Pokemon of the Week DP: Infernape
1
Sets
Swords Dance Sweeper
- Item Held
- Life Orb / Expert Belt
- Nature
- Jolly (+Speed, -Special Attack)
- Effort Points
- 252 Attack - 252 Speed - 6 HP
- Swords Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge / Thunderpunch
If Infernape manages to pull off a Swords Dance, you have a monster under control. Two STABed attacks with a base power of 120 each are enough to persuade your opponent that their Physical Wall can get easily 2HKOed if it switches in. Flare Blitz and Close Combat are here obviously for their massive power. Stone Edge is prefered to Thunderpunch for hitting Salamence and Gyarados (both of them are OHKOed after a Swords Dance, taking Intimidate into account). Thunderpunch is just a substitute over Stone Edge if you don't like its 80% accuracy and its maximum 8 PP. Life Orb is probably the best item for this set but since recoil damage tends to kill Infernape more often than its opponents do, Expert Belt gets a mention. Expert Belt also gives the needed boost to OHKO Salamence and Gyarados with Stone Edge (after a Swords Dance and Intimidate).
Nasty Plot Sweeper
- Item Held
- Life Orb
- Nature
- Timid (+Speed, -Attack)
- Effort Points
- 252 Special Attack - 252 Speed - 6 HP
- Nasty Plot
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power Ice / Focus Blast
Special Sweeping Infernape here. It does the same job as the set above but with special moves this time. Nasty Plot once, then proceed to clear the field. Grass Knot takes care of all those bulky Water-types that will come to wall you. After a Nasty Plot, Suicune, Swampert, Slowbro, Milotic, Hippowdon and Donphan are OHKOed by a Grass Knot and so is Gyarados if it switches in on Stealth Rock. Hidden Power Ice is far better as it can OHKO the Dragons but Focus Blast is listed here for those who don't feel like breeding to get the perfect Hidden Power. Flare Blitz's absense from this set makes Life Orb the best item choice.
The Showstopper
- Item Held
- Life Orb
- Nature
- Hasty (+Speed, -Defense) / Naive (+Speed, -Special Defense)
- Effort Points
- 252 Special Attack - 232 Speed - 26 Attack
- Nasty Plot
- Flamethrower
- Grass Knot
- Close Combat
The most common set for Infernape and the best way to stop walls is this. Nasty Plot makes most people believe that you've got a Special Infernape and using Close Combat on the switch as they bring their Blissey in is really funny. Nasty Polt boosted Flamethower and Grass Knot can take care of a great deal of defensive Pokémon, namely Suicune, Skarmory, Forretress, Slowbro, Swampert, Hippowdon, etc. As the name suggests, this guy completely ends the show. 232 Speed EPs with a Hasty/Naive Nature allow you to outrun Adamant Dugtrio, assuming max IVs. If 31 IVs in Speed is not the case, take some EPs from Attack. The main problem this set faces is against Salamence so Stealth Rock support is necessary.
CB-Ape
- Item Held
- Choice Band
- Nature
- Jolly (+Speed, -Special Attack)
- Effort Points
- 252 Attack - 252 Speed - 6 HP
- Flare Blitz
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge / Thunderbolt
- U-Turn
Standard Choice Bander. If you are not so good at prediction wars, better leave this set as even one mistake means Infernape is stopped. Flare Blitz, Close Combat and Stone Edge/Thunderpunch are used for the same reasons as in the first set. U-Turn in case you want to hit and switch to a counter. Even though there are many better Choice Banders out there, Infernape can work quite well if you can predict your opponents' switches easily.
Other Possible Options
Mach Punch is always a good option for KOing faster Pokémon like Weavile but they are not likely to stay in anyway. Calm Mind and Bulk Up are alternative forms of setting up but Nasty Plot and Swords Dance are better and faster. Aerial Ace, Shadow Claw, Earthquake and Poison Jab are Infernape's other noteable physical moves but the moves listed in the sets offer better type coverage. Blaze Kick is an alternative over Flare Blitz if you don't like its recoil damage. Same for Fire Blast, it can replace Flamethrower if you want some extra power. Infernape can use Sunny Day + Solarbeam but it has really low Defenses to use it effectively. Fake Out and Slack Off are just worth mentioning but they are not gonna be used much.
Counters
Bulky Water-type Pokémon like Slowbro, Swampert, Suicune, Vaporeon and Milotic can wall the physical sets but all fear Grass Knot. The same can do Ground-types like Donphan and Hippowdon but they fear Grass Knot even more. Salamence and Gyarados can beat an Infernape caught without a super-effective move against them. A Cresselia with a proper EV spread and Psychic can switch in and OHKO Infernape as well.
Jolly Dugtrio can come in after something got KOed, trap and kill Infernape with Earthquake. Choice Scarf Heracross can also OHKO with Stone Edge but if the move fails, Infernape will OHKO it. Timid Gengar starts (regardless of Choice Scarf) can also put Infernape to sleep with Hypnosis or KO it with Psychic.
Infernape fears Thunder Wave too. A Thunder Wave in the early stages of the battle will render it useless and is probably your best bet to ensure that Infernape won't destroy your team later on.
Finally, faster sweepers like Aerodactyl or Pokémon using Dragon Dance/Agility always pose a threat to Infernape and will force you to switch out and lose your boosts unless you want to stay in and get a strong blow by a Stone Edge/Earthquake.
Opinion & Notes
One of the best additions that D/P brought to the OU Metagame, Infernape is a really fearsome Pokémon. Being able to hit with both physical and special moves makes it really unpredictable. What's more, the fact that it can take down a lot of Pokémon that are considered to be counters just after a single attack boost makes it stand out in the OU tier, something that not many Fire-type Pokémon can do. The only problem it faces that makes it inferior to other sweepers is its durability. In this field, Infernape is completely outdone by Metagross, Tyranitar and Gyarados. Still though, Infernape is the best Life Orb user and it can abuse it to a great extent. So, set Stealth Rock with another Pokémon, find a chance to use your stat-boosting move and after that you can rest assured that most of your opponents team won't be able to even move.
Note that Thunderpunch2 is an egg move.
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Sadetry7 @ 26/10/2007 at 07:11:44 am
I like inferenape
The best combo i've made is never die mad ape
Item:Leftovers
Nature:clowny
Attacks:Strength,Rock Smash,Cut,Fire Blast
Thanks!
Sadetry the pokefan
Fenix8 @ 03/11/2007 at 01:22:55 pm
Ok.
I have a custom ape set, that is very similar to the nasty plot/mixed set, but works in a different way.
It is
Infernape @ wide lens - hasty/naive nature - 252 speed EV & 252 sp.atck EV & 6 atck EV
-Fire blast
-Focus blast
-Nasty plot
-U-turn
About how this set works : Almost the same as the nasty plot set mentioned above, but with the ability to hit harder sometimes. Fire blast with wide lens hits for + 90% of times and focus blast hits for like 80-85%.Fire blasts 120 Base power is considerably higher than flamethower, and focus blast will benefit from nasty plot (unlike close combat). After a single nasty plot, many things will be severely dented by his two STAB moves, especially Blissey and Heatran that would otherwise wall standard nasty plot Infernapes (if you are using HP ice of course).
Lacking Grass Knot, this set has some major problems with bulky ground and water pokemon, especially swampert, hippowdon and Donphan. But here's where U-turn come in handy.
Yeah, U-turn doesn't benefit from Nasty plot but it's still better than switching. And it can chunk away some considerable damage from Slowbro and prevent Cresselia from walling you flawlessly after she switched in on your nasty plot. U-turn does like 25-30% damage on milotic, vaporeon, swampert and hippowdon; so you actually hurt them before switching to a pokemon that can absorb Surf/Earthquakes.
The real bane of this set are salamence and Gyarados, that almost always force a switch.
This set is also good for people that plan to use their Grass Knot TM on another pokemon.
I know that this set hasn't the type coverage provided from the standard sets, but I still find it nice and usable in competitve. 
About Legendarypokemons POTW, I must say it's really good (almost better than any other moveset guide out there).
Suggestion : in your 3rd gen potw, you had some cool info, like the general info on stats and abilities, the egg moves guide and the training grounds (EV guide). Having them back will be cool IMO.
thx
nesser_40@@@9 @ 03/11/2007 at 01:55:16 pm
You know,I learned many things w/ the informations you gave.I thank you for writing this!!!
Ninjomewtwo10 @ 03/11/2007 at 06:57:35 pm
Fenix, your set is quite good but it does have some drawbacks. First, lower accuracy. Second, I don't think it's more powerful than the ones listed. Fire Blast has a base power of 120, 2x with a Nasty Plot = 240. Flamethrower has 95, 2x with Nasty Plot, 1.3x with Life Orb = 247. Third, as you said, bulky Waters wall you forever and to avoid them, you have to switch out and lose your Nasty Plot boost. U-Turn does hit Slowbro and some others for a little damage but Grass Knot does that much better. Fourth, Focus Blast does get the NP boost but what will it hit? Blissey? Close Combat does that better without a boost. Same for Regice and Snorlax, two other Special walls. Fifth, as you said again, you have nothing to hit Gyarados and a thing that becomes more and more famous, Scarfchomp. I can't say anything about Salamence, the set listed has nothing to hit it too.
Anyway, thanks and about your suggestion, we may add these info too.
Aluado @ 08/11/2007 at 11:08:37 pm
Hey, he said that he´d give Wide Lens to Infernape, don´t? So Fire Blast´s accuracy would be higher than 80% and Focus Blast´s would be 77%, so accuracy wouldn´t really be a problem.
Hey, and Infernape needs to fear timid Gengars too. A timid Gengar without Choice Scarf already outruns and OHKOes Infernape.
Ninjomewtwo10 @ 09/11/2007 at 10:21:39 am
Yes, but still Focus Blast's 77% and Fire Blast's 88% are lower than Flamethrower's and Close Combat's 100%. And with Wide Lens, you sacrifice Life Orb's power.
About Gengar, yes, it outruns Infernape w/o a Scarf, I just said it because when people lead with Gengar it is usually a Choice Scarfed one. But anyway, I'll fix that. (Damn, Blue's Gengar has 31 IVs in Speed, I'll never beat it with Infernape… )
Infernape @ 18/11/2007 at 07:29:09 pm
Ninjomew or Blue: What whould you guys suggest when an Infernape is facing a Pokemon, you know, has a 'quick attack' move that can kill Infernape after one Close Combat? Every team these days has some sort of Bullet Punch, Ice Shard, Quick Attack, Vacuum Wave, Mach Punch, etc. So I want to know what Pokemon can is best to stop Infernape counters… Perferably something with Ice Shard, as it can OHKO DDMence, which is the ShowStopper Infernape weakness…
Infernape @ 18/11/2007 at 07:31:14 pm
Sorry, its NinjomewtoXP
Ninjomewtwo10 @ 18/11/2007 at 09:22:04 pm
Check the guide about Salamence that Blue wrote and you'll find how to counter Mence there. 
Also, Weavile and Aerodactyl with their high speeds can stop Mence if it doesn't DD immediately.
mew211 @ 20/11/2007 at 01:33:00 pm
where do u have the time to do this stuff i dont have time at all =
entmansam6 @ 24/10/2007 at 06:19:34 pm
infernape is a good set but i am wondering if u could give me move sets for my extra fast sceptile to make him more effective something that would include leaf blade a sweeper or somethig that pawns