(Quality Control) Drifblim (Revamp) QC [2/3]

[Joim]

I'm playing NU lately and using AcroBlimp to great result. I'm not adding the SubCM set because it's outclassed and the BP set just sucks and Unburden is not passed. ChestoRest seems subpar, but it could work as a second option.

Drifblim

[Overview]

<p>Drifblim is the epitome of uniqueness: it has unique typing, stats, abilities, and movepool. These traits call for greatness, but competitive viability does not work that way. Despite boasting three immunities, including the common Normal-type, and a gargantuan HP stat&mdash;seventh highest in the game&mdash;, the same typing that blesses it with the aforementioned immunities also gives it a glaring weakness to the common Stealth Rock, Pursuit, and BoltBeam combination, all of them pretty common in NU. Add in puny defenses that don't match its HP and you'll realise that Drifblim is being held back. But, despite all these negative features, Drifblim's has a great ability in Unburden, which, combined with its extensive movepool, makes Drifblim able to use it with great success. You might not deem this purple balloon threatening, but it will easily prove otherwise.</p>

[SET]
Name: AcroBlimp
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Substitute / Disable
move 4: Destiny Bond / Disable
Item: Flying Gem
Ability: Unburden
Nature: Jolly
EV's: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Unburden is an excellent ability and Dirfblim has all the tools available to use it, finding Acrobatics in its moveset. AcroBlimp will easily deal with the top threats of NU with this set, obliterating foes such as Sawk, Gardevoir, Ludicolo, and Gurdurr with its STAB Acrobatics. It can even OHKO Golurk with Flying Gem Acrobatics after Stealth Rock and Spikes or 2HKO it if it dares to switch in, but keep it mind that its Iron Fist Shadow Punch will destroy Drifblim in one mere hit. Once Acrobatics is used, Drifblim will be the fastest in the metagame bar a few Pokemon over base 100, granting that it will get a kill at least using Destiny Bond. Flying Gem doubles the base Power of Acrobatics and additionally it activates the Unburden boost, however keep in mind that you can get this powerful hit and speed boost once, and if you switch out, the Unburden boost will be lost. But that's not the main gist of this set, for most players will expect AcroBlimp nowadays. This set excels at utility, spreading status with Will-O-Wisp, disrupting the opposing team with heavy blows, and forcing switches, luring its checks to burn them. Once Drifblim gains the Unburden boost, it will prefer to stay in the field, attempting a sweep until it faints, most likely getting another Pokemon down with Destiny Bond. To take care of the physical attackers that can threat Drifblim, you can use Will-O-Wisp on switch ins to burn them, making the battle easier for your team. There are no real counters to this set, as Will-O-Wisp will cripple them and Destiny Bond will threat all them out. Additionally, a fast Will-O-Wisp will cripple physical attackers and common Rapid Spinners like Armaldo, the most common and dangerous one, who will find itself in a tough situation against an Unburden boosted Drifblim, knowing it can use Destiny Bond to get rid of it and thus letting the hazards stay forevermore. Anything that tries to get past Drifblim will be seriously damaged by Acrobatics, so once you let it unleash its fury, your opponent will have a hard time stopping it.</p>

<p>Drifblim does two things mainly: supports the team and sets up to burn and faint as many opposing Pokemon as possible, so remember that your team should not play around Drifblim, rather otherwise. The best way to start playing Drifblim is using some Flying-type weak Pokemon like Ludicolo or killing off a weakened one. You have to try for the first Acrobatics to be worth it, wasting it to deal 35% damage is something you don't want. What Drifblim does best is luring out foes such as Skuntank and Regirock to burn them, rendering them pretty much useless. Despite its positive traits, one must take into account that Drifblim doesn't really pack a punch and it will need team support and Unburden to do its job. A Brave Bird from Choice Band Braviary OHKOs it, however Drifblim can OHKO it with Acrobatics after Stealth Rock damage, so you will need Unburden to get past Braviary, a top NU threat. Skuntank's Sucker Punch will too obliterate Drifblim with ease, it's thus recommended to use Substitute if you find yourself facing it. If you manage to hide behind a Substitute and even burn it, there's nothing to fear. You can choose to run a SubDisable set or sacrifice Substitute for Disable, since it will buy you turns to deal additional damage. A disabled Pokemon is a maimed Pokemon, if you manage to disable its most powerful attack against Drifblim it will have to either switch out or take an Acrobatics hit. Furthermore, if Disable is used against a Choice item user such as Golurk, it will be totally crippled and you will be able to KO it, get a Substitute ready, a burn on switch in, or simply an Acrobatics hit against it.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>There's not many other options for an attack on the moveslot besides Acrobatics, which is easily one of the best physical attacking moves. Despite the greatness of Drifblim's movepool, it is quite lacking in the physical department. The chosen EV spread is used to outspeed base 70s like Ludicolo and Samurott with a Timid nature and speed tie with base 80s like Gardevor and Braviary before the Unburden boost. Don't be bothered about the lower damage output when compared to Adamant, you will be first and you will use Will-O-Wisp often. As Drifblim is a good team staple, Pokemon which struggle against Rock- and Steel-types such as Swellow, Braviary, Zangoose, and Kangaskhan will be glad to count on it to burn or faint them with Destiny Bond. It can team up well with Skuntank, who can deal with threats as Haunter, that teaming also works a powerful core, since Skuntank will appreciate the Physical Ground-, Rock-, and Steel-types being burned by Drifblim's Will-O-Wisp. Some teams pack both a physical wall and a bird counter, so be cautious when using Drifblim and a bird. Given that Drifblim forces a lot of switches and additionally it can spin block and cripple common Rapid Spin users, Pokemon that set up hazards work decently with it. Garbodor and Roselia team up nicely with Drifblim, setting up Spikes and Toxic Spikes on Alomomola easily. Roselia can take Water-type damage all the day, but it shares Drifblim's Ice-type weakness, which should be noted. Armaldo can both set up Stealth Rock and use Rapid Spin realiably, so it is very welcome, since Stealth Rock is one of the main weaknesses in Drifblim, allowing it to switch in at full health. Drifblim is an ofensive spin blocker at best, so it'll pressure spinners and hurt them so they can be taken out, rather than blocking Rapid Spin. Drifblim can't really do much to Rock-types beside burning them, so it's best to wait to use Acrobatics until they are dealt with, which Ludicolo can do, before you can use Drifblim to its full extent.</p>

[SET]
Name: SubCM
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Thunderbolt
Item: Ghost Gem
Ability: Unburden
Nature: Modest
EV's: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set does mainly one thing: sweeping. If you manage to set up a Substitute in a good moment, you can easily get Unburden, Calm Mind, and start delivering pain. You can switch on a Choice-locked Fighting-type attack, mainly Sawk, set up a Substitute, and procceed to Calm Mind. Be wary of bluffed Choice Set or predictions, an Ice Punch could mean an abrupt end to Drifblim's sweeping career. After the first Shadow Ball, speed gets boosted by Unburden and you become nearly unstoppable, outspeeding Choice Scarf users. Thanks to the three immunities and six resistances, you will find plenty of occasions to start setting up. The only Pokemon that can reliably stop your sweep then are Regice and Skuntank, which can be dealt with with the help of teammates. After the Unburden boost, there will be little Pokemon outspeeding Drifblim. Add in one or two Calm Mind boosts and it will be hitting like a truck. Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting used together grant a perfect coverage, hitting all Pokemon. If you wish Drifblim to defeat some threats by itself, it could use Thunderbolt instead of Hidden Power Fighting to pass through Alomomola, Braviary, or Samurott.</p>

<p>Despite being immune to Fighting-type attacks, Drifblim must be really wary of Sawk as an Ice Punch will OHKO it. It will need Stealth Rock damage and +2 to reliably KO Sawk, so don't risk and don't attempt to set up if it's present until you are sure you can deal with it. Hidden Power Fighting is pretty weak, so Thunderbolt is better in some cases. It deals more damage to Skuntank.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Despite the potential Unburden brings, Drifblim needs team support to prevail; generally, Skuntank and Regice are the main threats to this set. Fighting-types, namely Sawk or Gurdurr, premier Fighting-types of NU, will help dealing with opposing Dark-type threats, such as Skuntank and Liepard, though they are the most troublesome, and they can deal with Regice, which is a big threat to Drifblim. They also lure out physical walls, such as Alomomola, that Drifblim can use to set up, as it will take little damage, might use Substitue to avoid status, and get at least a Calm Mind before shooting the first Shadow Ball. Gardevoir is a very good teammate, SubWisp can burn Drifblim's threats and LO + 3 attacks is a very powerful build that can KO a lot of NU Pokemon. Piloswine will help taking out both Rotom-F and Rotom-S, who threaten Drifblim with their powerful super effective attacks and superior speed before Unburden. Colubur Berry Golurk can take a Sucker Punch and OHKO Skuntank with Earthquake, while some other Rock- or Ground- types can dispatch it with their own STAB Earthquake, such as Regirock or Boldore. Lickilicky doesn't take much damage even from Hidden Power Fighting, it's best to burn it or let a fast Fighting-type to deal with it before trying to set up with Drifblim. You can also use Rotom formes to Trick Lickilicky a choice item or let Samurott or Skuntank Taunt it. A bulky Substitute will render its Dragon Tail useless as well. Stealth Rock support is almost mandatory, since it pushes Regice to the 2HKO range and Rotom formes to OHKO range. Piloswine is an excellent teammate as well, as it can use Stone Edge to dispose of Regice and other Ice-type dangers that can obliterate Drifblim, and it can also lay Stealth Rock. Rapid Spin support is not necessary to ensure its survival as you are meant to switch in and stay, but it helps Drifblim to set up from full health. Most players will expect the AcroBlimp set on Drifblim, so you can use this to your advantage to scare out a Flying-type weak Pokemon like Ludicolo or a low health slow one to set up on its switch. Additionally, you can use a ChestoRest set, which works like this one, using Calm Mind, Rest, Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting or Thunderbolt as a moveset, Chest Berry as an item, and an EV spread of 252 Def / 140 SpA / 116 Spe with a Modest nature. EVs allow to outspeed Choice Scarf Sawk and Choice Scarf Marmogtar after Unburden. The Defense helps Drifblim to set up, since Calm Mind already covers Special Defense.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Driblim has a list of options as large as its HP stat. Aftermath as an ability is pretty much outclassed by Unburden in all cases. A Baton Pass set is also possible using an EV spread of 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD, passing either Calm Mind, Stockpile, or both, as well as high HP Substitutes. Unburden will let you use Baton Pass very quickly so you won't be killed before you do, but you must always keep in mind that the Unburden Speed boost cannot be passed. Drifblim can use both Sunny Day and Rain Dance, but additionally it is one of the few Pokemon with access to Weather Ball, so it's able to run in a weather team and even be the core of it, but it's really slow and it doesn't gain any good coverage, so it's not a good option. Besides the aforementioned support moves, Drifblim has access to a wide variety of them, finding amongst its movepool Hypnosis, Trick, and Thunder Wave. It can even use Memento, a move that acts as a last resort that will cripple the opponent, forcing a switch out that will help a lot. You can use Flare Boost to take an incoming Will-O-Wisp to boost Drifblim's Special Attack and deal huge damaging Shadow Balls, however using Calm Mind with Unburden is usually a superior option. You'd rather use Flame Orb and Trick, a gimmicky option that gives you a boost and cripples an opponent. Despite Explosion's nerf, it can be used in a Memento-like fashion, dealing still decent damage. Drifblim has also access to Recycle to abuse Chesto Berry, but its defenses are too puny to effectively use this tactic against most offensive teams and it is wasting a precious moveslot that Drifblim needs to be effective. Drifblim has also access to Charge Beam which can be used against the plethora of Flying-types in NU and serves as a boosting move at the same time, but Calm Mind is still better. It can even run Sucker Punch to deal with other Ghost-types in the physical sets, but the moveslot for that is disputed amongst more useful moves.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>The Ghost- and Dark-types of NU are amongst the more perilous foes for Drifblim. Haunter, Zangoose, Misdreavus, and Skuntank all will easily dispatch it before the Unburden boost; its glaring Pursuit weakness is one of Drifblim's worst traits. Rotom-F and Rotom-S can counter Drifblim, taking little damage from Acrobatics and OHKOing it back, but they can be easily KOd if they take a Ghost Gem Shadow Ball after Stealth Rock damage and then take the next, faster, Shadow Ball. Additionally, AcroBlimp using SubDisable will force Rotom formes to Struggle, rendering them useless. Alomomola can wall AcroBlimp ad infinitum, taking the hits and using Wish + Protect to heal back, plus using Toxic to wear Drifblim down. It can burn Drifblim with Scald as well, the most you can do to it is burn it. Musharna takes little damage from Acrobatics too, and despite barely damaging Drifblim it can set up on AcroBlimp easily on its Calm Mind set; but, on the other hand, AcroBlimp can disable its Moonlight to beat it. AcroBlimp will have trouble breaking trhough physical walls, so sending it to battle before they are dealt with will just waste your only Unburden boost. Both Regice and Stunfisk can easily KO Drifblim with their STABs, they also happen to have high bulk to avoid being hitted hard by Drifblim. Phazing Drifblim will make it lose Unburden for the rest of the battle and Substitute, crippling it, especially if Stealth Rock is set up, so Roar users like Bastiodon and Lairon are very dangerous to Drifblim. Bulky Electric-types are good to go against Drifblim, Eelektross, Ampharos, and even Luxray can beat it, risking a burn. Keep in mind that both Drifblim sets require different counters, it's hard to safely switch a Pokemon into Drifblim until you know which set it is using. Finally, there's no safe counter against Drifblim, since it always could use Destiny Bond and get your counter down.</p>

[MMF]

ok first things first. Add a SubCM set. There is really no debate about this lol. Its one of Drifblim's best sets right now and it completely deserves to be in the analysis. (I'll include the set at the end).

Being able to set up a Sub on a Choiced Close Combat or insert other fighting move here is unreal. Because then you can proceed to CM, use Shadow Ball and use up your Ghost Gem allowing you to outspeed pretty much the entire meta. The only thing that can reliably stop this Drifblim on any offensive team is Skuntank and Regice. Everything else is outsped and KO'd after an Unburden boost. Its definitely not outclassed by Gardevoir in any way, shape, or form. The Unburden boost by itself is enough to differentiate the two but having immunities to Fighting, Ground, and Normal also helps quite a bit. Not to mention it still sets up on the same things that Gardevoir does.

Here's the set I'm talking about:

Drifblim @ Ghost Gem
Trait: Unburden
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

Good teammates include things like SubWisp Gardevoir who lures in Skuntank and burns it, Piloswine who can take on Rotom-F/S and basically any electric type, and Sawk is cool as well since it lures in Alomomola and other physical walls that Drifblim can set up on. Hazards users also work really well too.

BTW, this is pretty much non-negotiable. I will not check this until that set is included. Make this the second set and move ChestoRestCM down to the third set. If you have any questions about this set, pm me and I'll make sure and tell you.


Edit @ FLCL: Apparently Raz still likes the Chesto Set but I agree with you

[FLCL]

cm chesto rest and sub cm ghost gem basically attempt to accomplish the same thing, which is to try and boost up as many times as possible and then sweep with doubled speed. defensive drifblim is not great in the metagame right now outside of countering sawsbuck, so i would like to see the two sets merged with chesto rest being in the additonal comments section (if that's how it works lol)

[Joim]

Ok, you convinced me :p I changed the set and ACd ChestoRest.

[Sweet Jesus]

Best spin blocker in NU

Not so true, I would delete this. Misdreavus is more bulky and has some kind of recovery with pain split (driblim has a much harder time using it because of it's high hp).

• 2HKOs Golurk, OHKOs after Stealth Rock and Spikes.

This seems to me like a random fact and it's not too clear weather it implies the flying gem or not.

good teamates for acroblim: you could mention other birds like swellow and braviary can abuse the opponent when the main flying counter is either burnt or dead through d bond. Many teams will often carry a main physical wall and a bird counter however.

If the paragraph ends up too long once written, you could resume alomomola and musharna fact like this: Driflbim does not hit hard enough to break some common physical walls such as musharna and alomomola which means sending him out before they are weakend implies you will waste your only unburden boost.

In AC, mention the possibilty to go jolly + max spe because before you manage to activate unburden you could want to outspeed base 70's like ludi and samurott and speed tie with base 80's like gardevoir and braviary.

I've never used sub CM so I won't talk about it.

A Baton Pass set with an EV spread of 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD is also possible passing either Calm Mind, Stockpile or both, and high HP Substitutes. This set is Taunt bait, though.

You can add that unburden will let it baton pass very fast making sure you won't get killed before you do, but the unburden speed boost is not passed along.

In checkers and counters, mention both sets require completely different counters which makes it hard to switch the good counter on an unrevealed drifblim

[EBeast]

Adding onto what Sweet Jesus said, change the AcroBlimp set to:
[SET]
Name: AcroBlimp
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Destiny Bond / Disable
Item: Flying Gem
Ability: Unburden
Nature: Adamant
EV's: 252 Atk / 56 Def / 200 Spe

Disable works best when used alongside Substitute and shouldn't be used over it. Destiny Bond still gets the nod over Disable due to its ability to almost guarantee Drifblim a KO.


Do these as well and I'll come back and stamp it afterwards:

• Mention a simple 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe Jolly set in the AC of AcroBlimp for the ability to outspeed the common Timid Samurott and Ludicolo, making as a decent check to both. This EV spread and Nature work best with SubDisable Blim who takes isn't bothered as much about a lower damage output, since its abusing Disable to get free turns of damage.
  
• Remove mentions of Golurk and Liepard as teammates, especially in the case of beating Haunter. Neither are capable of doing so as Golurk is OHKOed by Shadow Ball unless it's holding a Kasib Berry and Liepard is only a check. Mention Skuntank for this role instead as it can easily switch into Haunter and Pursuit trap it. Skuntank also holds pretty good defensive synergy with Drifblim and appreciates the bulky Ground/Rock/Steel types being crippled by WoW.
  
• Remove mentions of Ludicolo in Rain, because it's doesn't really apply for Drifblim. If it's Jolly Drifblim, it outpaces Timid Ludicolo in Rain anyways (How is it getting up Rain against Drifblim anyways? If its brought as a free switch chances are Drifblim already activated Unburden) If it's Adamant Drifblim, then Ludicolo outspeeds anyways and is just as much of a threat outside of Rain as it would be in it.
  
• Remove the Drifblim sets up on Spinners thing on Set Comments of AcroBlimp. Armaldo gives it a hard time due to STAB Rock Blast goes past the Substitute and it can easily take an Acrobatics. Drifblim switching into Torkoal is likely to end up with Drifblim getting OHKOed by Torkoal's Fire Blast after it sets up a Shell Smash.
  
• You can add Garbodor and Roselia as good partners for Drifblim as they set up easily on Alomomola and can even get Toxic Spikes on the field to help AcroBlimp get past it much easier. Roselia with its Water-type resistance deals better with Alomomola, but shares an Ice-type weakness with Drifblim that should be mentioned.
  
• Make sure you remove mentions of counters and such in the Set Comments and AC unless it's in reference to how a change in a move option would allow you to beat said counter. Add these counters to Checks and Counters instead.

I'm still not too sure if the Adamant 252 Atk / 56 Def / 200 Spe or the Jolly 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe should be the main on AcroBlimp. It would be great to have other QC member's input on that.

[Joim]

Ok, I think I made all changes. I wish to leave Disable slashed to Substitute too since I find Disable + Destiny Bond can be used as well as Substitute + Disable. I'm also leaving Liepard as a check to deal with Haunter since Swagger Liepard has a spread to outspeed and easily 2HKO it.

[EBeast]

The Disable thing sounds good to me. Don't mention Swagger Liepard specifically but rather Liepard in general, since all of its sets outspeed Haunter and threaten it. Do make sure to point out that Liepard cannot switch into Haunter without getting 2HKOed by Sludge Bomb.

After that:


QC Approved 1/3

To save the 2nd QC'er some time I'll re-iterate what Raseri pointed out to me. As of this announcement you only need 2 QC checks to start writing your analysis. Once you finish the write-up, a 3rd QC member will look over it and give you the final QC stamp before handing it over to GP.

[Joim]

Done, it's ready for the next check :)

[Menshay]

Originally Posted by Fat Joim

Name: SubCM
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Thunderbolt
Item: Chesto Berry
Ability: Unburden
Nature: Modest
EV's: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD

[Joim]

Waiting for the next QC check, it's been revised.

[Zebraiken*]

I'd like to be the one to check this over post-writeup, but the skeleton looks fine to me. Let me know when you've written this up, and I'll go over it again.


QC Approved 2/3

[Joim]

Okay, this is written up! Sorry it took so long, I've been busy with translations and Gastrodon analysis :(

[Zebraiken*]

i'll probably be incredibly critical at times, so don't get offended by this check, haha. :P

Originally Posted by Fat Joim

[SET]
Name: AcroBlimp
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Substitute / Disable
move 4: Destiny Bond / Disable
Item: Flying Gem
Ability: Unburden
Nature: Adamant
EV's: 252 Atk / 56 Def / 200 Spe

this should be 252 atk / 252 spe jolly, for reasons i'll go into detail below. you can mention this alternate spread, but yeah speed is more important.

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Unburden is an excellent ability and Dirfblim has all the tools available to use it. Acrobatics is a Flying-type attack known by everyone, dealing huge damage even to those resisting it. AcroBlimp will easily deal with the top threats of NU with this set, obliterating foes such as Sawk, Gardevoir, Ludicolo, and Gurdurr. It can even OHKO Golurk with Flying Gem Acrobatics after Stealth Rock and Spikes or 2HKO it if it dares to switch in, but keep it mind that its Iron Fist Shadow Punch will destroy Drifblim in one mere hit. Once Acrobatics is used, Drifblim will be the fastest in the metagame bar a few Pokemon over base 100, granting that it will get at least a kill using Destiny Bond. Flying Gem doubles the base Power of Acrobatics and additionally it activates the Unburden boost. Keep in mind that you can get this powerful hit and speed boost once, and if you switch out, the Unburden boost will be lost, so it's better to deal with Drifblim counters first and let it out once the field is clear from danger, since Drifblim will prefer to stay in, attempting a sweep until it faints. Additionally, a fast Will-O-Wisp will cripple physical attackers and common Rapid Spinners like Armaldo, making Drifblim a decent Spin Blocker while being a powerful offensive presence at the same time. Armaldo, the most common and dangerous Rapid Spin user, will find itself in a tough situation against an Unburden boosted Drifblim, knowing it can use Destiny Bond to get rid of it and thus letting the hazards stay forevermore. Anything that tries to get past Drifblim will be seriously damaged by Acrobatics, so once you let it unleash its fury, your opponent will have a hard time stopping it.</p>

it's important to note that this has been established as drifblim's "best" set (i put that in quotes because while it is quite good, it's not really phenomenal, and its popularity has led to some other more interesting sets seeing use), so be careful to not praise it an extraordinary amount and to keep in mind that this is what people -expect- when they see drifblim nowadays. that doesn't prevent drifblim from being able to wreak havoc with this style of set (a trademark of a good one, surely) but yeah.

however, it's even more important to keep in perspective what it actually is: a utility set designed to spread status around the opponent's team and generally disrupt stuff (though netting a kill with dbond is great!). acrobatics, while decently strong and useful for threatening stuff like ludicolo, is not the primary lure of the set. it is simply the means that drifblim uses to get fast and spread status / kill another pokemon with dbond. you don't need to praise the strength of acrobatics; that's really not what it's here for, though it's nice. you honestly probably shouldn't even be using acrobatics the moment it comes in; since people /know/ that most drifblim are the acro set now, they'll likely bring in their rock-type or general bird counter, and you can burn it and run away for next time. this is the reasoning behind using 252/252+ rather than adamant - jolly lets blim speed tie stuff like weakened gardevoir / braviary and pick them off with acrobatics if necessary, and then do whatever it does. you can mention the adamant spread in AC somewhere for those who want more power, but it isn't strictly necessary whatsoever.

ideally you don't mention blim as a spinblocker unless it's using disable; it gets owned by stuff like armaldo stone edge and would otherwise have to sacrifice itself via dbond to "spinblock". also, this drifblim set does not truly have counters (barring like magic coat roar bastiodon...?), since if you play it well you can put yourself in a position to have an advantage over every mon in NU thanks to dbond & will-o-wisp, so don't talk about removing drifblim's "counters" beforehand.

<p>Despite its positive traits, one must take into account that Drifblim doesn't really pack a punch and it will need team support and Unburden to do its job. A Brave Bird from Choice Band Braviary OHKOs it, however Drifblim can OHKO it with Acrobatics after Stealth Rock damage, so you will need Unburden to get past Braviary, a top NU threat. Skuntank's Sucker Punch will too obliterate Drifblim with ease, it's thus recommended to use Substitute if you find yourself facing it. If you manage to hide behind a Substitute and even burn it, there's nothing to fear. You can choose to run a SubDisable set or sacrifice Substitute for Disable, since it will buy you turns to deal additional damage. A disabled Pokemon is a maimed Pokemon, if you manage to disable its most powerful attack against Drifblim it will have to either switch out or take an Acrobatics hit. Furthermore, if Disable is used against a Choice item user such as Golurk, it will be totally crippled and you will be able to KO it, get a Substitute ready, a burn on switch in, or simply an Acrobatics hit against it.</p>

this paragraph doesn't tell us too much about how to play drifblim, apart from naming a few pokemon and how drifblim has to handle them. ideally, the description of what it does in the meta should cover a few things: 1) that drifblim simply needs an opportunity to set up and start going, whether that's picking on something weak to flying (ludicolo, etc) or killing off a weakened pokemon like a 50% golurk or something of the sort; 2) that it's the kind of set that acts as a "glue" or helps break down walls for an offensive team, not really something that you build around or try to set up for a sweep; and 3) that you don't really need to spend all of your time trying to create the perfect scenario for it to come in and sweep, because that's not what it does. i know it sounds kind of repetitive lol, but you really need to highlight that it's a utility set. you can mention specific pokemon like skuntank, regirock, etc if you like (because this set is actually really good at luring them in and burning them).

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>There's not many other options for an attack on the moveslot besides Acrobatics, which is easily one of the best physical attacking moves. Despite the greatness of Drifblim's movepool, it is quite lacking in the physical department. The chosen EV spread is used to outspeed +1 positive-nature base 100 Speed Pokemon and those with Choice Scarf. You can use a Jolly nature with an EV spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe so you still outspeed base 70s like Ludicolo and Samurott with a Timid nature and speed tie with base 80s like Gardevor and Braviary before the Unburden boost; this spread works better with SubDisable. Don't be bothered about the lower damage output, Disable will be granting you extra turns of damage most of the times. Drifblim always needs a little help from teammates: Rotom-S can severely damage Alomomola, who walls Drifblim, and Braviary, which is a problem unless you manage to get Unburden first. Haunter is a huge threat too, since it OHKOs Drifblim 32.25% of the times or 100% after Stealth Rock damage, so teaming up with Liepard is a good idea, as it can outspeed and 2HKO it with Foul Play; but be wary, Sludge Bomb 2HKOs it, so it can't freely switch on Haunter. Another option is to team up with Skuntank, who does not care about Haunter's Pursuit trapping and deals easily with it. That teaming also works a powerful core, since Skuntank will appreciate the Physical Ground-, Rock-, and Steel-types being burned by Drifblim's Will-O-Wisp. Birds such as Swellow or Braviary are welcome on Drifblim's team, as Driflim can either burn or Destiny Bond their counters. Some teams pack both a physical wall and a bird counter, so be cautious when using both. Given that Drifblim can spin block and cripple common Rapid Spin users, Pokemon that set up hazards work very well with it. Garbodor and Roselia team up nicely with Drifblim, setting up Spikes and Toxic Spikes on Alomomola easily. Roselia can take Water-type damage all the day, but it shares Drifblim's Ice-type weakness, which should be noted. Armaldo can both set up Stealth Rock and use Rapid Spin realiably, so it is very welcome, since Stealth Rock is one of the main weaknesses in Drifblim, allowing it to switch in at full health. Drifblim can't really do much to Rock-types beside burning them, so it's best to wait to use Acrobatics until they are dealt with, which Ludicolo can do, before you can use Drifblim to its full extent.</p>

again, flip the ev spreads; you can talk about the adamant one here, but jolly is ideal. "this spread works better with subdisable" - what's the justification for that? it works exactly the same. damage output honestly does not matter; drifblim honestly is quite weak after the initial acrobatics, and it doesn't really need to be strong anyway. drifblim does not need teammates that take apart walls for it either, because that's its job. teammates should be those that can appreciate the burns / destiny bond KOes that drifblim accomplishes, especially pokemon that struggle with rock- / steel-types (swellow, braviary, zangoose, kangaskhan, etc). really you don't need to name so many pokemon that can outspeed and KO drifblim; if you're not an idiot with it, then you can just _not_ try to switch in drifblim on them, haha. haunter nor braviary need to be mentioned. hazard-setting teammates are an ok mention, though drifblim is an "offensive" spinblocker at best so it can only delay the spin or hopefully push the spinner into range of something else. ideally, the reasoning behind mentioning them is that drifblim actually can force a ton of switches if you play it well, and the fact that it can pseudo-spinblock is really more of an aftereffect.

[SET]
Name: SubCM
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Thunderbolt
Item: Ghost Gem
Ability: Unburden
Nature: Modest
EV's: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While this set is not as powerful as AcroBlimp, if you manage to get rid of the foes threatening Drifblim, it can set up and sweep the remains of the opposing team. You can switch on a Choice-locked Fighting-type attack, set up a Substitute, and procceed to Calm Mind. After the first Shadow Ball, speed gets boosted by Unburden and you become nearly unstoppable. Thanks to the three immunities and six resistances, you will find plenty of occasions to start setting up. The only Pokemon that can reliably stop your sweep then are Regice and Skuntank, which can be dealt with with the help of teammates. After the Unburden boost, there will be little Pokemon outspeeding Drifblim. Add in one or two Calm Mind boosts and it will be hitting like a truck. Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting used together grant a perfect coverage, hitting all Pokemon. If you wish Drifblim to defeat some threats by itself, it could use Thunderbolt instead of Hidden Power Fighting to pass through Alomomola, Braviary, or Samurott.</p>

the first sentence already isn't true. they aren't comparable; this is meant to sweep, the other set is not. also, duh it can sweep if you remove its counters. this should be obvious, and it's really just you using it as filler (you don't need to use that phrase at all).

choice-locked fighting attacks are literally only seen on sawk, and you risk getting mauled by ice punch if you predict incorrectly or if it's like fist plate or something dumb. in contrast to the acrobatics set, this set is phenomenal against offensive teams, where it can set up while scaring out something like musharna and deal a ton of damage, then suddenly outspeed all scarfers. apart from the fact that this is missing a little bit of explanation of how it works in the meta, i think you picked up on a lot of stuff which is nice. :>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Despite the potential Unburden brings, Drifblim needs team support to prevail. Fighting-types, namely Sawk or Gurdurr, premier Fighting-types of NU, will help dealing with opposing Dark-type threats, such as Skuntank and Liepard. They also lure out physical walls, such as Alomomola, that Drifblim can use to set up, as it will take little damage, might use Substitue to avoid status, and get at least a Calm Mind before shooting the first Shadow Ball. SubWisp Gardevoir can lure Skuntank, which will receive a burn upon switch in, halving its attack and thus its usefulness. Piloswine will help taking out both Rotom-F and Rotom-S, who threaten Drifblim with their powerful super effective attacks and superior speed before Unburden. As happens when using AcroBlimp, Drifblim requires Rapid Spin support to ensure its survival, helping it set up from full health. Once again, Armaldo is the perfect Pokemon for that job, setting Stealth Rock and Rapid Spinning at the same time. Additionally, you can use a ChestoRest set, which works like this one, using Calm Mind, Rest, Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting or Thunderbolt as a moveset, Chest Berry as an item, and an EV spread of 252 Def / 140 SpA / 116 Spe with a Modest nature. EVs allow to outspeed Choice Scarf Sawk and Choice Scarf Marmogtar after Unburden. The Defense helps Drifblim to set up, since Calm Mind already covers Special Defense.</p>

this section primarily needs to talk about the best ways to defeat regice and skuntank (and lickilicky), and although you talk about luring skuntank a bit, you say ~nothing about regice. sr support is a must, since it means that you can eventually push regice into 2HKO range (and also push other things into ko range, like the rotom formes). you shouldn't really generalize "dark-types"; skuntank walls you, and liepard can encore sub / shadow ball / cm. these are the only two troublesome dark-types. stone edge piloswine beats regice really easily (even though you didn't mention it at all there lol), as do the fighting-types you mentioned and most physical attackers.

rapid spin support is not really a "necessity", especially since this set doesn't switch in and out constantly. that's just a crutch that we fall back on when looking for teammates to add to the set; does armaldo honestly even do anything else apart from spinning for drifblim? (not really.) i'm ok with the mention of wisp gardevoir, especially the lo + 3 attacks set with focus blast since that owns everything that drifblim struggles with (subwisp isn't really a good set in this metagame, anyway), but in general you need more teammates here. i'm a bit pressed for time currently and i want to finish this qc check, but generally add stuff that beats on / lures skuntank, regice, lickilicky, and lures in stuff like musharna etc to force out. also, you can mention again that acrobatics is the ~expected~ set, so you can scare out some stuff like ludicolo if necessary, and set up.

[Other Options]

<p>Driblim has a list of options as large as its HP stat. For instance, you can use another SubCM set, but using instead an EV spread of 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe and Aftermath as the ability, but it's pretty much outclassed by its main SubCM Unburden set and other SubCM users such as Gardevoir. A Baton Pass set is also possible using an EV spread of 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD, passing either Calm Mind, Stockpile, or both, as well as high HP Substitutes. This set is Taunt bait, though, so it's not recommended. Unburden will let you use Baton Pass very quickly so you won't be killed before you do, but you must always keep in mind that the Unburden Speed boost cannot be passed. Drifblim can use both Sunny Day and Rain Dance, but additionally it is one of the few Pokemon with access to Weather Ball, so it's able to run in a weather team and even be the core of it. Besides the aforementioned support moves, Drifblim has access to a wide variety of them, finding amongst its movepool Hypnosis, Trick, and Thunder Wave. It can even use Memento, a move that acts as a last resort that will cripple the opponent, forcing a switch out that will help a lot. You can use Flare Boost to take an incoming Will-O-Wisp from Misdreavus or similar foes to boost Drifblim's Special Attack and deal huge damaging Shadow Balls, however using Calm Mind with Unburden is usually a superior option. Despite Explosion's nerf, it can be used in a Memento-like fashion, dealing still decent damage. Drifblim has also access to Recycle to abuse Chesto Berry, but its defenses are too puny to effectively use this tactic against most offensive teams. Drifblim has also access to Charge Beam which can be used against the plethora of Flying-types in NU and serves as a boosting move at the same time, but Calm Mind is still better. It can even run Sucker Punch to deal with other Ghost-types in the physical sets, but the moveslot for that is disputed amongst more useful moves.</p>

the first sentence is really cliche, haha. you don't have to omit it, but...

you don't have to mention a separate subcm set; just point out that aftermath is generally inferior to unburden. i'm glad you pointed out that the unburden boost isn't BPed, good on ya. you don't need to mention the "taunt bait" bit part, though. weather ball drifblim is pretty mediocre though because its speed isn't actually boosted and it doesn't gain any additional or good coverage as a result, do note that. the flare boost mention should not be "absorbing misdreavus will-o-wisps"; like hell you want to switch into something that can OHKO you after sr with its standard STAB move. flame orb + trick is the ideal "gimmick" behind flare boost. recycle's effectiveness is not limited by its defenses as much as 4mss.

[Checks and Counters]

<p>The Ghost- and Dark-types of NU are amongst the more perilous foes for Drifblim. Haunter, Zangoose, Misdreavus, and Skuntank all will easily dispatch it; its glaring Pursuit weakness is one of Drifblim's worst traits. Rotom-F and Rotom-S totally counter Drifblim, taking little damage from Acrobatics and OHKOing it back. Alomomola can wall AcroBlimp ad infinitum, taking the hits and using Wish + Protect to heal back, plus using Toxic to wear Drifblim down. Musharna takes little damage from Acrobatics too, and despite barely damaging Drifblim it can set up on AcroBlimp easily on its Calm Mind set. AcroBlimp will have trouble breaking trhough physical walls, so sending it to battle before they are dealt with will just waste your only Unburden boost. Most non Fighting-type physical attackers, mainly Rock-types and Flying-types, will easily deal with Drifblim, namely Braviary, Armaldo, Samurott, and Golem. Both Regice and Stunfisk can easily KO Drifblim with their STABs, they also happen to have high bulk to avoid being hitted hard by Drifblim. Phazing Drifblim will make it lose Unburden for the rest of the battle and Substitute, crippling it, especially if Stealth Rock is set up. Keep in mind that boh Drifblim sets require different counters, it's hard to safely switch a Pokemon into Drifblim until you know which set it is using.</p>

important that you mention in the first bit that those offensive pokemon only beat it pre-unburden. neither rotom forme "totally counters" drifblim, as they take an assload from shadow ball (and im pretty sure they're 2HKOed after ghost gem + unburden + sr). acrobatics sets can sub + disable and force them to struggle, while dbond can just kill them by trapping them. every "counter" has to fear destiny bond, though i suppose that can be pp stalled out. alomomola will get burned, but does beat it eventually. pokemon with roar are really ideal for beating it since they force it out and it can never have its unburden active again, though they'll likely get burned in the process; lairon and bastiodon are probably best. bulky electrics in general are good for beating it - eelektross, ampharos, even luxray could work. don't mention "physical attackers"... they all get burned, lol. also keep in mind that acroblimp can disable musharna's moonlight :o

ok this is all i can really muster right now. i'll give you the last stamp after this is all implemented and i give it another glance to make sure everything is a-ok

[Fizz]

The SubCM set has 252 special defense EVs listed. I'm assuming you want speed, "spe".

[Joim]

Okay I'm working on this now. I hope to be done by tomorrow. I expected to do this soon, but I engaged in a lot of things on Smogon, lol. So this is a placeholder post to say "Implemented all changes".
Edit: It took me longer than I expected due the sheer amount of things I'm doing, but this is ready for next check.

[Joim]

Sorry for the double post, I've been back for almost a week now and still waiting for this >.>

[Zebraiken*]

i don't think anyone else could have pushed this off more than i have, i'm sorry for doing that to you joim :(

Originally Posted by Fat Joim

acroblim

<p>Unburden is an excellent ability and Dirfblim has all the tools available to use it, finding Acrobatics in its moveset. AcroBlimp will easily deal with the top threats of NU with this set, obliterating foes such as Sawk, Gardevoir, Ludicolo, and Gurdurr with its STAB Acrobatics. It can even OHKO Golurk with Flying Gem Acrobatics after Stealth Rock and Spikes or 2HKO it if it dares to switch in, but keep it mind that its Iron Fist Shadow Punch will destroy Drifblim in one mere hit. Once Acrobatics is used, Drifblim will be the fastest in the metagame bar a few Pokemon over base 100, granting that it will get a kill at least using Destiny Bond. Flying Gem doubles the base Power of Acrobatics and additionally it activates the Unburden boost, however keep in mind that you can get this powerful hit and speed boost once, and if you switch out, the Unburden boost will be lost. But that's not the main gist of this set, for most players will expect AcroBlimp nowadays. This set excels at utility, spreading status with Will-O-Wisp, disrupting the opposing team with heavy blows, and forcing switches, luring its checks to burn them. Once Drifblim gains the Unburden boost, it will prefer to stay in the field, attempting a sweep until it faints, most likely getting another Pokemon down with Destiny Bond. To take care of the physical attackers that can threat Drifblim, you can use Will-O-Wisp on switch ins to burn them, making the battle easier for your team. There are no real counters to this set, as Will-O-Wisp will cripple them and Destiny Bond will threat all them out. Additionally, a fast Will-O-Wisp will cripple physical attackers and common Rapid Spinners like Armaldo, the most common and dangerous one, who will find itself in a tough situation against an Unburden boosted Drifblim, knowing it can use Destiny Bond to get rid of it and thus letting the hazards stay forevermore. Anything that tries to get past Drifblim will be seriously damaged by Acrobatics, so once you let it unleash its fury, your opponent will have a hard time stopping it.</p>

you're giving a lot of fluff to drifblim here that it really doesn't need. in your first couple sentences, you give various calcs and such, and then later let the reader know that it didn't really matter that they read all that because that's not the main point of the set anyway. you can remove all of the calcs and the several-sentence explanation of how acrobatics + flying gem works; you can explain in two sentences that drifblim relies on acrobatics + flying gem to KO something frail (you can note scolipede / jynx / primeape here too, though drifblim is never going to be faster than them on its own) or finish off another pokemon and get the speed boost. to pick at specific parts here,

Once Drifblim gains the Unburden boost, it will prefer to stay in the field, attempting a sweep until it faints, most likely getting another Pokemon down with Destiny Bond. To take care of the physical attackers that can threat Drifblim, you can use Will-O-Wisp on switch ins to burn them, making the battle easier for your team. There are no real counters to this set, as Will-O-Wisp will cripple them and Destiny Bond will threat all them out. Additionally, a fast Will-O-Wisp will cripple physical attackers and common Rapid Spinners like Armaldo, the most common and dangerous one, who will find itself in a tough situation against an Unburden boosted Drifblim, knowing it can use Destiny Bond to get rid of it and thus letting the hazards stay forevermore. Anything that tries to get past Drifblim will be seriously damaged by Acrobatics, so once you let it unleash its fury, your opponent will have a hard time stopping it.</p>

if i'm a new player, the things i learn here are:

- you shouldn't switch out with unburden active
- it probably koes a pokemon with destiny bond if you play it well
- you can burn physical attackers
- there are no counters to this set, because you can burn things and scare them all out with the thread of destiny bond
- also, you can burn physical attackers and scare them out with the threat of destiny bond
- it can kinda spinblock because they have to risk their spinner (important to note that it can't really spinblock armaldo unless you're really good at dodging stone edges on switch-in)
- drifblim has acrobatics

do you see the redundancy here? this whole section is telling us mostly the same information again and again, and you can really condense it down into a sentence or two with minimal effort on your part and so that you don't have to say the same things over and over and over.

<p>Drifblim does two things mainly: supports the team and sets up to burn and faint as many opposing Pokemon as possible, so remember that your team should not play around Drifblim, rather otherwise. The best way to start playing Drifblim is using some Flying-type weak Pokemon like Ludicolo or killing off a weakened one. You have to try for the first Acrobatics to be worth it, wasting it to deal 35% damage is something you don't want. What Drifblim does best is luring out foes such as Skuntank and Regirock to burn them, rendering them pretty much useless. Despite its positive traits, one must take into account that Drifblim doesn't really pack a punch and it will need team support and Unburden to do its job. A Brave Bird from Choice Band Braviary OHKOs it, however Drifblim can OHKO it with Acrobatics after Stealth Rock damage, so you will need Unburden to get past Braviary, a top NU threat. Skuntank's Sucker Punch will too obliterate Drifblim with ease, it's thus recommended to use Substitute if you find yourself facing it. If you manage to hide behind a Substitute and even burn it, there's nothing to fear. You can choose to run a SubDisable set or sacrifice Substitute for Disable, since it will buy you turns to deal additional damage. A disabled Pokemon is a maimed Pokemon, if you manage to disable its most powerful attack against Drifblim it will have to either switch out or take an Acrobatics hit. Furthermore, if Disable is used against a Choice item user such as Golurk, it will be totally crippled and you will be able to KO it, get a Substitute ready, a burn on switch in, or simply an Acrobatics hit against it.</p>

first sentence is rather confusing and that's really a matter of wording; you don't need to try to jam so much information in there especially since you made it very clear what drifblim does in the last paragraph. "you have to try for the first acrobatics to be worth it" - as a new player, what do you mean? i try very hard when i battle. >:| be specific and try to clarify exactly what you mean: by that, i mean you need to clarify "don't waste your acrobatics on incoming bastiodon / regirock" or whatever.

you don't need to go into the situational stuff here; braviary vs drifblim is not common enough to merit specific mention and is basically filler information that doesn't tell you much about the set apart from "it has to be previously boosted to deal with some stuff". that is a perfectly legitimate point, but you don't have to say things like "a brave bird ohkoes it" etc. "a disabled pokemon is a maimed..." is a filler sentence that people can derive themselves based on the effect of disable. disabling a choiced pokemon forces it to struggle; in the case of most choice band pokemon, it allows them to continue breaking subs.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>There's not many other options for an attack on the moveslot besides Acrobatics, which is easily one of the best physical attacking moves. Despite the greatness of Drifblim's movepool, it is quite lacking in the physical department. The chosen EV spread is used to outspeed base 70s like Ludicolo and Samurott with a Timid nature and speed tie with base 80s like Gardevor and Braviary before the Unburden boost. Don't be bothered about the lower damage output when compared to Adamant, you will be first and you will use Will-O-Wisp often. As Drifblim is a good team staple, Pokemon which struggle against Rock- and Steel-types such as Swellow, Braviary, Zangoose, and Kangaskhan will be glad to count on it to burn or faint them with Destiny Bond. It can team up well with Skuntank, who can deal with threats as Haunter, that teaming also works a powerful core, since Skuntank will appreciate the Physical Ground-, Rock-, and Steel-types being burned by Drifblim's Will-O-Wisp. Some teams pack both a physical wall and a bird counter, so be cautious when using Drifblim and a bird. Given that Drifblim forces a lot of switches and additionally it can spin block and cripple common Rapid Spin users, Pokemon that set up hazards work decently with it. Garbodor and Roselia team up nicely with Drifblim, setting up Spikes and Toxic Spikes on Alomomola easily. Roselia can take Water-type damage all the day, but it shares Drifblim's Ice-type weakness, which should be noted. Armaldo can both set up Stealth Rock and use Rapid Spin realiably, so it is very welcome, since Stealth Rock is one of the main weaknesses in Drifblim, allowing it to switch in at full health. Drifblim is an ofensive spin blocker at best, so it'll pressure spinners and hurt them so they can be taken out, rather than blocking Rapid Spin. Drifblim can't really do much to Rock-types beside burning them, so it's best to wait to use Acrobatics until they are dealt with, which Ludicolo can do, before you can use Drifblim to its full extent.</p>

the ev spread is not chosen to outspeed those specific threats; it's so that drifblim can "pick off" as many pokemon as it can and start disrupting things. you don't even need to reference adamant, just make it clear that the power of the initial acrobatics isn't nearly as important as having the ability to get it off and start disrupting the opponent's game like drifblim should. skuntank is not a particularly good partner unless you're afraid of misdreavus.

"roselia can take water-type damage all day" why is this mention relevant? sr isn't really a problematic weakness, it just makes it so it can't sub as many times. "... rather than blocking rapid spin" surely it blocks rapid spin, but it can't switch in and out of spinners consistently; make that noteworthy. last sentence is confusing and untrue - drifblim very well can lure them and KO them with destiny bond, or cripple them with wisp. you don't need to run ludicolo to make drifblim's life easier, you should be using drifblim with the intention that perhaps you will need to sacrifice it to break through rock-types.

[SET]
Name: SubCM
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Fighting
Item: Ghost Gem
Ability: Unburden
Nature: Modest
EV's: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

hp fighting exists literally just for bastiodon, lickilicky; thunderbolt does more or similar damage to everything else really.

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set does mainly one thing: sweeping. If you manage to set up a Substitute in a good moment, you can easily get Unburden, Calm Mind, and start delivering pain. You can switch on a Choice-locked Fighting-type attack, mainly Sawk, set up a Substitute, and procceed to Calm Mind. Be wary of bluffed Choice Set or predictions, an Ice Punch could mean an abrupt end to Drifblim's sweeping career. After the first Shadow Ball, speed gets boosted by Unburden and you become nearly unstoppable, outspeeding Choice Scarf users. Thanks to the three immunities and six resistances, you will find plenty of occasions to start setting up. The only Pokemon that can reliably stop your sweep then are Regice and Skuntank, which can be dealt with with the help of teammates. After the Unburden boost, there will be little Pokemon outspeeding Drifblim. Add in one or two Calm Mind boosts and it will be hitting like a truck. Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting used together grant a perfect coverage, hitting all Pokemon. If you wish Drifblim to defeat some threats by itself, it could use Thunderbolt instead of Hidden Power Fighting to pass through Alomomola, Braviary, or Samurott.</p>

it doesn't have to be a choice-locked fighting-type attack; just anything it can scare out. i guess it depends on the composition of your team but you can scare out pokemon like roselia by threatening acrobatics or pokemon like golurk by threatening shadow ball. lickilicky also does ok at beating it. skuntank can lose to timely paralysis.

<p>Despite being immune to Fighting-type attacks, Drifblim must be really wary of Sawk as an Ice Punch will OHKO it. It will need Stealth Rock damage and +2 to reliably KO Sawk, so don't risk and don't attempt to set up if it's present until you are sure you can deal with it. Hidden Power Fighting is pretty weak, so Thunderbolt is better in some cases. It deals more damage to Skuntank.</p>

this entire paragraph is unnecessary

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Despite the potential Unburden brings, Drifblim needs team support to prevail; generally, Skuntank and Regice are the main threats to this set. Fighting-types, namely Sawk or Gurdurr, premier Fighting-types of NU, will help dealing with opposing Dark-type threats, such as Skuntank and Liepard, though they are the most troublesome, and they can deal with Regice, which is a big threat to Drifblim. They also lure out physical walls, such as Alomomola, that Drifblim can use to set up, as it will take little damage, might use Substitue to avoid status, and get at least a Calm Mind before shooting the first Shadow Ball. Gardevoir is a very good teammate, SubWisp can burn Drifblim's threats and LO + 3 attacks is a very powerful build that can KO a lot of NU Pokemon. Piloswine will help taking out both Rotom-F and Rotom-S, who threaten Drifblim with their powerful super effective attacks and superior speed before Unburden. Colubur Berry Golurk can take a Sucker Punch and OHKO Skuntank with Earthquake, while some other Rock- or Ground- types can dispatch it with their own STAB Earthquake, such as Regirock or Boldore. Lickilicky doesn't take much damage even from Hidden Power Fighting, it's best to burn it or let a fast Fighting-type to deal with it before trying to set up with Drifblim. You can also use Rotom formes to Trick Lickilicky a choice item or let Samurott or Skuntank Taunt it. A bulky Substitute will render its Dragon Tail useless as well. Stealth Rock support is almost mandatory, since it pushes Regice to the 2HKO range and Rotom formes to OHKO range. Piloswine is an excellent teammate as well, as it can use Stone Edge to dispose of Regice and other Ice-type dangers that can obliterate Drifblim, and it can also lay Stealth Rock. Rapid Spin support is not necessary to ensure its survival as you are meant to switch in and stay, but it helps Drifblim to set up from full health. Most players will expect the AcroBlimp set on Drifblim, so you can use this to your advantage to scare out a Flying-type weak Pokemon like Ludicolo or a low health slow one to set up on its switch. Additionally, you can use a ChestoRest set, which works like this one, using Calm Mind, Rest, Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting or Thunderbolt as a moveset, Chest Berry as an item, and an EV spread of 252 Def / 140 SpA / 116 Spe with a Modest nature. EVs allow to outspeed Choice Scarf Sawk and Choice Scarf Marmogtar after Unburden. The Defense helps Drifblim to set up, since Calm Mind already covers Special Defense.</p>

gigalith > boldore

doesn't have to be a fast fighting-type to beat licky; just something that can reliably threaten it and push it into ko range for blim. sr support isn't "almost" necessary, it very much is! it will never break through regice otherwise.

this is a good section, you might want to consider breaking it into two paragraphs though because it looks rather huge and a bit daunting to read through

[Other Options]

<p>Driblim has a list of options as large as its HP stat. Aftermath as an ability is pretty much outclassed by Unburden in all cases. A Baton Pass set is also possible using an EV spread of 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD, passing either Calm Mind, Stockpile, or both, as well as high HP Substitutes. Unburden will let you use Baton Pass very quickly so you won't be killed before you do, but you must always keep in mind that the Unburden Speed boost cannot be passed. Drifblim can use both Sunny Day and Rain Dance, but additionally it is one of the few Pokemon with access to Weather Ball, so it's able to run in a weather team and even be the core of it, but it's really slow and it doesn't gain any good coverage, so it's not a good option. Besides the aforementioned support moves, Drifblim has access to a wide variety of them, finding amongst its movepool Hypnosis, Trick, and Thunder Wave. It can even use Memento, a move that acts as a last resort that will cripple the opponent, forcing a switch out that will help a lot. You can use Flare Boost to take an incoming Will-O-Wisp to boost Drifblim's Special Attack and deal huge damaging Shadow Balls, however using Calm Mind with Unburden is usually a superior option. You'd rather use Flame Orb and Trick, a gimmicky option that gives you a boost and cripples an opponent. Despite Explosion's nerf, it can be used in a Memento-like fashion, dealing still decent damage. Drifblim has also access to Recycle to abuse Chesto Berry, but its defenses are too puny to effectively use this tactic against most offensive teams and it is wasting a precious moveslot that Drifblim needs to be effective. Drifblim has also access to Charge Beam which can be used against the plethora of Flying-types in NU and serves as a boosting move at the same time, but Calm Mind is still better. It can even run Sucker Punch to deal with other Ghost-types in the physical sets, but the moveslot for that is disputed amongst more useful moves.</p>

that first sentence.. :( you don't need to use silly cliche phrases like that, just tell me the goods! there's a long run-on sentence about the weathers; just mention that it can use both weathers and also has access to weather ball (then in the next sentence, explain why it's bad). you don't need to explain what memento does. the flare boost mention is a bit confusing - just say you'd use flame orb + trick, and that cm unburden is generally better. when you mention sucker punch, i'd explicitly say that destiny bond is always the better option if your opponent is attacking anyways.

[Checks and Counters]

<p>The Ghost- and Dark-types of NU are amongst the more perilous foes for Drifblim. Haunter, Zangoose, Misdreavus, and Skuntank all will easily dispatch it before the Unburden boost; its glaring Pursuit weakness is one of Drifblim's worst traits. Rotom-F and Rotom-S can counter Drifblim, taking little damage from Acrobatics and OHKOing it back, but they can be easily KOd if they take a Ghost Gem Shadow Ball after Stealth Rock damage and then take the next, faster, Shadow Ball. Additionally, AcroBlimp using SubDisable will force Rotom formes to Struggle, rendering them useless. Alomomola can wall AcroBlimp ad infinitum, taking the hits and using Wish + Protect to heal back, plus using Toxic to wear Drifblim down. It can burn Drifblim with Scald as well, the most you can do to it is burn it. Musharna takes little damage from Acrobatics too, and despite barely damaging Drifblim it can set up on AcroBlimp easily on its Calm Mind set; but, on the other hand, AcroBlimp can disable its Moonlight to beat it. AcroBlimp will have trouble breaking trhough physical walls, so sending it to battle before they are dealt with will just waste your only Unburden boost. Both Regice and Stunfisk can easily KO Drifblim with their STABs, they also happen to have high bulk to avoid being hitted hard by Drifblim. Phazing Drifblim will make it lose Unburden for the rest of the battle and Substitute, crippling it, especially if Stealth Rock is set up, so Roar users like Bastiodon and Lairon are very dangerous to Drifblim. Bulky Electric-types are good to go against Drifblim, Eelektross, Ampharos, and even Luxray can beat it, risking a burn. Keep in mind that both Drifblim sets require different counters, it's hard to safely switch a Pokemon into Drifblim until you know which set it is using. Finally, there's no safe counter against Drifblim, since it always could use Destiny Bond and get your counter down.</p>

only offensive missy outspeeds blim. why'd you mention zangoose after saying "ghost- and dark-types are dangerous"? it doesn't run pursuit either, contrary to your following sentence, so idg why that reference is there. rotom-a doesn't counter blim, just scares it out before it boosts or else it risks getting koed by destiny bond. musharna cannot successfully set up on blim, because a properly timed destiny bond means you have to predict phenomenally well to actually beat it.

getting it to waste its flying gem on bulky pokemon or resists is a good idea; from there it's best trying to avoid its destiny bond, whether that's through taunt or stalling its low 8 pp or phazing with roar.. bulky electrics always win vs every set barring crits. in this sense, the "safest" counter is bastiodon, so give it a little more mention.

after this,

QC Approved 3/3

sorry for taking so long!

[Raseri]

EVs allow to outspeed Choice Scarf Sawk and Choice Scarf Marmogtar after Unburden. The Defense helps Drifblim to set up, since Calm Mind already covers Special Defense.</p>


Magmortar isn't NU anymore! There's also a lot of typos, so I recommend reading it over before GP comes at this!