roman
Banned deucer.
qc: torkool / misaka mikoto / eien
gp: frenzyplant / the dutch plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
Normal
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Ditto's ability Imposter allows it to transform into the foe when it is switched in, also copying all stat boosts and ignoring the Speed drop from Sticky Web. Thus, when equipped with Choice Scarf, Ditto can outpace all opposing Pokemon and Speed tie with those equipped with another Choice Scarf. Because of this, it's one of the most effective revenge killers, revenge killing setup Pokemon such as Mega Altaria, Mega Lopunny, and Mega Gallade and possibly countersweeping their teams. For this reason, Ditto also discourages setup, allowing you to play passively without being too worried of opponents taking advantage of it. Ditto is also a fantastic anti-stall Pokemon, as it essentially has unlimited PP because it can just switch out to recover its PP. It can also get free recovery and act as a cleric by switching into walls such as Chansey. It can also provide hazard clearance support by switching into Defog or Rapid Spin users such as Mantine or Excadrill. Ditto is a great scouting tool, as it allows you to see all of your foe's moves. Because of this, Ditto can run the role of a revenge killer or utility Pokemon depending on what it copies. However, Ditto has trouble against bulkier Pokemon such as Calm Mind Mega Latias. Ditto is very hard to bring into setup sweepers by a direct switch, so you must almost always sacrifice a teammate in order to successfully revenge kill the threat. Ditto only has 5 PP, so it'll get PP stalled very easily and can potentially end up giving the opposition a free turn. Ditto is very predictable because it always runs one set, so your opponent can play around it especially since they know the moveset that Ditto copies as well, and Ditto's low HP stat prevents it from revenge killing some Pokemon effectively. Lastly, Ditto can turn into a huge momentum sink if the opposing Pokemon doesn't have the moves you were expecting, such as super effective attacks to beat the opposing Pokemon or utility such as Heal Bell or Defog.
[SET]
name: Revenge Killer
move 1: Transform
move 2:
move 3:
move 4:
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Imposter
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 SpA / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Transform is required because Ditto must have a move. However, Transform is near useless, as Imposter lets Ditto transform on switching in.
Set Details
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Imposter allows Ditto to transform into opposing Pokemon upon switching in. Choice Scarf lets Ditto outpace opposing setup Pokemon so it can effectively revenge kill them. 252 HP EVs are used to maximize Ditto's bulk, as Ditto's HP is the only stat that matters after transformation. 252 Defense EVs are used in conjunction with 0 Speed IVs so that in the rare case of Ditto vs Ditto, yours will be slower and bulkier, allowing it to take hits from opposing Ditto more easily and preserve PP because it is slower and will move last. The rest of the EVs are in Attack, which help it hit a bit harder in this situation. The IVs give Hidden Power Fire, allowing Ditto to effectively trap and KO opposing Magnezone.
Usage Tips
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Capitalize on Imposter by revenge killing setup Pokemon such as Salamence. Try to force Pokemon such as Dragonite into a move that locks them into it like Outrage for a guaranteed revenge KO. You can also utilize Imposter by switching into Pokemon with ability-based immunities such as Heatran and Lanturn. Ditto can switch into Pokemon that have super effective moves against the rest of their team such as Heatran on Steel and dent the opposition with correct prediction. Switching into Lanturn is also very useful, as you can get a turn to utilize Heal Bell unless they manually switch out as Ditto switches in. However, be careful to hard switch into Pokemon such as Heatran, as a misprediction can cost you your Ditto. Preserve Ditto very carefully against types with threatening setup sweepers. If you waste its potential early on by letting it get damaged or KOed it can't countersweep the opposition with a copy of a dangerous setup sweeper such as Mega Pinsir or Mega Gallade. Don't switch Ditto directly into attacks; utilize U-turn from a teammate such as Staraptor to bring it in safely. You can also make double switches to get Ditto in safely. Try to scout opposing movesets with Ditto, allowing you to play around threatening Pokemon such as Toxic Garchomp and Superpower Mega Scizor correctly. Understand that Ditto is incapable of beating Substitute Pokemon such as Suicune, so use another Pokemon such as Encore Mega Lopunny to handle them. Make sure to clear entry hazards, especially Toxic Spikes, against stall. This is important because without a cleric Ditto has a hard time PP stalling when it is Toxic poisoned, as it gets worn down extremely easily. When against stall teams, try to let Ditto's Choice Scarf get removed by Knock Off, in order to prevent it from being locked into moves, allowing it to PP stall more effectively, and make sure to switch out to reuse Ditto's PP infinitely. Be careful against opposing Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Terrakion, as they can potentially win the Speed tie and KO your Ditto. Take advantage of forced switches. For example, if your Ditto switches into an opposing Dragonite by a slow U-turn or after a teammate has fainted, the opponent is forced to switch out, giving you the momentum and a free turn. Make sure to run damage calculations prior to attacking with Ditto, as Ditto doesn't copy the enemy's HP stat and itself has a very low base HP stat of 48 that doesn't let it take strong attacks.
Team Options
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Chansey provides Stealth Rock for Ditto and can wear down walls that threaten Ditto with Toxic. It also absorbs status from foes such as Mew, Gastrodon, and Zapdos that Ditto can't afford to take. Porygon2 can also spread Toxic poison and allow Ditto to more effectively revenge kill by paralyzing Choice Scarf users such as Terrakion. Staraptor can Defog entry hazards away so that Ditto can switch in more freely without being worried about the chip damage wearing it down quickly. It can also give Ditto a free switch by means of a slow U-turn. Smeargle provides hazards such as Stealth Rock and Sticky Web, softening the opposition and allowing Ditto to outpace opposing Choice Scarf Pokemon. Diggersby deals with walls that Ditto generally dislikes having to switch in on. It also chips setup Pokemon such as Quiver Dance Volcarona into range for Ditto to revenge KO. Encore Mega Lopunny can effectively beat Calm Mind users such as Clefable that threaten Ditto.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Normal
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More offensive Normal teams lacking Chansey can run Hidden Power Rock IVs on Ditto in order to revenge kill Pokemon such as Volcarona.
Checks and Counters
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Normal
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**Ditto**: Opposing Ditto prevent Ditto from transforming, forcing it to Struggle to death.
**Calm Mind Users**: Calm Mind users such as Suicune can easily PP stall Ditto and continue setting up.
**Status**: Burn halves Ditto's Attack, preventing it from revenge killing physical setup sweepers. Paralysis prevents it from revenge killing at all, and Toxic poison wears it down quickly.
**Substitute Users**: Substitute users such as Mega Latias and Gyarados prevent Ditto from transforming.
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