Hey, everyone! I decided to bring up a tech that has been widely used by many players out there, including myself. However, not many people know exactly how this tech works, or even the purpose of it in general. This article will give an in-depth look into what I call the “244-Tech”.
What is the 244-Tech?
It is a type of EV spread that is similar to the standard 252/252 spread, but provides a slight bit more bulk with the slight cost of damage output.
When is this Tech Normally Used?
It is normally used for a Pokémon with a jolly or timid nature, but in some cases, a naive or hasty nature as well.
Standard Sweeper Spread:
- Physical: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Special: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
244-Tech:
- Physical: 4 HP / 244 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Special: 4 HP / 4 Def / 244 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
How Useful is this Tech?
Although it’s not meant to guarantee a Pokémon to survive certain moves, it can lower individual damage rolls, which can be very helpful as it increases the chances of survivals by a margin. The 244-Tech works on most moves, but sometimes, it doesn’t make a difference on some moves.
Let’s take a look at the most commonly used Pokémon in VGC 2016, Groudon, and the damage rolls from a Mega Salamence’s Draco Meteor associated with each respective EV spread.
Standard 252/252 Spread:
Groudon @ Red Orb
Jolly Nature
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Damage Calculation:
- 252 SpA Mega Salamence Draco Meteor vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Primal Groudon: 115-136 (65.3-77.2%)
- Rolls: {115, 117, 118, 120, 120, 121, 123, 124, 126, 127, 129, 130, 132, 133, 135, 136}
Using the 244-Tech:
Groudon @ Red Orb
Jolly Nature
4 HP / 244 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Damage Calculation:
- 252 SpA Mega Salamence Draco Meteor vs. 4 HP / 4 SpD Primal Groudon: 114-135 (64.7-76.7%)
- Rolls: {114, 115, 117, 118, 120, 121, 121, 123, 124, 126, 127, 129, 130, 132, 133, 135}
Quick Note: Hyper Voice made no difference for the 244-Tech, and it’s common for certain moves to make no difference for this tech.
Comparing the Two Sets of Damage Rolls:
4 HP / 0 SpD:
{115, 117, 118, 120, 120, 121, 123, 124, 126, 127, 129, 130, 132, 133, 135, 136}
4 HP / 4 SpD:
{114, 115, 117, 118, 120, 121, 121, 123, 124, 126, 127, 129, 130, 132, 133, 135}
Differences:
{1, 2, 1, 2, 0, 0, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1}
- 2/16 damage rolls made no difference
- 7/16 damage rolls have a difference of 1
- 7/16 damage rolls have a difference of 2
Looking at the comparison, you’ll see two individual rolls having no difference, which is quite common when using this tech. However, you’ll also notice the rest of the damage rolls improving. Almost half have a difference of 1, and almost half have a difference of 2. It doesn’t seem like much of an improvement, but after looking at the damage rolls themselves, this is actually a very nice tech to consider. I’ve used a max speed Groudon with the 244-Tech, and it was able to hang on with a sliver of HP a few times. I can safely assume it’s all thanks to this tech. It doesn’t do as much damage as the 252/252 spread, but this slight touch of bulk might have been able to save me for a few games.
Making Improvements on this Tech
Maybe you decided to use this tech as a starting point, and you want to make adjustments to the EV spread for specific calculations in the future. Let’s take a look at a slight tweak at the 244-Tech Groudon EV spread, which was shown to us by Kyle Cole in this YouTube video.
Groudon @ Red Orb
Jolly Nature
12 HP / 236 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Damage Calculations:
- +2 252 SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Dazzling Gleam vs. 12 HP / 4 SpD Primal Groudon: 75-88 (42.3 – 49.7%) — guaranteed 3HKO
- +2 252 SpA Xerneas Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 12 HP / 4 SpD Primal Groudon: 149-176 (84.1 – 99.4%) — guaranteed 2HKO
- +2 252 SpA Xerneas Hidden Power Ground vs. 12 HP / 4 SpD Primal Groudon: 150-178 (84.7 – 100.5%) — 6.3% chance to OHKO
As you can see here, this EV spread allows Groudon to survive two Dazzling Gleams from a timid Xerneas after a Geomancy boost. In addition to this, Groudon can also survive a +2 Grass Knot, as well as a +2 Hidden Power Ground 15/16 times. As DaWoblefet said, one point can make a difference when it comes to EV training, and this is a great example by increasing the HP stat by one.
Other Ways to Use this Tech
Pokémon with a Naive Nature
Salamence and Rayquaza are the best known Pokémon in the meta to have a naive nature. Let’s take a quick look at Jaime Boyt (MrJellyLeggs)’s Mega Rayquaza set he used to win the Wakefield Regional Championships:
Rayquaza @ Life Orb
Naive Nature
4 HP / 244 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Notable Damage Calculations:
- 252 Atk Cloyster Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mega Rayquaza in Strong Winds: 140-200 (77.7 – 111.1%) — approx. 93.8% chance to OHKO
- 252 Atk Cloyster Icicle Spear (5 hits) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Rayquaza in Strong Winds: 140-200 (77.3 – 110.4%) — approx. 6.3% chance to OHKO
As silly as this sounds, Boyt said the 4 EV’s in HP significantly increases Rayquaza’s chances of surviving a 5-hit Icicle Spear from a Choice Scarf Cloyster. Because of this calculation, I honestly don’t feel safe without this particular investment whenever I would utilize a Rayquaza. Since he made this investment in HP, he was able to make slight investments in defense as well as special attack, which helps Overheat to have a slightly better damage output, as well as increasing Rayquaza’s chances of surviving a Double-Edge from an adamant Mega Kangaskhan by 7%, although that can still KO a bit over half the time.
Bulky Kangaskhan That’s Not Too Slow?
Maybe you want to use a Kangaskhan in a TailRoom team, but you don’t know where to start. Commonly, players would go with 252 HP / 252 Atk and choose one defensive stat for the remaining 4 EV’s, but if you want to use this tech, this might be a good starting point:
Kangaskhan @ Kangaskhanite
Adamant Nature
252 HP / 244 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
With this spread, you don’t have to worry about choosing between two defensive stats for those 4 EV’s because why not invest in both? In addition to this, you also have a slight investment in speed, which can help Kangaskhan outspeed any uninvested base 90’s before mega evolution, as well as any uninvested base 100’s after mega evolution. Because Kangaskhan’s speed is a bit mediocre with this spread, it can function in Trick Room, and it can also outspeed most Pokémon in the metagame under Tailwind.
When Not to Use this Tech
Obviously, you wouldn’t want to use this tech on very frail Pokémon like Weavile and Gengar, two Pokémon that commonly carry the Focus Sash. This tech would only work on Pokémon with natural bulk. I would say the stats should be at least around base 90 for defensive stats, along with a reasonable base HP (usually, most of these Pokémon would have a base HP of around 100 at the least).
Would Everyone Use this Tech?
This really depends on the player’s style. If you would want as much damage output as possible, the 252/252 spread would be your best bet, but if you don’t mind sacrificing a bit of damage output for a slight touch of bulk, this tech is the way to go. There are several top players out there who use this tech, and I was actually influenced to use this tech by Daichi Kumabe (Scar). According to Scar’s analysis of his 2015 Worlds Team, he decided to utilize the 244-Tech for his Landorus during the morning of Day 2, which helped it survive a Life Orb boosted Hidden Power Ice from a Thundurus 15/16 times while carrying an Assault Vest. As simple and last minute as it may have seemed, it was also a very effective tech for him to utilize in order for him to do so well.
Closing Thoughts
Although the 244-Tech is something not all players would use, it’s still an increasingly popular choice for those who would appreciate just a bit more bulk on their fast Pokémon, and this tech definitely makes a great starting point. I would personally recommend utilizing this tech, but there are others out there who would prefer the simpler and more offensive build. I only wrote this article because this tech has been widely used for quite a while; yet, no one has really ever went in depth into this subject. If you ever want a bit more bulk on your fast Pokémon, try the 244-Tech!
Kasoman's Sea of Thoughts 