[OVERVIEW]
In a tier consisting of the dangerous Fighting-types Hitmonchan and Machoke, Combusken seems mediocre in comparison. However, it has a very valuable niche as a mixed-attacking Reversal sweeper, which is more dangerous than it appears to be. With Blaze activated, Combusken is able to OHKO or 2HKO a lot of Pokemon that aforementioned Pokemon have trouble getting past, such as Swalot, Sableye, Golbat and Chimecho. In addition, Combusken’s STAB types are unresisted in NU, so once its Salac Berry activates, something’s getting hurt.
That being said, a number of flaws prevent Combusken from being more consistent. Outside of its sweeper role, Combusken’s terrible stats prevent it from making much progress; its low overall bulk means it can be 2HKOed by unresisted attacks, and its low speed means other Pokemon can KO it before it even has a chance to move. What makes this even worse is that it has weaknesses to common Flying-, Water-, Ground-, and Psychic-type attacks. As a Reversal sweeper, it’s also vulnerable to priority attacks, paralysis, and poison, which completely shut it down. Lastly, it competes with Yanma, Kingler, Vigoroth and Abra as an EndSalac sweeper.
[SET 1]
Name: Reversal
Move 1: Reversal
Move 2: Fire Blast / Overheat
Move 3: Endure
Move 4: Swords Dance / Sunny Day
Item: Salac Berry
Ability: Blaze
Nature: Hasty / Naive
EVs: 224 Atk / 80 SpA / 204 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
This set is very straightforward, but can prove effective. Use Swords Dance or Sunny Day if you can predict your opponent switching out, then Endure their attack and proceed to sweep. Sunny Day might seem like a strange choice over Swords Dance, but when combined with STAB and Blaze, Fire Blast will hit like a truck. Overheat provides more power at the cost of not being able to use it repeatedly, although it has the added benefit of OHKOing some targets that Fire Blast doesn’t.
To demonstrate the power of Combusken’s Fire Blast under the sun, here are some damage calculations:
80 SpA Blaze Combusken Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 200 SpD Sableye in Sun: 304-358 (100 - 117.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
80 SpA Blaze Combusken Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 100 SpD Chimecho in Sun: 296-349 (88.6 - 104.4%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
80 SpA Blaze Combusken Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Pelipper in Sun: 186-219 (57.4 - 67.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
80 SpA Blaze Combusken Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Swalot in Sun: 225-265 (55.6 - 65.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
80 SpA Blaze Combusken Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Golbat in Sun: 354-417 (100 - 117.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
EVs
====
204 Speed EVs and a Speed-boosting nature reach 324 after a Salac boost, which outspeeds the entire unboosted tier (excluding the uncommon Voltorb). This is important because 324 outspeeds Jolly Raticate, which could otherwise put a stop to Combusken’s sweep. As shown in the damage calculations, 80 Special Attack EVs are necessary to OHKO or 2HKO several targets with Fire Blast that resist Reversal under the sun with Blaze activated, and the rest are put into Attack to make Reversal hit as hard as possible.
Team Options
====
Spikes are mandatory on any team with a sweeper, so Cacturne, Glalie and Roselia are essential teammates. Cacturne and Roselia are particularly useful, as they can cover Combusken’s weakness to Ground- and Water-types, and Cacturne can additionally help remove Psychic-types while Combusken can threaten Bug-types in return. Unfortunately, the two of them share a weakness to Flying-types, so a check to them such as Relicanth or Graveler is helpful, who also benefit from having Combusken remove pesky Grass-types.
Although it’s difficult to pull off, Onix and Voltorb can be interesting teammates, as they both have access to Sunny Day and a fast Explosion. The idea is that they set up Sunny Day, then explode next turn to bring in Combusken and conserve sun turns. This allows Combusken to run Swords Dance while having the sun up, but keep in mind that there will only be one or two turns of sun left depending on when you use Endure, so you’ll be on a very strict timer.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
A Choice Band set seems viable, as Combusken boasts STAB Overheat and Focus Punch, but it’s largely outclassed by Hitmonchan and Torkoal, due to their higher Attack and access to Explosion, respectively, and it is very susceptible to being trapped by Diglett. Earthquake can help with Poison-types somewhat, but Fire Blast and Overheat make short work of them already. Flamethrower mitigates the drawbacks of the two listed Fire-type STABs, but the drop in power makes it difficult to justify using.
Checks and Counters
====
**Priority Attacks**: Quick Attack and Mach Punch ignore Combusken’s Salac boost and stop it in its tracks, while Combusken has no way of dealing with them.
**Certain Setup Sweepers**: Swift Swim Huntail has a 56.2% chance to survive 1HP Reversal from Combusken, which it can use to set up Rain Dance. Offensive Tangela and Bellossom are faster than Combusken if it uses Sunny Day and can countersweep since it will be at 1HP, but are outsped and OHKOed by Fire Blast outside of the sun. It’s also worth noting that Combusken is the slowest of all the EndSalac Sweepers, so any of them can Endure its attacks and outspeed it.
**Status Ailments**: Poison, paralysis and sleep completely cripple Combusken, as poison KOes it at 1HP, paralysis negates the Salac boost and sleep prevents it from doing anything at all.
[CREDITS]
-Written by [Jebraxas]
-Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
-Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
In a tier consisting of the dangerous Fighting-types Hitmonchan and Machoke, Combusken seems mediocre in comparison. However, it has a very valuable niche as a mixed-attacking Reversal sweeper, which is more dangerous than it appears to be. With Blaze activated, Combusken is able to OHKO or 2HKO a lot of Pokemon that aforementioned Pokemon have trouble getting past, such as Swalot, Sableye, Golbat and Chimecho. In addition, Combusken’s STAB types are unresisted in NU, so once its Salac Berry activates, something’s getting hurt.
That being said, a number of flaws prevent Combusken from being more consistent. Outside of its sweeper role, Combusken’s terrible stats prevent it from making much progress; its low overall bulk means it can be 2HKOed by unresisted attacks, and its low speed means other Pokemon can KO it before it even has a chance to move. What makes this even worse is that it has weaknesses to common Flying-, Water-, Ground-, and Psychic-type attacks. As a Reversal sweeper, it’s also vulnerable to priority attacks, paralysis, and poison, which completely shut it down. Lastly, it competes with Yanma, Kingler, Vigoroth and Abra as an EndSalac sweeper.
[SET 1]
Name: Reversal
Move 1: Reversal
Move 2: Fire Blast / Overheat
Move 3: Endure
Move 4: Swords Dance / Sunny Day
Item: Salac Berry
Ability: Blaze
Nature: Hasty / Naive
EVs: 224 Atk / 80 SpA / 204 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
This set is very straightforward, but can prove effective. Use Swords Dance or Sunny Day if you can predict your opponent switching out, then Endure their attack and proceed to sweep. Sunny Day might seem like a strange choice over Swords Dance, but when combined with STAB and Blaze, Fire Blast will hit like a truck. Overheat provides more power at the cost of not being able to use it repeatedly, although it has the added benefit of OHKOing some targets that Fire Blast doesn’t.
To demonstrate the power of Combusken’s Fire Blast under the sun, here are some damage calculations:
80 SpA Blaze Combusken Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 200 SpD Sableye in Sun: 304-358 (100 - 117.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
80 SpA Blaze Combusken Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 100 SpD Chimecho in Sun: 296-349 (88.6 - 104.4%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
80 SpA Blaze Combusken Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Pelipper in Sun: 186-219 (57.4 - 67.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
80 SpA Blaze Combusken Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Swalot in Sun: 225-265 (55.6 - 65.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
80 SpA Blaze Combusken Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Golbat in Sun: 354-417 (100 - 117.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
EVs
====
204 Speed EVs and a Speed-boosting nature reach 324 after a Salac boost, which outspeeds the entire unboosted tier (excluding the uncommon Voltorb). This is important because 324 outspeeds Jolly Raticate, which could otherwise put a stop to Combusken’s sweep. As shown in the damage calculations, 80 Special Attack EVs are necessary to OHKO or 2HKO several targets with Fire Blast that resist Reversal under the sun with Blaze activated, and the rest are put into Attack to make Reversal hit as hard as possible.
Team Options
====
Spikes are mandatory on any team with a sweeper, so Cacturne, Glalie and Roselia are essential teammates. Cacturne and Roselia are particularly useful, as they can cover Combusken’s weakness to Ground- and Water-types, and Cacturne can additionally help remove Psychic-types while Combusken can threaten Bug-types in return. Unfortunately, the two of them share a weakness to Flying-types, so a check to them such as Relicanth or Graveler is helpful, who also benefit from having Combusken remove pesky Grass-types.
Although it’s difficult to pull off, Onix and Voltorb can be interesting teammates, as they both have access to Sunny Day and a fast Explosion. The idea is that they set up Sunny Day, then explode next turn to bring in Combusken and conserve sun turns. This allows Combusken to run Swords Dance while having the sun up, but keep in mind that there will only be one or two turns of sun left depending on when you use Endure, so you’ll be on a very strict timer.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
A Choice Band set seems viable, as Combusken boasts STAB Overheat and Focus Punch, but it’s largely outclassed by Hitmonchan and Torkoal, due to their higher Attack and access to Explosion, respectively, and it is very susceptible to being trapped by Diglett. Earthquake can help with Poison-types somewhat, but Fire Blast and Overheat make short work of them already. Flamethrower mitigates the drawbacks of the two listed Fire-type STABs, but the drop in power makes it difficult to justify using.
Checks and Counters
====
**Priority Attacks**: Quick Attack and Mach Punch ignore Combusken’s Salac boost and stop it in its tracks, while Combusken has no way of dealing with them.
**Certain Setup Sweepers**: Swift Swim Huntail has a 56.2% chance to survive 1HP Reversal from Combusken, which it can use to set up Rain Dance. Offensive Tangela and Bellossom are faster than Combusken if it uses Sunny Day and can countersweep since it will be at 1HP, but are outsped and OHKOed by Fire Blast outside of the sun. It’s also worth noting that Combusken is the slowest of all the EndSalac Sweepers, so any of them can Endure its attacks and outspeed it.
**Status Ailments**: Poison, paralysis and sleep completely cripple Combusken, as poison KOes it at 1HP, paralysis negates the Salac boost and sleep prevents it from doing anything at all.
[CREDITS]
-Written by [Jebraxas]
-Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
-Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
Last edited:
