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Swords Dance Blaziken is a terrifying sweeper once it gets going, boosting its already high Attack to terrifying levels while boosting its Speed at the same time with Speed Boost. However, Blaziken’s frailty and middling initial Speed tier mean it struggles immensely to find setup opportunities. The likes of Ash-Greninja and Choice Scarf Landorus-T easily revenge kill it, and it tends to quickly faint to its own recoil. Flare Blitz is its main STAB move, hitting a large portion of the tier at least neutrally, including Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Clefable, and Rillaboom. Close Combat nails certain Fire-resistant and immune Pokemon such as Mega Tyranitar, Garchomp, and Heatran, as well as KOing Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Blissey without inflicting recoil damage. Thunder Punch allows Blaziken to nail bulky Water-types such as Toxapex, Tapu Fini, and Slowbro. Life Orb vastly improves Blaziken’s damage output, letting it score OHKOs on Toxapex, Gliscor, and Mega Garchomp when boosted. Due to Blaziken's low bulk, dual screens are practically a requirement to set up, so Tapu Koko and Grimmsnarl work well with it. Pokemon like Hawlucha and Mega Gyarados appreciate Blaziken wearing down bulky Water-types such as Toxapex, Slowbro, and Tapu Fini. Since it struggles to break through its checks without chip damage, entry hazard setters such as Mew, Landorus-T, and Excadrill are good teammates. As Blaziken can struggle against bulky Water-types such as Slowbro and Toxapex, Pokemon such as Serperior and Rillaboom that exploit them are superb partners. Tapu Koko's Electric Terrain lets Blaziken set up consistently on Amoonguss and boosts its Thunder Punch damage, Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain stops moves like Ash-Greninja's Water Shuriken and Urshifu-R's Aqua Jet from revenge killing it, and Rillaboom's Grassy Terrain increases its longevity greatly in the face of recoil and chip damage. Pokemon that can break holes in opposing teams such as Hawlucha and Weavile allow Blaziken to clean late-game much more easily.

Thanks to Speed Boost, Blaziken is one of the best choices around for dedicated Baton Passing. Swords Dance is the quickest route to sweeping, but Bulk Up's Defense boost makes it a useful alternative. Close Combat is Blaziken's most reliable STAB Attack, but note that this means that this Blaziken is hopelessly walled by Ghost-types, although Blaziken should only be attacking in emergencies. Blaze Kick is weak, but a potential solution to that problem. Make sure your team has good Baton Pass recepients. Some Pokemon to consider include Mimikyu, Landorus-T, Dragonite, and Metagross. Items Focus Sash lets Blaziken set up Swords Dance and Bulk Up on a wider variety of foes. Weakness Policy can take advantage of super-effective Max Moves when used with Protect.

Blaziken's access to Speed Boost and high powered STAB attacks make it a unique physical sweeper. Protect gives Blaziken a free opportunity to boost its Speed. Replacing Protect with Swords Dance makes it easier to sweep early in the game at the cost of being harder to outspeed foes without using Max Guard from Dynamax. If giving up Swords Dance or Protect, Thunder Punch is good additional coverage, being Blaziken's best attacks against Tapu Fini and Gyarados. Earthquake, in addition to giving a valuable Special Defense boost from Max Quake, is Blaziken's best Attack against Nagandel, Heatran, and Nihilego. Adamant is the prefered nature for damage output, but Jolly allows Blaziken to outspeed Dragapult at +1. Items Life Orb gives Blaziken the immediate power it usually needs to sweep. Weakness Policy is an acceptable alternative if using Protect, as this can take advantage of opposing Max Moves, and your own Dynamax.

Blaziken's Special Attack stat is high enough for it to surprise its more physically bulky switch-ins with powerful Special Attacks. Solar Beam is best used when Dynamaxed, dealing massive damage to bulky Water-types such as Tapu Fini, Swampert, and Rotom-W. It also benefits from the Sun Max Flare sets up when Dynamax is over. Protect is still useful before Dynamaxing, getting that all important Speed boost. Scorching Sands not only gives Blaziken a useful Max Quake to boost its Special Defnese, but is also Blaziken's best option against Heatran, Naganadel, and Nihilego. It's also Blaziken's best move against Dragapult. Focus Blast is Blaziken's most powerful special Fighting-type STAB, useful for hitting Porygon2 as hard as possible, at the cost of reliability. Aura Sphere is far more reliable, but is a rather weak move otherwise. Modest is suggested for dealing as much damage as possible, but Timid does allow Blaziken to outspeed Dragapult after one boost. Items Life Orb is Blaziken's best item for immediate damage, and is also notable for allowing Focus Blast to OHKO physically defensive Porygon2 after Stealth Rock damage. Weakness Policy is a reasonable alternative while Dynamaxed, and it also takes advantage of getting hit by super-effective Max Moves under Protect.

Moves Swords Dance boosts Mega Blaziken's Attack by 2 stages, letting it OHKO multiple bulky threats such as Necrozma-DM, support Arceus formes, and Primal Kyogre, as well as many offensive threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Xerneas, and Yveltal. Flare Blitz allows Mega Blaziken to hit Steel-types like Necrozma-DM and Celesteela while also hitting Ghost-types like Mega Gengar and Marshadow. Low Kick is used to OHKO Ferrothorn, Arceus-Dark, and Extreme Killer Arceus, and a boost from Swords Dance lets it OHKO Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon. It can also hit certain threats neutrally without taking recoil damage. Stone Edge allows Mega Blaziken to OHKO Ho-Oh, as well as OHKO Mega Salamence and Lugia with Stealth Rock up after boosting its Attack with Swords Dance. Knock Off can be used over Stone Edge, as it allows Mega Blaziken to hit Ghost-types without the need to take recoil from Flare Blitz, and it also allows Mega Blaziken to deal damage to both Giratina and Lugia. It can also OHKO Ho-Oh at +2 after Stealth Rock. Earthquake is an option that allows Mega Blaziken to take on Toxapex, which would normally check it. Set Details A basic EV spread and an Adamant nature are used to let Mega Blaziken deal as much damage as possible while also outspeeding multiple threats such as Modest Choice Scarf Xerneas and Yveltal after Mega Blaziken is at +1 Speed. A Jolly nature is an option that can be used to outspeed versions of the previously mentioned threats using a Timid nature, as well as standard +2 Rock Polish Primal Groudon. Blazikenite is required for Blaziken to Mega Evolve. Usage Tips Mega Blaziken is too frail to switch into attacks, so switch it in on predicted switches to Steel-types or Pokemon that lack offensive presence such as Blissey and Chansey that Mega Blaziken can heavily threaten. This also lets it gain a Speed boost a turn earlier, which can be handy for outspeeding support Arceus formes on defensive teams. It's best to keep Mega Blaziken in the back until mid- to late-game once most of its checks are KOed or weakened so that it can sweep. While Mega Blaziken is great as a late-game cleaner, it is also able to punch holes through bulkier teams thanks to Swords Dance, which can help teammates that are more likely to do work in certain matchups. Flare Blitz should not be used carelessly due to the recoil Mega Blaziken takes which, in conjunction with its low HP stat, can cause it to often KO itself. Priority users such as Marshadow, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Rayquaza are often a massive pain to Mega Blaziken. Make sure to keep Blaziken out of range from getting KOed by priority moves used by these three offensive threats. Team Options Entry hazard setters such as Excadrill, Deoxys-S, and Cloyster make for good teammates, as support from Spikes and Stealth Rock puts many bulkier threats in range of OHKOs from +2 Mega Blaziken. Physical threats such as Marshadow, Rayquaza, and Arceus-Ground make for great teammates, as they are able to target common checks to physical attackers such as support Arceus formes, Giratina, Zygarde, and Mega Salamence. On the other hand, Mega Blaziken is able to weaken Arceus-Fairy, which can be annoying for Marshadow and Rayquaza to face. The three also provide defensive type synergy, since Marshadow can come in on Extreme Speed users like opposing Rayquaza and Extreme Killer Arceus and threaten them immediately. Rayquaza and Arceus-Ground are able to switch into Primal Groudon, which is vital for most offensive teams. Primal Groudon is a really good teammate for Blaziken as well, since it is able to check Xerneas and Primal Kyogre as well as act as a Stealth Rock setter on bulkier teams. Offensive sets are able to weaken defensive threats such as Zygarde, Lugia, both Giratina formes, and support Arceus formes for Mega Blaziken to clean late-game. Swords Dance Necrozma-DM appreciates Mega Blaziken being able to check Steel-types, making it a great partner as well. It can also function as a check to Xerneas thanks to its great bulk and defensive typing. Xerneas can perform the role of a late-game cleaner as well as a wallbreaker side by side with Mega Blaziken thanks to Geomancy. It can also act as a check to Marshadow and appreciates Mega Blaziken's ability to check Steel-types. Gothitelle can trap support Arceus formes, Lugia, and other checks to Mega Blaziken and remove them by PP-stalling, thus easing Mega Blaziken's attempts to sweep.

Fire and Fighting having great super effective coverage together, and Speed Boost allowing Blaziken to outpace the majority of the unboosted metagame, makes Blaziken a good check to many common threats. The given EVs allow Superpower to OHKO 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan and Hidden Power Ice to OHKO Mega Salamence while letting Blaziken outspeed Landorus-T. These are good examples of Pokemon mixed Blaziken is able to check for partners such as Hydreigon. Accompanying Blaziken with Water-type checks such as Tapu Koko and Amoonguss is also a good idea, as Blaziken struggles against these.

Generally speaking, Blaziken should not be a team’s first choice of Mega Evolution; however, since Mega Blaziken possesses a physical damage output comparable to Life Orb Blaziken with a 20-point increase in base Speed, it does still have a niche. Low Kick is typically the superior Fighting-type STAB move, as it has a high Base Power against common targets such as Mega Kangaskhan and Heatran and doesn’t drop Attack. However, Superpower is more effective against light foes such as Politoed and Ludicolo. Utilizing support partners like Rage Powder Amoonguss and Storm Drain Gastrodon is essential to preserving Mega Blaziken’s health.

Speed Boost plus access to different set up moves allows Blaziken to utilize Baton Pass to give boosts to its teammates. Swords Dance lets Blaziken pass Attack boosts to its partners. Bulk Up is an option, however, to additionally pass Defense boosts to its teammate. Protect lets Blaziken accumulate Speed boosts to pass onto its teammates. Baton Pass is mandatory on this set, allowing Blaziken to pass any stat boosts it gains onto one of its teammates. High Jump Kick is the best attacking move on this set, allowing Blaziken to deal decent damage even without a boosting item. If its recoil is too undesirable, Blaze Kick is an alternative STAB move that, unlike Flare Blitz, does not deal recoil damage. Flamethrower may be used with a Timid nature and maximum Special Attack in order to avoid being affected by Intimidate, Rough Skin, and Rocky Helmet, although it is less powerful than its physical options and does not benefit from much of its boosting moves. With a Jolly nature and full Speed investment, Blaziken can reliably set up and Baton Pass boosts that it has gathered to an incoming teammate. Maximum Attack allows Blaziken to deal as much damage as possible with its chosen coverage move. If Flamethrower is chosen instead, Attack EVs should be moves into Special Attack. Focus Sash lets Blaziken safely set up without worrying about being KOed before it can pass its boosts. Blaziken should be used to pass boosts early-game, even as a lead, as switching into hazards will break its Focus Sash, leaving it vulnerable to being KOed. As its prime directive is to pass boosts, teammates that can take advantage of Attack and Speed boosts make excellent partners, capable of sweeping rather early in a match. If Blaziken is needed later in a battle, it requires additional support depending on what coverage move it chooses. If it runs High Jump Kick, Blaziken needs teammates that can deal with Flying-, Fairy- and Ghost-types. If Blaze Kick or Flamethrower are run, teammates that can deal with Fire-, Water-, and defensive Ground-types, along with Heatran, are required.

Thanks to its good mixed offensive stats, Blaziken can comfortably a mixed attacking set, capable of luring some of its checks. Overheat is capable of OHKOing physically bulky Pokemon such as Zapdos and Hippowdon, while also dealing heavy damage to Aegislash. Unlike Flare Blitz, Overheat is able to circumvent moves and abilities that lower Attack, such as King's Shield and Intimidate. Superpower is the preferred Fighting-type STAB for this set, as mixed Blaziken doesn't mind the Attack drops as much, while being very reliable. On the other hand, High Jump Kick can be used more repeatedly without its power being reduced. However, it has rather heavy consequences if it misses. Hidden Power Ice allows Blaziken to take on some of its usual checks, such as Mega Salamence, Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Garchomp. Protect is mandatory on Blaziken, allowing it to safely acquire Speed boosts. 52 Attack allows Blaziken to OHKO Pokemon such as Heatran, Mega Kangaskhan, and Mamoswine with Superpower. 244 Special Attack lets Blaziken almost always OHKO Garchomp and Landorus-T with Hidden Power Ice and Zapdos with Overheat, while guaranteeing that Hidden Power Ice OHKOes Mega Salamence and Overheat OHKOes Aegislash. The remaining 212 EVs are put into Speed, which, with a Naive nature, allows Blaziken to outspeed Pokemon up to and including Tapu Koko at +1. Life Orb is the best item for Blaziken, as it grants it substantial power on all of its moves. This comes at the cost of survivability, but Blaziken is so frail it usually doesn't matter. Mixed attacker Blaziken acts best as a lure, so it can stay in on some common switch ins and KO them. Blaziken has less immediate power than some of its counterparts, so it has difficulty dealing damage against Pokemon with high natural mixed bulk. Teammates that appreciate Blaziken's ability to lure in checks they may have in common are great partners. Blaziken needs partners that can take on bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Tapu Fini, as it has no way to deal with either of them, especially the latter, which resists all of Blaziken's moves.

Flare Blitz is an obscenely powerful STAB move, capable of obliterating Steel- and Grass-types weak to it, such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn. A Fighting-type STAB move allows Blaziken to deal damage to Rock- and select Steel-type Pokemon that resist or are immune to Flare Blitz, including Tyranitar, Nihilego, and Heatran. High Jump Kick is its most powerful Fighting-type move, dealing heavy damage even to neutral targets, although it has a severe penalty if it misses. Superpower is more reliable than High Jump Kick, although it is less powerful and lowers Blaziken's Attack and Defense stats. Protect allows Blaziken to accumulate Speed boosts while potentially avoiding a fatal hit. However, Protect can be played around, allowing the opponent a free turn to set up or switch in a counter. Swords Dance allows Blaziken to more easily break through bulky foes. If Swords Dance's wallbreaking abilities are not needed, Stone Edge can be run to decimate Flying- and Fire-types, such as Gyarados, Mega Charizard Y, and Zapdos. Most notably, it prevents Blaziken from being walled by the rarer Chandelure and Alolan Marowak, both of which resist Flare Blitz, are immune to Blaziken's Fighting-type STAB, and deal severe damage with Shadow Ball and Shadow Bone, respectively. Baton Pass is additionally a viable option over Swords Dance, allowing Blaziken to maintain momentum while passing Speed boosts to its incoming teammate. Maximum Attack and Speed investment allows Blaziken to hit as hard as possible while being as fast as possible. A Jolly nature is preferred, allowing Blaziken to outspeed key threats such as Modest Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko, and Mega Gengar. An Adamant nature is acceptable if using Mega Blaziken, though note that Timid Choice Scarf Tapu Lele will outspeed. Blazikenite allows the use of Mega Blaziken, whose extra Speed allows it to outspeed new threats such as Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and Choice Scarf Landorus-T, in addition to giving it a good power boost. Firium Z lets Blaziken use Z-Flare Blitz, capable of OHKOing even the likes of Cresselia after Stealth Rock. If a Z-Move or Mega Evolution is already taken, Life Orb is an acceptable substitute, boosting the power of all of Blaziken's moves at the cost of some of its health. Blaziken can be used early- to mid-game as a wallbreaker to weaken opposing teams for its own teammates to sweep afterwards. Blaziken can also be used as a sweeper itself late-game thanks to its excellent ability in Speed Boost, making it difficult for weakened teams to revenge kill it without priority. While using Protect is generally a safe move, scouting opponents while gaining a Speed boost, it can easily create mindgames. Keep this in mind when facing Pokemon that can take advantage of this. Blaziken greatly appreciates Stealth Rock support, allowing it to break through bulky opponents such as Suicune and Cresselia. Grass-types are great partners for Blaziken, as they can eliminate most Ground- and Water-types that pressure Blaziken. In a similar vein, Ice-types and Pokemon with Ice-type coverage moves can deal with Pokemon that threaten Blaziken like Mega Salamence and Landorus-T.

Moves Overheat is Blaziken's best option for a Fire-type STAB move; it picks up many crucial OHKOs that Fire Blast does not and is not dampened by Intimidate or King's Shield like Flare Blitz. It's recommended that you use Superpower over Low Kick due to Low Kick's inconsistency as opposed to Superpower's reliable 120 Base Power. However, Low Kick is indeed a viable option because Superpower drops Blaziken's Attack as well as its Defense, sometimes forcing a switch on your part and removing Blaziken's Speed boosts. Stone Edge allows Blaziken to eliminate Flying-types that would otherwise threaten it greatly such as Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, provided that Blaziken has Quick Guard support. Alternatively, Blaziken can run Hidden Power Ice in order to OHKO Landorus-T without suffering the Special Attack drop from Overheat. The choice between these two coverage moves is mostly dependent on what kind of support the rest of your team needs more. If your team is rather weak to Landorus-T, then you should consider running Hidden Power Ice. If you're weak to Mega Charizard Y, then consider using Stone Edge instead. Protect is an absolute must for any Blaziken set. Being a Speed Boost Pokemon, using Protect on Blaziken allows it to get a free boost on its Speed stat while also being invulnerable for that turn. Set Details Life Orb lets Blaziken do as much damage as possible. A Hasty nature is recommended so that Blaziken can take on special attacking Fire-types better, which are basically the only Pokemon it can switch in on. However, Naive Blaziken can tank an Azumarill Aqua Jet after two rounds of Life Orb recoil, while Hasty can only tank it after one. This matters because Blaziken OHKOes Azumarill's two most common partners, Jirachi and Amoonguss, with Overheat. 176 Special Attack EVs let Blaziken OHKO Aegislash in Shield Forme with Overheat as well. 252 Speed EVs are used to outrun Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T after one turn of Speed Boost, and the remaining EVs are placed in Attack to power up Blaziken's physical moves. Usage Tips Blaziken starts off with a meager base 80 Speed, which doesn't outspeed most of the threats that it's supposed to be able to take care of, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Landorus-T, and Mega Metagross. The first turn out, you should use Protect if you need to outspeed a threat that's faster than Blaziken. Alternatively, try bringing in Blaziken when you're able to get a free KO in the first turn; by doing this, you aren't forced to Protect on your first turn out while you get the Speed boost up. That being said, it's not usually a good idea to switch in Blaziken in the place of an ally; instead, you might want to bring it in once an ally has fainted. Blaziken works best on offensive teams because of its good STAB coverage and its generally offensive attributes, so consider that when building around it. Although Blaziken has lots of good offensive attributes, you shouldn't try to use it as a sweeper because it doesn't have a lot of staying power. Instead, it works best when assisting its team by targeting and eliminating specific threats. Team Options Quick Guard users such as Keldeo or Terrakion help Blaziken by blocking the priority moves that would otherwise be very harmful to it. Blaziken can't do much against Water-types, so offensive Grass- or Electric-types such as Serperior or Thundurus help it out a lot. Mega Diancie forms a great core with Blaziken and helps get rid of Pokemon that Blaziken normally has trouble with, such as Talonflame, Latios, Keldeo, and Rotom-H. In turn, Blaziken also eliminates some of Mega Diancie's checks, such as Amoonguss, Aegislash, and Landorus-T. However, this duo will need a lot of team support to get around Water-types. Bisharp, Mega Gengar, and Aegislash all help Blaziken by getting rid of Fairy-types and Cresselia. Taunt users such as Thundurus help Blaziken out by stopping the activation of Trick Room.

Moves Overheat's great Base Power allows Blaziken to pick up multiple OHKOs against Pokemon that are weak to it, such as Aegislash and Amoonguss, while doing a lot of damage to neutral targets such as Volcarona and Gardevoir. Superpower is used as the secondary STAB move and hits Dark-types, Normal-types, and Steel-types that Overheat can't KO, such as Hydreigon, Mega Kangaskhan, and Heatran. Hidden Power Ice deals with many Pokemon that the Blaziken's STAB moves can't hit, such as Mega Salamence, Landorus-T, and Garchomp. Set Details The given EV spread allows Blaziken to outspeed Choice Scarf Adamant Landorus-T at +1. The Special Attack investment allows it to OHKO uninvested Mega Salamence with Hidden Power Ice, and provides an almost guaranteed OHKO on even the bulkier Kangaskhan versions. Usage Tips Blaziken's Protect causes quite a bit of mind games. You can lead the opponent to think you will use Protect the first turn and then fire off an attack, or you can use Protect when expecting the opponent to fall for it. Blaziken doesn't like leading, as it cannot break through some bulkier Pokemon without prior damage, and it likes to stay in the back until the point where the opponent's team is weakened enough for Blaziken to sweep. Team Options Blaziken likes Pokemon capable of breaking through bulky Water-types so it's easier for it to sweep. Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Thundurus, and Amoonguss can do this task really well. In the same vein, Pokemon that can break through Pokemon such as Sylveon, Psychic-types, Mega Charizard Y, and Talonflame, which resist Blaziken's STAB moves and take little damage from them, give Blaziken an easier time breaking through teams; good options include Aegislash, Bisharp and Landorus-T. Redirection support from Pokemon such as Amoonguss and Gastrodon helps Blaziken stay on the battlefield for more turns and lets it not play less defensively than it normally does.

Moves Flare Blitz has a high Base Power and a chance to burn, though this comes at the cost of high recoil damage. Low Kick often has a high Base Power against foes it hits super effectively such as Mega Kangaskhan and Heatran, and Mega Blaziken can therefore OHKO them with relative ease. Superpower is an alternative that covers foes that are hit lightly by Low Kick at the cost of reducing Mega Blaziken's Attack stat afterwards. It notably grants Mega Blaziken the ability to OHKO 4 HP Choice Scarf Politoed and deals significant damage to Rotom-W and Ludicolo. Rock Slide deals damage to both foes and is most useful for eliminating Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y. Its high chance to make foes flinch combined with Mega Blaziken's high Speed after a boost means it's also great as a last resort. Protect allows Mega Blaziken to safely gain the Speed increase from Mega Evolving and Speed Boost. Set Details Speed Boost is chosen for the rare instance that Blaziken is left on the field for a turn without Mega Evolving. For example, this can be useful if your team is using multiple Mega Pokemon and you want to bring Blaziken without Mega Evolving it. The EV spread is simple, maximizing Attack and Speed with an Adamant nature to improve Mega Blaziken's damage output. A Jolly nature is theoretically an option to outspeed maximum Speed Ludicolo and Swampert at +1 Speed in the rain, but this isn't recommended, as the power drop from Adamant is significant. If you want Mega Blaziken to have some extra bulk, Speed EVs can be dropped to 188 in order to outpace Landorus-T by one point; however, given that this is a popular benchmark to Speed creep, it's not generally recommended to do so. Usage Tips Mega Blaziken's role is to pick up OHKOs on foes hit super effectively by its coverage moves or foes with a low Defense stat. This is because Mega Blaziken's frailty means it often can't afford to take hits in return. In addition, its lack of bulk means that it should preferably be either used as a lead or switched in after a teammate has fainted so that it can get onto the field without taking damage. If you want to lead with Blaziken, try pairing it with a Defiant or Competitive user if your opponent has an Intimidate user. There is no downside to Mega Evolving immediately, so do so in order to take advantage of the Speed increase for the remainder of the battle. Use Protect on the first turn Blaziken is sent out to Mega Evolve and activate Speed Boost safely. However, this can be very predictable, and it gives your opponent a chance to use a setup move or attack Mega Blaziken's ally to capitalize off of it. Preventing Mega Blaziken from being paralyzed by the likes of Thundurus is key for it to continue putting on pressure, so do so at all costs. Try to keep Pokemon like Amoonguss and Gastrodon in the back, as they do a great job of defending Mega Blaziken. Don't be afraid of switching Mega Blaziken out, even if it's gained boosts, as it only needs one boost to outpace the majority of the metagame. If all else fails, going for a fast Rock Slide and hoping for some flinches can potentially claw you out of a bad situation. Team Options Mega Blaziken struggles against bulky Water-types like Suicune, so partners that can beat them are valuable. Offensive Electric-types such as Life Orb Thundurus and Choice Specs Rotom-W are good for this, and they also do a great job at scaring off Talonflame. Grass-types such as Amoonguss and Ferrothorn also have a positive matchup against them. Amoonguss is notable, as Rage Powder can shield Mega Blaziken against strong attacks. Water-types such as Milotic and Gyarados are also great partners, as they can beat Ground-types like Landorus-T and Dragons like Salamence, as well as Talonflame. Milotic's Competitive is also a nice way of punishing Intimidate users for reducing Mega Blaziken's Attack. Gastrodon is another great Water-type, as Storm Drain is able to redirect Water-type moves aimed at Mega Blaziken to it and grant Gastrodon a Special Attack boost. Under this protection, Mega Blaziken cannot be harmed by opposing bulky Water-types such as Suicune at all. Bisharp joins Milotic in being able to deter Intimidate thanks to Defiant, and it can beat Psychic-types, which hit Mega Blaziken super effectively. Ghost-types such as Gengar and Aegislash are also able to deal a lot of damage to Psychic-types. Furthermore, Aegislash has access to Wide Guard to protect Mega Blaziken against Earthquake, which it's weak to.

Moves Swords Dance and Protect allow Blaziken to quickly stack stat boosts to Baton Pass to teammates. Bulk Up + Weakness Policy is also viable for greater payoff potential, but this strategy is less reliable. High Jump Kick lets Blaziken hurt foes if it absolutely needs to, but it should be used sparingly, especially because missing or hitting a Rocky Helmet Pokemon will waste its Focus Sash. Substitute with Leftovers is viable if your recipient Pokemon requires multiple Speed boosts. It can also block predicted Thunder Waves, allowing for a safer pass. It also blocks Imposter so Ditto doesn't turn the boosts against the recipient. Set Details 252 HP EVs are used for the best overall bulk because this set will not be attacking much. Maximum Speed allows Blaziken to Baton Pass away with minimum Speed boosts, assuming the recipient does not require multiple boosts. There is also the fact that there really aren't better stats to invest the EVs in, assuming Jolly. Impish is also viable with maximum HP and Defense EVs. Blaziken can take a Choice Band-boosted Brave Bird from Talonflame after a Bulk Up, activate Weakness Policy, and Baton Pass away. It will also be guaranteed to survive Garchomp's Earthquake without any defensive boosts. Usage Tips This set can work quite well as a lead, but beware if the enemy has potential phazers such as Suicune. Priority moves can also ruin Baton Pass. If you anticipate the foe having a priority move, make sure Blaziken uses Baton Pass in a healthy state before its HP gets too low and it can be picked off. Don't make your Baton Passes predictable. Oftentimes, you may want to Baton Pass as soon as Blaziken gains sufficient boosts. You don't always want to wait to Baton Pass until you're unable to boost any further, because this telegraphs that your move next turn will be Baton Pass. This makes it easier for your opponent to punish your recipient. Team Options Mega Kangaskhan is the best recipient for Blaziken's boosts. It is bulky enough to take most incoming punishment and possesses the raw strength to simply batter defensive threats with a boost. It also bypasses Sturdy and Focus Sash thanks to Parental Bond. Mega Mawile is another fearsome ally—a speedy Mega Mawile can be terrifying due to how much raw damage it deals. It also resists Brave Bird, Ice Shard, Sucker Punch, and Extreme Speed and is bulky enough to withstand Aqua Jets and Mach Punches, making revenge killing it difficult. Generally, any physical attacker will work as a teammate depending on the situation. For example, Blaziken can Baton Pass to Mega Salamence to avoid Earthquake, or Baton Pass to Garchomp to avoid Thunder Wave. Mega Latias deserves a special note for being able to act as an unexpected partner. With sufficient boosts, Mega Latias can deal tremendous amounts of damage with Stored Power. Use the Bulk Up / Weakness Policy set with this.

Moves Flare Blitz and Superpower / High Jump Kick serve as powerful STAB moves, backed by Blaziken's titanic base 160 Attack. Superpower is more reliable than High Jump Kick, but the Attack drop deters repeated usage and can make sweeping difficult. High Jump Kick offers even more power and no stat drawbacks, but it can miss and severely cripple Blaziken, often leading to its demise. It is important to keep in mind common Protect users and Ghost-type Pokemon when using that move. Regardless, the sheer strength of these moves often requires opponents to have Pokemon that either resist both or pack extremely high physical bulk. Even then, Blaziken has options to get around these foes. Knock Off smashes apart Latios, non-mega Latias, and Chandelure and deals solid damage to Cresselia and Slowbro. It can remove Rocky Helmet, relieving the passive pressure Blaziken gets from repeatedly using contact moves. Stone Edge destroys Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y and can make Salamence, Gyarados, and Dragonite think twice before switching in. However, its accuracy can be rather problematic, so it may be wise to run Rock Slide instead. Thunder Punch can be used to smash Gyarados and Azumarill, although it hits no other notable targets. If the bonus coverage is not needed, Blaziken can use Swords Dance to boost its Attack to sky-high levels, allowing it to sweep with ease. Protect is mandatory in order to guarantee a turn of Speed Boost, especially during the turn Blaziken Mega Evolves. Set Details As with most glass cannon sweepers, maximizing Attack and Speed is recommended to hit as hard and as quickly as possible. With maximum Speed, Mega Blaziken can attempt to Speed tie with the likes of Mega Charizard X and Volcarona, potentially pulling a clutch victory. Adamant is recommended over Jolly, as Adamant Blaziken outruns every relevant unboosted Pokemon at +1 Speed. Both Blaze and Speed Boost are viable abilities to choose from for the base Blaziken. Blaze may sound odd at first, but if you're going to Mega Evolve Blaziken anyways, having Speed Boost on the base forme can be pointless. With Blaze, Blaziken has an incentive to not immediately mega evolve. Sometimes odd scenarios in which Blaze is more useful can happen, such as preventing enemy Porygon2 from being able to Trace Speed Boost, or times when Blaziken needs the power boost from Blaze to KO something. Regardless, these situations are incredibly rare. Speed Boost allows for more teambuilding flexibility—some teams will prefer having two Mega Pokemon but may often not use them together. In the cases where both Pokemon are required in one squad, Blaziken can forgo its Mega Evolution and remain relevant due to Speed Boost. In short, choose Blaze if Blaziken will be your only Mega Evolution on the team and choose Speed Boost if you have another potential Mega Evolution. Usage Tips As a Mega Pokemon, Blaziken will often be the center of your team's focus. Evaluate the number of enemies Blaziken can defeat in Team Preview before deciding to bring it in, then bring the appropriate amount of support once you decide on that. It may not be the best idea to bring it if your opponent has two or more Blaziken checks or two or more Pokemon that can outduel it. For example, a team with Cresselia / Azumarill / Talonflame / Aegislash / Garchomp / Mega Kangaskhan is probably not something you should bring Blaziken into. Due to the side effects of Blaziken's STAB moves combined with its frailty, it is important to note that mispredictions can be immediately costly. Be careful with using High Jump Kick if there are enemy Ghost-types around, or if Blaziken is facing a common Protect user such as Heatran or enemy Blaziken. Speaking of Protect, try not to be predictable when using it, as it can lead to the opponent getting a free switch to a check. Blaziken's sheer offensive strength allows it to be used as both a wallbreaker and a cleaner, although it is more proficient at the latter. With that and its resistances, switching Blaziken into direct attacks is possible, despite its overall frailty. However, Blaziken should primarily be switching in to revenge kill after a teammate faints so it does not take too much damage and subsequently knock itself out via Flare Blitz recoil. Team Options Zapdos and Rotom-W cover most of Blaziken's checks, such as Azumarill, Salamence, Gyarados, Slowbro, and Talonflame. Both of them can use Volt Switch to help bring Blaziken in easier. In turn, Blaziken can threaten Grass-types that beat Rotom-W and can defeat certain Pokemon that give Zapdos issues, such as Greninja, Tyranitar, and Gengar. Ferrothorn can defeat Water-types such as Suicune, threaten Cresselia with passive damage, and set up Stealth Rock to aid Blaziken's sweep. Zapdos's Fighting resistance helps turn the trio of Zapdos / Blaziken / Ferrothorn into a solid balanced squad. Blaziken / Rotom-W / Ferrothorn is also another great core, featuring the Fire / Water / Grass combination. Thundurus can fulfill a somewhat similar role to Zapdos and offers more power in exchange for reduced durability. Stealth Rock can aid Blaziken massively. A number of Blaziken's checks are weak to it (most notably Talonflame). Furthermore, Stealth Rock ensures that Blaziken will 2HKO Suicune with High Jump Kick. A few notable Stealth Rock users include Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Ferrothorn.

Moves Overheat batters physically bulky Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Zapdos. It reliably destroys Aegislash as well and, because it is a special attack, it won't be affected by Mawile's Intimidate. Hidden Power Ice OHKOes Landorus-T, Gliscor, Garchomp, and Mega Salamence. Superpower and High Jump Kick are strong STAB options despite lacking full investment. Protect is a necessity to quickly patch Blaziken's mediocre Speed. Set Details Blaziken's talents extend to its non-Mega usage. With a mixed set, Blaziken can carve out an offensive niche that is not outclassed by its Mega Evolution. Sporting formidable 120 / 110 offenses backed by Life Orb, Blaziken can still dish out tremendous amounts of damage and even slightly outclass its Mega Evolution power-wise if it attempts to pull off the same set. Here are some calculations to demonstrate Blaziken's power. 244 SpA Life Orb Blaziken Hidden Power Ice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Garchomp: 182-218 (99.4 - 119.1%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO [this doesn't change with 252 SpA] 244 SpA Life Orb Blaziken Hidden Power Ice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence: 177-208 (104.1 - 122.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO 52 Atk Life Orb Blaziken Superpower vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Heatran: 203-242 (102.5 - 122.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO 52 Atk Life Orb Blaziken Superpower vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Kangaskhan: 218-257 (102.8 - 121.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO 244 SpA Life Orb Blaziken Overheat vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 179-213 (107.1 - 127.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO 244 SpA Life Orb Blaziken Overheat vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 140-165 (71 - 83.7% + 35.5 - 42.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 244 SpA Life Orb Blaziken Overheat vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gengar: 134-160 (98.5 - 117.6%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO With 212 Speed EVs, Blaziken's Speed reaches 208 at +1, outspeeding Choice Scarf Rotom formes and base 135 Speed Pokemon such as Mega Manectric and Mega Lopunny. Maximizing Speed is a viable option, as Blaziken can outrun up to Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Mega Beedrill, and Mega Sceptile at +1. Usage Tips This set can function as a lure, so it may be in your best interest to carry a Pokemon that appreciates certain checks baited and removed by Blaziken. However, some people may expect it if you don't Mega Evolve Blaziken. Try predicting your opponent's usual check to it on the switch before he or she suspects something is up and punishes you for it. Remember that this Blaziken's Fighting-type STAB move is not as powerful, so enemies such as Suicune and Azumarill can be sent in more comfortably. Team Options Because this set does not require Blaziken to Mega Evolve, feel free to use Mega Pokemon in conjunction with it. Mega Gengar can destroy Mega Slowbro and threaten Cresselia and Azumarill, while Blaziken scares off Dark-type Pokemon such as Bisharp and Hydreigon. Mega Salamence appreciates Blaziken's ability to threaten Skarmory, Tyranitar, Zapdos, and Porygon2. As mentioned before, Blaziken can lure enemies with this set. There are some Pokemon that can take advantage of a successful bait. For example, Aegislash and Mega Kangaskhan appreciate Blaziken dealing severe damage to Hippowdon, and Mega Venusaur can have a field day if Blaziken can successfully bait and destroy Mega Salamence.

The initial goal is to use Protect on turn one, which provides a free turn for Blaziken's Speed Boost ability to activate, allowing it to outspeed a large number of threats. Flare Blitz is Blaziken's strongest STAB, and dents hail teams and Fire-weak Pokemon such as Metagross and Abomasnow. Hi Jump Kick can be used for secondary STAB, but because many Pokemon in the VGC metagame carry Protect, Sky Uppercut is preferred for its reliability. Rock Slide and Shadow Claw provide extra coverage; the former hits Fire- and Flying-types for super effective damage, while the latter covers Ghost-types. However, Rock Slide is generally the better option because it hits both opposing Pokemon simultaneously, and has a nifty flinch rate as well. An Adamant nature is preferred over Jolly because Speed Boost increases Blaziken's Speed, reducing the need to use a positive Speed nature. Blaziken can also OHKO Abomasnow and Tyranitar that do not carry a Chople Berry, two very common Pokemon in the VGC 2012 metagame. If you wish to use a mixed set, an alternative EV spread of 252 Atk / 48 SpA / 208 Spe can be used with Hidden Power Ice or Hidden Power Electric; Hidden Power Ice can 2HKO Garchomp even if it holds Yache Berry, while Hidden Power Electric can 2HKO Wacan Berry Gyarados. Ninetales is certainly one of the best teammates Blaziken could ask for, as it has the ability to summon permanent sun. A max Attack, sun-boosted Flare Blitz can OHKO or 2HKO almost every Pokemon in the metagame, including those that resist it. As Blaziken has a lot of trouble with rain teams, Ferrothorn makes an excellent teammate; it can take all the Water-type attacks aimed at Blaziken and retaliate with a powerful STAB Power Whip. Sunny Day users are also good teammates. Priority support is very helpful as well; Weavile is a good teammate in this case.

Due to egg move restrictions, standard Blaziken cannot run Baton Pass in conjunction with Speed Boost. In Dream World OU, however, these movepool limitations are not in effect, and Blaziken is therefore free to pass its accumulated boosts. In addition to raising Blaziken's Attack, Swords Dance boosts can be passed to a teammate. Protect gives Blaziken a vital free Speed boost, enabling it to pose more of a threat, as well as Baton Pass more easily. High Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are powerful STAB moves, the former letting Blaziken threaten bulky Water-types and the latter most Steel-types. Finally, Baton Pass allows Blaziken to utilize Speed Boost to its full potential and lead the team to a sweep. All-out offensive investment is used as Blaziken is frail even with defensive investment, so there is no use in running any. A Jolly nature is used to make Blaziken as fast as possible, as this Blaziken should not be attempting a sweep of its own. Leftovers is the main option because Focus Sash may be broken by entry hazards, unless of course Blaziken is in the lead slot. As an alternative, Focus Sash allows Blaziken to nab one free turn, and is particularly useful for getting up both a Swords Dance and a Speed boost. This Blaziken has no true counters other than a switch in from a Taunt user such as Thundurus or a phazer such as Vaporeon, the former of which can be dealt with by Flare Blitz. However, the latter can switch in without fear of a +2 or Life Orb boosted High Jump Kick, proceeding to OHKO Blaziken with Scald or phaze out the Pokemon Blaziken passes to. Thundurus, Serperior, and Rotom-W are great problems to deal with this. One of its only issues is Breloom, who can bypass Blaziken's Speed boosts and OHKO with Mach Punch; Azumarill too can be similarly problematic. A Pokemon such as Celebi is a good way to deal with Breloom, while Thundurus and Serperior handle Azumarill well. More important teammates are ones that can make good use of the passed Attack and Speed boosts. Garchomp and Landorus become incredibly powerful after these boosts, while other good receivers include Infernape, Breloom, and Dragonite. Garchomp and Landorus stand out from the rest as they already boast high stats in these areas, but Breloom and Dragonite are great too because they resist Water-type attacks directed at Blaziken. Blaziken is also great with Calm Mind passers such as Espeon, as Blaziken does not possess the ability to pass off Special Attack boosts, which can be problematic to mixed receivers.

With a Speed Boost every turn, as well as the ability to raise its Attack via Swords Dance, Blaziken has the potential to become quite a frightening sweeper. With an Attack boost, Blaziken hits a maximum Attack stat of 734, and can easily OHKO or 2HKO most of the tier. High Jump Kick and Flare Blitz are excellent dual STABs; a +2 sun-boosted Flare Blitz in particular can even OHKO Jellicent after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. High Jump Kick has amazing neutral coverage with Flare Blitz, but is inferior to Flare Blitz in sun, even when Flare Blitz is resisted compared to a neutral hit. However, when using it, watch out for Ghost-types such as Chandelure and Jellicent, who can switch in for free and KO Blaziken back—though the former fears getting OHKOed by a sun-boosted Flare Blitz. Protect is extremely important on this set, as it grants Blaziken one desperately needed boost to its Speed. Substitute is an option if Blaziken can come in on something that it outspeeds, and solves any problems Blaziken has with priority and status, particularly against sacrificial priority attempts from Thundurus and foes aiming to weaken Blaziken with Intimidate. Blaziken's bulk is so poor that even with investment, it will still not be taking very many hits. For this reason, its Attack and Speed are maximized. A Jolly nature allows Blaziken to outspeed Adamant Excadrill in the sandstorm after two Speed boosts, as well as all Choice Scarf users below base 80 Speed after one boost, most notably Politoed and Heatran. However, it should be noted that the rare Jolly Excadrill will still outrun Blaziken. An Adamant nature is an option if these threats aren't particular issues, pushing Blaziken's Attack even higher than it already is, and securing the KO on Slowbro with a +2 Attack, but Jolly is normally preferred as these foes could otherwise prevent a successful sweep. Life Orb is the best item to use, because Blaziken needs to hit as hard as it can as soon as possible. Leftovers is also a viable option, particularly if Blaziken is used on a sandstorm team, because recoil from Life Orb and Flare Blitz, as well as residual damage from sandstorm, can easily end Blaziken's sweep prematurely. However, Life Orb is almost always the best item choice as Leftovers variants will sorely miss the initial power, and consequently be unable to get a lot of major 2HKOs after a Swords Dance, including on Dragonite and Jellicent. Air Balloon can be used to avoid Ground-type attacks from the likes of Gliscor, Landorus, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill, and potentially gain a free setup turn. Ninetales should almost always be run alongside Blaziken, mainly due to the fact that sandstorm piles recoil damage on Blaziken, and rain weakens Flare Blitz. Blaziken can deal with Tyranitar, but a teammate that can remove Tyranitar and Politoed before Blaziken hits the field is most desirable. Scizor and Breloom completely annihilate Tyranitar and don't mind the sun as it stands no chance against Fire-type attacks anyway. As Rotom-W fares poorly in sun, Thundurus and Serperior are useful partners to remove Politoed. Despite Speed Boost, Thundurus's priority Thunder Wave can also be annoying, since it neuters Blaziken's Speed: at +6 Blaziken will max out at a stat of 284 if it is using a Jolly nature. Finally, Wish passers, including Blissey and Chansey, help Blaziken stay healthy and pose more of a threat. Blaziken has a few counters, but all of these have some flaws. Jellicent is immune to High Jump Kick and if rain is up, takes negligible damage from even +2 Flare Blitz. For this reason, ThunderPunch or Shadow Claw can be considered over Protect to hit Jellicent super effectively. However, neither of these moves OHKO, and the utility of Protect is too good to forgo. Of the two moves, Shadow Claw is the better option because it hits all Ghost-types super effectively, making Blaziken less dependent on weather. Thundurus and Serperior are once again great partners to deal with Jellicent. Lastly, note that in sun and at +2, Blaziken will always OHKO Jellicent with Flare Blitz after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Blaziken's few other counters are also dependent on sandstorm or rain, as they are all 2HKOed in sun. The first is bulky Dragon Dance Dragonite, who can come in on either of Blaziken's STABs, escaping the 2HKO, and OHKO back with any attack. Intimidate Gyarados also narrowly escapes the 2HKO and easily OHKOes back with either Bounce or Waterfall. Slowbro functions similarly and can retaliate with Scald. Quagsire can make use of Unaware to ignore Blaziken's stat boots. However, do note that Quagsire is easily 2HKOed by High Jump Kick after at least one layer of Spikes. Rotom-W and Thundurus carrying Hidden Power Ice and Thunderbolt can deal with Gyarados, Dragonite, Slowbro, and Jellicent, while Breloom can deal with Quagsire. Stealth Rock edges many of the aforementioned Pokemon into a boosted Blaziken's KO range, including defensive Gliscor, offensive Dragonite, and Intimidate Gyarados, and possibly even bulky Dragonite and Salamence as well. Spikes, too, ease the need for a high damage roll and leaves these counters in the dust. For this reason, reliable users of Stealth Rock and Spikes, such as Tyranitar and Deoxys-S respectively, make great teammates. Removing opposing Rapid Spin users, most notably Forretress, Starmie, and Excadrill, is helpful to a Blaziken sweep, making the likes of Chandelure, Tyranitar, and Gliscor fine teammates.

With a great base 110 Special Attack stat, Blaziken can be an effective mixed wallbreaker. Fire Blast is a much better attack than Flare Blitz as it doesn't inflict recoil. High Jump Kick is Blaziken's other STAB, and while it is less reliable in that it fears missing more than Fire Blast, it hits incredibly hard and provides Blaziken with great neutral coverage. Hidden Power Ice is Blaziken's coverage move of choice, as it destroys Dragonite and Garchomp, two huge threats to Blaziken otherwise. The last slot is a toss-up. Protect grants Blaziken a free Speed boost, but deprives it of extra coverage. Shadow Claw hits Jellicent and Chandelure, who wall Blaziken's other moves, and should be used if Blaziken's other teammates cannot easily deal with them. The Special Attack EVs boost the power of Fire Blast and Hidden Power Ice. A Rash nature is preferred because it allows Blaziken to hit harder, and 228 Speed EVs enables it to outspeed Deoxys-S and Choice Scarf Garchomp at +2. However, Naive may be used to outspeed Adamant Excadrill at +2. Life Orb is the preferred item for the power boost, but Expert Belt is worth considering if Blaziken is used in sandstorm, as it has excellent super effective coverage, and residual damage would otherwise add up quickly. Either Hidden Power Electric or Hidden Power Grass can be used in place of Hidden Power Ice for a super effective hit on bulky Water-types, most notably Vaporeon, Quagsire, and Slowbro, but bulky Water-types are somewhat less common in the DW metagame, and the lack of Hidden Power Ice leaves Blaziken open to Dragonite, Garchomp, and Latios, who are far more common threats. This set has trouble with bulky Water-types, particularly Jellicent, as it is not 2HKOed by a sun-boosted Flare Blitz without Swords Dance to contend with. To remedy this, Thundurus and Serperior are once again amazing partners. Both pack super effective STAB moves against bulky Water-types, and Thundurus can also use priority Taunt to cripple Jellicent. This set once again loves sun support, making Ninetales a recommended partner, but as previously mentioned, Blaziken can be used in sandstorm with Expert Belt. Stealth Rock support deals with Multiscale Dragonite effectively, as well as helping against Latios.