Utility Fletchinder [QC: 0/2]

[Dead by Daylight]

[OVERVIEW]
Fletchinder flies high in NFE as one of the tier's few utility choices, with its access to Defog in a metagame with a dearth of entry hazard removal being a godsend while having reliable recovery and great disruption choices in Will-O-Wisp and Thief. Its strong STAB options let it scare off hazard setters like Tinkatuff and Krokorok, while Flame Body punishes stray Knock Off attempts and reckless pivoting attempts from foes like Thwackey.

[SET]
Fletchinder @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Defog / Thief
- Will-O-Wisp / Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird / Flare Blitz
- Roost

[SET COMMENTS]
Defog allows Fletchinder to deputize as a hazard removal option that when combined with its ability to scare most common hazard setters makes it a solid option in its role, while Thief allows Fletchinder to patch up its dependence on its Heavy-Duty Boots by either stealing Eviolites from common checks like Quaxwell and Koffing or nabbing Heavy-Duty Boots from the likes of Raboot and opposing Fletchinder. Will-O-Wisp neutralizes dangerous physically attacking foes like Piloswine and Fraxure attempting to scare off Fletchinder. Brave Bird snipes overconfident Monferno, Raboot, and Pignite, while Flare Blitz punishes Tinkatuff. Roost allows Fletchinder to check foes like Servine and Thwackey over a whole game. 24 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow Fletchinder to outrun maximum Speed Pignite.

Wallbreakers like Choice Band Piloswine, Thwackey, and Choice Specs Girafarig appreciate Fletchinder keeping them healthy against hazard stacking teams while compensating for Fletchinder's lack of power. Choice Specs Frogadier especially appreciates being able to pivot around checks like Quaxwell without having to worry about hazard chip damage racking up. Tinkatuff and Dunsparce both appreciate Fletchinder checking Fighting-types like Pignite and Monferno, which allows them to set entry hazards and wall threats like Hisuian Sliggoo and Frogadier.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
-------------------------------------------------------
Fletchinder can use an alternative EV spread of 248 HP / 8 Special Defense / 252 Speed to outrun foes like Servine, Fraxure, Monferno, and Krokorok, but the significant loss of bulk is usually not appreciated on this set.

Checks and Counters
-------------------------------------------------------
**Knock Off**: Without its Heavy-Duty Boots, Fletchinder is crippled by Stealth Rock forcing it to lose half of its HP attempting to switch in. Worse yet, foes that Fletchinder is meant to check, such as Monferno, Pignite, and Tinkatuff, commonly carry Knock Off, meaning that Fletchinder will more likely than not be forced to click Roost every time it comes in.

**Physically Defensive Walls**: Physically defensive walls such as Seadra, Quaxwell, and Dunsparce severely limit the progress Fletchinder can make and can use it to make progress themselves, such as by removing hazards, pivoting, or setting them up.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dead-by-daylight.571069/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/

 

[5Dots]

add remove comment

QC 1/2 lmk if you have questions

[OVERVIEW]
Fletchinder flies high in NFE as one of the tier's few utility choices, with its access to Defog in a metagame with a dearth of entry hazard removal being a godsend while having reliable recovery and great disruption choices in Will-O-Wisp and Thief. Its strong STAB options let it scare off hazard setters like Tinkatuff and Krokorok, while Flame Body punishes stray Knock Off attempts and reckless pivoting attempts from foes like Thwackey. Elaborate flaws on its low defenses and reliance on Boots to cover its 4x weakness to Rocks. Anything that causes it to lose boots makes it a far shakier check into the opponents that want to check it.

[SET]
Fletchinder @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 248 HP / 236 Def / 24 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Defog / Thief Defog is what defines Fletchinder, Thief is good for OO though
- Will-O-Wisp / Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird / Flare Blitz
- Roost

[SET COMMENTS]
Defog allows Fletchinder to deputize as a hazard removal option that when combined with its ability to scare most common hazard setters makes it a solid option in its role, while Thief allows Fletchinder to patch up its dependence on its Heavy-Duty Boots by either stealing Eviolites from common checks like Quaxwell and Koffing or nabbing Heavy-Duty Boots from the likes of Raboot and opposing Fletchinder. Will-O-Wisp neutralizes dangerous physically attacking foes like Piloswine and Fraxure attempting to scare off Fletchinder. Brave Bird snipes overconfident Monferno, Raboot, and Pignite, while Flare Blitz punishes Tinkatuff while also still threatening out Grass-types like Thwackey and Servine. Roost allows Fletchinder to check foes like Servine and Thwackey over a whole game. 24 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow Fletchinder to outrun maximum Speed Pignite.

Wallbreakers like Choice Band Piloswine, Thwackey, and Choice Specs Girafarig appreciate Fletchinder keeping them healthy against hazard stacking teams while compensating for Fletchinder's lack of power. Choice Specs Frogadier especially appreciates being able to pivot around checks like Quaxwell without having to worry about hazard chip damage racking up. Tinkatuff and Dunsparce both appreciate Fletchinder checking Fighting-types like Pignite and Monferno, which allows them to set entry hazards and wall threats like Hisuian Sliggoo and Frogadier. Mention Water-resistant Pokemon that can shield it from Water-types. Mention special walls that can cover for Fletchinder's lacking physical bulk.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
-------------------------------------------------------
Fletchinder can use an alternative EV spread of 248 HP / 8 Special Defense / 252 Speed to outrun foes like Servine, Fraxure, Monferno, and Krokorok, but the significant loss of bulk is usually not appreciated on this set. Add Thief here for reasons mentioned above. I'd add Eviolite here as well to make it a stabler check against Fires/Piloswine/Grasses at the cost of needing another hazard remover to support it.

Checks and Counters
-------------------------------------------------------
**Knock Off Item Disruption**: Without its Heavy-Duty Boots, Fletchinder is crippled by Stealth Rock forcing it to lose half of its HP attempting to switch in. Worse yet, foes that Fletchinder is meant to check, such as Monferno, Pignite, and Tinkatuff, commonly carry Knock Off, meaning that Fletchinder will more likely than not be forced to click Roost every time it comes in. I would note that while uncommon, item disruptors like Thief Koffing and Thief Dusclops and Trick/Switcheroo users like Clefairy and Monferno can disrupt Fletchinder much the same.

I would add a section on Water-types, as besides resisting Flare Blitz, they threaten it back with very threatening STAB moves. Quaxwell and Seadra are the best counters for their recovery/longevity and pivoting, while Wartortle and Frogadier can't really switch into it but are similarly threatening. Chinchou is an even rarer example but is probably the best check with it also resisting Brave Bird and having STAB Volt Switch for momentum.

Similarly, I would add something about Rock-types. They're uncommon, but Glimmet completely counters Fletchinder by resisting its STAB moves (and adding more pressure with Toxic Debris), answering back with hazards and its own STAB moves, and able to get free pressure on its teammates with Toxic. Naclstack is much the same with Purifying Salt and Salt Cure.

**Physically Defensive Walls**: Physically defensive walls such as Seadra, Quaxwell for reasons above, replace those mentions with Koffing and Hattrem and retool this paragraph to focus on them, and Dunsparce severely limit the progress Fletchinder can make and can use it to make progress themselves, such as by removing hazards, pivoting, or setting them up.

Add a section on wallbreakers. Fletchinder is not bulky even when fully invested, and relies on its defensive typing more than other utility Pokemon, so adding breakers like Fraxure and Girafarig can pressure it a lot.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dead-by-daylight.571069/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/

 

[5Dots]

24 hours or I'm reassigning