Plusle and Minun ripoffs smh
Overview
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Basculin's ability, Adaptability, grants it a large boost to its Water-type attacks, most notably Aqua Jet. Basculin also has decent Speed, allowing it to outrun a good number of Pokemon. Its access to Zen Headbutt and Superpower lets it work around a lot of threats that resist Water-type moves, making it trickier to switch into than most other physical Water-types. However, Basculin is very frail, and its power is fairly average due to the relatively low power of its attacks, which really shows when hitting targets that are only hit neutrally by them. Its lack of a boosting move also holds it back, especially when compared to other physical Water-types that can augment their power with boosting moves, such as Feraligatr, Barbaracle, Kabutops, and Floatzel.
All-Out Attacker
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name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Zen Headbutt
move 4: Superpower
ability: Adaptability
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Waterfall is Basculin's most reliable attack, as it deals a good damage and ocassionally flinches the target. Aqua Jet serves as priority and is especially useful for revenge killing faster Fire-types and Archeops, cleanly OHKOing the latter when Basculin holds a Choice Band. Zen Headbutt is very useful for nailing Pokemon that resist Water-type moves such as Vileplume, Qwilfish, Poliwrath, and Dragalge hard on the switch. Superpower allows Basculin to hit Ferroseed super effectively, while also hitting generally bulky Pokemon such as Lickilicky, Klinklang, and Barbaracle for super effective damage. Superpower is also Basculin's strongest attack against opposing Water-types.
Set Details
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Maximum Attack and Speed investment with a Jolly nature grants Basculin as much offensive potential as possible. When uninvested, Basculin's HP is an optimal Life Orb number, meaning it would be a waste to invest the leftover EVs in HP; as such, the remaining EVs are placed into Defense to allow Basculin to take priority moves better. An Adamant nature can be used for more power, but using it would allow everything faster than Jolly Sawk, including Jynx, Rotom, Primeape, Leafeon, Electivire, and Chatot, to outspeed Basculin. If one does decide to choose Adamant, Aqua Tail can be considered for the main attack, as Adamant Aqua Tail hits substantially harder than Jolly Waterfall, offsetting the loss in Speed.
Usage Tips
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Basculin is a very straightforward Pokemon to use: it should just get in safely and do as much damage as possible. Basculin can be used to punch holes in the opposing team with its powerful Water-type STAB moves and hit Pokemon that resist Water-type moves with the appropriate coverage move. Aqua Jet allows Basculin to revenge kill or clean up. Try not to let Basculin get hit with any attacks, even resisted ones, as it is very frail.
Team Options
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Basculin really appreciates having powerful wallbreakers such as Magmortar, Sawk, Mesprit, and Zangoose as teammates, as they deal enough damage to the opponent's bulkier Pokemon for Basculin to clean up. Entry hazards help Basculin achieve more KOs, for example, a layer of Spikes grants Basculin a good chance to 2HKO Vileplume and Gurdurr with Zen Headbutt, while Stealth Rock allows Basculin to OHKO all of NU's fast Fire-types with a Life Orb-boosted Aqua Jet. Ferroseed makes for an amazing partner, as it can set up entry hazards and it resists both of Basculin's weaknesses, while Basculin can do away with the Fire-types that threaten Ferroseed; meanwhile, Crustle, Accelgor, and Qwilfish can lay down multiple entry hazards in quick succession.
Volt Switch and U-turn can be used to get Basculin into battle safely; Probopass has a slow Volt Switch which allows Basculin to enter battle without taking damage, while Swellow and Scyther lure out Rock- and Steel-types for Basculin to threaten. Basculin is very vulnerable to status, so either a cleric, such as Vileplume or Granbull, or a status absorber, such as a RestTalk Pokemon, should be used to cover Basculin.
Other Options
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Don't consider Basculin's other abilities, as Adaptability is the biggest reason to use Basculin over the faster and otherwise stronger Floatzel. Splash Plate is an option over Life Orb, but Basculin's coverage moves do not get boosted and become much weaker as a result. Final Gambit is an interesting move, but Basculin's HP is far too low to use it effectively, and the move is rendered even less effective if Life Orb is held; however, it is Basculin's best option other than Hidden Power Grass against Seismitoad. Basculin can use a special set to take advantage of the special moves it has access to, as most have higher Base Power than Basculin's physical moves, however, Simipour and rain sweepers such as Ludicolo and Gorebyss far outclass it as a special attacker. A mixed set with Ice Beam allows Basculin to target its usual counters such as Vileplume and Tangela, but the power difference caused by the split in offensive investment required for an effective mixed set can be pretty noticeable. Crunch is Basculin's best attack to hit Gourgeist, Frillish and Shedinja with, but the latter two are irrelevant, while the former can easily burn Basculin anyway. Double-Edge is a more consistent attack than Superpower to hit opposing Water-types with, but Basculin really should not be engaging them one-on-one in the first place. Taunt can stop foes from using status or healing moves, but it has little room on Basculin's moveset, and its poor defenses mean it will get pummeled if it tries to use it.
Checks & Counters
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**Grass-types**: Bulky Grass-types such as Gourgeist, Ludicolo, Leafeon, Meganium, and Tangela are excellent stops to Basculin, as they can tank its attacks and fire back with super effective STAB moves. However, Vileplume and Ferroseed need to be wary of getting hit by Basculin's coverage moves on the switch.
**Water-types**: Most Water-types, including Lanturn, Seismitoad, Mantine, and Pelipper, are good answers to Basculin, the former three can very easily deal more damage than Basculin and the latter can use Roost to heal off all damage. Qwilfish and Poliwrath only really have to worry about Zen Headbutt, but otherwise they can retaliate with status or their STAB moves. Barbaracle and Carracosta can tank anything but Superpower and use the opportunity to boost and overwhelm Basculin.
**Physically Bulky Tanks**: Gurdurr, Granbull, Carracosta, Vileplume, and Torterra can tank a hit or two from Basculin and retaliate for huge damage. Some bulky Pokemon don't even need to hit hard in order to stop Basculin, for example, Pokemon such as Weezing and Avalugg can already hurt Basculin due to its poor defenses.
**Faster Pokemon**: As long as a Pokemon is faster than Basculin, does not have a Water weakness, and has a good amount of health, Basculin is checked by it. Basculin's Speed tier is good, but still low enough to allow a myriad of offensive threats to outspeed it. Sceptile and Swift Swim Ludicolo not only resist Aqua Jet, but also can replenish any health lost from a last-ditch Aqua Jet with Giga Drain.
**Status**: Basculin's only good qualities are its Attack and Speed stats, meaning if it gets burned or paralyzed it is rendered useless in an instant. Status users such as Gourgeist, Granbull, Miltank, Weezing, and Vileplume can be consistent pains for Basculin, especially Vileplume due to its ability to passively status Basculin upon contact with Effect Spore.
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