Ampharos Movesets & Competitive Sets

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Moves Agility allows Mega Ampharos to patch up its low Speed stat, hitting 400 Speed after an Agility. Thunderbolt is a powerful STAB attack that damages any Pokemon that doesn't resist it. Dragon Pulse is another powerful secondary STAB attack, hitting opposing Dragon-types that threaten Mega Ampharos. Focus Blast has great Base Power along with terrifying coverage, but it has slightly low accuracy. Set Details Static is Ampharos's ability before Mega Evolving and can paralyze foes if they make contact with Ampharos. Mold Breaker doesn't provide a lot of usefulness, yet it has the niche of not raising Mega Sceptile's Special Attack if it switches into Thunderbolt. It also bypasses Rhyperior's Solid Rock and Mega Aggron's Filter. Ampharosite is the standard item, as it allows Ampharos to Mega Evolve into Mega Ampharos. The invested EVs and Timid nature let Ampharos hit as hard as possible and outspeed everything up to neutral-natured base 150 Speed Pokemon after a boost, and the remaining EVs are put into HP to give a small boost to Ampharos's bulk. A Modest nature can instead be chosen to outspeed everything up to positive-natured base 120 Speed Pokemon, such as Sceptile, after an Agility, and it gives a good boost to Ampharos's Special Attack. Usage Tips Mega Evolve as soon as possible, as this will give Ampharos greater raw power as well as better bulk. Use Agility as foes switch out so that Mega Ampharos can get a free Speed boost without risking taking a hit. Don't spam Ampharos's STAB attacks when the opponent has a Ground- or Fairy-type available, because they can easily switch it in and force Ampharos out. This Ampharos is best used as a late-game cleaner once special walls have fainted. Team Options Alomomola and Florges are good teammates in particular, as they have good type synergy with Mega Ampharos and can provide Wish support to give a boost to Ampharos's longevity. Physically offensive attackers such as Mienshao or Krookodile make for good teammates, as they can beat the special walls that hinder Ampharos's sweep. Physically defensive walls such as Arcanine and Suicune make for good partners, as they can reliably take on the physical attackers that trouble Ampharos. Lastly, Grass-types such as Chesnaught or Shaymin help Ampharos by beating Ground-types that stop it.

Moves Thunderbolt is a very powerful STAB attack that has good neutral coverage. Dragon Pulse is another powerful STAB attack and provides great neutral coverage against Ground-type Pokemon. Focus Blast has terrifying overall coverage and hits many Pokemon, such as Snorlax, Porygon2, Rhyperior, and Umbreon, for super effective damage, but is inaccurate. Volt Switch allows Ampharos to keep up momentum for the team and switch out of its checks and counters that aren't immune to Volt Switch. Set Details Static is Ampharos's ability before Mega Evolving; it can potentially paralyze a foe if the foe makes contact. Mold Breaker is Ampharos's ability after Mega Evolving, though it isn't very useful aside from letting Ampharos hit Mega Sceptile on the switch without boosting its Special Attack, as well as ignoring Mega Aggron's Filter and Rhyperior's Solid Rock. Ampharosite allows Ampharos to Mega Evolve into Mega Ampharos. The EV spread allows Mega Ampharos to outspeed uninvested base 60 Speed Pokemon, but it also lets Ampharos hit as hard as possible and gives it a small boost in bulk. The Modest nature boosts Ampharos's damage output and backs up the investment in Special Attack. Usage Tips Use Volt Switch to switch out of Ampharos's checks and counters if they aren't Ground-type and to also keep up momentum. Ampharos can also be used as a slow pivot. Ampharos can switch into Electric- and Fire-types attacks very well, and it can hit the foe with one of its STAB attacks. When predicting a Ground-type to come in, switch out Ampharos, because Ground-types are immune to Volt Switch. Mega Evolve as soon as possible, as Ampharos will get a huge boost in power, both offensively and defensively. Team Options Mega Ampharos appreciates Trick Room or Thunder Wave support to give it the chance to move first in most situations. Examples of good Trick Room setters include Bronzong and Cofagrigus. Wish support is also useful from Pokemon such as Umbreon or Blissey to boost Ampharos's longevity, as it doesn't have reliable recovery on its own. Other Volt Switch users or U-turn users such as Rotom-H and Flygon can form a VoltTurn core with Mega Ampharos. Pokemon that can reliably take care of Ground-types, such as Alomomola, Suicune, and Chesnaught, are good partners too. Finally, physically offensive attackers such as Mienshao, Lucario, and Krookodile make for good partners because they can get rid of special walls.

Moves Rest provides recovery for Ampharos, and when used with Sleep Talk, Ampharos is able to use a move while asleep. Volt Switch is a decent STAB attack and keeps up momentum for the team. Dragon Pulse can be used in the fourth slot, as it is a powerful STAB attack and hits Ground-types, which are immune to Volt Switch. Set Details Static can paralyze foes if they make contact with Ampharos before it Mega Evolves. After Mega Evolving, Ampharos gets the ability Mold Breaker, which isn't very useful, but it does let Ampharos use Volt Switch against Mega Sceptile without boosting its Special Attack. Ampharosite allows Ampharos to Mega Evolve into Mega Ampharos. The EVs and Bold nature maximize Ampharos's Defense. Usage Tips Ampharos can be sent in to wall a handful of Fire-, Steel-, and Electric-type attackers. Ampharos can also absorb sleep-inducing moves, as it has Sleep Talk and can attack while it's asleep. Volt Switch out to another Pokemon when you predict a threatening Pokemon to come in against Ampharos. However, do not recklessly spam it, as Ground-types can easily come in and force Ampharos to switch out after. Make sure to use Rest when Ampharos is getting low on health. Use Sleep Talk when asleep, as it will allow Ampharos to move during sleep. However, keep in mind that Rest puts Ampharos to sleep for two turns, so after Rest has been used, it is recommended that you use Sleep Talk for the next two turns and select another move the turn after. It is important to Mega Evolve as soon as possible, as Ampharos will get a huge boost in power, both offensively and defensively. Team Options Suicune is an example of a good teammate because it beats most Pokemon that threaten Ampharos, and Mega Ampharos can stall out Electric- and Grass-types that threaten Suicune. Pokemon that appreciate physical attackers such as Honchkrow being removed, such as Chandelure and Machamp, make for good partners as well. U-turn users such as Flygon and Infernape can form a VoltTurn core with Mega Ampharos and are therefore good teammates. Lastly, special walls that can take care of special attackers that threaten Mega Ampharos, such as Florges or Snorlax, are good teammates.

Moves Mega Ampharos's STAB attacks have great coverage, with very few Pokemon resisting both. Thunderbolt hits Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame among others, and Dragon Pulse hits Dragon-types such as Garchomp and Salamence. Protect is a staple on many Pokemon in VGC as it can be used to scout what your opponent wants to use or block an attack to allow Ampharos's partner to take on the threat. Substitute blocks attacks and all status moves and on a forced switch or with correct prediction. Focus Blast can be used to hit Tyranitar and Mega Kangaskhan, but the miss chance and otherwise unnecessary coverage can make Substitute a better option. Substitute is harder to set up outside of Trick Room, so Focus Blast might be preferable to hit Pokemon that would otherwise give Ampharos problems, like Tyranitar and Assault Vest Scrafty. Set Details The Defense investment is such that Mega Ampharos can survive a Life Orb Dragon Claw from Garchomp, while the Special Defense EVs lets Mega Ampharos survive a Draco Meteor from a Timid-natured Salamence. The Special Attack EVS ensures an OHKO against Garchomp with Dragon Pulse and Mega Charizard Y with Thunderbolt. Static is almost entirely useless, as Ampharos will be Mega Evolving for the additional power and bulk; nevertheless, the chance of paralysis if Ampharos switches in on a contact move is appreciated, though highly situational. Absolute minimum Speed is run to make Ampharos as fast as possible inside Trick Room. If you don't want to run Ampharos in Trick Room, an alternative spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 52 SpA / 76 SpD / 124 Spe with a Modest nature is recommended. with this spread, Mega Ampharos will still OHKO the aforementioned Pokemon; Salamence, will only have an 18.8% chance to OHKO with Draco Meteor and will never OHKO with a Timid-natured Choice Specs Dragon Pulse. The Speed EVs ensure Mega Ampharos outspeeds neutral base 60s, Aegislash for instance. Usage Tips For Ampharos to be as effective as possible in Trick Room, it should Mega Evolve before Trick Room is set up. This is because Speed only changes on the turn after Mega Evolving, and Mega Ampharos should be as slow as possible. Substitute should be set up at the first chance; this can be done against the common Rotom-H and Rotom-W, neither of which can break Mega Ampharos's Substitute or outspeed it under Trick Room. Amoonguss falls into this category as well. By having a Substitute up when Trick Room goes down, Mega Ampharos ensures its usefulness for at least another turn. It is an absolute requirement that faster Pokemon that threaten the alternative spread are KOed before Ampharos comes in. When not running Trick Room Mega Ampharos should only Mega Evolve when it wants to go for a move other than Protect, as this allows it to be as fast as possible; Mega Ampharos's lower Speed is only factored in the turn after it Mega Evolves. Team Options Trick Room setters are almost a necessity. Gardevoir, Gourgeist-S, and Aromatisse all get a special mention. Aromatisse threatens opposing Dragon-types even outside of Trick Room, Gourgeist resists Earthquake and can spread burn, and Gardevoir can both threaten Dragon-types and spread burns. Amoonguss can use Rage Powder to redirect attacks and support Mega Ampharos in setting up Substitutes, while the latter deals with Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, which threaten Amoonguss. Rotom-H beats Steal-types like Ferrothorn and Mega Mawile that can cause problems for Mega Ampharos. Aegislash can take Dragon-type hits while supporting Mega Ampharos with Wide Guard, blocking Earthquakes.

Unlike the defensive set, this variant of Ampharos takes advantage of Ampharos's huge Special Attack stat and access to STAB Thunderbolt, which enable it to destroy common UU threats such as Moltres, Milotic, and Slowbro. Focus Blast deals huge chunks of damage to Normal- and Steel-types such as Chansey, Clefable, and Registeel, while Hidden Power is used to hit Ground-types which are immune to Thunderbolt. The choice between Hidden Power Ice and Hidden Power Grass depends on which targets you want Ampharos to cover. Hidden Power Grass hits Omastar, Rhyperior, Quagsire, and Lanturn, while Hidden Power Ice hits Altaria, Donphan, and Venusaur. Hidden Power Ice is usually the superior option, as it deals with more common UU threats such as Venusaur and Altaria. Signal Beam is mainly a filler, though it does hit Shiftry and Exeggutor harder than any other move in Ampharos's arsenal. 48 Speed EVs are used to outrun 4 Speed Clefable, allowing Ampharos to 2HKO it with Thunderbolt on the switchin before it can move. Max Special Attack paired with Choice Specs gives Ampharos the ability to 2HKO most of UU and seriously dent the rest. The remaining EVs are placed into HP to give Ampharos more overall bulk, which complements its good defenses. If you aren't worried about Clefable, you can pour the Speed EVs into HP instead. Due to Ampharos's low Speed stat, any opponent faster than it becomes an instant threat--especially those with Earthquake. It is recommended that you pair Ampharos with a Pokemon which resists or has an immunity to Ground-type attacks. Mismagius is an obvious first choice due to its Levitate ability and good Speed; however, less-used Pokemon such as Ludicolo and Tangrowth are good options too. Ludicolo and Tangrowth also have access to Leech Seed, which is helpful for recovering Ampharos's health and works very well with its decent defenses.

Ampharos makes an ideal Rain Dance setter, as it has great defensive stats and access to 100% accurate STAB Thunder in the rain. Hidden Power Water rounds off the set's coverage, hitting Ground-types super effectively and getting a nice boost from rain. The last slot helps complement Ampharos's defensive ability, providing support for its teammates through Safeguard and screens. Heal Bell may be used too, removing status from the team. This set could also use a spread of 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 SpD, making it bulky and difficult to take down. The spread ensures that Omastar won't KO Ampharos with a rain-boosted Surf, even if Stealth Rock is in play. Ampharos may be played more offensively, with a spread of 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD, which allows Ampharos to become a sweeper if necessary. If you choose to go this route, you may swap Ampharos's last move for Focus Blast to hit the likes of Registeel and Chansey super effectively. As the main focus of this set is Rain Dance, Pokemon which can take advantage of the weather are ideal partners for Ampharos. Swift Swimmers are good options, as they can sweep the opponent quickly; such Pokemon include Ludicolo, which has a great special movepool and STAB Surf and Grass Knot, and Kabutops, which, amongst its credentials, has access to Waterfall, Swords Dance, and Stone Edge. Electric-types can also take advantage of the rain, as they can enjoy using 100% accurate STAB Thunder. Rotom is an excellent choice, since it can switch into Ground-type attacks aimed at Ampharos and set up screens to support the team if Ampharos is unable to. Rotom also has access to STAB Thunder and Shadow Ball, along with utility moves such as Trick, Will-O-Wisp, and Discharge. Lanturn is an odd Pokemon to pair with Ampharos, as it shares Ampharos's weakness to Ground-type attacks; however, Lanturn can set up rain as well, while taking advantage of boosted STAB Surf and Thunder in the rain. Lanturn can also switch into Electric-type attacks aimed at your sweepers thanks to Volt Absorb.

This set makes full use of Ampharos's potential as a team supporter. 90/75/90 defenses are nothing to scoff at, especially when Ampharos only has one weakness. Discharge's 30% paralysis rate makes it a great option on this set also as it helps compensate for Ampharos's low Speed stat. Hidden Power is mainly used for coverage, hitting the Ground-types which love to switch in on Ampharos for super effective damage. Heal Bell supports Ampharos's teammates by removing status afflictions, while Reflect and Light Screen help weaken the opponent's attacks. Toxic and Thunder Wave may also be used on this set, though they may conflict with Static and Discharge. Hidden Power Ice is preferred for BoltBeam coverage, but Hidden Power Grass is useful as it can hit Lanturn and Rhyperior. The EVs on this set ensure that Ampharos survives a rain-boosted Surf from Omastar, factoring in Stealth Rock and Leftovers. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Attack to give Ampharos's attacks more power. Alternatively, you may use Ampharos in a more defensive role as a dual screener; if you choose to go this route, a Calm nature can be used along with a spread of 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 SpD and with Light Clay instead of Leftovers. When you Ampharos's Special Attack EVs with Defense EVs, it becomes much more difficult to KO. Being completely specially-based, this set is walled by the likes of Chansey and Clefable. There are multiple ways to deal with this, the first being a physical attacker such as Hitmontop or Dugtrio. Dugtrio has the added bonus of being able trap the opposing Pokemon with its ability, Arena Trap. Another option is using Mismagius with Taunt and Nasty Plot, which allows it to boost its Special Attack while muscling through the aforementioned walls with boosted Hidden Power Fighting. Taunt ensures that the opposing Pokemon cannot cripple Mismagius with status moves. Mismagius also makes for a good partner to Ampharos because it can avoid damage from any Brick Break users attempting to break the screens that Ampharos sets up, even if the screens still get broken; it also has an immunity to Earthquake, making it a decent defensive partner.

Ampharos is different than most of its Electric-type brethren due to good defenses and low Speed. It still maintains an excellent base 115 Special Attack stat, and Thunderbolt can obliterate many common Pokemon in UU. This set takes advantage of Ampharos's natural bulk to help set up Substitute on weak walls and begin opening up holes in the opponent's team. The core move of this set is Thunderbolt. With Stealth Rock on the field, Ampharos will nearly always OHKO Bulky Water Milotic. Thunderbolt also gets rid of powerful threats such as Toxicroak and Alakazam in one strike. Because of Ampharos's natural bulk, most offensive threats will not be able to OHKO it, allowing it to go toe-to-toe with top threats and come out the victor. Ground-types have an unfortunate immunity to Electric attacks, but Hidden Power Ice remedies this. Hidden Power Ice allows Ampharos to hit Ground-types hard, having a great chance to OHKO standard Donphan it he tries to absorb Thunderbolt. Hidden Power Ice also OHKOes Torterra, but Ampharos needs to hit max Speed variants on the switch or when safely behind a Substitute. Focus Blast allows Ampharos to 2HKO both Clefable and Registeel, while giving it a way to threaten Chansey. Focus Blast also allows Ampharos to OHKO standard Rhyperior, as Hidden Power Ice can only muster a 2HKO. Substitute is the primary option in the last slot, as Ampharos can use its bulk and power to cause switches. It also helps ease prediction, and guards Ampharos against opposing Dugtrio. Although a dry Focus Punch may seem sketchy, it's Ampharos's best bet at eliminating Chansey. Ampharos can run Hidden Power Grass to reliably OHKO Rhyperior and Water/Ground-types. This also allows Ampharos to hit Lanturn which would otherwise wall it, but Hidden Power Ice is usually the superior option. If you want a bulkier Ampharos, an alternative EV spread of 212 HP / 252 SpA / 44 Speed allows Ampharos to take hits considerably better at the cost of Speed. 48 Speed EVs allow Ampharos to outspeed minimum Speed Clefable, standard Rhyperior, and other slow walls. If using the bulkier spread, Leftovers becomes a viable option. When using Focus Punch, a Mild nature is recommended to hit Chansey harder. Because Ampharos can get rid of bulky Water-types easily, Fire-types are perfect partners. Arcanine is a great choice as it's one of the more durable options. Arcanine can help eliminate pesky Grass-types, such as Venusaur, which plague Ampharos. Because Ampharos's sole weakness is Ground, a resistance or immunity to Earthquake is extremely useful. Mismagius makes an excellent partner with Ampharos because of its ability to KO Registeel with repeated Focus Blasts. Mixed variants of Sceptile pair well with Ampharos, as they weaken each other's counters. Because of potential paralysis from Static, slow but powerful Pokemon such as Torterra make good teammates. Lanturn can be quite the pest for Ampharos, so pairing it with a Pokemon such as Venusaur is also recommended. Dugtrio is a major threat to Ampharos, as blindly throwing out Thunderbolt will cause it to be trapped and OHKOed. Ampharos should always try to be safely behind a Substitute. If Ampharos is somehow revenge killed by Dugtrio, having a threatening partner such as Moltres or the previously mentioned Torterra will allow you to gain back some momentum.

Set Description Ampharos is a team's primary user of Heal Bell, which allows it to absorb status and cure its teammates of their own status, increasing the longevity of bulkier teammates or keeping offensive threats healthy, both of which include itself. Hidden Power Ice is used to hit Grass- and Ground-types such as Vileplume, Cradily, and Gligar. Most Ground-types besides Nidoqueen are 2HKOed by it, while Gligar is OHKOed, making their entry risky if Ampharos makes correct predictions. Toxic lets Ampharos make progress against defensive cores and cripple its checks that aren't immune to Toxic such as Kangaskhan, Lanturn, Cradily, Hypno, and opposing Ampharos. Thunder Wave is an alternative status option to hinder the Speed of Pokemon like Kangaskhan and Arcanine on paralysis spam structures. Maximum HP and 88 Defense EVs let Ampharos avoid a 2HKO from Choice Band Scyther's Hidden Power Bug, and 120 Special Defense EVs prevent a 3HKO from Lapras's Ice Beam. 16 Speed EVs are also used to outspeed certain defensive Omastar spreads. Team Options Ampharos pairs well with nearly every Pokemon in the tier, but it especially appreciates teammates that can help sustain its longevity or pose an offensive threat. Kangaskhan provides Ampharos Wish support, spreads status through Toxic or Body Slam, and absorbs status from Ampharos's checks to maintain Heal Bell PP. Omastar checks most physical attackers that can threaten Ampharos, and it provides Spikes support that helps Ampharos threaten its checks upon switching in, since most of them aren't Spikes immune. If a Rapid Spin user tries to remove Omastar's Spikes, Ampharos can find entry and punish their attempt at spinning with Static. Omastar can also reliably run Rest with cleric support, keeping it healthy to check physical attackers long-term. Rapid Spin support from Tentacruel, Blastoise, and Hitmontop is appreciated for Ampharos to comfortably switch into the things it checks. Vileplume partners well with Ampharos, as its bulk and multitude of recovery options allow it to check Kangaskhan and opposing Ampharos, and it provides extra status support through Sludge Bomb poisons or Stun Spore. Pokemon that pose sweeping threats help Ampharos's team establish a long-term offensive threat to mitigate some of Ampharos's own passivity. Long-term win conditions with Rest such as Slowking, Xatu, and Curse users like Walrein, Lapras, and Muk are great in this role, as they are at their most threatening when backed by cleric support to reduce the number of turns they are asleep. Ampharos is one of the best leads in the tier, as it checks common leads such as Qwilfish, Granbull, and Walrein, and it can stalemate with other Electric-type leads like Ampharos and Electabuzz. However, it can also be useful outside of the lead position to preserve its health until it needs to switch in against Water- and Electric-types.