[OVERVIEW]
Access to the fantastic ability Speed Boost gives Combusken a solid niche in PU, allowing it to reliably clean opposing teams late-game and, in combination with Swords Dance, break through Pokemon such as Carbink that serve as common checks to other offensive Fire-types like Simisear and Turtonator. Its Speed boosts also allow it to punish teams reliant on traditional revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Primeape and Alolan Sandslash to deal with other Fire-types like Simisear for sacrificing Pokemon to bring their revenge killer in safely. Combusken can run both physical and special sets that can break through each other's checks such as Gurdurr for the former and Lanturn for the latter. A near-unresisted STAB combination also makes it a reliable late-game cleaner, provided its main counter in Jellicent is removed. However, Combusken faces fierce competition as an offensive Fire-type from Simisear, as the latter's greater base Speed and Special Attack allow it to more immediately threaten opposing teams, and, importantly, its access to Grass Knot allows it to reliably break through one of Combusken's hardest counters in Jellicent. Furthermore, Combusken is held back by its low Speed, which leaves it outsped by common Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Dodrio even after two Speed boosts. This fact coupled with Combusken's poor bulk also forces it to often use Protect first against faster Pokemon that can cripple or OHKO it such as Alolan Sandslash and Aurorus, potentially offering free switches to checks such as Lanturn and Eelektross. It also limits Combusken's ability to switch into resisted attacks or aggressively double switch in, which leaves it with limited setup opportunities compared to bulkier setup sweepers such as Gurdurr and Carracosta that offer some defensive utility and leaves it more vulnerable to being revenge killed by priority users such as Hitmonchan, Lycanroc, and Gurdurr.
[SET]
name: Specially Offensive
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Electric / Substitute
move 4: Protect
item: Firium Z / Fightinium Z / Leftovers
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hidden Power Electric allows Combusken to OHKO Swanna and 2HKO Qwilfish, which both resist its STAB moves. Substitute can be run instead to allow Combusken to punish switches and protect itself from Pokemon such as Dodrio and Carracosta that would otherwise revenge kill it, gain extra Speed boosts, and stall poisoned Pokemon. Protect allows Combusken to get a free Speed boost and scout Choice item Pokemon such as Primeape, Dodrio, and Aurorus.
Set Details
========
Firium Z lets Combusken OHKO Oricorio-E with Inferno Overdrive after Stealth Rock damage; furthermore, Inferno Overdrive has a high chance to OHKO Skuntank and Alolan Raichu and hits targets such as Mudsdale and Musharna that would otherwise force Combusken out for as much damage as possible, KOing both after Fire Blast and Stealth Rock. Fightinium Z is an alternative that allows Combusken to OHKO Regirock and Drampa with All-Out Pummeling, do greater damage to Pokemon such as Lanturn, and bypass Focus Blast's poor accuracy once. Leftovers is an option that allows Combusken to set up more Substitutes while staying out of range of priority users such as Gurdurr and Lycanroc more easily; however, this should only be run on sets featuring Substitute, as three attacks sets benefit more from the extra damage Z-Crystals offer. Life Orb is an option on teams not using Toxic Spikes if another Pokemon is holding a Z-Crystal, helping to make up for Combusken's average damage output, such as offering it a high chance to OHKO Regirock with Focus Blast. The chip damage makes Combusken have a harder time staying out of range of priority attacks such as Lycanroc's Accelerock, however.
Usage Tips
========
Combusken should avoid taking too much chip damage from entry hazards and status where possible and should mainly be brought in via safe switches and aggressive double switches so it can stay out of range of priority attacks such as Gurdurr's Mach Punch and Lycanroc's Accelerock to reliably clean late-game. Combusken can also be used early- to mid-game to immediately pressure teams and take advantage of switches to counters such as Jellicent with appropriate double switches. If running Substitute, Combusken can use it to punish switches it forces against Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Cryogonal, Tangela, Alolan Sandslash, and Victreebel, although it must be careful when doing this against the latter two, as they can outspeed and either cripple or KO Combusken if they predict it to use Substitute. Against more offensive teams, Substitute can help ease prediction and make Combusken harder to revenge kill while helping it outspeed Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Dodrio and Primeape that it needs multiple Speed boosts for. Combusken should, however, be wary of setting up too many Substitutes when counters such as Carbink and Altaria are present, especially when running a Z-Crystal instead of Leftovers, so it has enough HP to take priority attacks or keep setting up Substitutes later in the match. If a teammate is running Toxic Spikes, Combusken can very effectively poison stall with Substitute + Protect, as Speed Boost allows it to nearly always set up Substitutes first. In particular, this allows Combusken to pressure Jellicent a lot more, forcing it to take poison damage while attempting to force Combusken out with Taunt.
Team Options
========
Combusken fits on bulky offense and balance teams that desire a late-game cleaner and on Toxic Spikes teams where it can also function as a poison staller. Pivots such as Lanturn, Eelektross, and Silvally-Fairy can help bring Combusken in on Pokemon that it can force out such as Victreebel, Cryogonal, and Regirock, offering it free opportunities to gain Speed boosts, set Substitutes, or break the enemy team. Lanturn and Eelektross in particular can help pressure Jellicent, and Lanturn can also help to spread poison onto Pokemon that annoy Combusken such as Jellicent, Eelektross, and opposing Lanturn and clear Combusken of status with Heal Bell. Pokemon that can help deal with Jellicent in particular are incredibly useful, especially when you're not running it alongside Toxic Spikes. Victreebel can consistently switch into and pressure defensive Jellicent while switching into and helping break other Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Mudsdale that can force Combusken out when at high HP, as well as help break through Carbink and Clefairy, which can otherwise wall Combusken. Pokemon such as Choice Band Stoutland and Absol are capable of Pursuit trapping Jellicent and can help pressure the special walls that Combusken dislikes, such as Lanturn, Eelektross, and Musharna. Wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Aurorus, Taunt Oricorio-E, Golurk, and Swords Dance Silvally-Fairy can also help to break through specially defensive Pokemon such as Altaria, Carbink, and Clefairy that can consistently wall Combusken, as well as break holes in the enemy team for Combusken to reliably clean late-game.
Toxic Spikes support from Pokemon such as Qwilfish and Roselia can help Combusken break through opposing teams via stalling through the combination of Substitute + Protect, allowing it to more easily beat Pokemon such as Assault Vest Lanturn that would otherwise give it a lot of trouble. Roselia is able to consistently pressure Jellicent alongside setting Toxic Spikes, which is helpful in matchups against grounded Poison-types such as Victreebel or against entry hazard removers that Roselia loses to such as Cryogonal, while Qwilfish is able to provide a switch-in to priority users such as Hitmonchan and Gurdurr that could revenge kill Combusken, as well as to Choice Scarf Dodrio, which can outspeed Combusken after multiple Speed boosts. Spinblockers such as Jellicent and Sableye are excellent partners, especially on Toxic Spikes teams, to help deal with Rapid Spin users such as Alolan Sandslash, although they have to be wary of Toxic. Sableye can also offer Knock Off support to aid Combusken in poison stalling foes, while both Pokemon can help check Fighting-types such as Hitmonchan and Primeape and offer Taunt support to pressure entry hazard setters and removers.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Sky Uppercut / Low Kick
move 4: Protect
item: Firium Z / Fightinium Z / Eviolite
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sky Uppercut is Combusken's strongest Fighting-type STAB option versus lighter Pokemon such as Lanturn and Carbink. Low Kick is an alternative that can do more damage versus heavier Pokemon such as Regirock while still retaining the ability to break through Lanturn and Carbink alongside Fightinium Z.
Set Details
========
Firium Z allows Combusken to OHKO Mudsdale and Choice Specs Jellicent with +2 Inferno Overdrive after Stealth Rock damage, deal heavy damage to Gurdurr, and avoid recoil once against high-HP targets such as Musharna to stay out of range of priority attacks. Alternatively, Fightinium Z allows Combusken to OHKO Fire-type checks such as Lanturn and Carbink, the latter after Stealth Rock, with +2 All-Out Pummeling; however, it does less damage versus targets such as Gurdurr and Mudsdale than Inferno Overdrive. Eviolite is an alternative option if another Pokemon is using a Z-Crystal, allowing Combusken to more easily take priority moves such as Gurdurr or Hitmonchan's Mach Punch, take an Earthquake from offensive Alolan Sandslash to risk setting up against it more freely without being KOed on a misprediction, and set up against Victreebel more easily. The lower damage output is very noticeable, however, allowing bulky Pokemon such as Mudsdale to force it out much more easily.
Usage Tips
========
Due to Combusken's low bulk and tendency to get worn down by entry hazards and Flare Blitz recoil, it should prioritize being brought in safely so it has enough HP to set up when necessary and stay out of range of priority moves from Pokemon such as Gurdurr. Because of this, Combusken should also wait to set up until answers such as defensive Jellicent have been crippled or removed, as it will be unlikely to get multiple setup opportunities; however, if Combusken is unlikely to be able to reliably set up or revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Dodrio are present, it can be used to immediately pressure the opposing team when forcing switches. Combusken should prioritize attempting to set up against Pokemon that cannot threaten it if possible, such as Cryogonal, Audino, and Choice Band Absol locked into Pursuit. However, it can also attempt to set up on Pokemon it can force to switch out, such as Victreebel and Alolan Sandslash, though they are faster and can cripple or KO Combusken if they end up staying in. Combusken can also make use of the fact that its two sets have different checks and counters, allowing it to potentially set up a Swords Dance on a switch-in to its special set, such as Carbink or Lanturn.
Team Options
========
Pivots such as Eelektross, Rotom-F, Lanturn, and Primeape are able to provide Combusken with safe switches into Pokemon such as Audino, Cryogonal, and Victreebel to get free setup opportunities. In particular, Eelektross can help pressure Jellicent and Mudsdale, while Rotom-F can also offer Defog support and help pressure Jellicent, Carracosta, and Qwilfish. Silvally-Fairy is another option that can run a Swords Dance set to pressure physically defensive Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Mudsdale or provide Defog support. Regirock and Torterra are good choices for Stealth Rock setters to pair with Combusken, as the former provides a good switch-in to Choice Scarf Dodrio, which can outspeed and revenge kill Combusken easily, while the latter can help pressure Mudsdale and Jellicent. In return, Torterra greatly appreciates Combusken switching into and pressuring Cryogonal. Victreebel is a particularly good partner for Swords Dance Combusken, as it is able to switch into and pressure several Combusken checks such as Mudsdale, Jellicent, Lanturn, and Gurdurr. In return, Combusken can help pressure Cryogonal. Musharna can provide wallbreaking support with Future Sight to pressure switch-ins to Combusken such as Gurdurr and Jellicent. It can also allow Combusken a second opportunity to sweep and provide it with a free switch in to set up with Swords Dance thanks to Healing Wish. In return, Combusken can help pressure Dark-types such as Skuntank and Alolan Persian. Pursuit trappers such as Choice Band Absol, Skuntank, and Stoutland can remove one of Combusken's best answers in Jellicent. Absol and Stoutland can also wear down opposing teams for Combusken to clean more easily late-game, especially their shared switch-ins with Combusken such as Gurdurr and Mudsdale.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flamethrower can be run over Fire Blast for a more accurate Fire-type STAB attack to more reliably clean late-game and poison stall foes more easily thanks to its higher PP. The lower damage output can cause Combusken to struggle to claim KOs, however, such as the 2HKO on Silvally-Fairy after Stealth Rock. Hidden Power Ice is an option instead of Hidden Power Electric that allows Combusken to hit Altaria super effectively; however, this provides little coverage compared to Hidden Power Electric otherwise, not to mention specially defensive Altaria is not 2HKOed unless Stealth Rock is up. Furthermore, Altaria is a lot less common than Pokemon such as Qwilfish and Jellicent. Thunder Punch is an option on Swords Dance variants that allows Combusken to threaten Jellicent and Qwilfish without them being significantly weakened or removed first, but this prevents Combusken from running Protect, which will make it harder to accrue safe Speed boosts.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Certain Water-type Pokemon such as Jellicent and Qwilfish resist Combusken's STAB combination. Defensive Jellicent sets in particular are capable of walling all Combusken sets unless Toxic Spikes are present. Qwilfish can greatly threaten Swords Dance Combusken sets, but it must watch out for Hidden Power Electric from special attacking sets, which can 2HKO it. Gastrodon can also wall special Combusken sets and can check Swords Dance sets not running Fightinium Z. Assault Vest Lanturn can also be problematic for special sets, as Focus Blast is only a 4HKO, while Lanturn can OHKO Combusken in return with Scald.
**Faster Pokemon**: Despite its ability, Combusken's low Speed enables Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Dodrio and Primeape to outspeed and revenge kill it even after two Speed boosts. Priority users such as Carracosta, Floatzel, and Hitmonchan are also capable of revenge killing Combusken, though Hitmonchan needs some chip damage from entry hazards or Combusken setting Substitutes.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Specially defensive Pokemon such as Clefairy, Carbink, and Altaria are capable of walling Combusken's special attacking set, even with Toxic Spikes present provided Carbink has Rest, with the former two also using it as setup fodder.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Estarossa, 461329]]
- Quality checked by: [[Megazard, 202117], [royesk, 474994], [TJ, 331538]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Rabia, 336073]]
Access to the fantastic ability Speed Boost gives Combusken a solid niche in PU, allowing it to reliably clean opposing teams late-game and, in combination with Swords Dance, break through Pokemon such as Carbink that serve as common checks to other offensive Fire-types like Simisear and Turtonator. Its Speed boosts also allow it to punish teams reliant on traditional revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Primeape and Alolan Sandslash to deal with other Fire-types like Simisear for sacrificing Pokemon to bring their revenge killer in safely. Combusken can run both physical and special sets that can break through each other's checks such as Gurdurr for the former and Lanturn for the latter. A near-unresisted STAB combination also makes it a reliable late-game cleaner, provided its main counter in Jellicent is removed. However, Combusken faces fierce competition as an offensive Fire-type from Simisear, as the latter's greater base Speed and Special Attack allow it to more immediately threaten opposing teams, and, importantly, its access to Grass Knot allows it to reliably break through one of Combusken's hardest counters in Jellicent. Furthermore, Combusken is held back by its low Speed, which leaves it outsped by common Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Dodrio even after two Speed boosts. This fact coupled with Combusken's poor bulk also forces it to often use Protect first against faster Pokemon that can cripple or OHKO it such as Alolan Sandslash and Aurorus, potentially offering free switches to checks such as Lanturn and Eelektross. It also limits Combusken's ability to switch into resisted attacks or aggressively double switch in, which leaves it with limited setup opportunities compared to bulkier setup sweepers such as Gurdurr and Carracosta that offer some defensive utility and leaves it more vulnerable to being revenge killed by priority users such as Hitmonchan, Lycanroc, and Gurdurr.
[SET]
name: Specially Offensive
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hidden Power Electric / Substitute
move 4: Protect
item: Firium Z / Fightinium Z / Leftovers
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hidden Power Electric allows Combusken to OHKO Swanna and 2HKO Qwilfish, which both resist its STAB moves. Substitute can be run instead to allow Combusken to punish switches and protect itself from Pokemon such as Dodrio and Carracosta that would otherwise revenge kill it, gain extra Speed boosts, and stall poisoned Pokemon. Protect allows Combusken to get a free Speed boost and scout Choice item Pokemon such as Primeape, Dodrio, and Aurorus.
Set Details
========
Firium Z lets Combusken OHKO Oricorio-E with Inferno Overdrive after Stealth Rock damage; furthermore, Inferno Overdrive has a high chance to OHKO Skuntank and Alolan Raichu and hits targets such as Mudsdale and Musharna that would otherwise force Combusken out for as much damage as possible, KOing both after Fire Blast and Stealth Rock. Fightinium Z is an alternative that allows Combusken to OHKO Regirock and Drampa with All-Out Pummeling, do greater damage to Pokemon such as Lanturn, and bypass Focus Blast's poor accuracy once. Leftovers is an option that allows Combusken to set up more Substitutes while staying out of range of priority users such as Gurdurr and Lycanroc more easily; however, this should only be run on sets featuring Substitute, as three attacks sets benefit more from the extra damage Z-Crystals offer. Life Orb is an option on teams not using Toxic Spikes if another Pokemon is holding a Z-Crystal, helping to make up for Combusken's average damage output, such as offering it a high chance to OHKO Regirock with Focus Blast. The chip damage makes Combusken have a harder time staying out of range of priority attacks such as Lycanroc's Accelerock, however.
Usage Tips
========
Combusken should avoid taking too much chip damage from entry hazards and status where possible and should mainly be brought in via safe switches and aggressive double switches so it can stay out of range of priority attacks such as Gurdurr's Mach Punch and Lycanroc's Accelerock to reliably clean late-game. Combusken can also be used early- to mid-game to immediately pressure teams and take advantage of switches to counters such as Jellicent with appropriate double switches. If running Substitute, Combusken can use it to punish switches it forces against Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Cryogonal, Tangela, Alolan Sandslash, and Victreebel, although it must be careful when doing this against the latter two, as they can outspeed and either cripple or KO Combusken if they predict it to use Substitute. Against more offensive teams, Substitute can help ease prediction and make Combusken harder to revenge kill while helping it outspeed Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Dodrio and Primeape that it needs multiple Speed boosts for. Combusken should, however, be wary of setting up too many Substitutes when counters such as Carbink and Altaria are present, especially when running a Z-Crystal instead of Leftovers, so it has enough HP to take priority attacks or keep setting up Substitutes later in the match. If a teammate is running Toxic Spikes, Combusken can very effectively poison stall with Substitute + Protect, as Speed Boost allows it to nearly always set up Substitutes first. In particular, this allows Combusken to pressure Jellicent a lot more, forcing it to take poison damage while attempting to force Combusken out with Taunt.
Team Options
========
Combusken fits on bulky offense and balance teams that desire a late-game cleaner and on Toxic Spikes teams where it can also function as a poison staller. Pivots such as Lanturn, Eelektross, and Silvally-Fairy can help bring Combusken in on Pokemon that it can force out such as Victreebel, Cryogonal, and Regirock, offering it free opportunities to gain Speed boosts, set Substitutes, or break the enemy team. Lanturn and Eelektross in particular can help pressure Jellicent, and Lanturn can also help to spread poison onto Pokemon that annoy Combusken such as Jellicent, Eelektross, and opposing Lanturn and clear Combusken of status with Heal Bell. Pokemon that can help deal with Jellicent in particular are incredibly useful, especially when you're not running it alongside Toxic Spikes. Victreebel can consistently switch into and pressure defensive Jellicent while switching into and helping break other Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Mudsdale that can force Combusken out when at high HP, as well as help break through Carbink and Clefairy, which can otherwise wall Combusken. Pokemon such as Choice Band Stoutland and Absol are capable of Pursuit trapping Jellicent and can help pressure the special walls that Combusken dislikes, such as Lanturn, Eelektross, and Musharna. Wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Aurorus, Taunt Oricorio-E, Golurk, and Swords Dance Silvally-Fairy can also help to break through specially defensive Pokemon such as Altaria, Carbink, and Clefairy that can consistently wall Combusken, as well as break holes in the enemy team for Combusken to reliably clean late-game.
Toxic Spikes support from Pokemon such as Qwilfish and Roselia can help Combusken break through opposing teams via stalling through the combination of Substitute + Protect, allowing it to more easily beat Pokemon such as Assault Vest Lanturn that would otherwise give it a lot of trouble. Roselia is able to consistently pressure Jellicent alongside setting Toxic Spikes, which is helpful in matchups against grounded Poison-types such as Victreebel or against entry hazard removers that Roselia loses to such as Cryogonal, while Qwilfish is able to provide a switch-in to priority users such as Hitmonchan and Gurdurr that could revenge kill Combusken, as well as to Choice Scarf Dodrio, which can outspeed Combusken after multiple Speed boosts. Spinblockers such as Jellicent and Sableye are excellent partners, especially on Toxic Spikes teams, to help deal with Rapid Spin users such as Alolan Sandslash, although they have to be wary of Toxic. Sableye can also offer Knock Off support to aid Combusken in poison stalling foes, while both Pokemon can help check Fighting-types such as Hitmonchan and Primeape and offer Taunt support to pressure entry hazard setters and removers.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Sky Uppercut / Low Kick
move 4: Protect
item: Firium Z / Fightinium Z / Eviolite
ability: Speed Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sky Uppercut is Combusken's strongest Fighting-type STAB option versus lighter Pokemon such as Lanturn and Carbink. Low Kick is an alternative that can do more damage versus heavier Pokemon such as Regirock while still retaining the ability to break through Lanturn and Carbink alongside Fightinium Z.
Set Details
========
Firium Z allows Combusken to OHKO Mudsdale and Choice Specs Jellicent with +2 Inferno Overdrive after Stealth Rock damage, deal heavy damage to Gurdurr, and avoid recoil once against high-HP targets such as Musharna to stay out of range of priority attacks. Alternatively, Fightinium Z allows Combusken to OHKO Fire-type checks such as Lanturn and Carbink, the latter after Stealth Rock, with +2 All-Out Pummeling; however, it does less damage versus targets such as Gurdurr and Mudsdale than Inferno Overdrive. Eviolite is an alternative option if another Pokemon is using a Z-Crystal, allowing Combusken to more easily take priority moves such as Gurdurr or Hitmonchan's Mach Punch, take an Earthquake from offensive Alolan Sandslash to risk setting up against it more freely without being KOed on a misprediction, and set up against Victreebel more easily. The lower damage output is very noticeable, however, allowing bulky Pokemon such as Mudsdale to force it out much more easily.
Usage Tips
========
Due to Combusken's low bulk and tendency to get worn down by entry hazards and Flare Blitz recoil, it should prioritize being brought in safely so it has enough HP to set up when necessary and stay out of range of priority moves from Pokemon such as Gurdurr. Because of this, Combusken should also wait to set up until answers such as defensive Jellicent have been crippled or removed, as it will be unlikely to get multiple setup opportunities; however, if Combusken is unlikely to be able to reliably set up or revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Dodrio are present, it can be used to immediately pressure the opposing team when forcing switches. Combusken should prioritize attempting to set up against Pokemon that cannot threaten it if possible, such as Cryogonal, Audino, and Choice Band Absol locked into Pursuit. However, it can also attempt to set up on Pokemon it can force to switch out, such as Victreebel and Alolan Sandslash, though they are faster and can cripple or KO Combusken if they end up staying in. Combusken can also make use of the fact that its two sets have different checks and counters, allowing it to potentially set up a Swords Dance on a switch-in to its special set, such as Carbink or Lanturn.
