**Draft Order**: Round 8
**Price Range**: 1-2 points
**Overview**: Carbink is a cheap bulky Pokemon with access to useful utility moves like Spikes, Stealth Rock, and dual screens. Sturdy allows it to be a lead that's difficult to deal with while also allowing it to be an emergency check to certain offensive threats. Unfortunately, with low Speed and a lack of reliable recovery, Carbink is susceptible to being worn down quickly, and its low attacking stats mean it's also often quite passive against foes that take little from Body Press, which is its only reliable method of dealing damage.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Utility**: With solid defensive stats and a decent typing, Carbink can support its partners fairly well with entry hazards or dual screens, although it is a bit passive when it cannot use Body Press. Sturdy allows it to deal with certain offensive threats if it can stay healthy such as with Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Entry Hazard Lead**: Despite Carbink’s low Speed, it can be a solid lead with Sturdy and its utility moves. Sturdy gives it the opportunity to utilize other items like Custap Berry and Mental Herb without fearing being immediately KOed, making it even more difficult to deal with.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Moonblast, Power Gem, Rock Blast
**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense
**Utility Moves**: Spikes, Stealth Rock, Trick Room, Light Screen, Reflect, Endeavor,
**Coverage**: Body Press, Earth Power, Gyro Ball, Psychic
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure allows Carbink to survive hits it would be unexpected to, letting it activate items like Custap Berry, Red Card, and Rocky Helmet.
**Misty Explosion**: KOing itself with Misty Explosion allows one of Carbink’s partners to safely switch in.
**Rock Tomb / Charm**: Carbink is able to lower foes' Speed or Attack with Rock Tomb or Charm to inhibit foes attempting to set up, although both can be easily blocked by Substitute.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Ignoring entry hazard damage with Heavy-Duty Boots is useful for staying healthy when switching as well as keeping Sturdy intact.
**Custap Berry**: Custap Berry allows Carbink to send off an extra move like Endeavor or Spikes if it activates Sturdy, although a predictable Endeavor can be easily scouted by opponents. Even if Sturdy isn't activated, Carbink often falls low enough on health for Custap Berry to activate due to its bulk.
Niche Items
========
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb can be used to avoid being shut down by foes with Encore or Taunt.
**Light Clay**: Light Clay granting an extended duration on Light Screen and Reflect is useful on sets with dual screens.
**Rocky Helmet**: The chip damage from Rocky Helmet is helpful against foes with contact moves like U-turn.
**Red Card**: Carbink doesn’t pressure most setup sweepers, so Red Card can be used to phaze certain threats, pairing well with Sturdy or Endure.
**Sitrus Berry**: The burst of healing from Sitrus Berry can sometimes allow Carbink to live two strong attacks.
Tera
========
Carbink is not a fantastic Tera Captain. Regardless of this, it is frequently paired with high-tier Tera Captains as a cheap secondary Capitan that is able to Terastallize into a better defensive typing such as Water, Steel, or Fairy, allowing it to check certain foes. With such a typing or a boost to Body Press with Tera Fighting, Carbink can also somewhat effectively utilize Iron Defense sets.
Draft Strategy
========
Carbink is a common final choice for drafts that are not lacking major parts. It is an emergency check to certain offensive threats along with having access to Spikes, Stealth Rock, and dual screens, making it appreciated by nearly all partners and able to fit on most fully rounded drafts.
Checks and Counters
========
**Chip Damage**: Without reliable recovery, Carbink is susceptible to being worn down over time from entry hazards along with its low Speed leading to it being hit repeatedly. Not being at full health also prevents Sturdy from activating, making it more susceptible to strong wallbreakers that it is often meant to check.
**Encore / Taunt**: Carbink’s low Speed and reliance on status moves mean it is very susceptible to foes using Encore or Taunt.
**Setup Sweepers**: Carbink is generally very passive, allowing Pokemon like Ogerpon-W and Iron Crown to set up against it. Foes with that are Fighting-resistant or -immune like Gholdengo and Necrozma can set up extremely easily against it due to taking little or no damage from Body Press.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/e-man.617175/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
**Price Range**: 1-2 points
**Overview**: Carbink is a cheap bulky Pokemon with access to useful utility moves like Spikes, Stealth Rock, and dual screens. Sturdy allows it to be a lead that's difficult to deal with while also allowing it to be an emergency check to certain offensive threats. Unfortunately, with low Speed and a lack of reliable recovery, Carbink is susceptible to being worn down quickly, and its low attacking stats mean it's also often quite passive against foes that take little from Body Press, which is its only reliable method of dealing damage.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Utility**: With solid defensive stats and a decent typing, Carbink can support its partners fairly well with entry hazards or dual screens, although it is a bit passive when it cannot use Body Press. Sturdy allows it to deal with certain offensive threats if it can stay healthy such as with Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Entry Hazard Lead**: Despite Carbink’s low Speed, it can be a solid lead with Sturdy and its utility moves. Sturdy gives it the opportunity to utilize other items like Custap Berry and Mental Herb without fearing being immediately KOed, making it even more difficult to deal with.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Moonblast, Power Gem, Rock Blast
**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense
**Utility Moves**: Spikes, Stealth Rock, Trick Room, Light Screen, Reflect, Endeavor,
**Coverage**: Body Press, Earth Power, Gyro Ball, Psychic
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure allows Carbink to survive hits it would be unexpected to, letting it activate items like Custap Berry, Red Card, and Rocky Helmet.
**Misty Explosion**: KOing itself with Misty Explosion allows one of Carbink’s partners to safely switch in.
**Rock Tomb / Charm**: Carbink is able to lower foes' Speed or Attack with Rock Tomb or Charm to inhibit foes attempting to set up, although both can be easily blocked by Substitute.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Ignoring entry hazard damage with Heavy-Duty Boots is useful for staying healthy when switching as well as keeping Sturdy intact.
**Custap Berry**: Custap Berry allows Carbink to send off an extra move like Endeavor or Spikes if it activates Sturdy, although a predictable Endeavor can be easily scouted by opponents. Even if Sturdy isn't activated, Carbink often falls low enough on health for Custap Berry to activate due to its bulk.
Niche Items
========
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb can be used to avoid being shut down by foes with Encore or Taunt.
**Light Clay**: Light Clay granting an extended duration on Light Screen and Reflect is useful on sets with dual screens.
**Rocky Helmet**: The chip damage from Rocky Helmet is helpful against foes with contact moves like U-turn.
**Red Card**: Carbink doesn’t pressure most setup sweepers, so Red Card can be used to phaze certain threats, pairing well with Sturdy or Endure.
**Sitrus Berry**: The burst of healing from Sitrus Berry can sometimes allow Carbink to live two strong attacks.
Tera
========
Carbink is not a fantastic Tera Captain. Regardless of this, it is frequently paired with high-tier Tera Captains as a cheap secondary Capitan that is able to Terastallize into a better defensive typing such as Water, Steel, or Fairy, allowing it to check certain foes. With such a typing or a boost to Body Press with Tera Fighting, Carbink can also somewhat effectively utilize Iron Defense sets.
Draft Strategy
========
Carbink is a common final choice for drafts that are not lacking major parts. It is an emergency check to certain offensive threats along with having access to Spikes, Stealth Rock, and dual screens, making it appreciated by nearly all partners and able to fit on most fully rounded drafts.
Checks and Counters
========
**Chip Damage**: Without reliable recovery, Carbink is susceptible to being worn down over time from entry hazards along with its low Speed leading to it being hit repeatedly. Not being at full health also prevents Sturdy from activating, making it more susceptible to strong wallbreakers that it is often meant to check.
**Encore / Taunt**: Carbink’s low Speed and reliance on status moves mean it is very susceptible to foes using Encore or Taunt.
**Setup Sweepers**: Carbink is generally very passive, allowing Pokemon like Ogerpon-W and Iron Crown to set up against it. Foes with that are Fighting-resistant or -immune like Gholdengo and Necrozma can set up extremely easily against it due to taking little or no damage from Body Press.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/e-man.617175/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
