Lucario (Mixed Attacker)

[KidX]

I have been using this team to success on the ladder so far, but proper support and certain pokes should be eliminated before sending him out. When he is sent out he will gain some surprise kills here and there. Besides Lucario is not seen as often in todays metagame, i don't know why, but Lucario is a beast regardless of what set you use.

Status: Proofread

Lucario Analysis: http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/lucario

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[Set]
Name: MixLuke
Move 1: Close Combat
Move 2: Ice Punch/Stone Edge
Move 3: Dark Pulse/Crunch
Move 4: Vacuum Wave
Item: Expert Belt/Life Orb
Nature: Naive
EV's: 132Atk 252Spe 124SpA

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>By either using a physical move or a special move first, your opponent will assume either a physical set or a special set. Close Combat is there for STAB and to pick off slow non-choiced scarfed pokes(ie: T-Tar, Heatran). Vacuum Wave is for a STAB priority and allows you to pick off weakend pokes as well as take out scarftar and scarftran. The choice between ice punch and stone edge is up to what you want to hit. Ice punch lets you hit gliscor and non scarfed flygon for super effective damage, but note: ice punch will only do around 30% to hippowdon. Stone Edge hits Gyara hard on the switch, but the less PP and lower accuracy makes it a bit less reliable. Dark pulse hits rotom-a harder than crunch because most rotom-a invest more in Def then in SpD, but if you still want crunch thats also usuable.</p>

<p>The choice of item depends on what set you want to bluff. An expert belt lets you bluff the choice specs set, but the LO lets you bluff the more populat SD set. Nontheless Lucario is not the bulkiest of sweepers, so wish support is greatly appreciated. Vapoeron is the best partner on this set, because of its acces to wish and resisting fire/ground atks aimed at Lucario. Suicune is a lesser choice, but its still usuable, although the lack of wish makes Lucario even easier to take down.</p>

<p>The Ev's given allow you to hit 289Atk which is enough to OHKO blissey and tyranitar. The Ev's and the nature let you hit 306Spe outspeeding the standard stall breaker gliscor and letting you hit back with SE ice punch. The Ev's also let you hit 297SpA a gurantee a OHKO on scarftar and scarftran.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Aura Sphere is not used in this set because of the lack of SpA investment and the lost of a Specs. makes it weaker, so Close combat is a better choice. Extreme is a lesser option to take down Gyara, but scarftran and scarftar will run through set. Like all Lucario sets entry hazourds are always nice. As mentioned Vappy is a great partner for Lucario because of its wish support and resists to SE moves against Lucario. A great offensive partner for Lucario is Salamence because of the great synergy they have. A more defensive partner for Lucario is swapert, who switches in on scarftar with ease and same thing applies to scarftran as long as it doesn't have hp grass. The biggest counter to this set is Infernape, who can survive all the your moves and hit back with SE fire blast/flame thrower. Another big counter is Bronzong and swampert who can both survive your attacks and OHKO back. As mentioned the team should be used to support Lucario and remove Lucario of it's biggest counters</p>








*Sorry if it was a bit short, but I'm tired*

 

[Ray Jay]

Status: Proofread

Lucario Analysis: http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/lucario

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[Set]
name: MixLuke
Move 1: Close Combat
Move 2: Ice Punch/Stone Edge
Move 3: Dark Pulse/Crunch
Move 4: Vacuum Wave
Item: Expert Belt/Life Orb
nature: Naive
evs: 132Atk / 252Spe / 124SpA

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>By either using a physical move or a special move first, your opponent will assume either a physical set or a special set. Close Combat is there for STAB and to pick off slow non-choiced scarfed pokes(ie: Tyranitar, Heatran). Vacuum Wave is for a STAB priority and allows you to pick off weakened Pokemon as well as take out scarftar and scarftran. The choice between Ice Punch and Stone Edge is up to what you want to hit. Ice Punch lets you hit Gliscor and non scarfed Flygon or Salamence for Super Effective damage, but note: Ice Punch will only do around 30% to Hippowdon. Stone Edge hits Gyarados hard on the switch, but the less PP and lower accuracy makes it a bit less reliable. Dark pulse hits Rotom-a harder than crunch because most rotom-a invest more in Def then in SpD, but if you still want crunch that's also usuable. (Shadow Ball should probably be over Dark Pulse, better coverage and more overall power) </p>

<p>The choice of item depends on what set you want to bluff. An Expert Belt lets you bluff the choice specs set, but a Life Orb lets you bluff the more popular Swords Dance set. Nontheless, Lucario is not the bulkiest of sweepers, so wish support is greatly appreciated. Vapoeron is the best partner to this set, because of its acces to Wish and resistance to Fire- and Ground-type attacks aimed at Lucario. Suicune is a less advantageous choice, but it's still usuable, although the lack of Wish makes Lucario even easier to take down.</p>

<p>The Ev's given allow you to hit 289 Attack, which is enough to OHKO Blissey and Tyranitar. The EVs and the nature let you hit 306 Speed outspeeding the standard stall breaker gliscor and letting you hit back with SE ice punch (make sure it outspeeds Jolly Gliscor). The EVs also let you hit 297 Special Attack a gurantee an OHKO on scarftar and scarftran.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Aura Sphere is not used in this set because of the lack of Special Attack investment and the loss of a Specs. makes it weaker, so Close Combat is a better choice. Extreme Speed is another option to take down Gyarados, but scarftran and scarftar will run through this set. Like all Lucario sets, entry hazards are always nice. As mentioned Vaporeon is a great partner for Lucario because of its Wish support and resistances to SE moves against Lucario. A great offensive partner for Lucario is Salamence because of the great synergy they have. Lucario draws in Choiced Ground-types such as Flygon or Mamoswine, which acts as a free switch and turn to set up for Salamence. Salamence tends to lure Ice- and Dragon-type moves, both of which Lucario resists. A more defensive partner for Lucario is Swampert, who switches in on scarftar with ease, and same thing applies to scarftran as long as it doesn't have hp grass. The biggest counter to this set is Infernape, who can survive any of your moves and hit back with a STAB Fire Blast or Flamethrower. Two more big counters are Bronzong and Swampert, who can both survive your attacks and OHKO back. As mentioned, the team should be used to support Lucario and remove its biggest counters.</p>

Blue is an addition or change
Red is delete
Bold are my comments

(PS in future write-ups, don't use abbreviations (SpA, Gyara). I let some of you scarftrans slide because that is a set, but I still don't think it is technically correct. Also, read the rules on Pokemon capitalization, such as capitalizing the names of moves.)

 

[Colonel M]

Please read the announcements next time. Consider this your "warning".

 

[Seven Deadly Sins]

Yeah, I'm gonna have to give this set a no. As far as mixed attacking is concerned, Lucario is pretty much simply outclassed by Infernape, which has more useful dual STAB and more speed with which to do its thing.

 

[Ray Jay]

I have a question: in the specs luke analysis, in the additional comments, perhaps could we add the attack EVs required to OHKO Blissey with Close Combat, as I believe that would remedy this man's problems.

 

[Articanus]

You could also run Focus Blast and 2HKO it. But that's another argument for another thread.

The biggest problem I see with this set is what do you accomplish by going mixed that you couldn't do with any other set? Dark Pulse would be done better by specs: and if you want a choice in changing attacks just go Life Orb. Then you don't have to worry about splitting your attacking stats and making him even more defensively weak.

If you want the ability to beat Blissey with CC and hit things with Priority, like ScarfTar, use the usual SD sets. It can use both E-speed and Bullet Punch, and can actually lose SD and run a 4-attack set with Ice Punch/ SE over it. In general, I can just think of too many ways to get a more efficient set than does everything this one does.

 

[Philip7086]

This set is still beaten by everything that beats the SD set, and it doesn't do anything the SD set doesn't do better. The analysis is also incorrect with respect to the current metagame, where Gliscor are designed to outpace max Spe Lukes, and so are Flygons. No from me.

 

[remlabmez]

Going to have to say no, if lucario were faster than gliscor I would say yes. SDS and phil pretty much summed up my thoughts