QC: Minority / Nayrz / CKW
GP: Fireflame479 / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
* Lunala is an exceptional wallbreaker that heavily pressures bulkier teams thanks to its Ghost typing, competent offensive stats, and high-Base Power attacks.
* Lunalium Z turns Moongeist Beam into the immensely powerful Menacing Moonraze Maelstorm, a move that not a lot of Pokemon in Ubers can tank very well.
* Shadow Shield is a neat perk that allows Lunala to act as a one-time check to most offensive Pokemon and makes Lunala quite difficult to break while the ability is active.
* Lunala has access to useful coverage moves that enable it to heavily damage most of the tier while also hitting some of its would-be switch-ins, such as Focus Blast for Tyranitar and Ice Beam for Yveltal.
* Even with access to Shadow Shield, Lunala does not provide a great deal of defensive utility to any team. If Lunala's trying to keep its Shadow Shield intact, it cannot switch in on any attacks, which can lead to its team being heavily weakened in the process, and when its ability is gone, Lunala's abysmal defensive typing leaves it hit neutrally by a majority of the tier and with only a handful of resistances and immunities, some of which are uncommon anyway.
* The metagame is infested with Dark- and Ghost-type Pokemon such as Yveltal, Tyranitar, Marshadow, and Mega Gengar, which are all capable of revenge killing Lunala with their 4x super effective attacks, sometimes even with Shadow Shield still intact. Dark-type Pokemon, in particular, prevent Lunala from spamming Moongeist Beam or mindlessly activating its Z-Move due to their resistance to Ghost-type attacks.
* While Lunala's Speed tier allows it to outspeed many of the tier's bulky threats, Lunala is prone to being outsped by common offensive Pokemon, such as Xerneas, Yveltal, Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, and Speed-invested Arceus formes.
* Lunala requires entry hazard removal support, as Shadow Shield is susceptible to being broken by Stealth Rock and Spikes.
* As a Ghost-type wallbreaker, Lunala faces direct competition with Marshadow, which has greater Speed, requires less support, sports a much greater offensive typing, and can fit on more teams.
* Lunala's Moongeist Beam only has 8 PP, which can be taken advantage of by Dark- and Normal-type Pokemon, while Ho-Oh is capable of shrugging off unboosted attacks from Lunala without much of a problem by healing itself with Recover and Regenerator.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Moongeist Beam
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Ice Beam / Psyshock / Thunder
item: Lunalium Z
ability: Shadow Shield
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Calm Mind boosts Lunala's Special Attack and Special Defense, enhancing its wallbreaking prowess.
* Moongeist Beam is Lunala's main STAB move, which transforms into Menacing Moonraze Maelstorm thanks to Lunalium Z.
* Focus Blast provides perfect neutral coverage alongside Moongeist Beam and enables Lunala to hit Dark- and Normal-type Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Arceus-Dark, and Arceus.
* Ice Beam picks up clean OHKOs on Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and Zygarde, 2HKOes Zygarde-C, and provides super effective coverage against Yveltal on the switch.
* Psyshock can be used instead of Ice Beam for a secondary STAB attack that functions as a more reliable option versus special walls, such as Blissey, Chansey, and Toxapex.
* Lastly, Thunder could be used to hurt Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre much harder while still hitting Yveltal and Toxapex for super effective damage.
Set Details
========
* Lunalium Z enables Moongeist Beam to turn into Menacing Moonraze Maelstorm.
* 252 Speed and Special Attack EVs enable Lunala to be as fast and hit as hard as possible.
* A Timid nature is preferred, as it enables Lunala to outspeed positive-natured base 95s, such as non-Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and Rayquaza, and everything slower.
* A Modest nature may be used instead for more power, enabling +1 Menacing Moonraze Maelstorm to knock out support Primal Groudon and Magearna without entry hazards.
Usage Tips
========
* Thanks to Lunala's solid offensive prowess, it can serve as a good lead to many bulky offense and balance teams, able to set up a Calm Mind against anything that isn't a Dark- or Ghost-type Pokemon and slam something hard with its boosted attacks.
* If leading with Lunala isn't an option, mainly when Lunala is facing a more offensive team, try setting up Calm Mind later in the match when Lunala's checks have been either removed from the game or weakened. Lunala can also attempt to set up on a predicted switch.
* Be wary of the timing regarding the use of Menacing Moonraze Maelstorm. It's best to use it when the Pokemon that resist it are gone and all opposing Pokemon with a low amount of health have been eliminated, as it is wasteful to use the Z-Move against a Pokemon that can be knocked out by Moongeist Beam instead.
* Shadow Shield can be beneficial for Lunala to keep intact in some situations, whether it's to find an opportunity to set up a Calm Mind or win one-on-one against whatever is in front of it. However, don't be afraid to play aggressively with this Pokemon because denting a threat that troubles its team is worth more than Lunala's longevity, such as stomaching a Toxic or Judgment from a support Arceus forme to blast it away with a boosted Menacing Moonraze Maelstorm.
* Even when Shadow Shield is broken, Lunala has the bulk to tank many different kinds of powerful hits at least once, such as a Jolly Mega Salamence's Double-Edge and an Adamant Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades after Stealth Rock.
Team Options
========
* Fairy-types like Arceus-Fairy, Magearna, and Xerneas are excellent partners for Lunala, as they're able to switch into Dark-types like Yveltal and Arceus-Dark. Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas are also reliable switch-ins to Marshadow. Xerneas can run a Choice Scarf set to offer a fast Defog to remove entry hazards, and defensive sets tank hits from Marshadow much more easily than offensive sets can while acting as status absorbers and clerics thanks to Rest and Aromatherapy. Magearna has access to a slow Volt Switch that can bring Lunala in safely. Meanwhile, these Fairy-types appreciate Lunala's ability to break Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and opposing Magearna.
* Yveltal resists both of the types of moves that Lunala is weak to. Choice Scarf Yveltal, in particular, is able to outspeed and KO Marshadow and Mega Gengar and can use U-turn to give Lunala a free switch. Defensive sets can remove entry hazards with Defog, and variants with Knock Off can remove Ho-Oh and Magearna's Leftovers and Chansey's Eviolite.
* Other hazard removal teammate options include Mega Salamence, Arceus-Ground, and Arceus-Water, while Excadrill, Rapid Spin Smeargle, and Cloyster can be used on hyper offense teams.
* Stealth Rock setters are crucial for Lunala to help it pick up necessary OHKOs and 2HKOs. Primal Groudon is the most common choice and can pack Rock-type coverage for Ho-Oh. Arceus-Fairy is another notable option, since it scares away hazard control Pokemon that threaten Lunala, such as Shadow Sneak Giratina-O and Mega Sableye.
* Lunala appreciates Sticky Web support while on hyper offense teams to help alleviate its relatively low Speed. Smeargle, Shuckle, Araquanid, and Ribombee are examples of Sticky Web users that function well in the Ubers tier.
* Pokemon that take advantage of status conditions are great for whittling down Lunala's checks. Toxic users such as Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM attract Yveltal and can poison it on the switch. Other Toxic users include Ho-Oh, Arceus-Water, Celesteela, and Arceus-Fairy. Zygarde-C can use Glare to slow faster threats down to help Lunala deal with offensive teams, switch into Marshadow lacking Hidden Power Ice, and act as a status absorber thanks to Rest.
* Lunala can carve a path for numerous setup sweepers that appreciate its work. Offensive Primal Groudon lacking Fire-type coverage, Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, Dragon Dance Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza appreciate Lunala's ability to reliably dent Lugia, Zygarde-C, Giratina-O, Celesteela, and Arceus-Water, while Geomancy Xerneas and Primal Kyogre appreciate Ferrothorn and Primal Groudon taking a ton of damage or getting knocked out.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Moongeist Beam
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Psyshock / Thunder / Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Shadow Shield
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Moongeist Beam is an incredibly powerful STAB move when boosted by Choice Specs, having the strength to 2HKO specially defensive Primal Groudon after Stealth Rock even when Lunala is running a Timid nature.
* Focus Blast improves Lunala's matchup versus Dark- and Normal-type Pokemon such as Arceus-Dark, Tyranitar, and Arceus and gives Lunala perfect neutral coverage.
* Ice Beam always OHKOes Zygarde-C, Rayquaza, and Mega Salamence and can OHKO offensive Yveltal after Stealth Rock.
* Psyshock is a secondary STAB move that gives Lunala an edge over special walls such as Blissey, Chansey, and Toxapex.
* Thunder can be used over Psyshock to still hit Toxapex for a lot of damage but also smack Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre much harder than Lunala's other moves, OHKOing the former after Stealth Rock and 2HKOing the latter.
* Lastly, Trick is able to cripple defensive Pokemon and setup sweepers. However, this doesn't work against the majority of the tier due to many Pokemon holding items that cannot be removed, such as Blue Orb on Primal Kyogre, Red Orb on Primal Groudon, type Plates on Arceus formes, Mega Stones, and Z-Crystals.
Set Details
========
* 252 Special Attack EVs ensure that Lunala hits as hard as possible.
* 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature enable Lunala to outspeed any Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre set, Rayquaza, Tapu Lele, and Yveltal running a neutral nature.
* A Modest nature may be used instead for more power. Notable benefits for running Modest include 2HKOing defensive Primal Kyogre with Moongeist Beam after Stealth Rock, greatly improving the chance to OHKO defensive Yveltal with Ice Beam after Stealth Rock, getting a much higher chance to OHKO Arceus-Dark with Focus Blast after Stealth Rock, and being able to 2HKO Chansey with Psyshock after Stealth Rock.
Usage Tips
========
* Lunala can act as a great lead against bulky teams that don't have many answers to its powerful Choice Specs-boosted Moongeist Beam.
* Prediction is key when using Choice Specs Lunala. Scoring with the right coverage move on an incoming check, such as using Thunder or Ice Beam against a Yveltal attempting to switch in, can make it easier for Lunala to spam Moongeist Beam later on in the match when its checks have been weakened and can no longer switch in.
* Be mindful of the consequences that a Lunala into an attack can bring, however, as common Pokemon resist or are immune to nearly all of its attacks. For example, it's nice to be able to pick up the KO on Zygarde-C with Ice Beam, but this gives offensive Necrozma-DM a chance to set up with Swords Dance, Calm Mind, or Autotomize when the opponent knows Lunala can't switch moves.
* Try to keep Lunala away from unnecessary chip damage in order to keep Shadow Shield intact for as long as possible, as the ability can come in handy in a pinch at any point in the game by allowing Lunala to tank an attack that would otherwise put it at a dangerously low amount of health or knock it out, enabling Lunala to potentially defeat whatever's in front of it.
* However, don't fret if Lunala happens to take chip damage such as residual damage from Toxic or Stealth Rock. As long as Lunala's healthy, it still has the bulk to survive some powerful attacks without Shadow Shield, such as Adamant Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades and a Jolly Mega Salamence's Double-Edge, both being a guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock. Having to sacrifice Lunala's Shadow Shield to take a Toxic or any residual damage so it can heavily weaken or knock out a Pokemon that threatens its team can be a much better trade than trying to preserve Lunala's health.
Team Options
========
* Entry hazard setters are vital to help Choice Specs Lunala pick up necessary OHKOs and 2HKOs. Stealth Rock setters such as Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and support Arceus formes are viable examples. Ferrothorn and Skarmory can lay down Spikes, and Toxapex can set Toxic Spikes.
* Hazard removers are just as important for keeping Lunala's Shadow Shield intact, as it only takes one switch into Stealth Rock or Spikes to break it. Mega Salamence, Yveltal, Xerneas, and support Arceus formes all make for excellent Defog users and teammates for Choice Specs Lunala.
* Fairy-types such as Magearna, Arceus-Fairy, and Xerneas are able to switch into Dark-type Pokemon such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark. Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas are also able to switch into Marshadow fairly comfortably, especially when Xerneas is running a defensive set, and Magearna can use a slow Volt Switch to bring Lunala in safely.
* Dark-type Pokemon such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark make for great answers to common Ghost-type Pokemon such as Mega Gengar and Giratina-O. Choice Scarf Yveltal also has the ability to revenge kill most Marshadow sets with Oblivion Wing, and it can use U-turn to give Lunala a free switch in.
* Zygarde-C can use Glare to cripple faster Pokemon, which can give Lunala an easier time when going up against offensive teams. It is also able to swap into Marshadow sets that lack Hidden Power Ice, and can handle status condition users thanks to Rest.
* Choice Specs Lunala has the strength to muscle past many bulky Pokemon in the tier, which is great news for its setup sweeping partners. Geomancy Xerneas, Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, Ultra Necrozma, and Mega Salamence appreciate Lunala's ability to severely weaken many of their checks and counters depending on the coverage Lunala decides to run. For example, Thunder variants hit Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Primal Kyogre extremely hard, which is great news for Necrozma-DM, Ultra Necrozma, and Primal Groudon sets that lack Rock-type coverage.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Choice Scarf enables Lunala to outpace Mega Gengar and Marshadow and gives Lunala access to a fast Trick to cripple opposing Pokemon, but it's relatively weak without Choice Specs or Lunalium Z and Calm Mind. Choice Scarf Yveltal still manages to outspeed Choice Scarf Lunala anyway, and Marshadow's Shadow Sneak picks up the KO when Shadow Shield is broken.
* Psychium Z with Hypnosis can potentially give Lunala a chance to sweep opposing teams with a +1 Speed boost while having the ability to switch moves, unlike the Choice Scarf set, but Lunala will lack the sheer power that Menacing Moonraze Maelstorm provides, and using Hypnosis with Calm Mind hurts Lunala's coverage. Such a set is easily revenge killed by Marshadow's Shadow Sneak and Life Orb Yveltal's Sucker Punch as well as Choice Scarf Yveltal, and Hypnosis is unreliable due to its terrible accuracy.
* Roost can be used in the fourth moveslot of the Calm Mind set to reactivate Lunala's Shadow Shield, but this also hurts Lunala's coverage.
* Moonblast can be used to have a 100% accurate coverage move for Dark-types, but despite having lower accuracy, Focus Blast is the superior option, as it hurts most of Lunala's switch-ins a lot harder, mainly Tyranitar, Arceus-Dark, and Arceus.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-type Pokemon**: Dark-types such as Yveltal, Alolan Muk, Arceus-Dark, Tyranitar, Mega Gyarados, and Darkrai give Lunala issues thanks to Dark-type attacks being 4x effective against it. Alolan Muk takes little damage from any of Lunala's attacks. Life Orb Yveltal's Dark Pulse and Sucker Punch, Choice Band Tyranitar's Crunch, and Mega Gyarados's Crunch are powerful enough to either guarantee an OHKO or have a small chance to OHKO a Lunala that still has Shadow Shield intact. Tyranitar, in particular, has the ability to break Lunala's Shadow Shield by simply switching in and activating its Sand Stream ability, which can enable Lunala to be knocked out via Pursuit trapping, especially when it's Choice locked into the wrong move. However, Yveltal will need to worry about a potential Ice Beam or Thunder, and the rest, besides a healthy Alolan Muk, will have to be wary of Focus Blast if they decide to switch in.
**Marshadow**: Marshadow's Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike and Life Orb-boosted Spectral Thief are able to knock Lunala out through Shadow Shield, and Shadow Sneak can pick Lunala off as well if Shadow Shield is broken. However, Marshadow should never switch in on Lunala in fear of a super effective Moongeist Beam.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh has the ability to eat up any of Lunala's unboosted attacks and stall Moongeist Beam out of its 8 PP thanks to Recover and its Regenerator ability. Be mindful that +1 Moongeist Beam followed by Menacing Moonraze Maelstorm picks up the KO against defensive Ho-Oh, and Stealth Rock is a major pain for Ho-Oh to switch into, especially when going up against Thunder variants of Lunala.
**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can outspeed Lunala and knock it out with a Shadow Ball or Hex if Shadow Shield is broken. However, Mega Gengar is in trouble if Shadow Shield remains active, as Lunala is not trapped by Shadow Tag, which means it can save its Shadow Shield for later, and Mega Gengar loses the one-on-one matchup and is knocked out by Moongeist Beam. If Lunala still has Shadow Shield intact while bearing a status condition at the same time, such as paralysis from Zygarde's Glare or poison from switching in on Toxic Spikes, Hex can knock Lunala out through Shadow Shield. Mega Gengar also needs to be wary of the rare Choice Scarf set.
**Arceus**: Arceus is able to switch in on Moongeist Beam while tanking a Focus Blast thanks to Chople Berry and can knock Lunala out with Shadow Claw as long as Shadow Shield is broken.
**Blissey and Chansey**: Both of these Pokemon receive no damage from Lunala's Ghost-type attacks while also taking little damage from Focus Blast, and they can proceed to stall Lunala out with a combination of Toxic and Confide. Psyshock can adequately damage these two, however, especially Blissey.
**Giratina-O**: Physical variants of Giratina-O run Shadow Sneak to pick off weakened foes, and Lunala is susceptible to being knocked out by a Griseous Orb-boosted Shadow Sneak as long as Shadow Shield has been negated. While Giratina-O can pivot in on a predicted Focus Blast, Psyshock, or Thunder, it doesn't appreciate coming in on a STAB Moongeist Beam or an Ice Beam.
**Entry Hazards**: Lunala requires teammates that provide hazard removal, as Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes are capable of breaking Shadow Shield, which leaves Lunala vulnerable to being revenge killed by faster threats.
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