Unexpected sets

[SirNugget28]

First off, I'm not new to the competitive battling side of pokemon, but I've never got active in these forums so i thought I'd share a moveset I've made that's unexpected. Feel free to post your unexpected movesets.

Emboar @ Choice Specs
Trait: Blaze
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 HP / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Scald
- Focus Blast

With Emboar's respectable base 100 Special Attack and decent movepool (owing to STAB Fire Blast and Focus Blast) He's a good candidate for Choice Specs. Very unexpected and unpredictable, I've swept many teams with just Choice Specs Fire Blast.

[EBeast]

Mixed Skuntank

@ Life Orb
Trait: Aftermath
EVs: 100 Atk / 172 SpA / 236 Spe
Lonely Nature (+Atk, -Def)
- Pursuit
- Sucker Punch
- Fire Blast / Sludge Bomb
- Hidden Power [Ground]

Skuntank is generally just a physically attacking Pursuit trapper that checks the metagame from the dastardly Psychic-types that give many teams trouble such as Musharna and Gardevoir. This set is very unexpected and is used to hit unsuspecting counters very hard. Hidden Power Ground neuters the most common switch ins to Skuntank, Probopass and Lairon, while Fire Blast hits Tangela, Amoonguss, Klang, and Mawile hard enough to make the cry. Skuntank can also use Sludge Bomb to give it a way to check Ludicolo and hit Fighting-type Pokemon much harder. The EVs are set for Skuntank to outspeed positive Speed nature base 70's while the Special Attack EVs guarantee Skuntank to beat Amoonguss and Probopass with Fire Blast and Hidden Power Ground, respectively. By using a Life Orb and a Defense hindering Nature, Skuntank's survivability is cut drastically and has a harder time staying alive to beat Musharna. For this reason this set is not commonly used, but if used correctly might give an opponent a fright.


SMASHKOAL

@ White Herb
Trait: Shell Armor
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Shell Smash
- Rapid Spin
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power

While this set has been rising up in popularity it still servers to give an opponent a nice surprise. Most people expect Torkoal to be a defensive Rapid Spin user, however this set that it to the complete other extreme. This set is the exact opposite of a defensive Rapid Spinner as shown by the use of Shell Smash and White Herb. After a Shell Smash Torkoal is capable of beating all the Ghost-type Pokemon in the tier outside if Haunter, who can't switch into Torkoal's Fire Blast to begin with. Once Torkoal's power has been raised it can eliminate Ghost-type Pokemon and proceed to Rapid Spin or sweep afterwards. It's spread is optimal of an offensive set and with max Speed Torkoal manages to outpace standard Golem and Regirock so it can hit then with an Earth Power if needed before setting up.

[BROStime]

I actually faced your Emboar yesterday, I will say the mixed set is better and that Scald really doesnt hit that hard as Superpower/Focus Blast hits Rock/Steel types harder. Also Emboar can use Gras Knot over HP Grass si,it can use a different Hidden Power. But the set is pretty unpredictable with Scald lol xD

[SirNugget28]

yes, that's why i run focus blast. The whole point of this set is to suprise the opponent, did I not suprise you. Scald gets 10 more base power then a hidden power, plus with Choice Specs how is that not enough power, it's there for coverage.

[Poliwhirlz]

I don't really see what that Emboar has over the mixed set. Altaria walls the shit out of it without head smash, for one. Superpower is also likely doing more against those specially defensive normals like Lickilicky. If you. must use that, definitely use HP ice over scald, which provides mostly redundant coverage. You really don't want to be trolled by altaria. Focus blast does more to rock and fire types, anyway.

Also, Charizard can run a nearly identical set and does that sort of thing much better even with a quad Sr weakness thanks to its base 100 speed, with higher special attack too. Once you lose the surprise factor, it just doesn't do it better than Zard.

[Django]

Hello SirNugget and welcome to Smogon. I appreciate your enthusiasm for wanting to contribute to the forums and the initiative taken by starting a thread, but unfortunately a discussion about unexpected sets (as well as underrated, new, and non standard sets) already exists. Go check out Project Neverused and feel free to post your sets there, as well as discussing other peoples sets :)