Entry Hazards

Entry Hazards are Pokemon techniques that damage Pokemon when they switch into battle. There are three types of entry hazards, each hitting certain types of Pokemon and each having a specific maximum number of layers. These are Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes.

Stealth Rock is easily the most useful entry hazard in Pokemon, if not the most useful move in the entire game. It hits every single Pokemon who switches into it (aside from Magic Guard Clefable) and is the best defense against teams running Focus Sash (not that Focus Sash is used for anything besides a lead). Stealth Rock will do damage based on how weak a Pokemon is to Rock-type attacks.

4x Resistance: 3.125% (1/32) Damage
2x Resistance: 6.25% (1/16) Damage
1x Neutrality: 12.5% (1/8) Damage
2x Weakness: 25% (1/4) Damage
4x Weakness: 50% (1/2) Damage

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Spikes are set up in three layers, and damage all Pokemon that can be hurt by ground type moves, which is to say all Pokemon that aren't Flying-type or have the abilities Levitate or Magic Guard. Depending on how many layers of Spikes get set up, they will do different amounts of damage to opponents switching in.

1 layer: 12.5% (1/8) Damage
2 layers: 18.75% (3/16) Damage
3 layers: 25% (1/4) Damage

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Toxic Spikes are a slightly different form of entry hazard that induce a certain status ailment depending on how many layers are set up.

1 layers: Poison (steady 1/8th damage per turn)
2 layers: Bad Poison (1/16 * # of turns in play)

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Now, here comes the discussion: What do you personally think of Entry Hazards? What sort of Entry Hazards do you normally use for your competitive, or in-game strategy? How do these entry hazards help your personal favourite strategy in battle?

Entry hazards help reduce the amount of PP you use to take down opponents; heck, even a bit of prior damage can make a difference between OHKOing/2HKOing the opponent, since it's annoying if a KO falls short if there are no hazards on the field. I normally use Stealth Rock, since it hits all types.

Entry hazards are always handy to have, especially if I'm up against strong opponents with Rock weaknesses where Stealth Rock would come in handy. When set up at the right time, they can essentially help you survive by weakening the opponent as they switch in.

I don't use them all that much in-game though since I just rely on strong team members to deal with them. I like how these entry hazards are handy for breaking through Sturdy and Focus Sash users.

As for my favorite, it would have to be Stealth Rock. It saved my life in a few Randbats while an opponent's SR annoyed me at the same time.

I personally don't use entry hazards as much, but it could be helpful because that helps to damage my opponent Pokemon. My favorite hazards would be Stealth Rock because it hits even Flying types.

Everybody's going to love using them and hate going up against them, soooo... haha. In regards to having to face them, I'd rather face Toxic Spikes & Stealth Rock the least. I probably use SR & T-spikes the most, though.

I resent Stealth Rock and wish to see it expelled from the entire Pokemon franchise.
As for spikes of both types, they're reasonable; few monsters can learn the moves, they have more counter options than rapid spin, and take time to set up to their full potential. More thought is involved in their deployment; Stealth Rock is as mindless as being the first move one's lead uses, and that's usually that for the entire game. It's an almost completely free advantage everyone is obliged to use, so why not simply omit it for everyone's sake?

If I were to use entry hazards myself it'd be toxic spikes. Honestly, I should look into using them since I've developed a defensive style.

I agree with Cassino. Stealth Rock is the most annoying thing in the game.
"Oh, you want to use a scyther or charizard? Good luck fighting with 50% health."
"Your Pokemon is sashed? To bad kid."
"Want to get rid of me? You better have a Pokemon with rapid spin"

Seriously, those things need to be removed completely. At least Spikes are avoidable, and a poison type can remove the Toxic Spikes.

If i had to rank my favorite entry hazards it would have to be:

1. Stealth Rock
2. Toxic Spikes
3. Spikes

I find them all around useful in battles because it punishes switching out a lot if i can force switches.
I really like toxic spikes because it gets constant damage off on their guys. Spikes are good too but they take a little while to fully set up.

I like SR the most, since it's so damn useful. Spikes not really since not everything can get ~touched~ by it, but SR definitely. TSpikes is useless in NU for the most part, and facing Spikes is just irritating (although unfortunately Spikes are now going to be common in NU, yay??)

(I only play NU so I'm only speaking from NU perspective!)

SR is pretty much a staple on any good team, Spikes is very useful too and TSpikes is nifty on stall but that's honestly it. As for how competitively viable they are..well penalizing your opponent for switching is always good.

I do use entry hazards when battling competitively.
A Skarmory I have is used solely for placing them, and it just seems to work well with the rest of my team. {:

Stealth Rock is the best because it renders all focus sashes useless. Spikes can't hit everyone and take longer to set up. Poison spikes take two turns to set up fully and can be taken away by any poison pokemon without an air balloon. So overall I just stealth rock