Ogerpon Movesets & Competitive Sets

Ogerpon functions as a solid pivot within the tier thanks to an array of excellent utility moves, a powerful STAB move in Ivy Cudgel, and great offensive stats. Knock Off allows Ogerpon to punish many of the Pokemon attempting to switch into it such as Heatran, Tornadus-T, and Skeledirge. U-turn allows Ogerpon to pivot out of matchups that are unfavorable for it such as Tinkaton, Cobalion, and Skeledirge while doing solid damage to Hydrapple that may want to switch in, and thanks to Heavy-Duty Boots, it is able to remain healthy throughout the match and easily pivot in and out of the field. Encore gives it the ability to take advantage of slower Pokemon that have locked themselves into an awkward move so it can go for a free move the turn after, such as Skarmory using Roost or Mandibuzz clicking Defog, which, when paired with Defiant, gives Ogerpon a free Attack boost. On the other hand, Ogerpon is able to use the pressure it creates as opportunities to set up Spikes for its team, helping its teammates and itself by slowly chipping down the opposing team's checks. Ogerpon's Tera type is locked into Grass, but with Embody Aspect, it is given a boost to its Speed on top of the additional boost to its STAB moves, letting it OHKO Slowking and have a chance to 2HKO Tornadus-T after Stealth Rock. This means that Ogerpon can act not only as a powerful breaker with Tera, but also as an emergency speed control option that can outrun every unboosted Pokemon in the metagame, as well as a number of boosted Pokemon such as Quaquaval after Aqua Step, Choice Scarf Mienshao and Excadrill after Rapid Spin. Ogerpon's Speed boost also allows it to have unique interactions with Encore, switching in on faster Pokemon to lock them into set up moves such as Calm Mind Latios or Nasty Plot Tornadus-T. Ogerpon's pivoting and utility options are best suited on bulky offense teams that appreciate its ability to disrupt foes while bringing in their own threats. Wallbreakers such as Azumarill, Hisuian Arcanine, and Mamoswine love Ogerpon's ability to pivot them in safely, weaken their checks, and potentially set up Spikes for them to break more easily; In return, they are able to deal with some of Ogerpon's checks such as Heatran, Tornadus-T, and Hydrapple. Pivots that are able to synergize well with Ogerpon such as Slowking, Tornadus-T, and Rotom-W make for excellent partners, being able to form a strong core while relieving Ogerpon of the pressure of taking on threats like Latios, Excadrill, and Quaquaval. Stealth Rock setters such as Tinkaton and Cobalion mesh well with Ogerpon that opt for Spikes by maximizing the entry hazard stacking potential, with Tinkaton able to fit Encore instead while taking on Greninja and Weavile, while Cobalion can effectively deal with Excadrill and Lokix for it. Sandy Shocks is an excellent teammate for Ogerpon, being able to take on the Flying-types that it's afraid of, creating a VoltTurn core with it, and being able to set up Stealth Rock for it while Ogerpon handles the Water- and Grass-type attacks aimed at Sandy Shocks well while beating its key checks like Azumarill and Rotom-Wash.

Superpower is used as coverage to hit Steel- and the plethora of Dark-types that resist Ivy Cudgel, such as Kingambit or Chi-yu. Follow Me can be used to redirect attention from the frailer Chien-Pao and Glimmora, making both exponentially harder to deal with, especially so considering Ogerpon resists Urshifu-R Surging Strike's, one of the best counters to Chien-Pao and Glimmora Covert Cloak is used to prevent a flinch from Fake Out, allowing Ogerpon to pressure Incineroar and its partner turn one. Additionally, blocking certain secondary effects such as Icy Wind's Speed drops from opposing Flutter Manes is useful. The Attack investment is necessary to guarantee an OHKO on Incineroar with Superpower, on Flutter Mane once Ogerpon Terastallizes, and to have the highest chance of an OHKO on Urshifu-R. The Speed investment allows Ogerpon to outspeed Choice Scarf Landorus-T after Terastallization. The rest of the EVs are used to round out Ogerpon's bulk.

Choice Band Ogerpon is a devastating wallbreaker, making excellent use of an Attack donation to push its already strong Ivy Cudgel to absurd levels of power. Ivy Cudgel deals massive damage to neutral targets and even threatens Pokemon that resist it after chip damage. Knock Off provides crucial utility by removing items such as Heavy-Duty Boots and Leftovers from checks like Moltres and Pecharunt, making them much easier to wear down over the course of the game. U-turn allows Ogerpon to maintain momentum, punishing switches and bringing in teammates safely against checks. Stomping Tantrum provides consistent coverage against Steel- and Fire-types such as Zacian-C and Iron Moth without drawbacks, while Superpower is an option for the likes of Kyurem-White and Archaludon. Alternatively, Rock Tomb allows Ogerpon to hit Flying-types such as Moltres and Zapdos without making contact. Defiant allows Ogerpon to punish Intimidate from Landorus-T and Parting Shot from Pecharunt, while Tera Grass with Embody Aspect (Teal) essentially allows Ogerpon to hold both a Choice Band and a Choice Scarf simultaneously, making it extremely potent at cleaning. Ogerpon fits best on offensive and bulky offense teams that can capitalize on its wallbreaking ability. Entry hazard support from teammates such as Clefable and Landorus-T is especially valuable, as Ogerpon forces frequent switches and can remove Heavy-Duty Boots with Knock Off, compounding hazard damage. Because Ogerpon is vulnerable to entry hazards itself and lacks recovery, hazard removal from options like Great Tusk and Iron Treads is highly appreciated. Additionally, Ogerpon's frailty means it benefits greatly from pivot support from Pokemon such as Rotom-W and the aforementioned Landorus-T, which can bring it in safely to apply pressure. Strong special attackers like Iron Moth and Gholdengo also pair well with Ogerpon, as they can take advantage of the physical walls like that Ogerpon brings in. Also, as Ogerpon is incredibly difficult to switch into, its counters are limited to Pokemon such as Skarmory and Corviknight, so teammates that can shut them down like Hatterene for Skarmory and the aforementioned Gholdengo for Corviknight are useful.