NU Charizard

quziel

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[OVERVIEW]
Charizard distinguishes itself from other Fire-types in the NU tier with its exceptional utilization of Z-Sunny Day to boost its Speed and power, allowing it to sweep teams much more reliably than its competition. A Fire / Flying typing allows Charizard to effectively switch into and set up on or force out many of NU's Grass- and Fighting-types, such as Sceptile, Hitmonlee, and Vileplume. Charizard's good Speed allows it to outpace many of the tier's threats such as Hitmonlee, Drapion, and Rotom-C, although its Speed is not high enough to outpace many of the tier's faster Pokemon such as Sceptile and Sneasel. The same Fire / Flying typing also mandates very reliable hazard removal, as it takes 50% damage from Stealth Rock, preventing it from taking hits from Sceptile and Hitmonlee and reducing its setup opportunities. Charizard is also easily worn down, as it has mediocre bulk, a massive Stealth Rock weakness, and takes 12.5% damage per turn from its ability, Solar Power, leaving it often vulnerable to priority. In addition,Charizard only has one chance to sweep an opposing team, as it loses the +1 Speed boost if forced out.

[SET]
name: Z-Sunny Day
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Solar Beam
move 4: Focus Blast / Roost
item: Firium Z
ability: Solar Power
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Z-Sunny Day allows Charizard to gain +1 Speed as well as activate its ability Solar Power, which gives it 50% extra damage on all attacks; this, combined with sun's boost to Fire-type moves, allows it to hit extremely hard. Fire Blast is Charizard's primary attack. Solar Beam hits most Fire resistant Pokemon such as Rhydon and Slowking for super effective damage, although it requires Sunny Day to be active to be used effectively. Focus Blast allows Charizard to hit Incineroar and Guzzlord, which otherwise wall it, as well as hitting Rock-types outside of sun. Roost allows Charizard to capitalize on any predicted switches, mitigating Stealth Rock and Solar Power damage and adding a lot of survivability to this set.

Set Details
========
Solar Power allows Charizard to essentially gain +1 Special Attack whenever sun is active at the cost of 12.5% HP per turn. Firium Z is necessary to use Z-Sunny Day, boosting Charizard's Speed, though it can also be used to power up Fire Blast into Inferno Overdrive if the Speed boost is not needed. Maximum Speed investment and a Timid nature allow Charizard to outspeed Houndoom, Hitmonlee, and Drapion before boosting with Z-Sunny Day as well as Choice Scarf variants of Drapion and Hitmonlee after a boost. Maximum Special Attack investment maximizes Charizard's power.

Usage Tips
========
Charizard can function as a wallbreaker early-game due to its sheer power when sun is up and the possible threat of Inferno Overdrive. However, due to its reliance on Solar Beam to effectively damage Slowbro, it needs to find an opportunity to set up Sunny Day to effectively wallbreak in most games. If Charizard is needed in a sweeping role, it is best to preserve it until late-game when its checks and counters are weakened. Charizard should set up on Sceptile Choice-locked into any Grass-type move or Focus Blast, Choice Scarf Emboar locked into Superpower or Flare Blitz, or Pokemon fearing Charizard's attacks such as Vileplume and Whimsicott, although the latter can punish that setup with Encore if Stealth Rock is up. The choice between Z-Sunny Day and Inferno Overdrive is primarily based on whether the power of Inferno Overdrive is needed to secure a win and whether the Speed boost from Z-Sunny Day is needed. Roost should be used on predicted switches to keep Charizard's HP up, allowing it to sweep for longer and play more aggressively mid-game.

Team Options
========
Entry hazard removal is mandatory when using this set, as without it, Charizard struggles to find setup opportunities and switch in when Stealth Rock is up. Hitmonlee excels when partnered with Charizard, as it can lure in and weaken Slowbro and Slowking with Knock Off, remove Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin, and bring in many Fairy- and Poison-types for Charizard to set up on. Other hazard removers such as Cryogonal and Golbat also assist Charizard, though they generally do not have as much synergy.

