QC (3/3): Eyan / Amaroq / Pak
GP (2/2): martha / Eyan
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Hurricane
move 2: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass / Fire Blast
move 4: Sleep Talk / U-turn
item: Choice Specs
ability: Flame Body / Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hurricane is the most powerful Flying-type STAB move at Moltres's disposal, allowing it to hit a large portion of the UU tier, including many staples such as Alomomola, Swampert, Infernape, Hydreigon, and Mega Altaria, for at least neutral damage. Moltres's secondary STAB move, Flamethrower, can nail potential Steel-type switch-ins to Hurricane like Mega Aggron. It also helps check threats like Scizor and Breloom. However, Fire Blast can be run instead, since it is significantly more powerful, with added benefits such as cleanly 2HKOing Empoleon. Hidden Power Ice OHKOes specially defensive Gliscor and allows Moltres to reliably OHKO Breloom with any move it can roll from Sleep Talk. Hidden Power Grass can be used instead to deal heavy damage to 4x weak targets such as Rhyperior and Swampert but deals little damage to an opposing Breloom if Moltres rolls it with Sleep Talk. Sleep Talk allows Moltres to become an excellent check to Breloom, as it can still function as a potent wallbreaker while also being able to effectively absorb Spore from it. Moltres can fit U-turn onto its set in place of Sleep Talk if its teammates do not need it to reliably absorb Spore from Breloom, allowing it to gain momentum against the opposing team, most often against common switch-ins such as Mega Aerodactyl, Rhyperior, Blissey, and Nihilego.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Special Attack ensures that Moltres can strike its targets as hard as possible. Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature is required on Moltres, since its valuable Speed tier allows it to outpace common UU threats like Heracross, Kommo-o, Nidoking, Mega Altaria, Togekiss, and Suicune. Choice Specs bolsters Moltres's offensive power even further, allowing it to become a fearsome wallbreaker with virtually unresisted coverage outside of Rock-type Pokemon like Nihilego and Mega Aerodactyl. Since Moltres is not aiming to clean teams with Agility or remove Stealth Rock with Defog, it can afford to run Flame Body, which can effectively punish Scizor that attempt to U-turn on an expected switch, as well as any Pokemon that might seek to chip Moltres with contact moves. However, Moltres can still viably run Pressure to drain the PP of Stealth Rock users it can switch into, like Gliscor and Mega Aggron, to open the path for its teammates to effectively remove entry hazards later in the game.
Usage Tips
========
Avoid switching Moltres into many strong attacks directly, since it lacks a form of recovery it would usually have in Roost. However, Moltres should seek to come in as often as possible throughout the entire duration of a game in order to break through as much of the opposing team as possible, ideally via momentum from Volt Switch or U-turn to avoid taking damage or against Pokemon that cannot damage it significantly, such as Breloom, Scizor, and non-Toxic variants of Gliscor. When sponging Spore from Breloom, be careful to not switch Moltres into a Rock Tomb or Facade, as Breloom's Rock Tomb will OHKO Moltres, and poison-boosted Facade from a Poison Heal variant will also deal heavy damage. Moltres should also avoid switching in with Stealth Rock on its side of the field when possible, since Choice Specs Moltres has no way to recover health on its own and the entry hazard will cut into its already shortened longevity. Attempt to keep Moltres relatively healthy throughout a game as well, as it can be chipped into range of priority like Scizor's Bullet Punch and Breloom's Mach Punch and will not properly check them in a late-game scenario if played carelessly.
Team Options
========
The ability to remove hazards is a must for teams carrying Moltres—even more so for its Choice Specs set, as Moltres can be worn down even more easily lacking a recovery move. As such, Pokemon that can consistently remove entry hazards via Defog are mandatory partners for Choice Specs Moltres. Gliscor, Empoleon, Mega Altaria, Hydreigon, and Serperior can provide consistent entry hazard removal to support Moltres. Rapid Spin users such as Tentacruel and Starmie are also usable but are typically less consistent at removing entry hazards than a Defog user. However, Rapid Spin users do not clear entry hazards from the opposite side of the field, which greatly assists Moltres's wallbreaking capabilities. Tentacruel's access to Toxic Spikes is also particularly useful for Moltres, as their presence can greatly cripple Moltres's grounded checks such as Blissey and Rhyperior. Support from Volt Switch or U-turn users that can gain momentum for their team like Mega Manectric, Scizor, and Gliscor is also often useful to help Moltres switch in freely more often. Moltres is threatened by common Rock-types in UU like Nihilego and Mega Aerodactyl, so it will appreciate teammates such as Mega Aggron, Swampert, Scizor, and Cobalion that can check or punish these Pokemon. Electric-type Pokemon such as Rotom-C, Raikou, and Mega Manecrtric are capable of outspeeding Moltres and threatening it with their super effective STAB moves as well. Thus, Dragon- and Ground-type Pokemon such as Hydreigon, Latias, Hippowdon, and Gliscor can be helpful to Moltres, as they can sponge many Electric-type moves aimed at it. Since Water-type Pokemon such as Volcanion, Starmie, and Suicune can take advantage of turns where Moltres is locked into its Fire-type STAB move, answers to common Water-type threats, such as Latias, Hydreigon, Celebi, Mega Altaria, and Serperior, can prove to be useful teammates. Breloom has the most potent sleep-inducing capabilities with Spore, essentially guaranteeing that an opposing team will have to choose a team member to fodder to sleep, also due to many Spore-immune choices like Serperior being unable to safely pivot into it. Thus, it makes a useful partner for Moltres, as a sleeping member of the opponent's team will usually give up free turns to it. Breloom can also threaten common checks to Moltres such as Empoleon, Blissey, and Rhyperior. Moltres can be beneficial to sweeper teammates such as Swords Dance Scizor or Dragon Dance Mega Altaria, as high-powered Fire-type STAB moves will melt many common Steel-types that stand in the way of their sweep.
Last edited: