Marowak (QC Approved 0/2)

[Xav]

Marowak

STATUS: Working on the Skeleton, input and opinions are appreciated.

[Overview]

• Often underrated because of low speed and reasonable 60/110/80 defences.
• Ground typing grants weaknesses to common types like Water, Grass and Ice but provides handy Electric immunity and resistance to Stealth Rock.
• Thick Club with Adamant doubles Attack to an excellent 568, without recoil of Life Orb or move restriction of Choice Band.
• Functions well with paralysis, Trick Room or Baton Pass support.

[SET]
name: SubWak
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Double-Edge
move 4: Fire Punch / ThunderPunch
ability: Rock Head
item: Thick Club
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[Set Comments]

• Substitute protects Marowak from status and the powerful attacks that now plague the metagame.
• Earthquake is Marowak strongest move, gaining STAB, and should be used most often.
• Double-Edge provides great coverage alongside Earthquake and thanks to Rock Head, Marowak can enjoy the high base power without recoil damage.
• The last slot is mainly filler, however both hit Skarmory for Super Effective damage who walls Marowak's other moves completely. It is also a hit on Levitating Ghosts who are immune to the other moves.

[Additional Comments]

• Jolly is used on this set to maximise his speed, outrunning 0 Spe base 85s. Adamant may be appealing for the higher output of damage, however Jolly guarantees the same KOs.
• Fire Punch OHKOs standard Nattorei and 2HKOs Bronzong who walls you if you run ThunderPunch.
• ThunderPunch OHKOs Gyarados on the switch after Intimidate who can KO with Waterfall. It is also a good move to scout for counters such as Flying-types hoping to switch into an Earthquake.
• This set appreciates Thunder Wave support to function at its best as even with max Speed, Marowak does not out speed much.

[Teammates and Counters]

• Skarmory can switch into Marowak on Earthquake or Double-Edge and Whirlwind him away, Substitute and all, then Roost off the damage.
• Evolution Stone Dusclops takes 36.3% - 43.3% from Earthquake and can break Marowak's Substitutes with Seismic Toss and burn with Will-o-wisp to incapacitate him for the rest of the battle.
• Slowbro and Blissey make good partners for Marowak as they can spread paralysis and absorb the Water, Ice and Grass-type attacks for Marowak, though Slowbro shares a common weakness to Grass.
• As Marowak lacks recovery and his using Substitute, he will often find Wish support beneficial. Blissey is a good option because her gargantuan HP, as is Vaporeon who draws Electric attacks for Marowak to set-up on.

[SET]

name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Double-Edge
move 4: Rock Slide / Stone Edge
item: Thick Club
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[Set Comments]

• Come in on a non-damaging or electric attack and Swords Dance on the switch. Requires some prediction, but is deadly if used correctly.
• Earthquake is your primary attack, with STAB and boosts it will one or two hit KO almost anything that isn't immune to it.
• Double-Edge hits Levitators and Flying-types hard and will KO many after a boost.
• Rock Slide hits Levitating Ghosts immune to your other attacks and nails Flying-types before a boost.

[Additional Comments]

• The EVs allow Marowak to outrun 0 Spe base 85s, such as Suicune. Maximum Attack gives it 518 Attack before a boost and 1036 afterwards.
• It is recommended that Thunder Wave support is used in conjunction with this set, as it will not be out-running much otherwise.
• Rock Slide is recommended over Stone Edge on this set as it achieves the same KOs and the accuracy boost is always welcome.

[Teammates & Counters]

• Skarmory can come in on an Earthquake and Whirlwind away your boost. However it must predict correctly of risk being 2HKO'd by a +2 Rock Slide with Stealth Rock.
• Starmie can threaten to KO Marowak with its STAB attacks or Ice Beam, though this is alleviated by Thunder Wave.
• Slowbro is a good partner for Marowak as he can provide the Thunder Wave support needed and take the Ice and Water-type attack aimed at him. With Regeneration, he can come in and take hits repeatedly.
• Reliable users of entre hazards help Marowak by ensuring some 2HKOs and OHKOs.

[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Stone Edge / Substitute
move 4: Fire Punch / Thunderpunch / Substitute
item: Thick Club
ability: Rock Head
nature: Brave
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
ivs: 0 Spe

[Set Comments]

• This set fits nicely onto a Trick Room team by providing some powerful physical attacks.
• Earthquake is his powerful STAB and primary attack. Double-Edge and Stone Edge hits Levitators and Flying-types and forms the QuakeEdge combo.
• Fire Punch hits Grass-types resistant to Earthquake as well as Bronzong and Skarmory.

[Additional Comments]

• A Brave nature and 0 Spe IV allow him to 'out speed' as much as possible under Trick Room. The maximum HP and Attack EVs give him some much needed bulk and a sky high attack.
• Thunderpunch can be used over Fire Punch as it still hits Skarmory, and deals more damage to Water-types, especially Gyarados.
• Substitute provides a fail safe from powerful moves and allows him to survive longer outside of Trick Room, as without it he is a sitting duck.

[Teammates & Counters]

• Nattorei out speeds in Trick Room and deals 69.1% - 82.1% with Power Whip, but is KO'd Fire Punch or Earthquake.
• Choice Band Azumarill with Aqua Jet deals 67.3% - 80.2%, and the priority bypasses Trick Room.
• Reliable users of Trick Room such as Porygon2 and Slowbro. Porygon2 is very bulky with Evolution Stone and Recover while Slowbro resists Water and Ice and has Slack Off / Regeneration.

[Team Options]

• Marowak appreciates Thunder Wave or Trick Room support as he is very slow. Slowbro is a good option as he can provide both while resisting the Water and Ice attacks aimed at Marowak. However they share a common weakness to Grass.
• Entre Hazard support is not necessary for Marowak but is useful in guaranteeing some one and two hit KOs.
• Physical sweepers that benefit from walls being weakened or killed make good partners for Marowak as they can clean up and sweep. Roopushin is a good example as he struggles with strong physical walls and can switch in to absorb status that Marowak hates thanks to Guts. He also enjoys Thunder Wave or Trick Room support because of his low base 30 Speed.

[Optional Changes]

• Bonemerang can be used on either set over Earthquake as a way of breaking through Substitutes; however it has slightly lower accuracy. Level Ground can also be used for its interesting speed lowering affect, though the loss in power is significant.
• Marowak has many other physical options, such as Brick Break, Aerial Ace and Iron Head, but the coverage offered by each is redundant with the moves provided.
• Marowak has access to a myriad of special options such as Fire Blast, Ice Beam and Focus Blast but his Special Attack is low the damage output is lacklustre even with full investment.
• Stealth Rock is an option to support the team, however it is better left to others as Marowak is more effective attacking. Toxic can be used as a status option to further support the team.
• Belly Drum can be used to boost Marowak's attack to 2,272 with Adamant and Thick Club.

[Counters]

• Marowak has no real counters as almost nothing can take on his boosted attacks. Even max/max Impish Groudon takes 66.3%-78.2% damage from a +2 Earthquake.
• Strong priority attacks are the best way to kill Marowak, such as Azumarill's Aqua Jet.
• Choice Band Scizor can take an unboosted Earthquake and 2HKO with Bullet Punch.
• Marowak hates status, particularly burn. Burungeru can burn with Boiling Water or Will-o-wisp but can be OHKO'd by an unboosted Earthquake after Stealth Rock.
• Resttalk Gyarados can check Marowak if it lacks Thunderpunch, thanks to Intimidate, Earthquake immunity and Water STAB. However it takes 66.2% - 77.9% from a +1 (Intimidated) Double Edge, a possible KO with Stealth Rock damage.

[Dream World]

• Marowak receives Battle Armour as its Dream World ability. While helpful for preventing critical hits, in comparison to Rock Head it is fair less useful.

 

[BubaOReally?]

Marowak does not learn head smash? What a shame. that would propel his usage through the roof. Also you did not mention iron head and belly drum which are both useful.

 

[SmileZ]

Essentially after a Swords Dance he is at +4 attack (if you include Thick Club) without 50% less health. Considering that he will be hitting like a truck anyway, I don't see the point in substituting reasonable bulk for more attack when he's hitting 1000+ anyway.

Iron Head seems fairly redundant on everything but the Trick Room set and even there, the coverage is limited. I like the flinch chance but I'm not sure it's worth a slash next to moves which are filling the coverage gap anyway..

 

[am zane ok.]

May be worth a mention to have Generation IV Thunderpunch and Fire Punch for extra coverage that Double Edge doesn't provide. Obviously, Thunderpunch for the Water types that resist Earthquake (most notably Gyarados) that switch in, and still provides a super effective attack to the likely Flying switch-ins. Fire Punch is for levitating steels like Bronzong and a few Magnet Rise users, and a super effective hit on Breloom, Birijion, and Torterra (and also 2-hit KO's Tangrowth, unlike Double Edge). While it does make no use of his ability, Fire Punch will still be doing more damage to foes that are neutral to Double Edge. Also, both punches will net a super effective hit to Skarmory (who I believe will be 2-hit KO'd, disallowing it from being able to simply come in and Whirlwind you out).

The punches can also replace Stone Edge, as they hit levitating ghosts almost as hard and maintains the great neutral coverage (and raw power) of Double Edge, which also hits most Flying types hard, anyways. I'm not sure which would be better to replace for coverage. I guess it also just depends on what enemies your team is most concerned with.

-Zane

 

[Xav]

@BubaOReally?
Belly Drum is an option if you are crazy enough to try it, at +6 with Adamant your attack is 2,272. This is pretty unnecessary as after a Swords Dance and Thick Club you OHKO a lot of things. The coverage porvided by Iron Head is pretty redundant, the other moves provide all that is needed. The flinch is appealing and I will certainly give it a mention.

@SmileZ
That is exactly what I think.

@am zan ok
Water types do not resist Earthquake, and a STAB neytral Earthquake is more powerful than a x2 SE Elemental punch. IIRC, Fire/Thunderpunch does approximately 45-55% damage to 252/240 Skarmory, so it has to be careful of the 2HKO by switching into a Punch.

As you can see I am yet to finish, I will ceratinly edit Fire Punch into the Swords Dance set or additional comments, as the coverage on Bronzong is appealing.

 

[Ahhhhhh......Clefable.]

You keep mentioning how great Marowak's attack stat is when running an Adamant nature, and yet it isn't an option posted on either set. Maybe you shouldn't boast about how great it is if the nature isn't an option on his sets, or perhaps Adamant should be slashed in on the Swords Dance set.

 

[Xav]

Brave and Adamant both both boost his attack, I only said Adamant in the overview because it is the 'generic' nature used when boosting attack. I assumed that the majority of the community would be able to work out that with a Brave nature the attack stat would be the same.

It was also mentioned to show the maximum attack possible with Marowak, giving people an idea about the extent of his power.

Adamant will be slashed into the Swords Dance set, however after the boosts the difference doesn't really matter as his attack will be above 1000 anyway and Marowak needs all the speed he can get.

 

[am zane ok.]

@am zan ok
Water types do not resist Earthquake, and a STAB neytral Earthquake is more powerful than a x2 SE Elemental punch.

Lol well of course. I think I meant to say just Gyarados.

But yeah, I agree... It seems as though Fire Punch offers more relevant coverage than does Stone Edge. Not to mention that Marowak can't really handle a miss with Stone Edge, with its puny HP and SpD stats (and its typing).

-Zane

 

[Ahhhhhh......Clefable.]

Brave and Adamant both both boost his attack, I only said Adamant in the overview because it is the 'generic' nature used when boosting attack. I assumed that the majority of the community would be able to work out that with a Brave nature the attack stat would be the same.

It was also mentioned to show the maximum attack possible with Marowak, giving people an idea about the extent of his power.

Adamant will be slashed into the Swords Dance set, however after the boosts the difference doesn't really matter as his attack will be above 1000 anyway and Marowak needs all the speed he can get.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to sound ignorant. I was just being nitpicky about your wording.

 

[thatgirl]

Why Max Spe? What is he out running?

 

[Xav]

The set is meant to be used with Thunderwave support, as it said in Additional Comments. As it also said the EVs allow Marowak to outrun 0 Spe base 85s.

 

[TEA_DEMON]

It's "Thunder Wave".

Swords Dance should be slashed on the TR set imo.

 

[Saint Ashes]

• Often underrated because of low speed and reasonable 60/100/80 defenses.

Marowak has 110 base defense.

 

[Xav]

@ Tea Demon, Swords Dance is a option on the TR set, however it is often difficult to find the time to set up. A least 1 turn is wasted allowing TR to be set up then switching Marowak in, leaving few turns for Marowak to utilise TR. I will definitely get around to adding it into Additional Comments or giving it a slash into the set if testing proves it to be worthwhile.

@Saint Ashes, thanks for that, just a mistake on my part.

 

[Calm Pokemaster]

(1)You might want to mention Starmie as a counter to the SD set. Even with base 80 Spl. Def, Marowak gets OHKO'd by STAB LO boosted Hydro Pump. Of course, Thunder Wave remedies this problem.

(2)Two spelling errors on the Trick Room set, uner Additional Comments: "maximun" and "Atack". Fix those 2 mistakes.

This is looking like an excellent analysis. Good luck!

 

[Oglemi]

I played with Marowak extensively in 4th Gen and wrote the analysis that is currently on-site now, and even though I have little experience with 5th Gen, I don't see why SubWak still wouldn't be Marowak's best set.

Look here for reference.

 

[Xav]

As per Oglemi's suggestion, I have been tesing the SubWak set and found it to be very effective and have added it to the OP. I am thinking of removing the Swords Dance set, as it is difficult to set up and quite unreliable. I will begin to write this up formally soon.