Doubles Hoopa-U

talkingtree

large if factual
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Two-Time Past SCL Champion
[OVERVIEW]

Arguably the best and definitely the most common move in Doubles, Protect allows teams to navigate the ins and outs of positioning, scouting, and stalling out harmful effects. Thus, the fact that Hoopa-U has two powerful attacks that break Protect backed by astronomical attacking stats makes it an enormous threat. In addition to its powerful attacks, Hoopa-U also fills a valuable support role in its access to Trick Room. Impressive special bulk allows Hoopa-U to be a solid check to most special attackers, and some versatility in faster sets or coverage moves further cements Hoopa-U's place in the metagame. While Hoopa-U's middling Speed tier and poor Defense with no resistances make it a manageable threat for most teams, it is rarely dead weight, with its many solid matchups making up for its struggles against the island guardians and strong physical attackers in Doubles OU.

[SET]
name: Trick Room
move 1: Hyperspace Fury
move 2: Hyperspace Hole
move 3: Trick Room
move 4: Protect
item: Sitrus Berry / Misty Seed / Psychic Seed
ability: Magician
nature: Brave
evs: 192 HP / 224 Atk / 92 Def

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Hyperspace Fury and Hyperspace Hole break past Protect or a potential Substitute, ensuring the attack will land. Hyperspace Fury hits most of the metagame really hard thanks to Hoopa-U's incredible Attack stat; sadly, its also lowers Hoopa-U's Defense. Hyperspace Hole grants Hoopa-U access to a drawback-free strong attack that won't be weakened by Intimidate, attacking from a similarly impressive Special Attack stat. Trick Room allows Hoopa-U to turn its mediocre Speed into an advantage, supporting slower teammates by switching the turn order. Protect shields Hoopa-U from damage while its ally takes out a threat and scouts a foe's moves, allowing for strategic positioning play.

Set Details
========

A Sitrus Berry increases Hoopa-U's longevity, synergizing well with Magician to give Hoopa-U the opportunity to steal a foe's item when it attacks after eating the Berry. 192 HP EVs guarantee that Hoopa-U cannot be 2HKOed by Life Orb Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt or OHKOed by Timid Mega Charizard Y's Overheat. With this HP investment, 92 Defense EVs prevent standard Mega Salamence's Double-Edge from getting an OHKO. The remaining EVs are dumped into Attack, with a Brave nature further raising it while lowering Hoopa-U's Speed to help it thrive under Trick Room. Running 0 Speed IVs is a solid option on full Trick Room teams, though other builds sometimes appreciate the added Speed from retaining 31 Speed IVs.

Tapu Fini as an ally opens up Hoopa-U to holding a Misty Seed instead, raising its Special Defense if Misty Terrain is set and using up its item to immediately allow Hoopa-U to take advantage of Magician. With a Misty Seed, Hoopa-U should adjust its EVs to a spread of 96 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Def / 16 SpA, still with a Brave nature. This ensures Hoopa-U can take two Moonblasts from opposing Tapu Fini or a Double-Edge from Mega Salamence. After maximizing Attack, the remaining EVs are placed in Special Attack. Partnering with Tapu Lele instead of Tapu Fini opens up Hoopa-U to viably running Psychic Seed, which functions virtually the same as Misty Seed. However, with Tapu Lele as a partner, Psychic Terrain makes Hyperspace Hole a far more reliable attack, so running 156 Special Attack EVs is an option, ensuring Hyperspace Hole will 2HKO Mega Salamence even without Psychic Terrain support. If Tapu Lele is particularly troubling, a slightly bulkier spread of 252 HP / 128 Atk / 64 Def / 64 SpD and a Brave nature ensures Hoopa-U survives its Life Orb-boosted Moonblast while still avoiding the OHKO from Mega Salamence's Double-Edge.

Usage Tips
========

Set Trick Room to support Hoopa-U's teammates and help it fire off attacks earlier on in the following turns. That said, Trick Room shouldn't be seen as a required move when not set, as sometimes simply attacking can be more beneficial. Though other Trick Room setters struggle to keep offensive momentum after setting Trick Room, leaving Hoopa-U in after using the move prevents foes from being able to effectively use Protect or Wide Guard against its allies. Though this set has a decent amount of bulk investment, Hoopa-U's lack of resistances makes it a poor switch-in nearly all the time. As one of the premier setters of Trick Room, Hoopa-U makes a nice lead to use the move as soon as possible; however, it must watch out for common leads that carry U-turn in Genesect and Landorus-T. Once Hoopa-U's item is used up, avoid attacking too recklessly—stealing the wrong item with Magician, like a Choice Scarf or an Assault Vest, can greatly hinder its effectiveness.

Team Options
========

Hoopa-U is a greatly appreciated teammate to slower allies for giving them the ability to move first. Snorlax, Araquanid, and Heatran are a few such prominent attackers, and the last also likes Hoopa-U's ability to break Wide Guard. Users of Fake Out like Scrafty or redirection like Amoonguss help Hoopa-U set Trick Room more safely. Due to Hoopa-U's lack of consistent recovery and bulk, a second Trick Room setter like Diancie or Porygon2 is necessary for full Trick Room-based builds. Hoopa-U needs its allies to cover a few of its best checks. Answers to Tyranitar, including Landorus-T and Scrafty, are thus essential teammates, as are Tapu Fini checks like Tapu Bulu. Similarly, Hoopa-U needs a teammate to take on Landorus-T and Mega Salamence, making Ice-types and Tapu Fini solid choices. Tapu Fini may also potentially use Misty Terrain-guarded Swagger to boost Hoopa-U's Attack and opens it up to holding a Misty Seed. If Hoopa-U is running a Psychic Seed, Tapu Lele is a required teammate for its activation and can also use a powerful Moonblast to ward off Dark-types. Due to its low Defense, Hoopa-U nearly requires at least one teammate with Intimidate to handle dominating physical attackers. Mega Salamence—which has access to Intimidate before Mega Evolving—and the previously mentioned Landorus-T and Scrafty are valid options.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Hoopa-U can also opt for a Life Orb set that runs Hyperspace Fury / Hyperspace Hole / Gunk Shot / Protect, typically with more Speed and less bulk, though it also serves as a decent Trick Room attacker; such a set works well with Tailwind support and beats lots of common checks such as Tapu Fini while also dealing significantly more damage in general. Drain Punch also works on offensive sets, taking on Tyranitar and other Dark-types, which would otherwise threaten Hoopa-U. Using an Iapapa Berry in place of the Sitrus Berry provides Hoopa-U twice the recovery, though its lower activation point delays utilization of Magician and can leave Hoopa-U KOed before its Berry gets the chance to activate. Choice Scarf Hoopa-U can catch opponents by surprise, running Hidden Power Ice and Gunk Shot in addition to its STAB attacks to pick off Landorus-T and Tapu Lele. Unfortunately, it has neither the utility of Trick Room nor the power of Life Orb sets, is hurt by the locking effect, and fails to outspeed all other Choice Scarf users. Z-Ally Switch provides Hoopa-U a two-stage boost to its Speed while switching places with its ally, allowing Hoopa-U to clean up weakened teams. If the Speed boost cannot prove useful, Psychium Z also grants access to Shattered Psyche for a one-time powerful attack. Darkium Z also provides a +2 boost to Speed via Z-Snatch or access to Black Hole Eclipse, but Ally Switch is generally more useful than Snatch as a base move. Both of these Z-Crystal and move combinations sadly lack the bulk, utility, and general effectiveness of many other sets, but they can succeed under the right circumstances.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types are at worst resistant to Hoopa-U's attacks and can deal decent damage in return. Scrafty and Alolan Muk even underspeed Hoopa-U and take advantage of it setting Trick Room. Tyranitar's impressive bulk and Attack stat allow it to easily take Hoopa-U's attacks and retaliate with a powerful attack of its own.

**Fairy-types**: Fairy-type Pokemon resist Hyperspace Fury, Hoopa-U's most common move, and tend to be specially bulky enough that they aren't too bothered by Hyperspace Hole. In addition, most have ways to strongly damage it with their super effective STAB attacks. Tapu Fini is especially threatening, using Hoopa-U as setup bait. Assault Vest Tapu Bulu can switch in on and defeat Hoopa-U fairly handily thanks to its high bulk and physical offense. Tapu Lele has a few different ways to take on Hoopa-U, commonly running Taunt to prevent its setting of Trick Room and potentially OHKOing with a Life Orb-boosted Moonblast. However, it takes a lot of damage from Hyperspace Fury due to its part Psychic typing removing its Dark resistance.

**Bug-types**: Despite its decent bulk, Hoopa-U is incredibly threatened by Bug-type attacks thanks to its 4x weakness to the type. As a prominent pivoting move, U-turn is carried by most common Choice Scarf users, including Genesect, Landorus-T, and Victini, which can all OHKO Hoopa-U with the move. However, due to their reliance on the Speed advantage, none can defeat Hoopa-U if it has set Trick Room.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: As a Pokemon with skewed defenses, despite its investment in Defense, Hoopa-U greatly fears strong physical attackers, including Mega Salamence, Tapu Bulu, and Araquanid. Hyperspace Fury lowering Hoopa-U's Defense only serves to exacerbate this issue.

**Intimidate**: Carrying Hyperspace Hole prevents Hoopa-U from being entirely shut down by Intimidate, but Hyperspace Fury's power will suffer. Of the common Intimidate users, Scrafty is the toughest to handle, packing an immunity to Psychic, a 4x resistance to Dark, and low enough Speed that it will move before Hoopa-U in Trick Room. That said, Mega Salamence, which has Intimidate pre-Mega Evolution, and Landorus-T aren't easy foes to face either.
 
Last edited:
I have very little to say cause this is so watertight, but here goes
  • [SET DETAILS] I've been using a slightly bulkier EV spread of 252 HP / 128 Atk / 64 Def / 64 SpD with a Brave nature; it guaranteed lives Mence DE and Timid LO Lele Moonblast. The listed spread is fine but the extra special bulk can come in clutch, and it also allows you to lead Hoopa and TR more reliably since it can eat more hits.
  • [SET DETAILS] Make sure to note that you should set speed IVs to 0.
  • [OTHER OPTIONS] I'd argue that it could be main set, but Iappa Berry should be mentioned here at least.
  • [TEAM OPTIONS] Give Intimidate users their own bullet, they allow Hoopa to eat a lot more hits and set TR more reliably.
  • [TEAM OPTIONS] Replace the mention of Sylveon with Snorlax, it's just a lot more relevant.
I trust you'll expand on the rest of the analysis in the write up, so QC 1/2!
 

talkingtree

large if factual
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Two-Time Past SCL Champion
Implemented, I wanna talk a bit more about spreads because I felt like surviving two LO Koko hits or Zard Y Overheat is enough Special bulk and the extra 100 EVs in Atk are helpful, but I haven't tried anything else.

I also wrote a little note regarding the 0 Spe IVs thing, let me know if that bullet point fits what you were thinking or if you'd argue for 0 Spe IVs every time and why.
 

marilli

With you
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Past SPL Championis a Former Other Tournament Circuit Champion
Not QC but comments etc.:
  • I feel that Misty Seed (and to a lesser degree Psychic Seed) is both common and good enough to be taken out of OO. In fact I believe there's fairly good argument it's better than Sitrus and should be the first slash.
  • I know there must have been some QC discussion that put Seeds into OO instead of main slash because I'm still fairly sure Seeds Hoopa-U was still the most used set a month ago. So I don't wanna offend anyone by suggesting to override that. If this is a deliberate omission, you should at least comment on the notable downsides of Seeds, if any. Tournament usage stats and opinions of top players opinions seem to be in favor of Seeds, and the analysis should reflect that it is a common choice (Even if you disagree with it being the better choice, usage stats are objective.)
  • If requiring Fini / Lele as a partner is a problem for being slashed on the main set, it should at least be the first thing mentioned in Set Details.
  • Seeds shift around your defensive calcs in general and it might be good to have a Spread for Seeds as vs. Sitrus on the Set Details as well.
  • More on spreads, I have seen notable players investing in Special Attack over Physical. This seemed to be done mostly with Tapu Lele on the team as well, and this lets Hyperspace Hole be a no-drawback yet stronger move than Hyperspace Fury. It should be mentioned alongside Psychic Seed wherever applicable. Tagging qsns and Checkmater because I've seen both of them use Special Hoopa to much success.
 

shaian

you love to see it
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
^ agree with that

[Usage Tips]
- Note that if Hoopa-U's item has been used up, you should be careful attacking in case you magician the wrong item like accidentally taking scarfs

Do both for 2///////2
 

talkingtree

large if factual
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Two-Time Past SCL Champion
Done, also made a few changes after discussion with QC. A few points we discussed and edited:
  • Emphasizing Hoopa-U's special bulk in Overview
  • Reworking Team Options to discuss categories instead of specific Pokemon
  • Re-ordering Checks and Counters, emphasizing good checks more
  • Removing nearly irrelevant Pokemon like Gyarados and Sylveon
  • Re-ordering OO to fit viability
 

Checkmater

It’s just us kittens left, and the rain is coming
is a Tiering Contributor
Hate to butt in as it looks like you already put this into GP but only just saw this so shrug

Mention being careful for landot switchins after you lose item, they can often try to tank a hyperspace move for a partner then gimp you with their scarf while also intimidating you. I know this is mentioned but you could be a little more specific imo - almost no item is shitty UNLESS it is choice scarf, which is a detail that could be added.

Also mention having partners (notably pretty much just heatran) use a LITTLE bit of speed ivs to be after hoopa to take adv of protect break. I feel this is important enough to merit being in there, but maybe not.

Overall for team options you could mention randomly throwing swagger on things (esp utility mons with 4th move to spare ie amoonguss) to pocket-counter opposing tapu fini, though that's less established so it's fair if you don't mention it.

Other than that it looks solid. The big thing I was looking for when I looked at this analysis was "does it scream 'TTAR/LANDOT/FINI ARE THE BIGGEST CHECKS, PREPARE FOR THEM' as loudly as possible" and it did, so we good.
 
Last edited:

GenOne

DOU main. GMT-7. PS!: GenOne
is a Community Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Also mention having partners (notably pretty much just heatran) use a LITTLE bit of speed ivs to be after hoopa to take adv of protect break. I feel this is important enough to merit being in there, but maybe not.
Fwiw, the DOU Heatran analysis, which recently went live on the Smogon site, mentions the 7 IVs it should carry when working in tandem with Hoopa-U on Trick Room teams.
 

P Squared

a great unrecorded history
is a Site Content Manageris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
GP 1/2

[OVERVIEW]

Arguably the best and definitely the most common move in Doubles, Protect allows teams to navigate the ins and outs of positioning, scouting, and stalling out harmful effects. Thus, the fact that Hoopa-U has two powerful attacks that break Protect backed by astronomical attacking stats makes it an enormous threat. In addition to its powerful attacks, Hoopa-U also fills a valuable support role in its access to Trick Room. Impressive special bulk allows Hoopa-U to be a solid check to most special attackers, and some versatility in faster sets or coverage moves further cements Hoopa-U's place in the metagame. Hoopa-U's middling Speed tier and poor Defense with no resistances make it a manageable threat for most teams, but it is rarely dead weight, with its many solid matchups making up for its struggles against the island guardians and strong physical attackers in Doubles OU.

[SET]
name: Trick Room
move 1: Hyperspace Fury
move 2: Hyperspace Hole
move 3: Trick Room
move 4: Protect
item: Sitrus Berry / Misty Seed / Psychic Seed
ability: Magician
nature: Brave
evs: 192 HP / 224 Atk / 92 Def

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Hyperspace Fury and Hyperspace Hole break past Protect or a potential Substitute, ensuring the attack will land. Hyperspace Fury hits most of the metagame really hard thanks to Hoopa-U's incredible Attack stat; sadly, its also lowers Hoopa-U's Defense. Hyperspace Hole grants Hoopa-U access to a drawback-free strong attack that won't be weakened by Intimidate, attacking from a similarly impressive Special Attack stat. Trick Room allows Hoopa-U to turn its mediocre Speed into an advantage, supporting slower teammates by switching the turn order. Protect shields Hoopa-U from damage while its ally takes out a threat and scouts a foe's moves, allowing for strategic positioning play.

Set Details
========

A Sitrus Berry increases Hoopa-U's longevity, synergizing well with Magician to give Hoopa-U the opportunity to steal a foe's item when it attacks after eating the Berry. 192 HP EVs guarantees that Hoopa-U cannot be 2HKOed by Life Orb Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt or OHKOed by Timid Mega Charizard Y's Overheat. With this HP investment, 92 Defense EVs prevent standard Mega Salamence's Double-Edge from getting an OHKO. The remaining EVs are dumped into Attack, with a Brave nature further raising it while lowering Hoopa-U's Speed to help it thrive under Trick Room. Running 0 Speed IVs is a solid option on full Trick Room teams, though other builds sometimes appreciate the added Speed from retaining 31 Speed IVs.

Tapu Fini as an ally opens up Hoopa-U to holding a Misty Seed instead, raising its Special Defense if Misty Terrain is set and using up its item to immediately allow Hoopa-U to take advantage of Magician. With a Misty Seed, Hoopa-U should adjust its EVs to a spread of 96 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Def / 16 SpA, still with a Brave nature. This ensures Hoopa-U can take two Moonblasts from opposing Tapu Fini or a Double-Edge from Mega Salamence. After maximizing Attack, the remaining EVs are placed in Special Attack. Partnering with Tapu Lele instead of Tapu Fini opens up Hoopa-U to viably running Psychic Seed, which functions virtually the same as Misty Seed. However, with Tapu Lele as a partner, Psychic Terrain makes Hyperspace Hole a far more reliable attack, so running 156 Special Attack EVs is an option, ensuring Hyperspace Hole will 2HKO Mega Salamence even without Psychic Terrain support. If Tapu Lele is particularly troubling, a slightly bulkier spread of 252 HP / 128 Atk / 64 Def / 64 SpD and a Brave nature ensures Hoopa-U survives its Life Orb-boosted Moonblast while still avoiding the OHKO from Mega Salamence's Double-Edge.

Usage Tips
========

Set Trick Room to support Hoopa-U's teammates and help it fire off attacks earlier on in the following turns. That said, Trick Room shouldn't be seen as a required move when not set, as sometimes simply attacking can be more beneficial. Though other Trick Room setters struggle to keep offensive momentum after setting Trick Room, leaving Hoopa-U in after using the move prevents foes from being able to effectively use Protect or Wide Guard against its allies. Though this set has a decent amount of bulk investment, Hoopa-U's lack of resistances makes it a poor switch-in nearly all the time. As one of the premier setters of Trick Room, Hoopa-U makes a nice lead to use the move as soon as possible; however, it must watch out for common leads that carry U-turn in Genesect and Landorus-T. Once Hoopa-U's item is used up, avoid attacking too recklessly—stealing the wrong item with Magician, like a Choice Scarf or an Assault Vest, can greatly hinder its effectiveness.

Team Options
========

Hoopa-U is a greatly appreciated as a teammate to slower allies by giving them the ability to move first. Snorlax, Araquanid, and Heatran are a few such prominent attackers, and the last latter also likes Hoopa-U's ability to break Wide Guard. Users of Fake Out like Scrafty or redirection like Amoonguss help Hoopa-U set Trick Room more safely. Due to Hoopa-U's its lack of consistent recovery and bulk, a second Trick Room setter like Diancie or Porygon2 is necessary for full Trick Room-based builds. Hoopa-U needs its allies to cover a few of its best checks. Answers to Tyranitar, including Landorus-T and Scrafty, Tapu Fini checks like Tapu Bulu, and Ice-types or Tapu Fini to cover Landorus-T and Mega Salamence are thus essential teammates. (that list is a little confusing to read) Tapu Fini may also potentially use Misty Terrain-guarded Swagger to boost Hoopa-U's Attack and opens it up to holding a Misty Seed. If running a Psychic Seed, Tapu Lele is a required teammate for its activation and can also use a powerful Moonblast to ward off Dark-types. Due to its low Defense, Hoopa-U nearly requires at least one teammate with Intimidate to handle dominating physical attackers. Mega Salamence—which has access to Intimidate before Mega Evolving in its base form—and the previously mentioned Landorus-T and Scrafty are valid options.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Hoopa-U can also opt for a Life Orb set, which that runs Hyperspace Fury / Hyperspace Hole / Gunk Shot / Protect, typically with more Speed and less bulk, though it also serves as a decent Trick Room attacker; such a set works well with Tailwind support and beats lots of common checks such as Tapu Fini while also dealing significantly more damage in general. Drain Punch also works on offensive sets, taking on Tyranitar and other Dark-types, which would otherwise threaten Hoopa-U. Using an Iapapa Berry in place of the Sitrus Berry provides Hoopa-U twice the recovery, though its lower activation point delays utilization of Magician and can leave Hoopa-U KOed before its Berry gets the chance to activate. Choice Scarf Hoopa-U can catch opponents by surprise, running Hidden Power Ice and Gunk Shot in addition to its STAB attacks to pick off Landorus-T and Tapu Lele. Unfortunately, it has neither the utility of Trick Room nor the power of Life Orb sets, is hurt by the locking effect, and fails to outspeed all other Choice Scarf users. Z-Ally Switch provides Hoopa-U a two-stage boost to its Speed while switching places with its ally, allowing Hoopa-U to clean up weakened teams. If the Speed boost cannot prove useful, Psychium Z also grants access to Shattered Psyche for a one-time powerful attack. Z-Snatch also provides a +2 boost to Speed or access to Black Hole Eclipse, but Ally Switch is generally more useful than Snatch as a base move. Both of these Z-Crystal and move combinations sadly lack the bulk, utility, and general effectiveness of many other sets, but they can succeed under the right circumstances.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types are at worst resistant to Hoopa-U's attacks and can deal decent damage in return. Scrafty and Alolan Muk even underspeed Hoopa-U and take advantage of it setting Trick Room. Tyranitar's impressive bulk and Attack stat allow it to easily take Hoopa-U's attacks and retaliate with a powerful attack of its own.

**Fairy-types**: Fairy-type Pokemon resist Hyperspace Fury, Hoopa-U's most common move, and tend to be specially bulky enough that they aren't too bothered by Hyperspace Hole. In addition, most have ways to strongly damage it with their super effective STAB attacks. Tapu Fini is especially threatening, using Hoopa-U as setup bait. Assault Vest Tapu Bulu can switch in on and defeat Hoopa-U fairly handily thanks to its high bulk and physical offenses. Tapu Lele has a few different ways to take on Hoopa-U, commonly running Taunt to prevent its setting of Trick Room and potentially OHKOing with a Life Orb-boosted Moonblast. However, it takes a lot of damage from Hyperspace Fury due to its part Psychic typing removing its Dark resistance.

**Bug-types**: Despite its decent bulk, Hoopa-U is incredibly threatened by Bug-type attacks thanks to its 4x weakness to the type. As a prominent pivoting move, U-turn is carried by most common Choice Scarf users, including Genesect, Landorus-T, and Victini, which can all OHKO Hoopa-U with the move. However, due to their reliance on the Speed advantage, none can defeat Hoopa-U if it has set Trick Room.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: As a Pokemon with skewed defenses, despite its investment in Defense, Hoopa-U greatly fears strong physical attackers, including Mega Salamence, Tapu Bulu, and Araquanid. Hyperspace Fury lowering Hoopa-U's Defense only serves to exacerbate this issue.

**Intimidate **: Carrying Hyperspace Hole prevents Hoopa-U from being entirely shut down by Intimidate, but Hyperspace Fury's power will suffer. Of the common Intimidate users, Scrafty is the toughest to handle, packing an immunity to Psychic, a 4x resistance to Dark, and low enough Speed that it will move before Hoopa-U in Trick Room. That said, Mega Salamence, which has Intimidate pre-Mega Evolution, and Landorus-T aren't easy foes to face either.
 
Last edited:

talkingtree

large if factual
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Two-Time Past SCL Champion
Implemented, got additional input on Discord regarding the confusing list in Team Options and made the appropriate changes.
 

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
GP 2/2
[OVERVIEW]

Arguably the best and definitely the most common move in Doubles, Protect allows teams to navigate the ins and outs of positioning, scouting, and stalling out harmful effects. Thus, the fact that Hoopa-U has two powerful attacks that break Protect backed by astronomical attacking stats makes it an enormous threat. In addition to its powerful attacks, Hoopa-U also fills a valuable support role in its access to Trick Room. Impressive special bulk allows Hoopa-U to be a solid check to most special attackers, and some versatility in faster sets or coverage moves further cements Hoopa-U's place in the metagame. While Hoopa-U's middling Speed tier and poor Defense with no resistances make it a manageable threat for most teams, but (optional-ish, more natural flow) it is rarely dead weight, with its many solid matchups making up for its struggles against the island guardians and strong physical attackers in Doubles OU.

[SET]
name: Trick Room
move 1: Hyperspace Fury
move 2: Hyperspace Hole
move 3: Trick Room
move 4: Protect
item: Sitrus Berry / Misty Seed / Psychic Seed
ability: Magician
nature: Brave
evs: 192 HP / 224 Atk / 92 Def

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Hyperspace Fury and Hyperspace Hole break past Protect or a potential Substitute, ensuring the attack will land. Hyperspace Fury hits most of the metagame really hard thanks to Hoopa-U's incredible Attack stat; sadly, its also lowers Hoopa-U's Defense. Hyperspace Hole grants Hoopa-U access to a drawback-free strong attack that won't be weakened by Intimidate, attacking from a similarly impressive Special Attack stat. Trick Room allows Hoopa-U to turn its mediocre Speed into an advantage, supporting slower teammates by switching the turn order. Protect shields Hoopa-U from damage while its ally takes out a threat and scouts a foe's moves, allowing for strategic positioning play.

Set Details
========

A Sitrus Berry increases Hoopa-U's longevity, synergizing well with Magician to give Hoopa-U the opportunity to steal a foe's item when it attacks after eating the Berry. 192 HP EVs guarantee that Hoopa-U cannot be 2HKOed by Life Orb Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt or OHKOed by Timid Mega Charizard Y's Overheat. With this HP investment, 92 Defense EVs prevent standard Mega Salamence's Double-Edge from getting an OHKO. The remaining EVs are dumped into Attack, with a Brave nature further raising it while lowering Hoopa-U's Speed to help it thrive under Trick Room. Running 0 Speed IVs is a solid option on full Trick Room teams, though other builds sometimes appreciate the added Speed from retaining 31 Speed IVs.

Tapu Fini as an ally opens up Hoopa-U to holding a Misty Seed instead, raising its Special Defense if Misty Terrain is set and using up its item to immediately allow Hoopa-U to take advantage of Magician. With a Misty Seed, Hoopa-U should adjust its EVs to a spread of 96 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Def / 16 SpA, still with a Brave nature. This ensures Hoopa-U can take two Moonblasts from opposing Tapu Fini or a Double-Edge from Mega Salamence. After maximizing Attack, the remaining EVs are placed in Special Attack. Partnering with Tapu Lele instead of Tapu Fini opens up Hoopa-U to viably running Psychic Seed, which functions virtually the same as Misty Seed. However, with Tapu Lele as a partner, Psychic Terrain makes Hyperspace Hole a far more reliable attack, so running 156 Special Attack EVs is an option, ensuring Hyperspace Hole will 2HKO Mega Salamence even without Psychic Terrain support. If Tapu Lele is particularly troubling, a slightly bulkier spread of 252 HP / 128 Atk / 64 Def / 64 SpD and a Brave nature ensures Hoopa-U survives its Life Orb-boosted Moonblast while still avoiding the OHKO from Mega Salamence's Double-Edge.

Usage Tips
========

Set Trick Room to support Hoopa-U's teammates and help it fire off attacks earlier on in the following turns. That said, Trick Room shouldn't be seen as a required move when not set, as sometimes simply attacking can be more beneficial. Though other Trick Room setters struggle to keep offensive momentum after setting Trick Room, leaving Hoopa-U in after using the move prevents foes from being able to effectively use Protect or Wide Guard against its allies. Though this set has a decent amount of bulk investment, Hoopa-U's lack of resistances makes it a poor switch-in nearly all the time. As one of the premier setters of Trick Room, Hoopa-U makes a nice lead to use the move as soon as possible; however, it must watch out for common leads that carry U-turn in Genesect and Landorus-T. Once Hoopa-U's item is used up, avoid attacking too recklessly—stealing the wrong item with Magician, like a Choice Scarf or an Assault Vest, can greatly hinder its effectiveness.

Team Options
========

Hoopa-U is a greatly appreciated as a teammate to slower allies by for giving them the ability to move first. Snorlax, Araquanid, and Heatran are a few such prominent attackers, and the last also likes Hoopa-U's ability to break Wide Guard. Users of Fake Out like Scrafty or redirection like Amoonguss help Hoopa-U set Trick Room more safely. Due to Hoopa-U's lack of consistent recovery and bulk, a second Trick Room setter like Diancie or Porygon2 is necessary for full Trick Room-based builds. Hoopa-U needs its allies to cover a few of its best checks. Answers to Tyranitar, including Landorus-T and Scrafty, are thus essential teammates, as are Tapu Fini checks like Tapu Bulu. Similarly, Hoopa-U needs a teammate to take on Landorus-T and Mega Salamence, making Ice-types and Tapu Fini solid choices. Tapu Fini may also potentially use Misty Terrain-guarded Swagger to boost Hoopa-U's Attack and opens it up to holding a Misty Seed. If Hoopa-U is running a Psychic Seed, Tapu Lele is a required teammate for its activation and can also use a powerful Moonblast to ward off Dark-types. Due to its low Defense, Hoopa-U nearly requires at least one teammate with Intimidate to handle dominating physical attackers. Mega Salamence—which has access to Intimidate before Mega Evolving—and the previously mentioned Landorus-T and Scrafty are valid options.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Hoopa-U can also opt for a Life Orb set that runs Hyperspace Fury / Hyperspace Hole / Gunk Shot / Protect, typically with more Speed and less bulk, though it also serves as a decent Trick Room attacker; such a set works well with Tailwind support and beats lots of common checks such as Tapu Fini while also dealing significantly more damage in general. Drain Punch also works on offensive sets, taking on Tyranitar and other Dark-types, which would otherwise threaten Hoopa-U. Using an Iapapa Berry in place of the Sitrus Berry provides Hoopa-U twice the recovery, though its lower activation point delays utilization of Magician and can leave Hoopa-U KOed before its Berry gets the chance to activate. Choice Scarf Hoopa-U can catch opponents by surprise, running Hidden Power Ice and Gunk Shot in addition to its STAB attacks to pick off Landorus-T and Tapu Lele. Unfortunately, it has neither the utility of Trick Room nor the power of Life Orb sets, is hurt by the locking effect, and fails to outspeed all other Choice Scarf users. Z-Ally Switch provides Hoopa-U a two-stage boost to its Speed while switching places with its ally, allowing Hoopa-U to clean up weakened teams. If the Speed boost cannot prove useful, Psychium Z also grants access to Shattered Psyche for a one-time powerful attack. Z-Snatch Darkium Z also provides a +2 boost to Speed via Z-Snatch or access to Black Hole Eclipse, but Ally Switch is generally more useful than Snatch as a base move. Both of these Z-Crystal and move combinations sadly lack the bulk, utility, and general effectiveness of many other sets, but they can succeed under the right circumstances.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types are at worst resistant to Hoopa-U's attacks and can deal decent damage in return. Scrafty and Alolan Muk even underspeed Hoopa-U and take advantage of it setting Trick Room. Tyranitar's impressive bulk and Attack stat allow it to easily take Hoopa-U's attacks and retaliate with a powerful attack of its own.

**Fairy-types**: Fairy-type Pokemon resist Hyperspace Fury, Hoopa-U's most common move, and tend to be specially bulky enough that they aren't too bothered by Hyperspace Hole. In addition, most have ways to strongly damage it with their super effective STAB attacks. Tapu Fini is especially threatening, using Hoopa-U as setup bait. Assault Vest Tapu Bulu can switch in on and defeat Hoopa-U fairly handily thanks to its high bulk and physical offense. Tapu Lele has a few different ways to take on Hoopa-U, commonly running Taunt to prevent its setting of Trick Room and potentially OHKOing with a Life Orb-boosted Moonblast. However, it takes a lot of damage from Hyperspace Fury due to its part Psychic typing removing its Dark resistance.

**Bug-types**: Despite its decent bulk, Hoopa-U is incredibly threatened by Bug-type attacks thanks to its 4x weakness to the type. As a prominent pivoting move, U-turn is carried by most common Choice Scarf users, including Genesect, Landorus-T, and Victini, which can all OHKO Hoopa-U with the move. However, due to their reliance on the Speed advantage, none can defeat Hoopa-U if it has set Trick Room.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: As a Pokemon with skewed defenses, despite its investment in Defense, Hoopa-U greatly fears strong physical attackers, including Mega Salamence, Tapu Bulu, and Araquanid. Hyperspace Fury lowering Hoopa-U's Defense only serves to exacerbate this issue.

**Intimidate**: Carrying Hyperspace Hole prevents Hoopa-U from being entirely shut down by Intimidate, but Hyperspace Fury's power will suffer. Of the common Intimidate users, Scrafty is the toughest to handle, packing an immunity to Psychic, a 4x resistance to Dark, and low enough Speed that it will move before Hoopa-U in Trick Room. That said, Mega Salamence, which has Intimidate pre-Mega Evolution, and Landorus-T aren't easy foes to face either.
 
Last edited:

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top