Sorry for taking so long on this, my internet connection was down for most of last month and I've been in and out of hospital for the past few weeks, but here's what I've got thus far. My first update so be as critical as you need to be. My additions are in red...iKitsune helped out with a few of the sets - his additions are in blue.
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/infernape
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot MixApe
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Close Combat / Vacuum Wave
move 4: Grass Knot / Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>To say that this is good at taking out walls is a gross understatement. Even with only a small EV investment, the 120 Base Power Close Combat coupled with STAB will OHKO common switch-ins to Fire-type attacks, such as Tyranitar, Heatran, Snorlax, and Blissey (dealing a minimum of 98% damage on the now standard 148 HP / 252 Def). After a single Nasty Plot, Grass Knot will OHKO Suicune, Slowbro, and Milotic unless they're running Special Defense, and has a chance to OHKO Gyarados, even without Stealth Rock. Vaporeon will take around 70% damage, and Swampert, Donphan, and Hippowdon do not even stand a chance. With the bulky Water- and Ground-type Pokemon out of the way, Infernape can use Close Combat and Fire Blast to sweep almost unhindered.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is statistically better than Flamethrower, so it is the main option, but if you are worried about accuracy then Flamethrower is also a worthy choice. Notable downsides, however, include missed OHKOs on Specially Defensive Zapdos, as well as OHKOs after Stealth Rock damage on Cresselia, Salamence, and Flygon. Hidden Power Ice is an option over Grass Knot if you fear Salamence, who otherwise resists all of Infernape’s attacks. Although it is not in the spirit of a MixApe set, Vacuum Wave is an option over Close Combat. It is fantastic against Choice Scarfed Heatrans who think that they can revenge kill you, as well as Agility Empoleon, Swords Dance Lucario, Weavile, and any fast sweeper at low HP. Running the set without Close Combat may seem silly, but the things it is most relevant against (i.e. Blissey and Tyranitar) will almost never switch into Infernape until they see its entire set. Blissey still can be 2HKOed by Fire Blast after a Nasty Plot (though the chance is slim), and Tyranitar will be OHKOed by a +2 Vacuum Wave, unless it is running a nature which boosts its Special Defense. </p>
<p>This Infernape has problems with Latias, Starmie, and Tentacruel, so it should always be partnered with a strong Pursuit user, such as Scizor, Metagross, or Weavile. Tyranitar is also an option, but it should be used with caution as Infernape doesn't like to play in the sand. Thankfully these Pokemon can also use Pursuit to pick off revenge-killers, such as Gengar, Azelf, and Alakazam, all of whom outspeed Infernape and threaten a KO. Out of the listed Pursuit users, Scizor gets a special mention for being able to lure out common Infernape checks, such as Salamence, Gyarados, and Calm Zapdos, and use U-turn to put them into Infernape's KO range.</p>
[SET]
name: Specially Based MixApe
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is similar to the MixApe above, except that instead of attempting to set up with Nasty Plot, you drop it in order to gain better coverage with both Grass Knot and Hidden Power Ice. While the previous set is most useful as a wall breaker against stall teams, this set is more useful against balanced and offensive teams, which often cannot avoid a 2HKO when switching out of this set.</p>
<p>Choosing which moves you keep hidden is a useful trick for this Infernape. If you show your opponent Grass Knot and Fire Blast, they may switch in Salamence or Flygon, expecting to wall your set, but receiving a swift OHKO via Hidden Power Ice instead. With the Fire-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ice-type move combination, Infernape attains perfect type coverage; it will deal at least neutral damage to every Pokemon in the game.</p>
<p>You need to be aware of the problem Pokemon listed for the previous set, but without the +2 boost provided by Nasty Plot, Vaporeon also becomes a very annoying adversary. It's low weight and high HP allow it to shrug off Grass Knot with ease and OHKO Infernape in return. Celebi with Psychic is a particularly useful partner for this variant of Infernape, as it can easily come in on Vaporeon, Starmie, and Tentacruel and threaten them with super effective STAB attacks. However, it should be noted that Celebi will need to invest heavily in Special Attack or forgo Grass Knot for Energy Ball or Leaf Storm if you want to do any worthwhile damage to Vaporeon. Celebi is also more than happy to take any Water- or Ground-type attacks aimed at Infernape. This Infernape works very well as a late game sweeper, but if you choose to use it in the midgame it's important to have an appropriate late game sweeper to take advantage of any holes that Infernape leaves in the opponents defenses. Dragon Dance Gyarados is a good example of such a sweeper, as it can capitalize on any damage that Infernape may have dealt to enemy bulky Water-types, such as Vaporeon and Suicune.</p>
[SET]
name: Physically Based MixApe
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: U-turn / Grass Knot
move 3: Stone Edge / Mach Punch
move 4: Overheat
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive / Hasty
EVs: 252 Atk / 64 SpA / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While this set may not have the super effective type coverage of the specially based mix set, it does have several things going for it. Due to its high Base Power, Close Combat becomes quite a bit more damaging than on the special set, and this set’s Overheat is very nearly as strong as the Special based set’s Fire Blast (less than a 2% difference in damage). Stone Edge makes this set much more deadly against Gyarados, and when also considering the fact that Infernape’s Close Combat will easily 2HKO Vaporeon and Milotic after Stealth Rock damage, it is clear that losing Grass Knot is not a huge blow. Mach Punch is a decent option over Stone Edge, effectively ensuring that your team will not be swept by Lucario, and providing some insurance against Tyranitar, Weavile, and Agility Empoleon as well.</p>
<p>U-turn is really the key to this set, as it ensures that the few Pokemon who can safely switch into this set are dealt with by other members of your team. Additionally, max Attack U-turn allows Infernape to become a versatile early game attacker, forcing switches to rack up Stealth Rock damage and scout the opponent’s team. Keep in mind also that many of the primary switch-ins to Infernape are Flying-types; they will take 25% damage from Stealth Rock as you switch to a counter and force them to come in with under 50% health the next time. Even Latias, who frequently switches into Infernape, will lose over half its health to U-turn, and you will be able to switch in an appropriate counter.</p>
<p>If you are willing to sacrifice some physical power, you can move 80 EVs from Attack to Special Attack (for a total of 144), and give Infernape Grass Knot instead of U-turn. This will allow Infernape to 2HKO Suicune and Hippowdon, and OHKO Swampert most of the time. In effect, you exchange the scouting ability of U-turn for better coverage, albeit with less physical power.</p>
<p>As alluded to earlier, very few Pokemon can come in on this set safely, but, due to the physical nature of this Infernape, it is more vulnerable to Intimidate than the previous sets. As a result, Bulky Gyarados and physically defensive Salamence will often attempt to turn you into set up fodder, so it can't be emphasized enough just how important Stealth Rock is when using this set, as it will allow you to 2HKO the aforementioned Pokémon, even after Intimidate. The primarily physical nature of this set also allows this Infernape to lure out physical walls, such as Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Weezing, who wouldn't dream of switching in on the previous sets. Because of this, an ideal offensive partner would be one that could benefit from the weakening or removal of such physical walls. Lucario, Heracross, and Tyranitar are all fine choices.</p>
[SET]
name: LeadApe
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Close Combat / Encore
item: Focus Sash
nature: Naive / Hasty
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This Infernape is the quintessential offensive anti-lead. It is guaranteed to get Stealth Rock up against every common lead, bar Aerodactyl, and all the other leads, besides Hippowdon, will be defeated in the process. The idea is that you Fake Out on the first turn to render the opponent's Focus Sash useless, and then either attack or lay Stealth Rock as the opponent does the same, while carrying the advantage of still holding Focus Sash. Naïve Azelf will always be KOed by Fire Blast, and some other leads, like Tyranitar and Jirachi, are obviously not great at taking Infernape’s attacks.</p>
<p>Fire Blast and Close Combat finish off the set with two powerful, 120 Base Power STAB moves. Focus Sash allows you to easily activate Infernape’s Blaze ability, increasing Fire Blast’s already massive damage by 50%. Close Combat is not only very powerful, but also has good type coverage together with Fire Blast.</p>
<p>Encore is an option over Close Combat, but it is really only effective against slow leads. Given the excellent coverage of Fighting-type attacks, along with the 120 Base Power paired with STAB on Infernape’s Close Combat, there is little reason to use Encore, unless your team does poorly against stall teams.</p>
<p>The EV spread allows for 330 Speed, which outruns all base 100 Speed Pokémon and any base 115 Speed Pokemon with a neutral Speed nature. Due to the Defense drops from Close Combat, any encounter with a fellow Infernape will almost always result in the slower ape winning, so in general it is a poor choice to increase Infernape’s Speed any further.</p>
<p>The only conventional leads you're going to lose to are Aerodactyl and Hippowdon, but Infernape will also struggle against those it can't do significant damage to, so don't be scared to switch out. Also be wary of the rare Inner Focus lead, such as Alakazam, Lucario, and Crobat, as they will absorb Fake Out and deal heavy damage in return.</p>
<p>This Infernape should be used on offensive teams to gain momentum, so Pokemon who can take advantage of Stealth Rock in their sweep and have good synergy with Infernape are always advisable. For example, an offensive Gyarados makes a great accomplice because it takes full advantage of Stealth Rock and puts a lot of pressure on the opponent.</p>
[SET]
name: Endeavor Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Vacuum Wave
move 4: Overheat / Fire Blast
item: Focus Sash
nature: Naive / Hasty
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Endeavor and Vacuum Wave, when paired together with Focus Sash, provide an unusual twist to Infernape's mixed sweeper stats. After it sets up Stealth Rock, the fragile Infernape will likely take a hit which would be lethal, but Focus Sash will leave it at 1 HP. Endeavor will bring the opponent’s Pokemon to 1 HP, and it can then be quickly dispatched with Vacuum Wave. Even if Infernape is KOed in the process, you can easily send out a faster Pokemon or one with a priority move to finish off the severely damaged foe. Note that if the opponent’s Pokemon is faster than Infernape, then you must use Endeavor on the same turn that Infernape is attacked. You must also watch out for Hippowdon, Tyranitar, and Abomasnow, who will set up damaging weather, which will KO Infernape on the turn it takes damage.</p>
<p>While on paper Mach Punch may not seem like a bad idea, the split in EVs that is needed to boost the power of both Mach Punch and Overheat / Fire Blast will cause Infernape to lose crucial OHKOs, most notably against opposing leads like Bronzong, which is why Vacuum Wave is recommended. It should be mentioned that Vacuum Wave lacks the power to 2HKO max HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar; though Tyranitar likely will not stay in on Infernape anyway. Additionally, Overheat is recommended over Fire Blast; despite the power drop it causes, it allows Vacuum Wave to KO most Bronzong after a single Fire-type attack</p>
<p>With Focus Sash providing Infernape with a safety net against most attacks, the practical thing to do is maximize Speed and Special Attack in order to add as much force to Infernape's attacks as possible. Infernape's IVs in its Defense, Special Defense, and HP should all be set to 0. Enemy attacks will hit much harder, and it will ensure that Infernape’s HP is as low as possible when using Endeavor without a Focus Sash activation. This set only runs 504 EVs, since adding the extra EVs anywhere else will strengthen Infernape’s defenses.</p>
<p>This set is a dedicated suicide lead in that it's definitely not supposed to live through the battle. For this reason you can't really "support" this Infernape in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, you can take advantage of the Stealth Rock that Infernape sets up with fast, offensive Pokemon. Some examples include Gyarados and Lucario.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Fire Punch / Flare Blitz
move 4: Stone Edge / Mach Punch
item: Life Orb / Fist Plate
nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a physical 120 Base Power STAB move (and maybe even two!), Swords Dance Infernape is a major threat in terms of both sweeping and wall breaking. After a Swords Dance, Close Combat will OHKO both Vaporeon and 252 HP / 0 Def Tentacruel, assuming Stealth Rock is in play, and Stone Edge will take out Salamence, Gyarados, and Zapdos. Since all of these are common Infernape switch-ins, you usually will not have to worry about them switching out of your lethal attacks.</p>
<p>Flare Blitz can be a useful choice if you want to use Infernape for wall breaking, but overall Fire Punch is better since it scores the same OHKOes after a Swords Dance without causing recoil. Fire Punch easily OHKOes anything that it deals super effective damage to, after a Swords Dance, and Close Combat and Stone Edge will clean up everything else. While Stone Edge is preferred for coverage, Mach Punch should really not be overlooked as an option. Mach Punch all but ensures that your team will not be swept by Swords Dance Lucario; it also has a chance to OHKO Heatran and will always OHKO Dugtrio after a Swords Dance, and it is generally useful for taking down random fast Pokemon as well as Choice Scarf users at low HP.</p>
<p>If you do not want to rack up recoil damage from Life Orb, Fist Plate is a decent alternative. The increase in power granted to Close Combat, Infernape's main form of attack, is only slightly less than that from Life Orb, and it can boost Mach Punch as well. A third option is to use Wide Lens and give Infernape Blaze Kick over Fire Punch, which will result in only a small drop in Fire-type attacking damage, due the increase in Base Power. Blaze Kick and Stone Edge will have their accuracies increased to 99% and 88%, respectively, and Infernape will still be guaranteed to OHKO Zapdos, Gyarados, and Salamence with Stone Edge after a Swords Dance (factoring in both Stealth Rock damage and Intimidate), though it will lose its OHKOes on Vaporeon and Milotic, and its chance at an OHKO on Swampert.<p>
<p>The destructive power this set wields is frightening, but without any special attacks you can still run into trouble with dedicated physical walls. Hippowdon and Donphan, for example, can easily survive a +2 Life Orb Close Combat and dispatch Infernape with Earthquake. Suicune and Slowbro can use their high Defense and STAB attacks to a similar effect. Once again, Celebi is of great assistance here, as it can switch into the four aforementioned Pokemon with impunity and begin to fire off Grass Knots. If Celebi isn't convenient to your team then you can use a dedicated lure, such as mixed Metagross. Metagross will lure in physical walls, such as the aforementioned Hippowdown and Donphan, and defeat them with Grass Knot (or other special attacks). Toxic Spikes are also an effective method of wearing down the aforementioned counters. Roserade can set them up effectively and also absorb special Water-type attacks aimed at Infernape.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Like most Choice Banders, the set requires a lot of prediction, but the potential payoff is huge. No Pokemon in OU will avoid a 2HKO from either Close Combat or Flare Blitz without resisting it, and everything that resists both of those is taken out by Stone Edge. U-turn allows Infernape to scout the opponent’s team and take the offensive, deal some Stealth Rock damage as the opponent switches, and hit the common switch-ins, such asStarmie, Cresselia, and Latias, for super effective damage.</p>
<p>ThunderPunch is an option over Stone Edge or U-turn if you really do not like Gyarados, but the loss of scouting ability from U-turn or the loss of coverage from Stone Edge is significant. Additionally, a 75 Base Power Electric-type attack is a dangerous thing to be locked into, since even Pokemon who do not carry resistance or immunity take little damage, and they can use the opportunity to set up. As with previous sets, Mach Punch can also be used if you're in need of insurance against Lucario.</p>
<p>Be cautious about throwing around your STAB attacks too early as they provide a perfect opportunity for Gyarados or Salamence to come in and begin to set-up. A timely Stone Edge will bring them down, as will mounting Stealth Rock damage, but nevertheless make sure your team can deal with those two, as you can never rely too much on prediction. A Choice Scarf Latias makes a good revenge killer to both and its immunity to Earthquake can be handy. As always, Choice Band Scizor is an excellent insurance policy against Salamence, provided it has taken Stealth Rock and Life Orb damage. This set shares its counters with Swords Dance Lucario, so the two make quite a potent offensive combination.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Choice Specs
nature: Naive
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Like with the Choice Band set, you will need good prediction to use this set effectively. Fire Blast is Infernape’s main attack, and it will put a good sized dent in anything without a resistance to Fire-type attacks and decent Special Defense. Overheat and Flamethrower are also options, but you will not gain an OHKO on any Pokemon worth mentioning with Overheat, and with Flamethrower you will miss out on an OHKO and 2HKO on Zapdos and Salamence, respectively, after Stealth Rock damage. Grass Knot will 2HKO the bulky Water-types who will inevitably switch into Infernape, though Stealth Rock will need to be up to ensure a 2HKO on Gyarados. Hidden Power Ice will OHKO the Dragon-types who are weak to Ice-type attacks, as well as Gliscor, with little difficulty, but it is important to remember that Fire Blast will hit harder than HP Ice on everything else.</p>
<p>Attack EVs are not necessary, since any reasonable amount will not add any OHKOs or 2HKOs, and the damage gained would not be significant. Still, Close Combat is a much better choice than Focus Blast since it is able to 2HKO Blissey and will OHKO Tyranitar regardless; not to mention that Focus Blast only has 70% accuracy.</p>
<p>Although this set has raw power and coverage in abundance, Infernape's frailty and typing don't afford it enough opportunities to switch in and, as a result, the Choice Specs will often become a hindrance, so think long and hard about whether this set will bring you anything that the standard Specially Based MixApe won't already do.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: U-turn / Grass Knot
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Rash
EVs: 24 Atk / 252 SpA / 232 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Scarf turns Infernape into a potent revenge killer, with fantastic type coverage from its four attacks. Hidden Power Ice will OHKO Salamence and Dragonite, and Choice Scarf gives Infernape the speed to make that an option, even after a Dragon Dance. Close Combat will 2HKO Blissey and Heatran, and easily OHKO any Tyranitar. U-turn is a great move, allowing you to scout what your opponent switches to, as well as hit Starmie, Cresselia, and Latias for super effective damage, but if you want to deal a bit more damage to the bulky Waters-types who commonly switch into Infernape, then Grass Knot is also a valid option.</p>
<p>These EVs with a neutral nature will let Infernape outspeed 463 Speed Choice Scarf Jirachi and the equivalent 309 Speed DD Salamence—the fastest you are likely to encounter—as well as +Speed, base 90 Pokemon who are holding a Choice Scarf. If you are worried about max Speed Salamence and Choice Scarf Jirachi, Infernape will need a +Speed nature and 192 Speed EVs in order to guarantee that it will be faster.</p>
<p>Choice Scarf Infernape's main advantages over other speedy Choice Scarfers, such as Gengar and Latias, are Close Combat, which grants it an efficient way to deal with Blissey, and the ability to revenge kill Agility Metagross, thanks to its Fire-type STAB. If you don't need those traits then you'll usually be better off with a different Choice Scarf Pokemon, as Infernape lacks the raw power without Life Orb and doesn't have the necessary switch in opportunities to take full advantage of a Choice Scarf.</p>
<p>Having counters to Tentacruel and Vaporeon is crucial to this set's success. Rotom-A and Magnezone do a good job here; they are both immune to Tentacruel's Toxic Spikes and can threaten the two bulky Water-types with their STAB Electric attacks. Defeating opposing Heatran will also allow Infernape to use its STAB Fire-type attacks more freely. Suicune and Swampert do a great job at defeating Heatran; they take minimal damage from Heatran's attacks (barring the rare Hidden Power Grass vs. Swampert), and can OHKO it with Surf or Earthquake, respectively.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As with most offensive Pokemon, Stealth Rock is an absolute necessity, especially as Infernape tends to lure out Flying-types. Amongst other advantages, it allows for the Nasty Plot MixApe to OHKO even a 252 / 0 ) Gyarados, after the boost, and to 2HKO without. It also serves as a deterrent to teams that attempt to wear down Infernape by repeated switching, in the hope that it will succumb to Life Orb recoil. On that note, if your team is particularly reliant on Infernape to secure a sweep then it may be worth investing in Rapid Spin support. Many of Infernape's sets rely on Life Orb to secure KOs and when you factor in that and it vulnerability to all forms of passive damage you could end up with a dead chimp far quicker than you had intended. Defensively, Starmie is a good choice, as it resists two of Infernape's weaknesses and can also lure in Dark- and Bug-type attacks to buy Infernape a switch-in opportunity. While this measure isn't needed on offensive teams it can be a huge advantage for balanced teams that are likely to run into trouble against stall teams.</p>
<p> Infernape is especially fortunate in that many of its common counters and checks are vulnerable to Pursuit, so it greatly appreciates the companionship of a powerful Pursuit user to rid him of the likes of Starmie, Latias, Cresselia, and even Tentacruel, who, despite its neutrality to Dark-type moves, suffers huge damage from a well timed Pursuit. Scizor, Metagross, Heracross, and Tyranitar are all good choices, but one should be cautious about using Tyranitar, as its Sand Stream ability will only augment Infernape's vulnerability to passive damage. As alluded to earlier, Celebi makes for a fantastic partner, due to it's ability to effortlessly counter the majority of bulky Water-types (and Ground-types, in the case of the physical sets) that attempt to thwart Infernape's sweep. </p>
<p>Due to it frailty, Infernape is always going to have problems sweeping if the opponent has a faster Pokemon, a Choice Scarfer, or a Pokemon with a reasonably powered priority attack. Fortuitously, many of the Pokemon who outrun Infernape are weak to Pursuit (think Gengar, Latias, Azelf, and Starmie) or are made vulnerable to Pursuit by their poor defenses (think Jolteon, Ambipom, and Sceptile). The priority attackers are a little more difficult to eliminate, but it is one of the few situations where Infernape's defensive typing is a godsend. Infernape has a resistance to Steel-type attacks, and, by extension, the most commonly seen priority attack: Bullet Punch (that said, it should be noted that Infernape still stands to lose around 40% from Scizor's Choice Band Bullet Punch). Ice Shard and Sucker Punch resistances are also most appreciated. Perhaps Infernape's biggest concern, as far as priority goes, is Lucario's Extremespeed, which secures an easy 2HKO, and even has a chance of an OHKO, after a single Defense drop from Close Combat. A defensive Zapdos makes an efficient counter to Lucario and Scizor, whilst also being able to harass any Water-types that may be getting in Infernape's way.</p>
<p>When using Infernape, it is important to understand its role on your team, and to use it appropriately. On an offensive team, Infernape functions best as an early game wall breaker with either Swords Dance or Nasty Plot. In this case you should consider that it pairs well with Gyarados, as they are countered by many of the same things (bulky Water-types and Zapdos) and can be used to weaken the opponent’s counters to enable a later sweep. On a more balanced team, on which Infernape might be one of only two or three sweepers, it is likely best to save it for late game, since your somewhat defensive team should be able to stall for a bit to clear out the correct Pokemon, which would Infernape to sweep. Due to its poor defenses and defensive typing, Infernape is wholly ill-suited for stall teams.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Vacuum Wave is a decent option on special sets; however, most of what is faster than Infernape, bar Weavile, is not weak to Fighting and the loss of coverage by opting for Vacuum Wave is very significant. Mach Punch can OHKO Dugtrio on the Swords Dance version about 50% of the time, almost all of the time with Stealth Rock, and all of the time if you're holding Life Orb. 232 EVs in Speed with a Speed boosting nature allows you to outspeed Adamant Dugtrio already, although most Dugtrio use Jolly for this very reason. Either of the Fighting-type priority attacks will deal about 70% damage to Lucario, and hit before it can use ExtremeSpeed, so if your team has major Lucario problems then one of those may be a good idea.</p>
<p>Focus Blast is available on the special sets and can OHKO Blissey with a Nasty Plot and Life Orb, but the 70% accuracy is a major turn-off, especially with the 100% accurate Close Combat as an option. Flare Blitz and Blaze Kick are interchangeable on the sets that use either; Flare Blitz has more power and full accuracy, while Blaze Kick does not cause recoil damage to Infernape’s already low HP. </p>
<p>Infernape learns Encore, and can sometimes use it to get free stat-ups. However, Infernape’s fantastic coverage forces so many switches anyway that using Encore just to get a free turn is really a waste of a moveslot, and if you Encore on one of those frequent switches you will have wasted a turn as well.</p>
<p>An all special, four attack Life Orb set without a Fighting-type attack can have some surprise value, as no one in their right mind will switch Tyranitar and Blissey into Infernape anyway, but overall the loss of Close Combat is too heavy. Despite hitting many Pokemon for super effective damage, the set misses quite a few OHKOs, and with Infernape’s poor defenses and only 104 base Special Attack it is better suited to strategic wall breaking than trying to muscle through teams.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Infernape is a Pokémon in its own Speed tier, and thus does not need to run max Speed to outspeed all threats. That having been said, given Infernape's fragility there is no real reason to not max Speed on an all physical or special set, since Infernape is not likely to survive more hits with a few extra Hit Points, and that Speed may come in useful in the event of a mirror match or against random Choice Scarf Pokémon. The Exceptions to this rule are the mixed sweeping sets, which drop down to 192 Speed EVs to score some key KOes and deal more damage in general. The only pokemon that Infernape will then fail to outspeed are Mismagius and other Infernape.</p>
<p>When designing your own Infernape set, it is generally a good idea to base it around either physical or special attacks in order to maximize damage output. Then, if you wish, you can add in an attack from the opposite side of the spectrum. Infernape’s proficiency in using this strategy with a wide selection of moves makes is what makes it the feared wall breaker that it is.</p>
<p>Since the most common Infernape do not run max speed and Mismagius is rarely seen in OU, any of the non-mix sets can drop down to 200 Speed EVs and put the extra points into HP. While this doe not allow Infernape to survive anything specific, the extra HP can be useful, and the risk is fairly low.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Infernape has just the right stats in just the right places and the moves to abuse them, making it capable of kicking ass on both sides of the spectrum. It's one of the best users of Life Orb too, giving it just enough of a push to turn what would be a 2HKO on many things into OHKOs. With the ability to viably use both Swords Dance and Nasty Plot, Infernape is aided by its unpredictability, and is very difficult to counter without knowing its whole set.</p>
<p>Infernape’s main drawback is its frailty. Just about any neutral attack will deal over 70% damage to it, and it will almost never survive a super effective hit.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Water-types are the most common counter to Infernape. Here, the lighter the Pokemon, the better, as that means Grass Knot does less damage. Suicune's high all-around stats make it a great counter; however like Milotic it needs a reasonable Special Defense investment to take on Nasty Plot Life Orb Grass Knots. Gyarados can take on any Infernape which does not carry Stone Edge or ThunderPunch, but it needs a high HP investment to not be taken down by Grass Knot if your opponent has Stealth Rock in play. Vaporeon is a great Pokemon to switch into Infernape; not only does it have naturally high HP and decent Special Defense, but it is very light, causing only 60 base power from Grass Knot. Tentacruel is the best counter to the most common set, the mixed Nasty Plotter, with a resistance to Flamethrower and Close Combat and high Special Defense to take neutral Grass Knots. Starmie is also a useful switch-in, as it is faster than and OHKOes Infernape, and can Recover off any damage taken in the process.</p>
<p>Salamence resists nearly every move the typical Infernape has, and thanks to Intimidate it doesn't take much from physical attacks. However, Infernape is faster and sometimes carries Hidden Power Ice for the sole purpose of taking down the popular Dragon. Dragonite has the same resistances as Salamence and better defenses, but lacks Intimidate to help ease Close Combat damage.</p>
<p>If you are sure that Infernape is physical or holding a Choice item, then Hippowdon and Swampert can take on Infernape. However, Infernape usually opts to use Grass Knot, so neither is a good initial switch-in.</p>
<p>Dugtrio can trap and kill Infernape, but you must be sure to use Jolly or you may be outsped. Dugtrio also cannot switch into any attack aside from ThunderPunch or Stone Edge, so it will usually need to come in on Nasty Plot, after Infernape KOs something, or by predicting Infernape's switch-in.</p>
<p>Latias can easily come in on most of Infernape's moves, as it resists Fire, Fighting, and Grass, and can Recover off damage. Even a Life Orb boosted Hidden Power Ice from MixApe fails to 2HKO, while Latias can easily outspeed and OHKO Infernape with Surf or Draco Meteor. However, Latias must be careful not to switch into U-turn, as it will lose a large chunk of its health and will likely have to face down one of its counters.</p>
<p>Azelf can come in on anything but Fire Blast or Flare Blitz and OHKO Infernape with Psychic. Aerodactyl is not weak to any of Infernape’s common attacks, and it has enough defenses to survive one good hit as it comes in, and then OHKO Infernape with 130 base Speed and Earthquake. </p>
<p>Moltres, by virtue of its typing, resists both of Infernape's STAB attacks and Grass Knot, and will take little from Hidden Power Ice as well. It can come in on most Infernape and scare it off with the threat of Air Slash. The only thing that Moltres fears is Stone Edge from physical Infernape, but if it is losing half of its health to Stealth Rock on the switch in, Infernape can usually overpower it with resisted attacks.</p>
<p>With max HP, Cresselia cannot be OHKOed by Infernape even if it uses Nasty Plot or Swords Dance as Cresselia comes in; However, Cresselia will have little effect on Infernape without Psychic or Thunder Wave. Togekiss has the defenses to take a Nasty Plotted Fire Blast or a Close Combat and can OHKO back with Air Slash. It needs 252 HP, 120 Special Defense, and a Calm nature to survive Nasty Plot Life Orb Fire Blast from Naive Infernape 100% of the time.</p>
<p>Infernape is extremely frail, so it has difficulties switching in except after one of its team members faints. As long as you are throwing out attacks that Infernape doesn't resist, it won't find time to come in. Additionally, if Infernape gets paralyzed it will be of little use, so anything with Thunder Wave or Stun Spore can severely reduce Infernape’s effectiveness.</p>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/infernape
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot MixApe
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Close Combat / Vacuum Wave
move 4: Grass Knot / Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>To say that this is good at taking out walls is a gross understatement. Even with only a small EV investment, the 120 Base Power Close Combat coupled with STAB will OHKO common switch-ins to Fire-type attacks, such as Tyranitar, Heatran, Snorlax, and Blissey (dealing a minimum of 98% damage on the now standard 148 HP / 252 Def). After a single Nasty Plot, Grass Knot will OHKO Suicune, Slowbro, and Milotic unless they're running Special Defense, and has a chance to OHKO Gyarados, even without Stealth Rock. Vaporeon will take around 70% damage, and Swampert, Donphan, and Hippowdon do not even stand a chance. With the bulky Water- and Ground-type Pokemon out of the way, Infernape can use Close Combat and Fire Blast to sweep almost unhindered.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is statistically better than Flamethrower, so it is the main option, but if you are worried about accuracy then Flamethrower is also a worthy choice. Notable downsides, however, include missed OHKOs on Specially Defensive Zapdos, as well as OHKOs after Stealth Rock damage on Cresselia, Salamence, and Flygon. Hidden Power Ice is an option over Grass Knot if you fear Salamence, who otherwise resists all of Infernape’s attacks. Although it is not in the spirit of a MixApe set, Vacuum Wave is an option over Close Combat. It is fantastic against Choice Scarfed Heatrans who think that they can revenge kill you, as well as Agility Empoleon, Swords Dance Lucario, Weavile, and any fast sweeper at low HP. Running the set without Close Combat may seem silly, but the things it is most relevant against (i.e. Blissey and Tyranitar) will almost never switch into Infernape until they see its entire set. Blissey still can be 2HKOed by Fire Blast after a Nasty Plot (though the chance is slim), and Tyranitar will be OHKOed by a +2 Vacuum Wave, unless it is running a nature which boosts its Special Defense. </p>
<p>This Infernape has problems with Latias, Starmie, and Tentacruel, so it should always be partnered with a strong Pursuit user, such as Scizor, Metagross, or Weavile. Tyranitar is also an option, but it should be used with caution as Infernape doesn't like to play in the sand. Thankfully these Pokemon can also use Pursuit to pick off revenge-killers, such as Gengar, Azelf, and Alakazam, all of whom outspeed Infernape and threaten a KO. Out of the listed Pursuit users, Scizor gets a special mention for being able to lure out common Infernape checks, such as Salamence, Gyarados, and Calm Zapdos, and use U-turn to put them into Infernape's KO range.</p>
[SET]
name: Specially Based MixApe
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is similar to the MixApe above, except that instead of attempting to set up with Nasty Plot, you drop it in order to gain better coverage with both Grass Knot and Hidden Power Ice. While the previous set is most useful as a wall breaker against stall teams, this set is more useful against balanced and offensive teams, which often cannot avoid a 2HKO when switching out of this set.</p>
<p>Choosing which moves you keep hidden is a useful trick for this Infernape. If you show your opponent Grass Knot and Fire Blast, they may switch in Salamence or Flygon, expecting to wall your set, but receiving a swift OHKO via Hidden Power Ice instead. With the Fire-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ice-type move combination, Infernape attains perfect type coverage; it will deal at least neutral damage to every Pokemon in the game.</p>
<p>You need to be aware of the problem Pokemon listed for the previous set, but without the +2 boost provided by Nasty Plot, Vaporeon also becomes a very annoying adversary. It's low weight and high HP allow it to shrug off Grass Knot with ease and OHKO Infernape in return. Celebi with Psychic is a particularly useful partner for this variant of Infernape, as it can easily come in on Vaporeon, Starmie, and Tentacruel and threaten them with super effective STAB attacks. However, it should be noted that Celebi will need to invest heavily in Special Attack or forgo Grass Knot for Energy Ball or Leaf Storm if you want to do any worthwhile damage to Vaporeon. Celebi is also more than happy to take any Water- or Ground-type attacks aimed at Infernape. This Infernape works very well as a late game sweeper, but if you choose to use it in the midgame it's important to have an appropriate late game sweeper to take advantage of any holes that Infernape leaves in the opponents defenses. Dragon Dance Gyarados is a good example of such a sweeper, as it can capitalize on any damage that Infernape may have dealt to enemy bulky Water-types, such as Vaporeon and Suicune.</p>
[SET]
name: Physically Based MixApe
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: U-turn / Grass Knot
move 3: Stone Edge / Mach Punch
move 4: Overheat
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive / Hasty
EVs: 252 Atk / 64 SpA / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While this set may not have the super effective type coverage of the specially based mix set, it does have several things going for it. Due to its high Base Power, Close Combat becomes quite a bit more damaging than on the special set, and this set’s Overheat is very nearly as strong as the Special based set’s Fire Blast (less than a 2% difference in damage). Stone Edge makes this set much more deadly against Gyarados, and when also considering the fact that Infernape’s Close Combat will easily 2HKO Vaporeon and Milotic after Stealth Rock damage, it is clear that losing Grass Knot is not a huge blow. Mach Punch is a decent option over Stone Edge, effectively ensuring that your team will not be swept by Lucario, and providing some insurance against Tyranitar, Weavile, and Agility Empoleon as well.</p>
<p>U-turn is really the key to this set, as it ensures that the few Pokemon who can safely switch into this set are dealt with by other members of your team. Additionally, max Attack U-turn allows Infernape to become a versatile early game attacker, forcing switches to rack up Stealth Rock damage and scout the opponent’s team. Keep in mind also that many of the primary switch-ins to Infernape are Flying-types; they will take 25% damage from Stealth Rock as you switch to a counter and force them to come in with under 50% health the next time. Even Latias, who frequently switches into Infernape, will lose over half its health to U-turn, and you will be able to switch in an appropriate counter.</p>
<p>If you are willing to sacrifice some physical power, you can move 80 EVs from Attack to Special Attack (for a total of 144), and give Infernape Grass Knot instead of U-turn. This will allow Infernape to 2HKO Suicune and Hippowdon, and OHKO Swampert most of the time. In effect, you exchange the scouting ability of U-turn for better coverage, albeit with less physical power.</p>
<p>As alluded to earlier, very few Pokemon can come in on this set safely, but, due to the physical nature of this Infernape, it is more vulnerable to Intimidate than the previous sets. As a result, Bulky Gyarados and physically defensive Salamence will often attempt to turn you into set up fodder, so it can't be emphasized enough just how important Stealth Rock is when using this set, as it will allow you to 2HKO the aforementioned Pokémon, even after Intimidate. The primarily physical nature of this set also allows this Infernape to lure out physical walls, such as Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Weezing, who wouldn't dream of switching in on the previous sets. Because of this, an ideal offensive partner would be one that could benefit from the weakening or removal of such physical walls. Lucario, Heracross, and Tyranitar are all fine choices.</p>
[SET]
name: LeadApe
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Close Combat / Encore
item: Focus Sash
nature: Naive / Hasty
EVs: 64 Atk / 252 SpA / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This Infernape is the quintessential offensive anti-lead. It is guaranteed to get Stealth Rock up against every common lead, bar Aerodactyl, and all the other leads, besides Hippowdon, will be defeated in the process. The idea is that you Fake Out on the first turn to render the opponent's Focus Sash useless, and then either attack or lay Stealth Rock as the opponent does the same, while carrying the advantage of still holding Focus Sash. Naïve Azelf will always be KOed by Fire Blast, and some other leads, like Tyranitar and Jirachi, are obviously not great at taking Infernape’s attacks.</p>
<p>Fire Blast and Close Combat finish off the set with two powerful, 120 Base Power STAB moves. Focus Sash allows you to easily activate Infernape’s Blaze ability, increasing Fire Blast’s already massive damage by 50%. Close Combat is not only very powerful, but also has good type coverage together with Fire Blast.</p>
<p>Encore is an option over Close Combat, but it is really only effective against slow leads. Given the excellent coverage of Fighting-type attacks, along with the 120 Base Power paired with STAB on Infernape’s Close Combat, there is little reason to use Encore, unless your team does poorly against stall teams.</p>
<p>The EV spread allows for 330 Speed, which outruns all base 100 Speed Pokémon and any base 115 Speed Pokemon with a neutral Speed nature. Due to the Defense drops from Close Combat, any encounter with a fellow Infernape will almost always result in the slower ape winning, so in general it is a poor choice to increase Infernape’s Speed any further.</p>
<p>The only conventional leads you're going to lose to are Aerodactyl and Hippowdon, but Infernape will also struggle against those it can't do significant damage to, so don't be scared to switch out. Also be wary of the rare Inner Focus lead, such as Alakazam, Lucario, and Crobat, as they will absorb Fake Out and deal heavy damage in return.</p>
<p>This Infernape should be used on offensive teams to gain momentum, so Pokemon who can take advantage of Stealth Rock in their sweep and have good synergy with Infernape are always advisable. For example, an offensive Gyarados makes a great accomplice because it takes full advantage of Stealth Rock and puts a lot of pressure on the opponent.</p>
[SET]
name: Endeavor Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Vacuum Wave
move 4: Overheat / Fire Blast
item: Focus Sash
nature: Naive / Hasty
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Endeavor and Vacuum Wave, when paired together with Focus Sash, provide an unusual twist to Infernape's mixed sweeper stats. After it sets up Stealth Rock, the fragile Infernape will likely take a hit which would be lethal, but Focus Sash will leave it at 1 HP. Endeavor will bring the opponent’s Pokemon to 1 HP, and it can then be quickly dispatched with Vacuum Wave. Even if Infernape is KOed in the process, you can easily send out a faster Pokemon or one with a priority move to finish off the severely damaged foe. Note that if the opponent’s Pokemon is faster than Infernape, then you must use Endeavor on the same turn that Infernape is attacked. You must also watch out for Hippowdon, Tyranitar, and Abomasnow, who will set up damaging weather, which will KO Infernape on the turn it takes damage.</p>
<p>While on paper Mach Punch may not seem like a bad idea, the split in EVs that is needed to boost the power of both Mach Punch and Overheat / Fire Blast will cause Infernape to lose crucial OHKOs, most notably against opposing leads like Bronzong, which is why Vacuum Wave is recommended. It should be mentioned that Vacuum Wave lacks the power to 2HKO max HP / 0 SpD Tyranitar; though Tyranitar likely will not stay in on Infernape anyway. Additionally, Overheat is recommended over Fire Blast; despite the power drop it causes, it allows Vacuum Wave to KO most Bronzong after a single Fire-type attack</p>
<p>With Focus Sash providing Infernape with a safety net against most attacks, the practical thing to do is maximize Speed and Special Attack in order to add as much force to Infernape's attacks as possible. Infernape's IVs in its Defense, Special Defense, and HP should all be set to 0. Enemy attacks will hit much harder, and it will ensure that Infernape’s HP is as low as possible when using Endeavor without a Focus Sash activation. This set only runs 504 EVs, since adding the extra EVs anywhere else will strengthen Infernape’s defenses.</p>
<p>This set is a dedicated suicide lead in that it's definitely not supposed to live through the battle. For this reason you can't really "support" this Infernape in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, you can take advantage of the Stealth Rock that Infernape sets up with fast, offensive Pokemon. Some examples include Gyarados and Lucario.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Fire Punch / Flare Blitz
move 4: Stone Edge / Mach Punch
item: Life Orb / Fist Plate
nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a physical 120 Base Power STAB move (and maybe even two!), Swords Dance Infernape is a major threat in terms of both sweeping and wall breaking. After a Swords Dance, Close Combat will OHKO both Vaporeon and 252 HP / 0 Def Tentacruel, assuming Stealth Rock is in play, and Stone Edge will take out Salamence, Gyarados, and Zapdos. Since all of these are common Infernape switch-ins, you usually will not have to worry about them switching out of your lethal attacks.</p>
<p>Flare Blitz can be a useful choice if you want to use Infernape for wall breaking, but overall Fire Punch is better since it scores the same OHKOes after a Swords Dance without causing recoil. Fire Punch easily OHKOes anything that it deals super effective damage to, after a Swords Dance, and Close Combat and Stone Edge will clean up everything else. While Stone Edge is preferred for coverage, Mach Punch should really not be overlooked as an option. Mach Punch all but ensures that your team will not be swept by Swords Dance Lucario; it also has a chance to OHKO Heatran and will always OHKO Dugtrio after a Swords Dance, and it is generally useful for taking down random fast Pokemon as well as Choice Scarf users at low HP.</p>
<p>If you do not want to rack up recoil damage from Life Orb, Fist Plate is a decent alternative. The increase in power granted to Close Combat, Infernape's main form of attack, is only slightly less than that from Life Orb, and it can boost Mach Punch as well. A third option is to use Wide Lens and give Infernape Blaze Kick over Fire Punch, which will result in only a small drop in Fire-type attacking damage, due the increase in Base Power. Blaze Kick and Stone Edge will have their accuracies increased to 99% and 88%, respectively, and Infernape will still be guaranteed to OHKO Zapdos, Gyarados, and Salamence with Stone Edge after a Swords Dance (factoring in both Stealth Rock damage and Intimidate), though it will lose its OHKOes on Vaporeon and Milotic, and its chance at an OHKO on Swampert.<p>
<p>The destructive power this set wields is frightening, but without any special attacks you can still run into trouble with dedicated physical walls. Hippowdon and Donphan, for example, can easily survive a +2 Life Orb Close Combat and dispatch Infernape with Earthquake. Suicune and Slowbro can use their high Defense and STAB attacks to a similar effect. Once again, Celebi is of great assistance here, as it can switch into the four aforementioned Pokemon with impunity and begin to fire off Grass Knots. If Celebi isn't convenient to your team then you can use a dedicated lure, such as mixed Metagross. Metagross will lure in physical walls, such as the aforementioned Hippowdown and Donphan, and defeat them with Grass Knot (or other special attacks). Toxic Spikes are also an effective method of wearing down the aforementioned counters. Roserade can set them up effectively and also absorb special Water-type attacks aimed at Infernape.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Choice Band
nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Like most Choice Banders, the set requires a lot of prediction, but the potential payoff is huge. No Pokemon in OU will avoid a 2HKO from either Close Combat or Flare Blitz without resisting it, and everything that resists both of those is taken out by Stone Edge. U-turn allows Infernape to scout the opponent’s team and take the offensive, deal some Stealth Rock damage as the opponent switches, and hit the common switch-ins, such asStarmie, Cresselia, and Latias, for super effective damage.</p>
