WHOA GUYS. I AM SO STONED.
[Overview]
<p>One of the characteristic aspects of the NU tier is its overall lack of Spikes users, with Cacturne and Garbodor being the only popular candidates for the role. Because of this, Omanyte holds an important niche over other Water-type Pokemon in the tier with its almost-exclusive access to not only Spikes, but also Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, making it the most comprehensive hazard supporter in the tier. Furthermore, unlike its aforementioned rivals, Omanyte has extremely impressive physical bulk when equipped with Eviolite, as well as the ability to shut down powerful physical attackers such as Swellow, Braviary, and Skuntank. Unlike most physical walls, it also has respectable attacking power, with great dual STAB types in Water and Rock, in addition to an above-average base 90 Special Attack stat that is useful on both defensive and offensive sets.</p>
<p>However, while Omanyte certainly has a lot of utility within the tier, it also has some highly exploitable weaknesses that make it unsuitable for pure walling. With base 35 Speed, Omanyte will not be able to outspeed even its rival Rock-type Pokemon, Golem and Armaldo, without investment, and thus has to rely almost exclusively on its bulk to respond to offensive Pokemon. In addition, its uninvested Special Defense stat is low even after the boost from Eviolite, and as it is weak to Grass-, Electric-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks, opponents will almost certainly have a solid offensive response to Omanyte somewhere on their team. Omanyte also lacks reliable recovery, which means it can be slowly worn down by repeated attacks and status effects over the course of a match. Nevertheless, Omanyte excels at switching into attackers that it walls and setting up hazards or firing off attacks until the opponent switches to a more threatening Pokemon. With excellent physical bulk, good resistances, respectable offensive presence, and access to every hazard in the game, Omanyte is a threat that is both vastly underestimated and surprisingly effective.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Stealth Rock / Toxic Spikes
move 4: Hidden Power Rock / Toxic
item: Eviolite
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Omanyte's access to all entry hazards, ability to use Eviolite, and exceptional Defense stat allow it to excel as a bulky Spikes user on both defensive and offensive teams. This set capitalizes on Omanyte's raw bulk: reaching a ludicrous Defense stat of 492 with full investment, Omanyte can take even super effective physical attacks well. For reference, Swellow's Guts-boosted Facade deals a mere 15.32% - 17.88%, while Choice Scarf Braviary doesn't even 2HKO with Superpower. As Omanyte will take pitiful damage from most neutral physical hits, it finds plenty of opportunities to set up Spikes as opponents switch out, often managing to set up all three layers as opponents struggle to dent its shell. Stealth Rock is more suited to offensive teams, while Toxic Spikes aid stall teams in slowly wearing down bulky opponents; use whichever hazard complements your team the best. Of course, Omanyte can also elect to use both Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes; while it can feasibly run all three entry hazards on a single set, Omanyte can make better use of its other attacking options most of the time.</p>
<p>Scald is chosen as Omanyte's primary attack as it not only boasts respectable power, but it can also burn physical attackers that attempt to muscle through Omanyte with Fighting- and Ground-type attacks. Furthermore, it is a good move to hit switching opponents with after hazards have been set up. Hidden Power Rock is Omanyte's strongest Rock-type move and lets it OHKO Swellow and 2HKO Braviary and Jynx, giving it better offensive coverage and ensuring that it isn't as helpless against these foes as its competitors, such as Wartortle, are. On the other hand, Toxic can be used to hit bulky opponents such as Mesprit and Misdreavus which would otherwise be able to set up on Omanyte with ease.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Unlike many hazard setters in the tier, Omanyte deals with the vast majority of Rapid Spin users fairly well. Armaldo and Torkoal will take severe damage from Scald or Hidden Power Rock if they choose to stay in, while Wartortle and Cryogonal can't do much against Omanyte and are crippled by Toxic, which is another advantage it holds over its competition. While Omanyte has excellent physical bulk, its Special Defense stat is still poor without investment, leaving it OHKOed by most super effective attacks in the tier, such as Choice Scarf Gardevoir's Focus Blast. However, as Omanyte's base Special Defense is so low, investing in it increases Omanyte's special bulk significantly. A 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD Calm spread gives Omanyte 274 HP, 354 Defense, and 343 Special Defense, letting it take Fire Blasts from Magmortar and weak Volt Switches much more easily; even Tangela's Giga Drain will fail to OHKO it. It's also worth noting that Omanyte takes pitiful damage from Grass Knot due to its extremely low weight, potentially allowing it to set up extra hazards against Pokemon such as Samurott, which might assume that the move OHKOes, though it only deals 27.73% - 33.57% to the specially defensive variant.</p>
<p>One of Omanyte's main issues as a defensive Pokemon is its lack of a reliable recovery option, which means that it can be slowly worn down by repeated physical attacks throughout the match. Omanyte can also be worn down by Toxic fairly easily, reducing its ability to take attacks if it stays in battle for a long time. Thus, cleric support can be helpful in ensuring Omanyte's longevity; Flareon is particularly useful in this role as it has both Wish and Heal Bell, and it can take Grass- and Electric-type attacks with little trouble. Gardevoir is a good choice as well, as it resists the Fighting-type moves that can break through Omanyte, and can use Psychic to deal with their users directly. Misdreavus boasts an immunity to Ground-type attacks and higher overall bulk, and Vileplume can absorb Toxic Spikes and deal with Grass-types with a STAB Sludge Bomb, but neither of these Pokemon have access to Wish.</p>
<p>As Omanyte excels at luring in Grass-type Pokemon as it sets up, teammates that can capitalize on this are highly advised. Skuntank can switch into Pokemon such as Vileplume with ease, avoid being poisoned by Sludge Bomb, and hit them hard with Poison Jab or Sucker Punch. Magmortar can also switch directly into sleep inducers such as Amoonguss and batter almost anything that switches in with a powerful STAB Fire Blast. Furthermore, as Omanyte is a reliable setter of entry hazards, it should be used alongside bulky phazers such as Altaria and Throh, which can spread residual damage with Roar and Circle Throw respectively, slowly wearing down offensive teams that cannot break through them.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 3: Hidden Power Rock
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Eviolite
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Modest
evs: 128 HP / 252 SpA / 128 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While an Eviolite-boosted base 100 Defense stat is one of the main reasons to use Omanyte over other Spikes users, Omanyte's offensive power should not be underestimated: it has the ability to 2HKO a significant proportion of the tier if its opponent isn't careful. The combination of Surf, Hidden Power Rock, and Ice Beam gives Omanyte excellent neutral coverage against the tier, and scores super effective hits against common opponents such as Golem, Braviary, and Regirock, letting Omanyte break through them quickly. Meanwhile, Omanyte can still use Spikes effectively as foes such as Swellow will be forced out regardless. In fact, most opponents will assume Omanyte is using the standard defensive set until it hammers them with its attacks. Some opponents, such as Altaria, will attempt to boost against it as it sets up Spikes, only to be OHKOed by Ice Beam, much to their surprise. This Omanyte can even lure in and KO some of its biggest checks, especially slow, bulky Grass-types such as Amoonguss and Vileplume, by 2HKOing them with Ice Beam on the switch-in. Overall, while offensive Omanyte won't be able to take as many hits as the standard set, its ability to hit opponents directly for significant damage gives it more utility on offensive teams that want to place as much pressure on the opponent as possible.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As Omanyte is running three attacks on this set, it only gets to use one entry hazard move. Spikes is the best choice as it is highly exclusive, but if you already have a Spikes user such as Cacturne or Garbodor on your team, Stealth Rock can be used in its place. However, be aware that access to Spikes is one of Omanyte's primary niches, and without it, other Water-type Pokemon, such as Samurott and Quagsire, are generally better choices. If you don't use Ice Beam a lot, Stealth Rock or Toxic Spikes can be used over it. However, due to its lower bulk, this Omanyte can find it difficult to set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes.</p>
<p>The Speed EVs let Omanyte outrun up to uninvested base 50 Speed foes, such as the aforementioned Vileplume and Amoonguss, as well as paralyzed Choice Scarf users, but if you feel this isn't necessary, you can invest EVs in HP or Special Defense instead. While it might be tempting to use Life Orb over Eviolite to maximize Omanyte's offensive power, this makes Omanyte unable to take on attackers such as Swellow reliably and compromises its ability to set up Spikes effectively, making Eviolite the superior option most of the time. Funnily enough, Omanyte also gets access to Shell Smash, and can potentially sweep unprepared teams with it if checks such as Choice Scarf Rotom-S are removed. In addition, it even beats Jynx and Lapras reliably with Hidden Power Rock, both of which are normally solid checks to rivals such as Gorebyss. However, it is arguably outclassed by Carracosta, which boasts greater bulk and power after a Shell Smash while having a similar Speed stat. Omanyte should be treated as a Spikes setter first and an offensive Pokemon second, as otherwise there are usually better choices for your team.</p>
<p>With this set, Omanyte won't be aiming to live forever, which reduces the need for Wish and cleric support. Rather, one should first consider Pokemon that provide good offensive coverage alongside Omanyte, that can use the extra residual damage from Spikes to break through bulky opponents, and that can switch into attacks that Omanyte fears. Choice Specs Magmortar in particular is a good choice, as its Fire Blast can break through Lickilicky and even offensive Regirock once they take hazard damage. Rotom-S can threaten the Water-type Pokemon that can take Omanyte's most powerful STAB attacks with ease, while also threatening fast Grass-type Pokemon with STAB Air Slash. Likewise, Muk can switch into them and set up Curses or a Substitute, and its great Special Defense and Fighting-type resistance allow it to synergize well with Omanyte. As Omanyte lacks Toxic, Wartortle and Cryogonal can deal with it easily while spinning away its Spikes, so a Pokemon such as Gurdurr, which receives a Guts boost from Toxic and breaks through them, is also a good choice.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Shell Armor is Omanyte's default ability, as it makes Omanyte a more reliable check to physical attackers—particularly Night Slash Absol—by ensuring they can't break through it with critical hit. Weak Armor completely negates Omanyte's physical bulk, its main niche over other Spikes users. Furthermore, Omanyte isn't fast enough to capitalize on the Speed boosts, so Weak Armor should never be used. Swift Swim, on the other hand, can be useful if you happen to be using Omanyte on a Rain Dance team; with a small amount of Speed EVs, it can outspeed most defensive Pokemon and set up Spikes against them more easily. Shell Smash also becomes more usable in this scenario, as Omanyte can outspeed most Choice Scarf users after a boost due to Swift Swim, and its main STAB becomes much more powerful. Omanyte can even use Rain Dance itself, as it forces switches against certain opponents quite easily, although you must make the difficult choice between using Eviolite for extra bulk or Damp Rock for more rain turns.</p>
<p>Additionally, Omanyte gets access to Clear Smog and Haze, with which it can try to deal with boosting opponents, but these aren't very effective due to Omanyte's many exploitable weaknesses, low Speed, and lack of recovery. Knock Off is an interesting option that removes opponents' items, but it can be hard to fit into a moveset. AncientPower can be used over Hidden Power Rock if you're feeling lucky, but the latter's higher Base Power and PP make it the more reliable choice in general. Rock Blast can also be a tempting choice over Hidden Power Rock as it hits Jynx and Cryogonal harder, but due to Omanyte's pitiful Attack stat, the difference is barely noticeable, and Rock Blast is almost useless against any other opponent. Finally, it is worth noting that Omanyte can attempt to alleviate its recovery problems by using a set of Rest, Sleep Talk, Spikes, and Scald; while this has less overall utility than the current defensive set, it's much more self-sufficient. However, it's worth noting that once Omanyte uses Rest, it is likely to stay asleep for the rest of the match, as it is easily forced out.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Tentacool, Omanyte's fellow NFE Water-type introduced in RBY, is its largest nemesis. It beats Omanyte in pretty much every scenario, as it takes almost nothing from Omanyte's attacks, is immune to Toxic, can use Rapid Spin to remove Omanyte's Spikes, and can force it out with the threat of Giga Drain. Natu can reflect Spikes with its Magic Bounce ability, as well as use Light Screen and Roost to reduce the damage it takes from Hidden Power Rock while providing dual screens support for its teammates.</p>
<p>More generally, Grass-type Pokemon will almost always beat Omanyte with their 4x super effective STAB attacks and resistance to Water-type moves. Tangela, Torterra, and Leafeon all outrun the offensive set even with uninvested Speed, and can either quickly KO Omanyte with their STAB moves or capitalize on the free turn by setting up in their respective ways. However, they are all hit hard by the offensive set's Ice Beam, and should therefore be careful when switching in. Powerful Volt Switch users such as Rotom-S and Eelektross can deal with Omanyte easily while simultaneously stealing momentum, especially if Omanyte doesn't run Special Defense EVs. Fighting-type Pokemon with the Guts ability can also set up on defensive Omanyte with impunity; Gurdurr fears nothing from Scald and can restore any HP it loses with boosted super effective Drain Punches, and specially defensive variants can shrug off even Hydro Pump.</p>
<p>In general, the defensive set is setup bait for Pokemon such as Shell Smash Gorebyss and Calm Mind Gardevoir, both of which can threaten a sweep by switching into Omanyte as it uses Spikes. Meanwhile, the offensive set is generally beaten by bulky opponents that can hit Omanyte super effectively, such as Throh and Regice; Rapid Spin users can be brought in later to remove Spikes.</p>
