|
-
Oblivious
- Grants immunity to infatuation and Captivate.
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Simple
- Doubles all status boosts and drops.
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Own Tempo
- Prevents confusion.
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Level 5 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
60
|
- |
22 |
25 |
- |
| Atk |
60
|
10 |
12 |
15 |
16 |
| Def |
40
|
9 |
10 |
13 |
14 |
| SpA |
65
|
11 |
13 |
16 |
17 |
| SpD |
45
|
9 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
| Spe |
35
|
9 |
10 |
13 |
14 |
Overview
Numel looks a bit lackluster on the surface, with low Speed and common weaknesses. Looks can be deceiving, however, as the ability Simple and access to moves such as Stockpile and Flame Charge allow it to be capable in both offensive and defensive roles. With decent attacking stats for offensive sets and great HP for defensive ones, Numel can be a serious threat to any Little Cup team, provided its team has a way to deal with the many Water- and Ground-types in the tier.
Thanks to Simple, Numel's Flame Charge gives the same Speed boost Agility would, letting it reach 26 Speed in a single turn. That allows it to outspeed unboosted Pokemon that fail to carry a Choice Scarf as well as Choice Scarf users with 17 Speed or less. After getting a boost in, Numel can start attacking with a powerful STAB Fire Blast, doing significant damage to many threats in the tier. Earth Power is Numel's secondary STAB move, which is useful to hit Houndour, Chinchou, and Ponyta. It also provides a more accurate option for Numel to use when gambling on Fire Blast's accuracy is not desired.
Due to Numel's somewhat shallow movepool, Hidden Power is necessary to cover threats that Numel would have trouble damaging otherwise. Hidden Power Grass is the main choice for Numel, as it OHKOes Wooper while hitting other Water-types slightly harder than Earth Power would.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
A Timid nature is an option to Speed tie with Choice Scarf users with 19 Speed, which can come in handy at times. This sacrifices power, however, which Numel needs more than extra Speed. A physical or mixed version of this set could also work with the appropriate stat-boosting nature, as Numel gets Earthquake and Rock Slide, but its Special Attack is higher than its Attack and Numel lacks a physical Fire-type STAB. Hidden Power Electric is another option if one is afraid of Mantyke, and it still hits most Water-types, but Wooper and Chinchou are much more common, which makes Hidden Power Grass the superior option.
Water-types need to be weakened before attempting a sweep. Ferroseed is a good teammate for Numel if it is carrying a Grass-type move, as it can also check most Water-types.
After just a single use of Stockpile, Numel reaches 38 in both Defense and Special Defense. When paired with 25 HP, Numel can take all attacks that aren't super effective quite easily, allowing it to abuse Rest. The ability to heal off damage and status is extremely important on this set, and thus Rest is a move Numel must have. Toxic is the typical third move to use, as inflicting passive damage is what makes Numel effective. Lava Plume serves as a reliable STAB move with high PP and burn chance, and it helps against Taunt and Steel-types, which can't be poisoned. As an alternative to Toxic or Lava Plume, Sleep Talk could be used to make Rest more reliable, but doing so would reduce the number of Pokemon Numel can stall against.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Numel also needs teammates to help it do its job, the most important being those with entry hazard support, though Pokemon that can help against Water-types and Diglett are always appreciated. Ferroseed again can help against Water-types, and has the ability to set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, making it a very good partner. Slowpoke and Wooper also fit well in defensive roles and help check Diglett, so they work as teammates as well. Tentacool can set up Toxic Spikes if Numel decides not to use Toxic, making it helpful if one would like to use Sleep Talk.
Other Options
Numel has a few other viable moves to consider. Earthquake and Rock Slide are its only good physical options, though the two moves do get good coverage together. Howl could also boost its Attack, but it is too slow to use it effectively. Numel rarely gets free time to Howl even if its Speed is boosted by Flame Charge, so it is a lesser option. Amnesia could boost its Special Defense 4 stages in one turn, though Numel would still be vulnerable on the physical side. Stockpile's boost to both defenses is the superior option. Will-O-Wisp could be used to cripple physical attackers, and could be used alongside Stealth Rock for a support set.
Checks and Counters
Mantyke, although uncommon, is probably the best check that exists, thanks to high Special Defense and resistances to Fire- and Ground-type moves. It is also only neutral to Hidden Power Grass. Munchlax has Thick Fat along with high HP and Special Defense, allowing it to work well against Numel. Wooper and Slowpoke are afraid of Toxic and Hidden Power Grass, but can beat offensive versions that choose Hidden Power Ice. Lastly, Choice Scarf Staryu can get a clean revenge kill on all Numel other than Timid versions. It even Speed ties with those, meaning it can still be an emergency option in that case.
