http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/drifblim
[Overview]
<p>Baton Pass is the main reason to use Drifblim over its Ghost-type brethren; it has a massive HP stat, immunity to common Ground-, Fighting-, and Normal-type moves, and two useful abilities in Aftermath and Unburden. Drifblim also has passable defenses and a variety of good supporting moves such as Hypnosis, Thunder Wave, and Haze. The downsides to using Drifblim are its Pursuit weakness, lack of reliable recovery outside of Rest (unlike other Flying-types, Drifblim does not learn Roost), and crippling Stealth Rock weakness. Overall, Drifblim is outclassed by Mismagius and Rotom, but if you can utilize Drifblim for its good points, it becomes an excellent addition to your team.</p>
[SET]
name: ChestoRest
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Rest
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Thunderbolt / Baton Pass
item: Chesto Berry
ability: Unburden
nature: Modest
evs: 252 Def / 108 SpA / 148 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of Drifblim's arguably better ability, Unburden. The idea behind this set is to boost Drifblim's stats with Calm Mind, and when it is at low health, Rest is used to restore its HP. After activating Drifblim's Chesto Berry, it'll be at full health, maintaining all Calm Mind boosts, and having its Speed doubled by Unburden. From there, Drifblim should attempt to sweep the opponent. Shadow Ball is used for STAB, Hidden Power Fighting provides coverage against Normal-, Steel-, and Dark-types, and Thunderbolt is used to hit Milotic who carry Haze. Baton Pass is another good choice, as it allows Drifblim to support teammates with Calm Mind boosts as well. This set is better left for late-game when the opponent's powerful sweepers are removed, and you are able to set up against weaker Pokemon such as Chansey, Venusaur, or Clefable.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>148 Speed EVs and a Modest nature ensures that Drifblim outspeeds Choice Scarf Rotom after the Unburden boost. Maximum Defense gives Drifblim more physical bulk to work with, as it will be boosting its Special Defense with Calm Mind. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Attack, turning Drifblim into an offensive threat. Alternatively, you may use a Timid nature along with 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe EVs and using Substitute or Thunderbolt over Rest, and Leftovers as its item; such a set makes Drifblim more offensive. Petaya Berry may also be used with Substitute and Unburden.</p>
<p>A Pokemon with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell is helpful in case Drifblim is unable to wake up due to switching, or using its item already. Chansey, Clefable, Uxie, and Venusaur are all reliable options due to their great defensive stats and support options. If you use Baton Pass on this set, a Pokemon to receive the boosts is essential; Milotic and Moltres are great options due to their wide offensive movepools and high Special Attack stats.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Calm Mind / Stockpile
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Leftovers
ability: Aftermath
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Drifblim's mammoth base 150 HP stat allows it to pass huge Substitutes to its teammates, along with boosts from Calm Mind or Stockpile. Shadow Ball is listed so Drifblim isn't completely crippled by Taunt users, though Normal-types such as Ambipom may cause problems, making Explosion an option in the last slot. Drifblim has good typing compared to most Baton Pass users, having an immunity to common moves like Earthquake and Close Combat, and having many more useful resistances. Aftermath is the ability of choice, as this set doesn't carry a single use item, and it also deals damage to the opposing Pokemon that KOed Drifblim if they used a move that makes contact with it.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs on this set make Drifblim as fast as possible, allowing it to tie with other base 80 Pokemon such as Venusaur and Blaziken. Maximum Special Defense is used, making Drifblim more difficult to take out, and the remaining 4 are placed into Defense, ensuring Drifblim has an odd HP stat, enabling it to switch into Stealth Rock 4 times. If you wish to use Explosion in the last slot, a Jolly nature is recommended, as it doesn't lower any of Drifblim's defensive stats.</p>
<p>As Drifblim is going to be passing Substitutes and stat boosts, a Pokemon to receive them is a necessary teammate. Frail sweepers such as Alakazam and Toxicroak appreciate the easier switch-in, while bulkier Pokemon like Hariyama or Rhyperior may use it to set up Focus Punch or Rock Polish. If Drifblim is running Calm Mind, a special sweeper such as Moltres or Milotic make good choices to pair with this set; mixed sweepers like Blaziken are good too. Exploud is another excellent option, as Soundproof makes it harder to erase stat boosts and Substitutes thanks to making Exploud immune to Roar, while Exploud can plough through the opponent's team with its great movepool.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass v2.0
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hypnosis / Recycle
item: Petaya Berry / Liechi Berry
ability: Unburden
nature: Timid
evs: 196 Def / 252 SpD / 60 Spe
ivs: 30 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although this set also uses Baton Pass, it's played in a completely different way than the above set. This Drifblim variant utilizes a pinch Berry alongside Unburden to raise its Speed. Shadow Ball is used as a reliable STAB move, while Hypnosis cripples the opposing Pokemon and aids setting up. Recycle may also be used in the last slot, allowing Drifblim to reuse its pinch Berry. To begin the setup, you should switch Drifblim into a Fighting-, Ground-, or Normal-type move, then proceed to use Substitute. If you predict the opponent will switch, you may Baton Pass the Substitute or hit the switch-in with Hypnosis or Shadow Ball. If you think the opponent will stay in and attack, Drifblim should Substitute again until its Berry activates, in turn activating Unburden. Be warned, after using Baton Pass, the receiving Pokemon doesn't get its Speed doubled; only Drifblim does due to its ability.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>60 Speed EVs along with a Timid nature give Drifblim 232 Speed, which allows it to outrun Choice Scarf Rotom after an Unburden boost. Max Special Defense is used for bulk, while the remaining EVs are placed into Defense. There is a bias towards Special Defense as it's Drifblim's higher defense stat. The defensive EVs make Drifblim's Substitutes difficult to break, surviving Registeel's Iron Head, Leafeon's Leaf Blade, and Power Whip from Leftovers Venusaur.</p>
<p>Teammates to receive the stat boosts are important; special sweepers like Rotom and Moltres are good choices to receive Petaya Boosts, as neither of them have reliable stat boosting moves (Rotom's Charge Beam isn't 100% guaranteed to boost its Special Attack). On the other hand, physical sweepers such as Swellow and Arcanine appreciate the boost from Liechi Berry. Mixed Octillery is interesting, as it receives either boost with equally good attacking stats, and has Suction Cups to block Roar and Whirlwind users, such as Donphan and Hariyama.</p>
[SET]
name: Hindenburg (UU Lead)
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Hidden Power Fighting
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Hypnosis
item: Focus Sash
ability: Unburden
nature: Mild
ivs: 2 HP / 2 Def / 30 SpA / 2 SpD / 30 Spe
evs: 108 Atk / 252 SpA / 148 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Drifblim makes a great lead: its objective is to take two of the opponent's Pokemon out of the match (provided Hypnosis hits) and scout the opponent's team by forcing switches. The strategy behind this set is to play aggressively and attack or put a Pokemon to sleep while surviving a normally fatal hit. Losing Focus Sash activates Unburden, letting Drifblim reach a Speed stat of 464, outpacing Timid Choice Scarf Rotom, who is almost certainly the fastest Pokemon you will face in UU. Many common leads can unwittingly activate Drifblim's Focus Sash by dealing 100% damage, at which point Drifblim can attack freely, put an opposing Pokemon to sleep, and Explode when it's in danger of being KOed.</p>
<p>This set has the surprise factor on its side, as most people expect Drifblim to create bulky Substitutes and Baton Pass them. Drifblim fares very well against many common leads in the UU metagame, although Hypnosis is a high-risk, high-reward move. However, Drifblim will often get two chances to use Hypnosis if it needs to, thanks to Focus Sash and its ability, Unburden.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Drifblim's defensive IVs are as low as possible to increase the chance of Focus Sash being broken, while still allowing it to retain a 70 Base Power Hidden Power Fighting. Below are examples of common leads that will activate Unburden.</p>
<ul class=”damage_calculation”>
<li>252 Atk Adamant Arcanine Flare Blitz vs. Drifblim: 128.9% - 151.7%</li>
<li>252 SpA Timid Life Orb Moltres Fire Blast vs. Drifblim: 123.3% - 145.1%</li>
<li>Any Rhyperior Stone Edge vs. Drifblim: 100+%</li>
<li>48 SpA Hasty Electrode Thunder vs. Drifblim: 113.6% - 134%</li>
<li>252 SpA Modest Mesprit Ice Beam vs. Drifblim: 97.6% - 115%%</li>
<li>252 Atk Brave Life Orb Cloyster Rock Blast vs. Drifblim: 213.6% - 252.4%</li>
<li>252 Atk Adamant Kabutops Stone Edge vs. Drifblim: 221.4% - 260.7%</li>
<li>252 Atk Adamant Pinsir Stone Edge vs. Drifblim: 156.8% - 184.5%</li>
</ul>
<p>As far as team options go, they are relatively non-specific for this set. However, there are a few key situations in which Drifblim will need some assistance. Leads such as Ambipom, Kabutops, and Cloyster are threatening due to their ability to either 2HKO Drifblim without activating Unburden, or finish Drifblim off with a priority attack after activating Unburden. This leaves Drifblim with a mere 60% chance to beat these leads (factoring in Hypnosis's accuracy), or 0% if Ambipom Taunts while Drifblim uses Hypnosis. Although 60% might not sound bad, bear in mind that Drifblim will have accomplished absolutely nothing if Hypnosis misses, effectively making the match six-on-five from the beginning. Therefore, it is wise to have the appropriate Pokemon backing Drifblim up in order to take care of such threats. Rock- and Steel-types, though they need to be wary of Low Kick, handle Ambipom well, as does Pursuit Spiritomb. Toxicroak, Milotic, and Hitmontop can all take on Cloyster and Kabutops, but switching back to Drifblim may be necessary to avoid Cloyster's Explosion. Rapid Spin also makes for great support, as should a particular lead, such as Kabutops, force Drifblim to switch out, Drifblim will be able to switch back in later without losing its Focus Sash in the process.</p>
<p>Should this strategy work properly, the opponent will probably attempt to finish off Drifblim with a priority attack. Pokemon that can abuse switch-ins such as Azumarill, Spiritomb, and Donphan make nice partners for Drifblim. Venusaur is a great example of a teammate that can scare off the aforementioned Pokemon while possibly sneaking in a Swords Dance or putting a Pokemon to sleep in the process. Sweepers like Leafeon, Feraligatr, and Toxicroak can also use this opportunity to set up if they can avoid Spiritomb's Will-O-Wisp.</p>
[SET]
name: Rain Support
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Thunder / Weather Ball
move 4: Explosion
item: Damp Rock
ability: Aftermath
nature: Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Surprisingly, Drifblim makes an excellent Rain Dance user due to its high Speed and access to Explosion, Thunder, and Weather Ball. Drifblim also beats common threats to Rain Dance teams with Explosion, especially Tangrowth, as Drifblim resists every attack it commonly carries barring Hidden Power Ice. Thunder is an excellent option, it has 100% accuracy in the rain as well as a high paralysis rate. Weather Ball is another good choice, giving Drifblim a 150 Base Power Water attack to play with. Damp Rock is the item of choice as it prolongs the rain, and Aftermath is good to weaken opponents who dare KO Drifblim. Baton Pass is an option in the last slot if you don't want to witness the Hindenburg disaster, allowing Drifblim to escape the battlefield.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs focus on turning Drifblim into a powerful special sweeper; the remaining EVs are placed into Attack to boost Explosion's power. A Hasty nature is better than Timid or Naive, as it doesn't lower Drifblim's Attack, while keeping its higher Special Defense intact. If you decide to use Baton Pass over Explosion in the last slot, a Timid nature is the better choice, and the Attack EVs can be shifted to Defense.</p>
<p>Pokemon who can take advantage of the rain make great partners for this set. Swift Swimmers such as Ludicolo, Omastar, and Gorebyss are effective choices on the special side, while Kabutops and Qwilfish are excellent choices on the physical. Electric-types also appreciate the rain, as they gain a 100% accurate STAB Thunder. Magneton, Manectric, and Rotom are good examples of Pokemon who can abuse Thunder. Lanturn is an interesting option as it can abuse 100% accurate Thunder, boosted Water-type attacks, and its Volt Absorb ability to protect its fellow Water-types from Electric-type attacks. Additional Rain Dancers are recommended to use alongside Drifblim, as it's used as a suicide lead in most cases. Uxie, Registeel, and Lanturn are all excellent due to their great defensive stats, good support moves, and decent typing.</p>
<p>Toxicroak, Chansey, and Registeel are troublesome for Rain Dance teams, and there are a few simple solutions to this. Dugtrio can trap these Pokemon with its ability and hit them with STAB Earthquake. Fighting-types, such as Hariyama and Hitmontop, are also good options as they can hit the opponents with STAB Close Combat and powerful Earthquakes. The aforementioned examples are also bulky enough to set up Rain Dance for the team.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Trick
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Thunderbolt / Baton Pass
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
ability: Aftermath
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set uses Choice items to turn Drifblim into a revenge killer, along with Trick to cripple an opponent's wall or any Pokemon that tries to set up on Drifblim. Shadow Ball is used for a reliable STAB move, while Hidden Power Fighting provides perfect type coverage alongside it, hitting Steel-, Dark-, and Normal-type opponents. In the last slot, Thunderbolt hits Water-types such as Milotic, and Flying-types like Moltres and Scyther. Baton Pass is also listed as an option the the fourth slot, as it turns Drifblim into a scout and allows it to escape Pursuit users unharmed. If you're playing hardball, Explosion could be used in the last slot. If you decide to do this, then a Mild or Hasty nature is recommended; taking out a special wall such as Chansey is very welcome.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Specially defensive Pokemon like Chansey, Clefable, Spiritomb, and Milotic can be a pain in the backside, meaning you'll have to take some precautions against the aforementioned foes. Entry hazards such as Spikes and Toxic Spikes are helpful for damaging such Pokemon upon switching in, and crippling walls with Toxic, respectively. Drapion, Qwilfish, and Cloyster are all excellent options to set them up for the team. Chansey, Clefable, and Registeel can be beaten by physical sweepers, such as Blaziken, Hariyama, and Hitmontop, or Dugtrio can trap them with its ability.</p>
<p>Pursuit users, such as Drapion and Houndoom, are troublesome if they switch into Shadow Ball. To get past these foes, Dugtrio may be used to trap them with its ability, or Hitmontop may use its priority moves and Earthquake to KO them. Hariyama is a decent alternative due to Thick Fat and its huge HP stat, which makes it more difficult for Houndoom and Drapion to get past it. Hariyama also has Close Combat and Earthquake to beat common Dark- and Fire-types. Pursuit Swellow is rare, but a dangerous threat if Drifblim is locked into Shadow Ball. Registeel and Steelix are both excellent partners as they wall Swellow, and have access to powerful STAB moves such as Iron Head and Gyro Ball to knock it out.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Rapid Spin support is very helpful, as Drifblim loses a quarter of its health upon switching into Stealth Rock. Donphan is an excellent Rapid Spinner due to its ability to switch into Electric- and Rock-type moves thrown at Drifblim, and it has Assurance to hit incoming Ghost-types, such as Rotom. Hitmontop is another great choice as it has access to Foresight, and it has many priority moves to KO weakened opponents. On the other hand, Drifblim appreciates support from Toxic Spikes and Spikes, as they help wear down the likes of Chansey, Milotic, and Registeel. Qwilfish and Drapion are both fine options to set up Toxic Spikes, while Cloyster is an excellent Pokemon to set up Spikes. With that being said, Drifblim plays the role of a spinblocker, making sure the opponent can't remove entry hazards thanks to its immunity to Rapid Spin.</p>
<p>Steel-types make great partners for Drifblim, as they can switch into most of its weaknesses. Registeel resists Rock-, Ice-, Dark-, and Ghost-type attacks, while having a variety of useful support moves. Steelix is another good choice as it resists the same types as Registeel barring Ice, and has access to Stealth Rock and Roar to phaze the opponent's team. Fighting-types such as Blaziken and Hariyama are also helpful as they can take out Dark-types and specially defensive Pokemon, like Chansey, Registeel, and Clefable. Dugtrio is also a fine choice, as it can trap many threats to Drifblim such as Registeel, Drapion, Houndoom, and Chansey.</p>
<p>Pokemon with Encore may come in handy with Baton Pass sets, as they can lock the opponent onto an attack that Drifblim is immune to. Earthquake, Fighting-type attacks, and weak hits are good choices to switch into. Good users of Encore include Mr. Mime, Alakazam, and Clefable.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Drifblim is such a versatile Pokemon, with a lot of extra moves not even mentioned in the sets listed above. Destiny Bond may be useful against slower opponents such as Rhyperior, who can hit Drifblim super effectively and is guaranteed to KO it. Haze may be helpful to erase boosts from Pokemon like Swords Dance Venusaur and Rock Polish Torterra. Memento can replace Explosion on any of the sets and may be useful to set up for a fragile sweeper, such as BellyZard or Belly Drum Linoone. Ominous Wind may be useful as it has the chance to raise all stats, though the 10% chance of that happening makes it almost useless. On the subject of stat boosts, Psych Up is an interesting option that allows Drifblim to steal any boosts the opponent has gained, and have them for itself, or even Baton Pass them. Drifblim's Flying-type STAB is poor, though Air Slash and Hidden Power Flying are available if you wish to use them. Sucker Punch helps hit faster opponents for priority, and it works reasonably well off Drifblim's base 80 Attack. Finally, Drifblim has access to Pain Split for recovery, but its base HP is too high to make it useful.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Drifblim is hard to counter outright due to Baton Pass. Phazers, such as Milotic and Hariyama, make the best counters as they can erase any boosts Drifblim may have accumulated and scout the rest of Drifblim's team. Chansey, Clefable, and Registeel are difficult for Drifblim to get past, as its Shadow Ball does a pittance to all of them; these Pokemon all have respectable HP and defensive stats, as well as good recovery (barring Registeel). The only issue is that none of them like being Tricked a Choice item, and the former two want to avoid Explosion. Specially defensive Dark-types such as Spiritomb are great, as they take little damage from any of Drifblim's attacks, and Spiritomb is also immune to Explosion. Drapion is another decent choice due to its ability to trap Drifblim with Pursuit or slice it with Night Slash, dealing hefty damage. Lesser used options are good too: Porygon2 makes a decent counter, as it has excellent defenses, immunity to Shadow Ball, and access to super effective moves such as Thunderbolt and Ice Beam. Skuntank is another great option as it can switch into most of Drifblim's attacks, and threaten it with STAB Dark-type moves such as Night Slash and Pursuit; it also has Taunt to cripple Baton Pass sets and any that attempt to set up.</p>
