In a nutshell, the F.E.A.R strategy uses a low-level Pokemon to take advantage of the move Endeavour, which lowers an opposing Pokemon's health to your current health. Couple this with a way to survive One-Hit KOs (OHKOs), such as the item Focus Sash, and a Priority move such as Quick Attack, you can effectively 2-shot any Pokemon in the game.
While the The F.E.A.R strategy is named for Focus Sash, Endeavor, Quick Attack, Ratatta as StrixVaria has covered, there are other variants of the same strategy that do not use this exact combination of moves and items. You should check out this Reddit guide for a comprehensive look at the F.E.A.R Pokemon options.
##An Example One of the better/more well known users of the strategy is actually Aron, which relies on either Sandstorm weather damage, or Toxic Spikes to deal the final blow to the Pokemon, rather than a Priority move such as Quick Attack.
A F.E.A.R Aron will have:
- Ability: Sturdy
As Sturdy is an ability, this frees up the item slot. Unlike Focus Sash, Sturdy can be used for multiple OHKO attempts, assuming the Pokemon recovers to full health in the meantime. Which brings us to the item: - Item: Shell Bell
- This item restores 1/8th of the damage dealt as health. As a Level 1 Aron's health is (generally) relatively low compared to other competitive Pokemon, the damage it deals with Endeavor will completely restore Aron's health, which reactivates Sturdy's OHKO protection.
- Support: Sandstorm or Toxic Spikes (or both if you can manage it). Sandstorm and Poison work to deal the last hit of damage that you lose without access to a Priority Move such as Quick Attack.
##How to use it So, the order of moves to set up Aron:
- Send out a Pokemon to activate Sandstorm or to lay down Toxic Spikes.
- For example: Tyranitar with the Sand Stream Ability activates Sandstorm automatically.
- Let it faint, so Aron can safely switch in.
- Use Endeavour. The other Pokemon will outspeed you, and (severely outlevelling you), pretty much any move will bring you down to 1HP and activate Sturdy.
- Endeavour will lower the other Pokemon to your current health, either 1HP if they chose to attack you or ~12HP which is your Aron's max health.
- Shell Bell will heal you based on the damage done. with a sufficiently high level enemy, this should heal you completely.
- End of round effects will occur, including Poison/Weather damage. with the enemy's low health, they will faint.
Here's a video of the strategy:
##Counters
- Status moves
- Burning your Aron will mean that it loses health every turn. As Sturdy will only activate if you're at full health, your Aron will be taken out next turn.
- Paralysis is also a factor. If you don't get to use Endeavour due to full paralysis, then you won't heal, and will be finished off next turn. Confusion will achieve a similar result.
- Pseudo-status moves (Bind, Clamp, Sand Tomb, Infestation, Whirlpool, Fire Spin, Magma Storm) will damage Aron after Endeavor heals it, preventing Sturdy from working again. This may require the Pokemon using one of these moves to survive the turn.
- Multi-hit moves
- Bullet Seed, Fury Attack etc. The first hit will still be powerful enough to bring you down to 1HP and activate Sturdy, and the second hit will finish you off. Mega Kangaskhan's Parental Bond Ability is another (fairly common) example of multi-hit moves.
- Substitute
- The enemy can simply stall out Sandstorm by making your Endeavours hit their Substitutes for a few turns. Without Sandstorm, you won't be able to finish most Pokemon off.
- Ghost types
- Endeavour is a normal type move, which Ghosts are immune to.
- Sandstorm/Poison Immunity
- Steel/Rock/Ground are immune to Sandstorm Damage, and Flying/Poison/Immunity/Levitate/Steel Pokemon will be unaffected by Toxic Spikes.
- There are some Pokemon that are both, such as Aerodactyl and all Steel-types.
- The Magic Guard Ability prevents damage from weather and poison. Poison Heal prevents poison damage, but not weather.
- Ability ignoring
- Mold Breaker, Teravolt, and Turboblaze Abilities work to ignore the effect of Sturdy, meaning you will be OHKO'd
- Damage Dealing Items/Abilities
- Iron Barbs and Rocky Helmet deal damage to the opponent based on Physical Damage. As Endeavour is a physical move, you will take extra damage before Shell Bell kicks in, killing you.
Check out Bulbapedia or the Reddit guide for more information.
