[OVERVIEW]
* Protean gives Greninja STAB on every move by changing it to the move's type upon use, making its great coverage very threatening.
* Thanks to Protean, which gives it STAB on every move and its wide movepool, Greninja has an option to hit any potential answer, so it can pick and choose its counters based on its team.
* Greninja has a fantastic Speed tier, outrunning threats like Latios, Keldeo, Mega Metagross, and Zygarde-10%.
* Access to Spikes with great coverage makes for a great offensive hazard setter.
* Frailty leaves Greninja susceptible to priority and revenge kills, while also being difficult to switch in.
* This is further worsened by low raw offensive stats that can make it difficult to achieve OHKOs at times even with super effective moves.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Gunk Shot
move 3: Extrasensory / Hydro Pump
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hydro Pump
item: Life Orb
ability: Protean
nature: Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Ice Beam is a consistent STAB attack, enabling Greninja to hit the Grass-types and Dragon-types that normally wall Water-types while offering good overall neutral coverage.
* Gunk Shot covers Fairy-types, most notably Tapu Fini, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Clefable. It also serves as a physical move with good neutral coverage, often serving as the best option to hit opposing Water-types, such as Mantine, Rotom-W, and Manaphy.
* Extrasensory covers Toxapex, Keldeo, Mega Venusaur, and Buzzwole while dealing good neutral damage to Rotom-W.
* Hydro Pump is Greninja's highest-Base Power attack, achieving crucial damage benchmarks on many neutral targets. It also covers Heatran and Tyranitar.
* Hidden Power Fire makes Greninja a Ferrothorn lure and effective Mega Scizor check, in addition to nearly 2HKOing Celesteela.
* Alternatively, it is viable to run Hydro Pump with Extrasensory if preferred.
* Dark Pulse can be run to hit Mega Metagross and Jirachi super effectively, as well as for its great neutral coverage in general.
* Hidden Power Electric lets Greninja lure and dispatch Mantine and Gyarados in addition to hitting Water-types in general super effectively.
* Grass Knot is also an option to hit Mega Gyarados and bulky Water-types other than Toxapex and Mantine hard.
* In general, the moveset should be chosen based on what Greninja's teammates want to be removed.
Set Details
========
* Full Special Attack investment maximizes Greninja's special attacking capabilities.
* A Naive nature ensures Gunk Shot's strength while making Greninja as fast as possible.
* Greninja's offensive stats aren't that high, so the power boost provided by Life Orb is absolutely necessary.
* Protean is used to give every move an additional punch in a STAB boost.
Usage Tips
========
* Greninja usually should not be switched in directly without a solid prediction or weak resisted move. Smart double switches and VoltTurn are typically the best ways to bring it in.
* It is sometimes worth thinking about how certain Protean types will affect Greninja's success against the Pokemon it is fighting and possible revenge killers.
* Scout for possible Greninja switch-ins and baits in the early game by throwing out a neutral coverage option instead of directly predicting a switch with a lure move.
* After identifying the opponent's choices to switch into Greninja, punish with the appropriate coverage move, if applicable.
* Greninja is at its best when it controls the tempo of a match. Understanding and making proper predictions with it is essential, as it can punch serious holes in this way. Aggressive, properly timed double switches maximize Greninja's effectiveness when it cannot break through a certain threat easily.
Team Options
========
* Sweepers and cleaners as a whole, which both benefit from weakened defensive cores, generally appreciate Greninja. Mega Charizard X, Pheromosa, Mega Scizor, Tapu Koko, and Mega Pinsir are good examples.
* Teammates that want specific foes, such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, or Mantine, lured and KOed appreciate specific options from Greninja. For example, Mega Gyarados wants Ferrothorn and Toxapex eliminated before it can sweep.
* VoltTurn helps Greninja get in through its frailty, making Landorus-T, Tapu Koko, and Tornadus-T great partners.
* Defensive pivots, such as Ferrothorn, Landorus-T, and Rotom-W, help provide switch-ins against typical revenge killers and Pokemon Greninja cannot OHKO. Alolan Marowak is specifically helpful because it counters Pheromosa and Tapu Koko, some of the top choices to revenge kill Greninja.
