+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Table of Contents |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 1) Intro |
| a) Intro |
| b) Version History |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 2) How to get Mew |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 3) Experience, Stats, DVs and Other Various Formulas |
| a) Experience and Formulas |
| b) Stats, DVs and Formulas |
| c) The Damage Formula |
| d) The Critical Hit Formula |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 4) Terminology and Common Rules |
| a) Terminology |
| b) Common Rules |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 5) Tricks and Techniques |
| a) Basics |
| b) Tricks and Techniques |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 6) Common Questions |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 7) Analyzing Types and Pokemon |
| a) Type Analysis |
| b) Pokemon Analysis |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 8) Battling |
| a) Selecting Your Pokemon |
| b) Battling |
| c) Team Examples |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 9) Pokemon Stadium |
| a) Intro |
| b) Battling Changes |
| c) Reconstructing Teams |
| d) Beyond Battling |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 10) Guide Questions |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 11) Appendixes |
| a) Base Stats |
| b) Attacks |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 12) Outro |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 1) Intro |
| a) Intro |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This is a massive, book-sized, in-depth guide of how to play RBY to the highest
level of skill, and covers all of the hidden formulas, tricks and strategies.
This guide does not go over much of the actual in-game of RBY, only the battling
part of it. By reading this guide, you can increase your skill level at the
game, find out about how good every final form Pokemon is, and make yourself a
better overall player.
By reading this guide, I’m assuming you know what all the attacks do, what all 5
Stats mean, Status problems, and other basic stuff. If you need to see any
other guides for Gold/Silver/Crystal, or for in-game, check GameFAQs for other
guides. Everything else though, will be covered.
The content of this guide should help provide any player on a few tips, or just
a good, long read about competitive battling. I've been making, editing,
redoing, revising, etc. this guide for several years on and off. I've done a lot
of testing on everything to see how everything is, and I've played competitively
for a long while to test different strategies, styles and how to predict the
opponent effectively. I would be considered one of the top players, but once a
player reaches the highest level, skill only varies by so much and is based more
on a player's knowledge of the game.
Many people have written excellent guides and moveset lists over the years, but
there hasn't been a whole guide on competitive RBY battling for some time now.
This is essentially an updated and more in-depth guide, as compared to RJones'
Strategy Guide on GameFAQs and other FAQ sites. However, this doesn't cover the
Gold/Silver/Crystal generation, but has much more information and analyzing in
Red/Blue/Yellow.
On with the guide.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 1) Intro |
| b) Version History |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
1.0 - The initial release
1.01 - Nothing major, just some grammar and spelling mistakes corrected, and a
few edits. Also expanded a few sections.
1.02 - Re-did the "Recommended Uses" for each Pokemon, and fixed a few errors.
1.10 - Lots of changes, more corrections and I added to the type analysis. I've
also been busy with all sorts of other things, so this update took awhile, but
it's finally done. Another version won't be out any time soon, unless there's
lots of spelling and grammatical errors. The most noticeable change is I added
damage amounts for each Pokemon.
1.20 - Some tidying up, and updated new parts of the metagame. I made the guide
much more user friendly to skim through, and I alphabetized long sets of Pokemon
and types, wherever they appeared. Much more organized and still digging further
into the game. Several other additions as well.
1.30 - RBY hasn't had any major changes in years, but similar to Chess, there is
a limit of perfection you can always push for. Only that Pokemon is so dynamic
that it's not a simple task to reach. This update is mostly corrections and more
detail in important sections, but also some new ideas that can work in certain
situations.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 2) How to get Mew |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This is the only RBY in-game section I will explain in depth for the players
unaware of the Mew glitch. This is the only way you can get Mew without using
Gameshark or any little tweaks to the game.
Above Cerulean City, past Nugget Bridge is a trainer that has a Slowpoke. He
faces upward on the game map and has two bushes behind him. Don’t beat this
trainer; skip him until later in the game. Once you get Fly, find a second
trainer that can see and will fight you from 4 spaces away (the trainers that
will walk up to you from far away). Don’t battle him/her yet though. Go off the
screen, where that trainer won’t be visible. Walk to the spot where they will
see you and quickly press Start. You can sneak in pressing Start before that
trainer loads in the game, since they’re off screen. Choose to Fly to Cerulean.
Before you Fly, the trainer will try to battle you, but you’ll be gone before
he/she reaches you. You won’t be able to press Start now, since you aren’t
supposed to because the game thinks it is preparing you for a battle, but you
can’t get into one. When you reach the Slowpoke trainer, don't walk right in
front of him, or he can’t walk to you, and the game will get stuck. Appear in
front of him at least 2 steps away. Beat him and then Fly to any city. Walk
around or out of the city until the pause menu pops up by itself and then close
it. You’ll then enter a battle against Level 7 Mew. Catch it, and you’ll have
your Mew.
This trick works because you fool the game by Flying when you’re supposed to
be ready for a battle. Also, this trick works only on 2 trainers: the Slowpoke
trainer and a Cerulean gym trainer because, the Level 7 that appears is based
on the Special of their Pokemon you fight. You can do this trick with a trainer
in Cerulean Gym, but it’s more convenient to fight the Slowpoke trainer. If you
battle someone else after Flying, you can catch other Level 7s such as
Blastoise and Scyther, but this glitch is usually used for getting Mew.
The only other exception is getting a Gyarados in Mount Moon (with the use of
Escape Rope) early in the game. This is used for speedrunning. Otherwise, it’s
used mostly for Mew.
Now you have your Mew!
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 3) Experience, Stats, DVs and Other Various Formulas |
| a) Experience and Formulas |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This section is mostly formulas and Stats about how to get your Pokemon at
maximum power. Most of these are irrelevant, so if you don’t feel it matters,
you can skip reading. If you do, and decide to do some of your own calculations
and such, remember to always round down the number. Even if it’s 63.999, round
down to 63.
+---------+
|Level Exp|
+---------+
To gain Levels, your Pokemon needs to earn experience points. Here are quick
and easy formulas to find out how much they need. The final forms share the same
Exp type as their lower stages, so only the final forms are listed. Anybody can
tell you that having Pokemon at Level 100 is better than lower Levels, so it's
important to max out your Pokemon's Level to get the highest Stats.
Exp = Experience points
L = Level you want your Pokemon to reach
+----------+
|Exp Type 1|
+----------+
Type 1 are the slowest Pokemon to Level up, but most of them are the strongest
Pokemon in the game.
Type 4 are the fastest Pokemon to Level up, and only need 800000 to reach Level
100. Unfortunately, there are only 3 of them, and they are all Specialized
Normals.
Exp = L^3 * 0.8
Chansey, Clefable, Wigglytuff
+------------+
|Exp Examples|
+------------+
Here are some examples. I hope you are good at math, because these are some of
the easiest formulas. The ones later get quite long and tricky.
+---------+
|Example 1|
+---------+
You want a Magneton to reach Level 62.
Exp = L^3
Exp = 62^3
Exp = 238328
+---------+
|Example 2|
+---------+
Your freshly caught Clefairy is Level 11 and want to know how much Exp your
Poemon needs to reach Level 15.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 3) Experience, Stats, DVs and Other Various Formulas |
| b) Stats, DVs and Formulas |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This section is an overview of how to obtain the maximum Stats for any Pokemon.
+-----+
|Stats|
+-----+
Every Pokemon’s Stats vary but all of them need the same requirements to reach
their absolute maximum power. All Stats can be up to the maximum (look in the
Pokemon section below or check Appendix A for Base Stats) and down to their
minimum, which is 93 below maximum. The following is how the 93 extra points are
achieved.
+---+
|DVs|
+---+
A DV (Deter Value) is a random number from 0-15 (or 0-F, if you know how to
use hexadecimals). Each Stat of every Pokemon has one of these and the higher
the better. When you catch a Pokemon, these DVs are set already, and there is
no way of changing them (besides Gameshark). For each 50 Levels, each DV point
gives your Pokemon an extra Stat point. That means at Level 25, each DV number
is worth half a point and at Level 100, each DV number is worth 2 points, which
is 30 extra if the DV is 15.
So that means there are 5, 1 in 16 chances to get at least one perfect Stat. To
get a Pokemon that is perfect in all 5 Stats (if the other Stats are perfect, HP
will be perfect), is 1 in 65536, so it’s best to just get ones that are
important Stats (like Electrode’s Speed). In Gold/Silver/Crystal, breeding
determines some DVs by the parents, and even if you use the best method, it’s a
1 in 512 chance, which is much better, but still very low odds. However, some
Pokemon don’t need one Stat, which is Attack power, such as Alakazam or Starmie
unless they end up Struggling. It’s pretty much irrelvant though, so don’t worry
too much about Attack when using Special attacking Pokemon. For these Pokemon,
to get the other 4 Stats perfect, with Attack being whatever (as long as it’s an
odd number (see below)), it’s a 1 in 8192 chance, or with breeding, a 1 in 64
chance. If you want to breed Pokemon specifically for DVs, simply have the
Female parent have 15 in Defense and Special DVs.
For players that have played Pokemon generations past Gold/Silver/Crystal, DVs
vary from IVs and EVs; it is possible in RBY to have all perfect Stats. In later
generations, it is impossible, as those games use a different Stat formula.
+-----+
|HP DV|
+-----+
HP is made up of the other 4 Stats. If you know binary, you can find it by using
the last digit of Attack, Defense, Speed and then Special. If you don’t, here’s
an easier way.
If Attack DV is odd, add 8
If Defense DV is odd, add 4
If Speed DV is odd, add 2
If Special DV is odd, add 1
This means that if all 4 DVs are 15 (perfect), HP will also be perfect, so it’s
possible to have DV 15 in all Stats, resulting in Pokemon with the highest
Stats possible in all 5 Stats.
+--------------+
|HV DV Examples|
+--------------+
Here are some examples of how to calculate the HP DV. It's very simple.
+---------+
|Example 1|
+---------+
Your Magikarp has the following DVs: Attack 5, Defense 11, Speed 6, Special 0
8 + 4 + 0 + 0 = 12
HP DV is 12
+---------+
|Example 2|
+---------+
Your Venonat has the following DVs: Attack 14, Defense 15, Speed 8, Special 5
0 + 4 + 0 + 1 = 5
HP DV is 5
+--------+
|Stat Exp|
+--------+
30 of the extra Stats comes from DVs, and the other 63 come from Stat Exp. Every
time you KO a Pokemon, yours gain some points. Level and power of the Pokemon is
irrelevant, only the species is important. The Stat Exp earned varies between
each species, but if you beat a high defensive Pokemon such as Cloyster, yours
get a little more Defense Exp than the other Stats. With this in mind, it’s
quickest to boost Stat Exp up by going through the Elite Four.
Vitamins will give your Pokemon 40 of these 63 points, but you are actually only
one third done (the formula is parabolic), the other two thirds which are the
extra 23 points you will have to get on your own. With all of this in mind
explains the Rare Candy myth, where giving them to your Pokemon make them weaker
than a pure trained one. It’s not true, since "pure trained" Pokemon are only
better by already having Stat Exp.
Rare candied Pokemon can still receive these extra points, even at Level 100
using the box trick. Whenever a Pokemon rejoins your party, its Stats are
recalculated, so any new Stat Exp gained from before will be recalculated. This
works for all Pokemon of all Levels, so if you didn’t finish maxing the Stats of
your Level 100s, you can still get the last few points of their Stats. This also
means that Rare Candying your Pokemon and then giving them Stat vitamins is the
quickest way to get the best Pokemon. Don’t waste your time training your
Pokemon unless they’re Level 100 and have vitamins maxed out, because Rare
Candies don't make your Pokemon weaker at all, they just don’t have Stat Exp,
which is still obtainable anyway.
It's a bit much to lay down all at once, but after you play with it a bit and do
some experimenting and such with it, it becomes very simple. The difficult part
is having the invisible numbers explained and learning how the game truly works.
Pokemon gain about 31.9 extra points in each Stat every 50 Levels, but you must
always round down, so they only get 31 extra points at Level 50, 63 extra at
Level 100 and 15 at Level 25. However, at lower Levels you are still required
to do just as much training to max out their Stat points, as you are to at Level
100, because the Level is included in the formula. If you would like to know
exactly how many points are earned when defeating a Pokemon, take their Base
Stats (you can find these in Appendix A at the bottom of the guide) of the
Pokemon you just beat, and add them to your Pokemon's Stat Exp. Add the Attack
Base to their Attack Stat Exp, the Defense Base to their Defense Stat Exp etc.
These numbers, like many others are invisible.
Stat Exp is any number from 0 to 65025. The vitamins will give them 25600, and
they’ll earn about 2000 every time you go through the entire Elite Four if you
use only one Pokemon the entire way through. Yes, it is a lot of work to get
perfect Stats. At Level 100, to have the extra 63 points, they’ll need 63002
Stat Exp. Also, the vitamins only work if the corresponding Stat Exp is less
than 25600. That means if they have 30000 Speed Stat Exp, Carbos won't boost the
Speed anymore. Also, if they have 25599 or less, the next vitamin will only give
1 point, meaning that vitamins can't make Stat Exp go past 25600.
Extra points in a Stat = ((Square Root (Stat Exp - 1)) + 1) * Level / 400
Here are some examples of how to calculate Stat Exp. The formulas are a little
trickier, but it's still relatively straight forward.
+---------+
|Example 1|
+---------+
You use 10 Iron on a brand new Level 50 Moltres and want to know how many extra
points you have.
Extra points in Defense = ((Square Root (Defense Exp - 1)) + 1) * Level / 400
Extra points in Defense = ((Square Root (25600 - 1)) + 1) * 50 / 400
Extra points in Defense = 20
+---------+
|Example 2|
+---------+
Your Level 43 Nidoqueen has 16780 Speed Exp and want to know how many extra
points you have.
Extra points in Speed = ((Square Root (Speed Exp - 1)) + 1) * Level / 400
Extra points in Speed = ((Square Root (16780 - 1)) + 1) * 43 / 400
Extra points in Speed = 14
+------------+
|Stat Formula|
+------------+
Here’s the entire Stat formula, which includes, level, DVs and Stat Exp. If you
need the list of Base Stats, check Appendix A. The extra points are found with
the Stat Exp formula, shown above.
HP = (Base Stat + DV + 50) * Level / 50 + 10 + extra points
Other Stat = (Base Stat + DV) * Level / 50 + 5 + extra points
+---------------------+
|Stat Formula Examples|
+---------------------+
Many variables are used to determine Stats, so these are longer, but still
relatively easy to use.
+---------+
|Example 1|
+---------+
Your Level 100 Starmie has DV 14 in Speed and has 52033 Speed Exp. Starmie's
Base Speed Stat is 115.
Your new Level 17 Diglett only had a couple of battles and just has 73 HP Exp.
Its HP DV is 2. Diglett's Base HP is 10.
HP = (Base Stat + DV + 50) * Level / 50 + 10 + extra points in HP
HP = (10 + 2 + 50) * 17 / 50 + 10 + extra points in HP
HP = 31 + extra points in HP
HP = 31 + ((Square Root (HP Exp - 1)) + 1) * Level / 400
HP = 31 + ((Square Root (73 - 1)) + 1) * 17 / 400
HP = 31 (always round down)
Attacks such as Swords Dance or Withdraw change a Pokemon's Stats temporarily in
battle. Attacks like Defense Curl and Meditate only boost their Stats by +1, but
others like Agility or Barrier greatly boost their Stats by +2. Likewise,
attacks that lower Stats bring them into the negatives. Growl lowers Attack
by –1, but Screech greatly lowers Defense, by –2. One thing to remember is that
the Stat drops from Paralysis and Burn do not change this number (you can have a
Pokemon Paralyzed and have -6 Speed too).
+-----------------------------------+
|Attack, Defense, Speed, and Special|
+-----------------------------------+
This means that Swords Dance doubles, then triples and then quadruples their
Attack, while Meditate boosts much slower by 1.5, double, 2.5, triple etc.
Also Screech halves the opponent’s Defense, while Leer only goes to two thirds
after it’s first use. Sand-Attack after three uses halves your opponent’s
accuracy, Double Team boosts your Pokemon's Evasion, etc, etc, etc. However, if
you boost any of their Stats beyond +6, or beyond 999, it won’t work anymore. So
Hitmonchan can use Agility three times, before reaching +6, and Kingler’s Swords
Dance can be used twice before passing 999.
For Accuracy and Evasion, the percentages are applied to the attack's Accuracy,
for example, Blizzard is 90% accurate, and if Accuracy is at -3 (50%), then
Blizzard becomes 45% accurate, etc.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 3) Experience, Stats, DVs and Other Various Formulas |
| c) The Damage Formula |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This section explains how damage is calculated, and how much each variable
factors into damage.
This is the master formula, which does all the damage in the game. It’s pretty
long. Also, like the other formulas, you always round down the final number.
Damage = ((((Level * 0.4) + 2) * A * B / 50 / D) + 2) * M * R / 255
A - Attack power if you use a Physical attack, Special power if you use a
Special attack.
B - Base power of the move, such as 120 for Hydro Pump, 100 for Earthquake etc.
You can find these numbers in Appendix B.
D - Defense power of the opponent if you use a Physical attack, Special power
if you’re using a Special attack.
M - All multipliers including 1.5 for an attack matching your Pokemon's type, 2
for each weakness, 0.5 for each resistance, 0 for immunities, and 2 for Critical
Hits. Apply all of these as they occur, and multiply them all together. The
result is M. The highest this can be is 12 if you use an attacking matching your
Pokemon's type, which is Super Effective against both types of the opponent, and
also is a Critical Hit.
R - A random number from 217 to 255. This creates the minimum and maximum each
attack can do. Roughly, the attack can do anywhere from ~85% to 100% of its
expected damage.
That’s the formula. Chances are though that you’ll be using Level 100s most of
the time, so here’s a quicker formula if you do.
Damage (Attacker is L100) = ((0.84 * A * B / D) + 2) * M * R / 255
Again, like any formula, you always round down. If you check individual attacks
on individual Pokemon, such as Tauros’s Hyper Beam on Jynx, it’s good to check
the minimal damage too, to see if you can get a guaranteed KO, or if they have
a chance of survival. The formula after using it often becomes easy, so if you
have a calculator handy, you can check the damage for attacks as you battle.
+-----------------------+
|Damage Formula Examples|
+-----------------------+
Here are some examples of the lengthy damage formula. The first example uses the
simplied formula, and the second uses the full formula.
+---------+
|Example 1|
+---------+
A Gengar uses Thunderbolt against Gyarados. For this example, we'll assume that
they both have perfect Stats, so Gengar's Special will be 358 and Gyarados's
will be 298. They are also both Level 100. Thunderbolt's Base power is 95.
Damage (Attacker is L100) = ((0.84 * A * B / D) + 2) * M * R / 255
Damage (Attacker is L100) = ((0.84 * 358 * 95 / 298) + 2) * M * R / 255
Damage (Attacker is L100) = ~97 * M * R / 255 (don't round down to 97 until the
formula is completed)
Thunderbolt is Super Effective against Water and Flying, Thunderbolt's type does
not match Gengar's and this attack is not a Critical Hit. So M is 4.
Damage (Attacker is L100) = ~97 * 4 * R / 255
Damage (Attacker is L100) = ~391 * R / 255
Damage (Attacker is L100) = ~1.5 * R
Since R is random from 217 and 255, we'll check both to find the minimum and
maximum that Thunderbolt can do.
Minimum = ~1.5 * 217
Minimum = 333
Maximum = ~1.5 * 255
Maximum = 391
That means that a Gengar using Thunderbolt against Gyarados can range from 333
to 391 damage. Since Gyarados's HP is 393, Gyarados is guaranteed to survive.
+---------+
|Example 2|
+---------+
A Slowbro uses Surf on a Chansey after having used Amnesia. Again, we'll assume
that both Pokemon have perfect Stats, so Chansey's Special will be 156 and
Slowbro's will be 131. Due to Amnesia though, this brings Slowbro's Special to
262. Both Pokemon are level 50 and Surf's Base power is 95.
Damage = ((((Level * 0.4) + 2) * A * B / 50 / D) + 2) * M * R / 255
Damage = ((((50 * 0.4) + 2) * 262 * 95 / 50 / 156) + 2) * M * R / 255
Damage = ((((20) + 2) * ~3) + 2) * M * R / 255
Damage = ((~70) + 2) * M * R / 255
Surf is neutral against Normal, but matches Slowbro's type, so M is 1.5 here.
Damage = ~72 * 1.5 * R / 255
Damage = ~108 * R / 255
Damage = ~0.42
Minimum = ~0.42 * 217
Minimum = 92
Maximum = ~0.42 * 255
Maximum = 108
At Level 50, Chansey's maximum HP is 356, so Slowbro's Surf after 1 Amnesia does
about 26% to 30% damage to Chansey.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 3) Experience, Stats, DVs and Other Various Formulas |
| d) The Critical Hit Formula |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Critical Hits occur randomly after most attacks and double the damage they would
regularly do. They also don’t apply any Stat modifications such as the use of
Barrier or Swords Dance, which can be good and bad. However, they do apply Burns
if you are using a Physical attack. Here’s the formula. Again, if you need the
Base Stats, check Appendix A.
+--------------------+
|Critical Hit Formula|
+--------------------+
Chances = Base Speed / 512
That’s the formula, and for some quick notes, Electrode’s CH chance is 27.3%,
Tauros’s chance is 21.5% and Slowpoke’s is 2.9%. Through competitive battling,
you'll learn how important Speed becomes through Critical Hits.
+---------------------+
|Critical Hit Examples|
+---------------------+
Here are two examples of the Critical Hit Formula. They are very simple.
For the often-Critical moves, Slash, Crabhammer, Razor Leaf and Karate Chop, the
formula is the same, except the Base Speed is multiplied by 8, giving anything
with 226 maximum Speed (which is low) a guaranteed Critical. Remember though
that the actual number of your Speed isn’t applied; the Base Stats are, which
are the same for Nidoking of Level 35, a high Speed one, a Level 100 one etc.
The final move that affects Critical Hits is Focus Energy, quadruples the chance
for any following attacks. However, due to an error, when using Focus Energy in
the actual RBY games for Gameboy, the attack actually cuts your odds of getting
a Critical Hit. This is fixed in Stadium though, so if a player is using Focus
Energy, play on Stadium. If Stadium is not available, don’t use Focus Energy.
Don’t worry about checking the chance for every Pokemon, they are all listed
in the main section of the guide, in the final form analysis. If you’re using
lower forms though for whatever reason, the formula is small, so it’s quick to
check.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 4) Terminology and Common Rules |
| a) Terminology |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Here's a list of common terms and abbreviations.
Sweeper - A Pokemon that can easily knock out many others quickly and surely.
They often require good Speed, a variety of different types of attacks and good
Special/Attack. These are common on elite player’s teams, and work by wearing
down most or the entire opponent’s team, and finishing them all off with a
sweeper. Some examples are Tauros, Starmie, Golem (requires the opponents to be
Paralyzed) and Zapdos.
Setting Up - Setting Up is a term used for Pokemon that increase its Stats,
before attacking, such as Amnesia with Slowbro or Swords Dance with Sandslash.
Using Pokemon that setup become stronger than any other, but because they are
only better after setting up and switching negates any Stat boosts, these
Pokemon are more difficult to use.
Standard Pokemon – Oftenly called OU Pokemon (Over-Used), this group of Pokemon
are the best choices and what the best players use. Some of the Pokemon among
this group include Starmie, Tauros, Exeggutor, Zapdos, Chansey and Alakazam.
Under-Used Pokemon – Commonly shortformed to UU, are Pokemon that are not quite
as good as standards, but are still effective. Against elite players, these
Pokemon are rarely used, but matches where the standard Pokemon are banned
(often called UU matches), is when these Pokemon are used. Some of the best
Pokemon that are UU are Golduck, Venomoth, Electabuzz and Vaporeon. There is
also a category called BL (Borderline) for some Pokemon in between these two
categories, but various communities have various placements in each of them
(example, some players may consider Persian Borderline, while others may say
Persian is Over-Used).
Ubers - Mewtwo and Mew; they are much stronger than any other Pokemon, and are
in a tier of their own.
Staller/Stalling - Stalling is when your Pokemon is able to block out basically
anything the opposing Pokemon will have against you, such as Omastar stalling a
Flareon. A staller is a Pokemon that stalls. Common Special stallers are Chansey
and Alakazam and common Physical stallers are Golem and Cloyster.
Stall wars - These usually occur when two Pokemon just stall and can’t beat each
other, or the players are to stubborn/smart to switch. These usually result in
draining all of your PP and can cause matches to go on for awhile, which can be
fun, or terribly boring. One of the most common ones is Chansey vs Alakazam.
99.6 Rule or 255 Rule - In the actual games of Red, Blue and Yellow, each attack
has an accuracy out of 255, and moves that are 100% accurate are numbered 255,
the OHKO moves are numbered 76 (about 30% accuracy) etc. However, when an
attack is used, the game uses a random number between 0 and 255 and if it is
below the attack’s accuracy, it will hit. But if the random number is exactly
the attack’s accuracy, it will miss. So if the random number were 255, that
would mean any attack would miss, such as Surf, Thunderbolt and Flamethrower
(Swift still hits however). This means that realistically these attacks are
99.6% accurate.
Metagame - Metagame is a term used for strategizing. A metagame of something is
where all strategies and possiblities are taking into consideration of every
strategy or counter. In other words, it's countering strategies, countering what
a player is likely to do, and countering other counters. For example, if you put
a Pokemon to Sleep, they are likely going to switch. This means if you used a
Paralyzing attack, you could Paralyze the next Pokemon too. However, if the
opponent knows that you'll do this, they may stay and attempt to wake up their
Pokemon. This makes it tricky to decide if you should attack or use a Paralyzing
attack, and that is what a metagame is. This applies to any strategy game, and
not just Pokemon. A popular game with extensive metagaming is the Super Smash
Bros. series, where each character is highly analyzed. Google search Smash World
Forums for an example.
NetBattle - NetBattle is a port of Pokemon for computers. It allows a player to
choose any Pokemon with any moves with any Stats (that are possible), and you
can begin to battle immediately. NetBattle is the main environment for online
tournaments, and competitive battling.
STAB - Same Type Attack Bonus is the 1.5 multiplier of attacks matching the
Pokemon's type. For most Pokemon, these are their strongest attacks.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 4) Terminology and Common Rules |
| b) Common Rules |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Since RBY is slightly unfair in some aspects, rules were developed to still
battle without it affecting the game. Here are the rule sets.
-No Mewtwo, Mew, no multiples of the same Pokemon
-No using Horn Drill, Fissure, Guillotine, Minimize, or Double Team
-Sometimes no Wrap, Fire Spin, Clamp or Bind
The most common rule set. Most people play under these rules, but some don’t
mind the Wrapping moves.
-No Mewtwo, Mew, no multiples of the same Pokemon
-No using Horn Drill, Fissure, Guillotine, Minimize, or Double Team
-Sometimes no Wrap, Fire Spin, Clamp or Bind
-No Alakazam, Articuno, Chansey, Dragonite, Exeggutor, Gengar, Golem, Jynx
Lapras, Persian, Rhydon, Slowbro, Snorlax, Starmie, Tauros, Zapdos
-(Other Pokemon may not be allowed as well)
Usually called UU matches, because the standards are banned, which means the
Under-Used Pokemon are used instead. Borderline (BL) Pokemon may or may not be
banned from these matches, and certain people have differing rules on which
Pokemon are Borderline or Under-Used. Make sure both players are playing under
the same ruleset.
Here's the main reasons why all of the above are often not allowed.
Mew and Mewtwo are usually banned because they are both much stronger than any
other Pokemon. Mew has excellent Stats and too many effective moves against just
about anything that can appear. Mewtwo is the same, but has even higher Stats at
the cost of a large portion of attacks. However, once Amnesia is used, Mewtwo
can take down almost every Pokemon, and at 358 Speed, you won't be able to stop
it. Clearly, these two are in a league of their own and are almost always banned
from matches.
The next most common rule is using six Pokemon of all different species. If a
player is allowed to use the same Pokemon more than once, it becomes boring and
uncreative to play with or against. Four Alakazams and two Chanseys aren't fun
to play against. Diversifying adds fun to battling and making teams, as well as
expanding the depth of strategic battling.
Evasion moves are often banned because they take little to no skill to use. All
but six Pokemon learn Double Team, so if it was allowed, you would see it on
just about every Pokemon you'd face. On top, it would be comboed with Rest,
which is also learned by all but six Pokemon. This also extends the length of
the game drastically. While stall wars also do the same thing, they occur
because both players are smart and won't allow the opponent to beat them. With
Double Team, it's not a matter of being smart, all it is, is using Double Team
as often as possible and Resting when needed. This ban is debatable though, as
it can be looked at as a defensive strategy.
OHKO moves are also all often banned because of how they work. Like Double Team
and Minimize, instead of beating the opponent with skill, you beat them due to
luck. While there are only a few good OHKO Pokemon in the first place, the ones
that are good such as Tauros and Dugtrio just have to attack repeatedly with
them in hopes of taking out the opponent. Like the Evasion moves, this ban is
also debatable since it adds luck to the game, which the game is already heavily
based on.
Wrapping moves aren't banned as often as the above two groups, but are sometimes
still not used. Wrapping is also easy to counter, but if your team is heavily
Paralyzed and the opponent uses Wrapping Pokemon, there is little you can do
besides switching around until it misses, or else letting your Pokemon slowly
get sweeped. It's like the above two since they take luck rather than skill. The
reason why players are a little more flexible with Wrapping moves is that they
take skill to prepare, while OHKO moves and Evasion moves can be used any time.
Wrapping Dragonite with Agility is the odd one though that may feel "broken" at
times, since setting up isn't necessary, except for the one turn for Agility,
and Paralyzing the opponent's Pokemon isn't necessary.
The final set of bans is just for fun. With all of the best Pokemon banned, it
allows for the next group below to be used. It creates some new strategies and
ways to play, to spice up the game. With Mewtwo and Mew banned, the next best
Pokemon are used, and with the best non-uber Pokemon banned, the UU Pokemon get
a chance to be used.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 5) Tricks and Techniques |
| a) Basics |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This section is for in-depth information and competitive use of some of the
basics. More advanced techniques are covered in the next section.
+-----------------+
|Power vs Accuracy|
+-----------------+
Most of the Special type moves have one attack that is strong but not perfectly
accurate, and one move that is perfectly accurate but a bit weaker. Electric
has Thunderbolt and Thunder, but since Thunder is 70% accurate, it isn’t very
reliable as you’d have to constantly be lucky to damage the opponent. Hydro
pump and Surf are very even as the accuracy of Hydro Pump is still useable
(80%), so it’s your choice, but Surf is more reliable. Flamethrower and Fire
Blast is tricky. Fire Blast has a 20% extra Burning chance, more power and not
too inaccurate at 85%. Again, it’s your choice, but remember that the Status
condition, Burn, is only effective because of the Attack drop. Ice Beam and
Blizzard are a little unmatched as Blizzard is still 90% accurate but with more
power. It doesn’t matter which is picked between the Ice moves, but Blizzard is
more commonly used, since the accuracy is still reliable.
Remember not to double up on these moves. Having a Poliwrath with both Surf and
Hydro pump just wastes room for another attack. Choose only one of them so you
have more space for other moves. This doesn't apply to Normal moves though, as
many are completely different, such as Hyper Beam and Slash.
In conclusion, Blizzard and Fire Blast are good choices, Hydro pump is fine, and
Thunder is bad. Use Blizzard if it’s an offensive Pokemon or faints fast and Ice
Beam if it’s a long lasting defensive Pokemon (such as Chansey).
+-----------+
|Sleep moves|
+-----------+
Because Sleep moves can keep the opponent from moving for several turns
(maximum of 7 on RBY and 3 on Stadium), there’s a good chance that it’ll faint
by the time it wakes up. This is why Sleep moves are limited to only one
Pokemon. Therefore, it’s often (not always) best to switch when your Pokemon
falls Asleep. If you leave a Sleeping Pokemon out, it will likely get knocked
out and then the opponent is allowed to put another to Sleep. This is also why
the Sleep and Stun combo works well (using a Paralyzing attack after putting a
Pokemon to Sleep). Leading with a Sleep move Pokemon is also helpful to put
something to Sleep before the opponent can switch a Paralyzed Pokemon in to
block the Sleep.
+---------+
|Confusing|
+---------+
The most irritating Status problem is Confusion. When Confused, you have a 50%
chance of attacking yourself, and that’s fairly likely. Only 5 final forms
learn Confuse Ray (Gengar, Golbat, Lapras, Magmar, Ninetales) and any other
confusing move like Supersonic is unreliable. Confusion is not permanent and
will go away after 2-5 turns, or you can just switch, so it’s not hard to deal
with, but annoying if you have to. With the ease of switching away, Confuse Ray
loses some effectiveness, but can be used to force switching. Also of the
Confuse Ray Pokemon, only Lapras and Gengar are used often. Both of these
reasons are why confusing is rare.
+--------+
|Leeching|
+--------+
Leech Seed is a rare move learned by only 2 final forms (Exeggutor and
Venusaur). It doesn’t affect Grass types and has a 90% of hitting everything
else. It’s similar to normal Poison (not Toxic) except your Pokemon heals itself
from half the damage Leech Seed does. Usually, Leech Seed is a waste of a turn
as you will very rarely heal yourself or damage the opponent to a useful amount.
It could be used to force switching, but that means you have to stall out the
opponent, which can be difficult with Exeggutor and even more so with Venusaur.
+---------+
|Flinching|
+---------+
Only a few attacks in the game cause Flinching, which are Bite, Bone Club,
Headbutt, Stomp and a few other weak moves. To make the opponent Flinch,
you have to be quicker, use one of these moves and then get lucky (the most
likely ones are 30%). Even if you do all that, it just stops an opponent from
attacking for one turn. This will very rarely happen, as most of the moves are
bad and many of the users aren't fast.
+----------+
|Paralyzing|
+----------+
The most effective Status problem is Paralysis because of its effects combined
with how easy it is to use. When Paralyzed, your Pokemon's Speed is 25% and has
a 25% chance of not attacking. This is common because Speed is important when
you can rely on a Pokemon and finish anything off. Being slow, it will always
take a hit before it can do anything, and that adds up quickly. Very fast
Pokemon suffer the most, such as Electrode and Alakazam, which are chosen
because of their Speed. A common strategy with elite players’ teams is to
Paralyze as many of the opponent’s Pokemon as possible, and then use sweepers
later in the game, and knock them out as they appear. With Paralyzed opponents,
slower Pokemon such as Exeggutor, Golem, Snorlax and others become even more
dangerous in battle, as they can begin attacking first. Thunder Wave will
Paralyze anything 100% of the time besides Grounds, Stun Spore works 75% of the
time on anything and Body Slam has a 30% chance but also does damage. Most of
the others aren’t used for Paralyzing, due to low damage like Lick or the rare
luck from Thunderbolt (10%). The only time you wouldn't want an opponent
Paralyzed is if you want to put it to Sleep or try for a Freeze.
+-------+
|Burning|
+-------+
Burning is a permanent Status problem that doesn’t occur often. Fire Blast has a
30% chance of Burning and Flamethrower, Ember and Fire Punch have a 10% chance.
When Burned, your Pokemon loses 1/16 of their maximum HP each turn and their
Attack is cut in half. This is lethal to Physical Pokemon such as Tauros or
Snorlax, but Fire types are rarely used (explained later), so Physical Pokemon
don't have to fear Burns. However, since Burns are not a Stat drop per se,
Critical Hits are still weaker than usual when Burned (Critical Hits don't
ignore Burns like they do with Stat modifiers). Burning anything else just means
that they can’t be Paralyzed or put to Sleep, but Burned Physicals lose a lot of
use.
+--------+
|Freezing|
+--------+
A rare effect; 10% of Ice Beam, Blizzard and Ice punch will Freeze the opponent.
When Frozen, they're as good as fainted, so just consider it KO'd. The main way
to defrost a Pokemon is being hit by a Fire attack, which could happen if you
predict your opponent well. The common question is though if you should switch
or not from a Frozen Pokemon. Keeping it from fainting means you can’t get
another Frozen (only one is allowed to be Frozen), but that means that when you
switch, one of your Pokemon will take a hit. However, you can use the Frozen
Pokemon as a “sacrifice” to take an attack instead of your good ones, such as
Sky Attack or Explosion.
+-------------+
|Critical Hits|
+-------------+
Critical Hits are attacks that do double damage and happen randomly. Pokemon
with higher Base Speed (not Speed itself) have better chances of them. Electrode
has the highest at 27.3%. Also, Focus Energy quadruples the chance (on Stadium
only) and high Critical moves (Karate Chop, Slash, Crabhammer and Razor Leaf)
octuple your chance. Another point is that since the chance to get a
Critical Hit depends on Base Speed, an Electrode with bad Speed or at Level 56
will have the same chance. Since Critical Hits are based on Base Speed, many
fast Pokemon not only attack first, but get the additional help with higher
Critical Hit chances, so Tauros and Starmie can sweep even better.
Critical Hits won’t apply any changes to Attack, Defense or Special, so if you
use Swords Dance or Amnesia and then get a Critical Hit, it won’t apply the
Attack boost. This can be good and bad. If the opponent is using Barrier (for
example), you can use Slash for high damage since the Defense boost isn't
applied. This is also why you shouldn’t double up on Swords Dance and Slash
because when using Slash, the Attack boost isn’t applied.
+-------+
|OHKOing|
+-------+
The three moves Horn Drill, Fissure, and Guillotine are instant KO moves. They
are all only 30% accurate though, so it’s a big gamble to use them. You also are
required to attack first, so slow Pokemon like Kingler won’t use these well.
These moves usually won’t work, but are okay as a final chance at knocking out
an opponent before fainting. Paralyzing is usually the best way to make sure
you’re faster or using Agility. These moves are basically to throw in the luck
part of the game, but are commonly banned in standard matches.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 5) Tricks and Techniques |
| a) Basics |
| b) Tricks and Techniques |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
These are more advanced techniques that go beyond basics, and also some common
errors among non-competitive players.
+--------+
|Sweepers|
+--------+
Sweeper is a term used for Pokemon that can KO Pokemon quickly. Typical sweepers
learn many different types of either Special or Physical moves. They should also
have either high Attack or Special and high Speed is also helpful. These Pokemon
are best at the end or middle of the battle, to wipe out the remaining Pokemon
of the opponent’s.
+------------+
|Thunder Wave|
+------------+
If you’re slower than the opponent, it’s almost necessary to use Thunder Wave
(or use Agility). Here’s an example why.
Both scenarios have Rapidash attacking 3 times and Slowbro attacking twice.
The difference is that in Battle 1, Rapidash is Paralyzed, slower, letting
Slowbro attack just as many times, and Rapidash possibly won’t be able to
attack. All of this makes Thunder Wave vital for slow Pokemon. This same
strategy applies with Agility and other Speed changing moves. With Stun Spore or
Glare though, it may be better to attack, as they aren’t 100% accurate, but with
Thunder Wave which is 100% accurate, should always be used if you’re slower. The
only downfall is Ground types are immune to Thunder Wave, while Glare and Stun
Spore affect everything. If this is hard to understand, think of Thunder Wave as
a free turn for slow Pokemon that has additional benefits.
The only cases you wouldn't want to use Thunder Wave is if your Pokemon is
Paralyzed itself and the opponent is nearly fainted. In this case, you would
want to just knock out the opponent without risking your Pokemon being Fully
Paralyzed. Also, if you feel the opponent is about to switch to a Pokemon that
doesn't need to be Paralyzed, then using Thunder Wave wouldn't be helpful.
Otherwise, you should always use it.
+-----+
|Toxic|
+-----+
Toxic seems like a good idea on paper, but it usually isn’t in real battles.
Toxic only takes away 1/16 of the opponent’s HP and increases by sixteenths each
turn (1/16, 2/16, 3/16 etc). This would take 6 turns to KO something, which
is very long and the opponent can always switch, which will make the Poison act
like normal Poison. On top, the opponent can possibly heal, and Poisoning means
the opponent can’t be Paralyzed. With all of these reasons, Toxic and other
Poisoning moves are very useless. Toxic is best against an opponent with one
Pokemon left, or something that gets Wrapped. Better yet, not at all.
+---------------------------+
|Paralysis and Burn Glitches|
+---------------------------+
When a Pokemon is Paralyzed, its Speed drops to 25% of the original value. A
trick to fix this is to use the Speed boosting move, Agility. Instead of
normally doubling the Speed value, which would make the Speed at 50% of the
original value, Agility doubles the value, without including Paralysis,
essentially undoing the Speed loss. The same thing can be done with Burn and
Swords Dance, or with other Attack boosting moves. When Burned, Attack drops to
50%, but after Swords Dance, the Attack boost will not include the Burn, so it
will reach double the original value.
In other words, suppose a Dragonite with 200 Speed is Paralyzed, dropping the
Speed to 50. After Agility, the Speed will reach 400, which is what Agility
would normally do. This is because Attack boosting moves don't take Burn into
consideration, and Agility doesn't take Paralysis into consideration. While
Paralysis's chance to not attack and Burn's damage per turn are still in effect,
the Stat drops are fixed.
+--------+
|Wrapping|
+--------+
Wrapping can be abused, but requires some luck and preparation to use properly.
To Wrap the opponents continously, your Pokemon must be faster, or else the
opponent can attack back after it ends. Wrapping moves also aren't perfectly
accurate (70% to 85%) and the strongest move in Clamp, which is about the power
of Water Gun. However, against a team of Paralyzed opponents, continous Wrapping
can wipe out the entire team, if you're able to consistently use it. To counter
Wrapping, simply switch to a faster Pokemon, or stay put until it misses. This
is very limiting though. Dragonite with Agility in particular is considered
"broken", as Paralyzing the opponents isn't necessary.
Some good Wrappers are Cloyster (if the opponent is Paralyzed), Tentacruel,
Dragonite (with Agility or Thunder Wave), Rapidash, Victreebel (with Stun Spore)
and Tangela (with Stun Spore).
Fire Spin is often too inaccurate to use, so Ninetales and Charizard aren't very
effective with it. Rapidash and Moltres may be exceptions though since they both
learn Agility, which helps greatly with Wrapping.
If you are using a Wrap move and the opponent switches back and forth (forcing
you to continue using Wrap), the amount of PP will reach 0, and since it's still
going down while using the move, it will roll over to 63. This is another small
note which helps make Wrapping Pokemon successful.
+------+
|Hazing|
+------+
Haze can be a handy move, but usually not that effective overall. Using it
neutralizes any Stat increases and decreases for both Pokemon, and returns the
opponent’s Status problem, if any, to normal. It’s helpful in Evasion wars, or
to neutralize the Speed loss of Paralysis, but it doesn’t have many other uses,
not to mention you should only use it on opponents that have no Status problem.
On top, the only final forms that learn Haze are Vaporeon, Weezing and Golbat,
none of which are outstanding Pokemon. If you do decide to use Haze, watch out
for the opponent predicting you and switching to a Frozen or Sleeping Pokemon.
When you use Toxic, the damage increases each turn. Leech Seed, because it uses
the same damage variable as Poison, makes it increase too, resulting in large
damage, and more recovery too. Even then, it takes 2 turns to set it up and many
more to get it doing significant damage. There are only 2 final forms that can
use this (Exeggutor and Venusaur), and both have better movesets. It can be used
to do lots of damage, but very difficult to set up and make it effective. This
works nicely in-game if you have a Bulbasaur that's still leveling up, but is
essentially useless in competitive battling.
Due to a glitch, whenever your Pokemon has 255 or 511 HP off of the maximum,
Recover, Rest and Softboiled always fail. This is due to the game checking the
hexadecimal value of the HP, rather than the actual HP itself. Make sure if
you're using a Pokemon with a healing move, that you know what HP amounts you
aren't able to use it at (for example, Alakazam with max HP (313) cannot use
Recover at 58 HP).
A common mistake among non-competitive players (especially kids) is the use of
gimmicks. These include Beedrill vs Psychics, Metronome, Super Fang, using the
three final form starters, Dig/Fly, and a plethora of other poor ideas. While
certain ways to play could be fun or work great in-game, only a few are still
useful in competitive battling. Further along through the guide will cover and
clear up common mistakes among players.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 6) Common Questions |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Why is Jynx considered one of the best if it has lousy Stats?
Jynx is one of two exceptions and although the Stats are bad, the types and
Lovely Kiss makes up for it. Being Ice/Psychic, Jynx is weak to Rock, Fire and
Bug, which basically is like having no weakness. Also, Jynx has 288 Speed and a
Sleep move that is 75% accurate, which makes it very reliable to put an opponent
to Sleep. Most Specialists will take at least 3-4 turns to KO Jynx, giving Jynx
lots of time to attack. The only major problem is the low Defense, which is easy
to exploit using something like Tauros. Jynx is also lacking resistances, only
resisting Psychic and Ice.
What about Raichu?
Raichu has bad overall Stats like Jynx, but simply an Electric having Surf
makes it one of the better Pokemon in the game. Electric attacks dominate
everything except for Ground and the less commonly used, Grass. With Surf,
Raichu can do some heavy damage to Grounds, and although it won’t KO them
(except Golem, Onix and most oftenly Rhydon), players don’t want them to lose
much HP since Grounds are easy to KO due to having many common weaknesses. The
only Electric that can compete with Raichu is Zapdos due to the Ground immunity,
having better Stats and causing more damage, but it just can’t retaliate on
Grounds. Still, Raichu is replaced by Zapdos (and sometimes Jolteon) because
other than Surf, it’s a weak Electric, and you can always switch if a Ground
Pokemon is sent out.
Why are Pokemon that use Rare Candies weaker?
This is only partly true. Since a good portion of a Pokemon’s Stats come from
Stat Exp, you have to KO a ton of Pokemon to max it out. “Pure trained” Pokemon
get a huge head start, since to get to Level 100, they have to KO a lot of
Pokemon, which gives them Stat Exp. However, Rare Candied Pokemon only appear
weaker because they haven’t gotten any Stat Exp, which they can still get.
Therefore, use Rare Candies on your Pokemon, and get the Stat Exp at Level 100.
After getting the Stat Exp, Rare Candied Pokemon will be equally strong.
Are Dig and Fly good moves?
Not at all. Dig and Fly are bad moves, and only should be given to those that
don’t get anything better, such as Arcanine or Aerodactyl. First off, they take
a turn to Dig/Fly, making the opponent miss, and then attacking. Meanwhile, the
opponent can switch to something resistant (or immune for Dig), they can power
up with Swords Dance, set up Reflect, Recover, whatever. Using these moves only
allows your opponent to prepare ahead of time or give them an opportunity
to do something useful. Earthquake is identical to Dig, so use Earthquake
instead. If Drill Peck is available, use that instead of Fly. This is not just
for Fly and Dig, this is also the same for Razor Wind, Skull Bash, Sky Attack
and Solarbeam, so try not to use those either.
Is Mirror Move a good move?
That’s a tricky one, but usually no. Unless you plan on getting Dragonite’s
Blizzard or Gyarados’s Thunderbolt (both can happen since they both affect
Flying, which is the type of Pokemon that learn Mirror Move), Mirror Move is a
waste of a turn. Even if you get those moves, the highest Special for a Pokemon
that learns Mirror move is 238. If you are a smart player, you could use it when
the opponent uses a Stat or Status move (such as Confuse Ray or Swords Dance).
Overall, it's a filler move for Pokemon with poor movepools (which is mostly
just Pidgeot).
Are the movesets in the analysis below the only good movesets?
Not necessarily. Most of the movesets that are given to the Pokemon in this
guide are standard sets. You could have a Cloyster with Surf, Clamp, Ice Beam
and Hyper Beam, and it’d still be fine. These movesets are just the main
movesets for each Pokemon. The movesets are usually the best ones overall, but
depending on the situation, you can sometimes modify them, and still be
effective.
Why is using Thunder Wave and spreading Paralysis in general a common strategy?
Paralyzing is one of the main things a competitive player will do. Speed is
extremely important in the game, and a Pokemon's Speed drops to one quarter
of the normal value when Paralyzed; even Electrode is slower than a
non-Paralyzed Slowpoke. If the entire opponent's team is Paralyzed, you will
always attack first. The reason why this is important is because switching is
common to counter what the opponent uses. If you use Rhydon against a Paralyzed
Articuno, you're able to KO it before it can attack back. Many Physical Pokemon
such as Golem and Snorlax, and some Special Pokemon too, like Exeggutor gain a
large advantage when their main problem, Speed, is resolved.
Why aren’t Fire type Pokemon good?
