Espeon 1/3

[OVERVIEW]

* Espeon is blessed by a excellent ability in Magic Bounce, which bounces back status moves such as Toxic and Entry Hazard, making it a great choice in bulky offensive based teams.
* Espeon has a good Special Attack stat and an excellent Speed stat, which makes it outspeed offensive staples such as Zoroark, Shaymin, and Flygon.
* Espeon has a good Special Defensive and access to Morning Sun and Calm Mind, making it a reliable Calm Mind user.
* However, the Psychic typing hold back Espeon, as the Dark-, Bug-, and Ghost-types are very present in the tier, it also makes it weak to Pursuit-users such as Escavalier and Honchkrow.
* Unfortunaly, Espeon has access to a nearly inexistant offensive movepool, making it unable to hit reliably Steel-types.
* Despite its correct Special Defense stat, Espeon has lackluster HP and Defense stat, making it unable from taking advantage of its ability and switching in on most of the threats it should checks without Defensive investement and hazard setters such as Chesnaught and Nidoqueen.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Psychic is a powerful STAB option that hits Pokemon such as Torkoal, Roserade, and Gligar for good damage, making it better than Psyshock most of the time. Psyshock can be used intead to hit Florges, Gigalith, and Snorlax harder.
* Shadow Ball is useful to hit opposing Doublade and Psychic-types such as Cresselia, Slowbro and Gardevoir.
* Dazzling Gleam allows Espeon to actually touch Dark-types such as Umbreon and Zoroark, as well as hitting Dragons such as Flygon and Kingdra harder.
* Trick can cripple a member of the opponent's team and free up Espeon's moveslots when used correctly
* Grass Knot OHKOes Rhyperior and 2HKOes Gigalith and has a chance to OKHO Jellicent after Stealth Rock damage.

Set Details
========

* Choice Specs is the item of choice for this set, providing maximum power to Espeon's attacks and even allowing it to beat most walls.
* Maximum Special Attack investment ensures Espeon hits as hard as possible, while maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Espeon to outpace key threats such as Zoroark, Mega Glalie, and Shaymin.
* Magic Bounce bounces back entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and prevents status moves such as Toxic from crippling its team with status.

Usage Tips
========

* Espeon can reliably revenge kill slower threats thanks to Choice Specs
* Switch Espeon in on a predicted support move such as Toxic or Stealth Rock to bounce it back.
* Espeon can be used to anti lead Pokemon such as Froslass without Shadow Ball, Gligar, and Rhyperior, and force them out.
* Bring on Espeon safely with VoltTurn users such as Flygon and Gligar.
* Espeon can aslo switch safely into Pokemon such as Florges, Milotic, and Cresselia.
* Take advantage of Trick to cripples walls.

Team Options
========

* Stealth Rock users such as Gigalith, Gligar, and Rhyperior.
* Pivots such as Flygon and Gligar.
* Fighting-types such as Bewear and Pangoro to beat Dark-types.
* Wallbreakers such as Swords Dance Pangoro, Choice Band Escavalier, and Swords Feraligatr can also help Espeon cleaning.
* Setup Sweepers such as Flygon, Feraligatr, and Salazzle appreciates Espeon's ability to bounce back Hazard and weaken walls.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock / Psychic
move 3: Shadow Ball / Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Morning Sun
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Calm Mind gives Espeon the power to sweep through its checks while also giving it good matchups against stall and other balanced team archetypes.
* Psyshock is the STAB move of choice and hits special walls, most notably Florges and Gigalith, on their weaker defense, it also allows Espeon to beat other Calm Mind users such as Cresselia and Comfey.
* Shadow Ball is used to hit Doublade and Psychic-types super effectively.
* Dazzling Gleam has good coverage alongside Psyshock, allowing Espeon to hit Pokemon such as Umbreon, Zoroark, Sharpedo, and Dragon-types.
* Recover provides Espeon with reliable recovery, making it able to set up on attacking Pokemon without being KOed.

Set Details
========

* The given EVs maximize Espeon's Special Attack and Speed.
* Leftovers gives Espeon's passive recovery, increasing its longevity.
* Magic Bounce is the ability of choice to bounce back entry hazards as well as status moves, and it also allows Espeon to boost without the fear of being crippled by status or phazed with Roar or Whirlwind.

Usage Tips
========

* Espeon is a solid wincon against more defensive teams that rely on status and Roar to stop Setup Sweepers
* Use Morning Sun cautionsly, as it is limited to 8 uses.
* Avoid Switching on attacks, as Espeon is very frail.
* Keep in mind that even if Magic Bounce gives a pseudo immunity to status, Espeon can still be burned or poisoned by Toxic Spikes, Sludge Bomb, and Scald.
* Espeon can setup on Florges, Porygon2, and Choice Scarf Gardevoir without big troubles.
* Make sure to beat Pursuit users and Espeon checks before trying to Setup.

Team Options
========

* Pokemon that can deal with Steel- and Dark-types such as Pangoro, Moltres, and Milotic are greatly appreciated, the two lasts can also deal with Doublade if Espeon doesn't pack Shadow Ball.
* Pokemon that require Hazard Control, such as Moltres, Honchkrow, and Mega Glalie appreciate Magic Bounce support.
* Pivots such as Whimsicott and Gligar can help to bring Espeon safely.
* A switch-in to common Scarf users and Sharpedo such as Milotic, Florges, and Porygon2 is appreciated by Espeon.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* hp fire on the choice specs set to OHKO escavalier on the switch
* a more defensive spread for the Calm mind set, Stored Power
* dedicated lead and anti lead set with focus sash and dual screen

Checks and Counters
===================

**Faster Attackers**: Sharpedo and Choice Scarf users such Shaymin and Flygon are the best way to force out Espeon, Salazzle can also forces out Choice Specs varients.

**Pursuit users**: Although most of them can't switch safely into Espeon, Pokemon such as Escavalier, Zoroark, and Honchkrow can trap Espeon with Pursuit or forces 50/50 with Sucker Punch.

**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Zoroark, Honchkrow, Umbreon, and Sharpedo can switch-in on Espeon's STAB move and easily OHKO it with their Dark-type move, althrough they can't switch safely into Dazzling Gleam and most them don't appreciate getting their item tricked with Choice Specs.

**Steel-types**: Escavalier can switch into Espeon without big troubles and trap it or setup on it. Registeel and Brozong wall Choice Specs Espeon but Calm Mind Espeon can turn them into Steup fodders. Doublade can setup safely on Espeon if it doesn't pack Shadow Ball.

**Special Walls**: Pokemon such as Registeel, Porygon2, Florges, Gigalith and Cresselia aren't 2HKO'd by Choice Specs Espeon and can check it, but most of them are setup fodder for Calm Mind Espeon.
 
Last edited:

teachable

Banned deucer.
In regards to the first bulletpoint in your overview: I feel like Espeon is much more appreciated on offense and hyper offense than it is on balance.

Balance teams are typically able to slot in another mon to handle hazard removal such as Mantine, Gligar, or a rapid spinner. Espeon is able to find a home on balance teams for other reason (Magic Bounce doing more than just bouncing back hazards, it being a generally strong-hitting mon, dissuading hazard setting by existing in team preview), but due to Espeon need to play agressively to counter these moves compounded with its general frailness, a balance team will usually opt for the reactive ways to handle these moves (Heal Bell, Rapid Spin, Defog, Aromatherapy, Healing Wish etc.).
Additionally, offense and hyper offense teams seeking hazard removal are very limited in this tier, both due to playstyle (Primarily for hyper offense, as using Rapid Spin or Defog is a serious momentum killer) and mons (The majority of the mons with access to hazard removal either do not provide very much in terms of offensive pressure or can not manage to fit hazard removal into a usable set). As such, taking a proactive approach to hazard removal and status moves via Magic Bounce is typically more appreciated by these types of teams, allowing them to retain momentum on a successful prediction or utilize Espeon fainting to pivot into something that can dissuade hazards from being set.
 

aVocado

@ Everstone
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magic bounce doesn't allow defog to remove aurora veil/screens making espeon a must for said team archetypes, put that in the overview

because of its lackluster defense espeon isn't safe to switch into the best spikes setter in the tier, chesnaught. put that in overview

remove gk slash and make it only in moves, trick is essential

why 8 hp on the 2nd set?

remove all mentions of hera, mantine, and reuniclus, and replace them with more suitable examples

QC approved 1/3
 
If you are mentioning Grass Knot in set comments slash it with Trick or Dazzling Gleam other wise it makes more sense to put it in Other Options.

If you are mentioning that Magic Bounce allows you to keep screens and Veil, I'd advise adding at least one Pokemon that can set up these in your Team Options

**AM CHECK**
 

aVocado

@ Everstone
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
If you are mentioning Grass Knot in set comments slash it with Trick or Dazzling Gleam other wise it makes more sense to put it in Other Options.

If you are mentioning that Magic Bounce allows you to keep screens and Veil, I'd advise adding at least one Pokemon that can set up these in your Team Options

**AM CHECK**
No its fine to leave gk only in moves. Its not good enough to be slashed so its in moves.

Also veil is banned so remove all mentions
 

aVocado

@ Everstone
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Reassigning because the current analysis is outdated for usum, but you're free to reserve it again
 

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