Blacephalon Movesets & Competitive Sets

Set Details Choice Scarf Blacephalon serves as a late-game Beast Boost cleaner and revenge killer with enough firepower to threaten KOs on targets like Slowbro and Ferrothorn. Timid is the best option so that Blacephalon is able to outrun other Choice Scarf users, namely Tapu Lele and Urshifu-R, and to revenge kill Pokemon with boosted Speed such as Scale Shot Garchomp. Trick cripples bulky answers like Toxapex and Heatran, potentially letting a teammate take advantage of them later. Blacephalon enjoys pairing with strong wallbreakers or setup attackers, as they can weaken Blacephalon's checks while benefitting from its ability to force out offensive answers or sweep weakened teams. Weavile can use Knock Off on common Blacephalon switch-ins like Arghonaut, Tapu Fini, and Toxapex; in return, Choice Scarf Blacephalon can help handle Tapu Koko and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele. Urshifu-R uses U-turn on baited foes like Buzzwole and Slowbro, providing Blacephalon a way onto the field with significant advantage. Due to CAP's limited number of Ghost answers, Choice Scarf Blacephalon can overwhelm teams alongside other Ghost-type attackers, namely Choice Specs Dragapult and Choice Band Pajantom. Certain hyper offensive teams also appreciate Choice Scarf Blacephalon's ability to run through the opponent after the setup sweepers and wallbreakers have done their job; a good teammate is Galarian Moltres, which can come in and set up on expected Ghost-type attacks or Pokemon crippled by Trick and wears down the opponent's walls into KO range of Blacephalon. Strong entry hazard removal ensures Blacephalon can come onto the field and scare out fast offensive Pokemon throughout the match, so sturdy Defog users like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight are prime teammates. Rapid Spin Saharaja and Equilibra allow Blacephalon to better take advantage of its team's own hazards. Depending on the move its locked into, Blacephalon can fail to deal with slower offensive Pokemon like Dragapult and Weavile, so it wants teammates that can tank hits and spread chip damage like Toxapex and Ferrothorn.

Set Details Choice Specs Blacephalon is a dangerous wallbreaker. Fire Blast is best used to nab KOs where Flamethrower would fail. Overheat is an option over Fire Blast for greater initial power and accuracy, but starts underperforming after the initial use. Trick gives Blacephalon utility against bulkier checks like Toxapex and avoids situations where locking into a move is disadvantageous. Blacephalon's typing and poor bulk can make it hard to bring in, so bring multiple teammates that can safely switch Blacephalon onto the field. Defog pivots like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, and Corviknight allow for safe and controllable entry onto the field, while offensive pivots like Dragapult and Tapu Koko are better at keeping up offensive pressure. Weavile is a massive pain for Blacephalon to deal with, so having answers to it is invaluable. Tapu Fini checks it, Dragapult, and Astrolotl while providing Defog. Arghonaut is the premier Weavile counter, handles incoming Water-, Dark-, and Rock-type moves, and uses Spikes and Knock Off to help Blacephalon's wallbreaking. Melmetal is another option that can handle strong physical attackers like Weavile, forces out Blissey and bulky Tyranitar with ease, and appreciates Blacephalon's ability to KO Pokemon that resist its Double Iron Bash like Zapdos, Corviknight, and opposing Melmetal. Knock Off absorbers or punishers such as Clefable, Ferrothorn, Garchomp, and Zapdos help alleviate Blacephalon's horrible weakness to the move. Frailer offensive partners like Kartana and Tapu Lele can form powerful cores that blast through each other's checks or overload the opponent's defensive backbone.

Shadow Ball takes down weakened targets like Rotom-W, Urshifu-R, and Mantine. It also takes care of Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon such as Spectrier, Tapu Lele, and Slowbro. Flamethrower provides more STAB coverage and hits hard with Drought support, easily taking care of Pokemon like Tapu Koko, Landorus-T, and Thundurus-T with prior minor chip damage. Fire Blast may be used over Flamethrower—notably to OHKO Tapu Koko without sun support —but is less reliable. Trick is important to debilitate bulky walls that can take on Blacephalon throughout the battle such as Mantine, defensive Heatran, and Blissey. Trick also gives teammates like Bulk Up Cinderace and Volcarona setup opportunities against Choice-locked defensive Pokemon. Choice Scarf is used to help Blacephalon revenge kill faster threats like Latias, Zeraora, and Dragapult for Fire teams. Torkoal is the premier support Pokemon for Blacephalon and Fire teams in general, providing quintessential sun, Rapid Spin, and Stealth Rock support. Torkoal can also pivot into physical attackers like Mimikyu, Drapion, and Bisharp that threaten Blacephalon. Cinderace complements Blacephalon massively, as it's able to handle special sponges like Tyranitar, Blissey, and Galarian Slowking, which clears the way for Blacephalon to clean up. Thanks to Bolt Strike, Choice Band Victini beats Pokemon like Mantine, Toxapex, which prove to be obstacles for Blacephalon. With sun support, Victini can even shred apart Water / Ground Pokemon like Seismitoad and Gastrodon with V-create. Volcarona and Rotom-H can weaken shared checks for Blacephalon, with the former even providing a valuable Ground immunity to the team; Volcarona can also improve matchups like Electric and Dark, while Rotom-H can utilize a Nasty Plot set to break through defensive teams like Poison or support Blacephalon with dual screens. Defensive Heatran can support Blacephalon by taking on Dragon-type Pokemon like Latios for it, easing so me pressure by checking threats like Nihilego, and eliminating walls like Mantine and Toxapex. Volcanion is decent to help beat Water-types such as Tapu Fini, Urshifu-R, and Toxapex and offer Defog support to the team.

Flamethrower and Fire Blast help remove Steel- and Grass-types like Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Zarude. Fire Blast is less reliable, but its extra power allows Blacephalon to secure KOs against foes like Tapu Koko. Shadow Ball hits many targets for neutral damage while also dealing with Fire-resistant Pokemon like Slowbro and Dragapult. Psyshock hits Poison- and Fighting-types like Dragalge, Nihilego, and Kommo-o while also dealing increased damage against specially defensive walls. Psychic is an option for physically defensive Pokemon such as Toxapex and Galarian Weezing. Trick forces Choice Scarf onto defensive Pokemon like Porygon2, Blissey, Toxapex, and Amoonguss, making them significantly easier to KO. This also allows teammates like Mimikyu and Aegislash to come in more easily and set up. Maximum investment in Speed with a Timid nature lets Blacephalon outspeed key threats like Dragapult, Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan, and Spectrier with Choice Scarf. Teammates such as Dragapult, Mimikyu, and Jellicent appreciate Blacephalon's ability to KO Ice- and Steel-type threats like Weavile and Excadrill. This allows Dragapult to pressure Electric, Fire, and Water teams that may give it trouble. Mimikyu can get rid of Dark- and Dragon-types like Hydreigon and Latias that would threaten Blacephalon. Mimikyu also helps to revenge kill and clean up matches with Disguise. Spectrier spreads burns and effectively wallbreaks for Blacephalon to comfortably sweep through the rest of the team. Water Absorb Jellicent can sponge attacks from Water-types like Urshifu-R, Keldeo, and Barraskewda. Gengar helps with Dark-types like Tyranitar and Hydreigon with Focus Blast and Dazzling Gleam and stops Toxic Spikes from wearing down Blacephalon by automatically removing them. Dragon Dance Dragapult and Lightning Rod Alolan Marowak can help with the Electric matchup, which has several fast threats that can outspeed Blacephalon such as Regieleki and Tapu Koko. Aegislash reliably takes care of specially defensive walls like Blissey with Close Combat, while Blacephalon deals with threats to Aegislash like Celesteela.

Heavy-Duty Boots Blacephalon is a very effective progress maker against bulkier teams that still possesses decent power. Shadow Ball is a reliable Ghost STAB attack that hits most Pokemon at least neutrally. Flamethrower is its secondary STAB move, dealing decent damage to Yveltal and Tangrowth. Fire Blast can be used instead, however its lower PP and accuracy are concerns when Blacephalon is often required to use it multiple times. Knock Off removes key items from common switch-ins, in particular Heavy-Duty Boots, Assault Vest, and Leftovers, to make them more vulnerable to chip damage. Toxic cripples Ho-Oh, Gastrodon, and Tyranitar, which otherwise can take Blacephalon's attacks with ease. Taunt prevents Clefable, which doesn't mind Toxic and loss of item, from using Soft-Boiled. Heavy-Duty Boots negates entry hazard damage that would quickly wear Blacephalon down. Heavy-Duty Boots Blacephalon's low defensive utility and capability to wallbreak short term means it should be built around as a secondary wincon. Zamazenta-C gives Blacephalon a much better Speed tier to threaten more offensive Pokemon out and thus opportunities to cripple switch-ins. It can also check two common priority users in Rillaboom and Yveltal. Pokemon who share checks with Blacephalon like Victini and Volcarona benefit from having opposing Ho-Oh and Gastrodon crippled. Bulky offensive threats such as Kyurem-W force it out, which makes it necessary to have a teammate that can handle their attacks like Tangrowth. Entry hazard support from Skarmory and Ferrothorn helps Blacephalon chip down opposing walls, especially with Knock Off to remove their Heavy-Duty Boots. Faster offensive Pokemon such as Zeraora and Pheromosa can OHKO Blacephalon, which can be taken care of by Clefable.

