#640 - Birijion
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Typing
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Weaknesses/Resistances
Immunity:
x0.50:
x1.00:
x2.00:
x4.00:
Grass and Fighting unfortunately is mediocre combination in offense - mainly resisted by Flying types, which also hits Birijion for x4 effective damage. Also offenses of Birijion is nothing to be really impressed to make up for it - both 90 base special attack and defense makes it not so threatening in offensive way. However, it has few notable options. For first good number of resistances, like -Electric, -Water, -Grass, -Dark, -Ground and -Rock, with famous QuakeEdge resistance give it solid potential for defensive Pokemon (however lack of recovery hurts). Solid speed allowing it to outspeed some important targets in Sazando, Adamant DDTar, Roserade and other attacker with good offensive potential. But if you need more offensive approach, it has good enough movepool to use Swords Dance and Calm Mind with decent effect, but don't expect it to decimate teams. It's more supposed to tank one or two hits, while finding one more turn to boost mediocre offenses to good levels. Play to it's biggest advantages and avoid strong -Fire and -Flying attacks and it should work.
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Stats
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Base Stat Total: 580
Base Stats: | 91 | 90 | 72 | 90 | 129 | 108 |
Birijion's main blessing is his above average base Speed of 108 along with its great 129 special defense, while stiil keeping solid 91/72 physical bulk. In other words Birijion works as a decent check to few types of pokemon, mostly Water, Grass, Dark and Electric ones, which Birijion may easily tank with his good special bulk (or physical one, when invested). On physical side it may check Tyranitar, Gyarados, Leafeon, Aggron and other dangerous hard-hitters and sweepers. However his main niche is special walling/tank hits and he does it quite well. Immunity to Leech Seed, Dark type attacks
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Abilities
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Justice Heart: Absorbs Dark-type attacks when hit and raises Pokemon's Attack stage by 1.
While Birijion would prefer to absorb a different type attack, seeing as it would resist Dark-types anyways, it will gladly welcome the Attack boost. This ability can help Birijion to boost his mediocre physical attack (for example on Choice Tyranitar) and boost it farther with Swords Dance, making it solid physical attacker. While Birijion is bulky, especially on special side, it helps even further in checking some offensive threats like Sazando, Tyranitar, Zoroark and other Dark-type offensive threats. However it has few problems - For first bad weaknesses to -Fire, -Ice and this easily to exploit x4 -Flying weakness means trouble, even with this decent speed. Also Birijion would love to have better movepool, which lacks few options popular on other Grass-types like Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, Leaf Storm, Power Whip and other usable options. In overall when you compare his weaknesses to resistances, then Birijion generally is solid addition to any team, if you need bulky and fast sponge to some strong attacks, which Birijion quite easily resists.
Learnable TMs:
TM04 - Calm Mind, TM05 - Roar, TM06 - Toxic, TM10 - Hidden Power, TM11 - Sunny Day, TM12 - Taunt, TM15 - Hyper Beam, TM16 - Light Screen, TM17 - Protect, TM20 - Safeguard, TM21 - Frustration, TM22 - Solar Beam, TM27 - Return, TM32 - Double Team, TM33 - Reflect, TM40 - Aerial Ace, TM42 - Facade, TM44 - Rest, TM48 - Troll, TM52 - Focus Blast, TM53 - Energy Ball, TM54 - False Swipe, TM67 - Get Even, TM68 - Giga Impact, TM70 - Flash, TM71 - Stone Edge, TM75 - Swords Dance, TM77 - Psych Up, TM81 - X-Scissor, TM83 - Cheer Up, TM86 - Grass Knot, TM87 - Swagger, TM90 - Substitute, TM94 - Rock Smash, HM01 - Cut, HM04 - Strength
Level-up Moves:
Lv1: Quick Attack, Lv1: Leer, Lv7: Double Kick, Lv13: Magical Leaf, Lv19: Take Down, Lv25: Helping Hand, Lv31: [M514], Lv37: Giga Drain, Lv42: [M533], Lv49: Swords Dance, Lv55: [M501], Lv61: [M526], Lv67: Leaf Blade, Lv73: Close Combat
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Sets Ideas
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'Speedy Physical Tank'
Birijion @ Leftovers
252 HP / 208 Spe / 44 Def
Jolly / Naive Nature
~ Reflect
~ Close Combat
~ Leaf Blade / Grass Knot
~ Hidden Power Ice / Stone Edge / Taunt
For first, those EVs are enough to outspeed Max Speed Jolly Garchomp, probably the most dangerous physical sweeper to outspeed. Reflect is perfect for additional bulk, which you may need to wall some slower physical attackers. However you're not totally hopeless against threats, which outspeeds you. Some calculations.
