Marowak (Revamp) [QC 3/2] [GP 2/2]

[Jorgen]

[Overview]

<p>Marowak has, by far, the highest Attack stat in the game with a Thick Club equipped. Furthermore, it gets access to Swords Dance to instantly hit the 999 Attack cap and a STAB Earthquake to run off that impressive Attack stat. However, Marowak is very frail and very slow, and despite its impressive attacking strength, it still fails to guarantee OHKOs against several prominent threats even after a Swords Dance boost. Therefore, a lot of prediction and team support is required to get Marowak to perform well on a team. However, when everything does come together for Marowak to work properly, it can single-handedly demolish the opposing team.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Hidden Power Bug / Rest
move 4: Swords Dance
item: Thick Club
dvs: 13 Atk / 13 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Marowak is the hardest hitter in the game, and this set takes a very basic approach toward maximizing Marowak's wallbreaking capabilities. Earthquake is the STAB move that guarantees a 3HKO against everything that doesn't resist it. This doesn't sound terribly impressive at first; given how frail Marowak is, you'd expect at least 2HKOs all over the place. However, Marowak doesn't just 3HKO foes, it comes very close to 2HKOs, as illustrated by the following damage calculations. Note that, for these calculations, Marowak's Attack stat is set to 254 (508 after the Thick Club boost) by lowering the Attack DV to 13. Also, be aware that defending Pokemon have maximum values (without a nature boost) for all stats in GSC.</p>

<ul="damage_calculation">
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Snorlax: 241-283 (46.08 – 54.01%) – 4.47% chance to 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Snorlax: 161-190 (32.01 – 37.77%) – 0.12% chance to 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Miltank: 179-210 (45.55 – 53.44%) – 1.12% chance to 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Suicune: 168-198 (41.69 – 49.13%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Cloyster: 121-142 (39.93 – 46.86%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Umbreon: 173-204 (44.02 – 51.91%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Tyranitar: 347-408 (86.10 – 101.24%) – 10.26% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Steelix: 223-263 (63.17 – 74.50%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Steelix: 150-177 (42.49 – 50.14%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
</ul>

<p>Of course, being close to 2HKOs is not ideal, but with some team support and a little bit of residual damage, these KOs can become a reality. Additionally, Marowak runs Rock Slide to 2HKO Zapdos. Hidden Power Bug is the final coverage move, and it allows Marowak to OHKO Exeggutor as it switches in (although it is just short of being a guaranteed KO). However, if Marowak is paired up with Heal Bell support, Hidden Power can be forgone for Rest to allow Marowak the ability to heal off damage and make a second attempt at wallbreaking. Finally, Swords Dance is the move that allows Marowak to transform from an instant offensive threat to a hole-punching wallbreaker by raising its Attack to the 999 cap. However, Swords Dance can be very difficult to set up, and even after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak can miss out on guaranteed OHKOs against important foes, as illustrated in the damage calculations to follow. Note that, in the following damage calculations, Marowak has used Swords Dance to boost its Attack two stages to reach the maximum possible Attack stat of 999.</p>

<ul="damage_calculation">
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Snorlax: 472-555 (90.25 – 106.12%) – 38.46% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Snorlax: 315-371 (60.23 – 70.94%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Miltank: 350-411 (89.06 – 104.58%) – 30.77% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Suicune: 329-386 (81.64 – 95.78%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Cloyster: 236-277 (77.89 – 91.42%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Umbreon: 339-398 (86.26 – 101.27%) – 10.26% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Steelix: 291-343 (82.44 – 97.17%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
</ul>

<p>Thus, the secret to using Swords Dance is to first put the appropriate support in place; a defensive landscape with a lot of paralysis and residual damage allows Marowak to easily clean up, as do dual screens and passing Agility boosts. However, one crucial moment to consider using Swords Dance without a huge amount of support is when you believe the opponent will be switching to Skarmory. Skarmory takes very little damage from any of Marowak's unboosted attacks, but after Swords Dance boosting Marowak's Attack to 999, Rock Slide does 43-50% to Skarmory, which is a solid 3HKO. Even if Skarmory tries to use Whirlwind to phaze or Curse to reduce Rock Slide's damage to below the 3HKO threshold (29-34%), the 27% flinch rate (factoring in accuracy) makes KOing Skarmory possible. However, unless you use Swords Dance on the switch, Skarmory can easily tank whatever Marowak has to dish out while whittling away its health with Drill Pecks, and attempting to play for the flinch against a +1 Skarmory can be risky thanks to its boosted Drill Peck.</p>

<p>One thing to note about the Swords Dance set is that, due to a bug in GSC, the Attack stat before the Thick Club boost must be 255 or lower. Otherwise, after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak's Attack stat after the Thick Club boost will roll over to something hilarious like 8 instead of simply capping at 999. That kind of Attack stat barely scares a Level 2 Rattata, let alone the top physical walls of GSC. Using Hidden Power Bug forces the use of a 13 Attack DV (the GSC equivalent to an IV), which automatically sets Marowak's Attack at 254. However, if you decide against using Hidden Power on Swords Dance Marowak for whatever reason, be sure to lower Marowak's Attack stat, either by lowering the Attack DV to 13 or by reducing Stat Experience (roughly equivalent to EVs) to achieve 255 Attack.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Marowak has poor HP, low Speed, and no Leftovers. Therefore, if Marowak takes any hits not deliberately planned for, its ability to function goes down the drain. For this reason, Marowak needs to be brought in on predicted double switches to ensure it isn't switching in on attacks. Pokemon that can bait good match-ups for Marowak to switch into are excellent teammates. Gengar and Zapdos are good at baiting Raikou, which is forced to switch out or risk being OHKOed by Marowak's Earthquake. In addition, Rapid Spin from a Pokemon such as Starmie is incredibly welcome support to pair with Marowak, since Spikes damage is terrible for Marowak to be taking every time it switches in. Paralysis support from Thunder Wave Zapdos or Stun Spore Exeggutor is great for mitigating Marowak's poor Speed and preventing it from taking as many hits. Passing Agility to Marowak is another way to mitigate its poor Speed. In early GSC, using Jolteon to pass Agility to Marowak was such a prominent combo that it was dubbed "JoltWak." Finally, passing screens to Marowak, particularly Light Screen, can allow it to tank more hits while setting up Swords Dance and dishing out hits. Light Screen is the recommended screen to use, as it allows Marowak to tank Suicune's Surfs and Zapdos's Hidden Powers, although Reflect support can allow Marowak to do a better job of tanking Snorlax's Double-Edges and Skarmory's Drill Pecks.</p>

<p>Of course, Rest can be used to mitigate Marowak's frailty by allowing it to recover from prior damage, something most Marowak cannot do otherwise. This allows you to be a bit more daring with when you choose to bring Marowak in, although you still want to avoid bringing it in on any kind of attacking move if you can. However, if Marowak chooses to forgo Hidden Power for Rest, it MUST be paired with either Miltank or Blissey to provide Heal Bell support. Otherwise, Marowak will never be able to wake up from its nap, as it is too frail. Additionally, it is also a good idea to pair Rest Marowak with Pursuit support from a Pokemon such as Umbreon or Tyranitar. This is because, without Hidden Power, Marowak will not be able to damage Exeggutor switch-ins.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Using Body Slam over Hidden Power on the Swords Dance set allows Marowak to create its own paralysis support, but forces Marowak to miss out on that crucial OHKO against Exeggutor. Fire Blast could be used over Swords Dance and possibly paired with Body Slam to make Marowak an all-out attacker. Fire Blast handily 3HKOes Skarmory without requiring the use of a boosting move beforehand, but that's about all it's good for. Hidden Power Flying can be used over Hidden Power Bug on the Swords Dance set to OHKO Heracross while still 2HKOing Exeggutor and nearly ensuring an OHKO against Exeggutor after a Swords Dance boost. Finally, Marowak can attempt to use a RestTalk set to give it some semblance of longevity. However, RestTalk Marowak hardly compares to other RestTalk users since its defenses, typing, and lack of Leftovers recovery prevent it from switching in very easily. Thus, it's less of a status-absorbing tank and more of a watered-down sweeper.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Skarmory is one of the best counters to Marowak, as it doesn't fear anything Marowak can dish out aside from Swords Dance-boosted Rock Slides and the uncommon Fire Blast. Even if Marowak has used Swords Dance to threaten with Rock Slide, Skarmory can use Whirlwind to phaze, chip away at Marowak's health with Drill Peck (which only does 22-26% to Marowak, but every bit of damage counts), or even use Curse to take only 29-34% damage from +2 Rock Slides (not even a guaranteed 4HKO with Leftovers) while threatening to hit back with boosted Drill Pecks. Suicune is also an excellent Marowak counter, especially with a RestTalk set. Suicune threatens to easily 2HKO Marowak, although it does take heavy damage when switching into an Earthquake. With Sleep Talk, however, Suicune is able to freely use Rest to shrug off those Earthquakes while still threatening to 2HKO Marowak. Cloyster is another good switch-in, but unlike Suicune it takes the same damage from both Rock Slide and Earthquake, so baiting Rock Slides with Zapdos does nothing to make Cloyster's switch in any easier. Furthermore, Cloyster does not last nearly as long as Suicune, so it is much easier for Marowak to wear Cloyster down on the switch. Starmie and Vaporeon are other solid checks that can force Marowak out by threatening to 2HKO with Surf, but they must be wary when switching in, as Earthquake handily 2HKOes them and can OHKO after a Swords Dance boost.</p>

<p>Aside from Skarmory and Water-types, Exeggutor can switch into anything except for Hidden Power Bug and then threaten to use Sleep Powder, Explosion, or a strong special attack. If nothing else, Exeggutor poses enough of a threat to Marowak to bait Hidden Power Bug, which in turn makes it much easier for Water-types to switch into Marowak. Heracross resists Earthquake and only really fears Hidden Power Flying while dealing heavy damage to Marowak in return with Megahorn. However, Megahorn is an unlikely 2HKO against Marowak (it deals 45-52%) whereas, after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak is guaranteed to 2HKO Heracross with Earthquake. In addition, Zapdos is somewhat of a Marowak check. Zapdos's Hidden Power Grass or Ice will do 43-50% damage to standard Marowak, so it cannot outpace Marowak's damage output in a one-on-one situation unless it gets very high damage rolls, but it can do significant damage to Marowak while avoiding being OHKOed by Rock Slide and baiting Rock Slides to make it easier for other Marowak checks to switch in.</p>

<p>In general, the best way to neutralize Marowak is to simply attack it. For example, the 46-54% Snorlax takes from Earthquake isn't necessarily permanent, but the 41-48% Snorlax does to Marowak is forever due to the lack of Leftovers and defensive aptitude. Zapdos can recover off the heavy damage it takes from Rock Slide, whereas the Hidden Power damage Marowak takes is permanent. Being able to take "temporary" damage to get hits in on Marowak tends to neuter its ability to threaten your team significantly. Just make sure that you don't leave anything in on Marowak that actually does end up being OHKOed.</p>

 

[Royal Flush]

Pretty nice skeleton, don't forget to mention DV Atk 13 though!!!

 

[Borat]

Problem with the ST set is that marowak still needs to be coming in on passive attacks; it can't go all willy-nilly like the rest of the STers. Ground is a necessary, but at the same time, terrible defensive typing, and having next to no HP and no leftovers is just awful.

But yep looks good, hard to do marowak wrong. It's simply extremely one dimensional.

 

[Jorgen]

Wrote this up. Not sure specifically how to handle the damage calculator sections formatting-wise.

 

[Oglemi]

<ul="damage_calculation">
<li>252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Hidden Power Grass vs. 40 HP / 216+ SpD Lanturn: 180-214 (44.88 - 53.36%) -- 95.31% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock</li>
<li>252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 52+ SpD Cresselia: 226-267 (50.9 - 60.13%) -- 87.5% chance to 2HKO></li>
<li>252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Entei: 205-242 (55.25 - 65.22%) -- guaranteed 2HKO</li>
<li>252 SpA Choice Specs Typhlosion Eruption vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Poliwrath: 176-207 (45.83 - 53.9%) -- 53.13% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock</li>
</ul>

That's the HTML for damage calculations, just substitute the Marowak vs. Pokemon for the Typhlosion vs. Pokemon.

Also, don't forget your <p> and </p> tags throughout

 

[Pocket]

I think Rest deserves a slash with HP Bug - its biggest appeal is providing Marowak the chance to restore health, resetting damage back to zero to rampage anew. Rest + Heal Bell support is what allows Marowak to seize opportunities of SD Sweep consistently, allowing room for trial and error. I'd move the blurb on Rest and Heal Bell in OO to Set Comments and AC, respectively.

Since you have Hidden Power, you need a row for IVs (or DVs?) indicating the stat that needs to be lowered.

Even if Marowak has used Swords Dance to threaten with Rock Slide, Skarmory can use Whirlwind to Phaze. However, Skarmory's Drill Peck only averages a 5HKO against Marowak, so it can afford to stay in to attack Skarmory.

Definitely note that after 1 Curse boost, 999 Atk Marowak fails to 3HKO Skarmory with Rock Slide; it's not even a guaranteed 4HKO, so Skarmory can even survive through a Rock Slide flinch. 2 Rock Slides followed by a critical hit also has a low chance of taking out +1 Skarmory. Basically, Skarmory can stall out Marowak without Fire Blast after a single Curse boost, never mind more Curses.

 

[Borat]

Might want to put Umbreon on there too.

Def agree with pocket on the skarm thing. That's the proper way to play against Marowak imo, curse once and start going on the offensive. Marowak "should" switch out to avoid irrecoverable damage, and skarm takes less than 30% in the ordeal.

 

[Jorgen]

Curse's removal of the Rock Slide 3HKO is definitely worth a mention in the analysis, and it will be done. However, I don't want to outright recommend that play because I think the speed drop and wasted turn just invite trouble in the form of unanswered flinches and crits. I usually just go for Drill Pecks off the bat.

Also I don't think Rest ought to be slashed. If you need specific support in the form of a Heal Beller to be able to use Rest, it really shouldn't be considered the "standard" for that Pokemon.

Adding Umbreon seems like a good idea, I mean being unable to 2HKO it is a big deal when it can Toxic or ML-pass against you. I'm also planning on adding Tyranitar since Marowak usually doesn't OHKO.

EDIT: also adding +1 Steelix, not 2HKOing that with unboosted Earthquake is a pretty big deal, too.

 

[Jorgen]

Edited the analysis. Lemme know if the damage calcs just won't work with HTML; I'm not certain how specific the information between the <li></li> tags needs to be, but using the ADV-onward standard just seems wrong since GSC uses maxed "EVs" (technically stat exp. but whatever).

 

[Pocket]

Jorgen, I still think you're underestimating Curse Skarmory - like I said in my post above, Skarmory can afford to be flinched once, since at +1 Def, 999 Atk Marowak's Rock Slide doesn't even 4HKO. Also after +1 Def, that same Rock Slide wont 3HKO even after a crit. Basically Marowak needs to depend on some extreme hax (double flinches, flinch and a crit) to get past +1 Skarmory, not to mention it can further boost up to take even less damage from Rock Slide if it wants to.

Borat approves this message, so it must be right :o

I'd add Charm Umbreon under Checks and Counters, as well.

 

[Crystal_]

I think the way to play Wak with skarm depends on the situation. Unless I'm missing something 999 Rock Slide can 4HKO +1 Skarmory. My damage calc says there is a 99.16% chance for the 4HKO to happen excluding misses, though I don't know to which degree I should trust my calc. On the other hand, with min damage being ~29%, that percentage looks totally possible.

Having said that, with Drill Peck only 3HKOing a 75%+ Marowak, Marowak doesn't even need a flinch to beat a full health Skarm (assuming it uses SD as skarm switches in), just needs not to miss. While rest looping marowak to try to stall it out of rock slides is certainly possible (although risky), I don't know, sometimes it's better to just try to WW it and keep skarm at ~60%, than to be forced to rest and get predicted the turn you use it --which means wak/drumlax/whatever have an open field now.

I'd honestly wouldn't call Skarmory to be the chief counter to Marowak; skarm can stop it a few times, sure, especially factoring in prediction, and sometimes this is more than enough time to beat Marowak by racking up some residual damage here and there every time it comes in. But honestly, unless Marowak is weakened and 2HKOed by Drill Peck or something, the only thing Skarm will be able to do at best is phazing it while possibly taking almost 50% damage back. Don't get me wrong, Skarm is great for playing around Wak and keep it guessing whether to EQ or SD, and often, if you are able to punish wak when it switches in (be it a random hidden power electric, a hit from lix/ttar, or whatever), or just rack up spikes damage, then maybe switching skarm two or three times and WW away (or DP away if Wak didn't SD as you sent out skarm) is all you need to handle Wak before it faints or before skarm can finish it off. But imo, Sleep talking Suicune would be Wak's best check overall. But it's hard to call a pokemon the best wak counter anyway, since in order to counter wak you mainly need not to be passive; because if you are passive, not even suicune and skarm combined will be able to handle wak assaults for ever.

 

[Pocket]

999 Atk Rock Slide inflicts 29-34% to +1 Skarmory, so if Rock Slide inflicts a min 30% with each Rock Slide, you're right it can 4HKO. Nothing is stopping Skarmory from cursing again, though (22-26% to +2 Skarmory), in which case you would have to rely on more than a flinch to get by.

I was wrong in stating that Skarmory can prevent a 4HKO with just +1 boost, though, and a CH at +1 actually does have a good chance to 3HKO - I overestimated Skarmory's capability to counter Marowak.

The very fact that Marowak needs to rely on hax to get past Skarmory makes this bird a strong contender as a Marowak counter, though, and I think the analysis should not undersell Skarmory.

So all I'm suggesting is to add Charm Umbreon under Checks and Counters, and this analysis is good to go.

APPROVED (1/2)

 

[Jorgen]

So, here's my thoughts on the feedback so far before I go through and implement further changes in the OP:

-I'm no longer calling Skarm "chief counter"
-I'm upselling the Curse play under Skarmory's Checks & Counters description
-Also, at my own discretion, I'm adding using unboosted Drill Pecks to chip at Marowak, since that's very often the simplest and best play you can make.
-I didn't want to go into a whole description of which situation you should be making which play, since it'd be a stupidly narrow topic to cover in 2 paragraphs, which is what I'd need to adequately wade through something as nebulous as the optimal play with Curse Skarm against +2 Wak.

Bold is what will be added, strike-through is what will be removed:

<p>Skarmory is the chief counter one of the best counters to Marowak, as it doesn't fear anything Marowak can dish out aside from Swords Dance-boosted Rock Slides and the uncommon Fire Blast. Even if Marowak has used Swords Dance to threaten with Rock Slide, Skarmory can use Whirlwind to Phaze, chip away at Marowak's health with Drill Peck (which only does 22-26% to Marowak, but every bit of damage counts), or even use Curse to take only 29-34% damage from +2 Rock Slides (not even a guaranteed 4HKO with Leftovers) while threatening to hit back with boosted Drill Pecks. Suicune is also an excellent Marowak counter, especially with a Sleep Talk set. Suicune threatens to easily 2HKO Marowak, although it does take heavy damage when switching into an Earthquake. With Sleep Talk, however, Suicune is able to freely use Rest to shrug off those Earthquakes while still threatening to 2HKO Marowak. Cloyster is another good switch-in, but unlike Suicune it takes the same damage from both Rock Slide and Earthquake, so baiting Rock Slides with Zapdos does nothing to make Cloyster's switching in any easier. Furthermore, Cloyster does not last nearly as long as Suicune, so it is much easier for Marowak to wear Cloyster down on the switch. Starmie and Vaporeon are other solid checks that can force Marowak out by threatening to 2HKO with Surf, but they must be wary when switching in, as Earthquake handily 2HKOes them and can OHKO after a Swords Dance boost.</p>

-On adding Umbreon to C&C: I don't really think Umbreon should be mentioned as a check. While it's a stronger answer than, say, Miltank due to Toxic and -2 from Charm, Marowak will absolutely cripple it with its two most common plays, Earthquake and SD. If Umb comes in on Earthquake, Marowak simply switches out, and presto, Umbreon cannot switch in again. If Umb comes in on SD, it must Charm or risk being OHKOed, and then we're in the same situation as if Marowak had used Earthquake on the switch. I know Waters can be ruined in a similar manner, but at least they force Marowak to eat a big big hit when forced to go down, thereby effectively taking Wak down with them. Umbreon just dies while maybe getting Toxic up on Marowak in the process, which should take Marowak down in due time, but won't totally prevent it from doing further damage.


-Also, I know Pocket wanted to see Rest slashed with Hidden Power. If somebody else vouches for this being added to the main set, I'll add it, I'm not so closed-minded on this topic. I just really would prefer not to recommend it as a "main" set unless other people feel strongly it should be added because I feel like Rest's requirements of not only specific team support, but also a specific team matchup (it needs to be playing against stall to find an opening to Rest) makes it generally inferior to Egg coverage, especially when Marowak without Rest works just fine against stall anyway.

EDIT: So the Resters have it, I'll have it added by next update.

 

[Pocket]

Thanks for the changes you made for Skarmory - I like it much more.

