Politoed (QC 3/3) (GP 2/2) (UPLOAD ME)

Stratos

Banned deucer.
Spr_3e_186.gif


SPROING

[Overview]

<p>Politoed is only used because of Drizzle. However, that doesn't mean it's a complete waste of a team slot; its actually decent defenses and good defensive typing give it surprising longevity when running a fully defensive support set, which it can use to soften up the opposition with its decent supporting movepool. Offensively, the rain it provides boosts the power of its Water-type moves to high levels, allowing it to dish out some decent damage with Choice Specs or a Water Gem. While Politoed, at first glance, seems to be a pretty poor Water-type, Drizzle makes it all worthwhile, and unlike Ninetales, it can still hold its own in battle.</p>

name: Support
move 1: Scald
move 2: Protect
move 3: Icy Wind
move 4: Helping Hand / Encore
item: Leftovers
ability: Drizzle
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set maximizes Politoed's longevity, ensuring it will still be there to set Drizzle again should you need it to. Scald is an obligatory STAB move, and, thanks to rain, still hits hard enough to 2HKO frailer Pokemon, such as Tornadus, and those weak to Water-type moves. Being such a critical target for opposing weather teams, Politoed needs Protect, which buys it at least a turn of Leftovers recovery and often a completely free turn. Icy Wind can be incredibly useful for slowing down faster opponents so that Politoed's partner can KO them without taking a hit. Politoed's fourth move depends on your team's needs: Helping Hand is generally preferred for its utility, but Encore is the better choice if your team is having trouble with defensive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Cresselia.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Politoed with the given EVs will never be OHKOed by Latios's Dragon Gem-boosted Draco Meteor; the rest of the EVs are dumped into Defense to maximize Politoed's mixed bulk. Speed is entirely minimized so Politoed can set its weather against opposing Tyranitar and Abomasnow who are not similarly prepared. Alternatively, Politoed can run a Bold nature with 31 Speed IVs to outspeed Tyranitar (and Scizor) and smack it with a Scald, but because Scald only 4HKOes in sand, setting rain on a double switch is generally more useful, especially as only a severely weakened Politoed can be KOed by Tyranitar. Sitrus Berry is a viable option on any defensive set, but Politoed usually survives for more than four turns, which makes Leftovers the superior option in the long run. If neither Encore nor Helping Hand are very appealing, Politoed can run Perish Song, which can end endgame stalemates and force out troublesome Pokemon who are behind Substitutes or have stat boosts.</p>

<p>This set works exceptionally well when teamed up with Dragon-type Pokemon such as Latios and Kyurem-B, most of whom struggle only with faster Pokemon and Choice Scarf users, which Politoed is more than happy to slow down with an Icy Wind. After the faster threats are neutralized, Helping Hand-boosted Dragon-type moves are virtually guaranteed to KO something on the opposing team. On the other hand, this set also works wonders when paired up with a highly defensive Pokemon such as Hitmontop, Ferrothorn, or Cresselia, as Politoed can spread burns, stat drops, and chip damage to soften up the opposing team. And obviously, being Politoed, this set works best on a team with Swift Swim attackers such as Kingdra and Ludicolo, though when paired with them, Politoed will often find its Icy Wind and redundant Water-type coverage to be dead weight.</p>

name: Offensive
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Scald / Protect
item: Choice Specs / Water Gem
ability: Drizzle
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 196 SpA / 56 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>If you want a Politoed set that won't be a drain on the offensive momentum of your heavy offense rain team, look no further than this one. An item-boosted, STAB Hydro Pump hits incredibly hard under rain, even off of Politoed's below-average base Special Attack. Politoed's two coverage moves in Ice Beam and Hidden Power Grass provide super effective hits on Dragon-type Pokemon and Water-type Pokemon, such as Gastrodon and Rotom-W, both of which are pests for any rain team, respectively. Choice Specs adds consistent power to all of Politoed's moves, while Water Gem allows it to switch between moves, a boon which cannot be underestimated. The only notable OHKO that Water Gem misses out on is Gastrodon, so the drop in power is not as severe as it might seem—in general, even Choice Specs variants should stick to Hydro Pump, as Politoed's coverage moves lack the punch to OHKO what they target. Choice Specs variants obviously have no use for Protect and thus should use Scald due to its perfect accuracy, whereas Water Gem variants should opt for Protect due to its utility.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>While Politoed is still EVed to survive Latios's Draco Meteor, the rest of its EVs have been moved into Special Attack to maximize damage output (with 4 Speed to outrun minimum Speed Metagross and KO with Hydro Pump). When this Politoed is paired up with multiple Swift Swim users such as Kingdra and Kabutops, it can quickly overwhelm the opponent's defenses. This is also the set for any team that is running Politoed as an anti-weather measure and has no other Water-type Pokemon. Politoed can run maximum Speed to Speed tie Breloom and subsequently use Ice Beam before it can get off a Bullet Seed, but because most Breloom use Focus Sash, the EVs often end up being wasted. Water Gem variants can sacrifice a coverage move for a move from the support set's repertoire, but because the EVs are not optimized for survivability, they will not get as much use out of them. Alternatively, either variant can switch out Hidden Power Grass for Hidden Power Electric and invest 8 more Speed EVs to beat Gyarados; typically, though, Gyarados is less of a threat to rain teams (and less common) than Rotom-W and Gastrodon are. The last viable move is Surf, being Politoed's only spread move, but hitting its partner is very undesirable.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Politoed is probably the worst choice on any rain team for a backup Rain Dance user because it's almost always moving last, but it's still a possibility. Wacan Berry can be run to survive the strong Electric-type attacks Politoed attracts, such as those from Thundurus and Rotom-W, but Leftovers, Water Gem, and Choice Specs are usually better options, due to the longevity the first provides and the power boost the last two provide, so this is thus generally inadvisable. Similarly, Chesto Berry and Rest can be run to both heal status and get full recovery; however, between Rest and Protect, Politoed' moveset will become pretty barren. Hypnosis is a great choice for either set, if you have Gravity or don't mind it utterly failing 40% of the time, being able to nearly take any Pokemon out of the match. Haze can be used on the defensive set to remove a partner's Draco Meteor or Intimidate stat drops as well as neuter an opponent's stat boost users. However, it comes with the downside of removing any work you put into dropping your opponent's stats and, due to being situational, is generally worse than Icy Wind. Choice Scarf is a possible item on Politoed, but its meager boost isn't worth the huge drop in power and bulk from losing Choice Specs and changing HP EVs to Speed EVs.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Basically all Electric- and Grass-type Pokemon make great Politoed counters, as they can OHKO it and withstand whatever it tries to throw at them. Abomasnow is worthy of special mention because of its ability to remove the rain that Politoed sets, thus making it fail at its main role of weather starter. Thundurus is also a particularly good check, as it can OHKO with Electric Gem Thunderbolt and paralyze the Swift Swim users that often accompany Politoed (though it must be wary of switching in on an Icy Wind). Thanks to its resistance to Water- and Ice-type moves, Rotom-W can switch into Politoed with relative impunity and threaten it with a powerful Thunderbolt or Thunder. Dragon-types can beat the offensive set handily but must beware an Icy Wind from the defensive set. Gastrodon has nothing to fear from the defensive set, but an offensive set's Hidden Power Grass will ruin it.</p>

<p>Apart from KOing Politoed, the most effective way to counter it is to simply ruin the tactics that rain teams commonly employ. Abomasnow and Thundurus again get a mention, the former for removing rain with its own ability and the latter for having Prankster Thunder Wave to slow down Swift Swim users. Tyranitar, even though it can't stomach a strong hit from Politoed, can also remove Drizzle with Sand Stream, putting a stop to a rain team's momentum. Amoonguss, despite its Grass typing, lacks the offensive presence to threaten rain teams effectively, but it can use Rage Powder to redirect strong single-target Water-type attacks to itself, taking pittance from them. If all else fails, a manual Sunny Day by the likes of Cresselia can be a real hassle for rain teams and reduce Politoed's usefulness.</p>

•Drizzle
•Drizzle
•Drizzle
•can be a supporter with scald helping hand encore icy wind
•rain it provides lets it pack an ok punch
•Drizzle

Name: Support
Move 1: Scald
Move 2: Protect
Move 3: Icy Wind
Move 4: Helping Hand / Encore
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Drizzle
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe

•Maximize longevity with this set
•Toed is ass as an attacker, so it's better off helping teammates attack
•Icy wind is top tier in helpfulness
•scald still does solid damage under rain and burns shit
•fourthmove of choice depending on team build and your needs
•encore can be used when your rain team has trouble with more defensive pokemon such as ferro
•Helping hand is obviously great if you dont need encore

[Additional Comments]
•EVs let it survive Latios DM, rest into physical bulk because fsr people love using neutral physical attacks on toed
•IVs because it underspeeds non-min Tar and Aboma
•Really good when teamed up with Dragons; toed provides the Icy Wind support that most dragons love so they can beat scarfers, and a HH Gem Dragon Attack is legally considered rape in most first world nations.
•Also obviously helps swift swimmers and water types just by being on their team, but is less effective on the field with them
•Can be incredibly annoying when paired up with Ferro early on in the match, softening opponents up with icy wind drops, burns, paras, seeds, iron barbs...
•Sitrus is an option since it heals more immediately but if you play smart toed can live 5evr with lefties
•Perish Song forces out sub attackers or ends endgame scenarios quickly

Name: Offensive
Move 1: Hydro Pump
Move 2: Ice Beam
Move 3: Hidden Power Grass
Move 4: Scald / Protect
Item: Choice Specs / Water Gem
Ability: Damp (jk water absorb) (jk drizzle)
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 HP / 194 SAtk / 58 SDef / 4 Spd

[Set Comments]

•Politoed for more HO style rain teams
•Paired up with multiple other powerful attackers, keep pounding till it gives way
•Hpump for stab, ice beam for dragons, hpg for waters
•scald if you're specs, protect if gem

[Additional Comments]

•EVs to outspeed min metagross, live latios gem DM and hit hard as possible
•Also does work on teams whose only water type is Toed and are using drizzle for other reasons (why? w/e not my problem)
•Pair up with at least two swift swimmers to overwhelm non-ferro defenses
•Can go max spe to tie loom but most loom use fuckin sash like pussies anyway so i wouldnt
•hpe if you care more about gyara than gastro or scrotum wash
•offensive spread w/ wg and defensive moves

[Other Options]

•I'd rather let something less slow set up manual backup rain, but RD is an option i guess
•Scarf, but it lacks both power and defensive ability
•wacan

[Checks and Counters]

•Two kinds: Pokemon that can ohko Toed or defensive pokemon.
•Offensive pokes that 2hko have that turn where they get fucked up by a bitch support move and then helping handed or protected or hydro pumped into oblivion
•The former: elecs and grasses (loom thundy skymin rotom zap)
•The latter: Ferro, Aboma, Gastro (watch out for hpg)
•Aboma is particularly effective for removing rain
 
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I think perish song is worth a mention in oo especially for defensive toed as it forces switches and helps deal with some threats towards the end of games.
 
since i am toed-elly an expert, it should be exspected that i comment an wart is most likely the most influential pokemon of gen 5

support set - slash ice beam with icy wind. also put protect as the last move on the set. kinda wondering about the 0 speed ivs, unless they're supposed to be 0 attack?

offensive set- get rid of hp electric or move it to ac. the only thing it really hits is gyarados, and outside of that rotom-w and gastrodon are much higher priority targets than gyara. move surf to ac too and replace it with scald. you really don't want to hit your own mons unless you're using water absorb, storm drain or absorb bulb mons too, and even then its probably going to be a bad idea to hurt the rest of your team. also these combos are incredibly dumb and i wouldnt be caught dead recommending them (except maybe in triples...). im tempted to split the set into specs and regular offense because icy wind and hh are hard to slash in with specs.
 
ferrothorn has iron barbs, not rough skin
slash wacan on defensive, or at least AC it
sitrus in AC on defensive
ABSORB BULB IN OO (nah jk)

stampqc

QC APPROVED 1/3
 
- I actually think it should be Wacan / Sitrus > Leftovers, but what do other QC think?

- Fix this one ~ "•surf if you're specs, protect if gem", Move 4: "Scald / Protect"

- Use Audiosurfer's Specs Politoed spread that he made during TOTW Choice Items, it's way more thought out :p.

- Everything said above me too pls.

iEv9h.gif

~ QC Approved 2/3 ~
 
I think you should give some more mentions in the Checks and Counters section about specific Grass and Electric types that give it problems - Mention things like Offensive Thundurus being able to OHKO with Electric Gem Thunderbolt, and also being able to Thunder Wave your Swift Swimmers. Mention Breloom being able to poop on its day with either Bullet Seed or Spore, Spore making it a bad idea to switch out. Mention something like Shaymin-S as well, since Seed Flare is an easy OHKO, and switching out will often result in a Special Defense drop, which makes it risky.
 
looks good for the most part though theres a couple of things that could still be done;

While Politoed, at first glance, is a pretty poor Water-type, it can still run sets that will be MVP of the battle every once in a while.

i know youre not trying to overhype toed but 'every once in a while' is not a very convincing statement to close your overview out on, especially when it's a very influential pokemon in the meta.

your checks/counters should include pokemon that can in general fuck rain up in a separate paragraph because politoed is rain, really. talk about how thundurus-i can paralyze everything to negate swift swim, how amoonguss can be nigh untouchable, and how tyranitar can mess up your game plan even though it really doesn't want anything to do with STAB water moves. hell, ttar's auto weather triggering sand is one of the reasons that i put it on teams, and is part of my rain control most of the time, even if i do scarf or sash it.

a few more things for oo: chestorest, hypnosis and haze (dm/intimidate resetting).
 
looks good to me, though i think neutral speed natures (calm/bold) are worth noting in ac to outspeed stuff like ttar and hit them with scald/icy wind (being finished off by rock slide is a bad feeling), even if its not doing much. otherwise;

stampqc

3/3
 
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[Overview]

<p>Politoed is only used because of Drizzle. However, that doesn't mean it's a complete waste of a team slot; its actually decent defenses and good defensive typing give it surprising longevity when running a fully defensive support set, which it can use to soften up the opponentsition with its decent supportiveng movepool. On the other end of the spectrum, the rain it provides itself boosts its base 90 Special Attack to respectableffensively, the rain it provides boosts the power of Politoed's Water-(hyphen)type moves to high levels, allowing itPolitoed to dish out some decent damage with Choice Specs or a Water Gem. While Politoed, at first glance, is a pretty poor Water-type, Drizzle makes it all worthwhile—and, unlike Ninetales, it can still hold its own in battle.</p>

name: Support
move 1: Scald
move 2: Protect
move 3: Icy Wind
move 4: Helping Hand / Encore
item: Leftovers
ability: Drizzle
nature: Relaxed
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe

[Set CommentsET COMMENTS]

<p>This is the set to maximizes Politoed's longevity, ensuring it will still be there to set Drizzle again should you need it to. Being such a critical target for opposing weather teams, Politoed needs Protect, which will buy at least a turn of Leftovers recovery and often a completely free turn. Scald is an obligatory STAB move, and, thanks to rain, still hits hard enough to 2hkoHKO frailer Pokemon, such as Tornadus, and those weak to Water-(hyphen)type moves. Icy Wind can be incredibly useful for slowing down faster opponents to let yourPolitoed's partner KO them without taking a hit. Politoed's fourth move is your choice, dependings on your team's needs: Helping Hand is generally preferred for its utility, but Encore is the better choice if your team is having trouble with defensive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn orand Cresselia.</p>

[Additional CommentsDDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Politoed with the given EVs will never be OHKOed by Latios's Dragon Gem Draco Meteor on the special side-(hyphen)boosted Draco Meteor; the rest of the EVs were dumped into Defense to maximize its mixed bulk. Speed is entirely minimized so Politoed can set its weather against opposing Tyranitar and Abomasnow who are not similarly prepared. Alternatively, Politoed can run a Bold nature with 31 Speed IVs to outspeed Tyranitar (and Scizor) and smack it with a Scald, but since Scald only 4HKOes in sand, and only a severely weakened Politoed can be KOed by Tyranitar, setting rain on a double switch is generally more useful than preparing for an oddly specific endgame situationsetting rain on a double switch is generally more useful, especially since only a severely weakened Politoed can be KOed by Tyranitar. Sitrus Berry is a viable option on any defensive set, including this one, but Politoed usually survives for more than four turns regardless, which makes Leftovers the superior option in the long run. If neither Encore nor Helping Hand are very appealing, Politoed can run Perish Song, which can end endgame stalemates orand force out troublesome Pokemon behind Substitutes or who have stat boosts.</p>

<p>This set works exceptionally well when teamed up with Dragon-type Pokemon such as Latios or Kyurem-B, most of whom struggle only with faster Pokemon and Choice Scarf users, whichom Politoed is more than happy to slow down with an Icy Wind. After the faster threats are neutralized, Helping Hand -(hyphen)boosted Dragon-type moves are virtually guaranteed to KO something on the opposing team. On the other hand, this set also works wonders when paired up with a highly defensive Pokemon such as Hitmontop, Ferrothorn, or Cresselia, as Politoed can spreading burns, stat drops, and other chip damage to soften up the opposing team. And obviously, being Politoed, this set works best on a team with Swift Swim attackers such as Kingdra orand Ludicolo, though when paired up together, Politoed will often find Icy Wind and its redundant Water-type coverage and useless Icy Wind to be dead weight.</p>

name: Offensive
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Scald / Protect
item: Choice Specs / Water Gem
ability: Drizzle
nature: Modest
EVs: 252 HP / 196 SpA / 56 SpD / 4 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>If the defensive Politoed set would be a real drain on the offensive momentum of your heavy offense rain team, look no further than this one. Item-boosted, STAB Hydro Pump hits incredibly hard under rain even off of a below-average base Special Attack, and Politoed's two coverage moves provide super effective hits on Dragon-type Pokemon and Water-type pokemon respectively (especially Gastrodon and Rotom-W, two pests for any Rain team). Choice Specs adds consistent power to all of Politoed's moves, while Water Gem allows you to switch between moves, a boon which cannot be underestimated. The only notable OHKO which Water Gem misses out on is Gastrodon, so the drop in power is not as severe as it may seem—in general, even Choice Specs variants should stick to Hydro Pump, as Politoed's coverage moves lack the punch to OHKO what they target. Choice Specs variants will obviously have no use for Protect and thus should go for Scald's extra accuracy, while Water Gem variants should opt for Protect's utility.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>While Politoed is still EV'd to survive Latios's Draco Meteor, the rest of its EVs have been moved into Special Attack to maximize damage output (with 4 Speed to outrun minimum Speed Metagross and KO with Hydro Pump). When this Politoed is paired up with multiple Swift Swim users such as Kingdra and Kabutops, it can quickly overwhelm the opponent's defenses. Alternatively, this is the set for any team that is running Politoed as an anti-weather measure and has no other Water-type Pokemon. Politoed can run maximum Speed to tie Breloom and use Ice Beam before the Bullet Seed, but since most Breloom are holding Focus Sash, it ends up being a futile waste of survivability. Water Gem variants can sacrifice a coverage move for a move from the Support set's repertoire, but, since the EVs are not optimized for survivability, will not get as much use out of them. Alternatively, either variant can switch Hidden Power Grass for Hidden Power Electric and invest 8 more Speed EVs to beat Gyarados; typically, though, Gyarados is less of a threat to rain teams (and less common) than Rotom-Wash and Gastrodon are. The last viable move is Surf, beingET COMMENTS]

