yogi
I did not succumb...
[OVERVIEW]
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Fire Punch
move 3: Stomping Tantrum
move 4: Toxic
item: Choice Scarf
ability: No Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Set Details
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physical walls**: Lycanroc-N has trouble breaking Pokemon like Miltank, Musharna, and Gastrodon, which can either use it as fodder or heal up against it. The latter two have to be wary of Toxic, but Miltank can shrug it off with Heal Bell.
**Ground-types**: Lycanroc-N has very little to break Ground-types like Golurk, Mudsdale, and Palossand, which are able to easily force it out. All of them have to, again, be wary of Toxic, which cripples them.
**Fighting-types**: Lycanroc-N is unable to break most Fighting-types, as Pokemon like Gurdurr and Hitmonchan resist its STAB Stone Edge and both carry priority. Gurdurr can also switch into Toxic and benefit from it thanks to Guts.
**Faster Choice Scarf users**: Due to Lycanroc-N being a very slow Choice Scarf user, other Choice Scarf Pokemon like Primeape, Mesprit, and Lilligant can outspeed and revenge kill it. However, the latter two don't want to switch into a STAB Stone Edge.
- Lycanroc-N is able to carve a somewhat okay niche for itself in PU thanks to No Guard coupled with both a reasonable Attack and Speed stat, allowing it to act as a decent revenge killer, against foes like Oricorio-G and Archeops, when using a Choice Scarf.
- No Guard makes Stone Edge an extremely spammable move for Lycanroc-N to abuse, without the fear of missing.
- While not great, Lycanroc-N has decent defensive stats, allowing it to take neutral hits if needed.
- Good enough coverage with moves like Fire Punch and Stomping Tantrum means Lycanroc-N isn't walled completely by Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Togedemaru, and Probopass.
- However, Lycanroc-N is quite slow for a Choice Scarf user and is outsped by almost every other Choice Scarf user in the tier, like Primeape and Swanna, meaning that Lycanroc-N is often both a lackluster Choice Scarf user and easily revenge killed.
- With only a single STAB, it leaves Lycanroc-N with only one strong attack option and with low power coverage options, meaning that if it's locked into one of its coverage moves it will do minimal damage if the attack isn't super effective. This is also applicable to Toxic, as being locked into Toxic can be a momentum drain if the opponent has a Steel- or Poison-type.
- Lycanroc-N is rather susceptible to priority, being weak to both Gurdurr and Hitmonchan's Mach Punch, along with Carracosta and Kabutops' Aqua Jet.
- With only a decent Attack stat and rather weak coverage, Lycanroc-N finds it extremely difficult to break bulkier Pokemon like Musharna and Gastrodon, and is often set up fodder for said Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Fire Punch
move 3: Stomping Tantrum
move 4: Toxic
item: Choice Scarf
ability: No Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Stone Edge is Lycanroc-N's most reliable STAB move because, thanks to its ability No Guard, it's 100% accurate, allowing it to deal with Pokemon like Archeops, Magmortar, and Jynx consistently.
- Fire Punch is mainly to give Lycanroc-N the ability to hit Ferroseed, which walls it completely otherwise.
- Stomping Tantrum allows Lycanroc-N to hit Aggron and Probopass, which can take both a Stone Edge and Fire Punch extremely easily.
- Toxic is used to cripple most physical walls, bar Steel-types, that usually switch in versus Lycanroc-N, like Gastrodon and Gurdurr.
Set Details
========
- Maximum Attack Speed investment coupled with an Adamant Nature allow it to be as fast and hit as hard as possible.
- Choice Scarf means Lycanroc-N is able to outspeed basically the entire unboosted metagame, and act as an adequate off to more offensive teams.
- No Guard is the ability of choice, as it gives Lycanroc-N a spammable STAB Stone Edge that is unable to miss.
Usage Tips
========
- Lycanroc-N is able to act as a decent revenge killer against usually faster opponents, like Alolan Raichu and Floatzel, but cannot be relied on to revenge kill Speed-boosting Pokemon like Jynx and Lilligant; this is because it's not a Choice Scarf user in the same vein as Primeape or Togedemaru, but rather a fast attacker utilising a Choice Scarf.
- Lycanroc-N should aim to spam Stone Edge as much as possible, as it's its strongest move, to deal with weakened or frail foes. If the opponent has a check, such as Aggron or Ferroseed, then Lycanroc-N should consider one of its coverage moves to deal with the aforementioned Pokemon.
- Lycanroc-N also has the option to Toxic predicted switch-ins, required they are not immune like Weezing and Probopass, to cripple them for either itself or teammates. Pokemon like Gastrodon and Passimian are susceptible to Toxic from Lycanroc-N.
- Like most Choiced Pokemon, Lycanroc-N hates being locked into a weak move or Toxic if it predicts wrong, as it's an extreme momentum drain and gives the opponent ample opportunity to either set up or chip the incoming teammate.
Team Options
========
- Lycanroc-N will often only see use on more offensive teams, and usually wont find a spot on balance, as a soft check to Fire- and Normal-types along with being a usable revenge killer.
- Mesprit is able to provide a myriad of support options for Lycanroc-N, like checking Fighting-types such as Gurdurr and Hitmonchan, providing both Healing Wish and Stealth Rock support, and a slow pivot with U-turn. Lycanroc-N in return can deal with Dark-types like Skuntank and Liepard, along with checking Ghost-types such as Oricorio-G and Haunter, which usually force Mesprit out or trap it.
- Generally, if you're using Lycanroc-N, you want either a form of priority or another fast Pokemon. Swanna and Kangaskhan are notable as Swanna can deal with Fighting- and Ground-types, such as Primeape and Golurk, and Kangaskhan can check faster Choice Scarf users like Oricorio-G and Shiftry. Lycanroc-N in return helps deal with fast opponents like Archeops and Lycanroc.
- Gurdurr and Hitmonchan are good partners for Lycanroc-N because it can beat faster Ghost-types, like Haunter and Oricorio-G, and can also soften physical walls such as Weezing. In return, Gurdurr absorbs status, such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp, and Hitmonchan can spin hazards away to ensure that Lycanroc-N isn't constantly chipped whenever it switches in.
- Strong Fire-types like Magmortar and Pyroar appreciate fast Water-types, like Swanna and Floatzel being lured by Lycanroc-N, while they are able to break physical walls like Palossand and Sableye, and also absorb Will-O-Wisp from Pokemon such as Gourgeist-XL.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Swords Dance can be an interesting breaker, especially with No Guard, but standard Lycanroc is able to do this better thanks to a great Speed tier and access to Accelerock. Lycanroc-N also has to drop one of its coverage moves if it wants to run Sucker Punch to mitigate its low Speed, which can often lead to 4mss.
- A Stealth Rock lead set can be utilised, but again Lycanroc and Archeops outclass it, as they have access to a better Speed tier with Archeops having Head Smash to block hazard removal and Lycanroc having priority with Accelerock.
- Choice Band can be used for a higher damage output against physical walls like musharna and miltank, but is often outclassed by other wallbreakers such as Aggron and Passimian, who posses better coverage and STAB combinations.
- Facade is a niche option to slightly mitigate being burned, but Lycanroc-N is basically neutered once this happens because it's unable to spam Stone Edge.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physical walls**: Lycanroc-N has trouble breaking Pokemon like Miltank, Musharna, and Gastrodon, which can either use it as fodder or heal up against it. The latter two have to be wary of Toxic, but Miltank can shrug it off with Heal Bell.
**Ground-types**: Lycanroc-N has very little to break Ground-types like Golurk, Mudsdale, and Palossand, which are able to easily force it out. All of them have to, again, be wary of Toxic, which cripples them.
**Fighting-types**: Lycanroc-N is unable to break most Fighting-types, as Pokemon like Gurdurr and Hitmonchan resist its STAB Stone Edge and both carry priority. Gurdurr can also switch into Toxic and benefit from it thanks to Guts.
**Faster Choice Scarf users**: Due to Lycanroc-N being a very slow Choice Scarf user, other Choice Scarf Pokemon like Primeape, Mesprit, and Lilligant can outspeed and revenge kill it. However, the latter two don't want to switch into a STAB Stone Edge.
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