Lycanroc-Midday [QC (0/3)]

Status
Not open for further replies.

Fragmented

procrastinating...
is a Pokemon Researcher
[OVERVIEW]

  • Sports great Attack and Speed stats.
  • Access to Swords Dance, Stone Edge and its signature move, Accelerock.
  • Its high Speed allows it to easily Taunt other hazard setters in the tier and get up Stealth Rocks of its own.
  • It has abysmal bulk and a sub-par movepool to work with. It only learns Brick Break to hit Steel types
  • Additionally, Rock is poor defensive typing, weak to common types like Fighting and Water. Lycanroc finds few opportunities to switch in and set up.
  • Priority moves also hurt, allowing slower Pokemon to easily revenge kill Lycanroc.
  • Furthermore, while its Attack stat is great, Lycanroc pales in comparison to other physical sweepers in the tier that can hit harder and live more hits.
[SET]
name: Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Accelerock
move 4: Brick Break
item: Fightinium Z / Rockium Z
ability: Steadfast / Sand Rush
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

  • Swords Dance boosts Lycanroc's already good Attack to ridiculous levels, allowing it to break more defensively oriented teams.
  • Stone Edge is the main STAB of choice once again, having the immediate power to dent anything that does not resist. At +2, Stone Edge easily 2HKOs Slowbro, one of the more common physically defensive Pokemon in the metagame, provided that it his.
  • Accelerock is a nice priority move, allowing you to damage scarfers that try to revenge kill you or pick off weakened Pokemon without risking Stone Edge's shaky accuracy.
  • The last move slot is up to personal choice, with Brick Break being the stronger alternative to hit switch-ins such as Steelix and Rhydon.
  • Alternatively, Rockinium Z can be used, turning Stone Edge into a 180 BP Continental Crush which dents non-resists bar physical walls. Also nice to note is that Z-Stone Edge bypasses Stone Edge's shaky accuracy, guaranteeing a hit off.

Set Details
========

  • Maximum Attack and Speed investment maximizes Lycanroc's sweeping capabilities, with Jolly nature to allow it to outpace base 110s as mentioned above.
  • Item choice is dependent on your team's needs, with both Z-Crystals being viable choices for Lycanroc.
  • Alternatively, if you already have another Z-Move user, a Life Orb can be used instead to boost the power of its attacks.
  • Choice of ability isn't as relevant since Lycanroc's abilities are fairly situational or useless. Steadfast gives a +1 boost to Speed if Lycanroc gets flinched while Sand Rush is a cool option as it can turn Lycanroc into a dangerous sweeper on a Sand team.

Usage Tips
========

  • Lycanroc works best as a late game cleaner or a mid-game breaker once all of its checks are worn down.
  • Due to its mediocre bulk, it finds limited opportunities in which it can switch in safely to set up. The easiest way to get it onto the field is sending it out after a fainted teammate and forcing the opponent to switch; and then get a Swords Dance off and proceed to break your opponent's team.
  • Versus offensive teams which lack good defensive walls, boosting up isn't as necessary and stroght up attacking may be more beneficial.

Team Options
========

  • Fighting Type and Grass Type partners such as Hitmonlee, Emboar and Sceptile can help wear down or take out checks to Lycanroc, making the late game sweep more achievable.
  • Lycanroc struggles against bulky Ground types like Steelix, Rhydon and Seismitoad, and appreciates teammates which can take them out or weaken them for Lycanroc yo KO them with its coverage.
  • Hazard setters are also appreciated since Lycanroc isn't running Stealth Rocks of its own, helping to wear down would-be checks.
  • Offensive hazard setters like Omastar and Froslass make good partners, with the former being able to KO two of the three aforementioned checks with Scald or Hydro Pump while the latter acts as a spinblocker as well as having utility options like Taunt and Destiny Bond, preventing hazards and potentially removing the aforementioned checks from play.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Accelerock / Toxic
move 4: Taunt
item: Focus Sash
ability: Steadfast / Sand Rush
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

  • Stealth Rock is pretty much staple in competitive Pokemon, allowing you chip away your opponent's health whenever they switch in.
  • Stone Edge is the main STAB of choice, hitting hard of base 115 Attack, deterring Pokemon like Xatu from attempting to switch in to prevent hazards.
  • Accelerock grants you a priority move to revenge kill faster threats like Choice Scarf Delphox and Sneasel, while also serving as an emergency panic button in case you let something like Vivillon set up too much.
  • Toxic allows you to cripple and wear down bulky physical walls that attempt to switch in on a predicted Stone Edge, making them easier to beat in the long run.
  • Taunt allows you to prevent your opponent from setting up their own hazards or taunting you, guaranteeing you Stealth Rock.

Set Details
========

  • Maximum investment in Speed as well as a Jolly nature allows you to outpace base 110s in the metagame like Froslass, Dodrio and Archeops, forcing your opponent out, while also being able to prevent the latter from setting up Stealth Rock of its own.
  • Focus Sash lets you live one attack, thereby allowing you to set up Stealth Rocks and get off an attack before you go down.
  • Other item options include Hard Stone and Life Orb to make your attacks hit harder, or even Rockinium Z for a one time guaranteed-to-hit nuke, but in most cases Focus Sash is the more appreciated choice.
  • Choice of ability isn't important since they are situational or useless. Steadfast is probably the ability of choice in case you get flinched, netting you a +1 boost to your Speed.
  • Sand Rush only activates during Sandstorm, while Keen Eye is rarely used in competitive play.

Usage Tips
========

  • This set is really simple to use: Lead with Lycanroc and get Stealth Rocks up.
  • Prevent your opponent from getting their own hazards up with Taunt.
  • Be wary for Xatu as it can bounce your hazards back.
  • Preserve Lycanroc if your opponent has hazard removal, so that it can potentially set up rocks again or revenge kill a weakened Pokemon.

Team Options
========

  • This set works best on more offensively based teams that appreciate hazards from the get-go.
  • Fighting types appreciate Lycanroc's ability to check Flying type Pokemon such as Braviary and Dodrio.
  • Lycanroc is unlikely setting up Stealth Rocks more than once a battle, hence spinblockers and Defog deterrents like Froslass, Mismagius and Braviary make good teammates. The former can also form a hazard stacking core with Lycanroc.
  • Lycanroc also appreciates hazard removal support from Hitmonlee and Cryogonal so that Focus Sash can still be used midgame.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

  • Lycanroc's movepool is pretty barren of good coverage moves, however it does learn Crunch and Thunder Fang, allowing it to function as a lure for Slowbro and other bulky waters with the appropriate Z-Crystals.
  • Lycanroc could also run a Normalium Z set with Return for a more powerful Z-Move, but this offers no additional coverage that Rock + Fighting moves don't already get.
  • Lycanroc also gets Fire Fang, but once again it already gets good enough coverage from Stone Edge and Brick Break.
  • Lycanroc could also be ran on a Sand team with Sand Rush, boosting its high speed to ridiculous levels and outpacing the entire meta.
  • However, this is better done by Stoutland and Sandslash due to their better bulk, making them much harder to revenge kill, with the latter also having access to Swords Dance and Earthquake, allowing it to break teams more effectively.
Checks and Counters
===================

**Physical Walls**: Steelix and Seismitoad, noteable walls in the metagame, can switch into Stone Edge easily and proceed to KO Lycanroc. Steelix, however, has to watch out for +2 Z-Brick Break as it can OHKO. Slowbro can also tank 3 unboosted Stone Edges and can recover with Slack Off or KO with Scald.

**Fighting Types**: Common Choice Scarf Users like Hitmonlee and Emboar also outspeed and KO Lycanroc. Bulkier Fighting types like Poliwrath and Hariyama can tank a few Stone Edges and KO back with STAB or hit back with their priority moves.

**Faster Threats**: Pokemon with base 115 speed and above outpace Lycanroc and easily KO it due to its awful defenses. Notable Pokemon include Whimsicott, Sceptile, Sneasel and Accelgor, although the latter two have to watch out for Accelerock.

**Priority Moves**: Lycanroc is weak to common priority moves like Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch and Mach Punch. If it has already taken some damage, these moves are able to KO it.

**Physical Walls**: Physicall walls like Steelix and Seismitoad are able to easily eat up any hit Lycanroc dishes out even if boosted up, and subsequently get up Stealth Rocks of their own or proceed to knock out Lycanroc with their STAB moves. However the former has to be watch out for Fightinium-Z boosted Brick Break which can OHKO it at +2 Attack, while the latter has to be careful of leads carrying Toxic. Slowbro also gets an honourable mention as it is able to survive 3 unboosted Stone Edges and proceed to KO back with Scald, although it still has to watch out for Rockinium-Z Stone Edge.

**Fighting Types**: Fighting Types commonly carrying Choice Scarf like Emboar and Hitmonlee are able to take an Accelerock and proceed to KO back with their own Fighting STAB moves. Bulkier Fighting types like Hariyama can tank a +2 Stone Edge and KO it back, or even use priority of their own such as Mach Punch or Bullet Punch to revenge kill it.

**Faster Threats**: Pokemon with base 115 speed and above outpace Lycanroc and easily KO it due to its awful defenses. Notable Pokemon include Whimsicott, Sceptile, Sneasel and Accelgor, although the latter two have to watch out for Accelerock.

**Priority User**: Lycanroc's Rock Typing leaves weak to the likes of Mach Punch, Aqua Jet and Bullet Punch, which can be commonly found on Pokemon like Life Orb Hitmonlee, Swords Dance Samurott and Hariyama. Priority bypasses Lycanroc's Speed stat and allows the user to get heavy damage on Lycanroc or revenge kill a weakened Lycanroc. It's important to note that Lycanroc can survive some weaker priority moves like unboosted Aqua Jet from Samurott and KO back with Stone Edge.
 
Last edited:
imo the sweeper set should be first and can be tweaked a little bit

name: Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Acclerock
move 4: Brick Break
item: Fightinium-Z / Rockium-Z
ability: Steadfast
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Firium Z doesnt really do much that the other 2 dont already do. Fightinium-Z makes Lycanroc a better sweeper imo, as you can bust through Steelix / Rhydon a bit easier (still need quite a bit of damage iirc). Rockium Z lets you break things early game and soften up teams for a backup sweeper like barb

Lead set looks fine, i dont think its great but it has a niche


also its supposed to be in bullet point form for the first 2 checks so it is easier on QC, you can keep your writeup in hidetags and edit it as we go, but bulletpoints make it a lot easier on us
 

Fragmented

procrastinating...
is a Pokemon Researcher
imo the sweeper set should be first and can be tweaked a little bit

name: Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Acclerock
move 4: Brick Break
item: Fightinium-Z / Rockium-Z
ability: Steadfast
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Firium Z doesnt really do much that the other 2 dont already do. Fightinium-Z makes Lycanroc a better sweeper imo, as you can bust through Steelix / Rhydon a bit easier (still need quite a bit of damage iirc). Rockium Z lets you break things early game and soften up teams for a backup sweeper like barb

Lead set looks fine, i dont think its great but it has a niche


also its supposed to be in bullet point form for the first 2 checks so it is easier on QC, you can keep your writeup in hidetags and edit it as we go, but bulletpoints make it a lot easier on us
Implemented changes. Also edited to bullet points to make reading easier. Sorry if it was an eyesore before. Also added some new information, but the thread is largely unchanged.
 

Punchshroom

FISHIOUS REND MEGA SHARPEDO
is a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributor
You've made the bullet point changes but haven't yet to touch the set it seems.

Some typos include the Z-crystals: they're actually referred to as Fightinium Z and Rockium Z, no dash in between.

It's Accelerock, not Acclerock.

If Steadfast is the supposed ability of choice on the lead set, why is Sand Rush slashed first?

Archeops is an extremely notable base 110 Speed Pokemon that lead Lycanroc outspeeds; in fact it's a significant part of its small niche since it allows Lycanroc to be one of the few leads that can circumvent lead Archeops, while also not being utterly outperformed by Archeops in the same said lead role.

The Checks and Counters Section doesn't need bullet points.
 

Fragmented

procrastinating...
is a Pokemon Researcher
You've made the bullet point changes but haven't yet to touch the set it seems.

Some typos include the Z-crystals: they're actually referred to as Fightinium Z and Rockium Z, no dash in between.

It's Accelerock, not Acclerock.

If Steadfast is the supposed ability of choice on the lead set, why is Sand Rush slashed first?

Archeops is an extremely notable base 110 Speed Pokemon that lead Lycanroc outspeeds; in fact it's a significant part of its small niche since it allows Lycanroc to be one of the few leads that can circumvent lead Archeops, while also not being utterly outperformed by Archeops in the same said lead role.

The Checks and Counters Section doesn't need bullet points.
Made the changes. I thought I changed the set but my phone is stupid and didnt save it.
 

Punchshroom

FISHIOUS REND MEGA SHARPEDO
is a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributor
Fragmented The Lead set has Brick Break slashed yet does not mention it in Moves at all. Is this a leftover detail that was supposed to be removed since the Aurora Veil ban?
 

Fragmented

procrastinating...
is a Pokemon Researcher
Punchshroom I had it there as a way to get chip damage on Steelix and Rhydon, but if it seems unnecessary I'll remove it.

edit: nvm i removed it
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top