[OVERVIEW]
Chesnaught is a premier physical wall and Spikes setter in RU. With its great bulk and typing that naturally checks threats like Krookodile, Bisharp, and Rhyperior, it can consistently find opportunities to set up entry hazards and chip away at the opposing team itself. With utility moves like Knock Off and Leech Seed, Chesnaught can support its team throughout the game while serving as a wall for many physical attackers. Chesnaught has a great matchup against the best spinner in the tier, Cyclizar, with the ability to OHKO it should it attempt to remove Spikes. Despite Chesnaught's great matchups against many Pokemon in the tier, its typing leaves it with plenty of poor ones; Mamoswine, Mimikyu, and Entei all hit it for super effective damage, and its 4x weakness to Flying makes it easy prey for Galarian Zapdos, one of the most common physical attackers in the tier. Chesnaught's Special Defense is also low, and it will struggle to take any special attacks it does not resist, making it vulnerable to Pokemon like Gardevoir and Fezandipiti. Chesnaught also suffers from a poor matchup against the Defog users of the tier, such as Galarian Weezing and Talonflame, that can easily prevent Spikes from staying active.
[SET]
name: Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Body Press
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Synthesis / Leech Seed
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Bulletproof
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 Spe
tera type: Ghost / Water / Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Chesnaught is one of the most reliable Spikes setters and provides a solid defensive backbone for its team. Knock Off hits the Ghost- and Psychic-types like Basculegion-F and Slowbro that aren't afraid of Body Press while also making foes like Talonflame and Fezandipiti more susceptible to entry hazards by removing their Heavy-Duty Boots. Synthesis provides a reliable means for Chesnaught to heal itself, although Hippowdon's Sand Stream will neuter the effectiveness. Leech Seed is a more offensive form of recovery that provides chip damage to Chesnaught's checks and can also heal its allies. Bulletproof provides an immunity to Gengar and Hisuian Zoroark's Shadow Ball and Amoonguss's Sludge Bomb. Rocky Helmet punishes U-turn attackers that want to pivot away from Chesnaught like Slither Wing and Jirachi. 52 Speed EVs allow Chesnaught to outspeed uninvested Bisharp, and 204 Defense EVs guarantee that Body Press OHKOes Terrakion after Spikes. Tera Ghost prevents Cyclizar from using Rapid Spin while also providing Chesnaught an immunity to Fighting, improving its matchup against Galarian Zapdos and Slither Wing. Tera Water flips Chesnaught's Fire weakness, allowing it to stand up against Entei and Volcanion. Tera Steel turns the devastating Flying weakness into a resistance to aid against Noivern, Salamence, and Galarian Zapdos, in addition to new resistances to Dragon, Fairy, and Psychic which improve its matchup against Cyclizar, Mimikyu, and Jirachi.
Chesnaught can fit comfortably on any team style that needs a defensive presence like balance, bulky offense, or stall. Due to the abundance of Galarian Zapdos, Chesnaught will need to be paired with a physically defensive ally that can comfortably survive or deter its Brave Bird, like Registeel, Slowbro, or Flame Body Talonflame. Special walls like Umbreon, Jirachi, and Empoleon are also important due to Chesnaught's poor ability to check the various special attackers of the tier like Gardevoir and Armarouge. Chesnaught's natural weakness to Flying-types like Salamence and Talonflame will often invite them in and allow it to use Knock Off to remove their Heavy-Duty Boots, making them vulnerable to Stealth Rock set by Chansey, Registeel, and Rhyperior. Chesnaught is vulnerable to opposing Spikes, so it appreciates hazard removal from allies like Cyclizar, Galarian Weezing, and Talonflame. Common Stealth Rock setters like Hippowdon, Jirachi, and Rhyperior all share a weakness to Volcanion with Chesnaught, meaning that sturdy checks like Noivern and Salamence are needed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Chesnaught can use Seed Bomb or Wood Hammer to take advantage of its Grass typing to hit Ground- and Water-types like Hippowdon and Slowbro. Iron Defense can boost Chesnaught's survivability and the damage of Body Press, allowing it to serve as a potential sweeper. Drain Punch is an alternative Fighting-type move that does less damage but doubles as a source of recovery. Close Combat is another option that does more damage than Body Press, enabling OHKOs on Pokemon like Empoleon, Magnezone, and Hisuian Goodra with some Attack investment, although this hinders Chesnaught's role as a tank. Roar can be used to prevent foes like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Tera Flying Swords Dance Bisharp from setting up. Chesnaught also has access to the incredible setup move Belly Drum, which can make it a very potent setup sweeper should it manage to set up safely. While its Speed is too low to take full advantage of it, Chesnaught can use Trailblaze to boost its Speed or priority Grassy Glide when paired with Grassy Surge Thwackey. Tera Fire grants an immunity to burn, a resistance to Fire, and access to Tera Blast Fire that hits Amoonguss and opposing Chesnaught.
Checks and Counters
====
**Poison-types**: Galarian Weezing perfectly walls Chesnaught and is able to remove its Spikes with Defog. Other Poison-types like Fezandipiti and Toxic Amoonguss similarly resist Chesnaught's attacks and can threaten it with super effective attacks or status effects.
**Flying-types*: Chesnaught's 4x weakness to Flying makes it particularly vulnerable to any Brave Bird from Galarian Zapdos or Talonflame, and surviving special attacks like Hurricane and Air Slash from Noivern, Salamence, and Oricorio-E is out of the question. While it can Terastallize out of this weakness, the best option to resist those attacks is Steel, which is still hit super effectively by Galarian Zapdos's Close Combat and Salemence and Noivern's Flamethrower.
**Psychic-types**: Gardevoir, Azelf, Jirachi, and Slowbro all have attacks that Chesnaught is unable to take. While Knock Off helps, these foes will outspeed Chesnaught or have the bulk to tank it. Armarouge poses a particular threat, as Chesnaught's attacks will trigger Weak Armor, and Knock Off will activate Weakness Policy, creating danger for the entire team.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/machjacob.555741/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/feen.231398/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Chesnaught is a premier physical wall and Spikes setter in RU. With its great bulk and typing that naturally checks threats like Krookodile, Bisharp, and Rhyperior, it can consistently find opportunities to set up entry hazards and chip away at the opposing team itself. With utility moves like Knock Off and Leech Seed, Chesnaught can support its team throughout the game while serving as a wall for many physical attackers. Chesnaught has a great matchup against the best spinner in the tier, Cyclizar, with the ability to OHKO it should it attempt to remove Spikes. Despite Chesnaught's great matchups against many Pokemon in the tier, its typing leaves it with plenty of poor ones; Mamoswine, Mimikyu, and Entei all hit it for super effective damage, and its 4x weakness to Flying makes it easy prey for Galarian Zapdos, one of the most common physical attackers in the tier. Chesnaught's Special Defense is also low, and it will struggle to take any special attacks it does not resist, making it vulnerable to Pokemon like Gardevoir and Fezandipiti. Chesnaught also suffers from a poor matchup against the Defog users of the tier, such as Galarian Weezing and Talonflame, that can easily prevent Spikes from staying active.
[SET]
name: Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Body Press
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Synthesis / Leech Seed
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Bulletproof
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 204 Def / 52 Spe
tera type: Ghost / Water / Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Chesnaught is one of the most reliable Spikes setters and provides a solid defensive backbone for its team. Knock Off hits the Ghost- and Psychic-types like Basculegion-F and Slowbro that aren't afraid of Body Press while also making foes like Talonflame and Fezandipiti more susceptible to entry hazards by removing their Heavy-Duty Boots. Synthesis provides a reliable means for Chesnaught to heal itself, although Hippowdon's Sand Stream will neuter the effectiveness. Leech Seed is a more offensive form of recovery that provides chip damage to Chesnaught's checks and can also heal its allies. Bulletproof provides an immunity to Gengar and Hisuian Zoroark's Shadow Ball and Amoonguss's Sludge Bomb. Rocky Helmet punishes U-turn attackers that want to pivot away from Chesnaught like Slither Wing and Jirachi. 52 Speed EVs allow Chesnaught to outspeed uninvested Bisharp, and 204 Defense EVs guarantee that Body Press OHKOes Terrakion after Spikes. Tera Ghost prevents Cyclizar from using Rapid Spin while also providing Chesnaught an immunity to Fighting, improving its matchup against Galarian Zapdos and Slither Wing. Tera Water flips Chesnaught's Fire weakness, allowing it to stand up against Entei and Volcanion. Tera Steel turns the devastating Flying weakness into a resistance to aid against Noivern, Salamence, and Galarian Zapdos, in addition to new resistances to Dragon, Fairy, and Psychic which improve its matchup against Cyclizar, Mimikyu, and Jirachi.
