Ampharos needed revamped to fit the UU tier badly, so I went ahead and did so. The other things I did include:
-Renaming the first set (if I'm missing an inside joke that revolved around that name, I'll rename it)
-Moving Rest + Sleep Talk to OO due to lack of usage and overall subpar preformance.
-Revamping set comments
-Adding Team Options to each set
-Adding Team Options section
-Adding small revamps to the Hidden Power section
-Revamping the Counters, and renaming the Hidden Power section
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/ampharos
[SET]
name: Baby Boah
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Focus Blast / Focus Punch
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
item: Leftovers
ability: Static
nature: Modest / Quiet
evs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes its play style directly from its OU counterpart, TyraniBoah. To set up Ampharos, switch in on a wall who does relatively weak damage to Ampharos or something that Ampharos can scare off (like Rotom or Walrein), throw down a Substitute on the switch, and proceed to sweep. STAB Thunderbolt coming off of an impressive 361 Special Attack stat cannot be taken lightly, and those who do survive meet their match via Focus Blast or the appropriate Hidden Power.</p>
<p>Focus Punch becomes a better choice over Focus Blast in OU, due in no small part to Blissey. To maximize Focus Punch’s damage output while not compromising your Special Attack stat, use a Quiet nature and shift 20 EVs from HP to Attack; this allows you to 2HKO 0 HP / 252 SpD Calm Blissey. The given Speed EVs allow Ampharos to outpace neutral natured Clefable and Weezing with minimum EV investment in UU and neutral nature Swampert and Tyranitar with minimum EV investment in OU.</p>
<p>Each Hidden Power carries with it a definitive list of counters that Ampharos is going to be having problems with, all of which will be discussed at length in its own section below; just know the majority are either semi Grass-type (if you choose Hidden Power Grass) or dual Ground-type Pokemon (should you choose Hidden Power Ice).</p>
<p>Keeping that Substitute up is a major deal for Ampharos, so great prediction is a necessity to use this set as effectively as possible. Adding a scout like Ambipom to your team will greatly help you learn how your opponent plans on playing and can help get Ampharos out in action with U-turn whenever the chance presents itself.</p>
<p>Because of Ampharos’ lower Defense stat, a majority of counters will be attacking from the physical side. Adding a physical wall like Weezing or a crippling Will-O-Wisp user like Mismagius will greatly hinder your opponent’s best counters to Ampharos, while possibly halving their attacking stat. Flying-type Pokemon, like Swellow, are able to nullify the damage Ground-type attacks do to Ampharos, while Ampharos can absorb Electric-type attacks in return. Swellow is also able to scout, making her an ideal choice to use with this set.</p>
<p>The Pokemon who give Ampharos the most problem, especially with this set, are Pokemon who can switch in and break Ampharos' Substitute before she has the chance to attack them. Speedy Pokemon like Seismic Toss Ludicolo can break down the Substitute and create a Substitute chain that Ampharos keeps Ampharos from effectively taking down opponents. Chansey is another Seismic Toss user Ampharos will be facing off with, so a strong physical sweeper that can threaten both of these Pokemon is an ideal choice.</p>
[SET]
name: UU Tank
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
move 3: Toxic / Thunder Wave
move 4: Reflect / Light Screen
item: Leftovers
ability: Static
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 80 SpA / 176 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Ampharos is one of the bulkiest Electric-types around, sporting 90/75/90 base defenses, making her a fair candidate for a UU tank. Just switch her in on a special attack (besides Earth Power, of course) and go to town. Discharge’s chance of paralysis, when combined with Static, gives you a 51% chance of paralyzing your foe. Hidden Power Grass or Hidden Power Ice provide extra type coverage, and the two final move slots provide support. Common switch-ins for Ampharos consist mainly of Pokemon immune to Thunder Wave, so Toxic becomes the greater status option; besides, Thunder Wave’s paralysis is redundant with Static + Discharge. Reflect and Light Screen comes down to what your team is more prepared for. Ampharos’ higher Special Defense stat and EV investment makes Reflect the selfish choice, though Light Screen makes Ampharos a powerful special wall.</p>
<p>With the lack of a Fighting-type move Chansey can switch in and wall this set, breaking your Substitute with Seismic Toss, absorbing status with Natural Cure, and passing Wish recovery all the while. Strong physical Pokemon like Hitmontop or Absol are great partners with this set, both boasting access to Pursuit to slam Chansey if she switches out.</p>
<p>Depending on which Hidden Power you choose, Claydol, Lanturn, Nidoking, Steelix, and Roserade, among others, can switch in and take negligible damage, so having a Pokemon with access to the Hidden Power type you opt not to use is advantageous. Great Ice-type attack users include Milotic (who can also take down Steelix and Nidoking with Surf), Azumarill, and Blastoise (who can also take down entry hazards with Rapid Spin). An actual Ice-type Pokemon is frowned upon, since the majority of Pokemon who carry Earthquake also carry Stone Edge, though the gamble is yours to make. Grass-type attack users include Roserade, Torterra, Tangrowth, and Sceptile, the former two both having access to entry hazards to set up if your opponent switches out.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Signal Beam / Toxic
item: Choice Specs
ability: Static
nature: Modest
evs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>If you have great prediction skills and want to 2HKO nearly the entire UU metagame, then slap Choice Specs on your Ampharos and let her loose. STAB Thunderbolt is your main attack, dealing massive damage to anything that isn’t part Ground-type or named Lanturn. Focus Blast wrecks Registeel, doing upwards of 73.63% damage to 252 / 156 Careful variants. Even Chansey is capable of being 2HKOed, even if it is only a 17% chance with Stealth Rock factored in. Hidden Power again provides extra coverage, although Hidden Power Grass is favored because Signal Beam deals super effective damage to Grass-types who are not also Poison-type.</p>
<p>Should Signal Beam not be included in Ampharos’s moveset, Toxic can add some residual dmage to tough foes; however, being locked into a non-damaging attack makes Ampharos set up bait for Steel- and Poison-types.</p>
<p>Since most of the typical special walls are 2HKOed by the Choice Specs set, so the main thing you should be worried about is figuring out who your opponent will be switching in so you can pick the most appropriate attack. Scouts like Ambipom and phazers like Steelix help you break down the surprise value the unknown portion of your opponent’s team creates.</p>
<p>Ground-types and Lanturn completely wall this Ampharos should you make Hidden Power’s type Ice. Therefore, adding Pokemon who can help counter these Pokemon is a great idea. Roserade has the Special Attack to greatly damage these opponents, and nullifies and status conditions she may be met with with her Natural Cure ability, though her dual Grass- and Poison-typing makes her take normal damage from Ground-type attacks. Torterra can counter both types with ease, since she is immune to Electric-type attacks from Lanturn and resistant to Ground-type attacks, in addition to STAB on both Ground- and Grass-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screen
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
item: Light Clay / Leftovers
ability: Static
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Ampharos’ supportive movepool and bulk make her a great utility Pokemon to add to your team. Dual screens halves the damage you’re taking on either end of the spectrum, while STAB Thunderbolt and Hidden Power still make her an offensive threat.</p>
<p>Light Clay grants your team another three turns of dual screens, though Leftovers is a viable choice should you want to add some added survivability to Ampharos. When using dual screens, setting up Reflect first rounds out Ampharos’ defenses, and will almost always allow you to set up Light Screen the next turn.</p>
<p>Brick Break users, such as Scyther, can ruin the cushion your team receives from dual screens and effectively make this a weaker sweeper with only two attack choices. To combat such Pokemon, pairing up Ampharos with a Ghost-type Pokemon is imperative. Mismagius takes the cake as the best Ghost-type to use in tandem with Ampharos, since she boasts immunities to both Brick Break (along with the rest of the Fighting-type attacks) and Ground-type attacks that shear our energized sheep, and status moves that can cripple the Pokemon immune to Ampharos’s status move of choice; know that she can't keep the screens from being destroyed, however, and can only keep Brick Break from hurting another member of your team. Mismagius also suffers from lower Defense than Attack, so Reflect becomes an even better choice when using the two together. Other Ghost-types worth mentioning include Rotom (who also has the ability Levitate) and Spiritomb.</p>
[SET]
name: Rain Support
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Hidden Power Water
move 4: Safeguard / Reflect / Light Screen
item: Damp Rock / Leftovers
ability: Static
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 76 SpA / 180 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With great defenses, 115 base Special Attack, STAB Thunder, and a well-rounded supportive movepool, Ampharos makes a great teammate on Rain Dance teams. Rain Dance boosts the power of Hidden Power Water to 105, while also boosting Thunder’s accuracy to a full 100%. Ampharos should have no problem ruining your opponents’ teams, though status is never a good thing; keep it away with Safeguard. Safeguard also comes in handy with the many Swift Swimmers that populate Rain Dance teams - no longer will Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp hinder a rain sweeper’s run. Should you find your sweepers are too frail, the dual screen support that Ampharos can provide is a welcome barrier.</p>
<p>Since Ampharos is a supplier of rain, a fairly bulky EV spread is given to help her switch in and restart the rain as easily as possible. The spread given allows Ampharos to survive a rain-boosted Surf from Life Orbed Omastar. Should you choose to use Ampharos as an offensive weapon, a spread of 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD is plausible, though Ampharos should stick to being more defensive if it plans on switching in on attacks.</p>
<p>Damp Rock is the recommended item, since three extra turns of rain really help keep the sweep alive. Leftovers is a good choice should you want some reliable recovery, but does nothing to help the rest of your team.</p>
<p>Unsurprising, the Pokemon Ampharos loves the most with this set is the Pokemon who benefit most from rain. Swift Swim Pokemon are the greatest assets, as they benefit from the Speed boost and double STAB Water-type attacks. Qwilfish has stellar Attack and can Explode on enemies that slow down your sweep, but beware of the common Ground-type weakness he shares with Ampharos. Ludicolo may be the best Pokemon to use in tandem with Ampharos, as the type coverage they share is impeccable. Ludicolo can cover the Ground-type Pokemon who threaten Ampharos, while Ampharos takes down the Flying-type Pokemon who score super effective damage on Ludicolo. Ludicolo can also use Leech Seed to provide Ampharos with some recovery (a great addition should you choose to use Leftovers).</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Heal Bell can be a viable option and can aid the team on a support oriented set. Discharge and Thunder offer 30% paralysis rate; also, the latter is more powerful and could be used on the Specs set for a little extra “oomph." However, it's not advised to use Thunder without rain support. Hidden Power Water could be used to do extra damage to Camerupt. Signal Beam also gets a mention for doing the most damage to Celebi, Exeggutor, and Shiftry.</p>
<p>Counter could be the basis for a set. It can get quite a few surprise kills as Ampharos takes weaker Earthquakes like a champ. If you're going to make such a set, take the Reflect Support set, go with 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 SpA instead of the standard EVs, and then use Counter over Reflect. Those EVs allow Ampharos to take incredibly powerful hits. Even CB Relicanth can't muster an OHKO on Ampharos with Head Smash. Watch as your opponents lose their precious physical attackers to Ampharos' bulk.</p>
<p>A Rest + Sleep Talk set could be used, though the attack gamble can allow many Pokemon immune to Electric-type attacks to come in and destroy you if you have the wrong Hidden Power to stop them.</p>
<p>A combination of Body Slam and Thunder Wave allows Ampharos to paralyze anything and everything (excluding Limber Pokemon) that an opposing team may throw at it; however, Serene Grace abusers generally do this better than Ampharos can.</p>
<h2>Hidden Power: Pros and Cons</h2>
<p>The choice between Hidden Power Grass and Hidden Power Ice is largely dependent on what you need coverage against. Hidden Power Grass gets coverage against Swampert, Lanturn, Quagsire, and Gastrodon. Hidden Power Ice gets coverage against Grass- and Dragon-types, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. Generally Hidden Power Ice is the preferred option because Altaria, Venusaur, and Nidoking are very threatening and common whereas Lanturn, Quagsire, and Gastrodon are not extremely prevalent. In OU, both Salamence and Swampert are prevalent, so the decision comes down to the question of whether your team is more apt to cover one or the other. Not only does the Pokemon you want to counter make the decisoin, but the set you‘re using the Hidden Power in itself can make one option shine over the other.</p>
<p>On the Support set, if you use Toxic, Hidden Power Ice is preferable because Venusaur, Roserade, Nidoqueen, and Nidoking are all immune to Toxic (and Thunderbolt, in the case of Nidoking and Nidoqueen), which would otherwise allow them free switch ins. However, with Thunder Wave, Hidden Power Grass may be preferable because Lanturn and the dual Water/Ground-types are immune to the attack, unlike Altaria and Grass-types. On the Choice Specs set, Focus Blast hits Lanturn, Gastrodon, and Quagsire for neutral damage, whereas Altaria, Venusaur, Vileplume, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen resist it.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>A Pokemon as bulky as Ampharos doesn’t necessarily need anything special for a sweep, but having entry hazards in play will help keep opponents from switching in too many things to out predict Ampharos. Wish support is also appreciated, as Ampharos lacks any form of instant recovery. Her support roles are best used with Pokemon who can greatly benefit from such aid, like the relatively frail Swellow or Swift Swimmers like Ludicolo. As long as there is someone on the team who can utilize the support Ampharos brings, she is happy.</p>
<p>If Ampharos’ weaknesses had to be narrowed down to one move, it would be Earthquake; it preys on her lower Defense stat and is of the only type that scores super effective damage against Ampharos. Though Earthquake users vary greatly, none of them have the power to hit Levitating or Flying-type Pokemon. As stated previously, Mismagius is able to switch in on many Pokemon with impunity and wreak havoc with her offensive stats and choice of status-inducing attacks. The two have comparable stats (bar Speed), though, so a Pokemon like Drapion who packs both physical Ground- and Dark-type attacks will be hard to take down. As mentioned above, Swellow makes a great offensive partner, thanks to her great scouting movepool (a great boon for the Substitute and Choice Specs sets), high reciprocal Attack stat, and immunity to Ground-type attacks in general.</p>
<p>Pokemon who also benefit from the support Ampharos provides are slower tanks, Swift Swimmers, and frail sweepers. Thunder Wave and Static pave the way for Pokemon, whose Speed is often their downfall, like Torterra. Rain Dance is helpful not just for Swift Swimmers, like Ludicolo and Omastar, but also for Water-types and Water-type attack users in general. Double or pseudo-STAB really help get the edge over your opponents, especially on powerhouses like Azumarill. Electric-types can also rest easy using Thunder, as the accuracy boost makes it a much stronger choice over Thunderbolt.</p>
<p>Since Ground-type attacks are the only attacks that really threaten our static giraffe, many of the defensive partners are bulky Water-types. Slowbro packs great Defense, more support options, and a reliable recovery move in the form of Slack Off. Blastoise is able to switch in and Rapid Spin away any entry hazards from your side of the field, and can score some huge damage on Spin Blockers with double STAB Surf in the rain.</p>
<p>The Baby Boah and Choice Specs sets really aren’t all that great until you know how to overcome the checks or counters your opponent has for Ampharos. She will be foiled time and time again if you’re constantly mispredicting your opponent’s switches and will, in turn, be reduced to nothing more than a speed bump in your opponent’s strategy. Therefore, ample scouting is recommended with these sets, since they can glean valuable information about your opponent’s Pokemon and help pick away at their HP at the same time through U-turn. Ambipom, Swellow, and Uxie all make great scouts, and each has what it takes to become great supporters on a team starring Ampharos.</p>
[EVs]
<p>HP should always be maxed, except for the first set, because it allows Ampharos to take advantage of its bulky stat spread. If you’re using an offensive set, then obviously maxing Special Attack is the next place to go with your EV spread. More defensive sets should be geared toward Special Defense EVs unless you plan on using Counter, in which case Defense should be maxed out to take physical hits more effectively.</p>
<p>The EVs suggested on the SubPuncher set allow you to 2HKO Blissey with Focus Punch. You could get a 143 Speed stat to beat Swampert with a hindering Speed nature to the punch when using Hidden Power Grass. Both of these stat benchmarks are obsolete in the lower tiers, obviously. On the UU Tank set, the HP and Special Defense EVs allow Ampharos to never be OHKOed by Omastar's Rain-boosted Surf, factoring in Stealth Rock and Leftovers. On the Choice Specs set, 48 Speed EVs allow Ampharos to outpace neutral nature, 4 Spe Clefable.</p>
[Opinon]
<p>Ampharos will always be known as the Electric-type that broke the mold. It’s by no means a speedy attacker, but her large support movepool, base 115 Special Attack, and stellar defenses makes her a great asset to any team. Very few Pokemon have what it takes to switch in and counter a tank as well-rounded as Ampharos.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Besides the counters listed in the Hidden Power section, Pokemon who have no problem taking special Electric-type attacks are the best choices. Steelix and Camerupt can handle all but the Rain Dance set, due to the addition of hidden Power Water. Chansey has troubles with Focus Punch variants, but can otherwise wall Ampharos with no problems whatsoever.</p>
<p>Generally, any Pokemon who can cause residual damage either by direct damage or indirect (in the form of status and entry hazards) will wear out Ampharos rather easily, since she lacks any form of instant recovery. U-turning to a Ground-type Pokemon on a predicted Thunderbolt can devastate Ampharos, as the damage output will constantly wear her down.</p>
-Renaming the first set (if I'm missing an inside joke that revolved around that name, I'll rename it)
-Moving Rest + Sleep Talk to OO due to lack of usage and overall subpar preformance.
-Revamping set comments
-Adding Team Options to each set
-Adding Team Options section
-Adding small revamps to the Hidden Power section
-Revamping the Counters, and renaming the Hidden Power section
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/ampharos
[SET]
name: Baby Boah
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Focus Blast / Focus Punch
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
item: Leftovers
ability: Static
nature: Modest / Quiet
evs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes its play style directly from its OU counterpart, TyraniBoah. To set up Ampharos, switch in on a wall who does relatively weak damage to Ampharos or something that Ampharos can scare off (like Rotom or Walrein), throw down a Substitute on the switch, and proceed to sweep. STAB Thunderbolt coming off of an impressive 361 Special Attack stat cannot be taken lightly, and those who do survive meet their match via Focus Blast or the appropriate Hidden Power.</p>
<p>Focus Punch becomes a better choice over Focus Blast in OU, due in no small part to Blissey. To maximize Focus Punch’s damage output while not compromising your Special Attack stat, use a Quiet nature and shift 20 EVs from HP to Attack; this allows you to 2HKO 0 HP / 252 SpD Calm Blissey. The given Speed EVs allow Ampharos to outpace neutral natured Clefable and Weezing with minimum EV investment in UU and neutral nature Swampert and Tyranitar with minimum EV investment in OU.</p>
<p>Each Hidden Power carries with it a definitive list of counters that Ampharos is going to be having problems with, all of which will be discussed at length in its own section below; just know the majority are either semi Grass-type (if you choose Hidden Power Grass) or dual Ground-type Pokemon (should you choose Hidden Power Ice).</p>
<p>Keeping that Substitute up is a major deal for Ampharos, so great prediction is a necessity to use this set as effectively as possible. Adding a scout like Ambipom to your team will greatly help you learn how your opponent plans on playing and can help get Ampharos out in action with U-turn whenever the chance presents itself.</p>
<p>Because of Ampharos’ lower Defense stat, a majority of counters will be attacking from the physical side. Adding a physical wall like Weezing or a crippling Will-O-Wisp user like Mismagius will greatly hinder your opponent’s best counters to Ampharos, while possibly halving their attacking stat. Flying-type Pokemon, like Swellow, are able to nullify the damage Ground-type attacks do to Ampharos, while Ampharos can absorb Electric-type attacks in return. Swellow is also able to scout, making her an ideal choice to use with this set.</p>
<p>The Pokemon who give Ampharos the most problem, especially with this set, are Pokemon who can switch in and break Ampharos' Substitute before she has the chance to attack them. Speedy Pokemon like Seismic Toss Ludicolo can break down the Substitute and create a Substitute chain that Ampharos keeps Ampharos from effectively taking down opponents. Chansey is another Seismic Toss user Ampharos will be facing off with, so a strong physical sweeper that can threaten both of these Pokemon is an ideal choice.</p>
[SET]
name: UU Tank
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
move 3: Toxic / Thunder Wave
move 4: Reflect / Light Screen
item: Leftovers
ability: Static
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 80 SpA / 176 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Ampharos is one of the bulkiest Electric-types around, sporting 90/75/90 base defenses, making her a fair candidate for a UU tank. Just switch her in on a special attack (besides Earth Power, of course) and go to town. Discharge’s chance of paralysis, when combined with Static, gives you a 51% chance of paralyzing your foe. Hidden Power Grass or Hidden Power Ice provide extra type coverage, and the two final move slots provide support. Common switch-ins for Ampharos consist mainly of Pokemon immune to Thunder Wave, so Toxic becomes the greater status option; besides, Thunder Wave’s paralysis is redundant with Static + Discharge. Reflect and Light Screen comes down to what your team is more prepared for. Ampharos’ higher Special Defense stat and EV investment makes Reflect the selfish choice, though Light Screen makes Ampharos a powerful special wall.</p>
<p>With the lack of a Fighting-type move Chansey can switch in and wall this set, breaking your Substitute with Seismic Toss, absorbing status with Natural Cure, and passing Wish recovery all the while. Strong physical Pokemon like Hitmontop or Absol are great partners with this set, both boasting access to Pursuit to slam Chansey if she switches out.</p>
<p>Depending on which Hidden Power you choose, Claydol, Lanturn, Nidoking, Steelix, and Roserade, among others, can switch in and take negligible damage, so having a Pokemon with access to the Hidden Power type you opt not to use is advantageous. Great Ice-type attack users include Milotic (who can also take down Steelix and Nidoking with Surf), Azumarill, and Blastoise (who can also take down entry hazards with Rapid Spin). An actual Ice-type Pokemon is frowned upon, since the majority of Pokemon who carry Earthquake also carry Stone Edge, though the gamble is yours to make. Grass-type attack users include Roserade, Torterra, Tangrowth, and Sceptile, the former two both having access to entry hazards to set up if your opponent switches out.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Signal Beam / Toxic
item: Choice Specs
ability: Static
nature: Modest
evs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>If you have great prediction skills and want to 2HKO nearly the entire UU metagame, then slap Choice Specs on your Ampharos and let her loose. STAB Thunderbolt is your main attack, dealing massive damage to anything that isn’t part Ground-type or named Lanturn. Focus Blast wrecks Registeel, doing upwards of 73.63% damage to 252 / 156 Careful variants. Even Chansey is capable of being 2HKOed, even if it is only a 17% chance with Stealth Rock factored in. Hidden Power again provides extra coverage, although Hidden Power Grass is favored because Signal Beam deals super effective damage to Grass-types who are not also Poison-type.</p>
<p>Should Signal Beam not be included in Ampharos’s moveset, Toxic can add some residual dmage to tough foes; however, being locked into a non-damaging attack makes Ampharos set up bait for Steel- and Poison-types.</p>
<p>Since most of the typical special walls are 2HKOed by the Choice Specs set, so the main thing you should be worried about is figuring out who your opponent will be switching in so you can pick the most appropriate attack. Scouts like Ambipom and phazers like Steelix help you break down the surprise value the unknown portion of your opponent’s team creates.</p>
<p>Ground-types and Lanturn completely wall this Ampharos should you make Hidden Power’s type Ice. Therefore, adding Pokemon who can help counter these Pokemon is a great idea. Roserade has the Special Attack to greatly damage these opponents, and nullifies and status conditions she may be met with with her Natural Cure ability, though her dual Grass- and Poison-typing makes her take normal damage from Ground-type attacks. Torterra can counter both types with ease, since she is immune to Electric-type attacks from Lanturn and resistant to Ground-type attacks, in addition to STAB on both Ground- and Grass-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screen
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
item: Light Clay / Leftovers
ability: Static
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Ampharos’ supportive movepool and bulk make her a great utility Pokemon to add to your team. Dual screens halves the damage you’re taking on either end of the spectrum, while STAB Thunderbolt and Hidden Power still make her an offensive threat.</p>
<p>Light Clay grants your team another three turns of dual screens, though Leftovers is a viable choice should you want to add some added survivability to Ampharos. When using dual screens, setting up Reflect first rounds out Ampharos’ defenses, and will almost always allow you to set up Light Screen the next turn.</p>
<p>Brick Break users, such as Scyther, can ruin the cushion your team receives from dual screens and effectively make this a weaker sweeper with only two attack choices. To combat such Pokemon, pairing up Ampharos with a Ghost-type Pokemon is imperative. Mismagius takes the cake as the best Ghost-type to use in tandem with Ampharos, since she boasts immunities to both Brick Break (along with the rest of the Fighting-type attacks) and Ground-type attacks that shear our energized sheep, and status moves that can cripple the Pokemon immune to Ampharos’s status move of choice; know that she can't keep the screens from being destroyed, however, and can only keep Brick Break from hurting another member of your team. Mismagius also suffers from lower Defense than Attack, so Reflect becomes an even better choice when using the two together. Other Ghost-types worth mentioning include Rotom (who also has the ability Levitate) and Spiritomb.</p>
[SET]
name: Rain Support
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Thunder
move 3: Hidden Power Water
move 4: Safeguard / Reflect / Light Screen
item: Damp Rock / Leftovers
ability: Static
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 76 SpA / 180 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With great defenses, 115 base Special Attack, STAB Thunder, and a well-rounded supportive movepool, Ampharos makes a great teammate on Rain Dance teams. Rain Dance boosts the power of Hidden Power Water to 105, while also boosting Thunder’s accuracy to a full 100%. Ampharos should have no problem ruining your opponents’ teams, though status is never a good thing; keep it away with Safeguard. Safeguard also comes in handy with the many Swift Swimmers that populate Rain Dance teams - no longer will Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp hinder a rain sweeper’s run. Should you find your sweepers are too frail, the dual screen support that Ampharos can provide is a welcome barrier.</p>
<p>Since Ampharos is a supplier of rain, a fairly bulky EV spread is given to help her switch in and restart the rain as easily as possible. The spread given allows Ampharos to survive a rain-boosted Surf from Life Orbed Omastar. Should you choose to use Ampharos as an offensive weapon, a spread of 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD is plausible, though Ampharos should stick to being more defensive if it plans on switching in on attacks.</p>
<p>Damp Rock is the recommended item, since three extra turns of rain really help keep the sweep alive. Leftovers is a good choice should you want some reliable recovery, but does nothing to help the rest of your team.</p>
<p>Unsurprising, the Pokemon Ampharos loves the most with this set is the Pokemon who benefit most from rain. Swift Swim Pokemon are the greatest assets, as they benefit from the Speed boost and double STAB Water-type attacks. Qwilfish has stellar Attack and can Explode on enemies that slow down your sweep, but beware of the common Ground-type weakness he shares with Ampharos. Ludicolo may be the best Pokemon to use in tandem with Ampharos, as the type coverage they share is impeccable. Ludicolo can cover the Ground-type Pokemon who threaten Ampharos, while Ampharos takes down the Flying-type Pokemon who score super effective damage on Ludicolo. Ludicolo can also use Leech Seed to provide Ampharos with some recovery (a great addition should you choose to use Leftovers).</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Heal Bell can be a viable option and can aid the team on a support oriented set. Discharge and Thunder offer 30% paralysis rate; also, the latter is more powerful and could be used on the Specs set for a little extra “oomph." However, it's not advised to use Thunder without rain support. Hidden Power Water could be used to do extra damage to Camerupt. Signal Beam also gets a mention for doing the most damage to Celebi, Exeggutor, and Shiftry.</p>
<p>Counter could be the basis for a set. It can get quite a few surprise kills as Ampharos takes weaker Earthquakes like a champ. If you're going to make such a set, take the Reflect Support set, go with 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 SpA instead of the standard EVs, and then use Counter over Reflect. Those EVs allow Ampharos to take incredibly powerful hits. Even CB Relicanth can't muster an OHKO on Ampharos with Head Smash. Watch as your opponents lose their precious physical attackers to Ampharos' bulk.</p>
<p>A Rest + Sleep Talk set could be used, though the attack gamble can allow many Pokemon immune to Electric-type attacks to come in and destroy you if you have the wrong Hidden Power to stop them.</p>
<p>A combination of Body Slam and Thunder Wave allows Ampharos to paralyze anything and everything (excluding Limber Pokemon) that an opposing team may throw at it; however, Serene Grace abusers generally do this better than Ampharos can.</p>
<h2>Hidden Power: Pros and Cons</h2>
<p>The choice between Hidden Power Grass and Hidden Power Ice is largely dependent on what you need coverage against. Hidden Power Grass gets coverage against Swampert, Lanturn, Quagsire, and Gastrodon. Hidden Power Ice gets coverage against Grass- and Dragon-types, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. Generally Hidden Power Ice is the preferred option because Altaria, Venusaur, and Nidoking are very threatening and common whereas Lanturn, Quagsire, and Gastrodon are not extremely prevalent. In OU, both Salamence and Swampert are prevalent, so the decision comes down to the question of whether your team is more apt to cover one or the other. Not only does the Pokemon you want to counter make the decisoin, but the set you‘re using the Hidden Power in itself can make one option shine over the other.</p>
<p>On the Support set, if you use Toxic, Hidden Power Ice is preferable because Venusaur, Roserade, Nidoqueen, and Nidoking are all immune to Toxic (and Thunderbolt, in the case of Nidoking and Nidoqueen), which would otherwise allow them free switch ins. However, with Thunder Wave, Hidden Power Grass may be preferable because Lanturn and the dual Water/Ground-types are immune to the attack, unlike Altaria and Grass-types. On the Choice Specs set, Focus Blast hits Lanturn, Gastrodon, and Quagsire for neutral damage, whereas Altaria, Venusaur, Vileplume, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen resist it.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>A Pokemon as bulky as Ampharos doesn’t necessarily need anything special for a sweep, but having entry hazards in play will help keep opponents from switching in too many things to out predict Ampharos. Wish support is also appreciated, as Ampharos lacks any form of instant recovery. Her support roles are best used with Pokemon who can greatly benefit from such aid, like the relatively frail Swellow or Swift Swimmers like Ludicolo. As long as there is someone on the team who can utilize the support Ampharos brings, she is happy.</p>
<p>If Ampharos’ weaknesses had to be narrowed down to one move, it would be Earthquake; it preys on her lower Defense stat and is of the only type that scores super effective damage against Ampharos. Though Earthquake users vary greatly, none of them have the power to hit Levitating or Flying-type Pokemon. As stated previously, Mismagius is able to switch in on many Pokemon with impunity and wreak havoc with her offensive stats and choice of status-inducing attacks. The two have comparable stats (bar Speed), though, so a Pokemon like Drapion who packs both physical Ground- and Dark-type attacks will be hard to take down. As mentioned above, Swellow makes a great offensive partner, thanks to her great scouting movepool (a great boon for the Substitute and Choice Specs sets), high reciprocal Attack stat, and immunity to Ground-type attacks in general.</p>
<p>Pokemon who also benefit from the support Ampharos provides are slower tanks, Swift Swimmers, and frail sweepers. Thunder Wave and Static pave the way for Pokemon, whose Speed is often their downfall, like Torterra. Rain Dance is helpful not just for Swift Swimmers, like Ludicolo and Omastar, but also for Water-types and Water-type attack users in general. Double or pseudo-STAB really help get the edge over your opponents, especially on powerhouses like Azumarill. Electric-types can also rest easy using Thunder, as the accuracy boost makes it a much stronger choice over Thunderbolt.</p>
<p>Since Ground-type attacks are the only attacks that really threaten our static giraffe, many of the defensive partners are bulky Water-types. Slowbro packs great Defense, more support options, and a reliable recovery move in the form of Slack Off. Blastoise is able to switch in and Rapid Spin away any entry hazards from your side of the field, and can score some huge damage on Spin Blockers with double STAB Surf in the rain.</p>
<p>The Baby Boah and Choice Specs sets really aren’t all that great until you know how to overcome the checks or counters your opponent has for Ampharos. She will be foiled time and time again if you’re constantly mispredicting your opponent’s switches and will, in turn, be reduced to nothing more than a speed bump in your opponent’s strategy. Therefore, ample scouting is recommended with these sets, since they can glean valuable information about your opponent’s Pokemon and help pick away at their HP at the same time through U-turn. Ambipom, Swellow, and Uxie all make great scouts, and each has what it takes to become great supporters on a team starring Ampharos.</p>
[EVs]
<p>HP should always be maxed, except for the first set, because it allows Ampharos to take advantage of its bulky stat spread. If you’re using an offensive set, then obviously maxing Special Attack is the next place to go with your EV spread. More defensive sets should be geared toward Special Defense EVs unless you plan on using Counter, in which case Defense should be maxed out to take physical hits more effectively.</p>
<p>The EVs suggested on the SubPuncher set allow you to 2HKO Blissey with Focus Punch. You could get a 143 Speed stat to beat Swampert with a hindering Speed nature to the punch when using Hidden Power Grass. Both of these stat benchmarks are obsolete in the lower tiers, obviously. On the UU Tank set, the HP and Special Defense EVs allow Ampharos to never be OHKOed by Omastar's Rain-boosted Surf, factoring in Stealth Rock and Leftovers. On the Choice Specs set, 48 Speed EVs allow Ampharos to outpace neutral nature, 4 Spe Clefable.</p>
[Opinon]
<p>Ampharos will always be known as the Electric-type that broke the mold. It’s by no means a speedy attacker, but her large support movepool, base 115 Special Attack, and stellar defenses makes her a great asset to any team. Very few Pokemon have what it takes to switch in and counter a tank as well-rounded as Ampharos.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Besides the counters listed in the Hidden Power section, Pokemon who have no problem taking special Electric-type attacks are the best choices. Steelix and Camerupt can handle all but the Rain Dance set, due to the addition of hidden Power Water. Chansey has troubles with Focus Punch variants, but can otherwise wall Ampharos with no problems whatsoever.</p>
<p>Generally, any Pokemon who can cause residual damage either by direct damage or indirect (in the form of status and entry hazards) will wear out Ampharos rather easily, since she lacks any form of instant recovery. U-turning to a Ground-type Pokemon on a predicted Thunderbolt can devastate Ampharos, as the damage output will constantly wear her down.</p>
