Rhydon (Ubers) [QC 0/2]

:rb/rhydon:

[OVERVIEW]

Rhydon's typing and raw power make it a major threat in the RBY Ubers metagame. Sporting the most powerful unboosted physical attack in the generation without a downside in its Earthquake, which 3HKOes tier titans Mewtwo, Mew, and Snorlax and 2HKOes Chansey, Rhydon is incredible at threatening paralyzed teams and is very difficult to switch into. Rhydon has the option to run Rock Slide to supplement this, granting it perfect coverage. It's no slouch defensively either: its typing awards it an Electric immunity, and ergo the ability to wall Zapdos, Jolteon, Gengar, the rare Electrode, and Mewtwo running Thunderbolt as its only attack. Rhydon is also unaffected by Thunder Wave, making it much harder to paralyze reliably. In addition, its Normal resistance means it can take Explosions for other team members and take minimal damage and force recharge turns from Hyper Beam. Rhydon's outstanding HP stat gifts it with Substitutes that can survive a Seismic Toss from Chansey, further improving its matchup against it, and its gigantic Defense lets it Rest stall Mew sets that carries Body Slam as their only attacking move and gives it a solid matchup against Submission Mewtwo.

Unfortunately, Rhydon is held back by the fact it necessitates paralysis support to function effectively, as its abysmal Speed leaves it outpaced by all viable Pokemon in the metagame except for Slowbro and Snorlax. This, by extension, means it despises being paralyzed itself; though it's immune to Thunder Wave, it can still be threatened with Stun Spore and Body Slam. These traits, alongside Rhydon's poor special bulk and weaknesses to common attacking types in the metagame, mean it will have trouble in most one-on-one matchups if paralysis support is not provided. Rhydon only has Rest for recovery, which forces it into passivity for two turns and invites in Pokemon to switch in and apply pressure on it or set up. Lastly, Rhydon cannot run all the moves it wants to, having to choose between two of Substitute, Leer, Rock Slide, and Rest.

Rhydon competes with Golem for a team slot, whose niche over it is a mighty Explosion—a worthwhile tool in Ubers, thanks to it preventing slower Pokemon from recovering and giving opportunities for teammates to switch in. This isn't the only advantage it has to offer; it has a slightly higher Speed stat while being able to 2HKO Rhydon with Earthquake, giving it the edge in a one-on-one matchup. However, it lacks Rhydon's remarkable Attack stat, rendering it incapable of reaching the damage ranges it can, and it cannot create Substitutes with more than 100HP, making it worse against Seismic Toss Chansey. Moreover, Golem's worse physical bulk and lack of access to Leer make it inferior against Mew sets carrying only Normal-type moves. Because of these problems, Rhydon is the superior choice on many competitive teams.

[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Substitute / Leer / Rock Slide
move 4: Rest / Substitute

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Earthquake deals massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Body Slam lets Rhydon fish for valuable paralysis on switch-ins that are not Normal-type, including Exeggutor and Mewtwo. Substitute is preferable in the third moveslot as it exhibits a great deal of utility over the other moves. Firstly, it allows Rhydon to scout for switch-ins. It can then take advantage of the free turn to pressure the foe with Earthquake or attempt to paralyze it with Body Slam. Caution is advised when doing this, however; if they are healthy, certain Pokemon like Exeggutor, Lapras, and Cloyster can switch into Rhydon as it sets up Substitute and prevent it from accomplishing anything by using Sleep Powder, Sing, or Clamp respectively. Rhydon's gargantuan HP and Defense grants its Substitutes the ability to always survive a Seismic Toss from Chansey and a +6 Body Slam from Mew 79.5% of the time. Furthermore, it gives Rhydon the option to fish for full paralysis against Mewtwo, potentially giving the former an opening to break past it, and at minimum wasting Mewtwo's PP. Leer or Tail Whip is an alternative to Substitute to let Rhydon dismantle Reflect users like Mew and Snorlax. It also gives Rhydon a way to remain threatening in the event it gets paralyzed, as if the foe is paralyzed itself, their Speed penalty will be reapplied and Rhydon will be faster after using it. Rock Slide OHKOes Jynx and Articuno, 2HKOes Lapras and Dragonite, 3HKOes Cloyster, and hits Exeggutor for more damage than Body Slam, vastly improving Rhydon's ability to threaten most of these Pokemon. It isn't mandatory, though—these Pokemon are rare save for Exeggutor, so Rock Slide is often less useful than Rhydon's other moves. Rest heals Rhydon to full HP and wipes off its paralysis, thus restoring its Speed once it switches out. This allows it to stonewall Mew carrying only Body Slam and helps it against Submission Mewtwo, but it should not see much use outside of these matchups—Mewtwo is far more likely to run moves that are a significant threat to Rhydon like Psychic or Ice Beam, and can use its Rest as an opportunity to come in.

Rhydon works best in the late-game, when faster Pokemon on the opposing team are paralyzed. Once this support is provided, it can switch in on Pokemon that cannot do much to it, like Electric-types, Gengar, and Mew carrying only Normal-type moves. After Rhydon is first revealed, however, this can be quite predictable, and the opponent will be less willing to keep these Pokemon in and risk giving it free turns. Rhydon can also switch into a predicted Hyper Beam or Explosion, and force a recharge turn in the event of the former, though it needs to be careful; Pokemon that carry these are often capable of dealing significant damage to it with their other moves. Finally, Rhydon can switch in on Thunder Wave or recovery moves like Soft-Boiled or especially Rest, as a foe using the latter will be left unable to threaten it for two turns. Substitute should only be used when it is worth it; Rhydon has no way to recover outside of Rest, and the HP reduction from using it can put it range for metagame threats to KO it after it is broken. For example, after using Substitute once at full HP, Rhydon is in KO range of Mewtwo's unboosted Ice Beam.

Running paralysis inducers alongside Rhydon is wise given its poor Speed. Starmie and Chansey are excellent teammate options, as they take little damage from Ice, Psychic, and Water-type moves, and possess the coverage to help against Pokemon that can trouble Rhydon, like Exeggutor and Slowbro. Exeggutor is another decent choice that packs Sleep Powder, useful resistances to Ground and Grass, and Explosion to give Rhydon another opportunity to come in. Rhydon helps these Pokemon in return by stonewalling Zapdos and breaking through paralyzed Chansey, Mew, and Mewtwo. Though Tauros only has the unreliable Body Slam for paralysis support, it boasts a great Speed stat, perfect coverage, and a considerable critical hit rate, and it tends to draw in and pressure Pokemon that cause difficulties for Rhydon. Slowbro has an identical typing to Starmie, and is more effective at luring in Mewtwo and enemy Starmie to paralyze them. In addition, it appreciates Rhydon's ability to wall Electric moves and take the Explosions that it attracts. Zapdos is effective against Water-types and Exeggutor and stops Mew carrying only Earthquake in its tracks, while Rhydon keeps Jolteon at bay for it. However, it should be noted that Slowbro and Zapdos are not ideal partners for Rhydon overall; to use them, one would have to either drop Snorlax or Chansey, which are often considered nigh mandatory on an RBY Ubers team, or run an unconventional lead. Additionally, both Rhydon and Slowbro are very slow.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Unfortunately, Rhydon has extremely few other usable moves to its name, and they are difficult to fit on a moveset. Fire Blast is an arguable option thanks to its 30.1% burn chance, which gives Rhydon the ability to cripple Exeggutor and Mew on the switch. While Mew is able to use Swords Dance to remove the Attack penalty, boosting moves from Rhydon's teammates, such as Amnesia from Mewtwo, will force the drop back on it, keeping its physical attacks ineffective for the rest of the game. Fire Blast is niche at best overall, though, as it is inconsistent, relies on its surprise factor to be successful, and carries the risk of burning Mewtwo, which has disastrous consequences. Stomp's flinch chance can come in handy against paralyzed foes, as they will only have a 52.4% chance to move. Even with Rhydon's mammoth Attack stat, however, it's incredibly weak. Finally, although it's gimmicky, Counter can be used to punish usage of Explosion by the opponent. To do this, Rhydon must come in immediately afterward, and force out the foe on the turn it uses Counter. If done successfully, this can result in a free KO.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor possesses solid bulk and a rare resistance to Ground-type moves alongside a neutrality to Rock, making it one of the best Rhydon switch-ins in the game. Once it's on the field, it can threaten Rhydon with paralysis or sleep—even if Rhydon is behind a Substitute—or deal major damage with Psychic. Rhydon can only 5HKO it in return with Body Slam or 4HKO with Rock Slide. That being said, it can threaten paralysis on Exeggutor with the former, preventing it from being able to reliably check Rhydon later on. Exeggutor can use Rest to wipe off any damage and status it takes to remain a relevant check throughout the game, though this is rare in Ubers.

**Ice-type Pokemon**: Articuno, Lapras, and Cloyster all outspeed Rhydon and OHKO it reliably with their powerful STAB Blizzards except for Cloyster, which still manages to do so a third of the time. Lapras can carry Sing, which bypasses Rhydon's Substitute and lets it try for a sleep on a switch-in, while Cloyster comes with Clamp, which destroys Rhydon's Substitute and prevents it from moving on the same turn. Rock Slide is a worry for these Pokemon—especially Articuno—but if Rhydon lacks it, they all make good switch-ins, though they do not like being paralyzed by Body Slam. Jynx is another Pokemon that outspeeds and usually OHKOes Rhydon with Blizzard, but it's very difficult for it to switch in as it is OHKOed by Rock Slide and can be crippled by Body Slam paralysis.

**Dragonite**: Dragonite is unaffected by Earthquake, and can either use Surf and Blizzard to OHKO and 2HKO Rhydon respectively. Rhydon can switch out, but it isn't content with doing so, as Dragonite can use the predicted switch as an opportunity to set up Agility and start whittling down Rhydon's team without retaliation via Wrap. Rhydon has no viable way to reliably cripple Dragonite as it sets up, as Rock Slide only 2HKOes it and Body Slam only has a 30.1% chance to paralyze it. In particular, Dragonite makes a competent check to Rhydon sets lacking Rock Slide, as Body Slam will only 5HKO it. Rhydon does have space to threaten or mitigate Dragonite thanks to its Normal resistance—it can switch into Hyper Beam, forcing a recharge turn and letting it either deal major damage to it or potentially cripple it with Body Slam paralysis, and it can switch into and out of Wrap to stall out its PP.

**Tauros**: Tauros carries a staggering 21.47% critical hit chance, as well as coverage moves in Blizzard and Earthquake that 2HKO and 3HKO Rhydon respectively, but Rhydon does significant damage to it with its own Earthquake, which it has no way to heal off, so it is limited as an answer.

**Paralysis**: Although Rhydon is difficult to paralyze reliably thanks to its Thunder Wave immunity, it can no longer outspeed paralyzed Pokemon after it is paralyzed itself, and it has to use Rest to get its Speed back, making it completely passive for two turns. If Rhydon is carrying Leer or Tail Whip, it can outspeed faster paralyzed Pokemon after a stat drop, giving it another option, but remaining unparalysed is still preferable by far. Rhydon can be paralyzed by Stun Spore from Exeggutor or Victreebel or Body Slams from Pokemon like Mew or Snorlax.

**Starmie**: Most of the time, Rhydon will only 3HKO Starmie with Earthquake, which threatens it with an OHKO from Surf or a 2HKO from Blizzard and has a huge critical hit rate backing the latter up. Combined with its access to Recover, it might seem like an appealing switch-in; however, being paralyzed by Body Slam when entering the field makes it a much worse answer to Rhydon overall as it is then outsped.

**Slowbro**: Slowbro's Surf OHKOes Rhydon, and it can paralyze a Pokemon on a predicted switch, but it's outsped and 3HKOed by its Earthquake more often than not. In addition, it relies on Rest for recovery, giving Rhydon an opportunity to switch in and win the matchup.

**Victreebel**: Victreebel's Razor Leaf is guaranteed to OHKO Rhydon, and it has fearsome status moves in its arsenal to cripple whatever it switches out to, as well as Wrap to let it pivot to a teammate for free. However, Rhydon has a significant chance to 2HKO Victreebel with Earthquake, or cripple it with Body Slam paralysis, making it a risky switch-in.

**Sandslash and Golem**: Both of these Pokemon outspeed Rhydon and 2HKO it with their Earthquakes. Sandslash has some room to switch in, as Rhydon can only 3HKO it in return. That being said, it doesn't appreciate taking damage, as doing so could jeopardize its sweep. Golem has much more difficulty finding a time to come in, as its Ground weakness means Rhydon will 2HKO it.

**Reflect users**: Snorlax is capable of 3HKOing Rhydon with Earthquake, and it walls Rhydon fairly reliably after it sets up Reflect. Snorlax can also paralyze Rhydon with Body Slam, forcing it to Rest to regain its Speed. Being outsped is a major problem for it, though; Rhydon 3HKOes it with its own Earthquake until it sets up. Another issue is that Rhydon can run Leer or Tail Whip, which can negate Snorlax's Defense boost while it is sleeping. Even if it doesn't, Rhydon can potentially break through it if it gets a single critical hit, which it has a large number of chances to fish for. Zapdos cannot threaten Rhydon directly, but it can stall it out with Reflect and Rest in the unlikely event it is running them as long as Rhydon isn't carrying Rock Slide, Leer, or Tail Whip. Snorlax and Zapdos both depend on Rest to be able to continue stalling Rhydon, so they risk luring in offensive threats like Mewtwo when they use it, which can force them out and nullify their Reflect boost in the process, or make use of the free turns to set up.

**Mew**: Mew has multiple effective moves against Rhydon at its disposal, 3HKOing it with Earthquake and Psychic or 2HKOing it with the rare Ice Beam. It very frequently runs Swords Dance too, allowing it to 2HKO with Earthquake at +2 or OHKO it half the time at +4. Mew also has Soft-Boiled access to remove any damage it takes in the process, and Reflect to significantly reduce the effectiveness of Rhydon's attacking moves. However, it's not an ideal check; Rhydon can 3HKO Mew with Earthquake, and is able to threaten it much more effectively if it is paralyzed.

**Mewtwo**: Mewtwo outpaces Rhydon and 2HKOes it with Psychic and Ice Beam while Rhydon can only 3HKO back with Earthquake, and will be running Recover to heal off any damage it takes most of the time. Moreover, it packs Amnesia and a superb critical hit rate of 25.39%, so Rhydon is at risk even if it as at full HP. On the other hand, Rhydon can try to paralyze Mewtwo on the switch with Body Slam, making it easier for it and other physical attackers to pressure it. Afterwards, it can use Substitute to fish for a full paralysis turn and then apply pressure with Earthquake if it succeeds.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Mikon, 535276]]
- Quality checked by: [[Oiseau Bleu, 431020], [Enigami, 233818]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 
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Firstly, it allows Rhydon to scout for switchins. It can then take advantage of the free turn to pressure the foe with Earthquake or attempt to paralyze it with Body Slam.
I think, after writing this, you should immediately nuance: player doesn't have to sub too early, especially because opponents could sent reaveal an Exeggutor or another very precise counter like Lapras or Cloyster that can nullify the action of Rhydon behind a Subtitute with the threat of Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Sing, or Clamp. I know you wrote about this later in the check and counter section, but i think you should emphasize on it, since it is a very common mistake.

**Starmie**: Most of the time, Rhydon will only 3HKO Starmie with Earthquake, which threatens it with a 2HKO from Blizzard and has a huge critical hit rate backing it up. Combined with its access to Recover, it might seem like an appealing switchin; however, being paralyzed by Body Slam when entering the field makes it a much worse answer to Rhydon overall as it is then outsped.
You should mention Surf here. I'mnot a great supporter of Surf Starmie, but Surf is the main move in the sample set.

Nothing else to say, great job :)
QC 1/2 once implemented
 
I think, after writing this, you should immediately nuance: player doesn't have to sub too early, especially because opponents could sent reaveal an Exeggutor or another very precise counter like Lapras or Cloyster that can nullify the action of Rhydon behind a Subtitute with the threat of Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Sing, or Clamp. I know you wrote about this later in the check and counter section, but i think you should emphasize on it, since it is a very common mistake.


You should mention Surf here. I'mnot a great supporter of Surf Starmie, but Surf is the main move in the sample set.

Nothing else to say, great job :)
QC 1/2 once implemented
Implemented, thanks!
how did i forget surf starmie...
 

Plague von Karma

Banned deucer.
I want to leave a bit of feedback here. It's mostly grammatical/structural, though I do also have a few concerns about the viability of some suggestions.
Add
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(AH) = Hyphenate
(RC) = Remove Comma

[OVERVIEW]

Rhydon's typing and raw power make it a major threat in the RBY Ubers metagame. Sporting the most powerful unboosted physical attack in the generation without a downside in its Earthquake, which 3HKOes tier titans Mewtwo, Mew, and Snorlax and 2HKOes Chansey, and a potent STAB Rock Slide for perfect coverage, Rhydon is incredible at threatening paralyzed teams, (RC, flow) and is very difficult to switch into. It's no slouch defensively either: (semicolon -> colon) its typing awards it an Electric immunity, and ergo the ability to wall Zapdos, Jolteon, Gengar, the rare Electrode, and Mewtwo running Thunderbolt as its only attack. Rhydon is also unaffected by Thunder Wave, making it much harder to paralyze reliably. In addition, its Normal resistance means it can take Explosions for other team members and take minimal damage and force recharge turns from Hyper Beam, taking minimal damage. (in both cases it takes pretty much nothing) Rhydon's outstanding HP stat gifts it with Substitutes that can survive a Seismic Toss from Chansey, further improving its matchup against it, and its gigantic Defense lets it Rest loop stall (GP hates "Rest loop") the popular Mew set that carries Body Slam as its only attacking move (subjective: maybe Mew sets with only Body Slam, there's a few of these and "the popular Mew set" feels a bit too much like weasel words) and gives it a solid matchup against Submission Mewtwo.

Unfortunately, Rhydon is held back by the fact it necessitates paralysis support to function effectively, as its abysmal Speed leaves it outpaced by all viable Pokemon in the metagame except for Slowbro and Snorlax. (Consider emphasising this: if Rhydon switches in it's likely taking two hits before it can dish out one if the opposing Pokemon isn't paralyzed. A lot of newer players tend to underestimate just how important this factor is) This, by extension, means it despises being paralyzed itself; though it's immune to Thunder Wave, it can still be threatened with Stun Spore and Body Slam. These traits, alongside Rhydon's poor special bulk and weaknesses to common attacking types in the metagame, mean it will have trouble in most one-on-one matchups if paralysis support is not provided. Rhydon only has Rest for recovery, which forces it into passivity for two turns and invites in Pokemon to switch in and apply pressure on it or set up. Lastly, Rhydon cannot run all the moves it wants to, having to choose between two of Substitute, Leer, Rock Slide, and Rest.

Rhydon competes with Golem for a team slot, whose niche over it is a mighty Explosion;mdash;a worthwhile tool in Ubers, thanks to it preventing slower Pokemon from recovering and giving opportunities for teammates to switch in. This isn't the only advantage it has to offer; it has a slightly higher Speed stat while being able to 2HKO Rhydon with Earthquake, giving it the edge in a one-on-one matchup. Sandslash, another Ground-type, has the ability to boost with Swords Dance, and is much faster than Rhydon, being able to outspeed Exeggutor and Chansey. Additionally, it lacks weaknesses to Ground and Fighting, allowing it to check Rhydon and set up Substitute on the rare Submission Mewtwo. However, these Pokemon lack Rhydon's remarkable Attack stat, rendering them incapable of reaching the damage ranges it can, and are not able to create Substitutes with more than 100HP, making them worse against Seismic Toss Chansey. Moreover, Sandslash loses out on a lot of utility that Rhydon has due to taking neutral damage from Normal- and Flying- type moves, while Golem has worse physical bulk, making it less reliable at Rest looping the popular GGMew set. Golem does not have Leer or Tail Whip either, meaning it cannot negate its Reflect. Because of these problems, Rhydon is the superior choice on the majority of competitive teams.

I'm of the understanding that you're noting Sandslash because there is technically a role, but would you mind telling me some edge cases where it would see "legitimate" usage? It didn't get ranked on the voted VR and I haven't seen it in years. I think the last time was on the 2019 ladder? Not sure. I'm not sure how relevant this comparison is for most readers and feels like something that would fit on a Sandslash analysis rather than a Rhydon one (which can possibly be discussed at some point). I feel like most cases you would use Sandslash are simply because you want to use Sandslash, rather than for its Swords Dance role, but I am most definitely uninformed on the subject.

[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Substitute / Leer / Rock Slide
move 4: Rest / Substitute

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Earthquake deals massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it. (Consider a few standout calcs here to illustrate what Rhydon is capable of. The first sentence of any section should have some kind of hook in it, yeah?) Body Slam lets Rhydon fish for valuable paralysis on switch-ins (AH) that are not Normal-type, including Exeggutor and Mewtwo. Substitute is preferable in the third moveslot as it exhibits a great deal of utility over the other moves. Firstly, it allows Rhydon to scout for switch-ins. (AH) It can then take advantage of the free turn to pressure the foe with Earthquake or attempt to paralyze it with Body Slam. Caution is advised when doing this, however; if they are healthy, certain Pokemon like Exeggutor, Lapras, and Cloyster can switch into Rhydon as it sets up Substitute, (RC, subjective but seems to flow better) and prevent it from accomplishing anything by using Sleep Powder, Sing, or Clamp respectively. Rhydon's gargantuan HP and Defense grants its Substitutes the ability to always survive a Seismic Toss from Chansey and a +6 Body Slam from Mew 79.5% of the time. Furthermore, it gives Rhydon the option to fish for full paralysis from against Mewtwo, potentially giving the former an opening to break past it, and at minimum wasting Mewtwo's PP. Leer or Tail Whip is an alternative to Substitute to let Rhydon dismantle Reflect users like Mew and Snorlax. It also gives Rhydon a way to remain threatening in the event it gets paralyzed, as if the foe is paralyzed itself, their Speed loss will be reapplied and Rhydon will be faster after using it. Rock Slide OHKOes Jynx and Articuno, 2HKOes Lapras, 3HKOes Cloyster, and hits Exeggutor for more damage than Body Slam. Aside from Exeggutor and Jynx, these Pokemon are admittedly rare, but if Rhydon forgoes it, it performs much worse against all of them except for Jynx. (You should mention that Exeggutor can't repeatedly switch into Rock Slide at all, after two + paralysis it's very likely to just lose outright. I personally value this trait very much but I understand if you don't, it's a bit elaborate.) Rest heals Rhydon to full HP and wipes off its paralysis, thus restoring its Speed once it switches out, but be wary of offensive threats on the opposing team that can take advantage of it. (In my experience Rest Rhydon is just a bat signal for Mewtwo, I strongly recommend emphasising this. Any wake turn is going to be VERY, VERY hard-earned. Go over the situations where Rhydon can feasibly attempt to wake up, such as non-EQ Mew and MonoLax. I don't even run Rest on Pokemon that regularly use it if only because of Mewtwo, unless they're Amnesia users that can fight Mewtwo head-on. Are you absolutely sure this is main set worthy, especially for the first slash?)

Rhydon works best in the late-game, (AH) when faster Pokemon on the opposing team are paralyzed. Once this support is provided, it can switch in on Pokemon that cannot do much to it, like Electric-types, Gengar, and Mew carrying only Normal-type moves. After Rhydon is first revealed, however, this can be quite predictable, and the opponent will be less willing to keep these Pokemon in and lest they give risk giving it free turns. (wording was a bit weird, is this what you meant?) Rhydon can also switch into a predicted Hyper Beam or Explosion, and—force a recharge turn in the event of the former—though (this is markdown code for an emdash, which I think fits what you're trying to get across more effectively, feel free to throw this out though) it needs to be careful; Pokemon that carry these are often capable of dealing significant damage to it with their other moves. Finally, Rhydon can switch in on Thunder Wave or recovery moves like Soft-Boiled or especially Rest, as a foe using the latter will be left unable to threaten it for two turns. Once Rhydon is in, it can use whatever move is appropriate. It's important to only use Substitute when it is worth it, though; Rhydon has no way to recover outside of Rest, and the HP reduction from using it can put it range for metagame threats to KO it after it is broken. (Give relevant examples, this is very very important to get your point across. On its own it's kind of like an "unfalsifiable fact".)

Perhaps delve into the routing you take with Rhydon, such as how to go about breaking Mewtwo and Mew. The most significant difference between Ubers and OU is the impact these powerhouses have on your gameplan, and the entire tier is centred around stopping them from running train over your team while compromising your own as little as possible. Rhydon is definitely one of the better options for just how hard it hits, yeah? Lemme know what you think!


Running paralysis inducers alongside Rhydon is wise given its poor Speed. Starmie and Chansey are excellent teammate options, as they take little damage from Ice, Psychic, and Water-type moves, and possess the coverage to help against Pokemon that can trouble Rhydon, like Exeggutor and Slowbro. (You could even throw in the idea of Lead Starmie!) Exeggutor is another decent choice that packs Sleep Powder, useful resistances to Ground and Grass, and Explosion to give Rhydon another opportunity to come in. Rhydon helps these Pokemon in return by stonewalling Zapdos and breaking through paralyzed Chansey, Mew, and Mewtwo. Though Tauros only has the unreliable Body Slam for paralysis support, it boasts a great Speed stat, perfect coverage, and a considerable critical hit rate, and it tends to draw in and pressure Pokemon that cause difficulties for Rhydon. Slowbro has an identical typing to Starmie, and is more effective at luring in Mewtwo and enemy Starmie to paralyze them. In addition, it appreciates Rhydon's ability to wall Electric moves and take the Explosions that it attracts. Zapdos scares Water-types and Exeggutor with its incredible attack power and stops Mew carrying only Earthquake in its tracks, while Rhydon keeps Jolteon at bay for it. However, it should be noted that Slowbro and Zapdos are not ideal partners for Rhydon overall; to use them, one would have to either drop Snorlax or Chansey, which are considered nigh mandatory on an RBY Ubers team, or run an unconventional lead. Additionally, both Rhydon and Slowbro are very slow. (If the Pokemon aren't ideal partners or simply don't work in practice, then it's probably best to not note them. Unless they're better than how you're presenting them, in which play them up more.)

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Unfortunately, Rhydon has extremely few other usable moves to its name, and they are difficult to fit on a moveset. Fire Blast is an arguable option thanks to its 30.1% burn chance, which gives Rhydon the ability to cripple Exeggutor and Mew on the switch. While Mew does have access to Swords Dance to remove the Attack penalty, boosting moves from Rhydon's teammates, such as Amnesia from Mewtwo, will force the drop back on it, keeping it ineffective for the rest of the game. Fire Blast is niche at best overall, though, as it is inconsistent, relies on its surprise factor to be successful, and carries the risk of burning Mewtwo, which has disastrous consequences. Stomp's flinch chance can come in handy against paralyzed foes, as they will only have a 52.4% chance to move. Even with Rhydon's mammoth Attack stat, however, it's incredibly weak, as it lacks a STAB boost. Finally, although it's gimmicky, Counter can be used to punish usage of Explosion by the opponent. To do this, Rhydon must come in immediately afterward, and force out the foe on the turn it uses Counter. If done successfully, this can result in a free KO.

Checks and Counters
===================
This list is astounding but it's also quite long, I've left some suggestions to try and compress it a bit more.

**Paralysis**: Although Rhydon is difficult to paralyze reliably thanks to its Thunder Wave immunity, it can no longer outspeed paralyzed Pokemon after it is paralyzed itself, and it has to use Rest to get its Speed back, making it completely passive for two turns. If Rhydon is carrying Leer or Tail Whip, it can outspeed faster paralyzed Pokemon after a stat drop, giving it another option, but remaining healthy is still preferable. (This is quite unlikely to occur, right? In which case, Shouldn't it be lower down? Also, list cases where paralysis can occur, such as Stun Spore Exeggutor and the myriad of Body Slam users in the tier, these are important to show context.)

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor possesses solid bulk and a rare resistance to Ground-type moves alongside a neutrality to Rock, making it one of the best Rhydon switch-ins (AH) in the game. Once it's on the field, it can threaten Rhydon with paralysis or sleep;mdash;even if Rhydon is behind a Substitute;mdash;or deal major damage with Psychic. Rhydon can only 5HKO it in return with Body Slam or 4HKO with Rock Slide. That being said, it can threaten paralysis on Exeggutor with the former, preventing it from being able to reliably check Rhydon later on. Exeggutor can use Rest to wipe off any damage and status it takes to remain a relevant check throughout the game, though this is extremely rare in Ubers.

**Ice-type Pokemon**: Articuno, Lapras, and Cloyster all outspeed Rhydon and OHKO it reliably with their powerful STAB Blizzards except for Cloyster, which still manages to do so a third of the time. Lapras can carry Sing, giving it the ability to try for a sleep on a switch-in, (AH)while Cloyster comes with Clamp, which destroys Rhydon's Substitute and prevents it from moving on the same turn. Rock Slide is a worry for these Pokemon;mdash;especially Articuno;mdash;but if Rhydon lacks it, they all make good switch-ins, (AH)though they do not like being paralyzed by Body Slam. Jynx is another Pokemon that outspeeds and usually OHKOes with Blizzard, but it's very difficult for it to switch in as it is OHKOed by Rock Slide and can be crippled by Body Slam paralysis.

**Tauros**: Tauros carries a staggering 21.47% critical hit chance, as well as coverage moves in Blizzard and Earthquake that 2HKO and 3HKO Rhydon respectively, but Rhydon does significant damage to it with its own Earthquake, which it has no way to heal off. (Tauros can also very much afford to switch in on Rhydon's Body Slam and go for this, it's very expendable in this tier.)

**Starmie**: Most of the time, Rhydon will only 3HKO Starmie with Earthquake, which threatens it with an OHKO from Surf or a 2HKO from Blizzard and has a huge critical hit rate backing the latter up. Combined with its access to Recover, it might seem like an appealing switch-in; (AH)however, being paralyzed by Body Slam when entering the field makes it a much worse answer to Rhydon overall as it is then outsped.

**Slowbro**: Slowbro's Surf OHKOes Rhydon, and it can paralyze a Pokemon on a predicted switch, but it's outsped and 3HKOed by its Earthquake more often than not. In addition, it relies on Rest for recovery, giving Rhydon an opportunity to switch in and win the matchup. (You could go into a little more detail here. Slowbro is forced to Rest stall Rhydon if it gets even a single free turn, and an Explosion from Snorlax or something puts it into Earthquake range.)

**Victreebel**: Victreebel's Razor Leaf is guaranteed to OHKO Rhydon, and it has fearsome status moves in its arsenal to cripple whatever it switches out to, as well as Wrap to let it pivot to a teammate for free. However, Rhydon has a significant chance to 2HKO Victreebel with Earthquake, or cripple it with Body Slam paralysis, making it a risky switch-in. (AH)(Perhaps merge this with paralysis when going over inducers, as Victreebel can definitely do it, though this is also a bit odd. Maybe with Exeggutor under "Grass-types"?)

**Sandslash and Golem**: Both of these Pokemon outspeed Rhydon and 2HKO it with their Earthquakes. Sandslash has some room to switch in, as Rhydon can only 3HKO it in return. That being said, it doesn't appreciate taking damage, as doing so could jeopardize its sweep. Golem has much more difficulty finding a time to come in, as its Ground weakness means Rhydon will 2HKO it. (Doesn't Rhydon also do all of this? Maybe "Ground-types" is better.)

**Reflect Snorlax**: Snorlax is capable of 3HKOing Rhydon with Earthquake, and it walls Rhydon fairly reliably after it sets up Reflect. Being outsped is a major problem for it, though; Rhydon 3HKOes it with its own Earthquake until it sets up. Another issue is that Rhydon often runs Leer or Tail Whip, which can negate demean (or whatever strikes your fancy, just not "negate" as it implies you're removing Reflect) Snorlax's Defense boost while it is sleeping. Even if it doesn't, Rhydon can potentially break through it if it gets a single critical hit, which it has a large number of chances to fish for. Finally, the Rhydon user can switch out to an offensive threat such as Mewtwo on a predicted Rest to scare it out and deactivate effectively nullify (same principle: it's there, it's just not doing any work) its Reflect. (Mention that Snorlax has a ton of chances to paralyze Rhydon with Body Slam: it can and will happen in prolonged interactions, and you're gonna let out a deep sigh and click X when it happens.)

**Mew**: Mew has multiple effective moves against Rhydon at its disposal, 3HKOing it with Earthquake and Psychic or 2HKOing it with the rare Ice Beam. It very frequently runs Swords Dance too, allowing it to 2HKO with Earthquake at +2 or OHKO it half the time at +4. Mew also has Soft-Boiled access to remove any damage it takes in the process, and Reflect to significantly reduce the effectiveness of Rhydon's attacking moves. However, it's not an ideal check; Rhydon can 3HKO Mew with Earthquake, and is able to threaten it much more effectively if it is paralyzed.

**Mewtwo**: Mewtwo outpaces Rhydon and 2HKOes it with Psychic and Ice Beam while Rhydon can only 3HKO back with Earthquake, and will be running Recover to heal off any damage it takes most of the time. Moreover, it packs Amnesia and a superb critical hit rate of 25.39%, so Rhydon is at risk even if it as at full HP. On the other hand, Rhydon can try to paralyze Mewtwo on the switch with Body Slam, making it easier for it and other physical attackers to pressure it. Afterwards, it can use Substitute to fish for a full paralysis turn and then apply pressure with Earthquake if it succeeds. (Go over Mono-Thunderbolt Mewtwo and how Rhydon just wins against it, maybe?)

**Reflect Zapdos**: Despite having no way to threaten Rhydon directly, Zapdos is capable of stalling it out with Reflect and Rest as long as Rhydon isn't carrying Rock Slide, Leer, or Tail Whip. Of course, since it depends on Rest to do so, it risks luring in offensive threats like Mewtwo, which can make use of the free turns to set up. (Merge this with Reflect Snorlax and label it "Reflect users", this is a very very rare set and arguably not great. Maybe chuck Reflect Mew variants in there too!)

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In addition, its Normal resistance means it can take Explosions for other team members and take minimal damage and force recharge turns from Hyper Beam, taking minimal damage. (in both cases it takes pretty much nothing)
Self-Destruct from Snorlax actually does significant damage to Rhydon - it puts it in 2HKO range of Earthquake from Tauros and Mew. Starmie also KOes with Blizzard afterwards. Exeggutor and Golem's booms do less but still put it in KO range of unboosted Ice Beam from Mewtwo and prevent it from setting up two Substitutes it otherwise could. It shouldn't need to be said that boosted Mew booms do a huge amount too. Yes, it's usually better to have Rhydon take these, but let's not pretend it appreciates taking the damage

I'm of the understanding that you're noting Sandslash because there is technically a role, but would you mind telling me some edge cases where it would see "legitimate" usage? It didn't get ranked on the voted VR and I haven't seen it in years. I think the last time was on the 2019 ladder? Not sure. I'm not sure how relevant this comparison is for most readers and feels like something that would fit on a Sandslash analysis rather than a Rhydon one (which can possibly be discussed at some point). I feel like most cases you would use Sandslash are simply because you want to use Sandslash, rather than for its Swords Dance role, but I am most definitely uninformed on the subject.
This was discussed on Discord ages ago, but I want to address this here anyway.

Due to the Big 4 structure seen in most Ubers teams and common sixth slot picks, Sandslash often outspeeds everything except for the Mews, which are not difficult to paralyse. The lead usually outspeeds it too, but you can trade for that with Tauros or nullify it with a sleeper. Sandslash has quite a few opportunities to set up Substitute as well - aside from the obvious Jolteon/Submission Mewtwo, unboosted Mew Body Slams and Earthquakes will not break them, and Zapdos won't be able to either around 70% of the time. If it has to, Sandslash can also use Substitute to fish for a full paralysis, and it has about a ~76% chance of getting one before it faints. Of course, if you expect the opponent to use Rest or sack a sleeping/frozen Pokemon to Explosion or whatever, Sandslash can switch in and get a free set up turn there too.

Other traits to note are that Sandslash has a Thunder Wave immunity and gets a STAB boost for its Earthquake, giving it real advantages over Mew as a Swords Dance user. The STAB boost allows Sandslash to 2HKO anything that doesn't resist its Earthquake after a Swords Dance, while Mew will only 3HKO in the same situation. Moreover, Sandslash's +2 Earthquake KOes Chansey after little chip damage and puts Mewtwo in KO range of Hyper Beam from Snorlax and Tauros. Sandslash's Hyper Beam has the same power as Mew's, dealing 60% minimum to Exeggutor, and you can easily get the chip damage necessary to KO it earlier in the game. Basically, Sandslash needs paralysis support that is easy to provide and one or two turns to become a major threat in the lategame, and it has a bunch of ways to get those turns.

The main issue with Sandslash is that it lacks a lot of defensive utility GolDon has due to not having their Rock typing, especially not being able to take Explosions. It's not a complete loss for it, though - aside from being the best Pokemon in the game against Submission+Thunderbolt Mewtwo (which sees more use these days) and having a better matchup against Earthquake Mew, it checks Rhydon and Golem itself

The reason why Sandslash has not seen use is because people simply didn't know about it - the tier is not fully explored. I've tested Sandslash against some notable players in the past - it has worked in those games and I would say it is better here than it is in OU. As for the VR, it's questionable in quite a few places, and it isn't a sufficient excuse to not go over Sandslash as Aerodactyl isn't on it either and is being mentioned in analyses as well. I removed its mention in the overview though because I don't believe it is similar enough to GolDon to warrant being mentioned there.
Rest heals Rhydon to full HP and wipes off its paralysis, thus restoring its Speed once it switches out, but be wary of offensive threats on the opposing team that can take advantage of it. (In my experience Rest Rhydon is just a bat signal for Mewtwo, I strongly recommend emphasising this. Any wake turn is going to be VERY, VERY hard-earned. Go over the situations where Rhydon can feasibly attempt to wake up, such as non-EQ Mew and MonoLax. I don't even run Rest on Pokemon that regularly use it if only because of Mewtwo, unless they're Amnesia users that can fight Mewtwo head-on. Are you absolutely sure this is main set worthy, especially for the first slash?)
First of all, yes, Rest is main set worthy on Rhydon, and it is generally considered viable by notable players. You obviously shouldn't have Rhydon use it purely for the sake of it, though - it's for keeping it healthy to prevent mono-Normal Mew from making progress, though it can also help against paralysed Submission Mewtwo (though critical hits can be a problem if they happen) and some other things. Rest is not an excuse to let Rhydon get paralysed outside of stopping Mew or take extra unnecessary chip damage or anything like that.

Sleeping Rhydon is not as bad you are making it out to be either - Mew still can't make progress with it around (which is kind of the point of running Rest in the first place), Electrics and mono-Seismic Toss Chansey risk letting it come in and wake up every turn they choose to remain on the field, and it can still take Explosions. Moreover, multiple Mewtwo sets aren't actually capable of taking advantage of Rest Rhydon - Submission Mewtwo is the most common of these, seeing use in about ~15% of games - and you should be prepared for Mewtwo sets that can take advantage of it anyway. Also, if Rhydon has a Substitute up at the time it is asleep, it can safely burn off a sleep turn provided the foe is incapable of setting up. So, as long as you use Rest in a situation where you should actually be using Rest, Rhydon is not deadweight while it's asleep, and you can wake it up in the event you need it. Needless to say, Rest gives Rhydon more Substitutes as well when it wakes up.

The analysis has been updated where I felt the changes were necessary, but many of these suggestions were already in the analysis in some form, incorrect, or were attempting to fix things that weren't broken
 
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Looks very good, though I'm curious though why Dragonite isn't mentioned. Dragonite can switch into Earthquake and force the Rhydon user into a nasty 50/50 between being OHKO'd by Surf or using Rhydon to set up Agility, and considering Body Slam doesn't even 4HKO, even a paralyzed Dragonite could serve as a check to Rock Slide-less variants of Rhydon.
Rhydon Body Slam vs. Dragonite: 76-90 (19.7 - 23.3%) -- possible 5HKO

Don't know if it's worth mentioning, but Ice Beam or Blizzard are technically usable moves for Rhydon. It could use Pokemon it counters to get in and force them out, generating opportunities to gain huge momentum swings by freezing its checks and counters, particularly since statused Pokemon usually don't make for a good switch in to Rhydon.

At the start of the Overview:
Sporting the most powerful unboosted physical attack in the generation without a downside in its Earthquake, which 3HKOes tier titans Mewtwo, Mew, and Snorlax and 2HKOes Chansey, and a potent STAB Rock Slide for perfect coverage, Rhydon is incredible at threatening paralyzed teams and is very difficult to switch into.
It seems slightly strange to me that a point is made about Rock Slide being perfect coverage, but it is relegated to 3rd slash for the 3rd slot. It isn't explained why Rhydon doesn't require Rock Slide for its set. I think a short explanation on this in the set description section on Rock Slide would be nice, up to you though.

QC 2/2 after adding Dragonite to C&C, unless you have a good reason to exclude Dragonite. The IB/Blizz addition to OO and dropping RS explanation can be skipped if you don't think they need to be added.
 
Looks very good, though I'm curious though why Dragonite isn't mentioned. Dragonite can switch into Earthquake and force the Rhydon user into a nasty 50/50 between being OHKO'd by Surf or using Rhydon to set up Agility, and considering Body Slam doesn't even 4HKO, even a paralyzed Dragonite could serve as a check to Rock Slide-less variants of Rhydon.
Rhydon Body Slam vs. Dragonite: 76-90 (19.7 - 23.3%) -- possible 5HKO

Don't know if it's worth mentioning, but Ice Beam or Blizzard are technically usable moves for Rhydon. It could use Pokemon it counters to get in and force them out, generating opportunities to gain huge momentum swings by freezing its checks and counters, particularly since statused Pokemon usually don't make for a good switch in to Rhydon.

At the start of the Overview:
It seems slightly strange to me that a point is made about Rock Slide being perfect coverage, but it is relegated to 3rd slash for the 3rd slot. It isn't explained why Rhydon doesn't require Rock Slide for its set. I think a short explanation on this in the set description section on Rock Slide would be nice, up to you though.

QC 2/2 after adding Dragonite to C&C, unless you have a good reason to exclude Dragonite. The IB/Blizz addition to OO and dropping RS explanation can be skipped if you don't think they need to be added.
Thanks, I've implemented these save for the OO Ice Beam/Blizzard suggestion as I don't believe they are worth the mention
 
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:rb/rhydon:

[OVERVIEW]

Rhydon's typing and raw power make it a major threat in the RBY Ubers metagame. Sporting It sports the most powerful uunboostd unboosted physical attack in the generation without a downside does this refer to a specific Pokemon? If not, I think that can be removed. in its Earthquake, RC which 3HKOes tier titans Mewtwo, Mew, and Snorlax and 2HKOes Chansey,. RC / AP Rhydon is incredible at threatening paralyzed teams and is very difficult to switch into. Rhydon has the option to run Rock Slide to supplement this, granting it perfect coverage. It's no slouch defensively either: its typing awards it an Electric immunity, and ergo the ability to walling Zapdos, Jolteon, Gengar, the rare Electrode, and mono-Thunderbolt Mewtwo running Thunderbolt as its only attack. Rhydon is also unaffected by Thunder Wave, making it much harder to paralyze reliably. In addition, its Normal-type resistance means it can take Explosion for other team members and take minimal damage and force recharge turns from and Hyper Beam, letting opponents KO themselves, or forcing them to recharge, respectively. Rhydon's outstanding HP stat gifts it with Substitutes that can survive a Seismic Toss from Chansey, further improving its matchup against it,. RC/AP and i Its gigantic Defense lets it Rest stall out mono-Body Slam Mew sets that carries Body Slam as their only attacking move and gives it a solid matchup against Submission Mewtwo.

Unfortunately, Rhydon is held back by the fact it necessitates paralysis support to function effectively, as its abysmal Speed leaves it outpaced by all viable Pokemon in the metagame except for Slowbro and Snorlax. This, by extension, means it despises being paralyzed itself; though it's immune to Thunder Wave, it can still be threatened with Stun Spore and Body Slam. These traits, alongside Rhydon's poor special bulk Special Defense and weaknesses to common attacking types in the metagame, mean it will have trouble in most one-on-one matchups if paralysis support is not provided. Rhydon only has Rest for recovery, which forces it into passivity for two turns and invites in Pokemon to offensive switch-ins and apply pressure on it or set up Pokemon. Lastly, Rhydon cannot run all the moves it wants to, having to choose between two of Substitute, Leer, Rock Slide, and Rest.

Rhydon competes with Golem for a team slot, whose niche over it is a mighty Explosion, AC —a worthwhile tool in Ubers, thanks to since it preventings slower Pokemon from recovering and givinges opportunities for teammates to switch in. This isn't the only advantage it Golem has to offer; it has a slightly higher Speed stat while being able to and 2HKOes Rhydon with Earthquake, giving it the edge in a one-on-one matchup. However, it Golem lacks Rhydon's remarkable Attack stat, rendering it incapable of reaching the damage ranges it can,. RC/AP and it Golem cannot create Substitutes with more than 100 HP, making it worse against Seismic Toss Chansey. Moreover, Golem's worse physical bulk and lack of access to Leer make it inferior against mono-Body Slam if it also runs other mono-Normal sets, add those too Mew sets carrying only Normal-type moves. Because of these problems, Rhydon is the superior choice on many competitive teams.

[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Substitute / Leer / Rock Slide
move 4: Rest / Substitute

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Earthquake deals massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Body Slam lets Rhydon fish for valuable paralysis on switch-ins that are not Normal-type, including Exeggutor and Mewtwo. Substitute is preferable in the third moveslot as it exhibits a great deal of utility over the other moves this is implied in the next couple sentences. Firstly, it allows Rhydon to scout for switch-ins. It can then take advantage of the free turn behind a Substitute to pressure the foe with Earthquake or attempt to paralyze it with Body Slam. Caution is advised when doing this;, however; if they are healthy, restructure certain Pokemon like Exeggutor, Lapras, and Cloyster can switch into Rhydon as it sets up uses Substitute if they are healthy, and prevent it from accomplishing anything by using Sleep Powder, Sing, or Clamp, AC respectively. Rhydon's gargantuan HP and Defense grants its Substitutes the ability to always survive a Seismic Toss from Chansey and a +6 Body Slam from Mew 79.5% most of the time. Furthermore, it Substitute gives Rhydon the option to fish for full paralysis against Mewtwo, potentially giving the former is this a reference to Rhydon? an opening to break past it Mewtwo, and at minimum wasting Mewtwo's PP. Leer or Tail Whip is an alternative to Substitute to let Rhydon dismantle Reflect users like Mew and Snorlax. It They also gives Rhydon a way to remain threatening in the event it gets paralyzed,. RC/AP as i If the foe is was previously paralyzed itself, their Speed penalty drop will be reapplied and Rhydon will be faster after using it dropping their Defense with Leer. If I misundertood the mechanic please edit this to be more accurate - I did a test game to understand, but if this information is not accurate, edit it as desired. Rock Slide OHKOes Jynx and Articuno, 2HKOes Lapras and Dragonite, 3HKOes Cloyster, and hits Exeggutor for more damage than Body Slam, vastly improving Rhydon's ability to threaten most of these Pokemon. It isn't mandatory, though— outside of Exeggutor, these Pokemon are rare save for Exeggutor, so Rock Slide is often less useful than Rhydon's other moves. Rest heals Rhydon to full HP and wipes off its paralysis, thus restoring its Speed once it switches out. This allows it to stonewall mono-Body Slam Mew carrying only Body Slam and helps it against Submission Mewtwo, but it should not see much use outside of these matchups—. AP Mewtwo is far more likely to run moves that are a significant threat to Rhydon, AC like Psychic or Ice Beam, and can use its Rest as an opportunity to come in.

Rhydon works best in the late-game, when faster Pokemon on the opposing team are paralyzed. Once this support is provided, it can switch in on Pokemon that cannot do much to it, like Electric-types, Gengar, and mono-Body Slam Mew carrying only Normal-type moves. After Rhydon is first revealed, however, this can be quite predictable, and the opponent will be less willing to keep these Pokemon in and risk giving it free turns. Rhydon can also switch into a predicted Hyper Beam or Explosion, and take a KO or force a recharge turn in the event of the former, though it needs to be careful; Pokemon that carry these which ones? are often capable of dealing significant damage to it with their other moves. Finally, Rhydon can switch in on Thunder Wave or recovery moves like Soft-Boiled or especially this can be expanded into a sentence that emphasizes this, since "especially" is a bit awkward here Rest,. RC/AP as a foe An opponent using the latter Rest will be left unable to threaten it move for two turns, giving Rhydon a a free turn. Substitute should only be used when it is worth it; Rhydon has no way to recover recovery outside of Rest, and the HP reduction from using it Substitute can put it range for metagame threats to KO it afterwards it is broken. For example, after using Substitute once at full HP, Rhydon is in KO range of Mewtwo's unboosted Ice Beam.

Running paralysis inducers alongside Rhydon is wise, AC given its poor Speed. Starmie and Chansey are excellent teammates options, as they take little damage from Ice, Psychic, and Water-type moves, and possess the coverage to help against Pokemon that can trouble Rhydon, like Exeggutor and Slowbro. Exeggutor is another decent choice that packs Sleep Powder, useful resistances to Ground and Grass, and Explosion to give Rhydon another opportunity to come in. Rhydon helps these Pokemon in return by stonewalling Zapdos and breaking through paralyzed Chansey, Mew, and Mewtwo. Though Tauros only has the unreliable Body Slam for paralysis support, it boasts a great Speed stat, perfect coverage, and a considerable critical hit rate,. RC/AP and it tends to draw in and pressure Pokemon that cause difficulties for Rhydon like?. Slowbro has an identical typing to Starmie, and but is more effective at luring in Mewtwo and enemy Starmie to paralyze them. In addition, it appreciates Rhydon's ability to wall Electric moves and take the Explosions that it attracts. Zapdos is effective against Water-types and Exeggutor and stops mono-Earthquake Mew carrying only Earthquake in its tracks, while Rhydon keeps Jolteon at bay for it what is "it" referring to here?. However, it should be noted that Slowbro and Zapdos are not ideal partners for Rhydon overall; to use them, one would have to either drop Snorlax or Chansey, which are often considered nigh mandatory on an RBY Ubers team, or run an unconventional lead like?. Additionally, both Rhydon and Slowbro are very slow why is that important?.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Unfortunately, Rhydon has extremely few other usable moves to its name, and they are difficult to fit on a moveset. Fire Blast is an arguable option thanks to its 30.1% burn chance, which gives Rhydon the ability to cripple Exeggutor and Mew on the switch. While Mew is able to use Swords Dance to remove the Attack penalty drop from a burn, boosting moves from Rhydon's teammates, such as Amnesia from Mewtwo, will force the drop back on it, keeping its physical attacks ineffective for the rest of the game. Fire Blast is niche at best: overall, though, as it is inconsistent, relies on its surprise factor to be successful, and carries the risk of burning Mewtwo, which has disastrous consequences why?. Stomp's flinch chance can come in handy against paralyzed foes, as they will only have a 52.4% chance to move. Even with Rhydon's mammoth Attack stat, however, it's incredibly weak. Finally, although it's gimmicky, Counter can be used to punish usage of Explosion by the opponent. To do this, Rhydon must come in immediately afterward, and force out the foe on the turn it uses Counter. If done successfully, this can result in a free KO.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor possesses solid bulk and a rare resistance to Ground-type moves alongside a neutrality to Rock-type moves, making it one of the best Rhydon switch-ins in the game. Once it's on the field, it can threaten Rhydon with paralysis Stun Spore, AC or sSleep Powder, AC or Psychic —, AC even if Rhydon is behind a Substitute—or deal major damage with Psychic restructure. Rhydon can only 5HKO it in return with Body Slam or 4HKO with Rock Slide. That being said, it can threaten paralysis on Exeggutor with the former Body Slam, preventing it from being able to reliably check Rhydon later on. Exeggutor can use Rest to wipe off nullify any damage and status it takes to remain a relevant check throughout the game, though this is rare in Ubers.

**Ice-type Pokemon**: Articuno, Lapras, and Cloyster all outspeed Rhydon and OHKO it reliably with their powerful STAB Blizzards except for Cloyster, which still manages to do so a third of the time KO Rhydon reliably after some chip damage. Lapras can carry Sing, which bypasses Rhydon's Substitute and lets it try fish for a sleep on a switch-in, while Cloyster comes with Clamp, which destroys Rhydon's Substitute and prevents it from moving on the same turn. Rock Slide is a worry for these Pokemon—, AC especially Articuno— , AC but if Rhydon lacks it, they all make good switch-ins, though they do not like being assuming they do not get paralyzed by Body Slam. Jynx is another Pokemon that outspeeds and usually OHKOes Rhydon with Blizzard, but it's very difficult for it to switch in as it is OHKOed by Rock Slide and can be crippled by Body Slam paralysis.

**Dragonite**: Dragonite is unaffected by Earthquake, and can either use Surf and Blizzard to OHKO and 2HKO Rhydon, AC respectively. Rhydon can switch out, but it isn't content with doing so doing so is risky, as Dragonite can use the predicted switch as an opportunity to set up Agility and start whittling down Rhydon's team without retaliation via Wrap. Rhydon has no viable way to reliably cripple Dragonite as it sets up, as Rock Slide only 2HKOes it and Body Slam only has a 30.1% chance to paralyze it. In particular, Dragonite makes a competent check to Rhydon sets lacking Rock Slide, as Body Slam will only 5HKO it 5HKOes Dragonite. Rhydon does have space to threaten or mitigate Dragonite thanks to its Normal-type resistance—. AP it Rhydon can switch into Hyper Beam, forcing a recharge turn and letting it , AC which allows it to either deal major damage to it Dragonite or potentially cripple paralyze it with Body Slam paralysis, and it can switch into and out of Wrap to stall out its PP.

**Tauros**: Tauros carries a staggering 21.47% critical hit chance, as well as coverage moves in Blizzard and Earthquake that 2HKO and 3HKO Rhydon, AC respectively, but Rhydon does significant damage to it with its own Earthquake, which it has no way to heal off, so it is limited as an answer.

**Paralysis**: Although Rhydon is difficult to paralyze reliably thanks to its Thunder Wave immunity, Rhydon can be paralyzed by Stun Spore from Exeggutor or Victreebel or Body Slams from Pokemon like Mew or Snorlax. it Rhydon can no longer outspeed paralyzed Pokemon after it is paralyzed itself, and once paralyzed, it has to use Rest to get its Speed back remove the Speed drop, making it completely passive for two turns. If Rhydon is carrying Leer or Tail Whip, it can outspeed faster paralyzed Pokemon after a stat drop, giving it another option, but remaining unparalyszed is still preferable by far. Rhydon can be paralyzed by Stun Spore from Exeggutor or Victreebel or Body Slams from Pokemon like Mew or Snorlax. moved this to be with the note about twave immunity

**Starmie**: Most of the time, Rhydon will only 3HKO Starmie with Earthquake, which threatens it with an OHKO from Surf or a 2HKO from Blizzard and has a huge critical hit rate backing the latter up. Combined with its access to Recover, it might seem like an appealing switch-in;. RSC/AP however However, being paralyzed by Body Slam when entering the field makes it a much worse answer to Rhydon overall, AC as it is then outsped.

**Slowbro**: Slowbro's Surf OHKOes Rhydon, and it can paralyze a Pokemon on a predicted switch,. RC/AP but it's However, Slowbro is outsped and 3HKOed by its Earthquake more often than not. In addition, it relies on Rest for recovery, giving This allows Rhydon an opportunity to switch in and win the matchup KO Slowbro with a correct prediction.

