[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onward
**Price Range**: 7-9 points
**Overview**: On a team that's ready to rock, Rhyperior will hit the ground running. With its near-unresisted STAB combination, physical stats to rival those of round-one picks, and enough coverage to make Greninja green with envy, Rhyperior makes for an extremely effective budget physical wallbreaker, tank, and Stealth Rock setter. Add Terastallization and Solid Rock into its toolkit, and this adept budget pick transforms into an awe-inspiring secondary Tera Captain! Of course, there's a reason Rhyperior only a secondary Captain; its low Special Defense and common weaknesses can be easily exploited, and it can be somewhat reliant on Tera to fulfill its roles without support. But if you're looking for a cheap second Captain and are willing to address these shortcomings, Rhyperior may be just what you need take charge of your league.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Tank**: It should come as no surprise that the armored rhinoceros can be difficult to take out. Rhyperior's massive physical bulk lets it act as a superb physical tank, capable of taking even super effective hits on the chin thanks to Solid Rock. And Rhyperior isn't just sitting on this bulk, no no; with STAB moves like Earthquake and Stone Edge, it's an ever-present physical threat, capable of getting KOs even when it's not investing into offense.
**Physical Wallbreaker**: When Rhyperior does invest into offense, well, that's a different story! Using its insanely high Attack and unnecessarily deep movepool, it can immediately wreak havoc on the opposing team. Even the bulkiest of physical walls must be wary of coverage moves such as Supercell Slam and Megahorn, and if Rhyperior uses a boosting item, Swords Dance, or Tera, they'll find out first-hand why the role is called "wallbreaker".
**Setup Sweeper**: Rhyperior's access to several setup options such as Curse and Rock Polish makes it a menacing sweeper, capable of winning games through either attrition or force. With Terastallization, Rhyperior can be near-impossible to take down once its checks have been removed, and even without Tera, Solid Rock doesn't make things easy for the opponent.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Rock Blast, Earthquake, High Horsepower
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Curse, Iron Defense, Rock Polish
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Roar, Dragon Tail, Substitute, Rest, Protect, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Avalanche, Body Press, Crunch, Hammer Arm, Heat Crash, Heavy Slam, Ice Punch, Iron Head, Megahorn, Outrage, Poison Jab, Shadow Claw, Supercell Slam, Temper Flare, Tera Blast, Thunder Punch
Niche Moves
========
**Smack Down**: Smack Down takes Ground-immune foes like Corviknight down to Rhyperior's level, letting it get Earthquakes off for free!
**Metal Burst**: Rhyperior’s high HP, low Special Defense, and incredible difficulty to OHKO make it very effective bait for Metal Burst.
**Scorching Sands / Body Slam**: These moves may not be all that, but they offer defensive Rhyperior sets a chance of crippling threats with a burn or paralysis.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers acts as Rhyperior's only form of recovery, increasing its longevity and resilience to chip damage.
**Resistance Berries**: With one of these, Rhyperior can stomach a hit from a super effective attack and take out the attacker in turn. Resistance Berries can be especially useful in games where Rhyperior isn't planning on Terastallizing.
**Assault Vest**: Rhyperior's normally poor special bulk is fixed right up with an Assault Vest, letting it deal with special attacks much more easily without sacrificing much utility.
Niche Items
========
**Lum Berry**: With a Lum Berry, Rhyperior can deal with Fire- and Poison-types without fear of them bringing status-inflicting moves.
**Weakness Policy**: Rhyperior is capable of shrugging off many super effective hits thanks to Solid Rock, and with its Rock / Ground typing, it can be difficult to not hit it super effectively. Once Weakness Policy goes off, well, good luck surviving an attack from +2 Rhyperior.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band Rhyperior can use its high Attack and strong STAB moves to immediately poke holes in teams so big, you'd think they're craters.
**Expert Belt**: With a physical move for almost every type, Rhyperior can hit most foes super effectively, making it a great Expert Belt user.
**Chesto Berry**: Combined with Rest, Chesto Berry offers Rhyperior a one-time full heal.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Rhyperior can get worn out if it's constantly being switched into entry hazards, but with Heavy-Duty Boots, that isn't an issue.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb allows Rhyperior to run setup moves and use Earthquake without worrying about Encore.
Tera
========
As a cheaper secondary Tera Captain, Rhyperior shouldn't be expected to Terastallize every game, and it can offer decent use without Tera. Still, Rhyperior's incredible bulk, bountiful coverage, and affordable price make it an excellent Tera Captain, and it should be most often drafted with Terastallization in mind. Tera Poison and Steel are common Tera type choices, removing Rhyperior's Grass weakness and making it immune to Toxic. Tera Ground removes the pesky weaknesses of Rock while powering up Earthquake to earth-shattering levels, Tera Grass and Fairy offer Rhyperior new coverage in Tera Blast, and Tera Water, when paired with Lightning Rod, leaves it with effectively only one weakness.
Draft Strategy
========
Rhyperior is mainly drafted for its immense physical bulk and wallbreaking potential as a secondary Tera Captain. As such, it fits best on offensive teams looking for affordable Defense or a partner for their primary Tera Captain. Rhyperior can solve many of its issues through Terastallization and is typically picked as a Captain, but its weakness-heavy base typing can make it quite reliant on Tera if not given proper support. To prevent Rhyperior from stealing your Iron Moth's Tera every match, make sure your team comes prepared with a few key roles:
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Rhyperior's mediocre special bulk can mess up the whole "physical tank" thing. Special tanks like Empoleon and Sylveon can soak up special attacks for it, allowing it to focus on what it does best—tanking physical hits for them!
**Special Attackers**: Similarly, special attackers like Latios and Gholdengo appreciate Rhyperior bringing in physical walls, and they can soften them up for it in turn.
**Entry Hazard Control**: Entry hazards can make Rhyperior's job of checking physical threats a lot harder, and it doesn't want to always be the one setting up Stealth Rock, either. Alternate hazard setters like Tinkaton and Uxie let Rhyperior play more offensively, while hazard removers like Corviknight and Tsareena let it switch in consistently without getting worn out.
**Grass-types**: With the exception of Ice, Rhyperior resists everything Grass-types are weak to, and Grass-types resist most types Rhyperior is weak to. As such, Rhyperior can form a rock-solid defensive relationship with Grass-types such as Rillaboom and Ogerpon, easing both their burdens in games where it opts to not Terastallize.
Checks and Counters
========
**Special Wallbreakers**: Even with Solid Rock and Tera, Rhyperior's paltry Special Defense and poor Speed mean it's easily pressured out by strong special attackers. Assuming they get in safely, foes like Latios, Keldeo, and Darkrai can all send Rhyperior packing.
**Status**: Being a slow physical attacker, Rhyperior hates getting burned, and being a tank without much recovery, it hates getting poisoned. Though few Fire- or Poison-types want to deal with Rhyperior, burn and Toxic can really limit its ability to perform its roles.
**Grass- and Water-type Coverage**: Defensive Pokemon such as Uxie and mixed attackers like Tyranitar can catch Rhyperior off-guard with a coverage move like Grass Knot or Surf, dealing massive damage if it doesn't Terastallize beforehand. And if Rhyperior opts not to use Tera in a game, no mindgames will be needed for Grass- and Water-types like Hydrapple to wipe the floor with it!
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/big-pharma.657717/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onward
**Price Range**: 7-9 points
**Overview**: On a team that's ready to rock, Rhyperior will hit the ground running. With its near-unresisted STAB combination, physical stats to rival those of round-one picks, and enough coverage to make Greninja green with envy, Rhyperior makes for an extremely effective budget physical wallbreaker, tank, and Stealth Rock setter. Add Terastallization and Solid Rock into its toolkit, and this adept budget pick transforms into an awe-inspiring secondary Tera Captain! Of course, there's a reason Rhyperior only a secondary Captain; its low Special Defense and common weaknesses can be easily exploited, and it can be somewhat reliant on Tera to fulfill its roles without support. But if you're looking for a cheap second Captain and are willing to address these shortcomings, Rhyperior may be just what you need take charge of your league.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Tank**: It should come as no surprise that the armored rhinoceros can be difficult to take out. Rhyperior's massive physical bulk lets it act as a superb physical tank, capable of taking even super effective hits on the chin thanks to Solid Rock. And Rhyperior isn't just sitting on this bulk, no no; with STAB moves like Earthquake and Stone Edge, it's an ever-present physical threat, capable of getting KOs even when it's not investing into offense.
**Physical Wallbreaker**: When Rhyperior does invest into offense, well, that's a different story! Using its insanely high Attack and unnecessarily deep movepool, it can immediately wreak havoc on the opposing team. Even the bulkiest of physical walls must be wary of coverage moves such as Supercell Slam and Megahorn, and if Rhyperior uses a boosting item, Swords Dance, or Tera, they'll find out first-hand why the role is called "wallbreaker".
**Setup Sweeper**: Rhyperior's access to several setup options such as Curse and Rock Polish makes it a menacing sweeper, capable of winning games through either attrition or force. With Terastallization, Rhyperior can be near-impossible to take down once its checks have been removed, and even without Tera, Solid Rock doesn't make things easy for the opponent.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Rock Blast, Earthquake, High Horsepower
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Curse, Iron Defense, Rock Polish
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Roar, Dragon Tail, Substitute, Rest, Protect, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Avalanche, Body Press, Crunch, Hammer Arm, Heat Crash, Heavy Slam, Ice Punch, Iron Head, Megahorn, Outrage, Poison Jab, Shadow Claw, Supercell Slam, Temper Flare, Tera Blast, Thunder Punch
Niche Moves
========
**Smack Down**: Smack Down takes Ground-immune foes like Corviknight down to Rhyperior's level, letting it get Earthquakes off for free!
**Metal Burst**: Rhyperior’s high HP, low Special Defense, and incredible difficulty to OHKO make it very effective bait for Metal Burst.
**Scorching Sands / Body Slam**: These moves may not be all that, but they offer defensive Rhyperior sets a chance of crippling threats with a burn or paralysis.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers acts as Rhyperior's only form of recovery, increasing its longevity and resilience to chip damage.
**Resistance Berries**: With one of these, Rhyperior can stomach a hit from a super effective attack and take out the attacker in turn. Resistance Berries can be especially useful in games where Rhyperior isn't planning on Terastallizing.
**Assault Vest**: Rhyperior's normally poor special bulk is fixed right up with an Assault Vest, letting it deal with special attacks much more easily without sacrificing much utility.
Niche Items
========
**Lum Berry**: With a Lum Berry, Rhyperior can deal with Fire- and Poison-types without fear of them bringing status-inflicting moves.
**Weakness Policy**: Rhyperior is capable of shrugging off many super effective hits thanks to Solid Rock, and with its Rock / Ground typing, it can be difficult to not hit it super effectively. Once Weakness Policy goes off, well, good luck surviving an attack from +2 Rhyperior.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band Rhyperior can use its high Attack and strong STAB moves to immediately poke holes in teams so big, you'd think they're craters.
**Expert Belt**: With a physical move for almost every type, Rhyperior can hit most foes super effectively, making it a great Expert Belt user.
**Chesto Berry**: Combined with Rest, Chesto Berry offers Rhyperior a one-time full heal.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Rhyperior can get worn out if it's constantly being switched into entry hazards, but with Heavy-Duty Boots, that isn't an issue.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb allows Rhyperior to run setup moves and use Earthquake without worrying about Encore.
Tera
========
As a cheaper secondary Tera Captain, Rhyperior shouldn't be expected to Terastallize every game, and it can offer decent use without Tera. Still, Rhyperior's incredible bulk, bountiful coverage, and affordable price make it an excellent Tera Captain, and it should be most often drafted with Terastallization in mind. Tera Poison and Steel are common Tera type choices, removing Rhyperior's Grass weakness and making it immune to Toxic. Tera Ground removes the pesky weaknesses of Rock while powering up Earthquake to earth-shattering levels, Tera Grass and Fairy offer Rhyperior new coverage in Tera Blast, and Tera Water, when paired with Lightning Rod, leaves it with effectively only one weakness.
Draft Strategy
========
Rhyperior is mainly drafted for its immense physical bulk and wallbreaking potential as a secondary Tera Captain. As such, it fits best on offensive teams looking for affordable Defense or a partner for their primary Tera Captain. Rhyperior can solve many of its issues through Terastallization and is typically picked as a Captain, but its weakness-heavy base typing can make it quite reliant on Tera if not given proper support. To prevent Rhyperior from stealing your Iron Moth's Tera every match, make sure your team comes prepared with a few key roles:
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Rhyperior's mediocre special bulk can mess up the whole "physical tank" thing. Special tanks like Empoleon and Sylveon can soak up special attacks for it, allowing it to focus on what it does best—tanking physical hits for them!
**Special Attackers**: Similarly, special attackers like Latios and Gholdengo appreciate Rhyperior bringing in physical walls, and they can soften them up for it in turn.
**Entry Hazard Control**: Entry hazards can make Rhyperior's job of checking physical threats a lot harder, and it doesn't want to always be the one setting up Stealth Rock, either. Alternate hazard setters like Tinkaton and Uxie let Rhyperior play more offensively, while hazard removers like Corviknight and Tsareena let it switch in consistently without getting worn out.
**Grass-types**: With the exception of Ice, Rhyperior resists everything Grass-types are weak to, and Grass-types resist most types Rhyperior is weak to. As such, Rhyperior can form a rock-solid defensive relationship with Grass-types such as Rillaboom and Ogerpon, easing both their burdens in games where it opts to not Terastallize.
Checks and Counters
========
**Special Wallbreakers**: Even with Solid Rock and Tera, Rhyperior's paltry Special Defense and poor Speed mean it's easily pressured out by strong special attackers. Assuming they get in safely, foes like Latios, Keldeo, and Darkrai can all send Rhyperior packing.
**Status**: Being a slow physical attacker, Rhyperior hates getting burned, and being a tank without much recovery, it hates getting poisoned. Though few Fire- or Poison-types want to deal with Rhyperior, burn and Toxic can really limit its ability to perform its roles.
**Grass- and Water-type Coverage**: Defensive Pokemon such as Uxie and mixed attackers like Tyranitar can catch Rhyperior off-guard with a coverage move like Grass Knot or Surf, dealing massive damage if it doesn't Terastallize beforehand. And if Rhyperior opts not to use Tera in a game, no mindgames will be needed for Grass- and Water-types like Hydrapple to wipe the floor with it!
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/big-pharma.657717/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
