ADV 50 Analysis - Ampharos

    Ampharos
    Type: Electric
    Stats: 90 | 75 | 75 | 115 | 90 | 55
    Abilities: Static

    Introduction

    While Ampharos has a quite unimpressive typing defensively, as well as below average speed, its combination of decent power, offensive coverage, bulk, and access to fairly common - yet potent - utility moves such as Thunder Wave and Heal Bell make it a decent choice in ADV 50.

    Sets

    3 Attacks

    Ampharos @ Leftovers
    Ability: Static
    EVs: 8 HP / 32 Def / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
    Timid Nature
    IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
    - Thunderbolt
    - Fire Punch
    - Hidden Power [Grass] / Hidden Power [Water]
    - Heal Bell / Thunder Wave

    Set Details

    Thunderbolt is a strong and reliable STAB option for Ampharos, and Fire Punch enables Ampharos to 2HKO (perhaps even OHKO) Forretress, as well as being its best move against Steelix and Grass-types. Hidden Power Grass grants Ampharos perfect neutral coverage, and hits important Pokemon such as Whiscash, Golem, and Lanturn super-effectively, enabling it to check Lanturn and avoid being a free opportunity for the hard-hitting Choice Band Golem to fire off an attack every time Ampharos comes in. Hidden Power Water is an alternative which lures Camerupt, and does more to Nidoqueen, but leaves Ampharos adrift against Lanturn and Whiscash. Both moves also do substantial damage to Sandslash.

    Heal Bell is a decent choice in the final slot of this set, providing valuable support. Due to the small number of resistances and unexceptional bulk that Ampharos has, it relies more upon its offensive presence than defensive utility to find opportunities to bell during battle. Thunder Wave provides support for strong, slow teammates, as well as for itself, but as Ground-types are common switch-ins for Ampharos it can struggle in some games to effectively spread paralysis.

    The EVs enable Ampharos to outspeed base 50s such as Aggron, as well as slower Pokemon such as Golem, Camerupt, and uninvested Whiscash, combined with max attack. Putting all of the remaining EVs in Defense and HP prevents Ampharos from being OHKO'd by a Swords Dance-boosted Jolly Kabutops Rock Slide, with as many of those EVs put into HP as possible. More EVs can be taken out of Special Attack and put into Defense and HP to avoid the OHKO from the rare Adamant Kabutops.

    Rain Dance

    Ampharos @ Leftovers
    Ability: Static
    EVs: 8 HP / 32 Def / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
    Timid Nature
    IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
    - Rain Dance
    - Thunder
    - Hidden Power [Grass]
    - Thunder Wave / Thunderbolt

    Set Details

    Ampharos is a niche option on rain teams, able to take advantage of the rain with its accuracy-boosted Thunder. Hence, Rain Dance and Thunder are the first two moves listed on the set. Hidden Power Grass is the recommended coverage move on Ampharos, due to its ability to hurt Lanturn, often a tricky Pokemon for rain teams, but Water and Ice have some merits too. Hidden Power Ice provides near-perfect neutral coverage, missing out only on Lanturn, and hitting Grass-types such as Meganium super-effectively, while Hidden Power Water is boosted by the rain. The last moveslot is very flexible: a utility move like Thunder Wave, or a reliable electric-type attack outside of rain such as Thunderbolt are amongst the better options. Fire Punch is not used on this set due to its negative synergy with Rain Dance.

    Other Options

    Hidden Power Ice provides near-perfect neutral coverage with Thunderbolt, missing out on only Lanturn, notably hitting Altaria and Jumpluff particularly hard. Ampharos also has numerous niche options available to it, particularly as a 4th move on the first set, although two of these moves could be used in combination: Toxic is a good way to punish many switch-ins, although Steelix and Muk are common switch-ins immune to it; Protect provides limited leftovers recovery, stalls weather turns, and enables Ampharos to scout choice-locked foes; Counter is a cool surprise moves; Reflect, Light Screen, and Safeguard are noteworthy but oftentimes underwhelming support moves; Substitute and Protect have some synergy with Toxic. Focus Punch is a very poor choice on Ampharos, due to the fact that it hits no significant targets harder than a special attack beyond the uncommon Clefable, while requiring the splitting of EVs.

    Checks and Counters

    Ground-types are immune to Thunder Wave, unlike other checks to Ampharos, but some of them are weak to Ampharos' coverage moves. Nidoqueen is the best answer, due to its good speed and bulk, and lack of a weakness to moves Ampharos typically carries. Camerupt is slower than Ampharos, but beats it handily unless it carries Hidden Power Water. Steelix is a Ground-type with the special bulk to switch in to Ampharos more than once. Besides Ground-types, Grass- and Electric-types also resist Ampharos' STAB, making Pokemon like Meganium and Lanturn decent checks. Special walls without an Electric-type weakness such as Muk, Flareon, and Clefable are also answers. Hitmonlee is immune to Thunder Wave due to its ability Limber, and in spite of its low HP stat it has some capacity to withstand special attacks, while it puts high presssure on in return due to its respectable attacking power and coverage. Finally, Electrode is notable for its ability to possibly explode on Ampharos.

    Analysis written by Disaster Area