[What to use]
Ninjask @ Focus Sash
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Baton Pass
- Swords Dance / Hone Claws
- Protect
- X-Scissor / U-Turn / Dig / Return
Role: Lead, Pivot, Support
What It Does: Ninjask can give slower attackers much-needed speed boosts, help sweepers set up, and eliminate other Baton Passers as they set up.
Good Teammates: Ninjask should be teamed up with clerics, hazard removers, and physical attackers, with Audino, Shiftry, and Feraligatr being the best ones for each role. Glaceon, Electivire, Armaldo, Leafeon, and Luxray are reasonable alternatives.
What Counters It: Ninjask falls to the gentlest of touches, but it usually doesn't stay in long enough to take fatal damage, so a counter has to be able to take it out before it uses Baton Pass. Typhlosion and Luxray can easily take it out with Eruption and Wild Charge, respectively. Floatzel and Liepard can cripple Ninjask with Taunt and eliminate it with priority, but must watch out for X-Scissor. Samurott can do the same thing, while also having the bulk to tank Ninjask's attacks. Rhydon and Armaldo are hard counters to Ninjask, being able to set up Stealth Rock and eliminate Ninjask with little effort by using Stone-Edge.
Any Additional Info: Substitute can be used instead of an attacking move, but it leaves Ninjask vulnerable to Taunt.
Luxray @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wild Charge
- Ice Fang
- Facade
- Crunch / Superpower
Role: Physical Sweeper, Wallbreaker
What It Does: Uses its high Attack combined with its ability to sweep. Flame Orb gives Luxray a free power boost. This, combined with its powerful STAB and coverage allows Luxray to plow through most of the tier.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that resist Ground-type moves are recommended. Torterra is possibly the best choice, not only resisting Ground, but occasionally also carrying Leech Seed.
What Counters It: Rhydon and Golurk are the only surefire counters. Both of them resist or completely nullify almost everything Luxray can throw at them, and if hit super-effectively, can survive just long enough to 1HKO with Earthquake. Golem can do the same thing, but runs the risk of being 1HKO'd by Superpower. In addition to that, Electivire and Pyroar outspeed and 1HKO Luxray with Earthquake and Fire Blast, respectively.
Any Additional Information: Toxic Orb can be used instead of Flame Orb, but it makes the possibility of a tie between Luxray and its opponent more likely to happen.
[What not to use]
Dusclops @ Eviolite
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Curse
- Night Shade
- Rest / Pain Split
Role: Mixed Wall
What It Does: Be a sitting duck. Dusclops is far too passive for use on anything but the most defensive of stall teams, and even then, he can be a liability. Dusclops' main problem is that it lacks reliable recovery. Pain Split can be exploited and Rest effectively renders Dusclops useless, since it faces the very real possibility of being eliminated before it can wake up.
What Counters It: Countering Dusclops doesn't take much planning, but there are a few checks that stand out. Pokemon with Prankster, such as Liepard, can cripple it with status ailments and Taunt, forcing it to either switch out or use Rest. Pyroar is immune to both Will-O-Wisp and Night Shade, but reaches a stalemate from there unless it carries Will-O-Wisp. Xatu and Duosion also block Will-O-Wisp (and in Duosion's case, burns in general), and can set up on it with Calm Mind. Dusclops also happens to be one of the few Pokemon that can counter itself. Night Shade, especially when combined with burn and Curse damage, is simply too much for Dusclops to handle.
Any Additional Info: A SubProtect set could be used, but low speed guarantees that Dusclops will either be Taunted or forced out before it can set up a Substitute, and low HP guarantees that if it does set one up, it probably won't survive long enough to set up another one. Even if it's successful, it would render Dusclops even more passive than it already is.
Beedrill @ Focus Sash
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly nature
- Toxic Spikes
- U-Turn
- Endeavor
- Defog
Role: Hazard Remover, Hazard Setter, Lead
What It Does: Attempts to set up entry hazards, remove opposing hazards, or cripple the opponent with Endeavor before fleeing with U-Turn. It will most likely die trying.
What Counters It: 65 / 40 / 80 Defenses don't do Beedrill any favors. If a Pokemon has a powerful physical attack, priority, or has a method of blocking Endeavor or Toxic Spikes, it's a counter by default.
Additional Information: Endeavor can produce some amusing results when combined with Toxic Spikes, but it will most likely only work once. Beedrill does have the movepool to use a Baton Pass set or an offensive set, but it is outclassed in both of those roles by Ninjask and Accelgor.