Support from fellow Fire-types such as Emboar and Houndoom can lure in and weaken the Water- and Rock-types typically used to check Charizard. Seismitoad sets up Stealth Rock, assisting Charizard when sweeping by weakening its checks, and takes on Rock- and Water-type attacks for Charizard while bringing in Grass-types for Charizard to set up on. Rhydon also helps in this role, taking on Electric- and Rock-type attacks very well for it as well as taking on Incineroar, one of Charizard's main walls, very reliably and setting up Stealth Rock for it. Xatu's Magic Bounce can prevent Stealth Rock from being set up in the first place, and Xatu appreciates Charizard weakening Rhydon and other Rock-types for it. Pursuit support from Sneasel and Drapion helps Charizard by removing some of its better answers such as Slowking and Jellicent fairly reliably and can help weaken Incineroar for it.

Other Options
=============
Air Slash can hit Hariyama for super effective damage as well as providing an accurate STAB option, though its lack of power and redundant coverage hurt its viability. Other Z-Move sets such as Z-Celebrate and Z-Happy Hour distinguish themselves from Z-Sunny Day by offering defensive boosts, though their lack of access to Solar Beam and usefulness if Charizard is ever forced out make them often an inferior choice. Choice Specs and Choice Scarf sets can easily be used with sun support, though locking Charizard into a move leaves it vulnerable to being forced out, and Charizard needs team support that is often not available on sun teams. All-out-attacking sets such as Life Orb are possible, though they struggle to differentiate themselves from other Fire-types such as Delphox or Houndoom, which can break their checks much more easily. Physical sets such as Dragon Dance with Supersonic Skystrike from Fly or Tectonic Rage from Earthquake are possible, but they struggle to break Charizard's typical answers such as Rhydon and often lack power even once set up. The combination of Will-O-Wisp and Swords Dance on a bulkier set can work as a usable Fighting-resistant Pokemon, but it often struggles with its low bulk,which prevents it from effectively walling NU's Fighting-types.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock**: The mere presence of Stealth Rock on the field heavily limits Charizard's opportunities to switch in, dealing 50% of its HP every single time it comes in. Losing 50% of its HP forces Charizard to decide between attacking, setting up Sunny Day, or using Roost, which limits its flexibility.

**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Turtonator, Guzzlord, and Sliggoo take very little from Charizard's Fire Blast and Solar Beam,(AC) can stall out Sunny Day, and threaten Charizard with STAB Dragon-type attacks. Drampa is worth a particular mention, as it's ability Cloud Nine negates Sunny Day, and Roost gives it longevity. However, Turtonator, Drampa, and Guzzlord are threatened by possible coverage moves thanks to Turtonator's low Special Defense and Guzzlord's and Drampa's weaknesses to Focus Blast.

**Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Incineroar, Emboar, and Delphox take little from Fire Blast and Solar Beam and can threaten Charizard with coverage moves such as Darkest Lariat, Wild Charge, and Psyshock. However, they do have to worry about possible coverage options from Charizard such as Focus Blast and Air Slash.

**Water-types**: Although they do take super effective damage from Charizard's Solar Beam, Pokemon such as Assault Vest Slowking can stall out sun turns and tank at least one hit while forcing Charizard out if sun isn't up.

**Rock-types**: While NU's Rock-types cannot hope to take on Charizard when sun is up, once it is down they only fear a possible Focus Blast and threaten Charizard with super effective Rock-type moves. Lycanroc is worth a special mention here, as it can threaten Charizard with a KO even when sun is up with Accelrock.
 
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[Overview]

  • Charizard distinguishes itself from other fire types in the NeverUsed tier thanks to its exceptional utilization of Z-Sunny Day to boost its speed and power, allowing it to sweep teams much more reliably than its competition.
  • Fire/Flying allows it to switch into, and set up on many of the tiers Grass and Fighting types, scaring them out with the threat of Super-Effective coverage.
  • Fire/Flying typing also mandates very reliable hazard removal, as it takes 50% HP from stealth rock, as well as team support to take hits from many of the tiers Water, Rock, and Dragon Types.
Good start, but this should be more in depth. Give some examples of grass- and fighting-types it sets up on, and also some water- rock- and dragon-types that work particularly well with it on the more offensive archetypes Charizard is usually seen on.
Furthermore, you need to talk more of Charizards other flaws in the overview as well. Solar Power chips away at it pretty fast which limits its defensive capability with sun up, and without sun it has no way of breaking through bulky water-types at all. also mention that charizard will usually only have one opportunity to sweep versus offensive teams, as without the +1 speed from its z move it is pretty easy to revenge kill.
Lastly, be sure to discuss how stealth rock are problematic to charizard, and place more emphasis on that. (can rarely set up with rocks up, cant check sceptile / fighting-types at all etc.)





[SET]
name: Z-Sunny Day (aka Blunderzard)
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Solar Beam
move 4: Focus Blast / Roost
item: Firium-Z
ability: Solar Power
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Z-Sunny Day allows Charizard to gain +1 Speed, as well as activating its ability, Solar Power, which gives it 50% extra damage on all attacks, this, combined with Sunny Day's boost to Fire Moves, allows it to hit extremely hard.
  • Fire Blast is Charizard's main STAB move, and will be the most common move used.
  • Solarbeam hits Fire Blast resists such as Rhydon and Slowking for Super-Effective damage, though requires Sunny Day to be active for use.
  • Focus Blast allows Charizard to hit Incineroar and Guzzlord, who otherwise wall it. Mention it can be used to hit rock-types outside of sun.
  • Roost allows Charizard to capitalize on any predicted switches, and adds a lot of survivability to this set.

Set Details
========
  • Solar Power is the crux of this set, and allows Charizard to essentially gain +1 Special Attack whenever Sunny Day is active, at the cost of 12.5% HP per Turn.
  • Firum-Z is necessary to use the Z-effect of Sunny Day, boosting Charizard's Speed, though can also be used to power up Fire Blast if the speed boost is not needed.
Discuss Charizards EVs and nature in this section as well.


Usage Tips
========
  • As Charizard functions primarily as a sweeper, it should wait to set up until late game, when its checks and counters are weakened.
  • The choice between Z-Sunny Day and Z-Fire Blast is primarily based on whether the power of Z-Fire Blast is needed to secure a win, and whether the speed of Z-Sunny Day is needed.
  • Roost should be used on predicted switches to keep Charizard's HP up, allowing it to sweep for longer, and play more aggressively in the mid-game.
mention that charizard can also function as an early-mid game wallbreaker with the sheer power of its attacks with sun up. It is more versatile than just a late-game cleaner. Also, give some examples of pokemon Charizard can set up on (specs sceptile locked into leaf storm, emboar locked into anything besides wild charge, etc.)

Team Options
========
  • Entry Hazard removal is mandatory when using this set, as without it, Charizard struggles to find setup opportunities, and struggles to switch in with Stealth Rock taking 50% of its HP upon switch in.
  • Hitmonlee excels when partnered with Charizard, as it can lure in and weaken Slowbro and Slowking with Knock-Off, removes Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin, and brings in many Fairy and Poison types for Charizard to set up on.
  • Other hazard removal pokemon such as Cryogonal and Golbat also assist it, though generally do not have as much synergy.
  • Seismitoad sets up Stealth Rock, assisting it when sweeping by weakening its checks, and takes on Rock and Water hits for Charizard, while bringing in Grass types for Charizard to set up on.
  • Rhydon also helps in this role, taking on Electric and Rock hits very well for it, as well as taking on Incineroar, one of this set's main walls very reliably, and setting up Stealth Rock for it.
  • Xatu's Magic Bounce can prevent Stealth Rock from being set up in the first place, and appreciates Charizard weakening Rhydon and other Rock types for it.
  • Pursuit Support from Sneasel and Drapion helps Charizard by removing some of its better answers such as Slowking and Jellicent fairly reliably, and can help weaken Incineroar for it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • Air Slash on Z-Sunny Day to hit Hariyama, and provide an accurate STAB option, though lacking power and redundant coverage hurt it.
  • Other Z-moves such as Z-Celebrate and Z-Happy Hour distinguish themselves from Z-Sunny Day by offering defensive boosts, though their lack of access to Solar Beam, and worthlessness after being forced out makes them often an inferior choice.
  • Choice Specs or Choice Scarf sets can easily be used with Sun Support, though are often easy to force out, and require support that Sun teams often struggle to supply.
  • All out attacking sets, such as Life Orb are possible, though struggle to differentiate themselves from other fire types such as Delphox or Houndoom, which can break their checks much more easily.
  • Physical Sets such as Dragon Dance with Z-Fly or Z-Earthquake are possible, but struggle to break typical Charizard answers such as Rhydon, and often struggle with lacking power even once set up.
  • The combination of Will-o-Wisp and Swords Dance on a bulkier set can work as a usable fighting resist, but often struggles with its lower bulk preventing it from effectively walling NU's fighting types.


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

  • Stealth Rock: The mere presence of Stealth Rock on the field heavily limits Charizard's opportunities to switch in, dealing 50% of its HP every single time it comes in. Losing 50% of its HP forces Charizard to decide between attacking, setting up Sunny Day, or Roosting, and limits its flexibility.
  • Dragon Types: Dragon types such as Turtonator, Guzzlord, and Sliggoo take very little from any of Charizard's Fire Blast or Solar Beam and can stall out Sunny Day, while threatening Charizard back with STAB dragon attacks. However Turtonator and Guzzlord are threatened by possible coverage moves thanks to Turtonator's low special defense, and Guzzlord's weakness to Focus Blast.
  • Fire Types: Fire types such as Incineroar, Emboar, or Delphox take little from either Fire Blast or Solarbeam, and can threaten Charizard with coverage moves such as Darkest Lariat, Wild Charge, or Psyshock. However, they do have to worry about possible coverage options such as Focus Blast or Air Slash.
  • Water Types: Although they do take super effective damage from Charizard's Solar Beam when Sunny Day is up, pokemon such as Assault Vest Slowking can stall out Sun Turns, and can tank at least one hit, while forcing Charizard out if Sunny Day isn't up.
  • Rock Types: While NU's rock types cannot hope to take on Charizard when Sunny Day is up, once it is down they take little from Fire Blast, and threaten it with Super Effective Rock moves. Lycanroc is worth a special mention here, as it can threaten Charizard with a KO even when Sunny Day is up with Accelrock.
1/3
 

etern

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NU Leader
Overview:
  • Move the Fire-type support line to Team Options
Moves:
  • Mention that Roost also mitigates Solar Power damage
C&C:
  • Add Drampa to Dragon-types (Cloud Nine + Roost gives Focus Blast-less Zard a headache)
Dont forget to fix up the formatting for Checks & Counters, it should look like this:

**Stealth Rock**:
**Dragon-types**:
**Fire-types**:

Looks good, QC 2/3 write this up
 

Martin

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Little optimisation note, but you can minimise Solar Power damage by running 29 HP IVs (brings stat to 295, which is one less than a number divisible by 8). This results in a greater net HP value after three or more rounds of Solar Power damage, which is especially helpful considering you take Solar Power damage on the turn that you use Sunny Day iirc.
 

GMars

It's ya boy GEEEEEEEEMARS
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Hi there, amcheck! Feel free to implement as much as you like, but this doesn't count for gp 1/2 until stamped by a GP member.

Additions
Removals
[Comments]
(AC) = Add Comma
(AH) = Add Hyphen

(RC) = Remove Comma
(RH) = Remove Hyphen


[OVERVIEW]
Charizard distinguishes itself from other Fire-types (AH) in the NeverUsed tier thanks to its exceptional utilization of Z-Sunny Day to boost its Speed and power, allowing it to sweep teams much more reliably than its competition. Fire / Flying typing (Add Spaces) allows Charizard to effectively switch into, (RC) and set up upon or force out many of the NU's Grass- and Fighting-types, (AH) such as Sceptile, Hitmonlee, and Vileplume. Good Speed allows it to outpace many of the tier's threats such as Hitmonlee, Drapion, Rotom-Cut, and Meloetta, though its Speed is not fast [consider switching "fast" to "high"] enough to outpace many of the tier's faster Pokemon such as Sceptile orand Sneasel. The same Fire / Flying (Add Spaces) typing also mandates very reliable hazard removal, as it takes 50% HP from stealth rdamage from Stealth Rock, preventing it from taking hits from Sceptile and Hitmonlee, (RC) and reducing its setup opportunities. Charizard is also easily worn down, as it has mediocre bulk, a massive Stealth Rock weakness, and takes 12.5% HPdamage per turn from its ability Solar Power, leaving it often vulnerable to priority. Charizard only has one chance to sweep an opposing team, as it loses the +1 Speed boost if forced out. [Consider using a connecting phrase here, like "Additionally," or "In addition,"]

[SET]
name: Z-Sunny Day (aka Blunderzard)
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Solar Beam
move 4: Focus Blast / Roost
item: Firium Z (RH)
ability: Solar Power
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Z-Sunny Day allows Charizard to gain +1 Speed, (RC) as well as to activate activating [parallelism] its ability, (RC) Solar Power, which gives it 50% extra damage on all attacks, (RC); this, combined with Sunny Daysun's boost to Fire-type moves, allows it to hit extremely hard. Fire Blast is Charizard's main STAB move, and will be the most common move used. primary attack. [this is otherwise fluff/redundant] Solarbeam Solar Beam hits most Fire Blast resists-resistant Pokemon such as Rhydon and Slowking for super effective (RH) damage, though it requires Sunny Day to be active for use. [consider adding in "effective" before use, since Solar Beam can technically be used outside of sun] Focus Blast allows Charizard to hit Incineroar and Guzzlord, whowhich otherwise wall it, as well as hitting to hit [parallelism] Rock-types (AH) outside of sun. Roost allows Charizard to capitalize on any predicted switches, (RC) as well as to mitigatemitigating [parallelism, you've used as well as a lot up to this point, consider switching this one to "and mitigate"] Stealth Rock and Solar Power damage, (RC) and adds a lot of survivability to this set.

Set Details
========
Solar Power allows Charizard to essentially gain +1 Special Attack whenever Sunny Daysun is active, (RC) at the cost of 12.5% HP per turn. Firum Z (RH) is necessary to use the Z-Effect of Sunny Day, boosting Charizard's Speed, though it can also be used to power up Fire Blast into Inferno Overdrive [specifying, since Sunny Day also boosts Fire Blast] if the Speed boost is not needed. Maximum Speed investment and a Timid nature allows Charizard to outspeed Houndoom, Hitmonlee, and Drapion before boosting with Z-Sunny Day, (RC) as well as scarvedChoice Scarf variants of Drapion and Hitmonlee after a boost. Maximum Special Attack investment maximizes Charizard's power, both in, (RC) and outside of sun.


Usage Tips
========
Charizard can function as a wallbreaker in the early game due to its sheer power when sun is up, (RC) and the possible threat of a Z-Fire BlastInferno Overdrive. However, due to its reliance on Solar Beam to effectively damage Slowbro, it needs to find an opportunity to set up Sunny Day to effectively do sowallbreak in most games. If Charizard is needed in a sweeping role, it is best to preserve it until late-game (AH), (RC) when its checks and counters are weakened. Charizard should set up on Sceptile Choice-locked into any Grass-type move or Focus Blast, Choice ScarvedScarf Emboar locked into Superpower or Flare Blitz, or on Pokemon fearing Charizard's coverageattacks such as Vileplume orand Whimsicott, [not sure that coverage is the best word here since Vileplume and Whimsicott fear Charizard's STAB and zard can't really use its Solar Beam coverage without setting up Sunny Day.] though the latter can punish that setup with Encore if Stealth Rock is up. The choice between Z-Sunny Day and Z-Fire BlastInferno Overdrive is primarily based on whether the power of Z-Fire BlastInferno Overdrive is needed to secure a win, (RC) and whether the Speed boost fromof Z-Sunny Day is needed. Roost should be used on predicted switches to keep Charizard's HP up, allowing it to sweep for longer, (RC) and play more aggressively in the mid-game.

Team Options
========
Entry Hazard removal is mandatory when using this set, as without it, Charizard struggles to find setup opportunities, (RC) and struggles to switch in withwhen Stealth Rock taking 50% of its HP upon switch inare up. [removing repetition] Hitmonlee excels when partnered with Charizard, as it can lure in and weaken Slowbro and Slowking with Knock Off, (RH) removes Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin, and brings in many Fairy- and Poison-types (AH) for Charizard to set up on. Other hazard removal Pokemon such as Cryogonal and Golbat also assist it, (RC) though generally do not have as much synergy.

