QC: Scyther NO Swiping / The Reptile / baconbagon + wishes
GP: The Dutch Plumberjack / P Squared
[OVERVIEW]
Porygon2 has two good abilities in Download and Trace, which allow it to perform two decent roles in the STABmons metagame; the former allows it to get free boosts in either attacking stat to KO foes more easily, and the latter lets it take advantage of foes' abilities. Access to Extreme Speed and Boomburst lets it function as either a strong physical, special, or mixed attacker; additionally, while it is outclassed by Ursaring and Mega Lopunny as a setup sweeper, it has something they don't: Eviolite, which lets it survive a plethora of hits that both Ursaring and Mega Lopunny can't. Sadly, though, as a result, Porygon2 has a big vulnerability to Knock Off, and the lack of additional passive recovery from Leftovers makes it more difficult for it to function as both a bulky attacker and a defensive Pokemon. Its pure Normal typing also leaves it weak to a common type in Fighting, represented by prominent threats such as Mega Lopunny and Terrakion, and is a bad type for it offensively with two types resistant to it and one immune. Alongside all of this, Porygon2 also sometimes struggles with four-moveslot syndrome because it has to fit recovery and status into its moveset; however, it is overall a good, bulky attacker in the STABmons metagame.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Recover
move 2: Boomburst / Ice Beam
move 3: Shadow Ball / Thunderbolt / Rapid Spin
move 4: Glare
item: Eviolite
ability: Trace
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Recover allows Porygon2 to replenish its health to stay on the field for longer periods of time and to stay alive longer. Boomburst lets Porygon2 hit almost every Pokemon with a strong STAB attack with solid neutral coverage. Thunderbolt can be used instead of Boomburst in combination with Ice Beam to form the BoltBeam combination, which has near-perfect neutral coverage; however, it doesn't hit as hard as Boomburst. Shadow Ball is used to hit Psychic- and Ghost-types super effectively and can hit the Ghost-types that Boomburst can't, but in general, it can't provide the amazing coverage that BoltBeam does. Rapid Spin is an alternative in the third moveslot as well to let Porygon2 perform as an entry hazard clearer. Glare lets Porygon2 cripple fast foes, even Ground-types, so that its teammates can easily outspeed and KO them and in general helps alleviate pressure on the team. Toxic can be used instead of Glare to cut down the foe's HP to make KOing all foes easier and is used for taking down bulkier Pokemon.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense EVs, a Bold nature, and Eviolite let Porygon2 be as bulky as possible to survive more hits from threatening physical attackers such as Landorus-T. Trace lets Porygon2 take advantage of the foe's ability, and it is used over Download to allow Porygon2 to act as a switch-in to more Pokemon. For example, you can switch Porygon2 in against Intimidate users like Landorus-T to lower their Attack in return; Prankster users like Thundurus and Sableye to have priority Recover and Glare or Toxic; Rough Skin and Iron Barbs users like Garchomp and Ferrothorn to deal residual damage to physical attackers and more specifically Fake Out + Extreme Speed users; Regenerator users like Slowbro and Tornadus-T to get free health back when Porygon2 switches out; Flash Fire users, specifically Heatran, to gain another immunity; and Multiscale users like Dragonite early-game to have more bulk.
Usage Tips
========
Like it was mentioned above, switch Porygon2 in on Pokemon of various abilities to take advantage of said abilities. Avoid Knock Off users such as Weavile to retain Porygon2's added bulk from Eviolite for as long as possible. Try to avoid getting badly poisoned and burned to prevent having to use Recover more times than necessary. Avoid Fighting-types such as Mega Lopunny and Terrakion, as they have strong STAB moves that easily 2HKO Porygon2, and Mega Lopunny has Fake Out + Extreme Speed to weaken Porygon2 more quickly. Try to use Boomburst to take advantage of Porygon2's nice base 105 Special Attack, and try to use the move to wear down Pokemon that lack recovery. Recover should be spammed quite frequently to ensure that Porygon2 can stay on the field for as long as possible.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard setters like Klefki, Garchomp, and Ferrothorn make it easier for Porygon2 to KO threatening foes. Entry hazard clearers such as Starmie, Landorus-T, Latias, and Excadrill allow Porygon2 to switch in more easily so that it can survive more hits. Pokemon that resist Fighting-type moves like Clefable, Mega Slowbro, and Landorus-T are good teammates because they easily take care of Terrakion and Mega Lopunny and help it live longer. Fairy-types in general pair well with Porygon2 because they resist and can switch in on Fighting-types and can take care of Dark-types, especially those with Knock Off. Clerics are good teammates because of their ability to help Porygon2 live longer. Pokemon that take care of Steel-types, such as Fighting- and Ground-types such as Terrakion and Excadrill, are good partners to reduce the number of times Porygon2 has to switch out; Magnezone is also a good teammate because Magnet Pull lets it trap Scizor and Ferrothorn and easily KO them with Hidden Power Fire. Volt Switch, U-turn, and Parting Shot users such as Magnezone, Scizor, and Weavile are helpful for getting Porygon2 in safely. Wallbreakers such as Terrakion are useful for taking care of the bulkier Pokemon that Porygon2 struggles with.
[SET]
name: DownPass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Boomburst
move 3: Glare / Swords Dance
move 4: Recover
item: Eviolite
ability: Download
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Baton Pass lets Porygon2 pass the boost it gets from Download to a teammate and lets it gain momentum. Boomburst allows Porygon2 to hit almost every Pokemon really hard and removes threatening foes for teammates. Glare can be used to let Porygon2 cripple fast foes, including Ground-types, so that it and its teammates can easily outspeed and KO them. Swords Dance can be used over Glare to let Porygon2 pass large Attack boosts to its teammates. Recover lets Porygon2 stay healthy for longer periods of time and makes it more annoying for the foes to KO it. Toxic can be used as an alternative in the third moveslot to cut down the foe's HP more quickly, leading to more easy KOs. Substitute can also be used in the third moveslot to let Porygon2 pass a form of defense onto its teammates and allows the Pokemon coming in to avoid taking damage.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense EVs, when used in tandem with a Bold nature and Eviolite, let Porygon2 be as bulky as possible while still retaining some special bulk. Download lets Porygon2 gain boosts in either Attack or Special Attack to pass to a teammate, and it can use the Special Attack boosts to its advantage if need be. Minimum Speed can also be used to let Porygon2 be really slow for safer Baton Passing.
Usage Tips
========
Try avoiding Knock Off users such as Weavile so that Porygon2 can keep the additional bulk from Eviolite for as long as it can. Try to avoid status also so that Porygon2 doesn't need to spam Recover and waste its PP. Stay out of the way of Fighting-types such as Mega Lopunny and Terrakion, as they can both easily KO Porygon2 with their STAB moves. Avoid stat-lowering effects such as Parting Shot, Intimidate, and Sticky Web to prevent making teammates weaker and slower. Baton Pass the stat boosts obtained from Download onto Porygon2's teammates. More specifically, pass Attack boosts to physical attackers and Special Attack boosts to special attackers. Porygon2 can also be used as a defensive pivot with Baton Pass against frail Pokemon.
Team Options
========
Porygon2 appreciates having entry hazard setters such as Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Garchomp as teammates because they make it easier for Porygon2 to KO threatening foes. Entry hazard clearers like Starmie, Landorus-T, Latias, and Excadrill are good teammates because they allow Porygon2 to switch in more easily and let it survive more hits. Clefable, Mega Slowbro, and Landorus-T are good teammates because they can switch in on Fighting-types that threaten Porygon2, helping it live longer. Physical attackers such as Terrakion and Scizor appreciate the Attack boosts from Download, whereas special attackers such as Thundurus and Mega Diancie appreciate the Special Attack boosts. In general, Fairy-types are decent choices for teammates because they resist Fighting-type moves and can switch in on Dark-types that carry Knock Off. Frail yet strong attackers like Weavile appreciate Porygon2's ability to switch it in safety with Attack boosts. Volt Switch, U-turn, and Parting Shot users such as Magnezone, Scizor, and Weavile are helpful for getting Porygon2 safely, and Porygon2 works well with them in return thanks to Baton Pass. Rotom-H in general is a very good Pokemon, especially if Porygon2 is running Rapid Spin, as Porygon2 takes care of Stealth Rock for Rotom-H, and in return, Rotom-H checks Thundurus and is used as a pivot to Porygon2.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A bulky Swords Dance set with Hidden Power Fire, Swords Dance, Extreme Speed, and Recover along with a Brave nature, Download, and an EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpA can be used to let Porygon2 act as a bulky setup sweeper and revenge killer; however, while its higher bulk gives it an advantage, this set is outclassed by Ursaring and Mega Lopunny as Extreme Speed users because it takes longer to set up. An EV spread of 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD with 0 Speed IVs and Analytic can be used to let Porygon2 hit extremely hard and almost always get a boost from Analytic; make sure to run Boomburst if you do use this. Heal Bell is good to let Porygon2 cure itself and its teammates of any status ailments, but its limited moveset prevents it from being fit in. Whirlwind can also be used to phaze setup sweepers, but yet again, Porygon2's four-moveslot syndrome prevents it from fitting into the moveset.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Knock Off Users**: Knock Off users such as Weavile, Mega Scizor, and Bisharp remove Porygon2's Eviolite, leaving it noticeably less bulky and easily KOed.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Status inducers, specifically Will-O-Wisp and Toxic users such as Sableye and Heatran, make Porygon2 need to repeatedly spam Recover to stay healthy, which wastes its PP and makes it eventually run out. Special walls in general such as Chansey and Ferrothorn take little damage from Porygon2's attacks, and Ferrothorn and Heatran also resist the Boomburst + Thunderbolt combination it uses.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Mega Lopunny can easily KO Porygon2 with their respective Fighting-type STAB moves.
**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Sableye and Gengar prevent Porygon2 from being able to inflict status on threatening foes and regaining health.
**Calm Mind Setup Sweepers**: Calm Mind setup sweepers such as Clefable and Mega Sableye can easily set up on and KO Porygon2 due to their abilities and typings; more specifically, Clefable can ignore any status thrown at it by Porygon2 due to Magic Guard and easily restore health with Soft-Boiled, and Mega Sableye is immune to Boomburst, deflects all status moves thrown at it with Magic Bounce, and can recover its health with Recover.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Excadrill and Mega Scizor can take hits from Porygon2 easily and set up and KO it in return.
Last edited:
Remove the line about Swords Dance. It just isn't viable in the current metagame. Eviolite is a fine niche, but Swords Dance Porygon2 is just too specific mediocre to be considered viable in my opinion.
