Ok so Heliolisk gets Electric Terrain after all. The egg chain goes like - Manectric/Luxray > mareep > helioptile.
Thoughts on this? electric terrain is -literally- the only other boosting move it gets other than Charge. It messes up rest talk strategies and spore users and it amps up your electric damage by a solid 1.5 for 5 turns.
I actually feel like it benefits Heliolisk more than a self-buff because Heliolisk uses Volt Switch so often. One Electric Terrain may allow you to get two Volt Switches in without having to boost up each time. I'm unsure if Heliolisk is the one who wants to set the move up himself though, since he needs Glare in that precious utility slot.
Yeah, for a grand total of 3 turns while terrain is still up. Unfortunate, but at least other electric types could enjoy the benefits too. Mega Manectric perhaps?
UU with OU niche imo. It's a nice check to bellydrum Azumarill (though you could say that Toxicroak does it too, I think Heliolisk hits harder with STABS) and it also has the benefit of being able to switch into Jellicent and be immune to both its stabs. Takes chunks out of Skarmory with Volt Switch and hits gliscor super effectively with Surf. Doesn't fear Aegislash's Shadow Sneak hubris and so on so forth. Glare is currently the best paralysis move in the game and he gets it, and this is especially useful when you consider he outspeeds all pseudolegendary dragons before a boost.
Downsides? It gets wrecked by priority and can't handle walls and faster Pokemon. Most likely needs a choice item to function well. It also cannot boost in a meaningful way (although personally I think Charge is kind of underrated on Heliolisk, it has the special defense to make use of it and uses volt switch anyway, losing the buffs it'd accumulate through something like Nasty Plot).
A slight bit more than that, because if you're running a weather setter, they are going to have the weather extending item. So 8 turns of weather.Well yeah, because you spend a turn setting it up, then you have to waste another turn switching Heliolisk in. That leaves only 3 more turns to sweep.
It seems like that takes an awfully long time to set up to achieve a small boost in power. If you are going to use a sun Helioisk you might as well stick specs on it give it solar power and call it a day with that set upA slight bit more than that, because if you're running a weather setter, they are going to have the weather extending item. So 8 turns of weather.
Turn 1 - Weather set
Turn 2 - Switch
Turn 3 - Set Terrain
That now leaves you with 5 turns of weather and 4 turns of terrain left to use. Not bad, but it won't sweep a team, and is a lot of turns to set up a strategy that can be ruined by any weather setter - in fact, it's a lot of turns not doing ANY damage at all... which means your opponent has had a lot of time to set up something likely far worse than Disk...
But hey, if it all works out, with VoltSwitch, you don't necessarily rely on that sweep to keep momentum. Do enough damage, VoltSwitch at the right time, and the pendulum is definitely swinging in your favor. Just hope you never see a Golurk...
dunno, I don't really see Heliolisk being very OU viable. It has good Speed, but modest attacking stats, backed up by pretty mediocre bulk. On top of that, all three of its abilities are weather-dependent, making it even more difficult to run effectively without permanent weather backing it up. It might have a tiny niche with its Water immunity and good Speed, but even then, I'd rather run something that just resists Water and has good Speed, such as Latios, Latias, or perhaps even Keldeo. I'm sure it's not an awful Pokemon and will probably land somewhere above NU, but as for OU viable, I'm not so sure.
Toxicroak has the ability to hit Azumarill just as hard with something like Poison Jab...
You also could use him as a solar power specs sweeper with sun support. Dark Pulse/Thunderbolt/Focus Blast/Surf hits most things I see neutral or better, which with the boosts is usually enough to snag OHKOs.So he checks and can semi-safely switch in on two major threat OU priority spammers and a good deal of supporty water types, as well as function as a scouter/lategame sweeper...if that isn't a half decent niche I don't know what is.
Sadly, due to his frustratingly trollish movepool there's not a whole lot to talk about anymore beyond this so...partners?
I find that running him with a ghost type is absolutely imperative for handling those incoming mach punches and extremespeeds. He also, amusingly, loves Sticky Web support because of his speed tier making him outrun just about everything after a single stage drop. But you're not going to use him and Galvantula on the same team.
Gliscor enjoys all the free switch-ins it gets against mach punch and fighting moves I'd think.
Baton pass support seems wasted on this guy IMO. He'd need both speed and special attack to sweep and is stopped dead by priority. Wish support and hazard clear, absolutely since he'll be switching around so much due to volt switch. Another reason why defog Gliscor and Crobat are great partners.
Crobat can also switch in on those pesky ground types and earthquakers who are trying to block Volt Switch. In fact, Crobat resists or ignores both super effective types that could possibly be aimed at Heliolisk.