Topic: Unsuspected, "unviable" Niche Pokémon of the Day

[Kerou 犠牲]

As I said on IRC, I'm shocked by the punch Ariados packs with MegaHorn, it's fairly impressive in that regards. Don't think I'd ever risk it if I returned to Ubers, I'm too rash in battling =P

[Raphetty]

Leavanny could perform a similar role to Ariados, it's a Bug/Grass type with base stats of:

75 / 103 / 80 / 70 / 80 / 92

For reference, Ariados has:

70 / 90 / 70 / 60 / 60 / 40

It can use a moveset such as:

Sticky Web
X-Scissor
Swords Dance
Baton Pass/Leaf Blade

Its higher Attack stat and access to Swords Dance slightly makes up for not having Mega Horn. Its higher all round defences (not by much admittedly) help it perform its Baton Pass role (probably in lower tiers). With BP you are probably investing in defences, with Leaf Blade you can invest in Attack and Speed more. It could even outspeed the many base 90s in Ubers with that speed stat, though I couldn't say if it was viable or not since I haven't done any damage calculations or anything.

[Delicious_Scout]

Raphetty's set is very interesting, and I heavily appreciate that you spend some part of your time to think about another possibility. Leavanny can be a great option against Smeargle, but it will lose most of the times against Darkrai, which can put it to sleep.

252+ Atk Leavanny X-Scissor vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Darkrai: 270-318 (95.7 - 112.7%) -- 75% chance to OHKO

Yes, it has a very healthy chance to OHKO, but it requires an Adamant nature, and, even in case it used a Jolly nature, Darkrai would outspeed it, and a supporter with a Choice Scarf is almost never viable. The only things Leaveanny can outspeed and cause damage to are Groudon and Kyogre.

252+ Atk Leavanny Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Groudon: 156-186 (38.6 - 46%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Leavanny Leaf Blade vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Groudon: 206-246 (60.2 - 71.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Leavanny Leaf Blade vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Kyogre: 300-354 (74.4 - 87.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

These calculations were made assuming an Adamant Nature; Kyogre can OHKO it back, and so does Groudon. Moreover, how could it set up Sword Dance? I am intrigued and confused.

In any event, the time for a new Pokémon has come.

__________

Today, I present a Pokémon with whom neither Richard nor I would to go OU, but due to the fact it has been requested, I will write about it. Here it is! Milotic!

MetaSprite, what else?

Our reasons for not using Milotic are different; he prefers Bulky Offence, while I favour testing, and Milotic is a very straight-forward Pokémon… oh… what? Did Milotic get access to a new ability? Competitive? All right, let's go with Milflotic's story.

In Generation III, a new Magikarp appeared, but instead of turning into a ferocious Leviathan, Feebas would become a pretty mermaid; Milotic. With access to Recover, a useful ability in Marvel Scale, and Hypnosis, Milotic would not be a simple Bulky Water Type (from now on, called BWT).

Generation IV introduced Rotom, and, of course, its formes, as well as more powerful physical attacks, and Garchomp during early stages of the Metagame. Whith Garchomp gone, Milotic was able to invest again in its defences to use the RestTalk set... mostly in UU, where it belongs. It was still usable in OU, though.

Generation V buffed it significantly, at a cost (of course), with Infinite Rain coming from Politoed, the new Scald, which would allow it to act as a better mixed Tank, and even Dragon Tail, Milotic would have a special place for defensive Rain Teams. However, Milotic could not do much to Jellicent and Toxicroak, two of the best Pokémon that could be used in Rain. It even gained an almost useless yet very fitting Hidden Ability: Cute Charm. It kept in UU.

Generation VI, as stated in my introduction, gained very few things, although their importance might be vital; Competitive, Sticky Web, and Defog. Yes, Milotic does not have access to the latter two, but a Milotic with Competitivemoderately likes to enter in a field with Sticky Web on it and loves to get in on a possible Defog, effectively gaining a free Nasty Plot (although the Speed Drop is not very welcoming). It is still UU.

