SPOILERS! Blacephalon

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tbh when I first saw it I thought it was Fairy/Poison because it looks like a mushroom but was very colorful and kinda resembles that one mushroom that looks like it's bleeding (which, incidentally, also looks like a pastry leaking strawberry jam)
 

earl

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On a related note, I don't see how this is a Ghost-type. It seems more like a grass-type, looking like a dandelion. Missed Opportunity Gamefreak, alongside Stakataka and Zerarora.
It could've also been Fairy with those colors, and stakataka looks more ghost than this does tbh

But it's also cool that it's a ghost as ultra-beasts really don't make sense
 
On a related note, I don't see how this is a Ghost-type. It seems more like a grass-type, looking like a dandelion. Missed Opportunity Gamefreak, alongside Stakataka and Zerarora.
My friend sent me a picture over facebook about Blacephalon's origins and it makes sense as to why its a Fire/Ghost type... Yeah it woulda been great for it to be Fire/Fairy though
 

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My friend sent me a picture over facebook about Blacephalon's origins and it makes sense as to why its a Fire/Ghost type... Yeah it woulda been great for it to be Fire/Fairy though
I was speculating / hoping for a Fairy Fighting type ngl. The colours of it defiantly scream fairy to me, and the way it moved reminded my of fighting types. In the end im kinda disappointed that GF missed 3 opportunities for unique typings:

Blacephalon: Fairy + Fire / Fighting
Stakataka: Ghost + Rock
Zeraora: Electric + Fighting
 
I was more convinced it took inspiration from pennywise. The lights on it's head referencing it's true form being the deadlights, luring it's victims (info on site), as well as being from another dimension.
 
If anyone still has no idea how to pronounce this thing's name, part of it comes from "cephal", which means "head" (as in "Pachycephalosaurus", or "thick-headed lizard"). So it's probably pronounced Bla-se-fa-lon.
 
Scarf Telepathy Oranguru with Instruct alongside a Specs Blace is insanity
Knock Off Kartana shots you down easily: better have Scarf Timid/Hasty Blacephalon (with Timid/Hasty you are sure to outspeed everything, even +1 neutral base 120 Spe) and a bulkier mate with Telepathy and Helping Hand. Gardevoir sounds good because it also has Heal Pulse to keep Blacephalon healthy if needed, and Helping Hand to give it a boost similar to the one provided by Specs.
Scarf Oranguru is pointless because it outspeeds Blacephalon, and Instruct fails if the target hasn't already moved.
 
Knock Off Kartana shots you down easily: better have Scarf Timid/Hasty Blacephalon (with Timid/Hasty you are sure to outspeed everything, even +1 neutral base 120 Spe) and a bulkier mate with Telepathy and Helping Hand. Gardevoir sounds good because it also has Heal Pulse to keep Blacephalon healthy if needed, and Helping Hand to give it a boost similar to the one provided by Specs.
Scarf Oranguru is pointless because it outspeeds Blacephalon, and Instruct fails if the target hasn't already moved.
My post was wrote half-jokingly, btw
Garde is a cool partner indeed, as a fast fire-type which can deal quite some damage to heatran through helping hand + NeN is always helpful, and it always kills with hh + hp ground.
 
so what pokemon whould you guys pair up with blacephalon? i wanna get as many ideas as possible and honestly cant wait for smogon's analysis XD
Something that can take advantage of tyranitar sounds like a good idea. Magearna and Keldeo seems like good choices, as Magearna can clean after Blacephalon punches holes, while keldeo can break stall, where blacephalon struggles to do much against thanks to chansey.
 
With some HP investment you can live things like Pursuit and Water Shuriken. Colbur Berry could also be an idea, though this soaks up your item slot.

Blacephalon @
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Knock Off
- Shadow Ball
- Fire Blast

Calculations:
252 Atk burned Tyranitar Pursuit (80) vs. 72 HP / 0 Def Blacephalon: 222-262 (83.7 - 98.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after sandstorm damage
252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Water Shuriken (3 hits) vs. 72 HP / 0 SpD Blacephalon: 195-243 (73.5 - 91.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
 

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With some HP investment you can live things like Pursuit and Water Shuriken.

Blacephalon @
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 72 HP / 184 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Knock Off
- Shadow Ball
- Fire Blast

Calculations:
252 Atk burned Tyranitar Pursuit (80) vs. 72 HP / 0 Def Blacephalon: 222-262 (83.7 - 98.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after sandstorm damage
252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Water Shuriken (3 hits) vs. 72 HP / 0 SpD Blacephalon: 195-243 (73.5 - 91.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Unless they're Choice Band or Choice Specs respectively, two common items for them, or if you just had taken SR damage. Greninja is just naturally faster anyway so it's not the best example.
 
Here's another potentially interesting revenge killer/sweeper set using the Salac Berry. This can be particularly handy is Stealth Rock is on your side of the field.

Blacephalon @ Salac Berry
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Mind Blown
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Overheat

4 HP EVs make its HP stat a multiple of 4, so that SR damage plus Mind Blown will activate the Salac Berry. Now you can outspeed base 100 Choice Scarf users while Beast Boost raises your Sp Atk. Substitute could also work in place of Mind Blown.
 
Here's another potentially interesting revenge killer/sweeper set using the Salac Berry. This can be particularly handy is Stealth Rock is on your side of the field.

Blacephalon @ Salac Berry
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Mind Blown
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Overheat

4 HP EVs make its HP stat a multiple of 4, so that SR damage plus Mind Blown will activate the Salac Berry. Now you can outspeed base 100 Choice Scarf users while Beast Boost raises your Sp Atk. Substitute could also work in place of Mind Blown.
I really like this idea! It punishes the opponent for using stealth rock.
 
Here's another potentially interesting revenge killer/sweeper set using the Salac Berry. This can be particularly handy is Stealth Rock is on your side of the field.

Blacephalon @ Salac Berry
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Mind Blown
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Overheat

4 HP EVs make its HP stat a multiple of 4, so that SR damage plus Mind Blown will activate the Salac Berry. Now you can outspeed base 100 Choice Scarf users while Beast Boost raises your Sp Atk. Substitute could also work in place of Mind Blown.
It's a pretty nice use of the move but I'd add a non-damaging move like Will-O-Wisp somewhere because of Blacephalon's vulnerability to Sucker Punch because once the Salac Berry activates, it's going to be too tempting...
 
I've been using that set with substitute as the 4th move. Unfortunately it's not very good at the moment. It's too hard to set up, and even at +1 SpA it just's not powerful enough to KO everything it needs to. Not to mention how common Tyranitar is.
 
I've been using that set with substitute as the 4th move. Unfortunately it's not very good at the moment. It's too hard to set up, and even at +1 SpA it just's not powerful enough to KO everything it needs to. Not to mention how common Tyranitar is.
Substitute eats its already shallow HP uselessly (reminder: Kartana now has Knock Off), and stacks with Mind Blown/hazard/residual damage it gets.
Even a SubSalac is rather poor, since Knock Off Kartana, Greninja, and others can outspeed and OHKO it or let it self-consume via Mind Blown.
Tyranitar is untouchable for Blacephalon, since it has 0 Fighting-type moves (not even HP Fighting since it is 3IVs locked)
 
I believe his best sets are:

#1 Blacephalon @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Flame Charge
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Taunt

Taunt beats Chansey and makes easier to set up Flame Charge on Defensive Pokemon.

#2 Blacephalon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Mind Blown
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Explosion

Explosion can remove weakened Setup Sweepers and OHKOes Greninja.
 
I believe his best sets are:

#1 Blacephalon @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Flame Charge
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Taunt

Taunt beats Chansey and makes easier to set up Flame Charge on Defensive Pokemon.

#2 Blacephalon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Mind Blown
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Explosion

Explosion can remove weakened Setup Sweepers and OHKOes Greninja.
I'm in love with the Choice Scarf set, you can either:
- die in 2 turns
- being Ghost-locked and trapped by TTar
- being Fire-locked and trapped by TTar
- die now

Jokes aside, I prefer the Scarf set just because it screams "raw power" when its checks are in the graveyard; the boosting Z is interesting, as it takes Blacephalon under another perspective, letting it wall Chansey and boost its Speed with Flame Charge.
 
It's speed is tempting, and that sp.atk stat along with Mind Blown is almost desirable, but honestly, I really don't see this thing doing much other than punching holes for other sweepers, or disrupting defensive Pokémon with Knock off. It has 0 fighting moves, which limits offensive capabilities substantially. This might be it's best set.

Blacephalon @ Choice Specs

Naive/Hasty Nature
4 atk/252 sp.atk/252 spe

Mind Blown
Knock Off
Fire Blast/Overheat/Flamethrower
Shadow Ball

Ev's are Self-explanatory. (Mo' Power, Mo' Prollems)
Nature can be flexible. Hasty/Naive for more speed in exchange of losing some raw power.
Rash/Mild could be used for more raw power at a loss of speed.

Choice Specs gives a 50% boost to Blacephalon's Sp.Atk immediately, boosting wall breaking capabilities, but locking it into the first move chosen and used.

Mind Blown give you 2 nukes to use at any time in the match. Anything that doesn't effectively resist it will either be OHKO'ed, or seriously damaged.

Knock off gets rid of held items, and should be used most of the time if you predict a counter.


Fire Blast has immediate power, with a fairly decent chance to miss, but is the recommended secondary Fire STAB to punch holes in the enemy team.

Overheat gives even more power, and less of a risk to miss, but at the cost of dropping Sp.Atk sharply. If there's no immediate threat to trap Blacephalon, this is a great Hit-and-run move.

Flamethrower is more consistent. Having perfect accuracy, and no drawbacks other than the huge loss of power compared to other Fire STAB moves.

Shadow Ball is it's best STAB Ghost move sporting decent power and great neutral coverage overall, with a 30% chance to lower Sp.Def one stage.

HP ground can be an option for ground weak Pokémon like Tyranirar, but it still takes that hit rather comfortably, and does less damage than an resisted Mind Blown anyway.

HP Rock (if it can use the IV's) can be an option to hit Volcarona, Mega Zard-Y, Mega Pinsir, and Talonflame pretty hard, but Mind Blown will just take them out after SR anyway.

Tyranitar completely walls this thing obviously, and can pursuit trap it effortlessly.

Faster physical/Special attackers annihilate this thing for sure. Ash Greninja and Weavile are perfect examples, unless Blacephalon is running scarf.

Priority users that can damage it can also be a pain. Sucker Punch or Pursuit users in general can knock the Kamikaze Clown's head right off.

M-Gyarados also resists it's STAB's, but can't really comfortably come in on Mind Blown without being Mega Evolved already.
 
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