Pokémon Hawlucha

[SomeKidFromJohto]

So I know most everyone prefers Sitrus berry on the SubSD set to fair better against sand and is just generally useful in a pinch, but is there any merit to a Liechi berry? If you have a more aggressive team, or one that can effectively remove Ttar or Hippo It could be useful in a pinch. It helps against opposing aggressive or hyper offensive teams which might not give you a chance to set up an SD too, since you activate unburden and get an attack boost at the same time.

I'm going to be running some calcs on the merits of having +3 rather than +2 attack, will update this post in a bit.

Calcs:
+3 252+ Atk Hawlucha High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 261-307 (78.1 - 91.9%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252+ Atk Hawlucha High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 210-247 (62.8 - 73.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

+3 252+ Atk Hawlucha Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 262-310 (66.4 - 78.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Hawlucha Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 211-249 (53.5 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

+3 252+ Atk Hawlucha High Jump Kick vs. 248 HP / 136+ Def Mandibuzz: 352-415 (83.2 - 98.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+3 252+ Atk Hawlucha Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 248 HP / 136+ Def Mandibuzz: 298-352 (70.4 - 83.2%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252+ Atk Hawlucha Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 248 HP / 136+ Def Mandibuzz: 238-282 (56.2 - 66.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Hawlucha High Jump Kick vs. 248 HP / 136+ Def Mandibuzz: 282-333 (66.6 - 78.7%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

+3 252+ Atk Hawlucha Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 244 HP / 0 Def Gliscor: 322-379 (91.4 - 107.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252+ Atk Hawlucha Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 244 HP / 0 Def Gliscor: 256-303 (72.7 - 86%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Poison Heal

+3 252+ Atk Hawlucha High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Rotom-W: 325-384 (106.9 - 126.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Hawlucha High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Rotom-W: 261-307 (85.8 - 100.9%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

So Liechi berry? Not a significantly good investment. Against the premier physical walls of OU you're not changing much (keep in mind I used the specially defensive Gliscor, physically defensive gliscor laughs at you, as does Landorus-T and defensive Gyarados.)

This doesn't have anything to do with the +2/+3 argument per se, but I wanted to mention that I actually use hawl to destroy gliscor, physically defensive or not. Often the only attacks gliscor runs are knock off, which will activate your unburden, or earthquake, which you're immune to. The only thing that could really beat hawl is a well-timed toxic/protect stallout. But usually even if gliscor tries to toxic stall, all you have to do is predict his protects and SD in his face on them, and eventually you'll be OHKOing him, and one or two more pokes, depending on your remaining turns of toxic to KO you. And even if gliscor manages to toxic stall you to death while he toxic heals behind his protects, you're likely going to do enough damage to allow another pokemon to roll through gliscor immediately afterwards, even ones that usually wouldn't have a chance, such as scizor. Either way, hawl has contributed to the battle in a big way, removing or weakening a significant threat.

 

[kefkakrazy]

This doesn't have anything to do with the +2/+3 argument per se, but I wanted to mention that I actually use hawl to destroy gliscor, physically defensive or not. Often the only attacks gliscor runs are knock off, which will activate your unburden, or earthquake, which you're immune to. The only thing that could really beat hawl is a well-timed toxic/protect stallout. But usually even if gliscor tries to toxic stall, all you have to do is predict his protects and SD in his face on them, and eventually you'll be OHKOing him, and one or two more pokes, depending on your remaining turns of toxic to KO you. And even if gliscor manages to toxic stall you to death while he toxic heals behind his protects, you're likely going to do enough damage to allow another pokemon to roll through gliscor immediately afterwards, even ones that usually wouldn't have a chance, such as scizor. Either way, hawl has contributed to the battle in a big way, removing or weakening a significant threat.

Toxic roost variant is pretty rough for Hawlucha to muscle past, and subtoxic variant will stop Wrassleburd cold. Which is a shame.

 

[Lennysaurus]

So can we put a Flying Gem on Hawlucha yet? Are they in ORAS at all?

 

[Otter Power]

No gems in ORAS, sadly. Although, Hawlucha does now have Thunder Punch and Fire Punch via move tutors, so he has that going for him.

 

[mikelos]

No gems in ORAS, sadly. Although, Hawlucha does now have Thunder Punch and Fire Punch via move tutors, so he has that going for him.

normal gem is out

 

[Slowking88]

normal gem is out

That was out in XY as well, so nothing changed apart from elemental punches which do not really help him

 

[Caiahar]

That was out in XY as well, so nothing changed apart from elemental punches which do not really help him

They do actually help him.
Ice punch gets past defensive garchomp, lando, physically defensive gliscor.
Hawl gets Knock Off as well this gen. Too bad he didn't get it during the Aegislash meta.

 

[Dilasc]

Ice punch gets past defensive garchomp, lando, physically defensive gliscor.

Ice Punch would be great for Flying/Electric types... pity it's the one Ele punch he doesn't actually get.

 

[BlueLobster]

I like fling Hawlucha. While not the best, it allows it to defeat alot of offense mons, such as Greninjas that switch into it expecting a SD and then get hit with HJK befire they can ice beam.

Overall, Hawlucha's a nice late game sweeper or SD lead, and opposing ones have destroyed me when I actually see one.