Croagunk (Analysis)*

Heysup

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Status: Complete

Croagunk was done surprisingly fast because my LCF analysis wasn't too bad. I removed CB/Specs since they are shit, and put them in OO. I'm really second guessing the viability of the pure NP set. Sludge Bomb is really pointless, it doesn't really hit anything besides...uhhh...Turtwig...? It's really just...pointless imo. Like, if you want to beat Munchlax why not just run Low Kick on the mixed NP set? Don't tell me it's worth it because of 1 Speed point, we all know that's not true. So if possible, I want to discuss that.

[Overview]

<p>Croagunk would normally be expected to use physical attacks because of its powerful Fighting-type STAB attacks. However, having the same base Attack and Special Attack stats along with Nasty Plot allows Croagunk function more effectively as a special or mixed sweeper. Croagunk is capable of hitting hard with both physical and special attacks, while at the same time having useful resistances to help it come into the fight. Given time to set up, Croagunk can devastate a
team, and should not be underestimated. Not many things can survive a Nasty Plot boosted attack from Croagunk.</p>

<p>With Little Cup being such a Speed-based metagame, Croagunk definitely has found its niche. With its amazing slew of strong priority attacks, Croagunk is one of the prime revenge killers and sweepers. Croagunk is also easy to fit onto almost any team since it boasts
an invaluable Water immunity along with resistances to Dark, Fighting, Rock, Grass, Poison and Bug to compensate for its mediocre defenses. This makes Croagunk a very reliable Pokemon, often capable of holding a team together under pressure. Croagunk may not sweep as often as some Pokemon, but its ability to check a large number of threats makes it a valuable asset to any team.</p>

[SET]

name: Mixed Priority Abuser
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Vacuum Wave
move 4: Ice Punch / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Lonely
evs: 188 Atk / 188 SpA / 116 Spe
ivs: 0 HP

[SET COMMENTS]


<p>This set focuses on reliably revenge killing your opponent's sweepers. Croagunk has access to more priority attacks than anything else in Little Cup, most notably Vacuum Wave and Sucker Punch. Fake Out allows Croagunk to hit a Pokemon twice before they attack once. This gives Croagunk the ability to revenge kill Choice Scarf users and most other Pokemon with a
Speed boost (so long as they are not named Dratini!). Croagunk also has room for Ice Punch or Dark Pulse to hit Gligar and Ghost-types respectively.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set is one of the greatest and
most unique revenge killers in Little Cup, because it effectively outspeeds every Pokemon with a Speed boost. Fake Out coupled with Sucker Punch or Vacuum Wave OHKOes a good portion of the metagame. Croagunk also has another advantage over conventional, Choice Scarfed, revenge killers; Fake Out breaks Focus Sash and allows Croagunk to beat Sashers who Choice Scarf revenge killers would have trouble with.</p>

<p>The last slot is to cover one of Croagunk's most common
switch-ins. Ice Punch deals with Gligar, and gives Croagunk a reliable way of breaking any Ghost's Substitute. Dark Pulse, on the other hand, will catch Wynaut off guard and hit Ghost-types harder than Ice Punch. Another option is Hidden Power Psychic which OHKOes opposing Croagunk and Gastly.</p>

<p>Croagunk has trouble pulling off revenge kills if the opponent has Pokemon who don't mind switching into its attacks. Gligar, Gastly, Munchlax, and Wynaut in particular are the most common switch-ins, so the removal of them is essential for Croagunk to function properly. Gligar and Munchlax are both stopped by Duskull or bulky Drifloon, since they can just burn and KO Gligar, while slowly wearing down Munchlax. Since Wynaut and Gastly both have trouble dealing with Stunky (as long as it carries Crunch) it is also a good teammate for Croagunk.</p>

[SET]

name: Nasty Plot (Mixed)
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Vacuum Wave
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Ball / Ice Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Mild
evs: 188 Atk / 188 SpA / 116 Spe
ivs: 0 HP

[SET COMMENTS]


<p>This set's premise is quite simple: use Nasty Plot and sweep with Vacuum Wave. This set also uses Sucker Punch, making use of Croagunk's decent Attack. Sucker Punch also gives Croagunk a way to stop Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon from revenge killing it. Sucker Punch and Vacuum Wave together are nearly unresisted in Little Cup, aside from one popular Pokemon:
Croagunk. Shadow Ball allows Croagunk to hit opposing Croagunk and Gligar for neutral damage, reliably hit Ghost-types with Substitute, OHKO Wynaut after a Nasty Plot, and have perfect coverage alongside Vacuum Wave.</p>

<p>Since bulky variants of Gligar won't mind switching into a neutral Shadow Ball, Ice Punch is a viable option. While not using the Nasty Plot boost, Ice Punch still reliably hits Ghost-types and hits Paras for super effective damage, as well as
OHKOing Gligar. If Munchlax really troubles you, Low Kick can be used. It should be noted that using Low Kick takes away from Croagunk's sweeping power due to redundant coverage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]


<p>This variant of Croagunk has trouble with Ghost-types, but its biggest
setback is that it doesn't have a powerful STAB attack. This means Pokemon such as Munchlax and Lickitung will easily dispose of Croagunk thanks to their high Special Defense. They can be beaten down by strong physical attacks; however, they will not be tempted to switch or stay in on a powerful physical attacker, meaning mixed attackers are better lures. Houndour is a great candidate for this role, because it lures in the main special walls, and hits them hard with Crunch. Gastly with Substitute and Explosion can also function as a great teammate for Croagunk, especially with the ability to switch into the ever-common Ground-types who may come in on the frail frog.</p>

<p>Wynaut is also quite effective with Nasty Plot Croagunk, since it can remove Pokemon such as Gligar. Wynaut can also help Croagunk set up by Encoring one of the many attacks it resists.</p>

[SET]

name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Muscle Band / Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
Nature: Adamant
evs: 52 HP / 188 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]


<p>This set is aims to take advantage of the classic Substitute and Focus Punch combination. Croagunk can come in on something that it can force out (such as a Choice locked
Water move), and Substitute on the switch. Croagunk now gets a free STAB Focus Punch to smash the opponent’s face with. Ice Punch is used for Gligar and Drifloon only; a resisted Focus Punch will hurt more than a neutral Ice Punch on any other target. Sucker Punch is great on this set, as your opponents will be forced to attack to break your Substitute, almost eliminating prediction wars when using Sucker Punch. It’s also great for grabbing quick KOs on Pokemon who you fail to OHKO with Focus Punch.</p>

<p>The option of Muscle Band versus Life Orb comes down to personal preference. Just be aware that if you don't manage to heal Croagunk by switching into a Water-type attack, you can only Substitute three times at best with a Life Orb equipped.</p>


[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]


<p>This is Croagunk's most effective wall-breaking set. When behind a Substitute, the opponent will almost always need to sacrifice a defensive Pokemon to break Croagunk's Substitute. This means fast sweepers like Elekid really appreciate Croagunk as a teammate, since Elekid loves it when walls are down
as it has an easier time cleaning up.</p>

<p>Croagunk needs some support for this set to work effectively, since getting a Substitute up is no easy task. Rock-types such as Rhyhorn and Aron help Croagunk get a Substitute up because they lure Water- and Fighting-type attacks. Wynaut will also aid Croagunk in getting a Substitute, especially since Wynaut lures in Dark- and Bug-type attacks.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>A purely special Nasty Plot set can work decently for
Croagunk; however, it is almost completely outclassed by the mixed set for a couple of reasons. The main advantage the pure Nasty Plot set would give is the ability to OHKO Munchlax with a +2 Hidden Power Fighting; however, lacking Sucker Punch means it can be revenge killed by everything that is faster and isn't KOed by Vacuum Wave which is quite detrimental to the set's viability.</p>

<p>On the physical side, Poison Jab was left out due to Poison having poor coverage, and having better available options. Other physical options include Rock Slide, X-Scissor, Brick Break, Earthquake, and ThunderPunch. However, these are lesser options on any set because many of the moves are needed for power, coverage, priority, and Gligar. Gunk Shot is an incredibly powerful Poison-type attack, but its shaky accuracy makes it not worth it.</p>

<p>Choice Band and Choice Specs are both viable options on Croagunk because of its above average
attacking stats and great movepool. Additionally, Croagunk can still utilize its priority attacks on both sets. While it seems like a good option at first glance, it is rarely a good idea to be locked into Fighting-type attacks due to the presence of Ghosts-types and Gligar in the metagame. Additionally, being locked into priority attacks is a gamble as well; many Pokemon can easily set up on something like Bullet Punch or Sucker Punch.</p>

<p>On the SubPunch set, you could replace Sucker Punch with Payback. This gives Croagunk a more reliable attack against Gastly and Duskull, who can just stall Sucker Punch with Hypnosis or Will-O-Wisp respectively.</p>

<p>A Bulk Up set could work, but Croagunk does not really have the bulk (pun intended) to use it
effectively; Croagunk is still easily OHKOed by many of the most common Croagunk counters such as Gligar.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Priority Croagunk does not require entry hazards as much as the other sets, but since Croagunk is often going to be forcing switches, entry hazards are definitely appreciated regardless.</p>


<p>Croagunk generally has trouble with Gastly, Gligar, and Wynaut in particular, because of their resistances to Fighting-type attacks and ways to play around Sucker Punch. Stunky and Munchlax make great teammates for Croagunk because of their ability to trap and KO most variants of Gastly. Speaking of Gastly, one of your own will help a lot when using Croagunk. Choice Scarf Gastly can easily switch into Gligar's Earthquake and 2HKO Gligar, while it can also OHKO Wynaut, meaning it
can take out two of Croagunk's counters. Another option against Wynaut is Substitute Diglett which can trap and beat Wynaut.</p>

<p>Defensively, Croagunk has excellent
typing; however, it has some weaknesses to common attacks. Firstly, Gligar will often be firing off Earthquakes aimed at Croagunk, meaning having something to absorb them is a good plan. Mantyke and Bronzor both make great Gligar switch-ins, and will often force Gligar out. Bronzor can also set up screens for Croagunk, making it easier to switch back in. It is also very beneficial to have a Fire-type resistance on your team when using Croagunk. Pokemon often carry Fire-type moves such as Fire Blast or Flare Blitz which OHKO Croagunk, and there are also the odd Will-O-Wisps from Pokemon such as Duskull. This means Houndour makes an excellent teammate for Croagunk, due to its ability to absorb Fire-type attacks. Houndour's immunity to Psychic is a great bonus as well.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Duskull and Gastly are really good counters. They can come in on anything Croagunk has to offer (barring the rare Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse,
or Payback) and threaten it. Even if Croagunk packs Sucker Punch, Gastly can just put Croagunk to sleep with Hypnosis, while Duskull can burn it with Will-O-Wisp. Wynaut is also a great counter, since it can come in on any resisted or neutral attack except Nasty Plot and beat Croagunk. Wynaut can avoid Sucker Punch with Encore, though it should be noted that Counter will trigger Sucker Punch.</p>

<p>Tentacool resists both of Croagunk's STABs and has high Special Defense to sponge hits. Grimer can come in and set up Curse on Croagunk (as long as Croagunk does not have Earthquake). Koffing takes little from Croagunk's STAB attacks, is neutral to
Dark, and has Will-O-Wisp and Flamethrower to counter the poisonous frog. Bronzor works well for countering priority Croagunk; however, it needs to be careful around SubPunch and Nasty Plot sets.</p>

<p>Gligar can completely wall
Ice Punchless Croagunk, and easily KO it with Earthquake. Diglett is a great revenge killer for Croagunk, with Arena Trap, and the ability to survive a Vacuum Wave and OHKO with Earthquake. Diglett does lose to the pure priority variant barring perfect Sucker Punch prediction.</p>

<p>Since Croagunk often relies on priority, using Pokemon who are faster than Croagunk and OHKO it
with their own priority are great revenge killers. After Life Orb recoil, Pokemon such as Eevee and Zigzagoon OHKO Croagunk with Quick Attack and ExtremeSpeed respectively (as long as they carry a Life Orb of their own).</p>
 
[SET]
name: Mixed Priority Abuser
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Vacuum Wave
move 4: Ice Punch / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Lonely
evs: 188 Atk / 188 SpA / 116 Spe
ivs: 0 HP

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Croagunk has an amazing movepool which includes four awesome priority attacks. Vacuum Wave and Sucker Punch are nearly unresisted, while Fake Out is a great way to open up against almost any opponent. Bullet Punch hits Ghost-types, which are a pain for this set (ones with status or Substitute at least).</p>

<p>This set is one of the greatest and unique revenge killers in Little Cup, because it automatically outspeeds every Pokemon with a Speed boost [cut out redundancy]. Fake Out coupled with Sucker Punch or Vacumm Wave OHKOes a good portion of the metagame. Croagunk also as another leg up on fellow Choice Scarf revenge killers; which is the fact that Fake Out breaks Focus Sash and allows Croagunk to OHKO the Pokemon.</p>

<p>The last slot is to cover one of Croagunk's most common switch ins. Ice Punch deals with Gligar, and gives Croagunk a reliable way of breaking Misdreavus's Substitute. Dark Pulse on the other hand, will catch Wynaut off guard, and will hit Misdreavus harder than Ice Punch.</p>

<p>Croagunk has trouble pulling off revenge kills if the opponent has Pokemon who don't mind switching into its attacks. Gligar, Misdreavus, Munchlax, and Wynaut in particular are the most common Pokemon who counter Croagunk well, meaning the removal of those Pokemon is essential for Croagunk to function properly. Gligar and Munchlax are both easily stopped by Duskull, or a bulky Misdreavus, since they can just burn and KO Gligar, while slowly wearing down Munchlax. Since Wynaut and Misdreavus both have trouble dealing with Stunky (-) as long as it carries Crunch, Stunky is indeed a good teammate for Croagunk.</p>

[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Vacuum Wave
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Modest
evs: 36 Def / 192 SpA / 36 SpD / 200 Spe
ivs: 0 HP

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is one of Croagunk's most dangerous sets because of its Nasty Plot's ability to boost the power of Vacuum Wave. With a Nasty Plot under its belt, Croagunk can take out many of its counters and sweep with Vacuum Wave, provided all fast Pokemon who aren't OHKOed by a +2 Vacuum Wave are removed. While Hidden Power Fighting may seem like a weird choice, it is essential for this set to succeed. Hidden Power Fighting OHKOes Munchlax and Lickitung, who would otherwise counter this set. While Hidden Power Fighting and Vacuum Wave are redundant coverage-wise, note that with Shadow Ball Croagunk has unresisted coverage anyway. Since this set is quite vulnerable to certain revenge killers, it functions as more of a wall breaker with priority than a sweeper.</p>

<p>This set is easily revenge killed by Pokemon like Misdreavus and Gastly, since they are immune to Vacuum Wave and easily OHKO Croagunk with Shadow Ball. Stunky and Munchlax can get rid of Misdreavus and Gastly with Pursuit or Sucker Punch, so naturally they make great teammates alongside Croagunk. Since Croagunk boasts the ability to lure and OHKO Munchlax, Pokemon such as Gastly, Chinchou, and Mantyke really appreciate having Croagunk on their team. Gastly and Mantyke can switch into Ground-type attacks aimed at Croagunk as an added bonus.</p>

<p>Wynaut is quite effective with Croagunk, since it can remove Pokemon such as Gligar [with ease?]. Wynaut can also help Croagunk set up by Encoring one of its many resisted attacks.</p>

[SET]
name: Nasty Plot (Mixed)
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Vacuum Wave
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Ball / Ice Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Mild
evs: 188 Atk / 188 SpA / 116 Spe
ivs: 0 HP

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set starts the same way as the regular Nasty Plot set does: use Nasty Plot and sweep. However, this set uses Sucker Punch, making use of Croagunk's decent options on both physical and special moves [there is no spectrum as far as i remember]. Sucker Punch also gives Croagunk a way to stop Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon from revenge killing it. Sucker Punch and Vacuum Wave are nearly unresisted in Little Cup, aside from one popular Pokemon: itself. Shadow Ball allows Croagunk to hit opposing Croagunk and Gligar for neutral damage, which reliably breaks Misdreavus Substitutes, OHKOes Wynaut after a Nasty Plot, and on top of all that, it has perfect coverage with Vacuum Wave.</p>

<p>Since bulky variants of Gligar won't mind switching into a neutral Shadow Ball, Ice Punch is a viable option. While not using the Nasty Plot boost, Ice Punch still reliably hits Misdreavus and hits Paras for super effective damage, as well as Gligar for the OHKO. If Munchlax really troubles you, Low Kick can be used. It should be noted that using Low Kick takes away from Croagunk's sweeping power due to redundant coverage.</p>

<p>This variant of Croagunk has trouble with Ghost-types, but its biggest set back is that it doesn't have a powerful STAB attack. This means Pokemon such as Munchlax and Lickitung will easily dispose of Croagunk thanks to their high Special Defense stat. The former two are generally weak to strong physical attacks, however they will not be tempted to switch or stay in on a powerful physical attacker, meaning mixed attackers generally work better. Houndour is a great candidate for this role, because it lures in the special walls, and is able to hit them hard with Crunch. Gastly with Substitute and Explosion could also function as a great teammate for Croagunk, especially with the ability to switch into the ever-common Ground-type that may be aimed at the frail frog.</p>


[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Muscle Band / Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
Nature: Adamant
evs: 52 HP / 188 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set is aims to take advantage of the classic Substitute and Focus Punch combination [this makes a great inro, yoiu used "one of the greatest and unique set in the first set - a bit redundant]. Croagunk can come in on a Water-type move or something that it can force out, and Substitute on the switch. Croagunk now get a free STAB Focus Punch to smash the opponent’s face. Ice Punch is used for Gligar and Drifloon only; a resisted Focus Punch will hurt more than a neutral Ice Punch on any other target. Sucker Punch is great on this set, as your opponents will be forced to attack to break your Substitute, almost eliminating prediction wars when using Sucker Punch. It’s also great for grabbing quick OHKOes on Pokemon that you fail to OHKO.</p>

<p>The option of Muscle Band versus Life Orb comes down to personal preference. Just be aware that if you don't manage to heal Croagunk by switching into a Water-type attack, you can only Substitute three times at best.</p>

<p>This is Croagunk's most effective wall-breaking set. When behind a Substitute, the opponent will almost always need to sacrifice a defensive Pokemon to break Croagunk's Substitute. This means fast sweepers like Elekid really appreciate Croagunk as a teammate, since Elekid appreciates it when walls are down and it has an easier time cleaning up.</p>

<p>Croagunk needs some support for this set to work effectively, since getting a Substitute up is no easy task. Rock-types such as Rhyhorn and Aron help Croagunk get a Substitute up because they lure Water- and Fighting-type attacks. Wynaut will also aid Croagunk in getting a Substitute, especially since Wynaut lures in Dark- and Bug-type attacks.</p>



[Other Options]

<p>On the physical side, Poison Jab was left out due to Poison having poor coverage, and having better available options. Other physical options include Rock Slide, X-Scissor, Brick Break and ThunderPunch. However, these are lesser options on any set because many of the moves are needed for power, coverage, priority, and Gligar. Gunk Shot is an incredibly powerful Poison-type attack, but its shaky accuracy makes it not worth it.</p>

<p>Choice Band and Choice Specs are both viable options on Croagunk because of its above average attack stats and great movepool. Additionally, Croagunk can still utilize its priority attacks on both sets. While it seems like a good option at first glance, it is rarely a good idea to be locked into Fighting-type attacks due to the pressence of Ghosts-types and Gligar in the metagame. Additionally, being locked into priority attacks is a gamble as well; many Pokemon can easily set up on something like Bullet Punch or Vacuum Wave.</p>

<p>On the SubPunch set, you could replace Sucker Punch with Payback, to have a more reliable Dark-type move. Swapping Sucker Punch for Payback gives you a more reliable attack against Gastly and Misdreavus, who can just stall Sucker Punch's PP while wasting Hypnosis or Substitute respectively.</p>

<p>A Bulk Up set could work, but Croagunk does not really have the bulk (pun intended) to use it effectively. Croagunk is still easily OHKOed by many of the most common Croagunk counters such as Diglett [first time mentioning it, i suggest replacing it].</p>

[EVs]

<p>Croagunk has the right stat numbers in the right places for the Level 5 metagame. Having a 61 in both attacking stats means he has to invest fewer EVs than other mixed sweepers, giving room for some more Speed in the process. On the mixed sets, the EVs given maximize Special Attack and Attack and leave enough room to earn two extra Speed points. On all the other sets, Speed and the attacking stat are prioritized, leaving room for an HP point and a point in both defenses.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>

[Opinion]

<p>Croagunk would normally be expected to use physical attacks just like its evolution, Toxicroak [not true, Toxicroak is a fantastic Nasty Plot user]. However, having the same base stat in Attack and Special Attack while having access to Nasty Plot makes Croagunk function more efficiently as a special or mixed sweeper. Croagunk is capable of hitting hard on either side of the physically and specially, while at the same time, having useful resistances to help it come into the fight. Given time to set up, Croagunk can devastate a team and should not be underestimated. Not many things can survive a Nasty Plot boosted attack from Croagunk.</p>

<p>With Little Cup being such a Speed-based metagame, Croagunk definitely has found its niche. With its amazing slew of strong priority attacks, Croagunk is one of the prime revenge killers and sweepers. It isn't hard to fit Croagunk on your team either, since it boasts invaluable immunity to compensate for its mediocre defenses.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Misdreavus and Gastly are really good counters. They can come in on anything Croagunk has to offer (barring Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, or the odd Payback) and threaten it. Even if Croagunk packs Sucker Punch, Gastly can just put Croagunk to Sleep with Hypnosis, while Misdreavus can Substitute, set up Nasty Plots, burn Croagunk with Will-O-Wisp, or simply use Shadow Sneak.</p>

<p>Tentacool resists both STAB attack types and has high Special Defense to sponge hits. Grimer can come in and set up Curse on Croagunk (as long as it does not have Hidden Power Psychic or Earthquake). Koffing takes little from Croagunk's STAB attacks, is neutral to Dark and has Will-O-Wisp and Flamethrower to counter the poisonous frog; though it needs to be careful against the Hidden Power Psychic variants. Bronzor works well for countering priority Croagunk, however it needs to avoid switching into a Substitute or Nasty Plot.</p>

<p>Gligar can completely wall Croagunk if it does not have Ice Punch, and easily KO it with either STAB attack. Diglett is the best revenge killer for Croagunk, as it traps it, survives a Vacuum Wave, and OHKOes with Earthquake, though Diglett loses versus the pure priority variant barring perfect Sucker Punch prediction.</p>[/QUOTE]

---

Comments in parathesis, changes in bold, red is for you to look at and consider changing. gj.
 
Okay, added Team Options.

Also, should I keep the pure NP set?

I want to ask this question one more time, since a lot of people I've asked on IRC have said that it isn't worth keeping.

The reasons I don't like the set at all are:

1. It is too easily revenge killed by the ever-common Ghost-types who are always around. Like, I'm pretty sure every team runs a Ghost-type.

2. It has to double up on coverage to take out Munchlax and sometimes take out Bronzor.

3. It needs prediction to work well, because you need to Shadow Ball on the switch to hit most Ghost-types since they are faster.

4. This is the biggest reason: Why not run the mixed set?

The mixed set can easily just run Low Kick or something to OHKO Munchlax if it wants, and while it still loses to Misdreavus and Gligar, it actually stops Gastly from being able to revenge kill it. I see no advantages of running pure Nasty Plot.

Is losing to the second most common Ghost really worth the 1 Defense and 1 Speed point (considering it sweeps with Priority)?
 
I'm fine with taking the pure NP out, probably should get a mention in OO though.

Also, you mention BP in the first set of SCs even though it has been removed from the set? Put it as a "this is an option but probably don't use it, because.." in either SCs or OO.
 
Fixed, thanks eric.

Waiting on Fuzznip's input before I remove NP, since the only people I remember supporting NP having it's own set were eric and Fuzznip (and it seems eric is fine with removing it).
 
<p>The last slot is to cover one of Croagunk's most common switch ins. Ice Punch deals with Gligar, and gives Croagunk a reliable way of breaking Misdreavus's Substitute. Dark Pulse on the other hand, will catch Wynaut off guard and hit Misdreavus harder than Ice Punch.</p>

<p>Croagunk has trouble pulling off revenge kills if the opponent has Pokemon who don't mind switching into its attacks. Gligar, Misdreavus, Munchlax, and Wynaut in particular are the most common Pokemon who counter Croagunk well, meaning the removal of those Pokemon is essential for Croagunk to function properly. Gligar and Munchlax are both easily stopped by Duskull or a bulky Misdreavus, since they can just burn and KO Gligar, while slowly wearing down Munchlax. Since Wynaut and Misdreavus both have trouble dealing with Stunky - as long as it carries Crunch - Stunky is indeed a good teammate for Croagunk.</p>

<p>This set starts the same way as the regular Nasty Plot set does: use Nasty Plot and sweep. However, this set uses Sucker Punch, making use of Croagunk's decent options on both physical and special moves. Sucker Punch also gives Croagunk a way to stop Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon from revenge killing it. Sucker Punch and Vacuum Wave are nearly unresisted in Little Cup, aside from one popular Pokemon: itself. Shadow Ball allows Croagunk to hit opposing Croagunk and Gligar for neutral damage, which reliably breaks Misdreavus Substitutes, OHKOes Wynaut after a Nasty Plot, and on top of all that, it has perfect coverage with Vacuum Wave.</p>

<p>This variant of Croagunk has trouble with Ghost-types, but its biggest set back is that it doesn't have a powerful STAB attack. This means Pokemon such as Munchlax and Lickitung will easily dispose of Croagunk thanks to their high Special Defense stat. The former two are generally weak to strong physical attacks; however they will not be tempted to switch or stay in on a powerful physical attacker, meaning mixed attackers generally work better. Houndour is a great candidate for this role, because it lures in the special walls, and hits them hard with Crunch. Gastly with Substitute and Explosion could also function as a great teammate for Croagunk, especially with the ability to switch into the ever-common Ground-type that may be aimed at the frail frog.</p>


(You may want to fix your spacing here)
<p>This set is aims to take advantage of the classic Substitute and Focus Punch combination. Croagunk can come in on a Water-type move or something that it can force out, and Substitute on the switch. Croagunk now get a free STAB Focus Punch to smash the opponent’s face. Ice Punch is used for Gligar and Drifloon only; a resisted Focus Punch will hurt more than a neutral Ice Punch on any other target. Sucker Punch is great on this set, as your opponents will be forced to attack to break your Substitute, almost eliminating prediction wars when using Sucker Punch. It’s also great for grabbing quick OHKOes on Pokemon that you fail to OHKO.</p>

<p>On the SubPunch set, you could replace Sucker Punch with Payback to have a more reliable Dark-type move. Swapping Sucker Punch for Payback gives you a more reliable attack against Gastly and Misdreavus, who can just stall Sucker Punch's PP while wasting Hypnosis or Substitute respectively.</p>

<p>Defensively, Croagunk has excellent typing, however it has some weaknesses to common attacks. Firstly, Gligar will often be firing off Earthquakes aimed at Croagunk, meaning having something to absorb them is a good plan. Misdreavus and Bronzor both make great Gligar switch-ins, and will often force Gligar out. Bronzor can also set up screens for Croagunk, making it easier to switch back in. It is also very beneficial to have a Fire-type resistance on your team when using Croagunk. Pokemon often carry Fire-type moves such as Fire Blast or Flare Blitz to OHKO Croagunk, but there is also the odd Will-O-Wisp from Pokemon such as Misdreavus. This means Houndour makes an excellent teammate for Croagunk, due to its ability to absorb Fire-type attacks. Houndour's immunity to Psychic is a great bonus as well.</p>

<p>Croagunk would normally be expected to use physical attacks because of its Fighting-type STAB. However, having the same Base Stat in Attack and Special Attack while having access to Nasty Plot makes Croagunk function more efficiently as a special or mixed sweeper. Croagunk is capable of hitting hard on either side of the spectrum, while at the same time having useful resistances to help it come into the fight. Given time to set up, Croagunk can devastate a team and should not be underestimated. Not many things can survive a Nasty Plot boosted attack from Croagunk.</p>

