set name shoutout to Arcticblast
Overview
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name: MOMMA'S MAD
move 1: Fake Out / Protect
move 2: Return / Double Edge
move 3: Power-Up Punch / Low Kick
move 4: Sucker Punch
ability: Inner Focus / Scrappy
item: Kangaskhanite
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant
Moves
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Set Details
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Team Options
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Other Options
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Checks & Counters
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**Typing Advantage**
Overview
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- Kangaskhan is one of the strongest attackers in the tier due to having a solid 125 base attack in addition to one of the best abilities in game that essentially gives kangaskhan a choice band on all its moves.
- Has solid 105/100/100 bulk that lets it take hits rather well.
- Kangaskhan has a decent base 100 speed which is a solid speed tier which lets it outspeed a good amount of the metagame, while also being able to threaten the mons that outspeed it with sucker punch which threatens the mons that would normally be able to outspeed and ko kanga.
- Kangaskhan also provides decent team support with stab, parental bond boosted fake out which helps its teammates have a free turn.
- Thanks to parental bond, kanga can easily set up on non ghost types with power up punch which gives it +2 attack that further improves its already dominant offensive presence.
- Kangaskhan being a normal type gives it no resistances and only one relatively uncommon immunity in ghost, this works both ways since although kanga might not have any resistances, it also doesn't have any weaknesses outside of fighting types.
- Also immensely weaker when burned or when a foe has Intimidate, can get around Intimidate with PuP or by switching out
- Standard moveset can't hit ghost types outside of Sucker Punch
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name: MOMMA'S MAD
move 1: Fake Out / Protect
move 2: Return / Double Edge
move 3: Power-Up Punch / Low Kick
move 4: Sucker Punch
ability: Inner Focus / Scrappy
item: Kangaskhanite
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant
Moves
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- Fake Out is an excellent utility move that helps provide damage on your opponent while also being able to let your partner set up and/or attack due to the guaranteed flinch that helps kanga mega evolve safely. Easily one of the most important moves to run on kanga, as it pressures your opponent immensely when kanga comes out.
- Protect is there since if you feel you don't need the utility provided by fake out, you can instead opt to use protect instead to help scout out moves or provide a free turn for kanga in case it feels threatened, protect in general is a solid move and shouldn't be overlooked. Protect can also surprise opponents, as people generally expect Fake Out
- Return is your primary stab attack providing a 102 BP stab with no draw back and the move you'd use in most situations due to how hard it hits.
- PuP chip damage is handy, especially if you are certain that it can grab a KO
- Double Edge is a viable option over return since it has a notable increase in power, however it does have nasty recoil that compromises kanga's bulk, though the 20% increase in power is definitely worth considering over return despite the recoil.
- Low kick is if you don't intend to use kanga as a sweeper and instead need the fighting type coverage. Low Kick also hits most of its intended targets for high damage, but some Pokemon hit for not much damage like Scrafty. Low Kick can 2HKO Heatran and does a ton to other heavy mons
- Sucker Punch is your priority and essential on mega kanga since it allows it to nullify its chance of getting screwed by speed control and allows it to beat mons that outspeed it such as latios or skymin, while also giving it an option to use while under trick room or your opponent has tailwind up.
Set Details
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- Kangaskhanite is self explanatory since it allows kangaskhan to mega evolve, and normal kangaskhan isn't worth using.
- Full investment into attack is to allow kangaskhan to hit as hard as possible.
- Full investment into speed is to ensure kanga outspeeds everything with under 100 base speed, while also speed tying with other base 100 speed mons.
- The choice of using Jolly or Adamant is up to team preferences, since Jolly ensures that it won't be outsped by mons such as excadrill, non scarf lando-t, and speed tying with other base 100's however adamant will ensure you hit as hard as possible, so both are usable.
- 4 def is to give genesect a special attack boost which threatens kanga less than physical moves, ultimately a minor nitpick and you can go either way.
- Inner Focus allows kanga to always pull off a fake out pre mega evolving in case you cannot afford to lose a speed tie on lead turn.
- Scrappy is used to fake out ghosts which is helpful in some situations.
- Adamant works better with sucker punch
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- Fake out is an excellent move for applying pressure on your opponent because the threat of fake out forces your opponent to make risky plays such as protecting or quick guarding anticipating the fake out, which is the opportune time to power up punch your partner or your opponent's mon who you think won't protect. Fake out can also be used to help your partner set up.
- Sucker punch may be a powerful move, however it's a coinflip with its usage since your opponent might predict it and instead of opting to attack, switch or set up and thus if you used sucker punch, you just wasted a turn for nothing, so it's best to weigh risk and reward accordingly when you're thinking about using sucker punch.
- Return/double edge is the most abusable move you have, so make sure to use it unless you're sure you can get a power up punch off without kanga or its partner getting too injured because at +2, essentially nothing but the bulkiest of resists can live a return/double edge.
- Power up punch forces your opponent on the back foot and makes them make plays that they wouldn't have to do against other set up sweepers, so use it wisely. Only use PuP if you can make use of the +2 boost and can avoid being forced out.
- You can also use PuP on your teammate if you predict a double Protect
- You don't have to mega evolve immediately when you're using kanga and instead could opt to use one of its pre mevo moves should the situation call for it, keep inner focus in case you can not afford to mispredict your opponent's fake out, or keep scrappy in case you desperately need to hit your opponents ghost type.
- the scariest things about Mega Kang is all the mindgames it poses simultaneously. It simultaneously poses the threat of hitting hard with Return/Double Edge, setting up with PuP, or aiding its ally with Fake Out. They all work well independently, but together makes Kang threatening and creates mind games with it These are in addition to the Sucker Punch mind games.
- can be used in all early game to help set up momentum or late game for a sweep
Team Options
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- Bisharp is a good partner to kangaskhan since it discourages intimidators with its defiant ability since although kanga might drop one stage in attack, bisharp would gain a stage, so kanga + bisharp is an effective partner since it discourages kanga's checks. Also threatens Ghost-types which can be problematic for Kang
- Redirectors tend to be good partners to kangaskhan such as amoongus or togekiss, since they resist fighting and can proceed to rage powder/follow me, while kanga can freely attack the opponent without fear of harm except from weak spread moves. Redirectors also help Kang set up PuP, and Kang's Fake Out helps them use Spore or Tailwind respectively
- Set up mons in general, greatly benefit from the free turn and the immense pressure kanga provides with its mere existence and since kanga is so often targetted, these mons can proceed to set up while kanga diverts attention away from them. Kang's Fake Out helps set up sweepers further set up too
Other Options
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- Crunch is an option to hit ghosts that wall you otherwise, however it makes you miss out on sucker punch which leaves kangaskhan open to faster mons (or slower mons under trick room)
- Ice punch is usable to hit landorus-t on the switch since landorus-t is one of the most common switchins to kangaskhan.
- Seismic toss is usable if you want kangaskhan to still be useful even while statused since it does a static 200 damage which is enough to threaten to 2hko the whole tier unless they have heavy hp investment alongside a high base hp.
- Hammer Arm can be used if kang is being run on a TR team or is paired with a TR user
Checks & Counters
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**Typing Advantage**
- Ghosts that don't necessarily have to attack wall kanga's standard set unless it runs the sub optimal crunch. (gourgeist, aegislash, chandelure)
- Conkeldurr can live a hit and threaten to ohko in return are also a huge threat to kangaskhan.
- Fighting-types that can outspeed and OHKO kang such as Mega Gallade and Keldeo
- Terrakion resists kang's main STAB move, making it easier to live a hit and KO kanga
- Steel-types that aren't afraid of Kang's coverage moves such as Mega Mawile and Mega Scizor
- Mega Diancie 2HKOes with Diamond Storm and can live two Double-Edge's if it nabs a Defense boost with DStorm. Mega Diancie also isnt afraid of Sucker Punch
- Common Ghost-types carry Will-O-Wisp, meaning that Kangaskhan can't hit them
- Pokemon like this include Sableye and Mega Gengar
- Like all other physical attackers, Kanga has some problems against intimidate users however it has power up punch to mitigate this to an extent and due to kanga's speed tier, it allows kanga to either dent/ko intimidators that it outspeeds after a power up punch (hitmontop/scrafty/lando-t) or threaten faster intimidators with sucker punch (mega manectric, scarf lando-t)
- Mega Mawile pre mega evolve does a decent job of checking kanga due to intimidate + fantastic bulk while resisting kanga's whole arsenal bar the weak power up punch.
- Scarf Lando-T carries Superpower which has a 31% chance to OHKO 4HP Kanga
- Kangaskhan has no reliable way of recovering from Burns, making it much harder to attack
- Rocky Helmet users like Amoonguss make it harder for Kang to stay healthy, and Amoonguss can redirect Kang's attacks towards it. Rough Skin and Iron Barbs users such as Garchomp and Ferrothorn are also difficult for Kang to hit while staying healthy. Even though they're as not common as what they used to be, they're still viable
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