[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 5-6 points
**Overview**: Porygon2 has high defensive stats for an unevolved Pokemon, making it one of the best users of Eviolite in the format. Even with a bland Normal typing, its high defenses basically let it resist any attacker it wants to, barring Fighting-types. On the flipside, due to being dependent on Eviolite, Porygon2 is completely helpless against foes with access to Knock Off, which can strip it of its fantastic defenses. Being unable to reliably use items such as Leftovers and Heavy-Duty Boots leaves Porygon2 to be worn down much quicker than other defensive staples. Finally, while it is capable of doing decent damage with the right set, it can end up being passive if invested fully in its defenses, leaving it potentially exploited by Substitute and specially defensive Pokemon.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Wall**: Porygon2 is mainly used as a defensive wall, where it can tank powerful attacks thanks to high natural defenses boosted further by Eviolite. Recover lets it stay healthy throughout a game. Trace is the preferred ability choice, allowing Porygon2 to copy abilities to further its defensive profile, such as Flash Fire from Heatran and Regenerator from either Slowking forme.
**Bulky Offense**: Boasting a decent offensive movepool and abilities to boost its damage output, Porygon2 can attempt to go on the offense instead. Download can potentially boost its Special Attack if it faces the right opponent, while Analytic provides a smaller but more reliable boost to its attacks against faster foes.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Tri Attack
**Utility Moves**: Foul Play, Recover, Thunder Wave, Trick Room
**Coverage**: Blizzard, Discharge, Ice Beam, Psychic, Psyshock, Shadow Ball, Thunder, Thunderbolt
Niche Moves
========
**Electroweb / Icy Wind**: Both of these moves have the additional effect of dropping the foe's Speed, which can cripple setup sweepers and help teammates outspeed typically faster foes.
**Charge Beam**: Given its high chance to boost Special Attack, Charge Beam can see some use in boosting Porygon2's damage output.
**Eerie Impulse**: With Eerie Impulse, Porygon2 can prevent opposing special attackers from setting up or dealing large amounts of damage, allowing its teammates to more safely hit the field.
**Trick**: Due to running Eviolite most of the time, Porygon2 has little reason to ever use Trick. However, it can cripple opposing defensive Pokemon with a Choice item.
Common Items
========
**Eviolite**: Porygon2 is almost required to run Eviolite, allowing its defenses to be boosted significantly.
Niche Items
========
**Rocky Helmet**: In matchups where Porygon2 cannot avoid switching into a Knock Off, rendering Eviolite useless, Rocky Helmet can at least punish the foe as the item is removed.
**Choice Specs / Scarf**: Certain offensive Porygon2 sets can sacrifice the defensive increase of Eviolite for more immediate power or Speed. This also allows it to run the otherwise-useless Trick, crippling defensive opponents that can take its attacks.
Tera
========
Porygon2 does not have the viability to be made a primary Tera Captain. However, it could make for an interesting backup Tera Captain by exchanging its bland Normal typing for one that has actual resistances. Types such as the tried-and-true Tera Water, Fairy, and Steel allow Porygon2 to excel more effectively as a wall and switch into attacks more reliably.
Draft Strategy
========
Porygon2 is usually drafted near the end of a draft as a defensive piece that can slot in synergistically with its teammates thanks to a lack of weaknesses and an immunity to Ghost. However, a lack of resistances, offensive capabilities, and utility options means it needs ample support in order to get the most out of it.
**Fighting-resistant Teammates**: Porygon2 finds itself threatened by Fighting-type Pokemon, meaning it pairs well with Pokemon that are able to absorb their STAB attacks. Pokemon such as Annihilape, Slowking, and Tornadus-T have the typing as well as the bulk to tank Fighting-type attacks reliably.
**Knock Off Absorbers / Punishers**: Porygon2 is heavily reliant on Eviolite to function defensively, inviting in Knock Off users as a result. Pokemon that can reliably tank Knock Off, such as Gliscor after being poisoned and Rough Skin Garchomp, make for good teammates.
**Status Absorbers**: Being vulnerable to status effects, especially poison, Porygon2 pairs well with Pokemon that can absorb said status moves. Poison- and Steel-types such as Archaludon and Pecharunt can switch into moves that can inflict poison such as Toxic in order to keep Porygon2 safe.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Porygon2 is prone to being worn down easily due to holding Eviolite as well as lacking the typing and abilities to resist entry hazards. As such, hazard removal options such as Iron Treads, Great Tusk, and Blastoise can relieve some pressure for Porygon2 as it continually switches in and out of battle.
Checks and Counters
========
**Offensive Fighting-types**: In a format overrun by many powerful Fighting-types, Porygon2 finds itself in great danger around every corner. Sneasler, both Urshifu formes, and Iron Hands are a mere handful of Fighting-types that can smash it into pieces.
**Item Removal**: Porygon2 finds itself threatened by all forms of item removal, since stripping it of its precious Eviolite leaves it defensively compromised. Knock Off users such as the Ogerpon formes and Meowscarada and users of Trick such as Darkrai can completely ruin Porygon2 for the rest of the match.
**Residual Damage**: With no items or abilities to help it heal or avoid passive damage, Porygon2 can be worn down much faster than other defensive Pokemon as it attempts to continually tank attacks. Entry hazard setters such as Ting-Lu and Glimmora can create uncomfortable conditions for it to struggle in, with the latter also being able to poison it.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Despite having good neutral coverage, Porygon2 has a rather low damage output, leaving Pokemon with high Special Defense to switch into and potentially use its passiveness to set themselves up. Iron Moth, Iron Boulder, and Latias are examples of setup sweepers with good Special Defense that Porygon2 can feel helpless against, especially if they use Substitute to more easily absorb damage and block Thunder Wave.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/deranged_lime.272077/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/princess-autumn.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 5-6 points
**Overview**: Porygon2 has high defensive stats for an unevolved Pokemon, making it one of the best users of Eviolite in the format. Even with a bland Normal typing, its high defenses basically let it resist any attacker it wants to, barring Fighting-types. On the flipside, due to being dependent on Eviolite, Porygon2 is completely helpless against foes with access to Knock Off, which can strip it of its fantastic defenses. Being unable to reliably use items such as Leftovers and Heavy-Duty Boots leaves Porygon2 to be worn down much quicker than other defensive staples. Finally, while it is capable of doing decent damage with the right set, it can end up being passive if invested fully in its defenses, leaving it potentially exploited by Substitute and specially defensive Pokemon.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Wall**: Porygon2 is mainly used as a defensive wall, where it can tank powerful attacks thanks to high natural defenses boosted further by Eviolite. Recover lets it stay healthy throughout a game. Trace is the preferred ability choice, allowing Porygon2 to copy abilities to further its defensive profile, such as Flash Fire from Heatran and Regenerator from either Slowking forme.
**Bulky Offense**: Boasting a decent offensive movepool and abilities to boost its damage output, Porygon2 can attempt to go on the offense instead. Download can potentially boost its Special Attack if it faces the right opponent, while Analytic provides a smaller but more reliable boost to its attacks against faster foes.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Tri Attack
**Utility Moves**: Foul Play, Recover, Thunder Wave, Trick Room
**Coverage**: Blizzard, Discharge, Ice Beam, Psychic, Psyshock, Shadow Ball, Thunder, Thunderbolt
Niche Moves
========
**Electroweb / Icy Wind**: Both of these moves have the additional effect of dropping the foe's Speed, which can cripple setup sweepers and help teammates outspeed typically faster foes.
**Charge Beam**: Given its high chance to boost Special Attack, Charge Beam can see some use in boosting Porygon2's damage output.
