www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/blaziken
Lee has helped tremendously with this revamp, he deserves most of the credit, for making my part so much easier.
Most of the current sets don't show much of its potential especially in a Garchomp-less environment, also where Skymin-s is now in charge. It can actually revenge kill Skymin-s, and it can hold its own, against what most people consider its superior copy, Infernape. I have some good ideas, but I have to condense it and make a couple of more sets. This will be up today or tomorrow night at the latest (at least 3 or 4 sets hopefully).
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Sky Uppercut / Superpower
move 3: Stone Edge / ThunderPunch
move 4: Focus Punch / ThunderPunch
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> Thanks to the Platinum Move Tutor enhancement, it gained moves such as Superpower, and quick access to ThunderPunch. With Superpower, Blaziken now has more raw power at its command. However, it has an unpleasant side-effect: it lowers the user's Attack and Defense by one stage, making this move perfect for a set in which Blaziken will most likely act as a 'hit and run' sweeper. </p>
<p> With Superpower, Blaziken can dent many walls hard enough to allow late game sweepers such as Gyarados or Lucario to finish off the match. ThunderPunch is the only move that will actually even touch Gyarados, which deals 92.7% after Intimidate and Stealth Rock are factored in. This is using the standard spread of 156 HP / 108 Atk / 100 Def / 144 Spe. On the other hand, Stone Edge will only be guaranteed a 2HKO if Stealth Rock is on the field. Focus Punch is the last move remaining which if used accurately through prediction, can score a massive amount of damage on almost anything, but will be hard to pull off because of the charge-up turn. Brave Bird can be used to deal a dent to most common switch-ins to Blaziken, and can score a neat OHKO on Infernape and Heracross but really has no purpose other than also hitting Hariyama and Machamp for super-effective damage. </p>
<p>The EV spread is generic, and allows the most potential in Attack and Speed. An Adamant nature is recommend, as Choice Band boosts your Attack to a whole new level with it in play. This also allows you to outdo Infernape's Choice Band set, specifically in the Attack. Jolly nature maybe used for extra speed, but is not as necessary as the former. </p>
[SET]
name: Reversal [Physical] / SubSalac
move 1: Substitute / Endure
move 2: Reversal / Sky Uppercut
move 3: Fire Punch / Blaze Kick
move 4: Swords Dance
item: Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> This set plays similar to MoPCross (the SubSalac version of Heracross). You would Substitute down until you're on your last Substitute available, in which case you would use Swords Dance. Since Blaze and Salac Berry are now activated you can achieve your ultimate goal of attempting to sweep.</p>
<p> For this set to actually be effective and hit hard at least once, it is recommended you have a Sunny Day user in your team. With the myriad of Tyranitar leads trying to get momentum, or Hippowdon leads trying to initiate stall, it is crucial to have a Sunny Day user for this type of set to work. Sunny Day will also give a neat boost to Blaze Kick or Fire Punch, thanks to the secondary effect. </p>
<p> Now onto the set itself. Like with all other Reversal sets, the strategy is to get down to low HP and sweep with a full powered Reversal. Substitute vs. Endure is partly down to personal preference. Substitute gives Blaziken some protection against status moves and attacks in general. Endure, on the other hand, almost guarantees you can get an Attack boost from Swords Dance. Swords Dance on the switch, and if they send in something faster you can Endure the hit and proceed to sweep. It is also the better choice if they use an attack you know you can survive. Fire Punch and Blaze Kick work great with Blaze activated and help to cover Ghosts, Psychics, and some Flying-types as well. </p>
<p> It should be mentioned that Shadow Claw is pretty useless on this type of set, because of this you should resist the temptation. A Blazed Fire Punch will always deal more to all Ghost and Psychic-types barring Giratina. Starmie and Slowbro will usually take more damage from a full-powered Reversal than they will from Shadow Claw. Blaze Kick might provide more power than Fire Punch, but the less than perfect accuracy will cost you more in the long run. </p>
[SET]
name: Reversal Variation
move 1: Agility
move 2: Reversal
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Overheat / Fire Blast
item: Liechi Berry
nature: Lonely
evs: 176 Atk / 104 SpA / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> You'll often find that the standard Reversal set is just a little too slow to compete with the base 90 and higher Speed Pokemon in Standard. This set tries to remedy that by using Agility in conjunction with Liechi Berry rather than the standard Swords Dance and Salac combination.</p>
<p> The general idea is to force a switch, giving you a chance to use Agility. You are then free to throw up repeated Substitutes and forcibly send Reversal up to maximum power and activate the boosts from Liechi Berry and Blaze.</p>
<p> A Blaze boosted Overheat or Fire Blast deals massive damage to many Fighting resists such as Gliscor, Celebi, Spiritomb and Zapdos. Fire Blast can be used without cutting your Special Attack in half, but Overheat is slightly more accurate and the additional power can often come to your aid.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Agility Attacker
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Agility
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Superpower
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
nature: Mild
evs: 104 Atk / 176 SpA / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> With the power of Agility, Blaziken becomes a force to be reckon with. Using Agility it becomes faster than Deoxys-S, who is by far, the fastest Pokemon in the game. </p>
<p> Using Agility, Blaziken has amazing Speed, but does it have the force to back it up? With attack stats higher than even Infernape's, Blaziken is a raging inferno. Using Superpower, it OHKOs all Blissey (even those with max HP and Defense), and Tyranitar. Fire Blast is a given on this set, as utilizing Blaziken's amazing stats and STAB should be the first priority. The last move that remains, is Hidden Power Ice which allows Blaziken to slay all OU Dragons with relative ease. This also allows Blaziken to OHKO Gliscor, Dugtrio, and others along the way. </p>
<p> This set is the most effective wall breaking set for Blaziken, as well as the option to kill all of the revenge killers sent after it. This set shines because of the fact it does something Infernape cannot ever do.</p>
[SET]
name: AgilityPetaya Pass
move 1: Agility
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Baton Pass / Focus Blast
move 4: Flamethrower
item: Petaya Berry
nature: Modest
evs: 28 HP / 252 SpA / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> This set works similarly to the Agility Torrent Sweeper set Empoleon utilizes. The idea is to get off an Agility and then use your fast Substitutes to activate Blaziken's Blaze trait and Petaya Berry. Now you're free to abuse that incredibly powerful Flamethrower to tear through the opponent's team until you are met by a sturdy Fire resist at which point you can Baton Pass the +2 Spe and +1 SpA to another member of your team.</p>
<p> On this type of set, you can also opt for Focus Blast over Baton Pass for the extra sweeping potential, and the fact that with an Agility under your belt, you will most likely achieve it. This is especially useful for taking out Heatran, and fending off Bulky (defensively oriented) Waters. It also helps you against other Flash Fire Pokemon. </p>
<p> It should be noted that if you are in need of a physically-orientated Baton Passer then this set can fit the bill with a few simple changes. Blaze Kick or Fire Punch are perfect replacements for Flamethrower and Liechi Berry can be used instead of Petaya Berry. Be sure to change the nature to Adamant and move the SpA EVs over to Atk.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Mixed)
move 1: Superpower
move 2: Overheat
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: ThunderPunch
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Mild
evs: 76 Atk / 216 SpA / 216 Spe
ivs: 30 HP / 30 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This remedies some of the problems the physical Choice Scarf set has, and makes Blaziken a more effective "Revenge Killer". With a mixed set, Blaziken can take care of some physical walls and slay Dragons more effectively. For example, Overheat can do up to 80% to Hippowdon, while even a max Attack Flare Blitz only does 36% at best. Overheat is recommended over Fire Blast for the extra power and since this Blaziken is played as a hit and run Pokemon, the Special Attack drop won't matter as much. If you are concerned about lowering Blaziken's Special Attack, switch to Fire Blast as it does more damage over two turns. The same can be said with Superpower, as the potential to destroy Blissey in one hit (79.49% chance to OHKO 148 HP/252 Def Bold Blissey and 58.97% to OHKO 252 HP/252 Def Bold Blissey, both with Stealth Rock in play) is something needed for every wall-breaker no matter what, and as an effective revenge-killer as well, this can also eliminate threats such as Dragon Dance Tyranitar in one hit as well. If the drop is still unappealing and relevant in your opinion, you can always switch back to Sky Uppercut, but with it, you can only 2HKO the bulkiest of all Blissey on the physical side of the spectrum (Max HP / Max Defense). Hidden Power Ice will OHKO all Salamence (if they aren't holding Yache Berry) and Gliscor. ThunderPunch will 2HKO the standard Bulky Gyarados after Stealth Rock damage, even with Intimidate factored in. A 2HKO is also guaranteed against the more offensively EVed versions of Gyarados, with or without Stealth Rock support (doing 71.08% on average to 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe Gyarados).</p>
<p>The EVs give you 295 Attack, 340 Special Attack, and 375 Speed. With 375 Speed, you can outspeed everything from Azelf and Gengar, all the way up to max Speed Alakazam and Dugtrio. You're also ahead of some Weavile, who only use 374 Speed. Max Speed versions are still faster though.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sky Uppercut
move 3: Flare Blitz / Blaze Kick
move 4: Baton Pass / Stone Edge
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> Swords Dance up and attempt a sweep, and pass the Attack boost to a teammate when a threat appears. This set packs a lot of power for attacking, and passing a Swords Dance could easily open up a sweep for a Dragon Dancer like Salamence or Gyarados. However, Blaziken's Speed is what lets it down on both fronts. If your opponent is relying on slower, bulkier Pokémon to beat Blaziken, then you can get off a Baton Pass quite easily, but if Salamence or Lucario comes in, Blaziken is forced to switch out, losing all boosts in the process. </p>
<p> This set provides the generic coverage needed for a Swords Dancer. Flare Blitz / Blaze Kick with Sky Uppercut utilize his STAB, and allow it to defeat major threats, such as Heatran, Abomasnow, Tyranitar, and others. The last slot is up to preference, and both can help Blaziken while it is in a pinch. Stone Edge helps Blaziken deal with the likes of Gyarados and other Flying-types such as Salamence. Baton Pass allows you to open up the field to another powerful sweeper. It also allows you to scout, and make sure the boost that have already been received do not go to waste.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Vacuum Wave
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
nature: Timid
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> With the welcomed addition of Vacuum Wave, a priority move that utilizes Blaziken's STAB, and superior Special Attack stat, a Choice Specs set is finally viable. This set will play in the same vain as the SpecsLuke set feared during the early stages of Diamond and Pearl.</p>
<p> With Focus Blast (even though the accuracy may bite you in the back once in a while), Blaziken has the ability to 2HKO Blissey. Focus Blast to the Blissey with the spread of 252 Def / 80 SpA / 176 SpD, does 354 - 416 (54.38% - 63.9%) a guaranteed OHKO with or without any residual damage at all, a feat not even SpecsLuke can achieve with a Timid nature (as it usually runs Aura Sphere over Focus Blast for the greater accuracy). Focus Blast also OHKOs Tyranitar, Heatran, and others with relative ease. Vacuum Wave is used for priority and can capture a few OHKOs and 2HKOs. Vacuum Wave 2HKOs Tyranitar doing, a minimum of 66.1% (232) damage. Vacuum Wave also OHKOs Weavile (although it is mostly overkill, doing a minimum of 141.84% or 400 damage). Flamethrower OHKOs Celebi and Tangrowth, and is used as the general move on the set, which causes severe damage to anything that doesn't resist it usually capturing quite a few OHKOs and 2HKOs. </p>
<p> As for the final move, Hidden Power, you have two options. HP Ice or HP Grass. Hidden Power Grass provides almost perfect coverage along side Flamethrower, but it does leave you open to Dragons. This is wear HP Ice comes in. Hidden Power Ice will slay all OU Dragons, and will also take care of Ground and Flying-types (except Gyarados). </p>
[SET]
name: Anti-SR Lead
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Vacuum Wave
move 3: Hidden Power [Grass]
move 4: Superpower
item: Focus Sash
nature: Mild
evs: 32 Atk / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> This set is useful against common SR / Suicide leads. Generally speaking it produces one of two effects: 1) The opponent's SR lead exploits a type weakness (ex. Azelf Psychic, Aerodactyl Earthquake), and forgoes SR. 2) The opponent sets down SR. In either case, Fire Blast or Superpower bring them down to a low enough HP, and then Vacuum Wave finishes them off. Meaning your opponent has either 1) failed to set up rocks or 2) has set up Rocks successfully and you have a full health Blaziken and a 6-5 lead.</p>
