[OVERVIEW]
Ursaring is a very strong revenge killer and sweeper with access to good coverage options and two strong priority moves. It is one of the only Pokemon that are able to use the deadly Belly Drum + Extreme Speed combination, as it learns Belly Drum naturally. Belly Drum in combination with Ursaring's coverage moves turns it into one of the best sweepers in the tier once it has successfully set up, being able to cover almost anything it wants. It also acts as an amazing status absorber thanks to Guts. However, it struggles with only having four moveslots because it always runs two Normal-type moves, so it's often walled by common threats. Additionally, while Ursaring has a very high Attack stat, its mediocre bulk and pitiful Speed mean that it almost always relies on priority to take on faster threats. Ursaring also hates chip damage and is prone to being worn down due to its lack of recovery.
[SET]
name: Revenge Killer
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Play Rough / Crunch
move 4: Close Combat / Earthquake
item: Silk Scarf / Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out and Extreme Speed form a powerful revenge killing combination. Play Rough is used to hit Sableye, which cannot weaken Ursaring's attacks with Will-O-Wisp thanks to Guts. Crunch is another option that hits other Ghost-types, which are rare but still threaten Ursaring. Close Combat is the most common move in the last slot, hitting most Steel- and Rock-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Terrakion. Earthquake hits Pokemon such as Jirachi and Raikou as hard as possible and OHKOes Heatran. Fire Punch is a more niche option that can OHKO Ferrothorn and can get a heavy hit on Skarmory but leaves Ursaring unable to significantly damage Heatran, which is very common in STABmons.
Set Details
========
Silk Scarf leaves Ursaring much weaker than Toxic Orb but still boosts the power of Fake Out and Extreme Speed without wearing down Ursaring. On the other hand, Toxic Orb activates Guts, making Ursaring extremely powerful, and lets Ursaring sponge status ailments once it activates, giving your team a free switch-in to Pokemon such as Whimsicott. Unfortunately, Toxic Orb puts Ursaring on a timer, which is very undesirable due to the nature of Fake Out. Guts makes Ursaring much stronger and allows it to take advantage of Will-O-Wisp and other status moves. The EVs give Ursaring maximum power and Speed to make it effective at revenge killing; however, Ursaring can afford to use an Adamant nature instead of Jolly because Jolly doesn't help it outpace anything notable besides other Ursaring and some Stoutland sets, as it is relatively slow anyway and has dual priority to mitigate its poor Speed.
Usage Tips
========
Ursaring should very rarely be switched in directly because it is prone to being worn down and is generally only good as a revenge killer. If possible, the only time Ursaring should be switched in directly is on a predicted status move after Toxic Orb has activated, provided it's running the item. Ursaring's main role is coming in after a KO and immediately threatening the foe with Fake Out and Extreme Speed, so being brought in after a threat KOes something on your team is useful. If running Toxic Orb, bring Ursaring in safely so that it can use Fake Out to activate the item. Not many Pokemon can switch into Ursaring safely, so use that to your advantage. Ursaring functions great as a blanket check to setup sweepers, so it should be brought in to revenge kill them. Prediction is very important because the more Ursaring attacks, the more HP it ends up losing. Opponents will often try to switch aggressively around this, so don't be afraid to predict. Pulling double switches is often quite useful because many people will try to stall Ursaring out.
Team Options
========
Ursaring has trouble breaking through bulky Ground-types such as Garchomp and Hippowdon, so strong Water- and Ice-type attackers such as Azumarill and Weavile are helpful for breaking these Pokemon down. If Ursaring is running Play Rough over Crunch, Ghost-types other than Sableye can be troublesome, so partners such as Mega Gyarados can be helpful to take care of them. Pursuit users such as Weavile are especially good at removing Ghost-types. Generally, Ursaring dislikes sturdy physical walls, so special wallbreakers such as Mega Blastoise are good teammates. Ursaring appreciates entry hazard removal, as entry hazards and poison damage wear it down extremely quickly, making Defoggers and spinners such as Landorus-T and Starmie good partners. Starmie and Mega Blastoise are especially good because they offer good offensive synergy with Ursaring as well, covering bulky Ground-types and Ursaring can take care of walls such as Ferrothorn and Suicune in return. Entry setters such as Ferrothorn also help Ursaring a lot because it forces a lot of switches. In particular, Forretress can set up Toxic Spikes, which quickly wears down the opponent's team in conjunction with Ursaring's powerful Fake Out. Trappers, such as Gothitelle, are very useful teammates in order to eliminate Heatran and Ferrothorn.
[SET]
name: Sweeper
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Brick Break / Close Combat
move 4: Earthquake / Crunch
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Belly Drum is Ursaring's main setup move and the main part of what makes this set so proficient. Extreme Speed fills the role of a STAB priority move and is the second part of what makes the set so effective. The rest of the moves are coverage options to allow Ursaring to break through Pokemon that would otherwise wall it. Fighting-type coverage is required, as Pokemon such as Skarmory and Aerodactyl wall Ursaring otherwise, and Ferrothorn survives +6 Earthquake at full health. Brick Break is usually the best option because it OHKOes most of its targets at +6. Close Combat is also an option if you want raw power; however, it leaves Ursaring more prone to being revenge killed by Stoutland and other Extreme Speed users. Earthquake is a good option to cover bulky Steel-types such as Jirachi, and it doesn't make contact, so it can hit predicted Ferrothorn or Garchomp switch-ins. Crunch is another decent option that OHKOes Cofagrigus, but it can also hit other Pokemon such as Gengar.
Set Details
========
Sitrus Berry allows Ursaring to recover 25% of its maximum HP, giving it more longevity and many more opportunities to set up. Guts prevents Ursaring from being crippled by burns and turns status ailments into an advantage. Quick Feet is also a very viable option because the extra Speed can turn Ursaring into an even more proficient sweeper. Maximum Speed and Attack EVs are used to make Ursaring as strong and as fast as possible, and the remaining 4 EVs are placed into HP as to give Ursaring an even HP stat, allowing Sitrus Berry to kick in after using Belly Drum at full health. A Jolly nature is preferred because Ursaring usually won't miss the extra power at +6, and outpacing other Ursaring as well as a few slower threats is useful. However, an Adamant nature is still a viable option if maximum damage output is preferred.
Usage Tips
========
Make sure that Ursaring only uses Belly Drum once any Pokemon with Unaware, such as Clefable and Quagsire, are gone from the opponent's team because they can completely stop Ursaring's sweep. If your opponent has revealed Topsy-Turvy on Sableye, make sure it is KOed before setting up because Sableye is immune to Extreme Speed and can ruin Ursaring's sweep and remove your team's momentum. As Ursaring can only set up Belly Drum once, use it wisely, and remember that Ursaring is better late-game once the opposing team has been worn down. Thanks to Extreme Speed, this set can be used as a revenge killer early-game as long as you don't let Ursaring take too much damage. Ursaring has relatively poor bulk, so only set up on Pokemon with weak attacks. A lot of players will try to switch Ferrothorn into a predicted Extreme Speed to stack up Iron Barbs damage, so predict this if possible and hit Ferrothorn with Earthquake as it switches in, provided Ursaring is running the move. Use the turn that Ursaring forces a frail foe out to set up Belly Drum.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that provide dual screens support such as Espeon and Latias give Ursaring easier opportunities to set up. Memento and Parting Shot users such as Whimsicott and Sableye also provide Ursaring with setup opportunities. Ursaring is relatively slow, so Tailwind support from Pokemon such as Zapdos is very useful. Entry hazard support is very useful to break Sturdy and Focus Sash, so Pokemon such as Forretress are good team options. Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn both beat Clefable and Quagsire, which wall Ursaring thanks to Unaware. Pokemon like Hoopa-U and Keldeo can cover physical walls like Ferrothorn and Garchomp, which can deal a lot of passive damage to Ursaring.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Seed Bomb and Gunk Shot allow Ursaring to easily break through Unaware Quagsire and Clefable, respectively. However, these moves have terrible coverage otherwise. Fire Punch is a niche option to hit bulky Steel-types, particularly Scizor and Mega Scizor. However, Fighting- and Ground-type coverage is normally adequate for hitting these Steel-types. Facade is an option alongside Toxic Orb because it is very powerful, but it is hard to justify using Facade instead of a coverage move. Ice Punch is an option to hit Landorus-T and Garchomp but has poor coverage outside of them. Ursaring could potentially utilize a Rest + Sleep Talk wallbreaker set, allowing it to simultaneously activate Guts and recover damage. However, this set isn't great, as Sleep Talk is unreliable and Ursaring generally doesn't have enough bulk to tank two hits between each use of Rest.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Steel-types**: Bulky Steel-types such as Skarmory and Scizor are hard for Ursaring to break because they resist its STAB moves and thus can wall it.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Physical walls such as Ferrothorn and Landorus-T are often hard for Ursaring to break, especially ones with Intimidate.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types are immune to Extreme Speed; however, they are rare in STABmons. In particular, Gengar is the only viable Ghost-type that outspeeds Ursaring, and it can OHKO Ursaring with Focus Blast. Sableye is another annoyance because it can use Topsy-Turvy to ruin Ursaring's sweep.
**Unaware Users**: Clefable and Quagsire wall Belly Drum sets that aren't carrying Gunk Shot or Seed Bomb, respectively.
**Fast Rock- and Steel-types**: Any Rock- or Steel-type that outspeeds Ursaring, such as Terrakion or Heatran, can be a big problem, as Extreme Speed cannot OHKO them unless they are seriously weakened, and they can deal major damage to Ursaring or even OHKO it.
**Chip Damage**: Due to Ursaring's lack of recovery, it is worn down easily by passive damage. Rocky Helmet, Iron Barbs, and Rough Skin are the main sources of chip damage and are commonly seen on Garchomp and Ferrothorn, which can use their abilities in conjunction with Rocky Helmet to easily wear down Ursaring. Guts variants are forced to use Close Combat for Ferrothorn, which does OHKO it most of the time, but Garchomp is 2HKOed at best by Ursaring's moves, and having to attack it twice will inflict a lot of residual damage on Ursaring. Belly Drum Ursaring easily outpaces and OHKOes Ferrothorn with Earthquake at +6 Attack; however, Ursaring is slower than Garchomp, so it is forced to use Extreme Speed and take the contact damage from Garchomp.
**Fake Out + Extreme Speed Users**: Ursaring is one of the slowest Fake Out + Extreme Speed users in the metagame, so it is vulnerable to being revenge killed by other Pokemon with these moves, such as Stoutland and Braviary.
Ursaring is a very strong revenge killer and sweeper with access to good coverage options and two strong priority moves. It is one of the only Pokemon that are able to use the deadly Belly Drum + Extreme Speed combination, as it learns Belly Drum naturally. Belly Drum in combination with Ursaring's coverage moves turns it into one of the best sweepers in the tier once it has successfully set up, being able to cover almost anything it wants. It also acts as an amazing status absorber thanks to Guts. However, it struggles with only having four moveslots because it always runs two Normal-type moves, so it's often walled by common threats. Additionally, while Ursaring has a very high Attack stat, its mediocre bulk and pitiful Speed mean that it almost always relies on priority to take on faster threats. Ursaring also hates chip damage and is prone to being worn down due to its lack of recovery.
[SET]
name: Revenge Killer
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Play Rough / Crunch
move 4: Close Combat / Earthquake
item: Silk Scarf / Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out and Extreme Speed form a powerful revenge killing combination. Play Rough is used to hit Sableye, which cannot weaken Ursaring's attacks with Will-O-Wisp thanks to Guts. Crunch is another option that hits other Ghost-types, which are rare but still threaten Ursaring. Close Combat is the most common move in the last slot, hitting most Steel- and Rock-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Terrakion. Earthquake hits Pokemon such as Jirachi and Raikou as hard as possible and OHKOes Heatran. Fire Punch is a more niche option that can OHKO Ferrothorn and can get a heavy hit on Skarmory but leaves Ursaring unable to significantly damage Heatran, which is very common in STABmons.
Set Details
========
Silk Scarf leaves Ursaring much weaker than Toxic Orb but still boosts the power of Fake Out and Extreme Speed without wearing down Ursaring. On the other hand, Toxic Orb activates Guts, making Ursaring extremely powerful, and lets Ursaring sponge status ailments once it activates, giving your team a free switch-in to Pokemon such as Whimsicott. Unfortunately, Toxic Orb puts Ursaring on a timer, which is very undesirable due to the nature of Fake Out. Guts makes Ursaring much stronger and allows it to take advantage of Will-O-Wisp and other status moves. The EVs give Ursaring maximum power and Speed to make it effective at revenge killing; however, Ursaring can afford to use an Adamant nature instead of Jolly because Jolly doesn't help it outpace anything notable besides other Ursaring and some Stoutland sets, as it is relatively slow anyway and has dual priority to mitigate its poor Speed.
Usage Tips
========
Ursaring should very rarely be switched in directly because it is prone to being worn down and is generally only good as a revenge killer. If possible, the only time Ursaring should be switched in directly is on a predicted status move after Toxic Orb has activated, provided it's running the item. Ursaring's main role is coming in after a KO and immediately threatening the foe with Fake Out and Extreme Speed, so being brought in after a threat KOes something on your team is useful. If running Toxic Orb, bring Ursaring in safely so that it can use Fake Out to activate the item. Not many Pokemon can switch into Ursaring safely, so use that to your advantage. Ursaring functions great as a blanket check to setup sweepers, so it should be brought in to revenge kill them. Prediction is very important because the more Ursaring attacks, the more HP it ends up losing. Opponents will often try to switch aggressively around this, so don't be afraid to predict. Pulling double switches is often quite useful because many people will try to stall Ursaring out.
Team Options
========
Ursaring has trouble breaking through bulky Ground-types such as Garchomp and Hippowdon, so strong Water- and Ice-type attackers such as Azumarill and Weavile are helpful for breaking these Pokemon down. If Ursaring is running Play Rough over Crunch, Ghost-types other than Sableye can be troublesome, so partners such as Mega Gyarados can be helpful to take care of them. Pursuit users such as Weavile are especially good at removing Ghost-types. Generally, Ursaring dislikes sturdy physical walls, so special wallbreakers such as Mega Blastoise are good teammates. Ursaring appreciates entry hazard removal, as entry hazards and poison damage wear it down extremely quickly, making Defoggers and spinners such as Landorus-T and Starmie good partners. Starmie and Mega Blastoise are especially good because they offer good offensive synergy with Ursaring as well, covering bulky Ground-types and Ursaring can take care of walls such as Ferrothorn and Suicune in return. Entry setters such as Ferrothorn also help Ursaring a lot because it forces a lot of switches. In particular, Forretress can set up Toxic Spikes, which quickly wears down the opponent's team in conjunction with Ursaring's powerful Fake Out. Trappers, such as Gothitelle, are very useful teammates in order to eliminate Heatran and Ferrothorn.
[SET]
name: Sweeper
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Brick Break / Close Combat
move 4: Earthquake / Crunch
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Belly Drum is Ursaring's main setup move and the main part of what makes this set so proficient. Extreme Speed fills the role of a STAB priority move and is the second part of what makes the set so effective. The rest of the moves are coverage options to allow Ursaring to break through Pokemon that would otherwise wall it. Fighting-type coverage is required, as Pokemon such as Skarmory and Aerodactyl wall Ursaring otherwise, and Ferrothorn survives +6 Earthquake at full health. Brick Break is usually the best option because it OHKOes most of its targets at +6. Close Combat is also an option if you want raw power; however, it leaves Ursaring more prone to being revenge killed by Stoutland and other Extreme Speed users. Earthquake is a good option to cover bulky Steel-types such as Jirachi, and it doesn't make contact, so it can hit predicted Ferrothorn or Garchomp switch-ins. Crunch is another decent option that OHKOes Cofagrigus, but it can also hit other Pokemon such as Gengar.
Set Details
========
Sitrus Berry allows Ursaring to recover 25% of its maximum HP, giving it more longevity and many more opportunities to set up. Guts prevents Ursaring from being crippled by burns and turns status ailments into an advantage. Quick Feet is also a very viable option because the extra Speed can turn Ursaring into an even more proficient sweeper. Maximum Speed and Attack EVs are used to make Ursaring as strong and as fast as possible, and the remaining 4 EVs are placed into HP as to give Ursaring an even HP stat, allowing Sitrus Berry to kick in after using Belly Drum at full health. A Jolly nature is preferred because Ursaring usually won't miss the extra power at +6, and outpacing other Ursaring as well as a few slower threats is useful. However, an Adamant nature is still a viable option if maximum damage output is preferred.
Usage Tips
========
Make sure that Ursaring only uses Belly Drum once any Pokemon with Unaware, such as Clefable and Quagsire, are gone from the opponent's team because they can completely stop Ursaring's sweep. If your opponent has revealed Topsy-Turvy on Sableye, make sure it is KOed before setting up because Sableye is immune to Extreme Speed and can ruin Ursaring's sweep and remove your team's momentum. As Ursaring can only set up Belly Drum once, use it wisely, and remember that Ursaring is better late-game once the opposing team has been worn down. Thanks to Extreme Speed, this set can be used as a revenge killer early-game as long as you don't let Ursaring take too much damage. Ursaring has relatively poor bulk, so only set up on Pokemon with weak attacks. A lot of players will try to switch Ferrothorn into a predicted Extreme Speed to stack up Iron Barbs damage, so predict this if possible and hit Ferrothorn with Earthquake as it switches in, provided Ursaring is running the move. Use the turn that Ursaring forces a frail foe out to set up Belly Drum.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that provide dual screens support such as Espeon and Latias give Ursaring easier opportunities to set up. Memento and Parting Shot users such as Whimsicott and Sableye also provide Ursaring with setup opportunities. Ursaring is relatively slow, so Tailwind support from Pokemon such as Zapdos is very useful. Entry hazard support is very useful to break Sturdy and Focus Sash, so Pokemon such as Forretress are good team options. Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn both beat Clefable and Quagsire, which wall Ursaring thanks to Unaware. Pokemon like Hoopa-U and Keldeo can cover physical walls like Ferrothorn and Garchomp, which can deal a lot of passive damage to Ursaring.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Seed Bomb and Gunk Shot allow Ursaring to easily break through Unaware Quagsire and Clefable, respectively. However, these moves have terrible coverage otherwise. Fire Punch is a niche option to hit bulky Steel-types, particularly Scizor and Mega Scizor. However, Fighting- and Ground-type coverage is normally adequate for hitting these Steel-types. Facade is an option alongside Toxic Orb because it is very powerful, but it is hard to justify using Facade instead of a coverage move. Ice Punch is an option to hit Landorus-T and Garchomp but has poor coverage outside of them. Ursaring could potentially utilize a Rest + Sleep Talk wallbreaker set, allowing it to simultaneously activate Guts and recover damage. However, this set isn't great, as Sleep Talk is unreliable and Ursaring generally doesn't have enough bulk to tank two hits between each use of Rest.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Steel-types**: Bulky Steel-types such as Skarmory and Scizor are hard for Ursaring to break because they resist its STAB moves and thus can wall it.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Physical walls such as Ferrothorn and Landorus-T are often hard for Ursaring to break, especially ones with Intimidate.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types are immune to Extreme Speed; however, they are rare in STABmons. In particular, Gengar is the only viable Ghost-type that outspeeds Ursaring, and it can OHKO Ursaring with Focus Blast. Sableye is another annoyance because it can use Topsy-Turvy to ruin Ursaring's sweep.
**Unaware Users**: Clefable and Quagsire wall Belly Drum sets that aren't carrying Gunk Shot or Seed Bomb, respectively.
**Fast Rock- and Steel-types**: Any Rock- or Steel-type that outspeeds Ursaring, such as Terrakion or Heatran, can be a big problem, as Extreme Speed cannot OHKO them unless they are seriously weakened, and they can deal major damage to Ursaring or even OHKO it.
**Chip Damage**: Due to Ursaring's lack of recovery, it is worn down easily by passive damage. Rocky Helmet, Iron Barbs, and Rough Skin are the main sources of chip damage and are commonly seen on Garchomp and Ferrothorn, which can use their abilities in conjunction with Rocky Helmet to easily wear down Ursaring. Guts variants are forced to use Close Combat for Ferrothorn, which does OHKO it most of the time, but Garchomp is 2HKOed at best by Ursaring's moves, and having to attack it twice will inflict a lot of residual damage on Ursaring. Belly Drum Ursaring easily outpaces and OHKOes Ferrothorn with Earthquake at +6 Attack; however, Ursaring is slower than Garchomp, so it is forced to use Extreme Speed and take the contact damage from Garchomp.
**Fake Out + Extreme Speed Users**: Ursaring is one of the slowest Fake Out + Extreme Speed users in the metagame, so it is vulnerable to being revenge killed by other Pokemon with these moves, such as Stoutland and Braviary.
Last edited:
