[SET]
name: Sun Setter
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Explosion
move 3: Endure
move 4: Earthquake
item: Salac Berry
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 200 HP / 56 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Onix is the fastest Pokemon with access to both Sunny Day and Explosion, making it a decent setter for dedicated sun teams. Explosion is critical to let Onix safely bring in its teammate and threaten its target for sizable damage. Endure in conjunction with Salac Berry allows Onix to tank a hit and subsequently outspeed foes that can otherwise outspeed and OHKO it, such as Elekid. Earthquake ensures Onix is not completely reliant on Explosion to do damage, and while it's extremely weak, it does allow Onix to threaten some foes like Rhyhorn and Voltorb. Onix's Speed is maximized to let it outspeed other leads such as Snorunt and Spoink, while 200 HP EVs allow it to avoid getting 2HKOed by Choice Band Aipom's Brick Break; the remaining EVs are dumped into Attack to augment the power of Onix's Explosion and Earthquake as much as possible.
Onix only fits on dedicated sun teams, typically as a lead. Under optimal conditions, it can use Sunny Day and then Explosion, ideally taking out its target and giving its teammate three turns of uninterrupted sun. Common leads that can allow Onix to do so are Choice Band Aipom and non-Substitute Spoink, which simply lack the means KO Onix quickly enough. Some leads such as Growlithe are slower than Onix but can OHKO it, preventing Onix from using Explosion but giving its teammate four turns of sun instead, which is generally a fine trade. Against leads that can outspeed and OHKO Onix, like Elekid and Staryu, Onix must play a dangerous guessing game due to Endure failing if used in successive turns, and thus sometimes it may be more optimal to switch out Onix and save it for later. Against Taunt leads like Aipom, Onix is best off switching out, as while many of these leads lack the means to KO Onix, they can switch into teammates that can while Onix is unable to use Sunny Day or Endure. By setting up sun, Onix enables Chlorophyll sweepers such as Sunflora, Exeggcute, and Nuzleaf, as well as sun wallbreakers like Castform. Given the frailty of Chlorophyll sweepers, another Sunny Day setter alongside Onix and Castform, like Grimer, works well on these kinds of teams. Fast physical wallbreakers like Aipom can cause trouble, so checks to them like Rhyhorn are good partners.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/beatsblack.479897/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/p-squared.168392/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Taunt can stop utility like Spikes from Snorunt and Recover from Lileep, though these Pokemon often have attacks that can OHKO Onix, making it a very risky prediction. Block can have some use against foes that struggle to damage Onix, like Grimer and Delcatty, letting it beat them or at least set up sun, but all of Onix's other attacks give it more game-to-game utility. A Choice Band set can utilize Onix possessing the fastest Earthquake in ZU to outspeed and threaten foes that could normally check Ground-types, like Chinchou, Growlithe, and Cyndaquil. Its speedy Explosion can also threaten many physical walls, notably Koffing. However, Onix's atrocious Attack means it struggles to KO most foes, notably Lileep, relegating Choice Band to specific offense teams.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Taunt Users**: While they need to watch out for Earthquake and Explosion, faster Taunt users like Aipom and Voltorb can stop Onix from setting up sun, generally denying it its one purpose.
**Special Attackers**: Most special attacks 2HKO Onix, with super effective special attacks usually OHKOing it outright. Foes like Elekid, Staryu, and Delibird are notable for their ability to outspeed Onix and OHKO it with these attacks, making it have to play extremely risky guessing games with Endure to set up sun.
name: Sun Setter
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: Explosion
move 3: Endure
move 4: Earthquake
item: Salac Berry
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 200 HP / 56 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Onix is the fastest Pokemon with access to both Sunny Day and Explosion, making it a decent setter for dedicated sun teams. Explosion is critical to let Onix safely bring in its teammate and threaten its target for sizable damage. Endure in conjunction with Salac Berry allows Onix to tank a hit and subsequently outspeed foes that can otherwise outspeed and OHKO it, such as Elekid. Earthquake ensures Onix is not completely reliant on Explosion to do damage, and while it's extremely weak, it does allow Onix to threaten some foes like Rhyhorn and Voltorb. Onix's Speed is maximized to let it outspeed other leads such as Snorunt and Spoink, while 200 HP EVs allow it to avoid getting 2HKOed by Choice Band Aipom's Brick Break; the remaining EVs are dumped into Attack to augment the power of Onix's Explosion and Earthquake as much as possible.
Onix only fits on dedicated sun teams, typically as a lead. Under optimal conditions, it can use Sunny Day and then Explosion, ideally taking out its target and giving its teammate three turns of uninterrupted sun. Common leads that can allow Onix to do so are Choice Band Aipom and non-Substitute Spoink, which simply lack the means KO Onix quickly enough. Some leads such as Growlithe are slower than Onix but can OHKO it, preventing Onix from using Explosion but giving its teammate four turns of sun instead, which is generally a fine trade. Against leads that can outspeed and OHKO Onix, like Elekid and Staryu, Onix must play a dangerous guessing game due to Endure failing if used in successive turns, and thus sometimes it may be more optimal to switch out Onix and save it for later. Against Taunt leads like Aipom, Onix is best off switching out, as while many of these leads lack the means to KO Onix, they can switch into teammates that can while Onix is unable to use Sunny Day or Endure. By setting up sun, Onix enables Chlorophyll sweepers such as Sunflora, Exeggcute, and Nuzleaf, as well as sun wallbreakers like Castform. Given the frailty of Chlorophyll sweepers, another Sunny Day setter alongside Onix and Castform, like Grimer, works well on these kinds of teams. Fast physical wallbreakers like Aipom can cause trouble, so checks to them like Rhyhorn are good partners.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/beatsblack.479897/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/p-squared.168392/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Taunt can stop utility like Spikes from Snorunt and Recover from Lileep, though these Pokemon often have attacks that can OHKO Onix, making it a very risky prediction. Block can have some use against foes that struggle to damage Onix, like Grimer and Delcatty, letting it beat them or at least set up sun, but all of Onix's other attacks give it more game-to-game utility. A Choice Band set can utilize Onix possessing the fastest Earthquake in ZU to outspeed and threaten foes that could normally check Ground-types, like Chinchou, Growlithe, and Cyndaquil. Its speedy Explosion can also threaten many physical walls, notably Koffing. However, Onix's atrocious Attack means it struggles to KO most foes, notably Lileep, relegating Choice Band to specific offense teams.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Taunt Users**: While they need to watch out for Earthquake and Explosion, faster Taunt users like Aipom and Voltorb can stop Onix from setting up sun, generally denying it its one purpose.
**Special Attackers**: Most special attacks 2HKO Onix, with super effective special attacks usually OHKOing it outright. Foes like Elekid, Staryu, and Delibird are notable for their ability to outspeed Onix and OHKO it with these attacks, making it have to play extremely risky guessing games with Endure to set up sun.
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