Cawmodore

[HeaLnDeaL]

Overview
########

With Volt Absorb and Intimidate plus a great Defense stat, Cawmodore might seem to fill the role of a defensive Pokemon. However, it instead shines as an offensive powerhouse and is a deadly user of the move Belly Drum. Though Cawmodore's attacking movepool is shallow, it contains gems such as Acrobatics for pure power and Drain Punch for recovery. Thanks to its great Speed stat, Cawmodore is able to sweep a large portion of the metagame after setting up.

Cawmodore's Attack stat is rather unimpressive on its own, which means in order to be an effective sweeper it has to set up Belly Drum first. There are a number of Pokemon that can threaten Cawmodore while it is setting up, so reliably boosting can be difficult at times. Even after Cawmodore has set up, certain special sweepers can still outspeed it and target its poor Special Defense. Overall, Cawmodore is fairly one-dimensional, and it lacks any truly viable set variation. However, if it can pull off a well-timed Belly Drum, Cawmodore can wreck holes in almost any opposing team.

Captain Belly Drum
########
name: Captain Belly Drum
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Bullet Punch
ability: Volt Absorb
item: Sitrus Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Belly Drum lets Cawmodore hit extremely hard after only a single turn of setup. Afterwards, Sitrus Berry activates and turns Acrobatics into an insanely powerful STAB move that can even dent Pokemon that resist Flying. Drain Punch provides coverage against Steel-types and can be used to recover some of the HP that was lost during setup. Bullet Punch functions as a priority move and a secondary STAB move; it can hit some faster would-be threats such as Stratagem.

Set Details
========

4 HP EVs give Cawmodore an even HP stat, which is vital for allowing Sitrus Berry to activate and heal Cawmodore after a Belly Drum. With Sitrus Berry consumed, Acrobatics receives its boost and becomes quite powerful. Cawmodore needs the extra Speed from the Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs in order to outspeed as much as it possibly can. 252 Attack EVs allow for its best sweeping potential.

An alternative EV spread of 244 HP / 12 Atk / 252 Spe is usable, as it allows Cawmodore to be bulkier and can help it set up a Belly Drum more easily in some situations. 244 HP EVs allow it to maintain an even 302 HP, which still allows for Belly Drum to activate Sitrus Berry on the same turn. The addition to Attack may seem small and not particularly noteworthy, but 12 Attack EVs is the minimum to guarantee that +6 Drain Punch KOes specially defensive Heatran.

Usage Tips
========

Try to balance risk and reward when setting up, as a failed or premature Belly Drum can prove disastrous. Cawmodore is usually not an early-game sweeper, and its obvious counters need to be eliminated or weakened significantly before a Belly Drum is usually worth it. However, this does not mean Cawmodore can't come in at all earlier in the game, as its immunities do let it switch in and threaten out certain Pokemon.

Even though Cawmodore has Volt Absorb, it is important to remember that Kyurem-B can still bust through with Fusion Bolt thanks to Teravolt. Also keep in mind that using Bullet Punch can cause an opposing Sucker Punch to fail as long as the opponent is slower. In particular, this means that Cawmodore can gamble with opposing Colossoil and choose to use Bullet Punch to prevent a predicted Sucker Punch.

Team Options
========

Chansey is a fantastic teammate, as it can provide Wish support and can absorb Flamethrowers with ease. Wish support in general can be helpful to restore Cawmodore's HP in the event that its first Belly Drum attempt didn't end very well. Memento users such as Volkraken can give Cawmodore an opportunity to set up, though the cost of a teammate can be pricey. Landorus can take out some of Cawmodore's most notable counters, such as Cyclohm, and it can be a good special attacker to pair with Cawmodore.

Other Options
########

Knock Off is a great move in general; however, it may be hard to fit into the set, and doesn't offer better coverage than Cawmodore's main options. Drill Peck can be used alongside non-consumable items such as leftovers. Iron Head hits harder than Bullet Punch and can take out bulky Fairies, but generally Cawmodore appreciates priority more. Intimidate can be useful to weaken physical attackers, but without Volt Absorb, Cawmodore is vulnerable to Electric-type attacks. Lastly, Substitute + Salac Berry can be used, but Cawmodore's Speed tier is already pretty good for the CAP metagame.

Checks & Counters
########

**Cyclohm**: With a resistance to Acrobatics and access to Fire Blast and Flamethrower, defensive Cyclohm is one of the best hard counters to Cawmodore.

**Faster Special Attackers that Resist Steel**: Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Mollux and Choice Scarf Volkraken are usually Cawmodore stop Cawmodore in its tracks. Essentially, if Cawmodore is hit by a neutral STAB move or almost any super effective special attack, it'll be down and out.

**Hazing / Phazing**: Bulky or speedy hazers or phazers can stop a Cawmodore sweep and check it on the spot. The most notable of these is Haze + Reflect Tomohawk. However, switching into a Cawmodore attack is generally not advisable if it has set up already. Skarmory is always slower than Cawmodore, which allows it to Roost without fear of a super effective Drain Punch hitting it, and it can phaze Cawmodore with Whirlwind.

**Physically Defensive Unaware Users**: Quagsire is the most notable of the bulky Unaware trio, but Clefable can do well against sets without Iron Head. Arghonaut still fears Acrobatics, however.

**Jolly Talonflame**: If rocks aren't up, Talonflame can sort of check Cawmodore with Flare Blitz. Taking around half health from Bullet Punch plus recoil damage is less than favorable, however.

**Will-O-Wisp**: Burning Cawmodore severely hurts it, but at +6 it can still do decent amounts of chip damage. Prankster Sableye has some potential to check Cawmodore with priority Will-O-Wisp. However, accuracy can be problematic at times and Sableye does not appreciate a Bullet Punch after Cawmodore has set up. Rotom-W is a bulkier alternative, but it would usually just want to KO Cawmodore with Hydro Pump anyway.

 

[sparktrain]

A few quick comments

- Move the 4 EVs in Def to HP so it hits an even number and activates Sitrus after a BD
- Add Unaware mons (specifically Clefable and Quagsire) to C&C, Caw won't be able to break them
252 Atk Cawmodore Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Unaware Clefable: 126-148 (31.9 - 37.5%) -- 0.2% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Cawmodore Bullet Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Unaware Clefable: 92-110 (23.3 - 27.9%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Cawmodore Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Unaware Quagsire: 114-135 (28.9 - 34.2%) -- 99.6% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
I guess it can technically get by Clefable with Iron Head, but there's not much of a reason to run the move otherwise.
- Scarf Volkraken mentioned alongside Mollux in C&C

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Alright, I agree with most of the things you've mentioned (and will admit to the derping on the HP EVs; I personally like to run the alternative spread listed rather than the standard one). Quagsire isn't too common in the meta, but he can provide some good use in situations, and can do some work against Cawmodore in particular.

Thanks for the feedback! I've made the requested changes.

 

[Animus Majulous]

Considering that unaware pokes and haze tomohawk completely wall/check/counter tomohawk, a good player won't just blindly belly drum the first turn. They will wait until these pokes are removed, and then find an opportunity on a weaker pokemon to set up and sweep. One of the reasons I feel cawmodore is easily countered is the pokemon that can check it are extremely common in the cap meta. Against a stall team, 100% of the time cawmodore is useless. But, against a weakened or unprepared HO team, it can win games because they don't run the stally checks that it has. Of course, you also have to check if they have a scarfed poked, and its always nice to set up rocks before you try to sweep. Otherwise though, it can defeat unprepared teams if brought in at the correct time.

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Umm I suppose it would be wise for me to delete any mention to Aegislash... or should I wait? In general I feel like (even outside of CAP) a lot of analyses might be slightly out of date now...