<p>If the defensive Politoed set would be a real drain on the offensive momentum of your heavy offense rain team, look no further than this set. An item-boosted, STAB Hydro Pump hits incredibly hard under rain, (comma) even off of Politoed's below-average base Special Attack. (period) Politoed's two coverage moves in Ice Beam and Hidden Power Grass provide super effective hits on Dragon- and Water-type Pokemon, such as Gastrodon and Rotom-W, both of whom are pests for any rain team, (comma) respectively. Choice Specs adds consistent power to all of Politoed's moves, while Water Gem allows it to switch between moves, a boon which cannot be underestimated. The only notable OHKO which Water Gem misses out on is Gastrodon, so the drop in power is not as severe as it may seem—in general, even Choice Specs variants should stick to Hydro Pump, as Politoed's coverage moves lack the punch to OHKO what they target. Choice Specs variants will obviously have no use for Protect and thus should use Scald due to its perfect accuracy, whereas Water Gem variants should opt for Protect due to its utility.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>While Politoed is still EV'd to survive Latios's Draco Meteor, the rest of its EVs have been moved into Special Attack to maximize damage output (with 4 Speed to outrun minimum Speed Metagross, (comma) who Politoed can KO with Hydro Pump). When this Politoed is paired up with multiple Swift Swim users such as Kingdra and Kabutops, it can quickly overwhelm the opponent's defenses. Alternatively, this is the set for any team that is running Politoed as an anti-weather measure and has no other Water-type Pokemon. Politoed can run maximum Speed to Speed tie Breloom and subsequently use Ice Beam on it before Breloom can get off a Bullet Seed, but since most Breloom use Focus Sash, the EVs often end up being a futile waste. Water Gem variants can sacrifice a coverage move for a move from the Support set's repertoire, but, since this Politoed's EVs are not optimized for survivability, it will not get as much use out of them. Alternatively, either variant can switch Hidden Power Grass for Hidden Power Electric and invest 8 more EVs in Speed to beat Gyarados; typically, though, Gyarados is less of a threat to rain teams (and less common) than Rotom-Wash and Gastrodon are. The last viable move is Surf, which is Politoed's only spread move, but hitting your partner is very undesirable.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Politoed is probably the worst choice on any rain team for a backup Rain Dance, because it's almost always moving last, but it's still a possibility. Wacan Berry can be run to survive the strong electric attacks Politoed attracts, such as from Thundurus and Rotom-Wash, but either eliminates recovery or saps power, and is thus generally inadvisable. Similarly, Chesto Berry and Rest can be run to both heal status and get full recovery; however, between Rest and Protect, your moveset will become pretty barren. Hypnosis is a great choice for either set, being able to nearly take any Pokemon out of the match, if you have Gravity or don't mind it utterly failing 40% of the time. Haze can be used on the defensive set to remove a partner's Draco Meteor or Intimidate stat drops as well as neuter an opponent's stat boost users. However, it comes with the downside of removing any work you put into dropping your opponent's stats, and, due to being situational, is generally worse than Icy Wind. Choice Scarf is a possible item on Politoed, but Choice Scarf's meager boost isn't worth the huge drop in power and bulk from losing Choice Specs and changing HP EVs to Speed EVs.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Basically all Electric- and Grass-type Pokemon make great Politoed counters, as they can OHKO while withstanding whatever Politoed tries to throw at them. Abomasnow is worthy of special mention because of its ability to remove the rain that Politoed sets, thus making it fail at its main role of a rain setter. Thundurus is also a particularly good check, as it can OHKO with Electric Gem Thunderbolt and paralyze the Swift Swim users that often accompany Politoed (though it must be wary of switching in on an Icy Wind). Dragon-types can beat the offensive set handily, but must beware an Icy Wind from the defensive set, and Gastrodon has nothing to fear from the defensive set, but an offensive set's Hidden Power Grassr, because it's almost always the last to move, but it's still a possibility. Wacan Berry can be run to survive the strong Electric-(hyphen)type attacks Politoed attracts, such as those from Thundurus and Rotom-Wash, but Leftovers, Water Gem, and Choice Specs are usually better options, due to the longevity the former provides and the power boost the latter two provide, and is thus generally inadvisable. Similarly, Chesto Berry and Rest can be run to both heal status and get full recovery; however, between Rest and Protect, Politoed's moveset will become pretty barren. Hypnosis is a great choice for either set, being able to nearly take any Pokemon out of the match, but only if you have Gravity up or don't mind Hypnosis utterly failing 40% of the time. Haze can be used on the defensive set to remove a partner's Special Attack drop from Draco Meteor or Attack drop from Intimidate, (comma) as well as to neuter an opponent's stat boosters. However, it comes with the downside of removing any work Politoed has put into dropping your opponent's stats, and, due to being situational, is generally worse than Icy Wind. Choice Scarf is a possible item on Politoed, but Choice Scarf's meager Speed boost isn't worth the huge drop in power and bulk from losing Choice Specs and changing HP EVs to Speed EVs.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Basically all Electric- and Grass-type Pokemon make great Politoed counters, as they can OHKO while withstanding whatever Politoed tries to throw at them. Abomasnow is worthy of special mention because of its ability to remove the rain that Politoed sets, thus making Politoed fail at its main role of a rain setter. Thundurus is also a particularly good check, as it can OHKO Politoed with an Electric Gem Thunderbolt and paralyze the Swift Swim users that often accompany Politoed (though it must be wary of switching in on an Icy Wind). Dragon-types can beat the offensive set handily, but must beware an Icy Wind from the defensive set. (period) Gastrodon has nothing to fear from the defensive set, but a Hidden Power Grass from Politoed's offensive set will ruin it.</p>
<p>Apart from KOing Politoed, the most effective way to counter it is to simply ruin the tactics that Rrain teams commonly employ. Abomasnow and Thundurus again get a mention, the former for removing Rain with its own ability and the latter for having Prankster Thunder Wave to slow down Swift Swim users. Tyranitar, even though it can't stomach a strong hit from Politoed, can also remove Drizzle with Sand Stream, putting a stop to a Rrain team's momentum. Amoonguss, despite its Grass typing, lacks the offensive presence to threaten Rrain teams effectively, but can use Rage Powder to redirect strong single-target Water-type attacks and take ato itself, (comma) taking pittance from them. AIf all else failings, a manual Sunny Day can be a real hassle for Rrain teams and reduce Politoed's usefulness.</p>

contrib_gp.png

GP APPROVED 1/2
 
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GP check. Good job on writing this.
Additions in Blue
Subtractions in Red
Comments in Purple
[OVERVIEW] [Overview]

<p>Politoed is only used because of Drizzle. However, that doesn't mean it's a complete waste of a team slot; its actually decent defenses and good defensive typing give it surprising longevity when running a fully defensive support set, which it can use to soften up the opposition with its decent supporting movepool. Offensively, the rain it provides boosts the power of Politoed's its Water-type moves to high levels, allowing Politoed it to dish out some decent damage with Choice Specs or a Water Gem. While Politoed, at first glance, is seems to be a pretty poor Water-type, Drizzle makes it all worthwhile— (change to comma)and, (remove comma) unlike Ninetales, it can still hold its own in battle.</p>

name: Support
move 1: Scald
move 2: Protect
move 3: Icy Wind
move 4: Helping Hand / Encore
item: Leftovers
ability: Drizzle
nature: Relaxed
EVs: evs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
IVs: ivs: 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set maximizes Politoed's longevity, ensuring it will still be there to set Drizzle again should you need it to. Scald is an obligatory STAB move, and thanks to rain, still hits hard enough to 2HKO frailer Pokemon, such as Tornadus, and those weak to Water-type moves. Being such a critical target for opposing weather teams, Politoed needs Protect, which will buy buys it at least a turn of Leftovers recovery and often a completely free turn. Scald is an obligatory STAB move, and, thanks to rain, still hits hard enough to 2HKO frailer Pokemon, such as Tornadus, and those weak to Water-type moves. (flipping these to reflect order on set) Icy Wind can be incredibly useful for slowing down faster opponents to let so that Politoed's partner can KO them without taking a hit. Politoed's fourth move depends on your team's needs: Helping Hand is generally preferred for its utility, but Encore is the better choice if your team is having trouble with defensive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Cresselia.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>A Politoed with the given EVs will never be OHKOed by Latios's Dragon Gem-boosted Draco Meteor; the rest of the EVs were are dumped into Defense to maximize its Politoed's mixed bulk. Speed is entirely minimized so Politoed can set its weather against opposing Tyranitar and Abomasnow who are not similarly prepared. Alternatively, Politoed can run a Bold nature with 31 Speed IVs to outspeed Tyranitar (and Scizor) and smack it with a Scald, but since because Scald only 4HKOes in sand, setting rain on a double switch is generally more useful, especially since as only a severely weakened Politoed can be KOed by Tyranitar. Sitrus Berry is a viable option on any defensive set, including this one, but Politoed usually survives for more than four turns regardless, which makes Leftovers the superior option in the long run. If neither Encore nor Helping Hand are very appealing, Politoed can run Perish Song, which can end endgame stalemates and force out troublesome Pokemon who are behind Substitutes or who have stat boosts.</p>

<p>This set works exceptionally well when teamed up with Dragon-type Pokemon such as Latios or and Kyurem-B, most of whom struggle only with faster Pokemon and Choice Scarf users, whom which Politoed is more than happy to slow down with an Icy Wind. After the faster threats are neutralized, Helping Hand-boosted Dragon-type moves are virtually guaranteed to KO something on the opposing team. On the other hand, this set also works wonders when paired up with a highly defensive Pokemon such as Hitmontop, Ferrothorn, or Cresselia, as Politoed can spread burns, stat drops, and other chip damage to soften up the opposing team. And obviously, being Politoed, this set works best on a team with Swift Swim attackers such as Kingdra and Ludicolo, though when paired together with them, Politoed will often find its Icy Wind and redundant Water-type coverage to be dead weight.</p>

