
I find it sorta weird that the heroic Pokemon is a fan of Toxic Spikes support!
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Jet Punch
move 3: Drain Punch / Tera Blast
move 4: Taunt / Substitute
item: Leftovers / Punching Glove / Covert Cloak
ability: Zero to Hero
nature: Careful / Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 140 SpD / 116 Spe
tera type: Fighting / Fairy / Water
[SET COMMENTS]
* Palafin-H's powerful priority and good Speed tier separate it from other Bulk Up sweepers, such as Annihilape.
* **Drain Punch**: Even without Tera Fighting, Drain Punch's extra healing makes it a great choice for coverage, and it does massive damage to Kingambit and Meowscarada.
* **Taunt versus Substitute**: With Taunt, Palafin-H excels at breaking through troublesome defensive Pokemon, such as Corviknight and Skeledirge, and it also gives Palafin a decent move against Hippowdon before switching out for Zero to Hero. Substitute has a worse matchup against these threats, but in exchange it turns Garganacl into an excellent set up opportunity and makes Palafin-H a fearsome sweeper with Toxic Spikes support.
Other Options
========
* **Ice Punch**: If using Tera Water, Ice Punch is a reasonable option for hitting Dragon-types, though it does leave Palafin-H walled by Rotom-W.
* **Encore**: While harder to justify than the other support options, Encore does give Palafin-H new chances to set up, punishing slower set-up sweepers like Annihilape in particular.
Tera Types
========
* **Fighting**: Boosting Drain Punch's power with Tera Fighting can make Palafin-H even more difficult to take down and can seriously compromise defensive Rotom-W thanks to Taunt or Substitute blocking Will-O-Wisp. However, it does make Palafin-H particularly vulnerable to Flutter Mane.
* **Fairy**: Besides being an excellent defensive typing, Tera Fairy gives Palafin-H a great offensive option against Dragon-types like Dragonite and Roaring Moon, as well as coverage against Meowscarada.
* **Water**: Tera Water helps Palafin-H pick off more threats with Jet Punch, having a good shot to OHKO offensive Flutter Mane unboosted after Stealth Rock damage.
* **Poison**: Besides offering a useful Fairy resistance, Tera Poison lets Palafin-H absorb Toxic Spikes and stop Toxic without a support move, making it a viable alternative.
Items
========
* **Leftovers**: Leftovers takes advantage of Palafin-H's slow setup and is a requirement if using Substitute.
* **Punching Glove**: If using Taunt, Punching Glove is a good option to free up Leftovers for a teammate. Palafin-H appreciates the extra power Jet Punch and Drain Punch gain, and it becomes harder for Rocky Helmet Dragonite to wear it down.
* **Covert Cloak**: If using Taunt, Covert Cloak turns the tables on the Garganacl matchup in addition to protecting Palafin-H from surprise Light Ball Flings from foes like Annihilape.
EV Spreads
========
* **252 HP / 140 SpD / 116 Spe with Careful**: This spread maximizes Palafin-H's Special Defense while still outspeeding Jolly Breloom.
* **252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe with Jolly**: Maximizing Speed allows Palafin-H to outspeed fast support Pokemon like Mimikyu and Annihilape so it can Taunt them. This spread also outspeeds Choice Specs Hydreigon, which can deal massive damage with Draco Meteor if not using Tera Fairy.
* **252 HP / 140 Atk / 116 Spe with Adamant**: This is a far more offensive approach to the set, letting Palafin-H function more as a revenge killer with the potential to sweep rather than a bulky setup Pokemon. This is best used with Tera Water, as Palafin-H will then OHKO offensive Flutter Mane with unboosted Jet Punch. The given Speed is for outspeeding Jolly Breloom.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Theorymon, 29010]]
- Quality checked by: [[DerpySuX, 528485]]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Sabelette, 583793]]
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