Taken over from Magcargo
With help from Mysteria and TheEnder
QC aim / Valentine / ben gay
GP Winry. / The Dutch Plumberjack
Overview
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name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Taunt / Stealth Rock
ability: Justified
item: Leftovers
evs: 140 HP / 112 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Set Details
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Usage Tips
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Team Options
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Other Options
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**Bulky Ground-types**:
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- Resists 8 types and is weak to only three
- Versatile
- Access to Stealth Rock
- Good Defense
- Weak to common offensive typing
- Mediocre offensive stats
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name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Taunt / Stealth Rock
ability: Justified
item: Leftovers
evs: 140 HP / 112 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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- Close Combat is Cobalion's most powerful STAB move and hits key Pokemon such as Bisharp, Kyurem-B and Tyranitar for super effective damage
- Iron Head Hits Fairy-types such as Clefable and Mega Gardevoir for solid damage
- Volt Switch maintains momentum against several of Cobalion's checks and counters
- Taunt is an excellent move, crippling common switch-ins such as Mew and Skarmory, as well as preventing Pokemon such as Landorus-T from setting up Stealth Rock
- Stealth Rock can be used in the last slot if nothing else on the team has room to occupy it
- Thunder Wave can be used to cripple Pokemon which don't mind switching into Cobalion such as Charizard X
- Hidden Power Ice is for hitting Pokemon such as Gliscor and Landorus which don't mind taking Iron Head or Close Combat
Set Details
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- The bulk allows Cobalion to survive an Earthquake from Excadrill
- The Attack allows Cobalion to OHKO Mega Gardevoir with Iron Head after it takes Stealth Rock damage, 2HKO Ferrothorn and specially defensive Heatran with Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage.
- Justified is the only ability Cobalion gets and increases Attack by 1 stage when hit by a Dark-type attack
- Leftovers is so Cobalion gains back some recovery at the end of each turn
- 248 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD + Jolly Nature lets Cobalion take one Focus Blast from Timid Mega Gardevoir, while avoiding the 2HKO from LO Latios's HP Fire most of the time. It reaches 277 Speed, which is enough to outspeed Jolly Mega Heracross.
Usage Tips
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- Cobalion can is versatile so not revealing what set it is too early in the game can be useful as an element of surprise against opponents
- Volt Switch can be used to gain momentum but must be cautious of Ground-types such as Gliscor and Landorus
- Pokemon which are forced to switch out can be useful in allowing Cobalion to get up its Stealth Rocks.
- Bringing Cobalion in on a predicted Dark-type attack can be useful in the long run since it gets the Justified boost raising its Attack and also resists it.
Team Options
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- Landorus-T is an excellent partner, as its able to check Pokemon such as Charizard X, Excadrill, and Garchomp which Cobalion has trouble with. In return, Cobalion is able to remove Bisharp which gives Landorus-T trouble. Both Pokemon also form a solid Volturn core
- Manetric is a great partner as well, being able to check water-types and forming a Volturn core with Landorus-T and Cobalion
- Latios keeps Water-types and Fire-types in check while also appreciating Bisharp and Mega Gardevoir removed.
- Mega-Latias is a good partner as Cobalion can threaten Pokemon which cause problems to it such as Bisharp and Tyranitar; taking them out before being able to sweep.
Other Options
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- Swords Dance + 3 Attacks
- Stone Edge
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**Bulky Ground-types**:
- Gliscor
- Landorus-T
- Garchomp
- Hippowdon
- Slowbro
- Starmie
- Gastrodon
- Charizard Y
- Bulky Charizard X
- Talonflame
- Chandelure
- Choice Scarf Heatran
- Greninja
- Choice Scarf Keldeo
- Manectric
Overview
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Cobalion's niche in OU is being is a great Stealth Rock setter and Volt Switch user that is capable of dealing with Bisharp and Mega Gardevoir. Cobalion has a high Defense and access to attacks such as Stealth Rock and Volt Switch, allowing it to support its team and gain momentum. It's able to take hits due to its Steel / Fighting typing, which gives it eight resistances as well as an immunity to Poison-type attacks. However, Cobalion has mediocre offensive stats that make it difficult for it to damage foes. Although Cobalion is only weak to Fighting-, Fire-, and Ground-type attacks, offensive moves of these types are common and cause problems for Cobalion due to their high Base Power.
Offensive Pivot
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name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Taunt / Stealth Rock
ability: Justified
item: Leftovers
evs: 140 HP / 112 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Close Combat is Cobalion's most powerful STAB attack and hits Pokemon such as Bisharp, Kyurem-B, and Tyranitar for super effective damage. Iron Head is a Steel-type STAB move that hits Fairy-types such as Clefable and Mega Gardevoir for super effective damage. Volt Switch allows Cobalion to gain momentum against several of Cobalion's checks and counters by using it on the turn that they switch in. Taunt is great for crippling common switch-ins such as Mew and Skarmory and preventing Pokemon such as Landorus-T from setting up Stealth Rock. Stealth Rock is useful for damaging Pokemon as they switch in and can be used in the last slot if no other Pokemon on Cobalion's team has room to run it. Thunder Wave can be used to cripple Pokemon that don't mind switching in, such as Mega Charizard X. Hidden Power Ice allows Cobalion to catch Pokemon such as Gliscor and Landorus off guard, which don't mind taking an Iron Head or Close Combat off guard.
Set Details
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The 140 HP EVs allow Cobalion to survive an Earthquake from Excadrill and take it out with Close Combat. The Attack EVs allow Cobalion to OHKO Mega Gardevoir with Iron Head and 2HKO Ferrothorn and specially defensive Heatran with Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage. Justified is the only ability Cobalion gets and increases its Attack by one stage when it is hit by a Dark-type attack. Leftovers is used to recover some HP at the end of each turn. Cobalion reaches 277 Speed with a Jolly nature, which is enough to outspeed Jolly Mega Heracross. Alternatively, an EV spread of 248 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD and a Jolly nature can be used, as it lets Cobalion take a Focus Blast from Timid Mega Gardevoir while avoiding a 2HKO from Life Orb Latios's Hidden Power Fire most of the time.
Usage Tips
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Volt Switch should be used to gain momentum, but be cautious of common Ground-type switch-ins such as Gliscor and Landorus, which don't fear Cobalion's attacks if it isn't running Hidden Power Ice. Use Stealth Rock when Pokemon such as Bisharp and Tyranitar are on the field, as they will likely switch out, not wanting to get OHKOed. Bringing in Cobalion on a predicted Dark-type attack can be useful in the long run for a late-game sweep or cleaning up weakened Pokemon because this raises its Attack via Justified, and while Cobalion takes little damage anyway because of its resistance to Dark-type attacks. Cobalion can be unpredictable with Hidden Power Ice and Thunder Wave, so revealing them too early can throw away the element of surprise against opponents with Landorus, Gliscor, and Mega Charizard X.
Team Options
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Landorus-T is an excellent partner, as it's able to check Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X, Excadrill, and Garchomp, which don't mind switching in on Cobalion. In return, Cobalion is able to remove Bisharp, which Landorus-T doesn't like switching in on due to Defiant; both Pokemon also form a solid VoltTurn core. Manectric is a great partner as well, being able to check Water-type Pokemon and forming a VoltTurn core with Landorus-T and Cobalion. Latios keeps Water- and Fire-types in check and also appreciates Cobalion's ability to remove Pokemon such as Bisharp and Mega Gardevoir. Psychic-type Pokemon such as Mew and Slowbro also appreciate Cobalion for its ability to deal with Bisharp; Slowbro is also able to cover all of Cobalion's weaknesses by checking Fire- and Ground-type Pokemon and resisting Fighting-type attacks. Mega-Latias is a good partner as Cobalion can threaten Pokemon which cause problems to it such as Bisharp and Tyranitar; taking them out before being able to sweep.
Other Options
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Swords Dance and three attacks is a possibility, as Cobalion's Defense, Speed, and multiple resistances give it opportunities to set up and proceed to sweep. Stone Edge can be used to hit Pokemon such as Charizard and Talonflame super effectively.
Checks & Counters
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**Bulky Ground-types**: Bulky Ground-type Pokemon such as Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Hippowdon don't mind switching in against Cobalion and can threaten it out with a STAB Earthquake. If they're predicting the switch, they can also use the chance to set up Stealth Rock; Hippowdon and Gliscor can also use Slack Off and Roost to heal themselves.
**Water-types**: Water-type Pokemon such as Slowbro, Starmie, and Gastrodon can take Iron Head and Close Combat with ease, not to mention they all have access to recovery. Cobalion only has 72 Special Defense, so it doesn't appreciate being hit or crippled by a burn with Scald.
**Fire-types**: Fire-type Pokemon such as Mega Charizard Y, Mega Charizard X, Talonflame, and Chandelure can take Iron Head and Close Combat and retaliate with their STAB Fire-type attacks; however, they have to be wary if they don't know Cobalion's full set, as they do not like being hit by Stone Edge.
**Fast Revenge Killers**: Fast revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Heatran, Greninja, Choice Scarf Keldeo, and Manectric can come in after a teammate has fainted and threaten Cobalion out with their hard-hitting attacks due to Cobalion's mediocre Special Defense. Choice Scarf Heatran can also catch Cobalion off guard if it's played correctly by faking the specially defensive set, as Cobalion will think Heatran is going to switch out.
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