Namranan
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[OVERVIEW]
Ghost
========
Hoopa's high Special Attack, low Speed, and access to Trick Room allow it to act as a wallbreaker and dismantle opposing teams as a functional member of the niche Trick Room Ghost archetype. Hoopa's additional Psychic typing allows Ghost teams to threaten bulky Poison-types like Toxapex and Mega Venusaur. Along with its decent STAB moves in Shadow Ball and Psychic, other coverage moves like Thunderbolt and Focus Blast improve Hoopa's overall coverage, hitting Pokemon like Mandibuzz, Gyarados, and Hydreigon. While Hoopa's abysmal physical bulk leaves it susceptible to strong priority moves like Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch even inside Trick Room, its outstanding Special Defense allows it to find setup opportunities in front of common special attackers like Keldeo, Rotom-W, and Tapu Koko. However, its typing also is its greatest weakness, as Hoopa is 4x weak to Dark- and Ghost-type moves. This means that it is weak to commonly used moves like Knock Off, Shadow Ball, Shadow Sneak, and Dark Pulse, which also makes it harder for it to find opportunities to set up. This also means that Hoopa is extremely susceptible to getting Pursuit trapped by opposing Pokemon. Hoopa also does not fit onto any other archetype of Ghost, as its low Speed leaves it outclassed by faster special attackers such as Blacephalon and Gengar when not used on Trick Room.
[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker (Ghost)
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Focus Blast / Thunderbolt
item: Life Orb
ability: Magician
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Trick Room allows Hoopa to utilize its low Speed to dismantle fast offensive teams and support its slower teammates. Psychic is Hoopa's primary STAB move, which hits Poison- and Fighting-types such as Mega Venusaur, Keldeo, Kommo-o, and Toxapex super effectively. Shadow Ball is Hoopa's main Ghost-type STAB move that hits Psychic-type Pokemon such as Jirachi and Slowbro and other Ghost-types like Blacephalon. Thunderbolt can be useful coverage against Water- and Flying-type Pokemon like Greninja, Mantine, Celesteela, and Mandibuzz. Focus Blast is also helpful to help deal with Dark- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Excadrill, and Heatran.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP investment is used to maximize Hoopa's survivability in battle. Life Orb along with maximum Special Attack investment and a Quiet nature maximizes Hoopa's total damage output. A Quiet nature also slows down Hoopa even more to make it faster under Trick Room.
Usage Tips
========
Due to Hoopa working best under Trick Room, it must either come in while Trick Room is active or set it up itself on a predicted switch against a slow wall like Toxapex. It should be noted that Hoopa's Special Defense stat is very good, so use this to your advantage in front of common special attackers like Latios, non-Dark Pulse Greninja, and Thundurus-T to set up Trick Room. Be wary of known Pursuit users like Mega Aerodactyl during the match. This is because due to Hoopa's typing and lack of bulk, it will almost always be OHKOed by an opposing Pursuit user, sometimes even if it stays in. Try to refrain from letting those Pokemon, as well as physical attackers in general, switch into Hoopa, as it will be forced out and causes you to make a hard switch. Refrain from taking chip damage, as it will make it harder for Hoopa to be usable in the match, since it needs to be healthy to try and set up Trick Room. Avoid getting affected by any status condition, as it will hinder Hoopa's ability to be useful in the match, whether it be through the chip damage that being poisoned or burned provides or the potential stun chance from paralysis.
Team Options
========
Golurk is important for all Trick Room Ghost teams, as it can effectively use its powerful Dynamic Punch to scare off most opposing Dark-types and sets Stealth Rock, which can chip down the opposition. Cofagrigus is an excellent partner for Hoopa due to it also being a Trick Room setter and having an easier time setting it up thanks to its superior bulk. It can also support Hoopa by using Z-Memento under Trick Room so that Hoopa can come in for free and wreak havoc with full HP. Alolan Marowak is also a solid teammate on Trick Room Ghost due to its ability to wallbreak with ease thanks to Swords Dance and its Thick Club, allowing it to break past many walls that Hoopa struggles with, such as Chansey and Alolan Muk after a Swords Dance. Hoopa supports Alolan Marowak by providing another Trick Room setter. Mega Sableye is able to support Hoopa by reflecting any incoming status moves and entry hazards that may be directed towards it thanks to its Magic Bounce ability. Aside from that, it can also take hits from most Ghost- and Dark-type moves for it thanks to its bulk and further support Hoopa by crippling opposing Pokemon with Will-O-Wisp or removing their item with Knock Off. Mimikyu is able to take down Dark-type threats to Hoopa such as Alolan Muk and Tyranitar, as well as be a good assisting wallbreaker thanks to its access to Swords Dance and a Z-Move. On Trick Room teams, Mimikyu is also a good Trick Room setter for the type, which is helpful for Hoopa and the other Pokemon that can take advantage of Trick Room. Gengar and Blacephalon both help keep faster foes in check outside of Trick Room that can pick off fast threats to Hoopa such as Choice Scarf Excadrill and Choice Scarf Landorus-T. Gengar specifically helps more with Fairy-types like Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu, while Blacephelon helps more with Steel-types like Mega Scizor.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ghost
--------
Hoopa does not have any other viable options.
Checks and Counters
===================
Ghost
--------
**Pursuit**: Mega Aerodactyl, Krookodile, and Heracross all threaten Hoopa with their access to Pursuit, shutting it down outside of Trick Room due to its poor bulk and disadvantageous typing.
**Ghost- and Dark-types**: Pokemon like Tyranitar, Alolan Muk, and Decidueye all threaten Hoopa with their STAB moves and can outspeed it due to Hoopa being very slow.
**Physical Attackers**: Many common physical attackers such as Excadrill, Tapu Bulu, and Landorus-T, can easily overwhelm Hoopa offensively due to its abysmal Defense.
**Priority**: Pokemon like Mega Scizor, Azumarill, and Mimikyu can all use their strong priority moves in Bullet Punch, Aqua Jet, and Shadow Sneak to threaten Hoopa due to its poor physical bulk even inside of Trick Room.
**Setup Sweepers**: Due to the lack of a boosting move, some setup sweepers like Mega Scizor can ignore Hoopa's offensive attempts and proceed to use it as setup bait.
**Status**: Any status ailment from Pokemon like Toxapex, Celesteela, Mega Sabeleye, and Chansey can lead to Hoopa's demise very easily due to its lack of recovery and general frailty. Being poisoned or burned causes too much chip damage and the stun chance that paralysis can cause can be devastating if Hoopa is trying to sweep in Trick Room and gets stunned.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Namranan, 353292]]
- Poison analysis by: [[Namranan, 353292]]
- Quality checked by: [[<Misaka Mikoto>, <240969>], [<Maroon>, <305839>], [<Decem>, <362454>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<deetah>, <297659>], [<The Dutch Plumberjack>, <232216>]]
Ghost
========
Hoopa's high Special Attack, low Speed, and access to Trick Room allow it to act as a wallbreaker and dismantle opposing teams as a functional member of the niche Trick Room Ghost archetype. Hoopa's additional Psychic typing allows Ghost teams to threaten bulky Poison-types like Toxapex and Mega Venusaur. Along with its decent STAB moves in Shadow Ball and Psychic, other coverage moves like Thunderbolt and Focus Blast improve Hoopa's overall coverage, hitting Pokemon like Mandibuzz, Gyarados, and Hydreigon. While Hoopa's abysmal physical bulk leaves it susceptible to strong priority moves like Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch even inside Trick Room, its outstanding Special Defense allows it to find setup opportunities in front of common special attackers like Keldeo, Rotom-W, and Tapu Koko. However, its typing also is its greatest weakness, as Hoopa is 4x weak to Dark- and Ghost-type moves. This means that it is weak to commonly used moves like Knock Off, Shadow Ball, Shadow Sneak, and Dark Pulse, which also makes it harder for it to find opportunities to set up. This also means that Hoopa is extremely susceptible to getting Pursuit trapped by opposing Pokemon. Hoopa also does not fit onto any other archetype of Ghost, as its low Speed leaves it outclassed by faster special attackers such as Blacephalon and Gengar when not used on Trick Room.
[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker (Ghost)
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Focus Blast / Thunderbolt
item: Life Orb
ability: Magician
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Trick Room allows Hoopa to utilize its low Speed to dismantle fast offensive teams and support its slower teammates. Psychic is Hoopa's primary STAB move, which hits Poison- and Fighting-types such as Mega Venusaur, Keldeo, Kommo-o, and Toxapex super effectively. Shadow Ball is Hoopa's main Ghost-type STAB move that hits Psychic-type Pokemon such as Jirachi and Slowbro and other Ghost-types like Blacephalon. Thunderbolt can be useful coverage against Water- and Flying-type Pokemon like Greninja, Mantine, Celesteela, and Mandibuzz. Focus Blast is also helpful to help deal with Dark- and Steel-type Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Excadrill, and Heatran.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP investment is used to maximize Hoopa's survivability in battle. Life Orb along with maximum Special Attack investment and a Quiet nature maximizes Hoopa's total damage output. A Quiet nature also slows down Hoopa even more to make it faster under Trick Room.
Usage Tips
========
Due to Hoopa working best under Trick Room, it must either come in while Trick Room is active or set it up itself on a predicted switch against a slow wall like Toxapex. It should be noted that Hoopa's Special Defense stat is very good, so use this to your advantage in front of common special attackers like Latios, non-Dark Pulse Greninja, and Thundurus-T to set up Trick Room. Be wary of known Pursuit users like Mega Aerodactyl during the match. This is because due to Hoopa's typing and lack of bulk, it will almost always be OHKOed by an opposing Pursuit user, sometimes even if it stays in. Try to refrain from letting those Pokemon, as well as physical attackers in general, switch into Hoopa, as it will be forced out and causes you to make a hard switch. Refrain from taking chip damage, as it will make it harder for Hoopa to be usable in the match, since it needs to be healthy to try and set up Trick Room. Avoid getting affected by any status condition, as it will hinder Hoopa's ability to be useful in the match, whether it be through the chip damage that being poisoned or burned provides or the potential stun chance from paralysis.
Team Options
========
Golurk is important for all Trick Room Ghost teams, as it can effectively use its powerful Dynamic Punch to scare off most opposing Dark-types and sets Stealth Rock, which can chip down the opposition. Cofagrigus is an excellent partner for Hoopa due to it also being a Trick Room setter and having an easier time setting it up thanks to its superior bulk. It can also support Hoopa by using Z-Memento under Trick Room so that Hoopa can come in for free and wreak havoc with full HP. Alolan Marowak is also a solid teammate on Trick Room Ghost due to its ability to wallbreak with ease thanks to Swords Dance and its Thick Club, allowing it to break past many walls that Hoopa struggles with, such as Chansey and Alolan Muk after a Swords Dance. Hoopa supports Alolan Marowak by providing another Trick Room setter. Mega Sableye is able to support Hoopa by reflecting any incoming status moves and entry hazards that may be directed towards it thanks to its Magic Bounce ability. Aside from that, it can also take hits from most Ghost- and Dark-type moves for it thanks to its bulk and further support Hoopa by crippling opposing Pokemon with Will-O-Wisp or removing their item with Knock Off. Mimikyu is able to take down Dark-type threats to Hoopa such as Alolan Muk and Tyranitar, as well as be a good assisting wallbreaker thanks to its access to Swords Dance and a Z-Move. On Trick Room teams, Mimikyu is also a good Trick Room setter for the type, which is helpful for Hoopa and the other Pokemon that can take advantage of Trick Room. Gengar and Blacephalon both help keep faster foes in check outside of Trick Room that can pick off fast threats to Hoopa such as Choice Scarf Excadrill and Choice Scarf Landorus-T. Gengar specifically helps more with Fairy-types like Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu, while Blacephelon helps more with Steel-types like Mega Scizor.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ghost
--------
Hoopa does not have any other viable options.
Checks and Counters
===================
Ghost
--------
**Pursuit**: Mega Aerodactyl, Krookodile, and Heracross all threaten Hoopa with their access to Pursuit, shutting it down outside of Trick Room due to its poor bulk and disadvantageous typing.
**Ghost- and Dark-types**: Pokemon like Tyranitar, Alolan Muk, and Decidueye all threaten Hoopa with their STAB moves and can outspeed it due to Hoopa being very slow.
**Physical Attackers**: Many common physical attackers such as Excadrill, Tapu Bulu, and Landorus-T, can easily overwhelm Hoopa offensively due to its abysmal Defense.
**Priority**: Pokemon like Mega Scizor, Azumarill, and Mimikyu can all use their strong priority moves in Bullet Punch, Aqua Jet, and Shadow Sneak to threaten Hoopa due to its poor physical bulk even inside of Trick Room.
**Setup Sweepers**: Due to the lack of a boosting move, some setup sweepers like Mega Scizor can ignore Hoopa's offensive attempts and proceed to use it as setup bait.
**Status**: Any status ailment from Pokemon like Toxapex, Celesteela, Mega Sabeleye, and Chansey can lead to Hoopa's demise very easily due to its lack of recovery and general frailty. Being poisoned or burned causes too much chip damage and the stun chance that paralysis can cause can be devastating if Hoopa is trying to sweep in Trick Room and gets stunned.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Namranan, 353292]]
- Poison analysis by: [[Namranan, 353292]]
- Quality checked by: [[<Misaka Mikoto>, <240969>], [<Maroon>, <305839>], [<Decem>, <362454>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<deetah>, <297659>], [<The Dutch Plumberjack>, <232216>]]
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