OU Cofagrigus

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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
========

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
=======

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
========

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
========

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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OTR? Idk man.... not only does OTR seem kinda weak with no boosting item + not even 100 SpA, but isn't this thing mainly used on defensive teams to beat the Pokemon you mentioned in the Overview (Mega Medicham, Azumarill, etc)? If that's the case, I feel like defensive is really the best way to go. You take hits better, spread burn, and can use Pain Split or Rest to heal. Something like Will-O / Pain Split or Rest / Haze or Knock Off or Sleep Talk / Shadow Ball with HP and Defense investment. You could even go Toxic Spikes > Sleep Talk if you have cleric support I guess, though TSpikes are pretty meh in OU.

You mention the Defensive sets are outclassed, but by what? Doublade? Mummy, Will-O-Wisp, and a better support movepool seem to differentiate it from Doublade. The only niche I could see for OTR is Trick Room teams (not viable enough to warrant an analysis imo) or I guess Bulky Offense to deal with the previously mentioned threats, but even then, it's many flaws seem to hold it back in that regard.

Maybe I don't know this mon well enough to be commenting, but that's my initial reaction.
 
OTR? Idk man.... not only does OTR seem kinda weak with no boosting item + not even 100 SpA, but isn't this thing mainly used on defensive teams to beat the Pokemon you mentioned in the Overview (Mega Medicham, Azumarill, etc)? If that's the case, I feel like defensive is really the best way to go. You take hits better, spread burn, and can use Pain Split or Rest to heal. Something like Will-O / Pain Split or Rest / Haze or Knock Off or Sleep Talk / Shadow Ball with HP and Defense investment. You could even go Toxic Spikes > Sleep Talk if you have cleric support I guess, though TSpikes are pretty meh in OU.

You mention the Defensive sets are outclassed, but by what? Doublade? Mummy, Will-O-Wisp, and a better support movepool seem to differentiate it from Doublade. The only niche I could see for OTR is Trick Room teams (not viable enough to warrant an analysis imo) or I guess Bulky Offense to deal with the previously mentioned threats, but even then, it's many flaws seem to hold it back in that regard.

Maybe I don't know this mon well enough to be commenting, but that's my initial reaction.

Actually, I was only looking at it's TR set, that's a mistake on my part, as it isn't as outclassed defensively.

I was contemplating the large amount of stuff it checks and walls, so I'll probably throw in a defensive set too, yeah

It's just that most Cofag are normally seen on TR teams, so I was going to do the offensive set first.
 
Yeah its defensive set is the best one. It's the primary set to stop a lot of things in its track such as M-Heracross, M-Cham, things that make Cofag viable in the first place. TR is an archetype of play that Cofagrigus thrives on solely because of its bulk, not offensive presence anyways. I feel like the overview should solely shift more towards facts, not necessarily things like "Base 95 isn't too shabby", the second part of that makes more sense. Also if for TR, I don't see why you wouldn't just use Quiet nature when it wants to be as slow as possible. As far as the defensive set goes a set along the lines of Shadowball/Hex, Will-O-Wisp/Toxic, Pain Split, and then I guess the last move can be discussed with QC. Protect is alright for stalling and Trick Room can actually work because it enhances its defensive aspect being able to Pain Split recovery before taking an initial blow.
 
Yeah its defensive set is the best one. It's the primary set to stop a lot of things in its track such as M-Heracross, M-Cham, things that make Cofag viable in the first place. TR is an archetype of play that Cofagrigus thrives on solely because of its bulk, not offensive presence anyways. I feel like the overview should solely shift more towards facts, not necessarily things like "Base 95 isn't too shabby", the second part of that makes more sense. Also if for TR, I don't see why you wouldn't just use Quiet nature when it wants to be as slow as possible. As far as the defensive set goes a set along the lines of Shadowball/Hex, Will-O-Wisp/Toxic, Pain Split, and then I guess the last move can be discussed with QC. Protect is alright for stalling and Trick Room can actually work because it enhances its defensive aspect being able to Pain Split recovery before taking an initial blow.

Alright, I'll finish up the TR set, then make the defensive set and swap them.

Edit: The Modest was an oversight, as I took the formatting from a previous analysis
 
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Memento should get a Moves mention on the Trick Room set, it's a nice way to provide set up chances and bring in something that hits harder immediately after setting up Trick Room.
 
I'd give Wisp the first slash over hp fighting. It literally only hits Ttar for more damage
 
And Bisharp ^. But overall, i agree that WoW > HP Fighting because it allows you to check threatening physical attackers such as Mega Gyarados, Crunch-less Mega Tyranitar, and Mega Heracross, from which it can take a hit even after they set up. Cofagrigus is often dead weight offensively, but its bulk and WoW make it much more consistent in general.
 
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mention that a lot of special attackers eg keldeo and greninja can check it because its special bulk isn't all that impressive, they don't care much about burn, and they can smash through it.

beef up your team options with different stuff like more bisharp checks, things that check clefable which is a huge pain in the ass for cofagrigus, things that check tran which cofag can't really touch, things that check mew. gliscor is one of the biggest ones, would also mention mega venusaur in there.

1/3
 
In the overview, add that Cofagrigus is not only a decent TR setter, but also a decent TR sweeper.

In the moves of the first set, don't just put each move's description, explain their use in the metagame. For example, mention some set up sweepers that Cofagrigus can check with Haze, or some Pokemon it can lure and cripple with WoW.

Under the usage tips of the first set, i wouldn't mention Talonflame, because all of SD, BU + Taunt, and stallbreaking Talonflame beat Cofagrigus, and even CB Talonflame beats it actually. Just focus on Fighting-types, such as Mega Heracross, Mega Medicham, Lucario, Hawlucha, and Terrakion, and whatever other physical attackers Cofagrigus does a good job at checking, not stuff such as Talonflame. And again, mention some scenarios where Haze is useful. Oh, and explain why to use defensive Cofagrigus over Sableye, or any other physical wall for that matter.

Under the team options of the first set, mention how SpD Gliscor counters both Heatran and Clefable, making it an even better partner than Landorus, which seems a bit random imo, as it can't switch that well into any of those Pokemon, because it doesn't resist their STABs and they have nasty side effects.

Moving on the TR set, explain some uses of WoW, such as checking Mega Heracross and Mega Gyarados without Sub for example.

Under team options, mention Mega Heracross, one of the best checks to Bisharp that TR teams can employ. Also, add something to take care of Clefable, especially Unaware versions, such as Mega Scizor or Magnezone, both of which are great Pokemon on TR teams thanks to their low Speed and good power.

Expand more on your checks and counters section. For example, in the specially bulky Pokemon bullet, you only mention Chansey, and none of SpD Gliscor, Alomomola, and Clefable.
 
Did a quick run through and changed one thing, all changes should be accounted for.

If there's anything else I forgot, I'll add it in.
 
On a side note it might be worth mentioning that Cofagrigus is an excellent counter to Mega Lopunny, as it can take a hit and take away lopunny's ability with scrappy and wall it from their.
 
  • Strong special attackers like Keldeo can capitalize on Cofagrigus's weaker special defense, meaning dedicated special walls Chansey or Sylveon are good partners

Keldeo can bypass Chansey with Secret Sword, so it's not the best example. I'd mention Latias instead of Chansey, or another special attacker over Keldeo, such as Thundurus or Landorus.
**Knock Off users**: Bisharp, Weavile, and Conkeldurr can easily KO it with Knock Off after rocks, but all Knock off users fear a burn barring Conkeldurr, who can benefit from it the first turn and severely damage it with a Guts boosted attack
The only one of them that can OHKO Defensive Cofagrigus after rocks is Bisharp, and it needs a Life Orb and an Adamant nature to do it. But even then, it's not guaranteed. The TR+NP is cleanly OHKOed by both Bisharp's and Weavile's LO Knock Offs, though.

252+ Atk Life Orb Bisharp Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Cofagrigus: 244-291 (76.4 - 91.2%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Life Orb Bisharp Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Cofagrigus: 221-265 (69.2 - 83%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Life Orb Weavile Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Cofagrigus: 218-257 (68.3 - 80.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Conkeldurr Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Cofagrigus: 136-162 (42.6 - 50.7%) -- 45.3% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Life Orb Bisharp Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Cofagrigus: 291-346 (91.2 - 108.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock(note that it's Jolly)
252 Atk Life Orb Weavile Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Cofagrigus: 283-335 (88.7 - 105%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Conkeldurr Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Cofagrigus: 178-210 (55.7 - 65.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
 
yo broski don't forget to expand on this haha where you at
Hey man, so sorry, my comp broke, so I'm searching for something other than my phone to finish this up. I apologize for the delay and will fix this ASAP.
 
Like Aim said a long time ago not much to add anymore. You should mention, that it has a great synergy with bulky waters like Suicune, which can abuse status attacks and it can deal with Heatran as well and you should mention a cleric is useful, because Cofagrigus does not like to get status'd. Last but not least it works well with a Fire/Grass/Water core.
 
Hey man, so sorry, my comp broke, so I'm searching for something other than my phone to finish this up. I apologize for the delay and will fix this ASAP.
Sorry to hear that man. Do that when you can! Don't forget to get rid of the ubers and possibly mention some of the new megas (like how it stops m-loppunny with mummy) also expand on oo when you can!
 
get rid of haze on the defensive set, it is pretty useless and too slow to abuse when you already have wisp to neuter physical set up mons, which is what cofag is supposed to do. replace it with toxic spikes instead, as it is one of the very few viable abusers of the hazard. it has a huge anti-meta impact atm and it would be foolish not to delineate it in the analysis. also, being able to spread all this status makes cofag a fine abuser of hex. make sure to slash it before shadow ball since it makes it so that it doesn't hit like a wet paper bag. give a mention to rest in moves, as it is a much more reliable form of recovery for a mon such as this. however, cleric support is required if that is the case. last but not least, introduce cofag as being an exceptional abuser of the move snatch. what this does is not only prevent the opposition from trying to heal hp or alleviate status after being worn down, but use the move itself which cofag is desperately in need of. this is very effective if they are afflicted with poison or burn as they would lose more than they actually gain, making it a potent method to stallbreak. this is also great as it prevents set up from opposing set up sweepers(rip haze) which it can abuse itself(even stealing substitutes :O). i would slash it after pain split, since it offers a butt ton of utility and can potentially heal yourself if you manage to create the right circumstances. make sure to incorporate all this when u happen to write it up. ill give you the 3rd check after, cheers.
 
put Hex in front of shadowball and 3/3 nice job (stole from you bengay lol)
 
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