<p>Misdreavus and Gastly are really good counters. They can come in on anything Croagunk has to offer (barring Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, or the odd Payback) and threaten it. Even if Croagunk packs Sucker Punch, Gastly can just put Croagunk to sleep with Hypnosis, while Misdreavus can Substitute, set up Nasty Plots, burn Croagunk with Will-O-Wisp, or simply use Shadow Sneak.</p>

<p>Tentacool resists both STAB attack types and has high Special Defense to sponge hits. Grimer can come in and set up Curse on Croagunk (as long as it does not have Hidden Power Psychic or Earthquake). Koffing takes little from Croagunk's STAB attacks, is neutral to Dark and has Will-O-Wisp and Flamethrower to counter the poisonous frog; (<- this is still bolded) though it needs to be careful against the Hidden Power Psychic variants. Bronzor works well for countering priority Croagunk, however it needs to avoid switching into a Substitute or Nasty Plot.</p>
 
Thank you Xia :). Added your fixes. Once Fuzznip posts regarding the pure NP set and I remove / don't remove it, then this will be done.
 
Oh, another thing I forgot to mention was your pronoun disagreement. You use both the pronouns "he" and "it" when describing Croagunk; try to fix these so they are consistant throughout the analysis (typically "it" is a better choice). A simple ctrl+f for "he" and "him" will show you what I'm refering to.
 
Hmm. I thought I saw more than there actually are (I've been proofreading analyses all day). That one instance is still there, in the EVs section. Sorry for that. =3
 
Mixed Priority attacker, second paragraph:
<p>This set is one of the greatest and unique revenge killers in Little Cup, because it automatically outspeeds every Pokemon with a Speed boost. Fake Out coupled with Sucker Punch or Vacumm Wave OHKOes a good portion of the metagame. Croagunk also as another leg up on fellow Choice Scarf revenge killers; which is the fact that Fake Out breaks Focus Sash and allows Croagunk to OHKO the Pokemon.</p>
Vacumm should be Vacuum, and as should be has.
 
You make absolutely no mention of Wynaut countering Croagunk in the Counters section. It should be mentioned in there for sure, as it can switch into nearly anything Croagunk has to offer, Encore whatever move it uses, and switch in a Pokemon that can set up on it. Or, it can just finish it off with Counter/Mirror Coat.

You could also make a mention of how Croagunk is usually always seen using priority moves, so by using Pokemon that have higher Speed and priority attacks, they can be potent threats to Croagunk. For example, ExtremeSpeed from LO Zigzagoon will outpace Croagunk's Vacuum Wave and almost OHKO it (I think it OHKOes actually) or Gligar Quick Attack helps avoid being hit by Sucker Punch. Gligar could also set up Swords Dance against Sucker Punch Croagunk and then kill it with Quick Attack. I think you get the idea of what I'm trying to say.
 
Added Wynaut to counters and mentioned Zigzagoon and Eevee for revenge killing with faster priority.

Gligar can't really afford to set up or use QA on gunk because of Ice Punch.

Anyone have any other issues?
 
[Overview]

<p>Croagunk would normally be expected to use physical attacks because of its Fighting-type STAB. However, having the same Base Stat in Attack and Special Attack while having access to Nasty Plot makes Croagunk function more efficiently as a special or mixed sweeper. Croagunk is capable of hitting hard on either side of the spectrum, while at the same time having useful resistances to help it come into the fight. Given time to set up, Croagunk can devastate a team, and should not be underestimated. Not many things can survive a Nasty Plot boosted attack from Croagunk.</p>

<p>With Little Cup being such a Speed-based metagame, Croagunk definitely has found its niche. With its amazing slew of strong priority attacks, Croagunk is one of the prime revenge killers and sweepers. It isn't hard to fit Croagunk on your team either, since it boasts an invaluable immunity to compensate for its mediocre defenses.</p>

[SET]
name: Mixed Priority Abuser
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Vacuum Wave
move 4: Ice Punch / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Lonely
evs: 188 Atk / 188 SpA / 116 Spe
ivs: 0 HP

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set focuses on reliably revenge killing your opponent's sweepers. Croagunk has access to many great priority attacks, namely Vacuum Wave and Sucker Punch. Fake Out allows Croagunk to hit a Pokemon twice without that Pokemon being able to attack once. This gives Croagunk the ability to revenge kill Choice Scarf users and other Speed-boosters not named Dratini. Croagunk also has room for Ice Punch or Dark Pulse to hit Gligar and Ghost-types respectively.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set is one of the greatest and most unique revenge killers in Little Cup, because it automatically outspeeds every Pokemon with a Speed boost. Fake Out coupled with Sucker Punch or Vacuum Wave OHKOes a good portion of the metagame. Croagunk also has another leg up on fellow Choice Scarf revenge killers; Fake Out breaks Focus Sash and allows Croagunk to OHKO the Pokemon.</p>

