[OVERVIEW]
Nidoqueen is one of the best support Pokemon in LGPE OU thanks to its nearly unique defensive typing that lets it check key threats including Alolan Muk, Zapdos, and Clefable. It is also one of the few Pokemon in the metagame that are immune to both Toxic and Thunder Wave, which is a great quality for a defensive Pokemon to have. It is adept at dishing out chip damage against the majority of the metagame with its access to Stealth Rock, STAB Earthquake, a perfectly accurate Toxic, and Super Fang, making it difficult to switch into unscathed. Unfortunately, Nidoqueen possesses several common weaknesses, which makes threats such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Gyarados, Mew, Starmie, and Poliwrath very dangerous foes for it to face. On top of this, its low Speed and lack of reliable recovery make it prone to being overwhelmed by offensive pressure.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Super Fang
move 4: Ice Beam / Stealth Rock
nature: Relaxed / Impish
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is crucial to slam Pokemon such as Alolan Muk, Mega Charizard X, and Chansey for major damage while also chipping Melmetal. Toxic has phenomenal synergy with Earthquake, as it can hurt Steel- and Poison-type Pokemon that are immune to Toxic, and it has perfect accuracy thanks to Nidoqueen's Poison typing. Super Fang is an amazing support move that dishes out heavy chip damage to healthier targets. Ice Beam provides solid coverage against Flying-types such as Dragonite, Aerodactyl, and Zapdos while also hurting Sandslash and Alolan Exeggutor. Ice Beam is used over Ice Punch to dish out more damage against Reflect variants of Zapdos while also ignoring the Attack-lowering effect of burn. If Nidoqueen's team lacks a Stealth Rock setter, the move can be used in the fourth slot to provide extra support. A Relaxed nature is preferred when using Ice Beam to get the most out of its damage output; otherwise, an Impish nature can be used, which allows Nidoqueen to outspeed neutral-natured Poliwrath.
Usage Tips
========
As one of LGPE OU's best checks to Alolan Muk and Zapdos, Nidoqueen should switch into these threats. Utilize both Toxic and Super Fang early-game to start whittling down the opposing team as soon as possible. With the number of switches Nidoqueen forces, these moves are very safe to use. Stealth Rock is best used when forcing something out or against a slower Pokemon. It's not ideal to use it against a faster threat, since Nidoqueen will unnecessary chip damage or be stopped by Taunt. Be wary of the number of times Nidoqueen switches into attacks throughout the course of the match. With no reliable recovery options and a mediocre Speed tier, it can be taken advantage of to create offensive momentum, especially against U-turn variants of Zapdos.
Team Options
========
Gyarados has great synergy with Nidoqueen, as pre-Mega Gyarados can switch into Ground-type moves aimed at it, while Mega Gyarados checks Psychic-types such as Alakazam and Starmie; meanwhile, Nidoqueen shields Gyarados from Electric-type moves. Nidoqueen appreciates the free switches Mega Beedrill provides through U-turn so that it can switch into Melmetal safely and whittle it down with Earthquake and Super Fang. Mega Beedrill also threatens Mew, Starmie, and Modest Mega Alakazam with its super effective Bug-type attacks. Fast sweepers like Mega Alakazam and Mega Aerodactyl appreciate Nidoqueen's ability to whittle down their checks with Toxic and Super Fang, which eases their job of cleaning weakened teams late-game. Pokemon that are threatened by Alolan Muk such as Starmie, Mew, Zapdos, and Mega Alakazam all take solace from Nidoqueen's ability to switch into it fairly easily.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fire Blast enables Nidoqueen to 2HKO Melmetal after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO Alolan Sandslash. However, it doesn't offer much outside of these scenarios. Surf gives Nidoqueen the ability to OHKO Rhydon, which could otherwise tank any one hit from Nidoqueen and OHKO it back with Earthquake. However, Surf is hard to fit into Nidoqueen's moveset and offers nothing outside of this specific matchup.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Offensive Pressure**: Nidoqueen's lack of recovery and low Speed can put it in a vulnerable situation pretty quickly due to its tendency to switch into multiple attacks throughout the match. For instance, Zapdos, a Pokemon that Nidoqueen typically checks, can use U-turn to switch to a teammate that can force Nidoqueen out.
**Psychic-types**: Mega Alakazam, Mew, and Starmie threaten to take Nidoqueen out with their STAB attacks. However, they don't appreciate taking Toxic on the switch, and Super Fang will most likely put them in a position where they're forced to use their recovery moves. Mega Alakazam is also 2HKOed by Earthquake, making it a bad switch-in to Nidoqueen.
**Water-types**: Mega Gyarados, Poliwrath, and Mega Slowbro shrug off Nidoqueen's Earthquake and threaten it back with super effective Water-type attacks. However, Toxic and Super Fang are dangerous moves for them to switch into.
**Ground-type Attacks**: Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl, Alolan Dugtrio, Melmetal, Dragonite, Rhydon, and Mega Beedrill can take Nidoqueen out with their Ground-type attacks if it has been weakened enough. Rhydon, in particular, has the ability to survive Earthquake and OHKO Nidoqueen back with its own Earthquake. However, Mega Aerodactyl and Dragonite must be wary of Ice Beam, and Nidoqueen can survive Alolan Dugtrio's Earthquake and OHKO it back if Nidoqueen is healthy enough.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Vengeance417, 198446]]
- Quality checked by: [McCoolDude, 469684][Theorymon, 29010], [Eve, 375272]
- Grammar checked by: [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Estronic, 240732]
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