Milotic has good bulk and a good defensive Water typing that renders most attacks neutral, offering its team a defensive backbone and a good switch-in to sponge most attacks. Its access to a good range of supportive moves like Icy Wind and Scald alongside reliable recovery is also noteworthy, making Milotic a good utility Pokemon with longevity. In addition, its ability Competitive allows it to check Intimidate users like Landorus-T and Salamence, which are extremely common. On the other hand, it has a rather mediocre Speed stat of 81 and underwhelming Special Attack, making it, without a Competitive boost, lack the offensive presence other Water-types like Tapu Fini and Volcanion have. This is also made worse by the fact that Milotic has a poor offensive movepool and no STAB type other than Water.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Icy Wind / Ice Beam
move 3: Recover
move 4: Protect
item: Psychic Seed / Maranga Berry / Leftovers
ability: Competitive
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald is Milotic's primary STAB attack and source of damage, with the added possibility to inflict burns, allowing it to take physical hits better and cripple physical threats. Icy Wind is used mainly for speed control on both targets, helping Milotic's partner to outspeed threats it normally would not. Ice Beam may be used if there is preference for a more offensive attack to hit Flying- and Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tapu Bulu, and Mega Salamence much harder. Being a supportive Pokemon with access to recovery is great, since Recover gives Milotic longevity and helps it carry out its role of switching in and crippling opposing Pokemon. Last but not least, Protect allows Milotic to stall out Terrains, Tailwind, Trick Room, and sun and is used to protect Milotic from being targeted while its partner clears threats on the field. Haze can also be used if the team struggles with setup Pokemon, but dropping Ice Beam makes it hard for Milotic to make its presence felt, since it can't really do much if it doesn't get a boost.
Set Details
========
Using maximum HP and Defense gives Milotic good physical bulk to complement its high natural special bulk with Psychic Seed or Maranga Berry. Competitive gives Milotic a niche in the Doubles metagame, as it allows it to check Intimidate users by deterring Intimidate switch-ins and to even become a threat of its own after a boost, making up for its lackluster offensive presence. Finally, whether to use Maranga Berry or Psychic Seed for an item depends on if you have a Tapu Lele on your team, which is recommended, while Leftovers is an option to provide more general sustain longevity. Psychic Seed also avoids risking Milotic being hit by a strong special move to activate Maranga Berry.
Usage Tips
========
Milotic is usually sent out if you think the opponent will send out an Intimidate user or if you predict a switch to one. Competitive is a nice boost when it happens, but it isn't worth going out of your way to force it. It's also to be kept in mind that Pokemon switch order also depends on speed, so avoid switching in Milotic if your Pokemon is slower than the foe, as Intimidate would have already been activated. Similarly, Milotic's presence on the field can be used for the opposite effect, which is discouraging the foe from sending out Intimidate Pokemon in order to avoid triggering Competitive and making Milotic a bigger threat. It's also smart to switch in Milotic in case you predict a stat-lowering move such as Snarl or Icy Wind, since Milotic generally doesn't mind them and appreciates getting the Competitive boost in return. While out on the field, Milotic's job consists mostly of supporting its teammates by lowering opposing Pokemon's Speed with Icy Wind or by attempting to cripple physical threats with a Scald burn. This is facilitated by Milotic's good bulk and typing, which allow it to take hits fairly well and make it generally a good switch-in option, and it can also activate Psychic Seed on a switch to take a hit even better. It should be kept in mind that Maranga Berry and Psychic Seed are one-time-use items, so use them wisely. Lastly, preserving Milotic is important because it usually requires being healthy to perform its sponging role, so finding the opportunity to safely recover is crucial.
Team Options
========
Thanks yet again to Competitive, most physical attackers appreciate having Milotic on their team and out on the field, since it greatly discourages opponents from sending out Intimidate Pokemon, notably Landorus-T and Salamence. This makes Milotic a great teammate for Pokemon that are bothered by Intimidate more than they should be, such as Tapu Bulu, which relies on its naturally high base Attack to do damage considering its poor offensive typing. Zygarde is another notable example, as it suffers from an already low Attack stat further aggravated by the spread reduction on its main move Thousand Arrows, making Intimidate really harmful to it, especially with how it neutralizes a potential Dragon Dance. If using Icy Wind support, offensive Pokemon that lack high Speed such as Hydreigon, Tapu Lele, and Heatran become able to outspeed and KO opposing threats after the Speed drop on both targets. Due to the lack of offensive pressure it exerts, Milotic has little way to play around its offensive threats and thus relies on its teammates to do so. Pokemon like Heatran and Landorus-T make good teammates in this regard due to their ability to check common offensive Grass- and Electric-types, respectively. Another particular partner is Tapu Lele, since Psychic Seed is usually the optimal item on Milotic and is less risky than Maranga Berry. On the other hand, Milotic's passiveness makes it setup bait for Pokemon like Tapu Fini, which can ignore Milotic to a certain degree, making teammates that deter setup, such as the aforementioned Tapu Lele with Taunt, appreciated partners.
[SET]
name: Coil
move 1: Scald / Hydro Pump
move 2: Coil
move 3: Hypnosis
move 4: Recover
item: Psychic Seed
ability: Competitive
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 88 SpD / 64 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald is Milotic's only attack on this set, as it's more focused on setting up and winning passively. Hydro Pump is an alternative that offers more damage if you want Milotic to be less passive, with the benefit of having full accuracy after a Coil boost. Coil raises Milotic's Defense, which helps it become monstrously bulky after setting up and hard to take down once its checks are down. With two or more accuracy boosts from Coil, Hypnosis becomes 100% accurate, allowing Milotic to offer even greater amounts of support by putting key opposing threats to sleep so that it can further set up or enable partners to do work. Lastly, Recover helps ensure Milotic's longevity after setting up and makes it very difficult to remove from the field.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP investment with 88 Special Defense EVs allows Milotic to take three Psychics or a Shattered Psyche + Psychic from Modest Tapu Lele in Psychic Terrain after the Psychic Seed boost, and 104 Defense EVs allow it to survive two Double-Edges from Mega Salamence provided Milotic has a Coil boost. Lastly, 64 Speed EVs allow Milotic to outspeed most slow Tapu Fini sets. It's good to keep in mind that having Psychic Seed allows Milotic to cover its special bulk, while Competitive grants it some semblance of an offensive presence in some situations, which could get Milotic to function independently as a threat alongside its supportive functions.
Usage Tips
========
A key element to keep in mind is that the goal of this set isn't setting up to the fullest, but rather putting Pokemon to sleep while being tanky enough to stay on the field, allowing its more offensive allies to break the opposing team. When using this set, it's preferable to start setting up after its checks are taken out, since the point is becoming too tanky to be taken down by the rest of the team. Setting up can also be done if both Pokemon on the opposing side of the field don't do much to Milotic, such as Heatran. Remember the fact that you can't put a Pokemon to sleep if it's been burned and vice versa, so think about what benefits your team most instead of mindlessly spreading status. Hydro Pump is a valid option because Milotic still can take advantage of Competitive and Coil's accuracy boosts to become not only a defensive threat but an offensive one as well. Do note that you only need one boost to get Hydro Pump to full accuracy and two for Hypnosis, meaning it might be unnecessary to boost further. Psychic Seed gives Milotic great special bulk, and its physical bulk is covered by Coil. It's preferable to not use up Milotic's Seed recklessly, though, as Milotic is less efficient without it when setting up. However, this set dislikes being in Misty Terrain, which keeps both status opportunities blocked, so a Terrain reset is appreciated if not taking out their Terrain setter as whole. The same applies for Electric Terrain, which prevents sleep, but do keep in mind that in both Terrains, non-grounded Pokemon like Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, and Celesteela are still vulnerable. Its also very important to note that Milotic's lack of offensive presence without Competitive can leave it as a momentum drainer on the field, especially if Misty or Electric Terrain is active to prevent sleep. This is crucial to consider, because setting up early versus foes that can shut down Milotic like this can leave you in many potential two-versus-one situations.
Team Options
========
This set is generally paired with Tapu Lele and possibly Tapu Bulu, as the first provides Psychic Terrain to activate Psychic Seed, while Grassy Terrain is great for keeping Milotic healthy with passive recovery. It's also important to reset Terrain to keep status inflicting an option. In addition, teammates that handle Tapu Koko are crucial, as it can take out Milotic before it sets up, Taunt it to prevent it from setting up in the first place, or even just set Electric Terrain to prevent Hypnosis. Finally, a teammate like Psych Up Mega Metagross can steal Milotic's stat boosts to become a massive threat as well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Milotic's movepool is somewhat limited, leaving its other options less varied and generally less viable, thus it isn't encouraged to stray away too much from the standard set or moves. Mirror Coat can be used for a surprise factor, as Milotic generally is very capable of surviving special hits and can use this to offer an unexpected counterattack. Hydro Pump can be used over Scald on the first set to provide a potentially higher amount of damage at the cost of accuracy, even if Milotic's low base Special Attack doesn't usually make the increase too impactful. It's also better if you manage to get a Competitive boost. Haze is a niche option appreciated by teams that have a hard time breaking setup Pokemon with the additional option of using Icium Z to heal back to full in the process, although this isn't usually optimal, since Recover already covers that aspect.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Tapu Koko and Zapdos are very common Pokemon that hit Milotic very hard, and Rotom-Wash also heavily walls Milotic. Kyurem-Black can be particularly threatening if it has Fusion Bolt.
**Grass-type Pokemon**: Tapu Bulu, Shaymin-Sky, and Amoonguss threaten Milotic despite the fact that it runs Icy Wind or even Ice Beam, since they either outspeed Milotic and hit it first or put it to sleep.
**Water-type Pokemon**: Water-types are notably scary because Milotic doesn't dent them offensively and cannot prevent them from setting up; examples include Calm Mind Tapu Fini, Tailwind Suicune, and opposing Milotic.
**Taunt**: Reliance on its supportive options leaves Milotic prone to becoming a momentum drain on the field if it is Taunted, as it loses most of its utility. This is especially true for the Coil set, which is basically shut down as a whole and is left with Scald only.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Icy Wind / Ice Beam
move 3: Recover
move 4: Protect
item: Psychic Seed / Maranga Berry / Leftovers
ability: Competitive
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald is Milotic's primary STAB attack and source of damage, with the added possibility to inflict burns, allowing it to take physical hits better and cripple physical threats. Icy Wind is used mainly for speed control on both targets, helping Milotic's partner to outspeed threats it normally would not. Ice Beam may be used if there is preference for a more offensive attack to hit Flying- and Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tapu Bulu, and Mega Salamence much harder. Being a supportive Pokemon with access to recovery is great, since Recover gives Milotic longevity and helps it carry out its role of switching in and crippling opposing Pokemon. Last but not least, Protect allows Milotic to stall out Terrains, Tailwind, Trick Room, and sun and is used to protect Milotic from being targeted while its partner clears threats on the field. Haze can also be used if the team struggles with setup Pokemon, but dropping Ice Beam makes it hard for Milotic to make its presence felt, since it can't really do much if it doesn't get a boost.
Set Details
========
Using maximum HP and Defense gives Milotic good physical bulk to complement its high natural special bulk with Psychic Seed or Maranga Berry. Competitive gives Milotic a niche in the Doubles metagame, as it allows it to check Intimidate users by deterring Intimidate switch-ins and to even become a threat of its own after a boost, making up for its lackluster offensive presence. Finally, whether to use Maranga Berry or Psychic Seed for an item depends on if you have a Tapu Lele on your team, which is recommended, while Leftovers is an option to provide more general sustain longevity. Psychic Seed also avoids risking Milotic being hit by a strong special move to activate Maranga Berry.
Usage Tips
========
Milotic is usually sent out if you think the opponent will send out an Intimidate user or if you predict a switch to one. Competitive is a nice boost when it happens, but it isn't worth going out of your way to force it. It's also to be kept in mind that Pokemon switch order also depends on speed, so avoid switching in Milotic if your Pokemon is slower than the foe, as Intimidate would have already been activated. Similarly, Milotic's presence on the field can be used for the opposite effect, which is discouraging the foe from sending out Intimidate Pokemon in order to avoid triggering Competitive and making Milotic a bigger threat. It's also smart to switch in Milotic in case you predict a stat-lowering move such as Snarl or Icy Wind, since Milotic generally doesn't mind them and appreciates getting the Competitive boost in return. While out on the field, Milotic's job consists mostly of supporting its teammates by lowering opposing Pokemon's Speed with Icy Wind or by attempting to cripple physical threats with a Scald burn. This is facilitated by Milotic's good bulk and typing, which allow it to take hits fairly well and make it generally a good switch-in option, and it can also activate Psychic Seed on a switch to take a hit even better. It should be kept in mind that Maranga Berry and Psychic Seed are one-time-use items, so use them wisely. Lastly, preserving Milotic is important because it usually requires being healthy to perform its sponging role, so finding the opportunity to safely recover is crucial.
Team Options
========
Thanks yet again to Competitive, most physical attackers appreciate having Milotic on their team and out on the field, since it greatly discourages opponents from sending out Intimidate Pokemon, notably Landorus-T and Salamence. This makes Milotic a great teammate for Pokemon that are bothered by Intimidate more than they should be, such as Tapu Bulu, which relies on its naturally high base Attack to do damage considering its poor offensive typing. Zygarde is another notable example, as it suffers from an already low Attack stat further aggravated by the spread reduction on its main move Thousand Arrows, making Intimidate really harmful to it, especially with how it neutralizes a potential Dragon Dance. If using Icy Wind support, offensive Pokemon that lack high Speed such as Hydreigon, Tapu Lele, and Heatran become able to outspeed and KO opposing threats after the Speed drop on both targets. Due to the lack of offensive pressure it exerts, Milotic has little way to play around its offensive threats and thus relies on its teammates to do so. Pokemon like Heatran and Landorus-T make good teammates in this regard due to their ability to check common offensive Grass- and Electric-types, respectively. Another particular partner is Tapu Lele, since Psychic Seed is usually the optimal item on Milotic and is less risky than Maranga Berry. On the other hand, Milotic's passiveness makes it setup bait for Pokemon like Tapu Fini, which can ignore Milotic to a certain degree, making teammates that deter setup, such as the aforementioned Tapu Lele with Taunt, appreciated partners.
[SET]
name: Coil
move 1: Scald / Hydro Pump
move 2: Coil
move 3: Hypnosis
move 4: Recover
item: Psychic Seed
ability: Competitive
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 88 SpD / 64 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald is Milotic's only attack on this set, as it's more focused on setting up and winning passively. Hydro Pump is an alternative that offers more damage if you want Milotic to be less passive, with the benefit of having full accuracy after a Coil boost. Coil raises Milotic's Defense, which helps it become monstrously bulky after setting up and hard to take down once its checks are down. With two or more accuracy boosts from Coil, Hypnosis becomes 100% accurate, allowing Milotic to offer even greater amounts of support by putting key opposing threats to sleep so that it can further set up or enable partners to do work. Lastly, Recover helps ensure Milotic's longevity after setting up and makes it very difficult to remove from the field.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP investment with 88 Special Defense EVs allows Milotic to take three Psychics or a Shattered Psyche + Psychic from Modest Tapu Lele in Psychic Terrain after the Psychic Seed boost, and 104 Defense EVs allow it to survive two Double-Edges from Mega Salamence provided Milotic has a Coil boost. Lastly, 64 Speed EVs allow Milotic to outspeed most slow Tapu Fini sets. It's good to keep in mind that having Psychic Seed allows Milotic to cover its special bulk, while Competitive grants it some semblance of an offensive presence in some situations, which could get Milotic to function independently as a threat alongside its supportive functions.
Usage Tips
========
A key element to keep in mind is that the goal of this set isn't setting up to the fullest, but rather putting Pokemon to sleep while being tanky enough to stay on the field, allowing its more offensive allies to break the opposing team. When using this set, it's preferable to start setting up after its checks are taken out, since the point is becoming too tanky to be taken down by the rest of the team. Setting up can also be done if both Pokemon on the opposing side of the field don't do much to Milotic, such as Heatran. Remember the fact that you can't put a Pokemon to sleep if it's been burned and vice versa, so think about what benefits your team most instead of mindlessly spreading status. Hydro Pump is a valid option because Milotic still can take advantage of Competitive and Coil's accuracy boosts to become not only a defensive threat but an offensive one as well. Do note that you only need one boost to get Hydro Pump to full accuracy and two for Hypnosis, meaning it might be unnecessary to boost further. Psychic Seed gives Milotic great special bulk, and its physical bulk is covered by Coil. It's preferable to not use up Milotic's Seed recklessly, though, as Milotic is less efficient without it when setting up. However, this set dislikes being in Misty Terrain, which keeps both status opportunities blocked, so a Terrain reset is appreciated if not taking out their Terrain setter as whole. The same applies for Electric Terrain, which prevents sleep, but do keep in mind that in both Terrains, non-grounded Pokemon like Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, and Celesteela are still vulnerable. Its also very important to note that Milotic's lack of offensive presence without Competitive can leave it as a momentum drainer on the field, especially if Misty or Electric Terrain is active to prevent sleep. This is crucial to consider, because setting up early versus foes that can shut down Milotic like this can leave you in many potential two-versus-one situations.
Team Options
========
This set is generally paired with Tapu Lele and possibly Tapu Bulu, as the first provides Psychic Terrain to activate Psychic Seed, while Grassy Terrain is great for keeping Milotic healthy with passive recovery. It's also important to reset Terrain to keep status inflicting an option. In addition, teammates that handle Tapu Koko are crucial, as it can take out Milotic before it sets up, Taunt it to prevent it from setting up in the first place, or even just set Electric Terrain to prevent Hypnosis. Finally, a teammate like Psych Up Mega Metagross can steal Milotic's stat boosts to become a massive threat as well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Milotic's movepool is somewhat limited, leaving its other options less varied and generally less viable, thus it isn't encouraged to stray away too much from the standard set or moves. Mirror Coat can be used for a surprise factor, as Milotic generally is very capable of surviving special hits and can use this to offer an unexpected counterattack. Hydro Pump can be used over Scald on the first set to provide a potentially higher amount of damage at the cost of accuracy, even if Milotic's low base Special Attack doesn't usually make the increase too impactful. It's also better if you manage to get a Competitive boost. Haze is a niche option appreciated by teams that have a hard time breaking setup Pokemon with the additional option of using Icium Z to heal back to full in the process, although this isn't usually optimal, since Recover already covers that aspect.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Tapu Koko and Zapdos are very common Pokemon that hit Milotic very hard, and Rotom-Wash also heavily walls Milotic. Kyurem-Black can be particularly threatening if it has Fusion Bolt.
**Grass-type Pokemon**: Tapu Bulu, Shaymin-Sky, and Amoonguss threaten Milotic despite the fact that it runs Icy Wind or even Ice Beam, since they either outspeed Milotic and hit it first or put it to sleep.
**Water-type Pokemon**: Water-types are notably scary because Milotic doesn't dent them offensively and cannot prevent them from setting up; examples include Calm Mind Tapu Fini, Tailwind Suicune, and opposing Milotic.
**Taunt**: Reliance on its supportive options leaves Milotic prone to becoming a momentum drain on the field if it is Taunted, as it loses most of its utility. This is especially true for the Coil set, which is basically shut down as a whole and is left with Scald only.
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