Introduction
Hey! There have been tons of brand new features and mechanics Pokemon X and Y have introduced to the competitive scene, like the Fairy type, and XY has brought about more change to competitive Pokemon than we have seen in a very long time. Though, while Fairies are cool and all, XY also updated old aspects of the game, and Fire-type Pokemon and moves got some great buffs in the new generation. The purpose of this thread is to discuss how the new changes to Fire-types will affect them competitively, and by extension how the improved type will impact the metagame.
The Fairy Type
Actually, one of the biggest differences between Fire-types in Gen V and Gen VI are the introduction of Fairy types. Ever since Fairy was introduced, it has been one of the most dominant types in the metagame, and Pokemon like Snubbull (who was retyped to Fairy) and Swirlix have made a strong debut into the new LC metagame and will be prominent threats throughout the tier. Fortunately, Fire-type Pokemon resist Fairy-type moves, which means Fire-type Pokemon with strong potential in previous generations now have a legitimate purpose! Unfortunately, Fire-type moves are not super effective on Fairy-type Pokemon, but you can also rely on bulky Fire Pokemon like Ponyta and Growlithe to take a Dazzling Gleam with authority!
You can read more about the Fairy type here.
Weather
Another mechanic change in XY was weakening auto-weather abilities such as Sand Stream. Instead of summoning permanent weather, these abilities now summon five-turn weather, although it can be extended with the weather's respective item. This nerf means sand teams will become almost nonexistent, and as a result hail will die down. What does this mean? Morning Sun (and and a few other moves) are now a way more reliable; Fire-types like Ponyta, Larvesta, and Growlithe can now recovery comfortably. This also means Drilbur won't always be around the corner to throw out an Earthquake or Rock Slide.
The biggest blessing Fire-types received was Drought. Although Drought was nerfed along with the other weather abilities, it is now usable in Little Cup and will boost the recovery of Morning Sun, Moonlight, and Synthesis as well as the power of Fire-type moves. Sunlight also neutralizes the Water-type weakness that all Fire-types in have.
Attacks
The new generation made some subtle changes to a few Fire-type attacks. The biggest one is Will-O-Wisp having its accuracy boosted from 75% to 85%. Old users such as Ponyta are now even more threatening and can burn opponents more reliably. Non-Fire-types benefit from this as well, as Will-O-Wisp has wide distribution throughout LC. Other moves that were buffed are the aforementioned weather-dependent recovery moves. Although these moves were not effectively changed, the metagame has made them more reliable as recovery moves, although they still suffer from low PP unlike Recover and Slack Off.
Pokemon
Fire-type Pokemon in general have a few common roles in LC. Firstly, they are great switch ins to Ice-type moves, especially from Sneasel. Another niche of Fire-types is forcing out common threats such as Sneasel, Yanma, Swirlix, Snubbull, and Honedge.
Newcomers
Although Vulpix is not new to XY, it is new to LC. Vulpix is unique in that it can automatically summon sunlight with the ability Drought. Vulpix pairs well with Tangela, who can sweep with Chlorophyll to boost its Speed.
Veterans
Pontya has always been one of the best Fire-types in LC and arguably one with the most potential. Basically, Ponyta was a great Pokemon in BW2 LC, but the metagame was unfavorable for its intended use. Now that weather has gotten the boot though, Ponyta is back and better than ever! New threats like Sneasel, Tangela, and Yanma call for a Fire-type to keep them and check, and Ponyta is one of the best at it. Its fantastic stats allow it to play many roles, especially a fast status spreader or Life Orb sweeper.
Growlithe, another great Fire-type, can play a similar role to Ponyta. Ponyta has better stats overall, but Growlithe has a few key differences that might make it favorable on certain teams. Intimidate is the biggest one, as it is a great way to stop physical sweepers and much more reliable than Ponyta's Flame Body. Other than Intimidate, Growlithe has access to Close Combat and Crunch, proving superior to Ponyta's physical movepool.
Now that Fighting-types are much less common and Flying-type moves have increased in popularity, Larvesta is much less effective than it once was. It does, however, have STAB U-turn, which gives it a second move to threaten Tangela and Sneasel with.
Speed Boost Torchic is one of the coolest new additions to XY LC. Due to hidden abilities now having a chance to be passed down by males, Speed Boost Torchic and other Dream World Pokemon are now legal at Lv. 5! Torchic is the only Pokemon with Speed Boost and Baton Pass, and it also has access to Swords Dance, making it one of the most threatening Baton Passers in the game. Torchic can colaborate with newly-released Gligar and Meditite to make a strong Baton Pass chain!
Vulpix serves a different role from the aforementioned Fire-types. It has poor offenses, defenses and Speed. So why use it? Drought. Vulpix is the only Pokemon in LC with Drought, and it is a staple on any good sun team. Other than Drought Vulpix is awful. It doesn't even get Pain Split anymore lol
So what are your thoughts on the improved Fire-type in Little Cup? Feel free to post or discuss sets as well!
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