UU Choice Band Darmanitan

Indigo Plateau

is a Community Leaderis a Top Tiering Contributoris a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Past SCL Champion
UU Leader
[OVERVIEW]

Darmanitan carves its niche in the UU metagame by being one of the hardest-hitting Pokemon in the tier due to its Sheer Force-boosted Flare Blitz, making it incredibly hard to switch into when holding a Choice Band and able to easily 2HKO some of the tier's most common physical walls, such as Gligar, Hippowdon, and Tentacruel. However, Darmanitan's poor Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to Stealth Rock damage and the plethora of Water- and Ground-type moves that flood the tier. Moreover, its terrible defensive stats mean that Darmanitan struggles to switch into resisted attacks, fails to check Pokemon like Scizor, Bisharp, and Cobalion, which most other Fire-types have defensive utility against, and heavily relies on prediction or VoltTurn support to come in safely. Recoil damage from Flare Blitz also severely hinders Darmanitan's longevity and only gives it a few opportunities to fire off Flare Blitz throughout the match. These aforementioned flaws usually make Darmanitan's use hard to justify over other Fire-types with better movepools or stats, such as Infernape and Moltres.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Rock Slide / Fire Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

U-turn is a useful pivoting move that allows Darmanitan to gain momentum against Pokemon that Flare Blitz fails to break, such as Slowbro and Alomomola. Earthquake is a good coverage move for hitting certain Rock- and Fire-types that can tank a Flare Blitz, such as Terrakion, Stakataka, and Chandelure. Rock Slide is the preferred move of choice in the last slot to OHKO Flying-types, specifically Moltres and Mega Aerodactyl, without Flare Blitz's recoil damage. Fire Punch is a good alternative STAB attack that can be used to target certain Pokemon like Scizor and Cobalion when Flare Blitz's recoil damage is unwanted.

Set Details
========

Choice Band and Sheer Force transform Darmanitan into a fearsome wallbreaker that is able to 2HKO almost the entire tier, including common answers to Fire-types like Tentacruel and Mega Altaria, with the exception of some physically defensive Water-types, namely Slowbro, Alomomola, Quagsire, and Suicune.

Usage Tips
========

Darmanitan can get worn down extremely quickly when using Flare Blitz, and because of this, you should avoid using it when the opponent has a sturdy answer to it like Alomomola in the back to avoid unnecessary recoil damage. Darmanitan can also be used as a wallbreaker to punch holes against opposing teams early- and mid-game if the ultimate goal is cleaning late-game with another teammate. Take advantage of the number of switches that Darmanitan produces to gain momentum and weaken the opposing team as much as possible. U-turn should be used if the opponent has a sturdy Water-type counter in the back, such as Alomomola or Slowbro. This will give Darmanitan a much easier time clicking Flare Blitz later on and possibly allow it to sweep late-game against bulkier teams. Try to bring Darmanitan in through VoltTurn support or predicted double switches because its poor defensive stats and typing mean that it will take a sizable amount of damage against resisted hits.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard control is imperative to keep Darmanitan healthy throughout the game. Gligar, Hydreigon, and Tentacruel are good examples of teammates that can remove entry hazards and check problematic Pokemon like Terrakion, Krookodile, and Alomomola, respectively. Darmanitan has trouble switching in safely due to its lackluster defensive stats. As such, VoltTurn support from the likes of Hydreigon, Scizor, and Mega Manectric is helpful. Grass-types that can beat the Water- and Ground-types that trouble Darmanitan make for good teammates; Celebi can muscle past these troublesome Pokemon with Nasty Plot and absorb status thanks to Natural Cure, while Rotom-C can provide Defog and Volt Switch support. Darmanitan's mediocre Speed allows it to be revenge killed by several offensive Pokemon in the tier, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Latias, and Terrakion, so having a way of dealing with these is important. Scizor can offensively check several faster threats with Bullet Punch, while some defensive Pokemon with status moves like Toxic Gligar and Thunder Wave Slowbro can help defensively. Choice Scarf users like Hydreigon can also revenge kill the faster threats that outspeed and threaten Darmanitan. Teammates that appreciate Water-type Pokemon being weakened, such as Swords Dance Scizor, Swords Dance Cobalion, and Mega Aerodactyl, offensively synergize well with Darmanitan. Darmanitan struggles to check Steel-types like Scizor, Bisharp, and Cobalion that other Fire-types are better at checking, so Pokemon that can help in checking these Pokemon such as Doublade, Cobalion, and Mega Slowbro are helpful teammates. Entry hazard setters that synergize well with Darmanitan are crucial, as they can facilitate Darmanitan's wallbreaking abilities and help check troublesome Pokemon. Mega Aggron can check Dragon-types that would otherwise force Darmanitan out and has Toxic to give Fire- and Water-types a harder job at checking Darmanitan. Diancie can also check Dragon- and Flying-types as well as provide Heal Bell or Toxic support. Lastly, Chesnaught can set up Spikes and Leech Seed to wear down the opposing team and check most of the Water-, Ground-, Steel-, and Rock-types that are hard for Darmanitan to switch into or beat one-on-one.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A Choice Scarf set could be used for its revenge killing capabilities, but it gets worn down very easily and is outclassed by other Choice Scarf users like Krookodile, Hydreigon, and even Infernape. Krookodile offers Intimidate support and the ability to trap naturally faster Pokemon with Pursuit, Hydreigon has access to Levitate and non-recoil STAB attacks, and Infernape has a useful secondary typing in Fighting.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Defensive Water-types**: Physically defensive Water-types like Alomomola, Slowbro, and Suicune avoid the 2HKO from Darmanitan's attacks and have recovery to heal off any damage done.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster offensive Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl, Terrakion, and Nihilego can OHKO Darmanitan with their super effective STAB attacks but cannot switch into it safely.

**Defensive Ground-types**: Although they can't directly switch into Darmanitan, defensive Ground-types like Gligar, Hippowdon, and Palossand can usually tank a hit and proceed to OHKO back with their Ground-type STAB attacks.

**Residual damage**: Entry hazards, Toxic poison, Rocky Helmet from physical walls, and recoil damage from Flare Blitz all severely hinder Darmanitan's longevity throughout the game.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Indigo Plateau, 216712]]
- Quality checked by: [[Nuked, 382658], [vivalospride, 151509], [Hilomilo, 313384], [Surgeon, 347604]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Nixhex, 40064]]
 
Last edited:
[OVERVIEW]
  • Darmanitan carves its niche in the UU metagame by being one of the hardest hitting Pokemon in the tier due to its Sheer Force-boosted Flare Blitz.
  • Darmanitan is incredibly hard to switch into when holding a Choice Band and can easily 2HKO some of the tier's most common physical walls, such as Gligar, Hippowdon, and Tentacruel.
  • However, Darmanitan's poor Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to Stealth Rock damage and the plethora of Water- and Ground-type moves that flood the tier.
  • Moreover, its terrible defensive stats means that Darmanitan struggles to switch into resisted attacks and heavily relies on prediction or VoltTurn support to come in safely.
  • These aforementioned flaws alongside recoil damage from Flare Blitz usually makes Darmanitan's use hard to justify over other Fire-types with better movepools or stats, such as Infernape and Moltres.
You should mention that unlike other Fire-types it isn't an amazing Scizor, Bisharp, or Cobalion check at all which gives it basically no defensive utility at all which is something every other fire type provides.)

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Rock Slide / Fire Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Flare Blitz is an insanely strong STAB attack that allows Darmanitan to break past physical walls like Gligar and Hippowdon; it can also easily 2HKO common Fire-type resistances in the tier, such as Rotom-H and Tentacruel. (I don't think this is worth mentioning because it's the first line in the overview, rest of stuff is good though)
  • U-turn is a useful pivoting move that allows Darmanitan to gain momentum against Pokemon that Flare Blitz fails to break, such as Slowbro and Alomomola.
  • Earthquake is a good coverage move for hitting certain Steel- and Poison-types that are neutral to Fire super effectively, such as Empoleon, Nidoqueen, and Tentacruel.
  • Rock Slide is the preferred move of choice in the last slot to OHKO Flying-types, specifically Moltres and Mega Aerodactyl, without Flare Blitz's recoil damage.
  • Fire Punch is a good alternative STAB attack that can be used when Flare Blitz's recoil damage is unwanted.

Set Details
========
  • Choice Band and Sheer Force transform Darmanitan into a fearsome wallbreaker that is able to 2HKO almost the entire tier with the exception of some physically defensive Water-types. (give examples of said water-types)

Usage Tips
========
  • Darmanitan can get worn down extremely fast when using Flare Blitz and as such, prediction is key when using it.
  • A lot of Fire-type resists, such as Hydreigon, Mega Aerodactyl, and Tentacruel, can be punished by one of Darmanitan's coverage moves; keep this in mind to keep Darmanitan as healthy as possible throughout the game.
  • Similarly, Darmanitan's susceptibility to every form of entry hazards makes entry hazard control vital for its longevity.
  • Darmanitan can also be used as a wallbreaker to punch holes against opposing teams early- and mid-game if the ultimate goal is cleaning late-game with another teammate.
  • Take advantage of the number of switches that Darmanitan produces to gain momentum and weaken the opposing team as much as possible. This will give Darmanitan a much easier time clicking Flare Blitz later on and possibly allow it to sweep late-game against bulkier teams.

Team Options
========
  • Entry hazard control is imperative to keep Darmanitan healthy throughout the game. Gligar, Hydreigon, and Tentacruel are good examples of teammates that can remove entry hazards and check problematic Pokemon like Terrakion, Krookodile, and Alomomola, respectively.
  • Darmanitan has trouble switching in safely due to its lackluster defensive stats. As such, VoltTurn support from the likes of Hydreigon, Scizor, and Mega Manectric is helpful.
  • Grass-types that can beat the Water- and Ground-types that trouble Darmanitan make for good teammates; Celebi can muscle past these troublesome Pokemon with Nasty Plot and absorb status thanks to Natural Cure, while Rotom-C can provide Defog and Volt Switch support.
  • Darmanitan's mediocre Speed allows it to be revenge killed by several offensive Pokemon in the tier, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Latias, and Terrakion, so having a way of dealing with these is important. Scizor can offensively check several faster threats with Bullet Punch, while some defensive Pokemon with status moves like Gligar (and Slowbro) can help defensively.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • A Choice Scarf set could be used for its revenge killing capabilities, but it gets worn down very easily and is outclassed by other Choice Scarf users like Krookodile, Hydreigon, and even Infernape. (I'd like you to expand on this, talk about it doesn't have defensive utility compared to these mons and that they have secondary STAB / more utility in general)

Checks and Counters
===================

**Defensive Water-types**: Physically defensive Water-types like Alomomola, Slowbro, and Quagsire avoid the 2HKO from Darmanitan's attacks and have recovery to heal off any damage done.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster offensive Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl, Terrakion, and Nihilego can OHKO Darmanitan with their super effective STAB attacks but cannot switch into it safely.

**Defensive Ground-types**: Although they can't directly switch into Darmanitan, defensive Ground-types like Gligar, Hippowdon, and Palossand can usually tank a hit and proceed to deal significant damage back with their Ground-type STAB attacks. (This is Darmanitan we're talking about, they all OHKO it back assuming Darm hits them with a Flare Blitz on the same turn. Also, I want you to mention Quagsire here since it hard walls Darm and can recover any lost health.)

**Residual damage**: Entry hazards and recoil damage from Flare Blitz all severely hinder Darmanitan's longevity throughout the game.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Indigo Plateau, 216712]]
- Quality checked by: [[], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
1/3 :blobthumbsup:
 

vivalospride

been up all year my third eye aint even blinkin’
is a Community Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Top Team Rater Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnus
[OVERVIEW]
  • Darmanitan carves its niche in the UU metagame by being one of the hardest hitting Pokemon in the tier due to its Sheer Force-boosted Flare Blitz.
  • Darmanitan is incredibly hard to switch into when holding a Choice Band and can easily 2HKO some of the tier's most common physical walls, such as Gligar, Hippowdon, and Tentacruel.
  • However, Darmanitan's poor Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to Stealth Rock damage and the plethora of Water- and Ground-type moves that flood the tier.
  • Moreover, its terrible defensive stats means that Darmanitan struggles to switch into resisted attacks, fails to check Pokemon like Scizor, Bisharp, and Cobalion which most other Fire-types have defensive utility against, and heavily relies on prediction or VoltTurn support to come in safely.
  • These aforementioned flaws alongside recoil damage from Flare Blitz usually makes Darmanitan's use hard to justify over other Fire-types with better movepools or stats, such as Infernape and Moltres.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Rock Slide / Fire Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • U-turn is a useful pivoting move that allows Darmanitan to gain momentum against Pokemon that Flare Blitz fails to break, such as Slowbro and Alomomola.
  • Earthquake is a good coverage move for hitting certain Steel- and Poison-types that are neutral to Fire super effectively, such as Empoleon, Nidoqueen, and Tentacruel. (These aren't the best examples since Flare Blitz does more to the former two than EQ does and Flare Blitz 2HKOs Tentacruel anyways. In fact I'd say this point in general is kinda wrong since Flare Blitz runs through pretty much all the steel and poison types in the tier, the main reason for having EQ would be for rock types and fire types that can live a blitz but not an eq, good examples would be Stakataka, Terrakion, and Chandelure).
  • Rock Slide is the preferred move of choice in the last slot to OHKO Flying-types, specifically Moltres and Mega Aerodactyl, without Flare Blitz's recoil damage.
  • Fire Punch is a good alternative STAB attack that can be used when Flare Blitz's recoil damage is unwanted.

Set Details
========
  • Choice Band and Sheer Force transform Darmanitan into a fearsome wallbreaker that is able to 2HKO almost the entire tier with the exception of some physically defensive Water-types, namely Slowbro, Alomomola, Quagsire, and Suicune.

Usage Tips
========
  • Darmanitan can get worn down extremely fast when using Flare Blitz and as such, prediction is key when using it. (This is shaky because generally when you're in with CB Darm you're either Flare Blitzing or U-Turning like 99% of the time, it's really "they have a super bulky water or they dont". Sure it's like killing itself when it clicks Flare Blitz but it's not like it's a wincon that you need to keep healthy for the endgame, it's a breaker. I don't think prediction is that big of a deal when using darm is what I'm saying. This should probably be reworded to something like "Darmanitan can get worn down extremely fast when using Flare Blitz and because of this you should avoid using it when there is a clear switch in such as (insert bulky water mons here) to avoid unnecessary damage).
  • A lot of Fire-type resists, such as Hydreigon, Mega Aerodactyl, and Tentacruel, can be punished by one of Darmanitan's coverage moves; keep this in mind to keep Darmanitan as healthy as possible throughout the game. (If anything, in most cases it's best to just U-turn on these things than it is to risk shit with coverage moves. Plus, Darm's just spamming Flare Blitz a lot of the time, so really the cases where you'd use coverage is few and far between in practice, since most of the time you're using one of either U-turn or Flare Blitz.)
  • Similarly, Darmanitan's susceptibility to every form of entry hazards makes entry hazard control vital for its longevity.
  • Darmanitan can also be used as a wallbreaker to punch holes against opposing teams early- and mid-game if the ultimate goal is cleaning late-game with another teammate.
  • Take advantage of the number of switches that Darmanitan produces to gain momentum and weaken the opposing team as much as possible. This will give Darmanitan a much easier time clicking Flare Blitz later on and possibly allow it to sweep late-game against bulkier teams.
  • (Talk about how Darmanitan has poor defense stats and should be brought in through a pivot or a sack most of the time over recklessly throwing it into bullet punches n shit).

Team Options
========
  • Entry hazard control is imperative to keep Darmanitan healthy throughout the game. Gligar, Hydreigon, and Tentacruel are good examples of teammates that can remove entry hazards and check problematic Pokemon like Terrakion, Krookodile, and Alomomola, respectively.
  • Darmanitan has trouble switching in safely due to its lackluster defensive stats. As such, VoltTurn support from the likes of Hydreigon, Scizor, and Mega Manectric is helpful.
  • Grass-types that can beat the Water- and Ground-types that trouble Darmanitan make for good teammates; Celebi can muscle past these troublesome Pokemon with Nasty Plot and absorb status thanks to Natural Cure, while Rotom-C can provide Defog and Volt Switch support.
  • Darmanitan's mediocre Speed allows it to be revenge killed by several offensive Pokemon in the tier, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Latias, and Terrakion, so having a way of dealing with these is important. Scizor can offensively check several faster threats with Bullet Punch, while some defensive Pokemon with status moves like Gligar and Slowbro can help defensively. (Talk about how good twave support is in here somewhere, also scarfers like ).
  • (I think this should be fleshed out just a little more because this mon is p difficult to build with effectively and newer builders prolly need as much help as they can get to build a decent team with this thing. Mention mons such as SD Scizor, Cobalion, and Mega Aerodactly that appreciate Darmanitan weakening bulky waters so they can put in work and potentially clean/sweep late game).
  • (You mention in the overview that it's a fire type that struggles to effectively check steels, mention mons that can carry that load for it such as Doublade, Mega Slowbro, and Cobalion).
  • (Hazard setters can help Darm bust holes into the enemy team, picking a rocker that synergizes well with darm is important because role compression is so huge when building this mon. Mega Aggron, Diancie, and Chesnaught could be decent examples of this. Maggron can toxic waters and fires that bother darm while giving rocks and checking things like Lati, Scizor, and rock types for darm. Diancie can give rocks, heal bell/toxic support, can check Moltres, Lati, and Hydreigon, and it also appreciates Darm's ability to bust through steels. Chesnaught can give Leech Seed/Spikes support, can check Cobalion, Bisharp, rock types, bulky waters, and bulky grounds for darm as well).

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • A Choice Scarf set could be used for its revenge killing capabilities, but it gets worn down very easily and is outclassed by other Choice Scarf users like Krookodile, Hydreigon, and even Infernape. Krookodile offers Intimidate support and the ability to trap naturally faster Pokemon with Pursuit, Hydreigon has access to Levitate and non-recoil STAB attacks, and Infernape has a useful secondary typing in Fighting.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Defensive Water-types**: Physically defensive Water-types like Alomomola, Slowbro, and Quagsire avoid the 2HKO from Darmanitan's attacks and have recovery to heal off any damage done.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster offensive Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl, Terrakion, and Nihilego can OHKO Darmanitan with their super effective STAB attacks but cannot switch into it safely.

**Defensive Ground-types**: Although they can't directly switch into Darmanitan, defensive Ground-types like Gligar, Hippowdon, and Palossand can usually tank a hit and proceed to OHKO back with their Ground-type STAB attacks.

**Residual damage**: Entry hazards and recoil damage from Flare Blitz all severely hinder Darmanitan's longevity throughout the game. (Mention other things like toxic in general and rocky helm from mola here because that's something worth noting, hippo sand stream/rocky helm could also be rough).

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Indigo Plateau, 216712]]
- Quality checked by: [[Nuked, 382658], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
QC 2/3 gj big man
 
What do you think about mentioning webs? This set doesn't see use at all besides on webs, even though even there sees competition from BandShao, though I think that it could deserve a mention.
 

Hilomilo

High-low My-low
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Set/Moves
* "when Flare Blitz's recoil damage is unwanted." - it would be nice if you could elaborate just a bit more here, maybe through listing some targets Fire Punch is better against like Scizor and Cobalion.

Set Details
* I think giving some examples of Flare Blitz calcs to illustrate Darmanitan's power with Choice Band could be cool here. Against Tentacruel and Mega Altaria are some good ones.

Usage Tips
* Talk about when to use U-turn here, such as against predicted switch-ins like Slowbro and Alomomola.

Checks and Counters
* Bulky Suicune seems like a better example to include over Quagsire who's pretty meh right now.

Great job! Very fun to read :) 3/3
 

Surgeon

venice bitch
is a Contributor Alumnus
overview

These aforementioned flaws alongside recoil damage from Flare Blitz usually makes Darmanitan's use hard to justify over other Fire-types with better movepools or stats, such as Infernape and Moltres.
Consider making the recoil damage from Flare Blitz a point of it's own since it's one of the main reasons why this is such an ass Pokemon, so that's something that should be emphasized. In combination with Stealth Rock damage, you get like maybe 2-3 hits in a whole match, which just turns it into a very unreliable and inconsistent breaker.

usage tips

Similarly, Darmanitan's susceptibility to every form of entry hazards makes entry hazard control vital for its longevity.
not a usage tip, I'd take it out.

QC 4/3
 

Lithium114

Banned deucer.
add remove

[OVERVIEW]

Darmanitan carves its niche in the UU metagame by being one of the hardest hitting Pokemon in the tier due to its Sheer Force (RH) boosted Flare Blitz. Darmanitan is incredibly hard to switch into in to when holding a Choice Band and it can easily 2HKO some of the tier's most common physical walls (RC) such as Gligar, Hippowdon, and Tentacruel. However, Darmanitan's poor Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to Stealth Rock damage and the plethora of Water- and Ground-type moves that flood the tier. Moreover, its terrible defensive stats means that Darmanitan struggles to switch into resisted attacks, fails to check Pokemon like Scizor, Bisharp, and Cobalion which most other Fire-types have defensive utility against, and heavily relies on prediction or VoltTurn support to come in safely. Recoil damage from Flare Blitz also severely hinders Darmanitan's longevity and only gives it a few opportunities to fire off Flare Blitz throughout the match. These aforementioned flaws usually makes Darmanitan's use hard to justify over other Fire-types with better movepools or stats, such as Infernape and Moltres.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Rock Slide / Fire Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

U-turn is a useful pivoting move that allows Darmanitan to gain momentum against Pokemon that Flare Blitz fails to break, such as Slowbro and Alomomola. Earthquake is a good coverage move for hitting certain Rock- and Fire-types that can tank a Flare Blitz, such as Terrakion, Stakataka, and Chandelure. Rock Slide is the preferred move of choice in the last slot to OHKO Flying-types, specifically Moltres and Mega Aerodactyl, without Flare Blitz's recoil damage. Fire Punch is a good alternative STAB attack that can be used to target certain Pokemon like Scizor and Cobalion when Flare Blitz's recoil damage is unwanted.

Set Details
========

Choice Band and Sheer Force transform Darmanitan into a fearsome wallbreaker that is able to 2HKO almost the entire tier, including common Fire-type resistances like Tentacruel and Mega Altaria, with the exception of some physically defensive Water-types, namely Slowbro, Alomomola, Quagsire, and Suicune.

Usage Tips
========

Darmanitan can get worn down extremely fast when using Flare Blitz and because of this, you should avoid using it when the opponent has a sturdy resist like Alomomola in the back to avoid unnecessary recoil damage. Darmanitan can also be used as a wallbreaker to punch holes against opposing teams early- and mid-game if the ultimate goal is cleaning late-game with another teammate. Take advantage of the number of switches that Darmanitan produces to gain momentum and weaken the opposing team as much as possible. U-turn should be used if the opponent has a sturdy Water-type counter in the back, such as Alomomola or Slowbro. This will give Darmanitan a much easier time clicking Flare Blitz later on and possibly allow allowing it to sweep late-game against bulkier teams. Try to bring Darmanitan in through VoltTurn support or predicted doubles because its poor defensive stats and typing mean that it will take a sizable amount of damage against resisted hits.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard control is imperative to keep Darmanitan healthy throughout the game. Gligar, Hydreigon, and Tentacruel are good examples of teammates that can remove entry hazards and check problematic Pokemon like Terrakion, Krookodile, and Alomomola (RC) respectively. Darmanitan has trouble switching in safely due to its lackluster defensive stats. As such, VoltTurn support from the likes of Hydreigon, Scizor, and Mega Manectric is helpful. Grass-types that can beat the Water- and Ground-types that trouble Darmanitan make for good teammates; Celebi can muscle past these troublesome Pokemon with Nasty Plot and absorb status thanks to Natural Cure, while Rotom-C can provide Defog and Volt Switch support. Darmanitan's mediocre Speed allows it to be revenge killed by several offensive Pokemon in the tier, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Latias, and Terrakion, so having a way of dealing with these is important. Scizor can offensively check several faster threats with Bullet Punch, while some defensive Pokemon with status moves like Toxic from Gligar and Thunder Wave from Slowbro can help defensively. Choice Scarf users like Hydreigon can also revenge kill the faster threats that outspeed and threaten Darmanitan. Teammates that appreciate Water-type Pokemon being weakened, such as Swords Dance Scizor, Swords Dance Cobalion, and Mega Aerodactyl, offensively synergize well with Darmanitan. Darmanitan struggles to check Steel-types like Scizor, Bisharp, and Cobalion that other Fire-types are better at checking. Pokemon that can help in checking these Pokemon like Doublade, Cobalion, and Mega Slowbro are helpful teammates. Entry hazard setters that synergize well with Darmanitan are crucial as they can facilitate Darmanitan's wallbreaking abilities and help check troublesome Pokemon. Mega Aggron can check Dragon-types that would otherwise force Darmanitan out and has Toxic to give Fire- and Water-types a harder job at checking Darmanitan. Diancie can also check Dragon- and Flying-types as well as provide Heal Bell or Toxic support. Lastly, Chesnaught can set up Spikes and Leech Seed to wear down the opposing team and check most of the Water-, Ground-, Steel-, and Rock-types that are hard for Darmanitan to switch into or beat one-on-one.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A Choice Scarf set could be used for its revenge killing capabilities, but it gets worn down very easily and is outclassed by other Choice Scarf users like Krookodile, Hydreigon, and even Infernape. Krookodile offers Intimidate support and the ability to trap naturally faster Pokemon with Pursuit, Hydreigon has access to Levitate and non-recoil STAB attacks, and Infernape has a useful secondary typing in Fighting.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Defensive Water-types**: Physically defensive Water-types like Alomomola, Slowbro, and Suicune avoid the 2HKO from Darmanitan's attacks and have recovery to heal off any damage done.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster offensive Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl, Terrakion, and Nihilego can OHKO Darmanitan with their super effective STAB attacks but cannot switch into it safely.

**Defensive Ground-types**: Although they can't directly switch into Darmanitan, defensive Ground-types like Gligar, Hippowdon, and Palossand can usually tank a hit and proceed to OHKO back with their Ground-type STAB attacks.

**Residual damage**: Entry hazards, Toxic poison, Rocky Helmet from physical walls, and recoil damage from Flare Blitz all severely hinder Darmanitan's longevity throughout the game.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Indigo Plateau, 216712]]
- Quality checked by: [[Nuked, 382658], [vivalospride, 151509], [hilomilo, 313384], [surgeon, 347604]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 
Last edited:

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]

Darmanitan carves its niche in the UU metagame by being one of the hardest-hitting (AH) Pokemon in the tier due to its Sheer Force-boosted Flare Blitz, (comma) Darmanitan is making it incredibly hard to switch into when holding a Choice Band and can able to easily 2HKO some of the tier's most common physical walls, such as Gligar, Hippowdon, and Tentacruel. However, Darmanitan's poor Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to Stealth Rock damage and the plethora of Water- and Ground-type moves that flood the tier. Moreover, its terrible defensive stats means mean that Darmanitan struggles to switch into resisted attacks, fails to check Pokemon like Scizor, Bisharp, and Cobalion, (AC) which most other Fire-types have defensive utility against, and heavily relies on prediction or VoltTurn support to come in safely. Recoil damage from Flare Blitz also severely hinders Darmanitan's longevity and only gives it a few opportunities to fire off Flare Blitz throughout the match. These aforementioned flaws usually makes make Darmanitan's use hard to justify over other Fire-types with better movepools or stats, such as Infernape and Moltres.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Rock Slide / Fire Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

U-turn is a useful pivoting move that allows Darmanitan to gain momentum against Pokemon that Flare Blitz fails to break, such as Slowbro and Alomomola. Earthquake is a good coverage move for hitting certain Rock- and Fire-types that can tank a Flare Blitz, such as Terrakion, Stakataka, and Chandelure. Rock Slide is the preferred move of choice in the last slot to OHKO Flying-types, specifically Moltres and Mega Aerodactyl, without Flare Blitz's recoil damage. Fire Punch is a good alternative STAB attack that can be used to target certain Pokemon like Scizor and Cobalion when Flare Blitz's recoil damage is unwanted.

Set Details
========

Choice Band and Sheer Force transform Darmanitan into a fearsome wallbreaker that is able to 2HKO almost the entire tier, including common Fire-type resistances answers (or "Fire-resistant threats" obv) like Tentacruel and Mega Altaria, with the exception of some physically defensive Water-types, namely Slowbro, Alomomola, Quagsire, and Suicune.

