effective, but beat and struggle with different threats.</p>
<p>Substitute and Calm Mind form the bread and butter of this set, allowing Suicune to take advantage of switches and still boost its stats to become a monstrous threat. Surf is the mandatory STAB option in the third slot for its reliability. In the final slot, a few options can be used to great effect. Ice Beam is an excellent tool against Dragon- and Grass-types that may try to take advantage of you while Hidden Power Electric is Suicune's best option against bulky Water-types such as Vaporeon, who would otherwise give it trouble. Roar is best used on the defensive variant of this set to take advantage of entry hazards and ward off opposing setup sweepers.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The offensive variant of this set uses the listed spread, while the defensive variant runs an EV spread of 252 HP / 32 SpA / 224 Spe. 224 Speed and a Timid nature is required to outspeed max Speed Jolly Gyarados before a Dragon Dance boost. For the defensive variant, 252 HP EVs just barely allow the creation of 101 HP Substitutes.</p>
<p>The following examples should illustrate the differences between the offensive and defensive variants of this set. With 252 HP, Suicune sets up 101 HP Substitutes, enabling it to beat Seismic Toss Blissey. The offensive variant, however, will have its Substitutes broken by Seismic Toss and will get fewer Calm Minds. Both sets require Toxic Spikes and perferably sandstorm to overcome Blissey, or they will lose against her regardless. Gyarados sets up on the defensive variant of this set with relative ease, with +1 Ice Beam only 3HKOing it after Stealth Rock damage. The offensive variant, however, 2HKOes with the same number of Calm Minds and Stealth Rock in play, so Gyarados cannot do much against it. Offensive +1 SubCM Suicune is guaranteed a 2HKO on 252 / 220 Calm Zapdos without Stealth Rock, while the defensive variant has only an 80% chance of achieving that same 2HKO with Stealth Rock in play.</p>
<p>Whether you pick offensive or defensive is dependent on your team. Offensive Suicune is essentially useless on a defensive team, and defensive Suicune slows down the momentum of an offensive team by taking too long to set up. Both are as devastating as each other if played correctly, however. This Suicune absolutely needs Toxic Spikes support to punch through Blissey and Vaporeon, its two biggest counters. Roserade is the best user of Toxic Spikes to pair with this Suicune for her ability to take Electric- and Grass-type attacks well. If Roar is chosen, Spikes support from the likes of Forretress will also be valuable. Heatran makes another excellent teammate for its ability to form a strong defensive core with Suicune and a Grass-type and also for its ability to beat opposing Grass-type Pokemon who threaten Suicune. Scizor and Salamence pair well with the offensive variant since they enjoy having Gyarados removed from the picture.</p>
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Surf
move 4: Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Suicune is naturally very difficult to take down due to its excellent typing and defensive stats. The Rest and Sleep Talk combination keeps Suicune healthy as it attempts to fire off moves while asleep to prevent it from becoming setup fodder. This Suicune's ability to function as a status absorber, phazer, and check to many popular offensive threats makes it a good choice on teams that need an immediate defensive response to Fire-, Water-, Ice-, and Steel-type attacks.</p>
<p>Rest keeps Suicune's health up, while Sleep Talk and Roar together discourage opponents from setting up on Suicune. Surf is a strong STAB attack that keeps those weak to it at bay and prevents Suicune from being complete Taunt bait. Roar is chosen for its phazing qualities, to rack up residual damage from entry hazards, and to send away opponents that may have already set up on the switch, such as Agility Metagross. It is possible to run Calm Mind on this set instead of Sleep Talk, which lets you attempt a sweep at the cost of being made useless for the two turns you're asleep. When using Calm Mind, another attacking move, such as Ice Beam or Hidden Power Electric, can be used over Rest to run an offensive Suicune with Roar.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This Suicune is most often competing with RestTalk Gyarados for a spot on a team. Gyarados checks opponents like Infernape and Lucario far more effectively than Suicune can with Intimidate and a resistance to Fighting-type attacks. Suicune, however, has the advantage of not being weak to Rock-type attacks and Stealth Rock, boasts an Ice-type resistance, and can take an Electric-type attack when necessary. This makes Suicune better at taking on Tyranitar than Gyarados, who is 2HKOed by Stone Edge even after Intimidate. Furthermore, Suicune can use Pressure to stall moves such as Fire Blast from Heatran or Stone Edge from Tyranitar far more effectively than Gyarados can. Both Pokemon have their niche uses and can cover different threats more effectively than the other, and whether you choose Suicune or Gyarados depends largely upon your team.</p>
<p>The EVs and Bold nature are chosen to maximize Suicune's ability to take physical attacks. The remaining 4 EVs are placed in Speed to outspeed opposing 0 Speed Suicune with Roar. Leftovers is a must-have on this set for its ability to keep Suicune healthy over time.</p>
<p>As RestTalk Suicune is an excellent phazer, entry hazards are the most important support to provide it. Forretress makes a particularly excellent Toxic Spikes user in conjunction with Suicune because his Fire-type weakness is easily handled by Suicune. Both Forretress and Skarmory can also function as strong users of Spikes alongside Suicune, although when using Skarmory, you must partner him with someone who can take Electric-type attacks well, such as Blissey. Blissey will be able to provide invaluable Wish support and can also set up Stealth Rock to get all entry hazards on the field.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Both offensive and defensive Suicune will appreciate having Stealth Rock and/or Spikes set up. Defensive Suicune particularly needs Toxic Spikes support. As mentioned several times in the analysis, Roserade makes a useful partner to Suicune, as she can remove Toxic Spikes, set them up, and hurt any bulky Water-type Pokemon who could be in the way. Celebi and Heatran make a good trio with Suicune based on resistances and their ability to remove certain threats (such as other Celebi). Rotom-A can cripple strong physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp and Blissey with Trick, as well as switch in on incoming Explosions. Even on defensive teams, it is important to have someone who can absorb Trick. Choice Scarf Tyranitar is an effective partner for its ability to take down opposing Rotom-A and Jolteon as well as switch into predicted Trick from Pokemon like Rotom-A or Starmie.</p>
<p>Offensively, Scizor works well, denting enemies with Choice Band U-turn and bringing in Suicune unscathed, as well as luring in Heatran and Gyarados. Symbiotically, Suicune chases out Salamence and Gyarados, and can handle many types of Zapdos, opening up a sweep for Scizor and various Fighting-types, such as Infernape, Lucario, or Heracross. If you want to use Suicune as a sweeper, pair it with someone fast who can scout your opponent's team, such as Choice Scarf Flygon or Infernape with U-turn. Early in the game, its main use is to open holes for stronger and faster teammates to sweep, and it does this best when Blissey has been KOed.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Suicune has a terribly shallow movepool, and so lacks many other options for moves. Offensively, its movepool is so barren that only Shadow Ball and Extrasensory make a showing, both of which are so narrowly useful that they generally are not worth using at all. Defensively, Suicune has access to Mirror Coat and Reflect, which could be useful on some sets, but generally have to compete with far more useful moves for a precious moveslot. Toxic and Protect could be effective on Suicune, but they are better left to the likes of Vaporeon, who has Wish. Outside of Tailwind, which has too short of an effect to really support the team at all, there exists almost nothing else that Suicune can use from its movepool.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Virtually all variants of Suicune have trouble with boosted physical attackers. CroCune, in particular, will fall to anyone faster who can 3HKO it or anyone slower who can 2HKO it. Sets lacking Hidden Power Electric are walled effortlessly by Vaporeon, although he dislikes Toxic Spikes and can be PP stalled if the need arises. Blissey will also stop any Suicune set lacking Rest and Roar cold. Suicune without Hidden Power Electric are setup fodder for Gyarados, while those missing Ice Beam can be set up on by Salamence. Celebi beats most types of Suicune as well by stopping a sweep with Perish Song, wearing it down with Leech Seed, or KOing offensive variants with its powerful Grass-type STAB attacks. Shaymin can take down even Calm Mind boosted Suicune swiftly with its STAB Seed Flare and the Special Defense drops that are likely to come with it. Roserade can do the same with Leaf Storm or by setting up Toxic Spikes, the bane of any Suicune lacking Rest. Defensive Suicune in general are shut down by Trick or Explosion, while offensive Suicune are stopped by status or faster sweepers packing either enormous firepower or super effective attacks.</p>
