[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 4 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Barraskewda is a very potent offensive force on rain drafts with Swift Swim making it the fastest Pokemon in the format. With its good Attack stat and decent offensive movepool, it becomes one of the best candidates for a rain wallbreaker and sweeper. However, Barraskewda has extremely poor defenses and is thus prone to priority and faster threats if rain is not in play. It is also one-dimensional due to its lack of setup and its shallow movepool, and thus it requires adequate support to shore up these weaknesses.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Rain Wallbreaker**: Under rain, Barraskewda is an incredibly fast and strong wallbreaker and late-game sweeper that is difficult for opponents to handle. Rain-boosted Liquidation is very spammable, especially when it holds damage-boosting items, and it is complemented by Flip Turn for maintaining momentum on expected switch-ins.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Liquidation, Waterfall, Flip Turn, Aqua Jet
**Setup Moves**: None
**Utility Moves**: Substitute
**Coverage**: Close Combat, Crunch, Drill Run, Ice Fang, Poison Jab, Psychic Fangs, Throat Chop
Niche Moves
========
**Rain Dance**: Rain Dance lets Barraskewda activate rain in emergency situations to manually activate Swift Swim and support the rest of its team.
**Brick Break**: Brick Break can be used over Close Combat in matchups where dual screens are likely to come and if Psychic Fangs is inadequate coverage.
Common Items
========
**Choice Band**: Choice Band is by far and away Barraskewda's best item, allowing it to become near unwallable in many circumstances.
Niche Items
========
**Other Damage-boosting Items**: Items such as Life Orb and Mystic Water give Barraskewda decent damage amp without it being Choice-locked.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash allows Barraskewda to always survive one hit, which is valuable against priority users and faster Pokemon when rain is not active.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots allows Barraskewda to hit the field more often and play into its pivoting abilities more freely.
**Protective Pads**: Protective Pads allows Barraskewda to avoid contact effects from Rocky Helmet, Flame Body, Static, (AC) and so forth.
Tera
========
Barraskewda is a decent secondary Tera Captain. Tera Water powers its Water-type STAB moves to obscene levels, and it can utilize other Tera types to gain better coverage dependent on its matchup. It benefits from defensive Tera types that can help it take priority attacks, such as Tera Fairy for Sucker Punch and Tera Ground for Thunderclap. It also benefits from additional coverage from Tera types like Tera Grass, Electric, and Fairy, especially against foes that resist or are immune to Water.
Draft Strategy
========
Barraskewda works best on rain teams where it functions as a fast physical wallbreaker with pivoting opportunities. It is almost never used without rain, so drafting proper support and weather is a must.
**Rain-Setter**: Barraskewda mandates a rain setter and a rain-centric draft in order for it to truly shine. Pelipper is the best option due to its ability to pivot, but Politoed also works.
**Slow Pivots**: Barraskewda is extremely frail and thus cannot hit the field without something to bring it in. After entry hazard damage, it is KOed to almost any singular neutral attack thanks to its abysmal bulk. Therefore, Pokemon like Corviknight, Iron Hands, and Bellibolt are good partners for it. Pelipper also fits this role well, making it a great partner for Barraskewda.
**Other Wincons**: Barraskewda is great in the rain, but it cannot win the game by itself. Having alternative rain wallbreakers like Archaludon, both Basculegion formes, and Thundurus-T as well as cleaners like Iron Valiant, Meowscarada, and Dragonite enable Barraskewda's rain antics to be pushed to the max.
** Entry Hazard Setters / Removers**: Given that Barraskewda often wants Choice Band and wants to hit the field often, having good entry hazard removal is great. Cyclizar, Iron Treads, and Galarian Weezing can all contribute to this role. It also heavily benefits from foes being further chipped down by entry hazards set by teammates such as Overqwil, Great Tusk, and Glimmora.
**Defensive Teammates**: Barraskewda is extremely frail so having Pokemon to fall back on is very important. The aforementioned Pelipper and Archaludon bring some defensive utility to the table, while other more dedicated choices such as Corviknight and Fezandipiti are good options too.
Checks and Counters
========
**Priority Attackers / Faster Pokemon**: Barraskewda is weak to multiple priority attacks, such as Sucker Punch, Rillaboom's Grassy Glide, and Raging Bolt's Thunderclap. Its frailty means it often cannot take on other priority attackers too, such as Extreme Speed Dragonite. If rain is not up, Barraskewda is also prone to revenge killing attempts from faster Pokemon such as Booster Energy Iron Valiant, Hisuian Electrode, Deoxys-S, and most Choice Scarf users.
**Water-resistant Pokemon**: Barraskewda mainly wants to click its Water-type STAB attacks, so having Pokemon that discourage that, such as Rotom-W, Sinistcha, and Water Absorb Pokemon such as Quagsire, makes its life much more difficult.
**Other Weather Setters**: Barraskewda is most potent in rain, so when it faces down other weather teams with setters such as Torkoal, Alolan Ninetales, and Abomasnow, it generally is not going to have a fun time.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/boingk.586482/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Draft Order**: Round 4 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Barraskewda is a very potent offensive force on rain drafts with Swift Swim making it the fastest Pokemon in the format. With its good Attack stat and decent offensive movepool, it becomes one of the best candidates for a rain wallbreaker and sweeper. However, Barraskewda has extremely poor defenses and is thus prone to priority and faster threats if rain is not in play. It is also one-dimensional due to its lack of setup and its shallow movepool, and thus it requires adequate support to shore up these weaknesses.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Rain Wallbreaker**: Under rain, Barraskewda is an incredibly fast and strong wallbreaker and late-game sweeper that is difficult for opponents to handle. Rain-boosted Liquidation is very spammable, especially when it holds damage-boosting items, and it is complemented by Flip Turn for maintaining momentum on expected switch-ins.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Liquidation, Waterfall, Flip Turn, Aqua Jet
**Setup Moves**: None
**Utility Moves**: Substitute
**Coverage**: Close Combat, Crunch, Drill Run, Ice Fang, Poison Jab, Psychic Fangs, Throat Chop
Niche Moves
========
**Rain Dance**: Rain Dance lets Barraskewda activate rain in emergency situations to manually activate Swift Swim and support the rest of its team.
**Brick Break**: Brick Break can be used over Close Combat in matchups where dual screens are likely to come and if Psychic Fangs is inadequate coverage.
Common Items
========
**Choice Band**: Choice Band is by far and away Barraskewda's best item, allowing it to become near unwallable in many circumstances.
Niche Items
========
**Other Damage-boosting Items**: Items such as Life Orb and Mystic Water give Barraskewda decent damage amp without it being Choice-locked.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash allows Barraskewda to always survive one hit, which is valuable against priority users and faster Pokemon when rain is not active.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots allows Barraskewda to hit the field more often and play into its pivoting abilities more freely.
**Protective Pads**: Protective Pads allows Barraskewda to avoid contact effects from Rocky Helmet, Flame Body, Static, (AC) and so forth.
Tera
========
Barraskewda is a decent secondary Tera Captain. Tera Water powers its Water-type STAB moves to obscene levels, and it can utilize other Tera types to gain better coverage dependent on its matchup. It benefits from defensive Tera types that can help it take priority attacks, such as Tera Fairy for Sucker Punch and Tera Ground for Thunderclap. It also benefits from additional coverage from Tera types like Tera Grass, Electric, and Fairy, especially against foes that resist or are immune to Water.
Draft Strategy
========
Barraskewda works best on rain teams where it functions as a fast physical wallbreaker with pivoting opportunities. It is almost never used without rain, so drafting proper support and weather is a must.
**Rain-Setter**: Barraskewda mandates a rain setter and a rain-centric draft in order for it to truly shine. Pelipper is the best option due to its ability to pivot, but Politoed also works.
**Slow Pivots**: Barraskewda is extremely frail and thus cannot hit the field without something to bring it in. After entry hazard damage, it is KOed to almost any singular neutral attack thanks to its abysmal bulk. Therefore, Pokemon like Corviknight, Iron Hands, and Bellibolt are good partners for it. Pelipper also fits this role well, making it a great partner for Barraskewda.
**Other Wincons**: Barraskewda is great in the rain, but it cannot win the game by itself. Having alternative rain wallbreakers like Archaludon, both Basculegion formes, and Thundurus-T as well as cleaners like Iron Valiant, Meowscarada, and Dragonite enable Barraskewda's rain antics to be pushed to the max.
** Entry Hazard Setters / Removers**: Given that Barraskewda often wants Choice Band and wants to hit the field often, having good entry hazard removal is great. Cyclizar, Iron Treads, and Galarian Weezing can all contribute to this role. It also heavily benefits from foes being further chipped down by entry hazards set by teammates such as Overqwil, Great Tusk, and Glimmora.
**Defensive Teammates**: Barraskewda is extremely frail so having Pokemon to fall back on is very important. The aforementioned Pelipper and Archaludon bring some defensive utility to the table, while other more dedicated choices such as Corviknight and Fezandipiti are good options too.
Checks and Counters
========
**Priority Attackers / Faster Pokemon**: Barraskewda is weak to multiple priority attacks, such as Sucker Punch, Rillaboom's Grassy Glide, and Raging Bolt's Thunderclap. Its frailty means it often cannot take on other priority attackers too, such as Extreme Speed Dragonite. If rain is not up, Barraskewda is also prone to revenge killing attempts from faster Pokemon such as Booster Energy Iron Valiant, Hisuian Electrode, Deoxys-S, and most Choice Scarf users.
**Water-resistant Pokemon**: Barraskewda mainly wants to click its Water-type STAB attacks, so having Pokemon that discourage that, such as Rotom-W, Sinistcha, and Water Absorb Pokemon such as Quagsire, makes its life much more difficult.
**Other Weather Setters**: Barraskewda is most potent in rain, so when it faces down other weather teams with setters such as Torkoal, Alolan Ninetales, and Abomasnow, it generally is not going to have a fun time.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/boingk.586482/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