Team Options
========
Pivots such as Eelektross, Rotom-F, Lanturn, and Primeape are able to provide Combusken with safe switches into Pokemon such as Audino, Cryogonal, and Victreebel to get free setup opportunities. In particular, Eelektross can help pressure Jellicent and Mudsdale, while Rotom-F can also offer Defog support and help pressure Jellicent, Carracosta, and Qwilfish. Silvally-Fairy is another option that can run a Swords Dance set to pressure physically defensive Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Mudsdale or provide Defog support. Regirock and Torterra are good choices for Stealth Rock setters to pair with Combusken, as the former provides a good switch-in to Choice Scarf Dodrio, which can outspeed and revenge kill Combusken easily, while the latter can help pressure Mudsdale and Jellicent. In return, Torterra greatly appreciates Combusken switching into and pressuring Cryogonal. Victreebel is a particularly good partner for Swords Dance Combusken, as it is able to switch into and pressure several Combusken checks such as Mudsdale, Jellicent, Lanturn, and Gurdurr. In return, Combusken can help pressure Cryogonal. Musharna can provide wallbreaking support with Future Sight to pressure switch-ins to Combusken such as Gurdurr and Jellicent. It can also allow Combusken a second opportunity to sweep and provide it with a free switch in to set up with Swords Dance thanks to Healing Wish. In return, Combusken can help pressure Dark-types such as Skuntank and Alolan Persian. Pursuit trappers such as Choice Band Absol, Skuntank, and Stoutland can remove one of Combusken's best answers in Jellicent. Absol and Stoutland can also wear down opposing teams for Combusken to clean more easily late-game, especially their shared switch-ins with Combusken such as Gurdurr and Mudsdale.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flamethrower can be run over Fire Blast for a more accurate Fire-type STAB attack to more reliably clean late-game and poison stall foes more easily thanks to its higher PP. The lower damage output can cause Combusken to struggle to claim KOs, however, such as the 2HKO on Silvally-Fairy after Stealth Rock. Hidden Power Ice is an option instead of Hidden Power Electric that allows Combusken to hit Altaria super effectively; however, this provides little coverage compared to Hidden Power Electric otherwise, not to mention specially defensive Altaria is not 2HKOed unless Stealth Rock is up. Furthermore, Altaria is a lot less common than Pokemon such as Qwilfish and Jellicent. Thunder Punch is an option on Swords Dance variants that allows Combusken to threaten Jellicent and Qwilfish without them being significantly weakened or removed first, but this prevents Combusken from running Protect, which will make it harder to accrue safe Speed boosts.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-types**: Certain Water-type Pokemon such as Jellicent and Qwilfish resist Combusken's STAB combination. Defensive Jellicent sets in particular are capable of walling all Combusken sets unless Toxic Spikes are present. Qwilfish can greatly threaten Swords Dance Combusken sets, but it must watch out for Hidden Power Electric from special attacking sets, which can 2HKO it. Gastrodon can also wall special Combusken sets and can check Swords Dance sets not running Fightinium Z. Assault Vest Lanturn can also be problematic for special sets, as Focus Blast is only a 4HKO, while Lanturn can OHKO Combusken in return with Scald.
**Faster Pokemon**: Despite its ability, Combusken's low Speed enables Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Dodrio and Primeape to outspeed and revenge kill it even after two Speed boosts. Priority users such as Carracosta, Floatzel, and Hitmonchan are also capable of revenge killing Combusken, though Hitmonchan needs some chip damage from entry hazards or Combusken setting Substitutes.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Specially defensive Pokemon such as Clefairy, Carbink, and Altaria are capable of walling Combusken's special attacking set, even with Toxic Spikes present provided Carbink has Rest, with the former two also using it as setup fodder.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Estarossa, 461329]]
- Quality checked by: [[Megazard, 202117], [royesk, 474994], [TJ, 331538]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Rabia, 336073]]
Last edited:
