Entei
[Overview]
<p>After spending the last decade being completely outclassed, first by its fellow legendary beasts and later by Arcanine, Entei has finally found a home in RU. With most of its rivals safely locked away in higher tiers, Entei is free to rampage through RU unhindered. Its high Attack and Speed stats and access to Flare Blitz and ExtremeSpeed make Entei easily one of the best physical attackers in the tier, but it can also use Calm Mind to become one of RU's most dangerous (and overlooked) special sweepers. Its movepool is quite shallow, and the forced Adamant nature that comes with its event moves hinders it to an extent, but do not overlook Entei; its power and versatility make it a Pokemon every successful team must consider.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Toxic
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Entei's combination of power, Speed, bulk, access to ExtremeSpeed, and immunity to Will-O-Wisp makes it one of RU's most fearsome physical attackers. With a Choice Band, Flare Blitz 2HKOes everything that doesn't resist it (with the sole exception of Gligar), while ExtremeSpeed takes a huge chunk out of most offensive Pokemon. Together, these two moves make Entei both a powerful wallbreaker and an excellent revenge killer. In the third slot, Stone Edge OHKOes Altaria, Archeops, and most relevant Fire-types. Unfortunately, Entei's physical movepool essentially ends there, so the final slot is semi-filler. Hidden Power Grass may seem out of place on a Choice Band set, but it allows Entei to 2HKO a few Pokemon that would otherwise force it out, such as Omastar, Quagsire, and Rhydon. Toxic is another decent option that cripples foes such as Gligar and Alomomola, which could otherwise switch in with impunity.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Iron Head and Bulldoze may seem like tempting options in that last slot, but neither one offers significant additional power against any remotely common threats. If you're feeling especially creative, Sleep Talk is an interesting option; switching Entei into Lilligant's Sleep Powder and then surprising it with an OHKO as it uses Quiver Dance is certainly satisfying, but Sleep Talk obviously brings a degree of unreliability. Choice Band is the best item for Entei, although Life Orb is a decent replacement if prediction is an issue. Hidden Power Grass becomes more effective with Life Orb, but Entei will miss the power that Choice Band provides when it's trying to break through an opponent's Lickilicky or revenge kill a Choice Scarf Medicham.</p>
<p>Flare Blitz and ExtremeSpeed are event moves with an unfortunate restriction: to use them, Entei must have an Adamant nature (and be shiny). This means that Entei will always be slower than Pokemon such as Timid Porygon-Z and Jolly Hitmonlee, despite having a higher base Speed. With 252 Speed EVs, Entei outspeeds the Rotom appliances and everything below, but you can use a slightly slower spread of 60 HP / 252 Atk / 196 Spe to give Entei a little extra bulk while still allowing it to outpace positive-natured base 80s such as Medicham.</p>
<p>The power and versatility of this set make it a good fit on nearly any offensive team, but it does need some specific support to reach its full potential. Poliwrath, Alomomola, and defensive Qwilfish can switch into Entei all day, so a powerful Electric-type attacker such as Rotom-F or Manectric is a great help. Munchlax and Gligar can brush off Entei's attacks thanks to their Eviolite-boosted defenses; Knock Off support makes them both much easier to deal with, or you can simply prey on their respective Fighting- and Ice-type weaknesses. Omastar can't switch into Hidden Power Grass, but it gets a free Shell Smash if Entei is locked into any other move, so be sure to bring something like Choice Scarf Krookodile or Mach Punch Hitmonlee that can revenge kill it. Entei is weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to Spikes, and as a Choice item user, it will want to switch in several times, so Rapid Spin support is very beneficial. Hitmonlee and Kabutops can both use Rapid Spin while retaining offensive momentum, but Claydol is also a good option thanks to its handy resistances to Ground- and Rock-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Calm Mind
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Roar
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 136 HP / 120 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With 100 base Speed and the ability to create 101 HP Substitutes, Entei is an excellent bulky Calm Mind sweeper. Although Entei's average Special Attack and limited special movepool prevent this set from being as immediately threatening as its physical set, it is surprisingly easy to set up. Entei's reputation as a powerful physical attacker makes it easy to force a switch and set up an initial Calm Mind or Substitute, and many of the best switch-ins to its physical sets (such as Omastar and Alomomola) are forced to switch right back out when they realize Entei is running a special set. Entei's 101 HP Substitutes and high base Speed also allow it to set up on nearly any wall. If your opponent lacks the right counter or waits too long to switch it in, Entei quickly becomes unstoppable.</p>
<p>The first two moves are obvious, and Flamethrower is a pretty clear choice as well; its 100% accuracy means Entei doesn't have to worry about losing its Substitute due to an untimely miss, and it has plenty of power once Entei has set up. Hidden Power Grass is usually the best option in the last slot to cover Pokemon such as Omastar, Quagsire, and Rhydon. However, Roar is also a viable option, especially with entry hazard support. Phazing is one of the only ways for opponents to stop Entei once it sets up, but Entei outspeeds every common phazer and can Roar them out first, forcing them to take another round of hazard damage and giving itself another turn to set up. Roar also prevents Pokemon such as Dragon Dance Altaria and Calm Mind Uxie from setting up alongside Entei. However, sacrificing Hidden Power Grass means most Water-types will completely wall Entei, and Roar's negative priority means they will always be able to hit Entei with Surf or Waterfall before it can phaze them out, so Entei will need its teammates to eliminate the opponent's Water-types before it attempts to sweep.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Hidden Power Rock is another option in the last slot to hit Altaria, Moltres, and other Fire-types, but it forces Entei to have an imperfect Speed IV, and Entei can use most Fire-types as set-up fodder anyway. The given EVs maximize Entei's Speed and allow it to create 101 HP Substitutes, while the leftover EVs go in Special Attack to boost Entei's power. While this spread gives the best balance between power and ability to set up, by no means is it the only option. For example, reducing Entei's Speed investment to 176 EVs will still allow it to outspeed Timid Lilligant and Moltres while freeing up some EVs to invest in additional bulk or power. Taking things even further, a completely defensive spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD with Lava Plume in place of Flamethrower will make it much easier for Entei to set up against offensive Pokemon, although the lack of Speed leaves it more vulnerable to status. On the other hand, an all-out offensive spread of 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with Fire Blast will make Entei much more powerful, but this also makes it harder to keep a Substitute up. Which spread is best depends on what your team needs Entei to set up on, so play around with it until you find the one that works best for you.</p>
<p>This set can be extremely difficult to stop once it gets going, but it does have a couple of solid counters, especially once you reveal Entei's fourth move. If Entei lacks Roar, Dragon Dance Altaria can set up in its face, while defensive Moltres and Munchlax can simply phaze Entei out. If Entei forgoes Hidden Power Grass, most Water-types can beat it, especially Quagsire (which ignores Entei's boosts due to Unaware) and Water / Rock-types such as Omastar and Kabutops. Either way, entry hazard support is Entei's best friend. Stealth Rock cripples Moltres and Altaria, while multiple layers of Spikes allow Entei to stall out Water-types by simply phazing them out as they break its Substitute, and then setting up a new Substitute as they switch back in and take another round of hazard damage. Ferroseed is a great partner that can often stack several layers of Spikes; it also lures in Fire-type attacks for Entei to switch in on, and it can use Leech Seed to keep Entei healthy during its initial setup.</p>
[SET]
name: Sunny Day
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 4: SolarBeam
item: Life Orb / Heat Rock / Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Charizard, Moltres, and Typhlosion overshadow it as a Fire-type Sunny Day sweeper to some extent, Entei's greater durability and access to Calm Mind make it a unique and powerful alternative. Entei can easily force a switch that gives it a free turn to set up a Calm Mind, then use its respectable bulk to survive a hit and set up Sunny Day. With the sun up and a Calm Mind boost, Entei becomes ridiculously powerful. Fire Blast OHKOes even special walls such as Clefable and Mandibuzz after Stealth Rock, while SolarBeam vaporizes any Water-type that is foolish enough to switch in.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb gives Entei the power to OHKO most of the tier, but Heat Rock and Leftovers are also viable as more conservative options. Heat Rock prolongs Entei's sweep and supports Entei's teammates if it is part of a Sunny Day team, while Leftovers gives Entei more longevity and allows it to set up more easily. While Entei misses out on OHKOs against common switch-ins such as Poliwrath, Qwilfish, and Alomomola without a Life Orb, it can still 2HKO virtually everything in RU.</p>
<p>Munchlax is a hard stop to this set; Fire Blast will never 3HKO even with the boosts from Life Orb, Calm Mind, and Sunny Day. Nothing else can outright counter Entei, but faster physical attackers with STAB Earthquake or Stone Edge, such as Archeops and Scarf Krookodile, can switch in while Entei is setting up and OHKO it. A partner such as Choice Scarf Primeape can eliminate Munchlax as well as most of the faster Pokemon that threaten Entei. This set works well as a standalone sweeper, but it can also be an effective piece of a full Sunny Day team. In this case, Chlorophyll sweepers such as Lilligant and Sawsbuck make excellent partners, since they can easily defeat opposing Choice Scarf users. Rapid Spin support from Claydol or Hitmonlee helps keep Entei healthy during its initial setup; Claydol can also set up Stealth Rock and Sunny Day, while Hitmonlee is better at maintaining offensive momentum.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Entei can use a mono-attacking set with RestTalk, Lava Plume, and Calm Mind to keep itself healthy and potentially set up multiple boosts (especially with a few lucky burns). Such a set is very threatening to stall teams, but it is also an invitation for Omastar to come in, set up a Shell Smash, and sweep your team. You can try a more defensive RestTalk set with Roar in place of Calm Mind to spread burns and rack up entry hazard damage, or even a full support set with Will-O-Wisp and Reflect as well, but Entei's common weaknesses make it a poor wall in general.</p>
<p>An all-out offensive Calm Mind set with Fire Blast, Hidden Power Grass, and Stone Edge can surprise some of Entei's counters. Stone Edge may seem unorthodox on a Calm Mind set, but even without much Attack investment it does significant damage to Altaria and Moltres, which are normally good switch-ins to special Entei. Extrasensory is also an option for decent neutral coverage, although the only target it's really useful against is Qwilfish. Shadow Ball is the only other coverage move Entei has that's worth noting, but it offers absolutely no additional coverage over the options already mentioned.</p>
<p>Choice Scarf is a usable item on Entei, either as a physical attacker with Flare Blitz or a special attacker with Eruption. However, ExtremeSpeed makes Choice Scarf somewhat redundant for the physical attacker, and Eruption is generally done better by Typhlosion. Flame Charge is a decent option to boost Entei's Speed while retaining the ability to switch moves, and Entei's movepool is small enough that it won't mind only having three true attacking moves. Finally, Entei can use Howl to boost its already impressive Attack even higher; just note that Howl is an event move like Flare Blitz and ExtremeSpeed, meaning it forces Entei to run an Adamant nature, which makes it slower than many of the tier's top threats.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Munchlax is the best switch-in to Entei in general, thanks to Thick Fat, Eviolite, and its naturally high HP. Once it's in, it can fish for paralysis with Body Slam or use Whirlwind to phaze Entei out. Other counters depend on Entei's set. Gligar, Poliwrath, and Intimidate Qwilfish all counter physical sets quite effectively, but none of them enjoys taking boosted special attacks. Calm Mind variants have trouble dealing significant damage to Moltres and Altaria, but they in turn cannot do much back to Entei, and they greatly dislike Stone Edge. Fast Earthquake, Stone Edge, and Hydro Pump users such as Choice Scarf Krookodile, Archeops, and Sharpedo, respectively, can be troublesome for Entei, but physical sets can bypass this Speed difference with ExtremeSpeed, and special sets will often have a Substitute up to prevent revenge killing. Entry hazards are an effective way to weaken Entei, as it is weak to Stealth Rock and fully vulnerable to Spikes. The damage taken switching in will greatly reduce Entei's ability to set up, and Toxic Spikes will completely ruin any Calm Mind sets.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Entei receives Flash Fire from the Dream World, allowing it to switch into Fire-type attacks for a free power boost. Sadly, Flash Fire is illegal with event moves such as Flare Blitz and ExtremeSpeed, so Entei is stuck with Pressure on physical sets. For special sets, Flash Fire will almost always be superior, although Pressure can still be useful with Substitute to stall out the PP of an opponent's Stone Edge or Hydro Pump.</p>
