Community POTW #31

[Kraleck]

Encourage gives Rampardos about 95 base Special Attack meaning it can OHKO Ferrothorn, Scizor, Forretress and Skarmory with Fire Blast with virtually no investment. It can also use Ice Beam to easily wipe out Gliscor, Landlos and Hippowdon.

A Rock Polish set could possibly sweep if you remove all opposing Conkledurr, Excadrill, Scizor.. well ok, its still a bad set.

It still has to hit with Fire Blast (85% accuracy, remember) and survive a hit with Rock Polish. Hail and traps are very bad for its health, so Focus Sash+Rock Polish has several fatal flaws...

I have yet to see a successful Scizor set without Technician+Bullet Punch or a Gliscor slow enough to be outsped by Rampardos. Plus, Base 101 Speed on Landorus means you have little chance to get an Ice Beam into it without a prediction on a switch...

 

[SS_Ａｐｐｅｎｄ]

Rampardos move evaluation

TM moves

Basically what i am doing is giving the uses of moves. SF stands for sheer force.Moves that are sheer force boosted will have (sf)beside them.

Roar-phazes.
Ice Beam(sf)-hits stuff like gligar/scor and Dragon/Ground pokes(especially flygon)
Smack Down- smacks flygon,claydol and gligar/scor so you can hit em' with earthquake.
Thunderbolt(sf)-hits waters?
Earthquake-hits steels and rock/grounds.
Return-100 base power.no coverage.don't use it.
Brick Break-also for steels.maybe for normals chansey
Flamethrower(sf)-hits skarm and ferro.also scizor,but you'd probably get bullet punched first.
Fire Blast(sf)- same as above,only stronger but less accurate.
Rock Tomb(sf)-lowers targets speed with mold breaker.could ruin some semi-fast stuff...
Focus Blast(sf)-special brick break.
Payback-Rampardos is slow enough to use it.
Rock Polish-doubles your speed.Very useful,if you can set it up properly.
Stone Edge-outclassed by sheer force rock slide.you could get lucky and land a crit.
Bulldoze(sf)-same boat as rock tomb but no stab.
Rock Slide(sf)-better than stone edge with s.f.Rampardos is too slow to flinch though.
Dragon Tail-same as roar,but does damage and is not stopped by soundproof(if you're using s.f.)
Substitute-SubPunch,or safety net.
Stealth Rock-better leave it to the experts...
ResTalk-don't see a point on using on Rampardos.i could be wrong.

That pretty much sums it up.

 

[HeracrossGod]

Rampardos @ Life Orb/Leftovers
Ability: Sheer Force/Mold Breaker
Nature: Adamant (+Attack, -Sp. Attack)/Naughty (+Attack,-Sp. Defense)
EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
-Curse
-Head Smash/Stone Edge
-Ice Beam/Fire Blast
-Earthquake

 

[PokefanTez]

In double/triple battles, Rampardos can be good. I wouldn't recommend using it in singles outside of trick room support, or choice scarf. It might actually work on a sandstorm team as well.

Rampardos@Focus Band
Ability: Mold Breaker
Nature: Brave
EVS: 252Atk/92Def/160SDef (0 Speed IV)
Attacks:
Earthquake
Endeavor
Hammer Arm
Head Smash/Fire Punch

This set only works for doubles. Your partner doesn't matter as long as it is something that can use trick room and won't take damage from Mold Breaker Earthquake. Would Beeheeyem work? On your first turn, have Rampardos use endeavor while Beeheeyem(?) uses trick room. Since trick room has a negative priority it will go after Rampardos's endeavor, and hopefully after the opponents have tried killing Rampardos. When they do try killing Rampardos, it uses endeavor, making the opponent's HP drop down to hopefully 1. The next turn, when trick room is up, Rampardos will probably be the fastest one out there giving it a good opportunity to kill your opponent. Fire Punch and Earthquake are there for type coverage, Hammer arm is there for the speed dropping effect which will help you speed up, and Head Smash is there to take something down with you when Trick Room is nearly done.
Don't use this set when the weather is hailing.

 

[Gallo]

What am I suppose to put about Cranidos? For the pre-evolution thing

 

[Jeggyg]

you can still have fire punch and sheer force on PO... juss sayin'...

 

[SazandoraMASTER]

^nope, even try it

 

[Kraleck]

you can still have fire punch and sheer force on PO... juss sayin'...

Maybe so, but outside of metagames, Fire Punch + Sheer Force is illegal. Most people wish to enforce that inside metagames, too, so caveat emptor...

 

[pokemonranger7098]

Here's my idea for Rampardos:

Stat/Poison Rampardos (Works best with attack pokemon in double battles)


Ability: Sheer Force
Toxic (teach by TM)
Screech
Scary face
Pursuit

Lower the enemy's speed and defense by 2 stages and poison them with screech, scary face and toxic. Hit them with pursuit when swapping out their pokemon to keep them running. Sheer force adds even more power to pursuit, which could be combined with scary face to cause more damage.

