[Overview]
<p>Kangaskhan is quite a unique Pokemon. While most Normal-types have their fair share of trouble with Ghost-types, Kangaskhan has the ability Scrappy, which allows it to punch the Ghosts back to where they came from. Kangaskhan also has excellent stats all-around, great defenses that allow it to take a stray hit, and a respectable base 90 Speed stat that allows it to outspeed almost all defensive threats with little investment. But it is not all smooth sailing for the ghost busting kangaroo. Kangaskhan is a jack of all trades, master of none. Its lack of resistances severely hampers its ability to switch in, and its attack is only good, not great. All in all, Kangaskhan is an excellent Pokemon that can fit in a wide variety of teams needing a physical attacker.</p>
name: Physical attacker
move1: Double-Edge / Return
move2: Drain Punch / Low Kick
move3: Earthquake
move4: Sucker Punch
item: Choice Band / Life orb
ability: Scrappy
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With its ability, Scrappy, bypassing Ghost-types' immunity to Normal-type moves, Kangaskhan makes an ideal Choice Bander. With a Choice band, it has remarkable power, able to tear most pokemon in half. The item and move choices are up to you. If you want all the power you can get, use a Choice Band whereas if you want to switch moves, Life Orb is the better option. With the moves, it once again boils down to power vs reliability. Double-Edge is useful if you want to split your opponent in two, but the recoil hampers Kangaskhan's precious bulk. Return is the more reliable option that still hits hard and has no drawbacks. Drain Punch and Earthquake are for the Rock- and Steel-types that can still take Kangaskhan's bone crushing attacks. Drain Punch's healing side effect also synergizes very well with Kangaskhan's bulk. Low Kick is also an option if you want to hit heavier opponents such as Steelix harder, but Drain Punch is usually the better option. Earthquake covers bulkier Rock- and Steel-types, hitting them harder than Drain Punch. It also gets the super effective hit on Poison-types such as Muk. Sucker Punch is a useful utility move that helps Kangaskhan become a make shift revenge killer for your team, picking off weakened opponents and set up sweepers that could pose a threat to your team.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The 4 Special Defense EVs ensure that Porygon-Z only gets an attack boost out of Download when facing Kangaskhan. Although it packs frightening power and is extremely hard to wall, Kangaskhan needs hazard support to score certain KOs. Gligar makes an excellent partner for this, as it resists Fighting-types and can set up Stealth Rock for Kangaskhan. Even though it has coverage to hit Rock- and Steel-types, it is recommended that, if you are running a Choice Band set, you should have a Pokemon to get rid of these threats, along with dedicated physical walls such as Gligar and Tangrowth to help ease Kangaskhan's sweep. Kangaskhan can use Aqua tail to beat Rhydon to the floor if you want, and is an excellent choice to defeat Ground-types as well, but Earthquake is almost always the better option. Ice punch can also be used to hit Altaria and Torterra, but a super effective Ice punch is actually weaker than a neutral Return, giving it limited use.</p>
[SET]
name: SubPunch
move1: Substitute
move2: Focus Punch
move3: Sucker Punch
move4: Return
nature: Adamant
item: Leftovers
Ability: Scrappy
nature: Adamant
evs: 212HP / 252Atk / 44Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Kangaskhan has the perfect combination of stats and moves to pull off a SubPunch set that, with proper prediction, will easily win games. The HP Evs give Kangaskhan 404 HP, which is enough to make 101 HP Substitutes; the Speed EVs allow it to outspeed minimum Speed base 95s such as Uxie. The rest is dumped into Attack to give Kangaskhan as much raw power as possible. The basic game plan is to send in Kangaskhan on something it can force out and set up a Substitute on the switch. Take note, however, that Return is slightly stronger than Focus Punch. Sucker Punch is very deadly behind a Substitute, hitting Psychic-types and faster Pokemon before they can break Kangaskhan's Substitute. Even without a Substitute, Kangaskhan can still be effective. Often the very threat of Sucker Punch against weakened foes will force the opponent out, allowing you to smack the switch-in in the face with a Focus Punch or a Return. This set has issues with dedicated physical walls, and appreciates Pokemon that can get rid of them. Pokemon such as mixed Honchkrow make excellent lures for this role.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This Kangaskhan works well with Pokemon that like to have Rock- and Steel-Type Pokemon removed from the match. Pokemon such as Swellow, Moxie Honchkrow, and Klinklang make excellent partners, as they can sweep easily once opposing Rock- and Steel-Types have been removed. An alternative EV spread of 212 HP / 120 Attack / 176 Speed with a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed base 80s and set up a Substitute on them, but Kangaskhan sorely misses the power. It is possible to run Double-Edge over Return for even more power, but it is usually unneeded.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Kangaskhan's movepool is vast, and there are many things it can do outside of these sets. A set of Fake Out, Counter, Focus Punch, and Sucker Punch could work, but it needs immense amounts of prediction to pull off. Kangaskhan gets access to Wish, and due to its high HP stat, can make an excellent WishPasser. It receives competition from Clefable, however,who has Heal Bell and Magic Guard. Yawn can be used to pseudo phaze sweepers, but Kangaskhan could simply revenge them with Sucker punch. Kangaskhan can also phaze with Circle Throw, but it is outclassed by Throh and Poliwrath at this role.</p>
[Checks and counters]
<p>The Physical attacker set is nearly impossible to wall due to a combination of power and Scrappy. Your best bet is to hit it as hard and as quickly as possible. Hariyama, Poliwrath, and Throh are perhaps the best counters to Kangashan, taking even a banded Return and being able to hit back with powerful Fighting-type attacks. Gligar, Tangrowth, and Rhydon all have no trouble walling it.The SubPunch set is relatively weak compared to the Physical Attacker set, and has trouble with dedicated physical walls. Alomomola in particular walls Kangaskhan to hell and back. Scarfed Fighting-types can revenge kill Kangaskhan, but cannot switch in on a Return.</p>
