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Tired
[OVERVIEW]
Lugia's fantastic typing grants an immunity to Ground and resistances to Fighting- and Psychic-type moves, and its ability Multiscale makes it even better at taking hits, thus allowing it to check strong offensive threats such as Primal Groudon, Extreme Killer Arceus, Rayquaza, and Mega Blaziken. Lugia also has access to support moves like Toxic, Substitute, and Whirlwind, which makes up for its lack of offensive presence by letting it check popular setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon and even phaze Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch, and it can carry Ice-type coverage in Ice Beam that allows it to check threats such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza. A high-enough base Speed stat lets Lugia outspeed bulky threats such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon and Toxic stall them with the help of Roost and Substitute. However, poison makes Multiscale somewhat useless, as Lugia will always end up below 100% at the end of the turn, affecting its ability to absorb attacks. Lugia is also vulnerable to common Dark- and Ghost-types like Yveltal and Lunala, hurting its viability in the tier. Mega Gengar deserves a special mention, since it can trap Lugia, use Taunt on it, and proceed to KO it with a Ghost-type STAB move. Unfortunately, Lugia becomes dead weight against bulkier teams due to its lack of offensive presence, since it carries Ice Beam at best for an attacking move, and the presence of common Steel-types like Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Dialga on such teams makes Lugia a sitting duck. Lastly, Defog support from support Arceus formes and Giratina is a necessity for Lugia to function properly.
[SET]
name: The Wall
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Substitute / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Toxic lets Lugia cripple offensive threats and put them on a timer. Pairing this with Roost and Substitute allows Lugia to stall out foes like Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus formes. Lugia requires Roost to function as a wall, and it is chosen over Recover because it makes Lugia neutral to Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks, which often comes in handy when stalling out the threats mentioned. Whirlwind somewhat makes up for Lugia's lack of offensive presence, as it can phaze setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon, as well as Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch. Substitute makes it easier to stall out threats with Toxic and Roost, as it allows Lugia to avoid Toxic and Leech Seed while at least creating a stalemate situation with Mega Sableye. Ice Beam is an alternative that allows Lugia to hit Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C for heavy damage and OHKO Rayquaza.
Set Details
========
252 HP EVs give Lugia a HP value that is divisible by 16. This gives Lugia 25% health from Leftovers recovery every four turns, which in turn gives Lugia an extra chance to set up Substitute. This also means that using Substitute three consecutive turns followed by Roost will allow Lugia to go back to 100% HP, activating Multiscale again due to the passive recovery from Leftovers being rounded up. 160 EVs in Defense with a Bold nature give Lugia a chance to take strong physical hits such as a Shadow Claw from +2 Adamant Life Orb Extreme Killer Arceus, Stone Edge from +2 Arceus-Ground, and +1 Double-Edge from Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage. 96 EVs in Speed allow Lugia to outspeed maximum Speed neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon, making it easier to stall them out with Roost and Toxic. An alternative EV spread with 136 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed Jolly Mega Gyarados and Adamant Rayquaza so that Lugia can punish the former with Toxic before getting shut down by Taunt and stall the latter with the help of Substitute and Roost, helping teammates like Tentacruel and Mega Sableye stall them with Protect and Fake Out, respectively.
Usage Tips
========
Switch Lugia in on physical threats like Extreme Killer Arceus, Dual Dance Primal Groudon, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and use Toxic to put them on a timer, followed by Roost to stall out the foe. Be sure to keep Stealth Rock off the field with the help of Defog users like Giratina and support Arceus formes and Rapid Spin from Tentacruel. When Lugia is behind a Substitute or at full health, attempt to poison setup sweepers like Xerneas, Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Extreme Killer Arceus before they set up so that Lugia can easily stall them out with Roost. Watch out for opposing Substitute users, as they can become an issue in last-Pokemon scenarios and must be put on a timer with Toxic whenever the chance arises. Whirlwind should be used to phaze threats like Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, and Dual Dance Primal Groudon in case they've already set up, and Roost should be used to heal back up to full HP later on a weaker threat. Lugia should avoid getting paralyzed or poisoned at all costs, since once Multiscale is broken, Lugia becomes vulnerable to offensive threats. With the help of cleric support, cure Lugia of poison or paralysis, as status can make it difficult for Lugia to stall physical threats. Roost is to be used freely to make sure Lugia keeps Multiscale intact.
Team Options
========
Lugia needs anti-hazard support to function properly, making Defog users like Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Giratina-O valuable partners. Mega Sableye and Tentacruel also make for great options thanks to their access to Magic Bounce and Rapid Spin Tentacruel can even provide entry hazard support with Toxic Spikes. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn and Skarmory pair really well with Lugia, as they can form a Spikes + Whirlwind core that can slowly weaken the opposing team. Toxapex and Tentacruel can provide entry hazard support in Toxic Spikes. Status absorbers and clerics like Chansey, Blissey, and Clefable are appreciated, as they can switch into moves like Toxic and Glare that Lugia must avoid by any means. Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon, as well as the previously mentioned Arceus-Ground, Ferrothorn, and Tentacruel, are able to deal with the Steel-types that Lugia is unable to scratch. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar make for great teammates for Lugia, since they are able to Pursuit trap Mega Gengar and Lunala, which are huge threats to common Lugia teams. Zygarde-C pairs well with Lugia thanks to its resistance to Fire-type moves letting it check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, and it is also able to absorb status conditions thanks to Rest. Mega Gengar can act as a trapper and KO weakened threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Mega Salamence as well as defensive Steel-type threats such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor; in return, Lugia can badly poison physical threats such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, boosting the Base Power of Hex on them, which allows Mega Gengar to trap and KO them more easily.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragon Tail is a possible option over Whirlwind, as it does the same function of phazing while also doing damage to the foe. However, this stops Lugia from phazing threats such as Geomancy Xerneas and also has a slim chance to miss. Lugia can carry Psychic to hit threats such as Mega Lucario and Mega Gengar for more damage than Ice Beam; however, this doesn't help Lugia improve in its role. Aeroblast is another option for Lugia that lets it 2HKO Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Yveltal, Mega Gyarados, Mega Mewtwo X, and Mega Mewtwo Y are able to completely shut down Lugia and proceed to KO it with Dark-type STAB moves and Ice Beam.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Klefki, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor are immune to Toxic and can switch into any move Lugia can go for. Ferrothorn and Klefki can set up Spikes on Lugia, and all of them along with Mega Metagross and Mega Scizor can cripple it with Toxic.
**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can switch into a weak Ice Beam, proceed to go for Taunt, and KO Lugia. Thus, Lugia is helpless against Mega Gengar and requires support from Pursuit to keep it down.
**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye's ability, Magic Bounce, allows it to switch into any move Lugia can use, as Toxic and Whirlwind bounce back and Ice Beam does minuscule damage, putting a hard stop onto Lugia's path.
**Dark- and Ghost-types**: Dark- and Ghost-type threats such as Lunala, Arceus-Ghost, Arceus-Dark, Mega Tyranitar, and Darkrai are able to deal super effective damage to Lugia. Lunala can 2HKO Lugia with Moongeist Beam, Arceus-Dark, Darkrai, and Mega Tyranitar can 2HKO it with their respective STAB moves, and Arceus-Ghost can OHKO Lugia with Never-Ending Nightmare after damage from Stealth Rock.
**Status Users**: Pokemon that usually carry Toxic like Ho-Oh and support Arceus formes can cripple Lugia by breaking its Multiscale, which makes it hard for Lugia to absorb strong physical hits.
**Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas**: Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas cannot be phazed by Whirlwind and can use Lugia as setup fodder.
**Ice- and Electric-types**: Pokemon like Arceus-Ice and Arceus-Electric can go for Calm Mind on Lugia and proceed to 2HKO it with their respective STAB Judgment. Zekrom and Kyurem-W can proceed to 2HKO Lugia with Bolt Strike and Ice Beam, respectively, and Tapu Koko can use Taunt on it and proceed to go for Nature's Madness followed by Gigavolt Havoc to score a KO.
Lugia's fantastic typing grants an immunity to Ground and resistances to Fighting- and Psychic-type moves, and its ability Multiscale makes it even better at taking hits, thus allowing it to check strong offensive threats such as Primal Groudon, Extreme Killer Arceus, Rayquaza, and Mega Blaziken. Lugia also has access to support moves like Toxic, Substitute, and Whirlwind, which makes up for its lack of offensive presence by letting it check popular setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon and even phaze Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch, and it can carry Ice-type coverage in Ice Beam that allows it to check threats such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza. A high-enough base Speed stat lets Lugia outspeed bulky threats such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon and Toxic stall them with the help of Roost and Substitute. However, poison makes Multiscale somewhat useless, as Lugia will always end up below 100% at the end of the turn, affecting its ability to absorb attacks. Lugia is also vulnerable to common Dark- and Ghost-types like Yveltal and Lunala, hurting its viability in the tier. Mega Gengar deserves a special mention, since it can trap Lugia, use Taunt on it, and proceed to KO it with a Ghost-type STAB move. Unfortunately, Lugia becomes dead weight against bulkier teams due to its lack of offensive presence, since it carries Ice Beam at best for an attacking move, and the presence of common Steel-types like Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Dialga on such teams makes Lugia a sitting duck. Lastly, Defog support from support Arceus formes and Giratina is a necessity for Lugia to function properly.
[SET]
name: The Wall
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Substitute / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Toxic lets Lugia cripple offensive threats and put them on a timer. Pairing this with Roost and Substitute allows Lugia to stall out foes like Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus formes. Lugia requires Roost to function as a wall, and it is chosen over Recover because it makes Lugia neutral to Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks, which often comes in handy when stalling out the threats mentioned. Whirlwind somewhat makes up for Lugia's lack of offensive presence, as it can phaze setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon, as well as Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch. Substitute makes it easier to stall out threats with Toxic and Roost, as it allows Lugia to avoid Toxic and Leech Seed while at least creating a stalemate situation with Mega Sableye. Ice Beam is an alternative that allows Lugia to hit Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C for heavy damage and OHKO Rayquaza.
Set Details
========
252 HP EVs give Lugia a HP value that is divisible by 16. This gives Lugia 25% health from Leftovers recovery every four turns, which in turn gives Lugia an extra chance to set up Substitute. This also means that using Substitute three consecutive turns followed by Roost will allow Lugia to go back to 100% HP, activating Multiscale again due to the passive recovery from Leftovers being rounded up. 160 EVs in Defense with a Bold nature give Lugia a chance to take strong physical hits such as a Shadow Claw from +2 Adamant Life Orb Extreme Killer Arceus, Stone Edge from +2 Arceus-Ground, and +1 Double-Edge from Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage. 96 EVs in Speed allow Lugia to outspeed maximum Speed neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon, making it easier to stall them out with Roost and Toxic. An alternative EV spread with 136 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed Jolly Mega Gyarados and Adamant Rayquaza so that Lugia can punish the former with Toxic before getting shut down by Taunt and stall the latter with the help of Substitute and Roost, helping teammates like Tentacruel and Mega Sableye stall them with Protect and Fake Out, respectively.
Usage Tips
========
Switch Lugia in on physical threats like Extreme Killer Arceus, Dual Dance Primal Groudon, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and use Toxic to put them on a timer, followed by Roost to stall out the foe. Be sure to keep Stealth Rock off the field with the help of Defog users like Giratina and support Arceus formes and Rapid Spin from Tentacruel. When Lugia is behind a Substitute or at full health, attempt to poison setup sweepers like Xerneas, Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Extreme Killer Arceus before they set up so that Lugia can easily stall them out with Roost. Watch out for opposing Substitute users, as they can become an issue in last-Pokemon scenarios and must be put on a timer with Toxic whenever the chance arises. Whirlwind should be used to phaze threats like Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, and Dual Dance Primal Groudon in case they've already set up, and Roost should be used to heal back up to full HP later on a weaker threat. Lugia should avoid getting paralyzed or poisoned at all costs, since once Multiscale is broken, Lugia becomes vulnerable to offensive threats. With the help of cleric support, cure Lugia of poison or paralysis, as status can make it difficult for Lugia to stall physical threats. Roost is to be used freely to make sure Lugia keeps Multiscale intact.
Team Options
========
Lugia needs anti-hazard support to function properly, making Defog users like Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Giratina-O valuable partners. Mega Sableye and Tentacruel also make for great options thanks to their access to Magic Bounce and Rapid Spin Tentacruel can even provide entry hazard support with Toxic Spikes. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn and Skarmory pair really well with Lugia, as they can form a Spikes + Whirlwind core that can slowly weaken the opposing team. Toxapex and Tentacruel can provide entry hazard support in Toxic Spikes. Status absorbers and clerics like Chansey, Blissey, and Clefable are appreciated, as they can switch into moves like Toxic and Glare that Lugia must avoid by any means. Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon, as well as the previously mentioned Arceus-Ground, Ferrothorn, and Tentacruel, are able to deal with the Steel-types that Lugia is unable to scratch. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar make for great teammates for Lugia, since they are able to Pursuit trap Mega Gengar and Lunala, which are huge threats to common Lugia teams. Zygarde-C pairs well with Lugia thanks to its resistance to Fire-type moves letting it check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, and it is also able to absorb status conditions thanks to Rest. Mega Gengar can act as a trapper and KO weakened threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Mega Salamence as well as defensive Steel-type threats such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor; in return, Lugia can badly poison physical threats such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, boosting the Base Power of Hex on them, which allows Mega Gengar to trap and KO them more easily.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragon Tail is a possible option over Whirlwind, as it does the same function of phazing while also doing damage to the foe. However, this stops Lugia from phazing threats such as Geomancy Xerneas and also has a slim chance to miss. Lugia can carry Psychic to hit threats such as Mega Lucario and Mega Gengar for more damage than Ice Beam; however, this doesn't help Lugia improve in its role. Aeroblast is another option for Lugia that lets it 2HKO Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Yveltal, Mega Gyarados, Mega Mewtwo X, and Mega Mewtwo Y are able to completely shut down Lugia and proceed to KO it with Dark-type STAB moves and Ice Beam.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Klefki, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor are immune to Toxic and can switch into any move Lugia can go for. Ferrothorn and Klefki can set up Spikes on Lugia, and all of them along with Mega Metagross and Mega Scizor can cripple it with Toxic.
**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can switch into a weak Ice Beam, proceed to go for Taunt, and KO Lugia. Thus, Lugia is helpless against Mega Gengar and requires support from Pursuit to keep it down.
**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye's ability, Magic Bounce, allows it to switch into any move Lugia can use, as Toxic and Whirlwind bounce back and Ice Beam does minuscule damage, putting a hard stop onto Lugia's path.
**Dark- and Ghost-types**: Dark- and Ghost-type threats such as Lunala, Arceus-Ghost, Arceus-Dark, Mega Tyranitar, and Darkrai are able to deal super effective damage to Lugia. Lunala can 2HKO Lugia with Moongeist Beam, Arceus-Dark, Darkrai, and Mega Tyranitar can 2HKO it with their respective STAB moves, and Arceus-Ghost can OHKO Lugia with Never-Ending Nightmare after damage from Stealth Rock.
**Status Users**: Pokemon that usually carry Toxic like Ho-Oh and support Arceus formes can cripple Lugia by breaking its Multiscale, which makes it hard for Lugia to absorb strong physical hits.
**Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas**: Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas cannot be phazed by Whirlwind and can use Lugia as setup fodder.
**Ice- and Electric-types**: Pokemon like Arceus-Ice and Arceus-Electric can go for Calm Mind on Lugia and proceed to 2HKO it with their respective STAB Judgment. Zekrom and Kyurem-W can proceed to 2HKO Lugia with Bolt Strike and Ice Beam, respectively, and Tapu Koko can use Taunt on it and proceed to go for Nature's Madness followed by Gigavolt Havoc to score a KO.
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