Overview
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Conkeldurr is very effective as a slow, bulky attacker in the Doubles metagame. Thanks to its low base 45 Speed, it can work very well inside of Trick Room, while its solid 105 / 95 / 65 defenses allow it to do work outside of Trick Room too. This bulk is further boosted by the new item Assault Vest, which Conkeldurr puts to good use, increasing its lower Special Defense. If that wasn't enough, Conkeldurr also sports two great STAB attacks in Drain Punch and Mach Punch, the former allowing it to recover its health and last even longer while the latter lets it pick off weakened opponents. It also has two good abilities in Iron Fist and Guts. Iron Fist boosts the power of Conkeldurr's many punching moves, and Guts takes advantage of opponents that aim to beat Conkeldurr by burning it, such as Rotom-W and Trevenant. However, while Conkeldurr has a lot going for it, it faces stiff competition from the other Fighting-types of the metagame, such as Terrakion and Keldeo, which both have an excellent secondary typing. Furthermore, Conkeldurr doesn't get Close Combat, and sometimes, Drain Punch's low 75 Base Power just isn't good enough.
Assault Vest
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name: Assault Vest
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Ice Punch
ability: Iron Fist / Guts
item: Assault Vest
evs: 108 HP / 152 Atk / 104 Def / 144 SpD
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Drain Punch is Conkeldurr's main STAB attack on this set. It recovers 50% of the damage dealt, but it often doesn't do enough damage to regain much HP, due to its relatively low Base Power. However, it still hits common threats like Tyranitar, Bisharp, Mega Kangaskhan, and Heatran for super effective damage. Mach Punch is useful for revenge killing weakened opponents while still doing a fair bit of damage to other Pokemon. Knock Off provides solid coverage against Ghost- and Psychic-types, hits very hard when the opponent has an item, and also removes said item. Ice Punch also provides strong coverage against bulky Ground- and Flying-types, most notably Landorus-T, as well as Dragon-types like Garchomp and Salamence.
Set Details
========
Assault Vest boosts Conkeldurr's Special Defense to good levels, allowing it to take special hits for longer while recovering health with Drain Punch. The EV spread allows Conkeldurr to live a Psyshock from a Life Orb Latios, as well as two Heat Waves from 252 Timid Mega Charizard Y with Drought active, while keeping as many EVs as possible left over for more attack power. An Adamant nature gives Conkeldurr as much power as possible. If Conkeldurr is being used in tandem with Trick Room, use 0 Speed IVs and a Brave nature. Iron Fist boosts the power of all of Conkeldurr's attacks, except for Knock Off. Guts is also viable as it turns burns and other status conditions into an advantage to power up all of Conkeldurr's attacks, Knock Off included. It also allows Conkeldurr to become a potential status absorber that can freely switch into Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp and gain an Attack boost.
Usage Tips
========
This set can be used in and out of Trick Room, and functions well in both, but the Trick Room support is very useful, as Trick Room lets Conkeldurr's low base Speed become an advantage. It can also easily take hits from both physical and special attackers and do a lot of damage back with an Iron Fist-boosted Drain Punch or Ice Punch, letting it stay in on Pokemon like Ludicolo and deal more damage to them. Mach Punch should be used right before. Conkeldurr is about to be knocked out or as chip damage to finish off weakened opponents. However, if you suspect the opponent has a Quick Guard user, do not use Mach Punch, as this will waste your turn and leave Conkeldurr vulnerable. Because the use of Assault Vest does not allow the use of Protect on this set, Conkeldurr must be played carefully, as there is no way to protect it from incoming attacks.
Team Options
========
Trick Room users, such as Cresselia and Jellicent, are naturally good partners for Conkeldurr, as they can set up Trick Room with ease due to their bulk and let Conkeldurr take advantage of its low base Speed. They also appreciate Conkeldurr removing Dark- and Ghost-types like Tyranitar and Chandelure with Drain Punch and Knock Off, respectively. Cresselia in particular is a good Trick Room user for Conkeldurr, as it can provide useful Helping Hand support to boost Conkeldurr's attacks, set up Reflect to soften physical attacks, and use Psyshock to deal with Conkeldurr's checks, such as Amoonguss. Intimidate users, like Salamence, Gyarados, and Landorus-T, are good partners too, as they can weaken opposing physical attackers, which can deal a lot of damage to Conkeldurr. A notable partner here is Mega Manectric. Once it has Mega Evolved, it has the ability Intimidate, but it also provides a good switch-in to Talonflame, a huge threat to Conkeldurr. Steel-types can take Fairy-, Psychic-, and Flying-attacks aimed at Conkeldurr too, with Jirachi being especially good at this, as it can redirect them completely with Follow Me and absorb the hits with ease while also hitting Fairy-types for super effective damage. Heatran is another good partner as it completely walls Talonflame as well. Electric-types are also good partners, as they can beat the Flying-types that cause such problems to Conkeldurr. Rotom-W is a solid option, as it resists Talonflame's STAB Flare Blitz and Brave Bird.
Trick Room Attacker
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name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Hammer Arm / Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Ice Punch / Knock Off
move 4: Detect
ability: Iron Fist / Guts
item: Life Orb
evs: 96 HP / 252 Atk / 80 Def / 80 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Brave
Moves
========
On this set, Hammer Arm is a better option than Drain Punch, as it is a stronger STAB attack and lowers Conkeldurr's Speed by one stage, making Conkeldurr even faster in Trick Room. However, Drain Punch is still an option if you would rather have longevity over raw power. Mach Punch is useful for revenge killing weakened Pokemon and outspeeds other priority users under Trick Room, like Talonflame, allowing Conkeldurr to pick them off. However, Talonflame can only be picked off if it is at low health, and will usually beat Conkeldurr one-on-one. Ice Punch provides good coverage against bulky Ground- and Flying-types, like Landorus-T and Mega Pinsir, as well as Dragon-types like Latios. Knock Off is also a viable option as it provides coverage against Ghost- and Psychic-types, which are immune to and resist Conkeldurr's STAB moves, respectively. Knock Off also removes key items from opposing Pokemon. Detect is used here over Protect on the off chance that the opponent has Imprison, as Detect has a far lower distribution. However, it has the same effect as Protect, shielding Conkeldurr from attacks, scouting for moves, and stalling out field conditions, and will serve just as effectively.
Set Details
========
Life Orb is the item choice here, as it boosts Conkeldurr's power, making the most of the limited turns of Trick Room Conkeldurr has. The EV spread lets Conkeldurr survive Zen Headbutt from a 252 Adamant Metagross after taking one round of Life Orb recoil, with the rest of the EVs invested in Special Defense for bulk. A Brave nature gives Conkeldurr as much power as possible while making Conkeldurr as slow as possible, as it should be operating under Trick Room. 0 Speed IVs also makes Conkeldurr very slow, allowing it to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible while Trick Room is active. Iron Fist boosts the power of all of Conkeldurr's attacks except for Knock Off, and is useful to give Conkeldurr more power. Guts is also viable as it turns burns and other status conditions into an advantage to power up all of Conkeldurr's attacks, Knock Off included.
Usage Tips
========
This set was made to be effective in Trick Room, so the support is necessary. You should aim to have Conkeldurr in by the turn that Trick Room is set, as that way, you don't waste any turns trying to switch it in. Hammer Arm should be the go-to move when under Trick Room, as it does a lot of damage with a Life Orb and Iron Fist boost. It also lowers Conkeldurr's Speed by one stage each time it is used, and so it is recommended that you use it at least once so Conkeldurr can outspeed even slower Pokemon under Trick Room. Being under Trick Room means Conkeldurr can stay in on Pokemon it wouldn't normally be able to, like Latios, and deal lots of damage with the correct attack. Mach Punch should be used to finish off opponents at low health and against opposing priority users, as they will ignore Trick Room. On the other hand, if you suspect that the opponent has a Quick Guard user, do not use Mach Punch, as this will waste your turn and leave Conkeldurr vulnerable.
Team Options
========
Trick Room users, such as Cresselia and Jellicent, are a must for Conkeldurr here. They also appreciate Conkeldurr removing Dark- and Ghost-types like Tyranitar and Chandelure, with Drain Punch and Knock Off, respectively. Cresselia in particular is a good Trick Room user for Conkeldurr, as it can provide useful Helping Hand support to boost Conkeldurr's attacks, set up Reflect to soften Physical attacks, and use Psyshock to deal with a few of Conkeldurr's checks too, like Amoonguss. Intimidate users, like Mawile, are good partners, as they can help Conkeldurr take physical attacks better. Mega Mawile has a low base Speed as well, letting it abuse Trick Room alongside Conkeldurr. Steel-types can take Fairy-, Psychic-, and Flying-type attacks aimed at Conkeldurr, with Jirachi being especially good at this, as it can redirect them completely with Follow Me, absorb the hit with ease, and use Iron Head to hit Fairy-type Pokemon that threaten Conkeldurr. Heatran is another good partner as it completely walls Talonflame. Electric-types are also good partners, as they can beat the Flying-types that cause such problems to Conkeldurr. Mega Ampharos is a very good choice here, as it resists both of Talonflame's STAB attacks while being able to OHKO it with a Thunderbolt. It also has a low base Speed, so it can use Trick Room like Conkeldurr. Amoonguss also gets a mention as a good partner, as even though it has poor defensive synergy (both are weak to Flying-type attacks), it can put many of Conkeldurr's checks to sleep with Spore under Trick Room.
Other Options
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Superpower is Conkeldurr's most powerful Fighting-type STAB attack with 120 Base Power. However, it comes with the drawback of lowering Conkeldurr's Attack and Defense stats by one stage each, forcing it out, which can waste valuable turns on the Trick Room set. Rock Slide and Earthquake are solid options for Conkeldurr, as they are strong spread moves, hitting Flying-and Fire-types for super effective damage. Stone Edge is a more powerful alternative to Rock Slide, and has the added benefit of bypassing Wide Guard, as it isn't a spread move. Poison Jab is another possible option, as it can hit Fairy-types, like Mega Gardevoir, for super effective damage. However, this move is only useful if you can predict a Fairy-type switching in or are under Trick Room, as most Fairy-types outspeed Conkeldurr and can hit it hard with a super effective attack of their own. Thunder Punch can provide additional coverage against Flying-types like Gyarados, but doesn't help Conkeldurr in any other way. Wide Guard is also a useful move as a support option, as it can block all spread moves for Conkeldurr's partner as well as itself, with the most notable spread move being Hyper Voice, which hits Conkeldurr for super effective damage. However, this only works if the opponent uses a spread move, and can be a waste of a moveslot in some games. Conkeldurr can also use a Flame Orb to good effect with the Guts ability. This gives all of Conkeldurr's attacks a large boost and also makes it a prime status absorber. However, Conkeldurr loses a lot of longevity as residual damage will chip away at it each turn. Choice Band is a very good item, as with it, Conkeldurr can OHKO Landorus-T with Ice Punch even after an Attack drop from Intimidate. Sitrus Berry is also an item option, as it gives Conkeldurr a bit more bulk when it is being used to check physical attackers (e.g. Mega Kangaskhan). As an ability, Sheer Force is very interesting, as it boosts the power of many of Conkeldurr's coverage options, such as Poison Jab, Ice Punch, and Rock Slide. It also powers up Fire Punch and Thunder Punch, allowing them to do respectable damage to any non-resisting Pokemon. However, Iron Fist is generally the better ability as it powers up a larger range of moves, including Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks.
Checks & Counters
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**Offensive Typing Advantage**: Most Fairy-types, like Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir, take very little damage from any of Conkeldurr's STAB attacks or coverage options, but must be wary of Poison Jab. They can then OHKO Conkeldurr with Hyper Voice if it doesn't have an Assault Vest, although Sylveon needs a power-boosting item to guarantee the OHKO. Togekiss can redirect Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks with Follow Me and protect its ally too, causing more problems. Azumarill resists all of Conkeldurr's common attacks and can OHKO in return with Play Rough. Talonflame is one of the single best checks to Conkeldurr. It resists Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks and takes neutral damage from all of Conkeldurr's other common moves. Talonflame can then retaliate with a priority STAB Brave Bird, which hits Conkeldurr for super effective damage. Talonflame also beats Conkeldurr while Trick Room is active, as its Brave Bird ignores its effect, and its resistance to Mach Punch makes it difficult to check. Mega Pinsir is a strong check to Conkeldurr as well, as it takes little damage from its Fighting-type STAB attacks and Knock Off while retaliating hard with an Aerilate-boosted Frustration.
**Defensive**: Mega Venusaur is a solid check to Conkeldurr, as it resists Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks, takes little damage from Knock Off and Poison Jab, and is neutral to Ice Punch thanks to Thick Fat. Mega Venusaur can then put Conkeldurr to sleep with Sleep Powder or chip away at it with Giga Drain / Sludge Bomb. Amoonguss has the same typing as Mega Venusaur and can redirect Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks or put it to sleep with Spore. However, it must be wary of Ice Punch.
**Speed**: Deoxys-A is an extremely good check to Conkeldurr, as it can OHKO Assault Vest Conkeldurr with Psycho Boost. However, Deoxys-A will always fall to a combination of any attack from Conkeldurr followed by a Mach Punch, so it should be brought in safely without taking any damage.
**Intimidate and Burns**: Burning a Conkeldurr without Guts is a solid way of beating it, as the residual damage wears it down and also reduces its damage output, but you must be sure that it has the Iron Fist ability before doing this, as Guts will turn the burn into an Attack boost. Intimidate users are also annoying for Conkeldurr. However, Scrafty has to watch out for a super effective Drain Punch, Landorus-T should be scared of Ice Punch, and Hitmontop is still hit for a decent amount of damage on its weaker Defense stat. The two best Intimidate users to counter Conkeldurr are Gyarados and Mega Mawile. Gyarados resists Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks and take little damage from Ice Punch while hitting back hard with Waterfall, although Mega Evolving is not recommended, as this makes Gyarados weak to Conkeldurr's STAB attacks. Mega Mawile is also very reliable at checking Conkeldurr, as it can lower Conkeldurr's Attack before Mega Evolving, and then easily OHKO with a Play Rough. However, it must be wary of a potential 2HKO from Conkeldurr's Life Orb-boosted Hammer Arm.
**Speed Control**: While not a direct counter to Conkeldurr, keeping Trick Room from being set up can really hurt its effectiveness. Pokemon that can carry Taunt, like Thundurus, do this well. Without Trick Room active, Conkeldurr's very low base Speed becomes a burden, and Fairy-, Psychic-, and Flying-types can all outspeed and hit hard with super effective STAB attacks. Jirachi and Cresselia are also effective checks, as they can take a hit from Conkeldurr and reverse Trick Room, making Conkeldurr vulnerable to faster Pokemon.
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Conkeldurr is very effective as a slow, bulky attacker in the Doubles metagame. Thanks to its low base 45 Speed, it can work very well inside of Trick Room, while its solid 105 / 95 / 65 defenses allow it to do work outside of Trick Room too. This bulk is further boosted by the new item Assault Vest, which Conkeldurr puts to good use, increasing its lower Special Defense. If that wasn't enough, Conkeldurr also sports two great STAB attacks in Drain Punch and Mach Punch, the former allowing it to recover its health and last even longer while the latter lets it pick off weakened opponents. It also has two good abilities in Iron Fist and Guts. Iron Fist boosts the power of Conkeldurr's many punching moves, and Guts takes advantage of opponents that aim to beat Conkeldurr by burning it, such as Rotom-W and Trevenant. However, while Conkeldurr has a lot going for it, it faces stiff competition from the other Fighting-types of the metagame, such as Terrakion and Keldeo, which both have an excellent secondary typing. Furthermore, Conkeldurr doesn't get Close Combat, and sometimes, Drain Punch's low 75 Base Power just isn't good enough.
Assault Vest
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name: Assault Vest
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Ice Punch
ability: Iron Fist / Guts
item: Assault Vest
evs: 108 HP / 152 Atk / 104 Def / 144 SpD
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Drain Punch is Conkeldurr's main STAB attack on this set. It recovers 50% of the damage dealt, but it often doesn't do enough damage to regain much HP, due to its relatively low Base Power. However, it still hits common threats like Tyranitar, Bisharp, Mega Kangaskhan, and Heatran for super effective damage. Mach Punch is useful for revenge killing weakened opponents while still doing a fair bit of damage to other Pokemon. Knock Off provides solid coverage against Ghost- and Psychic-types, hits very hard when the opponent has an item, and also removes said item. Ice Punch also provides strong coverage against bulky Ground- and Flying-types, most notably Landorus-T, as well as Dragon-types like Garchomp and Salamence.
Set Details
========
Assault Vest boosts Conkeldurr's Special Defense to good levels, allowing it to take special hits for longer while recovering health with Drain Punch. The EV spread allows Conkeldurr to live a Psyshock from a Life Orb Latios, as well as two Heat Waves from 252 Timid Mega Charizard Y with Drought active, while keeping as many EVs as possible left over for more attack power. An Adamant nature gives Conkeldurr as much power as possible. If Conkeldurr is being used in tandem with Trick Room, use 0 Speed IVs and a Brave nature. Iron Fist boosts the power of all of Conkeldurr's attacks, except for Knock Off. Guts is also viable as it turns burns and other status conditions into an advantage to power up all of Conkeldurr's attacks, Knock Off included. It also allows Conkeldurr to become a potential status absorber that can freely switch into Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp and gain an Attack boost.
Usage Tips
========
This set can be used in and out of Trick Room, and functions well in both, but the Trick Room support is very useful, as Trick Room lets Conkeldurr's low base Speed become an advantage. It can also easily take hits from both physical and special attackers and do a lot of damage back with an Iron Fist-boosted Drain Punch or Ice Punch, letting it stay in on Pokemon like Ludicolo and deal more damage to them. Mach Punch should be used right before. Conkeldurr is about to be knocked out or as chip damage to finish off weakened opponents. However, if you suspect the opponent has a Quick Guard user, do not use Mach Punch, as this will waste your turn and leave Conkeldurr vulnerable. Because the use of Assault Vest does not allow the use of Protect on this set, Conkeldurr must be played carefully, as there is no way to protect it from incoming attacks.
Team Options
========
Trick Room users, such as Cresselia and Jellicent, are naturally good partners for Conkeldurr, as they can set up Trick Room with ease due to their bulk and let Conkeldurr take advantage of its low base Speed. They also appreciate Conkeldurr removing Dark- and Ghost-types like Tyranitar and Chandelure with Drain Punch and Knock Off, respectively. Cresselia in particular is a good Trick Room user for Conkeldurr, as it can provide useful Helping Hand support to boost Conkeldurr's attacks, set up Reflect to soften physical attacks, and use Psyshock to deal with Conkeldurr's checks, such as Amoonguss. Intimidate users, like Salamence, Gyarados, and Landorus-T, are good partners too, as they can weaken opposing physical attackers, which can deal a lot of damage to Conkeldurr. A notable partner here is Mega Manectric. Once it has Mega Evolved, it has the ability Intimidate, but it also provides a good switch-in to Talonflame, a huge threat to Conkeldurr. Steel-types can take Fairy-, Psychic-, and Flying-attacks aimed at Conkeldurr too, with Jirachi being especially good at this, as it can redirect them completely with Follow Me and absorb the hits with ease while also hitting Fairy-types for super effective damage. Heatran is another good partner as it completely walls Talonflame as well. Electric-types are also good partners, as they can beat the Flying-types that cause such problems to Conkeldurr. Rotom-W is a solid option, as it resists Talonflame's STAB Flare Blitz and Brave Bird.
Trick Room Attacker
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name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Hammer Arm / Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Ice Punch / Knock Off
move 4: Detect
ability: Iron Fist / Guts
item: Life Orb
evs: 96 HP / 252 Atk / 80 Def / 80 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Brave
Moves
========
On this set, Hammer Arm is a better option than Drain Punch, as it is a stronger STAB attack and lowers Conkeldurr's Speed by one stage, making Conkeldurr even faster in Trick Room. However, Drain Punch is still an option if you would rather have longevity over raw power. Mach Punch is useful for revenge killing weakened Pokemon and outspeeds other priority users under Trick Room, like Talonflame, allowing Conkeldurr to pick them off. However, Talonflame can only be picked off if it is at low health, and will usually beat Conkeldurr one-on-one. Ice Punch provides good coverage against bulky Ground- and Flying-types, like Landorus-T and Mega Pinsir, as well as Dragon-types like Latios. Knock Off is also a viable option as it provides coverage against Ghost- and Psychic-types, which are immune to and resist Conkeldurr's STAB moves, respectively. Knock Off also removes key items from opposing Pokemon. Detect is used here over Protect on the off chance that the opponent has Imprison, as Detect has a far lower distribution. However, it has the same effect as Protect, shielding Conkeldurr from attacks, scouting for moves, and stalling out field conditions, and will serve just as effectively.
Set Details
========
Life Orb is the item choice here, as it boosts Conkeldurr's power, making the most of the limited turns of Trick Room Conkeldurr has. The EV spread lets Conkeldurr survive Zen Headbutt from a 252 Adamant Metagross after taking one round of Life Orb recoil, with the rest of the EVs invested in Special Defense for bulk. A Brave nature gives Conkeldurr as much power as possible while making Conkeldurr as slow as possible, as it should be operating under Trick Room. 0 Speed IVs also makes Conkeldurr very slow, allowing it to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible while Trick Room is active. Iron Fist boosts the power of all of Conkeldurr's attacks except for Knock Off, and is useful to give Conkeldurr more power. Guts is also viable as it turns burns and other status conditions into an advantage to power up all of Conkeldurr's attacks, Knock Off included.
Usage Tips
========
This set was made to be effective in Trick Room, so the support is necessary. You should aim to have Conkeldurr in by the turn that Trick Room is set, as that way, you don't waste any turns trying to switch it in. Hammer Arm should be the go-to move when under Trick Room, as it does a lot of damage with a Life Orb and Iron Fist boost. It also lowers Conkeldurr's Speed by one stage each time it is used, and so it is recommended that you use it at least once so Conkeldurr can outspeed even slower Pokemon under Trick Room. Being under Trick Room means Conkeldurr can stay in on Pokemon it wouldn't normally be able to, like Latios, and deal lots of damage with the correct attack. Mach Punch should be used to finish off opponents at low health and against opposing priority users, as they will ignore Trick Room. On the other hand, if you suspect that the opponent has a Quick Guard user, do not use Mach Punch, as this will waste your turn and leave Conkeldurr vulnerable.
