[OVERVIEW]
While not one of the most influential Pokemon in the metagame, Pheromosa is still a force to be reckoned with. Great offensive stats coupled with a powerful STAB movepool and Ice-type coverage gives Pheromosa a nice Niche in the metagame. Its ability, Beast Boost, is rather easy easy to trigger, often resulting in a large snowball effect while able to pivot out of threats with U-turn. Given Pheromosa's great speed tier, it is difficult to revenge kill without the use of a Choice Scarf, Focus Sash or priority. However, while Pheromosa's offensive stats and speed are very high, its defensive stats are horrendous, making Pheromosa extremely weak to priority and OHKOd by practically any neutral or in some cases, resisted moves. Pheromosa also lacks much needed coverage for Ghost-type Pokemon outside of Hidden Power variants, which can all wall Pheromosa very easily.
Below are some sample sets. These sets are likely to be standard, but they will be expanded upon and updated as the metagame progresses.
[SET]
name: All Out Attacker
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Poison Jab
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Naughty / Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* High Jump Kick is Pheromosa's primary and most spammable STAB move able to OHKO Mega-Kangaskhan, Mega-Gyarados and Hydreigon, providing to be quite difficult to switch in to without a strong resistance / immunity.
* U-turn helps Pheromosa to pivot out of threats while also scouting the opponent.
* Ice Beam provides a OHKO on Landorus-T, Garchomp and Mega-Salamence.
* Poison Jab hits the Tapu group and Clefable.
* Focus Sash gives Pheromosa a chance to more easily revenge kill and benefit from Beast Boost, checking threats which would otherwise OHKO such as +1 Mega-Salamence and Choice Scarf Hydreigon. Life Orb gives Pheromosa a good amount of power, being able to OHKO Tapu Lele and Defensive Porygon2 if Naughty.
* A Naughty nature allows Pheromosa to OHKO Porygon2 100% of the time after a boost, while also assisting in boosting Poison Jab for a guaranteed OHKO on Tapu Lele and a much more powerful U-turn if Pheromosa is forced out. The attack boost also assists Pheromosa to clean up weakened bulky threats such as Hippowdon and Tapu Fini later in the game.
* A Naive nature allows Pheromosa to be faster than common Choice Scarf Pokemon after a boost such as Garchomp, Excadrill and Tapu Koko. +1 Speed Pheromosa is also faster than Sand Rush Excadrill, to which it can then OHKO with High Jump Kick. Naive Pheromosa is also faster than +1 Dragonite and +1 Mega-Gyarados before Beast Boost, allowing Pheromosa to OHKO Mega-Gyarados and dent Dragonite.
* Pheromosa struggles to break Ghost-type Pokemon, as all it can to is pivot out, so a strong dark-type pokemon is appreciated.
* Slow Volt Switch / U-turn support is appreciated to help bring Pheromosa in, as it can't safely switch in against practically any damaging move.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Bug Buzz
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Quiver Dance / Hidden Power Electric U-turn
item: Focus Sash / Fightinium-Z / Life Orb
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 Spa / 4 Spd / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Bug Buzz is the primary STAB option, able to hit Psychic-types such as Cresselia, while hitting Tapu Lele and Mega-Metagross for neutral damage. Also beneficial against common substitute Pokemon such as Suicune.
* Ice Beam provides coverage against Dragon-types such as Mega-Salamence and Garchomp whilst also hitting Flying and Grass-types for super effective or neutral damage if typed with an Ice resist.
* Focus Blast is the secondary STAB option, able to OHKO Porygon2 at +1 or with Z-power while also providing general coverage vs steel-types such as Celesteela, Heatran, Mega-Scizor and Ferrothorn.
* Hidden Power Ground hits Ghost-type threats such as Aegislash and Mega-Gengar, however requires a boost to 2HKO Aegislash. Can be used as a safer means of hitting Magnezone / Heatran as well if Focus Blast is too risky. Quiver Dance assists Pheromosa in sweeping, giving a crucial speed boost which lets Pheromosa outspeed every Choice Scarf Pokemon as well as assisting in breaking bulkier pokemon with the special attack boost such as Cresselia and Porygon2. Hidden Power Electric remains as an option to hit Tapu Fini and Gyarados for more damage before it mega evolves. U-turn can be used to let Pheromosa pivot out of common counters into a teammate that can deal with the threat.
* Focus Sash should primarily be used with Quiver Dance to guarantee a boost, while also letting you check certain Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Garchomp and Kartana. Fightinium-Z makes for an accurate and much more powerful Focus Blast, able to OHKO Porygon2 and providing a small OHKO chance on Celesteela. Life orb provides a general power boost to all moves at the cost of HP, which doesn't matter to Pheromosa as it is likely to be OHKOd regardless.
* A Modest Nature assists Pheromosa to abuse its special movepool whilst a Timid nature can also be used, making it faster than common Choice Scarf Pokemon at +1 such as Tapu Koko and Garchomp.
* A partner to hit Ghost-types is still needed, as Ice Beam and Hidden Power Ground would still struggle to eliminate those threats. Bulky Pokemon are also suggested to be partnered, as Pheromosa remains equally as frail and cannot use Focus Sash to remotely patch up that bulk.
While not one of the most influential Pokemon in the metagame, Pheromosa is still a force to be reckoned with. Great offensive stats coupled with a powerful STAB movepool and Ice-type coverage gives Pheromosa a nice Niche in the metagame. Its ability, Beast Boost, is rather easy easy to trigger, often resulting in a large snowball effect while able to pivot out of threats with U-turn. Given Pheromosa's great speed tier, it is difficult to revenge kill without the use of a Choice Scarf, Focus Sash or priority. However, while Pheromosa's offensive stats and speed are very high, its defensive stats are horrendous, making Pheromosa extremely weak to priority and OHKOd by practically any neutral or in some cases, resisted moves. Pheromosa also lacks much needed coverage for Ghost-type Pokemon outside of Hidden Power variants, which can all wall Pheromosa very easily.
Below are some sample sets. These sets are likely to be standard, but they will be expanded upon and updated as the metagame progresses.
[SET]
name: All Out Attacker
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Poison Jab
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Naughty / Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* High Jump Kick is Pheromosa's primary and most spammable STAB move able to OHKO Mega-Kangaskhan, Mega-Gyarados and Hydreigon, providing to be quite difficult to switch in to without a strong resistance / immunity.
* U-turn helps Pheromosa to pivot out of threats while also scouting the opponent.
* Ice Beam provides a OHKO on Landorus-T, Garchomp and Mega-Salamence.
* Poison Jab hits the Tapu group and Clefable.
* Focus Sash gives Pheromosa a chance to more easily revenge kill and benefit from Beast Boost, checking threats which would otherwise OHKO such as +1 Mega-Salamence and Choice Scarf Hydreigon. Life Orb gives Pheromosa a good amount of power, being able to OHKO Tapu Lele and Defensive Porygon2 if Naughty.
* A Naughty nature allows Pheromosa to OHKO Porygon2 100% of the time after a boost, while also assisting in boosting Poison Jab for a guaranteed OHKO on Tapu Lele and a much more powerful U-turn if Pheromosa is forced out. The attack boost also assists Pheromosa to clean up weakened bulky threats such as Hippowdon and Tapu Fini later in the game.
* A Naive nature allows Pheromosa to be faster than common Choice Scarf Pokemon after a boost such as Garchomp, Excadrill and Tapu Koko. +1 Speed Pheromosa is also faster than Sand Rush Excadrill, to which it can then OHKO with High Jump Kick. Naive Pheromosa is also faster than +1 Dragonite and +1 Mega-Gyarados before Beast Boost, allowing Pheromosa to OHKO Mega-Gyarados and dent Dragonite.
* Pheromosa struggles to break Ghost-type Pokemon, as all it can to is pivot out, so a strong dark-type pokemon is appreciated.
* Slow Volt Switch / U-turn support is appreciated to help bring Pheromosa in, as it can't safely switch in against practically any damaging move.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Bug Buzz
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Quiver Dance / Hidden Power Electric U-turn
item: Focus Sash / Fightinium-Z / Life Orb
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 Spa / 4 Spd / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Bug Buzz is the primary STAB option, able to hit Psychic-types such as Cresselia, while hitting Tapu Lele and Mega-Metagross for neutral damage. Also beneficial against common substitute Pokemon such as Suicune.
* Ice Beam provides coverage against Dragon-types such as Mega-Salamence and Garchomp whilst also hitting Flying and Grass-types for super effective or neutral damage if typed with an Ice resist.
* Focus Blast is the secondary STAB option, able to OHKO Porygon2 at +1 or with Z-power while also providing general coverage vs steel-types such as Celesteela, Heatran, Mega-Scizor and Ferrothorn.
* Hidden Power Ground hits Ghost-type threats such as Aegislash and Mega-Gengar, however requires a boost to 2HKO Aegislash. Can be used as a safer means of hitting Magnezone / Heatran as well if Focus Blast is too risky. Quiver Dance assists Pheromosa in sweeping, giving a crucial speed boost which lets Pheromosa outspeed every Choice Scarf Pokemon as well as assisting in breaking bulkier pokemon with the special attack boost such as Cresselia and Porygon2. Hidden Power Electric remains as an option to hit Tapu Fini and Gyarados for more damage before it mega evolves. U-turn can be used to let Pheromosa pivot out of common counters into a teammate that can deal with the threat.
* Focus Sash should primarily be used with Quiver Dance to guarantee a boost, while also letting you check certain Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Garchomp and Kartana. Fightinium-Z makes for an accurate and much more powerful Focus Blast, able to OHKO Porygon2 and providing a small OHKO chance on Celesteela. Life orb provides a general power boost to all moves at the cost of HP, which doesn't matter to Pheromosa as it is likely to be OHKOd regardless.
* A Modest Nature assists Pheromosa to abuse its special movepool whilst a Timid nature can also be used, making it faster than common Choice Scarf Pokemon at +1 such as Tapu Koko and Garchomp.
* A partner to hit Ghost-types is still needed, as Ice Beam and Hidden Power Ground would still struggle to eliminate those threats. Bulky Pokemon are also suggested to be partnered, as Pheromosa remains equally as frail and cannot use Focus Sash to remotely patch up that bulk.
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