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Single Rates - READ THE FIRST POST

Onyx Tanuki

Ma! There's a weird 'nuki in the yahd!
Pyroar@Shell Bell/Leftovers
Ability: Rivalry
EVs: Undecided, ideally max HP
Nature: Timid or Modest
- Entrainment
- Noble Roar
- Hyper Voice
- Fire Blast/Flamethrower

I need some help with this set.

First off, I know. Pyroar wasn't blessed with the best of stats (not even a decent movepool gamefreak wtf) but I did want to try to see how to put Noble Roar, a move unique to the Pyroar line, to work.

Noble Roar lowers the opponent's Atk and Sp.Atk by 1 stage, meaning you'd expect Pyroar to be a defensive pokemon. Unfortunately, that isn't the case, but it does have something to assist it further, and that's Entrainment. By passing the ability onto an opponent of the same gender, Rivalry will cause the opponent to have their Atk and Sp.Atk lowered by 25%. In all other cases, Pyroar will be using Rivalry to boost its own Sp.Atk, letting Pyroar play an offensive attacker one on end, and a tank on the other. For this reason, its preferred item is Shell Bell, although Leftovers is just as viable. See, Shell Bell is the item of choice for the fact that, even with Leftovers, Pyroar won't be able to wall certain pokemon this way (ie Tyranitar, Talonflame, Azumarill needs to have taken a Noble Roar drop and Rivalry's stat reducing effect is in play) so instead of letting Pyroar sit there and drool, it should be swapped out.

Now, it may be a lost cause, but I am interested in hearing the opinions of everyone here. Pokemon Showdown's calculator doesn't factor in Rivalry boosts or drops, so having the actual numbers is a bit hard to come by. And I'm aware the Entrainment strat will only work half the time due to gender ratio, but the idea was that Pyroar could punch holes and wall at the drop of a hat this way.

I might bring in some calcs later to try and prove Pyroar can do things. Doubt it, though.

No Lave Plume or Inferno makes defensive Pyroar very sad

EDIT: It's not working out. Ironically, a straight up defensive Pyroar works loads better than I thought.

Pyroar@Leftovers
Ability: Rivalry
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 Sp.Def
Nature: Bold
-Entrainment
-Noble Roar
-Will-o-wisp
-Snarl/Fire Spin

It still uses the Entrainment strat from the above set, but it uses the move defensively, not offensively. Removing an ability like Huge Power and Guts allows Pyroar to wall endlessly, even with a weak as hell 72 Def stat. Noble Roar scores an Atk and Sp.Atk drop and is safe against mixed attackers, while Will-o-wisp cripples physical attackers even harder. Guts pokemon are not to be feared thanks to Entrainment. And Snarl is an offensive attack that can bypass Taunt and weakens special attackers should they come about. Since this set is less effective against physical attackers, Fire Spin is another viable option to trap opponents once they realize they're not hurting Pyroar.

I have calcs.

164 Atk Choice Band Azumarill Waterfall vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Pyroar: 168-200 (44.6 - 53.1%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
These are the calcs simulating the effect of a Rivalry stat reduction induced by Entrainment, lowering Azumarill's Atk to 175 from 218. EVs, IVs, and Base stats were fiddled with to get this result.

And these are the calcs of Entrainment passing along a Rivalry Boost.
212+ Atk Choice Band Azumarill Waterfall vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Pyroar: 264-312 (70.2 - 82.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Azumarill ain't such hot Grimer without its precious Huge Power boost (it doesn't OHKO but that does a lot of damage shh)

In the event that Entrainment gives the opponent an Atk boost, Will-o-wisp is a much better idea.

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power burned Azumarill Waterfall vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Pyroar: 211-249 (56.1 - 66.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Entrainment Rivalry works best when the genders are opposite, and if the opponent has an attack boosting ability. If they are the same, Will-o-wisp works better for surviving the initial hit.

0 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Pyroar: 234-276 (62.2 - 73.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery (Rivalry drop)

252 Atk burned Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Pyroar: 144-171 (38.2 - 45.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

Now, here's a fun one. Standard Conkeldurr doesn't OHKO with Drain Punch.

252+ Atk Conkeldurr Drain Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Pyroar: 254-300 (67.5 - 79.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Let's use Entrainment, and let's say it's the opposite sex.

0+ Atk Conkeldurr Drain Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Pyroar: 204-240 (54.2 - 63.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery (IVs lowered to simulate Rivalry drop)

Still a 2HKO, but now that it doesn't have Guts, let's Burn it.

0+ Atk burned Conkeldurr Drain Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Pyroar: 102-120 (27.1 - 31.9%) -- 38.3% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery

Of course, Pyroar would be dead by now, but this is an extreme case. Of, Entrainment and Burns, I mean.

This works far more ideally in a team that takes advantage of gender. Even if Pyroar goes down, if it passed along Rivalry, the teammate coming in can benefit by sharing the gender of Pyroar, and keeping the opponent crippled with Rivalry and not whatever ability they had. Something like Shadow Tag Gothitelle can be a real pain because now it can set up and can't be stopped. But this is hyperbole.

Actually, this whole post is hyperbole.

...

Sorry for going overboard with the calcs and stuff. I really wanted to make Pyroar work. :'<

Still though, interesting stuff ;D

To be perfectly honest, Pyroar isn't all that good defensively at all. Entrainment really isn't all that good an ability, since it can easily be switched out of, and in Pyroar's case really only benefits against users of Guts or Flash Fire, and a handful of other abilities. And the problem there is that most of those opponents will switch out to cancel the ability change. Fire Spin helps a little with this, but most Guts users have enough power that they can do some decent damage to Pyroar even with Burn on them. I do like your idea here, but Pyroar would need much more reliable recovery than Leftovers or much better bulk to support itself, neither of which it has. It's much better as a more offense-oriented pokemon IMO. Here's what I might use:

Pyroar @ Life Orb
Unnerve
Modest/Timid
252 SpAtt, 4 Def/SpDef, 252 Speed
- Flamethrower/Fire Blast
- Hyper Voice
- Will-O-Wisp
- Dark Pulse/Snarl

Hyper Voice and your main Fire move are your main means of attack, with Will-O-Wisp there to cripple most non-Guts physical attackers. Dark Pulse is a more powerful means to handle Rock, Ghost, and Psychic types, particularly ones that would otherwise resist both of your STABs (such as Chandelure, Lunatone, or Jellicent), but it can be subbed out for Snarl to help handle pokemon with strong SpAtt. At its core, Pyroat is better as a wall-breaker than anything; it doesn't need to kill everything around it or survive against brutal onslaughts, it just needs to deal enough damage that your sweepers can clean up.

Now for something uncommon that can use the type of strategy you were looking at, we can try something like, say, Wailord?

Wailord @ Leftovers/Big Root/Binding Band
Oblivious
Calm/Bold
252 HP, 4 Def/SpAtt/SpDef, 252 Def/SpDef
- Whirlpool
- Clear Smog
- Rest/Aqua Ring
- Toxic/Sleep Talk/Aqua Ring

There's a few ways this can go, but the ultimate goal is the same regardless: take the foe down passively. Whirlpool traps the foe, and Clear Smog prevents setups while allowing Wailord to hit Grass types. For recovery, you could go for Rest or Aqua Ring; either is viable because of the fact that Wailord gets its bulk via insanely high HP, coming behind only Blissey and Chansey I believe. Toxic provides additional residual damage, while you could pair Sleep Talk or Aqua Ring with Rest to get added offensive presence or recovery, respectively.

Leftovers is the safest bet here, since it gives you set recovery of 1/16th of Wailord's HP per turn on its own, or combines with Aqua Ring for 1/8th HP recovery. Big Root could be viable as well, though a bit less so, as it gives Aqua Ring 13/160 HP recovery, or about 8.12%, versus the normal 6.25% normally, or 12.5% with it and Lefties. Bining Band means minimizing your recovery for additional damage from Whirlpool, making it deal 1/6th of the opponent's life in damage rather than 1/8th as normal, and works better when you can Rest as a means to stall.

Keep in mind, though, that you have to kill off the things that'll stop it from working first and foremost. Ghosts can easily escape Whirlpool, with Gengar in particular also resisting Clear Smog and immune to Toxic. You also have to already have taken down anything with Water Absorb, Storm Drain, or Dry Skin to ensure Whirlpool traps them at all. And of course pokemon with Grass or Electric moves - especially of the type of defense you don't focus your Wailord on - will need to be avoided.
 

Weavile.nl

Proud to be Dutch
So i got this horrible shiny(!) Timid, Snow Cloak Piloswine. I still wanna use it though. Not sure how a tanky/bulky/supportive Pilo/Mamoswine looks like though. Any suggestions?
 

Onyx Tanuki

Ma! There's a weird 'nuki in the yahd!
So i got this horrible shiny(!) Timid, Snow Cloak Piloswine. I still wanna use it though. Not sure how a tanky/bulky/supportive Pilo/Mamoswine looks like though. Any suggestions?

If he's gonna be bulky, he should probably remain a Piloswine and utilize Eviolite; it'll cost him some Att and a little HP, but also give him considerably better overall bulk. One of the problems, though, is that yours is completely ill-suited for the task: ideally a defensive Piloswine will have access to Stealth Rocks and the Thick Fat ability. Timid is also pretty much the last nature you'd want on either Pilo or Mamo, since neither really cares about speed, and is losing out on Att due to the nature. I believe Mamoswine typically run Ice Shard, Avalanche/Stone Edge, Earthquake, and Stealth Rock, while Piloswine goes for Roar or Toxic over Avalanche/Stone Edge. Hail and Sandstorm are options too, if they'd support your team well. Problem is, you can only get Ice Shard with Swinub, and Stealth Rock and Avalanche are bred moves. I'd honestly not use that one and try getting a better Swinub, or breeding that one to get a good Swinub with Stealth Rock and/or Avalanche. At the very minimum, something with a -SpAtt or -Speed nature.
 

Weavile.nl

Proud to be Dutch
I now its crap. Well, I can get Stealth Rock and Avalanche as a TM cant I? Then using Roar and Hail (in combination with Snow Cloak) is probably my best (still bad) bet. Id fancy using this shiny, because its my first shiny since my Zubat in Ruby, lol.
 

KillerDraco

Well-Known Member
I now its crap.

All the more reason to not use it. Using a shiny is a novelty that has no effect upon battle; using a crappy nature/ability is not a novelty and will be detrimental to your Pokemon's battle performance.

Well, I can get Stealth Rock and Avalanche as a TM cant I?

Nope. They were only TMs in Gen 4, and you can't transfer backwards. Both are egg moves only in Gen 6.

Then using Roar and Hail (in combination with Snow Cloak) is probably my best (still bad) bet. Id fancy using this shiny, because its my first shiny since my Zubat in Ruby, lol.

No, that's still not good. The speed nature does not lend itself well to that, especially with Roar's -6 priority. I would recommend keeping Shiny Pokemon with suboptimal natures/abilities far away from any kind of competitive scene. It'll just hurt your performance for a simple novelty.
 
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ger9119

Well-Known Member
So i got this horrible shiny(!) Timid, Snow Cloak Piloswine. I still wanna use it though. Not sure how a tanky/bulky/supportive Pilo/Mamoswine looks like though. Any suggestions?

Mamoswine @ Choice Specs
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Freeze-Dry
- Ancient Power
- Ice Beam

If you're set on using it and eving it, may as well make it a gimmicky specs set.
 

your_worst_nightmare

Pokerman Master
I would like to have a few opinions about these three pokemon I have planned out so far for a competitive team.

Im also not quite sure on where to place the EV's as im still a bit noobish at that..

Sylveon @ pixie Plate
Modest/Pixilate
MoonBlast/Dazzling Gleem
Double Edge (or something else.. not sure yet.)
Calm Mind
Battonpass (or something else..)

im wanting to use this set up as a sweeper, the whole purpose for Double edge is for the extra boost it will receive from pixilate and pixie plate.
being boosted up with calm mind would hopefully make sylveon a pokemon to fear.

Charizard @ Charizardite x
Adamant
Roost
Dragon Dance
Ancient Power
Dragon pulse

really not sure what I plan to accomplish with this guy just yet. I figure he will be a physical sweeper mostly for breaking walls.. his move pool could use some adjustment most likely.

Umbreon @ Leftovers
Sassy
Curse
Substitute
Wish
Payback

This guy will be my main wall/support and is for curing my sylveon for the whole double edge purpose. I plan to have a few Ev in speed and the rest in hp and Sp Def. making him a pretty good standstill for me to use. I want to set off with substitute on him then work my magic with curse, then I will use wish depending on the situation and send back out my sylveon for more epic destruction lol
 

Black Murder Heavangelon

Ow! Ow! Harder! Ow!
Ok, now let me show you something that isn't crap.

Hawlucha@Leftovers
Ability:Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 HP/252 Spe/4 Def
Jolly Nature
-Feather Dance
-Encore
-U-Turn
-Roost


I feel like Hawlucha's Defensive capabilities have yet to be fully explored, so I built this set using Hawlucha's best traits, its speed and Mold Breaker. Hawlucha is incredibly NOT defensive, but one FeatherDance renders physical attackers useless against it. This is where Hawlucha shows how disruptive it can be when given the chance. Mold Breaker means that FeatherDance won't be blocked by Clear Body, Hyper Cutter, or affected by Magic Bounce or Wonder Skin. Substitute users are not safe thanks to Encore, which also bypasses Magic Bounce and Aroma Veil. Boosters will be hard pressed attempting to boost with the threat of Encore, completely ruining their pace and leaving them vulnerable to U-Turn. An opponent Encored into a move is easy switchings, and U-Turn eases prediction, as everyone knows. Roost is for healing, and also helps Hawlucha alleviate itself of its Electric and Ice weakness and it's neutrality to Rock. Hawlucha also has the handy typing for resisting Fighting, Bug, Grass, Dark, and an immunity to Ground, making it incredibly easy to switch in and mess things up.

The lack of STAB to abuse may be a turn off, but Hawlucha makes it so easy to disrupt opponents and bring in set up sweepers of your own that you won't mind at all.

I have worthwhile calcs. These are all damage dealt after a FeatherDance.

-2 252 Atk Garchomp Outrage vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 124-147 (34.4 - 40.8%) -- 59.3% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

-2 252+ Atk Metagross Zen Headbutt vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 186-222 (51.6 - 61.6%) -- 95.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

-2 252 Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham Zen Headbutt vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 276-326 (76.6 - 90.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

-2 252+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 350-414 (97.2 - 115%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

That last one doesn't seem impressive, but Hawlucha can always and reliably take out Mega Mawile one on one if Sucker Punch was the last move used. Just hit it with an Encore and your opponent will bail.

-2 252+ Atk Tough Claws Mega Charizard X Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 181-214 (50.2 - 59.4%) -- 81.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

-2 252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 338-402 (93.8 - 111.6%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Aqua Jet vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 151-178 (41.9 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

Unfortunately, Hawlucha loses to most Fairies and Talonflame all the time, requiring smart plays to get around.
 

Onyx Tanuki

Ma! There's a weird 'nuki in the yahd!
I would like to have a few opinions about these three pokemon I have planned out so far for a competitive team.

Im also not quite sure on where to place the EV's as im still a bit noobish at that..

Sylveon @ pixie Plate
Modest/Pixilate
MoonBlast/Dazzling Gleem
Double Edge (or something else.. not sure yet.)
Calm Mind
Battonpass (or something else..)

im wanting to use this set up as a sweeper, the whole purpose for Double edge is for the extra boost it will receive from pixilate and pixie plate.
being boosted up with calm mind would hopefully make sylveon a pokemon to fear.

Sylveon isn't especially good on the physical side. While Double-Edge might make for an interesting surprise, it'll just hurt you in the long run. I'd suggest going with either Wish or another Special attack to help it cover things it can't hit as effectively, such as Shadow Ball or Stored Power. The latter of these could actually be an effective strategy late-game in conjunction with Calm Mind, in fact. As for the Fairy move, it really depends on availability and purpose. The best option is Hyper Voice, but if you can't use that, go with Moonblast for singles battles or Dazzling Gleam for multi-battles. Hyper Beam might be an attack option, too, if you expect Sylveon will die on the next turn (due to Toxic or Burn damage, for example). Pixie Plate might be a good idea if you go with Hyper Beam plus another Fairy STAB, but otherwise you're probably better off with Leftovers.

Charizard @ Charizardite x
Adamant
Roost
Dragon Dance
Ancient Power
Dragon pulse

really not sure what I plan to accomplish with this guy just yet. I figure he will be a physical sweeper mostly for breaking walls.. his move pool could use some adjustment most likely.

Yeah, there's no reason for him to be using Ancient Power at all. And while Dragon Pulse could be viable on a mixed CharX, since yours is Adamant, it's better just to go straight physical with him. Dragon Claw and Flare Blitz are your best bets IMO. You could go Dragon Rush over Dragon Claw if you're not afraid of missing, but Claw is generally more reliable. Another option would be Dragon Rush with Hone Claws over Dragon Dance; you'll be giving up the Speed buff for accuracy, but it means guaranteeing Dragon Rush can hit. You could go for a tanky set, as well, ditching Dragon Dance for Will-O-Wisp or Roar, or use Dragon Tail as your Dragon STAB. If you'd rather go full offense, you could trade Roost our for Earthquake or Shadow Claw, and maybe use Outrage for Dragon STAB? There's really a good number of options here.

Umbreon @ Leftovers
Sassy
Curse
Substitute
Wish
Payback

This guy will be my main wall/support and is for curing my sylveon for the whole double edge purpose. I plan to have a few Ev in speed and the rest in hp and Sp Def. making him a pretty good standstill for me to use. I want to set off with substitute on him then work my magic with curse, then I will use wish depending on the situation and send back out my sylveon for more epic destruction lol

Honestly I think Foul Play is a better offensive option for this guy, but Payback works well with Curse. Besides that, this is pretty close to a Toxic staller/cleric. If you wanna go full cleric with this, you could swap Curse out for Heal Bell. I kinda like this idea, but just watch out for Trick Room users.

Ok, now let me show you something that isn't crap.

Hawlucha@Leftovers
Ability:Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 HP/252 Spe/4 Def
Jolly Nature
-Feather Dance
-Encore
-U-Turn
-Roost


I feel like Hawlucha's Defensive capabilities have yet to be fully explored, so I built this set using Hawlucha's best traits, its speed and Mold Breaker. Hawlucha is incredibly NOT defensive, but one FeatherDance renders physical attackers useless against it. This is where Hawlucha shows how disruptive it can be when given the chance. Mold Breaker means that FeatherDance won't be blocked by Clear Body, Hyper Cutter, or affected by Magic Bounce or Wonder Skin. Substitute users are not safe thanks to Encore, which also bypasses Magic Bounce and Aroma Veil. Boosters will be hard pressed attempting to boost with the threat of Encore, completely ruining their pace and leaving them vulnerable to U-Turn. An opponent Encored into a move is easy switchings, and U-Turn eases prediction, as everyone knows. Roost is for healing, and also helps Hawlucha alleviate itself of its Electric and Ice weakness and it's neutrality to Rock. Hawlucha also has the handy typing for resisting Fighting, Bug, Grass, Dark, and an immunity to Ground, making it incredibly easy to switch in and mess things up.

The lack of STAB to abuse may be a turn off, but Hawlucha makes it so easy to disrupt opponents and bring in set up sweepers of your own that you won't mind at all.

I have worthwhile calcs. These are all damage dealt after a FeatherDance.

-2 252 Atk Garchomp Outrage vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 124-147 (34.4 - 40.8%) -- 59.3% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

-2 252+ Atk Metagross Zen Headbutt vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 186-222 (51.6 - 61.6%) -- 95.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

-2 252 Atk Pure Power Mega Medicham Zen Headbutt vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 276-326 (76.6 - 90.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

-2 252+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 350-414 (97.2 - 115%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

That last one doesn't seem impressive, but Hawlucha can always and reliably take out Mega Mawile one on one if Sucker Punch was the last move used. Just hit it with an Encore and your opponent will bail.

-2 252+ Atk Tough Claws Mega Charizard X Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 181-214 (50.2 - 59.4%) -- 81.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

-2 252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 338-402 (93.8 - 111.6%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Aqua Jet vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Hawlucha: 151-178 (41.9 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

Unfortunately, Hawlucha loses to most Fairies and Talonflame all the time, requiring smart plays to get around.

I actually dig this idea a lot. Hawlucha's the only thing with Mold Breaker Encores. I do think a problem arises in that he really can't do anything permanent to the opponent aside from chip damage. He specializes in encouraging the opponent to switch out, and that's about all. I'd probably have him replace U-Turn with a STAB move, but I can see the logic in using it over a STAB. I guess the biggest issue with this set is that it relies on opponents expecting a typical offensive Hawlucha, meaning it'll have to threaten things that'd normally be eaten alive by it, hit the switch-in with Feather Dance in hopes it's a physical attacker, then U-Turn out into the thing you're really planning to kill the opponent with.
 

Black Murder Heavangelon

Ow! Ow! Harder! Ow!
Masquerain@Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 Sp.Def
Bold Nature
-Sticky Web
-Roost
-U-Turn
-Power Split

IVs: 0 Attack and 0 Sp.Atk. Make sure they're as low as possible.


Move over, Shuckle! This is a real defensive Sticky Web setter! Introducing Masquerain, a vastly underestimated pokemon for laying down that oh so important Sticky Web hazard. What makes Masquerain so defensive? Intimidate? Lowering an opponent's attack by one stage? That can only get you so far. Well, that was the case, before Masquerain got Power Split this generation. By setting Masquerains Atk and Sp.Atk IVs to 0, or as low as you can get them, each, one Power Split renders most physical attackers helpless to Masquerain. All of a sudden, Masquerain is taking hits like a champ, even 4x Super effective Rock type attacks! Because of this, Roost is crazy good for recovery and reducing that 4x weakness to a 2x weakness. Once you have your hazards set up and the opponent weakened by Power Split, U-Turn out of there to a pokemon that can easily take care of the situation.


Take a look at these calcs. IVs, EVs, Nature, and Base Stats were all modified to simulate the effects of Power Split (both respectives stats were added together, then divided evenly, then the stats were tweaked to match these numbers).

-1 0- Atk Rhyperior Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Masquerain: 276-328 (80.2 - 95.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery (Power Split number was 235.5)

-1 0- Atk Rhyperior Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Masquerain: 138-164 (40.1 - 47.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery (Roost)

-1 56+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Masquerain: 130-154 (37.7 - 44.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery (Power Split number was 165)

-1 0+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Masquerain: 118-141 (34.3 - 40.9%) -- 59.3% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery (Power Split number was 225)


Not even Mega Mawile, freaking Mega Mawile of all things, can 2HKO Masquerain after the Power Split! Of course, Intimidate is a huge help too, but it goes to show that the combo enables Masquerain to wall these physical powerhouses with a single move. I mean, look at those calcs! A 3HKO is the best Mega Mawile can do!

In case you were wondering.

4+ Atk Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Masquerain: 102-121 (29.6 - 35.1%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery (Power Split number was 258.5)

+1 4+ Atk Bisharp Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Masquerain: 159-187 (46.2 - 54.3%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery (Power Split number was 247.5)

Bisharp is still a threat, but the initial damage after the Power Split means Masquerain survives the hit, albeit at the loss of Leftovers. But since Bisharp lost Attack to that Power Split...

+1 4+ Atk Bisharp Brick Break vs. 172 HP / 0 Def Magnezone: 152-180 (46.9 - 55.5%) -- 74.6% chance to 2HKO (Bisharp's Atk stat remained the same after the Power Split)

Masquerain U-Turns out of there, allowing Magnezone in safely against a severely weakened Bisharp. None of Bisharp's standard moves hurt Magnezone (is low kick standard? it 2HKOs still, but if it is, Magneton is almost 2HKO'd by it), meaning he's dead meat.


I discovered Masquerain's defensive potential some time ago, and I was really proud of how effective it was. Being 3HKO'd by Mega Mawile is something very few NU pokemon can acheive, and it doubles as an amazing Sticky Web setter! Of course, you need a Rapid Spinner, otherwise Masquerain's defensive capabilities fall apart, but no rocks means Masquerain's free to ruin your opponent's dreams.
 

Rock2000256

Returning Veteran
I am looking for a tank or support pokemon that benefits from rain or can make rain. Slowbro/ slowking seemed to be good.

Slowbro- offensive tank- assault vest
Regenerator
Modest
Ev: 252 hp 184 def 72 sp def
- psyshock
- fire blast
- ice beam
- scald

Then I thought he could be a support pokemon

Slowbro- rain support- leftovers
Regenerator
Modest
Evs: 252 hp 84 sp def 176 def
- scald
- calm mind
- slack off
- rain dance

No matter what set is chosen, I need a defensive pokemon that benefits from the rain. This is a must. Are either of these sets great, or shoud a different set or pokemon be considered?
 
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Weavile.nl

Proud to be Dutch
I came up with a interesting Hitmonchan set.

Hitmonchan @ Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
Nature: Impish
EVs: 252 Atk / 128 Def / 128 Spd / 4 SpeD
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Thunderpunch/Bullet Punch
- Ice Punch/Rapid Spin

Sadly enough its HP is terrible, but would still work quite okay i guess?
 

Rock2000256

Returning Veteran
Sure. Here is a good set.

