Cacturne (QC 2/3) write up in progress

cacturne

cacturne

Shaqtus
332.png

Overview
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Pros:
  • Can come in on a variety of walls like Slowking, Jellicent, and Gastrodon with little fear due to its great ability and psychic immunity.
  • Has incredible 115 offensive stats and awesome STAB combo
  • Powerful priority in Sucker Punch to make up for low speed
  • Has moves like Swords Dance and Spikes to make use of free turns it could be given against walls
Cons:
  • Extremely slow and frail
  • Reliance on Sucker Punch can lead to very unfavorable mind games
  • Struggles Dealing with all forms of status, limiting its effectiveness against walls
  • Very weak to some common offensive threats in the tier
  • Faces a lot of competition from Accelgor as a spiker
  • Without a +2 it can often be just a little to weak to beat what it's supposed to
  • Faces heavy competition from Shiftry due to Defog and higher speed
  • Has to worry about coverage from bulky waters such as Slowking's Fire Blast

Swords Dance Wallbreaker
########
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Seed Bomb
move 3: Drain Punch//Low Kick
move 4: Swords Dance
ability:Water Absorb
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
nature: Adamant

Moves
========
  • Seed Bomb and Sucker Punch are STABS and sucker punch also allows cacturne to somewhat mitigate its poor speed
  • Drain Punch allows Cacturne to hit steels super effectively and offers recovery on the Life Orb set.
  • Low Kick is also a fighting move that can be used on the Sash set and as a harder hit on heavy steels like Registeel, though weaker against the lighter Pokemon of the tier.
  • Swords Dance allows Cacturne to boost its attack to frightening levels that let it OHKO to 2HKO most of the tier
  • Substitute as a third move and Leftovers as an item will make Cacturne harder to revenge kill and also help protect from status and ease Sucker Punch prediction


Set Details
========
  • Nature and EVs allow Cacturne to hit as hard and fast as possible
  • Life Orb gives Cacturne a lot of power and lets it beat walls with less difficulty though Focus Sash will allow Cacturne to set up easier against offensive threats and more powerful moves
Usage Tips
========

  • Used primarily as a wallbreaker, not a sweeper
  • Should be brought in on predicted switches into walls Cacturne can beat or predicted water and psychic moves
  • If predicting a switch SD or go for the appropriate coverage move
  • Be careful of bulky waters with Ice Beam or things such as Gligar with U-turn as Cacturne will very rarely be able to take a SE hit
  • Watch out for faster priority/Substitute users and setup sweepers as well as status since cacturne wont appreciate any of these things

Team Options
========

  • Pokemon that struggle with bulky Waters and other walls that Cacturne can break like Fletchinder and Slurpuff will appreciate Cacturne's services
  • Cacturne appreciates hazards from pokemon like Accelgor, Rhyperior, and Coballion to punish foes for switching around it and opening up holes for it to secure KOs
  • Cacturne also appreciates a bulky water or something to handle Hitmonlee and Fletchinder such as Doublade if it is attempting to function as a sweeper since these mons will stop it cold
  • A cleric like Aromatisse or SDef Meloetta isn't a bad choice with Cacturne as it hates any form of status

Spikes
########
name:Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Seed Bomb
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Destiny Bond/Encore
ability: Water Absorb/Sand Veil
item: Focus Sash
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
nature: Jolly

Moves
========
  • Seed Bomb and Sucker Punch seve as obligatory STABs
  • Sucker Punch serves as priority and the most powerful dark type moves Cacturne has
  • Spikes are the main purpose of the set and allow Cacturne to support it's team
  • Encore allows Cacturne to disrupt the opposing Pokemon and lock them into some sort of non damaging or weak move to set up more Spikes, but it must use Sand Veil
  • Destiny Bond allows Cacturne to keep Water Absorb as it's ability and also has use as a disrupting move to allow Cacturne to lay more hazards


Set Details
========

  • Evs and nature allow Cactune to be as fast as possible to potentially get more layers of spikes but still allow for high power Sucker Punches

Usage Tips
========

  • Lead and get up a Spike, then depending on the opposing lead Encore or try to get up a second layer before you die
  • If outsped by the opposing lead then Sucker Punch for damage or just switch if you feel Cacturne can be used for extra hazards later in the game

Team Options
========
  • Pokemon that enjoy having their checks weakened to get past them with less difficulty such as Hitmonlee, Jolteon, Fletchinder, Sharpedo, and Zoroark to name a few.
  • A spinblocker like Doublade or Mega Banette and a Pokemon to stop/discourage defog in Braviary needed to ensure Cacturne's hazards can stay on the field for as long as possible


Other Options
########

  • Special Cacturne though no Sucker Punch is a let down
  • Mixed is also an option but splitting up Evs will make Cacturne rather weak
  • Both of these sets face competition from Shiftry due to Shifty's higher speed and access to high power STABs like Leaf Storm
  • Bullet Seed to break subs/sturdy/sash on the spikes set


Checks & Counters
########
  • All forms of status
  • Gligar
  • Faster priority (Hitmonlee Fletchinder)
  • Bronzong
  • Pokemon that use Substitute or a set up move can often play around Sucker Punch and kill Cacturne
  • Bulky grass types like Tangrowth and Virizion

This is my first attempt at C&C so suggestions and constructive criticism is very appreciated!
n.n
 
Last edited:
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Slash Sash with Life Orb on the SD set.

Then Mention in comments Sub SD with Leftovers but not on the main set.

With Focus Sash add Low Kick and with Life Orb add Drain Punch in order to get the best synergy.
 
