PLDH-MajeSan
06-04-2010, 06:55 AM
http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg361/TheMole23/479-wash.png
ROTOM-WASH FORME
SUMMARY
Most Used Set
Rotom-W, as all Rotom Formes, is most commonly used as a physical wall. Rotom likes to wall Steel-type attackers, most especially Scizor and Metagross. With the prevalence of Steel types in the metagame today, Rotom's ability to counter their powerful attacks is invaluable on any team. However, Rotom's most recognizable move is not any of its signature moves, but rather, Will-o-wisp, which has never seen as much use on any other Pokemon as on Rotom-A. Between base 107 defenses, Electric/Ghost typing, and Ground immunity from Levitate, Rotom's physical defensiveness can be almost impossible to crack, espcially with some of the trickier Rotom sets.
Counters + Checks
Rotom is bloody near impossible to check properly if the user employs proper prediction. Tyranitar has a very good chance of KO'ing Rotom on the physical Spectrum, coming in on many moves and taking next to no damage, then threatening a powerful Crunch or a trapping Pursuit back (assuming it doesn't get burned). If Rotom tries to come in on Tyranitar, Tyraniboah completely annihilates all Rotom with Substitute and Dark Pulse. CurseTar is another option, being able to Rest off a burn and use the base 100 power Payback to crush Rotom. Any fast Pokemon with a STAB Dark or Ghost attack can generally threaten Rotom with a KO, although catching it with the move can often be another issue. Jolteon can come in on Thunderbolt and scare with Shadow Ball, notably, and Dark Pulse Umbreon is almost completely immune to all of Rotom's tricks.
Types of teams this Pokemon is used in
Rotom can be used on any manner of team. Being able to counter Steel, Bug, Electric, Flying, Normal, Fighting, and Ground attacks without even investing in defense or HP provides automatic counters for many otherwise powerful Pokemon, and with investment, Rotom is perfectly at home on any Stall team. The offensive varieties are even more threatening in most cases, almost guaranteeing KO's from unsuspecting Pokemon that otherwise counter Rotom.
In-Depth:
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Physical Wall @ Leftovers
Bold Nature (+Def, - Atk)
252 HP/168 Def/88 Spe
-Thunderbolt/Discharge
-Will-o-Wisp/Reflect/Toxic
-Hydro Pump
-Shadow Ball/Light Screen
Rotom-W makes a premier wall overall in the OU tier, thanks largely in part to its amazing combination of ability, typing, and stats. Base 107 defenses, resistance to Steel, Bug, and Electric, and immunity to Normal, Fighting, and Ground make it ridiculously easy for Rotom to come in on Choiced (or even some non-choiced, thanks to repspectable base 86 speed) physical attackers and burn them zealously, sealing their fate as crippled attackers. Coupled with its ability to block Rapid Spin attempts, Rotom has become the new poster child for this metagame's face of stall.
Rotom's rather poor base HP of 50 means that 252 basically must be invested into HP to allow Rotom to wall effectively. 88 Speed EVs allows for the outspeeding of max speed Adamant Scizor, and the rest are put into Defense with a Bold nature for maximum physical defense. With these EVs, not even Max Attack Tyranitar has a chance to OHKO with Crunch, although the damage will cripple Rotom heavily. Scizor's Bullet Punch bounces off, dealing 15% at most, and U-Turn fares little better.
Any Pokemon relying on Steel type STAB to wipe out the competition will be heavily dismayed at Rotom's appearance, often lacking effective options to defeat it. Literally any team can benefit from this Pokemon, although it should not be too heavily relied upon for victory, as special attackers such as Gengar and Jirachi have no problem coming in on several options for the moveset and setting up or destroying Rotom with a few moves. Jolteon and Umbreon are especially painful to see, as Jolteon can come in on Thunderbolt especially easily thanks to Volt Absorb and fire a Shadow Ball back, while Umbreon's titanic special tanking abilities and Synchronize allow it to wall Rotom to no end while reflecting status back and still threatening with Dark Pulse or even Payback (despite a burn, status damage coupled with a base power 100 super effective attack will quickly take its toll on Rotom with no recovery options). Blissey, too, is a counter to this set, being able to take status with little worry and use Toxic on Rotom. Finally, Heatran can come in on Will-o-Wisp and threaten massive damage with a boosted Fire Blast.
To help combat these numberous counters to Rotom, Scizor comes to mind. Resisting both of Rotom's weaknesses, Scizor can come in easily on many of the moves Rotom fears and chase away opponents with Bullet Punch or U-Turn. Blissey's Toxic will go to waste on the Steel type, and Superpower always OHKO's even the most defensive Blissey or Umbreon. Heatran can also be taken out by Superpower, although Scizor heavily fears the Steel/Fire combination, and is also outsped. To handle powerful neutral special attacks, a Heatran of your own might be in order, also as a possible Mixed Salamence counter if it has a Choice Scarf. Scizor can U-Turn out of fire-type attacks to this partner, and Rotom can flee from Salamence with little worry, as few Salamence will choose to initially Earthquake a Rotom Forme.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Choice @ Choice Scarf/Choice Specs
EVs: 4 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk) or Modest nature (+SpAtk, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
- Shadow Ball
- Hydro Pump
On the opposite side of the spectrum from the physically defensive Rotom set are the specially attacking Choice Rotom sets. Both sets benefit from the same general moveset, however, they play different roles. The scarf set is a revenge killer, while the specs set generally tries to sweep. Many Pokemon that come in on Rotom do not expect a high-powered Hydro Pump as the first move, allowing Rotom to score some effective KO's on Pokemon such as Tyranitar, particularly its Choice Scarf version, who doesn't even require Stealth Rock to guarantee a KO on. Meanwhile, many Pokemon who would not switch out of Rotom because they otherwise outspeed, particularly Gengar and Infernape, will be dismayed to find a Scarf Rotom outspeeding them and KOing with a super effective move. These sets also go well on stall teams, fronting for badly needed trick absorbers on stall teams that can also benefit from their general toughness and typing.
The EVs and moveset are pretty malleable in most places. Rotom doesn't particularly need absolute max speed, as base 86 places it in its own speed bracket, meaning there's nothing for it to worry about losing to automatically just because it doesn't invest in max speed besides itself. Rotom's HP can still be maxxed out at the cost of some speed and SpAtk if you choose, which allows for more bulk, particularly on the Specs set. While 188 Speed and a Timid nature are probably still for the best there to outspeed Heatran of a corresponding Choice boost, anything else can be moved around relatively safely. All the moves can be changed to your liking as well, to make room for any particular Hidden Power, or perhaps Will-o-Wisp, which can be used to great effect against unsuspecting opponents who deduce that this is a Choice set, or even after the Trick to give Rotom additional walling capabilities if you invest in HP.
Be wary if you move too much out of Special Attack, however, as Tyranitar will likely be prominent as ever, and without enough SpAtk or with a bad prediction the big monster can easily come in and ruin you with a single Crunch or, more likely, the dreaded Pursuit, which Rotom likely does not have the power to absorb with this set. Like any choice set, this set requires good prediction, as the same counters to the previous set are there, and even more ways to stop Rotom are here now due to being locked into a single move. Even Snorlax can get in on the act with possible Pursuits on a Choiced Shadow Ball, or setting up Curses as you switch away. Many setup Pokemon can capitalize on Rotom in this way, making a phazer semi-essential to run in this instance. Skarmory and Swampert both do a decent job here, being able to force out most setup Pokemon that would try to come in on Rotom, though both do have issues they could run into.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Rain Support@Damp Rock
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SpAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
-Rain Dance
-Thunder/Discharge
-Will-o-Wisp/Reflect
-Hydro Pump
This set is designed for the rather specialist purpose of setting up rain. However, Rotom-W's unique typing and moveset put it in the unique position of being able to take particularly good advantage of it. It basically gets the equivalent of STAB Hydro Pump in rain, which when combined with STAB 100% accurate Thunder, make Rotom quite able to deal out vicious blows to would-be walls while supporting the rest of the team with the aforementioned field effect
Rain Dance and Damp Rock provide for eight turns of 100% accurate Thunder, extra STAB bonus on water moves, and dampening of fire moves, as well as activation of Swift Swim and Rain Dish. If you're using this set, it's a good bet it's for the offensive capabilites rather than the defensive ones, but the fire dampening is still a nice bonus, as Rotom is now a much bigger threat to Fire-types in general with both reduced damage taken and improved damage output. Thunder is the preferred STAB for increased paralysis chance and overall greatest power of any Electric move, but Thunderbolt and Discharge both still make some sense: Tbolt has less chance of paralyzing a target you may want to burn, and both Discharge and Tbolt are still perfectly accurate outside of rain. Hydro Pump is present to better take advantage of the rain and 2HKO any Tyranitar coming in to ruin the rain with Sand Stream, and Will-o-Wisp is there to allow Rotom to possibly wall physical Pokemon, though not as well as it could with a defensive set.
