[OVERVIEW]
Roserade holds an excellent all-around offensive presence, being able to pressure opposing teams both directly and indirectly. Solid STAB options in Leaf Storm and Sludge Bomb, paired with a 90-Base Hidden Power thanks to its ability Technician as coverage, offers little room for many Pokemon to switch into safely. To top it off, Roserade tailors itself to what a team needs offensively with support moves such as Sleep Powder, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Synthesis and even another usable ability, Natural Cure, up for the picking. Despite this, Roserade still has an exploitable Grass typing and relatively poor bulk, leaving it weak to common Fire- and Ice-type coverage and even neutral STAB attacks from hard-hitters. Roserade unfortunately has a shorter lifespan than most other attackers as well, as it often relies on Life Orb to do stand out damage; coupled with the fact that Roserade doesn't have reliable setup options, this means that specially defensive walls can outlast it, as it weathers its life and Special Attack away using its strongest move, Leaf Storm.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Sleep Powder / Spikes
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Roserade's STAB moves hit a good portion of the tier such as unboosted Feraligatr, common Stealth Rock setters such as Diancie and Rhyperior, and Fairy-types such as Comfey and Florges. Leaf Storm is Roserade’s strongest Grass-type STAB attack, and when boosted by Life Orb, it can pick off a bulkier target at the cost of a severe Special Attack drop. Sludge Bomb is a strong and consistent STAB move to take out other Grass-and Fairy-types. Hidden Power Fire is the most favorable of all type choices to hit Steel-types such as Registeel, Doublade, and Escavalier as well as Bulletproof Chesnaught, which resist or are immune to Roserade's STAB moves. Sleep Powder allows it to cripple slower Pokemon that are too much for Roserade to handle safely. Spikes setup allows bulkier teams to be pressured and worn down. Synthesis can give Roserade longevity throughout a match and pushes opponents to take the offensive route, as their more defensive Pokemon cannot simply sit and sponge damage to wear Roserade down with Life Orb recoil. Giga Drain could be used over Leaf Storm to have both offensive presence and recovery to increase Roserade's lifetime, but the loss of power is noticeable, as it leaves Roserade's enemies standing and able to counterattack.
Set Details
========
252 Special Attack EVs let Roserade hit as hard as it possibly can without boosting. 252 Speed EVs let Roserade outspeed a sizable amount of the tier and hit them, put them to sleep, or set up Spikes on them. A Timid nature is a must in order to outspeed Pokemon such as Kommo-o, unboosted Feraligatr, and Adamant Flygon, so it does not get blown back. Life Orb maximizes Roserade's damage output without locking it into a move. Lastly, Technician is used in order to boost Hidden Power Fire’s Base Power by 1.5x.
Usage Tips
========
Roserade is best fitted on teams leaning for offense, taking the dual role of offensive support and an attacker with a combination of entry hazards, status, and Life Orb-boosted attacks. Roserade can only be switched in on defensive Pokemon such as Registeel, Milotic, and Umbreon and resisted Fairy-type hits from Comfey and Florges due to its fragility; otherwise, it must be brought in through pivoting or for revenge killing. It can make a great lead when facing bulkier teams, as rarely anything outspeeds Roserade. Make sure to clear everything faster than Roserade in order to freely set up Spikes and clean up the rest of the opposing team. When opting for Sleep Powder as the fourth slot, punish Pokemon that would switch into Roserade by planting it against such as forced switches from Quagsire and Gigalith.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers that can take advantage of Sleep Powder such as Feraligatr and Salazzle are excellent partners, as they also complement each other to beat some of each other's checks. Wallbreakers such as Escavalier and Bewear can take care of specially bulky walls like Snorlax, Cresselia, and Umbreon to help Roserade break through the opposing team and clean up; these partners appreciate Roserade's Spikes to soften opposing Pokemon. Water-type Pokemon in particular can use Roserade's assistance in taking on the few Electric-types in the tier and give Grass-typessuch as Shaymin a hard time. This includes Bruxish for offense, which also appreciates Roserade's Spikes support, and Milotic and Jellicent for defense. Rock-type Stealth Rock setters such as Diancie, Rhyperior, and Gigalith give Roserade a great switch-in for the Fire- and Poison-types, with the exception of Nidoqueen, that it can't handle. They also contribute to Roserade's offensive hazard stacking, weakening Flying-types and Levitate users that its Spikes would not normally touch. Gigalith's Sand Stream, however, can be a detriment to Synthesis Roserade's longevity, cutting its healing down to 25%.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Extrasensory allows Roserade to lure in and KO other Poison-typessuch as Dragalge and Salazzle that would otherwise get a free switch-in to wallbreak or set up. This choice also gives you an answer to Kommo-o and Salazzle. Hidden Power Ice will hit enemy Dragon-types, Chesnaught, and other Roserade andcan take out Gligar without having to put it to sleep. The drawback of this is losing the ability to hit Steel-types. Energy Ball allows Roserade to have a more consistent and spammable Grass-type STAB attack than Leaf Storm. Natural Cure as an ability, in tandem with Rest, gives Roserade a full recovery option while letting it perform as a status absorber, but this forces Roserade to switch out and gives the opponent a free turn. Toxic Spikes can be handy, as the most common Poison-types are Nidoqueen, Salazzle, and Dragalge; however, the latter two have a free switch into Roserade and all can soak them up. Black Sludge over Life Orb gives Roserade better longevity in the absence of recoil and Synthesis; without the damage boost however, it fails to net as many KOs. Choice Specs or Choice Scarf lets Roserade break through bulkier Pokemon more easily or keep up with faster Pokemon it couldn’t normally take on, but Choice Scarf users such as Shaymin are more suited towards being locked into a move, as Roserade's Leaf Storm isn't a spammable move.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: All Pokemon faster than Roserade in the tier have either a strong neutral move, such as Durant, Choice Band Zygarde-10%, and Choice Specs Zoroark, super effective STAB attacks like Jolly Mega Glalie, Salazzle, Choice Scarf Gardevoir, and Espeon, or strong coverage moves that can make Roserade wilt on sight. Salazzle and Moltres are Roserade's bane, with the former coming into even its strongest attack and the latter Speed tying or outspeeding Roserade depending on whether it is holding Life Orb or Choice Scarf. Moltres, however, still takes a lot of damage from a stray Sludge Bomb.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Cresselia and Umbreon are able to survive a blow or two, wake up, and retaliate with a Psychic-type move or outlast Roserade thanks to great bulk, respectively. Mega Camerupt survives a full-power Leaf Storm even after Stealth Rock, and Snorlax is especially dangerous for Roserade to stay in on, as it can take advantage of Roserade's Sleep Powder with Sleep Talk.
**Dragon-type Pokemon**: Dragalge, Bulletproof Kommo-o, and Sap Sipper Goodra in particular resist three out of the four moves that Roserade carries. Sap Sipper Goodra can switch in on Sleep Powder for an Attack boost and tanks a couple of Roserade's Sludge Bombs; Dragalge gets a free switch in and can KO a member of your team if you aren't careful; and Kommo-o has a variety of coverage moves that can keep you guessing should Roserade try to switch out, possibly putting it in a bad position.
Roserade holds an excellent all-around offensive presence, being able to pressure opposing teams both directly and indirectly. Solid STAB options in Leaf Storm and Sludge Bomb, paired with a 90-Base Hidden Power thanks to its ability Technician as coverage, offers little room for many Pokemon to switch into safely. To top it off, Roserade tailors itself to what a team needs offensively with support moves such as Sleep Powder, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Synthesis and even another usable ability, Natural Cure, up for the picking. Despite this, Roserade still has an exploitable Grass typing and relatively poor bulk, leaving it weak to common Fire- and Ice-type coverage and even neutral STAB attacks from hard-hitters. Roserade unfortunately has a shorter lifespan than most other attackers as well, as it often relies on Life Orb to do stand out damage; coupled with the fact that Roserade doesn't have reliable setup options, this means that specially defensive walls can outlast it, as it weathers its life and Special Attack away using its strongest move, Leaf Storm.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Sleep Powder / Spikes
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Roserade's STAB moves hit a good portion of the tier such as unboosted Feraligatr, common Stealth Rock setters such as Diancie and Rhyperior, and Fairy-types such as Comfey and Florges. Leaf Storm is Roserade’s strongest Grass-type STAB attack, and when boosted by Life Orb, it can pick off a bulkier target at the cost of a severe Special Attack drop. Sludge Bomb is a strong and consistent STAB move to take out other Grass-and Fairy-types. Hidden Power Fire is the most favorable of all type choices to hit Steel-types such as Registeel, Doublade, and Escavalier as well as Bulletproof Chesnaught, which resist or are immune to Roserade's STAB moves. Sleep Powder allows it to cripple slower Pokemon that are too much for Roserade to handle safely. Spikes setup allows bulkier teams to be pressured and worn down. Synthesis can give Roserade longevity throughout a match and pushes opponents to take the offensive route, as their more defensive Pokemon cannot simply sit and sponge damage to wear Roserade down with Life Orb recoil. Giga Drain could be used over Leaf Storm to have both offensive presence and recovery to increase Roserade's lifetime, but the loss of power is noticeable, as it leaves Roserade's enemies standing and able to counterattack.
Set Details
========
252 Special Attack EVs let Roserade hit as hard as it possibly can without boosting. 252 Speed EVs let Roserade outspeed a sizable amount of the tier and hit them, put them to sleep, or set up Spikes on them. A Timid nature is a must in order to outspeed Pokemon such as Kommo-o, unboosted Feraligatr, and Adamant Flygon, so it does not get blown back. Life Orb maximizes Roserade's damage output without locking it into a move. Lastly, Technician is used in order to boost Hidden Power Fire’s Base Power by 1.5x.
Usage Tips
========
Roserade is best fitted on teams leaning for offense, taking the dual role of offensive support and an attacker with a combination of entry hazards, status, and Life Orb-boosted attacks. Roserade can only be switched in on defensive Pokemon such as Registeel, Milotic, and Umbreon and resisted Fairy-type hits from Comfey and Florges due to its fragility; otherwise, it must be brought in through pivoting or for revenge killing. It can make a great lead when facing bulkier teams, as rarely anything outspeeds Roserade. Make sure to clear everything faster than Roserade in order to freely set up Spikes and clean up the rest of the opposing team. When opting for Sleep Powder as the fourth slot, punish Pokemon that would switch into Roserade by planting it against such as forced switches from Quagsire and Gigalith.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers that can take advantage of Sleep Powder such as Feraligatr and Salazzle are excellent partners, as they also complement each other to beat some of each other's checks. Wallbreakers such as Escavalier and Bewear can take care of specially bulky walls like Snorlax, Cresselia, and Umbreon to help Roserade break through the opposing team and clean up; these partners appreciate Roserade's Spikes to soften opposing Pokemon. Water-type Pokemon in particular can use Roserade's assistance in taking on the few Electric-types in the tier and give Grass-typessuch as Shaymin a hard time. This includes Bruxish for offense, which also appreciates Roserade's Spikes support, and Milotic and Jellicent for defense. Rock-type Stealth Rock setters such as Diancie, Rhyperior, and Gigalith give Roserade a great switch-in for the Fire- and Poison-types, with the exception of Nidoqueen, that it can't handle. They also contribute to Roserade's offensive hazard stacking, weakening Flying-types and Levitate users that its Spikes would not normally touch. Gigalith's Sand Stream, however, can be a detriment to Synthesis Roserade's longevity, cutting its healing down to 25%.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Extrasensory allows Roserade to lure in and KO other Poison-typessuch as Dragalge and Salazzle that would otherwise get a free switch-in to wallbreak or set up. This choice also gives you an answer to Kommo-o and Salazzle. Hidden Power Ice will hit enemy Dragon-types, Chesnaught, and other Roserade andcan take out Gligar without having to put it to sleep. The drawback of this is losing the ability to hit Steel-types. Energy Ball allows Roserade to have a more consistent and spammable Grass-type STAB attack than Leaf Storm. Natural Cure as an ability, in tandem with Rest, gives Roserade a full recovery option while letting it perform as a status absorber, but this forces Roserade to switch out and gives the opponent a free turn. Toxic Spikes can be handy, as the most common Poison-types are Nidoqueen, Salazzle, and Dragalge; however, the latter two have a free switch into Roserade and all can soak them up. Black Sludge over Life Orb gives Roserade better longevity in the absence of recoil and Synthesis; without the damage boost however, it fails to net as many KOs. Choice Specs or Choice Scarf lets Roserade break through bulkier Pokemon more easily or keep up with faster Pokemon it couldn’t normally take on, but Choice Scarf users such as Shaymin are more suited towards being locked into a move, as Roserade's Leaf Storm isn't a spammable move.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: All Pokemon faster than Roserade in the tier have either a strong neutral move, such as Durant, Choice Band Zygarde-10%, and Choice Specs Zoroark, super effective STAB attacks like Jolly Mega Glalie, Salazzle, Choice Scarf Gardevoir, and Espeon, or strong coverage moves that can make Roserade wilt on sight. Salazzle and Moltres are Roserade's bane, with the former coming into even its strongest attack and the latter Speed tying or outspeeding Roserade depending on whether it is holding Life Orb or Choice Scarf. Moltres, however, still takes a lot of damage from a stray Sludge Bomb.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Cresselia and Umbreon are able to survive a blow or two, wake up, and retaliate with a Psychic-type move or outlast Roserade thanks to great bulk, respectively. Mega Camerupt survives a full-power Leaf Storm even after Stealth Rock, and Snorlax is especially dangerous for Roserade to stay in on, as it can take advantage of Roserade's Sleep Powder with Sleep Talk.
**Dragon-type Pokemon**: Dragalge, Bulletproof Kommo-o, and Sap Sipper Goodra in particular resist three out of the four moves that Roserade carries. Sap Sipper Goodra can switch in on Sleep Powder for an Attack boost and tanks a couple of Roserade's Sludge Bombs; Dragalge gets a free switch in and can KO a member of your team if you aren't careful; and Kommo-o has a variety of coverage moves that can keep you guessing should Roserade try to switch out, possibly putting it in a bad position.
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