Quantum Tesseract
Lazy Fuck
Overview
Pheromosa's blazing Speed stat allows it to outpace nearly the entire unboosted metagame, and its High offensive stats ensure that all its attacks deal heavy damage. Access to STAB U-turn allows Pheromosa to deal heavy damage while gaining momentum, while its decent coverage options give it some high powered attacks to hit most of the metagame for neutral damage. However, Pheromosa's poor bulk and mediocre typing lets nearly every Pokemon OHKO it and leaves it very vulnerable to priority, particularly the omnipresent -ate users such as Weavile. Furthermore, Pheromosa's small number of options leave it with a few reliable answers in common Pokemon such as Xerneas, Arceus-Ghost, and Mimikyu.
Offensive Pivot
Pheromosa @ Lucarionite
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- U-Turn
- High Jump Kick
- Ice Beam
- Bug Buzz / Low Kick
Set Comments
Moves
U-turn switches Pheromosa out after dealing damage, allowing it to scout switch-ins, gain momentum, or leave a bad matchup. High Jump Kick is Pheromosa's most powerful STAB attack, and deals heavy damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Ice Beam hits Flying-type Pokemon such as Lugia and Mandibuzz and is Pheromosa's strongest option against Ghost-type Pokemon such as Mimikyu. Bug Buzz is a secondary STAB move that hits physical walls and bypasses Substitute, while Low Kick may be used for a more reliable Fighting-type STAB move.
Set Details
252 Atk EVs maximise the Pheromosa's damage output, particularly on U-turn, while 252 Spe EVs and a Naive nature allow Pheromosa to outpace every unboosted threat bar Deoxys-S. Lucarionite increases Pheromosa Speed and offenses while providing Adaptability to power up U-turn, High Jump Kick, and Bug Buzz. Naive is chosen over Hasty to live a Refrigerated Weavile Feint after an extra layer of Stealth Rock damage.
Usage Tips
Bring Pheromosa in on something frail such as Kartana that you can threaten out, and then pivot with U-turn to wear down switch-ins while going to a counter. Avoid priority moves such as Extreme Speed or Aqua Jet from Pokemon like Zygarde and Golisopod. Keep entry hazards such as Spikes and Stealth Rock up whenever possible to wrack up chip damage on the switches Pheromosa causes,.If you don't know what the foe will do, using U-turn is usually a safe option to gain momentum. Whenever possible, avoid using High Jump Kick until all Ghost-type Pokemon faint to avoid crash damage on a switch; also avoid using High Jump Kick vs common Protect users such as Blissey until you have confirmed they lack it or forced them to use it last turn. After all priority users are removed and switches softened up by entry hazards or U-turn, Pheromosa can act as a deadly cleaner, so keep it healthy for then whenever possible.
Team Options
Entry Hazard setters such as Deoxys-S and Primal Groudon pair well with Pheromosa, as they let Pheromosa wear down its answers more easily. Other pivots such as Tapu Koko, Zapdos, and Scizor are useful to form VoltTurn cores t further steal momentum. Answers to Ghost-type Pokemon such as Alolan Muk, Yveltal, and Blissey are appreciated, as Pheromosa cannot do much to them and they force annoying 50-50's with it. Entry hazard clearers and blockers such as support Arceus formes and Sablenite Mandibuzz are useful to prevent Pheromosa from getting worn down by all the switching. -Ate walls such as Zapdos, Mandibuzz, and Arceus-Rock are crucial to prevent them from tearing holes after forcing out Pheromosa. Wall- and Stallbreakers such as Kartana, Manaphy, and Hoopa-U are useful to break down bulky balance and stall cores that wall Pheromosa.
Strategy Comments
Other Options
Substitute allows Pheromosa to block status and gives it a way to punish switching in low HP Pokemon to gain momentum, but takes away from Pheromosa's already poor coverage. Metagrossite can be used to outpace Deoxys-S as well as certain Choice Scarf users, but is much weaker and less useful otherwise. Poison Jab is an option to hit Fairy-type Pokemon, but is weak unless Pheromosa run Metagrossite and usually only useful vs Geomancy Xerneas because of how useful U-turn is. Absolite can be used on more specially oriented sets with Focus Blast to better take on Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, but such sets are unreliable. Pidgeotite makes Pheromosa's special coverage much more powerful, but greatly weakens U-Turn. Rapid Spin can be used to clear hazards on hyper offensive teams but is generally equivalent to sacrificing Pheromosa due to its poor bulk.
Checks and Counters
Ghost Type Pokemon: Ghost-type Pokemon such as Mimikyu and Arceus-Ghost can come in on High Jump Kick freely and take away half of Pheromosa's health. They also resist U-turn, preventing them from taking much damage from that, and aren't weak to any of Pheromosa's coverage options. They easily OHKO in return through Pheromosa's paper-thin defenses.
-Ate Users: Pokemon that use -Ate boosted priority attacks, such as Weavile, Zygarde, and Lucario, can KO Pheromosa before it can move. While they cannot safely switch into Pheromosa because of its coverage, a skilled prediction or a revenge KO can let them force out Pheromosa.
Bulky Resistances: Bulky Pokemon that resist Pheromosa's attacks, such as Zapdos, Arceus-Fairy, and Toxapex, can switch into its attacks and wall it. While Pheromosa can wear them down with U-turn, they severely limit its effectiveness throughout the game.
Faster Pokemon: Pokemon that can move before Pheromosa, such as Deoxys-S, Choice Scarf Xerneas, and boosted sweepers such as Primal Groudon, are major threats. They can OHKO Pheromosa before it can attack, which allows them to force it out with relative ease.
Pheromosa's blazing Speed stat allows it to outpace nearly the entire unboosted metagame, and its High offensive stats ensure that all its attacks deal heavy damage. Access to STAB U-turn allows Pheromosa to deal heavy damage while gaining momentum, while its decent coverage options give it some high powered attacks to hit most of the metagame for neutral damage. However, Pheromosa's poor bulk and mediocre typing lets nearly every Pokemon OHKO it and leaves it very vulnerable to priority, particularly the omnipresent -ate users such as Weavile. Furthermore, Pheromosa's small number of options leave it with a few reliable answers in common Pokemon such as Xerneas, Arceus-Ghost, and Mimikyu.
Offensive Pivot
Pheromosa @ Lucarionite
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- U-Turn
- High Jump Kick
- Ice Beam
- Bug Buzz / Low Kick
Set Comments
Moves
U-turn switches Pheromosa out after dealing damage, allowing it to scout switch-ins, gain momentum, or leave a bad matchup. High Jump Kick is Pheromosa's most powerful STAB attack, and deals heavy damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Ice Beam hits Flying-type Pokemon such as Lugia and Mandibuzz and is Pheromosa's strongest option against Ghost-type Pokemon such as Mimikyu. Bug Buzz is a secondary STAB move that hits physical walls and bypasses Substitute, while Low Kick may be used for a more reliable Fighting-type STAB move.
Set Details
252 Atk EVs maximise the Pheromosa's damage output, particularly on U-turn, while 252 Spe EVs and a Naive nature allow Pheromosa to outpace every unboosted threat bar Deoxys-S. Lucarionite increases Pheromosa Speed and offenses while providing Adaptability to power up U-turn, High Jump Kick, and Bug Buzz. Naive is chosen over Hasty to live a Refrigerated Weavile Feint after an extra layer of Stealth Rock damage.
Usage Tips
Bring Pheromosa in on something frail such as Kartana that you can threaten out, and then pivot with U-turn to wear down switch-ins while going to a counter. Avoid priority moves such as Extreme Speed or Aqua Jet from Pokemon like Zygarde and Golisopod. Keep entry hazards such as Spikes and Stealth Rock up whenever possible to wrack up chip damage on the switches Pheromosa causes,.If you don't know what the foe will do, using U-turn is usually a safe option to gain momentum. Whenever possible, avoid using High Jump Kick until all Ghost-type Pokemon faint to avoid crash damage on a switch; also avoid using High Jump Kick vs common Protect users such as Blissey until you have confirmed they lack it or forced them to use it last turn. After all priority users are removed and switches softened up by entry hazards or U-turn, Pheromosa can act as a deadly cleaner, so keep it healthy for then whenever possible.
Team Options
Entry Hazard setters such as Deoxys-S and Primal Groudon pair well with Pheromosa, as they let Pheromosa wear down its answers more easily. Other pivots such as Tapu Koko, Zapdos, and Scizor are useful to form VoltTurn cores t further steal momentum. Answers to Ghost-type Pokemon such as Alolan Muk, Yveltal, and Blissey are appreciated, as Pheromosa cannot do much to them and they force annoying 50-50's with it. Entry hazard clearers and blockers such as support Arceus formes and Sablenite Mandibuzz are useful to prevent Pheromosa from getting worn down by all the switching. -Ate walls such as Zapdos, Mandibuzz, and Arceus-Rock are crucial to prevent them from tearing holes after forcing out Pheromosa. Wall- and Stallbreakers such as Kartana, Manaphy, and Hoopa-U are useful to break down bulky balance and stall cores that wall Pheromosa.
Strategy Comments
Other Options
Substitute allows Pheromosa to block status and gives it a way to punish switching in low HP Pokemon to gain momentum, but takes away from Pheromosa's already poor coverage. Metagrossite can be used to outpace Deoxys-S as well as certain Choice Scarf users, but is much weaker and less useful otherwise. Poison Jab is an option to hit Fairy-type Pokemon, but is weak unless Pheromosa run Metagrossite and usually only useful vs Geomancy Xerneas because of how useful U-turn is. Absolite can be used on more specially oriented sets with Focus Blast to better take on Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, but such sets are unreliable. Pidgeotite makes Pheromosa's special coverage much more powerful, but greatly weakens U-Turn. Rapid Spin can be used to clear hazards on hyper offensive teams but is generally equivalent to sacrificing Pheromosa due to its poor bulk.
Checks and Counters
Ghost Type Pokemon: Ghost-type Pokemon such as Mimikyu and Arceus-Ghost can come in on High Jump Kick freely and take away half of Pheromosa's health. They also resist U-turn, preventing them from taking much damage from that, and aren't weak to any of Pheromosa's coverage options. They easily OHKO in return through Pheromosa's paper-thin defenses.
-Ate Users: Pokemon that use -Ate boosted priority attacks, such as Weavile, Zygarde, and Lucario, can KO Pheromosa before it can move. While they cannot safely switch into Pheromosa because of its coverage, a skilled prediction or a revenge KO can let them force out Pheromosa.
Bulky Resistances: Bulky Pokemon that resist Pheromosa's attacks, such as Zapdos, Arceus-Fairy, and Toxapex, can switch into its attacks and wall it. While Pheromosa can wear them down with U-turn, they severely limit its effectiveness throughout the game.
Faster Pokemon: Pokemon that can move before Pheromosa, such as Deoxys-S, Choice Scarf Xerneas, and boosted sweepers such as Primal Groudon, are major threats. They can OHKO Pheromosa before it can attack, which allows them to force it out with relative ease.
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