Infernape- life orb
Iron fist
Jolly
252 atk 252 speed 4 hp
- flare blitz
- close combat
- thunder punch
- u turn

This is a standard physical sweeping set that attempts to do as much damage possible in infernape's short life span. Infernape can run a very powerful special set, but I prefer immediate power with flare blitz. Infernape's go to attacks are flare blitz and close combat, which can hit just about anything. Infernape gets great coverage with Thunder punch when it comes to bulky water types. Infernape does its best under the sun, so time infernape's arrival wisely. Infernape is also an effective scout with u turn. Infernape does well with latios or latias or on sun teams. Finally, infernape can run a great lead set with stealth rock and fake out. Hope that helps. :)
 
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Onyx Tanuki

Ma! There's a weird 'nuki in the yahd!
I came up with a interesting Hitmonchan set.

Hitmonchan @ Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
Nature: Impish
EVs: 252 Atk / 128 Def / 128 Spd / 4 SpeD
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Thunderpunch/Bullet Punch
- Ice Punch/Rapid Spin

Sadly enough its HP is terrible, but would still work quite okay i guess?

I'm not too sure about the EVs, but bulky offense seems somewhat viable for Hitmonchan. He kinda straddles the line between his brothers; he's not as fragile as Hotmonlee, but also not as offensively powerful. He's got better offense than Hitmontop, but loses physical bulk. Personally, I'd use the above set on Hitmontop instead; it gets Technician, which buffs Mach Punch and Bullet Punch much more than Iron Fist at the sacrifice of a more powerful Drain Punch or elemental punches (one of which he'd replace with Rapid Spin anyway). His ability would allow you to replace Mach Punch or the second elemental punch with a powerful Aerial Ace.

If you wish to keep AV Hitmonchan, this would probably be the set to go with, but I'd adjust his EVs, trading Speed and some Att out to max his HP. You'll probably want to focus his Def EVs on some specific physical threat you want him to be able to survive, or his Speed EVs on something specific you want him to be able to outrun, though I'd say the former would end up more useful than the latter.

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Poliwrath @ Leftovers
Water Absorb
Modest
252 HP, 252 SpAtt, 4 Speed
- Vacuum Wave
- Ice Beam
- Scald
- Work Up

There's unfortunately not that many viable users of Vacuum Wave in the lower tiers; I believe it's limited to Monferno and this guy. However, he's incredibly bulky and is resistant to Stealth Rock damage, so he should be able to set up with Work Up pretty easily, bringing his meh SpAtt up to proper levels. From there it's pretty simple; Scald for STAB and burn chance, Ice Beam to cover Grass and Flying types, Vacuum Wave for STAB and priority. Lefties is the best item IMO to supplement its bulk, since it unfortunately doesn't have any draining moves. Psychic could possibly be put in Work Up's place to help him handle Poison types that'd otherwise take Scald, like Toxicroak or Qwilfish, that this is really only viable above NU where those pokemon actually reside.

Garbodor @ Choice Scarf
Stench
Jolly
4 HP, 252 Att, 252 Speed
- Gunk Shot
- Seed Bomb
- Rock Blast
- Drain Punch

My favorite Garbodor set ever. Nobody expects to be outsped by this guy, and having him outspeeding opponents jibes well with Stench, which acts as an invisible King's Rock, though sadly the only thing that really works with is Drain Punch, since much of Garbodor's physical movepool is non-contact. Gunk Shot for STAB, everything else for added coverage. Not a lot to say about him besides that :p
 

Deltadromeus

Active Member
Milotic : Chesto Berry/Leftovers
Marvel Scale
Calm (+SpD, - Atk)
252 HP, 124 Def, 132 SpD
-Rest
-Surf/Scald
-Toxic
-Attract/Confuse Ray

Rest Milotic is one of my go to tanks (besides default Porygon2) and she works great. I've found Chesto Berry works most of the time, but Leftovers is also nice to heal off attacks while I sleep. I normally run Surf, to save the status for toxic, but sometimes burn works good. I'd like your opinion. The final move is filler, Attract is a bit of a risky move, but it has payed off. Confuse ray seems safer, but less effective. And for the final touch, rest. Rest with marvel scale is an amazing combo. Basically while I'm asleep, I have an eviolite. Once the opponent is toxiced, boom. Super stall. It also keeps toxic from doing any real harm to me, which is recover Milotic's downfall.
 
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Onyx Tanuki

Ma! There's a weird 'nuki in the yahd!
Been a while. Let's try out some ORAS then, shall we?

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Diancie @ Diancite
Clear Body
Hasty/Naive/(neutral)
252 HP, 4 Def, 252 Speed
- Rock Polish
- Diamond Storm
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock/Hidden Power [Ground/Fire]

Mega Diancie is an absolute beast. Its offensive stats are awesome enough without a boost, so all it needs is a Rock Polish and to clear out any strong Steel-using threats and we're good to go. Rock Polish is to buff its Speed, obviously, while Diamond Storm hits things physically and Moonblast hits them specially. For the last slot, we can either go for Stealth Rock for added utility or HP Ground/Fire to give it a tool for taking down Steels. For the EVs, you could just stick to a neutral nature, or you can give up a little defensive bulk for some Speed with Hasty or Naive. Hasty is probably better, since the defensive boosts Diamond Storm could give will help cover the drop from having a negative nature. Mega Diancie's biggest enemies I think will be things with powerful offenses that can run Bullet Punch; Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Mega Lucario can all really ruin Mega Diancie's day. Most Steel types with decent bulk can at least check Mega Diancie if they a STAB to strike back with and could survive at least two of its hits, since Steel resists both Rock and Fairy, such as Ferrothorn or Magnezone, and though they won't get STAB from it, pokemon like Machamp and any of the Hitmon- line can put a decent dent in Mega Diancie with Bullet Punch (Machamp and Hitmonlee due to raw power, Hitmonchan due to Iron Fist, and Hitmontop due to Technician), and while their pure Fighting typing makes them less likely to work well as checks, Mega Diancie certainly won't be switching in on them, especially if you have Rocks and/or another hazard up.

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Altaria @ Altarite
Natural Cure
Adamant
252 HP, 252 Att, 4 Speed
- Dragon Dance/Hone Claws
- Return/Double Edge
- Dragon Claw/Dragon Rush/Roost
- Earthquake

With its Mega form giving it improved physical offenses, Fairy typing, and Pixilate, Mega Altaria can make much better use of the Dragon Dance set than its regular form ever could. It trades its Dragon STAB's sure spot out for Return, due to Fairy being a better typing offensively as well as Return simply being more powerful than any Dragon move it has, while Double Edge is even more powerful at the cost of recoil. If you really want to keep a Dragon STAB, Dragon Claw is a good option, and Dragon Rush works well with Hone Claws, but in all honesty, it's not needed since the things that resist Fairy are generally dealt with using Earthquake. Roost is a better option in general, particularly if you have to switch Altaria in on Rock prior to Mega evolution. It could do well switching its HP EVs out for Speed if using Return, but because there's so many things that it can OHKO with Double-Edge, it may be wiser to stick with the HP EVs if you go for that over Return. Things you'd want to be wary of with this are Skarmory especially (since it resists anything Mega Altaria throws at it), Golbat, and Weezing, as well as Levitating Bronzong and any Steel or Poison with an Air Balloon. Fire/Flying types with good defenses are a threat too if you're not carrying a Dragon move, but since Stealth Rocks are pretty much expected in any tier of the game, they'll be hit hard enough that even a resisted Double Edge should finish them off. Honestly, the biggest threats to Mega Altaria aren't so much the ones that resist its moves as it is those that can easily break through its defenses with powerful Poison, Steel, and Ice moves of their own. Once tiers for ORAS start to settle in, Altaria is very likely to be a top competitor in its own tier (likely OU, since it can OHKO most of the things that could check it).
 

Mye

Someone has to win..
I personally can't wait to see altaria get a mega-evo as with the typing/stats/movepool (if I remember correctly it's the only dragon with access to heal bell and with it's new mega-evo it's the only dragon to have access to two STAB 100+ BP physical AND special moves in outrage/pixilate return and draco meteor/pixilate hyper voice) this thing should pose a massive threat when paired with a decent steel-killer. Aside from the moves you mentioned, there are a ton of other options that could have their own niche. Body slam can be used instead of return/double edge which, while a tad weaker, can be used on a decent defensive set to paralyze ghost types. Facade can also be used on a defensive set to allow altaria to act as an interesting status absorber, capable of both taking advantage of it and healing the entire party of it. Outrage could work instead of dragon rush (should probably fix that). Skipping special moves (due to m-altaria being entirely outclassed by the m-lati twins and a plethoria of other mega-evos as a special attacker), altaria has access to agility to boost its speed further (should you want to either run a double-boosting set or just outpace/kill enemy steel types). Expect this thing to run rampant in UU, and expect Empoleon to see a significant spike in usage due to their amazing synergy both offensively and defensively.
 

Onyx Tanuki

Ma! There's a weird 'nuki in the yahd!
I personally can't wait to see altaria get a mega-evo as with the typing/stats/movepool (if I remember correctly it's the only dragon with access to heal bell and with it's new mega-evo it's the only dragon to have access to two STAB 100+ BP physical AND special moves in outrage/pixilate return and draco meteor/pixilate hyper voice) this thing should pose a massive threat when paired with a decent steel-killer. Aside from the moves you mentioned, there are a ton of other options that could have their own niche. Body slam can be used instead of return/double edge which, while a tad weaker, can be used on a decent defensive set to paralyze ghost types. Facade can also be used on a defensive set to allow altaria to act as an interesting status absorber, capable of both taking advantage of it and healing the entire party of it. Outrage could work instead of dragon rush (should probably fix that). Skipping special moves (due to m-altaria being entirely outclassed by the m-lati twins and a plethoria of other mega-evos as a special attacker), altaria has access to agility to boost its speed further (should you want to either run a double-boosting set or just outpace/kill enemy steel types). Expect this thing to run rampant in UU, and expect Empoleon to see a significant spike in usage due to their amazing synergy both offensively and defensively.

