Anti
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Threats in the OU Metagame
By Anti Pop Culture Warrior
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Introduction
The release of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl introduced several new Pokémon and a few mechanics changes, many of them being of assistance to sweepers rather than walls. The release of Pokémon Platinum solidified the effects of Diamond and Pearl and gave trainers even more threats to take into account. Because of this, more threats than ever loom in every corner on almost every team in today's fast-paced metagame. This guide gives a complete list of what Pokémon you might run into and how to reliably defeat them. Since countering is not as important as it was in previous generations, the focus of this threat list will be shifted to not just the counters, but the checks of each moveset listed.
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Threat List
Here are the sweepers that you have to be able to defeat when battling in the Standard/OU Metagame. There will be a moveset listed, a description of it, and how to counter that particular moveset. It will descend roughly in the order of the popularity of both the Pokémon and the combined popularity of the movesets listed. Only offensive threats are listed, so many common defensive Pokémon will be farther down on the list because their one attacking set isn't as common as their defensive one. It's not supposed to be exact though, especially given how much things can change.
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---Heatran---
Heatran is one of the most common Pokémon in the OU metagame, and for a good reason. It has a long list of resistances thanks to its great defensive typing and the defenses to abuse them. It also has an astounding 130 base Special Attack and the Flash Fire ability, which makes Heatran a sturdy and powerful attacking force or a strong and resilient defensive Pokémon depending on what set Heatran is running. No matter what it's running, Heatran is a Pokémon that has a huge impact on the metagame and must be taken into account when building any serious OU team.
Heatran @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Fire Blast / Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Explosion / Stealth Rock / Toxic
"ScarfTran" is the most popular of Heatran's movesets and easily one of the most effective. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Heatran makes the ultimate revenge killer, taking out threats like Lucario, Scizor, Heracross, and Outraging Salamence with ease. Heatran still hits fairly hard as well, so frail teams can really take a beating if they are too careless. Explosion is a last second attack that can severely damage or knock out most of Heatran's counters, and thanks to its Choice Scarf, Heatran will usually be able to blow itself up before being KOed by its opponent, which makes it incredibly scary when it's about to faint.
Countering ScarfTran is not very difficult, as its moves will not be boosted unless it gets a Flash Fire boost. Bulky waters like Suicune, Swampert, and Vaporeon all combat Heatran effectively, and standard special walls like Blissey and Snorlax also get the job done. However, Explosion will take a huge chunk of health from all of these Pokémon, so proceed with caution, or you could lose your special wall for the rest of the match. Porygon2 is a smart choice thanks to Trace, which allows it to absorb Heatran's STAB attack.
Heatran @ Choice Specs
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 40 HP / 216 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Fire Blast / Overheat
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Dragon Pulse / Flamethrower
Choice Specs Heatran isn't nearly as popular as ScarfTran, but it packs a far greater punch at the expense of its high Speed. With a Flash Fire boost, Fire Blast will begin to overpower even the likes of Swampert, which illustrates just how scary this set can be. Hidden Power Grass deals with ScarfTran's bulky water counters while Earth Power deals with opposing Heatran and Tentacruel. Heatran boasts a lot of power and excellent coverage with this set, which makes it a very potent threat. It can also come in on many popular Pokémon thanks to its many resistances and solid defenses.
Finding a safe way to deal with Choice Specs Heatran is a difficult task. Blissey and Snorlax still work very well, especially the latter with access to Earthquake and its Thick Fat ability. Porygon2 takes a lot from Earth Power, but it remains a solid choice. While bulky waters will take a fair amount of damage from Earth Power and will be 2HKOed at worst by Hidden Power Grass, they remain decent switch-ins as long as they avoid it. Gyarados and Salamence work, but the latter is weak to Dragon Pulse and both have to worry about Stealth Rock damage piling up, so they aren't good long-term solutions.
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---Salamence---
Salamence is easily one of the most threatening sweepers in the OU tier. With 135 base Attack and 110 base Special Attack, it can hit hard from both sides of the attacking spectrum very hard. Not only that, but Salamence's typing makes it even better, as dragon is an incredible offensive and defensive type. Salamence has pretty darn good defenses given its power, and Intimidate helps even more. Salamence also has a great movepool filled with attacks like Dragon Dance, Outrage, Draco Meteor, and Roost. Salamence has the tools to abuse several strategies, making it a versatile and potent threat that can destroy any team.
Salamence @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Naughty / Naive Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast / Dragon Claw / Stone Edge
"DDMence" is arguably Salamence's most destructive set. After a Dragon Dance, Outrage rips through just about every Pokémon that is not a steel-type. Earthquake and Fire Blast take care of those Pokémon, which makes DDMence a tough Pokémon to beat without taking a beating first. Sometimes trainers will forgo Life Orb in favor of Yache Berry, which can spell doom for counters that operate under the assumption that their Ice Beam will always OHKO Salamence.
Bulky waters take a lot of damage from Outrage, but their Ice Beams will knock out Salamence. Porygon2 is a great choice, as Trace reflects Intimidate back at Salamence while Porygon2 can OHKO Salamence with Ice Beam too. Ice Fang Hippowdon does a decent job countering DDMence, but MixMence and SpecsMence will decimate it, so proceed with caution. Cresselia and defensive Mesprit also work, as does a defensive Celebi with Hidden Power Ice.
Salamence @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 80 Atk / 176 Spd / 252 SAtk
Rash / Mild Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Brick Break
- Roost
"MixMence" has been a staple Salamence set for a long time, and it is still a potent mixed sweeper capable of severely damaging stall teams. Its usefulness isn't just limited to stall breaking, as Draco Meteor will hurt sweepers a lot more than it will hurt walls and tanks. This allows MixMence to remain a powerful force in the fast-paced OU metagame. With Fire Blast and Brick Break beating Pokémon that wall Draco Meteor and Roost healing Life Orb recoil, Stealth Rock damage, and any other damage taken, MixMence will stick around for a long time too, and it will still dish out a lot of damage.
Cresselia and Milotic make solid counters, and Vaporeon with enough Special Defense to weather two Draco Meteors also works. Tentacruel works, but Draco Meteor really hurts and it has no recovery. Predicting when it will Draco Meteor is usually key, as it is far less threatening with +2 Special Attack.
Salamence @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 84 Atk / 208 Spd / 216 SAtk
Mild Nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Draco Meteor
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Outrage
This is a variation of the previous set. With Outrage, Salamence still beats standard special walls that wall Draco Meteor while Earthquake and Fire Blast beat up steel-types. It'll have to worry about Stealth Rock damage a lot more though, as it lacks Roost to regain health. Life Orb recoil also takes its toll, but this version of MixMence hits a little harder in return, and it takes advantage of Salamence's STAB Outrage.
Cresselia is really one of the only reliable counters. Like with the first MixMence variant, predicting when it will use Draco Meteor is key, as it is far less threatening with no powerful special attacks backing it up. It can also be revenge killed by something faster when it is using Outrage.
Salamence @ Choice Band
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Naughty / Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Aqua Tail
- Fire Blast / Fire Fang
- Earthquake / Dragon Claw / Stone Edge
Much like Choice Band Garchomp did before its ban, "CBMence" will net a 2HKO at worst on every single Pokémon in the OU metagame that lacks steel typing given Stealth Rock is in play, making it an immediate threat to any team. Aqua Tail and Earthquake are safer options against many of the walls that lose to Outrage, while Fire Blast takes care of steel-types that get in the way. The good news is that Stealth Rock takes away 25% of Salamence's health every time it switches in, so it doesn't last too long.
There are no counters for CBMence besides Porygon2. If you don't have Porygon2, try to outpredict it and try to revenge kill it when it's locked into Outrage. Salamence has a lot of problems with Stealth Rock though, and combined with the damage it takes from your Pokémon switching in, CBMence will get worn down in no time. Weavile and Mamoswine can revenge kill Salamence with Ice Shard.
Salamence @ Choice Specs
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Hydro Pump
"SpecsMence" was the most common Salamence set in the earlier days of DP, but soon fell from grace, as Blissey walled it too easily. While SpecsMence still has problems with Blissey, it will usually surprise your opponent and do a ton of damage to the initial switch-in. Even when your opponent knows that your Salamence is a SpecsMence, its powerful Draco Meteor makes it tough to deal with anyway. SpecsMence also has trouble with Stealth Rock, though.
Blissey is the best counter, and a special defensive Empoleon also gets the job done. Snorlax takes a lot from Draco Meteor and so does a special defensive Cresselia, but both can wall SpecsMence fairly effectively. Like with CBMence, SpecsMence gets worn down by Stealth Rock damage fairly quickly, which helps in getting rid of it.
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---Scizor---
Scizor is a huge threat with Technician, STAB-boosted Bullet Punch as well as Swords Dance and Superpower at its disposal. Scizor is very bulky with pretty decent defensive typing, which makes it a very resilient sweeper. It also has very high Attack and threatens to pass stat-up boosts with Baton Pass, though it is most threatening as a CBer or SD sweeper. Not only that, but Scizor also can make great use of Pursuit and can Roost off Life Orb recoil if it wants to. Scizor can also scout with a Choice Banded U-Turn while doing a lot of damage in the process. Scizor has many things going for it that make it into a powerful Pokémon that cannot be ignored.
Scizor @ Life Orb
Trait: Technician
EVs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- X-Scissor
- Brick Break
Swords Dance Scizor is a very common and potent threat. After a Swords Dance, Bullet Punch does incredible amounts of damage to all kinds of Pokémon, including a few that actually resist the attack. X-Scissor is Scizor's way of hurting waters while Brick Break deals with steel-types. Technician is what really helps Scizor shine, as the power boost to Bullet Punch is always welcome. Scizor is an even bigger threat on Rain Dance teams thanks to the rain halving the power of fire-type attacks that so often hold Scizor back.
