Azurill (Analysis)

Body Slam can also be used, although the loss in power is usually a greater issue than the paralysis chance is worth.

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NatGeo said:

Darkamber finally QCing :D

Will check this sometime, don't count on it until monday afternoon though

EDIT: Oshi I forgot about this, checking

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GP 1/2

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[Overview]

<p>Capable of knocking out a huge portion of Little Cup in two hits while also being able to be knocked out in two hits by a large portion of the metagame makes Azurill the definition of a glass cannon. Without proper support, Azurill will switch in and die nearly every game, yet with enough support, Azurill can be a very destructive force. With the introduction of Eviolite, Azurill's supporting cast has been given a great boost, making it possible for Azurill to be used to good effect.</p>

[Set]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Return / Double-Edge
move 3: Encore / Toxic
move 4: Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Huge Power
nature: Brave
evs: 116 HP / 196 Atk / 36 Def / 116 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>Under Trick Room, Azurill can take advantage of its enormous 24 Attack stat. Return is the primary STAB option, possessing enough power to knock out a huge portion of the metagame in one or two hits. Double-Edge can also be used for the boost in power, yet the recoil ensures Azurill will fall to nearly any reasonably strong priority move. Waterfall is used as a coverage option, allowing Azurill to hit Pokemon such as Misdreavus or Gastly for neutral damage. Encore allows Azurill to catch Pokemon such as Ferroseed, who may try to set up on it, giving Azurill either a free attack or a free switch. Toxic can be used as well in the third slot to cripple Frillish, who otherwise walls Azurill entirely. Substitute works to take advantage of the free turn offered by Encore, as most Pokemon cannot take two hits from Azurill and live to tell the tale. At the same time, when using Azurill, using up Trick Room turns on a non-attacking move can largely be a waste, and Azurill may be better off just spamming attacks rather than predicting switches to use moves like Toxic or Encore. Also, using Hidden Power Fire over either Encore or Toxic can ensure a two-hit KO on Ferroseed if Azurill is behind a sub, so it is a viable option. (here you're discussing the merits of Hidden Power Fire, which isn't even a slashed option on the set. As a non-slashed option, you should really move this to AC. If you wanna slash it in, then still replace this with the text I add to AC because there are some errors anyway.)</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>The EV spread for this set seeks to take advantage of the free EVs Azurill has access to, thanks to the fact it needs no investment in Speed. A Brave nature, in conjunction with the lack of investment in Speed, ensures Azurill will be outspeeding nearly every other Pokemon in Little Cup under Trick Room, even Slowpoke and Ferroseed. The rest of the EVs are put into Azurill's defenses, as without any investment, Azurill will go down to priority far too quickly. Even so, Azurill's general frailty can make using up Trick Room turns on non-attacking moves largely a waste. Azurill may be better off just spamming attacks rather than predicting switches to use moves like Toxic or Encore. Therefore, using Hidden Power Fire over either Encore or Toxic is a viable option, as it can ensure a 2HKO on Ferroseed if Azurill is behind a substitute.</p>

<p>Two of the major counters to Azurill are Ferroseed and Frillish, as they resist Azurill's entire movepool and can set up for free on it. For this reason, running Scraggy alongside Azurill is a good option, as it can reliably take out both of those threats with relative ease. Also, in order to function at all, Azurill must be run alongside a Pokemon capable of setting up Trick Room, such as Slowpoke or Bronzor. Another support option is Rain Dance, which can be set up by both Slowpoke and Bronzor as well. Under Rain Dance, Azurill becomes an even more fearsome foe with its boosted Waterfall, and can only reliably be walled by Pokemon with Water-type immunities, such as Frillish, who can be crippled by Toxic or used to set up on by Scraggy. Packing a Pokemon capable of setting up entry hazards is also very important when using Azurill, as the added residual damage from a few layers of Spikes or Stealth Rock can be vital in achieving key KOs. For this reason, Ferroseed, Gligar, and Dwebble all make great teammates for Azurill. Also, Knock Off Tentacool can be a great partner for Azurill, as very little can take repeated hits from Azurill without Eviolite. </p>

[Other Options]

<p>Unfortunately for Azurill, its sparse movepool offers little in the way of other options, yet it possesses a few decent options that can be used in select situations to good effect. Knock Off can be used to cripple Pokemon like Gligar or Frillish that so rely on the defensive boosts from Eviolite. Body Slam can also be used, although the loss in power is usually a greater issue than the paralysis chance is worth, especially considering that, if Trick Room is still up, paralyzing an opponent can make them even more threatening, rather than cripple them. Support options are also generally far less useful than all-out attacking moves, but Azurill does have access to Sing, Charm, and Tickle, all of which can be used in gimmick sets if necessary. Also, a Baton Pass receiver set can be run using Azurill as the receiver of Speed or Attack boosts to take advantage of Azurill's great offenses.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>The greatest counters to Azurill are Frillish and Ferroseed, who resist the entirety of Azurill's offensive movepool and can set up on Azurill. Powerful priority hitters like Houndour and Timburr can do a great deal of Azurill before it can even land a hit, thanks to Azurill's frailty. In general, Ghost-type Pokemon and Pokemon with Water-type immunities can deal with Azurill relatively easily, and should be the primary option when checking Azurill.</p>

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wekhter said:

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Additions/Corrections
(Comments)



Yeah, I really don't have much to say...

GP 2/2.

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masterful said:

My only question is the phrase "Even so, Azurill's general frailty can make using up Trick Room turns on non-attacking moves largely a waste"
I was only implying that using attacks will generally have a better outcome in regards to the damage you will be dealing to the opponent's team, and not citing frailty as a real reason not to use a non-attacking move. Do you think it makes more sense to avoid non-attacking moves because of frailty or simply because Azurill will always be on a timer in regards to its potential to sweep? I'm not sure if that was what you were intending

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wekhter said:

Sorry, I guess I slightly misconstrued what you were saying initially since I thought you were talking about its frailty. In that case:

"Because using up Trick Room turns on non-attacking moves can be largely a waste, Azurill may be better off just spamming attacks rather than predicting switches to use moves like Toxic or Encore."

My bad.

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