<p> The advantages this has over Infernape with Grass Knot and Close Combat is that it KOs more targets with a stronger Fire Blast and Vacuum Wave while still outspeeding Max Speed Jolly Scizor. Its only physical attack, Superpower, is used primarily where Fire Blast would be ineffective.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Bulk Up is available for Baton Passing and can help to survive the occasional weaker physical attack. Swords Dance is usually superior for independent sets, but Bulk Up has a bit more value if Blaziken is part of a Baton Pass chain. Hidden Power Grass is a nasty surprise for Swampert. Will-O-Wisp can screw over physical attackers who switch into Blaziken.</p>
<p>You can use a berry on the Baton Passing sets (Liechi or Petaya for Agility, Salac for Swords Dance, Starf works on either). If you switch into a weak attack, the berry can activate and you can use your stat boosting move on a switch, which can either help you sweep, or give you the chance to pass an extra boost to a teammate.</p>
<p> A fully Physical Choice Scarf set is viable on Blaziken and can work, but you will be extremely limited to ThunderPunch / Sky Uppercut / Flare Blitz / Earthquake or Stone Edge as the moveset. It will also have a tough time dealing with the likes of Salamence, Dragonite, Gliscor, and others. For this type of set, an Adamant nature with 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe will suffice. </p>
[EVs]
<p>Reversal sets need max Speed to be faster than as many Pokémon as possible after a Salac Berry boost. With a Jolly nature, Blaziken is faster than any unboosted Pokémon but Jolly Ninjask, as well as several Choice Scarf Pokémon, including Adamant Heracross and Modest Porygon-Z. Most Scarf Garchomp and Gengar still outrun him though. Max Attack and put the remaining anywhere but HP if you're using Substitute so your HP isn't divisible by four. Naive or Rash nature if you're using Overheat.</p>
<p>For the Swords Dance set, Jolly and max Speed and Attack are recommended. Jolly hits 284, so you will outrun Adamant Heracross, Adamant/Modest Lucario, and at least tie with Mamoswine and Medicham.</p>
<p>When using Choice Scarf, a Speed boosting nature is arguably the best option. Max Speed will only allow you to hit 388 Speed, so you fail to outrun Aerodactyl, Crobat, Jolteon, and many of the common Choice Scarf users, like Heracross. 384 is the highest Speed you need (to outrun Weavile), so you can drop a few EVs into HP. This isn't really helpful enough to make it a necessity, although it does make recoil from Flare Blitz and Brave Bird slightly less painful.</p>
<p>For Choice Band, always max Attack. Jolly nature is recommended, although Adamant is acceptable if you want the extra power. If you want to use a few more HP EVs to cushion the blow from Flare Blitz, you can set your Speed at 244 (Adamant, 192 EVs) to beat Jolly Tyranitar (and Adamant Breloom by a few points), 270 (Jolly, 200 EVs) for Adamant Heracross or 280 (Jolly, 236 EVs) for Modest/Adamant Lucario and Modest Porygon-Z.</p>
[Opinion]
<p> Blaziken is a formidable Pokemon, and can be much use as it can run a variety of sets. The only characteristic that sets it back is its speed and the addition of Infernape. Infernape utilizes the same STAB, but has greater Speed and Close Combat (what Blaziken is yearning for). Blaziken can does have a few options over Infernape though. These options include Agility, something that allows Blaziken to outrun even Deoxys-S, and will not leave it handicapped. Blaziken also has the power to use Reversal, which allows it to OHKO Pokemon Infernape may never be able to. Plus, in addition to this, it has Baton Pass, allowing it to pass all of his boosts to an even stronger teammate. Blaziken may be considered a flawed copy of Infernape, but it has many things going for it that Infernape may never have access to. Blaziken just got even stronger thanks to Superpower, allowing it to finally utilize his Fighting-type STAB even further.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Salamence and Gyarados are both good counters, with Intimidate and resistances to both STAB moves. Both need to watch out for Stone Edge, and Gyarados really hates ThunderPunch. Beware of Hidden Power Ice if you are using Salamence.</p>
<p>Choice Banded Sky Uppercut is a potential 2HKO, but other than that Swampert is a good counter. Other Ground-types like Donphan and Hippowdon are effective at stopping the physical attacks, but Fire Blasts can 2HKO them both.</p>
<p>Water-types like Suicune, Slowbro and Milotic can handle him quite well. Choice Banded ThunderPunches can take their toll though (it has a good chance of OHKOing most Starmie and will 2HKO Milotic). Roar Suicune is a great choice to send in against Baton Pass sets.</p>
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On some of the sets I mention Deoxys-S but state him using "the fastest in the game" which means I am not talking about specifically OU, do those mentions have to be removed as well (specifically talking about the All-Out Agility Attacker)?
Lee has helped tremendously with this revamp, he deserves most of the credit, for making my part so much easier.
Most of the current sets don't show much of its potential especially in a Garchomp-less environment, also where Skymin-s is now in charge. It can actually revenge kill Skymin-s, and it can hold its own, against what most people consider its superior copy, Infernape. I have some good ideas, but I have to condense it and make a couple of more sets. This will be up today or tomorrow night at the latest (at least 3 or 4 sets hopefully).
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Sky Uppercut / Superpower
move 3: Stone Edge / ThunderPunch
move 4: Focus Punch / ThunderPunch
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> Thanks to the Platinum Move Tutor enhancement, it gained moves such as Superpower, and quick access to ThunderPunch. With Superpower, Blaziken now has more raw power at its command. However, it has an unpleasant side-effect: it lowers the user's Attack and Defense by one stage, making this move perfect for a set in which Blaziken will most likely act as a 'hit and run' sweeper. </p>
<p> With Superpower, Blaziken can dent many walls hard enough to allow late game sweepers such as Gyarados or Lucario to finish off the match. ThunderPunch is the only move that will actually even touch Gyarados, which deals 92.7% after Intimidate and Stealth Rock are factored in. This is using the standard spread of 156 HP / 108 Atk / 100 Def / 144 Spe. On the other hand, Stone Edge will only be guaranteed a 2HKO if Stealth Rock is on the field. Focus Punch is the last move remaining which if used accurately through prediction, can score a massive amount of damage on almost anything, but will be hard to pull off because of the charge-up turn. Brave Bird can be used to deal a dent to most common switch-ins to Blaziken, and can score a neat OHKO on Infernape and Heracross but really has no purpose other than also hitting Hariyama and Machamp for super-effective damage. </p>
<p>The EV spread is generic, and allows the most potential in Attack and Speed. An Adamant nature is recommend, as Choice Band boosts your Attack to a whole new level with it in play. This also allows you to outdo Infernape's Choice Band set, specifically in the Attack. Jolly nature maybe used for extra speed, but is not as necessary as the former. </p>
[SET]
name: Reversal [Physical] / SubSalac
move 1: Substitute / Endure
move 2: Reversal / Sky Uppercut
move 3: Fire Punch / Blaze Kick
move 4: Swords Dance
item: Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> This set plays similar to MoPCross (the SubSalac version of Heracross). You would Substitute down until you're on your last Substitute available, in which case you would use Swords Dance. Since Blaze and Salac Berry are now activated you can achieve your ultimate goal of attempting to sweep.</p>
<p> For this set to actually be effective and hit hard at least once, it is recommended you have a Sunny Day user in your team. With the myriad of Tyranitar leads trying to get momentum, or Hippowdon leads trying to initiate stall, it is crucial to have a Sunny Day user for this type of set to work. Sunny Day will also give a neat boost to Blaze Kick or Fire Punch, thanks to the secondary effect. </p>
<p> Now onto the set itself. Like with all other Reversal sets, the strategy is to get down to low HP and sweep with a full powered Reversal. Substitute vs. Endure is partly down to personal preference. Substitute gives Blaziken some protection against status moves and attacks in general. Endure, on the other hand, almost guarantees you can get an Attack boost from Swords Dance. Swords Dance on the switch, and if they send in something faster you can Endure the hit and proceed to sweep. It is also the better choice if they use an attack you know you can survive. Fire Punch and Blaze Kick work great with Blaze activated and help to cover Ghosts, Psychics, and some Flying-types as well. </p>
<p> It should be mentioned that Shadow Claw is pretty useless on this type of set, because of this you should resist the temptation. A Blazed Fire Punch will always deal more to all Ghost and Psychic-types barring Giratina. Starmie and Slowbro will usually take more damage from a full-powered Reversal than they will from Shadow Claw. Blaze Kick might provide more power than Fire Punch, but the less than perfect accuracy will cost you more in the long run. </p>
[SET]
name: Reversal Variation
move 1: Agility
move 2: Reversal
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Overheat / Fire Blast
item: Liechi Berry
nature: Lonely
evs: 176 Atk / 104 SpA / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> You'll often find that the standard Reversal set is just a little too slow to compete with the base 90 and higher Speed Pokemon in Standard. This set tries to remedy that by using Agility in conjunction with Liechi Berry rather than the standard Swords Dance and Salac combination.</p>
<p> The general idea is to force a switch, giving you a chance to use Agility. You are then free to throw up repeated Substitutes and forcibly send Reversal up to maximum power and activate the boosts from Liechi Berry and Blaze.</p>
<p> A Blaze boosted Overheat or Fire Blast deals massive damage to many Fighting resists such as Gliscor, Celebi, Spiritomb and Zapdos. Fire Blast can be used without cutting your Special Attack in half, but Overheat is slightly more accurate and the additional power can often come to your aid.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Agility Attacker
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Agility
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Superpower
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
nature: Mild
evs: 104 Atk / 176 SpA / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> With the power of Agility, Blaziken becomes a force to be reckon with. Using Agility it becomes faster than Deoxys-S, who is by far, the fastest Pokemon in the game. </p>
<p> Using Agility, Blaziken has amazing Speed, but does it have the force to back it up? With attack stats higher than even Infernape's, Blaziken is a raging inferno. Using Superpower, it OHKOs all Blissey (even those with max HP and Defense), and Tyranitar. Fire Blast is a given on this set, as utilizing Blaziken's amazing stats and STAB should be the first priority. The last move that remains, is Hidden Power Ice which allows Blaziken to slay all OU Dragons with relative ease. This also allows Blaziken to OHKO Gliscor, Dugtrio, and others along the way. </p>
<p> This set is the most effective wall breaking set for Blaziken, as well as the option to kill all of the revenge killers sent after it. This set shines because of the fact it does something Infernape cannot ever do.</p>
[SET]
name: AgilityPetaya Pass
move 1: Agility
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Baton Pass / Focus Blast
move 4: Flamethrower
item: Petaya Berry
nature: Modest
evs: 28 HP / 252 SpA / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> This set works similarly to the Agility Torrent Sweeper set Empoleon utilizes. The idea is to get off an Agility and then use your fast Substitutes to activate Blaziken's Blaze trait and Petaya Berry. Now you're free to abuse that incredibly powerful Flamethrower to tear through the opponent's team until you are met by a sturdy Fire resist at which point you can Baton Pass the +2 Spe and +1 SpA to another member of your team.</p>
<p> On this type of set, you can also opt for Focus Blast over Baton Pass for the extra sweeping potential, and the fact that with an Agility under your belt, you will most likely achieve it. This is especially useful for taking out Heatran, and fending off Bulky (defensively oriented) Waters. It also helps you against other Flash Fire Pokemon. </p>
<p> It should be noted that if you are in need of a physically-orientated Baton Passer then this set can fit the bill with a few simple changes. Blaze Kick or Fire Punch are perfect replacements for Flamethrower and Liechi Berry can be used instead of Petaya Berry. Be sure to change the nature to Adamant and move the SpA EVs over to Atk.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Mixed)
move 1: Superpower
move 2: Overheat
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: ThunderPunch
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Mild
evs: 76 Atk / 216 SpA / 216 Spe
ivs: 30 HP / 30 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This remedies some of the problems the physical Choice Scarf set has, and makes Blaziken a more effective "Revenge Killer". With a mixed set, Blaziken can take care of some physical walls and slay Dragons more effectively. For example, Overheat can do up to 80% to Hippowdon, while even a max Attack Flare Blitz only does 36% at best. Overheat is recommended over Fire Blast for the extra power and since this Blaziken is played as a hit and run Pokemon, the Special Attack drop won't matter as much. If you are concerned about lowering Blaziken's Special Attack, switch to Fire Blast as it does more damage over two turns. The same can be said with Superpower, as the potential to destroy Blissey in one hit (79.49% chance to OHKO 148 HP/252 Def Bold Blissey and 58.97% to OHKO 252 HP/252 Def Bold Blissey, both with Stealth Rock in play) is something needed for every wall-breaker no matter what, and as an effective revenge-killer as well, this can also eliminate threats such as Dragon Dance Tyranitar in one hit as well. If the drop is still unappealing and relevant in your opinion, you can always switch back to Sky Uppercut, but with it, you can only 2HKO the bulkiest of all Blissey on the physical side of the spectrum (Max HP / Max Defense). Hidden Power Ice will OHKO all Salamence (if they aren't holding Yache Berry) and Gliscor. ThunderPunch will 2HKO the standard Bulky Gyarados after Stealth Rock damage, even with Intimidate factored in. A 2HKO is also guaranteed against the more offensively EVed versions of Gyarados, with or without Stealth Rock support (doing 71.08% on average to 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe Gyarados).</p>
<p>The EVs give you 295 Attack, 340 Special Attack, and 375 Speed. With 375 Speed, you can outspeed everything from Azelf and Gengar, all the way up to max Speed Alakazam and Dugtrio. You're also ahead of some Weavile, who only use 374 Speed. Max Speed versions are still faster though.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sky Uppercut
move 3: Flare Blitz / Blaze Kick
move 4: Baton Pass / Stone Edge
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> Swords Dance up and attempt a sweep, and pass the Attack boost to a teammate when a threat appears. This set packs a lot of power for attacking, and passing a Swords Dance could easily open up a sweep for a Dragon Dancer like Salamence or Gyarados. However, Blaziken's Speed is what lets it down on both fronts. If your opponent is relying on slower, bulkier Pokémon to beat Blaziken, then you can get off a Baton Pass quite easily, but if Salamence or Lucario comes in, Blaziken is forced to switch out, losing all boosts in the process. </p>
<p> This set provides the generic coverage needed for a Swords Dancer. Flare Blitz / Blaze Kick with Sky Uppercut utilize his STAB, and allow it to defeat major threats, such as Heatran, Abomasnow, Tyranitar, and others. The last slot is up to preference, and both can help Blaziken while it is in a pinch. Stone Edge helps Blaziken deal with the likes of Gyarados and other Flying-types such as Salamence. Baton Pass allows you to open up the field to another powerful sweeper. It also allows you to scout, and make sure the boost that have already been received do not go to waste.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Vacuum Wave
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
nature: Timid
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> With the welcomed addition of Vacuum Wave, a priority move that utilizes Blaziken's STAB, and superior Special Attack stat, a Choice Specs set is finally viable. This set will play in the same vain as the SpecsLuke set feared during the early stages of Diamond and Pearl.</p>
<p> With Focus Blast (even though the accuracy may bite you in the back once in a while), Blaziken has the ability to 2HKO Blissey. Focus Blast to the Blissey with the spread of 252 Def / 80 SpA / 176 SpD, does 354 - 416 (54.38% - 63.9%) a guaranteed OHKO with or without any residual damage at all, a feat not even SpecsLuke can achieve with a Timid nature (as it usually runs Aura Sphere over Focus Blast for the greater accuracy). Focus Blast also OHKOs Tyranitar, Heatran, and others with relative ease. Vacuum Wave is used for priority and can capture a few OHKOs and 2HKOs. Vacuum Wave 2HKOs Tyranitar doing, a minimum of 66.1% (232) damage. Vacuum Wave also OHKOs Weavile (although it is mostly overkill, doing a minimum of 141.84% or 400 damage). Flamethrower OHKOs Celebi and Tangrowth, and is used as the general move on the set, which causes severe damage to anything that doesn't resist it usually capturing quite a few OHKOs and 2HKOs. </p>
<p> As for the final move, Hidden Power, you have two options. HP Ice or HP Grass. Hidden Power Grass provides almost perfect coverage along side Flamethrower, but it does leave you open to Dragons. This is wear HP Ice comes in. Hidden Power Ice will slay all OU Dragons, and will also take care of Ground and Flying-types (except Gyarados). </p>
[SET]
name: Anti-SR Lead
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Vacuum Wave
move 3: Hidden Power [Grass]
move 4: Superpower
item: Focus Sash
nature: Mild
evs: 32 Atk / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> This set is useful against common SR / Suicide leads. Generally speaking it produces one of two effects: 1) The opponent's SR lead exploits a type weakness (ex. Azelf Psychic, Aerodactyl Earthquake), and forgoes SR. 2) The opponent sets down SR. In either case, Fire Blast or Superpower bring them down to a low enough HP, and then Vacuum Wave finishes them off. Meaning your opponent has either 1) failed to set up rocks or 2) has set up Rocks successfully and you have a full health Blaziken and a 6-5 lead.</p>
<p> The advantages this has over Infernape with Grass Knot and Close Combat is that it KOs more targets with a stronger Fire Blast and Vacuum Wave while still outspeeding Max Speed Jolly Scizor. Its only physical attack, Superpower, is used primarily where Fire Blast would be ineffective.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Bulk Up is available for Baton Passing and can help to survive the occasional weaker physical attack. Swords Dance is usually superior for independent sets, but Bulk Up has a bit more value if Blaziken is part of a Baton Pass chain. Hidden Power Grass is a nasty surprise for Swampert. Will-O-Wisp can screw over physical attackers who switch into Blaziken.</p>
<p>You can use a berry on the Baton Passing sets (Liechi or Petaya for Agility, Salac for Swords Dance, Starf works on either). If you switch into a weak attack, the berry can activate and you can use your stat boosting move on a switch, which can either help you sweep, or give you the chance to pass an extra boost to a teammate.</p>
<p> A fully Physical Choice Scarf set is viable on Blaziken and can work, but you will be extremely limited to ThunderPunch / Sky Uppercut / Flare Blitz / Earthquake or Stone Edge as the moveset. It will also have a tough time dealing with the likes of Salamence, Dragonite, Gliscor, and others. For this type of set, an Adamant nature with 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe will suffice. </p>
[EVs]
<p>Reversal sets need max Speed to be faster than as many Pokémon as possible after a Salac Berry boost. With a Jolly nature, Blaziken is faster than any unboosted Pokémon but Jolly Ninjask, as well as several Choice Scarf Pokémon, including Adamant Heracross and Modest Porygon-Z. Most Scarf Garchomp and Gengar still outrun him though. Max Attack and put the remaining anywhere but HP if you're using Substitute so your HP isn't divisible by four. Naive or Rash nature if you're using Overheat.</p>
<p>For the Swords Dance set, Jolly and max Speed and Attack are recommended. Jolly hits 284, so you will outrun Adamant Heracross, Adamant/Modest Lucario, and at least tie with Mamoswine and Medicham.</p>
<p>When using Choice Scarf, a Speed boosting nature is arguably the best option. Max Speed will only allow you to hit 388 Speed, so you fail to outrun Aerodactyl, Crobat, Jolteon, and many of the common Choice Scarf users, like Heracross. 384 is the highest Speed you need (to outrun Weavile), so you can drop a few EVs into HP. This isn't really helpful enough to make it a necessity, although it does make recoil from Flare Blitz and Brave Bird slightly less painful.</p>
<p>For Choice Band, always max Attack. Jolly nature is recommended, although Adamant is acceptable if you want the extra power. If you want to use a few more HP EVs to cushion the blow from Flare Blitz, you can set your Speed at 244 (Adamant, 192 EVs) to beat Jolly Tyranitar (and Adamant Breloom by a few points), 270 (Jolly, 200 EVs) for Adamant Heracross or 280 (Jolly, 236 EVs) for Modest/Adamant Lucario and Modest Porygon-Z.</p>
[Opinion]
<p> Blaziken is a formidable Pokemon, and can be much use as it can run a variety of sets. The only characteristic that sets it back is its speed and the addition of Infernape. Infernape utilizes the same STAB, but has greater Speed and Close Combat (what Blaziken is yearning for). Blaziken can does have a few options over Infernape though. These options include Agility, something that allows Blaziken to outrun even Deoxys-S, and will not leave it handicapped. Blaziken also has the power to use Reversal, which allows it to OHKO Pokemon Infernape may never be able to. Plus, in addition to this, it has Baton Pass, allowing it to pass all of his boosts to an even stronger teammate. Blaziken may be considered a flawed copy of Infernape, but it has many things going for it that Infernape may never have access to. Blaziken just got even stronger thanks to Superpower, allowing it to finally utilize his Fighting-type STAB even further.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Salamence and Gyarados are both good counters, with Intimidate and resistances to both STAB moves. Both need to watch out for Stone Edge, and Gyarados really hates ThunderPunch. Beware of Hidden Power Ice if you are using Salamence.</p>
<p>Choice Banded Sky Uppercut is a potential 2HKO, but other than that Swampert is a good counter. Other Ground-types like Donphan and Hippowdon are effective at stopping the physical attacks, but Fire Blasts can 2HKO them both.</p>
<p>Water-types like Suicune, Slowbro and Milotic can handle him quite well. Choice Banded ThunderPunches can take their toll though (it has a good chance of OHKOing most Starmie and will 2HKO Milotic). Roar Suicune is a great choice to send in against Baton Pass sets.</p>
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On some of the sets I mention Deoxys-S but state him using "the fastest in the game" which means I am not talking about specifically OU, do those mentions have to be removed as well (specifically talking about the All-Out Agility Attacker)?
