Ampharos (Specs/Minor Additions)+

[tennisace]

It got Signal Beam, and a couple of other options. Not much changed really.



[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Signal Beam / Toxic / Sleep Talk
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
evs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>In UU, this set packs a huge wallop. It has the ability to 2HKO everything in the tier, even with its small movepool. The exception is the very rare max HP, max Special Defense Hypno, which will still be worn down from repeated switch-ins. Like with the above set it is extremely important that you be gifted in the ways of prediction as this set's main attack is walled by all Ground-types and Lanturn.</p>

<p>Hidden Power Grass is superior to Hidden Power Ice, due to Signal Beam hitting most Grass-types for super effective damage, save those with a secondary Poison type. Hidden Power Grass hits Quagsire and other bulky Grounds for super effective damage, in addition to Lanturn, who all wall this set otherwise. However, with Hidden Power Ice you can get rid of all Grass-types in UU, in addition to the bulky Ground-types save Quagsire.</p>

<p>In the last slot, you can choose to use Toxic to support your teammates and to get rid of special tanks. You could also use Sleep Talk to be a fairly bulky sleep absorber.</p>



[Counters]

<p>RestTalk Camerupt is an amazing counter to all Ampharos sets lacking Hidden Power Water with its great Special Defense and HP stats. It also has access to STAB Earth Power to send Ampharos back to the farm.</p>

<p>Hypno makes an excellent counter to the offensively based Ampharos, as does Grumpig. However, it doesn't like the status effects that Ampharos has to pass along, nor Signal Beam.</p>

<p>Lanturn has enough Special Defense to take tough hits from Ampharos, especially with its immunity to Electric attacks. It can then prey on Ampharos' lack of recovery with STAB Surfs. However, Choice Specs Focus Blast will 2HKO the standard Lanturn, and any attempts to status Ampharos can be negated by the RestTalk set.</p>

<p>As a general rule of thumb, play to its Hidden Power. Without Hidden Power Water, Camerupt and Steelix take it out. Without Hidden Power Grass, Gastrodon and Quagsire take it out. And without Hidden Power Ice, Vileplume, Altaria (with Roost), and Venusaur all handle it with ease.</p>

 

[Venom]

It got Signal Beam, and a couple of other options. Not much changed really.


[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Signal Beam / Toxic / Sleep Talk
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
evs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>In UU, this set packs a huge wallop. It has the capability to 2HKO anything in the tier, even with its small movepool. The exception being the very rare max HP, max Special Defense Hypno, which will still be worn down from repeated switch-ins. Like with the above set it is extremely important that you be gifted in the ways of prediction as this set's main attack is walled by all Ground-types, and Lanturn.</p>

<p>Hidden Power Grass is superior to Hidden Power Ice, due to Signal Beam being super-effective on most Grass-types, save for ones with a Poison secondary type. Hidden Power Grass hits Quagsire and other bulky grounds for Super effective damage, in addition to Lanturn, who all wall this set otherwise. However, with Hidden Power Ice, you can get rid of all Grass-types in UU, in addition to the bulky Ground-types save Quagsire.</p>

<p>In the last spot, you can choose to use Toxic to support your teammates and to get rid of special tanks. You could also use Sleep Talk to be a fairly bulky sleep absorber</p>




[Other Options]

<p>Heal Bell can be a viable option and can aid the team on a support oriented set. Discharge and Thunder offer 30% paralysis rate; also, the latter is more powerful and could be used on the Specs set for a little extra “oomph." However, it's not advised to use Thunder without rain support. Hidden Power Water could be used to do extra damage to Camerupt. Signal Beam also gets a mention for doing the most damage to Celebi, Exeggutor, and Shiftry.</p>

<p>Counter could be the basis for a set. It can get quite a few surprise kills as Ampharos takes weaker Earthquakes like a champ. If you're going to make such a set, take the Reflect Support set, go with 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 SpA instead of the standard EVs, and then use Counter over Reflect. Those EVs allow Ampharos to take incredibly powerful hits. Even Choice Band Relicanth can't muster an OHKO on Ampharos with Head Smash. Watch as your opponents lose their precious physical attackers to Ampharos' bulk.</p>

<p>A combination of Body Slam and Thunder Wave allows Ampharos to paralyze anything and everything that an opposing team may throw at it, however, Serene Grace abusers generally do this better than Ampharos can.</p>

<p>Magnet Rise could be useful on a bulky set to avoid ground attacks for five turns, giving Ampharos no weaknesses. However, Luxray is better for this due to higher Speed.



[Counters]

<p>Restalk Camerupt is an amazing counter to all Ampharos sets lacking Hidden Power Water with its great Special Defense and HP stats. It also has access to STAB Earth Power to send Ampharos back to the farm.</p>

<p>Hypno makes an excellent counter to the offensively based Ampharos, as does Grumpig. However, they do not like the status effects that Ampharos has to pass along, nor Signal Beam.</p>

<p>Lanturn has enough Special Defense to take tough hits from Ampharos, especially with its immunity to Electric attacks. It can then prey on Ampharos' lack of recovery with STAB Surfs. However, Choice Specs Focus Blast will 2HKO the standard Lanturn, and any attempts to status Ampharos can be negated by the RestTalk set.</p>

<p>As a general rule of thumb, play to its Hidden Power. Without Hidden Power Water, Camerupt and Steelix take it out. Without Hidden Power Grass, Gastrodon and Quagsire take it out. And without Hidden Power Ice, Vileplume, Altaria (with Roost) , and Venusaur all handle it with ease.</p>

 

[diinbong]

It got Signal Beam, and a couple of other options. Not much changed really.


[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Signal Beam / Toxic / Sleep Talk
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
evs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>In UU, this set packs a huge wallop. It has the capability to 2HKO anything in the tier, even with its small movepool. The exception being the very rare max HP, max Special Defense Hypno, which will still be worn down from repeated switch ins. Like with the above set it is extremely important that you be gifted in the ways of prediction as this set's main attack is walled by all Ground-types (no comma) and Lanturn.</p>

<p>Hidden Power Grass is superior to Hidden Power Ice, due to Signal Beam hitting most Grass-types for super-effective damage, save those with a secondary Poison type. Hidden Power Grass hits Quagsire and other bulky grounds for super-effective damage, in addition to Lanturn, who all wall this set otherwise. However, with Hidden Power Ice (no comma) you can get rid of all Grass Types in UU, in addition to the bulky Ground-types save Quagsire.</p>

<p>In the last slot, you can choose to use Toxic to support your teammates and to get rid of special tanks (but is that really neccessary, as you previously stated that you 2HKO anything anyway). You could also use Sleep Talk to be a fairly bulky sleep absorber.</p>

If you recommend HP Grass in such a way, shouldn't Signal Beam be the main/only option in the last slot? I don't really see merit in the other moves.

[Other Options]

<p>Heal Bell can be a viable option and can aid the team on a support oriented set. Discharge and Thunder offer 30% paralysis rate; also, the latter is more powerful and could be used on the Specs set for a little extra “oomph." However, it's not advised to use Thunder without rain support. Hidden Power Water could be used to do extra damage to Camerupt. Signal Beam also gets a mention for doing the most damage to Celebi, Exeggutor, and Shiftry.</p>

<p>Counter could be the basis for a set. It can get quite a few surprise kills as Ampharos takes weaker Earthquakes like a champ. If you're going to make such a set, take the Reflect Support set and go with 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 SpA instead of the standard EVs, using Counter over Reflect. These EVs allow Ampharos to take incredibly powerful hits. Even CB Relicanth can't muster an OHKO on Ampharos with Head Smash. Watch as your opponents lose their precious physical attackers to Ampharos' bulk.</p>

<p>A combination of Body Slam and Thunder Wave allows Ampharos to paralyze anything and everything that an opposing team may throw at it, however, Serene Grace abusers generally do this better than Ampharos can.</p>

<p>Magnet Rise could be useful on a bulky set to avoid ground attacks for five turns, giving Ampharos no weaknesses. However, Luxray is better for this due to higher speed.

[Counters]

<p>Restalk Camerupt is an amazing counter to all Ampharos sets lacking Hidden Power Water with its great Special Defense and HP stats. It also has access to STAB Earth Power to send Ampharos back to the farm. (farm?oh it's a sheep :)</p>

<p>Hypno makes an excellent counter to the offensively based Ampharos sets, as does Grumpig. However, they do not like the status effects that Ampharos has to pass along, nor Signal Beam. (doesn't Thunderbolt do more than Signal Beam?)</p>

<p>Lanturn has enough Special Defense to take tough hits from Ampharos, especially with its immunity to Electric attacks. It can then prey on Ampharos' lack of recovery with STAB Surfs. However, Choice Specs Focus Blast will 2HKO the standard Lanturn, and any attempts to status Ampharos can be negated by the RestTalk set.</p>

<p>As a general rule of thumb, play to its Hidden Power. Without Hidden Power Water, Camerupt and Steelix take it out. Without Hidden Power Grass, Gastrodon and Quagsire take it out. And without Hidden Power Ice, Vileplume, Altaria (with Roost) , and Venusaur all handle it with ease.</p>

 

[Jimbo]

The last sentence of the Choice Specs set lacks a period, Venom got the other fixes that I saw.

 

[umbarsc]

Keeping in mind that Focus Blast will only do about 15% less than super-effective Hidden Power, HP Ice seems equally viable as HP Grass. Think of what HP Ice hits: Venusaur, Altaria, and Nidoking/Nidoqueen. Think of what HP Grass hits: Lanturn, Quagsire, Gastrodon. Focus Blast hits all the HP Grass targets neutral, doing similar damage to Lanturn, and "enough" to Quagsire (many Gastrodon will easily counter HP Grass-less Ampharos with Recover and SpD EV investment, though). Nidoqueen and certain Venusaur, on the other hand, will still take Focus Blast/Thunderbolt/HP Grass well enough, and severely threaten Ampharos if it lacks HP Ice.

However, I understand the need for reliable damage against Lanturn and Water-Grounds, so both have their merits.

Signal Beam just doesn't add much to Ampharos. The notable Grass-types that it hits Super-effective are Meganium, Cacturne, and Shiftry. The latter two are easily OHKOed by Focus Blast, and Meganium is quite rare in today's UU metagame.

I still maintain that Toxic is the best option for move 4.


How is Luxray "better" at a Magnet Rise set? Ampharos has better defenses and SpA, so I don't think higher Spe makes Luxray objectively better.

 

[tennisace]

Outspeeding Ground-types that would Earthquake you isn't better?

 

[Havak]

Outspeeding Ground-types that would Earthquake you isn't better?

That is a benefit, but you'd generally be getting your Electric-type in on a Water or Flying-type and Magnet Rising on the switch..

 

[jumpluff]

It got Signal Beam, and a couple of other options. Not much changed really.


[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Signal Beam / Toxic / Sleep Talk
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
evs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>In UU, this set packs a huge wallop. It has the capability to 2HKO anything in the tier, even with its small movepool. The exception is the very rare max HP, max Special Defense Hypno, which will still be worn down from repeated switch-ins. Like with the above set it is extremely important that you be gifted in the ways of prediction as this set's main attack is walled by all Ground-types and Lanturn.</p>

<p>Hidden Power Grass is superior to Hidden Power Ice, due to Signal Beam hitting most Grass-types for super effective damage, save those with a secondary Poison type. Hidden Power Grass hits Quagsire and other bulky Grounds for super effective damage, in addition to Lanturn, who all wall this set otherwise. However, with Hidden Power Ice you can get rid of all Grass-types in UU, in addition to the bulky Ground-types save Quagsire.</p>

<p>In the last slot, you can choose to use Toxic to support your teammates and to get rid of special tanks. You could also use Sleep Talk to be a fairly bulky sleep absorber.</p>



[Counters]

<p>RestTalk <changed this for consistency with the other occurrences of RestTalk, change to whatever is currently on the analysis please> Camerupt is an amazing counter to all Ampharos sets lacking Hidden Power Water with its great Special Defense and HP stats. It also has access to STAB Earth Power to send Ampharos back to the farm.</p>

<p>Hypno makes an excellent counter to the offensively based Ampharos, as does Grumpig. However, it doesn't like the status effects that Ampharos has to pass along, nor Signal Beam.</p>

<p>Lanturn has enough Special Defense to take tough hits from Ampharos, especially with its immunity to Electric attacks. It can then prey on Ampharos' lack of recovery with STAB Surfs. However, Choice Specs Focus Blast will 2HKO the standard Lanturn, and any attempts to status Ampharos can be negated by the RestTalk set.</p>

<p>As a general rule of thumb, play to its Hidden Power. Without Hidden Power Water, Camerupt and Steelix take it out. Without Hidden Power Grass, Gastrodon and Quagsire take it out. And without Hidden Power Ice, Vileplume, Altaria (with Roost), and Venusaur all handle it with ease.</p>