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Tired
[OVERVIEW]
* Ho-Oh's great Attack stat paired with its Fire / Flying typing makes it an incredible offensive threat.
* Access to two very strong STAB moves combined with excellent coverage makes Ho-Oh a very dangerous Pokemon versus any team that lacks good defensive switch-ins or ways of pressuring entry hazard removers.
* Ho-Oh avoids four-moveslot syndrome thanks to its great STAB coverage, letting it run a variety of moves like Toxic, Curse, and Substitute as its last move.
* Ho-Oh's Regenerator ability and great Special Defense allow it to take on special attackers like Yveltal, Xerneas, Calm Mind Arceus formes, and special varaints of Primal Groudon.
* Ho-Oh's typing also makes it a good check to a few physical attackers lacking Rock-type coverage such as Marshadow, Mega Lucario, Ultra Necrozma, and Necrozma-DM.
* Ho-Oh's weakness to Rock means it loses half of its HP to Stealth Rock. This makes Ho-Oh much less splashable than most other offensive threats and a Pokemon that a team must be built around to properly support.
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Curse / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Flyinium Z
ability: Regenerator
nature: Adamant
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Sacred Fire is Ho-Oh's strongest physical Fire-type STAB move and lets it hit Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn while also having a 50% chance to burn the foe.
* Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's strongest Flying-type attack and lets it 2HKO most of the offensive metagame.
* Recover is Ho-Oh's most reliable form of recovery; it allows Ho-Oh to stay healthy throughout the game and is important for checking threats such as Marshadow, Mega Lucario, and Xerneas.
* Toxic lets Ho-Oh cripple switch-ins like support Arceus formes, Primal Groudon, Zygarde-C, and Lugia by setting them on a timer.
* Curse is an option that is highly recommended when running Flyinium Z because it makes Ho-Oh even more threatening. It allows Ho-Oh to beat Zygarde and Mega Salamence one-on-one thanks to the boost in Defense.
* Substitute is an option that lets Ho-Oh avoid getting inflicted with status from support Arceus formes, making it easier to play around them.
* If Ho-Oh runs Life Orb, Hidden Power Ice is a good option that lets Ho-Oh always OHKO Mega Salamence and OHKO Zygarde that have taken damage from Brave Bird.
* Earthquake can hit Primal Groudon and Toxapex without incurring recoil from Brave Bird while also 2HKOing Rock-types such as Tyranitar and the rare Arceus-Rock.
Set Details
========
* 104 HP EVs allow Ho-Oh to keep its health at an odd number and lose less HP from Life Orb recoil.
* 152 Speed EVs let Ho-Oh outspeed Adamant Necrozma-DM and hit it hard with Sacred Fire, potentially causing a burn and thus avoiding a potenial OHKO from +2 Searing Sunraze Smash.
* 252 Attack EVs maximize Ho-Oh's damage output.
* Ho-Oh can opt for a more basic EV spread of 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD instead. This is more sensible on Curse sets, which do not need to outspeed anything.
* Life Orb gives Ho-Oh more initial power in exchange for recoil every turn. Flyinium Z can be used instead when Ho-Oh is running Curse, as +1 Supersonic Skystrike can eliminate Zygarde, Giratina, and Lugia after taking damage from Stealth Rock.
Usage Tips
========
* Ho-Oh relies heavily on teammates with Defog or Rapid Spin to keep Stealth Rock off of your side of the field so it can function properly.
* Teams with Ho-Oh must put as much pressure as possible on the opposing team's Stealth Rock setter in order to keep Ho-Oh from taking massive damage prior to making a move. Run a Steel-type, and try to use it to lure Primal Groudon, which is the one of the best Stealth Rock setters, and set it on a timer with Toxic.
* Against teams with Necrozma-DM, scout for Rock-type coverage like Stone Edge and Power Gem before using Ho-Oh to check it. It is best to switch Ho-Oh in on its use of Stealth Rock, as this avoids taking damage from Stealth Rock, giving Ho-Oh an open chance to attack.
* Sending Ho-Oh in on predicted Steel-types like Magearna, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn will then allow it to apply pressure onto the opposing team.
* Go for Toxic on predicted switches into defensive threats like support Arceus formes and Lugia; they need to be crippled for Ho-Oh to break through them.
* Be cautious when going for Sacred Fire, as the move only has 8 PP. You might prefer crippling certain defensive threats like Lugia with Toxic over burning them with Sacred Fire as well.
* Scout for Rock-type coverage from physical threats like Primal Groudon, Ultra Necrozma, Marshadow, and Mega Lucario, which Ho-Oh can often switch into otherwise.
* Take advantage of Regenerator by switching Ho-Oh out and sacrificing less important teammates to gain health.
Team Options
========
* Entry hazard removers such as Arceus-Dark, Defog Mega Salamence, Defog Xerneas, and Giratina-O are the best teammates for Ho-Oh due to its weakness to Stealth Rock. Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie make great teammates as well thanks to their ability to bounce back Stealth Rock.
* Marshadow has a great matchup against offensive teams, as it is able to check Arceus, Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and Mega Gengar, and appreciates Ho-Oh's ability to deal with Marshadow, Arceus-Fairy, and Toxapex.
* Mega Gengar is able to take advantage of Sacred Fire burns and trap nuisances to Ho-Oh like Lugia.
* Primal Groudon can provide Stealth Rock support as well as a secondary check to Xerneas and a good check to Primal Kyogre.
* Zygarde-C can switch into physical threats to Ho-Oh such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Primal Groudon, and Mega Salamence. Ho-Oh can check Pokemon that Zygarde-C usually struggles against like Arceus-Fairy, Xerneas, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela.
* Ferrothorn is able to check Primal Kyogre and provide Spikes support for Ho-Oh.
* Magearna is able to relieve Ho-Oh of the pressure of checking special attackers like Yveltal, Xerneas, and Calm Mind variants of Ultra Necrozma. It can also run Volt Switch to bring Ho-Oh in safely or carry Heal Bell to cure teammates of status conditions.
* Necrozma-DM appreciates Ho-Oh's ability to switch into Steel-types that easily wall it. In exchange, Necrozma-DM is able to act as the primary check to Xerneas while also providing Stealth Rock support.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Whirlwind
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Sacred Fire lets Ho-Oh hit Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn and potentially burn physical threats.
* Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's most spammable move and hits most Pokemon for neutral damage.
* Recover is Ho-Oh's most reliable form of recovery; it allows Ho-Oh to stay healthy throughout the game and is important for checking threats such as Marshadow, Mega Lucario, mixed Primal Groudon, and Xerneas.
* Toxic lets Ho-Oh cripple defensive threats such as support Arceus formes, Primal Groudon, Zygarde, and Lugia.
* Whirlwind can be run over Toxic to phaze setup sweepers like Geomancy Xerneas and Calm Mind Arceus formes.
Set Details
========
* Ho-Oh runs 252 HP to get maximum recovery from Leftovers and take minimal damage from Stealth Rock. 52 Special Defense EVs allow Ho-Oh to take +2 Thunder or Hidden Power Rock from Xerneas and check Mega Gengar, Lunala, and Calm Mind Arceus formes like Arceus-Fairy. The rest of the EVs are invested into Defense to check physical threats lacking Rock-type coverage such as Marshadow, Necrozma-DM, and Mega Lucario as well as Extreme Killer Arceus but only when it gets burned by the first Sacred Fire.
* Leftovers is required for its consistent source of recovery.
* Regenerator is the one of the best abilities a defensive Pokemon can get, letting Ho-Oh recover a third of its health whenever it switches out.
Usage Tips
========
* This Ho-Oh set fits best on defensive teams that tend to use entry hazards and Toxic to slowly weaken opposing teams.
* Make sure to keep Stealth Rock off the field as much as possible in order to bring in Ho-Oh freely.
* If Stealth Rock is unable to be removed, try to keep Ho-Oh as healthy as possible with the help of Roost and Regenerator.
* Switch Ho-Oh into Steel-types that it can wall very easily.
* Use Toxic on common switch-ins to Ho-Oh like Primal Groudon, Lugia, Giratina, and Tyranitar to set them on a timer, making them easier to beat.
* Avoid getting badly poisoned from Toxic, as this will prevent Ho-Oh from checking threats such as Calm Mind Arcues formes like Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground.
* Use Sacred Fire with caution versus bulkier teams; battles with such teams tend to be long, making it easy to use up all of Sacred Fire's PP.
* Scout for Rock-type coverage from physical threats such as Ultra Necrozma, Marshadow, and Mega Lucario. Ho-Oh can check special attacking variants of Primal Groudon, so scout for Rock Tomb or Stone Edge from it as well.
Team Options
========
* This Ho-Oh set is somewhat passive and thus fits best on balance or stall teams where there is not much need for offensive presence.
* Entry hazard removers such as support Arceus formes, Defog Giratina, and Skarmory are the best teammates for Ho-Oh due to its weakness to Stealth Rock. Mega Sableye is a great partner as well thanks to Magic Bounce and appreciates a check to Xerneas and Yveltal in Ho-Oh.
* Defensive walls such as Zygarde, Lugia, and Giratina can take care of physical attackers like Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and opposing Ho-Oh. They all carry a method of phazing, which is good for the defensive teams this Ho-Oh usually fits best in.
* Checks to Primal Kyogre like Primal Groudon and Ferrothorn make good teammates. Primal Groudon can also provide Stealth Rock support, while Ferrothorn is able to run either Stealth Rock or Spikes, which pairs really well with Ho-Oh running Whirlwind. Blissey is able to switch into special variants of Primal Kyogre and can provide cleric support with Heal Bell.
* Mega Gengar is able to take advantage of Ho-Oh's ability to status switch-ins with Sacred Fire and Toxic by trapping bulky threats and KOing them with Hex.
* This Ho-Oh set struggles versus stall due to its lack of power, making Mega Gyarados a great teammate.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Toxic
item: Choice Band
ability: Regenerator
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Sacred Fire lets Ho-Oh hit Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn and potentially burn threats.
* Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's most spammable move, deals great neutral damage, and 2HKOes most defensive threats.
* Earthquake lets Ho-Oh 2HKO Primal Groudon and Toxapex without taking recoil damage from Brave Bird. It can also 2HKO Tyranitar.
* Toxic lets Ho-Oh cripple switch-ins like Lugia and support Arceus formes so that the next time Ho-Oh is brought in, it can use Brave Bird to apply pressure on them.
Set Details
========
* The given EV spread allows Ho-Oh to deal maximum damage and outspeed almost all defensive threats apart from Lugia and support Arceus formes. However, it can also go for a 248 HP / 208 Atk / 52 SpD EV spread if it wants to make use of its natural bulk.
* Choice Band lets Ho-Oh deal massive damage, allowing it to 2HKO most defensive threats apart from Lugia and Giratina.
* Regenerator helps with Ho-Oh's weakness to Stealth Rock by recovering health when Ho-Oh switches out.
Usage Tips
========
* Switching Ho-Oh into Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn can let it gain a ton of momentum and exert pressure on the opposing team thanks to its STAB combination and coverage.
* Try to switch in Ho-Oh as much as possible early- to mid-game in order to weaken bulkier threats such as Zygarde, Primal Groudon, support Arceus formes, and Mega Salamence for teammates to clean up late-game.
* Go for Toxic on predicted switches to Lugia and support Arceus formes. This makes them easier for Ho-Oh to break through.
* Sacred Fire should be used conservatively versus defensive teams, as such games tend to be long and it is easy to use up all 8 PP when spamming it.
* Try to keep Stealth Rock off the field as much as possible because Choice Band Ho-Oh cannot fit Recover into its moveset, making Regenerator its only method of recovering health.
Team Options
========
* Choice Band Ho-Oh is usually used as a method to break through bulky teams and can fit in most teams in need of such a role.
* Defog users such as Giratina-O, Mega Salamence, Arceus-Dark, and Choice Scarf Xerneas make for good teammates, as they are able to remove Stealth Rock. Pokemon with Rapid Spin like Excadrill and Cloyster are good teammates as well. They can also provide entry hazards in the form of Stealth Rock and Spikes, respectively.
* Marshadow appreciates Ho-Oh's ability to deal with Arceus-Fairy, Choice Scarf Xerneas, and Toxapex and can deal with most threats on offensive teams that Ho-Oh usually struggles against like Arceus, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza.
* Magearna makes a good teammate, as it is able to relieve Ho-Oh of the pressure of checking special attackers like Yveltal, Xerneas, and Calm Mind variants of Ultra Necrozma. It can also run Volt Switch to act as a pivot and bring in Ho-Oh safely or carry Heal Bell to cure teammates of status conditions.
* Arceus-Fairy can provide Stealth Rock support and forms a great core with Ho-Oh that breaks through defensive teams. Arceus-Fairy is also able to deal with Zygarde.
* Primal Groudon can provide Stealth Rock support and check Primal Kyogre and Xerneas. It can also go for an offensive approach by running Overheat or Swords Dance instead.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Ho-Oh can opt for Defog over Toxic to perform the role of a secondary Defog user.
* Choice Band Ho-Oh can opt for Sleep Talk over Toxic, as it allows Ho-Oh to switch into sleep-inducers like Smeargle and the rare Z-Hypnosis Lunala. However, there are very few actual cases where this is handy.
* Z-Celebrate is another option for Ho-Oh but is very difficult to execute due to its weakness to Stealth Rock. It also cannot have Regenerator when running Celebrate, making it even more weak to Stealth Rock.
* Ho-Oh could run Flame Charge to boost its Speed and give it a shot at sweeping late-game. Unfortunately, its Speed is too low at +1 to outspeed threatening Choice Scarf users such as Yveltal and Thunder Xerneas.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock**: Ho-Oh has a crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, which is carried on almost every viable team. Users of the move include support Arceus formes like Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground, Necrozma-DM, Deoxys-S, and Excadrill.
**Zygarde-C**: Zygarde-C is able to take hits from Ho-Oh with ease thanks to its great physical bulk and can proceed to paralyze Ho-Oh with Glare or KO it with Thousand Arrows. Zygarde-C also usually carries Rest, which makes it difficult to weaken with Toxic, and thus one of the best checks to Ho-Oh. Offensive sets with Substitute can also set up on Ho-Oh by avoiding burns from Sacred Fire.
**Water-types**: Arceus-Water is bulky enough to take a Brave Bird from Ho-Oh and stall it out with Toxic or 2HKO it with Judgment; however, Ho-Oh can go for Toxic as Arceus-Water switches in, setting it on a timer. Primal Kyogre can outspeed some variants of Ho-Oh and proceed to deal heavy damage if not OHKO with a Water-type STAB move; however, faster variants of Ho-Oh can OHKO Primal Kyogre after it takes damage from Stealth Rock. Defensive variants of Primal Kyogre can take a Brave Bird and deal heavy damage back with Scald.
**Primal Groudon**: Primal Groudon is resistant to Sacred Fire and immune to burn, and its high Defense stat allows it to tank a hit and proceed to OHKO back with Rock Tomb. However, Primal Groudon has no form of reliable recovery and gets crippled by Toxic.
**Mega Salamence**: Bulky variants of Mega Salamence can stall out Brave Bird with Roost to the point where Ho-Oh KOes itself due to recoil. It can also absorb Sacred Fire with no fear of getting burned thanks to Refresh and Facade.
**Zekrom**: Zekrom resists both of Ho-Oh's STAB moves and can OHKO it with Bolt Strike. However, Zekrom cannot switch in directly, as it can get crippled by a burn from Sacred Fire.
**Rock-type attacks**: Rock-types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar can OHKO Ho-Oh with their Rock-type STAB moves. Ho-Oh's typing makes it very vulnerable to Rock-type attacks, which are usually run by Ultra Necrozma, Necrozma-DM, Marshadow, and Arceus-Ground and occasionally by Arceus-Fairy and Mega Lucario.
**Giratina**: Thanks to its ability Pressure and great defensive stats, Giratina is able to cripple Ho-Oh with Toxic and proceed to PP stall it with Rest. It can also phaze Curse Ho-Oh with Dragon Tail.
**Lugia**: Lugia can easily Toxic stall Ho-Oh with Roost. However, since many Ho-Oh sets carry Toxic, it is difficult for Lugia to switch into Ho-Oh, and it must avoid Toxic in order to preserve its Multiscale.
**Toxic**: Toxic users such as Primal Groudon and support Arceus formes can cripple Ho-Oh, which forces it out frequently, since the damage can easily rack up; however, Regenerator can reduce the effects of Toxic. Arceus-Dragon, for example, is able to cripple Ho-Oh with Toxic and proceed to beat it one-on-one thanks to neutral STAB Judgment dealing considerable damage. However, this leaves Arcues-Dragon weak and susceptible.
* Ho-Oh's great Attack stat paired with its Fire / Flying typing makes it an incredible offensive threat.
* Access to two very strong STAB moves combined with excellent coverage makes Ho-Oh a very dangerous Pokemon versus any team that lacks good defensive switch-ins or ways of pressuring entry hazard removers.
* Ho-Oh avoids four-moveslot syndrome thanks to its great STAB coverage, letting it run a variety of moves like Toxic, Curse, and Substitute as its last move.
* Ho-Oh's Regenerator ability and great Special Defense allow it to take on special attackers like Yveltal, Xerneas, Calm Mind Arceus formes, and special varaints of Primal Groudon.
* Ho-Oh's typing also makes it a good check to a few physical attackers lacking Rock-type coverage such as Marshadow, Mega Lucario, Ultra Necrozma, and Necrozma-DM.
* Ho-Oh's weakness to Rock means it loses half of its HP to Stealth Rock. This makes Ho-Oh much less splashable than most other offensive threats and a Pokemon that a team must be built around to properly support.
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Curse / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Flyinium Z
ability: Regenerator
nature: Adamant
evs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Sacred Fire is Ho-Oh's strongest physical Fire-type STAB move and lets it hit Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn while also having a 50% chance to burn the foe.
* Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's strongest Flying-type attack and lets it 2HKO most of the offensive metagame.
* Recover is Ho-Oh's most reliable form of recovery; it allows Ho-Oh to stay healthy throughout the game and is important for checking threats such as Marshadow, Mega Lucario, and Xerneas.
* Toxic lets Ho-Oh cripple switch-ins like support Arceus formes, Primal Groudon, Zygarde-C, and Lugia by setting them on a timer.
* Curse is an option that is highly recommended when running Flyinium Z because it makes Ho-Oh even more threatening. It allows Ho-Oh to beat Zygarde and Mega Salamence one-on-one thanks to the boost in Defense.
* Substitute is an option that lets Ho-Oh avoid getting inflicted with status from support Arceus formes, making it easier to play around them.
* If Ho-Oh runs Life Orb, Hidden Power Ice is a good option that lets Ho-Oh always OHKO Mega Salamence and OHKO Zygarde that have taken damage from Brave Bird.
* Earthquake can hit Primal Groudon and Toxapex without incurring recoil from Brave Bird while also 2HKOing Rock-types such as Tyranitar and the rare Arceus-Rock.
Set Details
========
* 104 HP EVs allow Ho-Oh to keep its health at an odd number and lose less HP from Life Orb recoil.
* 152 Speed EVs let Ho-Oh outspeed Adamant Necrozma-DM and hit it hard with Sacred Fire, potentially causing a burn and thus avoiding a potenial OHKO from +2 Searing Sunraze Smash.
* 252 Attack EVs maximize Ho-Oh's damage output.
* Ho-Oh can opt for a more basic EV spread of 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD instead. This is more sensible on Curse sets, which do not need to outspeed anything.
* Life Orb gives Ho-Oh more initial power in exchange for recoil every turn. Flyinium Z can be used instead when Ho-Oh is running Curse, as +1 Supersonic Skystrike can eliminate Zygarde, Giratina, and Lugia after taking damage from Stealth Rock.
Usage Tips
========
* Ho-Oh relies heavily on teammates with Defog or Rapid Spin to keep Stealth Rock off of your side of the field so it can function properly.
* Teams with Ho-Oh must put as much pressure as possible on the opposing team's Stealth Rock setter in order to keep Ho-Oh from taking massive damage prior to making a move. Run a Steel-type, and try to use it to lure Primal Groudon, which is the one of the best Stealth Rock setters, and set it on a timer with Toxic.
* Against teams with Necrozma-DM, scout for Rock-type coverage like Stone Edge and Power Gem before using Ho-Oh to check it. It is best to switch Ho-Oh in on its use of Stealth Rock, as this avoids taking damage from Stealth Rock, giving Ho-Oh an open chance to attack.
* Sending Ho-Oh in on predicted Steel-types like Magearna, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn will then allow it to apply pressure onto the opposing team.
* Go for Toxic on predicted switches into defensive threats like support Arceus formes and Lugia; they need to be crippled for Ho-Oh to break through them.
* Be cautious when going for Sacred Fire, as the move only has 8 PP. You might prefer crippling certain defensive threats like Lugia with Toxic over burning them with Sacred Fire as well.
* Scout for Rock-type coverage from physical threats like Primal Groudon, Ultra Necrozma, Marshadow, and Mega Lucario, which Ho-Oh can often switch into otherwise.
* Take advantage of Regenerator by switching Ho-Oh out and sacrificing less important teammates to gain health.
Team Options
========
* Entry hazard removers such as Arceus-Dark, Defog Mega Salamence, Defog Xerneas, and Giratina-O are the best teammates for Ho-Oh due to its weakness to Stealth Rock. Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie make great teammates as well thanks to their ability to bounce back Stealth Rock.
* Marshadow has a great matchup against offensive teams, as it is able to check Arceus, Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and Mega Gengar, and appreciates Ho-Oh's ability to deal with Marshadow, Arceus-Fairy, and Toxapex.
* Mega Gengar is able to take advantage of Sacred Fire burns and trap nuisances to Ho-Oh like Lugia.
* Primal Groudon can provide Stealth Rock support as well as a secondary check to Xerneas and a good check to Primal Kyogre.
* Zygarde-C can switch into physical threats to Ho-Oh such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Primal Groudon, and Mega Salamence. Ho-Oh can check Pokemon that Zygarde-C usually struggles against like Arceus-Fairy, Xerneas, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela.
* Ferrothorn is able to check Primal Kyogre and provide Spikes support for Ho-Oh.
* Magearna is able to relieve Ho-Oh of the pressure of checking special attackers like Yveltal, Xerneas, and Calm Mind variants of Ultra Necrozma. It can also run Volt Switch to bring Ho-Oh in safely or carry Heal Bell to cure teammates of status conditions.
* Necrozma-DM appreciates Ho-Oh's ability to switch into Steel-types that easily wall it. In exchange, Necrozma-DM is able to act as the primary check to Xerneas while also providing Stealth Rock support.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Whirlwind
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Sacred Fire lets Ho-Oh hit Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn and potentially burn physical threats.
* Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's most spammable move and hits most Pokemon for neutral damage.
* Recover is Ho-Oh's most reliable form of recovery; it allows Ho-Oh to stay healthy throughout the game and is important for checking threats such as Marshadow, Mega Lucario, mixed Primal Groudon, and Xerneas.
* Toxic lets Ho-Oh cripple defensive threats such as support Arceus formes, Primal Groudon, Zygarde, and Lugia.
* Whirlwind can be run over Toxic to phaze setup sweepers like Geomancy Xerneas and Calm Mind Arceus formes.
Set Details
========
* Ho-Oh runs 252 HP to get maximum recovery from Leftovers and take minimal damage from Stealth Rock. 52 Special Defense EVs allow Ho-Oh to take +2 Thunder or Hidden Power Rock from Xerneas and check Mega Gengar, Lunala, and Calm Mind Arceus formes like Arceus-Fairy. The rest of the EVs are invested into Defense to check physical threats lacking Rock-type coverage such as Marshadow, Necrozma-DM, and Mega Lucario as well as Extreme Killer Arceus but only when it gets burned by the first Sacred Fire.
* Leftovers is required for its consistent source of recovery.
* Regenerator is the one of the best abilities a defensive Pokemon can get, letting Ho-Oh recover a third of its health whenever it switches out.
Usage Tips
========
* This Ho-Oh set fits best on defensive teams that tend to use entry hazards and Toxic to slowly weaken opposing teams.
* Make sure to keep Stealth Rock off the field as much as possible in order to bring in Ho-Oh freely.
* If Stealth Rock is unable to be removed, try to keep Ho-Oh as healthy as possible with the help of Roost and Regenerator.
* Switch Ho-Oh into Steel-types that it can wall very easily.
* Use Toxic on common switch-ins to Ho-Oh like Primal Groudon, Lugia, Giratina, and Tyranitar to set them on a timer, making them easier to beat.
* Avoid getting badly poisoned from Toxic, as this will prevent Ho-Oh from checking threats such as Calm Mind Arcues formes like Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground.
* Use Sacred Fire with caution versus bulkier teams; battles with such teams tend to be long, making it easy to use up all of Sacred Fire's PP.
* Scout for Rock-type coverage from physical threats such as Ultra Necrozma, Marshadow, and Mega Lucario. Ho-Oh can check special attacking variants of Primal Groudon, so scout for Rock Tomb or Stone Edge from it as well.
Team Options
========
* This Ho-Oh set is somewhat passive and thus fits best on balance or stall teams where there is not much need for offensive presence.
* Entry hazard removers such as support Arceus formes, Defog Giratina, and Skarmory are the best teammates for Ho-Oh due to its weakness to Stealth Rock. Mega Sableye is a great partner as well thanks to Magic Bounce and appreciates a check to Xerneas and Yveltal in Ho-Oh.
* Defensive walls such as Zygarde, Lugia, and Giratina can take care of physical attackers like Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and opposing Ho-Oh. They all carry a method of phazing, which is good for the defensive teams this Ho-Oh usually fits best in.
* Checks to Primal Kyogre like Primal Groudon and Ferrothorn make good teammates. Primal Groudon can also provide Stealth Rock support, while Ferrothorn is able to run either Stealth Rock or Spikes, which pairs really well with Ho-Oh running Whirlwind. Blissey is able to switch into special variants of Primal Kyogre and can provide cleric support with Heal Bell.
* Mega Gengar is able to take advantage of Ho-Oh's ability to status switch-ins with Sacred Fire and Toxic by trapping bulky threats and KOing them with Hex.
* This Ho-Oh set struggles versus stall due to its lack of power, making Mega Gyarados a great teammate.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Toxic
item: Choice Band
ability: Regenerator
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Sacred Fire lets Ho-Oh hit Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn and potentially burn threats.
* Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's most spammable move, deals great neutral damage, and 2HKOes most defensive threats.
* Earthquake lets Ho-Oh 2HKO Primal Groudon and Toxapex without taking recoil damage from Brave Bird. It can also 2HKO Tyranitar.
* Toxic lets Ho-Oh cripple switch-ins like Lugia and support Arceus formes so that the next time Ho-Oh is brought in, it can use Brave Bird to apply pressure on them.
Set Details
========
* The given EV spread allows Ho-Oh to deal maximum damage and outspeed almost all defensive threats apart from Lugia and support Arceus formes. However, it can also go for a 248 HP / 208 Atk / 52 SpD EV spread if it wants to make use of its natural bulk.
* Choice Band lets Ho-Oh deal massive damage, allowing it to 2HKO most defensive threats apart from Lugia and Giratina.
* Regenerator helps with Ho-Oh's weakness to Stealth Rock by recovering health when Ho-Oh switches out.
Usage Tips
========
* Switching Ho-Oh into Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn can let it gain a ton of momentum and exert pressure on the opposing team thanks to its STAB combination and coverage.
* Try to switch in Ho-Oh as much as possible early- to mid-game in order to weaken bulkier threats such as Zygarde, Primal Groudon, support Arceus formes, and Mega Salamence for teammates to clean up late-game.
* Go for Toxic on predicted switches to Lugia and support Arceus formes. This makes them easier for Ho-Oh to break through.
* Sacred Fire should be used conservatively versus defensive teams, as such games tend to be long and it is easy to use up all 8 PP when spamming it.
* Try to keep Stealth Rock off the field as much as possible because Choice Band Ho-Oh cannot fit Recover into its moveset, making Regenerator its only method of recovering health.
Team Options
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* Choice Band Ho-Oh is usually used as a method to break through bulky teams and can fit in most teams in need of such a role.
* Defog users such as Giratina-O, Mega Salamence, Arceus-Dark, and Choice Scarf Xerneas make for good teammates, as they are able to remove Stealth Rock. Pokemon with Rapid Spin like Excadrill and Cloyster are good teammates as well. They can also provide entry hazards in the form of Stealth Rock and Spikes, respectively.
* Marshadow appreciates Ho-Oh's ability to deal with Arceus-Fairy, Choice Scarf Xerneas, and Toxapex and can deal with most threats on offensive teams that Ho-Oh usually struggles against like Arceus, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza.
* Magearna makes a good teammate, as it is able to relieve Ho-Oh of the pressure of checking special attackers like Yveltal, Xerneas, and Calm Mind variants of Ultra Necrozma. It can also run Volt Switch to act as a pivot and bring in Ho-Oh safely or carry Heal Bell to cure teammates of status conditions.
* Arceus-Fairy can provide Stealth Rock support and forms a great core with Ho-Oh that breaks through defensive teams. Arceus-Fairy is also able to deal with Zygarde.
* Primal Groudon can provide Stealth Rock support and check Primal Kyogre and Xerneas. It can also go for an offensive approach by running Overheat or Swords Dance instead.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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* Ho-Oh can opt for Defog over Toxic to perform the role of a secondary Defog user.
* Choice Band Ho-Oh can opt for Sleep Talk over Toxic, as it allows Ho-Oh to switch into sleep-inducers like Smeargle and the rare Z-Hypnosis Lunala. However, there are very few actual cases where this is handy.
* Z-Celebrate is another option for Ho-Oh but is very difficult to execute due to its weakness to Stealth Rock. It also cannot have Regenerator when running Celebrate, making it even more weak to Stealth Rock.
* Ho-Oh could run Flame Charge to boost its Speed and give it a shot at sweeping late-game. Unfortunately, its Speed is too low at +1 to outspeed threatening Choice Scarf users such as Yveltal and Thunder Xerneas.
Checks and Counters
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**Stealth Rock**: Ho-Oh has a crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, which is carried on almost every viable team. Users of the move include support Arceus formes like Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground, Necrozma-DM, Deoxys-S, and Excadrill.
**Zygarde-C**: Zygarde-C is able to take hits from Ho-Oh with ease thanks to its great physical bulk and can proceed to paralyze Ho-Oh with Glare or KO it with Thousand Arrows. Zygarde-C also usually carries Rest, which makes it difficult to weaken with Toxic, and thus one of the best checks to Ho-Oh. Offensive sets with Substitute can also set up on Ho-Oh by avoiding burns from Sacred Fire.
**Water-types**: Arceus-Water is bulky enough to take a Brave Bird from Ho-Oh and stall it out with Toxic or 2HKO it with Judgment; however, Ho-Oh can go for Toxic as Arceus-Water switches in, setting it on a timer. Primal Kyogre can outspeed some variants of Ho-Oh and proceed to deal heavy damage if not OHKO with a Water-type STAB move; however, faster variants of Ho-Oh can OHKO Primal Kyogre after it takes damage from Stealth Rock. Defensive variants of Primal Kyogre can take a Brave Bird and deal heavy damage back with Scald.
**Primal Groudon**: Primal Groudon is resistant to Sacred Fire and immune to burn, and its high Defense stat allows it to tank a hit and proceed to OHKO back with Rock Tomb. However, Primal Groudon has no form of reliable recovery and gets crippled by Toxic.
**Mega Salamence**: Bulky variants of Mega Salamence can stall out Brave Bird with Roost to the point where Ho-Oh KOes itself due to recoil. It can also absorb Sacred Fire with no fear of getting burned thanks to Refresh and Facade.
**Zekrom**: Zekrom resists both of Ho-Oh's STAB moves and can OHKO it with Bolt Strike. However, Zekrom cannot switch in directly, as it can get crippled by a burn from Sacred Fire.
**Rock-type attacks**: Rock-types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar can OHKO Ho-Oh with their Rock-type STAB moves. Ho-Oh's typing makes it very vulnerable to Rock-type attacks, which are usually run by Ultra Necrozma, Necrozma-DM, Marshadow, and Arceus-Ground and occasionally by Arceus-Fairy and Mega Lucario.
**Giratina**: Thanks to its ability Pressure and great defensive stats, Giratina is able to cripple Ho-Oh with Toxic and proceed to PP stall it with Rest. It can also phaze Curse Ho-Oh with Dragon Tail.
**Lugia**: Lugia can easily Toxic stall Ho-Oh with Roost. However, since many Ho-Oh sets carry Toxic, it is difficult for Lugia to switch into Ho-Oh, and it must avoid Toxic in order to preserve its Multiscale.
**Toxic**: Toxic users such as Primal Groudon and support Arceus formes can cripple Ho-Oh, which forces it out frequently, since the damage can easily rack up; however, Regenerator can reduce the effects of Toxic. Arceus-Dragon, for example, is able to cripple Ho-Oh with Toxic and proceed to beat it one-on-one thanks to neutral STAB Judgment dealing considerable damage. However, this leaves Arcues-Dragon weak and susceptible.
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