Rhyhorn Movesets & Competitive Sets

Item

Eviolite

Ability

Rock Head

Nature

Careful

EVs

HP 36 / Attack 156 / Defense 156 / Sp. Def 116

Moves

Analysis

Rhyhorn can be used as an offensive Stealth Rock setter that can threaten opposing leads as well; however, it's not worth using due to its low Speed and Special Defense stats. As pointed out above, Onix and Pawniard outclass Rhyhorn due to their better Speed, abilities, and presence as Stealth Rock setters and checks to Flying-types.

Item

Eviolite

Nature

Adamant

EVs

HP 76 / Attack 236 / Defense 76 / Sp. Def 36 / Speed 76

Moves

Analysis

Moves Stealth Rock provides great utility and slowly wears down the opponent. Stealth Rock is an ideal move for Rhyhorn because of its enormous physical bulk and the large amount of opportunities Rhyhorn gets to set it up. Earthquake is a primary STAB move that hits most of the tier relatively hard. Rock Blast is the secondary STAB move, and it is used over Stone Edge and Rock Slide because it breaks through Substitute, which is rather common. Megahorn can hit Lileep and Slowpoke, while Drilbur and Hippopotas are hit super effectively by Aqua Tail. Set Details The EVs, factoring in Eviolite, increase the chance of surviving an Earthquake from Life Orb Drilbur and Life Orb Bunnelby. An Eviolite boosts Rhyhorn's defenses, making its Defense stat extremely high, and also boosts its mediocre Special Defense. Life Orb is an alternate item, but it wears Rhyhorn down and makes it more susceptible to attacks. An Adamant nature helps to maximize Attack. Any ability works, as Rhyhorn can not make use of any them as it lacks recoil moves and doesn't use special attacks. Usage Tips Rhyhorn forces a lot of switches due to its great defenses and its ability to wall certain Pokemon, so predicting when to use certain attacks or Stealth Rock on a switch is something you should keep an eye out for. Although Rhyhorn's defensive typing isn't great, Rhyhorn can function as a pivot into Choice-locked Pokemon or Pokemon that can't do much to it. Team Options Chinchou takes most Water-type attacks well for Rhyhorn. Ghost-types such as Gastly can spinblock and switch into Fighting-type moves which threaten Rhyhorn. Foongus resists Grass-, Water-, and Fighting-type moves which can potentially OHKO Rhyhorn, while Rhyhorn can cover Fire- and Flying-type attacks that threaten Foongus, making it a good partner for a defensive core. Fletchling threatens opposing Grass-types which threaten Rhyhorn.

Item

Life Orb

Ability

Rock Head

Nature

Jolly

EVs

HP 36 / Attack 236 / Speed 236

Moves

Analysis

Rock Polish is a natural move for Rhyhorn to take advantage of, as its Speed doubles to a respectable 24 after one use. This outspeeds every unboosted Pokemon, as well as many Choice Scarf users, in Little Cup. Earthquake and Stone Edge are STAB moves that have amazing neutral coverage, so they are natural choices for moveslots. Rock Blast is an option over Stone Edge for the ability to break Substitutes, but isn't nearly as reliable, as it usually has lower power than Stone Edge. In the last slot, Swords Dance is a good choice, as Rhyhorn needs little extra coverage. Rhyhorn won't always have time to use the move, but it can be very helpful against slower opponents such as Hippopotas. The other option to consider is Megahorn, as it always 2HKOes Slowpoke when Rhyhorn holds a Life Orb, and it can even do so on average with Eviolite. Rhyhorn makes good use of both Life Orb and Eviolite, and both have their advantages and disadvantages when compared to the other. Life Orb guarantees the 2HKO on Mienfoo and Ferroseed with Earthquake, while Eviolite versions manage to gain the 2HKO only sometimes on Mienfoo and never against Ferroseed. Life Orb also provides a 2HKO on average on Slowpoke with Earthquake followed by Megahorn, but with Eviolite, that is rarely ever the case. On the other hand, Rhyhorn gains durability with Eviolite. It grants Rhyhorn the ability to always tank two hits from Ferroseed's Gyro Ball. Fire Blast is a lesser option in the last slot, with Rhyhorn's HP EVs shifted to Special Attack, as it will likely OHKO Ferroseed with one layer of Spikes if using Life Orb. If using Eviolite, two switches in will do the same. Rhyhorn needs help when facing quite a few common opponents, the most important of which are Water-types such as Staryu. Chinchou is a great teammate for Rhyhorn, as it beats most Water-types easily. Grass-types such as Lileep, Cottonee, and Ferroseed pose a massive threat to Rhyhorn, as do Fighting-types such as Mienfoo and Timburr. Gastly is a solid check to some Fighting-types and Cottonee, so it works well as a teammate. Croagunk is another good option, as it does well against many common Fighting-types while holding its own against Grass-types as well.

Item

Life Orb

Ability

Rock Head

Nature

Adamant

EVs

HP 156 / Attack 236 / Sp. Def 36 / Speed 76

Moves

Analysis

This set lets Rhyhorn utilize its relatively high Attack stat to sweep. Earthquake is a good STAB move, and, along with the Life Orb boost, can deal heavy damage to a large number of Pokemon in the tier, including Mienfoo, Croagunk, and Staryu. Rock Blast is a good move to have due to its ability to hit multiple times, allowing Rhyhorn to deal damage to pesky Substitute users such as Misdreavus and Abra. Aqua Tail 2HKOes Hippopotas and OHKOes Drilbur, Numel, and other Rhyhorn, although these same Pokemon can be taken down by Earthquake as well. Aqua Tail also OHKOes Magnemite with the help of Stealth Rock, and is generally a better move than Earthquake as Magnemite might have Magnet Rise or an Air Balloon; alternatively, Fire Fang hits Bronzor hard. Lastly, Megahorn helps Rhyhorn deal with Bronzor and Slowpoke. The EVs maximize Attack, provide high amounts of bulk, and add an extra point in Speed. There is no real reason to give Rhyhorn extra Speed as it won't outrun anything of note; therefore, an Adamant nature is used instead of a Jolly one. A Choice Band can be used as it does not require Rhyhorn take recoil damage, but as it locks Rhyhorn into only one move, it is an inferior option. This set can also be used in Trick Room conditions, but make sure to use a Relaxed or Brave nature and 0 Speed EVs and IVs if you do so. Stone Edge's high critical hit rate can come in handy, but its imperfect accuracy allows Substitute Pokemon to run riot. Superpower can be utilized to defeat Ferroseed. In general, Pokemon that can set up Stealth Rock make good teammates, as they help Rhyhorn convert a few 2HKOs to OHKOs against Pokemon such as Mienfoo. Bronzor, Hippopotas, and Dwebble make decent teammates due to their ability to set up Stealth Rock. Grass-types such as Ferroseed and Cottonee as well as Fighting-types such as Mienfoo wreck Rhyhorn. Gastly is a good check to both Fighting-types and Cottonee, making it a viable teammate. Chinchou is another great teammate due to its ability to deal with most Water-types.

Item

Oran Berry

Ability

Rock Head

Nature

Impish

EVs

HP 196 / Attack 236 / Sp. Def 36 / Speed 36

Moves

Analysis

Unmentioned so far are Rhyhorn's impressive HP and Defense stats. Combined with a resistance to Stealth Rock and a boosted Special Defense in sandstorm, Rhyhorn can be a tough nut to crack when played properly. Although it has many common weaknesses, its ability to switch into Normal, Flying, Fire, Electric, and Rock attacks serves it well. Substitute eases prediction a great deal, and can force opponents that would ordinarily stat-up to attack directly. This set plays much more conservatively than the others. You want to scout your opponent's team and determine the most likely switch-in, then use the attack most effective against them. Rock Blast is generally used over Stone Edge here to deal with Substitute abusing Ghost-types. Stone Edge does deal consistent damage however. Because Rhyhorn's Special Defense is still lackluster, Hippopotas is an excellent partner to bring on permanent sandstorm. Rhyhorn's defenses factoring the boost in are 27/18/15; not shabby at all. The same rules apply for many partners, Croagunk absorbing Water attacks, Magnemite trapping Bronzor, etc. Rhyhorn generally has better things to do than Stealth Rock, but it is an option if your other slots are full and you can use Rhyhorn's threat to set it up. Ice Fang is therefore preferred because of the coverage and the ability to ward off Gligar in one attack.