Let's take a look at its stats:

Milotic

HP: 95 | Attack: 60 | Defene: 79 | Special Attack: 100 | Special Defence: 125 | Speed: 81

Its stats scream one thing: BWT! And so two of its three abilities do: Marvel Scale, its semi-exclusive ability, allows Milotic to increase its defence by 50% whenever it is affected by a status (Confusion does not count). Cute Charm allows to annoy your typically-male pervert Pokémon, which is trolly and usually not the best bet (translation: it infatuates the opponent 30% of the times if it is of the opponent gender and it uses a contact move). Competitive raises Milotic's Special Attack Stat by Two Stages whenever one Stat (including Special Attack itself) is lowered (Curse, as well as other side-effect moves used by the user of the ability, do not count).

Time for the analyses.





Classic BWT


Milotic @ Leftovers
Bold Nature (+Def, -Att)
EV: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SpA
Ability: Marvel Scale

Scald
Haze/Dragon Tail
Recover/Rest
Ice Beam/Sleep Talk

This are two classic sets put together. In fact, the best Phazer and Physically Defensive version of Milotic is used whenever the moves on the right are chosen; otherwise, one gets better coverage in form of Ice Beam. Scald has a 30% chance of burning the opponent (assuming it can be burnt) and decent power (at 80, 120 computing STAB). Recover and Rest are Milotic's best options for Recovery, and, with Leftovers, it is incredibly ridiculous to take it down (although Suicune wins in that regard on the Special side). As stated before, if using Rest, Sleep Talk is a necessity, and it has a very good use: Dragon Tail's negative priority is entirely negated (do not use Haze in the RestTalk set, please). If one prefers to stay awake, Ice Beam should be used over Sleep Talk, but the second slot can be freely chosen: Dragon Tail phazes, when Haze… hazes? Dragon Tail is screwed by its accuracy, inability to do its job through enemy Substitutes, and Fairy types; and Haze by Taunt.

252 EV in HP are used to ensure an even number, thus maximising Recover's and Leftovers' effect (healing). Moreover, Milotic is a Pokémon that usually does not need to switch, thus it is not affected by a lot by Damaging Hazards; moreover, it gives it staying power, along with 252 EV in Defence to improve its Mixed-Walling capacities (its Special Defence is prepostorously high, at base 125). 4 EV in Special Attack are dumped there because Milotic does not have to outspeed anything on the same Speed Tier (Gyarados runs a lot of Speed, for example) and it can OHKO the rare Salamence most of the times:

4 SpA Milotic Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Salamence: 312-368 (94.2 - 111.1%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO

If desired, 12 EV can go to Speed, so that Milotic can outspeed most Mega Venusaur, which want to outspeed maximum Speed, Adamant Azumarill.




Competilotic


Milotic @ Life Orb
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Att)/Timid Nature (+SpA, -Att)
EV: 252 SpA/252 Spe/4 SpA
Ability: Competitive

Hydro Pump/Scald
Ice Beam
Hidden Power Electric/Hidden Power Grass
Recover

This set uses all of Milotic's useful Special Moves... yes, three of them. It has not even changed from the DPP era (just the spread). Hydro Pump deals heavy damage, while Scald is more supportative, still deals decent damage, and has perfect accuracy. Ice Beam is necessary in order not to use HP Ice and hit everything that is weak to Ice for some super effective damage. Both Hidden Powers have their uses: HP Grass hits most Water types for Super Effective, heavy damage, while HP Electric completes the BoltBeam combo, and it there is a big chance to OHKO Gyarados, as seen below:

252+ SpA Life Orb Milotic Hidden Power Electric vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Gyarados: 317-374 (95.7 - 112.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

For this reason, a Timid Nature is listed, although the spread might change to 88 HP/252 SpA/168 Spe just to outspeed Adamant Gyarados before a Dragon Dance. Even at +1, Adamant Gyarados will not be able to OHKO Milotic with 88 HP. The damage from HP Electric is as follows:

252 SpA Life Orb Milotic Hidden Power Electric vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Gyarados: 286-338 (86.4 - 102.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

This is pretty good, and it gets even better whenever a careless opponent uses Defog on you because "you are not a threat". At +2, Milotic can heavily damage most of the tier with its three Damaging Moves, while it can Recover after it has taken some Damage and/or Life Orb Recoil.

Be EXTREMELY careful while using this set, because a switch will mean that you surprise has been already revealed, hence, the care of the opponent for their Pokémon will be increased as much as the buff from Competitive is. Milotic does not like Sticky Web as much, due to the fact that having EV in Speed would look like a foolish investment. In those cases, Haze is an acceptable option, although Milotic will have serious problems fitting it on this set, not to say it would lose the Special Attack boost it previously gained. I would recommend White Herb + Competitive, but I don't know whether this works or not (Defiant + White Herb does not activate it, although now the drop and the raise come from different stats; if anyone knows the outcome of doing so, please tell me).

An honourable mention for this set is exactly the same set but with Marvel Scale; in case Milotic gets the Defence Boost, it will be an very good tank, although Paralysis can make Milotic to stop for a turn, and Burn and Poison/Toxic can severely harm Milotic's Life Span.

This set is one of the weirdest niches I have ever written here (but Ariados and Gravity-lover Trevenant are still the victorious Pokémon in that aspect), so be very wary that very specific support and conditions must be present to make it an effective threat.

Miltotic, the fabulous, stationery-lover Chloe BWT Pokémon. Is it long, wet, and hairy. No, it is not a snake with a pompadour that has taken a shower. Milotic is more dangerous, and, despite looking forgiving, it will not accept your apologies if you offended its superb beauty or their friends.

__________

So, what do you think about Milotic? Should Richard and I change our minds with respect to our opinion about not using Milotic in OU? Will my niches get stupider? Do not miss the next issue on our best ghostly cat!

[SirBlaziken]

For classic BWT, Rest and Sleep Talk, like scald, are requirements.

[Delicious_Scout]

For classic BWT, Rest and Sleep Talk, like scald, are requirements.

Yes, they are. This is why an article on this set with these moves has been written. But time for another article has arrived.

__________

Today, we are analysing a new addition of the rooster. And I am sure she will murder me after this "article". Say hello to… Dragoncat.

The credit is for myself this time.

Dragoncat has always been one of those lovely members; she, in fact, stated once that she is unable to not forgive (by now, most IRC users are saying "Awww" by this point). However, it is written in her signature, as well as in her typing (Dark/Fairy): "What has four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening? I don’t know, but I trapped it in my bedroom. Send help.". No, she is not asking for aid, but for more specimens to trap for her own satanic sadic leisure. Her stats do not lie:

Dragoncat

HP: 160 | Attack: 90 | Defence: 100 | Special Attack: 120 | Special Defence: 120 | Speed: 100

Nevertheless, her talent is usually enough to treat her with enough respect in order for her not to use her devastating power, although there is always that target…

Sets time.





Banlucky


Dragoncat @ Brightpowder
Naive Nature (+Hope of not banning, -Luck)
EV: 252 Att/4 SpA/252 Spe
Ability: Drought


Extreme Speed
Hex
Inferno
Parting Shot

Dragoncat is smart, and so she chooses Pokémon that are able to hit hard in the Metagame. However, should Smogon get banhappy, Dragoncat will start to shudder. "What can I do now? ;~;". The answer is simple: hit as hard and as much as possible. With Extreme Speed, you will be able to kick n00b ass as many times as you can, plain and simple. But this has to come to an end, unfortunately. "Aegislash and Mega Mawile banned. gg". They deserve Hex, or hax, because no one dares touching her team (and her, by that matter). Of course, this is not enough; Inferno is here to leave them with a sick burn and deal them unhealthy damage, most likely to the metagame, but that does not matter. Finally, if one is tired of that crap, Parting Shot can be used to lower Smogon's credibility and leave to a Custom Battle. Drought is the ability of choice because there is a Drought of OP Pokémon (and increase the damage from Inferno), while Brightpowder is a taunt to Smogon, especially Evasion Clause, as well as being useful for making them focus on other stupid members such as Delicious_Scout.





Chatter


Dragoncat @ Mental Herb
Modest Nature (+^^, -Banter)
EV: 252 HP/252SpD/4SpA
Ability: Forewarn


Sketch
Yawn
Shadow Ball
Destiny Bond

Dragoncat might not be very active in chat, but she does things not like the writer. Due to her nature, she is able to take some requests and relax meantime; this is why Sketch is listed as the crux of this set. However, despite the heavy investment in HP and Special Defence, she can get pretty tired of some annoying users; for her fortune, there is a solution: Yawn.

+4 SpA Dragoncat Yawn vs. 252/252+ Delicious_Scout: 414%-493.5% Guaranteed Overkill

If you want to take a less drastic apprach, Shadow Ball, along with Forewarn should be used to make the annoyer of their error by sending them to another dimesion. Some say it is Mordor, others Spain, while the most corageous one state it teleports the victim to Sparta. Nevertheless, she might actually like you; Destiny Bond is then used for those cases in which trolls and/or bug(ging user)s turn friendly, thus ending all that non-sensical violence. If one opts for more puns with her name, a Destiny Knot can be equipped, and so Transform should be used on a DELcatty while having a Spread of HP Dragon, assuming that DELcatty has HP and Shadow Ball on its arsenal.

Mental Herb is used so that Dragoncat can stand a chance about massive Taunts from trolls, while Modest is everyone's eye candy.





Lonely, Racist Island


Dragoncat @ Rose Incense
Brave Nature (+Adeventure, -Money)
EV: 252 HP/24 Att/232 SpA
Ability: Defiant

U-Turn
Grass Knot
Surf
Fly

Do you want to build a snowman to run an adventure from an apparently disfuctional home to a better place? This "IRL" (Physical World) set is for you, then. Rose Scent is used at the beginning of the quest so that you don't faint from all those stinky comments regarding your persona, while Defiant grants a very interesting boost in Adventures every time anybody from your home states Canada is good while gay are bad. If you are fed up with that, a boosted U-Turn is powerful enough to make you exit the door of your home. But… oh, no! Some bugs are Pursuing you! Grass Knot them with the power of Rose Incent!

Now you realise that you live in an island. Heck I care; this is why Surf was invented! With 232 SpA and 252 HP, Dragoncat is able to OHKO the Atlantic Ocean while it is just able to 3HKO her in return!

For some reason, you might notice a blank in your wallet: no money! Fight some n00bs, get money, and then use Fly to travel to whatever place you want, such Kanto, Sinnoh, or Canáxico. It also serves as a last-resort escaping technique, while also burning the Opponent for good damage.

Dragoncat, the Catdragon Pokémon Gentle, Sweet partner. Things might go South, but my jokes should not be the reason for such a thing; she is one of the nicest people around. Do love her, or else my jokes will have another meaning.

__________

So, what do you think of the article it took me the longest to write? Is it the longest source of boredom ever made? Find it out the next Monday!

Schedule (Legendary Week!)
Monday: Regirock
Tuesday: Cresselia
Wednesday: Cobalion
Thursday: Meloetta
Friday: Uxie
Saturday: GL
Sunday: GL's Birthday (not an article)

[Sappy]

Hey, just saying I can't see you adding a type for the member. That would be a cool thing to do.

The members are probably the thing I read for.

[Kerou 犠牲]

Another great article. Enjoying these poster ones. Keep up the good work buddy =]

(please don't tear me apart in mine D:)

[Hahex and Oshawott]

Yo, maybe not next week since you have a schedule for the entire week, but please do an article on Lapras! Noveltly Dragon Dance set is a must.

[E.C.A.M.B.S.]

Kricketune has been on my mind lately. Tropius too.

[SaRo|Rapidash]

Wow, dragoncat seems pretty OP with those stats and sketch xD Awesome article regardless, though ^^

Tropius too.

Yesssss, would be awesome to see the bananasaur done at some point!

[SirBlaziken]

Scout, if your waifu, Jynx, doesn't get an article, I will be sorely disappointed.

[Delicious_Scout]

Scout, if your waifu, Jynx, doesn't get an article, I will be sorely disappointed.

Nah, Alice is not a Jynx.
Alice will kill me for saying she is my waifu…
And Dragoncat is clearly a Dark/Fairy type.

At any rate, a Pokémon must be reviewed.

__________

Today, starting the Legendary week, we will start with the Regi that has shined the least. Hug the cute and almighty... Regirock.

Don't you just love MetaSprite yet?

Regirock is a very, very unfortunate case of Troll Freak's cruelty. Read the Pokédex entry from Ruby:

Ruby: Regirock was sealed away by people long ago. If this Pokémon's body is damaged in battle, it is said to seek out suitable rocks on its own to repair itself.

Then, it would be natural for such a Pokémon to have access to reliable recovery, like Recover or Regenerator.

NO!

Its only recovery method is Rest, and its abilities are Clear Body and Sturdy. Clear Body seems useful to stop Intimidators, but Gyarados can often beat it, while Arcanine can usually burn it. Sturdy is not released yet, but... what can OHKO Regirock, anyway? Heck, if it got, at least, Regenerator, it would act as an Assault Vest Tangrowth with another STAB and higher defences, making it very usable in OU, while Recover, along with Substitute and Toxic, can be a nightmare to face against a bulky Pokémon like Regirock, being able to even hit for solid damage. Its pure Rock Typing and Stats do not lie:

Regirock

HP: 80 | Attack: 100 | Defence: 200 | Special Attack: 50 | Special Defence: 100 | Speed: 50

Regirock has almost always been the Regi that stood out the least in any Generation. In Generation III, Regice got a ludicrous base 200 Special Defence and 100 decent Special Attack, as well as the BoltBeam combination, thus allowing it to be useful in OU and Übers, while Regirock kept in BL.

But then, with Generation IV, Regirock would never be any higher than NU again. Literally, it is not a PU. It proved to be useful for Sun Teams, Mono-Attacking, etc, though, requiring most of the times the right Pokémon on the opponent's side.

Nevertheless, some people, as stated before, through time, have been able to exploit Regirock to surprisingly good levels, and with the brand new Sticky Web Support and return of the old Sleep Mechanics, Regirock can try to be useful.

Now it is time to bond with Regirock's sets. BOND WITH THEM.





I've got Balls of Rock!


Regirock @ Leftovers/Heat Rock
Adamant Nature (+Att, -SpA)/Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)/Careful Nature (+SpD, -SpA)
EV: 252 HP/252 SpD/4 Def
Ability: Clean Body


Stealth Rock
Curse/Toxic/Sunny Day
Stone Edge/Rock Slide
Thunder Wave/Thunder Punch/Toxic

Regirock is a Pokémon that is hard to defeat per se. Given this advantage, a support set is not out of order. Stealth Rock is a move that almost never will let Regirock down, mostly because its natural bulk will allow it to survive many hits that would OHKO many Pokémon, thus giving it a chance to deploy them. Mental Herb is not listed because Regirock does have a means to hurt the opponent: a powerful Rock STAB that will hit many things hard:

0+ Atk Regirock Stone Edge vs. 228 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 144-169 (36.1 - 42.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

This might not seem impressive at first, but this Azumarill, fully invested…

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Waterfall vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Regirock: 228-270 (62.6 - 74.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

…can not hit that hard. Talking about Azumarill... if this Pokémon is annoying you, use Sunny Day along Heat Rock, forcing Azumarill to rely on Play Rough, and taking less damage, up to the point of being in a very tight battle:

252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Waterfall vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Regirock in Sun: 114-134 (31.3 - 36.8%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Regirock: 127-151 (34.8 - 41.4%) -- 73.5% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

Yes, Regirock is very scary. If you don't want to exclusively counter/check Azumarill, then either Curse or Toxic are good options; Curse is for those moments in which all Special Attackers are gone, while Toxic is better used early in-game to cripple things that would otherwise be problematic for Regirock and its team. Thunder Wave and Toxic are listed as support, being Thunder Wave more useful for bulkier Sweepers that need slower opponents, while Toxic can turn 2HKOs into OHKOs. Thunder Punch gets a mention for being able to hit Azumarill and Gyarados more reliably, as well as most BWT (Bulky Water Types). For those case in which you prefer forming a solid core, Mega Charizard Y, Regirock, and most Chlorofyll users should make a very good balanced core.





It's time to kick Flights and Chew Bubble-Fire.


Regirock @ Choice Band/Assault Vest
Adamant Nature (+Att, -SpA)
EV: 252 HP/252 Att/4 Spe
Ability: Clean Body


Stone Edge
Earthquake
Ice Punch/Fire Punch
Explosion

This set does require more support if you want to outspeed some threats, but, otherwise, it hits pretty hard and has some advantages over Choice Band Terrakion and Choice Band Tyranitar. First off, Regirock does not care that much about a paralysis, second, Mono Rock is better defensively than Rock/Dark and Rock/Fighting (but worse offensively), third, it keeps a very health Attack with overall better Physical bulk (Tyranitar has better Special Bulk in Sand, which it summons automatically), letting it handle Garchomp better; and fourth, and perhaps most importantly, it has access to a very powerful Explosion. Moreover, it has a very high surprise factor (please, don't ruin it).

Stone Edge is the main STAB, hitting most things for very high damage, while Earthquake ends the famous StoneQuake combination, being resisted by very few Pokémon. A mention goes for Drain Punch for the second slot in case you want to go bulky, but it is generally too weak. Ice Punch and Fire Punch are both viable; the former OHKOing most Garchomps, Landorus, Landorus-T, and Gliscors; and the later, being possibly boosted by Mega Charizard Y's Sun, dealing overall good damage without requiring top notch prediction, while heavy damaging Scizor, Skarmory, and so on. Explosion is for those moments in which you are tired of using a good Wish passer and want to go with a BOOM, usually OHKO most Pokémon that are not resistent to it.

4 EV in Speed allow Regirock to outspeed Chansey, while 44 get the cut on Blissey, 84 on Cleric Sylveon, and 96 on Choice Specs Sylveon. Going any faster would compromise Regirock's bulk; this is when Assault Vest might come handy, being able to resist some non-STAB Special Attacks quite well, usually being 3HKO or 2HKO, enough time for Regirock to KO or switch.

Regirock, the Rockystallone Pokémon. It might not be as balanced as Registeel or as "cool" as Regice, but this monument to the hard-working labour will not disappoint you under the right forecasts (especially under the Sun).

__________

So, what do you think about Regirock? Should I have rated a better legendary, or ranted more about this one? Prepare for the next issue!

[Kerou 犠牲]

Rockystallone Pokémon caught me by surprise and made me chuckle quite a bit. Another good issue overall too =]

[E.C.A.M.B.S.]

I don't know squat about competitive battling. But I enjoy reading these anyway. Some of these are Pokemon I was thinking of training.

[Delicious_Scout]

As a quick note; a set with Rest, Sleep Talk, Stone Edge, and Curse, provided all Special Attackers are gone, is a classic. Credits to Spriter for helping me with this article!

Time for another Pokémon.

__________

Today, Female Lugia II is the focus of our attention. Say hello to... Cresselia.

Don't be shy, Cresselia… MetaSprite did draw you well…

If Chloe were a Pokémon, Cresselia would be a nice fit for her. First off, Cresselia is one of the few legendaries that are fabulous, and it is even female. However, for some reasons, Cresselia's use has descended since it was released. I honestly do not know why its usage has been punished in such a way; perhaps it is its Psyquic typing what it is holding it back, because its excellent Defensive Stats, along a good Ability in Levitate, turn Cresselia into one of the most enduring Tank/Walls ever designed.

Cresselia

HP: 120 | Attack: 70 | Defence: 120 | Special Attack: 75 | Special Defence: 130 | Speed: 85

Its Speed stat is admirable for a Wall, and the Special Attack, sufficient. But... what happened to Cresselia?

In Generation IV, Cresselia was introduced. It was almost the perfect Check or Counter (depending on the set) against Garchomp... until Garchomp got banned from OU. Cresselia was too powerful for UU, but it was barely used; BL was its tier.

Generation V brought Adaptability Crawdaunt and Hydreigon, as well as Jellicent, receiving even more competition regarding walling capacities. Again, it was too powerful for its original tier... RU. It moved to BL2.

Generation VI is the era of the Steel Debuff; Dark and Ghost now can hit through Steel for Neutral Damage, causing these moves to be spammed more often. Guess what Pokémon is weak to both types: yes, Cresselia. The addition of Mega Evolutions (in special Mega Scizor and Mega Heracross) make Cresselia think Darkrai is not that much of a Nightmare; it is currently RU. Nevertheless, Psychic is a very common type in OU now, and coverage moves from these Pokémon do not usually make Cresselia flinch, being able to support its team.

Gotta Review Them A… Just Some.





MaxiBronzong


Cresselia @ Light Clay
Bold Nature (+Def, -Att)/Calm Nature (+SpD, -Att)
EV: 248 HP/136 Spe/124 Def or 112 Def/12 SpD
Ability: Levitate

Reflect
Light Screen
Lunar Dance
Thunder Wave/Toxic/Magic Coat

The three first moves should be rather obvious: protect until you faint or decide to faint. Reflect is for incoming Physical Hits, Light Screen for Special Hits, and Lunar Dance for those moments in which you have had enough and you want a Pokémon to come in safely while restoring its PP, Health, and Status. The last slot is for even further Team Support or plain Trolling: Thunder Wave paralyses fast(er) threats, thus slowing them down; Toxic takes a toll on their life span, and Magic Coat reflects most Status Moves directed to Cresselia, such as Taunt, Toxic, and the likes.

Assuming a Bold nature, 248 EV in HP are used because Cresselia is likely to switch a lot and not receive Leftovers, while 136 Speed outspeed Adamant Bisharp, Adamant Breloom, and Modest Politoed. The rest can be dropped to Defence to survive two Crunches from Choice Band Tyranitar, although it is now quite uncommon. Marginally speaking, 112 in Defence do the deal, so 12 into Special Defence are not a bad idea. If going Calm, make sure to play Cresselia to its strenghts as a more Supportative Blissey in order to wall other Pokémon such as the almighty Mega Alakazam:

252+ SpA Mega Alakazam Shadow Ball vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Cresselia: 146-172 (32.9 - 38.8%) -- 99.1% chance to 3HKO
252+ SpA Mega Alakazam Shadow Ball vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Cresselia through Light Screen: 73-86 (16.4 - 19.4%) -- possible 6HKO

To hurt it, you might as well carry Shadow Ball:

0 SpA Cresselia Shadow Ball vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Alakazam: 96-114 (38 - 45.2%) -- 6.3% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock




MiniLugia


Cresselia @ Leftovers
Bold Nature (+Def, -Att)
EV: 252 HP/252 Def/4 Spe
Ability: Levitate

Moonlight
Ice Beam
Hidden Power Fire/Psychic/Moonblast/Hidden Power Ground
Toxic/Thunder Wave/Reflect/Light Screen


This Cresselia is meant to stay a bit longer than the Dual Screen set, mostly because it has semi-reliable recovery in form of Moonlight (increased effects under the Sun). Ice Beam checks many Dragon Types both formes of Landorus, and most of the times Counters Gliscor. Having talked before of the Sun, Hidden Power Fire's potence is increased by a 50% under it, easily 2HKOing most Scizors, while still keeping a lot of bulk to fight back after Scizor's blow. Psychic is a very good STAB move that can punish most Conkeldurrs on the switch; this is why Psyshock is not an option (moreover, Cresselia is not supposed to break Walls or Sweep).
Moonblast harms most Dark Types that dare coming against a possible weak HP Fire or Psychic, while still damaging Dragons for good damage, and, sometimes, even reducing their Attack. HP Ground gets a mention for being able to deal with Heatran.

The last move is for Support (what a novelty): with 4 Speed, Cresselia can outspeed 0 Speed, neutral Natured Suicune and Toxic or Paralyse it, while the other two moves are for tanking better. More EV in Speed for this set is usually not worth the effort.

Cresselia, the Menstruation Moonlit Pokémon. A slightly bigger Porygon, it is even more annoying that Eviolite Porygon2... and ready to prove you that its love is worth the opposition's fainting Pokémon.

__________

So, what do you think about Cresselia? Should it receive more love? Isn't it lovely? Don't miss the next issue (I swear)!