[Gen6] Pokemon of the Week UUbers Edition (08/31: Reshiram)

[RicePigeon]

Welcome to the new Pokemon of the Week Thread. Unlike the previous incarnations of this thread, which aimed to cover how to best utilize a Pokemon in all tiers that it was usable in, PotW will now focus exclusively on the unofficial UUbers tier, which one can sort of say is the "official" tier for MFFA. Part of the reasoning behind this change was that much of the information was identical to information found on Smogon's analyses, and thus redundant, especially considering that as the metagame changes, Analyses get rewritten from time to time, so most of the PotW analyses here on MFFA would quickly become outdated. The Gen 6 UUbers metagame is still relatively young, and has a small player base, so we encourage you to participate. Information on UUbers can be found here.

[RicePigeon]

That being said, let us start with the first PotW for the UUbers tier;

Reshiram


Type: Dragon/Fire

Base Stats: 100 / 120 / 100 / 150 / 120 / 90

Abilities:

• Turboblaze: The effects of an opponent's ability that would negate or otherwise affect damage or effects of this Pokemon's attacks, such as Levitate, Flash Fire, and Magic Bounce, are ignored.

 

Singles UUbers Overview
ORAS Singles UUbers Viability: S

Officially an Uber Pokemon, Reshiram fails to make any sort of impact in its home tier; it is virtually outclassed by White Kyurem, and the existence of Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon is a nightmare, its no surprise that the White Yin Pokemon sees so little use, allowing it to "drop" into UUbers.

In UUbers, Reshiram is able to shine with it's semi-unique typing, shared only by Mega Charizard X, allows it to become a prominent offensive threat in the tier, its STAB combination resisted only by Azumarill and Mega Altaria. Although primarily a special attacker, it does have a usable 120 attack stat, so it can break through the specially defensive Pokemon that wall it if needed. It's no slouch defensively, either, as its typing renders it one of the few Dragon types able to stomach an attack from Mega Mawile.

Reshiram is not without its flaws, however. Entry hazard support is almost mandatory in order to rid Reshiram of its Stealth Rock weakness. Unless Reshiram runs some kind of physical Attack investment with Outrage, it has no way of getting past Blissey. Its base 90 Speed isn't too great either, leaving it outsped by many of the base 100 speed Pokemon. Finally, it faces competition from Palkia as a wallbreaker, who sports a much more expansive movepool.

ORAS UUbers Singles Moveset: Life Orb Attacker

Ability: Turboblaze / Item: @Life Orb
Nature (1): Timid or Modest w/ EVs: 252 Sp.Attack / 4 Sp.Defense / 252 Speed
Nature (2): Hasty or Naive w/ EVs: 4 Attack / 252 Sp.Attack / 252 Speed
Move #1: Blue Flare
Move #2: Draco Meteor
Move #3: Earth Power
Move #4: Roost, Outrage, Flame Charge, or Tailwind

Tips:

• Blue Flare is Reshiram's primary STAB attack, incinerating everything that doesn't resist it.
• Draco Meteor is a powerful secondary STAB that is just as powerful as Blue Flare, but lowers Reshiram's Sp.Attack by 2 stages. It has excellent synergy with Blue Flare, as when combined with Blue Flare, only Azumarill and Mega Altaria resist its STAB combination.
• Earth Power is used for coverage move, as it hits Heatran much harder than Blue Flare, and also hits Pokemon such as Rotom-Wash without needing to drop its Sp.Attack. It is also Reshiram's only option to hit Mega Altaria and Azumarill for neutral damage on the switch.
• The last moveslot is mostly a tossup. Roost provides Reshiram with longevity, and also helps mitigate damage taken from Life Orb and entry hazards. Outrage, when used with a Hasty or Naive nature, allows Reshiram to break past Blissey, which otherwise walls it. Flame Charge and Tailwind are two options that allows Reshiram to keep up the pace against faster offensive teams by boosting its speed. Tailwind effectively doubles its speed and also affects Reshiram's teammates, but only lasts three turns. Flame Charge, on the other hand, lasts until Reshiram switches out, but only boosts speed by 1 stage.
• Both EV spreads aim to maximize Reshiram's damage output. Timid is the preferred nature if not running Outrage, but Modest can be used if running Flame Charge or Tailwind, as the extra speed from Timid is compensated for in these moves' speed boosts. If using Outrage, the second EV spread with a Hasty or Naive nature is preferred, so as to not cut into its damage output.
• Life Orb gives Reshiram the freedom to switch between moves while still retaining high damage output, making it an excellent wallbreaker.
• This set is primarily a wallbreaker, as Reshiram's STAB combination is walled by only three Pokemon in the tier. As such, using it in early or mid game to wear down defensive cores is recommended.
• If using Flame Charge, Reshiram can be used late game as a cleaner against offensive teams, when its checks and counters have been eliminated.

