QC: Jukain | aim | liberty32
GP: Winry. | P Squared
Overview
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Cofagrigus has great natural bulk, which gives it numerous opportunities to set up either Trick Room or Nasty Plot, the former of which compliments it due to its low Speed. In addition, it sports a unique ability in Mummy, which allows it to defeat Pokemon that rely on their abilities, such as Azumarill, Mega Medicham, and Mega Heracross. It's got a decent base 95 Special Attack stat, which allows it to deal crippling damage after it attains a Nasty Plot boost, making it a solid option for Trick Room teams. Outside of Trick Room, Cofagrigus's diverse movepool that includes Haze, Will-O-Wisp, and Toxic Spikes allows it to differentiate itself from other walls and gives it a decent defensive set to work with, as it is extremely hard to turn Cofagrigus into setup bait.
Defensive
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name: Physical Wall
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Pain Split / Snatch
move 3: Hex / Shadow Ball
move 4: Will-O-Wisp
ability: Mummy
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Bold
Moves
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Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers such as Mega Medicham and Mega Heracross, making them almost useless and greatly lowering their ability to threaten Cofagrigus's team. Pain Split is Cofagrigus's only source of recovery outside of Leftovers, and while it is a bit unreliable, it can keep Cofagrigus healthy throughout the match. Another solid option is Snatch, which allows Cofagrigus to potentially stallbreak and steal moves such as Recover or Roost for itself if done in the right situation, which, in tandem with status, can greatly hinder the foe. Toxic Spikes is a move that few Pokemon in OU get access to, and Cofagrigus can put this to move to work due to the switches it forces; Toxic Spikes support also has the added bonus of powering up Hex. Hex starts off as a slightly weaker Shadow Ball, but it doubles in power if the foe is afflicted by some type of status, and this is often the case due to Cofagrigus's access to both Will-O-Wisp and Toxic Spikes. However, Shadow Ball is an option if consistency is required, although you will often hit significantly less hard. Rest is also an option that allows Cofagrigus to fully recover its HP, though clerical support is then required for this to be effective.
Set Details
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252 HP EVs and 252 Defense EVs keep Cofagrigus as physically bulky as possible, while the remaining 4 EVs are added to Special Defense for a slight boost. A Bold nature is used to maximize the Defense stat, while Leftovers serves as Cofagrigus's most reliable form of recovery. Mummy is used for its useful purposes in crippling Pokemon that rely on their abilities, such as Mega Lopunny.
Usage Tips
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Cofagrigus should mainly be used as a switch-in to many physical attackers in the tier such as Terrakion, Hawlucha, Azumarill, Mega Heracross, and Mega Lopunny, as Mummy and the threat of being crippled by a burn almost always forces them out. Using Pain Split smartly on predicted switches prevents Cofagrigus from being worn down quickly. Snatch can prevent setup sweepers from attaining boosts and can steal useful things such Substitutes, so use it whenever Cofagrigus is facing a foe that will probably use a status move instead of an attack. Cofagrigus also functions as a spinblocker if needed, being able to beat some Excadrill and most defensive Starmie 1v1. Mummy also takes Scrappy away on contact immediately, meaning Cofagrigus can often simply switch in on predicted Fake Outs from Mega Lopunny and avoid the brunt of the damage from a devastating High Jump Kick.
Team Options
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Strong special attackers such as Thundurus, Latios, and Keldeo will often capitalize on Cofagrigus's weaker Special Defense stat, meaning that dedicated special walls such as Chansey or Sylveon are good partners that can take the heat off Cofagrigus. These Pokemon also provide clerical support for Cofagrigus by curing it of status or giving it the opportunity to use Rest, which is helpful because Cofagrigus hates being afflicted by status ailments such as poison or burn. Bulky Mega Evolutions such as Mega Charizard X and Mega Venusaur pair well with it, as they can switch in and take Knock Offs from Bisharp, while Cofagrigus works well with any existing Fire / Water / Grass cores. Gliscor is a good choice to take Knock Offs from Bisharp and can deal with stallbreaker Mew, as both foes can't do anything to it once Poison Heal has been activated. Specially defensive Gliscor also counters both Heatran and Clefable, which can trouble Cofagrigus greatly.
Offensive
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name: Offensive
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Nasty Plot
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Will-O-Wisp / Hidden Power Fighting
ability: Mummy
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Quiet
Moves
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Nasty Plot allows Cofagrigus to put massive dents in most Pokemon, and it is very easy to set up and works well alongside Trick Room. Cofagrigus is an excellent Trick Room setter as well due to its bulk, making it one of its best options to use on a Trick Room team. Shadow Ball is a reliable STAB move to work with, doing severe damage after a Nasty Plot, as Ghost has amazing coverage. Will-O-Wisp lets Cofagrigus cripple physical attackers that it can't KO with Shadow Ball, such as Mega Heracross, Mega Gyarados that lack Substitute, and Garchomp. Hidden Power Fighting is another option that allows Cofagrigus to hit Tyranitar and Bisharp and has perfect neutral coverage alongside Shadow Ball.
Set Details
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252 HP EVs give Cofagrigus quite a bit of bulk, while another 4 EVs are invested in Defense to give it a small boost. 252 Special Attack EVs are used to maximize Cofagrigus's damage output, while a Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs make it as slow as possible, which is ideal under Trick Room.
Usage Tips
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Offensive Trick Room Cofagrigus should be used on dedicated Trick Room teams, as its bulk allows it to come in on several threats and easily set up a Trick Room or Nasty Plot. Nasty Plot allows Cofagrigus to function as a dangerous offensive threat mid-game, and it is especially augmented by Trick Room. Using Cofagrigus as a switch-in to Pokemon such as Mega Medicham, Azumarill on a Waterfall or Play Rough, and Mega Heracross is recommended, as it can regain your team momentum and threaten them with a burn.
Team Options
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Standard partners that can set up Trick Room such as Cresselia and Porygon2 are needed, though they all share a common Knock Off weakness. Conkeldurr patches this weakness up, as it resists Dark and uses its low Speed in Trick Room to its advantage; it can also act as a status absorber with Guts. Crawdaunt works in a similar vein as Conkeldurr but resists both Knock Off and Ghost-type moves and breaks down walls with its massive power courtesy of Adaptability-boosted strikes. Mega Heracross is a solid Bisharp check and also benefits from Trick Room due to its lower Speed. Unaware Clefable can nullify any Nasty Plot boosts Cofagrigus might gain, so Steel-types such as Magnezone and (Mega) Scizor are good partners, as they can rid the team of it and also benefit from Trick Room, as they are on the slower side. Bulky Water-types such as Suicune also pair well with Cofagrigus, as they can deal with Heatran and cripple the opposing team with status.
Other Options
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Cofagrigus has a couple of other options to play with, such as Memento, which allows it to sacrifice itself but leave the foe's offenses severely crippled, allowing a teammate to set up and take advantage of the situation. Knock Off is a hindrance that can cripple certain walls to Cofagrigus such as Chansey and Unaware Clefable. Magic Coat is an option that reflects status moves and can reflect entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and crippling status such as Toxic back to the opponent's side. Haze can be used to prevent opposing Pokemon from setting up on Cofagrigus, though one must note Cofagrigus is often too slow to take advantage of it properly.
Checks & Counters
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**Bulky Special Walls**: Specially defensive walls such as Chansey, Gliscor, and Clefable can quickly shut down the offensive Trick Room Cofagrigus set due to their ability to tank and cripple Cofagrigus through status while its Shadow Ball returns pittance. Pokemon such as Alomomola easily deal with the defensive set, as it can't do anything back barring an unexpected Knock Off which could cripple them with the item loss.
**Knock Off Users**: Bisharp, Weavile, Mega Gallade, and Conkeldurr can easily do serious damage with Knock Off after Stealth Rock damage, but all Knock Off users fear a burn barring Conkeldurr, which can benefit from it the first turn and severely damage Cofagrigus with a Guts-boosted attack.
**Bulky Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Heatran can absorb Will-O-Wisp and normally put a large dent in Cofagrigus. Most also have access to some form of recovery, so Pain Split won't trouble them as much, and Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X can freely switch in and set up a Dragon Dance or Swords Dance to put extreme dents in Cofagrigus.
**Taunt**: Almost all Taunt users, especially Taunt Dragon Dance Gyarados and Mandibuzz, can completely shut Cofagrigus down and use it can on as it can only fire back weak and unboosted Shadow Balls most of the time.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Because Cofagrigus's Special Defense isn't too impressive, strong special attackers such as Keldeo, Choice Specs Sylveon, and Landorus can abuse high Base Power attacks to bash through Cofagrigus, all while not fearing a burn.
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