[COMPLETED] Exploud

dragonuser

dragonuser

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[Pros]

<ul>
<li>Exploud has decent Special Attack and access to STAB Boomburst.</li>
<li>It has a fantastic ability in Scrappy, meaning only Soundproof Pokemon are immune to STAB Boomburst.</li>
<li>It has fantastic coverage, able to hit much of the metagame super effectively.</li>
</ul>

[Cons]

<ul>
<li>Exploud is extremely slow, limiting how many times it can attack.</li>
<li>It has fairly mediocre bulk, meaning it cannot take repeated attacks.</li>
</ul>

[Set Recommendations]

name: Special Attacker<br />
move 1: Boomburst<br />
move 2: Flamethrower<br />
move 3: Focus Blast<br />
move 4: Overheat<br />
ability: Scrappy<br />
item: Choice Specs<br />
evs: 252 SpA / 108 SpD / 148 Spe<br />
nature: Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)</p>

<p>The main selling point of this set is a STAB 140 Base Power that has next to no drawbacks, as nothing is immune to it due to Exploud's Scrappy ability. Flamethower and Focus Blast couple well with Boomburst, being able to take out the majority of Normal-type resists in the metagame, such as Ferrothorn and Tyranitar. Overheat gives Exploud a powerful option against exceptionally bulky Steel-types such as Aegislash. When paired with Choice Specs, Boomburst becomes obscenely powerful, but it's important to note that Exploud loses the ability to take advantage of its excellent coverage. Here are some damage calculations to show just how powerful Boomburst is against many of its popular resists and checks in the metagame.</p>

<p>252+ SpA Choice Specs Exploud BoomBurst vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Mawile: 153 - 181 (50.33% - 59.54%)</p>
<p>252+ SpA Choice Specs Exploud Boomburst vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Excadrill: 210 - 247 (58.17% - 68.42%)</p>
<p>252+ SpA Choice Specs Exploud Boomburst vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Scizor: 175 - 207 (51.02% - 60.35%)</p>
<p>252+ SpA Choice Specs Exploud Boomburst vs 252 HP / 252 SpD+ Florges: 156 - 184 (43.33% - 51.11%)</p>

<p>Due to Exploud's rather low Speed, the EVs focus on maximizing its attacking power and bulk, trying to give it as many opportunities as possible to attack the opponent. The Speed EVs allow Exploud to outspeed minimum Speed Rotom-W. A Silk Scarf can be used over Choice Specs if Exploud is used as a boost receiver, letting it access its wide coverage while still boosting Boomburst's power. Exploud really appreciates Sticky Web support to compensate for its rather low Speed stat. Speed boosting partners such as Venomoth, Smeargle, and Scolipede also make for excellent partners, as once Exploud receives a Speed boost, it has a much easier time attempting a sweep. Physical attackers also make for excellent partners, being able to break the special walls that stop Exploud. Mega Pinsir does particularly well, also resisting Exploud's only Fighting-type weakness.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Special walls such as Chansey and Blissey are able to reliably wall Exploud, fearing little from its attacks. Bulky Normal-type resists, such as Aegislash and Assault Vest Tyranitar, also serve as decent checks, only fearing Exploud's coverage moves (Focus Blast fails to OHKO Tyranitar). Its overall low Speed also makes it susceptible to most powerful and moderately fast attackers, such as Greninja and Gengar, which can drastically reduce Exploud's longevity with their STAB attacks. Priority attackers from the likes of Brave Bird Talonflame and Mach Punch Breloom can stop Exploud, even if it has received Speed boosts. Similarly, Fighting-types such as Lucario and Conkeldurr serve as excellent checks, possessing both priority and a way to reliably OHKO Exploud.</p>
 
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Life Orb should be an option, allowing you to hit hard and still change moves, with the spread of:

Modest, 232 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 20 Spe

This spread puts your HP at 407 which reduces passive damage. The 4 SpD gives downloaders an attack boost. The most important part is 20 Spe, which outpaces Skarmory and Metagross, allowing you KO Skarm and have a near-guarantee 2HKO on Assault Vest Metagross:

252+ SpA Life Orb Exploud Fire Blast vs. 224 HP / 32 SpD Skarmory: 346-408 (105.81 - 124.77%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Exploud Fire Blast vs. +1 248 HP / 144 SpD Metagross: 169-200 (46.55 - 55.09%) -- 64.06% to 2HKO, 99.61% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
 
Exploud is one of those rare Pokemon where its HP is so high, that it's actually more beneficial to raise both defenses instead of HP (beyond a certain point), if you're trying to cover physical and special hits.

