ADV 50 Analysis - Huntail

    Huntail
    Type: Water
    Stats: 55 | 104 | 105 | 94 | 75 | 52
    Abilities: Swift Swim

    Introduction

    While Huntail's stat spread best suits it more for a slow, physically-inclined offensive role, but everything else - from its movepool, to its typing, to its ability - says it should be a Swift Swim sweeper. It's strong enough and just about fast enough for that, able to outspeed the whole metagame under rain and hitting the hardest of any ADV 50-legal Pokemon with Swift Swim. Seen on almost all rain teams, Huntail is a staple of the archetype but seen nowhere else.

    Sets

    Rain Dance

    Huntail @ Leftovers
    Ability: Swift Swim
    EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
    Timid Nature
    IVs: 3 Atk / 30 SpA
    - Rain Dance
    - Hydro Pump
    - Ice Beam
    - Hidden Power [Electric]

    Set Details

    Rain Dance activates Swift Swim and boosts the power of Huntail's Water-type STAB, and Hydro Pump is its strongest STAB option available. Ice Beam hits Grass-types and Altaria, and Hidden Power Electric hits the Water-types which resist both Hydro Pump and Ice Beam. Hidden Power Electric is preferred over Hidden Power Grass as Mantine walls the set comfortably otherwise.

    A set maximising speed and power is chosen. Without a Timid nature, Huntail would not outspeed Aggron or Golem outside of the rain, or Electrode in the rain, making Timid the preferred choice over Modest. As it would bring Huntail very close to running full speed EVs to hit all of those benchmarks, it is recommended just to maximally invest in Speed for speed ties against other Huntail rather than get a minor improvement to its very average bulk, especially as Huntail is a Pokemon to be played quite fast and loose, usually.

    Other Options

    The most serious alternative to the above set is to run the above set with a different item, such as Mystic Water, which boosting the power of Huntail's Hydro Pumps even further. Huntail isn't a Pokemon that usually sticks around for a long time during a match, so giving up Leftovers is a real possibility. Lum Berry is another option, and is one that lets it set up Rain on Pokemon carrying status moves.

    Huntail does get access to Baton Pass, but the only stat it can boost is defense with Barrier, so unless you plan on using a full Baton Pass team, which is quite flawed in this metagame, then it's not worth consideration, and Baton Pass by itself is not good enough to be worth trying to fit on the Rain Dance set. A number of other options, such as Icy Wind, Refresh, or running Toxic and Protect together, are far better left to bulkier waters, of which there are numerous available. However, its access to Clamp (as an evolution of Clamperl) is more special, and could theoretically be useful in combination with Toxic, but it typically draws in Pokemon which can easily KO it quite quickly, making it a very poor choice. Blizzard is a more serious option than much that has been listed, offering a stronger alternative to Ice Beam, but the boost in power isn't recommended for the significant drop in accuracy. Crunch is the only other decently powerful special attack in its movepool that's not Water- or Ice-type, or Hidden Power, but it doesn't hit any Pokemon significantly harder than one of its other moves, so is not worth it.

    Checks and Counters

    Lanturn is the best answer to Huntail, with excellent special bulk due to its high HP, due to resisting or being immune to all of Huntail's attacks, and being able to retaliate with STAB Thunderbolt (or Thunder), which OHKOs with moderate investment. Meganium is a great check that is bulky and difficult to wear down, particularly when it carries Light Screen, and that can hit Huntail super-effectively with Giga Drain. Other special tanks such as Muk and Wailord also make excellent checks, albeit will be worn down in the process of handling Huntail. Huntail can be neutralised by paralysis from Pokemon such as Slowking and Clefable, although they usually will accrue significant damage in the process, and depending on the set may not be able to handle Huntail on their own. Vileplume is 2HKO'd by Ice Beam, but Giga Drain lets it 2HKO in return, and turn Ice Beam into a 3HKO thanks to the HP recovered. Ampharos can switch in and trade with Huntail, but Huntail's rain-boosted Hydro Pump is so strong that it can almost OHKO Ampharos. Choice Band Azumarill can 2HKO with Return, and is only 3HKO'd in return by Huntail. Castform is 2HKO'd by Huntail but has a chance to OHKO in return with Thunder. Camerupt, Glalie and Steelix can potentially explode on Huntail switching in, but as Huntail is typically paired with other Water-types, it should not be a team's primary strategy for dealing with Huntail.

	Analysis written by Disaster Area