Team Options
========
Trick Room users, such as Cresselia and Jellicent, are a must for Conkeldurr here. They also appreciate Conkeldurr removing Dark- and Ghost-types like Tyranitar and Chandelure, with Drain Punch and Knock Off, respectively. Cresselia in particular is a good Trick Room user for Conkeldurr, as it can provide useful Helping Hand support to boost Conkeldurr's attacks, set up Reflect to soften Physical attacks, and use Psyshock to deal with a few of Conkeldurr's checks too, like Amoonguss. Intimidate users, like Mawile, are good partners, as they can help Conkeldurr take physical attacks better. Mega Mawile has a low base Speed as well, letting it abuse Trick Room alongside Conkeldurr. Steel-types can take Fairy-, Psychic-, and Flying-type attacks aimed at Conkeldurr, with Jirachi being especially good at this, as it can redirect them completely with Follow Me, absorb the hit with ease, and use Iron Head to hit Fairy-type Pokemon that threaten Conkeldurr. Heatran is another good partner as it completely walls Talonflame. Electric-types are also good partners, as they can beat the Flying-types that cause such problems to Conkeldurr. Mega Ampharos is a very good choice here, as it resists both of Talonflame's STAB attacks while being able to OHKO it with a Thunderbolt. It also has a low base Speed, so it can use Trick Room like Conkeldurr. Amoonguss also gets a mention as a good partner, as even though it has poor defensive synergy (both are weak to Flying-type attacks), it can put many of Conkeldurr's checks to sleep with Spore under Trick Room.
Other Options
########
Superpower is Conkeldurr's most powerful Fighting-type STAB attack with 120 Base Power. However, it comes with the drawback of lowering Conkeldurr's Attack and Defense stats by one stage each, forcing it out, which can waste valuable turns on the Trick Room set. Rock Slide and Earthquake are solid options for Conkeldurr, as they are strong spread moves, hitting Flying-and Fire-types for super effective damage. Stone Edge is a more powerful alternative to Rock Slide, and has the added benefit of bypassing Wide Guard, as it isn't a spread move. Poison Jab is another possible option, as it can hit Fairy-types, like Mega Gardevoir, for super effective damage. However, this move is only useful if you can predict a Fairy-type switching in or are under Trick Room, as most Fairy-types outspeed Conkeldurr and can hit it hard with a super effective attack of their own. Thunder Punch can provide additional coverage against Flying-types like Gyarados, but doesn't help Conkeldurr in any other way. Wide Guard is also a useful move as a support option, as it can block all spread moves for Conkeldurr's partner as well as itself, with the most notable spread move being Hyper Voice, which hits Conkeldurr for super effective damage. However, this only works if the opponent uses a spread move, and can be a waste of a moveslot in some games. Conkeldurr can also use a Flame Orb to good effect with the Guts ability. This gives all of Conkeldurr's attacks a large boost and also makes it a prime status absorber. However, Conkeldurr loses a lot of longevity as residual damage will chip away at it each turn. Choice Band is a very good item, as with it, Conkeldurr can OHKO Landorus-T with Ice Punch even after an Attack drop from Intimidate. Sitrus Berry is also an item option, as it gives Conkeldurr a bit more bulk when it is being used to check physical attackers (e.g. Mega Kangaskhan). As an ability, Sheer Force is very interesting, as it boosts the power of many of Conkeldurr's coverage options, such as Poison Jab, Ice Punch, and Rock Slide. It also powers up Fire Punch and Thunder Punch, allowing them to do respectable damage to any non-resisting Pokemon. However, Iron Fist is generally the better ability as it powers up a larger range of moves, including Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks.
Checks & Counters
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**Offensive Typing Advantage**: Most Fairy-types, like Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir, take very little damage from any of Conkeldurr's STAB attacks or coverage options, but must be wary of Poison Jab. They can then OHKO Conkeldurr with Hyper Voice if it doesn't have an Assault Vest, although Sylveon needs a power-boosting item to guarantee the OHKO. Togekiss can redirect Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks with Follow Me and protect its ally too, causing more problems. Azumarill resists all of Conkeldurr's common attacks and can OHKO in return with Play Rough. Talonflame is one of the single best checks to Conkeldurr. It resists Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks and takes neutral damage from all of Conkeldurr's other common moves. Talonflame can then retaliate with a priority STAB Brave Bird, which hits Conkeldurr for super effective damage. Talonflame also beats Conkeldurr while Trick Room is active, as its Brave Bird ignores its effect, and its resistance to Mach Punch makes it difficult to check. Mega Pinsir is a strong check to Conkeldurr as well, as it takes little damage from its Fighting-type STAB attacks and Knock Off while retaliating hard with an Aerilate-boosted Frustration.
**Defensive**: Mega Venusaur is a solid check to Conkeldurr, as it resists Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks, takes little damage from Knock Off and Poison Jab, and is neutral to Ice Punch thanks to Thick Fat. Mega Venusaur can then put Conkeldurr to sleep with Sleep Powder or chip away at it with Giga Drain / Sludge Bomb. Amoonguss has the same typing as Mega Venusaur and can redirect Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks or put it to sleep with Spore. However, it must be wary of Ice Punch.
**Speed**: Deoxys-A is an extremely good check to Conkeldurr, as it can OHKO Assault Vest Conkeldurr with Psycho Boost. However, Deoxys-A will always fall to a combination of any attack from Conkeldurr followed by a Mach Punch, so it should be brought in safely without taking any damage.
**Intimidate and Burns**: Burning a Conkeldurr without Guts is a solid way of beating it, as the residual damage wears it down and also reduces its damage output, but you must be sure that it has the Iron Fist ability before doing this, as Guts will turn the burn into an Attack boost. Intimidate users are also annoying for Conkeldurr. However, Scrafty has to watch out for a super effective Drain Punch, Landorus-T should be scared of Ice Punch, and Hitmontop is still hit for a decent amount of damage on its weaker Defense stat. The two best Intimidate users to counter Conkeldurr are Gyarados and Mega Mawile. Gyarados resists Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB attacks and take little damage from Ice Punch while hitting back hard with Waterfall, although Mega Evolving is not recommended, as this makes Gyarados weak to Conkeldurr's STAB attacks. Mega Mawile is also very reliable at checking Conkeldurr, as it can lower Conkeldurr's Attack before Mega Evolving, and then easily OHKO with a Play Rough. However, it must be wary of a potential 2HKO from Conkeldurr's Life Orb-boosted Hammer Arm.
**Speed Control**: While not a direct counter to Conkeldurr, keeping Trick Room from being set up can really hurt its effectiveness. Pokemon that can carry Taunt, like Thundurus, do this well. Without Trick Room active, Conkeldurr's very low base Speed becomes a burden, and Fairy-, Psychic-, and Flying-types can all outspeed and hit hard with super effective STAB attacks. Jirachi and Cresselia are also effective checks, as they can take a hit from Conkeldurr and reverse Trick Room, making Conkeldurr vulnerable to faster Pokemon.
Overview
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Assault Vest
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name: Assault Vest
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Ice Punch
ability: Iron Fist / Guts
item: Assault Vest
evs: 108 HP / 152 Atk / 104 Def / 144 SpD
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Trick Room Attacker
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name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Hammer Arm / Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Ice Punch / Knock Off
move 4: Protect
ability: Iron Fist / Guts
item: Life Orb
evs: 96 HP / 252 Atk / 80 Def / 80 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Brave
Moves
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Other Options
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Checks & Counters
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- very strong, works well both in and out of trick room thanks to average speed
- good bulk on both sides, further boosted by assault vest
- stays alive for a while thanks to solid bulk and recovery from its main stab, drain punch
- stab mach punch is good for killing off low health mons
- two good abilities: iron fist boosts the power of a lot of conks moves, and guts is great for doing well against pokemon that like to use status such as rotom-w and trevenant
- good choice of coverage moves to choose from
- above 2 points make it a versatile mon
Assault Vest
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name: Assault Vest
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Ice Punch
ability: Iron Fist / Guts
item: Assault Vest
evs: 108 HP / 152 Atk / 104 Def / 144 SpD
nature: Adamant
Moves
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- drain punch is main stab, recovers hp which is very useful, but often doesnt do enough damage thanks to relatively low power
- mach punch is useful for revenge killing low health pokemon
- knock off provides solid coverage against ghost types and psychic types, is rly strong and gets rid of the opponents item which is awesome
- ice punch is also very good coverage against stuff like bulky grounds and flying types
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- assault vest boosts special defense to high levels, so conk can take special hits all day while recovering health with drain punch
- the evs allow conk to live LO latios psyshock and 2 timid zardy heat waves in sun while keeping as many evs as possible left over for attack
- adamant for maximum powa
- if using in trick room, use 0 speed ivs and brave nature
- iron fist boosts the power of all its attacks except knock off which is useful
- guts turns burns and stuff against your opp
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- works well both in and out of trick room, but the trick room support is still useful
- drain punch does a shit ton of damage especially w/ iron fist boost
- conk can easily take hits and do loads of damage back vs stuff like ludicolo
- use mach punch to finish off low health mons even in tr, cos they might have priority (dont do this if they have a possible quick guard user tho)
- if the opp can be killed by any move except mach punch, check their team. if they have no fighting resist alive use drain punch. if they do, use knock off.
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- trick room users (cresselia, chandelure, jellicent, dusclops etc.). they also appreciate conkeldurr removing dark types like ttar and bisharp which otherwise are annoying
- cress in particular can provide useful helping hand support, set up reflect to soften physical attacks, psyshock deals with a lot of conks checks
- intimidate mons (salamence, gyarados, lando-t, mawile)
- steel types can take psychic and flying moves aimed at conk. follow me jirachi in particular is good at this, as it can redirect them completely and absorb the hit with ease. heatran is another good one as it compeltely beats talonflame, a big pain for conk
Trick Room Attacker
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name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Hammer Arm / Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Ice Punch / Knock Off
move 4: Protect
ability: Iron Fist / Guts
item: Life Orb
evs: 96 HP / 252 Atk / 80 Def / 80 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Brave
Moves
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- hammer arm is your strongest stab, boosted by iron fist. it also lowers your speed so you can outslow even more stuff in trick room
- drain punch is another strong fighting stab move that can be used over hammer arm if you dont need as much power, but want some sort of recovery
- mach punch is useful for revenge killing low health pokemon, and gives conkeldurr a better chance outside of trick room
- protect can shield you from attacks for a turn so your partner can take out an annoying opponent, scout for moves and stall field conditions
- ice punch is good coverage against stuff like bulky grounds and flying types
- knock off gives good coverage vs ghost and psychic types, and is easily spammable thanks to removing the foes item
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- life orb boosts your power so you can hit as hard as possible
- the evs let you survive a max attack metagross zen headbutt after taking life orb damage, with the rest thrown into spD
- adamant for maximum powa
- iron fist boosts the power of all its attacks except knock off which is useful
- guts turns burns and stuff against your opp
- poison jab is an option over ice punch to hit fairies
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- works well in trick room, so that support is appreciated
- drain punch does a shit ton of damage especially w/ iron fist boost
- you can easily spam hammer arm as long as trick room is up, as it does loads of damage and lowers your speed so you can outslow even more stuff in tr
- conk can easily take hits and do loads of damage back vs stuff like ludicolo
- use mach punch to finish off low health mons even in tr, cos they might have priority (dont do this if they have a possible quick guard user tho)
- if the opp can be killed by any move except mach punch, check their team. if they have no fighting resist alive use drain punch. if they do, use knock off.
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- the same as the other set lol
- trick room users (cresselia, chandelure, jellicent, dusclops etc.). they also appreciate conkeldurr removing dark types like ttar and bisharp which otherwise are annoying
- cress in particular can provide useful helping hand support, set up reflect to soften physical attacks, psyshock deals with a lot of conks checks
- intimidate mons (mawile is good cos works in tr too). not as useful for this set as it is more offensive and not bulky, but still nice to have
- steel types can take psychic and flying moves aimed at conk. follow me jirachi in particular is good at this, as it can redirect them completely and absorb the hit with ease
Other Options
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- rock slide and eq as good spread moves, also provide good coverage
- stone edge is a more powerful alternative to rock slide, and it gets around wide guard cos no spread
- poison jab is an option to hit some fairies like sylveon and gardevoir, but only works on the switch unless trick room is up
- flame/toxic orb along with guts boosts attack up to high levels and also gives u a status absorber, but dies much faster thx to residual damage
- thunder punch provide additional coverage against stuff like gyarados, but not much else
- choice band fucking destroys. ice punch ohkos lando-t at -1 atk
- focus punch with follow me support is rly powerful, especially with iron fist + band
Checks & Counters
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- fairies take shit from anything except poison jab (togekiss is still hurt by ice punch, mawile+klefki by drain punch)
- outside of trick room, psychic, flying and fairies can outspeed and do a lot of damage
- burn on non guts conk is really useful for wearing it down and reducing the damage it does, but you should be sure its iron fist before you do that
- mega pokemon take shit from knock off, so if they resist fighting they can do quite well vs conk (mega venu, mega garde, mega pinsir)
- TALONFLAME THE DESTRUCTINATOR
- togekiss and amoonguss manipulate what move conkeldurr goes for by basically forcing it to use ice punch, which works to conks disadvantage
- basically any intimidate mon is annoying, but scrafty has to watch out for drain punch, lando-t has to be scared of ice punch and hitmontop is still hit for a decent amount of damage at -1
- while not a direct counter to conkeldurr, preventing trick room from going up reduces conkeldurrs effectiveness
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