[SET]
name: Magic Guard Attacker
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Wild Charge
move 3: Play Rough
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Arcanine is a strong Fire-type attacker that is able to take advantage of Magic Guard to negate recoil from Flare Blitz and Wild Charge. Magic Guard allows it to ignore passive damage from entry hazards, recoil, and Life Orb, making it difficult to chip; this gives it great longevity for an offensive Pokemon. Arcanine's Fire-typing and decent bulk enables it to serve as an offensive check to common priority users, such as Zarude and Tapu Lele, and Genesect. Flare Blitz is Arcanine's primary STAB attack, letting it threaten common defensive Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Jirachi, as well as offensive Pokemon like Tapu Bulu and Dhelmise. Wild Charge is another recoil attack that benefits from Magic Guard and allows Arcanine to force out Pokemon like Flash Fire Corviknight and Tapu Fini. Play Rough is hits Dragon-types like Kommo-o that resist Arcanine's other attacks. Extreme Speed is a great tool, allowing it to KO weakened offensive Pokemon like Tapu Koko, Barraskewda, and Zygarde-10%.
Arcanine best fits on bulky offense teams that appreciate its offensive capabilities, but can also offer a strong defensive backbone to support it. Arcanine's solid coverage and high Base Power attacks make it a strong partner for other offensive Pokemon, such as Tapu Lele and Garchomp, as Arcanine is able to deal heavy damage or KO common Steel- and Flying-types like Jirachi and Corviknight that often serve as walls. Primordial Sea users like Barraskewda and Zapdos serve as strong offensive checks to Arcanine. As a result, Pokemon such as Zarude and Terrakion make strong teammates because of their ability to force out those checks reliably, while defensive Pokemon like Blissey and Tapu Fini are also appreciated for their ability to consistently switch into them. Arcanine is often forced out by fast Ground-types that can threaten an immediate KO, such as Garchomp and Zygarde-10%. Pokemon like Dauntless Shield Mew that can reliably switch into these threats make strong defensive partners. Arcanine also struggles with bulky walls that are not weak to its coverage moves, such as Mew and Dauntless Shield Hippowdon, so teammates that can poison or overload these threats like Terrakion are appreciated. Entry hazard setters such as Swampert and Ferrothorn make it easier for Arcanine to break past its checks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Arcanine can use Close Combat for super effective damage on Steel-types like Heatran and Flash Fire Ferrothorn, but most Steel-types are already hit very hard by Flare Blitz. Morning Sun can be used for recovery; however, Arcanine is already difficult to chip down and losing coverage or priority is often not worth it. Toxic is an option to wear down Dauntless Shield users like Hippowdon and Mew.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types faster than Arcanine, such as Garchomp and Zygarde-10%, are often able to threaten a KO on it immediately. Defensively, Swampert can take any hit from Arcanine and threaten it with its STAB moves.
**Dauntless Shield Users**: Dauntless Shield users such as Mew and Hippowdon are capable of surviving hits from Arcanine and pivoting into an offensive check or threatening a KO, but these Pokemon are threatened by Toxic.
**Primordial Sea Users**: Primordial Sea users such as Zapdos and Barraskewda are able to safely switch into Arcanine's Flare Blitz and threaten it out; however, they cannot switch in safely for fear of Arcanine's coverage moves.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[iapt, 539897]]
- Quality checked by: [[Osake, 524664], [UT, 523866]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523866]]
name: Magic Guard Attacker
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Wild Charge
move 3: Play Rough
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Arcanine is a strong Fire-type attacker that is able to take advantage of Magic Guard to negate recoil from Flare Blitz and Wild Charge. Magic Guard allows it to ignore passive damage from entry hazards, recoil, and Life Orb, making it difficult to chip; this gives it great longevity for an offensive Pokemon. Arcanine's Fire-typing and decent bulk enables it to serve as an offensive check to common priority users, such as Zarude and Tapu Lele, and Genesect. Flare Blitz is Arcanine's primary STAB attack, letting it threaten common defensive Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Jirachi, as well as offensive Pokemon like Tapu Bulu and Dhelmise. Wild Charge is another recoil attack that benefits from Magic Guard and allows Arcanine to force out Pokemon like Flash Fire Corviknight and Tapu Fini. Play Rough is hits Dragon-types like Kommo-o that resist Arcanine's other attacks. Extreme Speed is a great tool, allowing it to KO weakened offensive Pokemon like Tapu Koko, Barraskewda, and Zygarde-10%.
Arcanine best fits on bulky offense teams that appreciate its offensive capabilities, but can also offer a strong defensive backbone to support it. Arcanine's solid coverage and high Base Power attacks make it a strong partner for other offensive Pokemon, such as Tapu Lele and Garchomp, as Arcanine is able to deal heavy damage or KO common Steel- and Flying-types like Jirachi and Corviknight that often serve as walls. Primordial Sea users like Barraskewda and Zapdos serve as strong offensive checks to Arcanine. As a result, Pokemon such as Zarude and Terrakion make strong teammates because of their ability to force out those checks reliably, while defensive Pokemon like Blissey and Tapu Fini are also appreciated for their ability to consistently switch into them. Arcanine is often forced out by fast Ground-types that can threaten an immediate KO, such as Garchomp and Zygarde-10%. Pokemon like Dauntless Shield Mew that can reliably switch into these threats make strong defensive partners. Arcanine also struggles with bulky walls that are not weak to its coverage moves, such as Mew and Dauntless Shield Hippowdon, so teammates that can poison or overload these threats like Terrakion are appreciated. Entry hazard setters such as Swampert and Ferrothorn make it easier for Arcanine to break past its checks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Arcanine can use Close Combat for super effective damage on Steel-types like Heatran and Flash Fire Ferrothorn, but most Steel-types are already hit very hard by Flare Blitz. Morning Sun can be used for recovery; however, Arcanine is already difficult to chip down and losing coverage or priority is often not worth it. Toxic is an option to wear down Dauntless Shield users like Hippowdon and Mew.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types faster than Arcanine, such as Garchomp and Zygarde-10%, are often able to threaten a KO on it immediately. Defensively, Swampert can take any hit from Arcanine and threaten it with its STAB moves.
**Dauntless Shield Users**: Dauntless Shield users such as Mew and Hippowdon are capable of surviving hits from Arcanine and pivoting into an offensive check or threatening a KO, but these Pokemon are threatened by Toxic.
**Primordial Sea Users**: Primordial Sea users such as Zapdos and Barraskewda are able to safely switch into Arcanine's Flare Blitz and threaten it out; however, they cannot switch in safely for fear of Arcanine's coverage moves.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[iapt, 539897]]
- Quality checked by: [[Osake, 524664], [UT, 523866]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523866]]
Last edited:
