Durant [QC: 0/3]

[Peef Rimgar]

Overview
########

• Massive Attack and Speed Stats
• Good Ability + Move combo in Hustle + Hone Claws
• One Defensive Weakness
• Decent Coverage
• 4X weakness to one of the most common UU types
• Impassable Special Bulk
• Misses Exist
• 4MSS like a MOF

Hone Claws Sweeper
########
name: Hone Claws Sweeper
move 1: Hone Claws
move 2: Iron Head / X-Scissor
move 3: Crunch / Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 4: Superpower
ability: Hustle
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
evs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

• Hone Claws for obvious attack and accuracy boosts
• Iron Head or X-Scissor for STAB
• Crunch for bulky Psychics / Ghosts, or Stone Edge or rock slide for boid coverage
• Superpower for steels

Set Details
========

• Standard 252/252/4 Spread
• Hustle for Hone Claws abuse
• Lum Berry for avoiding status (Namely WoW), Life Orb for extra power
• Nature based on preference, Jolly > Adamant because it already hits really hard

Usage Tips
========

• Don't overestimate
• Avoid things with Scald / WoW
• Run from Cofagrigus
• If you aren't boosted, be weary of the situation

Team Options
========

• Chandelure
• Flygon
• Aerodactyl-Mega
• Hazard support to ensure kills
  
• Cleric support in case of burn

Scarfed Ant
########
name: Scarfed Ant
move 1: Iron Head / X-Scissor
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Superpower
ability: Swarm / Hustle
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

• Iron Head or X-Scissor for STAB
  
• Stone Edge for boid / Fire coverage
• Crunch for Psychics / Ghosts
  
• Superpower for Steels

Set Details
========

• Standard 252/252/4 spread
• Swarm for accuracy, or Hustle for huge attacking power
• Adamant for extra power since 109 Scarf is still 2speedy2quik w/o Jolly

Usage Tips
========

• Be realistic in what you can kill
• Avoid WoW/Scald
• If running Hustle, don't rely on late game kills

Team Options
========

Pretty Much the same as the Hone claws set


Banded Ant
########
name: Banded Ant
move 1: Iron Head / X-Scissor
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Superpower
ability: Swarm / Hustle
item: Choice Band
evs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Same as Scarf set.

Set Details
========

• Standard 252/252/4 spread for quick hard hits
• Swarm for accuracy, Hustle for a ton of power
• Jolly for quick hits since it already hits hella hard

Usage Tips
========

• If running hustle, don't rely on it late game
• Run from special scarfers
• Don't overestimate kills

Team Options
========

Same as above


Other Options
########

• Truant + Entrainment Niche set

Checks & Counters
########

CHECKS & COUNTERS GO HERE

• Scarfed Fire Types
• Cofagrigus
• Sableye
• Mega Banette (post-Mega turn)
• Jellicent
• Haze Users
• Special Scarfers
• Bad Luck

Hide

Ugh I fucked up ignore this
Overview
########

Durant has always been an offensive force in UU, and this gen proves no exception. At a glance, Durant is impressive, with a great 109 speed and attack. It's abilities (mainly Hustle), however, are what set this offensive behemoth apart from any other quick attacker. After a Hustle + Hone Claws boost, not much is wanting to come in and fight Durant.

Durant does, however, have it's fair share of issues in the tier. Durant has a pretty bad case of 4MSS, given that he can break just about any wall, but not all on one set. While his defensive typing is great, his special bulk is borderline unusable, leading him to have limited switch in opportunities. If he can't get up a Hone Claws, he has a pretty high chance to miss important hits. Even through all that, Durant still makes for a very powerful Pokemon in UU.


Hone Claws Sweeper
########
name: Hone Claws Sweeper
move 1: Hone Claws
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Crunch / X-Scissor
move 4: Superpower / Rock Slide
ability: Hustle
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
evs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
nature: Jolly / Adamant

Moves
========

Hone Claws is obviously the base of the set, supporting Durant's base 476 (assuming Jolly nature) attack stat post-Hustle. Iron Head is the only real mandatory coverage move, hitting targets it couldn't otherwise. Moveslots 3 and 4 really depend on what you need it to kill. While X-Scissor gives a higher power overall, crunch provides better coverage, as it still hits the psychics X-Scissor does, along with hitting the bulky ghosts that give this set trouble. Superpower plants the steel types that give you trouble, as well as hitting dark types hard. Rock slide is for flying types, which can potentially hardwall you if you go X-Scissor.

Set Details
========

The EVs are pretty simple: get off as many hard, quick hits as possible. the ability is mandatory, as there wouldd be no reason to use Hone claws otherwise. The preferred item is Lum Berry to keep Sableye / Cofag / other things with WoW from killing your sweep, but if you're confident you can use Life Orb for even more damage. Jolly is also preferred as there are no important kills Adamant gets over Jolly, but once again, damage is damage.

Usage Tips
========

To use this, you can't overestimate Durant. Even though you look favorable against a Cofag at +1, that does not mean you need to stay in. Know your checks and counters or else Durant can be dead weight.

Team Options
========

Team options really vary on what coverage you ran. If lacking Superpower, something to break steel types, such as Chandelure or Flygon, is very beneficial. Without rock slide, a Flying type counter would be greatly appreciated. Things to take down physically bulky ghosts are always appreciated, as crunch can't break every wall, and sometimes that can ruin a sweep, like a Will-O from Sableye or gaining Cofagrigus's mummy.


Choiced Ant
########
name: Choiced Ant
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Crunch / X-Scissor
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Superpower
ability: Hustle
item: Choice Scarf / Band
evs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 HP
nature: Jolly / Adamant

Moves
========

Finally, the solution to 4MSS is here! Equipped with a Choice Item, Durant can run the full coverage it always wants. It's moves are pretty simple, since it's essentially running every viable Physical move it gets. The only real discrepancy is Crunch vs. X-Scissor, with the same power vs. coverage argument from the Hone Claws set.

Set Details
========

EVs are optimized to get off as many hits as possible, as you'd imagine from a choice set. The ability, Hustle, while making Durant somewhat unreliable, also boosts it's damage output greatly. Scarfed or Banded is really based on what the team it's on needs, and the nature should be place accordingly, with adamant for Scarf and Jolly for Band.

Usage Tips
========

Really with this set sometimes, you have to send it in and hope. While having far more power than other choice users, it's very risky thanks to hustle. If you can avoid using it in potentially game-winning plays, do it.

Team Options
========

A ghost counter is still really nice, but thanks to the lack of Hone Claws you can avoid the other coverage issues.

Other Options
########

Truant + Entrainment Durant is the only other noticeable niche, and even then with Endless Battle Clause there isn't a ton of reason to use it, as it ends up as dead weight outside of that.


Checks & Counters
########

• Scarfed Fire Types
• Cofagrigus
• Sableye
• Mega Banette (post-Mega turn)
• Jellicent
  
• Haze Users
• Special Scarfers
• Bad Luck

 

[Calloflochie]

You need 2 QC checks before you can post a written analysis, please hide this and make a skeleton to be approved by QC members.

 

[Peef Rimgar]

You need 2 QC checks before you can post a written analysis, please hide this and make a skeleton to be approved by QC members.

Well shit. What difference should the skeleton have from this?

 

[Swamp Link]

Well shit. What difference should the skeleton have from this?

It should be in bullet points, look around at a lot of the other analyses that are in that stage, just go over the major points without worrying about prose or anything.

 

[Peef Rimgar]

Fixed my dumb stupid idiot mistake

 

[s_aman]

I am not qc so take it with a grain of salt but Scarf durant should run swarm as hustle makes revenge killing unreliable. Also, scarf and band sets should be seperated as they do different things. The former is a revenge killer while the latter acts as more as a wallbreaker.

 

[Peef Rimgar]

I am not qc so take it with a grain of salt but Scarf durant should run swarm as hustle makes revenge killing unreliable. Also, scarf and band sets should be seperated as they do different things. The former is a revenge killer while the latter acts as more as a wallbreaker.

I did update to swarm > hustle, but I'm gonna wait for a QC before I separate band and scarf

 

[horyzhnz]

you probably should, since they both have different purposes; band ant wallbreaks pretty well w/ hustle while scarf ant should run swarm since it works as a revenge killer. you should only merge sets if their purposes + checks and whatnot are pretty much the same.

 

[Calloflochie]

I did update to swarm > hustle, but I'm gonna wait for a QC before I separate band and scarf

It has officially been made clear, choiced sets are now being separated so yes, you have to separate band and scarf.

 

[CoolStoryBrobat]

Not QC, but why run Rock Slide on the Hone Claws set when it has access to Stone Edge? Hone Claws at least gives it passable accuracy on top of the extra power. I would also change the slashes around personally, to be like this:

Hone Claws
Iron Head / X-Scissor
Crunch / Stone Edge
Superpower

Durant never really NEEDS to have both its STAB moves, and can often get by with just one in most cases. Crunch would be more useful in conjunction with Iron Head, since you still cover Ghost/Psychic-types like Slowbro, Cofag, etc. Stone Edge doesn't help cover much that Iron Head already does except for Fire-types, so Crunch is preferred if Iron Head is chosen, since +1 Crunch without a Life Orb can still do a number to most Fire-types barring Arcanine, especially after hazards have taken their toll. X-Scissor would probably be more effective with Stone Edge, since your coverage hits a different range of Pokemon, and Durant otherwise lacks a method of hitting Flying-types, Fire-types, etc. Superpower's listed last since its sole use is getting rid of Steel-types like Cobalion, weakened Mega Aggron, Magneton, etc.

Calcs for +1 Crunch vs. UU Fire types:

+1 252 Atk Hustle Durant Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Darmanitan: 279-329 (79.4 - 93.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 Atk Hustle Durant Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Darmanitan: 279-329 (79.4 - 93.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

+1 252 Atk Hustle Durant Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Victini: 346-408 (101.4 - 119.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+1 252 Atk Hustle Durant Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Entei: 198-234 (53.3 - 63%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 252 Atk Hustle Durant Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Chandelure: 378-446 (144.8 - 170.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

 

[Peef Rimgar]

Separated band and scarf and updated the moveset to be more preferable.

 

[LightningLuxray]

As someone who has used Durant a lot, I really would recommend against using Stone Edge > Rock Slide. While Hone Claws does help fix up accuracy issues, there are a lot of times where you can't set up a Hone Claws and need to get a crucial kill, which, 80% accuracy + Hustle really sucks for. Rock Slide is powerful enough, Stone Edge can get a "Moves" mention.

 

[Peef Rimgar]

As someone who has used Durant a lot, I really would recommend against using Stone Edge > Rock Slide. While Hone Claws does help fix up accuracy issues, there are a lot of times where you can't set up a Hone Claws and need to get a crucial kill, which, 80% accuracy + Hustle really sucks for. Rock Slide is powerful enough, Stone Edge can get a "Moves" mention.

I've got people talking in both my ears on this one so I'm just gonna do stone edge / rock slide and say its up to preference

 

[RayStrikeAbius]

This might end up being seen as a sort of gimmicky set to some, but I think it does deserve a mention. Durant can run a set revolving around/mainly consisting of Entrainment and its Hidden Ability, Truant. With Entrainment and it's high Speed stat, it can easily force Truant onto the opponent, crippling virtually any Pokemon, especially sweepers and/or ones that are reliant on abilities such as Swift Swim and Levitate for increased offensive or defensive power.

Of course, Durant wouldn't be doing much himself, so this probably wouldn't warrant its own set. Maybe eventually going under "Other Options" or something. I mean, Durant IS the only Pokemon in the game with the capability of forcing Truant onto another Pokemon, so it should at least get brought up in the analysis.

 

[Magcargo]

This might end up being seen as a sort of gimmicky set to some, but I think it does deserve a mention. Durant can run a set revolving around/mainly consisting of Entrainment and its Hidden Ability, Truant. With Entrainment and it's high Speed stat, it can easily force Truant onto the opponent, crippling virtually any Pokemon, especially sweepers and/or ones that are reliant on abilities such as Swift Swim and Levitate for increased offensive or defensive power.

Of course, Durant wouldn't be doing much himself, so this probably wouldn't warrant its own set. Maybe eventually going under "Other Options" or something. I mean, Durant IS the only Pokemon in the game with the capability of forcing Truant onto another Pokemon, so it should at least get brought up in the analysis.

Its already mentioned in Other Options.

 

[RayStrikeAbius]

Ah, didn't see that. Disregard me, then.

 

[s_aman]

I am not qc, so take it with a grain of salt. On the first set, is adamant worth it to be slashed. I mean it does give an extra boost to its attacks, but is that 10% boost is better than outspeeding Victini, Hydreigon, Mienshao and Darmanitan (it speed ties) considering that you can beat them if they are not scarfed. I think it would be better to mention adamant in set details only.

 

[Peef Rimgar]

I am not qc, so take it with a grain of salt. On the first set, is adamant worth it to be slashed. I mean it does give an extra boost to its attacks, but is that 10% boost is better than outspeeding Victini, Hydreigon, Mienshao and Darmanitan (it speed ties) considering that you can beat them if they are not scarfed. I think it would be better to mention adamant in set details only.

Very true. Will update