Usage Tips
========

Darmanitan can get worn down extremely fast when using Flare Blitz, (AC) and because of this, you should avoid using it when the opponent has a sturdy resist answer to it like Alomomola in the back to avoid unnecessary recoil damage. Darmanitan can also be used as a wallbreaker to punch holes against opposing teams early- and mid-game if the ultimate goal is cleaning late-game with another teammate. Take advantage of the number of switches that Darmanitan produces to gain momentum and weaken the opposing team as much as possible. U-turn should be used if the opponent has a sturdy Water-type counter in the back, such as Alomomola or Slowbro. This will give Darmanitan a much easier time clicking Flare Blitz later on and possibly allow it to sweep late-game against bulkier teams. Try to bring Darmanitan in through VoltTurn support or predicted double switches because its poor defensive stats and typing mean that it will take a sizable amount of damage against resisted hits.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard control is imperative to keep Darmanitan healthy throughout the game. Gligar, Hydreigon, and Tentacruel are good examples of teammates that can remove entry hazards and check problematic Pokemon like Terrakion, Krookodile, and Alomomola, respectively. Darmanitan has trouble switching in safely due to its lackluster defensive stats. As such, VoltTurn support from the likes of Hydreigon, Scizor, and Mega Manectric is helpful. Grass-types that can beat the Water- and Ground-types that trouble Darmanitan make for good teammates; Celebi can muscle past these troublesome Pokemon with Nasty Plot and absorb status thanks to Natural Cure, while Rotom-C can provide Defog and Volt Switch support. Darmanitan's mediocre Speed allows it to be revenge killed by several offensive Pokemon in the tier, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Latias, and Terrakion, so having a way of dealing with these is important. Scizor can offensively check several faster threats with Bullet Punch, while some defensive Pokemon with status moves like Toxic from Gligar and Thunder Wave from Slowbro can help defensively. Choice Scarf users like Hydreigon can also revenge kill the faster threats that outspeed and threaten Darmanitan. Teammates that appreciate Water-type Pokemon being weakened, such as Swords Dance Scizor, Swords Dance Cobalion, and Mega Aerodactyl, offensively synergize well with Darmanitan. Darmanitan struggles to check Steel-types like Scizor, Bisharp, and Cobalion that other Fire-types are better at checking, (comma) so Pokemon that can help in checking these Pokemon like Doublade, Cobalion, and Mega Slowbro are helpful teammates. Entry hazard setters that synergize well with Darmanitan are crucial, (AC) as they can facilitate Darmanitan's wallbreaking abilities and help check troublesome Pokemon. Mega Aggron can check Dragon-types that would otherwise force Darmanitan out and has Toxic to give Fire- and Water-types a harder job at checking Darmanitan. Diancie can also check Dragon- and Flying-types as well as provide Heal Bell or Toxic support. Lastly, Chesnaught can set up Spikes and Leech Seed to wear down the opposing team and check most of the Water-, Ground-, Steel-, and Rock-types that are hard for Darmanitan to switch into or beat one-on-one.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A Choice Scarf set could be used for its revenge killing capabilities, but it gets worn down very easily and is outclassed by other Choice Scarf users like Krookodile, Hydreigon, and even Infernape. Krookodile offers Intimidate support and the ability to trap naturally faster Pokemon with Pursuit, Hydreigon has access to Levitate and non-recoil STAB attacks, and Infernape has a useful secondary typing in Fighting.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Defensive Water-types**: Physically defensive Water-types like Alomomola, Slowbro, and Suicune avoid the 2HKO from Darmanitan's attacks and have recovery to heal off any damage done.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster offensive Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl, Terrakion, and Nihilego can OHKO Darmanitan with their super effective STAB attacks but cannot switch into it safely.

**Defensive Ground-types**: Although they can't directly switch into Darmanitan, defensive Ground-types like Gligar, Hippowdon, and Palossand can usually tank a hit and proceed to OHKO back with their Ground-type STAB attacks.

**Residual damage**: Entry hazards, Toxic poison, Rocky Helmet from physical walls, and recoil damage from Flare Blitz all severely hinder Darmanitan's longevity throughout the game.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Indigo Plateau, 216712]]
- Quality checked by: [[Nuked, 382658], [vivalospride, 151509], [hilomilo, 313384], [surgeon, 347604]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
 

Nix_Hex

Uangaana kasuttortunga!
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
[OVERVIEW]

Darmanitan carves its niche in the UU metagame by being one of the hardest-hitting Pokemon in the tier due to its Sheer Force-boosted Flare Blitz, making it incredibly hard to switch into when holding a Choice Band and able to easily 2HKO some of the tier's most common physical walls, such as Gligar, Hippowdon, and Tentacruel. However, Darmanitan's poor Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to Stealth Rock damage and the plethora of Water- and Ground-type moves that flood the tier. Moreover, its terrible defensive stats mean that Darmanitan struggles to switch into resisted attacks, fails to check Pokemon like Scizor, Bisharp, and Cobalion, which most other Fire-types have defensive utility against, and heavily relies on prediction or VoltTurn support to come in safely. Recoil damage from Flare Blitz also severely hinders Darmanitan's longevity and only gives it a few opportunities to fire off Flare Blitz throughout the match. These aforementioned flaws usually make Darmanitan's use hard to justify over other Fire-types with better movepools or stats, such as Infernape and Moltres.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Rock Slide / Fire Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

U-turn is a useful pivoting move that allows Darmanitan to gain momentum against Pokemon that Flare Blitz fails to break, such as Slowbro and Alomomola. Earthquake is a good coverage move for hitting certain Rock- and Fire-types that can tank a Flare Blitz, such as Terrakion, Stakataka, and Chandelure. Rock Slide is the preferred move of choice in the last slot to OHKO Flying-types, specifically Moltres and Mega Aerodactyl, without Flare Blitz's recoil damage. Fire Punch is a good alternative STAB attack that can be used to target certain Pokemon like Scizor and Cobalion when Flare Blitz's recoil damage is unwanted.

