Darmanitan

[Not Scicky]

As one of the first GEN V Pokemon revealed to us, Hihidaruma's been widely known about for quite a while. Perhaps the reason no-one has taken note of just how interesting a pokemon he's become upon release?

Hihidaruma has 2 very strange, and potentially deadly abilities. Those being Encourage and Daruma Mode.

While the full effects of encourage are unknown, the access to both of these abilities gives Hihidaruma a reason to be feared.

Hihidaruma has 2 forme's. Interesting enough. But more interesting when he becomes the only pokemon that can utilize 2 of these forme's in battle! Giving him astounding unpredictability.

But that may seem useless right? Hihidaruma's mixed stats are terrible and it's not like he can work as both forme's at the same time!

Well let's look at Hihidaruma's stats.

Hihidaruma:
105/140/55/30/55/95

Wowee Zowee. 140 Attack and 95 Speed is something to be feared for sure. The pokemon who've previously touched on an attack stat close to this one are typically much slower. Those defenses may leave something to be desired as well, but that's not to say that 105 HP won't allow him to take a hit, especially when backed by...

Hihidaruma (DARUMA MODE!):
105/30/105/140/105/55

Shanderaa is scary sure. But 105/105/105 defenses and 140 Special Attack? What the fuck gamefreak. However, Hihidaruma can only enter this mode at 50% health! What does this mean?

Well for one, Hihidaruma get's belly drum, which will leave him in Daruma mode for the rest of the turn he used Belly Drum, allowing him to actually survive a hit maybe? While 30 base attack is nothing to brag about, Belly Drum will leave Daruma mode with 696 Attack (Assuming max) and a possible 379 Sp. Atk. Nothing to scoff at especially when it can hit any dark/type counters that attempt a switch in with Hammer Arm.

Now this is nowhere near the only thing Daruma Mode will be able to accomplish, and even more fear lies in the fact that you won't know if you're facing a Daruma Mode or Encourage Hihidaruma until it's either hit you in the face with an Encourage Boosted attack or increased it's defenses by ridiculous amounts.

Fire/Psychic may not be ideal typing but I think Hihidaruma will be a pokemon to look out for in the Gen V metagame. Discuss. :)

 

[Elliot Gale]

It already scares me to death for being a faster Rampers with a better offensive type. 8|

 

[Karpi]

The thing is, Heatran has similar defenses to Daruma Mode Hihidaruma, and it doesn't have to get down to half health. Sure it may have 10 less special attack, but Heatran is much more reliable than Daruma Mode.

On the other hand, regular Hihidaruma seems interesting! In the same way Blaziken was a slower, more powerful Infernape in 4th gen, Hihidaruma closes the gap by being MUCH more powerful than either fire starter.

 

[Not Scicky]

And better defensive typing, with only Ground/Water/Rock (which is pretty bad still) opposed to Ground/Water/Grass/Fighting and Steel :I

Especially the part about no fighting weak. The fact that it resists it in Daruma mode is great too.

@Karpi: Blaziken get's speed boost now though, and Heatran can't break blissey with a fucking HAMMER ARM if you decide to go the belly drum route. Likewise, Infernape has trouble breaking certain physical walls, (lol it's not skarmory) whereas Hihidaruma could easily take a hit and hammer back with STAB Overheat or whatever.

 

[Pratty]

I think Hihidaruma is poised to be the Electivire, so to speak, of Gen 5.

Yes, Hihidaruma's normal mode has astonishing damage potential and fast speed, but how do you get it in? Fire doesn't have a lot of useful resistances and it takes 25% from Stealth Rock, which doesn't help when you consider it's not incredibly bulky. In additon, 95 base speed means it is outspeed by Base 100s, who include Salamence(Resists Superpower/Fire Move), Dragonite, Garchomp(Base 102) and Flygon. It also has nasty QuakeEdge and water weaknesses.

Daruma Mode isn't that great either. If it wasn't at 50%, it could be useful, but it's really a gimmick at 50%. Especially because it still takes 25% from Stealth Rock and is now psychic typed, so it's Pursuit bait.

It'll be hyped and maybe be good, but I see it failing to meet expectations.

 

[Blumey]

If it learns Flare Blitz i can see it as a reliable late game sweeper due to 105 HP coupling well with 140 attack and Flare Blitz recoil once Heatran, FlashFire Chandelier (if anyone uses it, as it may be good scarfing after a boost providing as a note perfect resistance with Nattorei and one for bulk and each side of the spectrum of speed(fast/slow) and attack (special/physical)). Bulky waters also must be removed. overall likely middle of OU to top 25%-5%

 

[Absol89]

I'm interested in the possibility of Encourage Hihidaruma if Encourage really does negate negative effects. Something like Choice Scarf with Flare Blitz/Superpower/Overheat and something else depending on what he learns seems like it could be really powerful.

 

[Synth]

Now this is nowhere near the only thing Daruma Mode will be able to accomplish, and even more fear lies in the fact that you won't know if you're facing a Daruma Mode or Encourage Hihidaruma until it's either hit you in the face with an Encourage Boosted attack or increased it's defenses by ridiculous amounts.

Fire/Psychic may not be ideal typing but I think Hihidaruma will be a pokemon to look out for in the Gen V metagame. Discuss. :)

Actually Serebii posted a picture of Hihidaruma in Daruma mode. It's pretty obvious.

Also, another pokemon to REALLY look out for is the Chandelier with SHADOW TAG. In fact that pokemon may be banned from using Shadow Tag if used in OU. (Which it would then use Flash Fire).

 

[Not Scicky]

If it learns Flare Blitz i can see it as a reliable late game sweeper due to 105 HP coupling well with 140 attack and Flare Blitz recoil once Heatran, Flash Fire Chandelier (if anyone uses it, as it may be good scarfing after a boost providing as a note perfect resistance with Nattorei and one for bulk and each side of the spectrum of speed(fast/slow) and attack (special/physical)). Bulky waters also must be removed. overall likely middle of OU to top 25%-5%

Please... remove the colour from this post.

He does indeed learn flare blitz, as well as a multitude of fighting attacks. He'll be able to take care of Heatran just fine.

@Pratty: Dragonite has 80 base speed.

Presumably Hihidaruma also get's Nitro Charge, meaning his 95 base speed will rise to levels that are... pretty scary combined with 140 Atk.

Admittedly he'll have a tough time switching in. But resistances to Steel, Bug, Fire, Ice and Grass will be useful in a metagame filled with steels (fire), flyers (ice), and ground types (grass/ice).

 

[Pratty]

Oh, oops, I always forget Dragonite is Base 80...

And yeah, but the most common bug move is U-Turn, though some might come out with all these new bugs.

In addition, a lot of things that learn ice moves also have water moves, such as bulky waters. Electric types with coverage ice would be dangerous switch-ins, too. The fire resistance is nice, though.

 

[Urza]

do we know if it has to stay at 50% to be in daruma mode? because if not, then something like salac/drum/rest could be really fun. take the sr hit, force something out, drum up or rest to get the huge stat total....then wreck shit.

 

[NDenizen]

Looks like mixed attack went crazy.

I imagine a good opportunity for those Stat-Raising berries.
Defense - for those Dark types, but then at 50% health is that necessary
Speed, obviously not a bad choice.

And of course, as someone said, an opportunity to use something like Flare Blitz and not worry too much about successive use.

Egg Moves:

Sleep Talk
Focus Punch
Focus Energy
Endure
Hammer Arm
Take Down
Flame Wheel
Encore
Yawn


I can imagine Encore and Yawn would be useful. Maybe Sleep Talk to if Swimming Goggle sets become useful to avoid other status conditions.

 

[Pratty]

Yawn looks really useful on this thing. Like, reeeally useful.

 

[Not Scicky]

I'm interested in encore. 95 speed means it can switch into alot of non-damaging attacks and either hammer the switch in with a massive Flare Blitz or encore them and watch them suffer.

@Synth: Daruma mode only goes into Daruma Mode at 50%. So no, it's really not. >:I

 

[Comet]

This doesn't seem practical.

IF it gets belly drum.
IF it will survive two hits, since the opponent will must likely go first, looking at Hihi's shit Daruma Mode speed.

 

[Wisher]

<- That's Daruma Mode, right? And does it HAVE to enter Daruma mode at under 50% health?

 

[Absol89]

<- That's Daruma Mode, right? And does it HAVE to enter Daruma mode at under 50% health?

I don't believe so. If it has the Daruma Mode ability it has to, but I think if it has Encourage it just stays normal red Hihidaruma.

 

[Not Scicky]

@Artemisian: It DOES get Belly Drum. Check it's level up moves bro.

Also, belly drum definitely isn't the only option to exploit Daruma Mode, just the quickest one to come to mind.

@Wisher: If it has the Daruma Mode ability, then yes. And yeah that's it.

 

[Blood Tears]

I'm interested in the possibility of Encourage Hihidaruma if Encourage really does negate negative effects. Something like Choice Scarf with Flare Blitz/Superpower/Overheat and something else depending on what he learns seems like it could be really powerful.

Actually, I did know Encourage boosts the power of the moves, and removes the secondary effects - but not the negative ones. And they are not the same: secondary effects are burn rate, flinch rate ecc, negatives effects are drop, recoil ecc. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[evolutia]

:/ I certainly would NOT use Belly Drum with the trait the changes it into it's alternate forme. It's base attack is very low and it's speed is sluggish also. I think it would be best to exploit it's obvious strengths (Sp.Atk). I think Substitute and perhaps the cutsup berry would be one of the best ways to utilize Daruma Mode.

 

[Not Scicky]

I think it'd be strange to give an ability like encourage to a pokemon that only get's like... 2 secondary effect moves though. (Fire Fang and Headbutt)

On the other hand, through level up he learns Overheat, Flare Blitz, Hammer Arm, Superpower and Thrash (Confusion).

I'm still hoping it ignores everything that's not BP, Accuracy and Type u__u

@Evolutia: That being said, Daruma Mode is probably a better ability for any Belly Drum Hihidaruma than encourage. Since he's going to have 50% remaining, he can either absorb a hit (at least better than he could in regular mode) or force a switch and turn back into normal mode with leftovers recovery. (Assuming it works like that)

 

[Absol89]

Actually, if Encourage does stop the negative effects (and I agree with Scicky that the number of backlash moves Hihi learns seems to say something), Focus Punch would be even better than Superpower I guess. Maybe Flare Blitz/Overheat/Focus Punch/Giga Impact.

 

[evolutia]

@Scicky

I respectfully disagree. Setting up Belly Drum takes preparation. I'd rather not run the risk of changing into an alternate form that's weaker and slower. Using Belly Drum in combination with a Salac Berry, I feel would be your best chance for success.

 

[IcyMan28]

Belly Drum is not a good idea in conjunction with Daruma mode. What exactly are you going to be killing when you are operating with base 40 speed? I think the way to go for Daruma Mode is to abuse its weakness to Stealth Rock and further it along with Substitute:

Hihidaruma@Life Orb
Modest; 252 HP / 252 SpA / 6 Spe

Psychic
Fire Blast
Substitute
Grass Knot

And that's all she wrote. Switch into something Hihi can force out, Sub down to Daruma mode, and punish whatever switches in. Tyranitar and waters are Grass Knotted, Fire Blast is great STAB, and Psychic will cover those pesky dragons. Sazando deals with this decently, but will have to take a fire blast to the face while breaking the sub.

 

[SigmaEpsilon]

What is it? A monkey? A pig? *Looks at Mankey* Nope, I don't think it's either.
Further studies revealed nothing to me, although I do believe that Daruma Hihidaruma will be very influential even though it's an ambiguous creature.

If there are interesting move tutors in fifth gen like there were in HGSS (see gravity and low kick) then I believe Hihidaruma will benefit.