Marowak
Taken over from zdrup15
QC Approvals: windsong, Nails, and Oglemi
GP Approvals: Omicron, Jellicent
[Overview]
<p>When people think of cavemen, the trademark weapon that comes to mind is the club. This powerful weapon was taken to a whole new level in the realm of Pokemon, where it can turn an average Pokemon with an average base 80 Attack stat into a monster with 568 Attack; the beast it creates is so powerful that it makes even Deoxys-A tremble in its wake. Yes, a small creature with a fossil on its head is transformed into a destructive force that is capable of shattering the very world as we know it; its name is Marowak. When equipped with a Thick Club, Marowak it can deal massive damage. Its Defense isn't shabby either, maxing out at 350. But Sadly for this demon from the past, its other stats are terrible, with the exception of its average Special Defense stat. However, this monster should not be underestimated; under Trick Room, it can truly thrive. Its pitiful Speed can be turned into an advantage under the twisted dimensions, thus making Marowak an exceptional candidate for a Trick Room team. It also has access to the EdgeQuake combination, gaining STAB on Earthquake thanks to its Ground typing. All in all, with Thick Club equipped, Marowak can be force to be reckoned with in the RU environment, even with its decidedly average stats.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room Abuser
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Stone Edge / Swords Dance
item: Thick Club
ability: Rock Head
nature: Brave
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Marowak has a ridiculously high Attack stat when holding Thick Club, but there's still something lacking for it to sweep: its Speed. What's the solution? That's right, Trick Room! With Trick Room up, Marowak is very hard to stop. It becomes the bane of hyper offense teams everywhere, capable of OHKOing all of the common Pokemon found on them. It's excellent base 110 Defense stat means that even priority from the likes of Entei and Honchkrow won't be enough to take it down. Earthquake is the main STAB of choice and it can dent almost anything that isn't resistant or immune to it. Double-Edge works very well thanks to Rock Head and, thanks to its high Base Power, is a good move to use when there are still Pokemon immune to Earthquake. Fire Punch lets Marowak annihilate the likes of Ferroseed and Rotom-C, making them wish that they had never chosen to come face to face with this monster. The last slot is mostly a filler, so Stone Edge is the preferred move in order to add to Marowack's (sp) good coverage. Swords Dance is also an option, however, as it boosts Marowak's frightening Attack stat even further, enabling it to destroy anything that comes in its path.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 Attack EVs allow Marowak to hit as hard as possible, and the remaining EVs are placed into HP to give it some bulk. Rock Head negates the recoil that Double-Edge causes. As for move options, Knock Off and Toxic are potential candidates to replace Stone Edge, as they can cripple common switch-ins, such as Tangrowth. Any Pokemon with Trick Room is a great partner for Marowak. Slowking and Uxie deserve special mentions, however, as both are able to set up Trick Room and cripple Marowak's two biggest counters: Tangrowth and Gligar. Slowking can outright KO these threats with Surf and Fire Blast, respectively. Uxie, on the other hand, can cripple them with Trick and set up dual screens, or use Memento in order to let Marowak set up more easily if it is running Swords Dance.</p>
[SET]
name: Sub + 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Double-Edge
move 4: Fire Punch / Swords Dance
item: Thick Club
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant
evs: 208 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Outside of Trick Room, this is Marowak's best set. It works especially well with paralysis support; not only will paralysis support let Marowak outspeed its prey, but it will also let Marowak have a much better chance of keeping its Substitute intact. Substitute is very useful, easing prediction and allowing Marowak to become much more threatening. The combination of Earthquake and Double-Edge provide excellent coverage, destroying most of the RU tier thanks to Marowak's phenomenal Attack stat when holding a Thick Club. Fire Punch rounds off the set by adding to the coverage provided by the combination of Earthquake and Double-Edge, allowing Marowak to wreak havoc on opposing Grass-types, especially Ferroseed. Swords Dance is an option over Fire Punch, however, as it lets Marowak boost its sky high Attack stat to even higher levels.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature allow Marowak to power through the opposition very easily, and 44 Speed EVs lets it outrun uninvested Hariyama and Eelektross. The remaining EVs are placed into HP for additional bulk. Stone Edge can be used over Fire Punch, but it means that Tangrowth will have an even easier time switching in. Great partners for this set are Slowking, Uxie, and Tangrowth, as they can all provide support and tank hits for Marowak. Slowking and Uxie can also set up Trick Room for additional support; Uxie can also utilize Reflect and Light Screen in order to let Marowak set up a Substitute more easily. They can also destroy, or in Uxie's case, cripple, Marowak's two biggest counters: Tangrowth and Gligar. Slowking and Uxie can both spread paralysis around, while Tangrowth can utilize Sleep Power to incapacitate an enemy.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Marowak has a small amount of other options that are not listed in the sets above. Bonemerang is an option over Earthquake in order to break the enemy's Substitutes, but the most common users of Substitute, Honchkrow and Rotom, are immune to Ground-type moves, so Earthquake is generally the better option. Marowak also has access to Stealth Rock, but this is better left to other Pokemon, as Marowak's goal in life is to destroy the opposition through brute force, not to support its team. Belly Drum is also an option, raising Marowak's already stellar Attack stat to unthinkable levels, but it halves Marowak's HP, and since Marowak has no reliable way of recovering HP, it is not as effective as Swords Dance. Marowak also has access to a variety of special moves, including Fire Blast, Ice Beam, and Earth Power. Sadly, its pathetic base 50 Special Attack stat makes the concept of using special moves much less attractive.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Gligar and Tangrowth are the two biggest counters to Marowak, being able to switch in and wall it relatively easily, thus stalling valuable turns of Trick Room. Slow variants of Slowking are also major problems, being able to outpace Marowak in Trick Room and knock it out with either Surf or Scald. Also, Marowak's pathetic base 45 Speed stat and Ground typing allow it to be easily revenge killed outside of Trick Room. Pokemon such as Lilligant, Omastar, and Porygon-Z can easily decimate it with their powerful STAB attacks.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Marowak gets Battle Armor from the Dream World, which prevents Marowak from being hit by critical hits. This ability is relatively useless, however, compared to Rock Head, as Double Edge is an essential part of Marowak's moveset. This ability is better left to walls anyway, not to mention Marowak already gets destroyed by common attacks such as Surf and Ice Beam.</p>