Chesnaught can fit comfortably on any team style that needs a defensive presence like balance, bulky offense, or stall. Due to the abundance of Galarian Zapdos, Chesnaught will need to be paired with a physically defensive ally that can comfortably survive or deter its Brave Bird, like Registeel, Slowbro, or Flame Body Talonflame. Special walls like Umbreon, Jirachi, and Empoleon are also important due to Chesnaught's poor ability to check the various special attackers of the tier like Gardevoir and Armarouge. Chesnaught's natural weakness to Flying-types like Salamence and Talonflame will often invite them in and allow it to use Knock Off to remove their Heavy-Duty Boots, making them vulnerable to Stealth Rock set by Chansey, Registeel, and Rhyperior. Chesnaught is vulnerable to opposing Spikes, so it appreciates hazard removal from allies like Cyclizar, Galarian Weezing, and Talonflame. Common Stealth Rock setters like Hippowdon, Jirachi, and Rhyperior all share a weakness to Volcanion with Chesnaught, meaning that sturdy checks like Noivern and Salamence are needed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Chesnaught can use Seed Bomb or Wood Hammer to take advantage of its Grass typing to hit Ground- and Water-types like Hippowdon and Slowbro. Iron Defense can boost Chesnaught's survivability and the damage of Body Press, allowing it to serve as a potential sweeper. Drain Punch is an alternative Fighting-type move that does less damage but doubles as a source of recovery. Close Combat is another option that does more damage than Body Press, enabling OHKOs on Pokemon like Empoleon, Magnezone, and Hisuian Goodra with some Attack investment, although this hinders Chesnaught's role as a tank. Roar can be used to prevent foes like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Tera Flying Swords Dance Bisharp from setting up. Chesnaught also has access to the incredible setup move Belly Drum, which can make it a very potent setup sweeper should it manage to set up safely. While its Speed is too low to take full advantage of it, Chesnaught can use Trailblaze to boost its Speed or priority Grassy Glide when paired with Grassy Surge Thwackey. Tera Fire grants an immunity to burn, a resistance to Fire, and access to Tera Blast Fire that hits Amoonguss and opposing Chesnaught.
Checks and Counters
====
**Poison-types**: Galarian Weezing perfectly walls Chesnaught and is able to remove its Spikes with Defog. Other Poison-types like Fezandipiti and Toxic Amoonguss similarly resist Chesnaught's attacks and can threaten it with super effective attacks or status effects.
**Flying-types*: Chesnaught's 4x weakness to Flying makes it particularly vulnerable to any Brave Bird from Galarian Zapdos or Talonflame, and surviving special attacks like Hurricane and Air Slash from Noivern, Salamence, and Oricorio-E is out of the question. While it can Terastallize out of this weakness, the best option to resist those attacks is Steel, which is still hit super effectively by Galarian Zapdos's Close Combat and Salemence and Noivern's Flamethrower.
**Psychic-types**: Gardevoir, Azelf, Jirachi, and Slowbro all have attacks that Chesnaught is unable to take. While Knock Off helps, these foes will outspeed Chesnaught or have the bulk to tank it. Armarouge poses a particular threat, as Chesnaught's attacks will trigger Weak Armor, and Knock Off will activate Weakness Policy, creating danger for the entire team.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/machjacob.555741/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/feen.231398/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited: