[Balanced Hackmons] Ho-Oh

nyan kat

nyan kat

[OVERVIEW]

With its monstrous Special Defense and solid Attack stat, Ho-Oh is one of the metagame's most dominant special walls, being able to sponge many special hits while hitting hard in return. Ho-Oh's unique typing leaves it neutral to common special attacking types like Ghost and Flying, letting it stop sweepers like Mega Gengar and Protean Mega Mewtwo Y when healthy. Ho-Oh's Fire typing also grants it a resistance to Fairy, allowing it to counter the common Pixilate Mega Diancie and the rarer Xerneas. Ho-Oh is also naturally immune to burns, so it can switch into Will-O-Wisp or a weak Scald without hindering its Attack. Furthermore, Ho-Oh's typing is great offensively, letting it hit everything at least neutrally with its STAB moves except Rock-types. It is also good defensively because two of its three weaknesses, Water and Electric, are uncommon attacking types. However, the last of the three is a 4x weakness to Rock, a common attacking type on Mega Tyranitar, which is widely used. This weakness also leaves Ho-Oh extremely vulnerable to Stealth Rock, severely hindering its capabilities as a wall and its versatility, as it usually has to run Magic Guard to bypass this weakness. In addition, while Ho-Oh is hard to break with special attacks, its Defense stat leaves a lot to be desired. Powerful physical attackers like Mega Tyranitar and Mega Mewtwo X can easily OHKO Ho-Oh with Diamond Storm and Bolt Strike, respectively. Mega Latios and Mega Mewtwo Y can also take advantage of Ho-Oh's weaker Defense by using Psystrike to 2HKO it. Moreover, although Ho-Oh is powerful enough to KO frail attackers like Mega Gengar, physical walls like Giratina and Mega Audino, especially with Fur Coat, easily shrug off its attacks. Imposter Chansey also forces Ho-Oh out easily, tanking Ho-Oh's attacks due to its superior bulk while dealing lots of damage back.

[SET]
name: Defensive Magic Guard
move 1: Recover
move 2: Flare Blitz / Knock Off
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: U-turn / Stealth Rock
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

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

Recover increases Ho-Oh's longevity, and Flare Blitz is a powerful STAB move that forces out frail special attackers like Mega Gengar and Steel-types like Registeel. Its recoil effect is also negated by Ho-Oh's ability. Sacred Fire may be used over Flare Blitz for the high burn chance, but it is slightly weaker and has significantly less PP. Brave Bird can also be used over Flare Blitz to hit Pokemon that resist Fire like Mega Rayquaza and Giratina, but it leaves Ho-Oh powerless against Steel-types. Knock Off removes opposing Pokemon's items, crippling sweepers with Plates, getting rid of Chansey's Eviolite, and removing utility items like Leftovers, Toxic Orb, and, more importantly, Safety Goggles. Removing offensive items like Life Orb and Plates has the bonus of allowing Ho-Oh to survive attacks more comfortably. Whirlwind lets Ho-Oh stop setup sweepers like Mega Rayquaza. Alternatively, Stealth Rock helps the team by providing chip damage. It works well with Ho-Oh's Fire typing, since common users of Defog and Magic Bounce are Steel-type and forced out by Flare Blitz. U-turn lets Ho-Oh act as a bulky pivot and gain momentum.

Set Details
========

Magic Guard negates Ho-Oh's troublesome Stealth Rock weakness, making it a much more effective wall. This ability also allows Ho-Oh to use high-powered recoil moves like Flare Blitz and Brave Bird without repercussions and ignore passive damage such as that from Leech Seed, Curse, and weather. A Toxic Orb lets Ho-Oh absorb status so that it can stop sweepers carrying Spore or Dark Void. Maximum investment in HP and Special Defense maximizes Ho-Oh's special bulk, allowing it to switch into powerful attacks like non-Life Orb Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Boomburst.

Usage Tips
========

It is important to keep Ho-Oh at full health, especially if the opponent carries strong special attackers like Protean Mega Mewtwo Y, as these Pokemon can easily 2HKO Ho-Oh if it has taken a bit of prior damage. Therefore, Recover should be used after switching into an attack. Use Knock Off to remove important items like a sweeper's Plate or Chansey's Eviolite. Flare Blitz is effective against frail Pokemon or those that can't hurt Ho-Oh. It is highly spammable due to its high PP and forces the opposing Pokemon to switch or Recover. If the opposing Pokemon is behind a Substitute or resists Flare Blitz, Whirlwind can be used to prevent it from setting up. Stealth Rock is useful for providing entry hazard support and should be used whenever there is an opportunity. Use U-turn when you predict a switch or to safely switch to another Pokemon against faster ones. It is very important to activate Ho-Oh's Toxic Orb safely without taking a Knock Off. This can be done by using slow pivots or double switches to bring Ho-Oh in. Also, unexpected coverage moves need to be scouted for before using Ho-Oh to counter a Pokemon. For example, Mega Diancie occasionally carries Diamond Storm on its Pixilate set to counter Ho-Oh. Scouting can be done using Imposter Chansey or switching out to see what the opponent does. Ho-Oh can also switch into Ground-types like Groudon using its Ground-type immunity if they do not carry Thousand Arrows.

Team Options
========

Physical walls like Giratina and Fur Coat Chansey work well with Ho-Oh, stopping physical attackers like Mega Mewtwo X that give it trouble. Ghost-types like Giratina and Aegislash also counter Pokemon like Spooky Plate Protean Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Gengar once Ho-Oh has removed their Plates with Knock Off. Steel-types like Registeel and Aegislash help Ho-Oh handle Refrigerate and Aerilate users that can power their way through Ho-Oh.

[SET]
name: Offensive Magic Guard
move 1: Flare Blitz / Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: High Jump Kick
move 4: Shift Gear
item: Life Orb / Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 200 Atk / 60 SpD

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

Flare Blitz and Brave Bird are Ho-Oh's main STAB options, as they have high Base Power. Together they hit almost every major threat neutrally, and both moves' recoil is negated by Magic Guard. Sacred Fire can be used over Flare Blitz for the higher burn chance, which is useful for KOing Shedinja if it does not have its Lum Berry. High Jump Kick gives Ho-Oh important coverage, letting it hit Flash Fire Registeel and Rock-types like Mega Tyranitar, which otherwise wall this set. Thanks to its ability, Ho-Oh also doesn't have to worry about crash damage against Protect or Ghost-types. Shift Gear boosts Ho-Oh's Speed and Attack, allowing it to outspeed the majority of the tier and sweep teams late-game.

Set Details
========

Magic Guard allows Ho-Oh to switch in without fear of Stealth Rock and make use of Life Orb and powerful recoil moves like Flare Blitz and Brave Bird without taking recoil damage. Life Orb vastly improves Ho-Oh's damage output, letting it gain crucial 2HKOs on Giratina and Mega Audino with a boosted Brave Bird and OHKOs on Mega Rayquaza and Kyogre with Brave Bird. Toxic Orb can be used instead to keep Ho-Oh free from status effects like sleep and paralysis that otherwise cripple it, but doing so costs offensive power. The HP and Special Defense investment allows Ho-Oh to narrowly avoid the 2HKO from Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Spooky Plate Judgment, letting it set up on it. Alternatively, 20 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed base 150s like Deoxys-A after a Shift Gear boost.

Usage Tips
========

Ho-Oh should be used to switch into special attackers like Mega Mewtwo Y to force them out or set up. However, Ho-Oh shouldn't set up until late-game due to the large number of counters that can stop its sweep. There is low cost in spamming Brave Bird or Flare Blitz, as they have high PP and deal lots of damage, forcing walls to recover and keeping most attackers away. U-turn can be used to gain momentum when predicting a switch or to safely switch in another Pokemon.

Team Options
========

Physical walls like Giratina and Fur Coat Chansey can take the physical attacks that give Ho-Oh trouble and can also wall this Ho-Oh set if an Imposter user comes in against it. Steel-types like Registeel and Aegislash are useful for taking priority Extreme Speeds from -ate ability users that stop Ho-Oh. Mold Breaker users can also aid Ho-Oh's sweep by KOing Sturdy Shedinja with Pursuit and providing entry hazard support.

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

The defensive Magic Guard set can also be run with coverage and Attack investment as a bulky, hard-hitting tank. Spore is another option for both of the above sets. It lets Ho-Oh beat Imposter Chansey and put counters to sleep, facilitating a sweep for the offensive Magic Guard set. On the defensive Magic Guard Set, Spore works well with Knock Off, which removes Safety Goggles, making it unsafe for more foes to stay in on Ho-Oh. Spore is best used with Toxic Orb so that Magic Bounce and Imposter users cannot use Spore against Ho-Oh. Other status moves like Will-O-Wisp or Leech Seed to KO Shedinja are also usable. Most non-Magic Guard Ho-Oh sets struggle due to their 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, but they can succeed if enough support is provided to keep Stealth Rock off the field. Another set Ho-Oh can run is Contrary, which can be run with STAB V-create and Dragon Ascent. However, this set is generally done better by more powerful Pokemon, and it struggles to break past Giratina, since it cannot boost its Attack and its Special Attack is low. Desolate Land and Water Absorb are two viable abilities that cover Ho-Oh's Water-type weakness, letting it counter Kyogre's dangerous Poison Heal setup set, which doesn't run other coverage that hits Ho-Oh. Desolate Land also boosts the power of Ho-Oh's Fire-type moves, letting it deal more damage. On the other hand, Water Absorb gives Ho-Oh a little extra recovery. It also doesn't advertise its presence like Desolate Land, giving Ho-Oh a free turn as the opponent attacks with a Water-type move. Poison Heal can also be run over Magic Guard to provide passive recovery, letting Ho-Oh switch in on Life Orb Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Boomburst. Unburden Belly Drum with Sitrus Berry is another set that has seen success in the past, making use of Ho-Oh's naturally low Defense stat to OHKO Imposter Chansey, something other Belly Drum users tend to struggle with. Unburden allows it to outspeed Imposter users, but only works once per match. This set is also easily revenge killed by priority like a Fake Out + Extreme Speed from -ate ability users. Finally, Gale Wings is an alternative ability that makes use of priority Dragon Ascent to KO faster Pokemon. However, like most other Ho-Oh sets, this set struggles to get past Imposter Chansey and Giratina and is susceptible to faster priority users like Gale Wings Mega Rayquaza and Fake Out + Extreme Speed users.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Physical Walls**: Physical walls like Giratina and Fur Coat Chansey take little damage from Ho-Oh's attacks and can prevent its sweep by phazing it out. Chansey must look out for High Jump Kick, though, especially from Shift Gear Ho-Oh.

**Flash Fire and Primordial Sea Users**: Pokemon with Flash Fire or Primordial Sea, especially those that resist Flying like Registeel and Aegislash, aren't susceptible to either of Ho-Oh's STAB attacks, letting them wall it. Registeel, however, must be wary of High Jump Kick.

**Imposter Chansey**: Imposter Chansey beats most Ho-Oh sets one-on-one and forces them out.

**Powerful Physical Attackers**: Physical attackers like Regigigas and Mega Mewtwo X deal massive damage to Ho-Oh due to its lower Defense stat. Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Latios can also carry Psystrike to hit Ho-Oh hard.

**Powerful Attackers**: Powerful attackers like Mega Rayquaza with Aerilate Boomburst can break through Ho-Oh's massive special bulk and KO it.

**Rock-types**: Rock-types like Mega Tyranitar and Regirock resist both of Ho-Oh's STAB moves and can OHKO Ho-Oh with Diamond Storm. Ho-Oh can KO either with a boosted High Jump Kick, though.

**Poison Heal**: Bulky Poison Heal users like Giratina and Mega Tyranitar can shrug off Ho-Oh's attacks, aren't worried about Knock Off, and are immune to status. The latter must watch out for High Jump Kick, though.
 
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Not even trying to make a joke about it but imo there needs to be an unburden set at least as a detailed mention in oo because the set is too good at crushing so many archetypes. It's also awesome vs offense if you can pivot right.
 
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Overview:
hit hard even without investment would be better
explain why it struggles with Imposter

Set 1:

Moves:
Say explicitly that it doesn't take recoil from Flare Blitz as a result of Magic Guard
Say that Knock Off can also remove Chansey's Eviolite

Set Details:
Add that Magic Guard also helps against Leech Seed users and the rare Curse Giratina

Usage Tips:
These are really good and thorough

Team Options:
In the first bullet point, name some of the physical attackers, like Mega Mewtwo X.

Set 2:

Moves:
Sacred Fire is especially useful against the rare non-Lum Shedinja
Flash Fire Registeel -> Flash Fire Registeel or Aegislash
Mention that using Recover comes at the cost of any sweeping potential.
Say that Spore only works really well in conjunction with Ho-oh holding a Toxic Orb because Ho-oh needs to be protected from status.

Set Details:
Using Toxic Orb comes at the cost of some offensive power

Usage Tips:
Really good again!

Team Options:
Also good

Other Options:
struggles to get past Giratina and Fur Coat users too, since it can't boost its attack
Explain that water immunity abilities also counter Kyogre because it doesn't run coverage moves that can do significant damage to Ho-oh, and Ho-oh even resists Moonblast. Also say why Water Absorb is sometimes used (surprise factor and additional recovery)
Mention Unburden, I agree with Mike here

Checks and Counters:
This format needs to be changed so it's like **Physical Walls**:
Chansey has to look out for High Jump Kick, especially from Shift Gear Ho-oh
Say that Psystrike is used to hit based on the weak Defense
Say specific "coverage" in this line, I'm unclear as to what you mean

Great start! QC 1/3
 
Hey nyan, looking good so far!

Overview:
  • everything here looks good
Set 1:
  • I'd recommend putting U-Turn before Stealth Rock, as I think it has more utility for pivoting. Ho-Oh can be a great pivot because Pokemon like M-Gengar often won't stay in against it, so U-Turn can be used to gain momentum.
Moves:
  • You mention Sacred Fire working well in tandem with Knock Off, but don't they apply to the same moveslot in your thing? i.e. your set recommends one or the other
Set Details:
  • Nothing to change
Usage Tips:
  • Mention Chansey in the line about scouting out for movesets
  • I think it would be good to talk about Thousand Arrows and how Ho-Oh can't really switch into it even though it's neutral (because the next turn it will be super effective)
Team Options:
  • looks good
Set 2:
  • looks good
Moves:
  • This should be obvious but maybe you could mention how Magic Guard negates recoil/HJK damage
Set Details:
  • You should specify which moves let it get the O/2HKOs on Gira, Audino, Ray, Kyogre
Usage Tips:
  • don't change
Team Options:
  • You mention in Set Details that Life Orb allows for a 2hko on Gira but then you list it as an anti Imposter.
Rest of this looks good!
QC 2/3
 
Just finished the write up. I may have added some stuff in the overview that wasn't there before so it'd be cool if Uselesscrab and Piccolo Daimao could take another look.
Tagging E4 Flint, Pikachuun, Kingslayer2779 for next check.

I also apologize for taking forever to implement the second check and write it up - I was preoccupied for the first 2 weeks and then I just completely forgot afterwards. I'll make sure to implement the next checks quickly.
 
nyan kat said:
Should be fixed. Let me know if I missed anything.
Click to expand...
looks pretty sweet! just take out the number as in [SET number], because [SET] is enough. also a space between the line under checks and counters and physical walls. otherwise, i think the markdown should be fine

edit: oh yeah and spaces before and after slashes that you've used for moves
 
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Overview:
  • "[stopping].. Mega Gengar and Protean Mega Mewtwo with ease" is a bit much, let's just say well since that depends on coverage and whether they've set up
  • Minor note about good typing defensively because uncommon water and electric coverage
  • Minor note about SE to Arrows on 2nd turn being a con

Set Magic Guard:

Moves:
  • "removing [important] utility items like Leftovers [and especially Safety Goggles]". Toxic Orb and Choice items are a bonus.
  • Optional: Removing Plates or LO from Mewtwo allowing Ho-Oh to live attacks more comfortably

Set Details:
  • Rephrase: "ignore residual damage from recoil moves.... as well as Leech Seed, Curse or weather"
  • Toxic Orb is also good to minimize the effect of Knock Off from Imposter

Usage Tips:
  • Just a nitpick which I didn't include in the "Overview" section but because of the phrasing here I have to now; I thought you were waxing eloquent about Ho-Oh's "impenetrable" and "monstrous" Special Defense a little too much which wouldn't be a problem if you didn't mention right here that strong Special Nukes can still 2hko it if not at full HP, where you said before that Ho-Oh "easily" shrugs off Protean Mewtwo Y. Tone that down a little to remain consistent
Set Offensive Magic Guard:

Moves:
  • Optional: It is my opinion that it'd flow better to talk about the sweeper version first completely and then the bulky tank version with U-turn especially since the name of the set is "Offensive Magic Guard". In fact, Sacred BB Uturn Recover is pretty close in idea to the first set so I'm not sure why it's here. You can keep it if you want, but it'd prob just be easier to mention that you can run the first set with a little more attack in set details or even OO.
  • Spore can be run on the defensive set as well, esp since it can work with Knock Off for Goggles, so probably better in OO

Set Details:
  • Remove the extraneous line about recoil damage midway through the para and just add "powerful moves like Blitz and Brave Bird [without recoil damage]". This will move the discussion about the two items closer to each other.

Usage Tips:
  • Low cost in spamming Brave Bird and Blitz due to high power, high PP and no recoil

Other Options:
  • "counter Kyogre [including its dangerous PH setup set]"
  • "Desolate Land also boosts the power of Ho-Oh's Fire type moves, increasing its power." This is a little awkwardly worded since at first glance it just sounds redundant. "and deal more damage" probably better.
  • GP will prob get this but you've already introduced Water Absorb as an option so it's kinda strange to say "another option" again. Instead you can just say that it on the other hand provides healing and combine this sentence with the next one about being more subtle.
  • "..naturally low Defense [or Rock weakness with Diamond Storm]" and just reiterate that it will always outspeed Chansey. However, it is a one-time trick, while also being revenge killed easily.
  • "suspectible to [faster] priority like [-ate Extremespeed and other gale users]"
  • Optional: Leech Seed can be an option on MG to defeat Shed
  • Optional: if you decide to move Spore here, you can bundle it with status moves like Leech, Spore and even Willo

Checks and Counters:
  • Include PH users including Gira and Tyranitar who can shrug off Ho-oh's attacks easily, don't care about Knock Off, and aren't worried about status, though the latter is wary of HJK
Other:
You mention Protean M2Y a lot, but nowhere is the main set really included, so I think that should be added somewhere, though I am not sure where it is best to put it. I think maybe the overview when talking about common Protean sets.

QC3/3
 
E4 Flint said:
snippet
Click to expand...
Implemented mostly.
I chose not to mention Ho-Oh's Tarrows weakness in overview as it is uncommon. Its main users, Pdon and Chomp are going to force Ho-Oh out anyways (double Vcreate in sun does as much as double Tarrows, and Ho-Oh doesn't want to take a Dragon Claw). I didn't do the rephrasing in the first Set Details either as grouping everything would make it hard to talk about the high powers of Flare Blitz and Brave Bird. I also chose not to include the Protean Mega Mewtwo Y set as imo it would change the focus from Ho-Oh and Mewtwo has its own analysis for those curious.

I took your advice and removed Recover and U-turn from the 2nd set. I put them in OO. After looking over it one last time, I decided to add Flash Fire into checks and counters. It'd be great if E4 Flint, Uselesscrab, Piccolo Daimao could take a look at these changes and maybe make sure I didn't miss anything. I'll submit this to GP on Saturday if nothing needs to be fixed.
 
amcheck!
[OVERVIEW]

With its monstrous Special Defense and solid Attack stat, Ho-Oh is one of the metagame's most dominant special walls, being able to sponge many special hits while hitting hard in return. Ho-Oh's unique typing leaves Ho-Oh it neutral to common special attacking types like Ghost and Flying, letting it stop sweepers like Mega Gengar and Protean Mega Mewtwo Y when healthy. Ho-Oh's Fire typing also grants it a Fairy-type resistance, allowing it to counter the common Pixilate Mega Diancie set and more rarely, Xerneas. Ho-Oh is also naturally immune to burns, so it can switch into Will-O-Wisp or a weak Scald without hindering its Attack. Furthermore, Ho-Oh's typing is great offensively, hitting everything neutrally except Rock-(AH)types. It also is is also good defensively because two of its three weaknesses, Water and Electric, are uncommon attacking types. However, the last of the three is a 4x weakness to Rock, a common attacking type on of Mega Tyranitar which is widely used. This weakness also leaves Ho-Oh extremely vulnerable to Stealth Rock, severely hindering its capabilities as a wall and its versatility, as it usually has to run Magic Guard to bypass this weakness. In addition, while Ho-Oh is hard to break on the special side, its Defense stat leaves a lot to be desired. Powerful physical attackers like Mega Tyranitar and Mega Mewtwo X can easily OHKO Ho-Oh with Diamond Storm and Bolt Strike, respectively. Mega Latios and Mega Mewtwo Y can also take advantage of Ho-Oh's weaker Defense by using Psystrike to 2HKO it. Moreover, although Ho-Oh is powerful enough to kill frail attackers like Mega Gengar, physical walls like Giratina and Mega Audino, especially with Fur Coat, easily shrug off Ho-Oh's attacks. Imposter Chansey also forces out Ho-Oh out easily, tanking Ho-Oh's attacks due to its superior bulk, while dealing lots of damage back. Overall, while Ho-Oh struggles physically in both offense and defense, it is a very solid Special tank.


[SET]
name: Defensive Magic Guard
move 1: Recover
move 2: Flare Blitz / Knock Off
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: U-turn / Stealth Rock
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

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

Recover heals Ho-Oh, increases increasing its Ho-Oh's longevity. and Flare Blitz is a powerful STAB move that forces out frail special attackers like Mega Gengar and Steel-(AH)types like Registeel. Its recoil effect is also negated by Ho-Oh's ability. Sacred Fire may be used over Flare Blitz for the high burn chance, but it is slightly weaker and has significantly less PP. Brave Bird can also be used over Flare Blitz to hit Pokemon that resist Fire resists like Mega Rayquaza and Giratina, but it leaves Ho-Oh powerless against Steel-(AH)types. Knock Off removes opposing Pokemon's' (Pokemons' -> Pokemon's) items, crippling sweepers with plates, removing utility items like Leftovers, Toxic Orb, or and more importantly, Safety Goggles, and also getting rid of Chansey's Eviolite. Removing offensive items like Life Orb and Plates have has the bonus of allowing Ho-Oh to live attacks more comfortably. Whirlwind lets Ho-Oh stop set up sweepers that aren't forced out by Flare Blitz like Mega Rayquaza that aren't forced out by Flare Blitz. Stealth Rock helps the team by providing chip damage. It works well with Ho-Oh's Fire-typing since common users of Defog and Magic Bounce are Steel-type and forced out by Flare Blitz. U-turn lets Ho-Oh act as a bulky pivot and gain momentum.

Set Details
========

Magic Guard negates Ho-Oh's troublesome Stealth Rock weakness, making it a much more effective wall. The This ability also allows Ho-Oh to use high-powered recoil moves like Flare Blitz and Brave Bird and ignore passive damage such as that from Leech Seed, Curse, or weather. A Toxic Orb lets Ho-Oh absorb status so that it can stop sweepers carrying Spore or Dark Void. Max investment in HP and Special Defense maximizes Ho-Oh's special bulk, allowing it to switch into powerful attacks like Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Boomburst if it does not carry a Life Orb.

Usage Tips
========

It is important to to keep Ho-Oh at full health especially if the opponent carries strong special nukes like Protean Mega Mewtwo Y, as these Pokemon can easily 2HKO Ho-Oh if it has a bit of prior damage. As such, (AC) Recover should be used after switching into an attack. Use Knock Off to remove important items like a sweeper's plate or Chansey's Eviolite. Flare Blitz is effective against frail Pokemon or those that can't hurt you. It is highly spammable due to its high PP and forces the opposing Pokemon to switch or Recover. If the opposing Pokemon is behind a Substitute or resists Flare Blitz, Whirlwind can be used to prevent it from setting up. Stealth Rock is useful for providing hazard support and should be used whenever there is an opportunity. Use U-turn when a switch is predicted or to safely switch to another Pokemon against faster ones. It is very important to activate Ho-Oh's Toxic Orb safely without having it Knocked Off. This can be done by using slow pivots or double switches to bring Ho-Oh in. Also, unexpected coverage moves need to be scouted for before using Ho-Oh to counter a Pokemon. For example, Mega Diancie occasionally carries Diamond Storm on its Pixilate set to counter Ho-Oh. Scouting can be done using Imposter Chansey or switching out to see what the opponent does. Ho-Oh can also switch into Ground-(AH)types like Groudon using its Ground-type immunity if they do not carry Thousand Arrows.

Team Options
========

Physical walls like Giratina or Fur Coat Chansey work well with Ho-Oh, stopping physical attackers like Mega Mewtwo X that give it trouble. Ghost-(AH)types like Giratina and Aegislash also counter Pokemon like Spooky Plate Protean Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Gengar once Ho-Oh has knocked off their plates. Steel-(AH)types like Registeel and Aegislash help Ho-Oh handle Refrigerate and Aerilate users with can power their way through Ho-Oh.

[SET]
name: Offensive Magic Guard
move 1: Flare Blitz / Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: High Jump Kick
move 4: Shift Gear
item: Life Orb / Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 200 Atk / 60 SpD

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

Flare Blitz and Brave Bird are Ho-Oh's main STAB options as they have high base powers. Together almost every major threat is hit neutrally, and both moves' recoil is negated by Magic Guard. Sacred Fire can be used over Flare Blitz for the higher burn chance, which is useful for killing Shedinja if it does not have its Lum Berry. High Jump Kick gives Ho-Oh important coverage, letting it hit Flash Fire Registeel and Rock-(AH)types like Mega Tyranitar which otherwise wall this set. Thanks to its ability, Ho-Oh also doesn't have to worry about crash damage against Protect or Ghost-(AH)types. Shift Gear boosts Ho-Oh's Speed and Attack, allowing it to outspeed the majority of the tier and sweep teams in the late-(AH)game.

Set Details
========

Magic Guard allows Ho-Oh to switch in without fear of Stealth Rock and make use of Life Orb and powerful recoil moves like Flare Blitz and Brave Bird. Carrying a Life Orb vastly improves Ho-Oh's damage output, which lets it gain crucial 2HKOs on Giratina and Mega Audino with a boosted Brave Bird, and allowing it to OHKO Mega Rayquaza and Kyogre with a boosted Brave Bird. A Toxic Orb can be used instead to keep Ho-Oh free from status like sleep and paralysis that otherwise cripple it, but doing so costs offensive power. The HP and Special Defense investment allows Ho-Oh to narrowly avoid the 2HKO from Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Spooky Plate Judgment, letting it set up on it. Alternatively, (AC) 20 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed base 150s like Deoxys after a Shift Gear boost.

Usage Tips
========

Ho-Oh should be used to switch into special attackers like Mega Mewtwo Y to force them out or set up. However, Ho-Oh shouldn't set up until late-(AH)game due to the large number of counters that can stop its sweep. There is low cost in spamming Brave Bird or Flare Blitz as they have high PP and deal lots of damage, forcing walls to recover and keeping away most attackers. U-turn can be used to gain momentum when predicting a switch or to safely switch in another Pokemon.

Team Options
========

Physical walls like Giratina and Fur Coat Chansey can take the Physical attacks that give Ho-Oh trouble and can also wall Ho-Oh if an Imposter comes in. Steel-(AH)types like Registeel and Aegislash are useful for taking priority Extreme Speeds from -Ate users that stop Ho-Oh. Mold Breaker users can also aid Ho-Oh's sweep by killing Sturdy Shedinja with Pursuit and providing hazard support.

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

The Defensive Magic Guard set can also be run with coverage and Attack investment as a bulky, hard hitting tank. Spore is another option for both of the above sets. It lets Ho-Oh beat Imposter Chansey and put counters to sleep, facilitating a sweep for the Offensive Magic Guard set. On the Defensive Magic Guard Set, Spore works well with Knock Off, which removes Safety Goggles, making it unsafe for more things to stay in on Ho-Oh. Spore is best used with a Toxic Orb so that Magic Bounce and Imposter users cannot use spore against Ho-Oh. Other status moves like Will-O-Wisp or Leech Seed to kill Shedinja are also usable. Most other Ho-Oh sets struggle due to their 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, but can succeed if enough support is provided to keep rocks off the field. Another set Ho-Oh can run is Contrary, which can be run with STAB V-create and Dragon Ascent. However, this set is generally done better by more powerful Pokemon and it struggles to break past Giratina since it cannot boost its Attack and its Special Attack is low. Desolate Land and Water Absorb are two viable sets that cover Ho-Oh's Water-type weakness, letting it counter Kyogre's dangerous Poison Heal setup set, which doesn't run other coverage that hits Ho-Oh. Desolate Land also boosts the power of Ho-Oh's Fire-(AH)type moves, letting it deal more damage. On the other hand, Water Absorb gives Ho-Oh a little extra recovery. It also doesn't advertise its presence like Desolate Land, giving Ho-Oh a free turn as the opponent attacks with a Water-type move. Poison Heal can also be run over Magic Guard to provide passive recovery, letting Ho-Oh switch in on Life Orb Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Boomburst. Unburden Belly Drum with a Sitrus Berry is another set that has seen success in the past, making use of Ho-Oh's naturally low Defense stat to OHKO Imposter Chansey, something other Belly Drum users tend to struggle with. Unburden allows it to outspeed Imposter users, but only works once per match. This set is also easily revenge killed by priority like a Fake Speed from -Ate users. Finally, Gale Wings is an alternative ability that makes use of priority Dragon Ascent to kill faster Pokemon. However, like most other Ho-Oh sets, this set struggles to get past Imposter Chansey and Giratina and is susceptible to faster priority users like Gale Wings Mega Rayquaza or Fake Speed.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Physical Walls**: Physical walls like Giratina or Fur Coat Chansey take little damage from Ho-Oh's attacks and can prevent its sweep by phazing it out. Chansey must look out for High Jump Kick though, especially from Shift Gear Ho-Oh.

**Flash Fire and Primordial Sea Users**: Pokemon with Flash Fire or Primordial Sea, especially those that resist Flying like Registeel or Aegislash, aren't susceptible to either of Ho-Oh's STAB attacks, letting them wall it. Registeel, (AC) however, (AC) must be wary of High Jump Kick.

**Imposter Chansey**: Imposter Chansey beats most Ho-Oh sets 1v1 and forces them out.

**Powerful Physical Attackers**: Physical attackers like Regigigas and Mega Mewtwo X deal massive damage to Ho-Oh due to its lower Defense stat. Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Latios can also carry Psystrike to hit Ho-Oh hard.

**Powerful Nukes**: Powerful nukes like Mega Rayquaza with Aerilate Boomburst can break through Ho-Oh's massive special bulk and kill it.

**Rock-(AH)types**: Rock-(AH)types like Mega Tyranitar or and Regirock resist both of Ho-Oh's stabs STAB moves and can OHKO Ho-Oh with Diamond Storm. Ho-Oh can kill either with a boosted High Jump Kick though.

**Poison Heal **: Bulky Poison Heal users like Giratina and Mega Tyranitar can shrug off Ho-Oh's attacks, aren't worried about Knock Off, and are immune to status. The latter must watch out for High Jump Kick though.
 
remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]

With its monstrous Special Defense and solid Attack stat, Ho-Oh is one of the metagame's most dominant special walls, being able to sponge many special hits while hitting hard in return. Ho-Oh's unique typing leaves Ho-Oh it neutral to common special attacking types like Ghost and Flying, letting it stop sweepers like Mega Gengar and Protean Mega Mewtwo Y when healthy. Ho-Oh's Fire typing also grants it a Fairy-type resistance, allowing it to counter the common Pixilate Mega Diancie set and more rarely, the rarer (I think?) Xerneas. Ho-Oh is also naturally immune to burns, so it can switch into Will-O-Wisp or a weak Scald without hindering its Attack. Furthermore, Ho-Oh's typing is great offensively, hitting everything neutrally except Rock-(AH)types. It also is is also good defensively because two of its three weaknesses, Water and Electric, are uncommon attacking types. However, the last of the three is a 4x weakness to Rock, a common attacking type on of (keep "on") Mega Tyranitar, (AC) which is widely used. This weakness also leaves Ho-Oh extremely vulnerable to Stealth Rock, severely hindering its capabilities as a wall and its versatility, as it usually has to run Magic Guard to bypass this weakness. In addition, while Ho-Oh is hard to break on the special side with special attacks, its Defense stat leaves a lot to be desired. Powerful physical attackers like Mega Tyranitar and Mega Mewtwo X can easily OHKO Ho-Oh with Diamond Storm and Bolt Strike, respectively. Mega Latios and Mega Mewtwo Y can also take advantage of Ho-Oh's weaker Defense by using Psystrike to 2HKO it. Moreover, although Ho-Oh is powerful enough to kill KO frail attackers like Mega Gengar, physical walls like Giratina and Mega Audino, especially with Fur Coat, easily shrug off Ho-Oh's it attacks. Imposter Chansey also forces out Ho-Oh out easily, tanking Ho-Oh's attacks due to its superior bulk (RC) while dealing lots of damage back. Overall, while Ho-Oh struggles physically in both offense and defense, it is a very solid Special tank.

[SET]
name: Defensive Magic Guard
move 1: Recover
move 2: Flare Blitz / Knock Off
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: U-turn / Stealth Rock
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

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

Recover heals Ho-Oh, increases increasing its Ho-Oh's longevity. (change it to a comma then... think op's version is fine too except heals Ho-Oh -> restores Ho-Oh's health, the truncating works as well but i wouldn't call the original overly fluffy) and Flare Blitz is a powerful STAB move that forces out frail special attackers like Mega Gengar and Steel-(AH)types like Registeel. Its recoil effect is also negated by Ho-Oh's ability. Sacred Fire may be used over Flare Blitz for the high burn chance, but it is slightly weaker and has significantly less PP. Brave Bird can also be used over Flare Blitz to hit Pokemon that resist Fire resists like Mega Rayquaza and Giratina, but it leaves Ho-Oh powerless against Steel-(AH)types. Knock Off removes opposing Pokemon's' (Pokemons' -> Pokemon's) items, crippling sweepers with Plates; (SC) removing utility items like Leftovers, Toxic Orb, or and, (AC) more importantly; (SC) Safety Goggles, and also getting rid of Chansey's Eviolite. Removing offensive items like Life Orb and Plates have has the bonus of allowing Ho-Oh to live survive attacks more comfortably. Whirlwind lets Ho-Oh stop set up setup sweepers that aren't forced out by Flare Blitz like Mega Rayquaza that aren't forced out by Flare Blitz. (optional) Alternatively, (AC) Stealth Rock helps the team by providing chip damage. It works well with Ho-Oh's Fire typing, (RH, AC)since common users of Defog and Magic Bounce are Steel-types and forced out by Flare Blitz. U-turn lets Ho-Oh act as a bulky pivot and gain momentum.

Set Details
========

Magic Guard negates Ho-Oh's troublesome Stealth Rock weakness, making it a much more effective wall. The This ability also allows Ho-Oh to use high-powered recoil moves like Flare Blitz and Brave Bird without repercussions and ignore passive damage such as that from Leech Seed, Curse, or and weather. A Toxic Orb lets Ho-Oh absorb status so that it can stop sweepers carrying Spore or Dark Void. Maximum investment in HP and Special Defense maximizes (investment is singular, keep the s) Ho-Oh's special bulk, allowing it to switch into powerful attacks like non-Life Orb Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Boomburst if it does not carry a Life Orb.

Usage Tips
========

It is important to to keep Ho-Oh at full health especially if the opponent carries strong special nukes attackers like Protean Mega Mewtwo Y, as these Pokemon can easily 2HKO Ho-Oh if it has a bit of prior damage. As such Therefore, (AC) Recover should be used after switching into an attack. Use Knock Off to remove important items like a sweeper's Plate or Chansey's Eviolite. Flare Blitz is effective against frail Pokemon or those that can't hurt you Ho-Oh. It is highly spammable due to its high PP and forces the opposing Pokemon to switch or Recover. If the opposing Pokemon is behind a Substitute or resists Flare Blitz, Whirlwind can be used to prevent it from setting up. Stealth Rock is useful for providing entry hazard support and should be used whenever there is an opportunity. Use U-turn when you predict a switch is predicted or to safely switch to another Pokemon against faster ones. It is very important to activate Ho-Oh's Toxic Orb safely without having it taking a Knocked Off. This can be done by using slow pivots or double switches to bring Ho-Oh in. Also, unexpected coverage moves need to be scouted for before using Ho-Oh to counter a Pokemon. For example, Mega Diancie occasionally carries Diamond Storm on its Pixilate set to counter Ho-Oh. Scouting can be done using Imposter Chansey or switching out to see what the opponent does. Ho-Oh can also switch into Ground-(AH)types like Groudon using its Ground-type immunity if they do not carry Thousand Arrows.

Team Options
========

Physical walls like Giratina or and Fur Coat Chansey work well with Ho-Oh, stopping physical attackers like Mega Mewtwo X that give it trouble. Ghost-(AH)types like Giratina and Aegislash also counter Pokemon like Spooky Plate Protean Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Gengar once Ho-Oh has knocked off removed their Plates with Knock Off. Steel-(AH)types like Registeel and Aegislash help Ho-Oh handle Refrigerate and Aerilate users with can power their way through Ho-Oh.

[SET]
name: Offensive Magic Guard
move 1: Flare Blitz / Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: High Jump Kick
move 4: Shift Gear
item: Life Orb / Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 200 Atk / 60 SpD

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

Flare Blitz and Brave Bird are Ho-Oh's main STAB options, (AC) as they have high Base Powers. Together they hit almost every major threat is hit neutrally, and both moves' recoil is negated by Magic Guard. Sacred Fire can be used over Flare Blitz for the higher burn chance, which is useful for killing KOing Shedinja if it does not have its Lum Berry. High Jump Kick gives Ho-Oh important coverage, letting it hit Flash Fire Registeel and Rock-(AH)types like Mega Tyranitar, (AC) which otherwise wall this set. Thanks to its ability, Ho-Oh also doesn't have to worry about crash damage against Protect or Ghost-(AH)types. Shift Gear boosts Ho-Oh's Speed and Attack, allowing it to outspeed the majority of the tier and sweep teams in the late-(AH)game.

Set Details
========

Magic Guard allows Ho-Oh to switch in without fear of Stealth Rock and make use of Life Orb and powerful recoil moves like Flare Blitz and Brave Bird. Carrying a Life Orb vastly improves Ho-Oh's damage output, which lets it gain crucial 2HKOs on Giratina and Mega Audino and OHKOs on Mega Rayquaza and Kyogre with a boosted Brave Bird, and allowing it to OHKO Mega Rayquaza and Kyogre with a boosted Brave Bird. A Toxic Orb can be used instead to keep Ho-Oh free from status effects like sleep and paralysis that otherwise cripple it, but doing so costs offensive power. The HP and Special Defense investment allows Ho-Oh to narrowly avoid the 2HKO from Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Spooky Plate Judgment, letting it set up on it. Alternatively, (AC) 20 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed base 150s like Deoxys (regular Deoxys?) after a Shift Gear boost.

Usage Tips
========

Ho-Oh should be used to switch into special attackers like Mega Mewtwo Y to force them out or set up. However, Ho-Oh shouldn't set up until late-(AH)game due to the large number of counters that can stop its sweep. There is low cost in spamming Brave Bird or Flare Blitz, (AC) as they have high PP and deal lots of damage, forcing walls to recover and keeping away most attackers away. U-turn can be used to gain momentum when predicting a switch or to safely switch in another Pokemon.

Team Options
========

Physical walls like Giratina and Fur Coat Chansey can take the Physical attacks that give Ho-Oh trouble and can also wall Ho-Oh if an Imposter comes in. Steel-(AH)types like Registeel and Aegislash are useful for taking priority Extreme Speeds from -Ate users that stop Ho-Oh. Mold Breaker users can also aid Ho-Oh's sweep by killing Sturdy Shedinja with Pursuit and providing hazard support.

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

The defensive Magic Guard set can also be run with coverage and Attack investment as a bulky, hard hitting tank. Spore is another option for both of the above sets. It lets Ho-Oh beat Imposter Chansey and put counters to sleep, facilitating a sweep for the offensive Magic Guard set. On the defensive Magic Guard Set, Spore works well with Knock Off, which removes Safety Goggles, making it unsafe for more things foes to stay in on Ho-Oh. Spore is best used with a Toxic Orb so that Magic Bounce and Imposter users cannot use Spore against Ho-Oh. Other status moves like Will-O-Wisp or Leech Seed to kill KO Shedinja are also usable. Most other Ho-Oh sets struggle due to their 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, but they can succeed if enough support is provided to keep rocks off the field. Another set Ho-Oh can run is Contrary, which can be run with STAB V-create and Dragon Ascent. However, this set is generally done better by more powerful Pokemon, (AC) and it struggles to break past Giratina, (AC) since it cannot boost its Attack and its Special Attack is low. Desolate Land and Water Absorb are two viable sets that cover Ho-Oh's Water-type weakness, letting it counter Kyogre's dangerous Poison Heal setup set, which doesn't run other coverage that hits Ho-Oh. Desolate Land also boosts the power of Ho-Oh's Fire-(AH)type moves, letting it deal more damage. On the other hand, Water Absorb gives Ho-Oh a little extra recovery. It also doesn't advertise its presence like Desolate Land, giving Ho-Oh a free turn as the opponent attacks with a Water-type move. Poison Heal can also be run over Magic Guard to provide passive recovery, letting Ho-Oh switch in on Life Orb Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Boomburst. Unburden Belly Drum with a Sitrus Berry is another set that has seen success in the past, making use of Ho-Oh's naturally low Defense stat to OHKO Imposter Chansey, something other Belly Drum users tend to struggle with. Unburden allows it to outspeed Imposter users, but only works once per match. This set is also easily revenge killed by priority like a Fake Out + Extreme Speed from -ate ability users. Finally, Gale Wings is an alternative ability that makes use of priority Dragon Ascent to kill KO faster Pokemon. However, like most other Ho-Oh sets, this set struggles to get past Imposter Chansey and Giratina and is susceptible to faster priority users like Gale Wings Mega Rayquaza or and Fake Out + Extreme Speed users.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Physical Walls**: Physical walls like Giratina or and Fur Coat Chansey take little damage from Ho-Oh's attacks and can prevent its sweep by phazing it out. Chansey must look out for High Jump Kick though, especially from Shift Gear Ho-Oh.

