" Deep in the night, I’m dancing to the moon. As you see me, that shall be the last thing your eyes come across. "
-Delta Roserade
Hi guys, girls, geisha and everything in-between! Sorry it took some times, but I have no excuses. Delta Roserade is the kind of Pokémon where i prefer the middle form instead of the last in its evolutionary line.
Be warned, since there is no competitive usage stats avaliable, I do not have any reliable ways to accurately predict the metagame. This analysis is theoretical and does not entirely reflect a Pokémon’s viability.
Typing, Stats, Ability & Movepool
Dark/Fairy
Ability: Shadow Dance/Heliophobia/Limber(DW)
Hp: 60
Atk: 70
Def: 65
SpA: 125
SpD: 105
Spe: 90
Good speed for a weather sweeper, solid special attack and a very interesting typing makes Delta Roserade the prime sweeper for New Moon teams. Having the Fairy typing allow New Moon team to better handle opposing Dark type and Fighting types that are troublesome for its teammates.
Heliophobia might sounds interesting, but Shadow Dance by far the best choice. Heliophobia would work on a defensive Pokémon in a New Moon team, but since the weather is not permanent like in Gen 5, the ability is unreliable. Shadow Dance allow to double the speed under New Moon and outspeed even Choice Scarf users.
Movepool wise, Delta Roselia have exactly what it wants. Lunar Canon, Dark Pulse and Moonblast are exactly what it wants for STAB. Its coverage move are also very good! Heat Wave for steel types, Energy ball for bulky Waters, Psychic for Poison types and Sludge Wave for Fairy types. Sludge Wave is preferred in order to bypass Bulletproof. Delta Roserade also possess Spikes, Moonlight, Trick and even Lovely Kiss!
Sets Suggestions
Choice Specs
Roserade-Delta @ Choice Specs
Ability: Shadow Dance
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
-Lunar Cannon
-Moonblast
-Heat Wave
-Sludge Wave / Spikes
A clean and classic offensive set. Spikes can be used in the same fascination as Ash-Greninja, using the switches it causes to setup Spikes.
Life Orb
Roserade-Delta @ Life Orb
Ability: Shadow Dance
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lunar Cannon
- Moonblast
- Heat Wave
- Spikes / Lovely Kiss
On this one, you can use your Status move and attack on the next turn.
Other options
Moonlight has a whopping 3/4 of recovery under New Moon. Trick is also a viable option on Choice Specs sets to several cripple walls. Dark Pulse is viable so you still have your Dark STAB outside of New Moon.
Good Teammates
- Notcem users like Spiritomb or Lunatone is a nier mandatory teammates because of Noctem. Mega Delta Charizard is kinda good, isn’t as much as reliable as the sole New Moon setter.
- Mega Delta Typhlosion is a terrific wallbreaker for New Moon and can reliably handle a lof of Fairy type.
- Bisharp is a good partner on more offensive New Moon team and can handle faster Pokémon out of New Moon with its dangerous Sucker Punch. Bisharp also remove some problematic Fairy.
- Mega Delta Mawile can trap Tyranitar, Politoad and Delta Serperior thanks to Arena Trap and prevent them from changing the weather. Thus, letting New Moon dominate the weather.
- Toxicroak enjoy New Moon for its Sucker Punch and is part of the few Pokémon that can actually handle the strong M.Milotic-Ferrothorn balance core by itself, OHKOing both after a Swords Dance and setup a Substitute on Ferrothorn.
- Due to its underwhelming bulk, Delta Roserade appreciate Pivots such as Rotom-W, Landorus-T and Tornadus-T to bring it to the field safely.
Checks and counters
- Tyranitar, especially the bulky variant, can say " Nope! " and turn the weather back to Sandstorm, plus it has the bulk to tank few Moonblasts.
- Delta Arcanine has extremely powerful priorities that cannot be stopped by Psychic Terrain because… Well… It doesn’t exist yet. Moonblast is a death sentence though.
- Ditto can hold a Choice Scarf in order to always outspeed Reserade and can revenge kill after a little bit of weakening.
- Mega Scizor shares the same niche as Delta Arcanine, but in its case, its Priority are super effective. Mega Scizor can block Trick from the Choice Specs variants and thus grab the momentum or setup, but cannot take a Heat Wave on the switch.
Competition
Hey, new section! Basically, I’ll be talking about who this Pokémon compete with for a place in your team. Maybe even sharing the pros and cons of each in your team! Tell me if you like it, because I might bring this to old episode as well.
Mega Shiftree share the same ability, but have a better speed tier and hit harder on the physical and as strong on the special side. Delta Roserade has few things going fer herself, notably not taking the Mega Slot and having better special bulk. Delta Roseade also has better matchup against fighting types and opposing dark.
Delta Meloetta share the same typing, but having an amazing speed tier and good wall breaking capability. With Filter, her bulk is somewhat augmented and it is not reliant on New Moon to be effective. Thus, outside of New Moon or if the team already have a Shadow Dancer, Delta Meloetta is often the right choice.
Overall
Delta Roserade’s niche is pretty much like Kingra. If weather is not up, then it’s bad. However, when its up, you are in for a world of trouble. Thanks for reading this!
- Mega Flygon
- Rotom-W
- Mega Delta Lopunny
- Clefable
- Delta Hydreigon
- Other