**Eerie Impulse**: With Eerie Impulse, Porygon2 can prevent opposing special attackers from setting up or dealing large amounts of damage, allowing its teammates to more safely hit the field.
**Trick**: Due to running Eviolite most of the time, Porygon2 has little reason to ever use Trick. However, it can cripple opposing defensive Pokemon with a Choice item.
Common Items
========
**Eviolite**: Porygon2 is almost required to run Eviolite, allowing its defenses to be boosted significantly.
Niche Items
========
**Rocky Helmet**: In matchups where Porygon2 cannot avoid switching into a Knock Off, rendering Eviolite useless, Rocky Helmet can at least punish the foe as the item is removed.
**Choice Specs / Scarf**: Certain offensive Porygon2 sets can sacrifice the defensive increase of Eviolite for more immediate power or Speed. This also allows it to run the otherwise-useless Trick, crippling defensive opponents that can take its attacks.
Tera
========
Porygon2 does not have the viability to be made a primary Tera Captain. However, it could make for an interesting backup Tera Captain by exchanging its bland Normal typing for one that has actual resistances. Types such as the tried-and-true Tera Water, Fairy, and Steel allow Porygon2 to excel more effectively as a wall and switch into attacks more reliably.
Draft Strategy
========
Porygon2 is usually drafted near the end of a draft as a defensive piece that can slot in synergistically with its teammates thanks to a lack of weaknesses and an immunity to Ghost. However, a lack of resistances, offensive capabilities, and utility options means it needs ample support in order to get the most out of it.
**Fighting-resistant Teammates**: Porygon2 finds itself threatened by Fighting-type Pokemon, meaning it pairs well with Pokemon that are able to absorb their STAB attacks. Pokemon such as Annihilape, Slowking, and Tornadus-T have the typing as well as the bulk to tank Fighting-type attacks reliably.
**Knock Off Absorbers / Punishers**: Porygon2 is heavily reliant on Eviolite to function defensively, inviting in Knock Off users as a result. Pokemon that can reliably tank Knock Off, such as Gliscor after being poisoned and Rough Skin Garchomp, make for good teammates.
**Status Absorbers**: Being vulnerable to status effects, especially poison, Porygon2 pairs well with Pokemon that can absorb said status moves. Poison- and Steel-types such as Archaludon and Pecharunt can switch into moves that can inflict poison such as Toxic in order to keep Porygon2 safe.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Porygon2 is prone to being worn down easily due to holding Eviolite as well as lacking the typing and abilities to resist entry hazards. As such, hazard removal options such as Iron Treads, Great Tusk, and Blastoise can relieve some pressure for Porygon2 as it continually switches in and out of battle.
Checks and Counters
========
**Offensive Fighting-types**: In a format overrun by many powerful Fighting-types, Porygon2 finds itself in great danger around every corner. Sneasler, both Urshifu formes, and Iron Hands are a mere handful of Fighting-types that can smash it into pieces.
**Item Removal**: Porygon2 finds itself threatened by all forms of item removal, since stripping it of its precious Eviolite leaves it defensively compromised. Knock Off users such as the Ogerpon formes and Meowscarada and users of Trick such as Darkrai can completely ruin Porygon2 for the rest of the match.
**Residual Damage**: With no items or abilities to help it heal or avoid passive damage, Porygon2 can be worn down much faster than other defensive Pokemon as it attempts to continually tank attacks. Entry hazard setters such as Ting-Lu and Glimmora can create uncomfortable conditions for it to struggle in, with the latter also being able to poison it.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Despite having good neutral coverage, Porygon2 has a rather low damage output, leaving Pokemon with high Special Defense to switch into and potentially use its passiveness to set themselves up. Iron Moth, Iron Boulder, and Latias are examples of setup sweepers with good Special Defense that Porygon2 can feel helpless against, especially if they use Substitute to more easily absorb damage and block Thunder Wave.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/deranged_lime.272077/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/princess-autumn.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
