PISTOLERO
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
Reshiram
QC: Blue J, Fireburn, Melee Mewtwo
GP: Calm Pokemaster, GatoDelFuego
Overview
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Even though Reshiram is considered to have a very good offensive dual typing in the Ubers environment, XY has not been very kind to it. Drought being nerfed to five turns means that Reshiram can no longer use its ridiculously powerful sun-boosted Blue Flare to wallbreak as effectively, and its Dragon-type STAB now has an immunity, meaning that there are new tier members that can switch in on Reshiram more safely. Its weakness to all entry hazards, Stealth Rock in particular, still causes it huge problems, and its Speed is still mediocre at base 90. New arrivals Yveltal and Xerneas both outspeed it, with Xerneas also being immune to Reshiram's Dragon-type STAB. The rise of Ho-Oh as a premier threat this generation doesn't help Reshiram either, as Ho-Oh now finds it much easier to pivot in and out of Reshiram's attacks. Finally, Reshiram faces competition from Kyurem-W, as while both have poor defensive typing but great offensive STAB, Kyurem-W has higher Special Attack and Speed, as well as a slightly larger movepool. Add to this that Reshiram's archenemy Kyogre is still as centralizing as ever, and you begin to wonder if Reshiram can do anything at all in the Ubers metagame.
However, Reshiram does have some advantages over its fellow Dragons. It shares the honor with Dialga of being the only Dragons in the tier not weak to Fairy, with its Fire typing giving it a neutrality Fairy-type moves. Its base 150 Special Attack is still as good as ever, and Reshiram gets access to Flame Charge, allowing it to deal damage whilst fixing its lackluster Speed; this, along with the decline of former Choice Scarf users such as Palkia and Garchomp, means that Reshiram is harder to revenge kill, as the most popular Choice Scarf users this generation can only hope to speed tie with it. Changes to Defog mechanics mean that Reshiram's entry hazard weakness can be dealt with much more easily than before. Its ability Turboblaze, whilst uninspiring, comes in handy, allowing it to hit Heatran and essentially have unresisted STAB coverage in the tier, something no other member can boast. It has useful resistances to Fire, Steel, and Grass, and with Steel-types more prevalent than ever to deal with Fairy-types as well as the ubiquitous Dragon-types, Reshiram can now spam its signature move Blue Flare more easily. A nice perk is that, while Pokemon like Palkia have to deal with the nerf to special attacks, Reshiram's main STAB option wasn't nerfed. Overall, whilst Reshiram may be more niche than some of its Dragon brethren, it has several advantages over them that, with the right team support and structure, can serve to make Reshiram a dangerous threat in Ubers.
Flame Charge
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name: Flame Charge
move 1: Flame Charge
move 2: Blue Flare
move 3: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 4: Roost / Stone Edge / Focus Blast
item: Life Orb / Flame Plate
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves:
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram's main STAB move and should be used as much as possible. Reshiram should use Flame Charge as soon as it finds an opportunity to boost its initially low Speed. Dragon Pulse is more reliable than Draco Meteor as Reshiram wants to be staying in for several turns. However, Draco Meteor tends to be the better option, as targets of Draco Meteor, such as Palkia, can sometimes survive Dragon Pulse and retaliate back with super effective moves. Blue Flare is the superior option most of the time anyway, and it should thus be the go-to spam move. The last slot is quite interchangeable. Reshiram can run Stone Edge for Ho-Oh, Roost for HP recovery and longevity, or Focus Blast for coverage against Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock. Pick which one you want depending on the rest of your team.
Set Details
========
The EVs and nature optimize firepower and Speed. Naive can be used if Stone Edge is used; otherwise, Timid is the best choice. Timid is better than Modest as it allows Reshiram to at worst Speed tie with opposing Choice Scarf Zekrom/Kyogre/Reshiram; also, said Choice Scarf users usually run Speed-neutral natures such as Adamant or Modest, so Reshiram will often outspeed them. Life Orb is usually the best item, as at +1 Speed, Reshiram will want to hit hard with all of its moves. Flame Plate can be used to power up its main STAB move (Blue Flare) as well as Flame Charge, and it also stops annoying Life Orb recoil when using Flame Charge. If you aren't using Stone Edge, Attack EVs should go into a defensive stat—not HP though, as Reshiram needs to maintain a Stealth Rock-friendly HP number.
Usage Tips
========
Bringing Reshiram in on things it can threaten out or KO is the best thing to do. For example, Reshiram can come in on Pokemon such as Scizor and Ferrothorn and get a Flame Charge for free, KOing them if they stay in or getting the boost if they switch. Aegislash, whilst not fainting to Flame Charge, will switch out as well in fear of Blue Flare. Using a set of Flame Charge / Blue Flare / Dragon STAB / Roost, and Leftovers as the held item, to pile pressure on certain Arceus formes such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Water can also be a good tactic, as those without a super effective move struggle to stop Reshiram boosting with Flame Charge—0 Special Attack Judgment does a maximum of 44%—meaning that Reshiram can boost and heal off damage with Roost, and eventually get around to Blue Flaring the opposing Arceus. Switching in on Will-O-Wisp from said Arceus formes is nice and easy too, although this needs to be done carefully by scouting their moveset, as switching in on other moves can cause huge problems for Reshiram.
Team Options
========
Sun support from Groudon is very nice for Blue Flare; it can also set up Stealth Rock so that Ho-Oh can't switch into Reshiram whenever it wants. Physically defensive Ho-Oh can take on opposing Ho-Oh nicely too, as well as benefiting from the sun to wall Palkia and boost its Sacred Fire; this does mean that there is an exacerbated Rock weakness, however. Checking Kyogre is necessary too, as it can come in easily after one of its teammates faints, on a predicted Blue Flare or if Reshiram is at -2 following a Draco Meteor. Palkia checks Kyogre effectively, and also works well as a teammate in general. Defog or Rapid Spin support is very nice too, as Life Orb recoil and hazard damage stack up very quickly indeed. An Arceus forme that synergizes well with Reshiram, such as Arceus-Water or Arceus-Grass, can provide Defog support as well as nicely checking Choice Scarf Kyogre. They can both check Palkia in different weathers (Arceus-Grass in rain, Arceus-Water in sun). Arceus-Grass can also take Earthquakes aimed at Reshiram, but doesn't appreciate the amplified Fire weakness if under sun. Fairy-types aren't as much of an issue as they don't appreciate Blue Flare. Fairy-types of your own to deal with faster Dragons are nice, although if said Dragons aren't carrying a Choice Scarf, Reshiram can deal with them itself; Choice Scarf Zekrom can only hope to Speed tie after a Flame Charge as well. Other faster Choice Scarf Dragons such as Palkia and Kyurem-W aren't really relevant this generation. Interestingly, Reshiram Speed ties at worst with Choice Scarf Kyogre after a Flame Charge, although this should obviously not be relied on.
Toxic + Roost
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name: Toxic + Roost
move 1: Blue Flare
move 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram's primary STAB move and should be its main attacking move. Draco Meteor versus Dragon Pulse is a choice to make, but Draco Meteor is probably better though, due to its higher initial power and the fact that its targets tend to force Reshiram out; it is better to try and catch threats such as Kyogre on the switch. Toxic is a very useful tool this generation, and it is integral to this set's success. Lastly, Roost is to heal off any damage that Reshiram takes.
Set Details:
========
The EVs optimize firepower and Speed as usual. Modest is the only option for the nature as it gives Reshiram a lot more firepower, and this particular Reshiram set's prey tends to be faster anyway. Leftovers are great for passive recovery, working nicely alongside Roost. Roost allows Reshiram to heal off damage taken and stay healthy, allowing it to win the war of attrition against its opponents. Dual STAB moves allow Reshiram to maintain an impressive offensive presence despite the lack of a boosting item.
Usage Tips:
========
Toxic means that this Reshiram set is tailored to stall out certain support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Fairy. Reshiram's bulk allows it to take weak unboosted Judgments from support Arceus formes whilst they slowly perish to Toxic damage. Using Roost allows Reshiram to stay healthy, as alongside Leftovers it can easily heal off damage much faster than support Arceus can do with Judgment. Using Blue Flare as the main attacking move is advised, as it can help support Arceus along to their deaths. Be careful when using Draco Meteor, as after using it once, Reshiram's offensive presence is cut in half, leaving it open to being set up on. Draco Meteor is mostly for slower Dragons (there aren't many unless they are paralyzed), Arceus-Water (which dies off to Toxic anyway), and over-eager Kyogre switch-ins. Staying in to try and Draco Meteor these targets is a bad idea, as Kyogre can easily be carrying a Choice Scarf, whereas the Dragons that would die to it can also be carrying a Choice Scarf (Zekrom) or just be plain faster (Palkia)—try to catch these on the switch. Support Dialga is immune to Toxic and can take both Blue Flare and Draco Meteor from this set, albeit not nicely, and retaliate with its own Draco Meteor to KO Reshiram; however, it can only switch in on Toxic or Roost. Watch out for non-Will-O-Wisp status from Arceus formes (Thunder Wave and Toxic), as both of these are more than usable on Arceus and can cripple Reshiram significantly.
Team Options:
========
Groudon is nice for Blue Flare, but as this set isn't as all-out offensive as the others, it isn't mandatory. Teammates to take on threats that this Reshiram can't deal with, such as Arceus-Rock, Arceus-Ground, and Geomancy Xerneas (although Reshiram will typically be faster and deal heavy damage with Blue Flare before Xerneas can use Geomancy), are needed. Physically defensive Yveltal can handle Swords Dance Arceus-Ground as well as checking Extreme Killer, which can set up on this set, especially if it carries Lum Berry, or simply threaten it with Earthquake. Aegislash or Scizor can take on Xerneas. Kyogre, Palkia, and other Water-types can take on Arceus-Rock. Mega Blaziken can murder Arceus-Rock as well whilst also benefiting from sun. Arceus-Grass can handle Arceus-Ground and Arceus-Rock pretty well too while also taking on Kyogre reasonably well, meaning that Reshiram doesn't drown to Choice Scarf Water Spout. A Ho-Oh check is also needed, as it can come into this set easily; Blue Flare and Draco Meteor do no meaningful damage, especially after Regenerator, and Toxic isn't that big an issue either, again due to Regenerator. Groudon can set up Stealth Rock and boost Blue Flare, but this also boosts enemy Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire. Landorus-T can sponge Ho-Oh's attacks reasonably well and retaliate with a Rock move of choice. Zekrom can murder Ho-Oh, but it shares a Dragon and Ground weakness and dislikes switching into Ho-Oh due to the threat of Sacred Fire burns or Earthquake. Physically defensive Ho-Oh works well, although it also shares certain weaknesses with Reshiram. Defog and Rapid Spin are appreciated as always, as Reshiram intensely dislikes losing huge amounts of its health upon switching in.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Blue Flare
move 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Rash / Naive
Moves
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram's main STAB; with sun support, it is very powerful even with no boosting item; it can OHKO any Mewtwo forme under bright sunlight, for example. Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse allows Reshiram to revenge kill other Dragon-types, with one being more consistent and the other being much more powerful. Stone Edge is there to murder Ho-Oh, either revenge killing it or catching it off-guard as it switches in. Toxic may sound stupid, but it can be useful to status something that is about to sweep your team, such as Calm Mind Arceus. Finally, if a Darkrai check is needed, Sleep Talk can be run in the last slot along with Focus Blast in the third slot, hitting Darkrai very hard with any of its 3 moves; bear in mind that this means Reshiram can no longer reliably revenge kill other threats if asleep.
Set Details
========
The EVs maximize special attacking power and Speed whilst not lowering the power of Reshiram's Stone Edge. Rash versus Naive is a choice to make: choose between more power and the possibility of outspeeding/tying with other base 90 Speed Choice Scarf users. Dragon Pulse is weaker but more reliable than Draco Meteor; however, Palkia can survive a Dragon Pulse, especially with Assault Vest or a bulky set, so Draco Meteor is almost always better. If aiming to clean up late-game, Blue Flare should be the move used anyway.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Reshiram is best used as a revenge killer and perhaps as a late-game cleaner with Blue Flare. Again, prediction is required to try and ensure that Kyogre and Ho-Oh are not given free turns to come in and fire off attacks. Something to note is that a 248 HP Ho-Oh variant needs to have taken around 12% damage for Stone Edge to be a sure OHKO. Be careful when using moves, as Choice Scarf Reshiram is not particularly powerful, and various dangerous members of the tier can set up on each move.
