Community POTW #004

[2406Blackbird]

Blazed it Up!
Mega Blaziken
Item: Blazikenite
Ability: Speed Boost
Nature: Adamant (I prefer Jolly though)
Evs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
- Protect
- Flare Blitz
- Hi Jump Kick
- Swords Dance/Stone Edge/Shadow Claw

Protect is so that you can get that one stage of a speed boost, then be able to git almost anything hard.
Flare Blitz with STAB is powerful, but of course that recoil is not that great, however it is significantly superior in power to Fire Punch, or Blaze kick
Hi Jump Kick is also wicked powerful, but that 90 accuracy will always come back to bite you at the worst possible time. Again, significantly powerful when compared to Brick Break
The last slot is up to you:
Swords Dance is to set up on opponents, however you lack of another move means lack of coverage from this powerful chicken, meaning a Salamence or Chandelure or Slowbro could counter you easily.
Stone Edge is for that coverage, but whether it helps you or not depends on the situation, similar situation to Shadow Claw

Mixed it Up!
Mega Blaziken
Item: Blazikenite
Ability: Speed Boost
Nature: Naïve
Evs: 152 Attack, 100 Spec. Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP ( IDK how to do Evs)
- Protect
- Flare Blitz/Overheat
- Hi Jump Kick/Focus Blast
- Overheat/Work Up/Stone Edge/Shadow Claw

Protect is the same deal, you need at least that one stage boost of speed

Pass on the Boosts!
Normal Blaziken
Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Speed Boost
Nature: Jolly
Evs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
- Protect
- Baton Pass
- Swords Dance/Hone Claws
- ???

Protect is obvious, so you can get at least one Speed Boost
Swords Dance is to greatly raise attack, whereas Hone Claws only gives one stage of attack but one stage of accuracy as well, in case the Pokémon getting these boosts using something iffy like Stone Edge
Baton Pass is for, well this is a baton passing set, so give up those boosts to the opponent
The final slot is your choice, to prevent yourself from becoming Taunt bait.
Jolly is to make sure you are faster, whereas Focus Sash is so you can live at least one hit (unless facing a Skill Linker) and baton pass afterwards

Moves you SHOULD NOT use.
- Brave Bird: No, just no, it is not worth it. Flying only takes on Grass and Bug, which Fire type moves like Flare Blitz can only cover. Sure it can hit Fighting types, and if you really want to OHKO some bulky fighting type, send out a Talonflame instead because Brave Bird Blaziken is not worth it.
- Blast Burn: We are not going through this again
- Dual Chop: I saw someone with this moves, just so you know, these moves are not available yet. But even so, are we allowed to incorporate unavailable moves? Because these entries will eventually carry over into January and people will be wondering if moves like Superpower are worth it.

 

[jesusfreak94]

Just because Blaziken is in Smogon's Ubers tier, doesn't mean we can't focus on a WiFi standard set. Besides, a set for Blaziken is the same for WiFi battles as it is for Smogon's tiers.

This is true, but keep in mind that Serebii uses Smogon tiers by default. When the POTW is written up, it'll most likely be written primarily with Smogon tiers in mind (although Blue Harvest might still put on a set for Wi-Fi play).

As for Blaziken, there's one move that was brought to my attention just before the official ban announcement on Smogon, and that move it Knock Off. In case you were unaware, Knock Off has been boosted to 65 BP and while the opponent has an item, it does 1.5x its usual damage before knocking off the opponent's item and reverting to its original power. This essentially means that Blaziken has a 97 BP Dark-type coverage move that does a little extra harm by removing items, which is a pretty big deal. Although it won't officially be available until Pokebank opens, once that day comes (or if you are playing the Pokebank ladders on PO or PS!), you should always run Knock Off > Shadow Claw. Knock Off is significantly more powerful than Shadow Claw on that first hit, and even after that it only has 5 less BP. Just to put the power of Knock Off into perpective, here's Blaziken against a Pokemon that was regarded as one of the best counters to Blaziken in existance:

+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Blaziken Knock Off vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 385-455 (97.71 - 115.48%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

So yeah, one of the most solid answers to Blaziken in the game gets OHKO'd most of the time with no prior damage. Since Blaziken is banned now on both PS! and PO, you probably won't see many Slowbros. That said, here's Knock Off against arguably the number one Blaziken counter in the game:

+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Blaziken Knock Off vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Giratina: 361-426 (71.76 - 84.69%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock and Spikes

It's true that Blaziken needs a good bit of hazard support to have a shot at OHKOing Giratina, but that's only to be expected when you're talking about one of the most physically bulky Pokemon in the game (if not the most physically bulky, besides Avalugg or something). Seeing as how Blaziken could never guarantee a 2HKO on that same Giratina without hazards before (even Shadow Claw only 2HKO'd ~96% of the time), that's really good. If Giratina isn't physically defensive, it's in danger of a OHKO without any need for hazard support. Even physically defensive Giratina-O can be OHKO'd 56.25% of the time with nothing more than Stealth Rock support. The best part is that even if the attack doesn't net the KO, Giratina loses its Leftovers (although Giratina-O cannot lose its Griseous Orb to Knock Off). Overall, Knock Off is a really underrated option that's probably the single best coverage move a Blaziken can run.

 

[Zachmac]

^Just a minor correction, but I'm pretty sure most 65 base power moves double in power when they get a boost. So it'll probably be 130 power on the first hit.

Edit: Just looked it up. Serebii said it's 50%. Oops. I guess I'll need to be more careful when trying to correct Jesusfreak.

Still, I am sketchy about that number...unless Venoshock, Brine, and Stomp all got nerfed...

 

[PrincessAbsol]

As for Blaziken, there's one move that was brought to my attention just before the official ban announcement on Smogon, and that move it Knock Off. In case you were unaware, Knock Off has been boosted to 65 BP and while the opponent has an item, it does 1.5x its usual damage before knocking off the opponent's item and reverting to its original power. This essentially means that Blaziken has a 97 BP Dark-type coverage move that does a little extra harm by removing items, which is a pretty big deal. Although it won't officially be available until Pokebank opens, once that day comes (or if you are playing the Pokebank ladders on PO or PS!), you should always run Knock Off > Shadow Claw. Knock Off is significantly more powerful than Shadow Claw on that first hit, and even after that it only has 5 less BP. Just to put the power of Knock Off into perpective, here's Blaziken against a Pokemon that was regarded as one of the best counters to Blaziken in existance:

Oh wow, I wasn't aware Knock Off got a boost from a Pokemon with an item. That would explain why my Mandibuzz always hits so hard! I'd consider running that over Stone Edge, then, since Stone Edge deals with Gyarados and Volcarona, but Knock Off hits both of them for Neutral damage and Mega Gyarados is hit by Hi Jump Kick.

I don't ever play in Ubers, just WiFi and OU, so I'm not aware of what Blaziken can do in Ubers, but it looks like it's pretty fearsome even there.

 

[Xaby]

There's a chance he may not stay in Ubers anymore though, as while High Jump Kick and Flare Blitz remain impressive moves, Blaziken's efficiency in that tier needed the sun. As Drought now has a limit on how long it can last, this seriously puts an issue on how much Blaziken can now sweep. As Blaziken will be spending 1 to 2 turns setting up, that will only give it 3 more turns of Drought boost. It can be argued that it can be brought up to 6 if Groudon is wearing Heat Rock, but giving such an item to someone like Groudon seems like a waste. In any case, Bulky Pokémon in Ubers can now out wait Blaziken to remove his sun, Giratina being the foremost in that department.

