Durant
[Overview]
<p>Despite its small size, Durant is a major powerhouse. A base 109 Attack stat coupled with Hustle gives Durant a stat over 500 right away, leaving many Pokemon to walk cautiously when it enters the field. Durant was also blessed with Hone Claws, which helps it patch up the loss of accuracy Hustle causes; Hone Claws also raises Durant's Attack stat in the process, giving it an Attack of over 700 after just one boost making it even fiercer. Durant does not only hit hard, but it also hits fast. A blazing base 109 Speed stat leaves base 105 Speed Pokemon, as well as Cobalion and Galvantula, in the dust as Durant it plows through the opposition. Durant was also blessed with a good typing. A Steel typing gives Durant good resistances, especially useful when coupled with a base 112 Defense stat, while a Bug typing gives it a great STAB; the two combined gives Durant only one weakness to Fire-type moves. However, it's not all roses for this little ant. Durant has utterly awful special stats, meaning it can't even take a resisted special move well at all, while it can't use any special move itself. Durant's shallow physical movepool does not make things better for it either, as it's best answer to Steel-types is Dig while it's left with four decent moves to use: X-Scissor, Iron Head, Stone Edge, and Rock Slide. However, Hustle coupled with fantastic offensive stats, Hone Claws, and good typing makes Durant a dangerous threat to deal with.</p>
[SET]
name: Hone Claws
move 1: Hone Claws
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 4: Iron Head
item: Life Ord / Leftovers
ability: Hustle
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Hits ridiculously hard. Reaches 712 Attack with one boost.
- X-Scissor for that STAB. Hits the many Psychic and Grass-types hard.
- Stone Edge nails those pesky Fire- and Flying-types. Rock Slide for reliability.
- Iron Head for secondary STAB, covers the Nidos, Gligar, and Rhyperior as well. Nice flinch rate.
- Substitute helps setting up.
- Life Orb for more power, Leftovers give more surviability.
- Entry hazard helps for bringing down bulkier opponents such as Milotic and Suicune.
- Nidoqueen, Roserade, Froslass are all useful.
- Durant needs help against Steel-types.
- Magneton can trap most of them, while Slowbro can take care of Cobalion. Steelix is destroyed by Chandelure. Victini is also helpful.
- Specially Defensive monsters like Snorlax and Porygon2 helps a lot. They take care of Chandelure and Houndoom with ease.
- If it lacks Iron Head, Pokemon such as Krookodile, Suicune, and Roserade helps. Even at +1, Nidoqueen is only 2HKOed at best and has Flamethrower, so packing something to take care of it is nice, even if it has Iron Head. Gligar is even worse.
name: Choice Band
move 1: X-scissor
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Thunder Fang
item: Choice Band
ability: Hustle
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Hits hard right from the start, but doesn't patch up the accuracy drop.
- X-scissor for that main STAB.
- Rock Slide for Fire- and Flying-types.
- Iron Head for those Pokemon who resist its other two moves.
- Thunder Fang for bulky Water-types.
- Baton Pass for switching.
- Entry hazard helps for bringing down bulkier opponents such as Milotic and Suicune.
- Nidoqueen, Roserade, Froslass are all useful.
- Houndoom, Arcanine, and Chandelure can absorb incoming Fire-type moves.
- Snorlax and Porygon2 can take various special attacks.
- Something to cover Nidoqueen and Gligar is nice. Suicune or Kingdra for example.
- Not much else to use.
- Dig is its only move against Steel-types. And unreliable on top of that.
- Various physical moves such as Aerial Ace, Crunch, Shadow Claw, but none provides any useful or extra coverage.
- Thunder Wave and Toxic can be used on either set.
- Rock Polish to outspeed everything.
- Victini outspeeds with Choice Scarf and easily KOes with V-create.
- Several other Fire-types can take care of Durant by using either Choice Scarf or come in an resisted move.
- Gligar is problem as it has access to Roost and a great physical defense.
- Nidoqueen can survive a +1 Iron Head and OHKO with Flamethrower with ease.
- Suicune can KO a weakened Durant with Scald or possibly burn it. It can also pray for a miss from the Choice Band set or come in on a resited Iron Head.
- Registeel and Cobalion have no trouble coming in and set up on Durant.
- Pretty much any faster special attacker such as Azelf can easily KO Durant aiming at its awful Special Defense.
- Durant receives Truant as its Dream World ability. Don't use it. It is one of, if not the worst ability in the game, and Hustle is what makes Durant so strong.
