Plasmanta

LucarioOfLegends

Master Procraster
is a CAP Contributor
QC [3/3]: snake_rattler, cbrevan, cbrevan
GP [2/2]: GMars, Fireflame479

[OVERVIEW]
Thanks to a great Special Attack stat, a good Speed tier, and a unique STAB combination, Plasmanta sets itself apart from other strong Electric-types by being able to take down the metagame's numerous bulky Grass-types such as Pyroak, Jumbao, Assault Vest Tapu Bulu, and Ferrothorn. Its typing alongside Storm Drain gives Plasmanta eight resistances and an immunity to Water, giving it numerous opportunities to switch in against Pokemon such as Hawlucha, Shift Gear Magearna, and Kartana. Plasmanta also has a number of other moves, being able to use Hidden Power, Psyshock, Encore, and Taunt to prepare for a variety of different threats to a team.

Unfortunately, Plasmanta's good resistances are offset by a terrible 4x weakness to Ground, which leaves it commonly forced out by Ground-types such as Zygarde, Landorus-T, and Colossoil, with Ground-type moves in general being a great risk for it. Due to its underwhelming bulk and lack of reliable recovery, Plasmanta's overall survivability is severely lacking to the point where it is hard to avoid 2HKOs, which is only made worse by a lack of Volt Switch. Plasmanta also suffers from a deal of four-moveslot syndrome, as forgoing certain coverage moves for others leaves it unable to deal with threats such as Mollux, Ferrothorn, Landorus-T, and Heatran depending on the move. It is also stopped cold by both Assault Vest Colossoil and Assault Vest Magearna, which are common Pokemon in the metagame.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Aura Sphere
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

Thunderbolt allows Plasmanta to revenge kill a staggering portion of the metagame, with special mention going to Dragon Dance Naviathan, Choice Scarf Volkraken, Mega Pinsir, and Ash-Greninja. Sludge Bomb serves as a great secondary STAB move that can hit Grass-types that otherwise resist Thunderbolt, help ensure KOs with a good chance to poison, and revenge kill fast Fairy-types such as Tapu Koko, Choice Scarf Jumbao, and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele. Hidden Power Ice is an important coverage move that lets Plasmanta hit and revenge kill Landorus-T and Zygarde, which can otherwise come in on Plasmanta's other attacks and force it out. Aura Sphere lets Plasmanta revenge kill Kartana much more reliably and can strike Steel-types such as Excadrill and Magnezone. Aura Sphere is also the best option against Colossoil and Ferrothorn. Psyshock is a possible alternative that can hit Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and Crucibelle super effectively, but it leaves Plasmanta unable to touch Colossoil and stop a boosted Kartana.

Set Details
========

With 252 Speed EVs, a Timid Nature, and a Choice Scarf, Plasmanta is able to outspeed naturally fast Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Syclant as well as common Choice Scarf users such as Tapu Lele and Volkraken. Maximum Special Attack investment lets Plasmanta hit as hard as possible. Storm Drain gives Plasmanta a useful Water immunity to ease switching in, and the Special Attack boost can help ensure KOs. It also allows Plasmanta to fully check Ash-Greninja, as Storm Drain absorbs Water Shuriken.

Usage Tips
========

Utilizing the Speed boost Choice Scarf gives Plasmanta, this set should mostly be used as a revenge killer. As Plasmanta can be rendered useless by Ground- and Steel-types switching into Thunderbolt and Sludge Bomb, respectively, prediction is a key part in using this set. Because of how easy it is to lock into a move that can easily be switched into, Plasmanta can also be used to lure in Ground- and Steel-types such as Landorus-T and Magearna and switch into an appropriate check. Once Ground-types have been removed by teammates, Thunderbolt will be the safest move to lock into, as it hits most of the metagame neutrally. Similarly, Sludge Bomb becomes much safer to lock into once Steel-types have been removed from play. Pokemon such as Arghonaut, Celesteela, Pyroak, and Naviathan, which are otherwise threatened by Plasmanta, can carry coverage moves that hit it super effectively, so be sure to scout these moves and be wary of switching Plasmanta in if they do carry said coverage. Switching into Water-type attacks can give Plasmanta a power boost to revenge kill Pokemon it otherwise cannot, such as being able to OHKO Syclant, and lets it clean up teams once Ground-and Steel-types have been removed. Remember that Water-type attackers can also choose moves that severely damage Plasmanta, such as Kingdra's Draco Meteor and Ash-Greninja's Dark Pulse.

Team Options
========

Plasmanta excels at removing bulky Water-types such as Arghonaut and Toxapex, so Pokemon that generally want these Water-types removed, such as Volcarona, Volkraken, Colossoil, and Ash-Greninja, appreciate the support that Plasmanta provides. Moreover, Ground-types such as Colossoil and Landorus-T make good partners for it, as they are able to deal with the Steel-types that Plasmanta is blocked by, while it revenge kills the Grass-, Water-, and Flying-types that give them trouble. Ground-type removal is essential for this set, so Pokemon that can remove them such as Syclant, Tapu Bulu, and Volkraken make great partners. This set also struggles with Cawmodore, so Pokemon that can serve as checks to it, such as Choice Scarf Volkraken, Cyclohm, and Ash-Greninja, make great teammates. Wallbreakers generally weaken teams for Plasmanta to clean up, so Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Choice Specs Volkraken, and Mega Pinsir work well with it, with Plasmanta being able to deal with their bulkier checks in return. Plasmanta additionally likes entry hazards, as they can soften up foes for it to revenge kill, so Pokemon that can set them like Tomohawk, Ferrothorn, and Ash-Greninja work well in this regard. Slow U-turn and Volt Switch users, such as Rotom-W, Colossoil, and Magearna, can get Plasmanta into battle safely, so having them as partners is greatly appreciated.

[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

Thunderbolt can hit most of the metagame ruthlessly hard and is especially effective against Water- and Flying-types such as Naviathan, Tomohawk, Arghonaut, and Celesteela. Sludge Bomb works great as a secondary STAB move and hits bulky Grass-, Electric-, and Dragon-types that Thunderbolt cannot punch through such as Pyroak, Tapu Bulu, Mega Latios, Tapu Koko, and Cyclohm while also hitting Clefable and potentially crippling the foe with poison. Hidden Power Ice hits Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Zygarde, which otherwise wall Plasmanta. Hidden Power Fire can be run as an alternative that can hit Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor super effectively while stopping Plasmanta from being setup fodder against Cawmodore. Aura Sphere deals with Steel-types like Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran, which can otherwise give Plasmanta significant trouble, and can target Colossoil. Psyshock can be used instead to hit Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and opposing Plasmanta.

Set Details
========

Life Orb gives Plasmanta a large power boost to its attacks while still giving it the freedom of move choice, letting it serve as a powerful wallbreaker without having to worry about being locked into a move and easily exploited. Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment lets Plasmanta hit as hard and fast as possible. A Timid nature is preferred, as then Plasmanta will then Speed tie with other base 100s like Victini and Mega Medicham while also outspeeding Tapu Lele, unboosted Aurumoth, Flame Orb Colossoil, and Choice Specs Volkraken. Storm Drain is a great ability that allows Plasmanta to absorb incoming Water-type attacks and can further supplement its Special Attack.

Usage Tips
========

Plasmanta should primarily be used as a wallbreaker to soften up defensive walls that would cause problems for the rest of the team. Try to get it in through as many free switches or resisted hits as possible, as consistent damage paired with Life Orb recoil can severely cut into Plasmanta's limited longevity. Also, be sure to scout for coverage moves on Pokemon such as Celesteela, Naviathan, Pyroak, Arghonaut, and Tangrowth, as they can carry Ground- and Psychic-type attacks for Plasmanta. If Water-types such as Ash-Greninja, Volkraken, and Keldeo are locked into a Water-type attack, feel free to switch Plasmanta in, as it will gain a Special Attack boost and increase its wallbreaking capabilities to even be able to threaten its slower checks. Be wary of trying to switch into a Water-type attack if the foes are not Choice locked, as they can strike Plasmanta with strong coverage moves.

Team Options
========

Setup sweepers such as Zygarde and Naviathan greatly benefit from Plasmanta breaking through strong defensive Pokemon that they otherwise struggle to get through such as Clefable, Tangrowth, Tomohawk, and Arghonaut. In return, they are able to break down Plasmanta's own checks once they have set up to sweep. Plasmanta appreciates help from physical wallbreakers like Flame Orb Colossoil, Pajantom, and Kartana, as they can break through specially defensive Pokemon such as Assault Vest Magearna and Chansey, which otherwise stop it cold. Spikes setters such as Ferrothorn, Greninja, Skarmory, and Syclant can lay down Spikes to soften up incoming foes while also serving as decent checks to Ground-types that threaten Plasmanta. Sticky Web support from Necturna is also great, as it lets Plasmanta outspeed and OHKO Pokemon it otherwise could not such as Syclant. Plasmanta in general appreciates the removal of Ground-types such as Zygarde and Colossoil. Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Tomohawk, and Jumbao make great partners in this case. Tomohawk is a notably great teammate, as it can easily set up hazards to weaken Plasmanta's targets, while Plasmanta can scare away threatening Fairy-types such as Clefable in return. Tapu Koko can set up Electric Terrain for Plasmanta's Thunderbolt while also helping it get in through Volt Switch, while Plasmanta can remove bulky Grass-types that give Tapu Koko trouble. Pokemon that appreciate the removal of bulky Water-types, such as Volkraken, Volcarona, and Ash-Greninja, serve as good partners to Plasmanta. Ground-types such as Zygarde, Colossoil, and Landorus-T also appreciate Plasmanta, as it can remove troublesome Grass- and Flying-types that they otherwise can struggle against, while they deal with Steel-types that can give Plasmanta trouble.

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

Sludge Wave can be used over Sludge Bomb if the extra power is desired, but the difference usually is not significant, and Plasmanta appreciates the extra poison chance on Sludge Bomb. Encore can lock Pokemon into unfavorable moves to force a switch and can ease the pressure of fighting slower Pokemon by locking them into bad moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, and Water-type attacks. It can also lock slower setup sweepers such Landorus-T and Bulk Up Revenankh into their boosting moves, leaving them open to attack. Hidden Power Grass is an alternative to Hidden Power Ice, letting Plasmanta OHKO Mega Swampert, 2HKO Gastrodon, and serve as a lure for Pokemon like Ash-Greninja and Volkraken. Haze lets Plasmanta serve as an emergency stop to setup sweepers such as Dragon Dance Naviathan and Bulk Up Revenankh by removing their stat boosts, but Plasmanta's other options, such as Encore, generally prove more useful. Dazzling Gleam serves as a great move for neutral coverage while maintaining super effective damage on Pokemon such as Colossoil and Zygarde and being a better option against Dragon-types such as Cyclohm and Pajantom. Z-Electric Terrain can be used to fix any speed problems that Plasmanta usually has while powering up Thunderbolt, turning it in a sweeper However, there are better ways to use the Z-Crystal, and the lack of power on Plasmanta's other moves is quite noticeable.


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

**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Colossoil, Excadrill, Landorus-T, and Zygarde can easily switch into both of Plasmanta's STAB attacks and OHKO it with Earthquake or Thousand Arrows. Assault Vest Colossoil in particular takes very little damage from any of Plasmanta's moves, can effortlessly KO it with Earthquake, and is even able to punish a switch out with a powerful Pursuit. Mega Swampert and Gastrodon also have very little to fear from Plasmanta besides the rare Hidden Power Grass and can easily force it out with Earthquake.

**Psychic-types**: Mega Latios, Hoopa-U, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, and Mega Medicham can all threaten out Plasmanta with their strong Psychic-type attacks. Keep in mind, however, that Tapu Lele and Mega Medicham are unable to switch into the Life Orb set at all, and Tapu Lele loses to the Choice Scarf set.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Assault Vest Magearna is a solid counter to Plasmanta, as it fears very little from Plasmanta and can use it as a way to gain free momentum. Chansey can easily heal off any attacks thrown at it and can force Plasmanta out with Seismic Toss, while Mollux and Mega Venusaur also wall Plasmanta using reliable recovery and can wear it down with their STAB attacks. However, Taunt can stop most options these Pokemon have, and Mollux and Mega Venusaur must be wary of Psyshock.

**Faster Attackers**: Although they are unable to directly switch into Plasmanta's attacks, faster attackers such as Syclant, Pajantom, and Ash-Greninja all can outspeed and KO Life Orb Plasmanta. Choice Scarf Volkraken and Swift Swim Kingdra can also outspeed and KO it, but they have to be careful of locking into a Water-type move.

**Cawmodore**: Unless Plasmanta carries Hidden Power Fire or gets high damage rolls with Aura Sphere, Cawmodore can use Choice Scarf Plasmanta as setup bait, as it can absorb Thunderbolt using Volt Absorb and is immune to Sludge Bomb.
 
Last edited:

snake

is a Community Leaderis a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
CAP Co-Leader
[OVERVIEW]
- Great Special Attack stat and unique STAB combination lets it break through common defensive Pokemon in the tier such as Pyroak, Tomohawk, and Tapu Fini. Elaborate on how this is a rare Electric-type that has tools to bust pass bulky Grass-types
- A small but effective movepool lets it prepare for different threats on every team. what does this movepool comprise of?
- Great typing defensively along with Storm Drain lets it tank a number of common attacking types incredibly well. what pokemon? why is the typing good? Magearna for example, gets checked decently well

- Great defenses let down by a quadruple weakness to Ground, leaving it beaten by Colossoil, Landorus-Therian, and common Ground type moves in general.
- Underwhelming special bulk means that even resisted special attacks can seriously dent Plasmanta.
- Suffers heavily from four-moveslot syndrome, as forgoing a certain coverage move leaves it unable to beat certain threats.
- gets worn down real fast
- crowded speed tier makes speed ties not fun :(
- extremely vulnerable to dugtrio



[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Sludge Wave Does Sludge Wave nab any 3HKOs, 2HKOs, or OHKOs that Sludge Bomb doesn't? If not, please replace with Sludge Bomb, as the poison chance is more helpful.
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

- Sludge Wave is a strong STAB move that hits most of the metagame ruthlessly hard, and is especially effective against Grass and Fairy type Pokemon such as Pyroak, Malaconda Tapu Fini, and Clefable.
- Thunderbolt is a great secondary STAB that hits most other Pokemon neutrally that Sludge Wave does not, and hits Naviathan, Celesteela, Tomohawk, and other Water and Flying-types.
- Hidden Power Ice nails Ground types such as Landorus-Therian, Zygarde, and Garchomp, who otherwise wall Plasmanta.
- Hidden Power Fire is an alternative option that hits Mega Scizor supereffectively and stops Plasmanta from turning into setup bait for Cawmodore. hits ferro too
- Aura Sphere is the preferred coverage move, as it hits Steel types such as Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran that otherwise give Plasmanta trouble, as well as doing a decent amount of damage to Colossoil.
- Psyshock instead allows Plasmanta to break through Mollux, Mega Venusaur, who otherwise wall Plasmanta's other moves. Psyshock also allows it to beat opposing Plasmanta.
- Taunt can be used to stop support moves on Pokemon such as Clefable and Toxapex, leaving them far more susceptible to further wallbreaking. mention that it's the healing that needs to be stopped, and honestly these two examples are kinda bad bc they wouldn't stay in against plas bc they get basically OHKOed put mollux / mvenu / other examples instead who might try to stall out psyshock or other moves

Set Details
========
- Life Orb gives Plasmanta a large power boost to its attacks, letting it serve as a powerful wallbreaker.
- Storm Drain is a great ability that lets Plasmanta to absorb incoming Water-type attacks and gain a helpful boost to further supplement its Special Attack.
- Maximum Special Attack and Speed lets Plasmanta hit as hard as possible as fast as possible.
- Timid is the preferred Nature, as it speed ties with base 100s such as Mega Medicham and Charizard. It also allows Plasmanta to outspeed Tapu Lele and unboosted Aurumoth.

Usage Tips
========

- Plasmanta should primarily be used as a wallbreaker mid-game to soften up the defensive walls that would cause problems for the rest of the team.
- Be sure to scout out coverage moves before sending Plasmanta in on Pokemon such as mention arghonaut here Celesteela, Naviathan, Pyroak, and Tangrowth, as they can hit it with super-effective Ground and Psychic-type attacks.
- Try to get Plasmanta in on as many free switches or resisted hits as possible, as consistent damage alongside Life Orb recoil can severely cut into Plasmanta's limited survivability.
- If the opponent's Pokemon is locked into a Water-type attack, name some choice locked water-type wallbreakers (kingdra / ash gren / etc.) feel free to switch Plasmanta in, as it will gain a Special Attack boost and increase its wallbreaking capabilities to even be able to threaten its slower checks.
- talk about what to do if the opponent has a dugtrio


Team Options
========
- Setup Sweepers such as Zygarde greatly benefit from Plasmanta breaking through strong defensive Pokemon that they otherwise struggle to get through such Clefable and Tangrowth mention Arghonaut here
- Plasmanta greatly appreciates Pokemon who can take down Ground types such as Colossoil and Zygarde. Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Tomohawk, and Tangrowth make great partners in this case.
- Tomohawk is a notably great teammate, as it can easily set up hazards to weaken Plasmanta's targets, while Plasmanta can scare away threatening Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini in return.
- Tapu Koko can set up Electric Terrain to power up Plasmanta's Thunderbolt and help pivot it in, while Plasmanta gets rid of bulky Grass types who give Koko trouble.
add pursuit trappers to get rid of annoying psychic types / mollux
dugtrio to get rid of steel-types and poison-types that stop plasmanta from spamming Poison-type STAB
webs because slowing stuff down is great, nect can force out ground-types with WoW or Power Whip


[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

- Thunderbolt is Plasmanta's best STAB move, as it revenge kills a staggering portion of the metagame, with special mention going to Naviathan, Greninja, Volkraken and Mega Pinsir.
- Sludge Wave is a secondary STAB that hits Grass types who otherwise resist Thunderbolt, and can revenge kill fast fairies such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele. again, check if sludge wave nabs any important 2HKOes or OHKOes, because poison chance is good
- Hidden Power Ice is an important coverage move that lets Plasmanta hit Ground types such as Landorus-T and Zygarde, who can otherwise switch into its other attacks and force Plasmanta out.
- Aura Sphere is a great coverage move that strikes Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Excadrill, and Magnezone incredibly hard, as well as putting a dent into Colossoil. it doesn't really hit ferro that hard, but it's the best move it has for it, i'd make sure to mention that
- Psyshock has the ability to strike down Mollux and Mega Venusaur add mega crucibelle, but leaves Plasmanta unable to touch Colossoil.



Set Details
========

-Choice Scarf gives Plasmanta a large speed boost, letting it turn into a powerful revenge killer. what does it outspeed? what does it fail to outspeed?
- Maximum Speed along with a Timid Nature is essential to revenge kill Scarf Tapu Lele and Scarf Volkraken. mention what set up sweepers it can outspeed (dd navi, dd zygarde)
- Maximum Special Attack invest increases its attack power to hit as hard as possible.
talk about storm drain here

Usage Tips.
========

- As Plasmanta can be rendered useless to Ground and Steel types by switching into Thunderbolt and Sludge Wave respectively, prediction is a key part in using Plasmanta as a revenge killer. mention dugtrio especially
- Once Ground-types have been removed by teammates, Thunderbolt will be the safest move to be locked into, as it hits most of the metagame neutrally.what about grass-type mons? i think it would be nice to say "similarly, if steel-types are removed, sludge wave is really safe
- Switching into Water-type attacks is important, as it will give Plasmanta a power boost to revenge kill things it otherwise could not, such as being able to OHKO Syclant. mention how it's equally easy to switch into, say, Kingdra's Draco Meteor, or Greninja's Extrasensory
- given this last point about how it lacks some power, talk about how it should be used primarily to RK stuff


Team Options
========

- Ground-type removal is essential for this set to be effective, so Pokemon such as Syclant, Tapu Bulu, and Greninja make good partners.
- Slow U-turn or Volt Switch users such as Colossoil, Rotom-Wash, and Magearna can help Plasmanta get into battle safely.
- This set greatly struggles with Cawmodore, so Pokemon that can check it, such as Cyclohm, Greninja, and Volkraken, make great teammates. if plas switches into sitrus cawm as it bd's, it has a chance to 2HKO factoring in drain punch recovery. it's not a terrible match up, but it's certainly not good. i'd call these examples "secondary checks"
- Dugtrio gets rid of Steel-types and Poison-types that stop Plasmanta from spamming Sludge Wave / Bomb


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

- Haze lets Plasmanta serve as an emergency stop to setup sweepers such as Naviathan and Revenankh by removing their stat boosts, but Plasmanta's other options generally prove more useful.
- Encore can lock Pokemon into unfavorable moves to force a switch, and can ease the pressure of fighting specially defensive pokemon by locking them into bad moves such as Toxic. mention twave too, and especially mention Scald from a defensive water-type like rotom-w
- dgleam isn't bad for its neutral coverage
- might want to talk about Z Electric Terrain here, as I think Plas would be one of the better users of the move. i need to test the set though. woulda been great with +2 baton pass boost :(


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

**Ground-Types**: Ground-types such as Colossoil, Excadrill, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Zygarde can easily switch into both of Plasmanta's STAB attacks and threaten it out with their STAB moves. However the former two do not like Aura Sphere, while the latter three do not like Hidden Power Ice. Dugtrio is able to trap Plasmanta and remove it permanently from play with Earthquake, but its fraility makes it difficult to switch in. not necessarily, as tbolt and sludge wave/bomb don't do much

**Psychic-Types**: Latios, Hoopa Unbound, Scarf Tapu Lele, Mega Medicham and Mega Gallade all threaten out Plasmanta with strong Psychic attacks. Mega Medicham can take large amounts of damage from it however, and Tapu Lele is beaten by the Choice Scarf set. add meta alakazam

add a faster attackers section that includes things like greninja, syclant, etc.


**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Chansey can easily heal off any attacks throw at it, and can force Plasmanta out with Seismic Toss. Mollux also walls Plasmanta out and can damage it heavily with Lava Plume, but it is unable to beat it if Plasmanta carries Psyshock. mention that taunt and encore can give them a headache

**Electric Immunity Abilities** Voodoom can switch into Thunderbolt easily to gain a special attack boost, and threatens both sets with Dark Pulse and Psychic. Alolan Marowak can easily threaten the Scarf set through Lightning Rod, but is unable to beat the Life Orb set why is this? on paper it resists all the moves it usually runs bar psyshock. Unless it carries Hidden Power Fire, Cawmodore can use Plasmanta as setup bait not necessarily, as plas resists all of cawm's moves, drain punch doesn't recover much due to plas's low HP, and aura sphere hits neutrally.
Looking good Luc! Just need some elaboration in some areas. I'd like to look it over again before I QC. Feel free to PM me and we can do a ppad if you want. The most important thing right now is figuring out the Sludge Wave vs Sludge Bomb thing, and be sure to distinguish in the analysis why you'd use one over the other. Something like "Sludge wave does this, 2HKOes this, and is used over sludge bomb to OHKO that" or "Sludge Bomb does this, 2HKOes that, and is used over Sludge Wave for its chance to poison." the distinction is subtle and might differ across sets, but it matters. if it ends up being both sets uses sludge wave or both uses sludge bomb, put the other in OO.
 

snake

is a Community Leaderis a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
CAP Co-Leader
[OVERVIEW]
- Great Special Attack stat and unique STAB combination lets it serve as an Electric-type that break through common defensive Pokemon in the tier such as Tomohawk and Tapu Fini, while also having the tools name secondary STAB Sludge Bomb and Aura Sphere to break through bulky Grass types such as Pyroak. add Tangrowth, Ferrothorn
- A small but effective movepool lets it prepare for different threats on every team with options like Psyshock, Aura Sphere, Taunt, and Encore
- Great typing defensively along with Storm Drain lets it tank a number of common attacking types, such as Water, Flying, Fairy, Electric, and Steel incredibly well, letting it check Pokemon such as Magearna and Keldeo.

- Great defenses let down by a quadruple weakness to Ground, leaving it beaten by Colossoil, Landorus-Therian, and common Ground type moves in general. elaborate by explaining how it suffers from the general trend of HP ground mons
- Underwhelming special bulk means that even resisted special attacks can seriously dent Plasmanta.
- Suffers heavily from four-moveslot syndrome, as forgoing a certain coverage move leaves it unable to beat certain threats.
- Can be easily be worn down over the course of the battle, limiting the number of times that Plasmanta can enter the battle. why is this? (lack of recovery, LO recoil, hazards)
- A crowded base 100 speed tier means it has to make a gamble against mega Charizard, Mega Medicham, and Salamence.
- Is incredibly vunerable to Dugtrio, who can easily trap and revenge kill it.


[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

-Thunderbolt is a strong STAB move that can hit most of the metagame ruthlessly hard, and is especially effective against Water and Flying types such as Naviathan, Tomohawk, Tapu Fini, and Celesteela.
- Sludge Bomb is a great secondary STAB that hits bulky Grass types that Thunderbolt could not punch through such as Pyroak, Tapu Bulu, and Tangrowth, as well as crippling the opponent with a poison chance.
- Hidden Power Ice nails Ground types such as Landorus-Therian, Zygarde, and Garchomp, who otherwise wall Plasmanta.
- Hidden Power Fire is an alternative option that hits Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn supereffectively and stops Plasmanta from turning into setup bait for Cawmodore.
- Aura Sphere is the preferred coverage move the way you say this sounds like aura sphere is the only coverage move, or plas is running STABs + coverage + non-coverage move, I'd change the language somehow, as it hits Steel types such as Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran that otherwise give Plasmanta trouble, as well as doing a decent amount of damage to Colossoil.
- Psyshock instead allows Plasmanta to break through Mollux, Mega Venusaur, who otherwise wall Plasmanta's other moves. Psyshock also allows it to beat opposing Plasmanta.
- Taunt can be used to block reliable recovery on Pokemon such Mollux and Mega Venusaur, who can easily heal off damage that Plasmanta dishes out, as well as stop other support options.

Set Details
========
- Life Orb gives Plasmanta a large power boost to its attacks, letting it serve as a powerful wallbreaker. explain why its good to switch attacks
- Storm Drain is a great ability that lets Plasmanta to absorb incoming Water-type attacks and gain a helpful boost to further supplement its Special Attack.
- Maximum Special Attack and Speed lets Plasmanta hit as hard as possible as fast as possible.
- Timid is the preferred Nature, as it speed ties with base 100s such as Mega Medicham and mega Charizard. It also allows Plasmanta to outspeed Tapu Lele and unboosted Aurumoth.

Usage Tips
========

- Plasmanta should primarily be used as a wallbreaker mid-game to soften up the defensive walls that would cause problems for the rest of the team.
- Be sure to scout out coverage moves before sending Plasmanta in on Pokemon such as Celesteela, Naviathan, Pyroak, Arghonaut, and Tangrowth, as they can hit it with super-effective Ground and Psychic-type attacks.
- Try to get Plasmanta in on as many free switches or resisted hits as possible, as consistent damage alongside Life Orb recoil can severely cut into Plasmanta's limited survivability.
- If an opponent's Pokemon such as Ash Greninja, Kingdra, and Keldeo is locked into a Water-type attack, feel free to switch Plasmanta in, as it will gain a Special Attack boost and increase its wallbreaking capabilities to even be able to threaten its slower checks. make sure to warn people about switching into non-water type moves from water-type mons here too
- Keep Plasmanta out of battle as much as if the opponent has a Dugtrio, as they can easily switch in, trap Plasmanta, and OHKO it with Earthquake. true, but plasmanta can be used to lure dugtrio out. say you swap in plas. the opp switches to dug, and you double into tangrowth or smth. gud plays

Team Options
========insert a line break here plz
- Setup Sweepers such as Zygarde greatly benefit from Plasmanta breaking through strong defensive Pokemon that they otherwise struggle to get through such as Clefable, Tangrowth, and Arghonaut.
- Plasmanta greatly appreciates Pokemon who can take down Ground types such as Colossoil and Zygarde. Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Tomohawk, and Tangrowth make great partners in this case.
- Tomohawk is a notably great teammate, as it can easily set up hazards to weaken Plasmanta's targets, while Plasmanta can scare away threatening Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini in return.
- Tapu Koko can set up Electric Terrain to power up Plasmanta's Thunderbolt and help pivot it in, while Plasmanta gets rid of bulky Grass types who give Koko trouble.
- Pursuit trappers such as Colossoil and Tyranitar can check pesky Psychic-types and Mollux that can cause problems for Plasmanta.
- Dugtrio can remove Poison and Steel types for Plasmanta, who otherwise stop it from spamming Sludge Bomb.
- Webs support from Necturna is great, as it lets Plasmanta outspeed and KO Pokemon it otherwise could not, such as Syclant. Necturna also can repel Ground types with Will-O-Wisp and Power Whip.
add spikes users, plas loves the opp to suck spikes damage so it can nab easier KOes

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

- Thunderbolt is Plasmanta's best STAB move, as it revenge kills a staggering portion of the metagame, with special mention going to Naviathan, Greninja, Volkraken and Mega Pinsir.
- Sludge Bomb is a secondary STAB that hits Grass types who otherwise resist Thunderbolt, can ensure KOs with a good chance to poison, and can revenge kill fast fairies such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele.
- Hidden Power Ice is an important coverage move that lets Plasmanta hit Ground types such as Landorus-T and Zygarde, who can otherwise switch into its other attacks and force Plasmanta out.
- Aura Sphere is a great coverage move that strikes Steel-types such as Excadrill and Magnezone incredibly hard, as well as being the best move against Colossoil and Ferrothorn.
- Psyshock has the ability to strike down Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and Mega Crucibelle but leaves Plasmanta unable to touch Colossoil assault vest maybe, HP ice does a decent amount to flame orb colo.

Set Details
========

-Choice Scarf gives Plasmanta a large speed boost, letting it turn into a powerful revenge killer that can outspeed and KO fast Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, Mega Pinsir, and Greninja.
- Maximum Speed along with a Timid Nature is essential to revenge kill Scarf Tapu Lele and Scarf Volkraken, as well as outspeeding boosted Naviathan. merge these two points together into one sentence - just talk about the speed stuff in one bullet
talk about what scarf fails to outspeed, like Scarf Garchomp

- Maximum Special Attack invest increases its attack power to hit as hard as possible.
- Storm Drain gives Plasmanta a useful Water immunity to ease switching in, and can give a special attack boost to ensure KOs.

Usage Tips.
========

- As Plasmanta can be rendered useless to Ground and Steel types by switching into Thunderbolt and Sludge Wave respectively, prediction is a key part in using Plasmanta as a revenge killer, especially against Dugtrio who can trap you easily.
- Once Ground-types have been removed by teammates, Thunderbolt will be the safest move to be locked into, as it hits most of the metagame neutrally. Similarly, Sludge Bomb becomes a much safer to lock into once opposing Steel-types have been removed.
- Switching into Water-type attacks is important, as it will give Plasmanta a power boost to revenge kill things it otherwise could not, such as being able to OHKO Syclant. Remember that the opponents can just as easily press an attack that can hit Plasmanta incredibly hard, such as Kingdra's Draco Meteor and Greninja's Extrasensory.
- Keep in mind that Plasmanta loses a significant amount of power from using a Choice Scarf, so this set should mostly be used to revenge kill weakened threats.
emphasize the importance of double switching here too - plas is really good at luring in lando / magearna, the plas user can swap out to a check

Team Options
========

- Ground-type removal is essential for this set to be effective, so Pokemon such as Syclant, Tapu Bulu, and Greninja make good partners.
- Slow U-turn or Volt Switch users such as Colossoil, Rotom-Wash, and Magearna can help Plasmanta get into battle safely.
- This set can struggles with Cawmodore, so Pokemon that can serve as secondary checks to it, such as Cyclohm, Greninja, and Volkraken, make great teammates.
- Dugtrio can trap and remove the Poison and Steel-types that limit Plasmanta from locking into Sludge Bomb.
you have good examples of these already, but add how wallbreakers let this plas clean up well
spikes users here too


[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
this section needs to have moves in order of importance...so i think the order should be Sludge Wave > Encore > Dazzling Gleam > Electric Terrain > Haze
- Haze lets Plasmanta serve as an emergency stop to setup sweepers such as Naviathan and Revenankh by removing their stat boosts, but Plasmanta's other options generally prove more useful.
- Encore can lock Pokemon into unfavorable moves to force a switch, and can ease the pressure of fighting specially defensive pokemon just do slower pokemon by locking them into bad moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Water-type attacks. cite that encoring boosting moves can mess up lando and other set up sweepers (pick some examples)
- Sludge Wave can be used over Sludge Bomb, as the extra power can be used to ensure some KOs which ones?. However, the difference usually is not significant, and Plasmanta appreciates the extra poison chance on Sludge Bomb.
- Dazzling Gleam serves as a great move for neutral coverage, and can notably guarantees a OHKO on Voodoom.
- Z-Electric Terrain can be used to fix any speed problems that Plasmanta usually has while powering up Thunderbolt. However, there are better ways to use the Z-Crystal, and the lack of power on Plasmanta's other moves is very noticable. insert a line break here
Checks and Counters
===================

**Ground-Types**: Ground-types such as Colossoil, Excadrill, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Zygarde can easily switch into both of Plasmanta's STAB attacks and threaten it out with their STAB moves. However the former two do not like Aura Sphere, while the latter three do not like Hidden Power Ice. Dugtrio can easily switch into Plasmanta's STABs, and can trap it to remove it permanently from play with Earthquake.

**Psychic-Types**: Latios, Hoopa Unbound, Scarf Tapu Lele, Mega Medicham, Mega Alazakam and Mega Gallade all threaten out Plasmanta with strong Psychic attacks. Both Mega Alakazam and Mega Medicham can take large amounts of damage from it however, while Tapu Lele is beaten by the Choice Scarf set.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Chansey can easily heal off any attacks throw at it, and can force Plasmanta out with Seismic Toss. Mollux and Mega Venusaur also wall out Plasmanta using reliable recovery and can wear it down with their STAB Attacks. However, Encore and Taunt can cause all of them headaches, and Mollux and Mega Venusaur fall to Psyshock.

**Faster Attackers** Faster attackers such as Greninja, Syclant, Choice Scarf Volkraken, and Swift Swim Kingdra all can outspeed and KO Plasmanta with Extrasensory, Earth Power, Fire Blast, and Draco Meteor respectively. However, these checks are mostly threatened by the Choice Scarf set.

**Electric Immunity Abilities** Voodoom can switch into Thunderbolt easily to gain a special attack boost, and threatens both sets with Dark Pulse and Psychic. Alolan Marowak can get a free switch in on Thunderbolt, can take a hit from Plasmanta's other moves, and can threaten it out with Bonemerang. Unless it carries Hidden Power Fire or gets really good rolls with Aura Sphere, Cawmodore can use Plasmanta as setup bait.
Much better than before. I'd like to take one more look at it after you implement these before i put QC 1/3 on it, but this is really coming along.
 

LucarioOfLegends

Master Procraster
is a CAP Contributor
All the critiques from the second look have been implemented...except for one.

snake_rattler said:
- Sludge Wave can be used over Sludge Bomb, as the extra power can be used to ensure some KOs which ones?.
Simply because of how small and insignificant the difference is between the two, the only thing that is ensured from Sludge Wave is a 2HKO against Necturna, but Plasmanta already has a 75% chance of the 2HKO with Sludge Bomb anyways. Because of this, I decided to remove that comment about KOs from the Sludge Wave section, and worded it so it only is appealing for the extra power. Pls don't hurt me ;-;

Edit: the Necturna thing only actually applies to Choice Scarf, so its honestly extremely situational.
 

snake

is a Community Leaderis a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
CAP Co-Leader
[OVERVIEW]
- Great Special Attack stat and unique STAB combination lets it serve as an Electric-type that break through common defensive Pokemon in the tier such as Tomohawk and Tapu Fini, while also having Aura Sphere and Sludge Bomb reorder these moves to break through bulky Grass types such as Pyroak, Tangrowth, and Ferrothorn.
- A small but effective movepool lets it prepare for different threats on every team with options like Psyshock, Aura Sphere, Taunt, and Encore. this point has bothered me a little bit since it sounds like you're excluding Electric- and Poison-type STAB and Hidden Power from its "small but effective movepool." While I agree with the language, it feels out of place here and the examples you've listed really show how Plasmanta can deal with things that resist / tank its STAB combo, if that makes sense
- Great typing defensively along with Storm Drain lets it tank a number of common attacking types, such as Water, Flying, Fairy, Electric, and Steel incredibly well, letting it check Pokemon such as Magearna and Keldeo.

- Great defenses let down by a quadruple weakness to Ground, leaving it beaten by Colossoil, Landorus-Therian, and common Ground type moves in general, and the looming threat of Hidden Power Ground can make it difficult to switch in safely.
- Underwhelming special bulk means that even resisted special attacks can seriously dent Plasmanta.
- Suffers heavily from four-moveslot syndrome, as forgoing a certain coverage move leaves it unable to beat certain threats.
- A lack of reliable recovery and an immunity to only Toxic Spikes means Plasmanta can be easily be worn down over the course of the battle, limiting the number of times that Plasmanta can enter the battle.
- A crowded base 100 speed tier means it has to make a gamble against Mega Charizard, Mega Medicham, and Salamence.
- Is incredibly vunerable to Dugtrio, who can easily trap and revenge kill it.


[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

-Thunderbolt is a strong STAB move that can hit most of the metagame ruthlessly hard, and is especially effective against Water and Flying types such as Naviathan, Tomohawk, Tapu Fini, and Celesteela.
- Sludge Bomb is a great secondary STAB that hits bulky Grass types that Thunderbolt could not punch through such as Pyroak, Tapu Bulu, and Tangrowth, as well as crippling the opponent with a poison chance.
- Hidden Power Ice nails Ground types such as Landorus-Therian, Zygarde, and Garchomp, who otherwise wall Plasmanta.
- Hidden Power Fire is an alternative option that hits Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn supereffectively and stops Plasmanta from turning into setup bait for Cawmodore.
- Aura Sphere hits Steel types such as Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran that otherwise give Plasmanta trouble, as well as doing a decent amount of damage to Colossoil.
- Psyshock instead allows Plasmanta to break through Mollux, Mega Venusaur, who otherwise wall Plasmanta's other moves. Psyshock also allows it to beat opposing Plasmanta.
- Taunt can be used to block reliable recovery on Pokemon such Mollux and Mega Venusaur, who can easily heal off damage that Plasmanta dishes out, as well as stop other support options.

Set Details
========
- Life Orb gives Plasmanta a large power boost to its attacks while still having the freedom of move choice, letting it serve as a powerful wallbreaker without having to worry about being locked into a move that can easily be exploited.
- Storm Drain is a great ability that lets Plasmanta to absorb incoming Water-type attacks and gain a helpful boost to further supplement its Special Attack.
- Maximum Special Attack and Speed lets Plasmanta hit as hard as possible as fast as possible.
- Timid is the preferred Nature, as it speed ties with base 100s such as Mega Medicham and Mega Charizard. It also allows Plasmanta to outspeed Tapu Lele and unboosted Aurumoth.

Usage Tips
========

- Plasmanta should primarily be used as a wallbreaker mid-game to soften up the defensive walls that would cause problems for the rest of the team.
- Be sure to scout out coverage moves before sending Plasmanta in on Pokemon such as Celesteela, Naviathan, Pyroak, Arghonaut, and Tangrowth, as they can hit it with super-effective Ground and Psychic-type attacks.
- Try to get Plasmanta in on as many free switches or resisted hits as possible, as consistent damage alongside Life Orb recoil can severely cut into Plasmanta's limited survivability.
- If an opponent's Pokemon such as Ash Greninja, Kingdra, and Keldeo is locked into a Water-type attack, feel free to switch Plasmanta in, as it will gain a Special Attack boost and increase its wallbreaking capabilities to even be able to threaten its slower checks. Be wary of trying to switch into a Water attack if the opponents are not Choice-locked, as they can strike Plasmanta with strong coverage moves.
- Keep Plasmanta out of battle as much as if the opponent has a Dugtrio, as they can easily switch in, trap Plasmanta, and OHKO it with Earthquake. However, keep in mind that Plasmanta can also serve as a great lure for Dugtrio as well if played correctly.

Team Options
========

- Setup Sweepers such as Zygarde greatly benefit from Plasmanta breaking through strong defensive Pokemon that they otherwise struggle to get through such as Clefable, Tangrowth, and Arghonaut.
- Plasmanta greatly appreciates Pokemon who can take down Ground types such as Colossoil and Zygarde. Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Tomohawk, and Tangrowth make great partners in this case.
- Tomohawk is a notably great teammate, as it can easily set up hazards to weaken Plasmanta's targets, while Plasmanta can scare away threatening Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini in return.
- Tapu Koko can set up Electric Terrain to power up Plasmanta's Thunderbolt and help pivot it in, while Plasmanta gets rid of bulky Grass types who give Koko trouble.
- Pursuit trappers such as Colossoil and Tyranitar can check pesky Psychic-types and Mollux that can cause problems for Plasmanta.
- Dugtrio can remove Poison and Steel types for Plasmanta, who otherwise stop it from spamming Sludge Bomb.
- Webs support from Necturna is great, as it lets Plasmanta outspeed and KO Pokemon it otherwise could not, such as Syclant. Necturna also can repel Ground types with Will-O-Wisp and Power Whip.
- Spikes setters such as Ferrothorn, Greninja, Skarmory, and Syclant can lay down spikes to soften up incoming foes for Plasmanta, while also serving as decent checks to Ground-types who threaten Plasmanta. insert line break here
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

- Thunderbolt is Plasmanta's best STAB move, as it revenge kills a staggering portion of the metagame, with special mention going to Naviathan, Greninja, Volkraken and Mega Pinsir.
- Sludge Bomb is a secondary STAB that hits Grass types who otherwise resist Thunderbolt, can ensure KOs with a good chance to poison, and can revenge kill fast fairies such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele.
- Hidden Power Ice is an important coverage move that lets Plasmanta hit Ground types such as Landorus-T and Zygarde, who can otherwise switch into its other attacks and force Plasmanta out.
- Aura Sphere is a great coverage move that strikes Steel-types such as Excadrill and Magnezone incredibly hard, as well as being the best move against Colossoil and Ferrothorn.
- Psyshock has the ability to strike down Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and Mega Crucibelle but leaves Plasmanta unable to touch Assault Vest Colossoil.

Set Details
========

-Maximum Speed with a Choice Scarf turns Plasmanta into a potent revenge killer who can outspeed and KO faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Syclant, with a Timid Nature being run to outspeed other Choice Scarf users and setup sweepers such as Tapu Lele, Volkraken and Dragon Dance Naviathan. Keep in mind that it is unable to outspeed Scarf Garchomp.
- Maximum Special Attack invest increases its attack power to hit as hard as possible.
- Storm Drain gives Plasmanta a useful Water immunity to ease switching in, and can give a special attack boost to ensure KOs.

Usage Tips. <--- remove period
========

- As Plasmanta can be rendered useless to Ground and Steel types by switching into Thunderbolt and Sludge Wave respectively, prediction is a key part in using Plasmanta as a revenge killer, especially against Dugtrio who can trap you easily.
- Because of how easy it is to lock into a move that can easily be switch into, Plasmanta can be used as a lure for threatening Ground and Steel such as Landorus-Therian and Magearna if played correctly. Say something more along the lines of "plas can lure out Ground- and Steel-types such as Landorus-T and Magearna and switch into an appropriate check." what you said isn't wrong, but "if played correctly" is a little vague
- Once Ground-types have been removed by teammates, Thunderbolt will be the safest move to be locked into, as it hits most of the metagame neutrally. Similarly, Sludge Bomb becomes a much safer to lock into once opposing Steel-types have been removed.
- Switching into Water-type attacks is important, as it will give Plasmanta a power boost to revenge kill things it otherwise could not, such as being able to OHKO Syclant. Remember that the opponents can just as easily press an attack that can hit Plasmanta incredibly hard, such as Kingdra's Draco Meteor and Greninja's Extrasensory.
- Keep in mind that Plasmanta loses a significant amount of power from using a Choice Scarf, so this set should mostly be used to revenge kill weakened threats.

Team Options
========

- Ground-type removal is essential for this set to be effective, so Pokemon such as Syclant, Tapu Bulu, and Greninja make good partners.
- Slow U-turn or Volt Switch users such as Colossoil, Rotom-Wash, and Magearna can help Plasmanta get into battle safely.
- This set can struggle with Cawmodore, so Pokemon that can serve as secondary checks to it, such as Cyclohm, Greninja, and Volkraken, make great teammates.
- Dugtrio can trap and remove the Poison and Steel-types that limit Plasmanta from locking into Sludge Bomb.
- Wallbreakers generally weaken teams so Plasmanta can clean up, so Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Specs Volkraken, and Mega Pinsir work well with it.
- Spikes can soften up foes for Plasmanta to revenge kill, so setters such as Greninja, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory are greatly appreciated.

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

- Sludge Wave can be used over Sludge Bomb if the extra power is desired, however the difference usually is not significant, and Plasmanta appreciates the extra poison chance on Sludge Bomb.
- Encore can lock Pokemon into unfavorable moves to force a switch, and can ease the pressure of fighting slower Pokemon by locking them into bad moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Water-type attacks. It can also be used to lock slower setup sweepers such Landorus-Therian and Bulk Up Arghonaut into their boosting moves, leaving them open to attack. cite bulk up revenankh over argho imo - you have 3 turns to swap around before it uses moonlight and messes the strat up though
- Dazzling Gleam serves as a great move for neutral coverage, and can notably guarantees a OHKO on Voodoom.
- Z-Electric Terrain can be used to fix any speed problems that Plasmanta usually has while powering up Thunderbolt. However, there are better ways to use the Z-Crystal, and the lack of power on Plasmanta's other moves is very noticable.
- Haze lets Plasmanta serve as an emergency stop to setup sweepers such as Naviathan and Revenankh by removing their stat boosts, but Plasmanta's other options generally prove more useful.

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

**Ground-Types**: Ground-types such as Colossoil, Excadrill, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Zygarde can easily switch into both of Plasmanta's STAB attacks and threaten it out with their STAB moves. However the former two do not like Aura Sphere, while the latter three do not like Hidden Power Ice. Dugtrio can easily switch into Plasmanta's STABs, and can trap it to remove it permanently from play with Earthquake.

**Psychic-Types**: Latios, Hoopa Unbound, Scarf Tapu Lele, Mega Medicham, Mega Alazakam and Mega Gallade all threaten out Plasmanta with strong Psychic attacks. Both Mega Alakazam and Mega Medicham can take large amounts of damage from it however, while Tapu Lele is beaten by the Choice Scarf set.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Chansey can easily heal off any attacks throw at it, and can force Plasmanta out with Seismic Toss. Mollux and Mega Venusaur also wall out Plasmanta using reliable recovery and can wear it down with their STAB Attacks. However, Encore and Taunt can cause all of them headaches, and Mollux and Mega Venusaur fall to Psyshock.

**Faster Attackers** Faster attackers such as Greninja, Syclant, Choice Scarf Volkraken, and Swift Swim Kingdra all can outspeed and KO Plasmanta with Extrasensory, Earth Power, Fire Blast, and Draco Meteor respectively. However, these checks are mostly threatened by the Choice Scarf set.

**Electric Immunity Abilities** Voodoom can switch into Thunderbolt easily to gain a special attack boost, and threatens both sets with Dark Pulse and Psychic. Alolan Marowak can get a free switch in on Thunderbolt, can take a hit from Plasmanta's other moves, and can threaten it out with Bonemerang. Unless it carries Hidden Power Fire or gets high rolls with Aura Sphere, Cawmodore can use Plasmanta as setup bait.
Awesome work Luc. Implement the last of my nitpicky comments and you get QC 1/3

 

cbrevan

spin, spin, spin
is a CAP Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnus
Hey LucarioOfLegends

How're you doing, Luc? With USUM out, we need to shift our priorities to the current metagame. We would have to revert this back to QC 0/3 to ensure it's up to date. Would you be willing to update and finish Ohmagod for USUM CAP?
 
Last edited:

snake

is a Community Leaderis a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
CAP Co-Leader
[OVERVIEW]
- Great Special Attack stat and unique STAB combination lets it serve as an Electric-type that break through common defensive Pokemon in the tier such as Tomohawk and Tapu Fini, while also having Sludge Bomb and Aura Sphere to break through bulky Grass types such as Pyroak, Tangrowth, and Ferrothorn. fini isn't that common anymore - replace with Arghonaut, add in AV Tapu Bulu with the grass-types
- Plasmanta has a number of other options such as Psyshock, Aura Sphere, Hidden Power, Taunt, and Encore that lets it prepare for different threats that can stomach its STAB attacks.
- Great typing defensively along with Storm Drain lets it tank a number of common attacking types, such as Water, Flying, Fairy, Electric, and Steel incredibly well, letting it check Pokemon such as Magearna and Keldeo.

- Great defenses let down by a quadruple weakness to Ground, leaving it beaten by Colossoil, Landorus-Therian, and common Ground type moves in general, and the looming threat of Hidden Power Ground can make it difficult to switch in safely.
- Underwhelming special bulk means that even resisted special attacks can seriously dent Plasmanta.
- Suffers heavily from four-moveslot syndrome, as forgoing a certain coverage move leaves it unable to beat certain threats.
- A lack of reliable recovery and an immunity to only Toxic Spikes means Plasmanta can be easily be worn down over the course of the battle, limiting the number of times that Plasmanta can enter the battle.
- A crowded base 100 speed tier means it has to make a gamble against Mega Charizard, Mega Medicham, and Salamence.
-lack of vswitch limits its safe options in battle
-just pretty bad against some of the top players in the meta
-AV magearna just gets free momentum off of it
-mention that Ash-Gren's Dark Pulse chunks it, undermining Storm Drain's effectiveness



[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

-Thunderbolt is a strong STAB move that can hit most of the metagame ruthlessly hard, and is especially effective against Water and Flying types such as Naviathan, Tomohawk, Tapu Fini replace with Arghonauti, and Celesteela.
- Sludge Bomb is a great secondary STAB that hits bulky Grass types that Thunderbolt could not punch through such as Pyroak, Tapu Bulu, and Tangrowth, as well as crippling the opponent with a poison chance.
- Hidden Power Ice nails Ground types such as Landorus-Therian, Zygarde, and Garchomp replace with something that's not Garchomp, who otherwise wall Plasmanta.
- Hidden Power Fire is an alternative option that hits Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn supereffectively and stops Plasmanta from turning into setup bait for Cawmodore.
- Aura Sphere hits Steel types such as Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran that otherwise give Plasmanta trouble, as well as doing a decent amount of damage to Colossoil.
- Psyshock instead allows Plasmanta to break through Mollux, Mega Venusaur, who otherwise wall Plasmanta's other moves. Psyshock also allows it to beat opposing Plasmanta.
- Taunt can be used to block reliable recovery on Pokemon such Mollux and Mega Venusaur, who can easily heal off damage that Plasmanta dishes out, as well as stop other support options.

Set Details
========
- Life Orb gives Plasmanta a large power boost to its attacks while still having the freedom of move choice, letting it serve as a powerful wallbreaker without having to worry about being locked into a move that can easily be exploited.
- Storm Drain is a great ability that lets Plasmanta to absorb incoming Water-type attacks and gain a helpful boost to further supplement its Special Attack.
- Maximum Special Attack and Speed lets Plasmanta hit as hard as possible as fast as possible.
- Timid is the preferred Nature, as it speed ties with base 100s such as Mega Medicham and Mega Charizard pick something that's not zardy. It also allows Plasmanta to outspeed Tapu Lele and unboosted Aurumoth.

Usage Tips
========

- Plasmanta should primarily be used as a wallbreaker mid-game to soften up the defensive walls that would cause problems for the rest of the team.
- Be sure to scout out coverage moves before sending Plasmanta in on Pokemon such as Celesteela, Naviathan, Pyroak, Arghonaut, and Tangrowth, as they can hit it with super-effective Ground and Psychic-type attacks.
- Try to get Plasmanta in on as many free switches or resisted hits as possible, as consistent damage alongside Life Orb recoil can severely cut into Plasmanta's limited survivability.
- If Water-types such as Ash Greninja, Kingdra replace with Volkraken, and Keldeo are locked into a Water-type attack, feel free to switch Plasmanta in, as it will gain a Special Attack boost and increase its wallbreaking capabilities to even be able to threaten its slower checks. Be wary of trying to switch into a Water attack if the opponents are not Choice-locked, as they can strike Plasmanta with strong coverage moves.


Team Options
========

- Setup Sweepers such as Zygarde greatly benefit from Plasmanta breaking through strong defensive Pokemon that they otherwise struggle to get through such as Clefable, Tangrowth, and Arghonaut.
- Plasmanta greatly appreciates Pokemon who can take down Ground types such as Colossoil and Zygarde. Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Tomohawk, and Tangrowth make great partners in this case.
- Tomohawk is a notably great teammate, as it can easily set up hazards to weaken Plasmanta's targets, while Plasmanta can scare away threatening Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini something else ;; in return.
- Tapu Koko can set up Electric Terrain to power up Plasmanta's Thunderbolt and help pivot it in, while Plasmanta gets rid of bulky Grass types who give Koko trouble.
- Pursuit trappers such as Colossoil and Tyranitar can check pesky Psychic-types and Mollux that can cause problems for Plasmanta.
- Dugtrio can remove Poison and Steel types for Plasmanta, who otherwise stop it from spamming Sludge Bomb. Dugtrio removed things so hard that it removed itself
- Webs support from Necturna is great, as it lets Plasmanta outspeed and KO Pokemon it otherwise could not, such as Syclant. Necturna also can repel Ground types with Will-O-Wisp and Power Whip.
- Spikes setters such as Ferrothorn, Greninja, Skarmory, and Syclant can lay down spikes to soften up incoming foes for Plasmanta, while also serving as decent checks to Ground-types who threaten Plasmanta.

there needs to be a physical wallbreaker section because any special wall / pivot like Magearna or Chansey makes Plas sad

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

A special scarfer that can't shut down a boosted Kartana is sad - tbolt does about 68% min. I'm a little skeptical of Psyshock on this set anyway because none of the mons listed are particularly great in the metagame. I suppose a mention would be good.

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

- Thunderbolt is Plasmanta's best STAB move, as it revenge kills a staggering portion of the metagame, with special mention going to Naviathan, Greninja, Volkraken and Mega Pinsir.
- Sludge Bomb is a secondary STAB that hits Grass types who otherwise resist Thunderbolt, can ensure KOs with a good chance to poison, and can revenge kill fast fairies such as Tapu Koko and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele.
- Hidden Power Ice is an important coverage move that lets Plasmanta hit Ground types such as Landorus-T and Zygarde, who can otherwise switch into its other attacks and force Plasmanta out.
- Aura Sphere is a great coverage move that strikes Steel-types such as Excadrill and Magnezone incredibly hard, as well as being the best move against Colossoil and Ferrothorn.
- Psyshock has the ability to strike down Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and Mega Crucibelle but leaves Plasmanta unable to touch Assault Vest Colossoil.

Set Details
========

-Maximum Speed with a Choice Scarf turns Plasmanta into a potent revenge killer who can outspeed and KO faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Syclant, with a Timid Nature being run to outspeed other Choice Scarf users and setup sweepers such as Tapu Lele, Volkraken and Dragon Dance Naviathan. Keep in mind that it is unable to outspeed Choice Scarf Garchomp. remove this last sentence
- Maximum Special Attack invest increases its attack power to hit as hard as possible.
- Storm Drain gives Plasmanta a useful Water immunity to ease switching in, and can give a special attack boost to ensure KOs.

Usage Tips
========

- As Plasmanta can be rendered useless to Ground and Steel types by switching into Thunderbolt and Sludge Wave respectively, prediction is a key part in using Plasmanta as a revenge killer.
- Because of how easy it is to lock into a move that can easily be switch into, Plasmanta can lure out Ground and Steel types such as Landorus-Therian and Magearna and switch into an appropriate check.
- Once Ground-types have been removed by teammates, Thunderbolt will be the safest move to be locked into, as it hits most of the metagame neutrally. Similarly, Sludge Bomb becomes a much safer to lock into once opposing Steel-types have been removed.
- Switching into Water-type attacks is important, as it will give Plasmanta a power boost to revenge kill things it otherwise could not, such as being able to OHKO Syclant. Remember that the opponents can just as easily press an attack that can hit Plasmanta incredibly hard, such as Kingdra's Draco Meteor and Greninja's Extrasensory.
- Keep in mind that Plasmanta loses a significant amount of power from using a Choice Scarf, so this set should mostly be used to revenge kill weakened threats.

Team Options
========

- Ground-type removal is essential for this set to be effective, so Pokemon such as Syclant, Tapu Bulu, and Greninja make good partners.
- Slow U-turn or Volt Switch users such as Colossoil, Rotom-Wash, and Magearna can help Plasmanta get into battle safely.
- This set can struggle with Cawmodore, so Pokemon that can serve as secondary checks to it, such as Cyclohm, Greninja, and Volkraken, make great teammates.
- Wallbreakers generally weaken teams so Plasmanta can clean up, so Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Specs Volkraken, and Mega Pinsir work well with it.
- Spikes can soften up foes for Plasmanta to revenge kill, so setters such as Greninja, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory are greatly appreciated. correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt Skarm will appear on the same team as Scarf Plasmanta - maybe just make a general hazard setter section

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

- Sludge Wave can be used over Sludge Bomb if the extra power is desired, however the difference usually is not significant, and Plasmanta appreciates the extra poison chance on Sludge Bomb.
- Encore can lock Pokemon into unfavorable moves to force a switch, and can ease the pressure of fighting slower Pokemon by locking them into bad moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Water-type attacks. It can also be used to lock slower setup sweepers such Landorus-Therian and Bulk Up Revenankh into their boosting moves, leaving them open to attack.
- Dazzling Gleam serves as a great move for neutral coverage, and can notably guarantees a OHKO on Voodoom.
- Z-Electric Terrain can be used to fix any speed problems that Plasmanta usually has while powering up Thunderbolt. However, there are better ways to use the Z-Crystal, and the lack of power on Plasmanta's other moves is very noticable.
- Haze lets Plasmanta serve as an emergency stop to setup sweepers such as Naviathan and Revenankh by removing their stat boosts, but Plasmanta's other options generally prove more useful.

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

**Ground-Types**: Ground-types such as Colossoil, Excadrill, Landorus-T, Garchomp remove this mention, and Zygarde can easily switch into both of Plasmanta's STAB attacks and easily OHKO it with Earthquake. Assault Vest Colossoil in particular takes very little from any of Plasmanta's moves and can effortlessly force it out.

**Psychic-Types**: Latios, Hoopa Unbound, Scarf Tapu Lele, Mega Medicham, Mega Alazakam and Mega Gallade all threaten out Plasmanta with strong Psychic attacks. Both Mega Alakazam and Mega Medicham can take large amounts of damage from it however, while Tapu Lele is beaten by the Choice Scarf set.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Chansey can easily heal off any attacks thrown at it, and can force Plasmanta out with Seismic Toss. Mollux and Mega Venusaur also wall out Plasmanta using reliable recovery and can wear it down with their STAB Attacks. However, Encore and Taunt can cause all of them headaches, and Mollux and Mega Venusaur fall to Psyshock. add in AV Magearna

**Faster Attackers** Faster attackers such as Syclant, Pajantom, and Ash-Greninja all can outspeed and KO Life Orb Plasmanta. Choice Scarf Volkraken and Swift Swim Kingdra can also outspeed and KO, but they have to be careful of locking into a Water-type move.

**Electric Immunity Abilities** Voodoom can switch into Thunderbolt easily to gain a special attack boost, and threatens both sets with Dark Pulse and Psychic. Alolan Marowak can get a free switch in on Thunderbolt, can take a hit from Plasmanta's other moves, and can threaten it out with Bonemerang. maro-a is only going to appear on Trick Room and will run only Rock Head Unless it carries Hidden Power Fire or gets high rolls with Aura Sphere, Cawmodore can use Plasmanta as setup bait.

QC:
Quick few comments, but which set is better nowadays? Is it still LO?
 

LucarioOfLegends

Master Procraster
is a CAP Contributor
Choice Scarf was deemed more relevent due to the metagame's current speed focus and it being easier to fit on a team, so that was move to the primary set slot. Otherwise, implemented.
 

snake

is a Community Leaderis a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
CAP Co-Leader
[OVERVIEW]
- Great Special Attack stat and unique STAB combination lets it serve as an Electric-type that break through common defensive Pokemon in the tier such as Tomohawk and Arghonaut, while also having Sludge Bomb and Aura Sphere to break through bulky Grass types such as Pyroak, Tangrowth, Assault Vest Tapu Bulu and Ferrothorn.
- Plasmanta has a number of other options such as Psyshock, Aura Sphere, Hidden Power, Taunt, and Encore that lets it prepare for different threats that can stomach its STAB attacks.
- Great typing defensively along with Storm Drain lets it tank a number of common attacking types, such as Water, Flying, Fairy, Electric, and Steel incredibly well, letting it check Pokemon such as Shift Gear Magearna and Keldeo. put Tapu Bulu and Kartana here

- Great defenses let down by a quadruple weakness to Ground, leaving it beaten by Colossoil, Landorus-Therian, and common Ground type moves in general, and the looming threat of Hidden Power Ground what makes this a looming threat? can make it difficult to switch in safely.
- Underwhelming bulk makes it somewhat frail at points.
- Suffers heavily from four-moveslot syndrome, as forgoing a certain coverage move leaves it unable to beat certain threats.
- A lack of reliable recovery and an immunity to only Toxic Spikes means Plasmanta can be easily be worn down over the course of the battle, limiting the number of times that Plasmanta can enter the battle, and both the unreliability of Storm Drain and a lack of Volt Switch can generally make it hard to get into battle.
- A crowded base 100 speed tier means it has to make a gamble against Mega Charizard, Mega Medicham, and Salamence.
- Can be shut down by a number of common Pokemon in the tier such as Assault Vest Magearna.


[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Aura Sphere
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

- Thunderbolt is Plasmanta's best STAB move, as it revenge kills a staggering portion of the metagame, with special mention going to Naviathan, Greninja, Volkraken and Mega Pinsir.
- Sludge Bomb is a secondary STAB that hits Grass types who otherwise resist Thunderbolt, can ensure KOs with a good chance to poison, and can revenge kill fast Fairy-types such as Tapu Koko and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele.
- Hidden Power Ice is an important coverage move that lets Plasmanta hit Ground types such as Landorus-T and Zygarde, who can otherwise switch into its other attacks and force Plasmanta out.
- Aura Sphere is a great coverage move that strikes Steel-types such as Excadrill and Magnezone incredibly hard, as well as being the best move against Colossoil and Ferrothorn.
- Psyshock has the ability to strike down Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and Mega Crucibelle but leaves Plasmanta unable to touch Assault Vest Colossoil. this still reads like it's slashed with aura sphere

Set Details
========

-Maximum Speed EV investment with a Choice Scarf turns Plasmanta into a potent revenge killer who can outspeed and KO faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Syclant, with a Timid Nature being run to outspeed other Choice Scarf users and setup sweepers such as Tapu Lele, Volkraken and Dragon Dance Naviathan.
- Maximum Special Attack EV investment increases its attack power to hit as hard as possible.
- Storm Drain gives Plasmanta a useful Water immunity to ease switching in, and can give a special attack boost to ensure KOs. note that this allows Plasmanta to fully check Ash-Greninja because it can't cheese past the Scarf with water shuriken priority

Usage Tips
========

- As Plasmanta can be rendered useless to Ground- and Steel-types by switching into Thunderbolt and Sludge Wave Bomb respectively, prediction is a key part in using Plasmanta as a revenge killer.
- Because of how easy it is to lock into a move that can easily be switch into, Plasmanta can lure out Ground and Steel types such as Landorus-Therian and Magearna and switch into an appropriate check.
- Once Ground-types have been removed by teammates, Thunderbolt will be the safest move to be locked into, as it hits most of the metagame neutrally. Similarly, Sludge Bomb becomes a much safer to lock into once opposing Steel-types have been removed.
- Switching into Water-type attacks is important as it will gives (as it is now, it sounds like you have to switch into Water-type attacks) Plasmanta a power boost to revenge kill things it otherwise could not, such as being able to OHKO Syclant. Remember that the opponents can just as easily press an attack that can hit Plasmanta incredibly hard, such as Kingdra's Draco Meteor and Greninja's Extrasensory. Replace with Ash-Greninja's Dark Pulse
- Keep in mind that Plasmanta loses a significant amount of power from using a Choice Scarf this still reads like it comes after the LO set, so this set should mostly be used to revenge kill weakened threats.

Team Options
========

- Ground-type removal is essential for this set to be effective, so Pokemon such as Syclant, Tapu Bulu, and Ash-Greninja make good partners.
- Slow U-turn or Volt Switch users such as Colossoil, Rotom-Wash, and Magearna can help Plasmanta get into battle safely.
- This set can struggle with Cawmodore, so Pokemon that can serve as secondary checks to it, such as Cyclohm, Ash-Greninja, and Choice Scarf Volkraken, make great teammates.
- Wallbreakers generally weaken teams so Plasmanta can clean up, so Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Specs Volkraken, and Mega Pinsir work well with it.
- Entry hazards can soften up foes for Plasmanta to revenge kill, so setters such as Ash-Greninja, Ferrothorn, and Tomohawk are greatly appreciated.


[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

-Thunderbolt is a strong STAB move that can hit most of the metagame ruthlessly hard, and is especially effective against Water and Flying types such as Naviathan, Tomohawk, Arghonaut, and Celesteela.
- Sludge Bomb is a great secondary STAB that hits bulky Grass types that Thunderbolt could not punch through such as Pyroak, Tapu Bulu, and Tangrowth, as well as crippling the opponent with a poison chance.
- Hidden Power Ice nails Ground types such as Landorus-Therian and Zygarde, who otherwise wall Plasmanta.
- Hidden Power Fire is an alternative option that hits Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn supereffectively and stops Plasmanta from turning into setup bait for Cawmodore.
- Aura Sphere hits Steel types such as Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran that otherwise give Plasmanta trouble, as well as doing a decent amount of damage to Colossoil.
- Psyshock instead allows Plasmanta to break through Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and opposing Plasmanta, who otherwise wall Plasmanta's other moves. Psyshock also allows it to beat opposing Plasmanta.
- Taunt can be used to block reliable recovery on Pokemon such Mollux and Mega Venusaur, who can easily heal off damage that Plasmanta dishes out, as well as stop other support options.

Set Details
========
- Life Orb gives Plasmanta a large power boost to its attacks while still having the freedom of move choice, letting it serve as a powerful wallbreaker without having to worry about being locked into a move that can easily be exploited.
- Storm Drain is a great ability that lets Plasmanta to absorb incoming Water-type attacks and gain a helpful boost to further supplement its Special Attack.
- Maximum Special Attack and Speed lets Plasmanta hit as hard as possible as fast as possible.
- Timid is the preferred Nature, as it speed ties with base 100s such as Mega Medicham and Victini. It also allows Plasmanta to outspeed Tapu Lele and unboosted Aurumoth. Flame Orb Colossoil and Choice Specs Volkraken too

Usage Tips
========

- Plasmanta should primarily be used as a wallbreaker mid-game to soften up the defensive walls that would cause problems for the rest of the team.
- Be sure to scout out coverage moves before sending Plasmanta in on Pokemon such as Celesteela, Naviathan, Pyroak, Arghonaut, and Tangrowth, as they can hit it with super-effective Ground- and Psychic-type attacks.
- Try to get Plasmanta in on as many free switches or resisted hits as possible, as consistent damage alongside Life Orb recoil can severely cut into Plasmanta's limited survivability.
- If Water-types such as Ash Greninja, Volkraken, and Keldeo are locked into a Water-type attack, feel free to switch Plasmanta in, as it will gain a Special Attack boost and increase its wallbreaking capabilities to even be able to threaten its slower checks. Be wary of trying to switch into a Water attack if the opponents are not Choice-locked, as they can strike Plasmanta with strong coverage moves.


Team Options
========

- Setup Sweepers such as Zygarde greatly benefit from Plasmanta breaking through strong defensive Pokemon that they otherwise struggle to get through such as Clefable, Tangrowth, and Arghonaut. add in Tomohawk here too
- Plasmanta greatly appreciates Pokemon who can take down Ground types such as Colossoil and Zygarde. Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Tomohawk, and Tangrowth make great partners in this case.
- Tomohawk is a notably great teammate, as it can easily set up hazards to weaken Plasmanta's targets, while Plasmanta can scare away threatening Fairy-types such as Clefable in return.
- Tapu Koko can set up Electric Terrain to power up Plasmanta's Thunderbolt and help pivot it in, while Plasmanta gets rid of bulky Grass types who give Koko trouble.
- Pursuit trappers such as Colossoil and Tyranitar can check pesky Psychic-types and Mollux add Pajantom that can cause problems for Plasmanta.
- Webs support from Necturna is great, as it lets Plasmanta outspeed and KO Pokemon it otherwise could not, such as Syclant. Necturna also can repel Ground types with Will-O-Wisp and Power Whip.
- Spikes setters such as Ferrothorn, Greninja, Skarmory, and Syclant can lay down spikes to soften up incoming foes for Plasmanta, while also serving as decent checks to Ground-types who threaten Plasmanta.
- Physical wallbreakers such as Flame Orb Colossoil and Kartana can break through specially defensive Pokemon such as Assault Vest Magearna and Chansey, which can stop Plasmanta cold.

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

- Sludge Wave can be used over Sludge Bomb if the extra power is desired, however the difference usually is not significant, and Plasmanta appreciates the extra poison chance on Sludge Bomb.
- Encore can lock Pokemon into unfavorable moves to force a switch, and can ease the pressure of fighting slower Pokemon by locking them into bad moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Water-type attacks. It can also be used to lock slower setup sweepers such Landorus-Therian and Bulk Up Revenankh into their boosting moves, leaving them open to attack.
- Dazzling Gleam serves as a great move for neutral coverage, and can notably guarantees a OHKO on Voodoom. ehhhh...also say that it maintains damage on Colossoil, Zygarde, etc.
- Z-Electric Terrain can be used to fix any speed problems that Plasmanta usually has while powering up Thunderbolt, turning it into a sweeper. However, there are better ways to use the Z-Crystal, and the lack of power on Plasmanta's other moves is very noticable.
- Haze lets Plasmanta serve as an emergency stop to setup sweepers such as Dragon Dance Naviathan and Bulk Up Revenankh by removing their stat boosts, but Plasmanta's other options such as Encore generally prove more useful.

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

**Ground-Types**: Ground-types such as Colossoil, Excadrill, Landorus-T, and Zygarde can easily switch into both of Plasmanta's STAB attacks and easily OHKO it with Earthquake or Thousand Arrows. Assault Vest Colossoil in particular takes very little from any of Plasmanta's moves and can effortlessly force it out make a note about Pursuit.

**Psychic-Types**: Latios, Hoopa Unbound, Scarf Tapu Lele, and Mega Medicham all threaten out Plasmanta with strong Psychic attacks. Both Mega Alakazam and Mega Medicham can take large amounts of damage from it however, while Tapu Lele is beaten by the Choice Scarf set. This section reads off very awkwardly

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Chansey can easily heal off any attacks thrown at it, and can force Plasmanta out with Seismic Toss. Mollux and Mega Venusaur also wall out Plasmanta using reliable recovery and can wear it down with their STAB Attacks. However, Encore and Taunt can cause all of them headaches, and Mollux and Mega Venusaur fall to Psyshock. Assault Vest Magearna fears very little from Plasmanta and can use it as a way to gain free momentum. move Assault Vest Magearna before Mollux and Venusaur

**Faster Attackers** Faster attackers such as Syclant, Pajantom, and Ash-Greninja all can outspeed and KO Life Orb Plasmanta. Choice Scarf Volkraken and Swift Swim Kingdra can also outspeed and KO, but they have to be careful of locking into a Water-type move.

**Electric Immunity Abilities** Voodoom can switch into Thunderbolt easily to gain a special attack boost, and threatens both sets with Dark Pulse and Psychic. Unless it carries Hidden Power Fire or gets high rolls with Aura Sphere, Cawmodore can use Plasmanta as setup bait.

QC:
Good job! I know it can be difficult, but remember what "collateral damage" that happens when you move sets around, delete moves, etc. The prose will generally change to these sorts of things. Regardless, QC 1/3
 

LucarioOfLegends

Master Procraster
is a CAP Contributor
A mention about opposing Plasmanta was already added, but changed it to fix the collateral damage. Otherwise, implemented and ready for next QC.
 

cbrevan

spin, spin, spin
is a CAP Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnus
Looking good LucarioOfLegends. Comments are included below in bold. Tag me when you have everything implemented, and then I'll give you a check.
[OVERVIEW]

- Great Special Attack stat and unique STAB combination lets it serve as an Electric-type that break through common defensive Pokemon in the tier such as Tomohawk and Arghonaut, while also having Sludge Bomb and Aura Sphere to break through bulky Grass types such as Pyroak, Tangrowth, Assault Vest Tapu Bulu and Ferrothorn.

- Plasmanta has a number of other options such as Psyshock, Aura Sphere, Hidden Power, Taunt, and Encore that lets it prepare for different threats that can stomach its STAB attacks. No need to mention Aura Sphere again here. Mention of Mollux and Heatran are probably warranted as a substitution or elaboration of different threats that can stomach its STAB attacks.

- Great typing defensively along with Storm Drain lets it tank a number of common attacking types, such as Water, Flying, Fairy, Electric, and Steel incredibly well, letting it check Pokemon such as Shift Gear Magearna, Keldeo, Tapu Bulu, and Kartana Minor nitpick here, but the typing is definitely not great defensively, at least not in this meta. Try to overhype it less to avoid making Plasmanta sound like a tank. "Incredibly well" is an exaggeration, for example. Focus on how the typing benefits what Plasmanta does (situational check + heavy hitter)- it gives it switchin opportunities it really needs. Hawlucha is a better mention over Keldeo due to relevancy in the current meta.


- Great defenses let down by a quadruple weakness to Ground, leaving it beaten by Colossoil, Landorus-Therian, and common Ground type moves in general, while the looming fear of being KO'd by Hidden Power Ground can make it difficult to switch in safely. Same thing as above applies here- don't overhype the bulk. I'd also underplay the HP Ground part since not many Pokemon actually run it, or the ones that do (Keldeo) aren't nearly as viable as they once were.

- Underwhelming bulk makes it somewhat frail at points. This and the above point contradict each other- "great defenses" and "underwhelming bulk" shouldn't be describing the same pokemon. This point in particular is very vague and doesn't tell the reader next to anything about plasmanta.

- Suffers heavily from four-moveslot syndrome, as forgoing a certain coverage move leaves it unable to beat certain threats. Give some examples of what threats it can't beat. You don't have to explain which move combos fail to beat them, just mention the main ones to justify your claim of heavy 4mss. If you can't do this, then the 4mss is not as heavy as you think.

- A lack of reliable recovery and an immunity to only Toxic Spikes means Plasmanta can be easily be worn down over the course of the battle, limiting the number of times that Plasmanta can enter the battle, and both the unreliability of Storm Drain and a lack of Volt Switch can generally make it hard to get into battle. "unreliability of Storm Drain" is a bit too vague here. The ability isn't unreliable, it'll always proc against a Water move unless you're facing Mega Gyrarados.

- A crowded base 100 speed tier means it has to make a gamble against Mega Charizard, Mega Medicham, and Salamence.

- Can be shut down by a number of common Pokemon in the tier such as Assault Vest Magearna. More examples here, although try not to repeat stuff you've already mentioned if you can.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Aura Sphere
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

- Thunderbolt is Plasmanta's best STAB move, as it revenge kills a staggering portion of the metagame, with special mention going to Naviathan, Greninja, Volkraken and Mega Pinsir.
- Sludge Bomb is a secondary STAB that hits Grass types who otherwise resist Thunderbolt, can ensure KOs with a good chance to poison, and can revenge kill fast Fairy-types such as Tapu Koko and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele.
- Hidden Power Ice is an important coverage move that lets Plasmanta hit Ground types such as Landorus-T and Zygarde, who can otherwise switch into its other attacks and force Plasmanta out. Plus, HP Ice allows you to revenge kill both of the aforementioned mons.
- Aura Sphere is a great coverage move that strikes Steel-types such as Excadrill and Magnezone incredibly hard, as well as being the best move against Colossoil and Ferrothorn. Also allows you to revenge kill Kartana more reliably.
- Psyshock is a possible alternative that can be used to hit Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and Mega Crucibelle super-effectively, but it leaves Plasmanta unable to touch Assault Vest Colossoil and unable to stop a boosted Kartana.

Set Details
========

-Maximum Speed EV investment with a Choice Scarf turns Plasmanta into a potent revenge killer who can outspeed and KO faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Syclant, with a Timid Nature being run to outspeed other Choice Scarf users and setup sweepers such as Tapu Lele, Volkraken and Dragon Dance Naviathan.
- Maximum Special Attack investment increases its attack power to hit as hard as possible.
- Storm Drain gives Plasmanta a useful Water immunity to ease switching in, and can give a special attack boost to ensure KOs. It also allows Plasmanta to fully check Ash-Greninja, as Storm Drain absorbs Water Shuriken.

Usage Tips
========

- As Plasmanta can be rendered useless to Ground and Steel types by switching into Thunderbolt and Sludge Wave respectively, prediction is a key part in using Plasmanta as a revenge killer.
- Because of how easy it is to lock into a move that can easily be switch into, Plasmanta can lure out Ground and Steel types such as Landorus-Therian and Magearna and switch into an appropriate check.
- Once Ground-types have been removed by teammates, Thunderbolt will be the safest move to be locked into, as it hits most of the metagame neutrally. Similarly, Sludge Bomb becomes a much safer to lock into once opposing Steel-types have been removed.
- Switching into Water-type attacks gives Plasmanta a power boost to revenge kill things it otherwise could not, such as being able to OHKO Syclant. Remember that the opponents can just as easily press an attack that can hit Plasmanta incredibly hard, such as Kingdra's Draco Meteor and Ash Greninja's Dark Pulse. +1 boost can also be used to clean teams that have had their ground or steel types removed
- Utilizing the speed boost that Choice Scarf gives Plasmanta, this set should mostly be played as a revenge killer.


Team Options
========

- Ground-type removal is essential for this set to be effective, so Pokemon such as Syclant, Tapu Bulu, and Ash-Greninja make good partners.
- Slow U-turn or Volt Switch users such as Colossoil, Rotom-Wash, and Magearna can help Plasmanta get into battle safely.
- This set can struggle with Cawmodore, so Pokemon that can serve as secondary checks to it, such as Cyclohm, Ash-Greninja, and Choice Scarf Volkraken, make great teammates.
- Wallbreakers generally weaken teams so Plasmanta can clean up, so Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Specs Volkraken, and Mega Pinsir work well with it.
- Entry hazards can soften up foes for Plasmanta to revenge kill, so setters such as Ash-Greninja, Ferrothorn, and Tomohawk are greatly appreciated.
Plasmanta makes a good core with both Ground type such as Colo, Zyg, and Lando, where its able to pressure the Water and Flying mons that check them. In general, Plasmanta is best paired with Pokemon that want Water types threatened, such as the aforementioned grounds, Fire types such as Volc, and Offensive water such as Gren and Volk. The threat of Plasmanta switching into a Water STAB can put the opponent in a real pickle. Not that this also applies to the next set.


[SET]

name: Life Orb
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock / Taunt I'm a bit skeptic of taunt here, Plasmanta really needs the full four move coverage to hit everything it needs to. Taunt is best for pressuring fat walls, but Plasmanta already threatens out many of them, such as pex and clef, or they're already running AV like colo/mag/bulu. You're citing Mega Venu and Mollux as taunt targets but Psyshock already covers them in a more effective way. What else does taunt do for this set?
item: Life Orb
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

-Thunderbolt is a strong STAB move that can hit most of the metagame ruthlessly hard, and is especially effective against Water and Flying types such as Naviathan, Tomohawk, Arghonaut, and Celesteela.
- Sludge Bomb is a great secondary STAB that hits bulky Grass types that Thunderbolt could not punch through such as Pyroak, Tapu Bulu, and Tangrowth, as well as crippling the opponent with a poison chance. Is also important for getting the drop on Dragons, such as latis and clohm, as well as other electrics such as Koko, and Clefable
- Hidden Power Ice nails Ground types such as Landorus-Therian and Zygarde, who otherwise wall Plasmanta.
- Hidden Power Fire is an alternative option that hits Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn supereffectively and stops Plasmanta from turning into setup bait for Cawmodore.
- Aura Sphere hits Steel types such as Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran that otherwise give Plasmanta trouble, as well as doing a decent amount of damage to Colossoil.
- Psyshock instead allows Plasmanta to break through Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and opposing Plasmanta,who otherwise wall Plasmanta's other moves.
- Taunt can be used to block reliable recovery on Pokemon such Mollux and Mega Venusaur, who can easily heal off damage that Plasmanta dishes out, as well as stop other support options.


Set Details
========

- Life Orb gives Plasmanta a large power boost to its attacks while still having the freedom of move choice, letting it serve as a powerful wallbreaker without having to worry about being locked into a move that can easily be exploited.
- Storm Drain is a great ability that lets Plasmanta to absorb incoming Water-type attacks and gain a helpful boost to further supplement its Special Attack.
- Maximum Special Attack and Speed lets Plasmanta hit as hard as possible as fast as possible.
- Timid is the preferred Nature, as it speed ties with base 100s such as Mega Medicham and Victini. It also allows Plasmanta to outspeed Tapu Lele, unboosted Aurumoth, Flame Orb Colossoil, and Choice Specs Volkraken.


Usage Tips
========

- Plasmanta should primarily be used as a wallbreaker mid-game to soften up the defensive walls that would cause problems for the rest of the team. This isn't confined to mid-game- you want to do this whenever the opportunity allows.
- Be sure to scout out coverage moves before sending Plasmanta in on Pokemon such as Celesteela, Naviathan, Pyroak, Arghonaut, and Tangrowth, as they can hit it with super-effective Ground and Psychic-type attacks. This also applies to the first set.
- Try to get Plasmanta in on as many free switches or resisted hits as possible, as consistent damage alongside Life Orb recoil can severely cut into Plasmanta's limited survivability.
- If Water-types such as Ash Greninja, Volkraken, and Keldeo are locked into a Water-type attack, feel free to switch Plasmanta in, as it will gain a Special Attack boost and increase its wallbreaking capabilities to even be able to threaten its slower checks. Be wary of trying to switch into a Water attack if the opponents are not Choice-locked, as they can strike Plasmanta with strong coverage moves.



Team Options
========

- Setup Sweepers such as Zygarde greatly benefit from Plasmanta breaking through strong defensive Pokemon that they otherwise struggle to get through such as Clefable, Tangrowth, Tomohawk, and Arghonaut. Make sure you say what these mons, and all the others listed in this section, can do for plasmanta.
- Plasmanta greatly appreciates Pokemon who can take down Ground types such as Colossoil and Zygarde. Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Tomohawk, and Tangrowth make great partners in this case.
- Tomohawk is a notably great teammate, as it can easily set up hazards to weaken Plasmanta's targets, while Plasmanta can scare away threatening Fairy-types such as Clefable in return.
- Tapu Koko can set up Electric Terrain to power up Plasmanta's Thunderbolt and help pivot it in, while Plasmanta gets rid of bulky Grass types who give Koko trouble.
- Pursuit trappers such as Colossoil and Tyranitar can check pesky Psychic-types as well as Pajantom and Mollux that can cause problems for Plasmanta.
- Webs support from Necturna is great, as it lets Plasmanta outspeed and KO Pokemon it otherwise could not, such as Syclant. Necturna also can repel Ground types with Will-O-Wisp and Power Whip.
- Spikes setters such as Ferrothorn, Greninja, Skarmory, and Syclant can lay down spikes to soften up incoming foes for Plasmanta, while also serving as decent checks to Ground-types who threaten Plasmanta. Are there any kos/2hkos manta achieves w/ a layer of spikes or a layer of spikes +rocks?
- Physical wallbreakers such as Flame Orb Colossoil and Kartana can break through specially defensive Pokemon such as Assault Vest Magearna and Chansey, which can stop Plasmanta cold.


[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============
- Sludge Wave can be used over Sludge Bomb if the extra power is desired, however the difference usually is not significant, and Plasmanta appreciates the extra poison chance on Sludge Bomb.
- Encore can lock Pokemon into unfavorable moves to force a switch, and can ease the pressure of fighting slower Pokemon by locking them into bad moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Water-type attacks. It can also be used to lock slower setup sweepers such Landorus-Therian and Bulk Up Revenankh into their boosting moves, leaving them open to attack.
- Dazzling Gleam serves as a great move for neutral coverage while maintaining super-effective damage on Pokemon such as Colossoil and Zygarde, and can notably guarantees a OHKO on Voodoom. voodoom mention is unneeded because voodoom is practically unviable
- Z-Electric Terrain can be used to fix any speed problems that Plasmanta usually has while powering up Thunderbolt, turning it in a sweeper However, there are better ways to use the Z-Crystal, and the lack of power on Plasmanta's other moves is quite noticable.
- Haze lets Plasmanta serve as an emergency stop to setup sweepers such as Dragon Dance Naviathan and Bulk Up Revenankh by removing their stat boosts, but Plasmanta's other options, such as Encore, generally prove more useful. I'd at least put this above Electric Terrain.
I'd add Hp Grass here, probably under Encore, that is an acceptable Substitue for Hp Ice that brings the major boon of OHKOing Mega Swamp and 2hko Gastro. It makes Plasmanta a viable lure that works well with Pokemon such as Ash gren or Volk

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

**Ground-Types**: Ground-types such as Colossoil, Excadrill, Landorus-T, and Zygarde can easily switch into both of Plasmanta's STAB attacks and easily OHKO it with Earthquake and Thousand Arrows. Assault Vest Colossoil in particular takes very little from any of Plasmanta's moves and can effortlessly force it out, as well as punishing a possible switch with a powerful Pursuit. Make sure you mention what they have to watch out for (HP Ice and Aura Sphere)

**Psychic-Types**: Latios, Hoopa Unbound, Scarf Tapu Lele, and Mega Medicham can all threaten out Plasmanta with their strong Psychic-type attacks. Keep in mind that both Mega Alazakam and Mega Medicham can have trouble dealing with Plasmanta's strong attacks, and that Tapu Lele is unable to check the Choice Scarf set. lele and cham notably can't switch into LO at all

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Chansey can easily heal off any attacks thrown at it, and can force Plasmanta out with Seismic Toss. Assault Vest Magearna fears very little from Plasmanta and can use it as a way to gain free momentum. Mollux and Mega Venusaur also wall out Plasmanta using reliable recovery and can wear it down with their STAB Attacks. However, Encore and Taunt can cause all of them headaches, and Mollux and Mega Venusaur fall to Psyshock. How is taunt giving AV mag headaches?

**Faster Attackers** Faster attackers such as Syclant, Pajantom, and Ash-Greninja all can outspeed and KO Life Orb Plasmanta. Choice Scarf Volkraken and Swift Swim Kingdra can also outspeed and KO, but they have to be careful of locking into a Water-type move. Note that none of these can switch into plasmanta safely, if at all.

**Electric Immunity Abilities** Voodoom can switch into Thunderbolt easily to gain a special attack boost, and threatens both sets with Dark Pulse and Psychic. Unless it carries Hidden Power Fire or gets high rolls with Aura Sphere, Cawmodore can use Plasmanta as setup bait. You can dismiss the mention of Voodoom here.
 

LucarioOfLegends

Master Procraster
is a CAP Contributor
Plasmanta does very much prefer four attacks in its moveset over Taunt because A) it already has 4MSS and adding a passive option over it when other moves already do it justice only makes it worse and B) it need all four moves to consistently hit all the things it needs to hit. The examples I gave that supported Taunt, those being Mollux and Mega Venusaur, are already threatened by Psyshock (literally the bullet point above). The only mon that is notably effected by Taunt is Chansey, and Chansey still wins the 1v1 anyways with Seismic Toss. I might add it later to OO because it can still stop status moves against switchins, which may help incoming teammates after using Taunt, but otherwise I see no reason to actually use Taunt and has been hence cut from the LO set.

Otherwise, the changes has been implemented cbrevan. If I forgot something let me know.
 

cbrevan

spin, spin, spin
is a CAP Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnus

Add in the bit about Ground-types and Water haters to the second set's team options. Once that's done, consider this QC 2/3 and get this written up.
 

GMars

It's ya boy GEEEEEEEEMARS
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
The dex requires straight apostrophes so I changed them all, so make sure to copy/paste the check when implementing it. Really nice work!
[OVERVIEW]
Thanks to a great Special Attack stat, good speed Speed tier, and a unique STAB combination, Plasmanta sets itself apart from other strong Electric-types by being able to take down the metagame's numerous bulky Grass-types such as Pyroak, Jumbao, Assault Vest Tapu Bulu, and Ferrothorn. Its typing, (RC) alongside Storm Drain, (RC) gives Plasmanta a great eight resistances and an immunity to Water, giving it numerous switch-in opportunities against Pokemon such as Hawlucha, Shift Gear Magearna, and Kartana. Plasmanta also has a number of other moves, being able to use Hidden Power, Psyshock, Encore, and Taunt to prepare for a variety of different threats to a team.

Unfortunately, Plasmanta's good resistances are offset by a terrible 4x weakness to Ground, which leaves it commonly forced out by Ground-types such as Zygarde, Landorus-T, and Colossoil, with Ground-type moves in general being a great risk for it. Due to its underwhelming bulk and no form lack of reliable recovery, Plasmanta's overall survivability is severely lacking to the point where it is hard to avoid 2HKOs, which is only made worse by a lack of Volt Switch. Plasmanta also suffers from a deal of four-moveslot syndrome, as forgoing certain coverage moves for others leaves it unable to deal with threats such as Mollux, Ferrothorn, Landorus-T, and Heatran depending on the move. It is also stopped cold by both Assault Vest Colossoil and Assault Vest Magearna, who which are common Pokemon in the metagame.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Aura Sphere
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

Thunderbolt is Plasmanta’s best STAB move, allowing it allows Plasmanta to revenge kill a staggering portion of the metagame, with special mention going to Dragon Dance Naviathan, Choice Scarf Volkraken, Mega Pinsir, and Ash-Greninja. Sludge Bomb serves as a great secondary STAB that can hit Grass-types who that otherwise resist Thunderbolt, can help ensure KOs with a good chance to poison, and can revenge kill fast Fairy-types such as Tapu Koko, Choice Scarf Jumbao, and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele. Hidden Power Ice is an important coverage move that lets Plasmanta hit and revenge kill Landorus-T and Zygarde, who which can otherwise come in on Plasmanta's other attacks and force it out. Aura Sphere lets Plasmanta revenge kill Kartana much more reliably and can strike Steel-types such as Excadrill and Magnezone. This Aura Sphere is also the best option against Colossoil and Ferrothorn. Psyshock is a possible alternative that can hit Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and Crucibelle super effectively (RH), but it leaves Plasmanta unable to touch Colossoil and is unable to stop a boosted Kartana.

Set Details
========

With 252 Speed EVs and, (AC) a Timid Nature, and a Choice Scarf, Plasmanta is able to outspeed naturally fast Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Syclant, as well as common Choice Scarf users such as Tapu Lele and Volkraken. Maximum Special Attack EVs investment lets Plasmanta hit as hard as possible. Storm Drain gives Plasmanta a useful Water immunity to ease switching in, and the Special Attack boost can help ensure KOs. It also allows Plasmanta to fully check Ash-Greninja, as Storm Drain absorbs Water Shuriken.

Usage Tips
========

Utilizing the Speed boost the Choice Scarf gives Plasmanta, this set should mostly be used as a revenge killer. As Plasmanta can be rendered useless by Ground- (AH) and Steel-types by switching into Thunderbolt and Sludge Bomb respectively, prediction is a key part in using this set. Because of how easy it is to lock into a move that can easily be switched into, Plasmanta can also be used to lure out Ground- (AH) and Steel-types such as Landorus-Therian and Magearna and switch into an appropriate check. Once Ground-types have been removed by teammates, Thunderbolt will be the safest move to lock into, as it hits most of the metagame neutrally. Similarly, Sludge Bomb becomes much safer to lock into once Steel-types have been removed from play. Pokemon such as Arghonaut, Celesteela, Pyroak, and Naviathan, who which are otherwise threatened by Plasmanta, can carry coverage moves that hit it super effectively, (RH) so be sure to scout out these moves and be wary of switching Plasmanta in if they do carry said coverage. Switching into Water-type (AH) attacks can give Plasmanta a power boost to revenge kill Pokemon it otherwise could not, such as being able to OHKO Syclant, and lets it clean up teams once Ground- (AH) and Steel-types (AH) have been removed. Remember that Water-type attackers can also choose moves that can severely damage Plasmanta, such as Kingdra's Draco Meteor or Ash-Greninja's (AH) Dark Pulse.

Team Options
========

Plasmanta excels at removing bulky Water-types such as Arghonaut and Toxapex, so Pokemon who that generally want these Water-types removed, such as Volcarona, Volkraken, Colossoil, and Ash-Greninja (AH) appreciate the support that Plasmanta provides. Moreover, Ground-types such as Colossoil and Landorus-T make good partners for it, as they are able to deal with the Steel-types that Plasmanta is blocked by while it revenge kills the Grass- (AH), Water- (AH), and Flying-types that give them trouble. Ground-type removal is essential for this set, so Pokemon that can remove them such as Syclant, Tapu Bulu, and Volkraken make great partners. This set also struggles with Cawmodore, so Pokemon that can serve as checks to it, such as Choice Scarf Volkraken, Cyclohm, and Ash-Greninja, make great teammates. Wallbreakers generally weaken teams for Plasmanta to clean them up, so Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Choice Specs Volkraken, and Mega Pinsir work well with it, with Plasmanta being able to deal with their bulkier checks in return. Plasmanta additionally likes entry hazards, as they can soften up foes for it to revenge kill, (AC) so Pokemon who can set them like Tomohawk, Ferrothorn, and Ash-Greninja work well in this regard. Tomohawk, Ferrothorn, and Ash Greninja work well in this regard. Slow U-turn or Volt Switch users, such as Rotom-Wash, Colossoil, and Magearna, can get Plasmanta into battle safely, so having them as partners is greatly appreciated.

[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

Thunderbolt is a strong STAB move that can hit most of the metagame ruthlessly hard, (RC) and is especially effective against Water- (AH) and Flying-types (AH) such as Naviathan, Tomohawk, Arghonaut, and Celesteela. Sludge Bomb works great as a secondary STAB that can hit bulky Grass-, Electric-, and Dragon-types (AH) that Thunderbolt cannot punch through such as Pyroak, Tapu Bulu, Mega Latios, Tapu Koko, and Cyclohm while also hitting Clefable and crippling the opponent foe with poison. Hidden Power Ice hits Ground-types (AH) such as Landorus-Therian and Zygarde, who which otherwise wall Plasmanta. Hidden Power Fire can be run as an alternative that can hit Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor super effectively (RH) while stopping Plasmanta from being setup fodder against Cawmodore. Aura Sphere deals with Steel-types (AH) like Excadrill, Ferrothorn, or Heatran, who which can otherwise give Plasmanta significant trouble, and can target Colossoil. Psyshock instead can be used instead to hit Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and opposing Plasmanta.

Set Details
========

Life Orb gives Plasmanta a large power boost to its attacks while still having the freedom of move choice, letting it serve as a powerful wallbreaker without having to worry about being locked into a move that can be easily exploited. Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs investment lets Plasmanta hit as hard as possible as fast as possible. A Timid nature is preferred, (AC) as it Speed ties with other base 100s like Victini and Mega Medicham while also outspeeding Tapu Lele, unboosted Aurumoth, Flame Orb Colossoil, and Choice Specs Volkraken. Storm Drain is a great ability that allows Plasmanta to absorb incoming Water-type (AH) attacks and can give a stat boost to further supplement its Special Attack.

Usage Tips
========

Plasmanta should primarily be used as a wallbreaker to soften up defensive walls that would cause problems for the rest of the team. Try to get it in through as many free switches or resisted hits as possible, as consistent damage paired with Life Orb recoil can severely cut into Plasmanta's limited longevity. Also be sure to scout out coverage moves on Pokemon such as Celesteela, Naviathan, Pyroak, Arghonaut, and Tangrowth, as they can carry Ground- and Psychic-type (AH) attacks for Plasmanta. If Water-types such as Ash-Greninja, (AH) Volkraken, and Keldeo are locked into a Water-type attack, feel free to switch Plasmanta in, as it will gain a Special Attack boost and increase its wallbreaking capabilities to even be able to threaten its slower checks. Be wary of trying to switch into a Water-type (AH) attack if the opponents are foes are not Choice-locked, as they can strike Plasmanta with strong coverage moves.

Team Options
========

Setup sweepers such as Zygarde and Naviathan greatly benefit from Plasmanta breaking through strong defensive Pokemon that they otherwise struggle to get through such as Clefable, Tangrowth, Tomohawk, and Arghonaut. In return, they are able to break down Plasmanta's own checks once they have set up to sweep. Plasmanta appreciates help from physical wallbreakers like Flame Orb Colossoil, Pajantom, and Kartana, as they can break through specially defensive Pokemon such as Assault Vest Magearna and Chansey, who which otherwise stop it cold. Spikes setters such as Ferrothorn, Greninja, Skarmory, and Syclant can lay down Spikes to soften up incoming foes while also serving as decent checks to Ground-types that threaten Plasmanta. Sticky Web support from Necturna is also great, as it lets Plasmanta outspeed and OHKO Pokemon it otherwise could not such as Syclant. Plasmanta in general appreciates the removal of Ground-types such as Zygarde and Colossoil. Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Tomohawk, and Jumbao make great partners in this case. Tomohawk is a notably great teammate, as it can easily set up hazards to weaken Plasmanta's targets, while Plasmanta can scare away threatening Fairy-types such as Clefable in return. Tapu Koko can set up Electric Terrain for Plasmanta's Thunderbolt while also helping it get in through Volt Switch, while Plasmanta can remove bulky Grass-types that give Tapu Koko trouble. Pokemon who that appreciate the removal of bulky Water-types, such as Volkraken, Volcarona, and Ash-Greninja, serve as good partners to Plasmanta. Ground-types such as Zygarde, Colossoil, and Landorus-Therian also appreciate Plasmanta, as it can remove troublesome Grass- and Flying-types (AH) that they otherwise can struggle against, while they deal with Steel-types that can give Plasmanta trouble.

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

Sludge Wave can be used over Sludge Bomb if the extra power is desired, however the difference usually is not significant, and Plasmanta appreciates the extra poison chance on Sludge Bomb. Encore can lock Pokemon into unfavorable moves to force a switch, (RC) and can ease the pressure of fighting slower Pokemon by locking them into bad moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Water-type attacks. It can also lock slower setup sweepers such Landorus-Therian and Bulk Up Revenankh into their boosting moves, leaving them open to attack. Hidden Power Grass is an alternative to Hidden Power Ice, letting it OHKO Mega Swampert and 2HKO Gastrodon, while letting it serve as a lure with Pokemon like Ash-Greninja and Volkraken. Haze lets Plasmanta serve as an emergency stop to setup sweepers such as Dragon Dance Naviathan and Bulk Up Revenankh by removing their stat boosts, but Plasmanta's other options, such as Encore, generally prove more useful. Dazzling Gleam serves as a great move for neutral coverage while maintaining super effective (RH) damage on Pokemon such as Colossoil and Zygarde, (RC) while also being a better option against Dragon-types such as Cyclohm and Pajantom. Z-Electric Terrain can be used to fix any speed problems that Plasmanta usually has while powering up Thunderbolt, turning it in a sweeper However, there are better ways to use the Z-Crystal, and the lack of power on Plasmanta's other moves is quite noticeable.


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

**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Colossoil, Excadrill, Landorus-T, and Zygarde can easily switch into both of Plasmanta's STAB attacks and OHKO it with Earthquake and or Thousand Arrows. Assault Vest Colossoil in particular takes very little from any of Plasmanta's moves and, (AC) can effortlessly KO it with Earthquake, and is even able to punish a switch out with a powerful Pursuit. Mega Swampert and Gastrodon also have very little to fear from Plasmanta besides the rare Hidden Power Grass, (RC) and can easily force it out with Earthquake.

**Psychic-types**: Mega Latios, Hoopa Unbound Hoopa-U, Scarf Tapu Lele, and Mega Medicham can all threaten out Plasmanta with their strong Psychic-type attacks. Keep in mind however that Tapu Lele and Mega Medicham are unable to switch into the Life Orb set at all, and Tapu Lele loses to the Choice Scarf set.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Assault Vest Magearna is a solid counter to Plasmanta, as it fears very little from Plasmanta and can use it as a way to gain free momentum for the opposing side. Chansey can easily heal off any attacks thrown at it, (RC) and can force Plasmanta out with Seismic Toss, while Mollux and Mega Venusaur also wall out Plasmanta using reliable recovery and can wear it down with their STAB Attacks. However, Taunt can stop most options these Pokemon have, and Mollux and Mega Venusaur must be wary of Psyshock.

**Faster Attackers**: (Add Colon) Although they are unable to directly switch into Plasmanta's attacks, faster attackers such as Syclant, Pajantom, and Ash-Greninja all can outspeed and KO Life Orb Plasmanta. Choice Scarf Volkraken and Swift Swim Kingdra can also outspeed and KO it, but they have to be careful of locking into a Water-type move.

**Cawmodore**: (Add Colon) Unless it carries Hidden Power Fire or gets high rolls with Aura Sphere, Cawmodore can use Choice Scarf Plasmanta as setup bait, as it can absorb Thunderbolt using Volt Absorb and is immune to Sludge Bomb.

GP 1/2
 
Last edited:

Fireflame

Silksong when
is a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
[OVERVIEW]
Thanks to a great Special Attack stat, a good Speed tier, and a unique STAB combination, Plasmanta sets itself apart from other strong Electric-types by being able to take down the metagame's numerous bulky Grass-types such as Pyroak, Jumbao, Assault Vest Tapu Bulu, and Ferrothorn. Its typing alongside Storm Drain gives Plasmanta a great eight resistances and an immunity to Water, giving it numerous switch-in opportunities to switch in against Pokemon such as Hawlucha, Shift Gear Magearna, and Kartana. Plasmanta also has a number of other moves, being able to use Hidden Power, Psyshock, Encore, and Taunt to prepare for a variety of different threats to a team.

Unfortunately, Plasmanta's good resistances are offset by a terrible 4x weakness to Ground, which leaves it commonly forced out by Ground-types such as Zygarde, Landorus-T, and Colossoil, with Ground-type moves in general being a great risk for it. Due to its underwhelming bulk and lack of reliable recovery, Plasmanta's overall survivability is severely lacking to the point where it is hard to avoid 2HKOs, which is only made worse by a lack of Volt Switch. Plasmanta also suffers from a deal of four-moveslot syndrome, as forgoing certain coverage moves for others leaves it unable to deal with threats such as Mollux, Ferrothorn, Landorus-T, and Heatran depending on the move. It is also stopped cold by both Assault Vest Colossoil and Assault Vest Magearna, which are common Pokemon in the metagame.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Aura Sphere
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

Thunderbolt allows Plasmanta to revenge kill a staggering portion of the metagame, with special mention going to Dragon Dance Naviathan, Choice Scarf Volkraken, Mega Pinsir, and Ash-Greninja. Sludge Bomb serves as a great secondary STAB move that can hit Grass-types that otherwise resist Thunderbolt, help ensure KOs with a good chance to poison, and revenge kill fast Fairy-types such as Tapu Koko, Choice Scarf Jumbao, and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele. Hidden Power Ice is an important coverage move that lets Plasmanta hit and revenge kill Landorus-T and Zygarde, which can otherwise come in on Plasmanta's other attacks and force it out. Aura Sphere lets Plasmanta revenge kill Kartana much more reliably and can strike Steel-types such as Excadrill and Magnezone. Aura Sphere is also the best option against Colossoil and Ferrothorn. Psyshock is a possible alternative that can hit Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and Crucibelle super effectively, but it leaves Plasmanta unable to touch Colossoil and unable to stop a boosted Kartana.

Set Details
========

With 252 Speed EVs, a Timid Nature, and a Choice Scarf, Plasmanta is able to outspeed naturally fast Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Syclant,(RC) as well as common Choice Scarf users such as Tapu Lele and Volkraken. Maximum Special Attack investment lets Plasmanta hit as hard as possible. Storm Drain gives Plasmanta a useful Water immunity to ease switching in, and the Special Attack boost can help ensure KOs. It also allows Plasmanta to fully check Ash-Greninja, as Storm Drain absorbs Water Shuriken.

Usage Tips
========

Utilizing the Speed boost the Choice Scarf gives Plasmanta, this set should mostly be used as a revenge killer. As Plasmanta can be rendered useless by Ground- and Steel-types by switching into Thunderbolt and Sludge Bomb,(AC) respectively, prediction is a key part in using this set. Because of how easy it is to lock into a move that can easily be switched into, Plasmanta can also be used to lure out in Ground- and Steel-types such as Landorus-T and Magearna and switch into an appropriate check. Once Ground-types have been removed by teammates, Thunderbolt will be the safest move to lock into, as it hits most of the metagame neutrally. Similarly, Sludge Bomb becomes much safer to lock into once Steel-types have been removed from play. Pokemon such as Arghonaut, Celesteela, Pyroak, and Naviathan, which are otherwise threatened by Plasmanta, can carry coverage moves that hit it super effectively, so be sure to scout out these moves and be wary of switching Plasmanta in if they do carry said coverage. Switching into Water-type attacks can give Plasmanta a power boost to revenge kill Pokemon it otherwise could not cannot, such as being able to OHKO Syclant, and lets it clean up teams once Ground-and Steel-types have been removed. Remember that Water-type attackers can also choose moves that can severely damage Plasmanta, such as Kingdra's Draco Meteor or and Ash-Greninja's Dark Pulse.

Team Options
========

Plasmanta excels at removing bulky Water-types such as Arghonaut and Toxapex, so Pokemon that generally want these Water-types removed, such as Volcarona, Volkraken, Colossoil, and Ash-Greninja,(AC) appreciate the support that Plasmanta provides. Moreover, Ground-types such as Colossoil and Landorus-T make good partners for it, as they are able to deal with the Steel-types that Plasmanta is blocked by,(AC) while it revenge kills the Grass-, Water-, and Flying-types that give them trouble. Ground-type removal is essential for this set, so Pokemon that can remove them such as Syclant, Tapu Bulu, and Volkraken make great partners. This set also struggles with Cawmodore, so Pokemon that can serve as checks to it, such as Choice Scarf Volkraken, Cyclohm, and Ash-Greninja, make great teammates. Wallbreakers generally weaken teams for Plasmanta to clean them up, so Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Choice Specs Volkraken, and Mega Pinsir work well with it, with Plasmanta being able to deal with their bulkier checks in return. Plasmanta additionally likes entry hazards, as they can soften up foes for it to revenge kill, so Pokemon who that can set them like Tomohawk, Ferrothorn, and Ash-Greninja work well in this regard. Slow U-turn or and Volt Switch users, such as Rotom-W, Colossoil, and Magearna, can get Plasmanta into battle safely, so having them as partners is greatly appreciated.

[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Aura Sphere / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Storm Drain
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

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

Thunderbolt can hit most of the metagame ruthlessly hard and is especially effective against Water- and Flying-types such as Naviathan, Tomohawk, Arghonaut, and Celesteela. Sludge Bomb works great as a secondary STAB that can hit move and hits bulky Grass-, Electric-, and Dragon-types that Thunderbolt cannot punch through such as Pyroak, Tapu Bulu, Mega Latios, Tapu Koko, and Cyclohm while also hitting Clefable and potentially (it's not 100% of the time) crippling the foe with poison. Hidden Power Ice hits Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Zygarde, which otherwise wall Plasmanta. Hidden Power Fire can be run as an alternative that can hit Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor super effectively while stopping Plasmanta from being setup fodder against Cawmodore. Aura Sphere deals with Steel-types like Excadrill, Ferrothorn, or and Heatran, which can otherwise give Plasmanta significant trouble, and can target Colossoil. Psyshock can be used instead to hit Mollux, Mega Venusaur, and opposing Plasmanta.

Set Details
========

Life Orb gives Plasmanta a large power boost to its attacks while still having giving it the freedom of move choice, letting it serve as a powerful wallbreaker without having to worry about being locked into a move that can be and easily exploited. Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment lets Plasmanta hit as hard as possible as and fast as possible. A Timid nature is preferred, as it Speed ties then Plasmanta will then Speed tie with other base 100s like Victini and Mega Medicham while also outspeeding Tapu Lele, unboosted Aurumoth, Flame Orb Colossoil, and Choice Specs Volkraken. Storm Drain is a great ability that allows Plasmanta to absorb incoming Water-type attacks and can give a stat boost to further supplement its Special Attack.

Usage Tips
========

Plasmanta should primarily be used as a wallbreaker to soften up defensive walls that would cause problems for the rest of the team. Try to get it in through as many free switches or resisted hits as possible, as consistent damage paired with Life Orb recoil can severely cut into Plasmanta's limited longevity. Also,(AC) be sure to scout out for coverage moves on Pokemon such as Celesteela, Naviathan, Pyroak, Arghonaut, and Tangrowth, as they can carry Ground- and Psychic-type attacks for Plasmanta. If Water-types such as Ash-Greninja, Volkraken, and Keldeo are locked into a Water-type attack, feel free to switch Plasmanta in, as it will gain a Special Attack boost and increase its wallbreaking capabilities to even be able to threaten its slower checks. Be wary of trying to switch into a Water-type attack if the foes are not Choice-(RH)locked, as they can strike Plasmanta with strong coverage moves.

Team Options
========

Setup sweepers such as Zygarde and Naviathan greatly benefit from Plasmanta breaking through strong defensive Pokemon that they otherwise struggle to get through such as Clefable, Tangrowth, Tomohawk, and Arghonaut. In return, they are able to break down Plasmanta's own checks once they have set up to sweep. Plasmanta appreciates help from physical wallbreakers like Flame Orb Colossoil, Pajantom, and Kartana, as they can break through specially defensive Pokemon such as Assault Vest Magearna and Chansey, which otherwise stop it cold. Spikes setters such as Ferrothorn, Greninja, Skarmory, and Syclant can lay down Spikes to soften up incoming foes while also serving as decent checks to Ground-types that threaten Plasmanta. Sticky Web support from Necturna is also great, as it lets Plasmanta outspeed and OHKO Pokemon it otherwise could not such as Syclant. Plasmanta in general appreciates the removal of Ground-types such as Zygarde and Colossoil. Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, Tomohawk, and Jumbao make great partners in this case. Tomohawk is a notably great teammate, as it can easily set up hazards to weaken Plasmanta's targets, while Plasmanta can scare away threatening Fairy-types such as Clefable in return. Tapu Koko can set up Electric Terrain for Plasmanta's Thunderbolt while also helping it get in through Volt Switch, while Plasmanta can remove bulky Grass-types that give Tapu Koko trouble. Pokemon that appreciate the removal of bulky Water-types, such as Volkraken, Volcarona, and Ash-Greninja, serve as good partners to Plasmanta. Ground-types such as Zygarde, Colossoil, and Landorus-T also appreciate Plasmanta, as it can remove troublesome Grass- and Flying-types that they otherwise can struggle against, while they deal with Steel-types that can give Plasmanta trouble.

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

Sludge Wave can be used over Sludge Bomb if the extra power is desired, however but the difference usually is not significant, and Plasmanta appreciates the extra poison chance on Sludge Bomb. Encore can lock Pokemon into unfavorable moves to force a switch and can ease the pressure of fighting slower Pokemon by locking them into bad moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, or and Water-type attacks. It can also lock slower setup sweepers such Landorus-T and Bulk Up Revenankh into their boosting moves, leaving them open to attack. Hidden Power Grass is an alternative to Hidden Power Ice, letting it Plasmanta OHKO Mega Swampert,(AC) and 2HKO Gastrodon, while letting it and serve as a lure with for Pokemon like Ash-Greninja and Volkraken. Haze lets Plasmanta serve as an emergency stop to setup sweepers such as Dragon Dance Naviathan and Bulk Up Revenankh by removing their stat boosts, but Plasmanta's other options, such as Encore, generally prove more useful. Dazzling Gleam serves as a great move for neutral coverage while maintaining super effective damage on Pokemon such as Colossoil and Zygarde while also and being a better option against Dragon-types such as Cyclohm and Pajantom. Z-Electric Terrain can be used to fix any speed problems that Plasmanta usually has while powering up Thunderbolt, turning it in a sweeper However, there are better ways to use the Z-Crystal, and the lack of power on Plasmanta's other moves is quite noticeable.


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

**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Colossoil, Excadrill, Landorus-T, and Zygarde can easily switch into both of Plasmanta's STAB attacks and OHKO it with Earthquake or Thousand Arrows. Assault Vest Colossoil in particular takes very little damage from any of Plasmanta's moves, can effortlessly KO it with Earthquake, and is even able to punish a switch out with a powerful Pursuit. Mega Swampert and Gastrodon also have very little to fear from Plasmanta besides the rare Hidden Power Grass and can easily force it out with Earthquake.

**Psychic-types**: Mega Latios, Hoopa-U, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, and Mega Medicham can all threaten out Plasmanta with their strong Psychic-type attacks. Keep in mind,(AC) however,(AC) that Tapu Lele and Mega Medicham are unable to switch into the Life Orb set at all, and Tapu Lele loses to the Choice Scarf set.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Assault Vest Magearna is a solid counter to Plasmanta, as it fears very little from Plasmanta and can use it as a way to gain free momentum for the opposing side. Chansey can easily heal off any attacks thrown at it and can force Plasmanta out with Seismic Toss, while Mollux and Mega Venusaur also wall out Plasmanta using reliable recovery and can wear it down with their STAB attacks. However, Taunt can stop most options these Pokemon have, and Mollux and Mega Venusaur must be wary of Psyshock.

**Faster Attackers**: Although they are unable to directly switch into Plasmanta's attacks, faster attackers such as Syclant, Pajantom, and Ash-Greninja all can outspeed and KO Life Orb Plasmanta. Choice Scarf Volkraken and Swift Swim Kingdra can also outspeed and KO it, but they have to be careful of locking into a Water-type move.

**Cawmodore**: Unless it Plasmanta (dangling modifier) carries Hidden Power Fire or gets high damage rolls with Aura Sphere, Cawmodore can use Choice Scarf Plasmanta as setup bait, as it can absorb Thunderbolt using Volt Absorb and is immune to Sludge Bomb.
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