Ubers Lugia

ckw

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[OVERVIEW]

Lugia's fantastic typing grants an immunity to Ground and resistances to Fighting- and Psychic-type moves, and its ability Multiscale makes it even better at taking hits, thus allowing it to check strong offensive threats such as Primal Groudon, Extreme Killer Arceus, Rayquaza, and Mega Blaziken. Lugia also has access to support moves like Toxic, Substitute, and Whirlwind, which makes up for its lack of offensive presence by letting it check popular setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon and even phaze Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch, and it can carry Ice-type coverage in Ice Beam that allows it to check threats such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza. A high-enough base Speed stat lets Lugia outspeed bulky threats such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon and Toxic stall them with the help of Roost and Substitute. However, poison makes Multiscale somewhat useless, as Lugia will always end up below 100% at the end of the turn, affecting its ability to absorb attacks. Lugia is also vulnerable to common Dark- and Ghost-types like Yveltal and Lunala, hurting its viability in the tier. Mega Gengar deserves a special mention, since it can trap Lugia, use Taunt on it, and proceed to KO it with a Ghost-type STAB move. Unfortunately, Lugia becomes dead weight against bulkier teams due to its lack of offensive presence, since it carries Ice Beam at best for an attacking move, and the presence of common Steel-types like Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Dialga on such teams makes Lugia a sitting duck. Lastly, Defog support from support Arceus formes and Giratina is a necessity for Lugia to function properly.

[SET]
name: The Wall
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Substitute / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 96 Spe

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

Toxic lets Lugia cripple offensive threats and put them on a timer. Pairing this with Roost and Substitute allows Lugia to stall out foes like Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus formes. Lugia requires Roost to function as a wall, and it is chosen over Recover because it makes Lugia neutral to Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks, which often comes in handy when stalling out the threats mentioned. Whirlwind somewhat makes up for Lugia's lack of offensive presence, as it can phaze setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon, as well as Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch. Substitute makes it easier to stall out threats with Toxic and Roost, as it allows Lugia to avoid Toxic and Leech Seed while at least creating a stalemate situation with Mega Sableye. Ice Beam is an alternative that allows Lugia to hit Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C for heavy damage and OHKO Rayquaza.

Set Details
========

252 HP EVs give Lugia a HP value that is divisible by 16. This gives Lugia 25% health from Leftovers recovery every four turns, which in turn gives Lugia an extra chance to set up Substitute. This also means that using Substitute three consecutive turns followed by Roost will allow Lugia to go back to 100% HP, activating Multiscale again due to the passive recovery from Leftovers being rounded up. 160 EVs in Defense with a Bold nature give Lugia a chance to take strong physical hits such as a Shadow Claw from +2 Adamant Life Orb Extreme Killer Arceus, Stone Edge from +2 Arceus-Ground, and +1 Double-Edge from Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage. 96 EVs in Speed allow Lugia to outspeed maximum Speed neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon, making it easier to stall them out with Roost and Toxic. An alternative EV spread with 136 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed Jolly Mega Gyarados and Adamant Rayquaza so that Lugia can punish the former with Toxic before getting shut down by Taunt and stall the latter with the help of Substitute and Roost, helping teammates like Tentacruel and Mega Sableye stall them with Protect and Fake Out, respectively.

Usage Tips
========

Switch Lugia in on physical threats like Extreme Killer Arceus, Dual Dance Primal Groudon, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and use Toxic to put them on a timer, followed by Roost to stall out the foe. Be sure to keep Stealth Rock off the field with the help of Defog users like Giratina and support Arceus formes and Rapid Spin from Tentacruel. When Lugia is behind a Substitute or at full health, attempt to poison setup sweepers like Xerneas, Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Extreme Killer Arceus before they set up so that Lugia can easily stall them out with Roost. Watch out for opposing Substitute users, as they can become an issue in last-Pokemon scenarios and must be put on a timer with Toxic whenever the chance arises. Whirlwind should be used to phaze threats like Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, and Dual Dance Primal Groudon in case they've already set up, and Roost should be used to heal back up to full HP later on a weaker threat. Lugia should avoid getting paralyzed or poisoned at all costs, since once Multiscale is broken, Lugia becomes vulnerable to offensive threats. With the help of cleric support, cure Lugia of poison or paralysis, as status can make it difficult for Lugia to stall physical threats. Roost is to be used freely to make sure Lugia keeps Multiscale intact.

Team Options
========

Lugia needs anti-hazard support to function properly, making Defog users like Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Giratina-O valuable partners. Mega Sableye and Tentacruel also make for great options thanks to their access to Magic Bounce and Rapid Spin Tentacruel can even provide entry hazard support with Toxic Spikes. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn and Skarmory pair really well with Lugia, as they can form a Spikes + Whirlwind core that can slowly weaken the opposing team. Toxapex and Tentacruel can provide entry hazard support in Toxic Spikes. Status absorbers and clerics like Chansey, Blissey, and Clefable are appreciated, as they can switch into moves like Toxic and Glare that Lugia must avoid by any means. Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon, as well as the previously mentioned Arceus-Ground, Ferrothorn, and Tentacruel, are able to deal with the Steel-types that Lugia is unable to scratch. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar make for great teammates for Lugia, since they are able to Pursuit trap Mega Gengar and Lunala, which are huge threats to common Lugia teams. Zygarde-C pairs well with Lugia thanks to its resistance to Fire-type moves letting it check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, and it is also able to absorb status conditions thanks to Rest. Mega Gengar can act as a trapper and KO weakened threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Mega Salamence as well as defensive Steel-type threats such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor; in return, Lugia can badly poison physical threats such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, boosting the Base Power of Hex on them, which allows Mega Gengar to trap and KO them more easily.

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

Dragon Tail is a possible option over Whirlwind, as it does the same function of phazing while also doing damage to the foe. However, this stops Lugia from phazing threats such as Geomancy Xerneas and also has a slim chance to miss. Lugia can carry Psychic to hit threats such as Mega Lucario and Mega Gengar for more damage than Ice Beam; however, this doesn't help Lugia improve in its role. Aeroblast is another option for Lugia that lets it 2HKO Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken.

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

**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Yveltal, Mega Gyarados, Mega Mewtwo X, and Mega Mewtwo Y are able to completely shut down Lugia and proceed to KO it with Dark-type STAB moves and Ice Beam.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Klefki, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor are immune to Toxic and can switch into any move Lugia can go for. Ferrothorn and Klefki can set up Spikes on Lugia, and all of them along with Mega Metagross and Mega Scizor can cripple it with Toxic.

**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can switch into a weak Ice Beam, proceed to go for Taunt, and KO Lugia. Thus, Lugia is helpless against Mega Gengar and requires support from Pursuit to keep it down.

**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye's ability, Magic Bounce, allows it to switch into any move Lugia can use, as Toxic and Whirlwind bounce back and Ice Beam does minuscule damage, putting a hard stop onto Lugia's path.

**Dark- and Ghost-types**: Dark- and Ghost-type threats such as Lunala, Arceus-Ghost, Arceus-Dark, Mega Tyranitar, and Darkrai are able to deal super effective damage to Lugia. Lunala can 2HKO Lugia with Moongeist Beam, Arceus-Dark, Darkrai, and Mega Tyranitar can 2HKO it with their respective STAB moves, and Arceus-Ghost can OHKO Lugia with Never-Ending Nightmare after damage from Stealth Rock.

**Status Users**: Pokemon that usually carry Toxic like Ho-Oh and support Arceus formes can cripple Lugia by breaking its Multiscale, which makes it hard for Lugia to absorb strong physical hits.

**Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas**: Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas cannot be phazed by Whirlwind and can use Lugia as setup fodder.

**Ice- and Electric-types**: Pokemon like Arceus-Ice and Arceus-Electric can go for Calm Mind on Lugia and proceed to 2HKO it with their respective STAB Judgment. Zekrom and Kyurem-W can proceed to 2HKO Lugia with Bolt Strike and Ice Beam, respectively, and Tapu Koko can use Taunt on it and proceed to go for Nature's Madness followed by Gigavolt Havoc to score a KO.
 
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ckw

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Had to write this twice on the same day ;_; [Browser crashed]
Anyways, this is ready for QC!
Would like hear QC's comment on Ice Beam and Substitute slashing since, if Sub gets priority, the standard EV spread will change to 252 HP cause of HP being divisible by 16 then.
 

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Would honestly just max out HP unless you find that you're actually taking constant residual damage. +1 lefties recovery cancels the +1 rocks damage, and you're probably activating that more than you're taking rock/burn/seed/toxic/sand damage.
 

ckw

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Would honestly just max out HP unless you find that you're actually taking constant residual damage. +1 lefties recovery cancels the +1 rocks damage, and you're probably activating that more than you're taking rock/burn/seed/toxic/sand damage.
I'm in favor of 252 EVs but only in case of sub, cause if ur running 248 Evs on HP, u don't really lose much by investing an extra 4 in Defense. Up to QC now.
Thanks for ur input though :)
 
never run 248 hp

252 hp evs gives Lugia an HP stat divisible by 16 meaning 4 leftover turns yields exactly 25 % of its health = another sub. This is integral to playing Lugia. Even if you don't run sub you gain nothing in practice from not doing 252 hp and it only makes the analysis overly complicated

Didn't I tell the previous writer this?
 

ckw

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never run 248 hp

252 hp evs gives Lugia an HP stat divisible by 16 meaning 4 leftover turns yields exactly 25 % of its health = another sub. This is integral to playing Lugia. Even if you don't run sub you gain nothing in practice from not doing 252 hp and it only makes the analysis overly complicated

Didn't I tell the previous writer this?
Alright my bad, I fixed this
 
Lugia can run a pretty good defog set, especially given its great natural bulk and reliable recovery. It's the only uber-tier mon that has access to defog and reliable recovery that doesn't take up an arceus slot or a mega. Being forced to run Pressure isn't that bad, since switching into SR already breaks Multiscale. While Psycho Boost isn't the best coming off of a base 90 Special Attack, it's enough to give Lugia some small semblance of offensive presence, especially if it is invested in.
I'm not asking for this to be a main set but I think it deserves a mention in OO especially given the general shortage of hazard removers in Ubers.
 
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ckw

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Lugia can run a pretty good defog set, especially given its great natural bulk and reliable recovery. It's the only uber-tier mon that has access to defog and reliable recovery that doesn't take up an arceus slot or a mega. Being forced to run Pressure isn't that bad, since switching into SR already breaks Multiscale. While Psycho Boost isn't the best coming off of a base 90 Special Attack, it's enough to give Lugia some small semblance of offensive presence, especially if it is invested in.
I'm not asking for this to be a main set but I think it deserves a mention in OO especially given the general shortage of hazard removers in Ubers.
While pressure may not be that bad, losing Multiscale for the sake of Defog cripples Lugia's functionality as a great physical wall since Lugia hardly finds any space to run such as move. One would think Lugia's somewhat awful as a Defogger since it gets toxic-ed fast and can be pressured very easily, especially when you won't have much to hit back hazard-setters with. As for Psycho Boost, I don't believe its worth the change in ability but since Lugia's being used offensively in this scenario anyways, it's still debatable.
I'll leave this up to QC for a decision. Thanks for your input :)
 
the 248 hp isn't fixed, too many klefki mentions

teammates are pretty easy to operationalize for lugia:
- defog: arc ground, arc water, arc dark, gira
- other anti hazard: tenta, msab
- spikes/tspikes: ferro, skarm, pex
- cleric: bliss, clef, chansey
- anti steel: ho-oh, pdon, gar (as well as the mentioned ferro, tenta, msab, arc ground)
- pursuit: muk, ttar
- misc: gar (good mon), zyg (fire resist)

never: mence, yveltal, lunala, ghostceus

qc 1/3 if you can do this
 
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ckw

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the 248 hp isn't fixed, too many klefki mentions

teammates are pretty easy to operationalize for lugia:
- defog: arc ground, arc water, arc dark, gira
- other anti hazard: tenta, msab
- spikes/tspikes: ferro, skarm, pex
- cleric: bliss, clef, chansey
- anti steel: ho-oh, pdon, gar (as well as the mentioned ferro, tenta, msab, arc ground)
- pursuit: muk, ttar
- misc: gar (good mon), zyg (fire resist)

never: mence, yveltal, lunala, ghostceus

qc 1/3 if you can do this
Implemented
 
discord qc (more of a summary to multiple qc discussion):

- changed overview mons to things lugia actually checks (it doesnt check mmx or lucario well enough to be overview notes)
- removed burns as an overview fear as it doesn't break multiscale by itself
- reworded multiple areas that noted ice beam in the wrong way
- added that steels are an issue in the overview
- sub is now first slash
- psychic is dropped to oo
- 3 subs + roost = 100% (multiscale) was noted as a factor for 252 hp
- 136 speed added as alternative benchmark (jolly gyara, adamant ray)
- specified toxic targets in usage tips
- aeroblast added to oo, skystrike removed
- taunt added to c&c
- fixed formatting (spacing)

QC 2/3
 

ckw

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discord qc (more of a summary to multiple qc discussion):

- changed overview mons to things lugia actually checks (it doesnt check mmx or lucario well enough to be overview notes)
- removed burns as an overview fear as it doesn't break multiscale by itself
- reworded multiple areas that noted ice beam in the wrong way
- added that steels are an issue in the overview
- sub is now first slash
- psychic is dropped to oo
- 3 subs + roost = 100% (multiscale) was noted as a factor for 252 hp
- 136 speed added as alternative benchmark (jolly gyara, adamant ray)
- specified toxic targets in usage tips
- aeroblast added to oo, skystrike removed
- taunt added to c&c
- fixed formatting (spacing)

QC 2/3
Implemented and wrote this up. Ready for final check!
 
Overview:
Lugia has access support moves like to Toxic, Substitute, and Whirlwind which make up for its lack of offensive pressure and lets it check popular offensive threats such as Geomancy Xerneas, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Primal Groudon, while also having the option of carrying Ice coverage in Ice Beam that allows it to check threats such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza.
Because Xerneas is listed here it makes it seem as if Lugia is a good Xern check. I'd change the phrasing to "lets it check popular threats like Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus forms, and can even phase things like Xerneas out in a pinch, while also..."

Moves:
Carrying Toxic lets Lugia cripple offensive threats and put them on a timer. Pairing this with Roost and Substitute allows Lugia to stall out foes like Primal Groudon and Extreme Killer Arceus, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground.
You can probably change this to Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus forms, especially since Lugia can take on Arceus-Ghost with sub and roost if they've used their z move and lack Shadow Claw.

Whirlwind somewhat makes up for Lugia's lack of offensive presence, as it can phaze out setup sweepers like Geomancy Xerneas, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Primal Groudon.
Similar to overview, make sure you stress in the phrasing that you only want to phase out Xerneas in a pinch if you are going to mention that.

Usage Tips:
Attempt to Toxic setup sweepers like Xerneas, Primal Groudon, and Extreme Killer Arceus before they setup so that Lugia can easily stall them out with Roost.
Mention that you ideally want to do this when you're behind Substitute or at Multiscale.

You can also probably add a line about watching for opposing substitute Pokemon, as they are specifically threatening as last mons to deal with.

Whirlwind should be used to phaze out threats like Xerneas and Primal Groudon if they've already setup and Roost up back to full later on a weaker threat.
Again, I'm not sure why Xerneas is becoming a main point of focus for Lugia? In this specific point you're better off mentioning things like Lucario and even Mence with non ice beam sets.

With the help of cleric support from Pokemon like Clefable and Chansey, cure Lugia of poison or paralysis, that makes it difficult to stall physical threats.
Change to "cure Lugia of poison or paralysis, as status makes it difficult to stall physical threats" because this line is too confusing otherwise.

Team Options:
Mega Gengar can act as a trapper and KO weakened threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Mega Salamence, as well as defensive Steel-type threats such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor.
It is also worth mentioning that Gengar also appreciates the toxic support from Lugia as a hex trapper! Remember you're trying to stress why these Pokemon have great synergy.

Implement and I'll stamp.
 
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ckw

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Overview:

Because Xerneas is listed here it makes it seem as if Lugia is a good Xern check. I'd change the phrasing to "lets it check popular threats like Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus forms, and can even phase things like Xerneas out in a pinch, while also..."

Moves:

You can probably change this to Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus forms, especially since Lugia can take on Arceus-Ghost with sub and roost if they've used their z move and lack Shadow Claw.


Similar to overview, make sure you stress in the phrasing that you only want to phase out Xerneas in a pinch if you are going to mention that.

Usage Tips:

Mention that you ideally want to do this when you're behind Substitute or at Multiscale.

You can also probably add a line about watching for opposing substitute Pokemon, as they are specifically threatening as last mons to deal with.


Again, I'm not sure why Xerneas is becoming a main point of focus for Lugia? In this specific point you're better off mentioning things like Lucario and even Mence with non ice beam sets.


Change to "cure Lugia of poison or paralysis, as status makes it difficult to stall physical threats" because this line is too confusing otherwise.

Team Options:

It is also worth mentioning that Gengar also appreciates the toxic support from Lugia as a hex trapper! Remember you're trying to stress why these Pokemon have great synergy.

Implement and I'll stamp.
Implemented!
 
[OVERVIEW]

Lugia's fantastic typing grants an immunity to Ground-, and resistances to Fighting- and Psychic-type moves while Lugia's its ability, Multiscale, (AC) makes it even better at taking hits, thus allowing it Lugia to check strong offensive threats such as Primal Groudon, Extreme Killer Arceus, Rayquaza, and Mega Blaziken. Lugia has access to support moves like to Toxic, Substitute, and Whirlwind which make up for its lack of offensive pressure and lets it check popular setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon, and even phaze out Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch, (RC) while also having the option of carrying Ice coverage in Ice Beam that allows it to check threats such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza. A high-enough (AH) base Speed stat lets Lugia outspeed bulky threats such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon, (RC) and Toxic- stall them with the help of Roost and Substitute. Poison damage makes Multiscale somewhat useless, as Lugia will always end up below 100% at the end of the turn, affecting its ability to absorb attacks. Lugia is weak to common Dark- and Ghost-types like Yveltal and Lunala, hurting its viability in the tier. Mega Gengar deserves a special mention, since it can trap and Taunt and proceed to KO Lugia with a Ghost-type STAB move. Unfortunately, Lugia becomes deadweight against bulkier teams, due to the its lack of offensive presence, since it carries Ice Beam at best for an attacking move, (RC) and the presence of common Steel-types like Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Dialga on such teams make Lugia a sitting duck. Lastly, Defog support from support Arceus- (RH) formes and or (why would you need at least two Defoggers on any team with Lugia on it in particular?) Giratina is a necessity for Lugia to function properly.

[SET]
name: The Wall
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Substitute / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 96 Spe

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

Carrying Toxic lets Lugia cripple offensive threats and put them on a timer. Pairing this with Roost and Substitute allows Lugia to stall out foes like Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus formes. Lugia requires Roost to function as a wall and is chosen over Recover because Roost is able to remove the its Flying typing of Lugia, making it neutral to Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks, which often comes in handy when stalling the threats (that is extremely general. What threats in particular?). Whirlwind somewhat makes up for Lugia's lack of offensive presence, as it can phaze out setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon, as well as Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch. Substitute creates room for Lugia and makes it easier to stall threats with Toxic and Roost. This also allows Lugia to avoid Toxic and Leech Seed while at least creating a stalemate with Mega Sableye. Ice Beam is an option that allows Lugia to hit Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C for heavy damage, (RC) and OHKO Rayquaza.

Set Details
========

252 HP EVs gives Lugia an HP value that is divisible by 16. This comes in handy as it gives Lugia 25% health from Leftovers recovery after every four turns, gaining Lugia an extra chance to set up Substitute. This also means that using Substitute repeatedly three times followed by Roost will allow Lugia to go back to 100% HP, activating Multiscale again due to the passive recovery from Leftovers being rounded off up (otherwise it isn't clear whether the recovery is being rounded up or down) . The 160 EVs in Defense with a Bold nature gives Lugia a chance to take strong physical hits such as a Shadow Claw from +2 Adamant Life_Orb Extreme Killer Arceus, Stone Edge from +2 Arceus-Ground, and +1 Double Edge from Adamant Mega Salamence, (RC) after Stealth Rock damage. 96 EVs in Speed allows Lugia to outspeed neutral 252 EV Base 90 Speed Pokemon, making it easier to stall with Roost and Toxic. An alternative 136 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed Jolly Mega Gyarados and Adamant Rayquaza, (RC) so that Lugia can punish them with Toxic before getting shut down by Taunt, helping teammates like Tentacruel and Mega Sableye to stall it them (otherwise refers to Lugia) with Protect.

Usage Tips
========

Switch Lugia in on physical threats like Extreme Killer Arceus, Dual Dance Primal Groudon, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, (RC) and use Toxic to set them on a timer, followed by Roost to stall out the foe. Be sure to keep Stealth Rock off the field with the held help of Defog users like Giratina and support Arceus formes and Rapid Spin from Tentacruel. When behind a Substitute or at full health, attempt to Toxic setup sweepers like Xerneas, Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Extreme Killer Arceus before they set_up so that Lugia can easily stall them out with Roost. Watch out for opposing Substitute users, as they can become an issue in last-Pokemon scenarios and must be put on a timer with Toxic whenever the chance arises. Whirlwind should be used to phaze out threats like Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, and Dual Dance Primal Groudon in case they've already set up and Roost up back to full later on a weaker threat. Lugia should avoid getting paralyzed or poisoned at all costs, since once it breaks Multiscale is broken (Lugia can't break its own Multiscale unless running Life Orb, Double Edge, or Sticky Barb, which are all pretty bad things to run on a Lugia), (AC) Lugia becomes prone to offensive threats. With the help of cleric support, cure Lugia of poison or paralysis, as it status can make it difficult for Lugia to stall physical threats. Roost is to be used freely to make sure Lugia keeps Multiscale intact.

Team Options
========

Lugia is in need to needs anti-hazard support to function properly, making Defog- users like Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Giratina-O valuable partners. Mega Sableye and Tentacruel make great teammates thanks to their anti-hazard support options in Magic Bounce and Rapid Spin respectively. (RP); (ASC) the latter can even provide entry hazard support with Toxic Spikes. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn and Skarmory pair really well with Lugia, as they can form a Spikes + Whirlwind core that can slowly weaken the opposing team. Toxapex and Tentacruel can provide entry hazard support in Toxic Spikes. Status absorbers and cleric support like Chansey, Blissey, and Clefable are appreciated as they can switch into moves like Toxic and Glare that Lugia must avoid by any means. Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon, as well as the previously mentioned Arceus-Ground, Ferrothorn, and Tentacruel, (AC) are able to deal with Steel-types (like...) that Lugia is unable to scratch. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar make great teammates for Lugia, since they are able to Pursuit-_trap Mega Gengar and Lunala, (AC) that which ('that' doesn't sound right in this context) are huge threats to common Lugia teams. Zygarde-C pairs well with Lugia thanks to its resistance to Fire-type moves letting it check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, while also being able to absorb status conditions (a resistance to Fire doesn't make a Pokemon a status absorber. Please clarify.). Mega Gengar can act as a trapper and KO weakened threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus, (RC) and Mega Salamence, (RC) as well as defensive Steel-type threats such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor. (RP); (ASC) in return, Lugia can Toxic physical threats such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, boosting the Base Power of Hex on them, (AC) which allows Mega Gengar to trap and kill KO them more easily.

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

Dragon Tail is a possible option over Whirlwind as it does the same function of phazing while also doing damage to the foe. However, this stops Lugia from phazing out threats such as Geomancy Xerneas and also has a slim chance to miss. Lugia can carry Psychic to hit threats such as Mega Lucario and Mega Gengar for more damage than Ice Beam. (RP); (ASC) however, this doesn't help Lugia improve at its role. Aeroblast is also another option for Lugia to run that lets it 2HKO Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken.

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

**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Yveltal, Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Mewtwo Y, and Mega Gyarados are able to completely shut down Lugia and proceed to KO it with their Dark STAB (Mewtwo isn't Dark-type; please make that clear) and Ice Beam.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Ferrothron, Skarmory, Klefki, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor are immune to Toxic and can switch into any move Lugia can go for. Ferrothorn and Klefki can set up Spikes on Lugia while the previously mentioned three, as well as Mega Celesteela and Mega Scizor, can cripple it by going for with Toxic (using Toxic doesn't mean that it will hit).

**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can switch into a weak Ice Beam, proceed to go for Taunt, (AC) and KO Lugia. Thus, Lugia is helpless against Mega Gengar and requires Pursuit- (RH) support to keep it down.

**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye's ability Magic Bounce, (RC) allows it to switch into any move Lugia can use, as Toxic and Whirlwind bounce back while Ice Beam does minuscule damage, putting a hard stop onto Lugia's path.

**Dark- and Ghost-types**: Dark- and Ghost-types threats such as Lunala, Arceus-Ghost, Arceus-Dark, Mega Tyranitar, and Darkrai are able to deal super effective damage on Lugia. Lunala can 2HKO Lugia with Moongeist Beam, (RC) and Arceus-Dark, Darkrai, and Mega Tyranitar can 2HKO Lugia it with their respective STAB_moves, (RC) while Arceus-Ghost can OHKO Lugia with Never Ending Nightmare after damage from Stealth Rock.

**Status Users**: Pokemon that usually carry Toxic like Ho-Oh and support Arceus formes can cripple Lugia by breaking its Multiscale, which makes it hard for Lugia to absorb strong physical hits.

**Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas**: Ingrain Z-Geomancy (AH) Xerneas cannot be phazed out by Whirlwind and can use Lugia as setup fodder.

**Ice- and Electric-types**: Pokemon like Arceus-Ice and Arceus-Electric can go for Calm Mind on Lugia and proceed to 2HKO with their respective STAB Judgment. Pokemon like Zekrom and Kyurem-W can proceed to 2HKO Lugia with Bolt Strike and Ice Beam respectively, while Tapu Koko can go for Taunt it ('go for' is being overused) and proceed to go for Nature's Madness, followed by Giga_volt Havoc to score a KO.
 

lotiasite

undedgy
is a Forum Moderatoris a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
hi, gp 1/2

Zrp200: add remove comments
lotiasite: add remove comments don't implement amcheck
[OVERVIEW]

Lugia's fantastic typing grants an immunity to Ground-, and resistances to Fighting- and Psychic-type moves, (AC) and while Lugia's its ability, (RC) Multiscale, (AC) (it's not lugia's only ability, if this makes sense) makes it even better at taking hits, thus allowing it Lugia ("it" is fine) to check strong offensive threats such as Primal Groudon, Extreme Killer Arceus, Rayquaza, and Mega Blaziken. Lugia also has access to support moves like to Toxic, Substitute, and Whirlwind, (AC) which makes up for its lack of offensive pressure presence, (AC) and lets lets (the subject is "access to", which is singular) it check popular setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon, (RC) and even phaze out Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch, (RC) (keep comma) while also having the option of carrying and allows it to carry Ice-type coverage in Ice Beam that allows it to check threats such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza. A high-enough (AH) base Speed stat lets Lugia outspeed bulky threats such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon, (RC) and Toxic- stall them with the help of Roost and Substitute. However, poison damage makes Multiscale somewhat useless, as Lugia will always end up below 100% at the end of the turn, affecting its ability to absorb attacks. Lugia is also vulnerable weak to common Dark- and Ghost-types like Yveltal and Lunala, hurting its viability in the tier. Mega Gengar deserves a special mention, since it can trap, (AC) and use Taunt on, (AC) and proceed to KO Lugia with a Ghost-type STAB move. Unfortunately, Lugia becomes dead(add space)weight against bulkier teams, due to the its lack of offensive presence, since it carries Ice Beam at best for an attacking move, (RC) (keep comma) and the presence of common Steel-types like Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Dialga on such teams makes Lugia a sitting duck. Lastly, Defog support from support Arceus- (RH) formes and or (why would you need at least two Defoggers on any team with Lugia on it in particular?) (i think "and" works fine here; writer's choice, since i dont play ubers, but i think some lugia teams have two defoggers in my experience) Giratina is a necessity for Lugia to function properly.

[SET]
name: The Wall
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Substitute / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 96 Spe

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

Carrying Toxic lets Lugia cripple offensive threats and put them on a timer. Pairing this with Roost and Substitute allows Lugia to stall out foes like Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus formes. Lugia requires Roost to function as a wall and is chosen over Recover because Roost is able to remove the its Flying typing of Lugia, making it neutral to Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks, which often comes in handy when stalling out the threats (that is extremely general. What threats in particular?) (to add to this, "the threats" sounds pretty odd. maybe "the threats mentioned"?). Whirlwind somewhat makes up for Lugia's lack of offensive presence, as it can phaze out setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon, as well as Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch. Substitute creates room for Lugia (what do you mean "creates room"?) and makes it easier to stall out threats with Toxic and Roost. This also allows Lugia to avoid Toxic and Leech Seed while at least creating a stalemate situation with Mega Sableye. Ice Beam is an option alternative that allows Lugia to hit Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C for heavy damage, (RC) and OHKO Rayquaza.

Set Details
========

252 HP EVs gives give Lugia an a HP value that is divisible by 16. This comes in handy as it gives Lugia 25% health from Leftovers recovery after every four turns, gaining which in turn gives Lugia an extra chance to set up Substitute. This also means that using Substitute repeatedly three times followed by Roost will allow Lugia to go back to 100% HP, activating Multiscale again due to the passive recovery from Leftovers being rounded off up (otherwise it isn't clear whether the recovery is being rounded up or down). The 160 EVs in Defense with a Bold nature gives Lugia a chance to take strong physical hits such as a Shadow Claw from +2 Adamant Life Orb Extreme Killer Arceus, Stone Edge from +2 Arceus-Ground, and +1 Double-Edge (AH) from Adamant Mega Salamence, (RC) after Stealth Rock damage. 96 EVs in Speed allows allow Lugia to outspeed maximum Speed neutral-natured 252 EV base 90 Speed Pokemon, making it easier to stall with Roost and Toxic. An alternative EV spread with 136 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed Jolly Mega Gyarados and Adamant Rayquaza, (RC) so that Lugia can punish them with Toxic before getting shut down by Taunt (ray doesnt use taunt; maybe rephrase this), helping teammates like Tentacruel and Mega Sableye to stall it them (otherwise refers to Lugia) with Protect.

Usage Tips
========

Switch Lugia in on physical threats like Extreme Killer Arceus, Dual Dance Primal Groudon, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, (RC) and use Toxic to set put them on a timer, followed by Roost to stall out the foe. Be sure to keep Stealth Rock off the field with the held help of Defog users like Giratina and support Arceus formes and Rapid Spin from Tentacruel. When Lugia is behind a Substitute or at full health, attempt to Toxic poison setup sweepers like Xerneas, Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Extreme Killer Arceus before they set_up so that Lugia can easily stall them out with Roost. Watch out for opposing Substitute users, as they can become an issue in last-Pokemon scenarios and must be put on a timer with Toxic whenever the chance arises. Whirlwind should be used to phaze out threats like Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, and Dual Dance Primal Groudon in case they've already set up, (AC) and Roost should be used to heal back up back to full HP later on a weaker threat. Lugia should avoid getting paralyzed or poisoned at all costs, since once it breaks Multiscale is broken (Lugia can't break its own Multiscale unless running Life Orb, Double Edge, or Sticky Barb, which are all pretty bad things to run on a Lugia), (AC) Lugia becomes prone vulnerable to offensive threats. With the help of cleric support, cure Lugia of poison or paralysis, as it status can make it difficult for Lugia to stall physical threats. Roost is to be used freely to make sure Lugia keeps Multiscale intact.

Team Options
========

Lugia is in need to needs anti-hazard support to function properly, making Defog- users like Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Giratina-O valuable partners. Mega Sableye and Tentacruel make for great teammates thanks to their anti-hazard support options in Magic Bounce and Rapid Spin, (AC) respectively. (RP); (ASC) the latter can even provide entry hazard support with Toxic Spikes. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn and Skarmory pair really well with Lugia, as they can form a Spikes + Whirlwind core that can slowly weaken the opposing team. Toxapex and Tentacruel can provide entry hazard support in Toxic Spikes. Status absorbers and cleric support like Chansey, Blissey, and Clefable are appreciated, (AC) as they can switch into moves like Toxic and Glare that Lugia must avoid by any means. Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon, as well as the previously mentioned Arceus-Ground, Ferrothorn, and Tentacruel, (AC) are able to deal with the Steel-types (like...) that Lugia is unable to scratch. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar make for great teammates for Lugia, since they are able to Pursuit-_trap Mega Gengar and Lunala, (AC) that which ('that' doesn't sound right in this context) (yep you're right) are huge threats to common Lugia teams. Zygarde-C pairs well with Lugia thanks to its resistance to Fire-type moves letting it check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, while also being and it is also able to absorb status conditions (a resistance to Fire doesn't make a Pokemon a status absorber. Please clarify.) (i think he means absorb status thanks to rest. but yes, clarify that). Mega Gengar can act as a trapper and KO weakened threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus, (RC) and Mega Salamence, (RC) as well as defensive Steel-type threats such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor. (RP); (ASC) in return, Lugia can Toxic poison physical threats such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, boosting the Base Power of Hex on them, (AC) which allows Mega Gengar to trap and kill KO them more easily.

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

Dragon Tail is a possible option over Whirlwind, (AC) as it does the same function of phazing while also doing damage to the foe. However, this stops Lugia from phazing out threats such as Geomancy Xerneas and also has a slim chance to miss. Lugia can carry Psychic to hit threats such as Mega Lucario and Mega Gengar for more damage than Ice Beam. (RP); (ASC) however, this doesn't help Lugia improve at in its role. Aeroblast is also another option for Lugia to run that lets it 2HKO Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken.

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

**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Yveltal, Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Mewtwo Y, and Mega Gyarados, (AC) Mega Mewtwo X, and Mega Mewtwo Y are able to completely shut down Lugia and proceed to KO it with their Dark-type STAB moves (Mewtwo isn't Dark-type; please make that clear) and Ice Beam, respectively. (that should do it)

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Ferrothron Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Klefki, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor are immune to Toxic and can switch into any move Lugia can go for. Ferrothorn and Klefki can set up Spikes on Lugia, (AC) and while the previously mentioned three (what do you mean "the previously mentioned three"? the three + cele and msciz is all of them, so just say all of them?), as well as Mega Celesteela (mega celesteela wtf) and Mega Scizor, can cripple it by going for with Toxic (using Toxic doesn't mean that it will hit) (this seems pretty unnecessary).

**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can switch into a weak Ice Beam, proceed to go for Taunt, (AC) and KO Lugia. Thus, Lugia is helpless against Mega Gengar and requires Pursuit- (RH) support to keep it down.

**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye's ability, (AC) Magic Bounce, (RC) (keep comma) allows it to switch into any move Lugia can use, as Toxic and Whirlwind bounce back while and Ice Beam does minuscule damage, putting a hard stop onto Lugia's path.

**Dark- and Ghost-types**: Dark- and Ghost-types threats such as Lunala, Arceus-Ghost, Arceus-Dark, Mega Tyranitar, and Darkrai are able to deal super effective damage on to Lugia. Lunala can 2HKO Lugia with Moongeist Beam, (RC) and (keep original with just the comma) Arceus-Dark, Darkrai, and Mega Tyranitar can 2HKO Lugia it with their respective STAB_moves, (RC) (keep this comma) while and Arceus-Ghost can OHKO Lugia (keep Lugia) with Never-Ending (AH) Nightmare after damage from Stealth Rock.

**Status Users**: Pokemon that usually carry Toxic like Ho-Oh and support Arceus formes can cripple Lugia by breaking its Multiscale, which makes it hard for Lugia to absorb strong physical hits.

**Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas**: Ingrain Z-Geomancy (AH) Xerneas cannot be phazed out by Whirlwind and can use Lugia as setup fodder.

**Ice- and Electric-types**: Pokemon like Arceus-Ice and Arceus-Electric can go for Calm Mind on Lugia and proceed to 2HKO it with their respective STAB Judgment. Pokemon like Zekrom and Kyurem-W can proceed to 2HKO Lugia with Bolt Strike and Ice Beam, (AC) respectively, while and Tapu Koko can go for use Taunt on it ('go for' is being overused) and proceed to go for Nature's Madness, (RC) followed by Giga_volt Havoc to score a KO.

hi Zrp200, you seem to have a pretty good grasp of grammar and prose as well as Smogon-specific terms. That said, though, there are a few things I think you could work on:

1. When "as" or "since" means "because", there should be a comma before it. example:
analysis said:
Dragon Tail is a possible option over Whirlwind, (AC) as it does the same function of phazing while also doing damage to the foe.
2. You seem to know this already, but just remember that EVs and IVs are plural! You fixed a few but also missed a few; example:
analysis said:
252 HP EVs givesgive Lugia
3. Try to avoid using moves as verbs (like "Taunt" and "Toxic"): example:
analysis said:
Lugia can Toxic poison physical threats such as Primal Groudon,
also related to this! "Toxic" is not a status; only poison is, so just say "bad poison" or "Toxic poison" or sometimes just "poison".

im sure that if someone was willing to mentor you, you would do well :)
that's all im going to say for now, good job on this check!
edit: i legitimately hate this site for adding random quote tags where they arent wanted
 
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ckw

Tired
is a Top Tutor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
lotiasite Zrp200 Thanks for the check and amcheck. Most Lugia teams use double hazard removal, whether it be Rapid Spin+Defog or Dual Defog (MSab too). Regarding what I'm trying to imply by using 'room' is basically the fact that Lugia finds the space to use other moves instead of being pressured to constantly to go for Roost and also exerting some sort of pressure for the opp to break Lugia's sub. Finally, Zygarde-C carries Rest so you can use it as a status absorber as well.
Ready for final GP check!
 

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]

Lugia's fantastic typing grants an immunity to Ground and resistances to Fighting- and Psychic-type moves, and its ability Multiscale makes it even better at taking hits, thus allowing it to check strong offensive threats such as Primal Groudon, Extreme Killer Arceus, Rayquaza, and Mega Blaziken. Lugia also has access to support moves like Toxic, Substitute, and Whirlwind, which makes up for its lack of offensive presence (RC) lets by letting it check popular setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon and even phaze Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch, and allows it to can carry Ice-type coverage in Ice Beam that allows it to check threats such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza. A high-enough base Speed stat lets Lugia outspeed bulky threats such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon and Toxic (RH) stall them with the help of Roost and Substitute. However, poison damage makes Multiscale somewhat useless, as Lugia will always end up below 100% at the end of the turn, affecting its ability to absorb attacks. Lugia is also vulnerable to common Dark- and Ghost-types like Yveltal and Lunala, hurting its viability in the tier. Mega Gengar deserves a special mention, since it can trap Lugia, use Taunt on it, and proceed to KO Lugia it with a Ghost-type STAB move. Unfortunately, Lugia becomes dead weight against bulkier teams (RC) due to its lack of offensive presence, since it carries Ice Beam at best for an attacking move, and the presence of common Steel-types like Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Dialga on such teams makes Lugia a sitting duck. Lastly, Defog support from support Arceus formes and Giratina is a necessity for Lugia to function properly.

[SET]
name: The Wall
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Substitute / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 96 Spe

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

Toxic lets Lugia cripple offensive threats and put them on a timer. Pairing this with Roost and Substitute allows Lugia to stall out foes like Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus formes. Lugia requires Roost to function as a wall, (AC) and it is chosen over Recover because Roost is able to remove its Flying typing, making it it makes Lugia neutral to Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks, which often comes in handy when stalling out the threats mentioned. Whirlwind somewhat makes up for Lugia's lack of offensive presence, as it can phaze setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon, as well as Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch. Substitute creates space for Lugia to (do what?) and makes it easier to stall out threats with Toxic and Roost. This also allows Lugia to avoid Toxic and Leech Seed while at least creating a stalemate situation with Mega Sableye. Ice Beam is an alternative that allows Lugia to hit Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C for heavy damage and OHKO Rayquaza.

Set Details
========

252 HP EVs give Lugia a HP value that is divisible by 16. This gives Lugia 25% health from Leftovers recovery every four turns, which in turn gives Lugia an extra chance to set up Substitute. This also means that using Substitute repeatedly three times consecutive turns followed by Roost will allow Lugia to go back to 100% HP, activating Multiscale again due to the passive recovery from Leftovers being rounded up. 160 EVs in Defense with a Bold nature give Lugia a chance to take strong physical hits such as a Shadow Claw from +2 Adamant Life Orb Extreme Killer Arceus, Stone Edge from +2 Arceus-Ground, and +1 Double-Edge from Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage. 96 EVs in Speed allow Lugia to outspeed maximum Speed neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon, making it easier to stall them out with Roost and Toxic. An alternative EV spread with 136 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed Jolly Mega Gyarados and Adamant Rayquaza so that Lugia can punish the former with Toxic before getting shut down by Taunt and stall the latter with the help of Substitute and Roost, helping teammates like Tentacruel and Mega Sableye stall them with Protect and Fake Out, (AC) respectively.

Usage Tips
========

Switch Lugia in on physical threats like Extreme Killer Arceus, Dual Dance Primal Groudon, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and use Toxic to put them on a timer, followed by Roost to stall out the foe. Be sure to keep Stealth Rock off the field with the help of Defog users like Giratina and support Arceus formes and Rapid Spin from Tentacruel. When Lugia is behind a Substitute or at full health, attempt to poison setup sweepers like Xerneas, Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Extreme Killer Arceus before they set_up set up so that Lugia can easily stall them out with Roost. Watch out for opposing Substitute users, as they can become an issue in last-Pokemon scenarios and must be put on a timer with Toxic whenever the chance arises. Whirlwind should be used to phaze threats like Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, and Dual Dance Primal Groudon in case they've already set up, and Roost should be used to heal back up to full HP later on a weaker threat. Lugia should avoid getting paralyzed or poisoned at all costs, since once Multiscale is broken, Lugia becomes vulnerable to offensive threats. With the help of cleric support, cure Lugia of poison or paralysis, as status can make it difficult for Lugia to stall physical threats. Roost is to be used freely to make sure Lugia keeps Multiscale intact.

Team Options
========

Lugia needs anti-hazard support to function properly, making Defog users like Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Giratina-O valuable partners. Mega Sableye and Tentacruel also make for great teammates options thanks to their anti-hazard support options in access to Magic Bounce and Rapid Spin, respectively; the latter Tentacruel can even provide entry hazard support with Toxic Spikes. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn and Skarmory pair really well with Lugia, as they can form a Spikes + Whirlwind core that can slowly weaken the opposing team. Toxapex and Tentacruel can provide entry hazard support in Toxic Spikes. Status absorbers and cleric support clerics like Chansey, Blissey, and Clefable are appreciated, as they can switch into moves like Toxic and Glare that Lugia must avoid by any means. Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon, as well as the previously mentioned Arceus-Ground, Ferrothorn, and Tentacruel, are able to deal with the Steel-types that Lugia is unable to scratch. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar make for great teammates for Lugia, since they are able to Pursuit-_trap Pursuit trap Mega Gengar and Lunala, which are huge threats to common Lugia teams. Zygarde-C pairs well with Lugia thanks to its resistance to Fire-type moves letting it check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, and it is also able to absorb status conditions thanks to Rest. Mega Gengar can act as a trapper and KO weakened threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Mega Salamence as well as defensive Steel-type threats such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor; in return, Lugia can badly poison physical threats such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, boosting the Base Power of Hex on them, which allows Mega Gengar to trap and KO them more easily.

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

Dragon Tail is a possible option over Whirlwind, as it does the same function of phazing while also doing damage to the foe. However, this stops Lugia from phazing threats such as Geomancy Xerneas and also has a slim chance to miss. Lugia can carry Psychic to hit threats such as Mega Lucario and Mega Gengar for more damage than Ice Beam; however, this doesn't help Lugia improve in its role. Aeroblast is another option for Lugia that lets it 2HKO Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken.

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

**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Yveltal, Mega Gyarados, Mega Mewtwo X, and Mega Mewtwo Y are able to completely shut down Lugia and proceed to KO it with Dark-type STAB moves and Ice Beam, respectively.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Klefki, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor are immune to Toxic and can switch into any move Lugia can go for. Ferrothorn and Klefki can set up Spikes on Lugia, and all of them along with Mega Metagross and Mega Scizor (RC) can cripple it with Toxic.

**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can switch into a weak Ice Beam, proceed to go for Taunt, and KO Lugia. Thus, Lugia is helpless against Mega Gengar and requires support from Pursuit to keep it down.

**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye's ability, Magic Bounce, allows it to switch into any move Lugia can use, as Toxic and Whirlwind bounce back and Ice Beam does minuscule damage, putting a hard stop onto Lugia's path.

**Dark- and Ghost-types**: Dark- and Ghost-type threats such as Lunala, Arceus-Ghost, Arceus-Dark, Mega Tyranitar, and Darkrai are able to deal super effective damage to Lugia. Lunala can 2HKO Lugia with Moongeist Beam, and Arceus-Dark, Darkrai, and Mega Tyranitar can 2HKO it with their respective STAB moves, and Arceus-Ghost can OHKO Lugia with Never-Ending Nightmare after damage from Stealth Rock.

**Status Users**: Pokemon that usually carry Toxic like Ho-Oh and support Arceus formes can cripple Lugia by breaking its Multiscale, which makes it hard for Lugia to absorb strong physical hits.

**Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas**: Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas cannot be phazed by Whirlwind and can use Lugia as setup fodder.

**Ice- and Electric-types**: Pokemon like Arceus-Ice and Arceus-Electric can go for Calm Mind on Lugia and proceed to 2HKO it with their respective STAB Judgment. Zekrom and Kyurem-W can proceed to 2HKO Lugia with Bolt Strike and Ice Beam, respectively, and Tapu Koko can use Taunt on it and proceed to go for Nature's Madness followed by Giga_volt Gigavolt Havoc to score a KO.
 
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ckw

Tired
is a Top Tutor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
GP 2/2
[OVERVIEW]

Lugia's fantastic typing grants an immunity to Ground and resistances to Fighting- and Psychic-type moves, and its ability Multiscale makes it even better at taking hits, thus allowing it to check strong offensive threats such as Primal Groudon, Extreme Killer Arceus, Rayquaza, and Mega Blaziken. Lugia also has access to support moves like Toxic, Substitute, and Whirlwind, which makes up for its lack of offensive presence (RC) lets by letting it check popular setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon and even phaze Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch, and allows it to can carry Ice-type coverage in Ice Beam that allows it to check threats such as Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza. A high-enough base Speed stat lets Lugia outspeed bulky threats such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon and Toxic (RH) stall them with the help of Roost and Substitute. However, poison damage makes Multiscale somewhat useless, as Lugia will always end up below 100% at the end of the turn, affecting its ability to absorb attacks. Lugia is also vulnerable to common Dark- and Ghost-types like Yveltal and Lunala, hurting its viability in the tier. Mega Gengar deserves a special mention, since it can trap Lugia, use Taunt on it, and proceed to KO Lugia it with a Ghost-type STAB move. Unfortunately, Lugia becomes dead weight against bulkier teams (RC) due to its lack of offensive presence, since it carries Ice Beam at best for an attacking move, and the presence of common Steel-types like Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Dialga on such teams makes Lugia a sitting duck. Lastly, Defog support from support Arceus formes and Giratina is a necessity for Lugia to function properly.

[SET]
name: The Wall
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Substitute / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Multiscale
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 96 Spe

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

Toxic lets Lugia cripple offensive threats and put them on a timer. Pairing this with Roost and Substitute allows Lugia to stall out foes like Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus formes. Lugia requires Roost to function as a wall, (AC) and it is chosen over Recover because Roost is able to remove its Flying typing, making it it makes Lugia neutral to Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks, which often comes in handy when stalling out the threats mentioned. Whirlwind somewhat makes up for Lugia's lack of offensive presence, as it can phaze setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Groudon, as well as Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch. Substitute creates space for Lugia to (do what?) and makes it easier to stall out threats with Toxic and Roost. This also allows Lugia to avoid Toxic and Leech Seed while at least creating a stalemate situation with Mega Sableye. Ice Beam is an alternative that allows Lugia to hit Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C for heavy damage and OHKO Rayquaza.

Set Details
========

252 HP EVs give Lugia a HP value that is divisible by 16. This gives Lugia 25% health from Leftovers recovery every four turns, which in turn gives Lugia an extra chance to set up Substitute. This also means that using Substitute repeatedly three times consecutive turns followed by Roost will allow Lugia to go back to 100% HP, activating Multiscale again due to the passive recovery from Leftovers being rounded up. 160 EVs in Defense with a Bold nature give Lugia a chance to take strong physical hits such as a Shadow Claw from +2 Adamant Life Orb Extreme Killer Arceus, Stone Edge from +2 Arceus-Ground, and +1 Double-Edge from Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage. 96 EVs in Speed allow Lugia to outspeed maximum Speed neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon, making it easier to stall them out with Roost and Toxic. An alternative EV spread with 136 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed Jolly Mega Gyarados and Adamant Rayquaza so that Lugia can punish the former with Toxic before getting shut down by Taunt and stall the latter with the help of Substitute and Roost, helping teammates like Tentacruel and Mega Sableye stall them with Protect and Fake Out, (AC) respectively.

Usage Tips
========

Switch Lugia in on physical threats like Extreme Killer Arceus, Dual Dance Primal Groudon, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and use Toxic to put them on a timer, followed by Roost to stall out the foe. Be sure to keep Stealth Rock off the field with the help of Defog users like Giratina and support Arceus formes and Rapid Spin from Tentacruel. When Lugia is behind a Substitute or at full health, attempt to poison setup sweepers like Xerneas, Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Extreme Killer Arceus before they set_up set up so that Lugia can easily stall them out with Roost. Watch out for opposing Substitute users, as they can become an issue in last-Pokemon scenarios and must be put on a timer with Toxic whenever the chance arises. Whirlwind should be used to phaze threats like Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, and Dual Dance Primal Groudon in case they've already set up, and Roost should be used to heal back up to full HP later on a weaker threat. Lugia should avoid getting paralyzed or poisoned at all costs, since once Multiscale is broken, Lugia becomes vulnerable to offensive threats. With the help of cleric support, cure Lugia of poison or paralysis, as status can make it difficult for Lugia to stall physical threats. Roost is to be used freely to make sure Lugia keeps Multiscale intact.

Team Options
========

Lugia needs anti-hazard support to function properly, making Defog users like Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, and Giratina-O valuable partners. Mega Sableye and Tentacruel also make for great teammates options thanks to their anti-hazard support options in access to Magic Bounce and Rapid Spin, respectively; the latter Tentacruel can even provide entry hazard support with Toxic Spikes. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn and Skarmory pair really well with Lugia, as they can form a Spikes + Whirlwind core that can slowly weaken the opposing team. Toxapex and Tentacruel can provide entry hazard support in Toxic Spikes. Status absorbers and cleric support clerics like Chansey, Blissey, and Clefable are appreciated, as they can switch into moves like Toxic and Glare that Lugia must avoid by any means. Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon, as well as the previously mentioned Arceus-Ground, Ferrothorn, and Tentacruel, are able to deal with the Steel-types that Lugia is unable to scratch. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar make for great teammates for Lugia, since they are able to Pursuit-_trap Pursuit trap Mega Gengar and Lunala, which are huge threats to common Lugia teams. Zygarde-C pairs well with Lugia thanks to its resistance to Fire-type moves letting it check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, and it is also able to absorb status conditions thanks to Rest. Mega Gengar can act as a trapper and KO weakened threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Mega Salamence as well as defensive Steel-type threats such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor; in return, Lugia can badly poison physical threats such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, boosting the Base Power of Hex on them, which allows Mega Gengar to trap and KO them more easily.

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

Dragon Tail is a possible option over Whirlwind, as it does the same function of phazing while also doing damage to the foe. However, this stops Lugia from phazing threats such as Geomancy Xerneas and also has a slim chance to miss. Lugia can carry Psychic to hit threats such as Mega Lucario and Mega Gengar for more damage than Ice Beam; however, this doesn't help Lugia improve in its role. Aeroblast is another option for Lugia that lets it 2HKO Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken.

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

**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Yveltal, Mega Gyarados, Mega Mewtwo X, and Mega Mewtwo Y are able to completely shut down Lugia and proceed to KO it with Dark-type STAB moves and Ice Beam, respectively.

**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Klefki, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor are immune to Toxic and can switch into any move Lugia can go for. Ferrothorn and Klefki can set up Spikes on Lugia, and all of them along with Mega Metagross and Mega Scizor (RC) can cripple it with Toxic.

**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can switch into a weak Ice Beam, proceed to go for Taunt, and KO Lugia. Thus, Lugia is helpless against Mega Gengar and requires support from Pursuit to keep it down.

**Mega Sableye**: Mega Sableye's ability, Magic Bounce, allows it to switch into any move Lugia can use, as Toxic and Whirlwind bounce back and Ice Beam does minuscule damage, putting a hard stop onto Lugia's path.

**Dark- and Ghost-types**: Dark- and Ghost-type threats such as Lunala, Arceus-Ghost, Arceus-Dark, Mega Tyranitar, and Darkrai are able to deal super effective damage to Lugia. Lunala can 2HKO Lugia with Moongeist Beam, and Arceus-Dark, Darkrai, and Mega Tyranitar can 2HKO it with their respective STAB moves, and Arceus-Ghost can OHKO Lugia with Never-Ending Nightmare after damage from Stealth Rock.

**Status Users**: Pokemon that usually carry Toxic like Ho-Oh and support Arceus formes can cripple Lugia by breaking its Multiscale, which makes it hard for Lugia to absorb strong physical hits.

**Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas**: Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas cannot be phazed by Whirlwind and can use Lugia as setup fodder.

**Ice- and Electric-types**: Pokemon like Arceus-Ice and Arceus-Electric can go for Calm Mind on Lugia and proceed to 2HKO it with their respective STAB Judgment. Zekrom and Kyurem-W can proceed to 2HKO Lugia with Bolt Strike and Ice Beam, respectively, and Tapu Koko can use Taunt on it and proceed to go for Nature's Madness followed by Giga_volt Gigavolt Havoc to score a KO.
Implemented, this is now ready for upload.
 

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