Also, you have a good point about Umbreon - so nvm about adding it in C&C

Unless anybody else support me, I don't mind NOT slashing Rest with HP Bug

 

[Borat]

Slash rest with HP bug.

 

[Royal Flush]

I'd slash Rest simply because huh, whether you use hp bug or rest, Marowak NEEDS proper support, be it para spreaders, be it spin, be it light screen etc. so why not a cleric?
In fact, Wak is one of the few mons who is actually worth building a dedicated support team around it.
Plus there's the psychological factor, you feel a lot more safe to actually risk a double switch, spikes become less problematic and so on, a lot of players prefer Restwak because of this.

And it's kinda a symbiosis thing, cause Marowak fits pretty well a defensive team, enabling some aggression instead of relying uniquely on Drumlax to make something happen, so... yeah.

 

[M Dragon]

Rest should be a main option.
Approved 2/2

 

[Jorgen]

Added Rest as a slash (and consequently removed it from OO), I think I gave it a pretty fair shake in writing about it while still being realistic about the increased support requirements for it.

Ready for GP checks.

 

[sirndpt]

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[Overview]

<p>Marowak has, by far, the highest Attack stat in the game with a Thick Club equipped. Furthermore, it gets access to Swords Dance to instantly hit the 999 Attack cap and a STAB Earthquake to run off that impressive Attack stat. However, Marowak is very frail and very slow, and furthermore, despite its impressive attacking strength, it still fails to guarantee OHKOs against several prominent threats even after a Swords Dance boost. Therefore, a lot of prediction and team support is required to get Marowak to perform well on a team. However, when everything does come together for Marowak to work properly, it can single-handedly demolish an opposing team's defenses.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Hidden Power Bug / Rest
move 4: Swords Dance
item: Thick Club
dvs: 13 Atk / 13 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Marowak is the hardest hitter in the game, and this set takes a very basic approach toward maximizing Marowak's wallbreaking abilities. Earthquake is the STAB move that guarantees a 3HKO against everything that doesn't resist it. This doesn't sound terribly impressive at first; given how frail Marowak is, you'd expect at least 2HKOs all over the place. However, Marowak doesn't just 3HKO foes, it comes very close to 2HKOs, as illustrated by the following damage calculations i'd say include the 508 atk thick club 13 dv thing here if you feel it's necessary clarification, to avoid excessive clutter in the calc list:</p>

<ul="damage_calculation">
<li>Earthquake vs. 523 HP/228 Def Snorlax: 241-283 (46.08 – 54.01%) – 4.47% chance to 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 523 HP/342 Def (+1) Snorlax: 161-190 (32.01 – 37.77%) – 0.12% chance to 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 393 HP/308 Def Miltank: 179-210 (45.55 – 53.44%) – 1.12% chance to 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 403 HP/328 Def Suicune: 168-198 (41.69 – 49.13%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 303 HP/458 Def Cloyster: 121-142 (39.93 – 46.86%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 393 HP/318 Def Umbreon: 173-204 (44.02 – 51.91%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 403 HP/318 Def Tyranitar: 347-408 (86.10 – 101.24%) – 10.26% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 353 HP/747 Def (+1) Steelix: 150-177 (42.49 – 50.14%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
</ul>

<p>Of course, simply being close to 2HKOs is not ideal, but with some team support and a little bit of residual damage, these KOs can become reality. Additionally, Marowak runs Rock Slide to 2HKO Zapdos. Hidden Power Bug is the final coverage move, and it allows Marowak to OHKO Exeggutor as it switches in (although it is just short of being a guarantee). However, if Marowak is paired with Heal Bell support, Hidden Power can be forgone for Rest to allow Marowak the ability to heal off damage and make a second attempt at breaking walls. Finally, Swords Dance is the move that allows Marowak to transform from an instant offensive threat to a hole-punching wallbreaker by raising its Attack to the 999 cap. Swords Dance can be very difficult to set up, though, and even after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak can miss out on key guaranteed OHKOs against important foes again same goes with the 999 atk etc:</p>

<ul="damage_calculation">
<li>Earthquake vs. 523 HP/228 Def Snorlax: 472-555 (90.25 – 106.12%) – 38.46% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 523 HP/342 Def (+1) Snorlax: 315-371 (60.23 – 70.94%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 393 HP/308 Def Miltank: 350-411 (89.06 – 104.58%) – 30.77% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 403 HP/328 Def Suicune: 329-386 (81.64 – 95.78%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 303 HP/458 Def Cloyster: 236-277 (77.89 – 91.42%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 393 HP/318 Def Umbreon: 339-398 (86.26 – 101.27%) – 10.26% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. 353 HP/747 Def (+1) Steelix: 291-343 (82.44 – 97.17%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
</ul>

<p>Thus, the secret to using Swords Dance is to first put the appropriate support in place; a defensive landscape with a lot of paralysis and residual damage allows Marowak to easily clean up, as do screens and passing Agility to it. However, one crucial moment to consider using Swords Dance without a huge amount of support is when you believe the opponent will be switching to Skarmory. Skarmory takes very little damage from any of Marowak's unboosted attacks, but after Swords Dance boosting Marowak's Attack to 999, Rock Slide does 40-47% to Skarmory, which is a solid 3HKO. Even if Skarmory tries to use Whirlwind to phaze or Curse to reduce Rock Slide's damage to below the 3HKO threshold (29-34%), the 27% flinch rate (factoring in accuracy) makes KOing Skarmory possible. However, unless you use Swords Dance on the switch, Skarmory can easily tank whatever Marowak has to dish out while whittling away its health with Drill Pecks, and attempting to play for the flinch against a +1 Skarmory can be risky thanks to its boosted Drill Peck.</p>

<p>One thing to note about the Swords Dance set is that, due to a bug in GSC, the Attack stat before the Thick Club boost must be 255 or lower. Otherwise, after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak's Attack stat after the Thick Club boost will roll over to something hilarious like 8 instead of simply capping at 999. That kind of Attack stat barely scares a Level 2 Rattata, let alone the top physical walls of GSC. Using Hidden Power Bug forces the use of a 13 Attack DV (the GSC equivalent to an IV), which automatically sets Marowak's Attack at 254. However, if you decide not to use Hidden Power on Swords Dance Marowak for whatever reason, be sure to lower Marowak's Attack stat, either by lowering the Attack DV to 13 or by reducing Stat Experience (roughly equivalent to EVs) to achieve 255 Attack.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Marowak has poor HP, low Speed, and no Leftovers. Therefore, if Marowak takes any hits not deliberately planned for, its ability to function goes down the drain. For this reason, Marowak needs to be brought in on predicted double switches to ensure it isn't switching in on attacks. Pokemon that can bait good match-ups for Marowak to switch into are also excellent teammates. Gengar and Zapdos are good at baiting Raikou, which is forced to switch out or risk being OHKOed by Marowak's Earthquake. In addition, Rapid Spin from a Pokemon such as Starmie is incredibly welcome support to pair with Marowak, since Spikes damage is terrible for Marowak to be taking every time it switches in. Paralysis support from Thunder Wave Zapdos or Stun Spore Exeggutor is great for mitigating Marowak's poor Speed and preventing it from taking as many hits. Passing Agility to Marowak is another way to mitigate its poor Speed. In early GSC, using Jolteon to pass Agility to Marowak was such a prominent combo that it was dubbed "JoltWak". Finally, passing screens to Marowak, particularly Light Screen, can allow it to tank more hits while setting up Swords Dance and dishing out hits. Light Screen is the recommended screen to use, as it allows Marowak to tank Suicune's Surfs and Zapdos's Hidden Powers, although Reflect support can allow Marowak to do a better job of tanking Snorlax's Double-Edges and Skarmory's Drill Pecks.</p>

