Cacturne (Gen 4, full revamp)*

Alright, this is the Cacturne revamp. Not quite finished yet, but it will be done soon.


http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/cacturne

Status: COMPLETE! (ready for uploading)

Still need to do:
Evasive Dancer - DONE
Pure Swords Dancer - DONE
Lead Spiker - DONE
Evasive Seeder - DONE
Team Options - DONE
Other Options - DONE
EVs - DONE
Opinion - DONE
Counters - DONE

[Overview]

<p>Cacturne is one of the most annoying Pokemon to combat, specifically when it's in the sand. One missed attack could be game over, as all Cacturne needs is one turn of Swords Dance set up to sweep most teams. It's one of the most threatening Swords Dance sweepers in UU, as it boasts the strongest (tied with ExtremeSpeed) priority move in the game, Sucker Punch; a solid movepool to back it up; and an excellent Attack stat. Cacturne's attacking stats are equal, so it can even run a special or mixed set.</p>

<p>Even though Cacturne is an extremely powerful sweeper, it has its downsides. Cacturne's paper-thin defenses and low Speed really hinder its effectiveness to sweep, and it is therefore very reliant on both its ability, Sand Veil, and perfect prediction to gain opportunities to set up. One misprediction may cost Cacturne's life. To activate Sand Veil, is commonly paired with Hippopotas, who can to set up a permanent sandstorm.</p>

[SET]
name: Evasive Dancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Substitute / Encore
move 4: Focus Punch / Seed Bomb
item: BrightPowder / Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Evasive Dancer is Cacturne’s most threatening offensive set, capable of sweeping entire teams with relative ease. Boasting one of the strongest priority moves in the game, a high base 115 Attack stat, and one of the most annoying abilities, Cacturne needs only a couple of Swords Dance boosts before it can OHKO a large portion of the UU metagame.</p>

<p>Swords Dance is obviously the most important move for this set’s success, boosting Cacturne’s Attack to a sky-high 722. Sucker Punch is Cacturne's primary STAB option; its priority gives it insurance against a number of faster foes. For the last two slots, use Substitute with Focus Punch and Seed Bomb with Encore. An intact Substitute will prevent the opponent from interrupting Cacturne's Focus Punch, and Cacturne can easily set one up if the opponent attempts to avoid Sucker Punch by using non-attacking moves. Encore does not provide the same amount of security that Substitute does, so Seed Bomb is recommended if you opt for Encore. Swords Dance, Encore, and Sucker Punch is an outstanding combination. If your opponent even thinks about stalling Sucker Punch’s PP by using indirect attacks, you can use Encore and gain a free turn to Swords Dance as they switch out. If the opponent attempts to avoid Encore by attacking, then you can hit them with Sucker Punch.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>To demonstrate the power a Swords Danced Sucker Punch has, below are several damage calculations.</p>

<ul class=”damage_calculation”>
<li>28 HP / 0 Def Adamant Feraligatr: 82% - 97%</li>
<li>152 HP / 80 Def Modest Milotic: 78% - 93%</li>
<li>0 HP / 40 Def Modest Moltres: 85% - 101%</li>
<li>0 HP / 4 Def Adamant Torterra: 76% - 90%</li>
<li>4 HP / 0 Def Adamant Venusaur: 102% - 120%</li>
</ul>

<p>The item choice is going to reflect the third move you choose. BrightPowder, with Sand Veil activated, reduces the accuracy of 100% accurate moves to a mere 72%. It works exceptionally well with Substitute, since Cacturne can potentially score a free Substitute as the opponent’s attack misses. Leftovers is also a good option if you choose to use Substitute, allowing you to set up an extra Substitute. Life Orb makes Cacturne's attacks much more painful; Sucker Punch will be capable of OHKOing sweepers that even resist it, with Stealth Rock in play, such as Primeape, Toxicroak, and Hitmonlee. Life Orb can work well even if you choose Substitute, but Cacturne's HP will be dropping fast, so it’s best to try and avoid using Substitute if you opt for Life Orb.</p>

<p>Cacturne and Hippopotas are basically brothers. Hippopotas is the only Pokemon in UU who can summon an everlasting sandstorm, which Cacturne needs to abuse its Sand Veil ability. It can also up Stealth Rock, which can turn many of Cacturne's near OHKOs into solid OHKOs. Spikes support is also recommended for that reason. Qwilfish's reasonably high Speed makes it a great Spikes supporter; it can set up a couple of layers before being KOed. It also resists Cacturne's weaknesses to Fighting-, Ice-, and Fire-type moves, while Cacturne resists Electric- and Ground-type attacks and is immune to Psychic-type attacks aimed at Qwilfish. A bigger reason to use Qwilfish is because it can absorb Toxic Spikes set up by the opponent, an entry hazard that greatly drains Cacturne’s effectiveness.</p>

[SET]
name: Pure Swords Dancer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Seed Bomb
move 4: Brick Break
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Unlike the Evasive Dancer set, Cacturne attempts to utilize Swords Dance to its fullest potential by using it in an all-out offensive set, rather than taking up a moveslot to abuse Substitute or Encore.</p>

<p>Swords Dance makes Cacturne twice as threatening, boosting its already-high Attack stat to even higher levels. Sucker Punch obliterates a huge portion of the UU metagame, and it’s strong enough to OHKO some Pokemon that even resist it, such as Primeape and Toxicroak. Seed Bomb hurts Pokemon such as Slowbro and Spiritomb who can avoid Sucker Punch through indirect moves. Finally, Brick Break can dispose of bulky Steel- and Dark-types, mainly Registeel and Houndoom, and can break any screens the opponent has set up.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Stealth Rock support is strongly suggested when using Swords Dance Cacturne, since it can turn many of its 2HKOs into guaranteed OHKOs. Although not as important, sandstorm support can be helful, boosting Cacturne's evasion by 20%. Hippopotas can fit both of those roles. Even though Cacturne is a very powerful Swords Dancer, it does come across problems. Hitmontop, Moltres, and Drapion are a few examples of Pokemon who can put an end to Cacturne’s sweep. Hitmontop has the ability Intimidate, which cuts Cacturne’s Attack in half, and can easily finish it off with Mach Punch; Moltres can set up Substitute as Cacturne uses Sucker Punch and can take it down from there with Toxic or Flamethrower; and Drapion can take Sucker Punch with ease and proceed to destroy Cacturne with Cross Poison. To deal with these aforementioned threats, Milotic should be considered, specifically a RestTalk variant. Milotic has the bulk to take on all three threats, though it cannot reliably counter Swords Dance Drapion. If you are deathly afraid of Swords Dance Drapion, Donphan is capable of surviving its moves and finishing it off with Earthquake.</p>

[SET]
name: Lead Spiker
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Encore
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Seed Bomb / Protect
item: Focus Sash
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Cacturne is often seen as an extremely dangerous Swords Dance sweeper; however, this set attempts to utilize two of Cacturne’s generally overlooked moves: Spikes and Encore. Both of those moves, combined with Sucker Punch, allow Cacturne to spill out multiple layers of Spikes and lock the opponent into a non-damaging move with Encore if they try to avoid a hard-hitting Sucker Punch. It's also one of the very few Pokemon who can set up Spikes but still retain some offensive prowess, meaning Cacturne can easily fit into an offensive team in need of some extra hazards support.</p>

<p>Spikes and Encore are the two important moves on this set. Encore in particular is what makes Cacturne much more effective, since it's capable of trapping opposing leads into repeating an indirect move, such as Stealth Rock, which buys Cacturne time to throw out more Spikes. Also, Sucker Punch, as mentioned before, works extremely well in tandem with Encore. The last moveslot is open to Seed Bomb or Protect. Seed Bomb is an excellent secondary STAB move and gives Cacturne a surefire way to hit the opposing Pokemon, while Protect allows Cacturne to scout the opponent's moves and also helps immensely against Fake Out leads, such as Ambipom and Persian.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>If Cacturne lacks Protect, Ambipom and Persian will be the bane of this set, especially if they have Taunt. Their powerful Fake Out attacks will knock off Cacturne’s Focus Sash and deal a huge amount of damage, followed by Return to finish it off. Moltres and Arcanine are also common leads that can come on top of Cacturne; the former beats it down with Fire Blast, while the latter destroys it with Flare Blitz and ExtremeSpeed. With that being said, it’s recommended to pack Pokemon that can deal with these threats; otherwise Cacturne will have a hard time doing its job. Rhyperior is definitely a worthy switch-in to both Ambipom and Persian, as its high Defense lets it take hits like a champ, and it's never OHKOed by the occasional Low Kick from Ambipom. This gives it the perfect opportunity to set up Stealth Rock or Rock Polish, and it still retains that offensive momentum your team would be looking for. To deal with the two Fire-types, Azumarill works like a charm. It can easily switch into their Fire-type attacks and can destroy them with Aqua Jet. It's also definitely recommended to use sweepers who can take advantage of the Spikes Cacturne sets up, especially ones who can turn their 2HKOs into solid OHKOs. Blaziken, Swellow, and Aggron are great examples of such Pokemon.</p>

[SET]
name: Evasive SubSeeder
move 1: Leech Seed
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Focus Punch
item: BrightPowder / Leftovers
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Cacturne really takes the SubSeed combination to the next level. With sandstorm support, Cacturne becomes an extremely threatening SubSeeder, as the opponent has a good chance for their attacks to miss. This gives Cacturne many opportunities to set up Substitute without taking any damage and proceed to cripple the opponent with Leech Seed. Not only that, but it also boasts the strongest priority move in the game (tying with ExtremeSpeed), Sucker Punch, as well as a powerful Focus Punch, all of which are backed up by a high base 115 Attack stat. There aren’t many Pokemon who possess all of these traits, which makes Cacturne a primary choice when it comes to selecting an effective Leech Seeder.</p>

<p>Leech Seed is obviously the crux of this set’s success, sapping 12% of the opposing Pokemon’s HP every turn. Substitute is an excellent move to take advantage of Leech Seed and also blocks status, preventing them from draining Cacturne’s effectiveness. Since Substitute generally encourages the opponent to attack, Sucker Punch becomes extremely helpful in those situations. Focus Punch rounds off the set nicely, and since Substitute gives Cacturne protection against attacks, Focus Punch is almost guaranteed to work.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>BrightPowder and Leftovers are both excellent items to use, so it's difficult to decide on which item is better for you. BrightPowder increases Cacturne's evasion, which makes it much harder for the opponent to land a hit on Cacturne. This gives it many opportunities to set up Substitute without taking any damage and use Leech Seed to restore the health lost, not to mention how frustrating it will be your opponent to break the Substitute as well. On the other hand, Leftovers gives added HP recovery, letting Cacturne restore a total of 18% of its health each turn, assuming the opponent has been hit by Leech Seed. This helps Cacturne set up more Substitutes than usual and restore more health each turn, which is very beneficial for a SubSeeder. As said before, both items are perfectly viable, so it's really up to personal preference when deciding which one to use.</p>

<p>Sandstorm support is almost mandatory when using this set, as it makes Cacturne's job much more effective; the ability to set up free Substitutes is too much to throw away. With that being said, Hippopotas immediately comes to mind, summoning an everlasting sandstorm. Besides sandstorm support, Cacturne experiences a couple of problems when it comes to SubSeeding. The biggest issue is Grass-types that share a typing that makes them resist Focus Punch, such as Jumpluff and Venusaur. Jumpluff can easily hit Cacturne with Encore, making Cacturne close to useless in that situation, while Venusaur can keep setting up Swords Dance as Cacturne tries to Sucker Punch. Houndoom and Blaziken can effectively handle the aforementioned threats, blazing them with their STAB Fire-type attacks. Another big issue is Toxic Spikes, because they immediately make Cacturne less effective upon switching into them. Poison-types are recommended to absorb them, and Drapion and Toxicroak can do just that. Also, both Drapion and Toxicroak can set up Swords Dance and attempt to finish off the opponent's weakened team from Cacturne's Leech Seed, so Cacturne and them have great synergy with each other.<p>

[Team Options]

<p>Hippopotas is the greatest teammate Cacturne can hope for. Its permanent sandstorm gives Cacturne many more opportunities to set up without taking any damage, which it really enjoys due to its poor defenses. Hippopotas can also set up Stealth Rock, which turns many of Cacturne's OHKOs into solid OHKOs. Spikes support is also recommended due to this factor. Qwilfish is a reasonable option for setting up multiple layers of Spikes. It boasts a relatively high Speed stat, keeps the offensive momentum going, and has the typing to absorb Toxic Spikes, which can greatly cripple Cacturne's effectiveness.</p>

<p>Ghost-types, such as Mismagius and Rotom, can prove to be troublesome for Cacturne, as they can use Will-O-Wisp or set up Substitutes as Cacturne attempts to obliterate them with Sucker Punch. Spiritomb deserves to be considered because of this problem; it is resistant to Shadow Ball and neutral to Hidden Power Fighting, can Rest off any status taken, and finish them off with its STAB Dark Pulse.</p>

<p>Toxicroak, Hitmontop, and Arcanine are massive problems to Cacturne. Toxicroak resists both of Cacturne's STAB attacks and can use Vacuum Wave to outpace Cacturne's Sucker Punch and KO Cacturne; Hitmontop's Intimidate, resistance to Sucker Punch, and access to Mach Punch will easily end Cacturne's sweep; and Arcanine has Intimidate, a resistance to Seed Bomb, and ExtremeSpeed to make Cacturne's Sucker Punch fail. It's recommended to carry Pokemon that can defeat some, if not all, of these threats, or else Cacturne will have a hard time sweeping. Milotic is capable of handling all three to a reasonable extent, restoring any damage taken with Recover and retaliating with Ice Beam against Toxicroak[still, Milotic is not a very good Toxicroak counter] and Surf or Hydro Pump against Hitmontop and Arcanine. Slowbro is another great Pokemon to handle these threats, as it packs high defensive bulk, an instant recovery move in Slack Off, Psychic to destroy Toxicroak and Hitmontop, and Surf to bring down Arcanine. Also, Slowbro and Milotic are great at taking various priority moves, such as Vacuum Wave, Mach Punch, and ExtremeSpeed, that threaten Cacturne.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>Cacturne can effectively make use of Destiny Bond to bring down the opposing Pokemon along with it. Endure, Focus Punch, and a Salac Berry are excellent options in conjunction with Destiny Bond, guaranteeing that Cacturne brings down at least one or two of the opponent's Pokemon. The execution of the set is rather simple: once Cacturne is about to be hit by an attack that will KO it, use Endure to activate its Salac Berry. Once that has been accomplished, proceed to use Destiny Bond to attempt to bring down the opposing Pokemon or fire off powerful Focus Punches if they try to avoid Destiny Bond's effect.</p>

<p>Choice Band and Choice Specs are decent items that Cacturne can abuse. With Choice Band, Cacturne can use a set consisting of Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, Superpower, and Payback to great effectiveness. The only drawbacks to using Choice Band Cacturne are its pitiful Speed and defenses and the fact that being locked into Sucker Punch opens up many opportunities for the opponent to set up, not to mention its lackluster physical movepool. Choice Specs Cacturne with a set of Dark Pulse, Energy Ball, Focus Blast, and Hidden Power Fire is also quite effective. However, it experiences nearly the same problem as Choice Band Cacturne. Its below average Speed and terrible defensive stats makes it difficult for Cacturne to do its job at sweeping. Choice Scarf Cacturne is not very viable, because its Speed only reaches a maximum of 343 with a positive Speed nature, which is still low for a Scarfer. Its offensive stats will also be lower than usual, which means Cacturne will not be as threatening.</p>

<p>Nasty Plot Cacturne is probably Cacturne's most threatening special set, boosting its Special Attack to absurd levels. It can also abuse powerful STAB Dark Pulse and Energy Ball attacks, along with Focus Blast to achieve excellent type coverage. This is where the praise is cut short, however, as Cacturne's middling Speed, lack of special priority moves, and horrible defensive stats won't give it many opportunities to set up and sweep. Swords Dance Cacturne is almost always better than Nasty Plot Cacturne, since it has access to a powerful priority move, Sucker Punch, and strong physical moves, such as Focus Punch. Also, Houndoom can pull off a much better Nasty Plot set than Cacturne ever will, as it has higher Speed and excellent offensive typing. A mixed Nasty Plot set can be proven useful because Cacturne can then use Sucker Punch to deal with faster foes; however, it is still usually an inferior Swords Dance Cacturne and mixed Nasty Plot Houndoom.</p>

<p>Counter can be used in tandem with a Focus Sash to eliminate strong physical attackers. Drain Punch can be very helpful on Swords Dance Cacturne, restoring large amounts of its HP that it might've lost. Faint Attack and Payback are alternative Dark-type moves Cacturne can use alongside Sucker Punch, but it's usually not recommended. Low Kick has its uses against heavy Pokemon, such as Steelix and Aggron. Needle Arm can always be used instead of Seed Bomb, despite its 20 less Base Power, as it has a 30% flinch rate; however, Cacturne needs all the power it can get, so Seed Bomb is generally the better way to go. Revenge can be useful because of Cacturne's low Speed, but since it has pathetic defenses, it may not be able to survive the opposing Pokemon's attack. Giga Drain and Grass Knot are viable options for a special-based Cacturne, the former restoring health and the latter having the ability to hit for 120 Base Power against heavy foes. Lastly, ThunderPunch is capable of hurting Flying-types like Honchkrow and Moltres that cause Cacturne trouble.</p>

<p>Cacturne has several supportive moves it can use to its advantage as well. Cotton Spore can lower the opposing Pokemon's Speed by two stages so Cacturne has a chance to outpace them. Grasswhistle, despite its poor accuracy, can be used to put Cacturne's counters and checks to sleep. Ingrain can be used on the SubSeeder set, giving Cacturne even more HP recovery per turn. Magic Coat helps block status, especially Will-O-Wisp and Toxic, from the likes of Weezing and Dusclops. Finally, Spite can reduce the opponent's PP and can be especially helpful on Cacturne with sandstorm support, and Swagger can power up the opponent's Attack and make them hit themselves in confusion for bigger damage.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Any Pokemon that is faster than Cacturne and has access to Encore can easily shut it down. Jumpluff and Alakazam are excellent examples of Pokemon that can switch into Cacturne as it uses Substitute, Swords Dance, or Sucker Punch and use Encore to force Cacturne out. Fast Encore users are one of the most valuable counters to Cacturne, since Cacturne is full of setting up and firing off Sucker Punches. Pokemon that can use Substitute to avoid Sucker Punch are also excellent options, especially if they resist or are immune to Seed Bomb and Focus Punch, as they can set up Substitute once Cacturne uses Sucker Punch and proceed to finish it off with their respective moves. Espeon, Raikou, and Feraligatr are perfect examples of this, the former two being able to boost their stats via Calm Mind, while the latter can use Dragon Dance or Swords Dance; or, they can go straight for the kill once they've successfully set up a Substitute.</p>

<p>Mismagius and Rotom may seem like bad choices to use against Cacturne, but they are actually quite effective. Each of them are capable of burning Cacturne with Will-O-Wisp or setting up a Substitute as Cacturne uses Sucker Punch; however, prediction is required at this point, since if the opponent can win the match-up by playing Cacturne smartly, such as by using Seed Bomb on Substitute. Drifblim deserves a special mention due to its resistance to Seed Bomb, making it a viable Ghost-type to use against Cacturne as well. Weezing works nearly the same way. With its high Defense, access to Will-O-Wisp and Pain Split, a super effective Flamethrower, in conjunction with its resistance to Seed Bomb and Focus Punch, it can threaten Cacturne instantly.</p>

<p>Toxicroak is one of the best counters to Cacturne, as it is resistant to the common moves Cacturne uses, such as Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, and Focus Punch. It also has access to Vacuum Wave, which it can use to avoid Sucker Punch, since a Swords Dance boosted Sucker Punch from Cacturne will still do heavy damage to Toxicroak. Hitmontop and Arcanine are also excellent switch-ins to Cacturne. They both have Intimidate to lower Cacturne's Attack, decent defensive stats to take neutral hits, and priority moves to make Cacturne's Sucker Punch fail.</p>

Aggron is definitely one of the best switch-ins to both Ambipom and Persian, laughing at anything they throw at it.

Click to expand...

Ambipom's Low Kick OHKOs Aggron. I don't know how often lead Ambipom carries it, but it still should be mentioned.

I agree with umbarsc, though you could easily change the Pokemon to Rhyperior, who is (iirc) 2HKOed by Low Kick after Fake Out and OHKOes with Earthquake.

Got it, thanks for letting me know umbarsc. I also went with your suggestion Xia, I switched Aggron with Rhyperior and mentioned Aggron as one of the sweepers that likes Spikes support.

Just posting to say that this is now Cacturne's full revamp, not just the Lead Spiker. I have also added Evasive Dancer, Pure Swords Dancer, Evasive Seeder, EVs, and Opinion.

I'm debating wether or not I should write a Nasty Plot set, a Choice Band/Specs set, or a Mixed Plotter set.

Cacturne's middling Speed and lack of special priority moves doesn't really make it that effective as a Nasty Plotter. Houndoom basically does a much better job at Nasty Plot sweeping, and Swords Dance Cacturne is completely superior because of Sucker Punch. I guess I'm saying that Nasty Plot Cacturne is outclassed.

Choice Band/Specs Cacturne is a bit lackluster to. Once again, Cacturne's Speed and pathetic defenses won't make it live for long.

I guess Mixed Plotter is on the line between making a set or making it in OO. The reason is obviously because of Sucker Punch, since it will help Cacturne deal with faster opponents. However, Houndoom can still pull off this kind of thing better and there really isn't a point not to use Swords Dance, so I'm still not really sure.

I'd really appreciate some opinions on those sets. I really need some.

EDIT: Cacturne's finally done. I've decided not to include the sets mentioned above; however, I mentioned them in OO.

Is Focus Punch even worth it on the first set? I can't say I have much experience with Cacturne, but I'm guessing that it would rarely have any chance to both set up a Swords Dance and a Substitute given its horrible defenses and Speed. It also puts you in a tough spot against an opponent's status, especially Will-o-wisp from Rotom or Spiritomb. Let's say an Umbreon switches in on Cacturne while it Swords Dances; Cacturne can't even touch Umbreon as long as it keeps attacking (this isn't the best example but I'm sure you can see how unpractical it is). It seems good in theory but I doubt it is of much use in practice. Having a reliable Grass STAB is also useful because it hits overly popular bulky Waters. Give it some thought, anyway. Wow Fuzznip, your analyses have gotten really good !! 8)

diinbong said:

Is Focus Punch even worth it on the first set? I can't say I have much experience with Cacturne, but I'm guessing that it would rarely have any chance to both set up a Swords Dance and a Substitute given its horrible defenses and Speed. It also puts you in a tough spot against an opponent's status, especially Will-o-wisp from Rotom or Spiritomb. Let's say an Umbreon switches in on Cacturne while it Swords Dances; Cacturne can't even touch Umbreon as long as it keeps attacking (this isn't the best example but I'm sure you can see how unpractical it is). It seems good in theory but I doubt it is of much use in practice. Having a reliable Grass STAB is also useful because it hits overly popular bulky Waters. Give it some thought, anyway.

Click to expand...

Well, I think it's worth it to be honest. A boosted Focus Punch does insane amounts of damage, and with Cacturne having a very good chance at setting up Substitute and Swords Dance successfully, it can abuse it pretty well. The good thing about Focus Punch is if the opponent tries to avoid Sucker Punch by using some sort of indirect attack, they will take a fatal blow.

Even though Seed Bomb helps against bulky Waters, Focus Punch is just as good. For example, 152 HP / 80 Def Milotic (the common Life Orb set) is OHKOed by a +2 Focus Punch all the time.

Based on those points, I don't think I'll remove Focus Punch from the set. It's really good and the power it holds is never to be looked away from.

Wow Fuzznip, your analyses have gotten really good !! 8)

Click to expand...

Thanks! :D

Small error:

Evasive SubSeeder said:

There aren’t many Pokemon that boast those combination of moves, which makes Cacturne a primary choice when it comes to selecting an effective Leech Seeder.</p>

Click to expand...

EDIT: I'll get right on it. =]

Thanks Xia, I fixed that. I could really use a full proofread. ^_^

At your request...

Changes in coloured bold

Fuzznip said:

[Team Options]

<p>Hippopotas is the greatest teammate Cacturne can hope for. Since it's the only Pokemon in UU that(I have been torn apart with doubt in whether to use "which" or "who"[Heysup used who] to pertain to pokemon, someone please enlighten me thanks) can set up a permanent sandstorm, it needs to be used to give Cacturne many more opportunities to set up without taking any damage, which it really enjoys due to how poor its defenses areits poor defenses. Hippopotas can also set up Stealth Rock, meaning it will help Cacturne turn many of its mereunreliable OHKOs into solid OHKOs. Spikes support is also recommended due to this factor, guaranteeing Cacturne to OHKO a huge portion of the UU metagame with its respective STAB attacks. With that being said, Qwilfish is a reasonable option for setting up multiple layers of Spikes. It boasts a relatively high Speed stat, keeps the offensive momentum going, and it has the typing to absorb Toxic Spikes, which can cripple Cacturne's effectiveness greatly.</p>

<p>Ghost-types, such as Mismagius and Rotom, can be provenprove to be troublesome tofor Cacturne, as they can use Will-O-Wisp or set up Substitutes as Cacturne attempts to obliterate them with Sucker Punch, leaving Cacturne open to Hidden Power Fighting. Drapion deserves to be considered because of this problem; it is resistant to Shadow Ball and takes neutral damage from Hidden Power Fighting, allowing it to finish off the Ghost-type gremlins(or any word you like pertaining to "troublemakers") with its STAB Pursuit or Crunch.</p>

<p>Toxicroak, Hitmontop, and Arcanine are massive problems to Cacturne, as they can all come out on top of it with ease. Toxicroak is resistant to both of Cacturne's STAB attacks and can use Vacuum Wave to outpace Cacturne's Sucker Punch and KO Cacturne,(use period) Hitmontop's Intimidate, resistance to Sucker Punch, and access to Mach Punch will easily end Cacturne's sweep, and(add period) Arcanine has Intimidate, a resistance to Seed Bomb, and has ExtremeSpeed to make Cacturne's Sucker Punch fail. It's recommended to carry Pokemon that can defeat some, if not all, of thosethese threats, or else Cacturne will have a hard time sweeping. Milotic is capable of handling all three threats to a reasonable extent, restoring any damage taken with Recover and retaliating with Ice Beam against Toxicroak and Surf or Hydro Pump against Hitmontop and Arcanine. Slowbro is another great Pokemon to handle these threats, as it packs high defensive bulk, an instant recovery move in Slack Off, and Psychic to destroy Toxicroak and Hitmontop(add comma) and Surf to bring down Arcanine. Also, Slowbro and Milotic are great at taking various priority moves, such as Vacuum Wave, Mach Punch, and ExtremeSpeed, that threaten Cacturne from most Pokemon.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Cacturne can effectively make use of Destiny Bond to bring down the opposing Pokemon once Cacturne is KOed. Endure, Focus Punch Punch, and a Salac Berry are excellent options in conjunction with Destiny Bond, guaranteeing that Cacturne brings down at least one or two of the opponent's Pokemon. The execution of the set is rather simple: once Cacturne is about to be hit by an attack that will KO it, use Endure to activate its Salac Berry. Once that has been accomplished, proceed to use Destiny Bond to attempt to bring down the opposing Pokemon or fire off powerful Focus Punches if they try to avoid Destiny Bond's effect.</p>

<p>Choice Band or Choice Specs Cacturne are decent items that Cacturne can abuse. With Choice Band, Cacturne can use a set consisting of Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, Superpower, and Payback to great effectiveness. The only drawbacks to using Choice Band Cacturne is because of its pitiful Speed and defenses andwhile being locked into Sucker Punch opens up many opportunities for the opponent to set up; not to mention its lackluster physical movepool. Choice Specs Cacturne with a set of Dark Pulse, Energy Ball, Focus Blast, and Hidden Power Fire is also quite effective. However, it experiences nearly the same problem as Choice Band Cacturne. It'sIts below average Speed and terrible defensive stats makes it difficult for Cacturne to do its job at sweeping. Choice Scarf Cacturne is not very viable, because its Speed only reaches a maximum of 343 with a positive Speed nature, which is still low for a Scarfer. It'sIts offensive stats will also be lower than usual, which makes Cacturne not as threatening to the opponent.</p>

<p>Nasty Plot Cacturne is probably Cacturne's most threatening special set, boosting Cacturne's Special Attack to absurd levels. It can also abuse powerful STAB Dark Pulse and Energy Ball attacks, along with Focus Blast to addachieve excellent type coverage. This is whenwhere the praise is cut short, however, as Cacturne's middling Speed, lack of special priority moves, and horrible defensive stats won't give it many opportunities to set up and sweep. Swords Dance Cacturne is almost always better than Nasty Plot Cacturne, since it has access to a powerful priority move, Sucker Punch, and strong physical moves, such as Focus Punch(I'd recommend you to give at least 2 examples). Also, Houndoom can pull off a much better Nasty Plot set than Cacturne ever will, as it has higher Speed and excellentbetter offensive typing. A mixed Nasty Plot set, though, can be proven useful because Cacturne can then use Sucker Punch to deal with faster foes; however, it is still usuallygenerally an inferior Swords Dance Cacturne and mixed Nasty Plot Houndoom.</p>

<p>Counter can be used in tandem with a Focus Sash to eliminate strong physical attackers. Drain Punch can be very helpful on Swords Dance Cacturne, restoring large amounts of its HP that it might've lost. Faint Attack and Payback are alternative Dark-type moves Cacturne can use alongside Sucker Punch, but it's usually not recommended. Low Kick has its uses against heavy Pokemon, such as Steelix and Aggron. Needle Arm can always be used instead of Seed Bomb, despite its 20 less Base Power, as it has a good chance at scoring a critical hit.(remove period); however, Cacturne needs all the power it can get, so Seed Bomb is generally the better way to go. Revenge can be useful because of Cacturne's low Speed, but since it has pathetic defenses, it may not be able to survive the opposing Pokemon's attack. Giga Drain and Grass Knot are viable options for a special-based Cacturne, the former restoring health, while the latter having the ability to hit for 120 Base Power on heavy foes. Lastly, ThunderPunch is capable of hurting Flying-types like Honchkrow and Moltres that cause Cacturne trouble.</p>

<p>Cacturne has several supportive moves it can use to its advantage as well. Cotton Spore can lower the opposing Pokemon's Speed by two stages so Cacturne has a chance to outpace them. Grasswhistle, althoughdespite its poor accuracy, can be used to put Cacturne's counters and checks to sleep. Ingrain can be used on the SubSeeder set, giving Cacturne even more HP recovery per turn. Magic Coat helps block status, especially Will-O-Wisp and Toxic, from the likes of Weezing and Dusclops. Finally, Spite can reduce the opponent's PP and can be especially helpful on Cacturne with sandstorm support, and Swagger can power up the opponent's Attack and make them hit themselves in confusion for bigger damage.</p>

[EVs]

<p>Cacturne should always be running maximum Attack or Special Attack and Speed. It just doesn't have the defensive stats to benefit from defensive investment. Cacturne needs all of the power it can get so that it can be as threatening as possible to the opponent.</p>

[Opinion]

<p>Cacturne has been noticed as one of the most annoying Pokemon to combat, specifically when it's in the sand. One miss on the opponent's side can easily end up being game over for them, as all Cacturne needs is one turn of Swords Dance set up to sweep their whole team. It's one of the most threatening Swords Dance sweepers in UU, as it boasts the strongest priority move in the game (having the same Base Power as ExtremeSpeed), Sucker Punch, a solid movepool to back it up, and an excellent Attack stat. Cacturne also has equal Special Attack to its Attack, meaning it can turn the tables by becoming a threatening special sweeper, rather than the commonly seen physical versions.</p>

<p>Even though Cacturne is an extremely powerful sweeper, it has its downsides. Cacturne's paper-thin defenses and low Speed really hinders its effectiveness to sweep, and is very reliant on its ability, Sand Veil, to give it an opportunity to set up for free. It's also very prediction reliant; it needs to know when the opponent will attack or when the opponent will not, since one misprediction may cost Cacturne's life. To use Cacturne to maximum potential, it is commonly paired with Hippopotas to set up a permanent sandstorm. This means that you are almost always forced to use Hippopotas when you choose to use Cacturne, or you won't find the final product to be very successful.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Any Pokemon that is faster than Cacturne and has access to Encore can easily shut it down. Jumpluff, Alakazam, and Gallade are excellent examples of Pokemon that can switch into Cacturne as it uses Substitute, Swords Dance, or Sucker Punch and use Encore to force Cacturne out. Fast Encore users are one of the most valuable counters to Cacturne, since Cacturne is full offof setting up and firing off Sucker Punches. Any Pokemon that is generally afraid of Cacturne's powerful Sucker Punch but can use Substitute to avoid that are also excellent options, as they can set up Substitute once Cacturne uses Sucker Punch and proceed to finish it off with their respective moves. Espeon, Raikou, and Feraligatr are perfect examples of this, the former two being able to boost their stats via Calm Mind, while the latter can use Dragon Dance or Swords Dance; or, they can go straight for the kill once they've successfully set up a Substitute.</p>

<p>Mismagius and Rotom may seem like bad choiceds to use against Cacturne, but they are actually quite effective. Each of them are capable of burning Cacturne with Will-O-Wisp or setting up a Substitute as Cacturne uses Sucker Punch; however, prediction is required at this point, since if the opponent plays Cacturne smartly, then Mismagius and Rotom may not have done much to it. Drifblim deserves a special mention due to its resistance to Seed Bomb, making it a viable Ghost-type to use against Cacturne as well. Weezing works nearly the same way. With its high Defense, access to Will-O-Wisp and Pain Split, a super effective Flamethrower, in conjunction with its resistance to Seed Bomb and Focus Punch, and Pain Split, it can generally always threaten Cacturne instantly.</p>

<p>Toxicroak is one of the best counters to Cacturne, as it is basically resistant to manythe common moves Cacturne that uses, such as Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, and Focus Punch. It also has access to Vacuum Wave which it can use to avoid Sucker Punch, since a Swords Dance boosted Sucker Punch from Cacturne will still do heavy damage to Toxicroak. Hitmontop and Arcanine are also excellent switch-ins to Cacturne. They both have Intimidate to lower Cacturne's Attack, decent defensive stats to take neutral hits, and priority moves to make Cacturne's Sucker Punch fail.</p>

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I hope Xia doesn't mind me continuing from his previous accomplishment.

Neat write-up.

Wonderful! Thanks Xia and Garrick!

Sorry to bump this, but I really want to get everything off my plate.

I'm in need in one or two more proofreads, then this analysis is done and ready to be uploaded.

Edits and comments.


That's all I see. It looks great!

Thanks a ton AromaFlora, I fixed your edits.

I just want to comment on how is 80 Base Power high compared to, say, Earthquake and Surf? I think that's more like average, but perhaps you're combining the Base Power with STAB to make it high. A possible verb change to a lower degree or the addition of STAB could possibly make the two lines better understandable.

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An 80 Base Power priority move is high in my opinion.

Edit: This is ready to go on-site I believe.

Edit2: Fixed post below, thanks!

Needle Arm can always be used instead of Seed Bomb, despite its 20 less Base Power, as it has a good chance at scoring a critical hit

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Needle Arm has a 30% chance to flinch. I assume you thought it had a higher Crit Ratio.

I feel like I might be a bit late to comment, but Leftovers should be mentioned in the Evasive Dancer set. Without Leftovers, you can only set up four Substitutes in a row. Leftovers give you a fifth Substitute, essentially boosting your chance of a miss by 20% (a very simple number, it can easily be more or less depending on the situation). In addition, stuff like Aerial Ace won't nullify your item.

Brightpowder has the benefit of boosting your evasion even when there is no Sand. It is also more useful when your opponent brings out a Scarfed / priority attacker when you do not have a Substitute up.

It's never too late for some comments, thanks wavedash.

IIRC, a long time ago, Hipmonlee (or someone) posted the calculations about how Leftovers is better than Brightpowder in dodging attacks. It basically game down to this:

1) Small numerical advantage for Leftovers when you compare 4 subs vs 5 subs.
2) HP recovery when the opponent is missing instead of just nothing.

IMO, I would actually have Leftovers as the first option and Brightpowder in set comments. It's your choice though.

Alright, thanks supermarth for the comment. I fixed up some stuff here and there and added the [ADDITIONAL COMMENTS] section in each set.

I believe this is finally done! :)

Hey guys, I was reading the analysis of the Lead Spiker and noticed that Encore is not an available move for Cacturne, because I went through all serebiis's pokedex (Dppt and emerald) and Cacturne/Cacnea doesn't have listed Encore as an egg move, level up move and tutor moves.

Or am I missing something?

Also I checked the new moves from HG and SS and the only new one is Nasty Plot

Well, Dark Ryu if i remember correctly it is an event move, but I'm not sure.

Christian said:

Well, Dark Ryu if i remember correctly it is an event move, but I'm not sure.

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Yep, I just checked the events and you are correct.

Sorry for that >.<

Yeah, Encore is an event move.

Also, I went ahead and revamped the Cacturne analysis to reflect the other new changes. I renamed Opinion to Overview, put it to the top of the analysis, and renamed Other Options to Optional Changes.

This is pretty much done. There's nothing else that needs to be added!

I'm going to be looking over this a second time.