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Guts
- Attack is increased by 50% when afflicted with status.
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Sheer Force
- Increases power of moves with secondary effects by 30%, but removes the effects.
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Iron Fist
- Increases the power of punching moves by 20%.
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Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
105
|
- |
351 |
414 |
- |
| Atk |
140
|
284 |
316 |
379 |
416 |
| Def |
95
|
203 |
226 |
289 |
317 |
| SpA |
55
|
131 |
146 |
209 |
229 |
| SpD |
65
|
149 |
166 |
229 |
251 |
| Spe |
45
|
113 |
126 |
189 |
207 |
Overview
Conkeldurr shows what it takes to be an offensive powerhouse when Speed isn't your strongest suit. Its base 140 Attack makes it a real threat to contend with, and with Guts as an ability, burning Conkeldurr will only lead to more destruction. Those stone slabs Conkeldurr holds aren't for show either, as Conkeldurr is just as durable as they are. While base 65 Special Defense may not seem like much, it's backed by base 105 HP and base 95 Defense. Conkeldurr lacks Close Combat, but receives two other attacks that many bulky Fighting-types would beg to have, namely Mach Punch and Drain Punch. BW2 move tutors have also beefed up its arsenal in the elemental punches. All in all, Conkeldurr is one of the main reasons every team should pack a resistance to Fighting-type attacks.
624 Attack and 339 Defense after a Bulk Up is no joke, and Conkeldurr shows why. Drain Punch allows Conkeldurr to tank through the opposition by hitting the opponent hard while recovering lost health. Mach Punch gives Conkeldurr utility in revenge killing threats such as Lucario and Hydreigon, bypassing its Speed issue. The combination of these two attacks and Bulk Up makes Conkeldurr a formidable threat once the opposition no longer holds a good Fighting-type resistance. Guts is icing on the cake since status effects such as burn and paralysis only make Conkeldurr stronger. Just to show how much of a monster Conkeldurr becomes with Guts activated, its +1 Drain Punch OHKOes max HP / min Def Scizor and is inches away from 2HKOing max HP / max Def Hippowdon. The final move is your choice: Conkeldurr can either shut down Ghost-types with a slow Payback, or prevent Flying-types from wrecking its sweep with an explosive Ice Punch. The latter option is usually the preferred move, as it will allow Conkeldurr to tackle top threats such as Dragonite and break Landorus-T and Gliscor with ease. Be warned, though, that Ice Punch does leave Conkeldurr unable to touch Jellicent.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Stone Edge as its fourth coverage move meets the middle ground of both Ice Punch and Payback. Thanks to Stone Edge's high Base Power, it will hit all Pokemon that resist Fighting for good damage. The move is particularly good for nailing Volcarona and Gyarados that Payback or Ice Punch fail to finish off. However, the imperfect accuracy and low PP count makes it an undesirable move when facing Gliscor.
There are many ways to EV Conkeldurr. When using Payback, a Brave nature with a 0 Speed IV is recommended, as this will allow Conkeldurr to use Payback at maximum power against most of its opponents, although this will also mean that Wobbuffet can outspeed and Encore Conkeldurr. An Adamant nature can be used with Ice Punch as the Speed drop is unnecessary. An EV spread of 68 HP / 224 Atk / 216 SpD and an Adamant nature allows Conkeldurr to take a Timid Chandelure's Overheat, and a 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpD Adamant spread retains maximum power while buffing Conkeldurr's weaker defensive side, enabling it to set up against bulky Water-type Pokemon. Even more defensively, a spread of 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD with a Careful nature allows Conkeldurr to set up on Pokemon such as Vaporeon easily; Scald won't even 4HKO Conkeldurr, while a +1 Drain Punch can fully recover Conkeldurr's lost health. However, this dramatically cuts Conkeldurr's power, and it will have to obtain more Bulk Up boosts to pose a significant threat.
Conkeldurr's main issues are Pokemon that resist or are immune to Fighting-type attacks. While Payback or Ice Punch can alleviate the problem, neither is a complete solution. If Conkeldurr is using Payback, make sure to pack Pokemon that can take down Flying-types, while if Conkeldurr is running Ice Punch, its teammates need to be able to handle Jellicent and bulky Psychic-types neutral to Ice-type moves. Stealth Rock is highly recommended to deter Flying-types, such as Zapdos, from wrecking Conkeldurr. Spikes or Toxic Spikes are never a bad idea, as both prevent Conkeldurr from being stalled out by Hippowdon. Choice Scarf Tyranitar is a great Pokemon to pair alongside Conkeldurr; even though the sandstorm nullifies Leftovers recovery, Tyranitar eliminates many of Conkeldurr's checks. Conkeldurr can take some special attacks, but it doesn't like facing a special sweeper while trying to set up. To patch this weakness, Chansey or Blissey can help absorb powerful special attacks, but must beware of Psyshock. Lastly, Conkeldurr's team should have some alternative way of weakening the opponent's physical walls. With its wide movepool and excellent offensive stats, Infernape is never a bad Pokemon to use for this purpose. Gengar too can help, as it hits many Psychic-types hard with STAB Shadow Ball; in return, Conkeldurr keeps Tyranitar away from Gengar.
Bulk Up Conkeldurr have to hope that the opponent will accidentally burn, poison, or paralyze them, all while still being susceptible to Spore from Breloom. However, Conkeldurr can guarantee a Guts boost and possess an immunity to sleep by equipping a status Orb, easily allowing it to smash through the opposition after the first turn it is sent out. Conkeldurr can easily revenge kill a weakened threat with Mach Punch or come in on attacks like Tyranitar's Crunch in order to safely activate Flame Orb or Toxic Orb, then begin to hammer away. Drain Punch, while actually not the strongest attack Conkeldurr has on this set, is the only way to keep Conkeldurr alive for a long period of time while still hitting hard, as the residual damage from a burn or poison will quickly eat away at Conkeldurr's HP. Mach Punch can not only aid in allowing Conkeldurr to safely receive the boost from the status Orb, but score hits on faster threats that would otherwise deal massive damage to Conkeldurr such as Terrakion. Payback is the main way any Conkeldurr set will get around Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Gengar, Latias, or Latios. Facade is the strongest attack on this set, and is able to surprise and deal massive damage to threats such as Gliscor and Reuniclus, who would otherwise completely wall this set. Although Facade provides the strongest neutral coverage for Conkeldurr, Ice Punch provides the best answer against Gliscor and Landorus-T, turning 2HKOs into OHKOs.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The given EV spread allows Conkeldurr to minimize the residual damage from burn or poison, while optimizing its overall defense by significantly investing in Special Defense. The choice of Flame Orb or Toxic Orb ultimately depends on how you decide to use Conkeldurr. If Conkeldurr is being used as a mid-game sweeper and will be given the job of breaking the opponent's walls, Flame Orb is the best choice. If Conkeldurr is being used as a late-game cleaner or as a hit-and-run attacker of sorts, where Conkeldurr will not be on the battlefield for more than three turns in a row, Toxic Orb is the best choice.
Like the Bulk Up set, status Orb Conkeldurr has a few other moves it can effectively use. Stone Edge can be used to nail Flying-types, such as Dragonite or Salamence, as well as Volcarona, harder than any other move could. Hammer Arm is far more powerful than Drain Punch, and is usually the preferred choice when running this Conkeldurr in Trick Room. Finally, Bulk Up can be used to send Conkeldurr's Attack stat to even higher levels, hitting an insane 936 Attack stat after only one Bulk Up, but the residual damage from the status Orb makes it a lot harder for Conkeldurr to find an opportunity to set up the Bulk Ups safely. Furthermore, the only moveslot that can really be replaced with Bulk Up is Facade, but Facade just has so much raw power (as shown in the below calculations) that it is almost too good to ever pass up. For example, see what this move does to defensive Pokemon of the metagame:
- Facade vs. 236/252+ Breloom: 69-81.25%
- Facade vs. 252/184+ Gliscor: 48.6-57.3%
- Facade vs. 252/128 Dragonite (Multiscale activated): 31.4-37%
- Facade vs. same Dragonite (Multiscale down): 63-74%
- Facade vs. 156/96 Gyarados (after Intimidate): 51.6-60.8%
- Facade vs. 252/252 Volcarona: 73-86.1%
- Facade vs. 252/252+ Slowbro: 45-53%
Status Orb Conkeldurr does not require much support to be used effectively, but can still gain major benefits from it. Arguably the best partner to Conkeldurr is Trick Room Reuniclus (offensive or not), as Trick Room can turn Conkeldurr into an incredibly fast sweeper for 3 turns, where the opponent will really struggle to find anything that can even attempt to stop Conkeldurr without taking a major hit. If Conkeldurr is being used in Trick Room, a Brave nature with a 0 Speed IV can be used to make Conkeldurr even "faster" under Trick Room. Toxic Orb would also be the preferred item in that scenario, as Conkeldurr will only be under the effects of Trick Room for three turns and will most likely switch out afterwards. Pokemon that can supply entry hazards, such as Skarmory or Ferothorn, also make excellent partners to Conkeldurr, as they allow Conkeldurr to turn many 2HKOs into easy OHKOs, making it even harder to stop. Rapid Spin support from the likes of Forretress is also quite useful, as it allows Conkeldurr to avoid damage from Spikes, which are especially harmful to the Status Orb set. Even with the Guts boost, Conkeldurr still struggles to break physical walls such as Skarmory, Gliscor, and Slowbro, so special attackers like Rotom-W or Jolteon, who can easily muscle past the aforementioned counters, make excellent partners. Furthermore, Conkeldurr's less-than-stellar Special Defense stat leaves it at the mercy of Pokemon like specially-based Dragonite, Starmie, and Rotom-W, especially when Rain is in effect, so dedicated special walls like Chansey, Blissey, and Ferrothorn make great partners (although the first two must watch out for the occasional Psyshock from Starmie).
Conkeldurr boasts the most powerful Focus Punch in the game, and possesses good defenses and low Speed to set up Substitute safely, making a SubPunch set perfect for it. After Conkeldurr sets up a Substitute, no opponent will enjoy what comes next: STAB Focus Punch is so powerful it 2HKOes Skarmory, even with Leftovers taken into account. Mach Punch is a great move to complement Focus Punch as it can KO severely wounded Pokemon, bypassing Conkeldurr's poor Speed. Payback or Stone Edge rounds off the set, complementing Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB. While the latter eliminates Dragonite and Salamence, the former makes sure that Ghost-types won't switch into Conkeldurr with impunity, as most will be 2HKOed by Payback without being able to scratch Conkeldurr. Sadly, 0 SpA Jellicent does 26% minimum with Scald on max HP Conkeldurr. To remedy this, you can opt to use a spread of 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 SpD with an Adamant nature, which prevents Conkeldurr’s Substitute from being broken most of the time (22% - 26.2%).
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Offensively, Conkeldurr has many more options it can utilize. Drain Punch is one of them, and it can go in the third slot so Conkeldurr can play more of a tanking role, recovering off HP lost from using Substitute. However, Mach Punch is the better choice, as it can pick off Pokemon that have been severely dented by Focus Punch, and STAB priority coming off a base 140 Attack stat is too good to pass up. Conkeldurr has access to Earthquake, but in terms of coverage, it is rather redundant with Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB. Force Palm may be used in hopes of paralyzing faster threats; however, with Mach Punch, Speed isn't a very big concern. If one really wants to power up Conkeldurr's attacks, Life Orb is an option, but it does not change any significant 2HKOs into OHKOs. If you find Stone Edge's accuracy unappealing, Rock Slide can be used instead, although the power drop can be just as unappealing.
Since this Conkeldurr variant lacks any means of HP recovery, Wish support greatly aids it in recovering any health lost by status or Substitute use. Alomomola and Vaporeon work well because of their reasonable bulk and enormous base HP stats, allowing Conkeldurr to benefit fully from the Wish. Chansey and Blissey also do a fantastic job at passing Wishes, and both can come in easily on special attacks aimed at Conkeldurr. However, Conkeldurr is probably best paired with either Jirachi or Latias, as both can lure in Dark-type attacks, such as Tyranitar's STAB Crunch, enabling a safe switch to Conkeldurr, who resists the attack. Jirachi in particular resists both Psychic-type and Flying-type attacks aimed at Conkeldurr, and of the two, its higher base HP makes it the superior candidate for passing Wishes.
Though not absolutely necessary, a dual screen user can provide Conkeldurr with increased bulk to allow longer-lasting Substitutes. Cresselia does a fantastic job of this, as it offers almost unmatched bulk and can set up both screens with ease. It also resists any Psychic-type attacks aimed at Conkeldurr, easily shrugging them off and immediately setting up. Conkeldurr also resists Bug- or Dark-type moves Cresselia may lure, and therefore gains many safe opportunities to switch in. Reuniclus also makes a great partner for setting up screens, as its nice bulk coupled with Magic Guard allows it to easily set up. Xatu does a decent job of setting up screens as well, and thanks to Magic Bounce, doesn't fear Taunt. Conkeldurr resists the Rock-type attacks Xatu attracts, while Xatu can sponge Psychic-type attacks aimed at Conkeldurr.
As far as counters go, there is no foolproof method to beat this Conkeldurr variant. The closest things to counters are Pokemon that can take a few Focus Punches, break Conkeldurr's Substitute, and continue to wear it down. Skarmory can slowly wear Conkeldurr down with STAB Brave Bird; however, it is still 2HKOed by Focus Punch, and if the Skarmory user incorrectly predicts when using Roost, the metal bird will always be KOed. Poison Heal Gliscor is probably the best counter, as with physical investment, it can come in and survive most of Conkeldurr's moves, prevent Substitutes with Taunt, and wear down Conkeldurr with Earthquake or even Flying Gem Acrobatics. However, Sand Veil Gliscor must too be careful when Roosting, as a neutral Focus Punch can put a serious dent into Gliscor. Bulky Psychic-types can come in and wall this Conkeldurr set if it opts for Stone Edge over Payback. Cresselia and Reuniclus can come in on Fighting-type moves, break Conkeldurr's Substitute with STAB Psychic, and continue to whittle down Conkeldurr or set up on the switch. If Conkeldurr is carrying Stone Edge over Payback, Golurk completely walls Conkeldurr, and can set up or slowly wear Conkeldurr down with Earthquake.
Other Options
Conkeldurr makes for a fierce wielder of Choice Band, reaching a ridiculous Attack stat of 624, and a gargantuan 936 after a subsequent Guts boost, allowing it to check a wide range of threats with its STAB Mach Punch. Superpower provides it with the raw power to muscle through walls, OHKOing physically defensive Vaporeon and Skarmory with Stealth Rock in play after a Guts boost. Hammer Arm deals 75.4% - 88.9% to standard Skarmory, OHKOing it after Brave Bird recoil. Superpower also inflicts 84.3% - 99.3% to standard Hippowdon, while Hammer Arm always 2HKOes.
Offensively, Conkeldurr has a fair number of other options it can use. Low Kick is an option for heavier foes, as it hits Pokemon such as Snorlax harder than Hammer Arm. However, lighter threats such as Jirachi can easily take a Low Kick and set up on the switch or simply attack. If you want Conkeldurr to provide its own paralysis support, Force Palm is an option, as the 30% paralysis rate allows Conkeldurr to cripple faster threats. However, Force Palm is illegal with Mach Punch, and the utility of a STAB priority move coming off base 140 Attack is too much for Conkeldurr to give up for a paralysis chance of only 30%.
Though Guts is generally the superior ability, Conkeldurr can run a Sheer Force set with Life Orb and moves that benefit from the ability. Thanks to BW2 tutor moves, it can take advantage of Sheer Force and recoil-less Life Orb boost to power its elemental punches. However, as opposed to when running Guts, Sheer Force also means that Scald and Will-O-Wisp ruin Conkeldurr completely.
Iron Fist Conkeldurr can also run a great Expert Belt set, as an Expert Belt + Iron Fist Mach Punch takes a good chunk out of most frail threats. Drain Punch also gets a boost, meaning Conkeldurr can recover even more health from it, and thus more easily maintain high HP while still taking a chunk out of the opponent.
Checks and Counters
Switching into Conkeldurr can be very difficult due to its massive Attack stat and near flawless coverage between Drain Punch and Payback. Slowbro and Reuniclus with Psychic are probably the two best counters, taking little damage from Payback on the switch. Thanks to Regenerator and Magic Guard, respectively, they are also very easy to keep healthy. Mew with high defensive EV investement can take a Payback and retaliate with Psychic as well. Gliscor is the next best option, as it can Swords Dance up on Conkeldurr and hit it hard with either Earthquake or Acrobatics, depending on the set it's running. If played correctly, Gengar with Substitute and Disable can halt Conkeldurr, and will completely reverse the momentum of a game to your favor. Skarmory can Brave Bird it or Whirlwind it out, but it's really only a short-term solution, as Conkeldurr will simply get back all the HP lost from Spikes through Drain Punch anyway. Hurricane users such as Tornadus or Dragonite also work as they both resist Mach Punch, but must be wary in case Conkeldurr has Stone Edge. Latios is in the same boat and must be cautious of coming in on Payback, but can really blow Conkeldurr out of the water with Draco Meteor. On the same note, strong special moves boosted by weather such as Hydro Pump or Fire Blast target Conkeldurr's lower Special Defense, and will give him a hard time.
Alternatively, hitting Conkeldurr hard with strong physical moves such as Outrage from Choice Band Dragons such as Dragonite and Haxorus, or Earthquake from Life Orb Landorus, will put a big dent in it. It's advised you have some sort of hazard down though or have Conkeldurr weakened, as these moves will fail to KO if Conkeldurr has +1 Defense. Likewise, if they can get in for free, Pokemon with good Special Attack stats such as Celebi or Rotom-W can hit Conkeldurr hard with their STAB moves, but should only ever consider doing so if Conkeldurr has been slightly weakened previously.