name: Offensive
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Scald / Protect
item: Choice Specs / Water Gem
ability: Drizzle
nature: Modest
EVs: evs: 252 HP / 196 SpA / 56 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>If the defensive you want a Politoed set would be a real that won't be a drain on the offensive momentum of your heavy offense rain team, look no further than this one. An item-boosted, STAB Hydro Pump hits incredibly hard under rain, even off of Politoed's below-average base Special Attack. Politoed's two coverage moves in Ice Beam and Hidden Power Grass provide super effective hits on Dragon-type Pokemon and Water-type Pokemon, such as Gastrodon and Rotom-W, both of whom which are pests for any rain team, and Dragon-type Pokemon, respectively. Choice Specs adds consistent power to all of Politoed's moves, while Water Gem allows you it to switch between moves, a boon which cannot be underestimated. The only notable OHKO which that Water Gem misses out on is Gastrodon, so the drop in power is not as severe as it may might seem—in general, even Choice Specs variants should stick to Hydro Pump, as Politoed's coverage moves lack the punch to OHKO what they target. Choice Specs variants will obviously have no use for Protect and thus should use Scald due to its perfect accuracy, whereas Water Gem variants should opt for Protect due to its utility.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>While Politoed is still EV'd EVed to survive Latios's Draco Meteor, the rest of its EVs have been moved into Special Attack to maximize damage output (with 4 Speed to outrun minimum Speed Metagross and KO with Hydro Pump). When this Politoed is paired up with multiple Swift Swim users such as Kingdra and Kabutops, it can quickly overwhelm the opponent's defenses. Alternatively, this This is also the set for any team that is running Politoed as an anti-weather measure and has no other Water-type Pokemon. Politoed can run maximum Speed to Speed tie Breloom and subsequently use Ice Beam on it before Breloom it can get off a Bullet Seed, but since because most Breloom use Focus Sash, the EVs often end up being wasted. Water Gem variants can sacrifice a coverage move for a move from the Support support set's repertoire, but, (remove comma) since because the EVs are not optimized for survivability, they will not get as much use out of them. Alternatively, either variant can switch out Hidden Power Grass for Hidden Power Electric and invest 8 more Speed EVs to beat Gyarados; typically, though, Gyarados is less of a threat to rain teams (and less common) than Rotom-Wash Rotom-W and Gastrodon are. The last viable move is Surf, being Politoed's only spread move, but hitting your its partner is very undesirable.</p>

[OTHER OPTIONS] [Other Options]

<p>Politoed is probably the worst choice on any rain team for a backup Rain Dance user, (remove comma) because it's almost always moving last, but it's still a possibility. Wacan Berry can be run to survive the strong Electric-type attacks Politoed attracts, such as those from Thundurus and Rotom-Wash Rotom-W, but Leftovers, Water Gem, and Choice Specs are usually better options, due to the longevity the former first provides and the power boost the latter last two provide, and so this is thus generally inadvisable. Similarly, Chesto Berry and Rest can be run to both heal status and get full recovery; however, between Rest and Protect, your Politoed's moveset will become pretty barren. Hypnosis is a great choice for either set, being able to nearly take any Pokemon out of the match, if you have Gravity or don't mind it utterly failing 40% of the time (add comma) being able to nearly take any Pokemon out of the match. Haze can be used on the defensive set to remove a partner's Draco Meteor or Intimidate stat drops as well as neuter an opponent's stat boost users. However, it comes with the downside of removing any work you put into dropping your opponent's stats, (remove comma) and, due to being situational, is generally worse than Icy Wind. Choice Scarf is a possible item on Politoed, but Choice Scarf's its meager boost isn't worth the huge drop in power and bulk from losing Choice Specs and changing HP EVs to Speed EVs.</p>

[CHECKS AND COUNTERS] [Checks and Counters]

<p>Basically all Electric- and Grass-type Pokemon make great Politoed counters, as they can OHKO while withstanding it and withstand whatever Politoed it tries to throw at them. Abomasnow is worthy of special mention because of its ability to remove the rain that Politoed sets, thus making it fail at its main role of a rain setter weather starter. Thundurus is also a particularly good check, as it can OHKO with Electric Gem Thunderbolt and paralyze the Swift Swim users that often accompany Politoed (though it must be wary of switching in on an Icy Wind). Dragon-types can beat the offensive set handily, (remove comma) but must beware an Icy Wind from the defensive set. Gastrodon has nothing to fear from the defensive set, but an offensive set's Hidden Power Grass will ruin it.</p>

<p>Apart from KOing Politoed, the most effective way to counter it is to simply ruin the tactics that rain teams commonly employ. Abomasnow and Thundurus again get a mention, the former for removing rain with its own ability and the latter for having Prankster Thunder Wave to slow down Swift Swim users. Tyranitar, even though it can't stomach a strong hit from Politoed, can also remove Drizzle with Sand Stream, putting a stop to a rain team's momentum. Amoonguss, despite its Grass typing, lacks the offensive presence to threaten rain teams effectively, but it can use Rage Powder to redirect strong single-target Water-type attacks to itself, taking pittance from them. If all else fails, a manual Sunny Day can be a real hassle for rain teams and reduce Politoed's usefulness.</p>

GP: 2/2
 
Added Rotom-W under C&C and Cresselia as an example of a manual Sunny Day user. Otherwise this was very well written, Pwnemon :cool:
 
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