Raichu
Type: Electric
Stats: 60 | 90 | 55 | 90 | 100
Introduction
Raichu struggles a lot to exist in 1U and for a simple reason: it has a real hard time getting past Chansey and Exeggutor, two main pokemon of the tier. It lacks tools to beat them. It also tends to be a bit frail, underpowered, and it's slow for a sweeper. However, Raichu has things to offer of its own : it has access to Surf, meaning it’s not walled by rocks compared to other Electrics, and it can also check its fellows (without doing much more than trading unfortunately). If you want to use Raichu efficiently, it’s all going to be about getting past Exeggutor and Chansey before being able to actually hurt the opposite team. It’s a difficult pokemon to use who's usually going to have to wait the late stages of a game to have a clearer path to express itself.
Standard
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
- Surf
- Seismic Toss / Hyper Beam
Set Details
Thunderbolt is your main STAB move, and Thunder Wave spreads paralysis through the opposite team. Surf OHKOs Golem, and Rhydon a decent amount of the time. Seismic Toss is your best move against Exeggutor. It's also the best one against Jolteon and Victreebel, though both of them are severely crippled by paralysis anyway. Hyper Beam is the move move to finish off crippled Chansey, and eventually both Alakazam and Jynx but you have to be careful with it since it can be predictable and punishable.
Other Options
Agility is an option so that you can get past paralysis. Body Slam can be a move to chip at Exeggutor while still having chances to score a critical hit and to paralyse it so that you won’t have to take a hit or a Stun Spore to do it with Thunder Wave, but the damage output is a bit pathetic. It’s also an okay-ish move against Alakazam, but it’s a pokemon usually destroying Raichu anyway. It can also paralyse a rock switching into your paralysed Raichu so that you can win afterwards. Submission 2HKOs Chansey a good amount of the time after it switched into a Thunderbolt, but the recoil can be very problematic. Finally, Thunder 2HKOs Lapras but is a very risky move.
Checks and Counters
Chansey and Exeggutor will always be a pain for Raichu, they can paralyse it and hurt it while walling it. Paralysis virtually kills Raichu’s potential, since it can now be punished by a lot of pokemon without checking much itself. Alakazam is also a good check. It doesn’t take a lot of damage from Raichu, can paralyse it and hits it hard with Psychics. Jolteon and Zapdos are okay as checks if you really don’t have anything else, since they can both paralyse and put Raichu in the range of physical attackers, but they pretty much trade in the process. Victreebel can be used as a check but hates paralysis. Finally, if Raichu is paralysed, Rocks can OHKO it by switching into an Electric move or going up against it. If you already have revealed them you have to be very careful about switching in though. Once Raichu is paralysed, a pokemon such as Snorlax destroys it while not eating too much damage from Thunderbolt and not being too crippled by paralysis. Even Lapras and Cloyster can finish off at times.
Type: Electric
Stats: 60 | 90 | 55 | 90 | 100
Introduction
Raichu struggles a lot to exist in 1U and for a simple reason: it has a real hard time getting past Chansey and Exeggutor, two main pokemon of the tier. It lacks tools to beat them. It also tends to be a bit frail, underpowered, and it's slow for a sweeper. However, Raichu has things to offer of its own : it has access to Surf, meaning it’s not walled by rocks compared to other Electrics, and it can also check its fellows (without doing much more than trading unfortunately). If you want to use Raichu efficiently, it’s all going to be about getting past Exeggutor and Chansey before being able to actually hurt the opposite team. It’s a difficult pokemon to use who's usually going to have to wait the late stages of a game to have a clearer path to express itself.
Standard
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
- Surf
- Seismic Toss / Hyper Beam
Set Details
Thunderbolt is your main STAB move, and Thunder Wave spreads paralysis through the opposite team. Surf OHKOs Golem, and Rhydon a decent amount of the time. Seismic Toss is your best move against Exeggutor. It's also the best one against Jolteon and Victreebel, though both of them are severely crippled by paralysis anyway. Hyper Beam is the move move to finish off crippled Chansey, and eventually both Alakazam and Jynx but you have to be careful with it since it can be predictable and punishable.
Other Options
Agility is an option so that you can get past paralysis. Body Slam can be a move to chip at Exeggutor while still having chances to score a critical hit and to paralyse it so that you won’t have to take a hit or a Stun Spore to do it with Thunder Wave, but the damage output is a bit pathetic. It’s also an okay-ish move against Alakazam, but it’s a pokemon usually destroying Raichu anyway. It can also paralyse a rock switching into your paralysed Raichu so that you can win afterwards. Submission 2HKOs Chansey a good amount of the time after it switched into a Thunderbolt, but the recoil can be very problematic. Finally, Thunder 2HKOs Lapras but is a very risky move.
Checks and Counters
Chansey and Exeggutor will always be a pain for Raichu, they can paralyse it and hurt it while walling it. Paralysis virtually kills Raichu’s potential, since it can now be punished by a lot of pokemon without checking much itself. Alakazam is also a good check. It doesn’t take a lot of damage from Raichu, can paralyse it and hits it hard with Psychics. Jolteon and Zapdos are okay as checks if you really don’t have anything else, since they can both paralyse and put Raichu in the range of physical attackers, but they pretty much trade in the process. Victreebel can be used as a check but hates paralysis. Finally, if Raichu is paralysed, Rocks can OHKO it by switching into an Electric move or going up against it. If you already have revealed them you have to be very careful about switching in though. Once Raichu is paralysed, a pokemon such as Snorlax destroys it while not eating too much damage from Thunderbolt and not being too crippled by paralysis. Even Lapras and Cloyster can finish off at times.
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