|
-
Sturdy
- If the wielder is at full HP, it will survive any attack. OHKO moves will fail.
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Magnet Pull
- Prevents Steel-type Pokemon from switching. Increases the chance of encountering a Steel-type Pokemon in the wild.
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Sand Force
- Increases power of Ground-, Rock-, and Steel-type attacks by 30% in a sandstorm.
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Level 5 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
30
|
- |
19 |
22 |
- |
| Atk |
45
|
9 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
| Def |
135
|
18 |
20 |
23 |
25 |
| SpA |
45
|
9 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
| SpD |
90
|
13 |
15 |
18 |
19 |
| Spe |
30
|
8 |
9 |
12 |
13 |
Overview
Although overlooked, Nosepass is actually a really good Pokemon; its incredibly high defensive stats coupled with its great movepool and general usefulness make it superb. Its niche in the ability to lure in Ferroseed and defeat it with a combination of Magnet Pull and Fire Punch is also very much appreciated, as it allows very powerful sweepers such as Clamperl and Agility Chinchou to clean up the opponent's team. However, Nosepass has to be wary of the omnipresent Mienfoo and Timburr; it is obvious setup bait for them, and can easily be 2HKOed by STAB Fighting-type moves. All in all, while Nosepass has its issues, it is an excellent Pokemon and should be treated as such.
This set takes advantage of Nosepass's power and bulk. Stone Edge is the recommended STAB move due to its high power; however, Rock Slide can be used instead if you prefer the accuracy. Because Nosepass is a Rock-type Pokemon, it will naturally lure Steel-type Pokemon, as they hit super effectively with their STAB and resist Rock-type moves. This latter fact especially invites Ferroseed to come in, and Bullet Seed will almost always 2HKO Nosepass.
Thanks to a combination of Magnet Pull and Fire Punch, Nosepass will always beat Ferroseed by trapping it and 2HKOing it, easily surviving any attacks Ferroseed uses. The third and fourth moveslots are reserved for support moves; Thunder Wave is ideal for crippling Mienfoo and Scraggy switch-ins, while Stealth Rock is useful in causing damage to the opponent's switches (though Nosepass isn't one to cause many switches). Lastly, Pain Split is a must on Nosepass if you are using sandstorm and Toxic Spikes, as it creates a whole new version of stall; if you are using Nosepass as a supporter, however, you may use Thunder Wave in the third slot and Stealth Rock in the last slot.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Using Magic Coat to reflect status effects is an option, but simply having a cleric to keep your team healthy will be more effective. Earthquake is somewhat viable in one of the last two slots if you plan to use Nosepass offensively, but Onix utilizes the combination of Rock- and Ground-type moves more effectively due to its typing, receiving STAB Earthquake and Stone Edge. Toxic is another option to hit walls such as Lileep and Slowpoke on the switch, but switching to a proper counter usually works better than stalling them out.
Despite sharing several weaknesses, Hippopotas is the best teammate for Nosepass since it sets up a permanent sandstorm. Lileep is also notable, as it can come in on Water-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves and wall or defeat the user, but they are both weak to Fighting-type moves. Natu has near-perfect synergy with Nosepass and can reflect status-inflicting moves such as Toxic and Thunder Wave back at the opponent. Natu can also beat Fighting-type Pokemon not named Scraggy who try to hit Nosepass with powerful STAB moves. Toxic Spikes support is greatly appreciated if Nosepass is using Pain Split to enhance its stall capabilities; Omanyte is a good candidate as it can also set up multiple entry hazards and take advantage of the sandstorm. Skorupi takes Fighting-type moves with ease and can act as a status absorber with its popular RestTalk set.
Other Options
A pure support set is usually outclassed by Ferroseed, so it isn't recommended. Nosepass does, however, get a valuable support move that Ferroseed doesn't: Taunt, which is useful for preventing opponents from setting up. It also gets Gravity, which can be useful on specialized teams. If your team has many physical attackers, you can consider a special set with Power Gem and Earth Power as main attacking moves. Thunderbolt is also a good move on such a set to hit Slowpoke on the switch. Alternatively, you can go out with a bang using Explosion; just be aware that your opponent can use that opportunity to send in a Rock-, Steel-, or Ghost-type Pokemon to take the attack.
Checks and Counters
Unless Nosepass is using obscure Electric-type moves such as Discharge and Thunderbolt, Slowpoke bests Nosepass. Slowpoke has to be cautious of Magic Coat, however, if it decides to use Toxic or Thunder Wave. Fighting-type Pokemon in general beat Nosepass one-on-one; Thick Fat Makuhita gets a special mention, as it completely walls Nosepass and can 2HKO with its super effective STAB Fighting-type moves. Water-types outside of sandstorm and Ground-types, namely Diglett (which has Arena Trap to prevent Nosepass from switching), defeat Nosepass.
