Ludicolo is another one of my favorite Pokemon, and it was fairly easy revamping the analysi for him. The things I did to this article are:
-Rewrote all Set Comments
-Added Team options section
-Moved mention of Focus Punch EV investment from a single set to the EVs section
-Rewrote Sounters section
-Reworked the Choice Specs set's EVs to help it take hits better
Anything written as such should be omitted
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/ludicolo
[SET]
name: Rain Support
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Surf / Grass Knot
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Leech Seed
item: Leftovers / Damp Rock
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Calm
evs: 204 HP / 76 SpA / 124 SpD / 106 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>When it comes to setting up Rain Dance, Ludicolo is a superb choice. Surf gains double STAB in rain, taking down many threats in UU and OU. Grass Knot is a viable, if somewhat weaker, option to take a chunk out of bulky Water-types who would otherwise wall this set, especially Water Absorbers like Vaporeon. Ice Beam has a 79.5% chance of OHKOing Dragon Dance Altaria with Stealth Rock damage factored in and puts a large dent in Roserade; just watch out for Sludge Bomb. Special Salamence really can’t touch this set and is OHKOed by Ice Beam in return. Leech Seed grants Ludicolo some added recovery, which is always appreciated.</p>
<p>Although Rain Dish sounds like a plausible ability to add to this set, halving Ludicolo's Speed really opens him up to attacks from Pokemon he would otherwise outspeed, like Staraptor and Toxicroak, and ultimately ruins your attempt to support your team.</p>
<p>One of Ludicolo’s greatest UU Rain Dance allies is Omastar. His monstrous Defense stat and movepool allow him to easily cover Ludicolo’s Flying-, Poison-, and Bug-type attacks, while also getting a Speed boost thanks to Swift Swim. Toxicroak can also be a huge help, boasting a 4x resistance to Bug-type attacks and 2x resistance to Poison-types as well, although the common Flying-type weakness should not be overlooked.</p>
<p>This set isn’t quite as reliable in OU, but still carries its own. To help abuse Rain Dance, pair Ludicolo up with Kingdra. To add entry hazards and bulk, go with Bronzong who can use both Stealth Rock and Rain Dance. As stated above, Vaporeon can really cause problems, so pairing up with the likes of Rotom-A or Jolteon to spam Thunder is always a help.</p>
Simply posted the things I countered using said set, and who can come in on his counters easily. Not much else to say here.
[SET]
name: Offensive Rain (Special)
move 1: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 2: Grass Knot / Energy Ball
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Rain Dance / Focus Punch
item: Life Orb / Damp Rock
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Ludicolo is typically seen as more of a support Pokemon, he is actually quite able to sweep off his base 90 Special Attack stat and strong STAB options. Due to Ludicolo being cast as a late game sweeper, Surf is normally a safer bet, although Hydro Pump is able to OHKO Metagross with 4 HP EVs invested and Rotom-A with help from Stealth Rock; the choice comes down to accuracy versus power. Energy Ball is a 2HKO on Milotic who do not invest in Special Defense EVs, but fails to get the 2HKO on those that do as well as bulky Gyarados (with Stealth Rock damage) or possible OHKO on Life Orbed Suicune that Grass Knot does. Ice Beam covers both Dragon-types like Salamence and Grass-types like Torterra. Rain Dance allows for team support, but Focus Punch allows Ludicolo to take out Chansey in UU and Blissey in OU, should they come in on Surf or Hydro Pump. Life Orb squeezes all the potential out of this set that it can, but Damp Rock‘s ability to keep the rain pouring for three extra turns may help keep your sweep alive longer.</p>
<p>Ludicolo needs a few things done to the battlefield before he can set up and sweep effectively. Pokemon like Uxie and Bronzong who can come in repeatedly and set up rain are Ludicolo’s best friends, as are Pokemon who take care of Water-types, such as Magnezone. If you choose to run Rain Dance over Focus Punch, then having a Pokemon to take care of Chansey or Blissey is a necessity.</p>
<p>With the specified EVs and nature, Ludicolo reaches 478 Speed after Rain Dance and ties with max Speed Pokémon with base 70 Speed. This allows Ludicolo to outspeed Pokémon with 105 base speed, a positive nature, and Choice Scarf in rain. Maximum Special Attack is a given on a set with such an offensive focus. With an odd numbered HP, Ludicolo can switch into Stealth Rock an extra turn without fainting. When using Focus Punch, a spread of 120 Atk / 252 SpA / 136 Spe is recommended, allowing Ludicolo to KO standard Blissey with Focus Punch and Surf. With 136 Spe EVs, Ludicolo outspeeds +1 neutral base 85 Pokémon in rain.</p>
<p>The choice between Grass Knot or Energy Ball comes down to which Pokemon you want to KO the most. The chart below shows some calculations against common switch-ins against Ludicolo</p>
<p>Grass Knot or Energy Ball?</p>
<ul>
<li>Grass Knot vs. max HP Milotic: <b>76 - 89%</b></li>
<li>Energy Ball vs. max HP Milotic: <b>59 - 71%</b></li>
<li>Grass Knot vs. 4 HP Suicune: <b>93 - 111%</b></li>
<li>Energy Ball vs. 4 HP Suicune: <b>75 - 89%</b></li>
<li>Grass Knot vs. 216 HP Gyarados: <b>56 - 66%</b></li>
<li>Energy Ball vs. 216 HP Gyarados: <b>37 - 44%</b></li>
<li>Grass Knot vs. 188 HP Vaporeon: <b>51 - 60%</b></li>
<li>Energy Ball vs. 188 HP Vaporeon: <b>67 - 79%</b></li>
</ul>
I wasn't quite sure how to format the "Grass Knot vs Energy Ball" tidbit, so if anyone is able to help me with that, I'd apreciate it.
[SET]
name: Stall
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Protect
move 3: Surf / Grass Knot
move 4: Toxic / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 76 SpA / 180 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With access to Leech Seed, Toxic, and Protect, as well as numerous resistances, Ludicolo can run a stall set fairly effectively. The idea here is to switch in and Leech Seed when your opponent switches out, and Protect to steal HP back from the opponent. Surf is a better choice against many of the standard walls and hits Taunt users like Mismagius hard. Grass Knot is a useful option in OU, where Gyarados and bulkier Water-types reside. Toxic helps speed up the damage done, but be careful when using it against Guts users like Swellow and Ursaring. Ice Beam nets a swift OHKO on Salamence and Altaria while also scaring off the Grass-types who could otherwise switch in with ease.</p>
<p>The decision of which ability Ludicolo should run comes down to personal preference. Swft Swim allows him to get his stall moves in play before being hit with a slower Taunt or super effective attack, while Rain Dish increases Ludicolo's HP recovery each turn; a great way to keep Ludicolo running longer.</p>
<p>All stall Pokemon enjoy having entry hazards on their opponents' side of the field, and Ludicolo is no exception. In UU, Registeel, Steelix, and Uxie are all fine Stealth Rock users, and Roserade can lay Spikes fairly well. Omastar can use both Stealth Rock and Spikes, and also enjoys the rainy weather that tends to come with Ludicolo. Toxic Spikes can help, but the high number of Poison-types in UU makes keeping them on the field very time-consuming and difficult. In OU, Skarmory, Forretress and Swampert are great additions to your team as well.</p>
<p>To take out the Grass-types like Celebi, Torterra, and Roserade try paring up with a someone with access to Bug-type attacks. Both Scyther and Scizor have the Attack stat to do huge damage with U-turn, and have access to X-Scissor. Steel-types are also common switch-ins who are deftly handled by Brick Break or Superpower. Magnezone is a great counter to Tentacruel, who can shrug off Grass Knot, Surf, and Ice Beam and make Leech Seed a hindrance with Liquid Ooze.</p>
This is the set I had the least experience with, so do not hesitate to offer up things I should add or remove.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf
move 2: Grass Knot / Energy Ball
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Focus Punch
item: Choice Specs
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest
evs: 196 HP / 56 Def / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p>Ludicolo isn’t going to be overpowering other Choice Specs users with only 90 base Special Attack, but being a bulky Pokemon with numerous resistances and two useful STAB options makes it well worth using. Surf is the move of choice for this set, 2HKOing 252 / 156 Careful Registeel with Stealth Rock and rainy weather factored in. Energy Ball or Grass Knot both decimate Water-types, getting an OHKO or 2HKO on Vaporeon, respectively, and no Dragon-type Pokemon Ludicolo faces can survive Ice Beam (excluding Kingdra). Focus Punch provides coverage against the pink blobs Chansey, in UU, and Blissey, in OU, doing about 43% minimum damage to the most defensive Blissey around.</p>
<p>Since Blissey and Chansey are able to run Wish + Protect sets, Focus Punch tends to lose its potency without help from entry hazards. Should you opt to exclude this attack from your set, adding Hidden Power Electric or Grass Knot is recommended to gain overall coverage against Water-types.</p>
<p>The given EV spread allows Ludicolo to survive a Sludge Bomb from Choice Scarf Roserade or Superpower from a Choice Scarfed Mild Blaziken with 76 Attack EVs, while OHKOing both in return. Be careful, though, because with only four Speed EVs you fail to outspeed Roserade even in rain. Should uyou choose to outspeed these threats, a spread of 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe is applicable, but looses a lot of the bulk associated with Ludicolo.</p>
<p>Being locked into one move requires great prediction skills, especially if you play Ludicolo earlier in the game. To solve this problem, add a scout like U-turn Ambipom or a dry passer like an Eeveelution; you’ll learn valuable information about your opponents’ Pokemon’s move sets, which makes predicting what’s coming next easier. Phazers can also aid your sweep by dragging out and exposing which Pokemon your opponents have included on their teams. To add damage to the pHazing, throw down some entry hazards. As always, Ludicolo loves having someone to add rain to the battlefield to boost his speed and boost Water-type attacks even more.</p>
<p>Common switch-ins to this set in UU include Pokemon with access to Poison-type moves and specially defensive Pokemon, Registeel and Chansey in particular. To help combat these Pokemon, introduce Dugtrio to your team. His STAB Earthquakes punch giant holes Registeel and Chansey while KOing many a Poison-type as well. Should your opponent be using Poison-type moves, Steelix or Registeel are worth considering, as they both sport an immunity to Poison-type attacks.</p>
<p>Like in UU, in OU walls such as Bronzong, Blissey, and specially defensive Empoleon. And again, the best way to take them out is with super effective Ground- and Fighting-type attacks. A great partner with access to STAB Earthquake is Metagross, who can not only use Earthquake, but also Stealth Rock to add entry hazards to your opponent's side. Immunity to Poison-type attacks are another added bonus to adding Metagross to your team. Superpower from either Scizor or Lucario aren't enjoyed by Blissey, who will most likely switch out, buying you a free stat up should you include one in your moveset. Gyarados can also be a problem, but he is easily remedied by Jolteon’s Thunderbolt or Thunder. Jolteon can also dry pass to Ludicolo, so try to scout as much as you can.</p>
As explained in the top section, the EVs have been changed, and now handle hits more effectively on both the physical and special sides. Props to X-Acts defenses app for the help.
[SET]
name: Uber Support
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Protect
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Rain Dish
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD
[SET DESCRIPTION]
<p>Ludicolo may seem like a mediocre Pokémon for use in Ubers at first glance, but surprisingly it has its own niche in the metagame, courtesy of Leech Seed, Protect, and Rain Dish.</p>
<p>Due to the Uber metagame generally being specially based, Ludicolo can come in on many Pokémon with its very acceptable Special Defense stat. Ludicolo will take a maximum of 38% damage from a Choice Scarf Kyogre's Thunder, which is quickly made less worrying by the accumulation of Rain Dish and Leftovers, together granting Ludicolo 12.5% health back per turn in the rain. Ludicolo can then Leech Seed for at least another 11% health return, meaning Ludicolo can outstall Kyogre with Protect.</p>
<p>Leech Seed is made all the more useful in Ubers due to many Pokémon in the tier having gargantuan HP, meaning Ludicolo will often find itself healing 25% of its health per turn with Protect. Protect also helps against Choice users, allowing Ludicolo to scout the incoming attack.</p>
<p>Grass Knot will 2HKO Groudon and offensive Kyogre, while also being a very reliable attack versus Palkia, Darkrai, and Mewtwo. Ice Beam hits Rayquaza who may feel like Dragon Dancing or using Swords Dance expecting a switch, and will be promptly OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage, provided it doesn't invest heavily in HP. Ice Beam also helps against Garchomp, and to an extent, Dialga.</p>
<p>However, Toxic is a secondary option for the fourth slot. This often allows Ludicolo to specifically beat Lugia, provided it does not carry Toxic itself. However, this means that many Uber Pokémon will cause more immediate problems for the set, such as Giratina, or Latias carrying Refresh or Safeguard. Dialga will have a much easier time as it is not affected by Toxic, and Grass Knot will not do huge amounts of damage. Finally, it becomes much easier for Rayquaza and Garchomp to wreak havoc for a few turns before Toxic damage would finish them off.</p>
<p>Maximum HP provides overall defensive ability, while 216 Special Defense EVs provide a bonus point. The rest of the EVs go into Defense, allowing Ludicolo to take hits like Darkrai's non-boosted Focus Punch much easier.</p>
<p>Like in the lower tiers, Ludicolo loves rainy weather, and the only place where perma-rain is available is in the form of Kyogre. The problem with running a weather-based set in Ubers is that the weather is constantly being changed by Rayquaza, Groudon, and Tyranitar. The easiest way to stop them from changing the weather is to remove them from battle, so effective counters must be included on your team. Choice Scarf Mewtwo with Ice Beam can outspeed and OHKO even a +1 Jolly Rayquaza, while adding serious power to your team. Groudon desn't enjoy taking Grass Knots from Ludicolo on the switch, but you should be switching to something like Giratina-O or Lugia to absorb the coming onslaught. Lugia is also able to set up on Groudon, thanks to access to Reflect, Calm Mind, and Ice Beam, providing you with a bosted tank ready to slam your opponent. Tyranitar, also, is a problem, but can be remedied by adding a Scizor to your team.</p>
<p>The stall set is great at reducing walls, but be leery of stat-upping Pokemon like Nasty Plot Darkrai or Calm Mind Latios, both of whom can OHKO Ludicolo and pose a threat to your team hould they get their boosts in. An effective wall is a great choice against either Pokemon, since their frail defenses makes picking them off easy if you can survive an attack. You can also try to out speed and OHKO these Pokemon, but know that the only Pokemon who outspeed the above Pokemon and still pose a large threat are Mewtwo, Deoxys-A, and Deoxys.</p>
Readded because it wasn't as gimmicky as I had expected it to be. Thanks for understanding and bearing with me guys. My team options are mostly theorymon, so any help with that is greatly appreciated.
[SET]
name: Dancing Pineapple
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Seed Bomb
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Many people expect Ludicolo to be attacking from the special side, but this set allows Ludicolo to utilize its lower (but still decent) base 70 Attack stat. The idea is to switch-in and threaten your opponent, then Swords Dance on the switch and attack. Waterfall sacrifices 10 base power points, but gains a useful flinch factor that can lead to a useful hax that you wouldn’t get with Surf. Seed Bomb provides Ludicolo with another powerful STAB option to combat Water-types, and Ice Punch covers the omnipotent Grass-types who switch-in on Ludicolo.</p>
<p>Even with a boost from Swords Dance, Ludicolo still has pretty low Attack. Life Orb, therefore, is the item of choice. Leftovers can provide recovery to our Mexican pineapple, but the boost from Life Orb is typically more necessary.</p>
<p>Although Chansey and Blissey are no longer counters to Ludicolo, new threats arise. Pokemon with the Intimidate ability can mitigate Ludicolo’s sweeping potential, effectively stopping any late game sweep you may have been attempting. The only Pokemon Ludicolo will face with intimidate are Gyarados, Salamence, Hitmontop, and Arcanine; however, Arcanine isn’t switching in on any Ludicolo set, so we’re down to three. Of these three Pokemon, two take 2x damage from Stealth Rock. Therefore, adding Stealth Rock to your opponents side of the field will greatly limit how well these Pokemon can come in on Ludicolo. Physically bulky Salamence will be taking a minimum of about 92% damage from Life Orbed Ice Punch, giving Ludicolo a 100% chance of nabbing an OHKO with Stealth Rock damage factored in. Against a Gyarados with 156 / 100 defenses, +1 Seed Bomb will be doing an average of 46% with Life Orb and Intimidate factored in, netting a clean 2HKO should Stealth Rock be in play. Should Hitmontop switch-in on any of Ludicolo’s attacks, it will be OHKOed immediately.</p>
<p>Registeel’s balanced defenses means he’s still able to wall Ludicolo, but Dugtrio’s again able to pick him off with STAB Earthquake. Skarmory become a counter to Ludicolo now that it’s physical, but the same Magnezone traps and KOes it with Thunderbolt. Phazing Ludicolo works well, but few pHazers are able to come in on one of Ludicolo's attacks and live long enough to push him out of the battle. Although he is an OHKO, the Hitmontop set that utilizes Swords Dance (TechniTop) can be quite troublesome, especially if Ludicolo switches in while he Swords Dances up. Weezing is also a great wall and counter, boasting a 120 base Defense stat and STAB Sludge Bomb. Both of these counters, thogh, suffer from a Psychic-type weakness, so plan accordingly.</p>
Not many people I talk to other than myself use this set, but it's so unexpected and powerful I had to keep it in.
[Other Options]
<p>Seismic Toss gives you consistent damage against everything barring Ghosts, and helps against the likes of Calm Mind/Sub Raikou. Hidden Power Electric is an option if you really fear Gyarados, although Grass Knot already puts a nice dent in him, ThunderPunch for those who cannot manipulate Hidden Power at will. Giga Drain and Energy Ball make alternative Grass attacks to Grass Knot, but in standard play most things you'd use them against are heavy enough to make Grass Knot worth it—think Tyranitar and Milotic—while things you wouldn't want to be stuck with Grass Knot against such as Porygon-Z and Azelf can be taken care of with Surf.</p>
<p>Rest is a recovery option for Ludicolo and removes other status for all it's worth, you'll want to back it up with Aromatherapy or Ludicolo can become a liability.</p>
<p>Zen Headbutt can be used on the Swords Dance set if you for some odd reason fear Toxicroak. Fake Out is there if you want it (only realistically viable in 2 v 2 play). Rain Dish is rarely a better choice than Swift Swim.</p>
I really didn't see anything that wasn't mentioned in the original Other Options section that needed changed or updated, so I left it as is.
[Team Options]
<p>With the ability Swift Swim, you can expect Ludicolo to feature almost exclusively on Rain Dance teams. Since rain is best set up early in the match, leads who can be rebuilt to feature the move Rain Dance are great when paired up with Ludicolo. In UU, Uxie, Electrode, and Mesprit are all considered great Lead Dancers, although Electrode tends to die off rather quickly. OU leads like Azelf, Aerodactyl, Metagross, and Bronzong are all able to set up rain, with Bronzong and Metagross providing some type coverage for Ludicolo. All of these leads, bar Electrode, are also able to set up entry hazards in the form of Stealth Rock, something every Pokemon enjoys having on their side. Spikers, too, are useful, although Toxic Spikes are less useful in UU, where they are quickly absorbed by the many Poison-types that reside in the lower tier.</p>
<p>Combining Electric- and Ground-type attacks provides excellent coverage against the types of Pokemon who can switch-in and resist Ludicolo’s combination of Ice-, Grass-, and Water-type attacks. With rainy weather flooding the field and entry hazards set, adding Rotom-W will greatly benefit you. With STAB Thunder, pseudo-STAB Hydro Pump, and the ability to block Rapid Spin via Ghost typing, few Pokemon can work in tandem with Ludicolo’s strategy as well as Rotom-W does. Kabutops is also a great partner, with access to Stone Edge for Flying-types, double STAB Waterfall for Chansey or Blissey, Rapid Spin to keep everyone healthy, double STAB Waterfall, and Swift Swim to double its Speed. Qwilfish has the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes, is immune to Poison-type attacks, and can Explode on Pokemon that are hampering Ludicolo’s effectiveness, in addition to the boosts associated with being a Water-type Swift Swimmer in the rain. Kingdra also deserves a mention, since he is the only Swift Swimmer who also has access to STAB Dragon-type attacks, outspeeding and OHKOing Latias with ease.</p>
<p>Ludicolo’s relative bulk and weaknesses to only Flying-, Poison-, and Bug-type attacks makes defensive pairings fairly easy. UU Pokemon who threaten Ludicolo include Guts Swellow, Roserade, Scyther, and U-turn users in general. Swellow, Scyther, and U-turn users are best taken care of by one of two golems: Regirock or Registeel. Offensive Regirock has the ability to OHKO Guts boosted Swellow, while taking negligible damage from Brave Bird and U-turn. Scyther, also, is only able to touch Regirock with Brick Break, and takes tons of damage from Stone Edge. Registeel can safely switch in on either of the Pokemon listed above, though he lacks Stone Edge and his base Defense is 50 points lower than Regirock’s. His redeeming quality is his immunity to Poison-type attacks which are flying left and right through the UU metagame. Both Pokemon also have access to powerful moves in the forms of Earthquake and Explosion and can set up entry hazards that make switching in and out hard on your opponent. Ludicolo also despises status afflictions, so having a Natural Cure Pokemon like Chansey is a good idea. Chansey is also able to use the move Wish, which remedies Ludicolo’s lack of instant recovery.</p>
<p>Pokemon in OU who can check Ludicolo include Calm Mind Suicune, Gyarados, and Pokemon with abilities that change the weather. Suicune’s bulk and ability to use a stat boosting move make it quite the wall against Ludicolo. The only way Ludicolo can hope to bring it down is Energy Ball, and even that fails to do much after Calm Mind has been used a few times. A great Pokemon to combat Suicune is Vaporeon; its Water Absorb ability, the combination of Wish and Baton Pass, and standard Hidden Power Electric combine to make quite the troublesome check to Suicune, as well as help scout and provide instant recovery. Gyarados, as mentioned before, really loses its potency against Ludicolo when Stealth Rock is used, so adding a Pokemon like Bronzong who can set up Rain and Stealth Rock is greatly appreciated. The addition of Hidden Power Electric (or ThunderPunch on the Dancing Pineapple set) provide OHKOes, and Grass Knot can 2HKO him, making the choice between Energy Ball and Grass Knot even more important. Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and Abomasnow all have abilities that negate rain and, in turn, any boosts Ludicolo may have gotten thanks to weather support. Most teams use Scizor as a Tyranitar counter, and with good reason; STAB Technician boosted Bullet Punch will decimate our dinosaur enemy. Hippowdon do not enjoy repeated Grass Knots, but are able to Slack Off the damage should they decide to stay in. A Pokemon with a higher Special Attack stat, like Starmie, should be able to come in and frighten off Hippowdon, while providing support if at all possible. Starmie also boats Rapid Spin and Natural Cure in addition to STAB Water-type attacks, absorbing status effects and blowing away entry hazards that make quick work of Ludicolo’s low base HP.</p>
<p>Ludicolo has the bulk to take a hit should you predict incorrectly early in the game, but to fully unleash Ludicolo against your opponents, you must know some things about the team you’re facing. Ask yourself, what Pokemon does my opponent have that out speed Ludicolo? What Pokemon resist Ludicolo’s attacks, and what’s my plan to counter them? How can I create an environment where my opponent is always within 2HKO range? By asking yourself all of these questions, you’ll be able to not only help Ludicolo exploit your opponents’ team’s weaknesses, but the rest of your team as well. Scouting takes away the unknown facts that your opponent can hide early game, and Ludicolo cannot do its job well without a concrete strategy ready to be executed.</p>
Again, I followed Aldaron's format as best I could, so the only problems that may arise are additions to counters I forgot and grammatical errors.
[EVs]
<p>202 Speed should be a minimum on Rain Dance sets, so you can outrun Choice Scarf Heracross. You don't really need any more Speed than that, although bumping Ludicolo's Speed stat up to 222 to outrun Adamant Tyranitar isn't a bad idea. You can add a few more EVs to hit an initial Speed of 228, which outruns most Gliscor before you set up, and Choice Scarf Salamence after Rain Dance is active. Maximum Speed is never a bad choice as well.</p>
<p>76 Special Attack EVs lets you OHKO most Salamence. On all defensive sets, focus on HP is recommended before working on Special Defense. Without Leftovers, make Special Defense and HP as equal as possible (with the odd point in HP).</p>
<p>Moving 120 EVs to Attack with a Modest nature will allow Focus Punch to deal around 74% damage to 0 HP / 252 Defense Blissey variants, but is pretty useless in stopping anything but her, Registeel, and Chansey.</p>
Again, not much was outdated, so all I did was add the bit about Focus Punch that I omited previously.
[Opinion]
<p>Ludicolo is a Pokemon geared towards one type of team: Rain Dance. In rain, he becomes a potent force capable of climbing into a higher tier and still posing a considerable threat to a majority of the metagame’s heaviest hitters. Support options and bulk combine with his sweeping potential to make a solid choice for any rain-driven team.</p>
I'm revamping it, so you know I'm going to want my view here. ;]
[Counters]
<p>The Pokemon Ludicolo fears the most is Choice Scarfed Roserade, thanks to her ability to out speed Ludicolo even in rain and OHKO with Sludge Bomb. Bulky Water-types like Slowbro and Milotic are fairly good switch-ins, should Ludicolo leave home without a Grass-type attack. As always, the generic walls Registeel and Chansey can hold off most sets, assuming Focus Punch is out of the equation.</p>
<p>Heracross is a strong counter to Ludicolo, boasting STAB Megahorn and bulk enough to switch-in with little effort. U-turning Choice Banded Scizor wreck Ludicolo and also give your opponent a chance to send in a priority attacker to finish the job. Ice beam is almost always a 2HKO against Celebi, who can Calm Mind and Recover until Ludicolo is nothing more than a speed bump in her sweep. Blissey and Snorlax sponge his attacks like the champs they are, but neither is going to enjoy Leech Seed.</p>
I only included Pokemon I didn't go into detail with in previous sections to keep from sounding redundant and dry.
Thanks for reading, and I appreciate any and all corrections you may make. =]
-Rewrote all Set Comments
-Added Team options section
-Moved mention of Focus Punch EV investment from a single set to the EVs section
-Rewrote Sounters section
-Reworked the Choice Specs set's EVs to help it take hits better
Anything written as such should be omitted
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/ludicolo
[SET]
name: Rain Support
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Surf / Grass Knot
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Leech Seed
item: Leftovers / Damp Rock
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Calm
evs: 204 HP / 76 SpA / 124 SpD / 106 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>When it comes to setting up Rain Dance, Ludicolo is a superb choice. Surf gains double STAB in rain, taking down many threats in UU and OU. Grass Knot is a viable, if somewhat weaker, option to take a chunk out of bulky Water-types who would otherwise wall this set, especially Water Absorbers like Vaporeon. Ice Beam has a 79.5% chance of OHKOing Dragon Dance Altaria with Stealth Rock damage factored in and puts a large dent in Roserade; just watch out for Sludge Bomb. Special Salamence really can’t touch this set and is OHKOed by Ice Beam in return. Leech Seed grants Ludicolo some added recovery, which is always appreciated.</p>
<p>Although Rain Dish sounds like a plausible ability to add to this set, halving Ludicolo's Speed really opens him up to attacks from Pokemon he would otherwise outspeed, like Staraptor and Toxicroak, and ultimately ruins your attempt to support your team.</p>
<p>One of Ludicolo’s greatest UU Rain Dance allies is Omastar. His monstrous Defense stat and movepool allow him to easily cover Ludicolo’s Flying-, Poison-, and Bug-type attacks, while also getting a Speed boost thanks to Swift Swim. Toxicroak can also be a huge help, boasting a 4x resistance to Bug-type attacks and 2x resistance to Poison-types as well, although the common Flying-type weakness should not be overlooked.</p>
<p>This set isn’t quite as reliable in OU, but still carries its own. To help abuse Rain Dance, pair Ludicolo up with Kingdra. To add entry hazards and bulk, go with Bronzong who can use both Stealth Rock and Rain Dance. As stated above, Vaporeon can really cause problems, so pairing up with the likes of Rotom-A or Jolteon to spam Thunder is always a help.</p>
Simply posted the things I countered using said set, and who can come in on his counters easily. Not much else to say here.
[SET]
name: Offensive Rain (Special)
move 1: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 2: Grass Knot / Energy Ball
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Rain Dance / Focus Punch
item: Life Orb / Damp Rock
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Ludicolo is typically seen as more of a support Pokemon, he is actually quite able to sweep off his base 90 Special Attack stat and strong STAB options. Due to Ludicolo being cast as a late game sweeper, Surf is normally a safer bet, although Hydro Pump is able to OHKO Metagross with 4 HP EVs invested and Rotom-A with help from Stealth Rock; the choice comes down to accuracy versus power. Energy Ball is a 2HKO on Milotic who do not invest in Special Defense EVs, but fails to get the 2HKO on those that do as well as bulky Gyarados (with Stealth Rock damage) or possible OHKO on Life Orbed Suicune that Grass Knot does. Ice Beam covers both Dragon-types like Salamence and Grass-types like Torterra. Rain Dance allows for team support, but Focus Punch allows Ludicolo to take out Chansey in UU and Blissey in OU, should they come in on Surf or Hydro Pump. Life Orb squeezes all the potential out of this set that it can, but Damp Rock‘s ability to keep the rain pouring for three extra turns may help keep your sweep alive longer.</p>
<p>Ludicolo needs a few things done to the battlefield before he can set up and sweep effectively. Pokemon like Uxie and Bronzong who can come in repeatedly and set up rain are Ludicolo’s best friends, as are Pokemon who take care of Water-types, such as Magnezone. If you choose to run Rain Dance over Focus Punch, then having a Pokemon to take care of Chansey or Blissey is a necessity.</p>
<p>With the specified EVs and nature, Ludicolo reaches 478 Speed after Rain Dance and ties with max Speed Pokémon with base 70 Speed. This allows Ludicolo to outspeed Pokémon with 105 base speed, a positive nature, and Choice Scarf in rain. Maximum Special Attack is a given on a set with such an offensive focus. With an odd numbered HP, Ludicolo can switch into Stealth Rock an extra turn without fainting. When using Focus Punch, a spread of 120 Atk / 252 SpA / 136 Spe is recommended, allowing Ludicolo to KO standard Blissey with Focus Punch and Surf. With 136 Spe EVs, Ludicolo outspeeds +1 neutral base 85 Pokémon in rain.</p>
<p>The choice between Grass Knot or Energy Ball comes down to which Pokemon you want to KO the most. The chart below shows some calculations against common switch-ins against Ludicolo</p>
<p>Grass Knot or Energy Ball?</p>
<ul>
<li>Grass Knot vs. max HP Milotic: <b>76 - 89%</b></li>
<li>Energy Ball vs. max HP Milotic: <b>59 - 71%</b></li>
<li>Grass Knot vs. 4 HP Suicune: <b>93 - 111%</b></li>
<li>Energy Ball vs. 4 HP Suicune: <b>75 - 89%</b></li>
<li>Grass Knot vs. 216 HP Gyarados: <b>56 - 66%</b></li>
<li>Energy Ball vs. 216 HP Gyarados: <b>37 - 44%</b></li>
<li>Grass Knot vs. 188 HP Vaporeon: <b>51 - 60%</b></li>
<li>Energy Ball vs. 188 HP Vaporeon: <b>67 - 79%</b></li>
</ul>
I wasn't quite sure how to format the "Grass Knot vs Energy Ball" tidbit, so if anyone is able to help me with that, I'd apreciate it.
[SET]
name: Stall
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Protect
move 3: Surf / Grass Knot
move 4: Toxic / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 76 SpA / 180 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With access to Leech Seed, Toxic, and Protect, as well as numerous resistances, Ludicolo can run a stall set fairly effectively. The idea here is to switch in and Leech Seed when your opponent switches out, and Protect to steal HP back from the opponent. Surf is a better choice against many of the standard walls and hits Taunt users like Mismagius hard. Grass Knot is a useful option in OU, where Gyarados and bulkier Water-types reside. Toxic helps speed up the damage done, but be careful when using it against Guts users like Swellow and Ursaring. Ice Beam nets a swift OHKO on Salamence and Altaria while also scaring off the Grass-types who could otherwise switch in with ease.</p>
<p>The decision of which ability Ludicolo should run comes down to personal preference. Swft Swim allows him to get his stall moves in play before being hit with a slower Taunt or super effective attack, while Rain Dish increases Ludicolo's HP recovery each turn; a great way to keep Ludicolo running longer.</p>
<p>All stall Pokemon enjoy having entry hazards on their opponents' side of the field, and Ludicolo is no exception. In UU, Registeel, Steelix, and Uxie are all fine Stealth Rock users, and Roserade can lay Spikes fairly well. Omastar can use both Stealth Rock and Spikes, and also enjoys the rainy weather that tends to come with Ludicolo. Toxic Spikes can help, but the high number of Poison-types in UU makes keeping them on the field very time-consuming and difficult. In OU, Skarmory, Forretress and Swampert are great additions to your team as well.</p>
<p>To take out the Grass-types like Celebi, Torterra, and Roserade try paring up with a someone with access to Bug-type attacks. Both Scyther and Scizor have the Attack stat to do huge damage with U-turn, and have access to X-Scissor. Steel-types are also common switch-ins who are deftly handled by Brick Break or Superpower. Magnezone is a great counter to Tentacruel, who can shrug off Grass Knot, Surf, and Ice Beam and make Leech Seed a hindrance with Liquid Ooze.</p>
This is the set I had the least experience with, so do not hesitate to offer up things I should add or remove.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf
move 2: Grass Knot / Energy Ball
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Focus Punch
item: Choice Specs
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest
evs: 196 HP / 56 Def / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p>Ludicolo isn’t going to be overpowering other Choice Specs users with only 90 base Special Attack, but being a bulky Pokemon with numerous resistances and two useful STAB options makes it well worth using. Surf is the move of choice for this set, 2HKOing 252 / 156 Careful Registeel with Stealth Rock and rainy weather factored in. Energy Ball or Grass Knot both decimate Water-types, getting an OHKO or 2HKO on Vaporeon, respectively, and no Dragon-type Pokemon Ludicolo faces can survive Ice Beam (excluding Kingdra). Focus Punch provides coverage against the pink blobs Chansey, in UU, and Blissey, in OU, doing about 43% minimum damage to the most defensive Blissey around.</p>
<p>Since Blissey and Chansey are able to run Wish + Protect sets, Focus Punch tends to lose its potency without help from entry hazards. Should you opt to exclude this attack from your set, adding Hidden Power Electric or Grass Knot is recommended to gain overall coverage against Water-types.</p>
<p>The given EV spread allows Ludicolo to survive a Sludge Bomb from Choice Scarf Roserade or Superpower from a Choice Scarfed Mild Blaziken with 76 Attack EVs, while OHKOing both in return. Be careful, though, because with only four Speed EVs you fail to outspeed Roserade even in rain. Should uyou choose to outspeed these threats, a spread of 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe is applicable, but looses a lot of the bulk associated with Ludicolo.</p>
<p>Being locked into one move requires great prediction skills, especially if you play Ludicolo earlier in the game. To solve this problem, add a scout like U-turn Ambipom or a dry passer like an Eeveelution; you’ll learn valuable information about your opponents’ Pokemon’s move sets, which makes predicting what’s coming next easier. Phazers can also aid your sweep by dragging out and exposing which Pokemon your opponents have included on their teams. To add damage to the pHazing, throw down some entry hazards. As always, Ludicolo loves having someone to add rain to the battlefield to boost his speed and boost Water-type attacks even more.</p>
<p>Common switch-ins to this set in UU include Pokemon with access to Poison-type moves and specially defensive Pokemon, Registeel and Chansey in particular. To help combat these Pokemon, introduce Dugtrio to your team. His STAB Earthquakes punch giant holes Registeel and Chansey while KOing many a Poison-type as well. Should your opponent be using Poison-type moves, Steelix or Registeel are worth considering, as they both sport an immunity to Poison-type attacks.</p>
<p>Like in UU, in OU walls such as Bronzong, Blissey, and specially defensive Empoleon. And again, the best way to take them out is with super effective Ground- and Fighting-type attacks. A great partner with access to STAB Earthquake is Metagross, who can not only use Earthquake, but also Stealth Rock to add entry hazards to your opponent's side. Immunity to Poison-type attacks are another added bonus to adding Metagross to your team. Superpower from either Scizor or Lucario aren't enjoyed by Blissey, who will most likely switch out, buying you a free stat up should you include one in your moveset. Gyarados can also be a problem, but he is easily remedied by Jolteon’s Thunderbolt or Thunder. Jolteon can also dry pass to Ludicolo, so try to scout as much as you can.</p>
As explained in the top section, the EVs have been changed, and now handle hits more effectively on both the physical and special sides. Props to X-Acts defenses app for the help.
[SET]
name: Uber Support
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Protect
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Rain Dish
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 SpD
[SET DESCRIPTION]
<p>Ludicolo may seem like a mediocre Pokémon for use in Ubers at first glance, but surprisingly it has its own niche in the metagame, courtesy of Leech Seed, Protect, and Rain Dish.</p>
<p>Due to the Uber metagame generally being specially based, Ludicolo can come in on many Pokémon with its very acceptable Special Defense stat. Ludicolo will take a maximum of 38% damage from a Choice Scarf Kyogre's Thunder, which is quickly made less worrying by the accumulation of Rain Dish and Leftovers, together granting Ludicolo 12.5% health back per turn in the rain. Ludicolo can then Leech Seed for at least another 11% health return, meaning Ludicolo can outstall Kyogre with Protect.</p>
<p>Leech Seed is made all the more useful in Ubers due to many Pokémon in the tier having gargantuan HP, meaning Ludicolo will often find itself healing 25% of its health per turn with Protect. Protect also helps against Choice users, allowing Ludicolo to scout the incoming attack.</p>
<p>Grass Knot will 2HKO Groudon and offensive Kyogre, while also being a very reliable attack versus Palkia, Darkrai, and Mewtwo. Ice Beam hits Rayquaza who may feel like Dragon Dancing or using Swords Dance expecting a switch, and will be promptly OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage, provided it doesn't invest heavily in HP. Ice Beam also helps against Garchomp, and to an extent, Dialga.</p>
<p>However, Toxic is a secondary option for the fourth slot. This often allows Ludicolo to specifically beat Lugia, provided it does not carry Toxic itself. However, this means that many Uber Pokémon will cause more immediate problems for the set, such as Giratina, or Latias carrying Refresh or Safeguard. Dialga will have a much easier time as it is not affected by Toxic, and Grass Knot will not do huge amounts of damage. Finally, it becomes much easier for Rayquaza and Garchomp to wreak havoc for a few turns before Toxic damage would finish them off.</p>
<p>Maximum HP provides overall defensive ability, while 216 Special Defense EVs provide a bonus point. The rest of the EVs go into Defense, allowing Ludicolo to take hits like Darkrai's non-boosted Focus Punch much easier.</p>
<p>Like in the lower tiers, Ludicolo loves rainy weather, and the only place where perma-rain is available is in the form of Kyogre. The problem with running a weather-based set in Ubers is that the weather is constantly being changed by Rayquaza, Groudon, and Tyranitar. The easiest way to stop them from changing the weather is to remove them from battle, so effective counters must be included on your team. Choice Scarf Mewtwo with Ice Beam can outspeed and OHKO even a +1 Jolly Rayquaza, while adding serious power to your team. Groudon desn't enjoy taking Grass Knots from Ludicolo on the switch, but you should be switching to something like Giratina-O or Lugia to absorb the coming onslaught. Lugia is also able to set up on Groudon, thanks to access to Reflect, Calm Mind, and Ice Beam, providing you with a bosted tank ready to slam your opponent. Tyranitar, also, is a problem, but can be remedied by adding a Scizor to your team.</p>
<p>The stall set is great at reducing walls, but be leery of stat-upping Pokemon like Nasty Plot Darkrai or Calm Mind Latios, both of whom can OHKO Ludicolo and pose a threat to your team hould they get their boosts in. An effective wall is a great choice against either Pokemon, since their frail defenses makes picking them off easy if you can survive an attack. You can also try to out speed and OHKO these Pokemon, but know that the only Pokemon who outspeed the above Pokemon and still pose a large threat are Mewtwo, Deoxys-A, and Deoxys.</p>
Readded because it wasn't as gimmicky as I had expected it to be. Thanks for understanding and bearing with me guys. My team options are mostly theorymon, so any help with that is greatly appreciated.
[SET]
name: Dancing Pineapple
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Seed Bomb
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Many people expect Ludicolo to be attacking from the special side, but this set allows Ludicolo to utilize its lower (but still decent) base 70 Attack stat. The idea is to switch-in and threaten your opponent, then Swords Dance on the switch and attack. Waterfall sacrifices 10 base power points, but gains a useful flinch factor that can lead to a useful hax that you wouldn’t get with Surf. Seed Bomb provides Ludicolo with another powerful STAB option to combat Water-types, and Ice Punch covers the omnipotent Grass-types who switch-in on Ludicolo.</p>
<p>Even with a boost from Swords Dance, Ludicolo still has pretty low Attack. Life Orb, therefore, is the item of choice. Leftovers can provide recovery to our Mexican pineapple, but the boost from Life Orb is typically more necessary.</p>
<p>Although Chansey and Blissey are no longer counters to Ludicolo, new threats arise. Pokemon with the Intimidate ability can mitigate Ludicolo’s sweeping potential, effectively stopping any late game sweep you may have been attempting. The only Pokemon Ludicolo will face with intimidate are Gyarados, Salamence, Hitmontop, and Arcanine; however, Arcanine isn’t switching in on any Ludicolo set, so we’re down to three. Of these three Pokemon, two take 2x damage from Stealth Rock. Therefore, adding Stealth Rock to your opponents side of the field will greatly limit how well these Pokemon can come in on Ludicolo. Physically bulky Salamence will be taking a minimum of about 92% damage from Life Orbed Ice Punch, giving Ludicolo a 100% chance of nabbing an OHKO with Stealth Rock damage factored in. Against a Gyarados with 156 / 100 defenses, +1 Seed Bomb will be doing an average of 46% with Life Orb and Intimidate factored in, netting a clean 2HKO should Stealth Rock be in play. Should Hitmontop switch-in on any of Ludicolo’s attacks, it will be OHKOed immediately.</p>
<p>Registeel’s balanced defenses means he’s still able to wall Ludicolo, but Dugtrio’s again able to pick him off with STAB Earthquake. Skarmory become a counter to Ludicolo now that it’s physical, but the same Magnezone traps and KOes it with Thunderbolt. Phazing Ludicolo works well, but few pHazers are able to come in on one of Ludicolo's attacks and live long enough to push him out of the battle. Although he is an OHKO, the Hitmontop set that utilizes Swords Dance (TechniTop) can be quite troublesome, especially if Ludicolo switches in while he Swords Dances up. Weezing is also a great wall and counter, boasting a 120 base Defense stat and STAB Sludge Bomb. Both of these counters, thogh, suffer from a Psychic-type weakness, so plan accordingly.</p>
Not many people I talk to other than myself use this set, but it's so unexpected and powerful I had to keep it in.
[Other Options]
<p>Seismic Toss gives you consistent damage against everything barring Ghosts, and helps against the likes of Calm Mind/Sub Raikou. Hidden Power Electric is an option if you really fear Gyarados, although Grass Knot already puts a nice dent in him, ThunderPunch for those who cannot manipulate Hidden Power at will. Giga Drain and Energy Ball make alternative Grass attacks to Grass Knot, but in standard play most things you'd use them against are heavy enough to make Grass Knot worth it—think Tyranitar and Milotic—while things you wouldn't want to be stuck with Grass Knot against such as Porygon-Z and Azelf can be taken care of with Surf.</p>
<p>Rest is a recovery option for Ludicolo and removes other status for all it's worth, you'll want to back it up with Aromatherapy or Ludicolo can become a liability.</p>
<p>Zen Headbutt can be used on the Swords Dance set if you for some odd reason fear Toxicroak. Fake Out is there if you want it (only realistically viable in 2 v 2 play). Rain Dish is rarely a better choice than Swift Swim.</p>
I really didn't see anything that wasn't mentioned in the original Other Options section that needed changed or updated, so I left it as is.
[Team Options]
<p>With the ability Swift Swim, you can expect Ludicolo to feature almost exclusively on Rain Dance teams. Since rain is best set up early in the match, leads who can be rebuilt to feature the move Rain Dance are great when paired up with Ludicolo. In UU, Uxie, Electrode, and Mesprit are all considered great Lead Dancers, although Electrode tends to die off rather quickly. OU leads like Azelf, Aerodactyl, Metagross, and Bronzong are all able to set up rain, with Bronzong and Metagross providing some type coverage for Ludicolo. All of these leads, bar Electrode, are also able to set up entry hazards in the form of Stealth Rock, something every Pokemon enjoys having on their side. Spikers, too, are useful, although Toxic Spikes are less useful in UU, where they are quickly absorbed by the many Poison-types that reside in the lower tier.</p>
<p>Combining Electric- and Ground-type attacks provides excellent coverage against the types of Pokemon who can switch-in and resist Ludicolo’s combination of Ice-, Grass-, and Water-type attacks. With rainy weather flooding the field and entry hazards set, adding Rotom-W will greatly benefit you. With STAB Thunder, pseudo-STAB Hydro Pump, and the ability to block Rapid Spin via Ghost typing, few Pokemon can work in tandem with Ludicolo’s strategy as well as Rotom-W does. Kabutops is also a great partner, with access to Stone Edge for Flying-types, double STAB Waterfall for Chansey or Blissey, Rapid Spin to keep everyone healthy, double STAB Waterfall, and Swift Swim to double its Speed. Qwilfish has the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes, is immune to Poison-type attacks, and can Explode on Pokemon that are hampering Ludicolo’s effectiveness, in addition to the boosts associated with being a Water-type Swift Swimmer in the rain. Kingdra also deserves a mention, since he is the only Swift Swimmer who also has access to STAB Dragon-type attacks, outspeeding and OHKOing Latias with ease.</p>
<p>Ludicolo’s relative bulk and weaknesses to only Flying-, Poison-, and Bug-type attacks makes defensive pairings fairly easy. UU Pokemon who threaten Ludicolo include Guts Swellow, Roserade, Scyther, and U-turn users in general. Swellow, Scyther, and U-turn users are best taken care of by one of two golems: Regirock or Registeel. Offensive Regirock has the ability to OHKO Guts boosted Swellow, while taking negligible damage from Brave Bird and U-turn. Scyther, also, is only able to touch Regirock with Brick Break, and takes tons of damage from Stone Edge. Registeel can safely switch in on either of the Pokemon listed above, though he lacks Stone Edge and his base Defense is 50 points lower than Regirock’s. His redeeming quality is his immunity to Poison-type attacks which are flying left and right through the UU metagame. Both Pokemon also have access to powerful moves in the forms of Earthquake and Explosion and can set up entry hazards that make switching in and out hard on your opponent. Ludicolo also despises status afflictions, so having a Natural Cure Pokemon like Chansey is a good idea. Chansey is also able to use the move Wish, which remedies Ludicolo’s lack of instant recovery.</p>
<p>Pokemon in OU who can check Ludicolo include Calm Mind Suicune, Gyarados, and Pokemon with abilities that change the weather. Suicune’s bulk and ability to use a stat boosting move make it quite the wall against Ludicolo. The only way Ludicolo can hope to bring it down is Energy Ball, and even that fails to do much after Calm Mind has been used a few times. A great Pokemon to combat Suicune is Vaporeon; its Water Absorb ability, the combination of Wish and Baton Pass, and standard Hidden Power Electric combine to make quite the troublesome check to Suicune, as well as help scout and provide instant recovery. Gyarados, as mentioned before, really loses its potency against Ludicolo when Stealth Rock is used, so adding a Pokemon like Bronzong who can set up Rain and Stealth Rock is greatly appreciated. The addition of Hidden Power Electric (or ThunderPunch on the Dancing Pineapple set) provide OHKOes, and Grass Knot can 2HKO him, making the choice between Energy Ball and Grass Knot even more important. Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and Abomasnow all have abilities that negate rain and, in turn, any boosts Ludicolo may have gotten thanks to weather support. Most teams use Scizor as a Tyranitar counter, and with good reason; STAB Technician boosted Bullet Punch will decimate our dinosaur enemy. Hippowdon do not enjoy repeated Grass Knots, but are able to Slack Off the damage should they decide to stay in. A Pokemon with a higher Special Attack stat, like Starmie, should be able to come in and frighten off Hippowdon, while providing support if at all possible. Starmie also boats Rapid Spin and Natural Cure in addition to STAB Water-type attacks, absorbing status effects and blowing away entry hazards that make quick work of Ludicolo’s low base HP.</p>
<p>Ludicolo has the bulk to take a hit should you predict incorrectly early in the game, but to fully unleash Ludicolo against your opponents, you must know some things about the team you’re facing. Ask yourself, what Pokemon does my opponent have that out speed Ludicolo? What Pokemon resist Ludicolo’s attacks, and what’s my plan to counter them? How can I create an environment where my opponent is always within 2HKO range? By asking yourself all of these questions, you’ll be able to not only help Ludicolo exploit your opponents’ team’s weaknesses, but the rest of your team as well. Scouting takes away the unknown facts that your opponent can hide early game, and Ludicolo cannot do its job well without a concrete strategy ready to be executed.</p>
Again, I followed Aldaron's format as best I could, so the only problems that may arise are additions to counters I forgot and grammatical errors.
[EVs]
<p>202 Speed should be a minimum on Rain Dance sets, so you can outrun Choice Scarf Heracross. You don't really need any more Speed than that, although bumping Ludicolo's Speed stat up to 222 to outrun Adamant Tyranitar isn't a bad idea. You can add a few more EVs to hit an initial Speed of 228, which outruns most Gliscor before you set up, and Choice Scarf Salamence after Rain Dance is active. Maximum Speed is never a bad choice as well.</p>
<p>76 Special Attack EVs lets you OHKO most Salamence. On all defensive sets, focus on HP is recommended before working on Special Defense. Without Leftovers, make Special Defense and HP as equal as possible (with the odd point in HP).</p>
<p>Moving 120 EVs to Attack with a Modest nature will allow Focus Punch to deal around 74% damage to 0 HP / 252 Defense Blissey variants, but is pretty useless in stopping anything but her, Registeel, and Chansey.</p>
Again, not much was outdated, so all I did was add the bit about Focus Punch that I omited previously.
[Opinion]
<p>Ludicolo is a Pokemon geared towards one type of team: Rain Dance. In rain, he becomes a potent force capable of climbing into a higher tier and still posing a considerable threat to a majority of the metagame’s heaviest hitters. Support options and bulk combine with his sweeping potential to make a solid choice for any rain-driven team.</p>
I'm revamping it, so you know I'm going to want my view here. ;]
[Counters]
<p>The Pokemon Ludicolo fears the most is Choice Scarfed Roserade, thanks to her ability to out speed Ludicolo even in rain and OHKO with Sludge Bomb. Bulky Water-types like Slowbro and Milotic are fairly good switch-ins, should Ludicolo leave home without a Grass-type attack. As always, the generic walls Registeel and Chansey can hold off most sets, assuming Focus Punch is out of the equation.</p>
<p>Heracross is a strong counter to Ludicolo, boasting STAB Megahorn and bulk enough to switch-in with little effort. U-turning Choice Banded Scizor wreck Ludicolo and also give your opponent a chance to send in a priority attacker to finish the job. Ice beam is almost always a 2HKO against Celebi, who can Calm Mind and Recover until Ludicolo is nothing more than a speed bump in her sweep. Blissey and Snorlax sponge his attacks like the champs they are, but neither is going to enjoy Leech Seed.</p>
I only included Pokemon I didn't go into detail with in previous sections to keep from sounding redundant and dry.
Thanks for reading, and I appreciate any and all corrections you may make. =]
