Ho-Oh Movesets & Competitive Sets

This is the standard Ho-Oh set. Sacred Fire is a great STAB attack, and it has an impressive 50% burn chance. However, you should be careful about using it, as its PP is low—and even lower against Eternatus switch-ins. Ho-Oh is a great user of Defog, as it is able to repeatedly come into Necrozma-DM. Toxic is a good option to stall out Pokemon that don't particularly mind burns or are immune to them, such as Yveltal and opposing Ho-Oh. Thunder Wave is a great option for Eternatus, which is a very common switch-in that is immune to Toxic and not bothered by burns. Whirlwind is to phaze Xerneas, although it also has its uses for other setup sweepers such as Zygarde-C, Cosmic Power Eternatus, and Calyrex-S. However, you need to watch out for Ingrain Xerneas. Brave Bird is a strong secondary STAB option that hits Fire-resistant Pokemon like Eternatus and Kyogre much harder, and it helps with Sacred Fire's low PP. The given EV spread allows Ho-Oh to always survive a +2 Xerneas's Thunder, with the leftover EVs put into Defense to better deal with physical attackers such as Marshadow. If you run Thunder Wave, a spread of 248 HP / 192 Def / 52 SpD / 16 Spe should be used to let Ho-Oh outspeed Choice Specs Calyrex-S after paralysis. Smart switching is the key to using this set, both in terms of Regenerator recovery and scouting for status or Rock-type coverage moves. Marshadow, Xerneas, and Calyrex-S are too threatening to leave Ho-Oh as your only check to them. Choice Band Marshadow can 2HKO Ho-Oh with Poltergeist or Spectral Thief, while Xerneas can threaten to KO Ho-Oh with a boosted Thunder if Ho-Oh has taken damage, or use Ingrain to prevent Ho-Oh from phazing it. Choice Specs Calyrex-S will 2HKO Ho-Oh outright. As such, Pokemon such as Yveltal, Necrozma-DM, Zarude, Buzzwole, Lunala, and Tangrowth make good defensive partners. Necrozma-DM can provide a solid defense against Ice-types, offensive Eternatus, and Xerneas, as well as Stealth Rock and status support, while Yveltal will keep Calyrex-S at bay. Lunala, Buzzwole, and Tangrowth also offer good defense against Groudon, Zekrom, and Zygarde-C, while the latter two offer a good pivot against Marshadow. Eternatus and Blissey are excellent teammates for their ability to switch into Kyogre. All of the aforementioned Pokemon appreciate Ho-Oh's ability to serve as a backup check to the tier's biggest sweepers, as well as Defog. Zarude in particular likes Ho-Oh's ability to Defog, as Zarude often replaces Yveltal on teams, and in return, Zarude can role compress a Calyrex-S check and Ground-type check into one. Ho-Oh can consistently switch into entry hazard setters such as Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn and force them out, even if they hit it with Knock Off. However, if Ho-Oh hard switches into these Pokemon every time, it can become predictable and be taken advantage of by double switches. Ho-Oh must be wary of alternative setters of Stealth Rock, such as Groudon and Tyranitar. Having a secondary Defog user, such as Yveltal, can be useful for providing more security against such Pokemon, as well as against Sticky Web and other offensive playstyles, depending on your team structure. Alternatively, Ho-Oh can be used to free up moveslots on Pokemon such as Yveltal and Necrozma-DM, who now don't need to run Defog or check Xerneas, respectively.

This set combines Ho-Oh's great wallbreaking power with the unique support options it provides. Very few Pokemon are able to withstand Ho-Oh's STAB attacks, with Zygarde and Zekrom being notable exceptions. Sacred Fire's burn chance cripples the aforementioned foes, while Flare Blitz offers greater power and PP at the cost of recoil damage and a much lower burn chance. Notably, Flare Blitz lowers the chance of accidentally burning Eternatus, Ho-Oh's most common switch-in; instead, Ho-Oh can paralyze Eternatus with Thunder Wave, crippling it for the rest of the game. Brave Bird has a good chance to 2HKO Eternatus and is Ho-Oh's best option against opposing Ho-Oh. The last slot is flexible. Defog is extremely useful against Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn, and can prevent Shuckle from setting Sticky Web in combination with Defog Yveltal. Meanwhile, Whirlwind lets Ho-Oh phaze out Xerneas, Cosmic Power Eternatus, SubSeed Calyrex-S, and Zygarde in a pinch. Substitute can be used to further pressure Eternatus by blocking its Toxic. The given EV spread outspeeds paralyzed Calyrex-S and lives a +2 Thunder from Xerneas, with the rest dumped into Attack to increase the chance of 2HKOing Eternatus. An alternative spread of 80 HP / 160 Atk / 252 Def / 16 Spe allows Ho-Oh to live +2 Jolly Weavile's Triple Axel and tank Marshadow's attacks better. Ho-Oh is great at crippling Eternatus and thus works well with partners who want Eternatus gone. While Kyogre may seem counterproductive due to Drizzle, it loves Eternatus being paralyzed. Kyogre can take on Zygarde and, in turn, Ho-Oh can prevent Ferrothorn from setting Spikes. Marshadow is another fantastic teammate, as paralysis allows Marshadow to more comfortably run an Adamant nature and 2HKO Eternatus on the switch. Defensive Zygarde works well in combination with Ho-Oh to scout out Marshadow's moves, and Eternatus being paralyzed allows Coil sets to break through it. Zygarde can additionally take on Groudon and appreciates Ho-Oh stopping Weavile. Groudon is an amazing partner for its sun and Stealth Rock support, and it can provide a defensive backbone against Zekrom and opposing Groudon. Haban Berry Eternatus, Ferrothorn, Xerneas, and Zarude also help keep Zekrom at bay.

Choice Band Ho-Oh is one of the best wallbreakers in the tier, with most teams having to resort to offensive pressure, soft checks, and status to try to stop it. Brave Bird does massive damage to anything that resists Sacred Fire, and its recoil is minimized thanks to Regenerator. Earthquake rounds out Ho-Oh's coverage and is its strongest option against Eternatus and Zekrom. The last move is flexible. Whirlwind is generally preferred, as it gives Ho-Oh more defensive utility in phazing opposing Ho-Oh and Zygarde-C in a pinch. Flare Blitz does massive damage and is stronger than Sacred Fire; it also makes up for Sacred Fire's low PP. Defog can be used in emergency situations to clear away Stealth Rock. The given EVs allow Ho-Oh to survive a +2 Xerneas Thunder, with the remaining EVs put into Attack to maximize Ho-Oh's power. 16 Attacks EVs can be moved to Speed to make Ho-Oh faster than a paralyzed Calyrex-S. It's not advisable to go much faster than this, though, because Choice Band Ho-Oh functions best as an offensive tank, and it would rather not lose significant breaking power or the ability to check special threats. While this set is immensely strong, the major flaw is its vulnerability to Stealth Rock. Because of this, Choice Band Ho-Oh is usually a Pokemon that teams specifically build around. At least two Defog users are recommended: Yveltal, Lunala, Xerneas, Giratina, and Corviknight are good possible partners. Xatu is notable for having Magic Bounce and being able to switch into Stealth Rock setters such as Necrozma-DM repeatedly. Additionally, teammates that can lure and break through defensive Zygarde-C are appreciated. Groudon is a good partner for this, and it can also provide sun to make Ho-Oh even stronger and to lower Thunder's accuracy. Teammates that like Eternatus being gone, such as Marshadow, synergize well, as this set often breaks through Eternatus.

Moves Sacred Fire is Ho-Oh's strongest physical Fire-type STAB move and lets it hit Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn while also having a 50% chance to burn the foe. Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's strongest Flying-type attack and lets it 2HKO most of the offensive metagame. Recover is Ho-Oh's most reliable form of recovery; it allows Ho-Oh to stay healthy throughout the game and is important for checking threats such as Marshadow, Mega Lucario, and Xerneas. Toxic lets Ho-Oh cripple switch-ins like support Arceus formes, Primal Groudon, Zygarde-C, and Lugia by setting them on a timer. Curse is an option that is highly recommended when running Flyinium Z because it makes Ho-Oh even more threatening. It allows Ho-Oh to beat Zygarde and Mega Salamence one-on-one thanks to the boost in Defense. Substitute is an option that lets Ho-Oh avoid getting inflicted with status from support Arceus formes, making it easier to play around them. If Ho-Oh runs Life Orb, Hidden Power Ice is a good option that lets Ho-Oh always OHKO Mega Salamence and OHKO Zygarde that have taken damage from Brave Bird. Earthquake can hit Primal Groudon and Toxapex without incurring recoil from Brave Bird while also 2HKOing Rock-types such as Tyranitar and the rare Arceus-Rock. Defog can be considered on this set to add more options against entry hazard setters throughout the game. Ho-Oh performs well against enough entry hazard users such as Necrozma-DM, Ferrothorn, Klefki, and some Primal Groudon sets to warrant the use of Defog. Set Details 104 HP EVs allow Ho-Oh to keep its health at an odd number and lose less HP from Life Orb recoil. 152 Speed EVs let Ho-Oh outspeed Adamant Necrozma-DM and hit it hard with Sacred Fire, potentially causing a burn and thus avoiding a potential OHKO from +2 Searing Sunraze Smash. 252 Attack EVs maximize Ho-Oh's damage output. Ho-Oh can opt for a more basic EV spread of 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD instead. This is more sensible on Curse sets, which do not need to outspeed anything. Life Orb gives Ho-Oh more initial power in exchange for recoil every turn. Flyinium Z can be used instead when Ho-Oh is running Curse, as +1 Supersonic Skystrike can eliminate Zygarde, Giratina, and Lugia after taking damage from Stealth Rock. Usage Tips Ho-Oh relies heavily on teammates with Defog or Rapid Spin to keep Stealth Rock off of your side of the field so it can function properly. Teams with Ho-Oh must put as much pressure as possible on the opposing team's Stealth Rock setter in order to keep Ho-Oh from taking massive damage prior to making a move. Run a Steel-type, and try to use it to lure Primal Groudon, which is the one of the best Stealth Rock setters, and set it on a timer with Toxic. Against teams with Necrozma-DM, scout for Rock-type coverage like Stone Edge and Power Gem before using Ho-Oh to check it. It is best to switch Ho-Oh in on its use of Stealth Rock, as this avoids taking damage from Stealth Rock, giving Ho-Oh an open chance to attack. Sending Ho-Oh in on predicted Steel-types like Magearna, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn will then allow it to apply pressure onto the opposing team. Go for Toxic on predicted switches into defensive threats like support Arceus formes and Lugia; they need to be crippled for Ho-Oh to break through them. Be cautious when going for Sacred Fire, as the move only has 8 PP. You might prefer crippling certain defensive threats like Lugia with Toxic over burning them with Sacred Fire as well. Scout for Rock-type coverage from physical threats like Primal Groudon, Ultra Necrozma, Marshadow, and Mega Lucario, which Ho-Oh can often switch into otherwise. Take advantage of Regenerator by switching Ho-Oh out and sacrificing less important teammates to gain health. Team Options Entry hazard removers such as Arceus-Dark, Defog Mega Salamence, Defog Xerneas, and Giratina-O are the best teammates for Ho-Oh due to its weakness to Stealth Rock. Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie make great teammates as well thanks to their ability to bounce back Stealth Rock. Marshadow has a great matchup against offensive teams, as it is able to check Arceus, Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and Mega Gengar, and appreciates Ho-Oh's ability to deal with Marshadow, Arceus-Fairy, and Toxapex. Mega Gengar is able to take advantage of Sacred Fire burns and trap nuisances to Ho-Oh like Lugia. Primal Groudon can provide Stealth Rock support as well as a secondary check to Xerneas and a good check to Primal Kyogre. Zygarde-C can switch into physical threats to Ho-Oh such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Primal Groudon, and Mega Salamence. Ho-Oh can check Pokemon that Zygarde-C usually struggles against like Arceus-Fairy, Xerneas, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela. Ferrothorn is able to check Primal Kyogre and provide Spikes support for Ho-Oh. Magearna is able to relieve Ho-Oh of the pressure of checking special attackers like Yveltal, Xerneas, and Calm Mind variants of Ultra Necrozma. It can also run Volt Switch to bring Ho-Oh in safely or carry Heal Bell to cure teammates of status conditions. Necrozma-DM appreciates Ho-Oh's ability to switch into Steel-types that easily wall it. In exchange, Necrozma-DM is able to act as the primary check to Xerneas while also providing Stealth Rock support.

Moves Sacred Fire is Ho-Oh's ideal STAB move, and it combines well with Toxic to put a lot of pressure on Pokemon that attempt to switch in due to its high burn rate. Without Sacred Fire, Steel-types such as Necrozma-DM are capable of easily forcing Ho-Oh out and setting Stealth Rock against it. Flamethrower, although weaker, can be used instead for a Fire-type STAB move with significantly more PP to threaten foes like Ferrothorn longer. Since Flamethrower has a lower chance to burn a foe, support Arceus formes can become easier to deal with, as they can no longer switch into a predicted Sacred Fire to get burned and avoid getting badly poisoned by Toxic. Note that Flamethrower's disappointingly low damage output against Necrozma-DM can be a detriment. Recover is necessary to keep Ho-Oh healthy, as Regenerator cannot be solely relied on to maintain longevity. Recover is chosen over Roost to prevent predicted Ground-type moves from the likes of Primal Groudon from catching Ho-Oh as it attempts to heal. Toxic alongside Sacred Fire spreads status very easily, as the threat of Sacred Fire prevents Steel-types from switching in to take Toxic. It also makes beating various Arceus formes far easier and puts a lot of pressure on Primal Groudon. Defog may seem strange on a Pokemon that is 4x weak to Stealth Rock, but the common Stealth Rock setters in Ubers such as Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM tend to lack the coverage to set Stealth Rock and feasibly beat Ho-Oh at the same time. Ho-Oh's matchup against Spikes setters such as Skarmory and Ferrothorn is also very one sided, making it an attractive choice to keep entry hazards away. Brave Bird can be used if the removal of entry hazards is sufficiently covered elsewhere and offers more damage against most Pokemon resistant to Sacred Fire such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre. Fighting-types such as Marshadow and Mega Blaziken are also hit much harder by Brave Bird. Whirlwind can also be used to phaze out boosting threats such as Calm Mind Arceus formes and Swords Dance Necrozma-DM before they overwhelm Ho-Oh. Set Details Maximum HP investment alongside 52 Special Defense EVs prevent +2 Xerneas from OHKOing Ho-Oh with Thunder. A notable trait of maximum HP investment is that Ho-Oh hits 416 HP, which means that it will gain 26 HP from Leftovers recovery compared to 25 if running 248 HP EVs. This Ho-Oh set prefers to avoid Stealth Rock damage as much as possible, so the use of an even HP number is a good trade off. The remaining EVs go into Ho-Oh's lesser Defense stat with an Impish nature so it can better handle physical attacks from the likes of Marshadow, avoiding a 2HKO from Spectral Thief. Leftovers and Regenerator provide Ho-Oh with a means of constant healing, minimizing chip damage from the likes of Toxic, resisted attacks, and Brave Bird recoil. Usage Tips Ho-Oh's main priority with this set is to be a durable check to top threats. Ho-Oh has a good matchup against Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Marshadow variants that lack Rock-type moves, and it also does well against most Xerneas and Yveltal variants. If used as a Defogger, some risky assessments may have to be made to ensure Ho-Oh is not switching into an unfavorable matchup. Switching into an unscouted Primal Groudon or Necrozma-DM can lead to a nasty surprise if they are carrying Rock-type coverage. Look out for indications that Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM are not using an offensive set, such as the usage of Overheat or Toxic from Primal Groudon and Leftovers recovery on Necrozma-DM, to make a better judgment. At the same time, Ho-Oh needs to switch into the usage of Stealth Rock before it can take damage from it if it wants to successfully use Defog. If in doubt, switch to a secondary check that can take on Primal Groudon or Necrozma-DM, assuming they are carrying Rock-type coverage. Passive Steel-types such as Skarmory and Ferrothorn are easily dealt with by Ho-Oh. Magearna is an odd case, as it can pivot out with Volt Switch when Ho-Oh comes in, making it a bit more annoying to handle. Necrozma-DM and Mega Lucario require careful play to avoid potential Rock-type coverage moves or, in the case of Necrozma-DM, a surprise Ultra Necrozma set. Look for opportunities to switch Ho-Oh in and out of battle if it is low on HP, such as against foes using non-damaging moves. Multiple turns of Regenerator recovery can bring Ho-Oh back up to a healthy state with little risk. Spread status with Sacred Fire and Toxic against Ho-Oh's common switch-ins such as Mega Salamence, Tyranitar, and Zygarde-C to wear them down, eventually forcing a recovery move to take advantage of. If Stealth Rock does go up, Ho-Oh's effectiveness as a defensive check can go down the drain. Prioritize its removal if Ho-Oh is needed to check various threats. Team Options As a Pokemon best suited to balance teams, Ho-Oh's best partners are those that can defensively cover its weaknesses and still provide some offensive pressure. It should be noted that Ho-Oh should not be the only anti-hazard Pokemon in most teams it is used on, as some Stealth Rock users such as Tyranitar and Swords Dance + Stealth Rock Primal Groudon are capable of winning against Ho-Oh in a one-on-one situation. Alternative Defoggers such as support Arceus formes and both Giratina formes or Magic Bounce from users like Mega Sableye should be strongly considered on Ho-Oh teams to prevent it from being ineffective in certain matchups. Arceus-Water stands out as a very good partner. It can provide an alternative check to Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM, and it also acts as a pivot against Water-type moves and as an extra user of Defog to help Ho-Oh out if it is unable to keep Stealth Rock away by itself. Clerics such as Magearna and Xerneas are great for mitigating Toxic damage on Ho-Oh and supporting the rest of the team. Mega Sableye can assist Ho-Oh in shutting down passive Pokemon that may attempt to check it. An important trait of Mega Sableye is that it can handle Ultra Necrozma, something Ho-Oh struggles against. Magic Bounce can also come in handy against status and entry hazard users. Primal Groudon can act as an offensive wallbreaker or a Stealth Rock setter for Ho-Oh to maintain pressure with. It also helps against many of the Pokemon Ho-Oh usually intends to check such as Steel- and Fairy-types. Other Ground-types such as Zygarde-C and Arceus-Ground offer alternative Primal Groudon checks to take some of the pressure off of Ho-Oh. Zygarde-C in particular is helpful against Rock-type coverage from the likes of Marshadow. Support Arceus-Ground can also assist against Mega Salamence, a common Ho-Oh switch-in. Mega Gengar can use Hex to take advantage of the status Ho-Oh can spread across the enemy team, and it can revenge kill troublesome Pokemon to Ho-Oh such as Ultra Necrozma. Necrozma-DM is a formidable Xerneas check that can afford to choose between a Stealth Rock set or an offensive one thanks to the support of Ho-Oh. It also assists against Mega Salamence and uncommon Rock-type Pokemon such as Tyranitar. Both formes of Giratina can help Ho-Oh against Pokemon it may struggle with such as Arceus-Ground and Primal Groudon variants that carry Rock-type coverage, and they also give Ho-Oh the ability to forgo Defog and run Brave Bird for better offensive pressure. Giratina is a better fit to stall teams, while Giratina-O's offensive potential suits balance teams better.

Moves Sacred Fire lets Ho-Oh hit Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn and potentially burn threats. Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's most spammable move, deals great neutral damage, and 2HKOes most defensive threats. Earthquake lets Ho-Oh 2HKO Primal Groudon and Toxapex without taking recoil damage from Brave Bird. It can also 2HKO Tyranitar. Toxic lets Ho-Oh cripple switch-ins like Lugia and support Arceus formes so that the next time Ho-Oh is brought in, it can use Brave Bird to apply pressure on them. Defog can be considered on this set to add more options against entry hazard setters throughout the game. Ho-Oh performs well against enough entry hazard users such as Necrozma-DM, Ferrothorn, Klefki, and some Primal Groudon sets to warrant the use of Defog. Set Details The given EV spread allows Ho-Oh to deal maximum damage and outspeed almost all defensive threats apart from Lugia and support Arceus formes. However, it can also go for a 248 HP / 208 Atk / 52 SpD EV spread if it wants to make use of its natural bulk. Choice Band lets Ho-Oh deal massive damage, allowing it to 2HKO most defensive threats apart from Lugia and Giratina. Regenerator helps with Ho-Oh's weakness to Stealth Rock by recovering health when Ho-Oh switches out. Usage Tips Switching Ho-Oh into Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn can let it gain a ton of momentum and exert pressure on the opposing team thanks to its STAB combination and coverage. Try to switch in Ho-Oh as much as possible early- to mid-game in order to weaken bulkier threats such as Zygarde, Primal Groudon, support Arceus formes, and Mega Salamence for teammates to clean up late-game. Go for Toxic on predicted switches to Lugia and support Arceus formes. This makes them easier for Ho-Oh to break through. Sacred Fire should be used conservatively versus defensive teams, as such games tend to be long and it is easy to use up all 8 PP when spamming it. Try to keep Stealth Rock off the field as much as possible because Choice Band Ho-Oh cannot fit Recover into its moveset, making Regenerator its only method of recovering health. Team Options Choice Band Ho-Oh is usually used as a method to break through bulky teams and can fit in most teams in need of such a role. Defog users such as Giratina-O, Mega Salamence, Arceus-Dark, and Choice Scarf Xerneas make for good teammates, as they are able to remove Stealth Rock. Pokemon with Rapid Spin like Excadrill and Cloyster are good teammates as well. They can also provide entry hazards in the form of Stealth Rock and Spikes, respectively. Marshadow appreciates Ho-Oh's ability to deal with Arceus-Fairy, Choice Scarf Xerneas, and Toxapex and can deal with most threats on offensive teams that Ho-Oh usually struggles against like Arceus, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza. Magearna makes a good teammate, as it is able to relieve Ho-Oh of the pressure of checking special attackers like Yveltal, Xerneas, and Calm Mind variants of Ultra Necrozma. It can also run Volt Switch to act as a pivot and bring in Ho-Oh safely or carry Heal Bell to cure teammates of status conditions. Arceus-Fairy can provide Stealth Rock support and forms a great core with Ho-Oh that breaks through defensive teams. Arceus-Fairy is also able to deal with Zygarde. Primal Groudon can provide Stealth Rock support and check Primal Kyogre and Xerneas. It can also go for an offensive approach by running Overheat or Swords Dance instead.

Moves Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's strongest STAB move, with a high damage output against Mega Mewtwo Y and Dragon-types like Ultra Necrozma and Rayquaza. With Choice Scarf, Ho-Oh can outspeed and 2HKO Yveltal and Primal Kyogre and cleanly OHKO Marshadow. Sacred Fire is a secondary STAB attack that lacks recoil and has the additional utility of spreading burns apart from threatening Steel-types like Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn. Toxic, combined with Sacred Fire, makes switching into Ho-Oh safely extremely difficult, as most foes that can defensively keep Ho-Oh in check are vulnerable to residual damage. With Stealth Rock and Toxic damage, Ho-Oh can outspeed and 2HKO fast Arceus-Water and offensive Mega Salamence. Defog can be dangerous to be locked into, but Ho-Oh's increased offensive presence with offensive investment and Choice Scarf makes it possible to utilize on forced switches. Being able to remove entry hazards in pinch along with Ho-Oh's immunity to Sticky Web and higher Speed from Choice Scarf can potentially turn the tables against offensive teams as well. Earthquake hits Primal Groudon and Mega Gengar harder than Brave Bird without making Ho-Oh suffer from recoil damage. It also is also the best attacking option against Toxapex and the less common Tyranitar, Mega Diancie, and Arceus-Rock. It also deals more reliably with mixed Rock Polish Primal Groudon than Brave Bird, as two Fire Blasts from Primal Groudon and recoil damage can potentially cause an unwanted trade, while Earthquake gives Ho-Oh a higher chance to 2HKO Primal Groudon without making it take recoil damage. Set Details Maximum investment in Attack allows Ho-Oh to hit as hard as possible. A Jolly nature with maximum Speed investment is needed to outspeed neutral-natured Choice Scarf Xerneas and Yveltal and Deoxys-A. Adamant Rayquaza and the rarer Adamant Mega Blaziken are also vulnerable at +1 to Jolly Ho-Oh holding a Choice Scarf. Regenerator enables Ho-Oh to consistently pivot into weak or resisted attacks and mitigate damage from Brave Bird's recoil and potential poison. Choice Scarf boosts Ho-Oh's Speed, letting it outspeed faster foes like Ultra Necrozma, Marshadow, and Mega Mewtwo Y and reliably revenge kill them. Usage Tips By forgoing defensive investment, recovery moves, and the option to switch moves, this variant of Ho-Oh trades defensive capabilities with the ability to revenge kill faster foes. This means Ho-Oh can more reliably take on foes like weakened Ultra Necrozma, Marshadow, and Mega Lucario, which may otherwise outspeed and OHKO Ho-Oh first with their coverage moves, but will be much less flexible as an entry hazard remover and a check to threats like mixed Rock Polish Primal Groudon or support Arceus formes, roles that require Ho-Oh to have defensive investment and Recover to effectively fulfill. Even with reduced defensive capabilities, Ho-Oh can more liberally pivot into weaker or resisted attacks thanks to Regenerator than other Choice Scarf users like Xerneas and Yveltal that have more concerns about their longevity. Though foes like Geomancy Xerneas can overpower Ho-Oh in one-on-one situations, Ho-Oh still has sufficient bulk to pivot into Choice Scarf Xerneas and support Arceus formes. Even foes that can hit Ho-Oh quite hard, such as Yveltal, can be scouted with Ho-Oh so that their sets may be identified. Take full advantage of Ho-Oh's role compression as a status absorber, a revenge killer, and a physical attacker. Ho-Oh may have to play more carefully to outlast Toxic users, but it has superior matchups against a good number of Toxic users in the tier. Making a safe switch into this set can also be extremely difficult for teams that lack specific counters to Ho-Oh like defensive Zygarde and Giratina, which Ho-Oh can still eventually force to use Rest with Toxic and repeated Brave Birds. Ho-Oh can make more aggressive moves once it becomes clear that an opponent will rely on blanket checks like support Arceus formes and defensive Primal Groudon that can be defeated with repeated attacks. Most blanket checks are vulnerable to Brave Bird after getting poisoned by Toxic, and the same applies to faster foes like Arceus-Water and offensive Mega Salamence, which Ho-Oh has better chance to take on with Choice Scarf. Entry hazard management becomes more important for Choice Scarf Ho-Oh due to its inability to remove entry hazards reliably. Ho-Oh will be reliant on forcing a switch to effectively use Defog against entry hazard setters. As Ho-Oh alone cannot prevent Stealth Rock from Primal Groudon and even Arceus formes it has superior matchup against, consider keeping other Defog users healthy until the opposing team can no longer consistently set Stealth Rock. Not only does Stealth Rock take away a half of Ho-Oh's HP on the switch, but it also forces Ho-Oh into a situation where it will have to lock itself into Defog or use another move and hope one of its teammates will get a chance to remove Stealth Rock themselves before it gets to switch in again. Team Options Many balanced teams can benefit from Ho-Oh's ability to threaten Steel-types, perform well against offensive teams, spread various status ailments, and sponge special attacks from Xerneas and Arceus formes. Ho-Oh is somewhat of a secondary performer of these roles due to its lack of flexibility that comes from holding Choice Scarf, but it can still defeat Xerneas checks like Primal Groudon and Steel-types and fare well against support Arceus formes. Steel-types will mostly come in handy with their ability to pivot into Toxic and take on Arceus formes relatively well. The likes of Necrozma-DM and Magearna function as secondary Xerneas checks, and Ferrothorn can do a better job at walling Arceus-Water and set Spikes to pressure most checks to Ho-Oh apart from Mega Salamence. Primal Groudon can also offer similar support. Depending on the variant, Primal Groudon can status support Arceus formes and Lugia or set entry hazards against them. However, as Ho-Oh will eventually draw in support Arceus formes and can poison them with Toxic, Primal Groudon has even more options to run offensive variant and lure various foes for Ho-Oh. Hidden Power Ice will catch Zygarde and Mega Salamence, Rock Tomb will deal with opposing Ho-Oh running defensive investment, and Swords Dance-boosted attacks can take out Arceus formes more quickly. Support Arceus formes can deal with defensive Zygarde, which is a strong check to this set. They also provide Defog support and handle Rock-type coverage Primal Groudon reasonably well. Giratina-O can fulfill similar roles and can take out offensive Primal Groudon more quickly. Xerneas can also provide Defog support or run Geomancy set, as Ho-Oh is running Choice Scarf itself to threaten offensive teams and offensively check Marshadow. Aromatherapy can be used to alleviate Ho-Oh of status as well. Mega Gengar can benefit from Ho-Oh's ability to spread status and revenge kill Marshadow and faster threats like Mega Mewtwo Y and Deoxys-A, which will otherwise limit its activity on the field. Its ability to trap Ultra Necrozma is also notable, as Ho-Oh will lock itself into Sacred Fire before Necrozma-DM transforms via Ultra Burst.

Moves Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's primary move for doing damage. It has 180 Base Power after STAB and few foes resist it, making Ho-Oh very good at breaking down teams with it by applying pressure to important Steel- and Rock-types. Sacred Fire is a decently reliable and powerful STAB attack that allows Ho-Oh to bypass Steel-types that resist Brave Bird and has a very nasty 47.5% chance to burn its target when factoring in Sacred Fire's 95% accuracy; it also helps discourage Tyranitar and Zekrom switch-ins, as a burn heavily cripples them. Recover gives Ho-Oh recovery outside of Regenerator in order to bolster its already annoying longevity and nullify Stealth Rock damage if necessary. Recover is preferred over Roost in order to avoid being hit by Ground-type moves should the opponent predict the usage of Roost. Thunder Wave allows Ho-Oh to cripple Choice Scarf and Geomancy Xerneas and paralyze Arceus-Rock or Mega Salamence for a teammate. Earthquake 2HKOes Tyranitar and forces Arceus-Rock to Recover. It will hardly ever be a safer move than Sacred Fire or Brave Bird, though. Set Details Even with Ho-Oh's gargantuan special bulk, it still needs near-maximum HP investment along with 52 Special Defense EVs in order to always survive a +2 Thunder from Geomancy Xerneas. Earthquake Ho-Oh runs 12 Speed EVs minimum in order to outspeed and Earthquake Diancie before it Mega Evolves. The remaining EVs are used in Attack in order to put as much power behind Brave Bird and Sacred Fire as possible. If Ho-Oh's team already has a very good backbone that checks Geomancy Xerneas, running maximum Attack investment is also an option. Usage Tips This is Ho-Oh's bread-and-butter set for doing damage, paralyzing Arceus-Rock and Xerneas, and overall being a large pain for the opponent when Stealth Rock is out of play. Use Ho-Oh's team to aggressively keep Stealth Rock off the field if Ho-Oh is important to its team's game plan. Most Steel- and Fairy-types allow Ho-Oh to switch in and use very low-cost attacks because of their importance to their team and inability to directly threaten Ho-Oh; use this to your advantage in every way possible. If you need one of Ho-Oh's checks badly poisoned, recklessly using Sacred Fire or Thunder Wave may be a bad idea; use Brave Bird instead. Even when Ho-Oh is low on health, clever uses of Regenerator will keep it in the game. Team Options Ho-Oh always wants two forms of Stealth Rock prevention on its team. This can come from Defog users such as Latias, Latios, Arceus-Water, or Arceus-Rock; Magic Bounce users such as Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie; the Tyranitar and Excadrill duo because of Excadrill's ability to Rapid Spin; or Mega Gengar, which traps and removes the Stealth Rock user while also using Taunt if Stealth Rock has not yet been set up. Arceus-Water and Focus Blast Mega Gengar help check or remove the Rock-types that plague Ho-Oh. Arceus-Water, Latios, and Latias help a Ho-Oh that doesn't carry Earthquake deal with Stone Edge Primal Groudon. Latias, Latios, Power Whip Ferrothorn, and Primal Groudon help keep Primal Kyogre in check, although defensive variants annoy them all. Other Flying-types such as Mega Salamence and Rayquaza benefit from Ho-Oh's powerful Brave Bird and ability to spread burns to their checks with Sacred Fire. Paralyzing a Arceus-Rock is a massive boon for both also.

Moves Choice Band-boosted Brave Bird is Ho-Oh's primary move for huge damage while pressuring Steel-types and Rock-types alike for its partners. Sacred Fire not only has a ridiculous burn rate but also does enough damage to be used liberally with a Choice Band. Sacred Fire's burn chance also heavily cripples most of Ho-Oh's would-be checks 47.5% of the time, making it extremely hard to switch into. Earthquake 2HKOes Tyranitar, forces Arceus-Rock to Recover, and 2HKOes maximum HP Primal Groudon. Sleep Talk gives Ho-Oh the ability to punish Darkrai, something other Ho-Oh sets lack. Sleep Talk's randomness also makes a sleeping Ho-Oh even harder to switch into. Set Details Near-maximum HP investment along with 52 Special Defense EVs are used to always survive a +2 Thunder from Geomancy Xerneas. 12 Speed EVs are used in order to outrun Diancie before it Mega Evolves. The remaining EVs are used in Attack in order to put as much power behind Brave Bird, Earthquake, and Sacred Fire as possible. If Ho-Oh's team already has a very good backbone that checks Geomancy Xerneas, running maximum Attack and Speed investment with an Adamant or Jolly nature works also in order to allow Ho-Oh not to be scared out by Kyogre and other base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon. This is especially usable because offensive Primal Kyogre variants are OHKOed by a Choice Band-boosted Brave Bird after any chip damage. Usage Tips When using Choice Band Ho-Oh instead of Life Orb Ho-Oh, keep in mind that it trades the ability to switch moves, paralyze Xerneas, and use Recover for the ability to absorb Dark Void from Darkrai, hit harder, and take less recoil per hit. This means it does more for its offensive partners but has slightly less defensive utility, which is made up for by its ability to take Dark Void. When deciding whether to use Sacred Fire or Brave Bird, there are several factors to take into consideration, as both are very low-risk moves that do a bunch of damage and possibly burn their targets. Primal Kyogre should be the first Pokemon you look for, because heavy rain makes it immune to Sacred Fire; therefore using Brave Bird or switching is a better play if it is on your opponent's team unless you wish to force it in. Mega Salamence is the second Pokemon you should look for, as Refresh variants can set up on a Ho-Oh locked into Sacred Fire; Brave Bird forces Refresh Salamence to Roost stall Ho-Oh, therefore keeping it at bay. If Tyranitar or Arceus-Rock is present, scoring a Sacred Fire burn can be very beneficial for both Ho-Oh and its Flying-type teammates, as Ho-Oh can now do a monstrous load of damage to burned Arceus-Rock in particular with Earthquake. Clever use of Regenerator and Ho-Oh's entry hazard control teammates can result in Ho-Oh doing damage throughout the entire game. Use Ho-Oh's team to keep Stealth Rock off its side of the field at all costs. Team Options A stronger Xerneas backbone consisting of Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Klefki, Excadrill with Tyranitar, Aegislash, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Lugia should be considered when using Choice Band Ho-Oh, as while Ho-Oh will deal a very large amount of damage to Geomancy Xerneas, it will never OHKO it from full HP. Two forms of Stealth Rock prevention are required when using Choice Band Ho-Oh. Latias, Latios, and Arceus-Water all use Defog for Ho-Oh and pair well with Magic Bounce users as an added bonus. The viable Magic Bounce users to choose from are Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie, while Rapid Spin can come from Excadrill with Tyranitar. Mega Gengar can trap and KO Stealth Rock users and can also KO Tyranitar and Arceus-Rock with Focus Blast or Destiny Bond depending on the situation; Tyranitar is almost always the Stealth Rock user on its team anyhow. Primal Groudon, Latios, and Latias all switch into Primal Kyogre should Ho-Oh need to lock itself into Sacred Fire or Earthquake while Primal Kyogre is still in play. Klefki and Ferrothorn also help handle the Rock-types Ho-Oh cannot get past. Other Flying-types and physical attackers that pair well with Ho-Oh are required, as otherwise you are better off using Life Orb Ho-Oh. Rayquaza, offensive Yveltal, and Extreme Killer Arceus are all very good examples of these.

This Ho-Oh set shrugs off most non-super effective hits while replying with powerful attacks of its own. Unlike most walls, Ho-Oh packs a lot of power, so it can KO the opponent outright instead of relying on status or phazing moves. Thanks to Ho-Oh's great stat layout, it can wall most special attackers with just 248 HP EVs; most Calm Mind Arceus that lack a super effective attack to hit Ho-Oh with have little hope of breaking past it. This set also checks many other notable threats, such as Darkrai, Shaymin-S, Palkia, Reshiram, Latias, Genesect, Dialga, and Tornadus-T. Sacred Fire and Brave Bird are the main attacks. Sacred Fire's solid burn rate deters switch-ins from the likes of Rayquaza and other powerful physical attackers hoping to take out Ho-Oh. Brave Bird is a powerful STAB move that can be easily thrown around in a tier where few common Pokemon resist Flying-type attacks, easily annihilating Kyogre, Palkia, and Reshiram. Roost lets Ho-Oh stall out defensive Groudon's Stone Edge, which becomes even easier when Groudon is burned with Sacred Fire. Although Roost makes Ho-Oh vulnerable to Earthquake, most users of the move are faster than Ho-Oh anyway, and Stone Edge from Groudon will still do more damage to a non-Roosting Ho-Oh than Earthquake to a Roosting one. Substitute gives Ho-Oh status protection and eases prediction; it can be set up easily because Ho-Oh frequently finds free turns due to the many Pokemon that can't touch it, such as Ferrothorn and Blissey. The Special Defense EVs just guarantee Ho-Oh's survival against some powerful attacks. +4 Timid Life Orb Darkrai cannot OHKO this Ho-Oh, Choice Scarf Palkia only has a 3.13% chance to 2HKO with Thunder, and 252+ Dialga's Draco Meteor does a maximum of 51.56%. Any max Special Attack neutral-natured Arceus will never 2HKO Ho-Oh with a +1 neutral Judgment thanks to Leftovers. A Life Orb can be used over Leftovers, trading longevity for power; the item secures important OHKOs and 2HKOs that Ho-Oh cannot achieve with Leftovers, such as the almost-guaranteed OHKO on Choice Scarf Kyogre with Brave Bird after Stealth Rock damage. Genesect can never get past Ho-Oh unless it manages to grab a Special Attack boost beforehand and has Thunder or Explosion. Even Kyurem-W has trouble killing a full health Ho-Oh, as only Modest Choice Specs Ice Beam stands a chance to 2HKO and Draco Meteor can be outstalled with Roost. Both Latias and Latios are walled by Ho-Oh unless the latter packs Psyshock or rain is up and they carry Surf. Thunder from Latias barely 2HKOes Ho-Oh, while Brave Bird can easily net a 2HKO or even an OHKO if you are using Life Orb. When using a Life Orb, an alternate spread of 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe can be used for maximum power and optimum bulk. Leftovers is the preferred item, as Ho-Oh enjoys the extra recovery and the prevention of Brave Bird recoil from wearing down Ho-Oh too quickly. Earthquake is an option, as it rounds out Ho-Oh's coverage superbly, 2HKOing all forms of Zekrom (even OHKOing offensive variants after damage from Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes) as well as deterring Arceus-Rock and the rare Heatran from switching in freely. Whirlwind allows Ho-Oh to become a great phazer, but that is generally better left to physically defensive Ho-Oh, which has more bulk. If you need Ho-Oh to beat Choice Specs Kyurem-W, using a set with max Special Defense investment is possible, but Ho-Oh will have to sacrifice a lot of power. Sunny Day can also be used on this set (in the last slot) to lure in Kyogre, Ho-Oh's most common check, and turn the tables on it, but this can only be done on the predicted switch-in or on defensive Kyogre, which usually do not invest in Speed. Ho-Oh's favorite teammates are Groudon and a Rapid Spinner; the former pumps up the power of Sacred Fire, while the latter serves as a means to prevent—but not guarantee—Stealth Rock from being up to cripple Ho-Oh. This set also really appreciates paralysis support to make up for its low Speed. Arceus-Grass deters Ground-types from switching in with its typing, allowing it to slow down a large chunk of the enemy team with Thunder Wave. Dialga, Groudon, Lugia, Kyogre, Jirachi, and Blissey can also spread paralysis very effectively, as they are not common Thunder Wave users. Entry hazards are also recommended because Ho-Oh can force a lot of switches. Forretress can set up all three entry hazards, and Ho-Oh can easily come in on Fire-type attacks aimed at Forretress and start firing off powerful attacks. Excadrill is the best spinner in the tier, but it should only be paired with Ho-Oh on a sand team, as stacking Groudon and Excadrill with Ho-Oh makes the team extremely weak to Kyogre. Excadrill can easily switch in on Rock- or Electric-type attacks for Ho-Oh and weaken threats, while Ho-Oh can find many switch-in opportunities on Ground-, Fighting-, and Fire-type attacks aimed at Excadrill. While unreliable, Espeon and Xatu can use their Magic Bounce ability to keep Stealth Rock off the field for some time to support Ho-Oh. Forretress and Tentacruel are the only viable partners for Ho-Oh that can set up Toxic Spikes. Toxic Spikes, when combined with Substitute and Roost, can allow Ho-Oh to outstall many threats simply by spamming Substitute and Roost. For example, Ho-Oh can come in on something that it walls but is faster, such as Choice Scarf Palkia, and set up a Substitute as Palkia is worn down by the Toxic poison. From there, Ho-Oh can net another KO or two while safely behind its Substitute. However, bear in mind that you can no longer burn threats when they are poisoned.

Ho-Oh's greatest weakness has historically been Stealth Rock, which has dissuaded the use of Choice items on it. However, with Regenerator, Ho-Oh is able to switch in and out more freely, allowing it to wield the fearsome power of a Choice Band with far less risk. With a Choice Band, Ho-Oh becomes incredibly difficult to switch into; while a Life Orb also grants a comparable level of power, Choice Band's lack of recoil is appealing—even with Regenerator, Ho-Oh does not want to deal with additional passive damage when Stealth Rock is up. Choice Band-boosted Sacred Fire has amazing power in the sun, doing things such as OHKOing Arceus and Dialga after Stealth Rock and providing a comfortable 2HKO on physically defensive Groudon. It also ensures that Ho-Oh can take lead Deoxys-S down to its Focus Sash and—due to the chance of burn—limit Deoxys-S to one layer of hazards 47.5% of the time. Brave Bird is also incredibly powerful, OHKOing Kyogre and Palkia with no prior damage. It also 2HKOes Giratina-O, Forretress, and most physically defensive Arceus formes as well as a 2HKO on physically defensive Giratina with Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Earthquake covers Tyranitar, Arceus-Rock, Kabutops, Omastar, Heatran, and Dialga in rain. Sleep Talk allows Ho-Oh to be a relatively safe switch-in to Darkrai's dreaded Dark Void, while Punishment can be used to smash Calm Mind users weak to it, such as Arceus-Ghost, Giratina-O, and Latias. Heavy HP investment gives Ho-Oh more bulk and makes the use of Brave Bird much less risky. Alternatively, maximum Speed can be used to get the drop on as many other base 90 Pokemon as possible, but the loss in bulk is noticeable. Ho-Oh's movepool is quite sparse, so what's listed here is about as good as it gets. Very niche options for the fourth slot include Aerial Ace to guarantee a connection against an Evasion booster and Roost to help deal with residual damage if a free turn is presented—this is of course very risky on a Choice-locked Pokemon. Rapid Spin support is actually more important for this set than sunlight. Unlike other sets, which have access to recovery, this Ho-Oh will be switching out often and relying on Regenerator to keep itself alive. Forretress can Rapid Spin while also providing entry hazards and switch-in opportunities with Volt Switch. Excadrill can switch into Zekrom fairly safely and can provide Rapid Spin and Stealth Rock support as well. Groudon is also an important supporter for this set—while the raw power of Brave Bird allows this set to function even in rain, Ho-Oh greatly appreciates boosted Sacred Fires and a neutrality to Water-type moves. Groudon can provide Stealth Rock as well, which makes Multiscale Lugia easier to handle and ensures a few important OHKOes and 2HKOes. Offensively, Extreme Killer Arceus is an excellent complement to this set, as is Rock Polish Groudon. Both greatly enjoy this set's ability to cripple opposing Giratina and Groudon, and Sacred Fire's burn rate can grant easy set-up opportunities for them. Ho-Oh is also an excellent switch-in to Choice Scarf Genesect, something which can interfere with a weakened Extreme Killer Arceus's sweep. Defensively, partners that can switch into Kyogre are very important; Latias and Palkia are good examples.

While Tailwind and Flame Charge can boost Ho-Oh's Speed, those require a turn of setup. With a Choice Scarf, Ho-Oh becomes a great revenge killer and late-game cleaner with its powerful attacks and solid bulk. Although Ho-Oh does not outrun most opposing Choice Scarf users, it is still fast enough to outrun all Pokemon up to Mewtwo and positive-natured Deoxys-A if you choose to go with a Jolly nature. Sacred Fire, even without a Life Orb boost, is still a ridiculously powerful attack in the sunlight that maims anything that does not resist it. Brave Bird also stands as a very powerful secondary STAB that 2HKOes almost all Kyogre and Palkia. Only Bold Kyogre has a chance of avoiding the 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage and Scald does not even OHKO Ho-Oh in return. Earthquake is there to cover Pokemon such as Zekrom, Terrakion, Heatran, Tyranitar, and Reshiram, as well as getting a harder hit on Dialga outside of sun. However, getting locked into Earthquake is risky due to the sheer number of Flying-types and Levitate Pokemon in the Uber environment, so exercise caution before going ahead with the attack. Punishment is chosen as the last move to KO set-up sweepers such as Calm Mind Mewtwo, Giratina-O, and Arceus-Ghost. As Punishment increases in power as these Pokemon gain Calm Mind boosts, Ho-Oh can easily use Punishment to save your team from utter ruin if the enemy Calm Mind user has acquired multiple boosts. Sleep Talk lets Ho-Oh switch in on Darkrai; Brave Bird and Sacred Fire can KO it after Stealth Rock damage. The EVs let Ho-Oh outrun everything up to neutral-natured Deoxys-A and maximize power, as this set needs all the power it can get. With an Adamant nature, Sacred Fire in the sun is even more powerful than Zekrom's Bolt Strike. If you manage to keep Stealth Rock off the field, Regenerator allows Ho-Oh to last a lot longer than most Choice Scarf users. Any teammate from the previous sets will also work well with this one. However, due to this Ho-Oh's considerably lower power, it can be more easily walled, as even defensive Groudon is not 2HKOed by any of Ho-Oh's moves. Wobbuffet can trap Ho-Oh with Shadow Tag and Counter it to oblivion as long as it does not come in on Sacred Fire in the sun. Choice Band Zekrom is able to stomp all over Kyogre with its powerful STAB Bolt Strike and can weaken Wobbuffet to the point where it can no longer trap Ho-Oh and live. Mixed attackers, such as Palkia and Dialga, can bluff a Choice Scarf by holding an item such as Lustrous Orb or Expert Belt to lure Wobbuffet in. As it Counters or Mirror Coats expecting a physical or special attack, Wobbuffet will quickly find itself being wiped off the face of the planet from an attack on the opposite side. However, Custap Berry allows Wobbuffet to somewhat bypass this with a faster Destiny Bond, although it has to be in the right HP range to work. Toxic Spikes from Forretress also badly mess up Wobbuffet. Using the sheer power that Pokemon such as Choice Specs Kyurem-W and Rayquaza possess can also help to eliminate Wobbuffet. This Ho-Oh set has no form of recovery outside of Regenerator, so Rapid Spin support from Forretress is a must. Using Wish support is also a good idea, as it gives Ho-Oh more switch-in opportunities, especially when Stealth Rock is up. Blissey is a notable Wish user, as it can pass Wishes so enormous that they will often fully heal Ho-Oh. Jirachi can also use Wish effectively and has access to U-turn, great bulk, and numerous resistances, including one to Rock-type attacks. If you are using Ho-Oh on a sand team, Excadrill can be a great partner thanks to its solid power deterring Ghost-types from switching in and access to Rapid Spin. However, using Ho-Oh on a sun team is best to power up Sacred Fire, and Groudon itself makes a great partner to Ho-Oh.

One of Ho-Oh's biggest problems is usually its middling base 90 Speed, but this can be mitigated by using Flame Charge or Tailwind to boost its Speed to more acceptable levels. Sun support from Groudon is highly recommended to power up Ho-Oh's STAB Sacred Fire and Flame Charge and to remove Ho-Oh's weakness to Water-type attacks. Sun also reduces Thunder's accuracy to an unreliable 50%, which can be helpful because some threats rely on Thunder to take out Ho-Oh. Flame Charge and Tailwind both have their own advantages. Flame Charge's Speed boost lasts until Ho-Oh switches out and allows Ho-Oh to soften up the foe with a light smack before going on the full offensive. It can also break Focus Sashes and Sturdy so that one of Ho-Oh's other attacks can KO on the next turn. Flame Charge is the more consistent option, as the boost stays until Ho-Oh switches out, and Ho-Oh can continue boosting its Speed till +6 with enough free turns. However, Tailwind offers a significantly higher initial Speed boost. For example, Ho-Oh requires a Jolly Nature and 252 Speed EVs just to Speed tie with positive natured base 90 Speed Pokemon that have a Choice Scarf. However, Ho-Oh can outrun max Speed base 108 Pokemon equipped with Choice Scarf while itself running a neutral nature and only 176 Speed EVs after a single use of Tailwind. Tailwind also benefits the entire team; if Ho-Oh needs to switch out, a counter to your opponent's Ho-Oh check can step in and perform a mini-sweep of its own using the boosted Speed granted by Tailwind. However, Tailwind only lasts three turns after being used, which means Ho-Oh cannot sweep for long when more than three faster threats are still around. Sacred Fire is always the main attack Ho-Oh will be using, and when backed by STAB and sunlight, outright OHKOes many Pokemon in the Uber tier, such as Mewtwo, as well as at least 2HKOing anything that does not resist it. Brave Bird, Ho-Oh's other incredibly potent STAB move of choice, nails Kyogre, Reshiram, and Palkia for assured OHKOs after just Stealth Rock damage. Brave Bird also provides Ho-Oh with a very strong sweeping attack in case the weather is not in its favor, but the recoil can be huge depending on how much damage it does. Roost rounds out the set brilliantly, helping Ho-Oh recover damage incurred from Stealth Rock and Life Orb, as well possibly allowing it to gain multiple Flame Charge boosts or to set up Tailwind repeatedly. While this Ho-Oh is an excellent offensive Pokemon, the loss of bulk is pretty significant, so it can no longer wall more powerful threats such as Calm Mind Arceus and Reshiram as reliably because both +1 Judgment and Draco Meteor OHKO Ho-Oh after Stealth Rock damage. Weaker threats, such as Shaymin-S and Darkrai, can still be checked, though. Although Fire- and Flying-type STABs are a good combination, they leave Ho-Oh walled by Zekrom, Heatran (it needs Toxic or Hidden Power Rock to beat Ho-Oh one on one, however), and Rock-type Pokemon. Earthquake solves this problem by OHKOing Zekrom after it takes damage from Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes, always OHKOing Heatran, and 2HKOing at worst all common Rock-type Pokemon. However, without Roost, Ho-Oh is extremely vulnerable to Stealth Rock, so solid Rapid Spin support is necessary with Earthquake. The EVs are fairly simple. Maximum Attack is used to hit as hard as possible, and the Speed EVs enable Ho-Oh to hit 418 Speed after a Flame Charge, which lets it outpace everything below Choice Scarf Heatran. If using Tailwind, it is best to run 176 Speed EVs, which allow Ho-Oh to outspeed Choice Scarf Terrakion with Tailwind up. An Adamant nature is preferred because it affords Ho-Oh a large amount of much-needed power. However, Jolly allows Ho-Oh to outspeed Deoxys-A and tie with Choice Scarf-wielding base 90 Speed Pokemon, such as Timid Reshiram, after a Flame Charge boost and Jolly Max Speed Excadrill in the sand after a Tailwind. If you want to take advantage of Ho-Oh's bulk, a spread of 140 HP / 176 Atk / 192 Spe can be used with an Adamant nature to outrun everything up to Mewtwo after a Flame Charge boost, but this comes at the price of losing some power and Speed. Flame Plate is possible over Life Orb to power up Sacred Fire and Flame Charge if you hate the recoil. Sky Plate can be used to 2HKO bulky Kyogre and Giratina-O with Brave Bird. An alternate EV spread of 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe lets you act like tank Ho-Oh with the ability to support the team through Tailwind, still giving Ho-Oh enough Speed to outspeed everything up to Mewtwo. Groudon, with its great bulk and everlasting sunlight courtesy of Drought, fulfills Ho-Oh's sunlight needs perfectly. Groudon can also set up Stealth Rock to help Ho-Oh nab some important OHKOs and is capable of beating many Pokemon that check Ho-Oh, such as Terrakion and Zekrom. Forretress's good Defense and many resistances allow it to fulfill the Rapid Spinning role perfectly; it can even set up Spikes to facilitate Ho-Oh's sweep. While attempting a successful Rapid Spin is hard in Ubers, Forretress does way more than that, as it can also help tank Outrages aimed at Ho-Oh and check certain threats, such as Terrakion with Gyro Ball. If you just wish to delay the setting up of Stealth Rock on your side of the field, Deoxys-S with Taunt is a good choice, as it can achieve this fairly easily thanks to its high Speed and can set up its own Stealth Rock. Magic Bounce users can also delay the opponent from setting up Stealth Rock. Sadly, the two Pokemon with the ability are easy to KO, making them mediocre partners. The best counter to this set is Arceus-Rock, as it packs resistances to both of Ho-Oh's STAB moves, is bulky enough to take an Earthquake, and can easily destroy Ho-Oh with one Judgment. Ho-Oh also isn't a fan of Kyogre and Zekrom, as the former disposes of Ho-Oh's beloved sunlight and the latter can handle one hit from Ho-Oh and OHKO it with Bolt Strike. Defensive Groudon can also be an annoyance to this set, as Sacred Fire only 2HKOes it while Stone Edge OHKOes Ho-Oh if you fail to burn Groudon. Rock-types are rare in Ubers, and the only semi-common ones are Tyranitar and Terrakion, which are easily checked by Groudon. Thankfully, Groudon's bulk and very powerful STAB Earthquake make it an excellent counter to Zekrom, opposing Groudon, and Rock-types, including Arceus-Rock. Palkia can easily come in on Kyogre's powerful Water-type strikes and defeat it with Thunder. Arceus-Grass is capable of checking pretty much all of Ho-Oh's counters, either crippling them with status or setting up on them with Calm Mind. Latias can also help defeat Kyogre and Terrakion with her powerful Grass Knot.

Ho-Oh's Defense might not seem like much, but when fully invested and with the assistance of Sacred Fire burns, the rainbow phoenix can take its fair share of physical abuse. This Ho-Oh aims to spread burns through Sacred Fire and act as an excellent pivot through Regenerator. Full investment in Defense allows Ho-Oh to take a myriad of physical attacks much more comfortably; Extreme Killer Arceus's +2 Extreme Speed, Rayquaza's +1 Outrage, Mewtwo's +1 Psystrike, and support Groudon's Stone Edge all fail to OHKO. Sacred Fire is needed to spread burns; Brave Bird is the other obligatory STAB attack, dealing respectable damage, even with minimal Attack investment. Substitute is the primary option to ease prediction and protect Ho-Oh from status. Earthquake can also be used to hit Heatran and the Rock-types that plague Ho-Oh. Whirlwind is another option to rack up hazard damage and scout switches; it is especially effective because Ho-Oh forces out a lot of Pokemon. Roost gives Ho-Oh some much needed longevity outside of switching out repeatedly. Roost can be used with a faster spread to absorb Ice-, Rock-, and Electric-type attacks. The EV spread is simple, as it maximizing Defense and maintains an odd HP number to round down Stealth Rock damage. The leftover EVs are placed in Attack to give a little kick to Sacred Fire and Brave Bird. Combined with Regenerator, this Ho-Oh can switch endlessly into both Giratina formes, only taking significant damage from invested Giratina-O's Outrage. Ho-Oh still has massive Special Defense, meaning it can perform its normal duties of switching into the powerful special attacks thrown about in Ubers. Like all other Ho-Oh sets, the removal of Stealth Rock is greatly appreciated; Forretress, Tentacruel, and Excadrill are all excellent spinners in Ubers. Groudon isn't nearly as necessary for this set as other Ho-Oh sets, as Sacred Fire's primary job is to spread burns. A physically defensive Ghost-type Pokemon, such as RestTalk Giratina-O, pairs excellently with this Ho-Oh, absorbing the weak attacks of burned Pokemon and phazing with Dragon Tail. Ferrothorn is also a great partner to this set, as it handles the majority of the Pokemon commonly found on rain teams and walls Choice Scarf Zekrom. Latias, Palkia, Chansey, and Blissey also make for great defensive partners, absorbing the few strong special attacks that Ho-Oh can't. This set still fears rain-boosted Water-type attacks from Pokemon such as Kyogre and Palkia, in addition to Thunder, although the latter does not usually KO. Stone Edge from any offensively-inclined Pokemon will still KO Ho-Oh, although defensive Groudon has a chance not to. Jolly Choice Scarf Zekrom's Bolt Strike has a chance not to KO, but the KO with Adamant is still guaranteed. Thunder Wave can be used over one of the attacking options, as it is very annoying for opposing Ho-Oh and can cripple other threats that rely on their Speed, such as over-eager Choice Scarf Kyogre looking to switch in on Sacred Fire. Toxic is also viable, crippling Lugia and Arceus-Rock, two of Ho-Oh's greatest checks, but they don't exactly appreciate Thunder Wave either.

Moves Choice Band Ho-Oh uses the sheer power of its STAB moves to run over opposing threats. Brave Bird and Sacred Fire already have naturally great coverage, and when completed with Earthquake to hit Tyranitar and Heatran, most viable Pokemon in the metagame fear switching into Ho-Oh. Sleep Talk in the last slot allows Ho-Oh to absorb Dark Void from Darkrai and then retaliate with a Choice Band-boosted move. Its naturally high Special Defense assists in its ability to take on Darkrai as well. Set Details A simple EV spread with maximum Speed allows Choice Band Ho-Oh to outspeed and threaten as many Pokemon as possible. It is especially important when facing off against other base 90 Speed Pokemon like Kyogre and opposing Ho-Oh. Ho-Oh may even utilize a Jolly nature in service of getting the jump on these Pokemon, but Adamant is preferred to really demolish Kyogre and let Brave Bird 3HKO and Sacred Fire 2HKO maximum HP Dialga. Ho-Oh may also consider dropping some Speed for additional HP investment; some common Speed benchmarks are 112 Speed EVs for Tyranitar and 140 Speed EVs for common variants of Rock Polish Groudon, at least before Groudon has accrued that boost. Regardless of the HP investment on Ho-Oh, ensure that it ends up with an odd maximum HP value, as this gives it an additional switch-in when Stealth Rock is on the field. Usage Tips Choice Band Ho-Oh is a wallbreaker that is at its best in the lead slot. Its instant power and Speed allow it to fare better against many leads it would otherwise struggle against, such as Tyranitar, Kyogre, and Deoxys-S. Choice Band Earthquake 2HKOes Tyranitar, while Tyranitar only OHKOes it in return if using the rare Counter or the even rarer Rock-type attack. However, many lead Tyranitar sets can set Stealth Rock and switch out to a Pokemon that is immune to Earthquake, which makes this lead less of a win than it seems. Before deciding to stay in against opposing lead Kyogre, pay attention to the order in which their abilities activate. If Pressure activates first, then Ho-Oh is either faster or will Speed tie the opposing Kyogre; if Ho-Oh gets to attack, then it will push major damage against the Kyogre with Brave Bird, as even the bulkiest lead Kyogre takes massive damage and gives Ho-Oh's team the leg up in the weather war. If Drizzle activates first, then Kyogre probably has a Timid nature and will likely OHKO Ho-Oh before it gets a chance to attack. Ho-Oh being forced out in this scenario is fine because Kyogre cannot set Stealth Rock. Against Deoxys-S lead, Ho-Oh has to hope Sacred Fire hits and burns Deoxys-S; while not very reliable, it at least gives Ho-Oh a chance of denying Deoxys-S a second layer of entry hazards. Finally, against lead Darkrai, it is safer to use an attacking move, usually Brave Bird, on turn 1. If Darkrai uses Dark Void, then Ho-Oh will still be able to use Sleep Talk the next turn and take a shot at Darkrai's teammate. Attacking turn 1 prevents scenarios where Darkrai uses Trick while Ho-Oh uses Sleep Talk, leading to Ho-Oh failing to punish one of its best lead matchups. Team Options Choice Band Ho-Oh is a very solid lead thanks to its ability to generate positive value against most other leads. However, it's not infallible at preventing early entry hazards and the fact that it's locked into a single move means that many offensive teams can generate momentum off of it. Choice Band Ho-Oh is inevitably going to face off against a Pokemon that can take the attack it has locked itself into. Steel-types and Tyranitar tend to switch into Ho-Oh after it has locked itself into Brave Bird, and Kyogre and Groudon tend to scare them out. Be careful about Roar Dialga, though; Ho-Oh may occasionally want to stay in and hit Dialga with Brave Bird just to mitigate the potential damage caused by its phazing. Water-types like Kyogre and Palkia can come in on Sacred Fire. Latias, Latios, and Palkia can switch into Kyogre. Palkia's switch-ins are more limited, but smart pivoting can safely bring in the Latios and Latias, both of which threaten out Palkia. These Dragon-types tend to draw in Steel-types and Blissey that Ho-Oh threatens utterly. Ground-immune threats like the Latios, Latias, Rayquaza, and Giratina-O can take advantage of a Ho-Oh locked into Earthquake. Steel-types tend to switch into these threats well. Do keep in mind that one of Earthquake's primary targets is Heatran, which is usually seen on sun teams. If one of these Dragon-types comes in after Heatran has been KOed, then it will frequently carry a Fire-type move to hit Steel-types.

Moves Brave Bird and Sacred Fire provide Ho-Oh with great coverage and power; Brave Bird smashes Water- and Dragon-types that resist Fire like Kyogre and Palkia, while Sacred Fire threatens Steel-types that can handle Brave Bird like Bronzong and Forretress. Ho-Oh prefers using Roost as its primary recovery move because it reduces the impact of subsequent Electric-type moves and, if the foe is burned, Stone Edge. Substitute is a very nasty option for Ho-Oh, punishing switches like no other move and giving Ho-Oh more opportunities to have an inaccurate move like Stone Edge, Hydro Pump, or Thunder miss and give it more free turns. Earthquake, on the other hand, allows Ho-Oh to directly threaten Tyranitar and Heatran, which are two of the only viable Pokemon in the metagame to resist its STAB combination. Set Details The passive recovery of Leftovers is very handy, especially when using Substitute, as Ho-Oh would be able to set up one extra Substitute without having to use a recovery move. Lum Berry and Passho Berry are both best used on lead Ho-Oh; Lum Berry allows it to absorb a Dark Void from Darkrai and then either attack or set up a Substitute. Passho Berry lets Ho-Oh take all but a fully-powered Choice Specs Water Spout from Kyogre and retaliate, heavily damaging Kyogre for the benefit of a sun team in the rear. Ho-Oh prefers to use an odd maximum HP value because it grants an additional switch-in opportunity if Stealth Rock is on the field. The HP EVs allow Ho-Oh to produce 101 HP Substitutes that do not get broken by Blissey's Seismic Toss, giving it absolutely free reign while securing a fifth use of Substitute from full HP through Leftovers recovery. However, having 101 HP Substitutes actually isn't too important to many teams using Substitute Ho-Oh, as it naturally forces out Blissey and thus generates opportunities to set up the Substitute. The 112 Speed EVs give Ho-Oh the jump on Tyranitar. However, Ho-Oh is one of the Pokemon that sun teams want to utilize Speed creep for, as it wants to outspeed and 2HKO opposing Ho-Oh and, if holding Passho Berry, Kyogre. Many of these Speed EVs will come from Ho-Oh's HP. Usage Tips This Ho-Oh set is a tank that can absorb damage from special attackers and retaliate in kind. Its typing and the fact that it likes to be paired with sun makes it difficult for many teams to remove once it is in position. In particular, opposing sun teams may require immense preparation to deal with it. Ho-Oh uses the sun that teams require to thrive against them, entering before or when Stealth Rock is being set and burning physical attackers that try to use Stone Edge to deal with it. This isn't to say rain teams cannot struggle against it, either; if Kyogre has been weakened or removed, then these teams can struggle to take down Ho-Oh in sun. Faster physical attackers are generally the best way to prevent Ho-Oh from being able to outheal incoming damage that tries to remove it. Because removing Stealth Rock is so difficult in DPP Ubers, Ho-Oh rarely sees the end of a battle. Instead, expect to use Ho-Oh early- or mid-game and bring it in before Stealth Rock has been laid or as it's being laid. Ho-Oh often sees use in the lead slot because it's the only time in a battle that Ho-Oh can guarantee that Stealth Rock won't have been set up. Ho-Oh has a naturally favorable matchup against lead Forretress. Lum Berry variants tend to heavily damage or scare out lead Darkrai in the process of absorbing sleep. This damage can remove the impact of Darkrai's item should it hold a Focus Sash or Chople Berry. Passho Berry variants can do well against lead Kyogre and Tentacruel, but even without a Passho Berry, weaker variants of Tentacruel fail to 2HKO Ho-Oh with Hydro Pump. However, Ho-Oh's other lead matchups are quite dire. Tyranitar resists Ho-Oh's STAB attacks and commonly carries Lum Berry to bypass Sacred Fire burns, so lead Ho-Oh prefers Earthquake to Substitute so that it can hit Tyranitar. If Ho-Oh lacks Passho Berry, it runs in fear from lead Kyogre. Facing off against lead Rayquaza is a dicey proposition because Ho-Oh will lose if Rayquaza carries Outrage or Stone Edge. Otherwise, Ho-Oh will win out against it if it carries Roost or Recover because it can heal off the damage. A similar scenario plays out for Giratina-O; Ho-Oh outdamages it unless it carries Stone Edge. Ho-Oh's worst matchup is inarguably against Deoxys-S, as against Focus Sash variants, it will concede both Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Team Options Generally, teams that use lead Ho-Oh should be offensive in nature because it will start the battle by immediately posing a threat and concedes two layers of entry hazards from Deoxys-S. An offensive team is best positioned to take advantage of the damage spread by Ho-Oh and is less likely to fall behind as quickly thanks to the entry hazards. If Ho-Oh doesn't lead, then it would ideally be paired with leads that prevent lead Deoxys-S from keeping Stealth Rock. Three such leads are Forretress, Tentacruel, and Choice Scarf Darkrai. Forretress and Tentacruel are both capable of setting Toxic Spikes, which Ho-Oh benefits from because it threatens Steel-types and its checks are vulnerable to poison. Forretress has the ability to go all-in on eliminating lead Kyogre for the benefit of Ho-Oh if it holds a Focus Sash and uses Explosion. This heavily weakens Kyogre, if not outright KOing it. When Ho-Oh's teammate, Groudon, enters afterward, it will essentially have won the weather war and set the conditions for Ho-Oh to utilize the sun to absolutely dominate. The sun weakens Water-types and nerfs the accuracy of Thunder, letting Ho-Oh completely stonewall Palkia. Additionally, the sun boosts the damage of Sacred Fire, making it nearly impossible to switch into Ho-Oh. In general, having a teammate that can switch into Kyogre is greatly appreciated; Latios, Latias, Palkia, and specially defensive Dialga fit the bill.

Ho-Oh's MASSIVE Attack, myriad physical moves, and Sacred Fire make it a decent Choice Bander. Hidden Power Flying is a safe move to use as it hits almost everything in the uber metagame with at least neutral damage except for Metagross and the rare Skarmory, both of which rarely switch in for fear of Sacred Fire. However, Shadow Ball hits more things super effective, and Earthquake has roughly the same power (5 less, with STAB) as Hidden Power Flying, so it would primarily be for when you can't decide between trying to hit Rayquaza or Kyogre, or something. Hidden Power Rock, however, allows you to OHKO enemy Ho-Oh, and possibly OHKO Rayquaza. Hidden Power Rock has more uses that aren't covered by your other moves better, but Hidden Power Flying is safer if you are having trouble predicting.

Use in conjunction with Groudon for boosting Sacred Fire. Calm Mind up, burn everything in sight. Sacred Fire is what makes Ho-Oh so deadly; nothing can switch into this bird without fear of being burned. Thunder is nice to hit Kyogre, the most common switch into Ho-Oh, but Thunderbolt helps against enemy Ho-Oh, and does a bit more to Rayquaza (try and Burn it first, then you can survive even a Choice Band Rock Slide if you have a lot of HP EVs).

Set Description Ho-Oh can be an annoyance to deal with, as there are no Pokemon in the game that can simultaneously deal with its respectable Special Attack stat, high-Base Power move in Flamethrower, and access to Toxic. Flamethrower is used over Sacred Fire because Sacred Fire only has 8 PP. Recover allows Ho-Oh to stay healthy throughout the game and consistently check threats like Mewtwo and Gengar. Whirlwind phazes Snorlax and Mew in a pinch while also phazing and threatening out Pokemon like Cloyster and Celebi, both of which can't do much to Ho-Oh. Ho-Oh has to be wary of the former's Explosion, though. Ho-Oh is a great soft check to many threats in GSC Ubers thanks to its insane bulk and 32 PP Recover, which give it and its team many ways of pivoting in and out of trouble. Being able to spread Toxic, deal damage with Flamethrower, and phaze with Whirlwind makes Ho-Oh a very irritable pressence for opposing teams to deal with. Team Options Ho-Oh is greatly hindered by status like paralysis, because getting fully paralyzed means Ho-Oh is no longer able to properly check Pokemon like Mewtwo and Gengar. Because of this, Heal Bell Celebi is one of the best possible teammates for Ho-Oh, as it helps against both status and counters to Ho-Oh like Tyranitar and Rest + Sleep Talk Zapdos. Ho-Oh, in return, checks very troublesome Pokemon for Celebi like Mewtwo and Heracross. While it has decent physical bulk and a good typing, Ho-Oh can still get overwhelmed by common physical attackers like Curse Snorlax. Because of this, having physically bulky Pokemon like Barrier Mewtwo and Skarmory is advised to give Ho-Oh and its team a strong defensive backbone. Barrier Mewtwo especially is a very good teammate for Ho-Oh, as it can check Pokemon that are very threatening to stall like Marowak. Secondary checks to Snorlax, like Forretress and Cloyster, are also good teammates, as they can also set Spikes that Ho-Oh can take advantage of with Whirlwind.