Cacnea [4F]+

Fuzznip · Oct 22, 2009

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

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Credits:

Fuzznip - Swords Dance Attacker, Team Options, EVs, Opinion.
Bloo- Mixed Attacker, Scarfed Sweeper, Other Options, Counters.

Status: COMPLETE! (ready for uploading)
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[SET]
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Focus Punch / Seed Bomb
move 4: Substitute / Encore
item: BrightPowder / Focus Sash
nature: Adamant
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set is one of the most common and effective sets that Cacnea can run. Cacnea is one of the most threatening Swords Dance sweepers in LC because it has access to the strongest priority move in the game: Sucker Punch. After one Swords Dance, Cacnea’s great Attack stat of 19 shoots up to a sky-high 38, allowing it to fire off deadly attacks that can OHKO many LC Pokemon.

Sucker Punch is never to be underestimated even without the STAB boost. Cacnea has two other options to choose from for the third slot: Focus Punch and Seed Bomb. The choice of what secondary attacking move depends on what you choose for the final move you are going to use. If you select Substitute, Focus Punch is the preferred move as it is more powerful and provides better coverage than Seed Bomb, and it gives Cacnea a shield to ensure Focus Punch hits. It’s also very helpful should your opponent try to out-stall Cacnea’s Sucker Punch PP, as it gives you the perfect opportunity to set up Substitute. On the other hand, if you select Encore, then Seed Bomb should be used. The reason for this is because Encore doesn’t provide a shield like Substitute does, so Focus Punch tends to be a riskier option. Swords Dance, Encore, and Sucker Punch are also a ridiculously good trio. If your opponent even thinks about stalling out Sucker Punch’s PP, they’ll be hit with Encore, easily giving you a free Swords Dance boost as they are forced to switch out. If they attempt to avoid Encore by attacking, then they will be hit by Sucker Punch. Either way, Cacnea is always going to be in a win-win situation with either Substitute or Encore, so it’s really up to personal preference.

The items listed are also going to be determined by your chosen moveset. If you opt to use Substitute, BrightPowder is the primary item as it makes Cacnea harder to hit (even more so under the sand), which gives it the chance to set up a Substitute without any harm. Focus Sash is suggested if you are using Encore, since using both Substitute and Focus Sash don’t go well with each other. Focus Sash also guarantees Cacnea at least one Swords Dance boost, as long as entry hazards are not present. Even though BrightPowder and Focus Sash are the preferred items, Life Orb and Leftovers can also be useful. With Life Orb, Cacnea's attacks are powered up by 30%, making it a much larger offensive threat. This gives Sucker Punch that extra kick to OHKO Pokemon like Porygon, Paras, and Wailmer, assuming Cacnea has grabbed a Swords Dance boost and Stealth Rock is set up on the field. On the other hand, Leftovers provides Cacnea with HP recovery every turn to set up more Substitutes.

Since Cacnea has the ability Sand Veil, it’s worth using Hippopotas so Cacnea can take advantage of it by setting up Swords Dance or Substitute more efficiently. It will also cause extreme frustration to your opponent. When it comes to sweeping, Duskull can stop Cacnea cold if it lacks Seed Bomb. Duskull’s amazing Defense, immunity to Focus Punch, and access to Will-O-Wisp will scare off Cacnea with ease. Also, Sucker Punch will be useless against it, as Duskull generally won’t bother to strike Cacnea. To deal with Duskull, Houndour is by far the most effective counter, absorbing Will-O-Wisp for added fire power and destroying it with Dark Pulse or Fire Blast. Speaking of Houndour, if Cacnea lacks Focus Punch, Houndour can easily switch into Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, or Swords Dance and eliminate it. Munchlax is a great switch-in to Houndour, thanks to its Fire-type resistance due to Thick Fat, great overall bulk, and access to a super effective Earthquake. Croagunk will always be a troublesome threat no matter what attack Cacnea decides to use, as it is resistant to all of them. It's best to pack a Pokemon that can dispose of Croagunk, or Cacnea will have a hard time sweeping. Diglett and Gligar are both excellent options, the former trapping it because of Arena Trap and finishing it off with Earthquake, while the latter switching into almost anything Croagunk uses (excluding Ice Punch) and destroying it with Earthquake.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Seed Bomb / Energy Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive
evs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While Cacnea is typically seen either running Swords Dance or Substitute + Focus Punch, this set is an excellent alternative, allowing Cacnea to make use of its remarkable Attack and Special Attack stats to dish out respectable amounts of damage to a number of Pokemon that reside in Little Cup.

Sucker Punch is Cacnea's main attack, as it compensates for Cacnea's low base Speed and deals a respectable amount of damage to most Pokemon. Brick Break provides excellent coverage alongside Sucker Punch, hitting Munchlax and Steel-types, such as Aron and Shieldon. The choice between Seed Bomb and Energy Ball depends on what Cacnea wants to it harder. Seed Bomb hits weaker physically defensive Pokemon, such as Mantyke, while Energy Ball hits weaker specially defensive Pokemon, such as Gligar. If you have no preference, Energy Ball is the best choice as it has a 10% chance to lower the opponent's Special Defense by one stage. Hidden Power Ice is Cacnea's best way to dispose of Gligar, but Hidden Power Fire has better overall coverage and can strike Croagunk, who otherwise resists most of this moveset.

Life Orb is the preferred item because its 30% power boost offers Cacnea the ability to OHKO many Pokémon it otherwise wouldn't be able to. The EV spread is rather simple. With 156 Attack and 76 Special Attack EVs, Cacnea reaches 17 Attack and 16 Special Attack, enough for it to have a shot at 2HKOing max HP/min Def Munchlax with Brick Break and score a 2HKO on Croagunk with Hidden Power Fire. With max Speed, Cacnea is capable of reaching a Speed stat of 14, just enough to tie with neutral natured Croagunk.

With sandstorm support, Cacnea's evasion will increase by 20% and it will cause plenty of grief for your opponent. For this reason, Hippopotas pairs up well with Cacnea, as it summons permanent sandstorm with its ability Sand Stream. In addition, Hippopotas can provide Stealth Rock support, helping Cacnea sweep. When it comes to sweeping, Gligar can potentially stop Cacnea in its tracks if it lacks Hidden Power Ice, and dispose of Cacnea with Aerial Ace. If Cacnea lacks Hidden Power Fire, Croagunk will prove bothersome as it resists the majority of Cacnea's moveset, and can strike Cacnea with a super effective Ice Punch. Slowpoke can dispose of the aforementioned Gligar with a STAB Surf. It also pairs up with Cacnea well type-wise since they both resist each others weaknesses. To deal with Croagunk, pairing up Cacnea with a Pokemon that can handle it, such as Duskull or Gligar, is recommended. Gligar threatens Croagunk with a super effective Earthquake, while Duskull can reduce Croagunk's Attack with Will-O-Wisp, making it much more manageable.

[SET]
name: Scarfed Sweeper
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Needle Arm / Seed Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Hasty
evs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Cacnea's excellent offensive stats are often offset by its mediocre Speed. As such, this can be remedied by using Choice Scarf, which allows Cacnea to become a potent revenge killer. With Choice Scarf, Cacnea reaches 21 Speed, allowing it to outrun all non-Choice Scarf Pokemon.

Unlike the other sets, Dark Pulse is chosen over Sucker Punch, as Cacnea can reliably dispose of Pokemon such as non-Choice Scarf Gastly thanks to the increase in Speed. Brick Break is vital on this set as it hits Pokemon like Houndour who would otherwise wall this set completely. Brick Break also allows Cacnea to strike the likes of Munchlax and Steel-types such as Aron and Shieldon for super effective damage. Cacnea has two options for a STAB move: Needle Arm and Seed Bomb. Although Needle Arm has 20 less Base Power than Seed Bomb, it has a handy 30% chance to flinch your opponent. On the other hand, Seed Bomb provides more power than Needle Arm. Hidden Power Ice is the preferred move over Hidden Power Fire in the last slot, as it allows Cacnea to strike the ever so common Gligar, who would otherwise stop Cacnea cold. However, Hidden Power Fire has the benefit of hitting Croagunk and Bronzor for super effective damage, making it decent option over Hidden Power Ice.

With sandstorm in play, Cacnea becomes very frustrating for your opponent to take down. Hippopotas makes a great teammate for Cacnea, as it provides it with sandstorm support, activating Cacnea's ability, Sand Veil. Hippopotas can also set up Stealth Rock, allowing Cacnea to turn some 2HKOes into OHKOes. Houndour is troublesome for this set, as it can come in on a locked Seed Bomb or Dark Pulse, and dispose of Cacnea with Pursuit as it switches out, or a STAB Fire-type move if Cacnea stays in. Munchlax is a great switch-in against Houndour, as it resist Houndour's Fire-type moves thanks to Thick Fat, while threatening Houndour with a super effective Earthquake. If its not using Hidden Power Ice, Gligar will prove troublesome, as it can shrug off Cacnea's attacks and can OHKO with Aerial Ace. For this reason, pairing up Cacnea with a Pokemon that can handle Gligar is recommended. As mentioned in other sets, Slowpoke is an excellent teammate, as it can handle Gligar with STAB Surf, and has good synergy type-wise with Cacnea. Without Hidden Power Fire, Cacnea is more vulnerable to Croagunk, meaning you should have a way to handle it. For this reason, pairing Cacnea up with a Pokemon such as Gligar or Duskull can help, as they both handle Croagunk well. Duskull can burn Croagunk with Will-O-Wisp to reduce its Attack, and can stall out Croagunk's Sucker Punch. Gligar can dispose of the aforementioned Croagunk with a STAB Earthquake, making it a good teammate alongside Cacnea.

[Team Options]

Cacnea's ability, Sand Veil, can be extremely annoying for the opponent, because under a sandstorm, Cacnea increases its evasion by 20%. Hippopotas is the only Pokemon that can set up a permanent sandstorm to activate Sand Veil in the Little Cup metagame, so it makes a great partner for Cacnea. Not only does Hippopotas aid Cacnea with a brutal sandstorm, but it also sets up Stealth Rock. This can potentially help Cacnea score an OHKO which might’ve been a 2HKO if there was no Stealth Rock in play.

There are a variety of problems that Cacnea encounters when it comes to sweeping. Gligar, Duskull, Houndour, and Croagunk are the most notable switch-ins against Cacnea, because they can switch into the majority of Cacnea’s moves without fear and proceed to threaten it. Gligar is a big threat because of its great physical bulk and the ability to Roost off any damage taken, meaning Cacnea will have a hard time passing it, especially if it’s lacking Hidden Power Ice. Duskull basically does the same thing Gligar does. It has fantastic physical bulk, immunity to Focus Punch, and Will-O-Wisp to cripple Cacnea. Cacnea’s Sucker Punch won’t stop Duskull from walling Cacnea either, as Duskull can easily refuse to attack and outstall Sucker Punch's PP. Houndour and Croagunk don’t necessarily have any form of bulk or walling capabilities; however, their typing allows them to switch into Cacnea’s STAB attacks and threaten it with their powerful STAB moves. Croagunk in particular can be a nuisance as it resists Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, and Focus Punch, all of which are commonly seen in Cacnea’s movesets. To deal with these aforementioned threats, pairing Cacnea up with a Pokemon that can handle the previously mentioned Pokemon is recommended. Bronzor fares well against Gligar, thanks to its resistance to Stone Edge and immunity to Earthquake, while having the chance at setting up Stealth Rock or hitting Gligar for hard damage with Gyro Ball. Houndour is an excellent switch-in to Duskull, as it absorbs Will-O-Wisp to increase its Fire-type attacks and destroys Duskull with Dark Pulse. Houndour can be handled reasonably well by using Munchlax, thanks to its Thick Fat ability and having Earthquake to finish it off. Lastly, Gligar is an excellent counter to Croagunk, as it resists both of its STAB attacks and can easily destroy it with Earthquake.

Priority users are also a pain for Cacnea to deal with, especially ones that are faster than it, since Sucker Punch will fail to hit them first when they use their priority move. Meowth, Houndour, and Misdreavus are common examples of Pokemon that pack powerful priority moves. Meowth's Fake Out, Houndour's Sucker Punch, and Misdreavus' Shadow Sneak all hit Cacnea for heavy damage, meaning Cacnea will rarely get past these threats. Aron, Munchlax, and Stunky can take care of the aforementioned Pokemon. Aron can score a free Rock Polish boost against Meowth and attempt to fire off powerful Head Smash attacks, Munchlax's great bulk and power give it the ability to dispose of Houndour easily, and Stunky's resistance to Misdreavus' STAB attacks and access to Pursuit allows it to beat Misdreavus with ease.

[Other Options]

Cacnea can utilize Choice Band and Choice Specs to further boost its excellent offensive stats, allowing it to dish out an immense amount of damage to the majority of Pokemon that reside in Little Cup. If you decide to run a Choice set, it comes down to power and coverage. Choice Band Cacnea has stronger attacks to work with then a Choice Specs set, as it can use physical attacking moves such as Brick Break, Sucker Punch, Return, and Seed Bomb to hit a variety of Pokemon for respectable damage. However, Choice Band Cacnea misses out on Hidden Power to broaden its range of attack types, and being locked into Sucker Punch gives the opponent a chance to set up. When using Choice Specs, Cacnea has access to moves such as Dark Pulse, Energy Ball, and a Hidden Power type of your choice. In general, it will be difficult to pull off a successful Choice Band or Specs set, since Cacnea's middling Speed and lackluster defenses hinder its effectiveness greatly.

A combination of Destiny Bond, Endure, and Salac Berry can be used to great effectiveness. Even though it may be difficult to pull off, it's still a very threatening combination that can easily down one of your opponent's Pokemon. By mastering this strategy, it's almost guaranteed that Cacnea will be able to KO one or sometimes two of the opponent's Pokemon all of the time.

Cacnea can become a very potent special threat with Nasty Plot. It has access to strong moves such as Energy Ball and Dark Pulse, and it can definitely put the hurt on many Pokemon in Little Cup. However, Nasty Plot Cacnea is almost always going to be inferior to Swords Dance Cacnea. This is because Cacnea has much better physical attacks to abuse, including the ever so helpful Sucker Punch, while Cacnea only boasts Energy Ball, Dark Pulse, and Hidden Power for special attacks. That is not to say Cacnea can't use Nasty Plot though, since with Substitute and sandstorm support, Cacnea can inflict heavy damage upon its foes.

Another way Cacnea can use Nasty Plot is by using it with Sucker Punch. By using a mixed set with Nasty Plot, Energy Ball, Hidden Power Fire, and Sucker Punch, Cacnea can become a pretty dangerous sweeping force. Having access to an 80 Base Power priority move definitely helps against foes that are faster than it, while Energy Ball and Hidden Power Fire provide excellent coverage together. The only reason this set is not seeing much attention is because Houndour and Croagunk generally outclass it with their own Nasty Plot mix sets, as they both have a STAB on their priority attacks and a better movepool to work with.

Cacnea is one of the few Pokemon that can use Spikes in Little Cup. With Spikes, Cacnea can fit into a stall-oriented team, providing residual damage for the team. With Sand Veil and sandstorm in play, Cacnea can set up Spikes relatively well. Cacnea can also use Leech Seed to further frustrate your opponent, but bulkier Grass-types tend to do this better, such as Shroomish and Turtwig. Drain Punch can be used as Cacnea's Fighting-type move on the Mixed set or Mixed Scarf set. With Drain Punch, Cacnea loses power; however, it recovers HP equal to half of the damage Cacnea has dealt to the opponent's Pokemon. Lastly, with Counter and Focus Sash, Cacnea can make an effective Pokemon in the lead position, having a chance to knock out any lead that is physically based.

[EVs]

With all of Cacnea’s sets taking an offensive approach, its EV spreads tend to reflect that. Physical sets should be using max Attack and Speed to offer as much offensive potential as possible, while the remainder can be thrown into HP to give it just a bit of bulk. However, an alternative EV spread for the Swords Dance set exchanges the 236 Speed EVs for 116 EVs in both Defense and Special Defense. That way, Cacnea will be sitting at 22 HP and 12 Defense and Special Defense, allowing it to take hits about 20% better. The lost Speed doesn't affect Cacnea as much since there are not many Pokemon that are in the 10 - 13 Speed range; however, you do lose out to Kabuto, Paras, and a few other threats.

 As for the mixed sets, their EV spreads try to give Cacnea a great amount of power on both sides of the spectrum. The Mixed Attacker set should be using an EV spread of 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe. With max Speed, it can tie with neutral natured Croagunk, and with 76 SpA, it can 2HKO Croagunk with Hidden Power Fire. With 156 Attack, Cacnea can still dish out powerful Sucker Punch and Seed Bomb attacks that will put the hurt on many Pokemon, while the remainder of the EVs are put into HP. The Scarf Sweeper set also uses a combination of physical and special moves, so its EV spread of 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe is recommended. Max Speed lets it outrun every non-Choice Scarf Pokemon, while 156 Atk and 76 SpA offer great offensive power. The remainder is yet again put into HP to add a little bulk.

[Opinion]

Cacnea is a truly amazing Pokemon with sandstorm set up, thanks to its ability, Sand Veil. It’s the only Pokemon in Little Cup that is immune to the effects of sandstorm that isn’t a Rock-, Ground-, or Steel-type and isn’t named Cleffa. Not only that, but Cacnea can become one of the most threatening Swords Dance sweepers in LC, as it boasts the strongest priority move in the game (tying with ExtremeSpeed), Sucker Punch, and has a solid movepool to back it up. Unfortunately, that's where the praise is cut short. Cacnea is really hindered by its low Speed and frail defenses. What really hurts it is not sharing a Dark-type to have a STAB Sucker Punch, unlike its evolution, Cacturne. Aside from this, its ability is only useful if it is used on the same team as Hippopotas, meaning you're forced to use up a team slot to take advantage of it.

Through it all, Cacnea still comes out as a worthwhile Pokemon, and is a potent threat, with a good helping of prediction and a side of luck. Consider using it if you need a good Grass-type with priority and already have sleep support on a teammate, or if you are using Hippopotas. If you don't already have sleep support on a teammate, Cacnea's role is somewhat challenged by Bellsprout, who has slightly less power, but has access to the ever useful Sleep Powder. They do have separate abilities and typing that set them apart, however. All in all, Cacnea is a solid Grass-type Pokemon who can pull off a few interesting roles.

[Counters]

Without Hidden Power Ice, Gligar stops Cacnea in its tracks, as Gligar can withstand its common physical moves of Seed Bomb and Sucker Punch thanks to its naturally high Defense, respectable HP, and ability to heal off any damage taken with Roost. Gligar can then proceed to dispose of Cacnea with a STAB Aerial Ace. If Gligar lacks Aerial Ace, it fails to be such an immediate threat, but it can deal solid damage with Stone Edge and even Earthquake. Similarly, without Hidden Power Fire, Croagunk proves to be quite bothersome, as it resists the majority of moves Cacnea is seen using, such as Seed Bomb, Sucker Punch, and Brick Break. In addition, Croagunk can make quick work of Cacnea with Ice Punch, which strikes it super effectively.

Houndour resists Sucker Punch and Seed Bomb and can threaten Cacnea with Fire Blast. However, Houndour must be wary of Brick Break and Focus Punch, both of which can OHKO Houndour. Snover is not exactly a counter, but it can get rid of the sandstorm that is usually paired up with Cacnea, thanks to its ability, Snow Warning, which summons a permanent hailstorm. In addition, Snover can threaten it with STAB Ice Shard if Cacnea is not behind its Substitute

Duskull can stop Cacnea cold, especially if it lacks Seed Bomb. Duskull’s excellent Defense, immunity to Focus Punch, and access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple Cacnea make it a great a Pokemon to combat it. Although Sucker Punch hits Duskull super effectively, it will only work if Duskull attempts to hit Cacnea with one if its damaging attacks. Duskull doesn't need to directly attack Cacnea as it can easily reduce Cacnea's power with Will-O-Wisp and proceed to stall out its Sucker Punch with relative ease. Drifloon can switch in on a Focus Punch thanks to its immunity to Fighting-type moves, and proceed to set up Substitute as Cacnea uses Sucker Punch. On a similar note, Misdreavus can also set up Substitute as Cacnea attempts to strike it with Sucker Punch; however, Misdreavus is not the best switch-in, as it does not resist Seed Bomb like Drifloon does.

Pokemon that are Scarfed (or faster than Cacnea) and can work around Sucker Punch make decent checks to Cacnea. For example, Magby can use Mach Punch to avoid being hit by Sucker Punch and resists Seed Bomb, Stunky is resistant to both Sucker Punch and Seed Bomb and can hit Cacnea with a powerful Crunch, and Machop also resists Sucker Punch and can destroy Cacnea with DynamicPunch. Do note, however, that all of the aforementioned checks will take heavy damage from Focus Punch, assuming Cacnea is behind its Substitute.

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Notes:

A couple of other people on #littlecup felt that the SubPunch set was too similar to the Swords Dance attacker, so a write up was not necessary. However, if anybody feels that a SubPunch set should be written, feel free to say so!

On the "Mixed Attacker" set, we decided to use a different EV spread then the one found on the Cacnea analysis found the Little Cup Forums. It was changed from "240 Atk / 240 SpA" to "36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 252 Spe" The 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 252 Spe spread allows Cacnea to tie with Croagunk, allowing you to have a chance to hit it with Hidden Power Fire (assuming you have it) instead of having Coragunk outspeed you everytime and hit you with a possible Ice Punch. With that EV spread, Cacnea still retains the ability to have a chance of 2HKOing max HP/min Def Munchlax with Brick Break while scoring an OHKO on Croagunk with Hidden Power Fire. So, if anybody feels the other EV spread of "240 Atk / 240 SpA" is more effective, feel free to say so!

Since Cacnea recently got Nasty Plot added to its movepool, what do you guys think of it? Does it deserve its own set? Bloo and I have yet to test it, so if anyone in the community has experience with it, please inform us with how you thought of it. Right now, I will leave Nasty Plot hanging before I mention it anywhere.

Brambane · Oct 30, 2009

I think Cacnea should get a Nasty Plot set. I can score some surprise KOs, thanks to the fact most people suspect SD, and base 85 Special Attack is nothing to scoff at. Something like Nasty Plot / Sub or Dark Pulse / Energy Ball / HP Fire could be effective. But thats jusy my two cents.

Fuzznip · Oct 31, 2009

I thought Nasty Plot Cacnea would be a worthy set addition, but sadly, it's not. If you think about it, Nasty Plot Cacnea is just an inferior Swords Dance Cacnea. The only moves Cacnea can use are basically just Energy Ball, Dark Pulse, and Hidden Power, while it can use Focus Punch, Brick Break, Seed Bomb, Sucker Punch, etc. on a physical set.

I mentioned it in OO, but if anyone thinks it deserves its own set, you can always try to convince me into writing one up.

Heysup · Oct 31, 2009

Not that I really "support" the NP set, I just want to point out that it has a much easier time against Pokemon like Paras and Bronzor because of Hidden Power Fire being stronger than any sort of physical attack Cacnea can use against them (minus Focus Punch vs Bronzor, but that isn't always possible).

Dummy007 · Oct 31, 2009

Changes in blue:

[SET]
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Focus Punch / Seed Bomb
move 4: Substitute / Encore
item: BrightPowder / Focus Sash
nature: Adamant
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set is one of the most common and effective sets Cacnea can run, and for good reason. Cacnea is one of the most threatening Swords Dance sweepers in LC because of it having the second-strongest priority move in the game: Sucker Punch. After one Swords Dance, Cacnea’s great Attack stat of 19 shoots up to a sky-high 38, allowing it to fire off deadly Sucker Punch attacks that can potentially OHKO many LC Pokemon.

Sadly, Cacnea doesn’t receive STAB when it uses Sucker Punch, unlike its evolved form, Cacturne. Even though this is true, the power of a boosted Sucker Punch is never to be underestimated, as Cacnea can run through an entire team if the opponent is unprepared. Besides using Sucker Punch, Cancea has two other options to choose from, those being Focus Punch and Seed Bomb. The choice of what secondary attacking move you want is up to what final move you are going to use. If you select Substitute, then Focus Punch is the preferred move as it is more powerful and provides better coverage than Seed Bomb, and Substitute gives Cacnea a shield to ensure Focus Punch hits (rephrased due to ambiguity). It’s also very helpful should your opponent try to outstall Cacnea’s Sucker Punch PP, as it gives you the perfect opportunity to set up Substitute and wreak havoc. On the other hand, if you select Encore, then Seed Bomb should be used. The reason for this is because Encore doesn’t necessarily provide a shield like Subsitute does, so Focus Punch tends to be a riskier option. Swords Dance, Encore, and Sucker Punch are also a ridiculously good trio. If your opponent even thinks about stalling out Sucker Punch’s PP, they’ll be hit with Encore, easily giving you a free Swords Dance boost as they are forced to switch out. If they attempt to avoid Encore, then they will be hit by a powerful Sucker Punch. Either way, Cacnea is always going to be in a win-win situation, so it’s really up to personal preference.

The items listed are also going to be determined by your chosen moveset. If you opt to use Substitute, BrightPowder is the primary item as it makes Cacnea harder to hit (even harder to hit under the sand), which gives it the chance to set up a Substitute without any harm. Focus Sash is used if you are using Encore, since Substitute and Focus Sash obviously don’t go well with each other. Focus Sash also guarantees Cacnea at least one Swords Dance boost.

Since Cacnea has the ability Sand Veil, it’s definitely worth it to use Hippopotas so Cacnea can take advantage of it. Not only will it improve Cacnea’s evasion, but it gives Cacnea a chance to set up Swords Dance or Substitute without getting scratched. It will cause extreme frustration towards your opponent, as Cacnea becomes quite hard to hit. When it comes to sweeping, Duskull can potentially stop Cacnea cold, especially if it lacks Seed Bomb. Duskull’s amazing Defense, immunity to Focus Punch, and access to Will-O-Wisp definitely scare off Cacnea. Sucker Punch will be useless against it, as Duskull won’t bother to strike Cacnea, allowing it to outstall Cacnea with relative ease, assuming you are not running Substitute (with Substitute, Duskull is forced to attack or switch). To deal with Duskull, Houndour is by far the most effective counter, absorbing Will-O-Wisp for added Fire power and destroying it with Dark Pulse or Fire Blast. Speaking of Houndour, if Cacnea is lacking Focus Punch, Houndour can easily switch into Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, or Swords Dance and eliminate it without question. Munchlax is a great switch-in towards it, thanks to its Fire-type resist because of Thick Fat, great overall bulk, and having Earthquake to get rid of it. Croagunk will always be a troublesome threat no matter what move Cacnea decides to use, as it it is resistant to all of them. It's best to pack a Pokemon that can dispose of Croagunk, or Cacnea will have a hard time sweeping. Diglett and Gligar are both excellent options to choose from, the former being able to trap it because of its ability and finish it off with Earthquake, while the latter can switch into almost anything Croagunk uses (excluding Ice Punch) and destroy it with Earthquake.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Seed Bomb / Energy Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive
evs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While Cacnea is typically seen either running Swords Dance or Substitute + Focus Punch, this set is an excellent alternative, allowing Cacnea to make use of its remarkable Attack and Special Attack stat to dish out respectable amounts of damage to a wide variety of Pokemon that reside in Little Cup.

Sucker Punch is Cacnea's main attack as it compensates for Cacnea's low base Speed, dealing a respectable amount of damage to a myriad of Pokemon. Brick Break provides excellent coverage alongside Sucker Punch, ripping apart Pokemon such as Munchlax, and Steel-types such as Aron and Shieldon. Seed Bomb and Energy Ball have the same base power and provide Cacnea with STAB. The choice between Seed Bomb and Energy Ball depends on Cacnea's teammates. Seed Bomb hits Pokemon with lower Defense than Special Defense harder, whereas Energy Ball hits Pokemon with higher Defense and lower Special Defense harder, while also having a 10% chance to lower your opponents Special Defense one stage. If your team needs to strike Pokemon with low Defense harder, Seed Bomb is the best choice; however, if you need a move to strike Pokemon with low Special Defense, Energy Ball is the superior option. Hidden Power is the main selling point of this set. Hidden Power Ice is Cacnea's best way to dispose of Gligar, but Hidden Power Fire has better overall coverage while striking the likes of Croagunk, who otherwise resists most of this moveset.

Life Orb is the preferred item because its 30% power boost offers Cacnea the opportunity to OHKO many Pokémon it otherwise wouldn't be able to. The EV spread is rather simple. With 156 Attack and 76 Special Attack EVs, Cacnea reaches 17 Attack and 16 Special Attack, enough for it to have a shot at 2HKOing max HP/min Def Munchlax with Brick Break and score an OHKO on Croagunk with Hidden Power Fire. With max Speed, Cacnea is capable of reaching a Speed stat of 14, just enough to tie with neutral natured Croagunk.

With sandstorm support, Cacnea will cause plenty of grief for your opponent, as Cacnea's ability, Sand Veil, increases its evasion by 20% when sandstorm is in play, making it rather difficult to hit. For this reason, Hippopotas pairs up well with Cacnea, as it summons permanent sandstorm with its ability Sand Stream, helping it evade hits while attacking. In addition, Hippopotas can provide Stealth Rock support, helping Cacnea sweep. When it comes to sweeping, Gligar can potentially stop Cacnea in its tracks if it lacks Hidden Power Ice, and dispose of Cacnea with a STAB Aerial Ace. If you lack Hidden Power Ice, it is best to pair up Cacnea with a Pokemon that can handle Gligar, such as Slowpoke. Slowpoke can dispose of the aforementioned Gligar with a STAB Surf. Slowpoke also pairs up with Cacnea well type-wise; Slowpoke resist the Fire-type attacks that Cacnea attracts while Cacnea resist the Electric- and Grass-type attacks that Slowpoke tends to draw in, making them excellent teammates. If Cacnea lacks Hidden Power Fire, however, Croagunk will prove bothersome as it resists Cacnea's entire moveset, barring Hidden Power Ice, and can strike Cacnea with a super effective Ice Punch. For this reason, pairing up Cacnea with a Pokemon that can handle Croagunk, such as Duskull or Gligar, is recommended. Gligar threatens Croagunk with a super effective Earthquake, while Duskull can reduce Croagunk's Attack with Will-O-Wisp, making it much more manageable.

[SET]
name: Scarfed Sweeper
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Needle Arm / Seed Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Hasty
evs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Cacnea's excellent offensive stats are often offset by its mediocre Speed. However, this can be remedied by using Choice Scarf, which allows Cacnea to become a potent revenge killer and sweeper, hence making a mixed Choice Scarf set perfectly viable. With Choice Scarf and 236 Speed EVs, Cacnea reaches 21 Speed, allowing it to outrun all non-Choice Scarfed Pokemon.

Unlike the other sets, Dark Pulse is chosen over Sucker Punch, as Cacnea can reliably dispose of Pokemon such as non-Choice Scarf Gastly thanks to the increase in Speed. Brick Break is Cacnea's Fighting-type move of choice on this set, as it allows it to hit Pokemon such as Houndour who would otherwise wall this set completely. Brick Break also allows Cacnea to strike the likes of Munchlax and Steel-types such as Aron and Shieldon for super effective damage. Cacnea has two options for a STAB move, Seed Bomb, and its signature move, Needle Arm. Although Needle Arm has 20 less base power than Seed Bomb, it has a handy 30% chance to flinch your opponent, making it a respectable alternative over Seed Bomb. On the other hand, if you prefer power over the 30% flinch rate that Needle Arm provides, Seed Bomb is the move you're looking for. Hidden Power Ice is the preferred move over Hidden Power Fire in the last slot, as it allows Cacnea to strike the ever so common Gligar, who would otherwise stop Cacnea cold. However, Hidden Power Fire has the benefit of hitting Croagunk and Bronzor for super effective damage, making it a decent option over Hidden Power Ice.

With Cacnea's Speed being boosted by Choice Scarf and its evasion increased via its ability Sand Veil, Cacnea becomes very frustrating to take down when sandstorm is in play. Hippopotas makes a great teammate for Cacnea, as it provides it with sandstorm support, activating Sand Veil. Hippopotas can also set up Stealth Rock, allowing Cacnea to turn some 2HKOes into OHKOes. Houndour is troublesome for this set, as it can come in on a locked Seed Bomb or Dark Pulse and dispose of Cacnea with Pursuit as it switches out, or a STAB Fire-type move if it stays in. Munchlax is a great switch-in against Houndour, as it resist Houndour's Fire-type moves thanks to Thick Fat, while threatening Houndour with a super effective Earthquake. If not using Hidden Power Ice, Gligar will prove troublesome, as it can shrug off Cacnea's attacks and retaliate with a STAB Aerial Ace. For this reason, pairing up Cacnea with a Pokemon that can handle Gligar is recommended. As mentioned in other sets, Slowpoke is an excellent teammates with Cacnea as it can handle Gligar with a STAB Surf, and have good synergy type-wise with Cacnea. Without Hidden Power Fire, Cacnea is more vulnerable to Croagunk, meaning you should have a way to handle it. For this reason, pairing Cacnea up with a Pokemon such as Gligar or Duskull can help, as they both handle Croagunk relatively well. Duskull can burn Croagunk with Will-O-Wisp to reduce its Attack, and proceed to stall out its Sucker Punch PP. Gligar can dispose of the aforementioned Croagunk with a STAB Earthquake, making it a good teammate alongside Cacnea.

[Team Options]

Cacnea has a really great ability, that being Sand Veil, as it increases its evasion by 20%, making Cacnea a threatening sweeper. With this being said, it’s a great idea to take advantage of this by using Hippopotas, because it’s the only Pokemon that can set up a permanent sandstorm in the Little Cup metagame. Not only does Hippopotas aid Cacnea with a brutal sandstorm, but it also sets up Stealth Rock. This can potentially help Cacnea score an OHKO which might’ve been a 2HKO if there was no Stealth Rock in play.

There are a variety of problems that Cacnea encounters when it comes to sweeping. Gligar, Duskull, Houndour, and Croagunk are the most notable switch-ins against it, because they can switch into the majority of Cacnea’s moves without fear and proceed to threaten it. Gligar can become a big threat because of its great physical bulk while having Roost to heal off any damage taken, meaning Cacnea will have a hard time passing it, especially if it’s lacking Hidden Power Ice. Duskull basically does the same thing Gligar does. Duskull has fantastic physical bulk, immunity to Focus Punch, and Will-O-Wisp to cripple Cacnea. Cacnea’s Sucker Punch won’t stop it from walling Cacnea either, as it can easily refuse to attack and outstall it with ease. Houndour and Croagunk don’t necessarily have any form of bulk or walling capabilities, however, their typing allows them to switch into Cacnea’s STAB attacks and threaten it with their powerful STAB moves. Croagunk in particular can be a nuisance as it resists Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, and Focus Punch, all of which are commonly seen on Cacnea’s movesets. To deal with these aforementioned threats, pairing Cacnea up with a Pokemon that can handle the previously mentioned Pokemon is recommended. Bronzor fares well against Gligar, thanks to its resistance to Stone Edge and immunity to Earthquake, while having the chance at setting up Stealth Rock or hitting Gligar for hard damage with Gyro Ball. Houndour is an excellent switch-in towards Duskull, as it absorbs Will-O-Wisp to increase it’s Fire-type attacks and can destroy Duskull with Dark Pulse. Houndour can be handled reasonably well by using Munchlax, thanks to it’s Thick Fat ability and having Earthquake to finish it off. Lastly, Gligar is an excellent counter towards Croagunk, as it resists both of its STAB attacks and can easily destroy it with Earthquake.

[Other Options]

Cacnea can utilize Choice Band and Choice Specs to further boost its excellent offensive stats, allowing it to dish out an immense amount of damage to the majority of Pokemon that reside in Little Cup. If you decide to run a Choice set, it comes down to power and coverage. Choice Band Cacnea has stronger attacks to work with then a Choice Specs set, as it can use physical attacking moves such as Brick Break, Sucker Punch, Return, and Seed Bomb to hit a variety of Pokemon for respectable damage. However, Choice Band Cacnea misses out on Hidden Power to broaden its range of types. When using Choice Specs, Cacnea has access to moves such as Dark Pulse, Energy Ball, and a Hidden Power of your choice.

With its recent addition of Nasty Plot into its movepool from HG/SS, Cacnea can most definitely utilize it to great effectiveness. It has access to strong moves such as Energy Ball and Dark Pulse, and it can definitely put the hurt in many Pokemon in Little Cup. However, Nasty Plot Cacnea is almost always going to be inferior to Swords Dance Cacnea. The reason for this is because Cacnea has much better physical attacks to abuse, including the ever so helpful Sucker Punch, while Cacnea only boasts Energy Ball, Dark Pulse, and Hidden Power for special attacks. That is not to say Cacnea can't use Nasty Plot though, since by having Substitute and sandstorm support, Cacnea can inflict heavy damage upon its foes.

Cacnea is one of the few Pokemon can use Spikes in Little Cup. With Spikes, Cacnea can fit into a stall-oriented team, providing residual damage for the team. With Sand Veil and sandstorm in play, Cacnea can set up Spikes relatively well due to the 20% evasion increase it obtains when sandstorm is in play. Cacnea can also use Leech Seed to further frustrate your opponent, making it a viable option. Drain Punch can be used as Cacnea's Fighting-type move on the Mixed set or Mixed Scarf set. With Drain Punch, Cacnea loses power; however, it recovers HP equal to half of the damage Cacnea has dealt to the opponent's Pokemon, allowing Cacnea to replenish its health and possibly live longer. Cacnea can also use Destiny Bond coupled with Salac Berry and Endure to take down one of your opponent's Pokemon. Use Endure to activate Salac Berry and then use Destiny Bond to try and take the opponent out with it.

[EVs]

With all of Cacnea’s sets taking an offensive approach, it’s EV spreads tend to reflect that. Physical sets should be using max Attack and Speed to offer as much offensive potential as possible, while the remainder can be thrown into HP to give it just a bit of bulk.

 As for the mixed sets, their EV spreads try to give Cacnea a great amount of power on both sides of the spectrum. The Mixed Attacker set should be using an EV spread of 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe, since it’s the most effective spread it can use. With max Speed, it can tie with neutral natured Croagunk, and with 76 SpA, it can OHKO Croagunk with Hidden Power Fire. With 156 Attack, Cacnea can still dish out powerful Sucker Punch and Seed Bomb attacks that will definitely put the hurt on many Pokemon, while the remainder of the EVs are put into HP. The Scarf sweeper set also uses a combination of physical and special moves, so its EV spread of 36 HP / 156 Atk / 236 Spe / 76 SpA is recommended. Max Speed lets it outrun every non-Choice Scarf Pokemon, while 156 Atk and 76 SpA offer great offensive power. The remainder is yet again put into HP to add a little amount of bulk.

[Opinion]

Cacnea is a truly amazing Pokemon with sandstorm set up, thanks to its ability, Sand Veil. It’s the only Pokemon that is immune to the effects of sandstorm that isn’t a Rock-, Ground-, or Steel-type and isn’t named Cleffa. Not only that, but Cacnea can become one of the most threatening Swords Dance sweepers in all of LC, as it boasts the second-strongest priority move in the game (Sucker Punch) and has a solid movepool to back it up. Unfortunately, that's where the praise is cut short. Cacnea is really hindered by its low Speed and frail defenses. What really hurts it is not sharing a Dark-type to have a STAB Sucker Punch, unlike its evolution, Cacturne. Aside from this, its ability is only useful if it is used on the same team as Hippopotas, meaning you're forced take up a team slot to take advantage of it.

Through it all, Cacnea still comes out as a worthwhile Pokemon, and is a potent threat, with a good helping of prediction and a side of luck. Consider using it if you need a good Grass-type with priority and already have sleep support on a teammate, or if you are using Hippopotas. If you don't already have sleep support on a teammate, Cacnea's role is somewhat challenged by Bellsprout, who has slightly less power, but has access to the ever useful Sleep Powder. They do have separate abilities and typing that set them apart, however. All in all, Cacnea is a solid Grass-type Pokemon who can pull off a few interesting roles.

[Counters]

Without Hidden Power Ice, Gligar stops Cacnea in its tracks, as Gligar can withstand its common physical moves of Seed Bomb and Sucker Punch thanks to its naturally high Defense, respectable HP, and ability to heal off any damage taken with Roost. Gligar can then proceed to dispose of Cacnea with a STAB Aerial Ace. If Gligar lacks Aerial Ace, it fails to be an immediate threat, and instead does small amounts of damage through Earthquake, while simultaneously stalling for Life Orb damage. Similarly, without Hidden Power Fire, Croagunk proves to be quite bothersome, as it resists the majority of moves Cacnea is seen using, such as Seed Bomb, Sucker Punch, and Brick Break. In addition, Croagunk can make quick work of Cacnea with Ice Punch, which strikes it super effectively.

Houndour can easily come in on a Sucker Punch or Seed Bomb thanks to its resistance to those types, and threaten Cacnea with a STAB Fire-type move such as Fire Blast. However, Houndour must be wary of Brick Break and Focus Punch, both of which hit Houndour super effectively. Snover is not necessarily a counter, but it can get rid of the sandstorm that is usually paired up with Cacnea, thanks to Snover's ability, Snow Warning, which summons a wintry hailstorm. In addition, Snover can threaten it with a STAB Ice Shard if said Cacnea is not behind the protection of Substitute.

Duskull can stop Cacnea cold, especially if it lacks Seed Bomb. Duskull’s excellent Defense, immunity to Focus Punch, and access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple Cacnea make it a great a Pokemon to combat Cacnea. Although Sucker Punch hits Duskull super effectively, it will only work if Duskull attempts to hit Cacnea with one if its moves. Duskull doesn't need to hit Cacnea as it can easily reduce its Attack with Will-O-Wisp and proceed to stall out its Sucker Punch attacks with relative ease. Drifloon can switch in on a Focus Punch thanks to its immunity to Fighting-type moves, and proceed to set up Substitute as Cacnea uses Sucker Punch. On a similar note, Misdreavus can also set up Substitute as Cacnea attempts to strike it with Sucker Punch, however, Misdreavus is not a good switch-in, as it does not resist Seed Bomb like Drifloon does.

Seven Deadly Sins · Oct 31, 2009

There's a specific set that I have tested and it was extremely effective. It's also a set I love in upper tier play with Cacturne, and it rarely fails me.

[SET]
name: BondPunch
move 1: Endure
move 2: Destiny Bond
move 3: Focus Punch
move 4: Sucker Punch / Seed Bomb / Encore
item: Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set utilizes the combination of Destiny Bond and Focus Punch to deal heavy damage to opposing teams, often scoring at least one KO in the opposing team, if not more. Utilizing the set is simple: Endure an attack that would be lethal, activating Cacnea's Salac Berry. With a Jolly nature, Salac Berry boosts Cacnea's Speed to 21, allowing it to outspeed any non-scarf Pokemon. Once Salac Berry activates, use Destiny Bond. If the opponent attacks, they are fainted. If the opponent chooses not to attack, you can then Focus Punch them. Since Destiny Bond lasts until Cacnea's next action occurs, the opponent cannot interrupt Focus Punch without being KOed by Destiny Bond. By alternating Destiny Bond and Focus Punch, Cacnea can inflict heavy damage on unprepared teams before taking an opponent down with it.

As for the final attack, both Sucker Punch and Seed Bomb are viable filler. Sucker Punch can allow Cacnea to hit Priority users that would attempt to outpace its Destiny Bond. However, Seed Bomb gives Cacnea the ability to attack directly if need be, since without it, Cacnea is setup fodder for Substituting Ghosts. Finally, Encore can allow Cacnea to deal with Pokemon that attempt to set up on it by Encoring their setup moves. However, having Focus Punch as its only offensive move can be a liability.

This Cacnea can have issues dealing with Ghost-type Pokemon that avoid its Focus Punch, so it is advised to run a way to handle popular Ghost-types such as Misdreavus and Gastly. Stunky is the Pokemon of choice here, as it resists Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb, and carries a strong STAB Pursuit to deal with the dreaded Ghost-types that wall it. Munchlax can do the same, but has issues dealing with Misdreavus and its powerful Nasty Plot-boosted Hidden Power Fighting. Bronzor is also appreciated, as Croagunk resists Focus Punch, Sucker Punch, and Seed Bomb, and can outpace Destiny Bond with its priority attacks.

franky · Oct 31, 2009

Could a mix Nasty Plot set could work with Sucker Punch? Nasty Plot / Hidden Power Fire / Energy Ball / Sucker Punch.

Fuzznip · Nov 11, 2009

SDS, I tested your Cacnea set for a bit, but I don't know if I should include it or not. I've had many problems trying to get this thing to work. It's probably because I've never used it before or I don't know how to use it, so if you can provide me with some logs (not cherrypicked) of it working, that would be much appreciated. If the logs convince me, then I'll think about including it.

Franky, I'm going to be testing that soon. It looks promising.

eric the espeon · Nov 20, 2009

damn chatzilla cutting the top of logs :(

[23:23] <ete> mk
[23:24] <Fuzznip> i need to add dealing with priority in TO ._.
[23:24] <Fuzznip> i thought I had it there
[23:24] <ete> "The reason for this is because Encore...."
[23:24] <ete> that>because
[23:24] <ete> i think
[23:25] <Fuzznip> hmm
[23:25] <Fuzznip> aren't they basically saying the same thing?
[23:25] <ete> because sounds a little awkward to me..
[23:26] <ete> hmm..
[23:27] <ete> When the Sub/Oran bug is fixed Oran should replace brightpowder imo
[23:27] <ete> even now, is brightpowder very useful?
[23:28] <ete> "Since Cacnea has the ability Sand Veil, it’s definitely worth it to use Hippopotas "
[23:28] <ete> to
[23:28] <ete> "Since Cacnea has the ability Sand Veil, it’s worth using Hippopotas "
[23:29] <ete> "Not only will it improve Cacnea’s evasion, but it gives Cacnea a chance to set up Swords Dance or Substitute without getting scratched."
[23:29] <ete> maybe:
[23:30] <ete> "Sand Veil will it improve Cacnea's evasion, giving it a chance to set up Swords Dance or Substitute without getting scratched." ?
[23:30] <Fuzznip> k, let me fix those
[23:31] <ete> "Duskull can potentially stop Cacnea cold"
[23:31] <ete> no need for "potentially"
[23:31] <Fuzznip> yeah
[23:32] <Fuzznip> SD seed bomb can hurt
[23:32] <ete> ok then
[23:32] <ete> Duskull can potentially stop Cacnea cold, especially if it lacks Seed Bomb.
[23:32] <ete> to: Duskull can stop Cacnea cold if it lacks Seed Bomb.
[23:32] <ete> two words removed, same info
[23:33] <Fuzznip> got it
[23:34] <ete> "and access to Will-O-Wisp definitely scare off Cacnea." no need for definitely
[23:34] <Fuzznip> k
[23:34] <Fuzznip> i'll put "will scare off cacnea"
[23:34] <ete> yea
[23:34] <ete> that works too
[23:35] <Fuzznip> k
[23:35] <ete> If you say something will happen in an analysis, the assumption is it will. There is no need to say "definitely" or the like
[23:35] <Fuzznip> ok
[23:35] <ete> hmm..
[23:36] <ete> "Munchlax is a great switch-in towards it,"
[23:36] <ete> I think
[23:37] <ete> "Munchlax is a great switch-in to Houndour," works a bit better
[23:37] <Fuzznip> got it
[23:38] <ete> Fire-type resist
[23:38] <ete> resistance
[23:38] <Fuzznip> yeah i just found that mistake
[23:38] <ete> mhm
[23:39] <ete> there seems to be a lot of commas
[23:39] <ete> I'm no expert on comma placing, but once I've been through it I'll ask ibo to check
[23:40] <ete> "Diglett and Gligar are both excellent options to choose from,"
[23:40] <ete> to choose from can go
[23:40] <Fuzznip> k
[23:41] <ete> "Croagunk will always be a troublesome threat no matter what move Cacnea decides to use, as it it is resistant to all of them."
[23:41] <ete> the last bit strikes me as odd
[23:42] <Fuzznip> oops
[23:42] <Fuzznip> two its
[23:42] <ete> lol
[23:42] <ete> I missed that >_>
[23:42] <Fuzznip> lol
[23:42] <ete> lucky catch there
[23:43] <Fuzznip> heh
[23:43] <Fuzznip> i think attack > move?
[23:43] <ete> yea
[23:43] <ete> it was the resistant to all of them. bit
[23:44] <ete> I was thinking of
[23:44] <Fuzznip> well
[23:44] <ete> later you talk about Ice Punch
[23:44] <Fuzznip> it is resistant to all of them
[23:44] <ete> for Gligar
[23:44] <Fuzznip> that's if croagunk is attacking
[23:44] <Fuzznip> i'm just saying that cacnea can't do anything against gunk
[23:44] <ete> ah, right
[23:44] <ete> misunderstood that
[23:44] <ete> sorry
[23:44] <Fuzznip> it's ok
[23:45] <ete> ok
[23:45] <ete> set 2
[23:45] <Fuzznip> k
[23:46] <ete> actually
[23:46] <ete> is it really worth maxing speed on the SD set?
[23:46] <Fuzznip> yeah
[23:46] <ete> not much hangs around 13 speed
[23:47] <Fuzznip> oh
[23:47] <Fuzznip> but, investing in defense doesn't hel
[23:47] <Fuzznip> help
[23:47] <ete> http://www.smogon.com/dp/articles/lc_speed_tiers#tier4
[23:47] <ete> not many of those are common
[23:48] <Fuzznip> mmm
[23:49] <Fuzznip> is there a point to invest in either defenses>
[23:50] <ete> must take hits a bit better
[23:50] <Fuzznip> well
[23:50] <Fuzznip> i don't think it will survive anything notable
[23:50] <Fuzznip> cacnea is pretty frail
[23:50] <ete> lemme take a look
[23:51] <ete> so, your spread gives 22/10/10 defences
[23:51] <ete> with 116 in both defences
[23:51] <ete> it hits 22/12/12
[23:52] <ete> taking all hits 20% better
[23:52] <ete> roughly
[23:52] <Fuzznip> mhmm
[23:52] <ete> for this
[23:52] <ete> you lose a tie to:
[23:52] <ete> 13 Rhyhorn, Oddish, Aron 25–30 +Speed None 25 (236 EVs), 30 (196 EVs)
[23:52] <ete> 13 Porygon, Larvitar, Cacnea, Gible, Snover, Corphish, Cubone, exeggcute, Omanyte, bellsprout 35–42 Neutral None 35 (236 EVs), 40 (196 EVs), 41 (188 EVs), 42 (180 EVs)
[23:52] <ete> 13 Onix, Chinchou, Tentacool, Stunky 67–74 Neutral None 67 (220 EVs), 70 (196 EVs), 74 (220 EVs)
[23:52] <ete> let these outspeed you:
[23:53] <ete> 12 Paras 25 +Speed None 236
[23:53] <ete> 12 Rhyhorn, Oddish, Aron 25–30 Neutral None 25 (236 EVs), 30 (196 EVs)
[23:53] <ete> 12 Spoink, Wailmer, Kabuto 55–60 Neutral None None
[23:53] <ete> 11 Trapinch 10 +Speed None 196
[23:53] <ete> 11 Krabby, Shuppet, Mantyke 45–50 Neutral None None
[23:53] <ete> 11 Gastly 80 -Speed None 0IV
[23:53] <ete> and tie these
[23:53] <ete> 10 Numel, Shroomish, Squirtle, Snover, Machop, Cubone, Phanpy, Koffing 35–40 Neutral None None
[23:53] <ete> only a few of those are not extremely rare pokemon/sets
[23:53] <Fuzznip> meh, I don't really know
[23:54] <ete> how about having one of the spreads in EVs?
[23:54] <Fuzznip> i guess
[23:54] <ete> I'd think defences was better, but you've tested it and its your analysis
[23:55] <ete> so, pick one and I'll keep looking
[23:56] <Fuzznip> i'll put it in EVs
[23:56] <ete> mk
[23:56] <ete> "dealing a respectable amount of damage to a myriad of Pokemon."
[23:56] <ete> most pokemon
[23:57] <ete> "ripping apart Pokemon such as Munchlax, and Steel-types such as Aron and Shieldon."
[23:58] <ete> remove: Pokemon such as
[23:58] <Fuzznip> one sec, how does this sound:
[23:58] <Fuzznip> However, an alternative EV spread for the Swords Dance set is exchanging the 236 Speed EVs for 116 EVs in both Defense and Special Defense. That way, Cacnea will be sitting at 22 HP and 12 Defense and Special Defense, allowing it to take hits about 20% better. The lost Speed doesn't affect Cacnea as much, since the Pokemon that are near the 10 - 13 Speed range are not very common.
[23:59] <ete> good, but maybe list a couple of them that do sit around there
[00:00] <Fuzznip> ok
[00:00] <ete> Kabuto
[00:00] <Fuzznip> also, where did you get those sentences from?
[00:00] <ete> would be a good example
[00:00] <ete> second set
[00:00] <ete> second para
[00:03] <Fuzznip> how should I mention Kabuto?
[00:03] <ete> hmm
[00:04] <ete> "since the Pokemon that are near the 10 - 13 Speed range are not very common."
[00:04] <Fuzznip> since the only Pokemon common in the 10 - 13 speed range are kabuto, etc etc?
[00:04] <Fuzznip> brb
[00:06] <ete> "The lost Speed doesn't affect Cacnea too much since there are not many Pokemon that are in the 10 - 13 Speed range, however you do lose out to Kabuto, Paras and a few other threats. "
[00:13] <ete> "Seed Bomb hits Pokemon with lower Defense than Special Defense harder, whereas Energy Ball hits Pokemon with higher Defense and lower Special Defense harder, while also having a 10% chance to lower your opponent's Special Defense one stage."
[00:13] <ete> probably not needed at all
[00:17] <ete> "but Hidden Power Fire has better overall coverage while striking the likes of Croagunk,"
[00:17] <ete> to
[00:17] <ete> "but Hidden Power Fire has better overall coverage and strikes the likes of Croagunk,"
[00:27] <Fuzznip> i'm back, sorry
[00:27] <ete> no prob
[00:31] <Fuzznip> k, got them
[00:31] <ete> looking for more
[00:33] <ete> Cacnea the opportunity to OHKO many
[00:33] <ete> ability
[00:34] <ete> would be better imo
[00:35] <Fuzznip> ok, got it
[00:37] <ete> evs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 252 Spe
[00:38] <ete> not quite
[00:38] <ete> too many EVs
[00:38] <Fuzznip> i fixed that problem
[00:38] <ete> and you only need 236
[00:38] <Fuzznip> you had to refresh
[00:38] <ete> ok
[00:38] <Fuzznip> yeah
[00:42] <ete> and score an OHKO on Croagunk with Hidden Power Fire. With max Speed,
[00:42] <ete> did you do this calc with x2 damage?
[00:43] <ete> because gunk is not actually fully weak to fire
[00:43] <Fuzznip> i think i did ._.
[00:44] <ete> I'll check it
[00:46] <ete> 57.14% - 71.43%
[00:46] <ete> na
[00:46] <ete> sorry
[00:46] <Fuzznip> oh
[00:47] <Fuzznip> then I'll just say 2HKO
[00:47] <ete> with a normal SE attack
[00:47] <ete> it would do
[00:47] <ete> 104.76% - 123.81%
[00:47] <ete> but, oh well
[00:47] <ete> yea
[00:47] <ete> HP Ground would work
[00:48] <ete> but, meh
[00:48] <Fuzznip> ehh
[00:48] <ete> yea
[00:48] <Fuzznip> hp fire is kinda better
[00:48] <ete> much
[00:50] <ete> checked, slowpoke does work against gligar well. Though there is a small chance for EQ to 2KO through oran against max/max.
[00:54] <ete> "Cacnea has a really great ability, that being Sand Veil,"
[00:54] <ete> Cacnea has a really great ability, Sand Veil,
[00:55] <ete> actually
[00:55] <ete> Cacnea has a really great ability, that being Sand Veil, as it increases its evasion by 20%, making Cacnea a threatening sweeper.
[00:56] <Fuzznip> where's that?
[00:56] <ete> "Cacnea's ability, Sand Veil, can be extremely annoying as under a Sandstorm it increases Cacnea's evasion by 20%."
[00:56] <ete> TO
[00:58] <Fuzznip> wait so what am I changing this to?
[00:58] <ete> no, its in Team Options
[00:59] <Fuzznip> no I mean
[00:59] <Fuzznip> what's the correction
[00:59] <ete> [00:55] <ete> Cacnea has a really great ability, that being Sand Veil, as it increases its evasion by 20%, making Cacnea a threatening sweeper.
[00:59] <ete> To
[00:59] <ete> [00:56] <ete> "Cacnea's ability, Sand Veil, can be extremely annoying as under a Sandstorm it increases Cacnea's evasion by 20%."
[01:00] <ete> "With this being said, it’s a great idea to take advantage of this by using Hippopotas, because it’s the only Pokemon that can set up a permanent sandstorm in the Little Cup metagame."
[01:00] <ete> to..
[01:02] <ete> Hippopotas is the only Pokemon that can set up a permanent sandstorm, to activate Sand Veil, in the Little Cup metagame so it makes a great partner for Cacnea.
[01:02] <ete> maybe without the commas
[01:04] <Fuzznip> k
[01:06] <ete> This can potentially help
[01:06] <ete> no need for potentially
[01:07] <ete> Gligar can become a big threat
[01:07] <ete> can become to "is"
[01:08] <ete> "great physical bulk while having Roost to heal off any damage taken"
[01:08] <ete> "great physical bulk and ability to Roost off any damage taken"
[01:09] <ete> "Cacnea’s Sucker Punch won’t stop it from walling Cacnea either, as it can easily refuse to attack and outstall it with ease."
[01:09] <ete> confusion with "it"s
[01:09] <ete> last one should be a Cacnea
[01:10] <ete> "Gligar is an excellent counter towards Croagunk,"
[01:10] <ete> to>towards
[01:11] <Fuzznip> one sec
[01:11] <ete> k
[01:11] <Fuzznip> this is in TO?
[01:11] <ete> yea
[01:11] <ete> just getting to the massive OO section#
[01:13] <ete> ok
[01:13] <ete> The Choice bit
[01:13] <ete> should make clear the problems
[01:13] <ete> basically, poor speed
[01:13] <ete> and being locked into SP is :(
[01:14] <ete> "it's almost guaranteed that Cacnea will be able to KO one or even two of the opponent's Pokemon 100% of the time."
[01:14] <ete> remove "100% of the time"
[01:14] <ete> and change even to sometimes
[01:15] <ete> "With its recent addition of Nasty Plot into its movepool from HG/SS, Cacnea can most definitely utilize it to great effectiveness."
[01:15] <ete> first half, smogon does not let you refer back to what happened in last versions of the game
[01:15] <ete> so remove
[01:16] <ete> second is a bit.. long winded
[01:16] <ete> "most definitely utilize it to great effectiveness"
[01:17] <ete> "It has access to strong moves such as Energy Ball and Dark Pulse, and it can definitely put the hurt in many Pokemon in Little Cup."
[01:18] <ete> "With Dark Pulse and Energy Ball available it can hit hard, (attach to next sentence)"
[01:18] <ete> "The reason for this is because"
[01:18] <ete> take out reason for
[01:19] <ete> "since by having Substitute and"
[01:19] <ete> with>by having
[01:20] <ete> "By using a mixed set with Nasty Plot, Energy Ball, Hidden Power Fire, and Sucker Punch for example, "
[01:20] <ete> take out for example
[01:21] <Fuzznip> ok
[01:22] <ete> damn, this is why I never do grammar checks. I'm too perfectionist...
[01:22] <Fuzznip> heh
[01:22] <ete> going through this is like... trimming a hedge
[01:22] <ete> you've got everything you need, and there are very few things actually wrong
[01:23] <ete> just there are a lot of little things added in
[01:23] <ete> that don;t really need to be there
[01:23] <ete> good analysis
[01:24] <ete> "Another way Cacnea can use Nasty Plot is by using it in conjunction with Sucker Punch."
[01:24] <ete> remove "by using it in conjunction"
[01:24] <ete> hmm
[01:25] <ete> you know, I'm going to use ctrl-f to find all of the uses of definitely, check if any of them are useful and ask you to remove them all if not.
[01:25] <ete> ok, none of them
[01:26] <ete> "Energy Ball and Hidden Power Fire provide excellent coverage within each other."
[01:26] <ete> either remove within each other
[01:26] <ete> or change to "together" or something
[01:28] <Fuzznip> got it
[01:28] <ete> "Cacnea can also use Leech Seed to further frustrate your opponent, making it a viable option."
[01:28] <ete> probably don't need the last bit
[01:29] <ete> could add something about bulkier grass types working better
[01:29] <ete> "it recovers HP equal to half of the damage Cacnea has dealt to the opponent's Pokemon, allowing Cacnea to replenish its health and possibly live longer."
[01:30] <ete> bit after the comma is not needed
[01:30] <ete> you mention Destiny Bond/Endure/Salac Berry twice in different parts of OO
[01:31] <ete> "However, an alternative EV spread for the Swords Dance set is exchanging the"
[01:31] <ete> to
[01:32] <ete> "However, an alternative EV spread for the Swords Dance set exchanges the"
[01:32] <ete> "The Mixed Attacker set should be using an EV spread of 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe, since it’s the most effective spread it can use. With max Speed, it can tie with neutral natured Croagunk, and with 76 SpA, it can OHKO Croagunk with Hidden Power Fire."
[01:33] <ete> Can't 1KO Croa
[01:33] <ete> and ", since it’s the most effective spread it can use" is not needed
[01:34] <ete> you've got another definitely in the next sentence that can go.
[01:34] <ete> "so its EV spread of " an>its
[01:35] <ete> "put into HP to add a little amount of bulk."
[01:35] <ete> amount of can go
[01:35] <ete> "one of the most threatening Swords Dance sweepers in all of LC"
[01:36] <ete> all of probably not needed
[01:36] <Fuzznip> got those
[01:36] <ete> k
[01:36] <ete> "Aside from this, its ability is only useful if it is used on the same team as Hippopotas, meaning you're forced take up a team slot to take advantage of it."
[01:37] <ete> use>take imo
[01:38] <ete> "and instead does small amounts of damage through Earthquake, "
[01:38] <ete> Normally Gligar will use SE
[01:39] <ete> and EQ will still do plenty with cac's poor defences
[01:39] <Fuzznip> where's this?
[01:39] <ete> Counters
[01:39] <ete> EQ can 2KO with LO damage
[01:40] <Fuzznip> If Gligar lacks Aerial Ace, it fails to be an immediate threat, but it can deal big damage with Stone Edge and even Earthquake.
[01:40] <Fuzznip> better?
[01:40] <ete> solid>big imo
[01:40] <Fuzznip> k
[01:41] <ete> and add in "such" before an
[01:41] <Fuzznip> k
[01:42] <ete> the while simultaneously stalling for Life Orb damage. bit can go too
[01:42] <ete> LO is doing like 10% a turn
[01:42] <ete> Gligar is doing 40% min
[01:42] <Fuzznip> yeah it's gone
[01:43] <ete> k
[01:43] <Fuzznip> hey i gotta go
[01:43] <ete> :(
[01:43] <ete> ok
[01:43] <Fuzznip> sorry, can we finish this tomorrow?
[01:43] <ete> will finish tomorrow
[01:43] <ete> I'll post the log
[01:43] <ete> if you don't mind
[01:43] <Fuzznip> ok, thanks
[01:44] <Fuzznip> sure, go ahead
[01:44] <Fuzznip> later
[01:44] <ete> bye

Something I did not mention, is LO worth considering on the SD set?

Fuzznip · Nov 21, 2009

Alright, Cacnea's been edited with changes. On the note of Life Orb, I'll mention it in the set comments, along with Leftovers so Cacnea can set up 1 more Substitute.

Thanks eric.

Cacnea is ready for uploading.

eric the espeon · Nov 21, 2009

[20:44]
(there was a few suggestions given in main chat, but that's all mixed up with other random chat..)
<ete> and
[20:44] <Fuzznip> got it
[20:44] <ete> "Encore doesn’t necessarily provide a shield like Subsitute does,"
[20:44] <ete> Substitute
[20:44] <Fuzznip> you have a good eye
[20:45] <ete> no
[20:45] <ete> I added every move and pokemon name to spellcheck
[20:45] <ete> :p
[20:45] <Fuzznip> oh o.o
[20:45] <Fuzznip> lol
[20:45] <ete> just did it today
[20:45] <Fuzznip> were there a lot of mistakes?
[20:45] <ete> yesterday I was looking at trying to make a downloadable thing for everyone to use that did it
[20:46] <ete> still looking
[20:46] <Fuzznip> ok
[20:50] <ete> ok, that's all
[20:50] <ete> nothing else
[20:50] <Fuzznip> sweet
[20:50] <ete> just those in the first bit
[20:51] <Fuzznip> so, when can you approve analysis?
[20:51] <ete> now, last two bits of counters
[20:51] <ete> then i propose it to one of the others
[20:51] <ete> it gets checked
[20:51] <ete> and put scms then on site
[20:51] <Fuzznip> k
[20:52] * ete runs a calc of croa's IP against cac
[20:53] <ete> not always a KO, but quick work is good enough
[20:53] <ete> 81.82% - 100%
[20:54] <Fuzznip> yeah
[20:54] <Fuzznip> factor in SR to
[20:54] <ete> gives: 58.97% chance to OHKO.
[20:59] <ete> "Houndour can easily come in on a Sucker Punch or Seed Bomb thanks to its resistance to those types,"
[20:59] <ete> kinda true
[20:59] <ete> but resisting SP does not help it come in
[20:59] <ete> maybe like
[21:00] <ete> "Houndour resists Sucker Punch or Seed Bomb "
[21:00] <ete> "and threaten Cacnea with a STAB Fire-type move such as Fire Blast."
[21:00] <ete> no need for the such as FB part
[21:00] <Fuzznip> ok
[21:00] <Fuzznip> yeah i changed it to just fire blast
[21:00] <Fuzznip> refresh the page
[21:00] <ete> k
[21:02] <ete> "However, Houndour must be wary of Brick Break and Focus Punch, both of which hit Houndour super effectively."
[21:02] <ete> maybe to "However, Houndour must be wary of Brick Break and Focus Punch, both of which can OHKO Houndour."
[21:02] <Fuzznip> i'm not sure if BB ohoks
[21:02] <Fuzznip> ohkos*
[21:03] <ete> I'm getting 104.76% - 133.33% against 0/0 dour
[21:03] <Fuzznip> ok, cool
[21:03] <ete> and the "can" means that some dour could survive, only odd ones
[21:04] <ete> "Snover is not necessarily a counter, but it can get rid of the sandstorm that is usually paired up with Cacnea, thanks to its ability, Snow Warning, which summons a wintry hailstorm."
[21:04] <ete> exactly>necessarily
[21:04] <Fuzznip> got it
[21:04] <ete> and maybe permanent>wintry
[21:05] <Fuzznip> k
[21:06] <ete> "Although Sucker Punch hits Duskull super effectively, it will only work if Duskull attempts to hit Cacnea with one if its moves."
[21:06] <ete> "damaging attacks" > moves
[21:07] <ete> "Duskull doesn't need to hit Cacnea" directly attack > hit
[21:09] <ete> ok
[21:09] <ete> that's all those checks..
[21:09] <ete> maybe Bronzor for Counters?
[21:09] <ete> resists most stuff and can set up screens on SP
[21:10] <Fuzznip> bronzor is pretty much set-up bait though
[21:10] <ete> Fighting types also seem like reasonable choices, they should be able to outspeed and take a SP
[21:10] <ete> for the SD set kinda
[21:10] <Fuzznip> especially or encore sets
[21:10] <ete> suppose
[21:11] <ete> bet machop can easily take an unboosted Seed Bomb or Energy Ball
[21:11] <Fuzznip> well yeah
[21:11] <ete> 65.22% - 78.26%
[21:11] <ete> yea
[21:12] <ete> and if it switches in on SP/SD its in for free
[21:12] <Fuzznip> do I really need to mention machop though?
[21:12] <Fuzznip> =\
[21:12] <ete> its pretty good against cac
[21:12] <Fuzznip> anything scarfed that resists SP will beat cacnea usually
[21:12] <ete> so, may as well
[21:12] <ete> ok, then mention that
[21:12] <ete> and list a couple of them
[21:12] <ete> :)
[21:14] <ete> maybe magby?
[21:14] <ete> resists grass, can use Mach Punch to block SP, big fire attacks
[21:15] <Fuzznip> mm
[21:15] <Fuzznip> but don't all of them have to watch out for focus punch
[21:15] <ete> you can say that
[21:16] <ete> say that they work pretty well, but are not perfect
[21:16] <ete> LC analysis are meant to mention checks and "decent" counters
[21:16] <ete> not just textbook counters
[21:16] <Fuzznip> mmmk
[21:17] <ete> once those are in
[21:18] <ete> and we get a final grammar check
[21:18] <ete> I'll put it up for approval
[21:18] <ete> been nice working with you :)
[21:19] <Fuzznip> :D
[21:19] <Fuzznip> ok
[21:19] <Fuzznip> i mentioned magby and stunky
[21:19] <Fuzznip> any other good examples?
[21:19] <ete> machop?
[21:19] <Fuzznip> wow
[21:19] <Fuzznip> totally forgot about that
[21:20] <Fuzznip> Any Pokemon that is Scarfed (or faster than it) and can work around Sucker Punch are also decent checks to Cacnea. For example, Magby can use Mach Punch to avoid being hit by Sucker Punch and resists Seed Bomb, Stunky is resistant to Sucker Punch and can hit Cacnea with a powerful Crunch, Machop also resists Sucker Punch and can destroy Cacnea with DynamicPunch.
[21:20] <Fuzznip> how does that sound?
[21:21] <Fuzznip> wait i forgot something
[21:21] <ete> "are also" to make
[21:21] <ete> and remove "any"
[21:21] <ete> and is to are
[21:22] <Fuzznip> Pokemon that are Scarfed (or faster than it) and can work around Sucker Punch make decent checks to Cacnea. For example, Magby can use Mach Punch to avoid being hit by Sucker Punch and resists Seed Bomb, Stunky is resistant to both Sucker Punch and Seed Bomb and can hit Cacnea with a powerful Crunch, and Machop also resists Sucker Punch and can destroy Cacnea with DynamicPunch. Do note, however, that all of the aforementioned checks will t
[21:22] <Fuzznip> heavy damage from Focus Punch, assuming Cacnea is under its Substitute.
[21:23] <ete> sounds good
[21:23] <Fuzznip> awesome
[21:25] <Fuzznip> i'm gonna mention LO and lefties in OO
[21:25] <ete> ok
[21:26] <Fuzznip> i mean in the set comments, not OO
[21:26] <ete> yep
[21:28] <Fuzznip> LO increases power by 30%, right?
[21:28] <ete> yea
[21:29] <ete> oh, actually
[21:29] <ete> can you add Counter to OO
[21:29] <Fuzznip> ok
[21:29] <Fuzznip> ok
[21:30] <ete> and... maybe Magic Coat?
[21:30] <ete> meh, may not be worth it
[21:30] <ete> probably not
[21:32] <Fuzznip> Even though BrightPowder and Focus Sash are the preferred items to use, Life Orb and Leftovers can also be useful. With Life Orb, Cacnea becomes a much larger offensive threat, powering up its attacks by 30%. This makes Sucker Punch an extremely strong priority move, being able to OHKO many Pokemon that don't pack very high defenses. On the other hand, Leftovers provides Cacnea with HP recovery every turn, meaning that it can set up an extra
[21:32] <Fuzznip> Substitute when needed.
[21:32] <Fuzznip> how does that sound?
[21:33] <ete> "With Life Orb, Cacnea becomes a much larger offensive threat, powering up its attacks by 30%."
[21:33] <ete> "With Life Orb Cacnea's attacks are powered up by 30%, making Cacnea becomes a much larger offensive threat."
[21:34] <ete> wait no
[21:34] <Fuzznip> lol
[21:34] <ete> making Cacnea becomes >___>
[21:34] <ete> take out becomes
[21:34] <Fuzznip> With Life Orb, Cacnea's attacks are powered up by 30%, making it a much larger offensive threat.
[21:34] <Fuzznip> like that?
[21:34] <ete> yea
[21:35] <ete> This makes Sucker Punch an extremely strong priority move, being able to OHKO many Pokemon that don't pack very high defenses.
[21:35] <ete> probably not needed
[21:35] <ete> it makes all attacks srtonger
[21:35] <Fuzznip> yeah but I said priority move
[21:35] <ete> ok, then..
[21:36] <ete> but if you say just before
[21:36] <ete> that its attacks are 30% stronger
[21:36] <ete> then, its kinda obvious that SP is too
[21:36] <ete> maybe something like
[21:36] <Fuzznip> hmm
[21:36] <Fuzznip> i'll just remove that sentence
[21:37] <Fuzznip> i see what you mean
[21:37] <ete> This gives Sucker Punch that extra kick which allows it to OHKO several Pokemon that it otherwise could not, for example <stuff>.
[21:37] <ete> could work as a replacement that gives more info
[21:37] <Fuzznip> that works
[21:38] <ete> what things did you almost KO without LO
[21:38] <ete> that I should calc?
[21:38] <Fuzznip> hmm
[21:38] <Fuzznip> try gligar
[21:38] <Fuzznip> 0/0
[21:38] <ete> after a SD?
[21:38] <Fuzznip> err 36/0
[21:38] <Fuzznip> i mea
[21:38] <Fuzznip> yeah, after SD
[21:38] <ete> 36 does not give a point
[21:38] <ete> 76 or 0
[21:38] <Fuzznip> yeah i know
[21:39] <Fuzznip> 0/0
[21:39] <ete> k
[21:40] <ete> 73.91% - 86.96%
[21:40] <ete> no luck
[21:40] <Fuzznip> oh.
[21:40] <Fuzznip> hmm
[21:40] <Fuzznip> mantyke?
[21:41] <ete> it KOes
[21:41] <ete> but
[21:41] <ete> without LO it KOes 79.48% of the time
[21:41] <ete> anyway
[21:41] <Fuzznip> oh
[21:42] <ete> Porygon
[21:42] <ete> yea
[21:42] <ete> 100% KO with LO and SR
[21:42] <Fuzznip> ok
[21:42] <ete> 74.35% with LO no SR
[21:43] <ete> no chance to 1KO without LO
[21:43] <Fuzznip> how much does it do to paras?
[21:44] <ete> Grabs the 1KO on the normal set with SR
[21:44] <ete> allways
[21:45] <ete> non LO has a 2.56% chance to OHKO with SR
[21:46] <Fuzznip> ok, i'll mention paras
[21:47] <Fuzznip> does it KO mankey?
[21:47] <ete> doubt it, checking
[21:48] <ete> 63.64% - 72.73%
[21:48] <ete> to the most common spread
[21:48] <ete> after a SD
[21:48] <Fuzznip> oh
[21:48] <ete> all of these are after a SD
[21:49] <Fuzznip> i just need one more example
[21:49] <ete> one more..
[21:49] <ete> ok
[21:49] <Fuzznip> hmm
[21:50] <ete> checking staryu
[21:50] <Fuzznip> ok
[21:51] <ete> brings the KO % from 28 to 100 without SR down
[21:51] <Fuzznip> mmm
[21:51] <Fuzznip> don't think that's a good example
[21:51] <Fuzznip> SR is usually set on the field
[21:52] <ete> not good enough
[21:52] <ete> Anorith is in the same situation
[21:53] <Fuzznip> oh
[21:53] <ete> do we really need another?
[21:53] <ete> two is enough probably
[21:53] <Fuzznip> hold on, can you quickly check wailmer?
[21:53] <ete> k
[21:54] <ete> nice choice
[21:54] <ete> no chance to 1KO without LO
[21:55] <ete> 100% with SR down
[21:55] <Fuzznip> awesome
[21:55] <ete> 58.97% without SR
[21:55] <ete> that's against 36/0 wail
[21:55] <ete> the most common spread by like 0.5%
[21:56] <Fuzznip> k, cool
[21:57] <ete> tell me when its edited in
[21:57] <ete> and I'll check
[21:58] <Fuzznip> just gotta quickly mention counter
[21:58] <ete> k
[22:00] <Fuzznip> ok, edited
[22:00] <ete> "as it makes Cacnea harder to hit (even harder to hit under the sand)"
[22:01] <ete> moreso > harder
[22:01] <ete> to avoid repetition
[22:01] <ete> "Focus Sash is used if you are using Encore"
[22:01] <ete> suggested>first used
[22:01] <ete> same reason as before
[22:02] <Fuzznip> k
[22:02] <ete> "Focus Sash also guarantees Cacnea at least one Swords Dance boost."
[22:02] <ete> so long as SR is not up
[22:03] <Fuzznip> k
[22:03] <ete> "Even though BrightPowder and Focus Sash are the preferred items to use,"
[22:03] <Fuzznip> also
[22:03] <ete> no need for to use
[22:03] <Fuzznip> (moreso under the sand)
[22:03] <Fuzznip> you mean like that?
[22:04] <ete> I was thinking (even moreso under the sand)
[22:04] <ete> but, either works
[22:04] <Fuzznip> hmm
[22:04] <Fuzznip> is moreso a word?
[22:04] <ete> i son;t know
[22:04] <ete> *don't
[22:04] <ete> it should be.
[22:04] <Fuzznip> it keeps getting an underline
[22:04] <ete> I will check.
[22:04] <Fuzznip> alright
[22:04] <ete> here googlegooglegoogle
[22:05] <Fuzznip> xD
[22:05] <ete> http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/moreso
[22:05] <ete> lets go with more so
[22:05] <ete> and add even back in
[22:05] <Fuzznip> alright
[22:06] <ete> oh
[22:06] <ete> you missed one of my corrections from yesterday
[22:07] <Fuzznip> which?
[22:07] <ete> Since Cacnea has the ability Sand Veil, it’s definitely worth using Hippopotas
[22:08] <Fuzznip> what was the change, removing definitely?
[22:08] <ete> yea
[22:08] <Fuzznip> got it
[22:09] <ete> yea
[22:09] <ete> that's not the only one you missed
[22:09] <Fuzznip> ok, cool
[22:09] <ete> could you go over the log and just confirm that you have them?
[22:10] <Fuzznip> ok
[22:12] <Fuzznip> yup
[22:12] <Fuzznip> got them all
[22:12] <ete> sure?
[22:12] <Fuzznip> yup
[22:12] <Fuzznip> they're all there
[22:12] <ete> ok
[22:13] <Fuzznip> so is cacnea done?
[22:14] <ete> I think so, may as well have a final grammar check, but it should be good.
[22:15] <Fuzznip> we had a pretty extensive proofread
[22:15] <ete> mhm
[22:15] <ete> nice working with you.
[22:15] <Fuzznip> definitely :)

So, I would like to request one final grammar check before this is approved.

Dubulous · Nov 21, 2009

Fuzznip said:
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/cacnea

______________

Credits:

Fuzznip - Swords Dance Attacker, Team Options, EVs, Opinion.

Bloo- Mixed Attacker, Scarfed Sweeper, Other Options, Counters.

Status: COMPLETE! (ready for uploading)
__________________

[SET]
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Focus Punch / Seed Bomb
move 4: Substitute / Encore
item: BrightPowder / Focus Sash
nature: Adamant
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set is one of the most common and effective sets that Cacnea can run, and for good reason. Cacnea is one of the most threatening Swords Dance sweepers in LC because it has access to the strongest priority move in the game; Sucker Punch. After one Swords Dance, Cacnea’s great Attack stat of 19 shoots up to a sky-high 38, allowing it to fire off deadly Sucker Punch attacks that can <can potentially is redundant, and along with the word many later in the sentence it is unneeded> OHKO many LC Pokémon.

Sadly, Cacnea doesn’t receive STAB when it uses Sucker Punch, unlike its evolved form, Cacturne. Even though this is true, the power of a boosted Sucker Punch is never to be underestimated, as Cacnea can sweep very effectively if the opponent is unprepared. Besides using Sucker Punch, Cacnea has two other options to choose from: Focus Punch and Seed Bomb. The choice of what secondary attacking move you want is up to what final move you are going to use. If you select Substitute, Focus Punch is the preferred move as it is more powerful and provides better coverage than Seed Bomb, and Substitute gives Cacnea a shield to ensure Focus Punch hits. It’s also very helpful should your opponent try to outstall Cacnea’s Sucker Punch PP, as it gives you the perfect opportunity to set up Substitute and wreak havoc. On the other hand, if you select Encore, then Seed Bomb should be used. The reason for this is because Encore doesn’t necessarily provide a shield like Substitute does, so Focus Punch tends to be a riskier option. Swords Dance, Encore, and Sucker Punch are also a ridiculously good trio. If your opponent even thinks about stalling out Sucker Punch’s PP, they’ll be hit with Encore, easily giving you a free Swords Dance boost as they are forced to switch out. If they attempt to avoid Encore, then they will be hit by a powerful Sucker Punch. Either way, Cacnea is always going to be in a win-win situation with either Substitute or Encore, so it’s really up to personal preference.

The items listed are also going to be determined by your chosen moveset. If you opt to use Substitute, BrightPowder is the primary item as it makes Cacnea harder to hit (even more so under the sand), which gives it the chance to set up a Substitute without any harm. Focus Sash is suggested if you are using Encore, since Substitute and Focus Sash obviously don’t go well with each other. Focus Sash also guarantees Cacnea at least one Swords Dance boost, as long as Stealth Rock is not set up. Even though BrightPowder and Focus Sash are the preferred items, Life Orb and Leftovers can also be useful. With Life Orb, Cacnea's attacks are powered up by 30%, making it a much larger offensive threat. This gives Sucker Punch that extra kick which allows it to OHKO several Pokémon that it otherwise could not, such as Porygon, Paras, and Wailmer, assuming Cacnea has grabbed a Swords Dance boost and Stealth Rock is set up on the field. On the other hand, Leftovers provides Cacnea with HP recovery every turn, meaning that it can set up an extra Substitute when needed.

Since Cacnea has the ability Sand Veil, it’s worth using Hippopotas so Cacnea can take advantage of it. Not only will it improve Cacnea’s evasion, but it gives Cacnea a chance to set up Swords Dance or Substitute without getting scratched. It will cause extreme frustration for your opponent, as Cacnea becomes quite hard to hit in the sand. When it comes to sweeping, Duskull can stop Cacnea cold if it lacks Seed Bomb. Duskull’s amazing Defense, immunity to Focus Punch, and access to Will-O-Wisp will scare off Cacnea. Sucker Punch will be useless against it, as Duskull won’t bother to strike Cacnea, allowing it to outstall Cacnea with relative ease, assuming you are not running Substitute. To deal with Duskull, Houndour is by far the most effective counter, absorbing Will-O-Wisp for added Fire power and destroying it with Dark Pulse or Fire Blast. <removed> If Cacnea lacks Focus Punch, Houndour makes a great counter to Cacnea, as it can easily switch into Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, or Swords Dance and eliminate it without question. Munchlax is a great switch-in to Houndour, thanks to its Fire-type resistance because of Thick Fat, great overall bulk, and access to Earthquake to get rid of it. Croagunk will always be a troublesome threat no matter what attack Cacnea decides to use, as it is resistant to all of them. It's best to pack a Pokémon that can dispose of Croagunk, or Cacnea will have a hard time sweeping. Diglett and Gligar are both excellent options, the former being able to trap it because of its ability and finish it off with Earthquake, while the latter can switch into almost anything Croagunk uses (excluding Ice Punch) and destroy it with Earthquake.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Seed Bomb / Energy Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive
evs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While Cacnea is typically seen either running Swords Dance or Substitute + Focus Punch, this set is an excellent alternative, allowing Cacnea to make use of its remarkable Attack and Special Attack stat to dish out respectable amounts of damage to a wide variety of Pokémon that reside in Little Cup.

Sucker Punch is Cacnea's main attack, as it compensates for Cacnea's low base Speed and deals a respectable amount of damage to most Pokémon. Brick Break provides excellent coverage alongside Sucker Punch, ripping apart Munchlax and Steel-types such as Aron and Shieldon. Seed Bomb and Energy Ball have the same base power and provide Cacnea with STAB. The choice between Seed Bomb and Energy Ball depends on Cacnea's teammates. <removed; it is redundant with these sentences> If your team needs to strike Pokémon with low Defense harder, Seed Bomb is the best choice; <removed> if you need a move to strike Pokémon with low Special Defense, <howver> Energy Ball is the superior option. If you have no preference, Energy Ball is best as it has a 10% chance to lower the opponent's Special Defense. Hidden Power is the main selling point of this set. Hidden Power Ice is Cacnea's best way to dispose of Gligar, but Hidden Power Fire has better overall coverage and strikes Croagunk, who otherwise resists most of this moveset.

Life Orb is the preferred item because its 30% power boost offers Cacnea the ability to OHKO many Pokémon it otherwise wouldn't be able to. The EV spread is rather simple. With 156 Attack and 76 Special Attack EVs, Cacnea reaches 17 Attack and 16 Special Attack, enough for it to have a shot at 2HKOing max HP/min Def Munchlax with Brick Break and score a 2HKO on Croagunk with Hidden Power Fire. With max Speed, Cacnea is capable of reaching a Speed stat of 14, just enough to tie with neutral natured Croagunk.

With sandstorm support, Cacnea will cause plenty of grief for your opponent, as Cacnea's ability, Sand Veil, increases its evasion by 20% when sandstorm is in play, making it rather difficult to hit. For this reason, Hippopotas pairs up well with Cacnea, as it summons permanent sandstorm with its ability Sand Stream <removed; redundant>. In addition, Hippopotas can provide Stealth Rock support, helping Cacnea sweep. When it comes to sweeping, Gligar can potentially stop Cacnea in its tracks if it lacks Hidden Power Ice, and dispose of Cacnea with a STABed Aerial Ace. If Cacnea lacks Hidden Power Fire, Croagunk will prove bothersome as it resists the majority of Cacnea's moveset, and can strike Cacnea with a super effective Ice Punch. If you lack Hidden Power Ice, it is best to pair up Cacnea with a Pokémon that can handle Gligar, such as Slowpoke. Slowpoke can dispose of the aforementioned Gligar with a STAB Surf. Slowpoke also pairs up with Cacnea well type-wise; Slowpoke resists the Fire-type attacks that Cacnea attracts while Cacnea resists the Electric- and Grass-type attacks that Slowpoke tends to draw in, making them excellent teammates. If Cacnea lacks Hidden Power Fire, however, Croagunk will prove bothersome, as it resists Cacnea's entire moveset, barring Hidden Power Ice. For this reason, pairing up Cacnea with a Pokémon that can handle Croagunk, such as Duskull or Gligar, is recommended. Gligar threatens Croagunk with a super effective Earthquake, while Duskull can reduce Croagunk's Attack with Will-O-Wisp, making it much more manageable.

[SET]
name: Scarfed Sweeper
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Needle Arm / Seed Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Hasty
evs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Cacnea's excellent offensive stats are often offset by its mediocre Speed. However, this can be remedied by using Choice Scarf, which allows Cacnea to become a potent revenge killer and sweeper <removed; redundant>. With Choice Scarf and 236 Speed EVs, Cacnea reaches 21 Speed, allowing it to outrun all non-Choice Scarf Pokémon.

Unlike the other sets, Dark Pulse is chosen over Sucker Punch, as Cacnea can reliably dispose of Pokémon such as non-Choice Scarf Gastly thanks to the increase in Speed. Brick Break is Cacnea's Fighting-type move of choice on this set, as it allows it to hit Pokémon such as Houndour who would otherwise wall this set completely. Brick Break also allows Cacnea to strike the likes of Munchlax and Steel-types such as Aron and Shieldon for super effective damage. Cacnea has two options for a STAB move, Seed Bomb, and its signature move, Needle Arm. Although Needle Arm has 20 less base power than Seed Bomb, it has a handy 30% chance to flinch your opponent, making it a respectable alternative over Seed Bomb. On the other hand, if you prefer power over the 30% flinch rate that Needle Arm provides, Seed Bomb is the move you're looking for. Hidden Power Ice is the preferred move over Hidden Power Fire in the last slot, as it allows Cacnea to strike the ever so common Gligar, who would otherwise stop Cacnea cold. However, Hidden Power Fire has the benefit of hitting Croagunk and Bronzor for super effective damage, making it decent option over Hidden Power Ice.

With Cacnea's Speed being boosted by Choice Scarf and its evasion increased via its ability Sand Veil when a sandstorm is brewing, Cacnea becomes very frustrating to take down when sandstorm is in play. Hippopotas makes a great teammate for Cacnea, as it provides it with sandstorm support, increasing Cacnea's evasion by 20% thanks to its ability Sand Veil. Hippopotas can also set up Stealth Rock, allowing Cacnea to turn some 2HKOes into OHKOes. Houndour is troublesome for this set, as it can come in on a locked Seed Bomb or Dark Pulse and dispose of Cacnea with Pursuit as it switches out, or a STAB Fire-type move if Cacnea stays in. Munchlax is a great switch-in against Houndour, as it resist Houndour's Fire-type moves thanks to Thick Fat, while threatening Houndour with a super effective Earthquake. If not using Hidden Power Ice, Gligar will prove troublesome, as it can shrug off Cacnea's attacks and retaliate with a STAB Aerial Ace. For this reason, pairing up Cacnea with a Pokémon that can handle Gligar is recommended. As mentioned in other sets, Slowpoke is an excellent teammate, <removed> as it can handle Gligar with a STAB Surf, and have good synergy type-wise with Cacnea. Without Hidden Power Fire, Cacnea is more vulnerable to Croagunk, meaning you should have a way to handle it. For this reason, pairing Cacnea up with a Pokémon such as Gligar or Duskull can help, as they both handle Croagunk relatively well. Duskull can burn Croagunk with Will-O-Wisp to reduce its Attack, and proceed to stall out its Sucker Punch PP. Gligar can dispose of the aforementioned Croagunk with a STAB Earthquake, making it a good teammate alongside Cacnea.

[Team Options]

Cacnea's ability, Sand Veil, can be extremely annoying for the opponent, because under a sandstorm, Cacnea increases its evasion by 20%. Hippopotas is the only Pokémon that can set up a permanent sandstorm to activate Sand Veil in the Little Cup metagame, so it makes a great partner for Cacnea. Not only does Hippopotas aid Cacnea with a brutal sandstorm, but it also sets up Stealth Rock. This can potentially help Cacnea score an OHKO which might’ve been a 2HKO if there was no Stealth Rock in play.

There are a variety of problems that Cacnea encounters when it comes to sweeping. Gligar, Duskull, Houndour, and Croagunk are the most notable switch-ins against it, because they can switch into the majority of Cacnea’s moves without fear and proceed to threaten it. Gligar is a big threat because of its great physical bulk and the ability to Roost off any damage taken, meaning Cacnea will have a hard time passing it, especially if it’s lacking Hidden Power Ice. Duskull basically does the same thing Gligar does. It has fantastic physical bulk, immunity to Focus Punch, and Will-O-Wisp to cripple Cacnea. Cacnea’s Sucker Punch won’t stop Duskull from walling Cacnea either, as Duskull can easily refuse to attack and outstall it <removed; redundant>. Houndour and Croagunk don’t necessarily have any form of bulk or walling capabilities; however, their typing allows them to switch into Cacnea’s STAB attacks and threaten it with their powerful STAB moves. Croagunk in particular can be a nuisance as it resists Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, and Focus Punch, all of which are commonly seen on (in or on?) Cacnea’s movesets. To deal with these aforementioned threats, pairing Cacnea up with a Pokémon that can handle the previously mentioned Pokémon is recommended. Bronzor fares well against Gligar, thanks to its resistance to Stone Edge and immunity to Earthquake, while having the chance at setting up Stealth Rock or hitting Gligar for hard damage with Gyro Ball. Houndour is an excellent switch-in to Duskull, as it absorbs Will-O-Wisp to increase it’s Fire-type attacks and destroys Duskull with Dark Pulse. Houndour can be handled reasonably well by using Munchlax, thanks to it’s Thick Fat ability and having Earthquake to finish it off. Lastly, Gligar is an excellent counter to Croagunk, as it resists both of its STAB attacks and can easily destroy it with Earthquake.

Priority users are also a pain for Cacnea to deal with, especially ones that are faster than it, since Sucker Punch will fail to hit them first when they use their priority move. Meowth, Houndour, and Misdreavus are common examples of Pokémon that pack powerful priority moves. Meowth's Fake Out, Houndour's Sucker Punch, and Misdreavus' Shadow Sneak all hit Cacnea for heavy damage, meaning Cacnea will rarely get past these threats. Aron, Munchlax, and Stunky can take care of the aforementioned Pokémon. Aron can score a free Rock Polish boost against Meowth and attempt to fire off powerful Head Smash attacks, Munchlax's great bulk and power give it the ability to dispose of Houndour easily, and Stunky's resistance to Misdreavus' STAB attacks and access to Pursuit allows it to beat Misdreavus with ease.

[Other Options]

Cacnea can utilize Choice Band and Choice Specs to further boost its excellent offensive stats, allowing it to dish out an immense amount of damage to the majority of Pokémon that reside in Little Cup. If you decide to run a Choice set, it comes down to power and coverage. Choice Band Cacnea has stronger attacks to work with then a Choice Specs set, as it can use physical attacking moves such as Brick Break, Sucker Punch, Return, and Seed Bomb to hit a variety of Pokémon for respectable damage. However, Choice Band Cacnea misses out on Hidden Power to broaden its range of types, and being locked into Sucker Punch allows the opponent the chance to set up. When using Choice Specs, Cacnea has access to moves such as Dark Pulse, Energy Ball, and a Hidden Power type of your choice. In general, it will be difficult to pull off a successful Choice Band or Specs set, since Cacnea's middling Speed and lackluster defenses hinder its effectiveness greatly.

A combination of Destiny Bond, Endure, and Salac Berry can be used to great effectiveness. Even though it may be difficult to pull off, it's still a very threatening combination that can easily down one of your opponent's Pokémon. By mastering this strategy, it's almost guaranteed that Cacnea will be able to KO one or sometimes two of the opponent's Pokémon all of the time.

Cacnea can become a very potent special threat with Nasty Plot. It has access to strong moves such as Energy Ball and Dark Pulse, and it can definitely put the hurt on many Pokémon in Little Cup. However, Nasty Plot Cacnea is almost always going to be inferior to Swords Dance Cacnea. This is because Cacnea has much better physical attacks to abuse, including the ever so helpful Sucker Punch, while Cacnea only boasts Energy Ball, Dark Pulse, and Hidden Power for special attacks. That is not to say Cacnea can't use Nasty Plot though, since with Substitute and sandstorm support <removed comma> Cacnea can inflict heavy damage upon its foes.

Another way Cacnea can use Nasty Plot is by using it with Sucker Punch. By using a mixed set with Nasty Plot, Energy Ball, Hidden Power Fire, and Sucker Punch, Cacnea can become a pretty dangerous sweeping force. Having access to an 80 Base Power priority move definitely helps <removed> against foes that are faster than it, while Energy Ball and Hidden Power Fire provide excellent coverage together. The only reason this set is not seeing much attention is because <removed> Houndour and Croagunk generally outclass it with their own Nasty Plot mix sets, as they both have a STAB on their priority attacks and a better movepool to work with.

Cacnea is one of the few Pokémon that can use Spikes in Little Cup. With Spikes, Cacnea can fit into a stall-oriented team, providing residual damage for the team. With Sand Veil and sandstorm in play, Cacnea can set up Spikes relatively well due to the 20% evasion increase it obtains when sandstorm is in play. Cacnea can also use Leech Seed to further frustrate your opponent, but bulkier Grass-types tend to do this better, such as Shroomish and Turtwig. Drain Punch can be used as Cacnea's Fighting-type move on the Mixed set or Mixed Scarf set. With Drain Punch, Cacnea loses power; however, it recovers HP equal to half of the damage Cacnea has dealt to the opponent's Pokémon. Lastly, with Counter and Focus Sash, Cacnea can make an effective Pokémon in the lead position, having a chance to knock out any lead that is physically based.

[EVs]

With all of Cacnea’s sets taking an offensive approach, its EV spreads tend to reflect that. Physical sets should be using max Attack and Speed to offer as much offensive potential as possible, while the remainder can be thrown into HP to give it just a bit of bulk. However, an alternative EV spread for the Swords Dance set exchanges the 236 Speed EVs for 116 EVs in both Defense and Special Defense. That way, Cacnea will be sitting at 22 HP and 12 Defense and Special Defense, allowing it to take hits about 20% better. The lost Speed doesn't affect Cacnea as much since there are not many Pokémon that are in the 10 - 13 Speed range; however, you do lose out to Kabuto, Paras, and a few other threats.

 As for the mixed sets, their EV spreads try to give Cacnea a great amount of power on both sides of the spectrum. The Mixed Attacker set should be using an EV spread of 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe. With max Speed, it can tie with neutral natured Croagunk, and with 76 SpA, it can 2HKO Croagunk with Hidden Power Fire. With 156 Attack, Cacnea can still dish out powerful Sucker Punch and Seed Bomb attacks that will put the hurt on many Pokémon, while the remainder of the EVs are put into HP. The Scarf Sweeper set also uses a combination of physical and special moves, so its EV spread of 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe is recommended. Max Speed lets it outrun every non-Choice Scarf Pokémon, while 156 Atk and 76 SpA offer great offensive power. The remainder is yet again put into HP to add a little bulk.

[Opinion]

Cacnea is a truly amazing Pokémon with sandstorm set up, thanks to its ability, Sand Veil. It’s the only Pokémon in Little Cup that is immune to the effects of sandstorm that isn’t a Rock-, Ground-, or Steel-type and isn’t named Cleffa. Not only that, but Cacnea can become one of the most threatening Swords Dance sweepers in LC, as it boasts the second-strongest priority move in the game (Sucker Punch) and has a solid movepool to back it up. Unfortunately, that's where the praise is cut short. Cacnea is really hindered by its low Speed and frail defenses. What really hurts it is not sharing a Dark-type to have a STAB Sucker Punch, unlike its evolution, Cacturne. Aside from this, its ability is only useful if it is used on the same team as Hippopotas, meaning you're forced to use up a team slot to take advantage of it.

Through it all, Cacnea still comes out as a worthwhile Pokémon, and is a potent threat, with a good helping of prediction and a side of luck. Consider using it if you need a good Grass-type with priority and already have sleep support on a teammate, or if you are using Hippopotas. If you don't already have sleep support on a teammate, Cacnea's role is somewhat challenged by Bellsprout, who has slightly less power, but has access to the ever useful Sleep Powder. They do have separate abilities and typing that set them apart, however. All in all, Cacnea is a solid Grass-type Pokémon who can pull off a few interesting roles.

[Counters]

Without Hidden Power Ice, Gligar stops Cacnea in its tracks, as Gligar can withstand its common physical moves of Seed Bomb and Sucker Punch thanks to its naturally high Defense, respectable HP, and ability to heal off any damage taken with Roost. Gligar can then proceed to dispose of Cacnea with a STAB Aerial Ace. If Gligar lacks Aerial Ace, it fails to be such an immediate threat, but it can deal solid damage with Stone Edge and even Earthquake. Similarly, without Hidden Power Fire, Croagunk proves to be quite bothersome, as it resists the majority of moves Cacnea is seen using, such as Seed Bomb, Sucker Punch, and Brick Break. In addition, Croagunk can make quick work of Cacnea with Ice Punch, which strikes it super effectively.

Houndour resists Sucker Punch and Seed Bomb and can threaten Cacnea with Fire Blast. However, Houndour must be wary of Brick Break and Focus Punch, both of which can OHKO Houndour. Snover is not exactly a counter, but it can get rid of the sandstorm that is usually paired up with Cacnea, thanks to its ability, Snow Warning, which summons a permanent hailstorm. In addition, Snover can threaten it with a STAB Ice Shard if <removed> Cacnea is not behind the protection of Substitute

Duskull can stop Cacnea cold, especially if it lacks Seed Bomb. Duskull’s excellent Defense, immunity to Focus Punch, and access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple Cacnea make it a great a Pokémon to combat it. Although Sucker Punch hits Duskull super effectively, it will only work if Duskull attempts to hit Cacnea with one if its damaging attacks. Duskull doesn't need to directly attack Cacnea as it can easily reduce Cacnea's power with Will-O-Wisp and proceed to stall out its Sucker Punch with relative ease. Drifloon can switch in on a Focus Punch thanks to its immunity to Fighting-type moves, and proceed to set up Substitute as Cacnea uses Sucker Punch. On a similar note, Misdreavus can also set up Substitute as Cacnea attempts to strike it with Sucker Punch; however, Misdreavus is not the best switch-in, as it does not resist Seed Bomb like Drifloon does.

Pokémon that are Scarfed (or faster than Cacnea) and can work around Sucker Punch make decent checks to Cacnea. <removed> Magby can use Mach Punch to avoid being hit by Sucker Punch and resists Seed Bomb, Stunky is resistant to both Sucker Punch and Seed Bomb and can hit Cacnea with a powerful Crunch, and Machop also resists Sucker Punch and can destroy Cacnea with DynamicPunch. Do note, however, that all of the aforementioned checks will take heavy damage from Focus Punch, assuming Cacnea is under its Substitute.

pretty solid write-up. corrections are in bold.

Fuzznip · Nov 21, 2009

Wonderful, thanks Dub!

Cacnea is ready to go on-site!

Xia · Dec 14, 2009

Since Cacnea has the ability Sand Veil, it’s worth using Hippopotas so Cacnea can take advantage of it. Not only will it improve Cacnea’s evasion, but it gives Cacnea a chance to set up Swords Dance or Substitute without getting scratched. It will also cause extreme frustration to your opponent (cut out for concision/redundancy). When it comes to sweeping, Duskull can stop Cacnea cold if it lacks Seed Bomb. Duskull’s amazing Defense, immunity to Focus Punch, and access to Will-O-Wisp will scare off Cacnea with ease. Also, Sucker Punch will be useless against it, as Duskull generally won’t bother to strike Cacnea. To deal with Duskull, Houndour is by far the most effective counter, absorbing Will-O-Wisp for added fire power (it's a pun, though I beliee this was what you meant) and destroying it with Dark Pulse or Fire Blast. Speaking of Houndour, if Cacnea lacks Focus Punch, Houndour can easily switch into Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, or Swords Dance and eliminate it without question. Munchlax is a great switch-in to Houndour, thanks to its Fire-type resistance due to Thick Fat, great overall bulk, and access to super effective Earthquake. Croagunk will always be a troublesome threat no matter what attack Cacnea decides to use, as it is resistant to all of them. It's best to pack a Pokemon that can dispose of Croagunk, or Cacnea will have a hard time sweeping. Diglett and Gligar are both excellent options, the former being able to trap it because of its ability and finish it off with Earthquake, while the latter can switch into almost anything Croagunk uses (excluding Ice Punch) and destroy it with Earthquake.

While Cacnea is typically seen either running Swords Dance or Substitute + Focus Punch, this set is an excellent alternative, allowing Cacnea to make use of its remarkable Attack and Special Attack stats to dish out respectable amounts of damage to a wide variety of Pokemon that reside in Little Cup.

Sucker Punch is Cacnea's main attack, as it compensates for Cacnea's low base Speed and deals a respectable amount of damage to most Pokemon. Brick Break provides excellent coverage alongside Sucker Punch, ripping apart Munchlax and Steel-types such as Aron and Shieldon. Seed Bomb and Energy Ball have the same Base Power and provide Cacnea with STAB. The choice between Seed Bomb and Energy Ball depends on Cacnea's teammates. If your team needs to strike Pokemon with low Defense harder, Seed Bomb is the best choice; however, if you need a move to strike Pokemon with low Special Defense, Energy Ball is the superior option. If you have no preference, Energy Ball is the best choice as it has a 10% chance to lower the opponent's Special Defense by one stage. Hidden Power is the main selling point of this set. Hidden Power Ice is Cacnea's best way to dispose of Gligar, but Hidden Power Fire has better overall coverage and strikes Croagunk, who otherwise resists most of this moveset.

Cacnea's excellent offensive stats are often offset by its mediocre Speed. However, this can be remedied by using Choice Scarf, which allows Cacnea to become a potent revenge killer and sweeper. With Choice Scarf and 236 Speed EVs, Cacnea reaches 21 Speed, allowing it to outrun all non-Choice Scarf Pokemon.

Unlike the other sets, Dark Pulse is chosen over Sucker Punch, as Cacnea can reliably dispose of Pokemon such as non-Choice Scarf Gastly thanks to the increase in Speed. Brick Break is Cacnea's Fighting-type move of choice on this set, as it allows it to hit Pokemon such as Houndour who would otherwise wall this set completely. Brick Break also allows Cacnea to strike the likes of Munchlax and Steel-types such as Aron and Shieldon for super effective damage. Cacnea has two options for a STAB move, Seed Bomb, and its signature move, Needle Arm. Although Needle Arm has 20 less Base Power than Seed Bomb, it has a handy 30% chance to flinch your opponent, making it a respectable alternative over Seed Bomb. On the other hand, if you prefer power over the 30% flinch rate that Needle Arm provides, Seed Bomb is the move you're looking for. Hidden Power Ice is the preferred move over Hidden Power Fire in the last slot, as it allows Cacnea to strike the ever so common Gligar, who would otherwise stop Cacnea cold. However, Hidden Power Fire has the benefit of hitting Croagunk and Bronzor for super effective damage, making it decent option over Hidden Power Ice.

With Cacnea's Speed being boosted by Choice Scarf and its evasion increased via its ability Sand Veil when a sandstorm is brewing, Cacnea becomes very frustrating to take down when sandstorm is in play. Hippopotas makes a great teammate for Cacnea, as it provides it with sandstorm support, increasing Cacnea's evasion by 20% thanks to its ability Sand Veil. Hippopotas can also set up Stealth Rock, allowing Cacnea to turn some 2HKOes into OHKOes. Houndour is troublesome for this set, as it can come in on a locked Seed Bomb or Dark Pulse and dispose of Cacnea with Pursuit as it switches out, or a STAB Fire-type move if Cacnea stays in. Munchlax is a great switch-in against Houndour, as it resist Houndour's Fire-type moves thanks to Thick Fat, while threatening Houndour with a super effective Earthquake. If not using Hidden Power Ice, Gligar will prove troublesome, as it can shrug off Cacnea's attacks and retaliate with a STABed Aerial Ace. For this reason, pairing up Cacnea with a Pokemon that can handle Gligar is recommended. As mentioned in other sets, Slowpoke is an excellent teammate, as it can handle Gligar with STAB Surf, and has good synergy type-wise with Cacnea. Without Hidden Power Fire, Cacnea is more vulnerable to Croagunk, meaning you should have a way to handle it. For this reason, pairing Cacnea up with a Pokemon such as Gligar or Duskull can help, as they both handle Croagunk relatively well. Duskull can burn Croagunk with Will-O-Wisp to reduce its Attack, and proceed to stall out its Sucker Punch PP. Gligar can dispose of the aforementioned Croagunk with a STAB Earthquake, making it a good teammate alongside Cacnea.

Cacnea's ability, Sand Veil, can be extremely annoying for the opponent, because under a sandstorm, Cacnea increases its evasion by 20%. Hippopotas is the only Pokemon that can set up a permanent sandstorm to activate Sand Veil in the Little Cup metagame, so it makes a great partner for Cacnea. Not only does Hippopotas aid Cacnea with a brutal sandstorm, but it also sets up Stealth Rock. This can potentially help Cacnea score an OHKO which might’ve been a 2HKO if there was no Stealth Rock in play (if you have any examples, I would include them so this desn't seem like an unbacked claim).

There are a variety of problems that Cacnea encounters when it comes to sweeping. Gligar, Duskull, Houndour, and Croagunk are the most notable switch-ins against cacnea, because they can switch into the majority of Cacnea’s moves without fear and proceed to threaten it. Gligar is a big threat because of its great physical bulk and the ability to Roost off any damage taken, meaning Cacnea will have a hard time passing it, especially if it’s lacking Hidden Power Ice. Duskull basically does the same thing Gligar does. It has fantastic physical bulk, immunity to Focus Punch, and Will-O-Wisp to cripple Cacnea. Cacnea’s Sucker Punch won’t stop Duskull from walling Cacnea either, as Duskull can easily refuse to attack and outstall Sucker Punch's PP. Houndour and Croagunk don’t necessarily have any form of bulk or walling capabilities; however, their typing allows them to switch into Cacnea’s STAB attacks and threaten it with their powerful STAB moves. Croagunk in particular can be a nuisance as it resists Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, and Focus Punch, all of which are commonly seen in Cacnea’s movesets. To deal with these aforementioned threats, pairing Cacnea up with a Pokemon that can handle the previously mentioned Pokemon is recommended. Bronzor fares well against Gligar, thanks to its resistance to Stone Edge and immunity to Earthquake, while having the chance at setting up Stealth Rock or hitting Gligar for hard damage with Gyro Ball. Houndour is an excellent switch-in to Duskull, as it absorbs Will-O-Wisp to increase its Fire-type attacks and destroys Duskull with Dark Pulse. Houndour can be handled reasonably well by using Munchlax, thanks to its Thick Fat ability and having Earthquake to finish it off. Lastly, Gligar is an excellent counter to Croagunk, as it resists both of its STAB attacks and can easily destroy it with Earthquake.

Cacnea can utilize Choice Band and Choice Specs to further boost its excellent offensive stats, allowing it to dish out an immense amount of damage to the majority of Pokemon that reside in Little Cup. If you decide to run a Choice set, it comes down to power and coverage. Choice Band Cacnea has stronger attacks to work with then a Choice Specs set, as it can use physical attacking moves such as Brick Break, Sucker Punch, Return, and Seed Bomb to hit a variety of Pokemon for respectable damage. However, Choice Band Cacnea misses out on Hidden Power to broaden its range of attacak types, and being locked into Sucker Punch gives the opponent a chance to set up. When using Choice Specs, Cacnea has access to moves such as Dark Pulse, Energy Ball, and a Hidden Power type of your choice. In general, it will be difficult to pull off a successful Choice Band or Specs set, since Cacnea's middling Speed and lackluster defenses hinder its effectiveness greatly.

Cacnea is one of the few Pokemon that can use Spikes in Little Cup. With Spikes, Cacnea can fit into a stall-oriented team, providing residual damage for the team. With Sand Veil and sandstorm in play, Cacnea can set up Spikes relatively well. Cacnea can also use Leech Seed to further frustrate your opponent, but bulkier Grass-types tend to do this better, such as Shroomish and Turtwig. Drain Punch can be used as Cacnea's Fighting-type move on the Mixed set or Mixed Scarf set. With Drain Punch, Cacnea loses power; however, it recovers HP equal to half of the damage Cacnea has dealt to the opponent's Pokemon. Lastly, with Counter and Focus Sash, Cacnea can make an effective Pokemon in the lead position, having a chance to knock out any lead that is physically based.

Houndour resists Sucker Punch and Seed Bomb and can threaten Cacnea with Fire Blast. However, Houndour must be wary of Brick Break and Focus Punch, both of which can OHKO Houndour. Snover is not exactly a counter, but it can get rid of the sandstorm that is usually paired up with Cacnea, thanks to its ability, Snow Warning, which summons a permanent hailstorm. In addition, Snover can threaten it with STAB Ice Shard if Cacnea is not behind a Substitute.

Pokemon that are Scarfed (or faster than Cacnea) and can work around Sucker Punch make decent checks to Cacnea. For example, Magby can use Mach Punch to avoid being hit by Sucker Punch and resists Seed Bomb, Stunky is resistant to both Sucker Punch and Seed Bomb and can hit Cacnea with a powerful Crunch, and Machop also resists Sucker Punch and can destroy Cacnea with DynamicPunch. Do note, however, that all of the aforementioned checks will take heavy damage from Focus Punch, assuming Cacnea is behind its Substitute.

Wild Eep · Dec 14, 2009

Seven Deadly Sins said:
name: BondPunch
move 1: Endure
move 2: Destiny Bond
move 3: Focus Punch
move 4: Sucker Punch / Seed Bomb / Encore
item: Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

This made me realize that you can't gain Destiny Bond through the Pomeg glitch (it's FRLG/4th only), so it should be illegal with Encore. :-(

Fuzznip · Dec 17, 2009

Thank you Xia and Wild Eep!

Matthew · Dec 19, 2009

I'd like if you trimmed it down, there is a lot of useless information that isn't really needed in the analysis but has found its place in there, for example:

"Sadly, Cacnea doesn’t receive STAB when it uses Sucker Punch, unlike its evolved form, Cacturne; however, the power of a boosted Sucker Punch is never to be underestimated, as Cacnea can sweep very effectively if the opponent is unprepared."

the bolded part is not necessary at all. Be careful to not reiterate yourself a lot in this analysis too, there are some cases of it.

franky · Dec 20, 2009

[SET]
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Focus Punch / Seed Bomb
move 4: Substitute / Encore
item: BrightPowder / Focus Sash
nature: Adamant
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set is one of the most common and effective sets that Cacnea can run. Cacnea is one of the most threatening Swords Dance sweepers in LC because it has access to the strongest priority move in the game: Sucker Punch. After one Swords Dance, Cacnea’s great Attack stat of 19 shoots up to a sky-high 38, allowing it to fire off attacks that can OHKO many LC Pokemon.

Sucker Punch is never to be underestimated even without the STAB boost [concised]. Cacnea has two other options to choose from for the third slot: Focus Punch and Seed Bomb. The choice of what secondary attacking move depends on what you choose for the final move. If you select Substitute, Focus Punch is the preferred move in conjunction with Substitute as it is more powerful and provides better coverage than Seed Bomb. It’s also very helpful should your opponent try to out-stall Cacnea’s Sucker Punch PP, as it gives you the perfect opportunity to set up Substitute. On the other hand, if you select Encore, then Seed Bomb should be used. The reason for this is because Encore doesn’t provide a shield like Substitute does, so Focus Punch tends to be a riskier option. Swords Dance, Encore, and Sucker Punch are also a ridiculously good trio. If your opponent even thinks about stalling out Sucker Punch’s PP, they’ll be hit with Encore, easily giving you a free Swords Dance boost as they are forced to switch out. If they attempt to avoid Encore by attacking, then they will be hit by Sucker Punch. Either way, Cacnea is always going to be in a win-win situation with either Substitute or Encore, so it’s really up to personal preference.

The items listed are also going to be determined by your chosen moveset. If you opt to use Substitute, BrightPowder is the primary item as it makes Cacnea harder to hit (even more so under the sand), which gives it the chance to set up a Substitute without any harm. Focus Sash is suggested if you are using Encore, since using both Substitute and Focus Sash wouldn't make any sense. Focus Sash also guarantees Cacnea at least one Swords Dance boost, as long as entry hazards are not present. Even though BrightPowder and Focus Sash are the preferred items, Life Orb and Leftovers can also be useful. With Life Orb, Cacnea's attacks are powered up by 30%, making it a much larger offensive threat. This gives Sucker Punch that extra kick to OHKO [concise] Porygon, Paras, and Wailmer, assuming Cacnea has grabbed a Swords Dance boost and Stealth Rock is set up on the field. On the other hand, Leftovers provides Cacnea with HP recovery every turn to set up Substitute.

Since Cacnea has the ability Sand Veil, it’s worth using Hippopotas so Cacnea can take advantage of it by setting up Swords Dance or Substitute sufficiently easier [concise]. When it comes to sweeping, Duskull can stop Cacnea cold if it lacks Seed Bomb. Duskull’s amazing Defense, immunity to Focus Punch, and access to Will-O-Wisp will scare off Cacnea with ease. Also, Sucker Punch will be useless against it, as Duskull generally won’t bother to strike Cacnea. To deal with Duskull, Houndour is by far the most effective counter, absorbing Will-O-Wisp for added fire power and destroying it with Dark Pulse or Fire Blast. Speaking of Houndour, if Cacnea lacks Focus Punch, Houndour can easily switch into Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, or Swords Dance and eliminate it. Munchlax is a great switch-in to Houndour, thanks to its Fire-type resistance due to Thick Fat, great overall bulk, and access to a super effective Earthquake. Croagunk will always be a troublesome threat no matter what attack Cacnea decides to use, as it is resistant to all of them. It's best to pack a Pokemon that can dispose of Croagunk, or Cacnea will have a hard time sweeping. Diglett and Gligar are both excellent options, since Diglett can trap and OHKO it with Earthquake thanks to its ability Arena Trap. Gligar can switch into almost anything Croagunk uses (excluding Ice Punch) and destroy it with Earthquake.

[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Seed Bomb / Energy Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive
evs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While Cacnea is typically seen either running Swords Dance or Substitute + Focus Punch, this set is an excellent alternative, allowing Cacnea to make use of its remarkable Attack and Special Attack stats to dish out respectable amounts of damage to a number of Pokemon that reside in Little Cup.

Sucker Punch is Cacnea's main attack, as it compensates for Cacnea's low base Speed. [concise] Brick Break provides excellent coverage alongside Sucker Punch, hitting Munchlax and Steel-types such as Aron and Shieldon. The choice between Seed Bomb and Energy Ball depends on what Cacnea wants to hit. Seed Bomb hits weaker physical defensive Pokemon, while Energy Ball hits weaker special defensive Pokemon. [concise] If you have no preference, Energy Ball is the best choice as it has a 10% chance to lower the opponent's Special Defense by one stage. Hidden Power Ice is Cacnea's best way to dispose of Gligar, but Hidden Power Fire has better overall coverage and can strike Croagunk, who otherwise resists most of the moveset.

Life Orb is the preferred item because its 30% power boost offers Cacnea the ability to OHKO many Pokémon it otherwise wouldn't be able to. [like?] The EV spread is rather simple. With 156 Attack and 76 Special Attack EVs, Cacnea reaches 17 Attack and 16 Special Attack, enough for it to have a shot at 2HKOing max HP/min Def Munchlax with Brick Break and score a 2HKO on Croagunk with Hidden Power Fire. With max Speed, Cacnea is capable of reaching a Speed stat of 14, just enough to tie with neutral natured Croagunk.

With sandstorm support, Cacnea's evasion will increase by 20% and it will cause plenty of grief for your opponent. [concise] For this reason, Hippopotas pairs up well with Cacnea, as it summons permanent sandstorm with its ability Sand Stream. In addition, Hippopotas can provide Stealth Rock support, helping Cacnea sweep. When it comes to sweeping, Gligar can potentially stop Cacnea in its tracks if it lacks Hidden Power Ice, and dispose of Cacnea with Aerial Ace. If Cacnea lacks Hidden Power Fire, Croagunk will prove bothersome as it resists the majority of Cacnea's moveset, and can strike Cacnea with a super effective Ice Punch. If you lack Hidden Power Ice, Slowpoke can dispose of the aforementioned Gligar with a STAB Surf. Slowpoke also pairs up with Cacnea well type wise since they both resist each others weakneses [concise]. If Cacnea lacks Hidden Power Fire, Croagunk will prove bothersome, as it resists Cacnea's entire moveset, barring Hidden Power Ice. For this reason, pairing up Cacnea with a Pokemon that can handle Croagunk, such as Duskull or Gligar, is recommended. Gligar threatens Croagunk with a super effective Earthquake, while Duskull can reduce Croagunk's Attack with Will-O-Wisp, making it much more manageable.

[SET]
name: Scarfed Sweeper
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Needle Arm / Seed Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Hasty
evs: 36 HP / 156 Atk / 76 SpA / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Cacnea's excellent offensive stats are often offset by its mediocre Speed. As such, this can be remedied by using Choice Scarf, which allows Cacnea to become a potent revenge killer. With Choice Scarf, Cacnea reaches 21 Speed, allowing it to outrun all non-Choice Scarf Pokemon.

Unlike the other sets, Dark Pulse is chosen over Sucker Punch, as Cacnea can reliably dispose of Pokemon such as non-Choice Scarf Gastly thanks to the increase in Speed. Brick Break is vital on this set as it hits [concise] Houndour who would otherwise wall this set completely. Brick Break also allows Cacnea to strike the likes of Munchlax and Steel-types such as Aron and Shieldon for super effective damage. Cacnea has two options for a STAB move between Seed Bomb and Needle Arm. Although Needle Arm has 20 less Base Power than Seed Bomb, it has a handy 30% chance to flinch your opponent. [concise] On the other hand, Seed Bomb provides more power than Needle Arm. Hidden Power Ice is the preferred move over Hidden Power Fire in the last slot, as it allows Cacnea to strike the ever so common Gligar, who would otherwise stop Cacnea cold. However, Hidden Power Fire has the benefit of hitting Croagunk and Bronzor for super effective damage, making it decent option over Hidden Power Ice.

With sandstorm in play, [concise] Cacnea becomes very frustrating. Hippopotas makes a great teammate for Cacnea, as it provides it with sandstorm support, activating Cacnea's ability Sand Veil. Hippopotas can also set up Stealth Rock, allowing Cacnea to turn some 2HKOes into OHKOes. [like?] Houndour is troublesome for this set, as it can come in on a locked Seed Bomb or Dark Pulse, and can dispose of Cacnea with Pursuit as it switches out, or a STAB Fire-type move if Cacnea stays in. Munchlax is a great switch-in against Houndour, as it resist Houndour's Fire-type moves thanks to Thick Fat, while threatening Houndour with a super effective Earthquake. If its not using Hidden Power Ice, Gligar will prove troublesome, as it can shrug off Cacnea's attacks and can OHKO with Aerial Ace. For this reason, pairing up Cacnea with a Pokemon that can handle Gligar is recommended. As mentioned in other sets, Slowpoke is an excellent teammate, as it can handle Gligar with STAB Surf, and has good synergy type-wise with Cacnea. Without Hidden Power Fire, Cacnea is more vulnerable to Croagunk, meaning you should have a way to handle it. For this reason, pairing Cacnea up with a Pokemon such as Gligar or Duskull can help, as they both handle Croagunk well. Duskull can burn Croagunk with Will-O-Wisp to reduce its Attack, and can stall out its Sucker Punch [what Sucker Punch?] PP. Gligar can dispose of the aforementioned Croagunk with a STAB Earthquake, making it a good teammate alongside Cacnea.

--

Will finish later. bold for change, red for remove (consider removing). Good stuff for now, just made it a tad bit concise..........

Fuzznip · Dec 20, 2009

Thanks a bunch franky. I'll try my best to concise this Gen!

Cacnea [4F]+

Fuzznip

Brambane

protect the wetlands

Fuzznip

Heysup

Dummy007

Seven Deadly Sins

~hallelujah~

franky

aka pimpdaddyfranky, aka frankydelaghetto, aka F, aka ef

Fuzznip

eric the espeon

maybe I just misunderstood

Fuzznip

eric the espeon

maybe I just misunderstood

Dubulous

I look just like Buddy Holly.

Fuzznip

Xia

On porpoise

Wild Eep

pet pet pet

Fuzznip

Matthew

I love weather; Sun for days

franky

aka pimpdaddyfranky, aka frankydelaghetto, aka F, aka ef

Fuzznip

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