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-
Rock Head
- Recoil moves deal no recoil damage.
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Sturdy
- If the wielder is at full HP, it will survive any attack. OHKO moves will fail.
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Weak Armor
- Boosts Speed by 1 stage and lowers Defense by 1 stage when hit by a physical move.
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Level 5 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
35
|
- |
20 |
23 |
- |
| Atk |
45
|
9 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
| Def |
160
|
19 |
22 |
25 |
27 |
| SpA |
30
|
8 |
9 |
12 |
13 |
| SpD |
45
|
9 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
| Spe |
70
|
11 |
13 |
16 |
17 |
Overview
Onix is one of the lucky Pokemon who, like Lickitung, received an evolution in a later generation and was originally designed to have stats on par with Pokemon in their last stage of evolution. With a massive Defense stat, great Speed, and a wide movepool, Onix can fulfill numerous roles on a team. It can act as a reliable Stealth Rock user with Sturdy, which allows Onix to survive a hit that would normally OHKO it at full health. A drawback to this rocky snake is that it sports mediocre HP and Special Defense stats, making it susceptible to special moves such as Surf. All in all, Onix can find a spot in nearly any team that is looking for anything from a good sweeper to a useful wall.
Onix has the Speed and the moves to run an excellent Stealth Rock set. Dragon Tail works somewhat like Roar, but does damage in addition to forcing a switch. Earthquake and Stone Edge are Onix's two primary STAB attacks, getting near-perfect neutral coverage. Protect can be used to prevent Fake Out users such as Meowth from ruining Sturdy.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
This set is very good at countering many of the common Pokemon that like to set up. Dragon Tail forces the opponent to switch, deleting its boosts. As mentioned previously, Sturdy is a useful ability, allowing Onix to live through any hit at full HP. Eviolite is a great item to have, boosting Onix's already insanely high Defense to an amazing 36, allowing Onix to take all physical attacks with ease. A Careful nature boosts Onix's Special Defense, but most special attacks will still easily OHKO Onix, so running an Impish nature to boost Onix's Defense further is the better option. Despite the power drop which Explosion received this generation, it can also be run. Hippopotas is a good teammate, as it can set up sandstorm, which will boost Onix's below average Special Defense to acceptable levels.
Like most of its Rock-type brethren, Onix can also run a Rock Polish set to boost its Speed and attempt a sweep. Earthquake and Stone Edge are Onix's two primary STAB attacks, getting near-perfect neutral coverage. Despite the power drop which Explosion received, it still proves useful in many situations, allowing Onix to KO or weaken many Pokemon not using an Eviolite.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Eviolite is a great choice to help Onix pull off a Rock Polish, but the power drop from the lack of Life Orb is noticeable. Natu is a great partner for Onix, easily setting up dual screens to allow Onix to set up safely. As mentioned, Hippopotas can also help Onix set up by setting up sandstorm, which boosts Onix's mediocre Special Defense.
Other Options
Rock Blast can be used to break Substitutes. Onix has a reasonably high Speed, so a Choice Band set is viable, raising its low Attack stat to a decent level. With nearly equal Attack and Special Attack stats, a mixed Life Orb set would work well, allowing Onix to hit physical walls that expect to wall it with ease.
Checks and Counters
Onix didn't get the best typing, despite its great defenses. Not only does a Rock / Ground typing give Onix two 4x weaknesses to Water- and Grass-type attacks, it also makes Onix weak to common Fighting- and Ground-type attacks. Snover can easily switch in on anything Onix can use besides Stone Edge, and KO it with Blizzard or Giga Drain. Frillish can come in and Scald Onix for the KO. Timburr can easily revenge kill Onix with Mach Punch. Bronzor is immune to Ground-type attacks courtesy of Levitate, resists Rock-type attacks, and can easily take down Onix with Gyro Ball.
