Moo
Professor
QC: 2/2 (SA, macle) GP: 2/2 (Chou, Zy)
Machop
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[Overview]
<p>Machop is a very useful Pokemon in Little Cup. It is powerful, and it is capable of taking hits. Machop possesses the infamous No Guard and DynamicPunch combination, giving it access to a very powerful STAB attack which is guaranteed to confuse the opponent. Machop's mediocre Speed stat holds it back to some extent, but it lets Machop make the most of attacks such as Payback and Close Combat, both of which benefit from attacking last. However, Machop's Speed stat is not unusable, as it hits 14; the magic number. When paired with a Choice Scarf, Machop outspeeds every unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup, making it a threatening Choice Scarf user. Machop is a top tier Pokemon and should definitely be considered on any offensive team.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: DynamicPunch / Close Combat
move 2: Payback
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Thunder Punch / Bullet Punch
item: Choice Scarf
ability: No Guard / Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 196 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Machop reaches 14 speed, which means it can outspeed any unboosted Pokemon in the Little Cup tier when equipped with a Choice Scarf. DynamicPunch is extremely powerful, and will deal huge damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Its perfect accuracy and guaranteed confusion adds to DynamicPunch's effectiveness. Payback is good for coverage when paired with DynamicPunch, as it hits Ghost-type Pokemon, which are immune to DynamicPunch. Although its power isn't doubled when Machop outspeeds the enemy, the priority granted in the following turn by its superior Speed can compensate for the power loss, granted Machop can finish the enemy off with the second hit. Ice Punch is for added coverage, hitting Flying-, Dragon-, and Ground-type Pokemon for super effective damage. ThunderPunch is essentially a filler move, but it has its merits, as it is the only move that can hurt Slowpoke. A weakened 50 base power Payback is not powerful enough to deal with Slowpoke.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Close Combat is an option over DynamicPunch because it deals more damage, and Machop's high Speed makes the defensive drops inconsequential as long as Machop can continue defeating enemies without giving them the chance to attack. Should you decide to use Close Combat, Guts should be used instead of No Guard to gain additional power from status moves. Bullet Punch is viable in the last slot as a useful priority move. It can be used to pick off weakened Pokemon that can outspeed Machop, such as faster Choice Scarf Pokemon or Chlorophyll users. Machop is capable of doing massive damage to any Pokemon in Little Cup, however it is reliant on precise prediction. Machop benefits from Ghost-type Pokemon being eliminated. Pursuit users such as Munchlax, Stunky, and Pawniard are good supporters for Machop, especially for the Choice Scarf variants because it is always locked into one move.</p>
[SET]
name: Guts
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Payback
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Thunder Punch / Bullet Punch / Protect
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 196 Atk / 116 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set makes Machop a status absorber and gives it a power boost, allowing it to dent the bulkiest of Pokemon. Guts also has the potential to surprise enemies that aim to cripple Machop, which will find themselves walking straight into Machop's boosted attacks. Close Combat is used because it has more power than DynamicPunch, and is not reliant on No Guard. Machop's low Speed stat allows Machop to dish out an initial attack without suffering the effects of defensive drops. Payback is also made more useful thanks to Machop's low speed, as its power will double against faster Ghost-type Pokemon, giving great coverage when combined with Close Combat. Ice Punch hits Flying-, Ground-, and Dragon-type Pokemon for super effective damage. ThunderPunch is Machop's best way of damaging Slowpoke, which otherwise counters it.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Toxic Orb may seem inferior to Flame Orb, however, it brings its own advantages. Toxic Orb badly poisons Machop, meaning it does less damage when it first switches in and builds up gradually. This is useful when combined with Close Combat, because the defense drops will encourage it to switch out quickly, meaning the poison will do less damage, and Machop's survivability is increased. Bullet Punch is useful priority, and can pick off weakened Pokemon thanks to Machop's boosted attack. Protect can also be used in the place of ThunderPunch as it allows Machop to safely activate its Toxic Orb. Guts Machop can easily handle Hippopotas and Steel-type Pokemon such as Bronzor. Chlorophyll users enjoy having the aforementioned Pokemon eliminated, as it makes sweeping easier for them.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: DynamicPunch
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Bullet Punch / Payback
item: Eviolite
ability: No Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 36 Atk / 36 Def / 236 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set uses Machop's natural bulk with an Eviolite to become a boosting tank. With 19 Special Defense and 27 Defense after one Bulk Up, Machop is very difficult to damage, and if a Pokemon does not KO Machop, it may find itself being KOed by a boosted super effective attack. Machop's attacking moveset is no different for Bulk Up variants. A Fighting-type move is its main attack. DynamicPunch has massive STAB power, and guaranteed confusion, which makes Machop even more difficult to take down. The ability to confuse the opponent 100% of the time with DynamicPunch separates Machop from Timburr as a Bulk Up user. Bullet Punch, as always, is a useful priority move in Machop's movepool. It can be used to finish off Pokemon at low health, stopping them from getting another attack on Machop before going down.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Machop has an easy time setting up, especially against support Pokemon such as Ferroseed and Pineco. Therefore, Pokemon that lure out support Pokemon make good teammates. Eevee makes a decent lure because Pineco and Ferroseed will enjoy switching in on Eevee's attacks. Eevee can also eliminate frail sweepers such as Abra that threaten Machop, with STAB, Adaptability Quick Attack. Payback can be used over Bullet Punch to hit Ghost-type Pokemon for super effective damage, however Machop's attack boosts guarantee that Ice Punch will already do great damage to them, and they can be finished off with Bullet Punch if need be.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Machop can use a Substitute set in tandem with Focus Punch. Focus Punch is incredibly powerful, and thanks to Substitute, Machop can safely take on Ghost-type Pokemon without taking serious damage. Earthquake can be used to eliminate Croagunk, who resists DynamicPunch and Payback. Chinchou is also hit for super-effective damage by Earthquake. ThunderPunch is also an option to OHKO Mantyke, and hit Slowpoke and Frillish harder than Payback does.</p>
<p>Encore can be used to cripple Pokemon that attempt to use Substitute or set up against Machop. It can lock them into a move, and use the time to set up a Bulk Up, or attack freely. When Machop's Speed is lowered with 0 Speed IV, and a Brave nature, it makes a great asset to Trick Room teams. The Guts set is particularly useful, because it can switch in on incoming Thunder Waves, which will now raise its Speed instead of lowering it, and also boost its Attack stat.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Machop is capable of defeating most Pokemon in Little Cup, and as such, its main counter is correct prediction. Ghost-type Pokemon can switch in to Fighting-type attacks, but nothing else can really take the confusion well aside from Slowpoke, which is generally the best switch-in to Machop. Slowpoke resists every attack from Machop, excluding Payback. The aforementioned Pokemon are essentially checks to Machop, but rely on not being confused. Abra can always OHKO Machop, but Machop can KO it as it switches in with Payback.</p>
<p>Defensively, Koffing and Frillish make good Machop counters. They are resistant and immune to Fighting-type attacks respectively, and can both burn Machop. If Machop is running Guts and an Orb, both Pokemon can KO Machop with Sludge Bomb or Surf after burn damage.</p>
[Dreamworld]
<p>Steadfast will raise Machop's Speed stat when it flinches. This is a rather situational ability, and won't always be particularly useful. It is also extremely outclassed by No Guard.</p>
Machop
--------
[Overview]
<p>Machop is a very useful Pokemon in Little Cup. It is powerful, and it is capable of taking hits. Machop possesses the infamous No Guard and DynamicPunch combination, giving it access to a very powerful STAB attack which is guaranteed to confuse the opponent. Machop's mediocre Speed stat holds it back to some extent, but it lets Machop make the most of attacks such as Payback and Close Combat, both of which benefit from attacking last. However, Machop's Speed stat is not unusable, as it hits 14; the magic number. When paired with a Choice Scarf, Machop outspeeds every unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup, making it a threatening Choice Scarf user. Machop is a top tier Pokemon and should definitely be considered on any offensive team.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: DynamicPunch / Close Combat
move 2: Payback
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Thunder Punch / Bullet Punch
item: Choice Scarf
ability: No Guard / Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 196 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Machop reaches 14 speed, which means it can outspeed any unboosted Pokemon in the Little Cup tier when equipped with a Choice Scarf. DynamicPunch is extremely powerful, and will deal huge damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Its perfect accuracy and guaranteed confusion adds to DynamicPunch's effectiveness. Payback is good for coverage when paired with DynamicPunch, as it hits Ghost-type Pokemon, which are immune to DynamicPunch. Although its power isn't doubled when Machop outspeeds the enemy, the priority granted in the following turn by its superior Speed can compensate for the power loss, granted Machop can finish the enemy off with the second hit. Ice Punch is for added coverage, hitting Flying-, Dragon-, and Ground-type Pokemon for super effective damage. ThunderPunch is essentially a filler move, but it has its merits, as it is the only move that can hurt Slowpoke. A weakened 50 base power Payback is not powerful enough to deal with Slowpoke.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Close Combat is an option over DynamicPunch because it deals more damage, and Machop's high Speed makes the defensive drops inconsequential as long as Machop can continue defeating enemies without giving them the chance to attack. Should you decide to use Close Combat, Guts should be used instead of No Guard to gain additional power from status moves. Bullet Punch is viable in the last slot as a useful priority move. It can be used to pick off weakened Pokemon that can outspeed Machop, such as faster Choice Scarf Pokemon or Chlorophyll users. Machop is capable of doing massive damage to any Pokemon in Little Cup, however it is reliant on precise prediction. Machop benefits from Ghost-type Pokemon being eliminated. Pursuit users such as Munchlax, Stunky, and Pawniard are good supporters for Machop, especially for the Choice Scarf variants because it is always locked into one move.</p>
[SET]
name: Guts
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Payback
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Thunder Punch / Bullet Punch / Protect
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 196 Atk / 116 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set makes Machop a status absorber and gives it a power boost, allowing it to dent the bulkiest of Pokemon. Guts also has the potential to surprise enemies that aim to cripple Machop, which will find themselves walking straight into Machop's boosted attacks. Close Combat is used because it has more power than DynamicPunch, and is not reliant on No Guard. Machop's low Speed stat allows Machop to dish out an initial attack without suffering the effects of defensive drops. Payback is also made more useful thanks to Machop's low speed, as its power will double against faster Ghost-type Pokemon, giving great coverage when combined with Close Combat. Ice Punch hits Flying-, Ground-, and Dragon-type Pokemon for super effective damage. ThunderPunch is Machop's best way of damaging Slowpoke, which otherwise counters it.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Toxic Orb may seem inferior to Flame Orb, however, it brings its own advantages. Toxic Orb badly poisons Machop, meaning it does less damage when it first switches in and builds up gradually. This is useful when combined with Close Combat, because the defense drops will encourage it to switch out quickly, meaning the poison will do less damage, and Machop's survivability is increased. Bullet Punch is useful priority, and can pick off weakened Pokemon thanks to Machop's boosted attack. Protect can also be used in the place of ThunderPunch as it allows Machop to safely activate its Toxic Orb. Guts Machop can easily handle Hippopotas and Steel-type Pokemon such as Bronzor. Chlorophyll users enjoy having the aforementioned Pokemon eliminated, as it makes sweeping easier for them.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: DynamicPunch
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Bullet Punch / Payback
item: Eviolite
ability: No Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 36 Atk / 36 Def / 236 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set uses Machop's natural bulk with an Eviolite to become a boosting tank. With 19 Special Defense and 27 Defense after one Bulk Up, Machop is very difficult to damage, and if a Pokemon does not KO Machop, it may find itself being KOed by a boosted super effective attack. Machop's attacking moveset is no different for Bulk Up variants. A Fighting-type move is its main attack. DynamicPunch has massive STAB power, and guaranteed confusion, which makes Machop even more difficult to take down. The ability to confuse the opponent 100% of the time with DynamicPunch separates Machop from Timburr as a Bulk Up user. Bullet Punch, as always, is a useful priority move in Machop's movepool. It can be used to finish off Pokemon at low health, stopping them from getting another attack on Machop before going down.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Machop has an easy time setting up, especially against support Pokemon such as Ferroseed and Pineco. Therefore, Pokemon that lure out support Pokemon make good teammates. Eevee makes a decent lure because Pineco and Ferroseed will enjoy switching in on Eevee's attacks. Eevee can also eliminate frail sweepers such as Abra that threaten Machop, with STAB, Adaptability Quick Attack. Payback can be used over Bullet Punch to hit Ghost-type Pokemon for super effective damage, however Machop's attack boosts guarantee that Ice Punch will already do great damage to them, and they can be finished off with Bullet Punch if need be.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Machop can use a Substitute set in tandem with Focus Punch. Focus Punch is incredibly powerful, and thanks to Substitute, Machop can safely take on Ghost-type Pokemon without taking serious damage. Earthquake can be used to eliminate Croagunk, who resists DynamicPunch and Payback. Chinchou is also hit for super-effective damage by Earthquake. ThunderPunch is also an option to OHKO Mantyke, and hit Slowpoke and Frillish harder than Payback does.</p>
<p>Encore can be used to cripple Pokemon that attempt to use Substitute or set up against Machop. It can lock them into a move, and use the time to set up a Bulk Up, or attack freely. When Machop's Speed is lowered with 0 Speed IV, and a Brave nature, it makes a great asset to Trick Room teams. The Guts set is particularly useful, because it can switch in on incoming Thunder Waves, which will now raise its Speed instead of lowering it, and also boost its Attack stat.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Machop is capable of defeating most Pokemon in Little Cup, and as such, its main counter is correct prediction. Ghost-type Pokemon can switch in to Fighting-type attacks, but nothing else can really take the confusion well aside from Slowpoke, which is generally the best switch-in to Machop. Slowpoke resists every attack from Machop, excluding Payback. The aforementioned Pokemon are essentially checks to Machop, but rely on not being confused. Abra can always OHKO Machop, but Machop can KO it as it switches in with Payback.</p>
<p>Defensively, Koffing and Frillish make good Machop counters. They are resistant and immune to Fighting-type attacks respectively, and can both burn Machop. If Machop is running Guts and an Orb, both Pokemon can KO Machop with Sludge Bomb or Surf after burn damage.</p>
[Dreamworld]
<p>Steadfast will raise Machop's Speed stat when it flinches. This is a rather situational ability, and won't always be particularly useful. It is also extremely outclassed by No Guard.</p>