+2 Adamant Doryuuzu Swords Dance X-Scissor vs 252 HP/44 Def Neutral Birijion 62.95% -> 74.09%
In other words you easily survive hit and retaliate with STAB Close Combat, while easily resisting Rock Slide/Earthquake from his offensive sets. For me it makes Birijion a really solid Doryuuzu counter. Ok, time for something else.
+2 Adamant Life Orb Lucario ExtremeSpeed vs 252 HP/44 Def Neutral Birijion
70.73% -> 83.42%.
In other words you easily survive ExtremeSpeed and OHKO Lucario back. Life Orb Close Combat from the same Lucario deals 60.88% -> 71.76% so if you make mistake here, you still survive.
+1 No Boosting Item Jolly Tyranitar Fire Punch vs 252 HP/44 Def Neutral Birijion
80.31% -> 94.82%
I admit it, there's a really slim chance for OHKO, however it's impossible without Life Orb. And I don't think that Tyranitar will choose Life Orb over Babiri Berry or Lum Berry just to let itself being easily revenge-killed by Scizor or just crippled by status. Against choice sets you're pretty much safe.
+2 Life Orb Adamant Kabutops Waterfall IN RAIN vs 252 HP/44 Def Neutral Birijion
81.87% -> 96.37%
This is best what Kabutops may do against Birijion under rain. It hurts, but you always survive without SR up. I don't need to say that you OHKO said Kabutops back with grass attack.
Choice Band Adamant Rhyperior Megahorn vs 252 HP/44 Def Neutral Birijion
72.80% - 85.75%
In other words you may easily switch in, take Megahorn and OHKO back with grass attack.
Anyway, those are some examples on calcs. Anyway, this Birijion stops also physically based Water attackers (Gyarados, Crawdaunt, Kingler), Bulky Ground attackers (Hippowdon, Donphan, Doryuuzu) and some Physical Grass-type attackers.
'Swords Dancer'
Birijion @ Life Orb / Leftovers
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
~ Swords Dance
~ Leaf Blade
~ Close Combat
~ Stone Edge / Quick Attack / Taunt
Not many things to explain here. Birijion is fast enough to abuse it and thanks to Justice Heart you may receive +1 boost to physical attack, which compliments this set. Taunt is perfect choice when you need a wall-breaker, especially with Birijion's good bulk to abuse it.
'Offensive Calm Mind'
Birijion @ Life Orb / Leftovers
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
~ Calm Mind
~ Grass Knot
~ Focus Blast
~ Hidden Power Ice / Taunt
Not as good as Swords Dancer, however unique enough and unlike Terakion or Kobaruon, Birijion has resistances mostly popular on special side like electric or water ones, finding this free turns to use Calm Mind much easier then other two Fighting legendaries. Choice between HP Ice and Taunt is hard. Without Taunt, phazers and statusers easily takes on this set. Without HP Ice, your biggest enemy are dragons and giving them free turns is bad idea.
[I'll add Cheer up sets and Special Tank sets when I'll test some calculations. For now, I leave it like this ;)]