To illustrate:

0 SpA Starmie Scald vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Exploud: 112-133 (27.18 - 32.28%)
0 SpA Starmie Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Exploud: 126-148 (30.58 - 35.92%)

0 SpA Starmie Scald vs. 116 HP / 68 SpD Exploud: 102-121 (26.98 - 32.01%)
0 SpA Starmie Psyshock vs. 116 HP / 68 Def Exploud: 114-135 (30.15 - 35.71%)

As you can see, the damage output is less in % terms.

That said, Exploud should be specialising in one defense only... there simply aren't enough EVs to go around. I suggest: 228 SDef / 252 SAtk / 28 Spd. Those Speed EVs are to beat 0 investment Mega Tyranitar. I know a few people who have used Exploud and been very underwhelmed by it.
 
Thank you for the EV spread

also I have been fairly disappointed with LO in the past, as it severely cuts into Explouds longevity, especially when Silk Scarf still hits fairly hard. I'll see what other people think though.
 
Is this really worth a preview? I thought that we were supposed to give previews only to crappy 6th gen mons. Is there a reason to use this over any other powerhouse? Slow as fuck, no defensive synergy, and there are better super powered drawback-free moves to spam out there (Aegislash's Shadow Ball, Mega Lucario's Close Combat, and Mega Charizard Y's Fire Blast are just a few of them).
 
Specs Boomburst is monstrously powerful alex and is relatively easy to spam due to lack of immune Pokemon to it. Sure it's slow, but it's not even frail either. Throw some Sticky Web, Tailwind, Trick Room, paralysis, Speed Pass support or what have you, and you have a threatening powerhouse. I used it and I think it deserves a preview.

QC 3/3
 
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Maybe a couple of calcs to show off his power? Idk, but it seems like the only reason i would want to use this Pokemon for (impressive power) and even with a 140 BP STAB move i am still not feeling it (speaking from the preview reader's perspective)...
 
silk scarf should not even be on the set. if you're not using choice specs, you're not using exploud to its potential. exploud's fullest potential is a specs wallbreaker that can 2hko a good portion of ou by using a single move (boomburst). silk scarf just makes it weaker for pretty much no reason lol
 
Including calcs is a good idea, please do that. DTC, I think Silk Scarf is fine if you're using Baton Pass support (Quiver Dance), otherwise I agree with you that Specs is almost always the way to go. It's beast.
 
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Yeah, Silk Scarf should defintiely be moved to AC, you can't afford the loss in power. Also, Ice Beam is 100% useless on the set as Choice Specs Boomburst already OHKOes anything that Ice Beam does and it hits all the Pokemon that Ice Beam is useful for but harder (other than Multiscale Dragonite, but both moves 2HKO if Multiscale is active so it doesn't matter). Overheat should also be considered to be slashed with Fire Blast, as most Steel-types that you hit with a Fire move you are going to OHKO (meaning that the loss in power on two hits is not going to be missed), but with Overheat you get to hit Aegislash with a much stronger intial hit. Actually, Flamethrower and Overheat should be the two moves slashed on the second slot. Flamethrower OHKOes the same Steel-types that Fire Blast does but 100% of the time and Overheat deals with Aegislash better than any other move. Maybe just remove Ice Beam and have both Flamethrower and Overheat (reliability or power) on the set?

Oh, and is it really worth it not using any Speed at all? There are at least some defensive threats you could outspeed, such as min Speed Rotom-W and (Mega) Venusaur, the first of which you can OHKO with Boomburst after SR.
 
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Additions
Deletions

dragonuser said:
[Pros]

<ul>
<li>It Exploud has decent Special Attack and access to STAB Boomburst.</li>
<li>It has a fantastic ability in Scrappy, letting nothing be meaning nothing is immune to STAB Boomburst.</li>
<li>It has fantastic coverage, able to hit much of the metagame super effectively.</li>
</ul>

[Cons]

<ul>
<li>Exploud is extremely slow, limiting how many times it can attack.</li>
<li>It has fairly Fairly mediocre bulk, meaning it cannot take repeated attacks.</li>
</ul>

[Set Recommendations]

name: Special Attacker<br />
move 1: Boomburst<br />
move 2: Flamethrower<br />
move 3: Focus Blast<br />
move 4: Overheat<br />
ability: Scrappy<br />
item: Choice Specs<br />
evs: 252 SpA / 108 SpD / 148 Spe<br />
nature: Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)</p>

<p>The main selling point of this set is a STAB 140 Base Power attack that has next to no drawbacks, and that as nothing is immune to it due to Exploud's Scrappy ability Scrappy. Flamethower and Focus Blast couple well with Boomburst, being able to take out the majority of Normal-type resists in the metagame, such as Ferrothorn and Tyranitar. Overheat gives Exploud a powerful option against exceptionally bulky Steel-types such as Aegislash. When paired with Choice Specs, Boomburst becomes obscenely powerful, but it's important to note that Exploud loses the ability to take advantage of its excellent coverage. Here are some damage calculations to show just how powerful Boomburst is against many of its popular resists and checks in the metagame.</p>

<p>252+ SpA Choice Specs Exploud BoomBurst vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Mawile: 153 - 181 (50.33% - 59.54%)</p>
<p>252+ SpA Choice Specs Exploud Boomburst vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Excadrill: 210 - 247 (58.17% - 68.42%)</p>
<p>252+ SpA Choice Specs Exploud Boomburst vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Scizor: 175 - 207 (51.02% - 60.35%)</p>
<p>252+ SpA Choice Specs Exploud Boomburst vs 252 HP / 252 SpD Sylveon: 178 - 210 (45.18% - 53.30%)</p>

<p>Due to Exploud's rather low Speed, the EVs focus on maximizing its attacking power and bulk, trying to give it as many opportunities as possible to attack the opponent. The Speed EVs, in particular, allow Exploud to outspeed minimum Speed Rotom-W. A Silk Scarf can be used over Choice Specs if Exploud is used as a boost receiver, letting Exploud it access its wide coverage while still boosting Boomburst's power. Exploud really appreciates Sticky Web support to compensate for , helping to fix its rather low Speed stat. (_)Speed boosting partners such as Venomoth, Smeargle, and Scolipede also make for excellent partners, as once Exploud receives a Speed boost, it has a much easier time attempting a sweep. Physical attackers also make for excellent partners, being able to break the special walls that stop Exploud. Mega Pinsir does particularly well, also resisting Exploud's only Fighting-type weakness.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Special walls such as Chansey and Blissey are able to reliably wall Exploud, fearing little from its attacks. (_)Bulky Normal-type resists, such as Aegislash and Assault Vest Tyranitar, also serve as decent checks, only fearing Exploud's coverage moves (Focus Blast fails to OHKO Tyranitar) such as Focus Blast which fail to OHKO. Its overall low Speed also makes it susceptible to most powerful and moderately fast attackers, such as Greninja and Gengar, which who can drastically reduce its Exploud's longevity with powerful their STAB attacks. Priority attackers from the likes of such as Brave Bird from Talonflame and or Mach Punch from Breloom can stop an Exploud, even if it has received Speed boosts. (_)Similarly, Fighting-types such as Lucario and Conkeldurr serve as excellent checks, possessing both priority and a way to reliably OHKO Exploud.</p>
Click to expand...
GP 1/1
 
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< li>It has a fantastic ability in Scrappy, meaning nothing is immune to STAB Boomburst.</li>
Click to expand...
Soundproof Mr. Mime. Also, why does the set have 2 Fire attacks? Wouldn't it be better to use Surf or something?
 
Made the change, thanks.

Also STAB Boomburst outdamages x2 Super Effective Surf, making it the better choice against Pokemon such as Hippowdon. Given how strong Boomburst is, there are really few viable coverage options so Overheat is chosen for more damage against bulkier Steel-type Pokemon
 
dragonuser said:
Made the change, thanks.

Also STAB Boomburst outdamages x2 Super Effective Surf, making it the better choice against Pokemon such as Hippowdon. Given how strong Boomburst is, there are really few viable coverage options so Overheat is chosen for more damage against bulkier Steel-type Pokemon
Click to expand...
Well, Surf gets a rain boost if used with Politoed, and works on Rock type Pokemon if you're afraid Focus Blast will miss. but why use both Overheat and Flamethrower? I just don't see what the benefit is with using both at once.
 
Aside from the rain boost from Politoed, Surf has literally one use in this metagame as far as I can tell, and that is to hit Aerodactyl (which Boomburst already does 61-73% to). Surf has little use against the other relevant Rock-types in this tier (Tyrantrum and Tyranitar).

I think the general mentality with Exploud's 4th move is that it will almost always be subpar, since Boomburst, Flamethrower, and Focus Blast are really all you need. Overheat is, imo, the best of the worst, getting a lot more damage on Aegislash (one of the most popular Steel-types in the tier) and as such is the optimal 4th move.
 
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