LC Darumaka

[Aerow]

Taken over from Goddess Briyella.

Overview
########

Darumaka is a big offensive threat thanks to its base 90 Attack stat, the Hustle ability, which boosts the power of its attacks by 50%, and good movepool. Darumaka's access to U-turn makes it a good Choice Scarf and Choice Band user, and it also has access to solid coverage options in Rock Slide and Superpower. However, while Hustle boosts Darumaka's Attack stat to monstrous levels, it is also arguably one of Darumaka's biggest problems, as it lowers the accuracy of its moves by 20%. As Darumaka can't afford to hold Eviolite, if one of its moves either misses or fails to KO the foe, it can easily be KOed back. Darumaka is also weak to Stealth Rock and can easily be revenge killed with Aqua Jet or Sucker Punch. Flare Blitz's recoil further decreases Darumaka's longevity.

Choice
########
name: Choice
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Superpower
ability: Hustle
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
evs: 116 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Flare Blitz is a very powerful Fire-type STAB move that punches huge holes into the opponent's team, even if enemies only take neutral damage. U-turn is obligatory for a Choice Scarf or Choice Band user and is used to maintain momentum on predicted switches as the opponent panics to find the safest switch-in. Rock Slide is awesome coverage for hitting the Fire-types that resist both Flare Blitz and U-turn and is also useful for hitting Flying-types such as Archen. Superpower is a very potent coverage move, being super effective on five types, and rounds out Darumaka's moveset nicely.

Set Details
========

196 Attack and Speed EVs maximize Darumaka's offensive capabilities, and the remaining EVs are invested into HP to improve Darumaka's overall bulk. With Hustle, a Jolly nature, and Choice Scarf, Darumaka effectively has an Attack stat of 27 and a Speed stat of 22, making it a highly threatening force to be reckoned with in terms of power, speed, and ability to gain momentum. Darumaka's Attack stat with a Choice Band reaches a mind-blowing value of 40 with a Jolly nature, and is guaranteed to hit any target that doesn't resist the move Darumaka is using extremely hard.

Usage Tips
========

Prediction is very important when using Darumaka; if you mispredict the opponent's switch, you will give them a free turn you might regret. Make use of U-turn and use your other moves very carefully; a Pokemon with Flash Fire switching into Darumaka's Flare Blitz is a total momentum shift. Try to keep Darumaka from taking too much damage from entry hazards, particularly Stealth Rock, because its health is limited enough as it is, and it's not the easiest thing to pass a Wish to. Make sure Darumaka switches in safely on something it can really threaten; slow Volt Switch and U-turn users really help with ensuring this.

Team Options
========

Diglett is a great teammate for Darumaka, being able to trap and KO Chinchou and Ponyta. Darumaka can also get Diglett in easily by using U-turn on a predicted switch. Foongus makes a good teammate for dealing with Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types that might give Darumaka problems. Entry hazard removal support is greatly appreciated by Darumaka, as its Stealth Rock weakness really hampers its survivability, which is further hampered by Flare Blitz's recoil. Good entry hazard removers that synergize well with Darumaka include Archen, which can check Fletchling and Fire-types and has access to U-turn itself, and Staryu, which can deal with Ponyta and Rock-types. Chinchou and Mienfoo can cover Darumaka's weaknesses to Water and Rock, respectively, while also forming a solid VoltTurn core with it, which allows Darumaka to switch in without fear. Vulpix can offer Drought support, which makes Flare Blitz hit incredibly hard. Vulpix and Darumaka can also help wear down each other's shared counters. Watch out for their shared weaknesses to Rock, Ground, and Water, though.

Other Options
########

Fire Punch is an option over Flare Blitz if you are worried about Darumaka taking recoil, but it's far from being as powerful as Flare Blitz. Flame Charge is an option to patch up Darumaka's middling Speed, though the coverage options listed are usually better for their overall offensive potential, and they are a lot easier to take advantage of with Choice Scarf's immediate Speed boost. Darumaka can make use of Yawn to force switches and Will-O-Wisp to punish physically offensive foes; however, Darumaka is, in almost all cases, better off just outright attacking. Darumaka can also use Substitute on a forced switch, though the HP loss from Substitute generally doesn't help given Darumaka's already dwindling life expectancy. Life Orb can be used to boost the power of Darumaka's attacks, but it is generally a bad option, as Darumaka already takes sufficient recoil from its primary STAB move and Life Orb exacerbates this problem.

Checks & Counters
########

**Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Ponyta, Houndour, and other Flash Fire users can come in on Flare Blitz easily, but none enjoy getting hit by Rock Slide.

**Paralysis**: Thunder Wave users with Prankster, such as Cottonee and Purrloin, can easily render Darumaka pretty much useless, though Darumaka can often KO foes it is faster than and therefore avoid getting paralyzed.

**Water-types**: Water-types such as Chinchou and Shellos can switch into Choice Scarf Darumaka fairly comfortably, but will struggle to avoid the 2HKO if Darumaka is using a Choice Band. On the other hand, Choice Band Darumaka fails to 2HKO Slowpoke.

**Thick Fat Munchlax**: Thick Fat Munchlax can switch into Flare Blitz with relative ease and cause Darumaka to take a lot of recoil due to Munchlax's super high HP stat. However, Munchlax will struggle to withstand a Flare Blitz from Choice Band Darumaka after Stealth Rock damage and is easily OHKOed by Superpower.

**Entry Hazards**: Entry hazards are one of Darumaka's biggest issues. Stealth Rock is especially troubling, as Darumaka is weak to it, but Darumaka doesn't enjoy Spikes or Sticky Web either.

**Priority**: Pokemon with priority moves can easily wear down Darumaka due to its lack of bulk, especially Aqua Jet users such as Tirtouga and Corphish.

 

[zeriloa]

overview
just make sure to emphasize its lack of longevity, between recoil/hazards/poor bulk it never lasts long

set
is band even viable, its really strong even without it and it really seems inferior to scarf. i'd like to see what other qc thinks about this tho.

team options
add diglett because chinchou and pony are two of the most common switch-ins to daru and get u-turned on. remove mantyke, that just compounds weaknesses to tirt/chou/archen and isn't really relevant.

OO/C&C
make the slowpoke section of c&c water-types in general, chou and shellos are probably better checks to it because they aren't weak to u-turn. take gravity out of OO because its terrible and it can't even set it up itself.

2/3

 

[Corporal Levi]

I do think band should be kept because it still gets some surprise KOs, like the 2HKO on bulky Chinchou and OHKO on offensive chou after Stealth Rock. I'm not too sure myself, though, so further input would be nice. Implement the rest of his check asap, and a couple of other things on top of those -

Overview:
I think Hustle is the single biggest factor in deterring people from using Darumaka, so you should probably mention that.

Checks and Counters:
Remove the Knock Off section because I doubt any of the more notable Knock Off users can actually come in on Darumaka, and I don't think Darumaka suffers from Knock Off any more than other offensive Pokemon.
For the Munchlax section, mention that it will struggle to withstand a Choice Banded Flare Blitz after Stealth Rock. Do so for the bulky water section as well, but mention that Slowpoke can usually avoid the 2HKO from Jolly Choice Band Flare Blitz after Stealth Rock.

2/3 after that

 

[Aerow]

Implemented, thanks guys!

 

[zeriloa]

btw levi's check was actually 3/3, so you can start writing this up

 

[Aerow]

Yeah, I talked with Levi and he said he meant QC 3/3. Will start write-up soon.

 

[Aerow]

Ready for final QC check.

 

[Corporal Levi]

Team Options:
Diglett doesn't always OHKO Ponyta and Chinchou; just change OHKO to KO.
Give examples of hazard removers that synergize well with Darumaka; Archen can check Fletchling and Fire-types while having access to U-Turn itself, while Staryu deals with Ponyta and various Rock-types.

Other Options:
After listing the non-attacking options like Yawn and Will-O-Wisp, mention that Darumaka is better off just outright attacking.

Checks and Counters:
Mention that Munchlax will also dislike taking a Superpower.

Ready for GP

 

[Aerow]

Implemented! Should be ready for GP now.

 

[Weebl]

add/(un)Capitalize
remove
(comments)

check

Overview
########

Darumaka is a big offensive threat, (RC) thanks to its base 90 Attack stat, the ability Hustle, (AC) which boosts the power of its attacks by 50%, and a good movepool. Darumaka's access to U-turn makes Darumaka it a good user of Choice Scarf and Choice Band user, and it also has access to solid coverage options in Rock Slide and Superpower. However, while Hustle does boosts Darumaka's Attack stat to monstrous levels, it is also arguably one of Darumaka's biggest problems, since as it lowers the accuracy of its moves by 20%. Since As Darumaka can't afford to hold a Eviolite, if one of its moves either misses or fails to KO the opponent, it can easily be KOed back. Darumaka is also weak to Stealth Rock, (RC) and can easily be revenge-killed (remove hyphen) with Aqua Jet or Sucker Punch. Flare Blitz's having recoil further decreases Darumaka's longevity.

Choice
########
name: Choice
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Superpower
ability: Hustle
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
evs: 116 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Flare Blitz is a very powerful Fire-type STAB move that punches huge holes into the opposition opponent's team, even if they foes are hit only neutrally. U-turn is obligatory for a Choice Scarf or Choice Band user, (RC) and is used to maintain momentum on predicted switches as the opponent panics to find the safest switch-in. Rock Slide is awesome coverage for hitting the Fire-types that resist both Flare Blitz and U-turn, (RC) and is also useful for hitting Flying-types such as Archen. Superpower is very potent, being super-effective (remove hyphen) on five types, and rounds out the Darumaka's moveset nicely.

Set Details
========

196 Attack and Speed EVs are used to maximize Darumaka's offensive capabilities, with and the remaining EVs are invested into put in HP to improve Darumaka's overall bulk. With Hustle, a Jolly nature, and Choice Scarf, Darumaka effectively has an Attack stat of 27 and a Speed stat of 22;, making it a highly threatening force to be reckoned with in terms of power, speed, and ability to gain momentum. Darumaka's Attack stat with a Choice Band is reaches a mind-blowing value of 40 with a Jolly nature, and is guaranteed to hit any non-resistant target that doesn't resist the move Darumaka is using extremely fatally (fatally implies they will always be KOed) hard.

Usage Tips
========

Prediction is very important when using Darumaka; if you mispredict the opponent's switch, you will give them a free turn that you might regret. Make use of U-turn and use your other moves very carefully; a Flash Fire carrier Pokemon switching into Darumaka's Flare Blitz is a total momentum shift. Try to keep Darumaka from taking too much hazard damage from entry hazards, particularly from Stealth Rock, because its health is limited enough as it is, (AC) and it's not the easiest thing to pass a Wish to. Make sure Darumaka switches in safely on something it can really threaten,; slow Volt Switch and U-turn users really help with this.

Team Options
========

Diglett is a great teammate for Darumaka, being able to trap and KO Chinchou and Ponyta. Darumaka can also get Diglett easily in by using U-turn on a predicted switch. Foongus makes a good teammate for dealing with the Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types that might give Darumaka problems. Entry hazard removal support is greatly appreciated by Darumaka, (AC) as its Stealth Rock weakness really hampers its survivability, (AC) which is further hampered by and it's already losing health from Flare Blitz's recoil. Good entry hazard removers that have good synergy with Darumaka is include Archen, which can check Fletchling and Fire-types while and has having access to U-turn itself, while and Staryu, which can on the other side deals with Ponyta and Rock-types. Chinchou and Mienfoo can cover Darumaka's weaknesses to Water and Rock, respectively, while also forming a solid VoltTurn core with it, which allows Darumaka to switch in without fear. Vulpix can offer Drought support, which makes Flare Blitz hit incredibly hard. Vulpix and Darumaka can also help wear down each other's (add apostrophe) counters, (AC) as they share similar ones. Watch out for their compounded shared weaknesses to Rock-, (remove hyphen) Ground-, (remove hyphen) and Water-type, (AC) weaknesses though.

Other Options
########

Fire Punch is an option over Flare Blitz if you are worried about Darumaka taking recoil, but it's far from being as powerful as Flare Blitz. Flame Charge is an option to patch up Darumaka's middling Speed, though the coverage options listed are usually better options for their overall offensive presence, (AC) and they are a lot easier to take advantage of with Choice Scarf's immediate Speed boost from Choice Scarf is a lot easier to take advantage of. Darumaka can make use of Yawn to force switches and Will-O-Wisp to punish physically inclined foes,; however, Darumaka is in almost all cases better off just outright attacking. Darumaka can also use Substitute on a forced switch, though the HP loss from Substitute generally doesn't help keep Darumaka alive any more than it would like to. Life Orb can be used to boost the power of its Darumaka's attacks, but this item it is generally a bad option, as since it eats away at Darumaka's health, which is suboptimal, as and its Darumaka's short longevity is already sort of an issue.

Checks & Counters
########

**Fire-types**: Fire-types, (AC) such as Ponyta, (AC) and Flash Fire users, (AC) such as like Houndour, (AC) can come in on Flare Blitz easily, but doesn't neither enjoy getting hit by Rock Slide.

**Paralysis**: Thunder Wave users with Prankster, (AC) such as Cottonee and Purrloin, can easily render Darumaka pretty much useless, though Darumaka can often KO the opponent foes if it is faster than slower, and therefore avoid getting paralyzed.

**Water-types**: Water-types such as Chinchou and Shellos can come in switch into Choice Scarf Darumaka fairly comfortabley on Choice Scarf Darumaka, but will struggle to avoid the 2HKO if Darumaka is using a Choice Band. On the other hand, Choice Band Darumaka fails to 2HKO Slowpoke on the other hand avoids the 2HKO by Choice Band Darumaka.

**Thick Fat Munchlax**: It Thick Fat Munchlax can switch into Flare Blitz with relative comfort and cause Darumaka to take a lot of recoil due to Munchlax's super-high HP stat. However, Munchlax will struggle to withstand a Flare Blitz from Choice Band Darumaka equipped with Choice Band after Stealth Rock damage, (RC) and is easily OHKOed by Superpower.

**Entry Hazards**: This is Entry hazards are one of Darumaka's biggest issues. Especially Stealth Rock is especially troubling, as Darumaka is weak to it due to Darumaka being a Fire-type, but it Darumaka doesn't enjoy Spikes or Sticky Web either.

**Priority**: Pokemon with priority moves can easily wear down Darumaka due to its lack of bulk, especially Aqua Jet users such as Tirtouga and Corphish.

GP 1/2

 

[Aerow]

Thanks, implemented!

 

[antemortem]

amcheck

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Hide

Overview
########

Darumaka is a big offensive threat thanks to its base 90 Attack stat, the Hustle ability Hustle, which boosts the power of its attacks by 50%, and good movepool. Darumaka's access to U-turn makes it a good Choice Scarf and Choice Band user, and it also has access to solid coverage options in Rock Slide and Superpower. However, while Hustle boosts Darumaka's Attack stat to monstrous levels, it is also arguably one of Darumaka's biggest problems, as it lowers the accuracy of its moves by 20%. As Darumaka can't afford to hold a Eviolite, if one of its moves either misses or fails to KO the opponent foe, ("Opponent" should refer to the human player, while "foe" or "enemy" or "target" refers to the Pokemon) it can easily be KOed back. Darumaka is also weak to Stealth Rock and can easily be revenge killed with Aqua Jet or Sucker Punch. Flare Blitz's recoil further decreases Darumaka's longevity.

Choice
########
name: Choice
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Superpower
ability: Hustle
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
evs: 116 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Flare Blitz is a very powerful Fire-type STAB move that punches huge holes into the opponent's team, even if foes enemies are hit only neutrally take neutral damage. U-turn is obligatory for a Choice Scarf or Choice Band user and is used to maintain momentum on predicted switches as the opponent panics to find the safest switch-in. Rock Slide is awesome coverage for hitting the Fire-types that resist both Flare Blitz and U-turn and is also useful for hitting Flying-types such as Archen. Superpower is a very potent coverage move, (this is so it's clear why "being super effective on five types" describes Superpower as rounding out the moveset nicely) being super effective on five types, and rounds out Darumaka's moveset nicely.

Set Details
========

196 Attack and Speed EVs maximize Darumaka's offensive capabilities, and the remaining EVs are invested into HP to improve Darumaka's overall bulk. With Hustle, a Jolly nature, and Choice Scarf, Darumaka effectively has an Attack stat of 27 and a Speed stat of 22, making it a highly threatening force to be reckoned with in terms of power, speed, and ability to gain momentum. Darumaka's Attack stat with a Choice Band reaches a mind-blowing value of 40 with a Jolly nature, and is guaranteed to hit any target that doesn't resist the move Darumaka is using extremely hard.

Usage Tips
========

Prediction is very important when using Darumaka; if you mispredict the opponent's switch, you will give them a free turn you might regret. Make use of U-turn and use your other moves very carefully; a Pokémon with Flash Fire Pokemon switching into Darumaka's Flare Blitz is a total momentum shift. Try to keep Darumaka from taking too much damage from entry hazards, particularly from Stealth Rock, because its health is limited enough as it is, and it's not the easiest thing to pass a Wish to. Make sure Darumaka switches in safely on something it can really threaten; slow Volt Switch and U-turn users really help with ensuring this.

Team Options
========

Diglett is a great teammate for Darumaka, being able to trap and KO Chinchou and Ponyta. Darumaka can also get Diglett easily in easily by using U-turn on a predicted switch. Foongus makes a good teammate for dealing with Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types that might give Darumaka problems. Entry hazard removal support is greatly appreciated by Darumaka, as its Stealth Rock weakness really hampers its survivability, which is further hampered by Flare Blitz's recoil. Good entry hazard removers that have good synergy synergize well with Darumaka include Archen, which can check Fletchling and Fire-types and has access to U-turn itself, and Staryu, which can deal with Ponyta and Rock-types. Chinchou and Mienfoo can cover Darumaka's weaknesses to Water and Rock, respectively, while also forming a solid VoltTurn core with it, which allows Darumaka to switch in without fear. Vulpix can offer Drought support, which makes Flare Blitz hit incredibly hard. Vulpix and Darumaka can also help wear down each other's shared counters, as they share similar ones. Watch out for their shared weaknesses to Rock, Ground, and Water, though.

Other Options
########

Fire Punch is an option over Flare Blitz if you are worried about Darumaka taking recoil, but it's far from being as powerful as Flare Blitz. Flame Charge is an option to patch up Darumaka's middling Speed, though the coverage options listed are usually better for their overall offensive presence potential, and they are a lot easier to take advantage of with Choice Scarf's immediate Speed boost. Darumaka can make use of Yawn to force switches and Will-O-Wisp to punish physically inclined offensive foes; however, Darumaka is,(AC) in almost all cases,(AC) better off just outright attacking. Darumaka can also use Substitute on a forced switch, though the HP loss from Substitute generally doesn't help keep Darumaka alive given Darumaka's already dwindling life expectancy. (it's just odd the way you had it, as it seems like you're saying Substitute would otherwise help a Pokemon stay alive when that's often not its purpose) Life Orb can be used to boost the power of Darumaka's attacks, but it is generally a bad option, as Darumaka already takes sufficient recoil from its primary STAB move and Life Orb exacerbates this problem. it eats away at Darumaka's health, which is suboptimal, as and Darumaka's short longevity is already an issue. (Darumaka really has decent health and isn't pressured much by Flare Blitz's recoil. While LO does put a strain on this, it isn't worth declaring that Darumaka's health is less than meager, which it isn't.)

Checks & Counters
########

**Fire-types**: Fire-types,(RC) such as Ponyta, Houndour, and other Flash Fire users, such as Houndour, can come in on Flare Blitz easily, but neither none enjoy getting hit by Rock Slide.

**Paralysis**: Thunder Wave users with Prankster, such as Cottonee and Purrloin, can easily render Darumaka pretty much useless, though Darumaka can often KO foes it is faster than and therefore avoid getting paralyzed.

**Water-types**: Water-types such as Chinchou and Shellos can switch into Choice Scarf Darumaka fairly comfortably, but will struggle to avoid the 2HKO if Darumaka is using a Choice Band. On the other hand, Choice Band Darumaka fails to 2HKO Slowpoke.

**Thick Fat Munchlax**: Thick Fat Munchlax can switch into Flare Blitz with relative comfort ease and cause Darumaka to take a lot of recoil due to Munchlax's super-(remove hyphen)high HP stat. However, Munchlax will struggle to withstand a Flare Blitz from Choice Band Darumaka after Stealth Rock damage and is easily OHKOed by Superpower.

**Entry Hazards**: Entry hazards are one of Darumaka's biggest issues. Stealth Rock is especially troubling, as Darumaka is weak to it, but Darumaka doesn't enjoy Spikes or Sticky Web either.

**Priority**: Pokemon Pokémon with priority moves can easily wear down Darumaka due to its lack of bulk, especially Aqua Jet users such as Tirtouga and Corphish.

 

[Goddess Briyella]

amcheck

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Hide

Overview
########

Darumaka is a big offensive threat thanks to its base 90 Attack stat, the Hustle ability Hustle, which boosts the power of its attacks by 50%, and good movepool. Darumaka's access to U-turn makes it a good Choice Scarf and Choice Band user, and it also has access to solid coverage options in Rock Slide and Superpower. However, while Hustle boosts Darumaka's Attack stat to monstrous levels, it is also arguably one of Darumaka's biggest problems, as it lowers the accuracy of its moves by 20%. As Darumaka can't afford to hold a Eviolite, if one of its moves either misses or fails to KO the opponent foe, ("Opponent" should refer to the human player, while "foe" or "enemy" or "target" refers to the Pokemon) it can easily be KOed back. Darumaka is also weak to Stealth Rock and can easily be revenge killed with Aqua Jet or Sucker Punch. Flare Blitz's recoil further decreases Darumaka's longevity.

Choice
########
name: Choice
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Superpower
ability: Hustle
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
evs: 116 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Flare Blitz is a very powerful Fire-type STAB move that punches huge holes into the opponent's team, even if foes enemies are hit only neutrally take neutral damage. U-turn is obligatory for a Choice Scarf or Choice Band user and is used to maintain momentum on predicted switches as the opponent panics to find the safest switch-in. Rock Slide is awesome coverage for hitting the Fire-types that resist both Flare Blitz and U-turn and is also useful for hitting Flying-types such as Archen. Superpower is a very potent coverage move, (this is so it's clear why "being super effective on five types" describes Superpower as rounding out the moveset nicely) being super effective on five types, and rounds out Darumaka's moveset nicely.

Set Details
========

196 Attack and Speed EVs maximize Darumaka's offensive capabilities, and the remaining EVs are invested into HP to improve Darumaka's overall bulk. With Hustle, a Jolly nature, and Choice Scarf, Darumaka effectively has an Attack stat of 27 and a Speed stat of 22, making it a highly threatening force to be reckoned with in terms of power, speed, and ability to gain momentum. Darumaka's Attack stat with a Choice Band reaches a mind-blowing value of 40 with a Jolly nature, and is guaranteed to hit any target that doesn't resist the move Darumaka is using extremely hard.

Usage Tips
========

Prediction is very important when using Darumaka; if you mispredict the opponent's switch, you will give them a free turn you might regret. Make use of U-turn and use your other moves very carefully; a Pokémon with Flash Fire Pokemon switching into Darumaka's Flare Blitz is a total momentum shift. Try to keep Darumaka from taking too much damage from entry hazards, particularly from Stealth Rock, because its health is limited enough as it is, and it's not the easiest thing to pass a Wish to. Make sure Darumaka switches in safely on something it can really threaten; slow Volt Switch and U-turn users really help with ensuring this.

Team Options
========

Diglett is a great teammate for Darumaka, being able to trap and KO Chinchou and Ponyta. Darumaka can also get Diglett easily in easily by using U-turn on a predicted switch. Foongus makes a good teammate for dealing with Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types that might give Darumaka problems. Entry hazard removal support is greatly appreciated by Darumaka, as its Stealth Rock weakness really hampers its survivability, which is further hampered by Flare Blitz's recoil. Good entry hazard removers that have good synergy synergize well with Darumaka include Archen, which can check Fletchling and Fire-types and has access to U-turn itself, and Staryu, which can deal with Ponyta and Rock-types. Chinchou and Mienfoo can cover Darumaka's weaknesses to Water and Rock, respectively, while also forming a solid VoltTurn core with it, which allows Darumaka to switch in without fear. Vulpix can offer Drought support, which makes Flare Blitz hit incredibly hard. Vulpix and Darumaka can also help wear down each other's shared counters, as they share similar ones. Watch out for their shared weaknesses to Rock, Ground, and Water, though.

Other Options
########

Fire Punch is an option over Flare Blitz if you are worried about Darumaka taking recoil, but it's far from being as powerful as Flare Blitz. Flame Charge is an option to patch up Darumaka's middling Speed, though the coverage options listed are usually better for their overall offensive presence potential, and they are a lot easier to take advantage of with Choice Scarf's immediate Speed boost. Darumaka can make use of Yawn to force switches and Will-O-Wisp to punish physically inclined offensive foes; however, Darumaka is,(AC) in almost all cases,(AC) better off just outright attacking. Darumaka can also use Substitute on a forced switch, though the HP loss from Substitute generally doesn't help keep Darumaka alive given Darumaka's already dwindling life expectancy. (it's just odd the way you had it, as it seems like you're saying Substitute would otherwise help a Pokemon stay alive when that's often not its purpose) Life Orb can be used to boost the power of Darumaka's attacks, but it is generally a bad option, as Darumaka already takes sufficient recoil from its primary STAB move and Life Orb exacerbates this problem. it eats away at Darumaka's health, which is suboptimal, as and Darumaka's short longevity is already an issue. (Darumaka really has decent health and isn't pressured much by Flare Blitz's recoil. While LO does put a strain on this, it isn't worth declaring that Darumaka's health is less than meager, which it isn't.)

Checks & Counters
########

**Fire-types**: Fire-types,(RC) such as Ponyta, Houndour, and other Flash Fire users, such as Houndour, can come in on Flare Blitz easily, but neither none enjoy getting hit by Rock Slide.

**Paralysis**: Thunder Wave users with Prankster, such as Cottonee and Purrloin, can easily render Darumaka pretty much useless, though Darumaka can often KO foes it is faster than and therefore avoid getting paralyzed.

**Water-types**: Water-types such as Chinchou and Shellos can switch into Choice Scarf Darumaka fairly comfortably, but will struggle to avoid the 2HKO if Darumaka is using a Choice Band. On the other hand, Choice Band Darumaka fails to 2HKO Slowpoke.

**Thick Fat Munchlax**: Thick Fat Munchlax can switch into Flare Blitz with relative comfort ease and cause Darumaka to take a lot of recoil due to Munchlax's super-(remove hyphen)high HP stat. However, Munchlax will struggle to withstand a Flare Blitz from Choice Band Darumaka after Stealth Rock damage and is easily OHKOed by Superpower.

**Entry Hazards**: Entry hazards are one of Darumaka's biggest issues. Stealth Rock is especially troubling, as Darumaka is weak to it, but Darumaka doesn't enjoy Spikes or Sticky Web either.

**Priority**: Pokemon Pokémon with priority moves can easily wear down Darumaka due to its lack of bulk, especially Aqua Jet users such as Tirtouga and Corphish.

We went over this on IRC. This check is solid; please implement it. :)

GP 2/2

 

[Aerow]

Thanks guys, implemented! Darumaka is now done~