RBY 4U (Under3U) Rapidash [GP Ready]

Rapidash
Type: Fire
Stats: 65 | 100 | 70 | 80 | 105

Introduction

Rapidash is one of the best leads in 4U and is a good pokemon in general. It outspeeds most of the tier with good physical and special offense. It’s okay with taking paralysis since it means it can block sleep from Venomoth. It 2HKOs every lead bar Blastoise, meaning it forces them out easily. The problem is that switching into Rapidash isn’t too difficult, making it sometimes limited. It competes with the other 4U Fire type Arcanine that has better stats but, Rapidash has access to Fire Spin.

Standard

Rapidash
- Fire Blast
- Fire Spin
- Body Slam
- Hyper Beam

Set Details

Fire Blast is your most powerful STAB, hitting hard everything that doesn’t resist it. Fire Spin helps you gain momentum, put stuff in KO ranges, and couples very well with a burn, but should be used sparingly due to its poor accuracy. Body Slam is the most spammable physical attack that can eventually paralyse. Hyper Beam finishes off weakened pokemon that resist Fire moves, and notably OHKOs Abra at a very high rate.

Other Options

Agility is probably the only other option that’s worth something but dropping one of the moves above really isn’t recommended. Toxic can be used to couple with Fire Spin especially given that Rapidash is naturally faster than almost everything, with for example Dragonair as a teammate).

Checks and Counters

Blastoise is the only lead that forces out Rapidash, and is also a very good check in general. Switching out to it or Porygon if your lead has a bad match-up are your best options, though Rapidash can always spam Fire Spin against Porygon, or even immediately switch out to Venomoth to have an early sleep advantage. Otherwise, Omastar is the best counter, taking close to no damage from Rapidash and OHKOing with Hydro Pump. Slowpoke can come in and threat to set up but has to be careful of Rapidash’s 20.5% critical hit rate. Paralysing it usually with Porygon or Venomoth on a switch helps handling it, notably making Fire Spin worthless. Nidoking can then pressure Rapidash but hates a potential burn from Fire Blast. Same goes with Nidoqueen of course. Chipping it with Venomoth by using Psychic here and there also is a good way of gradually taking it down.