Heatran - The Lava Dome (Or Doom)

Today is the day I talk about Heatran, the lava dome Pokemon. Since Heatrans release in IV, it's been a powerhouse in every format, and will continue to be for years to come. Permitting the VGC 2014 year where only Kalos were legal. In 2015 expect to see a ton of Heatran, it's a very versatile Pokemon that can do well bulked up, scarfed, in trick room and quite a few other option. For everyone playing VGC hope you are ready to do a ton resetting, I actually reset my Omega Ruby and put it in Japanese and reset for a flawless Japanese Heatran. And don't forget I will be giving away this said Heatran based on your feedback.

Flash Fire: In doubles right now this is a phenomenal ability. When Heatran is hit with a fire type damage move (including hidden power) it's own fire moves become 1.5 times damage. Also heatran takes no damage from these moves. This means Heatran can happily switch into will-o-wisps, heatwaves, overheats and so on for your team. BEcuase of this ability and already being a hard hitting fire, Heatran Benefits from Charizard-Y and Ninetales drought quite well. I actually was running Charizard-Y religiously until Heatran reentered the format, because me setting up drought was helping enemy Heatran more then my own sun team i decided to stop running Char-Y. Anyway back on topic, something to note will-o-wisps burn is considered a damage move and will activate flash fire, so letting your enemy Gengar or others throw will-o-wisp into your Kangaskhan slot that you switched into Heatran is really amazing.

Heatran's move pool has a few options but it is out shined by only a few typical moves. The most popular moves you will see on Heatran will be protect, earth power, heatwave, flash cannon and substitute. Some other moves you may see are things like hidden power, taunt, solar beam, flamethrower, fire blast, overheat, will-o-wisp and swagger. Most however have protect, earth power, heat wave and flash cannon. Also expect to see bulkier sets like mine, listed below, that have substitute and that opt to have flash cannon or earth power. Other sets that have seen some success in the past are choice scarf/spec sets. I have even also seen super bulk sets with taunt will-o-wisp, and swagger, but I don't think these are to optimal. And remember, all of these sets, except the choice scarf option, are also trick room options, and that some Heatran can even be both a trick room and tail wind Heatran. 

Now, something you need to do on everyone of your vgc 2015 teams is be able to counter Heatran. If you have no checks or counters to Heatran in VGC 2015 you are going to have a bad time. Heatran does have a glaring weakness or X4 to ground, and X2 to water and fighting. Some obvious things to try to counter Heatran is bring some earthquake and earth power users, such as Landorus, Terrakion, Salamance, Garchomp, Hydreigon and of coarse your own Heatran with earth power. Other options would be powerful water moves from Pokemon that will also wall Heatran in the process, the best option being Rotom-W, Politoed, Ludicolo, M-Swampert, Gyardos. Also Fighting moves are going to help break those pesky enemy Heatran, such as low kick Kangaskhan, Superpower Landorus, Terrakion and even some trick roomers like Hariyama and Conkelldurr. Something to note however is that Heatran commonly hold shuca berry, chople berry, and air balloon. Countering Heatran is a truly tricky process, because there are plenty of ways to make a Heatran survive what it is weak to, so your Heatran counter needs to also wall it in some capability. 

Another really important topic at hand is why run Heatran, in other words what is Heatran countering. One thing to note before I get into this section Heatran is resistant to 9 types, that's the most resistances in the entire game. The resistances are normal, flying, bug, steel, grass, psychic, ice, dragon, and fairy, that alone is going to provides man match ups there Heatran will wall enemy pokes. Heatran counters many top usage Pokemon very well, such as Bisharp. Bisharp typically have focus sash, and with Heatran's heatwave you can break the sash, and then next turn finish it off with its earth power, or if the risk of heatwave missing is to great double earth power will suffice. Also the power to wall Sylveon at 1/4 resistance, and being able to hit back with super effective flash cannons. Another Pokemon you wont have to worry to much about with Heatran on your team is Amoonguss, rage powder won't be doing to much when you heatwave away at it. Some other key things to remember is that you will give Mawile a real hard time, and not to mention Heatwave is perfect for breaking focus sash from Whimsicott, Gengar, and Bisharp. 

Now my Heatran spread is still partially generic. what I wanted with my Heatran was a bulkier then usual Heatran that when setting up substitute, abusing leftovers, and being bulky. I'm still working on exact numbers but u find this very effective, and it's exactly the kind of Heatran I wanted. 

ヒードラン (Heatran) @ Leftovers

Ability: Flash Fire

Level: 50

EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 56 SpA / 100 SpD

Modest Nature

Want your chance to win a flawless Japanese Heatran?  All you have to do is give your feedback below and I will pick the best response in the next week. VGC on!

New Giveaway Format and Analysis

In regards to the Heatran giveaway, I am actually going to change the format of how I am going to choose winners. From now on I will do an in depth analysis on a specific Pokemon. In this case it will be the all mighty Heatran, then it is your job to give additional feedback, such as counters I missed, other good moves I didn't mention, a specific EV calculation, why should it be another nature and so on. Then I will pick the best response I find, whether it be the best spread, story or overall best analysis from the comments. This new format for these giveaways will start Thursday, and I will also write a post about my most recent Premiere Challenge victory where I gave up no ko's. I am then going to do a double giveaway and give away another poke that was my MVP from that team, the winner will be the best response on your opinions on my team. My true MVP from this premiere Heatran, so I will actually pick my 2nd MVP from those games, write a review and do the same type of giveaway for that undecided poke. Thank you everyone, VGC on!

What's to Come

For the next couple of weeks I want to lay down a few guides, Pokemon reviews and meta game break downs. Some of the guides I want to cover are things like a note taking, game time, tournament prep, idle, and a gambling guide. Yes I said I want to do a idle and gambling guide, and most won't know what I mean by that. My idle guide will be about using your time and brainstorming effectively while playing competitively and avoiding going blank and making poor game plays, and my gambling guide will be all about the odds and chances in the game, and how to limit RNG and be the best player you can be. Others things I might want to touch base on are some things such as individual Pokemon analysis, meta game breakdowns, team breakdowns, torny team reviews and even write about the most useful tools that each VGC player should be using. For time to some I want to try and post about 3 times a week, excluding my Zero to Hero post, and this What's to come post. Later today I will post a more detailed plan about the guides, posts, and articles to come. In the meantime I want your opinions and ideas, you , yes you. You can message me on my Facebook or e-mail me your ideas. I will get to posting the, what I will call it, the "blog map" later tonight and write my first official post while doing so. Thank you in advance for your ideas and game on everyone.

Zero to Hero

Hello, and welcome to my VGC 2015 blog . For starters, let me tell you a bit about myself. I am Michael James Hall, a masters division player out of Fort Wayne, IN and a league leader out of Summit City Pokemon. This year was my first year in both casual and competitive Pokemon VGC, and so far in my first season I have quickly climbed from a zero to a hero. At the start of this season I was just playing with some acquaintances in a local comic shop, and now I am ranked in the top 40 masters and competing with people who are now lifelong friends. The purpose of my blog is to educate all my readers and provide and offer guidance to other players to be the best that they can be competitively, and while doing so still have just as much fun as any super fan casual. I am currently just sitting outside of 200 points putting me just in the top 40 masters in the U.S. and I am planning on attending Missouri Regional, Florida Regional, and U.S. Nationals and even potentially worlds. I have been playing Pokemon for as long as I can remember, since about 3 or so and I just turned 21 on Jan 19. And it would be so amazing to me if I made it to worlds in my first year of competitive play.