See the thing is, I kinda realized as I was typing that Dragon type moves are fairly useless on Mega Altaria, aside from getting a neutral hit on Poison and Fire types that are neutral or immune to EQ. Looking just at individual single types against one another, Ground is SE against everything that resists Fairy, so something would have to either resist Ground naturally (as is the case of Ferrothorn or Forretress) or have immunity either due to partial Flying type (Skarmory) or Levitate (Bronzong). And Steel types resist Dragon regardless, meaning Mega Altaria would need a Fire move to handle Skarm, Ferro, and Forretress well. The thing is, aside from being neutral on Fire and Poison, Dragon doesn't add to Fairy's coverage at all. And honestly, Return outpowers Outrage (with Pixilate boosting it, it goes to 132 BP, well above Outrage's 120), while Double Edge gets buffed all the way to 156. Giga Impact could also be used as a monstrous suicide move, if one's so inclined. Further, I don't know what kind of new moves Altaria gets in ORAS; if it gets Quick Attack that'll be amazing for it. And what if it gets Extreme Speed? My word, that'd put the thing WELL into OU.

Also I forgot that it got Heal Bell XD Without mega evolving it already rids itself of status with Natural Cure, and with it, with a set like Heal Bell, Cotton Guard, Return, Roost, max HP and SpDef, considering it only has three weaknesses and all of them being single, it could be a defensive monster too. In that case all you'd need to get rid of is any phasers and anything with Clear Smog.
 

Eaglehawk

Banned
Been a while. Let's try out some ORAS then, shall we?

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Diancie @ Diancite
Clear Body
Hasty/Naive/(neutral)
252 HP, 4 Def, 252 Speed
- Rock Polish
- Diamond Storm
- Moonblast
- Stealth Rock/Hidden Power [Ground/Fire]

Mega Diancie is an absolute beast. Its offensive stats are awesome enough without a boost, so all it needs is a Rock Polish and to clear out any strong Steel-using threats and we're good to go. Rock Polish is to buff its Speed, obviously, while Diamond Storm hits things physically and Moonblast hits them specially. For the last slot, we can either go for Stealth Rock for added utility or HP Ground/Fire to give it a tool for taking down Steels. For the EVs, you could just stick to a neutral nature, or you can give up a little defensive bulk for some Speed with Hasty or Naive. Hasty is probably better, since the defensive boosts Diamond Storm could give will help cover the drop from having a negative nature. Mega Diancie's biggest enemies I think will be things with powerful offenses that can run Bullet Punch; Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Mega Lucario can all really ruin Mega Diancie's day. Most Steel types with decent bulk can at least check Mega Diancie if they a STAB to strike back with and could survive at least two of its hits, since Steel resists both Rock and Fairy, such as Ferrothorn or Magnezone, and though they won't get STAB from it, pokemon like Machamp and any of the Hitmon- line can put a decent dent in Mega Diancie with Bullet Punch (Machamp and Hitmonlee due to raw power, Hitmonchan due to Iron Fist, and Hitmontop due to Technician), and while their pure Fighting typing makes them less likely to work well as checks, Mega Diancie certainly won't be switching in on them, especially if you have Rocks and/or another hazard up.

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Altaria @ Altarite
Natural Cure
Adamant
252 HP, 252 Att, 4 Speed
- Dragon Dance/Hone Claws
- Return/Double Edge
- Dragon Claw/Dragon Rush/Roost
- Earthquake

With its Mega form giving it improved physical offenses, Fairy typing, and Pixilate, Mega Altaria can make much better use of the Dragon Dance set than its regular form ever could. It trades its Dragon STAB's sure spot out for Return, due to Fairy being a better typing offensively as well as Return simply being more powerful than any Dragon move it has, while Double Edge is even more powerful at the cost of recoil. If you really want to keep a Dragon STAB, Dragon Claw is a good option, and Dragon Rush works well with Hone Claws, but in all honesty, it's not needed since the things that resist Fairy are generally dealt with using Earthquake. Roost is a better option in general, particularly if you have to switch Altaria in on Rock prior to Mega evolution. It could do well switching its HP EVs out for Speed if using Return, but because there's so many things that it can OHKO with Double-Edge, it may be wiser to stick with the HP EVs if you go for that over Return. Things you'd want to be wary of with this are Skarmory especially (since it resists anything Mega Altaria throws at it), Golbat, and Weezing, as well as Levitating Bronzong and any Steel or Poison with an Air Balloon. Fire/Flying types with good defenses are a threat too if you're not carrying a Dragon move, but since Stealth Rocks are pretty much expected in any tier of the game, they'll be hit hard enough that even a resisted Double Edge should finish them off. Honestly, the biggest threats to Mega Altaria aren't so much the ones that resist its moves as it is those that can easily break through its defenses with powerful Poison, Steel, and Ice moves of their own. Once tiers for ORAS start to settle in, Altaria is very likely to be a top competitor in its own tier (likely OU, since it can OHKO most of the things that could check it).

The Mega-Diancie set is an utter trainwreck. How does Rock Polish logically mesh with a Defensive spread. Diancie should only be running tank sets or full out speed sets. Furthermore, Diancie should be running max SpA and either max Spe or max HP. Hasty for the former and Quiet for the latter.

As for the Altaria, you DO NOT need Dragon STAB. Fairy + Ground is more than sufficient for its purposes of sweeping. The Dragon STAB is superfluous and useless.
 
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