Why was Incineroar used so much in VGC?

In singles Incineroar was an okay but not amazing Pokémon. But in the last few VCG tournaments it was used a whole lot. What made Incineroar special in doubles?

Pleaselog inorregisterto add a comment.

is a Pokémon whose potential might not be obvious at first. It began the generation with a mediocre position as a slow, heavy hitting fire type not unlike Emboar. However, its true potential was unleashed with the release of its hidden ability,Intimidate. Thanks to this single change, Incineroar has been able to shine in doubles with sets that let it play both offensive and support roles on many teams.

Many sets are variations on this formula:

Incineroar @ Assault Vest / Incinium Z / Firium Z / Iapapa BerryAbility: IntimidateEVs: 252 HP / 196 Atk / 60 SpDAdamant Nature- Fake Out- Flare Blitz- Knock Off / Darkest Lariat- Low Kick / Snarl / Protect

Set basis from Smogon’s database, foundhere.

Notable here is the moveFake Out, a stellar support move in doubles as it can stop the turn of one opponent on Incineroar’s first turn out.Knock Offis great for removing items, butDarkest Lariatis also a solid option given the prevalence of z-crystals.Snarlis also a stellar support option, allowing Incineroar to lower by one stage the special attack ofbothopposing Pokémon.

You might notice that a lot of Incineroar’s support potential comes without need for status moves. Because of this, it is also a wonderful user ofAssault Vest, giving it a free +1 in special defense as long as it doesn’t need to run status.For sets with protect or wishing to pack an extra punch,Berries andZ-Crystals can be solid options too.

In short, Incineroar is popular thanks to its great options for support an disruption is doubles, while also having good bulk and the ability to hit hard. Backed up by a perfect movepool for the job, Incineroar is and will likely continue to be a strong member of VGC teams.