From Smogon's NatDex OU analysis by Amuetur, Dead by Daylight, Medasus, and ElectraineHeart. Written for Pokémon Showdown, so it might not work perfectly in PBF.
- Item
- Choice Specs
- Ability
- Any
- Nature
- TimidSpeAtk
EVs508/510
0HP
0Atk
0Def
252SpA
4SpD
252Spe
IVs153/186
31HP
0Atk
30Def
31SpA
30SpD
31Spe
Choice Specs Tapu Lele functions as a potent wallbreaker, being able to muscle through common defensive cores with its STAB move combination and coverage. Moonblast and Psychic largely cover each other's weaknesses, making it difficult for defensive pieces such as Ting-Lu and Toxapex to switch in. Psyshock hits Pokemon with high Special Defense, such as Blissey and Galarian Slowking. Focus Blast targets Steel-types such as Kingambit, Heatran, and Melmetal, while Hidden Power Fire threatens Mega Scizor, Gholdengo, and Ferrothorn more reliably. Focus Blast is generally preferred to avoid getting fully walled by Heatran, which can otherwise switch in reliably.
Fighting-types such as Urshifu-R and Zamazenta appreciate Tapu Lele's ability to punch through checks such as Toxapex and Mega Venusaur. In return, both teammates break through Steel-types, and Urshifu-R beats Moltres, enabling Tapu Lele to use its STAB moves more freely; they also beat Pursuit trappers that can sometimes be problematic for Tapu Lele. Tapu Lele also appreciates Pursuit users such as Mega Tyranitar and Kingambit trapping Ghost-types such as Gholdengo. Tapu Lele often finds itself vulnerable to faster threats such as Ogerpon-W and Weavile, meaning fast teammates such as Speed Booster Energy Iron Valiant are appreciated. Tapu Lele also appreciates Spikes setters such as Ting-Lu and Ferrothorn, with Ting-Lu providing a good switch-in to Gholdengo, which Tapu Lele struggles with. Tapu Lele values Spikes, as it chips common checks such as Heatran, allowing Tapu Lele to clean up games more easily. In general, setup sweepers benefit from Psychic Terrain support, notably including Dragonite, Scale Shot Garchomp, and Volcarona, as it gives them an immunity to powerful priority moves from Pokemon such as Kingambit and Mega Lopunny. Tapu Lele also breaks Pokemon such as Ting-Lu for these teammates.
Fighting-types such as Urshifu-R and Zamazenta appreciate Tapu Lele's ability to punch through checks such as Toxapex and Mega Venusaur. In return, both teammates break through Steel-types, and Urshifu-R beats Moltres, enabling Tapu Lele to use its STAB moves more freely; they also beat Pursuit trappers that can sometimes be problematic for Tapu Lele. Tapu Lele also appreciates Pursuit users such as Mega Tyranitar and Kingambit trapping Ghost-types such as Gholdengo. Tapu Lele often finds itself vulnerable to faster threats such as Ogerpon-W and Weavile, meaning fast teammates such as Speed Booster Energy Iron Valiant are appreciated. Tapu Lele also appreciates Spikes setters such as Ting-Lu and Ferrothorn, with Ting-Lu providing a good switch-in to Gholdengo, which Tapu Lele struggles with. Tapu Lele values Spikes, as it chips common checks such as Heatran, allowing Tapu Lele to clean up games more easily. In general, setup sweepers benefit from Psychic Terrain support, notably including Dragonite, Scale Shot Garchomp, and Volcarona, as it gives them an immunity to powerful priority moves from Pokemon such as Kingambit and Mega Lopunny. Tapu Lele also breaks Pokemon such as Ting-Lu for these teammates.
Community Tapu Lele sets
- Item
- Twisted SpoonorLife Orb
- Ability
- Psychic Surge
- Nature
- TimidSpeAtk
EVs508/510
0HP
0Atk
0Def
252SpA
4SpD
252Spe
IVs155/186
31HP
0Atk
31Def
31SpA
31SpD
31Spe
From the pvp-lele tag
Smogon sets for Tapu Lele4
Synced daily from Smogon's National Dex analyses. Written for Pokémon Showdown, so these sets might not work perfectly in PBF.
- Item
- Choice Scarf
- Ability
- Any
- Nature
- TimidSpeAtk
EVs508/510
0HP
0Atk
0Def
252SpA
4SpD
252Spe
IVs153/186
31HP
0Atk
30Def
31SpA
30SpD
31Spe
Choice Scarf Tapu Lele functions as a great speed control option while still retaining its devastating STAB combination and good wallbreaking power. Its STAB moves threaten a myriad of foes such as Zamazenta, Great Tusk, and unboosted Garchomp that would otherwise outspeed Tapu Lele, while Focus Blast nails Steel-types like Melmetal, Ferrothorn, and Kingambit. Hidden Power Fire allows Tapu Lele to hit Mega Scizor and Gholdengo super effectively, while Psyshock lets Tapu Lele break through specially defensive walls, 2HKOing Galarian Slowking as an example. Future Sight allows Tapu Lele to set up its teammates that otherwise struggle with Poison-types and physical walls, like Zamazenta or Mega Lopunny, to pose an even larger threat considering their best checks like Toxapex and Alomomola are reticent to switch in lest they get blasted.
Tapu Lele fits well on balance teams looking for a way to solve their speed control problems while retaining good power. Fighting-types like the aforementioned pair as well as Urshifu-R make natural partners for Tapu Lele, as both break one another's checks; the Fighting-types break through troublesome Steel-types like Ferrothorn and specially defensive Heatran so that Tapu Lele does not have to risk Focus Blast's accuracy woes while Tapu Lele scares out Poison-types like Toxapex to let the trio of Fighting-types break through. Said Fighting-types also help wonders against Pursuit trappers such as Mega Tyranitar and Kingambit attempting to trap and remove Tapu Lele. Mega Tyranitar is another great partner for Tapu Lele, as it removes a pair of Tapu Lele's biggest checks in Gholdengo and Galarian Slowking thanks to Pursuit while dealing major damage to specially defensive stopgaps such as Heatran. Hazard setters like Gliscor and Ferrothorn also pair well with Tapu Lele, as they weaken Tapu Lele's checks like offensive Gholdengo and Ferrothorn into range of being KOed by one of Tapu Lele's STAB options or Hidden Power Fire, lessening its burden of prediction.
Tapu Lele fits well on balance teams looking for a way to solve their speed control problems while retaining good power. Fighting-types like the aforementioned pair as well as Urshifu-R make natural partners for Tapu Lele, as both break one another's checks; the Fighting-types break through troublesome Steel-types like Ferrothorn and specially defensive Heatran so that Tapu Lele does not have to risk Focus Blast's accuracy woes while Tapu Lele scares out Poison-types like Toxapex to let the trio of Fighting-types break through. Said Fighting-types also help wonders against Pursuit trappers such as Mega Tyranitar and Kingambit attempting to trap and remove Tapu Lele. Mega Tyranitar is another great partner for Tapu Lele, as it removes a pair of Tapu Lele's biggest checks in Gholdengo and Galarian Slowking thanks to Pursuit while dealing major damage to specially defensive stopgaps such as Heatran. Hazard setters like Gliscor and Ferrothorn also pair well with Tapu Lele, as they weaken Tapu Lele's checks like offensive Gholdengo and Ferrothorn into range of being KOed by one of Tapu Lele's STAB options or Hidden Power Fire, lessening its burden of prediction.
- Item
- Psychium ZorFightinium Z
- Ability
- Any
- Nature
- TimidSpeAtk
EVs508/510
0HP
0Atk
0Def
252SpA
4SpD
252Spe
IVs153/186
31HP
0Atk
30Def
31SpA
30SpD
31Spe
Tapu Lele is a fearsome wallbreaker, attributing its success to its Psychic Terrain-boosted attacks, ability to threaten metagame staples such as Gliscor, Toxapex, Raging Bolt, and Great Tusk, and lack of prediction mandated by a Choice item. Focus Blast allows Tapu Lele to hit the Steel-types that would plague it, such as Melmetal, Kingambit, Ferrothorn, and Heatran. Psyshock is an option over Psychic to hit Pokemon like Volcarona, Galarian Slowking, and Blissey; however, Psychic is usually preferred due to its higher damage against targets like Moltres and Gliscor. Hidden Power Fire and Future Sight are other options over Calm Mind; the former is a consistent way of hitting Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and Gholdengo, whereas the latter pairs well with wallbreakers like Zamazenta and Ogerpon-W while also being Tapu Lele’s strongest form of Shattered Psyche. Psychium Z gives Tapu Lele a burst of power that guarantees the OHKO on Pokemon like Clefable, Tornadus-T, and Gliscor. With Fightinium Z, Tapu Lele OHKOes Melmetal lacking Assault Vest and Assault Vest Kingambit while also having a favorable roll to OHKO Ferrothorn after Stealth Rock.
Tapu Lele is a good option on offense and bulky offense teams that appreciate it punching holes in fat and balance teams, which have limited ways of pivoting around it. Pokemon like Kingambit, Zamazenta, and Ogerpon-W like Tapu Lele breaking through their checks such as Toxapex, Raging Bolt, and Great Tusk. These Pokemon also appreciate the potential Future Sight support Tapu Lele can give. Tapu Lele likes Pursuit from Weavile, Mega Tyranitar, and Kingambit, as they help remove checks such as Gholdengo, Iron Crown, and Assault Vest Tornadus-T. Tapu Lele has a middling Speed tier that allows threats like Ogerpon-W and Mega Charizard Y to easily outpace and revenge kill it. Therefore, teammates like Garchomp, Ferrothorn, and Kingambit are appreciated. However, it should be noted that Psychic Terrain blocks Kingambit’s Sucker Punch.
Tapu Lele is a good option on offense and bulky offense teams that appreciate it punching holes in fat and balance teams, which have limited ways of pivoting around it. Pokemon like Kingambit, Zamazenta, and Ogerpon-W like Tapu Lele breaking through their checks such as Toxapex, Raging Bolt, and Great Tusk. These Pokemon also appreciate the potential Future Sight support Tapu Lele can give. Tapu Lele likes Pursuit from Weavile, Mega Tyranitar, and Kingambit, as they help remove checks such as Gholdengo, Iron Crown, and Assault Vest Tornadus-T. Tapu Lele has a middling Speed tier that allows threats like Ogerpon-W and Mega Charizard Y to easily outpace and revenge kill it. Therefore, teammates like Garchomp, Ferrothorn, and Kingambit are appreciated. However, it should be noted that Psychic Terrain blocks Kingambit’s Sucker Punch.
- Item
- Assault Vest
- Ability
- Any
- Nature
- ModestSpAAtk
EVs508/510
80HP
0Atk
0Def
252SpA
0SpD
176Spe
IVs153/186
31HP
0Atk
30Def
31SpA
30SpD
31Spe
This set aims to bolster Tapu Lele's special bulk, allowing it to soft-check Pokemon like Raging Bolt and opposing Tapu Lele while still breaking through physically defensive foes such as Landorus-T and Great Tusk. Psychic is good at chunking physical walls like Garganacl and Gliscor, while Psyshock works well against Galarian Slowking, Blissey, and Clodsire. Focus Blast lets Tapu Lele beat out most Steel-types like Kingambit and Iron Treads along with Mega Tyranitar, while Hidden Power Fire enables Tapu Lele to incinerate Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Gholdengo. 176 Speed EVs on Tapu Lele allow it to outrun Adamant maximum Speed Rillaboom and Hisuian Samurott.
Assault Vest Tapu Lele fits well on offensive teams that need it to sponge special attacks while also threatening foes like Great Tusk and Raging Bolt. It also has the ability to block priority moves, which is appreciated by Gholdengo and Iron Valiant, since they're protected against Kingambit and Mega Scizor, respectively, among others. Steel-type teammates like Melmetal and Heatran pair nicely with Tapu Lele, due to it threatening out Fighting-types like Great Tusk and Iron Valiant that these Pokemon would otherwise lose to; in return, they beat foes like Roaring Moon and Gholdengo for it. Tapu Lele is weak to physical attacks, so physical walls like Landorus-T and Great Tusk are a good fit with it to cover for physical threats like Heavy Slam Zamazenta and Garchomp, while Tapu Lele takes special attacks from the likes of Kyurem and Raging Bolt. Pivoting moves like U-turn from the aforementioned Landorus-T and Moltres are also appreciated for safely bringing in Tapu Lele. Hawlucha is good to consider with Psychic Seed, allowing it to activate Unburden and clean Steel-types like Melmental and Kingambit, while Tapu Lele helps it deal with Poison-types like Toxapex and Clodsire with its Psychic-type STAB moves.
Assault Vest Tapu Lele fits well on offensive teams that need it to sponge special attacks while also threatening foes like Great Tusk and Raging Bolt. It also has the ability to block priority moves, which is appreciated by Gholdengo and Iron Valiant, since they're protected against Kingambit and Mega Scizor, respectively, among others. Steel-type teammates like Melmetal and Heatran pair nicely with Tapu Lele, due to it threatening out Fighting-types like Great Tusk and Iron Valiant that these Pokemon would otherwise lose to; in return, they beat foes like Roaring Moon and Gholdengo for it. Tapu Lele is weak to physical attacks, so physical walls like Landorus-T and Great Tusk are a good fit with it to cover for physical threats like Heavy Slam Zamazenta and Garchomp, while Tapu Lele takes special attacks from the likes of Kyurem and Raging Bolt. Pivoting moves like U-turn from the aforementioned Landorus-T and Moltres are also appreciated for safely bringing in Tapu Lele. Hawlucha is good to consider with Psychic Seed, allowing it to activate Unburden and clean Steel-types like Melmental and Kingambit, while Tapu Lele helps it deal with Poison-types like Toxapex and Clodsire with its Psychic-type STAB moves.
- Item
- Terrain Extender
- Ability
- Any
- Nature
- TimidSpeAtk
EVs508/510
0HP
0Atk
4Def
252SpA
0SpD
252Spe
- Despite being relatively slow and having underwhelming stats compared to the rest of the tier, Tapu Lele's Psychic Surge can be incredibly useful to many powerful Psychic-types, increasing their power while protecting them from otherwise-crippling priority such as Sucker Punch from Yveltal, Shadow Sneak from Marshadow and Giratina-O, and Extreme Speed from Arceus.
- Taunt prevents slower Pokemon such as Ho-Oh from using Defog against Tapu Lele and also stops entry hazards from setters such as Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Glimmora. This can be particularly handy against Smeargle, as blocking it from setting Sticky Web prevents foes from outspeeding teammates such as Deoxys-A and Ultra Necrozma.
- Moonblast threatens Dark-types such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark, preventing them from aggressively switching into Tapu Lele or anti-leading against it, and the move also hits Giratina-O for a good amount of damage to dissuade it from switching into Tapu Lele, especially if it has already been dealt chip damage from a teammate.
- Either Psyshock or Psychic can be used to threaten most switch-ins that don't really mind Moonblast, particularly Eternatus and Primal Groudon; Psychic hits harder and hits Pokemon like Primal Groudon, but Psyshock does more damage to specially defensive Pokemon like Ho-Oh, Chansey, and Calm Mind Arceus formes.
- Nature's Madness makes it unsafe for virtually any Pokemon, including Chansey and Ho-Oh, to sit on Tapu Lele in an attempt to stall out Psychic Terrain turns, allowing it to unconditionally weaken such foes if they are left in and possibly even put them into OHKO range for its other moves.
- Terastallizing Tapu Lele should only be done if absolutely necessary, as many Psychic Terrain sweepers strongly value Tera. Tera Normal can allow Tapu Lele to defeat Marshadow one-on-one in a pinch and blank Deoxys-A's Shadow Ball and Lunala's Moongeist Beam, which can be particularly handy when facing opposing Psychic Terrain and Ditto. Tera Steel can work to block Mortal Spin from Glimmora, which can be particularly handy when Tapu Lele is paired with Sticky Web. Tera Fairy lets Tapu Lele's Moonblast OHKO offensive Yveltal while doing a strong amount of damage to defensive ones, and it lets Tapu Lele relatively easily handle Arceus-Dark by itself by giving it a resistance to its STAB move and doing extremely heavy damage to it.
- While Tapu Lele has usable Special Attack and benefits from Psychic Terrain itself, its power pales in comparison to Pokemon such as Deoxys-A and Ultra Necrozma, so it should stay in for as few turns as possible to maximize the number of turns teammates have to use Psychic Terrain. However, even though its bulk and typing are sufficient to let it switch into many attacks, Tapu Lele's lack of pivot and self-sacrifice moves along with the general fraility and common shared weaknesses of most potential teammates can turn this into a double-edged sword after it is sent in; it can sometimes get stuck on the field for multiple turns after coming in, consuming precious turns of Psychic Terrain without being able to meaningfully make progress, and it can also become setup fodder for Dragon Dance Ultra Necrozma and Arceus-Ground. As such, achieving maximum turns of Psychic Terrain often involves risky play that leads to either sacrificing Tapu Lele or, because there is value to preserve Tapu Lele later to reset Psychic Terrain, a teammate. To minimize this, opportunities to save a suicide lead, if run, after it has set entry hazards by switching Tapu Lele into attacks that it can survive such as Sacred Fire from Ho-Oh, Low Kick from Marshadow, and Judgment from support Arceus formes and immediately switching back into the lead on the next attack can beneficial for this purpose.
- Preserving Tapu Lele in stall matchups can allow it to stallbreak with Nature's Madness and Taunt.
- When resetting Psychic Terrain, it can be appropriate to just use Tapu Lele as death fodder against offensive teams, as it only needs to survive entry hazard damage to set Psychic Terrain, allowing teammates to use the maximum amount of Psychic Terrain turns. However, there is some merit in switching it into priority moves, particuarly against common Choice Band users such as Rayquaza and Marshadow. This dynamic can also dissuade priority users from using priority moves even if Psychic Terrain is not active for fear of giving Tapu Lele a safe switch to reset the Terrain for free yet again.
- It may be useful to keep Tapu Lele in if it can do something meaningful, such as using Taunt to prevent opposing entry hazards, Defog, or setup from slower Speed boosters such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon and Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM.
- Tapu Lele's influence comes from the Pokemon it enables. Meteor Beam Deoxys-A is the biggest beneficiary of Psychic Terrain, as it deeply appreciates priority protection of all sorts due to its nonexistent bulk while often taking out Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Yveltal with its Meteor Beam, at which point it can spam an absurdly powerful Expanding Force that is sufficient to OHKO almost everything it hits neutrally at +1, including defensive Primal Groudon, offensive Arceus formes, offensive Primal Kyogre, and Terastallized Eternatus. Additionally due to the Psychic Terrain, Deoxys-A being less reliant on Tera to avoid priority makes it even easier to fit onto teams. Ultra Necrozma's bulk in base forme, powerful Light That Burns the Sky, and ability to set up with Dragon Dance complement the general fast, frail special attackers otherwise used as teammates, warding against counterplay in specially defensive Pokemon like Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre while not being overly reliant on Psychic Terrain to sweep like Expanding Force users. Ultra Necrozma also particularly enjoys protection against Marshadow's Shadow Sneak and Yveltal's Sucker Punch and the potential of teammates and Tapu Lele itself to threaten Yveltal and Arceus-Dark.
- Glimmora can also be a good teammate, as it is very consistent at setting various entry hazards to put bulkier Pokemon such as Arceus formes into OHKO range for teammates while preventing opposing hazards and threatening Ho-Oh and Yveltal with its Power Gem. Alternatively, while they are less consistent at getting Stealth Rock up, Sticky Web from setters such as Smeargle and Shuckle may provide some added insurance against opposing opposing speedy or otherwise dangerous threats such as Deoxys-A, Ultra Necrozma, Zacian-C, and Booster Energy Flutter Mane. Sticky Web can be particularly helpful in allowing for the freer use of potential teammates such as Lunala, Basculegion, and Mega Mewtwo Y while also potentially freeing up team members such as Deoxys-A to not run Speed-boosting natures for more power. Ditto may be appropriate to handle Speed boosters such as Arceus-Ground as well as Sticky Web sweepers.