Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
65
|
- |
271 |
334 |
- |
| Atk |
95
|
203 |
226 |
289 |
317 |
| Def |
75
|
167 |
186 |
249 |
273 |
| SpA |
55
|
131 |
146 |
209 |
229 |
| SpD |
55
|
131 |
146 |
209 |
229 |
| Spe |
85
|
185 |
206 |
269 |
295 |
Overview
Qwilfish is a neat UU Pokemon who can support a team by either taking down opponents by sacrificing itself or attempting a sweep. It doesn't have the power of other Swift Swim sweepers like Kabutops and Gorebyss, but it has plenty in its movepool to offer. Its ability to soak up Toxic Spikes, higher Speed, and access to Explosion are the main things that differentiate it from Kabutops; additionally, it can also beat most Milotic. When rain is up, this is one Pokemon whom you shouldn't underestimate.
This set plays like a less powerful but slightly faster version of Kabutops. One of the big advantages Qwilfish has over Kabutops is its ability to absorb Toxic Spikes, which can badly hurt your team's ability to sweep. Waterfall is its main attack option, its power boosted by 1.5x by the rain. Poison Jab is its secondary attack to hit Grass- and Water-types that resist Waterfall. Explosion takes out anything that doesn't resist it after a Swords Dance boost. Return is an alternate option for use over Explosion as it can hit Quagsire, Gastrodon, Toxicroak, and other Water- and Poison-type resists without blowing Qwilfish up; however, Explosion's sheer power and ability to blow holes in teams is generally preferred. Qwilfish does well against almost all Milotic thanks to resisting Surf and being neutral to Hidden Power Grass. This is a great asset to Rain Dance teams since Milotic can wall many other rain sweepers.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Thanks to Swift Swim, Qwilfish reaches 538 Speed when Rain Dance is up, which outspeeds pretty much everything you will encounter in UU, including all common Choice Scarf users. You could drop its Speed, but it's better to run maximum Speed to Speed tie with other Adamant Qwilfish. Jolly is an alternative nature as outspeeding positive base 80 Speed Pokemon outside the rain, such as Venusaur, which could prove useful; however, the extra power makes Adamant the better option most of the time.
Rain Dance is a requirement when using Swords Dance Qwilfish on your team because it doubles Qwilfish's average Speed, as well as giving a 1.5x boost to Qwilfish's STAB Waterfall. Claydol makes a great partner to Qwilfish, immune or resistant to all of its weaknesses, as well as being able to set up both Stealth Rock and Rain Dance. Stealth Rock is definitely suggested because it makes it easier for Qwilfish to deal with Pokemon such as Altaria. Uxie is another Pokemon who can set up Stealth Rock while taking the Ground- and Psychic-type moves commonly directed at Qwilfish. Uxie also has access to Memento, which can help Qwilfish set up a Swords Dance, albeit at the cost of Uxie. Rotom is another great partner, taking the Ground-, Fighting-, and Electric-type moves aimed at Qwilfish while setting up Rain Dance; it can also use Hidden Power Grass to hit Quagsire and Gastrodon, which Qwilfish can do nothing but explode on.
Ludicolo is very dangerous in the rain and makes a great partner as it has access to Grass-type moves, which can deal with the bulky Water-types that Qwilfish hates. Although it may seem like a conflict of interests, Kabutops can actually make a nice partner to Qwilfish; they have problems with many of the same Pokemon, so when Qwilfish explodes on Quagsire or Gastrodon, it will open up an opportunity for Kabutops to finish off the opponent's team. Dugtrio can trap and kill Toxicroak; however, it has to be careful when switching in on a Nasty Plot because Toxicroak can OHKO Dugtrio with Vacuum Wave.
This set's main focus is to set up as many layers of Spikes as possible. With 295 Speed, Qwilfish will often be able to set up at least one layer of Spikes and then explode, ideally against the opponent's Spinner. Waterfall allows Qwilfish to break Focus Sashes before using Explosion and acts as a reliable STAB move. Taunt and Aqua Jet both work well on this set for very different purposes. Taunt allows Qwilfish to reliably stop an opponent from setting up with bulky leads such as Omastar, Cloyster, and Rhyperior. Aqua Jet allows Qwilfish to beat Moltres and Alakazam more reliably. Taunt is recommended because it cannot get Spikes up against Moltres and Alakazam and still beat them, so it's often better to have a reliable switch-in; however, keep in mind that they are both quite difficult to switch into.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Qwilfish works well with Pokemon who appreciate Spikes early game. Moltres and Swellow are good examples of effective Spikes abusers because they hit hard without requiring any set up. Qwilfish also works well with bulky Stealth Rock Pokemon that can use Explosion to nail Rapid Spinners. Regirock and Registeel both fill this niche because they can both set up Stealth Rock and explode.
Since Qwilfish isn't going to last longer than a few turns, a Ghost-type to block Rapid Spin is required. As far as spinblockers go, Spiritomb is an effective partner because it beats Alakazam and Mismagius, who can Taunt Qwilfish to prevent it from setting up Spikes and beat it with Psychic and Thunderbolt, respectively. Mismagius also works well because it has Taunt to beat Foresight Hitmontop.
Qwilfish can make a decent Rain Dance lead. The idea is to set up Rain Dance and attempt a sweep of its own, or to explode Qwilfish on someone and send in your secondary Swift Swim abuser unharmed. Waterfall is Qwilfish's main attack again. Poison Jab is better for sweeping and hits the Grass-type Pokemon who resist Qwilfish's main attack, but Taunt has its uses, too. For example, it can prevent opponents from setting up a Substitute or Stealth Rock or throwing status around, which can harm a team member's chance of sweeping. However, Qwilfish is quite slow, meaning Taunt is only useful against slower, bulkier leads unless rain is up. Explosion is the preferred option in the last slot to go out with a bang, but Destiny Bond can be used instead to force opponents to switch or faint, and due to Rain Dance, Qwilfish will be be faster than them.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Damp Rock allows for eight turns of rain which are so beneficial and against most leads, you can at least get up Rain Dance. However, with Focus Sash, Qwilfish will always survive a hit and get Rain Dance on the field unless it gets hit with Taunt, inflicted with status, or is up against a Fake Out lead. An EV spread of 252 HP / 92 Def / 166 Spe is another option when using Damp Rock as with the extra HP, you'll be able to take an unboosted Earthquake from Steelix. The Speed EVs enable you to outspeed +1 positive base 100s in the rain, allowing you to Destiny Bond them before they attack.
Spikes or Toxic Spikes are other minor options for use in the third slot should you want to utilize entry hazards. An Adamant nature is used to hit as powerfully as possible; however, a Jolly nature is a good alternative as it means that outside the rain Qwilfish will, at worst, Speed tie with opposing Qwilfish and Toxicroak and also outspeed positive base 80s, such as Venusaur. One of the main reasons to use Qwilfish over other Rain Dance leads, such as Electrode and Ambipom, is that you can immediately put the momentum of the match on your side.
Obviously, this Qwilfish should only be used on a Rain Dance team, and it therefore needs to be supported by appropriate Pokemon. Ludicolo makes a great offensive partner, taking out the bulky Water-types that Qwilfish hates. If Qwilfish can lure in and explode on Quagsire, Gastrodon, and Toxicroak, Kabutops will have an easier time at a sweep and therefore makes an effective partner. Claydol covers all of Qwilfish's weaknesses and so is a great option for a partner. It can also set up both Stealth Rock and Rain Dance to support the team. Dugtrio is a great partner because it can trap Toxicroak and Chansey, who causes problems for the special sweepers in Rain Dance teams.
Qwilfish has a lot of trouble with Ambipom leads, as they can use Fake Out to break Qwilfish's Focus Sash, therefore making Rotom a nice partner to switch into Fake Out, while also being able to set up Rain Dance to support the team. It will have to watch out for Payback, though, which will 2HKO 252/252+ Rotom 98.62% of the time if Ambipom is holding Life Orb. However, Rotom can burn Ambipom with Will-O-Wisp, and since Life Orb isn't too common on Lead Ambipom, Rotom will usually be fine. Uxie has great bulk and makes another good switch into Ambipom, and since U-turn and Payback only do around 25% to 252/252+ Uxie, it shouldn't have too much trouble getting in and setting up both Rain Dance and Stealth Rock to support your team.
Although one of its lesser options, Qwilfish can still make a great Spikes user. The handy thing about Qwilfish is that five of the best Rapid Spinners in UU have trouble switching into it, allowing Qwilfish to set up quite easily. Claydol, Donphan, Sandslash, and Torkoal are all weak to Waterfall, and are therefore unlikely to switch in, while Blastoise has trouble doing any real damage and gets worn down by Poison Jab.
Waterfall is the main attacking option for Qwilfish, while Poison Jab helps against Grass-types and certain Flying-types who resist or are immune to Water-type attacks, like Mantine and Altaria. Although Qwilfish doesn't have stellar defenses, it can use Taunt over Poison Jab to stop opponents from setting up. For the last slot, Explosion is the preferred option to go out with a bang, but Destiny Bond is a good alternative and might cause some switching if you reveal it early. Thunder Wave is a minor option, but if your team is slow, it could be helpful, and with the 20% flinch rate of Waterfall, Qwilfish can be an annoyer of sorts. Although Qwilfish may seem outclassed by Omastar as a Spikes user, its access to Explosion, Taunt, and higher Speed are some big things which set it apart from Omastar. It can also soak up Toxic Spikes, which stall teams hate.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs are aimed at boosting Qwilfish's Attack while also letting it take hits better, with the rest put in Speed. Poison Point is the preferred ability as the odd chance of poisoning your opponent could prove crucial, and with only 4 EVs in Speed, Qwilfish won't be able to make that good use of Swift Swim anyway. Running an EV spread of 252 HP / 32 SpD / 224 Spe is another option; this outruns Timid Life Orb Milotic and anything slower, though at the cost of Attack. Therefore, this is best when running Spikes, Waterfall, Taunt, and Destiny Bond. A Jolly nature can also be used, with an EV spread of 252 HP / 40 Atk / 216 Spe or just maximum Speed with less HP or Attack. The loss of attack power may hurt at times, but the extra Speed could prove useful as you will outspeed positive base 80s.
A Ghost-type Pokemon is a requirement as a partner to this set to stop opponents from Spinning away your Spikes and ruining all of your work. Rotom, Spiritomb, and Mismagius are the best options for that slot. They all have access to Will-O-Wisp and various supporting qualities to cripple your opponents. Perish Song Mismagius can put your opponents in a horrible position: they'll need to switch because of Perish Song, but don't want to because of Spikes. Spiritomb is the most defensive of the three and can handle key threats to Qwilfish, like Toxicroak, the best. Rotom can help your team take hits better with dual screens. Obviously, Qwilfish can do well on stall teams as Spikes are very important to stall teams, so Chansey is a great partner to take special attacks aimed at Qwilfish. Donphan makes a nice partner because it has an immunity to Electric-type moves and can also set up Stealth Rock and use Rapid Spin. Altaria has an immunity to Ground-type moves and can use Toxic to poison the bulky Water-types that cause Qwilfish problems.
With this set, Qwilfish is able to switch into the majority of Water- and physical Fire-types and defensive Pokemon and easily lay down Spikes. Pain Split lets Qwilfish survive longer and therefore set up more layers of Spikes. Poison Jab is your chosen STAB move as it lets Qwilfish hit other Water-types, such as SubPunch Azumarill (whose Substitute will be broken by it), and with Qwilfish’s bulk, it will easily take its hits from Azumarill's common attacks, except for Normal-type attacks. In the last slot, Taunt is the preferred option to stop opponent's from using recovery and also lets Qwilfish easily beat both SubRoost Moltres and Articuno. However, Aqua Jet is a reasonable replacement to revenge kill weakened Blaziken, Dugtrio, and Houndoom.
While many people would prefer to use Cloyster or Omastar for Spikes, Qwilfish does have some notable advantages over those three. Firstly, due to its Poison typing, it absorbs Toxic Spikes upon entry, and so stops your team from being slowly weakened by the poison. Because of this, it can also relieve your team of reliance on Aromatherapy or Heal Bell support. This Poison typing also means Qwilfish is immune to Toxic, letting it take on defensive Pokemon such as Chansey better than the aforementioned three Pokemon. Qwilfish also has an easier time setting up against bulky Water-types and can wall most Fire-types. It also can do very well against Stallrein since it can Taunt Walrein and resists Water-type attacks, unlike Omastar and Cloyster.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs let Qwilfish take physical hits, neutral Hidden Powers from Pokemon like Milotic, and resisted special hits well. Leftovers is the preferred item since the extra recovery can help Qwilfish stay around longer; however, Shed Shell is a good alternative should you be afraid of Dugtrio trapping Qwilfish. Poison Point is the chosen ability as this set does not aim to sweep in the rain, nor will it take that much advantage from opponents using Rain Dance. Therefore, the chance to poison the opponent is more useful. Impish is the preferred nature as it means Qwilfish will take physical hits better.
This set aims to set up Spikes to support your team; therefore, a Ghost-type is very useful to stop your opponent from just spinning away Qwilfish's Spikes. Mismagius, Rotom, and Spiritomb are the best options for this. You can even run two Ghost-types to stop Hitmontop from using Foresight + Rapid Spin to spin away any Spikes Qwilfish sets up. Chansey is a very useful partner as this set has trouble taking strong special hits; however, Chansey takes most easily. Donphan and Venusaur are effective partners to take Electric-type attacks commonly aimed at Qwilfish. Donphan can also set up Stealth Rock to help add to the residual damage.
Taunt Ambipom can cause this set a lot of problems by stopping it from setting up Spikes or healing itself. Fake Out + Return, with Stealth Rock support and a bit more prior damage, from Life Orb Ambipom can 2HKO Qwilfish, while Poison Jab from Qwilfish will only at best 2HKO Ambipom in return (with Stealth Rock support). Spiritomb therefore can make an effective partner to deal with Ambipom and has Pursuit, Sucker Punch, and Will-O-Wisp to wear it down. Other Ghost-types such as Spiritomb and Rotom do well if Ambipom lacks Payback, while Rock- and Steel-types can deal with Ambipom if it doesn't pack Low Kick or Grass Knot (the latter only being for the Rock-types).
Taunt Drapion is a major nuisance to this set, because Taunt stops Qwilfish from setting up Spikes, using its own Taunt, or using Pain Split. Drapion also resists Poison Jab and has the Defense to easily take Aqua Jet. Dugtrio can trap Drapion and OHKO offensive 4 HP variants with a Jolly Life Orb Earthquake 100% of the time. With Stealth Rock up, Adamant Life Orb Dugtrio will always OHKO 252 HP Drapion, while Jolly Dugtrio requires Stealth Rock and Spikes for the definite OHKO. However, Dugtrio needs both a Choice Band and an Adamant nature if it wants a small chance to OHKO 252/252+ Drapion with Stealth Rock up; Jolly Life Orb variants will manage a 2HKO. The aforementioned Donphan also makes an effective partner to deal with opposing Drapion as it has a high Defense stat to take hits and has a powerful STAB Earthquake that will always OHKO offensive versions of Drapion, assuming Donphan has the usual Adamant nature and 252 Attack EVs. Even the most defensive Drapion is always 2HKOed.
Other Options
Toxic Spikes is an option over Spikes, although in UU, there are many Poison-types who can easily absorb them. There's Endure / Substitute and Flail, but that is better left to Kabutops. Counter is rather gimmicky and should only be used with a Focus Sash, but it could surprise some Pokemon. Anything else of note requires Qwilfish to take a hit or be slow (Revenge, Payback, Gyro Ball), which is definitely not acceptable. Aqua Jet is another option, as priority is very useful in UU, but this makes it generally outclassed by Kabutops, who has a higher Attack stat. Also, Aqua Jet + Swords Dance is an illegal move combination, so this further prevents Qwilfish from using it too effectively.
Checks and Counters
Quagsire and Toxicroak are effective general counters, as they are immune to Water-type moves because of Water Absorb and Dry Skin, respectively, and both resist Poison-type moves. Walrein, Gastrodon, and Cradily with Earthquake will also be effective, although a +2 rain boosted Waterfall is going to hurt both Cradily and Gastrodon. Most healthy Pokemon with decent defenses will be able to take a hit if they're not weak to Water- or Poison-type attacks. Milotic and Lapras are some examples of such Pokemon, although Milotic will need Hidden Power Electric and Lapras will need Thunderbolt. Furthermore, Qwilfish's Speed is noticeably average, so the non-Rain Dance version can be outsped and hit with strong attacks from Choice item users.