Item

Choice Band

Ability

Rock Head

Nature

Adamant

EVs

HP 156 / Attack 236 / Sp. Def 36 / Speed 76

Moves

Analysis

There is no such thing as a safe switch-in to Choice Band Rhyhorn. Its STAB moves complement each other near perfectly and its other options are essentially limitless. Switching in expecting one STAB and receiving the other is usually a death sentence, especially if you were relying on resistance or immunity to save your hide. Even though Stone Edge has shaky accuracy, the critical hit chance makes it difficult even for resistant Pokemon to come in without suffering tremendous damage. Aqua Tail always KOs standard Gligar variants with Stealth Rock down. Its KO chances without Stealth Rock are about 50% on 0/0 Gligar and 3% on 156/0 Gligar. The power of Choice Band combined with Aqua Tail's higher Base Power make it entirely superior to Ice Fang in this instance, and because it hits Max/Max Bronzor for about 40-45%, Bronzor is put in the difficult position of resting just above where Oran would activate. Assuming Oran is not activated in the meantime, Rhyhorn can KO it with Megahorn or Fire Fang from that HP level if Bronzor tries to switch in again. The final slot is between Megahorn and Fire Fang to address Bronzor. Fire Fang technically does more damage and guarantees a 2HKO on 252/252 Bronzor factoring in Oran Berry, but Megahorn provides a much harder hit to random switch-ins. An Adamant nature is what allows Rhyhorn to score so many useful KOs. Jolly misses out on too many potential KO's to be considered. The difference between 28 and 27 Attack is amazing for calculation purposes. If you for some reason want to pass Choice Band Rhyhorn Speed, a Jolly nature and 236 Speed EVs are better for reasons listed in the Rock Polish set, but such a strategy is risky and difficult to pull off. Because of its low Speed, partners that can paralyze or otherwise incapacitate opponents serve Rhyhorn well. Exeggcute is notable for being able to sleep and paralyze enemies, it can also boost Fire Fang's power with Sunny Day and become a powerful sweeper in its own right. Magnemite can address Water-types and also incapacitate with Thunder Wave. It notably also traps Bronzor. Venonat takes Grass attacks well and can also pass Rhyhorn an Agility for a late-game sweep. It is difficult to stop a rampaging STAB Earthquake when all the Flying-types and Levitate Pokemon have been removed (similarly, though with less consistent results, with Stone Edge).

