Taken over from Colonel M.
QC Checks: PK Gaming, alexwolf, Swamp Link
GP Checks: GatoDelFuego, Goddess Briyella
Overview
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Conkeldurr is a prime example of a bulky Fighting-type, with its large base 105 HP stat and 95 Defense stat making it a difficult opponent to take down physically. Though its Special Defense is low, it is remedied by equipping an Assault Vest—boosting Conkeldurr's Special Defense to 343 at maximum with a neutral nature. Access to STAB Drain Punch keeps Conkeldurr healthy while Mach Punch offers Conkeldurr extra utility that many Fighting-types only wish they had access to. Its stellar physical movepool to complement its base 140 Attack, and Guts to absorb status, makes Conkeldurr a big threat to many teams, especially those that aren't prepared for it.
Though Generation VI has brought a lot of great things to Conkeldurr, such as Assault Vest, a buff to Knock Off, a nerf to the Base Power of many common special attacks, and the disappearance of permanent weather, Conkeldurr still has some flaws that make its life in OU difficult. The introduction of the Fairy type has cursed Conkeldurr with another weakness as well as another type that resists its STAB Fighting-type attacks. Furthermore, Conkeldurr has to face a power creep with the introduction of Mega Evolutions, as well as potent new threats such as Talonflame.
Assault Vest
########
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Ice Punch / Stone Edge
ability: Guts
item: Assault Vest
evs: 252 Atk / 236 SpD / 20 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Drain Punch is the primary attack in this set, serving as Conkeldurr's main STAB attack while also keeping it healthy. Mach Punch is very useful, as it can close gaps on Pokemon that Conkeldurr falls short of OHKOing, such as Mega Gyarados, and it also provides Conkeldurr utility in revenge killing threats such as Mega Tyranitar and Terrakion. Knock Off allows Conkeldurr to harass enemies by removing their crucial items, such as Leftovers and Assault Vest, while also giving Conkeldurr a means of dealing with Ghost-types such as Aegislash and Gengar. Ice Punch really compliments Conkeldurr's moveset well by hitting Pokemon that would commonly switch into it such as Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Dragonite. Stone Edge is also a great alternative to Ice Punch as it can prevent Gyarados, Charizard, and Mega Pinsir from switching in to Conkeldurr and taking advantage of Conkeldurr's more convetional moves to set up.
Set Details
========
Assault Vest is this set's most ideal item, as it raises Conkeldurr's Special Defense greatly, allowing it to function as a tank. The given spread balances defenses while maximizing Attack and outspeeding 0 Speed Hippowdon. Furthermore, not having HP EVs helps Drain Punch recover a larger percentage of health. Guts is the preferred ability, as it allows Conkeldurr to switch into status moves such as Will-O-Wisp, Toxic, and Thunder Wave, while also making Scald and Lava Plume's burns a detriment to the opponent. If you can play around status, Iron Fist is an decent option, as it boosts most of Conkeldurr's attacks. An alternative spread of 188 HP / 252 Atk / 48 SpD / 20 Spe can be used to maximize both of Conkeldurr's defensive stats.
Usage Tips
========
This set specializes in what Conkeldurr is known for—dishing out hefty hits while tanking hits. Assault Vest Conkeldurr is great because, with Guts, it absorbs status while sponging damage and hitting like a bulldozer through a forest. Conkeldurr is not necessarily a Pokemon that you build a team around. Conkeldurr is mostly a team player and can adjust its final move to cater to the team and its needs. Thanks to Assault Vest and STAB Drain Punch, switching into special attackers such as Rotom-W is not a problem for this set.
Prediction is very crucial when using this set. Firing off repeated STAB Drain Punches can be detrimental to Conkeldurr, as it can give opportunities for the opponent to switch in threats such as Latios, Aegislash, and Landorus-T. In this case, it is best to attempt to predict the opponent's next move, such as a switch to Landorus-T, and punish that predicted maneuver with Ice Punch. Knock Off is a great tool in scouting the opponent's moves and even whether or not the target has a Mega Stone, as it will not be Knocked Off the enemy. Depriving the opposing Pokemon of their items such as Leftovers and Assault Vest can really help Conkeldurr and its team turn the tide of battle by making KOs easier to land. Bear in mind that Conkeldurr still has to stay healthy, though, so remember that it still needs to fire off Drain Punches as a safe attack sometimes even if the opponent carries a Fighting-type resistance.
Team Options
========
As stated before, the Assault Vest set isn't really for sweeping, but instead focuses more on being a team player. Conkeldurr is troubled by many threats—in particular, Fairy-types such as Clefable and Azumarill as well as physical walls such as Hippowdon and Mega Venusaur. The final attack can also determine what will trouble Conkeldurr more—without Ice Punch, Gliscor and Landorus-T become bigger issues, while lacking Stone Edge introduces Charizard and Gyarados as major threats. Kyurem-B is a great teammate, as it can shut down the majority of the threats that trouble Conkeldurr thanks to STAB Ice Beam and access to Fusion Bolt. Mega Venusaur is also a great partner, as it can harass many Fairy-types with STAB Sludge Bomb and its Poison typing. Mega Venusaur appreciates threats such as Heatran being covered by Conkeldurr in exchange. Heatran can also be a great teammate for Conkeldurr, as Conkeldurr helps handle threats such as Rotom-W while Heatran can help Conkeldurr deal with Mega Mawile. Heatran provides Conkeldurr with Stealth Rock support while easily handling Clefable and Sylveon, and it can also spread burns or use Toxic on opponents to help wear down threats.
Conkeldurr makes for a great answer to Rotom-W, making Mega Pinsir and Talonflame good partners. U-turn pivots such as Landorus-T and Scizor can also make great partners for Conkeldurr. Landorus-T can provide Stealth Rock support and help check threats such as Mega Charizard X and Mega Mawile, while Scizor can utilize STAB Bullet Punch to smash Fairy-types and other fast sweepers that resist Mach Punch, such as Mega Pinsir. Mega Scizor also makes a good partner to remove the hazards Conkeldurr hates via Defog. Rotom-W is a great teammate, as it can use Will-O-Wisp to cripple physical attackers, while handling threats such as Azumarill decently well. As passive damage such as Stealth Rock and Spikes can be detrimental to Conkeldurr's health, Excadrill can make for a good partner to spin away entry hazards while laying its own. Because Latias and Latios can also prove to be problematic to Conkeldurr, Aegislash and Bisharp with Pursuit can trap and KO them while also being able to handle Fairy-types thanks to their Steel typing.
Other Options
########
A Bulk Up set is usable, boosting Conkeldurr's already high Attack and Defense stats to even more dangerous levels. However, the fast pace of the metagame makes it hard to use effectively, as does Conkeldurr's low Speed stat. Earthquake is Conkeldurr's best attack to hit around Aegislash and its King's Shield while also hitting Mega Mawile. Power-Up Punch gives Assault Vest Conkeldurr a way to boost its Attack; however, Conkeldurr has a difficult time sacrificing one of its attacks to make use of this move. Sheer Force can be used with Life Orb and it boosts the power Rock Slide, Ice Punch, and Poison Jab. Alternatively, Iron Fist can be used to boost many of Conkeldurr's other attacks, including Focus Punch and Hammer Arm. Hammer Arm is great with Trick Room, as the Speed drop makes Conkeldurr "faster" under the effects of it. Finally, Toxic Orb and Flame Orb are possible items to consider when using Guts. While these items power up Conkeldurr immediately, the loss of Leftovers or Assault Vest is a huge detriment to Conkeldurr and its survival.
Checks & Counters
########
**Fairy-types**: The main bane to Conkeldurr are Fairy-types. Mega Mawile, Clefable, and Azumarill are major issues for Conkeldurr, as it does not often carry Poison Jab nor Earthquake. Mega Mawile and Azumarill will scare off Conkeldurr with STAB Play Rough while Clefable can use STAB Moonblast to send Conkeldurr back into its Poké Ball. Mawile can also Intimidate Conkeldurr before Mega Evolving, further hindering Conkeldurr's damage output.
**Physical Walls**: Skarmory, Hippowdon, Mega Venusaur, and sometimes Gliscor and Landorus-T can prove difficult for Conkeldurr to get around. Hippowdon can easily Slack Off any damage Conkeldurr inflicts while also being able to phaze out Conkeldurr with Whirlwind. Skarmory has access to Counter and STAB Brave Bird to scare off Conkeldurr; however, bear in mind that Skarmory must stay healthy to keep Conkeldurr checked, as a Guts-boosted Drain Punch can do 73% minimum while Skarmory is using Roost. Thanks to Thick Fat, Mega Venusaur takes neutral damage from Ice Punch while resisting Conkeldurr's STAB Fighting-type attacks. Mega Venusaur can use STAB Sludge Bomb to wear out Conkeldurr, while keeping itself healthy with Synthesis. Without Ice Punch, Gliscor can become a major nuisance, as it can use Substitute, Protect, and Toxic to stall out Conkeldurr without taking much damage, if any, in the process. However, Gliscor must be careful of Knock Off as it first switches in, or it may lose its Toxic Orb, something that is vital to its recovery. Landorus-T can also cut Conkeldurr's offensive presence with Intimidate and proceed to wall it should it lack Ice Punch.
**Fighting-type Resistant Attackers**: A plethora of Pokemon that resist Fighting can either switch into Conkeldurr or keep Conkeldurr from getting very far. Mega Charizard Y can switch into Conkeldurr sets that lack Stone Edge and do massive damage with a Drought-boosted Fire Blast. Volcarona hates Knock Off and Stone Edge; however, bulky Volcarona can take advantage of Conkeldurr and set up multiple Quiver Dances, and then use Roost to recover the damage taken. Mega Pinsir can switch into non-Stone Edge Conkeldurr easily and threaten Conkeldurr with STAB Return. However, Mega Pinsir should be wary of using Swords Dance, as Ice Punch will do a lot of damage after Pinsir Mega Evolves and acquires the Flying type.
QC Checks: PK Gaming, alexwolf, Swamp Link
GP Checks: GatoDelFuego, Goddess Briyella
Overview
########
Conkeldurr is a prime example of a bulky Fighting-type, with its large base 105 HP stat and 95 Defense stat making it a difficult opponent to take down physically. Though its Special Defense is low, it is remedied by equipping an Assault Vest—boosting Conkeldurr's Special Defense to 343 at maximum with a neutral nature. Access to STAB Drain Punch keeps Conkeldurr healthy while Mach Punch offers Conkeldurr extra utility that many Fighting-types only wish they had access to. Its stellar physical movepool to complement its base 140 Attack, and Guts to absorb status, makes Conkeldurr a big threat to many teams, especially those that aren't prepared for it.
Though Generation VI has brought a lot of great things to Conkeldurr, such as Assault Vest, a buff to Knock Off, a nerf to the Base Power of many common special attacks, and the disappearance of permanent weather, Conkeldurr still has some flaws that make its life in OU difficult. The introduction of the Fairy type has cursed Conkeldurr with another weakness as well as another type that resists its STAB Fighting-type attacks. Furthermore, Conkeldurr has to face a power creep with the introduction of Mega Evolutions, as well as potent new threats such as Talonflame.
Assault Vest
########
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Ice Punch / Stone Edge
ability: Guts
item: Assault Vest
evs: 252 Atk / 236 SpD / 20 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Drain Punch is the primary attack in this set, serving as Conkeldurr's main STAB attack while also keeping it healthy. Mach Punch is very useful, as it can close gaps on Pokemon that Conkeldurr falls short of OHKOing, such as Mega Gyarados, and it also provides Conkeldurr utility in revenge killing threats such as Mega Tyranitar and Terrakion. Knock Off allows Conkeldurr to harass enemies by removing their crucial items, such as Leftovers and Assault Vest, while also giving Conkeldurr a means of dealing with Ghost-types such as Aegislash and Gengar. Ice Punch really compliments Conkeldurr's moveset well by hitting Pokemon that would commonly switch into it such as Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Dragonite. Stone Edge is also a great alternative to Ice Punch as it can prevent Gyarados, Charizard, and Mega Pinsir from switching in to Conkeldurr and taking advantage of Conkeldurr's more convetional moves to set up.
Set Details
========
Assault Vest is this set's most ideal item, as it raises Conkeldurr's Special Defense greatly, allowing it to function as a tank. The given spread balances defenses while maximizing Attack and outspeeding 0 Speed Hippowdon. Furthermore, not having HP EVs helps Drain Punch recover a larger percentage of health. Guts is the preferred ability, as it allows Conkeldurr to switch into status moves such as Will-O-Wisp, Toxic, and Thunder Wave, while also making Scald and Lava Plume's burns a detriment to the opponent. If you can play around status, Iron Fist is an decent option, as it boosts most of Conkeldurr's attacks. An alternative spread of 188 HP / 252 Atk / 48 SpD / 20 Spe can be used to maximize both of Conkeldurr's defensive stats.
Usage Tips
========
This set specializes in what Conkeldurr is known for—dishing out hefty hits while tanking hits. Assault Vest Conkeldurr is great because, with Guts, it absorbs status while sponging damage and hitting like a bulldozer through a forest. Conkeldurr is not necessarily a Pokemon that you build a team around. Conkeldurr is mostly a team player and can adjust its final move to cater to the team and its needs. Thanks to Assault Vest and STAB Drain Punch, switching into special attackers such as Rotom-W is not a problem for this set.
Prediction is very crucial when using this set. Firing off repeated STAB Drain Punches can be detrimental to Conkeldurr, as it can give opportunities for the opponent to switch in threats such as Latios, Aegislash, and Landorus-T. In this case, it is best to attempt to predict the opponent's next move, such as a switch to Landorus-T, and punish that predicted maneuver with Ice Punch. Knock Off is a great tool in scouting the opponent's moves and even whether or not the target has a Mega Stone, as it will not be Knocked Off the enemy. Depriving the opposing Pokemon of their items such as Leftovers and Assault Vest can really help Conkeldurr and its team turn the tide of battle by making KOs easier to land. Bear in mind that Conkeldurr still has to stay healthy, though, so remember that it still needs to fire off Drain Punches as a safe attack sometimes even if the opponent carries a Fighting-type resistance.
Team Options
========
As stated before, the Assault Vest set isn't really for sweeping, but instead focuses more on being a team player. Conkeldurr is troubled by many threats—in particular, Fairy-types such as Clefable and Azumarill as well as physical walls such as Hippowdon and Mega Venusaur. The final attack can also determine what will trouble Conkeldurr more—without Ice Punch, Gliscor and Landorus-T become bigger issues, while lacking Stone Edge introduces Charizard and Gyarados as major threats. Kyurem-B is a great teammate, as it can shut down the majority of the threats that trouble Conkeldurr thanks to STAB Ice Beam and access to Fusion Bolt. Mega Venusaur is also a great partner, as it can harass many Fairy-types with STAB Sludge Bomb and its Poison typing. Mega Venusaur appreciates threats such as Heatran being covered by Conkeldurr in exchange. Heatran can also be a great teammate for Conkeldurr, as Conkeldurr helps handle threats such as Rotom-W while Heatran can help Conkeldurr deal with Mega Mawile. Heatran provides Conkeldurr with Stealth Rock support while easily handling Clefable and Sylveon, and it can also spread burns or use Toxic on opponents to help wear down threats.
Conkeldurr makes for a great answer to Rotom-W, making Mega Pinsir and Talonflame good partners. U-turn pivots such as Landorus-T and Scizor can also make great partners for Conkeldurr. Landorus-T can provide Stealth Rock support and help check threats such as Mega Charizard X and Mega Mawile, while Scizor can utilize STAB Bullet Punch to smash Fairy-types and other fast sweepers that resist Mach Punch, such as Mega Pinsir. Mega Scizor also makes a good partner to remove the hazards Conkeldurr hates via Defog. Rotom-W is a great teammate, as it can use Will-O-Wisp to cripple physical attackers, while handling threats such as Azumarill decently well. As passive damage such as Stealth Rock and Spikes can be detrimental to Conkeldurr's health, Excadrill can make for a good partner to spin away entry hazards while laying its own. Because Latias and Latios can also prove to be problematic to Conkeldurr, Aegislash and Bisharp with Pursuit can trap and KO them while also being able to handle Fairy-types thanks to their Steel typing.