 

[3.14kachu]

I just want to take a moment to recognize Cranidos, which can really do a lot of damage in LC. With an astounding 125 Attack (which, in LC, destroys everything, better than Arceus, etc.), it can be really amazing with just the simple Rock Polish set. I've even had it lead the team with Focus Sash, and I've destroyed entire teams. I've even used Cranidos in UU, with reasonable results.

Cranidos can also run a great Choice Band set on LC Trick Room teams. There is literally nothing that is not easily KO'ed by that set (okay, I lied. There's Ferroseed, defensive Baltoy, and some Staryu that are a great counter to this. But not much else). I would imagine that this Cranidos set would be a good anti-meta in LC Ubers, where everyone uses Scyther, Sneasel, and Murkrow.

Besides that, there's not much you can do with Cranidos. Eviolite sets, with its awful defenses, are doomed to fail, so you always want Rampardos outside of LC. Even within LC, there are so many better recipients for your Eviolite, so just stick with your standard attack-enhancing items.

 

[Blue Harvest]

It still has to hit with Fire Blast (85% accuracy, remember) and survive a hit with Rock Polish. Hail and traps are very bad for its health, so Focus Sash+Rock Polish has several fatal flaws...

I have yet to see a successful Scizor set without Technician+Bullet Punch or a Gliscor slow enough to be outsped by Rampardos. Plus, Base 101 Speed on Landorus means you have little chance to get an Ice Beam into it without a prediction on a switch...

Focus Sash is a bad item. Just run Life Orb and find something like a Skarmory that can't hurt it and Rock Polish.

Just kidding, Rampardos is bad. Even Tyranitar is a better Rock Polisher.

 

[Fortunato]

Focus Sash is a bad item. Just run Life Orb and find something like a Skarmory that can't hurt it and Rock Polish.

Just kidding, Rampardos is bad. Even Tyranitar is a better Rock Polisher.

Rampardos could do... some good. I mean Life Orb Head Smash is gonna be hitting most things for a pretty good amount of damage and it gets Earthquake for Edgequake at least. Yeah though, for the most part sadly its outclassed by just about every other pokemon with access to rock polish.

 

[Blue Harvest]

^
Except Torterra

 

[\m/ dark dragoon \m/]

I'm not normally one to rain one's parade, but I thought Sheer Force didn't affect Head Smash?
It's only a recoil inducing attack, with no additional side effects, and although Life Orb works in synch with Sheer Force, that still doesn't nergate Head Smash damage does it?

As far as I'm aware the ability only negates POSITIVE side effects (stat boosts to you, stat drops to your ooponent, status afflictions to your opponent etc) but not NEGATIVE effects (recoil, stat drops on your side etc) :S

By the way this is my very first post, so hi haha!

Here's a quick set for Rampardos anyhoo:


*insert imaginative set name*
-Rock Polish
-Dragon Tail
-Earthquake
-Head Smash/Stone Edge/Rock Slide
Item: Leftovers/Expert Belt.
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs & nature: Jolly (+Speed, -Sp. Atk)
252HP, 252 Speed, 4 Def/Atk.

Basic gist of this set, is to send Rammy in on an opponent not likely to KO it, and set up with Rock Polish, otherwise if you're not so keen on whatever you're up against, use Dragon Tail to send them packing or to phase an opponent setting up. Once you've got a few speed boosts, proceed to beat your way to victory with Earthquake and the rock move of your choice: Head Smash for pure unadulterated power and recoil; Stone Edge to pair up for the famous Edgequake combo; or Rock Slide for your safer, more plentiful option. Given that Rampardos has the highest attack of any non-Uber poke, I don't see much point investing (much) in it's attack stat, which is why I've spread them between it's HP, mediocre speed, and it's defence, given that if a sandstorm's active, it's special defence will get a wee boost.

 

[Vandslaux]

Just posting a set for Pre-Evo corner that can also work on Rampardos.

Cranidos @Choice Band
Naughty
Mold Breaker
Whatever maximizes Atk and HP and puts rest in Speed.
Head Smash
Earthquake (assuming he can learn it, otherwise Fire Punch)
Ice Beam
Pursit

Basic CB Cranidos. Head Smash is your incredibly powerful STAB with a Choice Band, it's going to deal a literal load of damage. EQ hits Bronzor with Mold Breaker, Ice Beam hits Gligar, who walls pretty much every other physical attacker not named Scraggy and Meditite who carry Ice Punch, and Pursuit hits Abra that want to flee or get destroyed, but Pursuit kills them either way.

Bronzor can set up screens for Cranidos, he basically needs them to stay alive. Pineco can set up entry hazards to make Cranidos's life easier.


Countering Cranidos

When countering Cranidos, remember that it has the same Attack as Gyarados. IN LC. As long as Cranidos doesn't carry Ice Beam, Fire Punch, or Superpower, Gligar and Ferroseed, with their respective weaknesses to the moves, can most likely take a hit and beat it. Gligar has 30ish Defense, so it could probably take a hit. Also, Diglett can come in, trap, and kill it.


Does the POTW give LC no real sets? LC is, often times, different than the evo's tier's metagame.

 

[WeatherEffectRain]

I'm going to contribute to this one, what with my newfound competitive knowledge.

Total Edit: Ninja'd, but CB Cranidos wouldn't do so well anyway. Why? Frailty. Leave that to his a bit less frail evolution, Rampardos.

CB
Item: Choice Band
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 HP, 4 Def
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Mold Breaker/Sheer Force
-Head Smash/Stone Edge/Rock Slide
-Crunch/Brick Break
-SuperPower/Hammer Arm
-Fire Punch/Earthquake

Okay, pretty spastic set. Choice Band powers up that ridiculous attack, but keeps you using one move blah. Adamant for more power, no problem. Now here's the problem. Go with his lesser ability and have much better offensive options like SuperPower and Fire Punch, or with insane Sheer Force for just plain murder. Sheer Force also prefers Rock Slide over Stone Edge or Head Smash, and Stone Edge is usually preferred over Head Smash anyways, but 150 BP STAB is nothing to be taken lightly. If you go MB, Fire Punch is a given, and SuperPower is crazy hit-and-run power. Crunch is generally preferred with SuperPower, but Brick Break is an option for a less costly move. Hammer Arm is an option for hitting with power similar to SupwerPower, but lowers his sub-par speed. Earthquake is a Filler mostly, but can net a few blows.

I'm a bit off on the EVs I believe, but it's probably better bulky on this one... As if it can be relatively.

Rock Polish
Item: Life Orb
EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Spd, 4 HP
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Sheer Force
-Rock Polish
-Zen Headbutt
-Rock Slide
-Earthquake/Brick Break/Crunch

Set up late game, then go for a uh... 'Sweep'. It'd be easier if Rampardos wasn't so slow, but it's passable and can be used. Zen Headbutt is an oft over-looked move, but it can take a bite out of most. Don't aim for anything with Bullet Punch/Mach Punch/Vaccuum Wave/Aqua Jet Et cetera though. Rock Slide is STAB and crazy powered with Sheer Force. Last move is up to you, EQ is you want QuakEdge, Brick Break for coverage, and Crunch for Sheer Force and Shedinja.

Cranidos

Cranidos is a force to be reckoned with in LC, but it should not just be slapped on any team. It's considerably faster in-proportion to Rampardos, sharing it's base stat, but it's still quite slow. If you can manage to get a Baton Pass'd speed to it, let the good times roll, as it's 125 Base Attack is quite threatening.

All is not sunshine and rainbows though, as it's quite frail, and is taken down quickly by Priority of any kind, really, because it is sporting 67/40/30 defences. It's not Abra weak, but take caution.

 

[jesusfreak94]

Everyone keep in mind that if you're running Sheer Force, always use Rock Slide over Stone Edge. SE does not get the boost, so Rock Slide is essentially a more accurate SE. So I'd just like to remind everyone to use Rock Slide with Sheer Force.

Oh, and to not use Rampardos.

 

[thisisnotreal]

I'm pretty sure DW Cranidos in not released, so it really doesn't matter if you use Fire Punch.

 

[jr0904]

@jr Sheer Force only negates positive effects such as high crit ratio, burns, flinched etc. But doesn't negate negative effects such as own stat being lowered, recoil etc.

I know that already.

However according to the previous posts in the beginning of the thread, they say that cause of sheer force , Rampardos dont get recoil damage from Head Smash.

 

[Sheep007]

Ninjasks best friend

Rampardos@life orb\choice scarf
Jolly nature
Ability sheer force
Ev's 252spe\252att\4hp
Head smash\stone edge
earthquake
brick break
fire punch
Rampardos has low speed.Ninjask has agility and baton pass and high speed.Rampardos has obsene attack.Oh,I forgot to say that ninjask also has swords dance.Picture a dinosaur and the destruction of the earth in your head.You've just got the idea of what ninjask baton passing boosts to rampardos could be capable of.Stone edge or head smash for STAB,earthquake is the best physical move in the game,fire punch and brick break have coverage and a sheer force boost.You don't really need them because you're other moves will kill the opponents even if they resist it anyway.Even the mighty gliscor will fall to this set.With a jolly nature and max speed ev's after an agility boost you'll outrun most of the game.Give it life orb or choice scarf and it kills everything in the game.