Hot N Cold said:
Slash Sash with Life Orb on the SD set.

Then Mention in comments Sub SD with Leftovers but not on the main set.

With Focus Sash add Low Kick and with Life Orb add Drain Punch in order to get the best synergy.
Click to expand...
Sounds good it'll all go in once i get to a computer but what synergy does LO have to drain punch and low kick to sash?
 
For the record Water Absorb and Encore are illegal together so the suicide spiker set should be using sand veil as the ability

will give a full QC check later
 
Sup buddy, a few thoughts (keep in mind i'm not QC):

[Overview]
I would mention what makes it different from Shiftry, and the fact that it also faces competition from it. Mention that Shiftry also gets Swords Dance, Sucker Punch, Seed Bomb, and Knock Off, which Cacturne doesn't have. Also mention that it has Water Absorb over it.

[Swords Dance Wallbreaker]
Just rename it to Swords Dance, and put a space between the text and the slashes.

Maybe mention the Pokemon Low Kick hits lower than Drain Punch? I don't know them, but you should put examples.

Also in Team Options, mention the Pokemon that use SR/spikes. Omastar, Druddigon, Cobalion, and Rhyperior, just to name a few.

[Suicide Spiker]
Looks good for the most part, I'm just not sure on Encore being a main slash. Why not just mention it in moves, and specify that its illegal with Water Absorb? I'll let you or QC decide this though.

[Checks & Counters]
What is Bronzong doing there? lol

Mention Virizion and Cobalion, since they resist both STABs and only really dislike a +2 Low Kick/Drain Punch. Tangrowth can take anything, but doesn't have much other than Focus Blast to hit Cacturne with.

This looks mostly solid, just nitpicks here and there. Good work, you seem like you know what you're doing :] good luck bro
 
Going to be working off of Arikado's post as it was pretty solid, as always:

[Overview]

- Has to be wary of Fire Blast from Slowking, so make sure you state it needs to scout for that first
- Also state its competition with Shiftry. Shiftry has Defog, SD, and can more reliably sweep due to higher Speed

[Swords Dance Wallbreaker]

- Long set name, I'd personally prefer it to just be Swords Dance. You can talk in Usage Tips how it's used more as a wallbreaker than actual sweeper
- Remove the last 3 points in Set Details, and instead, discuss the differences between LO and Sash (basically power vs. ease of setting up)
- Move 4 HP to the first slot in the EVs section. Simple thing PS does, but in analyses, you list them in this order: HP / Attack / Defense / Special Attack / Special Defense / Speed. Just keep this in mind when you're c/ping EVs from PS as it does have a tendency to put the least amount of EVs last
- Generally expand a bit on Team Options. (Hazard Users = Accelgor, Rhyperior, Cobalion. Cleric support = Aromatisse or SpDef Meloetta)

[Suicide Spiker]

- Don't like the tone of the set name. I'd just leave as Spikes or Offensive Spiker and talk in Usage Tips how it's typically used as a suicide lead.
- Remove Encore. Sand Veil is banned under OU's Evasion Clause, and thus, can't be used in RU
- Doublade is good for spinblocking. Braviary is about the only choice for anti-Defog. Could also mention Mega Bannette for spinblocking if you wish

[Other Options]

- Note that with Special and Mixed Cacturne, it faces severe competition from Shiftry, who has higher Speed and a stronger special STAB option in Leaf Storm

[Checks and Counters]

Nothing!

Great work on this Cacturne. Would not have known this was your first analysis / C&C work if you hadn't said so. Most of this is easily correctable and small stuff in general, so...

QC Approved 1/3
 
EonX said:
Going to be working off of Arikado's post as it was pretty solid, as always:

[Overview]

- Has to be wary of Fire Blast from Slowking, so make sure you state it needs to scout for that first
- Also state its competition with Shiftry. Shiftry has Defog, SD, and can more reliably sweep due to higher Speed

[Swords Dance Wallbreaker]

- Long set name, I'd personally prefer it to just be Swords Dance. You can talk in Usage Tips how it's used more as a wallbreaker than actual sweeper
- Remove the last 3 points in Set Details, and instead, discuss the differences between LO and Sash (basically power vs. ease of setting up)
- Move 4 HP to the first slot in the EVs section. Simple thing PS does, but in analyses, you list them in this order: HP / Attack / Defense / Special Attack / Special Defense / Speed. Just keep this in mind when you're c/ping EVs from PS as it does have a tendency to put the least amount of EVs last
- Generally expand a bit on Team Options. (Hazard Users = Accelgor, Rhyperior, Cobalion. Cleric support = Aromatisse or SpDef Meloetta)

[Suicide Spiker]

- Don't like the tone of the set name. I'd just leave as Spikes or Offensive Spiker and talk in Usage Tips how it's typically used as a suicide lead.
- Remove Encore. Sand Veil is banned under OU's Evasion Clause, and thus, can't be used in RU
- Doublade is good for spinblocking. Braviary is about the only choice for anti-Defog. Could also mention Mega Bannette for spinblocking if you wish

[Other Options]

- Note that with Special and Mixed Cacturne, it faces severe competition from Shiftry, who has higher Speed and a stronger special STAB option in Leaf Storm

[Checks and Counters]

Nothing!

Great work on this Cacturne. Would not have known this was your first analysis / C&C work if you hadn't said so. Most of this is easily correctable and small stuff in general, so...

QC Approved 1/3
Click to expand...
Thanks for the check and good word :] all changes implemented
 
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