 

[sparktrain]

I think Knock Off should stay right in OO, even though it lost its main use in hitting Aegislash. It hits bulky electrics on the switch harder than any of its other moves and has the bonus of removing their item, but it's still forced out by them. Maybe if it could sweep past bulky Rotom Wash after a BD and rocks it'd be more slot worthy, but +6 252 Atk (Cawmodore) Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom-W: 229-270 (75.3 - 88.8%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock. And it's still not breaking Cyclohm anytime soon.

It basically needs BD / Acro / DP / BP or Iron Head or else it misses out on a lot of coverage, but Knock Off can be useful in partially breaking a bulky Electric switch in, so keep it OO

 

[heartofgold]

I'd agree with Sparktrain - keep Knock Off, though you can edit out the specific mention of Aegislash. While Caw's niche offers little room for variation, Knock Off is an extremely handy move, and as mentioned can put the hurt on Bulky Electrics (though, sadly, can't KO most of them) as well as provide general, item-stripping utility. Of course, Caw isn't particularly concerned with utility - it's concerned with smashing stuff up good - but that's why it's in Other Options and not slashed on the set proper.

Notably, Knock Off is Caw's only guaranteed OHKO against HP-invested Kitsunoh, who can otherwise lay on a Burn with WoW. Admittedly, not many Kit run full HP, but I feel like the Defog set is gaining traction, which tends to run bulky speed.

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Alright, thanks for the comments guys. I wasn't really considering removing Knock Off from OO to start with, as it is easily one of the better moves this generation.

Sumary of latest edit: Aegislash removed from counters/check list, and mention of Knock usefull for hitting Aegislash replaced with Knock Off being useful in general.

 

[Tadasuke]

You definitely want to put a counter to Cyclohm or any other flying spam check under Team Options. Cawmo is useless when Cyc is still alive.

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

I think it's safe to say that most teams in order to be successful need a Cyclohm killer, regardless of whether or not Cawmodore is on a team...

Cyclohm is already listed as the premier counter in the counters section. Trying to muddy up team support with something as obvious as "have something to defeat your biggest counter" seems redundant in my opinion. Now, if there was a teammate that could both beat Cylclohm handedly and provide some other type of support that is useful to Cawmodore as well, then it would definitely have a mention in team options (and because of this, Landorus already has been mentioned...). But simply putting down "Cylcohm counter" in team options defeats the purpose of having a separate counters list, unless I'm mistaken.

 

[QueenOfLuvdiscs]

I'm completely happy with this

(QC 1/2)

 

[cbrevan]

Talonflame can be mentioned as a check as it only takes around 50% from a +6 Bullet Punch and obviously koes with Flare Blitz. In other words Talonflame can check Cawmodre if rocks aren't up. Gothitelle can also be mentioned in Team Options as can also take out a lot of Cawmodre's counters, specifically Cyclohm, Hazehawk, and Scarf Mollux and Keldeo.

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Added Talonflame towards the bottom of the checks and counters list.

 

[sparktrain]

As a quick note, Talonflame needs to be Jolly to check Cawmodore, since Caw will outspeed and KO with Acro otherwise.

 

[gday]

I would add in team options both Gothitelle and Aurumoth. Goth can trap pokemon such as Cyclohm, Haze Tomohawk and Scarf Mollux (who seem to be common; would check usage stats but they don't work) and 2HKO and OHKO with Specs Psychic. Aurumoth can be good at disguising as Cawmodore and then luring in checks like Clohm and then Final Gambitting the absolute crap out of them.

 

[Animus Majulous]

QC 2/2

We're on a roll now.

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

The analysis is now in written form and comments, etc. are welcome while I await for the third QC. The main point of the third QC is just to make sure that the ideas of the bullet points are translated into sentence structure without losing their competitive intent. Any of Animus Majulous, QueenOfLuvdiscs, or jas61292 may give the final QC since repeated QCers are allowed for this final step before GP.

 

[QueenOfLuvdiscs]

final qc

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Thanks Queen, ready for GP now I guess. Thread title updated accordingly.

 

[P Squared]

hi here's an amcheck

Hide

Overview
########

With Volt Absorb and Intimidate plus a great Defense stat, one might assume Cawmodore might seem to fill the role of a defensive Pokemon. However, it instead shines as an offensive powerhouse and is a deadly user of the move Belly Drum. Though Cawmodore's attacking movepool is shallow, it contains gems such as Acrobatics for pure power and Drain Punch for recovery. Thanks to its great Speed stat, Cawmodore is able to sweep a large portion of the metagame after setting up.

Cawmodore's Attack stat is rather unimpressive on its own, which means in order to be an effective sweeper it Cawmodore has to set up with Belly Drum first. There are a number of Pokemon that can threaten Cawmodore while it is setting up, and therefore reliably boosting can be difficult at times. Even after Cawmodore has setting up, certain special sweepers can still outspeed and target Cawmodore's poor Special Defense. Overall, Cawmodore's role on a team is fairly one-dimensional, and it lacks any truly viable set variation. However, if it can pull off a well-timed Belly Drum, Cawmodore can wreck holes in almost any opposing team.

Captain Belly Drum
########
name: Offensive Belly Drum
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Bullet Punch
ability: Volt Absorb
item: Sitrus Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Belly Drum is the staple move, as it lets Cawmodore hit extremely hard after only a single turn of setup. Afterwards, Sitrus Berry activates and turns Acrobatics into an insanely powerful STAB move that can even dent Pokemon that resist Flying (or something like that) to be abused as Cawmodore's main STAB; even things that resist it will feel the hit. Drain Punch is warranted in terms of coverage as it hits provides coverage against Steel-types and can be used to recover some of the HP that was lost during setup. Bullet Punch functions as a priority move and a secondary STAB move; it can hit some faster would-be threats such as Stratagem.

Set Details
========

4 HP EVs give Cawmodore an even HP stat, which is vital for allowing Sitrus Berry to activate and heal Cawmodore after a Belly Drum. With Sitrus Berry consumed, Acrobatics receives its boost and becomes quite powerful. Sitrus Berry of course has the added benefit of healing Cawmodore after setting up. Cawmodore needs the extra Speed from the Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs in order to outspeed as much as it possibly can. 252 Attack EVs allow for its best sweeping potential.

An alternative EV spread of 244 HP, 12 Atk, and 252 Spe 244 HP / 12 Atk / 252 Spe is usable, as it allows Cawmodore to be bulkier and can help it set up a Belly Drum more easily in some situations. 244 HP EVs allow it to maintain an even 302 HP, which still allows for Belly Drum to activate Sitrus Berry on the same turn. The small addition to Attack may seem small and not particularly noteworthy, but 12 Attack EVs is the minimum to guarantee a KO with a +6 Drain Punch against specially defensive Heatran.

Usage Tips
========

Try to balance risks and reward when setting up, as a failed premature Belly Drum can prove disastrous. Cawmodore is usually not an early-game sweeper, and its obvious counters need to be eliminated or very weakened significantly before a Belly Drum is usually worth it. However, this does not mean Cawmodore can’t come in at all earlier in the game, as its immunities do let it switch in and threaten out certain Pokemon.

Even though Cawmodore has Volt Absorb, it is important to remember that Kyurem-B can still bust through thanks to Teravolt and Fusion Bolt. Also keep in mind that using Bullet Punch can cause an opposing Sucker Punch to fail as long as the opponent is slower. In particular, this means that Cawmodore can gamble with opposing Colossoil and choose to use Bullet Punch to prevent a predicted Sucker Punch.

Team Options
========

Chansey is a fantastic teammate, as it can provide thanks to Wish support and can absorb Flamethrowers with ease. Wish in general can be helpful to restore Cawmodore's HP in the event that its first Belly Drum attempt didn't end very well. Memento users such as Volkraken can give Cawmodore an set up opportunity to set up, though the cost of a teammate can be pricey. Landorus can take out some of Cawmodore's most notable counters such as Cyclohm, and it can be a good special attacker to pair with Cawmodore since together they can cover both ends of the spectrum. (there is no spectrum)

Other Options
########

Knock Off is a great move in general; however, it may be hard to fit into a moveslot, and it doesn't offer better as good of coverage than as its main options. Drill Peck can be used alongside non-consumable items. Iron Head hits harder than Bullet Punch and can take out bulky Fairies, but generally Cawmodore appreciates priority more. Intimidate can be useful to weaken physical attackers, but without Volt Absorb, Cawmodore is weak to Electric-type attacks. Lastly, Substitute and Salac Berry can be used, but Cawmodore's Speed tier is already pretty good for the CAP metagame.

Checks & Counters
########

**Cyclohm**: With a resistance to Acrobatics and access to Fire Blast and Flamethrower, defensive Cylcohm is one of the best hard counters to Cawmodore.

**Faster Special Attackers that Resist Steel that aren't weak to Bullet Punch**: Think things Pokemon such as Greninja or even Scarf Mollux and Scarf Volkraken are usually hard counters to Cawmodore. Essentially, if Cawmodore is hit by a neutral STAB neutral or almost any super effective special attack, heit’ll be down and out. As a result, these fast special attackers are usually hard counters.

**Haze/Phaze**: Bulky or speedy Hazers/phazers can stop a Cawmodore sweep and check it on the spot. The most notable of these is Haze/Reflect Tomohawk. However, switching into a Cawmodore attack is generally not advisable if it has set up already. Skarmory is always slower than Cawmodore, which allows it to Roost without fear of a super effective Drain Punch hitting it, and it can phaze Cawmodore with Whirlwind its Whirlwind in turn is a great way to phaze Cawmodore out.

**Physically Defensive Unaware Users**: Quagsire is the most notable of the bulky Unaware trio, but Clefable can do well against sets without Iron Head. Arghonaut still fears Acrobatics, however.

** Jolly Talonflame**: If rocks aren't up, then Talonflame can sort of check Cawmodore with Flare Blitz. Taking around half health from Bullet Punch plus recoil damage is less than favorable, however.

**Will-O-Wisp**: Burning Cawmodore severely hurts it, but at +6 it can still do some decent amounts of chip damage. Prankster Sableye (prior to Mega Evolving) has some potential to check with its priority Will-O-Wisp, as Prankster helps with speed issues. However, accuracy can be problematic at times and Sableye does not appreciate a Bullet Punch after Cawmodore has set up. Rotom-W is a bulkier alternative, but it would usually just want to KO with Hydro Pump anyway.

 

[Calm Pokemaster]

Stamping the above check; it didn't miss much.

GP 1 / 2

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Alright, I have made all of the changes from the above. However, I also made two very minor additional changes. In the Overview second paragraph, third sentence, I changed "Cawmodore's poor Special Defense" to "its poor Special Defense" since Cawmodore is already mentioned by name earlier in the sentence. In the Usage Tips first sentence, I changed "a failed premature Belly Drum can prove disastrous" to "a failed or premature Belly Drum can prove disastrous" since a failed and a premature Belly Drum can be two different things...

Ready for the next check.

 

[SnazzySwampert]

AM check
Deletions
Additions
(Comments)

AM Check

Overview
########

With Volt Absorb and Intimidate plus a great Defense stat, Cawmodore might seem to fill the role of a defensive Pokemon. However, it instead shines as an offensive powerhouse and is a deadly user of the move Belly Drum. Though Cawmodore's attacking movepool is shallow, it contains gems such as Acrobatics for pure power and Drain Punch for recovery. Thanks to its great Speed stat, Cawmodore is able to sweep a large portion of the metagame after setting up.

Cawmodore's Attack stat is rather unimpressive on its own, which means in order to be an effective sweeper Cawmodore has to set up Belly Drum first. There are a number of Pokemon that can threaten Cawmodore while it is setting up, and therefore reliably boosting can be difficult at times. Even after Cawmodore has set up, certain special sweepers can still outspeed it and target its poor Special Defense. Overall, Cawmodore is fairly one-dimensional, and it lacks any truly viable set variation. However, if it can pull off a well-timed Belly Drum, Cawmodore can wreck holes in almost any opposing team.

Captain Belly Drum
########
name: Offensive Belly Drum
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Bullet Punch
ability: Volt Absorb
item: Sitrus Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Belly Drum lets Cawmodore hit extremely hard after only a single turn of setup. Afterwards, Sitrus Berry activates and turns Acrobatics into an insanely powerful STAB move that can even dent Pokemon that resist Flying. Drain Punch provides coverage against Steel-types and can be used to recover some of the HP that was lost during setup. With Bullet Punch functions functioning as a priority move and a secondary STAB move;, it can hit some faster would-be threats such as Stratagem.

Set Details
========

4 HP EVs give Cawmodore an even HP stat, which is vital for allowing Sitrus Berry to activate and heal Cawmodore after a Belly Drum. With Sitrus Berry consumed, Acrobatics receives its boost and becomes quite powerful. Cawmodore needs the extra Speed from the Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs in order to outspeed as much as it possibly can. 252 Attack EVs allow for its best sweeping potential.

An alternative EV spread of 244 HP / 12 Atk / 252 Spe is usable, as it allows Cawmodore to be bulkier and can help it set up a Belly Drum more easily in some situations. 244 HP EVs allow it to maintain an even 302 HP, which still allows for Belly Drum to activate Sitrus Berry on the same turn. The addition to Attack may seem small and not particularly noteworthy, but 12 Attack EVs is the minimum to guarantee a KO with a +6 Drain Punch against specially defensive Heatran.

Usage Tips
========

Try to balance risk and reward when setting up, as a failed or premature Belly Drum can prove disastrous. Cawmodore is usually not an early-game sweeper, and its obvious checks and counters need to be eliminated or weakened significantly before a Belly Drum is usually worth it. However, this does not mean that Cawmodore can’t come in at all earlier in the game, as its immunities do let it switch in and threaten out certain Pokemon.

Even though Cawmodore has Volt Absorb, it is important to remember that Kyurem-B can still bust through thanks to Teravolt and Fusion Bolt. Also keep in mind that using Bullet Punch can cause an opposing Sucker Punch to fail as long as the opponent is slower. In particular, this means that Cawmodore can gamble with opposing Colossoil and choose to use Bullet Punch to prevent a predicted Sucker Punch.

Team Options
========

Chansey is a fantastic teammate, as it can provide Wish support and can absorb Flamethrowers with ease. Wish in general can be helpful to restore Cawmodore's HP in the event that its first Belly Drum attempt didn't end very well. Memento users such as Volkraken can give Cawmodore an opportunity to set up, though the cost of a teammate can be pricey. Landorus can take out some of Cawmodore's most notable counters such as Cyclohm, and it can be a good special attacker to pair with Cawmodore.

Other Options
########

Knock Off is a great move in general; however, it may be hard to fit into a moveslot, and it doesn't offer better coverage than its main options. Drill Peck can be used alongside non-consumable items. Iron Head hits harder than Bullet Punch and can take out bulky Fairies, but generally Cawmodore appreciates priority more. Intimidate can be useful to weaken physical attackers, but without Volt Absorb, Cawmodore is weak to Electric-type attacks. Lastly, Substitute and Salac Berry can be used, but Cawmodore's Speed tier is already pretty good for the CAP metagame.

Checks & Counters
########

**Cyclohm**: With a resistance to Acrobatics and access to Fire Blast and Flamethrower, defensive Cylcohm is one of the best hard counters to Cawmodore.

**Faster Special Attackers that Resist Steel**: Pokemon such as Greninja or even Scarf Mollux and Scarf Volkraken are usually hard counters to Cawmodore. Essentially, if Cawmodore is hit by a neutral STAB or almost any super effective special attack, it’ll be down and out.

**Haze/Phaze**: Bulky or speedy Hazers/phazers can stop a Cawmodore sweep and check it on the spot. The most notable of these is Haze/Reflect Tomohawk. However, switching into a Cawmodore attack is generally not advisable if it has set up already. Skarmory is always slower than Cawmodore, which allows it to Roost without fear of a super effective Drain Punch hitting it, and it can phaze Cawmodore with Whirlwind.

**Physically Defensive Unaware Users**: Quagsire is the most notable of the bulky Unaware trio, but Clefable can do well against sets without Iron Head. Arghonaut still fears Acrobatics, however.

**Jolly Talonflame**: If rocks aren't up, then Talonflame can sort of check Cawmodore with Flare Blitz. Taking around half health from Bullet Punch plus recoil damage is less than favorable, however.

**Will-O-Wisp**: Burning Cawmodore severely hurts it, but at +6 it can still do decent amounts of chip damage. Prankster Sableye has some potential to check with its priority Will-O-Wisp. However, accuracy can be problematic at times and Sableye does not appreciate a Bullet Punch after Cawmodore has set up. Rotom-W is a bulkier alternative, but it would usually just want to KO with Hydro Pump anyway.

 

[frenzyplant]

2/2 :)

Hide

add remove (comments)

Overview
########

With Volt Absorb and Intimidate plus a great Defense stat, Cawmodore might seem to fill the role of a defensive Pokemon. However, it instead shines as an offensive powerhouse and is a deadly user of the move Belly Drum. Though Cawmodore's attacking movepool is shallow, it contains gems such as Acrobatics for pure power and Drain Punch for recovery. Thanks to its great Speed stat, Cawmodore is able to sweep a large portion of the metagame after setting up.

Cawmodore's Attack stat is rather unimpressive on its own, which means in order to be an effective sweeper it Cawmodore has to set up Belly Drum first. There are a number of Pokemon that can threaten Cawmodore while it is setting up, so and therefore reliably boosting can be difficult at times. Even after Cawmodore has set up, certain special sweepers can still outspeed it and target its poor Special Defense. Overall, Cawmodore is fairly one-dimensional, and it lacks any truly viable set variation. However, if it can pull off a well-timed Belly Drum, Cawmodore can wreck holes in almost any opposing team.

Captain Belly Drum
########
name: Offensive Captain Belly Drum (there is no defensive belly drum set, and the names must match up)
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Bullet Punch
ability: Volt Absorb
item: Sitrus Berry
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Belly Drum lets Cawmodore hit extremely hard after only a single turn of setup. Afterwards, Sitrus Berry activates and turns Acrobatics into an insanely powerful STAB move that can even dent Pokemon that resist Flying. Drain Punch provides coverage against Steel-types and can be used to recover some of the HP that was lost during setup. Bullet Punch functions as a priority move and a secondary STAB move; it can hit some faster would-be threats such as Stratagem.

Set Details
========

4 HP EVs give Cawmodore an even HP stat, which is vital for allowing Sitrus Berry to activate and heal Cawmodore after a Belly Drum. With Sitrus Berry consumed, Acrobatics receives its boost and becomes quite powerful. Cawmodore needs the extra Speed from the Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs in order to outspeed as much as it possibly can. 252 Attack EVs allow for its best sweeping potential.

An alternative EV spread of 244 HP / 12 Atk / 252 Spe is usable, as it allows Cawmodore to be bulkier and can help it set up a Belly Drum more easily in some situations. 244 HP EVs allow it to maintain an even 302 HP, which still allows for Belly Drum to activate Sitrus Berry on the same turn. The addition to Attack may seem small and not particularly noteworthy, but 12 Attack EVs is the minimum to guarantee that +6 Drain Punch KOes a KO with a +6 Drain Punch against specially defensive Heatran.

Usage Tips
========

Try to balance risk and reward when setting up, as a failed or premature Belly Drum can prove disastrous. Cawmodore is usually not an early-game sweeper, and its obvious counters need to be eliminated or weakened significantly before a Belly Drum is usually worth it. However, this does not mean Cawmodore can't (curly apostrophe to regular apostrophe) come in at all earlier in the game, as its immunities do let it switch in and threaten out certain Pokemon.

Even though Cawmodore has Volt Absorb, it is important to remember that Kyurem-B can still bust through with Fusion Bolt thanks to Teravolt and Fusion Bolt. Also keep in mind that using Bullet Punch can cause an opposing Sucker Punch to fail as long as the opponent is slower. In particular, this means that Cawmodore can gamble with opposing Colossoil and choose to use Bullet Punch to prevent a predicted Sucker Punch.

Team Options
========

Chansey is a fantastic teammate, as it can provide Wish support and can absorb Flamethrowers with ease. Wish support in general can be helpful to restore Cawmodore's HP in the event that its first Belly Drum attempt didn't end very well. Memento users such as Volkraken can give Cawmodore an opportunity to set up, though the cost of a teammate can be pricey. Landorus can take out some of Cawmodore's most notable counters, (comma) such as Cyclohm, and it can be a good special attacker to pair with Cawmodore.

Other Options
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Knock Off is a great move in general; however, it may be hard to fit into the set a moveslot, and it doesn't offer better coverage than Cawmodore's its main options. Drill Peck can be used alongside non-consumable items (such as?). Iron Head hits harder than Bullet Punch and can take out bulky Fairies, but generally Cawmodore appreciates priority more. Intimidate can be useful to weaken physical attackers, but without Volt Absorb, Cawmodore is weak vulnerable to Electric-type attacks. Lastly, Substitute and + (plus) Salac Berry can be used, but Cawmodore's Speed tier is already pretty good for the CAP metagame.

Checks & Counters
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**Cyclohm**: With a resistance to Acrobatics and access to Fire Blast and Flamethrower, defensive Cyclohm is one of the best hard counters to Cawmodore.

**Faster Special Attackers that Resist Steel**: Pokemon such as Greninja or even Choice Scarf Mollux and Scarf Volkraken are usually hard counters to Cawmodore. Essentially, if Cawmodore is hit by a neutral STAB move or almost any super effective special attack, it'll (curly apostrophe to regular apostrophe) be down and out.

**Hazing / Phazing Haze/Phaze**: Bulky or speedy hazers or phazers Hazers/phazers can stop a Cawmodore sweep and check it on the spot. The most notable of these is Haze/Reflect Haze + Reflect Tomohawk. However, switching into a Cawmodore attack is generally not advisable if it has set up already. Skarmory is always slower than Cawmodore, which allows it to Roost without fear of a super effective Drain Punch hitting it, and it can phaze Cawmodore with Whirlwind.

**Physically Defensive Unaware Users**: Quagsire is the most notable of the bulky Unaware trio, but Clefable can do well against sets without Iron Head. Arghonaut still fears Acrobatics, however.

**Jolly Talonflame**: If rocks aren't up, then Talonflame can sort of check Cawmodore with Flare Blitz. Taking around half health from Bullet Punch plus recoil damage is less than favorable, however.

**Will-O-Wisp**: Burning Cawmodore severely hurts it, but at +6 it can still do decent amounts of chip damage. Prankster Sableye has some potential to check Cawmodore with its priority Will-O-Wisp. However, accuracy can be problematic at times and Sableye does not appreciate a Bullet Punch after Cawmodore has set up. Rotom-W is a bulkier alternative, but it would usually just want to KO Cawmodore with Hydro Pump anyway.

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Changes implemented. Thanks so much to everyone that helped out with this along the way!