**Victreebel**: Victreebel's Razor Leaf is guaranteed to OHKO Rhydon, and it has fearsome status moves in its arsenal to cripple whatever it switches out to,. RC/AP as well as Wrap to lets it pivot to a teammate for free. However, Despite these challenges, the edit to the last sentence made "however" awkward Rhydon has a significant chance to 2HKO Victreebel with Earthquake, or cripple it with Body Slam paralysis, making it a risky switch-in.

**Sandslash and Golem**: Both of these Pokemon outspeed Rhydon and 2HKO it with their Earthquakes. Sandslash has some room to switch in, as Rhydon can only 3HKO it in return. That being said, it doesn't appreciate taking damage, as doing so could jeopardize its potential sweep. Golem has much more difficulty finding a time to come in, as its Ground weakness means Rhydon will 2HKO it.

**Reflect users**: Snorlax is capable of 3HKOing Rhydon with Earthquake, and it walls Rhydon fairly reliably after it sets up Reflect. Snorlax can also paralyze Rhydon with Body Slam, forcing it to Rest to regain its Speed. Being outsped is a major problem for it, Snorlax though; Rhydon 3HKOes it with its own Earthquake until it sets up Reflect. Another issue is that Rhydon can run Leer or Tail Whip, which can negate Snorlax's Defense boost while it is sleeping. Even if it doesn't, Rhydon can potentially break through it if it gets a single critical hit, which it has a large number of chances to fish for. Zapdos cannot threaten Rhydon directly, but it can stall it out with Reflect and Rest in the unlikely event it is running them as long as Rhydon isn't carrying Rock Slide, Leer, or Tail Whip. Snorlax and Zapdos both depend on Rest to be able to continue stalling out Rhydon, so they risk luring in offensive threats like Mewtwo when they use it, which can force them out and nullify their Reflect boost in the process, or make use of the free turns to set up.

**Mew**: Mew has multiple effective moves against Rhydon at its disposal, 3HKOing it with Earthquake and Psychic or 2HKOing it with the rare Ice Beam. It very frequently runs Swords Dance too, allowing it to 2HKO with Earthquake at +2 or OHKO it half the time at +4. Mew also has utilizes Soft-Boiled access to remove any damage it takes in the process, and Reflect to significantly reduce the effectiveness of Rhydon's attacking moves. However, it's not an ideal check; Rhydon can 3HKO Mew with Earthquake, and is able to threaten it much more effectively if it is paralyzed.

**Mewtwo**: Mewtwo outpaces Rhydon and 2HKOes it with Psychic and Ice Beam while Rhydon can only 3HKO back with Earthquake,. RC/AP and will be running Recover to heals off any damage it takes most of the time. Moreover, it packs Amnesia and a superb 25.39% critical hit rate of 25.39%, so Rhydon is at risk even if it as is at full HP. On the other hand, Rhydon can try to paralyze Mewtwo on the switch with Body Slam, making it easier for it and other physical attackers to pressure it. Afterwards, it can use Substitute to fish for a full paralysis turn and then apply pressure with Earthquake if it succeeds.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Mikon, 535276]]
- Quality checked by: [[Oiseau Bleu, 431020], [Enigami, 233818]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 

Isaiah

Here today, gone tomorrow
is a Site Content Manageris an official Team Rateris a Battle Simulator Administratoris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributor
UM/OM Leader
Will try to chip at this over the next couple of days as time allows
:rb/rhydon:

[OVERVIEW]

Rhydon's typing and raw power make it a major threat in the RBY Ubers metagame. Sporting the most powerful unboosted physical attack in the generation without a downside in its Earthquake, which 3HKOes tier titans Mewtwo, Mew, and Snorlax and 2HKOes Chansey, Rhydon is incredible at threatening paralyzed teams and is very difficult to switch into. Rhydon has the option to run Rock Slide to supplement this, granting it perfect coverage. It's no slouch defensively either: itsRhydon's typing awards it an Electric immunity, and ergo the ability to wall Zapdos, Jolteon, Gengar, the rare Electrode, and Mewtwo running Thunderbolt as its only attack. Rhydon is also unaffected by Thunder Wave, making it much harder to paralyze reliably. In addition, itsRhydon's Normal resistance means it can take Explosion and Hyper Beams for other team members and take minimal damage and force recharge turns from the latter.Hyper Beam. The Substitutes that Rhydon's creates with its outstanding HP stat gifts it with Substitutes that can survive a Seismic Toss from Chansey, further improving itsthat matchup,(add) against it, and itsRhydon's gigantic Defense lets it Rest stall Mew sets that carryies Body Slam as their only attacking move and gives itRhydon a solid matchup against Submission Mewtwo. (repeatedly using "it" can get vvery quickly become confusing for a reader)

Unfortunately, Rhydon is hindered by its dependence onheld back by the fact it necessitates paralysis support to function effectively, as its abysmal Speed leaves it outpaced by all viable Pokemon in the metagame except for Slowbro and Snorlax outspeed it. This, by extension, means itRhydon despises being paralyzed;(add) itself; though it's immune to Thunder Wave, itbut can still be threatened with Stun Spore and Body Slam. These traits, alongside Rhydon's poor special bulk and weaknesses to common attacking types in the metagame, mean it will have trouble in most one-on-one matchups if paralysis support is not provided. Rhydon only has Rest for recovery, which forces it into passivity for two turns and invites in Pokemon to switch in and apply pressure on it or set up. Lastly, Rhydon cannot run all the moves it wants to since it must, having to choose between two of Substitute, Leer, Rock Slide, and Rest.

Rhydon competes with Golem for a team slot, whose niche over it is a mighty Explosion—a worthwhile tool in Ubers, thanks to it preventing slower Pokemon from recovering and giving opportunities for teammates to switch in. This isn't the only advantage it has to offer; it has a slightly higher Speed stat while being able to 2HKO Rhydon with Earthquake, giving it the edge in a one-on-one matchup. However, it lacks Rhydon's remarkable Attack stat, rendering it incapable of reaching the damage ranges it can, and it cannot create Substitutes with more than 100HP, making it worse against Seismic Toss Chansey. Moreover, Golem's worse physical bulk and lack of access to Leer make it inferior against Mew sets carrying only Normal-type moves. Because of these problems, Rhydon is the superior choice on many competitive teams.

[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Substitute / Leer / Rock Slide
move 4: Rest / Substitute

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Earthquake deals massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Body Slam lets Rhydon fish for valuable paralysis on switch-ins that are not Normal-type, including Exeggutor and Mewtwo. Substitute is preferable in the third moveslot as it exhibits a great deal of utility over the other moves. Firstly, it allows Rhydon to scout for switch-ins. It can then take advantage of the free turn to pressure the foe with Earthquake or attempt to paralyze it with Body Slam. Caution is advised when doing this, however; if they are healthy, certain Pokemon like Exeggutor, Lapras, and Cloyster can switch into Rhydon as it sets up Substitute and prevent it from accomplishing anything by using Sleep Powder, Sing, or Clamp respectively. Rhydon's gargantuan HP and Defense grants its Substitutes the ability to always survive a Seismic Toss from Chansey and a +6 Body Slam from Mew 79.5% of the time. Furthermore, it gives Rhydon the option to fish for full paralysis against Mewtwo, potentially giving the former an opening to break past it, and at minimum wasting Mewtwo's PP. Leer or Tail Whip is an alternative to Substitute to let Rhydon dismantle Reflect users like Mew and Snorlax. It also gives Rhydon a way to remain threatening in the event it gets paralyzed, as if the foe is paralyzed itself, their Speed penalty will be reapplied and Rhydon will be faster after using it. Rock Slide OHKOes Jynx and Articuno, 2HKOes Lapras and Dragonite, 3HKOes Cloyster, and hits Exeggutor for more damage than Body Slam, vastly improving Rhydon's ability to threaten most of these Pokemon. It isn't mandatory, though—these Pokemon are rare save for Exeggutor, so Rock Slide is often less useful than Rhydon's other moves. Rest heals Rhydon to full HP and wipes off its paralysis, thus restoring its Speed once it switches out. This allows it to stonewall Mew carrying only Body Slam and helps it against Submission Mewtwo, but it should not see much use outside of these matchups—Mewtwo is far more likely to run moves that are a significant threat to Rhydon like Psychic or Ice Beam, and can use its Rest as an opportunity to come in.

Rhydon works best in the late-game, when faster Pokemon on the opposing team are paralyzed. Once this support is provided, it can switch in on Pokemon that cannot do much to it, like Electric-types, Gengar, and Mew carrying only Normal-type moves. After Rhydon is first revealed, however, this can be quite predictable, and the opponent will be less willing to keep these Pokemon in and risk giving it free turns. Rhydon can also switch into a predicted Hyper Beam or Explosion, and force a recharge turn in the event of the former, though it needs to be careful; Pokemon that carry these are often capable of dealing significant damage to it with their other moves. Finally, Rhydon can switch in on Thunder Wave or recovery moves like Soft-Boiled or especially Rest, as a foe using the latter will be left unable to threaten it for two turns. Substitute should only be used when it is worth it; Rhydon has no way to recover outside of Rest, and the HP reduction from using it can put it range for metagame threats to KO it after it is broken. For example, after using Substitute once at full HP, Rhydon is in KO range of Mewtwo's unboosted Ice Beam.

Running paralysis inducers alongside Rhydon is wise given its poor Speed. Starmie and Chansey are excellent teammate options, as they take little damage from Ice, Psychic, and Water-type moves, and possess the coverage to help against Pokemon that can trouble Rhydon, like Exeggutor and Slowbro. Exeggutor is another decent choice that packs Sleep Powder, useful resistances to Ground and Grass, and Explosion to give Rhydon another opportunity to come in. Rhydon helps these Pokemon in return by stonewalling Zapdos and breaking through paralyzed Chansey, Mew, and Mewtwo. Though Tauros only has the unreliable Body Slam for paralysis support, it boasts a great Speed stat, perfect coverage, and a considerable critical hit rate, and it tends to draw in and pressure Pokemon that cause difficulties for Rhydon. Slowbro has an identical typing to Starmie, and is more effective at luring in Mewtwo and enemy Starmie to paralyze them. In addition, it appreciates Rhydon's ability to wall Electric moves and take the Explosions that it attracts. Zapdos is effective against Water-types and Exeggutor and stops Mew carrying only Earthquake in its tracks, while Rhydon keeps Jolteon at bay for it. However, it should be noted that Slowbro and Zapdos are not ideal partners for Rhydon overall; to use them, one would have to either drop Snorlax or Chansey, which are often considered nigh mandatory on an RBY Ubers team, or run an unconventional lead. Additionally, both Rhydon and Slowbro are very slow.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Unfortunately, Rhydon has extremely few other usable moves to its name, and they are difficult to fit on a moveset. Fire Blast is an arguable option thanks to its 30.1% burn chance, which gives Rhydon the ability to cripple Exeggutor and Mew on the switch. While Mew is able to use Swords Dance to remove the Attack penalty, boosting moves from Rhydon's teammates, such as Amnesia from Mewtwo, will force the drop back on it, keeping its physical attacks ineffective for the rest of the game. Fire Blast is niche at best overall, though, as it is inconsistent, relies on its surprise factor to be successful, and carries the risk of burning Mewtwo, which has disastrous consequences. Stomp's flinch chance can come in handy against paralyzed foes, as they will only have a 52.4% chance to move. Even with Rhydon's mammoth Attack stat, however, it's incredibly weak. Finally, although it's gimmicky, Counter can be used to punish usage of Explosion by the opponent. To do this, Rhydon must come in immediately afterward, and force out the foe on the turn it uses Counter. If done successfully, this can result in a free KO.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor possesses solid bulk and a rare resistance to Ground-type moves alongside a neutrality to Rock, making it one of the best Rhydon switch-ins in the game. Once it's on the field, it can threaten Rhydon with paralysis or sleep—even if Rhydon is behind a Substitute—or deal major damage with Psychic. Rhydon can only 5HKO it in return with Body Slam or 4HKO with Rock Slide. That being said, it can threaten paralysis on Exeggutor with the former, preventing it from being able to reliably check Rhydon later on. Exeggutor can use Rest to wipe off any damage and status it takes to remain a relevant check throughout the game, though this is rare in Ubers.

**Ice-type Pokemon**: Articuno, Lapras, and Cloyster all outspeed Rhydon and OHKO it reliably with their powerful STAB Blizzards except for Cloyster, which still manages to do so a third of the time. Lapras can carry Sing, which bypasses Rhydon's Substitute and lets it try for a sleep on a switch-in, while Cloyster comes with Clamp, which destroys Rhydon's Substitute and prevents it from moving on the same turn. Rock Slide is a worry for these Pokemon—especially Articuno—but if Rhydon lacks it, they all make good switch-ins, though they do not like being paralyzed by Body Slam. Jynx is another Pokemon that outspeeds and usually OHKOes Rhydon with Blizzard, but it's very difficult for it to switch in as it is OHKOed by Rock Slide and can be crippled by Body Slam paralysis.

**Dragonite**: Dragonite is unaffected by Earthquake, and can either use Surf and Blizzard to OHKO and 2HKO Rhydon respectively. Rhydon can switch out, but it isn't content with doing so, as Dragonite can use the predicted switch as an opportunity to set up Agility and start whittling down Rhydon's team without retaliation via Wrap. Rhydon has no viable way to reliably cripple Dragonite as it sets up, as Rock Slide only 2HKOes it and Body Slam only has a 30.1% chance to paralyze it. In particular, Dragonite makes a competent check to Rhydon sets lacking Rock Slide, as Body Slam will only 5HKO it. Rhydon does have space to threaten or mitigate Dragonite thanks to its Normal resistance—it can switch into Hyper Beam, forcing a recharge turn and letting it either deal major damage to it or potentially cripple it with Body Slam paralysis, and it can switch into and out of Wrap to stall out its PP.

**Tauros**: Tauros carries a staggering 21.47% critical hit chance, as well as coverage moves in Blizzard and Earthquake that 2HKO and 3HKO Rhydon respectively, but Rhydon does significant damage to it with its own Earthquake, which it has no way to heal off, so it is limited as an answer.

**Paralysis**: Although Rhydon is difficult to paralyze reliably thanks to its Thunder Wave immunity, it can no longer outspeed paralyzed Pokemon after it is paralyzed itself, and it has to use Rest to get its Speed back, making it completely passive for two turns. If Rhydon is carrying Leer or Tail Whip, it can outspeed faster paralyzed Pokemon after a stat drop, giving it another option, but remaining unparalysed is still preferable by far. Rhydon can be paralyzed by Stun Spore from Exeggutor or Victreebel or Body Slams from Pokemon like Mew or Snorlax.

**Starmie**: Most of the time, Rhydon will only 3HKO Starmie with Earthquake, which threatens it with an OHKO from Surf or a 2HKO from Blizzard and has a huge critical hit rate backing the latter up. Combined with its access to Recover, it might seem like an appealing switch-in; however, being paralyzed by Body Slam when entering the field makes it a much worse answer to Rhydon overall as it is then outsped.

**Slowbro**: Slowbro's Surf OHKOes Rhydon, and it can paralyze a Pokemon on a predicted switch, but it's outsped and 3HKOed by its Earthquake more often than not. In addition, it relies on Rest for recovery, giving Rhydon an opportunity to switch in and win the matchup.

**Victreebel**: Victreebel's Razor Leaf is guaranteed to OHKO Rhydon, and it has fearsome status moves in its arsenal to cripple whatever it switches out to, as well as Wrap to let it pivot to a teammate for free. However, Rhydon has a significant chance to 2HKO Victreebel with Earthquake, or cripple it with Body Slam paralysis, making it a risky switch-in.

**Sandslash and Golem**: Both of these Pokemon outspeed Rhydon and 2HKO it with their Earthquakes. Sandslash has some room to switch in, as Rhydon can only 3HKO it in return. That being said, it doesn't appreciate taking damage, as doing so could jeopardize its sweep. Golem has much more difficulty finding a time to come in, as its Ground weakness means Rhydon will 2HKO it.

**Reflect users**: Snorlax is capable of 3HKOing Rhydon with Earthquake, and it walls Rhydon fairly reliably after it sets up Reflect. Snorlax can also paralyze Rhydon with Body Slam, forcing it to Rest to regain its Speed. Being outsped is a major problem for it, though; Rhydon 3HKOes it with its own Earthquake until it sets up. Another issue is that Rhydon can run Leer or Tail Whip, which can negate Snorlax's Defense boost while it is sleeping. Even if it doesn't, Rhydon can potentially break through it if it gets a single critical hit, which it has a large number of chances to fish for. Zapdos cannot threaten Rhydon directly, but it can stall it out with Reflect and Rest in the unlikely event it is running them as long as Rhydon isn't carrying Rock Slide, Leer, or Tail Whip. Snorlax and Zapdos both depend on Rest to be able to continue stalling Rhydon, so they risk luring in offensive threats like Mewtwo when they use it, which can force them out and nullify their Reflect boost in the process, or make use of the free turns to set up.

**Mew**: Mew has multiple effective moves against Rhydon at its disposal, 3HKOing it with Earthquake and Psychic or 2HKOing it with the rare Ice Beam. It very frequently runs Swords Dance too, allowing it to 2HKO with Earthquake at +2 or OHKO it half the time at +4. Mew also has Soft-Boiled access to remove any damage it takes in the process, and Reflect to significantly reduce the effectiveness of Rhydon's attacking moves. However, it's not an ideal check; Rhydon can 3HKO Mew with Earthquake, and is able to threaten it much more effectively if it is paralyzed.

**Mewtwo**: Mewtwo outpaces Rhydon and 2HKOes it with Psychic and Ice Beam while Rhydon can only 3HKO back with Earthquake, and will be running Recover to heal off any damage it takes most of the time. Moreover, it packs Amnesia and a superb critical hit rate of 25.39%, so Rhydon is at risk even if it as at full HP. On the other hand, Rhydon can try to paralyze Mewtwo on the switch with Body Slam, making it easier for it and other physical attackers to pressure it. Afterwards, it can use Substitute to fish for a full paralysis turn and then apply pressure with Earthquake if it succeeds.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Mikon, 535276]]
- Quality checked by: [[Oiseau Bleu, 431020], [Enigami, 233818]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Isaiah, 375662], [, ]]
 

phoopes

I did it again
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Will try to chip at this over the next couple of days as time allows
:rb/rhydon:

[OVERVIEW]

Rhydon's typing and raw power make it a major threat in the RBY Ubers metagame. Sporting the most powerful unboosted physical attack in the generation without a downside in its Earthquake, which 3HKOes tier titans Mewtwo, Mew, and Snorlax and 2HKOes Chansey, Rhydon is incredible at threatening paralyzed teams and is very difficult to switch into. Rhydon has the option to run Rock Slide to supplement this, granting it perfect coverage. It's no slouch defensively either: itsRhydon's typing awards it an Electric immunity, and ergo the ability to wall Zapdos, Jolteon, Gengar, the rare Electrode, and Mewtwo running Thunderbolt as its only attack. Rhydon is also unaffected by Thunder Wave, making it much harder to paralyze reliably. In addition, itsRhydon's Normal resistance means it can take Explosion and Hyper Beams for other team members and take minimal damage and force recharge turns from the latter.Hyper Beam. The Substitutes that Rhydon's creates with its outstanding HP stat gifts it with Substitutes that can survive a Seismic Toss from Chansey, further improving itsthat matchup,(add) against it, and itsRhydon's gigantic Defense lets it Rest stall Mew sets that carryies Body Slam as their only attacking move and gives itRhydon a solid matchup against Submission Mewtwo. (repeatedly using "it" can get vvery quickly become confusing for a reader)

Unfortunately, Rhydon is hindered by its dependence onheld back by the fact it necessitates paralysis support to function effectively, as its abysmal Speed leaves it outpaced by all viable Pokemon in the metagame except for Slowbro and Snorlax outspeed it. This, by extension, means itRhydon despises being paralyzed;(add) itself; though it's immune to Thunder Wave, itbut can still be threatened with Stun Spore and Body Slam. These traits, alongside Rhydon's poor special bulk and weaknesses to common attacking types in the metagame, mean it will have trouble in most one-on-one matchups if paralysis support is not provided. Rhydon only has Rest for recovery, which forces it into passivity for two turns and invites in Pokemon to switch in and apply pressure on it or set up. Lastly, Rhydon cannot run all the moves it wants to since it must, having to choose between two of Substitute, Leer, Rock Slide, and Rest.

Rhydon competes with Golem for a team slot, whose niche over it is a mighty Explosion—a worthwhile tool in Ubers, thanks to it preventing slower Pokemon from recovering and giving opportunities for teammates to switch in. This isn't the only advantage it has to offer; it has a slightly higher Speed stat while being able to 2HKO Rhydon with Earthquake, giving it the edge in a one-on-one matchup. However, it lacks Rhydon's remarkable Attack stat, rendering it incapable of reaching the damage ranges it can, and it cannot create Substitutes with more than 100HP, making it worse against Seismic Toss Chansey. Moreover, Golem's worse physical bulk and lack of access to Leer make it inferior against Mew sets carrying only Normal-type moves. Because of these problems, Rhydon is the superior choice on many competitive teams.

[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Substitute / Leer / Rock Slide
move 4: Rest / Substitute

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Earthquake deals massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Body Slam lets Rhydon fish for valuable paralysis on switch-ins that are not Normal-type, including Exeggutor and Mewtwo. Substitute is preferable in the third moveslot as it exhibits a great deal of utility over the other moves. Firstly, it allows Rhydon to scout for switch-ins. It can then take advantage of the free turn to pressure the foe with Earthquake or attempt to paralyze it with Body Slam. Caution is advised when doing this, however; if they are healthy, certain Pokemon like Exeggutor, Lapras, and Cloyster can switch into Rhydon as it sets up Substitute and prevent it from accomplishing anything by using Sleep Powder, Sing, or Clamp respectively. Rhydon's gargantuan HP and Defense grants its Substitutes the ability to always survive a Seismic Toss from Chansey and a +6 Body Slam from Mew 79.5% of the time. Furthermore, it gives Rhydon the option to fish for full paralysis against Mewtwo, potentially giving the former an opening to break past it, and at minimum wasting Mewtwo's PP. Leer or Tail Whip is an alternative to Substitute to let Rhydon dismantle Reflect users like Mew and Snorlax. It also gives Rhydon a way to remain threatening in the event it gets paralyzed, as if the foe is paralyzed itself, their Speed penalty will be reapplied and Rhydon will be faster after using it. Rock Slide OHKOes Jynx and Articuno, 2HKOes Lapras and Dragonite, 3HKOes Cloyster, and hits Exeggutor for more damage than Body Slam, vastly improving Rhydon's ability to threaten most of these Pokemon. It isn't mandatory, though—these Pokemon are rare save for Exeggutor, so Rock Slide is often less useful than Rhydon's other moves. Rest heals Rhydon to full HP and wipes off its paralysis, thus restoring its Speed once it switches out. This allows it to stonewall Mew carrying only Body Slam and helps it against Submission Mewtwo, but it should not see much use outside of these matchups—Mewtwo is far more likely to run moves that are a significant threat to Rhydon like Psychic or Ice Beam, and can use its Rest as an opportunity to come in.

Rhydon works best in the late-game, when faster Pokemon on the opposing team are paralyzed. Once this support is provided, it can switch in on Pokemon that cannot do much to it, like Electric-types, Gengar, and Mew carrying only Normal-type moves. After Rhydon is first revealed, however, this can be quite predictable, and the opponent will be less willing to keep these Pokemon in and risk giving it free turns. Rhydon can also switch into a predicted Hyper Beam or Explosion, and force a recharge turn in the event of the former, though it needs to be careful; Pokemon that carry these are often capable of dealing significant damage to it with their other moves. Finally, Rhydon can switch in on Thunder Wave or recovery moves like Soft-Boiled or especially Rest, as a foe using the latter will be left unable to threaten it for two turns. Substitute should only be used when it is worth it; Rhydon has no way to recover outside of Rest, and the HP reduction from using it can put it range for metagame threats to KO it after it is broken. For example, after using Substitute once at full HP, Rhydon is in KO range of Mewtwo's unboosted Ice Beam.

Running paralysis inducers alongside Rhydon is wise given its poor Speed. Starmie and Chansey are excellent teammate options, as they take little damage from Ice, Psychic, and Water-type moves, and possess the coverage to help against Pokemon that can trouble Rhydon, like Exeggutor and Slowbro. Exeggutor is another decent choice that packs Sleep Powder, useful resistances to Ground and Grass, and Explosion to give Rhydon another opportunity to come in. Rhydon helps these Pokemon in return by stonewalling Zapdos and breaking through paralyzed Chansey, Mew, and Mewtwo. Though Tauros only has the unreliable Body Slam for paralysis support, it boasts a great Speed stat, perfect coverage, and a considerable critical hit rate, and it tends to draw in and pressure Pokemon that cause difficulties for Rhydon. Slowbro has an identical typing to Starmie, and is more effective at luring in Mewtwo and enemy Starmie to paralyze them. In addition, it appreciates Rhydon's ability to wall Electric moves and take the Explosions that it attracts. Zapdos is effective against Water-types and Exeggutor and stops Mew carrying only Earthquake in its tracks, while Rhydon keeps Jolteon at bay for it. However, it should be noted that Slowbro and Zapdos are not ideal partners for Rhydon overall; to use them, one would have to either drop Snorlax or Chansey, which are often considered nigh mandatory on an RBY Ubers team, or run an unconventional lead. Additionally, both Rhydon and Slowbro are very slow.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Unfortunately, Rhydon has extremely few other usable moves to its name, and they are difficult to fit on a moveset. Fire Blast is an arguable option thanks to its 30.1% burn chance, which gives Rhydon the ability to cripple Exeggutor and Mew on the switch. While Mew is able to use Swords Dance to remove the Attack penalty, boosting moves from Rhydon's teammates, such as Amnesia from Mewtwo, will force the drop back on it, keeping its physical attacks ineffective for the rest of the game. Fire Blast is niche at best overall, though, as it is inconsistent, relies on its surprise factor to be successful, and carries the risk of burning Mewtwo, which has disastrous consequences. Stomp's flinch chance can come in handy against paralyzed foes, as they will only have a 52.4% chance to move. Even with Rhydon's mammoth Attack stat, however, it's incredibly weak. Finally, although it's gimmicky, Counter can be used to punish usage of Explosion by the opponent. To do this, Rhydon must come in immediately afterward, and force out the foe on the turn it uses Counter. If done successfully, this can result in a free KO.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor possesses solid bulk and a rare resistance to Ground-type moves alongside a neutrality to Rock, making it one of the best Rhydon switch-ins in the game. Once it's on the field, it can threaten Rhydon with paralysis or sleep—even if Rhydon is behind a Substitute—or deal major damage with Psychic. Rhydon can only 5HKO it in return with Body Slam or 4HKO with Rock Slide. That being said, it can threaten paralysis on Exeggutor with the former, preventing it from being able to reliably check Rhydon later on. Exeggutor can use Rest to wipe off any damage and status it takes to remain a relevant check throughout the game, though this is rare in Ubers.

**Ice-type Pokemon**: Articuno, Lapras, and Cloyster all outspeed Rhydon and OHKO it reliably with their powerful STAB Blizzards except for Cloyster, which still manages to do so a third of the time. Lapras can carry Sing, which bypasses Rhydon's Substitute and lets it try for a sleep on a switch-in, while Cloyster comes with Clamp, which destroys Rhydon's Substitute and prevents it from moving on the same turn. Rock Slide is a worry for these Pokemon—especially Articuno—but if Rhydon lacks it, they all make good switch-ins, though they do not like being paralyzed by Body Slam. Jynx is another Pokemon that outspeeds and usually OHKOes Rhydon with Blizzard, but it's very difficult for it to switch in as it is OHKOed by Rock Slide and can be crippled by Body Slam paralysis.

**Dragonite**: Dragonite is unaffected by Earthquake, and can either use Surf and Blizzard to OHKO and 2HKO Rhydon respectively. Rhydon can switch out, but it isn't content with doing so, as Dragonite can use the predicted switch as an opportunity to set up Agility and start whittling down Rhydon's team without retaliation via Wrap. Rhydon has no viable way to reliably cripple Dragonite as it sets up, as Rock Slide only 2HKOes it and Body Slam only has a 30.1% chance to paralyze it. In particular, Dragonite makes a competent check to Rhydon sets lacking Rock Slide, as Body Slam will only 5HKO it. Rhydon does have space to threaten or mitigate Dragonite thanks to its Normal resistance—it can switch into Hyper Beam, forcing a recharge turn and letting it either deal major damage to it or potentially cripple it with Body Slam paralysis, and it can switch into and out of Wrap to stall out its PP.

**Tauros**: Tauros carries a staggering 21.47% critical hit chance, as well as coverage moves in Blizzard and Earthquake that 2HKO and 3HKO Rhydon respectively, but Rhydon does significant damage to it with its own Earthquake, which it has no way to heal off, so it is limited as an answer.

**Paralysis**: Although Rhydon is difficult to paralyze reliably thanks to its Thunder Wave immunity, it can no longer outspeed paralyzed Pokemon after it is paralyzed itself, and it has to use Rest to get its Speed back, making it completely passive for two turns. If Rhydon is carrying Leer or Tail Whip, it can outspeed faster paralyzed Pokemon after a stat drop, giving it another option, but remaining unparalysed is still preferable by far. Rhydon can be paralyzed by Stun Spore from Exeggutor or Victreebel or Body Slams from Pokemon like Mew or Snorlax.

**Starmie**: Most of the time, Rhydon will only 3HKO Starmie with Earthquake, which threatens it with an OHKO from Surf or a 2HKO from Blizzard and has a huge critical hit rate backing the latter up. Combined with its access to Recover, it might seem like an appealing switch-in; however, being paralyzed by Body Slam when entering the field makes it a much worse answer to Rhydon overall as it is then outsped.

**Slowbro**: Slowbro's Surf OHKOes Rhydon, and it can paralyze a Pokemon on a predicted switch, but it's outsped and 3HKOed by its Earthquake more often than not. In addition, it relies on Rest for recovery, giving Rhydon an opportunity to switch in and win the matchup.

**Victreebel**: Victreebel's Razor Leaf is guaranteed to OHKO Rhydon, and it has fearsome status moves in its arsenal to cripple whatever it switches out to, as well as Wrap to let it pivot to a teammate for free. However, Rhydon has a significant chance to 2HKO Victreebel with Earthquake, or cripple it with Body Slam paralysis, making it a risky switch-in.

**Sandslash and Golem**: Both of these Pokemon outspeed Rhydon and 2HKO it with their Earthquakes. Sandslash has some room to switch in, as Rhydon can only 3HKO it in return. That being said, it doesn't appreciate taking damage, as doing so could jeopardize its sweep. Golem has much more difficulty finding a time to come in, as its Ground weakness means Rhydon will 2HKO it.

**Reflect users**: Snorlax is capable of 3HKOing Rhydon with Earthquake, and it walls Rhydon fairly reliably after it sets up Reflect. Snorlax can also paralyze Rhydon with Body Slam, forcing it to Rest to regain its Speed. Being outsped is a major problem for it, though; Rhydon 3HKOes it with its own Earthquake until it sets up. Another issue is that Rhydon can run Leer or Tail Whip, which can negate Snorlax's Defense boost while it is sleeping. Even if it doesn't, Rhydon can potentially break through it if it gets a single critical hit, which it has a large number of chances to fish for. Zapdos cannot threaten Rhydon directly, but it can stall it out with Reflect and Rest in the unlikely event it is running them as long as Rhydon isn't carrying Rock Slide, Leer, or Tail Whip. Snorlax and Zapdos both depend on Rest to be able to continue stalling Rhydon, so they risk luring in offensive threats like Mewtwo when they use it, which can force them out and nullify their Reflect boost in the process, or make use of the free turns to set up.

**Mew**: Mew has multiple effective moves against Rhydon at its disposal, 3HKOing it with Earthquake and Psychic or 2HKOing it with the rare Ice Beam. It very frequently runs Swords Dance too, allowing it to 2HKO with Earthquake at +2 or OHKO it half the time at +4. Mew also has Soft-Boiled access to remove any damage it takes in the process, and Reflect to significantly reduce the effectiveness of Rhydon's attacking moves. However, it's not an ideal check; Rhydon can 3HKO Mew with Earthquake, and is able to threaten it much more effectively if it is paralyzed.

**Mewtwo**: Mewtwo outpaces Rhydon and 2HKOes it with Psychic and Ice Beam while Rhydon can only 3HKO back with Earthquake, and will be running Recover to heal off any damage it takes most of the time. Moreover, it packs Amnesia and a superb critical hit rate of 25.39%, so Rhydon is at risk even if it as at full HP. On the other hand, Rhydon can try to paralyze Mewtwo on the switch with Body Slam, making it easier for it and other physical attackers to pressure it. Afterwards, it can use Substitute to fish for a full paralysis turn and then apply pressure with Earthquake if it succeeds.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Mikon, 535276]]
- Quality checked by: [[Oiseau Bleu, 431020], [Enigami, 233818]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Isaiah, 375662], [, ]]
hey just wanted to pop in and say sorry, don't waste your time fixing this any more than you have. Mikon messaged me and said that now the analysis has become out of date. idk Ubers very well at all so I can't comment on that myself but I'll leave this up/archived as a jumping off point for someone who wants to take it over
 

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