Blaziken (Analysis)

Jukain · Feb 20, 2012

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[Overview]

Blaziken was one of the Pokemon that was released from Ubers to reign free in the Dream World OU tier. With its Dream World ability, Speed Boost, Blaziken can remedy its low Speed and become an immensely powerful sweeper. While Blaziken can still sweep outside of sun, its effectiveness is somewhat reduced. Rain, however, is very detrimental to Blaziken's success as a sweeper, as it cuts the power of Blaziken's Flare Blitz. Additionally, low defenses leave Blaziken susceptible to priority, though it should be noted that no priority user in the tier can safely switch in. Despite all these difficulties, amazing offensive typing and high offensive stats keep Blaziken a top-tier Pokemon. All these advantages and disadvantages combine to make a downright amazing Pokemon that can sweep nearly any team under the right conditions.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hi Jump Kick
move 3: Flare Blitz
move 4: Protect / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Air Balloon
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With a Speed Boost every turn, as well as the ability to raise its Attack via Swords Dance, Blaziken has the potential to become quite a frightening sweeper. With an Attack boost, Blaziken hits a maximum Attack stat of 734, and can easily OHKO or 2HKO most of the tier. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are excellent dual STABs; a +2 sun-boosted Flare Blitz in particular can even OHKO Jellicent after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Hi Jump Kick has amazing neutral coverage with Flare Blitz, but is inferior to Flare Blitz in sun, even when Flare Blitz is resisted compared to a neutral hit. However, when using it, watch out for Ghost-types such as Chandelure and Jellicent, who can switch in for free and KO Blaziken back—though the former fears getting OHKOed by a sun-boosted Flare Blitz. Protect is extremely important on this set, as it grants Blaziken one desperately needed boost to its Speed. Substitute is an option if Blaziken can come in on something that it outspeeds, and solves any problems Blaziken has with priority and status, particularly against sacrificial priority attempts from Thundurus and foes aiming to weaken Blaziken with Intimidate.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Blaziken's bulk is so poor that even with investment, it will still not be taking very many hits. For this reason, its Attack and Speed are maximized. A Jolly nature allows Blaziken to outspeed Adamant Excadrill in the sandstorm after two Speed boosts, as well as all Choice Scarf users below base 80 Speed after one boost, most notably Politoed and Heatran. However, it should be noted that the rare Jolly Excadrill will still outrun Blaziken. An Adamant nature is an option if these threats aren't particular issues, pushing Blaziken's Attack even higher than it already is, and securing the KO on Slowbro with a +2 Attack, but Jolly is normally preferred as these foes could otherwise prevent a successful sweep. Life Orb is the best item to use, because Blaziken needs to hit as hard as it can as soon as possible. Leftovers is also a viable option, particularly if Blaziken is used on a sandstorm team, because recoil from Life Orb and Flare Blitz, as well as residual damage from sandstorm, can easily end Blaziken's sweep prematurely. However, Life Orb is almost always the best item choice as Leftovers variants will sorely miss the initial power, and consequently be unable to get a lot of major 2HKOs after a Swords Dance, including on Dragonite and Jellicent. Air Balloon can be used to avoid Ground-type attacks from the likes of Gliscor, Landorus, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill, and potentially gain a free setup turn.

Ninetales should almost always be run alongside Blaziken, mainly due to the fact that sandstorm piles recoil damage on Blaziken, and rain weakens Flare Blitz. Blaziken can deal with Tyranitar, but a teammate that can remove Tyranitar and Politoed before Blaziken hits the field is most desirable. Scizor and Breloom completely annihilate Tyranitar and don't mind the sun as it stands no chance against Fire-type attacks anyway. As Rotom-W fares poorly in sun, Thundurus and Serperior are useful partners to remove Politoed. Despite Speed Boost, Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave can also be annoying, since it neuters Blaziken's Speed: at +6 Blaziken will max out at a stat of 284 if it is using a Jolly nature. Finally, Wish passers, including Blissey and Chansey, help Blaziken stay healthy and pose more of a threat.

Blaziken has a few counters, but all of these have some flaws. Jellicent is immune to Hi Jump Kick and if rain is up, takes negligible damage from even +2 Flare Blitz. For this reason, ThunderPunch or Shadow Claw can be considered over Protect to hit Jellicent super effectively. However, neither of these moves OHKO, and the utility of Protect is too good to forgo. Of the two moves, Shadow Claw is the better option because it hits all Ghost-types super effectively, making Blaziken less dependent on weather. Thundurus and Serperior are once again great partners to deal with Jellicent. Lastly, note that in sun and at +2, Blaziken will always OHKO Jellicent with Flare Blitz after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Blaziken's few other counters are also dependent on sandstorm or rain, as they are all 2HKOed in sun. The first is bulky Dragon Dance Dragonite, who can come in on either of Blaziken's STABs, escaping the 2HKO, and OHKO back with any attack. Intimidate Gyarados also narrowly escapes the 2HKO and easily OHKOes back with either Bounce or Waterfall. Slowbro functions similarly and can retaliate with Scald. Quagsire can make use of Unaware to ignore Blaziken's stat boots. However, do note that Quagsire is easily 2HKOed by Hi Jump Kick after at least one layer of Spikes. Rotom-W and Thundurus carrying Hidden Power Ice and Thunderbolt can deal with Gyarados, Dragonite, Slowbro, and Jellicent, while Breloom can deal with Quagsire.

Stealth Rock edges many of the aforementioned Pokemon into a boosted Blaziken's KO range, including defensive Gliscor, offensive Dragonite, and Intimidate Gyarados, and possibly even bulky Dragonite and Salamence as well. Spikes, too, ease the need for a high damage roll and leaves these counters in the dust. For this reason, reliable users of Stealth Rock and Spikes, such as Tyranitar and Deoxys-S respectively, make great teammates. Removing opposing Rapid Spin users, most notably Forretress, Starmie, and Excadrill, is helpful to a Blaziken sweep, making the likes of Chandelure, Tyranitar, and Gliscor fine teammates.

[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Substitute / Protect
move 3: Hi Jump Kick / Flare Blitz
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Leftovers / Focus Sash
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Due to egg move restrictions, standard Blaziken cannot run Baton Pass in conjunction with Speed Boost. In Dream World OU, however, these movepool limitations are not in effect, and Blaziken is therefore free to pass its accumulated boosts. In addition to raising Blaziken's Attack, Swords Dance boosts can be passed to a teammate. Protect gives Blaziken a vital free Speed boost, enabling it to pose more of a threat, as well as Baton Pass more easily. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are powerful STAB moves, the former letting Blaziken threaten bulky Water-types and the latter most Steel-types. Finally, Baton Pass allows Blaziken to utilize Speed Boost to its full potential and lead the team to a sweep.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

All-out offensive investment is used as Blaziken is frail even with defensive investment, so there is no use in running any. A Jolly nature is used to make Blaziken as fast as possible, as this Blaziken should not be attempting a sweep of its own. Leftovers is the main option because Focus Sash may be broken by entry hazards, unless of course Blaziken is in the lead slot. As an alternative, Focus Sash allows Blaziken to nab one free turn, and is particularly useful for getting up both a Swords Dance and a Speed boost.

This Blaziken has no true counters other than a switch in from a Taunt user such as Thundurus or a phazer such as Vaporeon, the former of which can be dealt with by Flare Blitz. However, the latter can switch in without fear of a +2 or Life Orb boosted Hi Jump Kick, proceeding to OHKO Blaziken with Scald or phaze out the Pokemon Blaziken passes to. Thundurus, Serperior, and Rotom-W are great problems to deal with this. One of its only issues is Breloom, who can bypass Blaziken's Speed boosts and OHKO with Mach Punch; Azumarill too can be similarly problematic. A Pokemon such as Celebi is a good way to deal with Breloom, while Thundurus and Serperior handle Azumarill well. More important teammates are ones that can make good use of the passed Attack and Speed boosts. Garchomp and Landorus become incredibly powerful after these boosts, while other good receivers include Infernape, Breloom, and Dragonite. Garchomp and Landorus stand out from the rest as they already boast high stats in these areas, but Breloom and Dragonite are great too because they resist Water-type attacks directed at Blaziken. Blaziken is also great with Calm Mind passers such as Espeon, as Blaziken does not possess the ability to pass off Special Attack boosts, which can be problematic to mixed receivers.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Protect / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 80 Atk / 200 SpA / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With a great base 110 Special Attack stat, Blaziken can be an effective mixed wallbreaker. Fire Blast is a much better attack than Flare Blitz as it doesn't inflict recoil. Hi Jump Kick is Blaziken's other STAB, and while it is less reliable in that it fears missing more than Fire Blast, it hits incredibly hard and provides Blaziken with great neutral coverage. Hidden Power Ice is Blaziken's coverage move of choice, as it destroys Dragonite and Garchomp, two huge threats to Blaziken otherwise. The last slot is a toss-up. Protect grants Blaziken a free Speed boost, but deprives it of extra coverage. Shadow Claw hits Jellicent and Chandelure, who wall Blaziken's other moves, and should be used if Blaziken's other teammates cannot easily deal with them.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The Special Attack EVs boost the power of Fire Blast and Hidden Power Ice. A Rash nature is preferred because it allows Blaziken to hit harder, and 228 Speed EVs enables it to outspeed Deoxys-S and Choice Scarf Garchomp at +2. However, Naive may be used to outspeed Adamant Excadrill at +2. Life Orb is the preferred item for the power boost, but Expert Belt is worth considering if Blaziken is used in sandstorm, as it has excellent super effective coverage, and residual damage would otherwise add up quickly.

Either Hidden Power Electric or Hidden Power Grass can be used in place of Hidden Power Ice for a super effective hit on bulky Water-types, most notably Vaporeon, Quagsire, and Slowbro, but bulky Water-types are somewhat less common in the DW metagame, and the lack of Hidden Power Ice leaves Blaziken open to Dragonite, Garchomp, and Latios, who are far more common threats.

This set has trouble with bulky Water-types, particularly Jellicent, as it is not 2HKOed by a sun-boosted Flare Blitz without Swords Dance to contend with. To remedy this, Thundurus and Serperior are once again amazing partners. Both pack super effective STAB moves against bulky Water-types, and Thundurus can also use priority Taunt to cripple Jellicent. This set once again loves sun support, making Ninetales a recommended partner, but as previously mentioned, Blaziken can be used in sandstorm with Expert Belt. Stealth Rock support deals with Multiscale Dragonite effectively, as well as helping against Latios.

[Other Options]

Blaziken has access to Stone Edge, which the Swords Dance sweeper can use over Protect. Blaze Kick and Sky Uppercut can replace Flare Blitz and Hi Jump Kick respectively on any set, but the reduced damage output is very noticeable. In particular, Shadow Claw is an option to hit Ghost-types that generally trouble Blaziken. Though unorthodox, Choice Band Blaziken would make for a neat late-game cleaner, and only requires a free switchin on anything slower than it. However, as with any Pokemon, it hates being locked into one move. Blaziken is best used abusing its dual STABs, and particularly Hi Jump Kick is the worst move to be locked in on in the metagame, due to the presensce of Shadow Tag Chandelure.

[Checks and Counters]

Blaziken's main problem is not a specific Pokemon, but a field condition: rain. In rain, Flare Blitz becomes pitifully weak, leaving Blaziken open to all Ghost-types. As such, Politoed is a great weapon to have on your side when attempting to counter Blaziken. Additionally, Politoed itself can take one unboosted hit and KO back. Ghost-types also greatly trouble Blaziken because they are immune to Hi Jump Kick, with Jellicent and Chandelure also able to take its Flare Blitz and OHKO. Aside from Jellicent, Slowbro gives Blaziken nightmares as well. Thanks to their typing and access to STAB Scald, both these threats can switch in with impunity and force Blaziken out. While Slowbro is 2HKOed by +2 Hi Jump Kick and Stealth Rock damage, it can switch in immediately with no issues. Thanks to Leftovers, Quagsire just barely avoids the 2HKO, and can OHKO in return with either STAB move. The popular Multiscale Dragonite also exists to give Blaziken trouble, but is easily 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Gyarados can take one hit and go for Waterfall or Bounce; Thundurus can also sacrifice itself to hinder Blaziken with Thunder Wave. Lastly, Ditto threatens all sets, especially the Baton Pass one. By stealing Blaziken's Attack and Speed Boosts, along with its powerful STAB attacks, it can possibly sweep Blaziken's own team in the process.

The Swords Dance set has no true counters due to its sheer power, but it can certainly be played around. Breloom can revenge kill it with Technician Mach Punch and Azumarill with Aqua Jet; the latter can also switch in on Flare Blitz, which can be baited by Ferrothorn or Chandelure. In fact, running both forms of priority makes for a great failsafe, and is perhaps the best way to check Blaziken. The mixed set is very dangerous courtesy of its amazing coverage. However, Slowbro and Vaporeon can take anything it can dish out, and if it lacks Protect, Jellicent counters it. The Baton Pass set is a little trickier to handle, but if the opponent predicts well and, for instance, gets Skarmory to use Whirlwind, Blaziken's plans will be temporarily scuppered. Do watch out, though, as the Baton Pass set is the only set with no counters, besides possibly Azumarill and Breloom. If not packing such priority, Blaziken will almost always get off a pass, often causing the end of the game.

Jukain · Feb 20, 2012

Double posting to say a few things about the analysis. For one, the EVs for MixChicken are ripped straight from the locked & outdated OU Blaziken analysis. If the EVs should be updated or changed, feel free to make a suggestion. I also made Baton Pass off the top of my head, so if anything needs to be changed there EV-wise or move-wise I'd happy to here any suggestions.

complete legitimacy · Feb 20, 2012

pokemon0078 said:
Blaziken's only hard counter is Jellicent in rain.

Actually, Slowbro is more of a counter than Jellicent because it's more physically bulky, even though it isn't nearly as common.

Birkal · Feb 20, 2012

Alright, way to have some initiative! I've done some testing with Blaziken and have a few preliminary comments for you that you'll want to consider. I'll do further testing to give you some even more in depth feedback to get this officially approved.

Intro: Definitely needs more added, especially in what Blaziken excels at doing. It is capable of sweeping without sunlight; perhaps you will want to note that sun is an added benefit. Its excellent offensive typing and great offensive stats are certainly notable. The phrase "This doesn't even touch on its high special attack," doesn't make any sense. Either clarify what you're saying or ditch it. If you're referring to Blaziken's high Special Attack stat, then I would argue that that is unnecessary; there aren't too many physical walls that can take on a +2 Blaziken that are instead more susceptible to a Special attack.

Swords Dance: The set itself looks fine to me. I personally would slash Adamant over Jolly for more power, but if you have something in particular that you'd like to outspeed, be my guest. Also, slashing Substitute alongside Protect is a good idea; it can help you avoid status and priority on the switch. You'll want to note that Jolly Excadrill outpaces Jolly Blaziken, however (even though most run Adamant Excadrill). Remember to use the term Ghost-type instead of "ghosts." Furthermore, your analyses don't need to give explanations for moves and abilities; readers are expected to understand how Speed Boost and Hi Jump Kick work. Adjust your wording appropriately to indicate how these benefit and hurt Blaziken. This isn't a move tutoring session, it's an analysis!

In the additional comments, you're exaggerating quite a bit. Blaziken can take some resisted hits if it needs to; it's not a complete glass cannon. Furthermore, Choice Scarf only gives a +1 boost. I presume that Blaziken will be outspeeding a significantly higher base Speed stat with a Choice Scarf than 80! Leftovers doesn't completely mitigate Flare Blitz, but does help ease the pressure on HP. Running Ninetales is, again, not required but certainly helpful! Note that it has the dual benefit of preventing residual damage from Sandstorm adds on even more damage to Blaziken. Note that Pokemon with access to Wish passing are great partners to keep Blaziken alive and healthy. Saying that Jellicent is the only hard counter is a pretty big reach. Multiscale Dragonite, Bulky Salamence, and Intimidate Gyarados are all threats I can think of off the top of my head that can avoid the +2 2HKO and fight back. Although not as popular, Slowbro and Quagsire are threats as well that can give Blaziken problems. Priority Thunder Wave from Thundurus is annoying as well. Mention the importance of Stealth Rock for the Blaziken sweep; it breaks Multiscale and edges Blaziken a few more Pokemon within KO range (note: this calculator is pretty nifty for doing quick calculations on threats).

MixChicken: I question how effective this set is; I dunno what Blaziken is intending to break through beside Dragon-type Pokemon with Hidden Power Ice. It seems like it would be pretty weak. I'll do some testing on it, but I question its effectiveness. Either provide some good calculations on it or ditch it, in my opinion. I dunno, see what the other moderators think of it too. Also if the set stays, change the name to Mixed Attacker.

Baton Pass: I'll have to test this out as well. However, I would like to see a Baton Pass set go through; Blaziken is leagues better than Ninjask. I question Focus Sash as the only item option. If you're not using Blaziken as a dedicated lead, then I would personally prefer Leftovers. Again, Substitute is a great move for this set. You'll probably want to mention it somewhere as a slash, if not a primary option. Also check your words here. Saying that something isn't "likely to happen" isn't very professional. I would also argue that this set isn't the "best hands down" when used correctly. Expand upon Blaziken's role within a full Baton Pass team. Which teammates does it work well with?

Other Options: Stone Edge is good. This is where I'd mention Shadow Claw, Hidden Power coverage moves, and the like. I also feel like a Choice Band set could be mentioned here. In conjunction with Speed Boost, Blaziken can make for a nice late game sweep with it.

Checks and Counters: Again, watch your wording. I question how well Slowbro can take "literally any hit." Ditch Flash Fire Chandelure; no one uses it ever. Shadow Tag is a threat, but Blaziken can muscle through Chandy if it needs to. I don't see Ditto mentioned anywhere within this analysis. Please add it somewhere. It can decimate your team if you've gotten enough boosts with Blaziken for it to utilize. Hippo and Ttar, while not as threatening as Politoed, can change the weather and add residual damage to Blaziken. Like I said in the SD set, you'll want to elaborate on Dragonite, Salamence, Garchomp, and the others here as well.

Best of luck! You seem to have a passion for writing; keep working at refining your skill. I'll be sure to swing by later once I've done some more testing.

Rakan · Feb 20, 2012

Birkal basically covered everything, but one note I'd like to add is that Substitute should be either slashed or given a heavy mention in the AC of the Baton Pass set. Substitute protects you from status such as poison and more importantly, paralysis. Idk if it's worth a slash, bit definitely an AC mention.

Keiran · Feb 21, 2012

If your going to use focus sash on BP Blaze, why is Flare Blitz a slash? The recoil would make you faint.

Jukain · Feb 21, 2012

It's being edited in, don't mind what's on the top.

Tobes · Feb 28, 2012

This analysis needs more fleshing out, it's way too sparse as is. Don't fill it with fluff though.

Lemonade · Feb 28, 2012

I would also mention in OO that Sub can be used over Protect on sets, but it is more of a high risk high reward move (Blaziken with a Sub is a pain to take down, but you'll only safely gain a Speed Boost on slower threats).

In checks and counters, I think you need to be a bit clearer on what weather you're talking about and such. I would have a paragraph talking about rain: in this case, Jellicent, physically defensive Vaporeon, Slowbro, physically defensive Tentacruel, and such are counters, though Vappy must watch out for that +2 HJK. Gliscor, though not a Water-type, easily stomachs HJK and has enough physical defense to take Flare Blitz and KO back with EQ.

Then move to "in sun, Blaziken has only shaky counters." mention that the above Water-types cannot switch in without risk of being 2HKOed when Blaziken is at +2: so either prevent to boost or rely on revenge killing. I would also expand on "double priority," since it is kind of vague at the moment. Note that Azumarill will not always succeed in sunlight, and add stuff like Dragonite's ExtremeSpeed or even Scizor's Bullet Punch as priority moves that /can/ check Blaziken. Also, "support" Thundurus can sacrafice itself and paralyze Blaziken with a Prankster Thunder Wave, making the chicken significantly easier to deal with. Dragonite, ESP with Multiscale intact, can also wall most non-mixed sets since it resists the dual STABS, but of course watch out for sun Flare Blitz.

Jukain · Mar 1, 2012

complete legitimacy said:
Actually, Slowbro is more of a counter than Jellicent because it's more physically bulky, even though it isn't nearly as common.

Actually, Slowbro fears the +2 Hi Jump Kick 2HKO with Stealth Rock up.

Birkal said:
Alright, way to have some initiative! I've done some testing with Blaziken and have a few preliminary comments for you that you'll want to consider. I'll do further testing to give you some even more in depth feedback to get this officially approved.

Intro: Definitely needs more added, especially in what Blaziken excels at doing. It is capable of sweeping without sunlight; perhaps you will want to note that sun is an added benefit. Its excellent offensive typing and great offensive stats are certainly notable. The phrase "This doesn't even touch on its high special attack," doesn't make any sense. Either clarify what you're saying or ditch it. If you're referring to Blaziken's high Special Attack stat, then I would argue that that is unnecessary; there aren't too many physical walls that can take on a +2 Blaziken that are instead more susceptible to a Special attack. That is true, removed that sentence. Definitely capable of sweeping without sunlight, but it really helps.

Swords Dance: The set itself looks fine to me. I personally would slash Adamant over Jolly for more power, but if you have something in particular that you'd like to outspeed, be my guest. Adamant ExcadrillAlso, slashing Substitute alongside Protect is a good idea; it can help you avoid status and priority on the switch. You'll want to note that Jolly Excadrill outpaces Jolly Blaziken, however (even though most run Adamant Excadrill). Remember to use the term Ghost-type instead of "ghosts." Furthermore, your analyses don't need to give explanations for moves and abilities; readers are expected to understand how Speed Boost and Hi Jump Kick work. Adjust your wording appropriately to indicate how these benefit and hurt Blaziken. This isn't a move tutoring session, it's an analysis!

In the additional comments, you're exaggerating quite a bit. Blaziken can take some resisted hits if it needs to; it's not a complete glass cannon. Furthermore, Choice Scarf only gives a +1 boost. I presume that Blaziken will be outspeeding a significantly higher base Speed stat with a Choice Scarf than 80! I meant at +1, sorry for the bad wording. Leftovers doesn't completely mitigate Flare Blitz, but does help ease the pressure on HP. Running Ninetales is, again, not required but certainly helpful! Note that it has the dual benefit of preventing residual damage from Sandstorm adds on even more damage to Blaziken. Note that Pokemon with access to Wish passing are great partners to keep Blaziken alive and healthy. Saying that Jellicent is the only hard counter is a pretty big reach. Multiscale Dragonite 2HKO'd with Stealth Rock, but still good., Bulky Salamence Still 2HKO'd with Stealth Rock, and Intimidate Gyarados still 2HKO'd with Stealth Rockare all threats I can think of off the top of my head that can avoid the +2 2HKO and fight back. Although not as popular, Slowbro and Quagsire Quagsire is 2HKO'd, as is Slowbro with Stealth Rock are threats as well that can give Blaziken problems. Priority Thunder Wave from Thundurus is annoying as well. Mention the importance of Stealth Rock for the Blaziken sweep; it breaks Multiscale and edges Blaziken a few more Pokemon within KO range (note: this calculator is pretty nifty for doing quick calculations on threats). I use that calculator

MixChicken: I question how effective this set is; I dunno what Blaziken is intending to break through beside Dragon-type Pokemon with Hidden Power Ice. It seems like it would be pretty weak. I'll do some testing on it, but I question its effectiveness. Either provide some good calculations on it or ditch it, in my opinion. I dunno, see what the other moderators think of it too. Also if the set stays, change the name to Mixed Attacker. This set mainly abuses the factor of surprise. HP Ice is great for taking on Dragon-types, and hits the Latis, which Stone Edge fails to do. I'll see what the others think

Baton Pass: I'll have to test this out as well. However, I would like to see a Baton Pass set go through; Blaziken is leagues better than Ninjask. I question Focus Sash as the only item option. If you're not using Blaziken as a dedicated lead, then I would personally prefer Leftovers. 1st slash Again, Substitute is a great move for this set. You'll probably want to mention it somewhere as a slash, if not a primary option. Also check your words here. Saying that something isn't "likely to happen" isn't very professional. I would also argue that this set isn't the "best hands down" when used correctly. Expand upon Blaziken's role within a full Baton Pass team. Which teammates does it work well with? Calm Minders

Other Options: Stone Edge is good. This is where I'd mention Shadow Claw, Hidden Power coverage moves, and the like. I also feel like a Choice Band set could be mentioned here. In conjunction with Speed Boost, Blaziken can make for a nice late game sweep with it.

Checks and Counters: Again, watch your wording. I question how well Slowbro can take "literally any hit." Ditch Flash Fire Chandelure; no one uses it ever. Shadow Tag is a threat, but Blaziken can muscle through Chandy if it needs to. I don't see Ditto mentioned anywhere within this analysis. Please add it somewhere. It can decimate your team if you've gotten enough boosts with Blaziken for it to utilize. Hippo and Ttar, while not as threatening as Politoed, can change the weather and add residual damage to Blaziken. Like I said in the SD set, you'll want to elaborate on Dragonite, Salamence, Garchomp, and the others here as well.

Best of luck! You seem to have a passion for writing; keep working at refining your skill. I'll be sure to swing by later once I've done some more testing.

Done

Omicron said:
Birkal basically covered everything, but one note I'd like to add is that Substitute should be either slashed or given a heavy mention in the AC of the Baton Pass set. Substitute protects you from status such as poison and more importantly, paralysis. Idk if it's worth a slash, bit definitely an AC mention.

Done

Keiran said:
If your going to use focus sash on BP Blaze, why is Flare Blitz a slash? The recoil would make you faint.

Done

Tobes said:
This analysis needs more fleshing out, it's way too sparse as is. Don't fill it with fluff though.

Done

V0x said:
I would also mention in OO that Sub can be used over Protect on sets, but it is more of a high risk high reward move (Blaziken with a Sub is a pain to take down, but you'll only safely gain a Speed Boost on slower threats).
Done
In checks and counters, I think you need to be a bit clearer on what weather you're talking about and such. I would have a paragraph talking about rain: in this case, Jellicent, physically defensive Vaporeon, Slowbro, physically defensive Tentacruel, and such are counters, though Vappy must watch out for that +2 HJK. Gliscor, though not a Water-type, easily stomachs HJK and has enough physical defense to take Flare Blitz and KO back with EQ.

Then move to "in sun, Blaziken has only shaky counters." mention that the above Water-types cannot switch in without risk of being 2HKOed when Blaziken is at +2: so either prevent to boost or rely on revenge killing. I would also expand on "double priority," since it is kind of vague at the moment. Note that Azumarill will not always succeed in sunlight, and add stuff like Dragonite's ExtremeSpeed or even Scizor's Bullet Punch as priority moves that /can/ check Blaziken. Also, "support" Thundurus can sacrafice itself and paralyze Blaziken with a Prankster Thunder Wave, making the chicken significantly easier to deal with. Dragonite, ESP with Multiscale intact, can also wall most non-mixed sets since it resists the dual STABS, but of course watch out for sun Flare Blitz.

Done

Also posting, edits are finished, and this is ready to move on.

Frizy · Mar 3, 2012

No mention of Air Balloon on the SD set at all? Quite a few people (myself included) have used Air Balloon on SDKen to great success. It allows you to set up on otherwise dangerous eqs from pokemon such as Choice Scarf Garchomp, Mamoswine, Excadrill (somewhat), and Choice Band Dragonite. It also grants you a free SD against non Acrobatics Gliscor, who dies to a +2 Flare Blitz in the sun (or +4 Flare Blitz outside of sun if Gliscor switches in on a SD). Honestly I think it deserves a slash, but I guess an AC mention would suffice.

pokemon0078 said:
Stealth Rock edges some Pokemon into KO range, <help here? what does it help?>

Assuming +2, Life Orb, and outside of sun, it guarantees the death of defensive Gliscor (88.13 - 103.67%) and offensive Dragonite (83.9 - 99.07%), while giving you a good chance vs bulky Dragonite (70.2 - 82.9%) and offensive Salamence after an intimidate (70.99 - 83.68%). Under the sun, it also allows you to kill Bulky Dragon Dance Gyarados after an intimidate (78.64 - 92.7%).

Jukain · Mar 3, 2012

Frizy said:
No mention of Air Balloon on the SD set at all? Quite a few people (myself included) have used Air Balloon on SDKen to great success. It allows you to set up on otherwise dangerous eqs from pokemon such as Choice Scarf Garchomp, Mamoswine, Excadrill (somewhat), and Choice Band Dragonite. It also grants you a free SD against non Acrobatics Gliscor, who dies to a +2 Flare Blitz in the sun (or +4 Flare Blitz outside of sun if Gliscor switches in on a SD). Honestly I think it deserves a slash, but I guess an AC mention would suffice.

Assuming +2, Life Orb, and outside of sun, it guarantees the death of defensive Gliscor (88.13 - 103.67%) and offensive Dragonite (83.9 - 99.07%), while giving you a good chance vs bulky Dragonite (70.2 - 82.9%) and offensive Salamence after an intimidate (70.99 - 83.68%). Under the sun, it also allows you to kill Bulky Dragon Dance Gyarados after an intimidate (78.64 - 92.7%).

Thanks for the help on Stealth Rock, and thanks for mentioning Air Balloon. Both put in, Air Balloon given the third slash on SD.

Birkal · Mar 5, 2012

Hey pokemon0078, this is vastly improved from when I last saw this. Blaziken is one of the most important Pokemon in the DW tier; I am glad you have written such a thorough analysis. In the future, try to keep the length a bit shorter. Analyses are concise and to the point. GP team, if you see any "fluff" that could be removed, be my guest.

~~Slowbro does indeed fear a 2HKO from +2 HJK (it does 48.98 - 57.86% with Adamant nature and still hits 52% with Jolly). Remove it as a counter from the main set, please.~~
You're right, Hidden Power has zero use on the Swords Dance set. Remove the reference in OO to using it on the SD set entirely.
Choice Specs is not an interesting option at all. Please remove it from OO.
I will allow the Mixed Attacker set to fly under the condition that you change the order of it with Baton Pass. BP sets are very good and used commonly within the tier. Switch the order of these two sets around, please.

Once all of these changes are made...

APPROVED

Birk-a-dit: Gosh dang it, Tobes. My sarcasm-o-meter must be broken. How could you set me up for failure like this ;__;

Tobes · Mar 5, 2012

Ok apparently Birkal can't recognize my sarcasm -.- Slowbro does NOT fear taking a +2 HJK on the switch because that implies that Slowbro did not switch into the Swords Dance and was then furthermore stupid enough to switch into the HJK. It is still a counter, do not remove it.

Jukain · Mar 5, 2012

Birkal said:
Hey pokemon0078, this is vastly improved from when I last saw this. Blaziken is one of the most important Pokemon in the DW tier; I am glad you have written such a thorough analysis. In the future, try to keep the length a bit shorter. Analyses are concise and to the point. GP team, if you see any "fluff" that could be removed, be my guest.

~~Slowbro does indeed fear a 2HKO from +2 HJK (it does 48.98 - 57.86% with Adamant nature and still hits 52% with Jolly). Remove it as a counter from the main set, please.~~

You're right, Hidden Power has zero use on the Swords Dance set. Remove the reference in OO to using it on the SD set entirely.

Choice Specs is not an interesting option at all. Please remove it from OO.

I will allow the Mixed Attacker set to fly under the condition that you change the order of it with Baton Pass. BP sets are very good and used commonly within the tier. Switch the order of these two sets around, please.

Once all of these changes are made...

APPROVED

Birk-a-dit: Gosh dang it, Tobes. My sarcasm-o-meter must be broken. How could you set me up for failure like this ;__;

Done.

Tobes said:
Ok apparently Birkal can't recognize my sarcasm -.- Slowbro does NOT fear taking a +2 HJK on the switch because that implies that Slowbro did not switch into the Swords Dance and was then furthermore stupid enough to switch into the HJK. It is still a counter, do not remove it.

I took this into consideration, and decided to include your logic in Checks and Counters.

Alright, now on to GP. Cheers!

sirndpt · Mar 5, 2012

yeaaaah i should probably have predicted that the app would throw a temper tantrum on me. copypastable only, sorry

[Overview]

Blaziken was one of the Pokemon that was released from Ubers to reign free in the Dream World OU tier. With its Dream World ability, Speed Boost, Blaziken can remedy its low Speed and become an immensely powerful sweeper. While Blaziken can still sweep outside of sun, its effectiveness is somewhat reduced. Rain, however, is very detrimental to Blaziken's success as a sweeper, as it cuts the power of Blaziken's Flare Blitz. Additionally, low defenses leave Blaziken susceptible to priority, though it should be noted that no priority user in the tier can safely switch in. Despite all these difficulties, amazing offensive typing and high offensive stats keep Blaziken a top-tier Pokemon. All these advantages and disadvantages combine to make a downright amazing Pokemon that can sweep nearly any team under the right conditions.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hi Jump Kick
move 3: Flare Blitz
move 4: Protect / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Air Balloon
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With its Speed being boosted every turn by Speed Boost, as well as the ability to boost its Attack via Swords Dance, Blaziken has the potential to become quite a frightening sweeper. With the Attack boost, Blaziken hits a maximum Attack stat of 734, and can easily OHKO or 2HKO most of the tier. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are excellent dual STABs; a +2 sun-boosted Flare Blitz in particular can even OHKO Jellicent after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Hi Jump Kick <provide some of its uses, such as crucial KOs, or "a super effective hit on x-types, such as etc"> However, when using it, watch out for Ghost-types such as Chandelure and Jellicent, who can switch in for free and KO Blaziken back—though the former <latter? former means first> fears a Flare Blitz OHKO in sun. Protect is extremely important on this set, as it grants Blaziken one desperately needed boost to its Speed. Substitute is an option if Blaziken can come in on something that it outspeeds, and solves any problems Blaziken has with priority and status <any specific threats either move fares better against? such as, idk, perhaps Protect allowing you to revenge kill some mons>.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Blaziken's bulk is so poor that even with investment, it will still not be taking very many hits. For this reason, its Attack and Speed are maximized. A Jolly nature allows Blaziken to outspeed Adamant Excadrill in the sand after two Speed boosts, as well as all Choice Scarf users below base 80 Speed after one boost, most notably <examples>. However, it should be noted that the rare Jolly Excadrill will still outrun Blaziken. An Adamant nature is an option if these threats aren't particular issues, <does it provide extra KOs?> but Jolly is normally preferred as these foes could otherwise prevent a successful sweep. Life Orb is the best item to use, because Blaziken needs to hit as hard as it can as soon as possible. Leftovers is also a viable option, particularly if Blaziken is used on a sand team, because recoil from Life Orb and Flare Blitz, as well as residual damage from sand, can easily end Blaziken's sweep prematurely. However, Life Orb is almost always the best item choice as Leftovers variants will sorely miss the initial power, and consequently be unable to <xHKO give examples>. Air Balloon can be used to avoid Ground-type attacks from the likes of Gliscor, Landorus, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill, and potentially gain a free setup.

Ninetales should almost always be run alongside Blaziken, mainly due to the fact that sandstorm piles recoil damage on Blaziken, and rain weakens Flare Blitz. Blaziken can deal with Tyranitar, but a teammate that can remove Tyranitar and Politoed before Blaziken hits the field is most desirable. Scizor completely annihilates Tyranitar and doesn't mind the sun as it stands no chance against Fire-type attacks anyway. As Rotom-W fares poorly in sun, Thundurus and Serperior are useful partners to remove Politoed. Despite Speed Boost, Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave can also be annoying. <Hence what?> Finally, Wish passers, including Blissey and Chansey, also help Blaziken to stay healthy and pose more of a threat.

Blaziken has a few counters, but all of these have some flaws. Jellicent is immune to Hi Jump Kick and if rain is up, takes negligible damage from even +2 Flare Blitz. For this reason, ThunderPunch or Shadow Claw can be considered over Protect to hit Jellicent super effectively. However, neither of these moves OHKO, and the utility of Protect is too good to forgo. Of the two moves, Shadow Claw is the better option because it hits all Ghost-types super effectively, making Blaziken less dependent on weather. Alternatively, Thundurus and Serperior are once again great partners to deal with Jellicent. Lastly, note that in sun and at +2, Blaziken will always OHKO Jellicent with Flare Blitz after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. <para break here is optional, perhaps see how long this paragraph gets after the additions> Blaziken's few other counters are also dependent on sand or rain, as they are all 2HKOed in sun. The first is bulky Dragon Dance Dragonite, who can come in on either of Blaziken's STABs, escaping the +2 2HKO, and OHKO back with any attack. Intimidate Gyarados also narrowly escapes the +2 2HKO and easily OHKOes back with either Bounce or Waterfall. Slowbro functions similarly and can retaliate with Scald. However, do note that Quagsire is easily 2HKOed by Hi Jump Kick after at least one layer of Spikes. <suggest teammates to deal with these threats>

Stealth Rock edges many of the aforementioned Pokemon into a boosted Blaziken's KO range, including defensive Gliscor, offensive Dragonite, and Intimidate Gyarados, and possibly even bulky Dragonite and Salamence as well. Spikes, too, ease the need for a high damage roll and leaves these counters in the dust. For this reason, reliable users of Stealth Rock and Spikes, such as <example> and <example> respectively, make great teammates. Removing opposing Rapid Spin users, most notably <examples>, is helpful to a Blaziken sweep, making the likes of <examples> fine teammates.

[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Substitute / Protect
move 3: Hi Jump Kick / Flare Blitz
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Leftovers / Focus Sash
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Due to egg move restrictions, standard Blaziken cannot run Baton Pass in conjunction with Speed Boost. In Dream World, however, these movepool limitations are not in effect, and Blaziken is therefore free to pass its accumulated boosts. In addition to raising Blaziken's Attack, Swords Dance boosts can be passed to a teammate. Protect gives Blaziken a vital free Speed boost, enabling it to pose more of a threat, as well as Baton Pass more easily. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are powerful STAB moves, with the former letting Blaziken threaten <examples> and the latter <examples>. Finally, Baton Pass allows Blaziken to utilize Speed Boost to its full potential and lead the team to a sweep.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

All-out offensive investment is used as Blaziken is frail even with defensive investment, so there is no use in running any. A Jolly nature is used to make Blaziken as fast as possible, as this Blaziken should not be attempting a sweep of its own. Leftovers is the main option <why?> unless Blaziken is in the lead slot. As an alternative, Focus Sash allows Blaziken to nab one free turn, and is particularly useful for getting up both a Swords Dance and a Speed boost.

This Blaziken has no true counters <taunt users? phazers? if it easily xhkoes all common taunt users (such as?), that probably merits a mention too>. One of its only issues is Breloom, who <what exactly does it do? bypass Blaziken's speed boosts and ohko with mach punch?>; Azumarill too can be similarly problematic. A Pokemon such as <breloom counter> is a good way to deal with Breloom, while Thundurus and Serperior handle Azumarill well. More important teammates are ones that can make good use of the passed Attack and Speed boosts. Garchomp and Landorus become incredibly powerful after these boosts, while other good receivers include Infernape, Breloom, and Dragonite <why are garchomp and landorus set apart from the rest? seems weird imo. are they /better/ - if so, that doesn't come through. also, perhaps too many examples here and too little explanation - just pick two or three with good synergy with blaziken (both offensive and defensive) and elaborate on them a little more. such as, can switch in on the x-type attacks blaziken attracts, can easily pick off y and z, who are complete stops to blaziken running hjk, etc etc> Blaziken is also great with Calm Mind passers such as Espeon <why?>.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Protect / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Naive / Rash
evs: 80 Atk / 200 SpA / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With a great base 110 Special Attack stat, Blaziken can be an effective mixed wallbreaker. Fire Blast is a much better attack than Flare Blitz as it doesn't inflict recoil; it also does more damage to physically defensive Steel-types such as <examples>. Hi Jump Kick is Blaziken's other STAB, and while it is less reliable <accuracy-wise? coverage-wise?> than Fire Blast, it hits incredibly hard and provides Blaziken with great neutral coverage. Hidden Power Ice is Blaziken's coverage move of choice, as it destroys Dragonite and Garchomp, two huge threats to Blaziken otherwise. The last slot is a toss-up. Protect grants Blaziken a free Speed boost, but deprives it of extra coverage. Shadow Claw hits Jellicent and Chandelure, who wall Blaziken's other moves, and should be used if Blaziken's other teammates cannot easily deal with them.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<what SPECIFIC KOs do the atk / spatk evs achieve? who do the spe evs outrun? are there other speed benchmarks that might be worth considering, both lower and higher?>. A Naive nature is recommended as it lets Blaziken outrun <who?>, but Rash is a great option as it gains the <any specific KOs it achieves? why is it not recommended?>. Life Orb is the preferred item for the power boost <again, any specific KOs?>, but Expert Belt is worth considering if Blaziken is used in sand, as it has excellent super effective coverage, and residual damage would otherwise add up quickly.

Either Hidden Power Electric or Hidden Power Grass can be used in place of Hidden Power Ice for a super effective hit on bulky Water-types, most notably <examples>, but bulky Waters are somewhat less common in the DW metagame, and the lack of Hidden Power Ice leaves Blaziken open to Dragonite, Garchomp, and Latios, who are far more common threats.

This set has trouble with bulky Water-types, particularly Jellicent, as it is not <xhkoed by x>. To remedy this, Thundurus and Serperior are once again amazing partners. Both pack super effective STAB moves against bulky Water-types, and Thundurus can also use priority Taunt to cripple Jellicent. This set once again loves sun support, making Ninetales a recommended partner, but as previously mentioned, can be used in sand with Expert Belt. <entry hazard support required for specific xhkos? fast teammates that can clean up after blaziken is done wallbreaking and removing / denting specific named walls? i kind of get the feeling that you ran out of steam here! perhaps try not to write all of it in one sitting :/>

[Other Options]

Blaziken has access to Stone Edge, which the Swords Dance sweeper can use over Protect. Blaze Kick and Sky Uppercut can replace Flare Blitz and Hi Jump Kick respectively on any set, but the reduced damage output is very noticeable. In particular, forgoing <specific xhkos either misses?> Shadow Claw is an option to hit Ghost-types that generally trouble Blaziken. Though unorthodox, Choice Band Blaziken would make for a neat late-game cleaner, and only requires a free switch-in on anything slower than it. However, as with any Pokemon, it hates being locked into one move <idk, that hardly seems like a good reason to me. perhaps its stabs individually don't have great coverage? it's a waste of its other moves like swords dance? it's a waste of its other excellent coverage moves?>.

[Checks and Counters]

Blaziken's main problem is not a specific Pokemon, but a field condition: rain. In rain, Flare Blitz becomes pitifully weak, leaving Blaziken open to all Ghost-types. As such, Politoed is a great weapon to have on your side when attempting to counter Blaziken. Additionally, Politoed itself can take one unboosted hit and KO back. Ghost-types also greatly trouble Blaziken because they are immune to Hi Jump Kick, with Jellicent and Chandelure also able to take its Flare Blitz and OHKO. Aside from Jellicent, Slowbro causes Blaziken nightmares as well. Thanks to their typing and access to STAB Scald, both these threats can switch in with impunity and force Blaziken out. While Slowbro is 2HKOed by +2 Hi Jump Kick and Stealth Rock damage, it can switch in immediately with no issues. Thanks to Leftovers, Quagsire just barely survives the 2HKO, and can OHKO in return with either STAB move. The popular Multiscale Dragonite also exists to give Blaziken trouble, but is easily 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Gyarados can take one hit and go for Waterfall or Bounce; Thundurus can also sacrifice itself to hinder Blaziken with Thunder Wave. Lastly, Ditto threatens all sets, especially the Baton Pass one. By stealing Blaziken's Attack and Speed Boosts, along with its powerful STAB attacks, it can possibly sweep Blaziken's own team in the process.

The Swords Dance set has no true counters due to its sheer power, but it can certainly be played around. Breloom can revenge kill it with Technician Mach Punch and Azumarill with Aqua Jet; the latter can also switch in on Flare Blitz, which can be baited by Ferrothorn or Chandelure. In fact, running both forms of priority makes for a great failsafe, and is perhaps the best way to check Blaziken. The mixed set is very dangerous courtesy of its amazing coverage. However, Slowbro and Vaporeon can take anything it can dish out, and if it lacks Protect, Jellicent counters it. The Baton Pass set is a little trickier to handle, but if the opponent predicts well and, for instance, gets Skarmory to use Whirlwind, Blaziken's plans will be temporarily scuppered. Do watch out, though, as the Baton Pass set is the only set with no counters, besides possibly Azumarill and Breloom. If not packing such priority, Blaziken will almost always get off a pass, often causing the end of the game.

Jukain · Mar 6, 2012

sirndpt said:
yeaaaah i should probably have predicted that the app would throw a temper tantrum on me. copypastable only, sorry

[Overview]

Blaziken was one of the Pokemon that was released from Ubers to reign free in the Dream World OU tier. With its Dream World ability, Speed Boost, Blaziken can remedy its low Speed and become an immensely powerful sweeper. While Blaziken can still sweep outside of sun, its effectiveness is somewhat reduced. Rain, however, is very detrimental to Blaziken's success as a sweeper, as it cuts the power of Blaziken's Flare Blitz. Additionally, low defenses leave Blaziken susceptible to priority, though it should be noted that no priority user in the tier can safely switch in. Despite all these difficulties, amazing offensive typing and high offensive stats keep Blaziken a top-tier Pokemon. All these advantages and disadvantages combine to make a downright amazing Pokemon that can sweep nearly any team under the right conditions.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hi Jump Kick
move 3: Flare Blitz
move 4: Protect / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Air Balloon
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With its Speed being boosted every turn by Speed Boost, as well as the ability to boost its Attack via Swords Dance, Blaziken has the potential to become quite a frightening sweeper. With the Attack boost, Blaziken hits a maximum Attack stat of 734, and can easily OHKO or 2HKO most of the tier. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are excellent dual STABs; a +2 sun-boosted Flare Blitz in particular can even OHKO Jellicent after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Hi Jump Kick <provide some of its uses, such as crucial KOs, or "a super effective hit on x-types, such as etc"> However, when using it, watch out for Ghost-types such as Chandelure and Jellicent, who can switch in for free and KO Blaziken back—though the former <latter? former means first> fears a Flare Blitz OHKO in sun. Protect is extremely important on this set, as it grants Blaziken one desperately needed boost to its Speed. Substitute is an option if Blaziken can come in on something that it outspeeds, and solves any problems Blaziken has with priority and status <any specific threats either move fares better against? such as, idk, perhaps Protect allowing you to revenge kill some mons>.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Blaziken's bulk is so poor that even with investment, it will still not be taking very many hits. For this reason, its Attack and Speed are maximized. A Jolly nature allows Blaziken to outspeed Adamant Excadrill in the sand after two Speed boosts, as well as all Choice Scarf users below base 80 Speed after one boost, most notably <examples>. However, it should be noted that the rare Jolly Excadrill will still outrun Blaziken. An Adamant nature is an option if these threats aren't particular issues, <does it provide extra KOs?> but Jolly is normally preferred as these foes could otherwise prevent a successful sweep. Life Orb is the best item to use, because Blaziken needs to hit as hard as it can as soon as possible. Leftovers is also a viable option, particularly if Blaziken is used on a sand team, because recoil from Life Orb and Flare Blitz, as well as residual damage from sand, can easily end Blaziken's sweep prematurely. However, Life Orb is almost always the best item choice as Leftovers variants will sorely miss the initial power, and consequently be unable to <xHKO give examples>. Air Balloon can be used to avoid Ground-type attacks from the likes of Gliscor, Landorus, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill, and potentially gain a free setup.

Ninetales should almost always be run alongside Blaziken, mainly due to the fact that sandstorm piles recoil damage on Blaziken, and rain weakens Flare Blitz. Blaziken can deal with Tyranitar, but a teammate that can remove Tyranitar and Politoed before Blaziken hits the field is most desirable. Scizor completely annihilates Tyranitar and doesn't mind the sun as it stands no chance against Fire-type attacks anyway. As Rotom-W fares poorly in sun, Thundurus and Serperior are useful partners to remove Politoed. Despite Speed Boost, Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave can also be annoying. <Hence what?> Finally, Wish passers, including Blissey and Chansey, also help Blaziken to stay healthy and pose more of a threat.

Blaziken has a few counters, but all of these have some flaws. Jellicent is immune to Hi Jump Kick and if rain is up, takes negligible damage from even +2 Flare Blitz. For this reason, ThunderPunch or Shadow Claw can be considered over Protect to hit Jellicent super effectively. However, neither of these moves OHKO, and the utility of Protect is too good to forgo. Of the two moves, Shadow Claw is the better option because it hits all Ghost-types super effectively, making Blaziken less dependent on weather. Alternatively, Thundurus and Serperior are once again great partners to deal with Jellicent. Lastly, note that in sun and at +2, Blaziken will always OHKO Jellicent with Flare Blitz after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. <para break here is optional, perhaps see how long this paragraph gets after the additions> Blaziken's few other counters are also dependent on sand or rain, as they are all 2HKOed in sun. The first is bulky Dragon Dance Dragonite, who can come in on either of Blaziken's STABs, escaping the +2 2HKO, and OHKO back with any attack. Intimidate Gyarados also narrowly escapes the +2 2HKO and easily OHKOes back with either Bounce or Waterfall. Slowbro functions similarly and can retaliate with Scald. However, do note that Quagsire is easily 2HKOed by Hi Jump Kick after at least one layer of Spikes. <suggest teammates to deal with these threats>

Stealth Rock edges many of the aforementioned Pokemon into a boosted Blaziken's KO range, including defensive Gliscor, offensive Dragonite, and Intimidate Gyarados, and possibly even bulky Dragonite and Salamence as well. Spikes, too, ease the need for a high damage roll and leaves these counters in the dust. For this reason, reliable users of Stealth Rock and Spikes, such as <example> and <example> respectively, make great teammates. Removing opposing Rapid Spin users, most notably <examples>, is helpful to a Blaziken sweep, making the likes of <examples> fine teammates.

[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Substitute / Protect
move 3: Hi Jump Kick / Flare Blitz
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Leftovers / Focus Sash
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Due to egg move restrictions, standard Blaziken cannot run Baton Pass in conjunction with Speed Boost. In Dream World, however, these movepool limitations are not in effect, and Blaziken is therefore free to pass its accumulated boosts. In addition to raising Blaziken's Attack, Swords Dance boosts can be passed to a teammate. Protect gives Blaziken a vital free Speed boost, enabling it to pose more of a threat, as well as Baton Pass more easily. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are powerful STAB moves, with the former letting Blaziken threaten <examples> and the latter <examples>. Finally, Baton Pass allows Blaziken to utilize Speed Boost to its full potential and lead the team to a sweep.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

All-out offensive investment is used as Blaziken is frail even with defensive investment, so there is no use in running any. A Jolly nature is used to make Blaziken as fast as possible, as this Blaziken should not be attempting a sweep of its own. Leftovers is the main option <why?> unless Blaziken is in the lead slot. As an alternative, Focus Sash allows Blaziken to nab one free turn, and is particularly useful for getting up both a Swords Dance and a Speed boost.

This Blaziken has no true counters <taunt users? phazers? if it easily xhkoes all common taunt users (such as?), that probably merits a mention too>. One of its only issues is Breloom, who <what exactly does it do? bypass Blaziken's speed boosts and ohko with mach punch?>; Azumarill too can be similarly problematic. A Pokemon such as <breloom counter> is a good way to deal with Breloom, while Thundurus and Serperior handle Azumarill well. More important teammates are ones that can make good use of the passed Attack and Speed boosts. Garchomp and Landorus become incredibly powerful after these boosts, while other good receivers include Infernape, Breloom, and Dragonite <why are garchomp and landorus set apart from the rest? seems weird imo. are they /better/ - if so, that doesn't come through. also, perhaps too many examples here and too little explanation - just pick two or three with good synergy with blaziken (both offensive and defensive) and elaborate on them a little more. such as, can switch in on the x-type attacks blaziken attracts, can easily pick off y and z, who are complete stops to blaziken running hjk, etc etc> Blaziken is also great with Calm Mind passers such as Espeon <why?>.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Protect / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Naive / Rash
evs: 80 Atk / 200 SpA / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With a great base 110 Special Attack stat, Blaziken can be an effective mixed wallbreaker. Fire Blast is a much better attack than Flare Blitz as it doesn't inflict recoil; it also does more damage to physically defensive Steel-types such as <examples>. Hi Jump Kick is Blaziken's other STAB, and while it is less reliable <accuracy-wise? coverage-wise?> than Fire Blast, it hits incredibly hard and provides Blaziken with great neutral coverage. Hidden Power Ice is Blaziken's coverage move of choice, as it destroys Dragonite and Garchomp, two huge threats to Blaziken otherwise. The last slot is a toss-up. Protect grants Blaziken a free Speed boost, but deprives it of extra coverage. Shadow Claw hits Jellicent and Chandelure, who wall Blaziken's other moves, and should be used if Blaziken's other teammates cannot easily deal with them.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<what SPECIFIC KOs do the atk / spatk evs achieve? who do the spe evs outrun? are there other speed benchmarks that might be worth considering, both lower and higher?>. A Naive nature is recommended as it lets Blaziken outrun <who?>, but Rash is a great option as it gains the <any specific KOs it achieves? why is it not recommended?>. Life Orb is the preferred item for the power boost <again, any specific KOs?>, but Expert Belt is worth considering if Blaziken is used in sand, as it has excellent super effective coverage, and residual damage would otherwise add up quickly.

Either Hidden Power Electric or Hidden Power Grass can be used in place of Hidden Power Ice for a super effective hit on bulky Water-types, most notably <examples>, but bulky Waters are somewhat less common in the DW metagame, and the lack of Hidden Power Ice leaves Blaziken open to Dragonite, Garchomp, and Latios, who are far more common threats.

This set has trouble with bulky Water-types, particularly Jellicent, as it is not <xhkoed by x>. To remedy this, Thundurus and Serperior are once again amazing partners. Both pack super effective STAB moves against bulky Water-types, and Thundurus can also use priority Taunt to cripple Jellicent. This set once again loves sun support, making Ninetales a recommended partner, but as previously mentioned, can be used in sand with Expert Belt. <entry hazard support required for specific xhkos? fast teammates that can clean up after blaziken is done wallbreaking and removing / denting specific named walls? i kind of get the feeling that you ran out of steam here! perhaps try not to write all of it in one sitting :/>

[Other Options]

Blaziken has access to Stone Edge, which the Swords Dance sweeper can use over Protect. Blaze Kick and Sky Uppercut can replace Flare Blitz and Hi Jump Kick respectively on any set, but the reduced damage output is very noticeable. In particular, forgoing <specific xhkos either misses?> Shadow Claw is an option to hit Ghost-types that generally trouble Blaziken. Though unorthodox, Choice Band Blaziken would make for a neat late-game cleaner, and only requires a free switch-in on anything slower than it. However, as with any Pokemon, it hates being locked into one move <idk, that hardly seems like a good reason to me. perhaps its stabs individually don't have great coverage? it's a waste of its other moves like swords dance? it's a waste of its other excellent coverage moves?>.

[Checks and Counters]

Blaziken's main problem is not a specific Pokemon, but a field condition: rain. In rain, Flare Blitz becomes pitifully weak, leaving Blaziken open to all Ghost-types. As such, Politoed is a great weapon to have on your side when attempting to counter Blaziken. Additionally, Politoed itself can take one unboosted hit and KO back. Ghost-types also greatly trouble Blaziken because they are immune to Hi Jump Kick, with Jellicent and Chandelure also able to take its Flare Blitz and OHKO. Aside from Jellicent, Slowbro causes Blaziken nightmares as well. Thanks to their typing and access to STAB Scald, both these threats can switch in with impunity and force Blaziken out. While Slowbro is 2HKOed by +2 Hi Jump Kick and Stealth Rock damage, it can switch in immediately with no issues. Thanks to Leftovers, Quagsire just barely survives the 2HKO, and can OHKO in return with either STAB move. The popular Multiscale Dragonite also exists to give Blaziken trouble, but is easily 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Gyarados can take one hit and go for Waterfall or Bounce; Thundurus can also sacrifice itself to hinder Blaziken with Thunder Wave. Lastly, Ditto threatens all sets, especially the Baton Pass one. By stealing Blaziken's Attack and Speed Boosts, along with its powerful STAB attacks, it can possibly sweep Blaziken's own team in the process.

The Swords Dance set has no true counters due to its sheer power, but it can certainly be played around. Breloom can revenge kill it with Technician Mach Punch and Azumarill with Aqua Jet; the latter can also switch in on Flare Blitz, which can be baited by Ferrothorn or Chandelure. In fact, running both forms of priority makes for a great failsafe, and is perhaps the best way to check Blaziken. The mixed set is very dangerous courtesy of its amazing coverage. However, Slowbro and Vaporeon can take anything it can dish out, and if it lacks Protect, Jellicent counters it. The Baton Pass set is a little trickier to handle, but if the opponent predicts well and, for instance, gets Skarmory to use Whirlwind, Blaziken's plans will be temporarily scuppered. Do watch out, though, as the Baton Pass set is the only set with no counters, besides possibly Azumarill and Breloom. If not packing such priority, Blaziken will almost always get off a pass, often causing the end of the game.

Whatever, it's better than having just the remove/not remove version and having to go through everything individually, also having to copy paste it into word or erase everything with a certain color tags around them.
Thanks, and cheers!

Lemonade · Mar 8, 2012

doing this check letzz get it donnnnnne

hihi, the previous check has not been implemented correctly: sirndpt's comments like <comment here> are still present, so you have to respond to those before I can finish checking.

in progress

[Overview]

Blaziken was one of the Pokemon that was released from Ubers to reign free in the Dream World OU tier. With its Dream World ability, Speed Boost, Blaziken can remedy its low Speed and become an immensely powerful sweeper. While Blaziken can still sweep outside of sun, its effectiveness is somewhat reduced. Rain, however, is very detrimental to Blaziken's success as a sweeper, as it cuts the power of Blaziken's Flare Blitz. Additionally, low defenses leave Blaziken susceptible to priority, though it should be noted that no priority user in the tier can safely switch in. Despite all these difficulties, amazing offensive typing and high offensive stats keep Blaziken a top-tier Pokemon. All these advantages and disadvantages combine to make a downright amazing Pokemon that can sweep nearly any team under the right conditions.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hi Jump Kick
move 3: Flare Blitz
move 4: Protect / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Air Balloon
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With a Speed Boost every turn, as well as the ability to raise its Attack via Swords Dance, Blaziken has the potential to become quite a frightening sweeper. With the Attack boost, Blaziken hits a maximum Attack stat of 734, and can easily OHKO or 2HKO most of the tier. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are excellent dual STABs; a +2 sun-boosted Flare Blitz in particular can even OHKO Jellicent after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Hi Jump Kick has amazing neutral coverage with Flare Blitz, but is inferior to Flare Blitz in sun, even when Flare Blitz is resisted compared to a neutral hit. However, when using it, watch out for Ghost-types such as Chandelure and Jellicent, which can switch in for free and KO Blaziken back—though the former fears a Flare Blitz OHKO in sun. Protect is extremely important on this set, as it grants Blaziken one desperately needed boost to its Speed. Substitute is an option if Blaziken can come in on something that it outspeeds, and solves any problems Blaziken has with priority and status, particularly against sacrificial priority attempts from Thundurus and foes aiming to weaken Blaziken with Intimidate.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Blaziken's bulk is so poor that even with investment, it will still not be taking very many hits. For this reason, its Attack and Speed are maximized. A Jolly nature allows Blaziken to outspeed Adamant Excadrill in the sand after two Speed boosts, as well as all Choice Scarf users below base 80 Speed after one boost, most notably Politoed and Heatran. However, it should be noted that the rare Jolly Excadrill will still outrun Blaziken. An Adamant nature is an option if these threats aren't particular issues, pushing Blaziken's Attack even higher than it already is, and securing the +2 KO on Slowbro, but Jolly is normally preferred as these foes could otherwise prevent a successful sweep. Life Orb is the best item to use, because Blaziken needs to hit as hard as it can as soon as possible. Leftovers is also a viable option, particularly if Blaziken is used on a sand team, because recoil from Life Orb and Flare Blitz, as well as residual damage from sand, can easily end Blaziken's sweep prematurely. However, Life Orb is almost always the best item choice as Leftovers variants will sorely miss the initial power, and consequently be unable to get a lot of major +2 2HKO's, including on Dragonite and Jellicent. Air Balloon can be used to avoid Ground-type attacks from the likes of Gliscor, Landorus, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill, and potentially gain a free setup turn.

Ninetales should almost always be run alongside Blaziken, mainly due to the fact that sandstorm piles recoil damage on Blaziken, and rain weakens Flare Blitz. Blaziken can deal with Tyranitar, but a teammate that can remove Tyranitar and Politoed before Blaziken hits the field is most desirable. Scizor and Breloom completely annihilate Tyranitar and don't mind the sun as they stand no chance against Fire-type attacks anyway. As Rotom-W fares poorly in sun, Thundurus and Serperior are useful partners to remove Politoed. Despite Speed Boost, Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave can also be annoying, since it neuters Blaziken's Speed: at +6 Blaziken will max out at a stat of 284 if it is using a Jolly nature. Finally, Wish passers, including Blissey and Chansey, help Blaziken stay healthy and pose more of a threat.

Blaziken has a few counters, but all of these have some flaws. Jellicent is immune to Hi Jump Kick, and, if rain is up, takes negligible damage from even +2 Flare Blitz. For this reason, ThunderPunch or Shadow Claw can be considered over Protect to hit Jellicent super effectively. However, neither of these moves OHKO, and the utility of Protect is too good to forgo. Of the two moves, Shadow Claw is the better option because it hits all Ghost-types super effectively, making Blaziken less dependent on weather. Thundurus and Serperior are once again great partners to deal with Jellicent. Lastly, note that in sun and at +2, Blaziken will always OHKO Jellicent with Flare Blitz after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Blaziken's few other counters are also dependent on sand or rain, as they are all 2HKOed in sun. The first is bulky Dragon Dance Dragonite, who can come in on either of Blaziken's STABs, escaping the +2 2HKO, and OHKO back with any attack. Intimidate Gyarados also narrowly escapes the +2 2HKO and easily OHKOes back with either Bounce or Waterfall. Slowbro functions similarly and can retaliate with Scald. However, do note that Quagsire is easily 2HKOed by Hi Jump Kick after at least one layer of Spikes. Rotom-W and Thundurus carrying Hidden Power Ice and Thunderbolt can deal with Gyarados, Dragonite, Slowbro, and Jellicent, while Breloom can deal with Quagsire.

Stealth Rock edges many of the aforementioned Pokemon into a boosted Blaziken's KO range, including defensive Gliscor, offensive Dragonite, and Intimidate Gyarados, and possibly even bulky Dragonite and Salamence as well. Spikes, too, ease the need for a high damage roll and leaves these counters in the dust. For this reason, reliable users of Stealth Rock and Spikes, such as Tyranitar and Deoxys-S respectively, make great teammates. Removing opposing Rapid Spin users, most notably Forretress, Starmie, and Excadrill, is helpful to a Blaziken sweep, making the likes of Chandelure, Tyranitar, and Gliscor fine teammates.

[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Substitute / Protect
move 3: Hi Jump Kick / Flare Blitz
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Leftovers / Focus Sash
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Due to egg move restrictions, standard Blaziken cannot run Baton Pass in conjunction with Speed Boost. In Dream World, however, these movepool limitations are not in effect, and Blaziken is therefore free to pass its accumulated boosts. In addition to raising Blaziken's Attack, Swords Dance boosts can be passed to a teammate. Protect gives Blaziken a vital free Speed boost, enabling it to pose more of a threat, as well as Baton Pass more easily. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are powerful STAB moves, the former letting Blaziken threaten bulky Water-types and the latter, most Steel-types. Finally, Baton Pass allows Blaziken to utilize Speed Boost to its full potential and lead the team to a sweep.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

All-out offensive investment is used, as Blaziken is frail even with defensive investment, so there is no use in running any. A Jolly nature is used to make Blaziken as fast as possible, as this Blaziken should not be attempting a sweep of its own. Leftovers is the main option because Focus Sash may be broken with entry hazards, unless of course Blaziken is in the lead slot. As an alternative, Focus Sash allows Blaziken to nab one free turn, and is particularly useful for getting up both a Swords Dance and a Speed boost.

This Blaziken has no true counters other than a switch in from a Taunt user like Thundurus or a phazer like Vaporeon, the former of which can be dealt with by Flare Blitz. However, the latter can switch in without fear of a +2 or Life Orb boosted Hi Jump Kick, proceeding to OHKO Blaziken with Scald or phaze out the Pokemon Blaziken passes of to. Thundurus, Serperior, and Rotom-W are great problems to deal with this. One of its only issues is Breloom, which can bypass Blaziken's speed boosts and maim it with Mach Punch; Azumarill too can be similarly problematic. A Pokemon such as Chandelure is a good way to deal with Breloom, while Thundurus and Serperior handle Azumarill well. More important teammates are ones that can make good use of the passed Attack and Speed boosts. Garchomp and Landorus become incredibly powerful after these boosts, and other good receivers include Infernape, Breloom, and Dragonite. Garchomp and Landorus stand out from the rest as they already boast high stats in these areas, but Breloom and Dragonite are great too because they resist Water-type attacks directed at Blaziken. Blaziken is also great with Calm Mind passers such as Espeon, as Blaziken does not possess the ability to pass off Special Attack boosts, which can be problematic to mixed receivers.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Protect / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Naive / Rash
evs: 80 Atk / 200 SpA / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With a great base 110 Special Attack stat, Blaziken can be an effective mixed wallbreaker. Fire Blast is a much better attack than Flare Blitz, as it doesn't inflict recoil; it also does more damage to physically defensive Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory. Hi Jump Kick is Blaziken's other STAB, and while it is less reliable than Fire Blast since it might deal 50% recoil damage, it hits incredibly hard and provides Blaziken with great neutral coverage. Hidden Power Ice is Blaziken's coverage move of choice, as it destroys Dragonite and Garchomp, two huge threats to Blaziken otherwise. The last slot is a toss-up. Protect grants Blaziken a free Speed boost, but deprives it of extra coverage. Shadow Claw hits Jellicent and Chandelure, which wall Blaziken's other moves, and should be used if Blaziken's other teammates cannot easily deal with them.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<what SPECIFIC KOs do the atk / spatk evs achieve? who do the spe evs outrun? are there other speed benchmarks that might be worth considering, both lower and higher?>. A Naive nature is recommended as it lets Blaziken outrun <who?>, but Rash is a great option as it gains the <any specific KOs it achieves? why is it not recommended?>. Life Orb is the preferred item for the power boost <again, any specific KOs?>, but Expert Belt is worth considering if Blaziken is used in sand, as it has excellent super effective coverage, and residual damage would otherwise add up quickly.

Either Hidden Power Electric or Hidden Power Grass can be used in place of Hidden Power Ice for a super effective hit on bulky Water-types, most notably <examples>, but bulky Waters are somewhat less common in the DW metagame, and the lack of Hidden Power Ice leaves Blaziken open to Dragonite, Garchomp, and Latios, who are far more common threats.

This set has trouble with bulky Water-types, particularly Jellicent, as it is not <xhkoed by x>. To remedy this, Thundurus and Serperior are once again amazing partners. Both pack super effective STAB moves against bulky Water-types, and Thundurus can also use priority Taunt to cripple Jellicent. This set once again loves sun support, making Ninetales a recommended partner, but as previously mentioned, can be used in sand with Expert Belt. <entry hazard support required for specific xhkos? fast teammates that can clean up after blaziken is done wallbreaking and removing / denting specific named walls? i kind of get the feeling that you ran out of steam here! perhaps try not to write all of it in one sitting :/>

[Other Options]

Blaziken has access to Stone Edge, which the Swords Dance sweeper can use over Protect. Blaze Kick and Sky Uppercut can replace Flare Blitz and Hi Jump Kick respectively on any set, but the reduced damage output is very noticeable. In particular, forgoing <specific xhkos either misses?> Shadow Claw is an option to hit Ghost-types that generally trouble Blaziken. Though unorthodox, Choice Band Blaziken would make for a neat late-game cleaner, and only requires a free switch-in on anything slower than it. However, as with any Pokemon, it hates being locked into one move <idk, that hardly seems like a good reason to me. perhaps its stabs individually don't have great coverage? it's a waste of its other moves like swords dance? it's a waste of its other excellent coverage moves?>.

[Checks and Counters]

Blaziken's main problem is not a specific Pokemon, but a field condition: rain. In rain, Flare Blitz becomes pitifully weak, leaving Blaziken open to all Ghost-types. As such, Politoed is a great weapon to have on your side when attempting to counter Blaziken. Additionally, Politoed itself can take one unboosted hit and KO back. Ghost-types also greatly trouble Blaziken because they are immune to Hi Jump Kick, with Jellicent and Chandelure also able to take its Flare Blitz and OHKO. Aside from Jellicent, Slowbro causes Blaziken nightmares as well. Thanks to their typing and access to STAB Scald, both these threats can switch in with impunity and force Blaziken out. While Slowbro is 2HKOed by +2 Hi Jump Kick and Stealth Rock damage, it can switch in immediately with no issues. Thanks to Leftovers, Quagsire just barely survives the 2HKO, and can OHKO in return with either STAB move. The popular Multiscale Dragonite also exists to give Blaziken trouble, but is easily 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Gyarados can take one hit and go for Waterfall or Bounce; Thundurus can also sacrifice itself to hinder Blaziken with Thunder Wave. Lastly, Ditto threatens all sets, especially the Baton Pass one. By stealing Blaziken's Attack and Speed Boosts, along with its powerful STAB attacks, it can possibly sweep Blaziken's own team in the process.

The Swords Dance set has no true counters due to its sheer power, but it can certainly be played around. Breloom can revenge kill it with Technician Mach Punch and Azumarill with Aqua Jet; the latter can also switch in on Flare Blitz, which can be baited by Ferrothorn or Chandelure. In fact, running both forms of priority makes for a great failsafe, and is perhaps the best way to check Blaziken. The mixed set is very dangerous courtesy of its amazing coverage. However, Slowbro and Vaporeon can take anything it can dish out, and if it lacks Protect, Jellicent counters it. The Baton Pass set is a little trickier to handle, but if the opponent predicts well and, for instance, gets Skarmory to use Whirlwind, Blaziken's plans will be temporarily scuppered. Do watch out, though, as the Baton Pass set is the only set with no counters, besides possibly Azumarill and Breloom. If not packing such priority, Blaziken will almost always get off a pass, often causing the end of the game.

[Overview]

Blaziken was one of the Pokemon that was released from Ubers to reign free in the Dream World OU tier. With its Dream World ability, Speed Boost, Blaziken can remedy its low Speed and become an immensely powerful sweeper. While Blaziken can still sweep outside of sun, its effectiveness is somewhat reduced. Rain, however, is very detrimental to Blaziken's success as a sweeper, as it cuts the power of Blaziken's Flare Blitz. Additionally, low defenses leave Blaziken susceptible to priority, though it should be noted that no priority user in the tier can safely switch in. Despite all these difficulties, amazing offensive typing and high offensive stats keep Blaziken a top-tier Pokemon. All these advantages and disadvantages combine to make a downright amazing Pokemon that can sweep nearly any team under the right conditions.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hi Jump Kick
move 3: Flare Blitz
move 4: Protect / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Air Balloon
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With ~~its~~a Speed ~~being b~~Boosted every turn ~~by Speed Boost~~, as well as the ability to ~~boost~~raise its Attack via Swords Dance, Blaziken has the potential to become quite a frightening sweeper. With the Attack boost, Blaziken hits a maximum Attack stat of 734, and can easily OHKO or 2HKO most of the tier. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are excellent dual STABs; a +2 sun-boosted Flare Blitz in particular can even OHKO Jellicent after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Hi Jump Kick has amazing neutral coverage with Flare Blitz, but is inferior to Flare Blitz in sun, even when Flare Blitz is resisted compared to a neutral hit. However, when using it, watch out for Ghost-types such as Chandelure and Jellicent, whoich can switch in for free and KO Blaziken back—though the former fears a Flare Blitz OHKO in sun. Protect is extremely important on this set, as it grants Blaziken one desperately needed boost to its Speed. Substitute is an option if Blaziken can come in on something that it outspeeds, and solves any problems Blaziken has with priority and status, particularly against sacrificial priority attempts from Thundurus and foes aiming to weaken Blaziken with Intimidate.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Blaziken's bulk is so poor that even with investment, it will still not be taking very many hits. For this reason, its Attack and Speed are maximized. A Jolly nature allows Blaziken to outspeed Adamant Excadrill in the sand after two Speed boosts, as well as all Choice Scarf users below base 80 Speed after one boost, most notably Politoed and Heatran. However, it should be noted that the rare Jolly Excadrill will still outrun Blaziken. An Adamant nature is an option if these threats aren't particular issues, pushing Blaziken's Attack even higher than it already is, and securing the +2 KO on Slowbro, but Jolly is normally preferred as these foes could otherwise prevent a successful sweep. Life Orb is the best item to use, because Blaziken needs to hit as hard as it can as soon as possible. Leftovers is also a viable option, particularly if Blaziken is used on a sand team, because recoil from Life Orb and Flare Blitz, as well as residual damage from sand, can easily end Blaziken's sweep prematurely. However, Life Orb is almost always the best item choice as Leftovers variants will sorely miss the initial power, and consequently be unable to get a lot of major +2 2HKO's, including on Dragonite and Jellicent. Air Balloon can be used to avoid Ground-type attacks from the likes of Gliscor, Landorus, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill, and potentially gain a free setup turn.

Ninetales should almost always be run alongside Blaziken, mainly due to the fact that sandstorm piles recoil damage on Blaziken, and rain weakens Flare Blitz. Blaziken can deal with Tyranitar, but a teammate that can remove Tyranitar and Politoed before Blaziken hits the field is most desirable. Scizor and Breloom completely annihilates Tyranitar and doesn't mind the sun as itthey stands no chance against Fire-type attacks anyway. As Rotom-W fares poorly in sun, Thundurus and Serperior are useful partners to remove Politoed. Despite Speed Boost, Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave can also be annoying, ~~which will consequentially set Blaziken back three Speed Boosts~~since it neuters Blaziken's Speed: at +6 Blaziken will max out at a stat of 284 if it is using a Jolly nature. Finally, Wish passers, including Blissey and Chansey, ~~also~~ help Blaziken to stay healthy and pose more of a threat.

Blaziken has a few counters, but all of these have some flaws. Jellicent is immune to Hi Jump Kick, and, if rain is up, takes negligible damage from even +2 Flare Blitz. For this reason, ThunderPunch or Shadow Claw can be considered over Protect to hit Jellicent super effectively. However, neither of these moves OHKO, and the utility of Protect is too good to forgo. Of the two moves, Shadow Claw is the better option because it hits all Ghost-types super effectively, making Blaziken less dependent on weather. ~~Alternatively,~~ Thundurus and Serperior are once again great partners to deal with Jellicent. Lastly, note that in sun and at +2, Blaziken will always OHKO Jellicent with Flare Blitz after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Blaziken's few other counters are also dependent on sand or rain, as they are all 2HKOed in sun. The first is bulky Dragon Dance Dragonite, who can come in on either of Blaziken's STABs, escaping the +2 2HKO, and OHKO back with any attack. Intimidate Gyarados also narrowly escapes the +2 2HKO and easily OHKOes back with either Bounce or Waterfall. Slowbro functions similarly and can retaliate with Scald. However, do note that Quagsire is easily 2HKOed by Hi Jump Kick after at least one layer of Spikes. Rotom-W and Thundurus carrying Hidden Power Ice and Thunderbolt can deal with Gyarados, Dragonite, Slowbro, and Jellicent, while Breloom can deal with Quagsire.

Stealth Rock edges many of the aforementioned Pokemon into a boosted Blaziken's KO range, including defensive Gliscor, offensive Dragonite, and Intimidate Gyarados, and possibly even bulky Dragonite and Salamence as well. Spikes, too, ease the need for a high damage roll and leaves these counters in the dust. For this reason, reliable users of Stealth Rock and Spikes, such as Tyranitar and Deoxys-S respectively, make great teammates. Removing opposing Rapid Spin users, most notably Forretress, Starmie, and Excadrill, is helpful to a Blaziken sweep, making the likes of Chandelure, Tyranitar, and Gliscor fine teammates.

[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Substitute / Protect
move 3: Hi Jump Kick / Flare Blitz
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Leftovers / Focus Sash
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Due to egg move restrictions, standard Blaziken cannot run Baton Pass in conjunction with Speed Boost. In Dream World, however, these movepool limitations are not in effect, and Blaziken is therefore free to pass its accumulated boosts. In addition to raising Blaziken's Attack, Swords Dance boosts can be passed to a teammate. Protect gives Blaziken a vital free Speed boost, enabling it to pose more of a threat, as well as Baton Pass more easily. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are powerful STAB moves, ~~with~~ the former letting Blaziken threaten bulky Water-types and the latter, most Steel-types. Finally, Baton Pass allows Blaziken to utilize Speed Boost to its full potential and lead the team to a sweep.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

All-out offensive investment is used, as Blaziken is frail even with defensive investment, so there is no use in running any. A Jolly nature is used to make Blaziken as fast as possible, as this Blaziken should not be attempting a sweep of its own. Leftovers is the main option because Focus Sash may be broken with entry hazards, unless of course Blaziken is in the lead slot. As an alternative, Focus Sash allows Blaziken to nab one free turn, and is particularly useful for getting up both a Swords Dance and a Speed boost.

This Blaziken has no true counters other than a switch in from a Taunt user like Thundurus or a phazer like Vaporeon, the former of which can be dealt with by Flare Blitz. However, the latter can switch in without fear of a +2 or Life Orb boosted Hi Jump Kick, proceeding to OHKO Blaziken with Scald or phaze out the Pokemon Blaziken passes of to. Thundurus, Serperior, and Rotom-W are great problems to deal with this. One of its only issues is Breloom, whoich can bypass Blaziken's speed boosts and ~~OHKO~~maim it with Mach Punch; Azumarill too can be similarly problematic. A Pokemon such as Chandelure is a good way to deal with Breloom, while Thundurus and Serperior handle Azumarill well. More important teammates are ones that can make good use of the passed Attack and Speed boosts. Garchomp and Landorus become incredibly powerful after these boosts, ~~while~~and other good receivers include Infernape, Breloom, and Dragonite. Garchomp and Landorus stand out from the rest as they already boast high stats in these areas, but Breloom and Dragonite are great too because they resist Water-type attacks directed at Blaziken. Blaziken is also great with Calm Mind passers such as Espeon, as Blaziken does not possess the ability to pass off Special Attack boosts, which can be problematic to mixed receivers.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Protect / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Naive / Rash
evs: 80 Atk / 200 SpA / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With a great base 110 Special Attack stat, Blaziken can be an effective mixed wallbreaker. Fire Blast is a much better attack than Flare Blitz, as it doesn't inflict recoil; it also does more damage to physically defensive Steel-types such as ~~<examples>~~Ferrothorn and Skarmory. Hi Jump Kick is Blaziken's other STAB, and while it is less reliable ~~<accuracy-wise? coverage-wise?> than Fire Blast~~than Fire Blast since it might deal 50% recoil damage, it hits incredibly hard and provides Blaziken with great neutral coverage. Hidden Power Ice is Blaziken's coverage move of choice, as it destroys Dragonite and Garchomp, two huge threats to Blaziken otherwise. The last slot is a toss-up. Protect grants Blaziken a free Speed boost, but deprives it of extra coverage. Shadow Claw hits Jellicent and Chandelure, whoich wall Blaziken's other moves, and should be used if Blaziken's other teammates cannot easily deal with them.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<what SPECIFIC KOs do the atk / spatk evs achieve? who do the spe evs outrun? are there other speed benchmarks that might be worth considering, both lower and higher?>. A Naive nature is recommended as it lets Blaziken outrun <who?>, but Rash is a great option as it gains the <any specific KOs it achieves? why is it not recommended?>. Life Orb is the preferred item for the power boost <again, any specific KOs?>, but Expert Belt is worth considering if Blaziken is used in sand, as it has excellent super effective coverage, and residual damage would otherwise add up quickly.

Either Hidden Power Electric or Hidden Power Grass can be used in place of Hidden Power Ice for a super effective hit on bulky Water-types, most notably <examples>, but bulky Waters are somewhat less common in the DW metagame, and the lack of Hidden Power Ice leaves Blaziken open to Dragonite, Garchomp, and Latios, who are far more common threats.

This set has trouble with bulky Water-types, particularly Jellicent, as it is not <xhkoed by x>. To remedy this, Thundurus and Serperior are once again amazing partners. Both pack super effective STAB moves against bulky Water-types, and Thundurus can also use priority Taunt to cripple Jellicent. This set once again loves sun support, making Ninetales a recommended partner, but as previously mentioned, can be used in sand with Expert Belt. <entry hazard support required for specific xhkos? fast teammates that can clean up after blaziken is done wallbreaking and removing / denting specific named walls? i kind of get the feeling that you ran out of steam here! perhaps try not to write all of it in one sitting :/>

[Other Options]

Blaziken has access to Stone Edge, which the Swords Dance sweeper can use over Protect. Blaze Kick and Sky Uppercut can replace Flare Blitz and Hi Jump Kick respectively on any set, but the reduced damage output is very noticeable. In particular, forgoing <specific xhkos either misses?> Shadow Claw is an option to hit Ghost-types that generally trouble Blaziken. Though unorthodox, Choice Band Blaziken would make for a neat late-game cleaner, and only requires a free switch-in on anything slower than it. However, as with any Pokemon, it hates being locked into one move <idk, that hardly seems like a good reason to me. perhaps its stabs individually don't have great coverage? it's a waste of its other moves like swords dance? it's a waste of its other excellent coverage moves?>.

[Checks and Counters]

Blaziken's main problem is not a specific Pokemon, but a field condition: rain. In rain, Flare Blitz becomes pitifully weak, leaving Blaziken open to all Ghost-types. As such, Politoed is a great weapon to have on your side when attempting to counter Blaziken. Additionally, Politoed itself can take one unboosted hit and KO back. Ghost-types also greatly trouble Blaziken because they are immune to Hi Jump Kick, with Jellicent and Chandelure also able to take its Flare Blitz and OHKO. Aside from Jellicent, Slowbro causes Blaziken nightmares as well. Thanks to their typing and access to STAB Scald, both these threats can switch in with impunity and force Blaziken out. While Slowbro is 2HKOed by +2 Hi Jump Kick and Stealth Rock damage, it can switch in immediately with no issues. Thanks to Leftovers, Quagsire just barely survives the 2HKO, and can OHKO in return with either STAB move. The popular Multiscale Dragonite also exists to give Blaziken trouble, but is easily 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Gyarados can take one hit and go for Waterfall or Bounce; Thundurus can also sacrifice itself to hinder Blaziken with Thunder Wave. Lastly, Ditto threatens all sets, especially the Baton Pass one. By stealing Blaziken's Attack and Speed Boosts, along with its powerful STAB attacks, it can possibly sweep Blaziken's own team in the process.

The Swords Dance set has no true counters due to its sheer power, but it can certainly be played around. Breloom can revenge kill it with Technician Mach Punch and Azumarill with Aqua Jet; the latter can also switch in on Flare Blitz, which can be baited by Ferrothorn or Chandelure. In fact, running both forms of priority makes for a great failsafe, and is perhaps the best way to check Blaziken. The mixed set is very dangerous courtesy of its amazing coverage. However, Slowbro and Vaporeon can take anything it can dish out, and if it lacks Protect, Jellicent counters it. The Baton Pass set is a little trickier to handle, but if the opponent predicts well and, for instance, gets Skarmory to use Whirlwind, Blaziken's plans will be temporarily scuppered. Do watch out, though, as the Baton Pass set is the only set with no counters, besides possibly Azumarill and Breloom. If not packing such priority, Blaziken will almost always get off a pass, often causing the end of the game.

Jukain · Mar 8, 2012

I've got the stuff in.

Lemonade · Mar 8, 2012

Thanks!

Ok so I don't have computer access until Sunday due to a trip, so please could someone finish the GP from the AC of the mixed set and on? Thanks!! C:

sandshrewz · Mar 10, 2012

Added V0x's check in as well. And the app acted up on me as well -.- C/P only

[Overview]

Blaziken was one of the Pokemon that was released from Ubers to reign free in the Dream World OU tier. With its Dream World ability, Speed Boost, Blaziken can remedy its low Speed and become an immensely powerful sweeper. While Blaziken can still sweep outside of sun, its effectiveness is somewhat reduced. Rain, however, is very detrimental to Blaziken's success as a sweeper, as it cuts the power of Blaziken's Flare Blitz. Additionally, low defenses leave Blaziken susceptible to priority, though it should be noted that no priority user in the tier can safely switch in. Despite all these difficulties, amazing offensive typing and high offensive stats keep Blaziken a top-tier Pokemon. All these advantages and disadvantages combine to make a downright amazing Pokemon that can sweep nearly any team under the right conditions.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hi Jump Kick
move 3: Flare Blitz
move 4: Protect / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Air Balloon
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With a Speed Boost every turn, as well as the ability to raise its Attack via Swords Dance, Blaziken has the potential to become quite a frightening sweeper. With an Attack boost, Blaziken hits a maximum Attack stat of 734, and can easily OHKO or 2HKO most of the tier. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are excellent dual STABs; a +2 sun-boosted Flare Blitz in particular can even OHKO Jellicent after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Hi Jump Kick has amazing neutral coverage with Flare Blitz, but is inferior to Flare Blitz in sun, even when Flare Blitz is resisted compared to a neutral hit. However, when using it, watch out for Ghost-types such as Chandelure and Jellicent, who can switch in for free and KO Blaziken back—though the former fears getting OHKOed by a sun-boosted Flare Blitz. Protect is extremely important on this set, as it grants Blaziken one desperately needed boost to its Speed. Substitute is an option if Blaziken can come in on something that it outspeeds, and solves any problems Blaziken has with priority and status, particularly against sacrificial priority attempts from Thundurus and foes aiming to weaken Blaziken with Intimidate.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Blaziken's bulk is so poor that even with investment, it will still not be taking very many hits. For this reason, its Attack and Speed are maximized. A Jolly nature allows Blaziken to outspeed Adamant Excadrill in the sandstorm after two Speed boosts, as well as all Choice Scarf users below base 80 Speed after one boost, most notably Politoed and Heatran. However, it should be noted that the rare Jolly Excadrill will still outrun Blaziken. An Adamant nature is an option if these threats aren't particular issues, pushing Blaziken's Attack even higher than it already is, and securing the KO on Slowbro with a +2 Attack, but Jolly is normally preferred as these foes could otherwise prevent a successful sweep. Life Orb is the best item to use, because Blaziken needs to hit as hard as it can as soon as possible. Leftovers is also a viable option, particularly if Blaziken is used on a sandstorm team, because recoil from Life Orb and Flare Blitz, as well as residual damage from sandstorm, can easily end Blaziken's sweep prematurely. However, Life Orb is almost always the best item choice as Leftovers variants will sorely miss the initial power, and consequently be unable to get a lot of major 2HKOs after a Swords Dance, including on Dragonite and Jellicent. Air Balloon can be used to avoid Ground-type attacks from the likes of Gliscor, Landorus, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill, and potentially gain a free setup turn.

Ninetales should almost always be run alongside Blaziken, mainly due to the fact that sandstorm piles recoil damage on Blaziken, and rain weakens Flare Blitz. Blaziken can deal with Tyranitar, but a teammate that can remove Tyranitar and Politoed before Blaziken hits the field is most desirable. Scizor and Breloom completely annihilate Tyranitar and don't mind the sun as it stands no chance against Fire-type attacks anyway. As Rotom-W fares poorly in sun, Thundurus and Serperior are useful partners to remove Politoed. Despite Speed Boost, Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave can also be annoying, since it neuters Blaziken's Speed: at +6 Blaziken will max out at a stat of 284 if it is using a Jolly nature. Finally, Wish passers, including Blissey and Chansey, help Blaziken stay healthy and pose more of a threat.

Blaziken has a few counters, but all of these have some flaws. Jellicent is immune to Hi Jump Kick and if rain is up, takes negligible damage from even +2 Flare Blitz. For this reason, ThunderPunch or Shadow Claw can be considered over Protect to hit Jellicent super effectively. However, neither of these moves OHKO, and the utility of Protect is too good to forgo. Of the two moves, Shadow Claw is the better option because it hits all Ghost-types super effectively, making Blaziken less dependent on weather. Thundurus and Serperior are once again great partners to deal with Jellicent. Lastly, note that in sun and at +2, Blaziken will always OHKO Jellicent with Flare Blitz after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Blaziken's few other counters are also dependent on sandstorm or rain, as they are all 2HKOed in sun. The first is bulky Dragon Dance Dragonite, who can come in on either of Blaziken's STABs, escaping the 2HKO, and OHKO back with any attack. Intimidate Gyarados also narrowly escapes the 2HKO and easily OHKOes back with either Bounce or Waterfall. Slowbro functions similarly and can retaliate with Scald. Quagsire can make use of Unaware to ignore Blaziken's stat boots. However, do note that Quagsire is easily 2HKOed by Hi Jump Kick after at least one layer of Spikes. Rotom-W and Thundurus carrying Hidden Power Ice and Thunderbolt can deal with Gyarados, Dragonite, Slowbro, and Jellicent, while Breloom can deal with Quagsire.

Stealth Rock edges many of the aforementioned Pokemon into a boosted Blaziken's KO range, including defensive Gliscor, offensive Dragonite, and Intimidate Gyarados, and possibly even bulky Dragonite and Salamence as well. Spikes, too, ease the need for a high damage roll and leaves these counters in the dust. For this reason, reliable users of Stealth Rock and Spikes, such as Tyranitar and Deoxys-S respectively, make great teammates. Removing opposing Rapid Spin users, most notably Forretress, Starmie, and Excadrill, is helpful to a Blaziken sweep, making the likes of Chandelure, Tyranitar, and Gliscor fine teammates.

[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Substitute / Protect
move 3: Hi Jump Kick / Flare Blitz
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Leftovers / Focus Sash
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Due to egg move restrictions, standard Blaziken cannot run Baton Pass in conjunction with Speed Boost. In Dream World OU, however, these movepool limitations are not in effect, and Blaziken is therefore free to pass its accumulated boosts. In addition to raising Blaziken's Attack, Swords Dance boosts can be passed to a teammate. Protect gives Blaziken a vital free Speed boost, enabling it to pose more of a threat, as well as Baton Pass more easily. Hi Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are powerful STAB moves, the former letting Blaziken threaten bulky Water-types and the latter most Steel-types. Finally, Baton Pass allows Blaziken to utilize Speed Boost to its full potential and lead the team to a sweep.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

All-out offensive investment is used as Blaziken is frail even with defensive investment, so there is no use in running any. A Jolly nature is used to make Blaziken as fast as possible, as this Blaziken should not be attempting a sweep of its own. Leftovers is the main option because Focus Sash may be broken by entry hazards, unless of course Blaziken is in the lead slot. As an alternative, Focus Sash allows Blaziken to nab one free turn, and is particularly useful for getting up both a Swords Dance and a Speed boost.

This Blaziken has no true counters other than a switch in from a Taunt user such as Thundurus or a phazer such as Vaporeon, the former of which can be dealt with by Flare Blitz. However, the latter can switch in without fear of a +2 or Life Orb boosted Hi Jump Kick, proceeding to OHKO Blaziken with Scald or phaze out the Pokemon Blaziken passes to. Thundurus, Serperior, and Rotom-W are great problems to deal with this. One of its only issues is Breloom, who can bypass Blaziken's Speed boosts and OHKO with Mach Punch; Azumarill too can be similarly problematic. A Pokemon such as Celebi is a good way to deal with Breloom, while Thundurus and Serperior handle Azumarill well. More important teammates are ones that can make good use of the passed Attack and Speed boosts. Garchomp and Landorus become incredibly powerful after these boosts, while other good receivers include Infernape, Breloom, and Dragonite. Garchomp and Landorus stand out from the rest as they already boast high stats in these areas, but Breloom and Dragonite are great too because they resist Water-type attacks directed at Blaziken. Blaziken is also great with Calm Mind passers such as Espeon, as Blaziken does not possess the ability to pass off Special Attack boosts, which can be problematic to mixed receivers.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Protect / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 80 Atk / 200 SpA / 228 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

With a great base 110 Special Attack stat, Blaziken can be an effective mixed wallbreaker. Fire Blast is a much better attack than Flare Blitz as it doesn't inflict recoil. Hi Jump Kick is Blaziken's other STAB, and while it is less reliable in that it fears missing more than Fire Blast, it hits incredibly hard and provides Blaziken with great neutral coverage. Hidden Power Ice is Blaziken's coverage move of choice, as it destroys Dragonite and Garchomp, two huge threats to Blaziken otherwise. The last slot is a toss-up. Protect grants Blaziken a free Speed boost, but deprives it of extra coverage. Shadow Claw hits Jellicent and Chandelure, who wall Blaziken's other moves, and should be used if Blaziken's other teammates cannot easily deal with them.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

The Special Attack EVs boost the power of Fire Blast and Hidden Power Ice. A Rash nature is preferred because it allows Blaziken to hit harder, and 228 Speed EVs enables it to outspeed Deoxys-S and Choice Scarf Garchomp at +2. However, Naive may be used to outspeed Adamant Excadrill at +2. Life Orb is the preferred item for the power boost, but Expert Belt is worth considering if Blaziken is used in sandstorm, as it has excellent super effective coverage, and residual damage would otherwise add up quickly.

Either Hidden Power Electric or Hidden Power Grass can be used in place of Hidden Power Ice for a super effective hit on bulky Water-types, most notably Vaporeon, Quagsire, and Slowbro, but bulky Water-types are somewhat less common in the DW metagame, and the lack of Hidden Power Ice leaves Blaziken open to Dragonite, Garchomp, and Latios, who are far more common threats.

This set has trouble with bulky Water-types, particularly Jellicent, as it is not 2HKOed by a sun-boosted Flare Blitz without Swords Dance to contend with. To remedy this, Thundurus and Serperior are once again amazing partners. Both pack super effective STAB moves against bulky Water-types, and Thundurus can also use priority Taunt to cripple Jellicent. This set once again loves sun support, making Ninetales a recommended partner, but as previously mentioned, Blaziken can be used in sandstorm with Expert Belt. Stealth Rock support deals with Multiscale Dragonite effectively, as well as helping against Latios.

[Other Options]

Blaziken has access to Stone Edge, which the Swords Dance sweeper can use over Protect. Blaze Kick and Sky Uppercut can replace Flare Blitz and Hi Jump Kick respectively on any set, but the reduced damage output is very noticeable. In particular, Shadow Claw is an option to hit Ghost-types that generally trouble Blaziken. Though unorthodox, Choice Band Blaziken would make for a neat late-game cleaner, and only requires a free switchin on anything slower than it. However, as with any Pokemon, it hates being locked into one move. Blaziken is best used abusing its dual STABs, and particularly Hi Jump Kick is the worst move to be locked in on in the metagame, due to the presensce of Shadow Tag Chandelure.

[Checks and Counters]

Blaziken's main problem is not a specific Pokemon, but a field condition: rain. In rain, Flare Blitz becomes pitifully weak, leaving Blaziken open to all Ghost-types. As such, Politoed is a great weapon to have on your side when attempting to counter Blaziken. Additionally, Politoed itself can take one unboosted hit and KO back. Ghost-types also greatly trouble Blaziken because they are immune to Hi Jump Kick, with Jellicent and Chandelure also able to take its Flare Blitz and OHKO. Aside from Jellicent, Slowbro gives Blaziken nightmares as well. Thanks to their typing and access to STAB Scald, both these threats can switch in with impunity and force Blaziken out. While Slowbro is 2HKOed by +2 Hi Jump Kick and Stealth Rock damage, it can switch in immediately with no issues. Thanks to Leftovers, Quagsire just barely avoids the 2HKO, and can OHKO in return with either STAB move. The popular Multiscale Dragonite also exists to give Blaziken trouble, but is easily 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Gyarados can take one hit and go for Waterfall or Bounce; Thundurus can also sacrifice itself to hinder Blaziken with Thunder Wave. Lastly, Ditto threatens all sets, especially the Baton Pass one. By stealing Blaziken's Attack and Speed Boosts, along with its powerful STAB attacks, it can possibly sweep Blaziken's own team in the process.

The Swords Dance set has no true counters due to its sheer power, but it can certainly be played around. Breloom can revenge kill it with Technician Mach Punch and Azumarill with Aqua Jet; the latter can also switch in on Flare Blitz, which can be baited by Ferrothorn or Chandelure. In fact, running both forms of priority makes for a great failsafe, and is perhaps the best way to check Blaziken. The mixed set is very dangerous courtesy of its amazing coverage. However, Slowbro and Vaporeon can take anything it can dish out, and if it lacks Protect, Jellicent counters it. The Baton Pass set is a little trickier to handle, but if the opponent predicts well and, for instance, gets Skarmory to use Whirlwind, Blaziken's plans will be temporarily scuppered. Do watch out, though, as the Baton Pass set is the only set with no counters, besides possibly Azumarill and Breloom. If not packing such priority, Blaziken will almost always get off a pass, often causing the end of the game.

GP Approved 2/2

Jukain · Mar 10, 2012

All done up in here.

Rakan · Mar 10, 2012

Uploaded

Blaziken (Analysis)

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is it cold in the water?

We have the technology.

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WOOPAGGING

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dont change my ct fuckers

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We have the technology.

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WOOPAGGING

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WOOPAGGING

POTATO

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