[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 8-10 points
**Overview**: Armarouge can be a flexible sweeper and slow wallbreaker with an abundance of coverage options coupled by a strong Special Attack. Additionally, its mediocre Speed tier is easily overlooked with Weak Armor, which pairs well with a Weakness Policy and Stored Power to quickly turn the tide of battles. Unfortunately, it is difficult to maximize Armarouge's potential on most drafts due to its plethora of weaknesses as well as its reliance on proper support in order to set it up for boosted attacks. It is not usually the primary choice for Terastallization, but Armarouge's abilities can make it a viable candidate both defensively and offensively. Nonetheless, Armarouge can provide offensive pressure and play the crucial role as a late-game sweeper with its unique set of abilities and attacks.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Setup Sweeper**: Both Weakness Policy with Endure and a Focus Sash with Calm Mind can enable Weak Armor Armarouge to boost multiple stats in a single turn before firing off Stored Power and Armor Cannon against its foes. This can also be useful in Psychic Terrain, as it benefits from the immediate boosted damage with Expanding Force as well as avoiding priority moves like Sucker Punch and Shadow Sneak.
**Wallbreaker**: A strong Special Attack stat coupled with a diverse movepool enables Armarouge to break through walls with a Choice Specs or Choice Scarf. This role appreciates Flash Fire boosts or the increase in Speed from Weak Armor. Although this requires Armarouge to become vulnerable to entry hazard damage, it can be quite effective for luring in and wearing down opposing walls.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Armor Cannon, Flamethrower, Mystical Fire, Overheat, Expanding Force, Psychic, Psyshock, Stored Power
**Setup Moves**: Calm Mind, Iron Defense, Flame Charge, Meteor Beam
**Utility Moves**: Clear Smog, Light Screen, Reflect, Substitute, Taunt, Trick, Will-O-Wisp
**Coverage**: Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, Dragon Pulse, Energy Ball, Flash Cannon, Focus Blast, Scorching Sands, Shadow Ball
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure can be useful with Weak Armor and Weakness Policy, allowing Armarouge to survive a foe's attack that it otherwise could not and gain many stat boosts at once. This amplifies its offensive damage output through Stored Power. Additionally, Endure can be effective on non-Weakness Policy sets to trade an opposing KO with a quick Destiny Bond.
**Trick Room**: Armarouge's slow Speed and high Special Attack can prove to be effective when taking advantage of Trick Room. This also pairs well with Eject Pack, allowing it to fire off an Armor Cannon before pivoting out to other allies.
**Destiny Bond**: Destiny Bond can be quite useful for earning one final KO after Armarouge is heavily damaged. The increase in Speed after a Weak Armor boost enables Armarouge to outspeed unsuspecting revenge killers, so it tends to work best with Endure sets to ensure a Weak Armor boost.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots enables Armarouge to switch into the field without taking significant damage from Stealth Rock and other entry hazards.
**Weakness Policy**: Even without Endure, Armarouge's natural defensive bulk enables it to withstand some super effective attacks to active Weakness Policy. For instance, a foe's Knock-Off simultaneously triggers its Weakness policy and Weak Armor boosts, allowing Armarouge to dominate offensively. This set works especially well with Stored Power, as Armarouge can easily gain multiple stat boosts in a single turn.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash enables Armarouge to survive any hit from full health, which can be beneficial for setting up or using a speedy Destiny Bond without Endure.
**Choice Specs**: Choice Specs grants Armarouge immediate offensive pressure to break down opposing special walls. This can also lure in foes that may attempt to take advantage of the more predictable Endure Armarouge set with the potential to give away its Choice Specs with Trick.
Niche Items
========
**Power Herb**: Power Herb allows Armarouge to boost its Special Attack while dishing out significant damage in the same turn with Meteor Beam.
**White Herb / Eject Pack**: Both the White Herb and Eject Pack can remedy the stat drops from Armor Cannon, with the latter adding an option to pivot Armarouge out of battle.
**Assault Vest**: Flash Fire Armarouge's defensive Tera options, such as Tera Grass and Steel, also appreciate the additional bulk provided by Assault Vest.
**Air Balloon**: Armarouge appreciates an Air Balloon as it increases the likelihood of foes activating its Weak Armor with their coverage attacks. Flash Fire sets can even counter niche defensive walls that may have a limited offensive movepool.
Tera
========
Although there are other candidates that can take better advantage of Terastallization, Armarouge can be a great choice for its price range. Armarouge's Flash Fire synergizes well with defensive options like Tera Grass, Bug, and Steel. Similarly, Tera Flying, Fighting, and Fairy are useful for activating Weak Armor while withstanding attacks that would KO it. Tera Psychic and Fire are predominantly used as Armarouge's offensive Tera choices, as they both can enhance the damage output from its STAB moves and facilitate wallbreaking.
Draft Strategy
========
Armarouge's effectiveness as a threatening setup sweeper is heavily reliant on the partners drafted alongside it, as it does not provide practical utility to a draft. As a late-game sweeper, it shines on teams that provide ample entry hazard removal and wallbreakers to wear down opposing threats before setting itself up. It is quite difficult to place Armarouge in a winning position, but it can easily close out a game once it achieves this state.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Without proper removal, Armarouge sets that do not run Heavy-Duty Boots can be easily chipped down by entry hazards, effectively removing its primary role as a setup sweeper. Partners like as Terapagos, Quaquaval, and Iron Treads are ideal for this role.
**Bulky Pivots**: Armarouge appreciates an ally that can pivot it safely onto the field while reducing the stats of foes through Intimidate, status conditions, or Parting Shot. Allies that can do this particularly well include Zapdos, Landorus-T, and Rotom-W.
**Dual Screens**: Dual screens support enables Weak Armor Armarouge to withstand attacks with greater ease. Screen setters that can fill this role include Klefki, Deoxys-S, and Sandy Shocks to name a few.
**Psychic Terrain**: Armarouge appreciates the boosted damage from Expanding Force as its strongest Psychic-type STAB move. Thus, Indeedee is a great partner as a cheap offensive core.
Checks and Counters
========
**Entry Hazards**: Armarouge excels in its role as a setup sweeper, which means opting for other held items over Heavy-Duty Boots. As a result, it is incredibly vulnerable to entry hazards due to its weakness to Stealth Rocks and Toxic Spikes that easily threaten its ability as a setup sweeper.
**Fire- and Psychic-type Resistant Pokemon**: Without proper setup, Armarouge is easily threatened by foes that can resist or is immune to its Fire- and Psychic- type STAB attacks. Threats such as Chi-Yu, Primarina, Heatran, and Roaring Moon can easily shrug off its attacks while forcing a KO in return.
**Taunt / Encore**: Although Armarouge plays an exceptional role as a late game sweeper, it is very predictable and one-dimensional. Thus, it can easily be disrupted by Taunt and Encore from foes, forcing it to switch out or limiting its damage potential.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Armarouge's poor Special Defense makes it vulnerable to specially offensive foes. Additionally, without Weak Armor to boost its Speed, specially offensive attackers can easily counter most Armarouge sets without fearing the increased damage from Weakness Policy boosts.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/phantomsnorlax.572939/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 8-10 points
**Overview**: Armarouge can be a flexible sweeper and slow wallbreaker with an abundance of coverage options coupled by a strong Special Attack. Additionally, its mediocre Speed tier is easily overlooked with Weak Armor, which pairs well with a Weakness Policy and Stored Power to quickly turn the tide of battles. Unfortunately, it is difficult to maximize Armarouge's potential on most drafts due to its plethora of weaknesses as well as its reliance on proper support in order to set it up for boosted attacks. It is not usually the primary choice for Terastallization, but Armarouge's abilities can make it a viable candidate both defensively and offensively. Nonetheless, Armarouge can provide offensive pressure and play the crucial role as a late-game sweeper with its unique set of abilities and attacks.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Setup Sweeper**: Both Weakness Policy with Endure and a Focus Sash with Calm Mind can enable Weak Armor Armarouge to boost multiple stats in a single turn before firing off Stored Power and Armor Cannon against its foes. This can also be useful in Psychic Terrain, as it benefits from the immediate boosted damage with Expanding Force as well as avoiding priority moves like Sucker Punch and Shadow Sneak.
**Wallbreaker**: A strong Special Attack stat coupled with a diverse movepool enables Armarouge to break through walls with a Choice Specs or Choice Scarf. This role appreciates Flash Fire boosts or the increase in Speed from Weak Armor. Although this requires Armarouge to become vulnerable to entry hazard damage, it can be quite effective for luring in and wearing down opposing walls.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Armor Cannon, Flamethrower, Mystical Fire, Overheat, Expanding Force, Psychic, Psyshock, Stored Power
**Setup Moves**: Calm Mind, Iron Defense, Flame Charge, Meteor Beam
**Utility Moves**: Clear Smog, Light Screen, Reflect, Substitute, Taunt, Trick, Will-O-Wisp
**Coverage**: Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, Dragon Pulse, Energy Ball, Flash Cannon, Focus Blast, Scorching Sands, Shadow Ball
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure can be useful with Weak Armor and Weakness Policy, allowing Armarouge to survive a foe's attack that it otherwise could not and gain many stat boosts at once. This amplifies its offensive damage output through Stored Power. Additionally, Endure can be effective on non-Weakness Policy sets to trade an opposing KO with a quick Destiny Bond.
**Trick Room**: Armarouge's slow Speed and high Special Attack can prove to be effective when taking advantage of Trick Room. This also pairs well with Eject Pack, allowing it to fire off an Armor Cannon before pivoting out to other allies.
**Destiny Bond**: Destiny Bond can be quite useful for earning one final KO after Armarouge is heavily damaged. The increase in Speed after a Weak Armor boost enables Armarouge to outspeed unsuspecting revenge killers, so it tends to work best with Endure sets to ensure a Weak Armor boost.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots enables Armarouge to switch into the field without taking significant damage from Stealth Rock and other entry hazards.
**Weakness Policy**: Even without Endure, Armarouge's natural defensive bulk enables it to withstand some super effective attacks to active Weakness Policy. For instance, a foe's Knock-Off simultaneously triggers its Weakness policy and Weak Armor boosts, allowing Armarouge to dominate offensively. This set works especially well with Stored Power, as Armarouge can easily gain multiple stat boosts in a single turn.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash enables Armarouge to survive any hit from full health, which can be beneficial for setting up or using a speedy Destiny Bond without Endure.
**Choice Specs**: Choice Specs grants Armarouge immediate offensive pressure to break down opposing special walls. This can also lure in foes that may attempt to take advantage of the more predictable Endure Armarouge set with the potential to give away its Choice Specs with Trick.
Niche Items
========
**Power Herb**: Power Herb allows Armarouge to boost its Special Attack while dishing out significant damage in the same turn with Meteor Beam.
**White Herb / Eject Pack**: Both the White Herb and Eject Pack can remedy the stat drops from Armor Cannon, with the latter adding an option to pivot Armarouge out of battle.
**Assault Vest**: Flash Fire Armarouge's defensive Tera options, such as Tera Grass and Steel, also appreciate the additional bulk provided by Assault Vest.
**Air Balloon**: Armarouge appreciates an Air Balloon as it increases the likelihood of foes activating its Weak Armor with their coverage attacks. Flash Fire sets can even counter niche defensive walls that may have a limited offensive movepool.
Tera
========
Although there are other candidates that can take better advantage of Terastallization, Armarouge can be a great choice for its price range. Armarouge's Flash Fire synergizes well with defensive options like Tera Grass, Bug, and Steel. Similarly, Tera Flying, Fighting, and Fairy are useful for activating Weak Armor while withstanding attacks that would KO it. Tera Psychic and Fire are predominantly used as Armarouge's offensive Tera choices, as they both can enhance the damage output from its STAB moves and facilitate wallbreaking.
Draft Strategy
========
Armarouge's effectiveness as a threatening setup sweeper is heavily reliant on the partners drafted alongside it, as it does not provide practical utility to a draft. As a late-game sweeper, it shines on teams that provide ample entry hazard removal and wallbreakers to wear down opposing threats before setting itself up. It is quite difficult to place Armarouge in a winning position, but it can easily close out a game once it achieves this state.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Without proper removal, Armarouge sets that do not run Heavy-Duty Boots can be easily chipped down by entry hazards, effectively removing its primary role as a setup sweeper. Partners like as Terapagos, Quaquaval, and Iron Treads are ideal for this role.
**Bulky Pivots**: Armarouge appreciates an ally that can pivot it safely onto the field while reducing the stats of foes through Intimidate, status conditions, or Parting Shot. Allies that can do this particularly well include Zapdos, Landorus-T, and Rotom-W.
**Dual Screens**: Dual screens support enables Weak Armor Armarouge to withstand attacks with greater ease. Screen setters that can fill this role include Klefki, Deoxys-S, and Sandy Shocks to name a few.
**Psychic Terrain**: Armarouge appreciates the boosted damage from Expanding Force as its strongest Psychic-type STAB move. Thus, Indeedee is a great partner as a cheap offensive core.
Checks and Counters
========
**Entry Hazards**: Armarouge excels in its role as a setup sweeper, which means opting for other held items over Heavy-Duty Boots. As a result, it is incredibly vulnerable to entry hazards due to its weakness to Stealth Rocks and Toxic Spikes that easily threaten its ability as a setup sweeper.
**Fire- and Psychic-type Resistant Pokemon**: Without proper setup, Armarouge is easily threatened by foes that can resist or is immune to its Fire- and Psychic- type STAB attacks. Threats such as Chi-Yu, Primarina, Heatran, and Roaring Moon can easily shrug off its attacks while forcing a KO in return.
**Taunt / Encore**: Although Armarouge plays an exceptional role as a late game sweeper, it is very predictable and one-dimensional. Thus, it can easily be disrupted by Taunt and Encore from foes, forcing it to switch out or limiting its damage potential.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Armarouge's poor Special Defense makes it vulnerable to specially offensive foes. Additionally, without Weak Armor to boost its Speed, specially offensive attackers can easily counter most Armarouge sets without fearing the increased damage from Weakness Policy boosts.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/phantomsnorlax.572939/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
