Rock Wrecker
| Event Location | Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Hemisphere | 11:00 a.m. Local Time | 2:00 p.m. Local Time |
| Southern Hemisphere | 3:00 p.m. Local Time | 6:00 p.m. Local Time |
Community Day Bonus: 3x Stardust
Our latest Community Day is fast approaching, the first that we've actually been able to vote for!
While the move hasn't yet been released yet, we do finally have information thanks to dataminers, and can finally get an idea as to just where Rhyperior will soon sit in the echelon of Rock Type attackers thanks to its signature attack, Rock Wrecker!
Rock Wrecker Rhyperior in PvE
As we'd hoped, Rock Wrecker is good; very good. It approaches the sheer power of the Starter moves (Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn, and Hydro Cannon). It's a 2-bar move, meaning it will be be great for avoiding lost energy. It also has the sheer power needed to outclass Rhyperior's current Rock Type move, Stone Edge. The move is basically all that we'd realistically hoped for on its announcement.
So we've established that Rock Wrecker is definitely good, but a move is only as good as the Pokemon that it's on. So how does Rhyperior stack up to others Rock Type attackers with its newest tool?
Rhyperior's Performance
Time to TM those old Stone Edge Rhyperior to Earthquake!
Rhyperior has definitely carved a niche for itself now! It now stands as the second highest Rock Type DPS option after Rampardos (and let's face it: the idea of it taking that crown was never realistic), and the new top TDO option.
The Meta Shift
Rhyperior has stolen Terrakion's short-lived silver crown in a big way, and pushed poor Smack Down Tyranitar even farther into obscurity. The generally ideal setup for a rock-type team will now be a few Rampardos up front, with a few Rhyperior in the back.
That said, Rhyperior doesn't entirely dethrone its contemporaries. When the threat of Water or Grass moves loom large, Rhyperior becomes a slightly less attractive choice thanks to its dual 2x weaknesses. At that point its added bulk is basically worthless as it will likely drop too fast to anchor well. That said, basically everything else on the list is also weak to Grass and/or Water, so it's not a terrible choice with a bit of planning and some dodging skill.
The Investment
So is it wise to invest in Rock Wrecker Rhyperior? If you lack Rock Types, then definitely! This is a strong attacker with a pervasive attacking type. If you already have a good rock-type crew ready, then it's a bit less valuable, though one or two may not be a bad choice as it is a very strong Pokemon that adds a bit more diversity to your potential lineup.
Rock is always a very useful type, as it hits a number of common types for Super Effective damage, and is a common 2x weakness to boot. Along-side common three-star and four-star raid bosses, it has immediate utility Vs. Tornadus, imminent utility Vs. Thunudrus and Reshiram, and will be able to stand tall Vs. returning Legendaries such as the extremely common Ho-Oh and Lugia. Future or present, Rock Type is not likely to ever go out of style for very long!
Rock Wrecker Rhyperior in PvP
Rock Wrecker PvP Stats
Since the introduction of the Go Battle League, PvP performance has become a fairly big deal, and Rhyperior is stepping up to the challenge! As should be obvious from the above, Rock Wrecker is very good in PvP, and is basically guaranteed to become the new go-to attack for our drill-rhino friend!
Great League Performance
Rhyperior has always been a niche Pokemon for the Great League, and Rock Wrecker isn't going to change that. However, it will widen that niche a fair bit due to its sheer power and worthwhile speed. That said, Rhyperior has had its moments to shine in a few Silph League Cups in the past, and likely will again in the coming months. And now it will shine all the brighter thanks to its ability to shoot giant boulders from its hands!
Ultra League Performance
Again: Rhyperior has always been a niche performer. The Ultra League has a number of extremely dominant forces that tend to centralize the entire meta around themselves, and Rhyperior doesn't break very many of these hard-hitters down, leaving it a mediocre counter-pick in most cases. That said, it could be useful to shore up a handful of specific weaknesses should the need arise, and can put some harsh threats against shields thanks to the high damage from Mud Slap or Smack Down. Consider your needs carefully before you raise a Rhyperior for the Ultra League
Master League Performance
Rhyperior has a very respectable CP total of over 3700, and it can definitely throw its weight around when fully unbound. The Master League will be where Rhyperior shines brightest due to the fact that it has winning matchups against a number of big-name Pokemon. For example: if it runs Mud Slap, it can use one shield to farm down Dialga and come out with about a quarter of its health and nearly 90 energy remaining. That alone makes it worth considering for a slot. It also enjoys the fact that Grass tends to be rare and easily covered by its team-mates, and that Water is not super-common beyond a few big-names like Swampert and Kyogre, and Rhyperior has a chance to shine with minimized risk to its huge bulk.
The Meta Shift
In metagames where Rhyperior is good, we're likely to see the stance of Grass and Water Types in particular rise, though we also have to remember that Rhyperior has many other weaknesses. For example; Fighting Types not only deal Super Effective damage, they also resist Rock Wrecker, making them a bit more attractive than they were before. By this same token, Pokemon weak to Rock are a bit riskier, and are more likely to be paired with Pokemon that could counter Rhyperior, which in turn makes it a bit easier to predict what a player may have if they happen to bring out a Flying type, for example.
The Investment
It's probably best to wait on investing for Great or Ultra League right now. It needs a specific niche for either, and those niches aren't extremely common at the moment. That said, t's a decent choice to invest for Master League, especially since a maxed Rhyperior also has great utility in raids, as we've already discussed.
Closing
So is this a community day worth attending? Definitely! We have a very strong Pokemon, the ever-popular 3x Stardust bonus, and the release of a new shiny!
Shiny Rhyhorn Family
Rhyperior is likely to be a prominent face on raid counter guides and infographics from here out, so it's definitely a good idea to be ready for this Community Day, even if you only evolve a few. It's recommended that you search out and evolve specimens that will be worthwhile for each of the three leagues while you're at it, just because they may end up useful in some capacity moving forward.
So are you excited for Community Day? Do you like shiny Rhyperior? Let us know in the comments below!
