SPOILERS! Blacephalon

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I was actually thinking if we can make use of Mind Blown to purposely do something suicidal, and then use the good ol' Pain Split to whack whatever thing is coming through (say an attacker) while giving more chances for Mind Blown until the clown has no more heads to blow.
Thing has defenses not much better than a piece of wet tissue paper (maybe not even anywhere better than Pheromosa? not very sure), and that attack is just super powerful. 107 speed is gonna hurt a bit, however it is still not bad, maybe something niche can make it threatening enough for its run:

Blacephalon
Nature: Hasty/Naive +spe -def/-spdef
EV: 252spe 252spatk 4atk
Item: Flame plate
Moves:
Mind blown
Pain Split
Shadow Ball
Flamethrower/explosion/HP Ground/whatever coverage or things you need

Basically just spam Mind blown or moves to things that will block Mind blown hard, and pain split the damage or just blow yourself up once Ronald Mcdonald is running out of fumes. Ideally, you will wreck quite some holes with the boomer head and deal some memento with Pain Split. Incredibly niche, but it's basically a "bring down everyone before I die" kind of set.
 
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I read tweets from guys who are testing Mind Blow, and it seems that the recoil is fixed to 50% of total HP, like Belly Drum.
Discarding Sitrus Berry sets, I think that Blacephalon should have odd HP to reduce SR damage and Mind Blow recoil, since a Ttar/Chansey switch-in can cut its HP for nothing.
 
I read tweets from guys who are testing Mind Blow, and it seems that the recoil is fixed to 50% of total HP, like Belly Drum.
Discarding Sitrus Berry sets, I think that Blacephalon should have odd HP to reduce SR damage and Mind Blow recoil, since a Ttar/Chansey switch-in can cut its HP for nothing.
Unfortunately Mind Blown is the only move that actually rounds up your HP loss, so you can't pull the HP trick like other moves can.
 
Ah, didn't know it rounded up the recoil.. Strange move indeed
Actually, the set I proposed before can check em quite hard (especially Chansey) if you use pain split. Chansey absolutely hates jumping in then gets hit by a pain split from a Pokemon with painfully little HP, although not like Chansey wouldn't have options to deal with a ghost type. You guys seem to forget pain split is also viable for this guy especially when it doesn't lack the ability to attempt suicide.
 
Actually, the set I proposed before can check em quite hard (especially Chansey) if you use pain split. Chansey absolutely hates jumping in then gets hit by a pain split from a Pokemon with painfully little HP, although not like Chansey wouldn't have options to deal with a ghost type. You guys seem to forget pain split is also viable for this guy especially when it doesn't lack the ability to attempt suicide.
True, but I didn't consider Blacephalon a kamikaze Pokémon; I saw it more as a "double attack double kill" thing, that fires off its signature move and goes down
I have to try the Pain Split version tho.
 
The set I will try out is a sweeper set.

Blacephalon

252 spatk, 252 speed & 4 attack.

Nature either increases your speed or your spatk, but lower your defense.

Item: life orb, Ghostium Z, Firium Z, expert belt....

Moves:
Flame charge; to boost your speed.
Shadow ball
Flamethrower/Fireblast
Psyshock; for Toxapex & maybe Chansey & other spdef walls.

Basically, you increase your speed with flame charge; garanteeing that you will outspeed the majority of mons. With every kill, you increase your spatk.

The only problem with Blacephalon in general is T-tar & Water Shuriken Ash Greninja.
 
The set I will try out is a sweeper set.

Blacephalon

252 spatk, 252 speed & 4 attack.

Nature either increases your speed or your spatk, but lower your defense.

Item: life orb, Ghostium Z, Firium Z, expert belt....

Moves:
Flame charge; to boost your speed.
Shadow ball
Flamethrower/Fireblast
Psyshock; for Toxapex & maybe Chansey & other spdef walls.

Basically, you increase your speed with flame charge; garanteeing that you will outspeed the majority of mons. With every kill, you increase your spatk.

The only problem with Blacephalon in general is T-tar & Water Shuriken Ash Greninja.
Flame Charge Blacephalon sounds horrible. And instead of it, run Mind Blow; FT or Fire Blast won't deal the damage done by its unique move
 
Flame Charge Blacephalon sounds horrible. And instead of it, run Mind Blow; FT or Fire Blast won't deal the damage done by its unique move
I dont want it to die with just two or three suicidal move, imagine they bring a death fodder mon who is already about to die just to take the hit, you basically wasted half of your Hp for nothing. Plus, you boost your spatk with every kill.
 
Flame Charge Blacephalon sounds horrible. And instead of it, run Mind Blow; FT or Fire Blast won't deal the damage done by its unique move
Technically it isn't really that horrible given Blacephalon's attack isn't too bad, but honestly the wall breaking power of Mind Blown plus it doesn't miss like fire blast makes it a much more superior option than the usual attack (you might want to run thrower alongside in case of not to overkill for no reason but never just thrower alone), and this guy simply isn't going to survive any non-resisted attacks.

Trashing a Mon for the sake of taking an attack from Blacephalon wouldn't be a very good idea because it also have a spare attack which you might predict the opponent will switch, and never mind that regardless of which poor sod is taking the short end of the stick this guy will still boost its special attack which is worse than just let a special wall tank the hit. This way blacephalon is crippled by itself, doesn't gain a boost, nor the tank will be heavily crippled assuming it's something like chansey or toxapex.
 
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Some fireworks erupt in a shower of sparks. Heck, some are probably volcano shaped too!
Yeah but Blacephalon is all but a volcano lol but I didn't think about the shower fireworks, I just see it as a Raudo (small firecracker, just doing noise and nothing else) lol

This thing is literally an alien who's explode at will, so I think it was a good candidate to learn Eruption T_T
See, Eruption is either for: a volcano-based Pokémon (Thyplosion, Heatran), or has burning/molten lava inside its body (Groudon, Torkoal). While seeming ok for a thing based on explosions, Blacephalon is just a firework, with light shows and stop.

It's pyrotechnic, not devastating design-wise.

Anyway, as competitive sets I'd suggest:

Blacephalon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs : 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty / Mild Nature
- Mind Blow
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower / Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Knock Off

Special Scarf, with Knock Off to punish switch-ins like Chansey by removing its item and doing some cool damage thanks to its high base Attack. Mind Blow melts everything not 1/2x to Fire, but I think it shoul be used only if a big KO is needed; otherwise, use Flamethrower/Fire Blast to generical damage any 2x to Fire. Shadow Ball is a secondary STAB move, damaging Latios (who resists Fire-type moves), and other Ghost-weak targets. Hidden Power Ice mows down Landorus-T and Garchomp, who are not very scared by Mind Blow. This set uses max SpA and Spe, with a Hasty nature to further boost its Spe, letting it outpace many 110 or less neutral Scarf users like Latios, Karyana, Landorus-T and Tapu Lele; alternatively, Mild nature boosts its spectacular SpA. Beast Boost will give a +1 SpA for each kill.

Blacephalon @ Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
EVs: 0 Atk
- Mind Blow
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower / Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Hidden Power [Ground] / Psychic / Foul Play / Knock Off

LO Mind Blow will just blow away everything not resisting Fire, while the Specs variant will also dent something resisting it; this set uses the same moves of the Scarf one, but for the last slot you can try Hidden powers tailored to hit Landorus-T (Ice) or somehow hit Tyranitar (Ground), Psychic to hit Toxapex harder, and Foul Play/Knock Off to have Attack control and item removal, both useful.
 
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I think berries like Iapapa, Sitrus, ect. are noteworthy item options as it should, in theory, counteract the recoil received from Mind Blow, which would allow you to use it for an extra turn. However, you would miss having a Scarf or the power behind LO/Specs.
 

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Banned deucer.
Yeah but Blacephalon is all but a volcano lol but I didn't think about the shower fireworks, I just see it as a Raudo (small firecracker, just doing noise and nothing else) lol


See, Eruption is either for: a volcano-based Pokémon (Thyplosion, Heatran), or has burning/molten lava inside its body (Groudon, Torkoal). While seeming ok for a thing based on explosions, Blacephalon is just a firework, with light shows and stop.

It's pyrotechnic, not devastating design-wise.

Anyway, as competitive sets I'd suggest:

Blacephalon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs : 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty / Mild Nature
- Mind Blow
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower / Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Knock Off

Special Scarf, with Knock Off to punish switch-ins like Chansey by removing its item and doing some cool damage thanks to its high base Attack. Mind Blow melts everything not 1/2x to Fire, but I think it shoul be used only if a big KO is needed; otherwise, use Flamethrower/Fire Blast to generical damage any 2x to Fire. Shadow Ball is a secondary STAB move, damaging Latios (who resists Fire-type moves), and other Ghost-weak targets. Hidden Power Ice mows down Landorus-T and Garchomp, who are not very scared by Mind Blow. This set uses max SpA and Spe, with a Hasty nature to further boost its Spe, letting it outpace many 110 or less neutral Scarf users like Latios, Karyana, Landorus-T and Tapu Lele; alternatively, Mild nature boosts its spectacular SpA. Beast Boost will give a +1 SpA for each kill.

Blacephalon @ Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
EVs: 0 Atk
- Mind Blow
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower / Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Hidden Power [Ground] / Psychic / Foul Play / Knock Off

LO Mind Blow will just blow away everything not resisting Fire, while the Specs variant will also dent something resisting it; this set uses the same moves of the Scarf one, but for the last slot you can try Hidden powers tailored to hit Landorus-T (Ice) or somehow hit Tyranitar (Ground), Psychic to hit Toxapex harder, and Foul Play/Knock Off to have Attack control and item removal, both useful.
One move on scarf I think is pretty nice is smack down. It can rk volcarona with some chip and it has the moveslot for it.
 
This thing is gonna be scary and broken as fuck if it does learn eruption (and nothing from it design really suggested anyway).

The fact that Mind Blown is rounded UP instead of the usual down, means that ideally we can also still pull the odd HP trick, but we will need a Sitrus berry for it to recover and land a 3rd fiery burst of fireworks. It's an another story if it does worth it or not, however.
 
This thing is gonna be scary and broken as fuck if it does learn eruption (and nothing from it design really suggested anyway).

The fact that Mind Blown is rounded UP instead of the usual down, means that ideally we can also still pull the odd HP trick, but we will need a Sitrus berry for it to recover and land a 3rd fiery burst of fireworks. It's an another story if it does worth it or not, however.
Wouldn't Sitrus proc either way since your Pokemon would be at 50% if it's even and... basically 50% if it is odd? And any kind of healing would help really, even Leftovers.
 
Wouldn't Sitrus proc either way since your Pokemon would be at 50% if it's even and... basically 50% if it is odd? And any kind of healing would help really, even Leftovers.
Wasn't very sure if the berry can be triggered at exactly 1/2, plus the fact that this guy is odd-numbered HP by default assuming you run 31IV in HP so I guess it wouldn't be harmful to be certain.
I don't think giving it a leftovers would be a good idea given the fact that this guy ain't surviving any hits and wouldn't make good enough use of a leftovers. That tool should be reserved for something like walls that could tank hits for Blacephalon, at least.

And come on guns pain split on this thing really needs some loving :(
 
Wasn't very sure if the berry can be triggered at exactly 1/2, plus the fact that this guy is odd-numbered HP by default assuming you run 31IV in HP so I guess it wouldn't be harmful to be certain.
I don't think giving it a leftovers would be a good idea given the fact that this guy ain't surviving any hits and wouldn't make good enough use of a leftovers. That tool should be reserved for something like walls that could tank hits for Blacephalon, at least.

And come on guns pain split on this thing really needs some loving :(
Sitrus triggers at 50% or below (so yellow health, basically), but Iapapa and company only activate at 25% or below if the Mon doesn't have Gluttony. In other words, Sitrus is the best choice for it, unless a Sub Calm Mind set gains traction at some point.

And this thing will always hit the yellow after Mind Blown, btw, because GF were clever and cruel this time around, so the recoil rounds UP instead of down. Crafty bastards...
 
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