Torkoal (NU Analysis)

Disaster Area

formerly Piexplode
[Overview]
- Fire type automatically grants it both a niche and lots of competition. It has enough Special bulk to check sunnybeamers, whilst incredible physical bulk lets it check a lot of threats such as Vigoroth.
- Curse+Explosion lets it bait+explode on Water and Fire types.
- One of the only Fire types not to make an effective lead, since it requires heavy Special Attack investment to even 2HKO Glalie, whilst being slower than it.
- 85 Physical and Special Attack is somewhat mediocre, and its movepool is quite small, so it's very limited in what it can run.

[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Flamethrower / Overheat
move 2: Explosion
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Rock Slide / Toxic / Protect
item: Leftovers
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 152 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
- Flamethrower or Overheat for STAB, depending on how much you feel it wants to stay in.
- Explosion should probably be run, as it's one of the only draws it has over Flareon, other than its fantastic Defense.
- Hidden Power Grass has great coverage, hitting certain Pokemon on the switch such as Graveler, Relicanth, and Whiscash.
- Rock Slide, Toxic or Protect in the last slot. Rock Slide in particular is for hitting opposing Fire types such as Flareon. Toxic to spread status and wear down the opposing team. Protect is for the scouting and extra healing, combined with Leftovers.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- 154 SpA EVs are required to OHKO 4/0 Pupitar, if running HP Grass
- As much defense investment as possible, to check Vigoroth.
- Pokemon that like Water and Fire types bait-exploded upon make good teammates, such as Tangela or Bellossom.
- Pokemon that like extra chip damage on Rocks and Whiscash enjoy Torkoal's support, such as Pidgeot and Murkrow.

[SET]

name: Offensive Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Explosion
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Body Slam
item: Leftovers
nature: Brave
evs: 252 HP / 24 Atk / 140 Def / 92 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
- Use Curse to set up, when its Counters are removed, as well as to scout what is coming in to take your Explosion. Use this to begin crafting a battle plan to defeat the opposing team.
- Explosion allows you to remove a key member of the opposing team, but may be tricky to get use out of.
- Flamethrower is STAB. Overheat and Fire Blast are options too, depending on how you want to play Torkoal.
- Body Slam is your main move outside of Explosion to abuse Curse with, spreading Paralysis and doing okay damage from its base 85 Attack.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- 24 Attack with Brave lets Body Slam 2HKO 252/56 Flareon after Leftovers at +2.
- 92 SpA lets it guarantee 2HKOing 252/0 Mawile with Flamethrower after Leftovers.
- A counter to Pupitar needs to be paired with this, as it doesn't have the moveslot for HP Grass, making it set-up bait for it.
- Has large issues with Ground and Rock types, so something that can trap those, such as Diglett, or at least Toxic them, makes a good partner for it.

[Other Options]
- Amnesia can make Torkoal near-impenetrable, but Water types generally take advantage of it way too easily even with defensive boosts. However, it can be used to force your opponent's hand.
- A RestTalk set, with or without Curse, could work, but it doesn't change how abusable Torkoal is, and as a consequence means that it's probably somewhat less effective.
- Hidden Power Ground annihilates Magcargo, and can hurt Pupitar.

[Checks and Counters]
- Virtually any and all Water-types, although those with major Grass weaknesses risk being hurt on the switch by its HP Grass.
- Rock types resist Fire and eat up Explosion, but most are quite fearful of HP Grass. Sudowoodo's passable Special bulk and lack of a 4x weakness is thus a very good switch-in.
- Fire types such as Flareon generally have nothing to fear other than Explosion. Magcargo is therefore a particularly good answer.
- Ghosts, namely Sableye and Haunter, can switch in and absorb Explosion, but may not nessecarily like eating Flamethrowers too much.
- Ground types are good, but any that actually beat Torkoal nicely have been covered already.
- Powerful Special attackers that don't run on Grass/Fire coverage can generally hurt it, such as Plusle and Chimecho.
- Steel types can absorb Explosion, but otherwise are terrified of its Fire STAB. However, worth noting that Torkoal cannot switch into Mawile too easily, since it can safely Substitute or boost, and then Baton Pass next turn safely (Torkoal cannot even phaze), giving the opponent boosts and momentum at once.

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I really can't find any important benchmarks w.r.t. the physical side, so suggestions are appreciated.
 
Last edited:
On the first set, Rock Slide should be the first slash on the fourth move so you can whack opposing Fire-types. Not being able to hit Fire-types is the reason why Tangela sucks; you do not want to leave home without it.
 
Rock Slide also lets you switch into shit like Charmeleon, Magby, and other random Glalie fire antileads and threaten them without having to boom.
 

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