Cinccino

[NatGeo]

#573 Cinccino
Normal
75/95/60/65/60/115
Cute Charm: pokemon of the opposite gender have a 30% chance of being infatuated when attacking with physical moves.
Technician: moves 60 base power and below are boosted by 1.5
Skill Link: multi-hit moves will always strike 5 times (DW Ability, Released)

 [B]Level Up moves:[/B] Pound, Growl, Helping Hand, [COLOR=Red]Tickle[/COLOR], Doubleslap, [COLOR=Red]Encore[/COLOR], Swift, [COLOR=Red]Sing[/COLOR], [COLOR=Red]Tail slap[/COLOR], Charm, [COLOR=Red]Wake-Up Slap[/COLOR], Echoed Voice, Slam, Captivate, Hyper Voice, [COLOR=Red]Last Resort[/COLOR], You First, [COLOR=Red]Bullet Seed[/COLOR], [COLOR=Red]Rock Blast[/COLOR]
 
 [B]Egg moves:[/B] [COLOR=Red]Iron Tail[/COLOR],Tail Whip, [COLOR=Red]Aqua Tail[/COLOR], [COLOR=Red]Mud-Slap[/COLOR], [COLOR=Red]Knock Off[/COLOR], Fake Tears, [COLOR=Red]Sleep Talk[/COLOR], [COLOR=Red]Endure[/COLOR], [COLOR=Red]Flail[/COLOR]
 
 [B]Learnable TMs:[/B] , TM04 - Calm Mind, TM06 - Toxic, TM10 - Hidden Power, TM11 - Sunny Day, TM15 - Hyper Beam, TM16 - [COLOR=Red]Light Screen[/COLOR], TM17 - Protect, TM18 - Rain Dance, TM20 - Safeguard, TM21 - Frustration, TM24 - Thunderbolt, TM25 - Thunder, TM27 - [COLOR=Red]Return[/COLOR], TM28 - [COLOR=Red]Dig[/COLOR], TM32 - Double Team, TM42 - Facade, TM44 - [COLOR=Red]Rest[/COLOR], TM45 - Attract, TM48 - Round, TM49 - Echoed Voice, TM52 - Focus Blast, TM56 - Fling, TM67 - [COLOR=Red]Retalliate[/COLOR], TM68 - Giga Impact, TM73 - [COLOR=Red]Thunder Wave[/COLOR], TM83 - [COLOR=Red]Work Up[/COLOR], TM86 - Grass Knot, TM87 - Swagger, TM89 - [COLOR=Red]U-Turn[/COLOR], TM90 - [COLOR=Red]Substitute[/COLOR]
 
 BW2 Tutor moves: Covet, Seed Bomb, Gunk Shot, Uproar, Last Resort, Aqua  Tail, Hyper Voice, Iron Tail, Snore, Knock Off, After You, Helping Hand,  Sleep Talk

Arguably one of the cutest most dangerous cleaners in the entire meta has come to reach its full potential with the release of its DW ability, Skill Link. Beforehand, Cinccino was shaky at best because of the off chance that its main multi hit moves would only hit twice. Now, however, Cinccino has a base 125 STAB move with 85% accuracy and no drawbacks whatsoever. Rock Blast and Bullet Seed are also an effective base 125 Power also! With that in mind, Cinccino actually 2HKOes most of the meta with a layer of hazards up, with possibly only Misdreavus being a defensive check to it. For example, Regirock, one of the most popular Normal-type checks out there, is 2HKOed by an LO Bullet Seed on the switch in. Just a thought there. Cinccino also is really REALLY fast - you will only see Pokemon as fast as Zebstrika outspeed you and up, as well as a good chunk of Choice Scarf users (all of these have to watch out for a LO / CB hit though!) You have to keep in mind how its defensive stats work out, however.

HP: 75
Def AND SpDef: 60

So basically this thing blows down like a leaf in the wind, as in a -1 Absol Sucker Punch does upwards of 75%. You're also going to be switching out a lot, if just for the sake of U-Turning on something to KO them. Cinccino's a valuable asset, don't you know? Anyways, that said Cinccino really needs to watch out for hazards ruining its day. A layer of Spikes and SR basically halves the lifespan of Cinccino if it carries Life Orb and it has to switch in 3 or 4 times (which is what tends to happen - varying periods of weakening the opponent or finishing of a Pokemon). Rapid Spin support isn't really necessary to beat Cinccino really, but having SR off the field is just absolutely amazing when you NEED it off to have an 80% chance of surviving a Jolly LO Sucker Punch from Absol.

Sets I've been using (just directly off of the analysis i'm writing ATM, but hey it works!):

[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Tail Slap
move 2: Rock Blast
move 3: Bullet Seed
move 4: Wake-Up Slap / U-turn
item: Life Orb
ability: Skill Link
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Not exactly my favorite set, but this is the one that I've seen is most popular, and they've got a reason for using it! The ability to switch moves on something like Cinccino is great when you have the possibility of making up for a mispredict, and big time. I don't think I really need to go into explanation for how these moves work, since I already did in the intro. Wake Up Slap is actually only here because its the only way Cinccino can reliably go about beating Probopass and Bastiodon, since they resist or take poop from all your other moves. U-Turn is a great move if you just need to come in and finish opponents off, because then Cinccino can come back in later and do the same thing again! There's really no point in running Adamant on this set since you lose out on soooooo many Pokemon, like other Cinccino (very popular), Cryogonal (again, very popular), and you only tie with base 100s.... ._. and these Pokemon can OHKO you too!

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Tail Slap
move 2: Rock Blast
move 3: Bullet Seed
move 4: U-Turn / Wake-Up Slap
item: Choice Band
ability: Skill Link
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

This is my favorite set. Of all time. You want to know why? You 2HKO every single major Pokemon in the metagame not called Misdreavus (who takes a solid 35% on average from Rock Blast :O) (cradily and some unevolved steel types aside!). With that in mind prediction almost becomes a nonfactor unless you're trying to be ballsy with it. Tail Slap is a great move to spam because of its neutral coverage on most of the meta, and Rock Blast / Bullet Seed take care of everything that can take a Tail Slap (or two, or more). U-Turn is just to scout and gain momentum, but WUS is here, again, to do the same function: beat the poop out of Probopass and Bastiodon.

Choice Scarf is another decent set, but its not nearly as effective in this new metagame due to the absence of weather teams as of late. There are a few other sets too, like Encore and Sub + Work Up. None of these are really effective though.

Food for thought:

Given that Cinccino has the capability of beating almost every single defensive stalwart, how do you usually deal with Cinccino? Offensively and if defensively, how so?

Do you think Cinccino forces other Normal-types like Kangaskhan out of the picture? As I recall, Kangaskhan was actually rising up out of PU territory before BW2 was released.

Just thought of this now, but how much of an impact do you think Cinccino will make now? I've said that it's now cemented as one of the top attackers in NU, but I want to hear everyone's opinion.

Also does someone know where I can buy a high quality Cinccino plush doll?

 

[watashi]

Cinccino defines the metagame right now. If you're not running like two things that can outspeed it or something that can switch into it reliably like Bastiodon, then you're likely to be swept. Keep in mind that even really physically bulky Pokemon such as Amoonguss or Musharna are both 2HKO'ed after rocks. Substitute users are probably going to disappear due to Cinccino's array of multi-hit moves. Normal / Rock / Grass may not seem like the best coverage, but it hits a huge portion of the metagame super effectively. Oh, did I mention that Cinccino has a 31.5% chance of getting a critical hit at least once?

 

[col49]

Metang walls him to death, gg .-.

But in all seriousness, Cincinno really is one of the most dangerous Pokemon in the tier, albeit a glass cannon. The release of Skill Link is just icing on the cake (especially since I would always get 2 hits w/low damage rolls when using technician ;-;), and generally faces no downsides (it does lose the chance to 2HKO Defensive Cradily w/Wake-Up Slap, but what was it's usage again?). Definitely going to throw my support behind a Sub+3 Attacks set, it's definitely viable, and dodging priority is just about the best thing for him, since he can't take hits at all.

 

[DTC]

I'm glad that Cinccino got Skill Link. Now I can expect how many times Cinccino will hit me and it's much more reliable now; the lack of which before made me usually use other Normal-types over Cinccino.

Choice Band is my favorite Cinccino set. Cinccino really can't afford to take recoil, otherwise it will die after about 2 attacks and whatever attacks it gets hit by from switching in/priority/walls that can actually take a hit. Choice Band is also great for spamming U-turn. Over other powerful Normal-types, Cinccino offers the ability to easily beat Substitute, being blisteringly fast, and U-turn.

In terms of beating

, other than

(who you can beat with a Substitute set), there are a few ways. For LO, it will ware down pretty quickly and then you can smack it around with priority which you will probably have with Pokemon such as Absol, Skuntank, Samurott, and Gurdurr in the tier. For Choice Band, just predict well. A lot of Pokemon can beat Cinccino one on one such as Regirock (Drain Punch/Thunder Wave) and Intimidate Tauros, but it's really hard to switch into Cinccino. Luring in Cinccino by a Pokemon that usually uses Substitute and attacking instead is a great way to dispatch of Cinccino since it can't take hits well at all. Probopass and Bastiodon also do well against Cinccino because most don't use Wake-Up Slap anymore and instead use U-turn.

A Substitute Cinccino set could have merit. It allows Cinccino to get past Sucker Punch and Misdreavus. It also can abuse Kings Rock 41% chance to flinch well because it doesn't have to worry about dying if it fails to flinch and the target survives (which will probably happen because Kings Rock is weak) because it's protected by Substitute.

 

[col49]

DTC totally posted just to use those sprites lol. Anywho, cuz I have to post sets now, like I know what I'm doing or something, this is what I've been using:
[SET]
name: Substitute+3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Tail Slap
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Bullet Seed
item: Silk Scarf / Life Orb
ability: Skill Link
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Obviously it beats Missy, by merit of Substitute, though it also minimizes the effectiveness of wearing it down via LO recoil and other residuals, which DTC effectively points out as an effective method of "beating" Cincinno. Plus avoiding priority and revenge-killing proves invaluable to such a frail poke. Admittedly I've only ran Silk Scarf (main selling points being feinting a Choice set, lack of compiling LO recoil, and consistently 2HKOing standard Amoongus after SR, as well as having a solid chance to 2HKO Lickilicky after SR, though there are likely some other neat calcs I'm missing), but Life Orb can also be utilized effectively, though it goes without saying that you will be worn down fairly quickly. Leftovers is generally a waste, as Cincinno is hardly finding multiple opportunities to switch in.