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Congratulations to this week's winners, Cheek Pouch and Sobi! All of the cores submitted show excellent synergy between the mon's respective resistances and offensive coverage, but most of all were extremely varied, showing the range of frameworks that this type core can lead to. Going back to a more defensive pairing, this week's theme will be
, which combines a vast number of resistances while also covering their own weaknesses fairly well and having good neutral coverage.
Please submit your cores by Friday 17th of June at 18:00GMT (ish). Here's your list of mons.
This core features Ferroseed and Musharna, an effective defensive core to support Pawniard. First off is Ferroseed: Ferroseed acts as a great switch-in to physical attackers, and can wear them down with Iron Barbs, Leech Seed, and Toxic. To help Pawniard KO more Pokemon, it can set Spikes and / or Stealth Rock. If you think that the opponent can dismantle this core easily, go for Stealth Rock. Otherwise, Spikes is the preferred option, as it is more consistent when it comes to chipping away at the foe's health. Ferroseed pairs very well with Pawniard, as together, they can discourage and punish the use of Defog, and Pawniard is able to switch into Defog and gain an Attack boost, turning it into a terrifying sweeper.
Next there's Musharna: Musharna helps this core on the other side of the spectrum, and provides two roles to our core. With Calm Mind, it acts as a wincon, but also a counter to most special attackers once it has gained a few boosts. However, it's main role is to slow down faster threats with Thunder Wave, so that Pawniard doesn't have to rely on a rather unreliable Sucker Punch to deal damage to faster threats. Ferroseed also appreciates Thunder Wave support, as the chance of the foe being unable to move grants it a chance to set up Spikes or Stealth Rock.
Finally, Pawniard finishes this core off with a wincon that is able to pose as a threat to most unprepared teams once they are weakened by Ferroseed and Musharna. Knock Off and Sucker Punch are both very useful, as the former provides utility in removing Eviolite, and the latter provides a means of priority, great for finishing off foes. Iron Head greants great neutral coverage and the chance to flinch is very useful.
Pawniard @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
Musharna @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 SpD
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Moonlight
- Thunder Wave
Ferroseed @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 148 Def / 112 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spikes / Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
- Leech Seed
- Toxic
This offensive core is centered around a mon that has fallen out of favor ever since Steelix dropped, Klinklang. The main Pokemon that threaten to halt Klinklang's sweep include Steelix, Poison-types such as Garbodor and Weezing, as well as bulky Water-types such as Poliwrath and Lanturn. Specs Mesprit happens to be a great way of luring in Steelix, as well as having the ability to decimate any Poison-types that dare stay in on it. Mesprit also has the luxury of taking on most Fighting-types very well, particularly Hitmonchan which threatens Klinklang with Mach Punch. Skuntank rounds out the core by dealing with Rotom, which annoys Klinklang immensely while also revenging Mesprit with some prior damage. Skuntank can also pick off anything that survives Klinklang + Mesprit's sweep with priority which is very useful. Overall this is a pretty fun offensive core.
Liepard @ Black Glasses
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Copycat
- Encore
Mesprit @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Psychic
- Signal Beam
- Hidden Power Ground
- Calm Mind
Steelix @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 244 HP / 136 Atk / 128 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Toxic
TactiCat is cool, Mesprit can hit Fighting-types and bulky Poisons pretty hard and lure in Dark resist with Signal + Colbur + HP Ground for Skunk. Calm Mind also helps to pava away for a liepard sweep but HW could also be a cool option. Steelix checks Musharna, Destroys MegaDino and provides Stealth Rock. It also a Poison switch in to.
This core involves the use of malamar and klinklang. Malamar appreciates mega audino being removed and musharna too. So klinklang helps it as it can potentially setup on them. Making it a threat to the opposing team which is nice and all as you can get a win from that. Bug types such as scyther can annoy malamar too so klinklang doesn't fear it really and can sub on it. Then proceed to set up. Both of them function as wincons and can clean up mid / lategame effectively. Wincons in general appreciate rockers as it can help them wear down threats by inflicting some chip damage of them, maintaining pressure. For example mesprit and malamar do not like scyther who can severely damage / OHKO them with bug bite. Mesprit helps break down fighting types annoying to the core like poliwrath, hariyama, and primeape. In addition mesprit provides healing wish support which gives them another opportunity to come back healthy into the game which can potentially seal the game after the checks / counters have been significantly worn down and or eliminated. U-turn is useful as in general momentum is very nice so that you can somewhat scout or see what they will switch into and if they stay in you can go into the appropriate check / counter. Thanks to erisia for mentioning the 3 mon core rule, forgot to check OP and assumed 2 mon cores were allowed.
going with PursuitOfHappiny tho I would probs use stone plate on aggron if you're going with trick room shenanigans. also use low kick, super power is bad.
And the winner is ~Eternally! Thanks everyone for your cores this week, good to see some Klinklang love lol. The theme this week will be
spam! Normal-type is the new Dragon-type and is one of the defining archetypes of NU offense due to its good neutral coverage and plethora of both physical and special attackers.
The deadline for submissions will be Friday 24th of June at 18:00 GMT(ish). Three mon cores please. Here's some normies.
So this core obviously consists of some normal spam, as i chose tauros + zangoose and added garbodor for some other uses which i will describe in a few more sentences. Tauros is without a doubt, a powerhouse in NU. With a good attack stat as well as being fast it threatens balance and offensive builds with relative ease. Can be brought out in any point of the game when versing defensive cores really, and yea you can predict or go for the coverage of your choice to get some nice damage off. Now zangoose is pretty scary as toxic orb + toxic boost powers up its moves as well as making facade hit a bp of 315 factoring in STAB also. That's ridiculous to say the least. While ghost types are problematic for tauros, zangoose has access to knock off which can do quite a lot of damage. As well as providing the utility of removing their held item. In addition zangoose is capable of dealing heavy damage to Steelix, Regirock, and Rhydon with close combat. Who tauros struggles to break past depending on the coverage move it opts for. Lastly i decided to add a fighting resist. Now due to their natural typing, normal types in general do not like getting hit by a fighting move. It is also able to provide spikes support which aids the normal spam core in breaking down bulkier teams and pokemon like omastar, steelix who can easily switch in on their normal stab. Finally as i mentioned before it can switch into fighting types like Hitmonchan and Hariyama, and primeape. Pokemon of which can deal heavy damage or outright OHKO tauros and zangoose.
Tauros @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Rock Climb
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Iron Tail / Zen Headbutt
So basically, Kecleon and Kangaskhan both have access to Fake Out and Sucker Punch, two powerful priority attacks, along with Shadow Sneak on the former. Backed with Protean and Life Orb, Kecleon can whittle down opposing Pokemon before they even get a chance to attack, while Kangaskhan's powerful Double Edge murks anything that doesn't resist it. To help this priority based duo, Garbodor provides Spikes and Toxic Spikes that help whittle down opposing Pokemon while they switch in, as well as providing a Fighting-type switchin. Focus Blast was chosen to do damage to Steelix, as after a few rounds of Spikes damage and a Focus Blast, Kecleon or Kang can defeat it with priority + SE coverage.
The best way to beat the opponent is to make sure he can't even hit you :))
At first, I decided to go with Choice Scarf Chatot + Belly Drum Linoone, a threatening and unstoppable duo that could simply wreak havoc once let loose (and by that I mean when Linoone actually manages to set up with Belly Drum). However, I felt that this core didn't really have as much power as I wanted it to have, so out went Chatot and in came Swellow. Linoone and Swellow both work well together, as they both hit on different sides of the spectrum, and Swellow can easily pivot into Linoone when it can't do much to the foe. This core felt quite weak to Steel-types though; both of these Normal-types couldn't really break through them, and I needed something that could take care of them, hence Poliwrath. Poliwrath really helps against Steelix, as it can OHKO it with Focus Blast (as well as some other Steels), which Linoone & Swellow really appreciate since it makes wallbreaking much more easier for them.
kecleon has always been an interesting pokemon in nu and the mixed set has always been appealing. protean is honestly a great ability. kecleon also has pretty neat coverage. the evs in special attack ensure that grass knot ohkos rhydon and ohkoing steelix with fire blast after rocks damage is on our favour. 116 speed is given so we can outspeed non invested gourgeist xl and the rest is dumped into attack. shadow sneak was used to grant it an immunity to fighting due to priority however it isn't really powerful. sucker punch gives us double priority and has a nice chance to ohko frailer mons such as swellow and non lovely kiss variants of jynx. iron tail can be used over shadow sneak to hit mega dino. then i added zangoose as it can break through special walls that kecleon can't really touch with iron or knock off such as lanturn and colbur berry musharna. mushy + lanturn can't do too much damage to zangoose allowing it to facade or sd. cc also allows me to ohko aggron which can be annoying to kecleon due to its typing. kecleon can break physical and special walls where as zangoose can break down special walls. now finally i finally decided to add colbur mesprit as the last slot. it can provide stealth rocks and allows the core to beat fighting types. colbur was used so knock off isnt scary. i went psyshock over psychic to deal more damage to av yama and av hitmonchan both which can be threatening to the core due to priority. it also helps against things such as archeops which can be scary if misplayed against. mesprit can provide a somewhat slow u-turn into kecleon and zangoose so they can come in safely and can also slow down opponents with thunder wave. mesprit can also run healing wish to help support kec+zangoose though i wouldnt say its worth it.
