Summary

Entei is a strong and fast Calm Mind user alongside Celebi and Raikou, although it is the worst among them which is reflected in its price. Entei is often overlooked because of its limited movepool but the nine good moves it does have are enough to make it a potent, unique threat that can win games on its own if left unchecked. Entei's best matchups are those where it can hit everything for good damage with fire STAB and Hidden power for coverage, with its last move usually being Substitute. However, in matchups where it needs to have 3 offensive types players often run either a Calm Mind set with Toxic in the last slot or a set that foregoes Calm Mind for Solar Beam. In very bad matchups Entei can run support set without Calm Mind, having options such as Roar, Toxic, Hidden Power and Reflect, which is usually enough to at least trade with an opponent.

Entei's real potential comes with its ability to completely annihilate unsuspecting checks such as Blissey or Bulky waters. The former loses to a Calm Mind set with 132 HP and 140 Special Defense EVs which allows Entei to make 101 HP Substitutes that can't be broken by Blissey's Thunderbolt or Seismic Toss, while bulky waters lose to Calm Mind + Solar Beam sets with Sunny Day support unless they have roar. Despite this, Entei mostly struggles against physical threats that can take hits from it and hit back with powerful Earthquakes or Rock Slides, such as Tyranitar, Hariyama, Dugtrio, Aerodactyl, Snorlax and Regirock. All of these threats can still lose to Toxic sets if played correctly, with Tyranitar having an extra out via a Hidden Power Fighting from Entei. Good partners for Entei are those that can take advantage of the sun it likes via the ability Chlorophyll, such as Jumpluff and Exeggutor. As an additional cherry on top, Entei has access to Bite and Body Slam or Return can be useful in specific matchups, with the surprise Normal-type move being useful against teams that have multiple fire resists.

Summary written by Tratufo

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