QC: Megazard / TONE114 / -Grim
GP: fleurdyleurse / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
Armaldo sets itself apart from other Pokemon in the PU metagame with its access to Rapid Spin. It also has a very high base 125 Attack and access to Knock Off, allowing it to cripple spinblockers such as Misdreavus and Dusknoir. On top of that, Armaldo has access to Swift Swim, making it a threatening Swords Dance sweeper in rain. However, Armaldo's Rock / Bug typing leaves it vulnerable to common attacking types such as Water and Rock, although it does allow it to check Normal-types such as Stoutland and Ursaring. It is also very slow, making it easy for faster Pokemon such as Floatzel to take advantage of. Armaldo lacks the space in its moveslot to fit moves such as Toxic, Aqua Tail, and Stealth Rock, which holds it back from having extra utility. Armaldo is also vulnerable to every form of entry hazards, making it difficult for it to consistently remove them with Rapid Spin.
[SET]
name: Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Earthquake
item: Leftovers
ability: Battle Armor
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 92 Atk / 164 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stone Edge is Armaldo's strongest STAB move and thus is its most spammable move. It is also helpful for beating Sturdy and Focus Sash leads such as Whirlipede, which it can bring down to 1% HP and finish it off with Rapid Spin, removing any existing entry hazards. Knock Off allows Armaldo to cripple Ghost-types such as Misdreavus and Gourgeist-XL that attempt to prevent Armaldo from using Rapid Spin. Earthquake allows Armaldo to take on Steel- and Rock-types such as Probopass and Golem, which take little damage from Stone Edge and Knock Off. Rapid Spin is Armaldo's main selling point, as it allows it to remove entry hazards from its side of the field.
Set Details
========
Leftovers gives Armaldo passive recovery, which is helpful especially if it switches into entry hazards multiple times to Rapid Spin. Maximum HP EVs maximize Armaldo's overall bulk while allowing it to switch into Stealth Rock five times when at full health, while 164 Speed EVs allow Armaldo to outspeed uninvested Pokemon with base 65 Speed such as Pelipper and Roselia. The remaining EVs are placed into Attack to allow Armaldo to deal as much damage to its targets as possible; an Adamant nature is used to further boost its Attack. Battle Armor is the preferred ability, as Swift Swim isn't very useful if Armaldo isn't being used on a rain team.
Usage Tips
========
If the opponent has a Ghost-type and has entry hazards on Armaldo's side of the field, Knock Off should be used to cripple the incoming Ghost-type, allowing Armaldo to freely Rapid Spin later in the game. Thanks to Armaldo's Rock / Bug typing, it can be switched into physical Normal-types such as Stoutland and Ursaring easily. Once Armaldo is in against a Pokemon it has no trouble taking on, such as Stoutland or Roselia, it should take advantage of the situation and use Rapid Spin to get rid of entry hazards. If entry hazards are desperately needed to be removed, Armaldo can be sacrificed in order to get a Rapid Spin off. If the opponent has an item-reliant Pokemon such as Clefairy or Roselia, Armaldo can use Knock Off to cripple these Pokemon and make it easier for teammates to KO them later in the game.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that are weak to entry hazards such as Murkrow and Ninetales appreciate Armaldo's ability to remove the hazards in order for them not to be worn down as quickly. Armaldo appreciates Pursuit trappers such as Murkrow and Stoutland to get rid of Ghost-types, making it easier to Rapid Spin. Roselia synergizes very well with Armaldo, as it has no trouble switching into Scald or taking on Rock-types that threaten Armaldo. Other Pokemon that resist Water-type moves such as Politoed and Gogoat are helpful in taking pressure off of Armaldo once Water-types such as Simipour get a free switch in.
[SET]
name: Swift Swim
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Aqua Jet / X-Scissor
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance doubles Armaldo's Attack stat, making it a threatening sweeper, especially when rain is active. Stone Edge is Armaldo's most powerful attack, KOing most foes that don't resist it at +2. Earthquake allows Armaldo to take on Steel- and Rock-types, such as Golem and Pawniard, that switch into Stone Edge. Rain-boosted Aqua Jet is great for picking off weakened foes and faster Pokemon, such as Choice Scarf Mr. Mime. X-Scissor is another option that allows Armaldo to take on bulky Grass-types such as Tangela and Quilladin, as well as bulkier Psychic-types such as Duosion and Solrock, although without Aqua Jet, Armaldo is much easier to revenge kill.
Set Details
========
Swift Swim doubles Armaldo's Speed when rain is active, making it a threatening sweeper. Maximum Attack and Speed investment along with an Adamant nature and Life Orb makes Armaldo as strong as possible while also making it extremely fast under rain, thanks to Swift Swim. Lum Berry is an option over Life Orb to provide more setup opportunities against Pokemon attempting to inflict status upon Armaldo, though the lack in power is disadvantageous.
Usage Tips
========
Try to get Armaldo into the playing field as soon as rain is set up in order to maximize the number of turns Swift Swim is activated, and avoid switching out as much as possible so that Armaldo isn't worn down as easily. Armaldo should be used mid- to late-game as a wallbreaker or a sweeper. Once Armaldo finds an opportunity against a Pokemon such as specially defensive Roselia, it can set up a Swords Dance to clean up late-game.
Team Options
========
Rain setters such as Relicanth, Golduck, Electrode, and Volbeat are mandatory in order to activate Swift Swim; Relicanth can also provide Stealth Rock in order to weaken Armaldo's checks and counters. Other Swift Swim users such as Gorebyss and Golduck are able to utilize rain once it is active and wear down Armaldo's checks and counters. Roselia is a great partner for Armaldo, as it can take on most of its weaknesses while also providing Spikes, which is important for wearing down Armaldo's checks and counters. Electric-types such as Rotom-F and Zebstrika are helpful for beating opposing Water-types that can take advantage of rain.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Rock Polish is another option for Armaldo that turns it into a threatening sweeper without the need for Swift Swim. Rock Blast is more accurate than Stone Edge and still allows Armaldo to beat Sturdy and Focus Sash users. A fully offensive set with Rapid Spin can be used, although Armaldo lacks the Speed to take on most of the tier and would lose out on a massive amount of bulk. Passho Berry is an option on Rapid Spin Armaldo that allows it to take a single hit from Water-types such as Floatzel and offensive Pelipper. A fully defensive spread of maximum HP and Defense EVs can be used to better check Pokemon such as Ursaring, though it makes Armaldo more passive and causes it to be outsped by Pokemon such as Pelipper. Toxic is an option that allows Armaldo to catch bulkier Pokemon such as Gourgeist-XL and Stunfisk upon switching in. Assault Vest can be used to boost Armaldo's Special Defense, although it's not recommended, as the passive recovery from Leftovers is much more helpful, and Armaldo is still unable to take a lot of special attacks. Aqua Tail can be used on Armaldo's Swift Swim set in order to take on Golem and Stunfisk more effectively, although Armaldo then struggles with Steel-types such as Pawniard.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: While offensive Water-types such as Floatzel and Simipour can't effectively switch into Armaldo, they can easily take advantage of Armaldo's low Speed and OHKO it with Hydro Pump. Bulkier Water-types such as Politoed can also switch into Armaldo and KO it with Scald.
**Residual Damage**: Burn and poison make Armaldo easy to wear down, especially with Stealth Rock in play, with the former also significantly lowering its Attack stat and the latter putting Armaldo on a timer if it is bad poison. Armaldo also has trouble switching into Pokemon such as Monferno multiple times due to its lack of recovery.
**Ghost-types**: While Ghost-types such as Misdreavus don't enjoy switching into Knock Off, they can keep Armaldo from using Rapid Spin, which is its main niche.
GP: fleurdyleurse / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
Armaldo sets itself apart from other Pokemon in the PU metagame with its access to Rapid Spin. It also has a very high base 125 Attack and access to Knock Off, allowing it to cripple spinblockers such as Misdreavus and Dusknoir. On top of that, Armaldo has access to Swift Swim, making it a threatening Swords Dance sweeper in rain. However, Armaldo's Rock / Bug typing leaves it vulnerable to common attacking types such as Water and Rock, although it does allow it to check Normal-types such as Stoutland and Ursaring. It is also very slow, making it easy for faster Pokemon such as Floatzel to take advantage of. Armaldo lacks the space in its moveslot to fit moves such as Toxic, Aqua Tail, and Stealth Rock, which holds it back from having extra utility. Armaldo is also vulnerable to every form of entry hazards, making it difficult for it to consistently remove them with Rapid Spin.
[SET]
name: Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Earthquake
item: Leftovers
ability: Battle Armor
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 92 Atk / 164 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stone Edge is Armaldo's strongest STAB move and thus is its most spammable move. It is also helpful for beating Sturdy and Focus Sash leads such as Whirlipede, which it can bring down to 1% HP and finish it off with Rapid Spin, removing any existing entry hazards. Knock Off allows Armaldo to cripple Ghost-types such as Misdreavus and Gourgeist-XL that attempt to prevent Armaldo from using Rapid Spin. Earthquake allows Armaldo to take on Steel- and Rock-types such as Probopass and Golem, which take little damage from Stone Edge and Knock Off. Rapid Spin is Armaldo's main selling point, as it allows it to remove entry hazards from its side of the field.
Set Details
========
Leftovers gives Armaldo passive recovery, which is helpful especially if it switches into entry hazards multiple times to Rapid Spin. Maximum HP EVs maximize Armaldo's overall bulk while allowing it to switch into Stealth Rock five times when at full health, while 164 Speed EVs allow Armaldo to outspeed uninvested Pokemon with base 65 Speed such as Pelipper and Roselia. The remaining EVs are placed into Attack to allow Armaldo to deal as much damage to its targets as possible; an Adamant nature is used to further boost its Attack. Battle Armor is the preferred ability, as Swift Swim isn't very useful if Armaldo isn't being used on a rain team.
Usage Tips
========
If the opponent has a Ghost-type and has entry hazards on Armaldo's side of the field, Knock Off should be used to cripple the incoming Ghost-type, allowing Armaldo to freely Rapid Spin later in the game. Thanks to Armaldo's Rock / Bug typing, it can be switched into physical Normal-types such as Stoutland and Ursaring easily. Once Armaldo is in against a Pokemon it has no trouble taking on, such as Stoutland or Roselia, it should take advantage of the situation and use Rapid Spin to get rid of entry hazards. If entry hazards are desperately needed to be removed, Armaldo can be sacrificed in order to get a Rapid Spin off. If the opponent has an item-reliant Pokemon such as Clefairy or Roselia, Armaldo can use Knock Off to cripple these Pokemon and make it easier for teammates to KO them later in the game.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that are weak to entry hazards such as Murkrow and Ninetales appreciate Armaldo's ability to remove the hazards in order for them not to be worn down as quickly. Armaldo appreciates Pursuit trappers such as Murkrow and Stoutland to get rid of Ghost-types, making it easier to Rapid Spin. Roselia synergizes very well with Armaldo, as it has no trouble switching into Scald or taking on Rock-types that threaten Armaldo. Other Pokemon that resist Water-type moves such as Politoed and Gogoat are helpful in taking pressure off of Armaldo once Water-types such as Simipour get a free switch in.
