[overview]
**Draft order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price range**: 14-15 points
**Overview**: Rotom-W is a very effective pivot due to its amazing typing, and its access to Levitate alongside STAB Hydro Pump sets it apart from other Electric-types in this role. Its wide utility movepool also provides great support for its teammates, allowing it to status opponents or debilitate opposing walls with Trick. However, Rotom-W's mediocre defensive stats leave it susceptible to being overwhelmed by strong opponents, and its shallow offensive movepool often can be fully walled by opposing Pokemon.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky pivot**: The combination of Levitate and STAB Hydro Pump prevents most Ground-types from switching in to block Rotom-W's Volt Switch, and its defensive typing and access to both Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp make it a nuisance to remove from play, making Rotom-W an effective bulky pivot that is capable of supporting offensive teammates and getting them on the field safely.
**Fast utility**: Equipped with a Choice Scarf, Rotom-W is able to outspeed and threaten or pivot on many offensive cores, while its access to Trick allows it to Choice-lock an opposing wall once its Choice Scarf is no longer needed.
**Wallbreaker**: Rotom-W's access to Nasty Plot alongside its solid offensive typing can allow it to be a wallbreaker when needed.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Volt Switch, Thunderbolt, Discharge, Hydro Pump
**Setup moves**: Nasty Plot
**Utility moves**: Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, Trick, Pain Split, Reflect, Light Screen, Foul Play
**Coverage**: Hex, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Stored Power
Niche Moves
========
**Substitute**: Substitute can be used to allow Rotom-W to set up on Pokemon reliant on status to damage it.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers is Rotom-W's most reliable form of recovery and allows it to switch in as a pivot more frequently.
Choice Scarf: Choice Scarf is useful to allow Rotom-W to outspeed naturally faster foes and pivot out on otherwise faster checks. It also allows Rotom-W to incapacitate specially defensive walls that are willing to absorb its other moves with Trick.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Specs**: Choice Specs can be used for the same reasons as Choice Scarf when trading speed for power is desired.
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet can be useful to punish specific physical attackers using contact moves.
**Sitrus Berry**: Sitrus Berry can be used for a bit of recovery when getting reliable recovery from Leftovers is not anticipated.
**Light Clay**: Rotom-W's access to dual screens allows it to be an effective setter when required.
**Chesto Berry**: Rotom-W can use Rest in combination with a Chesto Berry as a quick way to reliably recover health.
Tera
========
Rotom-W is not the best choice for a Tera Captain. While it can utilize Tera, its base typing is already fantastic, and its teammates will usually gain more than it would from Terastallization. If Rotom-W is chosen as a Tera Captain, it can use Tera Poison and Steel for their defensive value in conjunction with Levitate (rc) or Tera Fairy for its defensive value as well as providing coverage with Tera Blast Fairy to hit opposing Dragon-types.
Draft Strategy
========
Rotom-W works best on bulky offensive teams that appreciate its ability to provide Volt Switch and status support, allowing its teammates to enter the field safely, and those teammates can best support Rotom-W by threatening Pokemon that offensively and defensively threaten it.
**Strong wallbreakers**: Rotom-W is most capable of supporting strong wallbreakers like Chi-Yu or Weavile that appreciate safe entry provided by its Volt Switch; in turn, these Pokemon can break through specially defensive walls Rotom-W struggles against.
**Answers to Grass- and Dragon-types**: Pokemon like Iron Valiant and Kyurem can prey on Pokemon that resist Rotom-W's STAB moves that switch in on its Volt Switch.
**Other pivots**: Rotom-W, when paired with other pivots such as Tornadus-T or Galarian Slowking, forms a very potent VoltTurn core, and these Pokemon can help deal with Rotom-W's weaknesses as well.
**Entry hazard setting**: Rotom-W's pivoting capabilities can force many switches, which entry hazard setters such as Garchomp and Glimmora can punish.
Checks and Counters
========
**Grass- and Dragon-types**: Rotom-W is helpless against Grass- and Dragon-types like Zarude and Raging Bolt offensively, as they resist both of its STAB moves, and Rotom-W lacks coverage to hit them super effectively. However, they are vulnerable to Rotom-W using Volt Switch to pivot into a threatening wallbreaker.
**Strong wallbreakers**: Rotom-W's middling bulk allows it to be easily overwhelmed by faster wallbreakers such as Urshifu-S. However, these Pokemon often do not want to switch into Rotom-W out of fear of getting statused.
**Chip damage**: Rotom-W's reliance on Leftovers and Pain Split for recovery means that even against Pokemon it should be able to check, such as Tornadus-T and Landorus-T, it is suspectible to getting worn down via repeated hits from moves like U-turn and Knock Off.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/celestiial.613399/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
**Draft order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price range**: 14-15 points
**Overview**: Rotom-W is a very effective pivot due to its amazing typing, and its access to Levitate alongside STAB Hydro Pump sets it apart from other Electric-types in this role. Its wide utility movepool also provides great support for its teammates, allowing it to status opponents or debilitate opposing walls with Trick. However, Rotom-W's mediocre defensive stats leave it susceptible to being overwhelmed by strong opponents, and its shallow offensive movepool often can be fully walled by opposing Pokemon.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky pivot**: The combination of Levitate and STAB Hydro Pump prevents most Ground-types from switching in to block Rotom-W's Volt Switch, and its defensive typing and access to both Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp make it a nuisance to remove from play, making Rotom-W an effective bulky pivot that is capable of supporting offensive teammates and getting them on the field safely.
**Fast utility**: Equipped with a Choice Scarf, Rotom-W is able to outspeed and threaten or pivot on many offensive cores, while its access to Trick allows it to Choice-lock an opposing wall once its Choice Scarf is no longer needed.
**Wallbreaker**: Rotom-W's access to Nasty Plot alongside its solid offensive typing can allow it to be a wallbreaker when needed.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Volt Switch, Thunderbolt, Discharge, Hydro Pump
**Setup moves**: Nasty Plot
**Utility moves**: Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, Trick, Pain Split, Reflect, Light Screen, Foul Play
**Coverage**: Hex, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Stored Power
Niche Moves
========
**Substitute**: Substitute can be used to allow Rotom-W to set up on Pokemon reliant on status to damage it.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers is Rotom-W's most reliable form of recovery and allows it to switch in as a pivot more frequently.
Choice Scarf: Choice Scarf is useful to allow Rotom-W to outspeed naturally faster foes and pivot out on otherwise faster checks. It also allows Rotom-W to incapacitate specially defensive walls that are willing to absorb its other moves with Trick.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Specs**: Choice Specs can be used for the same reasons as Choice Scarf when trading speed for power is desired.
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet can be useful to punish specific physical attackers using contact moves.
**Sitrus Berry**: Sitrus Berry can be used for a bit of recovery when getting reliable recovery from Leftovers is not anticipated.
**Light Clay**: Rotom-W's access to dual screens allows it to be an effective setter when required.
**Chesto Berry**: Rotom-W can use Rest in combination with a Chesto Berry as a quick way to reliably recover health.
Tera
========
Rotom-W is not the best choice for a Tera Captain. While it can utilize Tera, its base typing is already fantastic, and its teammates will usually gain more than it would from Terastallization. If Rotom-W is chosen as a Tera Captain, it can use Tera Poison and Steel for their defensive value in conjunction with Levitate (rc) or Tera Fairy for its defensive value as well as providing coverage with Tera Blast Fairy to hit opposing Dragon-types.
Draft Strategy
========
Rotom-W works best on bulky offensive teams that appreciate its ability to provide Volt Switch and status support, allowing its teammates to enter the field safely, and those teammates can best support Rotom-W by threatening Pokemon that offensively and defensively threaten it.
**Strong wallbreakers**: Rotom-W is most capable of supporting strong wallbreakers like Chi-Yu or Weavile that appreciate safe entry provided by its Volt Switch; in turn, these Pokemon can break through specially defensive walls Rotom-W struggles against.
**Answers to Grass- and Dragon-types**: Pokemon like Iron Valiant and Kyurem can prey on Pokemon that resist Rotom-W's STAB moves that switch in on its Volt Switch.
**Other pivots**: Rotom-W, when paired with other pivots such as Tornadus-T or Galarian Slowking, forms a very potent VoltTurn core, and these Pokemon can help deal with Rotom-W's weaknesses as well.
**Entry hazard setting**: Rotom-W's pivoting capabilities can force many switches, which entry hazard setters such as Garchomp and Glimmora can punish.
Checks and Counters
========
**Grass- and Dragon-types**: Rotom-W is helpless against Grass- and Dragon-types like Zarude and Raging Bolt offensively, as they resist both of its STAB moves, and Rotom-W lacks coverage to hit them super effectively. However, they are vulnerable to Rotom-W using Volt Switch to pivot into a threatening wallbreaker.
**Strong wallbreakers**: Rotom-W's middling bulk allows it to be easily overwhelmed by faster wallbreakers such as Urshifu-S. However, these Pokemon often do not want to switch into Rotom-W out of fear of getting statused.
**Chip damage**: Rotom-W's reliance on Leftovers and Pain Split for recovery means that even against Pokemon it should be able to check, such as Tornadus-T and Landorus-T, it is suspectible to getting worn down via repeated hits from moves like U-turn and Knock Off.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/celestiial.613399/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
Last edited:
