Cacturne (Swords Dance) [QC 3/3]

Let's try another set!

QC Approvals:
1) Omicron
2) DTC
3) Steamroll

QC rejections:
1) tennisace
2)
3)

QC Approved, writeup will be done after the tiershift
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[SET]
Name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Seed Bomb
move 4: Substitute / Encore
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
ability: Water Absorb / Sand Veil
nature: Jolly
evs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

- Cacturne is normally seen as a spiker, but can play a more offensive role
- Though alike, serves the purpose as a sweeper instead of a supporter
- An immunity to Scald burns, or Water attacks in general give it a big advantage over Absol
- Nice attack, learns Swords Dance and has access to STAB Sucker Punch to bypass Speed issues
- Can easily threaten out many pokemon with this STAB Sucker Punch, set up a Substitute, and proceed to set up
- Seed Bomb pounds bulky Waters reliably, another perk over Absol, and they can rarely touch him unless carrying an Ice-type move
- Two immunities, one of which restores HP lost from Substitutes
- Faster than many Taunters (ex: Skuntank), who may switch in on your Sub and attempt to stop your Spikes, when instead you can safely get to +2
- Leftovers used due to Substitute, and even without Life Orb, this set can sweep teams behind a Sub due to sheer damage output and powerful priority
- +2 Sucker Punch One to 2HKOs anything that does not resist it
- Encore is another option, as though it is illegal with Water Absorb, it gives Cacturne a niche over Absol and can garuntee a turn of set up
- Life Orb should be used with Encore, as since you needn't expend health on Substitute, the extra power is beneficial

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

- Meant to set up on walls thinking it's a spiking set, and runs through many defensive teams. Crushes walls such as Regirock, Quagsire, and Wartortle
- Also breaks through frailer sweepers with +2 Sucker Punch
- The Speed evs given provide Cacturne with enough Speed to outrun everything up to standard defensive Misdreavus, on which Cacture can set up a Sub, avoid a Will-O-Wisp, and Swords Dance while they are forced to attack with Shadow Ball or switch
- The rest are poured into Attack and HP so Cacturne can break holes into teams and have a bit more bulk respectively
- A bulkier 192 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe with a Jolly nature allows Cacturne to outspeed walls with base speeds of 65 and below with no investment
- Adamant can help Cacturne hit like a truck, but it loses out on some rather important Speed
- Brick Break helps hit Lickilicky and most Steels super effectively, but Seed Bomb already hits most neutrally and at +2 will 2HKO even the most invested Lickilicky with hazards. Drain Punch is another option, and is suerior to Brick Break in that it recovers health. However, it it illegal with Water Absorb, so Sand Veil has to be used.
- Entry hazards are needed, as with Stealth Rock in play while Cacturne is behind a Substitute, Choice Scarf Sawk, one of Cacturnes greatest checks, will be KO'd with a combination of Seed Bomb and Sucker Punch at +2, while also breaking Bastiodon's Sturdy so you can KO before it Roars
- Dual Screens help Cacturne set up against more defensively invested pokemon and unboosted sweepers
- Substitute + Nasty Plot Jynx can ruin your Sucker Punch strategy, and Tangela can wall you and retaliate if packing Hidden Power Ice, so packing a fast Fire-type can help, and Cacturne can sponge any Ground or especially Water-type attacks aimed at them
- Simisear and Scarfed Magmortar work the best, as they can take out Jynx before it sets up and destroy even the most invested Tangelas
- Choice Scarfed Sawk can be a big problem, so Misdreavus can take its Fighting STAB and bun it with Will-O-Wisp, while also taking any Bug moves aimed at Cacturne, who in turn takes any Dark moves aimed at the Ghost. It also functions as a spin blocker, and helps keep the hazards that Cacturne needs on the field
- Throh is possibly the biggest check to Cacturne, as it can Bulk Up, resists Sucker Punch, and can either phaze out Cacturne or KO with Circle Throw
- Psychic-types can help check this problem, and choiced variants can even cripple Throh by giving it a Choice Specs or Scarf
- Ninjask resists Cacturne's Grass-type STAB, and can Sub and pass Speed Boosts and Swords Dances.
- Packing a phazer, such as Bastiodon, is beneficial, as it can also set up hazards to limit Ninjask's switching ability. Bastiodon also has fairly nice synergy with Cacturne (though Fighting-types cause problems for both), and checks many threats that can check Cacturne, such as Jynx and Glaceon.
- Wartortle also works as a phazer, and can take most boosted hits thanks to Eviolite, Roar, and also get rid of any hazards that can harm Cacturne (most notably Toxic Spikes). It also takes Fire and Ice-type attacks aimed at Cacturne, who can in turn take Electric and Grass attacks that are aimed at Wartortle

QC Reject 1/3

Way too similar to the on-site set imo (and Spikers are really in short supply in NU).

This plays differently from the Spikes set on-site; it focuses on setting up Swords Dance and sweeping rather than trying to set-up the most Spikes possibly while being a decent offensive presence.

Anyways, I'd change the set to this:

[SET]
Name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Seed Bomb
move 4: Substitute / Encore
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
ability: Water Absorb / Sand Veil
nature: Jolly
evs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe

Swords Dance is a better name for this set if Encore is added as a slash to Substitute.

I added Encore in the last slot as it can be a very useful tool for setting up and gives Cacturne another niche over Absol. Note that you can't use Water Absorb with Encore, though, so you have to use Sand Veil if you want Encore. Life Orb's extra power can be useful, but as you said, it's not very good with Substitute, so I slashed it in as if you're using Encore, it's usually the better item choice.

For Additional Comments, I suggest that you add where you mention Brick Break also mention Drain Punch. Drain Punch is the superior move; however, it's illegal with Water Absorb. With Sand Veil, which is suggested in the new version of the set, Drain Punch is legal. Adamant could also be nice to mention; while you fail to set up on standard Misdreavus (most Misdreavus run a random amount of Speed EV's anyways), the extra power is nice.

Also, directly mention Bastiodon somewhere in AC. You mention it 2 other times, but from those times you mentioned it, it seems like it should just be added as one of the better partners for SD Cacturne in general. It sets up SR, can roar, synergies fairly well with Cacturne, and checks various threats that threaten Cacturne such as Jynx.

Bastiodon really should have gotten its own section, so that's been added and Drain Punch has been added to the AC.

Adamant was put in the AC, because from what I usually see, Misdreavus usually go try to outspeed Adamant Torterra, so this set goes one point higher to prevent Will-O-Wisps and get up the Sub

The main cause for success that I've found using this is the protective measures Substitute ensures, and the ability to absorb Scalds has, at least for me, been in some cases game changing. However, Encore does have alot of merits, and can also ensure that one crucial turn of set up, so the set has been changed to just a Swords Dancer

I've played with SD Cacturne without Spikes and I'd say it's good enough to warrant a separate set.

QC APPROVED (1/3)

Be sure to make all of DTC's changes.

Yeah, I guess I'll go ahead and approve it now that I'm a QC member.

QC Approve 2/3

I suggest not writing this up until a few days after the next tiershift (which is in April); there might be a few additional changes you will need to make depending on the Pokemon that drop/move up.

Thanks for both the checks, all of the changes from DTC's original post have been implemented.

As for the write up, I'll be sure to wait until the tiershift takes place.

Thanks for the last check, I'll write this up after the tiershift.