Other Options
########
A Bulk Up set is usable, boosting Conkeldurr's already high Attack and Defense stats to even more dangerous levels. However, the fast pace of the metagame makes it hard to use effectively, as does Conkeldurr's low Speed stat. Earthquake is Conkeldurr's best attack to hit around Aegislash and its King's Shield while also hitting Mega Mawile. Power-Up Punch gives Assault Vest Conkeldurr a way to boost its Attack; however, Conkeldurr has a difficult time sacrificing one of its attacks to make use of this move. Sheer Force can be used with Life Orb and it boosts the power Rock Slide, Ice Punch, and Poison Jab. Alternatively, Iron Fist can be used to boost many of Conkeldurr's other attacks, including Focus Punch and Hammer Arm. Hammer Arm is great with Trick Room, as the Speed drop makes Conkeldurr "faster" under the effects of it. Finally, Toxic Orb and Flame Orb are possible items to consider when using Guts. While these items power up Conkeldurr immediately, the loss of Leftovers or Assault Vest is a huge detriment to Conkeldurr and its survival.
Checks & Counters
########
**Fairy-types**: The main bane to Conkeldurr are Fairy-types. Mega Mawile, Clefable, and Azumarill are major issues for Conkeldurr, as it does not often carry Poison Jab nor Earthquake. Mega Mawile and Azumarill will scare off Conkeldurr with STAB Play Rough while Clefable can use STAB Moonblast to send Conkeldurr back into its Poké Ball. Mawile can also Intimidate Conkeldurr before Mega Evolving, further hindering Conkeldurr's damage output.
**Physical Walls**: Skarmory, Hippowdon, Mega Venusaur, and sometimes Gliscor and Landorus-T can prove difficult for Conkeldurr to get around. Hippowdon can easily Slack Off any damage Conkeldurr inflicts while also being able to phaze out Conkeldurr with Whirlwind. Skarmory has access to Counter and STAB Brave Bird to scare off Conkeldurr; however, bear in mind that Skarmory must stay healthy to keep Conkeldurr checked, as a Guts-boosted Drain Punch can do 73% minimum while Skarmory is using Roost. Thanks to Thick Fat, Mega Venusaur takes neutral damage from Ice Punch while resisting Conkeldurr's STAB Fighting-type attacks. Mega Venusaur can use STAB Sludge Bomb to wear out Conkeldurr, while keeping itself healthy with Synthesis. Without Ice Punch, Gliscor can become a major nuisance, as it can use Substitute, Protect, and Toxic to stall out Conkeldurr without taking much damage, if any, in the process. However, Gliscor must be careful of Knock Off as it first switches in, or it may lose its Toxic Orb, something that is vital to its recovery. Landorus-T can also cut Conkeldurr's offensive presence with Intimidate and proceed to wall it should it lack Ice Punch.
**Fighting-type Resistant Attackers**: A plethora of Pokemon that resist Fighting can either switch into Conkeldurr or keep Conkeldurr from getting very far. Mega Charizard Y can switch into Conkeldurr sets that lack Stone Edge and do massive damage with a Drought-boosted Fire Blast. Volcarona hates Knock Off and Stone Edge; however, bulky Volcarona can take advantage of Conkeldurr and set up multiple Quiver Dances, and then use Roost to recover the damage taken. Mega Pinsir can switch into non-Stone Edge Conkeldurr easily and threaten Conkeldurr with STAB Return. However, Mega Pinsir should be wary of using Swords Dance, as Ice Punch will do a lot of damage after Pinsir Mega Evolves and acquires the Flying type.
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