Espeon

[Twilight]

Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 65 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 130 SpA / 95 SpD / 110 Spe
Abilities: Synchronize, Magic Bounce
Notable Moves:
- Psychic/Psyshock
- Dazzling Gleam
- Grass Knot
- Future Sight
- Morning Sun
- Shadow Ball
- Trick
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Yawn
- Calm Mind

Pros / Good Qualities:

• Espeon has high base SpA and a great Speed tier sitting at 110, letting it outpace Staraptor, Iron Jugulis, Pawmot, and Salamence + Speed tieing with Gengar.
• Decent coverage options in Dazzling Gleam and Shadow Ball letting it break through most of the tier
• With the minimal amount of removal, Magic Bounce is an excellent tool to appease this
• Decent utility options allow it to cripple switchins with Trick or be an effective screens setter

Cons / Shortcomings

• While Espeon's coverage is decent, it is usually left hitting most Pokemon for neutral damage, particularly Steel-types.
• Espeon can be rather prediction reliant on more offensively inclined sets
• Lack of bulk makes it easy to pick off with priority and also makes it hard to properly take advantage of Magic Bounce. Minimal defensive prowess when it comes to even taking resisted hits
• Speed tier still leaves it at the mercy of faster Pokemon like Kilowattrel and Weavile. The latter is particularly problematic for a screen lead set.
• As an offensive SpA Pokemon it faces a lot of competition from Gengar, who boasts the same offensive stats, better typing, and better versatility

Set:

AoA

Espeon @ Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Magic Bounce
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Dazzling Gleam
- Shadow Ball
- Morning Sun / Future Sight / Trick / Grass Knot

Fairly powerful AoA that can be difficult to switch into. Dazzling Gleam lets you pick off Hydreigon and Jugulis, while hitting Bisharp for neutral. Shadow Ball helps break past other Psychic-types like Slowking, Hatterene, etc. Morning Sun is nice to offset LO recoil and hazard chip. Future Sight makes it annoying for the opponent to play around given Espeon can force switches fairly easily. Trick should only be used with Specs. Grass Knot can help in cases like SpD Hippo and Gastro but otherwise, it isn't necessary coverage. Calm Mind could work but given how frail it is you might rarely get a chance to use it.

Screens

Espeon @ Light Clay
Ability: Magic Bounce
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Yawn / Thunder Wave
- Psychic

Screen setter sets screens. Run filler utility option in last slot = profit. Magic Bounce prevents other lead hazard setters from taking advantage of the screen setting turns.

Terastallizing Potential:

• I have pretty much only ever used Fairy in minimal cases to avoid dying to Sucker Punch or surprise a Scarf Hydreigon
• I personally wouldn't recommend committing your Tera to it in most games if you tried the AoA set. Screens you obviously don't want to waste it on

 

[Sulo]

Have you considered Tera Fire + Tera Blast? It becomes a lot worse at baiting Bisharp effectively because LO + its extreme frailty means its going to get into Sucker Punch range more, but it could be effective at pressuring Steel-types. I personally haven't used it, so this should be taken with a grain of salt, of course. Could be cool, though.

 

[Twilight]

Have you considered Tera Fire + Tera Blast? It becomes a lot worse at baiting Bisharp effectively because LO + its extreme frailty means its going to get into Sucker Punch range more, but it could be effective at pressuring Steel-types. I personally haven't used it, so this should be taken with a grain of salt, of course. Could be cool, though.

Sounds cool to surprise OHKO any SpD Forretress and you'll do more to Tinkaton etc. but with how few Steels there are anyways I'm not sure how worthwhile this would be, especially when the move could just be a dead slot in most games. I much prefer just pairing it with Body Press Magnezone, which also pressures Blissey. Perhaps it is something worth exploring regardless.

 

[riftendrifter]

Who would you suggest pairs well with espeon?

 

[Twilight]

Who would you suggest pairs well with espeon?

For offensive sets:

ID Magnezone as mentioned above.

Pivots that can bring it in safely due to how frail it is. E.g. Washtom, Hydreigon, Staraptor etc.
Staraptor was personally pretty cool to pair as they wear down Steels for one another.

Hazard setters are always nice to bring stuff into range. E.g. Iron Thorns, Gastro, etc.

For screens:
You just pair it with typical setup sweepers.

E.g. Polteageist, Salamence, Gyarados, Lucario, Espathra, etc.

 

[STEELDRAGON]

Espeon is one of the options Hyper offensive has. Magic Bounce is huge for deterring entry hazards and even though frail still has recovery in Morning Sun. It's best set is definitely the dual screens and performs very well, being pretty fast and just enough bulk to able to set them up multiple times if needed. The specs set is mostly done better by other pokemon such as Gengar or Iron Jugulis.

 

[YataGarasu]

Personally I've run two sets on it prior:

Spoiler

Anti-bird eSPEED
Espeon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magic Bounce
Tera Type: Rock
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam/Shadow Ball
- Power Gem
-Grass Knot
Choice Scarf guarantees I outspeed Staraptor with Scarf/tie with Scarfgar. Also allows me to outspeed BE/Sun set Sandy Shocks and a few speedy threats. It allows me to outspeed Polteagheist at +2 and generally 2HKO it.
Tera rock guarantees I 1HKO Staraptor, Noivern, Mence (~70% chance to 1HKO with tera), Pelipper and Armarouge. Power gem halts Talonflame. Near guarantees ~75% 1HKO Iron Jugulis,Kilowatrel. Allows me to revenge kill or check LokiX (after FI use not before) and Slitherwing. Also dampers 3 out of 4 Rotom forms [I'm excluding Wash since it's OU] despite being 2HKO.

And:

Spoiler

EQ eSPEED:
Espeon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magic Bounce
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam/Shadow Ball
- Tera Blast
-Grass Knot
Same item as last time to outspeed plenty of threats.
This is a more dedicated Tera set. Tera Blast (ground) allows me to ~81% chance to 1HKO Sandy Shocks, beat Bisharp, guarantee 1HKO on Iron Thorns 2HKO Forretress, near 1HKO Klefki lead (~56% chance to 1HKO). Also stops Magnezone dead in its tracks.