I still remember when the internet freaked the f*** out after finding out Chandelure's special attack trumped even Alakazam and Porygon-Z. "145!? That's insane!" Of course we now know there are other factors that keep Chandelure from being as OP as we all feared it would be. For better or for worse the GameFreak power creep with the reveal of Mega Evolutions quickly made even Chandelure's offensive stats redundant. Not to mention base 80 speed kept it from ever really becoming a top tier sweeper. The most notable thing I remember about Chandelure was its hidden ability, which back in gen 5 was Shadow Tag. Chandelure could have found a niche as a trapper had GameFreak not changed its hidden ability to Infiltrator instead.
But that's the least of my complaints with the company, especially these days with all the gen 8 apprehensiveness in the fan community. But putting all that aside, Chandelure is still very usable outside of being just a spooky interior design choice for your foyer if you get a little creative. So it's probably best not to underestimate a chandelier that can literally burn people's souls:
Turning Up the Heat
Ability: Flash Fire/Infiltrator
Item: Life Orb
Nature: Timid
EV's: HP: 4 Sp.Att: 252 Speed: 252
Moves:
Fire Blast
Shadow Ball
Flame Charge
Calm Mind/Energy Ball/Hidden Power (Fighting)
Set Details:
Since a lack of stellar speed is Chandelure's biggest issue, slapping Flame Charge onto its moveset can help mitigate this issue. Sure it won't do much damage given its lackluster physical attack, but the speed boost afterward is worth the slot in my opinion. Outside that we have Fire Blast as the main STAB which melts most of the opposition by capitalizing on that insanely high 145 special attack with Shadow Ball providing great secondary STAB coverage against foes that resist Fire Blast. The last slot is up to you. Calm Mind jacks up Chandelure's special attack to even more insane levels allowing you to plow over most of the competition, but a second turn of set-up may not always be feasible, so Energy Ball is useful to have around just for the added coverage against Water types (Especially Water/Ground) or threats like Sharpedo. Hidden Power (Fighting) is an option as well that the hits Normal and Dark types that also resist the Fire STAB. For abilities, Flash Fire is handy since it gives Chandelure a whopping 3 immunities allowing for more chances to switch in and possibly even boost Fire Blast to even higher levels, though Infiltrator is worth a mention since it will allow it to bypass Reflect, Light Screen, and Substitute, effectively ensuring nothing is safe from Chandelure's infernal flames.
Alciel the Black Sun
Ability: Flash Fire/Infiltrator
Item: Firium Z
Nature: Timid
EV's: HP: 4 Sp.Att: 252 Speed: 252
Moves:
Fire Blast
Shadow Ball
Solar Beam/Energy Ball/Hidden Power (Fighting)
Sunny Day
Set Details:
Another way to boost Chandelure's speed are the Z-Status moves. Sunny Day is your best option since it essentially doubles as a power boost to Fire Blast and a buffer against Water attacks for 5 turns which is always welcome. Shadow Ball is secondary STAB once again, and you can decide whether you want Energy Ball or Hidden Power (Fighting) for coverage. Although, you may want to slap on Solar Beam instead since it has a lot more base power and requires no charge up time while the sun is up. Keep in mind once Sunny Day wears off that the power boost will be lost and Solar Beam will become useless unless you can manage to set up Sunny Day again. Oh! You also have the option to hit the opposition with Inferno Overdrive if you just want a one-time nuke instead of a speed boost which may very well come in handy against certain opponents. As with before in terms of ability choice, Flash Fire grants an added immunity and potential fire boost while Infiltrator bypasses barricades that get in the way of your attacks.
Chandelure may not be the ridiculously OP monster we first feared it would be, but if you need raw special attack power that can just burn through the opposition with ease thanks to great offensive typing and stats, be sure to consider adding Chandelure to your living room decor.