Oglemi
Borf
http://www.smogon.com/rs/pokemon/piloswine
[Overview]
Piloswine is an undeniably cool Pokemon with a unique typing, but unfortunately those factors do not do it any favors on the battlefield. Having Ice STAB is decent, but Rock STAB is better when combined with Piloswine's Ground STAB and overall stat spread. Regardless, Piloswine is a veritable tank in the tier, being very hard to OHKO and usually being able to OHKO the foe back with the right move. However, low Speed, a lack of resistances, and a vulnerability to the many Grass-, Fire-, and Water-types in the tier, as well as Hitmonchan, lower Piloswine's general effectiveness. Still, its lack of a Ground-type weakness is nice, and its access to a plethora of moves outside of Earthquake like Roar gives it some utility over its main competition in Graveler.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Ice Beam / Blizzard
move 4: Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Oblivious
nature: Naughty
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
A strong, STAB Earthquake is the main selling point of this set and should be used at every opportunity with gusto. Rock Slide completes almost perfect coverage alongside Earthquake and takes out Flying-types and Haunter. Ice Beam and Blizzard both get STAB, and even without any investment, they get a really good hit on defensive Tangela and the other Grass-types in the tier without having to reach for the recoil-inducing Double-Edge. That said, Double-Edge is super strong and generally hits the Pokemon that resist or are immune to Earthquake for really good damage, making it a good safe move to use when unsure of what the opponent is planning to do next.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
44 Speed EVs let Piloswine outspeed minimum Speed Swalot and Relicanth, with the remaining EVs pumped into HP and Attack for bulk and power. A Naughty nature ensures that Ice Beam and Blizzard aren't reduced in power. More Speed can definitely be run, even up to max Speed if overall bulk isn't needed, which gets Piloswine the jump on other major defensive Pokemon like Dewgong, Chimecho, Flareon, and Pelipper.
Toxic is an option to cripple the bulky Water-types that are likely to switch into Piloswine, particularly Pelipper. However, with a layer of Spikes on the opposing side of the field, Piloswine cleanly 2HKOes even fully physically defensive Whiscash and isn't OHKOed by Surf in return, assuming the above EV spread. Piloswine tends to draw in Fire-, Grass-, and Water-type attacks, making special walls like Flareon, Kecleon, and Dewgong really important teammates to bring with Piloswine. Venomoth and Flying-types also make good switch-ins to Grass-type attacks, while Grass-types like Roselia and Electric-types like Plusle can scare out most Water-types.
Hitmonchan is very dangerous for this set to deal with, making Chimecho, Haunter, and Flying-types important teammates to bring when using Piloswine. Piloswine also makes a really good check to Plusle and Haunter, unlike most of the other Ground- or Rock-types in the tier, due in part to its higher bulk, its immunity to Electric, and the fact that it's not totally destroyed by Grass- or Ice-type attacks. With this fact in mind, Piloswine also makes a good partner to Pokemon especially weak to the aforementioned Pokemon, such as Huntail and Mawile.
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Beam / Blizzard
move 3: Toxic / Roar
move 4: Protect / Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Oblivious
nature: Brave
evs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 152 Def / 92 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Piloswine is the epitome of the word "tank," and it really shows its true colors with this set. While not packing as much power as with a Choice Band, this set aims to take attacks and dish them out, spreading and taking as much damage as possible before going down. This set is very flexible thanks to the ability to switch moves, and Piloswine's longevity is truly surprising with just Leftovers recovery.
To give an idea of Piloswine's tankishness, with the given EV spread, Piloswine avoids the 2HKO from Choice Band Raticate's Return after Protect and easily 2HKOes with Earthquake in return. This set is also less susceptible to special attackers like Plusle and Haunter than most of Piloswine's other sets due to its ability to stall for Leftovers recovery and switch moves to play around those sporting Levitate.
Ice Beam and Blizzard do a good amount of damage to the Flying-types that are immune to Earthquake, as well as to Tangela. Toxic + Protect allows Piloswine to spread residual damage around the opponent's team and stall for Leftovers recovery. However, either can be replaced with Roar, which is an actually highly sought-after move in the tier and allows Piloswine to phaze dangerous setup sweepers like Bulk Up Vigoroth and rack up potential Spikes damage.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
The Special Attack investment of this set allows Piloswine to OHKO Tangela, offensive Shelgon, and Murkrow with Ice Beam as well as get the 2HKO on Haunter. With the same spread, Blizzard has a chance to OHKO even Pidgeot and ensures the OHKO on Graveler. Brave is the needed nature to make sure Earthquake does enough damage to relevant targets like Swalot, with which Piloswine easily 2HKOes physically defensive variants. All this said, the STAB Ice move and Special Attack investment can be dropped in favor of Rock Slide or Double-Edge with the EVs pumped into Attack instead. However, doing so removes a lot of utility and uniqueness that Piloswine holds by making use of its Ice STAB.
Piloswine is a little harder to switch into with this set for defensive Pokemon, as many do not like taking a potential Toxic, but Grass- and Water-type switch-ins will still be the most common. RestTalk Dewgong in particular can switch into this set without much fear, so a teammate that can take it out like Hitmonchan is a must. Flareon, Murkrow, and Haunter make good teammates to capitalize on the opponent's Grass-types and appreciate Piloswine's ability to spread damage around the opposing team, making a few KOs for the latter two in particular easier when Toxic and Spikes damage have been spread around a bit. As always, Hitmonchan is super threatening for Piloswine, making Chimecho a brilliant teammate as well as Poison-types such as Golbat and Swalot.
[SET]
name: Screen Lure
move 1: Light Screen / Reflect
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Ice Beam / Blizzard
move 4: Toxic / Roar
item: Leftovers
ability: Oblivious
nature: Brave
evs: 212 HP / 204 Atk / 92 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Piloswine tends to lure in a large array of special attackers, particularly Water-types, but Grass- and Fire-types too. The latter two are actually weak to Piloswine's STAB moves, and because of this fact, this set is extremely effective at getting the jump on those Pokemon by using Light Screen as a buffer shield as they switch in and causing them to fail to KO Piloswine while it easily KOes back with the appropriate move. Piloswine also lures in Hitmonchan too, making Reflect a decent alternative to Light Screen, although Piloswine will only be doing 72.3 - 85.5% to 4/0 Hitmonchan with Earthquake and the given EV spread.
Screen support in general is great in NU. To give an idea of its effectiveness, Modest Huntail can't even OHKO Piloswine with Surf in the rain with Light Screen up, while Piloswine in return can rack up damage with Toxic or Earthquake or safely switch out to a teammate like Plusle to take it head on. The possibilities are truly endless with this set, allowing Piloswine to tank attacks from Pokemon it otherwise fears, such as Flareon, Tangela, and Roselia, and really turn the tables on them, with the only caveat being you must be able to predict and set up the Light Screen on the switch. The combination of a screen and Roar also makes Piloswine arguably the best phazer in the tier, for five turns at a time anyway, and prevents really dangerous threats from being able to use Piloswine as setup bait.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
The EV spread includes Special Attack investment to allow Piloswine to OHKO Shelgon, Tangela, and Murkrow with Ice Beam and OHKO Pidgeot and Graveler with Blizzard. Blizzard also allows Piloswine to 2HKO bulky Sunny Day Bellossom after Spikes while only taking roughly ~60% in return from Solar Beam from behind a Light Screen.
Plusle absolutely adores this set as a teammate, as Piloswine most commonly lures in Water-types, and from behind a Light Screen Plusle can switch in especially easily and force the foe out or KO it with its STAB Thunderbolt. Pokemon that enjoy Fire- or Grass-types out of the way make the best possible teammates for this set, as they can then capitalize on their absence and hopefully sweep. Good examples of these include Mawile, Kingler, Dragon Dance Pupitar, and frail sweepers like Pikachu.
Pokemon that can make use of the screen support, particularly setup sweepers, make especially good teammates as well. Bulk Up Vigoroth, Swords Dance Tropius, and weather sweepers like Huntail and Bellossom are all exceptionally dangerous when protected by the right screen. As a bonus, the weather sweepers in particular have an easy time switching into the attacks that are normally directed at Piloswine too. Finally, Hitmonchan is as always a threat to this set, and while rare, it could also be carrying Brick Break, making a teammate that can take it out like Chimecho or Pidgeot essential to this set's success.
Other Options
============
Similar to the screen lure set, Piloswine can make use of a Substitute + 3 attacks set to protect itself from an attack and possibly KO the opponent in return. However, using a screen not only allows Piloswine to do the same but also supports the rest of its team. Still, Piloswine can make 101 HP Substitutes, and Substitute blocks all status, allowing it to really work its magic against a stall-heavy team where a screen would not. As for other sets, the only one not really mentioned is a RestTalk set. However, Piloswine's lack of resistances makes this set undesirable compared to the tank sets provided above.
Checks and Counters
=================
The best initial switch-ins to Piloswine are bulky Water-types, as they aren't weak to any of the moves that Piloswine carries save for Toxic and can remove Piloswine with a STAB Water move. Dewgong and Pelipper in particular make exceptional switch-ins if they avoid Rock Slide, and Wailord, Whiscash, and Huntail all can make quick work of Piloswine with Surf. Grass-types such as Bellossom, Tangela, and Cacturne resist Earthquake and take little from Piloswine's other physical moves, although they all will take a hefty chunk from Blizzard. Fire-types like Flareon and Charmeleon cannot switch into Piloswine very safely, but they can take it out easily with STAB Fire Blast once in.
Hitmonchan easily takes out Piloswine with Sky Uppercut, but it too has a hard time switching directly into Earthquake and dislikes Toxic. Physically defensive Lickitung with Heal Bell is probably the safest switch-in to Piloswine in the tier, although it's massive setup bait for much of the tier and needs to be careful of the screen lure set. In the same vein, Heal Bell Chimecho can switch into most Piloswine easily but needs to be careful of Choice Band-boosted attacks like Double-Edge. Finally, Bulk Up Vigoroth can usually use non-Choice Band Piloswine as setup fodder, but it needs to be careful of Toxic and can get phazed if it doesn't have Encore.
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