Oglemi
Borf
http://www.smogon.com/rs/pokemon/plusle
[Overview]
A pretty unassuming specimen at first glance, Plusle is actually one of the most threatening Pokemon in the NU tier, largely due to the fact that it's one of only three usable Electric-types available and the best one of the bunch. Directly outclassing Minun offensively and packing more Speed than Pikachu makes Plusle the dominant Electric-type. While it has little in the way of offensive coverage apart from its STAB moves and Hidden Power Ice and Grass, it doesn't really need the coverage to blast apart the opposition. It sits atop its throne as one of the best revenge killers and late-game sweepers available, a much-needed check to the Flying-types and sweepers like Huntail, and basically the cutest threat there is.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
move 3: Substitute / Encore
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Leftovers
ability: Plus
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
The choice between which Hidden Power to pair with Plusle's STAB Thunderbolt is a tough one; Hidden Power Ice gets extremely important coverage against Grass-types, but Hidden Power Grass gets a far stronger hit on many of the dangerous Ground-types of the tier, namely Whiscash, Piloswine, and Graveler. It all comes down to the team Plusle is on and what threats are most dangerous that it needs to cover. In the end, though, the common Grass-types will likely be able to tank Hidden Power Ice, but in end-game scenarios, they should be sufficiently weakened enough to be KOed by it.
Substitute takes advantage of the switches Plusle is likely to create, blocks status, and is a good way to Baton Pass into a teammate safely. However, Encore is a fantastic disrupting move if you predict a non-damaging move from the foe that can create opportunities for Plusle's teammates to switch in for free or force the foe to take more damage from Thunderbolt. The last moveslot needs to go to Baton Pass to allow Plusle to scout the opponent's switches and retain momentum in Plusle's favor throughout the match.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
Max Speed and a Timid nature are absolutely needed in order to Speed tie with other Plusle and Haunter and be able to outspeed Pidgeot and Murkrow. Running anything else is not at all recommended due to the importance of Plusle's Speed tier. Magnet is an option to boost the power of Plusle's STAB move a bit, in particular opening up a 2HKO on physically defensive Chimecho. Petaya Berry is another alternative item option with a boost that can be Baton Passed to a teammate as well. At +1, Plusle can easily 2HKO Roselia with Hidden Power Ice and OHKO even specially defensive Wailord with Thunderbolt.
Fake Tears can be used to push a lot of switch-ins into the OHKO or 2HKO range, particularly Lickitung, which is easily 2HKOed by Thunderbolt after a Fake Tears, and Choice Band Hitmonchan, which is OHKOed after Fake Tears and a layer of Spikes. However, using Fake Tears requires a lot of prediction and is generally less safe to use than Substitute or Encore. Rain Dance can be used with Thunder as the STAB move, and this combination is great when used in tandem with Huntail as a sweeping partner. Apart from those two options, most other support moves are done better by Minun, which is slightly bulkier.
In general, most specially bulky Pokemon can check Plusle, particularly Grass-types and other Pokemon that aren't weak to Thunderbolt like Swalot and Kecleon. Flying-types like Murkrow and Fire-types like Flareon make good teammates in order to blast through the Grass-types, and Flareon can easily countersweep Sunny Day Bellossom. Hitmonchan makes for a good teammate that can smash apart Kecleon and Lickitung. Piloswine and other Ground-types like Graveler are good teammates to take on the likes of Swalot, and they love Plusle's ability to remove Water- and Flying-types from the picture.
[Other Options]
Plusle has a few tricks up its sleeve, but they're all pretty much done better by Minun. That said, Toxic and Thunder Wave are available to cripple common switch-ins, particularly the Grass-types not named Roselia and specially bulky Pokemon like Kecleon. Agility + Baton Pass can make a teammate especially threatening, but Plusle itself doesn't need the extra Speed in most cases, apart from getting to outspeed Raticate as well as Huntail in the rain. Light Screen and Wish are also both options to help out the team, but again, they are better left to Minun.
[Checks and Counters]
Kecleon with Rest and Lickitung with Wish are probably the best overall switch-ins to Plusle, as they aren't even 4HKOed by Thunderbolt and only really dislike Encore or Toxic. Grass-types, particularly specially defensive Bellossom and Roselia, don't fear much from Plusle either, as 252 / 252+ Bellossom isn't even 3HKOed by Hidden Power Ice. Specially defensive Flareon isn't even 3HKOed by Thunderbolt either and has Wish to heal itself back up. Other specially defensive options include Swalot and Sableye, although the latter should be wary of switching in despite having Recover, as it is easily 3HKOed.
Shelgon can use Plusle as setup bait if Plusle is using Hidden Power Grass over Hidden Power Ice. Other offensive checks to Plusle include Hitmonchan and bulky Ground-types like Piloswine and Whiscash, the latter assuming Plusle lacks Hidden Power Grass. Diglett can trap and KO Plusle if the latter is running anything other than max Speed, but otherwise, it only Speed ties and Plusle can either escape with Baton Pass or go for the KO with Hidden Power. Apart from that, anything with Earthquake that can tank at least one Thunderbolt will easily annihilate Plusle, which includes Pokemon like Arbok, Metang, and Vigoroth.
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