took over from blinkie
[OVERVIEW]
Politoed is a rather niche Pokemon in the PU metagame, but it can still distinguish itself, as it has access to helpful support moves such as Perish Song and Encore. This gives it a small niche over other bulky Water-types, such as Pelipper and Poliwrath, as it can help defensive teams deal with bulky setup sweepers, such as Calm Mind Clefairy. However, Politoed has to rely on passive damage to wear down foes, and it also has no reliable recovery, making it easy to wear down. While Politoed is reliant on burns to check many threats, it still has decent defenses and good Speed for a defensive Pokemon. Unfortunately, defensively oriented playstyles, where Politoed fits best, are borderline unviable, so there is little reason to use it. As a last note, Politoed's lack of coverage and power make it setup fodder for Roselia, which troubles defensively oriented teams because most walls are vulnerable to Toxic Spikes.
[SET]
name: Perish Song
move 1: Perish Song
move 2: Scald
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Protect / Encore
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 200 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Perish Song is used to put setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Clefairy and Carbink on a timer, preventing them from sweeping Politoed's team. Scald can burn physical attackers and patch up Politoed's low Defense. It is also Politoed's only attacking move. Toxic is used for bulkier foes such as Pelipper and Articuno, which do not mind Scald burns thanks to their recovery moves. Protect lets Politoed stall for Leftovers recovery, passive damage, and Perish Song turns, while also scouting the foe's moves. Encore is also usable, as it can mess up slower setup sweepers by locking them into the wrong move. Haze can also be used to stop offensive setup sweepers.
Set Details
========
The EVs in HP and Special Defense, combined with a Calm nature, allow Politoed to check special attackers such as Simipour with ease. 56 Speed EVs are used in order to outspeed maximum base 45 Speed Pokemon such as Golem, Marowak, and Armaldo. Maximum investment in HP and Defense is also an option if you want Politoed to check physical attackers such as Pawniard and Golem better. Leftovers provides passive recovery and is Politoed's only form of healing. Water Absorb lets Politoed recover HP by switching into Water-type moves.
Usage Tips
========
Try to conserve Politoed for the most dangerous setup sweepers to your team, as it can be worn down quickly by residual damage. It also can be weakened from repeated hits. If you predict that a bulkier target will switch in, such as Pelipper, it is better to hit them with Toxic. Do not be too predictable with Protect, as opponents can take advantage of it once they predict right. If you run Encore, be careful of using it on faster setup sweepers, as they can outrun Politoed with their boosts. Do not risk using Perish Song on Pokemon that can hit Politoed hard, such as Pawniard, as the opponent can just switch their Pokemon out, leaving Politoed crippled. Scald is generally the best move to use early-game to spread burns; however, keep in mind that burns can easily be absorbed by most walls with recovery.
Team Options
========
Politoed fits best on stall teams, as it can help check a lot of setup sweepers. Because it forces many switches, Stealth Rock support from partners such as Piloswine is helpful; for the same reason, Toxic Spikes and Spikes from Roselia and Quilladin also work well, and they have a good type synergy with Politoed. Heal Bell users, such as Grumpig and Lickilicky, can come in handy if Politoed has a status ailment. Wish passers, such as Lickilicky and Hypno, can constantly keep Politoed healthy. Entry hazard removers, such as Avalugg and Togetic, can get rid of entry hazards that wear Politoed down, which is appreciated because Politoed is Spikes fodder for Roselia. Grass-types, such as Tangela and Gourgeist-XL, act as good teammates because they can take Electric- and Grass-type moves, while Politoed covers their Fire- and Ice-type weaknesses.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ice Beam is an option that is more reliable than hoping for a burn against threats such as Jumpluff and Torterra, but it is hard to fit this move in Politoed's moveset. Hypnosis can be used to put a threat to sleep, but its accuracy makes it unreliable at critical moments. Counter is an option to surprise physical attackers, but Politoed is better off trying to burn them. Psychic can deal some damage to Fighting-types such as Machoke and Poliwrath, but it is still extremely weak. Offensive sets, such as a Choice Specs one, can be used, but, apart from some bulk, there isn't much reason to use them, as there are many Water-types that can fit better in offensive teams such as Simipour and Poliwrath.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-type Pokemon, such as Roselia and Tangela, do not mind Scald too much and can hurt Politoed with their STAB moves before being forced out. Roselia can also use Politoed as a Spikes fodder, while Tangela can use Sleep Powder as Politoed switches out, crippling the switch-in.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types such as Raichu, Zebstrika, and Electabuzz can hit Politoed hard with their STAB moves, although they take more damage than Grass-types from Scald on the switch. They can also take advantage of Politoed by switching out to gain momentum with Volt Switch.
**Wallbreakers**: Some powerful Pokemon, such as Ursaring, Luxray, and Choice Specs Beheeyem, do not need to set up and do not mind Perish Song, while they can hit Politoed hard immediately.
**Water-types**: Water-types, such as Lapras and Pelipper, can easily take Scald, although they dislike Toxic, while Substitute users, such as Simipour and Poliwrath, can block Toxic, although they can still be stalled with Perish Song. Politoed is also setup fodder for Baton Pass Floatzel.
**Passive Damage**: Politoed has no reliable recovery, so it is easily worn down by Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic, while Toxic Spikes can negate cleric support.
[OVERVIEW]
Politoed is a rather niche Pokemon in the PU metagame, but it can still distinguish itself, as it has access to helpful support moves such as Perish Song and Encore. This gives it a small niche over other bulky Water-types, such as Pelipper and Poliwrath, as it can help defensive teams deal with bulky setup sweepers, such as Calm Mind Clefairy. However, Politoed has to rely on passive damage to wear down foes, and it also has no reliable recovery, making it easy to wear down. While Politoed is reliant on burns to check many threats, it still has decent defenses and good Speed for a defensive Pokemon. Unfortunately, defensively oriented playstyles, where Politoed fits best, are borderline unviable, so there is little reason to use it. As a last note, Politoed's lack of coverage and power make it setup fodder for Roselia, which troubles defensively oriented teams because most walls are vulnerable to Toxic Spikes.
[SET]
name: Perish Song
move 1: Perish Song
move 2: Scald
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Protect / Encore
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 200 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Perish Song is used to put setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Clefairy and Carbink on a timer, preventing them from sweeping Politoed's team. Scald can burn physical attackers and patch up Politoed's low Defense. It is also Politoed's only attacking move. Toxic is used for bulkier foes such as Pelipper and Articuno, which do not mind Scald burns thanks to their recovery moves. Protect lets Politoed stall for Leftovers recovery, passive damage, and Perish Song turns, while also scouting the foe's moves. Encore is also usable, as it can mess up slower setup sweepers by locking them into the wrong move. Haze can also be used to stop offensive setup sweepers.
Set Details
========
The EVs in HP and Special Defense, combined with a Calm nature, allow Politoed to check special attackers such as Simipour with ease. 56 Speed EVs are used in order to outspeed maximum base 45 Speed Pokemon such as Golem, Marowak, and Armaldo. Maximum investment in HP and Defense is also an option if you want Politoed to check physical attackers such as Pawniard and Golem better. Leftovers provides passive recovery and is Politoed's only form of healing. Water Absorb lets Politoed recover HP by switching into Water-type moves.
Usage Tips
========
Try to conserve Politoed for the most dangerous setup sweepers to your team, as it can be worn down quickly by residual damage. It also can be weakened from repeated hits. If you predict that a bulkier target will switch in, such as Pelipper, it is better to hit them with Toxic. Do not be too predictable with Protect, as opponents can take advantage of it once they predict right. If you run Encore, be careful of using it on faster setup sweepers, as they can outrun Politoed with their boosts. Do not risk using Perish Song on Pokemon that can hit Politoed hard, such as Pawniard, as the opponent can just switch their Pokemon out, leaving Politoed crippled. Scald is generally the best move to use early-game to spread burns; however, keep in mind that burns can easily be absorbed by most walls with recovery.
Team Options
========
Politoed fits best on stall teams, as it can help check a lot of setup sweepers. Because it forces many switches, Stealth Rock support from partners such as Piloswine is helpful; for the same reason, Toxic Spikes and Spikes from Roselia and Quilladin also work well, and they have a good type synergy with Politoed. Heal Bell users, such as Grumpig and Lickilicky, can come in handy if Politoed has a status ailment. Wish passers, such as Lickilicky and Hypno, can constantly keep Politoed healthy. Entry hazard removers, such as Avalugg and Togetic, can get rid of entry hazards that wear Politoed down, which is appreciated because Politoed is Spikes fodder for Roselia. Grass-types, such as Tangela and Gourgeist-XL, act as good teammates because they can take Electric- and Grass-type moves, while Politoed covers their Fire- and Ice-type weaknesses.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ice Beam is an option that is more reliable than hoping for a burn against threats such as Jumpluff and Torterra, but it is hard to fit this move in Politoed's moveset. Hypnosis can be used to put a threat to sleep, but its accuracy makes it unreliable at critical moments. Counter is an option to surprise physical attackers, but Politoed is better off trying to burn them. Psychic can deal some damage to Fighting-types such as Machoke and Poliwrath, but it is still extremely weak. Offensive sets, such as a Choice Specs one, can be used, but, apart from some bulk, there isn't much reason to use them, as there are many Water-types that can fit better in offensive teams such as Simipour and Poliwrath.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-type Pokemon, such as Roselia and Tangela, do not mind Scald too much and can hurt Politoed with their STAB moves before being forced out. Roselia can also use Politoed as a Spikes fodder, while Tangela can use Sleep Powder as Politoed switches out, crippling the switch-in.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types such as Raichu, Zebstrika, and Electabuzz can hit Politoed hard with their STAB moves, although they take more damage than Grass-types from Scald on the switch. They can also take advantage of Politoed by switching out to gain momentum with Volt Switch.
**Wallbreakers**: Some powerful Pokemon, such as Ursaring, Luxray, and Choice Specs Beheeyem, do not need to set up and do not mind Perish Song, while they can hit Politoed hard immediately.
**Water-types**: Water-types, such as Lapras and Pelipper, can easily take Scald, although they dislike Toxic, while Substitute users, such as Simipour and Poliwrath, can block Toxic, although they can still be stalled with Perish Song. Politoed is also setup fodder for Baton Pass Floatzel.
**Passive Damage**: Politoed has no reliable recovery, so it is easily worn down by Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic, while Toxic Spikes can negate cleric support.
Last edited:
