Barboach (Analysis)'

Sledge · Apr 24, 2010

Status: ready to go
--------------------------------------------
[OVERVIEW]

Barboach can be a very dangerous Pokemon in Little Cup with access to Dragon Dance, excellent STABs, very good defensive typing, and decent defensive stats. While its attacking stats are rather low compared to other sweepers in Little Cup, it can still sweep effectively with a very nice attacking movepool, over 21 Speed with Choice Scarf, and Dragon Dance.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dancer
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Oran Berry / Life Orb
ability: Anticipation
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 212 Atk / 12 Def / 28 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Despite Barboach's low Attack stat, it has a way of boosting it, along with its Speed, in what is arguably the best set-up move in the game: Dragon Dance. After a single Dragon Dance, Barboach's Attack is increased to a respectable 21, and its Speed is boosted to 22 with an Adamant nature or 24 with a Jolly nature, outpacing all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup. Barboach has two great STABs in Earthquake and Waterfall, hitting most Pokemon in Little Cup for at least neutral damage, bar Grass-types and Mantyke. Return provides neutral coverage on all the Pokemon whom Waterfall and Earthquake can't hit. Oran Berry is the preferred item for this set, giving Barboach the bulk that it needs to set up consistently, without sacrificing too much HP in the process. However, Life Orb is also a viable option for the added power, particularly late-game with Wynaut support. When choosing between Adamant and Jolly nature, you must consider whether you prefer added power or higher survivability. While Adamant gives you one extra point in Attack, Jolly allows you to outspeed more Choice Scarf users after one Dragon Dance, such as Bagon and Krabby, and lets you outspeed or tie Choice Scarf Cranidos and Wailmer, depending on their natures.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Barboach is definitely not the best Pokemon in the world to be switching into strong attacks due to its lack of resistances and merely decent defenses. Therefore, it is a good idea to avoid switching Barboach into strong attackers whenever possible. That being said, if Barboach is able to get into battle while taking little to no damage, such as after a KO or on an Electric- or Rock-typed attack, it can be very difficult to stop after setting up. This is largely because it has just one weakness, to the very uncommon Grass-type attacks. Barboach also has better defenses than many sweepers, such as Gastly and Houndour, and has comparable defenses to its fellow Dragon Dancer, Dratini.

Barboach greatly appreciates dual screens, which aid in its setup and allow it to sweep more easily. Because of this, Abra and Bronzor both make good partners to Barboach, as they can set up screens. Barboach also likes having Wynaut support, because if it can Encore the right move, such as an Electric-type attack or a non-attacking move, Barboach can get a free Dragon Dance.

[SET]
name: Physical Choice
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Return / Double-Edge
move 4: Spark
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Anticipation
nature: Adamant
evs: 36 HP / 212 Atk / 12 Def / 28 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set's main selling point is that Barboach has excellent dual STABs, shared only by Wooper in Little Cup. Barboach's two main physical STAB attacks, Earthquake and Waterfall, provide near-flawless coverage in Little Cup and are good options on a Choice set. Return provides coverage on the Pokemon Earthquake and Waterfall miss out on, such as Mantyke and Snover. Double-Edge is an interesting option on this set, especially very late in the game, when it can nab some hard-to-get KOs. Spark hits most Water-types super effectively and has high chance of paralysis.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

This set requires a lot of prediction to use it effectively, as there are many common Pokemon in Little Cup that have immunity to Barboach's attacks. Levitators, such as Bronzor and Duskull, and Flying-types, such as Gligar and Mantyke, are all immune to Earthquake. Mantyke also has an added bonus of gaining 25% of its health from Waterfall due to Water Absorb, which means it is fully resistant to both of Barboach's STABs. Croagunk also sports an immunity to Waterfall, but is OHKOed by Earthquake. Ghosts, such as Gastly and Duskull, are immune to Return and Double-Edge. All of these immunities makes Barboach tricky to play with.

Bronzor is one Pokemon that makes a good partner to this set as they cover each other's weaknesses. Bronzor can run an effective special set, which can provide good coverage with Barboach, who hits physically. Snover is another solid partner to this set, because it resists Grass, which is Barboach's only weakness. Barboach covers Snover's Fire-type, Poison-type, and Rock-type weaknesses as well.

[SET]
name: Special Choice
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Electric / Hidden Power Rock
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Anticipation
nature: Modest
evs: 36 HP / 12 Def / 232 SpA / 28 SpD / 200 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set takes advantage of Barboach's good Speed, decent Special Attack, and unique special STABs. While this set seems inferior to other Scarf Water-types, such as Staryu and Chinchou, the one advantage that Barboach has over them is its access to STAB Earth Power. Earth Power gives good coverage on Pokemon whom Water-types often miss out on, such as Croagunk and Chinchou, while providing a more reliable option against other Electric-types. Hydro Pump is another obligatory STAB move, and with 120 Base Power, it is very powerful. Ice Beam provides coverage for the Pokemon on whom Earth Power and Hydro Pump can't hit, such as Mantyke. Ice Beam also hits Gligar, one of the most commonly used Pokemon in Little Cup, for 4x damage. While Hydro Pump, Earth Power, and Ice Beam provide neutral coverage on every Pokemon in Little Cup, bar Surskit, Hidden Power Fire can come in handy against Snover who can otherwise counter Barboach. Hidden Power Electric is also a good option because it can hit the otherwise troublesome Mantyke for 4x damage, while Hidden Power Rock can hit both Snover and Mantyke super effectively, albeit for less damage.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

One obvious thing about Barboach is its lack of power compared to other common Scarf Water-types. Because of this, Barboach is best used in a late-game scenario, as it does not have the power to bring down many Pokemon who are at full health.

Because of Barboach's lack of power, Pokemon that can effectively weaken the enemy team partner well with it. Cranidos and Swords Dance Gligar tend to work well with their offensive prowess. Bronzor and Barboach also work well together, as they cover each other's weaknesses. Additionally, Bronzor can hit hard on the physical side while Barboach hits specially, forming a potent offensive duo.

You will need to adjust EVs on this set according to which Hidden Power you use. The EVs given are optimal for Hidden Power Fire and also work for Hidden Power Electric. However, if you choose to use Hidden Power Rock, you will want to take off 4 Speed EVs and 4 EVs to both Defense and Special Defense.

[TEAM OPTIONS]

Two Pokemon that nearly always work well with Barboach are Snover and Bronzor. Snover provides good offensive synergy, resists Grass-type attacks, and can dole out Hail damage, which can be helpful to Barboach, who often lacks the power to take out Pokemon on its own. Barboach also resists Fire-type and Rock-type moves, which are two of Snover's most commonly abused weaknesses. Bronzor and Barboach work well together because they both resist each other's weaknesses. Bronzor can also set up screens to aid Barboach in setting up Dragon Dances.

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]

On the Physical Choice set, running a Jolly nature instead of an Adamant one is an option; however, in most cases Barboach prefers the boost in power to the boost in Speed. The same principle applies for the Special Choice set, which can run a Timid nature as opposed to a Modest one. On the Special Choice set, there are a variety of other Hidden Power types to use, such as Electric, which hits Mantyke harder than Ice Beam; Fire, which hits Snover 4x super effectively; and Rock, which hits both Mantyke and Snover super effectively at the cost less damage on one. For Barboach to be an effective Choice sweeper early-game, Choice Band and Choice Specs can be used on the Physical and Special Choice sets respectively as they provide much more power than Choice Scarf; however, in the Speed-centralized metagame that is Little Cup, Choice Scarf is nearly always the better option.

[COUNTERS]

There are few Pokemon that can counter all of Barboach's sets effectively. One that does a very good job would be Mantyke, as it is immune to Barboach's dual STABs and can hit it back hard with a STAB Hydro Pump. Other good counters are Choice Scarf users that are faster than a Barboach at +1 Speed, such as Mankey (who can OHKO Barboach with Close Combat), Gligar, and Gastly.

Snorlaxe · Apr 25, 2010

[Overview]

Barboach can be a very dangerous Pokemon in Little Cup with access to Dragon Dance, excellent STABs, very good defensive typing, and decent defensive stats. While its attacking stats are rather low compared to other sweepers in Little Cup, it can still sweep effectively with a very nice attacking movepool, over 21 Speed with Choice Scarf, and Dragon Dance.

[SET]
name: Dancing Machine
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Oran Berry / Life Orb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 212 Atk / 12 Def / 28 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Despite Barboach's low Attack stat, it has a way of boosting it, along with its Speed, in what is arguably the best set-up move in the game: Dragon Dance. After a single Dragon Dance, Barboach's Attack is increased to a respectable 21, and its Speed is boosted to 22 with an Adamant nature or 24 with a Jolly nature, outpacing all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup. Barboach has two great STABs in Earthquake and Waterfall, hitting most Pokemon in Little Cup for at least neutral damage, bar Grass-types and Mantyke. Return provides neutral coverage on all the Pokemon who Waterfall and Earthquake can't hit. Oran Berry is the preferred item for this set, giving Barboach the bulk that it needs to set up consistently, and not sacrifice too much HP in the process. However, Life Orb is also a viable option for the added power, particularly in late-game scenarios and with Wynaut support. When choosing between Adamant and Jolly natures, you must consider which you prefer; added power or a higher survivability. While Adamant does give you one point higher in Attack, Jolly does allow you to outspeed more Scarfers after one Dragon Dance, such as Bagon or Krabby, and lets you outspeed or tie (depending on their nature) Choice Scarf Cranidos and Wailmer.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Barboach is most certainly not the best Pokemon in the world for coming into battle on attacks due to its lack of resistences and decent defenses, so it is a good idea to avoid switching Barboach in to strong attackers whenever possible. That being said, if Barboach is able to get into battle taking little or no damage, such as after a KO or on an Electric- or Rock-type attack, it can be very difficult to stop. This is because it has just one weakness to the very uncommon Grass-type attacks, Oran Berry to restore HP while Barboach sets up, better defenses than many sweepers such as Gastly and Houndour, and comprable defenses to its fellow Dragon Dancer, Dratini.

Barboach is one Pokemon who greatly appreciates dual screens, aiding it in its setup and allowing it to sweep easier. The most effective dual screener in Little Cup is most certainly Bronzor, and because of this Bronzor makes a very good partner to help out with Barboach's sweep. Barboach also likes having Wynaut support, because if it can Encore the right move (such as an Electric-type attack or a non-attacking move) Barboach virtually gets a free Dragon Dance. This can make Barboach much more of a threat and much more difficult to take down.

[SET]
name: Special Choice
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Modest
evs: 36 HP / 12 Def / 232 SpA / 28 SpD / 200 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set takes advantage of Barboach's good Speed, decent Special Attack, and unique STABs. While this set seems inferior to other common Scarfed Waters such as Staryu and Chinchou, the one advantage that Barboach has over them is access to STAB Earth Power. Earth Power gives good coverage on Pokemon who Waters often miss out on such as Croagunk and Chinchou, and also provides a more reliable option against Electric-types. Hydro Pump is another obligatory STAB, and a powerful one at that. With a massive 120 Base Power it is another great attacking option. Ice Beam provides coverage for the Pokemon who Earth Power and Hydro Pump miss out on such as Mantyke. Ice Beam also hits Gligar, currently one of the most commonly used Pokemon in Little Cup, for 4x damage. While Hydro Pump, Earth Power, and Ice Beam provide neutral coverage on every Pokemon in Little Cup (bar the uncommon Surskit), Hidden Power Fire can come in handy against Snover, a very common Pokemon in Little Cup. One may think Snover would be an excellent counter to Barboach becuase it can threaten it with 4x effective STAB Grass attacks, but Snover will not like taking a 4x effective Fire attack.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

One thing that sticks out about Barboach is its lack of power compared to other common Scarfed Waters. Because of this, Barboach is best used in a late-game scenario, as it does not have the power to bring down many Pokemon who are at full health.

Because of Barboach's lack of power, Pokemon who do hit with a great amount of power make great partners to Barboach; Cranidos and Swords Dance Gligar work well. Bronzor also works well with Barboach, as they resist each other's weaknesses, and Bronzor can hit well physically, which does well with Barboach, who hits specially.

grammar edits in pink
prose edits in blue

cool stuff, some mistakes but the content's good, so hopefully i got everything grammatical for you.

Heysup · Apr 26, 2010

While I will admit that I haven't tested the Flail set, I am questioning its viability using simple "it's a shark with no teeth" logic, especially when compared to the regular DD set.

The reason Barboach is such an effective DDer is that it can take a large number of priority attacks before it faints, and after a Speed boost it's likely going to force the Pokemon it's facing to use priority. However without this benefit (ie "when the shark has no teeth"), even with the semi-superior coverage that Flail gives - keep in mind, Flail is only 150 BP with 4% HP left which is merely equal to Earthquake - it really doesn't seem viable. What resists Ground and Water anyway? Paras and Mantyke? I think you're better off using Return or Spark in any event.

The other sets I have used successfully and look fine.

Kannon · Apr 26, 2010

all I can see right now is HP Electric or even Rock is superior to HP fire on the special set and Spark should get a space and Return and Double-Edge slashed together on the physical choice set.

maybe since it has usable special attacks you can try a mixed dancer?

Sledge · Apr 27, 2010

Okay, I nixed the flail set, and I will get to testing the options that Kannon mentioned.

Heysup · Apr 27, 2010

Kannon said:
maybe since it has usable special attacks you can try a mixed dancer?

What advantages would this give at all? Just because something has a usable SpA stat / movepool does not mean using them over other Attacking moves would be beneficial because you are removing a move and often EVs most of the time.

Also, yea slash HP Electric onto the special choice set.

Desolate · May 1, 2010

Hi. Corrections citation are in red.

[Overview]

Barboach can be a very dangerous Pokemon in Little Cup with access to Dragon Dance, excellent STABs, very good defensive typing, and decent defensive stats. While its attacking stats are rather low compared to other sweepers in Little Cup, it can still sweep effectively with a very nice attacking movepool, over 21 Speed with Choice Scarf, and Dragon Dance.

[SET]
name: Dancin' Machine
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Oran Berry / Life Orb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 212 Atk / 12 Def / 28 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Despite Barboach's low Attack stat, it has a way of boosting it, along with its Speed, in what is arguably the best set-up move in the game: Dragon Dance. After a single Dragon Dance, Barboach's Attack is increased to a respectable 21, and its Speed is boosted to 22 with an Adamant nature or 24 with a Jolly nature, outpacing all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup. Barboach has two great STABs in Earthquake and Waterfall, hitting most Pokemon in Little Cup for at least neutral damage, bar Grass-types and Mantyke. Return provides neutral coverage on all the Pokemon who Waterfall and Earthquake can't hit. Oran Berry is the preferred item for this set, giving Barboach the bulk that it needs to set up consistently, and not sacrifice too much HP in the process. However, Life Orb is also a viable option for the added power, particularly in late-game scenarios and with Wynaut support. When choosing between Adamant and Jolly natures, you must consider which you prefer; added power or a higher survivability. While Adamant does give you one point higher in Attack, Jolly does allow you to outspeed more Scarfers after one Dragon Dance, such as Bagon or Krabby, and lets you outspeed or tie (depending on their nature) Choice Scarf Cranidos and Wailmer.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Barboach is most certainly not the best Pokemon in the world for coming into battle on attacks due to its lack of resistences and decent defenses, so it is a good idea to avoid switching Barboach into strong attackers whenever possible. That being said, if Barboach is able to get into battle taking little or no damage, such as after a KO or on an Electric- or Rock-typed attack, it can be very difficult to stop. This is because it has just one weakness to the very uncommon Grass-type attack, Oran Berry to restore health while Barboach sets up, better defenses than many sweepers such as Gastly and Houndour, and comprable defenses to its fellow Dragon Dancer, Dratini.

Barboach is one Pokemon who greatly appreciates dual screens; aiding it in its setup and allowing it to sweep easier. The most effective dual screener in Little Cup is most certainly Bronzor, and because of this, Bronzor makes a very good partner to help out with Barboach's sweep. Barboach also likes having Wynaut support, because if it can Encore the right move (such as an Electric-type attack or a non-attacking move), Barboach virtually gets a free Dragon Dance. That can make Barboach more of a threat and much more difficult to take down.

[SET]
name: Physical Choice
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Return
move 4: Double-Edge
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]

This sets main selling point is Barboach's excellent dual STABs, shared only by Wooper in Little Cup. Barboach's two main physical STAB attacks, Earthquake and Waterfall, provide near-flawless coverage on Little Cup, and make for good options on a choice set. Return provides coverage on what Earthquake and Waterfall miss out on, such as Mantyke and Snover. Barboach has very, very little options for a fourth move slot, but Double-Edge is an interesting option, especially very late game, when it could provide that extra power needed to defeat your opponent.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

This set can be very tricky to play, as there are many common Pokemon in Little Cup that have immunity to Barboach's attacks. For Earthquake, there is Gligar, Mantyke, other fliers, and levitators such as Bronzor and Duskull. Croagunk and Mantyke sport immunities to Waterfall, and Ghosts such as Gastly and Duskull are immune to Return and Double-Edge. Because of this, this set requires quite a bit of prediction in order to make it work.

Bronzor is one Pokemon that makes a good partner to this set as they resist each others weaknesses, and Bronzor can run an effective special set, which provides good coverage with Barboach, whom hits physically. Snover is another solid partner to this set, because it resists Grass (Barboach's only weakness) and Barboach resists a couple of Snover's weaknesses, mainly Fire and Poison.

You had quite a few run-on sentences. I also corrected redundant wording, and compounds (where they should of been hyphenated, and what-not). I'll try to edit your last set later. Good luck!

iss · May 29, 2010

Please put Spark on the Choice set. Return and Double-Edge on the same set is a very stupid idea.
EDIT: Keep in mind that DD + Spark is illegal.

macle · Jun 7, 2010

Sledge said:
Status: DONE
--------------------------------------------

[Overview]

Barboach can be a very dangerous Pokemon in Little Cup with access to Dragon Dance, excellent STABs, very good defensive typing, and decent defensive stats. While its attacking stats are rather low compared to other sweepers in Little Cup, it can still sweep effectively with a very nice attacking movepool, over 21 Speed with Choice Scarf, and Dragon Dance.

[SET]
name: Dancin' Machine
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Oran Berry / Life Orb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 212 Atk / 12 Def / 28 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Despite Barboach's low Attack stat, it has a way of boosting it, along with its Speed, in what is arguably the best set-up move in the game: Dragon Dance. After a single Dragon Dance, Barboach's Attack is increased to a respectable 21, and its Speed is boosted to 22 with an Adamant nature or 24 with a Jolly nature, outpacing all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup. Barboach has two great STABs in Earthquake and Waterfall, hitting most Pokemon in Little Cup for at least neutral damage, bar Grass-types and Mantyke. Return provides neutral coverage on all the Pokemon who Waterfall and Earthquake can't hit. Oran Berry is the preferred item for this set, giving Barboach the bulk that it needs to set up consistently, and not sacrifice too much HP in the process. However, Life Orb is also a viable option for the added power, particularly in late-game scenarios and with Wynaut support. When choosing between Adamant and Jolly natures, you must consider which you prefer; added power or a higher survivability. While Adamant does give you one point higher in Attack, Jolly does allow you to outspeed more Scarfers after one Dragon Dance, such as Bagon or Krabby, and lets you outspeed or tie (depending on their nature) Choice Scarf Cranidos and Wailmer.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Barboach is most certainly not the best Pokemon in the world for coming into battle on attacks due to its lack of resistances and decent defenses, so it is a good idea to avoid switching Barboach into strong attackers whenever possible. That being said, if Barboach is able to get into battle taking little or no damage, such as after a KO or on an Electric- or Rock-typed attack, it can be very difficult to stop. This is because it has just one weakness to the very uncommon Grass-type attack, Oran Berry to restore health while Barboach sets up, better defenses than many sweepers such as Gastly and Houndour, and comparable defenses to its fellow Dragon Dancer, Dratini.

Barboach is one Pokemon who greatly appreciates dual screens; aiding it in its setup and allowing it to sweep easier. The most effective dual screener in Little Cup is most certainly Bronzor, and because of this, Bronzor makes a very good partner to help out with Barboach's sweep. Barboach also likes having Wynaut support, because if it can Encore the right move (such as an Electric-type attack or a non-attacking move), Barboach virtually gets a free Dragon Dance. That can make Barboach more of a threat and much more difficult to take down.

[SET]
name: Physical Choice
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Return / Double-Edge
move 4: Spark
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant

[SET COMMENTS]

This sets main selling point is Barboach's excellent dual STABs, shared only by Wooper in Little Cup. Barboach's two main physical STAB attacks, Earthquake and Waterfall, provide near-flawless coverage on Little Cup, and make for good options on a choice set. Return provides coverage on what Earthquake and Waterfall miss out on, such as Mantyke and Snover. Double-Edge is an interesting option on this set because especially very late game, when it could provide that extra power needed to defeat your opponent. Spark hits Pokemon like Mantyke for 4x effective damage as well as having a high paralysis rate, which can be a major burden for any Pokemon to be afflicted with.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

This set can be very tricky to play, as there are many common Pokemon in Little Cup that have immunity to Barboach's attacks. For Earthquake, there is Gligar, Mantyke, other fliers, and levitators such as Bronzor and Duskull. Croagunk and Mantyke sport immunities to Waterfall, and Ghosts such as Gastly and Duskull are immune to Return and Double-Edge. Because of this, this set requires quite a bit of prediction in order to make it work.

Bronzor is one Pokemon that makes a good partner to this set as they resist each others weaknesses, and Bronzor can run an effective special set, which provides good coverage with Barboach, whom hits physically. Snover is another solid partner to this set, because it resists Grass (Barboach's only weakness) and Barboach resists a couple of Snover's weaknesses, mainly Fire and Poison.

[SET]
name: Special Choice
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Electric
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Modest
evs: 36 HP / 12 Def / 232 SpA / 28 SpD / 200 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set takes advantage of Barboach's good Speed, decent Special Attack, and unique STABs. While this set seems inferior to other common Scarfed Waters such as Staryu and Chinchou, the one advantage that Barboach has over them is access to STAB Earth Power. Earth Power gives good coverage on Pokemon who Waters often miss out on such as Croagunk and Chinchou, and also provides a more reliable option against Electric-types. Hydro Pump is another obligatory STAB, and a powerful one at that. With a massive 120 Base Power it is another great attacking option. Ice Beam provides coverage for the Pokemon who Earth Power and Hydro Pump miss out on such as Mantyke. Ice Beam also hits Gligar, currently one of the most commonly used Pokemon in Little Cup, for 4x damage. While Hydro Pump, Earth Power, and Ice Beam provide neutral coverage on every Pokemon in Little Cup (bar the uncommon Surskit), Hidden Power Fire can come in handy against Snover, a very common Pokemon in Little Cup. One may think Snover would be an excellent counter to Barboach because it can threaten it with 4x effective STAB Grass attacks, but Snover will not like taking a 4x effective Fire attack. Hidden Power Electric is also a good option because it can hit Mantyke very hard for 4x who otherwise would be a Pokemon that Barboach can have a lot of trouble with.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

One thing that sticks out about Barboach is its lack of power compared to other common Scarfed Waters. Because of this, Barboach is best used in a late-game scenario, as it does not have the power to bring down many Pokemon who are at full health.

Because of Barboach's lack of power, Pokemon who do hit with a great amount of power make great partners to Barboach; Cranidos and Swords Dance Gligar work well. Bronzor also works well with Barboach, as they resist each other's weaknesses, and Bronzor can hit well physically, which does well with Barboach, who hits specially.

[TEAM OPTIONS]

Two Pokemon that nearly always work well with Barboach are Snover and Bronzor. Snover provides good offensive synergy, resists Grass-type attacks, and can dole out Hail damage, which can be helpful to Barboach, who often times does not have the power to take out Pokemon on its own. Barboach also resists Fire, one of Snover's most common weaknesses. Bronzor also works well as they both resist each others weaknesses, and Bronzor can set up screens to aid with Barboach sweeping.

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]

On the Physical Choice set, running a Jolly nature as opposed to an Adamant one is an option, however, in most cases with these sets, Barboach would prefer the boost in power to the boost in Speed. The same applies for the Special Choice set, which can run a Timid nature as opposed to a Modest one. But the same principle still applies that Barboach needs the boost in power more than the boost in Speed. On the Special Choice set, there are a variety of other Hidden Power types to use such as Electric (which hits Mantyke harder than Ice Beam). As an early game sweeper Choice Band and Choice Specs can be used on the Physical and Special Choice sets respectively as they provide much more power than Choice Scarf, however, in a Speed-centralized metagame such as Little Cup, Choice Scarf is nearly always the better option.

[COUNTERS]

There are surprisingly few Pokemon that can counter all of Barboach's sets effectively. One that does a very good job would be Mantyke, as it is immune to Barboach's dual STABs and can hit back very hard with STAB Hydro Pump. Other good counters are Choice Scarf users that are faster than a Barboach at +1 Speed such as Mankey, who can OHKO back with Close Combat. Other examples include Gligar and Gastly.

Towelie · Jun 7, 2010

Ability should be mentioned because barboach has two of them.

iss · Jun 7, 2010

Where did the EVs go for the Physical Choice set?

jc104 · Aug 26, 2010

[Overview]

Barboach can be a very dangerous Pokemon in Little Cup with access to Dragon Dance, excellent STABs, very good defensive typing, and decent defensive stats. While its attacking stats are rather low compared to other sweepers in Little Cup, it can still sweep effectively with a very nice attacking movepool, over 21 Speed with Choice Scarf, and Dragon Dance.

[SET]
name: Dancin' Machine
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Oran Berry / Life Orb
ability: Anticipation
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 212 Atk / 12 Def / 28 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Despite Barboach's low Attack stat, it has a way of boosting it, along with its Speed, in what is arguably the best set-up move in the game: Dragon Dance. After a single Dragon Dance, Barboach's Attack is increased to a respectable 21, and its Speed is boosted to 22 with an Adamant nature or 24 with a Jolly nature, outpacing all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup. Barboach has two great STABs in Earthquake and Waterfall, hitting most Pokemon in Little Cup for at least neutral damage, bar Grass-types and Mantyke. Return provides neutral coverage on all the Pokemon whom Waterfall and Earthquake can't hit. Oran Berry is the preferred item for this set, giving Barboach the bulk that it needs to set up consistently, and not without sacrificing too much HP in the process. However, Life Orb is also a viable option for the added power, particularly in late-game scenarios and with Wynaut support. When choosing between Adamant and Jolly natures, you must consider which you prefer: (colon) added power or a higher survivability. While Adamant does give you one extra point higher in Attack, Jolly does allow you to outspeed more Choice Scarf users after one Dragon Dance, such as Bagon and Krabby, and lets you outspeed or tie (depending on their nature) Choice Scarf Cranidos and Wailmer.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Barboach is most certainly not the best Pokemon in the world for coming into battle on attacks due to its lack of resistances and merely decent defenses, so it is a good idea to avoid switching Barboach into strong attackers whenever possible. That being said, if Barboach is able to get into battle taking little or no damage, such as after a KO or on an Electric- or Rock-typed attack, it can be very difficult to stop. This is because it has just one weakness, to the very uncommon Grass-type attacks. Oran Berry to restore health while Barboach sets up. It also has better defenses than many sweepers, such as Gastly and Houndour, and comparable defenses to its fellow Dragon Dancer, Dratini.

Barboach is one Pokemon who greatly appreciates dual screens, which aid in its setup and allow it to sweep more easily. Because of this, Abra and Bronzor both make good partners to Barboach, both of them being able to as they can set up screens. Barboach also likes having Wynaut support, because if it can Encore the right move (such as an Electric-type attack or a non-attacking move), Barboach virtually gets a free Dragon Dance. That can make Barboach more of a threat and much more difficult to take down.

[SET]
name: Physical Choice
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Return / Double-Edge
move 4: Spark
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Anticipation
nature: Adamant
evs: 36 HP / 212 Atk / 12 Def / 28 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set's main selling point is that Barboach has excellent dual STABs, shared only by Wooper in Little Cup. Barboach's two main physical STAB attacks, Earthquake and Waterfall, provide near-flawless coverage in Little Cup, and make for good options on a choice set. Return provides coverage on the Pokemon Earthquake and Waterfall miss out on, such as Mantyke and Snover. Double-Edge is an interesting option on this set, because especially very late in the game, when it could provide that extra power needed to defeat your opponent. Spark hits Pokemon like Mantyke for 4x effective damage as well as having a high paralysis rate bringing a high chance of paralysis, which can be a major burden for any Pokemon to be afflicted with.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

This set can be very tricky to play, as there are many common Pokemon in Little Cup that have immunity to Barboach's attacks. Immune to Earthquake are flyers, such as Gligar and Mantyke, and levitators such as Bronzor and Duskull For Earthquake, there is Gligar, Mantyke, other fliers, and levitators, such as Bronzor and Duskull. Croagunk and Mantyke sport immunities to Waterfall, and Ghosts, such as Gastly and Duskull, are immune to Return and Double-Edge. Because of this, this set requires quite a bit of prediction to be used correctly in order to make it work.

Bronzor is one Pokemon that makes a good partner to this set as they cover each other's weaknesses, and Bronzor can run an effective special set, which provides good coverage with Barboach, who hits physically. Snover is another solid partner to this set, because it resists Grass (Barboach's only weakness) and Barboach covers a couple of Snover's weaknesses, mainly Fire- and Poison-type moves.

[SET]
name: Special Choice
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Electric
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Anticipation
nature: Modest
evs: 36 HP / 12 Def / 232 SpA / 28 SpD / 200 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set takes advantage of Barboach's good Speed, decent Special Attack, and unique STABs. While this set seems inferior to other common Scarf Water-types, such as Staryu and Chinchou, the one advantage that Barboach has over them is access to STAB Earth Power. Earth Power gives good coverage on Pokemon on whom Water-types often miss out on, such as Croagunk and Chinchou, and also provides a more reliable option against Electric-types. Hydro Pump is another obligatory STAB move, and a powerful one at that, with 120 Base Power. With a massive 120 Base Power it is another great attacking option. Ice Beam provides coverage for the Pokemon on whom Earth Power and Hydro Pump miss out on, such as Mantyke. Ice Beam also hits Gligar, currently one of the most commonly used Pokemon in Little Cup, for 4x damage. While Hydro Pump, Earth Power, and Ice Beam provide neutral coverage on every Pokemon in Little Cup (bar the uncommon Surskit), Hidden Power Fire can come in handy against Snover, a very common Pokemon in Little Cup. One may think Snover would be an excellent counter to Barboach because it can threaten it with 4x effective STAB Grass attacks, but Snover will not like taking a 4x effective Fire attack. Hidden Power Electric is also a good option because it can hit the otherwise troublesome Mantyke very hard for 4x damage who otherwise would be a Pokemon that Barboach can have a lot of trouble with.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

One thing that sticks out about Barboach is its lack of power compared to other common Scarf Water-types. Because of this, Barboach is best used in a late-game scenario, as it does not have the power to bring down many Pokemon who are at full health.

Because of Barboach's lack of power, Pokemon who do hit with a great amount of power make great partners to Barboach; Cranidos and Swords Dance Gligar work well. Bronzor also works well with and Barboach also work well together, as they cover each other's weaknesses. and Bronzor can hit hard on the physical side physically, which does well with while Barboach, who hits specially.

