Suicune Movesets & Competitive Sets

This Suicune set is capable of sweeping given the right conditions. Rest allows this set to be extremely resilient to status and provides it with reliable recovery. Sleep Talk prevents Suicune from being passive while using Rest. Roar can be used over Sleep Talk in order to more reliably defeat other Calm Mind sweepers like Reuniclus and rack up entry hazard damage. This set runs enough Speed EVs to outpace Adamant Golurk and Jolly Alolan Marowak, then invests the rest in Defense and HP to be as hard to break through as possible. This, along with reliable recovery in Rest, makes it a much better answer to the likes of Darmanitan, Sharpedo, Cobalion, and Stakataka. Rest renders this set much less vulnerable to status effects and Knock Off, but it still has one major nemesis in the meta: Zarude. Zarude can use Jungle Healing to easily remove Scald burns, and this set lacks the safety net of Substitute to allow moves like Ice Beam to be effective. Checks to Zarude include Pokemon like Cobalion, Incineroar, Crobat, Noivern, and Togekiss. This set has difficulty setting up Calm Mind against offensive Electric-types like Xurkitree, Raikou, Heliolisk, and Toxtricity, so checks like Roserade, Zarude, Celebi, and Porgyon2 work well with it. Heliolisk has the added danger of Dry Skin causing Water-type moves to heal it, so Suicune must be played particularly carefully against it. If running Roar, Suicune can phaze foes into Spikes provided by Roserade, making it a particularly notable partner.

Subtitute + Calm Mind Suicune relies on Pressure to wage a war of attrition on a number of Pokemon that can wall it such as Seismitoad, Gastrodon, and Mantine. Calm Mind makes it very hard for special attackers to break Suicune's Substitute and makes Scald much harder to switch into. Substitute provides Suicune with a way to protect itself from status effects, which will cripple sets lacking Rest, and is especially effective for PP stalling Pokemon unable to break its substitute in one hit. Note that Suicune must still be cautious not to switch into status moves like Toxic and Thunder Wave from the likes of Registeel, Togekiss, and Klefki. Protect enables Suicune to scout Choice item users, stall out low PP moves, and gain additional Leftovers recovery. Ice Beam can be used to hit the likes of Zarude and Seismitoad after boosting, which are otherwise major threats. Roar is another option that allows Suicune to phaze out other setup sweepers and rack up entry hazard damage. The EV spread allows Suicune to outpace base 80 Speed Pokemon like Chandelure and Togekiss, while giving it an 81% chance that Seismitoad's Earthquake will not break its Substitute. An alternative spread with maximum Speed will allow Suicune to Speed tie with Heracross, but lowers its chances of its Substitute surviving Seismitoad's Earthquake to about 56%. This set lacks recovery other than Leftovers, so Suicune must be careful not to take Knock Off from Pokemon like Incineroar and Obstagoon without a Substitute up. Suicune must also be careful not to get hit by Trick from the likes of Darmanitan and Gardevoir, as it completely cripples this set. Suicune's natural bulk and typing make it a great choice for teams looking to check threats like Darmanitan, Alolan Marowak, and Metagross. Suicune's best check is Zarude, which can use Jungle Healing to remove any Scald burns and threaten Suicune with Power Whip. Therefore, it pairs well with Zarude checks like Cobalion, Galarian Weezing, and Togekiss. Cobalion has the added bonus of being an excellent Knock Off absorber thanks to Justified, while Galarian Weezing and Togekiss check other threats to Suicune like certain Guts Fighting-types such as Machamp and Heracross. The aforementioned Guts users, along with Obstagoon, pose a notable threat to Suicune because they are powerful enough to threaten Suicune and unafraid of burns from Scald. Sylveon or Togekiss notably can provide Heal Bell support to remedy this set's weakness to status effects. Suicune is also threatened by Electric-types like Xurkitree, Toxtricity, and Raikou, so it should be used alongside Electric-type checks such as Roserade, Assault Vest Reuniclus, Zarude, and Vileplume. Finally, Suicune lacking Roar is unable to beat certain Calm Mind sweepers with Psyshock like Reuniclus and Sigilyph, so it is wise to pair it with checks to them like Obstagoon and Chandelure.

Calm Mind allows Suicune to become a threatening bulky sweeper. Scald is Suicune's only offensive move, which it can use to spread burns and sweep. Scald is especially useful for weakening Assault Vest Tangrowth's Power Whip, allowing Suicune to set up on it more easily and stall it out. Rest allows Suicune to easily recover HP while also curing any status conditions. Sleep Talk prevents Suicune from being too passive during sleep turns by letting it continue to boost its special stats or attack foes. Pressure lets Suicune stall out defensive threats like Amoonguss and Chansey. Suicune best fits on balance teams that provide it ample opportunities to sweep. Cobalion is an excellent teammate for Suicune, countering Zarude and breaking past Chansey and Slowking. Cobalion also absorbs Knock Off from Scizor and Nihilego, offensively checks Thundurus-T, and can potentially set Stealth Rock to wear down Chansey and Tangrowth. Nihilego also sets Stealth Rock and can remove Chansey's Eviolite with Knock Off. Salamence can check threats like Keldeo and Zarude and provide Defog support for Suicune to keep entry hazards like Spikes from wearing it down. Suicune appreciates Ground-types such as Nidoqueen and Hippowdon to take on Electric-types like Thundurus-T and Raikou. Fast threats like Crobat and Choice Scarf Diggersby can offensively pressure threats to Suicune like Keldeo, Tapu Bulu, Zarude, and Choice Specs Hydreigon. Bulky Grass-types like Amoonguss, Tapu Bulu, and Assault Vest Tangrowth check dangerous foes like Keldeo and Zarude, with the latter two being solid Thundurus-T answers as well. Tapu Bulu's Grassy Terrain support also gives Suicune additional passive recovery, allowing it to not be forced into Rest as much. Umbreon provides Wish Support to keep Suicune healthy and takes on wallbreakers like Hydreigon and Mamoswine. Demon Registeel can form a double sweeping core with Suicune, allowing them to outstall and overcome common bulky offense teams.

Calm Mind prevents Pokemon such as Eternatus and Calm Mind Kyogre from breaking its Substitute, and it lets Suicune threaten walls such as Necrozma-DM if it stays in long enough. Scald's burn chance discourages physical attackers such as Marshadow and Groudon from switching in or setting up, reduces the chance of Ferrothorn breaking its Substitute, and helps chip Eternatus over time. Substitute blocks status moves from slower Pokemon such as defensive Necrozma-DM and Blissey, with the HP and Defense EVs letting Suicune's Substitute take multiple hits from these foes, in particular two Knock Offs from Necrozma-DM and two Seismic Tosses from Blissey. Protect is useful in tandem with Pressure to further waste the foe's PP. It can also scout Choice-locked Pokemon such as Calyrex-S, Kyogre, and Marshadow. Be careful, however, of allowing in threats such as Zekrom for free. Rest can be used to shrug off status from Eternatus, stay healthy throughout a game to sponge attacks from the likes of Galarian Darmanitan and Weavile, and avoid wasting PP for two turns. However, the sleep turns let opponents bring in strong attackers. 36 Defense EVs with a Bold nature let Suicune's Substitute withstand a maximum Attack burned Groudon's Earthquake. 44 Special Defense EVs alongside maximum HP investment allow the Substitute to survive a Dynamax Cannon from uninvested Eternatus after a Calm Mind. All these EVs can be dropped for more Defense if not running Substitute. 176 Speed EVs outspeed everything up to Adamant Dracovish. Pokemon that can take strong physical hits for Suicune such as Xerneas and Zygarde-C are appreciated. Electric-immune or resistant teammates such as Groudon and Ferrothorn help cover Suicune's most dangerous type weakness. A cleric such as Blissey or Calyrex-S can aid Suicune with its weakness to status and can end sleep on Rest variants. Entry hazard removers such as Yveltal and Ho-Oh are necessary, as hazards very easily wear Suicune down. Toxic Spikes Eternatus can help Suicune to wear down susceptible Pokemon with Substitute and Protect. Offensive teammates such as Marshadow, Calyrex-S, and Geomancy Xerneas appreciate Suicune stalling out walls. It burning foes such as Yveltal, Lunala, and Necrozma-DM is appreciated by dangerous sweepers such as Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM, Dragon Dance Zekrom, and Geomancy Xerneas, as they get free momentum to set up and sweep. Suicune is also useful on more defensive teams, as it paired with Eternatus forms a solid Pressure core that can win the PP war against opposing walls.

Calm Mind allows Suicune to both sweep and take on special attackers like Tornadus-T while being able to fire back with Scald; Scald allows Suicune to spread burns, which threaten opposing physical attackers such as Dragonite and Scizor coming in. Protect adds passive recovery via Leftovers and works with Substitute and Pressure to PP stall foes; Protect also allows Suicune to scout Choice-locked Pokemon such as Rillaboom, Tapu Lele, and Latios. Substitute can also be used to block status conditions such as poison and burn that would nullify Suicune's passive recovery and therefore prevent it from effectively PP stalling. It can create a Substitute for free on Pokemon like defensive Celesteela. Suicune's HP investment allows it to form a Substitute with 101 HP, which doesn't break after one Night Shade or Seismic Toss from Galarian Corsola or Blissey. Toxapex is able to provide Toxic Spikes support, which helps Suicune stall out its foes. In addition, it can stop setup sweepers like Bisharp with Haze. Swampert provides an Electric immunity to the team and phazes setup sweepers such as Dragonite and Dragapult with Roar. Furthermore, Swampert can set Stealth Rock, which helps Suicune wear down opposing teams. Urshifu-R is good to break past many potential checks to Suicune, such as Water-immune Pokemon such as Cradily, Seismitoad, and Mantine, with Close Combat and Thunder Punch. Tapu Fini provides a Dragon immunity while also setting up Misty Terrain, which prevents Suicune from becoming statused, and threatening Suicune's Dragon-type checks like Latios and Hydreigon. In turn, Suicune can assist Tapu Fini by spreading burns and PP stalling its checks such as Skuntank. Choice Scarf Tapu Fini also helps to weaken foes with Trick and Knock Off. Mantine not only removes hazards like Toxic Spikes, but also offers a Ground immunity. In addition, it provides a key neutrality to Grass. Mantine also has Haze to stifle setup Pokemon like Belly Drum Azumarill and Volcarona. Slowking assists Suicune and the team by filling the role of a specially defensive pivot, bringing in Suicune with ease and countering Pokemon it struggles against such as Toxapex and Toxicroak. Teammates with Heal Bell like Vaporeon help with Suicune's vulnerability to status chip damage.

Speed investment outspeeds Timid Toxtricity.

Suicune sets itself apart from other bulky Water-type pivots in the metagame such as Tapu Fini, Swampert, and Slowbro, forgoing some of their utility options to become a bulky setup sweeper with Calm Mind. Like them, it can still check offensive threats like Cinderace and Barraskewda. Substitute takes advantage of passive foes like Blissey, Mew, and Ferrothorn, keeping Suicune healthy by blocking their status moves like Toxic and Leech Seed and keeping its Leftovers safe from Knock Off. This also makes Suicune harder to revenge kill and stops Trick users like Azelf and Latios from neutralizing it with a Choice item. Scald is the STAB move of choice to debilitate checks, like Ferrothorn and non-Magic Guard Chansey, and dissuade physical attackers like Zarude and Zygarde-10% from switching in with burns. Weather Ball damages Desolate Land users like Heatran, Cinderace, and Volcarona that would otherwise wall Suicune thanks to their Water immunity. Ice Beam hits Grass- and Dragon-types like Zarude, Dhelmise, Kommo-o, and Latios, as well as Water Absorb users like Landorus-T and Hippowdon. Roar phazes opposing setup sweepers like Garchomp and Mew that try to overwhelm Suicune with their own boosted attacks. Regenerator alongside Leftovers gives it much-needed longevity to pivot into attacks early-game and still maintain enough health to set up and sweep late-game. The EVs let Suicune outspeed Modest Heatran and survive a Choice Band Adaptability Terrakion's Close Combat after Stealth Rock. Suicune fits best on balance and semi-stall teams that appreciate its defensive qualities and ability to be a dangerous wincon. Suicune still struggles against physically offensive threats like Terrakion, Garchomp, and Zygarde-10% due to its not-exceptional bulk and lack of reliable recovery; teammates that can cover them like Ferrothorn, Dauntless Shield Mew, and Hippowdon pair well with it. Specially defensive walls such as RegenVest Landorus-T and Chansey can check special attackers like Tapu Koko, Azelf, and Latios that force Suicune to switch out; in particular, the former can also check Desolate Land users such as Heatran and Volcarona if Suicune is not running Weather Ball. Due to Suicune's propensity for being weakened by entry hazards, Defog users like Corviknight and Mandibuzz can help it. If not running Roar, Unaware users like Mandibuzz and Mew can check the physical setup sweepers that would otherwise overwhelm Suicune. Spikes from teammates like Ferrothorn and Mew, and Toxic Spikes from Toxapex and Nidoqueen, can debilitate Suicune's checks like Zarude, Unaware Chansey, and Water Absorb Hippowdon.

Suicune has some trouble competing with Tapu Fini as a bulky Water-type, but access to tools such as Pressure and a unique movepool give it some niches over the more common Pokemon. Ice Beam is Suicune's most reliable coverage against Dragon-types such as Salamence and Dragapult. Sheer Cold isn't very reliable, but it does give Suicune a 20% chance to OHKO extremely bulky Pokemon such as Tapu Fini and Cresselia, and still gives Suicune a powerful Max Hailstorm. Icy Wind deserves mention for giving Suicune a decent option for Speed control. Air Slash gives Suicune access to Max Airstream, a rare tool for bulky Water-types. Substitute saves Suicune from status moves such as Yawn and Leech Seed, letting it set up on certain passive Pokemon such as Swampert and defensive Celesteela. When paired with Chesto Berry, Rest gives Suicune one chance to recover all its health without much consequence, something Tapu Fini is unable to do. Roar lets Suicune win Calm Mind wars against any Pokemon that lacks Taunt, in addition to phazing set-up sweepers in general before they Dynamax. Protect pairs well with Pressure and Leftovers, letting Suicune scout common choice locked Pokemon such as Rillaboom and Regieleki. Items Leftovers gives Suicune the most sticking power for its more defensive variants, and pairs well with Substitute and Protect. Sitrus Berry gives Suicune a more immediate burst of health, useful for more offensive variants. Chesto Berry lets Suicune wake up from Rest without wasting a turn. Weakness Policy is an unusual option that lets Calm Mind Suicune take advantage of common checks while Dynamaxed, such as Tapu Koko and Regieleki. EV Spreads 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 Spe with Bold: This EV spreads outspeeds up to Timid Celesteela, while giving Suicune good physical bulk. 100 HP / 252 SpA / 156 Spe with Modest: This is a more offensive take on Suicune that still outspeeds Timid Celesteela. 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe with Bold: This EV spread maximizes Suicune's physical bulk. 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with Modest or Timid: This is a far more offensive approach to Suicune, maximizing its power and Speed to take advantage of Max Airstream. Modest gives Suicune some extra fire power and outspeeds up to Timid Tapu Koko after a Max Airstream, while Timid outspeeds Dragapult.

Moves Calm Mind turns Suicune into a threatening bulky sweeper, boosting both its Special Attack and Special Defense. Rest is Suicune's main form of recovery, healing it instantly in one turn. Rest is also able to cure Suicune of any inflicted status condition. Sleep Talk prevents Suicune from becoming overly passive when using Rest, providing it the chance to use any of its other moves while asleep. Scald is Suicune's only attacking move, being able to spread burns and weaken opposing Pokemon. Set Details The given Speed investment allows Suicune to outspeed Adamant Scizor and hit it before it can U-turn out. The rest of the EVs are placed in HP and Defense to maximize Suicune's defensive capabilities. Leftovers provides Suicune with a form of passive recovery, further increasing its longevity and ability to switch into opposing threats. Waterium Z can be used instead of Leftovers, providing Suicune with a strong attack that is able to OHKO Pokemon like Quagsire after some prior damage. Additionally, it prevents Suicune from being crippled by Trick or Switcheroo or having its item removed by Knock Off. With Pressure, Suicune is able to outstall Pokemon like Blissey and Alomomola with ease. Usage Tips This set can be used as a pivot throughout the battle due to its great defensive capabilities and access to recovery. Only start setting up with Suicune late-game once Pokemon that can check it, like Celebi and Mega Sceptile, are either weakened or removed. Furthermore, if it's carrying Leftovers, avoid switching Suicune in on a potential Knock Off, Trick, or Switcheroo, since it'll have a much harder time switching in if its Leftovers is removed. Use Rest carefully, since it gives up a lot of momentum, and the opponent can take advantage of that. Scald can be used early-game to wear down and weaken foes. Team Options Suicune fits best on bulky teams that appreciate Suicune's ability to switch into a number of threats. Since it forces a lot of switches, pairing Suicune with hazard setters is ideal. Therefore, Pokemon like Mega Steelix, Tentacruel, and Klefki make good partners. Pursuit trappers like Krookodile are also valuable partners, since they can trap Pokemon like Latias and Celebi. Furthermore, cleric support from Pokemon like Togekiss is appreciated, since it can heal Suicune from sleep. Steel-types like Mega Aggron and the aforementioned Klefki have good synergy with Suicune, as they can check Grass-types like Mega Sceptile and Celebi and Pokemon like Latias and Refresh Mega Altaria that normally force it out, while Suicune is able to check Fire-types like Infernape. Pokemon that can sponge Electric-type attacks such as Mega Sceptile and Hydreigon make good partners for Suicune, as Electric-types can force it out. Hazards can limit Suicune's ability to pivot around, so entry hazard removers like the aforementioned Tentacruel and Latias make for good teammates.

Moves Calm Mind boosts Suicune's Special Attack and Special Defense, turning it into a threatening sweeper. Protect is primarily used to PP stall opposing Pokemon, although it also helps to keep Suicune healthy in conjunction with Leftovers. Additionally, it's also useful to scout for moves and Choice-locked Pokemon. Scald has a decent chance to burn foes. Substitute provides Suicune with a lot more opportunities to set up and PP stall slower and more defensive Pokemon, but it can also avoid status moves like Toxic from Pokemon such as Blissey and Alomomola. Additionally, the combination of Substitute and Calm Mind makes it a lot harder for special attackers to break its Substitute while also protecting Suicune from potential critical hits. Set Details 216 Speed EVs and a Timid Nature allow Suicune to outspeed base 80s, like Togekiss and Mamoswine. Maximum HP investment gives Suicune 101 HP Substitutes, which prevents Seismic Toss from breaking them in one hit. With the given Special Defense, Amoonguss's Giga Drain and uninvested Rotom-H's Volt Switch can't break a Substitute when Suicune is at +1. Leftovers is the item of choice to provide Suicune a form of passive recovery. Pressure is used to PP stall and wear down bulky Pokemon like Blissey. Usage Tips This set is very effective against bulky teams. However, it should be played carefully. Suicune shouldn't be used to sponge hits throughout the match, as its effectiveness depends on how high its HP is. Against offensive teams, Suicune finds setup opportunities against Pokemon like Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Choice Scarf Latias, and it's able to PP stall them with ease. Avoid switching Suicune in on a potential Knock Off, Trick, or Switcheroo, because Leftovers is Suicune's main source of recovery, and it will get worn down very quickly once it loses it. It will also limit Suicune's ability to set up a Substitute and PP stall. Set up a Substitute against passive Pokemon such as Alomomola that rely on Toxic or other status moves to damage Suicune. Furthermore, once Suicune is behind a Substitute, it's safe to set up a Calm Mind against Pokemon like Blissey and Amoonguss. However, avoid using Calm Mind against faster Pokemon like Mega Sceptile and Celebi, since they can easily force it out. Team Options Suicune can fit on bulky offense and balance teams that appreciate Suicune's ability to break through bulkier teams. Wish support from Pokemon like Sylveon and Alomomola helps Suicune by increasing its longevity, as it lacks reliable recovery. Cleric support from Pokemon like Togekiss and Blissey is also very useful, since Suicune is heavily crippled by status. Furthermore, Suicune hates switching in on hazards, as it gets easily worn down, so entry hazard removers such as Tentacruel, Latias, and Scizor are great partners for it. Toxic Spikes can wear down opposing Pokemon, which works well with Suicune's ability to PP stall. Thus, Toxic Spikes setters such as Tentacruel and Nihilego pair well with Suicune. Ground-types such as Mega Steelix and Krookodile can easily check Electric-types such as Mega Manectric that normally force Suicune out. Steel-types such as Mega Aggron and Scizor have good synergy with Suicune, as they can sponge Grass-type attacks and check Pokemon like Latias, while Suicune checks the Fire-types that can threaten them. Pursuit traps problematic Pokemon like Latias and Celebi and is one of the ways to support this set, making it easier for Suicune to sweep. Thus, Pokemon like Scizor and Krookodile make good teammates. Grounded Poison-types such as the aforementioned Tentacruel are able to absorb Toxic Spikes, which are extremely detrimental to Suicune's sweeping potential.

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Tailwind is the speed control of choice, as it doubles your entire team's Speed and helps outspeed threats like Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Mega Metagross, and Quiver Dance Volcarona after a boost. Scald serves as Suicune's primary STAB move, dealing sufficient damage to the likes of Heatran, Tyranitar, Excadrill, and Incineroar and having a 30% chance to burn the opposing Pokemon, effectively crippling physical attackers. Ice Beam guarantees OHKO on Mega Salamence and non-Assault Vest Landorus-T, both of which are popular Pokemon in VGC 2018. As an additional form of speed control, Icy Wind can be used over Ice Beam on bulkier variants, but it lacks offensive pressure. Snarl helps weaken your opponent's special attackers and increases your team's longevity. Combined with an Intimidate user, it helps weaken both your opponent's physically and specially offensive capabilities. As an alternative, Protect can be used over Snarl to scout for incoming Z-Moves and stall out Trick Room or your opponent's Tailwind. Mago Berry is Suicune's item of choice, as it greatly helps with longevity, healing 50% of its HP. A Calm Nature with 252 HP and 20 Special Defense EVs gives Suicune a great deal of special bulk and allows it to tank Z-Moves like Tapu Lele's Shattered Psyche and Heatran's Bloom Doom after a Snarl, and it can also survive boosted special attacks like Tapu Fini's Moonblast and Volcarona's Giga Drain. 212 Special Attack EVs allow Suicune to always OHKO uninvested Mega Salamence with Ice Beam and 2HKO Heatran with Scald. 252 HP and 4 Defense EVs allow Suicune to survive 252 Attack Jolly Kartana's Leaf Blade and gives Suicune more overall bulk when combined with a Mago Berry. 20 Speed EVs allow Suicune to outspeed Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T in Tailwind, and the remaining EVs were dumped into Special Defense for general bulk. Mega Kangaskhan is an excellent teammate, as it helps Suicune set up Tailwind thanks to its Fake Out support and takes out opposing Tapu Koko with Parental Bond-boosted Double-Edge. Mega Salamence goes well with Suicune, as it helps take down Grass-type Pokemon, which otherwise threatens Suicune, and provides Intimidate support prior to its Mega Evolution. Incineroar has great synergy with Suicune, providing Fake Out support so Suicune can set up Tailwind safely, serving as a Grass-type check, and having access to Intimidate to weaken any physical attackers. Tapu Bulu is an efficient Terrain setter that goes well with Suicune, OHKOing Tapu Koko and bulky Water-type Pokemon like Tapu Fini with its Terrain-boosted Grass-type attacks, while also providing recovery with Grassy Terrain. Landorus-T serves as an amazing switch-in to Electric-type attacks meant for Suicune, thus giving your team great momentum. Offensive Pokemon like Tapu Lele, Volcarona, and Heatran appreciate speed control and thus make good teammates for Suicune. While Mago Berry might be the most used item on Suicune, other sets with Psychic Seed or Grassy Seed can be used with Tapu Lele and Tapu Bulu, respectively. Roar can be considered over Snarl to phaze bulky setup sweepers like Snorlax, Azumarill, and Tapu Fini. Alternatively, Mirror Coat can be used to OHKO bulky special attackers with ease after tanking one of their moves. This works especially well against Soundproof Kommo-o, which is unaffected by Snarl and Roar.

Moves Scald allows Suicune to deal damage to opposing Pokemon and potentially cripple them with burns, making it harder for physical attackers to break through Suicune. Substitute helps Suicune avoid status conditions and becomes harder for special attackers to break with the help of Calm Mind. Substitute also acts as a buffer to get the most possible turns of Leftovers recovery and helps PP stall more effectively with Pressure. Calm Mind boosts Special Attack and Special Defense, allowing Suicune to not only hit harder but also tank special hits with more ease. Protect can be used to help stall out the opposing Pokemon's PP, scout moves, and allow Suicune to regain some health through Leftovers, which also helps keep Substitute up. Set Details The Speed investment allows Suicune to outpace Pokemon such as Diggersby, Zapdos, Heatran, and Buzzwole. Suicune's HP investment enhances its natural bulk and allows it to form Substitutes with 101 HP, which don't break to one Seismic Toss. The Special Defense investment gives +1 Suicune's Substitute a good chance of withstanding Volt Switch from common users such as Rotom-W and Lanturn. Leftovers allows Suicune to regain health lost from Substitute and opposing Pokemon's attacks. Usage Tips Try to avoid switching in Suicune on hazards, as they wear it down very easily due to its lack of reliable recovery. Suicune is best used as a late-game setup sweeper after all of its checks and counters have been taken care of, as they can easily stall out Suicune's Scald. When facing slower Pokemon that can spread status such as Toxic Jirachi and Heatran, it is best to get up a Substitute to avoid those status conditions. Try to avoid losing Suicune's Leftovers to Trick or Knock Off, as it depends on Leftovers to stay healthy through the battle. In general, if a strong attacker comes in that is guaranteed to break Suicune's Substitute, Suicune needs to use Protect and then decide if it's worth trying to stall out the opposing Pokemon's move with Substitute + Protect. If not, use Scald on the turn Substitute breaks, and then either use Protect or switch out if the extra Pressure turn doesn't matter or Suicune doesn't need additional Leftovers recovery. Suicune should use Protect as much as possible to regain health from Leftovers to help its longevity. Protect should not be used recklessly, because using up its PP makes Suicune less effective at pressuring opposing Pokemon. Calm Mind is most easily and best set up behind a Substitute. Team Options Toxapex provides Suicune with Toxic Spikes, making Suicune's job of sweeping late-game easier. Toxapex also can check set up sweepers such as Volcarona with Haze. Keldeo is a tremendous help to Suicune, as it can help break through some of the toughest Suicune checks such as Ferrothorn as well as Water-immune Pokemon such as Cradily, Seismitoad, and Mantine by using Secret Sword and Hidden Power Electric. Greninja is a great Choice Scarf user that can take care of some key Fairy- and Grass-type threats such as Tapu Bulu and Tapu Koko with Gunk Shot, and with a Life Orb, it can 2HKO Ferrothorn with Hidden Power Fire without locking itself into a weak attack. Mantine offers hazard control for Suicune, which is important because Suicune's lack of reliable recovery means it can easily be worn down by residual damage. Mantine also acts as a buffer to Grass-types, a means to prevent setup through Haze, and a way to break down opposing walls with Toxic. Mega Swampert and Gastrodon provide a key Electric-type immunity for Suicune and can remove Electric-type Pokemon such as Tapu Koko. Mega Swampert can also set up Stealth Rock, which wears down Suicune's checks each time they switch in. Mega Swampert and Gastrodon also provide a means of switching into Trick users, as Gastrodon's Sticky Hold keeps it from losing its item and Mega Stones can't be removed. Dragon Dance Gyarados provides a way to break past annoying Grass- and Poison-type Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur with Supersonic Skystrike and Toxapex with +1 Earthquake. Azumarill provides a nice Grass immunity for Suicune. Empoleon can set up Stealth Rock for Suicune while also clearing hazards with Defog and phazing setup sweepers with Roar. Mega Sharpedo can take care of many bulky Pokemon that can give Suicune trouble such as Mantine and Slowbro with Crunch and weakened Mega Venusaur and Toxapex with Psychic Fangs, and its access to Speed Boost before Mega Evolving can help it outspeed and OHKO fast threats such as Choice Scarf Victini. Tentacruel is an option over Toxapex for providing the team with Toxic Spikes; unlike Toxapex, Tentacruel can clear hazards off the field with Rapid Spin, but it lacks the recovery that Toxapex gets. Lanturn provides a nice Electric-type immunity for Suicune and can clear away status with Heal Bell.

Moves Scald gives Suicune some offensive presence, having a sizable chance to burn foes like Mega Metagross and Mega Scizor and dealing decent damage to the likes of Incineroar and Stakataka. Ice Beam deals a lot of damage to the likes of Zygarde, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence while still being its best option against Kommo-o. Tailwind doubles the Speed of Suicune and its allies for three turns, enabling slower but stronger allies to shine. Roar scares away Trick Room setters by threatening to phaze them before they can use Trick Room, further helping allies that benefit from Tailwind. Roar also phazes setup sweepers, especially since they take advantage of Suicune's passiveness. Alternatively, Snarl can replace either Ice Beam or Roar to punish special attackers by reducing their main offensive stat, easing setup a bit for Suicune's allies. Toxic can be used to cripple bulky Pokemon like Porygon2 and Gothitelle. Set Details Alongside Suicune's HP EVs, its Defense and Special Defense investment allows it to avoid the KO from Landorus-T's Tectonic Rage after Stealth Rock or Life Orb Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt. The Speed EVs make it so Suicune outruns Deoxys-A with the help of Tailwind. Finally, the rest of its EVs are added to Special Attack. Inner Focus is the preferred ability to prevent Fake Out from flinching, which is a common strategy used by Trick Room teams, enabling Suicune to phaze Trick Room setters and set Tailwind. Wiki Berry gives Suicune some added longevity, allowing it to set up Tailwind and Roar away Trick Room setters more consistently. Usage Tips Try to use Tailwind as soon as possible with Suicune, but be careful of Taunt users. After using Tailwind, it might be smart to switch Suicune out for a more offensive teammate that can make use of it. If one of your opponent's Pokemon can be taken down by Suicune, such as Deoxys-A or a weakened Zygarde, it might be ideal just to stay in and attack, though. If you're facing a potential Trick Room setter, using Roar as they go for Trick Room is highly advised because, commonly, the teams that Suicune fits the best in tend to struggle against Trick Room otherwise. Avoid letting Suicune get worn down, as Tailwind will often help win games or at the very least put on some pressure against the opponent. If at all possible, make sure to consume Suicune's berry, as it further increases Suicune's longevity. For instance, if Suicune is left at just above a quarter of its health and would get knocked out, it might be a good idea to switch it out and bring it in on a resisted move for its Wiki Berry to trigger. Team Options Pokemon that best fit alongside Suicune are offensive ones that appreciate it setting up Tailwind and preventing Trick Room. The likes of Tapu Bulu and Landorus-T fit exceptionally well alongside Suicune, having great defensive synergy while also appreciating the added Speed from Tailwind. Powerful wallbreakers such as Tapu Lele, Kyurem-B, and Choice Band Zygarde can become even deadlier when backed up by Suicune's Tailwind. Similarly, setup sweepers such as Kommo-o and Dragon Dance Zygarde also appreciate the additional Speed to counteract opposing Tailwind and Suicune’s matchup against Intimidate users bar Mega Manectric, which Zygarde already handles.

Moves Tailwind is Suicune's primary asset that differs it from other popular Water-type Pokemon. It is Suicune's main form of speed control, allowing its teammates to outspeed and KO opposing threats efficiently. Snarl is used for disruption, weakening the opponent's special attackers, like Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele. This comes in handy when Tailwind ends, as Suicune can set it up again with minimal consequence. Protect can be used in this slot as well to scout for incoming Z-Moves. Ice Beam serves as a way to OHKO Mega Salamence and Landorus-T and also deals a decent amount of damage to Grass-type Pokemon like Tapu Bulu. Icy Wind can be used in this slot for additional speed control, although it's not necessary. Scald serves as Suicune's only STAB move in this set and can be used to either fish for the 30% burn chance or to greatly damage Fire-type Pokemon like Heatran. Set Details 244 EVs are invested in HP to maximize bulk, which allows Suicune to survive Timid Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt in Electric Terrain. Using 244 EVs instead of 252 also ensures that Sitrus Berry activates once Suicune's HP reduces to half of its maximum HP. 116 Special Attack EVs with a Modest nature ensure that Suicune OHKOes 4 HP Mega Salamence 100% of the time with Ice Beam. 28 EVs are invested in Speed to outspeed Adamant maximum Speed Landorus-T once Tailwind is set up (20 EVs do the same job). The set also Speed creeps Pokemon that are EV trained to outspeed Choice Scarf Landorus-T. Sitrus Berry is used as the held item to further increase Suicune's longevity, which often comes in handy, as it allows the player to set up a second Tailwind if needed. 244 HP EVs and 92 Defense EVs guarantee that Suicune has a 99.6% chance to survive two of Jolly Mega Salamence's Double-Edges after Sitrus Berry recovery. Similarly, 244 HP EVs and 28 Special Defense EVs ensure that Modest Tapu Lele's Psychic in Psychic Terrain is a 2HKO 97.7% of the time after Sitrus Berry recovery. Rocky Helmet can be used to deal some residual damage to physical attackers like Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence. This set is ran with a Modest nature to secure some OHKOs, as listed above. The offensive EVs combined with a Modest nature deal decent damage to Mega Kangaskhan as well. Alternatively, a Bold nature can be run with an EV spread of 244 HP / 4 Def / 212 SpA / 28 SpD / 20 Spe, which makes Jolly Mega Salamence's Double-Edge a guaranteed 3HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery. Usage Tips Suicune is used as a support Pokemon primarily and can switch to a more offensive playstyle once Tailwind is set up. It is often advisable to switch Suicune into an incoming Fake Out from Mega Kangaskhan to take maximum advantage of Rocky Helmet. Similarly, Suicune can be safely switched into Ice- and Water-type moves to regain some momentum. Thanks to being a bulky Water-type Pokemon, Suicune does well against rain teams and can either set up Tailwind or use Snarl to weaken their offense. The primary strategy when using Suicune is to try and set up Tailwind. Once succeeded, it can give your Pokemon enormous momentum. Snarl is recommended if Suicune can't hit anything for decent damage, as it helps weaken the foes. Team Options Suicune is often paired with Mega Kangaskhan, as the latter gives Suicune Fake Out support, and does well once Tailwind is set up, easily OHKOing threats like Terrakion and Landorus-T. Tapu Lele makes a great partner to Suicune, as Psychic Terrain helps block opposing Fake Out and Prankster Taunt. Non-Choice Scarf Tapu Lele appreciates speed control to outspeed faster Pokemon like Choice Scarf Landorus-T. This also enables Suicune to use Psychic Seed, which boosts Suicune's Special Defense, allowing it to tank hits like special Gigavolt Havoc. This strategy almost always allows Suicune to set up a Tailwind, after which the duo can demolish opposing teams. Like previous formats, Breloom can be used with Suicune to use fast Spores, which is usually a reliable way to shut down Trick Room strategies. However, one has to be careful when facing Tapu Koko or Tapu Fini, as Misty Terrain and Electric Terrain prevent grounded Pokemon from being put to sleep. Tapu Bulu also works here, as it easily OHKOes popular Water-type Pokemon like Tapu Fini, which otherwise completely wall Suicune. Middling Speed Pokemon like Sylveon benefit from Tailwind's Speed boost, allowing them to spam strong moves, which deals massive damage to opposing Pokemon. Fire-type Pokemon like Heatran and Charizard can work well with Suicune, as they take out Grass-types, which usually threaten it.

This is a more defensive Suicune, designed to chip away at threats with Rocky Helmet damage. Roar is an excellent choice for preventing Suicune from getting set up on by the likes of Volcarona, and Reflect makes Suicune extremely difficult to defeat with physical attacks. Sleep Talk can be used with Rest so Suicune can deal damage while asleep, which can prevent vulnerable setup sweepers like Mega Salamence from coming in safely.