Support from fellow Fire-types (AH) such as Emboar or Houndoom can lure in, (RC) and weaken the Water- and Rock-types (AH) typically used to check Charizard. (Add Period) Seismitoad sets up Stealth Rock, assisting itCharizard [removing ambiguity] when sweeping by weakening its checks, and it takes on Rock- and Water-type hitsattacks for Charizard, (RC) while bringing in Grass-types (AH) for Charizard to set up on. Rhydon also helps in this role, taking on Electric- and Rock-type hitsattacks very well for it, (RC) as well as taking on Incineroar, one of this setCharizard's main walls, (AC) very reliably, (RC) and setting up Stealth Rock for it. Xatu's Magic Bounce can prevent Stealth Rock from being set up in the first place, and Xatu appreciates Charizard weakening Rhydon and other Rock-types (AH) for it. Pursuit support from Sneasel and Drapion helps Charizard by removing some of its better answers such as Slowking and Jellicent fairly reliably, (RC) and can help weaken Incineroar for it.


Other Options
=============
Air Slash on a Z-Sunny Day set can hit Hariyama for super effective (RH) damage, (RC) as well as providing an accurate STAB option, though lacking power and redundant coverage hurt its viability. Other Z-movesMove sets [adding in sets here to match with "their lack of access to Solar Beam"] such as Z-Celebrate and Z-Happy Hour distinguish themselves from Z-Sunny Day by offering defensive boosts, though their lack of access to Solar Beam, (RC) and lack of usefulness if Charizard is ever forced out makes them often an inferior choice. Choice Specs or Choice Scarf sets can easily be used with sun support, though locking Charizard into a move leaves it vulnerable to being forced out, and Charizard needs team support that is often not available on sun teams. All-out-attacking (AH) sets such as Life Orb are possible, though they struggle to differentiate themselves from other Fire-types (AH) such as Delphox or Houndoom, which can break their checks much more easily. Physical sets such as Dragon Dance with Z-Fly or Z-Supersonic Skystrike from Fly or Tectonic Rage from Earthquake are possible, but they struggle to break typical Charizard answers such as Rhydon, (RC) and often struggle with lacking power even once set up. The combination of Will-O-Wisp and Swords Dance on a bulkier set can work as a usable Fighting-resistant Pokemon, but it often struggles with its lower bulk preventing it from effectively walling NU's Fighting-types. (AH)


Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock:**: (Rearrange Colons on all of this section) The mere presence of Stealth Rock on the field heavily limits Charizard's opportunities to switch in, dealing 50% of its HP in damage every single time it comes in. Losing 50% of its HP forces Charizard to decide between attacking, setting up Sunny Day, or Roosting, and limits its flexibility.

**Dragon T-types:**: Dragon-types such as Turtonator, Guzzlord, and Sliggoo take very little from any of Charizard's Fire Blast or Solar Beam and can stall out Sunny Day, (RC) while threatening Charizard back with STAB Dragon-type attacks. Drampa is worth a particular mention, as it's ability Cloud Nine (RH) negates Sunny Day, and Roost gives it longevity. However, (AC) Turtonator, Drampa, and Guzzlord are threatened by possible coverage moves thanks to Turtonator's low Special Defense, (RC) and Guzzlord's and Drampa's weaknesses to Focus Blast. [http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/possessive-pronoun.html because you use weaknesses here, both Guzzlord and Drampa have to be possessive. Otherwise, use Guzzlord and Drampa's weakness]

**Fire T-types:**: Fire-types (AH) such as Incineroar, Emboar, orand Delphox take little from either Fire Blast or Solar Beam, (RC) and can threaten Charizard with coverage moves such as Darkest Lariat, Wild Charge, or Psyshock. However, they do have to worry about possible coverage options from Charizard such as Focus Blast orand Air Slash.

**Water T-types:**: Although they do take super effective damage from Charizard's Solar Beam when Sunny Day is up, Pokemon such as Assault Vest Slowking can stall out sun turns, (RC) and can tank at least one hit, (RC) while forcing Charizard out if Sunny Daysun isn't up.