Recommended Teammates:

• Defog or Rapid Spin
  Entry hazard control is almost crucial to using Reshiram, as it loses 25% of its health from Stealth Rock, and is even more important if Reshiram is not running Roost, as it will get worn down very quickly.
• Entry Hazard support ()
  Entry hazards will make Reshiram's job of wallbreaking easier by inflicting passive damage onto the opponent, slowly whittling them down. Both Deoxys formes, as well as Greninja, make for good entry hazard leads.
• 
  Mega Venusaur compliments Reshiram's typing by taking care of Azumarill and Mega Altaria, both of which resist Reshiram's STAB combination.
• 
  Fairy types in particular enjoy having Reshiram as a teammate, as it can easily dispatch the Fire types that threaten them, as well as Mega Venusaur, since Turboblaze negates the effects of Thick Fat. Mega Mawile, in particular, can form a devastating wallbreaker core with Reshiram, taking on the specially defensive Pokemon that can give Reshiram problems.
• 
  Mega Scizor also pairs nicely with Reshiram, and also acts as a secondary check to Mega Mawile. Mega Scizor also has the option of running Defog, thus providing the role of entry hazard removal. Mega Scizor can also revenge kill faster, weakened threats with its Technician-boosted STAB Bullet Punch.
• 
  Azumarill provides a hard check to Palkia and opposing Reshiram, and with Assault Vest, makes a nice pivot and forms a core with Reshiram and Mega Venusaur.

 

ORAS UUbers Singles Moveset: Defensive

Ability: Turboblaze / Item: @Leftovers
Nature: Modest w/ EVs: 248 HP / 124 Sp.Defense / 130 Speed
Move #1: Flamethrower, Blue Flare, or Fusion Flare
Move #2: Dragon Pulse
Move #3: Will-o-Wisp
Move #4: Roost

Tips:

• The first moveslot is dedicated to Reshiram's choice of Fire-type STAB. Flamethrower is the weakest of the three options, but has the most PP. Blue Flare is Reshiram's most powerful Fire STAB, but has imperfect accuracy. Fusion Flare is an option that strikes a balance between power and accuracy, at the cost of max PP.
• Dragon Pulse is Reshiram's secondary STAB, hitting most targets that resist Fire for neutral damage.
• Will-o-Wisp compliments this set's defensive nature, halving an opponent's Attack and allowing this Reshiram set to neuter powerful physical attackers such as Mega Mawile and Azumarill.
• Roost provides Reshiram with longevity.
• The given EV spread allows Reshiram to outspeed all neutral natured base 70 Speed Pokemon. 248 HP maximizes leftovers recovery while minimizing entry hazard damage, while the remaining EVs are poured into Sp.Defense. This allows Reshiram to not only avoid the OHKO from Mega Mawile's Play Rough, but also avoid the 2HKO from Mega Mawile's Sucker Punch. Modest is run to give Reshiram a bit of offensive presence, as even with no Sp.Attack investment, a Modest Blue Flare has a chance to 2HKO specially defensive Heatran with Stealth Rocks up.
• Leftovers provides Reshiram with passive recovery, complimenting its defensive nature.
• This set it meant to use Reshiram's typing defensively, using Will-o-Wisp to neuter physical attackers while utilizing Reshiram's natural special bulk. As such, this set is more suited for Balance and Stall teams than more offensive teams.

Recommended Teammates:

• Defog or Rapid Spin
  Entry hazard control is almost crucial to using Reshiram, as it loses 25% of its health from Stealth Rock, and is even more important if Reshiram is not running Roost, as it will get worn down very quickly.
• Entry Hazard support
  Entry hazards will slowly wear down the opponent's team as they repeatedly switch, as Defensive Reshiram tends to cause a lot of them.
• 
  Mega Venusaur compliments Reshiram's typing by taking care of Azumarill and Mega Altaria, both of which resist Reshiram's STAB combination.
• 
  Fairy types in particular enjoy having Reshiram as a teammate, as it can easily dispatch the Fire types that threaten them, as well as Mega Venusaur, since Turboblaze negates the effects of Thick Fat.
• 
  Mega Scizor also pairs nicely with Reshiram, and also acts as a secondary check to Mega Mawile. Mega Scizor also has the option of running Defog, thus providing the role of entry hazard removal, or switch-in opportunities with U-turn. Mega Scizor can also revenge kill faster, weakened threats with its Technician-boosted STAB Bullet Punch.
• 
  Azumarill provides a hard check to Palkia and opposing Reshiram, and with Assault Vest, makes a nice pivot and forms a core with Reshiram and Mega Venusaur.
• 
  Defensive Landorus-T can act as a secondary check to physical attackers with Intimidate, while also providing Stealth Rock support. Its typing allows it to switch in against Ground attacks aimed at Reshiram, while providing it with safe switch-in opportunities with U-turn.

ORAS UUbers Singles Moveset: Choice Specs

Ability: Turboblaze / Item: @Choice Specs
Nature: Modest w/ EVs: 252 Sp.Attack / 4 Sp.Defense / 252 Speed
Move #1: Blue Flare
Move #2: Draco Meteor
Move #3: Earth Power
Move #4: Focus Blast, Dragon Pulse, or Will-o-Wisp

Tips:

• Blue Flare is Reshiram's primary STAB attack, incinerating everything that doesn't resist it while denting those that do.
• Draco Meteor is a powerful secondary STAB that is just as powerful as Blue Flare, but lowers Reshiram's Sp.Attack by 2 stages. It has excellent synergy with Blue Flare, as when combined with Blue Flare, only Azumarill and Mega Altaria resist its STAB combination.
• Earth Power is used for coverage move, as it hits Heatran much harder than Blue Flare, and also hits Pokemon such as Rotom-Wash without needing to drop its Sp.Attack. It is also Reshiram's only option to hit Mega Altaria and Azumarill for neutral damage on the switch.
• The last moveslot is your choice of coverage. Focus Blast is an inaccurate, yet powerful way of smashing through Blissey. Dragon Pulse provides Reshiram with an alternate Dragon-type STAB that is useful in situations where locking yourself into Draco Meteor would be detrimental. Will-o-Wisp can be used to cripple Reshiram's switch-ins, such as Azumarill and Mega Altaria.
• The EV spread aims to maximize Reshiram's damage output and speed. Modest nature with a Choice Specs further bolsters Reshiram's damage output.
• This set aims to use Reshiram as purely a special wallbreaker. Due to the nature of Choice Specs, this set requires prediction to use effectively, as locking yourself into the wrong move can give your opponent a free turn.

Recommended Teammates:

• Defog or Rapid Spin
  Entry hazard control is almost crucial to using Reshiram, as it loses 25% of its health from Stealth Rock, and is even more important if Reshiram is not running Roost, as it will get worn down very quickly.
• Entry Hazard support ()
  Entry hazards will make Reshiram's job of wallbreaking easier by inflicting passive damage onto the opponent, slowly whittling them down. Both Deoxys formes, as well as Greninja, make for good entry hazard leads.
• 
  Mega Venusaur compliments Reshiram's typing by taking care of Azumarill and Mega Altaria, both of which resist Reshiram's STAB combination.
• 
  Fairy types in particular enjoy having Reshiram as a teammate, as it can easily dispatch the Fire types that threaten them, as well as Mega Venusaur, since Turboblaze negates the effects of Thick Fat. Mega Mawile, in particular, can form a devastating wallbreaker core with Reshiram, taking on the specially defensive Pokemon that can give Reshiram problems.
• 
  Mega Scizor also pairs nicely with Reshiram, and also acts as a secondary check to Mega Mawile. Mega Scizor also has the option of running Defog, thus providing the role of entry hazard removal. Mega Scizor can also revenge kill faster, weakened threats with its Technician-boosted STAB Bullet Punch.
• 
  Azumarill provides a hard check to Palkia and opposing Reshiram, and with Assault Vest, makes a nice pivot and forms a core with Reshiram and Mega Venusaur.

Honorable Mentions

• Choice Scarf: Reshiram can opt to run a Choice Scarf set, turning it into a potent revenge killer. However, even with base 150 Sp.Attack, this set lacks the raw power of the Life Orb and Choice Specs sets. With only 90 base speed, Scarf Reshiram will find itself being outsped by other threats, most notably Choice Scarf Landorus-T and +1 Mega Charizard X.

Checks & Counters to Reshiram

• 
  Azumarill and Mega Altaria, especially Assault Vest variants of the former, are hard checks to Reshiram. Both resist Blue Flare while being immune to Reshiram's Dragon-type STAB attacks, while both can threaten a 2HKO. Do note that unless Azumarill is holding an Assault Vest, it risks being 2HKOed by Life Orb Blue Flare, despite resisting it.
• 
  Palkia, both Landorus formes, Mega Charizard X, Mega Sceptile, Noivern, Garchomp, and Terrakion all outspeed Reshiram and OHKO with their STAB attacks. However, if Reshiram has Flame Charge or Tail Wind in effect, it can outspeed and OHKO before they get a chance to move, though Flame Charge variants must watch out for Scarf Landorus-T and +1 Mega Charizard X, while Tailwind variants will still be outsped by both Landorus formes if they carry Rock Polish.
• 
  Blissey is a nuisiance that can easily stomach any attack from Reshiram, except for Outrage from Life Orb variants. Choice Specs Reshiram sets carrying Focus Blast can also do a number to Blissey as well.
• 
  Assault Vest Slowking can easily tank any attack from Reshiram, and avoids the 2HKO from Draco Meteor due to the Sp.Attack drop. Meanwhile, Slowking can force Reshiram out with Dragon Tail and use Regenerator to recover health upon switching out, or even use Power Gem as a more offensive option.
• Stealth Rock
  Stealth Rock hurts Reshiram's ability to switch in, shaving off 25% of its health every time it switches in. Combined with Life Orb recoil, Reshiram can sometimes find itself being worn down.