**Flash Fire and Primordial Sea Users**: (keep "users") Pokemon with Flash Fire or Primordial Sea, especially those that resist Flying like Registeel orand Aegislash, aren't susceptible to either of Ho-Oh's STAB attacks, letting them wall it. Registeel, (AC) however, (AC) must be wary of High Jump Kick.

**Imposter Chansey**: Imposter Chansey beats most Ho-Oh sets 1v1 one-on-one and forces them out.

**Powerful Physical Attackers**: Physical attackers like Regigigas and Mega Mewtwo X deal massive damage to Ho-Oh due to its lower Defense stat. Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Latios can also carry Psystrike to hit Ho-Oh hard.

**Powerful Nukes Attackers**: Powerful nukes attackers like Mega Rayquaza with Aerilate Boomburst can break through Ho-Oh's massive special bulk and killKO it.

**Rock-(AH)types**: Rock-(AH)types like Mega Tyranitar or and Regirock resist both of Ho-Oh's stabs STAB moves and can OHKO Ho-Oh with Diamond Storm. Ho-Oh can kill KO either with a boosted High Jump Kick, (AC) though.

**Poison Heal **: Bulky Poison Heal users like Giratina and Mega Tyranitar can shrug off Ho-Oh's attacks, aren't worried about Knock Off, and are immune to status. The latter must watch out for High Jump Kick, (AC) though.
 
Last edited:
2/2 :)

add remove (comments)

[OVERVIEW]

With its monstrous Special Defense and solid Attack stat, Ho-Oh is one of the metagame's most dominant special walls, being able to sponge many special hits while hitting hard in return. Ho-Oh's unique typing leaves it neutral to common special attacking types like Ghost and Flying, letting it stop sweepers like Mega Gengar and Protean Mega Mewtwo Y when healthy. Ho-Oh's Fire typing also grants it a resistance to Fairy, Fairy-type resistance, allowing it to counter the common Pixilate Mega Diancie and the rarer Xerneas. Ho-Oh is also naturally immune to burns, so it can switch into Will-O-Wisp or a weak Scald without hindering its Attack. Furthermore, Ho-Oh's typing is great offensively, hitting letting it hit everything at least neutrally with its STAB moves except Rock-types. It is also good defensively because two of its three weaknesses, Water and Electric, are uncommon attacking types. However, the last of the three is a 4x weakness to Rock, a common attacking type on Mega Tyranitar, which is widely used. This weakness also leaves Ho-Oh extremely vulnerable to Stealth Rock, severely hindering its capabilities as a wall and its versatility, as it usually has to run Magic Guard to bypass this weakness. In addition, while Ho-Oh is hard to break with special attacks, its Defense stat leaves a lot to be desired. Powerful physical attackers like Mega Tyranitar and Mega Mewtwo X can easily OHKO Ho-Oh with Diamond Storm and Bolt Strike, respectively. Mega Latios and Mega Mewtwo Y can also take advantage of Ho-Oh's weaker Defense by using Psystrike to 2HKO it. Moreover, although Ho-Oh is powerful enough to KO frail attackers like Mega Gengar, physical walls like Giratina and Mega Audino, especially with Fur Coat, easily shrug off its attacks. Imposter Chansey also forces Ho-Oh out easily, tanking Ho-Oh's attacks due to its superior bulk while dealing lots of damage back.

[SET]
name: Defensive Magic Guard
move 1: Recover
move 2: Flare Blitz / Knock Off
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: U-turn / Stealth Rock
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

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

Recover increases Ho-Oh's longevity, and Flare Blitz is a powerful STAB move that forces out frail special attackers like Mega Gengar and Steel-types like Registeel. Its recoil effect is also negated by Ho-Oh's ability. Sacred Fire may be used over Flare Blitz for the high burn chance, but it is slightly weaker and has significantly less PP. Brave Bird can also be used over Flare Blitz to hit Pokemon that resist Fire like Mega Rayquaza and Giratina, but it leaves Ho-Oh powerless against Steel-types. Knock Off removes opposing Pokemon's items, crippling sweepers with Plates, removing utility items like Leftovers, Toxic Orb, and, more importantly, Safety Goggles, and also getting rid of Chansey's Eviolite, and removing utility items like Leftovers, Toxic Orb, and, more importantly, Safety Goggles. Removing offensive items like Life Orb and Plates has the bonus of allowing Ho-Oh to survive attacks more comfortably. Whirlwind lets Ho-Oh stop setup sweepers like Mega Rayquaza. Alternatively, Stealth Rock helps the team by providing chip damage. It works well with Ho-Oh's Fire typing, since common users of Defog and Magic Bounce are Steel-type and forced out by Flare Blitz. U-turn lets Ho-Oh act as a bulky pivot and gain momentum.

Set Details
========

Magic Guard negates Ho-Oh's troublesome Stealth Rock weakness, making it a much more effective wall. This ability also allows Ho-Oh to use high-powered recoil moves like Flare Blitz and Brave Bird without repercussions and ignore passive damage such as that from Leech Seed, Curse, and weather. A Toxic Orb lets Ho-Oh absorb status so that it can stop sweepers carrying Spore or Dark Void. Maximum investment in HP and Special Defense maximizes Ho-Oh's special bulk, allowing it to switch into powerful attacks like non-Life Orb Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Boomburst.

Usage Tips
========

It is important to keep Ho-Oh at full health, (comma) especially if the opponent carries strong special attackers like Protean Mega Mewtwo Y, as these Pokemon can easily 2HKO Ho-Oh if it has taken a bit of prior damage. Therefore, Recover should be used after switching into an attack. Use Knock Off to remove important items like a sweeper's Plate or Chansey's Eviolite. Flare Blitz is effective against frail Pokemon or those that can't hurt Ho-Oh. It is highly spammable due to its high PP and forces the opposing Pokemon to switch or Recover. If the opposing Pokemon is behind a Substitute or resists Flare Blitz, Whirlwind can be used to prevent it from setting up. Stealth Rock is useful for providing entry hazard support and should be used whenever there is an opportunity. Use U-turn when you predict a switch or to safely switch to another Pokemon against faster ones. It is very important to activate Ho-Oh's Toxic Orb safely without taking a Knock Off. This can be done by using slow pivots or double switches to bring Ho-Oh in. Also, unexpected coverage moves need to be scouted for before using Ho-Oh to counter a Pokemon. For example, Mega Diancie occasionally carries Diamond Storm on its Pixilate set to counter Ho-Oh. Scouting can be done using Imposter Chansey or switching out to see what the opponent does. Ho-Oh can also switch into Ground-types like Groudon using its Ground-type immunity if they do not carry Thousand Arrows.

Team Options
========

Physical walls like Giratina and Fur Coat Chansey work well with Ho-Oh, stopping physical attackers like Mega Mewtwo X that give it trouble. Ghost-types like Giratina and Aegislash also counter Pokemon like Spooky Plate Protean Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Gengar once Ho-Oh has removed their Plates with Knock Off. Steel-types like Registeel and Aegislash help Ho-Oh handle Refrigerate and Aerilate users with that can power their way through Ho-Oh.

[SET]
name: Offensive Magic Guard
move 1: Flare Blitz / Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: High Jump Kick
move 4: Shift Gear
item: Life Orb / Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 200 Atk / 60 SpD

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

Flare Blitz and Brave Bird are Ho-Oh's main STAB options, (comma) as they have high Base Power. Together they hit almost every major threat neutrally, and both moves' recoil is negated by Magic Guard. Sacred Fire can be used over Flare Blitz for the higher burn chance, which is useful for KOing Shedinja if it does not have its Lum Berry. High Jump Kick gives Ho-Oh important coverage, letting it hit Flash Fire Registeel and Rock-types like Mega Tyranitar, (comma) which otherwise wall this set. Thanks to its ability, Ho-Oh also doesn't have to worry about crash damage against Protect or Ghost-types. Shift Gear boosts Ho-Oh's Speed and Attack, allowing it to outspeed the majority of the tier and sweep teams late-game.

Set Details
========

Magic Guard allows Ho-Oh to switch in without fear of Stealth Rock and make use of Life Orb and powerful recoil moves like Flare Blitz and Brave Bird without taking recoil damage. Carrying a Life Orb vastly improves Ho-Oh's damage output, which lets letting it gain crucial 2HKOs on Giratina and Mega Audino with a boosted Brave Bird and OHKOs on Mega Rayquaza and Kyogre with (what?). A Toxic Orb can be used instead to keep Ho-Oh free from status effects like sleep and paralysis that otherwise cripple it, but doing so costs offensive power. The HP and Special Defense investment allows Ho-Oh to narrowly avoid the 2HKO from Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Spooky Plate Judgment, letting it set up on it. Alternatively, 20 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed base 150s like Deoxys-Attack after a Shift Gear boost.

Usage Tips
========

Ho-Oh should be used to switch into special attackers like Mega Mewtwo Y to force them out or set up. However, Ho-Oh shouldn't set up until late-game due to the large number of counters that can stop its sweep. There is low cost in spamming Brave Bird or Flare Blitz, as they have high PP and deal lots of damage, forcing walls to recover and keeping most attackers away. U-turn can be used to gain momentum when predicting a switch or to safely switch in another Pokemon.

Team Options
========

Physical walls like Giratina and Fur Coat Chansey can take the physical attacks that give Ho-Oh trouble and can also wall this Ho-Oh set if an Imposter user comes in against it. Steel-types like Registeel and Aegislash are useful for taking priority Extreme Speeds from -ate ability users that stop Ho-Oh. Mold Breaker users can also aid Ho-Oh's sweep by killing KOing Sturdy Shedinja with Pursuit and providing entry hazard support.

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

The defensive Magic Guard set can also be run with coverage and Attack investment as a bulky, hard hitting hard-hitting (hyphen) tank. Spore is another option for both of the above sets. It lets Ho-Oh beat Imposter Chansey and put counters to sleep, facilitating a sweep for the offensive Magic Guard set. On the defensive Magic Guard Set, Spore works well with Knock Off, which removes Safety Goggles, making it unsafe for more foes to stay in on Ho-Oh. Spore is best used with a Toxic Orb so that Magic Bounce and Imposter users cannot use Spore against Ho-Oh. Other status moves like Will-O-Wisp or Leech Seed to KO Shedinja are also usable. Most other non-Magic Bounce Ho-Oh sets struggle due to their 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, but they can succeed if enough support is provided to keep Stealth Rock rocks off the field. Another set Ho-Oh can run is Contrary, which can be run with STAB V-create and Dragon Ascent. However, this set is generally done better by more powerful Pokemon, and it struggles to break past Giratina, since it cannot boost its Attack and its Special Attack is low. Desolate Land and Water Absorb are two viable sets abilities that cover Ho-Oh's Water-type weakness, letting it counter Kyogre's dangerous Poison Heal setup set, which doesn't run other coverage that hits Ho-Oh. Desolate Land also boosts the power of Ho-Oh's Fire-type moves, letting it deal more damage. On the other hand, Water Absorb gives Ho-Oh a little extra recovery. It also doesn't advertise its presence like Desolate Land, giving Ho-Oh a free turn as the opponent attacks with a Water-type move. Poison Heal can also be run over Magic Guard to provide passive recovery, letting Ho-Oh switch in on Life Orb Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Boomburst. Unburden Belly Drum with a Sitrus Berry is another set that has seen success in the past, making use of Ho-Oh's naturally low Defense stat to OHKO Imposter Chansey, something other Belly Drum users tend to struggle with. Unburden allows it to outspeed Imposter users, but only works once per match. This set is also easily revenge killed by priority like a Fake Out + Extreme Speed from -ate ability users. Finally, Gale Wings is an alternative ability that makes use of priority Dragon Ascent to KO faster Pokemon. However, like most other Ho-Oh sets, this set struggles to get past Imposter Chansey and Giratina and is susceptible to faster priority users like Gale Wings Mega Rayquaza and Fake Out + Extreme Speed users.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Physical Walls**: Physical walls like Giratina and Fur Coat Chansey take little damage from Ho-Oh's attacks and can prevent its sweep by phazing it out. Chansey must look out for High Jump Kick, (comma) though, especially from Shift Gear Ho-Oh.

**Flash Fire and Primordial Sea Users**: Pokemon with Flash Fire or Primordial Sea, especially those that resist Flying like Registeel and Aegislash, aren't susceptible to either of Ho-Oh's STAB attacks, letting them wall it. Registeel, however, must be wary of High Jump Kick.

**Imposter Chansey**: Imposter Chansey beats most Ho-Oh sets one-on-one and forces them out.

**Powerful Physical Attackers**: Physical attackers like Regigigas and Mega Mewtwo X deal massive damage to Ho-Oh due to its lower Defense stat. Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Latios can also carry Psystrike to hit Ho-Oh hard.

**Powerful Attackers**: Powerful attackers like Mega Rayquaza with Aerilate Boomburst can break through Ho-Oh's massive special bulk and KO it.

**Rock-types**: Rock-types like Mega Tyranitar and Regirock resist both of Ho-Oh's STAB moves and can OHKO Ho-Oh with Diamond Storm. Ho-Oh can KO either with a boosted High Jump Kick, though.

**Poison Heal**: Bulky Poison Heal users like Giratina and Mega Tyranitar can shrug off Ho-Oh's attacks, aren't worried about Knock Off, and are immune to status. The latter must watch out for High Jump Kick, though.
 
frenzyplant said:
2/2 :)

add remove (comments)

[OVERVIEW]

With its monstrous Special Defense and solid Attack stat, Ho-Oh is one of the metagame's most dominant special walls, being able to sponge many special hits while hitting hard in return. Ho-Oh's unique typing leaves it neutral to common special attacking types like Ghost and Flying, letting it stop sweepers like Mega Gengar and Protean Mega Mewtwo Y when healthy. Ho-Oh's Fire typing also grants it a resistance to Fairy, Fairy-type resistance, allowing it to counter the common Pixilate Mega Diancie and the rarer Xerneas. Ho-Oh is also naturally immune to burns, so it can switch into Will-O-Wisp or a weak Scald without hindering its Attack. Furthermore, Ho-Oh's typing is great offensively, hitting letting it hit everything at least neutrally with its STAB moves except Rock-types. It is also good defensively because two of its three weaknesses, Water and Electric, are uncommon attacking types. However, the last of the three is a 4x weakness to Rock, a common attacking type on Mega Tyranitar, which is widely used. This weakness also leaves Ho-Oh extremely vulnerable to Stealth Rock, severely hindering its capabilities as a wall and its versatility, as it usually has to run Magic Guard to bypass this weakness. In addition, while Ho-Oh is hard to break with special attacks, its Defense stat leaves a lot to be desired. Powerful physical attackers like Mega Tyranitar and Mega Mewtwo X can easily OHKO Ho-Oh with Diamond Storm and Bolt Strike, respectively. Mega Latios and Mega Mewtwo Y can also take advantage of Ho-Oh's weaker Defense by using Psystrike to 2HKO it. Moreover, although Ho-Oh is powerful enough to KO frail attackers like Mega Gengar, physical walls like Giratina and Mega Audino, especially with Fur Coat, easily shrug off its attacks. Imposter Chansey also forces Ho-Oh out easily, tanking Ho-Oh's attacks due to its superior bulk while dealing lots of damage back.

[SET]
name: Defensive Magic Guard
move 1: Recover
move 2: Flare Blitz / Knock Off
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: U-turn / Stealth Rock
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

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

Recover increases Ho-Oh's longevity, and Flare Blitz is a powerful STAB move that forces out frail special attackers like Mega Gengar and Steel-types like Registeel. Its recoil effect is also negated by Ho-Oh's ability. Sacred Fire may be used over Flare Blitz for the high burn chance, but it is slightly weaker and has significantly less PP. Brave Bird can also be used over Flare Blitz to hit Pokemon that resist Fire like Mega Rayquaza and Giratina, but it leaves Ho-Oh powerless against Steel-types. Knock Off removes opposing Pokemon's items, crippling sweepers with Plates, removing utility items like Leftovers, Toxic Orb, and, more importantly, Safety Goggles, and also getting rid of Chansey's Eviolite, and removing utility items like Leftovers, Toxic Orb, and, more importantly, Safety Goggles. Removing offensive items like Life Orb and Plates has the bonus of allowing Ho-Oh to survive attacks more comfortably. Whirlwind lets Ho-Oh stop setup sweepers like Mega Rayquaza. Alternatively, Stealth Rock helps the team by providing chip damage. It works well with Ho-Oh's Fire typing, since common users of Defog and Magic Bounce are Steel-type and forced out by Flare Blitz. U-turn lets Ho-Oh act as a bulky pivot and gain momentum.

Set Details
========

Magic Guard negates Ho-Oh's troublesome Stealth Rock weakness, making it a much more effective wall. This ability also allows Ho-Oh to use high-powered recoil moves like Flare Blitz and Brave Bird without repercussions and ignore passive damage such as that from Leech Seed, Curse, and weather. A Toxic Orb lets Ho-Oh absorb status so that it can stop sweepers carrying Spore or Dark Void. Maximum investment in HP and Special Defense maximizes Ho-Oh's special bulk, allowing it to switch into powerful attacks like non-Life Orb Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Boomburst.

Usage Tips
========

It is important to keep Ho-Oh at full health, (comma) especially if the opponent carries strong special attackers like Protean Mega Mewtwo Y, as these Pokemon can easily 2HKO Ho-Oh if it has taken a bit of prior damage. Therefore, Recover should be used after switching into an attack. Use Knock Off to remove important items like a sweeper's Plate or Chansey's Eviolite. Flare Blitz is effective against frail Pokemon or those that can't hurt Ho-Oh. It is highly spammable due to its high PP and forces the opposing Pokemon to switch or Recover. If the opposing Pokemon is behind a Substitute or resists Flare Blitz, Whirlwind can be used to prevent it from setting up. Stealth Rock is useful for providing entry hazard support and should be used whenever there is an opportunity. Use U-turn when you predict a switch or to safely switch to another Pokemon against faster ones. It is very important to activate Ho-Oh's Toxic Orb safely without taking a Knock Off. This can be done by using slow pivots or double switches to bring Ho-Oh in. Also, unexpected coverage moves need to be scouted for before using Ho-Oh to counter a Pokemon. For example, Mega Diancie occasionally carries Diamond Storm on its Pixilate set to counter Ho-Oh. Scouting can be done using Imposter Chansey or switching out to see what the opponent does. Ho-Oh can also switch into Ground-types like Groudon using its Ground-type immunity if they do not carry Thousand Arrows.

Team Options
========

Physical walls like Giratina and Fur Coat Chansey work well with Ho-Oh, stopping physical attackers like Mega Mewtwo X that give it trouble. Ghost-types like Giratina and Aegislash also counter Pokemon like Spooky Plate Protean Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Gengar once Ho-Oh has removed their Plates with Knock Off. Steel-types like Registeel and Aegislash help Ho-Oh handle Refrigerate and Aerilate users with that can power their way through Ho-Oh.

[SET]
name: Offensive Magic Guard
move 1: Flare Blitz / Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: High Jump Kick
move 4: Shift Gear
item: Life Orb / Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 200 Atk / 60 SpD

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

Flare Blitz and Brave Bird are Ho-Oh's main STAB options, (comma) as they have high Base Power. Together they hit almost every major threat neutrally, and both moves' recoil is negated by Magic Guard. Sacred Fire can be used over Flare Blitz for the higher burn chance, which is useful for KOing Shedinja if it does not have its Lum Berry. High Jump Kick gives Ho-Oh important coverage, letting it hit Flash Fire Registeel and Rock-types like Mega Tyranitar, (comma) which otherwise wall this set. Thanks to its ability, Ho-Oh also doesn't have to worry about crash damage against Protect or Ghost-types. Shift Gear boosts Ho-Oh's Speed and Attack, allowing it to outspeed the majority of the tier and sweep teams late-game.

Set Details
========

Magic Guard allows Ho-Oh to switch in without fear of Stealth Rock and make use of Life Orb and powerful recoil moves like Flare Blitz and Brave Bird without taking recoil damage. Carrying a Life Orb vastly improves Ho-Oh's damage output, which lets letting it gain crucial 2HKOs on Giratina and Mega Audino with a boosted Brave Bird and OHKOs on Mega Rayquaza and Kyogre with (what?). A Toxic Orb can be used instead to keep Ho-Oh free from status effects like sleep and paralysis that otherwise cripple it, but doing so costs offensive power. The HP and Special Defense investment allows Ho-Oh to narrowly avoid the 2HKO from Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Spooky Plate Judgment, letting it set up on it. Alternatively, 20 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed base 150s like Deoxys-Attack after a Shift Gear boost.

Usage Tips
========

Ho-Oh should be used to switch into special attackers like Mega Mewtwo Y to force them out or set up. However, Ho-Oh shouldn't set up until late-game due to the large number of counters that can stop its sweep. There is low cost in spamming Brave Bird or Flare Blitz, as they have high PP and deal lots of damage, forcing walls to recover and keeping most attackers away. U-turn can be used to gain momentum when predicting a switch or to safely switch in another Pokemon.

Team Options
========

Physical walls like Giratina and Fur Coat Chansey can take the physical attacks that give Ho-Oh trouble and can also wall this Ho-Oh set if an Imposter user comes in against it. Steel-types like Registeel and Aegislash are useful for taking priority Extreme Speeds from -ate ability users that stop Ho-Oh. Mold Breaker users can also aid Ho-Oh's sweep by killing KOing Sturdy Shedinja with Pursuit and providing entry hazard support.

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

The defensive Magic Guard set can also be run with coverage and Attack investment as a bulky, hard hitting hard-hitting (hyphen) tank. Spore is another option for both of the above sets. It lets Ho-Oh beat Imposter Chansey and put counters to sleep, facilitating a sweep for the offensive Magic Guard set. On the defensive Magic Guard Set, Spore works well with Knock Off, which removes Safety Goggles, making it unsafe for more foes to stay in on Ho-Oh. Spore is best used with a Toxic Orb so that Magic Bounce and Imposter users cannot use Spore against Ho-Oh. Other status moves like Will-O-Wisp or Leech Seed to KO Shedinja are also usable. Most other non-Magic Bounce Ho-Oh sets struggle due to their 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, but they can succeed if enough support is provided to keep Stealth Rock rocks off the field. Another set Ho-Oh can run is Contrary, which can be run with STAB V-create and Dragon Ascent. However, this set is generally done better by more powerful Pokemon, and it struggles to break past Giratina, since it cannot boost its Attack and its Special Attack is low. Desolate Land and Water Absorb are two viable sets abilities that cover Ho-Oh's Water-type weakness, letting it counter Kyogre's dangerous Poison Heal setup set, which doesn't run other coverage that hits Ho-Oh. Desolate Land also boosts the power of Ho-Oh's Fire-type moves, letting it deal more damage. On the other hand, Water Absorb gives Ho-Oh a little extra recovery. It also doesn't advertise its presence like Desolate Land, giving Ho-Oh a free turn as the opponent attacks with a Water-type move. Poison Heal can also be run over Magic Guard to provide passive recovery, letting Ho-Oh switch in on Life Orb Protean Mega Mewtwo Y's Boomburst. Unburden Belly Drum with a Sitrus Berry is another set that has seen success in the past, making use of Ho-Oh's naturally low Defense stat to OHKO Imposter Chansey, something other Belly Drum users tend to struggle with. Unburden allows it to outspeed Imposter users, but only works once per match. This set is also easily revenge killed by priority like a Fake Out + Extreme Speed from -ate ability users. Finally, Gale Wings is an alternative ability that makes use of priority Dragon Ascent to KO faster Pokemon. However, like most other Ho-Oh sets, this set struggles to get past Imposter Chansey and Giratina and is susceptible to faster priority users like Gale Wings Mega Rayquaza and Fake Out + Extreme Speed users.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Physical Walls**: Physical walls like Giratina and Fur Coat Chansey take little damage from Ho-Oh's attacks and can prevent its sweep by phazing it out. Chansey must look out for High Jump Kick, (comma) though, especially from Shift Gear Ho-Oh.

**Flash Fire and Primordial Sea Users**: Pokemon with Flash Fire or Primordial Sea, especially those that resist Flying like Registeel and Aegislash, aren't susceptible to either of Ho-Oh's STAB attacks, letting them wall it. Registeel, however, must be wary of High Jump Kick.

**Imposter Chansey**: Imposter Chansey beats most Ho-Oh sets one-on-one and forces them out.

**Powerful Physical Attackers**: Physical attackers like Regigigas and Mega Mewtwo X deal massive damage to Ho-Oh due to its lower Defense stat. Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Latios can also carry Psystrike to hit Ho-Oh hard.

**Powerful Attackers**: Powerful attackers like Mega Rayquaza with Aerilate Boomburst can break through Ho-Oh's massive special bulk and KO it.

**Rock-types**: Rock-types like Mega Tyranitar and Regirock resist both of Ho-Oh's STAB moves and can OHKO Ho-Oh with Diamond Storm. Ho-Oh can KO either with a boosted High Jump Kick, though.

**Poison Heal**: Bulky Poison Heal users like Giratina and Mega Tyranitar can shrug off Ho-Oh's attacks, aren't worried about Knock Off, and are immune to status. The latter must watch out for High Jump Kick, though.
Click to expand...
Implemented and ready to go. baconbagon
 
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