[TEAM OPTIONS]

Two Pokemon that nearly always work well with Barboach are Snover and Bronzor. Snover provides good offensive synergy, resists Grass-type attacks, and can dole out Hail damage, which can be helpful to Barboach, who often times does not have the power to take out Pokemon on its own. Barboach also resists Fire-type moves, one of Snover's most common weaknesses. Bronzor and Barboach also works well as they both resist each other's weaknesses, and Bronzor can set up screens to aid with Barboach sweeping.

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]

On the Physical Choice set, running a Jolly nature as opposed to an Adamant one is an option; (semicolon) however, in most cases with these sets, Barboach would prefer the boost in power to the boost in Speed. The same applies for the Special Choice set, which can run a Timid nature as opposed to a Modest one. But the same principle still applies; that Barboach needs the boost in power more than the boost in Speed. On the Special Choice set, there are a variety of other Hidden Power types to use, such as Electric (which hits Mantyke harder than Ice Beam). As an For an early-game sweeper Choice Band and Choice Specs can be used on the Physical and Special Choice sets respectively as they provide much more power than Choice Scarf: (semicolon) however, in a Speed-centralized metagame, such as Little Cup, Choice Scarf is nearly always the better option.

[COUNTERS]

There are surprisingly few Pokemon that can counter all of Barboach's sets effectively. One that does a very good job would be Mantyke, as it is immune to Barboach's dual STABs and can hit back very hard with STAB Hydro Pump. Other good counters are Choice Scarf users that are faster than a Barboach at +1 Speed, such as Mankey, who can OHKO back with Close Combat. Other examples include Gligar and Gastly.

GP check 1.

iDunno · Sep 4, 2010

After accidentally erasing my first GP Check I have finally finished. OMG THAT TOOK LIKE 5 HOURS lol.

GP CHECK 2/2

Sledge said:
--------------------------------------------

[Overview]

Barboach can be a very dangerous Pokemon in Little Cup with access to Dragon Dance, excellent STABs, very good defensive typing, and decent defensive stats. While its attacking stats are rather low compared to other sweepers in Little Cup, it can still sweep effectively with a very nice attacking movepool, over 21 Speed with Choice Scarf, and Dragon Dance.

[SET]
name: Dancin' Machine
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Return
item: Oran Berry / Life Orb
ability: Anticipation
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 212 Atk / 12 Def / 28 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Despite Barboach's low Attack stat, it has a way of boosting it, along with its Speed, in what is arguably the best set-up move in the game: Dragon Dance. After a single Dragon Dance, Barboach's Attack is increased to a respectable 21, and its Speed is boosted to 22 with an Adamant nature or 24 with a Jolly nature, outpacing all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup. Barboach has two great STABs in Earthquake and Waterfall, hitting most Pokemon in Little Cup for at least neutral damage, bar Grass-types and Mantyke. Return provides neutral coverage on all the Pokemon whom Waterfall and Earthquake can't hit. Oran Berry is the preferred item for this set, giving Barboach the bulk that it needs to set up consistently, without sacrificing too much HP in the process. However, Life Orb is also a viable option for the added power, particularly in late-game scenarios and with Wynaut support. When choosing between an Adamant and Jolly nature, you must consider which you prefer: added power or higher survivability whether you prefer added power or higher survivability. While Adamant does gives you one extra point in Attack, Jolly does allows you to outspeed more Choice Scarf users after one Dragon Dance, such as Bagon and Krabby, and lets you outspeed or tie (depending on their nature) Choice Scarf Cranidos and Wailmer, depending on their natures.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Barboach is most certainly definitely not the best Pokemon in the world for coming to be switching into battle on strong attacks due to its lack of resistances and merely decent defenses, so therefore it is a good idea to avoid switching Barboach into strong attackers whenever possible. That being said, if Barboach is able to get into battle while taking little or to no damage, such as after a KO or on an Electric- or Rock-typed attack, it can be very difficult to stop after setting up. This is largely because it has just one weakness, to the very uncommon Grass-type attacks. It Barboach also has better defenses than many sweepers, such as Gastly and Houndour, and has comparable defenses to its fellow Dragon Dancer, Dratini.

Barboach is one Pokemon whogreatly greatly appreciates dual screens, which aid in its setup and allow it to sweep more easily. Because of this, Abra and Bronzor both make good partners to Barboach, as they can set up screens. Barboach also likes having Wynaut support, because if it can Encore the right move, (such as an Electric-type attack or a non-attacking move), Barboach can gets a free Dragon Dance.

[SET]
name: Physical Choice
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Return / Double-Edge
move 4: Spark
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Anticipation
nature: Adamant
evs: 36 HP / 212 Atk / 12 Def / 28 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set's main selling point is that Barboach has excellent dual STABs, shared only by Wooper in Little Cup. Barboach's two main physical STAB attacks, Earthquake and Waterfall, provide near-flawless coverage in Little Cup, and makegood are good options on a Choice set. Return provides coverage on the Pokemon Earthquake and Waterfall miss out on, such as Mantyke and Snover. Double-Edge is an interesting option on this set, especially very late in the game, when it could provide that extra power needed to defeat your opponent can nab some hard-to-get KOs. Spark hits Pokemon like Mantyke for 4x Super Effectively damage as well asbringing a and has high chance of paralysis, which can be a major burden for any Pokemon to be afflicted with.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

This set can be very tricky to play requires a lot of prediction to use it effectively, as there are many common Pokemon in Little Cup that have immunity to Barboach's attacks. Immune to Earthquake are flyers, such as Gligar and Mantyke, and levitators such as Bronzor and Duskull. Levitators such as Bronzor and Duskull as well as Flying-types, such as Gligar and Mantyke are all immune to Earthquake. Mantyke also has an added bonus of gaining 25% of its health from Waterfall due to Water Absorb, which means it is fully resistant to both of Barboach's stabs. Croagunk and Mantyke also sports an immunities immunity to Waterfall, but is KO'd by Earthquake., and Ghosts, such as Gastly and Duskull, are immune to Return and Double-Edge. All of these immunities makes Barboach tricky to play with. Because of this, this set requires quite a bit of prediction to be used correctly.

Bronzor is one Pokemon that makes a good partner to this set as they cover each other's weaknesses, and Bronzor can run an effective special set, which can provides good coverage with Barboach, who hits physically. Snover is another solid partner to this set, because it resists Grass, which is(Barboach's only weakness) and.Barboach covers a couple of Snover's Fire-type, Poison-type, and Rock-type weaknesses as well., mainly Fire- and Poison-type moves.

[SET]
name: Special Choice
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Electric/Hidden Power Rock (just a suggestion-don't have to add it)
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Anticipation
nature: Modest
evs: 36 HP / 12 Def / 232 SpA / 28 SpD / 200 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set takes advantage of Barboach's good Speed, decent Special Attack, and unique special STABs. While this set seems inferior to other common Scarf Water-types, such as Staryu and Chinchou, the one advantage that Barboach has over them is its access to STAB Earth Power. Earth Power gives good coverage on Pokemon on whom Water-types often miss out on, such as Croagunk and Chinchou, and also provides while providing a more reliable option against other Electric-types. Hydro Pump is another obligatory STAB move, and a powerful one at that, with 120 Base Power with 120 Base Power, it is very powerful. Ice Beam provides coverage for the Pokemon on whom Earth Power and Hydro Pump miss out can't hit, such as Mantyke. Ice Beam also hits Gligar, currently one of the most commonly used Pokemon in Little Cup, for 4x damage. While Hydro Pump, Earth Power, and Ice Beam provide neutral coverage on every Pokemon in Little Cup, (bar the uncommon Surskit), Hidden Power Fire can come in handy against Snover who can otherwise counter Barboach., a very common Pokemon in Little Cup. One may think Snover would be an excellent counter to Barboach because it can threaten with 4x effective STAB Grass attacks, but Snover will not like taking a 4x effective Fire attack. Hidden Power Electric is also a good option because it can hit the otherwise troublesome Mantyke for 4x damage, while Hidden Power Rock can hit both Snover and Mantyke super effectively, albeit for less damage.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

One obvious thing that sticks out about Barboach is its lack of power compared to other common Scarf Water-types. Because of this, Barboach is best used in a late-game scenario, as it does not have the power to bring down many Pokemon who are at full health.

Because of Barboach's lack of power, Pokemon who do hit with a great amount of power make great partners to Barboach that can effectively weaken the enemy team partner well with it;. Cranidos and Swords Dance Gligar tend work well with their offensive prowess. Bronzor and Barboach also work well together, as they cover each other's weaknesses. Additionally, Bronzor can hit hard on the physical side while Barboach hits specially, forming a potent offensive duo.

[TEAM OPTIONS]

Two Pokemon that nearly always work well with Barboach are Snover and Bronzor. Snover provides good offensive synergy, resists Grass-type attacks, and can dole out Hail damage, which can be helpful to Barboach, who oftendoes not have often lacks the power to take out Pokemon on its own. Barboach also resists Fire-type and Rock-type moves, which are one two of Snover's most commonly abused weaknesses. Bronzor and Barboachwork well togetheras because they both resist each other's weaknesses,.and Bronzor can also set up screens to aid Barboach in setting up Dragon Dances.

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]

On the Physical Choice set, running a Jolly nature as opposed to instead of an Adamant one is an option; (semicolon) however, in most cases with these sets, Barboach would prefers the boost in power to the boost in Speed. The same principle applies for the Special Choice set, which can run a Timid nature as opposed to a Modest one. But the same principle still applies; Barboach needs the boost in power more than the boost in Speed. On the Special Choice set, there are a variety of other Hidden Power types to use, such as Electric, (which hits Mantyke harder than Ice Beam), Fire, which hits Snover 4x super effectively, and Rock which hits both Mantyke and Snover super effectively for less damage. For an early-game sweeper Barboach to be an effective Choice sweeper early-game, Choice Band and Choice Specs can be used on the Physical and Special Choice sets respectively as they provide much more power than Choice Scarf; however, in a the Speed-centralized metagame, such as that is Little Cup, Choice Scarf is nearly always the better option.

[COUNTERS]

There are surprisingly few Pokemon that can counter all of Barboach's sets effectively. One that does a very good job would be Mantyke, as it is immune to Barboach's dual STABs and can hit it back very hard with a STAB Hydro Pump. Other good counters are Choice Scarf users that are faster than a Barboach at +1 Speed, such as Mankey, who can OHKO Barboach with Close Combat, Gligar, and Gastly. Other examples include Gligar and Gastly.

Barboach (Analysis)'

Sledge

Snorlaxe

2 kawaii 4 u

Heysup

Kannon

Sledge

Heysup

Desolate

Banned deucer.

iss

let's play bw lc!

macle

sup geodudes

Towelie

iss

let's play bw lc!

jc104

Humblest person ever

iDunno

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