Combusken [QC: 0/3]

LzrGunPewPew

LzrGunPewPew

Overview
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Pros:

-Has an awesome ability in Speed Boost
-Has access to solid boosting move options like Swords Dance and Bulk Up
-Can do a small amount of damage with STAB Flare Blitz
-Has access to Baton Pass
-Is one of the tier's best Baton Pass users

Cons:

-Very frail, even with Eviolite
-Weak to priority
-One of the few fighting types that doesn't like Knock Off

Baton Pass
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name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Protect/Substitute
move 3: Flare Blitz/Flamethrower
move 4: Swords Dance/Bulk Up
ability: Speed Boost
item: Eviolite
evs: 252 HP/60 Def/192 Spe
nature: Jolly/Timid

Moves
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-Protect guarantees at least one speed boost
-Baton Pass passes off the boosts from Swords Dance or Bulk up and Speed Boost
-Flare Blitz lets you do some damage before passing
-Swords Dance is the preferred option for stat boosting
-Bulk Up provides a convenient defense boost at the cost of only +1 attack
-Substitute can be used over Protect, but this takes away valuable health and should only be used with Bulk Up
-Flamethrower is a decent option over Flare Blitz due to no recoil

Set Details
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-Eviolite provides the best possible bulk
-252 HP EVs maxes out Combusken's HP, to let it take more hits
-196 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature will allow Combusken to outspeed Scarf Braviary at +2
-60 Def EVs will let Combusken survive a Fletchinder Acrobatics
-Speed Boost is the most important part of the set, allowing Combusken to become faster, granting more opportunities to set up and pass boosts to teammates

Usage Tips
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-Swords Dance can be used on a switch
-Use Protect to guarantee one or more speed boosts
-Baton Pass to pass the boosts to a sweeper

Team Options
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-Dual Screen support from something like Meowstic-M or Uxie
-A revenge killer to take out other Sharpedo and Yanmega, who threaten Combusken the most. Rotom-C does this well, and Yanmega is handled by Braviary fairly well
-A solid sweeper to pass Combusken's to, such as Hitmonlee, Zangoose, or Kabutops
-Cleric Support from something such as Aromatisse to heal Combusken if it gets statused
-Zoroark, Gallade, and Specs Yanmega can deal with Slowking and Dragalge, who easily phase out Combusken
-Xatu is a great passing option for a Stored Power set as the boosts provided by Combusken bring a lot of power to it.

Other Options
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-A full physical attacking set with Swords Dance can be used, but is entirely outclassed by Yanmega and Sharpedo.
-A special attacking set of Fire Blast/Focus Blast/Protect/Baton Pass can work, but it is still outclassed by other options such as Delphox.
-Rock Slide can be used to hit Moltres and Delphox, but has little use other than this.
-Shadow Claw can hit Slowking, who resists both of Combusken's STABs
-Focus Sash/Reversal can be used, but this is a bad option because it takes away the bulk from Eviolite, requires Rapid Spin/Defog to keep the sash intact and have reversal be of use, plus Flare Blitz is stronger at every health level.
-Can go mixed, but Emboar does this better

Checks & Counters
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**Dragalge and Slowking**-Resist both STABs, and both of them can stop Combusken's Baton Passing with Dragon Tail
**Mega Banette**-Can either Taunt or Destiny Bond Combusken, both of which completely stop it and are very threatening.
**Status and phazing**-Combusken does not take well to status, as Thunder Wave will slow it down and prevent it from Baton Passing, while Toxic will wear it down. Combusken is also very susceptible to phazing, as nothing can stop it from being Roared out and erasing its boosts.
**Defensive counters**-Pokemon such as Weezing or Gastrodon don't mind taking a hit from Combusken, and can remove the boosts with Clear Smog.
**Delphox**-Resists both of Combusken's STABs, and can KO easily with Psyshock or Psychic
**Fletchinder and Moltres**-Both of these resist Combusken's STABs and can KO with Acrobatics and Air Slash, respectively
 
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Dragalge and Slowking are among the most solid counters. Not only do they resist Combusken's STAB, but they can also use Dragon Tail to stop Combusken's Baton Passing strategy, effectively rendering Combusken useless. Also, bulky phazers in general. That's all I can think of for now.
 
Ok, time to have fun with our flaming chicken:

[Overview]

- Mention it's one of the best Baton Pass users in the tier
- One of few Fighting-types that doesn't like having to deal with Knock Off. Removing Eviolite just makes Busken super frail

[Baton Pass]

- Note that Substitute should only be used alongside Bulk Up.
- Combusken is usually on offensive teams. Mention Meowstic-M and Uxie for Dual Screen support and remove Cresselia and Audino
- Sharpedo is usually handled by Rotom-C. Yanmega has trouble against Braviary. Hitmonlee can also use Mach Punch to pick off Sharpedo
- Replace Sawk with Hitmonlee.
- Replace Audino with Aromatisse
- Slowking and Dragalge suck as both typically carry Dragon Tail and dgaf about Flare Blitz. Use stuff like Zoroark, Gallade, and Specs Yanmega to take them out pronto

[Other Options]

- Combusken has a much different typing than Shark and Mega, so it's hardly outclassed by either one. It does, however, face stiff competition from Emboar as the pig can also easily go mixed, something Combusken can't do

[Checks and Counters]

- Move Slowking and Dragalge to the top of the list (in that order) as they are the only true hard counters
- Note that the primary goal is to stop the pass. Combusken itself isn't too threatening so long as you resist Fire, but the pass can end the game
- Move Mega Bannette to 3rd on the counter list, but stress that it must be Mega Evolved and will have to play some mind-games if Combusken has boosted Attack
- Put status and phazing 4th
- Defensive counters, especially ones with Clear Smog, go 5th
- Any offensive checks go last. The primary goal is to stop Baton Pass. Stop that, and you probably stop Combusken.

Implement this and I'll be back for a 2nd look to make sure nothing got overlooked.
 
gamer boy said:
I lol'd when I saw this. You should probably replace that with Zoroark or something.
Click to expand...
Since when is Zoroark a Speed Boost sweeper? I know Yanmega is special and Combusken is physical, but I think SB is a tad more relevant here ;) (if anything, Yanmega should be removed because it is confusing, but not replaced by Zoroark)
 
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