Blacephalon is a fearsome late-game cleaner thanks to its high Special Attack and fantastic offensive typing. Blacephalon is also a serious threat to snowball the other team, as (in most cases) Beast Boost will raise its Special Attack after a KO, allowing it to blow through weakened teams. Shadow Ball is its primary attack, hitting most of the metagame at least neutrally. Fire Blast has high Base Power and can dent many Pokemon that can take Shadow Ball such as Tangrowth, Yveltal, and Zamazenta-C. Flamethrower is an alternative, trading raw power for more accuracy and PP. Trick allows Blacephalon to cripple specially defensive foes that it can't do much against otherwise, namely Gastrodon and Tyranitar. On the last moveslot, Knock Off disrupts the foe's item, and is particularly useful against Ho-Oh when Stealth Rock is up. Knock Off also comes in handy to remove Assault Vest from RegenVest Pokemon that might stomach its attacks and switch out with little HP lost otherwise, in particular Tangrowth and Galarian Slowbro. Toxic instead puts foes on a timer and forces them to use their recovery move more often. Overheat is an alternative that helps it revenge kill weakened offensive threats better. Choice Scarf is usually the go-to item to outspeed fast offensive threats like Tapu Koko and Mewtwo. If Blacephalon gets a Speed donation from Zamazenta or Pheromosa, Choice Specs is preferred, as Beast Boost will increase its Speed after a KO. Choice Item Blacephalon acts as a cleaner and revenge killer on offensive builds. A Speed donation from fast gods such as Mewtwo, Zamazenta-C, and Pheromosa helps it outpace fast offensive Pokemon such as Weavile and Kartana; however, a better Defense or HP stat can also help Blacephalon avoid a KO from priority moves such as Rillaboom's Grassy Glide. Groudon can provide sun, which further boosts Blacephalon's Fire attacks. Specially offensive Pokemon like Tapu Koko enjoy Blacephalon's ability to cripple special walls like Gastrodon and Ho-Oh without taking up the Special Attack slot. They can also weaken Blacephalon's checks and counters, allowing it to pick up a KO more easily and snowball. Physical threats such as Kartana and Zamazenta-C struggle against sturdy walls like Buzzwole and Skarmory, which Blacephalon can handle. Entry hazards greatly limit Blacephalon's ability to switch in multiple times, so teammates with entry hazard removal such as Landorus-T and Rotom-W are required. Blacephalon complements entry hazards well by removing Heavy-Duty Boots with Trick or Knock Off, which makes Ferrothorn and Landorus-T great additions. Priority attacks like Yveltal's Sucker Punch and Rillaboom's Grassy Glide force Blacephalon out, so partners that can take them like Tapu Koko and Tornadus-T are appreciated. A counter to Tyranitar like Urshifu-R or Buzzwole is also necessary.

Blacephalon's great STAB combination and high Base Power moves make it a very dangerous wallbreaker. It excels at forcing KOs against several common defensive cores, as they often lack a proper Ghost-resistant Pokemon. It also sits at a nice Speed tier, which lets it outrun and revenge kill some offensive threats, including Garchomp, Mega Medicham, and Tapu Lele. However, Blacephalon's frailty and poor defensive profile make it difficult to get into battle at times, and it's very easy for the likes of Weavile and Tyranitar to Pursuit trap it. Overheat is a nuke that achieves titanic feats of strength; it can OHKO Gliscor and 2HKO Garchomp after minimal chip damage while doing enormous damage to frailer resistant foes such as Ash-Greninja and Mega Charizard Y. Fire Blast can also 2HKO Hydreigon and Garchomp and can be used well consecutively. Knock Off is a good midground option that annoys certain defensive Pokemon such as Toxapex and Gastrodon, allowing Blacephalon to 2HKO the former with Stealth Rock up and potentially 2HKO the latter with Stealth Rock or one layer of Spikes. Most crucially, it removes Chansey's Eviolite, which can allow Blacephalon to 2HKO it with Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage. Flamethrower can be considered over Fire Blast for more consistency, but the drop in power makes Blacephalon worse at breaking through threats like Chansey post Knock Off. Choice Specs is the preferred item for the increase in power, which nicely complements Blacephalon's highly spammable STAB moves. Timid is required in order to outrun Garchomp, Victini, and Mega Medicham. Blacephalon fits well on fast-paced teams, which appreciate it forcing meaningful progress against most defensive cores. Blacephalon is quite difficult to get into battle safely, so pivoting support is highly valuable. Landorus-T, Mega Lopunny, Mega Scizor, and Tapu Koko can all offer this support; Tapu Koko is especially nice, as it baits in Ferrothorn, while Mega Lopunny forces in Gliscor or Clefable for Blacephalon to prey on. Entry hazard removers like Tapu Fini, Landorus-T, and Rotom-W are also appreciated due to Blacephalon's Stealth Rock weakness. Blacephalon is highly vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped; this can be very difficult to prevent, as both Weavile and Tyranitar can safely come in after Blacephalon picks up a KO get pivoted in after it's already fired off an attack. Consider teammates such as Heatran, Calm Mind Clefable, Ash-Greninja, and Mega Mawile, which can punish these Pokemon by forcing further KOs after they have successfully trapped Blacephalon.

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With a Choice Scarf, Blacephalon will outspeed many prominent threats, such as Tapu Koko, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence. Heat Wave is Blacephalon's spread move of choice. Mind Blown may be tempting, but it's extremely awkward to be locked into, since it 2HKOes Blacephalon and hits your teammate. Shadow Ball is Blacephalon's strongest Ghost-type attack, 2HKOing offensive Cresselia and being Blacephalon's strongest attack in the rain. Hidden Power Ice is hard to pass up, since it OHKOes offensive Landorus-T and Mega Salamence. Hidden Power Ground can be used to severely damage Heatran, but the move doesn't take advantage of Choice Scarf as well. Blacephalon will need a single target Fire-type attack to deal with Wide Guard. Flamethrower is the most reliable option, OHKOing Mega Metagross, but Fire Blast offers extreme power at the cost of accuracy. While Blacephalon can be used early-game to pressure certain leads, it often works best late-game where it can use Heat Wave to clean weakened teams or get a reliable Beast Boost. Pairing Blacephalon with sun support is a good idea, making its Fire-type STAB moves extremely powerful and Water-types more manageable. Mega Charizard Y is an easy option for this due to Drought, but manual users of Sunny Day such as Cresselia and Whimsicott can also work to surprise rain teams. Tapu Lele is another teammate to consider, since its Psychic Terrain blocks deadly Sucker Punches from the likes of Mega Kangaskhan, and it can scout for leading Choice Scarf Landorus-T for Blacephalon to target.

Heat Wave is Blacephalon's most reliable spread attack. Shadow Ball hits Cresselia hard, especially if using Ghostium Z, and is also a good STAB to use if it's raining. Hidden Power Ice gets an OHKO on Mega Salamence and offensive Landorus-T, while Substitute helps Blacephalon against Sucker Punch. Flamethrower can also be used as a back-up Fire-type attack if Wide Guard is in play from the likes of Celesteela or Aegislash, while Overheat is a more powerful option for use with Firium Z. Protect allows Blacephalon to take advantage of its tendency to become the target of attacks. Ghostium Z allows Blacephalon to OHKO offensive Cresselia, and deal 81% minimum to specially defensive Cresselia. Life Orb is a reliable item for dealing extra damage, at the cost of the recoil making Blacephalon more vulnerable to weak priority attacks. Firium Z is also an acceptable option, especially if Overheat or Mind Blown is chosen as a secondary Fire-type attack, since Inferno Overdrive from these base moves will OHKO Mega Kangaskhan. Speed control of some sort is highly recommended for Blacephalon, since this helps it deal with common speedy Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Choice Scarf Landorus-T. Tailwind is a prime example of this, with plenty of possible users such as Mega Charizard Y, Suicune, and Mega Salamence. Icy Wind from the likes of Cresselia and Tapu Fini can also be useful.

Moves Shadow Ball is Blacephalon's most spammable STAB attack and is great in many matchups, such as against Psychic teams. Fire Blast is Blacephalon's chosen Fire-type STAB move, enabling it to deal considerable damage in the sun, even against resisted targets, always 2HKOing Hydreigon for instance. Flamethrower is an alternative if Fire Blast's accuracy is an issue, but its lowered damage output makes Blacephalon miss out on OHKOing threats like Tapu Koko and 2HKOing others like specially defensive Cradily in the sun. Hidden Power Ice lets Blacephalon KO troublesome Dragon- and Ground-types like Dragonite after its Multiscale is broken, Garchomp, and Choice Scarf Landorus-T. Psyshock allows Blacephalon to revenge kill Choice Scarf Nihilego, one of the greatest threats for Fire teams, and take on Poison teams once Alolan Muk is eliminated. If crippling walls is desirable to your team, Trick can be used instead to shut down foes like Chansey and Mantine that Blacephalon cannot otherwise touch. Set Details Maximum investment in Speed with a Timid nature and a Choice Scarf lets Blacephalon be as fast as possible, outspeeding opposing Choice Scarf users like Nihilego and Victini. It also needs maximum investment in Special Attack to hit as hard as possible. With those EV investments, Blacephalon's ability Beast Boost will boost its Special Attack by one stage every time it KOes an opposing Pokemon, enabling it to clean weakened teams late-game. Usage Tips Send Blacephalon on the field after its checks, such as Chansey and Toxapex, are weakened or gone, so that it can effectively sweep the enemy team. However, because Blacephalon is extremely frail, directly sending it onto the field is not recommended. Instead, use a teammate's slow U-turn or Volt Switch or switch in Blacephalon after a teammate has been KOed to preserve its health. For Blacephalon to efficiently sweep teams, it will more often than not need Stealth Rock support from a teammate before it's able to revenge kill fast or bulky offensive threats like Tapu Koko and Dragonite. Therefore, setting up the entry hazard before sending Blacephalon onto the field can be crucial. Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Alolan Muk threaten to KO Blacephalon and take minimal damage from its coverage moves. Therefore, it would be best to either avoid bringing Blacephalon onto the field while they're healthy or to immediately switch Blacephalon out as a lure into an offensive teammate that can handle them. Furthermore, if an opposing Pursuit trapper is alive, revenge killing dangerous threats like Choice Scarf Nihilego can be problematic, as they simply switch on Blacephalon and easily KO it. So, if possible, try and dispose of such threats with one of Blacephalon's teammates that wouldn't be bothered as much by Pursuit trappers. If Trick is run over Psyshock, it can be used to great effect by luring and crippling problematic walls like Chansey, Mantine, and Toxapex that Blacephalon cannot seriously harm otherwise so that they become deadweight for the rest of the match. Finally, try and avoid any kind of status, especially paralysis. A paralyzed Blacephalon cannot efficiently perform its role as a revenge killer due to its greatly reduced Speed stat and becomes a lot easier to revenge kill, being outsped and OHKOed by Mamoswine's Earthquake for example. Team Options Choice Band Infernape is an amazing partner for this Blacephalon variant: it can punch holes in the enemy team so that it's easier for Blacephalon to sweep, safely bring it on the field with U-turn, and beat troublesome Dark, Rock and Normal teams with Close Combat and Iron Fist-boosted Mach Punch. In return, Blacephalon can sweep Psychic and Ghost teams, which Infernape has trouble with, with little support. Mega Charizard X forms a potent sweeping duo with Blacephalon that can beat each other's checks and tear opposing teams apart. For example, against Poison teams, Mega Charizard X takes care of Alolan Muk for Blacephalon, which paves the way for Blacephalon to sweep the rest of the Poison team with Psyshock. The support Torkoal brings to Blacephalon and Fire teams in general as a sun and entry hazard setter, spinner, and physical wall is really important, since it can enable Blacephalon to OHKO Zapdos after Stealth Rock damage and Mega Lopunny in the sun while clearing entry hazards away and easily sponging most priority moves aimed at Blacephalon. Rotom-H is a nice teammate for Blacephalon due to its access to a slow Volt Switch, both Light Screen and Reflect, and Defog, which lets Blacephalon safely come onto the field, clean opposing teams more easily, and not worry about entry hazard damage or opposing screens cutting its sweep short. Rotom-H also brings a welcomed immunity to Ground-type moves for Fire teams. In return, Blacephalon can KO many Ground-types like Landorus and Garchomp, which Rotom-H ironically cannot touch, with Hidden Power Ice. Mega Charizard Y is an appreciated secondary weather setter and wallbreaker that pressures opposing Water-types, easing Blacephalon's job of cleaning the enemy team late-game. Victini is another wallbreaker that pressures Water-types, especially Mantine, so that Blacephalon has more opportunities to clean the opposing team. Furthermore, it can even safely bring Blacephalon onto the field with U-turn. Heatran can trap and remove bulky threats like Toxapex, letting Blacephalon have an easier time sweeping the enemy team, and can KO Mega Diancie with Flash Cannon. Volcanion can act as a check to troublesome Water-types with Water Absorb, such as Azumarill, and a secondary hazard clearer with Defog for Blacephalon.

Moves Shadow Ball helps Blacephalon deal with bulky Water-types and other opposing threats that resist its Fire-type STAB move. In particular, Shadow Ball OHKOes Pelipper and (Mega) Slowbro, in addition to 2HKOing Toxapex and Assault Vest Seismitoad. Fire Blast is Blacephalon's preferred Fire-type STAB move, as it delivers devastating blows to opposing threats, such as OHKOing Hippowdon and 2HKOing Porygon2. Flamethrower can replace Fire Blast if the better accuracy is more than important than the superior firepower, but Flamethrower can still be strong enough if used in the sun. Hidden Power Ice is Blacephalon's way to dispose of dangerous Dragon- and Ground-types, such as Dragonite (outside of Multiscale) and Garchomp. Trick is Blacephalon's last move, crippling walls that would usually switch in and comfortably sponge its attacking moves, such as Chansey and Mantine, by replacing their item with a Choice Specs. Set Details Maximum investment in Special Attack with Choice Specs lets Blacephalon be as powerful as possible, OHKOing or 2HKOing most opposing Pokemon, such as Armaldo after Stealth Rock damage (or in the sun) and Araquanid, respectively. Blacephalon also needs maximum Speed investment to become as fast as possible, allowing it to outspeed common Pokemon like Garchomp and Landorus. With this EV investment, Beast Boost, Blacephalon's only ability, will boost its Special Attack by one stage every time it KOes an opposing Pokemon, enabling it to clean slower teams late-game. Usage Tips Since this Blacephalon variant is more of a wallbreaker rather than a sweeper, it should be switched into passive threats like Mega Venusaur and Clefable so that it can deal a great amount of damage to them or one of their teammates if they switch out. As a wallbreaker, Blacephalon should be used early-game to punch holes into the enemy team to weaken walls and, if possible, KO other opposing Pokemon so that sweepers like Mega Charizard X and revenge killers like Choice Scarf Infernape have an easier time cleaning the opposing team. Because Blacephalon is extremely frail, directly sending it onto the field is not always recommended. A safer way to put Blacephalon on the field would be using a teammate's slow U-turn or Volt Switch or switching it in after a teammate has been KOed to preserve its health. Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Alolan Muk threaten to KO Blacephalon and take minimal damage from its coverage moves. To avoid being trapped and prematurely losing Blacephalon, it would be best to either keep Blacephalon off the field while they're healthy or immediately switch Blacephalon out as a lure to an offensive teammate that can handle them. Trick should be used against problematic special walls, such as Chansey and Mantine, that try to switch into Blacephalon's attacking moves. Try to avoid any kind of status, especially paralysis, as it severely cripples Blacephalon, making it slower than the vast majority of Pokemon and prone to being revenge killed, even by the likes of Skarmory. Finally, even when considering Blacephalon's might, it sometimes needs Stealth Rock support from a teammate before it's able to KO Focus Sash users like Breloom or certain walls without the need of sun support like Zapdos. Therefore, setting up the entry hazard before sending Blacephalon onto the field is often recommended. Team Options Choice Scarf Infernape is a great partner for this Blacephalon variant: it can outspeed and revenge kill various Pokemon like +1 Mega Sharpedo and Choice Scarf Nihilego, in addition of safely bringing Blacephalon onto the field with U-turn. In return, Blacephalon can wallbreak against the opposing team to ease Infernape's job of revenge killing. Torkoal's Drought can reduce the damage output from opposing Water-type attacks and increase Blacephalon's Fire-type STAB move's firepower to absurd levels, enabling it to OHKO specially defensive Mega Sableye and even 2HKO Chansey after Stealth Rock damage if Fire Blast is used. Being a staple on Fire teams, Torkoal can also set up Stealth Rock to punish opposing switches, clear away entry hazards with Rapid Spin, and, due to its great physical bulk, switch into priority moves aimed at Blacephalon. Rotom-H is a nice teammate for Blacephalon due to its access to a slow Volt Switch, both Light Screen and Reflect, and Defog, which lets Blacephalon safely come onto the field, punch holes into opposing teams more easily, and not worry about entry hazard damage or opposing screens preventing Blacephalon from properly performing its wallbreaking job. Rotom-H also brings a welcomed immunity to Ground-type moves for Fire teams. In return, Blacephalon can KO many Ground-types like Hippowdon and Assault Vest Seismitoad, which Rotom-H cannot touch. Mega Charizard X is the premier sweeper for Fire teams and can clean opposing teams after Blacephalon has weakened them with its powerful attacks. For example, against Ground teams, once Blacephalon has taken care of Hippowdon and the sand has dissipated, Charizard is free to set up a Dragon Dance before Mega Evolving and sweep the rest of the team. Volcarona is another sweeper that can take advantage of Blacephalon's wallbreaking abilities by cleaning weakened teams. In return, Blacephalon can 2HKO some threats that Volcarona has trouble with, such as Toxapex and Mantine after Stealth Rock damage. Additionally, Volcarona and Blacephalon can tear Psychic teams apart when used together. Heatran, when used alongside this Blacephalon set, can greatly pressure slower teams, as the former can trap, slowly wear down and prevent walls from recovering their HP with Magma Storm and Taunt, while the latter can finish those walls afterwards. Heatran can also deal with Mega Diancie for Blacephalon and its other teammates. Victini can form a potent wallbreaking duo with Blacephalon and pressure Water-types, in addition to slower teams in general. Furthermore, Victini can even safely bring Blacephalon onto the field with U-turn. With Water Absorb, Volcanion can switch into Water-type moves like Keldeo's or Mantine's Scald aimed at Blacephalon while also checking the dangerous threat that is Belly Drum Azumarill with Sludge Wave and clearing entry hazards away with Defog for Fire teams.

Moves Fire Blast allows Blacephalon to hit Steel-, Grass-, and Ice-type Pokemon for super effective damage, as well as knocking out Tapu Koko from full health, although it can miss at crucial moments. Alternatively, Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast if missing tends to be a problem, although it hits less hard. Sometimes Fire Blast's power also is crucial for breaking bulky threats such as specially defensive Celesteela and Porygon2. Shadow Ball allows Blacephalon to revenge kill Pokemon such as Victini and Latios and provides neutral coverage to revenge kill Pokemon effectively. Hidden Power Ice gives Blacephalon the ability to hit Dragon-, Flying-, and Ground-types such as Dragonite and Choice Scarf Landorus-T for super effective damage. Trick is used to cripple Blacephalon's defensive checks like Chansey, Mantine, and Porygon2 by locking them into one move. Set Details Maximum investment in Special Attack allows Blacephalon to hit as hard as possible. Maximum Speed investment with a Choice Scarf and a Timid nature makes Blacephalon as fast as possible, therefore allowing it to beat various Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, Mega Lopunny, and Choice Scarf Landorus-T by outspeeding them while also acting as a late-game cleaner, although it is forced to be locked into one move. Beast Boost is Blacephalon's only ability and can be used in conjunction with a Choice Scarf to sweep late-game by raising its Special Attack every time it manages to knock a Pokemon out. Usage Tips Send Blacephalon in late-game when its checks and counters such as Mantine and Alolan Muk have been weakened or eliminated so Blacephalon will be able to sweep. Try to remove entry hazards before Blacephalon comes in so it doesn't take unnecessary damage and potentially get revenge killed. Double switch out if the opponent has a Pursuit trapper such as Tyranitar in order to retain momentum and avoid losing Blacephalon. As it is not holding a damage boosting item, Blacephalon's checks and counters are much more reliable, meaning it will have to switch out against anything it cannot kill. Choice Scarf Blacephalon cannot beat many bulky Pokemon, such as Toxapex and Porygon2. Switch out of Pokemon that carry paralysis-inflicting moves, as Blacephalon needs to maintain its Speed to be an effective revenge killer. Use Trick on predicted specially bulky switch-ins such as Chansey, Mantine, and Toxapex. Although Trick is useful for crippling the aforementioned threats, losing Choice Scarf means Blacephalon cannot revenge kill threats like Mega Lopunny and Tapu Koko anymore, so be careful of using Trick when these Pokemon are still active. Try to lay down Stealth Rock before Blacephalon comes in, as Stealth Rock helps weaken Blacephalon's checks and counters while also removing Focus Sashes. Team Options Choice Scarf Blacephalon is a consistent revenge killer that can take out many foes because of its Speed tier, coverage, and power. As a result of this, Choice Specs Gengar is a good partner for Choice Scarf Blacephalon because they form an effective offensive core. Gengar can handle Pokemon such as Toxapex and Mantine, while Blacephalon is able to knock out Tapu Koko and Mega Lopunny for Gengar. Mega Sableye pairs well with Blacephalon, as it can switch into Dark- and Ghost-type attacks that could potentially knock Blacephalon out as well as reflect entry hazards. Jellicent is a good partner for Blacephalon, as it can absorb Water-type attacks with Water Absorb while being able to break down many defensive threats such as Porygon2 and Mantine with Taunt. Alolan Marowak and Golurk support Blacephalon with Stealth Rock, which can break Focus Sashes and whittle down Blacephalon's checks in order for it to sweep with Choice Scarf as well as net important KOs such as Tapu Koko through Stealth Rock chip. Alolan Marowak can also switch into and beat Zapdos for Blacephalon. Decidueye and Dhelmise support Blacephalon by offering hazard control and switch-ins to Ground- and Water-type attacks because of their defensive typings. Decidueye and Dhelmise are both able to trap various threats, with Decidueye trapping Mantine and Dhelmise trapping Toxapex for Blacephalon. Mimikyu is a great partner for Blacephalon, as it knocks out Dark-types that could threaten Blacephalon such as Greninja, Hydreigon, and Tyranitar. Trick Room Ghost teams usually have slow Pokemon to take advantage of Trick Room so having Choice Scarf Blacephalon as a revenge killer helps outside of Trick Room.

