STAMPS
Approvals: 3/3:
(FlareBlitz)
(Bluewind)
(Bad Ass)
GP Checks: 2/2:
(bugmaniacbob)
(Snorlaxe)
======
Changes from current:
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/camerupt
======
[OVERVIEW]
<p>Camerupt arduously competes with his fellow Fire-types in almost every role he can play, but he is greatly let down by his terrible Speed, defensive stats, and 4x weakness to Water. However, unlike most other Fire-types, he can solve his Speed issues with Rock Polish, which together with his powerful STABs makes him a very intimidating offensive threat. That same Speed stat also allows him to thrive in an environment that no other UU Fire-type can survive in: Trick Room. With effective methods to overcome his Speed, an immunity Electric-type attacks, and a vast offensive movepool, which includes Explosion, unique dual STABs, and great attacking stats on both ends, Camerupt can make for a solid Pokemon on any team that is willing to support him, despite his shortcomings.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Explosion / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
evs: 40 Atk / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
nature: Rash / Mild
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to help Camerupt solve his Speed issues through the use of Rock Polish, which doubles it to respectable levels. Though this set may seem outclassed by Agility Blaziken, who has a higher Speed stat to work with and can split offensive EVs to cover more threats, Camerupt has a wonderful Electric-type immunity, and by extension, an immunity to Thunder Wave, which gets him some safe set-up oppurtunities that Blaziken would not, as well as access to Explosion to make sure nothing is ever safe switching into him.</p>
<p>Rock Polish is the crux of the set as it doubles Camerupt's otherwise horrific Speed stat, allowing him to outspeed the majority of UU. Fire Blast is Camerupt's most powerful attack on the special side, and it deals massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it, bar Chansey, and also hits Registeel, another prominent special wall in UU, super effectively. Earth Power is a strong secondary STAB that deals with opposing Rock- and Fire-types that resist Fire Blast, while also hitting Water-types for neutral damage. Explosion is recommended for the final slot, as without it, Chansey completely and utterly walls Camerupt. However, by running Stone Edge, Camerupt will have less trouble against Moltres and Altaria. The choice all comes down to what your team can deal with better, so make your decision accordingly.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>216 Speed EVs are used in order to outspeed everything up to positive-natured base 105s after a Rock Polish. After that, Special Attack is maximized so that Camerupt can deal as much damage as possible with its STAB attacks. The remaining EVs go into Attack for added oomph on Explosion. Maximizing Speed is an option to outspeed Swellow after a Rock Polish, but then Camerupt will lose the guaranteed OHKO on Milotic with Explosion. A Rash nature is preferred in order to take priority attacks, which are mostly physical, more easily, but Mild may be used to take advantage of Camerupt's slightly higher defensive stat.</p>
<p>Depending on the final moveslot, Pokemon that either benefit from the removal of bulky Water-types or check them effectively make great partners to Camerupt. Water- and Grass-types in general fit these roles perfectly, and also synergise very well with Camerupt. Stealth Rock supporters and Pokemon that can check the stronger priority users of UU make great partners for this set. Uxie is a fine example of such a Pokemon, and can also come in for free on Ground-type attacks that threaten Camerupt.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Stone Edge / Rock Slide / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Explosion / Earthquake
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpA
ivs: 2 Spe
nature: Quiet
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Camerupt is the only Fire-type in UU that can effectively abuse Trick Room, thanks to his impressive mixed attacking stats, wide movepool, and most importantly, his low Speed. With minimum Speed, he will move before even base 30s that run hindering natures under Trick Room. This information becomes especially tasty when you realize the nearest viable competitor Camerupt has is Blaziken, who sits at base 80, and so can't even go lower than the many UU Pokemon that lurk around the base 55 range. With Camerupt's Speed issues solved, his offensive prowess skyrockets, and he becomes one very dangerous Pokemon.</p>
<p>Fire Blast and Earth Power are Camerupt’s most effective and stable STAB options, and together are only resisted in standard UU by Altaria and Moltres, both of which are KOed by Stone Edge with Stealth Rock support. Hidden Power Ice and Rock Slide may be used over Stone Edge if the accuracy is an issue for you, but the former will be useless against Moltres while the latter has much less power. With Explosion, Camerupt becomes an excellent lure for bulky Water-types, as he can OHKO even the bulkiest of them with it. Earthquake is a very practical replacement though, 2HKOing many of the special walls in the tier, including Chansey, without the need to sacrifice Camerupt. However, without Explosion, Camerupt is effectively walled by the aforementioned bulky Water-types and will need proper team support to deal with them.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Since Camerupt does not have to worry about his Speed on this set, both attacking stats are maximized to give Camerupt the muscle to obtain many important KOs, with the remaining EVs going into HP. Attack EVs can be siphoned into HP for some added bulk, but this is not advisable as Camerupt really doesn't have that much natural bulk to play with, and would rather have those EVs adding to his strong points.</p>
<p>Reliable users of Trick Room are important teammates for this Camerupt to excel. Slowbro is able to set it up reliably, and also has decent synergy with Camerupt, capable of switching in on the Water-type moves that plague him, while he can come in for free on Electric-type attacks aimed at Slowbro. Other than that, the usual other Trick Room supporters such as Uxie and Mesprit work just fine. Stealth Rock is very useful for Camerupt, guaranteeing OHKOs on such Pokemon as 252/0 Donphan and 4/0 Mismagius with Fire Blast, as well as 252/216+ Altaria with Hidden Power Ice or Stone Edge. Unfortunately, reliable users of Stealth Rock that also pair up well with Camerupt are hard to find, as many of them share similar typings, and thus, common weaknesses. Torterra works well though, as its part Grass-typing complements Camerupt's Fire-typing nicely. Depending on the choice for the final moveslot, Pokemon that benefit from the removal of bulky Water-types (such as Rhyperior), or those who can check them (like Ampharos) also pair up well with Camerupt. Water- and Grass-types in general can perform these roles admirably, and synergise nicely with Camerupt as well.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Explosion / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 40 SpA / 216 Spe
nature: Naughty / Lonely
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While a specially based Camerupt is much less affected by common factors such as Intimidate, physically based Camerupt has a number of advantages to its name as well, such as a stronger Explosion and less trouble dealing with Altaria, Clefable, and Chansey. Camerupt still has his perks over Blaziken in his Electric-type immunity and access to Explosion, but you are advised to choose which offensive side to base Camerupt on depending on what Pokemon you feel your team can better deal with.</p>
<p>Once again, Rock Polish is the basis of the set, allowing Camerupt to outspeed much of UU after a single turn of set-up. Earthquake is the main STAB move here, packing quite the punch with investment, 2HKOing most of the special walls in the tier, most notably Chansey, while STAB Fire Blast covers many of the Pokemon that give other physical Speed boosters trouble, namely Leafeon, Steelix, and Tangrowth. Explosion is recommended in the final slot to separate Camerupt from Blaziken by giving him a way to deal with Water-types, of which even the bulkiest are KOed, but Stone Edge may be used to hit Altaria and Moltres without having to resign Camerupt for the rest of the match.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The likeness of the EVs to the special Rock Polish set is not very surprising seeing as how both are attempting to boost their Speed and then sweep. The EVs maximize Attack, and provide sufficient Speed for Camerupt to outspeed positive-natured base 105s after a Rock Polish. The rest go into Special Attack for added power on Fire Blast, increasing the chance of outright OHKOing common physically defensive Grass- and Steel-types. A Naughty nature is preferred, as priority will otherwise be a tremendous hindrance to Camerupt's sweep, but Lonely may be used so as not to lower Camerupt's higher defensive stat.</p>
<p>Camerupt's perfect partners always stay the same. Depending on the final moveslot, Pokemon that either benefit from the removal of bulky Water-types or can check them well make great partners to Camerupt. Water- and Grass-types in general are able to fulfill these roles quite well, and also synergise very well with Camerupt. Stealth Rock supporters and Pokemon that can check the stronger priority users like Uxie are great teammates, especially if they are immune to or resist Ground.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Offensively and defensively, outside or inside Trick Room, the teammates that pair well with Camerupt are always Water- and Grass-types, forming the infamous FWG core. Excellent examples of such Pokemon that also work well under Trick Room include Torterra, Azumarill, Tangrowth, Slowbro, Slowking, Lanturn, and maybe Venusaur, Milotic, and Ludicolo. Outside of direct synergy though, Pokemon that can check stronger priority users can also prove useful, as Camerupt is very much threatened by them. Fortunately, most Trick Room users in UU already do just that, which is quite convenient. Absol's Dark-type STAB may prove troublesome though, so packing a slow, bulky Fighting-type like Hariyama or Hitmontop to check it would not be a bad idea. Stealth Rock support is great for any sweeper, and Camerupt is no exception. Torterra and Uxie can both set it up reliably, but the latter also has access to dual screens that further aid Camerupt's sweep.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Camerupt's movepool is quite large, and he has many options to choose from. In terms of other STAB moves, Flamethrower, Eruption, and Lava Plume are decent substitutes to Fire Blast, each having their own ups and downs; however, Fire Blast is generally the best for sweeping due to its perfect blend of power and reliability. Sunny Day augments Fire Blast, weakens Water-type attacks, and also makes the powerful SolarBeam viable, but requires a turn of set up that is hard to find with Camerupt's defenses, not to mention the coverage you may lose depending on what you replace with it. Speaking of set-up, Camerupt also has access to Charm, Stockpile, and Amnesia, which could help him survive just a bit longer, as well as Howl to boost his Attack. Finally, Toxic can be used to screw up the regular switch-ins to Camerupt, especially bulky Water-types, since his STABs are usually enough to send any Steel- or Poison-type running. However, keep in mind that running any of these support moves will result in lost coverage that Camerupt really can't afford.</p>
<p>Outside of the above sets, there are many other viable ones that Camerupt can run, but there he faces uphill competition from his fellow Fire-types, who simply have better stats. A special Choice set with STAB Eruption is viable, but Typhlosion can pull this off better. Going physical, Camerupt will have Arcanine and Blaziken, both of which get the powerful Flare Blitz, to grapple with. On the defensive supporter route, Camerupt will have to go up against higher defenses, instant recovery, and trials like Arcanine's Intimidate, or the awesome pallet of resistances brought forth by Moltres. Camerupt isn't completely outclassed in these aspects as he does have that valuable Electric immunity, as well as neutrality and access to Stealth Rock, but in most cases, you're better off using the aformentioned Fire-types in these roles.</p>
<p>Both of Camerupt’s abilities are fairly useless on him, but you’ll want to go with Solid Rock most of the time, as it is more reliable. However, with his frail defenses, the added resistance will only be useful against weaker Earthquakes from the likes of Registeel, which are quite rare. This makes Magma Armor more viable by comparison, to make freeze hax a thing of the past. All in all, your final choice of ability won’t really affect Camerupt’s performance in the long run, so don't think too hard about it; it’s more of a guessing game on what unlikely event will happen first.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Camerupt's sweeper sets are incredibly versatile, and very deadly. With Explosion, there are technically no safe switch-ins to them; you could predict around Camerupt and send in a Ghost-type on an Explosion, but this is far from reliable. Instead, you ought to focus on removing him with strong priority, not giving him the chance to do anything; Aqua Jet will quickly send even Solid Rock Camerupt smashing into the ground, and so will boosted Fake Out and Sucker Punch. Faster Scarf users such as Primeape are also great, easily knocking out Rock Polish Camerupt with their powerful STAB attacks.</p>
<p>Camerupt will have a hard time getting past certain Pokemon depending on the attack that he doesn't have. Bulky Water-types can handle him when he is without Explosion, as they are not close to OHKOed by anything else he may carry (except SolarBeam), and can retaliate with Surf for an assured KO. Altaria and Moltres can deal with those without a boosted Hidden Power Ice or Stone Edge, and Chansey can wall any Camerupt without Explosion or Earthquake.</p>
<p>If you manage to find any of the sets mentioned in the Optional Changes section, setting up on Camerupt is an easy way of making your opponent regret using him. The Defensive Dancer Altaria is perfect, as it resists almost all of Camerupt's movepool and can block any status with Safeguard before setting up Dragon Dances with impunity, using its natural bulk and Roost to shrug off anything but a boosted Hidden Power Ice. Milotic can come in on any move bar Explosion, sponge status with Marvel Scale, and swiftly KO any Camerupt with ease, making it another excellent check to him. These sets are just generally much easier to wall either due to lack of coverage, investment, being locked onto an attack, or some combination of the three; so just be smart with your switching and you should be in the green.</p>
======
Post-critique changes (a la bmb)
Approvals: 3/3:



GP Checks: 2/2:


======
Changes from current:
- Added Trick Room set
- Removed ResTalk set (outclassed)
- Sent all other sets to OC (outclassed)
- Focused analysis to the offensive side

http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/camerupt
======
[OVERVIEW]
<p>Camerupt arduously competes with his fellow Fire-types in almost every role he can play, but he is greatly let down by his terrible Speed, defensive stats, and 4x weakness to Water. However, unlike most other Fire-types, he can solve his Speed issues with Rock Polish, which together with his powerful STABs makes him a very intimidating offensive threat. That same Speed stat also allows him to thrive in an environment that no other UU Fire-type can survive in: Trick Room. With effective methods to overcome his Speed, an immunity Electric-type attacks, and a vast offensive movepool, which includes Explosion, unique dual STABs, and great attacking stats on both ends, Camerupt can make for a solid Pokemon on any team that is willing to support him, despite his shortcomings.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Explosion / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
evs: 40 Atk / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
nature: Rash / Mild
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to help Camerupt solve his Speed issues through the use of Rock Polish, which doubles it to respectable levels. Though this set may seem outclassed by Agility Blaziken, who has a higher Speed stat to work with and can split offensive EVs to cover more threats, Camerupt has a wonderful Electric-type immunity, and by extension, an immunity to Thunder Wave, which gets him some safe set-up oppurtunities that Blaziken would not, as well as access to Explosion to make sure nothing is ever safe switching into him.</p>
<p>Rock Polish is the crux of the set as it doubles Camerupt's otherwise horrific Speed stat, allowing him to outspeed the majority of UU. Fire Blast is Camerupt's most powerful attack on the special side, and it deals massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it, bar Chansey, and also hits Registeel, another prominent special wall in UU, super effectively. Earth Power is a strong secondary STAB that deals with opposing Rock- and Fire-types that resist Fire Blast, while also hitting Water-types for neutral damage. Explosion is recommended for the final slot, as without it, Chansey completely and utterly walls Camerupt. However, by running Stone Edge, Camerupt will have less trouble against Moltres and Altaria. The choice all comes down to what your team can deal with better, so make your decision accordingly.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>216 Speed EVs are used in order to outspeed everything up to positive-natured base 105s after a Rock Polish. After that, Special Attack is maximized so that Camerupt can deal as much damage as possible with its STAB attacks. The remaining EVs go into Attack for added oomph on Explosion. Maximizing Speed is an option to outspeed Swellow after a Rock Polish, but then Camerupt will lose the guaranteed OHKO on Milotic with Explosion. A Rash nature is preferred in order to take priority attacks, which are mostly physical, more easily, but Mild may be used to take advantage of Camerupt's slightly higher defensive stat.</p>
<p>Depending on the final moveslot, Pokemon that either benefit from the removal of bulky Water-types or check them effectively make great partners to Camerupt. Water- and Grass-types in general fit these roles perfectly, and also synergise very well with Camerupt. Stealth Rock supporters and Pokemon that can check the stronger priority users of UU make great partners for this set. Uxie is a fine example of such a Pokemon, and can also come in for free on Ground-type attacks that threaten Camerupt.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Stone Edge / Rock Slide / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Explosion / Earthquake
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpA
ivs: 2 Spe
nature: Quiet
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Camerupt is the only Fire-type in UU that can effectively abuse Trick Room, thanks to his impressive mixed attacking stats, wide movepool, and most importantly, his low Speed. With minimum Speed, he will move before even base 30s that run hindering natures under Trick Room. This information becomes especially tasty when you realize the nearest viable competitor Camerupt has is Blaziken, who sits at base 80, and so can't even go lower than the many UU Pokemon that lurk around the base 55 range. With Camerupt's Speed issues solved, his offensive prowess skyrockets, and he becomes one very dangerous Pokemon.</p>
<p>Fire Blast and Earth Power are Camerupt’s most effective and stable STAB options, and together are only resisted in standard UU by Altaria and Moltres, both of which are KOed by Stone Edge with Stealth Rock support. Hidden Power Ice and Rock Slide may be used over Stone Edge if the accuracy is an issue for you, but the former will be useless against Moltres while the latter has much less power. With Explosion, Camerupt becomes an excellent lure for bulky Water-types, as he can OHKO even the bulkiest of them with it. Earthquake is a very practical replacement though, 2HKOing many of the special walls in the tier, including Chansey, without the need to sacrifice Camerupt. However, without Explosion, Camerupt is effectively walled by the aforementioned bulky Water-types and will need proper team support to deal with them.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Since Camerupt does not have to worry about his Speed on this set, both attacking stats are maximized to give Camerupt the muscle to obtain many important KOs, with the remaining EVs going into HP. Attack EVs can be siphoned into HP for some added bulk, but this is not advisable as Camerupt really doesn't have that much natural bulk to play with, and would rather have those EVs adding to his strong points.</p>
<p>Reliable users of Trick Room are important teammates for this Camerupt to excel. Slowbro is able to set it up reliably, and also has decent synergy with Camerupt, capable of switching in on the Water-type moves that plague him, while he can come in for free on Electric-type attacks aimed at Slowbro. Other than that, the usual other Trick Room supporters such as Uxie and Mesprit work just fine. Stealth Rock is very useful for Camerupt, guaranteeing OHKOs on such Pokemon as 252/0 Donphan and 4/0 Mismagius with Fire Blast, as well as 252/216+ Altaria with Hidden Power Ice or Stone Edge. Unfortunately, reliable users of Stealth Rock that also pair up well with Camerupt are hard to find, as many of them share similar typings, and thus, common weaknesses. Torterra works well though, as its part Grass-typing complements Camerupt's Fire-typing nicely. Depending on the choice for the final moveslot, Pokemon that benefit from the removal of bulky Water-types (such as Rhyperior), or those who can check them (like Ampharos) also pair up well with Camerupt. Water- and Grass-types in general can perform these roles admirably, and synergise nicely with Camerupt as well.</p>
[SET]
name: Physical Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Explosion / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 40 SpA / 216 Spe
nature: Naughty / Lonely
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While a specially based Camerupt is much less affected by common factors such as Intimidate, physically based Camerupt has a number of advantages to its name as well, such as a stronger Explosion and less trouble dealing with Altaria, Clefable, and Chansey. Camerupt still has his perks over Blaziken in his Electric-type immunity and access to Explosion, but you are advised to choose which offensive side to base Camerupt on depending on what Pokemon you feel your team can better deal with.</p>
<p>Once again, Rock Polish is the basis of the set, allowing Camerupt to outspeed much of UU after a single turn of set-up. Earthquake is the main STAB move here, packing quite the punch with investment, 2HKOing most of the special walls in the tier, most notably Chansey, while STAB Fire Blast covers many of the Pokemon that give other physical Speed boosters trouble, namely Leafeon, Steelix, and Tangrowth. Explosion is recommended in the final slot to separate Camerupt from Blaziken by giving him a way to deal with Water-types, of which even the bulkiest are KOed, but Stone Edge may be used to hit Altaria and Moltres without having to resign Camerupt for the rest of the match.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The likeness of the EVs to the special Rock Polish set is not very surprising seeing as how both are attempting to boost their Speed and then sweep. The EVs maximize Attack, and provide sufficient Speed for Camerupt to outspeed positive-natured base 105s after a Rock Polish. The rest go into Special Attack for added power on Fire Blast, increasing the chance of outright OHKOing common physically defensive Grass- and Steel-types. A Naughty nature is preferred, as priority will otherwise be a tremendous hindrance to Camerupt's sweep, but Lonely may be used so as not to lower Camerupt's higher defensive stat.</p>
<p>Camerupt's perfect partners always stay the same. Depending on the final moveslot, Pokemon that either benefit from the removal of bulky Water-types or can check them well make great partners to Camerupt. Water- and Grass-types in general are able to fulfill these roles quite well, and also synergise very well with Camerupt. Stealth Rock supporters and Pokemon that can check the stronger priority users like Uxie are great teammates, especially if they are immune to or resist Ground.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Offensively and defensively, outside or inside Trick Room, the teammates that pair well with Camerupt are always Water- and Grass-types, forming the infamous FWG core. Excellent examples of such Pokemon that also work well under Trick Room include Torterra, Azumarill, Tangrowth, Slowbro, Slowking, Lanturn, and maybe Venusaur, Milotic, and Ludicolo. Outside of direct synergy though, Pokemon that can check stronger priority users can also prove useful, as Camerupt is very much threatened by them. Fortunately, most Trick Room users in UU already do just that, which is quite convenient. Absol's Dark-type STAB may prove troublesome though, so packing a slow, bulky Fighting-type like Hariyama or Hitmontop to check it would not be a bad idea. Stealth Rock support is great for any sweeper, and Camerupt is no exception. Torterra and Uxie can both set it up reliably, but the latter also has access to dual screens that further aid Camerupt's sweep.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Camerupt's movepool is quite large, and he has many options to choose from. In terms of other STAB moves, Flamethrower, Eruption, and Lava Plume are decent substitutes to Fire Blast, each having their own ups and downs; however, Fire Blast is generally the best for sweeping due to its perfect blend of power and reliability. Sunny Day augments Fire Blast, weakens Water-type attacks, and also makes the powerful SolarBeam viable, but requires a turn of set up that is hard to find with Camerupt's defenses, not to mention the coverage you may lose depending on what you replace with it. Speaking of set-up, Camerupt also has access to Charm, Stockpile, and Amnesia, which could help him survive just a bit longer, as well as Howl to boost his Attack. Finally, Toxic can be used to screw up the regular switch-ins to Camerupt, especially bulky Water-types, since his STABs are usually enough to send any Steel- or Poison-type running. However, keep in mind that running any of these support moves will result in lost coverage that Camerupt really can't afford.</p>
<p>Outside of the above sets, there are many other viable ones that Camerupt can run, but there he faces uphill competition from his fellow Fire-types, who simply have better stats. A special Choice set with STAB Eruption is viable, but Typhlosion can pull this off better. Going physical, Camerupt will have Arcanine and Blaziken, both of which get the powerful Flare Blitz, to grapple with. On the defensive supporter route, Camerupt will have to go up against higher defenses, instant recovery, and trials like Arcanine's Intimidate, or the awesome pallet of resistances brought forth by Moltres. Camerupt isn't completely outclassed in these aspects as he does have that valuable Electric immunity, as well as neutrality and access to Stealth Rock, but in most cases, you're better off using the aformentioned Fire-types in these roles.</p>
<p>Both of Camerupt’s abilities are fairly useless on him, but you’ll want to go with Solid Rock most of the time, as it is more reliable. However, with his frail defenses, the added resistance will only be useful against weaker Earthquakes from the likes of Registeel, which are quite rare. This makes Magma Armor more viable by comparison, to make freeze hax a thing of the past. All in all, your final choice of ability won’t really affect Camerupt’s performance in the long run, so don't think too hard about it; it’s more of a guessing game on what unlikely event will happen first.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Camerupt's sweeper sets are incredibly versatile, and very deadly. With Explosion, there are technically no safe switch-ins to them; you could predict around Camerupt and send in a Ghost-type on an Explosion, but this is far from reliable. Instead, you ought to focus on removing him with strong priority, not giving him the chance to do anything; Aqua Jet will quickly send even Solid Rock Camerupt smashing into the ground, and so will boosted Fake Out and Sucker Punch. Faster Scarf users such as Primeape are also great, easily knocking out Rock Polish Camerupt with their powerful STAB attacks.</p>
<p>Camerupt will have a hard time getting past certain Pokemon depending on the attack that he doesn't have. Bulky Water-types can handle him when he is without Explosion, as they are not close to OHKOed by anything else he may carry (except SolarBeam), and can retaliate with Surf for an assured KO. Altaria and Moltres can deal with those without a boosted Hidden Power Ice or Stone Edge, and Chansey can wall any Camerupt without Explosion or Earthquake.</p>
<p>If you manage to find any of the sets mentioned in the Optional Changes section, setting up on Camerupt is an easy way of making your opponent regret using him. The Defensive Dancer Altaria is perfect, as it resists almost all of Camerupt's movepool and can block any status with Safeguard before setting up Dragon Dances with impunity, using its natural bulk and Roost to shrug off anything but a boosted Hidden Power Ice. Milotic can come in on any move bar Explosion, sponge status with Marvel Scale, and swiftly KO any Camerupt with ease, making it another excellent check to him. These sets are just generally much easier to wall either due to lack of coverage, investment, being locked onto an attack, or some combination of the three; so just be smart with your switching and you should be in the green.</p>
======
Post-critique changes (a la bmb)
- Revamped Special Rock Polish set - Oglemi
- Added Charm, Stockpile, Amnesia, and Howl to OC - Flashrider57
- Changed main rock polish set from special to physical - FlareBlitz
- Evened out both rock polish sets - Bluewind
- Rearranged sets to SRP / TR / PRP - Bad Ass
- GP Check 1 - bugmaniacbob
- GP Check 2 - Snorlaxe