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The arrival of ORAS gifted Malamar with access to Knock Off, making it more threatening in the RU metagame. It can easily take advantage of its ability Contrary by spamming Superpower, as well as receiving Attack boosts from Intimidate and evasion boosts from Defog. This makes Malamar a fairly solid stallbreaker in conjunction with Rest, which is, sadly, Malamar's only form of recovery. Also, its rather subpar stats, combined with its bad defensive typing, set it below some of the other physical attackers in RU.
RestTalk
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name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Knock Off
ability: Contrary
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Careful
Moves
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Rest fully restores Malamar's HP and cures any status conditions it may have. Sleep Talk prevents Malamar from becoming worthless for the two turns it is asleep, letting it gain Attack and Defense boosts from Superpower or remove foes' items with Knock Off.
Set Details
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Maximum HP investment increases Malamar's overall bulk, letting it take both physical and special attacks. Thanks to Superpower boosting Malamar's Attack and Defense, it is not necessary to invest in those stats; as a result, a Careful nature with maximum Special Defense investment is used to let Malamar take special attacks better.
Usage Tips
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Before setting up late-game, be sure to get rid of Malamar's checks and counters to ensure its safety on the field. Spam Superpower until Malamar is strong enough to sweep; however, it is not necessary to get to +6, as Malamar risks getting struck by a critical hit. When Malamar is weakened or inflicted with a status condition, use Rest, and then use Sleep Talk for the two following turns to let Malamar keep removing items or setting up. If possible, switch Malamar into Defog to get a nifty evasion boost.
Team Options
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Golbat, Registeel, and Cobalion partner well with Malamar, as they resist the Bug-type attacks that threaten Malamar. Toxic Spikes support, specifically from Pokemon such as Weezing, is greatly appreciated because it lets Malamar have an easier time stallbreaking.
Other Options
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A Choice Scarf lets Malamar be a fast attacker, while a Choice Band gives an immediate boost to Malamar's relatively average Attack stat. Using Substitute lets Malamar avoid status conditions such as burn and poison. A Life Orb gives a 30% boost in power to Malamar's attacks, but its recoil easily wears down Malamar. An Assault Vest boosts Malamar's Special Defense, and combined with the Defense boosts from Superpower, it makes Malamar fairly hard to take down. However, Malamar lacks recovery and would therefore need cleric support.
Checks & Counters
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**Bug-types**: Bug-type Pokemon such as Escavalier, Accelgor, and Durant threaten Malamar with their 4x super effective STAB attacks.
**Fairy-types**: Granbull, Aromatisse, and Slurpuff resist both Superpower and Knock Off and can hit back with a super effective STAB attack. Aromatisse fits easily on stall teams, which ruins Malamar's stallbreaking capabilities.
**Hard Hitters and Offensive Pressure**: Pokemon that can hit Malamar hard, such as Mega Glalie and Rhyperior, prevent it from reliably setting up.
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