http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/omastar
Well, I promised myself I’d try to overcome my issues with grammar and overviews and post it prior to New Year’s Eve; so here it is! I have the analysis already written up because I didn’t want to waste time with a skeleton, so I just talked to some QC members and agreed on making this the analysis’ format. Also, to GP checkers, I’m sorry for making your lives miserable. Also, I took the lead set from kd, so it shouldn't need many changes.
Changes I Have Made:
- Removed Choice Specs set; it was complete setup fodder and didn’t get many notable OHKOes / 2HKOes, thus being outclassed by Rain Dance 95% of the time.
- Revamped the whole analysis to the new format and added an Overview.
- Added a trait to the Lead set.
- Changed the order of slashes on Utility and Rain Dance sets.
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[Overview]
<p>In spite of facing stiff competition from other bulky Water-types, namely Milotic, Blastoise, and Azumarill, Omastar can still hold its own. Omastar is the only Pokemon in UU capable of setting up both Stealth Rock and Spikes, which has turned our little prehistoric friend into a staple on stall teams. Furthermore, Omastar's base 115 Special Attack and access to Swift Swim allows it to function as a fearsome rain sweeper that is capable of plowing through teams in a matter of turns.</p>
<p>Omastar is not without its fair share of faults, however. Its awful defensive typing, which grants it weaknesses to Ground-, Fighting-, Electric-, and Grass-type attacks; low Special Defense; and lack of a reliable recovery move are major drawbacks that severely hinder Omastar’s durability. Despite these disadvantages, do not underestimate Omastar, as it can run (or slide...) circles around unprepared teams.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Surf
move 4: Ice Beam / Earth Power
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Omastar's typing isn't very auspicious for a defensive Pokemon, one would be foolish to overlook its gargantuan base 125 Defense stat that, when paired with its access to a wide array of support moves, turns Omastar into an amazing asset for defensive teams. The main idea of this set is to switch into something that doesn’t threaten Omastar too much, such as physically-based Flying-, Normal-, or Fire-types, then proceed to set up either Spikes or Stealth Rock as the opponent switches out. If they decide to stay in, Omastar can make use of its impressive Special Attack and STAB Surf to crush most of these threats.</p>
<p>The last moveslot is entirely dependant on personal preference. Ice Beam is the most desirable option, as it deters Grass-types from switching in too readily and deals massive damage to Flying-types, especially Altaria. However, if one doesn't find the aforementioned Pokemon too troublesome, Earth Power is an interesting option that enables Omastar to hit Toxicroak, Qwilfish, and opposing Omastar harder; it especially comes in handy if this set is being run in the lead position, where the latter two are commonly seen. Alternatively, Rest is a viable option that rectifies Omastar’s lack of a recovery move, but should only be used with Heal Bell support.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Because Omastar's ability to set up all kinds of entry hazards is what makes this set so dangerous, pairing it with a Ghost-type in order to block Rapid Spin is mandatory. Given the defensive nature of this set, RestTalk Rotom is the most advisable choice for the role, as it can easily switch into most Fighting- and Ground-types that threaten Omastar and scare them away with Will-O-Wisp. Bulky Mismagius is another good option, as, despite not having very high defenses, it has access to Taunt, which shuts down Foresight users such as Blastoise and Hitmontop. Chansey is another great partner, as it can provide Omastar with Wish support, heal any harmful status inflicted on its teammates with Aromatherapy, and take on the majority of the special attackers in the tier. Venusaur possesses resistances to Grass-, Electric-, and Fighting-type attacks, has access to Roar, and is capable of luring Flying- and Fire-types out, thus giving Omastar many free opportunities to switch in.</p>
[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Rain Dance / Earth Power
item: Life Orb / Damp Rock
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Due to bearing the highest Special Attack of all Water-types in UU and an underwhelming 55 base Speed, Omastar makes a prime candidate for a Rain Dance sweeper. Surf is Omastar's main source of damage, and OHKOes most Pokemon that don't resist it. If more power is desired, Hydro Pump is a good alternative that puts more pressure on bulky special walls such as Clefable and Registeel, even 2HKOing Chansey with Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes down. Ice Beam allows Omastar to hit Grass-types and Altaria for super effective damage, while Hidden Power Grass is used mainly for Water-types. Because these three moves provide Omastar with amazing coverage (only resisted by Shedinja), Omastar can afford to run a support move in the fourth slot. Rain Dance is the preferred option, as it allows Omastar to act as a self-sustaining sweeper on all sorts of teams while supporting its teammates on dedicated rain teams. Earth Power, despite not achieving much when it comes to coverage, allows Omastar to OHKO Toxicroak, one of the most dangerous threats to rain teams, thus paving the way for one of its teammates, namely Kabutops or Qwilfish, to sweep unhindered.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Omastar has a much easier time sweeping when bulky Water-types and Chansey are removed from play, which means having a reliable switch-in to these Pokemon is mandatory. Ludicolo immediately sticks out due to its secondary Grass typing, ability to run a physical set, good Special Defense, and access to Swift Swim; these factors combine to allow Ludicolo to get past a good portion of the aforementioned threats. Swords Dance Qwilfish, despite not being able to switch into any of those Pokemon for free, is a great bait for Milotic and Venusaur, and can use Explosion to remove a troublesome wall from the game. Registeel is another thorn in Omastar's side, as it can easily shrug off a hit and paralyze Omastar, rendering it useless. Because of this, Lanturn makes a nifty partner, soaking up Thunder Wave, thanks to Volt Absorb, and being able to abuse rain with its STAB Thunder while also reliably replenishing the rain with its respectable bulk.</p>
<p>The most efficient kind of support one can provide Omastar with is pairing it with Pokemon that can set up Rain Dance prior to its entrance on the battlefield. This makes it so that Omastar doesn't have to take a hit when attempting to set up or abdicate the boost provided by Life Orb in order to use Damp Rock, which would cause Omastar to miss key OHKOs on Pokemon such as offensive Venusaur. Uxie is the most recommended partner, as it can set up Stealth Rock, counter Toxicroak and Technician Hitmontop, both of which are huge hindrances to many commonly used rain sweepers, and heal Omastar from status with Heal Bell. Mesprit is in the same boat, but trades bulk and access to Heal Bell for the ability to use Healing Wish, which can essentially give Omastar a second life. Because of its blistering Speed, Electrode makes an extremely reliable Rain Dance user in the lead position, thus helping Omastar establish offensive momentum early on in the battle.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Surf
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Earth Power
item: Focus Sash
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Omastar is blessed as the only UU Pokemon with access to both Stealth Rock and Spikes; coupled with its decent bulk and high Special Attack, this makes Omastar an excellent lead for any UU team in need of entry hazards. This Omastar is built to function as a suicide lead, setting up as many entry hazards as possible before fainting. If an opportunity arises where Omastar can KO the opponent's Pokemon, it should do so; having an immediate advantage against the opposing team while still having a chance to set up entry hazards can be invaluable. Omastar matches up well against almost any common lead, including Uxie and Mesprit without Grass Knot, Registeel, Moltres, Kabutops, Cloyster, other Omastar, and even Rain Dance Electrode, which Omastar can simply outspeed and OHKO with Surf in the rain. With so many favorable match-ups and a Focus Sash, Omastar should be guaranteed either a kill or two layers of entry hazards.</p>
<p>Stealth Rock and Spikes are both key to this set. Putting both moves on Omastar can not only free up an extra slot on your team, but it also gives Omastar a chance to set up multiple layers of hazards if it finds itself in a favorable lead matchup. Omastar's typing, decent Speed, and high defensive stats allow it to set up easily on any Pokemon that is not carrying a Grass-type attack, such as Registeel or Spiritomb (although stronger versions of Shadow Ball Spiritomb can deal serious amounts of damage to Omastar). Surf is a reliable STAB attack that can OHKO Moltres leads and deal significant damage to almost any other lead; even Qwilfish leads take over 40% from Omastar's Surf. The last attack is based on preference, and depends on what Pokemon you would rather have Omastar be able to defeat. Hidden Power Grass can OHKO opposing Omastar that do not run Focus Sash or Rindo Berry, and also ensures that Omastar can outspeed and 2HKO Cloyster with ease. Earth Power allows Omastar to easily handle Toxicroak leads, as well as guaranteeing the 2HKO on Qwilfish.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>It may seem silly to maximize Speed on such a slow Pokemon, but the extra Speed will often prove invaluable. Not only does it give Omastar a good chance to outspeed and kill any opposing Omastar leads, but it also allows Omastar to outpace leads such as Cloyster or Kabutops if they do not invest in Speed. Even Uxie, a Pokemon with base 95 Speed, will be outsped by Omastar if it runs no Speed EVs. However, if running so much Speed doesn't sound alluring, alternative EV spreads that feature max HP and some Defense EVs can be used very effectively, especially if combined with Rindo Berry. A bulkier spread allows Omastar to take even special hits extremely well, easily tanking attacks such as Spiritomb's assaults or weaker Grass Knots; many of these attacks now become 3HKOs or even 4HKOs. A team looking to use Omastar should highly consider these spreads, as Omastar can easily switch in later to wall attacks as well as to set up more entry hazards.</p>
<p>With Omastar carrying both Stealth Rock and Spikes, a Ghost-type to block Rapid Spin is almost mandatory, especially if Omastar plans on going down early. In fact, it may even be wise to use two Ghost-types to prevent Foresight-using Rapid Spinners from doing their job. Offensively, special sweepers such as Moltres have a much easier time with Chansey and Milotic after they've been damaged by Stealth Rock and Spikes. Choice Banders, such as Tauros, also benefit from Pokemon being weakened upon switching in; repeated hits and entry hazard damage will quickly take a toll on any potential counters. Defensively, a team built around using Roar and Whirlwind to rack up entry hazard damage can find many advantages to using this Omastar lead.</p>
<p>Although Omastar has a favorable match-up versus most leads, it can be stopped by Taunt and has problems with any Grass-type attack. Mismagius is perhaps the most dangerous threat Omastar can face, as it has access to Taunt, a high Special Defense stat, and a super effective Thunderbolt. Alakazam is another lead that severely troubles Omastar, given its higher Speed and ability to 2HKO the snail with Psychic. Despite running the risk of being 2HKOed, Ambipom and Qwilfish can use Taunt in order to prevent Omastar from setting up.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As mentioned countless times, any Omastar set that is focused on setting up entry hazards demands a spinblocker as a teammate, the choice of which depends on the team's nature. RestTalk Rotom is the ideal choice for defensive teams, given its amazing typing, access to Will-O-Wisp, and resistance to Ground- and Fighting-type attacks. Meanwhile, Nasty Plot Mismagius does a great job on offensive teams, as it can OHKO most Rapid Spin users after a boost, making it an ideal partner to the Lead set. Furthermore, Mismagius can make use of Taunt in order to shut down Foresight users, such as Blastoise and Hitmontop, making it impossible for the opponent to spin unless Mismagius is caught switching in or removed from play.</p>
<p>The best way to abuse Spikes support is by pairing Omastar with powerful sweepers that can attain OHKOs and 2HKOs once said hazards are set up. Moltres is the perfect example of this, as it gets a guaranteed 2HKO on standard Milotic with Hidden Power Grass when Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes are down. Nasty Plot Mismagius, again, gets an honorable mention due to achieving a guaranteed 2HKO on Registeel with Hidden Power Fighting after a boost if both Stealth Rock and Spikes are down. Defensively, Omastar likes being paired with Pokemon that can cover its many weaknesses and underwhelming special bulk. Specially defensive Venusaur can easily take on Fighting-, Electric-, and Grass-type attacks, and can make use of Roar to rack up even more damage from entry hazards. Clefable can remove crippling status from Omastar with Aromatherapy, rectify Omastar's lack of a reliable recovery move with Wish, and force switches through Encore, while having enough bulk to take on a fair amount of the special attackers in the UU tier.</p>
<p>When utilizing Omastar under the rain, having rain already set up will really help get Omastar rolling, so its greatest allies are Pokemon that can easily set up Rain Dance. Bulky Pokemon such as Uxie and Mesprit are great choices, as both can consistently switch in and set up rain, resist Ground- and Fighting-type attacks that Omastar tends to attract, and are able to defeat Toxicroak and Poliwrath, two of the biggest threats to Rain Dance teams. Due to its unparalleled Speed, Electrode is an extremely reliable weather starter in the earlier stages of the match, and can also use Explosion to give Omastar an opportunity to safely switch in once rain is successfully set up.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Omastar doesn't have many viable options outside of those that have already been mentioned. Toxic Spikes can be used on the Support set either over Spikes or in the fourth slot, but Spikes tends to be the superior option given the amount of Poison-types in UU that render Toxic Spikes useless, and Omastar becomes severely overloaded if it decides to employ all three entry hazards. Hidden Power Rock gets STAB and can be used on the fourth slot of the Support set as well, but offers inferior coverage when compared to Ice Beam and Earth Power, and doesn't hit anything worthwhile. Omastar also has access to Haze in order to shut down stat boosters, but it is more suited for attacking due to its great Special Attack, and its inability to take on Calm Mind users further diminishes Haze's usefulness on Omastar.</p>
<p>Offensively, Omastar can make use of a Choice Specs set in order to hit common switch-ins harder, most notably 2HKOing Chansey with Hydro Pump 100% of the time if Stealth Rock is down and rain is in play. If one doesn’t want to rely on Rain Dance to boost Omastar's Speed, Rock Polish can be used, which has the advantage of not wearing off after eight turns like rain does. However, without the boost from weather, Omastar will fail to OHKO several threats with Surf and will need to waste a turn boosting its own Speed rather than having it augmented by any other Pokemon that carries Rain Dance.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Although it's one of Omastar's greatest allies, Ludicolo also happens to be one of the most reliable counters to the snail. Ludicolo's typing, access to Swift Swim, and superior Speed guarantee that not only will it not take much damage from any of Omastar's attacks, but it also has the option of outspeeding and OHKOing Omastar before Omastar even has a chance to move. Milotic is another great option, as it can shrug off two consecutive super effective Hidden Power Grasses and OHKO Omastar in return with a Hidden Power Grass of its own. Specially defensive Venusaur, despite being unable to take two consecutive Ice Beams, can easily switch into Surf or Hidden Power Grass, take the subsequent Ice Beam, and OHKO Omastar with Energy Ball. Chansey is a complete roadblock for offensive sets, but turns into complete fodder for defensive sets to lay down entry hazards against.</p>
