Blaziken Discussion

Even though the ban took place a long time ago, I'm very interested in hearing your opinions on the matter, so let's discuss Blaziken.




"My ability gives me uber strength!"


HP: 80
ATK: 120
DEF: 70
SATK: 110
SDEF: 70
SPD: 80


Speed boosting chicken. I'll voice my opinion on him later as I promptly click this post button.

Flash wrote:"My ability gives me uber strength!"

Please tell me I'm not the only one who read that in Tristain's voice from Yugioh Abridged.

Anyway, Blaziken's pretty destructive with Speed Boost. Glad they banned it.

+1 for noticing the reference buck.

Blaziken wasn't much of a problem for me.
I mean, Mawile beats it.
And uh. Mawile beats it.

NO. you just need to kill him early. there are plenty of pokemon that if you dont kill them in a few turns its basically GG.

Oh yeah okay Resh. What if he has protect? Then outspeeds your counter to Blaze? Watchu gon do now ? Blaziken had the raw power to sweep whole teams, and the speed from his ability to outspeed everyone as well. His two main stab moves which were 130 base and 120 base damage can put a huge dent in any poke.

Let's look at what counters Blaziken straight up:







What a long list.

Chandlure could block both HJK and Fire Blast/Flare Blitz. Not sure if Blaze runs somethig like Brave Bird, either way; It's the perfect counter. Now, that means that it has very few counters that everyone would have to use, so that doesn't make it viable to return to OU.
But stop making it sound like it's 100% perfect, because that's just wrong.

Well it's obviously not 100% perfect, it's just that it's low amount of counters makes it nearly unkillable, with Aqua Jet probably the only thing to revenge this thing.


Jellicent can't switch into Blaziken, and can't burn him, with Scald not being able to kill him, also a +2 Blaziken 2hkoes the defensive Jellicent with Flare Blitz after Stealth Rocks. (guranteed with Sun)

Everyone always forgets about Azumarill. Aqua Jet + Choice Band + Huge Power = Dead Blaziken.

Oh, and don't forget about rain.

well aizen it will likely take 2 speed boosts to ouspeed something fast, its defense stats are crap, easy to kill. can easily be OHKOd. it can only use p-rotect every 2 turns, and its speed starts out as shit.... XD

Switch blaze in on something that blaze forces a switch on, get +1, protect, get plus 2

I never had a problem with this whore.

Only problem is Korasi, Blaziken used protect turn one. Blaziken now outspeeds you. Togekiss has a less base speed and Choice Scarf only raises speed +1.

Therefore Mr. Blaziken is free to Stone Edge, Hi Jump Kick, or Flare Blitz, with the first 2 KOing after SR.






At the same time, yeah. He has some counters. But they're OBVIOUSLY not reliable. (If everyone carried Azumarill to beat Blaziken they'd bring Gastrodon, the problem is, when his counters are not present, he sweeps with relative ease.)

It is a tough call, but he would have been way too OP in OU

The thing about Blaziken that keeps it from being... Top Uber material is access to Priority. Now with something like Mach Punch, it'd be slightly more devastating to find viable counters (ex Azumaril).

The reason why a pokemon is banned is because it overcentralizes the metagame. If every team had to bring a counter to Blaziken to the table for every OU fight, that's overcentralization. We don't have a very long list of blaziken counters; in fact, after a swords dance, I don't think there is a straight up counter to it. How many times have you seen azumarill in OU? If it was there in the early days of 5th gen, it's because of Blaziken.

Well tbf Azumaril was the one and only "true" counter for a Blaziken even with a SD up it could take it, but as previously stated HAVING to carry an Azumaril just for a Blaziken overcentralizes the meta ergo it being banned. While I agree with it I don't really get why they banned the thing entirely as only SB was broken about it. I mean shit Blaziken would get torn a new one in OU without SB but again >Banning ability or >Banning poke I know which one Smogon will do and it technically makes sense.