The best special attackers for competitive play
The art of Pokemon battle is based on two main forms of damage: Physical Attack and Special Attack. Each Pokemon’s abilities in one of these stats determine what movesets they excel at or what strategies players should use on them. What sets most special moves apart from physical moves is their lack of contact with opposing Pokémon—however, some special moves do make contact.
Over the years, many Pokemon with high Special Attack stats have been favored by competitive players. As with most competitive Pokemon, the Speed stat is key, but some slower Pokemon can thrive with the use of the Trick Room move. These special attackers are some of the strongest in the current competitive meta.
10 Gengar
Gengar is one of the most famous Pokemon introduced in the first generation games. As a Ghost/Venom type, it boasts incredible typing with immunity to Normal and Fighting, and strength to Fairy-types and Grass-types. Its real advantage, however, lies in its staggering 130 base Special Attack stat.
Combined with moves like Nasty Plot that grant special attack boosts, Gengar becomes an extremely powerful wallbreaker in the metagame. This is particularly useful against dominant fairy-type walls in OU, such as B. Clefable. Its only downside is its fragile Defense and Special Defense stats, meaning it should be used wisely.
9 Zapdos
This legendary Generation 1 offers great stats all round, with its 125 Special Attack being its best. Its competitive use has also led to its being placed in the OU tier, making it a common (albeit predictable) threat. His Electric/Flying typing also grants him immunity to ground movement, increasing his potential against the Electric-type’s greatest weakness.
With its awesome Special Attack, Zapdos is best used with defensive strategies that boost its other impressive stats like Speed or Physical Defense. Moves like Volt Switch can take advantage of his Electric STAB bonus while also allowing him to switch to more powerful Sweeper Pokémon. It also has powerful abilities like static and pressure.
8th Kyogre
Kyogre is one of the most popular Uber tier Pokemon right now Sword & Shield Meta. His Special Attack and Special Defense stats are, for lack of a better word, divine, at 150 and 140, respectively. His Drizzle ability summons rain, which boosts Kyogre’s STAB moves, making him an incredibly powerful offensive threat.
Luckily, Kyogre has plenty of options when it comes to powerful water special attacks. Scald is a great option that could inflict Burn on opponents, while Water Spout and Origin Pulse also have strong attack power. It also has access to other powerful special moves like Thunder, Ice Beam, and Hyper Beam.
7 Heatran
Heatran has been a consistent member of the OU level for several generations Pokemon games. While it is 4x weak to Ground-type attacks, its Fire/Steel typing grants it immunity to Poison and resists a total of nine other types common in the competitive meta, including Fairy, Flying, and Ice-types.
Oftentimes, Heatran is paired with a balloon as a held item, preventing him from being OHKOed by a ground-type move on the switch-in. It also has access to Solar Beam, which when paired with Sunny Day can be a solid option against threatening Ground-types. Its ability, Flame Body, also makes it a threat to Pokemon with moves that make contact.
6 Volcarona
Like Heatran, Volcarona is a solid OU fire-type with access to the flame body. His Special Attack is also incredible for his level, with a base stat of 135, with impressive Special Defense and Speed to boot. These stats only increase even more if Volcarona’s moveset includes Quiver Dance, which increases all three of these stats by one level each.
If a player can pull off a few Quiver Dances, Volcarona becomes a fast special attack sweeper. Its access to the Giga Drain attack can also heal HP while dealing with menacing Water-type Pokémon. It can also use powerful special moves with STAB like Flamethrower, Bug Buzz, and Fire Blast.
5 volcano
It is surprising that Volcanion, which appears as a mythical Pokemon in Pokemon X & Y, is the first Fire/Water-type Pokémon. However, its immunity to Water-type attacks along with its ability and resistance to Steel, Fire, and Fairy make it a great defensive option. Finally, it boasts powerful Physical Attack and Special Attack stats that add variety to its movepool.
In terms of special moves to use, there’s no shortage in Volcanion’s learning set. There’s its signature Water-type move, Steam Eruption, which is both powerful and capable of inflicting Burn, like a stronger broth. Moves like Earth Power also help counter Electric-type threats, while its STAB attacks also cover its Ground and Rock weaknesses.
4 blacephalon
While the Fire/Ghost-type Blacephalon may be visually terrifying, it has many advantages in competition. Its Attack stat is above average, but it pales in comparison to its stunning 151 Special Attack. This Super Attack becomes even more monstrous when combined with its Beast Boost Ability, which boosts this stat every time it KOs a Pokémon.
Luckily, racking up KOs with Blacephalon won’t be difficult, as he has access to special moves like Shadow Ball, Flamethrower, and even non-STAB moves like Dark Pulse, Psychic, and Solar Beam. It can even benefit from an item like the Scarf of Choice, which increases its speed while only giving it the option to choose a move.
3 Galarian Slowking
Galarian Slowking is exclusive to Crown Tundra, the DLC expansion of Pokemon Sword & Shield. Its Poison/Psychic typing is unique across the Pokedex, allowing it to resist Fighting, Poison, Fairy, and Grass-type attacks. His access to the ability regenerator also restores health when withdrawn, making him a useful ally to keep with you in battle.
Slowking doesn’t have as strong special attack stats as some of the other Pokemon on this list, with only a base stat of 110. However, it does have a very diverse movepool, with STAB moves like Sludge Bomb and Future Sight, and non-STAB moves like Ice Beam, Hex, Grass Knot and Muddy Water. Overall, it’s a strong attacker that fits into a variety of teams.
2 Shadow Rider Calyrex
Calyrex is the legendary mascot for Crown Tundra. While it’s usually Psychic/Grass, it can fuse with the Legendary Rider-type Pokémon Glastrier or Spectrier, increasing its Physical Attack and Special Attack respectively. Fusion with Spectrier gives Calyrex a form with a base Special Attack of 165, one of the highest in the game.
His meaty special attack also goes hand-in-hand with his 150 base speed, making him one of the fastest and strongest special attacks even at Uber tier. It also makes it a prime Choice Specs or Choice Scarf candidate to use its powerful stats to destroy an opponent with just one turn, such as: B. the Signature Move Astral Barrage.
1 director
Regieleki also debuted in the Crown Tundra DLC along with Regidrago. It is currently placed in the OU tier, although its Attack and Special Attack stats are only a decent base stat of 100. However, Regieleki’s true strength is his Speed stat, which sits at an absolutely monstrous base 200, surpassing even Deoxy’s.
With that speed, Regieleki can utilize some pretty incredible special moves like Thunder, Thunderbolt, Electroball, and Ancient Power. The only downside to Regieleki’s viability as a special attacker is its equal potential as a physical attacker with moves like Blast, Leap, and Wild Attack.
https://gamerant.com/pokemon-best-special-attackers-competitive-play/ The best special attackers for competitive play
