[SET]
name: Guts Wallbreaker
move 1: Facade
move 2: Wild Charge
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Crunch / Volt Switch
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant / Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Between Guts and its high Attack, Luxray is an explosive wallbreaker. Facade is Luxray's strongest move, 2HKOing almost all neutral targets. Wild Charge hits Wormadam-S as hard as possible and disposes of Electric-weak walls like Pelipper, Frillish, Vullaby, and Walrein. Superpower bursts through Lairon and Graveler, which can both take Facade or Wild Charge. Crunch deals great damage to physically defensive Solrock, which otherwise tries to push more chip damage on Luxray with Rocky Helmet and Wild Charge recoil. Volt Switch exchanges Crunch Luxray's stronger matchup against Solrock for pivoting, which alleviates pressure from Toxic and washes away stat drops from Superpower. An Adamant nature makes Luxray as strong as possible. On the other hand, a Jolly nature gets the jump on average-Speed Pokemon like Walrein, Mienfoo, and Glaceon. However, less power means Luxray misses out on KOs such as a 2HKO with Wild Charge versus Wormadam-S, a 2HKO with Facade into Crunch versus Solrock, and a 3HKO with Facade versus bulky Shelgon.
Guts Luxray appreciates pivots providing a turn for Toxic Orb or allowing Luxray come in safely. Persian, Emolga, Mienfoo, and Vibrava make solid partners for Luxray. In return, it provides immense damage output that most pivots lack, powering through walls like Lairon and Clefairy. Luxray fits best on teams which can account for its limited health and passable Speed, often balance or bulky offenses that can afford investing in a high damage output wallbreaker. Clefairy is an excellent partner that can soften up defensive cores with Stealth Rock and Knock Off, slow down faster targets with Thunder Wave, take on Wormadam-S, and restore Luxray's health with Wish. Ground-type walls and tanks like Whiscash, Wormadam-G, and Hippopotas can be problematic for Luxray, so Grass-type partners like Leafeon and Meganium can patch up these issues, as can Ground-immune partners like Solrock, Emolga, and Vibrava. Healing Wish Pokemon like Mr. Mime and Lopunny provide Luxray a second chance, and they appreciate its physical wallbreaking.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monai.482455/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Grammar checked by: https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Guts Luxray has few additional options after the necessary Wild Charge, Facade, and Superpower. Toxic could be used over Wild Charge to put Hippopotas and Vibrava on a timer, but these Pokemon tend to pair well with Aromatherapy users, and Luxray lacks longevity and free turns to do anything other than attack. Ice Fang may seem appealing to hit Ground-types like Hippopotas, but its Base Power is less than Facade versus all targets but Vibrava. Hidden Power Fire melts Wormadam-S without Wild Charge's recoil, but Luxray must give up a coverage move for it. Volt Switch, its solid Special Attack, and coverage from Hidden Power can make Luxray a specially offensive pivot, although it is generally outclassed by Raichu and Pikachu as a specially offensive Electric-type, given its middling Speed.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Wormdam-S**: Luxray is reliant on Wild Charge to deal significant damage to Wormadam-S, taking a lot of recoil. Wormadam-S can then stall out Luxray by worsening the damage it takes from Toxic with Protect.
**Faster Revenge Killers**: Naturally faster Pokemon can revenge kill Luxray with status chip damage, and some can cut it down before it even wallbreaks. Leafeon, Persian, and Simisear are common fast Pokemon that pressure the slower Luxray and threaten to dent its teammates if it flees. Adamant Luxray must beware being slower than threats like Timid Glaceon and Adamant Kingler.
**Physically Defensive Walls and Tanks**: Luxray's Facade might 2HKO walls like Wish Leafeon with some chip damage, but reliable recovery and Protect push a lot of chip damage on Luxray and dampen the impact it has as an ephemeral wallbreaker. Clefairy, Meganium, and Solrock exacerbate status and recoil chip damage on Luxray as they recover in its face.
**Ground-types**: Whiscash, Wormadam-G, and especially Hippopotas are a pain for Luxray. Healthy Ground-types can usually take a Facade and KO Luxray with Earthquake. If Luxray's Wild Charge is denied or it has to switch out, chip damage will stack up on Luxray between status and entry hazards. Hippopotas, the most problematic Ground-type for Luxray, survives two Facades after Stealth Rock. Unlike other Ground-types, Hippopotas has reliable recovery in Slack Off to run Luxray's health out and stay healthy. Although they are less common, Vibrava and Graveler are also a pain for Luxray.
name: Guts Wallbreaker
move 1: Facade
move 2: Wild Charge
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Crunch / Volt Switch
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant / Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Between Guts and its high Attack, Luxray is an explosive wallbreaker. Facade is Luxray's strongest move, 2HKOing almost all neutral targets. Wild Charge hits Wormadam-S as hard as possible and disposes of Electric-weak walls like Pelipper, Frillish, Vullaby, and Walrein. Superpower bursts through Lairon and Graveler, which can both take Facade or Wild Charge. Crunch deals great damage to physically defensive Solrock, which otherwise tries to push more chip damage on Luxray with Rocky Helmet and Wild Charge recoil. Volt Switch exchanges Crunch Luxray's stronger matchup against Solrock for pivoting, which alleviates pressure from Toxic and washes away stat drops from Superpower. An Adamant nature makes Luxray as strong as possible. On the other hand, a Jolly nature gets the jump on average-Speed Pokemon like Walrein, Mienfoo, and Glaceon. However, less power means Luxray misses out on KOs such as a 2HKO with Wild Charge versus Wormadam-S, a 2HKO with Facade into Crunch versus Solrock, and a 3HKO with Facade versus bulky Shelgon.
Guts Luxray appreciates pivots providing a turn for Toxic Orb or allowing Luxray come in safely. Persian, Emolga, Mienfoo, and Vibrava make solid partners for Luxray. In return, it provides immense damage output that most pivots lack, powering through walls like Lairon and Clefairy. Luxray fits best on teams which can account for its limited health and passable Speed, often balance or bulky offenses that can afford investing in a high damage output wallbreaker. Clefairy is an excellent partner that can soften up defensive cores with Stealth Rock and Knock Off, slow down faster targets with Thunder Wave, take on Wormadam-S, and restore Luxray's health with Wish. Ground-type walls and tanks like Whiscash, Wormadam-G, and Hippopotas can be problematic for Luxray, so Grass-type partners like Leafeon and Meganium can patch up these issues, as can Ground-immune partners like Solrock, Emolga, and Vibrava. Healing Wish Pokemon like Mr. Mime and Lopunny provide Luxray a second chance, and they appreciate its physical wallbreaking.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monai.482455/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Grammar checked by: https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Guts Luxray has few additional options after the necessary Wild Charge, Facade, and Superpower. Toxic could be used over Wild Charge to put Hippopotas and Vibrava on a timer, but these Pokemon tend to pair well with Aromatherapy users, and Luxray lacks longevity and free turns to do anything other than attack. Ice Fang may seem appealing to hit Ground-types like Hippopotas, but its Base Power is less than Facade versus all targets but Vibrava. Hidden Power Fire melts Wormadam-S without Wild Charge's recoil, but Luxray must give up a coverage move for it. Volt Switch, its solid Special Attack, and coverage from Hidden Power can make Luxray a specially offensive pivot, although it is generally outclassed by Raichu and Pikachu as a specially offensive Electric-type, given its middling Speed.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Wormdam-S**: Luxray is reliant on Wild Charge to deal significant damage to Wormadam-S, taking a lot of recoil. Wormadam-S can then stall out Luxray by worsening the damage it takes from Toxic with Protect.
**Faster Revenge Killers**: Naturally faster Pokemon can revenge kill Luxray with status chip damage, and some can cut it down before it even wallbreaks. Leafeon, Persian, and Simisear are common fast Pokemon that pressure the slower Luxray and threaten to dent its teammates if it flees. Adamant Luxray must beware being slower than threats like Timid Glaceon and Adamant Kingler.
**Physically Defensive Walls and Tanks**: Luxray's Facade might 2HKO walls like Wish Leafeon with some chip damage, but reliable recovery and Protect push a lot of chip damage on Luxray and dampen the impact it has as an ephemeral wallbreaker. Clefairy, Meganium, and Solrock exacerbate status and recoil chip damage on Luxray as they recover in its face.
**Ground-types**: Whiscash, Wormadam-G, and especially Hippopotas are a pain for Luxray. Healthy Ground-types can usually take a Facade and KO Luxray with Earthquake. If Luxray's Wild Charge is denied or it has to switch out, chip damage will stack up on Luxray between status and entry hazards. Hippopotas, the most problematic Ground-type for Luxray, survives two Facades after Stealth Rock. Unlike other Ground-types, Hippopotas has reliable recovery in Slack Off to run Luxray's health out and stay healthy. Although they are less common, Vibrava and Graveler are also a pain for Luxray.
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