[OVERVIEW]
Omastar is one of the most flexible Water-types in the tier, able to run both defensive and offensive sets successfully and fitting on both offensive and balanced team archetypes. Having access to Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes means it can fulfil a team's need for entry hazard support entirely on its own, and its excellent Defense and Special Attack stats give it many switch in opportunities and a good matchup against many anti-hazard Pokemon, such as Kabutops, Pelipper, and Xatu that lack Grass Knot. Meanwhile, Shell Smash and Swift Swim make offensive sets extremely deadly and give Omastar pride of place as one of the best rain sweepers available, with its aforementioned Defense making it difficult to revenge kill with most priority attacks. However, its low initial Speed, Special Defense, and crippling 4x weakness to Grass-type attacks, alongside weaknesses to common Electric-, Fighting-, and Ground-type moves, make it fairly easy to force out when it does not have a Speed boost. This results in Omastar relying on strong team support to make the most of its defensive and offensive attributes outside of early-game. Furthermore, Omastar faces competition as a sweeper from Barbaracle and Kabutops, which have better Speed tiers and boast different coverage options.
[SET]
name: Defensive Entry Hazards
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Scald
move 4: Hidden Power Electric / Icy Wind
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock damages any Pokemon that switches in and particularly limits foes such as Scyther, Vivillon, and Charizard from entering battle repeatedly. It also punishes many entry hazard removers, such as Mantine and Pelipper, that might want to remove entry hazards later. Spikes damages any grounded Pokemon regardless of their typing and can be stacked up to three times to make it easier for offensive teammates such as Swellow and Primeape to clean up or sweep. Toxic Spikes cripples defensive threats such as Hariyama and Gourgeist-XL and provides teams with a countermeasure against bulky setup sweepers such as Mega Audino and Musharna. Scald has a good chance to burn the physical attackers that Omastar can deal with, such as Garbodor, Kangaskhan, and Steelix. Scald also lets Omastar potentially inflict status on Xatu if it tries to switch in. Hidden Power Electric can be used to hit Mantine, Pelipper, and Prinplup, three Defog users that might attempt to clear Omastar's entry hazards, for good damage, as well as Samurott in a pinch and Floatzel if it tries to switch in. On the other hand, Icy Wind lets Omastar hit Grass-types that attempt to switch in for decent damage, particularly frail ones such as Shiftry and Cacturne. It also slows down offensive Pokemon that try to stop Omastar from setting entry hazards, so that a slow teammate such as Magmortar can switch in and hit them back hard. Ice Beam is a more powerful alternative that deals more damage to Xatu in particular, and it can 2HKO Vileplume after Stealth Rock with 40 Special Attack EVs, but it doesn't provide the speed control for teammates that Icy Wind provides. Protect is also an option to let Omastar scout for potential coverage moves or to ease prediction against Choice item users, such as Choice Specs Pyroar, while also providing Omastar with another turn of Leftovers recovery.
Set Details
========
Maximum defensive investment makes Omastar as physically bulky as possible, letting it check many physical attackers such as bulky Charizard, Kangaskhan, and Tauros while taking non-STAB Earthquakes with ease. Leftovers is usually the best item choice to compensate for Omastar's lack of reliable recovery, but a Shuca Berry or Chople Berry can be used to let Omastar tank a hit from the likes of Rhydon and Primeape to strike back with a decently powerful Scald. Shell Armor prevents Omastar from being KOed unexpectedly by a critical hit. Swift Swim is less useful, as Omastar is too slow to outspeed most offensive foes without any investment, even at +2 Speed. Weak Armor makes Omastar much worse at handling physical attackers and should be saved for a more offensive entry hazards set that can better capitalize on the increased Speed.
Usage Tips
========
This set should be used as a defensive pivot that can switch into physical attackers and force them out, either setting up entry hazards for its team or using its attacking moves to cripple physical attackers or potential anti-hazard Pokemon. If the opponent has a Grass-type Pokemon, early-game it's often best to set up a hazard and switch out to a teammate that can deal with them better, such as Assault Vest Magmortar. After you've set up all the entry hazards you want, Omastar should use Icy Wind as they switch in to inflict chip damage and let a teammate outspeed them after switching in, or just spam Scald if the opponent lacks a Grass-type threat or sponge such as Sliggoo. Against teams where the opponent has many Pokemon weak to Rock-type attacks, Omastar should set Stealth Rock before doing anything else, especially if they have a 4x-weak member such as Charizard or Scyther. Otherwise, Spikes should generally be Omastar's first priority, unless the opponent has many non-grounded Pokémon such as Mesprit and Mismagius. One layer of Toxic Spikes is usually sufficient for crippling offensive teams, so unless the opponent has a bulky setup sweeper such as Musharna that you want to stop at all costs, Omastar shouldn't bother setting a second layer over Stealth Rock or hitting something with Scald. Toxic Spikes also shouldn't be used while the opponent has a grounded Poison-type, unless you want to force them to bring it in so that a teammate such as Mesprit or Musharna can capitalize on it.
Team Options
========
Spinblockers are highly appreciated for preventing Omastar's entry hazards from being removed by Rapid Spin. Mismagius and Rotom are both great choices for balanced teams, with the former being able to take special attacks more easily and the latter being able to pivot into Electric-types that threaten Omastar and pivot back out with Volt Switch. Cleaners and other offensive Pokemon appreciate having multiple hazard layers up to wear down foes into KO range. Swellow's Boomburst in particular becomes a lot more dangerous when switch-ins take damage from both Stealth Rock and Spikes, while wallbreakers such as Magmortar and Abomasnow can secure KOs more easily with defensive checks being weakened by the entry hazards. Vileplume is a particularly good partner, as it can switch into Grass-types that force Omastar out and threaten them with a strong Sludge Bomb. Meanwhile, Omastar appreciates Toxic Spikes being removed from its own side of the field and can switch into Fire-type attacks that threaten Vileplume. Faster Grass-types such as Lilligant and Shiftry are also useful for forcing opposing Water-types out, which can otherwise usually break past Omastar's mediocre special bulk. Pokemon that discourage Defog can also be useful, albeit only indirectly. Malamar gains increased Evasion if Defog is used on it, making it easier to set up and sweep; Primeape and Pawniard gain an Attack boost from switching into the move, but they must watch out for Scalds from the likes of Pelipper and Mantine. If Icy Wind is being used, powerful offensive threats that can take advantage of slowed Pokemon, such as Charizard and Kangaskhan, also make good teammates, both of which also appreciate Toxic Spikes for stalling out foes with Roost or Fake Out.
[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Electric
item: Shuca Berry / White Herb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shell Smash allows Omastar to set up and become a huge threat very quickly, both under and out of rain. It gives Omastar the Speed to outspeed most foes outside of fast Choice Scarf users, and absolutely everything in rain if desired. Surf is reliable and deals high damage, and its consistency is generally preferred to Hydro Pump's higher Base Power due to Omastar's immense power at +2 or during rain. However, Hydro Pump has a better chance at OHKOing foes such as Assault Vest Hariyama at +2 with a Life Orb. Ice Beam is required to hit Grass- and Dragon-types and prevent them from stopping Omastar's sweep; at +2 it can let Omastar break through even bulky tanks such as Vileplume and Sliggoo that could otherwise beat Omastar. Hidden Power Electric lets Omastar break through opposing Water-types, especially Mantine, Pelipper, and Samurott, while Earth Power allows Omastar to break through Lanturn, one of its most prominent checks, after a boost.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment and a Modest nature lets Omastar outspeed most unboosted Pokemon after a Shell Smash or during rain, as well as Speed tying with +1 Modest Lilligant and outspeeding Hidden Power Fire or Rock variants. The extra damage output of a Modest nature lets Omastar run an item to make setup easier instead of being forced to run Life Orb. However, a Timid nature and a Life Orb can be more useful for Omastar on rain teams, as they let it outspeed +1 Mesprit, +1 Vivillon, and +1 Timid Lilligant variants that run Hidden Power Rock or Fire, while Speed tying with other Timid Lilligant, without a Shell Smash boost. Furthermore, the power boost from Life Orb allows Omastar to clean reliably with Surf during rain without needing a Shell Smash boost in most circumstances. The remaining EVs are invested in Special Attack to boost Omastar's damage output as much as possible. Shuca Berry allows Omastar to set up on Pokemon that use Ground-type coverage, such as Kangaskhan and Tauros, as well as weaker Ground-types such as Steelix. White Herb allows Omastar to preserve its defenses after a Shell Smash, making it less susceptible to priority attackers such as Hitmonchan and Shiftry, as well as threats that still outspeed Omastar after a boost, such as Choice Scarf Scyther. Swift Swim is generally the best ability, as this set will generally be used on rain teams and this ability allows Omastar to sweep without setting up if desired. Even on non-weather teams, Swift Swim allows for counterplay against opposing rain teams. Weak Armor can be used for even more Speed, but it makes Omastar very susceptible to being revenge killed by priority attacks.
