Infernape (Slack Off)

[Optimusje]

I've been using this for a while now with good results. Decided to share it here as it deserves some love.
(Also damn bullet points not adding up properly whatever I do...)

Update: Made the set mixed, main stuff remains similar. Reworked pieces of the text, think I removed all inconsitencies with the previous version, just ditch most of the damage calcs...

Infernape

[SET]
name: Slack Off
move 1: Slack Off
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Grass Knot / Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive
evs: 64 Atk / 252 SAtk / 192 Spe

Why this set deserves to be on-site:

• Excellent stallbreaker, being able to break appart many common walls, whilst stall often relies on residual damage to wear Infernape down.

• Can serve as a lategame cleaner.

• Causes many switches, which allows Infernape to use Slack Off to recover Life Orb and entry hazard damage.

• Greatly apreciates Stealth Rock support to grab some important ko's.

• Functions similar to LO Starmie, except this isn't walled by Blissey, nor suffers from a horrid psychic typing.

Damage calc's:

Jolly Infernape Close Combat
vs. Bold Blissey : 111.2% - 131.1% OHKO
Jolly Infernape Flare Blitz
vs. Careful Skarmory : 97% - 115% OHKO with rocks
Jolly Infernape Flare Blitz
vs. Jolly Gliscor : 50.3% - 59.6% 2HKO with rocks (considering leftovers)
Jolly Infernape Flare Blitz
vs. Relaxed Forretress : 150.3% - 177.4% OHKO...
Jolly Infernape Flare Blitz
vs. Bold Rotom-H : 52.6% - 62.5% 2HKO with rocks (considering leftovers)
Jolly Infernape Flare Blitz
vs. Bold Jirachi : 79.2% - 94.1% needs some residual damage
Jolly Infernape Close Combat
vs. Relaxed Swampert : 43.4% - 51.1% 2HKO wit residual damage
Jolly Infernape Close Combat
vs. Bold Vaporeon : 47.8% - 56.5% Chance to 2HKO with Rocks
Jolly Infernape Stone Edge
vs. Impish Gyarados : 51.9% - 61.1% (resttalk). 2HKO after rocks
Jolly Infernape Stone Edge
vs. Calm Tentacruel : 40.1% - 47.3% (Thunderpunch 2hko's)
Jolly Infernape Stone Edge
vs. Rash Dragonite : 78.6% - 92.9% OHKO with rocks
Jolly Infernape Stone Edge
vs. Timid Starmie : 53.4% - 63% 2HKO, although starmie outspeeds

Jolly Infernape Close Combat
vs. Impish Hippowdon : 36% - 42.4% (physically defensive)
Jolly Infernape Close Combat
vs. Bold Suicune : 35.6% - 41.8%


Additional Comments:

• Hidden Power Electric can be used to hit Tentacruel and Gyarados harder.

Teammates and Counters:

• Pokemon that can set up Stealth Rock reliably form great partners for Infernape, netting several important KO's.

• Pokemon that can effectively neuter several bulky watersmake Infernape's job a whole lot easier. Good examples are Celebi and Shaymin with their strong grass type attacks who are also capable of taking water and ground attacks directed towards Infernape. LO Starmie also does this job decently aswell as providing excellent offensive synergy.

• Infernape is stopped in its tracks by defensive suicune as well as Vaporeon and Gyarados (when not using HP Electric). Starmie can also come in with ease and outspeed, but will still be hit hard on the switch. Tentacruel can also stop infernape in its tracks, but can sustain major damage doing so.

 

[Curtains]

Infernape is terrible with recovery. Infernape already needs all the coverage it can get to be successful. Neutral hits do a ton of damage to infernape. Once you attack and they attack you will be at very low health. Once you slack off they would have hit you hard enough to pretty much kill you.Life orb + flair blitz is basically a suicide mission.

Edit: and the calcs for most of the pokemon like tentacrewl and hippo dont matter because any smart player would straight up kill the ape right away.

 

[Optimusje]

So does starmie, your not quite seeing the point of the set. It's not ment to recover on hits, its ment to recover on predicted switches and be a disruptor to many teams that can deploy a hit and run strategy. Your not keeping your starmie in on many hits either right?

Also, I just included a lot of calcs to show what it can and what it can't do. The thing is, what it can do, it can do multiple times, unlike the usual ape. Just dont slack off on hits... slack off on switches

 

[Curtains]

So does starmie, your not quite seeing the point of the set. It's not ment to recover on hits, its ment to recover on predicted switches and be a disruptor to many teams that can deploy a hit and run strategy. Your not keeping your starmie in on many hits either right?

Also, I just included a lot of calcs to show what it can and what it can't do. The thing is, what it can do, it can do multiple times, unlike the usual ape. Just dont slack off on hits... slack off on switches

Starmie can use recover because of its defensive typing and its offensive coverage.(defensive) Starmie can switch in to heatran/infernape and recover off the damages and won't die to two fire blast if heatran is scarfed. Inferape comes in to two fire blast and has a good chance to die after rocks and lo damage.So in what cases will infernape have time to recover? Hardly ever because of its typing and defenses.

Starmie can recover because generally starmie is alot more threatening to offensive teams than infernape is and it has time to recover.Infernape with slack off tries to do to much expecially with LO damage and flair blitz damage.

 

[Optimusje]

Still, I was referring to the fact starmie can't exactly come in easy aswell.

Also, this set is ment to use a hit and run tactic and the main reason to use Slack Off is to not be worn down by entry hazards and residual damage so you can keep coming in and whack stuff hard.

 

[Seven Deadly Sins]

While this set MAY be effective, this probably isn't the best way to run it. Infernape's lower defenses and worse resistances make it much harder to heal, and as such, it REALLY shouldn't be running Flare Blitz, a move that exists only to turn its holder (and anything unfortunate enough to face it) into an unidentifiable crisp... and the fact is that after using this move once or twice, with LO recoil, recovery might not even matter!

If I was going to use this set, I would probably go the straight "classic Mixape" way with it, with a set of Close Combat / Fire Blast / Grass Knot OR Hidden Power Ice / Slack Off @ Life Orb, with your good ole' 64 Atk / 252 SAtk / 192 Spe spread. The whole thing about this set is that it's tough for Stall to effectively deal with, yet also harsh toward offense due to its high speed. Being an exclusively physical attacker brings with it all the issues that physical attackers have, of course, while being a mixed attacker gives it a lot more versatility and punch.

 

[Nosferalto]

Slack Off might come in handy when the player expects a switch to regain some HP, but if it does end up being viable, is it worth having its own set? I just think seems more logical to just make a quick mention in Optional Changes imo.

 

[Optimusje]

@ SDS: thinking this over, that might actually work better. The main reason i went with pure physical was to not split ev's and retain maximum punch, but I cant really think of much that would withstand that better then the above set. Well, except for the fact gyara walls the fuck outof you, but I suppose hp electric can work somehow. I'll change this in the OP, as it just seems better

 

[Aerodactyl Legend]

Infernape has much less bulk (and an inferior defensive typing in my opinion) than other LO sweepers with Recovery, but I think it should be mentioned in Optional Changes as well, as prediction somewhat remedies that issue.

 

[Seven Deadly Sins]

@Optimusje: Or you can just switch to something else, or you can... not care? Grass Knot does a fuckton to it anyway, hitting for 120 BP, and as you probably know, +2 LO Fire Blast can OHKO Gyarados after SR anyway, and that's only 90 BP, so you should have no problems 2HKOing with Grass Knot, or really just hitting it as it switches in, then going to something else and forcing it out while letting SR take its toll on it.

 

[apologies]

i've used this set before, i would just put a slash for it in the physical mixape set since that's where i used it (over uturn)

 

[panamaxis]

I'd rather just give Slack Off a mention in the AC for mixape as it's not really different enough to warrant a new set, but I'll see what other QCers think...

 

[merlinnerd922]

Wow, I never even knew that Infernape had access to instant recovery...

 

[Itchni]

I highly recommend that you consider apologies suggestion and go for a physically based mixape. With the extra power that close combat has, you shouldn't have problems with bulky waters (remember you usually can't OHKO them but a 2HKO on most is highly likely, so hit them with a close combat on the switch) Hell, vaporeon is hit even harder. stone edge takes care of gyarados better than grass knot does. U-turn is mostly for easy damage early game and for starmie switchins and slack off may be a better option depending on your team. Stone edge also carries the benefit of hitting most opponents that HP Ice would hard with a few exceptions.

Overheat does damage similar to fire blast with higher accuracy and you usually won't have to fireblast twice in a row with your main attack being close combat. Infernape will switch a lot so you wont find yourself hindered by it's stat drops.

 

[The Grand Babido]

i have used slack off before, and i feel it honestly only deserves ac at best.

 

[locopoke]

I once used 252 hp / 252 speed with WoW / Slack Off / Flamethrower / Vacuum Wave. It's a pretty nifty set that worked okay for me. You can also use Fire Punch and Mach Punch as your two moves with Jolly over Timid.

 

[Megan_Fox]

Slack Off looks like an ok option to me, but it should definitely get an OC mention at the very least. Best case scenario, itll get a slash on special and physical mixape but im not sure it warrants that, i guess i can test it out too. However, like others, im leaning toward an AC mention though.

 

[Moo]

Hmm, Looks like a good option, but its really all about prediction.

I've been thinking about how to improve Mix ape and i thought of Slack Off like LO Starmie. Then I thought of HP Electric to hit Gyarados, since Gyara is the poke to counter Ape on pretty much every stall team (correct me if im wrong but i cant see any stall-poke that walls Ape like gyara) I think it'd help break stall teams apart.
Thoughts?

 

[Marcurcio]

I'd have to agree with almost everybody above me and say that this doesn't seem that viable of a set. It could be useful, but defiantly doesn't deserve a set to itself, but an ac mention could work.

 

[apologies]

i do think this is being underestimated. ill try and get some logs (no ladder but i can just play decent people on cap)

 

[Kevin Garrett]

I'd rather just give Slack Off a mention in the AC for mixape as it's not really different enough to warrant a new set, but I'll see what other QCers think...

Yeah, I think this would be the best course of action. Slack Off can be good on Infernape, but it is so frail that finding a spot to use it safely does not come by much. Even apparently safe situations when it's up against something like Blissey can be risky if they happen to stay in and inflict paralysis or poison on you.

 

[ARandomDude]

I ran Slack Ape at one point, I basically never used it and often found myself wanting more coverage :S. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Megan_Fox]

Ok, i propose that Slack Off gets an AC mention in both the physically and specially based Infernape sets. Anyone else in qc have something else in mind?

 

[panamaxis]

sounds good to me.

 

[Setsuna]

I'll take care of the rest.
Thanks for bringing up this idea.