STATUS: 2/2 QC Approved | Written, 2/2 GP Approved (DONE)
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[Overview]
<p>Cofagrigus is quite possibly the epitome of a defensive spinblocker, thanks to its great defensive stats and Ghost typing. Unfortunately, these assets may not be enough to let it keep up with the extremely offensive metagame of the new generation. The main reason why people may shy away from Cofagrigus is simply the intense competition for a team slot; Jellicent, for example, which can also block Rapid Spin with its Ghost typing, possesses many more resistances thanks to secondary Water typing. A shallow movepool also lets Cofagrigus down quite a bit, so its standard support set doesn't have many options, aside from Haze, to use as a filler move. Finally, with Rapid Spin becoming less and less common, Cofagrigus's primary role is slowly becoming less and less important.</p>
<p>However, despite all these setbacks, Cofagrigus still has its merits. 58/145/105 defenses are great, giving Cofagrigus the ability to wall entire teams once certain threats have been removed. Being the sole fully-evolved Pokemon with the Mummy ability helps as well, allowing Cofagrigus to fare well against certain threats such as Conkeldurr, Scizor, and Breloom. Cofagrigus's usefulness doesn't end there, though; access to Calm Mind allows it to go on the offensive and rip apart unprepared teams.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Ghost
move 1: Rest
move 2: Haze
move 3: Shadow Ball / Hex
move 4: Will-O-Wisp
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 SDef
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This standard bulky set takes advantage of Cofagrigus's natural bulk in order to serve as a defensive pivot and team supporter. In addition to being the second bulkiest Ghost-type (after Evolite Stone Dusclops), Cofagrigus has a more than passable Special Attack stat, which can ward off frail attackers, and a useful ability in Mummy, which allows Cofagrigus to fare well against certain Pokemon that are dependent on their abilities. Shadow Ball is Cofagrigus's main attacking option, as it gets STAB and has a consistent Base Power. Will-O-Wisp allows Cofagrigus to cripple physical attackers while slowly whittling away their HP at the same time. Haze is largely a filler option, but can be a life saver when going up against defensive stat-boosting Pokemon such as Wish Calm Mind Jirachi and Curse Snorlax.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>After HP is maximized in order to gain as much overall bulk as possible, the EVs are focused primarily on Cofagrigus's Defense so that it can take physical attacks as well as possible. However, if you so choose, some Defense EVs can be shifted to Special Defense to let Cofagrigus take on special attackers more easily. The EV spread and nature given provide a good mix of physical and special bulk, but they can be tweaked to fit your team’s needs.</p>
<p>Hex is an option over Shadow Ball, as if the target is afflicted with a status condition, Hex will hit with 100 Base Power. However, this relies on the target already being burned, while Shadow Ball has a consistent Base Power regardless of the foe's status condition. Shadow Ball also has the chance to decrease Special Defense, while Hex does not. Similarly, Curse is an option over Haze as a more offensive method of dealing with stat-boosting Pokemon. However, this comes at the cost of 50% of Cofagrigus's HP, which Cofagrigus is not always able or willing to sacrifice.</p>
<p>As mentioned, Cofagrigus faces lots of competition for a team slot from Jellicent and Evolite Dusclops. If you choose to use Cofagrigus over these similar Pokemon, it should be for Cofagrigus's strengths - namely its better Special Attack and ability to deal with Conkeldurr more effectively. Haze is also a useful advantage over other Ghost-types, despite being primarily a filler option.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Rest / Will-O-Wisp
item: Leftovers / Chesto Berry
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to its enormous Defense, Cofagrigus is a very effective user of Calm Mind, as the Special Defense boosts make it extremely difficult to kill without powerful super effective attacks or critical hits. After several Calm Minds, Cofagrigus is practically ready to sweep; Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting give perfect neutral coverage, allowing Cofagrigus to OHKO or 2HKO nearly all opposing Pokemon after a few boosts. Rest is then used to restore Cofagrigus to tiptop condition once it is running low on HP, as it has no other means of recovery (outside of Leftovers).</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>While Leftovers is good for reliable recovery, Chesto Berry is a decent alternative, as it allows Cofagrigus to wake up immediately after its first use of Rest to further accumulate Calm Minds. Will-O-Wisp may be used over either Hidden Power Fighting or Rest; however, if you use it over the former, Cofagrigus will be walled by Normal-types, and if you use it over the latter, Cofagrigus will lack a reliable form of recovery outside of Leftovers. Even still, Will-O-Wisp often allows Cofagrigus an easier time setting up against numerous threats, such as Excadrill, Garchomp, Landorus, Terrakion, and Tyranitar. It should also be noted that a Calm Mind Cofagrigus is most effective once it is your last remaining Pokemon, as then it can no longer be forced out by Roar or Whirlwind, which would otherwise eliminate all of Cofagrigus's accumulated Calm Mind boosts.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Cofagrigus is more than capable of setting up Trick Room; however, Evolite Dusclops is usually better in this regard, as it can make use of Pain Split well due to its low base HP and does not have to waste Trick Room turns waking up from Rest. However, an offensive Nasty Plot Trick Room set can be useful if you are in need of an offensive Ghost-type Trick Room user. Unfortunately, when it comes to making use of Nasty Plot, its utility is limited to Trick Room, as Cofagrigus is otherwise better off with Calm Mind.</p>
<p>As a more gimmicky strategy, Cofagrigus can be paired with Slaking. Cofagrigus can turn a foe's ability into Mummy before switching out, allowing Slaking to remove Truant by using Pursuit on the opponent. However, this strategy is risky at best and even if it is pulled off successfully, Slaking may not pull off a sweep anyway.</p>
[Counters and Checks]
<p>When it comes to playing against Cofagrigus, Pokemonwith STAB Dark- and Ghost-type moves are recommended. Tyranitar and Scrafty are good examples of this, as they can hit Cofagrigus hard with a powerful Crunch, but they must be wary of Will-O-Wisp. Most Pokemon with Taunt that are not weak to Shadow Ball will also usually win one-on-one against Cofagrigus. Trick and Encore users will make Cofagrigus's life difficult, as Cofagrigus often relies on outstalling its opponent, which it cannot do when limited to one move. If Cofagrigus is not running Curse or Haze, Pokemon such as CurseLax and CroCune can set up all over Cofagrigus. Finally, specially-based sweepers that do not care for Will-O-Wisp such as Nasty Plot Lucario and Nasty Plot Zoroark can set up in Cofagrigus's face.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Cofagrigus doesn't have a Dream World ability.</p>
