http://www.smogon.com/dex/dp/pokemon/hitmonchan/
[OVERVIEW]
Hitmonchan is one of the two reliable Rapid Spin users that exist in NU, with Sandslash being its only notable competition. It's also one of just three fully evolved Fighting-types in the tier, and the only one with access to Mach Punch or Close Combat. These rare traits make Hitmonchan a valuable member of a lot of teams. Outside of those niches, Hitmonchan is a powerful physical attacker with good coverage options in the Iron Fist-boosted elemental punches, but its poor physical bulk and relatively low Speed for an offensive Pokemon make it difficult to switch into battle, and it usually only has room for one coverage move on its sets, making it fairly easy to wall. It also suffers from being mostly outclassed as an attacker by Medicham, which is faster, is nearly 20% more powerful, and has access to useful secondary STAB moves.
[SET]
name: Offensive Spinner
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Ice Punch / Thunder Punch
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Life Orb
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Adamant
evs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Def / 212 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This set's combination of power and utility makes it a solid addition to offensive teams that need a spinner. Close Combat is a powerful STAB move that 2HKOes every NU Pokemon that doesn't resist it. Mach Punch is one of the strongest reliable priority moves in the tier thanks to the boost from Iron Fist, making Hitmonchan an effective revenge killer of frail or weakened offensive Pokemon. The elemental punches also receive boosts from Iron Fist and provide valuable coverage on the Pokemon that resist Hitmonchan's STAB moves; Ice Punch OHKOes Gligar and 2HKOes Nidoqueen and Vileplume, while Thunder Punch 2HKOes Slowking and OHKOes Charizard on the switch. Last, but certainly not least, Rapid Spin provides invaluable support, especially for teams featuring Pokemon that are weak to Stealth Rock, such as Charizard and Typhlosion.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
Life Orb is the best item on this set, as it gives Hitmonchan the power it needs to 2HKO common switch-ins like Slowking and Nidoqueen with the appropriate elemental punch. However, Black Belt is a viable alternative to boost Close Combat and Mach Punch without forcing Hitmonchan to take recoil damage when using Rapid Spin. The EV spread maximizes Hitmonchan's power and gives it enough Speed to beat neutral-natured base 70s such as Magneton and Poliwrath as well as the occasional Jolly Whiscash. The remaining EVs go into HP and Defense to slightly improve Hitmonchan's bulk without increasing Life Orb recoil. A bulkier spread of 128 HP / 252 Atk / 128 Spe is a reasonable alternative that still lets Hitmonchan outspeed neutral-natured base 60s and below.
Bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Hypno and Dusclops wall Hitmonchan effortlessly. This makes Skuntank a great partner, as it is perfectly built to shut down and cripple Psychic- and Ghost-type walls with its typing and access to Pursuit, Taunt, and Crunch. The offensive Fire-types that appreciate Hitmonchan's Rapid Spin support also appreciate Skuntank's ability to remove Pokemon such as Hypno, Slowking, and Grumpig from play; a team built around one or more Fire-types supported by Skuntank and Hitmonchan can be very difficult to deal with.
Depending on which elemental punch you choose, Hitmonchan will also be walled by some additional Pokemon. Without Thunder Punch, Hitmonchan can't do meaningful damage to Slowking, so having Skuntank or another Pursuit user as a teammate is even more important. On the other hand, without Ice Punch, Hitmonchan is walled by Gligar, Nidoqueen, and Vileplume, so powerful Fire- or Psychic-type special attackers such as Charizard, Jynx, and Gardevoir are good teammates.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Leftovers
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Adamant
evs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This set sacrifices power in exchange for better longevity, giving Hitmonchan a much better matchup against defensive teams that could simply wear down the Life Orb set. Bulk Up allows Hitmonchan to easily defeat defensive physical attackers that could otherwise 2HKO it, such as Sandslash and Quagsire. Drain Punch helps keep Hitmonchan healthy and has a respectable 75 Base Power thanks to Iron Fist. After a Bulk Up, Hitmonchan can survive an attack from many offensive Pokemon and OHKO them back with Drain Punch, restoring most of its lost HP in the process; examples include Tauros, Manectric, and Floatzel. Ice Punch is Hitmonchan's best coverage move, allowing it to hit every common defensive Pokemon except Slowking for at least neutral damage. The last slot is reserved for Rapid Spin. You could opt for another move in that slot to make Hitmonchan more threatening, such as Thunder Punch, Mach Punch, or Substitute, but Poliwrath and Medicham both have significant advantages over Hitmonchan as dedicated Bulk Up sweepers; Rapid Spin is what sets Hitmonchan apart.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
The EV spread maximizes Hitmonchan's Attack so that it can deal decent damage even when it doesn't get a chance to boost. 88 Speed EVs allow Hitmonchan to outspeed neutral-natured base 55s such as Cacturne and Relicanth, as well as minimum Speed Gligar and all other walls that don't invest in Speed. It's worth noting that Gligar and some other fast walls such as Gardevoir will sometimes invest in Speed, so you should consider adding a few more Speed EVs if you want to increase Hitmonchan's chances of outspeeding them.
This set belongs on a team that needs Hitmonchan's Rapid Spin support, as otherwise Poliwrath and Medicham are better choices as Bulk Up users. Slower balanced or defensive teams generally prefer this set to the Life Orb variant thanks to its ability to stay healthy so that it can spin multiple times in a match if needed. Skuntank is a highly recommended teammate, as nearly every Psychic-type in the tier can safely switch into Hitmonchan and force it out.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Thunder Punch
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Stone Edge / Earthquake / Rapid Spin
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Adamant
evs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Hitmonchan's access to a 120-Base Power, 100% accurate STAB move and excellent super effective coverage from the elemental punches make it a solid revenge killer and late-game cleaner when equipped with a Choice Scarf. Close Combat OHKOes most offensive Pokemon after Stealth Rock or other chip damage, and Thunder Punch and Ice Punch cover most of the Pokemon that resist it. The last slot is mostly filler. Stone Edge OHKOes Charizard, which barely survives Thunder Punch from full health, and also hits Venomoth and Pinsir. Earthquake 2HKOes Muk, which shakes off any other move Hitmonchan throws its way, and can also be nice to have against Pokemon with Static or Flame Body, such as Manectric and Magmortar, because it does not make contact. Finally, although Rapid Spin is not a good move to be locked into, it can still be useful to have in case your opponent manages to stack a lot of entry hazards.
This set competes directly with Medicham, which can run a similar set but with more power, slightly more Speed, and access to a secondary STAB move and Trick. However, Medicham's primary STAB move is High Jump Kick, which has a 10% chance to miss and the possibility of recoil damage that could cause Medicham to KO itself. Hitmonchan's access to Close Combat makes it a more reliable option if you don't need Medicham's extra power. Choice Scarf Hitmonchan also works well alongside Medicham; Life Orb Medicham can kick and punch massive holes into your opponent's walls, and then Choice Scarf Hitmonchan can clean up the rubble.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
With the boost from Choice Scarf, 216 Speed EVs allow Hitmonchan to outspeed every unboosted Pokemon in the tier except Electrode. Mach Punch and Fire Punch are alternative options in the last moveslot if you don't like any of the options listed. Mach Punch may seem strange on a Choice Scarf set, but it could save your team from being swept by Choice Scarf Typhlosion or Chlorophyll-boosted Shiftry. Fire Punch is an alternative to Stone Edge to hit Bug-types more reliably and is a relatively safe move to be locked into due to the lack of common Fire-immune Pokemon in NU.
Choice Scarf Hitmonchan is most effective when you can click Close Combat without thinking, which means it needs teammates that can remove Ghost- and Psychic-types. As always, Skuntank is a great partner as the best Pursuit trapper in the tier. Wallbreakers such as Life Orb Medicham, Life Orb Magmortar, and Swords Dance Charizard are also excellent at KOing or severely crippling Slowking and other walls that could stop Hitmonchan from cleaning. Hitmonchan is relatively slow for a Choice Scarf user, which means it fits better on teams that have solid defensive answers to common faster Choice Scarf users such as Typhlosion and Manectric. Slowking and Regirock counter Typhlosion, and Nidoqueen is a great switch-in to Manectric.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====================
Hitmonchan can use Agility to set up a late-game sweep. After a boost, it outspeeds everything in the tier except Choice Scarf Manectric and Tauros, and it can clean up weakened teams quite well with Close Combat and both elemental punches. However, finding an opportunity to set up can be difficult, and you sacrifice the mid-game utility of Rapid Spin and Mach Punch by running Agility. Foresight allows Hitmonchan to spin against Dusclops and the rare defensive Misdreavus, but it's useless in every other matchup, as Hitmonchan already beats Haunter and Drifblim, the two most common Ghost-types, with the elemental punches. Choice Band and SubPunch sets aren't bad options, but they don't accomplish much that the Life Orb set can't already do, they limit Hitmonchan's ability to use its utility moves effectively, and they're outclassed by Medicham.
Checks and Counters
====================
Dusclops is perfectly built to counter Hitmonchan. It's immune to Hitmonchan's STAB moves, blocks Rapid Spin, and isn't even 3HKOed by Life Orb-boosted elemental punches, meaning it can easily burn Hitmonchan and stall it out with Rest. Hypno can't block Rapid Spin or burn Hitmonchan the way Dusclops can, but it walls Hitmonchan's attacks just as effectively. If Hitmonchan lacks Thunder Punch, Slowking counters it extremely well. On the other hand, without Ice Punch, Hitmonchan can barely scratch Gligar, Nidoqueen, and Vileplume. Charizard, Gardevoir, and Medicham don't particularly enjoy switching into Hitmonchan, as Life Orb Close Combat will take out over 50% of their HP despite their resistance to Fighting, but once they're in, they can outspeed Hitmonchan and OHKO it with their STAB moves. Bug- and Poison-types such as Venomoth, Pinsir, and Muk also match up well, as Hitmonchan usually doesn't carry any moves that threaten them.
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