Eviolite Fairy anyone?
[Overview]
<p>Mawile suffers from having mediocre stats and a bad offensive typing. However, Mawile has decent offensive power courtesy of Sheer Force and possible Swords Dance Boosts. It is also a very important member of Baton pass teams due to its good defensive typing, access to Intimidate, and useful stat boosting moves. While its uses are very specific, being one of the few pure Steel-types in NU gives Mawile a decent niche in supporting its team. These niches limit Mawile to certain teams, but the different roles it plays make it stand out among its Steel-type brethren.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: ThunderPunch / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set makes use of Sheer Force-boosted attacks to make Mawile a decent offensive threat. Mawile has opportunities to set up Swords Dance against defensive Pokemon such as Metang, Alomomola, and Garbodor. Iron Head provides Mawile with a powerful STAB move, and Sheer Force gives it decent power even without a Swords Dance boost. Sucker Punch isn't boosted by Sheer Force, but the priority is very important as Mawile is rather slow. ThunderPunch has the power to 2HKO Alomomola after a Swords Dance boost, preventing it from walling Mawile. However, Substitute is a very viable alternative in order to block status moves from Pokemon such as Misdreavus and Tangela which would otherwise cripple Mawile. Substitute also allows Mawile to set up a Swords Dance safely.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Jolly is necessary to outspeed Adamant Rampardos and Zweilous as well as standard Misdreavus. Life Orb is the best item for this set as Sheer Force negates the recoil when Mawile uses any of its attacks except for Sucker Punch. Crunch is a viable offensive move as it is boosted by Sheer Force and doesn't fail against status moves, making it a more reliable option against Misdreavus. Taunt works similarly to Substitute in preventing most status moves, but it doesn't let Mawile set up on weak attacks. Fire Fang provides coverage against the Steel-type Pokemon that can wall Mawile, but it generally prefers the help of its teammates to deal with these threats. Stealth Rock support from teammates such as Seismitoad and Golem is necessary to allow Mawile to 2HKO Tangela with a boosted Iron Head. As Fighting-type Pokemon such as Sawk and Gurdurr threaten Mawile and resist Sucker Punch, Pokemon that can handle them such as Misdreavus, Musharna, and Garbodor are good options for teammates. Water-types, such as Seismitoad and Samurott, are also good teammates as they can handle Torkoal and other Fire-types well.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Iron Defense / Swords Dance
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Mawile's Steel typing gives it an immunity to Clear Smog and Toxic Spikes, making it a very important member of dedicated Baton Pass teams. Iron Defense is the most useful boost that Mawile can pass on such teams to enhance their overall survivability, and it also takes advantage of Mawile's excellent set of resistances. Of course, Swords Dance is a better option on any other team, as defensive boosts generally don't make too much of an impact on their own. Baton Pass allows Mawile to not only transfer all of its stat boosts to its teammates but also to escape its counters and scout the opposing team. Substitute allows Mawile to block status moves, and after a few Iron Defense boosts, its Substitutes are difficult to break with physical attacks. The best thing about Substitute is that it can also be Baton Passed to Mawile's teammates, so it is not limited to only supporting physically offensive teammates. Taunt is important in order to prevent Mawile from being Taunted itself and also prevents moves such as Toxic Spikes, Roar, Perish Song, and Encore from disrupting Baton Pass chains.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The Speed EVs and Jolly nature are necessary to allow Mawile to outspeed Adamant Torterra and standard Misdreavus and Baton Pass before they cripple it. Leftovers is Mawile's only form of recovery, and works well with Iron Defense and Intimidate to allow Mawile to create multiple sturdy Substitutes against resisted physical attacks. Iron Head can be used over Taunt to prevent Mawile from losing immediately against priority Encore users such as Volbeat and Liepard. It is also the better move to use alongside Swords Dance if Mawile is a standalone Baton Pass user, as it can take advantage of the boosts Mawile sets up. A fully physically defensive spread with an Impish nature can make the most of Mawile's defensive typing, but it usually wants the Speed to outpace certain threats such as Torterra so that it can Baton Pass away. Mental Herb is a viable item to deal with an otherwise crippling Taunt or Encore, but it only works once.</p>
<p>A dedicated Baton Pass team is the best home for this set, as the focus of such teams are to accumulate multiple Speed and defensive boosts. Ninjask is particularly important as a teammate as it reliably accumulates Speed boosts to pass to Mawile, allowing Mawile to move first most of the time. Mr. Mime is also an important teammate as it brings Soundproof to the table, which prevents Roar and certain users of Perish Song from ruining the Baton Pass chain. Gorebyss is also a very useful teammate as it can pass Amnesia boosts and appreciates the Iron Defense boosts Mawile passes to allow it to handle opposing Ground-types. Great Baton Pass recipients are also very important to actually make use of the boosts that Mawile and its teammates accumulate. Stored Power Musharna, Suction Cups Cradily and Octillery, and Marowak are all viable recipients that appreciate increased Speed and defenses. Outside of a dedicated Baton Pass team, other teammates include Pokemon that appreciate the specific boosts that Mawile passes. Physically frail Pokemon, such as Muk and Gardevoir, appreciate Iron Defense boosts, while physical attackers, such as Kangaskhan and Golurk, appreciate Swords Dance boosts.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>A support set utilizing Stealth Rock, Pain Split, Seismic Toss, and Taunt is viable, but it is pretty mediocre compared to support sets that other Steel-types can run as Mawile has unimpressive bulk. Ice Punch is a usable move as it can 2HKO Tangela after a boost, but Iron Head also accomplishes this with Stealth Rock damage. A bulky Swords Dance set with maximum physical bulk and Intimidate, using Substitute, Iron Head, and Sucker Punch, combines Mawile's offensive and defensive capabilities into a single set, but Mawile is pitifully weak without any Swords Dance boosts. Knock Off can cripple Pokemon that rely on Eviolite or Choice items, but Mawile is already strapped for moveslots as it is. Rock Slide hits most Fire-types hard, as well as Bug- and Flying-types, but most of them take a lot of damage from Mawile's other moves already. Body Slam can be used on a defensive set as it provides paralysis support to Mawile's team, but it is very weak. With Intimidate buffering Mawile's physical bulk, it can feasibly set up Rain Dance or Sunny Day, but other Pokemon such as Volbeat can set up weather more reliably. A SubPunch set can be used, but Mawile is really too weak for this set to be very threatening. Mawile has an assortment of special moves, with Fire Blast and Grass Knot being the most notable for OHKOing Tangela and hitting defensive variants of Seismitoad. However, using special moves means Mawile cannot use its physical moves effectively due to the lack of investment, so it can no longer beat many Pokemon outside of these specific targets.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Fighting-types such as Sawk and Gurdurr threaten to OHKO Mawile with their STAB moves, while Mawile cannot threaten them even with Sucker Punch due to their resistance to it. Gurdurr even has Mach Punch to threaten the Baton Pass set even if it has received Speed boosts. Throh counters the Baton Pass set through use of Circle Throw, though it is only a check to the Swords Dance set. Seismitoad resists Mawile's STAB moves, is immune to ThunderPunch, and can threaten with its STAB Ground-type moves. Samurott can also check Mawile due to its resistance to Iron Head, but it cannot safely switch in due to ThunderPunch. Braviary threatens all of Mawile's sets with Superpower, and Defiant even gives it a boost from Intimidate, but it cannot safely switch in against the offensive set. Due to Mawile's weakness to common moves such as Earthquake and Close Combat, as well as its low special bulk, most powerful offensive Pokemon that can tank a Sucker Punch can revenge kill Mawile, especially special attackers such as Ludicolo and Charizard. Misdreavus cannot switch in against the offensive set, but it can threaten to Will-O-Wisp it and Taunt the Baton Pass set. Countering the Baton Pass set is difficult as it can pass to teammates that deal with many normal counters and it is usually paired with other dedicated Baton Pass users that can grant it Speed and defensive boosts. Priority Encore users, such as Liepard and Volbeat, can stop Mawile in its tracks.</p>
[Overview]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: ThunderPunch / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Iron Defense / Swords Dance
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 28 Def / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[Checks and Counters]
- Mediocre stats overall and mediocre offensive typing
- Has an important niche on Baton Pass teams with Intimidate, good defensive typing, and Iron Defense
- Can hit moderately hard with Sheer Force boosted moves, especially after a Swords Dance
- One of the few pure Steel-types, so it has a small niche in supporting the team
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: ThunderPunch / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- This set hits decently due to Sheer Force boosting most of its offensive moves
- Swords Dance makes Mawile actually threatening and makes up for Sucker Punch not being affected by Sheer Force
- Iron Head is STAB and is boosted by Sheer Force, hitting decently hard even without a boost
- Sucker Punch somewhat makes up for Mawile's low Speed
- ThunderPunch can 2HKO Alomomola after a Swords Dance boost
- Substitute blocks status from Pokemon such as Misdreavus and Tangela, allowing Mawile to set up a Swords Dance safely.
- Jolly is necessary to outspeed Adamant Rampardos and Zweilous before they Superpower
- Life Orb is the best item because Sheer Force removes recoil from most of Mawile's offensive moves
- Taunt can be used to prevent status users from crippling Mawile
- Fire Fang can be used to hit opposing Steel-types, though it is usually more effective to have Mawile's teamamtes handle them
- Crunch is boosted by Sheer Force and hits Pokemon that try to avoid Sucker Punch hard, and destroys Misdreavus after a boost
- Stealth Rock support from Pokemon such as Golem or Seismitoad is necessary to OHKO Tangela with ThunderPunch most of the time
- Misdreavus, Musharna, and Garbodor are good options to handle Fighting-types that Mawile cannot revenge kill with Sucker Punch
- Grass-types such as Roselia are good teammates to deal with Alomomola
- Pokemon that can handle Torkoal is useful, especially Water-types such as Seismitoad and Samurott
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Iron Defense / Swords Dance
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 28 Def / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- This set is best used on a pure Baton Pass team to make the most use of Mawile's moves
- Iron Defense is generally the best boost to pass as Mawile has excellent defensive typing and you generally want to improve the survivablity of your team
- Sword Dance is better if Mawile is a standalone supporter, though there are other Pokemon that can pass Attack boosts effectively
- Baton Pass is necessary to allow Mawile's teammates to actually make use of the boosts it generates, and it can always be used to scout the opposing team outside of a dedicated Baton Pass team
- Substitute allows Mawile to block status, and becomes more difficult to break after some defensive boosts
- Taunt is important to prevent Mawile from being Taunted itself, and can prevent dangerous moves such as Roar, Toxic Spikes, and Perish Song from ruining a Baton Pass chain
- Jolly is necessary to outspeed Adamant Torterra and Baton Pass before it can Earthquake
- Leftovers provides Mawile with its only form of recovery, and works with Iron Defense and Intimidate to make several Substitutes
- Iron Head can be used over Taunt to prevent Mawile from losing outright to priority Taunt users, and is the better move if Mawile is a standalone Baton Passer
- A fully physically defensive spread with an Impish nature can make the most of Mawile's defensive typing, but it usually wants the Speed to outpace certain threats such as Torterra
- Mental Herb is a viable item to block a crippling Taunt, but it works only once
- Pokemon that enjoy the boosts Mawile provides are good teammates, with relatively frail Pokemon such as Muk and Gardevoir appreciating Iron Defense boosts, and physical attackers such as Kangaskhan and Golurk enjoy a Swords Dance
- A dedicated Baton Pass team is a great home for Mawile, as their stacked defense and Speed boosts make the team difficult to defeat
- Ninjask is particularly important as it can Baton Pass the necessary Speed boosts that allow Mawile to Taunt opposing Pokemon before they can disrupt the chain of boosts
- Mr. Mime is an important teammate due to Soundproof blocking Roar and Perish Song, while it and Gorebyss can pass Amnesia and Calm Mind boosts to make up for Mawile's poor Special Defense
- Great Baton Pass chain recipients include Musharna, Suction Cups Cradily, and Marowak
- A support set utilizing Stealth Rock, Pain Split, Seismic Toss, and Taunt is viable, but is pertty mediocre compared to other Steel-types.
- Ice Punch 2HKOs Tangela after a boost, but so does Iron Head with Stealth Rock damage
- A bulky Swords Dance spread, consisting of an EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def, with a moveset of Swords Dance, Pain Split, Iron Head, and Sucker Punch attempt to combine Mawile's offensive and defensive capabilities into one, but is pitifully weak without any Swords Dance boosts
- Knock Off can cripple certain Pokemon, but Mawile is strapped for moveslots as it is
- Rock Slide notably hits Fire-types, as well as Bug- and Flying-types, hard, but most of them take a lot from Mawile's moves regardless
- Body Slam can be used on the defensive set to try to paralyze the opponent
- Mawile can set up Rain Dance or Sunny Day due to Intimidate, but other Pokemon such as Volbeat can set up weather more reliably
- A SubPunch set can be used, but Mawile is too weak to really be threatening
- Mawile has some interesting special moves to hit certain checks and counters hard, with Fire Blast being notable for OHKOing Tangela and Grass Knot hitting defensive variants of Seismitoad.
[Checks and Counters]
- Fighting-types such as Sawk and Gurdurr can threaten to OHKO with their STAB moves, and Mawile cannot threaten them that well with SUcker Punch due to their resistance
- Bulky Water-types such as Seismitoad and Samurott resist Mawile's STAB and can tank even a boosted Sucker Punch, then retaliate with their STAB moves
- Braviary can threaten all of Mawile's sets with Superpower, and Defiant gives it an Attack boost from Intimidate
- Due to Mawile's weakness to common moves such as Earthquake and Fire Blast, as well as low special bulk, powerful offensive Pokemon that can tank a Sucker Punch can threaten Mawile
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). If Mawile is able to outrun only Misdreavus without any boost to its speed, it should do it, especially since those Def evs doesn't seem to do much. With that in mind:
