Quantum Tesseract
Lazy Fuck
Overview
A fairly large Attack stat paired with powerful STAB attacks make Ho-Oh a dominant offensive force, particularly since Ho-Oh can use Sacred Fire's 50% Sacred Fire to halt physical attackers and provide residual damage to break Lugia's Multiscale. It's great bulk allows Ho-Oh to switch into many Pokemon with ease, while absorbing all neutral or resisted special attacks. Access to a phenomenal ability in Regenerator allows Ho-Oh to successfully regain HP without much effort as long as Stealth Rock isn't up. Ho-Oh's solid Fire / Flying typing gives Ho-Oh key resistances and immunities and makes it one of the best answer to Calm Mind Arceus formes, particularly Fairy and Steel, and lets it check nearly any support Pokemon that lacks Toxic. However, a 4x Stealth Rock weakness limits Ho-Oh's ability to check Pokemon and necessitates reliable hazard clearing, and its lacking physical. defense allows it to fall prey to attackers such as Mega Rayquaza
Tank
Ho-Oh @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 200 HP / 216 Atk / 92 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Earthquake / Thunder Wave / Substitute
- Recover
Set Comments
Moves
Sacred Fire is a reliable STAB move with a 50% chance to burn, and is Ho-Oh's best option to hit most switch-ins. Brave Bird is a secondary STAB move with more PP and damage output, but deals recoil damage to Ho-Oh and lacks the secondary effect. Earthquake hits Rock-type Pokemon such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar hard and is Ho-Oh's best options versus Primal Groudon. Thunder Wave slows the foe and allows Ho-Oh or its teammates to clean later on in the game; it also cripples Geomancy Xerneas if Ho-Oh needs to take on a healthy variant. Substitute blocks many status moves and allows Ho-Oh to set up on Pokemon it walls and avoid having to predict switches, but Ho-Oh is too slow to Substitute on many common status users such as support Arceus and will get Toxiced regardless. Recover restores Ho-Oh’s HP and allows it to stay in on Pokemon it walls.
Set Details
200 HP EVs, alongside 92 Special Defense EVs, allow Ho-Oh to live a +2 Xerneas Thunder 100% of the time and retaliate; the remaining EVs are placed in Attack alongside an Adamant Nature to maximize Ho-Oh’s damage output. Regenerator is the ability of choice to regain HP on switch out, as it prevents Ho-Oh from needing to constantly recover. Life Orb increases the damage of all of Ho-Oh’s Attacks while allowing it to switch moves to recover or change attacks.
Usage Tips
Switch Ho-Oh freely into Pokemon it walls such as support Arceus-Ground, Xerneas, and Arceus-Steel to fire off attacks. Keep Stealth Rock off the field whenever possible, as it cripples Ho-Oh’s utility and prevents it from checking Pokemon such as Calm Mind Arceus reliably. In a similar vein, scout for Rock-type attacks on Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Arceus whenever possible, as they easily OHKO Ho-Oh. Since Ho-Oh doesn’t require PP to heal, it can be very handy to outlast opposing teams. Where possible, use Sacred Fire conservatively; it only has 8 PP, and is needed for Ho-Oh to check Steel-type Pokemon reliably.
Team Options
Defoggers such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground extremely important to clear Stealth Rocks for Ho-Oh. Answers to Stone Edge users such like Primal Groudon and Extreme Killer Arceus in Zygarde-C, Arceus-Ground, and Giratina are handy, both to take and to scout for the attack. Physical attackers such as Primal Groudon and Mega Rayquaza pait well with Ho-Oh to wear down shared Check and Counters such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Rock, or Giratina. Fairy Types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy force out threatening Dragon-type Pokemon such as Zygarde-C, Giratina, and Mega Rayquaza. Support Arceus are handy to switch into physical attackers like Mega Rayquaza that force out Ho-Oh. Answers to Primal Kyogre such as Ferrothorn, Primal Groudon, and Chansey are appreciated; these all also serve as backup Xerneas checks, and the last can use Heal Bell to cure Ho-Oh should it get Toxiced.
Choice Band
Ho-Oh @ Choice Band
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 200 HP / 216 Atk / 92 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Earthquake
- Sleep Talk / Whirlwind
Set Comments
Moves
Sacred Fire is a powerful physical STAB attack with a helpful Burn chance. Brave Bird has a higher BP, allowing Ho-Oh to muscle past bulkier foes such as support Arceus and Giratina and gives excellent coverage. Earthquake hits common answers such as Tyranitar, Arceus-Rock, and Primal Groudon for heavy damage. Sleep Talk allows Ho-Oh to act as a check to sleep users such as Hypnosis Mega Gengar and Lunala. Whirlwind aids Ho-Oh in answering Geomancy Xerneas, and can be used to scout for answers or rack up hazard damage.
Set Details
200 HP EVs, alongside 92 Special Defense EVs allow Ho-Oh to live a +2 Xerneas Thunder 100% of the time; 216 Attack EVs, an Adamant nature, and a choice band allow Ho-Oh to deal as much damage as possible while hitting that benchmark. Regenerator is the ability of choice to regain HP on switch out and counteract the recoil from Brave Bird. Choice Band greatly increases Ho-Oh's damage output and allows it to wear down bulky walls such as support Arceus more easily.
Usage Tips
In the early game, click Sacred Fire frequently to burn switch-ins and make them easier to wear down; be sure to conserve some uses, however, as Earthquake is not always enough to answer Steel-type Pokemon. Avoid bringing Ho-Oh in when Stealth Rocks are up; if necessary, use Defog to clear entry hazards. Be careful using Earthquake, as it isn't particularly powerful unless super effective and allows threatening Flying-type Pokemon such as Mega Rayquaza to freely switch in. Beware of using all of Sacred Fire's PP, however, as it forces Ho-Oh to switch and robs you of its utility later.
Team Options
Ho-Oh greatly appreciates Defog support, so users such as Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Dark, and Arceus-Ground pair well with it. Earthquake Mega Rayquaza is a great partner, as it can lure in and KO Rock-type Pokemon like Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar; in return, Ho-Oh can take on Skarmory, Celesteela, and Arceus-Steel, which Earthquake Mega Rayquaza generally has more trouble with. Revenge Killers such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Deoxys-A, and Choice Scarf Lunala are handy to take on Pokemon that set up on Ho-Oh while its locked into the wrong move. Primal Groudon appreciates Ho-Oh as an additional Xerneas check to take pressure off of it and as an answer to Arceus-Ground, and can act as an answer to Arceus-Rock and Primal Kyogre. Additional Xerneas checks such as Arceus-Steel, Magearna, and Ferrothorn are helpful since Ho-Oh is not a reliable Geomancy Xerneas check; these Steel-type Pokemon can also take on Arceus-Rock. Answers to Dragon Types such as Xerneas, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Fairy are appreciated to stop them from walling or setting up on Ho-Oh.
Stall-Oh
Ho-Oh @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 208 Def / 52 SpD
Impish Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Toxic
- Recover
Set Comments
Moves
Sacred Fire allows Ho-Oh to cripple physical attackers with a burn and deal damage without compromising its bulk. Brave Bird hits the rest of the metagame and stops Pokemon such ad Mega Rayquaza from freely setting up on Ho-Oh. Toxic wears down opposing bulky Pokemon such as support Arceus and other Ho-Oh. Recover restores Ho-Oh’s HP, reducing its reliance on Regenerator and helping it check Calm Mind Arceus formes.
Set Details
248 HP EVs, alongside 52 Special Defense EVs, help Ho-Oh check Xerneas by ennsuring it always lives a +2 Thunder. The remaining 208 EVs are placed in Defense to allow Ho-Oh to take arbitrary physical attacks. Regenerator is the ability of choice to regain HP on switch out, as it prevents Ho-Oh from needing to constantly recover and allows it to keep momentum; it also is very useful for PP stalling. Leftovers gives Ho-Oh passive recovery and aids it in avoiding being worn down by Toxic.
Usage Tips
Switch Ho-Oh freely into most special attackers, as it can heal itself without using turns or recovery pp. Keep Stealth Rock off the field whenever possible to allow Ho-Oh to switch in. Avoid using Sacred Fire recklessly, as you may end up burning something you need to Toxic or running out of PP. Beware of Rock-type coverage on Pokemon such as Primal Groudon or Arceus, as it can OHKO Ho-Oh
Team Options
Defoggers such as Giratina, Arceus-Ground, and Arceus-Water are very handy to clear hazards and allow Ho-Oh to freely switch. Similarly, Mega Sableye pairs well to bounce back hazards as they are set; it appreciates Ho-Oh checking Fairy-type Pokemon and Calm Mind Arceus forms. Physical walls such as Lugia, Giratina, and Zygarde-C are useful to cover Ho-Oh’s weaker defense stat; Zygarde-C in particular easily takes Rock-type attacks for Ho-Oh. Status clearers such as Clefable, Chansey, and Xerneas aid Ho-Oh by curing Toxic, which eats into Ho-Oh’s recovery and stops it from staying in to wear down foes. Primal Kyogre checks such as Ferrothorn, Chansey, and Primal Groudon are helpful, as its rain boosted attacks can overwhelm even Ho-Oh's Special Defense stat.
Strategy Comments
Other Options
Flame Charge may be run on the life orb set to increase Ho-Oh's speed stat and allow for a sweep, but is unreliable and is hampered by Ho-Oh's frequent need to switch. Z-celebrate gives +1 in all stats, but is incompatable with Regenerator, is single use, unreliable, and takes up your Z-move slot. Whirlwind allows Ho-Oh to better handle Calm Mind Arceus and Geomancy Xerneas, but comes at the cost of a more important move such as Earthquake or Toxic. Toxic may be run on offensive Ho-Oh sets to wear down switch-ins, particularly support Arceus and Lugia. Reflect or Light Screen are decent options to let Ho-Oh support its team and check strong attackers.
Checks and Counters
Stealth Rock : Ho-Oh's weakness to Stealth Rock removes any defensive utility it provides by removing half its health when switching in. While Stealth Rock is up, Ho-Oh cannot utilize Regenerator effectively and is therefore impaired severely.
Rock-types : Ho-Oh suffers immensely from its crippling weakness to Rock-type Pokemon, particularly Arceus-Rock but also Tyranitar, as they are only threatened by Earthquake. Rock-type Pokemon resist both of Ho-Oh's STAB attacks, while they can also deal enough damage to OHKO with their STAB boosted Rock-type attacks.
Water-types : Arceus-Water can easily switch into any of Ho-Oh's attacks, and is able to 2HKO with Judgment or stall it out with Toxic. Primal Kyogre doesn't appreciate switching in on Brave Bird; however, if given the chance to attack, it can easily OHKO Ho-Oh without much concern.
Bulky Dragon-type Pokemon : Bulky Dragon-type Pokemon such as Zygarde, Arceus Dragon, and Giratina wall Ho-Oh; they can easily switch into Sacred Fire to stall out its PP and aren't weak to Brave Bird.
Rock-type Coverage : Arceus and Groudon-Primal can often bear Stone Edge or Rock Slide, which OHKO Ho-Oh easily; while less common, offensive Solgaleo may do the same.
Zekrom: Ho-Oh cannot damage Zekrom directly with its STAB attacks and often relies on Earthquake to deal damage or Sacred Fire's chance to inflict a burn. Zekrom's Bolt Strike decimates any Ho-Oh set with any item attached.
Toxic: Toxic doesn't directly beat Ho-Oh, but it greatly weakens it and limits how long it can stay on the field; it is also the most common way for Ho-Oh's checks, such as Arceus-Water, to take it out.
A fairly large Attack stat paired with powerful STAB attacks make Ho-Oh a dominant offensive force, particularly since Ho-Oh can use Sacred Fire's 50% Sacred Fire to halt physical attackers and provide residual damage to break Lugia's Multiscale. It's great bulk allows Ho-Oh to switch into many Pokemon with ease, while absorbing all neutral or resisted special attacks. Access to a phenomenal ability in Regenerator allows Ho-Oh to successfully regain HP without much effort as long as Stealth Rock isn't up. Ho-Oh's solid Fire / Flying typing gives Ho-Oh key resistances and immunities and makes it one of the best answer to Calm Mind Arceus formes, particularly Fairy and Steel, and lets it check nearly any support Pokemon that lacks Toxic. However, a 4x Stealth Rock weakness limits Ho-Oh's ability to check Pokemon and necessitates reliable hazard clearing, and its lacking physical. defense allows it to fall prey to attackers such as Mega Rayquaza
Tank
Ho-Oh @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 200 HP / 216 Atk / 92 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Earthquake / Thunder Wave / Substitute
- Recover
Set Comments
Moves
Sacred Fire is a reliable STAB move with a 50% chance to burn, and is Ho-Oh's best option to hit most switch-ins. Brave Bird is a secondary STAB move with more PP and damage output, but deals recoil damage to Ho-Oh and lacks the secondary effect. Earthquake hits Rock-type Pokemon such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar hard and is Ho-Oh's best options versus Primal Groudon. Thunder Wave slows the foe and allows Ho-Oh or its teammates to clean later on in the game; it also cripples Geomancy Xerneas if Ho-Oh needs to take on a healthy variant. Substitute blocks many status moves and allows Ho-Oh to set up on Pokemon it walls and avoid having to predict switches, but Ho-Oh is too slow to Substitute on many common status users such as support Arceus and will get Toxiced regardless. Recover restores Ho-Oh’s HP and allows it to stay in on Pokemon it walls.
Set Details
200 HP EVs, alongside 92 Special Defense EVs, allow Ho-Oh to live a +2 Xerneas Thunder 100% of the time and retaliate; the remaining EVs are placed in Attack alongside an Adamant Nature to maximize Ho-Oh’s damage output. Regenerator is the ability of choice to regain HP on switch out, as it prevents Ho-Oh from needing to constantly recover. Life Orb increases the damage of all of Ho-Oh’s Attacks while allowing it to switch moves to recover or change attacks.
Usage Tips
Switch Ho-Oh freely into Pokemon it walls such as support Arceus-Ground, Xerneas, and Arceus-Steel to fire off attacks. Keep Stealth Rock off the field whenever possible, as it cripples Ho-Oh’s utility and prevents it from checking Pokemon such as Calm Mind Arceus reliably. In a similar vein, scout for Rock-type attacks on Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Arceus whenever possible, as they easily OHKO Ho-Oh. Since Ho-Oh doesn’t require PP to heal, it can be very handy to outlast opposing teams. Where possible, use Sacred Fire conservatively; it only has 8 PP, and is needed for Ho-Oh to check Steel-type Pokemon reliably.
Team Options
Defoggers such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground extremely important to clear Stealth Rocks for Ho-Oh. Answers to Stone Edge users such like Primal Groudon and Extreme Killer Arceus in Zygarde-C, Arceus-Ground, and Giratina are handy, both to take and to scout for the attack. Physical attackers such as Primal Groudon and Mega Rayquaza pait well with Ho-Oh to wear down shared Check and Counters such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Rock, or Giratina. Fairy Types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy force out threatening Dragon-type Pokemon such as Zygarde-C, Giratina, and Mega Rayquaza. Support Arceus are handy to switch into physical attackers like Mega Rayquaza that force out Ho-Oh. Answers to Primal Kyogre such as Ferrothorn, Primal Groudon, and Chansey are appreciated; these all also serve as backup Xerneas checks, and the last can use Heal Bell to cure Ho-Oh should it get Toxiced.
Choice Band
Ho-Oh @ Choice Band
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 200 HP / 216 Atk / 92 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Earthquake
- Sleep Talk / Whirlwind
Set Comments
Moves
Sacred Fire is a powerful physical STAB attack with a helpful Burn chance. Brave Bird has a higher BP, allowing Ho-Oh to muscle past bulkier foes such as support Arceus and Giratina and gives excellent coverage. Earthquake hits common answers such as Tyranitar, Arceus-Rock, and Primal Groudon for heavy damage. Sleep Talk allows Ho-Oh to act as a check to sleep users such as Hypnosis Mega Gengar and Lunala. Whirlwind aids Ho-Oh in answering Geomancy Xerneas, and can be used to scout for answers or rack up hazard damage.
Set Details
200 HP EVs, alongside 92 Special Defense EVs allow Ho-Oh to live a +2 Xerneas Thunder 100% of the time; 216 Attack EVs, an Adamant nature, and a choice band allow Ho-Oh to deal as much damage as possible while hitting that benchmark. Regenerator is the ability of choice to regain HP on switch out and counteract the recoil from Brave Bird. Choice Band greatly increases Ho-Oh's damage output and allows it to wear down bulky walls such as support Arceus more easily.
Usage Tips
In the early game, click Sacred Fire frequently to burn switch-ins and make them easier to wear down; be sure to conserve some uses, however, as Earthquake is not always enough to answer Steel-type Pokemon. Avoid bringing Ho-Oh in when Stealth Rocks are up; if necessary, use Defog to clear entry hazards. Be careful using Earthquake, as it isn't particularly powerful unless super effective and allows threatening Flying-type Pokemon such as Mega Rayquaza to freely switch in. Beware of using all of Sacred Fire's PP, however, as it forces Ho-Oh to switch and robs you of its utility later.
Team Options
Ho-Oh greatly appreciates Defog support, so users such as Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Dark, and Arceus-Ground pair well with it. Earthquake Mega Rayquaza is a great partner, as it can lure in and KO Rock-type Pokemon like Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar; in return, Ho-Oh can take on Skarmory, Celesteela, and Arceus-Steel, which Earthquake Mega Rayquaza generally has more trouble with. Revenge Killers such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Deoxys-A, and Choice Scarf Lunala are handy to take on Pokemon that set up on Ho-Oh while its locked into the wrong move. Primal Groudon appreciates Ho-Oh as an additional Xerneas check to take pressure off of it and as an answer to Arceus-Ground, and can act as an answer to Arceus-Rock and Primal Kyogre. Additional Xerneas checks such as Arceus-Steel, Magearna, and Ferrothorn are helpful since Ho-Oh is not a reliable Geomancy Xerneas check; these Steel-type Pokemon can also take on Arceus-Rock. Answers to Dragon Types such as Xerneas, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Fairy are appreciated to stop them from walling or setting up on Ho-Oh.
Stall-Oh
Ho-Oh @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 208 Def / 52 SpD
Impish Nature
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Toxic
- Recover
Set Comments
Moves
Sacred Fire allows Ho-Oh to cripple physical attackers with a burn and deal damage without compromising its bulk. Brave Bird hits the rest of the metagame and stops Pokemon such ad Mega Rayquaza from freely setting up on Ho-Oh. Toxic wears down opposing bulky Pokemon such as support Arceus and other Ho-Oh. Recover restores Ho-Oh’s HP, reducing its reliance on Regenerator and helping it check Calm Mind Arceus formes.
Set Details
248 HP EVs, alongside 52 Special Defense EVs, help Ho-Oh check Xerneas by ennsuring it always lives a +2 Thunder. The remaining 208 EVs are placed in Defense to allow Ho-Oh to take arbitrary physical attacks. Regenerator is the ability of choice to regain HP on switch out, as it prevents Ho-Oh from needing to constantly recover and allows it to keep momentum; it also is very useful for PP stalling. Leftovers gives Ho-Oh passive recovery and aids it in avoiding being worn down by Toxic.
Usage Tips
Switch Ho-Oh freely into most special attackers, as it can heal itself without using turns or recovery pp. Keep Stealth Rock off the field whenever possible to allow Ho-Oh to switch in. Avoid using Sacred Fire recklessly, as you may end up burning something you need to Toxic or running out of PP. Beware of Rock-type coverage on Pokemon such as Primal Groudon or Arceus, as it can OHKO Ho-Oh
Team Options
Defoggers such as Giratina, Arceus-Ground, and Arceus-Water are very handy to clear hazards and allow Ho-Oh to freely switch. Similarly, Mega Sableye pairs well to bounce back hazards as they are set; it appreciates Ho-Oh checking Fairy-type Pokemon and Calm Mind Arceus forms. Physical walls such as Lugia, Giratina, and Zygarde-C are useful to cover Ho-Oh’s weaker defense stat; Zygarde-C in particular easily takes Rock-type attacks for Ho-Oh. Status clearers such as Clefable, Chansey, and Xerneas aid Ho-Oh by curing Toxic, which eats into Ho-Oh’s recovery and stops it from staying in to wear down foes. Primal Kyogre checks such as Ferrothorn, Chansey, and Primal Groudon are helpful, as its rain boosted attacks can overwhelm even Ho-Oh's Special Defense stat.
Strategy Comments
Other Options
Flame Charge may be run on the life orb set to increase Ho-Oh's speed stat and allow for a sweep, but is unreliable and is hampered by Ho-Oh's frequent need to switch. Z-celebrate gives +1 in all stats, but is incompatable with Regenerator, is single use, unreliable, and takes up your Z-move slot. Whirlwind allows Ho-Oh to better handle Calm Mind Arceus and Geomancy Xerneas, but comes at the cost of a more important move such as Earthquake or Toxic. Toxic may be run on offensive Ho-Oh sets to wear down switch-ins, particularly support Arceus and Lugia. Reflect or Light Screen are decent options to let Ho-Oh support its team and check strong attackers.
Checks and Counters
Stealth Rock : Ho-Oh's weakness to Stealth Rock removes any defensive utility it provides by removing half its health when switching in. While Stealth Rock is up, Ho-Oh cannot utilize Regenerator effectively and is therefore impaired severely.
Rock-types : Ho-Oh suffers immensely from its crippling weakness to Rock-type Pokemon, particularly Arceus-Rock but also Tyranitar, as they are only threatened by Earthquake. Rock-type Pokemon resist both of Ho-Oh's STAB attacks, while they can also deal enough damage to OHKO with their STAB boosted Rock-type attacks.
Water-types : Arceus-Water can easily switch into any of Ho-Oh's attacks, and is able to 2HKO with Judgment or stall it out with Toxic. Primal Kyogre doesn't appreciate switching in on Brave Bird; however, if given the chance to attack, it can easily OHKO Ho-Oh without much concern.
Bulky Dragon-type Pokemon : Bulky Dragon-type Pokemon such as Zygarde, Arceus Dragon, and Giratina wall Ho-Oh; they can easily switch into Sacred Fire to stall out its PP and aren't weak to Brave Bird.
Rock-type Coverage : Arceus and Groudon-Primal can often bear Stone Edge or Rock Slide, which OHKO Ho-Oh easily; while less common, offensive Solgaleo may do the same.
Zekrom: Ho-Oh cannot damage Zekrom directly with its STAB attacks and often relies on Earthquake to deal damage or Sacred Fire's chance to inflict a burn. Zekrom's Bolt Strike decimates any Ho-Oh set with any item attached.
Toxic: Toxic doesn't directly beat Ho-Oh, but it greatly weakens it and limits how long it can stay on the field; it is also the most common way for Ho-Oh's checks, such as Arceus-Water, to take it out.
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