Carracosta (GP 2/2)

Endorfins

Your Worst Nightmare
is a Contributor Alumnus
Col49 has given consent for me to take over this

QC: natgeo, steamroll, zebraiken
GP:

[Overview]

<p>Carracosta's stereotypical stat spread shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone; great Attack and Defense stats come part and parcel with the Rock typing. However, Carracosta differentiates itself from its Rock-type brethren with its secondary Water typing and access to numerous special attacks—such as Hydro Pump and Ice Beam—which are powered by its not-too-shabby base 83 Special Attack stat. Out of all the gems in Carracosta's movepool, Shell Smash stands out as one of the best, as it turns Carracosta into an instant threat after only a single turn of setup. Unfortunately, Carracosta's terrible Speed stat lets it down when sweeping; even at +2 Speed, Carracosta finds itself outpaced by Pokemon such as Serperior, and every common Choice Scarf user in the tier. Carracosta isn't totally helpless against these threats though; Aqua Jet can take down frail or weakened Pokemon, and hits very hard after a boost. Sturdy also can come in handy, letting Carracosta take a hit at full health and either set up, or finish off its foe. Most of the time, Carracosta finds itself overshadowed by the likes of Gorebyss and Huntail, but if you play to its advantages, then Carracosta should have little trouble smashing its way past your opponent's team.</p>

[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet / Ice Beam / Earthquake
item: White Herb / Life Orb
ability: Sturdy / Solid Rock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 20 HP / 252 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Widely touted as the most powerful setup move in the game, Shell Smash boosts Carracosta's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed by two stages each. Waterfall is Carracosta's most reliable Water-type STAB move and has a 20% chance to flinch the foe. Stone Edge is the less reliable, low accuracy STAB move but it has higher Base Power than Waterfall, and can take down Pokemon such as Swanna and Leavanny. The last move eliminates Pokemon who would otherwise be able to stop Carracosta's sweep; Aqua Jet is a priority move that takes down weakened Choice Scarf holders such as Rotom-S and Electabuzz. After a Shell Smash, it has considerable power, letting it OHKO the aforementioned Choice Scarf holders after just one round of Stealth Rock damage. Ice Beam, however, lets Carracosta bypass its regular counters, such as Tangela and Leafeon, scoring a OHKO on both after a Shell Smash boost. Earthquake completes the EdgeQuake combo, giving Carracosta unresisted coverage while also taking down Pokemon such as Muk and Relicanth.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack EVs are maximized and an Adamant nature is used to give Carracosta as high a damage output as possible, while 236 EVs in Speed lets Carracosta outspeed maximum Speed Jynx and Leafeon after one Shell Smash boost. Even with an Adamant nature, Ice Beam OHKOes Tangela and Leafeon if Life Orb is used. The remaining EVs are placed in HP to give Carracosta some extra bulk. A Jolly nature in conjunction with an EV spread of 36 HP / 252 Atk / 220 Spe can be used to get the jump on Pokemon such as Raichu and Dodrio, but the loss in power is noticeable, and both are heavily damaged by Aqua Jet. White Herb removes the Defense drops from Shell Smash, meaning that priority such as Absol's Sucker Punch and Gurdurr's Mach Punch won't be doing much damage thanks to Carracosta's excellent natural bulk. White Herb also pairs well with Sturdy, as Life Orb Carracosta would be KOed after a single attack once Sturdy has activated, so Life Orb is best left to Solid Rock sets. With Life Orb's power boost, Carracosta can OHKO crucial threats such as Leafeon and Electabuzz, while Solid Rock protects Carracosta from the likes of Mach Punch and non-STAB-boosted Earthquake.</p>

<p>Absol and Skuntank—traditional checks to setup sweepers—can both be dispatched by Aqua Jet, which causes Sucker Punch to fail. However, Carracosta still struggles to get past Quagsire and Alomomola, so Hidden Power Grass can be used to easily 2HKO them; alternatively, a Grass-type teammate such as Cacturne or Vileplume can be used to threaten them out. Cacturne also helps Carracosta by setting down Spikes while Vileplume can cure unwanted status with Aromatherapy. Although Tangela and Leafeon need to be wary of Ice Beam, they can easily wall any Carracosta variant running Aqua Jet or Earthquake instead. Therefore, a teammate such as Charizard is useful to threaten them out while also having excellent synergy with Carracosta, as it can take the Fighting- and Grass-type moves that it hates.</p>

[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Like its Rock-type brethren—Golem and Regirock—Carracosta can run an effective tank set which takes advantage of its great Defense and Attack stats. Waterfall is Carracosta's main Water-type STAB move and has great coverage on the likes of Golem and Regirock. Stone Edge picks off Charizard and Braviary, while Aqua Jet lets Carracosta revenge kill weakened threats. Unfortunately, Carracosta bears the shame of not being able to learn Stealth Rock, but it can make up for this with Toxic, which lets it cripple walls and provide team support. Tank Carracosta makes a great switch-in to Flying-types such as Swellow and Braviary while also being able to tank Fire-types moves from the likes of Charizard and Magmortar, so these should be some of Carracosta's main victims and switch in opportunities.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack is maximized and an Adamant nature is used so that Carracosta can hit very hard for a tank; HP is also maximized to give Carracosta great staying power and mixed bulk. Solid Rock is the best ability for this set as few Pokemon are able to OHKO Carracosta at full health, making Sturdy the lesser option. With Solid Rock, Carracosta can take super effective moves such as Mach Punch, weaker Earthquakes and even Volt Switches without fainting. Leftovers is the item of choice as it restores health every turn, letting Carracosta shrug off resisted hits and entry hazard damage. As Carracosta can easily dispose of Flying- and Rock-types, Pokemon who appreciate them gone, such as Leafeon and Magmortar, are great partners for Carracosta; they both have great synergy with the ancient turtle and together they can form a Fire-Water-Grass core with Magmortar disposing of the Grass-types that Carracosta hates. Carracosta's EV spread is easily adjustable to suit your team's specific needs, just take some EVs from Attack and place them in the proper defense stat. A physically bulkier spread takes on the likes of Absol and Rapidash even better, while a specially defensive set lets Carracosta take Choice Specs-boosted Solar Power Fire Blasts and Air Slashes from Charizard.</p>

[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Compared to the Shell Smash set, Curse Carracosta takes a more 'slow and steady wins the race' approach to sweeping. Curse is used to slowly boost Carracosta's Attack while also making it basically impervious to most physical attacks. Aqua Jet is the most important move on this set, as Curse lowers Carracosta's already-poor Speed, meaning that a priority move must be used if the turtle wants to strike first. Waterfall and Stone Edge are the obligatory STAB attacks that have great neutral coverage and are resisted only by a select few. This set aims to boost up against weaker physical attacks and resisted hits, slowly accumulating enough boosts to let Carracosta sweep.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack and HP are maximized to give Carracosta a decent amount of attacking power right off the bat, while also retaining as much bulk as possible. However, a specially defensive spread with 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD lets Carracosta take weaker Special Attacks while its uninvested Defense and Attack stats get boosted by Curse. Solid Rock in conjunction with Leftovers gives Carracosta some excellent defensive bulk and lets it take most hits while it sets up. Earthquake can be used instead of Waterfall to give Carracosta EdgeQuake coverage, while Aqua Jet remains as a STAB move. Grass-types such as Tangela completely wall this set, so a Pokemon that can safely switch in on them, such as Magmortar or Altaria, is useful. The latter has great defensive synergy with Carracosta and can take the Grass-, Ground-, and Fighting-type attacks that Carracosta can't.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>If Stone Edge's accuracy proves to be too frustrating, Rock Slide can be used instead. However, the significant drop in power means that Carracosta misses out on many KOs, such as the OHKO on Vileplume after a Shell Smash boost. Carracosta has a decent special movepool which is powered by a decent Special Attack stat; with a specially-based Shell Smash set, Carracosta can surprise most of its checks and counters. However, Gorebyss pulls off a special sweeping set much better thanks to its great Special Attack stat and higher Speed. Knock Off can catch Pokemon such as Quagsire and Tangela off guard, removing their valuable items.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola and Quagsire are Carracosta's best counters. The former has immense physical bulk, which allows it to Toxic stall Carracosta with Wish and Protect, while the latter ignores any of Carracosta's stat boosts due to Unaware, and can take it down with Earthquake or burn it with Scald. Bulky Grass-types such as Tangela and Leafeon can wall most Carracosta variants but must be wary of a boosted Ice Beam or Toxic, which can outright KO or cripple them for the rest of the match, respectively. As Carracosta is relatively slow even after after a boost, Choice Scarf users such as Rotom-S and Jynx can check it. The latter also has nothing to fear from Aqua Jet thanks to its Dry Skin ability. Even without a Choice Scarf, Cinccino can outspeed +2 Carracosta and KO through Sturdy with Bullet Seed, but a boosted Aqua Jet can OHKO it after some entry hazard damage. Preying on Carracosta's weaker Special Defense stat is the best way to take out the turtle. Raichu, Exeggutor, and Magmortar can all KO with a super effective attack, but due to Sturdy or Solid Rock, Carracosta could survive and deal heavy damage in return.</p>

[Unreleased]

<p>Swift Swim is useful if you want to run Carracosta on a rain team; otherwise, Sturdy and Solid Rock are better choices.</p>
 

November Blue

A universe where hot chips don't exist :(
is a Contributor Alumnus
[Overview]

<p>Carracosta's stereotypical stat spread shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone; great Attack and Defense stats come part and parcel with the Rock typing. However, Carracosta differentiates itself from its Rock-type brethren with of its partial secondary Water typing and access to numerous Special Attacks special attacks(Comma) such as Hydro Pump and Ice Beam, which come off its not too shabby are powered by its not-too-shabby base 83 Special Attack stat. Out of all the gems in Carracosta's movepool, Shell Smash stands out as one of the best, as it turns Carracosta into an instant threat after only one a single turn of setup. Unfortunately, Carracosta's terrible Speed stat lets it down when sweeping; even at +2 Speed, Carracosta finds itself outsped outpaced by Pokemon such as Serperior(Comma) and every common Choice Scarf user in the tier. Carracosta isn't totally helpless against these threats though,(Semicolon) Aqua Jet can take down frail or weakened Pokemon(Comma) and hits very hard after a boost;(Period) Sturdy also can come in handy, letting Carracosta take a hit at full health and either set up(Comma) or finish off its foe. Most of the time, Carracosta finds itself over-shadowed by the likes of Gorebyss and Huntail, but if you play to its advantages, then Carracosta should have little trouble smashing its way past your opponent(Apostrophe)s team.</p>

[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet / Ice Beam / Earthquake
item: White Herb / Life Orb
ability: Sturdy / Solid Rock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 20 HP / 252 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Widely touted as the most powerful set-up setup move in the game, Shell Smash boosts Carracosta's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed all by one stage by two stages each. Waterfall is Carracosta's most reliable Water-type STAB move and has a 20% chance to flinch the foe,(Period) Stone Edge is the less than reliable(Comma) low accuracy STAB move but it has higher Base Power than Waterfall, and takes can take down Pokemon such as Swanna and Leavenny Leavanny. The last move eliminates Pokemon who would otherwise be able to stop Carracosta's sweep; Aqua Jet is a priority move that takes down weakened Choice Scarf holders such as Rotom-S and Electabuzz. After a Shell Smash, it has considerable power, letting it OHKO the aforementioned Choice Scarf holders after just one round of Stealth Rock damage. Ice Beam lets Carracosta bypass its regular counters(Comma) such as Eviolite Tangela and Leafeon, scoring a OHKO on both after a Shell Smash boost. Earthquake completes the EdgeQuake combo(Comma) giving Carracosta unresisted coverage while also taking down Pokemon such as Muk and Relicanth.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack is EVs are maximized along with and an Adamant nature is used to give Carracosta as high a damage output as possible, while 236 EVs in Speed lets Carracosta outspeed maximum Speed Jynx and Leafeon after one Shell Smash boost. Even with an Adamant nature, Ice Beam still OHKOs OHKOes Tangela and Leafeon if Life Orb is used. The remaining EVs are placed in HP to give Carracosta some extra bulk. A Jolly nature in comjunction conjunction with an EV spread of 36 HP / 252 Atk / 220 Spe can be used to get the jump on Pokemon such as Raichu and Dodrio(Comma) but the loss in power is noticable noticeable and both are heavily damaged by Aqua Jet. White Herb removes the Defense drops from Shell Smash(Comma) meaning that priority such as Absol's Sucker Punch and Gurdurr's Mach Punch won't be doing much damage thanks to Carracosta's excellent natural Defense bulk. White Herb also pairs well with Sturdy(Comma) as Life Orb would kill Carracosta off if it bought down to Sturdy as Life Orb Carracosta would be KOed after a single attack once Sturdy has activated, so Life Orb is best left to Solid rock sets. Life Orb is better suited for Carracosta's running Solid Rock, with Life Orb, Carracosta can score some important KOs such as that on With Life orb's power boost, Carracosta can OHKO crucial threats such as Leafeon and Electabuzz(Comma) while Solid Rock still protects Carracosta from the likes of Mach Punch and unSTABed non-STABed Earthquakes.</p>

<p>Absol and Skuntank,(Em Dash ) traditional checks to setup sweepers,(Em Dash ) can both be dispatched by Aqua Jet, which causes Sucker Punch to fail. However, Carracosta still struggles to get past Quagsire and Alomomola(Comma) so Hidden Power Grass can be used to easily 2HKO them; alternatively, a Grass-type teammate such as Cacturne and or Vileplume can be used to threaten them out. The former Cacturne also helps Carracosta by setting down Spikes(Comma) while the latterVileplume can cure unwanted status with Aromatherapy. Although Tangela and Leafeon need to be wary of Ice Beam, they can easily wall any Carracosta variant running Aqua Jet or Earthquake in the last slot instead. Therefore, a teammate such as Charizard is useful to threaten them out while it also has excellent synergy with Carracosta. (How So? Explain.)</p>

[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>(Remove Space) Like its Rock-type brethren(Comma) Golem and Regiock Regirock, Carracosta can run an effective Tank tank set which takes advantage of its great Defense and Attack stats. Waterfall is Carracosta's main Water-type STAB move and has great coverage on the likes of Golem and Regirock. Stone Edge picks off Charizard and Braviary(Comma) while Aqua Jet lets Carracosta revenge kill weakened threats and anything weak to it. Unfortunately, Carracosta bears the shame of not being able to learn Stealth Rock(Comma) but it can make up for it this with Toxic(Comma) which lets it cripple walls and provide team support. Tank Carracosta makes a great switch-in switchin to Flying-types such as Swellow and Braviary while also being able to tank Fire-types moves from the likes of Charizard and Magmortar(Comma) so these should be some of Carracosta's main victims and switch in opportunities.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack is maximized along with and an Adamant nature is used so that Carracosta can hit very hard for a tank; HP is also maximized to give Carracosta great staying power and mixed bulk. Solid Rock is the best ability for this set as few Pokemon are able to OHKO Carracosta at full health, making Sturdy quite redundant leaving Sturdy the lesser option. With Solid Rock, Carracosta can take super effective moves such as Mach Punch, weaker Earthquakes and even Volt Switches without fainting. Leftovers is the item of choice as it restores health every turn(Comma) letting Carracosta shrug off resisted hits and entry hazard damage. As Carracosta can easily dispose of Flying- and Rock-types, Pokemon who appreciate them gone, such as Leafeon and Magmortar(Comma) are great partners for Carracosta; they both have great synergy with the ancient turtle and together they can form a Fire-Water-Grass core with Magmortar disposing of the Grass-types that Carracosta hates. A more physically bulky bulkier spread takes on the likes of Absol and Rapidash even better(Comma) while a Specially specially defensive set lets Carracosta take Specs Solar Powered Choice Specs-boosted Solar Power Fire Blasts and Air Slashes from Charizard.</p>

[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Although Shell Smash is more often than not Carracosta's boosting move of choice, Curse can also be used to slowly boost Carracosta's Attack while also making it impervious to most physical attacks. Aqua Jet is the most important move on this set(Comma) as Curse lowers Carracosta's already(Hyphen) poor Speed(Comma) meaning that a priority move must be used if the turtle wants to strike first, then a priority move must be used. Waterfall and Stone Edge are the obligatory STAB attacks that have great neutral coverage and are resisted only by a select few. This set aims to boost up against weaker physical attacks and resisted hits, slowly accumulating enough boosts to let Carracosta sweep.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack and HP are maximized to give Carracosta a decent amount of attacking power right off the bat(Comma) while also retaining as much bulk as possible. However, a more specially defensive spread with 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD lets Carracosta take weaker Special Attacks while its uninvested non-invested Defense and Attack stats get boosted by Curse. Solid Rock in conjunction with Leftovers gives Carracosta some excellent defensive bulk and lets it take most hits while it sets up. Earthquake can be used instead of Waterfall to give Carracosta EdgeQuake synergy coverage(Comma) while Aqua Jet remains as a STAB move. Grass-types such as Tangela completely wall this set, so a Pokemon such as Magmortar or Altaria who that can safely switch in on them(Comma) such as Magmortar or Altaria(Comma) is useful. The latter has great defensive synergy with Carracosta and can take the Grass-, Ground-, and Fighting-type attacks aimed at Carracosta that it can't.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>If Stone Edge's Accuracy accuracy proves to be too frustrating, than Rock Slide can be used instead. However, the significant drop in power means that Carracosta misses out on many KOs. (Such as? List a few examples, give pros and cons for choosing each move.) The opposite is true for Waterfall in that if you wasn't more power at the cost of accuracy, then Aqua Tail can be used instead. Carracosta has a decent special movepool which comes off is powered by a decent Special Attack stat; with a specially(Hyphen) based Shell Smash set, Carracosta can surprise most of its checks and counters. However, Gorebyss pulls of off a special sweeping set much better thanks to its great Special Attack stat and higher Speed. Other unique options that Carracosta has include Knock Off and Flail. Knock Off can catch Pokemon such Quagsire and Tangela off guard, removing their valuable items. Flail also has some merit, as with a Shell Smash boost and at 1 HP after activating Sturdy, Flail is extremely powerful. Unfortunately, it requires that the field be free of entry hazards and that its teammates can cover its weaknesses to common Choice Scarf holders and priority users. (Flail is only 20 BP stronger than a STAB Stone Edge. Really not worth using.) </p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bulky water-types such as Alomomola and Quagsire are Carracosta's best counters. The former has immense physical bulk(Comma) which allows it to Toxic stall Carracosta with Wish and Protect, while the latter ignores any of Carracosta's stat boosts due to Unaware(Comma) and can take it down with Earthquake or burn it with Scald. Bulky Grass-types such as Tangela and Leafeon can wall most Carracostas variants but the have to must be wary of a boosted Ice Beam and Toxic(Comma) which can outright KO or cripple then them for the rest of the match(Comma) respectively. As Carracosta is relatively slow even after after boost, Choice Scarf users such as Rotom-S and Jynx can check it. The latter also has nothing to fear from Aqua Jet thanks to its ability Dry Skin ability. Even without a Choice Scarf, Cinccino can outspeed +2 Carracosta and KO through Sturdy with Bullet Seed, however but a boosted Aqua Jet can KO Cinccino after some entry hazard damage. Preying on Carracosta's weaker Special Defense stat is the best way to take out an unboosted Carracosta, the turtle out(Period) Raichu, Exeggutor, and Magmortar can both all KO with a super effective attack, but due to Sturdy or Solid Rock, Carracosta could survive and deal heavy damage in return.</p>

[Unreleased]

<p>Swift Swim is useful if you want to run Carracosta on on a rain team; otherwise, Sturdy and Solid Rock are better choices.</p>




GP Approved 1/2
 
holding place
DONE
[Overview]

<p>Carracosta's stereotypical stat spread shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone; great Attack and Defense stats come part and parcel with the Rock typing. However, Carracosta differentiates itself from its Rock-type brethren with its secondary Water typing and access to numerous special attacks, &mdash;such as Hydro Pump and Ice Beam, &mdash;which are powered by its not-too-shabby base 83 Special Attack stat. Out of all the gems in Carracosta's movepool, Shell Smash stands out as one of the best, as it turns Carracosta into an instant threat after only a single turn of setup. Unfortunately, Carracosta's terrible Speed stat lets it down when sweeping; even at +2 Speed, Carracosta finds itself outpaced by Pokemon such as Serperior, and every common Choice Scarf user in the tier. Carracosta isn't totally helpless against these threats though; Aqua Jet can take down frail or weakened Pokemon, and hits very hard after a boost. Sturdy also can come in handy, letting Carracosta take a hit at full health and either set up, or finish off its foe. Most of the time, Carracosta finds itself over-shadowed by the likes of Gorebyss and Huntail, but if you play to its advantages, then Carracosta should have little trouble smashing its way past your opponent's team.</p>

[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet / Ice Beam / Earthquake
item: White Herb / Life Orb
ability: Sturdy / Solid Rock
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 20 HP / 252 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Widely touted as the most powerful setup move in the game, Shell Smash boosts Carracosta's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed by two stages each. Waterfall is Carracosta's most reliable Water-type STAB move and has a 20% chance to flinch the foe. Stone Edge is the less reliable, low accuracy STAB move but it has higher Base Power than Waterfall, and can take down Pokemon such as Swanna and Leavanny. The last move eliminates Pokemon who would otherwise be able to stop Carracosta's sweep; Aqua Jet is a priority move that takes down weakened Choice Scarf holders such as Rotom-S and Electabuzz. After a Shell Smash, it has considerable power, letting it OHKO the aforementioned Choice Scarf holders after just one round of Stealth Rock damage. Ice Beam, however, lets Carracosta bypass its regular counters, such as Eviolite Tangela and Leafeon, scoring a OHKO on both after a Shell Smash boost. Earthquake completes the EdgeQuake combo, giving Carracosta unresisted coverage while also taking down Pokemon such as Muk and Relicanth.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack EVs are maximized and an Adamant nature is used to give Carracosta as high a damage output as possible, while 236 EVs in Speed lets Carracosta outspeed maximum Speed Jynx and Leafeon after one Shell Smash boost. Even with an Adamant nature, Ice Beam OHKOes Tangela and Leafeon if Life Orb is used. The remaining EVs are placed in HP to give Carracosta some extra bulk. A Jolly nature in conjunction with an EV spread of 36 HP / 252 Atk / 220 Spe can be used to get the jump on Pokemon such as Raichu and Dodrio, but the loss in power is noticeable, and both are heavily damaged by Aqua Jet. White Herb removes the Defense drops from Shell Smash, meaning that priority such as Absol's Sucker Punch and Gurdurr's Mach Punch won't be doing much damage thanks to Carracosta's excellent natural bulk. White Herb also pairs well with Sturdy, as Life Orb Carracosta would be KOed after a single attack once Sturdy has activated, so Life Orb is best left to Solid Rock sets. With Life Orb's power boost, Carracosta can OHKO crucial threats such as Leafeon and Electabuzz, while Solid Rock protects Carracosta from the likes of Mach Punch and non-STABed Earthquake.</p>

<p>Absol and Skuntank—traditional checks to setup sweepers—can both be dispatched by Aqua Jet, which causes Sucker Punch to fail. However, Carracosta still struggles to get past Quagsire and Alomomola, so Hidden Power Grass can be used to easily 2HKO them; alternatively, a Grass-type teammate such as Cacturne or Vileplume can be used to threaten them out. Cacturne also helps Carracosta by setting down Spikes while Vileplume can cure unwanted status with Aromatherapy. Although Tangela and Leafeon need to be wary of Ice Beam, they can easily wall any Carracosta variant running Aqua Jet or Earthquake instead. Therefore, a teammate such as Charizard is useful to threaten them out while it also hasving excellent synergy with Carracosta, as it can take the Fighting-, and Grass-type moves that it hates.</p>

[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Like its Rock-type brethren, &mdash;Golem and Regirock, &mdash;Carracosta can run an effective tank set which takes advantage of its great Defense and Attack stats. Waterfall is Carracosta's main Water-type STAB move and has great coverage on the likes of Golem and Regirock. Stone Edge picks off Charizard and Braviary, while Aqua Jet lets Carracosta revenge kill weakened threats. Unfortunately, Carracosta bears the shame of not being able to learn Stealth Rock, but it can make up for this with Toxic, which lets it cripple walls and provide team support. Tank Carracosta makes a great switch-in to Flying-types such as Swellow and Braviary, while also being able to tank Fire-types moves from the likes of Charizard and Magmortar, so these should be some of Carracosta's main victims and switch in opportunities.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack is maximized and an Adamant nature is used so that Carracosta can hit very hard for a tank; HP is also maximized to give Carracosta great staying power and mixed bulk. Solid Rock is the best ability for this set as few Pokemon are able to OHKO Carracosta at full health, making Sturdy the lesser option. With Solid Rock, Carracosta can take super effective moves such as Mach Punch, weaker Earthquakes and even Volt Switches without fainting. Leftovers is the item of choice as it restores health every turn, letting Carracosta shrug off resisted hits and entry hazard damage. As Carracosta can easily dispose of Flying- and Rock-types, Pokemon who appreciate them gone, such as Leafeon and Magmortar, are great partners for Carracosta; they both have great synergy with the ancient turtle and together they can form a Fire-Water-Grass core with Magmortar disposing of the Grass-types that Carracosta hates. A physically bulkier spread takes on the likes of Absol and Rapidash even better, while a specially defensive set lets Carracosta take Choice Specs-boosted Solar Power Fire Blasts and Air Slashes from Charizard.</p>

[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Compared to the Shell Smash set, Curse Carracosta takes a more 'slow and steady wins the race' approach to sweeping. Curse is used to slowly boost Carracosta's Attack while also making it impervious to most physical attacks. Aqua Jet is the most important move on this set, as Curse lowers Carracosta's already-poor Speed, meaning that a priority move must be used if the turtle wants to strike first. Waterfall and Stone Edge are the obligatory STAB attacks that have great neutral coverage and are resisted only by a select few. This set aims to boost up against weaker physical attacks and resisted hits, slowly accumulating enough boosts to let Carracosta sweep.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack and HP are maximized to give Carracosta a decent amount of attacking power right off the bat, while also retaining as much bulk as possible. However, a specially defensive spread with 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD lets Carracosta take weaker Special Attacks while its uninvested Defense and Attack stats get boosted by Curse. Solid Rock, in conjunction with Leftovers, gives Carracosta some excellent defensive bulk and lets it take most hits while it sets up. Earthquake can be used instead of Waterfall to give Carracosta EdgeQuake coverage, while Aqua Jet remains as a STAB move. Grass-types such as Tangela completely wall this set, so a Pokemon that can safely switch in on them, such as Magmortar or Altaria, is useful. The latter has great defensive synergy with Carracosta and can take the Grass-, Ground-, and Fighting-type attacks that Carracosta can't.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>If Stone Edge's accuracy proves to be too frustrating, Rock Slide can be used instead. However, the significant drop in power means Carracosta misses out on many KOs, such as the OHKO on Vileplume after a Shell Smash boost. Carracosta has a decent special movepool which is powered by a decent Special Attack stat; with a specially-based Shell Smash set, Carracosta can surprise most of its checks and counters. However, Gorebyss pulls of a special sweeping set much better thanks to its great Special Attack stat and higher Speed. Knock Off can catch Pokemon such as Quagsire and Tangela off guard, removing their valuable items.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bulky wWater-types, such as Alomomola and Quagsire, are Carracosta's best counters. The former has immense physical bulk, which allows it to Toxic stall Carracosta with Wish and Protect, while the latter ignores any of Carracosta's stat boosts due to Unaware, and can take it down with Earthquake or burn it with Scald. Bulky Grass-types such as Tangela and Leafeon can wall most Carracosta variants but must be wary of a boosted Ice Beam andor Toxic, which can outright KO or cripple them for the rest of the match, respectively. As Carracosta is relatively slow even after after boosting, Choice Scarf users such as Rotom-S and Jynx can check it. The latter also has nothing to fear from Aqua Jet thanks to its Dry Skin ability. Even without a Choice Scarf, Cinccino can outspeed +2 Carracosta and KO through Sturdy with Bullet Seed, but a boosted Aqua Jet can KO after some entry hazard damage. Preying on Carracosta's weaker Special Defense stat is the best way to take the turtle. Raichu, Exeggutor, and Magmortar can all KO with a super effective attack, but due to Sturdy or Solid Rock, Carracosta could survive and deal heavy damage in return.</p>

[Unreleased]

<p>Swift Swim is useful if you want to run Carracosta on a rain team; otherwise, Sturdy and Solid Rock are better choices.</p>
[Overview]

<p>Carracosta's stereotypical stat spread shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone; great Attack and Defense stats come part and parcel with the Rock typing. However, Carracosta differentiates itself from its Rock-type brethren with its secondary Water typing and access to numerous special attacks&mdash;such as Hydro Pump and Ice Beam&mdash;which are powered by its not-too-shabby base 83 Special Attack stat. Out of all the gems in Carracosta's movepool, Shell Smash stands out as one of the best, as it turns Carracosta into an instant threat after only a single turn of setup. Unfortunately, Carracosta's terrible Speed stat lets it down when sweeping; even at +2 Speed, Carracosta finds itself outpaced by Pokemon such as Serperior, and every common Choice Scarf user in the tier. Carracosta isn't totally helpless against these threats though; Aqua Jet can take down frail or weakened Pokemon, and hits very hard after a boost. Sturdy also can come in handy, letting Carracosta take a hit at full health and either set up, or finish off its foe. Most of the time, Carracosta finds itself over-shadowed by the likes of Gorebyss and Huntail, but if you play to its advantages, then Carracosta should have little trouble smashing its way past your opponent's team.</p>

[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet / Ice Beam / Earthquake
item: White Herb / Life Orb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 20 HP / 252 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Widely touted as the most powerful setup move in the game, Shell Smash boosts Carracosta's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed by two stages each. Waterfall is Carracosta's most reliable Water-type STAB move and has a 20% chance to flinch the foe. Stone Edge is the less reliable, low accuracy STAB move but it has higher Base Power than Waterfall, and can take down Pokemon such as Swanna and Leavanny. The last move eliminates Pokemon who would otherwise be able to stop Carracosta's sweep; Aqua Jet is a priority move that takes down weakened Choice Scarf holders such as Rotom-S and Electabuzz. After a Shell Smash, it has considerable power, letting it OHKO the aforementioned Choice Scarf holders after just one round of Stealth Rock damage. Ice Beam, however, lets Carracosta bypass its regular counters, such as Eviolite Tangela and Leafeon, scoring a OHKO on both after a Shell Smash boost. Earthquake completes the EdgeQuake combo, giving Carracosta unresisted coverage while also taking down Pokemon such as Muk and Relicanth.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack EVs are maximized and an Adamant nature is used to give Carracosta as high a damage output as possible, while 236 EVs in Speed lets Carracosta outspeed maximum Speed Jynx and Leafeon after one Shell Smash boost. Even with an Adamant nature, Ice Beam OHKOes Tangela and Leafeon if Life Orb is used. The remaining EVs are placed in HP to give Carracosta some extra bulk. A Jolly nature in conjunction with an EV spread of 36 HP / 252 Atk / 220 Spe can be used to get the jump on Pokemon such as Raichu and Dodrio, but the loss in power is noticeable, and both are heavily damaged by Aqua Jet. White Herb removes the Defense drops from Shell Smash, meaning that priority such as Absol's Sucker Punch and Gurdurr's Mach Punch won't be doing much damage thanks to Carracosta's excellent natural bulk. White Herb also pairs well with Sturdy, as Life Orb Carracosta would be KOed after a single attack once Sturdy has activated, so Life Orb is best left to Solid Rock sets. With Life Orb's power boost, Carracosta can OHKO crucial threats such as Leafeon and Electabuzz, while Solid Rock protects Carracosta from the likes of Mach Punch and non-STABed Earthquake.</p>

<p>Absol and Skuntank—traditional checks to setup sweepers—can both be dispatched by Aqua Jet, which causes Sucker Punch to fail. However, Carracosta still struggles to get past Quagsire and Alomomola, so Hidden Power Grass can be used to easily 2HKO them; alternatively, a Grass-type teammate such as Cacturne or Vileplume can be used to threaten them out. Cacturne also helps Carracosta by setting down Spikes while Vileplume can cure unwanted status with Aromatherapy. Although Tangela and Leafeon need to be wary of Ice Beam, they can easily wall any Carracosta variant running Aqua Jet or Earthquake instead. Therefore, a teammate such as Charizard is useful to threaten them out while also having excellent synergy with Carracosta, as it can take the Fighting- and Grass-type moves that it hates.</p>

[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Like its Rock-type brethren&mdash;Golem and Regirock&mdash;Carracosta can run an effective tank set which takes advantage of its great Defense and Attack stats. Waterfall is Carracosta's main Water-type STAB move and has great coverage on the likes of Golem and Regirock. Stone Edge picks off Charizard and Braviary, while Aqua Jet lets Carracosta revenge kill weakened threats. Unfortunately, Carracosta bears the shame of not being able to learn Stealth Rock, but it can make up for this with Toxic, which lets it cripple walls and provide team support. Tank Carracosta makes a great switch-in to Flying-types such as Swellow and Braviary, while also being able to tank Fire-types moves from the likes of Charizard and Magmortar, so these should be some of Carracosta's main victims and switch in opportunities.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack is maximized and an Adamant nature is used so that Carracosta can hit very hard for a tank; HP is also maximized to give Carracosta great staying power and mixed bulk. Solid Rock is the best ability for this set as few Pokemon are able to OHKO Carracosta at full health, making Sturdy the lesser option. With Solid Rock, Carracosta can take super effective moves such as Mach Punch, weaker Earthquakes and even Volt Switches without fainting. Leftovers is the item of choice as it restores health every turn, letting Carracosta shrug off resisted hits and entry hazard damage. As Carracosta can easily dispose of Flying- and Rock-types, Pokemon who appreciate them gone, such as Leafeon and Magmortar, are great partners for Carracosta; they both have great synergy with the ancient turtle and together they can form a Fire-Water-Grass core with Magmortar disposing of the Grass-types that Carracosta hates. A physically bulkier spread takes on the likes of Absol and Rapidash even better, while a specially defensive set lets Carracosta take Choice Specs-boosted Solar Power Fire Blasts and Air Slashes from Charizard.</p>

[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
ability: Solid Rock
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Compared to the Shell Smash set, Curse Carracosta takes a more 'slow and steady wins the race' approach to sweeping. Curse is used to slowly boost Carracosta's Attack while also making it impervious to most physical attacks. Aqua Jet is the most important move on this set, as Curse lowers Carracosta's already-poor Speed, meaning that a priority move must be used if the turtle wants to strike first. Waterfall and Stone Edge are the obligatory STAB attacks that have great neutral coverage and are resisted only by a select few. This set aims to boost up against weaker physical attacks and resisted hits, slowly accumulating enough boosts to let Carracosta sweep.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Attack and HP are maximized to give Carracosta a decent amount of attacking power right off the bat, while also retaining as much bulk as possible. However, a specially defensive spread with 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD lets Carracosta take weaker Special Attacks while its uninvested Defense and Attack stats get boosted by Curse. Solid Rock, in conjunction with Leftovers, gives Carracosta some excellent defensive bulk and lets it take most hits while it sets up. Earthquake can be used instead of Waterfall to give Carracosta EdgeQuake coverage, while Aqua Jet remains as a STAB move. Grass-types such as Tangela completely wall this set, so a Pokemon that can safely switch in on them, such as Magmortar or Altaria, is useful. The latter has great defensive synergy with Carracosta and can take the Grass-, Ground-, and Fighting-type attacks that Carracosta can't.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>If Stone Edge's accuracy proves to be too frustrating, Rock Slide can be used instead. However, the significant drop in power means Carracosta misses out on many KOs, such as the OHKO on Vileplume after a Shell Smash boost. Carracosta has a decent special movepool which is powered by a decent Special Attack stat; with a specially-based Shell Smash set, Carracosta can surprise most of its checks and counters. However, Gorebyss pulls of a special sweeping set much better thanks to its great Special Attack stat and higher Speed. Knock Off can catch Pokemon such as Quagsire and Tangela off guard, removing their valuable items.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola and Quagsire, are Carracosta's best counters. The former has immense physical bulk, which allows it to Toxic stall Carracosta with Wish and Protect, while the latter ignores any of Carracosta's stat boosts due to Unaware, and can take it down with Earthquake or burn it with Scald. Bulky Grass-types such as Tangela and Leafeon can wall most Carracosta variants but must be wary of a boosted Ice Beam or Toxic, which can outright KO or cripple them for the rest of the match, respectively. As Carracosta is relatively slow even after after boosting, Choice Scarf users such as Rotom-S and Jynx can check it. The latter also has nothing to fear from Aqua Jet thanks to its Dry Skin ability. Even without a Choice Scarf, Cinccino can outspeed +2 Carracosta and KO through Sturdy with Bullet Seed, but a boosted Aqua Jet can KO after some entry hazard damage. Preying on Carracosta's weaker Special Defense stat is the best way to take the turtle. Raichu, Exeggutor, and Magmortar can all KO with a super effective attack, but due to Sturdy or Solid Rock, Carracosta could survive and deal heavy damage in return.</p>

[Unreleased]

<p>Swift Swim is useful if you want to run Carracosta on a rain team; otherwise, Sturdy and Solid Rock are better choices.</p>


GP 2/2
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top