Bastiodon
Here are a couple of things you should note before reading and/or posting a reply in this Bastiodon Update thread:
- This is my first full update of a Pokemon (anything I’ve posted in C&C before was dealing with Pokemon in LC who didn’t have an analysis yet; like Charmander, Cyndaquil and Shieldon) so please let me know if I make any mistakes.
- And of course the reason I decided to give Bastiodon an Update: the last Update it had was over 2 years ago and a couple of the sets listed are not very effective in the current metagame like the Curse Talk and Metal Sound sets.
- Removed the Offensive Curse Talk and Metal Sound Sets and put them in the Other Option section as mentions
- Added an Overview, and changed the entire format to the new one (by removing the EV’s section, added a Team Options section, etc)
- Mad minor changes to the sets concerning move slashes, etc
- And for the other info which was fine, I’ve just reworded it
- I've also added a Torment set recommended by many people; also I've tested it and its proved to be quite effective
- I’ve removed the all out offensive Metal Burst set and renamed the Defensive Metal Burst Set to just the Metal Burst set
- Changed the ordering of the sets: the Support set is first, the Torment set is second and the Metal Burst set is third
|QC Approved: [FlareBlitz][Bluewind]|
|GP Checks: [bugmaniacbob][Fatecrashers]|
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
[Overview]
<p>Bastiodon, although possessing gargantuan defenses and access to many useful support moves including Stealth Rock, Toxic, and Taunt, has always been overlooked for a role on a team due to its lackluster offenses. But thanks to moves such as Metal Burst and Torment, Bastiodon can present a serious threat when given the proper reinforcement, as well as being a defensively orientated, supportive Pokemon.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Stealth Rock / Rest
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Roar / Taunt
move 4: Iron Head / Stone Edge / Rock Slide
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 8 Atk / 248 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With its amazing base defenses, and access to an array of supporting moves, it seems as though Bastiodon was designed to play the role of a supporting Pokemon on a UU team. Not only can the prehistoric Pokemon set up the always valuable valuable Stealth Rock, it can also provide stall or balanced teams with Toxic support, maximizing the effectiveness of the team’s strategy, as well as being an efficient phazer that can be utilized on almost any UU team.</p>
<p>Rest is an alternative to Stealth Rock which can be used in conjunction with Sandstorm support, making Bastiodon quite durable. Taunt is another valuable asset, as it prevents many bulky foes, like Miltank, from simply healing off Toxic damage, as well as stopping common foes, most notably Venusaur, from putting Bastiodon to sleep and setting up. Roar can be used to slowly chip away at an opponent’s health with residual damage when entry hazards are up; it is also useful if you find yourself facing an opponent who has already set up. The final moveslot will hold Bastiodon’s only attacking move and the decision of which one to use is based upon your preference; both Iron Head and Stone Edge are great STAB attacks, but since the latter is not fully accurate, Rock Slide can be used instead of for better accuracy in exchange for less Base Power.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Leftovers and an Impish nature are used in tandem to increase Bastiodon’s overall bulk and longevity in the battle as it will often be switching in repeatedly to check certain Pokemon. The EVs are used for a similar function as the nature; to increase Bastiodon’s bulk while focusing on its durability on the special side, as its physical defense is already very impressive. It should be noted, however, that you can alter the EVs to make Bastiodon slightly more offensive, as it may need the extra Attack investment due to its mediocre base 52 Attack stat.</p>
[SET]
name: Torment
move 1: Torment
move 2: Substitute / Toxic
move 3: Protect
move 4: Roar / Toxic
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A great amount of bulk, coupled with Bastiodon’s massive base defenses, along with its access to moves such as Protect and Roar, Bastiodon can be turned into a fierce Torment user when given the proper support. The strategy to this set is simple; Torment an opponent to block their STAB or super effective move, follow up with a cycle of the other moves mentioned in the set, repeat until the foe’s HP bar reaches 0.</p>
<p>The decision between using Substitute or Toxic comes down to your personal preference; although Substitute can act as a reliable barrier when one foe has fainted and another switches in, allowing you to set up Torment again without taking any damage at all, Toxic makes the entire Torment-stall process faster as with it, the opponent will be taking a lot more residual damage every passing turn; without Toxic, the stalling process will take a lot more time. Protect is a staple on the set as it allows Bastiodon to regain health every turn through Leftovers while also being able to stack up more and more residual damage on the opposing Pokemon. The last move slot is given to Roar, which can be effectively used alongside entry hazards or simply for phazing; Toxic can also be fitted into this slot if you prefer its stalling capabilities over Roar’s phazing ones.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The nature and EVs have been chosen and distributed to make Bastiodon as bulky as possible, on both the physical and the special side, while also retaining a huge amount of HP, making it more effective in this role; if you decide that instead of being bulky on the special side, you want to focus primarily on being physically bulky in order to take most Fighting-type attacks better, the EV spread and nature can be changed accordingly. Also, it should be noted that any user of Taunt will completely shut down this Bastiodon set as it relies solely on defeating enemies through the use of indirect damage.</p>
[SET]
name: Metal Burst
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Metal Burst
move 3: Stealth Rock / Earthquake
move 4: Earthquake / Stone Edge / Iron Head
item: Leftovers / Focus Sash
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Atk
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Aside from Aggron and Dialga, Bastiodon is the only Pokemon who can learn the fearsome move Metal Burst, which is the equivalent of Mirror Coat and Counter, except that Metal Burst works on both physical and special attacks. When Bastiodon’s natural defenses, bulk and mediocre Speed are taken into account, it becomes clear, that with the proper support, Bastiodon can effectively use Metal Burst to its advantage and take out many opposing threats.</p>
<p>Taunt and Metal Burst are staples on the set as their combination forces the opposition to attack, which means Bastiodon can use Metal Burst to inflict twice the damage caused by the incoming attack. Stealth Rock is mainly mentioned for supportive purposes, as Bastiodon can still be an offensively-orientated Pokemon while having a supportive pivot; if you feel as Stealth Rock is unnecessary, an attacking move can be used instead. Since this set focuses primarily on the combination of Taunt and Metal Burst, it is very susceptible to users of Taunt. Thus, the final moveslot is best filled by a move that causes direct damage. Earthquake can be a valuable asset as it hits many common threats in UU for super effective damage, while Stone Edge is also viable as it is boosted by STAB and also hits Flying-types, which Earthquake is unable to do. Iron Head is another option, but compared to the two aforementioned moves, it is not recommended due to the low Base Power, even after STAB.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Leftovers along with a Careful nature help increase Bastiodon’s bulk and defensive prowess, allowing it to survive a larger array of attacks from a range of users and retaliate with Metal Burst, although it should be noted that a Focus Sash can be used to defeat foes like Choice Band Hariyama and offensive Hitmontop who are otherwise guaranteed the OHKO on Bastiodon. The EVs are used to maximize Bastiodon’s bulk and make it more specially defensive, as it will need the extra EV investment when facing foes like Milotic and Houndoom; also, a 0 IV in Speed ensures that the opponent always gets to attack first, before Bastiodon uses Metal Burst.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Sandstorm support provided by Hippopotas can almost be called a necessity when using any Bastiodon set, as the Special Defense boost gained from the weather condition greatly aids Bastiodon in performing its role on a UU team effectively. Since Fighting-Type Pokemon cause huge problems for Bastiodon, it would be wise to include a Pokemon who can deal with them; Slowbro, courtesy of its natural bulk and Psychic-typing, can easily check common Fighting-types and KO them with a STAB Psychic. Slowbro can also help deal with Bastiodon’s Ground-type weakness as it can deal serious damage to Ground-types with a STAB Surf. Similarly, Weezing can also be a valuable defensive partner to Bastiodon as the two Pokemon have decent synergy with each other. If you are looking for a decent offensive partner to Bastiodon, Swellow would be a great candidate, as not only can it defeat the Fighting-types which plague Bastiodon’s existence, it can also start a sweep of its own, leaving Bastiodon to clean up after it.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Outside of the mentioned sets, Bastiodon doesn’t have many other options to choose from; sets utilizing Metal Sound, Curse, and Rest can be utilized, but compared to the mentioned sets, their usage and viability are really limited. Also, an all-out offensive set revolving around Curse, Metal Sound and two attacking moves can be used, but due to Bastiodon’s mediocre base 52 Attack stat, and lack of a reliable recovery move, it is not recommended. For any of Bastiodon’s sets, an EV spread of 252 HP / 8 Atk / 192 SpD can be used if you’re intent on being able to break the Substitutes of Nasty Plot Mismagius and Sub-Charge Rotom.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Even with Bastiodon’s immense defenses, Fighting-types like Hitmontop and Hariyama are excellent counters as they can 2HKO, and in some cases even OHKO Bastiodon after it has taken some residual damage. Similar to the aforementioned Fighting-types, bulky Ground-types also cause problems for Bastiodon with their super effective STAB attacks and immunity to Sandstorm, a factor Bastiodon heavily relies on to slowly wear down bulky foes. It should be noted, however, that when sending in a counter to face Bastiodon, you must beware of the possibility that Bastiodon may survive the attack and strike back, literally with twice the power, with Metal Burst. Finally, any user of Taunt will be able to defeat the sets lacking an attacking move.</p>
