- Torkoal has an unparalleled ability to deal heavy spread damage in Trick Room with sun-boosted Eruption, which deals heavy damage even to resisted targets without any need to predict.
- Torkoal benefits from strong Trick Room supporters in the metagame, such as Porygon2.
- However, it needs heavy team support in order to function properly.
- Torkoal is fairly one-dimesional, with few coverage options.
- It loses to opposing weather, mainly from Pelipper and Gigalith, and also loses much power versus Wide Guard Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Eruption
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Solar Beam / Flamethrower / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Protect
item: Charcoal / Firium Z
ability: Drought
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Def
ivs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Eruption is the selling point and will be Torkoal's main damage tool.
- Heat Wave provides a STAB option when Torkoal's HP is too low to effectively use Eruption.
- It is possible to drop Heat Wave for another coverage or single-target move, especially if it has Firium Z or Flamethrower in order to let Torkoal use its STAB move at low HP.
- Solar Beam hurts Rock-types and Water-types and is very effective against Gastrodon. However, this makes Torkoal even more vulnerable to opposing weather.
- Alternatively, Flamethrower is a secondary STAB move with perfect accuracy that gets around Wide Guard from likes of Celesteela.
- Hidden Power Ice can be used to gain coverage against Dragon-types such as Salamence and Garchomp.
- Protect is a staple in doubles play, as it helps with positioning and earns free turns. It is particularly useful because it preserves Torkoal's HP, which is needed for high-powered Eruption.
Set Details
========
- Charcoal gives Torkoal a consistent damage boost on its Eruption, which lets it take some 2HKOs versus resistant targets such as Alolan Marowak.
- Alternatively, Firium Z gives Torkoal access to a heavy single-target nuke that bypasses Wide Guard and hits hard regardless of its current HP.
- As it is a fairly one-dimensional Pokemon, maximum Special Attack is needed to let Torkoal deal as much damage as possible.
- Speed is minimized with 0 IVs and a Quiet nature, which allows it to underspeed nearly everything for Trick Room.
- The remaining EVs go into HP for general bulk.
Usage Tips
========
- Torkoal underspeeds all other weather setters. Against teams with Pelipper, Politoed, or Gigalith, it can be effective to lead with Torkoal + Lilligant to take control of the weather, immediately pressure them, and force them to risk switching into a Grass-type move (or Sleep Powder) from Lilligant.
- Alternatively, setting up Trick Room allows Torkoal to be a threat on its own without having to keep Lilligant alive.
- Torkoal needs to stay healthy in order to use Eruption, so avoid switching it into attacks if possible.
- Opposing Wide Guard users other than Celesteela can tank hits from Torkoal regardless of Wide Guard. Instead of trying to go for single-target moves, try to pin the Wide Guard Pokemon into positions where Eruption will do hefty damage if they don't go for the Wide Guard, but using Wide Guard will leave them vulnerable to KO by Torkoal's partner. If this is not possible, Torkoal should likely be kept on the bench.
Team Options
========
- Lilligant threatens opposing Ground-, Rock-, and Water-types, can take advantage of Chlorophyll for fast Sleep Powder, and has After You to let Torkoal move first outside of Trick Room.
- Trick Room setters such as Porygon2 and Oranguru can reverse the move order for Torkoal to attack first. Without speed control, Torkoal with its low Speed cannot use Eruption properly.
- Oranguru can double Torkoal's damage output with Instruct, which lets Torkoal KO resistant foes such as Salamence and Alolan Marowak before they can move.
- Other Trick Room attacker options alongside Torkoal include Hariyama, Drampa, and Magnezone.
- Hariyama facilitates easier setup of Trick Room with Fake Out.
- Feint lets Torkoal bypass Wide Guard and Protect used to stall out Trick Room turns.
- Drampa and Magnezone beat Dragon-, Water-, and Rock-types.
- Mudsdale beats Fire-types and Rock-types.
- Faster teammates that can function without having to set up Trick Room can be helpful alongside Lilligant + Torkoal. Pokemon such as Salamence have a positive matchup against Pokemon like Gyarados and Garchomp, which can switch in to limit Torkoal's damage output.
- It might be worthwhile to have Sunny Day on supportive Pokemon such as Oranguru in order to ensure weather control.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Torkoal could use Choice Specs, but Torkoal likes Eruption and Eruption likes Protect.
- Fire Blast, Overheat, and Lava Plume are all alternative Fire-type moves.
- Torkoal has access to good supportive moves such as Will-O-Wisp, but it is better off doing damage instead.
- Alternative Hidden Power types are also options. Hidden Power Electric can catch Pelipper and Gyarados for heavy damage.
- Torkoal really has few other relevant offensive moves: Sludge Bomb hits Fairy-types, while Nature Power can be cute with Terrain play and provides Torkoal with some diverse coverage options at the cost of being somewhat unreliable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Opposing Weather**: Gigalith and Pelipper resist Fire and remove Torkoal's harsh sunlight, and they threaten Torkoal with their respective super effective STAB moves.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Salamence resist both Fire-type moves and Solar Beam. Assault Vest Garchomp can take multiple Eruptions, while Drampa has Cloud Nine to cripple Torkoal's damage output and does not mind being in Trick Room.
**Fire-types**: Opposing bulky Fire-types, primarily Arcanine, resist Torkoal's moves and also have positive matchups against Lilligant.
**Water-types**: Gyarados can take multiple Eruptions and can chip Torkoal down. Pokemon such as Milotic and Gastrodon can take Eruption, but they need to be careful because Solar Beam will deal heavy damage.
**Rock-types**: Nihilego has great Special Defense alongside Rock typing. Gigalith has Sand Stream, which removes sun and buffs its Special Defense.
**Wide Guard**: Gigalith, Aerodactyl, and Araquanid all commonly carry Wide Guard, crippling Torkoal's damage output. They also all resist Eruption, which lets them take attacks from Torkoal if necessary.
- Torkoal benefits from strong Trick Room supporters in the metagame, such as Porygon2.
- However, it needs heavy team support in order to function properly.
- Torkoal is fairly one-dimesional, with few coverage options.
- It loses to opposing weather, mainly from Pelipper and Gigalith, and also loses much power versus Wide Guard Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Eruption
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Solar Beam / Flamethrower / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Protect
item: Charcoal / Firium Z
ability: Drought
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Def
ivs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Eruption is the selling point and will be Torkoal's main damage tool.
- Heat Wave provides a STAB option when Torkoal's HP is too low to effectively use Eruption.
- It is possible to drop Heat Wave for another coverage or single-target move, especially if it has Firium Z or Flamethrower in order to let Torkoal use its STAB move at low HP.
- Solar Beam hurts Rock-types and Water-types and is very effective against Gastrodon. However, this makes Torkoal even more vulnerable to opposing weather.
- Alternatively, Flamethrower is a secondary STAB move with perfect accuracy that gets around Wide Guard from likes of Celesteela.
- Hidden Power Ice can be used to gain coverage against Dragon-types such as Salamence and Garchomp.
- Protect is a staple in doubles play, as it helps with positioning and earns free turns. It is particularly useful because it preserves Torkoal's HP, which is needed for high-powered Eruption.
Set Details
========
- Charcoal gives Torkoal a consistent damage boost on its Eruption, which lets it take some 2HKOs versus resistant targets such as Alolan Marowak.
- Alternatively, Firium Z gives Torkoal access to a heavy single-target nuke that bypasses Wide Guard and hits hard regardless of its current HP.
- As it is a fairly one-dimensional Pokemon, maximum Special Attack is needed to let Torkoal deal as much damage as possible.
- Speed is minimized with 0 IVs and a Quiet nature, which allows it to underspeed nearly everything for Trick Room.
- The remaining EVs go into HP for general bulk.
Usage Tips
========
- Torkoal underspeeds all other weather setters. Against teams with Pelipper, Politoed, or Gigalith, it can be effective to lead with Torkoal + Lilligant to take control of the weather, immediately pressure them, and force them to risk switching into a Grass-type move (or Sleep Powder) from Lilligant.
- Alternatively, setting up Trick Room allows Torkoal to be a threat on its own without having to keep Lilligant alive.
- Torkoal needs to stay healthy in order to use Eruption, so avoid switching it into attacks if possible.
- Opposing Wide Guard users other than Celesteela can tank hits from Torkoal regardless of Wide Guard. Instead of trying to go for single-target moves, try to pin the Wide Guard Pokemon into positions where Eruption will do hefty damage if they don't go for the Wide Guard, but using Wide Guard will leave them vulnerable to KO by Torkoal's partner. If this is not possible, Torkoal should likely be kept on the bench.
Team Options
========
- Lilligant threatens opposing Ground-, Rock-, and Water-types, can take advantage of Chlorophyll for fast Sleep Powder, and has After You to let Torkoal move first outside of Trick Room.
- Trick Room setters such as Porygon2 and Oranguru can reverse the move order for Torkoal to attack first. Without speed control, Torkoal with its low Speed cannot use Eruption properly.
- Oranguru can double Torkoal's damage output with Instruct, which lets Torkoal KO resistant foes such as Salamence and Alolan Marowak before they can move.
- Other Trick Room attacker options alongside Torkoal include Hariyama, Drampa, and Magnezone.
- Hariyama facilitates easier setup of Trick Room with Fake Out.
- Feint lets Torkoal bypass Wide Guard and Protect used to stall out Trick Room turns.
- Drampa and Magnezone beat Dragon-, Water-, and Rock-types.
- Mudsdale beats Fire-types and Rock-types.
- Faster teammates that can function without having to set up Trick Room can be helpful alongside Lilligant + Torkoal. Pokemon such as Salamence have a positive matchup against Pokemon like Gyarados and Garchomp, which can switch in to limit Torkoal's damage output.
- It might be worthwhile to have Sunny Day on supportive Pokemon such as Oranguru in order to ensure weather control.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Torkoal could use Choice Specs, but Torkoal likes Eruption and Eruption likes Protect.
- Fire Blast, Overheat, and Lava Plume are all alternative Fire-type moves.
- Torkoal has access to good supportive moves such as Will-O-Wisp, but it is better off doing damage instead.
- Alternative Hidden Power types are also options. Hidden Power Electric can catch Pelipper and Gyarados for heavy damage.
- Torkoal really has few other relevant offensive moves: Sludge Bomb hits Fairy-types, while Nature Power can be cute with Terrain play and provides Torkoal with some diverse coverage options at the cost of being somewhat unreliable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Opposing Weather**: Gigalith and Pelipper resist Fire and remove Torkoal's harsh sunlight, and they threaten Torkoal with their respective super effective STAB moves.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Salamence resist both Fire-type moves and Solar Beam. Assault Vest Garchomp can take multiple Eruptions, while Drampa has Cloud Nine to cripple Torkoal's damage output and does not mind being in Trick Room.
**Fire-types**: Opposing bulky Fire-types, primarily Arcanine, resist Torkoal's moves and also have positive matchups against Lilligant.
**Water-types**: Gyarados can take multiple Eruptions and can chip Torkoal down. Pokemon such as Milotic and Gastrodon can take Eruption, but they need to be careful because Solar Beam will deal heavy damage.
**Rock-types**: Nihilego has great Special Defense alongside Rock typing. Gigalith has Sand Stream, which removes sun and buffs its Special Defense.
**Wide Guard**: Gigalith, Aerodactyl, and Araquanid all commonly carry Wide Guard, crippling Torkoal's damage output. They also all resist Eruption, which lets them take attacks from Torkoal if necessary.
Last edited:
