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Psychic is Azelf's strongest and usually preferred STAB move, dealing big damage to the likes of Thundurus-T and Amoonguss, but Psyshock is an option to OHKO Nihilego and deal more damage to Tentacruel and Calm Mind users like Primarina and Keldeo. Flamethrower hits a wide range of defensive Pokemon like Scizor, Skarmory, and Tangrowth, while Fire Blast is a stronger option to help finish off Celesteela and Tangrowth, but the difference in damage is often not worth the accuracy drop. U-turn is Azelf's key move on this set, as its high Speed allows it to pivot out of danger from Pokemon like Mandibuzz and bring in a teammate safely. Azelf's last moves usually depend on the item it is running. If running Expert Belt, Energy Ball or Dazzling Gleam should be used. Energy Ball is the preferred final move to wipe out common foes like Slowking, Hippowdon, and Mamoswine, notably 2HKOing the former two and OHKOing the latter with the Expert Belt boost. Meanwhile, Dazzling Gleam is an option for Dragon-types and bulky Dark-types like Hydreigon, Salamence, Mandibuzz, and Umbreon. If using Heavy-Duty Boots to avoid Stealth Rock damage as Azelf pivots throughout the battle, Knock Off is the preferred final move to remove items from common switch-ins such as Chansey and Mandibuzz so Azelf can attempt to outlast them. Timid is the preffered nature as Azelf is not concerned about U-turn chip damage, though Naive can be used if running Knock Off for extra power as the loss in Special Defense barely affects Azelf and maintaining chip damage from U-turn and Knock Off can be beneficial. 4 Defense EVs ensure Azelf takes a Thousand Arrows from Zygarde-10%. This set fits best on fast-paced balance and offense teams, where its pivot support can assist in getting other hard-hitting Pokemon like Mamoswine onto the field. Azelf is already a strong offensive presence, but wallbreakers like Keldeo, Hydreigon, Conkeldurr, and Mamoswine overwhelm shared checks such as Slowking, Chansey, and Mandibuzz. Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego and Spikes users like Skarmory put even more stress on the opposing team. Nihilego also can pressure Mandibuzz and wear down Slowking. Excadrill compresses setting and removing entry hazards, enabling Expert Belt Azelf to come in and break through the enemy team more easily. Azelf works best in combination with other pivots such as Zarude, Thundurus-T, and Slowking; all of which appreciating Azelf taking on Grass-types like Tangrowth and Amoonguss. Zarude can counter Hippowdon and Slowking and bring Azelf in against Skarmory, Thundurus-T can threaten Mandibuzz and Crobat, and a Slowking of your own can be used as a slower, defensive pivot to bring in Azelf against Pokemon like Tangrowth. Scizor can lure in Cobalion and Skarmory and use U-turn to give Azelf opportunities to wallbreak while also picking off priority users that threaten Azelf like Lycanroc-D and Mamoswine. Tangrowth and Amoonguss help check dangerous revenge killers like Diggersby and Zarude for Azelf, while Azelf can threaten Steel-types like Skarmory and Celesteela. Primarina can handle many threats to Azelf, including Mandibuzz and Choice Scarf Hydreigon, while Azelf can threaten Grass-types like Amoonguss. In addition to Primarina, bulky Pokemon like Slowking and Salamence can make up for Azelf's frailty by defensively answering threats to it.

+2 Azelf can dismantle nearly the entire tier, depending on what coverage moves it chooses. Psyshock is usually preferred for STAB to OHKO Nihilego and Tentacruel before a boost and better threaten Chansey and Calm Mind Primarina. However, Psychic is an option to do more neutral damage to Pokemon like Salamence and Mamoswine if Azelf is not running super effective coverage for them. Fire Blast covers Grass-types like Tangrowth and Steel-types like Celesteela, OHKOing all after Nasty Plot. Azelf's other coverage depends on the team's needs. Energy Ball wipes out Swampert, Hippowdon, and Slowking. Dazzling Gleam hits Dark- and Dragon-types like Hydreigon, Umbreon, Mandibuzz, and Salamence. Substitute is an option over either of these moves to give it a safety net to either set up easier or take a hit and retaliate back. Azelf can often get up Substitute against who rely on hindering it with status like Hippowdon as well as Pokemon it forces out like Keldeo. Expert Belt is usually the preferred item on this set, as it allows Azelf to fire off attacks without consequence while still dealing enough damage to OHKO defensive Pokemon like Celesteela after Nasty Plot. Life Orb can be used for even more damage, in particular against Pokemon Azelf lacks coverage for like Chansey and Hatterene. Unfortunately, Life Orb wears down Azelf fairly quickly and leaves it susceptible to priority attacks like Bullet Punch from Scizor. Focus Sash allows Azelf to safely take a hit and boost or avoid being revenge killed, though this item is unreliable as it can easily be broken by Stealth Rock. This set fits best on hyper offense teams, whose teammates can support Azelf. An entry hazard setter like Scolipede helps facilitate an Azelf sweep, and Excadrill can both set hazards and remove them. Azelf is naturally fast, but a Sticky Web setter like Ribombee invalidates Choice Scarf users like Diggersby and Zarude, letting Azelf easily sweep most teams. Sticky Web also allows Azelf to attack Starmie and Zygarde-10% without risking a Speed tie. Strong physical sweepers, like Gyarados and Diggersby, can work as secondary sweepers against teams that carry multiple stops to Azelf. Azelf can set up on most checks to these physical sweepers, including Tangrowth and Skarmory. A wallbreaker like Mamoswine can break through many checks to Azelf, such as Mandibuzz and Chansey, to allow Azelf to more easily sweep. Thundurus-T can also help threaten Pokemon like Mandibuzz, as Azelf struggles to break through it even with Dazzling Gleam. Nihilego can serve as a secondary sweeper with Meteor Beam and important coverage in moves such as Sludge Wave and Thunderbolt, while Azelf can assist in removing or weakening Nihilego's checks like Slowking, Chansey, and Jirachi.

Moves Psyshock is Azelf's best STAB move for this set, 2HKOing Blissey after a boost and heavily damaging most targets that don't resist it. Psychic is an option over Psyshock for its ability to more efficiently power through various physically defensive Pokemon, such as Hippowdon, Swampert, Rhyperior, and Gligar, though this comes at the cost of being unable to heavily damage Blissey. Flamethrower provides strong coverage against Steel-types like Scizor and Mega Steelix, consistently OHKOing the former and powering through the latter after a boost. Fire Blast provides a stronger Fire-type move at the cost of accuracy, allowing Azelf to more easily power through the likes of Empoleon and Mega Aggron. This does notably worsen its reliability against Scizor, however. Dazzling Gleam hits Hydreigon and Latias, which otherwise wall Azelf, super effectively. It also allows Azelf to cleanly OHKO Krookodile, offensive Mega Altaria, and Crawdaunt after a boost. Energy Ball is an option for powering through Rhyperior, Slowbro, Quagsire, and Hippowdon more easily than Azelf's other attacks. It also still hits Krookodile and Crawdaunt hard but leaves Azelf unable to combat Hydreigon and Latias. Set Details Adrenaline Orb allows Azelf to take advantage of Krookodile and Mega Manectric's Intimidate to increase its Speed, allowing it to outrun the entire unboosted metagame and every relevant Choice Scarf user once activated. Life Orb is also an option for its ability to put a great amount of power behind Azelf's attacks, allowing it to reliably OHKO Mega Aggron with a boosted Fire Blast, for instance. This, however, does put it at risk of being easier to revenge kill with priority attacks, as well as by Choice Scarf users and Pursuit. Levitate is Azelf's only available ability, though it can be useful for easier setup against passive Ground-types like Hippowdon and Swampert. Usage Tips Azelf's frailty usually only allows it to set up once, meaning that it should usually only try functioning as a cleaner, sweeping in late-game scenarios after its checks have been removed. This also means that Azelf should generally refrain from coming into play earlier. However, its Speed tier can be used to help revenge kill various Pokemon, such as Infernape and Gengar, if need be. Faster Pokemon capable of outrunning Azelf, like Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Beedrill, should be outright removed from play to maximize its sweeping potential. Both mentioned threats can also carry Pursuit to trap Azelf with, making them particularly important to remove before bringing it out. Choice Scarf users like Hydreigon, Infernape, and Chandelure should also be removed. Azelf can circumvent this, however, if Adrenaline Orb is activated before these Pokemon try revenge killing it. Priority users like Scizor, Bisharp, Doublade, and Mamoswine should also be removed in order to more easily sweep late-game. It should be noted, however, that only Bisharp can KO Azelf from full, meaning that in emergency situations, it can still prevail against the other mentioned Pokemon. Azelf should utilize Adrenaline Orb to receive a boost in Speed from Pokemon with the Intimidate ability, such as Krookodile and Mega Manectric. This furthers its late-game sweeping potential by making it harder to revenge kill, outrunning the aforementioned threats and powering through them with its boosted attacks. If running Adrenaline Orb, Azelf should be extra careful about coming into play too early in matchups with Mega Manectric or Krookodile on the other team, as its item could get consumed too early for Azelf to adequately take advantage of its Speed boost. Azelf should capitalize on its coverage in matchups against bulkier teams to function as a wallbreaker instead of a cleaner, though it should be careful in doing this depending on the specific structures of said teams. If a Pokemon like Alolan Muk or Pyukumuku is being run, or if Azelf is using Psychic and can't break Blissey, it should try refocusing its role to break or clean after threats it can't take on are removed, much like in offensive matchups. Team Options This set's easiest fit is on offensive teams due to its nature as a late-game cleaner. Azelf greatly appreciates entry hazard support in order to more easily break past its foes, making Nihilego, Cobalion, and Terrakion solid options for teammates. Klefki can be particularly helpful due to its ability to provide Azelf with speed control with Thunder Wave as well as soften Azelf's slightly shaky matchups against Hydreigon and Latias. Knock Off support from the likes of Krookodile and Bisharp can also be beneficial, removing Choice Scarf from Pokemon like Infernape and Hydreigon and allowing Azelf to more easily sweep. Pursuit trappers such as Alolan Muk, Scizor, and Mega Aerodactyl can also patch up Azelf's shaky matchup against Latias while also taking care of Starmie, which it Speed ties with. Strong wallbreakers generally make good partners due to their ability to soften up opposing teams for Azelf to clean up. Examples include Nidoking, Primarina, and Mamoswine. Choice Scarf users like Hydreigon and Krookodile can help Azelf through their ability to revenge kill various faster Pokemon that threaten it, like Mega Aerodactyl. Lastly, pivots like Mega Manectric, Scizor, and Moltres can bring Azelf into play, circumventing its frailty. Mega Manectric and Moltres can also help improve the Scizor matchup.

Moves Taunt is necessary on Azelf to prevent foes such as Froslass and Cobalion from setting up entry hazards and foes such as Gligar and Rotom-H from clearing your team's dual screens or entry hazards with Defog. It also prevents certain Pokemon such as Mega Altaria and Celebi from setting up on Azelf while it sets up dual screens. U-turn allows Azelf to generate momentum for its teammates in order to bring them in and let them set up under the protection of the dual screens while gaining small chip damage. However, due to Azelf's Speed, the newly brought-in Pokemon will usually have to take a hit or status move first. Explosion is an option over U-turn that allows Azelf to deal some final damage and guarantee a safe entry for a setup sweeper, but this prevents it from setting up dual screens again later in the match. Set Details Maximum Defense investment allows Azelf to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Aerodactyl's Stone Edge and Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch if it uses Reflect after the first attack, while 216 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature let Azelf to outspeed all Pokemon up to and including Latias, allowing Azelf to set up dual screens before being attacked. Maximum HP and Speed investment can be run instead to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Manectric's Thunderbolt if Azelf uses Light Screen after the first attack and to outspeed Tornadus. Tornadus, however, has access to Prankster Defog to remove dual screens before being Taunted, and Mega Aerodactyl and Scizor are much more common than Mega Manectric, making this the inferior choice. Usage Tips Azelf's main objective during a match is to set up dual screens in order to support setup sweepers on its team. Azelf should aim to lead versus Pokemon that can't do much damage to it such as Froslass, which azelf can outspeed and Taunt to prevent it from setting up entry hazards. Azelf should, however, be careful of using Taunt on more offensive entry hazard setters such as Nihilego, Terrakion, and Rhyperior that can heavily damage it if predicted correctly. You should either focus on setting up dual screens in these scenarios or lead with a different Pokemon and set up dual screens with Azelf later when it is safer to do so. Against teams featuring Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Krookodile, it is unwise to lead with Azelf, as they can outspeed it and either KO it with their Dark-type STAB moves or Pursuit trap it to prevent it from setting up dual screens again later in the match. In these situations, Azelf should instead come in later when it can set up dual screens more reliably, such as against a Hydreigon Choice-locked into Draco Meteor. Azelf should try to preserve its health when possible in order to potentially set up dual screens again later in the match, such as by taking advantage of Choice-locked Pokemon such as Terrakion and Krookodile locked into an ineffective move. After setting dual screens, Azelf should use U-turn to pivot out into an appropriate setup sweeper. This enables Azelf to generate momentum and ease prediction in the case of the foe switching out while maximizing the number of usable turns of dual screens. Due to its Speed, however, Azelf will likely be moving first, and therefore the incoming Pokemon may have to take chip damage or potentially receive a status ailment such as a burn from Scald or Will-O-Wisp. If running Explosion, Azelf should use it to bring in a setup sweeper safely after setting up dual screens; the sweeper will not have to worry about status or chip damage like it would with U-turn. If Azelf still has high HP, or if the opposing Pokemon has no moves that could induce status such as Scald and Toxic, then directly switching is advisable over using Explosion in order to allow Azelf to set up dual screens again later in the game. Azelf should aim to use Taunt against Defog users such as Gligar and Empoleon to prevent them from potentially clearing your team's dual screens. Azelf should watch out for Knock Off users, including more passive Pokemon such as Empoleon and Tentacruel that it might otherwise try to set up dual screens on, as losing Light Clay will severely limit the number of turns that the dual screens last for. Team Options Dual screens Azelf fits on hyper offense teams that can use the dual screens support to set up and break down opposing teams more easily. Krookodile pairs excellently with Azelf, as it is able to set Stealth Rock and stop opposing entry hazard setters and Defoggers with Taunt. It can also offer Knock Off support against Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon, allowing Azelf to set up dual screens on them more reliably. Scizor and Latias both greatly appreciate the dual screens support Azelf provides, allowing them to set up with Swords Dance and Calm Mind more easily, preventing Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Krookodile from revenge killing Latias as easily, and making Scizor less susceptible to Hidden Power Fire from opposing Pokemon. The free setup opportunity that dual screens provides these Pokemon allows them to be dangerous wallbreakers that the rest of the team can clean up after. Latias in particular offers the team a reliable check to bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Tentacruel, as it does not care as much about swapping in on a Scald and helps to check threatening setup sweepers such as Celebi, Infernape, and Lucario by virtue of its Speed tier and defensive typing. Other setup sweepers such as Feraligatr appreciate the dual screens support Azelf provides, as it allows them to set up more easily and potentially multiple times. Swords Dance Lucario and Terrakion can both pair nicely with Azelf, as Justified allows them to take advantage of Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Krookodile locked into Dark-type moves, giving them an opportunity to immediately break the opposing team, or to set up as the foe is forced out. Terrakion in particular appreciates the ability to survive Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch, even after a Defense drop from Close Combat. Frail setup sweepers such as Venomoth and Linoone can also take advantage of the ability to find easier boost and become harder to revenge kill via priority moves such as Scizor's Bullet Punch.

Moves Stealth Rock allows Azelf to support its team by dealing useful chip damage to foes. Explosion is an extremely powerful attack coming off Azelf's high Attack and is useful for heavily weakening a foe after Stealth Rock has been set. Taunt prevents opposing leads from setting their own entry hazards and also prevents the use of Defog from the likes of Latias, Empoleon, Moltres, and Mantine. Knock Off provides the utility of removing crucial items from foes, such as Krookodile's Choice Scarf, while also allowing Azelf to scout for Z-Crystals on foes. Fire Blast is an alternative to Knock Off, hitting Pokemon that don't take much damage from Explosion, such as Scizor and Cobalion, for super effective damage. Dazzling Gleam is an option for hitting Dark-types like Krookodile and Hydreigon harder. However, both are already hit fairly hard by Explosion. Set Details Maximum investment in Speed allows Azelf to outspeed a good portion of the metagame, notably outpacing other leads such as Terrakion and Cobalion. Maximum investment in Attack is also quite important, as it puts as much power behind Explosion as possible. The remaining 4 EVs go into Special Attack to boost the power of Fire Blast if it's being used. A Jolly nature is used if Azelf uses Knock Off, making it as fast as possible without cutting into its bulk. However, a Naive nature is an option if Fire Blast is being used to prevent cutting into its power. Levitate is Azelf's only possible ability, but it is useful for avoiding Ground-type attacks from the likes of Swampert, Hippowdon, and Gligar, which Azelf can then reliably set Stealth Rock against. Usage Tips Azelf functions best as a suicide lead on hyper offensive teams, which means that more often than not, it is best to bring Azelf into play first. However, some opponents may use counters, making it necessary to bring out a teammate capable of dealing with these threats first. Due to Azelf's poor bulk, Stealth Rock should almost always be used first, though Taunt should be used against opposing leads that are likely to set their own entry hazards or inflict Azelf with status, such as Swampert, Hippowdon, and Terrakion. Knock Off can also be used in certain situations, such as against Choice Scarf users like Hydreigon, Krookodile, and Infernape. This allows Azelf to set Stealth Rock while also crippling these Pokemon, though it's worth noting that it likely won't be able to use Explosion. Azelf will usually opt to use Stealth Rock and then Explosion soon after. It is possible, however, to preserve Azelf for later on in the match after setting Stealth Rock, as with Focus Sash and Explosion, it can act as a decent revenge killer to boosted sweepers. Team Options Azelf's role as a suicide lead allows it to fit quite comfortably on hyper offensive teams, adequately supporting offensive threats that enjoy entry hazard support for securing KOs, such as Infernape, Celebi, and Hydreigon. Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock, such as Mega Aerodactyl and Talonflame, appreciate Azelf's ability to prevent opposing leads from setting it with Taunt. Frailer offensive Pokemon, such as Infernape and Starmie, are also appreciative of Azelf due to its ability to give them a safe opportunity to switch in with Explosion. Ghost-types like Gengar, Doublade, and Chandelure are capable of acting as spinblockers for Azelf, thus preventing its Stealth Rock from being removed. Tornadus can use its Defiant ability to deter Defog, which can otherwise prove troublesome for Azelf.

Moves Azelf's objective is to set up Stealth Rock quickly, which it can do easily because of its high Speed. Explosion deals an insane amount of damage even on a resisted hit and prevents foes from removing entry hazards on the turn it is used. Skill Swap can be used instead to steal Magic Bounce from Mega Diancie, allowing Azelf to not have to worry about its Stealth Rock being bounced back, while Hidden Power Steel is an option to hit Mega Diancie for super effective damage and potentially OHKO it, preventing Skill Swap mind games. Iron Tail can be used if netting the OHKO on Mega Diancie is crucial but has a nasty miss rate in return. Taunt allows Azelf to shut down slower entry hazard leads and users of status moves in general. Set Details 228 Defense EVs are used to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Lopunny's Fake Out followed by Return, preventing it from anti-leading Azelf and turning it into dead weight. 28 Special Attack EVs give Azelf a 50% chance to OHKO Naive Mega Diancie. The remaining EVs go into Speed to allow Azelf to outspeed everything up to base 115 Speed, meaning that it can usually set up Stealth Rock very easily. A Naive nature is necessary to maximize Azelf's Speed without cutting into either of its offensive stats. Focus Sash is critical due to the suicide nature of the set, as it guarantees that Azelf will survive a single powerful attack. Usage Tips Keep in mind that Azelf will almost always be using Stealth Rock and then Explosion directly after. However, if the foe does not threaten Azelf offensively, feel free to use Taunt should Azelf be running the move. Because Azelf is a very obvious choice as a lead, don't lead with it if the opponent has a reliable answer to it, such as Bisharp for non-Fire Blast variants. If facing a Pokemon that can use Azelf as setup bait, Taunt it. However, not many Pokemon can reliably set up on Azelf due to the threat of Explosion. Prediction is key if you are running Skill Swap, as the opponent can decide whether or not to Mega Evolve their Diancie right away. Team Options Azelf finds a home on many hyper offense teams that appreciate its Stealth Rock support. Sweepers such as Keldeo enjoy having their foes softened a bit, thus allowing them to land crucial KOs that they would not achieve without the chip damage. Bisharp can help keep Stealth Rock on the opponent's side of the field because it threatens users of Defog as well as Starmie. Gengar can attempt to spinblock in order to gain momentum against the likes of Starmie, but it can find itself OHKOed by Psyshock.

Of all Azelf sets, this set performs best in the sweeping category. This is because Nasty Plot boosts Azelf's Special Attack, allowing it to break through a lot of threats when backed by its blistering Speed stat. Psychic is the STAB move of choice, as it breaks through anything that doesn't resist it and that doesn't have high special bulk. Fire Blast allows Azelf to get past Steel-type Pokemon such as Registeel and Empoleon, Pokemon that resist Azelf's STAB Psychic and that would otherwise phaze or set up on it. It also helps against Weavile and Bisharp, two of the Dark-type Pokemon that tend to switch in on Psychic. Thunderbolt allows Azelf to muscle past the bulky Water-type Pokemon found in the tier, barring Swampert, and adds decent coverage alongside Psychic and Fire Blast. Thunderbolt is also useful for preventing Azelf from being walled by Houndoom, as it is immune to Psychic and Fire Blast thanks to its typing and ability. If opting for Psyshock over Psychic so that targets such as Snorlax and Porygon2 won't interrupt Azelf's sweep, one should also use Grass Knot over Thunderbolt to ensure that bulky Pokemon such as Rhyperior and Swampert cannot come in, tank Psyshock, and beat Azelf. Psyshock can be used over Psychic to gain more overall damage on special walls such as Snorlax and Porygon2, but it does less damage in most other situations. In the same sense, Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast if the low PP and shaky accuracy is unappealing to you. An Expert Belt can be used over Life Orb if the drop in HP is unfavorable, but its lower damage output will be noticeable, as not every move will get a boost every time it is used. Shadow Ball can be used in order to hit very specific targets such as Xatu or Cofagrigus if your team struggles with them, but really reduces Azelf's coverage options, leaving it even more vulnerable to Dark-type Pokemon such as Krookodile or Houndoom. Azelf greatly wants entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Empoleon and Qwilfish, as they help Azelf get past Focus Sashes, making for easier sweeps. They also weaken opponents, which turns many of Azelf's 2HKOs into OHKOs, such as boosted Thunderbolt against Suicune. Azelf also appreciates teammates such as Mienshao and Heracross to remove the Dark-type Pokemon found in the Underused tier so Azelf can boost and use its attacks without fear of Pursuit or Sucker Punch.

Despite having a very usable base 125 Attack, Azelf's only viable attempt at physical offense is with a Choice Band, simply because it lacks a way to boost its Attack. This set works well as a revenge killer, simply because it isn't powerful enough to break walls like other physical attackers, such as Darmanitan or Heracross. Zen Headbutt gains STAB, which will deal decent damage to most of the tier, but being locked into this move can terminate Azelf, as UU has its fair share of Pursuit users, most of which are Dark-types. Fire Punch hits Steel-type Pokemon such as Cobalion for solid damage. Ice Punch hits the handful of Grass- and Flying-type Pokemon such as Shaymin and Gligar for super effective damage, rounding out coverage with Zen Headbutt and Fire Punch. U-turn can be used for scouting purposes, generating momentum, and hitting Dark-type switch-ins that would be expecting a Zen Headbutt. However, Trick can be used over U-turn to cripple setup Pokemon and walls, as well as giving Azelf free reign to switch its moves. Thunder Punch could be used to hit bulky Water-type Pokemon such as Suicune and Milotic harder, but is generally inferior to the other two elemental punches in terms of providing coverage. Explosion is a more than viable option that can leave a hell of a dent in the opponent's team, as it basically OHKOes anything that doesn't resist it or has a massive Defense stat, leaving your team room to pull off a sweep. In order for Choice Band Azelf to be of full use, Pursuit users such as Heracross or Houndoom need to be off the field so Azelf can later switch in without fear. Azelf also appreciates the removal of Dark-type Pokemon and entry hazard support from Qwilfish or Bronzong, as Azelf forces switches and doesn't want to fear using its STAB move. Fighting-types such as Heracross and Scrafty excel at removing Dark-types, and are thus great teammates for Azelf.

Thanks to its blistering base 115 Speed and great supporting movepool, Azelf works as the second-best dual screener in the game, falling short of only Deoxys-S. This set helps more frail Pokemon such as Sharpedo and Porygon-Z set up and begin their sweeps, as it supplies them with a temporary defensive boost from Light Screen and Reflect. Taunt shuts down opposing Taunt users, walls, and in extreme cases, setup sweepers. This can also help keep hazards off Azelf's side of the field until setup is complete. Stealth Rock is great for general team support, damaging the opponent upon switching in, and breaking any stray Focus Sashes that might delay the sweep of a teammate. Light Clay is used to lengthen the effects of Light Screen and Reflect from 5 turns to 8, giving your team more than enough time to set up and begin sweeping. Jolly should be used with U-turn, but otherwise Timid is better to reduce Foul Play and confusion damage. U-turn can be used over either Taunt or Stealth Rock if the threat of being Taunted by faster Pokemon is too high. It also allows for a sweeper to be brought in while damaging the opponent. Explosion can be used to heavily damage the opponent and gain a quick transition to an awaiting Pokemon, but is generally not recommended unless you're packing a backup screener such as Xatu or Cresselia, as it prevents Azelf from ever setting up dual screens for the rest of the match. Because Crobat outspeeds and shuts this set down, Pokemon such as Raikou and Zapdos make for great teammates, as they don't mind Taunt as much, and can beat Crobat one-on-one.

Thanks to its high Speed and Special Attack stats, Azelf can forgo the need to set up with Nasty Plot and attack head-on. However, unlike the Nasty Plot set, this variant is not nearly as powerful, and is more useful for picking off weakened opponents. Psychic is Azelf's best STAB attack, hitting the array of Fighting- and Poison-type Pokemon found in the Underused tier, such as Roserade, Heracross, or Machamp, for heavy damage. Fire Blast gains super effective coverage on the Steel- and Ice-types found in UU, such as Bronzong or Weavile. Shadow Ball is useful against the array of opposing Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon found throughout the tier, such as Xatu or Cofagrigus. The last slot is based on preference. Stealth Rock is great for team support and damaging opponents as they switch in, U-turn is handy for scouting the opponent and providing your team with momentum, and Grass Knot is handy for punishing heavier Pokemon such as Rhyperior, Swampert, and Golurk, opening holes in the opposing team for Azelf's teammates to take advantage of. Thunderbolt is also highly useful in the fourth slot, as it prevents Houndoom from completely walling Azelf and does considerable damage to the plethora of bulky Water-type Pokemon found in the tier. Psyshock is a valid option over Psychic in order to do more damage against the likes of Porygon2 and Snorlax, but tends to be weaker in most other situations. Azelf is typically better off letting a teammate such as Heracross or Scrafty remove the special walls before it begins tearing the opposing team up. Flamethrower can be used if Fire Blast's lower accuracy and PP are unappealing to you, but will be significantly weaker. Explosion can be used in the fourth moveslot to remove a troublesome Pokemon that is shutting your team down, clearing the path for another Pokemon to sweep. This Azelf variant still suffers greatly against Dark-types, especially Houndoom and Weavile, and appreciates having them removed or heavily damaged by Fighting-type friends, such as Cobalion and Mienshao, before coming in. Azelf also appreciates entry hazard support from bulky Pokemon such as Empoleon, Rhyperior, Bronzong, and Roserade to increase its overall damage output.

Moves Choice Band Azelf takes a different approach than the standard lead: it doesn't set up Stealth Rock and just immediately threatens the foe with Explosion or a strong U-turn. Azelf's Explosion is among the strongest in the game—even many Explosion-resistant Pokemon have a high likelihood to be KOed, such as Metagross, Bronzong, Tyranitar, and non-physically bulky variants of Jirachi and Skarmory. This prevents Stealth Rock from going up while also taking out a threat. Choice Band also gives Azelf a very strong U-turn, having a chance to OHKO non-physically bulky Azelf, OHKOing Latias and Starmie without bulk investment after Stealth Rock, and 2HKOing Tyranitar. It also does respectable chip damage to most threats, which is especially helpful should Azelf want to save its Explosion for later in the game. Zen Headbutt is a strong physical Psychic-type move that OHKOes Machamp while being the strongest non-Explosion move. As an alternative, Sleep Talk makes Azelf a great switch-in to Breloom's Spore, as any of the moves Sleep Talk calls will do a lot of damage to it. Trick is the main final option, as it can shut down walls such as Rotom-A, Hippowdon, and Swampert. Ice Punch is another option that OHKOes all Dragonite without a Yache Berry and is favorable to OHKO Zapdos without bulk investment. Azelf has access to other elemental punches; however, Explosion outdamages all other options even when resisted. Set Details Azelf has some options on the EV spread, but it should almost always be running an Adamant nature, maximum Attack, and maximum Speed. Choice Band Azelf's primary niche is its nuclear Explosion and fast Speed, and an Adamant nature emphasizes that. Reducing that power makes Azelf less likely to OHKO Pokemon that resist Explosion that can set up Stealth Rock, such as Metagross, Bronzong, and Heatran. As an example, Adamant Azelf has a 68.8% chance to OHKO maximum HP Metagross with Explosion, but a Jolly nature only has a 18.8% chance. However, Azelf without any investment is quite frail—Azelf can be made more bulky by using 8 HP / 252 Atk / 112 SpD / 136 Spe with a Jolly nature. This allows Azelf to survive Life Orb Starmie's Hydro Pump while maintaining a lot of power. Another choice is to make Azelf even more bulky with 8 HP / 108 Atk / 228 SpD / 164 Spe with an Adamant nature that survives Choice Specs Starmie's Hydro Pump while still outspeeding Roserade. This spread still OHKOes Heatran and non-physically bulky Bronzong but only has a 6.3% chance to OHKO maximum HP Metagross with Explosion. Usage Tips Choice Band Azelf most often will lead and use Explosion on the first turn. This can often surprise the opponent once their Metagross, Bronzong, or Heatran is KOed, as the standard lead is far more common, so they will almost assuredly stay in and attack. U-turn and Azelf's other coverage should be used if one predicts a Ghost-type switch-in or they are super effective. Beware of locking into Zen Headbutt and Ice Punch, as much of the tier takes little damage, and Tyranitar can easily trap Azelf. While using Trick on a wall will weaken Explosion, Azelf's Explosion will still OHKO almost anything that doesn't resist it even without a Choice Band. If Azelf stays alive mid-game and has Sleep Talk, switching it into Spore or other sleep-inducing moves is advised, as after the lead sequence, Azelf's lack of bulk makes it difficult to switch in. Team Options Choice Band Azelf is self-sufficient as an anti-lead designed to bait and remove bulky Steel-types and Tyranitar with Explosion. As such, sweepers that appreciate no Stealth Rock are advised, such as Gyarados and Dragonite. Since this Azelf cannot set up Stealth Rock, another user such as Uxie, Heatran, Tyranitar, Bronzong, Metagross, and Jirachi is needed. Pokemon that are good in one-on-one situations, such as Metagross, are quite good alongside Azelf, as Azelf often leads to a free switch for both players after it uses Explosion. Azelf also appreciates another U-turn user that can continue its chain, such as Scizor and Flygon. This Azelf is more conducive to teams built around using Explosion, so other common users such as Bronzong, Metagross, Magnezone, Heatran, Gengar, Camerupt, and Choice Scarf + Copycat Lucario are appreciated. Heatran is perhaps the best partner, as Azelf can heavily damage or KO Tyranitar with U-turn or Explosion, meaning offensive teams have less switch-ins to Heatran's Fire-type attacks. Other than these, this Azelf fits on standard hyper offense teams. As such, partners such as Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Swords Dance Empoleon, Dragonite, and Gyarados are good partners. Other good partners are specially offensive hyper offense teams focused on removing Tyranitar as soon as possible. Good partners include Heatran, various Calm Mind users such as Jirachi, Suicune, and Latias, and weather-dependent sweepers like Kingdra. Machamp also appreciates bulky Fighting-neutral Steel-types being heavily weakened or removed, potentially Rotom-A holding a Choice Band due to Trick, and it's also a great one-on-one Pokemon. Take care to use this set's unique advantages over the standard lead (eliminating Stealth Rock users instead of preventing it, strong U-turn, Trick) in mind when choosing teammates.

Moves Azelf is one of the premier Stealth Rock setters in the metagame due to its Speed and great movepool. Once Azelf has set up Stealth Rock, Azelf's Explosion has two functions: it heavily damages every non-Ghost-type and lets in another threat to immediately gain momentum as a free switch. Explosion also OHKOes every Rapid Spin user in the game besides Forretress, which can not spin Stealth Rock away due to being slower. Even an Explosion on Normal-resistant targets such as Metagross, Bronzong, and Heatran can open up the opposing team. Another main Azelf role is Taunt, which helps keep Stealth Rock and other entry hazards off the field as well as preventing setup from leads like Gyarados and Dragonite. As Stealth Rock, Taunt, and Explosion make up Azelf's main niche as a lead, the last slot is more flexible. One great option is Thunder Wave, as Azelf can spread paralysis effectively instead of using Explosion immediately. Common scenarios to use Thunder Wave include against Ghost-type Pokemon such as Rotom-A and Gengar coming in to block Explosion and paralyzing common defensive Pokemon resistant to Explosion such as Jirachi and Choice Scarf Tyranitar. U-turn is another useful move from the lead position, as it allows Azelf to break opposing Focus Sashes and scout out opposing Steel-types, Ghost-types, and Tyranitar trying to Pursuit trap it. Fire Blast directly threatens Steel-types such as Metagross, Skarmory, Jirachi, and Forretress. Make sure to use a Timid nature if using Fire Blast, as Azelf's Explosion is still strong even with a hindering nature. Set Details Azelf has a myriad of different EV spreads to adapt to the metagame. Focus Sash is extremely useful for powerful attacks that OHKO Azelf regardless of its EV spread, such as Latias's Choice Specs Draco Meteor. Maximum Speed lets Azelf at least Speed tie with itself and outspeed Gengar, Latias, and Infernape, while HP investment helps Azelf avoid 2HKOes from attacks such as defensive Empoleon's Surf. Azelf can also use a Focus Sash with no bulk to power up Explosion; however, without HP investment, Focus Sash leads Azelf to be vulnerable to offensive leads with priority moves such as Metagross's Meteor Mash + Bullet Punch, Empoleon's Hydro Pump + Aqua Jet, and Machamp's Payback + Bullet Punch while also being vulnerable to Tyranitar's sand, giving it only one turn to do anything. Another choice is 184 HP / 188 Def / 136 Spe. This particular EV spread gives Azelf the ability to survive Choice Scarf Tyranitar's Crunch while also outspeeding positive nature maximum Speed Jirachi, Zapdos, and Flygon. This spread prevents Azelf from fainting to almost all common attacks in the metagame without a Focus Sash, allowing it to use Explosion after it sets up Stealth Rock. Azelf can run many different items as well. Lum Berry prevents lead Breloom, Jirachi, and Uxie from statusing Azelf while also preventing Machamp's confusion. Colbur Berry allows Azelf to survive the strong Dark-type attacks from Tyranitar and Machamp that often prevent Azelf from doing anything beyond setting up Stealth Rock. Sitrus Berry's 25% heal gives Azelf some flexibility in EVs, allowing it to survive various priority such as from Machamp and Metagross as well as Tyranitar's sand from KOing Azelf after a strong hit. Other EV spreads are viable—note all of these have a Jolly nature: these include outspeeding the positive nature base 90 Speed benchmark such as 228 HP / 216 Def / 8 SpD / 56 Spe that survives Choice Scarf Tyranitar's Crunch + Sand damage and Roserade's Leaf Storm, 252 HP / 56 Def / 64 SpD / 136 Spe outspeeds up to positive nature base 100 Speed Pokemon as well as survive Machamp's Payback and Modest Zapdos's Choice Specs Thunderbolt, 44 HP / 248 Def / 216 Spe that outspeeds Gengar and gives the maximum chance to survive Choice Scarf Tyranitar's Crunch, and 8 HP / 248 SpD / 252 Spe with a Colbur Berry that survives various Dark type attacks and Metagross's Meteor Mash and has maximum Speed. Usage Tips Azelf is primarily used as a lead: it sets up Stealth Rock, prevents set up with Taunt, and then uses Explosion. How aggressive to be with Taunt to prevent setup largely depends on how weak to Stealth Rock and other entry hazards the rest of Azelf's team is, Azelf's bulk, and how threatening the opposing lead is to the rest of the team. Hyper offense teams with Dragonite, Gyarados, and Zapdos struggle when they lose a quarter of their health to Stealth Rock, so Azelf should aim to use Taunt on potential Stealth Rock users aggressively, even potentially forgoing Stealth Rock or Explosion. However, bulky Azelf sets can be more forgiving should the opposing lead attack instead of setting up—as an example, physically bulky Azelf can comfortably use Taunt + Stealth Rock on Metagross, as Meteor Mash + Bullet Punch will not KO, but less bulky Azelf are much more at risk. Beware of opponents taking advantage of Taunt and switching to a Choice Scarf Tyranitar and preventing Stealth Rock. Explosion is often very predictable from Azelf, so mixing up the timing of the Explosion such as using Thunder Wave or U-turn on a Ghost-type switch-in can often lead to large payoffs. Fire Blast is often unexpected from Azelf, so hiding it often allows Azelf to do a lot of damage to bulky Fire-weak Pokemon such as Metagross and Forretress. Team Options Azelf is a cornerstone of the hyper offense play style in DPP OU—common teammates on these types of teams include Dragon Dance Gyarados, Dragon Dance Dragonite, Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Agility Metagross, Swords Dance Lucario, Swords Dance Scizor, and Swords Dance Empoleon. Azelf immediately gets these threats Stealth Rock and a free switch to start setting up. This setup is especially crucial for Gyarados and Dragonite, as it prevents them from having to deal with Stealth Rock. Azelf's Explosion also commonly targets Steel-types, meaning Dragonite has fewer Dragon-resistant Pokemon it needs to punch through. Azelf also is great for offensive paralysis teams, as it is effective at spreading paralysis on hard-to-paralyze threats such as Rotom-A and Gengar. Common teammates include Jirachi, Machamp, Tyranitar, Breloom, Gyarados, Dragonite, and Latias. Jirachi is particularly effective; Jirachi's Iron Head is not only an effective tool at flinching down paralyzed threats, but mixed Jirachi is very good at breaking threats hard to handle for hyper offense, such as Skarmory and Gyarados with Thunderbolt, Swampert with Grass Knot, and Lucario with Hidden Power Ground or Fire Punch. Jirachi and Latias can also use Healing Wish to open up another attempt from a sweeper such as Gyarados. Azelf often immediately attracts in Tyranitar to remove it, and as such, that can help Gengar, Calm Mind Jirachi, Zapdos, and Latias break past it once it paralyzes Tyranitar or uses Explosion. Zapdos also benefits from Azelf's ability to prevent Stealth Rock. Azelf's ability to prevent Toxic Spikes in the short term against Roserade and Nidoqueen is critical for Pokemon such as Dragon Dance Tyranitar and offensive Calm Mind Suicune. Azelf can also support teams built around Explosion, such as with Magnezone, Metagross, and even Choice Scarf + Copycat Lucario. Magnet Rise Magnezone works well with Azelf with U-turn, as Bronzong and Metagross will never use Earthquake on Azelf, while Skarmory gives easy entry, allowing Magnezone to trap these Pokemon. Magnezone also traps Choice Scarf Jirachi using Iron Head. Most offensive Pokemon in the tier can pair well with a free switch and Stealth Rock; good teammates can help to mitigate various matchups for hyper offense teams.

Moves Azelf can lean more into its support role by setting up Rain Dance and Stealth Rock for the team. Azelf is indistinguishable from the standard lead until it reveals Rain Dance or Damp Rock, so it can effectively set up Stealth Rock with its Speed. Rain Dance is the key to the set, as after Azelf sets up Stealth Rock and Rain Dance, it gives rain sweepers 8 turns to run through the opposing team. While it faces heavy competition for the role from Uxie, Azelf has several key advantages: it is naturally much faster, making foes less likely to use Taunt on it; it has Taunt itself to prevent entry hazards from more defensive leads such as Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Nidoqueen that Uxie struggles with; and it has Explosion to open up Tyranitar or other threats to rain on the opposing team. Taunt also helps to prevent status, Protect to stall rain turns, and opposing setup before the rain sweeper hits the field. Azelf can also use U-turn instead should the team value Azelf to set up rain later in the game. Explosion can weaken an annoying threat such as Tyranitar or Skarmory and gives a free switch to a rain sweeper. Set Details As Azelf constantly fears being removed by Choice Scarf Tyranitar before getting rain set, it must run a physically bulky set designed to live its Crunch + sand damage. The Speed and Special Defense EVs allow it to outspeed and live Timid Roserade’s Leaf Storm. The physical bulk also makes it survive strong physical attackers such as Metagross’s Meteor Mash + Bullet Punch, Machamp’s Payback + Bullet Punch, and Choice Band Gyarados. Azelf must use Damp Rock to keep rain up for the full 8 turns. Usage Tips Azelf typically lays Stealth Rock, sets up Rain Dance, and then uses Explosion. However, it can deviate from this gameplan against specific leads. As Azelf’s rain sweeping teammates generally aren’t weak to Stealth Rock, using Taunt on potential Stealth Rock users such as Metagross, Empoleon, Heatran, and Bronzong isn’t as necessary. However, against Spikes and Toxic Spikes users such as Skarmory, Roserade, and Nidoqueen, Azelf should use Taunt to prevent these entry hazards from going down. Against extremely powerful leads such as Choice Specs Latias, Choice Specs Heatran, and Tyranitar, Azelf should prioritize getting Rain Dance off, as rain sweepers need that support more than Stealth Rock should Azelf only survive one turn. Azelf’s Explosion is also very predictable after Rain Dance—while it is preferred to use Explosion on a good target, such as Tyranitar trying to reset rain, using Explosion immediately maximizes the turns rain sweepers have to run through the opposing team. Team Options Rain teams typically are formulaic and follow a general structure of three or four rain sweepers and the remainder support Pokemon. Swift Swim Kingdra is the best rain Pokemon in the tier and is generally required on rain teams. Kingdra has many possible sets it can run, but with Choice Specs, it can 2HKO even soft Water-resistant Pokemon such as Gyarados and Dragonite as well as special walls such as Clefable and Jirachi with a rain-boosted Hydro Pump. It also outspeeds every common Choice Scarf user. Kingdra OHKOes most non-specially bulky or Passho Berry Tyranitar after Stealth Rock even with the sand boost. After Kingdra, the other most common Swift Swim Pokemon used are Qwilfish and Ludicolo, as they provide other utility. Qwilfish absorbs Toxic Spikes, has a powerful Explosion, can set up Spikes and use Swords Dance, and hits Breloom and other Grass-types hard, while Ludicolo offers a neutrality to Electric and has strong Grass-type options for bulky Water-resistant Pokemon such as Suicune. Swords Dance Empoleon is an excellent choice as a non-Swift Swim sweeper, as it destroys defensive teams that rain sometimes struggles against while taking advantage of boosted Water-type attacks. For support, the standard choice is Bronzong, as it offers a Dragon-type resistance to absorb Latias, Dragonite, and opposing Kingdra while also easily setting up rain multiple times. It can set up Stealth Rock if Azelf is unable to, potentially put something to sleep with Hypnosis, and 2HKO Tyranitar with Gyro Ball. Another common support is Metagross, as it can lure in Skarmory, Rotom-A, and Zapdos with a Trick + Iron Ball set or take advantage of rain’s halving of Fire-type attacks to run an Agility set. A Lum Berry also helps against Breloom’s Spore. Rotom-A and Latias with Colbur Berry are other good supporters, as they both resist Electric, weaken Tyranitar, and can set up rain multiple times. Rotom-A is also a great answer to defensive Jirachi, which commonly survives rain-boosted attacks and spreads paralysis. Many Pokemon enjoy not having sand active, and as such, are prime candidates for rain teams. The most prominent of these is Suicune, as its Substitute sets give a bulky and strong rain sweeper. Suicune also appreciates Toxic Spikes absorption and offensive Water-resistant Pokemon such as Dragonite and Gyarados eliminated. Other more niche choices include Kabutops and Omastar, which are extremely powerful but lack the utility of other rain sweepers, defensive Dragon Dance Dragonite, Cresselia, Raikou, and Substitute + Calm Mind Jirachi. To be effective rain support, teammates generally want to lure in and KO weather changers such as Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and Abomasnow; sponge hits from Electric-types such as Zapdos and Rotom-A; and help weaken walls such as Skarmory, Jirachi, Latias, Milotic, and Blissey. Rain also struggles against Lucario and Gengar, as the style typically doesn’t run Choice Scarf Pokemon, and most of the support give up an easy Swords Dance or can’t absorb Gengar’s attacks. Helpful Pokemon include Magma Storm Heatran, ironically Rain Dance Tyranitar, Swampert, Magnezone, and Machamp.