[OVERVIEW]
Mamoswine is a great check to many common Pokemon, including Dragon-types such as Garchomp and Mega Salamence, both of which are 4x weak to Ice; Steel-types such as Heatran; and Electric-types such as Thundurus and Zapdos. Its Ground / Ice STAB combination in is very hard to switch into in general because it hits many Pokemon at least neutrally. Most Ice-types are severely hindered by their typing, but Mamoswine can make good use of its Ground / Ice typing along with Thick Fat, offsetting its Fire weakness and Ice neutrality and giving it an immunity and resistance to the famous BoltBeam combination that many Electric-types carry. Mamoswine also has other useful moves, such as the always-handy Stealth Rock as well as Fissure to deal with defensive Pokemon it can't break through otherwise. Mamoswine is also very versatile. If your opponent predicts the wrong set, it can potentially cost them the game. One of Mamoswine's biggest downsides is its mediocre Speed, leaving it outsped by Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X and Y, Mega Kangaskhan, and Gengar. Mamoswine also has very common hard counters such as Cresselia, Rotom-W, and Suicune. These Pokemon can freely switch into Mamoswine, and there's not much it can do to punish them.
[SET]
name: Focus Sash
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Icicle Spear / Endeavor / Fissure
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Focus Sash
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Mamoswine's strongest STAB move and hits many common Pokemon super effectively, such as Aegislash and Mega Gengar. Ice Shard is a fantastic move for picking off weakened foes that would outspeed Mamoswine otherwise. Icicle Spear is very useful for breaking through Substitute and Focus Sash, giving Mamoswine an edge over other Focus Sash leads such as Breloom and Garchomp. Stealth Rock is useful for getting some chip damage on Pokemon, and with Focus Sash, Mamoswine can reliably set it if you need it to. Endeavor is a nice option to heavily cripple something after Mamoswine has been brought down to its Focus Sash. Fissure can be used to deal with some defensive Pokemon that are tough for Mamoswine to break through, and although the low accuracy might seem like a big risk, Focus Sash guarantees it'll have at least two attempts to hit, which is about a 50% chance.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed investment is preferred, as with Focus Sash investing in bulk isn't necessary. Maximum Speed is important to ensure Mamoswine outspeeds Breloom and takes it out with Icicle Spear. Focus Sash makes Mamoswine a great lead and revenge killer, able to take big hits and retaliate with its own. Thick Fat increases Mamoswine's defensive capabilities, helping it take the popular BoltBeam combination often used on Pokemon such as Thundurus and Zapdos.
Usage Tips
========
Mamoswine is a very nice lead thanks to Focus Sash and can reliably set up Stealth Rock if necessary. With Focus Sash, dealing with Mamoswine is rather troublesome, as it can survive most hits and attack back with its strong STAB and priority moves. Common leads for Mamoswine to take on include Garchomp and Breloom, though Icicle Spear won't be able to KO Breloom with only two hits. However, since Mamoswine is such a common lead, leading with something to beat Mamoswine checks can be an effective way to punish your opponent. It also works as a good revenge killer, and it does especially well against common sweepers such as Mega Salamence, Garchomp, and Blaziken. It can survive strong attacks and attempt to OHKO back or 2HKO with help from Ice Shard. Mamoswine also works great as a Thundurus check, as it is able to switch into Thunder Wave and other common attacks from Thundurus. Pokemon that are terrified of Talonflame appreciate having the Stealth Rock that Mamoswine can provide. Serperior, for example, has an easy time with Talonflame weakened or taken out and can deal with Rotom-W for Mamoswine.
Team Options
========
Mamoswine's reliability as a Stealth Rock setter and Thundurus check makes it a beneficial teammate for setup sweepers. Most setup sweepers really appreciate the chip damage from Stealth Rock and Mamoswine's ability to switch into Thunder Wave fairly easily. Pokemon such as Mega Salamence, Mega Charizard X, and Blaziken all appreciate having Mamoswine on their team. Thundurus can deal with bulky Water-types that Mamoswine often struggles with and can also provide Thunder Wave support to make up for Mamoswine's below-average Speed tier. Talonflame appreciates Mamoswine as a teammate because it can deal with Pokemon that often give Talonflame trouble, such as Thundurus, Garchomp, and Landorus-T.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Icicle Spear
move 4: Fissure / Knock Off / Rock Tomb
item: Assault Vest
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 44 HP / 156 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD / 52 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is a strong and consistent STAB move. Ice Shard offers priority, which makes up for this set's minimal Speed investment and is very useful for picking off faster, weakened foes. Icicle Spear is useful for breaking through Substitute and Focus Sash and hits many common Pokemon super effectively, such as Garchomp, Thundurus, and Mega Salamence. Fissure helps Mamoswine break through defensive Pokemon such as Suicune and Porygon2. With Assault Vest Mamoswine can withstand a lot of attacks, providing a lot of turns to attempt to hit Fissure. Knock Off is a nice option for removing items such as Sitrus Berry to prevent recovery and crippling Pokemon relying on items such as Eviolite and Choice Scarf. Rock Tomb can be useful for hitting Talonflame, which can wall Mamoswine quite well otherwise. It also lowers Speed, which can be especially nice when you predict something faster to switch in.
Set Details
========
An Adamant nature is used so that Mamoswine still has a good offensive presence. The HP EVs minimize residual damage. Maximum Special Defense investment is used to increase the utility of Assault Vest as much as possible. The Speed investment is enough for Mamoswine to outspeed most Suicune variants. The remaining EVs are all put into Attack to increase Mamoswine's damage output. Assault Vest, most importantly, helps Mamoswine take on Electric-types such as Thundurus very well. It's also very nice against other special attackers such as Porygon2, Aegislash, and Heatran.
Usage Tips
========
Mamoswine works as a great answer to Thundurus, as it is immune to Thunderbolt and resists Hidden Power Ice, Thundurus's most common moves. The only moves it has to watch out for are Focus Blast and Grass Knot, but thanks to Assault Vest, it can survive both. Mamoswine can take on a lot of defensive Pokemon very well with Fissure. Assault Vest allows Mamoswine to take a lot of attacks from Pokemon such as Porygon2 and even defensive Suicune, granting it more turns to attempt to hit Fissure. It can revenge kill a good number of Pokemon in the metagame thanks to its nice STAB coverage, such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, Raikou, and weakened Aegislash. Mamoswine can switch in against most special attackers, but its physical bulk isn't very impressive and thus it shouldn't switch directly in to most physical attacks.
Team Options
========
Mamoswine is a nice partner for Mega Salamence, as it can consistently switch into Thundurus thanks to the Special Defense boost from Assault Vest. With Assault Vest, Mamoswine can often deal with Pokemon that would normally take it on easily, such as Suicune and Porygon2, and removing them via Fissure at them is very beneficial to offensive Pokemon such as Blaziken, Mega Kangaskhan and Talonflame. Suicune appreciates Mamoswine's ability to consistently switch into Electric-types, and if holding a Rocky Helmet, Suicune can handle Mega Kangaskhan, which Mamoswine normally struggles against. Serperior can deal with Water-types such as Rotom-W that Mamoswine struggles with and can paralyze fast threats so Mamoswine can outspeed them. Mamoswine also handles Thundurus well, making things much easier for Serperior. Mega Gengar can trap and beat some Pokemon that threaten Mamoswine such as Mega Kangaskhan and Cresselia.
[SET]
name: Rocky Helmet
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Stealth Rock / Knock Off
move 4: Toxic / Icicle Spear / Fissure / Rock Tomb
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is a strong and consistent STAB move, and it's useful for hitting Pokemon such as Mega Gengar and Heatran super effectively. Ice Shard gives Mamoswine priority, helping to make up for the low Speed investment, and hits many Pokemon super effectively, such as Thundurus and Mega Salamence. Stealth Rock helps get chip damage and breaks Focus Sash. With the bulk on this set, Mamoswine can often set Stealth Rock reliably. Toxic helps wear down many of Mamoswine's common switch-ins such as Cresselia and Rotom-W. Icicle Spear is a nice option if you want a stronger Ice STAB move. Knock Off offers nice utility in taking out the foe's item which will often be crucial to their game plan. Rock Tomb allows Mamoswine to hit Talonflame, and the Speed drops might be useful. Fissure helps Mamoswine take out some defensive Pokemon that aren't bothered as much by Toxic, such as Rest Suicune and Chansey with Natural Cure.
Set Details
========
An Impish nature with maximum investment in HP and Defense is used to take on strong attackers like Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence. Maximum investment is needed to ensure the best chance of surviving a Double-Edge from +1 Mega Salamence. Rocky Helmet allows Mamoswine get a lot of damage on Mega Kangaskhan because of Parental Bond and other Pokemon with recoil moves such as Blaziken, Mega Salamence, and Talonflame. Thick Fat helps Mamoswine easily take Ice-type attacks, making it a very consistent switch-in to Electric-types such as Thundurus.
Usage Tips
========
If you need a Pokemon that can deal with physical attackers like Mega Salamence and Kangaskhan but also need a Thundurus check, Rocky Helmet Mamoswine is a good option. Mamoswine can withstand Fake Out and Double Edge from Mega Kangaskhan and take it out with Earthquake after Rocky Helmet damage. However, Mamoswine often should not be switched directly into Kangaskhan because it can be 2HKOed. Mamoswine should come into Kangaskhan on a free switch if possible. It can be used to switch into Thundurus, so that teammates such as Mega Salamence and Blaziken aren't crippled by Thunder Wave. Mamoswine can also be used as a dedicated counter to Garchomp and Landorus-T, being able to take their hits and dish out 4x super effective damage back.
Team Options
========
Blaziken especially appreciates bulky Mamoswine as a partner. With the defensive investment, Mamoswine can take on some big checks to Blaziken such as Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, and Thundurus. Mamoswine also lures in Cresselia and can wear it down with Toxic, making it easier for Blaziken to deal with. Stealth Rock support is also very beneficial for getting chip damage and breaking Focus Sash to up a successful sweep for Blaziken. Mega Salamence appreciates Mamoswine's ability to take on Thundurus and wear down Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Cresselia with Toxic. Thundurus is a nice teammate to deal with bulky Water-types such as Suicune that Mamoswine has trouble dealing with. Mamoswine can also deal with Choice Scarf Ground-types such as Garchomp and Landorus-T, both of which can can threaten Thundurus with Stone Edge.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Icicle Spear / Icicle Crash
move 3: Superpower / Rock Slide
move 4: Fissure / Knock Off / Ice Shard
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is a strong and reliable STAB move, and it can be used to OHKO Mega Gengar. It also hits other common Pokemon such as Aegislash and Heatran super effectively. Icicle Spear is useful for breaking Focus Sash and Substitutes. Icicle Crash can be used instead if you want a more consistent damage output; it also has a nice flinch chance, which is especially useful with Choice Scarf boosting Mamoswine's Speed. Superpower offers nice coverage on Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Mega Kangaskhan, and other Mamoswine. Alternatively, Rock Slide OHKOes Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y, which are hard for Mamoswine to take on otherwise. Fissure can be used when you predict defensive Pokemon such as Porygon2 and Suicune to switch in. It can also be used as a last-resort attack in a pinch. Knock Off can be used as it offers nice utility, removing your foe's item. Ice Shard can be useful in situations against priority users.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment is important to outspeed Mega Gengar and Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T. The remaining EVs are used in Attack to allow Mamoswine to do as much damage as possible. Choice Scarf allows Mamoswine to outspeed many Pokemon it wouldn't otherwise, such as Mega Gengar, Serperior, Thundurus, and Greninja, to name a few. Thick Fat gives Mamoswine a resistance to Ice, which is especially valuable when taking on Thundurus.
Usage Tips
========
With Choice Scarf, Mamoswine is a good surprise revenge killer against Pokemon such as Mega Gengar and Garchomp. It is a great answer to Thundurus and can outspeed variants carrying Focus Blast that might expect to outspeed and KO it. This set is less bulky than other variants and doesn't have Focus Sash to make up for that, so it should be very wary when switching into most Pokemon. Hiding the fact that Mamoswine is carrying Choice Scarf can help gain an advantage, as can bringing in Mamoswine against naturally slower Pokemon such as Breloom and then surprising your opponent by outspeeding a faster Pokemon later in the game.
Team Options
========
Mamoswine works well on teams that are quite slow and need something fast to outspeed most of the metagame, and it's an especially good choice if you need something to deal with Pokemon such as Thundurus, Garchomp, and Mega Salamence. Thundurus is a good partner to help deal with bulky Water-types that Mamoswine will struggle with. Mega Salamence appreciates Mamoswine's ability to switch into Thundurus and outspeed and OHKO it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Life Orb makes Mamoswine much stronger and helps it pick up more KOs, most notably on Aegislash. Choice Band can make Mamoswine a lot stronger, but one of Mamoswine's best features is its STAB combination that covers a lot of the metagame, so being locked into one attack often is not preferred. Lum Berry can help Mamoswine deal with burns, and this is especially useful against Mega Gengar. Freeze-Dry can be used to hit some Water-types, most notably Gyarados, Rotom-W, Slowbro, and Swampert. However, in order to deal a respectable amount of damage, you must run Life Orb with 36 Special Attack EVs to allow Mamoswine to 2HKO Rotom-W and Slowbro. Freeze-Dry hits Swampert for 4x super effective damage and prevents it from setting Stealth Rock.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Cresselia**: Cresselia is immune to Earthquake and bulky enough to take on Mamoswine's other attacks. It can easily wear Mamoswine down and use Moonlight to restore off any damage taken. Toxic is the only way Mamoswine has a chance to beat Cresselia.
**Bulky Water-types**: Water-types such as Suicune, Mega Slowbro, Gyarados, and Azumarill are all bulky enough to take on Mamoswine's attacks and fire back with their super effective STAB moves. Scald is especially threatening because of its chance to burn.
**Mega Heracross**: Mega Heracross is bulky enough to take on Mamoswine and can OHKO back with Bullet Seed, even through Focus Sash.
**Rotom Formes**: Rotom-W and Rotom-H are both immune to Ground and resist Ice, making them great counters to Mamoswine. They can threaten with super effective attacks or Will-O-Wisp to lower Mamoswine's Attack.
**Talonflame**: Talonflame can outspeed and burn Mamoswine, leaving it near useless. It can use Roost to recover off any damage Mamoswine might have done. Without a Rock-type move, it's very difficult for Mamoswine to beat it, as Mamoswine needs to correctly predict Roost with Earthquake.
**Ferrothorn**: Ferrothorn only fears the rare Superpower from Mamoswine, and it can easily take any other attack and OHKO back with Gyro Ball.
**Skarmory**: Skarmory walls Mamoswine very well and can freely start setting up entry hazards against it or take it out with Iron Head.
**Mega Scizor**: Mega Scizor takes little from Mamoswine's attacks, can use Mamoswine as setup fodder, and threatens it with Bullet Punch.
**Mega Kangaskhan**: Mega Kangaskhan outspeeds non-Choice Scarf variants and can OHKO most Mamoswine even through Focus Sash. However, Kangaskhan has to watch out for Rocky Helmet sets.
**Gengar**: Gengar can burn Mamoswine with Will-O-Wisp, heavily crippling it. Gengar can also wait before Mega Evolving against Mamoswine in order to avoid super effective damage from Earthquake.
Mamoswine is a great check to many common Pokemon, including Dragon-types such as Garchomp and Mega Salamence, both of which are 4x weak to Ice; Steel-types such as Heatran; and Electric-types such as Thundurus and Zapdos. Its Ground / Ice STAB combination in is very hard to switch into in general because it hits many Pokemon at least neutrally. Most Ice-types are severely hindered by their typing, but Mamoswine can make good use of its Ground / Ice typing along with Thick Fat, offsetting its Fire weakness and Ice neutrality and giving it an immunity and resistance to the famous BoltBeam combination that many Electric-types carry. Mamoswine also has other useful moves, such as the always-handy Stealth Rock as well as Fissure to deal with defensive Pokemon it can't break through otherwise. Mamoswine is also very versatile. If your opponent predicts the wrong set, it can potentially cost them the game. One of Mamoswine's biggest downsides is its mediocre Speed, leaving it outsped by Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X and Y, Mega Kangaskhan, and Gengar. Mamoswine also has very common hard counters such as Cresselia, Rotom-W, and Suicune. These Pokemon can freely switch into Mamoswine, and there's not much it can do to punish them.
[SET]
name: Focus Sash
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Icicle Spear / Endeavor / Fissure
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Focus Sash
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Mamoswine's strongest STAB move and hits many common Pokemon super effectively, such as Aegislash and Mega Gengar. Ice Shard is a fantastic move for picking off weakened foes that would outspeed Mamoswine otherwise. Icicle Spear is very useful for breaking through Substitute and Focus Sash, giving Mamoswine an edge over other Focus Sash leads such as Breloom and Garchomp. Stealth Rock is useful for getting some chip damage on Pokemon, and with Focus Sash, Mamoswine can reliably set it if you need it to. Endeavor is a nice option to heavily cripple something after Mamoswine has been brought down to its Focus Sash. Fissure can be used to deal with some defensive Pokemon that are tough for Mamoswine to break through, and although the low accuracy might seem like a big risk, Focus Sash guarantees it'll have at least two attempts to hit, which is about a 50% chance.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed investment is preferred, as with Focus Sash investing in bulk isn't necessary. Maximum Speed is important to ensure Mamoswine outspeeds Breloom and takes it out with Icicle Spear. Focus Sash makes Mamoswine a great lead and revenge killer, able to take big hits and retaliate with its own. Thick Fat increases Mamoswine's defensive capabilities, helping it take the popular BoltBeam combination often used on Pokemon such as Thundurus and Zapdos.
Usage Tips
========
Mamoswine is a very nice lead thanks to Focus Sash and can reliably set up Stealth Rock if necessary. With Focus Sash, dealing with Mamoswine is rather troublesome, as it can survive most hits and attack back with its strong STAB and priority moves. Common leads for Mamoswine to take on include Garchomp and Breloom, though Icicle Spear won't be able to KO Breloom with only two hits. However, since Mamoswine is such a common lead, leading with something to beat Mamoswine checks can be an effective way to punish your opponent. It also works as a good revenge killer, and it does especially well against common sweepers such as Mega Salamence, Garchomp, and Blaziken. It can survive strong attacks and attempt to OHKO back or 2HKO with help from Ice Shard. Mamoswine also works great as a Thundurus check, as it is able to switch into Thunder Wave and other common attacks from Thundurus. Pokemon that are terrified of Talonflame appreciate having the Stealth Rock that Mamoswine can provide. Serperior, for example, has an easy time with Talonflame weakened or taken out and can deal with Rotom-W for Mamoswine.
Team Options
========
Mamoswine's reliability as a Stealth Rock setter and Thundurus check makes it a beneficial teammate for setup sweepers. Most setup sweepers really appreciate the chip damage from Stealth Rock and Mamoswine's ability to switch into Thunder Wave fairly easily. Pokemon such as Mega Salamence, Mega Charizard X, and Blaziken all appreciate having Mamoswine on their team. Thundurus can deal with bulky Water-types that Mamoswine often struggles with and can also provide Thunder Wave support to make up for Mamoswine's below-average Speed tier. Talonflame appreciates Mamoswine as a teammate because it can deal with Pokemon that often give Talonflame trouble, such as Thundurus, Garchomp, and Landorus-T.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Icicle Spear
move 4: Fissure / Knock Off / Rock Tomb
item: Assault Vest
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 44 HP / 156 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD / 52 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is a strong and consistent STAB move. Ice Shard offers priority, which makes up for this set's minimal Speed investment and is very useful for picking off faster, weakened foes. Icicle Spear is useful for breaking through Substitute and Focus Sash and hits many common Pokemon super effectively, such as Garchomp, Thundurus, and Mega Salamence. Fissure helps Mamoswine break through defensive Pokemon such as Suicune and Porygon2. With Assault Vest Mamoswine can withstand a lot of attacks, providing a lot of turns to attempt to hit Fissure. Knock Off is a nice option for removing items such as Sitrus Berry to prevent recovery and crippling Pokemon relying on items such as Eviolite and Choice Scarf. Rock Tomb can be useful for hitting Talonflame, which can wall Mamoswine quite well otherwise. It also lowers Speed, which can be especially nice when you predict something faster to switch in.
Set Details
========
An Adamant nature is used so that Mamoswine still has a good offensive presence. The HP EVs minimize residual damage. Maximum Special Defense investment is used to increase the utility of Assault Vest as much as possible. The Speed investment is enough for Mamoswine to outspeed most Suicune variants. The remaining EVs are all put into Attack to increase Mamoswine's damage output. Assault Vest, most importantly, helps Mamoswine take on Electric-types such as Thundurus very well. It's also very nice against other special attackers such as Porygon2, Aegislash, and Heatran.
Usage Tips
========
Mamoswine works as a great answer to Thundurus, as it is immune to Thunderbolt and resists Hidden Power Ice, Thundurus's most common moves. The only moves it has to watch out for are Focus Blast and Grass Knot, but thanks to Assault Vest, it can survive both. Mamoswine can take on a lot of defensive Pokemon very well with Fissure. Assault Vest allows Mamoswine to take a lot of attacks from Pokemon such as Porygon2 and even defensive Suicune, granting it more turns to attempt to hit Fissure. It can revenge kill a good number of Pokemon in the metagame thanks to its nice STAB coverage, such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, Raikou, and weakened Aegislash. Mamoswine can switch in against most special attackers, but its physical bulk isn't very impressive and thus it shouldn't switch directly in to most physical attacks.
Team Options
========
Mamoswine is a nice partner for Mega Salamence, as it can consistently switch into Thundurus thanks to the Special Defense boost from Assault Vest. With Assault Vest, Mamoswine can often deal with Pokemon that would normally take it on easily, such as Suicune and Porygon2, and removing them via Fissure at them is very beneficial to offensive Pokemon such as Blaziken, Mega Kangaskhan and Talonflame. Suicune appreciates Mamoswine's ability to consistently switch into Electric-types, and if holding a Rocky Helmet, Suicune can handle Mega Kangaskhan, which Mamoswine normally struggles against. Serperior can deal with Water-types such as Rotom-W that Mamoswine struggles with and can paralyze fast threats so Mamoswine can outspeed them. Mamoswine also handles Thundurus well, making things much easier for Serperior. Mega Gengar can trap and beat some Pokemon that threaten Mamoswine such as Mega Kangaskhan and Cresselia.
[SET]
name: Rocky Helmet
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Stealth Rock / Knock Off
move 4: Toxic / Icicle Spear / Fissure / Rock Tomb
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is a strong and consistent STAB move, and it's useful for hitting Pokemon such as Mega Gengar and Heatran super effectively. Ice Shard gives Mamoswine priority, helping to make up for the low Speed investment, and hits many Pokemon super effectively, such as Thundurus and Mega Salamence. Stealth Rock helps get chip damage and breaks Focus Sash. With the bulk on this set, Mamoswine can often set Stealth Rock reliably. Toxic helps wear down many of Mamoswine's common switch-ins such as Cresselia and Rotom-W. Icicle Spear is a nice option if you want a stronger Ice STAB move. Knock Off offers nice utility in taking out the foe's item which will often be crucial to their game plan. Rock Tomb allows Mamoswine to hit Talonflame, and the Speed drops might be useful. Fissure helps Mamoswine take out some defensive Pokemon that aren't bothered as much by Toxic, such as Rest Suicune and Chansey with Natural Cure.
Set Details
========
An Impish nature with maximum investment in HP and Defense is used to take on strong attackers like Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence. Maximum investment is needed to ensure the best chance of surviving a Double-Edge from +1 Mega Salamence. Rocky Helmet allows Mamoswine get a lot of damage on Mega Kangaskhan because of Parental Bond and other Pokemon with recoil moves such as Blaziken, Mega Salamence, and Talonflame. Thick Fat helps Mamoswine easily take Ice-type attacks, making it a very consistent switch-in to Electric-types such as Thundurus.
Usage Tips
========
If you need a Pokemon that can deal with physical attackers like Mega Salamence and Kangaskhan but also need a Thundurus check, Rocky Helmet Mamoswine is a good option. Mamoswine can withstand Fake Out and Double Edge from Mega Kangaskhan and take it out with Earthquake after Rocky Helmet damage. However, Mamoswine often should not be switched directly into Kangaskhan because it can be 2HKOed. Mamoswine should come into Kangaskhan on a free switch if possible. It can be used to switch into Thundurus, so that teammates such as Mega Salamence and Blaziken aren't crippled by Thunder Wave. Mamoswine can also be used as a dedicated counter to Garchomp and Landorus-T, being able to take their hits and dish out 4x super effective damage back.
Team Options
========
Blaziken especially appreciates bulky Mamoswine as a partner. With the defensive investment, Mamoswine can take on some big checks to Blaziken such as Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, and Thundurus. Mamoswine also lures in Cresselia and can wear it down with Toxic, making it easier for Blaziken to deal with. Stealth Rock support is also very beneficial for getting chip damage and breaking Focus Sash to up a successful sweep for Blaziken. Mega Salamence appreciates Mamoswine's ability to take on Thundurus and wear down Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Cresselia with Toxic. Thundurus is a nice teammate to deal with bulky Water-types such as Suicune that Mamoswine has trouble dealing with. Mamoswine can also deal with Choice Scarf Ground-types such as Garchomp and Landorus-T, both of which can can threaten Thundurus with Stone Edge.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Icicle Spear / Icicle Crash
move 3: Superpower / Rock Slide
move 4: Fissure / Knock Off / Ice Shard
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is a strong and reliable STAB move, and it can be used to OHKO Mega Gengar. It also hits other common Pokemon such as Aegislash and Heatran super effectively. Icicle Spear is useful for breaking Focus Sash and Substitutes. Icicle Crash can be used instead if you want a more consistent damage output; it also has a nice flinch chance, which is especially useful with Choice Scarf boosting Mamoswine's Speed. Superpower offers nice coverage on Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Mega Kangaskhan, and other Mamoswine. Alternatively, Rock Slide OHKOes Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y, which are hard for Mamoswine to take on otherwise. Fissure can be used when you predict defensive Pokemon such as Porygon2 and Suicune to switch in. It can also be used as a last-resort attack in a pinch. Knock Off can be used as it offers nice utility, removing your foe's item. Ice Shard can be useful in situations against priority users.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment is important to outspeed Mega Gengar and Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T. The remaining EVs are used in Attack to allow Mamoswine to do as much damage as possible. Choice Scarf allows Mamoswine to outspeed many Pokemon it wouldn't otherwise, such as Mega Gengar, Serperior, Thundurus, and Greninja, to name a few. Thick Fat gives Mamoswine a resistance to Ice, which is especially valuable when taking on Thundurus.
Usage Tips
========
With Choice Scarf, Mamoswine is a good surprise revenge killer against Pokemon such as Mega Gengar and Garchomp. It is a great answer to Thundurus and can outspeed variants carrying Focus Blast that might expect to outspeed and KO it. This set is less bulky than other variants and doesn't have Focus Sash to make up for that, so it should be very wary when switching into most Pokemon. Hiding the fact that Mamoswine is carrying Choice Scarf can help gain an advantage, as can bringing in Mamoswine against naturally slower Pokemon such as Breloom and then surprising your opponent by outspeeding a faster Pokemon later in the game.
Team Options
========
Mamoswine works well on teams that are quite slow and need something fast to outspeed most of the metagame, and it's an especially good choice if you need something to deal with Pokemon such as Thundurus, Garchomp, and Mega Salamence. Thundurus is a good partner to help deal with bulky Water-types that Mamoswine will struggle with. Mega Salamence appreciates Mamoswine's ability to switch into Thundurus and outspeed and OHKO it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Life Orb makes Mamoswine much stronger and helps it pick up more KOs, most notably on Aegislash. Choice Band can make Mamoswine a lot stronger, but one of Mamoswine's best features is its STAB combination that covers a lot of the metagame, so being locked into one attack often is not preferred. Lum Berry can help Mamoswine deal with burns, and this is especially useful against Mega Gengar. Freeze-Dry can be used to hit some Water-types, most notably Gyarados, Rotom-W, Slowbro, and Swampert. However, in order to deal a respectable amount of damage, you must run Life Orb with 36 Special Attack EVs to allow Mamoswine to 2HKO Rotom-W and Slowbro. Freeze-Dry hits Swampert for 4x super effective damage and prevents it from setting Stealth Rock.
Checks and Counters
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**Cresselia**: Cresselia is immune to Earthquake and bulky enough to take on Mamoswine's other attacks. It can easily wear Mamoswine down and use Moonlight to restore off any damage taken. Toxic is the only way Mamoswine has a chance to beat Cresselia.
**Bulky Water-types**: Water-types such as Suicune, Mega Slowbro, Gyarados, and Azumarill are all bulky enough to take on Mamoswine's attacks and fire back with their super effective STAB moves. Scald is especially threatening because of its chance to burn.
**Mega Heracross**: Mega Heracross is bulky enough to take on Mamoswine and can OHKO back with Bullet Seed, even through Focus Sash.
**Rotom Formes**: Rotom-W and Rotom-H are both immune to Ground and resist Ice, making them great counters to Mamoswine. They can threaten with super effective attacks or Will-O-Wisp to lower Mamoswine's Attack.
**Talonflame**: Talonflame can outspeed and burn Mamoswine, leaving it near useless. It can use Roost to recover off any damage Mamoswine might have done. Without a Rock-type move, it's very difficult for Mamoswine to beat it, as Mamoswine needs to correctly predict Roost with Earthquake.
**Ferrothorn**: Ferrothorn only fears the rare Superpower from Mamoswine, and it can easily take any other attack and OHKO back with Gyro Ball.
**Skarmory**: Skarmory walls Mamoswine very well and can freely start setting up entry hazards against it or take it out with Iron Head.
**Mega Scizor**: Mega Scizor takes little from Mamoswine's attacks, can use Mamoswine as setup fodder, and threatens it with Bullet Punch.
**Mega Kangaskhan**: Mega Kangaskhan outspeeds non-Choice Scarf variants and can OHKO most Mamoswine even through Focus Sash. However, Kangaskhan has to watch out for Rocky Helmet sets.
**Gengar**: Gengar can burn Mamoswine with Will-O-Wisp, heavily crippling it. Gengar can also wait before Mega Evolving against Mamoswine in order to avoid super effective damage from Earthquake.
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