NU Barbaracle [QC 3/3] [GP 2/2]

ashiemore

stardust heart
is a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
QC: Dat Blast / Montsegur / Soulgazer
GP: Winry. / frenzyplant


Overview
########

Barbaracle can become a fearsome sweeper due to its access to Shell Smash, one of the best boosting moves in the game, and its decent Speed and bulk, which let it set up and sweep in situations where other Shell Smash users, such as Crustle and Carracosta, cannot. In addition, Barbaracle's movepool contains some nice coverage moves, which let it break through Pokemon that would otherwise counter it. However, if Barbaracle's Lum Berry is gone, any kind of status will cripple it and stop its sweep, and its bulk, while good, is nowhere near enough to take hits from the powerful attackers in the tier. It is also vulnerable to almost all priority users in NU after Shell Smash lowers its defenses. Last but not least, Barbaracle's one-dimensionality and reliance on either inaccurate or weak STAB moves can be a hindrance. However, if you use it correctly, Barbaracle should have no trouble sweeping through weakened or unprepared teams.

Shell Smash Sweeper
########
name: Shell Smash Sweeper
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Razor Shell
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Cross Chop
ability: Tough Claws
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Shell Smash is the main reason to use Barbaracle, as it increases its Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats by two stages each, allowing it to outspeed most of the metagame. Razor Shell is Barbaracle's primary STAB move because it is boosted by Tough Claws, making it more powerful than Stone Edge. Stone Edge is less accurate than Razor Shell but is very useful to hit Pokemon that resist Water, such as Ludicolo and Exeggutor. Cross Chop, despite its poor accuracy, is important for hitting Normal- and Steel-types such as Audino, Ferroseed, and Klinklang. For the last moveslot, Grass Knot and X-Scissor are two other options; Grass Knot is an excellent lure for Water-types such as Seismitoad, while X-Scissor hits Grass-types such as Exeggutor and Tangela. In addition, both moves are boosted by Tough Claws.

Set Details
========

In order to prevent the effects of crippling status moves such as Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp, Lum Berry is the preferred item. Life Orb, on the other hand, gives Barbaracle a significant power boost, allowing it to secure KOs on certain Pokemon. Tough Claws is the only ability that should be considered: it gives a nice boost to Razor Shell and Cross Chop, and Sniper and Pickpocket are too luck-based and situational, respectively. Attack and Speed EVs are maxed out in order for Barbaracle to hit as fast and hard as possible. Jolly is the best nature for this set, as it lets Barbaracle outspeed Choice Scarf users with base 95 Speed or more. An Adamant nature is another option for more power, but Jolly is nearly always preferred.

Usage Tips
========

Barbaracle should be brought in on something that cannot status or heavily damage it, such as a Pokemon Choice-locked into a resisted move. It should not, however, be brought in before the opponent's walls are weakened, as otherwise, it has a much lower chance of sweeping. Shell Smash should always be used first. After setting up, proceed to attack with Razor Shell or a coverage move.

Team Options
========

As with all offensive Pokemon, Barbaracle appreciates the presence of entry hazards to weaken the opposing Pokemon. Stealth Rock guarantees that Barbaracle will OHKO 4 HP Mesprit and Feraligatr with +2 Stone Edge, while Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes allow it to OHKO specially defensive Seismitoad 100% of the time. Ferroseed, Crustle, and Qwilfish are all good Stealth Rock and Spikes users. Pokemon that can easily KO Barbaracle's counters or set up on them, as well as those that can punch holes in the opponent's team, are much appreciated to make it easier to sweep late-game. Magmortar and Sceptile are two good partners, as they can come in on Grass-types and Water-types, respectively, and either get a free attack off or, in Sceptile's case, set up a Substitute. Other strong special attackers, such as Typhlosion, Accelgor and Samurott are also important for eliminating physically defensive Pokemon that ruin Barbaracle. Bulky Grass-types such as Gourgeist and Tangela are great counters to Barbaracle but can also act as good teammates because they can counter Water-types that give Barbaracle trouble.

Other Options
########

Barbaracle does not have very many other options. A Shell Smash set with more HP and less Speed investment could be used to take more hits after setting up, but it would be outclassed by bulkier Shell Smash users such as Carracosta. White Herb is a decent item choice to restore Barbaracle's defenses after it lowers them with Shell Smash, but Lum Berry or Life Orb is usually preferred for the protection from status and the extra power, respectively. Barbaracle's movepool contains alternative coverage moves such as Earthquake, which hits Poison-types such as Garbodor and Qwilfish harder, and Poison Jab, which hits Grass-types slightly harder. Despite this coverage, they are situational and generally should not be used over the listed moves.

Checks & Counters
########

**Water-types**: Water-types, Seismitoad and Poliwrath in particular, can take all of Barbaracle's moves barring Grass Knot and severely damage or KO it in return. Qwilfish is physically bulky and has Intimidate to take a few hits from Barbaracle, but it lacks the super effective STAB moves the other two have.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types, such as Vileplume, Gourgeist, and Tangela, have enough bulk to take a Stone Edge or even a X-Scissor and can easily OHKO Barbaracle with their 4x super effective STAB moves. This is compounded by the fact that Barbaracle's most commonly used move is Razor Shell, meaning these Pokemon can easily switch in and deal damage.

**Physical Walls**: Physically bulky Pokemon such as Granbull can take a boosted hit from Barbaracle and severely weaken or KO it. If Barbaracle's Lum Berry is gone, they can also threaten it with status, as it cannot sweep when burned, poisoned, or paralyzed.

**Gurdurr**: Eviolite Gurdurr can take all of Barbaracle's moves at +2 and easily OHKO it with Drain Punch. It can also take a Razor Shell after switching into Stone Edge or entry hazards once as well.

**Priority**: Common priority moves in the tier, such as Sucker Punch and Mach Punch, can take out Barbaracle once it has lowered its defenses with Shell Smash. Pawniard and Kangaskhan are two good Sucker Punch users, while Gurdurr is an excellent Mach Punch user.
 
Last edited:

Blast

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[Overview]
  • I don't think mentioning its weaknesses is necessary. Barba outspeeds everything that can hit it SE after a boost (except like Scarf Raichu lol) and you obviously shouldn't be trying to set up on them.
  • I would add in that there's a lot of priority in the tier which is annoying for Barba given the amount of damage usually taken while setting up.
[Set]
  • Jolly is the only nature, no exceptions. Outspeeding Scarf 95s+ is too important. Put Adamant in Set Details.
  • I'd also get rid of White Herb for Lum Berry instead. White Herb isn't really that great because factoring in damage taken while setting up, the bulk isn't really that useful after you boost as priority will usually kill you anyway. Lum is better for setting up on non-Foul Play Tomb and random TWavers like Uxie and Audino.
[Usage Tips]
  • Remove the last point as Lum is a main option now.
[Other Options]
  • Mention Grass Knot as a strong lure for Seismitoad; with Tough Claws even a Jolly Grass Knot OHKOes at +2.
[Checks and Counters]
  • This area needs some work. You need to list: defensive Water-types (primarily Seismitoad and Poliwrath), defensive Grass-types (think Gourgeist, Tangela, Plume, etc), add Gurdurr should be given a specific mention as it takes even a +2 LO Razor Shell and can retaliate with Drain Punch. Keep the priority mention, and remove status because Lum.
 

Ares

Fool me...can't get fooled again
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In the overview a mention of how it relies on powerful yet inaccurate moves or weak and accurate moves to sweep, as a minus
Grass knot and X-Scissor might be pushed up to being mentioned in moves, because they take out some pretty big checks/counters to Barbaracle that Crosschop (seems like only really Ferroseed is the main thing this hits) does not (maybe even a slash). Other QC's opinions on this?
Under team options list some spike stackers or rockers like ferroseed or Crustle
In C&C take out your first line of, "Despite being very difficult to switch into after a Shell Smash (especially with Life Orb), Barbaracle can be checked in quite a few ways" it isnt needed as thats what C&C means
Change this, "Other Pokemon with high physical bulk such as Granbull can take a boosted hit from Barbaracle and severely weak or KO it" to **Physical Walls** Like Granbull...
Change this, "If it is weakened somewhat, Barbaracle can be taken out with priority moves such as Gurdurr's Mach Punch and Spiritomb's Sucker Punch" to **Priority** like sucker punch and mach punch...
 
mention specific Pokemon that you want to lure, and give more examples in team options. Also mention specific pokemon you get KOs on with entry hazard support, because every Pokemon ever appreciates hazard support in some way.

ashiemore ill stamp this once these are worked out
 

Blast

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There's still one mention of Spiritomb in the first point of TO

White Herb in OO. Also if there's anything notable that EQ / Night Slash / PJab hit you should list them otherwise there's really no point.

QC 1/3 ashiemore
 

Ares

Fool me...can't get fooled again
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Mention that grass knot gets boosted by tough claws like 95% sure it does.

Still need to remove a mention of tomb.

QC 2/3
 

Punchshroom

FISHIOUS REND MEGA SHARPEDO
is a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributor
Actually, Tough Claws Razor Shell is just as strong as Stone Edge, as well as being more accurate, making it Barbaracle's main sweeping move. Razor Shell should be listed before Stone Edge, and mention that Stone Edge should only be used against Water-type resists.

in C&C, mention that physical walls such as Granbull and Weezing threaten Barbaracle with status (not necessarily with damage).

In Overview, remove the point about it having 105 Base Attack since it can be seen in the Dex anyway. Also just mention that Barbaracle is slow (and not weak) before setup, because Tough Claws boosted moves still pack a punch.
 

Ares

Fool me...can't get fooled again
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Hey ashie, in write up please make sure to beef up C&C, try to have at least 2-3 lines of description. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.
 

Weebl

Hey!
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Hey ashie, (I would do "@ashiemore" to tag you, but you're # now in scavs hehe) here's an amcheck.

Overview
########

With access to Shell Smash, one of the best boosting moves in the game, Barbaracle can become a fearsome sweeper. Barbaracle's decent sSpeed and bulk also let it set up and sweep in situations where other Shell Smash users, such as Crustle and Carracosta, wcould not have the ability to. In addition to that, Barbaracle's movepool contains some nice useful coverage moves, which lets it break through Pokemon that would otherwise counter it. However, if Barbaracle is not without its flaws. If it's Lum Berry is gone, any kind of status will cripple it and stop its sweep, and its bulk, while good, is nowhere near enough to take hits from the powerful attackers ofin the tier. It is also vulnerable to almost all priority users in NU after lowering its defenses. Last but not least, Barbaracle's one-dimensionality and reliance on either inaccurate or weak STAB moves can be a hindrance at times. However, if you use it correctly, Barbaracle should have no trouble sweeping through weakened or unprepared teams.

Shell Smash Sweeper
########
name: Shell Smash Sweeper
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Razor Shell
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Cross Chop (You should include Grass Knot and X-Scissor here, if it's so important.)
ability: Tough Claws
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Shell Smash is the main reason to use Barbaracle, as it doublincreases its Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats by two letstages each, allowing it to outspeed most of the metagame. Razor Shell is Barbaracle's primary STAB move, as it is boosted by Tough Claws to be, making more powerful than Stone Edge. Stone Edge is less accurate than Razor Shell, but is very useful to hit Pokemon that resist Water. Cross Chop, despite its poor accuracy, is important for hitting Normal- and Steel-type Pokemons such as Audino, Ferroseed, and Klinklang. For the last moveslot, Grass Knot and X-Scissor are two other possible movesoptions (Not mentioned in the moveset); Grass Knot is an excellent lure for Water-types such as Seismitoad, while X-Scissor hits Grass-types such as Exeggutor and Tangela. In addition, both moves are further boosted by Tough Claws

Set Details
========

In order to prevent crippling status moves such as Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp, Lum Berry is the preferred item. Life Orb, on the other hand, gives Barbaracle a significant power boost, allowing it to secure KOs on certain Pokemon. Tough Claws is the only ability that should be considered; it gives a nice boost to Razor Shell and Cross Chop, while Sniper and Pickpocket are too luck-based and situational, respectively. Attack and Speed EVs are maxed out in order to hitbe as fast and to hit as hard as possible. Jolly is the best nature for this set, as it lets Barbaracle outspeed Choice Scarf users with base 95 Speed or more. (Perhaps you could give some examples of these base 95s.) Adamant is another possible nature choiceoption, but Jolly is nearly always preferred.

Usage Tips
========

Barbaracle should be brought in on something that cannot status it or damage it majorheavily, such as a Pokemon cChoice-locked into an ineffective resisted move. It should not, however, be brought in before the opponent's walls are weakened, as otherwis givese, it has a much bettlower chance of sweeping. Shell Smash should always be used first to raise Barbaracle's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats by two stages each. After setting up, proceed to attack with Razor Shell or a coverage move.

Team Options
========

As with all offensive Pokemon, Barbaracle appreciates the presence of entry hazards to weaken the opposing Pokemon. Stealth Rock guarantees that Barbaracle will OHKO 4 HP Mesprit and Feraligatr with a +2 Stone Edge, while Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes allows it to OHKO specially defensive Seismitoad 100% of the time. Ferroseed, Crustle, and Qwilfish are all good Pokemon that can utilize Stealth Rock and Spikes users. Pokemon that can easily KO Barbaracle's counters or set up on them, as well as those who can punch holes in the opponent's team, are much appreciated to make it easier to sweep late -game. (Add Hyphen) Magmortar and Sceptile are two good partners, as they can come in on Grass-types and Water-types, respectively, and either get a free attack off or, in Sceptile's case, set up a Substitute in Sceptile's case. Other strong special attackers such as Typhlosion, Accelgor and Samurott are also important tofor eliminateing physically defensive Pokemon that ruin Barbaracle. Bulky Grass-types such as Gourgeist and Tangela are great counters forto Barbaracle, but can also act as good teammates, due to the fact that because they can counter Water-types that give Barbaracle trouble.

Other Options
########
Barbaracle does not have very much in terms ofany other options. A Shell Smash set with more HP and less Speed investment could be used to take more hits after setting up, but it iswould be outclassed by other, (RC) bulkier Shell Smash users, such as Carracosta. White Herb is a decent item choice to restore Barbaracle's defenses after it lowers them with Shell Smash, but Lum Berry is usually preferred for the protection from status, or Life Orb for the extra power. Barbaracle's movepool does contain some alternative coverage moves such as Earthquake, which hits Poison-types such as Garbodor and Qwilfish harder, and Poison Jab, which hits Grass-types slightly harder. Despite this, both of them are situational, and most oftgenerally should not be used over the listed moves.

Checks & Counters
########

**Water-types** Water-types, Seismitoad and Poliwrath in particular, can take all of Barbaracle's moves barring Grass Knot and KO or severely damage it in return. Qwilfish also has goodis physically bulky and has Intimidate to, so it can take a few hits from Barbaracle, but lacks the super effective STAB moves the other two have.

**Grass-types** Grass-types, such as Vileplume, Gourgeist, and Tangela, have enough bulk to take a Stone Edge or even X-Scissor and can easily OHKO Barbaracle with their 4x super effective STAB moves. This is compounded by the fact that Barbaracle's most commonly used move is Razor Shell, meaning these Pokemon will not have a hard time switching in and dealing damage.

**Physical Walls** Other Pokemon with high pPhysically bulky Pokemon such as Granbull can take a boosted hit from Barbaracle and severely weaken or KO it. If itBarbaracle's Lum Berry has already been consumed is gone (It could have been Knocked Off), they can also threaten it with status as well; it cannot sweep when afflicted with Will-O-Wisp, Toxic, or Thunder Waveburned, poisoned, or paralyzed.

**Gurdurr** Eviolite Gurdurr gets a special mention, as it can take all of Barbaracle's moves at +2 and easily OHKO with Drain Punch. It can also take the said Razor Shell after switching into Stone Edge or hazards once as well.

**Priority** Common Ppriority moves in the tier, such as Sucker Punch and Mach Punch, can take outKO Barbaracle once it has lowered its defenses with Shell Smash. Pawniard and Kangaskhan are two good users of Sucker Punch users, while the aforementioned Gurdurr is an excellent user of Mach Punch user.
 
Last edited:

Winry

Super Graduate-Level Napper
is a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
GP 1/2 ashiemore
Overview
########

With Barbaracle can become a fearsome sweeper due to its access to Shell Smash, one of the best boosting moves in the game, Barbaracle can become a fearsome sweeper. Barbaracle's and its decent Speed and bulk that let it set up and sweep in situations where other Shell Smash users, such as Crustle and Carracosta, could not. In addition, Barbaracle's movepool contains some nice coverage moves, which let it break through Pokemon that would otherwise counter it. However, if Barbaracle's Lum Berry is gone, any kind of status will cripple it and stop its sweep, and its bulk, while good, is nowhere near enough to take hits from the powerful attackers in the tier. It is also vulnerable to almost all priority users in NU after lowering its defenses. Last but not least, Barbaracle's one-dimensionality and reliance on either inaccurate or weak STAB moves can be a hindrance. However, if you use it correctly, Barbaracle should have no trouble sweeping through weakened or unprepared teams.

Shell Smash Sweeper
########
name: Shell Smash Sweeper
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Razor Shell
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Cross Chop
ability: Tough Claws
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Shell Smash is the main reason to use Barbaracle, as it increases its Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats by two stages each, allowing it to outspeed most of the metagame. Razor Shell is Barbaracle's primary STAB move, as it is boosted by Tough Claws, making it more powerful than Stone Edge. Stone Edge is less accurate than Razor Shell, but is very useful to hit Pokemon that resist Water. Cross Chop, despite its poor accuracy, is important for hitting Normal- and Steel-types such as Audino, Ferroseed, and Klinklang. For the last moveslot, Grass Knot and X-Scissor are two other options; Grass Knot is an excellent lure for Water-types such as Seismitoad, while X-Scissor hits Grass-types such as Exeggutor and Tangela. In addition, both moves are boosted by Tough Claws

Set Details
========

In order to prevent crippling status moves such as Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp, Lum Berry is the preferred item. Life Orb, on the other hand, gives Barbaracle a significant power boost, allowing it to secure KOs on certain Pokemon. Tough Claws is the only ability that should be considered; it gives a nice boost to Razor Shell and Cross Chop, while Sniper and Pickpocket are too luck-based and situational, (AC) respectively. Attack and Speed EVs are maxed out in order to be as fast and for Barbaracle to hit as fast and as hard as possible. Jolly is the best nature for this set, as it lets Barbaracle outspeed Choice Scarf users with base 95 Speed or more. Adamant is another option for more power, but Jolly is nearly always preferred.

Usage Tips
========

Barbaracle should be brought in on something that cannot status it or damage it heavily, such as a Pokemon Choice-locked into a resisted move. It should not, however, be brought in before the opponent's walls are weakened, as otherwise, it has a much lower chance of sweeping. Shell Smash should always be used first to raise Barbaracle's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats (add space) by two stages each. After setting up, proceed to attack with Razor Shell or a coverage move.

Team Options
========

As with all offensive Pokemon, Barbaracle appreciates the presence of entry hazards to weaken the opposing Pokemon. Stealth Rock guarantees that Barbaracle will OHKO 4 HP Mesprit and Feraligatr with a +2 Stone Edge, while Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes allows it to OHKO specially defensive Seismitoad 100% of the time. Ferroseed, Crustle, and Qwilfish are all good Stealth Rock and Spikes users. Pokemon that can easily KO Barbaracle's counters or set up on them, as well as those who can punch holes in the opponent's team, are much appreciated to make it easier to sweep late-game. Magmortar and Sceptile are two good partners, as they can come in on Grass-types and Water-types, (AC) respectively, (AC) and either get a free attack off or, in Sceptile's case, set up a Substitute. Other strong special attackers such as Typhlosion, Accelgor and Samurott are also important for eliminating physically defensive Pokemon that ruin Barbaracle. Bulky Grass-types such as Gourgeist and Tangela are great counters to Barbaracle, (AC) but can also act as good teammates, (RC) because they can counter Water-types that give Barbaracle trouble.

Other Options
########

Barbaracle does not have very many other options. A Shell Smash set with more HP and less Speed investment could be used to take more hits after setting up, but it would be outclassed by other bulkier Shell Smash users such as Carracosta. White Herb is a decent item choice to restore Barbaracle's defenses after it lowers them with Shell Smash, but Lum Berry is usually preferred for the protection from status or Life Orb for the extra power. Barbaracle's movepool contains alternative coverage moves such as Earthquake, which hits Poison-types such as Garbodor and Qwilfish harder, (AC) and Poison Jab, which hits Grass-types slightly harder. (period) Despite this, both of them are situational, (RC) and generally should not be used over the listed moves.

Checks & Counters
########

**Water-types** Water-types, Seismitoad and Poliwrath in particular, can take all of Barbaracle's moves barring Grass Knot and KO or severely damage it in return. Qwilfish is physically bulky and has Intimidate to take a few hits from Barbaracle, but lacks the super effective STAB moves the other two have.

**Grass-types** Grass-types, such as Vileplume, Gourgeist, and Tangela, have enough bulk to take a Stone Edge or even a X-Scissor and can easily OHKO Barbaracle with their 4x super effective STAB moves. This is compounded by the fact that Barbaracle's most commonly used move is Razor Shell, meaning these Pokemon will not have a hard time switching in and dealing damage.

**Physical Walls** Physically bulky Pokemon such as Granbull can take a boosted hit from Barbaracle and severely weaken or KO it. If Barbaracle's Lum Berry his gone, they can also threaten it with status; it cannot sweep when burned, poisoned, or paralyzed.

**Gurdurr** Eviolite Gurdurr gets a special mention, as it can take all of Barbaracle's moves at +2 and easily OHKO with Drain Punch. It can also take Razor Shell after switching into Stone Edge or entry hazards once as well.

**Priority** Common priority moves in the tier, such as Sucker Punch and Mach Punch, can take out Barbaracle once it has lowered its defenses with Shell Smash. Pawniard and Kangaskhan are two good Sucker Punch users, while Gurdurr is an excellent Mach Punch user.
 
Last edited:

tehy

Banned deucer.
Amcheck

Comments when i wake, hopefully

Overview
########

Barbaracle can become a fearsome sweeper due to its access to Shell Smash, one of the best boosting moves in the game, and its decent Speed and bulk that let it set up and sweep in situations where other Shell Smash users, such as Crustle and Carracosta, could not. In addition, Barbaracle's movepool contains some nice coverage moves, which let it break through Pokemon that would otherwise counter it. However, if Barbaracle's Lum Berry is gone, any kind of status will cripple it and stop its sweep, and its bulk, while good, is nowhere near enough to take hits from the powerful attackers in the tier. It is also vulnerable to almost all priority users in NU after lowering its defenses. Last but not least, Barbaracle's one-dimensionality and reliance on either inaccurate or weak STAB moves can be a hindrance. However, if you use it correctly, Barbaracle should have no trouble sweeping through weakened or unprepared teams.

Shell Smash Sweeper
########
name: Shell Smash Sweeper
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Razor Shell
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Cross Chop
ability: Tough Claws
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Shell Smash is the main reason to use Barbaracle, as it increases its Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats by two stages each, allowing it to outspeed most of the metagame. Razor Shell is Barbaracle's primary STAB move, as it is boosted by Tough Claws, making it more powerful than Stone Edge. Stone Edge is less accurate than Razor Shell, but is very useful to hit Pokemon that resist Water. Cross Chop, despite its poor accuracy, is important for hitting Normal- and Steel-types such as Audino, Ferroseed, and Klinklang. For the last moveslot, Grass Knot and X-Scissor are two other options; Grass Knot is an excellent lure for Water-types such as Seismitoad, while X-Scissor hits Grass-types such as Exeggutor and Tangela.; Inboth caddition, bothe mused over Cross Chop and receive the boosted byfrom Tough Claws.

Set Details
========

In order to prevent crippling status from moves such as Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp, Lum Berry is the preferred item. Life Orb, on the other hand, gives Barbaracle a significant power boost, allowing it to secure KOs on certain Pokemon. Tough Claws is the only ability that should be considered;, as it gives a nice boost to Razor Shell and Cryoss Chop, while Snipeur and Pickpockvet are too luck-basged and situatimonal, rvespectively. Attack and Speed EVs are maxed out in order for Barbaracle to hit as fast and as hard as possible. Jolly is the best nature for this set, as it lets Barbaracle outspeed Choice Scarf users with base 95 Speed or more.; Adamant is another option for more power, but Jolly is nearly always preferred.

Usage Tips
========

Barbaracle should be brought in on something that cannot status it or damage it, such as a Pokemon Choice-locked into a resisted move. It should not, however, be brought in before the opponent's walls are weakened, as otherwise, it has a much lower chance of sweeping. Shell Smash should always be used first to raise Barbaracle's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats by two stages each. After setting up, proceed to attack with Razor Shell or a coverage move.

Team Options
========

As with all offensive Pokemon, Barbaracle appreciates the presence of entry hazards to weaken the opposing Pokemon. Stealth Rock guarantees that Barbaracle will OHKO 4 HP Mesprit and Feraligatr with a +2 Stone Edge, while Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes allows it to OHKO specially defensive Seismitoad 100% of the time. Ferroseed, Crustle, and Qwilfish are all good Stealth Rock and Spikes users. Pokemon that can easily KO Barbaracle's counters or set up on them, as well as those who can punch holes in the opponent's team, are much appreciated to make it easier to sweep late-game. Magmortar and Sceptile are two good partners, as they can come in on Grass-types and Water-types, respectively, and either get a free attack off or, in Sceptile's case, set up a Substitute. Other strong special attackers such as Typhlosion, Accelgor and Samurott are also important for eliminating physically defensive Pokemon that ruin Barbaracle. Bulky Grass-types such as Gourgeist and Tangela are great counters to Barbaracle, but can also act as good teammates because they can counter Water-types that give Barbaracle trouble.

Other Options
########

Barbaracle does not have very many other options. A Shell Smash set with more HP and less Speed investment could be used to take more hits after setting up, but it would be outclassed by other bulkier Shell Smash users such as Carracosta. White Herb is a decent item choice to restore Barbaracle's defenses after it lowers them with Shell Smash, but Lum Berry is usually preferred for the protection from status or Life Orb for the extra power. Barbaracle's movepool contains alternative coverage moves such as Earthquake, which hits Poison-types such as Garbodor and Qwilfish harder, and Poison Jab, which hits Grass-types slightly harder. Despite, buthis, both of themse are situational and generally should not be used over the listed moves.

Checks & Counters
########

**Water-types** Water-types, Seismitoad and Poliwrath in particular, can take all of Barbaracle's moves barring Grass Knot and KO or severely damage it in return. Qwilfish is physically bulky and has Intimidate to take a few hits from Barbaracle, but lacks the super effective STAB moves the other two have.

**Grass-types** Grass-types, such as Vileplume, Gourgeist, and Tangela, have enough bulk to take a Stone Edge or even an X-Scissor and can easily OHKO Barbaracle with their 4x super effective STAB moves. This is compounded by the fact that Barbaracle's most commonly used moveattack is Razor Shell, meaning these Pokemon will not have a hcard timen switching in and dealsing damagely.

**Physical Walls** Physically bulky Pokemon such as Granbull can take a boosted hit from Barbaracle and severely weaken or KO it. If Barbaracle's Lum Berry his gone, they can also threaten it with status;, as it cannot sweep when burned, poisoned, or paralyzed.

**Gurdurr** Eviolite Gurdurr gets a special mention, as it can take all of Barbaracle's moves at +2 and easily OHKO with Drain Punch. It can also, take Razor Shvelln after switching into Stone Edge or entry hazards once as well.

**Priority** Common priority moves in the tier, such as Sucker Punch and Mach Punch, can take out Barbaracle once it has lowered its defenses with Shell Smash. Pawniard and Kangaskhan are two good Sucker Punch users, while Gurdurr is an excellent Mach Punch user.
 

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Overview
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Barbaracle can become a fearsome sweeper due to its access to Shell Smash, one of the best boosting moves in the game, and its decent Speed and bulk, which that let it set up and sweep in situations where other Shell Smash users, such as Crustle and Carracosta, could cannot. In addition, Barbaracle's movepool contains some nice coverage moves, which let it break through Pokemon that would otherwise counter it. However, if Barbaracle's Lum Berry is gone, any kind of status will cripple it and stop its sweep, and its bulk, while good, is nowhere near enough to take hits from the powerful attackers in the tier. It is also vulnerable to almost all priority users in NU after Shell Smash lowers lowering its defenses. Last but not least, Barbaracle's one-dimensionality and reliance on either inaccurate or weak STAB moves can be a hindrance. However, if you use it correctly, Barbaracle should have no trouble sweeping through weakened or unprepared teams.

Shell Smash Sweeper
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name: Shell Smash Sweeper
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Razor Shell
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Cross Chop
ability: Tough Claws
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Shell Smash is the main reason to use Barbaracle, as it increases its Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats by two stages each, allowing it to outspeed most of the metagame. Razor Shell is Barbaracle's primary STAB move, as because it is boosted by Tough Claws, making it more powerful than Stone Edge. Stone Edge is less accurate than Razor Shell, (remove comma) but is very useful to hit Pokemon that resist Water, such as (examples). Cross Chop, despite its poor accuracy, is important for hitting Normal- and Steel-types such as Audino, Ferroseed, and Klinklang. For the last moveslot, Grass Knot and X-Scissor are two other options; Grass Knot is an excellent lure for Water-types such as Seismitoad, while X-Scissor hits Grass-types such as Exeggutor and Tangela. In addition, both moves are boosted by Tough Claws. (period)

Set Details
========

In order to prevent the effects of crippling status moves such as Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp, Lum Berry is the preferred item. Life Orb, on the other hand, gives Barbaracle a significant power boost, allowing it to secure KOs on certain Pokemon. Tough Claws is the only ability that should be considered: (semicolon to colon) it gives a nice boost to Razor Shell and Cross Chop, while and Sniper and Pickpocket are too luck-based and situational, respectively. Attack and Speed EVs are maxed out in order for Barbaracle to hit as fast and as hard as possible. Jolly is the best nature for this set, as it lets Barbaracle outspeed Choice Scarf users with base 95 Speed or less more. (do not make this change if it's factually incorrect) An Adamant nature is another option for more power, but Jolly is nearly always preferred.

Usage Tips
========

Barbaracle should be brought in on something that cannot status it or heavily damage it, such as a Pokemon Choice-locked into a resisted move. It should not, however, be brought in before the opponent's walls are weakened, as otherwise, it has a much lower chance of sweeping. Shell Smash should always be used first to raise Barbaracle's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats by two stages each. After setting up, proceed to attack with Razor Shell or a coverage move.

Team Options
========

As with all offensive Pokemon, Barbaracle appreciates the presence of entry hazards to weaken the opposing Pokemon. Stealth Rock guarantees that Barbaracle will OHKO 4 HP Mesprit and Feraligatr with a +2 Stone Edge, while Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes allows it to OHKO specially defensive Seismitoad 100% of the time. Ferroseed, Crustle, and Qwilfish are all good Stealth Rock and Spikes users. Pokemon that can easily KO Barbaracle's counters or set up on them, as well as those who that can punch holes in the opponent's team, are much appreciated to make it easier to sweep late-game. Magmortar and Sceptile are two good partners, as they can come in on Grass-types and Water-types, respectively, and either get a free attack off or, in Sceptile's case, set up a Substitute. Other strong special attackers, (comma) such as Typhlosion, Accelgor and Samurott, (comma) are also important for eliminating physically defensive Pokemon that ruin Barbaracle. Bulky Grass-types such as Gourgeist and Tangela are great counters to Barbaracle, (remove comma) but can also act as good teammates because they can counter Water-types that give Barbaracle trouble.

Other Options
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Barbaracle does not have very many other options. A Shell Smash set with more HP and less Speed investment could be used to take more hits after setting up, but it would be outclassed by other bulkier Shell Smash users such as Carracosta. White Herb is a decent item choice to restore Barbaracle's defenses after it lowers them with Shell Smash, but Lum Berry or Life Orb is usually preferred for the protection from status or Life Orb for and the extra power, respectively. Barbaracle's movepool contains alternative coverage moves such as Earthquake, which hits Poison-types such as Garbodor and Qwilfish harder, and Poison Jab, which hits Grass-types slightly harder. Despite this coverage, they both of them are situational and generally should not be used over the listed moves.

Checks & Counters
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(colons after every item)
**Water-types**: Water-types, Seismitoad and Poliwrath in particular, can take all of Barbaracle's moves barring Grass Knot and KO or severely damage or KO it in return. Qwilfish is physically bulky and has Intimidate to take a few hits from Barbaracle, but it lacks the super effective STAB moves the other two have.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types, such as Vileplume, Gourgeist, and Tangela, have enough bulk to take a Stone Edge or even a X-Scissor and can easily OHKO Barbaracle with their 4x super effective STAB moves. This is compounded by the fact that Barbaracle's most commonly used move is Razor Shell, meaning these Pokemon can easily will not have a hard time switching in and dealing damage.

**Physical Walls**: Physically bulky Pokemon such as Granbull can take a boosted hit from Barbaracle and severely weaken or KO it. If Barbaracle's Lum Berry is gone, they can also threaten it with status, as it cannot sweep when burned, poisoned, or paralyzed.

**Gurdurr**: Eviolite Gurdurr gets a special mention, as it can take all of Barbaracle's moves at +2 and easily OHKO it with Drain Punch. It can also take a Razor Shell after switching into Stone Edge or entry hazards once as well.

**Priority**: Common priority moves in the tier, such as Sucker Punch and Mach Punch, can take out Barbaracle once it has lowered its defenses with Shell Smash. Pawniard and Kangaskhan are two good Sucker Punch users, while Gurdurr is an excellent Mach Punch user.
 
this will likely need a SR set added soon, but im uploading this so we have some barbaracle content on site
 

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