DP Infernape

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After extensivly testing Infernape, I've found two sets that I think are worthy of being added to the analysis.

http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/infernape

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 2: Grass Knot
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Close Combat / Focus Blast
item: Choice Specs
nature: Naive / Timid
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Like the Choice Band set, you need good prediction to pull this set off correctly. Fire Blast will be your main attack. Overheat is also a option, but you will not gain a OHKO on any Pokemon worth mentioning, and is generally a worse choice in comparison to Fire Blast. Grass Knot will 2HKO Starmie, and has a chance of 2HKOing Gyarados, but you will need Stealth Rock up to ensure it. HP Ice will OHKO Salamence, Garchomp and Dragonite, but isn't as strong as Fire Blast unless your opponent is 4x weak to it. Your nature will depend on which attack you choose in the last slot. Naive for Close Combat, Timid for Focus Blast. Both of these attacks will 2HKO Blissey. However, the difference in them is that Focus Blast is coming from Infernape's boosted SpA stat, and will also do more damage to anything else that switches in. Close Combat will 2HKO Blissey, Snorlax and Heatran. However, Focus Blast will not 2HKO effectively thanks to its low accuracy, which is a problem. When it comes to reliability, Close Combat wins out. Attack EVs aren't important in this set, since you're not boosting Close Combats power with a Life Orb. The damage gained from investing an extra 20 EVs is negligible, and not worth losing those valuable speed points.<p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Overheat / Fire Blast
move 2: HP Ice
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Rash
evs: 36 Atk / 252 SpA / 220 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set allows Infernape to outspeed and OHKO many Pokemon that it would not be able to normally, but comes at the price of being locked into just 1 attack at a time. The reason Overheat should be considered over Fire Blast is because the extra power is needed to OHKO Gengar, who otherwise may cripple Infernape with a Hypnosis or Shadow Ball. HP Ice will OHKO Garchomp and Dragonite most of the time, and definitely OHKO Salamence. Close Combat will 2HKO Blissey. You will also be able to outspeed and 2HKO Scarf Heatran. Close Combat will also OHKO any Weavile that isn't expecting Infernape to outspeed it. U-turn is a great move, allowing you to scout what your opponent switches to. The evs will let you outspeed +Speed, base 90 Pokemon holding a scarf, like Roserade.<p>

[Other Options]

<p>Grass Knot can be used over U-turn on the Choice Scarf set. Grass Knot will OHKO Swampert, and 2HKO any Starmie that switches into it. It will also 2HKO Hippowdon, and it is your best chance against Gyarados.<p>

I realize that this is a little wordy, and I'm not to sure if the Specs set is really worth adding, since it's basically just the Mixape set with Specs instead of Life Orb.

A small side note: Hidden Power Ice should get added as an option over Nasty Plot on the mixed attacker set. And by changing the EV spread to 64 Atk / 232 Spe / 212 SpAtk, you will ensure that Close Combat OHKOs standard Curselax and Blissey with Stealth Rock or Spikes up on the field. Blissey will also be OHKO with Sandstorm support, as you do 94% minimum.

Let me know what you guys think. I suppose I should post my little Mixape gripes in the thread for such edits, but I figured I would post them here as well.
 
Flamethrower is also an option on the specs set for more accuracy. Also 236 Speed on the scarf set lets you outspeed scarf rotom/lumineon/chatot even though they are pretty rare it can save you once.
 
Both of these attacks will 2HKO Blissey. However, the difference in them is that Focus Blast is coming from Infernape's boosted SpAtk stat, and will also do more damage to anything else that switches in. Close Combat will 2HKO Blissey, Snorlax and Heatran.
One major reason to use Close Combat over Focus Blast is the accuracy, which I think should be mentioned.

Also, I think you should mention Overheat on the Choice Specs set, if for no other reason than to be more complete.

[edit]: Beaten by a little.
 
I knew the accuracy problem would come up. I'll edit that into my description. I'll add Overheat as an option as well, but there really isn't a point to using it, considering you don't gain a OHKO on anything noteworthy, Two Fire Blasts are stronger than two Overheats as well. Nevertheless, it will be edited in.
 
I don't see how we can advocate Focus Blast, even on a Specs set. Regardless of Close Combat not gaining a boost, the perfect accuracy is too good to pass up.

ThunderPunch should be listed as an option over U-turn on the Choice Scarf set. Personally, I prefer U-turn but ThunderPunch is still a very good option for taking out Gyarados and it still maims Starmie.

The rest looks fine.
 
The reason I added Focus Blast as an option is because if something other than Blissey is switching into Infernape, like a physical wall to take the predicted Focus Blast, you're going to do a lot more with Focus Blast than with Close Combat. If it's that big of a problem though, I can take it off.
 
The damage gained from investing an extra 20 evs is negligible, and not worth losing those valuable speed points.<p>
Capitalize the e and v in EVs, and Spe goes last in EV order.

Grass Knot hits Pokemon such as Starmie and Gyarados for a 1-2HKO.

Try and be definite in your calculations - at the very least, I'd say something like "Grass Knot has a good chance of OHKOing the standard Starmie and will always OHKO Bulky Gyarados if Stealth Rock is up", or whatever the actual 1-2HKOs are.

<p>Grass Knot can be used over U-turn. Grass Knot will OHKO Swampert, and 2HKO any Starmie that switches into it. It will also 2HKO Hippowdon, and it is your best chance against Gyarados.<p>

Try and mention which set you're potentially suggesting GK on - remember, Grass Knot is already on some of the sets so it shouldn't go in other options unless you're suggesting it for a specific set.

Close Combat will 2HKO Blissey, and let you outspeed and 2HKO Scarf Heatran

very minor nitpick but Close Combat itself isn't letting you outspeed Scarftran, I'd change it to something like "and you're able to outspeed and 2HKO Scarf Heatran".

And by changing the EV spread to 64 Atk / 232 Spe / 212 SpAtk, you will ensure that Close Combat OHKOs standard Curselax and Blissey with Stealth Rock or Spikes up on the field. Blissey will also be OHKO with Sandstorm support, as you do 94% minimum.

This could be added to the EVs section, it's a pretty useful tidbit of information.

Good edit, I'm somewhat surprised these two sets weren't on the analysis already.
 
this post is for jrrrrrrr's and Aldaron's purposes...

site represents OP (minus FB lol bet Iggy loves that) so delete
 
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