<p>ThunderPunch is an option over Stone Edge or U-turn if you really do not like Gyarados, but the loss of scouting ability from U-turn or the loss of coverage from Stone Edge is significant. Additionally, a 75 Base Power Electric-type attack is a dangerous thing to be locked into, since even Pokemon who do not carry resistance or immunity take little damage, and they can use the opportunity to set up. As with previous sets, Mach Punch can also be used if you're in need of insurance against Lucario.</p>
<p>Be cautious about throwing around your STAB attacks too early as they provide a perfect opportunity for Gyarados or Salamence to come in and begin to set-up. A timely Stone Edge will bring them down, as will mounting Stealth Rock damage, but nevertheless make sure your team can deal with those two, as you can never rely too much on prediction. A Choice Scarf Latias makes a good revenge killer to both and its immunity to Earthquake can be handy. As always, Choice Band Scizor is an excellent insurance policy against Salamence, provided it has taken Stealth Rock and Life Orb damage. This set shares its counters with Swords Dance Lucario, so the two make quite a potent offensive combination.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Choice Specs
nature: Naive
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Like with the Choice Band set, you will need good prediction to use this set effectively. Fire Blast is Infernape’s main attack, and it will put a good sized dent in anything without a resistance to Fire-type attacks and decent Special Defense. Overheat and Flamethrower are also options, but you will not gain an OHKO on any Pokemon worth mentioning with Overheat, and with Flamethrower you will miss out on an OHKO and 2HKO on Zapdos and Salamence, respectively, after Stealth Rock damage. Grass Knot will 2HKO the bulky Water-types who will inevitably switch into Infernape, though Stealth Rock will need to be up to ensure a 2HKO on Gyarados. Hidden Power Ice will OHKO the Dragon-types who are weak to Ice-type attacks, as well as Gliscor, with little difficulty, but it is important to remember that Fire Blast will hit harder than HP Ice on everything else.</p>
<p>Attack EVs are not necessary, since any reasonable amount will not add any OHKOs or 2HKOs, and the damage gained would not be significant. Still, Close Combat is a much better choice than Focus Blast since it is able to 2HKO Blissey and will OHKO Tyranitar regardless; not to mention that Focus Blast only has 70% accuracy.</p>
<p>Although this set has raw power and coverage in abundance, Infernape's frailty and typing don't afford it enough opportunities to switch in and, as a result, the Choice Specs will often become a hindrance, so think long and hard about whether this set will bring you anything that the standard Specially Based MixApe won't already do.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: U-turn / Grass Knot
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Rash
EVs: 24 Atk / 252 SpA / 232 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Scarf turns Infernape into a potent revenge killer, with fantastic type coverage from its four attacks. Hidden Power Ice will OHKO Salamence and Dragonite, and Choice Scarf gives Infernape the speed to make that an option, even after a Dragon Dance. Close Combat will 2HKO Blissey and Heatran, and easily OHKO any Tyranitar. U-turn is a great move, allowing you to scout what your opponent switches to, as well as hit Starmie, Cresselia, and Latias for super effective damage, but if you want to deal a bit more damage to the bulky Waters-types who commonly switch into Infernape, then Grass Knot is also a valid option.</p>
<p>These EVs with a neutral nature will let Infernape outspeed 463 Speed Choice Scarf Jirachi and the equivalent 309 Speed DD Salamence—the fastest you are likely to encounter—as well as +Speed, base 90 Pokemon who are holding a Choice Scarf. If you are worried about max Speed Salamence and Choice Scarf Jirachi, Infernape will need a +Speed nature and 192 Speed EVs in order to guarantee that it will be faster.</p>
<p>Choice Scarf Infernape's main advantages over other speedy Choice Scarfers, such as Gengar and Latias, are Close Combat, which grants it an efficient way to deal with Blissey, and the ability to revenge kill Agility Metagross, thanks to its Fire-type STAB. If you don't need those traits then you'll usually be better off with a different Choice Scarf Pokemon, as Infernape lacks the raw power without Life Orb and doesn't have the necessary switch in opportunities to take full advantage of a Choice Scarf.</p>
<p>Having counters to Tentacruel and Vaporeon is crucial to this set's success. Rotom-A and Magnezone do a good job here; they are both immune to Tentacruel's Toxic Spikes and can threaten the two bulky Water-types with their STAB Electric attacks. Defeating opposing Heatran will also allow Infernape to use its STAB Fire-type attacks more freely. Suicune and Swampert do a great job at defeating Heatran; they take minimal damage from Heatran's attacks (barring the rare Hidden Power Grass vs. Swampert), and can OHKO it with Surf or Earthquake, respectively.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As with most offensive Pokemon, Stealth Rock is an absolute necessity, especially as Infernape tends to lure out Flying-types. Amongst other advantages, it allows for the Nasty Plot MixApe to OHKO even a 252 / 0 ) Gyarados, after the boost, and to 2HKO without. It also serves as a deterrent to teams that attempt to wear down Infernape by repeated switching, in the hope that it will succumb to Life Orb recoil. On that note, if your team is particularly reliant on Infernape to secure a sweep then it may be worth investing in Rapid Spin support. Many of Infernape's sets rely on Life Orb to secure KOs and when you factor in that and it vulnerability to all forms of passive damage you could end up with a dead chimp far quicker than you had intended. Defensively, Starmie is a good choice, as it resists two of Infernape's weaknesses and can also lure in Dark- and Bug-type attacks to buy Infernape a switch-in opportunity. While this measure isn't needed on offensive teams it can be a huge advantage for balanced teams that are likely to run into trouble against stall teams.</p>
<p> Infernape is especially fortunate in that many of its common counters and checks are vulnerable to Pursuit, so it greatly appreciates the companionship of a powerful Pursuit user to rid him of the likes of Starmie, Latias, Cresselia, and even Tentacruel, who, despite its neutrality to Dark-type moves, suffers huge damage from a well timed Pursuit. Scizor, Metagross, Heracross, and Tyranitar are all good choices, but one should be cautious about using Tyranitar, as its Sand Stream ability will only augment Infernape's vulnerability to passive damage. As alluded to earlier, Celebi makes for a fantastic partner, due to it's ability to effortlessly counter the majority of bulky Water-types (and Ground-types, in the case of the physical sets) that attempt to thwart Infernape's sweep. </p>
<p>Due to it frailty, Infernape is always going to have problems sweeping if the opponent has a faster Pokemon, a Choice Scarfer, or a Pokemon with a reasonably powered priority attack. Fortuitously, many of the Pokemon who outrun Infernape are weak to Pursuit (think Gengar, Latias, Azelf, and Starmie) or are made vulnerable to Pursuit by their poor defenses (think Jolteon, Ambipom, and Sceptile). The priority attackers are a little more difficult to eliminate, but it is one of the few situations where Infernape's defensive typing is a godsend. Infernape has a resistance to Steel-type attacks, and, by extension, the most commonly seen priority attack: Bullet Punch (that said, it should be noted that Infernape still stands to lose around 40% from Scizor's Choice Band Bullet Punch). Ice Shard and Sucker Punch resistances are also most appreciated. Perhaps Infernape's biggest concern, as far as priority goes, is Lucario's Extremespeed, which secures an easy 2HKO, and even has a chance of an OHKO, after a single Defense drop from Close Combat. A defensive Zapdos makes an efficient counter to Lucario and Scizor, whilst also being able to harass any Water-types that may be getting in Infernape's way.</p>
<p>When using Infernape, it is important to understand its role on your team, and to use it appropriately. On an offensive team, Infernape functions best as an early game wall breaker with either Swords Dance or Nasty Plot. In this case you should consider that it pairs well with Gyarados, as they are countered by many of the same things (bulky Water-types and Zapdos) and can be used to weaken the opponent’s counters to enable a later sweep. On a more balanced team, on which Infernape might be one of only two or three sweepers, it is likely best to save it for late game, since your somewhat defensive team should be able to stall for a bit to clear out the correct Pokemon, which would Infernape to sweep. Due to its poor defenses and defensive typing, Infernape is wholly ill-suited for stall teams.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Vacuum Wave is a decent option on special sets; however, most of what is faster than Infernape, bar Weavile, is not weak to Fighting and the loss of coverage by opting for Vacuum Wave is very significant. Mach Punch can OHKO Dugtrio on the Swords Dance version about 50% of the time, almost all of the time with Stealth Rock, and all of the time if you're holding Life Orb. 232 EVs in Speed with a Speed boosting nature allows you to outspeed Adamant Dugtrio already, although most Dugtrio use Jolly for this very reason. Either of the Fighting-type priority attacks will deal about 70% damage to Lucario, and hit before it can use ExtremeSpeed, so if your team has major Lucario problems then one of those may be a good idea.</p>
<p>Focus Blast is available on the special sets and can OHKO Blissey with a Nasty Plot and Life Orb, but the 70% accuracy is a major turn-off, especially with the 100% accurate Close Combat as an option. Flare Blitz and Blaze Kick are interchangeable on the sets that use either; Flare Blitz has more power and full accuracy, while Blaze Kick does not cause recoil damage to Infernape’s already low HP. </p>
<p>Infernape learns Encore, and can sometimes use it to get free stat-ups. However, Infernape’s fantastic coverage forces so many switches anyway that using Encore just to get a free turn is really a waste of a moveslot, and if you Encore on one of those frequent switches you will have wasted a turn as well.</p>
<p>An all special, four attack Life Orb set without a Fighting-type attack can have some surprise value, as no one in their right mind will switch Tyranitar and Blissey into Infernape anyway, but overall the loss of Close Combat is too heavy. Despite hitting many Pokemon for super effective damage, the set misses quite a few OHKOs, and with Infernape’s poor defenses and only 104 base Special Attack it is better suited to strategic wall breaking than trying to muscle through teams.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Infernape is a Pokémon in its own Speed tier, and thus does not need to run max Speed to outspeed all threats. That having been said, given Infernape's fragility there is no real reason to not max Speed on an all physical or special set, since Infernape is not likely to survive more hits with a few extra Hit Points, and that Speed may come in useful in the event of a mirror match or against random Choice Scarf Pokémon. The Exceptions to this rule are the mixed sweeping sets, which drop down to 192 Speed EVs to score some key KOes and deal more damage in general. The only pokemon that Infernape will then fail to outspeed are Mismagius and other Infernape.</p>
<p>When designing your own Infernape set, it is generally a good idea to base it around either physical or special attacks in order to maximize damage output. Then, if you wish, you can add in an attack from the opposite side of the spectrum. Infernape’s proficiency in using this strategy with a wide selection of moves makes is what makes it the feared wall breaker that it is.</p>
<p>Since the most common Infernape do not run max speed and Mismagius is rarely seen in OU, any of the non-mix sets can drop down to 200 Speed EVs and put the extra points into HP. While this doe not allow Infernape to survive anything specific, the extra HP can be useful, and the risk is fairly low.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Infernape has just the right stats in just the right places and the moves to abuse them, making it capable of kicking ass on both sides of the spectrum. It's one of the best users of Life Orb too, giving it just enough of a push to turn what would be a 2HKO on many things into OHKOs. With the ability to viably use both Swords Dance and Nasty Plot, Infernape is aided by its unpredictability, and is very difficult to counter without knowing its whole set.</p>
<p>Infernape’s main drawback is its frailty. Just about any neutral attack will deal over 70% damage to it, and it will almost never survive a super effective hit.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Water-types are the most common counter to Infernape. Here, the lighter the Pokemon, the better, as that means Grass Knot does less damage. Suicune's high all-around stats make it a great counter; however like Milotic it needs a reasonable Special Defense investment to take on Nasty Plot Life Orb Grass Knots. Gyarados can take on any Infernape which does not carry Stone Edge or ThunderPunch, but it needs a high HP investment to not be taken down by Grass Knot if your opponent has Stealth Rock in play. Vaporeon is a great Pokemon to switch into Infernape; not only does it have naturally high HP and decent Special Defense, but it is very light, causing only 60 base power from Grass Knot. Tentacruel is the best counter to the most common set, the mixed Nasty Plotter, with a resistance to Flamethrower and Close Combat and high Special Defense to take neutral Grass Knots. Starmie is also a useful switch-in, as it is faster than and OHKOes Infernape, and can Recover off any damage taken in the process.</p>
<p>Salamence resists nearly every move the typical Infernape has, and thanks to Intimidate it doesn't take much from physical attacks. However, Infernape is faster and sometimes carries Hidden Power Ice for the sole purpose of taking down the popular Dragon. Dragonite has the same resistances as Salamence and better defenses, but lacks Intimidate to help ease Close Combat damage.</p>
<p>If you are sure that Infernape is physical or holding a Choice item, then Hippowdon and Swampert can take on Infernape. However, Infernape usually opts to use Grass Knot, so neither is a good initial switch-in.</p>
<p>Dugtrio can trap and kill Infernape, but you must be sure to use Jolly or you may be outsped. Dugtrio also cannot switch into any attack aside from ThunderPunch or Stone Edge, so it will usually need to come in on Nasty Plot, after Infernape KOs something, or by predicting Infernape's switch-in.</p>
<p>Latias can easily come in on most of Infernape's moves, as it resists Fire, Fighting, and Grass, and can Recover off damage. Even a Life Orb boosted Hidden Power Ice from MixApe fails to 2HKO, while Latias can easily outspeed and OHKO Infernape with Surf or Draco Meteor. However, Latias must be careful not to switch into U-turn, as it will lose a large chunk of its health and will likely have to face down one of its counters.</p>
<p>Azelf can come in on anything but Fire Blast or Flare Blitz and OHKO Infernape with Psychic. Aerodactyl is not weak to any of Infernape’s common attacks, and it has enough defenses to survive one good hit as it comes in, and then OHKO Infernape with 130 base Speed and Earthquake. </p>
<p>Moltres, by virtue of its typing, resists both of Infernape's STAB attacks and Grass Knot, and will take little from Hidden Power Ice as well. It can come in on most Infernape and scare it off with the threat of Air Slash. The only thing that Moltres fears is Stone Edge from physical Infernape, but if it is losing half of its health to Stealth Rock on the switch in, Infernape can usually overpower it with resisted attacks.</p>
<p>With max HP, Cresselia cannot be OHKOed by Infernape even if it uses Nasty Plot or Swords Dance as Cresselia comes in; However, Cresselia will have little effect on Infernape without Psychic or Thunder Wave. Togekiss has the defenses to take a Nasty Plotted Fire Blast or a Close Combat and can OHKO back with Air Slash. It needs 252 HP, 120 Special Defense, and a Calm nature to survive Nasty Plot Life Orb Fire Blast from Naive Infernape 100% of the time.</p>
<p>Infernape is extremely frail, so it has difficulties switching in except after one of its team members faints. As long as you are throwing out attacks that Infernape doesn't resist, it won't find time to come in. Additionally, if Infernape gets paralyzed it will be of little use, so anything with Thunder Wave or Stun Spore can severely reduce Infernape’s effectiveness.</p>