Item

Life Orb

Ability

Rock Head

Nature

Jolly

EVs

Attack 236 / Sp. Def 36 / Speed 236

Moves

Analysis

In Little Cup the difference between the Speeds of slow Pokemon and fast Pokemon is numerically insubstantial. Even dismally slow Pokemon like Rhyhorn can reach the upper ranks after a single stat-up. Combine this with Rhyhorn's massive innate strength and huge movepool and it is a force to be reckoned with. Not only do Earthquake and Stone Edge have nearly unresisted coverage in Little Cup, Rhyhorn has STAB on both of them. The two Pokemon who resist the combo are Baltoy and Bronzor. Megahorn easily dispatches Baltoy and hits Bronzor quite hard. However, Ice Fang is particularly effective against the omnipresent Gligar, who can survive a Stone Edge coming in. Megahorn is generally more useful because it hits the Grass-types resistant to Earthquake much harder than Ice Fang, but Gligar is a common encounter. Jolly is selected here because several threatening positive-natured Choice Scarf users rest on 25 Speed, most notably Mankey and Houndour, who can KO Rhyhorn with Close Combat and Hidden Power Grass, respectively. You also want to avoid speed ties with the numerous Pokemon with 24 Speed, such as Scarf Cranidos and Wailmer. For these reasons, Jolly is suggested, as its 26 Speed at +2 is often invaluable. Life Orb significantly increases damage, and with nearly unresisted STABs, it provides the power Rhyhorn needs to KO all but the sturdiest Pokemon who come in to face it. Oran Berry isn't really viable here because you need the extra damage. You could, however, use Chople or Shuca Berry as a surprise to survive one Fighting or Ground attack, respectively. It usually isn't worth it to halve damage from Water or Grass attacks, as few of them are physical and will still calculate at 2x damage. Rock Polish Rhyhorn is particularly weak to Aqua Jet, so Croagunk is an excellent partner to soak up Water attacks. Its further resistances to Vacuum Wave, Mach Punch, and Grass attacks are also welcome. Paras can be used to similar effect, but unfortunately shares a weakness to Ice Shard. In the case of Bronzor, your primary concern is Flash Cannon so Magnet Rise Magnemite can come in quite handy. Watch out for Earthquake, though.

Item

Leftovers

Ability

Rock Head

Nature

Adamant

EVs

HP 204 / Attack 148 / Defense 20 / Speed 136

Moves

Analysis

Rhyhorn's great physical bulk, solid Attack, and Rock typing distinguish it as an excellent tank in the face of top-tier Normal-types like Aipom and Doduo. Rhyhorn is much more powerful than other Rock-types like Onix and Lileep, and its powerful Earthquake ravages a tier with few Ground-resistant Pokemon. Rock Blast breaks past Substitute users like Anorith and Beedrill, but Rock Slide's consistent damage and higher accuracy make it more reliable. Megahorn 3HKOes defensive Mightyena even after Intimidate, and it destroys Lileep and other Bug-weak Grass-types. Protect helps Rhyhorn scout Choice Band users like Aipom, Anorith, and Volbeat to determine if it's safe to stay in and attack. In addition, the move lets Rhyhorn maximize its passive recovery from Leftovers. 204 HP and 20 Defense EVs give Rhyhorn enough bulk to generally avoid a 2HKO from Choice Band Aipom's Brick Break and survive Swords Dance Anorith's boosted Brick Break. 136 Speed EVs let Rhyhorn outspeed uninvested base 40 Speed Pokemon like Gloom and Porygon as well as Corsola. The rest of Rhyhorn's EVs are funneled into Attack to maximize its damage output. Rhyhorn is a good fit for bulky offense teams to shore up their defensive backbones against physical attackers, and it doesn't exacerbate passivity issues like Lileep and Onix would. Specially bulky Pokemon like Gloom and Porygon can compensate for Rhyhorn's vulnerability to special attackers, and Rhyhorn returns the favor to them by checking physical attackers they would otherwise struggle against. Castform is especially good against weather users like Ponyta, and it manages Hidden Power Grass variants of Ponyta for Rhyhorn too. Ariados handles Gloom, a major threat to Rhyhorn, while Rhyhorn can switch into and pressure Doduo and Anorith for it. Baton Pass Ariados variants further support Rhyhorn, pivoting to it after drawing in vulnerable Rock-types like Onix, weakened Corsola looking to heal up, and Anorith. Fast attackers like Ponyta and Quilava enjoy the holes Rhyhorn opens up in teams relying on bulky Water-types like Seaking and Wartortle, as such holes enable them to more easily clean up. Additionally, both of these Fire-types offensively threaten Grass-types like Tropius and Gloom for Rhyhorn. Rhyhorn is vulnerable to Water-types and Water-type moves given its 4x weakness and poor special bulk, so Seaking, Gloom, and Chinchou pair very well with it. Koffing hard walls Rhyhorn, which can be mitigated by partners like defensive Ariados, Seaking, and Wartortle.

Item

Leftovers

Moves

Item

Leftovers

Moves

Moves