 

[halodeoxys]

there's one move that was brought to my attention just before the official ban announcement on Smogon, and that move it Knock Off. In case you were unaware, Knock Off has been boosted to 65 BP and while the opponent has an item, it does 1.5x its usual damage before knocking off the opponent's item and reverting to its original power. This essentially means that Blaziken has a 97 BP Dark-type coverage move that does a little extra harm by removing items

Mega+SDance bye lugia/giratina
Azumarill is still an issue though I forgot to write about

 

[MegatanoKYojin]

My Blaziken set :

Mega Blaziken
Item : Blazikenite
Ability : Speed Boost
Nature : Jolly
Evs :252 Attack/252 Speed/4 HP

Protect
Power Up Punch
Blaze Kick/Flare Blitz
Swords Dance

Protect to Get speed boost and scout.If the opponent has supereffective you can switch out,If not it will use swords dancePower up punch to change hi jump kick's very bad recoil and get one attack boost.Blaze kick because there is no recoil

 

[Xaby]

This is my preferred Blaziken set:

Adamant
+252 ATK, +252 SPEED, + 4 HP
Moves
-Flare Blitz
-High Jump Kick
-Protect
-Swords Dance/Baton Pass/Hone Claws
w/Life Orb, Leftovers, Blazikenite

Playstyle
My current Blaziken, an Adamant which I got as the download, is still kicking strong in my Battle Box with the set with Swords Dance. Protect as usual, then start killing things. Swords Dance only if you can force a switch, which is quite rare now in-fact. Recently, the only way I can Swords Dance would be if Vaporeon was capable of passing him a Substitute. That's why the new Blaziken I made has Baton Pass instead of Swords Dance. With an impressive 120 Attack and 2 130 Base Power moves, the only situation where you might need Swords Dance at the moment is against tough walls and/or resistant Pokémon. But in that case I've got better Pokémon to handle that. If Blaziken would not be able to handle the threat, protect for a Speed Boost one turn and then Baton Pass to the other Pokémon. That Pokémon, with the Speed Boost advantage, usually now has enough speed to outrun the thing he or she is going to counter. Hone Claws gets a mention if the 90% miss-then-half-HP recoil scares you, and 180 is more comparable to 240 after one boost from both moves. But you're going to be setting up longer whenever you face walls.

Items
For items, Life Orb provides the power to make opponents dead and make sure they stay dead. Leftovers get surprisingly good healing, especially if Blaziken Protects every turn. Blazikenite is my last option as while the Mega Form gets a big boost on Attack, it does not change Blaziken's role. If you don't have other Pokémon needing to go Mega, however, Blazikenite should be the go to item. Baton Pass Blaziken would appreciate going Mega, as the lack of a boosting move means he will be relying on his own power to get things done.

Partners
The first and foremost partner of Blaziken should be Sun callers. Ninetales was the partner from previous generations, but he now gains another ally in Mega Charizard Y. Mega Charizard Y has great synergy with Blaziken, as he can switch in on the Earthquakes Blaziken so fears. And while not resistant, Blaziken has more courage switching in to Rock Attacks, especially if it comes from Mega Charizard Y's greatest nemesis, Tyranitar, and High Jump Kick the false tyrant silly. MCY also has a terrifying 159 Special Attack, burning the enemies Blaziken can't kick a hole into, and he would definitely appreciate a Speed Boost pass from Blaziken; a +1 Speed Mega Charizard Y is very hard to stop.

Ninetales, however, is still a worthy partner, as while Mega Charizard Y brings power with it's sunlight, Ninetales brings longevity. MCY is forced to carry a Charizardite Y to call the sun, while Ninetales doesn't. This means he can carry a Heat Rock (and the only viable carrier at that), prolonging the sun Blaziken oh so enjoys. This also frees up the Mega slot, so if Blaziken needs to go Mega, Ninetales is his only best friend.

Another partner I have in my team would be Vaporeon. The tough little tank, while not particularly fighting well in the sun, still does his role well with our without it, and that is to pass gargantuan subs and full HP healing wishes. A Blaziken passed with a Substitute is just asking to do a sweep, as he can do a Swords Dance without fear of retaliation. Wish is also useful for when Flare Blitz recoil and/or High Jump Kick has taken it's toll, and you have decided not to send out Blaziken in a blaze of glory to live to fight another day. He can also absorb the water attacks meant for Blaziken and get healed, and he can also take in the other attacks that would do in Blaziken.

The other -eon Blaziken would love to have is Espeon. Magic Bounce would protect Blaziken from hazards. He hates Spikes, Stealth Rock, yada yada, but the thing he hates most like the plague would be Sticky Web. While the others reduce the amount of Flare Blitzes he can do, Sticky Web just outright forces him to use Protect on the first turn JUST TO GET BACK TO BASE SPEED 80. Espeon would bounce back all those things and force the hazard entry to switch out or attack. Espeon can then provide Dual Screens so that Blaziken's entry would be easier, in which case he would proceed to pound the snot of whoever is out.

Speaking of hazard entries, the setter Blaziken has most synergy with is Klefki. While Klefki hates the sun, his resistances work well with Blazikens aside from Ground-attacks. Klefki can also setup the hazards and screens Blaziken would appreciate to make his entry easier and his enemies sure to be OHKO'ed.

Counters
The premier counter I see in the metagame for Blaziken is the roasting bird, Talonflame. Blaziken has no hope on this one, as no matter how fast he gets, his frail frame would always fall to priority Gale Wings Brave Bird or Acrobatics.

Chandelure is also another premier counter for this Blaziken. Flash Fire will absorb Flare Blitz, High Jump Kick won't hit, and then fire back Shadow Ball. Beware setting up on Blaziken though, as he may just be stalling to get Speed Boosts, and then Baton Pass unto something you can't handle.

Blaziken gets more dangerous and harder to check and counter once he sets up and/or receives support though, most particular of all is Drought. Azumarill would be able to take both of Blaziken's attacks, and fight back with STAB Aqua Jet. However, be careful when facing Blaziken in the Sun and if he has +2 SD Boost. Aqua Jet will fail to OHKO at this point, and Azumarill won't be able to use Play Rough as he'll be eating a Flare Blitz which is sure to OHKO him. Gliscor would also laugh at Blaziken's High Jump Kick, survive a Flare Blitz, and OHKO back with Earthquake. In fact, my Gliscor once killed a Blaziken by protecting when the poor sap used High Jump Kick. But put a Swords Dance on that and/or the sun and he won't like Flare Blitz or High Jump Kick either. Dragonite can also be a good check, as he can survive a +2 or a Drought boosted Flare Blitz (but not both), and OHKO with Earthquake or Hurricane.

Blaziken is a very hard Pokémon to counter. His increasing speed means he'll almost be sure to get first strike. And many Pokémon who can check or counter him cannot do so if he gets the correct conditions. In the metagame so far, a +4 Swords Dance Drought boosted Mega Blaziken would be the definition of Armageddon, unless you have Talonflame to save the day \(^o^)/.

EDIT: While unreleased yet until the Bank opens, another Partner that can work well with Blaziken would be Gliscor. Gliscor can learn Defog, which is an absolute peach for Blaziken who will love the removal of all entry hazards as well as absorb his Earthquakes, and can even lay down his own Stealth Rocks. Gliscor is also an Ice-attack bait, which Blaziken can use as an entry turn, and proceed to, once again, beat the snot out of whoever is outside.

 

[sbktdreed]

Mega Blaziken
Blaze w/ Blazikenite
Adamant w/ 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 6 HP
Blaze Kick/Flare Blitz
Brick Break/Sky Uppercut/Low Sweep
Shadow Claw
Stone Edge/Swords Dance

Countering
Defensive pokemon with Water/Ground/Flying/Psychic-type moves like Psychic Spiritomb, Hippowdon, Gliscor, Wash/Fan Rotom, Gorebyss, and Feraligatr.