Defensive Zapdos is a good choice thanks to Heat Wave, and Gyarados is another solid choice. A defensive Salamence with Flamethrower also counters Scizor with no problem, and Skarmory can Whirlwind it away, though it can't do any real damage to Scizor. As long as it avoids Brick Break and can outspeed Scizor (and it usually can), Heatran is a decent switch-in. Magnezone can trap and kill Scizor every time with a Choice Scarf, but it can't switch in risk-free.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-Turn
- Superpower / Brick Break
- Pursuit
Choice Band Scizor is more of an immediate threat than SD Scizor, and it has some very interesting uses. Pursuit (which is boosted by Technician) will decimate ScarfGar and other Choice Scarfers on the revenge kill assuming they aren't using an attack that will knock out Scizor. U-Turn provides a solid STAB attack that is very useful for scouting on top of doing damage, and Bullet Punch (also boosted by Technician, obviously) gives Scizor some revenge killing capabilities. Superpower wastes Heatran and Blissey in one hit. Choice Band Scizor is generally powerful and is a force that any team should be prepared for.
The same things that counter the SDer will counter the CBer, only Heatran and Magnezone are much harder to switch in safely, and the latter can be escaped thanks to U-Turn. Many physical walls and bulky waters are relatively safe switch-ins, but Scizor can usually slam them pretty hard with U-Turn, Superpower, or even Bullet Punch before switching out.
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---Tyranitar---
Tyranitar is one of the best Pokémon in the OU tier, hands-down. Its STAB Stone Edge rips apart everything that doesn't resist it, including bulky physical walls like Skarmory. It can use Dragon Dance to boost its mediocre Speed as well. Tyranitar is also very bulky thanks to 100 base HP, 110 base Defense, and 100 base Special Defense which is boosted by 150% by Sandstorm. This allows Tyranitar to come in on several Pokémon despite its long list of weaknesses. There isn't much that can stop Tyranitar from rampaging through a team.
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 176 HP / 252 Atk / 80 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Aqua Tail / Earthquake / Focus Punch
"CBTar" uses its two high-powered STAB attacks to punish the OU metagame, while Pursuit will trap and kill Pokémon like ScarfGar and Rapid Spin Starmie. In the last slot, Aqua Tail decimates would-be counters like Hippowdon and Gliscor while doing a number on Lucario and bulky fighting-types. Earthquake and Focus Punch are sometimes used instead of Aqua Tail to better deal with said bulky fghiting-types and the dangerous Lucario.
With Aqua Tail, the only safe counters to CBTar are Machamp, Hariyama and Hitmontop. Everything else is at least 2HKOed by something Tyranitar can throw at them.
Tyranitar @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch / Aqua Tail
"DDTar" attempts to fix Tyranitar's only low stat, which is its Speed. After a Dragon dance, it will outpace base 110 Speed Pokémon like Gengar. It is normally sent out in the later stages of the match when its counters are weakened and its combination of bulk and power will allow it to overpower the opponent. Tyranitar isn't even OHKOed by Scizor's Bullet Punch, which shows how much of a beating it can take.
Hippowdon and Gliscor make good counters if Tyranitar is carrying Fire Punch, while Bronzong is a great counter for the DDTar that run Aqua Tail. Machamp, Hariyama, and Hitmontop make solid counters as well, though the latter two get worn down by Sandstorm due to their lack of recovery outside of Rest, which is rarely seen on either of the two.
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---Gyarados---
Gyarados might be weak to Stealth Rock, but its great list of resistances and even greater movepool more than make up for this. Gyarados can set up and sweep thanks to Dragon Dance and good attacking options in Waterfall, Earthquake, Stone Edge, and Ice Fang. Gyarados also has the ability to Taunt status and PHazing attempts, though it rarely tried to anymore given the fast-paced nature of the metagame and the lack of Pokémon that can hurt Gyarados with those strategies.
Gyarados @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Earthquake / Ice Fang
- Stone Edge / Ice Fang
Gyarados makes for one powerful sweeper thanks to Dragon Dance. With only one Dragon Dance under its belt, almost nothing can withstand two attacks from Gyarados. Gyarados also has very good coverage with this set, which allows it to hit everything in the OU metagame for at least neutral damage. Waterfall's flinch chance can spell doom for slow walls that would otherwise stop Gyarados as well, which makes it an even bigger threat. Luckily, its 4x weakness to electric-type attacks makes Gyarados less of a pain to handle.
Vaporeon and Suicune that have heavy EV investments in Defense and Hidden Power Electric will do the trick, but they will take a lot of damage in the process. Porygon2 probably the most reliable counter thanks to Trace throwing Intimidate back at Gyarados and its access to Thunderbolt and Thunder Wave. Tangrowth makes a decent counter, but Ice Fang will do a lot of damage. Leech Seed and Power Whip will usually allow Tangrowth to come out on top though. The Rotom Appliances are also decent at dealing with Gyarados.
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---Zapdos---
Zapdos is one of the most reliable Pokémon in the game. Its good defensive typing and decent defenses allow it to effectively counter Pokémon like Scizor, Yanmega, and Togekiss, and it has a reliable recovery move in Roost that keeps it healthy and can work to abuse Pressure. On the offensive end, Thunderbolt, Heat Wave, and Hidden Power are really all of the tools Zapdos needs to be a threat, and it even has some other cool moves to help it out like Agility. Zapdos also makes a solid Baton Passer that can annoy most PHazers. Zapdos is popular because it can do so many things and do them well, which makes it a powerful force in today's metagame.
Zapdos @ Life Orb
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Roost
Life Orb Zapdos is an attack-minded version of the defensive sets Zapdos often runs. It has wonderful coverage and Roost to heal Life Orb recoil and other damage taken. Thunderbolt is its powerful STAB attack while Heat Wave and Hidden Power Grass hit the grass-types and ground-types that wall it, respectively. Zapdos is a lot like MixMence (Version 1) in the sense that it can stick around for a very long time and wear down the opposing team.
Blissey and Snorlax are the best choices for walling Zapdos. Other electric-types like Raikou and Electivire make solid counters with their good Special Defense scores and ability to threaten Zapdos with an ice-type attack. Other than those, walling Zapdos is rather difficult. Ice Beam Cresselia works, but it can just Roost between Ice Beams and Pressure stall Cresselia.
Zapdos @ Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 80 HP / 176 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Grass / Ice]
- U-Turn
Choice Scarf Zapdos is commonly used as a lead thanks to its high Speed and access to U-Turn. It makes a solid revenge killer against Gyarados and Scizor especially, though Stealth Rock can be a problem. Choice Specs can be used over Choice Scarf to turn Zapdos into an attacker, though most trainers will usually go with Life Orb Zapdos if they want an attacker, especially since it can Roost off Stealth Rock damage.
The Pokémon that wall the Life Orb attacker will obviously wall this, but this time, Cresselia makes a much better counter since Zapdos lacks Roost.
Zapdos @ Life Orb
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 140 HP / 116 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Agility
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Grass]
This set is just like the Life Orber, only it exchanges instant recovery in Roost for Agility, which gives Zapdos blazing Speed. While Zapdos still has trouble with certain walls, it can now outspeed Choice Scarf revenge killers that will want to end its sweep quickly. It still has great coverage and it actually has a little more power than Life Orb Zapdos.
The same counters as the Choice Scarfer and Life Orber apply here. Zapdos can do a lot of different teams, but the attack moves it carries don't really change much, so the attacker sets are pretty easy to wall assuming you have the right Pokémon to do the job.
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---Lucario---
Lucario is a huge threat in today's metagame, and a common one at that. It can hit hard from both ends of the attacking spectrum, meaning that there is almost nothing that can safely switch into Lucario the first time it's out. Even when you know its set, Lucario is powerful enough to sweep your team anyway. Lucario also has many resistances it can come in on, thanks to its good defensive typing, which makes Lucario an even bigger threat.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge / Ice Punch / Crunch
- Extremespeed / Bullet Punch
"SDLuke" is Lucario's most popular moveset, and easily one of its most deadly. After a Swords Dance, Close Combat runs over most physical walls given Stealth Rock support. The third slot takes care of either flying-types or psychic-types that resist Close combat, depending on what move is chosen. the last slot helps patch up Lucario's rather average Speed by giving it a priority move powerful enough to outspeed and OHKO most frail sweepers. SDluke is commonly seen in the later stages of the game when it can clean up a battle with almost no problems, making it a force to be reckoned with and one of the most powerful physical sweepers in the game.
Assuming it has a significant EV investment in Speed, Gliscor is the number one SDLuke counter. Weezing also works with access to Will-O-Wisp and Fire Blast. Without Crunch, Thunder Wave Celebi and Cresselia can come in and rain on SDLuke's parade. If Lucario is running Crunch, Salamence and Gyarados make solid counters, and any kind of Gliscor will wall SDLuke as long as it isn't carrying Ice Punch. ScarfTran is a common way of dealing with SDLuke as well, though it is not a counter by any stretch of the imagination since it cannot switch into Close Combat. It makes a very effective check though.
Lucario @ Choice Specs
Trait: Steadfast
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Aura Sphere / Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice / Rock]
- Shadow Ball
- Vacuum Wave
"SpecsLuke" is the most common special attacking Lucario, working off of Lucario's strongest stat, which maxes out at 361. Aura Sphere is a very reliable STAB attack thanks to its perfect accuracy and good base power. Focus Blast can be used to 2HKO Calm Blissey, but its accuracy and PP are far lower. Vacuum wave is useful for Tyranitar and faster Pokémon in general, while Shadow Ball beats the likes of Cresselia, Celebi, and Gengar. Hidden Power beats either Gliscor and Salamence or Gyarados, depending on which one is chosen.
Tentacruel is a solid choice to counter SpecsLuke, resisting its STAB attack and taking little damage from anything else. Spiritomb is equally effective in taking SpecsLuke's hits. Blissey is only 3HKOed by Aura Sphere, so she can work as a counter when she is at full health. While Stealth Rock damage hurts it, Gyarados is a good choice with its 100 base Special Defense and resistance to Aura Sphere. However, it gets worn out quickly and is weak to Hidden Power Rock.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 184 Atk / 196 Spd / 128 SAtk
Lonely / Naughty Nature
- Agility
- Close Combat
- Shadow Ball / Dark Pulse
- Hidden Power [Ice]
"AgiliLuke" uses Agility to boost its average Speed to allow it to sweep without requiring the use of priority moves. Close Combat deals with Heatran, Blissey, and Snorlax, while the third slot deals with ghost-types and psychic-types. Hidden Power Ice beats Gliscor and Salamence. AgiliLuke is very tough to revenge kill and has excellent coverage, making it a huge threat to many offensive teams that rely on resistances for overall team defenses. Resisting almost every priority move in the game also works in AgiliLuke's favor.
Tentacruel, Spiritomb, Metagross, and Gyarados all stop AgiliLuke without any problems. Bronzong and Vaporeon also work to a lesser extent, just don't let either of them take too much of a beating from Close Combat.
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---Gengar---
Gengar is very unpredictable, and it can abuse many different strategies. Gengar is one of the fastest sleep inducers in the game, and it gets tremendous coverage with Shadow Ball and Focus Blast (which sometimes can even be Focus Punch). Gengar also has a good ability along with good defensive typing, allowing it to come in on many attacks. Gengar can also use Explosion to take out common counters like Blissey and Snorlax and status moves like Will-O-Wisp to hamper any sweeper that is daring enough to come in on it, and TrickScarf can cause all kinds of problems. It should be noted that Gengar has lately seen a decline in usage as a result of Scizor's rise in popularity and the renewed popularity of several users of Pursuit.
Gengar @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt / Explosion
- Hypnosis / Hidden Power [Ice]
With this set, Gengar hits every Pokémon in the game for neutral damage, and hits everything hard in general. What makes Gengar so dangerous is its ability to put its counter asleep and then continue sweeping. It should be noted that if Gengar is carrying Explosion, it usually has a different EV spread and nature to boost Explosion's power. This set has lost a little bit of its effectiveness due to the accuracy drop of Hypnosis with the coming of Platinum.
Blissey and Snorlax are both good choices for walling Gengar's attacks. A Calm RestTalk Zapdos can take Gengar's attacks and laugh off Hypnosis, and a RestTalk Spiritomb can do the same. Sometimes, it is a good idea to bring in a status absorber to take Hypnosis and then something else to take Gengar's attacks.
Gengar @ Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt
- Trick / Hidden Power [Ice]
"ScarfGar" has been one of Gengar's most popular movesets for a long time, and it is still an effective revenge killer. While Pursuit users are a hindrance to Gengar and the rise of Bullet Punch Scizor as not helped in any way, Gengar is still one of the best revenge killers around, effectively beating sweepers like DD Gyarados and DDMence. Trick makes life hard for standard special walls as well, which makes ScarfGar an attractive option. Choice Specs can be used in favor of Choice Scarf to turn Gengar into an attacker rather than a revenge killer.
The same Pokémon that can beat the Life Orber will beat ScarfGar and SpecsGar, but Trick can cause problems for walls and tanks like Blissey and Snorlax. Pokémon with Pursuit that come in on the right move will trap and kill Gengar, and ScarfGar isn't very hard to outpredict.
Gengar @ Expert Belt
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 Spd / 192 SAtk
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Punch
- Substitute
- Hypnosis
"McGar" effectively makes a fool out of Blissey and Snorlax that think they can easily wall Gengar. It still has great coverage despite having only two attacks, and it can use Hypnosis to put trouble pokemon to sleep. Substitute aids Focus Punch and is generally a useful move to ease prediction.
A Calm RestTalk Zapdos is a good counter to McGar. Once Sleep Clause is activated, Blissey and Crunch Snorlax will still have their way with Gengar.
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---Infernape---
Infernape is fast and can pick apart opposing teams with its many attacking options. Infernape can't switch in on much but it can do a ton of damage if it gets in. Its offensive typing is really good and its movepool is nothing short of outstanding. Despite being very frail, Infernape also makes a good counter to Weavile. Almost nothing can stop a well-played Infernape.
Infernape @ Life Orb
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 24 Atk / 232 Spd / 252 SAtk
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Close Combat
- Flamethrower / Fire Blast
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Nasty Plot
"MixApe" can easily demolish most walls in the OU metagame in the blink of an eye. Infernape is a great stall breaker, and if the counter for it goes down, Infernape is going to sweep. After a Nasty Plot, Grass Knot is a OHKO on most common bulky waters and all bulky grounds outside of Gliscor, who is OHKOed by a boosted Flamethrower. Close Combat takes care of Blissey and Snorlax, of course. Hidden Power Ice is a common sight on Mixape and is used over Nasty Plot to net a guaranteed kill on Salamence and Dragonite, though a +2 Life Orb Fire Blast will OHKO Salamence if it switches into Stealth Rock.
Countering MixApe usually requires a bulky Pokémon. Tentacruel and Vaporeon are the most common counters, though the latter takes a lot of damage from a boosted Grass Knot. Starmie is a popular counter and Cresselia is always a good choice as well. Generally, faster Pokémon with a ground or psychic move do in Infernape if they can switch in safely.
Infernape @ Choice Band
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
- Stone Edge / ThunderPunch
- U-Turn / ThunderPunch
Choice Band Infernape can scout any team with U-Turn or do enormous amounts of damage with its two 120 base power STAB attacks. Stone Edge beats Gyarados and Salamence, while ThunderPunch does a lot to water-typed MixApe counters like Tentacruel and Vaporeon while still hurting Gyarados, but the powerful Salamence will be a problem without Stone Edge.
The most defensive Hippowdon, Slowbro, Swampert, and Suicune are very effective at countering this set. All four will still take heavy damage in the process, which shows how powerful this set is.
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---Metagross---
Metagross is an incredible sweeper, tank, wall, and supporter. Metagross can do it all, and with great typing, great Attack and Defense, and a great movepool, it's easy to see why. Metagross can set up Stealth Rock, take all kinds of attacks thanks to its long list of resistances, and then blow up a physical wall with Explosion and open up a sweep for Gyarados. It's almost like there's nothing Metagross can't do, which makes it versatile and unpredictable despite carrying rather similar movesets all the time. Its role is always changing, which makes it a unique and truly useful Pokémon and a very dangerous threat for those fighting agianst it.
Metagross @ Choice Band
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Bullet Punch / ThunderPunch / Pursuit
"CBGross" can break through even the sturdiest walls in OUs. With an Attack boost, Meteor Mash 2HKOs Hippowdon, the sturdiest physical wall in the tier. Explosion is so powerful that it can take up to 85% of health from Skarmory, who resists the attack. ThunderPunch stops waters from walling it, but it also allows Dugtrio to trap and kill it, which is something that can be taken advantage of with a little prediction. Pursuit is always useful for taking advantage of certain Pokémon, while Bullet Punch gives Metagross a priority move, which is useful for netting quick kills on weakened Azelf and Gengar.
Defensive Zapdos is a good counter, as is Swampert. Hippowdon and Gliscor both work, though Meteor Mash can really sting. Bronzong is effective at walling Metagross as well. Bulky waters are all good counters as long as they stay out of the way of ThunderPunch, though Earthquake can do a fair amount of damage to most of them.
Metagross @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 152 HP / 252 Atk / 104 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Agility
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Explosion / ThunderPunch
"AgiliGross" takes advantage of Agility to boost Metagross's poor Speed stat to allow it to sweep. While AgiliGross isn't very difficult to wall, a lot of teams don't have an answer for AgiliGross, and it can easily sweep unprepared offensive teams. ThunderPunch comes without a few downsides it had on CBGross while Explosion allows Metagross to blow something up pretty much whenever it wants, given its good Speed after an Agility.
Countering AgiliGross is much easier than countering CBGross. Bulky waters and grounds work and Zapdos still does too. Skarmory and Bronzong can wall AgiliGross as well, though the former could have trouble taking ThunderPunch (it only 3HKOs, however).
Metagross @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Ice Punch / ThunderPunch / Trick
Choice Scarf Metagross is much like ScarfTran, and it revenge kills many potent threats just like ScarfTran does. Trick is a very useful weapon that makes Choice Scarf Metagross an effective lead and tough Pokémon to counter. Explosion is still very powerful and can be launched as Metagross is about to faint thanks to its high Speed granted by its Choice Scarf.
Any physical wall or bulky water works here, but Trick will be troublesome to most of them and Explosion will also knock most of them out.
Metagross @ Expert Belt
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 132 Spd / 124 SAtk
Naughty Nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Fire]
"MixMeta" is designed to defeat most of Metagross's usual counters, and it does a very good job at accomplishing that goal. Bulky grounds and waters fall to Grass IKnot while steel-types lose to Hidden Power Fire. Meteor Mash and Earthquake deal with Pokémon like Blissey, Empoleon, and Tentacruel.
Countering MixMeta is tough, but Gliscor does the job. Zapdos is still an effective counter as well, and the Rotom Appliances are decent checks though Meteor Mash really stings. MixMeta isn't as bulky as its other sets, so taking advantage of its poor Speed and launching super effective attacks at it is a good way to beat it.
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---Jirachi---
Jirachi can perform many tasks and it performs all of them very well. Many Jirachi sets are for team support, but Jirachi can also inflict damage, making it a versatile threat. It makes a great abuser of Serene Grace with movepool options like Zen Headbutt, Thunder, and Body Slam. Speaking of its movepool, Jirachi has a fantastic one with the ability to heal team members with Wish or sweep with Calm Mind. Add that to Jirachi's solid stats and you've got a top-tier OU threat.
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Fire Punch
- Ice Punch
- Trick / Zen Headbutt / U-Turn / ThunderPunch
Choice Scarf Jirachi is like ScarfTran and Choice Scarf Metagross, and is used as an anti-metagame Pokémon. Jirachi has the added bonus of having Serene Grace, so Iron Head flinches opponents like crazy. Fire Punch and Ice Punch both have a 20% chance of inflicting their status on opponents rather than a 10% chance.
So long as they avoid Trick, bulky waters like Suicune, Swampert, and Vaporeon work well. Hippowdon and Donphan also work, taking little damage even from Ice Punch. While walling Choice Scarf Jirachi is not hard, the flinch chance of Iron Head and the possibility of Trick can annoy even the most prepared teams.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Spd / 80 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Subtitute / Wish
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt / Hidden Power [Fighting] / Grass Knot
Substitute/Calm Mind Jirachi makes its return from Advance, and it's still a tough sweeper to take down. Wish can be used to make Jirachi last longer and support the team, but then Blissey can Thunder Wave it. Jirachi has good coverage with Psychic and Thunderbolt, and Serene Grace makes their secondary effects more likely to happen.
Swampert is one of the best counters, and Earthquake Snorlax works too. Metagross and Heatran are also very solid counters, though paralysis from Thunderbolt can be annoying. Magnezone traps Jirachi and will beat it, as it resists both of Jirachi's main attacks. Bronzong also counters Jirachi pretty easily.
Jirachi @ Leftovers / Life Orb
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 80 HP / 176 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Grass Knot
- Thunderbolt / Hidden Power [Ice / Fire]
This set is a more offensive version of Sub/CM Jirachi, as it replaces Substitute with a third attacking move for more coverage. Swampert is going to have a lot of trouble with Grass Knot, which can net a surprise kill on the mudfish.
Earthquake Snorlax still counters Jirachi with no problem. Metagross, Heatran, Magnezone, and Bronzong all still counter Jirachi despite its increase in power.
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---Starmie---
While Starmie was used as a counter utility and Rapid Spinner in early DP, the metagame has shifted and Starmie can now use several different tactics to its advantage. A lot of offensive teams have trouble dealing with its Speed and coverage, and Starmie can Recover off damage it takes while Natural Cure gets rid of crippling status ailments if Starmie simply switches out.
Starmie @ Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Trick / Psychic / Grass Knot
"SpecsStar" turns the tables on the Pursuit users that were the bane of its existence in the early days of DP. Trick also allows Starmie to permanently cripple Blissey, Snorlax, and other select special walls and Rapid Spin blockers. Starmie also possesses almost perfect coverage and the incredible Speed and good Special Attack to abuse it. Starmie can also use Choice Scarf to turn it into a revenge killer, but it becomes far less threatening offensively and more vulnerable to Pursuit.
SpecsStar is easily countered by Blissey, and Snorlax is also an effective way to wall it. Regice makes a good switch-in, though Stealth Rock wears it down and makes it vulnerable to Hydro Pump. Cresselia can work, but it must watch out for Hydro Pump as well if it does not have a significant amount of Special Defense invested. Pursuit users can come in on certain attacks and knock out SpecsStar on the spot, but switching into the wrong attack will likely knock it out.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Recover
Life Orb Starmie is a lot like Choice Specs Starmie, only it exchanges a small loss of power for freedom to choose attacks and Life Orb recoil. Life Orb Starmie gets Recover to deal with the latter though, and it also helps with Stealth Rock damage. It makes an incredible sweeper with its blazing Speed, excellent coverage, and solid Special Attack.
All of the counters to SpecsStar apply here as well, only Starmie will beat any Cresselia without Calm Mind, and Pursuit users won't have the luxury of being able to take advantage of Starmie locking itself in on one move. LO Starmie doesn't hit as hard as SpecsStar though, so special walls will have an easier time with it.
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---Rotom Appliances---
The Rotom Appliances are very useful Pokémon. Their bulk is very useful for when the attack-minded sets want to switch in, and of course, it allows them to wall a lot of threats. Their access to useful status moves like Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave makes them tough to counter, and they make some of the best Rapid Spin blockers in the game. Underestimate these resilient Pokémon and you'll be sorry.
NOTE: Since the Rotom Appliances all have the same build but different signature moves, "<Signature Move>" will be used instead of listing each Appliance's signature attack.
Rotom @ Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid / Modest Nature
- <Signature Move> / Hidden Power [Fighting / Ice / Ground]
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
Choice Scarf Rotom can hit very fast and somewhat hard with the great coverage this set has. In addition, Rotom has the ability to cripple most its common counters like Blissey by Tricking its Choice Scarf onto them. the real reason to use Choice Scarf Rotom is to revenge kill Pokémon like Gyarados and Lucario. with Choice Specs equipped, Rotom is turned into a potent special attacker with the bulk and typing to switch in on many OU Pokémon.
As long as they avoid Trick, Blissey and Snorlax make good counters. Raikou can set up on Rotom, but Hidden Power Ground could be troublesome. Heatran is in the same boat as Raikou, only it has to be extra careful since Hidden Power Ground will do a lot more damage and Hidden Power Fighting will also hurt.
Rotom @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 64 HP / 212 Spd / 232 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Charge Beam
- Substitute
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
This set abuses Rotom's resistances and naturally good defenses to come in and set up a Substitute which cannot be broken by any of Blissey's common special attacks. Behind a Substitute, Rotom can boost its Special Attack with STAB Charge Beam and rip apart things with the spectacular coverage of Hidden Power Fighting and Shadow Ball.
Crunch Snorlax is a good counter, and ScarfTran makes a decent counter. Raikou can still set up on it and can throw up a Substitute of its own. Swampert can Roar away its boosts. Calm Zapdos can also Roar away boosts, take Rotom's hits, and even strike back with Heat Wave or Toxic.
Rotom @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Charge Beam / Hidden Power [Fight/Ice/Ground]
- <Signature Move> / Hidden Power [Fighting / Ice / Ground]
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
This is the same as the Choice set, but it uses a Life Orb and lacks Trick. This set also has an extra slot which it can use to amplify its already fantastic coverage. It can fire off Life Orb boosted hits backed up by the Special Attack raise of Charge Beam, making it a powerful special attacker.
The same counters to the choice set work here, only they don't have to worry about Trick. Outpredicting it will also work, as passive damage and Life Orb recoil will eat away at it.
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---Kingdra---
Kingdra is the staple sweeper of most Rain Dance teams, and it's easy to see why; Kingdra is blazing fast with Rain Dance activated and it packs a lot of power. Kingdra doesn't even need Rain Dance to make a fool out of opposing teams either, as the Dragon Dancer lacks a 4x weakness that plague other Dragon Dancers like Tyranitar, Salamence, and Gyarados, It has wonderful coverage with only two attacks and a fair amount of bulk to take advantage of having only one weakness. These traits make Kingdra a fearsome Pokémon that can cause any team serious problems when played correctly.
Kingdra @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Trait: Sniper
EVs: 252 Atk / 232 Spd / 24 SAtk
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Waterfall
- Hydro Pump / Substitute
Dragon Dance Kingdra is a very potent threat capable of doing damage to any kind of team. Outrage and Waterfall are Kingdra's STAB attacks that hit every Pokémon in the game bar Shedinja and Empoleon for at least neutral damage. Physical walls like Skarmory and Hippowdon will be decimated by Hydro Pump before they can wall any kind of physical attack. Sniper makes Kingdra nearly unstoppable with luck on its side.
Empoleon is a good counter, but it needs to be EVed with Defense in mind, or Outrage could 2HKO. Thunder Wave Cresselia and Celebi also work, though Substitute can block out status attempts. Both have access to Reflect, which softens the blows they take from Kingdra.
Kingdra @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk / 16 Spd / 240 SAtk
Naughty Nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Waterfall
- Draco Meteor
Mixed Rain Dance Kingdra is the staple sweeper of many Rain Dance teams, and for a good reason. Kingdra does incredible amounts of damage in the rain with this set, and many offensive teams aren't prepared for the offensive beating this Kingdra can subject teams to. Most of the OU tier is ripped to shreds by this set, but it does have to switch in and set up (though often times Rain Dance has already been used).
Suicune, Vaporeon, and Suicune all can take even Draco Meteor wise ease and heal off the damage. Celebi is probably the best counter thanks to its good Special Defense, access to Recover and Thunder Wave, and its ability to laugh at anything Kingdra throws at it.
Kingdra @ Leftovers
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 180 HP / 252 Atk / 76 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rain Dance
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Waterfall
"Double Dance" Kingdra uses Rain Dance to power up Waterfall and double Kingdra's Speed with only one turn of setting up. This makes Kingdra a real threat for Pokémon that can't take hits very well, but sturdier Pokémon will be alright. This is where Dragon Dance and Outrage come in, but many bulky Pokémon still have their way with this set.
Skarmory can Whirlwind it away and Cresselia can Thunder Wave it. Celebi makes a solid counter thanks to its ability to do consistent damage to Kingdra, and it too can Thunder Wave Kingdra. Empoleon resists Outrage and Waterfall and can strike back with a powerful Ice Beam or Grass Knot while abusing Rain Dance itself, as it commonly runs an Agility sweeper set.
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---Suicune---
Suicune is one of the only defensive Pokémon in the game that threatens sweeping teams. On top of standards like CalmCune and CroCune, Suicune has overlooked options that can be very useful, such as Reflect and Mirror Coat. It is the most stable on the defensive side of things of all of the bulky waters, which helps it out a lot in today's fast and powerful metagame.
Suicune @ Life Orb
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest / Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]
Offensive Suicune is one of the most powerful and sturdy sweepers in the OU tier. With 115 base Defense and Special Defense as well as 100 base HP, Suicune can take all kinds of hits regardless of EV investment in defenses. This makes Suicune a huge problem for teams that cannot knock it out in one turn. Not only that, but almost no Pokémon resist all three of Suicune's attacks, which allows it to cover a wide variety of opponents.
Blissey and to a lesser extent Snorlax make effective counters. Cresselia makes a good switch-in thanks to thunder wave, which slows down Suicune enough that a heavy hitter like CBTar can come in and finish off Suicune. Electric-type Pokémon like Raikou and physical Electivire work too. While Zapdos can do a ton of damage with a Life Orb Thunderbolt, the threat of a boosted Ice Beam and its weakness to Stealth Rock make it a risky way of dealing with Suicune.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Spd / 104 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Ice Beam
While a normal offensive Suicune has trouble with Blissey and Snorlax, Sub/CM Suicune can create 101 Substitutes that allow Suicune to set up on Blissey and Snorlax. The drawback is that Suicune can no longer hit water-types for even neutral damage, but they cannot hurt Suicune either. While it doesn't hit as hard as a normal offensive Suicune, Sub/CM Suicune can take hits a lot better thanks to 252 HP EVs and Leftovers recovery. Both are huge threats for their amazing bulk considering they are sweepers and their large amount of power after only a few turns of setting up.
Blissey isn't 2HKOed by a +6 Surf, but it is still a rather shaky counter, as Suicune often wins anyway. Raikou, Electivire, Calm Zapdos make much better counters, and Celebi can shruf off Ice Beams and throw STAB Grass Knots back at Suicune. Bulky waters with Haze or Roar can foil Suicune's attempts to set up, but they can't do much damage to Suicune.
By Anti Pop Culture Warrior
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Introduction
The release of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl introduced several new Pokémon and a few mechanics changes, many of them being of assistance to sweepers rather than walls. The release of Pokémon Platinum solidified the effects of Diamond and Pearl and gave trainers even more threats to take into account. Because of this, more threats than ever loom in every corner on almost every team in today's fast-paced metagame. This guide gives a complete list of what Pokémon you might run into and how to reliably defeat them. Since countering is not as important as it was in previous generations, the focus of this threat list will be shifted to not just the counters, but the checks of each moveset listed.
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Threat List
Here are the sweepers that you have to be able to defeat when battling in the Standard/OU Metagame. There will be a moveset listed, a description of it, and how to counter that particular moveset. It will descend roughly in the order of the popularity of both the Pokémon and the combined popularity of the movesets listed. Only offensive threats are listed, so many common defensive Pokémon will be farther down on the list because their one attacking set isn't as common as their defensive one. It's not supposed to be exact though, especially given how much things can change.
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---Heatran---
Heatran is one of the most common Pokémon in the OU metagame, and for a good reason. It has a long list of resistances thanks to its great defensive typing and the defenses to abuse them. It also has an astounding 130 base Special Attack and the Flash Fire ability, which makes Heatran a sturdy and powerful attacking force or a strong and resilient defensive Pokémon depending on what set Heatran is running. No matter what it's running, Heatran is a Pokémon that has a huge impact on the metagame and must be taken into account when building any serious OU team.
Heatran @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Fire Blast / Flamethrower
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Explosion / Stealth Rock / Toxic
"ScarfTran" is the most popular of Heatran's movesets and easily one of the most effective. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Heatran makes the ultimate revenge killer, taking out threats like Lucario, Scizor, Heracross, and Outraging Salamence with ease. Heatran still hits fairly hard as well, so frail teams can really take a beating if they are too careless. Explosion is a last second attack that can severely damage or knock out most of Heatran's counters, and thanks to its Choice Scarf, Heatran will usually be able to blow itself up before being KOed by its opponent, which makes it incredibly scary when it's about to faint.
Countering ScarfTran is not very difficult, as its moves will not be boosted unless it gets a Flash Fire boost. Bulky waters like Suicune, Swampert, and Vaporeon all combat Heatran effectively, and standard special walls like Blissey and Snorlax also get the job done. However, Explosion will take a huge chunk of health from all of these Pokémon, so proceed with caution, or you could lose your special wall for the rest of the match. Porygon2 is a smart choice thanks to Trace, which allows it to absorb Heatran's STAB attack.
Heatran @ Choice Specs
Trait: Flash Fire
EVs: 40 HP / 216 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Fire Blast / Overheat
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Dragon Pulse / Flamethrower
Choice Specs Heatran isn't nearly as popular as ScarfTran, but it packs a far greater punch at the expense of its high Speed. With a Flash Fire boost, Fire Blast will begin to overpower even the likes of Swampert, which illustrates just how scary this set can be. Hidden Power Grass deals with ScarfTran's bulky water counters while Earth Power deals with opposing Heatran and Tentacruel. Heatran boasts a lot of power and excellent coverage with this set, which makes it a very potent threat. It can also come in on many popular Pokémon thanks to its many resistances and solid defenses.
Finding a safe way to deal with Choice Specs Heatran is a difficult task. Blissey and Snorlax still work very well, especially the latter with access to Earthquake and its Thick Fat ability. Porygon2 takes a lot from Earth Power, but it remains a solid choice. While bulky waters will take a fair amount of damage from Earth Power and will be 2HKOed at worst by Hidden Power Grass, they remain decent switch-ins as long as they avoid it. Gyarados and Salamence work, but the latter is weak to Dragon Pulse and both have to worry about Stealth Rock damage piling up, so they aren't good long-term solutions.
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---Salamence---
Salamence is easily one of the most threatening sweepers in the OU tier. With 135 base Attack and 110 base Special Attack, it can hit hard from both sides of the attacking spectrum very hard. Not only that, but Salamence's typing makes it even better, as dragon is an incredible offensive and defensive type. Salamence has pretty darn good defenses given its power, and Intimidate helps even more. Salamence also has a great movepool filled with attacks like Dragon Dance, Outrage, Draco Meteor, and Roost. Salamence has the tools to abuse several strategies, making it a versatile and potent threat that can destroy any team.
Salamence @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Naughty / Naive Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast / Dragon Claw / Stone Edge
"DDMence" is arguably Salamence's most destructive set. After a Dragon Dance, Outrage rips through just about every Pokémon that is not a steel-type. Earthquake and Fire Blast take care of those Pokémon, which makes DDMence a tough Pokémon to beat without taking a beating first. Sometimes trainers will forgo Life Orb in favor of Yache Berry, which can spell doom for counters that operate under the assumption that their Ice Beam will always OHKO Salamence.
Bulky waters take a lot of damage from Outrage, but their Ice Beams will knock out Salamence. Porygon2 is a great choice, as Trace reflects Intimidate back at Salamence while Porygon2 can OHKO Salamence with Ice Beam too. Ice Fang Hippowdon does a decent job countering DDMence, but MixMence and SpecsMence will decimate it, so proceed with caution. Cresselia and defensive Mesprit also work, as does a defensive Celebi with Hidden Power Ice.
Salamence @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 80 Atk / 176 Spd / 252 SAtk
Rash / Mild Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Brick Break
- Roost
"MixMence" has been a staple Salamence set for a long time, and it is still a potent mixed sweeper capable of severely damaging stall teams. Its usefulness isn't just limited to stall breaking, as Draco Meteor will hurt sweepers a lot more than it will hurt walls and tanks. This allows MixMence to remain a powerful force in the fast-paced OU metagame. With Fire Blast and Brick Break beating Pokémon that wall Draco Meteor and Roost healing Life Orb recoil, Stealth Rock damage, and any other damage taken, MixMence will stick around for a long time too, and it will still dish out a lot of damage.
Cresselia and Milotic make solid counters, and Vaporeon with enough Special Defense to weather two Draco Meteors also works. Tentacruel works, but Draco Meteor really hurts and it has no recovery. Predicting when it will Draco Meteor is usually key, as it is far less threatening with +2 Special Attack.
Salamence @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 84 Atk / 208 Spd / 216 SAtk
Mild Nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Draco Meteor
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Outrage
This is a variation of the previous set. With Outrage, Salamence still beats standard special walls that wall Draco Meteor while Earthquake and Fire Blast beat up steel-types. It'll have to worry about Stealth Rock damage a lot more though, as it lacks Roost to regain health. Life Orb recoil also takes its toll, but this version of MixMence hits a little harder in return, and it takes advantage of Salamence's STAB Outrage.
Cresselia is really one of the only reliable counters. Like with the first MixMence variant, predicting when it will use Draco Meteor is key, as it is far less threatening with no powerful special attacks backing it up. It can also be revenge killed by something faster when it is using Outrage.
Salamence @ Choice Band
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Naughty / Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Aqua Tail
- Fire Blast / Fire Fang
- Earthquake / Dragon Claw / Stone Edge
Much like Choice Band Garchomp did before its ban, "CBMence" will net a 2HKO at worst on every single Pokémon in the OU metagame that lacks steel typing given Stealth Rock is in play, making it an immediate threat to any team. Aqua Tail and Earthquake are safer options against many of the walls that lose to Outrage, while Fire Blast takes care of steel-types that get in the way. The good news is that Stealth Rock takes away 25% of Salamence's health every time it switches in, so it doesn't last too long.
There are no counters for CBMence besides Porygon2. If you don't have Porygon2, try to outpredict it and try to revenge kill it when it's locked into Outrage. Salamence has a lot of problems with Stealth Rock though, and combined with the damage it takes from your Pokémon switching in, CBMence will get worn down in no time. Weavile and Mamoswine can revenge kill Salamence with Ice Shard.
Salamence @ Choice Specs
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Pulse
- Flamethrower
- Hydro Pump
"SpecsMence" was the most common Salamence set in the earlier days of DP, but soon fell from grace, as Blissey walled it too easily. While SpecsMence still has problems with Blissey, it will usually surprise your opponent and do a ton of damage to the initial switch-in. Even when your opponent knows that your Salamence is a SpecsMence, its powerful Draco Meteor makes it tough to deal with anyway. SpecsMence also has trouble with Stealth Rock, though.
Blissey is the best counter, and a special defensive Empoleon also gets the job done. Snorlax takes a lot from Draco Meteor and so does a special defensive Cresselia, but both can wall SpecsMence fairly effectively. Like with CBMence, SpecsMence gets worn down by Stealth Rock damage fairly quickly, which helps in getting rid of it.
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---Scizor---
Scizor is a huge threat with Technician, STAB-boosted Bullet Punch as well as Swords Dance and Superpower at its disposal. Scizor is very bulky with pretty decent defensive typing, which makes it a very resilient sweeper. It also has very high Attack and threatens to pass stat-up boosts with Baton Pass, though it is most threatening as a CBer or SD sweeper. Not only that, but Scizor also can make great use of Pursuit and can Roost off Life Orb recoil if it wants to. Scizor can also scout with a Choice Banded U-Turn while doing a lot of damage in the process. Scizor has many things going for it that make it into a powerful Pokémon that cannot be ignored.
Scizor @ Life Orb
Trait: Technician
EVs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- X-Scissor
- Brick Break
Swords Dance Scizor is a very common and potent threat. After a Swords Dance, Bullet Punch does incredible amounts of damage to all kinds of Pokémon, including a few that actually resist the attack. X-Scissor is Scizor's way of hurting waters while Brick Break deals with steel-types. Technician is what really helps Scizor shine, as the power boost to Bullet Punch is always welcome. Scizor is an even bigger threat on Rain Dance teams thanks to the rain halving the power of fire-type attacks that so often hold Scizor back.
Defensive Zapdos is a good choice thanks to Heat Wave, and Gyarados is another solid choice. A defensive Salamence with Flamethrower also counters Scizor with no problem, and Skarmory can Whirlwind it away, though it can't do any real damage to Scizor. As long as it avoids Brick Break and can outspeed Scizor (and it usually can), Heatran is a decent switch-in. Magnezone can trap and kill Scizor every time with a Choice Scarf, but it can't switch in risk-free.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-Turn
- Superpower / Brick Break
- Pursuit
Choice Band Scizor is more of an immediate threat than SD Scizor, and it has some very interesting uses. Pursuit (which is boosted by Technician) will decimate ScarfGar and other Choice Scarfers on the revenge kill assuming they aren't using an attack that will knock out Scizor. U-Turn provides a solid STAB attack that is very useful for scouting on top of doing damage, and Bullet Punch (also boosted by Technician, obviously) gives Scizor some revenge killing capabilities. Superpower wastes Heatran and Blissey in one hit. Choice Band Scizor is generally powerful and is a force that any team should be prepared for.
The same things that counter the SDer will counter the CBer, only Heatran and Magnezone are much harder to switch in safely, and the latter can be escaped thanks to U-Turn. Many physical walls and bulky waters are relatively safe switch-ins, but Scizor can usually slam them pretty hard with U-Turn, Superpower, or even Bullet Punch before switching out.
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---Tyranitar---
Tyranitar is one of the best Pokémon in the OU tier, hands-down. Its STAB Stone Edge rips apart everything that doesn't resist it, including bulky physical walls like Skarmory. It can use Dragon Dance to boost its mediocre Speed as well. Tyranitar is also very bulky thanks to 100 base HP, 110 base Defense, and 100 base Special Defense which is boosted by 150% by Sandstorm. This allows Tyranitar to come in on several Pokémon despite its long list of weaknesses. There isn't much that can stop Tyranitar from rampaging through a team.
Tyranitar @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 176 HP / 252 Atk / 80 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Aqua Tail / Earthquake / Focus Punch
"CBTar" uses its two high-powered STAB attacks to punish the OU metagame, while Pursuit will trap and kill Pokémon like ScarfGar and Rapid Spin Starmie. In the last slot, Aqua Tail decimates would-be counters like Hippowdon and Gliscor while doing a number on Lucario and bulky fighting-types. Earthquake and Focus Punch are sometimes used instead of Aqua Tail to better deal with said bulky fghiting-types and the dangerous Lucario.
With Aqua Tail, the only safe counters to CBTar are Machamp, Hariyama and Hitmontop. Everything else is at least 2HKOed by something Tyranitar can throw at them.
Tyranitar @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch / Aqua Tail
"DDTar" attempts to fix Tyranitar's only low stat, which is its Speed. After a Dragon dance, it will outpace base 110 Speed Pokémon like Gengar. It is normally sent out in the later stages of the match when its counters are weakened and its combination of bulk and power will allow it to overpower the opponent. Tyranitar isn't even OHKOed by Scizor's Bullet Punch, which shows how much of a beating it can take.
Hippowdon and Gliscor make good counters if Tyranitar is carrying Fire Punch, while Bronzong is a great counter for the DDTar that run Aqua Tail. Machamp, Hariyama, and Hitmontop make solid counters as well, though the latter two get worn down by Sandstorm due to their lack of recovery outside of Rest, which is rarely seen on either of the two.
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---Gyarados---
Gyarados might be weak to Stealth Rock, but its great list of resistances and even greater movepool more than make up for this. Gyarados can set up and sweep thanks to Dragon Dance and good attacking options in Waterfall, Earthquake, Stone Edge, and Ice Fang. Gyarados also has the ability to Taunt status and PHazing attempts, though it rarely tried to anymore given the fast-paced nature of the metagame and the lack of Pokémon that can hurt Gyarados with those strategies.
Gyarados @ Life Orb
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Earthquake / Ice Fang
- Stone Edge / Ice Fang
Gyarados makes for one powerful sweeper thanks to Dragon Dance. With only one Dragon Dance under its belt, almost nothing can withstand two attacks from Gyarados. Gyarados also has very good coverage with this set, which allows it to hit everything in the OU metagame for at least neutral damage. Waterfall's flinch chance can spell doom for slow walls that would otherwise stop Gyarados as well, which makes it an even bigger threat. Luckily, its 4x weakness to electric-type attacks makes Gyarados less of a pain to handle.
Vaporeon and Suicune that have heavy EV investments in Defense and Hidden Power Electric will do the trick, but they will take a lot of damage in the process. Porygon2 probably the most reliable counter thanks to Trace throwing Intimidate back at Gyarados and its access to Thunderbolt and Thunder Wave. Tangrowth makes a decent counter, but Ice Fang will do a lot of damage. Leech Seed and Power Whip will usually allow Tangrowth to come out on top though. The Rotom Appliances are also decent at dealing with Gyarados.
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---Zapdos---
Zapdos is one of the most reliable Pokémon in the game. Its good defensive typing and decent defenses allow it to effectively counter Pokémon like Scizor, Yanmega, and Togekiss, and it has a reliable recovery move in Roost that keeps it healthy and can work to abuse Pressure. On the offensive end, Thunderbolt, Heat Wave, and Hidden Power are really all of the tools Zapdos needs to be a threat, and it even has some other cool moves to help it out like Agility. Zapdos also makes a solid Baton Passer that can annoy most PHazers. Zapdos is popular because it can do so many things and do them well, which makes it a powerful force in today's metagame.
Zapdos @ Life Orb
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Roost
Life Orb Zapdos is an attack-minded version of the defensive sets Zapdos often runs. It has wonderful coverage and Roost to heal Life Orb recoil and other damage taken. Thunderbolt is its powerful STAB attack while Heat Wave and Hidden Power Grass hit the grass-types and ground-types that wall it, respectively. Zapdos is a lot like MixMence (Version 1) in the sense that it can stick around for a very long time and wear down the opposing team.
Blissey and Snorlax are the best choices for walling Zapdos. Other electric-types like Raikou and Electivire make solid counters with their good Special Defense scores and ability to threaten Zapdos with an ice-type attack. Other than those, walling Zapdos is rather difficult. Ice Beam Cresselia works, but it can just Roost between Ice Beams and Pressure stall Cresselia.
Zapdos @ Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 80 HP / 176 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Grass / Ice]
- U-Turn
Choice Scarf Zapdos is commonly used as a lead thanks to its high Speed and access to U-Turn. It makes a solid revenge killer against Gyarados and Scizor especially, though Stealth Rock can be a problem. Choice Specs can be used over Choice Scarf to turn Zapdos into an attacker, though most trainers will usually go with Life Orb Zapdos if they want an attacker, especially since it can Roost off Stealth Rock damage.
The Pokémon that wall the Life Orb attacker will obviously wall this, but this time, Cresselia makes a much better counter since Zapdos lacks Roost.
Zapdos @ Life Orb
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 140 HP / 116 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Agility
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Grass]
This set is just like the Life Orber, only it exchanges instant recovery in Roost for Agility, which gives Zapdos blazing Speed. While Zapdos still has trouble with certain walls, it can now outspeed Choice Scarf revenge killers that will want to end its sweep quickly. It still has great coverage and it actually has a little more power than Life Orb Zapdos.
The same counters as the Choice Scarfer and Life Orber apply here. Zapdos can do a lot of different teams, but the attack moves it carries don't really change much, so the attacker sets are pretty easy to wall assuming you have the right Pokémon to do the job.
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---Lucario---
Lucario is a huge threat in today's metagame, and a common one at that. It can hit hard from both ends of the attacking spectrum, meaning that there is almost nothing that can safely switch into Lucario the first time it's out. Even when you know its set, Lucario is powerful enough to sweep your team anyway. Lucario also has many resistances it can come in on, thanks to its good defensive typing, which makes Lucario an even bigger threat.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge / Ice Punch / Crunch
- Extremespeed / Bullet Punch
"SDLuke" is Lucario's most popular moveset, and easily one of its most deadly. After a Swords Dance, Close Combat runs over most physical walls given Stealth Rock support. The third slot takes care of either flying-types or psychic-types that resist Close combat, depending on what move is chosen. the last slot helps patch up Lucario's rather average Speed by giving it a priority move powerful enough to outspeed and OHKO most frail sweepers. SDluke is commonly seen in the later stages of the game when it can clean up a battle with almost no problems, making it a force to be reckoned with and one of the most powerful physical sweepers in the game.
Assuming it has a significant EV investment in Speed, Gliscor is the number one SDLuke counter. Weezing also works with access to Will-O-Wisp and Fire Blast. Without Crunch, Thunder Wave Celebi and Cresselia can come in and rain on SDLuke's parade. If Lucario is running Crunch, Salamence and Gyarados make solid counters, and any kind of Gliscor will wall SDLuke as long as it isn't carrying Ice Punch. ScarfTran is a common way of dealing with SDLuke as well, though it is not a counter by any stretch of the imagination since it cannot switch into Close Combat. It makes a very effective check though.
Lucario @ Choice Specs
Trait: Steadfast
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Aura Sphere / Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice / Rock]
- Shadow Ball
- Vacuum Wave
"SpecsLuke" is the most common special attacking Lucario, working off of Lucario's strongest stat, which maxes out at 361. Aura Sphere is a very reliable STAB attack thanks to its perfect accuracy and good base power. Focus Blast can be used to 2HKO Calm Blissey, but its accuracy and PP are far lower. Vacuum wave is useful for Tyranitar and faster Pokémon in general, while Shadow Ball beats the likes of Cresselia, Celebi, and Gengar. Hidden Power beats either Gliscor and Salamence or Gyarados, depending on which one is chosen.
Tentacruel is a solid choice to counter SpecsLuke, resisting its STAB attack and taking little damage from anything else. Spiritomb is equally effective in taking SpecsLuke's hits. Blissey is only 3HKOed by Aura Sphere, so she can work as a counter when she is at full health. While Stealth Rock damage hurts it, Gyarados is a good choice with its 100 base Special Defense and resistance to Aura Sphere. However, it gets worn out quickly and is weak to Hidden Power Rock.
Lucario @ Life Orb
Trait: Inner Focus
EVs: 184 Atk / 196 Spd / 128 SAtk
Lonely / Naughty Nature
- Agility
- Close Combat
- Shadow Ball / Dark Pulse
- Hidden Power [Ice]
"AgiliLuke" uses Agility to boost its average Speed to allow it to sweep without requiring the use of priority moves. Close Combat deals with Heatran, Blissey, and Snorlax, while the third slot deals with ghost-types and psychic-types. Hidden Power Ice beats Gliscor and Salamence. AgiliLuke is very tough to revenge kill and has excellent coverage, making it a huge threat to many offensive teams that rely on resistances for overall team defenses. Resisting almost every priority move in the game also works in AgiliLuke's favor.
Tentacruel, Spiritomb, Metagross, and Gyarados all stop AgiliLuke without any problems. Bronzong and Vaporeon also work to a lesser extent, just don't let either of them take too much of a beating from Close Combat.
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---Gengar---
Gengar is very unpredictable, and it can abuse many different strategies. Gengar is one of the fastest sleep inducers in the game, and it gets tremendous coverage with Shadow Ball and Focus Blast (which sometimes can even be Focus Punch). Gengar also has a good ability along with good defensive typing, allowing it to come in on many attacks. Gengar can also use Explosion to take out common counters like Blissey and Snorlax and status moves like Will-O-Wisp to hamper any sweeper that is daring enough to come in on it, and TrickScarf can cause all kinds of problems. It should be noted that Gengar has lately seen a decline in usage as a result of Scizor's rise in popularity and the renewed popularity of several users of Pursuit.
Gengar @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt / Explosion
- Hypnosis / Hidden Power [Ice]
With this set, Gengar hits every Pokémon in the game for neutral damage, and hits everything hard in general. What makes Gengar so dangerous is its ability to put its counter asleep and then continue sweeping. It should be noted that if Gengar is carrying Explosion, it usually has a different EV spread and nature to boost Explosion's power. This set has lost a little bit of its effectiveness due to the accuracy drop of Hypnosis with the coming of Platinum.
Blissey and Snorlax are both good choices for walling Gengar's attacks. A Calm RestTalk Zapdos can take Gengar's attacks and laugh off Hypnosis, and a RestTalk Spiritomb can do the same. Sometimes, it is a good idea to bring in a status absorber to take Hypnosis and then something else to take Gengar's attacks.
Gengar @ Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt
- Trick / Hidden Power [Ice]
"ScarfGar" has been one of Gengar's most popular movesets for a long time, and it is still an effective revenge killer. While Pursuit users are a hindrance to Gengar and the rise of Bullet Punch Scizor as not helped in any way, Gengar is still one of the best revenge killers around, effectively beating sweepers like DD Gyarados and DDMence. Trick makes life hard for standard special walls as well, which makes ScarfGar an attractive option. Choice Specs can be used in favor of Choice Scarf to turn Gengar into an attacker rather than a revenge killer.
The same Pokémon that can beat the Life Orber will beat ScarfGar and SpecsGar, but Trick can cause problems for walls and tanks like Blissey and Snorlax. Pokémon with Pursuit that come in on the right move will trap and kill Gengar, and ScarfGar isn't very hard to outpredict.
Gengar @ Expert Belt
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 Spd / 192 SAtk
Hasty Nature (+Spd, -Def)
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Punch
- Substitute
- Hypnosis
"McGar" effectively makes a fool out of Blissey and Snorlax that think they can easily wall Gengar. It still has great coverage despite having only two attacks, and it can use Hypnosis to put trouble pokemon to sleep. Substitute aids Focus Punch and is generally a useful move to ease prediction.
A Calm RestTalk Zapdos is a good counter to McGar. Once Sleep Clause is activated, Blissey and Crunch Snorlax will still have their way with Gengar.
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---Infernape---
Infernape is fast and can pick apart opposing teams with its many attacking options. Infernape can't switch in on much but it can do a ton of damage if it gets in. Its offensive typing is really good and its movepool is nothing short of outstanding. Despite being very frail, Infernape also makes a good counter to Weavile. Almost nothing can stop a well-played Infernape.
Infernape @ Life Orb
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 24 Atk / 232 Spd / 252 SAtk
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Close Combat
- Flamethrower / Fire Blast
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Nasty Plot
"MixApe" can easily demolish most walls in the OU metagame in the blink of an eye. Infernape is a great stall breaker, and if the counter for it goes down, Infernape is going to sweep. After a Nasty Plot, Grass Knot is a OHKO on most common bulky waters and all bulky grounds outside of Gliscor, who is OHKOed by a boosted Flamethrower. Close Combat takes care of Blissey and Snorlax, of course. Hidden Power Ice is a common sight on Mixape and is used over Nasty Plot to net a guaranteed kill on Salamence and Dragonite, though a +2 Life Orb Fire Blast will OHKO Salamence if it switches into Stealth Rock.
Countering MixApe usually requires a bulky Pokémon. Tentacruel and Vaporeon are the most common counters, though the latter takes a lot of damage from a boosted Grass Knot. Starmie is a popular counter and Cresselia is always a good choice as well. Generally, faster Pokémon with a ground or psychic move do in Infernape if they can switch in safely.
Infernape @ Choice Band
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
- Stone Edge / ThunderPunch
- U-Turn / ThunderPunch
Choice Band Infernape can scout any team with U-Turn or do enormous amounts of damage with its two 120 base power STAB attacks. Stone Edge beats Gyarados and Salamence, while ThunderPunch does a lot to water-typed MixApe counters like Tentacruel and Vaporeon while still hurting Gyarados, but the powerful Salamence will be a problem without Stone Edge.
The most defensive Hippowdon, Slowbro, Swampert, and Suicune are very effective at countering this set. All four will still take heavy damage in the process, which shows how powerful this set is.
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---Metagross---
Metagross is an incredible sweeper, tank, wall, and supporter. Metagross can do it all, and with great typing, great Attack and Defense, and a great movepool, it's easy to see why. Metagross can set up Stealth Rock, take all kinds of attacks thanks to its long list of resistances, and then blow up a physical wall with Explosion and open up a sweep for Gyarados. It's almost like there's nothing Metagross can't do, which makes it versatile and unpredictable despite carrying rather similar movesets all the time. Its role is always changing, which makes it a unique and truly useful Pokémon and a very dangerous threat for those fighting agianst it.
Metagross @ Choice Band
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Bullet Punch / ThunderPunch / Pursuit
"CBGross" can break through even the sturdiest walls in OUs. With an Attack boost, Meteor Mash 2HKOs Hippowdon, the sturdiest physical wall in the tier. Explosion is so powerful that it can take up to 85% of health from Skarmory, who resists the attack. ThunderPunch stops waters from walling it, but it also allows Dugtrio to trap and kill it, which is something that can be taken advantage of with a little prediction. Pursuit is always useful for taking advantage of certain Pokémon, while Bullet Punch gives Metagross a priority move, which is useful for netting quick kills on weakened Azelf and Gengar.
Defensive Zapdos is a good counter, as is Swampert. Hippowdon and Gliscor both work, though Meteor Mash can really sting. Bronzong is effective at walling Metagross as well. Bulky waters are all good counters as long as they stay out of the way of ThunderPunch, though Earthquake can do a fair amount of damage to most of them.
Metagross @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 152 HP / 252 Atk / 104 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Agility
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Explosion / ThunderPunch
"AgiliGross" takes advantage of Agility to boost Metagross's poor Speed stat to allow it to sweep. While AgiliGross isn't very difficult to wall, a lot of teams don't have an answer for AgiliGross, and it can easily sweep unprepared offensive teams. ThunderPunch comes without a few downsides it had on CBGross while Explosion allows Metagross to blow something up pretty much whenever it wants, given its good Speed after an Agility.
Countering AgiliGross is much easier than countering CBGross. Bulky waters and grounds work and Zapdos still does too. Skarmory and Bronzong can wall AgiliGross as well, though the former could have trouble taking ThunderPunch (it only 3HKOs, however).
Metagross @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 SDef
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Ice Punch / ThunderPunch / Trick
Choice Scarf Metagross is much like ScarfTran, and it revenge kills many potent threats just like ScarfTran does. Trick is a very useful weapon that makes Choice Scarf Metagross an effective lead and tough Pokémon to counter. Explosion is still very powerful and can be launched as Metagross is about to faint thanks to its high Speed granted by its Choice Scarf.
Any physical wall or bulky water works here, but Trick will be troublesome to most of them and Explosion will also knock most of them out.
Metagross @ Expert Belt
Trait: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 132 Spd / 124 SAtk
Naughty Nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power [Fire]
"MixMeta" is designed to defeat most of Metagross's usual counters, and it does a very good job at accomplishing that goal. Bulky grounds and waters fall to Grass IKnot while steel-types lose to Hidden Power Fire. Meteor Mash and Earthquake deal with Pokémon like Blissey, Empoleon, and Tentacruel.
Countering MixMeta is tough, but Gliscor does the job. Zapdos is still an effective counter as well, and the Rotom Appliances are decent checks though Meteor Mash really stings. MixMeta isn't as bulky as its other sets, so taking advantage of its poor Speed and launching super effective attacks at it is a good way to beat it.
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---Jirachi---
Jirachi can perform many tasks and it performs all of them very well. Many Jirachi sets are for team support, but Jirachi can also inflict damage, making it a versatile threat. It makes a great abuser of Serene Grace with movepool options like Zen Headbutt, Thunder, and Body Slam. Speaking of its movepool, Jirachi has a fantastic one with the ability to heal team members with Wish or sweep with Calm Mind. Add that to Jirachi's solid stats and you've got a top-tier OU threat.
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Fire Punch
- Ice Punch
- Trick / Zen Headbutt / U-Turn / ThunderPunch
Choice Scarf Jirachi is like ScarfTran and Choice Scarf Metagross, and is used as an anti-metagame Pokémon. Jirachi has the added bonus of having Serene Grace, so Iron Head flinches opponents like crazy. Fire Punch and Ice Punch both have a 20% chance of inflicting their status on opponents rather than a 10% chance.
So long as they avoid Trick, bulky waters like Suicune, Swampert, and Vaporeon work well. Hippowdon and Donphan also work, taking little damage even from Ice Punch. While walling Choice Scarf Jirachi is not hard, the flinch chance of Iron Head and the possibility of Trick can annoy even the most prepared teams.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Spd / 80 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Subtitute / Wish
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt / Hidden Power [Fighting] / Grass Knot
Substitute/Calm Mind Jirachi makes its return from Advance, and it's still a tough sweeper to take down. Wish can be used to make Jirachi last longer and support the team, but then Blissey can Thunder Wave it. Jirachi has good coverage with Psychic and Thunderbolt, and Serene Grace makes their secondary effects more likely to happen.
Swampert is one of the best counters, and Earthquake Snorlax works too. Metagross and Heatran are also very solid counters, though paralysis from Thunderbolt can be annoying. Magnezone traps Jirachi and will beat it, as it resists both of Jirachi's main attacks. Bronzong also counters Jirachi pretty easily.
Jirachi @ Leftovers / Life Orb
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 80 HP / 176 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Grass Knot
- Thunderbolt / Hidden Power [Ice / Fire]
This set is a more offensive version of Sub/CM Jirachi, as it replaces Substitute with a third attacking move for more coverage. Swampert is going to have a lot of trouble with Grass Knot, which can net a surprise kill on the mudfish.
Earthquake Snorlax still counters Jirachi with no problem. Metagross, Heatran, Magnezone, and Bronzong all still counter Jirachi despite its increase in power.
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---Starmie---
While Starmie was used as a counter utility and Rapid Spinner in early DP, the metagame has shifted and Starmie can now use several different tactics to its advantage. A lot of offensive teams have trouble dealing with its Speed and coverage, and Starmie can Recover off damage it takes while Natural Cure gets rid of crippling status ailments if Starmie simply switches out.
Starmie @ Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Trick / Psychic / Grass Knot
"SpecsStar" turns the tables on the Pursuit users that were the bane of its existence in the early days of DP. Trick also allows Starmie to permanently cripple Blissey, Snorlax, and other select special walls and Rapid Spin blockers. Starmie also possesses almost perfect coverage and the incredible Speed and good Special Attack to abuse it. Starmie can also use Choice Scarf to turn it into a revenge killer, but it becomes far less threatening offensively and more vulnerable to Pursuit.
SpecsStar is easily countered by Blissey, and Snorlax is also an effective way to wall it. Regice makes a good switch-in, though Stealth Rock wears it down and makes it vulnerable to Hydro Pump. Cresselia can work, but it must watch out for Hydro Pump as well if it does not have a significant amount of Special Defense invested. Pursuit users can come in on certain attacks and knock out SpecsStar on the spot, but switching into the wrong attack will likely knock it out.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Recover
Life Orb Starmie is a lot like Choice Specs Starmie, only it exchanges a small loss of power for freedom to choose attacks and Life Orb recoil. Life Orb Starmie gets Recover to deal with the latter though, and it also helps with Stealth Rock damage. It makes an incredible sweeper with its blazing Speed, excellent coverage, and solid Special Attack.
All of the counters to SpecsStar apply here as well, only Starmie will beat any Cresselia without Calm Mind, and Pursuit users won't have the luxury of being able to take advantage of Starmie locking itself in on one move. LO Starmie doesn't hit as hard as SpecsStar though, so special walls will have an easier time with it.
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---Rotom Appliances---
The Rotom Appliances are very useful Pokémon. Their bulk is very useful for when the attack-minded sets want to switch in, and of course, it allows them to wall a lot of threats. Their access to useful status moves like Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave makes them tough to counter, and they make some of the best Rapid Spin blockers in the game. Underestimate these resilient Pokémon and you'll be sorry.
NOTE: Since the Rotom Appliances all have the same build but different signature moves, "<Signature Move>" will be used instead of listing each Appliance's signature attack.
Rotom @ Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid / Modest Nature
- <Signature Move> / Hidden Power [Fighting / Ice / Ground]
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
Choice Scarf Rotom can hit very fast and somewhat hard with the great coverage this set has. In addition, Rotom has the ability to cripple most its common counters like Blissey by Tricking its Choice Scarf onto them. the real reason to use Choice Scarf Rotom is to revenge kill Pokémon like Gyarados and Lucario. with Choice Specs equipped, Rotom is turned into a potent special attacker with the bulk and typing to switch in on many OU Pokémon.
As long as they avoid Trick, Blissey and Snorlax make good counters. Raikou can set up on Rotom, but Hidden Power Ground could be troublesome. Heatran is in the same boat as Raikou, only it has to be extra careful since Hidden Power Ground will do a lot more damage and Hidden Power Fighting will also hurt.
Rotom @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 64 HP / 212 Spd / 232 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Charge Beam
- Substitute
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
This set abuses Rotom's resistances and naturally good defenses to come in and set up a Substitute which cannot be broken by any of Blissey's common special attacks. Behind a Substitute, Rotom can boost its Special Attack with STAB Charge Beam and rip apart things with the spectacular coverage of Hidden Power Fighting and Shadow Ball.
Crunch Snorlax is a good counter, and ScarfTran makes a decent counter. Raikou can still set up on it and can throw up a Substitute of its own. Swampert can Roar away its boosts. Calm Zapdos can also Roar away boosts, take Rotom's hits, and even strike back with Heat Wave or Toxic.
Rotom @ Life Orb
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Charge Beam / Hidden Power [Fight/Ice/Ground]
- <Signature Move> / Hidden Power [Fighting / Ice / Ground]
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
This is the same as the Choice set, but it uses a Life Orb and lacks Trick. This set also has an extra slot which it can use to amplify its already fantastic coverage. It can fire off Life Orb boosted hits backed up by the Special Attack raise of Charge Beam, making it a powerful special attacker.
The same counters to the choice set work here, only they don't have to worry about Trick. Outpredicting it will also work, as passive damage and Life Orb recoil will eat away at it.
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---Kingdra---
Kingdra is the staple sweeper of most Rain Dance teams, and it's easy to see why; Kingdra is blazing fast with Rain Dance activated and it packs a lot of power. Kingdra doesn't even need Rain Dance to make a fool out of opposing teams either, as the Dragon Dancer lacks a 4x weakness that plague other Dragon Dancers like Tyranitar, Salamence, and Gyarados, It has wonderful coverage with only two attacks and a fair amount of bulk to take advantage of having only one weakness. These traits make Kingdra a fearsome Pokémon that can cause any team serious problems when played correctly.
Kingdra @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Trait: Sniper
EVs: 252 Atk / 232 Spd / 24 SAtk
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Waterfall
- Hydro Pump / Substitute
Dragon Dance Kingdra is a very potent threat capable of doing damage to any kind of team. Outrage and Waterfall are Kingdra's STAB attacks that hit every Pokémon in the game bar Shedinja and Empoleon for at least neutral damage. Physical walls like Skarmory and Hippowdon will be decimated by Hydro Pump before they can wall any kind of physical attack. Sniper makes Kingdra nearly unstoppable with luck on its side.
Empoleon is a good counter, but it needs to be EVed with Defense in mind, or Outrage could 2HKO. Thunder Wave Cresselia and Celebi also work, though Substitute can block out status attempts. Both have access to Reflect, which softens the blows they take from Kingdra.
Kingdra @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk / 16 Spd / 240 SAtk
Naughty Nature (+Atk, -SDef)
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Waterfall
- Draco Meteor
Mixed Rain Dance Kingdra is the staple sweeper of many Rain Dance teams, and for a good reason. Kingdra does incredible amounts of damage in the rain with this set, and many offensive teams aren't prepared for the offensive beating this Kingdra can subject teams to. Most of the OU tier is ripped to shreds by this set, but it does have to switch in and set up (though often times Rain Dance has already been used).
Suicune, Vaporeon, and Suicune all can take even Draco Meteor wise ease and heal off the damage. Celebi is probably the best counter thanks to its good Special Defense, access to Recover and Thunder Wave, and its ability to laugh at anything Kingdra throws at it.
Kingdra @ Leftovers
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 180 HP / 252 Atk / 76 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rain Dance
- Dragon Dance
- Outrage
- Waterfall
"Double Dance" Kingdra uses Rain Dance to power up Waterfall and double Kingdra's Speed with only one turn of setting up. This makes Kingdra a real threat for Pokémon that can't take hits very well, but sturdier Pokémon will be alright. This is where Dragon Dance and Outrage come in, but many bulky Pokémon still have their way with this set.
Skarmory can Whirlwind it away and Cresselia can Thunder Wave it. Celebi makes a solid counter thanks to its ability to do consistent damage to Kingdra, and it too can Thunder Wave Kingdra. Empoleon resists Outrage and Waterfall and can strike back with a powerful Ice Beam or Grass Knot while abusing Rain Dance itself, as it commonly runs an Agility sweeper set.
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---Suicune---
Suicune is one of the only defensive Pokémon in the game that threatens sweeping teams. On top of standards like CalmCune and CroCune, Suicune has overlooked options that can be very useful, such as Reflect and Mirror Coat. It is the most stable on the defensive side of things of all of the bulky waters, which helps it out a lot in today's fast and powerful metagame.
Suicune @ Life Orb
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Modest / Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Surf / Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]
Offensive Suicune is one of the most powerful and sturdy sweepers in the OU tier. With 115 base Defense and Special Defense as well as 100 base HP, Suicune can take all kinds of hits regardless of EV investment in defenses. This makes Suicune a huge problem for teams that cannot knock it out in one turn. Not only that, but almost no Pokémon resist all three of Suicune's attacks, which allows it to cover a wide variety of opponents.
Blissey and to a lesser extent Snorlax make effective counters. Cresselia makes a good switch-in thanks to thunder wave, which slows down Suicune enough that a heavy hitter like CBTar can come in and finish off Suicune. Electric-type Pokémon like Raikou and physical Electivire work too. While Zapdos can do a ton of damage with a Life Orb Thunderbolt, the threat of a boosted Ice Beam and its weakness to Stealth Rock make it a risky way of dealing with Suicune.
Suicune @ Leftovers
Trait: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Spd / 104 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Ice Beam
While a normal offensive Suicune has trouble with Blissey and Snorlax, Sub/CM Suicune can create 101 Substitutes that allow Suicune to set up on Blissey and Snorlax. The drawback is that Suicune can no longer hit water-types for even neutral damage, but they cannot hurt Suicune either. While it doesn't hit as hard as a normal offensive Suicune, Sub/CM Suicune can take hits a lot better thanks to 252 HP EVs and Leftovers recovery. Both are huge threats for their amazing bulk considering they are sweepers and their large amount of power after only a few turns of setting up.
Blissey isn't 2HKOed by a +6 Surf, but it is still a rather shaky counter, as Suicune often wins anyway. Raikou, Electivire, Calm Zapdos make much better counters, and Celebi can shruf off Ice Beams and throw STAB Grass Knots back at Suicune. Bulky waters with Haze or Roar can foil Suicune's attempts to set up, but they can't do much damage to Suicune.
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