http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/conkeldurr
QC Approved: Solace, Kinneas
GP Approved: Eraddd, NixHex
[Overview]
<p>Conkeldurr draws many comparisons to its fatter cousin Hariyama. Both are bulky, slow Fighting-types with access to Guts and priority, and both make excellent attackers. Conkeldurr's main draws over Hariyama are STAB Mach Punch and a bone-shattering Base 140 Attack stat. Conkeldurr does have problems against common Psychic-types however, and is very easy to wear down through recoil damage. Due to its low base Speed, Conkeldurr functions best on a Trick Room team, where its teammates can more effectively deal with fast Psychic-types such as Latios that can make life difficult for Conkeldurr. It can be difficult to use, but Conkeldurr's raw power will often make up for the effort needed to utilize it.</p>
[SET]
name: Status Abuser
move 1: Drain Punch / Hammer Arm
move 2: Rock Slide / Payback
move 3: Mach Punch
move 4: Detect
item: Flame Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Brave / Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Def
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Guts is a fantastic ability in VGC. With a status Orb equipped Conkeldurr gains an immunity to sleep and a permanent boost in Attack, a major advantage over Gems. Guts also negates the decrease in Attack burn causes, making Flame Orb the preferable item over Toxic Orb, as switching is often disadvantageous in VGC. This means that in the long run a burn will generally do less damage to Conkeldurr than severe poisoning. Drain Punch helps offset the burn recoil damage, and is also a decently powerful STAB move. Hammer Arm hits much harder though, and makes Conkeldurr "faster" under Trick Room. Rock Slide provides good coverage, especially on Flying-types. Payback is an option on a set being used outside of Trick Room, as it is Conkeldurr's strongest option against Latios. Mach Punch is a powerful priority move and is Conkeldurr's main niche. Detect is an excellent move in VGC, and its higher success rate when compared to Protect is very noticeable. It is also essential for guaranteeing that Conkeldurr has a turn for Flame Orb to activate.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EV spread reduces passive damage due to the HP number that the HP EVs give, meaning Conkeldurr has better survivability than it would with a simple 252 HP spread. Attack is of course maximized, and a 0 Speed IV helps Conkeldurr to move first under Trick Room. Facade is an extremely powerful move with good neutral coverage alongside Conkeldurr's chosen Fighting-type STAB move, only missing out on Ghost-types. Wide Guard is also an option over Detect, as many common moves in VGC, such as Surf and Blizzard, hit both Conkeldurr and its teammate.</p>
<p>As stated earlier, Trick Room support is highly recommended. Conkeldurr can support Psychic-type Trick Room users, such as Reuniclus, by handling the Dark-types that plague them. Dark-type Pokemon themselves, such as Bisharp or Weavile, pair well with Conkeldurr for their ability to deal with Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon. Tyranitar is a notable exception to this, as its Sand Stream ability further decreases Conkeldurr's longevity. On that note, Politoed and Ninetales can also be used alongside this set, as their respective weather-inducing abilities alleviate Conkeldurr from the passive damage of sand or hail. Conkeldurr works especially well with rain teams for its ability to threaten Ferrothorn, a common threat to the playstyle.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Conkeldurr can use an Iron Ball and Fling to deal tremendous damage to Psychic- and Ghost-types, but this is often an impractical choice since Guts is one of Conkeldurr's biggest draws. Conkeldurr has considerable physical bulk, so Counter can be used to get the upper hand against physical attackers. Coba Berry is a gimmicky option alongside Counter, as with it Conkeldurr can survive an Acrobatics and KO back in retaliation. Brick Break isn't any stronger than Drain Punch, but its ability to remove the effects of Reflect and Light Screen can be very useful in certain situations. Earthquake is also a possible coverage move, but Rock Slide is generally superior in terms of the targets that it hits, and does not have the unwanted side-effect of hurting Conkeldurr's grounded teammates. Foresight takes away Ghost-type Pokemons' immunity to Fighting-type attacks, but VGC is generally too fast-paced for Conkeldurr to make any use of this.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Reuniclus is the biggest threat to this set, not being overly bothered by Conkeldurr's standard moves and OHKOing with Psychic. Psychic-types in general such as Latios and other fast special attackers also provide problems, since Conkeldurr does not have the special bulk required to take repeated special attacks, especially when considering burn damage. Ghost-types can often deal with Conkeldurr with little risk as well, assuming that they aren't as frail as Gengar. A Flight Gem-boosted Acrobatics from most Pokemon will OHKO or severely damage Conkeldurr, and burn damage is soon to finish it off almost immediately if Conkeldurr does survive. Intimidate diminishes Conkeldurr's strength and therefore its usefulness, meaning Conkeldurr can become dead weight, especially if the opponent brings out two Pokemon with Intimidate at the same time. Lastly, if Conkeldurr is burned and a damaging weather is in effect, then it will be losing 3/16th of its HP per turn, causing it to faint fairly quickly.</p>.