[SET]
name: Swift Swim
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Aqua Jet / X-Scissor
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance doubles Armaldo's Attack stat, making it a threatening sweeper, especially when rain is active. Stone Edge is Armaldo's most powerful attack, KOing most foes that don't resist it at +2. Earthquake allows Armaldo to take on Steel- and Rock-types, such as Golem and Pawniard, that switch into Stone Edge. Rain-boosted Aqua Jet is great for picking off weakened foes and faster Pokemon, such as Choice Scarf Mr. Mime. X-Scissor is another option that allows Armaldo to take on bulky Grass-types such as Tangela and Quilladin, as well as bulkier Psychic-types such as Duosion and Solrock, although without Aqua Jet, Armaldo is much easier to revenge kill.
Set Details
========
Swift Swim doubles Armaldo's Speed when rain is active, making it a threatening sweeper. Maximum Attack and Speed investment along with an Adamant nature and Life Orb makes Armaldo as strong as possible while also making it extremely fast under rain, thanks to Swift Swim. Lum Berry is an option over Life Orb to provide more setup opportunities against Pokemon attempting to inflict status upon Armaldo, though the lack in power is disadvantageous.
Usage Tips
========
Try to get Armaldo into the playing field as soon as rain is set up in order to maximize the number of turns Swift Swim is activated, and avoid switching out as much as possible so that Armaldo isn't worn down as easily. Armaldo should be used mid- to late-game as a wallbreaker or a sweeper. Once Armaldo finds an opportunity against a Pokemon such as specially defensive Roselia, it can set up a Swords Dance to clean up late-game.
Team Options
========
Rain setters such as Relicanth, Golduck, Electrode, and Volbeat are mandatory in order to activate Swift Swim; Relicanth can also provide Stealth Rock in order to weaken Armaldo's checks and counters. Other Swift Swim users such as Gorebyss and Golduck are able to utilize rain once it is active and wear down Armaldo's checks and counters. Roselia is a great partner for Armaldo, as it can take on most of its weaknesses while also providing Spikes, which is important for wearing down Armaldo's checks and counters. Electric-types such as Rotom-F and Zebstrika are helpful for beating opposing Water-types that can take advantage of rain.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Rock Polish is another option for Armaldo that turns it into a threatening sweeper without the need for Swift Swim. Rock Blast is more accurate than Stone Edge and still allows Armaldo to beat Sturdy and Focus Sash users. A fully offensive set with Rapid Spin can be used, although Armaldo lacks the Speed to take on most of the tier and would lose out on a massive amount of bulk. Passho Berry is an option on Rapid Spin Armaldo that allows it to take a single hit from Water-types such as Floatzel and offensive Pelipper. A fully defensive spread of maximum HP and Defense EVs can be used to better check Pokemon such as Ursaring, though it makes Armaldo more passive and causes it to be outsped by Pokemon such as Pelipper. Toxic is an option that allows Armaldo to catch bulkier Pokemon such as Gourgeist-XL and Stunfisk upon switching in. Assault Vest can be used to boost Armaldo's Special Defense, although it's not recommended, as the passive recovery from Leftovers is much more helpful, and Armaldo is still unable to take a lot of special attacks. Aqua Tail can be used on Armaldo's Swift Swim set in order to take on Golem and Stunfisk more effectively, although Armaldo then struggles with Steel-types such as Pawniard.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: While offensive Water-types such as Floatzel and Simipour can't effectively switch into Armaldo, they can easily take advantage of Armaldo's low Speed and OHKO it with Hydro Pump. Bulkier Water-types such as Politoed can also switch into Armaldo and KO it with Scald.
**Residual Damage**: Burn and poison make Armaldo easy to wear down, especially with Stealth Rock in play, with the former also significantly lowering its Attack stat and the latter putting Armaldo on a timer if it is bad poison. Armaldo also has trouble switching into Pokemon such as Monferno multiple times due to its lack of recovery.
**Ghost-types**: While Ghost-types such as Misdreavus don't enjoy switching into Knock Off, they can keep Armaldo from using Rapid Spin, which is its main niche.
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