**Rock T-types:**: While NU's Rock-types (AH) cannot hope to take on Charizard when Sunny Daysun is up, once it is down they take little from Fire Blast, only fearing a possible Focus Blast, (RC) and threaten itCharizard with super effective Rock-type moves. Lycanroc is worth a special mention here, as it can threaten Charizard with a KO even when Sunny Daysun is up with Accelrock.
 

Fireflame

Silksong when
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Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
[OVERVIEW]
Charizard distinguishes itself from other Fire-types in the NU tier thanks to its exceptional utilization of Z-Sunny Day to boost its Speed and power, allowing it to sweep teams much more reliably than its competition. A Fire / Flying typing allows Charizard to effectively switch into and set up on or force out many of NU's Grass- and Fighting-types, such as Sceptile, Hitmonlee, and Vileplume. Charizard's good Speed allows it to outpace many of the tier's threats such as Hitmonlee, Drapion, and Rotom-C,(RC) and Meloetta (Meloetta is now banned), though its Speed is not high enough to outpace many of the tier's faster Pokemon such as Sceptile and Sneasel. The same Fire / Flying typing also mandates very reliable hazard removal, as it takes 50% damage from Stealth Rock, preventing it from taking hits from Sceptile and Hitmonlee and reducing its setup opportunities. Charizard is also easily worn down, as it has mediocre bulk, a massive Stealth Rock weakness, and takes 12.5% damage per turn from its ability,(AC) Solar Power, leaving it often vulnerable to priority. In addition,(AC) Charizard only has one chance to sweep an opposing team, as it loses the +1 Speed boost if forced out.

[SET]
name: Z-Sunny Day
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Solar Beam
move 4: Focus Blast / Roost
item: Firium Z
ability: Solar Power
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Z-Sunny Day allows Charizard to gain +1 Speed as well as to activate its ability Solar Power, which gives it 50% extra damage on all attacks; this, combined with sun's boost to Fire-type moves, allows it to hit extremely hard. Fire Blast is Charizard's primary attack. Solar Beam hits most Fire resistant Pokemon such as Rhydon and Slowking for super effective damage, although it requires Sunny Day to be active to be used effectively. Focus Blast allows Charizard to hit Incineroar and Guzzlord, which otherwise wall it, as well as hitting Rock-types outside of sun. Roost allows Charizard to capitalize on any predicted switches, mitigating Stealth Rock and Solar Power damage and adds adding a lot of survivability to this set.

Set Details
========
Solar Power allows Charizard to essentially gain +1 Special Attack whenever sun is active at the cost of 12.5% HP per turn. Firum Firium Z is necessary to use the Z-Effect of Sunny Z-Sunny Day, boosting Charizard's Speed, though it can also be used to power up Fire Blast into Inferno Overdrive if the Speed boost is not needed. Maximum Speed investment and a Timid nature allow Charizard to outspeed Houndoom, Hitmonlee, and Drapion before boosting with Z-Sunny Day as well as Choice Scarf variants of Drapion and Hitmonlee after a boost. Maximum Special Attack investment maximizes Charizard's power,(RC) both in and outside of sun. (naturally)


Usage Tips
========
Charizard can function as a wallbreaker in the early-(AH)game due to its sheer power when sun is up and the possible threat of Inferno Overdrive. However, due to its reliance on Solar Beam to effectively damage Slowbro, it needs to find an opportunity to set up Sunny Day to effectively wallbreak in most games. If Charizard is needed in a sweeping role, it is best to preserve it until late-game when its checks and counters are weakened. Charizard should set up on Sceptile Choice-locked into any Grass-type move or Focus Blast, Choice Scarf Emboar locked into Superpower or Flare Blitz, or on Pokemon fearing Charizard's attacks such as Vileplume and Whimsicott, although the latter can punish that setup with Encore if Stealth Rock is up. The choice between Z-Sunny Day and Inferno Overdrive is primarily based on whether the power of Inferno Overdrive is needed to secure a win and whether the Speed boost from Z-Sunny Day is needed. Roost should be used on predicted switches to keep Charizard's HP up, allowing it to sweep for longer and play more aggressively mid-game.

Team Options
========
Entry hazard removal is mandatory when using this set, as without it, Charizard struggles to find setup opportunities and struggles to switch in when Stealth Rock are is up. Hitmonlee excels when partnered with Charizard, as it can lure in and weaken Slowbro and Slowking with Knock Off, removes remove Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin, and brings bring in many Fairy- and Poison-types for Charizard to set up on. Other hazard removal Pokemon removers such as Cryogonal and Golbat also assist it Charizard,(AC) though they generally do not have as much synergy.

Support from fellow Fire-types such as Emboar or and ("Fire-types" = plural) Houndoom can lure in and weaken the Water- and Rock-types typically used to check Charizard. Seismitoad sets up Stealth Rock, assisting Charizard when sweeping by weakening its checks, and it takes on Rock- and Water-type attacks for Charizard while bringing in Grass-types for Charizard to set up on. Rhydon also helps in this role, taking on Electric- and Rock-type attacks very well for it as well as taking on Incineroar, one of Charizard's main walls, very reliably and setting up Stealth Rock for it. Xatu's Magic Bounce can prevent Stealth Rock from being set up in the first place, and Xatu appreciates Charizard weakening Rhydon and other Rock-types for it. Pursuit support from Sneasel and Drapion helps Charizard by removing some of its better answers such as Slowking and Jellicent fairly reliably and can help weaken Incineroar for it.


Other Options
=============
Air Slash on a Z-Sunny Day set (it's the only set) can hit Hariyama for super effective damage as well as providing an accurate STAB option, though lacking its lack of power and redundant coverage hurt its viability. Other Z-(AH)Move sets such as Z-Celebrate and Z-Happy Hour distinguish themselves from Z-Sunny Day by offering defensive boosts, though their lack of access to Solar Beam and lack of usefulness if Charizard is ever forced out makes make them often an inferior choice. Choice Specs or and Choice Scarf sets can easily be used with sun support, though locking Charizard into a move leaves it vulnerable to being forced out, and Charizard needs team support that is often not available on sun teams. All-out-attacking sets such as Life Orb are possible, though they struggle to differentiate themselves from other Fire-types such as Delphox or Houndoom, which can break their checks much more easily. Physical sets such as Dragon Dance with Supersonic Skystrike from Fly or Tectonic Rage from Earthquake are possible, but they struggle to break Charizard's typical Charizard answers such as Rhydon and often struggle with lacking lack power even once set up. The combination of Will-O-Wisp and Swords Dance on a bulkier set can work as a usable Fighting-resistant Pokemon, but it often struggles with its low bulk,(AC) which prevents preventing it from effectively walling NU's Fighting-types.


Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock**: The mere presence of Stealth Rock on the field heavily limits Charizard's opportunities to switch in, dealing 50% of its HP in damage every single time it comes in. Losing 50% of its HP forces Charizard to decide between attacking, setting up Sunny Day, or Roosting using Roost, and which limits its flexibility.

**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Turtonator, Guzzlord, and Sliggoo take very little from Charizard's Fire Blast or and Solar Beam,(AC) and can stall out Sunny Day,(AC) and threaten while threatening Charizard back with STAB Dragon-type attacks. Drampa is worth a particular mention, as it's ability Cloud Nine negates Sunny Day, and Roost gives it longevity. However, Turtonator, Drampa, and Guzzlord are threatened by possible coverage moves thanks to Turtonator's low Special Defense and Guzzlord's and Drampa's weaknesses to Focus Blast.

**Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Incineroar, Emboar, and Delphox take little from either Fire Blast or and Solar Beam and can threaten Charizard with coverage moves such as Darkest Lariat, Wild Charge, or and Psyshock. However, they do have to worry about possible coverage options from Charizard such as Focus Blast and Air Slash.

**Water-types**: Although they do take super effective damage from Charizard's Solar Beam, Pokemon such as Assault Vest Slowking can stall out sun turns and can tank at least one hit while forcing Charizard out if sun isn't up.

**Rock-types**: While NU's Rock-types cannot hope to take on Charizard when sun is up, once it is down they only fear a possible Focus Blast and threaten Charizard with super effective Rock-type moves. Lycanroc is worth a special mention here, as it can threaten Charizard with a KO even when sun is up with Accelrock.
GP 2/2
 

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