Usage Tips
========
On weatherless teams, this set should generally be saved for late-game, where Omastar can seize opportunities to set up and sweep without being blocked by something like Lanturn, Mantine, or Poliwrath. Early-game, Omastar can pivot into resisted attacks and force foes out with the threat of Shell Smash and powerful special attacks, so that you can double switch Omastar into the appropriate teammate. If it runs Shuca Berry, Omastar can pivot into Rock Climb from Tauros or Fake Out from Kangaskhan and set up as they try and fail to KO Omastar with Earthquake. Meanwhile, when Omastar is used on rain teams, it should only enter battle on these teams after a teammate such as Liepard or Mesprit sets Rain Dance and pivots out, or if it can switch into a resisted physical move such as Scyther's Aerial Ace. Omastar will rarely need to use Shell Smash against offensive teams under rain and is usually better off just firing off a boosted Surf or a coverage move. However, Shell Smash can be used to break through very bulky threats such as Sliggoo or to bypass Sucker Punches with good prediction to potentially continue a sweep after rain expires.
Team Options
========
Memento can be used to give Omastar guaranteed setup opportunities late-game. Mismagius and Skuntank can provide reliable Memento support due to their good Speed stats, making Omastar less susceptible to revenge killers, especially in combination with White Herb. Omastar's main advantage over other Shell Smash users and rain sweepers, such as Barbaracle and Kabutops, respectively, is its enormous Special Attack stat, so make sure to pair it with physical attackers such as Tauros and Archeops that can break through specially defensive tanks such as Hariyama. On rain teams, a fast Rain Dance user such as Liepard or Electrode should be used so that rain can be set up in last-resort situations to allow Omastar to revenge kill certain foes, or to give Omastar a crucial sweeping opportunity late-game. A bulky Rain Dance user such as Mesprit should also be used to set weather reliably early-game and give Omastar more chances to wallbreak for teammates. Other rain sweepers such as Kabutops, Ludicolo, Mantine, and Poliwrath should be used to overwhelm the opponent's Water-type checks with their STAB attacks and different coverage options. Mesprit is a particularly good teammate, as it can also provide Stealth Rock support, resists Fighting-type attacks, and can use a slow U-turn to bring Omastar in safely or Healing Wish to give it a second chance at sweeping later in the match. This also applies to non-rain teams that use the standard defensive pivot.
[SET]
name: Offensive Entry Hazards
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Scald / Hydro Pump
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Focus Sash
ability: Weak Armor
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock damages any Pokemon that switches in and punishes many entry hazard removers, such as Mantine and Pelipper, that might want to remove entry hazards later. Spikes damages most grounded Pokemon regardless of their typing and can be stacked up to three times to make it easier for offensive teammates to clean up or sweep. Scald is very powerful with some offensive investment and difficult to switch into unless your opponent has a Water-type immunity such as Cradily or a bulky status absorber such as Malamar. Hydro Pump is an alternative that has much more power and can OHKO many offensive Pokemon that Omastar outspeeds after a Weak Armor boost, such as Vivillon, Haunter, and bulky Charizard. Ice Beam is Omastar's most powerful and consistent coverage option, letting it KO Grass-types that try to stop it after it gets a Weak Armor boost or as they switch in. Icy Wind is less powerful but lets Omastar hit targets such as Tauros and Sceptile and outspeed them after the combination of Omastar's Speed boost and their Speed drop. It also provides team support for slower wallbreakers and more opportunities for Omastar to set entry hazards. Hidden Power Electric is an option that targets opposing Water-types, especially hazard removers such as Mantine, Pelipper, and Prinplup. Toxic Spikes cripples defensive threats such as Hariyama and Gourgeist-XL but is generally ill-suited to a suicide lead, as any team with a grounded Poison-type can quickly remove them early-game. However, it is useful for supporting certain threats, such as Kangaskhan and Hex users.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature is used so that Omastar can outspeed foes such as Mismagius and Pyroar after a Speed boost from Weak Armor, letting it either set an extra layer of entry hazards before being hit by Taunt or KOed or hit back with a powerful attack of its own. The rest of the EVs are placed in Special Attack to give Omastar's attacks more power, letting it OHKO foes such as Pyroar with Scald, Vivillon with Ice Beam, or Liepard with Hydro Pump. Focus Sash is the best item choice, as it usually guarantees that Omastar can set an extra Spikes layer if it leads or has sufficient Rapid Spin support, and it lets Omastar tank hits from Grass-types if necessary. Weak Armor is used so that Omastar can outspeed physical attackers such as Scyther and Kangaskhan after tanking a hit from them, setting up an extra layer of entry hazards before being KOed or getting a surprise KO as a result.
Usage Tips
========
This set should be used as a lead to preserve Omastar's Focus Sash, usually letting it set up at least two layers of entry hazards so that offensive sweepers and cleaners can do their jobs more easily later on. It's generally unwise to run all three entry hazards together on this set, as Omastar will rarely be able to stay in long enough to set them all, and it becomes too passive to deal with anti-hazard Pokémon, such as Mantine or Pelipper, or other threats such as Vileplume. If the opponent packs a reliable Defog user such as Prinplup, it is rarely worth Omastar's time to set up entry hazards if they can be easily removed later, so Omastar probably shouldn't lead in these circumstances and if Omastar is brought in it may be worthwhile to double switch to a teammate that can quickly deal with the Defog user. Weak Armor should be used either from the lead position so that Omastar can set more entry hazards against leads such as Scyther, or so that Omastar can grab a Speed boost by switching into a weak physical attack such as U-turn or even Rapid Spin, potentially forcing out a normally-faster threat or preventing one from coming in after U-turn. Omastar can stay in against Grass-types if the opponent has no hazard removal and you only want two layers of entry hazards, but only do this if you are certain you won't need more entry hazards or Omastar's type resistances later.
Team Options
========
This set is best paired with offensive Pokemon that require consistent entry hazard support to secure KOs. Choice Specs Swellow and Silk Scarf Kangaskhan highly appreciate entry hazards chipping away responses until they fall into KO range, with Toxic Spikes working particularly well with Kangaskhan's Fake Out. Meanwhile, offensive Grass- and Electric-types such as Lilligant and Manectric also appreciate the residual damage on checks and can force out Defog users such as Prinplup that try to remove Omastar's entry hazards. Offensive spinblockers are mandatory teammates to prevent these entry hazards being removed after Omastar has potentially sacrificed itself to lay them, as this set doesn't have the bulk to switch into battle repeatedly. Mismagius, Haunter, and Rotom are all good options that can also capitalize on Toxic Spikes with powerful Hexes, with Mismagius being able to block Defog with Taunt and Rotom having a particularly good matchup against the common Water-type Defog users. Offensive pivots such as Choice Band Scyther and Choice Scarf Rotom can force foes to switch in and out continually to deal with them, racking up damage from the entry hazards that Omastar sets. Defiant teammates such as Malamar and Primeape can also deter Defog users from removing Omastar's entry hazards by gaining increased evasiveness and Attack from the move, respectively. If Omastar lacks Toxic Spikes, Poison-types such as Garbodor, Weezing, and Roselia can provide them to complete the full set of entry hazards and make threats such as Kangaskhan and Fake Out Hariyama even more dangerous.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ancient Power is Omastar's strongest special Rock-type attack, but it doesn't hit many targets significantly harder than Omastar's Water-type moves aside from Jynx and Lapras. Hidden Power Rock has more PP than Ancient Power, but it has no chance to boost Omastar's stats and is inferior to Hidden Power Electric against Mantine and Pelipper. Hidden Power Grass has the advantage of hitting both Lanturn and most other Water-types for decent damage, but it has no utility against Mantine and Pelipper, which can otherwise force Omastar out and remove its entry hazards. Knock Off can be used to deal with threats such as Jynx, Ferroseed, and Cryogonal as well as removing items from other checks such as Lanturn, which is especially useful for the defensive set. Toxic is also a decent option for the defensive set, crippling bulky foes and setup sweepers such as Mega Audino and Musharna, but it doesn't really capitalize on Omastar's great Special Attack stat and it makes Omastar very vulnerable to Vileplume. A Choice Specs set can be pretty good on rain teams, as it'll probably just use Surf repeatedly anyways, and the extra coverage it can run in the fourth moveslot can make it harder to check with standard responses. Custap Berry can be used to guarantee Omastar an extra layer of entry hazards, but it is inconsistent as the easiest way to deal with Omastar is just to OHKO it outright with a Grass-type move or suitably powerful special attack.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-type Pokemon**: Almost any Grass-type Pokemon can switch into Omastar's Water-type attacks, outspeed it, and threaten it back with an easy OHKO, although they have to watch out for Ice Beam. Ludicolo is 4x resistant to Water-type attacks and neutral to Ice Beam, and it can set up Rain Dance and sweep. Lilligant and Abomasnow can also capitalize on a forced switch by either setting up or landing a heavy attack on a teammate, with the latter even cancelling out rain and shutting down a Swift Swim team's strategy. Ferroseed can also wall Omastar and be a nuisance with Leech Seed and Toxic, possibly stalling out Rain.
**Pokémon Immune to Water**: Omastar's biggest threat lies in its powerful Water-type attacks, and Cradily and Cacturne can switch into them with impunity and force Omastar out with their Grass-type attacks, although they should watch out for Ice Beams. Mantine and Poliwrath also beat most sets that lack Hidden Power Electric, while Jynx can deal with any set that doesn't run Rock-type STAB or a physical coverage move, putting Omastar to sleep with Lovely Kiss and setting up Nasty Plot or KOing with Focus Blast.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: While they might not be able to switch into the Shell Smash set directly, some particularly bulky Pokemon can take a boosted hit and KO Omastar back. Assault Vest Lanturn and Hariyama can take a boosted Hydro Pump and retaliate with their super effective STAB attacks. Meanwhile, Prinplup can easily deal with either entry hazard set and use Defog to remove Omastar's progress without being pressured by it too much.
**Faster Special Attackers**: If Omastar lacks a Speed boost, its low special bulk ensures that it is easily KOed by powerful special attacks. Rotom and other Electric-types can seize momentum with Volt Switch, with Choice Scarf Rotom outspeeding even +2 Omastar, while wallbreakers such as Assault Vest Magmortar and Shiftry can force it out with their coverage options if Omastar lacks a Speed boost.
**Fighting-type Priority Attacks**: If Shell Smash Omastar doesn't run White Herb or a Chople Berry, it is susceptible to being revenge killed by super effective priority attacks. Hitmonchan can OHKO it after a defense drop with Life Orb Mach Punch, while Choice Specs Poliwrath can switch into Surf and hit back with Vacuum Wave before being hit by a boosted Hidden Power Electric.
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