Cofagrigus
[Overview]
<p>Cofagrigus is a defensive behemoth. With a base Defense stat of 145, Cofagrigus can take physical attacks with ease, and to some extent, it can take weak special attacks too. However, Cofagrigus's relatively low HP stat holds it back, and the lack of a reliable recovery move really hurts its walling potential. Due to the presence of Eviolite, it is often overlooked in favor of Dusclops, who sports better defenses overall. What sets Cofagrigus apart from Dusclops is that it has access to Haze, a highly useful move which removes any stat boosts that the opponent may have. That's not all, as Cofagrigus also has a decent Special Attack stat, which means it can hit back much harder than Dusclops. By taking advantage of its decent Special Attack and its huge Defense stat, Cofagrigus is a great user of Calm Mind, and when taking advantage of its low Speed, it can sweep through whole teams with Trick Room and Nasty Plot; something Dusclops can't pull off. Cofagrigus also has an unique ability in Mummy, which can be proven useful against Pokemon such as Heracross, as it gives the opponent Mummy as well.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Haze
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Mummy
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is the standard defensive Ghost set, and Cofagrigus pulls it off better than most. Shadow Ball is Cofagrigus's best attacking option, hitting the opponent for good damage thanks to Cofagrigus's decent Special Attack stat. Will-O-Wisp will cripple most physical attackers and adds to Cofagrigus's already high physical bulk. Haze is a great move, removing any stat boosts the opponent might have, and Cofagrigus can use it effectively thanks to its bulk. Unfortunately, Rest is Cofagrigus's only recovery move, but it does keep Cofagrigus free from status.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Toxic is an option if none of your Pokemon carry it. Toxic also does greater damage overall against Pokemon such as Chansey. The EVs give Cofagrigus the best overall bulk, and give it the ability to survive some neutral special moves. Physically frail Pokemon such as Azelf and Chansey really benefit from Will-O-Wisp crippling physical attackers. Haze makes certain set-up sweepers, such as Mew, Cobalion, and Lilligant, easier to deal with for Pokemon such as Suicune and Cresselia. Cofagrigus also pairs well with Spiritomb, as Cofagrigus can lure out spinblockers, such as Mismagius, for Spiritomb to trap and KO. Cofagrigus also helps keep entry hazards on the field by blocking the opponents attempts to use Rapid Spin. As Cofagrigus helps Chansey out with Will-O-Wisp, Cofagrigus is also in need of Chansey's help, as she can provide Aromatherapy support to cure the sleep status induced by Rest.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Rest / Will-O-Wisp
item: Leftovers
ability: Mummy
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of Cofagrigus's terrific Defense stat, and when combined with Calm Mind to boost its decent Special Attack and Special Defense, Cofagrigus becomes an impenetrable, hard-hitting wall. Shadow Ball is Cofagrigus's best and most reliable STAB move, and it hits hard after a couple of boosts. Hidden Power Fighting complements Shadow Ball well, giving Cofagrigus perfect coverage. Rest recovers any lost damage and heals status, keeping Cofagrigus healthy so it can boost its stats even further. Will-O-Wisp is still an option though, as it will add even more to Cofagrigus' physical bulk, and gives it an option to support its team.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Light Screen really helps in the first stages of setting up, as Cofagrigus's Special Defense is pretty low to start with. Uxie and Cresselia are the most common users of Light Screen, but they share two weaknesses with Cofagrigus, making Crygonal an option as well. Entry hazards can help score some KOs and take down some difficult opponents. Roserade and Nidoqueen can both set up Toxic Spikes, and also set up Spikes and Stealth Rock respectively. In exchange for this support, Cofagrigus can take care of Psychic-types that might threaten them. Aromatherapy support from Pokemon such as Chansey is helpful, curing the sleep status induced by Rest.</p>
<p>Before sending Cofagrigus in, it's wise to remove any hard-hitting special attackers. The most notable and dangerous special attackers include Mismagius, Chandelure, and Houndoom. Spirirtomb, and to some extent Bisharp, can handle both Mismagius and Chandelure fairly easy with their Dark-type STAB attacks. Empoleon is a great choice to deal with Chandelure and Houndoom, as it resists both of their respective STAB moves and can KO them with Scald. Fighting-types, such as Heracross and Hitmontop, can handle Houndoom, while Ground- and Rock-types, such as Flygon and Aerodactyl, can hit both Houndoom and Chandelure hard. Sableye is one annoying pest, and can Taunt Cofagrigus, making it unable to use Calm Mind. Heracross, Darmanitan, and Victini can all KO Sableye with Megahorn, Flare Blitz, and V-Create respectively. However, both Darmanitan and Victini need to be careful about Foul Play.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Nasty Plot
item: Leftovers
ability: Mummy
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 30 Def / 30 SpA / 30 SpD / 2 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This version of Cofagrigus takes on a sweeping role. By taking advantage of Cofagrigus's miniscule Speed stat and access to Trick Room, Cofagrigus becomes and excellent user of Nasty Plot. With its natural bulk, Cofagrigus has no trouble setting up and boosting its decent Special Attack to high levels. Shadow Ball is Cofagrigus's most reliable move, hitting anything that doesn't resist it hard. Hidden Power Fighting hits Normal-, Steel-, and Dark-types for super effective damage, which provides Cofagrigus with perfect coverage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Rapid Spin support is recommended to keep Cofagrigus's health as high as possible when it's sent in. Hitmontop and Donphan are great choices, being able to take care of Dark- and Steel-types that might give Cofagrigus trouble. Entry hazards are welcomed as well, as they help score some KOs or keep the opponent from switching to a potential counter. Roserade and Nidoqueen are both potent users of these kinds of moves; (semicolon) they can both set up Toxic Spikes, but Roserade can set up Spikes, whereas Nidoqueen can set up Stealth Rock. Houndoom, Chandelure, and Mismagius can all KO Cofagrigus by aiming at its lower Special Defense stat. Heracross, Cobalion, Empoleon, Flygon, and Aerodactyl are all potential counters to these Pokemon. Sableye is troublesome, (comma) as it can stop any of Cofagrigus attempts to set up with Taunt, so it needs to be removed. Heracross, Darmanitan, and Victini make short work of it, but both Darmanitan and Victini need to be careful about Foul Play.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Cofagrigus's movepool has a variety of useful support options, and it can make use of most of them. Scary Face, Memento, and Fake Tears can be used to lower your opponent's stats, which can force switches, thus making it easier to either set up or KO the opponent. Rain Dance and Safeguard can be used to support Cofagrigus's team, while Mean Look can be used in combination with Toxic. Disable, Heal Block, and Imprison are very gimmicky, but they can be useful to disable the opponent's moves. For example, Heal Block can block Chansey's Softboiled and Zapdos's Roost, while Imprison can stop the opponent using moves such as Haze, Will-O-Wisp, and Rest, which are very common. Imprison also keeps opposing Ghost-types from using Shadow Ball against Cofagrigus. Curse can be used in combination with Rest and Will-O-Wisp, racking up even more damage over time, while Rest restores the 50% health loss from Curse. However, Dusclops often does this better. Night Shade can be used to deal more damage to Steel- and Dark-types that resist Shadow Ball, and it provides consistent damage against bulkier opponents.</p>
[Check and Counters]
<p>The best way to take Cofagrigus down is to aim at its lower Special Defense stat. Hard-hitting Ghost-types, such as Mismagius and Chandelure, can easily KO Cofagrigus with Shadow Ball. Most specially oriented Dark-types, such as Houndoom and Zoroark, have no problem with Cofagrigus, easily KOing it with their STAB Dark-type attacks. Houndoom and Chandelure can even come in on Will-O-Wisp and receive a Flash Fire-boost in the process. Sableye, as well as other Prankster users, will easily shut Cofagrigus down with Taunt.</p>