Fire type Pokemon are good Pokemon, but their type isn’t necessarily good. Fire
can only get Super Effective hits on Bugs, which are usually weak, Grasses, that
have 4 other weaknesses and Ice types, but most of them are Water. Fire Pokemon
also have limited types of moves, which are Fire, Normal, some with Dig and
that’s usually it. Fire Pokemon are still good, but their type is bad. Because
Fire types are bad, this also makes Burns very rare, and makes Physical sweepers
slightly safer overall.
Why are Electrics and Psychics great Pokemon?
Both Psychic types and Electric types have only one weakness each. Psychic is
only weak to Bug, which basically has no meaning, and Electrics are weak to
Ground, which can cause problems. Normals, are not as good as Psychics and
Electrics, typewise, because they have no resistances like Electric and Psychic.
Keep in mind when planning a team to have a strong Normal to take out Psychics
and a Ground type for Electrics. If you have no Ground attacks (or Ice for
Zapdos), the opponent can pound you with Electric power by Paralyzing and
Thunderbolting you. If you have no Normals, you’ll have to attack Psychics using
Special attacks, which aren’t very strong on them. Remember though, that there
are other ways of dealing with certain types, but it’s usually recommended
having their main weaknesses.
Why is Swords Dance a good move?
Swords Dance doubles a Pokemon's attack power, which can bring it from 258 to
516 in one turn. This can change the shift of battle, as long as you have enough
time to attack afterwards (or your Pokemon will get knocked out before being
able to use it). The fastest Swords Dancer is Scyther at 308 Speed and the
strongest one is Kingler at 358 Attack.
Is Haze any good?
Haze is good because it cancels any Status and Stats changes such as Double
Team, Amnesia, Swords Dance, Confuse Ray, Agility, Reflect etc. Since these
moves are common, Haze is nice to have. However, Haze also returns the
opponent's Status problem to normal if they have one. Haze is also learned by
only 3 final forms; Golbat, Vaporeon and Weezing, so you will rarely see it.
What is "setting up"?
Setting up a Pokemon is powering it up before it gets knocked out. This includes
Pokemon like Sandslash using Swords Dance, Slowbro using Amnesia, Chansey using
Reflect, etc. To setup without being KO'd or getting Status problems, you have
to find a chance to. You can do this against Sleeping or Frozen Pokemon, another
Pokemon that is setting up, or having resistances to the opponent. Generally,
Pokemon that don't need to be setup (like Tauros or Starmie), are better overall
because they can be used at any time, while Pokemon that need to be set up have
to have an opening to become effective in battle. You're also forced to lose any
Stat boosts if the opponent switches to something that can counter you (such as
a Cloyster against a Sandslash that is already setup). However, the major
benefit is these Pokemon become more dangerous that Pokemon that can't setup, so
if you're able to power them up and attack effectively, you'll be at a greater
advantage.
What is "Sleep bait"?
Sleep bait is a Pokemon that is used to accept being put to Sleep. Since having
a Pokemon Sleeping is essentially gone, it's important to avoid having a good
Pokemon put Sleep, such as Tauros or Chansey. Instead, have a Pokemon that isn't
completely essential to winning the game put to Sleep, so your others don't have
to worry about it. Likewise against your opponent, try to put one of the better
Pokemon to Sleep if you can. Good candidates for Sleep bait include Gengar,
which can still absorb Explosions when Asleep, or Starmie and Alakazam, which
can heal if they are able to wake up. While Chansey can heal as well, she is
much for fragile and slower, so Chansey doesn't work.
What are the best Stats for each type?
Here’s the list. I’m not listing Ghost and Dragon, as it’s obviously Gengar and
Dragonite for each Stat.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 7) Analyzing Types and Pokemon |
| a) Type Analysis |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+---+
|Bug|
+---+
Bug is the worst type in the game. The only good Bug move, Twineedle (Pin
Missile requires too much luck) is weaker than Horn Attack, only learned by one
garbage Pokemon and isn’t even close to the solution to beating Psychics. There
are no good Pokemon in the game that is a Bug type, so I won’t recommend any Bug
Pokemon. They are the only type that can beat Psychics, but since they suck,
Normals are usually used to beat Psychics. The only exceptions are Bugs that are
more Normal users like Scyther and Pinsir, but they don’t learn Bug moves so
they don’t count, and even if they did they’re not great anyways. Don’t use
Bugs. If I had to pick one, Venomoth is probably the most useful, only because
it can survive almost any Special attack and delivers Sleep and Stun at 278
Speed. This has nothing to do with the Bug type though.
Attacking: Strong against Grass, Poison and Psychic, and weak against Fighting,
Fire, Flying and Ground.
Defending: Weak to Fire, Flying, Poison and Rock, and resistant to Fighting,
Grass and Ground.
Bug has nothing going for it. Bug is weak to a variety of types, weak against 5
different types, and has poor resistances. The main thing for Bug is that they
are the only type that is strong against Psychic, but there are several
different factors that nullify that point. First off, Bugs have low Special and
can't resist Psychic, so that alone makes them only good against them, but not a
whole counter, such as Ground countering Electric. But also, Bug is often part
Poison, including Beedrill, the only Pokemon that learns a decent Bug move. Bug
completely fails at the only possible use it has.
Overall, Bug only makes problems and is the worst type in the game.
+------+
|Dragon|
+------+
Dragon is a rare and powerful type, like Ghost. Likewise with Gengar’s Poison
type, Dragonite is held back because it is part Flying. Dragon itself is a great
type, only being weak to Ice, but resistant to Grass, Electric, Fire and Water.
Dragonite would be a good anti-Specialist (besides Ice). One thing though is
that Dragon attacks don’t exist, since Dragon Rage is a set-damage move, so
there are no real Dragon attacks. Dragonite, type-wise, isn't great due to being
part Flying, and Dragonair is too weak to show off the Dragon type.
Attacking: Theoretically strong against Dragon and neutral against all other
types.
Defending: Weak to Dragon and Ice, and resistant to Electric, Fire, Grass and
Water.
It's theoretical as there are no true Dragon attacks. If there was, Dragon would
be a decent offensive type, since nothing resists Dragon, but that's not the
case. Defensively, Dragon is only weak to Ice, and has a ton of Special
resistances, making Dragon seem to be a counter to Specialists. But when you
notice that Dragonite is partially Flying, that takes away the main one, which
is Electric, makes the Ice weakness even worse, and throws in a Rock weakness as
well.
Overall, Dragon, like Ghost loses most of its potential because of the only
final form having a terrible secondary type.
+--------+
|Electric|
+--------+
Electrics are usually very fast Pokemon, good Specialists and low on the other 3
Stats. The only type that is good against them are Ground Pokemon. If you are
able to KO your opponent’s Ground Pokemon, your Electrics can wreck havoc on
anything. That’s why it can be helpful to have a Ground type on your team.
Electrics are only good against Flying and Water, but do regular damage on most
of everything else too. The best Electric move is Thunderbolt, since Thunder is
too risky at only 70% accuracy. The best Electric Pokemon are Raichu, Jolteon
and Zapdos.
Attacking: Strong against Flying and Water, weak against Dragon, Electric and
Grass, and nothing against Ground.
Defending: Weak to Ground, and resistant to Electric and Flying.
Electric works similar to Normal, where it does good damage to most of anything,
but takes a lot back too. Because of that, Electric is a relatively good type,
and because of that Grounds which are by far the best counter become common.
Overall, Electric is one of the main Special types in the game, being useful
against just about everything. Grounds are an issue though, so if you choose to
use Electrics, make sure to have a counter against any Grounds. Grass types are
easily countered by Drill Peck and Pin Missile, learned by the best Electrics
(Zapdos and Jolteon respectively).
+--------+
|Fighting|
+--------+
Fighting types have good Attack, Defense and usually HP. They’re slow though and
can’t take many Special attacks. They’re only weak to Flying and the dreadful
Psychic type. Fighting can’t really beat any types either. Normal are weak to
Fighting, but the best move, Submission is weak, unreliable and on top, your
Pokemon takes recoil damage. Hi Jump Kick is better, but only Hitmonlee (which
sucks) can learn it. The only Fighting type worth using is Machamp, and
Poliwrath (but as a Water type). Because Fighting types are bad, Normals are
more common, and Psychic (the attack) is used less.
Attacking: Strong against Ice, Normal and Rock, weak against Bug, Flying, Poison
and Psychic, and nothing against Ghost.
Defending: Weak to Flying and Psychic, and resistant to Bug and Rock.
Fighting is another poor Physical type. They are bad at attacking 5 different
types, and only good against Normal and two types with only a few Pokemon. They
are also weak to Psychic and have no good resistances. The only desireable thing
about Fighting is being able to attack Normal types for double damage. However,
Submission is a poor move, and Hitmonlee is a bad Pokemon. It would be much more
viable to attack Normal types with another type.
Overall, Fighting is bad at mostly everything. The only use is that they can
beat Normal types.
+----+
|Fire|
+----+
Fire is a tricky type to use. The Pokemon aren’t bad, but being Fire doesn’t
help them. They’re only good against Bug, Grass and the non-Water Ice types
(Jynx and Articuno). Fire types also have high Attack rather than Special. They
usually have good Speed too, but low Defense, so Rock and Ground types are
lethal on them. Fire types are good for Burning your high Attack powered
opponents like Snorlax and Rhydon (though they get destroyed by Rhydon), which
will greatly lower Attack (although it’s a risky chance to take). The only good
Fire moves are Fire Blast and Flamethrower. Fire types are generally not used,
so it isn’t recommended using any of them. Moltres though, has the highest
Special if you want the strongest Fire attacker though, and Charizard is a
decent lead, as it can use Super Effective moves against the three main Sleepers
(Gengar, Exeggutor and Jynx). Fire types are best for taking down the tough
Physical Pokemon that are otherwise tricky to beat, like Snorlax and Tauros
because your Pokemon will still do massive damage and have a slight chance at
Burning them. Overall, they’re fairly useless.
Attacking: Strong against Bug, Grass and Ice and weak against Dragon, Fire, Rock
and Water.
Defending: Weak to Ground, Rock and Water, and resistant to Bug, Fire and Grass.
Fire types have very poor matchups. Only effective against some of the weaker
types (or in the case of Ice, a common secondary type resistant to Fire), Fire
isn't a great type offensively or defensively. They also have terrible matchups
against Water and Rock, being both weak to and weak against to them, making
Omastar a complete counter to all Fire types (except Charizard which has
Earthquake, although still not being able to fully KO it) if they even are used.
Overall, Fire is a bad type, and one of the worst Special types.
+------+
|Flying|
+------+
Flying types are all different kinds of types, and almost always a secondary
type (you don’t pick a Pokemon because it’s Flying, they just come with the type
Flying). Flying is good vs Grass, Bug and Fighting, which isn’t bad, but they
are weak to both Electric and Ice, which is a big minus. The best Flying Pokemon
for Flying attacks themselves are Zapdos and Dodrio, because they learn Drill
Peck, the only decent Flying move. They are handy for taking out Exeggutor.
Attacking: Strong against Bug, Fighting and Grass, and weak against Electric and
Rock.
Defending: Weak to Electric, Ice and Rock, resistant to Bug, Fighting and Grass,
and immune to Ground.
Flying is a common type, but for the most part, it holds Pokemon back. Being
weak to Rock, Electric and Ice means that most Pokemon will have an attack that
is good against Flying. Flying is also resistant to 3 lesser types, but an
immunity to Ground is nice (although most Grounds have Rock Slide). Offensively,
Flying isn't great, but increases the sweeping ability for Zapdos and Dodrio.
Overall, Flying is decent, but the weaknesses are awful.
+-----+
|Ghost|
+-----+
Although Gengar is the only final form, Ghost is a great type. They’re immune to
Normal and Fighting moves (which is a ton of moves) and all the 3 Ghosts have
good Speed and Special. The only Ghost move that does damage (Night Shade is a
set-damage move) is Lick. Lick has a 30% chance of Paralyzing and is half as
strong as Scratch. On top, Ghost moves are only effective on other Ghosts, and
both Normal and Psychic types are immune to Ghost. Don’t use it. Ghost is a good
type, but unfortunately, Gengar is part Poison, which makes it worse than it
could be.
Attacking: Strong against Ghost, nothing against Normal and Psychic.
Defending: Weak to Ghost, resistant to Poison, and immune to Fighting and
Normal.
Gengar is a great Pokemon, but putting that aside, Ghost is only a decent type.
Ghost is only strong against another Ghost, and does nothing to at least 3 or 4
Pokemon on most players' teams. However, Ghost is one of the better types
defensively, having two immunities, and only one weakness, but when you factor
in that Lick is the only true Ghost attack (which is as strong as Absorb), it
means that Ghost essentially has no weaknesses. Gengar is left with no STAB
moves however.
Overall, Ghost is only good defensively, but loses its true touch since Gengar
is partially Poison. Stalling Grass Pokemon is the only major plus out of being
Poison.
+-----+
|Grass|
+-----+
Grass types aren’t usually handy to have. They get beaten by many major types,
are all slow and Razor Leaf is the only good Grass move. Most of them have 298
Special (which is very high), good HP and average for the other Stats. Most are
also Poison, so Psychic types pummel them too. The problem is that Grass types
don’t have many Grass moves except for Razor Leaf, and sadly Mega Drain, so the
type doesn't help the Pokemon much. Solarbeam is the most powerful, but the
opponent can just switch, so it’s pointless. The best Grass types are
Exeggutor, Venusaur and Victreebel, but only Exeggutor is commonly used, and
isn’t mainly used for Grass attacks.
Attacking: Strong against Ground, Rock and Water, and weak against, Bug, Dragon
Fire, Flying, Grass and Poison.
Defending: Weak to Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice and Poison, and resistant to Electric,
Grass, Ground and Water.
For the most part, Grass is either good or bad against and resistant to. Grass
has a lot of weaknesses and poor against 6 different types. However, Grass is
resistant to many common types, and is also effective against common types. A
good example of this is Exeggutor, which has the most resistances in the game,
which is 6 (Water, Grass, Psychic, Ground, Electric, Fighting), but also having
several weaknesses (Flying, Fire, Ice, Poison, and Bug). It can make Grass
difficult to use effectively, but the benefits are useful.
Overall, having a Grass Pokemon is nice to switch in against opponent, but not
very useful for actually using attacks besides Razor Leaf Pokemon (Venusaur and
Victreebel).
+------+
|Ground|
+------+
Ground types have good Attack and usually high Defense, but are slow and weak
to Special attacks. They get beaten by Water and Ice, but Grass isn’t usually a
big problem. The only reason that they are used often is because they are the
best anti-Electrics, and without Ground types, your Pokemon can be zapped badly.
Beyond knocking out Electrics, they work well on dealing heavy damage around to
everything (nothing is resistant to both Rock and Ground), and can last long in
battle if used carefully. Most are also partly Rock though, and that makes them
even easier targets for Special attacks. Earthquake is the best Ground move, and
Dig is the same in strength, but gives the opponent time to do something. Only
give Dig to Pokemon that don't learn Earthquake. The best Ground types are
Rhydon, Dugtrio and Golem.
Attacking: Strong against Electric, Fire, Poison and Rock, weak against Bug and
Grass, and nothing against Flying.
Defending: Weak to Grass, Ice and Water, resistant to Poison and Rock, and
immune to Electric.
One of the few good Physical types, Ground covers a wide variety of Pokemon, but
most importantly, Electric. As the best counter to one of the best types, Ground
is important to beating Electric Pokemon. Although Grounds are weak to 3 Special
types, 2 of them aren't used offensively, and Grounds have no Physical
weaknesses, allowing them to take on some Special Pokemon.
Overall, Ground competes with Normal for the best Physical type in the game.
+---+
|Ice|
+---+
Ice types are only weak to Fighting, Fire and Rock, but since 4 of the 5 of
them are weak to Electric, Ice’s rare weaknesses are irrelevant. Ice is a very
common type of attack to use, as it’s strong on a large variety of Pokemon, and
only weak against Water and another Ice type. Ice attacks also offer a chance at
Freezing the opponent, which is always helpful. One of the biggest benefits of
Ice is that the strongest Ice attack is 90% accurate, and when that is used by
Ice types (STAB), it deals good damage on anything not resistant. All but
Dewgong are great Pokemon.
Attacking: Strong against Dragon, Flying, Grass and Ground, and weak against Ice
and Water.
Defending: Weak to Fighting, Fire and Rock, and resistant to Ice.
Since there are no pure Ice types, most of the resistances and weaknesses are
irrelevant. Fire only work on Articuno and Jynx, but both have high Special,
while Fighting works on the other three Ice types. Rock is the only type that
beats all 5 Ice Pokemon, but most Rocks are Ground, which get demolished by
Blizzard and Ice Beam. Because of this, Electric is the main type to beat Ice,
minding Jynx. Ice is better used offensively, as they beat 4 different types,
which is tied for the most in the game. They're also only weak against another
Ice type or a Water type, so they are great for attacking with. On top, Blizzard
has 90% accuracy, and can also Freeze. The one flaw is that Ice types are only
resistant to Ice and get hit well by anything else, but since all Ice types have
a second type, they all get at least one extra resistance.
Overall, Ice is one of the best offensive types, and one of the best types in
the game.
+------+
|Normal|
+------+
Normal is a good type in several ways. It does good damage to anything besides
Ghost and Rock, and it’s easy to find good STAB moves for Normal types (like
Body Slam or Hyper Beam). The problem with Normals is that they are easy to KO
because they aren’t resistant to anything (beside Lick). There are also two
kinds of Normal types which are Specialists and Physical ones. The Special ones
learn tons of moves, have high HP and Special, and low other Stats (Clefable,
Chansey, Wigglytuff). The Physical ones have high Attack, usually good Speed,
and a mix of moves (Dodrio, Kangaskhan, Snorlax, Tauros). The Physical Normal
Pokemon are usually the best anti-Psychics in the game, and the Special Normals
(mostly Chansey) are excellent stallers. The best Normal damaging moves are
Body Slam, Hyper Beam, Explosion and Slash. The best Normal types are Persian,
Dodrio, Snorlax, Chansey and Tauros.
Attacking: Weak against Rock and nothing against Ghost.
Defending: Weak to Fighting and immune to Ghost.
Normals are fairly neutral against everything, which is both good and bad. While
you'll be taking at least neutral damage from everything, you can return Normal
attacks that are neutral against about everything. Although Normals are weak to
Fighting, Fighting is a poor type, so Normals don't have to worry about taking
double damage often.
Overall, Normals are one of the better types in the game, both offensively and
defensively.
+------+
|Poison|
+------+
Poison is a bad type to use. They’re only effective against Grass and Bug, which
Fire can do (and more) and very few Pokemon can use Poison attacks effectively.
Poison is usually a secondary type that holds back Pokemon like Tentacruel and
Victreebel from becoming super powerful. Being weak to Psychic doesn’t help, and
Ground is frequent too. The only good Poison attack is Sludge, which is weaker
than Fire punch and has a 50% chance of Poisoning (which is actually bad, as
you’ll want to Paralyze the opponent, not Poison them). On top, Poison is only
strong against Grass and Bugs; many of which are Poison. There are some good
Pokemon that are Poison, such as Gengar, but as an attacking type, it's one of
the worst types.
Attacking: Strong against Bug and Grass, and weak against Ghost, Ground, Poison
and Rock.
Defending: Weak to Bug, Ground and Psychic, and resistant to Fighting, Grass and
Poison.
Poison is poor at everything. They are only good against 2 types, but since Bug
and Grass Pokemon usually have a secondary type, the few Pokemon weak to Poison
attacks decreases even more. In fact, there are only 6 Pokemon that are weak to
Poison. On top, there are 4 types that resist Poison, and you may Poison the
opponent, which is bad because then they can't be Paralyzed. Defensively, they
are not any better. They are weak to both Psychic and Ground; the best Special
type and one of the few good Physical types. Poison types are only resistant to
3 weaker types.
Overall, Poison is one of the worst types; possibly second worst, above Bug.
+-------+
|Psychic|
+-------+
Psychics are the most dominant type, simply because they have virtually no
weaknesses, Special through the roof that goes nicely using Psychic attacks, and
the only type that can resist them is another Psychic. This also makes the types
weak to Psychic hard to use, which are Poison and Fighting, and that, makes some
Pokemon’s Psychic less useful, like Starmie’s or Chansey’s (since they have no
Pokemon to use them on). Psychics also usually have good Speed, and with that
they can quickly deliver heavy Psychic attacks and put holes in most Pokemon’s
HP. Since Bug won’t do, it’s hard to find an anti-Psychic. Usually high powered
Normal types work, or Pokemon with Thunder Wave to start off. The only good
Psychic move is Psychic, as Dream Eater is hard to use. Basically any Pokemon
that is Psychic is a considerably dangerous Pokemon (not as much with Hypno and
Mr.Mime though). Watch out for Alakazam, Slowbro, Jynx, Starmie and Exeggutor.
Attacking: Strong against Fighting and Poison, and weak against Psychic.
Defending: Weak to Bug, resistant to Fighting and Psychic, and immune to Ghost.
Psychic is generally accepted as the best type in the game. They are only weak
to Bug, which is one of the worst types, while offensively, only weak against
another Psychic. This makes them extremely useful and viable. Another common
trend is that Psychics have high Special, which means they do more Special
damage and also take less Special damage, all in one Stat. Psychics are the best
types, and this causes Pokemon weak to them (Fighting and Poison) difficult to
use without being beaten by half of the opponent's team.
Overall, Psychic is the best type. They are basically the best defensive type,
and also one of the top offensive types.
+----+
|Rock|
+----+
Rock is always a secondary type, usually to Grounds. There are only two Rock
moves, and Rock Slide is always the better choice. They are good against many
types like Fire, Bug, Flying and Ice, which is a large range of Pokemon. The
best ones are Rhydon and Golem.
Attacking: Strong against Bug, Fire, Flying and Ice, and weak against Fighting
and Ground.
Defending: Weak to Fighting, Grass, Ground and Water, and resistant to Fire,
Flying, Normal and Poison.
Rock is one of the best Physical types offensively, as it covers 4 different
types, and only overlaps once with Ground (against Fire). Rock is also only
weak vs Fighting and Ground. However, Rock has a lot of weaknesses, despite also
having a lot of resistances, so Rock can easily be beaten. A resistance to
Normal is nice though.
Overall, Rock is one of the better Physical types, but it's a smaller type; it's
always paired with another.
+-----+
|Water|
+-----+
Water types are very common and are powerful. Most have high Special and HP and
a mix of the other Stats. Water is usually the most effective type used to get
rid of your opponent’s Ground and Rock Pokemon (although Ice is more commonly
used). Waters are also only weak to two types; Grass and Electric, and there is
nothing that has double resistances against Water. Water is the ideal type for
beating Grounds, especially Golem and Rhydon, but because movesets can only be
so large, Ice is usually used over Water attacks, despite not being as effective
on Grounds. Overall, Water is one of the best types, and some of the best Water
types include Starmie, Lapras and Slowbro.
Attacking: Strong against Fire, Ground and Rock, and weak against Dragon, Grass
and Water.
Defending: Weak to Electric and Grass, and resistant to Fire, Ice and Water.
Since Fire types are poor, and most Rock Pokemon are also Ground, Ice usually
replaces Water (an example would be Starmie's standard moveset). Water is a good
defensive type though, as they have no Physical weaknesses, and often enough
Special to deal with Electric and Grass attacks. The nice thing is that Grass is
a bad offensive type, while Electric attacks can be countered by switching to a
Ground type.
Overall, Water is a good type, but better defensively. However, they aren't bad
offensively, as there isn't any Pokemon that has a double resistance against
Water, which is great help for Slowbro's standard Amnesia moveset.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 7) Analyzing Types and Pokemon |
| b) Pokemon Analysis |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This bulk is very helpful for creating a team for Pokemon as it gives you the
max Stats, type, weaknesses, resistances, immunities and a thorough amount of
information about each and every final form. The CHC and the number beside it,
are the chances of getting a Critical Hit. The faster the Pokemon, the more
likely to get Critical Hits. As for weaknesses and resistances, any that are in
all capitals are quadruples or quarters, like Electric vs Gyarados, which is 4
times stronger or Grass vs Charizard which is only a quarter of the strength.
Also, for the movesets, there are often slashes, which means pick one of those.
The best one is usually the first one anyway, but the other moves are possible
options. The different movesets are also different ways to play each Pokemon,
but many secondary ones are made to show common mistakes. Also, all Pokemon are
rated on effectiveness against the standards. UU Pokemon are not rated against
other UU Pokemon, they are rated against standards.
The ordering is numerical, based off of the Pokedex.
+--------+
|Venusaur|
+--------+
HP 363
ATK 262
DEF 264
SPD 258
SPE 298
CHC 15.6%
Type - Grass/Poison
Weaknesses - BUG, Fire, Flying, Ice, Psychic
Neutrals - Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Rock
Resistances - Electric, Fighting, Grass, Water
Venusaur is one of the two Razor Leafers and is the fastest Grass Pokemon,
though still at a mere 258. Venusaur is very similar to Victreebel, except
lacking Stun Spore, and Attack for extra Speed and Defense. As a Pokemon,
Venusaur's Poison type hold it back, and gets hit from Psychic hard. Exeggutor
is almost always the better option, but Venusaur isn't bad with Razor Leaf.
Recommended Movesets for Venusaur
1 - Standard - Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder, Swords Dance, Hyper Beam/Body Slam
Put the opponent to Sleep, and then pump up Attack or use Razor Leaf. This
Venusaur works decently being a Sleeper, and having lots of lasting power.
However, Venusaur doesn’t learn Stun Spore, and you’ll have to hope for
Paralysis by Body Slam. Later, use Razor Leaf or pump up Swords Dance and then
use Body Slam or Hyper Beam. Growth is also a possibility, but to benefit from
it the most, you have to switch Razor Leaf for Mega Drain.
2 - Stalling - Growth, Mega Drain, Reflect, Rest/Body Slam
With boosts to both defensive Stats, a healing move that also gets a Special
boost, and Rest to heal faster, Venusaur can become tough. The issue though is
that Venusaur has a lot of common weaknesses, so most Pokemon can cut through
the boosts and take out Venusaur during Rest. Getting setup is also really
difficult for Venusaur and this moveset will rarely work.
This is a combo Venusaur. With Toxic and Leech Seed, you’ll be doing lots of
damage each turn. The only problem is, you have to do that to all opponents,
and Venusaur very rarely lasts that long. The opponent can always just switch
too. It fails in most cases, unless the opponent has to avoid switching.
Relative Strength
Razor Leaf vs Slowbro - 332-282 (84%-72%)
Razor Leaf vs Snorlax - 187-159 (36%-30%)
Razor Leaf vs Starmie - 289-246 (89%-76%)
Razor Leaf vs Tauros - 179-152 (51%-43%)
2x Swords Dance + Body Slam vs Alakazam - 300-255 (96%-81%)
3x Swords Dance + Body Slam vs Chansey - 662-563 (94%-80%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 353-300 (113%-96%)
Venusaur can't do as much as Exeggutor, but Razor Leaf is very handy. Putting an
opponent to Sleep with Sleep Powder is key, and following that is using Venusaur
for hybrid sweeping. If the opponent has Slowbro or Snorlax with Amnesia, save
Venusaur until you can switch into them. Venusaur also helps taking care of any
Grounds. Otherwise beyond Sleep, Venusaur can help get some damage in against
most Pokemon, but not as well as Exeggutor can, and can't spread Paralysis like
Victreebel.
How to counter Venusaur
Venusaur can't get taken out in one hit without Critical Hits or Stat boosts, so
use something as Sleep bait. Once a Pokemon is already Asleep, try to attack
Venusaur. Often the opponent will either use Swords Dance or switch Venusaur
out. When you can, the best counters against Venusaur are Gengar and Pokemon
that can strike one of Venusaur's weaknesses, such as Alakazam and Zapdos.
+---------+
|Charizard|
+---------+
HP 359
ATK 266
DEF 254
SPD 298
SPE 268
CHC 19.5%
Type - Fire/Flying
Weaknesses - Electric, Ice, ROCK, Water
Neutrals - Flying, Ghost, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - BUG, Fighting, Fire, GRASS
Immunities - Ground
Moves - Bide, Body Slam, Counter, Cut, Dig, Double Team, Double-Edge,
Dragon Rage, Earthquake, Ember, Fire Blast, Fire Spin, Fissure, Flamethrower,
Fly, Growl, Hyper Beam, Leer, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Mimic, Rage, Reflect, Rest
Scratch, Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Slash, Strength, Submission, Substitute,
Swift, Swords Dance, Take Down, Toxic
Charizard is a powerful Fire type with good overall Stats. Charizard is the most
versatile Fire type, and often regarded as the best Fire type because of that.
However, that's not saying much overall. Charizard is still a Fire type, and has
very poor match-ups against most Pokemon. Charizard could go for Burns against
Physicals, and Physical sweeping with Swords Dance is a possibility, but
Charizard doesn't last long in battle. The ease of switching into Charizard, and
the large amount of weaknesses keep Charizard from being effective in battle.
Recommended Movesets for Charizard
1 - Standard - Earthquake, Swords Dance, Hyper Beam/Body Slam,
Fire Blast/Flamethrower
This Charizard can hit everything. The only Pokemon that can actually resist
all of these moves is Aerodactyl. Remember though that Earthquake and the
Normal move only run off of 266 attack, but Swords Dance can boost that. There
are other options too, such as Submission, which works nicely against the
Normals like Tauros, Snorlax and Chansey, but only when a Swords Dance or two
is used. Slash is also an option if you aren’t able to set up Charizard with
Swords Dance. Fire Spin is another possibility but it is inaccurate. Yet another
option is Counter if you feel you'll face many Normals.
2 - OHKO - Body Slam, Fire Blast, Fissure, Reflect/Earthquake
With 298 Speed, Charizard can be an effective OHKO Pokemon, but 298 isn't faster
than everything. Fissure also affects much less than Horn Drill does, and Body
Slam might not necessarily Paralyze. It's usually a bad OHKO Pokemon.
Relative Strength
Earthquake vs Gengar - 208-177 (64%-55%)
Earthquake vs Jolteon - 208-177 (64%-54%)
Fire Blast vs Exeggutor - 238-203 (61%-52%)
Fire Blast vs Jynx - 287-244 (86%-73%)
Fire Blast vs Snorlax - 180-153 (34%-29%)
Fire Blast vs Tauros - 173-147 (49%-42%)
Flamethrower vs Jynx - 228-194 (68%-58%)
1x Swords Dance + Earthquake vs Golem - 253-215 (70%-60%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 622-529 (88%-75%)
1x Swords Dance + Submission vs Chansey - 666-566 (95%-81%)
Charizard is difficult to use, but with luck, it can be effective. Charizard is
best used by switching to it when you're able to, and then causing pressure
against the opponent. Charizard can either use Fire Blast for a chance to Burn
Physicals, or can begin using Swords Dance against low-Defense Pokemon. However,
it requires knowing what the opponent will be switching to, and it's difficult
to even force a switch with Charizard. Even if Charizard does setup with Swords
Dance, Charizard isn't the fastest Pokemon and not very sturdy at all. Knowing
when to switch Charizard in is the important part to success.
How to counter Charizard
Most Pokemon can take on Charizard, including Pokemon weak to Fire such as
Exeggutor and Articuno. The main thing you have to watch out for are Burns if
you're using Tauros or Golem/Rhydon. Specialists are generally the safer choice,
since Charizard usually needs to use Swords Dance to start unleashing damage.
Alakazam and Starmie can work, and other Pokemon like Chansey and Jynx can as
well with some caution. If Charizard has used Swords Dance, it's best to take
the risk of using a Physical Pokemon that has high Defense.
+---------+
|Blastoise|
+---------+
HP 361
ATK 264
DEF 298
SPD 254
SPE 268
CHC 15.2%
Type - Water
Weaknesses - Electric, Grass
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Rock
Resistances - Fire, Ice, Water
Moves - Bide, Bite, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubble, Bubblebeam, Counter, Dig,
Double Team, Double-Edge, Earthquake, Fissure, Hydro Pump, Hyper Beam, Ice Beam,
Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Mimic, Rage, Reflect, Rest, Seismic Toss, Skull Bash,
Strength, Submission, Substitute, Surf, Tackle, Tail Whip, Take Down, Toxic,
Water Gun, Withdraw
Blastoise is a Water type, giving it lots of competition to be useful. Blastoise
can learn Earthquake, which helps deal with Electrics like Jolteon and Raichu,
and Blizzard/Ice Beam can cover for Grass types. Blastoise’s Stats were sent to
Defense though, which isn't great having Special weaknesses. Blastoise is
versatile, but not really excelling in anything, leaving Blastoise just a subpar
Water Pokemon.
Recommended Movesets for Blastoise
1 – Standard - Body Slam, Earthquake, Blizzard/Ice Beam, Surf/Hydro Pump
A hybrid sweeping Blastoise. Although not as effective as Starmie, it works well
on dealing damage to anything. The damage isn't usually very high though, in
comparison to other Pokemon and relies on being Super Effective. Hydro Pump is
also a choice for extra damage, but it's not as reliable. Other options include
Counter, Substitute and Hyper Beam.
Blastoise does have fairly high defensive Stats, and against Physicals, and
some Specialists, Blastoise can stall. However, Blastoise won't be able to last
long enough during Rest, without Amnesia like Golduck or Slowbro. Blastoise is
more Defense-oriented, but Electrics and Grasses are a problem. This set works
like a lesser Vaporeon overall.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 159-135 (40%-34%)
Blizzard vs Zapdos - 159-135 (42%-35%)
Hydro Pump vs Tauros - 173-147 (49%-42%)
Earthquake vs Alakazam - 119-102 (38%-33%)
Earthquake vs Raichu - 217-184 (67%-57%)
Earthquake vs Starmie - 84-72 (26%-22%)
Surf vs Sandslash - 314-267 (89%-76%)
Surf vs Tauros - 137-117 (39%-33%)
Blastoise works like Cloyster against Physicals, only worse but more versatile.
Blastoise works best against Tauros and Snorlax, as it can take their attacks
well and hit back for decent damage. Cloyster can do more damage (Blizzard), and
can use Explosion if needed, not to mention Cloyster takes less damage. Against
Specialists, Blastoise could go for Paralysis with Body Slam, but otherwise, it
isn't going to do much.
How to counter Blastoise
Likely, the opponent won't switch Blastoise in against anything, except Golem
and Rhydon. When Blastoise comes out, attack with whatever your current Pokemon
is, or switch to another Water Pokemon. Zapdos and other Electrics can take
decent damage, so they're not very safe to switch-in against Blastoise. Starmie
and Lapras work very well and can strike back with Thunderbolt. Chansey can
also be effective, but its Defense may not hold up. Avoid using Tauros or
Snorlax if possible.
+----------+
|Butterfree|
+----------+
HP 323
ATK 188
DEF 198
SPD 238
SPE 258
CHC 13.6%
Type - Bug/Flying
Weaknesses - Electric, Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison, ROCK
Neutrals - Ghost, Normal, Psychic, Water
Resistances - Bug, FIGHTING, GRASS
Immunities - Ground
Butterfree is garbage. It has terrible Stats in all categories (258 Special, is
decent) and has 6 weaknesses, not to mention that they are among some of the
more popular types. Even if it survives everything (Geodude’s Rock throw knocks
it out), what can you accomplish? There are plenty of other Pokemon that are
good for putting your opponents to Sleep, Butterfree has no Bug or Flying moves,
and its most powerful attack, Psychic, can’t even get close to taking out a
Machamp. In comparison, Butterfree is worse in almost every way compared to
Venomoth, which will be evaluated later. Go to your PC and release your
Butterfree. Butterflies weren’t meant to fight Dragons or even sparrows for that
matter.
Recommended Movesets for Butterfree
1 – Standard - Mega Drain, Psychic, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore
Sleep and stun. After that Butterfree’s useless. Non-STAB Psychic and Mega Drain
coming from only 258 Special are much too low to be useful. Reflect, Mimic and
Hyper Beam could work to some degree, but Butterfree doesn't have much Attack
power or time to use them either. Psywave is a possibility for set-damage, but
it's luck based.
Relative Strength
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 221-188 (31%-27%)
Mega Drain vs Alakazam - 25-21 (8%-7%)
Mega Drain vs Rhydon - 192-163 (46%-39%)
Mega Drain vs Starmie - 62-52 (19%-16%)
Psychic vs Gengar - 112-96 (35%-30%)
Psychic vs Machamp - 175-149 (46%-39%)
Use Sleep Powder and then Stun Spore. After that, get squished. Butterfree can't
do anything beyond spreading Status conditions, and Exeggutor, Victreebel and
even Venomoth can attack properly afterward. The only common Pokemon Butterfree
may take out are Golem or Rhydon, and even those are very unlikely.
How to counter Butterfree
Use something as Sleep bait, use a Pokemon that can handle being Paralyzed, and
then attack.
+--------+
|Beedrill|
+--------+
HP 333
ATK 258
DEF 178
SPD 248
SPE 188
CHC 14.6%
Type - Bug/Poison
Weaknesses - Bug, Fire, Flying, Psychic, Rock
Neutrals - Electric, Ghost, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison, Water
Resistances - FIGHTING, GRASS
Unfortunately, Beedrill is the only good Bug Pokemon (that’s not saying much)
and it’s pretty bad. This is why Psychics dominate, as their only weakness is
almost non-existant. Beedrill can learn Twineedle, Agility and Swords Dance,
which are okay. You shouldn’t use Beedrill, but if you were lucky enough to get
a huge opening, you could use Agility and Swords Dance, and then Beedrill is a
threat. Perhaps if the opponent is Asleep or Frozen, and chooses not to switch.
After Swords Dance, Beedrill’s attack is at 516, and can take out many Psychics.
It’s unlikely you can pull that off though. Even if you do, the opponent can
always switch. Just stick to Tauros and Snorlax (and maybe Golem) for taking
care of Psychics.
The standard Beedrill. With perfect timing and a huge opening, this can become
deadly, especially to Exeggutor and Alakazam. With one Agility, Beedrill is
faster than anything and after one or two Swords Dances, Twineedle can start to
go to work. If you were to pull all that off, the opponent can still just use
something that can take it, like Golem. Mega Drain could cover this, but you
would lose Hyper Beam, which you need. So Golem and Rhydon completely stop
Beedrill. Then when you switch out, you have to power up again. You need tons of
luck and timing for this to work, but if by a crazy chance that you get
everything together, you may take out 1 to 3 Pokemon. It’s probably never going
to happen though and you're better off using something better in the first
place, like Tauros which is much more consistant. The most realistic way to use
Beedrill is to use it against Paralyzed Pokemon and hope for the best.
Relative Strength
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 604-513 (86%-73%)
1x Swords Dance + Twineedle vs Alakazam - 351-299 (112%-96%)
1x Swords Dance + Twineedle vs Exeggutor - 497-423 (126%-108%)
1x Swords Dance + Twineedle vs Slowbro - 210-179 (53%-46%)
2x Swords Dance + Twineedle vs Slowbro - 312-266 (79%-67%)
Twineedle vs Alakazam - 178-152 (57%-49%)
Twineedle vs Exeggutor - 254-216 (65%-55%)
Twineedle vs Starmie - 127-108 (39%-33%)
Mega Drain vs Golem - 129-110 (36%-30%)
Relative Defense
Chansey's Ice Beam - 132-112 (40%-34%)
Exeggutor's Psychic - 425-362 (128%-109%)
Rhydon's Rock Slide - 386-328 (116%-98%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 182-155 (55%-47%)
Zapdos's Drill Peck - 320-273 (96%-82%)
How to use Beedrill
Beedrill is really horrible. The only ways Beedrill will work are if you use it
against a Pokemon that is Fully Paralyzed multiple turns, or against Slowbro,
just as it Rests. While the Slowbro example does work (or at least forces a
switch), why not use Venusaur or Victreebel instead, which can do more than
just that? Don't use Beedrill.
How to counter Beedrill
So long as you don't give Beedrill time to setup, you'll be fine. Make sure if
you are switching into Beedrill, that you'll be able to take it down fast.
Alakazam could work if it can manage taking a heavy Twineedle, but Exeggutor is
not recommended. Golem and Rhydon work the most effectively, by walling out
Beedrill with ease.
+-------+
|Pidgeot|
+-------+
HP 369
ATK 258
DEF 248
SPD 280
SPE 238
CHC 17.7%
Type - Normal/Flying
Weaknesses - Electric, Ice, Rock
Neutrals - Fighting, Fire, Flying, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Water
Resistances - Bug, Grass
Immunities - Ghost, Ground
Pidgeot is fairly useless. Looking at the Stats, the only good Stats are a
pretty good Speed and an above average HP. The other Stats are average. Pidgeot
also doesn’t get good attacks, such as Drill Peck and Body Slam. Pidgeot is
popular among kids though, as it is the first Pokemon caught for a lot of them.
Usually by the time they get to Cinnabar Island they find out that Pidgeot is
bad. Pidgeot has nothing going for it at all. Dodrio is better and even Fearow
is better.
Recommended Movesets for Pidgeot
1 – Standard - Double-Edge, Hyper Beam, 2 of Agility/Reflect/Mimic/Substitute
Pidgeot not only has bad Stats, but has a terrible movepool. Don’t complain as
this is as good as it gets. And yes, you might consider not having a Flying
move, that is if you consider using Pidgeot at all. Fly and Sky Attack aren’t
very useful, but could add type coverage. Mirror Move is also a consideration.
Relative Strength
Double-Edge vs Alakazam - 175-149 (56%-48%)
Double-Edge vs Chansey - 304-258 (43%-37%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 262-223 (84%-71%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 454-386 (65%-55%)
Sky Attack vs Exeggutor - 345-294 (88%-75%)
Pidgeot really can't do anything helpful for a team. Alakazam and Chansey would
be the prime targets for Pidgeot, and both of them will usually take down
Pidgeot. Even before getting to a point where it can attack, all Rocks and
Ghosts have to be taken out first, or Pidgeot will get walled. Use a better
Normal.
How to counter Pidgeot
Pidgeot can be beaten with most of anything, but STAB Hyper Beams can still chip
away HP. Golem, Rhydon and Gengar are the main Pokemon you'd want to use, but if
none of them are available, just attack Pidgeot with whatever you can. The one
small precaution is Mirror Move if you're using Swords Dance, Thunder Wave, etc.
Think of Pidgeot as a much weaker version of Tauros and treat it as such.
+--------+
|Raticate|
+--------+
HP 313
ATK 260
DEF 218
SPD 292
SPE 198
CHC 18.9%
Type - Normal
Weaknesses - Fighting
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Psychic, Rock, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Dig, Double Team, Double-Edge,
Focus Energy, Hyper Beam, Hyper Fang, Ice Beam, Mimic, Quick Attack, Rage, Rest
Skull Bash, Substitute, Super Fang, Swift, Tackle, Tail Whip, Take Down,
Thunder, Thunderbolt, Toxic, Water Gun
Raticate comes with one of the best moves in the game, Super Fang, which does
352 to Chansey, 208 to Mewtwo, 262 to Snorlax and 112 to Diglett. But to even
things up, Attack is okay, and Speed is high, but the other Stats are terrible.
Raticate also doesn’t learn too many other good moves. Raticate is a one trick
rat, and there many Pokemon that can get around Super Fang, by repeatedly using
Recover/Softboiled, quick KOing or having low HP in the first place. Raticate
can be a potential threat, but Raticate will rarely take out more than one
Pokemon.
Recommended Movesets for Raticate
1 – Standard - Body Slam, Hyper Beam, Super Fang, Bubblebeam/Blizzard
Your typical Raticate. Fang’em and then spit out Hyper Beam. Body Slam is to try
and Paralyze. STAB Hyper Beam and Body Slam aren’t terrible and the last move is
to KO Rhydon and Golem. Bubblebeam is better, but Blizzard is there to use on
other Grounds too, since it’s stronger than Bubblebeam on Sandslash. Even if you
get a nice oppurtunity to use Super Fang, don't forget it can miss, since it is
90% accurate. Thunderbolt is also a possibility.
2 – Super Fang combo - Dig, Hyper Beam, Super Fang, Toxic
A Super Fang combo. Poison, Super Fang and then letting Poison do its job while
digging piles up on the opponent. Your opponent can switch though and Raticate
will probably never be able to pull this off. Don’t use it.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Golem - 195-166 (55%-46%)
Blizzard vs Sandslash - 195-166 (55%-47%)
Bubblebeam vs Golem - 215-183 (59%-50%)
Bubblebeam vs Sandslash - 107-92 (30%-26%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 264-224 (84%-72%)
Hyper Beam vs Tauros - 173-147 (49%-42%)
Super Fang vs Any Pokemon - ~50% Remaining HP
Thunderbolt vs Cloyster - 121-103 (40%-34%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 213-181 (68%-58%)
Tauros' Body Slam - 149-127 (48%-41%)
Chansey's Ice Beam - 126-107 (40%-34%)
Snorlax's Body Slam - 159-135 (51%-43%)
Zapdos's Thunderbolt - 213-181 (68%-58%)
How to use Raticate
Raticate works as a gimmicky Physical Pokemon, but doesn't have any good
defensive Stats to last long enough. While Raticate can often take out chunks of
the opponent's HP, Raticate will be left with little HP after taking a hit.
Raticate also gets countered by healing Pokemon, so Raticate is best for
opponents with high defensive Stats, such as Snorlax, Exeggutor and Articuno.
Super Fang could work against more if the opponents are Paralyzed.
How to counter Raticate
Against Raticate, you don't want to use anything with expendable HP. Alakazam,
Chansey and Starmie when they aren't Paralyzed can repeatedly heal until Super
Fang misses, but otherwise, most Pokemon will be nearly fainted after taking out
Raticate. However, Raticate is no Tauros, and will rarely take out another
Pokemon. Paralysis can be helpful, but mostly, you just want to KO Raticate with
something powerful and isn't absolutely necessary for you to beat the opponent.
Don't forget that Super Fang does hit Ghosts, so don't use Gengar.
+------+
|Fearow|
+------+
HP 333
ATK 278
DEF 228
SPD 298
SPE 220
CHC 19.5%
Type - Normal/Flying
Weaknesses - Electric, Ice, Rock
Neutrals - Fighting, Fire, Flying, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Water
Resistances - Bug, Grass
Immunities - Ghost, Ground
Fearow is basically a modified Pidgeot, having better Attack and Speed, but
sacrificing some HP, Defense and Special. Fearow does learn Drill Peck though,
so it sort of makes up for the Stat loss. Fearow is easy to KO. You may be
able to get a decent attack in, but with low Stats in the defensive categories,
Fearow will drop without effort. If you need a flyer, use Zapdos or Dodrio.
Drill Peck, Double-Edge and Hyper Beam. Mow down your opponents with them and
hope for Criticals. Dodrio does this better though, and also gets Body Slam
instead of Double-Edge, not to mention better Attack. Agility is usually the
best fourth move, to help against faster Pokemon or when Fearow is Paralyzed.
Relative Strength
Double-Edge vs Alakazam - 189-161 (60%-51%)
Double-Edge vs Chansey - 327-278 (47%-40%)
Drill Peck vs Exeggutor - 215-183 (55%-47%)
Drill Peck vs Machamp - 217-184 (57%-48%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 282-240 (90%-77%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 489-416 (70%-59%)
Fearow is an all-out offensive, Physical Pokemon. Use Fearow later in the game
when the opponents are partially damaged and/or Paralyzed. Fearow will be able
to take down many Pokemon, but anything with Super Effective moves, faster Speed
or high Defense will often beat Fearow first. Be sure Golem and Rhydon have been
taken out before ever using Fearow.
How to counter Fearow
The easiest way to counter Fearow is to use a Rock Pokemon. If one isn't
available, Fearow can be beaten by most other Physicals, or anything with an
Electric or Ice move. Speed is the main thing to have, and Chansey for example
will get taken out by Fearow. Most of anything else can beat Fearow, but watch
out for sweeping.
+-----+
|Arbok|
+-----+
HP 323
ATK 268
DEF 236
SPD 258
SPE 228
CHC 15.6%
Type - Poison
Weaknesses - Bug, Ground, Psychic
Neutrals - Electric, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Ice, Normal, Rock, Water
Resistances - Fighting, Grass, Poison
Moves - Acid, Bide, Bite, Body Slam, Dig, Double Team, Double-Edge, Earthquake,
Fissure, Glare, Hyper Beam, Leer, Mega Drain, Mimic, Poison Sting, Rage, Rest,
Rock Slide, Screech, Skull Bash, Strength, Substitute, Take Down, Toxic, Wrap
To begin with, Arbok has bad Stats, and doesn't excel in anything. Arbok also
lacks any good Poison attack, and is left with using non-STAB moves. However,
Arbok can be abusable with Glare with its other moves. Arbok is a technical
Pokemon and is a great Wrapper and OHKOer, but both are often banned in most
matches. That leaves Arbok with little to nothing.
Recommended Movesets for Arbok
1 – Standard – Glare, Hyper Beam, Wrap, Earthquake/Mega Drain
Spread Paralysis and start using Wrap. Finish off anything with Hyper Beam and
use Earthquake or Mega Drain against Golem and Rhydon. Earthquake is usually
the better choice though since Arbok does almost the same amount of damage to
Golem and Rhydon, but can also take care of Gengar.
2 - Non-Wrapping Standard - Earthquake, Hyper Beam, Glare, Rock Slide/Screech
This is the moveset if Wrap is banned. However, Arbok can't do anything without
Wrap, so don't use Arbok if it's banned. Screech helps, but the opponent can
always switch. Body Slam is also an option, but overlaps with Glare.
3 – OHKO - Fissure, Glare, Rock Slide, Earthquake/Body Slam
A OHKO Arbok, which does occasionally work. Rock Slide is for flyers. Chances
are Arbok will get Paralyzed though, if not knocked out fast.
Combining the abuse of Wrap with Fissure, this Arbok is very luck-based, but is
difficult to counter. Psychics will give Arbok problems, but everything else can
either be Wrapped or taken down with Fissure. Hyper Beam is the finishing
move after Wrapping.
Relative Strength
Acid vs Exeggutor - 106-90 (27%-23%)
Earthquake vs Gengar - 210-179 (65%-55%)
Earthquake vs Golem - 129-110 (36%-30%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 314-267 (45%-38%)
Mega Drain vs Golem - 155-132 (43%-36%)
Rock Slide vs Articuno - 234-199 (61%-52%)
Rock Slide vs Zapdos - 130-110 (34%-29%)
Arbok is a technical Pokemon and relies on the usage of its moves. Glare is a
very useful Paralysis move, though not as accurate as Thunder Wave (75%), Glare
can work on Grounds. Arbok is also a fairly good OHKOer and Arbok is a tricky
Pokemon with Wrap. In both environments, use Arbok when the opponent's team is
heavily Paralyzed and then begin to OHKO or Wrap. When neither are allowed,
Arbok is left as a poor Physical Pokemon, that only has Glare going for it.
Always use Arbok late in the game, unless Arbok is spreading Paralysis early on.
Watch out for Psychics.
How to counter Arbok
Wrapping Arbok can be a pain since it can spread Paralysis if you try to counter
it. Gengar is usually the solution to Wrap, but Gengar actually has some trouble
with Arbok. Alakazam is the best choice by getting a OHKO, being faster, and by
still being usuable if Alakazam does get Paralyzed. Against OHKO Arboks, Flying
Pokemon are the best choice to avoid Fissure, but Paralyzing Arbok will often
take care of Arbok entirely. Against neither Arbok, it's just a weak Physical
Pokemon that can be beaten by almost any Pokemon.
+------+
|Raichu|
+------+
HP 323
ATK 278
DEF 208
SPD 298
SPE 278
CHC 19.5%
Type - Electric
Weaknesses - Ground
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Fire, Ghost, Grass, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic,
Rock, Water
Resistances - Electric, Flying
Raichu is obviously not a defensive Pokemon, but has good Speed and not too
shabby Special. It also is tied for highest attack of Electric types, but that
doesn’t serve Raichu too well. The only reason Raichu is even popular is because
it gets Surf. Raichu, otherwise is just a mediocre Electric type. Be careful
when using Raichu, as it can't take much, and if it's Paralyzed, then it can't
counter Grounds. If you need an Electric, Zapdos is generally better, but Raichu
is still acceptable, as Surf is nice against Golem and Rhydon.
Recommended Movesets for Raichu
1 – Standard - Surf, Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Agility/Seismic Toss
Standard Raichu. Thunder Wave your opponents and then pump out Thunderbolts and
Surf. Raichu gets stalled on Grass types fairly well, but anything else will at
least take neutral damage. Agility is useful if Raichu gets Paralyzed, or for
extra Speed, and Seismic Toss can hit Grass types. Body Slam, Reflect and
Submission are all other possibilities.
Relative Strength
Submission vs Chansey - 349-297 (<50%-42%)
Surf vs Golem - 434-369 (120%-102%)
Surf vs Rhydon - 480-408 (116%-99%)
Surf vs Sandslash - 217-184 (61%-52%)
Thunderbolt vs Snorlax - 148-126 (28%-24%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 229-195 (71%-60%)
Thunderbolt vs Tauros - 142-121 (40%-34%)
Raichu is a Specialist and spreads Paralysis, but the main idea with Raichu is
to use it as an Electric that can also take care of Grounds. Raichu though isn't
as good as Zapdos or Jolteon in using Electric moves, and also can't deal with
Exeggutor. On the other hand, Raichu gets walled by a lot less, but generally
the other Electrics work better. Use Raichu as a Special sweeper, and spreading
Paralysis if needed since Golem and Rhydon risk switching into Thunder Wave
because Raichu has Surf.
How to counter Raichu
The best counter to Raichu is Exeggutor, though it's not always the best choice
since Exeggutor loses use when Paralyzed. Chansey and Alakazam can deal with
Raichu well. Any Pokemon with high Special that isn't weak to Electric or Water
works fine. When using Physicals, be careful of Thunder Wave, but Thunderbolt is
usually shrugged off. Golem and Rhydon can work, but only if you counter-predict
the opponent into not using Surf or if Raichu is Paralyzed.
+---------+
|Sandslash|
+---------+
HP 353
ATK 298
DEF 318
SPD 228
SPE 208
CHC 12.6%
Type - Ground
Weaknesses - Grass, Ice, Water
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Psychic
Resistances - Poison, Rock
Immunities - Electric
Sandslash is one of the best non-Rock Grounds types, competing with Dugtrio.
Sandslash has the traditional high Physical Stats, and fairly low Speed and
Special, but Sandslash has a great moveset. While Dugtrio is much faster,
Sandslash can take more damage and deal more as well. Sandslash also learns
Swords Dance which is a key move for Sandslash. Compared to Golem and Rhydon,
Sandslash can't wall out Zapdos and isn't as powerful, but Sandslash can become
the most dangerous with Swords Dance and is more resistant to Special attacks.
Overall, Sandslash is a great Ground type, but Golem is generally more useful
and Dugtrio is also an alternative.
Recommended Movesets for Sandslash
1 – Standard - Earthquake, Swords Dance, 2 of Body Slam/Rock Slide/Slash
Swords Dance Sandlash. Power up and use huge Earthquakes and Normal moves. Slash
is if you can’t set up. Rock Slide isn't as strong as Rhydon or Golem's, since
Sandslash isn't Rock, but the boost from Swords Dance can help it take out
Flying Pokemon. Hyper Beam is another possibility for Grass Pokemon. Be careful
when sending Sandslash out to use Swords Dance. If you can, try sending out
Sandslash against something Paralyzed.
2 - Anti-Double Team - Earthquake, Swift, Swords Dance, Body Slam/Rock Slide
Using the combination of Swift and Swords Dance, along with high Attack power,
Sandslash can counter Double Team using Pokemon. Double Team is usually banned
though, so this Sandslash is rarely used.
Relative Strength
Earthquake vs Alakazam - 202-172 (65%-55%)
Earthquake vs Jolteon - 350-298 (105%-89%)
Earthquake vs Starmie - 143-121 (44%-37%)
Earthquake vs Tauros - 133-113 (38%-32%)
Rock Slide vs Articuno - 260-221 (68%-58%)
Rock Slide vs Zapdos - 144-122 (38%-32%)
Slash vs Alakazam - 190-162 (61%-52%)
1x Swords Dance + Earthquake vs Chansey - 698-594 (99%-84%)
2x Swords Dance + Earthquake vs Snorlax - 497-422 (95%-81%)
2x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Exeggutor - 422-359 (107%-91%)
3x Swords Dance + Poison Sting vs Exeggutor - 97-83 (25%-21%)
While Sandslash isn't the strongest Ground, Sandslash has the most potential if
Swords Dance is used. Sandslash needs the opponents Paralyzed and anything with
a type advantage taken out or Sandslash won't be able to setup. Even after one
Swords Dance, Sandslash is a threat. Earthquake and Hyper Beam will go to work
and clear out most of what the opponent will have. The major difficulty is being
able to setup and making sure the opponent won't have anything to stop Sandslash
with. Using Sandslash properly is all about everything before Sandslash is
actually used.
How to counter Sandslash
If you see Sandslash, you should try to take it out quickly. Alakazam, Starmie
and Exeggutor all work, and other Pokemon go about even with Sandslash. However,
if Sandslash is already setup, it's important to use something that will survive
Earthquake. Exeggutor is the best choice, and Articuno or Zapdos can work if
Sandslash doesn't have Rock Slide. To beat Sandslash, either have something to
stop it from setting up or something that can safely KO Sandslash when it has
already. If you're not able to Sandslash will take out a good portion of your
team. If Sandslash doesn't have Rock Slide, Aerodactyl can wall it out.
+---------+
|Nidoqueen|
+---------+
HP 383
ATK 262
DEF 272
SPD 250
SPE 248
CHC 14.8%
Type - Poison/Ground
Weaknesses - Bug, Ground, Ice, Psychic, Water
Neutrals - Fire, Flying, Ghost, Grass, Normal
Resistances - Fighting, POISON, Rock
Immunities - Electric
Moves - Bide, Bite, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Counter, Double Kick,
Double Team, Double-Edge, Earthquake, Fire Blast, Fissure, Fury Swipes, Growl,
Horn Drill, Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Mimic, Pay Day,
Poison Sting, Rage, Reflect, Rest, Rock Slide, Scratch, Seismic Toss,
Skull Bash, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Surf, Tackle, Tail Whip,
Take Down, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Toxic, Water Gun
Nidoqueen is a very tough and defensive Pokemon, but has a really bad type
combination. Nidoqueen has good all-round Stats, also having the highest
Special for a Ground type. The main interest with Nidoqueen as a Ground type is
the large variety of moves and having high enough Special to use them well.
Compared to other Grounds, Nidoqueen can't sweep like Golem and Rhydon, but
the Special attacks offer more coverage. However, effective switching with Golem
and Rhydon make them out to be better, but Nidoqueen is still a good Ground.
Compared to Nidoking though, Nidoqueen has lower Attack and Speed, but higher HP
and Defense, so Nidoking is generally prefered.
Recommended Movesets for Nidoqueen
1 – Standard - Earthquake, Thunderbolt, Blizzard/Surf, Body Slam/Rock Slide
Hybrid sweeping Nidoqueen. There are tons of combos you can use, but this one
works nicely. It’s Super Effective on many different types, and can Paralyze.
Nidoqueen just needs better Stats to use this moveset. Surf is for OHKOs on
Golem and Rhydon (often), and Rock Slide can be used for Flying Pokemon.
2 – Special sweeper – Blizzard, Fire Blast, Surf, Thunderbolt
Attack with various Special attacks. It's not good coming from only 248 Special,
and many of the type effectivenesses overlap; Fire Blast in this case is only
useful for Jynx and Pinsir. Don't make Nidoqueen a pure Special sweeper.
3 – Physical sweeper – Body Slam, Hyper Beam, Earthquake, Rock Slide
This moveset actually isn’t terrible, but the first one can do more damage to
more Pokemon, and the Special moves come in handy against certain Pokemon. Even
in a pure Physical set, Double Kick and Submission are not recommended since
they each do slightly extra damage than Earthquake.
4 – OHKO – Body Slam, Earthquake, Fissure, Horn Drill
Pray for a Paralyzing Body Slam and then try to OHKO, or use this late in the
game, when the opponents are mostly Paralyzed. It's not terrible, but there are
more effective OHKO Pokemon. Nidoqueen's high HP can help last long enough to
use the moves often enough though.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 147-125 (37%-32%)
Blizzard vs Golem - 244-207 (67%-57%)
Earthquake vs Alakazam - 178-151 (57%-48%)
Earthquake vs Chansey - 308-262 (44%-37%)
Earthquake vs Gengar - 308-262 (95%-81%)
Earthquake vs Tauros - 117-100 (33%-28%)
Rock Slide vs Articuno - 229-195 (60%-51%)
Surf vs Golem - 388-330 (107%-91%)
Surf vs Rhydon - 429-365 (106%-91%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 136-116 (42%-36%)
Nidoqueen can't exactly be switched in except for Electric attacks, but once
Nidoqueen is in, it can usually attack any opponent well. Use Nidoqueen as a
hybrid sweeper, but focus more on its Physical usage. Make sure before using
Nidoqueen that any major threats like Psychics are taken out or at least
Paralyzed.
How to counter Nidoqueen
Almost anything you use gives and receives good damage, but as long as you use
something faster, you will often beat Nidoqueen. Generally, Alakazam and
Exeggutor are good choices, but both will take some damage. Articuno is the best
choice for a quick KO, but risks getting hit by Rock Slide. Slowbro also works
well by setting up with Amnesia and blocking most of Nidoqueen's offense.
Ultimately though, your Pokemon will take some damage facing Nidoqueen, but you
should beat it without losing more than two Pokemon at the very most.
+--------+
|Nidoking|
+--------+
HP 365
ATK 282
DEF 252
SPD 268
SPE 248
CHC 16.6%
Type - Poison/Ground
Weaknesses - Bug, Ground, Ice, Psychic, Water
Neutrals - Fire, Flying, Ghost, Grass, Normal
Resistances - Fighting, POISON, Rock
Immunities - Electric
Moves - Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Counter, Double Kick,
Double Team, Double-Edge, Earthquake, Fire Blast, Fissure, Focus Energy,
Fury Attack, Horn Attack, Horn Drill, Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, Leer, Mega Kick,
Mega Punch, Mimic, Pay Day, Poison Sting, Rage, Reflect, Rest, Rock Slide,
Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Surf, Tackle,
Take Down, Thrash, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Toxic, Water Gun
Nidoking is nearly identical to Nidoqueen, but with lower HP and Defense and
higher Speed and Attack. The Special remains the same, still being the highest
for Ground types. Similar to Nidoqueen, while not being the strongest Pokemon,
it has a variety of different attacks, and one of them will usually be super
effective. And like Nidoqueen, Nidoking is easy to KO, due to many common
weaknesses, making it tricky to use. Compared to the other Grounds, Nidoking's
advantage is having a more versatile moveset, but Golem, Rhydon and Sandslash
can effectively take out opponents better. Nidoking is the better choice over
Nidoqueen if you decide to use one.
Recommended Movesets for Nidoking
1 – Standard - Earthquake, Thunderbolt, Blizzard/Surf, Body Slam/Rock Slide
Same deal with Nidoking. This moveset covers nearly every type and can be lethal
on many Pokemon. Again, there are several other moves that work well, but this
set is the most effective overall.
2 – Special sweeper – Blizzard, Fire Blast, Surf, Thunderbolt
Like Nidoqueen, Nidoking isn’t a Special sweeper, so don’t make it one.
3 – Physical sweeper – Body Slam, Earthquake, Hyper Beam, Rock Slide
This moveset, again, isn’t bad, and even better with the extra Attack. However,
the first moveset, again, does more damage to more Pokemon.
4 – OHKO – Body Slam, Earthquake, Fissure, Horn Drill
A slightly better OHKO Pokemon, due to Speed. It still requires the opponents
to be Paralyzed because of only 268 Speed.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 147-125 (37%-32%)
Blizzard vs Golem - 244-207 (67%-57%)
Earthquake vs Alakazam - 192-163 (61%-52%)
Earthquake vs Chansey - 332-282 (47%-40%)
Earthquake vs Gengar - 331-282 (102%-87%)
Earthquake vs Tauros - 126-107 (36%-30%)
Rock Slide vs Articuno - 246-209 (64%-55%)
Surf vs Golem - 388-330 (107%-91%)
Surf vs Rhydon - 429-365 (106%-91%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 136-116 (42%-36%)
Nidoking is used like Nidoqueen; hybrid sweeping but more focused with Physical
attacks. Nidoking can hit most opponents with Super Effective moves, but it
won't be knocking too many out since Nidoking has common weaknesses, such as
Ice, Ground and Psychic. Generally, only switch Nidoking into an Electric or
something about to use an Electric attack. Eliminating Psychic threats before
using Nidoking is also important.
How to counter Nidoking
Nidoking has a ton of different moves and only a few Pokemon are able to take
all of them. Since high damage will go both ways, focus more on Speed. Alakazam
is the best counter, but Exeggutor and other Psychics work fine as well. You
could also use Articuno for a guaranteed OHKO with Blizzard, but they are Speed
tied and Rock Slide does heavy damage. If you can't use anything that beats
Nidoking quick enough, anything really can do heavy damage at the expense of HP.
+--------+
|Clefable|
+--------+
HP 393
ATK 238
DEF 244
SPD 218
SPE 268
CHC 11.7%
Type - Normal
Weaknesses - Fighting
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Psychic, Rock, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Counter, Defense Curl,
Double Team, Double-Edge, Doubleslap, Fire Blast, Flash, Growl, Hyper Beam,
Ice Beam, Light Screen, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic, Minimize,
Pound, Psychic, Psywave, Rage, Reflect, Rest, Seismic Toss, Sing, Skull Bash,
Solarbeam, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Take Down, Teleport, Thunder,
Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Toxic, Tri Attack, Water Gun
Clefable is one of the Normal Specialists, having above average Special, and a
huge movepool. Clefable also has nice HP and the other Stats are alright.
Clefable is a dangerous foe, and with a mix of Psychic, Thunderbolt, Thunder
Wave, Ice Beam, Fire Blast, Blizzard, Light Screen and Body Slam, you can cover
many different types. Use Clefable when you are unsure of what the opponent has,
instead of risking another Pokemon that could suffer from Super Effective
attacks. Clefable has to compete with Chansey though and is on the losing end,
as it has worse overall Stats and no Softboiled. Overall though, Clefable is on
the borderline of standard and UU, and although it can't heal like Chansey, it's
still difficult to KO without taking much damage. The difference in Defense
makes Clefable tricky to KO safely, even with Physical Pokemon.
Recommended Movesets for Clefable
1 – Standard - Blizzard, Body Slam, 2 of Hyper Beam/Thunder Wave/Thunderbolt
Clefable uses Thunder Wave, then works like Chansey, except also having a Normal
move. Psychic could also be used for Gengar. Also if you want a Sleep and Stun
Clefable, you can replace one of the moves with Sing, but it’s only 55%
accurate. Mimic could also be used for Chansey to get Softboiled. Counter is
also a possibility for Physicals.
2 - Staller - Light Screen, Reflect, Rest, Body Slam/Thunderbolt
Make Clefable even harder to KO and PP drain your opponent. There's a couple
problems though, which are Critical Hits which ignore Reflect/Light Screen, and
this moveset allows the opponent to setup while Clefable is Resting. It's not
bad later in the game though.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 138-117 (44%-37%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 239-203 (34%-29%)
Body Slam vs Tauros - 91-77 (26%-22%)
Blizzard vs Dragonite - 370-315 (96%-80%)
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 159-135 (40%-34%)
Blizzard vs Tauros - 115-98 (33%-28%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 242-206 (77%-66%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 419-356 (60%-51%)
Psychic vs Gengar - 117-99 (36%-31%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 147-125 (45%-39%)
Clefable is essentially a mini Chansey. Clefable is a good Pokemon to use to
spread Paralysis since it can't be KO'd easily. Beyond Paralysis is some hybrid
sweeping and stalling. Clefable works best early in games. Comparing Clefable to
Chansey, Clefable is slightly more capable of taking Physical attacks and the
20 extra Speed brings Clefable faster than Exeggutor. Otherwise, Chansey would
be a better pick.
How to counter Clefable
While Specialists can usually stall other Specialists, Clefable has Body Slam
and often Hyper Beam. Still, Clefable can't heal so your safest approach is
using Alakazam, Chansey and Starmie if Clefable doesn't have Electric moves.
Clefable's HP is too high for Physicals like Tauros and Snorlax to attack, but
they will usually beat Clefable at the expense of HP if you don't have another
choice. Watch out for Counter if you use them.
+---------+
|Ninetales|
+---------+
HP 349
ATK 250
DEF 248
SPD 298
SPE 298
CHC 19.5%
Type - Fire
Weaknesses - Ground, Rock, Water
Neutrals - Electric, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - Bug, Fire, Grass
Moves - Bide, Body Slam, Confuse Ray, Dig, Double Team, Double-Edge, Ember,
Fire Blast, Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Hyper Beam, Mimic, Quick Attack, Rage,
Reflect, Rest, Roar, Skull Bash, Substitute, Swift, Tail Whip, Take Down, Toxic
Ninetales is similar to Arcanine, but instead of being Physical, Ninetales has
better Special and Speed. Ninetales also is one of the 5 final forms that learn
Confuse Ray, which can be effective since it has 298 Speed. Overall, Ninetales
isn't great, but due to the correct Stats, type and moves, Ninetales is a great
counter to Jynx. Being faster and having Confuse Ray, Ninetales is the best
counter to Jynx leads, but Gengar is much more common than Jynx. Ninetales can
fare decently against other Pokemon, specifically Physicals, but Specialists
wall out Ninetales. Confuse Ray can balance things out for Ninetales, but it
isn't consistent.
Recommended Movesets for Ninetales
1 – Standard - Body Slam, Confuse Ray, Fire Blast/Flamethrower,
Fire Spin/Reflect/Dig
Confuse the opponent and then use a Fire attack. Fire Blast is better, as
Ninetales is a good Pokemon for trying to Burn. If Wrapping is banned, use
Reflect or possibly Dig.
2 – Status Combo - Confuse Ray, Dig, Fire Spin, Toxic
A Ninetales combo. It’s not too likely you can pull this off, and it requires
luck. Confuse the opponent, Poison and then Fire Spin or Dig. If the opponent
switches, spread more Poison. Usually Poisoning the opponents is useless though
in comparison to Paralysis, but it could be effective if Ninetales gets lucky
and lasts long enough. Don't count on it.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 96-82 (31%-26%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 167-142 (24%-20%)
Dig vs Gengar - 196-167 (61%-52%)
Fire Blast vs Exeggutor - 264-225 (67%-57%)
Fire Blast vs Golem - 109-93 (30%-26%)
Fire Blast vs Jynx - 318-271 (95%-81%)
Fire Blast vs Tauros - 192-163 (54%-46%)
Flamethrower vs Exeggutor - 211-179 (54%-46%)
Flamethrower vs Jynx - 253-215 (76%-65%)
Ninetales is best used to counter Jynx leads. Confuse Ray and a 2HKO with a Fire
attack works very well. Besides Jynx, Ninetales can take on other Physicals by
using Fire Blast for high damage and hopes for a Burn. Most Specialists will
counter Ninetales though, so Ninetales is hard to use. It has potential, but it
isn't usually worth using Ninetales in the first place and you have to rely on
Confuse Ray for success.
How to counter Ninetales
Ninetales can Burn Physicals, and 298 Special can't be pierced too easily with
Water moves. Starmie with Surf works well and Chansey or Alakazam can stall out
Ninetales while slowly chipping away HP. If you need to use a Physical, try to
Paralyze Ninetales beforehand so you reduce the chance of Burns. If Ninetales
gets a Burn, it will often win against Tauros, Snorlax and even sometimes Golem.
Rhydon is the best Physical counter. If you happen to have an Omastar for some
reason, use it as Omastar is the best overall counter. No matter what you use
though, you have to deal with Confuse Ray, so switching around may be your
safest option.
+----------+
|Wigglytuff|
+----------+
HP 483
ATK 238
DEF 188
SPD 188
SPE 198
CHC 8.7%
Type - Normal
Weaknesses - Fighting
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Psychic, Rock, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Counter, Defense Curl, Disable,
Double Team, Double-Edge, Doubleslap, Fire Blast, Flash, Hyper Beam, Ice Beam,
Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Mimic, Pound, Psychic, Psywave, Rage, Reflect, Rest,
Seismic Toss, Sing, Skull Bash, Solarbeam, Strength, Submission, Substitute,
Take Down, Teleport, Thunder, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Toxic, Tri Attack,
Water Gun
Wigglytuff has the third highest HP, but all of the other Stats are terrible.
Wigglytuff's HP also loses usefulness since Defense and Special are both low.
It does learn a huge pool of moves, but most of them are offensive which
Wigglytuff can't use effectively. Clefable is generally considered a bad Chansey
and Clefable completely outclasses Wigglytuff.
Recommended Movesets for Wigglytuff
1 - Standard - Body Slam, Thunder Wave,
2 of Blizzard/Hyper Beam/Thunderbolt/Bubblebeam
Paralyze the opponent, which helps make up for the 188 Speed. Body Slam is the
main attacking move, and the other 2 are your choice. Hyper Beam is Wigglytuff’s
most powerful move, which is also STAB, Blizzard and Bubblebeam are for Rocks
and Thunderbolt is for Waters. Counter is a viable choice for Wigglytuff since
the 483 HP gets eaten quickly by Physical attacks. Sing could also be used or
Rest for stalling certain Pokemon.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 118-101 (30%-26%)
Blizzard vs Golem - 195-166 (54%-46%)
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 138-117 (44%-37%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 239-203 (34%-29%)
Body Slam vs Starmie - 98-83 (30%-26%)
Body Slam vs Tauros - 91-77 (26%-22%)
Bubblebeam vs Golem - 215-183 (59%-50%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 242-206 (77%-66%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 419-356 (60%-51%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 110-93 (34%-29%)
Wigglytuff plays like Chansey or Clefable, except much worse. If you're using
Wigglytuff still, spread Paralysis with Thunder Wave and hybrid sweep. Chansey
will still often beat Wigglytuff, and Wigglytuff will get rundown by everything
else. Countering Physicals is a possibility, but it will likely be obvious to
the opponent.
How to counter Wigglytuff
Wigglytuff has high HP, but the defensive Stats don't support it. Although
Chansey is similar, Chansey has much higher HP and excellent Special, not to
mention Softboiled. For Wigglytuff, attack with Specialists and stall out.
Alakazam works well, and Starmie can usually handle Thunderbolt. Chansey can
work, but the low Defense may result in Wigglytuff taking out Chansey. Physicals
aren't recommended because Wigglytuff could have Thunder Wave and Counter, but
they do work if you need to use them.
+------+
|Golbat|
+------+
HP 353
ATK 258
DEF 238
SPD 278
SPE 248
CHC 17.5%
Type - Poison/Flying
Weaknesses - Psychic, Electric, Ice, Rock
Neutrals - Bug, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Normal, Water
Resistances - FIGHTING, GRASS, Poison
Immunities - Ground
Golbat has average Stats and is the fastest Hazer, but otherwise Golbat is
total garbage. Golbat has a very limited moveset, only one STAB move, which is
poor, low offensive Stats and horrible typing. Having weaknesses to Ice, Rock,
Electric and Psychic, Golbat won't be beating most Pokemon. To be effective at
all with Golbat, you have to use Confuse Ray repeatedly and hope the opponents
hurt themselves, while you do attack for mild damage. Golbat is one of the worst
final forms in the game.
Confuse the opponent, and attempt at doing damage. Screech helps, but both that
and Confusion are gone if the opponent switches. The fourth move doesn’t really
matter; Golbat can’t do anything. Mega Drain is for Golem and Rhydon, which does
some damage. Wing attack is a possibility, but it has no real Base power.
Using Golbat as a Hazer is the only real use, but Vaporeon and even Weezing can
at least do other things as well. From there, use Golbat like in the first set.
This moveset only works on Stadium, where Bite's Flinch rate improves from 10%
to 30%. 278 Speed can somewhat work with this, while Confusion can also help
halt the opponent. This is easily counterable though by switching or using
something with at least moderate Defense.
Relative Strength
Double-Edge vs Chansey - 202-172 (29%-24%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 303-257 (43%-37%)
Leech Life vs Exeggutor - 72-61 (18%-16%)
Mega Drain vs Rhydon - 185-157 (45%-38%)
Wing Attack vs Exeggutor - 90-77 (23%-20%)
If you're using Golbat, you should use it for Hazing. Being realistic, you
should replace Golbat with Weezing or Vaporeon though. Besides Hazing, Golbat is
decent at Confusing, but otherwise, Golbat won't be doing anything for you.
How to counter Golbat
Haze and Confuse Ray aren't horrible to deal with. However, if you end up having
poor luck with Confusion, Golbat may actually take out a Pokemon. Use any
Specialist, preferably one with a recovery move and attack. If Golbat Confuses
your Pokemon and are somewhat in danger of Hyper Beam, switch away to break the
Confusion. Pokemon with Speed over 278 are key to avoiding Confuse Ray.
+---------+
|Vileplume|
+---------+
HP 353
ATK 258
DEF 268
SPD 198
SPE 298
CHC 9.7%
Type - Grass/Poison
Weaknesses - BUG, Fire, Flying, Ice, Psychic
Neutrals - Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Rock
Resistances - Electric, Fighting, GRASS, Water
Vileplume has decent Stats except for somewhat low Speed. Compared to Victreebel
and Venusaur, Vileplume is more well rounded Physically, but Vileplume is tied
or worse than Venusaur in all Stats, except having 4 extra Defense. The main
drawback with Vileplume is the lack of Razor Leaf, but instead has Petal Dance.
With Petal Dance, the user continues to use it 2-3 turns in a row and then
becomes Confused. Since Vileplume can't attack really well, or at least not as
well as Victreebel, Vileplume is left as just another double powder Pokemon.
Recommended Movesets for Vileplume
1 – Standard - Body Slam, Mega Drain, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore/Swords Dance
Sleep and Stun. Afterwards, attack with either Mega Drain or a Normal move.
Petal Dance isn’t really recommended, as your Vileplume is basically finished
once you start using it. If you don't need Stun Spore, use Swords Dance.
Relative Strength
Petal Dance vs Alakazam - 74-63 (24%-20%)
Petal Dance vs Sandslash - 258-220 (73%-62%)
Petal Dance vs Starmie - 182-155 (56%-48%)
Petal Dance vs Tauros - 113-96 (32%-27%)
1x Swords Dance + Acid vs Exeggutor - 200-170 (51%-43%)
1x Swords Dance + Body Slam vs Chansey - 343-291 (49%-41%)
Vileplume is really limited to Stun Spore and Sleep Powder. Use them as you need
to, but following that, Vileplume isn't as effective as other powder Pokemon.
Petal Dance forces you to use it and it's weaker than Razor Leaf. Vileplume
could use Swords Dance, but Venusaur and Victreebel can do it better, so while
Vileplume isn't horrible in battle, it's inferior to other Pokemon.
How to counter Vileplume
Use something that can take Paralysis and if you don't have something Sleeping,
use a Pokemon as Sleep bait, or something that already has a Status condition.
Once you've had something take Stun Spore, Vileplume can't do much more.
Alakazam and other Specialists may take moderate damage from Body Slam, but
you should be doing much more. Gengar and Exeggutor give Vileplume the most
trouble.
+--------+
|Parasect|
+--------+
HP 323
ATK 288
DEF 258
SPD 158
SPE 258
CHC 5.8%
Type - Bug/Grass
Weaknesses - Bug, FIRE, FLYING, Ice, POISON, Rock
Neutrals - Ghost, Normal, Psychic
Resistances - Electric, Fighting, GRASS, GROUND, Water
Parasect is a one move wonder. Parasect is the only Pokemon that learns Spore,
which is the only Sleep move that is 100% accurate. However, Parasect has low
Stats and a terrible type, having the most weaknesses and 4x weaknesses. Outside
of Spore, the only redeeming qualities are taking very low Ground damage and
having a STAB Bug move while not being weak to Psychic. Otherwise, Parasect is
awful. Jynx, Gengar and Exeggutor make for much better Sleepers, despite their
attacks are less accurate, but at least they aren't useless afterward.
Recommended Movesets for Parasect
1 – Standard - Spore, Stun Spore, 2 of
Mega Drain/Body Slam/Hyper Beam/Swords Dance
Sleep and Stun. Following that, Parasect can either use Mega Drain or use
Swords Dance with a Normal move. Stun Spore could also be dropped to have three
offensive moves. Slash is not recommended since Parasect's low Speed only brings
the chance to get a Critical to 47%.
Unlike Beedrill, Parasect can use a Bug move without being weak to Psychic. The
problem is though, that Leech Life has horrible Base power, but at least it
heals. Parasect may actually take out a Psychic or two if you're able to use
Swords Dance beforehand. It's not very viable, but it can work if you use
Parasect late or force a switch while you use Swords Dance.
Relative Strength
Mega Drain vs Rhydon - 288-245 (70%-59%)
Slash vs Alakazam - 184-156 (59%-<50%)
1x Swords Dance + Body Slam vs Chansey - 382-325 (54%-46%)
1x Swords Dance + Leech Life vs Alakazam - 160-136 (51%-43%)
2x Swords Dance + Leech Life vs Exeggutor - 336-286 (85%-73%)
1x Swords Dance + Leech Life vs Jynx - 178-152 (53%-46%)
2x Swords Dance + Leech Life vs Mewtwo - 162-138 (39%-33%)
Ultimately when using Parasect, you put something to Sleep with Spore, and then
follow-up with either Paralysis or an attempt to sweep. Parasect can usually
handle Exeggutor, Alakazam and Jynx if you use Swords Dance before they are
sent out, but still are tough for Parasect.
How to counter Parasect
Accept Sleep and then take out Parasect. While Parasect does have many
weaknesses, they're not very common. Specialists or Pokemon with high Defense
are the safest options, and preferably something that doesn't mind Paralysis. Of
course if you have Gengar though, Parasect won't be able to do anything unless
it has Dig.
+--------+
|Venomoth|
+--------+
HP 343
ATK 228
DEF 218
SPD 278
SPE 278
CHC 17.5%
Type - Bug/Poison
Weaknesses - Bug, Fire, Flying, Psychic, Rock
Neutrals - Electric, Ghost, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison, Water
Resistances - FIGHTING, GRASS
With similar Stats, moves and a type change from Butterfree, Venomoth is only
an improved Butterfree. It does have the highest Special for Bugs, so it can
survive from Psychic attacks, even from Mewtwo (but not Moltres’s Fire Blast).
Venomoth still gets destroyed by all sorts of attacks and can’t do much in
return. The one thing Venomoth does have going for it, is being the fastest
Pokemon that can Sleep and Stun (not counting Body Slam). It’s actually useful,
but afterwards, Venomoth is left to be destroyed. A good lead in UU matches, but
not in standard matches.
Recommended Movesets for Venomoth
1 - Standard - Mega Drain, Psychic, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore
Just like Butterfree, Sleep and Stun, and then attack. Venomoth does this better
since it is faster and can deal decent damage.
Relative Strength
Leech Life vs Exeggutor - 97-83 (25%-21%)
Mega Drain vs Golem - 187-159 (52%-44%)
Mega Drain vs Starmie - 66-56 (20%-17%)
Psychic vs Chansey - 70-59 (10%-8%)
Psychic vs Gengar - 121-103 (37%-32%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 306-260 (89%-76%)
Chansey's Ice Beam - 90-76 (26%-22%)
Moltres's Fire Blast - 378-322 (110%-94%)
Rhydon's Rock Slide - 316-269 (92%-78%)
Starmie's Blizzard - 110-93 (32%-27%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 149-127 (43%-37%)
How to use Venomoth
Venomoth is used like a traditional Sleep and Stunner, but Venomoth is the
fastest of them all. Afterward though, Venomoth can hit for some decent damage,
but not much. Venomoth is generally inferior to Exeggutor, minding the Speed.
How to counter Venomoth
Use something as Sleep bait and something that can take Paralysis. If you
already have something Paralyzed, that's the best choice in most cases, as
Venomoth can't KO much. Psychics work the best, but for simply KOing Venomoth,
most Pokemon should be fine.
+-------+
|Dugtrio|
+-------+
HP 273
ATK 258
DEF 208
SPD 338
SPE 238
CHC 23.4%
Type - Ground
Weaknesses - Grass, Ice, Water
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Psychic
Resistances - Poison, Rock
Immunities - Electric
Moves - Bide, Body Slam, Cut, Dig, Double Team, Double-Edge, Earthquake,
Fissure, Growl, Hyper Beam, Mimic, Rage, Rest, Rock Slide, Sand-Attack, Scratch,
Slash, Substitute, Take Down, Toxic
Dugtrio is a very unique Ground type having excellent Speed. Dugtrio is the
quickest Ground, beating Nidoking by 70 and the fastest OHKOer, beating Tauros
by 20. Dugtrio doesn't have much else going for it, but simply having a Ground
type that is faster than almost every Pokemon is useful. Though Dugtrio's Attack
is subpar, Earthquake has high Base power and Dugtrio gets Criticals often, so
Dugtrio is able to KO Pokemon. The main problem though is Dugtrio has poor
lasting power, having the lowest HP of all final forms, and low defensive Stats.
Dugtrio works best at Physical sweeping, but can only do it safely once
Exeggutor is taken out. Dugtrio is one of the best non-Rock Grounds.
Recommended Movesets for Dugtrio
1 – Standard - Body Slam, Earthquake, Fissure, Rock Slide/Slash
Pray with Fissure and stun anything faster with Body Slam. Earthquake and Rock
Slide or Slash are just there. Rock Slide is pretty useless with low attack, but
helps somewhat against Flying types. Use this over the set below if it isn't
banned. 338 is the highest Speed for OHKO Pokemon and Dugtrio is immune to
Thunder Wave, making it one of the most effective OHKO Pokemon.
2 – Non-OHKO Standard – Earthquake, Slash, 2 of Body Slam/Rock Slide/Hyper Beam
Earthquake is your main move, and Slash covers Reflect and Grasses. Of the other
moves, Rock Slide covers some more types, but doesn’t hit for very much damage.
Body Slam can be used for a chance of Paralysis, and Hyper Beam is a possible
finisher. Other possible moves are Substitute and Mimic, if you don't need all
those attacks. Sand-Attack also works to force switches, such as Exeggutor.
Relative Strength
Earthquake vs Alakazam - 175-149 (56%-48%)
Earthquake vs Chansey - 304-258 (43%-37%)
Earthquake vs Gengar - 304-258 (94%-80%)
Earthquake vs Golem - 187-159 (52%-44%)
Earthquake vs Tauros - 115-98 (33%-28%)
Rock Slide vs Zapdos - 125-106 (33%-28%)
Slash vs Exeggutor - 117-99 (30%-25%)
Dugtrio is very fragile, and needs to be handled with care. Since almost any
Pokemon can take out Dugtrio quick, you need to make sure it's going to be
taking out the opponent or at least doing heavy damage. Abuse Dugtrio's Speed by
revenge KOing the opponent after you just had one faint, since only Alakazam
matches Dugtrio's Speed and Jolteon is uncommon. With Dugtrio's Critical Hit
rate, you're playing roulette with damaging the opponent.
How to counter Dugtrio
Since Dugtrio is fast and can do heavy damage, Dugtrio is hard to switch into.
The best option is a high Defense Grass, which is usually Exeggutor. Otherwise,
you'll be taking at least two hits before being able to attack, and if one is a
Critical, it may take out your Pokemon. Cloyster is another safe choice, but
more common switches are Tauros and Snorlax, at the expense of some damage. You
can also sacrifice a Pokemon if you want to switch into Dugtrio with something
fresh.
+-------+
|Persian|
+-------+
HP 333
ATK 238
DEF 218
SPD 328
SPE 228
CHC 22.4%
Type - Normal
Weaknesses - Fighting
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Psychic, Rock, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Looking at Persian’s Stats, besides Speed, they are all bad. Persian also
doesn’t get many moves, but because of one move it becomes dangerous, and that
is Slash. Being one of two STAB Slashers (and Farfetch’d won’t do) STAB and
always Critical means it will do triple damage with every Slash. Persian will do
heavy damage on almost anything it hits. Persian can’t take much damage though,
so after one or two huge Slashes, it’ll get taken out. With its high Speed,
Persian can be a surprise switch-in and can finish any tough Pokemon. The only
problem with Persian is that it's very one-dimensional and can't do anything
else really. Avoiding Paralysis is crucial with Persian.
Recommended Movesets for Persian
1 – Standard - Bubblebeam, Hyper Beam, Slash, Body Slam/Thunderbolt/Screech
Slash away, and use Hyper Beam as a finisher. Due to the chances of getting
Criticals, Hyper Beam is very effective as a finisher, but it takes luck if
you’re hoping for Criticals. Bubblebeam is for Golem and Rhydon, which does
enough damage to counter them. Body Slam can help Paralyze, but Screech
increases Hyper Beam’s damage, or may cause the opponent to switch. Thunderbolt
is also a possibility for Cloyster and Gyarados. Mainly, use Slash.
Relative Strength
Bubblebeam vs Rhydon - 272-232 (66%-56%)
Slash vs Alakazam - 229-195 (73%-63%)
Slash vs Chansey - 394-335 (56%-48%)
Slash vs Exeggutor - 162-138 (41%-35%)
Slash vs Tauros - 151-129 (43%-37%)
Thunderbolt vs Cloyster - 139-118 (46%-39%)
Thunderbolt vs Gengar - 52-44 (16%-14%)
Thunderbolt vs Gyarados - 252-214 (64%-55%)
Persian is best used when you want to use a high-powered Slash, which is often.
Persian can't take much, but Persian is very fast, so you can use it in most
cases. You want to make sure the opponent's Gengar is taken out first though, or
else you'll be forced to switch. Otherwise, Persian is very simple to use and
very effective. It's best used later in the game for easy sweeping.
How to counter Persian
While Persian isn't quite as tough as Tauros, Persian is faster and can cut
through Reflect with Slash, so Alakazam doesn't work too well. If you can
Paralyze Persian, that will make taking it out much easier. Otherwise, you'll
have to take some hits to take out Persian. Alternatively, Gengar can be used
and Persian won't be able to do any good damage. Ideally, you'll have to make a
bit of a sacrifice to take out Persian. If Alakazam isn't Paralyzed, it can work
if you're able to Recover afterward.
+-------+
|Golduck|
+-------+
HP 363
ATK 262
DEF 254
SPD 268
SPE 258
CHC 16.6%
Type - Water
Weaknesses - Electric, Grass
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Rock
Resistances - Fire, Ice, Water
Moves - Amnesia, Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Confusion, Counter, Dig,
Disable, Double Team, Double-Edge, Fury Swipes, Hydro Pump, Hyper Beam,
Ice Beam, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Mimic, Pay Day, Rage, Rest, Scratch,
Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Surf, Swift,
Tail Whip, Take Down, Toxic, Water Gun
Golduck is the most mediocre Pokemon in the game; all of the Stats are exactly
or very close to average (HP 363, other 258). But keeping Golduck from being
just average is Amnesia. With Amnesia and only Special weaknesses, Golduck can
become a tank. Although not as good as Slowbro, which has Thunder Wave, more
Defense, and a better type, Golduck has more Speed which helps. Golduck is only
useful if you can setup with Amnesia, which can be difficult. Otherwise, it's
just an average Water type.
Recommended Movesets for Golduck
1 – Standard - Amnesia, Rest, Surf, Ice Beam/Blizzard
Power up with Amnesia and then attack. If you can’t set up Golduck, it will get
beaten fast. Once Amnesia has been used, Rest if necessary, and then sweep. Ice
Beam is generally better than Blizzard since it has more PP, which you’ll need.
Dig is a possible choice, but it’s unnecessary because it’s a bad move, and Surf
will do plenty after Amnesia to Electrics. Counter also works since with Amnesia
and Rest, you'll be forcing the opponent into using Physical moves. Like Surfing
Raichu, if you are unable to get Golduck with Amnesia don’t use it.
Relative Strength
3x Amnesia + Surf vs Alakazam - 327-279 (104%-89%)
3x Amnesia + Surf vs Chansey - 391-332 (56%-47%)
3x Amnesia + Surf vs Starmie - 202-172 (63%-53%)
3x Amnesia + Ice Beam vs Victreebel - 539-458 (148%-126%)
2x Amnesia + Ice Beam vs Victreebel - 418-356 (115%-98%)
Since Golduck isn't very sturdy or all that fast, Golduck works best later in
the game. Physicals and Razor Leafers are the best at taking out Golduck while
setting up, so it's best that they're taken out or at least Paralyzed before
trying to setup. Once Golduck has Amnesia used, it can start doing heavy damage
to most of anything. The problem is that Golduck is difficult to setup, but if
you can do it, Golduck becomes a threat. Slowbro is a better Amnesia user, but
Golduck's advantage is the extra Speed.
How to counter Golduck
Specialists have trouble against Golduck unless they get Critical Hits, which
could work with Starmie or Alakazam. If you have Victreebel or Venusaur, they're
the two best options. Otherwise, Physicals work well. Physical Pokemon generally
get taken out by Golduck though, so you want to strike as Golduck uses Rest. Its
Defense isn't very high, so taking out Golduck while it's Sleeping is the safest
method. If Golduck is fully setup, it can KO most Pokemon in one hit, so beware.
+--------+
|Primeape|
+--------+
HP 333
ATK 308
DEF 218
SPD 288
SPE 218
CHC 18.5%
Type - Fighting
Weaknesses - Flying, Psychic
Neutrals - Electric, Fire, Fighting, Ghost, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Water
Resistances - Bug, Rock
Moves - Bide, Body Slam, Counter, Dig, Double Team, Double-Edge, Focus Energy,
Fury Swipes, Hyper Beam, Karate Chop, Leer, Low Kick, Mega Kick, Mega Punch,
Metronome, Mimic, Pay Day, Rage, Rest, Rock Slide, Scratch, Screech,
Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Swift, Take Down,
Thrash, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Toxic
Primeape is similar to Machamp, but with less Attack, and Defense and Special,
and HP, but has 80 extra Speed. Primeape does get Thunderbolt, but with 218
Special, it’s pointless. At least after Focus Energy, its Critical Hit chance
will be 74% (when playing on Stadium) and using Karate Chop guarantees it. But
Machamp learns both of those too. So, even if it’s the fastest Fighting type,
Primeape is almost replaced by Machamp in every way. Primeape could be used in
hopes of Criticals, which isn't completely unreasonable, but it is unreliable.
Primeape's Speed doesn't make up for the lack of defensive Stats, and most of
the Normals that Primeape would be used for are still faster, or slower than
Machamp anyway.
Recommended Movesets for Primeape
1 – Standard – Body Slam, Rock Slide, Submission,
Counter/Seismic Toss/Screech/Hyper Beam
A sweeping Primeape, sort of. Coming from 308 attack, Primeape’s attacks are
actually powerful, but it lacks diversity and defensive Stats. The fourth move
is basically filler. If you’re playing on Stadium give it Focus Energy,
otherwise pick one of at least half a dozen possible moves. Unlike Machamp,
Primeape doesn't learn Earthquake. Thunderbolt is also only helpful for
Gyarados, Cloyster and a couple other Waters. It's still usually weaker, but
Thunderbolt doesn't miss or give recoil.
Relative Strength
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 208-177 (66%-57%)
Rock Slide vs Articuno - 268-228 (70%-59%)
Submission vs Chansey - 580-494 (82%-70%)
Submission vs Cloyster - 141-120 (47%-40%)
Submission vs Snorlax - 278-236 (53%-45%)
Submission vs Tauros - 221-188 (63%-53%)
Thunderbolt vs Cloyster - 133-113 (44%-37%)
Thunderbolt vs Gyarados - 241-205 (61%-52%)
Ideally, you'll want to use Primeape to take out Normal types, especially
Chansey, Tauros and Snorlax. However, Primeape can only take out Chansey, and
due to recoil, Primeape can't miss with Submission. That leaves Primeape with
little health left. So you'll want Tauros or Snorlax Paralyzed and weakened
before you finish them off with Primeape, but that makes the whole reason in
using Primeape pointless. Primeape can't offer much else since the rest of the
opponent's Pokemon will take Primeape out with ease.
How to counter Primeape
Using Normals can take out Primeape, but it's not worth it. Psychics work easily
and Exeggutor also has high Defense for Primeape's powerful attacks. Alakazam
may take some damage from Body Slam or Hyper Beam, but it is almost guaranteed
to take out Primeape in one Psychic. If a Psychic isn't available, you can still
beat Primeape at the expense of HP. Chansey is the only common Pokemon that has
to worry.
+--------+
|Arcanine|
+--------+
HP 383
ATK 318
DEF 258
SPD 288
SPE 258
CHC 15.6%
Type - Fire
Weaknesses - Ground, Rock, Water
Neutrals - Electric, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - Bug, Fire, Grass
Arcanine has high Stats and is similar to Ninetales, except being Physical. In
that case, Ninetales would be considered better since Fire is a Special type,
but more importantly, Ninetales has a decent movepool. Arcanine is one of the
better Fire types, but the moves it can learned are limited. Arcanine can do
fairly high damage with both Special and Physical, but doesn't excel in either.
Arcanine's type also isn't very useful.
Recommended Movesets for Arcanine
1 – Standard – Body Slam, Hyper Beam, Agility/Reflect, Fire Blast/Flamethrower
Hit the opponent heavily. Fire Blast is better than Flamethrower for Arcanine,
but both are useable. Arcanine works like a hybrid sweeper, but neither Physical
or Special damage will be super high. Agility helps when Paralyzed or to
increase Speed in general, while Reflect can help Arcanine survive longer. Dig
is another possible choice, though not recommended.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakzam - 122-104 (39%-33%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 212-180 (30%-26%)
Fire Blast vs Exeggutor - 230-195 (59%-51%)
Fire Blast vs Gengar - 111-95 (34%-29%)
Fire Blast vs Jynx - 276-235 (83%-71%)
Fire Blast vs Snorlax - 174-148 (33%-28%)
Fire Blast vs Tauros - 166-142 (47%-40%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 215-183 (69%-58%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 373-317 (53%-45%)
When using Fire types, the main use would be Burning Physical Pokemon, since you
won't often be facing something weak to Fire. Arcanine is a decent choice for
Tauros and Snorlax, but when going for a Burn, they won't be Paralyzed. On the
Physical side, Arcanine can do decent damage to Alakazam and Chansey, but they
can often take it out before fainting. Arcanine can't help your team too much.
How to counter Arcanine
Arcanine is easy to counter, but there are always risks. When using Tauros,
Golem or Snorlax, a Burn cuts their Attack in half. With Alakazam and Chansey,
they may get hit hard by Body Slam or Hyper Beam. Realistically though, most
Pokemon can deal with Arcanine, as long as they aren't weak to Fire. If you're
able to switch to Alakazam or Chansey and get a Burn, that would protect you
from Freeze, Paralysis and Sleep, so baiting can also help your team. The best
counters are Gengar, Starmie and Omastar, but most Pokemon will work.
+---------+
|Poliwrath|
+---------+
HP 383
ATK 268
DEF 288
SPD 238
SPE 238
CHC 13.6%
Type - Water/Fighting
Weaknesses - Electric, Flying, Grass, Psychic
Neutrals - Fighting, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison
Resistances - Bug, Fire, Ice, Rock, Water
Moves - Amnesia, Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubble, Bubblebeam, Counter,
Double Team, Double-Edge, Doubleslap, Earthquake, Fissure, Hydro Pump,
Hyper Beam, Hypnosis, Ice Beam, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic, Mist,
Psychic, Psywave, Rage, Rest, Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Strength, Submission,
Substitute, Surf, Take Down, Toxic, Water Gun
Poliwrath is more Fighting than Water. Poliwrath has good HP, Attack and Defense
but Speed and Special are lacking. Special at 238 is actually the highest it
gets for Fighting types. Poliwrath does learn a diverse set of moves, and you
can use Poliwrath in a number of ways. Being the only non-pure Fighting type,
Poliwrath can deal decent damage to Normals and still be useful otherwise.
However, like most Fighting types, Poliwrath has problems dealing with Special
attacks and Poliwrath is relatively slow. Overall, Poliwrath is an interesting
Pokemon, but doesn't last long in battle most of the time.
Recommended Movesets for Poliwrath
1 - Standard - Amnesia, Surf, Rest, Ice Beam/Hypnosis/Submission/Earthquake
Use Amnesia to boost Special and then use Rest when needed. For this moveset,
you'll want Ice Beam over Blizzard, for extra PP. This can work, but if a Flying
Pokemon attacks, such as Zapdos or Dodrio, Poliwrath has problems. Also if a
Psychic gets a Critical, like Alakazam, Poliwrath will drop. Otherwise,
Poliwrath becomes difficult to take out, but Slowbro and Golduck use this set
better.
2 – Special sweeper - Amnesia, Surf, Blizzard/Hypnosis, Submission/Earthquake
After Amnesia, start sweeping with Surf. Speed is an issue though, and
Water/Fighting isn’t the greatest type either. Poliwrath is trickier to setup,
compared to Slowbro and Golduck, and those two are more usable. Earthquake isn't
as strong as Submission, but it helps cover Electrics. Hypnosis is if you want
Poliwrath to be a Sleeper, which can be useful when setting up to draw out a
strong Pokemon to put to Sleep, which is one thing Poliwrath has over both
Golduck and Slowbro.
Body Slam and Hyper Beam can also be put in, depending on how you want your
Poliwrath. This doesn’t do much damage and can’t take much, but you’re very
likely to get Super Effective attacks in.
Relative Strength
1x Amnesia + Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 279-238 (71%-61%)
3x Amnesia + Surf vs Alakazam - 312-266 (<100%-85%)
3x Amnesia + Surf vs Chansey - 372-317 (53%-45%)
Earthquake vs Jolteon - 206-175 (62%-53%)
Submission vs Chansey - 506-430 (72%-61%)
In the standard environment, Poliwrath can be taken out by most Pokemon. To get
Poliwrath going, you either need to switch into a Paralyzed Pokemon, or one of
the few Pokemon that can't take out Poliwrath right away (such as Chansey). Once
Amnesia has been used, Poliwrath works similar to Slowbro. One of the uses of
Poliwrath is that it learns Hypnosis, which can help greatly with setting up.
Poliwrath is tricky to get going, but once Amnesia has been used, it can become
dangerous.
How to counter Poliwrath
There are multiple ways to dealing with Poliwrath. Initially, you'll want to use
something that can take on Poliwrath, but also handle Sleep if something isn't
already Sleeping. From there, you can try to get Criticals with Alakazam, stall
with Chansey, or use Physical power while Poliwrath is Resting. Starmie works as
the best counter by resisting Poliwrath's strong moves, having Thunderbolt and a
good chance to get a Critical Hit. Gengar can work in the same fashion, except
not being able to resist Water attacks. If you get desperate, you can Explode
something and then finish off Poliwrath with the switch-in.
+--------+
|Alakazam|
+--------+
HP 313
ATK 198
DEF 188
SPD 338
SPE 368
CHC 23.4%
Type - Psychic
Weaknesses - Bug
Neutrals - Electric, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Rock,
Water
Resistances - Fighting, Psychic
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Bide, Body Slam, Confusion, Counter, Dig, Disable, Double Team,
Double-Edge, Flash, Hyper Beam, Kinesis, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Metronome,
Mimic, Psybeam, Psychic, Psywave, Rage, Recover, Reflect, Rest, Seismic Toss,
Skull Bash, Submission, Substitute, Take Down, Teleport, Thunder Wave, Toxic,
Tri Attack
Alakazam is one of the most common Pokemon you will see on teams (battling kids
or pros). Psychic is the dominant type in RBY, Alakazam has massive Special and
very high Speed. While Alakazam has low Defense, a quick Reflect can cover that.
On top, Alakazam learns Recover. With Alakazam, you can Special sweep with ease,
and with Psychic, you may get Special falls too. Alakazam is a Special
powerhouse. Now, Alakazam isn't perfect because its movepool is fairly limited
and Alakazam is fairly easy to stall out. Alakazam does have some trouble
dealing with other Psychics and Chansey, but otherwise, Alakazam can take out
just about anything and last a long time.
Recommended Movesets for Alakazam
1 – Standard - Psychic, Recover, Thunder Wave, Reflect/Seismic Toss/Counter
Standard Alakazam. The first three are basically mandatory, but the fourth move
is tricky to decide. Reflect is usually the most effective, to help Alakazam
stall, but Seismic Toss is used incase Alakazam runs out of Psychic. The great
thing is that you can switch in any time, as Alakazam is the fastest standard
Pokemon, so you can switch to it whenever you need to. That also means late in
the game when both teams are heavily Paralyzed, a Paralyzed Alakazam can still
be used to attack quickly. Counter can be risky, but will take out Tauros and
Snorlax if you use it correctly. Kinesis is also a possiblity.
Although this set is more or less identical to the standard set, it plays
entirely differently. Since Alakazam is faster than any Sleeper (and Starmie
which is another Pokemon for baiting Sleep), Alakazam can always Paralyze or
attack a Sleeper. Gengar loses a chunk of HP from Psychic, while Exeggutor and
Jynx lose a lot of effectiveness when Paralyzed. On top, if the opponent is
either Paralyzed or their attack misses (especially with Gengar), Alakazam has a
chance to add damage or even take out the opponent (mainly with Gengar). Mimic
is gimmicky if you want to try to get their Sleep move, but it's not
recommended. If Alakazam gets to awaken later in the match, it won't be
Paralyzed, meaning it can Recover right away after, since no other standard
Pokemon is faster. Chansey, especially with Sing does counter this set though.
Relative Strength
Psychic vs Chansey - 138-117 (20%-17%)
Psychic vs Exeggutor - 61-52 (16%-13%)
Psychic vs Gengar - 239-203 (74%-63%)
Psychic vs Golem - 203-173 (56%-48%)
Psychic vs Rhydon - 224-191 (54%-46%)
Psychic vs Snorlax - 186-158 (36%-30%)
Psychic vs Tauros - 178-151 (50%-43%)
Relative Defense
Chansey's Ice Beam - 68-58 (22%-19%)
Exeggutor's Mega Drain - 50-43 (16%-14%)
Gengar's Explosion - 348-296 (111%-95%)
Golem's Earthquake - 216-183 (69%-58%)
Snorlax's Body Slam - 184-156 (59%-<50%)
Snorlax's Hyper Beam - 322-274 (103%-86%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 172-147 (55%-47%)
Tauros's Hyper Beam - 302-257 (96%-82%)
How to use Alakazam
Alakazam can be used in a number of ways, depending on what your team needs. As
a lead, Alakazam can deal with most Sleepers, by at least Paralyzing them and
being used later if Alakazam wakes up early. Alakazam can also be used for
spreading Paralysis as Alakazam is difficult to take out and after Special falls
from Psychic, the opponent may be inclined to switch, where you can spread more
Paralysis. Alakazam can also be used as a revenge KOer and as a general Special
sweeper, with the high Speed and massive Special. Alakazam can be used in many
ways for whatever you need.
How to counter Alakazam
Alakazam is a tough opponent and it will usually take a team effort to take out
Alakazam without some luck. The best Specialists are Chansey and dual-type
Psychics. Exeggutor and Starmie can resist Psychic and deal neutral damage back,
but the cost is Paralysis and often Special falls will make fighting back
difficult. Chansey can work by stalling and attempting for a Freeze. Chansey is
one of the most effective Special stallers, but with enough Special falls,
Critical hits and Paralysis, Chansey can be taken out by Alakazam. Explosion
from most Pokemon can take out Alakazam, but Reflect will protect Alakazam
enough and if Alakazam isn't Paralyzed, it can Recover. Physical Pokemon will
also usually succumb to Psychic, except Snorlax. So the best ways to deal with
Alakazam is to put it to Sleep, Freeze it, or slowly get an opportunity where
you can finish it off before it Recovers. Paralysis helps a lot.
+-------+
|Machamp|
+-------+
HP 383
ATK 358
DEF 258
SPD 208
SPE 228
CHC 10.7%
Type - Fighting
Weaknesses - Flying, Psychic
Neutrals - Electric, Fire, Fighting, Ghost, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Water
Resistances - Bug, Rock
Moves - Bide, Body Slam, Counter, Dig, Double Team, Double-Edge, Earthquake,
Fire Blast, Fissure, Focus Energy, Hyper Beam, Karate Chop, Leer, Low Kick,
Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic, Rage, Rest, Rock Slide, Seismic Toss,
Skull Bash, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Take Down, Thrash, Toxic
Machamp is the Pokemon to pick if you need a Fighting type. Machamp has the
highest HP and Attack for Fighting types. Machamp can also learn Earthquake and
Rock Slide that can do high damage, coming from 358 Attack. The only reason that
Machamp isn’t very common is that it’s weak to Psychics and that Submission
sucks. Even then, only Mewtwo’s Psychic can beat it in one hit, and that’s not a
guarantee either. If you need a Fighting type for whatever reason, choose
Machamp, but be aware that Submission can do up to 96% on Chansey, not to
mention the recoil from that and that Submission is only 80% accurate anyways.
It is still effective against Chansey and other Normals overall though, but
difficult to pull off, as there are many Psychics in standard matches. Machamp
is best used late in the game, with most of the opponents Paralyzed and when
some of the opponent's Psychics are beaten. In one on ones, it can usually beat
Chansey and Snorlax, but the Speed of Tauros gives it the win over Machamp.
Recommended Movesets for Machamp
1 – Standard - Earthquake, Submission, 2 of Hyper Beam/Body Slam/Rock Slide
Physical sweep the opponents. Hyper Beam can be replaced with Focus Energy or
Karate Chop, to satisfy however you play. Keep in mind that Machamp’s best move
isn’t very good. Rock Slide isn't too useful, as Machamp’s other moves cover
most of everything anyway. It helps against Flying Pokemon though. Fire Blast is
also a possiblity for Exeggutor, and Low Kick is a possible choice if you
really dislike Submission. Hyper Beam is an important sweeping move, but it
isn't necessary.
Relative Strength
Earthquake vs Gengar - 279-238 (86%-74%)
Earthquake vs Jolteon - 279-238 (84%-71%)
Fire Blast vs Exeggutor - 136-115 (35%-29%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 241-205 (77%-66%)
Rock Slide vs Articuno - 310-264 (81%-69%)
Submission vs Chansey - 674-573 (96%-82%)
Submission vs Cloyster - 163-139 (54%-46%)
Submission vs Snorlax - 322-274 (62%-52%)
Submission vs Tauros - 256-218 (73%-62%)
With Machamp, you'll want to be taking things out with Physical power,
particularly Normals. The opponent can easily switch to a Psychic, but if you
use Body Slam, you may force the opponent to stay out. The main Pokemon you want
taken out is Exeggutor. With sweeping, Machamp needs some Paralysis support, and
a safe way to get into the battle, since Machamp doesn't take Special attacks
too well. Once Machamp is out, it becomes a threat. Normals will be at risk,
except for maybe Tauros, but the recoil does hurt against Chansey and Snorlax.
Machamp usually requires more effort than it's worth, but definitely offers some
potential with the right setup. Even with that, the accuracy and recoil of
Submission is a real drawback.
How to counter Machamp
Although Psychics usually come to mind, the usual low Defense makes them risky.
Jynx and Alakazam can hit Machamp hard, but they and Machamp can take each other
out in two hits. Switching into Machamp with them after something else fainted
is safe though. Exeggutor is usually the best counter, having high Defense, high
HP and Psychic. They are Speed tied, but Machamp shouldn't do that much damage.
Starmie with Psychic and Slowbro can also work. Most other Pokemon take a
dangerous risk against fighting Machamp. Submission is 80% accurate and the
recoil hurts, so using a Normal can work, but it's not recommended. If necessary
though, Machamp can't take much, so making a sacrifice to take it out does work.
+----------+
|Victreebel|
+----------+
HP 363
ATK 308
DEF 228
SPD 238
SPE 298
CHC 13.6%
Type - Grass/Poison
Weaknesses - BUG, Fire, Flying, Ice, Psychic
Neutrals - Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Rock
Resistances - Electric, Fighting, GRASS, Water
Looking at the Stats, Victreebel is a powerhouse, having the highest Attack of
all Grass types, and tied with Muk for Poison types, while also having 298
Special. Victreebel can also be played in many ways including a Wrapper, Sleep
and Stun, sweeping, Swords Dancing and hybrids of those. What's lacking is
Victreebel has many weaknesses, and is fairly slow. Still, Victreebel is one of
the better Grass types, if only because of Razor Leaf, but Exeggutor still can
outclass it in most cases. Overall, Victreebel is one of the best Grass types,
but it has a lot to watch out for
Wrap the opponent and then you can also spread Paralysis. The other moves are
your choice. This is alright, except Victreebel is slow, so it requires the
opponents to mostly be Paralyzed in the first place. This can be used for
spreading Paralysis though. Razor Leaf and Hyper Beam are finisher moves. If you
want to add to Victreebel's Attack, Swords Dance can be used over the Status
attacks.
2 – Sleep and Stun - Body Slam, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore
Sleep and stun, and then attack. It works fairly well, but Victreebel could be
faster. It is faster than Exeggutor though and Razor Leaf is exclusive to
Victreebel and Venusaur.
A hybrid sweeper. Victreebel has good offensive Stats and Swords Dance brings
Swords Dance up to 616 in the first use. Both Sleep Powder and Stun Spore work,
and you could also have both Normal moves if preferred. There's a variety of
ways to mix up Victreebel's attacks.
Relative Strength
Razor Leaf vs Alakazam - 118-100 (38%-32%)
Razor Leaf vs Slowbro - 332-282 (84%-72%)
Razor Leaf vs Starmie - 289-246 (89%-76%)
Razor Leaf vs Tauros - 179-152 (51%-43%)
1x Swords Dance + Acid vs Exeggutor - 237-202 (60%-51%)
3x Swords Dance + Body Slam vs Chansey - 662-563 (94%-80%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 414-353 (132%-113%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 720-613 (102%-87%)
Victreebel has multiple uses, so using it depends on what moveset you have. For
Wrapping Victreebel, you'll want to use it late when the opponents are Paralyzed
and Gengar is hopefully taken out. For a Status inflicter, Victreebel works well
earlier, but is decent later, despite Sleep Powder loses use. For a hybrid
sweeper, you'll want to a chance to setup with Swords Dance. For the most part,
Victreebel just needs Psychics taken care of or at least Paralyzed, and Gengar
beaten. Victreebel holds its own against most Pokemon, but it's best to switch
to Victreebel after something of yours fainted, since Victreebel has many
weaknesses. Victreebel is powerful, but the weaknesses require you to play
safely.
How to counter Victreebel
By far, the easiest way is using Gengar, where all Victreebel can do is hit you
with a powder or Razor Leaf. If Gengar isn't available, try to use a Psychic or
another Specialist. Physical Pokemon are at risk against Razor Leaf and
Paralysis (or Sleep), but they do work if you need to use them. Victreebel is
hard to go out against because of Status risks and Swords Dance. The best way is
to take Paralysis and then fight back. Alakazam and Exeggutor work well doing
this. Chansey is another possible choice.
+----------+
|Tentacruel|
+----------+
HP 363
ATK 238
DEF 228
SPD 298
SPE 338
CHC 19.5%
Type - Water/Poison
Weaknesses - Bug, Electric, Ground, Psychic
Neutrals - Flying, Ghost, Grass, Normal, Rock
Resistances - Fighting, Fire, Ice, Poison, Water
Tentacruel is a Specialist, having good Speed and the highest Special for Water
types, giving it the strongest Water attacks. Tentacruel's type could be better
though, as it gets hit hard from Psychic and Ground attacks. Even though it has
Barrier for Grounds and 338 Special for Psychics, it will lose lots of good HP.
Tentacruel is a good Wrapper though with 298 Speed, and can hit Rocks and Gengar
with powerful Special moves. There are better Water types still, and Cloyster is
usually a better Water Wrapper. Tentacruel has Wrap which is often better though
and much more Speed than Cloyster. The main drawback with Tentacruel is the
Poison type.
Recommended Movesets for Tentacruel
1 – Standard - Surf, Wrap, 2 of Hyper Beam/Blizzard/Barrier
Wrap the opponent and Surf any Grounds or Ghosts. The other moves are used
depending how you want your Tentacruel. Swords Dance is also effective for
Wrapping and supports Hyper Beam for finishing opponents off. Blizzard adds more
type coverage, and Barrier is a possibility for extra lasting power.
2 – Special Sweeper - Barrier, Blizzard, Mega Drain, Surf
A Special sweeping Tentacruel. Barrier is to cover Tentacruel’s Ground weakness.
338 Special let's this set work, but other Water types are better at Special
sweeping because Tentacruel has a bad type and are more durable. Use this set if
Wrap is banned.
Similar to the Special sweeper set, except Tentacruel has added offensive
options. With this set, only a few defensive Waters will be completely safe. If
desired, Blizzard could be replaced with Barrier, but two Stat boost moves
would be difficult to use safely.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 199-170 (51%-43%)
Hydro Pump vs Snorlax - 227-193 (43%-37%)
Hydro Pump vs Tauros - 217-185 (61%-52%)
Mega Drain vs Starmie - 80-68 (25%-21%)
Surf vs Alakazam - 112-96 (36%-31%)
Surf vs Chansey - 134-114 (19%-16%)
Surf vs Tauros - 172-147 (49%-42%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 321-273 (103%-87%)
2x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 833-708 (118%-101%)
Since Tentacruel doesn't last too long in battle, Tentacruel is best used as a
type of sweeper, whether with Swords Dance, Wrap or the 338 Special. In either
case, Tentacruel is usually best used later in the game. 338 Special and 298
Speed (which also gives a good Critical Hit chance), gives Tentacruel powerful
Special attacks, and they can put holes in the opponent's HP, but caution is
required because of Tentacruel's bad typing and low Defense. Psychics have to be
taken out for Tentacruel to attack safely.
How to counter Tentacruel
Since Swords Dance isn't much of a threat until a second use, Specialists are
the best options. Alakazam, Starmie and Chansey can all stall out Tentacruel
easily and take the heavy attacks. Gengar is effective if Tentacruel is using
Normal attacks, especially Wrap. If Tentacruel starts using Wrap, try to
Paralyze it. Otherwise, Tentacruel is simple to counter, but the damage in
return is high if you can't stall.
+-----+
|Golem|
+-----+
HP 363
ATK 318
DEF 358
SPD 188
SPE 208
CHC 8.7%
Type - Rock/Ground
Weaknesses - Fighting, GRASS, Ground, Ice, WATER
Neutrals - Bug, Ghost, Psychic
Resistances - Fire, Flying, Normal, Poison, Rock
Immunities - Electric
Moves - Bide, Body Slam, Counter, Defense Curl, Dig, Double Team, Double-Edge,
Earthquake, Explosion, Fire Blast, Fissure, Harden, Hyper Beam, Mega Kick,
Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic, Rage, Rest, Rock Slide, Rock Throw, Seismic Toss,
Selfdestruct, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Tackle, Take Down, Toxic
Golem is a super Physical Pokemon. While Rhydon has higher HP, Attack and more
moves, Golem is slightly faster and has higher Special. However, due to extra
HP, Rhydon is still better at taking Special attacks. Golem learns Explosion
though, and beats Rhydon one on one, due to the extra Speed. Because of those,
Golem is usually prefered, but both have their benefits. Golem has a lot of
weaknesses, so it has to be played carefully. Its job is to stall out Normal
and Electric attacks, and deal heavy damage to anything. Explosion can take out
a lot of Pokemon, so use it on something strong. Golem has trouble against
most Specialists, but with Paralysis support, Golem can sweep. Golem is a
standard Pokemon, but be sure to use it at the right times and know when to use
Explosion.
Recommended Movesets for Golem
1 – Standard - Earthquake, Explosion, Rock Slide, Body Slam/Substitute
Not much else you can give Golem, but it works like a charm. Earthquake and
Rock Slide when needed, Body Slam is for Paralyzing, especially when the
opponent is switching, and Explosion is when Golem is about to faint, which will
usually deliver a KO. If you want to ensure the opponent doesn't switch ahead of
time, use Explosion early. This is where mindgames come into play. Substitute is
also a possibility against switching Pokemon, but works better on Paralyzed
Pokemon. Fire Blast is not useful since Exeggutor only takes 9 extra damage from
it compared to Rock Slide, and while it could Burn opponents, it isn't accurate.
Relative Strength
Earthquake vs Alakazam - 216-183 (69%-58%)
Earthquake vs Chansey - 374-318 (53%-45%)
Earthquake vs Gengar - 373-317 (115%-98%)
Earthquake vs Jolteon - 373-317 (112%-95%)
Earthquake vs Snorlax - 178-152 (34%-29%)
Earthquake vs Starmie - 152-129 (47%-40%)
Earthquake vs Tauros - 142-120 (40%-34%)
Explosion vs Tauros - 317-270 (90%-76%)
Rock Slide vs Articuno - 415-353 (108%-92%)
Rock Slide vs Cloyster - 137-116 (45%-38%)
Rock Slide vs Exeggutor - 115-97 (29%-25%)
Rock Slide vs Zapdos - 230-195 (60%-51%)
Golem's main use is countering Zapdos and other Electrics, but can be used for
high Physical damage against Chansey and others as well. One of the key uses for
Golem is having the second most damaging move (the first being Snorlax's
Selfdestruct), and knowing when and how to use Explosion is important for
success with Golem. If you expect the opponent to switch to Gengar or something
weak to sacrifice, use Earthquake instead and save Explosion for something
stronger and something that isn't resistant to Normal.
How to counter Golem
Golem is easily countered by Water, Grass and some Ice types, but many other
Pokemon are in danger of Earthquake and Explosion. Exeggutor is the best counter
and can switch into Golem safely (except Explosion). Chansey and Alakazam can
take out Golem, but the risk is high. The best overall way to beat Golem is to
bait the opponent into using Explosion on something nearly fainted or Gengar,
which can be tricky if the opponent is smart.
+--------+
|Rapidash|
+--------+
HP 333
ATK 298
DEF 238
SPD 308
SPE 258
CHC 20.5%
Type - Fire
Weaknesses - Ground, Rock, Water
Neutrals - Electric, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - Bug, Fire, Grass
Moves - Agility, Bide, Body Slam, Double Team, Double-Edge, Ember, Fire Blast,
Fire Spin, Growl, Horn Drill, Hyper Beam, Mimic, Rage, Reflect, Rest,
Skull Bash, Stomp, Substitute, Swift, Tail Whip, Take Down, Toxic
Rapidash is the fastest Fire type, and has good Attack power, but Rapidash is
low on all of the defensive categories. Rapidash is also one of the two Fire
types that don’t learn Flamethrower (the other is Moltres), which limits
Rapidash’s already small movepool. Rapidash does learn Horn Drill and Agility,
but it’s not good to rely on luck to win, since it’s inconsistent. Rapidash's
type also doesn't help in battle much.
Recommended Movesets for Rapidash
1 – Standard - Agility, Body Slam, Fire Blast, Horn Drill
Speed up or slow down the opponent and then OHKO. Fire Blast is there for
whatever reason. Sadly, this is Rapidash’s best moveset, and it's often banned.
2 – Wrapping - Fire Spin, Hyper Beam 2 of Fire Blast/Agility/Body Slam
Wrapping Rapidash. Not too bad, but Rapidash’s defensive Stats are an issue. The
Speed is the reason this moveset actually works occasionally, but Fire Spin has
poor accuracy at only 70%. Again, this moveset is sometimes banned.
3 - Non-banned - Agility, Body Slam, Fire Blast, Reflect/Hyper Beam
Similar to the standard set, except not being able to OHKO. It plays similarily
to Flareon, except at the cost of some Attack power is a lot of extra Speed,
along with Agility. The Critical Hits can make up for the lower Attack power.
Overall, it's not great, but a possibility.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 115-98 (37%-31%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 199-169 (28%-24%)
Fire Blast vs Exeggutor - 230-195 (59%-<50%)
Fire Blast vs Tauros - 166-142 (47%-40%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 201-171 (64%-55%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 349-297 (<50%-42%)
Rapidash shouldn't really be used for much besides Horn Drill, but that's often
banned. Rapidash is fast and has high Attack power, so using Fire or Normal
attacks will at least do some damage. Agility also helps out a lot. Rapidash
would best be used to attack Exeggutor, go for Burns on Physical Pokemon, and
go for OHKOs when it's allowed. Waters can be fought somewhat with Physical
attacks, but Golem and Rhydon are dangerous.
How to counter Rapidash
As with most Fire types, Physicals aren't safe because of Burns. Still, when
used, they will beat Rapidash. Alakazam, Chansey and Starmie are safe options
and don't mind getting Burned. If OHKOs are allowed, Paralyze Rapidash and then
take it out quickly before it uses Agility. Gengar counters all sets and only
has Fire Blast to worry about. Omastar is also a great counter. Golem and Rhydon
are both very safe choices, but you risk Burns if you use them.
+-------+
|Slowbro|
+-------+
HP 393
ATK 248
DEF 318
SPD 158
SPE 258
CHC 5.8%
Type - Water/Psychic
Weaknesses - Bug, Electric, Grass
Neutrals - Flying, Ground, Normal, Poison, Rock
Resistances - Fighting, Fire, Ice, Psychic, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Amnesia, Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Confusion, Counter, Dig,
Disable, Double Team, Double-Edge, Earthquake, Fire Blast, Fissure, Flash,
Growl, Headbutt, Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Mimic, Pay Day,
Psychic, Psywave, Rage, Reflect, Rest, Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Strength,
Submission, Substitute, Surf, Swift, Take Down, Teleport, Thunder Wave, Toxic,
Tri Attack, Water Gun, Withdraw
Slowbro is obviously slow and gives it a bad Critical Hit chance, but it has a
huge moveset with many different moves, very high HP and very high Defense,
which is the highest for Psychics; a big plus in a Specialized metagame. Special
could be better, but it’s still pretty good. Slowbro can learn Surf, Amnesia,
Psychic, Ice Beam, Earthquake, Thunder Wave and many other various moves. It’s
also one of two final forms that may actually benefit from a low Critical Hit
chance, if you use Amnesia more than once (the other Pokemon is Snorlax).
Slowbro's main problem is Speed, so use Slowbro later in the game when the
opponents are mostly Paralyzed. Unlike Golduck and Poliwrath, Slowbro is
very capable of setting up with Amnesia. Once setup, Slowbro is tough to take
down, and becomes ones of the better Pokemon in the game.
Recommended Movesets for Slowbro
1 – Standard - Amnesia, Rest, Surf, Thunder Wave/Blizzard
Stun the opponent, power up and attack the opponent. This moveset takes some
time to setup, but works well if you manage to. Thunder Wave anything not
Paralyzed, pump up with Amnesia, and then heal and attack where necessary. This
is a famous moveset, named the "TobyBro" after the player that first made it.
The main purpose it was made for was to counter Mewtwo, which it does, as well
as many other Pokemon. Blizzard is a possible alteration for Exeggutor, but
Thunder Wave is really beneficial on such a slow Pokemon. If a player is
expecting Thunder Wave and uses Exeggutor to stall, Blizzard can throw off the
opponent really well. Psychic is also a possibility if the Special drops are
desired.
Setup Slowbro and then stall out. This can work, but if the opponent gets any
Critical Hits, especially from Zapdos or Jolteon, Slowbro will drop. If the
opponent only has Physical Pokemon or Psychics, it can work. This Slowbro works
best late in the game.
Hybrid sweeping Slowbro. It doesn’t work as well as it looks. Converting it into
a 3 Special move plus Amnesia Special sweeper also doesn’t work, because it
can’t heal and Slowbro is too slow to be effective. Without Amnesia, the
offensive Stats are too low to support the moves. Earthquake running off of 248
Attack isn't very strong either.
Relative Strength
2x Amnesia + Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 452-384 (115%-98%)
3x Amnesia + Surf vs Alakazam - 327-279 (104%-89%)
3x Amnesia + Surf vs Chansey - 391-332 (56%-47%)
3x Amnesia + Surf vs Exeggutor - 173-147 (44%-37%)
3x Amnesia + Surf vs Gengar - 337-286 (104%-89%)
3x Amnesia + Surf vs Starmie - 202-172 (63%-53%)
2x Amnesia + Surf vs Tauros - 392-333 (111%-94%)
Earthquake vs Gengar - 195-166 (60%-51%)
Slowbro has huge potential with Amnesia, but it can be tricky to setup Slowbro.
Using Slowbro late in the game when the opponents are Paralyzed and Electric
users are taken out is the safest. After one Amnesia, Slowbro is already
dangerous and defensive. Once Slowbro is fully setup and has restored HP, only
a few Pokemon can stand up to it. Your primary concern is Pokemon with either
Explosion/Selfdestruct and Thunderbolt. Victreebel and Venusaur are uncommon, so
you shouldn't have to worry about them. When using Slowbro though, it takes a
large amount of preparation before it's used.
How to counter Slowbro
The main way in stopping Slowbro is to take it out early or while it's Resting.
Chansey is able to stall Slowbro out, but Paralysis may give Chansey difficulty.
Exeggutor also works by using Mega Drain or Explosion, but again, if Slowbro has
the right move (Blizzard), it can take out Exeggutor. If you have Victreebel or
Venusaur, use them as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the main way to beat
Slowbro is Exploding or hoping for a Critical Hit with Thunderbolt (such as from
Starmie or Gengar). Although Slowbro is dangerous, it can't be used early, so
you'll be facing a team of five with a team of six for the early part of the
game. Just make sure you're able to take Slowbro out with something, and you'll
be fine.
+--------+
|Magneton|
+--------+
HP 303
ATK 218
DEF 288
SPD 238
SPE 338
CHC 13.6%
Type - Electric
Weaknesses - Ground
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Fire, Ghost, Grass, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic,
Rock, Water
Resistances - Electric, Flying
Magneton is a defensive Electric, having the highest Defense and the second
highest Special for Electrics. Unfortunately, Magneton has terrible HP so it
loses effectiveness, but Magneton can still survive Golem's Earthquake and often
survive Rhydon's as well. Magneton can hit with heavy Thunderbolts, but it can’t
do much else. You’ll find Zapdos or Raichu as better Electrics. Maybe even
Electrode. The movepool is too small, and too many Pokemon can stall Mangeton,
especially Golem and Rhydon.
Recommended Movesets for Magneton
1 – Standard - Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, 2 of
Supersonic/Thunder/Reflect/Mimic/Hyper Beam
Magneton can Paralyze and use powerful Thunderbolts, but can't do much else.
One unique thing about Magneton though is the combo of Thunder Wave with a
Confusing move, which drops the chance of the opponent attacking to 37.5%,
although difficult to pull off. Supersonic is inaccurate though. I also don't
recommend any attacking move besides Thunderbolt (possibly Thunder), because
if you need to be using a Normal move, you should instead be switching.
Relative Strength
Thunderbolt vs Alakazam - 112-96 (36%-31%)
Thunderbolt vs Chansey - 134-114 (19%-16%)
Thunderbolt vs Jolteon - 65-55 (20%-17%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 277-236 (86%-73%)
Thunderbolt vs Tauros - 172-147 (49%-42%)
Hyper Beam vs Jolteon - 128-108 (38%-32%)
Hyper Beam vs Rhydon - 41-35 (10%-8%)
Magneton's only uses are using Thunder Wave and Thunderbolt. Magneton is tough
though and does heavy damage with Thunderbolt, so it can work if your opponent's
team doesn't have anything that can stall or take it out quickly. Otherwise, it
doesn't do much.
How to counter Magneton
Rhydon and Golem are the safest options, but Grass types (Exeggutor) works too.
Magneton takes a few turns to take down and does heavy damage back, so something
that is fragile isn't a good idea. Special stallers work as well. Make sure
whatever you do use can handle being Paralyzed.
+----------+
|Farfetch’d|
+----------+
HP 307
ATK 228
DEF 208
SPD 218
SPE 214
CHC 11.7%
Type - Normal/Flying
Weaknesses - Electric, Ice, Rock
Neutrals - Fighting, Fire, Flying, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Water
Resistances - Bug, Grass
Immunities - Ghost, Ground
Looking at Farfetch’d’s Stats, you can see that it sucks. Farfetch’d can deal
some damage with Slash because it’s a STAB move, but Persian can do more than
that. Farfetch'd is decent with setting up, but Dodrio does that better as well.
Realistically, you shouldn't ever use Farfetch'd.
Recommended Movesets for Farfetch’d
1 – Standard - Agility, Body Slam, Swords Dance, Slash/Fly
Powerup and attack. Or at least try to. Remember that unlike Persian, Slash
isn't guaranteed to be Critical, at around 94% of the time. Still not bad, but
Farfetch'd isn't as strong or as fast as Persian. Farfetch'd also can't counter
Golem and Rhydon and has much worse weaknesses than just Fighting. STAB Swords
Dance and Agility is a powerful combo, but Farfetch'd can't last long.
Relative Strength
Slash vs Alakazam - 219-187 (70%-60%)
2x Swords Dance + Body Slam vs Alakazam - 392-334 (125%-107%)
2x Swords Dance + Body Slam vs Chansey - 681-579 (97%-82%)
2x Swords Dance + Fly vs Exeggutor - 456-388 (116%-99%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 198-168 (64%-55%)
Chansey's Ice Beam - 233-198 (76%-64%)
Rhydon's Rock Slide - 331-281 (108%-92%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 156-133 (51%-43%)
Zapdos's Thunderbolt - 395-336 (129%-109%)
How to use Farfetch'd
Don't. The best you can do with Farfetch'd is setup with Swords Dance and
Agility and then attack with Normal moves or poor Flying moves. It takes at
least two Swords Dances before you can start doing anything, and if you're
willing to try that, use Beedrill at least.
How to counter Farfetch'd
Don't let it setup, destroy it with anything that it doesn't resist, or simply
use Gengar, Rhydon or Golem.
+------+
|Dodrio|
+------+
HP 323
ATK 318
DEF 238
SPD 298
SPE 218
CHC 19.5%
Type - Normal/Flying
Weaknesses - Electric, Ice, Rock
Neutrals - Fighting, Fire, Flying, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Water
Resistances - Bug, Grass
Immunities - Ghost, Ground
Dodrio is about as close to pure offense as you can get. With the combination of
Snorlax's Attack power, and nearly Tauros's Speed, Dodrio can sweep teams
easily. Unlike Tauros and Snorlax, Dodrio gets an additional type, which adds
more offensive power against Exeggutor and the occasional Fighting type.
However, unlike Tauros and Snorlax, Dodrio can't take hits at all, and has some
weaknesses. With low defensive Stats, especially Special, Dodrio will drop in 2
or 3 hits, while Snorlax and Tauros can usually still hang in. Dodrio is still a
powerhouse though, and one fifth of the moves it uses are Critical Hits too.
Although Dodrio is like a faster Snorlax (in attacking terms), Dodrio's poor
Defense holds it back from being one of the top Physical Pokemon. Dodrio still
makes a devastating Pokemon late in the game, but Tauros is still better
overall, and doesn't get stalled by Rocks.
Recommended Movesets for Dodrio
1 – Standard - Body Slam, Drill Peck, Hyper Beam, Agility/Reflect/Mimic
Physical sweep. Dodrio has tons of power to use its attacks well, but it doesn’t
last long. Dodrio hits anything hard that isn't Rock. Agility helps for any
Pokemon faster or if Dodrio is Paralyzed, but Reflect helps with other Physical
Pokemon.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 184-156 (59%-<50%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 318-270 (45%-38%)
Body Slam vs Tauros - 121-103 (34%-29%)
Drill Peck vs Exeggutor - 245-208 (62%-53%)
Drill Peck vs Gengar - 150-127 (46%-39%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 322-274 (103%-88%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 559-476 (80%-68%)
Hyper Beam vs Exeggutor - 227-193 (58%-49%)
Hyper Beam vs Jynx - 360-306 (108%-92%)
Hyper Beam vs Tauros - 211-180 (60%-51%)
Dodrio works like a modified Snorlax, having way more Speed, Drill Peck, but has
lower defensive Stats and less moves. Dodrio works best later in the game for
Physical sweeping, but Dodrio can work early too if Golem and Rhydon aren't
around. Prime targets are Paralyzed Special stallers, Exeggutor and weakened
Pokemon. If possible, use Agility before taking out a Pokemon so the opponent
can't send out something that would be faster.
How to counter Dodrio
Golem and Rhydon are the two best counters. In general, most Pokemon will only
take two turns to take out Dodrio, but that's often all Dodrio needs to KO as
well. Gengar is fairly safe, and can often switch into Dodrio. Other high
Defense Pokemon work as well, but if you don't have any, you'll have to
sacrifice something to damage Dodrio up.
+-------+
|Dewgong|
+-------+
HP 383
ATK 238
DEF 258
SPD 238
SPE 288
CHC 13.6%
Type - Water/Ice
Weaknesses - Electric, Fighting, Grass, Rock
Neutrals - Bug, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - ICE, Water
Dewgong is an averaged out Pokemon, but with high Special and HP. If you
compare Dewgong to Lapras, Lapras is better in every way, except for Speed. It
also has a smaller moveset than Lapras, so Dewgong is rendered useless.
Dewgong’s alternative plan, OHKOing can also be done with Lapras. Dewgong is a
bad Lapras, and a bad Pokemon overall, since it can’t do much of anything. Its
Special is high enough to do some decent damage, but it has a limited movepool,
especially compared to other Water Pokemon. Dewgong isn't great.
Recommended Movesets for Dewgong
1 – Standard – Body Slam, Surf, Blizzard/Ice Beam, Horn Drill/Mimic/Rest
Not much else to do. Hope for Paralyzing and hope for OHKO. It probably won’t
work. If Horn Drill is banned, use Mimic or Rest. This Dewgong is only average
at attacking compared to other Water Pokemon, but there's not much else
available.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Alakazam - 121-103 (39%-33%)
Blizzard vs Chansey - 144-122 (20%-17%)
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 256-218 (65%-55%)
Blizzard vs Snorlax - 193-165 (37%-32%)
Blizzard vs Tauros - 185-158 (52%-45%)
Blizzard vs Zapdos - 256-218 (67%-57%)
Surf vs Sandslash - 337-287 (95%-81%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 147-125 (38%-33%)
Chansey's Thunderbolt - 174-148 (45%-39%)
Exeggutor's Mega Drain - 127-108 (33%-28%)
Snorlax's Body Slam - 135-114 (35%-30%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 126-107 (33%-28%)
Zapdos's Thunderbolt - 295-251 (77%-66%)
How to use Dewgong
While Dewgong is limited and slow, 288 Special with Blizzard does heavy damage,
and threatens many Physical Pokemon. Tauros and Snorlax can each be taken on
with Blizzard, though most of the time, Dewgong will still get KO'd. Exeggutor
also has to deal with Blizzard, but most other Pokemon will shrug it off.
How to counter Dewgong
Heavy Blizzards hurt, and Special stallers can take them the best. The problem
is that they may Freeze, so the Pokemon also has to be able to take out
Dewgong quickly. Starmie, Chansey and Alakazam can beat Dewgong in 3 turns, and
are all safe. Lapras is the best counter overall though having Thunderbolt and
being immune to Freeze. Most Pokemon can get the job done, but it may cost HP.
+---+
|Muk|
+---+
HP 413
ATK 308
DEF 248
SPD 198
SPE 228
CHC 9.7%
Type - Poison
Weaknesses - Bug, Ground, Psychic
Neutrals - Electric, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Ice, Normal, Rock, Water
Resistances - Fighting, Grass, Poison
Muk has the highest HP for Poisons and tied with Victreebel for Attack. Muk
also learns some unique moves like Explosion, Sludge and Acid Armor and is also
guaranteed to survive from Mewtwo’s Psychic and any other attack in the game,
because of its high HP. It is a Poison type though and that makes it easy to
KO from Earthquake and Psychic. Muk is one of the best Poison types, but even
then, Sludge is about as strong as Swift, and Poison only beats Bug and Grass,
most of which are also Poison. In fact, the only Pokemon that can be knocked out
in one hit by Sludge is Parasect. However, Muk’s Explosion is deadly against
many low Defense Pokemon and is one of the stronger overall moves in the game,
but Muk still is fairly useless due to type. Overall, Muk isn’t too bad, but
can't cover many types of Pokemon, and is still easy to KO. Muk's HP combined
with Explosion and Attack make it a great Exploder, but it doesn't have much
else going for it.
Recommended Movesets for Muk
1 – Standard - Explosion, Sludge, 2 of Mega Drain/Acid Armor/Body Slam/Screech
Standard Muk. Attack with Sludge and then Explode. Use Acid Armor to survive
against Grounds better or Body Slam to try to Paralyze. Using Sludge is also
risky because Poisoning an opponent means it can’t be Paralyzed. Mega Drain
is for Golem and Rhydon, while Screech adds to the Physical damage or can be
used to make the opponent switch.
Muk's main use is taking something out with Explosion and using Sludge before
that. Muk is slow though, so Paralysis helps, or just Exploding right away. Muk
can take any attack and survive, so long as it isn't Critical. Muk doesn't have
much else use.
How to beat Muk
Most Pokemon will beat Muk, but it will use Explosion and take you out with it.
There are multiple ways with getting around it, such as sarcrificing a weakened
Pokemon, using something with high Defense, or attempting to take out Muk before
it can use Explosion. Gengar is the ultimate counter, but Rhydon and Golem are
fine if Muk doesn't have Mega Drain. If you use something vulnerable to
Explosion, make sure it can take out Muk in one hit.
+--------+
|Cloyster|
+--------+
HP 303
ATK 288
DEF 458
SPD 238
SPE 268
CHC 13.6%
Type - Water/Ice
Weaknesses - Electric, Fighting, Grass, Rock
Neutrals - Bug, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - ICE, Water
Cloyster is a tough Pokemon, having the highest Defense by far and totalling
Stats to 1555, which is the highest exluding legendary Pokemon. Cloyster has
Explosion and Clamp which add to its power, and high Attack and Special to
support them. What Cloyster lacks is HP, and drops quickly from Thunderbolt.
Avoiding Electrics, Cloyster is one of the better Pokemon in the game, and
arguably the best counter to Physical Pokemon, including Tauros and Snorlax.
With 458 Defense and resisting Blizzard (unlike Golem and Rhydon), Cloyster can
usually beat Physical Pokemon. The key to playing Cloyster well is being
careful around Thunderbolt and knowing when to use Explosion.
Recommended Movesets for Cloyster
1 – Standard - Explosion, Hyper Beam, Blizzard/Ice Beam, Clamp/Surf
Use Cloyster late in the game against Paralyzed Pokemon and Clamp everything. If
Wrapping is banned, replace it with Surf. Explosion from 288 attack can take
down a good portion of Pokemon. Cloyster's Blizzard is great against Tauros and
Snorlax, but short of taking out Tauros in 2 hits and will almost never take out
a Snorlax in 3 hits. If you're specifically using Cloyster to stall those two
for a bit, Ice Beam may be more useful due to accuracy. Doubling up on the Ice
moves and dropping Hyper Beam is also viable if you're using Cloyster for
countering. Reflect is handy for countering as well.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 238-203 (61%-52%)
Blizzard vs Tauros - 173-147 (49%-42%)
Blizzard vs Snorlax - 180-153 (34%-29%)
Blizzard vs Zapdos - 238-203 (62%-53%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 195-165 (62%-53%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 338-287 (48%-41%)
Ice Beam vs Tauros - 137-117 (39%-33%)
Ice Beam vs Snorlax - 143-122 (27%-23%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 158-135 (52%-45%)
Chansey's Thunderbolt - 187-159 (62%-52%)
Exeggutor's Mega Drain - 136-116 (45%-38%)
Snorlax's Body Slam - 77-65 (25%-21%)
Snorlax's Hyper Beam - 134-114 (44%-38%)
Starmie's Thunderbolt - 181-154 (60%-51%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 72-61 (24%-20%)
Tauros's Hyper Beam - 125-107 (41%-35%)
Zapdos's Thunderbolt - 316-269 (104%-89%)
How to use Cloyster
If Wrapping moves are legal, then you'll want to use Cloyster late in the game
with anything faster Paralyzed. With Clamp, Cloyster will be doing much more
damage than Pokemon with Wrap. Once Cloyster doesn't need to be used anymore,
Explosion can finish off another Pokemon. Cloyster also can deal with Physicals.
If Wrapping moves aren't allowed, Cloyster is still useful in countering Tauros
and Snorlax, but loses some potential. Zapdos and Chansey are the main Pokemon
you want to watch out for, but Cloyster can retaliate against both if needed.
How to counter Cloyster
Electrics are the best Pokemon for taking out Cloyster, but they're vulnerable.
Gengar is the safest counter in general. If Cloyster has Clamp, make sure to
Paralyze Cloyster, or use a Water type. Despite Cloyster being the main counter
to Physicals, they can still work, but won't usually finish Cloyster off, or
barely with little HP to spare. Cloyster is tricky, but on top of fighting it,
you have to know how to deal with Explosion. Again, Gengar works, but others are
at risk.
+------+
|Gengar|
+------+
HP 323
ATK 228
DEF 218
SPD 318
SPE 358
CHC 21.4%
Type - Ghost/Poison
Weaknesses - Bug, Ghost, Ground, Psychic
Neutrals - Electric, Fire, Flying, Ice, Rock, Water
Resistances - Grass, POISON
Immunities - Fighting, Normal
Moves - Bide, Body Slam, Confuse Ray, Counter, Double Team, Double-Edge,
Dream Eater, Explosion, Hyper Beam, Hypnosis, Lick, Mega Drain, Mega Kick,
Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic, Night Shade, Psychic, Psywave, Rage, Rest,
Seismic Toss, Selfdestruct, Skull Bash, Strength, Submission, Substitute,
Take Down, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Toxic
Gengar is unique, being a Ghost type, which is one of the useful types. Gengar
has super high Special, very high Speed and lots of good moves, including
Hypnosis, Mega Drain, Confuse Ray, Thunderbolt, Psychic and Explosion. Gengar is
the fastest Sleeper, and if you count Body Slam, it’s also the fastest Sleep and
Stunner. Gengar is a good lead, but you have to watch out for Alakazam and
Starmie leads as counters. Against other Sleepers, Gengar is the most successful
due to the Speed. It's also useful for switching into Explosion, and also using
its own Explosion. With the massive Special and immunity to Normal attacks,
Gengar is a major counter to many Pokemon.
Recommended Movesets for Gengar
1 – Standard - Explosion, Hypnosis, 2 of
Thunderbolt/Mega Drain/Psychic/Confuse Ray
Sleeper Gengar is a great lead, although Hypnosis is only 60% accurate. This
Gengar is used early to put something to Sleep, and then can be saved later to
take Explosion. Gengar can then use an Explosion of its own, and also use high
powered Special moves. Confuse Ray helps combo with Hypnosis. Psychic is mostly
for another Gengar, but it is stronger than Mega Drain against certain Pokemon.
Seismic Toss is another possibility if you want to attack Exeggutor.
2 – Non-Sleeper – Explosion, Thunderbolt, 2 of Mega Drain/Psychic/Confuse Ray
Gengar with no Hypnosis, and more room for powerful attacks. Best used later in
the game to Special sweep the opponent and then Explode after. It's not a bad
set, and can take Explosions in a stealthy way, as the opponent suspects teams
with Gengar in them lead with it. It can be a surprise switch-in.
Relative Strength
Explosion vs Alakazam - 348-296 (111%-95%)
Explosion vs Chansey - 604-514 (86%-73%)
Mega Drain vs Golem - 263-224 (72%-62%)
Psychic vs Gengar - 155-132 (48%-41%)
Thunderbolt vs Alakazam - 79-67 (25%-21%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 195-166 (60%-51%)
Thunderbolt vs Tauros - 122-103 (38%-32%)
Gengar is arguably the hardest Pokemon in the game to use effectively. Because
of its type being immune to Explosion and Selfdestruct, you have to read the
opponent really well or you might switch into something else, such as Golem's
Earthquake or Exeggutor's Psychic. On top, Gengar makes great Sleep bait as it
can still be useful during Sleep due to its type, again by taking Explosion, or
by forcing a switch (such as against Persian). Actually attacking with Gengar is
fairly simple. With Gengar, put the opponent to Sleep and then attack with one
of the Special moves. If you're facing an unfamiliar team or opponent, it may be
best to Explode later with Gengar, incase they have something Gengar can counter
against. Other uses include using Thunderbolt against Waters with Amnesia,
taking out low Defense Pokemon with Explosion, baiting, and spreading Paralysis.
Make sure you're good with strategizing before using Gengar seriously.
How to counter Gengar
Often, if the opponent has Gengar, it will be a lead. Starmie and Alakazam are
the best counters as they can attack first, and beat Gengar in two hits. They
also have high Critical Hit chances. Dugtrio is similar, but it's easier to
switch into. If something is already Asleep, Exeggutor is the best counter in
general, as all of Gengar's Special moves are weak. Gengar's Explosion also has
to be dealt with properly.
+----+
|Onix|
+----+
HP 273
ATK 188
DEF 418
SPD 238
SPE 158
CHC 13.6%
Type - Rock/Ground
Weaknesses - Fighting, GRASS, Ground, Ice, WATER
Neutrals - Bug, Ghost, Psychic
Resistances - Fire, Flying, Normal, Poison, Rock
Immunities - Electric
Moves - Bide, Bind, Body Slam, Dig, Double Team, Double-Edge, Earthquake,
Explosion, Fissure, Harden, Mimic, Rage, Rest, Rock Slide, Rock Throw, Screech,
Selfdestruct, Skull Bash, Slam, Strength, Substitute, Tackle, Take Down, Toxic
Looking at the Stats right away, Onix is garbage. Defense is the second highest
in the game, but Special and HP don’t get any lower for final forms. Speed is
okay, but Attack is lower than Alakazam’s. You would think that a giant snake
made of rocks would have at least decent Attack. Onix also has a ton of
weaknesses, and with 158 Special, any small ponds or scary leaves destroy it.
Onix can still stall most Electrics, but so can Golem and Rhydon. For UU
matches, Graveler usually fares better than Onix.
Recommended Movesets for Onix
1 – Standard - Earthquake, Explosion, Rock Slide, Bind/Screech/Body Slam
It's like Golem, except a different Normal move. Bind is great when you have
to stall, and Screech is if you want extra damage. However, most Pokemon will
KO Onix before it can do anything. Explosion from 188 Attack does less than 75%
on Chansey.
Relative Strength
Earthquake vs Chansey - 222-189 (32%-27%)
Earthquake vs Golem - 138-117 (38%-32%)
Earthquake vs Mangeton - 170-145 (56%-48%)
Earthquake vs Tauros - 85-72 (24%-20%)
Explosion vs Alakazam - 287-244 (92%-78%)
Rock Slide vs Articuno - 250-213 (65%-56%)
If you're using Onix, you should be using Bind, because you should otherwise be
using Golem or Rhydon. The extra Speed does put Onix above Exeggutor, Lapras and
Chansey, which Golem and Rhydon aren't, but that's not saving Onix and it's only
useful for the higher Critical Hit chance. Onix really can't attack or defend
anything except for Electrics, but Golem and Rhydon can just as easily. Even
Fires give Onix some trouble. Don't use Onix unless you want a Wrapping move on
a Rock/Ground type for whatever bizarre reason. Perhaps for using Bind against
the Zapdos switch-out.
How to counter Onix
With 158 Special and 273 HP, Onix stands no chance against Special attacks, that
aren't Electric. Even Physicals can fight back too, since the Defense doesn't
help the low HP enough. Just watch out for Explosion.
+-----+
|Hypno|
+-----+
HP 373
ATK 244
DEF 238
SPD 232
SPE 328
CHC 13%
Type - Psychic
Weaknesses - Bug
Neutrals - Electric, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Rock,
Water
Resistances - Fighting, Psychic
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Bide, Body Slam, Confusion, Counter, Disable, Double Team, Double-Edge,
Dream Eater, Flash, Headbutt, Hyper Beam, Hypnosis, Meditate, Mega Kick,
Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic, Poison Gas, Pound, Psychic, Psywave, Rage,
Reflect, Rest, Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Submission, Substitute, Take Down,
Teleport, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Tri Attack
Hypno is more of a defensive Alakazam. HP is much higher and Attack and Defense
are a bit higher, but Special is lower, and Speed is much lower. Hypno is a
decent Psychic, but lacks a good recovery move, like most other Psychics. One
appealing thing is that Hypno is the only non-Bug or Grass that works as a good
Sleep and Stunner. With the extra Defense though, Hypno can use Rest effectively
and become difficult to take out, and forcing the opponents to take Paralysis.
While Alakazam is generally better, Hypno is tougher and has Hypnosis.
Recommended Movesets for Hypno
1 – Standard - Hypnosis, Psychic, Thunder Wave,
Rest/Reflect/Seismic Toss/Counter
After Sleep and Stunning, attack with Psychic, and use the fourth move when
necessary. With Rest, Hypno can last long in battle, but gets stalled on
Psychics. Seismic Toss can deal with Psychics, but then Hypno can't heal itself.
Alternatively, Hypno can force out Psychics for you to Thunder Wave, and then
you can switch out until later. The unique set of moves with Hypno's Stats
allows you to be flexible.
This Hypno can last long in battle with Rest, and even longer if you choose to
give it Reflect. Counter helps against Tauros and Snorlax, while Seismic Toss
is for damaging other Psychics. Offensively, this Hypno is lacking, but takes
Physical attacks much better than Alakazam. It can often survive 3 Body Slams
from Tauros, and even more with Reflect. The main offense is Thunder Wave.
3 - Hybrid Sweeper - Body Slam, Meditate, Psychic, Rest
Hypno has decent Attack, and that can be increased with Meditate. With high
Attack, Hypno can attack Psychics with Body Slam. The problems with this set are
that Meditate increases Attack slowly, and you can't fit in Thunder Wave
without sacrificing Psychic or Rest. If you can setup though, Hypno becomes not
only difficult to take out, but powerful too. Submission is also a choice, but
the recoil will often be too high to Rest in time.
Relative Strength
1x Meditate + Body Slam vs Alakazam - 141-119 (45%-38%)
Psychic vs Alakazam - 52-44 (17%-14%)
Psychic vs Chansey - 123-105 (17%-15%)
Psychic vs Gengar - 213-181 (66%-56%)
Psychic vs Golem - 181-154 (<50%-42%)
Psychic vs Rhydon - 200-170 (48%-41%)
Psychic vs Snorlax - 166-141 (32%-27%)
Psychic vs Tauros - 159-135 (45%-38%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 65-55 (17%-15%)
Chansey's Ice Beam - 74-63 (20%-17%)
Rhydon's Earthquake - 192-163 (51%-44%)
Snorlax's Body Slam - 146-124 (39%-33%)
Snorlax's Hyper Beam - 255-217 (68%-58%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 137-116 (37%-31%)
Tauros's Hyper Beam - 239-203 (64%-54%)
How to use Hypno
If you have Hypno with Hypnosis, use Hypno early to put something to Sleep and
begin spreading Paralysis. Once a Psychic comes out, you can either stall out or
switch Hypno out for later. Without Hypnosis, Hypno can be used anytime during a
game. You'd likely want Tauros taken out first as that's often Hypno's biggest
threat. If you're against Psychics, Hypno will often win stall wars, or force
switching where you can then spread more Paralysis. While Hypno can hit fairly
hard with Psychic, its Speed isn't great, so sweeping is difficult.
How to counter Hypno
Against Hypno, you want something Sleeping first. While Physicals can take out
Hypno before it can heal effectively, they don't like getting hit by Thunder
Wave. Rhydon and Golem can take on Hypno fairly well, but Hypno will get the KO
most of the time. Chansey can go for a Freeze, but during Ice Beam, if Hypno
gets switched out to Tauros, you're forced to switch into Body Slam. Hypno is
tricky to counter. The best method to taking it out is stalling with a Psychic
until Hypno needs to use Rest and then attack it while it's Sleeping. Otherwise,
you'll have to let Tauros or Snorlax take hits and Paralysis to beat Hypno. You
could also use something with Explosion if necessary.
+-------+
|Kingler|
+-------+
HP 313
ATK 358
DEF 328
SPD 248
SPE 198
CHC 14.6%
Type - Water
Weaknesses - Electric, Grass
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Rock
Resistances - Fire, Ice, Water
Kingler has the highest Attack for Water types and for Swords Dancers, tied for
the second highest overall. After one Swords Dance, Kingler’s attack reaches
716, which is enough to OHKO Chansey with Hyper Beam, guaranteed. Kingler also
has really high Defense and the best Water move, Crabhammer. The thing that
makes Kingler rough to use is the poor Special, along with the HP. Most Special
attacks that aren't Water or Ice will take 2 and sometimes 3 hits to KO. It
doesn't help that Kingler is relatively slow too. However, once Swords Dance is
used, Kingler can become a threat to many Pokemon. Kingler can also help stall
on Tauros and Snorlax due to its massive Defense, but will still usually be
beaten by Snorlax. Kingler isn't bad, but requires the opponents to be mostly
Paralyzed to work. Kingler is also a possible counter to all of Starmie, Chansey
and Alakazam, but you need them to be Paralyzed first, and to use Swords Dance.
Recommended Movesets for Kingler
1 – Standard - Body Slam, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam, Swords Dance
Power up with Swords Dance and unleash Normal moves. The tricky part is finding
a time to set Kingler up, as it can’t take most of any Special attacks,
especially Thunderbolt. Don’t consider Blizzard or Ice Beam, because 198 Special
is too low, and the Normal moves are more important. Don't forget about
Crabhammer, which is always Critical and a powerful Water attack, even if
Kingler's Special is low. Don't rely on Crabhammer for finishing off Pokemon
though since its accuracy is 85%.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 118-101 (30%-26%)
Crabhammer vs Gengar - 131-111 (41%-34%)
Crabhammer vs Tauros - 194-165 (55%-47%)
Crabhammer vs Snorlax - 202-172 (39%-33%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 481-410 (154%-131%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 837-712 (119%-101%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Exeggutor - 338-288 (86%-73%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Starmie - 338-288 (105%-89%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Snorlax - 397-338 (76%-65%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Tauros - 315-268 (89%-76%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 213-181 (68%-58%)
Chansey's Thunderbolt - 252-214 (81%-68%)
Exeggutor's Mega Drain - 183-155 (58%-<50%)
Snorlax's Body Slam - 106-90 (34%-29%)
Snorlax's Hyper Beam - 186-158 (59%-50%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 100-85 (32%-27%)
Tauros's Hyper Beam - 174-148 (56%-47%)
Zapdos's Thunderbolt - 426-363 (136%-116%)
How to use Kingler
Kingler can take out both Physicals and Specials, but both are best Paralyzed
first. Kingler works best later when using Swords Dance is safer, but if one of
your Pokemon gets taken out by Snorlax or Tauros early on, Kingler could be
used to counter them. Gengar has to be taken out before using Kingler. Once you
have it out and use Swords Dance, you can begin to sweep.
How to counter Kingler
Kingler is both tough and dangerous. Switching allows Kingler to use Swords
Dance, but you may have to. If you have Gengar, it will wall out Kingler
completely, but otherwise, you either have to fight through the Defense and
Crabhammer, or be cautious of Swords Dance. If you have an Electric or Exeggutor
with Mega Drain, they can take on Kingler safely.
+---------+
|Electrode|
+---------+
HP 323
ATK 198
DEF 238
SPD 378
SPE 258
CHC 27.3%
Type - Electric
Weaknesses - Ground
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Fire, Ghost, Grass, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic,
Rock, Water
Resistances - Electric, Flying
Electrode has the highest Speed in the game at 378, which also means having the
highest Critical chance, at over 27%. Looking past the Speed, Electrode has poor
Stats, although Special is average. Besides spreading Paralysis and Exploding,
Electrode doesn’t have much going for it, and can’t hit anything very hard; even
Gyarados has a chance to survive Thunderbolt. Leading with Electrode also
doesn’t work, because if the opponent has Golem or Rhydon, they can switch to
them immediately. Fast Paralyzing and fast Exploding is nice, but Electrode
can't do much else. If Electrode gets Paralyzed, it loses all usefulness.
Overall, Electrode isn't great, and if you need very high Speed, use Jolteon.
Recommended Movesets for Electrode
1 – Standard - Explosion, Screech, Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave
Although Screech doesn’t have much use, if you have any reason to use
Double-Edge, you might as well switch. Get a guaranteed Thunder Wave,
Thunderbolt or Screech the opponents and then blow up. Explosion is weak but
with the highest Speed and Screech, it can be useful. With the high Critical
rate, Explosion and Thunderbolt are nice when doing double damage. Make sure
there are no Grounds left on the opponent’s team before using Electrode.
Relative Strength
Explosion vs Alakazam - 302-257 (96%-82%)
Explosion vs Chansey - 525-447 (75%-64%)
Thunderbolt vs Articuno - 183-156 (48%-41%)
Thunderbolt vs Gyarados - 426-362 (108%-92%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 213-181 (66%-56%)
Thunderbolt vs Tauros - 132-112 (37%-32%)
If you're using Electrode, you either want absolute Speed or the combination of
an Electric with Explosion. Using Electrode for Paralysis works well, but damage
isn't consistent if you're hoping for Criticals. When Electrode is ready to
drop, you can do a good chunk of damage with Explosion. With the 27% Critical
chance, Explosion can be deadly, but otherwise it's weak coming from 198 Attack.
Watch out for Grounds.
How to counter Electrode
Grounds are the obvious counter, but if you don't have them, Electrode can pose
a threat. While Paralysis isn't horrible, Electrode can be dangerous with the
Critical hits. Normally Electrode doesn't do much damage with only 258 Special.
Exeggutor is a possibility if you don't mind Paralysis, and Gengar can be used
for taking Explosion. Tangela is the best non-Ground counter due to its Defense.
+---------+
|Exeggutor|
+---------+
HP 393
ATK 288
DEF 268
SPD 208
SPE 348
CHC 10.7%
Type - Grass/Psychic
Weaknesses - BUG, Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison
Neutrals - Normal, Rock
Resistances - Electric, Fighting, Grass, Ground, Psychic, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Exeggutor is a great Pokemon to choose. Exeggutor has the best HP and Special
for Grass types, which are both very high, Attack is very good, Defense is above
average, but it has really low Speed. Exeggutor is short of Razor Leaf, but it
comes with Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, Explosion and Psychic.
Exeggutor has a lot of weaknesses, but most of them are either uncommon, or can
be covered. The huge number of resistances makes up for the weaknesses, having
6, which is higher than anything else. Grass/Psychic has lots of common
resistances too, including Water, Ground, Psychic and Electric. Psychic and Mega
Drain coming from 348 Special does heavy damage to Pokemon with low Special and
Explosion coming from 288 Attack can do heavy damage to just about anything
else. Exeggutor is one of the trickiest Pokemon in the game to counter, since it
can beat a good chunk of other standards, and can be annoying for many others
too. The only real problems about Exeggutor is that it's slow, and has a lot of
weaknesses. Exeggutor is definitely one of the best Pokemon in the game, and
you'll face many of them when playing competitively.
Recommended Movesets for Exeggutor
1 – Standard - Psychic, Sleep Powder, Explosion/Rest, Mega Drain/Stun Spore
Sleep and Stun. Use Psychic or Mega Drain until you’re about to faint and then
Explode. Exeggutor is a decent lead, but other common Sleeper leads are faster,
such as Jynx and Gengar. Exeggutor is a great backup Sleeper though. Rest can
actually work effectively because Exeggutor has high defensive Stats and HP.
Another possible option is Double-Edge or Hyper Beam, which helps against
Alakazam and Chansey, and Exeggutor has enough Attack power to use it too. Leech
Seed, while useless, can be used to force switching or to counter stallers such
as Alakazam.
Exeggutor is very versatile and players may use it differently. It's one of the
toughest Pokemon and with all the resistances, it can be switched in against
many opponents, particularly Grounds and Psychics. Exeggutor works better in the
beginning of the game to spread Status conditions and perhaps go for an
Explosion. It can also be used later for some sweeping. Exeggutor is simple to
use outside of predicting with Explosion.
How to counter Exeggutor
Because of the type, Stats, moves and threat of Explosion, Exeggutor is tricky
to counter. More often than not, Exeggutor will be taken down when the opponent
decides to use Explosion. For one-on-ones, Exeggutor has trouble with Ice and
Flying Pokemon. Articuno, Jynx and Zapdos can all counter Exeggutor without
taking too much damage back, but all three can be switched into with a Water or
Ground respectively. Chansey and Alakazam will usually beat Exeggutor, but they
are both at risk to Explosion. Realistically, you won't often beat Exeggutor
with a counter, but rather chip away at its HP until it uses Explosion. Only
timely Critical Hits will take out Exeggutor.
+-------+
|Marowak|
+-------+
HP 323
ATK 258
DEF 318
SPD 188
SPE 198
CHC 8.7%
Type - Ground
Weaknesses - Grass, Ice, Water
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Psychic
Resistances - Poison, Rock
Immunities - Electric
Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bone Club, Bonemerang, Bubblebeam, Counter, Dig,
Double Team, Double-Edge, Earthquake, Fire Blast, Fissure, Focus Energy, Growl,
Headbutt, Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, Leer, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Mimic, Rage, Rest,
Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Tail Whip,
Take Down, Thrash, Toxic, Water Gun
Marowak is just a below average Ground type. Defense is good, but the rest of
the Stats are bad. The only thing that separates Marowak from most Ground types
is that it can learn Blizzard, Ice Beam and Fire Blast. Even though they can
cover some of Marowak’s weaknesses, its Special is at 198. Bonemerang is also
useless, as it does the same as Earthquake, but it’s less accurate. Marowak
doesn’t even get Rock Slide, which is a big minus. At the very least, Marowak
can still beat Electrics, as their Normal attacks have trouble against Marowak's
318 Defense. For pure Grounds, use Dugtrio or Sandslash.
Recommended Movesets for Marowak
1 – Standard - Body Slam, Earthquake, Seismic Toss/Hyper Beam,
Blizzard/Fire Blast/Ice Beam
A sweeping Marowak. Well not really, considering Marowak has no offensive
Stats. Attack is 258, but so is Dugtrio’s, which at least has Speed and decent
moves. Marowak's unique moves, Bone Club and Bonemerang are also bad moves, and
are replaced by Earthquake (maybe even Dig).
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Dragonite - 275-234 (71%-61%)
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 118-101 (30%-26%)
Earthquake vs Alakazam - 175-149 (56%-48%)
Earthquake vs Chansey - 304-258 (43%-37%)
Earthquake vs Jolteon - 304-258 (91%-77%)
Earthquake vs Tauros - 115-98 (33%-28%)
Fire Blast vs Parasect - 317-270 (98%-84%)
Marowak is awful and only has high Defense. Marowak can somewhat deal with
Pokemon that Ground can't cover such as Flying, Grass and Ice, but those
Pokemon will take out Marowak before you can do worthwhile damage back. Marowak
can still counter Electrics, but so can any other Ground.
How to counter Marowak
Marowak sucks, but you still can't use Pokemon weak to Ground moves, such as
Fire and Electric. Most of anything else will be fine though. Ideally, you'll
want to use a Water type to cover all of Marowak's Super Effective attacks, but
Grass and Ice Pokemon still work fine. Other Special Pokemon such as Moltres,
Alakazam and Chansey can beat Marowak as well, but have to watch out for some
decent Physical attacks. Physicals go about even with Marowak for the most part,
so don't use them.
+---------+
|Hitmonlee|
+---------+
HP 303
ATK 338
DEF 204
SPD 272
SPE 168
CHC 16.9%
Type - Fighting
Weaknesses - Flying, Psychic
Neutrals - Electric, Fire, Fighting, Ghost, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Water
Resistances - Bug, Rock
Moves - Bide, Body Slam, Counter, Double Kick, Double Team, Double-Edge,
Focus Energy, Hi Jump Kick, Jump Kick, Meditate, Mega Kick, Mega Punch,
Metronome, Mimic, Rage, Rest, Rolling Kick, Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Strength,
Submission, Substitute, Swift, Take Down, Toxic
Hitmonlee is the only Pokemon that learns the best Fighting move in the game.
Although it’s not much more powerful than Submission, it’s more accurate and
doesn’t have recoil. Hitmonlee also has very high Attack and decent Speed, but
the 3 defensive Stats are awful, and lets Hitmonlee get KO'd by everything.
However, Hitmonlee shouldn't be underestimated, as it can still KO Normals, even
Chansey, Tauros and Snorlax. It's not as good as Machamp overall, but can work.
The defensive Stats are the problem.
Recommended Movesets for Hitmonlee
1 – Standard - Body Slam, Hi Jump Kick, 2 of Meditate/Counter/Double Kick/Mimic
Don’t underestimate this moveset as it works really well on slow Normals, even
the super Normals. Use Hi Jump Kick on the Normals, and Body Slam for those that
resist it. Meditate is to boost attack, making High Jump Kick able to KO most
Normals in one hit (not guaranteed). Double Kick is a possible finisher, since
it’s accurate, and Body Slam is mainly for Paralysis. Seismic Toss works too if
you have to deal with Gengar. Remember that like Machamp's Submission, Hitmonlee
can't beat Chansey, Tauros or Snorlax in one hit without Meditate. Good luck
setting up with it though.
2 - Kicking - Double Kick, Hi Jump Kick, Jump Kick, Rolling Kick
All more effective than Submission, but 3 of them are only learned by Hitmonlee.
This is a good example of what kids think is an awesome moveset; a theme or
gimmick moveset. Mega Kick is also sometimes used.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 130-110 (42%-35%)
Hi Jump Kick vs Chansey - 676-575 (96%-82%)
Hi Jump Kick vs Snorlax - 323-275 (62%-53%)
Hi Jump Kick vs Tauros - 257-219 (73%-62%)
1x Meditate + Hi Jump Kick vs Chansey - 1011-860 (144%-122%)
1x Meditate + Hi Jump Kick vs Snorlax - 482-410 (92%-78%)
1x Meditate + Hi Jump Kick vs Tauros - 383-325 (108%-92%)
Relative Defense
Articuno's Blizzard - 316-269 (104%-89%)
Chansey's Ice Beam - 148-126 (49%-42%)
Drowzee's Psychic - 381-324 (126%-107%)
Gengar's Psychic - 326-277 (108%-91%)
Snorlax's Body Slam - 166-142 (55%-47%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 159-135 (52%-45%)
Zapdos's Drill Peck - 280-238 (92%-79%)
How to use Hitmonlee
Hitmonlee can take on Normals, but gets absolutely taken down by any Special
Pokemon and Gengar. For Hitmonlee to be successful, you would need all of them
taken down with just Normals remaining. On top, Tauros needs to be Paralyzed to
be able to KO it one-on-one. Hitmonlee has potential but the ease of switching
against it and the large setup requirements are too much.
How to counter Hitmonlee
Hitmonlee poses a major threat to Normals and low Defense Pokemon that are
slower. Gengar is the best counter, and Psychics block out Hitmonlee easily.
Alakazam may be a risky choice, but Exeggutor and Starmie have Defense to take
Body Slam. Any Psychic attack will take it out quickly, and even general Special
moves like Moltres's Fire Blast has a chance for a OHKO. Hitmonlee can't really
take Physical attacks either, so just hit it.
+----------+
|Hitmonchan|
+----------+
HP 303
ATK 308
DEF 256
SPD 250
SPE 168
CHC 14.8%
Type - Fighting
Weaknesses - Flying, Psychic
Neutrals - Electric, Fire, Fighting, Ghost, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Water
Resistances - Bug, Rock
Moves - Agility, Bide, Body Slam, Comet Punch, Counter, Double Team,
Double-Edge, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic,
Rage, Rest, Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Swift,
Take Down, Thunderpunch, Toxic
Hitmonchan is a slight variation of Hitmonlee, but it's even worse. Attack and
Speed are both lowered, only to bring the useless Defense Stat to mediocre.
Hitmonchan is unique however, being the only Fighting to get the punch attacks.
Ice punch is the only unique type (unless you count Poliwrath) though, as
Machamp can learn Fire Blast and Primeape can learn Thunderbolt. Most of the
punches are already useless, and even Ice punch is garbage coming from 168
Special. It can’t even do 40% damage to a Dragonite. It can still help somewhat
on Flying Pokemon such as Dodrio, but it still sucks. Hitmonchan can’t do much
of anything, to anything, and gets knocked out really easily. One of the worst
Pokemon.
Recommended Movesets for Hitmonchan
1 – Standard - Agility, Body Slam, Submission, Seismic Toss/Ice Punch/Mimic
Use Submission for some damage and then do whatever else. Ice punch is there to
attack flyers a little bit or to attempt for a Freeze if you’re desperate (which
you are, using Hitmonchan). Other possible moves are Seismic Toss, Counter,
Mimic, but honestly, just don’t use Hitmonchan.
2 – Greatest moveset ever - Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Mega Punch, Thunderpunch
If you’re 8, this moveset looks really good. It only takes 3 (possibly 4)
Thunderpunches to beat Gyarados, and only 7 or 8 Fire punches to beat Exeggutor.
This is one of the most common movesets that shows how little a player knows.
Some alterations include Comet Punch and Submission.
Relative Strength
Fire Punch vs Exeggutor - 64-55 (16%-14%)
Ice Punch vs Zapdos - 64-55 (17%-14%)
Submission vs Chansey - 580-494 (83%-70%)
Thunderpunch vs Starmie - 75-63 (23%-20%)
Submission against Normals, Ice Punch for Freeze attempts, and that's about it.
Hitmonchan also requires setting up to face Normals. This is assuming the
opponent is either Rattata or Asleep.
How to counter Hitmonchan
Chansey and other Normals are still at risk, so you can't completely fool around
with Hitmonchan. Just attack with whatever you have, preferably Psychics. Gengar
works the best.
+---------+
|Lickitung|
+---------+
HP 383
ATK 208
DEF 248
SPD 158
SPE 218
CHC 5.8%
Type - Normal
Weaknesses - Fighting
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Psychic, Rock, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Counter, Cut, Defense Curl,
Disable, Double Team, Double-Edge, Earthquake, Fire Blast, Fissure, Hyper Beam,
Ice Beam, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Mimic, Rage, Rest, Screech, Seismic Toss,
Skull Bash, Slam, Stomp, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Supersonic, Surf,
Swords Dance, Take Down, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Toxic, Water Gun, Wrap
Lickitung has good HP, and that’s it. Lickitung is basically a much weaker
Snorlax that can’t Explode, can’t use many good attacks and also has lousy
Stats. Sadly, Lickitung is better off using Special moves, rather than Physical.
Lickitung is easily replaceable with Snorlax, unless you use Lickitung for
Wrapping. Even then, there are better Wrappers and even then, Wrapping isn’t
often a good strategy on slow Pokemon. Swords Dance on a Normal isn’t too shabby
though, but Lickitung can’t really pull it off. You might as well try to Freeze
the opponents, since you’re not going to get any Critical Hits either. Scrap
Lickitung.
Recommended Movesets for Lickitung
1 – Standard - Body Slam, Earthquake, Hyper Beam, Swords Dance
Swords Dance and STAB Body Slam is strong, but it’s hard to use with Lickitung’s
Speed and lasting power. Rarely will this work, not to mention you’ll need the
opponents Paralyzed too. For even more power, Screech is also available.
Surprisingly, Lick isn't, but it's not useful anyway.
Swords Dance plus STAB Wrap is nice, but Lickitung won’t last long enough. It
requires most of the opponents to be Paralyzed as well.
3 – Hybrid sweeping - Body Slam, Earthquake,
2 of Blizzard/Thunderbolt/Surf/Ice Beam
While it does work on many types, Lickitung’s Stats are way too low to support
it, not to mention Speed is the worst for final forms, nearing the bottom of
everything (tied with Snorlax, Parasect and Slowbro).
Relative Strength
Surf vs Golem - 342-291 (94%-80%)
1x Swords Dance + Body Slam vs Tauros - 157-134 (44%-38%)
1x Swords Dance + Earthquake vs Gengar - 324-276 (100%-85%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 421-358 (135%-114%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 731-622 (104%-88%)
If you can find an opening to setup with Swords Dance, Lickitung becomes a
threat having 416 Attack and STAB Normal attacks. The problem is doing just that
is difficult. Having the opponent's team heavily Paralyzed helps. Most Special
Pokemon will still take out good chunks of HP, so make sure once you have setup
it can take out anything in one hit. Even then, Lickitung's Attack after
Swords Dance can't match Tauros/Snorlax's benefits from other Stats.
How to counter Lickitung
As soon as you see Lickitung, you should take it out as quickly as possible. If
you have Specialists that can take Physical attacks like Articuno or Exeggutor,
use them. Alakazam works fairly well too, but is fragile. Physicals can go about
even, but will often lose. Even if Lickitung gets going, its Speed is 158 so you
can revenge KO it. If Lickitung is using Wrap, just wait out for a miss or
simply use a faster Pokemon. Gengar can take out Lickitung at the cost of most
of its HP.
+-------+
|Weezing|
+-------+
HP 333
ATK 278
DEF 338
SPD 218
SPE 268
CHC 11.7%
Type - Poison
Weaknesses - Bug, Ground, Psychic
Neutrals - Electric, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Ice, Normal, Rock, Water
Resistances - Fighting, Grass, Poison
Weezing has very high defensive Stats, good Attack and some good moves. HP is
alright and Speed is low, but for a Poison type, Special is really good. Weezing
can survive from any attack, except Mewtwo’s Psychic, so Exploding is very
possible, similar to Muk. Weezing has the smallest movepool for final forms
(excluding Ditto), but they are good moves including Sludge, Explosion, Haze,
Thunderbolt, Fire Blast and Hyper Beam. With Weezing, you can get at least one
strong attack in, or Explode immediately without worry. Weezing is a good
Pokemon and an alternative (although not worse) to Muk, but Weezing can’t do
much against standards. Since offense is all Weezing can do, it’s comparable to
Tauros and Snorlax, which are more effective than Weezing. Not bad overall, but
if either are used, Muk is usually more effective due to the extra Attack power.
Recommended Movesets for Weezing
1 – Standard - Explosion, Sludge, Thunderbolt, Hyper Beam/Fire Blast/Haze
Attack and Explode. It’s alright, but Muk does better with this moveset.
However, if you want Speed and more power for Special attacks, Weezing is
better. Be careful with excessive use of Sludge so you don't Poison anything.
Relative Strength
Fire Blast vs Exeggutor - 159-135 (40%-34%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 188-160 (60%-51%)
Sludge vs Alakazam - 124-105 (40%-34%)
Sludge vs Chansey - 213-181 (30%-26%)
Sludge vs Exeggutor - 175-149 (45%-38%)
Sludge vs Tauros - 82-69 (23%-20%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 147-125 (46%-39%)
Weezing has limited options, but they work moderately well. Poison is weak to
both Psychic and Ground, but Weezing has enough Defense and Special to take them
and use Explosion in retaliation. Weezing can't really switch into much though
besides Chansey. Weezing is really one-dimensional. Just attack and use
Explosion while you can. If you're using Weezing with Haze, use it against
Slowbro or other Pokemon setting up.
How to counter Weezing
You'll know what the opponent will do, but dealing with it can be tricky. Golem,
Rhydon and Gengar all completely wall out Weezing and are safe against Explosion
and Sludge. If you're willing to risk it, getting Chansey or Alakazam Poisoned
can be helpful later in the match, but both are targets for Explosion. Try to
bait Explosion into a Rock or Ghost, but if you can't or don't have them, just
attack Weezing. Weezing gets taken out in two or three turns by most of
everything.
+------+
|Rhydon|
+------+
HP 413
ATK 358
DEF 338
SPD 178
SPE 188
CHC 7.8%
Type - Rock/Ground
Weaknesses - Fighting, GRASS, Ground, Ice, WATER
Neutrals - Bug, Ghost, Psychic
Resistances - Fire, Flying, Normal, Poison, Rock
Immunities - Electric
Moves - Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Counter, Dig, Double Team,
Double-Edge, Earthquake, Fire Blast, Fissure, Fury Attack, Horn Attack,
Horn Drill, Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, Leer, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Mimic, Pay Day,
Rage, Rest, Rock Slide, Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Stomp, Strength, Submission,
Substitute, Surf, Tail Whip, Take Down, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Toxic, Water Gun
Rhydon is an all-out Physical Pokemon. It has very high HP, the highest for both
Rock and Ground and the exact same goes for the massive Attack power. Its huge
Defense is one of the highest in the game too. With its Defense and its many
Physical resistances, Rhydon is effective at stalling Physical attackers (about
the same as Golem). Rhydon easily falls to Specialists though, whether they
have a type advantage or not. Rhydon is also very slow, so use it later in the
game when the opponents are Paralyzed. Otherwise, Rhydon deals heavy damage to
everything, doing STAB Physical attacks, coming from 358 attack. Golem is
generally prefered over Rhydon, because of Explosion, but Rhydon is a more
powerful alternative, and can survive some things that Golem can't. Rhydon is
also capable of taking out Chansey and Starmie in two Earthquakes, and is
somewhat better at finishing off damaged Pokemon, which Golem can't claim.
Still, Golem is used much more often than Rhydon, but that's not to say that
Rhydon is a bad Pokemon.
Recommended Movesets for Rhydon
1 – Standard - Earthquake, Rock Slide, 2 of Body Slam/Substitute/Rest
The first two moves are essential, and the other two moves are optional.
Substitute is to give you a turn to attack anything, which is useful against
switch-ins. If you aren’t sure what they will select, Substitute lets you attack
after the switch, but it costs HP. Body Slam can work on switch-ins as well as a
chance to Paralyze, and do neutral damage on most opponents. Rest can be
difficult to pull off with Rhydon’s typing, but if you can stall on an Electric
or sometimes Fire, you’ll be able to recover. Surf is also a possiblity for
Golem, which does a little extra damage than Earthquake. Hyper Beam is another
choice for maximum Physical offense, but since Earthquake is STAB, it's only
stronger on Pokemon that have a resistance (or immunity) to Ground.
2 - Hybrid Sweeping - Earthquake, Rock Slide, 2 of Blizzard/Thunderbolt/Surf
You can have a type advantage all you want, but 188 Special isn't going to be
hurting anytyhing. Rock Slide and Earthquake are fine doing neutral plus STAB.
Relative Strength
Earthquake vs Alakazam - 242-206 (77%-66%)
Earthquake vs Chansey - 420-357 (60%-51%)
Earthquake vs Golem - 258-219 (71%-60%)
Earthquake vs Snorlax - 200-170 (38%-33%)
Earthquake vs Starmie - 171-145 (53%-45%)
Earthquake vs Tauros - 159-135 (45%-38%)
Rock Slide vs Zapdos - 258-219 (67%-57%)
Surf vs Golem - 296-252 (82%-69%)
With Rhydon, you want to stall Electrics and hit low Defense Pokemon hard. With
the low Speed, spreading Paralysis beforehand is important so Rhydon can beat
Chansey, Alakazam and Starmie (without Surf). Rhydon can also be used to take
Explosions. It's very simple to use, but it can be tricky using Rhydon well.
Be careful around Special attacks that aren't Electric, and Rhydon will take out
most opponents.
How to counter Rhydon
The best counters overall are Grass Pokemon with high Defense, which are Tangela
and Exeggutor. Switching into Rhydon with them is safe and forces Rhydon to
either switch out or fight a losing match-up. Water Pokemon can also work. The
main tricky part is that Rhydon gets taken out by Special attacks, but Special
Pokemon get taken out by Physical attacks. Your Pokemon will be faster, but the
heavy hit may not be worth it. Since Rhydon can't Explode or heal, slowly
whittle away at its HP when you can.
+-------+
|Chansey|
+-------+
HP 703
ATK 108
DEF 108
SPD 198
SPE 308
CHC 9.7%
Type - Normal
Weaknesses - Fighting
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Psychic, Rock, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Counter, Defense Curl,
Double Team, Double-Edge, Doubleslap, Egg Bomb, Fire Blast, Flash, Growl,
Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, Light Screen, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic,
Minimize, Pound, Psychic, Psywave, Rage, Reflect, Rest, Seismic Toss, Sing,
Skull Bash, Softboiled, Solarbeam, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Tail Whip,
Take Down, Teleport, Thunder, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Toxic, Tri Attack,
Water Gun
Chansey is a tank having the highest HP, which is colossal and having the
highest Special of all Normal types. Chansey’s Attack and Defense are the lowest
in the game (including lower forms) and has fairly low Speed. Chansey also has
the biggest movepool (besides Mew) in the game and learns tons of various
attacks such as Softboiled, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Fire Blast, Light screen,
Psychic, Seismic Toss, Thunder Wave, Minimize and much more. In battle, Chansey
can stall any Specialist by having massive HP, high Special and the ability to
heal itself, and with its own Special attacks, it’ll be dealing damage back. It
takes 5 or 6 of Mewtwo’s Psychics to beat, so you only have to worry about
Physical Pokemon like Machamp, Golem, Tauros and Snorlax. Chansey is probably
the best at stalling Special attackers (not including Mewtwo) because of its HP
and Special and having that ability gets it far in battle. Even Starmie and
Alakazam have tons of trouble against Chansey. Chansey does have trouble with
Physical Normals though, because its Defense is very little. On Physical
Pokemon, you have to switch or attempt to fight back, but Chansey will get
bruised badly. Overall, Chansey’s ability to take Special attacks with ease
makes it a standard Pokemon that should be on your team. Specialists dominate
the RBY series, so having the one of the best Special walls is highly effective.
Recommended Movesets for Chansey
1 – Standard - Ice Beam, Softboiled, Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave/Reflect
The standard Chansey. Thunder Wave the opponents and then attack. It struggles
against the Physical sweepers, but everything else is fine. Chansey doesn’t
always beat Starmie or Alakazam, but is able to go into a stall war with them,
and Chansey usually wins stall wars, since it has high HP and STAB Struggle.
Reflect is a possible choice against Physical Pokemon, if your team already has
enough Paralyzers. With Reflect, Chansey can beat Tauros and Snorlax, provided
they don't get any Critical Hits. Counter can also work as a surprise to
Physical Pokemon and Seismic Toss also works well against stallers. Also with
Counter, when you have another Pokemon out and when the opponent is about to use
Hyper Beam, you can switch to Chansey and then Counter as the opponent recharges
for a safe and guaranteed KO (thanks to WaterWizard for this tactic). Softboiled
is the key move to Chansey, healing over 350 HP per turn.
2 – Special Sweeping - Counter, Psychic, Thunderbolt, Blizzard/Ice Beam
Special sweeping Chansey. Counter is for Tauros or Snorlax (and Fightings if you
see them). This isn’t as effective as the standard set, since it’s missing the
two important moves, Softboiled and Thunder Wave.
Making Chansey even more of a tank can PP drain your opponents easily. This set
isn't great offensively, but can hang in for a long time. Minimize and Thunder
Wave can also be put into the set, if prefered.
Chansey can be a surprise Sleeper, and can't be KO'd easily. On top, the Pokemon
that could beat Chansey (Physicals) are the Pokemon that want to avoid Sleep.
The drawback is Sing is only 55% accurate and it takes up an important slot in
the moveset. The other two moves are highly option and you can be versatile with
what you choose.
Relative Strength
Ice Beam vs Alakazam - 68-58 (22%-19%)
Ice Beam vs Exeggutor - 145-123 (37%-31%)
Ice Beam vs Golem - 240-204 (66%-56%)
Ice Beam vs Snorlax - 109-93 (21%-18%)
Ice Beam vs Tauros - 105-89 (30%-25%)
Ice Beam vs Zapdos - 145-123 (38%-32%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 168-143 (52%-44%)
While Chansey is pretty simple to use, its use is very important to the game.
Chansey can stall every Specialist that doesn't have some sort of Physical
offense, but any Physical Pokemon destroys Chansey. The tricky part though is
switching Chansey out when against a Physical Pokemon is often risky due to high
damage and Paralysis from Body Slam. Knowing when to switch in and out Chansey
is the key to success. Against Specialists, Chansey can Paralyze and then force
the opponent to switch by stalling to spread for Paralysis, or you can go for a
Freeze. Chansey is arguably the most common Pokemon that gets Freezes, and often
the Pokemon that gets Frozen the most often. You can enter a Freeze war with
Chansey, but it's risky. Alternatively, you could switch to a Physical Pokemon
when the opponent heals to cause pressure in switching. Besides Pokemon that are
weak to Electric and Ice, Chansey doesn't KO often, but instead does damage all
across the opponent's team. Chansey works as a great utility Pokemon, but can be
customed for more sweeping or stalling abilities. Beware of Explosion with
Chansey as well. When playing RBY competitively, learn how to use Chansey
effectively, as it's one of the staple Pokemon in the game.
How to counter Chansey
Physicals, particularly Snorlax and Tauros are the best counters one-on-one, but
you'll be almost guaranteed Paralysis, some damage and in a rare case, a Freeze.
Switching into Chansey is also hard due to the risks. On top, if you're not
doing heavy damage consistently, Chansey can heal it. There are multiple ways to
take out Chansey, but each have their own risks. The first is trying to Freeze
with your own Chansey or a modified Starmie, but Chansey Freeze wars give you
the same risk. Explosion is the quickest way to take out Chansey, but switching
is always available for the opponent. If you can ensure you can Explode, it
works nicely. Physicals are great, especially Snorlax that doesn't mind Thunder
Wave as much as Tauros. Snorlax is arguably the best counter in all situations,
but it's still quite a cost to take out Chansey. Alakazam is one of the only
Specialists that can take out Chansey by using Thunder Wave in combination with
Psychic through Special falls, Critical Hits and Paralysis, but it has its flaws
as well such as running out of PP. Even when using Physicals, Chansey may have
Counter. Chansey is not easy to KO and often you'll need to make a sacrifice or
take a risk.
+-------+
|Tangela|
+-------+
HP 333
ATK 208
DEF 328
SPD 218
SPE 298
CHC 11.7%
Type - Grass
Weaknesses - Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison
Neutrals - Fighting, Normal, Psychic, Rock
Resistances - Electric, Grass, Ground, Water
Tangela is a very defensive Grass type, having the highest Defense for Grass
types and high Special too. However, HP, Attack and Speed are all lacking, and
Tangela has a fairly small movepool. While it does get moves like Sleep Powder,
Stun Spore and Swords Dance, it has very few actual attacking moves. Tangela
is somewhat tricky to KO, by only having Ice attacks to worry about, as Fire is
uncommon, and Tangela is well protected against Physical attacks. Tangela can't
do much back though. Overall, Tangela is a decent Pokemon, but nothing amazing.
Recommended Movesets for Tangela
1 – Standard - Bind, Stun Spore, 2 of
Mega Drain/Sleep Powder/Swords Dance/Hyper Beam
A Wrapping Tangela. It’s not very good, because Tangela is too slow, has low
Attack and Bind is only 75% accurate. If it's setup properly, it can be
effective though, as Tangela is difficult to KO and has lots of moves to support
Bind. This set works as an alternative Victreebel.
2 – Non-Wrapping Standard - Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Mega Drain/Swords Dance,
Body Slam/Growth
Sleep and Stun the opponent, and then attack. It’s unfortunate Tangela’s
defensive Stats go to waste on a bad movepool. Growth increases Mega Drain's
power, but Swords Dance boosts quicker. If prefered, you could go without either
boosting move for extra type coverage, or remove a powder.
3 - Hybrid Sweeping - Mega Drain, Swords Dance, 2 of Body Slam/Growth/Hyper Beam
Dropping the powders for Swords Dance and Growth isn't great. Tangela won't have
enough lasting power to use both and the attacking combination of Normal and
Grass isn't exactly stellar.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 80-68 (26%-22%)
Mega Drain vs Golem - 300-256 (83%-71%)
Mega Drain vs Starmie - 106-90 (33%-28%)
Mega Drain vs Tauros - 66-56 (19%-16%)
5x Growth + Mega Drain vs Starmie - 343-292 (106%-90%)
1x Swords Dance + Body Slam vs Chansey - 277-235 (39%-33%)
3x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Tauros - 366-311 (104%-88%)
Tangela is great for using powders due to its sturdy Defense and Special, but
Tangela is poor afterwards. Mega Drain is its main attack, and while Body Slam
and Hyper Beam can work with Swords Dance, Attack is still low and Tangela won't
always have time to setup. With Bind though, Tangela has a lot of usage.
Otherwise, Tangela is only useful for fighting Physicals somewhat due to its
massive Defense.
How to beat Tangela
Tangela will likely use Stun Spore and Sleep Powder, so have something Sleeping
and then use a Pokemon you don't mind having Paralyzed. After making those
sacrifices, Tangela is easy so long as you don't use a Pokemon weak to Grass.
Swords Dance can pose a threat, so don't take too long, but even if Tangela does
take out a Pokemon with it, your next Pokemon should finish it off. If Tangela
has Bind, use something faster and with and Ice move, such as Cloyster, Jynx or
Starmie. Don't use something that doesn't take Stun Spore well though.
+----------+
|Kangaskhan|
+----------+
HP 413
ATK 288
DEF 258
SPD 278
SPE 178
CHC 17.5%
Type - Normal
Weaknesses - Fighting
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Psychic, Rock, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Bide, Bite, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Comet Punch, Counter,
Dizzy Punch, Double Team, Double-Edge, Earthquake, Fire Blast, Fissure,
Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, Leer, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Mimic, Rage, Rest,
Rock Slide, Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Surf,
Tail Whip, Take Down, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Toxic, Water Gun
Kangaskhan is a powerful Normal type, having good Stats, especially HP. Special
is very low, but the other Stats are at least average. When compared to Tauros,
Kangaskhan is very similar, being a Physical Normal Pokemon, and Tauros is much
better. The only things Kangaskhan has over Tauros is more HP, and Surf. Both
don't help though, as Tauros's defensive Stats make up for the HP, and although
Blizzard isn't as effective against Golem and Rhydon, the extra Special makes
it only slightly weaker than Kangaskhan's Surf. So Tauros completely replaces
Kangaskhan. Kangaskhan is a good Pokemon, but Tauros is better in all aspects.