[SET]
name: Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Gunk Shot
move 4: Hydro Pump / Low Kick
item: Life Orb
ability: Protean
nature: Naive
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves
========
* Greninja is the only viable offensive Spikes user.
* Spikes punish the many switches that Greninja forces without requiring the right coverage move and put significant pressure on defensive cores.
* Spikes make Greninja more versatile, as it can actually give defensive teams trouble with them.
* Greninja has options to cover common forms of entry hazard control.
* Ice Beam is Greninja's best STAB move, boasting the greatest overall neutral coverage and threatening certain Defog users, including Latios, Mandibuzz, and Zapdos.
* Gunk Shot can pressure Mantine and destroys Tapu Fini. It also hits other Fairy-types and provides good general neutral coverage.
* Hydro Pump is the strongest move Greninja has against neutral targets. In terms of covering hazard removers, it usually 2HKOes standard Mega Sableye and Mega Scizor.
* Low Kick, meanwhile, covers common defensive switch-ins to Greninja like Ferrothorn, Celesteela, Assault Vest Magearna, and Chansey, often catching them by surprise.
* Hidden Power Electric is an option over Gunk Shot to cover Mantine and Tapu Fini, two important Defog users, while nearly OHKOing Skarmory and covering other Water-types decently.
Set Details
========
* Full Special Attack and Speed investment maximizes Greninja's offensive capabilities and makes the most of its fantastic Speed tier.
* A Naive nature ensures Greninja outspeeds everything that it can while having no negative impact on Greninja's offensive capabilities.
* With Low Kick, run full Attack investment to maximize the power of it and Gunk Shot. The drawback of this is that Ice Beam becomes fairly weak, so keep this in mind when designing your Greninja's moveset.
* If running Hidden Power Electric, be sure to run a Timid nature and 4 EVs in Defense instead of Attack.
* Greninja's offensive stats aren't that high, so the power boost provided by Life Orb is absolutely necessary.
* Protean is used to give every move an additional punch in a STAB boost.
Usage Tips
========
* Use Spikes aggressively on the switches Greninja forces.
* Spikes should primarily be used when the opponent has a good defensive answer to Greninja. In other scenarios, especially in fast-paced matches against offensive teams, it may be suboptimal to use Spikes.
* Adjust your play with this set when facing offensive and defensive teams.
* Other than the addition of Spikes, Greninja should be played as normal, making the most of its coverage and pressuring with its attacks.
Team Options
========
* Use this set on very offensive teams, as offensive pressure to prevent Greninja's entry hazards from being removed is crucial. Try to avoid using Pokemon that are bait for common Defog users or just make sure that you have a way to play around them effectively, such as Swords Dance Mega Scizor to set up on Latios.
* It's probably not best to pair Spikes Greninja with Pokemon that have heavy Stealth Rock weaknesses because you do not want to require hazard control with this.
* Pokemon to lure or generally cover Ferrothorn, such as Hidden Power Fire Latios and Heatran, fit well with this set.
* Breakers that benefit from hazard pressure like Kyurem-B and Hoopa-U appreciate Spikes Greninja.
* Typical VoltTurn support from the likes of Landorus-T, Tapu Koko, and Tornadus-T to get Greninja in unscathed also applies to this set.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
* A set with maximum Attack investment that has Gunk Shot and Low Kick is usable, but it is generally outclassed by specially oriented Greninja.
* U-turn can be run to provide momentum against defensive threats, especially when combined with trappers.
* Shadow Sneak can be used to mess with Pheromosa and Mega Alakazam if desired and provide a priority move.
* Z-Happy Hour can set up for a sweep by giving a +1 boost to all of Greninja's stats. The issues with this are limited opportunities to set up and limited coverage, but such a set can sweep effectively under the right conditions.
* Psychium Z Extrasensory is a good lure to Toxapex, but the general power of Life Orb is sorely missed.
Checks & Counters
========
**Chansey**: Chansey is typically a hard counter to Greninja, though the Spikes set can take advantage of Chansey's passivity by setting up layers of Spikes that wear down Chansey and the rest of its team.
**Water-types**: Water-types resist Greninja's Ice Beam and Hydro Pump, so many can serve as effective answers to it. Suicune and Alomomola are fantastic counters to Greninja that lack Grass Knot. Gyarados and Mega Gyarados can set up on any Greninja that lacks Hidden Power Electric or Grass Knot. If Greninja lacks Extrasensory, Toxapex is typically a solid counter and Keldeo can check. Other good Water-types to check Greninja include Mantine and Rotom-W, though Mantine is slain by Hidden Power Electric are both are heavily pressured by Gunk Shot. For rain teams, the combination of Pelipper and Kingdra can help check Greninja.
**Steel-types**: Specially defensive Celesteela and Jirachi are fantastic at dealing with Greninja, as is Assault Vest Magearna. Celesteela and Jirachi must be careful of super effective Hidden Powers to some extent, though. Ferrothorn takes hits from non-Hidden Power Fire Greninja effectively and can take advantage of it to set up hazards or use Leech Seed to heal itself. Mega Metagross and Magnezone are decent checks for offensive teams to use against Greninja. Heatran technically walls any Greninja that lacks Hydro Pump, but that possibility is definitely not worth risking unless Heatran runs Passho Berry.
**Kyurem-B**: Kyurem-B is a very effective check to Greninja, tanking any hit from it fairly decently and responding with a powerful attack to KO.
**Bulky Psychic-types**: Cresselia is a perfect wall to Greninja without Dark Pulse. Slowbro also walls any Greninja that lacks Dark Pulse, Hidden Power Electric, or Grass Knot. Mew is a somewhat shady counter because it is 2HKOed if Greninja gets a poison with Gunk Shot, but it can work as a secondary answer.
**Mega Venusaur**: Mega Venusaur is decent at handling non-Extrasensory Greninja, serving as a good switch-in without Stealth Rock up and dealing with it very effectively if it has some Special Defense investment.
**Revenge Killers**: Naturally faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, Pheromosa, and Mega Alakazam; Choice Scarf users, such as Genesect, Landorus-T, Tapu Lele, Keldeo, and Latios; and priority attackers such as Bisharp and Zygarde, are very helpful for revenge killing Greninja, which can be the best option in many scenarios.
* Protean gives Greninja STAB on every move by changing it to the move's type upon use, making its great coverage very threatening.
* Thanks to Protean, which gives it STAB on every move and its wide movepool, Greninja has an option to hit any potential answer, so it can pick and choose its counters based on its team.
* Greninja has a fantastic Speed tier, outrunning threats like Latios, Keldeo, Mega Metagross, and Zygarde-10%.
* Access to Spikes with great coverage makes for a great offensive hazard setter.
* Frailty leaves Greninja susceptible to priority and revenge kills, while also being difficult to switch in.
* This is further worsened by low raw offensive stats that can make it difficult to achieve OHKOs at times even with super effective moves.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Gunk Shot
move 3: Extrasensory / Hydro Pump
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hydro Pump
item: Life Orb
ability: Protean
nature: Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Ice Beam is a consistent STAB attack, enabling Greninja to hit the Grass-types and Dragon-types that normally wall Water-types while offering good overall neutral coverage.
* Gunk Shot covers Fairy-types, most notably Tapu Fini, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Clefable. It also serves as a physical move with good neutral coverage, often serving as the best option to hit opposing Water-types, such as Mantine, Rotom-W, and Manaphy.
* Extrasensory covers Toxapex, Keldeo, Mega Venusaur, and Buzzwole while dealing good neutral damage to Rotom-W.
* Hydro Pump is Greninja's highest-Base Power attack, achieving crucial damage benchmarks on many neutral targets. It also covers Heatran and Tyranitar.
* Hidden Power Fire makes Greninja a Ferrothorn lure and effective Mega Scizor check, in addition to nearly 2HKOing Celesteela.
* Alternatively, it is viable to run Hydro Pump with Extrasensory if preferred.
* Dark Pulse can be run to hit Mega Metagross and Jirachi super effectively, as well as for its great neutral coverage in general.
* Hidden Power Electric lets Greninja lure and dispatch Mantine and Gyarados in addition to hitting Water-types in general super effectively.
* Grass Knot is also an option to hit Mega Gyarados and bulky Water-types other than Toxapex and Mantine hard.
* In general, the moveset should be chosen based on what Greninja's teammates want to be removed.
Set Details
========
* Full Special Attack investment maximizes Greninja's special attacking capabilities.
* A Naive nature ensures Gunk Shot's strength while making Greninja as fast as possible.
* Greninja's offensive stats aren't that high, so the power boost provided by Life Orb is absolutely necessary.
* Protean is used to give every move an additional punch in a STAB boost.
Usage Tips
========
* Greninja usually should not be switched in directly without a solid prediction or weak resisted move. Smart double switches and VoltTurn are typically the best ways to bring it in.
* It is sometimes worth thinking about how certain Protean types will affect Greninja's success against the Pokemon it is fighting and possible revenge killers.
* Scout for possible Greninja switch-ins and baits in the early game by throwing out a neutral coverage option instead of directly predicting a switch with a lure move.
* After identifying the opponent's choices to switch into Greninja, punish with the appropriate coverage move, if applicable.
* Greninja is at its best when it controls the tempo of a match. Understanding and making proper predictions with it is essential, as it can punch serious holes in this way. Aggressive, properly timed double switches maximize Greninja's effectiveness when it cannot break through a certain threat easily.
Team Options
========
* Sweepers and cleaners as a whole, which both benefit from weakened defensive cores, generally appreciate Greninja. Mega Charizard X, Pheromosa, Mega Scizor, Tapu Koko, and Mega Pinsir are good examples.
* Teammates that want specific foes, such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, or Mantine, lured and KOed appreciate specific options from Greninja. For example, Mega Gyarados wants Ferrothorn and Toxapex eliminated before it can sweep.
* VoltTurn helps Greninja get in through its frailty, making Landorus-T, Tapu Koko, and Tornadus-T great partners.
* Defensive pivots, such as Ferrothorn, Landorus-T, and Rotom-W, help provide switch-ins against typical revenge killers and Pokemon Greninja cannot OHKO. Alolan Marowak is specifically helpful because it counters Pheromosa and Tapu Koko, some of the top choices to revenge kill Greninja.
[SET]
name: Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Gunk Shot
move 4: Hydro Pump / Low Kick
item: Life Orb
ability: Protean
nature: Naive
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves
========
* Greninja is the only viable offensive Spikes user.
* Spikes punish the many switches that Greninja forces without requiring the right coverage move and put significant pressure on defensive cores.
* Spikes make Greninja more versatile, as it can actually give defensive teams trouble with them.
* Greninja has options to cover common forms of entry hazard control.
* Ice Beam is Greninja's best STAB move, boasting the greatest overall neutral coverage and threatening certain Defog users, including Latios, Mandibuzz, and Zapdos.
* Gunk Shot can pressure Mantine and destroys Tapu Fini. It also hits other Fairy-types and provides good general neutral coverage.
* Hydro Pump is the strongest move Greninja has against neutral targets. In terms of covering hazard removers, it usually 2HKOes standard Mega Sableye and Mega Scizor.
* Low Kick, meanwhile, covers common defensive switch-ins to Greninja like Ferrothorn, Celesteela, Assault Vest Magearna, and Chansey, often catching them by surprise.
* Hidden Power Electric is an option over Gunk Shot to cover Mantine and Tapu Fini, two important Defog users, while nearly OHKOing Skarmory and covering other Water-types decently.
Set Details
========
* Full Special Attack and Speed investment maximizes Greninja's offensive capabilities and makes the most of its fantastic Speed tier.
* A Naive nature ensures Greninja outspeeds everything that it can while having no negative impact on Greninja's offensive capabilities.
* With Low Kick, run full Attack investment to maximize the power of it and Gunk Shot. The drawback of this is that Ice Beam becomes fairly weak, so keep this in mind when designing your Greninja's moveset.
* If running Hidden Power Electric, be sure to run a Timid nature and 4 EVs in Defense instead of Attack.
* Greninja's offensive stats aren't that high, so the power boost provided by Life Orb is absolutely necessary.
* Protean is used to give every move an additional punch in a STAB boost.
Usage Tips
========
* Use Spikes aggressively on the switches Greninja forces.
* Spikes should primarily be used when the opponent has a good defensive answer to Greninja. In other scenarios, especially in fast-paced matches against offensive teams, it may be suboptimal to use Spikes.
* Adjust your play with this set when facing offensive and defensive teams.
* Other than the addition of Spikes, Greninja should be played as normal, making the most of its coverage and pressuring with its attacks.
Team Options
========
* Use this set on very offensive teams, as offensive pressure to prevent Greninja's entry hazards from being removed is crucial. Try to avoid using Pokemon that are bait for common Defog users or just make sure that you have a way to play around them effectively, such as Swords Dance Mega Scizor to set up on Latios.
* It's probably not best to pair Spikes Greninja with Pokemon that have heavy Stealth Rock weaknesses because you do not want to require hazard control with this.
* Pokemon to lure or generally cover Ferrothorn, such as Hidden Power Fire Latios and Heatran, fit well with this set.
* Breakers that benefit from hazard pressure like Kyurem-B and Hoopa-U appreciate Spikes Greninja.
* Typical VoltTurn support from the likes of Landorus-T, Tapu Koko, and Tornadus-T to get Greninja in unscathed also applies to this set.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
* A set with maximum Attack investment that has Gunk Shot and Low Kick is usable, but it is generally outclassed by specially oriented Greninja.
* U-turn can be run to provide momentum against defensive threats, especially when combined with trappers.
* Shadow Sneak can be used to mess with Pheromosa and Mega Alakazam if desired and provide a priority move.
* Z-Happy Hour can set up for a sweep by giving a +1 boost to all of Greninja's stats. The issues with this are limited opportunities to set up and limited coverage, but such a set can sweep effectively under the right conditions.
* Psychium Z Extrasensory is a good lure to Toxapex, but the general power of Life Orb is sorely missed.
Checks & Counters
========
**Chansey**: Chansey is typically a hard counter to Greninja, though the Spikes set can take advantage of Chansey's passivity by setting up layers of Spikes that wear down Chansey and the rest of its team.
**Water-types**: Water-types resist Greninja's Ice Beam and Hydro Pump, so many can serve as effective answers to it. Suicune and Alomomola are fantastic counters to Greninja that lack Grass Knot. Gyarados and Mega Gyarados can set up on any Greninja that lacks Hidden Power Electric or Grass Knot. If Greninja lacks Extrasensory, Toxapex is typically a solid counter and Keldeo can check. Other good Water-types to check Greninja include Mantine and Rotom-W, though Mantine is slain by Hidden Power Electric are both are heavily pressured by Gunk Shot. For rain teams, the combination of Pelipper and Kingdra can help check Greninja.
**Steel-types**: Specially defensive Celesteela and Jirachi are fantastic at dealing with Greninja, as is Assault Vest Magearna. Celesteela and Jirachi must be careful of super effective Hidden Powers to some extent, though. Ferrothorn takes hits from non-Hidden Power Fire Greninja effectively and can take advantage of it to set up hazards or use Leech Seed to heal itself. Mega Metagross and Magnezone are decent checks for offensive teams to use against Greninja. Heatran technically walls any Greninja that lacks Hydro Pump, but that possibility is definitely not worth risking unless Heatran runs Passho Berry.
**Kyurem-B**: Kyurem-B is a very effective check to Greninja, tanking any hit from it fairly decently and responding with a powerful attack to KO.
**Bulky Psychic-types**: Cresselia is a perfect wall to Greninja without Dark Pulse. Slowbro also walls any Greninja that lacks Dark Pulse, Hidden Power Electric, or Grass Knot. Mew is a somewhat shady counter because it is 2HKOed if Greninja gets a poison with Gunk Shot, but it can work as a secondary answer.
**Mega Venusaur**: Mega Venusaur is decent at handling non-Extrasensory Greninja, serving as a good switch-in without Stealth Rock up and dealing with it very effectively if it has some Special Defense investment.
**Revenge Killers**: Naturally faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, Pheromosa, and Mega Alakazam; Choice Scarf users, such as Genesect, Landorus-T, Tapu Lele, Keldeo, and Latios; and priority attackers such as Bisharp and Zygarde, are very helpful for revenge killing Greninja, which can be the best option in many scenarios.
Last edited:
