Blaziken
05-14-2008, 06:03 AM
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Empoleon
Empoleon is the fully evolved form of the water starter for the Shinou region, Piplup. There are a couple of things that particularly stand out with Empoleon, one being its unique type, the other being the versatile pokemon it is. It could play as a supporter pokemon, defensive and also offensive. Empoleon isn’t a pokemon who is going to be used as often as something say Snorlax or Blissey to wall and Porygon Z or Gengar to attack however Empoleon still has the potential to be quite lethal. It’s unfortunate that weaknesses to the ever-popular Thunderbolt, Earthquake and an array of fighting attacks limits Empoleon’s effectiveness, plus a very disappointing speed.
Supporter/ Special Wall
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Calm
Attacks:
Surf
Ice Beam/ Grass Knot
Stealth Rock
Yawn/ Roar/ Ice Beam/ Grass Knot
Empoleon’s defensive stats are all quite impressive making it a decent special wall. However as mentioned before, a weakness to the popular Thunderbolt greatly reduces its ability and potential as a special wall, not to mention the lack of a reliable recovery move. However Empoleon is still good, boasting as one of the only solid Choice Specs Salamence counters. Surf is Empoleon’s main form of attacking while Stealth Rock leaves those little stone floating on the field. The second move is again for offensive reasons while with the last move is between psuedo-hazing or playing offensive. Not having an instant self-recovery move does hurt though.
Rating: 8/10
Special Sweeper
Item: Life Orb
Nature: Modest/ Timid
Attacks:
Agility
Surf
Ice Beam
Grass Knot
Yes Empoleon’s speed is horrible however with Agility, it can make that up. Surf is again the main form of attacking while Ice Beam caters for grass types and dragons. Grass Knot is a handy attack to have, especially against Milotic who might think that they can wall you. It’s quite a basic Empoleon but it has the potential to become quite lethal, given the opportunity to. As for its nature, Timid is there for you to outrun any potential Choice Scarf pokemon who might come after you at the cost of some extra power provided by having a modest nature. Empoleon has real potential as a sweeper of some sort however just a warning, if you decide to use this version of Empoleon, it gets walled incredibly easily by special walls like Blissey and has no way of taking it out before getting taken out.
Rating: 7.5/10
Choice Specs
Item: Choice Specs
Nature: Modest/ Timid
Attacks:
Surf/ Hydro Pump
Ice Beam
Grass Knot
Hidden Power Electric/ Hidden Power Ground/ Flash Cannon
If you thought the previous set was basic, then well, this set is even more easy to use. Simple choice pokemon, just choose your moves and sweep. As for the last move Hidden Power Electric for Gyarados but when you’ve got a 120 base power Grass Knot, it might not be needed. Hidden Power Ground is for Magnezone who can trap you easily. Because Empoleon’s max speed ties with Magnezone’s, you might not be able to outrun it and be left exposed to a powerful Thunderbolt attack. Flash Cannon is a very novelty move and is the only really move effective than the others against the likes of Abomasnow. Despite is great special attack stat, it’s special movepool is very, very poor.
Rating: 7.5/10
Physical Sweeper
Item: Life Orb/ Leftovers/ Expert Belt
Nature: Adamant/ Jolly
Attacks:
Swords Dance
Waterfall
Earthquake/ Drill Peck/ Avalanche/ Hydro Pump
Drill Peck/ Avalanche/ Hydro Pump/ Earthquake
Physical sweeping Empoleon is very novelty and is very rarely seen despite being very basic. Swords Dance is the main reason why people could sometimes be leaned towards the physical set, the other being it’s slightly better physical sweeping movepool. Waterfall turns into Empoleon’s main STAB move while everything else is for coverage. Because of Empoleon’s shockingly horrible speed, this set is classified as novelty but it does have the element of surprise.
Rating: 7/10
Staller
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Calm
Attacks:
Toxic/ Yawn
Protect
Toxic/ Aqua Ring
Surf/ Ice Beam/ Grass Knot
Empoleon as a stalling type pokemon is an option considering that it has access to both Aqua Ring and Yawn however to get both on the same set, you’ll have to go through a very lengthy process of obtaining it. It’s defenses and HP are all decent making this set usable but sort of unattractive due to the fact nothing particularly stands out in it. Besides inflicting a possible Toxic on opponents, there’s nothing else Empoleon can really do besides Protect and restore health and attack. All of this can easily be dispelled by popular Clerics like Blissey and Celebi. However once you do get rid on them, I guess this version of Empoleon can be quite decent.
Rating: 6.5/10
Contests
Contest Type: Smart
Moves:
Swords Dance
Grass Knot
Brine
Protect
Set up with Swords Dance so the move you use next gets double points, hopefully earning you eight points at least (not including any extra points given by judges at the end). Just as a quick note, I know it’s bad having two moves which have the same effect, in this case Grass Knot and Brine. However they do work together being that the chance of them not earning you at least 8 points after being doubled is quite rare. Because of the extremely rarity and the stupidity of someone if they do try and stop you from earning the boost, thus sacrificing themselves, both Grass Knot and Brine are moves able to be used on in the same set.
Rating: 9.5/10
Type:
Empoleon is a pokemon which has a huge 11 resistances and 1 immunity given the type combination it has of water and steel. This type combination is unique to Empoleon and is one of the reasons why people might be leaning towards using Empoleon. The other is its decent array of support moves like Roar, Yawn and others. The downside to Empoleon is that it gets walled, extremely easily by other specials walls in Blissey and Snorlax. Both can outstall Empoleon bearing in mind that it doesn’t have a Rest/ Sleep Talk set and can should hopefully respond with something decent, Blissey with Seismic Toss and Snorlax with Earthquake. Despite being weak to Grass Knot, Lanturn’s light weight allows it to take little damage from Grass Knot and respond with a STAB Thunderbolt.
If Empoleon is going to go more offensive, it’s just a matter of time before you figure out which one. If special sweeper, specials like Snorlax plus other bulky water pokemon like Suicune can set up on Empoleon. Ludicolo can stall it with Leech Seed while Vaporeon and Tentacruel can take pretty much anything Empoleon throws at them. As for the physical sweeping set which is quite rare, some physical walls like Gliscor just won’t do, for obvious reasons. It’s more supportive pokemon who can take physical water attacks that should be used against physical Empoleon. Pokemon like Swampert and Tangrowth are decent choice. Surprisingly not a lot of pokemon can safely switch into Empoleon’s attacks however once some pokemon are in, they can cause major problems. Dugtrio and Magnezone are just a couple, can not just because of their abilities to trap Empoleon in.
Ability- Torrent:
Torrent is an ability exclusive to only the Kanto, Johto, Houen and Shinou water starting pokemon and their evolutions. Since Empoleon is part of that exclusive 12-pokemon group, it can only have this ability. Torrent is a decent ability to have for sweepers to have and there are sets which can be designed around the activation of this ability and similar ones however with Empoleon’s low speed and considering that it’s used more as a defensive type of pokemon due to the number of resistances it has, this ability isn’t going to benefit Empoleon too much. It however won’t hold it bad at all, especially if Empoleon boosts up it’s speed and begins to sweep. If you don’t know what this ability does, it boosts the power of water type moves by multiplying them by 1.5 when the user’s HP is below a third of their max.
Overall Rating for Empoleon: 8/10
Empoleon
Empoleon is the fully evolved form of the water starter for the Shinou region, Piplup. There are a couple of things that particularly stand out with Empoleon, one being its unique type, the other being the versatile pokemon it is. It could play as a supporter pokemon, defensive and also offensive. Empoleon isn’t a pokemon who is going to be used as often as something say Snorlax or Blissey to wall and Porygon Z or Gengar to attack however Empoleon still has the potential to be quite lethal. It’s unfortunate that weaknesses to the ever-popular Thunderbolt, Earthquake and an array of fighting attacks limits Empoleon’s effectiveness, plus a very disappointing speed.
Supporter/ Special Wall
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Calm
Attacks:
Surf
Ice Beam/ Grass Knot
Stealth Rock
Yawn/ Roar/ Ice Beam/ Grass Knot
Empoleon’s defensive stats are all quite impressive making it a decent special wall. However as mentioned before, a weakness to the popular Thunderbolt greatly reduces its ability and potential as a special wall, not to mention the lack of a reliable recovery move. However Empoleon is still good, boasting as one of the only solid Choice Specs Salamence counters. Surf is Empoleon’s main form of attacking while Stealth Rock leaves those little stone floating on the field. The second move is again for offensive reasons while with the last move is between psuedo-hazing or playing offensive. Not having an instant self-recovery move does hurt though.
Rating: 8/10
Special Sweeper
Item: Life Orb
Nature: Modest/ Timid
Attacks:
Agility
Surf
Ice Beam
Grass Knot
Yes Empoleon’s speed is horrible however with Agility, it can make that up. Surf is again the main form of attacking while Ice Beam caters for grass types and dragons. Grass Knot is a handy attack to have, especially against Milotic who might think that they can wall you. It’s quite a basic Empoleon but it has the potential to become quite lethal, given the opportunity to. As for its nature, Timid is there for you to outrun any potential Choice Scarf pokemon who might come after you at the cost of some extra power provided by having a modest nature. Empoleon has real potential as a sweeper of some sort however just a warning, if you decide to use this version of Empoleon, it gets walled incredibly easily by special walls like Blissey and has no way of taking it out before getting taken out.
Rating: 7.5/10
Choice Specs
Item: Choice Specs
Nature: Modest/ Timid
Attacks:
Surf/ Hydro Pump
Ice Beam
Grass Knot
Hidden Power Electric/ Hidden Power Ground/ Flash Cannon
If you thought the previous set was basic, then well, this set is even more easy to use. Simple choice pokemon, just choose your moves and sweep. As for the last move Hidden Power Electric for Gyarados but when you’ve got a 120 base power Grass Knot, it might not be needed. Hidden Power Ground is for Magnezone who can trap you easily. Because Empoleon’s max speed ties with Magnezone’s, you might not be able to outrun it and be left exposed to a powerful Thunderbolt attack. Flash Cannon is a very novelty move and is the only really move effective than the others against the likes of Abomasnow. Despite is great special attack stat, it’s special movepool is very, very poor.
Rating: 7.5/10
Physical Sweeper
Item: Life Orb/ Leftovers/ Expert Belt
Nature: Adamant/ Jolly
Attacks:
Swords Dance
Waterfall
Earthquake/ Drill Peck/ Avalanche/ Hydro Pump
Drill Peck/ Avalanche/ Hydro Pump/ Earthquake
Physical sweeping Empoleon is very novelty and is very rarely seen despite being very basic. Swords Dance is the main reason why people could sometimes be leaned towards the physical set, the other being it’s slightly better physical sweeping movepool. Waterfall turns into Empoleon’s main STAB move while everything else is for coverage. Because of Empoleon’s shockingly horrible speed, this set is classified as novelty but it does have the element of surprise.
Rating: 7/10
Staller
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Calm
Attacks:
Toxic/ Yawn
Protect
Toxic/ Aqua Ring
Surf/ Ice Beam/ Grass Knot
Empoleon as a stalling type pokemon is an option considering that it has access to both Aqua Ring and Yawn however to get both on the same set, you’ll have to go through a very lengthy process of obtaining it. It’s defenses and HP are all decent making this set usable but sort of unattractive due to the fact nothing particularly stands out in it. Besides inflicting a possible Toxic on opponents, there’s nothing else Empoleon can really do besides Protect and restore health and attack. All of this can easily be dispelled by popular Clerics like Blissey and Celebi. However once you do get rid on them, I guess this version of Empoleon can be quite decent.
Rating: 6.5/10
Contests
Contest Type: Smart
Moves:
Swords Dance
Grass Knot
Brine
Protect
Set up with Swords Dance so the move you use next gets double points, hopefully earning you eight points at least (not including any extra points given by judges at the end). Just as a quick note, I know it’s bad having two moves which have the same effect, in this case Grass Knot and Brine. However they do work together being that the chance of them not earning you at least 8 points after being doubled is quite rare. Because of the extremely rarity and the stupidity of someone if they do try and stop you from earning the boost, thus sacrificing themselves, both Grass Knot and Brine are moves able to be used on in the same set.
Rating: 9.5/10
Type:
Empoleon is a pokemon which has a huge 11 resistances and 1 immunity given the type combination it has of water and steel. This type combination is unique to Empoleon and is one of the reasons why people might be leaning towards using Empoleon. The other is its decent array of support moves like Roar, Yawn and others. The downside to Empoleon is that it gets walled, extremely easily by other specials walls in Blissey and Snorlax. Both can outstall Empoleon bearing in mind that it doesn’t have a Rest/ Sleep Talk set and can should hopefully respond with something decent, Blissey with Seismic Toss and Snorlax with Earthquake. Despite being weak to Grass Knot, Lanturn’s light weight allows it to take little damage from Grass Knot and respond with a STAB Thunderbolt.
If Empoleon is going to go more offensive, it’s just a matter of time before you figure out which one. If special sweeper, specials like Snorlax plus other bulky water pokemon like Suicune can set up on Empoleon. Ludicolo can stall it with Leech Seed while Vaporeon and Tentacruel can take pretty much anything Empoleon throws at them. As for the physical sweeping set which is quite rare, some physical walls like Gliscor just won’t do, for obvious reasons. It’s more supportive pokemon who can take physical water attacks that should be used against physical Empoleon. Pokemon like Swampert and Tangrowth are decent choice. Surprisingly not a lot of pokemon can safely switch into Empoleon’s attacks however once some pokemon are in, they can cause major problems. Dugtrio and Magnezone are just a couple, can not just because of their abilities to trap Empoleon in.
Ability- Torrent:
Torrent is an ability exclusive to only the Kanto, Johto, Houen and Shinou water starting pokemon and their evolutions. Since Empoleon is part of that exclusive 12-pokemon group, it can only have this ability. Torrent is a decent ability to have for sweepers to have and there are sets which can be designed around the activation of this ability and similar ones however with Empoleon’s low speed and considering that it’s used more as a defensive type of pokemon due to the number of resistances it has, this ability isn’t going to benefit Empoleon too much. It however won’t hold it bad at all, especially if Empoleon boosts up it’s speed and begins to sweep. If you don’t know what this ability does, it boosts the power of water type moves by multiplying them by 1.5 when the user’s HP is below a third of their max.
Overall Rating for Empoleon: 8/10