Overview:*Analysis Made assuming that normal Hoopa gets Hyperspace Hole, Alt-Hoopa gets Hyperspace Fury while forgetting Hyperspace Hole, and that Alt-Hoopa will be able to hold any item. Also keep in mind that this is my first analysis on a Pokemon, so be polite and point out any inaccuracies if there are any.*
Hoopa is a very interesting Pokemon to say the least. It has great mixed attacking stats at 110 on the physical side and 150 on the special side. And its special bulk is good as well with a solid 80/130, but its poor defensive typing and terrible base 60 defense means it won't be able to survive for very long. Its lackluster speed and the new viability of Knock Off certainly doesn’t help it. But at least we can use its poor speed and its signature move Hyperspace Hole to our advantage in a few potentially lethal, game-breaking Trick Room sets. In addition, both Hoopa forms suffer from a lack of Physical options, even though they have the stats to use them well.
Its alternate form possesses terrifying attacking stats at 160 and 170 on the Physical and Special sides respectively, but it can only abuse the special side effectively because it lacks a decent physical movepool. But a base 170 Special Attack is nothing to laugh at considering that it gets the strongest Dark-Type attack in the game: Hyperspace Fury, a move that also ignores Protect and Detect and lowers the user’s defense 1 stage. Hoopa-Alt, unlike normal Hoopa, is not completely dependent on Trick Room for sweeping, so Choice sets are viable.
Stats:
Normal Form
Type: Ghost/Psychic
HP: 80
Atk: 110
Def: 60
Sp.Atk: 150
Sp.Def: 130
Spd: 70
Alt Form
Type: Dark/Psychic
HP: 80
Atk: 160
Def: 60
Sp.Atk: 170
Sp.Def: 130
Spd: 80
Sets (Normal Form):
TR User (We Have Hoop-aff!)
Evs: 252 Def, 252 Sp.Atk, 4 HP
Nature: Quiet
IVs: 0 Spd
Item: Focus Sash / Mental Herb / Safety Goggles
Moves:
Trick Room
Hyperspace Hole
Shadow Ball
Focus Blast / Destiny Bond
Analysis:
252 EVs in defense may look like a waste at first, but it's not. With the Evs spread this way, Hoopa gets the equivalent of a base 91 Defense, which is usable, instead of having to rely on a pathetic base 60. This allows it to survive numerous physical attacks that would otherwise OHKO it. Here are some calcs to show the difference in survivability:
· 252+ Atk Salamence Outrage vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Hoopa: 334-394 (91.7 - 108.2%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
· 252+ Atk Salamence Outrage vs. 0 HP / 252 Def Hoopa: 238-282 (79 - 93.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
· 252+ Atk Escavalier Megahorn vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Hoopa: 334-394 (91.7 - 108.2%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
· 252+ Atk Escavalier Megahorn vs. 0 HP / 252 Def Hoopa: 238-282 (79 - 93.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Now for the REAL fun! Hoopa can deal some damage with its moves, but this set is meant to keep it alive longer rather than to deal as much damage as possible, so it will have to sacrifice a lot of raw power to do so. Nonetheless, the reason why Hoopa could be viable is because of the move Hyperspace Hole. It’s a solid STAB attack that ignores Protect, allowing Hoopa to score a possible KO in a metagame where Protect runs rampant to prevent the loss of any TR turns. Hyperspace Hole is an absolute MUST on EVERY normal Hoopa set for this reason. Shadow Ball is there for to deal with other Ghosts and for STAB, while Focus Blast is there for additional coverage. Or, you can ditch Focus Blast for Destiny Bond to take down another opponent after Hoopa has outlived its usefulness.
Conkeldurr and Amoonguss make great partners for this set with Mach Punch and Rage Powder respectively. Mach Punch will take care of the likes of Bisharp and other Dark-Types who threaten to stop Hoopa from setting up Trick Room and Amoonguss can divert attacks away from Hoopa so it can set up Trick Room with less difficulty.
TR Attacker (Hooplaud!)
EVs: 252 Def, 252 Sp.Atk, 4 HP
Nature: Quiet
IVs: 0 Spd, or depending on Hidden Power of choice
Item: Life Orb
Moves:
Focus Blast / Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ground
Hyperspace Hole
Shadow Ball
Protect
Analysis:
This set is designed to deal as much damage as possible as quickly as possible. Hyperspace Hole is there because of the ability to hit through Protect, and Shadow and Focus Blast / Hidden Power are there for coverage. The coverage move of choice depends on what your team generally struggles with. The Defense EVs are there for the same reason: survivability. Hoopa can deal more damage if it’s alive longer. Any bulky Trick Room user makes a great partner to this Hoopa.
Sets (Alt Form):
TR Attacker
EVs: 252 Def, 252 Sp.Atk, 4 HP
Nature: Quiet
IVs: 0 Spd
Item: Life Orb / Macho Brace / Wide Lens
Moves:
Hyperspace Fury
Psychic / Psyshock
Focus Blast
Protect
Analysis:
Hoopa-Alt should not be a Trick Room user because it loses its Ghost typing in the form change, and is vulnerable to Fake Out, and its signature move, Hyperspace Fury, lowers its defense 1 stage for each use, which limits its survivability. (As if its defense was bad enough already Troll Freak!) But with a terrifying base 170 Special Attack, it can deal heavy damage with some Trick Room support. In fact, Hoopa-Alt can OHKO all variants of Aegislash-Shield with a LO-Boosted Hyperspace Fury except for a specially defensive Assault Vest set. (Who uses that anyway?) The Macho Brace can be used over the Life Orb if you fear being outsped in Trick Room while the Wide Lens can help alleviate some of the problems associated with Focus Miss.
Porygon2, Aromatisse, and Macho Brace Victini make great partners to this set. Porygon2 and Aromatisse can set up Trick Room with ease thanks to their stellar bulk, and the latter has Aroma Veil, which negates Taunt and Encore. Escavalier MUST be dealt with before Hoopa-Alt can effectively sweep. It has a 0% chance of surviving Escavalier’s Megahorn, so any counters to it would also be great partners for this set.
Specs (Dear Arceus…)
EVs: 252 Def, 252 Sp.Atk, 4 HP
Nature: Modest
Item: Choice Specs
Moves:
Hyperspace Fury
Psyshock
Focus Blast
Hidden Power Ice / Thunderbolt / Energy Ball
Analysis:
Hoopa-Alt forgoes TR support to head straight to sweeping with a set that could also work in singles as well. With the Choice Specs, Hoopa-Alt becomes an absolutely terrifying monster, with even resisted hits dealing massive damage. To make matters worse for those who face it, using Protect will not save you from its wrath, as its signature Hyperspace Fury will punch straight through it. However, be warned, activating a Terrakion’s Justified is a very risky strategy, as you risk losing Hoopa to a +1 Stone Edge / Rock Slide / X-Scissor. Psyshock is used in the second moveslot to deal with the Pink Blobs that threaten to wall it otherwise, and to provide STAB. Focus Blast is the perfect coverage option for this set. The last slot is there for additional coverage depending on your team’s specific needs, as nothing can resist a Dark, Psychic and Fighting combo. The 252 Defense EVs are there to help prevent Hoopa-Alt from being KOd before it can strike.
Anything that can take down faster threats and/or Bug-Types will be a great partner for this set, especially Fake Out users that can keep those threats at bay for a turn while Hoopa-Alt brutally murders something.
Mixed Scarf
EVs: 4 Atk, 252 Sp.Atk, 252 Spd
Nature: Hasty
Item: Choice Scarf
Moves:
Hyperspace Fury / Dark Pulse
Knock Off
Focus Blast
Psyshock / Hidden Power Ice
Analysis:
The defensive EVs are sacrificed in this set for a much needed Speed boost. A Hasty nature is absolutely required here because a base 80 Speed isn’t exactly the fastest. Even with this additional investment, Hoopa-Alt will still find itself being outsped by other common Scarf users, like Genesect and Landorus-T. With Hoopa-Alt’s awful defense, extreme caution should be used when using it, as it will go down to a sneeze on the Physical side. If you switch in, make SURE it is a Special attack that it can tank, like a Gengar’s Shadow Ball or Mega-Abomasnow’s Blizzard / Giga Drain.
Knock Off is probably the best Physical STAB attack Hoopa-Alt gets at its disposal, so it is imperative that it’s present on this mixed set. It is also there to cripple opposing Pokemon. Hyperspace Fury is an absolute must on EVERY single Hoopa-Alt set, as it’s the best STAB attack that it gets. Focus Blast achieves perfect coverage when mixed with a Dark and Psychic move, so Focus Blast is a must-have on virtually every Hoopa set. Psyshock is used to deal with the Pink Blobs and Fighting-Types.
Pair this Hoopa up with Pokemon that scare Genesect and fast Bug-Types out of the battle, like a Banded Talonflame and Mega Kangaskhan with Fake Out.
Hoopa is a very interesting Pokemon to say the least. It has great mixed attacking stats at 110 on the physical side and 150 on the special side. And its special bulk is good as well with a solid 80/130, but its poor defensive typing and terrible base 60 defense means it won't be able to survive for very long. Its lackluster speed and the new viability of Knock Off certainly doesn’t help it. But at least we can use its poor speed and its signature move Hyperspace Hole to our advantage in a few potentially lethal, game-breaking Trick Room sets. In addition, both Hoopa forms suffer from a lack of Physical options, even though they have the stats to use them well.
Its alternate form possesses terrifying attacking stats at 160 and 170 on the Physical and Special sides respectively, but it can only abuse the special side effectively because it lacks a decent physical movepool. But a base 170 Special Attack is nothing to laugh at considering that it gets the strongest Dark-Type attack in the game: Hyperspace Fury, a move that also ignores Protect and Detect and lowers the user’s defense 1 stage. Hoopa-Alt, unlike normal Hoopa, is not completely dependent on Trick Room for sweeping, so Choice sets are viable.
Stats:
Normal Form
Type: Ghost/Psychic
HP: 80
Atk: 110
Def: 60
Sp.Atk: 150
Sp.Def: 130
Spd: 70
Alt Form
Type: Dark/Psychic
HP: 80
Atk: 160
Def: 60
Sp.Atk: 170
Sp.Def: 130
Spd: 80
Sets (Normal Form):
TR User (We Have Hoop-aff!)
Evs: 252 Def, 252 Sp.Atk, 4 HP
Nature: Quiet
IVs: 0 Spd
Item: Focus Sash / Mental Herb / Safety Goggles
Moves:
Trick Room
Hyperspace Hole
Shadow Ball
Focus Blast / Destiny Bond
Analysis:
252 EVs in defense may look like a waste at first, but it's not. With the Evs spread this way, Hoopa gets the equivalent of a base 91 Defense, which is usable, instead of having to rely on a pathetic base 60. This allows it to survive numerous physical attacks that would otherwise OHKO it. Here are some calcs to show the difference in survivability:
· 252+ Atk Salamence Outrage vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Hoopa: 334-394 (91.7 - 108.2%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
· 252+ Atk Salamence Outrage vs. 0 HP / 252 Def Hoopa: 238-282 (79 - 93.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
· 252+ Atk Escavalier Megahorn vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Hoopa: 334-394 (91.7 - 108.2%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
· 252+ Atk Escavalier Megahorn vs. 0 HP / 252 Def Hoopa: 238-282 (79 - 93.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Now for the REAL fun! Hoopa can deal some damage with its moves, but this set is meant to keep it alive longer rather than to deal as much damage as possible, so it will have to sacrifice a lot of raw power to do so. Nonetheless, the reason why Hoopa could be viable is because of the move Hyperspace Hole. It’s a solid STAB attack that ignores Protect, allowing Hoopa to score a possible KO in a metagame where Protect runs rampant to prevent the loss of any TR turns. Hyperspace Hole is an absolute MUST on EVERY normal Hoopa set for this reason. Shadow Ball is there for to deal with other Ghosts and for STAB, while Focus Blast is there for additional coverage. Or, you can ditch Focus Blast for Destiny Bond to take down another opponent after Hoopa has outlived its usefulness.
Conkeldurr and Amoonguss make great partners for this set with Mach Punch and Rage Powder respectively. Mach Punch will take care of the likes of Bisharp and other Dark-Types who threaten to stop Hoopa from setting up Trick Room and Amoonguss can divert attacks away from Hoopa so it can set up Trick Room with less difficulty.
TR Attacker (Hooplaud!)
EVs: 252 Def, 252 Sp.Atk, 4 HP
Nature: Quiet
IVs: 0 Spd, or depending on Hidden Power of choice
Item: Life Orb
Moves:
Focus Blast / Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ground
Hyperspace Hole
Shadow Ball
Protect
Analysis:
This set is designed to deal as much damage as possible as quickly as possible. Hyperspace Hole is there because of the ability to hit through Protect, and Shadow and Focus Blast / Hidden Power are there for coverage. The coverage move of choice depends on what your team generally struggles with. The Defense EVs are there for the same reason: survivability. Hoopa can deal more damage if it’s alive longer. Any bulky Trick Room user makes a great partner to this Hoopa.
Sets (Alt Form):
TR Attacker
EVs: 252 Def, 252 Sp.Atk, 4 HP
Nature: Quiet
IVs: 0 Spd
Item: Life Orb / Macho Brace / Wide Lens
Moves:
Hyperspace Fury
Psychic / Psyshock
Focus Blast
Protect
Analysis:
Hoopa-Alt should not be a Trick Room user because it loses its Ghost typing in the form change, and is vulnerable to Fake Out, and its signature move, Hyperspace Fury, lowers its defense 1 stage for each use, which limits its survivability. (As if its defense was bad enough already Troll Freak!) But with a terrifying base 170 Special Attack, it can deal heavy damage with some Trick Room support. In fact, Hoopa-Alt can OHKO all variants of Aegislash-Shield with a LO-Boosted Hyperspace Fury except for a specially defensive Assault Vest set. (Who uses that anyway?) The Macho Brace can be used over the Life Orb if you fear being outsped in Trick Room while the Wide Lens can help alleviate some of the problems associated with Focus Miss.
Porygon2, Aromatisse, and Macho Brace Victini make great partners to this set. Porygon2 and Aromatisse can set up Trick Room with ease thanks to their stellar bulk, and the latter has Aroma Veil, which negates Taunt and Encore. Escavalier MUST be dealt with before Hoopa-Alt can effectively sweep. It has a 0% chance of surviving Escavalier’s Megahorn, so any counters to it would also be great partners for this set.
Specs (Dear Arceus…)
EVs: 252 Def, 252 Sp.Atk, 4 HP
Nature: Modest
Item: Choice Specs
Moves:
Hyperspace Fury
Psyshock
Focus Blast
Hidden Power Ice / Thunderbolt / Energy Ball
Analysis:
Hoopa-Alt forgoes TR support to head straight to sweeping with a set that could also work in singles as well. With the Choice Specs, Hoopa-Alt becomes an absolutely terrifying monster, with even resisted hits dealing massive damage. To make matters worse for those who face it, using Protect will not save you from its wrath, as its signature Hyperspace Fury will punch straight through it. However, be warned, activating a Terrakion’s Justified is a very risky strategy, as you risk losing Hoopa to a +1 Stone Edge / Rock Slide / X-Scissor. Psyshock is used in the second moveslot to deal with the Pink Blobs that threaten to wall it otherwise, and to provide STAB. Focus Blast is the perfect coverage option for this set. The last slot is there for additional coverage depending on your team’s specific needs, as nothing can resist a Dark, Psychic and Fighting combo. The 252 Defense EVs are there to help prevent Hoopa-Alt from being KOd before it can strike.
Anything that can take down faster threats and/or Bug-Types will be a great partner for this set, especially Fake Out users that can keep those threats at bay for a turn while Hoopa-Alt brutally murders something.
Mixed Scarf
EVs: 4 Atk, 252 Sp.Atk, 252 Spd
Nature: Hasty
Item: Choice Scarf
Moves:
Hyperspace Fury / Dark Pulse
Knock Off
Focus Blast
Psyshock / Hidden Power Ice
Analysis:
The defensive EVs are sacrificed in this set for a much needed Speed boost. A Hasty nature is absolutely required here because a base 80 Speed isn’t exactly the fastest. Even with this additional investment, Hoopa-Alt will still find itself being outsped by other common Scarf users, like Genesect and Landorus-T. With Hoopa-Alt’s awful defense, extreme caution should be used when using it, as it will go down to a sneeze on the Physical side. If you switch in, make SURE it is a Special attack that it can tank, like a Gengar’s Shadow Ball or Mega-Abomasnow’s Blizzard / Giga Drain.
Knock Off is probably the best Physical STAB attack Hoopa-Alt gets at its disposal, so it is imperative that it’s present on this mixed set. It is also there to cripple opposing Pokemon. Hyperspace Fury is an absolute must on EVERY single Hoopa-Alt set, as it’s the best STAB attack that it gets. Focus Blast achieves perfect coverage when mixed with a Dark and Psychic move, so Focus Blast is a must-have on virtually every Hoopa set. Psyshock is used to deal with the Pink Blobs and Fighting-Types.
Pair this Hoopa up with Pokemon that scare Genesect and fast Bug-Types out of the battle, like a Banded Talonflame and Mega Kangaskhan with Fake Out.