For Suicune players that want to take advantage of Calm Mind, this is the perfect set to use. Note that this Suicune focuses on sweeping, so be careful about switching it in, since it only has one drawback-free use of Rest.

This set takes advantage of Suicune's good bulk with Assault Vest to make it a reasonable offensive threat. Icy Wind may seem weak compared to Ice Beam, but the Speed drop can be very useful to support Suicune's teammates. Mirror Coat, when paired with Assault Vest, can let Suicune get surprise KOs against Electric-types such as Tapu Koko. Hidden Power Fire can be a good filler moveslot to deal decent damage to Ferrothorn. While Sheer Cold only has 20% accuracy, it can still be an effective tool against defensive Pokemon, despite its high risk.

This Suicune takes advantage of Pressure, which can quickly whittle down opposing Pokemon's PP with Substitute and Protect. Toxic further aids these goals by wearing down defensive Pokemon that have plenty of PP. While Scald may seem like an obvious choice for an attacking move, Ice Beam is acceptable if Mega Salamence needs to go down as soon as possible.

Moves Substitute allows Suicune to safely set up Calm Minds and scout the foe's moves. Calm Mind allows Suicune to become a threatening setup sweeper, as it boosts Suicune's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage. Scald is a consistent STAB attack that deals decent damage and also has a good chance to burn the foe. Roar allows Suicune to phaze the foe, thus preventing Suicune from being beaten by other bulky setup sweepers and Pokemon from attempting to set up on Suicune. Ice Beam provides excellent coverage alongside Scald, hitting most Pokemon that resist Scald for either neutral or super effective damage. Set Details The given EV spread and nature give Suicune great bulk, particularly physically, while ensuring that it is able to outspeed up to neutral-natured base 71 Speed Pokemon, which include Adamant Tyrantrum and Modest Hoopa. Leftovers gives Suicune a form of recovery, mitigating the HP loss from using Substitute. An alternative EV spread of 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe can be used should more bulk be preferred over Speed. Another alternative EV spread is 252 HP / 112 SpA / 144 Spe with a Modest nature, which should be used if more offensive prowess is favored over increased bulk. Usage Tips Suicune should be sent in against Pokemon that cannot threaten it much, such as Darmanitan and Doublade, and proceed to use them as opportunities to set up Substitute or Calm Mind. Before attempting to sweep with Suicune, be sure to weaken or remove its checks and counters. Suicune can weaken some of its own checks and counters through the use of the move in the fourth moveslot. Should Roar be used, Suicune can capitalize on predicted switches into one of its checks or counters and phaze it out, racking up entry hazard damage on the opposing team. Should Ice Beam be used, however, Suicune can capitalize on the safety of being behind a Substitute when one of its checks or counters weak to Ice is sent in and weaken or KO that switch-in with Ice Beam. Team Options Entry hazard setters, such as Bronzong and Mega Camerupt, make for good Suicune partners, as Suicune appreciates their ability to wear down the opposing team with their entry hazards. Wish users with clerical moves, such as Sylveon and Blissey, also make for good Suicune teammates, as this Suicune set lacks any form of non-Leftovers recovery and a way to remove status conditions. Suicune needs to have the opposing team weakened before it can attempt a sweep, making wallbreakers, such as Choice Band Tyrantrum and Choice Band Darmanitan, good partners. Suicune is only weak to Grass- and Electric-type attacks, so Pokemon that resist both of those types, such as Goodra and Roserade, are good partners.

Moves Calm Mind makes Suicune a terrifying bulky setup sweeper, as it boosts not only Suicune's Special Attack but also its Special Defense. Scald is a consistent STAB attack that also has a good chance to burn the foe, allowing Suicune to have an easier time against powerful physical attackers. Rest gives Suicune a form of instant recovery that not only heals it to full HP but also removes any status conditions. Sleep Talk ensures that Suicune isn't useless when it's asleep. Ice Beam is also an option in the fourth moveslot, giving Suicune super effective coverage against Grass- and Dragon-types while also having good neutral coverage in conjunction with Scald. Set Details Leftovers gives Suicune passive recovery, thus increasing its longevity. A Bold nature is used in tandem with the given EVs to maximize Suicune's physical bulk while also maintaining good special bulk. Pressure allows Suicune to outlast most defensive Pokemon that could otherwise easily wall this set, such as Blissey. Usage Tips Suicune should constantly apply pressure to the opposing team either by repeatedly using Scald to wear down its checks and counters or by posing as a constant threat by setting up against teams that don't have a solid answer to it. Suicune should only attempt to sweep once its checks and counters are either removed or weakened. Team Options Grass- and Dragon-types, such as Virizion and Hydreigon, resist both Grass- and Electric-type attacks. As Grass-types can take on most Pokemon immune to Water, they are usually better teammates than Dragon-types. Roserade gets a special mention for being able to set Toxic Spikes, which ensures Water Absorb Jellicent isn't able to check Suicune. Suicune's main checks are Electric-types, making Ground-types, such as Nidoking and Nidoqueen, good partners. Ground-types, especially specially defensive Gligar, also deal with Toxicroak and Heliolisk, which are both premier Suicune checks, with ease. Special walls, such as Blissey and Florges, are able to take on special attackers that Suicune can struggle with, while Suicune is able to take on the physical attackers that these special walls have trouble against in return. Due to Suicune's ability to force many switches, entry hazard setters, such as Forretress, are good teammates.

Moves Roar allows Suicune to phaze the opposing Pokemon; it prevents setup sweepers from setting up, racks up entry hazard damage on the opposing Pokemon, and usually prevents Suicune itself from being phazed should it attempt a sweep. Scald is a very consistent STAB attack with a good chance to burn the opposing Pokemon. Sleep Talk ensures that Suicune is less passive during sleep turns, as it has a 66% chance to select either Scald or Roar, deterring most Pokemon from attempting to use Suicune as setup fodder. Lastly, Calm Mind is an option, as it boosts Suicune's Special Attack and Special Defense, allowing it to function as a dangerous setup sweeper. Set Details Leftovers provides Suicune with a source of passive recovery, which it greatly appreciates, as it is reliant on Rest for recovery. The given EVs maximize Suicune's physical bulk, allowing it to take on the many dangerous physical attackers in the tier, such as Feraligatr and Mamoswine. When running Roar without Sleep Talk, running some speed may be worthwhile in order to phaze opposing Suicune. Usage Tips The way this set is played varies depending on whether Sleep Talk or Calm Mind is chosen in the last moveslot. Should the former be chosen, Suicune works exceptionally well on stall teams as a check to various threatening physical attackers and setup sweepers, such as Swords Dance Feraligatr and Curse Snorlax. Should the latter be chosen, however, Suicune helps its team with role compression by being able to fulfill the role of a bulky setup sweeper as well as a good, albeit softer, check to the physical attackers and setup sweepers previously mentioned. Regardless of which move is chosen, Suicune should generally be capitalizing on the switches it forces by either phazing the incoming Pokemon to rack up entry hazard damage or attacking the incoming Pokemon with Scald to try to burn it. Team Options Ground-types, such as Nidoqueen and Gligar, are immune to the Electric-type attacks usually aimed at Suicune while Suicune resists the Ice- and Water-type attacks aimed at those Ground-types. Ground-types are also commonly used as entry hazard setters, making them even better partners to Suicune by helping it wear down its foes. Ground-types do not resist Grass-type attacks, however, and some Ground-types are weak to them, so be sure to have a Pokemon resistant to Grass when pairing Suicune with a Ground-type. Grass-types resist both of Suicune's weaknesses, and Suicune resists two of their weaknesses in Fire and Ice. Roserade and Chesnaught get special mentions, as they are able to set up Spikes for Suicune. Suicune forces many switches by virtue of its ability to phaze opposing Pokemon, so entry hazard setters, such as Cobalion and Mega Aggron, are good partners. Toxic Spikes users, such as Tentacruel and Dragalge, can cripple many of Suicune's checks and counters as they switch in. Should Calm Mind be used in the fourth moveslot, clerics, such as Florges and Umbreon, make for excellent partners, as they can wake Suicune up after it uses Rest, preventing it wasting turns.

Moves Calm Mind boosts Suicune's Special Attack and Special Defense, making it a threatening special sweeper. Hydro Pump is a powerful, albeit unreliable, STAB attack. Scald, on the other hand, is a less powerful but consistent STAB attack that also has a chance to burn the foe. Ice Beam has good coverage in tandem with Suicune's STAB attack of choice, hitting Dragon-, and Grass-type Pokemon for super effective damage. Tailwind allows Suicune to sweep past more offensively oriented teams, and support its teammates by giving them a Speed boost. Hidden Power Electric gives Suicune super effective coverage against Water-types. Extrasensory is also an option in the fourth moveslot to hit Toxicroak, a common Suicune check, for super effective damage. Lastly, Hidden Power Grass is an option to hit Swampert and Seismitoad for super effective damage. Set Details The given EV spread maximizes Suicune's damage output and Speed, and a Timid nature is used to ensure Suicune is able to outspeed some important threats in the metagame, including Mamoswine, Feraligatr, and Chandelure. Leftovers gives Suicune a form of passive recovery, thus extending its longevity. An alternative EV spread consisting of 200 HP / 252 SpA / 56 Spe with a Modest nature is also usable for Tailwind variants, as this EV spread gives Suicune more bulk to be able to set up Tailwind, and the given Speed EVs allow Suicune to outspeed Mega Aerodactyl under Tailwind. Usage Tips Suicune should only attempt to sweep after all its checks and counters have been either significantly weakened or removed. Depending on its moves, these checks and counters vary. For instance, Vaporeon can easily outlast most variants of this set. However, if running Hidden Power Electric in the fourth moveslot, this set can easily use Vaporeon as setup bait and proceed to sweep the opposing team. This set is also, for the most part, unexpected, so it can be used to lure in threats that commonly switch in on Suicune, such as Rotom-C and Hydreigon. Team Options Wallbreakers, such as Choice Band Heracross and Choice Specs Kyurem, weaken walls, thus allowing Suicune to sweep more easily. Sweepers, such as Dragon Dance Haxorus and Swords Dance Lucario, can capitalize on Suicune's ability to weaken the opposing team. Due to Suicune's ability to force many switches, entry hazard setters, such as Empoleon and Krookodile, are helpful teammates. Suicune is weak to Grass- and Electric-type attacks, so Dragon-types and Grass-types, such as Hydreigon and Whimsicott, respectively, can switch in on those attacks.