Set Details
========

Choice Band and Sheer Force transform Darmanitan into a fearsome wallbreaker that is able to 2HKO almost the entire tier, including common answers to Fire-types answers like Tentacruel and Mega Altaria, with the exception of some physically defensive Water-types, namely Slowbro, Alomomola, Quagsire, and Suicune.

Usage Tips
========

Darmanitan can get worn down extremely fastquickly when using Flare Blitz, and because of this, you should avoid using it when the opponent has a sturdy answer to it like Alomomola in the back to avoid unnecessary recoil damage. Darmanitan can also be used as a wallbreaker to punch holes against opposing teams early- and mid-game if the ultimate goal is cleaning late-game with another teammate. Take advantage of the number of switches that Darmanitan produces to gain momentum and weaken the opposing team as much as possible. U-turn should be used if the opponent has a sturdy Water-type counter in the back, such as Alomomola or Slowbro. This will give Darmanitan a much easier time clicking Flare Blitz later on and possibly allow it to sweep late-game against bulkier teams. Try to bring Darmanitan in through VoltTurn support or predicted double switches because its poor defensive stats and typing mean that it will take a sizable amount of damage against resisted hits.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard control is imperative to keep Darmanitan healthy throughout the game. Gligar, Hydreigon, and Tentacruel are good examples of teammates that can remove entry hazards and check problematic Pokemon like Terrakion, Krookodile, and Alomomola, respectively. Darmanitan has trouble switching in safely due to its lackluster defensive stats. As such, VoltTurn support from the likes of Hydreigon, Scizor, and Mega Manectric is helpful. Grass-types that can beat the Water- and Ground-types that trouble Darmanitan make for good teammates; Celebi can muscle past these troublesome Pokemon with Nasty Plot and absorb status thanks to Natural Cure, while Rotom-C can provide Defog and Volt Switch support. Darmanitan's mediocre Speed allows it to be revenge killed by several offensive Pokemon in the tier, such as Mega Aerodactyl, Latias, and Terrakion, so having a way of dealing with these is important. Scizor can offensively check several faster threats with Bullet Punch, while some defensive Pokemon with status moves like Toxic Gligar and Thunder Wave Slowbro can help defensively. Choice Scarf users like Hydreigon can also revenge kill the faster threats that outspeed and threaten Darmanitan. Teammates that appreciate Water-type Pokemon being weakened, such as Swords Dance Scizor, Swords Dance Cobalion, and Mega Aerodactyl, offensively synergize well with Darmanitan. Darmanitan struggles to check Steel-types like Scizor, Bisharp, and Cobalion that other Fire-types are better at checking, so Pokemon that can help in checking these Pokemon likesuch as Doublade, Cobalion, and Mega Slowbro are helpful teammates. Entry hazard setters that synergize well with Darmanitan are crucial, as they can facilitate Darmanitan's wallbreaking abilities and help check troublesome Pokemon. Mega Aggron can check Dragon-types that would otherwise force Darmanitan out and has Toxic to give Fire- and Water-types a harder job at checking Darmanitan. Diancie can also check Dragon- and Flying-types as well as provide Heal Bell or Toxic support. Lastly, Chesnaught can set up Spikes and Leech Seed to wear down the opposing team and check most of the Water-, Ground-, Steel-, and Rock-types that are hard for Darmanitan to switch into or beat one-on-one.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

A Choice Scarf set could be used for its revenge killing capabilities, but it gets worn down very easily and is outclassed by other Choice Scarf users like Krookodile, Hydreigon, and even Infernape. Krookodile offers Intimidate support and the ability to trap naturally faster Pokemon with Pursuit, Hydreigon has access to Levitate and non-recoil STAB attacks, and Infernape has a useful secondary typing in Fighting.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Defensive Water-types**: Physically defensive Water-types like Alomomola, Slowbro, and Suicune avoid the 2HKO from Darmanitan's attacks and have recovery to heal off any damage done.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster offensive Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl, Terrakion, and Nihilego can OHKO Darmanitan with their super effective STAB attacks but cannot switch into it safely.

**Defensive Ground-types**: Although they can't directly switch into Darmanitan, defensive Ground-types like Gligar, Hippowdon, and Palossand can usually tank a hit and proceed to OHKO back with their Ground-type STAB attacks.

**Residual damage**: Entry hazards, Toxic poison, Rocky Helmet from physical walls, and recoil damage from Flare Blitz all severely hinder Darmanitan's longevity throughout the game.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Indigo Plateau, 216712]]
- Quality checked by: [[Nuked, 382658], [vivalospride, 151509], [hilomilo, 313384], [surgeon, 347604]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]


Not too much to change here. Fun read, and good job.

[GP 2/2]
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top