[OVERVIEW]
Fire
========
Blacephalon has great Special Attack and Speed, rivaling the stats of Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona, making Blacephalon a nice offensive teammate on any Fire team. Blacephalon can make good use of either Choice Scarf to be a great revenge killer and cleaner or Choice Specs to become a strong wallbreaker. With Beast Boost raising Blacephalon's Special Attack every time it gets a KO and its ability to KO at least one Pokemon in about every matchup, Blacephalon can even sweep the opposing team in the right circumstances, especially if the opponent mispredicts its set. Unlike some other Fire-types, Blacephalon has room to carry Hidden Power Ice to ease the otherwise extremely hard Dragon matchup as well as other matchups like Flying and Ground, KOing the likes of Dragonite with prior damage and Landorus for its teammates. When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Blacephalon can revenge kill Choice Scarf Nihilego, one of the greatest threats to Fire teams, with Psyshock after opposing Pursuit trappers on the Poison or Rock team are gone. On the other hand, if Trick is used on either set, Blacephalon can cripple some would-be checks like Chansey and Mantine by locking them into a single move. Additionally, Blacephalon's typing makes it immune or at least resistant to most priority moves, such as Dragonite's Extreme Speed and Mamoswine's Ice Shard. However, Blacephalon's bulk is so ridiculously low that even resisted hits like Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch and Stakataka's Gyro Ball can 2HKO or even OHKO it. Couple that with a commonly found Stealth Rock weakness among Fire teams, and this means Blacephalon is extremely easy to wear down and cannot freely switch in and out of the field without proper hazard clearing and U-turn or Volt Switch support from its teammates. Furthermore, Blacephalon's poor offensive coverage options, limited to Hidden Power and a non-STAB Psychic-type move, often lead it to become deadweight in some matchups, such as against Dark and Rock teams. Finally, Blacephalon's Speed tier is a single point shy of Terrakion's and Keldeo's, while being three points below Latios's, all problematic threats to handle for Fire teams, making Blacephalon sometimes hard to make good use of against teams that often carry those Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Fire)
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Psyshock
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shadow Ball is Blacephalon's most spammable STAB attack and is great in many matchups, such as against Psychic teams. Fire Blast is Blacephalon's chosen Fire-type STAB move, enabling it to deal considerable damage in the sun, even against resisted targets, always 2HKOing Hydreigon for instance. Flamethrower is an alternative if Fire Blast's accuracy is an issue, but its lowered damage output makes Blacephalon miss out on OHKOing threats like Tapu Koko and 2HKOing others like specially defensive Cradily in the sun. Hidden Power Ice lets Blacephalon KO troublesome Dragon- and Ground-types like Dragonite after its Multiscale is broken, Garchomp, and Choice Scarf Landorus-T. Psyshock allows Blacephalon to revenge kill Choice Scarf Nihilego, one of the greatest threats for Fire teams, and take on Poison teams once Alolan Muk is eliminated. If crippling walls is desirable to your team, Trick can be used instead to shut down foes like Chansey and Mantine that Blacephalon cannot otherwise touch.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Speed with a Timid nature and a Choice Scarf lets Blacephalon be as fast as possible, outspeeding opposing Choice Scarf users like Nihilego and Victini. It also needs maximum investment in Special Attack to hit as hard as possible. With those EV investments, Blacephalon's ability Beast Boost will boost its Special Attack by one stage every time it KOes an opposing Pokemon, enabling it to clean weakened teams late-game.
Usage Tips
========
Send Blacephalon on the field after its checks, such as Chansey and Toxapex, are weakened or gone, so that it can effectively sweep the enemy team. However, because Blacephalon is extremely frail, directly sending it onto the field is not recommended. Instead, use a teammate's slow U-turn or Volt Switch or switch in Blacephalon after a teammate has been KOed to preserve its health. For Blacephalon to efficiently sweep teams, it will more often than not need Stealth Rock support from a teammate before it's able to revenge kill fast or bulky offensive threats like Tapu Koko and Dragonite. Therefore, setting up the entry hazard before sending Blacephalon onto the field can be crucial. Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Alolan Muk threaten to KO Blacephalon and take minimal damage from its coverage moves. Therefore, it would be best to either avoid bringing Blacephalon onto the field while they're healthy or to immediately switch Blacephalon out as a lure into an offensive teammate that can handle them. Furthermore, if an opposing Pursuit trapper is alive, revenge killing dangerous threats like Choice Scarf Nihilego can be problematic, as they simply switch on Blacephalon and easily KO it. So, if possible, try and dispose of such threats with one of Blacephalon's teammates that wouldn't be bothered as much by Pursuit trappers. If Trick is run over Psyshock, it can be used to great effect by luring and crippling problematic walls like Chansey, Mantine, and Toxapex that Blacephalon cannot seriously harm otherwise so that they become deadweight for the rest of the match. Finally, try and avoid any kind of status, especially paralysis. A paralyzed Blacephalon cannot efficiently perform its role as a revenge killer due to its greatly reduced Speed stat and becomes a lot easier to revenge kill, being outsped and OHKOed by Mamoswine's Earthquake for example.
Team Options
========
Choice Band Infernape is an amazing partner for this Blacephalon variant: it can punch holes in the enemy team so that it's easier for Blacephalon to sweep, safely bring it on the field with U-turn, and beat troublesome Dark, Rock and Normal teams with Close Combat and Iron Fist-boosted Mach Punch. In return, Blacephalon can sweep Psychic and Ghost teams, which Infernape has trouble with, with little support. Mega Charizard X forms a potent sweeping duo with Blacephalon that can beat each other's checks and tear opposing teams apart. For example, against Poison teams, Mega Charizard X takes care of Alolan Muk for Blacephalon, which paves the way for Blacephalon to sweep the rest of the Poison team with Psyshock. The support Torkoal brings to Blacephalon and Fire teams in general as a sun and entry hazard setter, spinner, and physical wall is really important, since it can enable Blacephalon to OHKO Zapdos after Stealth Rock damage and Mega Lopunny in the sun while clearing entry hazards away and easily sponging most priority moves aimed at Blacephalon. Rotom-H is a nice teammate for Blacephalon due to its access to a slow Volt Switch, both Light Screen and Reflect, and Defog, which lets Blacephalon safely come onto the field, clean opposing teams more easily, and not worry about entry hazard damage or opposing screens cutting its sweep short. Rotom-H also brings a welcomed immunity to Groud-type moves for Fire teams. In return, Blacephalon can KO many Ground-types like Landorus and Garchomp, which Rotom-H ironically cannot touch, with Hidden Power Ice. Mega Charizard Y is an appreciated secondary weather setter and wallbreaker that pressures opposing Water-types, easing Blacephalon's job of cleaning the enemy team late-game. Victini is another wallbreaker that pressures Water-types, especially Mantine, so that Blacephalon has more opportunities to clean the opposing team. Furthermore, it can even safely bring Blacephalon onto the field with U-turn. Heatran can trap and remove bulky threats like Toxapex, letting Blacephalon have an easier time sweeping the enemy team, and can KO Mega Diancie with Flash Cannon. Volcanion can act as a check to troublesome Water-types with Water Absorb, such as Azumarill, and a secondary hazard clearer with Defog for Blacephalon.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs (Fire)
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shadow Ball helps Blacephalon deal with bulky Water-types and other opposing threats that resist its Fire-type STAB move. In particular, Shadow Ball OHKOes Pelipper and (Mega) Slowbro, in addition to 2HKOing Toxapex and Assault Vest Seismitoad. Fire Blast is Blacephalon's prefered Fire-type STAB move, as it delivers devasting blows to opposing threats, such as OHKOing Hippowdon and 2HKOing Porygon2. Flamethrower can replace Fire Blast if the better accuracy is more than important than the superior firepower, but Flamethrower can still be strong enough if used in the sun. Hidden Power Ice is Blacephalon's way to dispose of dangerous Dragon- and Ground-types, such as Dragonite (outside of Multiscale) and Garchomp. Trick is Blacephalon's last move, crippling walls that would usually switch in and comfortably sponge its attacking moves, such as Chansey and Mantine, by replacing their item with a Choice Specs.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Special Attack with Choice Specs lets Blacephalon be as powerful as possible, OHKOing or 2HKOing most opposing Pokemon, such as Armaldo after Stealth Rock damage (or in the sun) and Araquanid, respectively. Blacephalon also needs maximum Speed investment to become as fast as possible, allowing it to outspeed common Pokemon like Garchomp and Landorus. With this EV investment, Beast Boost, Blacephalon's only ability, will boost its Special Attack by one stage everytime it KOes an opposing Pokemon, enabling it to clean slower teams late-game.
Usage Tips
========
Since this Blacephalon variant is more of a wallbreaker rather than a sweeper, it should be switched into passive threats like Mega Venusaur and Clefable so that it can deal a great amount of damage to them or one of their teammates if they switch out. As a wallbreaker, Blacephalon should be used early-game to punch holes into the enemy team to weaken walls and, if possible, KO other opposing Pokemon so that sweepers like Mega Charizard X and revenge killers like Choice Scarf Infernape have an easier time cleaning the opposing team. Because Blacephalon is extremely frail, directly sending it onto the field is not always recommended. A safer way to put Blacephalon on the field would be using a teammate's slow U-turn or Volt Switch or switching it in after a teammate has been KOed to preserve its health. Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Alolan Muk threaten to KO Blacephalon and take minimal damage from its coverage moves. To avoid being trapped and prematurely losing Blacephalon, it would be best to either keep Blacephalon off the field while they're healthy or immediately switch Blacephalon out as a lure to an offensive teammate that can handle them. Trick should be used against problematic special walls, such as Chansey and Mantine, that try to switch into Blacephalon's attacking moves. Try to avoid any kind of status, especially paralysis, as it severely cripples Blacephalon, making it slower than the vast majority of Pokemon and prone to being revenge killed, even by the likes of Skarmory. Finally, even when considering Blacephalon's might, it sometimes needs Stealth Rock support from a teammate before it's able to KO Focus Sash users like Breloom or certain walls without the need of sun support like Zapdos. Therefore, setting up the entry hazard before sending Blacephalon onto the field is often recommended.
Team Options
========
Choice Scarf Infernape is a great partner for this Blacephalon variant: it can outspeed and revenge kill various Pokemon like +1 Mega Sharpedo and Choice Scarf Nihilego, in addition of safely bringing Blacephalon onto the field with U-turn. In return, Blacephalon can wallbreak against the opposing team to ease Infernape's job of revenge killing. Torkoal's Drought can reduce the damage output from opposing Water-type attacks and increase Blacephalon's Fire-type STAB move's firepower to absurd levels, enabling it to OHKO specially defensive Mega Sableye and even 2HKO Chansey after Stealth Rock damage if Fire Blast is used. Being a staple on Fire teams, Torkoal can also set up Stealth Rock to punish opposing switches, clear away entry hazards with Rapid Spin, and, due to its great physical bulk, switch into priority moves aimed at Blacephalon. Rotom-H is a nice teammate for Blacephalon due to its access to a slow Volt Switch, both Light Screen and Reflect, and Defog, which lets Blacephalon safely come onto the field, punch holes into opposing teams more easily, and not worry about entry hazard damage or opposing screens preventing Blacephalon from properly performing its wallbreaking job. Rotom-H also brings a welcomed immunity to Groud-type moves for Fire teams. In return, Blacephalon can KO many Ground-types like Hippowdon and Assault Vest Seismitoad, which Rotom-H cannot touch. Mega Charizard X is the premier sweeper for Fire teams and can clean opposing teams after Blacephalon has weakened them with its powerful attacks. For example, against Ground teams, once Blacephalon has taken care of Hippowdon and the sand has dissipated, Charizard is free to set up a Dragon Dance before Mega Evolving and sweep the rest of the team. Volcarona is another sweeper that can take advantage of Blacephalon's wallbreaking abilities by cleaning weakened teams. In return, Blacephalon can 2HKO some threats that Volcarona has trouble with, such as Toxapex and Mantine after Stealth Rock damage. Additionally, Volcarona and Blacephalon can tear Psychic teams apart when used together. Heatran, when used alongside this Blacephalon set, can greatly pressure slower teams, as the former can trap, slowly wear down and prevent walls from recovering their HP with Magma Storm and Taunt, while the latter can finish those walls afterwards. Heatran can also deal with Mega Diancie for Blacephalon and its other teammates. Victini can form a potent wallbreaking duo with Blacephalon and pressure Water-types, in addition to slower teams in general. Furthermore, Victini can even safely bring Blacephalon onto the field with U-turn. With Water Absorb, Volcanion can switch into Water-type moves like Keldeo's or Mantine's Scald aimed at Blacephalon while also checking the dangerous threat that is Belly Drum Azumarill with Sludge Wave and clearing entry hazards away with Defog for Fire teams.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fire
--------
A Substitute + Calm Mind set with both STAB moves and a Z-Crystal can ease prediction against slower, bulkier teams while being somewhat effective against offensive teams if Substitute is used on a predicted switch. However, Blacephalon tends to have a hard time to set up in any way due to its frailty. Giving Blacephalon a Life Orb enables it to increase its damage output without being locked into a single move and run other moves like Taunt, which actually allows it to completely shut down Chansey. On the other hand, Blacephalon would much rather be Fire teams' way of keeping faster foes in check or wallbreak without getting worn out by repeated rounds of Life Orb recoil and missing out on 2HKOing Mantine after Stealth Rock.
Checks and Counters
===================
Fire
--------
**Tyranitar**: All Blacephalon sets are completely hard walled by Tyranitar due to its typing and natural bulk. Tyranitar also easily OHKOes it with Pursuit or Stone Edge.
**Pursuit trappers**: Alolan Muk, Mega Aerodactyl, and Tyranitar can all tank one or two hits from Blacephalon before using Pursuit to KO it with ease. Additionally, Alolan Muk takes little damage from Choice Scarf variants, and Mega Aerodactyl naturally outspeeds Choice Specs variants.
**Faster Water-types**: Choice Scarf Greninja and Keldeo (or non-Choice Scarf variants if against Choice Specs Blacephalon), in addition of Kingdra in the rain, can all easily outspeed Blacephalon and KO it with their respective STAB moves.
**Rock-types**: Choice Scarf Blacephalon can't properly KO Rock-types like Mega Diancie or non-Choice Scarf Terrakion (even less so in the sand) if they've not been weakened beforehand, and Choice Specs variants are outsped by them. It goes without saying that those Rock-types will OHKO any Blacephalon variant without much trouble.
**Revenge Killers**: Like the previously mentioned Greninja and Keldeo, faster Choice Scarf users like Terrakion and Latios all outspeed and OHKO Blacephalon, even when it's at full health.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Chansey and Mantine are one of the best switch-ins to Blacephalon, as they easily sponge its STAB and coverage moves. However, these Pokemon have to be cautious of Blacephalon's Trick, which will cripple them for the remainder of the match.
**Priority Users**: Even though Blacephalon resists or is immune to most forms of priority, some Pokemon like Azumarill, Mimikyu, and Bisharp can KO or at least heavily threaten Blacephalon with their own respective priority moves.
**Status**: Blacephalon dislikes every kind of status, as being (badly) poisoned will drastically shorten its sweep and being paralyzed will cripple Blacephalon beyond repair, since it'll be so much slower and prone to be easily revenge killed.
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