Moves Tailwind is Suicune's main form of speed control, allowing your offensive team members to outspeed and KO the opposing Pokemon with their powerful spread moves, such as Geomancy-boosted Xerneas, which is one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame. Scald is Suicune's primary STAB move to OHKO any opposing Primal Groudon if Air Lock or Primordial Sea is active and can be used on most physical attackers thanks to its 30% burn chance. Icy Wind is generally used as an additional form of speed control and hits Mega Salamence and Rayquaza super effectively, while Ice Beam deals higher amounts of damage to those Pokemon. Roar is often used as an option to phaze Geomancy-boosted Xerneas to reset its boosts as well as stop the activation of Trick Room, which is important because Suicune is primarily used on fast, offensive teams. Roar also has the added utility of phazing Smeargle to get rid of annoying Moody boosts. Snarl can be used in the final slot to provide additional disruption, weakening Primal Kyogre and Xerneas. Set Details Sitrus Berry is used to maximize Suicune's longevity, but Lum Berry can be used to lead against Smeargle users and set up Tailwind as early as possible to begin your team's offensive onslaught. Unfortunately, Suicune's ability, Pressure, doesn't make much of an impact in this format, other than making Eruption run out of PP much faster. This set is EVed to survive as many physical attacks as possible. 252 HP and 156 Defense EVs along with a Bold nature give Suicune enough physical bulk to have a 10.5% chance to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent. Additionally, this spread makes sure Suicune survives Mega Rayquaza's Helping Hand-boosted Dragon Ascent, which happens to be one of the strongest physical attacks available in the VGC 2016 metagame. 100 Special Defense EVs help Suicune survive +2 Xerneas's Moonblast 87.5% of the time, which allows it to retaliate with a Roar after taking a hit. Usage Tips Suicune's primary usage is that of a support Pokemon similar to Cresselia. Keep Suicune on the field to disrupt your opponent's Pokemon while ensuring you have a form of speed control on the field. Suicune is often used with Rayquaza to take advantage of Air Lock, allowing it to hit Talonflame and Primal Groudon with a super effective Scald, which usually OHKOes the latter. Leading Suicune against a Trick Room team to Roar their setter away is often the preferred play, though it should be wary of redirectors. Suicune should lead with a Fake Out user to help it set up Tailwind or phaze the opposing threats, allowing you to gain momentum as quickly as possible. Icy Wind is commonly used against Rayquaza + Primal Kyogre teams when paired with a Primal Groudon, as a combination of Eruption and Icy Wind is usually enough to KO Rayquaza on the switch, securing you the win. Additionally, Icy Wind can be used against teams with both Primal Reversions that have their own Tailwind, which allows your Pokemon to be the fastest on the field. Roar can be used against such teams as well to shut down any Trick Room attempt. As people are aware of Roar's existence, they might bait Suicune into using Roar on their Xerneas, only to hit you with a Moonblast or Dazzling Gleam, making you lose momentum. Team Options Rayquaza makes an excellent partner to any Water-type Pokemon like Kyogre or Suicune. Rayquaza hurts Dragon-types and Primal Kyogre hard, which usually wall Suicune. Primal Groudon is immune to Electric-type moves, usually from Thundurus, forming a good core with Suicune and Rayquaza while providing some switch options. It also is often used to KO Mega Mawile and Ferrothorn, two of the metagame's biggest Steel-type threats, which can easily take down any Rayquaza that doesn't run Overheat. It should be noted that Groudon's Desolate Land is counterproductive with Water-types, forcing the player to run a weather-negating ability like Cloud Nine or Rayquaza's Air Lock for the core to function effectively. As Mega Rayquaza + Primal Kyogre and Xerneas + Primal Kyogre teams may be the most difficult matchups for this trio, Ferrothorn is often run alongside Suicune, since it hits Kyogre and Xerneas hard for super effective damage. Xerneas itself is a good partner to Suicune, when paired with Rayquaza, since Suicune can stop any Trick Room attempts that thwart Xerneas and also takes down Primal Groudon when Air Lock is active. Geomancy-boosted Xerneas along with Suicune's Roar to stop Trick Room forms a formidable core. Electric-types such as Thundurus make solid partners for Suicune, damaging most Water-types like Primal Kyogre that wall Suicune for super effective damage while providing an additional form of speed control via Thunder Wave and using Taunt to shut down Smeargle, which usually gives Suicune a lot of trouble. Raichu can work in this slot as well to draw out Electric-type attacks thanks to its Lightning Rod ability and to provide Fake Out support. Steel-types like Scizor are worth a mention, as they can help take down Xerneas + Mega Rayquaza teams, which usually use a hyper offensive playstyle. Scizor's priority attacks can be used to deal with Smeargle as well, one of the most-used Pokemon in the format. One of the unrestricted Pokemon often used with Suicune is Mega Kangaskhan, as Fake Out support is vital to any team when trying to establish a form of speed control.

Outspeeds max speed base 95. This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Moves Tailwind doubles the Speed of Suicune and its allies for four turns and serves as a good utility move to allow slower Pokemon to become fast offensive threats. Hydro Pump is used to allow Suicune to provide serviceable offensive pressure, having a high chance to OHKO Mega Diancie always 2HKOing Heatran, though it should only be used if Suicune's team is heavily reliant on it to check both Mega Diancie and Heatran. Scald is used as both a STAB attack to soild deal damage and a utility move to possibly burn physical attackers; it also has perfect accuracy, unlike Hydro Pump. Ice Beam provides nice coverage against Dragon- and Flying-types such as Hydreigon and Landorus-T. Snarl provides utility and allows Suicune to support its team by weakening opposing special attackers. Snarl is also great for catching Rotom-W and Thundurus on the switch-in and helping to reduce the opposing team's amount of offensive pressure on Suicune specifically. Snarl, however, should not be used on teams with a notable weakness to Bisharp. Alternatively, Protect keeps Suicune safe for a turn while it waits to reset Tailwind or its partner takes care of a threat. Set Details Sitrus Berry provides immediate recovery, improving Suicune's longevity. Leftovers can be used over Sitrus Berry for more gradual HP recovery, but Sitrus Berry is generally a better fit. The Defense EVs with a Bold nature and Sitrus Berry allow Suicune to avoid the 2HKO from Adamant Mega Kangaskhan's Return. The Speed EVs allow it to outspeed Deoxys-A and Mega Aerodactyl when Tailwind is up. The given Special Defense investment allows Suicune to always survive two Thunderbolts from standard bulky Rotom-W with the aid of a Sitrus Berry. The remaining EVs are placed in Special Attack to boost Suicune's power, netting it OHKOs on Landorus-T and Salamence with Ice Beam. Usage Tips Suicune typically works best early- and mid-game, using Tailwind to either gain or restore momentum. Thanks to its bulk, Suicune is a fantastic switch-in to most neutral attacks, so it has use staying in the back and switching in for a frailer teammate. With Snarl, it's able to severely hinder any powerful special attacker, such as Kyurem-B, and even boosting ones, such as Calm Mind Cresselia. Use Snarl sparingly when the opposing team has Bisharp, as the move activates Defiant, giving Bisharp a +2 Attack boost and allowing it to apply heavy offensive pressure to your team. There are many Pokemon in Doubles OU that don't have a good matchup against Suicune, most notably Steel- and Water-types. Because of this, Suicune can be a great wincon late-game, soaking up hits, possibly burning threats with Scald, and slowing wearing down a foe. Team Options Suicune works fantastic in bulky Fire / Water / Grass cores with Pokemon like Heatran and Mega Venusaur. These types of Pokemon work very well together by having fantastic defensive synergy and typing coverage, providing an extremely solid defensive backbone that can be hard to break. Fake Out users such as Mega Kangaskhan can help Suicune set up Tailwind successfully. Amoonguss is a particularly good partner for Suicune, as it can redirect Electric-type attacks while Suicune sets up Tailwind or takes care of opposing Fire- and Flying-types. As Suicune is mainly used for Tailwind, it works well with Pokemon that benefit from it, such as Breloom and Mega Kangaskhan. Pokemon that can deal with opposing Grass- and Electric-type attacks such as Kyurem-B and Landorus-T also make for good partners.

Moves Scald is Suicune's primary way of dealing damage and can cripple Pokemon that switch in with a burn. Calm Mind turns Suicune into a fearsome setup sweeper by increasing its Special Attack and Special Defense, making it stronger and harder to take down. Rest recovers all of Suicune's health and relieves it of any status condition it may have. Sleep Talk makes Suicune not a sitting duck after using Rest by granting it chances to use its moves while asleep. Roar can be used over Sleep Talk to improve Suicune's matchup against Pokemon that are immune to Water-type attacks, such as Desolate Land Heatran, by shuffling them around and slowly wearing them down with entry hazards. It also allows Suicune to phaze slower opposing phazers such as Mandibuzz. Set Details The given EV spread with a Bold nature maximizes Suicune's physical bulk, allowing it to take strong physical hits while boosting its Special Defense with Calm Mind. Leftovers grants Suicune passive recovery to increase its longevity. Unaware helps Suicune take on boosting Pokemon such as Snorlax and Lucario. Usage Tips Early-game, it is often wise to click Scald as much as possible, as many of Suicune's switch-ins heavily dislike a burn and cannot wall Suicune as effectively when inflicted with one. Suicune can set up on passive Pokemon such as Chansey and physical attackers such as Entei that it checks because they fail to break through Suicune's solid Defense. Thanks to Unaware, it can also set up on boosting sweepers such as Mega Charizard X. If facing foes immune to Water, such as Desolate Land Heatran and Victini, have a teammate set up as many entry hazards as possible and then send in Suicune to shuffle the opposing team around with Roar, slowly whittling down their health. If not using Roar, simply baiting them in and then switching out as they come in also reduces their health if entry hazards are up. Suicune has a decent matchup against all playstyles, especially against passive stall teams without an Unaware user that doesn't mind Scald burns. Team Options Dragon-types such as Latios and Goodra that can take on Desolate Land users such as Heatran and Victini are great teammates because Suicune has a lot to fear from them. Entry hazards from Pokemon like Ferrothorn are a must if using Roar, as without them, Desolate Land users still don't have a lot to fear from Suicune. Grass-types such as Celebi and Ferrothorn can be quite annoying, as can bulky Water-types, making Pokemon like Latios and Desolate Land Heatran good teammates to take them on. Other bulky Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Goodra can cover each other's weaknesses and form a stall team together. Because stall teams tend to be somewhat passive, Suicune's teammates really appreciate it checking boosting sweepers such as Swords Dance Absol and Lucario.

Moves Scald is Suicune's main way of dealing damage to the foe and helps Suicune sweep by threatening Pokemon that switch in with a 30% chance to burn. Calm Mind grants Suicune a way of boosting its Special Attack and Special Defense, which, coupled with its high Defense, turns Suicune into a formidable setup sweeper. Protect gives Suicune a shield to hide behind to recover more of its health with Poison Heal. Roar allows Suicune to defeat opposing Suicune without Roar, phazes Pokemon that would otherwise use Suicune as setup fodder, and, coupled with entry hazards, allows Suicune to defeat Desolate Land users such as Heatran and Victini in the long run. Ice Beam is another solid option in the last moveslot, as it deals with Grass-types such as Shaymin-S and some Celebi variants, as well as Dragon-types such as Latios. Set Details The given EV spread with a Bold nature maximizes Suicune's physical bulk, allowing it to take on physical attackers such as Doublade and Entei while it boosts its Special Defense and Special Attack with Calm Mind. A Toxic Orb together with Poison Heal gives Suicune great passive recovery so that it is not worn down too fast and grants Suicune a pseudo-immunity to status ailments. Usage Tips It's often a good idea to use Scald a lot early-game, as burns wear down a lot of Suicune's checks. Set up on Pokemon that cannot do a lot of damage to Suicune, such as Doublade, Chansey, Entei, and non-Desolate Land Heatran. If facing foes immune to Water, have a teammate set up as many entry hazards as possible, and then send in Suicune shuffle the foe around with Roar, slowly whittling down their health. However, if the opponent has a Magic Bounce user, this can be turned against you. Protect can be used to scout the moves of foes, particularly Choice-locked Pokemon such as some Genesect and Raikou. Watch out with using Protect, though, as while the extra Poison Heal recovery is often appreciated, it also provides a free turn for the foe to do whatever they want, such as set up a boosting move or lay down entry hazards. Do not be too afraid of super effective attacks because Suicune usually has enough bulk and recovery to take at least one of them, especially with a Calm Mind boost under its belt. You have to be very careful around Pokemon that can carry Knock Off, Trick, or a status move that doesn't inflict poison before Suicune has activated its Toxic Orb, as failing to do so heavily cripples Suicune for the rest of the match. Team Options Suicune struggles a lot with Pokemon immune to Water, especially Desolate Land users such as Heatran, so Pokemon that can take them on, such as Goodra, are good teammates. Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Heatran that can set entry hazards are great teammates to force the opposing team to take extra chip damage, especially if Suicune is using Roar. Other defensive Pokemon, such as Skarmory and Chansey, make for great partners because they can cover each other's weaknesses quite well on a stall team. Additionally, Suicune is quite a momentum killer on purely offensive teams and thus should not be used on one under normal circumstances. Pokemon like Latios and Refrigerate Thundurus, which can take on Grass-types such as Celebi and Water-types such as opposing Roar Suicune, are great teammates because Suicune struggles a lot with them.

Moves Tailwind and Icy Wind give Suicune the ability to raise its team's Speed and lower the foe's, respectively; this places a great deal of offensive pressure on the opponent. Scald is Suicune's primary attacking move; it receives STAB and has a 30% chance to burn the foe, which is great in a metagame filled with physical attackers. Ice Beam has good offensive synergy with Scald and allows Suicune to hit top-metagame threats such as Mega Salamence and Landorus-T for 4x super effective damage. Protect gives Suicune longevity and allows a turn for a teammate to check anything threatening Suicune; it also works well with Pressure to stall out low-PP moves such as Draco Meteor and Heat Wave. Snarl gives Suicune the ability to lower the Special Attack stat of potent threats such as Sylveon and Aegislash while doing some damage. Set Details The given EV spread allows Suicune to outspeed Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T during Tailwind and OHKO it with Ice Beam. The remaining EVs are invested in HP and defenses to give Suicune the most opportunities to support its team. Sitrus Berry is the go-to item for defensive Pokemon, giving them reliable instant recovery, but if another team member is already using Sitrus Berry, Rocky Helmet is a viable option. Usage Tips Keep Tailwind up as often as possible, as this keeps up offensive pressure and allows your Pokemon to attack first in most cases. Scald can be used in an attempt to burn physical attackers such as Terrakion and Mega Kangaskhan. Snarl helps Suicune and its teammates take special attacks better, so if you opt for that be sure to utilize it when facing common special attackers. Team Options Suicune pairs well with Pokemon that appreciate the Speed boost from Tailwind, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Breloom, Sylveon, and Mega Gardevoir. Suicune appreciates Fake Out, Rage Powder, and Follow Me users such as Mega Kangaskhan, Infernape, Volcarona, Amoonguss, and Clefable, as they give it an easier time setting up Tailwind with their respective moves. Fire- and Grass-type Pokemon such as Volcarona, Entei, Heatran, Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Breloom have great defensive synergy with Suicune, by forming a Fire / Water / Grass core.

Moves Scald and Hydro Pump are both solid options for a Water-type attacking move. Scald has the chance to burn the foe, whereas Hydro Pump may be preferred for its higher Base Power. Ice Beam has great offensive synergy with either Water-type attack and gives Suicune the ability to hit most Pokemon for neutral damage. Tailwind gives Suicune the ability to outpace a good chunk of the metagame while supporting its teammates. Calm Mind gives Suicune the ability to take advantage of foes using Protect by boosting its Special Attack and Special Defense. Protect can give a teammate the opportunity to deal with a threat to Suicune or just to shield Suicune from unnecessary damage for a turn. Rest pairs well with Calm Mind and can be used in conjunction with Chesto Berry for semi-reliable instant recovery. Set Details The given EV spread allows Suicune to outpace Adamant Bisharp, optimize Special Attack, and maintain solid overall bulk. An alternative EV spread utilizing 236 Speed EVs can be used if you prefer to outspeed Jolly Breloom, but you run the risk of being OHKOed by certain attacks such as Choice Specs Hydreigon's Draco Meteor if you drop Suicune's HP investment. If Sitrus Berry and Chesto Berry are already being used by a member of your team Suicune can opt to run Splash Plate, Rocky Helmet, or Leftovers. Usage Tips Use Suicune's bulk to tank powerful attacks such as Draco Meteor, and retaliate back with a powerful Scald, Hydro Pump, or Ice Beam. Tailwind should be used in situations where both Suicune and its teammate appreciate the Speed boost and there is nothing to threaten Suicune. Use Calm Mind when given the opportunity; it's not wise to actively try to boost Suicune's stats, but rather to take advantage of predicted Protects. Team Options Suicune pairs well with Pokemon that appreciate the Speed boost from Tailwind, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Breloom, Sylveon, and Mega Gardevoir. Suicune appreciates the setup opportunies that support Pokemon such as Raichu and Amoonguss bring if it chooses to run Calm Mind. Thanks to its powerful Water-type attacks, Suicune can support Pokemon that appreciate Fire-type Pokemon removed such as Scizor and Mega Metagross.

Moves Scald is Suicune's best STAB move, as the high chance to burn is very valuable. Ice Beam hits a lot of common targets such as Garchomp and Mega Salamence and offers nice coverage on Pokemon that resist Water such as Breloom and Serperior. Icy Wind can be used instead, as it still 2HKOes many common Ice-weak Pokemon, and with some Speed investment, Suicune can outspeed them the next turn to avoid more damage. Rest gives Suicune some recovery; it ensures Suicune doesn't go down too soon and allows more turns of Rocky Helmet damage to rack up. Roar helps stop setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Garchomp, Dragon Dance Mega Salamence, Calm Mind Suicune, Calm Mind Slowbro, and Quiver Dance Volcarona. Mirror Coat can help Suicune take out some special attackers that would be tough to deal with otherwise such as Rotom-W, Thundurus, and Gengar. Toxic can wear down other defensive Pokemon such as Cresselia and Porygon2. It can also be nice to stack residual damage alongside Rocky Helmet against physical attackers. Reflect lets Suicune beat Mega Kangaskhan and other physical attackers very well. It can also help teammates out if Suicune goes down. Sleep Talk can be used alongside Rest if you want the chance to attack while Suicune is sleeping after Rest. Set Details Maximum HP and Defense investment is used because this set is used primarily to deal with physical attackers such as Blaziken and Mega Kangaskhan. When you're using Icy Wind, an alternate spread of 252 HP / 188 Def / 4 SpA / 4 SpD / 60 Spe with a Bold nature can be used; this spread allows Suicune to outspeed Garchomp after a Speed drop while maximizing Suicune's bulk. Rocky Helmet is used mainly for Mega Kangaskhan, as Parental Bond will activate Rocky Helmet twice, but it is also useful for other physical Pokemon that make contact such as Blaziken, Mega Salamence, and Talonflame. It is especially nice against these Pokemon because they often use moves with recoil and therefore get a ton of residual damage, making it easier for Suicune to finish them off. Pressure is the only ability Suicune has, but it can sometimes be useful to stall out the foe's moves, especially ones with only 8 PP. Usage Tips This set is used primarily to take on physical attackers; it can tank hits and use Rocky Helmet to put things closer to KO range. Suicune can switch directly into threats such as Mega Kangaskhan and Blaziken, as Rocky Helmet will rack up a lot of damage and can potentially take out Mega Kangaskhan after Double-Edge recoil. However, if you need Suicune to survive for the rest of the match, you should be wary taking these powerful Pokemon on, as Double-Edge from Adamant Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence have the potential to 2HKO. For the most success Suicune should be brought in on a free turn if possible, after a Pokemon faints or via Volt Switch or U-turn. Coming in safely guarantees Suicune can get an attack off on Pokemon that are able to 2HKO it. Roar can be used when you expect your opponent to switch; this shuffles out what will probably be their answer to Suicune coming in. This is especially effective when Stealth Rock is up to get a bit of chip damage. Mirror Coat is optimal against special attackers that your team struggles with and Suicune might not be able to win against such as defensive Rotom-W and Sylveon. This should usually only be used when Suicune isn't as valuable to you anymore, as it will often have to take a big hit in the process, which will make it easy to revenge kill afterwards. Team Options Suicune works well with offensive teams, as with all the chip damage Suicune is able to get with Rocky Helmet, Toxic, and Scald, it can wear down teams very nicely for its teammates. Blaziken appreciates Suicune's ability to handle Talonflame and Mega Salamence. Since both these Pokemon often use moves with recoil, Suicune's Rocky Helmet is able to really hinder them, and Suicune threatens each of them with super effective attacks. When you're using Roar, a Pokemon with Stealth Rock synergizes very well. Good setters include Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Hippowdon. Focus Sash Garchomp and Mamoswine can also deal with Electric-types such as Thundurus and Raikou. Ferrothorn can also set Stealth Rock and can deal with some Water-types Suicune might struggle with such as Azumarill. Mega Kangaskhan appreciates Suicune's ability to deal with Pokemon such as Blaziken, Mega Salamence, and Garchomp. With faster threatening Pokemon being dealt with, Mega Kangaskhan has a much easier time. Garchomp appreciates Suicune dealing with Mamoswine and opposing Garchomp. Suicune can also switch into Talonflame, which could burn Garchomp. If running Toxic, Suicune can also help deal with Cresselia and Porygon2. Breloom helps deal with Water-types like Rotom-W and Azumarill. Rock Tomb can make it easier for Suicune to take out certain Pokemon such as Thundurus and Choice Band Dragonite after Breloom goes down. Volcarona likes having Suicune around to deal with Talonflame and Mega Salamence, making it easier to pull off a sweep. Volcarona can also set up on Pokemon Suicune struggles with such as Serperior and Ferrothorn, Lum Berry ensures Volcarona can take a paralysis from either of them as well. Nasty Plot Thundurus can muscle past Rotom-W and opposing Suicune, which are difficult for Suicune to handle. Thundurus can also spread paralysis around so Suicune's Speed doesn't hinder it as much. In return, Suicune can switch into many Thundurus checks such as Mamoswine and Tyranitar. Aegislash can switch into Sylveon, which hits Suicune really hard. Suicune also deals with some Fire-types such as Heatran and Blaziken for Aegislash. Thundurus-T can be a nice teammate able to switch into Electric-types such as Thundurus for Suicune and also easily take out Water-types that Suicune can't break through, while Suicune deals with Mamoswine and other fast Ground-types that threaten Thundurus-T.

Moves Calm Mind is used to give Suicune a threatening offensive presence; Calm Mind makes Suicune harder for Special Attackers to take on and able to potentially sweep teams. Scald is Suicune's best STAB move because of the high chance to burn, which cripples physical attackers and helps break through bulky Pokemon faster. Ice Beam hits common targets such as Garchomp and Mega Salamence and offers nice coverage against some Grass- and Flying-types such as Breloom and Thundurus. Rest gives Suicune recovery and helps to avoid getting Toxic stalled from the likes of Cresselia and Porygon2. Set Details Maximum HP and Defense investment is used to take on the many common physical attackers in the format that Suicune can handle, such as Blaziken and Garchomp. Suicune doesn't need to invest in Special Defense because Calm Mind takes care of its Special Defense nicely. Chesto Berry is used so Rest can be used as a reliable option for recovery. It is much more consistent than using up a moveslot on Sleep Talk, which takes up Suicune's coverage and makes you risk wasting two turns. Pressure is the only ability available to Suicune, but it can be very useful to stall out moves, especially ones with only 8 PP. Usage Tips Suicune should try to get Calm Minds up before special attackers come in. Using Calm Mind allows Suicune to put pressure on the opponent; it can set up on foes it threatens out, and the boosts allow it to better take on whatever switches in. Defensive Pokemon such as Cresselia and Hippowdon can easily be used as setup fodder thanks to Rest and Chesto Berry getting rid of any status. Against strong Pokemon such as Mega Salamence and Blaziken, it is usually be better to attack because they are able to 2HKO Suicune, so setting up Calm Mind could cost you the game. Suicune should be wary of other special attackers that can set up, as it won't usually be able to beat them, such as Nasty Plot Thundurus and other Calm Mind Pokemon that will usually come out on top. Team Options Suicune works well with Mega Kangaskhan, as Suicune can set up on defensive Pokemon that Mega Kangaskhan struggles to beat such as Cresselia and Hippowdon. Suicune also beats offensive Pokemon that can threaten Mega Kangaskhan such as Blaziken and Garchomp. Mega Gengar can trap threats to Suicune like bulky Grass-types such as Serperior and Mega Venusaur. Mega Gengar can usually beat defensive Rotom-W with status and Hex as well as burn Mega Kangaskhan with Will-O-Wisp so Suicune doesn't have to rely on Scald burns, making it much easier for Suicune to deal with. Blaziken likes Suicune as a teammate because Suicune can deal with Ground-types such as Garchomp and Landorus-T. Suicune also handles Mega Salamence decently so Blaziken doesn't need to worry about it. Mamoswine can help Suicune deal with Thundurus and Zapdos. Garchomp appreciates Suicune because it can use Cresselia as setup fodder and handle Mamoswine easily. Taking these Pokemon out can make it much easier for a Choice Scarf or Swords Dance Garchomp to clean up. Talonflame and Mega Salamence can help take out bulky Grass-types for Suicune. Suicune can also help deal with threats such as Tyranitar and Heatran for Talonflame, and Mamoswine for Mega Salamence. Thundurus can help spread paralysis around so Suicune can outspeed more Pokemon, making it earlier for Suicune to take them out or set up Calm Mind against them. Thundurus can also take out bulky Water-types for Suicune such as Slowbro, Jellicent, and opposing Suicune. Suicune can also help deal with threats to Thundurus such as Tyranitar and Ground-types like Mamoswine, Excadrill, and Garchomp. Serperior can deal with bulky Water-types and also Breloom thanks to Reflect and Rocky Helmet. Suicune also appreciates the paralysis support from Serperior and helps deal with Pokemon that threaten Serperior such as Blaziken and Talonflame.