The EVs are given to allow maximum offensive prowess on this set. It goes well with what its probable teammates, Kingdra and Ludicolo, are capable of doing, though it has good synergy also with rain-setting Scizor and the odd Snorlax that wanders onto a Rain team as a panic button.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Sub + Pain Split@ Leftovers
EVs: 252 HP/188 Spd/16 SAtk/52 SDef
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Will-o-wisp
- Pain Split
- Thunderbolt
With the advent of Pain Split, many sets revolving around the move were made. This moveset is a reincarnation of the older version of this exact moveset, using Pain Split over Shadow Ball. However, Shadow Ball is still completely viable. The promise of this moveset is simple - beating the physical-based sweepers with the use of Pain Split, Will-o-Wisp and Substitute. It is for sure that Rotom-W will also lure out many of it's counters and stop them from Pursuiting it. Tyranitar and Snorlax are both crippled by Will-o-Wisp, and Rotom-W can stall both of them out when Stealth Rock is up and you use Thunderbolt to finish them off. Blissey won't be so happy, too. Pain Split will drain it off a precious amount of health and completely heal Rotom-W most of the time! Even Heatran isn't in such a safe position now, as Stealth Rock with one layer of Spikes assure the 2HKO on it with Thunderbolt. There still are Pokemon that beat this moveset with ease, though - the most dangerous being special attackers that resist Thunderbolt. Blissey, Rotom-A and Jolteon still dont have problems switching into this moveset, and despite the Pain Split Blissey will still wall you without problems. Regardless, this Rotom is quite possibly the best choice for balanced offense teams. (Seriously if you say semi-stall I will ******* hit you, that is not an archetype, it is a ******** term made up by some arrogant ******.)
252 HP and 52SDef EVs assure that Rotom-W survives a LO Starmie Hydro Pump, and gives enough bulk for Substitute to withstand weaker special attacks such as Swampert's Ice Beam. 188 Spd EVs are just enough to outspeed Adamant Lucario. Shadow Ball is an option over Pain Split if you want to use a more offensive version of this set, but if you choose so, use 252HP / 68SAtk / 188Spd (Timid), to get a KO on opposing Scarf Rotom (if you are in a Substitute), and for Thunderbolt to always 2HKO Vaporeon.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Dual Screen@Leftovers/ Light Clay
Bold/Calm Nature
252 HP/6 SpAtk/252 Def/SpDef
-Reflect
-Light Screen
-Rest/ Will-o-Wisp/ Hydro Pump
-Discharge
This set makes Rotom's job of walling even more ridiculously easy by setting up screens for teammates and itself to take advantage of. The strategy is simple: come in on something Rotom takes little damage from, such as Metagross or Swampert, and then set up appropriate screens in place. From there, very few Pokemon can truly threaten Rotom, although typically you don't want to simply sit there and flaunt this while your screens run down. A better use for this advantage would be allowing one of your team-mates to set up and sweep the opposing team behind your artificial safety, making this set better used on a team built for offensive purposes than defensive ones.
The EVs require little explanation, and the counters are rather self-explanatory, seeing as how they are based on whatever move or moves you choose to run, seeing as the biggest threats to Rotom will be things that can ignore its attacks rather than actually damage it. A nice bonus here is the washing machine's typing gives it the ability to ignore Brick Break's usually annoying ability to break screens upon use, letting you stand in the face of anyone who would try it and plink away with Will-o-Wisp if you have it, or Discharge if you don't.
Effective teammates for this Rotom include typical set-up sweepers such as Lucario, Gyarados, and Salamence. Rotom does a semi-decent job of blocking special attackers who would threaten these Pokemon with the Calm set behind a Light Screen, regardless of what they may be, so that set may be the preferred option. If you opt for a less conventional sweeper who capitalizes on Calm Mind instead such as Jirachi or Blissey, then the Bold set would be in order.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Sub + Charge Beam@Leftovers
Timid (+Spd, -Atk) Nature
64 HP/228 SpAtk/216 Spe
-Substitute
-Charge Beam
-Shadow Ball
-Hidden Power [Fighting]
A Substitute boost set that focuses on Substitute and the unique electric move, Charge Beam. If Rotom-H can manage to get a Substitute up, it can Charge Beam away until it is powerful enough to go into some sort of Sub / sweep motion. While this is highly unconventional and unlikely to sweep an actual team, team based around the bulky offense archetype might find it difficult to find a Pokemon capable of breaking Rotom's Substitute without sacrificing itself in the process, especially after a few boosts, which could lead to victory simply by eliminating one or two key Pokemon on the opponent's team.
The EV set used for this somewhat infrequently used Rotom-H moveset allows it to, with a Timid nature, outspeed max speed EV and nature wise pokemon up to a base 80 speed stat, and neutral, or pokemon with neutral speed natures with a base speed of up to 90. For those who prefer to use Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk) nature in this moveset, consider investing a few extra EVs in speed, as the speed boost is extremely helpful in Rotom's ability to keep a sweep going. 64 HP EVs allows Rotom's substitutes to survive a Blissey's elemental attacks relatively reliably, although investing more in HP is an acceptable idea to allow more sub survival.
This Rotom is a very effective and versatile sweeper, especially for its ability to take out multiple counters it may otherwise not be able to. Hidden Power Fighting and Shadow Ball from behind a substitute gives Rotom the ability to wreck or at least damage several Pokemon that it can't normally for fear of being knocked out. Tyranitar, Gengar, opposing Scarf Rotom, Weavile, and Alakazam all suddenly become an easy KO instead of crippling weaknesses. The substitute even allows Rotom to scout for Scarf Tyranitar or normal Tyranitar. While this Rotom doesn't have any special counters besides Pursuit and Phazing, thanks to the substitute, it should be noted that this set won't really live an especially long time, seeing as how it has little defensive investment, and base 86 speed is still not espeically fast.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Rest Talk@ Leftovers
Calm Nature (+SpDef, - Atk)
252 HP/168 SpDeF/88 Spe
-Thunderbolt/Hydro Pump/Shadow Ball
-Will-o-Wisp/Toxic/Reflect
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
The point of this set is to provide more stalling ability for Rotom overall. The fact that three of four moves exist to do nothing but keep Rotom alive highlights this pretty well, as do the massively bulky EVs. This set shuts down many physical and special attackers in the metagame, which works well together with many teams that like to run Pokemon that handle Rotom's counters, as those are the only things that can reliable defeat this Rotom.
Rest, Sleep Talk, and Will-o-Wisp all work together to keep the opponent from knocking out Rotom and give it a means of fighting back during Rest downtime, while the fourth move is entirely reliant on what the user of this set needs to be walling using Rotom. Shadow Ball takes backseat to Hydro Pump here due to the prevalence of Heatran, who can come in on a Sleep Talk Will-o-Wisp and threaten back with a ridiculously strong Fire Blast, regardless of your EV spread. For that reason, Reflect is another option, although that is not preferred either due to the fact that it makes Rotom almost entirely incapable of providing any threat on its own. Will-o-Wisp and Toxic both accomplish indirect damage while Rotom is incapable of attacking, and therefore should be chosen first on a set like this.
The given EVs are provided with the fact in mind that Rotom can rest off damage now, and therefore doesn't have to worry as much about how much damage resisted physical attacks will do, since a quick Will-o-Wisp and rest will solve any physical attack problem. Therefore, more thoght is given to surviving Special attacks, thus, the EVs and nature change accordingly. The same reason as on the physical wall set is given for 88 Speed, after all, being able to outspeed and Burn Scizor and Tyranitar can often mean the difference between life and death for Rotom.
The fact that this Rotom is practically incapable of offensive tactics makes it a lot easier for opponents to come in and set up on it, specifically Pokemon like SubCM Jirachi and Crocune. Because of this, using a phazer becomes essential. Roar Swampert can easily handle most set-up sweepers, who rely on heavy stat boosts rather than Grass moves to eliminate the mudfish, and therefore can be easily swept away when only at +1.
Other Options
Trick / Substitute, Reflect / Light Screen / Substitute, and a dual statuser set are all possible options for Rotom. Signal Beam could also work in a moveset, despite being slightly less powerful than Shadow Ball, and without STAB, but able to hit Dark-Types who think they can come in and set up against Rotom with a super effective hit.
Rotom-W has a powerful and wide movepool, and pretty much any special attack in there can go in coordination with Rotom-W´s stats. Bar
Usual Counters
With Rotom´s alternate formes in OU, there are many threats to watch out for that Rotom wouldn´t have to worry about in UU. Tyranitar will simply destroy Rotom-W unless you catch it with a good Hydro Pump on the switch, even if you manage to get off a Will O Wisp onto it. Salamence’s Draco Meteor also annihilates most Rotom sets, and most strong STAB Fire Blasts can get the 2HKO.
Due to the variety of movesets it uses, Rotom-H can be a difficult Pokemon to wall. The ever present wall Blissey will wall Rotom-H, or any forme of Rotom for that matter. Pretty much any special wall other than Ghost, Psychic, and possibly Water types will wall Rotom-H pretty easily. Umbreon and Quagsire can do it too, to an extent. Hydro Pump allows Rotom-W to get further than other Rotom Formes, but in the end it’s not too much more effective.
Opinion
The Rotom forms have become popular in the recent OU metagame, to say the least. Nearly every team seen nowadays has a Rotom form, in fact. This little electric appliance can cause murder and mayham among the opponent, and is thus a very useful and powerful Pokemon to have.
The only real hindrence in Rotom formes, in fact is the weakness against Dark types, such as Scizor and Tyranitar, who both can have Pursuit in their arsenal of moves. Rotom-W’s Will-o-Wisp and Hydro Pump make a handy solution to many Pursuit trappers, especially well complemented by Substitute. The unique moves of each of the Rotom formes make them powerful and valuable players in the standard OU metagame. Great to have this powerful little appliance on your team!
ROTOM-WASH FORME
SUMMARY
Most Used Set
Rotom-W, as all Rotom Formes, is most commonly used as a physical wall. Rotom likes to wall Steel-type attackers, most especially Scizor and Metagross. With the prevalence of Steel types in the metagame today, Rotom's ability to counter their powerful attacks is invaluable on any team. However, Rotom's most recognizable move is not any of its signature moves, but rather, Will-o-wisp, which has never seen as much use on any other Pokemon as on Rotom-A. Between base 107 defenses, Electric/Ghost typing, and Ground immunity from Levitate, Rotom's physical defensiveness can be almost impossible to crack, espcially with some of the trickier Rotom sets.
Counters + Checks
Rotom is bloody near impossible to check properly if the user employs proper prediction. Tyranitar has a very good chance of KO'ing Rotom on the physical Spectrum, coming in on many moves and taking next to no damage, then threatening a powerful Crunch or a trapping Pursuit back (assuming it doesn't get burned). If Rotom tries to come in on Tyranitar, Tyraniboah completely annihilates all Rotom with Substitute and Dark Pulse. CurseTar is another option, being able to Rest off a burn and use the base 100 power Payback to crush Rotom. Any fast Pokemon with a STAB Dark or Ghost attack can generally threaten Rotom with a KO, although catching it with the move can often be another issue. Jolteon can come in on Thunderbolt and scare with Shadow Ball, notably, and Dark Pulse Umbreon is almost completely immune to all of Rotom's tricks.
Types of teams this Pokemon is used in
Rotom can be used on any manner of team. Being able to counter Steel, Bug, Electric, Flying, Normal, Fighting, and Ground attacks without even investing in defense or HP provides automatic counters for many otherwise powerful Pokemon, and with investment, Rotom is perfectly at home on any Stall team. The offensive varieties are even more threatening in most cases, almost guaranteeing KO's from unsuspecting Pokemon that otherwise counter Rotom.
In-Depth:
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Physical Wall @ Leftovers
Bold Nature (+Def, - Atk)
252 HP/168 Def/88 Spe
-Thunderbolt/Discharge
-Will-o-Wisp/Reflect/Toxic
-Hydro Pump
-Shadow Ball/Light Screen
Rotom-W makes a premier wall overall in the OU tier, thanks largely in part to its amazing combination of ability, typing, and stats. Base 107 defenses, resistance to Steel, Bug, and Electric, and immunity to Normal, Fighting, and Ground make it ridiculously easy for Rotom to come in on Choiced (or even some non-choiced, thanks to repspectable base 86 speed) physical attackers and burn them zealously, sealing their fate as crippled attackers. Coupled with its ability to block Rapid Spin attempts, Rotom has become the new poster child for this metagame's face of stall.
Rotom's rather poor base HP of 50 means that 252 basically must be invested into HP to allow Rotom to wall effectively. 88 Speed EVs allows for the outspeeding of max speed Adamant Scizor, and the rest are put into Defense with a Bold nature for maximum physical defense. With these EVs, not even Max Attack Tyranitar has a chance to OHKO with Crunch, although the damage will cripple Rotom heavily. Scizor's Bullet Punch bounces off, dealing 15% at most, and U-Turn fares little better.
Any Pokemon relying on Steel type STAB to wipe out the competition will be heavily dismayed at Rotom's appearance, often lacking effective options to defeat it. Literally any team can benefit from this Pokemon, although it should not be too heavily relied upon for victory, as special attackers such as Gengar and Jirachi have no problem coming in on several options for the moveset and setting up or destroying Rotom with a few moves. Jolteon and Umbreon are especially painful to see, as Jolteon can come in on Thunderbolt especially easily thanks to Volt Absorb and fire a Shadow Ball back, while Umbreon's titanic special tanking abilities and Synchronize allow it to wall Rotom to no end while reflecting status back and still threatening with Dark Pulse or even Payback (despite a burn, status damage coupled with a base power 100 super effective attack will quickly take its toll on Rotom with no recovery options). Blissey, too, is a counter to this set, being able to take status with little worry and use Toxic on Rotom. Finally, Heatran can come in on Will-o-Wisp and threaten massive damage with a boosted Fire Blast.
To help combat these numberous counters to Rotom, Scizor comes to mind. Resisting both of Rotom's weaknesses, Scizor can come in easily on many of the moves Rotom fears and chase away opponents with Bullet Punch or U-Turn. Blissey's Toxic will go to waste on the Steel type, and Superpower always OHKO's even the most defensive Blissey or Umbreon. Heatran can also be taken out by Superpower, although Scizor heavily fears the Steel/Fire combination, and is also outsped. To handle powerful neutral special attacks, a Heatran of your own might be in order, also as a possible Mixed Salamence counter if it has a Choice Scarf. Scizor can U-Turn out of fire-type attacks to this partner, and Rotom can flee from Salamence with little worry, as few Salamence will choose to initially Earthquake a Rotom Forme.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Choice @ Choice Scarf/Choice Specs
EVs: 4 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk) or Modest nature (+SpAtk, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Trick
- Shadow Ball
- Hydro Pump
On the opposite side of the spectrum from the physically defensive Rotom set are the specially attacking Choice Rotom sets. Both sets benefit from the same general moveset, however, they play different roles. The scarf set is a revenge killer, while the specs set generally tries to sweep. Many Pokemon that come in on Rotom do not expect a high-powered Hydro Pump as the first move, allowing Rotom to score some effective KO's on Pokemon such as Tyranitar, particularly its Choice Scarf version, who doesn't even require Stealth Rock to guarantee a KO on. Meanwhile, many Pokemon who would not switch out of Rotom because they otherwise outspeed, particularly Gengar and Infernape, will be dismayed to find a Scarf Rotom outspeeding them and KOing with a super effective move. These sets also go well on stall teams, fronting for badly needed trick absorbers on stall teams that can also benefit from their general toughness and typing.
The EVs and moveset are pretty malleable in most places. Rotom doesn't particularly need absolute max speed, as base 86 places it in its own speed bracket, meaning there's nothing for it to worry about losing to automatically just because it doesn't invest in max speed besides itself. Rotom's HP can still be maxxed out at the cost of some speed and SpAtk if you choose, which allows for more bulk, particularly on the Specs set. While 188 Speed and a Timid nature are probably still for the best there to outspeed Heatran of a corresponding Choice boost, anything else can be moved around relatively safely. All the moves can be changed to your liking as well, to make room for any particular Hidden Power, or perhaps Will-o-Wisp, which can be used to great effect against unsuspecting opponents who deduce that this is a Choice set, or even after the Trick to give Rotom additional walling capabilities if you invest in HP.
Be wary if you move too much out of Special Attack, however, as Tyranitar will likely be prominent as ever, and without enough SpAtk or with a bad prediction the big monster can easily come in and ruin you with a single Crunch or, more likely, the dreaded Pursuit, which Rotom likely does not have the power to absorb with this set. Like any choice set, this set requires good prediction, as the same counters to the previous set are there, and even more ways to stop Rotom are here now due to being locked into a single move. Even Snorlax can get in on the act with possible Pursuits on a Choiced Shadow Ball, or setting up Curses as you switch away. Many setup Pokemon can capitalize on Rotom in this way, making a phazer semi-essential to run in this instance. Skarmory and Swampert both do a decent job here, being able to force out most setup Pokemon that would try to come in on Rotom, though both do have issues they could run into.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Rain Support@Damp Rock
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SpAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
-Rain Dance
-Thunder/Discharge
-Will-o-Wisp/Reflect
-Hydro Pump
This set is designed for the rather specialist purpose of setting up rain. However, Rotom-W's unique typing and moveset put it in the unique position of being able to take particularly good advantage of it. It basically gets the equivalent of STAB Hydro Pump in rain, which when combined with STAB 100% accurate Thunder, make Rotom quite able to deal out vicious blows to would-be walls while supporting the rest of the team with the aforementioned field effect
Rain Dance and Damp Rock provide for eight turns of 100% accurate Thunder, extra STAB bonus on water moves, and dampening of fire moves, as well as activation of Swift Swim and Rain Dish. If you're using this set, it's a good bet it's for the offensive capabilites rather than the defensive ones, but the fire dampening is still a nice bonus, as Rotom is now a much bigger threat to Fire-types in general with both reduced damage taken and improved damage output. Thunder is the preferred STAB for increased paralysis chance and overall greatest power of any Electric move, but Thunderbolt and Discharge both still make some sense: Tbolt has less chance of paralyzing a target you may want to burn, and both Discharge and Tbolt are still perfectly accurate outside of rain. Hydro Pump is present to better take advantage of the rain and 2HKO any Tyranitar coming in to ruin the rain with Sand Stream, and Will-o-Wisp is there to allow Rotom to possibly wall physical Pokemon, though not as well as it could with a defensive set.
The EVs are given to allow maximum offensive prowess on this set. It goes well with what its probable teammates, Kingdra and Ludicolo, are capable of doing, though it has good synergy also with rain-setting Scizor and the odd Snorlax that wanders onto a Rain team as a panic button.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Sub + Pain Split@ Leftovers
EVs: 252 HP/188 Spd/16 SAtk/52 SDef
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Will-o-wisp
- Pain Split
- Thunderbolt
With the advent of Pain Split, many sets revolving around the move were made. This moveset is a reincarnation of the older version of this exact moveset, using Pain Split over Shadow Ball. However, Shadow Ball is still completely viable. The promise of this moveset is simple - beating the physical-based sweepers with the use of Pain Split, Will-o-Wisp and Substitute. It is for sure that Rotom-W will also lure out many of it's counters and stop them from Pursuiting it. Tyranitar and Snorlax are both crippled by Will-o-Wisp, and Rotom-W can stall both of them out when Stealth Rock is up and you use Thunderbolt to finish them off. Blissey won't be so happy, too. Pain Split will drain it off a precious amount of health and completely heal Rotom-W most of the time! Even Heatran isn't in such a safe position now, as Stealth Rock with one layer of Spikes assure the 2HKO on it with Thunderbolt. There still are Pokemon that beat this moveset with ease, though - the most dangerous being special attackers that resist Thunderbolt. Blissey, Rotom-A and Jolteon still dont have problems switching into this moveset, and despite the Pain Split Blissey will still wall you without problems. Regardless, this Rotom is quite possibly the best choice for balanced offense teams. (Seriously if you say semi-stall I will ******* hit you, that is not an archetype, it is a ******** term made up by some arrogant ******.)
252 HP and 52SDef EVs assure that Rotom-W survives a LO Starmie Hydro Pump, and gives enough bulk for Substitute to withstand weaker special attacks such as Swampert's Ice Beam. 188 Spd EVs are just enough to outspeed Adamant Lucario. Shadow Ball is an option over Pain Split if you want to use a more offensive version of this set, but if you choose so, use 252HP / 68SAtk / 188Spd (Timid), to get a KO on opposing Scarf Rotom (if you are in a Substitute), and for Thunderbolt to always 2HKO Vaporeon.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Dual Screen@Leftovers/ Light Clay
Bold/Calm Nature
252 HP/6 SpAtk/252 Def/SpDef
-Reflect
-Light Screen
-Rest/ Will-o-Wisp/ Hydro Pump
-Discharge
This set makes Rotom's job of walling even more ridiculously easy by setting up screens for teammates and itself to take advantage of. The strategy is simple: come in on something Rotom takes little damage from, such as Metagross or Swampert, and then set up appropriate screens in place. From there, very few Pokemon can truly threaten Rotom, although typically you don't want to simply sit there and flaunt this while your screens run down. A better use for this advantage would be allowing one of your team-mates to set up and sweep the opposing team behind your artificial safety, making this set better used on a team built for offensive purposes than defensive ones.
The EVs require little explanation, and the counters are rather self-explanatory, seeing as how they are based on whatever move or moves you choose to run, seeing as the biggest threats to Rotom will be things that can ignore its attacks rather than actually damage it. A nice bonus here is the washing machine's typing gives it the ability to ignore Brick Break's usually annoying ability to break screens upon use, letting you stand in the face of anyone who would try it and plink away with Will-o-Wisp if you have it, or Discharge if you don't.
Effective teammates for this Rotom include typical set-up sweepers such as Lucario, Gyarados, and Salamence. Rotom does a semi-decent job of blocking special attackers who would threaten these Pokemon with the Calm set behind a Light Screen, regardless of what they may be, so that set may be the preferred option. If you opt for a less conventional sweeper who capitalizes on Calm Mind instead such as Jirachi or Blissey, then the Bold set would be in order.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Sub + Charge Beam@Leftovers
Timid (+Spd, -Atk) Nature
64 HP/228 SpAtk/216 Spe
-Substitute
-Charge Beam
-Shadow Ball
-Hidden Power [Fighting]
A Substitute boost set that focuses on Substitute and the unique electric move, Charge Beam. If Rotom-H can manage to get a Substitute up, it can Charge Beam away until it is powerful enough to go into some sort of Sub / sweep motion. While this is highly unconventional and unlikely to sweep an actual team, team based around the bulky offense archetype might find it difficult to find a Pokemon capable of breaking Rotom's Substitute without sacrificing itself in the process, especially after a few boosts, which could lead to victory simply by eliminating one or two key Pokemon on the opponent's team.
The EV set used for this somewhat infrequently used Rotom-H moveset allows it to, with a Timid nature, outspeed max speed EV and nature wise pokemon up to a base 80 speed stat, and neutral, or pokemon with neutral speed natures with a base speed of up to 90. For those who prefer to use Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk) nature in this moveset, consider investing a few extra EVs in speed, as the speed boost is extremely helpful in Rotom's ability to keep a sweep going. 64 HP EVs allows Rotom's substitutes to survive a Blissey's elemental attacks relatively reliably, although investing more in HP is an acceptable idea to allow more sub survival.
This Rotom is a very effective and versatile sweeper, especially for its ability to take out multiple counters it may otherwise not be able to. Hidden Power Fighting and Shadow Ball from behind a substitute gives Rotom the ability to wreck or at least damage several Pokemon that it can't normally for fear of being knocked out. Tyranitar, Gengar, opposing Scarf Rotom, Weavile, and Alakazam all suddenly become an easy KO instead of crippling weaknesses. The substitute even allows Rotom to scout for Scarf Tyranitar or normal Tyranitar. While this Rotom doesn't have any special counters besides Pursuit and Phazing, thanks to the substitute, it should be noted that this set won't really live an especially long time, seeing as how it has little defensive investment, and base 86 speed is still not espeically fast.
http://pkmn.net/sprites/platinum/rotom/smallfrost.PNG
Rest Talk@ Leftovers
Calm Nature (+SpDef, - Atk)
252 HP/168 SpDeF/88 Spe
-Thunderbolt/Hydro Pump/Shadow Ball
-Will-o-Wisp/Toxic/Reflect
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
The point of this set is to provide more stalling ability for Rotom overall. The fact that three of four moves exist to do nothing but keep Rotom alive highlights this pretty well, as do the massively bulky EVs. This set shuts down many physical and special attackers in the metagame, which works well together with many teams that like to run Pokemon that handle Rotom's counters, as those are the only things that can reliable defeat this Rotom.
Rest, Sleep Talk, and Will-o-Wisp all work together to keep the opponent from knocking out Rotom and give it a means of fighting back during Rest downtime, while the fourth move is entirely reliant on what the user of this set needs to be walling using Rotom. Shadow Ball takes backseat to Hydro Pump here due to the prevalence of Heatran, who can come in on a Sleep Talk Will-o-Wisp and threaten back with a ridiculously strong Fire Blast, regardless of your EV spread. For that reason, Reflect is another option, although that is not preferred either due to the fact that it makes Rotom almost entirely incapable of providing any threat on its own. Will-o-Wisp and Toxic both accomplish indirect damage while Rotom is incapable of attacking, and therefore should be chosen first on a set like this.
The given EVs are provided with the fact in mind that Rotom can rest off damage now, and therefore doesn't have to worry as much about how much damage resisted physical attacks will do, since a quick Will-o-Wisp and rest will solve any physical attack problem. Therefore, more thoght is given to surviving Special attacks, thus, the EVs and nature change accordingly. The same reason as on the physical wall set is given for 88 Speed, after all, being able to outspeed and Burn Scizor and Tyranitar can often mean the difference between life and death for Rotom.
The fact that this Rotom is practically incapable of offensive tactics makes it a lot easier for opponents to come in and set up on it, specifically Pokemon like SubCM Jirachi and Crocune. Because of this, using a phazer becomes essential. Roar Swampert can easily handle most set-up sweepers, who rely on heavy stat boosts rather than Grass moves to eliminate the mudfish, and therefore can be easily swept away when only at +1.
Other Options
Trick / Substitute, Reflect / Light Screen / Substitute, and a dual statuser set are all possible options for Rotom. Signal Beam could also work in a moveset, despite being slightly less powerful than Shadow Ball, and without STAB, but able to hit Dark-Types who think they can come in and set up against Rotom with a super effective hit.
Rotom-W has a powerful and wide movepool, and pretty much any special attack in there can go in coordination with Rotom-W´s stats. Bar
Usual Counters
With Rotom´s alternate formes in OU, there are many threats to watch out for that Rotom wouldn´t have to worry about in UU. Tyranitar will simply destroy Rotom-W unless you catch it with a good Hydro Pump on the switch, even if you manage to get off a Will O Wisp onto it. Salamence’s Draco Meteor also annihilates most Rotom sets, and most strong STAB Fire Blasts can get the 2HKO.
Due to the variety of movesets it uses, Rotom-H can be a difficult Pokemon to wall. The ever present wall Blissey will wall Rotom-H, or any forme of Rotom for that matter. Pretty much any special wall other than Ghost, Psychic, and possibly Water types will wall Rotom-H pretty easily. Umbreon and Quagsire can do it too, to an extent. Hydro Pump allows Rotom-W to get further than other Rotom Formes, but in the end it’s not too much more effective.
Opinion
The Rotom forms have become popular in the recent OU metagame, to say the least. Nearly every team seen nowadays has a Rotom form, in fact. This little electric appliance can cause murder and mayham among the opponent, and is thus a very useful and powerful Pokemon to have.
The only real hindrence in Rotom formes, in fact is the weakness against Dark types, such as Scizor and Tyranitar, who both can have Pursuit in their arsenal of moves. Rotom-W’s Will-o-Wisp and Hydro Pump make a handy solution to many Pursuit trappers, especially well complemented by Substitute. The unique moves of each of the Rotom formes make them powerful and valuable players in the standard OU metagame. Great to have this powerful little appliance on your team!