[OVERVIEW]
Carvanha is the epitome of a glass cannon, with great offensive potential and almost nonexistent defensive abilities. With Speed Boost, Carvanha quickly becomes hard to outspeed, which generally can act to offset its paper-like defenses. However, Carvanha is reliant on KOing the opposition, as otherwise it is KOed in return. Thankfully, this is not too much of an issue, with Carvanha having two excellent STAB attacks and decent coverage options to support them. This makes Carvanha pretty hard to wall, especially considering its ability to act as either a physical or special attacker.
[SET]
name: Physical Life Orb
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Psychic Fangs / Aqua Jet
move 4: Protect / Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
ivs: 9 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Waterfall is by far Carvanha's best physical Water-type attack, being the most powerful and having a very useful flinch chance. Similarly, Crunch is its most powerful physical Dark-type STAB attack and therefore the best choice for this set. Psychic Fangs is used to complement the coverage offered by Carvanha's two STAB moves, dealing super effective damage against Foongus, Fighting-types, and Poison-types, which all generally otherwise do not mind Carvanha's offensive arsenal. Psychic Fangs is used over Zen Headbutt because it cannot miss and has slightly better damage rolls overall, though missing out on flinch chances can appear unappealing. Aqua Jet can be used instead, as hard-hitting priority is hard to pass off. The last slot goes to either Protect or Aqua Jet, as Protect allows for a guaranteed, safe Speed boost while having the upside of avoiding Fake Out damage, while Aqua Jet is again a really good priority option.
Set Details
========
The HP IVs are lowered for a total of 19 HP, which lowers Life Orb recoil down to 1 HP per attack and consequently gives Carvanha a bit more longevity. The EV spread is fairly straightforward, maximizing Carvanha's crucial Attack stat to hit as hard as possible, while maximum Speed allows Carvanha to get off an initial attack easier and generally makes Carvanha harder to revenge kill. An Adamant nature is used, as the added power is far more impactful than the additional Speed gained from a Jolly nature.
Usage Tips
========
Using Carvanha is rather straightforward, as the goal is to hit as hard as possible and KO as many Pokemon as possible. Carvanha should never switch in, as even resisted attacks can do over 50% damage to it. This does not mean Carvanha should not be used early-game, however; in fact, it is rather good at wallbreaking for itself early on in the match. Generally, Carvanha should just use its strongest attack, use Protect when a Speed boost is needed, or use Aqua Jet to pick off a weak and faster foe.
Team Options
========
As Carvanha is such an offensive Pokemon, it enjoys the support provided by a large number of Pokemon. Almost all Knock Off users make great teammates, benefiting Carvanha by removing Eviolites from opposing Pokemon, therefore weakening them substantially. Knock Off also has the added benefit of weakening Dark-resistant Pokemon for Carvanha. Entry hazard setters are also great at significantly weakening Pokemon for Carvanha, making the likes of Dwebble and Ferroseed great partners. Corphish and other Water-type powerhouses pair well with Carvanha, as they break apart their shared counters, opening the game up for one another; Dark-types such as Vullaby and Pawniard perform similarly. Fairy-type switch-ins such as Foongus and Ferroseed are especially great at pairing with Carvanha and Foongus also functions as a sturdy Fighting-type counter. Poison Jab Timburr is a great teammate too, as it lures in and weakens Fairy-types for Carvanha while also removing Eviolites. Slow Swords Dance passing to Carvanha is a good way to overpower most of its checks too, making passers Mienfoo and Rowlett notable teammates.
[SET]
name: Special Life Orb
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Protect
item: Life Orb
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Modest
evs: 36 Def / 236 SpA / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
ivs: 9 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hydro Pump is the most powerful special attack Carvanha has, and despite its inaccurate nature it is necessary to secure the KOs that make this set good. Dark Pulse is the most powerful special Dark-type attack at Carvanha's disposal, and it has the nifty upside of possible flinches. Ice Beam makes a great coverage option, hitting the Grass-types that otherwise don't mind the set much, though the set still struggles against Fighting-types. Protect allows for a safe Speed boost while having a few other upsides such as dodging Fake Out damage and scouting opposing attacks. Surf is a viable though not nearly as useful option over Protect, as it provides a Water-type move that does not miss.
Set Details
========
The HP IVs are lowered to 9 in order to hit 19 HP and therefore take only 1 HP of damage of Life Orb recoil. Life Orb is the item of choice for boosting Carvanha's power while maintaining the ability to switch attacks. The EV spread and nature aim to maximize Carvanha's damage output while giving it good Speed off the bat.
Usage Tips
========
Carvanha plays in a pretty straightforward manner. This set aims to pick off normal Carvanha counters such as Snubbull by surprise, meaning Hydro Pump should be used with pretty high frequency. Carvanha should refrain from KOing low-health Pokemon that the opponent does not need to save, however, as otherwise this ruins the set's surprise factor. Similarly, Carvanha should refrain from switching in on an incoming attack due to its absurd frailty.
Team Options
========
Carvanha relies on being able to KO opposing Pokemon to avoid being KOed, which naturally makes Knock Off users such as Pawniard and most Fighting-types very helpful. Removing Eviolites from Pokemon makes them far frailer and therefore easier to handle. Dark-type Pokemon in general make great teammates, as in tandem Carvanha and a fellow Dark-type will defeat their shared checks. Entry hazard setters such as Dwebble, Ferroseed, Onix, and even Diglett make great pairs with Carvanha, especially the former two, which have access to Spikes to rack up even more chip damage on Carvanha's checks. Other Water-types make good additions alongside Carvanha, as even the best Water-resistant Pokemon struggle against the combination of Carvanha and Corphish or Staryu. Ice-types, notably Alolan Sandshrew and Amaura, make excellent teammates as well thanks to their ability to weaken Water- and Grass-types for Carvanha.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Poison Fang may seem like a smart idea for nailing Fairy-types, but most of these are hit hard enough by a Water-type attack, and those that are not are fairly easily handled by a teammate, making it seldom worth the moveslot. Similarly, Hidden Power Fire is appealing on the special set over Ice Beam, but this is only beneficial for exploiting Ferroseed's 4x Fire weakness and is thus overall less useful than Ice Beam. Destiny Bond can be great for picking up another KO and removing a check, which makes it incredibly useful for type spam teams, but Carvanha seldom finds room to utilize the move. Snarl can be a nice surprise on Carvanha to revenge Gastly or Abra through a Substitute, though its worse damage output overall is pretty detrimental and makes it almost always not ideal. Blizzard can be used over Ice Beam on hail teams, though this does make Carvanha less reliable overall. Rain Dance is the closest thing Carvanha has to a boosting move, but it'll almost never be able to set up and the power boost under rain is hardly worth the moveslot. Z-moves in general are not great on Carvanha, as Life Orb is such an important item on Carvanha, and lacking the power boost is not worth the situationally effective trade-off.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-type Priority**: Carvanha's frailty allows Timburr's Mach Punch or Croagunk's Vacuum Wave to KO it from nearly full HP, and Carvanha can do little about it, especially to Croagunk, which is immune to Aqua Jet thanks to Dry Skin.
**Stuffull**: With Fluffy, Stufful takes very little from any of Carvanha's physical attacks. With its naturally great bulk, even Hydro Pump does not do enough, making Stufful a great counter.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types are great at absorbing Carvanha's Dark-type attacks and don't mind Carvanha's Water-type moves. Snubbull destroys physical sets, while Spritzee is a generally decent answer to any set, though it must remain healthy. Cottonee and Morelull take little from either of Carvanha's STAB moves and hard wall physical Carvanha, though the former must beware an Ice Beam. Morelull is too bulky to mind either, though switching in is not always doable.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Ferroseed is annoying to Carvanha, since it survives any attack from a high HP; Eviolite Foongus and Mareanie fall under this category too. Eviolite Mienfoo, Chinchou, Eviolite Vullaby, and other naturally defensive Pokemon are also problematic due to surviving an attack and KOing back.
**Choice Scarf 17+ Speed Pokemon**: In general, Carvanha prevents Choice Scarf Pokemon from being too much of an issue, but sets lacking Protect struggle to get more than one Speed boost under their belt. This makes Carvanha suffer from being easily revenge killed by healthy Choice Scarf users that are naturally faster than Adamant Carvanha. Choice Scarf Mienfoo and Choice Scarf Chinchou are especially problematic due to almost never being in the KO range of Aqua Jet and always OHKOing Carvanha in return.
Carvanha is the epitome of a glass cannon, with great offensive potential and almost nonexistent defensive abilities. With Speed Boost, Carvanha quickly becomes hard to outspeed, which generally can act to offset its paper-like defenses. However, Carvanha is reliant on KOing the opposition, as otherwise it is KOed in return. Thankfully, this is not too much of an issue, with Carvanha having two excellent STAB attacks and decent coverage options to support them. This makes Carvanha pretty hard to wall, especially considering its ability to act as either a physical or special attacker.
[SET]
name: Physical Life Orb
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Psychic Fangs / Aqua Jet
move 4: Protect / Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
ivs: 9 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Waterfall is by far Carvanha's best physical Water-type attack, being the most powerful and having a very useful flinch chance. Similarly, Crunch is its most powerful physical Dark-type STAB attack and therefore the best choice for this set. Psychic Fangs is used to complement the coverage offered by Carvanha's two STAB moves, dealing super effective damage against Foongus, Fighting-types, and Poison-types, which all generally otherwise do not mind Carvanha's offensive arsenal. Psychic Fangs is used over Zen Headbutt because it cannot miss and has slightly better damage rolls overall, though missing out on flinch chances can appear unappealing. Aqua Jet can be used instead, as hard-hitting priority is hard to pass off. The last slot goes to either Protect or Aqua Jet, as Protect allows for a guaranteed, safe Speed boost while having the upside of avoiding Fake Out damage, while Aqua Jet is again a really good priority option.
Set Details
========
The HP IVs are lowered for a total of 19 HP, which lowers Life Orb recoil down to 1 HP per attack and consequently gives Carvanha a bit more longevity. The EV spread is fairly straightforward, maximizing Carvanha's crucial Attack stat to hit as hard as possible, while maximum Speed allows Carvanha to get off an initial attack easier and generally makes Carvanha harder to revenge kill. An Adamant nature is used, as the added power is far more impactful than the additional Speed gained from a Jolly nature.
Usage Tips
========
Using Carvanha is rather straightforward, as the goal is to hit as hard as possible and KO as many Pokemon as possible. Carvanha should never switch in, as even resisted attacks can do over 50% damage to it. This does not mean Carvanha should not be used early-game, however; in fact, it is rather good at wallbreaking for itself early on in the match. Generally, Carvanha should just use its strongest attack, use Protect when a Speed boost is needed, or use Aqua Jet to pick off a weak and faster foe.
Team Options
========
As Carvanha is such an offensive Pokemon, it enjoys the support provided by a large number of Pokemon. Almost all Knock Off users make great teammates, benefiting Carvanha by removing Eviolites from opposing Pokemon, therefore weakening them substantially. Knock Off also has the added benefit of weakening Dark-resistant Pokemon for Carvanha. Entry hazard setters are also great at significantly weakening Pokemon for Carvanha, making the likes of Dwebble and Ferroseed great partners. Corphish and other Water-type powerhouses pair well with Carvanha, as they break apart their shared counters, opening the game up for one another; Dark-types such as Vullaby and Pawniard perform similarly. Fairy-type switch-ins such as Foongus and Ferroseed are especially great at pairing with Carvanha and Foongus also functions as a sturdy Fighting-type counter. Poison Jab Timburr is a great teammate too, as it lures in and weakens Fairy-types for Carvanha while also removing Eviolites. Slow Swords Dance passing to Carvanha is a good way to overpower most of its checks too, making passers Mienfoo and Rowlett notable teammates.
[SET]
name: Special Life Orb
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Protect
item: Life Orb
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Modest
evs: 36 Def / 236 SpA / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
ivs: 9 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hydro Pump is the most powerful special attack Carvanha has, and despite its inaccurate nature it is necessary to secure the KOs that make this set good. Dark Pulse is the most powerful special Dark-type attack at Carvanha's disposal, and it has the nifty upside of possible flinches. Ice Beam makes a great coverage option, hitting the Grass-types that otherwise don't mind the set much, though the set still struggles against Fighting-types. Protect allows for a safe Speed boost while having a few other upsides such as dodging Fake Out damage and scouting opposing attacks. Surf is a viable though not nearly as useful option over Protect, as it provides a Water-type move that does not miss.
Set Details
========
The HP IVs are lowered to 9 in order to hit 19 HP and therefore take only 1 HP of damage of Life Orb recoil. Life Orb is the item of choice for boosting Carvanha's power while maintaining the ability to switch attacks. The EV spread and nature aim to maximize Carvanha's damage output while giving it good Speed off the bat.
Usage Tips
========
Carvanha plays in a pretty straightforward manner. This set aims to pick off normal Carvanha counters such as Snubbull by surprise, meaning Hydro Pump should be used with pretty high frequency. Carvanha should refrain from KOing low-health Pokemon that the opponent does not need to save, however, as otherwise this ruins the set's surprise factor. Similarly, Carvanha should refrain from switching in on an incoming attack due to its absurd frailty.
Team Options
========
Carvanha relies on being able to KO opposing Pokemon to avoid being KOed, which naturally makes Knock Off users such as Pawniard and most Fighting-types very helpful. Removing Eviolites from Pokemon makes them far frailer and therefore easier to handle. Dark-type Pokemon in general make great teammates, as in tandem Carvanha and a fellow Dark-type will defeat their shared checks. Entry hazard setters such as Dwebble, Ferroseed, Onix, and even Diglett make great pairs with Carvanha, especially the former two, which have access to Spikes to rack up even more chip damage on Carvanha's checks. Other Water-types make good additions alongside Carvanha, as even the best Water-resistant Pokemon struggle against the combination of Carvanha and Corphish or Staryu. Ice-types, notably Alolan Sandshrew and Amaura, make excellent teammates as well thanks to their ability to weaken Water- and Grass-types for Carvanha.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Poison Fang may seem like a smart idea for nailing Fairy-types, but most of these are hit hard enough by a Water-type attack, and those that are not are fairly easily handled by a teammate, making it seldom worth the moveslot. Similarly, Hidden Power Fire is appealing on the special set over Ice Beam, but this is only beneficial for exploiting Ferroseed's 4x Fire weakness and is thus overall less useful than Ice Beam. Destiny Bond can be great for picking up another KO and removing a check, which makes it incredibly useful for type spam teams, but Carvanha seldom finds room to utilize the move. Snarl can be a nice surprise on Carvanha to revenge Gastly or Abra through a Substitute, though its worse damage output overall is pretty detrimental and makes it almost always not ideal. Blizzard can be used over Ice Beam on hail teams, though this does make Carvanha less reliable overall. Rain Dance is the closest thing Carvanha has to a boosting move, but it'll almost never be able to set up and the power boost under rain is hardly worth the moveslot. Z-moves in general are not great on Carvanha, as Life Orb is such an important item on Carvanha, and lacking the power boost is not worth the situationally effective trade-off.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-type Priority**: Carvanha's frailty allows Timburr's Mach Punch or Croagunk's Vacuum Wave to KO it from nearly full HP, and Carvanha can do little about it, especially to Croagunk, which is immune to Aqua Jet thanks to Dry Skin.
**Stuffull**: With Fluffy, Stufful takes very little from any of Carvanha's physical attacks. With its naturally great bulk, even Hydro Pump does not do enough, making Stufful a great counter.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types are great at absorbing Carvanha's Dark-type attacks and don't mind Carvanha's Water-type moves. Snubbull destroys physical sets, while Spritzee is a generally decent answer to any set, though it must remain healthy. Cottonee and Morelull take little from either of Carvanha's STAB moves and hard wall physical Carvanha, though the former must beware an Ice Beam. Morelull is too bulky to mind either, though switching in is not always doable.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Ferroseed is annoying to Carvanha, since it survives any attack from a high HP; Eviolite Foongus and Mareanie fall under this category too. Eviolite Mienfoo, Chinchou, Eviolite Vullaby, and other naturally defensive Pokemon are also problematic due to surviving an attack and KOing back.
**Choice Scarf 17+ Speed Pokemon**: In general, Carvanha prevents Choice Scarf Pokemon from being too much of an issue, but sets lacking Protect struggle to get more than one Speed boost under their belt. This makes Carvanha suffer from being easily revenge killed by healthy Choice Scarf users that are naturally faster than Adamant Carvanha. Choice Scarf Mienfoo and Choice Scarf Chinchou are especially problematic due to almost never being in the KO range of Aqua Jet and always OHKOing Carvanha in return.
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