Moves Scald is Suicune's best STAB move; it might seem to synergize poorly with Toxic, but there are some situations against physical attackers where it is better to burn the opposing Pokemon rather than badly poison it. Substitute is used to avoid status such as burn and poison while also taking less damage from attacks each turn it's used. Substitute can also be useful to avoid being taken out by OHKO moves from Pokemon such as Mamoswine and Glalie. Toxic can be used to stall Pokemon out, taking advantage of Substitute and Protect to use up as many turns of Toxic as possible. Calm Mind gives Suicune the potential to sweep and a good offensive presence; it can set up Substitutes and boost behind them against a lot of defensive Pokemon such as Cresselia and Porygon2. Protect synergizes well with Substitute, as it gives Suicune free turns to get more Leftovers recovery and allows Suicune to make more Substitutes throughout the match. This can also work well with Pressure, as with Substitute and Protect, Suicune can quickly stall out low-PP moves such as Leaf Storm and Fissure. Protect can also mess with Blaziken running High Jump Kick, as they will take 50% when attacking against Protect. Ice Beam can be used for some coverage, which is especially nice with Calm Mind, as it helps against Mega Salamence and Serperior and takes out Garchomp faster. Set Details The HP investment hits a Leftovers number, giving Suicune more recovery each turn to make more Substitutes. The Speed EVs with a Timid nature let Suicune outspeed positive-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon such as Mamoswine. The remaining EVs are spread out between defenses, with more in Special Defense so Porygon2 gets an Attack raise from Download. Alternatively, maximum Speed investment can be run to outrun neutral-natured maximum Speed Gliscor and Speed tie with Modest Hydreigon, sacrificing some EVs in each defense to make room. Contrary to other Suicune sets, this one has less bulk because the main goal is to use Substitute to take attacks most of the time, so more bulk isn't needed. Leftovers is necessary to make more Substitutes. Although Pressure is the only usable ability, it works great with this set to stall out moves with Substitute and Protect. An alternate spread of 244 / 44 Def / 220 Spe with a Bold nature can be used; this spread lets Suicune outspeed up to maximum Speed base 80s with a neutral nature and focuses more on its bulk, allowing it to play more closely to a tank set. Usage Tips This set does very well against defensive Pokemon and stall teams. It can set up Substitutes on passive Pokemon such as Cresselia and Slowbro, as Substitute will dodge any status they try to use, and most attacks from them won't be able to break Suicune's Substitute in one turn. Substitute should be used when you're expecting your opponents to switch to get the advantage next turn. Toxic should be used on most defensive Pokemon and Pokemon that you don't need to burn with Scald. When up against a physical attacker such as Mega Kangaskhan or Garchomp, Scald should be used over Toxic to get a potential burn, which will be much more useful. Once a Pokemon is badly poisoned Suicune, should continuously use Substitute and Protect until the Pokemon is in range where Scald is enough to finish it off. When using Calm Mind, Suicune should try to use Substitute against Pokemon that can't break it, using defensive Pokemon as setup fodder to get as many Calm Minds as possible. Once Suicune gets a couple boosts and is behind a Substitute, it becomes very difficult to deal with. Against Pokemon with low-PP moves, Substitute and Protect with Pressure can help counter them. This is especially good against Serperior, as it is a common Suicune check and some sets often run Leaf Storm as their only move. When running Calm Mind, paralysis support can help a lot when trying to set up so Suicune can use Substitute in front of Pokemon that would otherwise outspeed it, and getting Substitute on a full paralysis gives Suicune a huge advantage. Team Options Physical attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan, Garchomp, Blaziken, and Mega Salamence all appreciate Suicune's ability to deal with physical walls such as Cresselia and Slowbro easily with Toxic. Mega Gengar can use the Toxic Suicune inflicts to do more damage with Hex. It can also trap threats to Suicune such as Sylveon. Thundurus helps deal with opposing Suicune, as Rest variants can be hard for Toxic Suicune to deal with. It also provides paralysis support for sets with Calm Mind, as Suicune can set up Substitutes on the slowed Pokemon and really take advantage of free turns from full paralyses. Suicune also deals with Mamoswine for Thundurus. Bulky Serperior can help deal with Ferrothorn and Breloom; Breloom is especially threatening to Suicune because it very often runs Bullet Seed, which will break through Suicune's Substitutes. Serperior can also use Glare to support Calm Mind in setting up. Mega Salamence works well with Suicune, as it can deal with Mega Venusaur and Breloom, and Suicune can deal with Mamoswine, Cresselia, and Porygon2 for Salamence. Mamoswine really appreciates Cresselia and Porygon2 being badly poisoned and can deal with Thundurus for Suicune. Cresselia can work on teams with this Suicune, as without high Defense investment, it becomes harder for Suicune to deal with threats such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence. Cresselia can also offer paralysis support for Calm Mind sets and use Lunar Dance to bring Suicune back to full health if it gets too low after using Substitute so many times. In return, Suicune does well against other defensive Pokemon like Porygon2, which Cresselia has trouble doing much damage to. When you're running Toxic, other teammates with Substitute can also take advantage of Toxic such as Mega Salamence with Substitute and Roost and Gliscor with Poison Heal. Landorus-T appreciates Cresselia being badly poisoned and can U-turn when it expects Cresselia to come in to allow Suicune to come in for free so Suicune doesn't have to risk switching into Toxic from Cresselia.

With above-average bulk and a great typing, Suicune can use a Tailwind set to great effect. After Tailwind is set up, Suicune has no problem outpacing faster Pokemon such as Terrakion and Infernape. The choice of Water-type STAB is down to personal preference: Scald gives Suicune a 100% accurate move with a decent burn rate, while a Life Orb-boosted Hydro Pump can OHKO Tyranitar in neutral weather, though its accuracy is shaky and its PP is low. Ice Beam lets Suicune hit Pokemon such as Garchomp, Dragonite, and Latios for super effective damage, and also dents Zapdos and Thundurus. Calm Mind is a nice option that allows Suicune to use its great bulk to its advantage, making it even harder to KO. Protect is also a viable option, shielding Suicune from damage. The item choice depends on what Suicune needs to accomplish most. With a Wacan Berry, Zapdos's Thunder will never KO Suicune, enabling it to set up Tailwind or hit Zapdos with Ice Beam. Life Orb is also a viable option as the power boost lets Suicune hit harder; with a Life Orb equipped, Ice Beam can 2HKO 140/0 Zapdos. Sitrus Berry, once activated, restores a nice amount of health, and can provide a Suicune a crucial extra turn in the fight. In Tailwind, the above EV spread allows Suicune to outpace Modest Ludicolo in the rain, as well as Choice Scarf Terrakion. Maximum Special Attack enables Suicune to hold its own offensively once Tailwind is set up; the remaining EVs are placed in HP to increase Suicune's survivability. Terrakion and Tyranitar make good teammates, as they deal heavy damage to Zapdos and most other Electric-types that threaten to 2HKO Suicune. Abomasnow can cancel opposing weather by summoning hail via Snow Warning, and can dispatch Thundurus and Zapdos with a STAB Blizzard.

Suicune's superb bulk and excellent defensive typing makes it one of the few viable Pokemon in VGC 2012 that can use a ChestoRest set. It is also one of the better Calm Mind users because of its good bulk, decent Speed and Special Attack stats, and great offensive STAB. This set aims to set up a few Calm Mind boosts, support the team by utilizing Icy Wind, and using Rest to recover any damage taken. The choice of Water-type STAB is, again, a personal preference. Scald grants consistent damage and a decent chance to burn the opponent, but Hydro Pump can rip through teams after Suicune gets enough Calm Mind boosts. Only a critical hit can bring Suicune down if it has the opportunity to set up. The EV spread given allows Suicune to outpace 252+ Thundurus after an Icy Wind, while also maximizing its massive bulk. Sleep Talk can be used over Icy Wind to let Suicune continue attacking while asleep, but Rest + Chesto Berry is usually sufficient. In addition, note that mono-attacking Suicune is vulnerable to Storm Drain and Water Absorb users, so a Grass-type Pokemon such as Ludicolo or Amoonguss works well in checking these Pokemon. Finally, Pressure helps Suicune by stalling out low PP moves, such as Draco Meteor. Hitmontop is an excellent partner, as Intimidate and Fake Out help Suicune set up Calm Minds. A Rage Powder or Follow Me partner is also very viable because it gives Suicune more turns to set up as well. With Zapdos and Thundurus being extremely common, Pokemon such as Abomasnow and Tyranitar also make great partners, as they can dispatch these threats. Pokemon such as Garchomp and Rotom who can outpace most Pokemon after an Icy Wind from Suicune can opt to go with bulkier spreads, as Icy Wind reduces the need for them to invest as much in Speed. Finally, Pokemon with Psych Up can take advantage of all the Calm Mind boosts Suicune accumulates, letting them hit extremely hard in addition to making them ridiculously bulky.

At first glance, this looks like a gimmicky set; however, it is really effective when played correctly. The tremendous bulk of this set complements Suicune's excellent defensive typing, making it one of the few viable users of OHKO moves. With Rest and Sleep Talk, Suicune becomes incredibly hard to take down, as it has enough bulk to shrug off damage, in addition to plenty of chances to get lucky with Sheer Cold. Pokemon Suicune cannot normally deal with, such as Ludicolo, Ferrothorn, and Chansey, now have a 30% chance to be OHKOed. Scald rounds off the set, dealing consistent damage and possessing a good burn chance. The EV spread gives good overall bulk; specifically, Suicune only takes about 40% from a Jolly Terrakion's Close Combat, and has a chance to survive the 2HKO from 252+ Zapdos's Discharge after Leftovers. As with the previous set, Terrakion and Tyranitar make good teammates, as they can deal heavy damage to Zapdos and Thundurus, both of whom threaten to 2HKO Suicune. It should be noted that Sheer Cold Suicune is an event from the fourth generation games, and it is therefore hard to obtain one with flawless IVs. For this reason, Icy Wind or Ice Beam is a decent alternative, as it retains coverage against Grass- and Dragon-type Pokemon.

Calm Mind Suicune is a powerful sweeper, capable of taking over games after only a couple of boosts. Suicune can leverage its excellent natural bulk and solid defensive typing to effortlessly find opportunities to set up. With Calm Mind, Suicune can break through annoying walls such as Rest Cresselia that can be troublesome for many teams lacking strong attackers. Scald is a reliable attack that can take advantage of Suicune's impressive bulk to spread burn, whereas Hydro Pump aims to outright KO foes such as Heatran, Metagross, and Conkeldurr with Calm Mind boosts. Ice Beam is mandatory coverage for common threats such as Amoonguss, Breloom, and Latios. Rest has strong synergy with Chesto Berry and allows Suicune to fully restore itself after weathering attacks while also healing a status condition such as a burn from Rotom-Wash's Will-O-Wisp or paralysis from Thundurus's Thunder Wave. Chesto Berry also offers Suicune a better Amoonguss matchup; Suicune can set up a Calm Mind even when Amoonguss is threatening to use Spore. Protect is a strong option when holding Leftovers to capitalize on the offensive pressure exerted by Suicune when boosted by Calm Mind. Both Rest and Protect can offer Suicune the possibility of stalling enemies out of PP in a pinch. The Speed investment allows Suicune to outpace Breloom. A Bold nature is preferred, as Suicune bolsters its Special Defense with Calm Mind, while the Defense investment is enough to avoid the 3HKO from Landorus-T's Earthquake. If Suicune runs Hydro Pump, a more offensive spread is preferred, and a Modest nature with 76 Special Attack EVs enables Suicune to OHKO Tyranitar and Scizor after two Calm Mind boosts. Suicune should always be shiny to bluff that it could have Sheer Cold or Extreme Speed. Other Options ======== Water Gem is another option to give Suicune a high-powered Hydro Pump, but it requires sacrificing Suicune's longevity. This item is best used on teams that don't rely on Suicune to win late-game, but rather to break through a key threat to the team. Common Partners ======== Landorus-T is the best partner for Calm Mind Suicune. With Intimidate, Landorus-T dampens physically offensive foes that target Suicune's unboosted Defense, and it can take on Electric- and Grass-type threats to Suicune with Earthquake and U-turn. Thundurus-T also stands out for its ability to absorb Electric-type attacks and take on Grass-types like Amoonguss and Breloom with Hidden Power Ice or Flying. One notable strategy is to lead with either Landorus-T or Thundurus-T and willingly sacrifice it to a Draco Meteor from Latios or Hydreigon to position Suicune for a Calm Mind countersweep. Cresselia offers valuable speed control in the form of Icy Wind or Thunder Wave and can take on threats like Thundurus, Amoonguss, and Conkeldurr comfortably. Metagross is also a useful partner, as it can take on Amoonguss, Conkeldurr, and Latios before they pose issues to Suicune. Mental Herb Amoonguss offers redirection support and threatens to put foes to sleep with Spore, thereby giving Suicune opportunities to set up Calm Mind boosts. Mental Herb is required to block Taunt so that Amoonguss can check Thundurus effectively. Checks & Counters ======== Powerful attacks such as Life Orb Conkeldurr's Hammer Arm, Dragon Gem Latios's and Hydreigon's Draco Meteor, and Flying Gem Tornadus's Acrobatics can deny Suicune the possibility of setting up a Calm Mind in the first place; it is important for Suicune not to be exposed to these attacks at their full power. Carefully positioning Suicune by, for example, saving it late-game when these Pokemon may have been expended is a generally good strategy. Electric-types such as Thundurus, Thundurus-T, and Rotom-Wash threaten to KO Suicune if it is unboosted. Rotom-Wash stands out, as it resists both Water and Ice while being able to set up Light Screen to reduce Suicune's damage output considerably without fearing much damage from even a boosted Suicune. Thundurus and Thundurus-T are more offensive checks that outpace Suicune and can outright KO it with Electric Gem-boosted Thunderbolt. Amoonguss takes little damage from Ice Beam and can put Suicune to sleep if it is not holding a Chesto Berry. After a Calm Mind, Suicune will not take too much damage from Amoonguss itself, but Amoonguss can give opportunities for its allies to whittle away at Suicune. Gastrodon can redirect Suicune's Water-type attacks to protect its ally; however, it alone cannot break through a Calm Mind Suicune using Rest. Likewise, Jellicent fears nothing from Suicune, but it cannot do much to Suicune besides set up Trick Room to enable a Conkeldurr or Abomasnow to deal with it.

Suicune often gets multiple chances for Scald to get a burn, which is hugely disruptive to its foes. Scald also grants Suicune a reliable way to thaw from freeze, which can be valuable because Suicune resists Ice and may pivot into Ice Beams and Blizzards. Ice Beam allows Suicune to deal substantial damage to common threats, including Flying-types such as Thundurus, Tornadus, and Landorus-T; Dragon-types like Latios and Hydreigon; and Grass-types such as Amoonguss and Breloom; among others. Icy Wind provides a method of speed control that is not stopped by Taunt. Snarl is a form of damage mitigation that can dampen the special attacks used by Suicune's foes. It is highly effective against rain-based strategies and gives Suicune a move to disrupt the opposing team even in positions where it cannot deal substantial damage. Tailwind is an effective tool against more offensive teams and most rain teams. Suicune is a good Tailwind setter due to its excellent bulk and typing, as well as a Speed stat that benefits from Tailwind itself. Roar shuts down Trick Room and Shadow Tag strategies that can otherwise be troubling for Suicune. It also works in combination with an ally's sleep move such as Amoonguss's Spore to reset sleep turns and disrupt enemy positioning. Sitrus Berry allows Suicune to immediately recover a significant amount of HP after being targeted by a high-powered move such as Dragon Gem Draco Meteor from Latios and Hydreigon. A Calm nature enables Suicune to operate as a check to rain teams. The Speed investment allows Suicune to outpace Jolly Breloom to turn the tides with Ice Beam. Suicune should always be shiny to threaten that it could have Sheer Cold or Extreme Speed. Other Options If Sitrus Berry is unavailable, Leftovers is a good alternative to provide consistent recovery. It is often paired with Protect, which can synergize with Pressure to stall Suicune's foes out of move PP. Common Partners Suicune has excellent synergy with Landorus-T, which appreciates Suicune's resistances to Water and Ice. In exchange, Suicune values Landorus-T's ability to threaten Grass- and Electric-types. Amoonguss is also an excellent partner for Suicune. It further bolsters the Trick Room and rain matchups and has strong defensive synergy, resisting Grass and Electric. Amoonguss may hold the Mental Herb to act as an effective check to Thundurus. Support Suicune is often used with powerful attackers that can benefit from the speed control and damage mitigation Suicune provides; these attackers include Conkeldurr, Metagross, Heatran, Latios, Hydreigon, and Breloom. Checks & Counters Tailwind Suicune loathes Prankster Thundurus, which can spread paralysis, denying and overpowering the benefit of Tailwind, and OHKO Suicune with an Electric Gem-boosted Thunderbolt. Tailwind Suicune often struggles against Trick Room teams featuring Life Orb Conkeldurr. Suicune usually only gets one opportunity to burn Conkeldurr before the latter breaks through. Suicune lacking Roar is ineffective as a check against rain teams that include a Perish trap option, as it has very low damage output. Teams that rely on non-Roar Suicune to contribute against rain teams must have other ways to beat Gothitelle. Thundurus-T is also a common rain threat that can easily break through Suicune with powerful Electric-type moves. Suicune is vulnerable to Amoonguss, which takes relatively low damage from Ice Beam and threatens Spore.

Suicune is a defensive wincon that can set up on common Pokemon such as Jellicent and Heatran. Additionally, Suicune's good defensive typing and excellent bulk make it difficult to take down after just one Calm Mind. That said, Suicune is held back by its reliance on Calm Mind, oftentimes doing little if it isn't able to set up. As a result, teams with Suicune are built to exploit certain matchups, making it a harder fit for most teams unlike Jellicent, which offers immediate utility on top of also being a solid defensive wincon. Scald is Suicune's most reliable STAB attack, with the potential burn effect facilitating further setup opportunities against physical attackers like Tyranitar and Conkeldurr. Substitute blocks Toxic and allows Suicune to set up easier, since weak neutral attacks, such as Tyranitar's Rock Slide, do not break Suicune's Substitute. Leftovers is the preferred item, since Suicune prefers staying on the field for many subsequent turns, therefore benefiting more from the passive healing. The EV spread ensures that Life Orb Kingdra's Muddy Water in rain does not break Substitute, with the rest dumped into Defense to allow Suicune to better tank strong physical attacks such as Choice Band Kyurem-B's Fusion Bolt. Suicune needs Calm Mind to be effective, so its teammate should focus on removing foes that can deter setup, such as Thundurus and Choice Band Kyurem-B, or Pokemon that wall Suicune, such as Water Absorb Jellicent. Many of the attacks that hit Suicune for massive damage are burst options like Dragon Gem Latios's Draco Meteor. Forcing the opponent to use their boosted attacks on a different Pokemon lets Suicune set up easier in future turns. Intimidate users are mandatory next to Suicune, as its effect increases Suicune's bulk and makes it more difficult for foes to take out. Notably, -1 Landorus-T and Tyranitar do not break Substitute with Earthquake and Crunch, respectively. Landorus-T, therefore, is an excellent teammate, capable of weakening physical attackers with Intimidate, threatening Thundurus, and pivoting into Suicune with U-turn for a good setup opportunity. Hitmontop is another good Intimidate user that can facilitate setup opportunities with Fake Out. Heatran beats Grass-types, such as Amoonguss and Ferrothorn, that can deter setup. Gothitelle excels at trapping slower support Pokemon such as Jellicent and Amoonguss, allowing its partner to eliminate them and opening the door for Suicune to win or facilitating further setup opportunities for Suicune by locking the opponent in an unfavorable position.

Suicune is a fringe sweeper that uses its bulk and favorable matchups against rain and weak special attackers to clean late-game once it has set up Calm Mind. However, Suicune doesn't offer great utility or offensive pressure compared to Water-types like Gyarados and Swampert, has a middling Speed tier, and is susceptible to a plethora of powerful physical attacks, notably Explosion. Suicune excels in a few matchups, but its shortcomings hold it back from significance. Hydro Pump hits most of the metagame for neutral or super effective damage, though its damage is underwhelming without Calm Mind boosts; Suicune needs to be at +1 to OHKO Heatran, and even at +2, it doesn't always OHKO Tyranitar. Ice Beam is Suicune's best way of hitting Latias. Suicune sets up Calm Mind against special attackers that pose little to no threat to it, such as Latias after Draco Meteor, Empoleon, Mew, and Cresselia. It prefers to not be revealed for as long as possible so its teammates can eliminate checks that would deter it from setting up and sweeping late-game. Leftovers is Suicune's only form of consistent recovery, pairing well with its tendency to stay on the field for many subsequent turns to preserve its Calm Mind boosts. The given EV spread lets Suicune take an Explosion from maximum Attack Metagross and a Thunderbolt from Choice Specs Rotom-A. Other fringe options include Icy Wind, which lets Suicune mitigate its own middling speed tier at the cost of dealing less damage to Latias, and Substitute, which drops Ice-type coverage entirely in favor of blocking Thunder Wave and Toxic, defending Suicune from Explosion, and generally making it harder to remove. As Suicune invests significantly in Special Defense, its biggest checks are strong physical attackers. Thus, Intimidate users such as Salamence and Hitmontop effectively increase Suicune's bulk by weakening foes. Suicune requires speed control to be effective, so partners with Thunder Wave, such as Zapdos and Gyarados, slow down foes for Suicune to pick off. Rhyperior's offensive coverage and ability Lightning Rod match up well against the Electric-types that otherwise pose a threat against Suicune. Teammates with immediate offensive pressure such as Choice Specs Latias make up for Suicune's middling damage output, making it a fearsome setup threat instead.

Suicune's role as a bulky Water-type with Calm Mind makes it one of the tier's most potent simultaneous offensive and defensive threats. It can outspeed Metagross and Tyranitar, unlike Swampert, and is considerably bulkier than Starmie. Hydro Pump and Ice Beam give Suicune almost perfect coverage, only failing to hit Starmie and opposing Suicune for at least neutral damage. Calm Mind allows Suicune to act as a threatening win condition, OHKOing bulky Tyranitar with Hydro Pump after a Calm Mind boost and Metagross and Raikou after two. Ice Beam also OHKOes Sceptile after One Calm Mind boost and OHKOes Zapdos after a second. 152 Speed EVs allows Suicune to outspeed Jolly Tyranitar, though 228 Speed EVs will allow it to outspeed Jolly Metagross at the cost of reducing HP or Special Attack. Lum Berry helps Suicune maintain sweeps in the face of Thunder Wave or the rare Sleep Powder or Hypnosis, while Leftovers can help to maintain its longevity in exchange for being vulnerable to status. Once Suicune has used Calm Mind, the opponent will be forced to answer it with physical attacks, including Explosion, which Suicune can scout for and punish with a well-timed Protect. Marowak is a great partner for Suicune, as it draws away Thunderbolt from Zapdos and Raikou with Lightningrod, giving Suicune opportunities to use Calm Mind. Inversely, Zapdos and Raikou also make good partners for Suicune, as they pressure Starmie and opposing Suicune. Pokemon like Heracross, Metagross, and Tauros can help pressure special walls such as Snorlax and Regice, greatly assisting with Suicune's cleaning ability, while they also appreciate Suicune's ability to defeat Steelix and Arcanine. Fast revenge killers like Tauros, Raikou, and Gengar work well to pick off low HP foes.