<p>Of course, Rest can be used to mitigate Marowak's frailty by allowing it to recover from prior damage, something most Marowak cannot possibly do. This allows you to be a bit more daring with when you choose to bring Marowak in, although you still want to avoid bringing it in on any kind of attacking move if you can help it. However, if Marowak chooses to forgo Hidden Power for Rest, it MUST be paired with either Miltank or Blissey to provide Heal Bell support. Otherwise, Marowak will never be able to wake up from its nap, as it is too frail. Additionally, it is also a good idea to pair Rest Marowak with Pursuit support from a Pokemon such as Umbreon or Tyranitar. This is because, without Hidden Power, Marowak will not be able to damage Exeggutor switch-ins.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Using Body Slam over Hidden Power on the Swords Dance set allows Marowak to create its own paralysis support, but forces Marowak to miss out on that crucial OHKO against Exeggutor. Fire Blast could be used over Swords Dance and possibly paired with Body Slam to make Marowak an all-out attacker. Fire Blast handily 3HKOes Skarmory without requiring the use of a boosting move beforehand, but that's about all it's good for. Hidden Power Flying can be used over Hidden Power Bug on the Swords Dance set to OHKO Heracross while still 2HKOing Exeggutor and nearly ensuring an OHKO against Exeggutor after Swords Dance. Finally, Marowak can attempt to use a RestTalk set to give it some semblance of longevity. However, RestTalk Marowak is hardly like other RestTalkers since its defenses, typing, and lack of Leftovers recovery prevent it from switching in very easily. Thus, it's less a status-absorbing tank and more a watered-down sweeper that can no longer be worn down quite as easily.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Skarmory is one of the best counters to Marowak, as it doesn't fear anything Marowak can dish out aside from Swords Dance-boosted Rock Slides and the uncommon Fire Blast. Even if Marowak has used Swords Dance to threaten with Rock Slide, Skarmory can use Whirlwind to phaze, chip away at Marowak's health with Drill Peck (which only does 22-26% to Marowak, but every bit of damage counts), or even use Curse to take only 29-34% damage from +2 Rock Slides (not even a guaranteed 4HKO with Leftovers) while threatening to hit back with boosted Drill Pecks. Suicune is also an excellent Marowak counter, especially with a Sleep Talk set. Suicune threatens to easily 2HKO Marowak, although it does take heavy damage when switching into an Earthquake. With Sleep Talk, however, Suicune is able to freely use Rest to shrug off those Earthquakes while still threatening to 2HKO Marowak. Cloyster is another good switch-in, but unlike Suicune it takes the same damage from both Rock Slide and Earthquake, so baiting Rock Slides with Zapdos does nothing to make Cloyster's switch-in any easier. Furthermore, Cloyster does not last nearly as long as Suicune, so it is much easier for Marowak to wear Cloyster down on the switch. Starmie and Vaporeon are other solid checks that can force Marowak out by threatening to 2HKO with Surf, but they must be wary when switching in, as Earthquake handily 2HKOes them and can OHKO after a Swords Dance boost.</p>

<p>Aside from Skarmory and Water-types, Exeggutor can switch into anything except for Hidden Power Bug and then threaten to use Sleep Powder, Explosion, or a strong special attack. If nothing else, Exeggutor poses enough of a threat to Marowak to bait Hidden Power Bug, which in turn makes it much easier for Water-types to switch into Marowak. Heracross resists Earthquake and only really fears Hidden Power Flying while dealing heavy damage to Marowak in return with Megahorn. However, Megahorn is an unlikely 2HKO against Marowak (it deals 45-52%) whereas, after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak is guaranteed to 2HKO Heracross with Earthquake. In addition, Zapdos is somewhat of a Marowak check. Zapdos's Hidden Power will do 43-50% damage to standard Marowak, so it cannot outpace Marowak's damage output in the one-on-one unless it gets very high damage rolls, but it can do significant damage to Marowak while avoiding being OHKOed by Rock Slide and baiting Rock Slides to make it easier for other Marowak checks to switch in.</p>

<p>In general, the best way to neutralize Marowak is to simply attack it. For example, the 46-54% Snorlax takes from Earthquake isn't necessarily permanent, but the 41-48% Snorlax does to Marowak is forever due to the lack of Leftovers and defensive aptitude. Zapdos can recover off the heavy damage it takes from Rock Slide, whereas the Hidden Power damage Marowak takes is permanent. Being able to take "temporary" damage to get hits in on Marowak tends to neuter its ability to threaten your team significantly. Just make sure that you don't leave anything in on Marowak that actually does end up being OHKOed.</p>

gp 1/2

largely cpable except for some comments in red

 

[Crystal_]

late and unnecessary but approved lol

 

[Jorgen]

Implemented the GP check. I also added some text in bold to describe the damage calcs because the format's a bit different from the standard used in DP and beyond. However, I feel like it's awfully clunky and ruins the flow of the analysis to describe the niceties of the formatting of the damage calcs like that. Suggestions on how to handle this?

 

[Pocket]

Note that, for these calculations, Marowak's Attack stat is set to 254 (508 after the Thick Club boost) by lowering the Attack DV to 13. Also, be aware that no EVs are given for the defending Pokemon since there is no EV limit in GSC, thus allowing defending Pokemon has maximum values (without a nature boost) for all stats in GSC. However, the defensive stat stage will be given to account for Pokemon after they have used Curse.

Note that, in the following damage calculations, Marowak has used Swords Dance to boost its Attack two stages to reach the maximum possible Attack stat of 999. The same format for the previous damage calculations with regard to EVs and stat stages also apply here.

 

[Arkian]

Amcheck:
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[Overview]

<p>Marowak has, by far, the highest Attack stat in the game with a Thick Club equipped. Furthermore, it gets access to Swords Dance to instantly hit the 999 Attack cap and a STAB Earthquake to run off that impressive Attack stat. However, Marowak is very frail and very slow, and furthermore, despite its impressive attacking strength, it still fails to guarantee OHKOs against several prominent threats even after a Swords Dance boost. Therefore, a lot of prediction and team support is required to get Marowak to perform well on a team. However, when everything does come together for Marowak to work properly, it can single-handedly demolish the an opposing team's defenses.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Hidden Power Bug / Rest
move 4: Swords Dance
item: Thick Club
dvs: 13 Atk / 13 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Marowak is the hardest hitter in the game, and this set takes a very basic approach toward maximizing Marowak's wallbreaking capabilities. Earthquake is the STAB move that guarantees a 3HKO against everything that doesn't resist it. This doesn't sound terribly impressive at first; given how frail Marowak is, you'd expect at least 2HKOs all over the place. However, Marowak doesn't just 3HKO foes, it comes very close to 2HKOs, as illustrated by the following damage calculations. Note that, for these calculations, Marowak's Attack stat is set to 254 (508 after the Thick Club boost) by lowering the Attack DV to 13. Also, be aware that defending Pokemon have maximum values (without a nature boost) for all stats in GSC.</p>

<ul="damage_calculation">
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Snorlax: 241-283 (46.08 – 54.01%) – 4.47% chance to 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Snorlax: 161-190 (32.01 – 37.77%) – 0.12% chance to 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Miltank: 179-210 (45.55 – 53.44%) – 1.12% chance to 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Suicune: 168-198 (41.69 – 49.13%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Cloyster: 121-142 (39.93 – 46.86%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Umbreon: 173-204 (44.02 – 51.91%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Tyranitar: 347-408 (86.10 – 101.24%) – 10.26% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Steelix: 223-263 (63.17 – 74.50%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Steelix: 150-177 (42.49 – 50.14%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
</ul>

<p>Of course, simply being close to 2HKOs is not ideal, but with some team support and a little bit of residual damage, these KOs can become a reality. Additionally, Marowak runs Rock Slide to 2HKO Zapdos. Hidden Power Bug is the final coverage move, and it allows Marowak to OHKO Exeggutor as it switches in (although it is just short of being a guarantee). However, if Marowak is paired up with Heal Bell support, Hidden Power can be forgone for Rest to allow Marowak the ability to heal off damage and make a second attempt at wallbreaking breaking walls. Finally, Swords Dance is the move that allows Marowak to transform from an instant offensive threat to a hole-punching wallbreaker by raising its Attack to the 999 cap. However, Swords Dance can be very difficult to set up, though, and even after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak can miss out on key guaranteed OHKOs against important foes, as illustrated in the damage calculations to follow. Note that, in the following damage calculations, Marowak has used Swords Dance to boost its Attack two stages to reach the maximum possible Attack stat of 999.</p>

<ul="damage_calculation">
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Snorlax: 472-555 (90.25 – 106.12%) – 38.46% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Snorlax: 315-371 (60.23 – 70.94%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Miltank: 350-411 (89.06 – 104.58%) – 30.77% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Suicune: 329-386 (81.64 – 95.78%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Cloyster: 236-277 (77.89 – 91.42%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Umbreon: 339-398 (86.26 – 101.27%) – 10.26% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Steelix: 291-343 (82.44 – 97.17%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
</ul>

<p>Thus, the secret to using Swords Dance is to first put the appropriate support in place; a defensive landscape with a lot of paralysis and residual damage allows Marowak to easily clean up, as do dual screens and passing Agility boosts to it. However, one crucial moment to consider using Swords Dance without a huge amount of support is when you believe the opponent will be switching to Skarmory. Skarmory takes very little damage from any of Marowak's unboosted attacks, but after Swords Dance boosting Marowak's Attack to 999, Rock Slide does 43-50% to Skarmory, which is a solid 3HKO. Even if Skarmory tries to use Whirlwind to phaze or Curse to reduce Rock Slide's damage to below the 3HKO threshold (29-34%), the 27% flinch rate (factoring in accuracy) makes KOing Skarmory possible. However, unless you use Swords Dance on the switch, Skarmory can easily tank whatever Marowak has to dish out while whittling away its health with Drill Pecks, and attempting to play for the flinch against a +1 Skarmory can be risky thanks to its boosted Drill Peck.</p>

<p>One thing to note about the Swords Dance set is that, due to a bug in GSC, the Attack stat before the Thick Club boost must be 255 or lower. Otherwise, after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak's Attack stat after the Thick Club boost will roll over to something hilarious like 8 instead of simply capping at 999. That kind of Attack stat barely scares a Level 2 Rattata, let alone the top physical walls of GSC. Using Hidden Power Bug forces the use of a 13 Attack DV (the GSC equivalent to an IV), which automatically sets Marowak's Attack at 254. However, if you decide not to against useing Hidden Power on Swords Dance Marowak for whatever reason, be sure to lower Marowak's Attack stat, either by lowering the Attack DV to 13 or by reducing Stat Experience (roughly equivalent to EVs) to achieve 255 Attack.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Marowak has poor HP, low Speed, and no Leftovers. Therefore, if Marowak takes any hits not deliberately planned for, its ability to function goes down the drain. For this reason, Marowak needs to be brought in on predicted double switches to ensure it isn't switching in on attacks. Pokemon that can bait good match-ups for Marowak to switch into are also excellent teammates. Gengar and Zapdos are good at baiting Raikou, which is forced to switch out or risk being OHKOed by Marowak's Earthquake. In addition, Rapid Spin from a Pokemon such as Starmie is incredibly welcome support to pair with Marowak, since Spikes damage is terrible for Marowak to be taking every time it switches in. Paralysis support from Thunder Wave Zapdos or Stun Spore Exeggutor is great for mitigating Marowak's poor Speed and preventing it from taking as many hits. Passing Agility to Marowak is another way to mitigate its poor Speed. In early GSC, using Jolteon to pass Agility to Marowak was such a prominent combo that it was dubbed "JoltWak". Finally, passing screens to Marowak, particularly Light Screen, can allow it to tank more hits while setting up Swords Dance and dishing out hits. Light Screen is the recommended screen to use, as it allows Marowak to tank Suicune's Surfs and Zapdos's Hidden Powers, although Reflect support can allow Marowak to do a better job of tanking Snorlax's Double-Edges and Skarmory's Drill Pecks.</p>

<p>Of course, Rest can be used to mitigate Marowak's frailty by allowing it to recover from prior damage, something most Marowak cannot possibly do otherwise. This allows you to be a bit more daring with when you choose to bring Marowak in, although you still want to avoid bringing it in on any kind of attacking move if you can help it. However, if Marowak chooses to forgo Hidden Power for Rest, it MUST be paired with either Miltank or Blissey to provide Heal Bell support. Otherwise, Marowak will never be able to wake up from its nap, as it is too frail. Additionally, it is also a good idea to pair Rest Marowak with Pursuit support from a Pokemon such as Umbreon or Tyranitar. This is because, without Hidden Power, Marowak will not be able to damage Exeggutor switch-ins.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Using Body Slam over Hidden Power on the Swords Dance set allows Marowak to create its own paralysis support, but forces Marowak to miss out on that crucial OHKO against Exeggutor. Fire Blast could be used over Swords Dance and possibly paired with Body Slam to make Marowak an all-out attacker. Fire Blast handily 3HKOes Skarmory without requiring the use of a boosting move beforehand, but that's about all(Space)it's good for. Hidden Power Flying can be used over Hidden Power Bug on the Swords Dance set to OHKO Heracross while still 2HKOing Exeggutor and nearly ensuring an OHKO against Exeggutor after a Swords Dance boost. Finally, Marowak can attempt to use a RestTalk set to give it some semblance of longevity. However, RestTalk Marowak is hardly like compares to other RestTalkers since its defenses, typing, and lack of Leftovers recovery prevent it from switching in very easily. Thus, it's less of a status-absorbing tank and more of a watered-down sweeper that can no longer be worn down quite as easily.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Skarmory is one of the best counters to Marowak, as it doesn't fear anything Marowak can dish out aside from Swords Dance-boosted Rock Slides and the uncommon Fire Blast. Even if Marowak has used Swords Dance to threaten with Rock Slide, Skarmory can use Whirlwind to phaze, chip away at Marowak's health with Drill Peck (which only does 22-26% to Marowak, but every bit of damage counts), or even use Curse to take only 29-34% damage from +2 Rock Slides (not even a guaranteed 4HKO with Leftovers) while threatening to hit back with boosted Drill Pecks. Suicune is also an excellent Marowak counter, especially with a Sleep Talk RestTalk set. Suicune threatens to easily 2HKO Marowak, although it does take heavy damage when switching into an Earthquake. With Sleep Talk, however, Suicune is able to freely use Rest to shrug off those Earthquakes while still threatening to 2HKO Marowak. Cloyster is another good switch-in, but unlike Suicune it takes the same damage from both Rock Slide and Earthquake, so baiting Rock Slides with Zapdos does nothing to make Cloyster's switch-in any easier. Furthermore, Cloyster does not last nearly as long as Suicune, so it is much easier for Marowak to wear Cloyster down on the switch. Starmie and Vaporeon are other solid checks that can force Marowak out by threatening to 2HKO with Surf, but they must be wary when switching in, as Earthquake handily 2HKOes them and can OHKO after a Swords Dance boost.</p>

<p>Aside from Skarmory and Water-types, Exeggutor can switch into anything except for Hidden Power Bug and then threaten to use Sleep Powder, Explosion, or a strong special attack. If nothing else, Exeggutor poses enough of a threat to Marowak to bait Hidden Power Bug, which in turn makes it much easier for Water-types to switch into Marowak. Heracross resists Earthquake and only really fears Hidden Power Flying while dealing heavy damage to Marowak in return with Megahorn. However, Megahorn is an unlikely 2HKO against Marowak (it deals 45-52%) whereas, after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak is guaranteed to 2HKO Heracross with Earthquake. In addition, Zapdos is somewhat of a Marowak check. Zapdos's Hidden Power will do 43-50% damage to standard Marowak, so it cannot outpace Marowak's damage output in the one-on-one unless it gets very high damage rolls, but it can do significant damage to Marowak while avoiding being OHKOed by Rock Slide and baiting Rock Slides to make it easier for other Marowak checks to switch in.</p>

<p>In general, the best way to neutralize Marowak is to simply attack it. For example, the 46-54% Snorlax takes from Earthquake isn't necessarily permanent, but the 41-48% Snorlax does to Marowak is forever due to the lack of Leftovers and defensive aptitude. Zapdos can recover off the heavy damage it takes from Rock Slide, whereas the Hidden Power damage Marowak takes is permanent. Being able to take "temporary" damage to get hits in on Marowak tends to neuter its ability to threaten your team significantly. Just make sure that you don't leave anything in on Marowak that actually does end up being OHKOed.</p>

 

[Oglemi]

working on top of rohail's post

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[Overview]

<p>Marowak has, by far, the highest Attack stat in the game with a Thick Club equipped. Furthermore, it gets access to Swords Dance to instantly hit the 999 Attack cap and a STAB Earthquake to run off that impressive Attack stat. However, Marowak is very frail and very slow, and furthermore, despite its impressive attacking strength, it still fails to guarantee OHKOs against several prominent threats even after a Swords Dance boost. Therefore, a lot of prediction and team support is required to get Marowak to perform well on a team. However, when everything does come together for Marowak to work properly, it can single-handedly demolish the an opposing team's defenses.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Hidden Power Bug / Rest
move 4: Swords Dance
item: Thick Club
dvs: 13 Atk / 13 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Marowak is the hardest hitter in the game, and this set takes a very basic approach toward maximizing Marowak's wallbreaking capabilities. Earthquake is the STAB move that guarantees a 3HKO against everything that doesn't resist it. This doesn't sound terribly impressive at first; given how frail Marowak is, you'd expect at least 2HKOs all over the place. However, Marowak doesn't just 3HKO foes, it comes very close to 2HKOs, as illustrated by the following damage calculations. Note that, for these calculations, Marowak's Attack stat is set to 254 (508 after the Thick Club boost) by lowering the Attack DV to 13. Also, be aware that defending Pokemon have maximum values (without a nature boost) for all stats in GSC.</p>

<ul="damage_calculation">
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Snorlax: 241-283 (46.08 – 54.01%) – 4.47% chance to 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Snorlax: 161-190 (32.01 – 37.77%) – 0.12% chance to 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Miltank: 179-210 (45.55 – 53.44%) – 1.12% chance to 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Suicune: 168-198 (41.69 – 49.13%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Cloyster: 121-142 (39.93 – 46.86%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Umbreon: 173-204 (44.02 – 51.91%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Tyranitar: 347-408 (86.10 – 101.24%) – 10.26% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Steelix: 223-263 (63.17 – 74.50%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Steelix: 150-177 (42.49 – 50.14%) – guaranteed 3HKO with Leftovers</li>
</ul>

<p>Of course, simply being close to 2HKOs is not ideal, but with some team support and a little bit of residual damage, these KOs can become a reality. Additionally, Marowak runs Rock Slide to 2HKO Zapdos. Hidden Power Bug is the final coverage move, and it allows Marowak to OHKO Exeggutor as it switches in (although it is just short of being a guaranteed KO). However, if Marowak is paired up with Heal Bell support, Hidden Power can be forgone for Rest to allow Marowak the ability to heal off damage and make a second attempt at wallbreaking breaking walls. Finally, Swords Dance is the move that allows Marowak to transform from an instant offensive threat to a hole-punching wallbreaker by raising its Attack to the 999 cap. However, Swords Dance can be very difficult to set up, though, and even after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak can miss out on key guaranteed OHKOs against important foes, as illustrated in the damage calculations to follow. Note that, in the following damage calculations, Marowak has used Swords Dance to boost its Attack two stages to reach the maximum possible Attack stat of 999.</p>

<ul="damage_calculation">
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Snorlax: 472-555 (90.25 – 106.12%) – 38.46% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Snorlax: 315-371 (60.23 – 70.94%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Miltank: 350-411 (89.06 – 104.58%) – 30.77% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Suicune: 329-386 (81.64 – 95.78%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Cloyster: 236-277 (77.89 – 91.42%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +0 Def Umbreon: 339-398 (86.26 – 101.27%) – 10.26% chance to OHKO</li>
<li>Earthquake vs. +1 Def Steelix: 291-343 (82.44 – 97.17%) – guaranteed 2HKO with Leftovers</li>
</ul>

<p>Thus, the secret to using Swords Dance is to first put the appropriate support in place; a defensive landscape with a lot of paralysis and residual damage allows Marowak to easily clean up, as do dual screens and passing Agility boosts to it. However, one crucial moment to consider using Swords Dance without a huge amount of support is when you believe the opponent will be switching to Skarmory. Skarmory takes very little damage from any of Marowak's unboosted attacks, but after Swords Dance boosting Marowak's Attack to 999, Rock Slide does 43-50% to Skarmory, which is a solid 3HKO. Even if Skarmory tries to use Whirlwind to phaze or Curse to reduce Rock Slide's damage to below the 3HKO threshold (29-34%), the 27% flinch rate (factoring in accuracy) makes KOing Skarmory possible. However, unless you use Swords Dance on the switch, Skarmory can easily tank whatever Marowak has to dish out while whittling away its health with Drill Pecks, and attempting to play for the flinch against a +1 Skarmory can be risky thanks to its boosted Drill Peck.</p>

<p>One thing to note about the Swords Dance set is that, due to a bug in GSC, the Attack stat before the Thick Club boost must be 255 or lower. Otherwise, after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak's Attack stat after the Thick Club boost will roll over to something hilarious like 8 instead of simply capping at 999. That kind of Attack stat barely scares a Level 2 Rattata, let alone the top physical walls of GSC. Using Hidden Power Bug forces the use of a 13 Attack DV (the GSC equivalent to an IV), which automatically sets Marowak's Attack at 254. However, if you decide not to against useing Hidden Power on Swords Dance Marowak for whatever reason, be sure to lower Marowak's Attack stat, either by lowering the Attack DV to 13 or by reducing Stat Experience (roughly equivalent to EVs) to achieve 255 Attack.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Marowak has poor HP, low Speed, and no Leftovers. Therefore, if Marowak takes any hits not deliberately planned for, its ability to function goes down the drain. For this reason, Marowak needs to be brought in on predicted double switches to ensure it isn't switching in on attacks. Pokemon that can bait good match-ups for Marowak to switch into are also excellent teammates. Gengar and Zapdos are good at baiting Raikou, which is forced to switch out or risk being OHKOed by Marowak's Earthquake. In addition, Rapid Spin from a Pokemon such as Starmie is incredibly welcome support to pair with Marowak, since Spikes damage is terrible for Marowak to be taking every time it switches in. Paralysis support from Thunder Wave Zapdos or Stun Spore Exeggutor is great for mitigating Marowak's poor Speed and preventing it from taking as many hits. Passing Agility to Marowak is another way to mitigate its poor Speed. In early GSC, using Jolteon to pass Agility to Marowak was such a prominent combo that it was dubbed "JoltWak." Finally, passing screens to Marowak, particularly Light Screen, can allow it to tank more hits while setting up Swords Dance and dishing out hits. Light Screen is the recommended screen to use, as it allows Marowak to tank Suicune's Surfs and Zapdos's Hidden Powers, although Reflect support can allow Marowak to do a better job of tanking Snorlax's Double-Edges and Skarmory's Drill Pecks.</p>

<p>Of course, Rest can be used to mitigate Marowak's frailty by allowing it to recover from prior damage, something most Marowak cannot possibly do otherwise. This allows you to be a bit more daring with when you choose to bring Marowak in, although you still want to avoid bringing it in on any kind of attacking move if you can help it. However, if Marowak chooses to forgo Hidden Power for Rest, it MUST be paired with either Miltank or Blissey to provide Heal Bell support. Otherwise, Marowak will never be able to wake up from its nap, as it is too frail. Additionally, it is also a good idea to pair Rest Marowak with Pursuit support from a Pokemon such as Umbreon or Tyranitar. This is because, without Hidden Power, Marowak will not be able to damage Exeggutor switch-ins.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Using Body Slam over Hidden Power on the Swords Dance set allows Marowak to create its own paralysis support, but forces Marowak to miss out on that crucial OHKO against Exeggutor. Fire Blast could be used over Swords Dance and possibly paired with Body Slam to make Marowak an all-out attacker. Fire Blast handily 3HKOes Skarmory without requiring the use of a boosting move beforehand, but that's about all(Space)it's good for. Hidden Power Flying can be used over Hidden Power Bug on the Swords Dance set to OHKO Heracross while still 2HKOing Exeggutor and nearly ensuring an OHKO against Exeggutor after a Swords Dance boost. Finally, Marowak can attempt to use a RestTalk set to give it some semblance of longevity. However, RestTalk Marowak is hardly like compares to other RestTalk users since its defenses, typing, and lack of Leftovers recovery prevent it from switching in very easily. Thus, it's less of a status-absorbing tank and more of a watered-down sweeper that can no longer be worn down quite as easily.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Skarmory is one of the best counters to Marowak, as it doesn't fear anything Marowak can dish out aside from Swords Dance-boosted Rock Slides and the uncommon Fire Blast. Even if Marowak has used Swords Dance to threaten with Rock Slide, Skarmory can use Whirlwind to phaze, chip away at Marowak's health with Drill Peck (which only does 22-26% to Marowak, but every bit of damage counts), or even use Curse to take only 29-34% damage from +2 Rock Slides (not even a guaranteed 4HKO with Leftovers) while threatening to hit back with boosted Drill Pecks. Suicune is also an excellent Marowak counter, especially with a Sleep Talk RestTalk set. Suicune threatens to easily 2HKO Marowak, although it does take heavy damage when switching into an Earthquake. With Sleep Talk, however, Suicune is able to freely use Rest to shrug off those Earthquakes while still threatening to 2HKO Marowak. Cloyster is another good switch-in, but unlike Suicune it takes the same damage from both Rock Slide and Earthquake, so baiting Rock Slides with Zapdos does nothing to make Cloyster's switch in any easier. Furthermore, Cloyster does not last nearly as long as Suicune, so it is much easier for Marowak to wear Cloyster down on the switch. Starmie and Vaporeon are other solid checks that can force Marowak out by threatening to 2HKO with Surf, but they must be wary when switching in, as Earthquake handily 2HKOes them and can OHKO after a Swords Dance boost.</p>

<p>Aside from Skarmory and Water-types, Exeggutor can switch into anything except for Hidden Power Bug and then threaten to use Sleep Powder, Explosion, or a strong special attack. If nothing else, Exeggutor poses enough of a threat to Marowak to bait Hidden Power Bug, which in turn makes it much easier for Water-types to switch into Marowak. Heracross resists Earthquake and only really fears Hidden Power Flying while dealing heavy damage to Marowak in return with Megahorn. However, Megahorn is an unlikely 2HKO against Marowak (it deals 45-52%) whereas, after a Swords Dance boost, Marowak is guaranteed to 2HKO Heracross with Earthquake. In addition, Zapdos is somewhat of a Marowak check. Zapdos's Hidden Power Grass or Ice will do 43-50% damage to standard Marowak, so it cannot outpace Marowak's damage output in a one-on-one situation unless it gets very high damage rolls, but it can do significant damage to Marowak while avoiding being OHKOed by Rock Slide and baiting Rock Slides to make it easier for other Marowak checks to switch in.</p>

<p>In general, the best way to neutralize Marowak is to simply attack it. For example, the 46-54% Snorlax takes from Earthquake isn't necessarily permanent, but the 41-48% Snorlax does to Marowak is forever due to the lack of Leftovers and defensive aptitude. Zapdos can recover off the heavy damage it takes from Rock Slide, whereas the Hidden Power damage Marowak takes is permanent. Being able to take "temporary" damage to get hits in on Marowak tends to neuter its ability to threaten your team significantly. Just make sure that you don't leave anything in on Marowak that actually does end up being OHKOed.</p>

[gp]2/2[/gp]

 

[Jorgen]

GP Check implemented. Should be good to go.