Recommended Movesets for Kangaskhan
1 - Standard - Body Slam, Earthquake, Hyper Beam, Surf
Physical sweep. It’s similar in attacks (and Stats) as Tauros’s standard
moveset, but with Surf instead of Blizzard. However, with the lower Special, it
still can’t KO Golem and Rhydon. Counter is also useable if wanted, and Rock
Slide is a possibility, although the Normal moves are generally stronger due to
STAB.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 167-142 (53%-45%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 288-245 (41%-35%)
Body Slam vs Tauros - 110-93 (31%-26%)
Earthquake vs Gengar - 225-192 (70%-59%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 292-248 (93%-79%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 507-431 (72%-61%)
Surf vs Golem - 281-239 (77%-66%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 237-202 (57%-49%)
Articuno's Blizzard - 298-254 (72%-62%)
Chansey's Ice Beam - 140-119 (34%-29%)
Hitmonlee's Hi Jump Kick - 286-243 (69%-59%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 126-107 (31%-26%)
How to use Kangaskhan
Kangaskhan is a fast Physical sweeper, but can't take Special attacks at all.
Unfortunately, Physical Pokemon are mainly used to take out Specialists, so
Kangakshan loses a lot of potential. Chansey is the main target for Kangaskhan,
as most others will take it out. You could also use Kangaskhan against other
Physical Pokemon, but many of the good ones are faster. Kangaskhan can sweep up
teams, but can't take much on one-on-one. Spreading Paralysis beforehand helps.
How to counter Kangaskhan
Kangaskhan gets beaten easily by Specialists, though you'll take damage back
from powerful Physical attacks. Use something faster and you'll have the
advantage. Kangaskhan doesn't have anything gimmicky, so just attacking in
standard fashion works. Alakazam, Zapdos and Starmie all work well, but others
work too.
+------+
|Seadra|
+------+
HP 313
ATK 228
DEF 288
SPD 268
SPE 288
CHC 16.6%
Type - Water
Weaknesses - Electric, Grass
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Rock
Resistances - Fire, Ice, Water
Seadra has good defensive Stats, but no HP to go with it. Speed is okay, and
Attack is below average. Seadra also lacks a movepool, having nothing great for
attacks. It's just an average Water Pokemon. Seadra can do some damage with 288
Special, but there are many more effective Water types. Seadra isn't great at
all, and has nothing going for it against the competition in the Water type.
Recommended Movesets for Seadra
1 - Standard - Blizzard Surf, 2 of Agility/Smokescreen/Hyper Beam/Double-Edge
Your typical Water type. Surf, an Ice move and filler moves. Smokescreen may
help force switching, and Agility can be used for a Speed boost. Seadra doesn't
have anything else really useful.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 170-145 (43%-37%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 268-228 (38%-32%)
Surf vs Alakazam - 96-82 (31%-26%)
Surf vs Tauros - 147-125 (42%-35%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 147-125 (47%-40%)
Chansey's Thunderbolt - 174-148 (56%-47%)
Exeggutor's Mega Drain - 127-108 (41%-35%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 113-96 (36%-31%)
Zapdos's Thunderbolt - 295-251 (94%-80%)
How to use Seadra
Seadra's a really lacking Water type, but can still take out Grounds and Fires.
If you're using Seadra over other Waters, Agility and Smokescreen are useful
tools, but they don't make Seadra great. Seadra can hit moderately hard with
Special attacks though, but with only average Speed and low HP, Seadra gets
taken out quickly. Use Seadra for Physicals mainly.
How to counter Seadra
Physicals go about even with Seadra, so they're not really recommended. Anything
with good Special will work well, such as Chansey, Alakazam and Starmie. Watch
out for Smokescreen to force switches, but otherwise Seadra is nothing to really
worry about.
+-------+
|Seaking|
+-------+
HP 363
ATK 282
DEF 228
SPD 234
SPE 258
CHC 13.2%
Type - Water
Weaknesses - Electric, Grass
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Rock
Resistances - Fire, Ice, Water
Seaking has above average HP and good Attack, but the rest of the Stats are bad.
Attack also isn’t necessary for a Water type and Seaking can’t learn a good
variation of moves. It could be used for OHKOing though, only if they aren't
banned. Just like Seadra, there are many Water Pokemon, and Seaking can't
compete against them.
Recommended Movesets for Seaking
1 - Standard - Agility, Horn Drill, Surf, Blizzard/Ice Beam
OHKO Seaking. It’s not terrible, but it’s pretty bad, and isn't always allowed
to be used. Agility helps though.
Attempt to use the 282 attack. It just doesn't work well with only Normal moves
and poor Speed. Kingler is a much better Physical Water type, which also has
Crabhammer. Supersonic is a possibility.
Surf is better than Waterfall in every way, Ice moves can deal with Grass types
and Supersonic is too inaccurate. Horn Drill also requires Agility. Just because
these moves don't appear on other Water Pokemon, or other Pokemon at all (which
is Waterfall), doesn't make a Pokemon useful. Simply a novelty, but it has no
place in competitive battling.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 153-130 (39%-33%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 191-162 (61%-52%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 331-281 (47%-40%)
Peck vs Exeggutor - 65-56 (17%-14%)
Surf vs Tauros - 132-112 (37%-32%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 164-140 (45%-39%)
Chansey's Thunderbolt - 194-165 (53%-45%)
Exeggutor's Mega Drain - 141-120 (39%-33%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 142-121 (39%-33%)
Zapdos's Thunderbolt - 328-279 (90%-77%)
How to use Seaking
With low Special and nothing to use the high Attack with, Seaking is very poor
offensively and can't take much either. You can still take out Grounds, but any
other Water can as well and while Agility is interesting, Seadra uses it better.
Seaking won't be doing much for you, unless OHKOs are allowed.
How to counter Seaking
Seaking will rarely take out anything that isn't Ground or a slower Fire. Still,
Physicals can take some damage from Seaking's Special attacks so use something
that can stall Seaking out. Seaking has high Attack, but only a few low Defense
Pokemon are within any risk.
+-------+
|Starmie|
+-------+
HP 323
ATK 248
DEF 268
SPD 328
SPE 298
CHC 22.4%
Type - Water/Psychic
Weaknesses - Bug, Electric, Grass
Neutrals - Flying, Ground, Normal, Poison, Rock
Resistances - Fighting, Fire, Ice, Psychic, Water
Immunities - Ghost
There are 16 final forms that are Water, and Starmie is probably the best one of
them all. Starmie has great Stats, with high Special, very high Speed, and above
average Defense. It also has a great movepool, including moves like Recover,
Thunder Wave, Psychic, Surf, Light screen, Thunderbolt and more. It stalls many
Pokemon, and sweeps effectively. The mix of Speed and Special, along with a
great moveset makes it one of the most diverse Special sweepers in the game, and
with its defensive Stats and Recover (and Speed and Thunder Wave), Starmie is
also one of the best stallers. Being weak to Electric is the only major issue.
Recommended Movesets for Starmie
1 - Standard - Recover, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Blizzard/Surf
Thunder Wave, and then attack. Blizzard is useful for Zapdos, Exeggutor and
other Flying or Grass Pokemon, while Surf takes out Golem and Rhydon in one
shot. Surf is Starmie's best attacking move, but isn't as effective as Blizzard.
If you want a late-game Special sweeping Starmie, you could drop Thunder Wave
and have both Blizzard and Surf. Light Screen and Reflect could also be used if
you want to sacrifice some offensive ability to stall better, and Psychic can be
used for STAB and handling Gengar. Starmie is very versatile and can have many
different movesets that are all effective. It depends mostly on what you need
for your team.
Made by yours truly, this set is intended to counter anything the opponent will
lead with (or viably lead with). Against Gengar, Psychic has a strong chance to
KO, factoring in the chance to get a Critical Hit and the accuracy of Hypnosis.
Light Screen and Ice Beam are for Chansey in attempt to Freeze, which removes
anything to deal with Starmie. There are flaws, but it can work if the opponent
isn't ready for it, and Starmie is still useful later in the game with this set.
3 - Special Sweeper - Surf, Thunderbolt, Blizzard/Ice Beam, Psychic/Recover/Surf
Pure Special sweeping carnage. This moveset hits everything, but it's lacking
Thunder Wave and a possible defensive option. Psychic isn't necessary with Surf,
since Surf is stronger, but the Special falls are nice. Use this if you want
Starmie as a late Special sweeper. This is also an excellent set for in-game and
Stadium.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Alakazam - 83-71 (27%-23%)
Blizzard vs Chansey - 99-84 (14%-12%)
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 176-150 (45%-38%)
Blizzard vs Golem - 292-249 (80%-69%)
Blizzard vs Rhydon - 323-275 (78%-67%)
Blizzard vs Snorlax - 133-113 (25%-22%)
Blizzard vs Tauros - 128-109 (36%-31%)
Blizzard vs Zapdos - 177-150 (46%-39%)
Psychic vs Gengar - 194-165 (60%-51%)
Thunderbolt vs Lapras - 169-143 (37%-31%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 163-139 (51%-43%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 71-60 (22%-19%)
Chansey's Thunderbolt - 168-143 (52%-44%)
Exeggutor's Mega Drain - 123-105 (38%-33%)
Snorlax's Body Slam - 130-110 (40%-34%)
Snorlax's Hyper Beam - 227-193 (70%-60%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 122-103 (38%-32%)
Tauros's Hyper Beam - 213-181 (66%-56%)
Zapdos's Thunderbolt - 285-243 (88%-75%)
How to use Starmie
Due to the varying movesets, Starmie can be used in multiple ways. As a simple
staller/Special sweeper, Starmie can spread Paralysis and take out HP from
Physicals. It can also be used as a lead to take Sleep and attack with Thunder
Wave or a Special move beforehand. Because of 328 Speed, 5 resistances and
Recover, Starmie can often heal itself if it wakes up early later in the game.
The main Pokemon you want taken out before using Starmie in most cases is
Chansey, due to being the ultimate Special wall and having Thunderbolt. While
some Specialists can go even with Chansey, Starmie's Special prowess comes from
the mix of attacks rather than power. Electrics also need to be taken care of,
but Starmie can go about even with Zapdos.
How to counter Starmie
Starmie's main counter is Chansey due to completely walling out Starmie and
being able to attack back with Thunderbolt. Electrics also work well, but Zapdos
has trouble due to the Ice weakness. Jolteon works well though. Should Chansey
not be available, Starmie is difficult. Paralysis is the main way to start to
slow down the 328 Speed, but Starmie often has Thunder Wave as well. Alakazam
can go even if you use Seismic Toss, or lower Special repeatedly, while also
stalling out. Physicals can counter Starmie fairly well too, but they lose a lot
of HP if not get knocked out. Many Pokemon can go close to even with Starmie,
but only a few can actually counter Starmie. Your best bet is to keep Chansey
around or otherwise take it down through Full Paralysis, or with an Electric.
+-------+
|Mr.Mime|
+-------+
HP 283
ATK 188
DEF 228
SPD 278
SPE 298
CHC 17.5%
Type - Psychic
Weaknesses - Bug
Neutrals - Electric, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Rock,
Water
Resistances - Fighting, Psychic
Immunities - Ghost
Similar to Hypno, Mr.Mime is a lesser Alakazam, that also can't Recover. This
holds Mr.Mime back. The Stats are decent, with good Speed and high Special, and
the movepool is interesting for a pure Psychic, including Thunderbolt, Barrier,
Light screen and various Fighting moves. Mr.Mime is a decent Pokemon, but there
are other Psychics, which are better. In fact, Mr.Mime is often considered the
worst final form Psychic, yet still being decent in battle. The HP (or lack
thereof) is what holds Mr.Mime back the most.
Attack with Psychic or Thunderbolt and use a protection move. Spreading
Paralysis helps, and Barrier can somewhat deal with Physical Pokemon. Seismic
Toss is great for other Specialists, especially Exeggutor, and Counter can be a
surprise for Normal Pokemon. While Mr.Mime does have many other moves, a lot of
them don't cooperate with Mr.Mime's Stats, such as the mix of Physical moves and
Meditate.
Relative Strength
Psychic vs Chansey - 112-95 (16%-14%)
Psychic vs Gengar - 194-165 (60%-51%)
Psychic vs Tauros - 144-123 (41%-35%)
Submission vs Chansey - 237-202 (34%-29%)
Thunderbolt vs Alakazam - 66-56 (21%-18%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 163-139 (50%-43%)
Mr.Mime is a pretty basic Psychic, but with Thunderbolt. Since Mr.Mime can't
heal like many Psychics, you have to use Barrier or Light Screen to cover for
the low HP. Mr.Mime does damage equal to Starmie, but Starmie is much tougher.
Use Mr.Mime against Physicals and Pokemon that have low Special. Make sure that
it's faster or else Mr.Mime will get knocked out most of the time. With the
abundance of other Psychics, Mr.Mime gets stalled a lot, so it's tricky to use
effectively.
How to counter Mr.Mime
Chansey and any Psychic that isn't Water can stall Mr.Mime with ease. Exeggutor
works the best also resisting Thunderbolt. Mr.Mime isn't tough, but due to
Barrier and Light Screen, it can be difficult for Physicals and stallers
respectively. If you're using a Physicals, beware of Thunder Wave, and make sure
it's faster, as Mr.Mime can do decent damage with Psychic. Persian is the best
Physical counter by taking out Mr.Mime if it uses Barrier since Persian is
faster, can take Mr.Mime out in two Slashes, and can survive two Psychics.
+-------+
|Scyther|
+-------+
HP 343
ATK 318
DEF 258
SPD 308
SPE 208
CHC 20.5%
Type - Bug/Flying
Weaknesses - Electric, Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison, ROCK
Neutrals - Ghost, Normal, Psychic, Water
Resistances - Bug, FIGHTING, GRASS
Immunities - Ground
Scyther has nice Stats, having great Speed and Attack, good Defense and HP, but
poor Special. Scyther has a terrible type though, being weak to 6 different
types and Scyther also doesn’t learn any STAB moves besides Wing attack, which
sucks. Scyther is at least a dangerous Slasher and the fastest Swords Dancer in
the game. After a Swords Dance, Scyther can become a Physical sweeper with 636
attack and 308 Speed too. Scyther can be good if the opponent isn’t one of
Scyther’s weaknesses, which is rare. Scyther has lots of trouble against all of
the Specialists with 208 Special, and the Physical Pokemon all hit hard too,
especially Golem and Rhydon. It's difficult to use Scyther effectively.
Power up and unleash. Unfortunately, Wing attack is garbage and the Normal moves
are better. Scyther only gets STAB on Wing attack and it needs to find time to
use Agility and Swords Dance, which is hard to do having 6 weaknesses. Slash
is there if you are unable to setup Scyther.
Relative Strength
Slash vs Alakazam - 202-172 (65%-55%)
Slash vs Chansey - 350-298 (<50%-42%)
Slash vs Tauros - 133-113 (38%-32%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 744-633 (106%-90%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Tauros - 280-238 (79%-67%)
1x Swords Dance + Wing Attack vs Exeggutor - 215-183 (55%-47%)
Scyther has many exploitable problems, but at least the combination of Speed and
Attack is nice. Use Swords Dance immediately and then retaliate. Use Agility if
Scyther is slower or Paralyzed. With massive Attack and high Speed, Scyther can
become a threat. The issue at hand is you need any Rocks and Ghosts taken out or
they can switch into Scyther. Otherwise, most Pokemon will have at least some
trouble. Even if it does get fully setup, you need to be able to take out each
opponent in a single hit or Scyther takes massive damage back.
How to counter Scyther
If you have Gengar, or a Rock Pokemon use it immediately before Scyther gets
dangerous (but make sure the opponent isn't just baiting you). To take out
Scyther with other Pokemon, Special attacks are the way to go, and most of your
Pokemon should have something Scyther is weak to. If Scyther is setup and you
don't have a nice counter, Alakazam works well if Scyther hasn't used Agility.
If Scyther has used both Agility and Swords Dance, use a sturdy Physical like
Tauros to take it out. Realisitically, you shouldn't be letting Scyther get to
that point in the first place most of the time. If you have Pokemon that are all
slower or Scyther is using Agility, Paralyze it.
+----+
|Jynx|
+----+
HP 333
ATK 198
DEF 168
SPD 288
SPE 288
CHC 18.5%
Type - Ice/Psychic
Weaknesses - Bug, Fire, Rock
Neutrals - Electric, Fighting, Flying, Grass, Ground, Normal, Poison, Water
Resistances - Ice, Psychic
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Counter, Double Team,
Double-Edge, Doubleslap, Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, Ice Punch, Lick, Lovely Kiss,
Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic, Pound, Psychic, Psywave, Rage, Reflect,
Rest, Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Submission, Substitute, Take Down, Teleport,
Thrash, Toxic, Water Gun
Jynx is by far the weakest Pokemon that is standard. The two things keeping
Jynx in OU is its typing and the attack, Lovely Kiss. With 288 Speed, it's one
of the three main Sleep leads. With Jynx's type, its only weaknesses are
uncommon ones and it's the only Ice Pokemon that isn't weak to Electric, which
helps against Zapdos and Jolteon. Jynx however has low Defense and HP; low
enough that Tauros and Snorlax may KO it in one Hyper Beam. Jynx also has few
resistances, so most Pokemon can hit it with something, which makes Jynx easier
to stall on too. Overall, Jynx is a great lead Pokemon, and fairly popular in
standard teams, but isn't as effective later in the game. STAB Blizzard with 288
Special can help put holes in most Pokemon though, including Zapdos.
Recommended Movesets for Jynx
1 - Standard - Blizzard, Lovely Kiss, 2 of Psychic/Counter/Body Slam/Mimic
Kiss the opponent and then attack. This is a great lead, which is why Body Slam
is there. Body Slam is for other Jynx’s or if you’re attempting a Sleep and
Stun combo. Counter works against Tauros and Snorlax, and Mimic is good for
Starmie if you can get Recover. Although Jynx still won't beat Starmie, you can
stall it out and drain PP, but don't count on it happening to often. Mimicking
Thunder Wave is also nice though, or Thunderbolt too. Psychic is a possiblity
against Gengar or for wider attacking power against Water and Ice types.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Alakazam - 121-103 (39%-33%)
Blizzard vs Chansey - 144-122 (20%-17%)
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 256-218 (65%-55%)
Blizzard vs Ninetales - 149-126 (43%-36%)
Blizzard vs Snorlax - 193-165 (37%-32%)
Blizzard vs Tauros - 185-158 (52%-45%)
Blizzard vs Zapdos - 256-218 (69%-57%)
Body Slam vs Starmie - 54-46 (17%-14%)
Psychic vs Gengar - 188-160 (58%-<50%)
Relative Defense
Chansey's Thunderbolt - 87-74 (26%-22%)
Gengar's Explosion - 389-331 (117%-99%)
Ninetales' Fire Blast - 318-271 (95%-81%)
Snorlax's Body Slam - 205-175 (62%-53%)
Snorlax's Hyper Beam - 360-306 (108%-92%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 192-164 (58%-49%)
Tauros's Hyper Beam - 338-287 (102%-86%)
Zapdos's Drill Peck - 169-144 (51%-43%)
How to use Jynx
Jynx's best attributes are type and Lovely Kiss, and Jynx makes an excellent
lead, by taking anything Starmie and Alakazam has, while being faster than
Exeggutor. Gengar leads are a major problem though. Otherwise, Jynx with 288
Speed is the fastest Pokemon with an accurate Sleep move. After Sleep, Jynx can
switch into Psychics moderately well, or be used for Physicals with Blizzard.
One of the nice things about Jynx is being the only Ice type not weak to
Electric attacks, making Jynx a good counter against Zapdos. Jynx can also be
useful Sleep bait. Just make sure if you lead with Jynx that you have something
ready for Gengar.
How to counter Jynx
Of the common leads, Gengar is the best choice by far by being both faster in
the Sleep war, and capable of using Explosion for a OHKO. It is somewhat risky
if the opponent sees it coming, but you can also threaten with Hypnosis. Often,
Jynx will be Asleep, knocked out or Paralyzed if you face it later in the game.
While Physicals can take Jynx out fast, Blizzard hits hard and Jynx is often
equipped with Counter. Starmie is the safest counter, and Chansey and Lapras are
effective as well. While Jynx's type is versatile offensively, it lacks
resistances.
+----------+
|Electabuzz|
+----------+
HP 333
ATK 264
DEF 212
SPD 308
SPE 268
CHC 20.5%
Type - Electric
Weaknesses - Ground
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Fire, Ghost, Grass, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic,
Rock, Water
Resistances - Electric, Flying
Electabuzz is a below average Electric. It has good Speed, as most Electrics do,
but the rest of the Stats are average or below, even Special. Electabuzz may
appeal to some people though, as it can learn Psychic, which is unique to
Electrics, but even then, Special is 268 which is average. The one thing it
does excel in, is UU matches, as it can hit most of the weaker Pokemon hard, and
hit Grounds with Psychic, while having 308 Speed to deal with Sleeper leads.
In standard, Electabuzz doesn't have much to offer.
Recommended Movesets for Electabuzz
1 - Standard - Psychic, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Seismic Toss/Reflect
It’s like a bad Electric with Psychic. The moveset explains itself, and looks a
lot like Mr.Mime’s main set. Counter and Body Slam are possibilities as well.
Relative Strength
Psychic vs Gengar - 117-99 (36%-31%)
Psychic vs Golem - 99-84 (27%-23%)
Psychic vs Nidoking - 167-142 (46%-39%)
Submission vs Chansey - 332-282 (47%-40%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 221-188 (68%-58%)
Thunderbolt vs Tauros - 137-117 (39%-33%)
If you're using Electabuzz over Jolteon, you either want the Fighting moves or
Psychic. They don't support Electabuzz well, but do add to some versatility.
Electabuzz can take out Waters and Flying Pokemon as do other Electrics, but it
has trouble with Specialists. The 264 Attack isn't high and Electabuzz's type is
Special, so Physical attacks aren't great. Use Electabuzz for some sweeping and
Paralysis spreading abilities, but you should use Jolteon instead.
How to counter Electabuzz
While Electabuzz can hit Grounds with Psychic, it isn't much to worry about. Any
Ground will take care of Electabuzz, and Grass types work well too. Exeggutor is
an excellent counter by walling out all of Electabuzz's offense. Special
stallers can work as well. Whichever Pokemon you choose, make sure they can
handle Paralysis, so don't use Tauros.
+------+
|Magmar|
+------+
HP 333
ATK 288
DEF 212
SPD 284
SPE 268
CHC 18.1%
Type - Fire
Weaknesses - Ground, Rock, Water
Neutrals - Electric, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - Bug, Fire, Grass
Moves - Bide, Body Slam, Confuse Ray, Counter, Double Team, Double-Edge, Ember,
Fire Blast, Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Hyper Beam, Leer, Mega Kick, Mega Punch,
Metronome, Mimic, Psychic, Psywave, Rage, Rest, Seismic Toss, Skull Bash, Smog,
Smokescreen, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Take Down, Teleport, Toxic
Much like Electabuzz, Magmar has bad Stats, but pretty good Attack and Speed.
It’s also the only Fire type that learns Psychic, and also learns Confuse Ray,
which is good. Magmar compared to Arcanine and Moltres sucks though. Same with
Electabuzz, don’t use Magmar unless you want a Fire type with Psychic. If you
want one with Confuse Ray, use Ninetales. The movepool is lacking and Magmar
doesn't have the Stats to do much, not to mention Fire types aren't great in the
first place.
Recommended Movesets for Magmar
1 - Standard - Body Slam, Confuse Ray, Fire Blast,
Psychic/Hyper Beam/Seismic Toss
Like Ninetales, but with Psychic for whatever reason. This moveset is about as
good as it gets for Magmar. It does have decent offensive Stats, but nothing
outstanding. At least Ninetales is faster than Jynx and has more power. Counter
and Submission are also available if desired.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 111-94 (35%-30%)
Fire Blast vs Exeggutor - 238-203 (61%-52%)
Fire Blast vs Tauros - 173-147 (49%-42%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 338-287 (48%-41%)
Psychic vs Gengar - 117-99 (36%-31%)
Magmar is a subpar Ninetales overall. Magmar has some offensive power and
Confuse Ray, but can't effectively take down much. Magmar is somewhat a threat
to Physicals, so use Magmar when you see them, but beware of Earthquake and
switches to Specialists. Most of Magmar's advantages are inconsistent (Burns,
Confusion and Paralysis), and even if you get lucky with them, Magmar can't KO
much.
How to counter Magmar
Like most Fires, Physicals are not what you want to use due to Burn risks. They
can work though if necessary. Specialists, especially Starmie work very well at
stalling Magmar and attacking back slowly. If you're able to switch to one while
Magmar uses Fire Blast, you can give a Pokemon immunity to Paralysis, Sleep and
Freeze. Just avoid using anything Magmar can exploit and you'll be fine, but you
may need to switch if Magmar uses Confuse Ray frequently.
+------+
|Pinsir|
+------+
HP 333
ATK 348
DEF 298
SPD 268
SPE 208
CHC 16.6%
Type - Bug
Weaknesses - Fire, Flying, Poison, Rock
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Ghost, Ice, Normal, Psychic, Water
Resistances - Grass, Ground, Fighting
Pinsir is a prime example of what having low Special and no STAB moves can do to
a Pokemon. Pinsir has excellent Attack, very high Defense, okay Speed and HP,
and good moves. Pinsir has no STAB moves though. Otherwise being pure Bug is
very helpful for Pinsir, as its only main weakness is Fire, but they’re rare
anyway. Pinsir can do heavy hits with Normal moves, and can do tons after Swords
Dance, but it’s difficult to keep Pinsir long enough. Pinsir is a good Pokemon,
but far from being one of the best. Pinsir is very similar to Scyther, and after
one Swords Dance, the Attack will be 696, and Speed at a not too shabby 268.
Still, with no multipliers besides Submission, Pinsir can’t KO much.
Recommended Movesets for Pinsir
1 - Standard - Body Slam, Hyper Beam, Submission, Swords Dance
Pump up the Attack power and fire away. It probably won’t work, and Kingler at
least has a backup move. Pinsir has very few resistances, so setting up Pinsir
is very difficult. Seismic Toss is an option for Gengar, and Slash is nice as a
backup plan.
Relative Strength
Slash vs Alakazam - 221-188 (71%-60%)
1x Swords Dance + Body Slam vs Alakazam - 266-226 (85%-72%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 814-692 (116%-98%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Tauros - 306-260 (87%-74%)
1X Swords Dance + Submission vs Rhydon - 280-238 (68%-58%)
1x Swords Dance + Submission vs Tauros - 328-279 (93%-79%)
Before using Pinsir, you have to take out Gengar, or otherwise weaken it and use
Seismic Toss, or else Gengar can switch in and completely stall Pinsir. After
Gengar's demise, Pinsir has to then find a chance to be able to setup. Having
just Bug for a type, Pinsir is similar to Normal, having no major weaknesses or
resistances. Pinsir works best against other Physicals to setup, but ideally you
want to use Pinsir against Specialists. It can be difficult to take out Pinsir
in two hits, so Swords Dance and then Hyper Beam is possible to use at least
once most of the time. From there, you'll hopefully be able to take out more.
How to counter Pinsir
The obvious solution is using Gengar, but Rocks can work well at the expense of
HP from Submission. Specialists aren't recommended, but if you can switch to
them before Pinsir comes out, you'll be at an advantage. High Defense Special
Pokemon are the safest though, such as Articuno, Starmie and Exeggutor. If all
else fails, use Fire, or revenge KO Pinsir after dealing heavy damage.
+------+
|Tauros|
+------+
HP 353
ATK 298
DEF 288
SPD 318
SPE 238
CHC 21.4%
Type - Normal
Weaknesses - Fighting
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Psychic, Rock, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Tauros is arguably the staple Pokemon. Tauros has very high Attack, Defense,
excellent Speed, above average HP and Special is good enough. Tauros dominates,
as most of all Pokemon take Normal attacks without resisting them, and Tauros,
only being weak to Fighting, has virtually no weaknesses. With very high Attack
and very reliable Speed, Tauros is the best Physical sweeper in the game and the
best Pokemon for finishing off low Defense Pokemon. Furthermore, 1 in every 5 of
Tauros’s attacks are going to be Critical, which adds the damage. Tauros is also
the fastest Pokemon that learns Horn Drill and the combo of Fissure and Horn
Drill, and since it has lasting power, it’s probably the best OHKOer (excluding
Mew and sometimes Dugtrio). The only real flaws are that it takes damage from
almost anything, especially Special attacks, and a Paralyzed Tauros loses a lot
of effectiveness. Tauros is one of the main Pokemon in competitve battling and
one of the few Pokemon that can effectively beat Specialists. The Speed in
combination with the Attack is what makes it all work.
Recommended Movesets for Tauros
1 - Standard - Body Slam, Blizzard, Earthquake, Hyper Beam
The standard moveset for Tauros. Blizzard is for Grounds and the occasional
Dragonite. Body Slam is more useful against Exeggutor as it can Paralyze, but
Blizzard does more damage. If you're specifically expecting Kingler or Cloyster,
Thunderbolt beats both of them a turn faster than Body Slam, but the Paralysis
is one of the key reasons why Body Slam is used so often. If you decide to use
Thunderbolt, replace Earthquake with it.
2 - OHKO - Body Slam, Earthquake, Fissure, Horn Drill
If you like to spin the roulette wheel, try this moveset instead. Tauros is
probably the most effective OHKO Pokemon, and still has Body Slam, not only to
Paralyze but also to do some damage. Earthquake is there too, mostly for Ghosts.
If you feel you won't be dealing with both Flying and Ghost, you can replace one
of the OHKO moves with Blizzard or Hyper Beam.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 172-147 (55%-47%)
Body Slam vs Articuno - 110-93 (29%-24%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 298-254 (42%-36%)
Body Slam vs Cloyster - 72-61 (24%-20%)
Body Slam vs Exeggutor - 122-103 (31%-26%)
Body Slam vs Kingler - 100-85 (32%-27%)
Body Slam vs Snorlax - 142-121 (27%-23%)
Body Slam vs Starmie - 122-103 (38%-32%)
Blizzard vs Dragonite - 330-280 (86%-73%)
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 141-120 (36%-31%)
Blizzard vs Golem - 234-199 (64%-55%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 302-257 (96%-82%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 524-446 (75%-63%)
Earthquake vs Gengar - 233-198 (72%-61%)
Thunderbolt vs Cloyster - 145-124 (48%-41%)
Thunderbolt vs Kingler - 195-166 (62%-53%)
Tauros is simple to use, but devastating against nearly everything. The only
Pokemon you'd want cleared out before using Tauros are faster Pokemon with
Thunder Wave or powerful Special moves, such as Jolteon, Alakazam and Starmie.
However, while it can take out most Pokemon one-on-one, it's better for
Tauros to be used late where it can sweep everything that's still leftover. This
is why Paralysis needs to be avoided at all costs for Tauros.
How to counter Tauros
The only true counters to Tauros are Cloyster, Articuno, Snorlax and another
Tauros, while Kingler works fairly well. Although most teams have Tauros, and
your team should also most of the time, having a specific counter to Tauros
doesn't work nicely since Pokemon is a team game, and even Cloyster can be taken
out by some bad luck. So how does one counter Tauros? While Tauros can take out
almost any Pokemon one-on-one, Tauros can't heal and is often a prime target of
Paralysis, so Tauros becomes limited of KOs. It will often get at least one or
two, but it's up to you to take out Tauros afterward. Paralyzing Tauros helps a
lot, and following that, you just have to attack Tauros until it faints. High
Defense Specialists work such as Exeggutor, Cloyster and Articuno, but some good
luck can shift the match-up to Tauros's favor. If you're careful and smart,
Counter from either Alakazam, Jynx or Chansey can work very well on Tauros. Just
focus on having a plan on what you will take out Tauros with, rather than having
a specific Pokemon to counter Tauros. Switching into Tauros is also very risky
in most cases and Cloyster is the only Pokemon that can switch-in and then take
out Tauros.
+--------+
|Gyarados|
+--------+
HP 393
ATK 348
DEF 256
SPD 260
SPE 298
CHC 15.8%
Type - Water/Flying
Weaknesses - ELECTRIC, Rock
Neutrals - Flying, Ghost, Grass, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - Bug, Fighting, Fire, Water
Immunities - Ground
Moves - Bide, Bite, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Double Team, Double-Edge,
Dragon Rage, Fire Blast, Hydro Pump, Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, Leer, Mimic, Rage,
Reflect, Rest, Skull Bash, Splash, Strength, Substitute, Surf, Tackle,
Take Down, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Toxic, Water Gun
Gyarados has dominating Stats. With excellent Attack, HP and very high Special,
Gyarados can attack with Physical and Special attacks. Defense and Speed are the
two lowest ones, but are still average. Gyarados has its Attack go to waste,
on only Normal attacks though. The main reason Gyarados isn’t as popular as it
could be is the 4x weakness to Electric, one of the most common types in the
game. Gyarados is still tough enough to take Electric attacks with its high HP
and Special, but it takes out a lot from Gyarados. Gyarados can actually survive
any non-STAB Thunderbolt except Mewtwo's which also isn't guaranteed. At
attacking, it's similar to Starmie, but slower and having powerful Physical
moves. Starmie has a better type though, Thunder Wave, Recover and is faster.
Overall, Gyarados isn't terrible, but the Electric weakness holds it back. Even
if you can get past that, Gyarados has great defensive Stats, but can't heal any
damage. The main use for Gyarados would be to switch to against Golem and
Rhydon, where they'll do no damage with Earthquake. Rock Slide is still an issue
though.
Recommended Movesets for Gyarados
1 - Standard - Hyper Beam, 3 of Thunderbolt/Blizzard/Body Slam/Surf
Standard Gyarados. Attack with whatever you need. Don't underestimate Gyarados,
because its Special attacks are just as strong as Starmie's. Body Slam and Hyper
Beam add to Gyarados's offensive abilities. Thunderbolt is for Waters, Blizzard
is for Ice-weak Pokemon, Surf is its strongest attack and Body Slam and Hyper
Beam are for low Defense Pokemon. Any combination of the four moves is viable;
it depends on what you need Gyarados for, but Hyper Beam is recommended for
every Gyarados.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 176-150 (45%-38%)
Blizzard vs Golem - 292-249 (80%-69%)
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 134-114 (43%-36%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 232-197 (33%-28%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 235-200 (75%-64%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 408-347 (58%-49%)
Surf vs Tauros - 152-130 (43%-37%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 165-140 (51%-43%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 143-121 (36%-31%)
Gengar's Thunderbolt - 391-333 (99%-85%)
Rhydon's Rock Slide - 270-230 (69%-59%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 127-108 (32%-27%)
Zapdos's Thunderbolt - 571-486 (145%-124%)
How to use Gyarados
Gyarados works as a nice hybrid sweeper, having both powerful Normal and mixed
Special attacks. Gyarados can usually take out any Pokemon that doesn't have
Thunderbolt, which is what you have to watch out for. Gyarados also lacks some
Speed and can't heal, so having opponents Paralyzed before it comes out helps.
If there are Pokemon that can switch into Gyarados that have Thunderbolt, don't
use it until later. One other use for Gyarados is being the only Pokemon that
can switch into Earthquake unharmed and counter with a STAB Super Effective
attack. While Articuno can as well, it is 4x weak to Rock and isn't recommended.
How to counter Gyarados
The easiest way to take down the giant Water monster is with STAB Electric
attacks. Otherwise, you'll have to hit Gyarados with what you have. Non-STAB
Electric attacks still work well, but take two turns. Defensive Pokemon are the
best choices due to its huge Attack, but Alakazam and Chansey can still work if
you're willing to risk the damage. For the most part, just avoid using something
weak to Gyarados's attacks and fight back.
+------+
|Lapras|
+------+
HP 463
ATK 268
DEF 258
SPD 218
SPE 288
CHC 11.7%
Type - Water/Ice
Weaknesses - Electric, Fighting, Grass, Rock
Neutrals - Bug, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - ICE, Water
Lapras is a tough Water type. With super high HP (the highest for all Ice types
and tied with Vaporeon for Waters) and Special, and good Defense too, Lapras can
take tons of damage before fainting. Lapras also has decent Attack, but doesn’t
usually matter, and Lapras has a huge movepool. Lapras works well as an
offensive Pokemon and as a defensive Pokemon. Lapras is also capable of healing
itself with Rest, if the opponent can't hit Lapras very hard. Lapras is a
standard Pokemon, but still competes with Starmie. Lapras may be more defensive
than Starmie, but Starmie has a much better healing move and much higher Speed.
Lapras can survive up to 4 of Tauros's Body Slams though, and is a better
counter against Physical Pokemon than Starmie. STAB Blizzard and Confuse Ray are
the two main things Lapras has over other Water Pokemon.
Recommended Movesets for Lapras
1 - Standard - Blizzard, Confuse Ray, 2 of Thunderbolt/Body Slam/Rest/Surf
Confuse the opponent and then attack. If you think Lapras can live long enough,
throw in Rest. Blizzard is capable of taking out Golem and Rhydon in one hit, so
Surf isn't necessary. Thunderbolt is mainly for other Waters, and Body Slam is
for Paralysis and low Defense Pokemon. Confuse Ray is usually the reason why
Lapras can survive when using Rest, but keep in mind that if the opponent
switches, the Confusion is gone. Sing is also a possibility.
2 - Special Sweeping - Surf, Blizzard/Ice Beam,
2 of Thunderbolt/Body Slam/Psychic
Sweeping Lapras. You're better off sweeping with other Pokemon, as Lapras is too
slow and while it does have good offensive Stats, they could be higher. Starmie
is much better with this set, but Lapras is tougher to take down and has STAB
Blizzard.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Alakazam - 121-103 (39%-33%)
Blizzard vs Chansey - 144-122 (20%-17%)
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 256-218 (65%-55%)
Blizzard vs Rhydon - 469-399 (114%-97%)
Blizzard vs Tauros - 185-158 (52%-48%)
Blizzard vs Zapdos - 256-218 (67%-57%)
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 103-88 (33%-28%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 179-152 (25%-22%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 158-134 (49%-41%)
Lapras is tough and can switch into most Pokemon if desired. Lapras generally
works best later in the game as a Special sweeper and Confuse Ray combos with
Paralysis nicely. Zapdos, Jolteon and other Electrics have to be taken out or
they'll zap Lapras, but every non-STAB Electric attack will take at least three
turns, including Mewtwo's Thunderbolt. Lapras can hit anything hard and takes
awhile to faint, so use Lapras as you need it, but Special stallers are still an
issue. Try not to be too reliant on Confuse Ray either as it is lucked based.
How to counter Lapras
Lapras is tough and hard to face with anything and not take damage. Confusion is
also an issue, and you may have to switch out a few times. Pure Electrics are
the best Pokemon to use as Zapdos gets hit hard by Blizzard, though almost
always beats Lapras. Chansey, Alakazam and Starmie can all stall Lapras and
Paralyze, but the risk of Confusion when trying to heal can give Lapras the
chance to KO. Chansey is the safest of the three, but is slower than Lapras. If
you can't safely take out Lapras, just attack until it drops. Lapras won't often
have Rest, but if it does, you should be able to KO it then. Watch out for
Freezes as well.
+-----+
|Ditto|
+-----+
HP 299
ATK 194
DEF 194
SPD 194
SPE 194
CHC 9.3%
Type - Normal
Weaknesses - Fighting
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Psychic, Rock, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Transform
Ditto isn’t good at all. First off, the Stats are so low, you’ll faint or
nearly, by any type of attack. With Ditto, you have to take a hit, Transform and
then it’s fifty-fifty who goes first, and if it isn’t you, Ditto will often be
finished off. It could work on something that stalls itself out, such as Starmie
or Alakazam, but then PP is an issue, not to mention you will have to heal right
away. Transforming on Paralyzed Pokemon may work better, but remember that Ditto
then gets the Stat drop. Transforming just isn't a good strategy.
The Only Moveset for Ditto
Transform, 3 blanks
Transform and then use their attacks. I strongly recommend this set.
Relative Strength
Starmie's Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 163-139 (50%-43%)
Tauros's Body Slam vs Tauros - 113-96 (32%-27%)
Whenever Ditto is sent out, the opponent can always switch to something before
you can Transform, so Ditto would best be used late game (if at all). Although
it's up to the opponent to decide what you Transform into, Starmie, Tauros and
Snorlax nice targets. If you're focusing more on surviving the initial hit, you
need to Transform against something slower that isn't Super Effective against
itself, which is really limiting. Transform is just a gimmick.
How to counter Ditto
When you see Ditto, you'll know what it's about to do which is nice (unless the
opponent is doing some weird baiting). Stallers are risky, but you can drain out
Ditto's PP if you can last long enough. Chansey is nice for the huge lack of HP
Ditto will have, but it is risky for Freezes, despite it will be in your favor.
Make sure not to use something that sweeps or has Explosion if it can be helped.
If you're against Ditto with a Pokemon that hits hard, attack Ditto and finish
it off the following turn if possible.
+--------+
|Vaporeon|
+--------+
HP 463
ATK 228
DEF 218
SPD 228
SPE 318
CHC 12.6%
Type - Water
Weaknesses - Electric, Grass
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Rock
Resistances - Fire, Ice, Water
Vaporeon has excellent HP and Special, learns some nice moves and can take tons
of damage. Vaporeon is low on Defense, Attack and Speed, which drags it down.
Vaporeon is one of the best stallers without Recover/Softboiled though, since
Acid Armor can cover for Defense and Vaporeon is tough enough to hang around
after Rest. Even Electric attacks take awhile to take out Vaporeon. While
Vaporeon is able to stall though, Vaporeon can't use that ability well, besides
powerful Water attacks and non-STAB Ice attacks. Vaporeon could go for Freezes
though. Starmie and Lapras are considered better Water types, but Vaporeon is an
alternative choice.
Recommended Movesets for Vaporeon
1 - Standard - Surf, Ice Beam/Blizzard, 2 of Body Slam/Rest/Acid Armor
Standard Vaporeon. Vaporeon can attack with Water and Ice, like every other
Water Pokemon, and Body Slam is for Paralysis. Ice Beam and Surf are more
recommended over their stronger counterparts due to stalling, but Vaporeon can
use Blizzard and Hydro Pump for more of a sweeping effect. Acid Armor works well
with Rest, covering for Vaporeon's low Defense. Focus Energy on Stadium and Haze
are also possibilities.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 88-75 (28%-24%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 152-129 (22%-18%)
Body Slam vs Starmie - 62-53 (19%-16%)
Surf vs Alakzam - 106-90 (34%-29%)
Surf vs Chansey - 126-107 (18%-15%)
Surf vs Snorlax - 169-144 (32%-28%)
Surf vs Tauros - 162-138 (46%-39%)
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 188-160 (48%-41%)
Blizzard vs Zapdos - 188-160 (49%-42%)
Vaporeon is a weird staller, but can work against certain Specialists. With Acid
Armor and Rest, Vaporeon is hard to take down, but you can't do much for
offense. Use Surf to hit Pokemon hard, Ice Beam for Freezing and Body Slam for
Paralysis. Against other stallers, Vaporeon is on the losing end and is forced
to go for a Freeze. If you use Vaporeon in an OU environment, you have to take
out Chansey and Starmie, and likely Alakazam as well. Vaporeon is better at
stalling in UU, where it can actually do something back, rather than just being
hard to KO.
How to counter Vaporeon
Vaporeon has powerful defensive Stats, but you won't take much back. Starmie can
completely wall anything Vaporeon can do besides Paralysis or a lucky Freeze,
and Chansey works in similar fashion. Alakazam can also be used by lowering
Special with Psychic, but it takes more damage from Body Slam. Electrics work
well, and Physicals are safe against Vaporeon during Rest. Most Pokemon on your
team won't have a problem, but you want to avoid Pokemon that can't heal, unless
they can KO Vaporeon very quickly.
+-------+
|Jolteon|
+-------+
HP 333
ATK 228
DEF 218
SPD 358
SPE 318
CHC 25.3%
Type - Electric
Weaknesses - Ground
Neutrals - Bug, Fighting, Fire, Ghost, Grass, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic,
Rock, Water
Resistances - Electric, Flying
Jolteon is similar to Vaporeon, except the higher Stat is in Speed, not HP.
Jolteon can’t take or deal powerful Physical attacks, but the mix of Fighting
and Bug moves with Jolteon's Critical Hit rate makes them work against certain
Pokemon. Jolteon is a dangerous Special sweeper having 358 Speed, which is
higher than anything commonly seen in OU and tied for 2nd overall. 318 Special
with Thunderbolt and one fourth of the moves Critical gives Jolteon an edge over
anything that can't take Electric attacks well. Jolteon is considered slightly
worse than Zapdos (though debatable), due to Jolteon taking hits poorly. Jolteon
is a top Electric, but needs to be played safely, yet aggressively to be useful.
Recommended Movesets for Jolteon
1 - Standard - Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, 2 of Pin Missile/Double Kick/Body Slam
Stun the opponent and attack. Thunderbolt is the main move, Pin missile is for
Grass and some Psychics, and Double Kick is for Normal Specialists, like Chansey
and Clefable. Pin Missile may not be very useful though since it is heavily luck
based and it's not perfectly accurate. The Critical Hit rate does balance that
out though. Several Pokemon can take high damage from this unique set of
attacks, but if you want extra Paralyzing abilities, you can use Body Slam along
with Thunder Wave. When playing on Stadium, be absolutely sure to have Focus
Energy, since Jolteon is guaranteed Critical Hits after using it. STAB and
Critical Thunderbolts running from 318 Special will wipe out most of everything.
Other possible moves for Jolteon include Sand-Attack, Reflect and Agility.
Relative Strength
Double Kick vs Chansey - 216-184 (31%-26%)
Double Kick vs Golem - 68-58 (19%-16%)
5x Pin Missile vs Alakazam - 146-124 (47%-40%)
5x Pin Missile vs Exeggutor - 208-177 (53%-45%)
Thunderbolt vs Alakazam - 106-90 (34%-29%)
Thunderbolt vs Gengar - 109-93 (34%-29%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 261-222 (81%-69%)
Thunderbolt vs Snorlax - 169-144 (32%-28%)
Thunderbolt vs Tauros - 162-138 (46%-39%)
As with most Electrics, Jolteon needs Grounds taken care of before it can be
used properly. This with Jolteon's sweeping abilities makes it best for late
game. Once Jolteon is set to go, you can use a mix of different types of moves,
and Jolteon's powerful Thunderbolts. Jolteon works well against both Physicals
and Specialists, but Jolteon gets hit fairly hard by both. Try not to rely on
Criticals as they aren't consistent, though they are fairly common. If you use
Jolteon well and the opponent's team is banged up and has some Paralysis,
Jolteon can clean up with ease.
How to counter Jolteon
Grounds are the solutions, particularly Golem and Rhydon, but without them,
Jolteon is dangerous to most Pokemon. While Physicals like Tauros and Snorlax
can hit Jolteon hard with Earthquake, it can retaliate with powerful
Thunderbolts, and Jolteon's Critical Hit rate is risky. Often Grass Pokemon can
stall out Jolteon, but with Pin Missile, Grass Pokemon are at risk as well.
Gengar is a good counter by taking Thunderbolt and attacking back with either
Psychic or Explosion. Alakazam is also a possible choice by lowering Special and
stalling. Chansey can slowly chip away at Jolteon's HP with Ice Beam and stall
somewhat, but if Jolteon gets lucky, Chansey will get dropped. Most of anything
else can't take out Jolteon safely, and you'll have to go for a series of hits
from multiple Pokemon. Paralyzing Jolteon is very helpful to slow it down.
+-------+
|Flareon|
+-------+
HP 333
ATK 358
DEF 218
SPD 228
SPE 318
CHC 12.6%
Type - Fire
Weaknesses - Ground, Rock, Water
Neutrals - Electric, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - Bug, Fire, Grass
Moves - Bide, Bite, Body Slam, Double Team, Double-Edge, Ember, Fire Blast,
Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Focus Energy, Growl, Hyper Beam, Leer, Mimic,
Quick Attack, Rage, Reflect, Rest, Sand-Attack, Skull Bash, Smog, Substitute,
Swift, Tackle, Tail Whip, Take Down, Toxic
Flareon is an offensive Pokemon, being the only Pokemon to have over 300 in both
offensive Stats (besides Mewtwo). Flareon also has the highest Attack for all
Fire types. Unfortunately, Flareon can’t use the Stats to the max, as it can
only learn Smog, Fire attacks and Normal attacks. Against Grounds, especially
Ground/Rocks, Flareon is going to get finished quickly, having low Defense and
HP. You could counter them though, if you’re lucky to get a Burn. Flareon is
best as an offensive Pokemon, though with Fire moves pretty powerful, the 358
Attack is only good for Normal moves and Smog. Like every other Fire type, Fires
are not effective in battling.
Recommended Movesets for Flareon
1 - Standard - Body Slam, Fire Blast, Hyper Beam, Reflect
Attack with either Fire or Normal moves. Flareon does good damage (based on
Stats), but you won’t be doing excellent damage, since most Pokemon only take
neutral to Fire. This is also easily stalled by many Pokemon, and only effective
against a few as well. Other possible options include Mimic, Sand-Attack and of
course, Focus Energy when playing on Pokemon Stadium.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 137-117 (44%-37%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 238-202 (34%-29%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 241-205 (72%-62%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 419-357 (60%-51%)
Fire Blast vs Exeggutor - 282-240 (72%-61%)
Fire Blast vs Jynx - 339-289 (102%-87%)
Fire Blast vs Tauros - 205-174 (62%-52%)
Flareon hits fairly hard with both Fire and Normal attacks, but doesn't do
fantastic damage. Flareon works best against low Defense Pokemon and anything
weak to Fire such as Alakazam, Chansey and Exeggutor. Flareon could also go for
Burns against Physicals. The damage Flareon does though just isn't high enough
to be considered sweeping potential and it doesn't have many other uses. It also
doesn't last very long due to low Defense and HP. Flareon is best used for
getting in hits and hopefully lasting long enough to KO a Pokemon or two. Late
game sweeping is somewhat possible.
How to counter Flareon
While Flareon is slow and is quick to take out, the 358 Attack can put holes in
your Pokemon. Starmie and Gengar both shut Flareon down well and don't take too
much damage. Alakazam could work if you use Reflect and heal often enough, but
Chansey is strongly not recommended. Waters, while not KOing Flareon as fast as
Grounds, are much safer. Any Water type with decent Defense are your best
choices. If you're willing to risk getting Burned, Golem and Rhydon take out
Flareon fast.
+-------+
|Porygon|
+-------+
HP 333
ATK 218
DEF 238
SPD 178
SPE 248
CHC 7.8%
Type - Normal
Weaknesses - Fighting
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Psychic, Rock, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Porygon has lousy Stats. Porygon can’t do very much, but is more of a technical
Pokemon. Conversion is somewhat helpful, as Pokemon often use moves that aren't
effective against themselves. Sharpen also is a low Stat boosting move, but even
even with it, you can get Porygon’s attack to 327, which makes Normal moves
dangerous. It also learns Agility, Recover, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Ice Beam and
Thunder Wave. Porygon has a nice movepool, but the Stats are awful leaving
Porygon getting beaten up by all sorts of Pokemon.
Recommended movesets for Porygon
1 - Standard - Recover, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Blizzard/Ice Beam
It’s like Chansey, but worse. Paralyze the opponent and attack. Agility can be
thrown in too if you want to actually try to sweep.
Porygon is a mini-Chansey and works the same, but it can't take hits very well.
Use Porygon to spread Paralysis and stall a bit, but it doesn't work too nicely.
With low HP and Speed, Porygon doesn't take damage well. Recover helps, but
spamming it eventually leads to Porygon fainting through Critical Hits or
Paralysis. With a Physical Porygon, you can possibly throw off an opponent if
they don't expect it, but otherwise it's not great. Defensive Pokemon counter
the Physical Porygon set easily.
How to counter Porygon
The one tricky part is finding out what type of Porygon it is. If Porygon is
using Special attacks, you want to use a staller like Chansey or Alakazam, but
against a Physical one, those are the two Pokemon you want to avoid using.
Gengar is fairly safe against both movesets, and Starmie can eventually stall
out Porygon, but it can be risky against Thunderbolt. Since Porygon can Recover,
you can't just attack it until it faints like many weaker Pokemon. Treat Porygon
like Chansey, but if it has Physical moves, use something with good Defense.
+-------+
|Omastar|
+-------+
HP 343
ATK 218
DEF 348
SPD 208
SPE 328
CHC 10.7%
Type - Water/Rock
Weaknesses - Electric, Fighting, GRASS, Ground
Neutrals - Bug, Ghost, Psychic, Rock, Water
Resistances - FIRE, Flying, Ice, Normal, Poison
Omastar has very high defensive Stats, also being the only Pokemon that has over
300 in both of them. The HP is fine too, which is necessary, but Attack and
Speed are poor. Omastar can hit hard with Water and Ice moves, but it can’t do
much else. Omastar should be a tank, but with the weaknesses to Electric, Ground
and especially Grass, it messes Omastar up. Against Fires, Omastar dominates.
Use Omastar offensively and look at it’s defensive Stats as an extra treat.
Omastar is also good at stalling certain Pokemon, like Normal and Fire types, as
they can’t do much of anything to Omastar. Overall, Omastar lacks offense, and
its Defenses aren't as useful because of all the weaknesses. Omastar is a great
counter to many Pokemon though, but not against many standards. A UU staller,
but lacking a healing move.
Recommended Movesets for Omastar
1 - Standard - Seismic Toss, Surf, Blizzard/Ice Beam, Body Slam/Mimic/Rest
Omastar has well over 300 in both defensive Stats, so Rest can work against Fire
and some Normal Pokemon. Generally, you'll want to just sweep with Special
attacks, and use Seismic Toss on Waters. Hydro Pump, while somewhat inaccurate,
is able to KO Tauros in 2 hits guaranteed, making is a possible choice. If you
want more versatility with your main attacks, you can double up on Ice and/or
Water moves and still be effective.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 194-165 (49%-42%)
Blizzard vs Zapdos - 194-165 (51%-43%)
Hydro Pump vs Snorlax - 220-187 (42%-36%)
Hydro Pump vs Tauros - 211-179 (60%-51%)
Surf vs Alakazam - 109-93 (35%-30%)
Surf vs Chansey - 130-111 (18%-16%)
Surf vs Snorlax - 175-149 (33%-28%)
Surf vs Tauros - 167-142 (47%-40%)
Omastar is the ultimate counter to Fire and many Normal Pokemon resisting both
and backing that up with massive defensive Stats. Against more commonly used
Pokemon, Omastar can't wall out many Pokemon. In OU, Omastar can go about even
with Physicals, but won't often KO them. While Omastar is tough to take out, it
can get walled itself by stallers, so it's best to take them out before use.
Omastar can still take out Grounds, but otherwise not much else.
How to counter Omastar
Omastar takes awhile to take down, so you want to use something where your
Pokemon will be taking low damage, and/or be able to heal. Starmie, Lapras,
Alakazam and Chansey all stall Omaster while slowly picking away at its HP.
Physicals like Tauros and Snorlax take high damage from Omastar's powerful Water
attacks, but you'll still be able to take it out at the cost of most of their
HP. Omastar can still take Electric attacks well, but if you happen to have
something with a Grass move, use it for a quick KO. Despite the defensive stats,
Grass is Omastar's kryptonite.
+--------+
|Kabutops|
+--------+
HP 323
ATK 328
DEF 308
SPD 258
SPE 238
CHC 15.6%
Type - Water/Rock
Weaknesses - Electric, Fighting, GRASS, Ground
Neutrals - Bug, Ghost, Psychic, Rock, Water
Resistances - FIRE, Flying, Ice, Normal, Poison
Kabutops is good at using Physical attacks with a nice 328 Attack. It’s also
fairly fast for a Rock, good Defense, but it has bad HP and Special. With low
Special, Kabutops is going to get destroyed by Electric attacks and even Psychic
attacks. Kabutops also can’t use its Attack very well without Rock Slide, but
Swords Dance with the Attack can somewhat Physical sweep. Slash is also an
option, though not as powerful as Persian's. Kabutops plays like a modifed
Kingler overall, but Kingler has better Stat distribution and moves, while
Kabutops has the Rock type for extra resistances.
Recommended Movesets for Kabutops
1 - Standard - Surf, Swords Dance, 2 of Hyper Beam/Body Slam/Slash
As soon as you can, use Swords Dance and attack with Normal moves. Surf is for
Grounds, Rocks and Gengar. Hyper Beam and Body Slam coming from 656 Attack is
powerful, and can take out many low Defense Pokemon. Ice attacks aren't strong
enough from only 238 Special and Slash is a backup if you can't setup. You could
be creative using Submission, Reflect, Seismic Toss and others, but Kabutops has
little room for everything it could use.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 141-120 (36%-31%)
Slash vs Alakazam - 209-178 (67%-57%)
Slash vs Exeggutor - 147-125 (37%-32%)
Surf vs Gengar - 82-70 (25%-22%)
Surf vs Tauros - 122-104 (35%-29%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 441-375 (141%-120%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 767-652 (109%-93%)
1x Swords Dance + Hyper Beam vs Tauros - 289-245 (82%-69%)
Kabutops needs to use Swords Dance and then start unleashing Normal attacks.
While Kabutops is faster than many powerhouse Pokemon, you'll still need to
spread Paralysis to use Kabutops safely. Once Kabutops is setup, it can be
tricky to take it down, as you'll be able to KO many Pokemon in single hits.
Surf covers for other Rocks, but Kabutops is helpless against Gengar. If you
have Slash, it can be handy for Alakazam and other Pokemon using Reflect.
How to counter Kabutops
Kabutops is only dangerous after setting up, so it's best to cut it off before
too many Swords Dances. You'll want to use defensive Pokemon, but Grounds and
Rocks won't work due to Surf. Exeggutor and Starmie work quite well, while
attacking back effectively. Avoid using low Defense Pokemon if it can be helped.
And if you need to completely shut Kabutops down, send out Gengar and attack
with a Special move.
+----------+
|Aerodactyl|
+----------+
HP 363
ATK 308
DEF 228
SPD 358
SPE 218
CHC 25.3%
Type - Rock/Flying
Weaknesses - Electric, Ice, Rock, Water
Neutrals - Ghost, Grass, Psychic
Resistances - Bug, Fire, Flying, Normal, Poison
Immunities - Ground
Aerodactyl has good Stats in every category, except for Special and Defense.
With 358 Speed, Aerodactyl has the highest Speed for Rock and Flying types.
Being Rock and Flying, it’s the only Pokemon that can take Normal and Ground
moves, which gives Physical Pokemon some trouble. Aerodactyl isn’t very good
though, because of its bad typing and its bad movepool. Being Rock and Flying,
it resists mostly Physical types, but very open to Special attacks, which
Aerodactyl can't take much of. Aerodactyl would still be able to pull through,
but Aerodactyl has no real attacks at all. Aerodactyl doesn't learn Rock Slide,
Drill Peck, and the Normal moves it learns aren't good either. A terrible
movepool holds Aerodactyl back, and the defensive Stats could be much better.
Recommended Movesets for Aerodactyl
1 - Standard - Hyper Beam, 3 of Double-Edge/Fire Blast/Sky Attack/Fly/Mimic
A collection of some random moves. Fire Blast is good but not on a non-Fire
Pokemon with 218 Special. Aerodactyl’s type resistances are the only advantage
you will have. Hyper Beam coming from 308 Attack isn't bad, especially with a
Critical Hit rate of over 25%, but Aerodactyl can't rely on one attack.
Relative Strength
Fire Blast vs Exeggutor - 130-110 (33%-28%)
Fly vs Exeggutor - 208-177 (53%-45%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 215-183 (69%-58%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 361-307 (51%-44%)
Sky Attack vs Alakazam - 301-256 (96%-82%)
Sky Attack vs Chansey - 522-444 (74%-63%)
Wing Attack vs Exeggutor - 107-91 (27%-23%)
Aerodactyl has a unique type and high Stats, but it has no moves to work with.
While Specialists will often take out Aerodactyl with ease, Aerodactyl can stall
some Pokemon, particularly Snorlax (unless it's a Special one). Aerodactyl has
some potential has a late game sweeper having massive Attack and top-notch Speed
to compliment it, but Aerodactyl has to use Hyper Beam which isn't STAB. If the
opponent is unable to do anything to Aerodactyl or you want to force a switch,
Fly and Sky Attack can be helpful. This is all assuming the opponent doesn't
have Special attacks, because Aerodactyl drops fast by them.
How to counter Aerodactyl
Golem and Rhydon can take anything Aerodactyl uses, and Gengar takes away Normal
moves. If not available most Specialists will be fine. Make sure your Pokemon's
HP is close to full or Aerodactyl can sweep with Hyper Beam and its 358 Speed.
Paralysis helps a lot. Once you have something safely out against Aerodactyl, it
will often take only 2 turns to beat it. Beware of the Critical Hits.
+-------+
|Snorlax|
+-------+
HP 523
ATK 318
DEF 228
SPD 158
SPE 228
CHC 5.8%
Type - Normal
Weaknesses - Fighting
Neutrals - Bug, Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison,
Psychic, Rock, Water
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Amnesia, Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Counter, Double Team,
Double-Edge, Earthquake, Fire Blast, Fissure, Harden, Headbutt, Hyper Beam,
Ice Beam, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic, Pay Day, Psychic, Psywave,
Rage, Reflect, Rest, Rock Slide, Seismic Toss, Selfdestruct, Skull Bash,
Solarbeam, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Surf, Take Down, Thunder,
Thunderbolt, Toxic, Water Gun
Snorlax is a very popular Pokemon and is definitely standard. Tied at 318 for
highest Attack for Normal types, tons of HP and a huge movepool, Snorlax is
dangerous. Snorlax has poor defensive Stats and bad Speed though, but the HP
makes up for that. Snorlax is a common Physical sweeper, despite the low Speed.
With STAB Normal attacks coming from 318 Attack, not very much can KO Snorlax
while taking low damage. Snorlax can also be a Special wall and Special sweeper
with Amnesia, giving it more offensive power and some unpredictability. On top
of all that, the HP is high enough that Snorlax is essentially a tank, taking at
least 3 hits to KO from the game's strongest attacks. Snorlax is a great
Pokemon, but due to Speed, Tauros is still used more often, as it gets Critical
Hits much more often. Snorlax is stronger though and has Selfdestruct. Dodrio
has the same Attack power, but Snorlax can last much longer in battle. Snorlax
is an excellent Pokemon.
Recommended Movesets for Snorlax
1 - Standard - Body Slam, Selfdestruct, 2 of Hyper Beam/Earthquake/Surf
Attack with Body Slam and the other two moves, and then Explode. Since
Selfdestruct is STAB, it is the most powerful Physical attack in the game, able
to KO almost anything not Rock or Ghost. Earthquake is mainly for Gengar, and
Surf is for Golem and Rhydon. Bubblebeam is also an option over Surf, since it
still beats Golem and Rhydon in 2 turns like Surf, but may lower Speed.
Amnesia and then Rest. Afterwards, attack and Rest some more. It does huge
damage with Special moves, and Body Slam is for Specialists. Reflect is to cover
Physical attacks to stall even more, but then lacks offense. This Snorlax is
difficult to KO, but tricky to setup.
Relative Strength
Body Slam vs Alakazam - 184-156 (59%-<50%)
Body Slam vs Chansey - 318-270 (45%-38%)
Body Slam vs Exeggutor - 130-110 (33%-28%)
Body Slam vs Tauros - 121-103 (34%-29%)
Bubblebeam vs Golem - 247-210 (68%-58%)
Earthquake vs Gengar - 249-211 (77%-65%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 322-274 (103%-86%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 559-476 (80%-68%)
Hyper Beam vs Exeggutor - 227-193 (58%-49%)
Hyper Beam vs Tauros - 211-180 (60%-51%)
Selfdestruct vs Mewtwo - 377-321 (91%-77%)
Surf vs Golem - 357-304 (98%-84%)
Snorlax is a powerhouse and very difficult to take out. The main drawback is the
horrible Speed, so use Snorlax against Paralyzed Pokemon. Snorlax doesn't resist
anything, making Snorlax best used after something of yours faints. Once Snorlax
is out, you can begin attacking. With powerful Normal attacks and the chance to
Paralyze with Body Slam, Snorlax can wreck havoc. Generally you'll want to use
Snorlax against Specialists for easy sweeping, although Snorlax does go even
with most Physical Pokemon. There's not really any Pokemon you have to watch out
for, but with the slow Speed, Snorlax will be taking many hits without Paralysis
support. If the opponent has any Rock, Ghost or weakened Pokemon, play smart
with Selfdestruct.
How to beat Snorlax
Like Tauros, Snorlax doesn't have realistic counters, except possibly Cloyster,
Articuno and Kingler. While Snorlax is slow and you can hit it with anything,
Snorlax takes several hits from anything, and there's always the risk of
Selfdestruct. Use something tough that can go even with Snorlax and if you think
the opponent will Explode, switch to Gengar or a Rock (but avoid Earthquake).
Specialists can hit Snorlax hard, but as one of the best Physical Pokemon, your
Specialists are what the opponent will want to take out. Again, there's no easy
way to take out Snorlax, so just attack it until its HP is 0. Aerodactyl is the
one true counter if Snorlax doesn't have any Special moves. Against Snorlax with
Amnesia, continue to use a Physical, or use a Special Pokemon with a high
Critical Hit rate such as Alakazam or Starmie.
+--------+
|Articuno|
+--------+
HP 383
ATK 268
DEF 298
SPD 268
SPE 348
CHC 16.6%
Type - Ice/Flying
Weaknesses - Electric, Fire, ROCK
Neutrals - Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Ice, Water
Resistances - Bug, Grass
Immunities - Ground
Articuno obviously has great Stats, being a legendary bird. HP, Special and
Defense are very high, and Attack and Speed are still above average. This helps
make Articuno a tank. Articuno has nasty Ice moves that hit hard on almost
anything. The only thing that Articuno is bad with is that it has a low
movepool, and is easily stalled by Water and Ice Pokemon. Articuno also lacks a
good recovery move. Articuno can counter lots of Pokemon that are usually tricky
to, such as Snorlax, Exeggutor and Tauros. This is mostly because Blizzard is
better than Fire Blast and Thunder, letting Articuno do great damage, while
still actually hitting. Overall, Articuno is pretty good, but you have to take
out Water and Ice types in the same fashion as taking out Grounds so you can
use an Electric type.
Recommended Movesets for Articuno
1 - Standard - Blizzard, Reflect, 2 of Ice Beam/Agility/Hyper Beam/Rest/Mimic
Articuno is dangerous, but it has no moves. Blizzard is the main move, and
Reflect helps Articuno wall Pokemon. The other two aren't completely important,
but help support Articuno. Doubling up on the Ice moves may be a choice, since
Articuno lacks many other effective attacks. Flying moves aren't recommended.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Alakazam - 145-124 (46%-40%)
Blizzard vs Chansey - 173-147 (25%-21%)
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 308-262 (78%-67%)
Blizzard vs Snorlax - 233-198 (45%-38%)
Blizzard vs Tauros - 224-190 (63%-54%)
Blizzard vs Zapdos - 308-262 (80%-68%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 314-267 (45%-38%)
Sky Attack vs Chansey - 440-375 (63%-53%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 122-104 (32%-27%)
Chansey's Thunderbolt - 145-123 (38%-32%)
Golem's Rock Slide - 415-353 (108%-92%)
Snorlax's Body Slam - 117-99 (31%-26%)
Snorlax's Hyper Beam - 204-174 (53%-45%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 110-93 (29%-24%)
Tauros's Hyper Beam - 192-163 (50%-43%)
Zapdos's Thunderbolt - 245-208 (64%-54%)
How to use Articuno
Articuno has arguably the most dangerous Special move in the game, having 348
Special STAB Blizzard, which is 90% accurate and has a chance to Freeze. But,
that's all Articuno really has. Before using Articuno, you need to take out
Water and Ice Pokemon, or they'll stall it with ease. You could potentially go
for a Freeze, but it's unreliable. Articuno works as a great counter to
Exeggutor, Tauros and Snorlax, being one of the few Pokemon with great Defense
with a hard hitting Special attack. Articuno also takes out Grounds, and can
deal with Specialists somewhat. If you setup Articuno with Agility and Reflect,
you can actually Special sweep with Blizzard, but when stalling, make sure you
don't run out of Blizzard PP.
How to counter Articuno
The best counters are Pokemon resistant to Ice, especially Cloyster and Lapras.
Going for a quick KO isn't recommended as almost any attack will take at least
two turns, and Articuno can retaliate with Blizzard. Chansey, Starmie and
Alakazam can stall out Articuno until you force a switch or you take it out, but
all are at risk of a Freeze. Jynx can also somewhat work, though the damage will
be very slow. Tauros and Snorlax can still somewhat take on Articuno, but it's a
losing match-up in most cases. Generally, just damage or stall Articuno and
beware of Freezes.
+------+
|Zapdos|
+------+
HP 383
ATK 278
DEF 268
SPD 298
SPE 348
CHC 19.5%
Type - Electric/Flying
Weaknesses - Ice, Rock
Neutrals - Electric, Fire, Ghost, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Water
Resistances - Bug, Fighting, Flying, Grass
Immunities - Ground
Zapdos is usually the best bird of the three, having Drill Peck and the best
type. Zapdos has very high HP, Speed and Special, with Attack and Defense above
average. Zapdos works well at having the strongest Electric attacks, and being
able to hit other types hard with Drill Peck. This makes Zapdos a possible
sweeper, but like many Electrics, it requires Ground types to be KO'd first.
However, pure Grounds like Sandslash or Dugtrio may not have Rock Slide, so
Zapdos only has to worry about Golem and Rhydon. Being Flying, Zapdos still has
to worry about Ice attacks as well, but has nice Special to cover those for
awhile. Zapdos is one of the best Pokemon, but needs Golem, Rhydon and Ice
Pokemon taken out first.
Thunder Wave any opponents you need to, and attack with Thunderbolt or Drill
Peck. Zapdos is one of the few effective hybrid sweepers, taking out both low
Special and low Defense Pokemon. Pure Electrics like Jolteon or Raichu may cause
some trouble though. Thunder is a possible move since it can KO Slowbro and
Starmie in one hit, but due to accuracy and minimum damage, Thunderbolt will
generally KO faster. The fourth move is entirely optional, as either one works,
as long as you know how to use it properly. If you want to be creative, you
could drop Thunder Wave for a second support move, but Thunder Wave is helpful.
Relative Strength
Drill Peck vs Alakazam - 152-129 (49%-41%)
Drill Peck vs Chansey - 262-223 (37%-32%)
Drill Peck vs Exeggutor - 215-183 (55%-47%)
Drill Peck vs Jynx - 169-144 (51%-43%)
Thunder vs Starmie - 359-305 (111%-94%)
Thunderbolt vs Alakazam - 116-98 (37%-31%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 285-243 (88%-75%)
Thunderbolt vs Snorlax - 185-158 (35%-30%)
Thunderbolt vs Tauros - 178-151 (50%-43%)
Relative Defense
Alakazam's Psychic - 122-104 (32%-27%)
Chansey's Ice Beam - 145-123 (38%-32%)
Jynx's Blizzard - 256-218 (67%-57%)
Snorlax's Body Slam - 130-110 (34%-29%)
Starmie's Blizzard - 176-150 (46%-39%)
Tauros's Blizzard - 141-120 (37%-31%)
Tauros's Body Slam - 122-103 (32%-27%)
How to use Zapdos
Zapdos is one of the deadliest Pokemon, being able to sweep both Physicals and
Specials, and spread Paralysis too. While Grounds are still an issue, Drill Peck
will usually take out Dugtrio and Sandslash before they can beat Zapdos, but
Golem and Rhydon are still an issue. Ice types, while almost all weak to
Electric, can do major damage to Zapdos. If you're able to take out any threats
though, Zapdos will be capable of taking out multiple Pokemon, so long as you
don't have bad luck or anything. Tauros and Snorlax are tough, but it's still
manageable at the expense of most of Zapdos's HP.
How to beat Zapdos
Golem and Rhydon are your heroes for Zapdos, but Ice types work well too. If you
Paralyze Zapdos, all Ice Pokemon will be safe. Jynx is the safest of the 5, due
to being neutral to Electric attacks, but Drill Peck still hits hard. If none of
those are available, you'll have to attack Zapdos with whatever you have. While
Tauros and Snorlax go about even with Zapdos, it may not be worth losing a
Physical Pokemon for it. Chansey and Alakazam can somewhat stall while slowly
chipping Zapdos's health.
+-------+
|Moltres|
+-------+
HP 383
ATK 298
DEF 278
SPD 278
SPE 348
CHC 17.5%
Type - Fire/Flying
Weaknesses - Electric, Ice, ROCK, Water
Neutrals - Flying, Ghost, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - BUG, Fighting, Fire, GRASS
Immunities - Ground
Moves - Agility, Bide, Double Team, Double-Edge, Fire Blast, Fire Spin, Fly,
Hyper Beam, Leer, Mimic, Peck, Rage, Razor Wind, Reflect, Rest, Sky Attack,
Substitute, Swift, Take Down, Toxic, Whirlwind
Moltres is statistically the best bird, but generally the worst of the 3 because
of the bad movepool. Moltres is also Fire, which means it has limited
effectiveness, and more weaknesses. It can still hit most Pokemon hard with huge
Fire Blasts coming from 348 Special. Moltres can actually take on tough Physical
Pokemon, because most have to worry about being Burned. Tauros gets KO'd in 2
Fire Blasts, and if the first one is a Burn, Tauros loses almost all of its
usefulness. Likewise, Golem and Rhydon can lose a large portion of their HP if
they switch into Moltres, and might get Burned, which cripples them both.
Remember though that Moltres can't do much else, and Fire Blast is only 85%
accurate, but still makes Moltres one of the only good Fire types. In standard
matches, Moltres can suprise Physical Pokemon, but still has trouble with
Specialists. It's probably the only Fire type worth using.
Recommended Movesets for Moltres
1 - Standard - Agility, Fire Blast, Hyper Beam, Fire Spin/Reflect
Scorch your opponents and that’s about it. Agility can increase Moltres's Speed
and Hyper Beam has potential against some low Defense Pokemon. Fire Spin is
very effective in Wrapping, despite the 70% accuracy. If Wrapping is banned, use
Reflect. A Flying move is also possible, but both Fly and Sky Attack are poor
moves.
Relative Strength
Fire Blast vs Alakazam - 145-124 (46%-40%)
Fire Blast vs Chansey - 173-147 (25%-21%)
Fire Blast vs Exeggutor - 308-262 (78%-67%)
Fire Blast vs Golem - 127-108 (35%-30%)
Fire Blast vs Jynx - 371-316 (111%-95%)
Fire Blast vs Snorlax - 233-198 (45%-38%)
Fire Blast vs Tauros - 224-190 (63%-54%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 201-171 (64%-55%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 349-297 (<50%-42%)
Moltres is like Articuno having massive Stats and power, but horrible moves.
It's a one move wonder with Fire Blast, so anything that can take it is a
problem. However, Fire Blast against Physicals is excellent, due to the threat
of halving their Attack with a Burn, while also doing heavy damage. You have to
be careful about switch-ins when using it though, because Burning a Specialist
means you can't Paralyze, Freeze or put it to Sleep. Use Moltres on Pokemon with
low Special or weak to Fire, but avoid everything else.
How to counter Moltres
If the Pokemon you're using isn't weak to Fire or horrible after a Burn, it'll
be fine. Waters and Rocks (or a combination; Omastar) are your best choices, but
Special stallers work too. Alakazam and Chansey would be pleased to receive a
Burn as an immunity to other Status problems. While Physicals aren't recommended
due to the risk of Burns, they can take out Moltres. Omastar is the best counter
and Starmie is the best counter that's more common.
+---------+
|Dragonite|
+---------+
HP 385
ATK 366
DEF 288
SPD 258
SPE 298
CHC 15.6%
Type - Dragon/Flying
Weaknesses - ICE, Rock
Neutrals - Electric, Flying, Ghost, Normal, Poison, Psychic
Resistances - Bug, Fighting, Fire, GRASS, Water
Immunities - Ground
Dragonite is the only final form Dragon, but also being Flying makes that
specialty somewhat less useful. Dragonite is tied in second with Mew for
highest Stats in the game, and has the highest Attack in the game. Dragonite
also has a huge movepool, including attacks like Thunder Wave, Agility, Wrap,
Surf, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Fire Blast, Body Slam, and many more. Dragonite has
a few problems though: the main one is that Dragonite doesn't get any STAB
moves, as Dragon Rage is a set-damage move, and learns no Flying attacks. It
also doesn't get anything besides Normal attacks to use the 366 attack on. And
the reason why Dragonite can be easily KO'd in standard matches is that it has
a 4x weakness to Ice attacks, which are very abundant. Because of these,
Dragonite isn't used very often, but can be a powerful Wrapper, and a decent
Special sweeper. It can be an effective switch-in against Golem and Rhydon since
Earthquake can't hit Dragonite. Dragonite is pretty good and considered a top
Pokemon, but there are better standards. If Wrapping moves are allowed though,
Dragonite is one of the best Pokemon, simply due to the broken technique of
Agility with Wrap, but otherwise, Dragonite is just a modified Gyarados.
Recommended Movesets for Dragonite
1 - Standard - Agility, Wrap, 2 of Hyper Beam/Blizzard/Thunder Wave/Surf
Wrapping Dragonite. Dragonite has 366 attack for Wrap, Agility, and can finish
off many weak Pokemon well. Dragonite is also the only Wrapper with Thunder
Wave, which could spread Paralysis if wanted. Hopefully while spreading, the
opponent doesn't switch to an Ice Pokemon. If you're lucky enough though, you
can sweep an entire team with this moveset, once Dragonite gets going. So long
as it's faster, and have spread enough Paralysis, Dragonite is very unlikely
to be stopped. Don't forget that Dragonite isn't done after being Paralyzed
since Agility can negate the Speed loss, but being Fully Paralyzed will slow it
down. Make sure Gengar is taken out before using this set.
2 - Hybrid Sweeper - Hyper Beam, Blizzard/Surf, 2 of
Thunder Wave/Thunderbolt/Agility/Body Slam
Sort of a hybrid sweeper, having great offensive Stats, but no multipliers. It
can still hit many Pokemon hard, but not necessarily KO them. Surf is a possible
choice, as it's a OHKO on Golem and Rhydon.
OHKO Dragonite. Blizzard and Surf can help cover Grounds that have Rock Slide,
Thunder Wave and Agility are for the required Speed, and Thunderbolt helps with
most Ice Pokemon. Jynx and Gengar are an issue to this set, and don't forget
that OHKO moves are often banned.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 176-150 (45%-38%)
Blizzard vs Gengar - 85-73 (26%-23%)
Blizzard vs Golem - 292-249 (80%-69%)
Blizzard vs Tauros - 128-109 (36%-31%)
Hyper Beam vs Alakazam - 247-210 (79%-67%)
Hyper Beam vs Chansey - 429-365 (61%-52%)
Surf vs Golem - 465-395 (128%-109%)
Thunderbolt vs Lapras - 169-143 (37%-31%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 163-139 (51%-43%)
If you're using the hybrid sweeper set, focus more on the Physical side and take
out low Defense Pokemon like Alakazam and Chansey. The Special moves and Thunder
Wave can assist Dragonite against other Pokemon. You have to avoid Gengar though
due to the Normal immunity, and Ice Pokemon are lethal against Dragonite. If you
are using the Wrapping set, use Dragonite late after Paralysis has been spread,
Gengar has been taken out and potential threats are taken care of. Rocks can
still be slowly weakened with Wrap, so you don't have to worry about them. If
you set Dragonite up properly, there's a slim chance of stopping you. And if
you're using the OHKO set, Paralysis helps, and Gengar has to be taken out.
How to counter Dragonite
The hybrid sweeper and OHKO sets are not nearly as difficult as the Wrapping
Dragonite. Against the former two, use Ice moves if possible and watch out for
Dragonite's mix of Physical and Special attacks. Chansey and Starmie can hit
hard with Ice Beam and Blizzard, but risk Paralysis and a potential KO. Alakazam
is fairly safe if you make sure to keep the HP high. Ice types are your best
choice for a quick KO, and Gengar can effectively wall out Dragonite at the cost
of Paralysis. For a Wrapping Dragonite, it's different. You'll want something
that can hit hard and isn't Paralyzed. If you're able to hit Dragonite before it
uses Agility, use something powerful. After Agility and Wrap begins, make sure
that when Wrap misses, you can retaliate since you won't get too many chances.
If you're careful enough, you could switch to a Rock when Dragonite tries Hyper
Beam to finish off a Pokemon. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until Wrap misses.
Gengar is the only true counter to Wrapping Dragonite due to being Ghost.
+------+
|Mewtwo|
+------+
HP 415
ATK 318
DEF 278
SPD 358
SPE 406
CHC 25.3%
Type - Psychic
Weaknesses - Bug
Neutrals - Electric, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Rock,
Water
Resistances - Fighting, Psychic
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Amnesia, Barrier, Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Confusion,
Counter, Disable, Double Team, Double-Edge, Fire Blast, Flash, Hyper Beam,
Ice Beam, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic, Mist, Pay Day, Psychic,
Psywave, Rage, Recover, Reflect Rest, Seismic Toss, Selfdestruct, Skull Bash,
Solarbeam, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Swift, Take Down, Teleport,
Thunder, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Toxic, Tri Attack, Water Gun
Mewtwo has its Stats too high. Speed and Special are perfect (except Electrode’s
Speed), HP is excellent, Defense is above average, and even Attack is very high.
Mewtwo can pump up its insanely high Special even more with Amnesia. That and
the ability to Recover make Mewtwo nearly impossible to KO after setting up.
On top, Mewtwo is Psychic, which is the most dominant type in the game. Mewtwo
also has a huge movepool of great attacks and can take on most types of Pokemon.
Mewtwo is easily an uber Pokemon and banned in most matches.
Recommended Movesets for Mewtwo
1 - Standard - Amnesia, Psychic, Recover/Rest, Thunderbolt/Ice Beam/Blizzard
Pump up Special even more and then unleash Mewtwo’s power. Ice Beam is more
useful than Thunderbolt, but Slowbro is a common anti-Mewtwo, so Thunderbolt
covers Slowbro. Blizzard and Ice Beam are for Chansey if it tries to stall
Mewtwo. Don't forget that if you want to be creative, Counter, Thunder Wave,
Substitute and Hyper Beam are all available as well.
It doesn't take a genius to use Amnesia and defeat any Pokemon in two hits.
While Mewtwo is as close to invincible as you can get, there are still a few
holes the opponent can exploit. Chansey is one of the few Pokemon that can stall
a fully powered Mewtwo, so you'll either need to Paralyze it, lower Special with
Psychic, or take it out with another Pokemon. Alakazam and Slowbro can also be
difficult without Blizzard and Thunderbolt respectively. A series of Explosion
and Selfdestruct can also take out Mewtwo, so avoid Paralysis if you feel the
opponent will do that, or use Mewtwo later in the game. Sleep also has to be
avoided. Otherwise, Mewtwo should be fine.
How to counter Mewtwo
While there are a number of ways to counter Mewtwo, it can be ready for anything
if given the right moves. Fortunately, it can't counter everything with a single
set. Light Screen Chansey is an excellent Pokemon that can slowly drain Mewtwo's
PP while going for a Freeze, or use Paralysis to help stall. Slowbro with
Amnesia can't be stopped if Mewtwo doesn't have Thunderbolt, and setting up is
safe. If Mewtwo doesn't have Blizzard, Exeggutor and Alakazam can stall. And if
Mewtwo doesn't have Psychic, then Chansey has an even easier time. For a safer
way, you can Paralyze Mewtwo and use Explosion, followed by a finishing move.
Since Mewtwo won't be able to attack, it'll be an easy setup. Electrode is the
best choice for this by being the only Pokemon faster and having Thunder Wave.
+---+
|Mew|
+---+
HP 403
ATK 298
DEF 298
SPD 298
SPE 298
CHC 19.5%
Type - Psychic
Weaknesses - Bug
Neutrals - Electric, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Rock,
Water
Resistances - Fighting, Psychic
Immunities - Ghost
Moves - Bide, Blizzard, Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Counter, Cut, Dig, Double Team,
Double-Edge, Dragon Rage, Dream Eater, Earthquake, Egg Bomb, Explosion,
Fire Blast, Fissure, Flash, Fly, Horn Drill, Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, Mega Drain,
Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Metronome, Mimic, Pay Day, Pound, Psychic, Psywave, Rage,
Razor Wind, Reflect, Rest, Rock Slide, Seismic Toss, Selfdestruct, Skull Bash,
Sky Attack, Softboiled, Solarbeam, Strength, Submission, Substitute, Surf,
Swift, Swords Dance, Take Down, Teleport, Thunder, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt,
Toxic, Transform, Tri Attack, Water Gun, Whirlwind
Mew is banned like Mewtwo, but for a different reason. Mew has very high Stats
for all and learns every HM and TM. Compared to Mewtwo, Mew has much lower Stats
though, except for extra Defense. Mew doesn't get Amnesia, so it can't dominate
as much as Mewtwo, but with the entire list of TMs and HMs available, Mew can
create more movesets. Mew, like Mewtwo, is banned from most matches.
Recommended Movesets for Mew
1 – Standard - Earthquake, Psychic, Softboiled, Thunder Wave
Standard Mew. Psychic and Earthquake are the best of Physical and Special (for
Mew), mixed with Softboiled and Thunder Wave. This Mew is deadly, but can be
stalled by a few Psychic Pokemon, particularily Exeggutor. It's incredibly easy
to mix the moveset with other moves as you need them though.
Mew can hit almost any type of Pokemon with this moveset. Rock Slide, Surf or
Body Slam are all possible choices as well. This moveset, has great offense, but
lacks Softboiled and Thunder Wave.
Physical sweeping Mew. Swords Dance plus Explosion will beat anything that isn’t
Rock or Ghost, and until then, it can use powerful Earthquakes and Normal moves.
Although the Earthquakes aren't as strong as Sandslash's, Mew has better
surviving capabilites, especially if you prefer Softboiled. If you use Swords
Dance 3 times and then Explode, only Gengar (and Haunter and Gastly) can
survive due to the immunity. Golem and Rhydon are the only other two Pokemon
that can still last, but neither of them are even guaranteed. Even Omastar is 6
HP off of lasting, but that's only for the minimum damage.
OHKO Mew. It works very well, but can be stalled on by faster Pokemon that use
Thunder Wave, like Starmie or Alakazam. Grounds can counter Mew, especially
Dugtrio, so the fourth move could also be an anti-Ground attack. Although OHKO
movesets are usually banned, if you're using Mew, chances are that OHKOs are
also allowed.
Relative Strength
Blizzard vs Exeggutor - 176-150 (45%-38%)
Earthquake vs Jolteon - 233-198 (70%-59%)
Psychic vs Tauros - 144-123 (41%-35%)
1x Swords Dance + Explosion vs Mewtwo - 614-522 (148%-126%)
3x Swords Dance + Explosion vs Rhydon - 423-360 (102%-87%)
Thunderbolt vs Starmie - 163-139 (50%-43%)
There is no simple way in using Mew, as how you use it is based on the moveset
you give it. For any moveset though, you want to make sure there are no common
Pokemon that can completely stall you. Also, you want to avoid any Sleep or
Freeze threats. Otherwise, the moves you give Mew decide how to use it. If you
use Swords Dance though, make sure you can setup.
How to counter Mew
Due to how unpredictable Mew can be, there's no easy way to counter it. The best
methods are putting it to Sleep and attacking with anything powerful. Make sure
you can finish Mew off once you start attacking though, as Mew takes time to be
beaten and often has Softboiled. Psychics and Normals are generally safe since
their weaknesses can't be as easily exploited by Mew's moves. Chansey, Alakazam
and Tauros are all relatively effective against Mew, but if you know Mew's
moveset, Pokemon such as Rhydon, Gengar and Exeggutor can work too. Stalling
helps, but putting Mew to Sleep or Freezing are the best ways.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 8) Battling |
| a) Selecting Your Pokemon |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
So after going through the analysis of each Pokemon, you can narrow down most of
the Pokemon to about a quarter of the total. The following are arguably the best
Pokemon to choose from:
But this isn't a restriction of any sort, as many other Pokemon can be capable
in competitive battling, but these are the main Pokemon.
Alakazam / Chansey / Starmie - Stallers - These three have Recover/Softboiled
and the ability to constantly replenish HP is extremely useful as they do some
damage back when they can. More importantly, all three learn Thunder Wave which
spreads Paralysis. These are best used early on as they can't sweep extremely
well. Chansey's Special moves aren't STAB, Alakazam relies on one attack and
Starmie, while diverse, doesn't have quite as much power as better sweepers.
They're best used for stalling, but each can help do some damage throughout the
game. Alakazam and Chansey are better overall due to type, but Starmie's extra
Defense allows it to fight Physicals more effectively.
Exeggutor / Gengar / Jynx - Sleepers - Sleep is essentially a free KO, so you
should always put something to Sleep. Gengar is the fastest of the three, but
Jynx and Exeggutor aren't weak to Psychic, which helps against Alakazam and
Starmie leads. It's recommended to have a backup Sleeper if you leard with one,
incase something happens to it. Exeggutor is the most effective of the three
beyond Sleep, Jynx is the fastest with a 75% accuracy Sleep move and has other
benefits due to its type, and Gengar can be used later for switching into
Explosion.
Golem / Snorlax / Tauros - Physical Sweepers - Since the main stallers are tough
to beat with Special attacks, Golem, Snorlax and Tauros are used with their
mighty Physical attacks to exploit their low Defense. Tauros has a mix of very
high Speed with powerful Normal moves, among other things, making it almost a
staple to any team. Snorlax is a bit stronger and much tougher than Tauros at
the expense of Speed, but Snorlax also comes with Selfdestruct which can take
out almost any Pokemon. Golem is used more for countering Electrics, but can
fare somewhat well against the stallers and also comes with Explosion. Since
these Pokemon are valuable, they're best used later in the game when the
opponent's Pokemon are damaged and/or Paralyzed so you can quickly take down
what's remaining of their team with ease.
Zapdos - Hybrid Sweeping - Zapdos is arguably the game's best hybrid sweeper,
having power for Thunderbolt and Drill Peck, which compliment each other very
well. Grass is one of the few types Electric can't easily take down, but Drill
Peck takes care of that (Exeggutor). With Drill Peck, Zapdos is a threat to
Special stallers, and with Thunderbolt, it can bang up the Physical Pokemon as
well. The main drawback for Zapdos is it can't do anything to Golem and Rhydon.
Zapdos also can take down most Pokemon, but it isn't fully capable of wiping out
entire teams, but the likelihood of taking out at least one or two is very high.
Articuno / Cloyster / Lapras - Ice Specialists - Ice is one of the top types for
offense, as Blizzard has 90% accuracy and 120 Base Power. With STAB Blizzards,
the Ice Pokemon can fight Physicals, Exeggutor, and go for Freezes against other
Pokemon. Tauros and Snorlax also don't have attacks that can hit the Ice Pokemon
hard, so they struggle somewhat taking them down (particularly Cloyster). They
are weak to Electric attacks though, which are fairly common, and they can't
heal like the other common Specialists, but they are great for dealing heavy
damage.
Dugtrio / Persian / Rhydon - Alternative Physical Sweepers - While the other
three are much more common for Physical sweeping, each of Dugtrio, Persian and
Rhydon have something to offer if prefered. Dugtrio is the fastest Ground type
by far, and while it still struggles with Zapdos, Earthquake has 100 Base Power,
and Dugtrio gets Criticals very frequently, making it an unorthodox Physical. It
also has Speed equal to Alakazam's, so Dugtrio is great for revenge KOing.
Dugtrio is extremely fragile though. Persian's Physical sweeping runs off its
extra Speed over Tauros and Slash. While Slash is stronger than even Snorlax's
Body Slam, the main benefit is ignoring Stat boosts, such as Alakazam's Reflect.
Persian otherwise isn't up to par with Tauros, but Slash has its specific uses.
Rhydon is a powerhouse and stronger than Golem, but the reason why Golem is more
useful is Explosion which Rhydon lacks. However, Rhydon has 40 higher Attack,
which allows it to 2HKO Chansey guaranteed and possibly Starmie as well. Rhydon
also has slightly tougher defensive Stats (due to HP), so Rhydon can survive
better than Golem. If you prefer the added Attack power, Rhydon can replace
Golem, but Explosion is very handy to have.
Dragonite / Jolteon / Slowbro - Alternative Sweeping - Dragonite's viability is
based on the rules being used. If Wrapping moves are allowed, Dragonite is very
difficult to stop after it uses Agility and begins to Wrap. Otherwise, Dragonite
is an above average hybrid sweeper. Jolteon is an alternative to Zapdos, having
more Speed and no Flying type. While Jolteon can still handle Specialists with
either Double Kick or Pin Missile, they aren't as consistent or powerful as
Zapdos's Drill Peck. Jolteon isn't weak to Ice though, and the 358 Speed means
it's faster than any other Pokemon commonly played and has a one in four chance
for any attack to be Critical. Jolteon can be used over Zapdos if you prefer its
benefits over Zapdos's power and durability. Slowbro is the game's best Pokemon
that can setup (unless you count Dragonite), having very high Defense and HP,
while Amnesia covers for the average Special. Once Slowbro has used Amnesia
multiple times, its Special attacks do massive damage to anything not resistant.
Slowbro is tricky to setup though due to its type and its Speed, and you have to
avoid Thunderbolt. But, if you can get past any threats, Slowbro is a dangerous
Special sweeper.
Now while these are the main Pokemon, they shouldn't restrict you from being
creative and experimenting. Many other Pokemon can work well in certain
situations, but they all have some sort of flaw that keeps them away from being
used more often. Dodrio for example has Snorlax's power with high Speed, and
also has Drill Peck, making Dodrio a dangerous sweeper, but Flying is weak to
many types and Dodrio lacks defensive Stats. Victreebel can also be handy with
Razor Leaf, Wrap, double powder, and works as a hybrid sweeper. Victreebel has
many weaknesses though, which are hard to get around. Many other Pokemon offer
other uses or gimmicks that can be handy, so long as you know when and how to
use them.
For actually making a team, it's best to have 1 or 2 Sleepers, 1 or 2 Physical
Sweepers, and the rest Specialists for all the reasons listed above. However,
you can always be creative and make certain teams works, such as having both
Jolteon and Zapdos on the same team, so long as you know how to deal with
Grounds. These just act as a base to make your first team(s), but once you
become fluent with how Pokemon work in play, you can makes teams as you need
them.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 8) Battling |
| b) Battling |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Making an effective team is great, but if you don't know how to battle well, it
won't matter much. There are many phases of a battle, and different Pokemon are
better at different times.
Phase 1: Sleep and initial stalling
As soon as the battle begins, players will often put something to Sleep. While a
Sleeper isn't an opponent's strongest Pokemon, it can be difficult putting a
Pokemon to Sleep after spreading Paralysis, but this could be used for creating
pressure in switching. After you put what you want to Sleep, or have something
be put to Sleep, you can begin stalling and spreading Paralysis with Starmie,
Chansey or Alakazam. Sweepers at this point aren't superb because they can't
safely take down Pokemon one-on-one and need some damage and Paralysis to
support them.
Phase 2: Permanent damage, pressure and eliminating counters
Assuming you don't know what your opponent has, you have to take out certain
Pokemon that may give your team an issue such as Golem against your Zapdos. This
is the main part of the game and lasts depending on how each player handles the
stallers. If you have a Chansey against a non-Paralyzed or Sleeping staller, you
can go for a Freeze. This is also when players begin to use Physicals and
Explosion for some damage or a KO. It's best to use Physicals when you predict
the opponent will heal or when they have low enough health for a quick KO.
Tauros and Snorlax can make an appearance at this point if you're able to use
them safely enough, since you'll need them later. You and the opponent can begin
creating pressure into switching as well, when a staller is up against a Pokemon
with Explosion or Selfdestruct, and then being able to read what the opponent
will actually do. If you can safely Paralyze or damage Pokemon that don't have a
healing move, definitely go for them, as they'll greatly help you later. This
phase generally ends when a staller or two has been eliminated from a team and
the Physical sweepers can go to work.
Phase 3: Physical sweeping, setting up, late Sleep and cleaning up
Generally, whoever loses the first staller will be more likely to use Physical
Pokemon and you'll be able to Paralyze and damage them with what's left of your
own stallers. If you still have a Sleeper and something isn't Asleep, it's best
to use it now on one of the opponent's important Pokemon. Afterward, the rest of
the match is using Physical Pokemon to clear up the opponent's Paralyzed and
damaged Pokemon. Occasionally, something may have happened to both player's
Physicals, leaving only stallers left late in the game. This is when stall wars
occur, since neither player can finish off the other's Pokemon. When in a stall
war, switch out after several Special falls (Alakazam), make sure to heal often
incase of bad luck and save some attacking move PP when the opponent runs out of
Softboiled or Recover. If you happen to be in a stall war, but you have a
damaged Physical Pokemon left, continue to stall out until your opponent will be
unable to take out your Physical (drain PP and do damage).
This is the general idea of how matches get played out, but like making teams, a
creative player may have a different mindset. The important thing is to plan out
what you're going to do and what Pokemon you'll target. During each turn, always
consider the possibilities of what an opponent's Pokemon will have, will do and
if they'll switch. Always have a plan on what you'll do to win, but due to the
lucky nature of the game, you should also always have a backup plan incase
something happens. Different Pokemon may also alter each phase, such as if you
use Slowbro, more Physicals than usual, etc. Like the team creation section,
this is just a base.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 8) Battling |
| c) Team Examples |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Here are some example teams for competitive battling if you're new and don't
know where to start. The best way to get better is to practice and play a
variety of different players. These are "pre-set" teams that you can try out.
This is a really simple team that you can learn the basics of competitive
battling with. It's very simple to use, doesn't require superb skill to play and
is still effective. Ideally, you want to put something to Sleep with Jynx while
having Exeggutor as a backup if something happens. From there, you can stall out
the opponent with a mix of Alakazam and Chansey while spreading Paralysis. After
that, you can sweep with Golem and Tauros. Two Explosions can also help you
learn how to read your opponent, but since both Pokemon tend to use Explosion
later, it's easier to use effectively, over Gengar and Snorlax for example.
To build off of this team, you can experiment by trying a different lead or
replacing Golem with Snorlax. You can also try out changing some of the moves
such as Exeggutor's Stun Spore with Mega Drain. This team is very easy to use,
but is a bit lacking compared to expert teams. It's great for new players.
Essentially, you lead off with Gengar, put something to Sleep and then switch it
out until you can have Gengar be put to Sleep (it's your Sleep bait), and then
you stall out the opponent with the middle four Pokemon. You want to try to get
a Freeze, but otherwise spread as much Paralysis as possible. Lapras can help
take out Physicals that the opponent won't send out until later, and Tauros can
help clear out whatever the others can't take out. Tauros is vital to your
team's success, so save it for as long as you can if there's any danger. If
Tauros gets Paralyzed or takes a heavy hit early on, your team will get taken
out without difficulty, since the opponent's stallers will be more or less
invincible.
One of the main things you can do for this team is remove one of the Thunder
Waves. Having three allows Paralysis from whichever Pokemon you need, but if you
send out your stallers carefully, you can fit in an extra move. Reflect on
Chansey, a third offensive move on Starmie or a different support move for
Alakazam can all work. You can also lead with Alakazam or Starmie to take Sleep
instead if you're having poor luck with putting something to Sleep with Gengar
alone. If you choose to do this, Gengar can be used as another source of
Physical damage, but you lose some stalling potential.
This team has a smaller Phase 2 part of the game, and focuses more on sweeping
the opponent. Alakazam is used as Sleep bait, while you can Paralyze and do some
damage to the opponent's Sleeper. Afterward, you can put something of the
opponent's to Sleep with your own Sleeper, and spread some Paralysis with
Starmie. Using Exeggutor as a pseudo-staller (due to resistances), you can force
some switches to get some damage in, or switch back to Starmie to Paralyze other
Pokemon the opponent wouldn't have sent out. After you've Paralyzed a few of the
opponent's Pokemon, you can begin sweeping right away. The tricky part of this
team is knowing which sweeper to use. Snorlax is great for Chansey, but Tauros
has a little bit more difficulty, and while Zapdos is nice for Starmie, you may
want to save it later incase of Golem or Rhydon. This team requires some control
and prediction of the opponent, but it allows for quick KOs. Starmie is the key
for this team, and if Starmie gets taken out early, you'll have to face the
opponent's Pokemon without much Paralysis support.
For this team, Zapdos is very helpful for dealing with what your other Pokemon
can't take care of. Because of Grounds, you could support Zapdos more by giving
Exeggutor Mega Drain, or Snorlax or Starmie Surf. Also, if you prefer using
Alakazam as the main Paralyzer, you can switch it with Starmie to be the Sleep
bait. Other Pokemon that may interest you are Persian, the Grounds and Slowbro,
depending on what you prefer for this team.
4) Advanced Handling and Mindgames
Jynx - Blizzard, Body Slam, Counter, Lovely Kiss
Alakazam - Psychic, Recover, Reflect, Thunder Wave
Chansey - Ice Beam, Sing, Softboiled, Thunder Wave
Tauros - Blizzard, Body Slam, Earthquake, Hyper Beam
Persian - Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Hyper Beam, Slash
Snorlax - Body Slam, Earthquake, Hyper Beam, Selfdestruct
Once you become comfortable with battling and prediction, you can use Pokemon
and movesets that require more expertise. Counter can be used on many Pokemon,
but it's important you know what your opponent will do so you can bait them into
attacking you with Normal (or Fighting) moves. Pokemon that have bad counters
such as Persian and Zapdos that have other benefits can become more deadly in
the hands of a better player. Creativity can also be used more effectively when
a player needs a specific counter. Starmie is a very flexible Pokemon and with
its moves, you can create a large variety of effective movesets, based on what
you need.
After you reach a point where the game becomes more about prediction, mindgames
and countering counters, your team starts becoming more of what you specifically
need, rather than having balance and general use. While Pokemon like Gengar and
Zapdos are difficult to use effectively, when you're in your opponent's head,
they're at your mercy. And always remember that a good portion of the game is
luck-based.
Pokemon Stadium is a whole N64 game dedicated to battling. It was a hit because
it allowed being able to play with your own Pokemon against much better
computers, quick and easy multiplayer, and the 3D models of all the Pokemon. It
was also criticized for only having the battling part of the RPG, and nothing
else. From a perspective of a competitive player, it offers many useful
features, which are all covered in the sections below.
The main reason why people bought the game initially, was to test their skills
against the "best of the best". However, the rules were changed around, and some
other smaller things were changed, so being good at Pokemon Stadium doesn't
directly mean you would be good competitively. In fact, players that are superb
at Pokemon Stadium but are inexperienced against other players tend to be under
par and are often dubbed as "Stadium Players". Here are the changes.
3 vs 3 Battles
Assuming that the programmers didn't want battles to take too long (since
Pokemon started to stoop down to a kid's game), they changed battles from 6 vs 6
to 3 vs 3. How this works is you have all 6 of your Pokemon and each trainer
selects 3 for battle. This makes part of battling more luck based, but also
builds on the strategy of having to predict your opponent more. The main thing
is that since there are only 3 Pokemon per battle, spreading Paralysis and other
strategizing is less useful, and it's more effective to get quick KOs using
sweepers. This is also one of the reason most kids playing have never even
considered Chansey or Golem as a good Pokemon. So now that battles are 3 vs 3,
you should slightly reconstruct your team for Pokemon Stadium.
Focus Energy
Changing this attack made Pokemon with this move much more improved. It makes
attacks 4 times more likely to be Critical, which is a big boost. These are all
the Pokemon that learn Focus Energy.
Quite a few Pokemon get a boost, but remember that sweepers are more useful, so
Pokemon like Machamp and Scyther are still not great. The main ones are the
Eevee evolutions. Jolteon is guaranteed to get Critical Hits, and STAB Critical
Thunderbolts coming from 318 Special every turn does huge damage. The 358 Speed
supports this very well too, and you might even consider Jolteon over Zapdos now
because of Jolteon's power. Don't forget though that Zapdos is still stronger in
Stats and doesn't require setting up, but Jolteon is even more of a choice to
consider now. As for Flareon and Vaporeon, they're only improvements, but Fire
types are still poor in Pokemon Stadium, and Starmie is still more effective
than Vaporeon. Focus Energy definitely helps them though.
Hyper Beam
A slight alteration; if Hyper Beam misses or KOs a Pokemon, you still have to
recharge, unlike in RBY. This takes away some potential from Physical Pokemon,
such as Tauros, but it is still effective.
Sleep
Bumped down from 7 turns, Sleep moves can only last 3 turns now. This means you
will have to use Sleep moves more often to keep the opponent Asleep. However,
since it's only 3 turns, the opponent is more likely to leave their Sleeping
Pokemon out, which means you can get a KO and then put another to Sleep right
after. It also means that a larger percentage of the opponent's team is Asleep.
Overall, Sleep moves are less effective, but still useable. Jynx and Gengar get
knocked a little down, but both are still effective in the game.
Wrapping
Easily, the most nerfed part of the game. In Stadium when the opponent switches
while being Wrapped, the Wrapper actually loses a turn, rather than vice versa.
This means, that you will have to be faster than every Pokemon on the opponent's
team to be able to Wrap consistantly without stopping. But due to this, the
Wrapper is also much more likely to miss. On top of everything, the PP glitch
that caused Wrappers to have essentially infinite PP was fixed, so stalling with
Wrap is much more difficult now. Simply put, Wrapping is very ineffective,
making Pokemon like Victreebel, Cloyster and especially Dragonite much worse.
Other Moves
Many moves with effects have their chances changed around such as Bubblebeam's
chance to lower Speed from 10% bumped to 30%. Many of the Flinching moves were
boosted and weak attacks with slight effects were buffed as well. While there
are many of them, all changes are mentioned in Appendix B.
Round 2
Not a battle change, but different than RBY. After you finish the game, you get
Round 2, where you do everything again, except the trainers are somewhat better.
Even then, don't expect much of a fight.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 9) Pokemon Stadium |
| c) Reconstructing Teams |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Now that there are changes in the game, creating a team for Pokemon Stadium is
much different than creating a team for competitive RBY. Chansey, Rhydon and
others have less use. Chansey is still an effective wall, but if the opponent
has something that is good against Chansey such as Tauros or Snorlax, you only
have 2 other Pokemon to switch to. This can be a hassle, but if you look at it
from a different perspective, if the opponent chose nothing effective against
Chansey, then you can sweep all 3 Pokemon with just Chansey. Still not overall
effective, and sweepers are safer, but Chansey is still a possible choice. As
for Golem and Rhydon, they are mainly used to take down Electrics, Fires and
some Normals. Selecting them for battle may not be useful, since the opponent
might not even select their Electrics for battle, and instead pick their others.
Like Chansey, Golem and Rhydon are still effective, but they have a very
exploitable weakness, and it's much easier to do in Pokemon Stadium. Also, since
Paralysis support isn't as effective, they will usually take hits before getting
to attack. Pokemon Stadium is the reason why many players that have never
battled others believe Special sweepers are the best Pokemon.
Prime Cup and Gym Leader Castle
In these two, you are allowed to pick anything at any Level, including Mewtwo
and Mew. If you want to, choose them, but here is a good and effective team for
battling in these two places without either.
Starmie is a great Special sweeper. You may want to drop Thunder Wave since you
can Paralyze the opponents, but it's not as helpful since your other Pokemon
don't really need it as much. Battles are much shorter since they're only 3 on 3
so just unleash attacks with Starmie.
Tauros - Blizzard, Body Slam, Earthquake, Hyper Beam
The same as in RBY, and for the same reasons. Tauros is a great Physical sweeper
and can deal with Grounds still too. Tauros doesn't get to sweep a whole team as
often since switching is less common, but Tauros can make quick work out of
whatever is left. Also, try to limit how often you use Hyper Beam.
Same Zapdos. Zapdos is a powerhouse and Grounds are less common now. If they do
show up, you can make a quick switch to Starmie and take them down in one hit,
leaving the opponent with only 2 Pokemon left. Or, if they switch out, Starmie
gets some free shots on the next Pokemon, again, leaving them down to 2. Zapdos
can do the same type of thing as Starmie, but can also use a Physical attack.
The only real staller left, only because Alakazam doesn't have any other moves,
unlike Starmie and Chansey. Alakazam also doesn't have to worry as much about PP
so you can usually get through a battle with just Psychic. 368 Special and 338
Speed make Alakazam a great sweeper.
Golem - Body Slam, Earthquake, Explosion, Rock Slide
Despite Golem having less usefulness, Ground is still the only type to take out
Electrics. Have Golem in your team, but don't expect to need it often. When you
do though, you can take out most of the opponent's team by beating an Electric
and then Exploding.
Exeggutor - Explosion, Mega Drain, Psychic, Sleep Powder
Exeggutor is one of the most annoying Pokemon now. With only 3 Pokemon to select
per match, you're more likely to have lots of trouble with Exeggutor. You can do
that to your opponent with your own. Sleep Powder is risky, but it's there for
when you need it. Attack and then Explode.
With these 6, and smart battling choices, the game is a breeze. The opponents
don't use the greatest Pokemon, or the best movesets, not to mention all of the
Stats are relatively low. If you have lots of sweepers and they have good Stats,
you'll be fine. When battling, be careful what you pick, and make sure you're
able to beat any of the 6 the opponent chooses. If for example, you pick Golem,
Zapdos and Exeggutor, you're able to get beaten easily by the opponent's Jynx
They may not pick it, but incase they do, don't leave yourself open to that.
Poke Cup
Essentially like the above two, except with a Level restriction and no Mewtwo or
Mew. It's pretty much the same deal. The rules are you have to have all your
Pokemon at Levels 50 to 55, and the 3 you select each match much be 155 or less.
With that, you can have a 53 and two 51s, or a 54, a 51 and a 50, etc. Remember
though that you'll want sweeping power, so the best combination is 55 and two
50s. Of your 6 Pokemon, have 2 at Level 55 and 4 at Level 50 for the most
balance and possiblities. At the beginning of the damage formula, the first
multiplier is (0.4 x Level + 2). With Level 50, 51 and 52, that reaches 22, with
Level 53 and 54, it reaches 23 and with 55 it reaches 24. These are only 1 point
differences, but remember that it's a multiplier. The damage difference for a
Level 50 and Level 55 is about 10%. Although you can use other Levels, a 55 and
two Level 50s offer the highest damage increase. On your whole team, if you have
two 55s and four 50s, you have the most possibilities of selecting a team and
having the max Levels allowed. Other common Level styles are four 51s and two
53s, or four 52s and two 51s, despite not offering the greatest possible
offense.
As for picking your Level 55s, you want the most power, and the least amount of
problems. If you were to have Golem at Level 55 and the opponent beats it quick
with a Water attack, you're left with two Level 50s. So you'll want something
that can beat anything you need to. Also remember that your two Level 55s can't
be in the same match, so don't pick two that have different uses or you'll have
less options. In other words, if you chose Tauros and Starmie to be your Level
55s and chose Starmie for a match, you are left with Golem and other Special
sweepers, meaning you can't use many Physical attacks. This is why you'll want
two that are similar, such as Alakazam and Starmie. The choice is your's. If you
want even more selection per match, you can have four 52s and two 51s, so you
can select more possibilities at the expense of some power. Although you can't
pick 3 52s, if you made Starmie a Level 51, you have can select almost anything
since Starmie will be one of the Pokemon you'll want each round. Selecting
Starmie will allow you to select any other two, and once you start playing with
Starmie's sweeping abilities, you'll realize you'll be selecting Starmie almost
every round.
There are lots of ways you can create a team for Poke Cup, but remember that the
opponents aren't the best in the world. Any team with strategy and power put
into it will get through fine.
Fun facts: The final two trainers you'll face in Poke Cup (Master Ball and Round
2) have issues with their teams. The semi-finalist, Tamer only has 2 moves on
each Pokemon, probably because the AI isn't smart enough to use the
high-Critical moves (since the game is based on theme-teams for the most part),
and Charizard is at Level 52, where it could be Level 53 and still be used as
often. As for the final trainer, Psychic, the Slowbro is Level 50, while the
highest level for the rest of the team is 52, meaning Slowbro should be at least
Level 51. It's embarrassing that the final trainers don't even have all of the
basics down yet.
Pika Cup
Levels 15 to 20 with a total maximum of 50 per battle. The same Level mindset
applies with Poke cup, but the damage difference is even greater since the
Levels are lower. A Level 20 will do about 25% more damage than a Level 15. You
are also legally allowed to use any Pokemon besides Mew and Mewtwo, as long as
it is 15 to 20. This means that Pokemon like Gengar and Exeggutor can be used,
and also means that if you hack your game or cheat in anyway, you are allowed to
use Zapdos, Dragonite, etc. For this, sweepers are extremely important.
Dragon Rage
Since it's a set damage move at doing 40, and all Pokemon are only Level 15 to
20, you can KO almost anything with just 2. This makes Dragon Rage crucial. The
only Pokemon that you can legally have that survive 2 Dragon Rages are below.
Of course there are a few more, but these are all the legal ones. Looking at the
list, except for Chansey, everything has to at least have a Level above 15, so
not only do you have to use one of the few that can survive, you also have to
use some of the extra Level points on them. Clearly, Dragon Rage dominates Pika
Cup. Chansey is also the only Pokemon that can survive 3, but only at Level 17
or above.
Essentially, you'll use Starmie and win every round. Arcanine, Chansey and
Alakazam are all candidates for your other Level 20, but Alakazam is probably
your best bet. With 2 Speed higher than Starmie and only Psychic, Alakazam will
still be chosen less than Starmie anyway. Arcanine at Level 20 is an effective
Dragon Rager and has enough HP to survive 2 back. Fire isn't the greatest type,
but at least Arcanine can get quick KOs. If the opponent has 45 HP (for example)
use one of the other moves first and finish off with Dragon Rage. Since it will
take two turns, why not go for Paralysis, a Burn, or even a Critical Hit? If the
opponent only has slightly above 40, 80 or 120, use another attack first.
Chansey is the same as always, but used as an anti-Dragon Rage Pokemon. It can
heal more than Dragon Rage does and can hit anything decently back. However,
Chansey is slow and Speed is important in a field full of fast sweepers. Lapras
is like Starmie but comes with Dragon Rage, and Dugtrio is there for a quick KO
on the occasional Electric. However, since the only legal Electrics are Raichu,
and Electrode, don't expect to use it often. Actually, you'll probably never use
it. Lead with Starmie, sweep, and do the next battle. Repeat until all of Pika
Cup is done. Also, the opponent does cheat in some of the matches. The final
trainer in Round 2 has a Level 15 Golem, Machamp and Kangaskhan, which you can't
get (and not even Golem in GSC), unless you count the Mew glitch.
Petit Cup
Levels 25 to 30 here, and only Pokemon that are of specific weight and height
are allowed. Basically, weaklings and no evolved Pokemon, dropping the number
of legal users to 45. This also takes away Starmie, Chansey, and other common
Pokemon. Since you probably never cared about height and weight, this is the
list of legal Pokemon.
You can already eliminate some of the Pokemon such as Weedle, Magikarp and Zubat
leaving a lot less. Like Pika Cup, there's a few Pokemon that dominate
everything.
One of the fastest Pokemon and having the highest Special, Abra destroys just
about everything that isn't Exeggcute, another Abra, and not much else. Use Abra
and you're good to go. Farfetch'd is there as a Physical sweeper, and Omanyte is
another Special sweeper. The reason why Omanyte is even a choice is that a
common Pokemon in Petit Cup, Dratini, is only weak to Ice. Since there's no Ice
Pokemon, you have to use Omanyte to beat it in one hit. Besides that, Omanyte is
just another Special sweeper. Either Farfetch'd or Omanyte at Level 30 will do,
but with Abra, you won't use either one much. Growlithe works like Arcanine in
Pika Cup, and Sandshrew is your Physical sweeper, having Swords Dance, high
Attack, and a mix of Physical moves. Geodude is an alternative. Your final
Pokemon is either Magnemite as another Special sweeper and anti-Water, or
Dratini for additonal Dragon Rage and a mix of Special moves. Don't put much
thought into it. Use Abra and you'll be fine.
Final Battle
This is one of the most pathetic matches you'll have in the game. You can use
anything you want, any Level, and all 6 in the battle. The final battle is
against Mewtwo, and nothing else.
Round 2 actually has a decent moveset and it also has perfect Stats (which would
have been nice to see in the rest of the game). It's still incredibly easy.
Team 1 - 3 Turn win
Electrode - Explosion, 3 filler moves
Snorlax - Body Slam, Selfdestruct, 2 filler moves
(At least one additional Pokemon)
Explode with Electrode and Selfdestruct with Snorlax. This is impossible to
lose (assuming their Stats are at least decent). Electrode outspeeds Mewtwo and
even with 999 Special, Psychic is short 24 damage of beating Snorlax. The only
possible way to lose is if Mewtwo uses Thunderbolt and Paralyzes Snorlax and is
Fully Paralyzed long enough, or Blizzard Freezes, but since the AI isn't great,
Mewtwo will be too busy using Psychic or Amnesia.
Stall and drain PP, and then switch to Gengar when Mewtwo has to use Struggle.
Easy to use. Also if you don't mind Double Team/Minimize, throw those in there.
Okay, so you get the point. The final battle is really easy, and almost
anti-climactic. You can also try for a Freeze, beating it with Physical sweepers
and many other options. What a let-down.
Now that you know how to beat everything, you can make secondary teams, and go
back to RBY. If you have friends to play in multiplayer with you, it can create
some new battling strategies and aspects, but if you don't, move on. The
trainers in the game are easy and only support all the kids that believe 4-move
sweepers are the only good Pokemon.
So the battling part of this wasn't very difficult. Pokemon Stadium still offers
some useful tools and has a few bonuses as well.
Surfing Pikachu
To get Surfing Pikachu (and also Raichu with Surf), you have to finish Round 2's
Prime Cup on Master Ball with a few specifications.
-You must use Pikachu in every battle
-You may use continues, so long as you finish the cup
Even with the game's poor trainers, this is still tough to get done. Chances are
you'll want to use Mewtwo and Mew each round, and possibly Alakazam. Here's what
you can do.
Mew is highly modified, but needed to cover what Mewtwo can't. Mewtwo will get
stalled on Exeggutor, and have trouble with Gambler (a OHKO junkie). Mew can
beat the Grounds easier than Mewtwo can, and can also cover Exeggutor. The rest
of Mew's moves are almost entirely for Trainer 6's Alakazam. Mew is still
useable for the rest of the cup, but not as much as usual. It doesn't matter
though since Mewtwo will take care of just about everything. Pikachu can also
make a surprise appearance if Trainer 5's Ditto is used. You definitely do not
want Ditto becoming Mew or Mewtwo, so sacrifice Pikachu if it appears.
Alternatively, you could have a more standard Mew and use one of your other
three Pokemon against Gambler. Realistically though, Mewtwo should have little
to no problems taking care of everything itself.
Amnesia Psyduck
This one is extremely time-consuming. The Hall of Fame keeps track of your
Pokemon that were on your team when you completed Gym Leader Castle or finished
any of the four cups. To get Amnesia Psyduck, you need to get all 151 in there.
Mewtwo you will have to get on your own, but the other 150 are all available as
rentals (Mew is unlocked for Round 2 of Prime Cup). The quickest method of doing
this is pummeling the Elite Four over and over again, but even if you used six
different Pokemon each time, you have to finish it 26 times. Chances are, you
will use at least 2 of the same ones (likely Mewtwo), so that raises it even
more. All this for Amnesia Golduck, which is just a bad Slowbro. Definitely not
worth your time, but if you feel that you have to complete everything, you
better get a really nice Mewtwo. Better yet, get a Gameboy Gameshark.
Prize Pokemon
Everytime you finish the Elite Four, you receive one of the 8 Pokemon that are
"choice Pokemon" in RBY. These are Eevee, Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur,
Kabuto, Omanyte, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan. It's nice if you need to complete
your Pokedex, but all of them aren't great Pokemon, minding Jolteon, but chances
are you evolved Eevee into Jolteon anyway.
Gameboy Tower
If you have a Transfer Pack (which you should if you bought this game), you can
play RBY on Pokemon Stadium. Instead of draining batteries, you can jack up the
bills. It is nice though if you decided to buy one or more of RBY and don't
actually have a Gameboy (which is hilarious).
Dodrio Tower
Finally, something awesome. When you finish the Master Ball difficulty for
either Prime or Poke Cup, you unlock Doduo Tower which allows you to play RBY on
Pokemon Stadium at twice the speed. After finishing both, you can play at triple
speed, with Dodrio Tower. This is very useful for mass catching, training, and
just about anything.
Pokemon Lab
This actually offers lots of nice little things. The first being that you can
deposit up to 12 boxs worth of Pokemon in the N64 boxes, almost doubling the
amount of Pokemon you can keep. You can also trade Pokemon if you have a second
transfer pack (although it's much quicker just to deposit to N64 boxes and then
withdraw them). One of the more useful features is the list of Pokemon you can
view. You can see Stats, moves, identification and other info for each of your
Pokemon in a big list. This is very helpful when you're catching tons of the
same Pokemon to check the Stats really quickly, instead of manually checking
each individual one.
Mini-games
Well, if you like the games this can be fun. It really has nothing to do with
competitive battling though. Personally, I would just buy one of the seventy
Mario Party games.
Should Magneton never be used since this guide said it’s bad?
Not necessarily as all Pokemon are good in their own way, but some Pokemon are
better in more ways than others. The best overall Pokemon are offensive, tough
to KO and have a wide range of moves. This doesn’t mean they’re perfect, as they
all have flaws (except Mewtwo and Mew which are both nearly perfect). The
Pokemon are good, but lack a few things. Anything that didn’t make the list has
a lot of problems, but that doesn’t mean they’re useless. Magneton has very high
Special and can do tons of damage with Thunderbolt, and has the highest Defense
for an Electric. However, since it has poor Speed, HP, Attack and a bad
movepool, it doesn’t work too well in battle.
This guide said Rhydon is good, but it always faints, what’s wrong?
All Pokemon have flaws and if the opponent can exploit them, even the best
Pokemon will get knocked out quickly. It’s just as easy to KO a Rhydon as it is
for Charizard to Physical sweep everything. Rhydon is a great Pokemon, but if
you use it on Waters, you’re done. Rhydon’s role is to get rid of Electrics, low
Defense Pokemon and to resist Physical Normals.
Why'd you always use Alakazam, Chansey and Tauros for Relative Strength/Defense?
While Exeggutor, Snorlax and others are relatively common as well, Alakazam,
Chansey and Tauros are three of the most important Pokemon you need to know
about in battle. Alakazam and Chansey can beat well over 75% of the Pokemon
one-on-one due to stalling, while Tauros is the prime Physical sweeper of RBY.
Since each Pokemon will run into one of these at some point, it's important to
know how well they do against them. Of course I included others as well, but I
used these three far more than anything else.
I can't use Starmie because the opponent just uses Chansey! What should I do?
Pressure and prediction are key in the game. Chansey is a common Pokemon, and
is almost on every team, so you have to expect it. Since Starmie can't beat
Chansey, you have to KO it first. After any Sleepers, the best Pokemon
following that are difficult Pokemon to counter. If you use Zapdos right away,
you're only asking your opponent to use Golem, or if you lead with Sandslash,
Lapras is probably going to come out next. Use Alakazam, Chansey and Tauros
early on, and not Pokemon like Starmie, except as a lead.
I'm using OU/Standard Pokemon, but I still can't win! Why?
Chances are that you're just slapping together a team and not doing some
thinking. Remember that you need to know what each Pokemon is good for and when
to use them in battle. If you're doing that, then you're just having bad luck.
Remember that luck plays a good part of RBY, whether it be Critical Hits, the
damage range, effects from attacks working, and all sorts of other things.
I still think Magmar is great and I don't care what you say!
There isn't really an opinion on the matter. Pokemon is a turn-based game, and
not dynamic such as a First Person Shooter game, or one of the Smash Bros games.
There simply are facts and this guide explains and point out these facts. Magmar
cannot effectively defeat opponents due to a lack of offensive Stats. Magmar
can't consistantly beat an Alakazam for example. It's not an opinion that Magmar
is bad, Magmar IS bad. Of course, if you're discussing specific teams and the
possiblities, opinions may differ, such as Snorlax being a great Physical
sweeper, but that's situational for the most part. If you're playing against
good players, Magmar will rarely serve you well. If you start winning due to
Confuse Ray, that's just ridiculous luck and also means you could have done even
better if you used Ninetales.
What ranks are all the Pokemon?
Since Pokemon all have different uses and strategies, and you won't always face
the same teams, it's difficult to accurately rank Pokemon. Mewtwo and Mew are
definitely first and second, and following that are Exeggutor, Chansey and
Tauros in some order. After that it gets opinionated and situational, and
the exact order of Alakazam, Starmie, Zapdos, Snorlax, Dragonite (with Wrapping
allowed) and Gengar gets difficult. However, people have created tiers, which
are groups of ranks. Mewtwo and Mew are Uber/Banned, the main ~14 Pokemon are
OverUsed (OU), or Standard, and following those is the Borderline tier, the
UnderUsed (UU) tier, and beyond, depending on how much effort a player put into
it. Many different communities also have different tiers, so in low-tier battles
with unfamiliar players, it's important to know which tier list you're playing
with.
Can Pokemon that aren't fully evolved be good?
Well, if they're not fully evolved, that means they aren't at their full
potential. However, in UU matches, Graveler, Kadabra and Haunter aren't too rare
since they're still good, have the same moves as their evolved forms, and are
allowed to play with that ruleset. Otherwise, there is no reason to play with
Pokemon that aren't fully evolved.
What are some battling tips?
Along with general knowledge, there are some small things you can do to make
playing easier. Firstly, never rush into selecting a move. You aren't in a
hurry, and you can take your time, so think about all the options and what your
opponent will do. One of the most underrated things I've learned is timing. If
you wait a few seconds before selecting a move, your opponent may think you're
switching or planning, and may alter what they do themselves. Too many times,
I've predicted a switch, simply because for that turn, they took a little extra
time deciding on a move. If you always wait though, your opponent can't read you
like that. Lastly, even though it's a bit overdoing it, you can always have a
calulator nearby (or use the one on your computer) to calculate damage as you
go. With that, you can estimate how likely you are to KO the opponent, and such.
The damage amounts in the analysis can help, but most people only have a rough
memorization of them (after many battles), not to mention those are all for 100%
healthy Pokemon.
What's your team?
Generally, I change my team every now and then, and modify it depending on who I
am facing. It's important to have both quantity and quality, though I personally
tend to use the same few often. I have a few teams, but this is my main one.
Generally, I have Starmie to attack Gengar or Exeggutor leads, or I Paralyze
Alakazam and do some damage. In the case of Jynx, I use Psychic for some minor
damage and perhaps a Special fall. I don't like to Paralyze a Pokemon too early
since I often use Jynx following Starmie's Sleep, so occasionally I swap Thunder
Wave for Thunderbolt or Light Screen. From there I stall with Alakazam and
Chansey for awhile and eventually sweep with Snorlax and Tauros. I tend to be
aggressive with Alakazam and avoid it getting Paralyzed, while letting Chansey
take most of the abuse. Otherwise, it's a pretty straight forward gameplan, but
I'm very consistent and effective with predicting the opponent, which makes a
large difference overall.
I also sometimes use Gengar and Jynx as leads, depending on my opponent, but in
most cases I use Starmie, as I like having it wake up late and being capable of
attacking whatever is left effectively, and by the time I'm trying to wake it
up, the opponent's Chansey has been taken out. I also like to use Lapras against
difficult opponents because of Confuse Ray and its tankiness. I mix-up my team
as I need to make changes, but I prefer using the same team most of the time.
This isn't to say that my team, preferences and/or playstyle are superior, it's
just my way and view of the game.
What other generations do you play?
I played Pokemon Stadium 2 and the GSC games for Gameboy, but I've never even
touched the other generations. I just lost interest in where Nintendo was taking
Pokemon after GSC and just stuck with RBY, which were made before all the
marketing and franchise existed. In a battling perspective, I'm a mediocre
player in GSC due to coming from Pokemon Stadium 2 (where I used a Sunny Day
team) and only copying common movesets for online battles. I've always liked
RBY because of the simplicity and the zany luck in it. I also don't know nearly
as much about GSC than RBY, and I don't even know what all the Pokemon in RSE
and beyond.
Who are you?
I'm not a big name such as Jolt, GGFan or a well-known member from the Smogon
community, I'm simply just another player. I wanted to write a guide about
advanced battling in RBY since there never was one besides RJones' Strategy
Guide (which is really outdated and also not as in-depth now). His guide goes
over both RBY and GSC generations though, and covers a lot more. I chose to
cover only the RBY generation, but with extensive information on it.
But since the last few updates, I've become somewhat recognizable and known now.
Still not a big name, but some players do know who I am now. Thanks. =)
Why should I take your word for becoming a better player?
I know most of everything known for RBY. I've been playing RBY since Yellow came
out, and got Pokemon Stadium when it came out as well. It's been about a decade
and I've learned tons over this time. Of course the first few years were all
using 4 move sweepers, neglecting anything Physical, and other common traits of
impulsive kids, but I eventually learned about competitive battling. I made my
rough RBY guide, though never released it since it was really poor, as it was
from the perspective of someone who never even played competitively and highly
recommended Toxic on almost everything. Once I learned more, I did lots of
reading and my own little experiments. I made another RBY guide, but it was
still lacking, since I was just a "paper player", never actually having a
quality match. So eventually I played NetBattle and finally became a good
player. I am one of the top RBY players now, but there are still players above
me. So I started working on the guide again, added formulas, tricks and tips,
and various other parts to help any new player. I know a lot and have read
popular analyses such as THE Alternative's, and Smogon's. With those and my own
research, I made this guide.
This guide was stale. Could you freshen it up and give it some life?
Well, that can be hard to do. When it comes to a colassol guide, there's only so
many words you can use and things you can cover. It does get boring. However, if
you have interest in becoming a better player, chances are you looked more at
how useful the information was and learned a few techniques. The audience that
would want this guide the most are also the ones that will be the most
entertained. If you found this guide boring, then competitive battling is
probably not something you'd like in the first place. I put a bit of humor and
such in this guide, keeping it rated E, like the game. If you want some laughs
with quality information as well, read GGFan's analyses, or RJones' Strategy
Guide.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 11) Appendixes |
| a) Base Stats |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This is a list of every Pokemon's Base Stats, which are used for Stat
calculations, Stat Exp, Experience and Critical Hit chances.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 11) Appendixes |
| b) Attacks |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This is a list of every attack which includes the type, Base power, Accuracy,
maximum PP and the effect. Divide 1.6 from the PP number to get the minimum
amount. Any attacks with 61 PP have a minimum of 40 PP. Accuracy values are
close approximations. Anything in brackets is the change of an effect on Pokemon
Stadium.
+------------+--------+----+---+--+--------------------------------------------+
|Attack |Type |Base|Acc|PP|Effect |
+------------+--------+----+---+--+--------------------------------------------+
|Absorb |Grass | 20|100|32|Heals 1 HP per 2 damage |
|Acid |Poison | 40|100|32|~10%[30%] chance to lower Defense by 1 stage|
|Acid Armor |Poison | -| -|61|Raises Defense by 2 stages |
|Agility |Psychic | -| -|48|Raises Speed by 2 stages |
|Amnesia |Psychic | -| -|32|Raises Special by 2 stages |
|Aurora Beam |Ice | 65|100|32|~10%[30%] chance to lower Attack by 1 stage |
|Barrage |Normal | 15| 85|32|Hits 2-5 times |
|Barrier |Psychic | -| -|48|Raises Defense by 2 stages |
|Bide |Normal | -|100|16|Skips 2-3 turns, returns double damage taken|
|Bind |Normal | 15| 75|16|Hits for 2-5 turns, each player can't attack|
|Bite |Normal | 60|100|40|~10%[30%] chance of Flinching |
|Blizzard |Ice | 120| 90| 8|~10% chance to Freeze the opponent |
|Body Slam |Normal | 85|100|24|~30% chance to Paralyze the opponent |
|Bone Club |Ground | 65| 85|32|~10% chance of Flinching |
|Bonemerang |Ground | 50| 90|16|Hits 2 times |
|Bubble |Water | 20|100|48|~10%[30%] chance to lower Speed by 1 stage |
|Bubblebeam |Water | 60|100|32|~10%[30%] chance to lower Speed by 1 stage |
|Clamp |Water | 35| 75|16|Hits for 2-5 turns, each player can't attack|
|Comet Punch |Normal | 18| 85|24|Hits 2-5 times |
|Confuse Ray |Ghost | -|100|16|Confuses the opponent |
|Confusion |Psychic | 50|100|40|~10% chance to Confuse the opponent |
|Constrict |Normal | 10|100|56|~10%[30%] chance to lower Speed by 1 stage |
|Conversion |Normal | -|100|48|Changes type to opponent's type |
|Counter |Fighting| -|100|32|Attack second, returns double damage taken |
| | | | | |if hit by a Normal or Fighting attack |
|Crabhammer |Water | 90| 85|16|8x chance to get a Critical Hit |
|Cut |Normal | 50| 95|48| |
|Defense Curl|Normal | -| -|61|Raises Defense by 1 stage |
|Dig |Ground | 100|100|16|Skips 1 turn, can't be hit for 1 turn |
|Disable |Normal | -| 55|32|Disables an opponent's attack for 2-5 turns |
|Dizzy Punch |Normal | 70|100|32| |
|Double Kick |Fighting| 30|100|48|Hits 2 times |
|Double Team |Normal | -| -|24|Raises Evasion by 1 stage |
|Double-Edge |Normal | 100|100|16|User takes 1 damage per 4 damage dealt |
|Doubleslap |Normal | 15| 85|16|Hits 2-5 times |
|Dragon Rage |Dragon | -|100|16|Always deals 40 damage |
|Dream Eater |Psychic | 100|100|24|Heals 1 HP per 2 damage, opp. must be Asleep|
|Drill Peck |Flying | 80|100|32| |
|Earthquake |Ground | 100|100|16| |
|Egg Bomb |Normal | 100| 75|16| |
|Ember |Fire | 40|100|40|~10% chance to Burn the opponent |
|Explosion |Normal | 170|100| 8|Opp's Defense is half for 1 turn, user KO'd |
|Fire Blast |Fire | 120| 85| 8|~30% chance to Burn the opponent |
|Fire Punch |Fire | 75|100|24|~10% chance to Burn the opponent |
|Fire Spin |Fire | 15| 70|24|Hits for 2-5 turns, each player can't attack|
|Fissure |Ground | -| 30| 8|Opponent is KO'd |
|Flamethrower|Fire | 95|100|24|~10% chance to Burn the opponent |
|Flash |Normal | -| 70|32|Lowers Accuracy by 1 stage |
|Fly |Flying | 70| 95|24|Skips 1 turn, can't be hit for 1 turn |
|Focus Energy|Normal | -| -|48|Reduces CH chance to 0/511, no effect if |
| | | | |32|faster than opponent [quadruples CH chance] |
|Fury Attack |Normal | 15| 85|24|Hits 2-5 times |
|Fury Swipes |Normal | 18| 80|48|Hits 2-5 times |
|Glare |Normal | -| 75|48|Paralyzes the opponent |
|Growl |Normal | -|100|61|Lowers Attack by 1 stage |
|Growth |Normal | -| -|61|Raises Special by 1 stage |
|Guillotine |Normal | -| 30| 8|Opponent is KO'd |
|Gust |Normal | 40|100|56| |
|Harden |Normal | -| -|61|Raises Defense by 1 stage |
|Haze |Ice | -| -|48|All Stats and opp.'s Status return to normal|
|Headbutt |Normal | 70|100|24|~30% chance of Flinching |
|Hi Jump Kick|Fighting| 85| 90|32|Users takes 1 damage if attack misses |
|Horn Attack |Normal | 65|100|56| |
|Horn Drill |Normal | -| 30| 8|Opponent is KO'd |
|Hydro Pump |Water | 120| 80| 8| |
|Hyper Beam |Normal | 150| 90| 8|Skip next turn if it hits and doesn't KO |
| | | | | |[skip next turn] |
|Hyper Fang |Normal | 80| 90|24|~10% chance of Flinching |
|Hypnosis |Psychic | -| 60|32|Puts the opponent to Sleep |
|Ice Beam |Ice | 95|100|24|~10% chance to Freeze the opponent |
|Ice Punch |Ice | 75|100|24|~10% chance to Freeze the opponent |
|Jump Kick |Fighting| 70| 95|40|Users takes 1 damage if attack misses |
|Karate Chop |Normal | 50|100|40|8x chance to get a Critical Hit |
|Kinesis |Psychic | -| 80|24|Lowers opponent's Accuracy by 1 stage |
|Leech Life |Bug | 20|100|24|Heals 1 HP per 2 damage |
|Leech Seed |Grass | -| 90|16|Leeches the opponent |
|Leer |Normal | -|100|48|Lowers opponent's Defense by 1 stage |
|Lick |Ghost | 20|100|48|~30% chance to Paralyze the opponent |
|Light Screen|Psychic | -| -|48|Special attacks do half damage |
|Lovely Kiss |Normal | -| 75|24|Puts the opponent to Sleep |
|Low Kick |Fighting| 50| 90|32|~30% chance of Flinching |
|Meditate |Psychic | -| -|61|Raises Attack by 1 stage |
|Mega Drain |Normal | 40|100|16|Heals 1 HP per 2 damage |
|Mega Kick |Normal | 120| 75| 8| |
|Mega Punch |Normal | 80| 85|32| |
|Metronome |Normal | -| -|16|Uses another move randomly |
|Mimic |Normal | -| -|16|Copies one of the opponent's moves |
|Minimize |Normal | -| -|32|Raises Evasion by 1 stage |
|Mirror Move |Flying | -| -|32|Uses the move last used by the opponent |
|Mist |Ice | -| -|48|Creates immunity to Stat changing attacks |
|Night Shade |Ghost | -|100|24|Always deals damage equal to user's level |
|Pay Day |Normal | 40|100|32|Receive (level * uses * 2) money if you win |
|Peck |Flying | 35|100|56| |
|Petal Dance |Grass | 70|100|32|Hits for 2-3 turns, user can't attack |
| | | | | |otherwise, user becomes Confused afterward |
|Pin Missile |Bug | 14| 85|32|Hits 2-5 times |
|Poison Gas |Poison | -| 55|61|Poisons the opponent |
|Poison Sting|Poison | 15|100|56|~30%[20%] chance of Poisoning the opponent |
|Poisonpowder|Poison | -| 75|56|Poisons the opponent |
|Pound |Normal | 40|100|56| |
|Psybeam |Psychic | 65|100|32|~10% chance to Confuse the opponent |
|Psychic |Psychic | 90|100|16|~30% chance to lower Special by 1 stage |
|Psywave |Psychic | -| 80|24|Always deals 1-(level * 1.5) damage |
|Quick Attack|Normal | 40|100|48|Attacks first |
|Rage |Normal | 20|100|32|Raises Attack by 1 stage when hit, skips all|
| | | | | |turns until user faints or wins |
|Razor Leaf |Grass | 55| 95|40|8x chance to get a Critical Hit |
|Razor Wind |Normal | 80| 75|24|Skips 1 turn |
|Recover |Normal | -| -|32|Heals 50% of max HP |
|Reflect |Psychic | -| -|48|Physical attacks do half damage |
|Rest |Psychic | -| -|16|Heals 100% HP, user Sleeps for 2 turns |
|Roar |Normal | -|100|32|Ends battle against wild Pokemon |
|Rock Slide |Rock | 75| 90|16| |
|Rock Throw |Rock | 50| 65|24| |
|Rolling Kick|Fighting| 60| 85|24|~30% chance of Flinching |
|Sand-Attack |Normal | -|100|24|Lowers Accuracy by 1 stage |
|Scratch |Normal | 40|100|48| |
|Screech |Normal | -| 85|61|Lowers Defense by 2 stages |
|Seismic Toss|Fighting| -|100|32|Always deals damage equal to user's level |
|Selfdestruct|Normal | 130|100| 8|Opp's Defense is half for 1 turn, user KO'd |
|Sharpen |Normal | -| -|48|Raises Attack by 1 stage |
|Sing |Normal | -| 55|24|Puts the opponent to Sleep |
|Skull Bash |Normal | 100|100|24|Skips 1 turn |
|Sky Attack |Flying | 140| 90| 8|Skips 1 turn |
|Slam |Normal | 80| 75|32| |
|Slash |Normal | 70|100|24|8x chance to get a Critical Hit |
|Sleep Powder|Grass | -| 75|24|Puts the opponent to Sleep |
|Sludge |Poison | 65|100|32|40%[50%] chance of Poisoning the opponent |
|Smog |Poison | 20| 70|32|40%[50%] chance of Poisoning the opponent |
|Smokescreen |Normal | -|100|32|Lowers Accuracy by 1 stage |
|Softboiled |Normal | -| -|16|Heals 50% of max HP |
|Solarbeam |Grass | 120|100|16|Skips 1 turn |
|Sonicboom |Normal | -| 90|32|Always deals 20 damage |
|Spike Cannon|Normal | 20|100|24|Hits 2-5 times |
|Splash |Normal | -| -|61| |
|Spore |Grass | -|100|24|Puts the opponent to Sleep |
|Stomp |Normal | 65|100|32|~30% chance of Flinching |
|Strength |Normal | 80|100|24| |
|String Shot |Bug | -| 95|61|Lowers Speed by 1 stage |
|Struggle |Normal | 50|100| -|User takes 1 damage per 2 damage dealt |
|Stun Spore |Grass | -| 75|48|Paralyzes the opponent |
|Submission |Fighting| 80| 80|40|User takes 1 damage per 4 damage dealt |
|Substitute |Normal | -| -|16|Creates a Substitute, user takes 25% damage |
|Super Fang |Normal | -| 90|16|Deals 50% of max HP damage |
|Supersonic |Normal | -| 55|32|Confuses the opponent |
|Surf |Water | 95|100|24| |
|Swift |Normal | 60| -|32|Never misses |
|Swords Dance|Normal | -| -|48|Raises Attack by 2 stages |
|Tackle |Normal | 35| 95|56| |
|Tail Whip |Normal | -|100|61|Lowers Defense by 1 stage |
|Take Down |Normal | 90| 85|32|User takes 1 damage per 4 damage dealt |
|Teleport |Psychic | -| -|32|Ends battle against wild Pokemon |
|Thrash |Normal | 90|100|32|Hits for 2-3 turns, user can't attack |
| | | | | |otherwise, user becomes Confused afterward |
|Thunder |Electric| 120| 70|16|~10% chance to Paralyze the opponent |
|Thunder Wave|Electric| -|100|32|Paralyzes the opponent |
|Thunderbolt |Electric| 95|100|24|~10% chance to Paralyze the opponent |
|Thunderpunch|Electric| 75|100|24|~10% chance to Paralyze the opponent |
|Thundershock|Electric| 35|100|48|~10% chance to Paralyze the opponent |
|Toxic |Poison | -| 85|16|Badly Poisons the opponent |
|Transform |Normal | -| -|16|Tranforms into the opponent |
|Tri Attack |Normal | 80|100|16| |
|Twin Needle |Bug | 25|100|32|Hits 2 times, ~20% chance to Poison |
|Vice Grip |Normal | 55|100|48| |
|Vine Whip |Grass | 35|100|16| |
|Water Gun |Water | 40|100|40| |
|Waterfall |Water | 80|100|24| |
|Whirlwind |Normal | -|100|32|Ends battle against wild Pokemon |
|Wing Attack |Flying | 35|100|56| |
|Withdraw |Water | -| -|61|Raises Defense by 1 stage |
|Wrap |Normal | 15| 85|24|Hits for 2-5 turns, each player can't attack|
+------------+--------+----+---+--+--------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 12) Outro |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
So, hopefully you’ve gotten better at RBY, or at least got a little bit of
practice with math. If you want to play online, check out NetBattle, which has a
full Pokedex, online community, tons of cool features, RBY, GSC, RSE and DPPt
series and more. You instantly create teams just punching in what you want and
you’re ready to battle people. There's also many popular sites, dedicated to
competitive battling in Pokemon, such as Smogon and the Pokemon Netbattle
website. RBY competition has died over the years, but there are still people
playing, and there are pro players for the generations after RBY. This entire
guide is dedicated to just RBY. GSC, RSE and the following ones are only getting
bigger and with a lot more metagaming. If you enjoyed what this guide and what
competitive battling in RBY has to offer, you should check out the future
generations for not only brand new metagaming and strategies, but they're all
much larger than RBY, extending the amount of battling styles and number of
effective Pokemon in battle. For the players that like things more simplistic
and more luck based (which can be funner), RBY is the generation of choice.
