Thanks to Xia for the helping hand and KnightoftheWind for writing the Sunny Day set.
This is my first analysis. Fucking exhausting. Like work, but this is the reason I love Smogon. Everyone here is so dedicated and willing to help and contribute to the community
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/moltres
Changes:
- tailored for UU play. The entire analysis before was solely for OU play.
- Scarf lead set has been mashed up with Specs for a more general choice set
- who the fuck uses the Agility set? Moved to Other Options.
- added LO attacking set
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Hidden Power [Grass]
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 2 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Moltres is one of the most fearsome special attackers of the Underused metagame, capable of OHKOing and 2HKOing the vast majority of the tier with its powerful STAB moves and excellent type coverage. Fire Blast is one of Moltres’ strongest moves. To show the power of Moltres’ STAB Life Orb Fire Blast, a standard Chansey takes an average of 70% from two Fire Blasts, meaning with support from entry hazards and previous attacks, Moltres taking out the pink blob is a very probable scenario. Air Slash is a great STAB move that is able to quickly take out Fighting-types. The higher PP and flinch chance make Air Slash the option to go with when one wants to attempt a late game sweep. Hidden Power Grass compliments Moltres’ STAB moves nicely, hitting both Rock- and Water-types very hard. Hidden Power Grass can also OHKO the lesser seen Water/Ground-types Quagsire and Gastrodon. Roost is a great move for Moltres because it can replenish health lost from Life Orb recoil and Stealth Rock, aiding Moltres to further blast away at the opposing team. Roost coupled with Moltres' Pressure ability can be used to stall out the PP of moves from weak attackers.</p>
<p>Life Orb is the preferred option for this set because it pushes Moltres’ power to incredible levels. However, if you prefer durability over power, Leftovers is a fine option. Moltres has the ability to counter Fighters, Grass-types, and opposing Fire-types with it’s decent defenses and speed, and Leftovers helps Moltres switchin more easily.</p>
<p>Choosing between a Modest and Timid nature is a tough choice. Modest allows Moltres to deal insane amounts of damage, but a Timid nature allows Moltres to outspeed many additional threats such as max speed Blaziken, neutral natured base 100s such as Charizard and Shaymin, and most versions of Roserade.</p>
<p>Hitmontop is excellent as both an offensive and defensive partner for Moltres. Hitmontop is one of UU’s most reliable spinners with the Foresight + Rapid Spin combination, freeing Moltres of its worst enemy, Stealth Rock. Hitmontop also has the ability to come in on and threaten many Pokemon that are able to withstand Moltres’ assaults, such as Chansey, specially defensive Clefable, and Regirock. Hitmontop can also take the Rock attacks aimed at Moltres. Moltres appreciates having a Pokemon to take Water attacks. Grass pokemon such as Roserade and Venusaur can switchin with ease on Water-types with their high special defense and retaliate with Grass attacks and status moves. Lanturn also makes a great partner, stopping both Water- and Electric-type pokemon from ruining Moltres.</p>
<p>For offensive partners, Pursuit users work well with their ability to scare off Chansey and wear her down with Pursuit. Moltres can then procede to blast away one of UU’s toughest special walls, freeing its own sweep. Steelix is a cool partner in that it can take Rock- and Electric-attacks like nothing, set up Stealth Rock for Moltres, and Explode on water types, paving the way for heavy Moltres hits. Steelix is also a great switch into Chansey. Dugtrio can trap both Chansey and Regirock, giving Moltres a much easier time.</p>
<p>For a Modest nature, 26 IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Special Attack is necessary for a maximum base power Hidden Power Grass. For a Timid nature, 2 IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Special Attack is necessary.</p>
[SET]
name: Staller
move 1: Flamethrower
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Roost
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
nature:
[SET COMMENTS]
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Hidden Power [Grass] / Hidden Power [Ice]
move 4: U-turn / Overheat
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
ivs: 26 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Moltres is able to utilize Choice items effectively due to its type coverage, excellent Special Attack, and decent Speed. Fire Blast is always a great move on Moltres, but Flamethrower is a reliable move and acceptable move on Choice item Moltres due to the power of Choice Specs or the sweeping ability of the Scarf set. Air Slash is another great STAB move. The choice of Hidden Power is much different on a Choice set because of the lack of versatility and/or power. Hidden Power Grass is probably the best option with its ability to hit Water-, Ground-, and Rock-types very hard, making it a very good general attack for hitting Moltres’ counters. Hidden Power Ice is useful on the Scarf set for revenge killing Dragon Dance Altaria, but other than that it does not have much use. U-turn is a fun move to have, wearing down counters and scouting the opposing team by forcing switches. Overheat is available to deliver a fierce blow stronger than a SpecsMence Draco Meteor on anything without the Flash Fire trait. Choice sets are usually used in a hit-and-run manner, and the significant power drop from Overheat reflects that.</p>
<p>A Choice Scarf set with U-turn always makes an effective lead due to its scouting ability and a bit of a surprise factor. Stealth Rock also gets up rather early in the game, so Moltres is free from it on the first turn. Moltres can also scare off Registeel and Steelix leads with its Fire STAB, and prevent Stealth Rocks from getting down early. Moltres does not care about opposing Trick Scarf leads like Uxie and Mesprit, and can procede to wear down the bulky Psychics, either by U-turning or attacking right away. The Choice Specs set does not make Moltres as effective as a lead, but the boost makes Moltres a monstrous attacker capable of taking out many of its counters, provided you use the correct attack. As with any Choice user, keen prediction is needed in order to both blast holes in the opposing team, and conserve Moltres’ HP from unnecessary Stealth Rock damage. Be careful about abusing U-turn when Stealth Rock is set up.</p>
<p>A Rapid Spinner is absolutely necessary for a Choice item wielding Moltres because it loses the ability to Roost and possible Leftovers recovery. Other noteworthy spinners besides Hitmontop are Claydol, Donphan and Blastoise. Claydol and Donphan can take Electric and Rock attacks nicely and also can set up Stealth Rock. Blastoise can take Stone Edges from Ground-types, but other than that it doesn’t help Moltres much type-wise. These spinners mentioned are not as useful as Hitmontop as a partner, but spinners are difficult to come by and Choice Scarf or Specs Moltres definitely needs it.</p>
<p>For a Modest nature, 26 IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Special Attack is necessary for a maximum base power Hidden Power Grass. For a Timid nature, 2 IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Special Attack is necessary. If you opt for Hidden Power Ice, 22 IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Defense is necessary for maximum base power. If you're using a Modest nature, 10 IVs in Attack and 30 IVs in Defense is necessary.</p>
[SET]
name: Sunny Day
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Solarbeam
move 4: Roost / Morning Sun / Air Slash
item: Life Orb / Heat Rock
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Sunny Day was one of Moltres' best options in RSE. Thanks to the improvements in Moltres' movepool and item choices, it is more commonly seen using a Life Orb, using Choice items, and even stalling. Therefore, many doubt the old Sunny Day set's potential. Sunny Day is still an effective option in the UU metagame and if the conditions are right, Moltres will crush the opposition.</p>
<p>Sunny Day benefits Moltres in various ways. Firstly, the shining sun will boost the power of Moltres' STAB moves to the power Choice Specs provides. With a Life Orb, Moltres can actually do more damage with Fire moves than if it was using Choice Specs. Secondly, it allows Moltres to use a stronger Grass attack in the form of Solarbeam. While some Water Pokemon can switch in on Hidden Power Grass and recover off the damage, Solarbeam will deal a lot more damage and can take down Pokemon other sets struggle with. For example, a defensive Milotic will only take around 35% damage from a Life Orb Hidden Power Grass on average. Solarbeam will 2HKO the same Milotic. And thirdly, the sun will make Moltres neutral to Water. Water is a common type in UU, and most Moltres will be under threat by Pokemon such as Azumarill. By removing this weakness, in conjunction with Solarbeam, Moltres is much more adept in taking out Water Pokemon than other sets.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is the primary option for a STAB move, but Flamethrower can be used if the accuracy worries you. Roost is useful for the ability to remove its Electric weakness and soften Rock attacks, but Morning Sun can prove efficient as it recovers 66% health in the sun. Air Slash is mainly put in because Moltres' movepool is fairly limited. It can allow Moltres to use the flinch chance to fight its way past slower opponents. Air Slash isn't necessarily needed, as Fire Blast will do a ton of damage on most Fighting types. If the Sun is up, a Modest Life Orb Fire Blast will OHKO Adamant Hitmontop and Rash Blaziken, and has a chance of OHKOing Mild Blaziken. It is still a nice move to have, to hit Hariyama super-effectively and Fire types for neutral damage.
<p>The item choice is rather tricky. With a Life Orb, Moltres can pack an extremely powerful punch with all its attacks. However, Heat Rock allows Moltres and its teammates to utilize the benefits of the sun for a few more turns. If you have another Pokemon around to set up sun, Life Orb is the superior option.</p>
<p>Moltres is a great asset to Sunny Day teams, thanks to a high base speed and powerful STAB Fire attacks coming off of 125 base Special Attack. If you are using Moltres in a Sunny Day team, it is ideal to have a Pokemon that can quickly set it up. Ambipom can run Sunny Day, as most people expect a standard lead and Sunny Day can be summoned easily thanks to the element of surprise. If Moltres is using Sunny Day, having some team members that can take advantage of it will be helpful. Tangrowth can use the sun to activate Chlorophyll, doubling its speed and attempting a sweep. Tangrowth also has good defensive synergy with Moltres, easily taking Rock type attacks aimed at Moltres. Roserade works with the sun as well. The variants that set up entry hazards can take advantage of an improved Synthesis.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Moltres, being 4x weak to Stealth Rock, normally has a hard time switching in. Adding a Rapid Spinner to your team will allow Moltres to switch in and utilize its massive Special Attack stat more often. Hitmontop is one of the best overall teammates to Moltres with its reliable Foresight + Rapid Spin combination. It can also take on UU’s best special walls, Chansey and Clefable. Blastoise also possesses the Foresight + Rapid Spin combination. However, type-wise it does not help Moltres much, struggling vs. bulky water types, the aforementioned special walls, and adding another electric weakness. Both Claydol and Donphan can aid a Moltres sweep by clearing away Stealth Rock and setting up a Stealth Rock of its own. It can come in on both Rock and Electric attacks aimed at Moltres. Other notable spinners in the UU tier are Hitmonlee and Kabutops. Though they are never used as such, a mention is deserved because spinners are rare and Moltres absolutely needs it.</p>
<p>Many of Moltres’ weaknesses can be covered by a great offensive teammate. Azumarill covers the most obvious Rock weakness, but be careful; Azumarill will add another Electric weakness to your team. Azumarill also has the power to threaten the special walls that Moltres attracts. Roserade might do the best job of covering Moltres from an offensive standpoint, because it can take down Water- and Rock-type Pokemon, as well as resist Electric attacks. Lanturn is also a great partner because it can take on both water and electric types. Pursuit users are very cool to use alongside Moltres. Absol, Drapion, and Honchkrow can threaten Chansey and chase her down with Pursuit. If Chansey dares to come in on Moltres a second time, she will be weak enough so that Moltres is able to take her down with ease, provided you’re using one of its stronger attacks. Dugtrio can trap Chansey with its ability Arena Trap and remove her with ease. Dugtrio can also deliver a guaranteed KO on Regirock. Steelix and Registeel can take Rock and Electric attacks, set up Stealth Rock, and Explode, hopefully on a bulky Water-type to free a Moltres sweep. Steelix is also a great switch into Chansey.</p>
<p>When it comes to defensive pairings, Moltres has many friends. Steelix and Registeel can absorb Rock-type attacks, while Moltres covers their Fighting and Ground weakness, thanks to its typing. Milotic soaks up Water attacks, while luring out the Grass-types that Moltres completely destroys. Ground types such as Steelix and Claydol can take rock and electric attacks.<p>
<p>Moltres is an effective late game sweeper, and should stay hidden until then (unless, of course, you’re using the Scarf-Lead set). The most important thing, though, is taking down Stealth Rockers- as long as they’re still around, Moltres is severely crippled.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Agility can be used on the Life Orb set over Roost to allow for a more fluid sweep late game once Moltres has done its fair share of damage. The lack of Roost means you must plan your moves carefully, otherwise Life Orb and Stealth Rock will quickly end Moltres’ life before a sweep can even begin. Safeguard can be paired up with U-turn if you’re in desperate need of status protection, but it’s not really the niche Moltres fits in. Extrasensory deserves a mention, but has redundant coverage with more powerful moves in Moltres’ arsenal. Roar can also be used on more defensive sets, possibly even over Toxic on the staller set. Roar can help scout the opposing team and build up residual damage for when foes switch out in fear of getting PP stalled. Will-o-Wisp can also work on more defensive sets to cripple physical attackers. AncientPower can be used to quickly take out opposing Moltres and Charizard, but does not have much use outside of that.</p>
[EVS]
<p>Moltres boasts an above average 90 base speed. Speed EVs can be added or taken from sets depending on what pokemon you would like to outspeed. Some important benchmarks: 227 (neutral nature, 44 speed EVs) outruns minimum speed Uxie and Drapion, 243 (neutral nature, 108 speed EVs) outruns most common Blaziken and Honchkrow, 270 (neutral nature, 216 speed EVs) outruns 252 EVs neutral nature Nidoking and Toxicroak, 288 (positive nature, 184 EVs) outruns all Milotic and Blaziken, 301 (positive nature, 232 EVs) outruns Hitmonlee and 252 EVs neutral nature Charizard, and 306 (max speed) at worst ties with Roserade and opposing Moltres.</p>
<p>Choice Scarf speeds: 423 (positive nature, 164 EVs) outruns Adamant Torterra after a Rock Polish, 450 (positive nature, 228 EVs) outruns Modest Scarf Typhlosion and Charizard, 459 (max speed) ties with Timid Scarf Roserade.</p>
<p>Remember, if you’re using a Moltres without Leftovers, making the HP odd means that Moltres can switch into Stealth Rock twice and survive with 1 HP given that it has not taken any previous hits. If using a simple 252 SpA/252 Spe spread, the extra 4 EVs are better placed into Defense or Special Defense.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>The high usage of Stealth Rock and overabundance of Dragon- and Water-types in the OU tier has pushed Moltres out of the standard metagame. Moltres’ position in the UU tier is fairly comfortable, with less emphasis on suicidal Stealth Rock leads and high speed offense.</p>
<p>If you can get past the Stealth Rock weakness, Moltres has tons of opportunities to come in with numerous resistances, decent defenses, and ground immunity. Once safely in, Moltres’ sheer offensive presence is fearsome, with its ability to deal heavy damage to any team with its raw power. The ability to force switches allows Moltres to score heavy hits or begin its stalling cycle. It's also rather frightening that the Staller and attacking sets have very different counters, so coming into one Moltres when expecting another can mean trouble for your team.</p>
<p>The key to using Moltres is working around the Stealth Rock weakness, whether it’s by preventing and removing set up altogether, or planning your switches carefully so its HP is conserved. One must not carelessly throw Moltres onto the field, even when coming in on resistances because if Stealth Rock is up, Moltres’ chances of sweeping are slim, and Roosting all the time may just mean free switches for your opponent. Moltres is one of those pokemon that only needs a few turns to completely destroy a team, either by blasting away defensive cores or stalling PP and health away. Moltres takes extreme care both using it and fighting against it.</p>
[Counters]
<p>If you haven’t caught the drift by now, the main thing keeping Moltres from being a total team wrecker is Stealth Rock. As long as you set them up, and have something that out speeds it, Moltres’ wings are clipped.</p>
<p>Besides Stealth Rocks, Moltres really isn’t interested in battling bulky Water-types. Most notable are Milotic, with its excellent special defense, and Lanturn, with an additional resistance to Air Slash. Rest / Sleep Talk versions of bulky Water-types can both take hits from Life Orb sets and stall the Sub Toxic set. Azumarill and Kabutops can switch in on Fire moves and a couple of Air Slashes and threaten an Aqua Jet. Water-types are reliable initial switch-ins, but Hidden Power Grass can deal heavy damage to them.</p>
<p>Chansey always remains as a huge obstacle to special attackers. Chansey can cripple the Life Orb version with paralysis and wear it out, or stall Fire Blast out of PP if it comes in healthy (above 70%). Chansey will easily be forced out by the Staller set with poison or stalled out of Seismic Tosses. It is not an easy battle for either pokes, as Chansey must predict when Substitutes will be set up in order to status Moltres, and Moltres must predict the same. Clefable’s ability prevents poison damage, and can Softboiled away Flamethrowers quite easily.</p>
<p>Altaria can take most of Moltres’ attacks with its high special defense and Roost off the damage. From there, it can Heal Bell poison status away, set up Dragon Dances, or even use Perish Song to force the Sub Toxic set out. Be careful though, because even specially defensive Altaria can be 2HKO’d by Air Slash after Stealth Rock damage.</p>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Needs to be addressed:
- Stall set: I'm currently testing the set myself, but if anyone has used the set extensively and is willing to do the write up I will love you forever.
- alternate EVs on the stall set: the EVs I explained are just some EVs made because I wanted it to come in on pokes it should be countering. Help!
- name for the first set: LOMoltres? But then I listed Leftovers as an option. Special Attacker? Fucking Awesome? What should the first set be named?
- just general grammar things/punctuation
