Tsareena Movesets & Competitive Sets

In a tier filled to the brim with viable Grass-types, Tsareena's access to Rapid Spin, Knock Off, good coverage, and a decent Speed tier are just enough to carve itself a niche. In particular, its higher Speed stat is what differentiates it from Dhelmise and lets it outspeed the whole unboosted metagame after a Rapid Spin. Tsareena's vulnerability to Toxic and difficulty to fit Synthesis make it unable to naturally switch into Electric- and Water-types like Raikou, Xurkitree, and Gastrodon unlike other Grass-types such as Roserade, Vileplume, and Celebi. Knock Off removes crucial items like Heavy-Duty Boots from switch-ins such as Incineroar while not giving away any free switches to Chandelure and Metagross. Triple Axel catches Flying- and Grass-types such as Togekiss, Noivern, and Vileplume on the switch. High Jump Kick, U-turn, and Synthesis are all great options, but without either Knock Off or Triple Axel, Tsareena is left completely vulnerable to common threats like Metagross and Togekiss. With Heavy-Duty Boots, Tsareena can repeatedly switch into entry hazards to remove them with Rapid Spin. Queenly Majesty protects Tsareena from priority moves like Golisopod's First Impression, which lets it win the matchup and keep entry hazards off the field. On its own, Tsareena isn't a very reliable switch-in to Electric- and Water-types like Raikou and Milotic, but more reliable checks such as Gastrodon and Guzzlord can pick up the slack. While Flying-types such as Togekiss, Crobat, and Tornadus need to watch out for Triple Axel, they all outspeed and threaten Tsareena with their STAB moves. Metagross, Raikou, and Diancie can check said Flying-types for Tsareena. Poison-types such as Roserade, Toxicroak, and Galarian Weezing can either threaten or wall Tsareena. Roserade is especially a nuisance, as it's a Spikes setter that Tsareena loses to. Pokemon such as Crobat can check Roserade while Gastrodon helps with the latter two. Pokemon such as Tornadus, Suicune, and Heracross are ravaged by entry hazards and greatly appreciate Tsareena spinning them away.

Power Whip is Tsareena's strongest STAB option, allowing it to force out threats such as Tapu Fini and Urshifu-R, as well as netting heavy damage on neutral targets such as Necrozma and Zeraora. U-turn lets Tsareena pivot out of unfavorable positions while maintaining momentum to bring another teammate in safely. This can lead to scenarios where Tsareena can block Fake Out and Grassy Glide at the start of the turn and then bring in something with a better matchup. Triple Axel threatens the likes of Landorus, Zygarde, and Amoonguss and shifts these matchups a lot more in Tsareena's favor. High Jump Kick is used to threaten common Grass-resistant Pokemon such as Kyurem-B, Incineroar, and Heatran, but Tsareena must be wary of Protect. Taunt is another option on Sitrus Berry sets to shut down Trick Room setters such as Porygon2 as well as redirection users such as Amoonguss, Blastoise, and Volcarona. The given spread allows Tsareena to survive a Close Combat from Choice Band Urshifu-R while also giving it a solid offensive presence. The Attack EVs can be moved into Speed to allow Tsareena to outspeed the likes of Rillaboom, Tapu Fini, and Zeraora under Tailwind, but this cuts into its offensive capabilities.

248 Speed EVs still outspeed Honchkrow, Tyrantrum, and base 70 Pokemon like Hoopa and Volcanion.

Moves Power Whip is Tsareena's main STAB move, OHKOing threats such as Quagsire and Seismitoad, as well as OHKOing Alomomola after Stealth Rock damage. It is also Tsareena's most powerful move for neutral targets such as Sylveon. Knock Off removes key items from foes, such as Amoonguss's Black Sludge and Doublade's Eviolite, and gives useful utility overall. It also allows Tsareena to hit Psychic-types such as Latias and Ghost-types such as Chandelure super effectively. Rapid Spin is an option instead to remove entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Spikes, which could otherwise cripple Tsareena's team. This allows Tsareena to have more overall utility. High Jump Kick allows Tsareena to hit Steel-types such as Cobalion and Mega Aggron super effectively, as well as being its best way to damage Blissey. U-turn allows Tsareena to generate momentum, bringing in a teammate relatively safely. It also does consistent damage to Psychic-types like Celebi. Play Rough is another option to hit Dragon-types like Mega Altaria, which Tsareena's other moves can't, but this sacrifices a better coverage option in High Jump Kick. Set Details 252 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Tsareena to outspeed base 70s and below, which includes key threats such as Volcanion and Primarina. Queenly Majesty allows Tsareena to dodge priority moves such as Bisharp's Sucker Punch and Scizor's Bullet Punch. Usage Tips Tsareena should be used to break holes in the opponent's team, which is more crucial against bulky teams. It is best to bring Tsareena in safely with U-turn or Volt Switch, but its decent bulk means it can also take some resisted or weak neutral hits such as Hippowdon's Earthquake. Tsareena should mainly be using Power Whip, as its high Base Power and ability to hit a majority of the tier neutrally or super effectively is good for a Choice Band attacker. Rapid Spin is used best on predicted switches so it doesn't sacrifice too much momentum, and it can also be used as a last resort to allow Tsareena's teammates to sweep more easily. U-turn generates momentum for its team in unfavorable matchups against Pokemon such as Crobat and bulky Scizor so Tsareena can bring in a teammate safely. Its relatively low Speed means that this can be relatively safe, especially if U-turn is used on a predicted switch. However, the move should be used minimally and generally only for this purpose. Use Knock Off mostly on defensive foes that rely on their item, such as Amoonguss. It can also be used to hit Psychic-types such as Latias on the switch. Try to avoid burns from Scald, from Pokemon such as Suicune and Swampert, whenever possible, as they can severely cripple Tsareena's breaking ability. Team Options Tsareena works best on offensive teams that appreciate a Pokemon that can break through most defensive cores, as it is able to OHKO Quagsire and OHKO Alomomola after Stealth Rock damage. Tsareena is relatively slow, so teammates such as Choice Scarf Infernape, Choice Scarf Hydreigon, and Mega Aerodactyl that can revenge kill faster threats for Tsareena would be useful. Pokemon such as Scizor and Nidoking can help Tsareena against the majority of Poison-types that can freely switch into it. In return, Tsareena can hit Psychic-types with Knock Off and help against Water- and Ground-types for Nidoking. It also appreciates entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Cobalion and Seismitoad so it can wear down potential checks and further pressure foes with residual damage. Entry hazard removal from Pokemon such as Latias and Empoleon is useful so that pivoting with U-turn does not wear Tsareena and its teammates down too much, allowing Tsareena to freely use Knock Off. Tsareena can form a VoltTurn core with Pokemon such as Scizor and Mega Manectric to further pressure foes.

Moves Rapid Spin allows Tsareena to remove entry hazards, letting teammates come in and out more easily. Power Whip is Tsareena's most powerful STAB move, giving it the best one-on-one matchup possible against opposing Stealth Rock setters like Hippowdon, Swampert, and Rhyperior. U-turn lets Tsareena keep up offensive momentum, safely bringing teammates into favorable positions. High Jump Kick hits other Stealth Rock users such as Cobalion, Stakataka, and Mega Aggron for respectable damage while also making Tsareena a great Bisharp revenge killer in combination with Queenly Majesty. Knock Off most notably punishes Ghost-types like Gengar, Doublade, and Chandelure, which can threaten to block Rapid Spin. Additionally, it can cripple common switch-ins such as Rotom-H, Togekiss, and Amoonguss by removing their items and potentially preventing their passive recovery. Synthesis is an alternative option to keep Tsareena at high amounts of health to more reliably perform its role, but this can be hard to justify over other move options. Set Details 252 Speed EVs along with a Jolly nature guarantee that Tsareena outspeeds Pokemon such as Bisharp, Volcanion, and Adamant Mamoswine. Lum Berry lets Tsareena act as a more reliable check to bulky Pokemon like Suicune, Empoleon, and Hippowdon, curing it of the status ailments they induce. Queenly Majesty prevents priority moves from hitting Tsareena, allowing it to more easily revenge kill Bisharp, Scizor, and Crawdaunt if needed. Usage Tips Bring Tsareena into favorable positions against bulky Water- and Ground-types, which it can immediately threaten. The most notable examples include Stealth Rock setters such as Empoleon, Swampert, and Hippowdon, as well as other foes like Suicune, Slowbro, and bulky Primarina. Tsareena's main purpose tends to be keeping entry hazards off the user's field, meaning it should take advantage of these one-on-one matchups to use Rapid Spin. Knock Off is best used early-game to remove items of common switch-ins or to prevent Ghost-types from coming in to block Rapid Spin. Lum Berry allows Tsareena to come in aggressively on Scald and Toxic users like Suicune, Empoleon, and Hippowdon, but it should be more wary if its Berry has already been used. Keep Tsareena healthy if removing entry hazards appears to be a pressing priority at some point later on, or if it is necessary to handle a certain foe. Queenly Majesty blocks Bisharp's Sucker Punch and Scizor's Bullet Punch, so preserving Tsareena to revenge kill either one could prove beneficial as well. However, Scizor must be sufficiently weakened to do so. Take advantage of favorable positions by throwing out powerful attacks or using U-turn to keep up momentum, getting teammates into good spots to perform their roles. A common example is Choice Band Scizor locked into Bullet Punch, which Tsareena walls completely and can use to gain momentum. Team Options Tsareena is best used on bulky offense and balance teams that appreciate its Rapid Spin support and its ability to threaten bulky Water- and Ground-types. Tsareena possesses great defensive synergy with Water-types such as Volcanion, Slowbro, and Primarina, making them natural partners, as they can absorb Fire- and Ice-type moves aimed at it. Due to its weakness to Stealth Rock, Moltres takes full advantage of Tsareena's Rapid Spin support, as well as of its ability to threaten some of its main checks in Empoleon and Rhyperior. In return, Moltres punishes Amoonguss and bulky Steel-types like Mega Aggron and Doublade for Tsareena. Rotom-H and Nihilego offer great checks to Tsareena's primary counters in Flying-types, performing their respective roles after Tsareena gets them into favorable positions to do so with U-turn. Tsareena also removes Rotom-H's need to run Defog itself, freeing up a valuable moveslot. Grounded Poison-types such as Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and the aforementioned Nihilego are heavily appreciated, helping to alleviate some of Tsareena's occasional struggles in removing Toxic Spikes. Its Spikes support makes Klefki a nice partner, helping to wear down Amoonguss and bulky Steel-types as they continually switch into Tsareena. Mega Aerodactyl, Krookodile, and Scizor offer Pursuit utlity, making opposing Ghost-types more easily manageable if Tsareena lacks Knock Off. Mega Aerodactyl doubles as a strong answer to Flying-types.

Moves Power Whip can deal some surprising damage for a Pokemon known more for its supportive capabilities and is therefore a mainstay on Tsareena. U-turn allows Tsareena to function as a pivot, absorbing attacks and providing safer switches for its partners. High Jump Kick is most effective on teams that appreciate more options for damaging Kartana and Incineroar, such as rain teams, while Rapid Spin is a necessity on teams packing Pokemon that take significant damage from Stealth Rock, like Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y. Helping Hand gives Tsareena the ability to boost its partners' attacks, while Feint is handy for preventing opponents from stalling out field conditions like Tailwind and rain. Set Details The given HP and Defense investment allows Tsareena to survive a U-turn from standard Genesect with an Attack boost from Download. An Adamant nature alone provides enough power for Tsareena to 2HKO standard Tapu Fini with Power Whip at -1 Attack, and the remaining EVs are dumped into Special Defense. Figy Berry is especially useful given Tsareena's tendency to switch into attacks and pivot back out frequently. Usage Tips The combination of serviceable bulk, the usefulness of Queenly Majesty, and access to U-turn means that Tsareena is a great pivot. Switching into and blocking a Fake Out for its partner can buy Tsareena's team so much momentum, and the threat of doing so will cause opponents to second guess their actions. Be careful not to make too many telegraphed switches, as many Pokemon with access to Fake Out have options that can punish a predicted Tsareena switch quite effectively. When not acting as a switch and U-turn bot, Tsareena can chunk many common Pokemon with Power Whip or provide valuable support in the form of Helping Hand or Feint. If using Rapid Spin, be sure to preserve Tsareena until entry hazards are gone or opposing hazard setters are KOed; this ensures the partners that need Stealth Rock off the field will not be severely weakened for the rest of the battle. Team Options There are two main types of Pokemon next to which Tsareena finds a niche: Pokemon that flourish on rain teams and Pokemon with a 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. On rain teams, Tsareena should opt for High Jump Kick to chunk Kartana and prevent it from setting up a Substitute for free. Feint is often chosen over Helping Hand to prevent opponents from stalling out rain, but Helping Hand can still be useful for further boosting powerful attacks already given a boost by the rain. Power Whip's ability to eliminate Tapu Fini also makes it immensely valuable for rain teams that pack Kingdra as a sweeper. In return, rain teams easily handle Fire-types that can threaten Tsareena. Examples of such Fire-types include Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y, both of which also happen to value the support Tsareena can provide. When used in conjunction with either of these Pokemon, Tsareena should opt to use Rapid Spin to keep its partners safe from Stealth Rock. Helping Hand is especially useful to boost the powerful Heat Waves being fired by both Charizard and Volcarona, but High Jump Kick is still a viable option given its ability to significantly damage the somewhat problematic Incineroar.