Moves Fire Blast allows Blacephalon to hit Steel-, Grass-, and Ice-type Pokemon for super effective damage, although it can miss at crucial moments. Alternatively, Flamethrower can be used if missing tends to be a problem, although Flamethrower hits less hard than Fire Blast, meaning it misses out on knocking out Pokemon such as Landorus from full health. Shadow Ball allows Blacephalon to 2HKO Pokemon such as Toxapex while also hitting many Pokemon neutrally, and Hidden Power Ice gives Blacephalon the ability to hit Dragon-, Flying-, and Ground-types, such as Dragonite and Garchomp, for super effective damage. Trick cripples walls that may switch in to Blacephalon, which is particularly useful for Pokemon such as Chansey and Mantine. Set Details Maximum investment in Speed along with a Timid nature makes Blacephalon as fast as possible, while maximum investment in Special Attack allows Blacephalon to hit as hard as possible. Choice Specs further increases Blacephalon's Special Attack, allowing it to be an effective wallbreaker that can OHKO threats such as Landorus and Diggersby. Beast Boost is Blacephalon's only ability and increases its Special Attack every time it manages to collect a KO, making it easy for Blacephalon to snowball when its checks and counters have been weakened and eliminated. Usage Tips Try to remove entry hazards on your side before sending in Blacephalon to avoid any potential chip damage. Stealth Rock noticeably wears Blacephalon down over time, allowing Pokemon with priority moves such as Scizor, Mega Pinsir, and Mega Lopunny to knock it out. Double out of predicted Pursuit trapper switch-ins, such as Alolan Muk, so that Blacephalon doesn't get trapped. As it is primarily a wallbreaker, send Blacephalon in on defensive threats like Mega Venusaur and Celesteela that the rest of your team could have trouble dealing with. Blacephalon can also be a sweeper late-game when its checks and counters have been severely weakened or eliminated. Use Trick on special walls such as Mantine and Chansey that would otherwise wall Blacephalon, although it should be wary of using Trick because losing Choice Specs makes Blacephalon significantly weaker. Keep Blacephalon from getting inflicted with paralysis, as getting paralyzed makes Blacephalon slow and vulnerable to faster attackers. Try getting Stealth Rock on the field before sending in Blacephalon, as Stealth Rock breaks Focus Sashes and weakens Blacephalon's checks and counters, making a potential sweep much easier to achieve, and helps Blacephalon take out Pokemon such as Toxapex, Assault Vest Celesteela, and Dragonite. Bluffing a Choice Scarf is perfectly doable in order to force out Pokemon such as Victini, Tapu Koko, Latios, and Mega Lopunny. Team Options Choice Specs Blacephalon is generally a good option on Ghost teams due to the range of Pokemon it can take on as a wallbreaker. As a result of this, Gengar is a very good partner for Blacephalon, as they pair together very well offensively. Choice Scarf Gengar can beat threats such as Choice Scarf Terrakion, Choice Scarf Keldeo, and Mantine for Blacephalon due to its Speed and coverage. Decidueye and Dhelmise make good teammates for Blacephalon due to their ability to remove Stealth Rock and any other potential entry hazards that may limit Blacephalon switching in. Decidueye and Dhelmise are also able to switch into Water- and Ground-type attacks for Blacephalon, and Blacephalon can beat Steel-type Pokemon such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor for them in return. Decidueye and Dhelmise trap Pokemon such as Toxapex and Tapu Koko, which Blacephalon may have a hard time against, with their respective trapping moves. Like many other offensive Ghost-type Pokemon, Blacephalon appreciates Mega Sableye as a partner because of its ability to reflect entry hazards, switch into attacks, and act as a defensive backbone to pivot into. Mega Sableye is also able to switch into various Dark- and Ghost-type moves for Blacephalon when needed, while Blacephalon is able to beat many Fairy-type Pokemon such as Clefable and Tapu Bulu for Mega Sableye. Because of their ability to set Stealth Rock, Alolan Marowak and Golurk are good partners for Blacephalon to weaken the opposing team by destroying Focus Sashes and chipping Pokemon, therefore paving the way for Blacephalon to sweep. Alolan Marowak can also switch into Tapu Koko for Blacephalon. Jellicent is a good option, as it can absorb Water-type attacks and break many defensive threats such as Toxapex and Chansey with Taunt. Mimikyu is an excellent partner for Blacephalon, as it beats Dark-type Pokemon that Blacephalon struggle with such as Mega Sharpedo, Hydreigon, Alolan Muk, and Tyranitar, while Blacephalon can knock out Steel-type Pokemon such as Mega Scizor, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn that Mimikyu might have trouble getting past.

Mind Blown-based Inferno Overdrive is an insanely strong move, which when backed up by Blacephalon's huge Special Attack stat does significant damage to a majority of the metagame, often picking up a KO and getting a free Beast Boost to Special Attack. Using Inferno Overdrive also avoids the nasty recoil of regular Mind Blown. Shadow Ball-based Never-Ending Nightmare is a viable alternative for hitting Toxapex, Heatran, and Mega Charizard X, and it is extremely potent after a Calm Mind. Hidden Power Ice hits the omnipresent Mega Salamence and Landorus-T, as well as Gliscor and Garchomp. Running a secondary Fire-type STAB attack such as Fire Blast is a good option so Blacephalon isn't forced into KOing itself with Mind Blown against Pokemon weak to Fire-type moves. Flame Charge is an option to boost Blacephalon's Speed, dealing respectable damage thanks to its decent Attack stat, even with a Timid nature, allowing it to KO weakened foes such as Breloom and get a Speed boost. Sunny Day is a solid pick because its Z-Move can be used to gain a boost to Speed as well as power up Mind Blown. Regular Sunny Day can also be used against bulkier teams, especially Tyranitar switch-ins, as sun-boosted Inferno Overdrive does respectable damage to all Tyranitar variants. Calm Mind sends Inferno Overdrive's power through the roof and allows Blacephalon to survive certain special attacks, such as Mega Charizard Y's Overheat, and KO in return.

Mind Blown's recoil will usually KO Blacephalon in two turns; however, a Berry can be used to extend that to three, which can make a huge difference in a 3v3 battle. Shadow Ball provides a secondary STAB option and reliable way of doing damage without suffering from Mind Blown's recoil. Substitute is used as a safe way of lowering Blacephalon's HP into Mago Berry range so it can use Mind Blown for a second time without KOing itself. It's also a great way of taking advantage of predicted switches and allows Blacephalon to set up in front of Chansey. Hidden Power Ice is an option for nuking Mega Salamence and Landorus-T; however, finding space for it on the set is difficult. Psyshock can be used for fighting through Chansey and Nihilego; however, most stall teams with Chansey on them also have a Tyranitar for trapping Mega Gengar, which doesn't care about this set at all. You can also chip Chansey into +6 Mind Blown range with Hidden Power Ice. Nihilego is also commonly used with either a Choice Scarf or Focus Sash, so it's unlikely Blacephalon will actually KO it except on predicted switches. Sitrus Berry can be used instead of a Mago Berry if Hidden Power Ice over Substitute is preferred; however, if Blacephalon switches into Stealth Rock or takes any other kind of chip damage, Mind Blown recoil will put Blacephalon's HP too low to be able to use it a second time without KOing itself, so Substitute + Mago Berry is preferred.

Focus Sash Blacephalon can be used as either a lead, a revenge killer, or a late-game sweeper. It differentiates itself from the Choice Scarf set because it is able to revenge kill any Mega Salamence without worrying about its nature or how many boosts it has, as long as Stealth Rock is not on the field, and proceed to get a Beast Boost in Special Attack. Shadow Ball and Fire Blast are Focus Sash Blacephalon's main sources of offense, with Hidden Power Ice for nuking Mega Salamence. Flamethrower is an option over Fire Blast if the lower accuracy is undesired; however, it is noticeably weaker. Flame Charge can be used for picking off weakened Pokemon such as Breloom, Mega Metagross, Mega Lucario, and Pheromosa so Blacephalon isn't revenge killed without getting a strong special attack off first. Will-O-Wisp can cripple a Tyranitar or Gyarados before Blacephalon is sacrificed for a teammate to take care of them. Mind Blown should only be used after Blacephalon's Focus Sash has been broken or used. It will likely be used as a suicide option but is very powerful nonetheless.

Choice Scarf Blacephalon is used to revenge kill boosted threats, most notably +1 Adamant Dragon Dance Mega Salamence and Shell Smash Cloyster, as well as generally fast Pokemon such as Mega Gengar, Tapu Koko, Pheromosa, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Mega Lucario, and Serperior. Mind Blown is Blacephalon's strongest option; however, a secondary Fire-type STAB attack is important in the last slot so Blacephalon doesn't need to be locked into Mind Blown and subsequently KO itself with recoil. Hidden Power Ice is necessary for KOing Mega Salamence; however, it also has several other targets such as Landorus-T and Gliscor. Trick is an option for messing up defensive switch-ins such as Chansey and specially defensive Hippowdon; however, it can be exploited by common Z-Move users and Mega Evolutions that often switch into Blacephalon, such as Tapu Fini, Mimikyu, Naganadel, Mega Kangaskhan, and Mega Gyarados.