I've been trying to build with Specs 
with Knock to be a solid breaker into a lot of team archetypes since it hits a lot of special walls hard while also being able to break really bulky teams with hazards and knock. It also is good into Moltres since you can knock on the switch and then get rocks up. Any chance that Specs Darkrai becomes used a lot?
with Knock to be a solid breaker into a lot of team archetypes since it hits a lot of special walls hard while also being able to break really bulky teams with hazards and knock. It also is good into Moltres since you can knock on the switch and then get rocks up. Any chance that Specs Darkrai becomes used a lot?
even physdef corv can check +2 hydrapple in an emergency—even if it gets a fickle beam proc at +2 on the switch, that's 90% max and you chunk it with bb, die, and send out something that can kill it. even with rocks damage it's a 25% chance to kill after the 30% chance of a fickle beam proc, and that is the only scenario (outside of a simultaneous crit and fickle proc) where any standard hydrapple set unambiguously wins the corv matchup. if it doesn't proc fickle, or isn't at +2, or you're running spdef corv, or they're draco meteor or some different set than np, your matchup turns into a guaranteed win. the only way hydrapple gets the dub without getting lucky is by running tb fire and no one runs that
air balloon tink can switch in on any of hydrapple's moves and force a switch with encore, which gives you a cheap opportunity to do one of tink's many utility things depending on what comes in. if they're at +2 and click their grass move and don't switch after the encore, you do have a little trouble because it does have a chance to 3hko, but you can still click twave or knock or rocks or whatever you have and make some progress before switching to something that walls grass and threatens hydrapple better
balloon crown can also switch in on any of hydrapple's moves, though only once. this one isn't super great because the only progress you can really make is chunking it with tachyon cutter, but it's something at least. av crown is a more comfortable switch-in to everything except earth power, so that's another option
blissey hardwalls hydrapple outside of body press or two +2 fickle procs in a row with high damage rolls. if you're running ibeam you solidly 2hko back, and if not you can just set up calm minds until it can't break you anymore
even though enamorus has crap bulk, she's naturally immune to dragon and ground, resistant to grass, and double resistant to fighting, which neatly covers all of hydrapple's good options (and most of its bad ones except tb ice). then you proceed to have a chance to ohko with moonblast, or set up with cm if you're cm because hydrapple can't do much about that
unaware clefable is a bit of an endangered species these days, but it reliably tanks hydrapple's grass stab or coverage and dishes out big damage back with moonblast
moltres has trouble coming in on +2 fickle beam, but it can reliably switch into anything else. flamethrower chunks it just fine but if you're a madlad who's still running flying stab (seriously folks you gotta start running hurricane on this guy again) you hit it for a metric fuckton of damage
zapdos can also come in on anything besides +2 fickle beam on a proc, and it seriously threatens hydrapple with hurricane, which it carries a lot more than moltres does
lmao just kidding but could you imagine
formerly the switchin of choice to kyurem, but it works plenty well against hydrapple too. lives anything except a +2 fickle proc (i'm mentioning this a lot but you have to remember it has a 70% chance to not happen, if the hydrapple's running np at all) and deals quite a bit back with u-turn
oh yeah, balloon gholdengo. how could i forget. this can serve a similar function to balloon tink or crown—switching in and denting hydrapple back with make it rain, paralyze with twave, or whatever
this is really the only sorta-good ice-type left, but it's damn good at its job. triple axel solidly ohkos hydrapple or forces tera and does like half anyway
oh right, the other sorta-good ice-type. meow does the same thing with triple axel (even without protean) but also has u-turn as a midground option to do solid damage to base hydrapple and get out of there in case of tera, which makes it a straight upgrade to weavile in this particular matchup
sludge wave eats non-av hydrapple for breakfast, including tera fairy, which is far and away hydrapple's most common tera. as a bonus, you can actually comfortably get this in on a grass move, but you have to predict right so don't do this unless you're confident. this is one of the best offensive hydrapple answers on the market right now
ice spinner absolutely decimates non-tera'd hydrapple. let me tell ya, not being able to come in with confidence on the most splashable mon in the tier is not a good look for the apple
threatens to heavily dent or straight-up kill hydrapple with strong dragon stab. if tera hasn't been burned yet, or if it's the dragon darts pivot set, clicking u-turn for serious chip damage is a good midground play in case hydrapple goes fairy
hydrapple is kinda terrified of a moonblast from this thing, and it can come in on fickle beam
forces tera or straight ohkos with booster dragon pulse. for that matter, boots dragon pulse also has an ohko chance. this one's risky if tera hasn't been burned but turns into a very reliable offensive answer if it has
(easy alive +6 with sturdy lol)
