[SET]
Sun Setter (Torkoal) @ Heat Rock
Ability: Drought
EVs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 SpD OR 248 HP / 36 Def / 224 SpD
Tera Type: Flying / Water
Bold / Calm Nature
- Lava Plume
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Will-O-Wisp / Body Press
[SET COMMENTS]
With Drought and a number of utility options, Torkoal is OU's best option for a sun setter. Rapid Spin and Stealth Rock grant Torkoal excellent role compression as both an entry hazard remover and setter that can threaten other common leads like Skarmory, Ribombee, and Iron Treads with Lava Plume while also being naturally slower than both Tyranitar and Pelipper, ensuring that sun is the weather that stays up in the lead matchup. Will-O-Wisp can cripple physical attackers like Great Tusk looking to scare Torkoal out, while Body Press can be run instead to improve Torkoal's matchup against Taunt Roaring Moon, Heatran, and Ting-Lu. A physically defensive EV spread with 12 Special Defense EVs lets Torkoal easily take hits from common threats like Zamazenta and Hawlucha while still living defensive Gholdengo's +2 Shadow Ball and two of Choice Specs Kyurem's Ice Beam. A specially defensive EV spread can instead help bolster Torkoal's middling Special Defense against the likes of Dragapult and Gholdengo, with 36 Defense EVs letting it survive +2 Weavile's Knock Off after Stealth Rock. Though Torkoal is rarely the choice to be Terastallized, Tera Flying can be used to remove its Ground-type weakness versus Pokemon like Landorus-T and Great Tusk, while Tera Water is an all-around solid defensive typing that greatly improves its matchups against rain teams and Pokemon like Iron Boulder and Heatran.
Torkoal should only be used on sun teams, where wallbreakers like Gouging Fire and Walking Wake take great advantage of the sun to activate Protosynthesis and power up their Fire-type moves and Hydro Steam. Raging Bolt is also an appreciated addition to sun teams to threaten Water-types like Ogerpon-W and Dondozo, and Choice Band Roaring Moon is another fantastic option thanks to its ability to serve as an offensive pivot with U-turn, wallbreaker, and potential revenge killer if using Speed-boosting Protosynthesis. Hisuian Lilligant is also a strong late-game cleaner on sun teams, helping check Ground-types while significantly improving the often difficult matchup against Iron Boulder thanks to outspeeding it with Chlorophyll active, and Venusaur can also serve as a slower if slightly bulkier Chlorophyll sweeper. Because Torkoal's primary role is to set sun, it appreciates teammates like Kingambit and Eject Button Hatterene that can switch into Knock Off and allow it to keep its Heat Rock. Despite also serving as an entry hazard remover, Torkoal is weak to Stealth Rock and lacks any form of reliable recovery, so it benefits from secondary removal support from teammates like Great Tusk and Iron Treads. Hatterene is a great teammate that can serve as a tertiary form of hazard control with Magic Bounce, help keep its own threats healthy with Healing Wish, and check common Ground-types like Gliscor and Great Tusk with Calm Mind sets.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theia.439018/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dreadfury.408271/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zastra.558636/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/marnie.493260/
Sun Setter (Torkoal) @ Heat Rock
Ability: Drought
EVs: 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 SpD OR 248 HP / 36 Def / 224 SpD
Tera Type: Flying / Water
Bold / Calm Nature
- Lava Plume
- Rapid Spin
- Stealth Rock
- Will-O-Wisp / Body Press
[SET COMMENTS]
With Drought and a number of utility options, Torkoal is OU's best option for a sun setter. Rapid Spin and Stealth Rock grant Torkoal excellent role compression as both an entry hazard remover and setter that can threaten other common leads like Skarmory, Ribombee, and Iron Treads with Lava Plume while also being naturally slower than both Tyranitar and Pelipper, ensuring that sun is the weather that stays up in the lead matchup. Will-O-Wisp can cripple physical attackers like Great Tusk looking to scare Torkoal out, while Body Press can be run instead to improve Torkoal's matchup against Taunt Roaring Moon, Heatran, and Ting-Lu. A physically defensive EV spread with 12 Special Defense EVs lets Torkoal easily take hits from common threats like Zamazenta and Hawlucha while still living defensive Gholdengo's +2 Shadow Ball and two of Choice Specs Kyurem's Ice Beam. A specially defensive EV spread can instead help bolster Torkoal's middling Special Defense against the likes of Dragapult and Gholdengo, with 36 Defense EVs letting it survive +2 Weavile's Knock Off after Stealth Rock. Though Torkoal is rarely the choice to be Terastallized, Tera Flying can be used to remove its Ground-type weakness versus Pokemon like Landorus-T and Great Tusk, while Tera Water is an all-around solid defensive typing that greatly improves its matchups against rain teams and Pokemon like Iron Boulder and Heatran.
Torkoal should only be used on sun teams, where wallbreakers like Gouging Fire and Walking Wake take great advantage of the sun to activate Protosynthesis and power up their Fire-type moves and Hydro Steam. Raging Bolt is also an appreciated addition to sun teams to threaten Water-types like Ogerpon-W and Dondozo, and Choice Band Roaring Moon is another fantastic option thanks to its ability to serve as an offensive pivot with U-turn, wallbreaker, and potential revenge killer if using Speed-boosting Protosynthesis. Hisuian Lilligant is also a strong late-game cleaner on sun teams, helping check Ground-types while significantly improving the often difficult matchup against Iron Boulder thanks to outspeeding it with Chlorophyll active, and Venusaur can also serve as a slower if slightly bulkier Chlorophyll sweeper. Because Torkoal's primary role is to set sun, it appreciates teammates like Kingambit and Eject Button Hatterene that can switch into Knock Off and allow it to keep its Heat Rock. Despite also serving as an entry hazard remover, Torkoal is weak to Stealth Rock and lacks any form of reliable recovery, so it benefits from secondary removal support from teammates like Great Tusk and Iron Treads. Hatterene is a great teammate that can serve as a tertiary form of hazard control with Magic Bounce, help keep its own threats healthy with Healing Wish, and check common Ground-types like Gliscor and Great Tusk with Calm Mind sets.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theia.439018/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dreadfury.408271/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zastra.558636/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/marnie.493260/