Team Options
==========
Groudon support is again appreciated, as it can check sweepers that can set up on Reshiram, boost Blue Flare with sun, and set up Stealth Rock so that Ho-Oh cannot freely pivot in and out of Reshiram. Something to take on Kyogre is needed, as it can come into Blue Flare with impunity. Palkia is a good partner, as it can also thrive under sunlight with Fire Blast, carry Thunder to get rid of Kyogre, and form a double Dragon core with Reshiram, potentially overwhelming the opposing team's Dragon check. Something to take on Ho-Oh is needed as well, if you aren't using Groudon already, as it can come in on Fire moves and proceed to set up a Substitute or hit your team for heavy damage. Defog or Rapid Spin support again is nice, as it allows Reshiram to switch in and out to revenge kill Pokemon without taking lots of damage upon each switch-in. A sturdy Fairy check is also useful, as the opponent can potentially sack something to a Choice-locked Dragon move, or just come in on one with a Fairy-Type and gain a free turn as Reshiram is forced to switch out. Teammates to handle setup sweepers such as Extreme Killer and Arceus-Ground are absolutely essential as well, as many threats can set up on resisted moves or -2 Draco Meteor.
Other Options
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Substitute + Roost with Leftovers or Life Orb can work alongside Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor and Blue Flare, as it blocks status and protects it from revenge killers. Sunny Day and/or SolarBeam is gimmicky, but could work as a Kyogre lure. Tailwind is interesting, as it doubles Reshiram's Speed, but doesn't really last long enough, and Reshiram can find it hard to set it up. If you want to use Tailwind, a Speed-neutral nature and 176 Speed EVs lets Reshiram outrun Choice Scarf Terrakion. Choice Specs is a nice item (and a throwback to BW), but Life Orb tends to be powerful enough and there are too many Pokemon in the tier that can set up on a Choice-locked move, not to mention that Kyurem-W uses Choice Specs much better anyway. An all-out attacker set isn't bad, but, again, Kyurem-W tends to do it better with higher Speed and Special Attack. Will-O-Wisp can be nice to catch certain physical attackers off-guard. Dragon Tail can be used to scout switch-ins and rack up entry hazard damage, but it is weak, has negative priority, and is otherwise useless. Focus Blast can be considered on certain sets, but it's unreliable, very specialized, hard to find a slot for, and easy to take advantage of, especially if Choice-locked.
Checks and Counters
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**Blissey**: Blissey has huge special bulk and can switch in on Reshiram pretty much all the time. It has to watch out for a sun-boosted Blue Flare though.
**Water-types**: Specially defensive Kyogre can switch in and take Reshiram's assaults quite nicely, reducing Blue Flare's power by 50% as well due to Drizzle. Arceus-Water doesn't have Drizzle, but can it switch in on Reshiram all the time and is one of the only safe switch-ins to Reshiram in sunlight.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh can pivot into Reshiram (without Stealth Rock) and heal itself with Regenerator. It has to watch out for Stone Edge though.
**Rock-types**: Arceus-Rock can take most hits from Reshiram all day, especially in sand, other than a boosted Focus Blast. Tyranitar's Special Defense helps it take everything but Focus Blast nicely. Both need to watch out for Toxic though.
**Fairy-types in Rain**: Being immune to Dragon STAB and protected from Fire STAB by rain, both specially defensive Xerneas and defensive Arceus-Fairy can take hits from Reshiram when it's raining. They need to watch out for Flame Charge + Roost or Toxic + Roost sets however, as these can wait for the rain to go away.
**Calm Mind Arceus Formes": Arceus with Calm Mind can set up in Reshiram's face, especially after a Draco Meteor drop or if Reshiram is locked into a move. A Rain-dampened Blue Flare is also inviting for them. However, none like switching into boosted Draco Meteor or Blue Flare, and they hate Toxic too.
**Revenge Killers**: Choice Band Ho-Oh can KO with Earthquake. Faster Dragons can KO Reshiram easily. Priority from Arceus-Normal or Yveltal can take away large parts of Reshiram's health and KO it once it is weakened. Terrakion can easily revenge kill with Stone Edge. Choice Scarf Xerneas can KO weakened Reshiram, as can Choice Scarf Kyogre.
**Entry Hazards**: Reshiram despises hazards, being weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to everything else.
QC: Blue J, Fireburn, Melee Mewtwo
GP: Calm Pokemaster, GatoDelFuego
Overview
########
Even though Reshiram is considered to have a very good offensive dual typing in the Ubers environment, XY has not been very kind to it. Drought being nerfed to five turns means that Reshiram can no longer use its ridiculously powerful sun-boosted Blue Flare to wallbreak as effectively, and its Dragon-type STAB now has an immunity, meaning that there are new tier members that can switch in on Reshiram more safely. Its weakness to all entry hazards, Stealth Rock in particular, still causes it huge problems, and its Speed is still mediocre at base 90. New arrivals Yveltal and Xerneas both outspeed it, with Xerneas also being immune to Reshiram's Dragon-type STAB. The rise of Ho-Oh as a premier threat this generation doesn't help Reshiram either, as Ho-Oh now finds it much easier to pivot in and out of Reshiram's attacks. Finally, Reshiram faces competition from Kyurem-W, as while both have poor defensive typing but great offensive STAB, Kyurem-W has higher Special Attack and Speed, as well as a slightly larger movepool. Add to this that Reshiram's archenemy Kyogre is still as centralizing as ever, and you begin to wonder if Reshiram can do anything at all in the Ubers metagame.
However, Reshiram does have some advantages over its fellow Dragons. It shares the honor with Dialga of being the only Dragons in the tier not weak to Fairy, with its Fire typing giving it a neutrality Fairy-type moves. Its base 150 Special Attack is still as good as ever, and Reshiram gets access to Flame Charge, allowing it to deal damage whilst fixing its lackluster Speed; this, along with the decline of former Choice Scarf users such as Palkia and Garchomp, means that Reshiram is harder to revenge kill, as the most popular Choice Scarf users this generation can only hope to speed tie with it. Changes to Defog mechanics mean that Reshiram's entry hazard weakness can be dealt with much more easily than before. Its ability Turboblaze, whilst uninspiring, comes in handy, allowing it to hit Heatran and essentially have unresisted STAB coverage in the tier, something no other member can boast. It has useful resistances to Fire, Steel, and Grass, and with Steel-types more prevalent than ever to deal with Fairy-types as well as the ubiquitous Dragon-types, Reshiram can now spam its signature move Blue Flare more easily. A nice perk is that, while Pokemon like Palkia have to deal with the nerf to special attacks, Reshiram's main STAB option wasn't nerfed. Overall, whilst Reshiram may be more niche than some of its Dragon brethren, it has several advantages over them that, with the right team support and structure, can serve to make Reshiram a dangerous threat in Ubers.
Flame Charge
########
name: Flame Charge
move 1: Flame Charge
move 2: Blue Flare
move 3: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 4: Roost / Stone Edge / Focus Blast
item: Life Orb / Flame Plate
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves:
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram's main STAB move and should be used as much as possible. Reshiram should use Flame Charge as soon as it finds an opportunity to boost its initially low Speed. Dragon Pulse is more reliable than Draco Meteor as Reshiram wants to be staying in for several turns. However, Draco Meteor tends to be the better option, as targets of Draco Meteor, such as Palkia, can sometimes survive Dragon Pulse and retaliate back with super effective moves. Blue Flare is the superior option most of the time anyway, and it should thus be the go-to spam move. The last slot is quite interchangeable. Reshiram can run Stone Edge for Ho-Oh, Roost for HP recovery and longevity, or Focus Blast for coverage against Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock. Pick which one you want depending on the rest of your team.
Set Details
========
The EVs and nature optimize firepower and Speed. Naive can be used if Stone Edge is used; otherwise, Timid is the best choice. Timid is better than Modest as it allows Reshiram to at worst Speed tie with opposing Choice Scarf Zekrom/Kyogre/Reshiram; also, said Choice Scarf users usually run Speed-neutral natures such as Adamant or Modest, so Reshiram will often outspeed them. Life Orb is usually the best item, as at +1 Speed, Reshiram will want to hit hard with all of its moves. Flame Plate can be used to power up its main STAB move (Blue Flare) as well as Flame Charge, and it also stops annoying Life Orb recoil when using Flame Charge. If you aren't using Stone Edge, Attack EVs should go into a defensive stat—not HP though, as Reshiram needs to maintain a Stealth Rock-friendly HP number.
Usage Tips
========
Bringing Reshiram in on things it can threaten out or KO is the best thing to do. For example, Reshiram can come in on Pokemon such as Scizor and Ferrothorn and get a Flame Charge for free, KOing them if they stay in or getting the boost if they switch. Aegislash, whilst not fainting to Flame Charge, will switch out as well in fear of Blue Flare. Using a set of Flame Charge / Blue Flare / Dragon STAB / Roost, and Leftovers as the held item, to pile pressure on certain Arceus formes such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Water can also be a good tactic, as those without a super effective move struggle to stop Reshiram boosting with Flame Charge—0 Special Attack Judgment does a maximum of 44%—meaning that Reshiram can boost and heal off damage with Roost, and eventually get around to Blue Flaring the opposing Arceus. Switching in on Will-O-Wisp from said Arceus formes is nice and easy too, although this needs to be done carefully by scouting their moveset, as switching in on other moves can cause huge problems for Reshiram.
Team Options
========
Sun support from Groudon is very nice for Blue Flare; it can also set up Stealth Rock so that Ho-Oh can't switch into Reshiram whenever it wants. Physically defensive Ho-Oh can take on opposing Ho-Oh nicely too, as well as benefiting from the sun to wall Palkia and boost its Sacred Fire; this does mean that there is an exacerbated Rock weakness, however. Checking Kyogre is necessary too, as it can come in easily after one of its teammates faints, on a predicted Blue Flare or if Reshiram is at -2 following a Draco Meteor. Palkia checks Kyogre effectively, and also works well as a teammate in general. Defog or Rapid Spin support is very nice too, as Life Orb recoil and hazard damage stack up very quickly indeed. An Arceus forme that synergizes well with Reshiram, such as Arceus-Water or Arceus-Grass, can provide Defog support as well as nicely checking Choice Scarf Kyogre. They can both check Palkia in different weathers (Arceus-Grass in rain, Arceus-Water in sun). Arceus-Grass can also take Earthquakes aimed at Reshiram, but doesn't appreciate the amplified Fire weakness if under sun. Fairy-types aren't as much of an issue as they don't appreciate Blue Flare. Fairy-types of your own to deal with faster Dragons are nice, although if said Dragons aren't carrying a Choice Scarf, Reshiram can deal with them itself; Choice Scarf Zekrom can only hope to Speed tie after a Flame Charge as well. Other faster Choice Scarf Dragons such as Palkia and Kyurem-W aren't really relevant this generation. Interestingly, Reshiram Speed ties at worst with Choice Scarf Kyogre after a Flame Charge, although this should obviously not be relied on.
Toxic + Roost
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name: Toxic + Roost
move 1: Blue Flare
move 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram's primary STAB move and should be its main attacking move. Draco Meteor versus Dragon Pulse is a choice to make, but Draco Meteor is probably better though, due to its higher initial power and the fact that its targets tend to force Reshiram out; it is better to try and catch threats such as Kyogre on the switch. Toxic is a very useful tool this generation, and it is integral to this set's success. Lastly, Roost is to heal off any damage that Reshiram takes.
Set Details:
========
The EVs optimize firepower and Speed as usual. Modest is the only option for the nature as it gives Reshiram a lot more firepower, and this particular Reshiram set's prey tends to be faster anyway. Leftovers are great for passive recovery, working nicely alongside Roost. Roost allows Reshiram to heal off damage taken and stay healthy, allowing it to win the war of attrition against its opponents. Dual STAB moves allow Reshiram to maintain an impressive offensive presence despite the lack of a boosting item.
Usage Tips:
========
Toxic means that this Reshiram set is tailored to stall out certain support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Fairy. Reshiram's bulk allows it to take weak unboosted Judgments from support Arceus formes whilst they slowly perish to Toxic damage. Using Roost allows Reshiram to stay healthy, as alongside Leftovers it can easily heal off damage much faster than support Arceus can do with Judgment. Using Blue Flare as the main attacking move is advised, as it can help support Arceus along to their deaths. Be careful when using Draco Meteor, as after using it once, Reshiram's offensive presence is cut in half, leaving it open to being set up on. Draco Meteor is mostly for slower Dragons (there aren't many unless they are paralyzed), Arceus-Water (which dies off to Toxic anyway), and over-eager Kyogre switch-ins. Staying in to try and Draco Meteor these targets is a bad idea, as Kyogre can easily be carrying a Choice Scarf, whereas the Dragons that would die to it can also be carrying a Choice Scarf (Zekrom) or just be plain faster (Palkia)—try to catch these on the switch. Support Dialga is immune to Toxic and can take both Blue Flare and Draco Meteor from this set, albeit not nicely, and retaliate with its own Draco Meteor to KO Reshiram; however, it can only switch in on Toxic or Roost. Watch out for non-Will-O-Wisp status from Arceus formes (Thunder Wave and Toxic), as both of these are more than usable on Arceus and can cripple Reshiram significantly.
Team Options:
========
Groudon is nice for Blue Flare, but as this set isn't as all-out offensive as the others, it isn't mandatory. Teammates to take on threats that this Reshiram can't deal with, such as Arceus-Rock, Arceus-Ground, and Geomancy Xerneas (although Reshiram will typically be faster and deal heavy damage with Blue Flare before Xerneas can use Geomancy), are needed. Physically defensive Yveltal can handle Swords Dance Arceus-Ground as well as checking Extreme Killer, which can set up on this set, especially if it carries Lum Berry, or simply threaten it with Earthquake. Aegislash or Scizor can take on Xerneas. Kyogre, Palkia, and other Water-types can take on Arceus-Rock. Mega Blaziken can murder Arceus-Rock as well whilst also benefiting from sun. Arceus-Grass can handle Arceus-Ground and Arceus-Rock pretty well too while also taking on Kyogre reasonably well, meaning that Reshiram doesn't drown to Choice Scarf Water Spout. A Ho-Oh check is also needed, as it can come into this set easily; Blue Flare and Draco Meteor do no meaningful damage, especially after Regenerator, and Toxic isn't that big an issue either, again due to Regenerator. Groudon can set up Stealth Rock and boost Blue Flare, but this also boosts enemy Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire. Landorus-T can sponge Ho-Oh's attacks reasonably well and retaliate with a Rock move of choice. Zekrom can murder Ho-Oh, but it shares a Dragon and Ground weakness and dislikes switching into Ho-Oh due to the threat of Sacred Fire burns or Earthquake. Physically defensive Ho-Oh works well, although it also shares certain weaknesses with Reshiram. Defog and Rapid Spin are appreciated as always, as Reshiram intensely dislikes losing huge amounts of its health upon switching in.
Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Blue Flare
move 2: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Rash / Naive
Moves
========
Blue Flare is Reshiram's main STAB; with sun support, it is very powerful even with no boosting item; it can OHKO any Mewtwo forme under bright sunlight, for example. Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse allows Reshiram to revenge kill other Dragon-types, with one being more consistent and the other being much more powerful. Stone Edge is there to murder Ho-Oh, either revenge killing it or catching it off-guard as it switches in. Toxic may sound stupid, but it can be useful to status something that is about to sweep your team, such as Calm Mind Arceus. Finally, if a Darkrai check is needed, Sleep Talk can be run in the last slot along with Focus Blast in the third slot, hitting Darkrai very hard with any of its 3 moves; bear in mind that this means Reshiram can no longer reliably revenge kill other threats if asleep.
Set Details
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The EVs maximize special attacking power and Speed whilst not lowering the power of Reshiram's Stone Edge. Rash versus Naive is a choice to make: choose between more power and the possibility of outspeeding/tying with other base 90 Speed Choice Scarf users. Dragon Pulse is weaker but more reliable than Draco Meteor; however, Palkia can survive a Dragon Pulse, especially with Assault Vest or a bulky set, so Draco Meteor is almost always better. If aiming to clean up late-game, Blue Flare should be the move used anyway.
Usage Tips
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Choice Scarf Reshiram is best used as a revenge killer and perhaps as a late-game cleaner with Blue Flare. Again, prediction is required to try and ensure that Kyogre and Ho-Oh are not given free turns to come in and fire off attacks. Something to note is that a 248 HP Ho-Oh variant needs to have taken around 12% damage for Stone Edge to be a sure OHKO. Be careful when using moves, as Choice Scarf Reshiram is not particularly powerful, and various dangerous members of the tier can set up on each move.
Team Options
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Groudon support is again appreciated, as it can check sweepers that can set up on Reshiram, boost Blue Flare with sun, and set up Stealth Rock so that Ho-Oh cannot freely pivot in and out of Reshiram. Something to take on Kyogre is needed, as it can come into Blue Flare with impunity. Palkia is a good partner, as it can also thrive under sunlight with Fire Blast, carry Thunder to get rid of Kyogre, and form a double Dragon core with Reshiram, potentially overwhelming the opposing team's Dragon check. Something to take on Ho-Oh is needed as well, if you aren't using Groudon already, as it can come in on Fire moves and proceed to set up a Substitute or hit your team for heavy damage. Defog or Rapid Spin support again is nice, as it allows Reshiram to switch in and out to revenge kill Pokemon without taking lots of damage upon each switch-in. A sturdy Fairy check is also useful, as the opponent can potentially sack something to a Choice-locked Dragon move, or just come in on one with a Fairy-Type and gain a free turn as Reshiram is forced to switch out. Teammates to handle setup sweepers such as Extreme Killer and Arceus-Ground are absolutely essential as well, as many threats can set up on resisted moves or -2 Draco Meteor.
Other Options
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Substitute + Roost with Leftovers or Life Orb can work alongside Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor and Blue Flare, as it blocks status and protects it from revenge killers. Sunny Day and/or SolarBeam is gimmicky, but could work as a Kyogre lure. Tailwind is interesting, as it doubles Reshiram's Speed, but doesn't really last long enough, and Reshiram can find it hard to set it up. If you want to use Tailwind, a Speed-neutral nature and 176 Speed EVs lets Reshiram outrun Choice Scarf Terrakion. Choice Specs is a nice item (and a throwback to BW), but Life Orb tends to be powerful enough and there are too many Pokemon in the tier that can set up on a Choice-locked move, not to mention that Kyurem-W uses Choice Specs much better anyway. An all-out attacker set isn't bad, but, again, Kyurem-W tends to do it better with higher Speed and Special Attack. Will-O-Wisp can be nice to catch certain physical attackers off-guard. Dragon Tail can be used to scout switch-ins and rack up entry hazard damage, but it is weak, has negative priority, and is otherwise useless. Focus Blast can be considered on certain sets, but it's unreliable, very specialized, hard to find a slot for, and easy to take advantage of, especially if Choice-locked.
Checks and Counters
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**Blissey**: Blissey has huge special bulk and can switch in on Reshiram pretty much all the time. It has to watch out for a sun-boosted Blue Flare though.
**Water-types**: Specially defensive Kyogre can switch in and take Reshiram's assaults quite nicely, reducing Blue Flare's power by 50% as well due to Drizzle. Arceus-Water doesn't have Drizzle, but can it switch in on Reshiram all the time and is one of the only safe switch-ins to Reshiram in sunlight.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh can pivot into Reshiram (without Stealth Rock) and heal itself with Regenerator. It has to watch out for Stone Edge though.
**Rock-types**: Arceus-Rock can take most hits from Reshiram all day, especially in sand, other than a boosted Focus Blast. Tyranitar's Special Defense helps it take everything but Focus Blast nicely. Both need to watch out for Toxic though.
**Fairy-types in Rain**: Being immune to Dragon STAB and protected from Fire STAB by rain, both specially defensive Xerneas and defensive Arceus-Fairy can take hits from Reshiram when it's raining. They need to watch out for Flame Charge + Roost or Toxic + Roost sets however, as these can wait for the rain to go away.
**Calm Mind Arceus Formes": Arceus with Calm Mind can set up in Reshiram's face, especially after a Draco Meteor drop or if Reshiram is locked into a move. A Rain-dampened Blue Flare is also inviting for them. However, none like switching into boosted Draco Meteor or Blue Flare, and they hate Toxic too.
**Revenge Killers**: Choice Band Ho-Oh can KO with Earthquake. Faster Dragons can KO Reshiram easily. Priority from Arceus-Normal or Yveltal can take away large parts of Reshiram's health and KO it once it is weakened. Terrakion can easily revenge kill with Stone Edge. Choice Scarf Xerneas can KO weakened Reshiram, as can Choice Scarf Kyogre.
**Entry Hazards**: Reshiram despises hazards, being weak to Stealth Rock and vulnerable to everything else.
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