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  #1  
Old February 23, 2010, 09:59:47 PM
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Justjack91 Justjack91 is offline
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Default Week 2: Typhlosion



(2/20/10) Hey again everyone. Looks like most of you that have viewed this post and rated it have liked the idea of a series. Because of this, I will post a new one every Saturday (usually in the morning if I can). Cat will hopefully post announcements that I've added a new entry so that this can get attention from anyone who visits the home page.

For the next three weeks, in anticipation of the next Pokémon games, Heartgold and Soulsilver, I will be looking specifically at Johto starters so that we can see how each has changed over the years. Some changes were massive while others were just minor additions.

Based on special request from my brother, the Pokémon of the Week for "Generation Shift" is going to be a favorite fire type of mine, Typhlosion.


Typhlosion


Ah, Typhlosion. Back in the Gold and Silver days, this was the equivalent rival of Charizard. They both had the same powerful stats and a similar moveset. Typhlosion stands out for its single typing (there are only a few Pokémon that are only fire types).

Typhlosion has gone through some interesting changes since his debut in Johto.

Consistent Strategy

Typhlosion, much like its rival Charizard, is meant for one thing: blitz your opponent before they blitz you back! Typhlosion's high speed and special attack are trying to tell you that you need to hit whoever you're fighting fast and hard before they can knock you out.

In every game of every generation, your main focus should be to make Typhlosion a lead and to have a powerful fire attack. That's one of the main reasons why to choose him. Whether you go with Flamethrower or several other similar moves, it will hurt whatever the move hits.

No matter what game however, Typhlosion is never meant to fight an opposing ground/rock type. Yes, he has Earthquake in every game, but it won't dent a Golem the way it will other non-rock types. If you're fighting an opposing "Earth-based" Pokémon, whether it be Rhydon, Tyranitar, Flygon, or Hippowdon, it's best to switch this badger out (except in the fourth generation).

Johto

Ah, what a fresh face for starters. Typhlosion, whether or not you agree based on favoritism, is considered the best of the three starters in Gold and Silver. It has superior power with a decent moveset that complements its special attack.

The main attraction in this generation was a powerful fire attack, whether it's Flamethrower or Fire Blast, depending on what you wanted. This attack hits almost everyone pretty hard when you couple it with Charcoal. Azalea Town was a great town to get this item in early in the game.

The other benefit Typhlosion had in this game was the move, Thunderpunch. Back before the Physical/Special split of Sinnoh, this move was fantastic for such a Pokémon. The attraction is that this move, coupled with a high special attack, could cripple almost any water Pokémon. Feraligatr had nothing on Typhlosion thanks to this move. It is possible to kill a Feraligatr in one hit thanks to this attack.

These two attacks are your main moveset however. Other moves are somewhat lacking. You could use Earthquake on him and get a good hit on opposing fire and poison types and some damage on rock types. Iron Tail is alright too, but with shakier accuracy and type coverage, it's really not all that great compared to Earthquake.

For somewhat decent damage, you could also teach him Swift or Rollout, but even these moves aren't all that great for him.

The Attack stat on Typhlosion is alright, but just like Charizard, you have to figure out what will help you focus on his Special Attack.

Hoenn

Colosseum opened up the doors for a Typhlosion in the third generation. If raised right, he could be just as good or better as he was in Johto.

The factor of EV training was key for Typhlosion. Now you could either boost his already awesome special attack or give some focus to his Attack stat (something that could easily be a game changer for a Typhlosion forced to fight a rock or ground type).

He hits about the same way though. Brick Break is good against an opposing Rock type (among other key types), Overheat is good as a "one time," overpowered move (or more with a White Herb), and a few normal attacks like Body Slam or Mega Kick/Punch can better make up for Swift or Double-Edge as normal attacks.

Typhlosion is just as amazing with Flamethrower and Thunderpunch as it was in Johto however. You can't put down an already impressive Special Stat.

You also get Hidden Power, a real nifty new special attack if used right. It's hard to obtain properly, but with the right type (electric, water, or grass preferred), you had a nice third special attack.

Abilities also play a minor role. If you're really low on health and lucky to survive that long, Blaze gives you a final small boost in power. Couple this with Charcoal and you have one heck of a "last stand" Pokémon.

Sinnoh

I gotta say, Typhlosion is pretty popular in this fourth generation.

The downsides for this particular generation is that you've lost Thunderpunch as a reliable special attack. The Special/physical move split hurt the raw power of this attack so that now it's a bit more difficult to kill Pokémon like Gyrados or Feraligatr in one hit. Finally, that crazy crocodile has the upper hand.

But once again, when not fighting in a poor type match-up, Typhlosion is just scary.

The main move many of you out there have used for a Typhlosion the most is an impressive move that is very well suited to this flaming badger. I'm of course talking about Eruption.

Now there's more incentive to hit first with Typhlosion. If you get this move off with great stats, EV training, and a good item, this attack incinerates almost anything that isn't resistant to fire attacks.

This is the attack Typhlosion has been waiting for. No longer must he just rely on Flamethrower for reliable accuracy and damage. There's something even more intimidating now for this Pokémon to use.

The S/P split also helps give Typhlosion better coverage. Focus Blast is the main counter to rock types and even Dark types in this game. There are obvious other counters, but now Earthquake isn't the only attack to rely on for hitting the resistant types.

Also, Hyper Beam is special now, so if you're low on health and can't really make good use of Flamethrower against your opponent, you could pop out a powerful blast that could quite possibly change the tables for you.

Cat made use of this attack in a Youtube match of his own:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rumg3twVhOA

To smooth things out, Typhlosion also got a few new attacks to use if desired. Extrasensory (new to Heartgold and SoulSilver) as well as Solarbeam are decent additions that have varied advantages.

On a final note: Typhlosion also received Flare Blitz as a physical fire attack. Now, this move is great for some Pokémon, but it might not be preferred for Typhlosion. It ends up decreasing your much needed HP that is an important factor for fighting with Eruption movesets.

Summary
Typhlosion went from a somewhat limited special sweeper to a well-rounded sweeper. He will always have trouble with his weaknesses, but each generation gave him something better to use when in trouble. His fire attacks are incredibly important for any match. Making sure he's fast and powerful is key to winning any match nowadays in Pokémon.

Alright, so this is Week 2 of "Generation Shift." Post your thoughts on this one if you'd like and don't forget to vote if you haven't already done so.

Last edited by Justjack91; March 8, 2010 at 04:21:30 PM.
  #2  
Old February 23, 2010, 10:09:50 PM
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Justjack91 Justjack91 is offline
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New format thanks to Cat. Now every new Pokemon will be posted with the corresponding "Week" that it was posted in this sub-thread. Also, each week is dated still on when I posted them.

Again, thanks for your support Cat.
  #3  
Old February 27, 2010, 07:05:27 AM
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Shadow Shadow is offline
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Better late than never, eh?

I really liked the article, especially that Typhlosion is one of my favourite Johto starters.
Good job.
  #4  
Old March 1, 2010, 01:55:49 PM
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Charizard98 Charizard98 is offline
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Great job!
  #5  
Old March 2, 2010, 09:00:04 PM
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Serenade Serenade is offline
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"I'm off course talking about Eruption."

Lol, are you lost?
  #6  
Old March 3, 2010, 12:17:33 AM
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Justjack91 Justjack91 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Serenade View Post
"I'm off course talking about Eruption."

Lol, are you lost?
Oh my Arceus, a typo. Thanks for pointing that out. Fixed.

Funny thing is that the sentence has a few different meanings.
 
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