Torkoal [GP 2/2]

shnen

שוני
is a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Writing up for my good man Limi
sorry it took so long, been ill and what not




[Overview]

<p>Torkoal is a very unique Pokemon—Fire-types are nearly always offensively based, so one so defensive is somewhat of an oddity. However, Torkoal has just the right combination of support moves and bulk to make a decent support Pokemon. Torkoal has excellent physical bulk, allowing him to come in on many physical attackers, including Leafeon and Gurdurr. In addition, Torkoal has some great moves in his arsenal, including the holy grail of support moves: Rapid Spin. This automatically gives Torkoal a massive niche due to the lack of effective spinners in the NU tier, in stark contrast to the large number of both Stealth Rock users and Pokemon with a weakness to Stealth Rock. Unfortunately, Torkoal's typing isn't just odd for a defensive Pokemon; it is downright bad. Torkoal's typing provides him with a weakness to the very rocks that he is coming in to spin away, and also gives him weaknesses to common Water- and Ground-type attacks. On top of this, Torkoal has pitiful special bulk, making him easily brushed aside by many of the strong special attackers in the NU tier, such as Gorebyss. Being the second slowest Pokemon in NU doesn't do him any favors either. Torkoal also lacks reliable recovery aside from Rest, meaning that he can easily be worn down. Despite all this, Torkoal is still an excellent support Pokemon who is definitely worth considering for a spot on your team.</p>

[SET]
name: Spin Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Lava Plume
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Yawn
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Rapid Spin is definitely Torkoal's best way to support his team, particularly due to the scarcity of Pokemon with access to this move in NU. Lava Plume is Torkoal's best option to prevent him from becoming Taunt fodder, as it carries a lovely 30% burn chance and a decent Base Power. Stealth Rock is sometimes hailed as the best move in the game, and Torkoal makes a great user, letting him take advantage of any free turns he receives by forcing out one of the Pokemon he walls to either set up Stealth Rock or use Rapid Spin to get rid of hazards. Lastly, Yawn works well as a way of causing switches, and is also great to hit incoming Ghost-type Pokemon looking to stop Torkoal from using Rapid Spin. Your opponent is then faced with a dilemma: let their Ghost-type fall asleep, which due to BW's mechanics is more crippling than ever, or switch out and let Rapid Spin occur. Yawn also means that Pokemon such as Absol and even Gorebyss cannot freely set up on Torkoal; without Yawn he does face the problem of being setup fodder.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs give Torkoal as much physical bulk as possible, allowing him to take advantage of his great base 140 Defense stat. Only 248 EVs are invested into HP as this grants Torkoal the ability to switch into Stealth Rock four times instead of three. The last 8 EVs are put into Special Defense to give Torkoal some additional bulk on the special side; however, these can easily be put into Speed to outspeed other Torkoal. Torkoal can also run a spread of 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature to allow him to have a better shot at tanking special hits from the likes of Jynx and Magmortar, but he faces strong competition from other Fire-types such as Flareon in this role, and his special bulk is still fairly lackluster. Torkoal received Shell Armor through the Dream World, and it is the preferred ability as it prevents untimely critical hits from KOing Torkoal, although White Smoke can still be used if you are worried about Torkoal having his stats dropped. Lava Plume can easily be exchanged for stronger Fire-type attacks such as Flamethrower or Fire Blast, but Torkoal appreciates Lave Plume's 30% chance to burn more than extra power due to his defensive nature. Other moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp can be used over Yawn; Toxic allows Torkoal to cripple Pokemon switching into him to block his Rapid Spin, such as Misdreavus, or bulky Water-types, such as Quagsire. Will-O-Wisp gives him a way to reliably burn physical attackers, although Lava Plume already carries a usable burn chance and Torkoal walls most physical attackers without a need for burn in the first place; however, Will-O-Wisp is useful for those that he is unable to wall such as Golem or Gigalith. On a more defensive note, Rest can be used in the last slot to provide Torkoal with much-needed instant recovery, but this should only be used alongside cleric support from the likes of Lickilicky or Vileplume; in addition, a Chesto Berry is also a viable option for a one-time full recovery move. Finally, Earthquake can be used in the last slot to hit Fire-types such as Camerupt and Magmortar, in addition to Rock-types such as Golem and Regirock. If you choose to use this, Torkoal should use a Relaxed nature as he is now using both offensive stats.</p>

<p>As far as teammates go, those that aid Torkoal in getting off a successful Rapid Spin are probably the best. Skuntank and Absol do an excellent job of this, switching in on Ghost-types looking to keep the opponent's hazards on the field. These Dark-types easily trap them with their super effective STAB Pursuit, eliminating the opposing Ghost-type from the game and leaving Torkoal free to use Rapid Spin. As has been mentioned several times already, Torkoal has pretty bad special bulk, so good teammates include those that can tank special hits very well, such as Lickilicky and Cryogonal. Torkoal also has trouble with Water-types, particularly strong special attackers such as Gorebyss and Simipour. As such, Pokemon that can switch into these Water-types with ease, such as Jynx and Lapras, make good teammates. Pokemon that can revenge kill these Water-types, such as Choice Scarf Rotom-S and Electabuzz, are also useful. Given that Torkoal has no recovery outside of Leftovers and Rest, Wish support is very valuable to him; the likes of Lickilicky and Gardevoir are good candidates for this. Cleric support is still just as helpful to Torkoal if he isn't using Rest, as he is crippled rather heavily by Toxic. As stated, Lickilicky and Vileplume do this well. Although Torkoal is capable of tanking even super effective physical hits, there are still a few physical Pokemon that can scare him with their attacks, especially Golem and Gigalith. For this reason, Alomomola also makes a good teammate, easily taking on such Pokemon and passing Torkoal large Wishes from her gigantic base 165 HP stat.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sadly for Torkoal, there are not too many viable options he can run other than the above set. Torkoal did gain access to Shell Smash; while on many Pokemon this is a fantastic move, it is sadly not very good on Torkoal. Torkoal has average attacking stats, and his abysmal Speed means that some Pokemon are able to outspeed him even after a boost. Another rare offensive move that Torkoal has access to is Eruption. While on most Pokemon the ability to use a STAB move with 150 Base Power is a fantastic asset, Torkoal is unfortunately too slow to use the move effectively, as his awful Speed means that he will nearly always have to tank a move first, meaning that Eruption's Base Power will be reduced. However, Shell Smash and Eruption are both interesting options on a Trick Room team. Overheat can also be used for its high Base Power; however, its negative secondary effect means that Torkoal will likely be forced to switch out immediately afterwards. Earth Power can be used to hit Rock-types such as Regirock and Golem harder than Earthquake would, but Earthquake hits Magmortar and Camerupt significantly harder, meaning that it really comes down to which Pokemon trouble your team more. A Curse set is also an option, utilizing physical moves such as Gyro Ball, Earthquake, and Stone Edge, but unfortunately Torkoal lacks any physical STAB moves whatsoever outside of the weak Flame Charge, meaning that a Curse set is really not very viable. Clear Smog can be used to cancel out any stat boosts the opponent may have gained and is seemingly useful for Pokemon such as Jynx. However, Jynx falls to Torkoal regardless in most situations, and most other Pokemon can easily dispose of Torkoal after a boost. Torkoal can also use Amnesia to fix his problems with special attacks; however, this is fairly gimmicky and there are still many Pokemon that can force Torkoal out even after a boost. Lastly, Torkoal can make a decent Sunny Day user, although he doesn't provide any additional synergy for common Sunny Day sweepers such as Magmortar, and Pokemon such as Regirock and Mesprit generally outclass the tortoise in this role.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Countering Torkoal is pretty simple: one must prey on his lackluster Speed and Special Defense, along with his relatively poor defensive typing. As mentioned earlier, Torkoal's biggest foes are specially based Water-types such as Gorebyss and Simipour, who can easily KO Torkoal with their STAB attacks or potentially set up after forcing him out. Gorebyss packing Substitute can easily set up on Torkoal without fearing Yawn. In fact, most special attackers can easily threaten Torkoal with their neutral STAB attacks. Exeggutor and Gardevoir can OHKO Torkoal after Stealth Rock with help from a boosting item. Altaria counters Torkoal with ease, possessing a resistance to Torkoal's Fire-type STAB attacks along with Natural Cure to shrug off any status he may attempt to throw at it and hitting him with either special Dragon-type STAB attacks or a super effective Earthquake. Camerupt also counters Torkoal, being able to easily take anything aside from Yawn and set up Stealth Rock, meaning Torkoal has to waste a turn using Rapid Spin, or hit Torkoal hard with a STAB super effective Earth Power. Rock-types such as Gigalith and Golem also pose a huge threat to Torkoal, although they must be wary of being burned by Lava Plume or Will-O-Wisp. Misdreavus also walks all over Torkoal, blocking its Rapid Spin, using Taunt to prevent Yawn, and hitting his weaker Special Defense with Shadow Ball. Although rare, Misdreavus carrying both Substitute and Nasty Plot or Calm Mind sets up all over Torkoal. The only thing Misdreavus has to fear from Torkoal is Yawn on a predicted switch-in.</p>
 

Mafeking

channels his inner Wolverine
is a Contributor Alumnus
la la la sorry I was slow in getting to this; something came up. All good now. Placeholder.

[Overview]

<p>Torkoal is a very unique Pokemon—Fire-types are nearly always offensively based, and as (so one so) such a defensive Fire-type is somewhat of an oddity. However, Torkoal has just the right combination of good support moves and bulk to make a decent support Pokemon. Torkoal has excellent physical bulk, allowing him to come in on many physical attackers such as (comma including) Leafeon and Gurdurr. In addition to this, Torkoal has some great moves in his arsenal, which includes (including) the holy grail of support moves in NU: Rapid Spin. This automatically gives Torkoal a massive niche due to the lack of usable Rapid Spin users (effective spinners) in the NU tier, in stark contrast to the large number of both Stealth Rock users and Pokemon with a weakness to Stealth Rock. Unfortunately, Torkoal's typing isn't just odd for a defensive typing (Pokemon); it is downright bad. Torkoal's typing provides him with a weakness to the very rocks that he is coming in to spin away, and also gives him weaknesses to the common Water- and Ground-type attacks. On top of this, Torkoal has pitiful special bulk, meaning that he is (making him) easily brushed aside by many of the strong special attackers in the NU tier, such as Gorebyss. Torkoal's abysmal Speed also lets him down; he is in fact the second slowest Pokemon in all of NU (after his fellow turtle, Shuckle). (Being the second slowest Pokemon in NU doesn't do him any favors either.) Torkoal also lacks reliable recovery aside from Rest, meaning that he can easily be worn down. Despite all this however, Torkoal is still an excellent support Pokemon who is definitely worth considering for a spot on your team.</p>

[SET]
name: Spin Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Lava Plume
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Yawn
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Providing Rapid Spin support is definitely Torkoal's best way to support his team, particularly due to the sparsity of Pokemon with access to this move in NU. It is therefore a necessity on this set. Lava Plume is Torkoal's best option for an attacking move to prevent him from becoming Taunt fodder, as it carries a lovely 30% burn chance, as well as having (and a) decent Base Power. Stealth Rock is sometimes called 'the best move in the game' (hailed as the best move in the game) <clunky quotes, didn't think they were necessary>, and Torkoal makes a great user of the move, letting him take advantage of any free turns he may make for himself by forcing out one of the things he walls to either set up Stealth Rock or to use Rapid Spin to get rid of hazards. Lastly, Yawn works well on Torkoal as it allows him to cause (as a way of causing) switches, and is also great to hit incoming Ghost-type Pokemon looking to stop him (Torkoal) from using Rapid Spin, (period) as yYour opponent is then faced with a dilemma: let their Ghost-type fall asleep (comma) which due to the new mechanics in BW is more crippling than ever; (comma) or switch out letting Torkoal use Rapid Spin freely (and let Rapid Spin occur). It also means that Pokemon such as Absol and even Gorebyss (at the risk of prediction) cannot set up on Torkoal; without Yawn he does face the problem of being set-up fodder.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs give Torkoal as much physical bulk as possible, which allows (allowing) him to take advantage of his great base 140 Defense stat. Only 248 EVs are invested into HP instead of 252, as this grants Torkoal the ability to switch into Stealth Rock four times and still live (instead of three). The last 8 EVs are put into Special Defense to give Torkoal some additional bulk on the special side, however these can easily be put into Speed to provide a better chance to outspeed other Torkoal. Torkoal can also run a more specially defensive spread of 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature to allow him to have a better shot at tanking special hits from the likes of Jynx and Magmortar, however he faces strong competition from other Fire-types such as Flareon in this role, and even despite being fully invested in his special bulk is still fairly lacklustreer. Torkoal received Shell Armor through the Dream World, and this is preferred to White Smoke (is the preferred ability) as it prevents untimely critical hits from KOing Torkoal, although White Smoke can still be used if you are worried about Torkoal having his stats dropped. Lava Plume can easily be exchanged for other, stronger, Fire-type attacks such as Flamethrower or Fire Blast, however despite having a higher Base Power, (but) Torkoal appreciates the helpful (Lava Plume's) 30% chance to burn of Lava Plume more than extra power due to his defensive nature. Other moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp can also be used in the last moveslot instead of (over) Yawn; Toxic allows Torkoal to cripple Pokemon switching into him such as Misdreavus to block his Rapid Spin (comma such as Misdreavus,) or bulky Water-types (comma) such as Quagsire which give Torkoal trouble. Will-O-Wisp gives him a way to reliably burn physical attackers, although Lava Plume already carries a usable chance and Torkoal walls most physical attackers without (a) need of a (for) burn in the first place, although Will-O-Wisp is useful for those that he is unable to wall such as Golem or Gigalith. On a more defensive note, Rest can also be used in the last slot to provide Torkoal with much-needed instant recovery, however this should only be used alongside cleric support from the likes of Lickilicky and (or) Vileplume, although a Chesto Berry is also a viable option for a one-time full recovery move. Finally, Earthquake can be used in the last slot to hit Fire-types such as Camerupt and Magmortar, in addition to Rock-types such as Golem and Regirock. If you choose to use this, Torkoal should have (use) a Relaxed nature as he is now using both offensive stats.<p>

<p>As far as teammates go, those that aid Torkoal in getting off a successful Rapid Spin are probably the best. Skuntank (and Absol) does an excellent job of this, as does Absol; coming in on a Ghost-type looking to keep their hazards on the field, only to be met with one of the aforementioned Dark-types. These Dark-types easily trap them with their super-effective STAB Pursuit, eliminating the Ghost-type from the game and leaving Torkoal free to use Rapid Spin for the rest of the match. As has been mentioned several times already, Torkoal has pretty bad special bulk, and so other obvious (good) teammates would be those that can tank special hits very well. Good Pokemon for this job include Lickilicky and Cryogonal. Torkoal also has trouble with Water-types, particularly strong special attackers such as Gorebyss and Simipour. As such, Pokemon that can switch into these Water-types with ease (comma) such as Jynx and Lapras (comma) make good teammates. Pokemon (such as Choice Scarf Rotom-S and Electabuzz) that can revenge-kill these Water-types such as Choice Scarf Rotom-S and Electabuzz are also useful. Given that Torkoal has no recovery outside of Leftovers and Rest, Wish support is very valuable to him. The likes of Lickilicky and Gardevoir are good candidates for this. Cleric support is still just as helpful to Torkoal if he isn't using Rest, as this means that he is crippled rather heavily by Toxic. As stated, Lickilicky and Vileplume do this well. Although Torkoal is capable of tanking even super-effective physical hits, there are still a few physical Pokemon that can scare him with their attacks, such as (especially) Golem and Gigalith. For this reason, Alomomola also makes a good teammate, being able to easily take on such Pokemon and again pass Torkoal large Wishes from her gigantic base 165 HP stat.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sadly for Torkoal, there are not too many viable options he can run other than the above set. However, at the start of BW, Torkoal gained access to the move Shell Smash. (However, Torkoal did gain access to Shell Smash.) While on many Pokemon this is a fantastic move, it is sadly not very good on Torkoal. Torkoal has average attacking stats, and his abysmal Speed means that even after using Shell Smash most (some) Pokemon are able to outspeed him (even after a boost), only being able to hit the humble stat of 304 after a Shell Smash even with a positive nature. A Shell Smash set can be fun to play around with on a Trick Room team however. Another rare offensive move that Torkoal has access to is Eruption. While on most Pokemon the ability to use a STAB move with 150 Base Power is a fantastic asset, Torkoal is unfortunately too slow, (and) too weak to use the move effectively, as his awful Speed means that he will nearly always have to tank a move first, meaning that Eruption's Base Power will be reduced. Another option that is better off for (on) a possible Trick Room set. Overheat can also be used for its high Base Power á la Flannery, however its negative secondary effect means that Torkoal will likely be forced to switch out immediately afterwards. Earth Power can be used to hit Rock-types such as Regirock and Golem harder than Earthquake would, but Earthquake hits Magmortar and Camerupt significantly harder, meaning that it is really down to which Pokemon troubles your team more. (A) Curse (set) is also an option, utilizing physical moves such as Gyro Ball, Earthquake (comma) and Stone Edge, but unfortunately Torkoal lacks any physical STAB whatsoever outside of the stupidly weak Flame Charge, meaning that a Curse set is really not very viable. Clear Smog can also be used to cancel out any stat boosts the opponent may have gained, indeed this (and) is seemingly useful for Pokemon such as Jynx, (period) however for Jynx you would be much better of just killing her, (However, Jynx falls to Torkoal regardless in most situtations) and most other Pokemon can easily dispose of Torkoal after a boost. Torkoal can also use Amnesia to fix his problems with living many special attacks; however this is fairly gimmicky and there are still many Pokemon that can force Torkoal out even after a boost. Lastly, Torkoal can make a decent Sunny Day user, although he doesn't provide any additional synergy for common Sunny Day abusers as Fire-types such as Magmortar should be on most teams abusing the weather, and as such Pokemon such as Regirock and Mesprit generally outclass the tortoise in this role.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Countering Torkoal is pretty simple: one must take prey on his weaknesses; these being his lacklustreer Speed and Special Defense, along with his relatively poor defensive typing. As mentioned earlier, Torkoal's biggest foes are specially-based Water-types such as Gorebyss and Simipour, who can easily KO Torkoal with their STAB attacks, aiming at his weaker defensive stat, or potentially set up after forcing him out. Gorebyss packing Substitute can easily set up on Torkoal without fearing Yawn. In fact, most special attackers can easily threaten Torkoal with their neutral STAB attacks, (period) such as Exeggutor and Gardevoir, who can OHKO Torkoal after Stealth Rock with help from a boosting item. Altaria counters Torkoal with ease, possessing a resistance to Torkoal's Fire-type STAB attacks along with Natural Cure to shrug off any status he may attempt to throw at Altaria, and hitting him with either special Dragon-type STAB attacks, potentially from a Choice Specs set, or a super-effective Earthquake. Camerupt also hard counters Torkoal, being able to easily take anything aside from Yawn, and set up Stealth Rock, meaning Torkoal has to waste a turn using Rapid Spin, or hit Torkoal hard with STAB super-effective Earth Power. Rock-types such as Gigalith and Golem also pose a huge threat to Torkoal, although they must be wary of being burnt by Lava Plume or Will-O-Wisp if he is running it. Misdreavus also walks all over Torkoal, blocking its Rapid Spin, preventing Torkoal using Yawn to attempt to put her to sleep with Taunt (using Taunt to prevent Yawn), and hitting on his weaker Special Defense with Shadow Ball. Although rarer than this set, Misdreavus carrying both Substitute and Nasty Plot or Calm Mind sets up all over Torkoal. The only thing Misdreavus has to fear from Torkoal is Yawn on a predicted switch-in.</p>​


[Overview]

<p>Torkoal is a very unique Pokemon—Fire-types are nearly always offensively based, so one so defensive is somewhat of an oddity. However, Torkoal has just the right combination of support moves and bulk to make a decent support Pokemon. Torkoal has excellent physical bulk, allowing him to come in on many physical attackers, including Leafeon and Gurdurr. In addition to this, Torkoal has some great moves in his arsenal, including the holy grail of support moves: Rapid Spin. This automatically gives Torkoal a massive niche due to the lack of effective spinners in the NU tier, in stark contrast to the large number of both Stealth Rock users and Pokemon with a weakness to Stealth Rock. Unfortunately, Torkoal's typing isn't just odd for a defensive Pokemon; it is downright bad. Torkoal's typing provides him with a weakness to the very rocks that he is coming in to spin away, and also gives him weaknesses to the common Water- and Ground-type attacks. On top of this, Torkoal has pitiful special bulk, making him easily brushed aside by many of the strong special attackers in the NU tier, such as Gorebyss. Being the second slowest Pokemon in NU doesn't do him any favors either. Torkoal also lacks reliable recovery aside from Rest, meaning that he can easily be worn down. Despite all this, Torkoal is still an excellent support Pokemon who is definitely worth considering for a spot on your team.</p>

[SET]
name: Spin Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Lava Plume
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Yawn
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Providing Rapid Spin support is definitely Torkoal's best way to support his team, particularly due to the sparsity of Pokemon with access to this move in NU. Lava Plume is Torkoal's best option to prevent him from becoming Taunt fodder, as it carries a lovely 30% burn chance and a decent Base Power. Stealth Rock is sometimes hailed as the best move in the game, and Torkoal makes a great user, letting him take advantage of any free turns he may make for himself by forcing out one of the things he walls to either set up Stealth Rock or use Rapid Spin to get rid of hazards. Lastly, Yawn works well as a way of causing switches, and is also great to hit incoming Ghost-type Pokemon looking to stop Torkoal from using Rapid Spin. Your opponent is then faced with a dilemma: let their Ghost-type fall asleep, which due to the new mechanics in BW is more crippling than ever, or switch out and let Rapid Spin occur. It also means that Pokemon such as Absol and even Gorebyss (at the risk of prediction) cannot set up on Torkoal; without Yawn he does face the problem of being setup fodder.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs give Torkoal as much physical bulk as possible, allowing him to take advantage of his great base 140 Defense stat. Only 248 EVs are invested into HP as this grants Torkoal the ability to switch into Stealth Rock four times instead of three. The last 8 EVs are put into Special Defense to give Torkoal some additional bulk on the special side, however these can easily be put into Speed to outspeed other Torkoal. Torkoal can also run a more specially defensive spread of 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature to allow him to have a better shot at tanking special hits from the likes of Jynx and Magmortar, however he faces strong competition from other Fire-types such as Flareon in this role, and his special bulk is still fairly lackluster. Torkoal received Shell Armor through the Dream World, and is the preferred ability as it prevents untimely critical hits from KOing Torkoal, although White Smoke can still be used if you are worried about Torkoal having his stats dropped. Lava Plume can easily be exchanged for stronger Fire-type attacks such as Flamethrower or Fire Blast, but Torkoal appreciates Lave Plume's 30% chance to burn more than extra power due to his defensive nature. Other moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp can be used over Yawn; Toxic allows Torkoal to cripple Pokemon switching into him to block his Rapid Spin, such as Misdreavus, or bulky Water-types, such as Quagsire. Will-O-Wisp gives him a way to reliably burn physical attackers, although Lava Plume already carries a usable chance and Torkoal walls most physical attackers without a need for burn in the first place, although Will-O-Wisp is useful for those that he is unable to wall such as Golem or Gigalith. On a more defensive note, Rest can also be used in the last slot to provide Torkoal with much-needed instant recovery, however this should only be used alongside cleric support from the likes of Lickilicky or Vileplume, although a Chesto Berry is also a viable option for a one-time full recovery move. Finally, Earthquake can be used in the last slot to hit Fire-types such as Camerupt and Magmortar, in addition to Rock-types such as Golem and Regirock. If you choose to use this, Torkoal should use a Relaxed nature as he is now using both offensive stats.<p>

<p>As far as teammates go, those that aid Torkoal in getting off a successful Rapid Spin are probably the best. Skuntank and Absol do an excellent job of this; coming in on a Ghost-type looking to keep their hazards on the field, only to be met with Dark-types. These Dark-types easily trap them with their super effective STAB Pursuit, eliminating the Ghost-type from the game and leaving Torkoal free to use Rapid Spin. As has been mentioned several times already, Torkoal has pretty bad special bulk, so good teammates would be those that can tank special hits very well. Good Pokemon for this job include Lickilicky and Cryogonal. Torkoal also has trouble with Water-types, particularly strong special attackers such as Gorebyss and Simipour. As such, Pokemon that can switch into these Water-types with ease, such as Jynx and Lapras, make good teammates. Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Rotom-S and Electabuzz that can revenge kill these Water-types are also useful. Given that Torkoal has no recovery outside of Leftovers and Rest, Wish support is very valuable to him. The likes of Lickilicky and Gardevoir are good candidates for this. Cleric support is still just as helpful to Torkoal if he isn't using Rest, as this means that he is crippled rather heavily by Toxic. As stated, Lickilicky and Vileplume do this well. Although Torkoal is capable of tanking even super-effective physical hits, there are still a few physical Pokemon that can scare him with their attacks, especially Golem and Gigalith. For this reason, Alomomola also makes a good teammate, being able to easily take on such Pokemon and pass Torkoal large Wishes from her gigantic base 165 HP stat.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sadly for Torkoal, there are not too many viable options he can run other than the above set. However, Torkoal did gain access to Shell Smash. While on many Pokemon this is a fantastic move, it is sadly not very good on Torkoal. Torkoal has average attacking stats, and his abysmal Speed means that some Pokemon are able to outspeed him even after a boost. A Shell Smash set can be fun to play around with on a Trick Room team however. Another rare offensive move that Torkoal has access to is Eruption. While on most Pokemon the ability to use a STAB move with 150 Base Power is a fantastic asset, Torkoal is unfortunately too slow and too weak to use the move effectively, as his awful Speed means that he will nearly always have to tank a move first, meaning that Eruption's Base Power will be reduced. Another option that is better off on a possible Trick Room set. Overheat can also be used for its high Base Power, however its negative secondary effect means that Torkoal will likely be forced to switch out immediately afterwards. Earth Power can be used to hit Rock-types such as Regirock and Golem harder than Earthquake would, but Earthquake hits Magmortar and Camerupt significantly harder, meaning that it is really down to which Pokemon troubles your team more. A Curse set is also an option, utilizing physical moves such as Gyro Ball, Earthquake, and Stone Edge, but unfortunately Torkoal lacks any physical STAB whatsoever outside of the weak Flame Charge, meaning that a Curse set is really not very viable. Clear Smog can also be used to cancel out any stat boosts the opponent may have gained and is seemingly useful for Pokemon such as Jynx. However, Jynx falls to Torkoal regardless in most situtations and most other Pokemon can easily dispose of Torkoal after a boost. Torkoal can also use Amnesia to fix his problems with special attacks; however this is fairly gimmicky and there are still many Pokemon that can force Torkoal out even after a boost. Lastly, Torkoal can make a decent Sunny Day user, although he doesn't provide any additional synergy for common Sunny Day abusers as Fire-types such as Magmortar should be on most teams abusing the weather, and Pokemon such as Regirock and Mesprit generally outclass the tortoise in this role.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Countering Torkoal is pretty simple: one must prey on his lackluster Speed and Special Defense, along with his relatively poor defensive typing. As mentioned earlier, Torkoal's biggest foes are specially based Water-types such as Gorebyss and Simipour, who can easily KO Torkoal with their STAB attacks, aiming at his weaker defensive stat, or potentially set up after forcing him out. Gorebyss packing Substitute can easily set up on Torkoal without fearing Yawn. In fact, most special attackers can easily threaten Torkoal with their neutral STAB attacks. Exeggutor and Gardevoir can OHKO Torkoal after Stealth Rock with help from a boosting item. Altaria counters Torkoal with ease, possessing a resistance to Torkoal's Fire-type STAB attacks along with Natural Cure to shrug off any status he may attempt to throw at Altaria, and hitting him with either special Dragon-type STAB attacks or a super effective Earthquake. Camerupt also counters Torkoal, being able to easily take anything aside from Yawn and set up Stealth Rock, meaning Torkoal has to waste a turn using Rapid Spin, or hit Torkoal hard with STAB super effective Earth Power. Rock-types such as Gigalith and Golem also pose a huge threat to Torkoal, although they must be wary of being burnt by Lava Plume or Will-O-Wisp. Misdreavus also walks all over Torkoal, blocking its Rapid Spin, using Taunt to prevent Yawn, and hitting his weaker Special Defense with Shadow Ball. Although rarer than this set, Misdreavus carrying both Substitute and Nasty Plot or Calm Mind sets up all over Torkoal. The only thing Misdreavus has to fear from Torkoal is Yawn on a predicted switch-in.</p>​



GP (1/2)
 
me

good analysis information-wise, seemed a bit wordy at times though imo

[Overview]

<p>Torkoal is a very unique Pokemon—Fire-types are nearly always offensively based, so one so defensive is somewhat of an oddity. However, Torkoal has just the right combination of support moves and bulk to make a decent support Pokemon. Torkoal has excellent physical bulk, allowing him to come in on many physical attackers, including Leafeon and Gurdurr. In addition to this, Torkoal has some great moves in his arsenal, including the holy grail of support moves: Rapid Spin. This automatically gives Torkoal a massive niche due to the lack of effective spinners in the NU tier, in stark contrast to the large number of both Stealth Rock users and Pokemon with a weakness to Stealth Rock. Unfortunately, Torkoal's typing isn't just odd for a defensive Pokemon; it is downright bad. Torkoal's typing provides him with a weakness to the very rocks that he is coming in to spin away, and also gives him weaknesses to the common Water- and Ground-type attacks. On top of this, Torkoal has pitiful special bulk, making him easily brushed aside by many of the strong special attackers in the NU tier, such as Gorebyss. Being the second slowest Pokemon in NU doesn't do him any favors either. Torkoal also lacks reliable recovery aside from Rest, meaning that he can easily be worn down. Despite all this, Torkoal is still an excellent support Pokemon who is definitely worth considering for a spot on your team.</p>

[SET]
name: Spin Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Lava Plume
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Yawn
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Providing Rapid Spin support is definitely Torkoal's best way to support his team, particularly due to the sparscarcity of Pokemon with access to this move in NU. Lava Plume is Torkoal's best option to prevent him from becoming Taunt fodder, as it carries a lovely 30% burn chance and a decent Base Power. Stealth Rock is sometimes hailed as the best move in the game, and Torkoal makes a great user, letting him take advantage of any free turns he may make for himselfreceives by forcing out one of the thingsPokemon he walls to either set up Stealth Rock or use Rapid Spin to get rid of hazards. Lastly, Yawn works well as a way of causing switches, and is also great to hit incoming Ghost-type Pokemon looking to stop Torkoal from using Rapid Spin. Your opponent is then faced with a dilemma: let their Ghost-type fall asleep, which due to the newBW's mechanics in BW is more crippling than ever, or switch out and let Rapid Spin occur. ItYawn also means that Pokemon such as Absol and even Gorebyss (at the risk of prediction) cannotcannot freely set up on Torkoal; without Yawn he does face the problem of being setup fodder.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs give Torkoal as much physical bulk as possible, allowing him to take advantage of his great base 140 Defense stat. Only 248 EVs are invested into HP as this grants Torkoal the ability to switch into Stealth Rock four times instead of three. The last 8 EVs are put into Special Defense to give Torkoal some additional bulk on the special side,; however, these can easily be put into Speed to outspeed other Torkoal. Torkoal can also run a more specially defensive spread of 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature to allow him to have a better shot at tanking special hits from the likes of Jynx and Magmortar, howeverbut he faces strong competition from other Fire-types such as Flareon in this role, and his special bulk is still fairly lackluster. Torkoal received Shell Armor through the Dream World, and it is the preferred ability as it prevents untimely critical hits from KOing Torkoal, although White Smoke can still be used if you are worried about Torkoal having his stats dropped. Lava Plume can easily be exchanged for stronger Fire-type attacks such as Flamethrower or Fire Blast, but Torkoal appreciates Lave Plume's 30% chance to burn more than extra power due to his defensive nature. Other moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp can be used over Yawn; Toxic allows Torkoal to cripple Pokemon switching into him to block his Rapid Spin, such as Misdreavus, or bulky Water-types, such as Quagsire. Will-O-Wisp gives him a way to reliably burn physical attackers, although Lava Plume already carries a usable burn chance and Torkoal walls most physical attackers without a need for burn in the first place, although; however, Will-O-Wisp is useful for those that he is unable to wall such as Golem or Gigalith. On a more defensive note, Rest can also be used in the last slot to provide Torkoal with much-needed instant recovery, howeverbut this should only be used alongside cleric support from the likes of Lickilicky or Vileplume, although; in addition, a Chesto Berry is also a viable option for a one-time full recovery move. Finally, Earthquake can be used in the last slot to hit Fire-types such as Camerupt and Magmortar, in addition to Rock-types such as Golem and Regirock. If you choose to use this, Torkoal should use a Relaxed nature as he is now using both offensive stats.</p>

<p>As far as teammates go, those that aid Torkoal in getting off a successful Rapid Spin are probably the best. Skuntank and Absol do an excellent job of this; com, switching in on a Ghost-types looking to keep their opponent's hazards on the field, only to be met with Dark-types. These Dark-types easily trap them with their super effective STAB Pursuit, eliminating the opposing Ghost-type from the game and leaving Torkoal free to use Rapid Spin. As has been mentioned several times already, Torkoal has pretty bad special bulk, so good teammates would binclude those that can tank special hits very well. Good Pokemon for this job include, such as Lickilicky and Cryogonal. Torkoal also has trouble with Water-types, particularly strong special attackers such as Gorebyss and Simipour. As such, Pokemon that can switch into these Water-types with ease, such as Jynx and Lapras, make good teammates. Pokemon that can revenge kill these Water-types, such as Choice Scarf Rotom-S and Electabuzz that can revenge kill these Water-types, are also useful. Given that Torkoal has no recovery outside of Leftovers and Rest, Wish support is very valuable to him. T; the likes of Lickilicky and Gardevoir are good candidates for this. Cleric support is still just as helpful to Torkoal if he isn't using Rest, as this means that he is crippled rather heavily by Toxic. As stated, Lickilicky and Vileplume do this well. Although Torkoal is capable of tanking even super-effective physical hits, there are still a few physical Pokemon that can scare him with their attacks, especially Golem and Gigalith. For this reason, Alomomola also makes a good teammate, being able to easily takeing on such Pokemon and passing Torkoal large Wishes from her gigantic base 165 HP stat.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sadly for Torkoal, there are not too many viable options he can run other than the above set. However, Torkoal did gain access to Shell Smash. W; while on many Pokemon this is a fantastic move, it is sadly not very good on Torkoal. Torkoal has average attacking stats, and his abysmal Speed means that some Pokemon are able to outspeed him even after a boost. A Shell Smash set can be fun to play around with on a Trick Room team however. Another rare offensive move that Torkoal has access to is Eruption. While on most Pokemon the ability to use a STAB move with 150 Base Power is a fantastic asset, Torkoal is unfortunately too slow and too weak to use the move effectively, as his awful Speed means that he will nearly always have to tank a move first, meaning that Eruption's Base Power will be reduced. Another option that is better off on a possibleHowever, Shell Smash and Eruption are both interesting options on a Trick Room setteam. Overheat can also be used for its high Base Power,; however, its negative secondary effect means that Torkoal will likely be forced to switch out immediately afterwards. Earth Power can be used to hit Rock-types such as Regirock and Golem harder than Earthquake would, but Earthquake hits Magmortar and Camerupt significantly harder, meaning that it is really comes down to which Pokemon troubles your team more. A Curse set is also an option, utilizing physical moves such as Gyro Ball, Earthquake, and Stone Edge, but unfortunately Torkoal lacks any physical STAB moves whatsoever outside of the weak Flame Charge, meaning that a Curse set is really not very viable. Clear Smog can also be used to cancel out any stat boosts the opponent may have gained and is seemingly useful for Pokemon such as Jynx. However, Jynx falls to Torkoal regardless in most situtations, and most other Pokemon can easily dispose of Torkoal after a boost. Torkoal can also use Amnesia to fix his problems with special attacks; however, this is fairly gimmicky and there are still many Pokemon that can force Torkoal out even after a boost. Lastly, Torkoal can make a decent Sunny Day user, although he doesn't provide any additional synergy for common Sunny Day abusers as Fire-tysweepers such as Magmortar should be on most teams abusing the weather, and Pokemon such as Regirock and Mesprit generally outclass the tortoise in this role.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Countering Torkoal is pretty simple: one must prey on his lackluster Speed and Special Defense, along with his relatively poor defensive typing. As mentioned earlier, Torkoal's biggest foes are specially based Water-types such as Gorebyss and Simipour, who can easily KO Torkoal with their STAB attacks, aiming at his weaker defensive stat, or potentially set up after forcing him out. Gorebyss packing Substitute can easily set up on Torkoal without fearing Yawn. In fact, most special attackers can easily threaten Torkoal with their neutral STAB attacks. Exeggutor and Gardevoir can OHKO Torkoal after Stealth Rock with help from a boosting item. Altaria counters Torkoal with ease, possessing a resistance to Torkoal's Fire-type STAB attacks along with Natural Cure to shrug off any status he may attempt to throw at Altaria,it and hitting him with either special Dragon-type STAB attacks or a super effective Earthquake. Camerupt also counters Torkoal, being able to easily take anything aside from Yawn and set up Stealth Rock, meaning Torkoal has to waste a turn using Rapid Spin, or hit Torkoal hard with a STAB super effective Earth Power. Rock-types such as Gigalith and Golem also pose a huge threat to Torkoal, although they must be wary of being burnted by Lava Plume or Will-O-Wisp. Misdreavus also walks all over Torkoal, blocking its Rapid Spin, using Taunt to prevent Yawn, and hitting his weaker Special Defense with Shadow Ball. Although rarer than this set, Misdreavus carrying both Substitute and Nasty Plot or Calm Mind sets up all over Torkoal. The only thing Misdreavus has to fear from Torkoal is Yawn on a predicted switch-in.</p>


[Overview]

<p>Torkoal is a very unique Pokemon—Fire-types are nearly always offensively based, so one so defensive is somewhat of an oddity. However, Torkoal has just the right combination of support moves and bulk to make a decent support Pokemon. Torkoal has excellent physical bulk, allowing him to come in on many physical attackers, including Leafeon and Gurdurr. In addition, Torkoal has some great moves in his arsenal, including the holy grail of support moves: Rapid Spin. This automatically gives Torkoal a massive niche due to the lack of effective spinners in the NU tier, in stark contrast to the large number of both Stealth Rock users and Pokemon with a weakness to Stealth Rock. Unfortunately, Torkoal's typing isn't just odd for a defensive Pokemon; it is downright bad. Torkoal's typing provides him with a weakness to the very rocks that he is coming in to spin away, and also gives him weaknesses to common Water- and Ground-type attacks. On top of this, Torkoal has pitiful special bulk, making him easily brushed aside by many of the strong special attackers in the NU tier, such as Gorebyss. Being the second slowest Pokemon in NU doesn't do him any favors either. Torkoal also lacks reliable recovery aside from Rest, meaning that he can easily be worn down. Despite all this, Torkoal is still an excellent support Pokemon who is definitely worth considering for a spot on your team.</p>

[SET]
name: Spin Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Lava Plume
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Yawn
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Rapid Spin is definitely Torkoal's best way to support his team, particularly due to the scarcity of Pokemon with access to this move in NU. Lava Plume is Torkoal's best option to prevent him from becoming Taunt fodder, as it carries a lovely 30% burn chance and a decent Base Power. Stealth Rock is sometimes hailed as the best move in the game, and Torkoal makes a great user, letting him take advantage of any free turns he receives by forcing out one of the Pokemon he walls to either set up Stealth Rock or use Rapid Spin to get rid of hazards. Lastly, Yawn works well as a way of causing switches, and is also great to hit incoming Ghost-type Pokemon looking to stop Torkoal from using Rapid Spin. Your opponent is then faced with a dilemma: let their Ghost-type fall asleep, which due to BW's mechanics is more crippling than ever, or switch out and let Rapid Spin occur. Yawn also means that Pokemon such as Absol and even Gorebyss cannot freely set up on Torkoal; without Yawn he does face the problem of being setup fodder.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs give Torkoal as much physical bulk as possible, allowing him to take advantage of his great base 140 Defense stat. Only 248 EVs are invested into HP as this grants Torkoal the ability to switch into Stealth Rock four times instead of three. The last 8 EVs are put into Special Defense to give Torkoal some additional bulk on the special side; however, these can easily be put into Speed to outspeed other Torkoal. Torkoal can also run a spread of 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature to allow him to have a better shot at tanking special hits from the likes of Jynx and Magmortar, but he faces strong competition from other Fire-types such as Flareon in this role, and his special bulk is still fairly lackluster. Torkoal received Shell Armor through the Dream World, and it is the preferred ability as it prevents untimely critical hits from KOing Torkoal, although White Smoke can still be used if you are worried about Torkoal having his stats dropped. Lava Plume can easily be exchanged for stronger Fire-type attacks such as Flamethrower or Fire Blast, but Torkoal appreciates Lave Plume's 30% chance to burn more than extra power due to his defensive nature. Other moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp can be used over Yawn; Toxic allows Torkoal to cripple Pokemon switching into him to block his Rapid Spin, such as Misdreavus, or bulky Water-types, such as Quagsire. Will-O-Wisp gives him a way to reliably burn physical attackers, although Lava Plume already carries a usable burn chance and Torkoal walls most physical attackers without a need for burn in the first place; however, Will-O-Wisp is useful for those that he is unable to wall such as Golem or Gigalith. On a more defensive note, Rest can be used in the last slot to provide Torkoal with much-needed instant recovery, but this should only be used alongside cleric support from the likes of Lickilicky or Vileplume; in addition, a Chesto Berry is also a viable option for a one-time full recovery move. Finally, Earthquake can be used in the last slot to hit Fire-types such as Camerupt and Magmortar, in addition to Rock-types such as Golem and Regirock. If you choose to use this, Torkoal should use a Relaxed nature as he is now using both offensive stats.</p>

<p>As far as teammates go, those that aid Torkoal in getting off a successful Rapid Spin are probably the best. Skuntank and Absol do an excellent job of this, switching in on Ghost-types looking to keep the opponent's hazards on the field. These Dark-types easily trap them with their super effective STAB Pursuit, eliminating the opposing Ghost-type from the game and leaving Torkoal free to use Rapid Spin. As has been mentioned several times already, Torkoal has pretty bad special bulk, so good teammates include those that can tank special hits very well, such as Lickilicky and Cryogonal. Torkoal also has trouble with Water-types, particularly strong special attackers such as Gorebyss and Simipour. As such, Pokemon that can switch into these Water-types with ease, such as Jynx and Lapras, make good teammates. Pokemon that can revenge kill these Water-types, such as Choice Scarf Rotom-S and Electabuzz, are also useful. Given that Torkoal has no recovery outside of Leftovers and Rest, Wish support is very valuable to him; the likes of Lickilicky and Gardevoir are good candidates for this. Cleric support is still just as helpful to Torkoal if he isn't using Rest, as he is crippled rather heavily by Toxic. As stated, Lickilicky and Vileplume do this well. Although Torkoal is capable of tanking even super effective physical hits, there are still a few physical Pokemon that can scare him with their attacks, especially Golem and Gigalith. For this reason, Alomomola also makes a good teammate, easily taking on such Pokemon and passing Torkoal large Wishes from her gigantic base 165 HP stat.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sadly for Torkoal, there are not too many viable options he can run other than the above set. Torkoal did gain access to Shell Smash; while on many Pokemon this is a fantastic move, it is sadly not very good on Torkoal. Torkoal has average attacking stats, and his abysmal Speed means that some Pokemon are able to outspeed him even after a boost. Another rare offensive move that Torkoal has access to is Eruption. While on most Pokemon the ability to use a STAB move with 150 Base Power is a fantastic asset, Torkoal is unfortunately too slow to use the move effectively, as his awful Speed means that he will nearly always have to tank a move first, meaning that Eruption's Base Power will be reduced. However, Shell Smash and Eruption are both interesting options on a Trick Room team. Overheat can also be used for its high Base Power; however, its negative secondary effect means that Torkoal will likely be forced to switch out immediately afterwards. Earth Power can be used to hit Rock-types such as Regirock and Golem harder than Earthquake would, but Earthquake hits Magmortar and Camerupt significantly harder, meaning that it really comes down to which Pokemon trouble your team more. A Curse set is also an option, utilizing physical moves such as Gyro Ball, Earthquake, and Stone Edge, but unfortunately Torkoal lacks any physical STAB moves whatsoever outside of the weak Flame Charge, meaning that a Curse set is really not very viable. Clear Smog can be used to cancel out any stat boosts the opponent may have gained and is seemingly useful for Pokemon such as Jynx. However, Jynx falls to Torkoal regardless in most situations, and most other Pokemon can easily dispose of Torkoal after a boost. Torkoal can also use Amnesia to fix his problems with special attacks; however, this is fairly gimmicky and there are still many Pokemon that can force Torkoal out even after a boost. Lastly, Torkoal can make a decent Sunny Day user, although he doesn't provide any additional synergy for common Sunny Day sweepers such as Magmortar, and Pokemon such as Regirock and Mesprit generally outclass the tortoise in this role.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Countering Torkoal is pretty simple: one must prey on his lackluster Speed and Special Defense, along with his relatively poor defensive typing. As mentioned earlier, Torkoal's biggest foes are specially based Water-types such as Gorebyss and Simipour, who can easily KO Torkoal with their STAB attacks or potentially set up after forcing him out. Gorebyss packing Substitute can easily set up on Torkoal without fearing Yawn. In fact, most special attackers can easily threaten Torkoal with their neutral STAB attacks. Exeggutor and Gardevoir can OHKO Torkoal after Stealth Rock with help from a boosting item. Altaria counters Torkoal with ease, possessing a resistance to Torkoal's Fire-type STAB attacks along with Natural Cure to shrug off any status he may attempt to throw at it and hitting him with either special Dragon-type STAB attacks or a super effective Earthquake. Camerupt also counters Torkoal, being able to easily take anything aside from Yawn and set up Stealth Rock, meaning Torkoal has to waste a turn using Rapid Spin, or hit Torkoal hard with a STAB super effective Earth Power. Rock-types such as Gigalith and Golem also pose a huge threat to Torkoal, although they must be wary of being burned by Lava Plume or Will-O-Wisp. Misdreavus also walks all over Torkoal, blocking its Rapid Spin, using Taunt to prevent Yawn, and hitting his weaker Special Defense with Shadow Ball. Although rare, Misdreavus carrying both Substitute and Nasty Plot or Calm Mind sets up all over Torkoal. The only thing Misdreavus has to fear from Torkoal is Yawn on a predicted switch-in.</p>



GP APPROVED 2/2
 

shnen

שוני
is a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
thanks stalfos, implemented
yeah I tend to be wordy x_x
this is now ready for upload then?
 

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