talkingtree
large if factual
[OVERVIEW]
Incineroar is one of the mostly widely useful Pokemon in Doubles, as its unique access to the combination of Intimidate, Fake Out, and U-turn aids every team in the difficult task of maintaining a positive board position. Aside from its perks in momentum management, Incineroar does well both offensively and defensively due to a solid typing and set of stats that allow it to take on prominent threats like Mega Gengar, Mega Metagross, Tapu Bulu, and Amoonguss relatively safely. Its utility, which is further augmented by access to Knock Off, ensures that Incineroar will almost never be dead weight, as the ability to pivot, lower Attack, and remove items can always come in handy. This constant and assured utility leads Incineroar to fit easily onto most teams and team styles. However, Incineroar can be slightly passive against Fire-resistant or bulky targets like Zygarde, Tapu Fini, and Landorus-T due to its low Speed and not especially notable Attack; the former trait also makes Incineroar prone to being worn down over the course of the match, especially when paired with its weakness to Stealth Rock and inability to fit Protect on most movesets.
[SET]
name: Utility Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Figy Berry / Assault Vest
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant / Brave
evs: 252 HP / 112 Atk / 16 Def / 116 SpD / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out offers Incineroar's teammates a turn of safety from a threat, allowing them to safely boost or set up speed control rather than having to use Protect. Flare Blitz acts as Incineroar's primary method of dealing damage, and it is useful due to Incineroar's decent Attack stat despite the recoil damage it inflicts. Knock Off mainly operates as a method to remove items from the opposition, though it also hits fairly hard due to the STAB boost. U-turn provides Incineroar the ability to pivot out of mediocre matchups and maintain momentum, also offering its teammates a safer switch.
Set Details
========
Intimidate is crucial to Incineroar's success in Doubles, weakening incoming attacks and keeping Incineroar useful throughout the game. With the given EV spread, Incineroar is guaranteed to take two Stomping Tantrums from -1 Mega Metagross or a Thunderbolt-based Gigavolt Havoc from Tapu Koko. 12 EVs in Speed are used so that Incineroar will move before uninvested Celesteela, with the remainder used to boost Incineroar's Attack. Assault Vest sets should use an alternate spread of 252 HP / 204 Atk / 16 Def / 24 SpD / 12 Spe; this retains the previously mentioned Defense and Speed benchmarks while ensuring Incineroar's survival of two Life Orb-boosted Thunderbolts from Tapu Koko. The Speed investment on Incineroar is flexible; some teams with Tailwind support may use 80 EVs in Speed to allow Incineroar to outpace Mega Metagross in Tailwind, while Trick Room support could indicate that Incineroar will operate better with a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs. Any time the Speed is adjusted, EVs should be taken from or moved into Attack to retain the bulk benchmarks.
Usage Tips
========
Incineroar works as a fantastic lead by providing a free initial turn with Fake Out and weakening incoming attacks; U-turn improves on this even more by enabling it to fix any potential poor matchup and keep the pressure on. Knock Off is a fantastic move to use a majority of the time, as even targets that will take little damage from the move won't appreciate their items being removed. However, if Incineroar really needs to do damage or take something out, Flare Blitz is far more reliable, as Knock Off can be fairly weak against targets carrying a Mega Stone or Z-Crystal. Keep Incineroar's teammates healthier by switching out primarily with U-turn, but you can switch directly to avoid letting Incineroar take unneeded damage if that could put you in a poor spot later in the game. Even if Incineroar is unable to damage most of the opponent's remaining team, don't undervalue the support it provides for late-game positioning in the form of Intimidate, Fake Out, item removal, and pivoting. If Stealth Rock has been set on your side of the field, avoid sending Incineroar onto the field too much, as that will cut into its longevity.
Team Options
========
Nearly every team can benefit from Incineroar's positive matchups and support; however, some teammates have notable synergy with it. Setup Pokemon such as Dragon Dance Zygarde, Clangorous Soulblaze Kommo-o, and Trick Room Stakataka seize free turns provided by Fake Out especially well. Frailer teammates greatly appreciate the safer switches through U-turn and weakening of incoming attacks with Intimidate, so Mega Gengar, Deoxys-A, Kartana, and Mega Gardevoir are solid options. Diancie, Kyurem-B, and any other Pokemon that struggle to break through Steel-types tend to benefit most from Incineroar's positive matchups. Water-types like Volcanion, Tapu Fini, and Suicune are best handled by a teammate, making Tapu Koko, Tapu Bulu, or Zapdos quite useful.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Protect offers significant benefits on most every moveset, so Incineroar may opt to use it in place of U-turn to capitalize on its usual merits as well as the potential surprise factor of carrying Protect on a Pokemon that rarely uses it. U-turn may also be dropped in favor of another utility move like Roar, Taunt, or Snarl, but this support is typically best left to teammates. Incineroar's signature Z-Move, Malicious Moonsault, is somewhat appealing for the OHKO on Bronzong, Gothitelle, Mega Gengar, and Mega Metagross. Its base move, Darkest Lariat, is also slightly stronger than Knock Off against Mega Evolutions and Z-Move users, though Incineroar would usually rather have Knock Off's utility. Low Kick is usable on teams that struggle to beat Tyranitar and Stakataka.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Water-types in Doubles tend to be bulky, so they can all take hits from Incineroar quite well and retaliate with STAB attacks. Milotic also has Competitive, which lets it benefit from Incineroar's Intimidate by boosting up. Volcanion can run a Substitute set with a Z-Move, which will leave Incineroar as setup bait, as Knock Off won't break its Substitute. Tapu Fini resists both Incineroar's STAB attacks and will be found on many teams. Politoed and Pelipper stand out as answers due to their summoned rain weakening Incineroar's Flare Blitz against all targets. Suicune's Inner Focus lets it ignore Fake Out and set Tailwind or hit Incineroar with a super effective Scald.
**Ground-types**: Landorus-T and Zygarde are two prominent threats in Doubles, and their Ground-type STAB attacks, especially a potential Tectonic Rage, sharply cut into Incineroar's health. Zygarde even has the bonus of resisting Flare Blitz, as does Mega Camerupt, which can hit Incineroar really hard with Sheer Force-boosted Earth Power.
**Rock-types**: Tyranitar and Mega Tyranitar resist all Incineroar's attacks aside from the relatively weak U-turn and hit it hard with Stone Edge or Rock Slide. Diancie resists all Incineroar's attacks and has Clear Body to protect it from Intimidate, so its Diamond Storm will always hit at full power.
**Kommo-o**: Kommo-o takes little from any of Incineroar's attacks and uses it to set up with Clangorous Soulblaze. Some sets also carry Close Combat, which will severely dent or KO Incineroar, especially when boosted.
**Intimidate**: Though dealing damage isn't Incineroar's main job, Intimidate users including Landorus-T, Scrafty, and even opposing Incineroar can be troublesome if it needs to remove a threat. Scrafty is especially notable for also being able to hit Incineroar with a Fighting-type STAB move.
**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock cuts into Incineroar's ability to enter the field; losing a quarter of its health is hugely detrimental to its role as a bulky pivot.
[CREDITS]
Written by: [[talkingtree, 232101]]
Quality checked by: [[Memoric, 215000], [n10sit, 267148]
Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [frenzyplant, 185509]]
Incineroar is one of the mostly widely useful Pokemon in Doubles, as its unique access to the combination of Intimidate, Fake Out, and U-turn aids every team in the difficult task of maintaining a positive board position. Aside from its perks in momentum management, Incineroar does well both offensively and defensively due to a solid typing and set of stats that allow it to take on prominent threats like Mega Gengar, Mega Metagross, Tapu Bulu, and Amoonguss relatively safely. Its utility, which is further augmented by access to Knock Off, ensures that Incineroar will almost never be dead weight, as the ability to pivot, lower Attack, and remove items can always come in handy. This constant and assured utility leads Incineroar to fit easily onto most teams and team styles. However, Incineroar can be slightly passive against Fire-resistant or bulky targets like Zygarde, Tapu Fini, and Landorus-T due to its low Speed and not especially notable Attack; the former trait also makes Incineroar prone to being worn down over the course of the match, especially when paired with its weakness to Stealth Rock and inability to fit Protect on most movesets.
[SET]
name: Utility Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Figy Berry / Assault Vest
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant / Brave
evs: 252 HP / 112 Atk / 16 Def / 116 SpD / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out offers Incineroar's teammates a turn of safety from a threat, allowing them to safely boost or set up speed control rather than having to use Protect. Flare Blitz acts as Incineroar's primary method of dealing damage, and it is useful due to Incineroar's decent Attack stat despite the recoil damage it inflicts. Knock Off mainly operates as a method to remove items from the opposition, though it also hits fairly hard due to the STAB boost. U-turn provides Incineroar the ability to pivot out of mediocre matchups and maintain momentum, also offering its teammates a safer switch.
Set Details
========
Intimidate is crucial to Incineroar's success in Doubles, weakening incoming attacks and keeping Incineroar useful throughout the game. With the given EV spread, Incineroar is guaranteed to take two Stomping Tantrums from -1 Mega Metagross or a Thunderbolt-based Gigavolt Havoc from Tapu Koko. 12 EVs in Speed are used so that Incineroar will move before uninvested Celesteela, with the remainder used to boost Incineroar's Attack. Assault Vest sets should use an alternate spread of 252 HP / 204 Atk / 16 Def / 24 SpD / 12 Spe; this retains the previously mentioned Defense and Speed benchmarks while ensuring Incineroar's survival of two Life Orb-boosted Thunderbolts from Tapu Koko. The Speed investment on Incineroar is flexible; some teams with Tailwind support may use 80 EVs in Speed to allow Incineroar to outpace Mega Metagross in Tailwind, while Trick Room support could indicate that Incineroar will operate better with a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs. Any time the Speed is adjusted, EVs should be taken from or moved into Attack to retain the bulk benchmarks.
Usage Tips
========
Incineroar works as a fantastic lead by providing a free initial turn with Fake Out and weakening incoming attacks; U-turn improves on this even more by enabling it to fix any potential poor matchup and keep the pressure on. Knock Off is a fantastic move to use a majority of the time, as even targets that will take little damage from the move won't appreciate their items being removed. However, if Incineroar really needs to do damage or take something out, Flare Blitz is far more reliable, as Knock Off can be fairly weak against targets carrying a Mega Stone or Z-Crystal. Keep Incineroar's teammates healthier by switching out primarily with U-turn, but you can switch directly to avoid letting Incineroar take unneeded damage if that could put you in a poor spot later in the game. Even if Incineroar is unable to damage most of the opponent's remaining team, don't undervalue the support it provides for late-game positioning in the form of Intimidate, Fake Out, item removal, and pivoting. If Stealth Rock has been set on your side of the field, avoid sending Incineroar onto the field too much, as that will cut into its longevity.
Team Options
========
Nearly every team can benefit from Incineroar's positive matchups and support; however, some teammates have notable synergy with it. Setup Pokemon such as Dragon Dance Zygarde, Clangorous Soulblaze Kommo-o, and Trick Room Stakataka seize free turns provided by Fake Out especially well. Frailer teammates greatly appreciate the safer switches through U-turn and weakening of incoming attacks with Intimidate, so Mega Gengar, Deoxys-A, Kartana, and Mega Gardevoir are solid options. Diancie, Kyurem-B, and any other Pokemon that struggle to break through Steel-types tend to benefit most from Incineroar's positive matchups. Water-types like Volcanion, Tapu Fini, and Suicune are best handled by a teammate, making Tapu Koko, Tapu Bulu, or Zapdos quite useful.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Protect offers significant benefits on most every moveset, so Incineroar may opt to use it in place of U-turn to capitalize on its usual merits as well as the potential surprise factor of carrying Protect on a Pokemon that rarely uses it. U-turn may also be dropped in favor of another utility move like Roar, Taunt, or Snarl, but this support is typically best left to teammates. Incineroar's signature Z-Move, Malicious Moonsault, is somewhat appealing for the OHKO on Bronzong, Gothitelle, Mega Gengar, and Mega Metagross. Its base move, Darkest Lariat, is also slightly stronger than Knock Off against Mega Evolutions and Z-Move users, though Incineroar would usually rather have Knock Off's utility. Low Kick is usable on teams that struggle to beat Tyranitar and Stakataka.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Water-types in Doubles tend to be bulky, so they can all take hits from Incineroar quite well and retaliate with STAB attacks. Milotic also has Competitive, which lets it benefit from Incineroar's Intimidate by boosting up. Volcanion can run a Substitute set with a Z-Move, which will leave Incineroar as setup bait, as Knock Off won't break its Substitute. Tapu Fini resists both Incineroar's STAB attacks and will be found on many teams. Politoed and Pelipper stand out as answers due to their summoned rain weakening Incineroar's Flare Blitz against all targets. Suicune's Inner Focus lets it ignore Fake Out and set Tailwind or hit Incineroar with a super effective Scald.
**Ground-types**: Landorus-T and Zygarde are two prominent threats in Doubles, and their Ground-type STAB attacks, especially a potential Tectonic Rage, sharply cut into Incineroar's health. Zygarde even has the bonus of resisting Flare Blitz, as does Mega Camerupt, which can hit Incineroar really hard with Sheer Force-boosted Earth Power.
**Rock-types**: Tyranitar and Mega Tyranitar resist all Incineroar's attacks aside from the relatively weak U-turn and hit it hard with Stone Edge or Rock Slide. Diancie resists all Incineroar's attacks and has Clear Body to protect it from Intimidate, so its Diamond Storm will always hit at full power.
**Kommo-o**: Kommo-o takes little from any of Incineroar's attacks and uses it to set up with Clangorous Soulblaze. Some sets also carry Close Combat, which will severely dent or KO Incineroar, especially when boosted.
**Intimidate**: Though dealing damage isn't Incineroar's main job, Intimidate users including Landorus-T, Scrafty, and even opposing Incineroar can be troublesome if it needs to remove a threat. Scrafty is especially notable for also being able to hit Incineroar with a Fighting-type STAB move.
**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock cuts into Incineroar's ability to enter the field; losing a quarter of its health is hugely detrimental to its role as a bulky pivot.
[CREDITS]
Written by: [[talkingtree, 232101]]
Quality checked by: [[Memoric, 215000], [n10sit, 267148]
Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [frenzyplant, 185509]]
Last edited: