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[OVERVIEW]
Ho-Oh's great Attack stat alongside its Fire / Flying typing, which leaves its STAB moves resisted only by Rock-types, makes it a massive threat in the tier. It has a great matchup against bulky offense and balance builds, which usually include Steel- and Fairy-types that Ho-Oh can easily handle such as Celesteela, Ferrothorn, Magearna, and Klefki. Since Ho-Oh's STAB moves are able to deal strong neutral damage to most of the tier, it's unffected by four-moveslot syndrome and has space for utility moves and coverage attacks like Toxic and Earthquake. Ho-Oh's access to a great defensive ability in Regenerator and reliable recovery in Recover allows it to take the role of a tank and constantly pressure the opposing team. A sky-high Special Defense stat makes Ho-Oh even better at its role, letting it check threats like Lunala, Xerneas, and most Calm Mind Arceus formes. Unfortunately, Ho-Oh's typing makes it 4x weak to Stealth Rock, necessitating entry hazard-removing Pokemon. Some Pokemon that Ho-Oh usually checks like Xerneas, Mega Lucario, Mega Mewtwo X, Shaymin-S, and Solgaleo take advantage of Ho-Oh's massive weakness to Rock by carrying Rock-type coverage. Finally, the low number of viable entry hazard removers in Ubers forces Ho-Oh to choose between the likes of Arceus formes, Mega Salamence, and Giratina-O for anti-hazard support.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Sacred Fire
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Regenerator
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sacred Fire is Ho-Oh's strongest physical Fire-type STAB move and can blow away Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Magearna, and Klefki and score a 2HKO on Celesteela and Skarmory. It also has a 50% chance to burn its targets, making Ho-Oh able to cripple physical threats. Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's strongest viable Flying-type STAB move and the most spammable move it gets. Toxic allows Ho-Oh to badly poison switch-ins such as support Arceus formes like Arceus-Ground and Arceus-Water, as well as Lugia and Primal Groudon. Recover is Ho-Oh's main method of reliable recovery. It's chosen over Roost because the latter makes Ho-Oh vulnerable to Precipice Blades from slower variants of Primal Groudon. Whirlwind is an option Ho-Oh can run instead of Toxic to phaze setup sweepers that can be a threat to Ho-Oh after a few boosts, like some Calm Mind + Refresh Arceus formes.
Set Details
========
252 HP EVs give Ho-Oh 416 HP, which is divisible by 16, meaning that Ho-Oh gains 6.25% of its HP from Leftovers after every turn; this makes up for its 50% loss in HP when switching into Stealth Rock as opposed to the 49% loss if 248 EVs were run instead. 204 Defense EVs along with an Impish nature allow Ho-Oh to check physical threats such as Mega Lucario, physical Giratina-O, Life Orb Yveltal, Mega Mewtwo X lacking Stone Edge, Primal Groudon without Rock-type coverage, and Extreme Killer Arceus to an extent by surviving a +2 Extreme Speed and having a 50% chance to burn it with Sacred Fire. The 52 EVs invested in Special Defense allow Ho-Oh to survive a +2 Thunder from Geomancy Xerneas while also letting it take special attacks better to check special threats such as Calm Mind Arceus formes, Mega Gengar, and Lunala. Regenerator heals one-third of Ho-Oh's maximum HP whenever it switches out. This helps Ho-Oh make up for its Stealth Rock weakness and makes Toxic less crippling. Leftovers provides Ho-Oh with a form of passive recovery.
Usage Tips
========
Ho-Oh can switch into Steel- and Fairy-types like Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Magearna and to threaten them with STAB Sacred Fire. Going for Toxic on an expected switch into a Primal Groudon or support Arceus forme can cripple the switch-in a lot by putting it on a timer. Due to Ho-Oh's crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, make sure to use hazard removers like Defog Arceus formes, Giratina, and Giratina-O to keep Stealth Rock off the field before switching Ho-Oh into resisted attacks. Take advantage of Regenerator by switching Ho-Oh out to restore HP when necessary, which allows it to survive longer. Avoid Toxic, as it will prevent Ho-Oh from checking Calm Mind Arceus formes like Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Fairy, and Arceus-Ground. Sacred Fire has only 8 PP, so the number of times it's used should be kept in mind, especially against bulkier teams that can give Ho-Oh a tough time without a Fire-type STAB move. Use Ho-Oh's great neutral coverage to slowly weaken the opposing team. Scout out for Stone Edge from Pokemon like Primal Groudon, Solgaleo, Arceus-Fairy, and Mega Lucario by switching Ho-Oh out to a Pokemon that resists Rock.
Team Options
========
Stealth Rock removal is crucial for Ho-Oh to function properly, making Defog users such as Giratina-O, Giratina, and support Arceus formes like Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Dragon great teammates. Thanks to Magic Bounce, Mega Sableye is also a great partner for keeping Stealth Rock off Ho-Oh's side of the field and appreciates Ho-Oh's ability to check Fairy-types like Xerneas and Magearna. Checks to Primal Kyogre, such as Primal Groudon, Ferrothorn, Arceus-Water, Bissey, and Chansey, make great partners as well. Ferrothorn and Ho-Oh also form a great balance core that's able to take on the majority of special attackers in the tier, and the former can provide entry hazard support for Ho-Oh in the form of Spikes and Stealth Rock. Primal Groudon can provide Stealth Rock support too, and Arceus-Water can run Defog for removing hazards. Ho-Oh struggles against stall teams; Mega Gengar can improve its matchup against such defensive teams thanks to its ability to trap and KO bulkier Pokemon like Lugia and Clefable. Mega Gyarados is another Pokemon that improves Ho-Oh's matchup against stall teams thanks to Mold Breaker enabling it to ignore Lugia's Multiscale, and it also has access to boosting moves like Dragon Dance and utility moves like Taunt. Pokemon like Zygarde-C and Lugia can check strong physical threats such as Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, Swords Dance Arceus formes, and opposing Ho-Oh. The former can even act as a status absorber for Ho-Oh.
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Sacred Fire
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic / Substitute / Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator
nature: Adamant
evs: 224 HP / 136 Atk / 72 SpD / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's strongest viable Flying-type STAB move and can break through many bulky offensive teams with its great neutral coverage. Sacred Fire is run to hit common Steel-types like Celesteela, Ferrothorn, Magearna, and Solgaleo. Recover is used to heal back recoil from Brave Bird and Life Orb. Toxic lets Ho-Oh cripple switch-ins like Arceus-Water, Primal Groudon, and Lugia by putting them on a timer and forces Zygarde to go for Rest earlier, which can be taken advantage of by teammates. Substitute can also be run, as it is rather easy to set up due to the many switches Ho-Oh forces, prevents Ho-Oh from getting inflicted with status, and lets Ho-Oh immensely pressure the opposing team with Brave Bird and Sacred Fire. Hidden Power Ice allows Ho-Oh to OHKO Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage. It can also 2HKO Zygarde hit once by Brave Bird. Earthquake can be run to 2HKO Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock as well as 2HKO Primal Groudon without taking recoil from Brave Bird. Ho-Oh can also opt for Flame Charge as its third move, which allows it to gain a Speed boost to potentially sweep the opposing team.
Set Details
========
76 EVs invested in Speed allow Ho-Oh to outrun 0 Speed Xerneas and Yveltal. 224 EVs in HP alongside 72 Special Defense EVs allow Ho-Oh to survive a +2 Thunder from Geomancy Xerneas. An Adamant nature with the rest of the EVs dumped into Attack increases Ho-Oh's power output. An EV spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe can be run instead, especially when Ho-Oh is using Flame Charge as its third move. This Ho-Oh set carries Life Orb for increasing its overall damage output, letting Ho-Oh act as a middle ground between defense and offense, as it can function as a defensive check while also applying offensive pressure. Flyinium Z is another item Ho-Oh can opt for to score a surprise OHKO on Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage, as well as 2HKO Zygarde after Spikes damage.
Usage Tips
========
Switch Ho-Oh into Steel- and Fairy-types such as Celesteela and Magearna and proceed to exert immense offensive pressure with its neutral coverage. Ho-Oh should use Substitute when predicting a switch into Arceus formes, which will let it be a nuisance to defensive teams because these Pokemon usually cannot break Ho-Oh's Substitute. Take advantage of Regenerator by switching out to a bulkier Pokemon when Ho-Oh is hurt. Since Sacred Fire has only 8 PP, it must be used carefully, especially against bulkier teams that usually don't care much about Brave Bird and Toxic. Ho-Oh is very weak to Stealth Rock and thus requires solid anti-hazard support. Scout for the common Stone Edge as coverage on some Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Mega Lucario, Mega Mewtwo X, and Solgaleo.
Team Options
========
Hazard removal from Arceus formes like Arceus-Water and Arceus-Dark as well as Giratina-O and Mega Salamence is greatly appreciated by Ho-Oh. Ferrothorn and Primal Groudon can pair up together to form a strong hazard-stacking core that can assist Ho-Oh in pressuring the opposing team even more. They also form a very strong backbone for balance teams, as they are able to check major threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Xerneas, and Primal Kyogre. Dialga can provide Stealth Rock support for Ho-Oh and is able to check Mega Salamence. Double Dance Primal Groudon is a great teammate for Ho-Oh, as it's able to sweep late-game after Ho-Oh has severely weakened the checks they share such as Arceus formes, Zygarde-C, and Mega Salamence. Mega Salamence is also a great offensive partner for Ho-Oh, as it appreciates Ho-Oh weakening Arceus-Groudon, Arceus-Water, Arceus-Rock, Lugia, and Zygarde-C. Zygarde-C's ability to switch into strong physical threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Primal Groudon, and Mega Salamence is greatly appreciated by Ho-Oh, which can check Pokemon that Zygarde-C usually struggles against like Xerneas, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela. Calm Mind + Refresh Arceus-Dark pairs well with Ho-Oh because it's able to check bulky Pokemon such as Lugia, Zygarde-C, and Giratina, while Ho-Oh can deal with checks to Arceus-Dark such as Arceus-Fairy, Xerneas, and Magearna.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Sacred Fire
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Toxic / Sleep Talk
item: Choice Band
ability: Regenerator
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Choice Band-boosted Brave Bird can hit threats with tremendous power and 2HKO almost the entire metagame. Sacred Fire is used to deal heavy damage to Steel-types, OHKOing threats such as Celesteela, Ferrothorn, Magearna, Solgaleo, and Arceus-Steel. Earthquake is run to 2HKO Rock-type switch-ins to Ho-Oh such as Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock. Toxic can be run in Ho-Oh's last moveslot to cripple switch-ins like Arceus-Water, Lugia, and Zygarde-C, making them easier to deal with. Since Ho-Oh functions well enough with any three out of the four previously mentioned moves, it can run Sleep Talk, which allows it to deal with the uncommon Hypnosis from users such as Lunala, Darkrai, and Xurkitree.
Set Details
========
252 EVs are invested in Attack to make sure Ho-Oh can hit as hard as possible. 252 EVs in Speed allow Ho-Oh to outspeed Adamant Excadrill, standard Geomancy Xerneas, and Smeargle while also letting it Speed tie with other fully invested base 90 Speed Pokemon. A Jolly nature can be run over an Adamant one, which allows Ho-Oh to outspeed everything up to Jolly Excadrill but causes a loss in power. A slower but bulkier EV spread of 248 HP / 208 Atk / 52 SpD can be used to take a +2 Thunder from Geomancy Xerneas. Choice Band Ho-Oh is more suited for teams that function with other strong Pokemon that can also apply offensive pressure.
Usage Tips
========
This Ho-Oh set may be less bulky than the previous two, but thanks to its Choice Band, it does a better job at weakening defensive threats. Switch Ho-Oh into Steel- and Fairy-types early-game and proceed to apply immense pressure with Brave Bird or Sacred Fire. Use Earthquake to weaken the likes of Primal Groudon without receiving Brave Bird recoil and surprise the likes of Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock. Take advantage of Regenerator by switching Ho-Oh out after it has taken a few hits or incurred Brave Bird recoil to heal back up. Use Pokemon that can remove or prevent entry hazards to keep Stealth Rock off the field so that Ho-Oh can switch in freely. When going for Sacred Fire, keep in mind that it only has 8 PP and that locking Ho-Oh into it might end horribly. Mega Salamence and Primal Kyogre are big threats to Ho-Oh, as a Sacred Fire burn powers up the former's Facade and Ho-Oh will get easily stopped by the latter's Primordial Sea, losing a ton of momentum since it is Choice-locked. Switch Ho-Oh into predicted status moves like Will-O-Wisp and Hypnosis, since it's immune to burns and Sleep Talk lets it deal heavy damage while asleep.
Team Options
========
Due to Choice Band Ho-Oh being used on more offensively inclined teams, lead entry hazard setters that can also provide Rapid Spin support such as Excadrill and Cloyster make great teammates. Offensive threats that can also provide hazard removal such as Giratina-O, Excadrill, and Pheromosa are greatly appreciated. Checks to Xerneas such as Bronzong, Solgaleo, and Magearna are greatly appreciated, since this Ho-Oh set isn't able to take a +2 Thunder. When this Ho-Oh set is used on bulkier teams, entry hazard setters such as Ferrothorn and Primal Groudon make great teammates and can act as a backup check to Xerneas. Offensive threats such as Mega Salamence, Yveltal, Rayquaza, Extreme Killer Arceus, Mega Lucario, Double Dance Primal Groudon, Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, and Geomancy Xerneas are all great teammates that can clean late-game after Ho-Oh has weakened the opposing team.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Calm Mind set with Fire Blast, Thunder, and Hidden Power Ice allows Ho-Oh to beat most of its usual checks but gets completely checked by Primal Groudon. Tailwind gives Ho-Oh doubled Speed for 3 turns, letting it outspeed and KO most of its offensive checks. Ho-Oh can run Thunder Wave to paralyze Arceus formes and Lugia but is better off going for Toxic, which can gradually weaken them. Z-Celebrate gives Ho-Oh a +1 boost to every stat, which can let it sweep late-game. However, this set will force Ho-Oh to drop Regenerator due to incompatibility, making it difficult to execute properly.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock**: Ho-Oh's crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, which is often carried Primal Groudon, support Arceus formes, and Deoxys-S, ruins its ability to switch into attacks.
**Zygarde-C**: Zygarde-C is able to take hits from Ho-Oh with ease thanks to its great physical bulk and can proceed to paralyze Ho-Oh with Glare or KO it with Thousand Arrows.
**Rock-types**: Rock-types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar can OHKO Ho-Oh with their Rock-type STAB moves. However, Arceus-Rock could get crippled by Toxic, and Tyranitar heavily dislikes getting burned by Sacred Fire.
**Mega Salamence**: Bulky variants of Mega Salamence can stall out Brave Bird with Roost to the point where Ho-Oh KOs itself due to recoil. It can also absorb Sacred Fire with no fear of getting burned thanks to Refresh and Facade.
**Water-types**: Primal Kyogre can outspeed some variants of Ho-Oh and proceed to deal heavy damage to if not OHKO it with a Water-type STAB move; however, faster variants of Ho-Oh can OHKO it after it takes damage from Stealth Rock. It must also be noted that defensive variants of Primal Kyogre can take a Brave Bird and deal heavy damage back with Scald. Arceus-Water is bulky enough to take a Brave Bird from Ho-Oh and proceed to stall it out with Toxic or 2HKO it with Judgment; however, Ho-Oh can go for Toxic on the switch into Arceus-Water, setting it on a timer. Mega Slowbro can comfortably wall Ho-Oh but faces the same issue as Arceus-Water in that it can get crippled by Toxic.
**Primal Groudon**: Primal Groudon is resistant to Sacred Fire and immune to burns, and its high Defense stat allows it to tank a hit and proceed to OHKO back with Stone Edge. However, Primal Groudon has no form of reliable recovery and gets crippled by Toxic, which sets it on a timer.
**Zekrom**: Zekrom resists both of Ho-Oh's STAB moves and can OHKO it with Bolt Strike. However, Zekrom wants to avoid getting burned by Sacred Fire, so it usually does not switch in directly.
**Stone Edge Users**: Ho-Oh's typing makes it very vulnerable to Rock-type attacks, which are usually run by Mega Mewtwo X, Solgaleo, and Arceus-Ground and occasionally by Arceus-Fairy and Mega Lucario.
**Lugia**: Lugia can easily Toxic stall Ho-Oh but finds it difficult to switch into, since many popular Ho-Oh sets carry Toxic, which Lugia must avoid in order to preserve its Multiscale.
**Toxic**: Toxic users such as Lugia, Primal Groudon, and support Arceus formes can go for Toxic on Ho-Oh, which forces it out frequently since the damage can easily rack up; however, Regenerator can mitigate Toxic's effect.
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