<p>The last slot is to cover one of Croagunk's most common switch-ins. Ice Punch deals with Gligar, and gives Croagunk a reliable way of breaking any Ghost's Substitute. Dark Pulse, on the other hand, will catch Wynaut off guard and hit Ghost-types harder than Ice Punch.</p>

<p>Croagunk has trouble pulling off revenge kills if the opponent has Pokemon who don't mind switching into its attacks. Gligar, Gastly, Munchlax, and Wynaut in particular are the most common Pokemon who counter Croagunk well, meaning the removal of those Pokemon is essential for Croagunk to function properly. Gligar and Munchlax are both easily stopped by Duskull or a bulky Drifloon, since they can just burn and KO Gligar, while slowly wearing down Munchlax. Since Wynaut and Gastly both have trouble dealing with Stunky - as long as it carries Crunch - it is indeed a good teammate for Croagunk.</p>

[SET]
name: Nasty Plot (Mixed)
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Vacuum Wave
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Ball / Ice Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Mild
evs: 188 Atk / 188 SpA / 116 Spe
ivs: 0 HP

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set's premise is quite simple: use Nasty Plot and sweep with Vacuum Wave. This set also uses Sucker Punch, making use of Croagunk's decent options on both physical and special moves. Sucker Punch also gives Croagunk a way to stop Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon from revenge killing it. Sucker Punch and Vacuum Wave are nearly unresisted in Little Cup, aside from one popular Pokemon: opposing Croagunk ["itself" seems awkward to me]. Shadow Ball allows Croagunk to hit opposing Croagunk and Gligar for neutral damage, reliably hit Ghost-types with Substitute, OHKO Wynaut after a Nasty Plot, and have perfect coverage alongside Vacuum Wave.</p>

<p>Since bulky variants of Gligar won't mind switching into a neutral Shadow Ball, Ice Punch is a viable option. While not using the Nasty Plot boost, Ice Punch still reliably hits Ghost-types and hits Paras for super effective damage, as well as Gligar for the OHKO. If Munchlax really troubles you, Low Kick can be used. It should be noted that using Low Kick takes away from Croagunk's sweeping power due to redundant coverage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This variant of Croagunk has trouble with Ghost-types, but its biggest setback is that it doesn't have a powerful STAB attack. This means Pokemon such as Munchlax and Lickitung will easily dispose of Croagunk thanks to their high Special Defense stat. The former two are generally weak to strong physical attacks; however, they will not be tempted to switch or stay in on a powerful physical attacker, meaning mixed attackers generally work better. Houndour is a great candidate for this role, because it lures in the special walls, and hits them hard with Crunch. Gastly with Substitute and Explosion could also function as a great teammate for Croagunk, especially with the ability to switch into the ever-common Ground-types who may come in on the frail frog.</p>

<p>Wynaut is also quite effective with Nasty Plot Croagunk, since it can remove Pokemon such as Gligar. Wynaut can also help Croagunk set up by Encoring one of its many resisted attacks.</p>

[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Muscle Band / Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
Nature: Adamant
evs: 52 HP / 188 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set is aims to take advantage of the classic Substitute and Focus Punch combination. Croagunk can come in on a Water-type move or something that it can force out, and Substitute on the switch. Croagunk now gets a free STAB Focus Punch to smash the opponent’s face. Ice Punch is used for Gligar and Drifloon only; a resisted Focus Punch will hurt more than a neutral Ice Punch on any other target. Sucker Punch is great on this set, as your opponents will be forced to attack to break your Substitute, almost eliminating prediction wars when using Sucker Punch. It’s also great for grabbing quick OHKOes on Pokemon who you fail to OHKO.</p>

<p>The option of Muscle Band versus Life Orb comes down to personal preference. Just be aware that if you don't manage to heal Croagunk by switching into a Water-type attack, you can only Substitute three times at best with a Life Orb equiped.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This is Croagunk's most effective wall-breaking set. When behind a Substitute, the opponent will almost always need to sacrifice a defensive Pokemon to break Croagunk's Substitute. This means fast sweepers like Elekid really appreciate Croagunk as a teammate, since Elekid appreciates it when walls are down as it has an easier time cleaning up.</p>

<p>Croagunk needs some support for this set to work effectively, since getting a Substitute up is no easy task. Rock-types such as Rhyhorn and Aron help Croagunk get a Substitute up because they lure Water- and Fighting-type attacks. Wynaut will also aid Croagunk in getting a Substitute, especially since Wynaut lures in Dark- and Bug-type attacks.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>A pure Nasty Plot set would work decently for Croagunk; however, it is completely outclassed by the mixed set for a couple reasons. The only advantage the pure Nasty Plot set would give is the ability to OHKO Munchlax with a +2 Hidden Power Fighting; however, being revenge killed by everything that is faster and isn't KOed by Vacuum Wave is quite detrimental to the set.</p>

<p>On the physical side, Poison Jab was left out due to Poison having poor coverage, and having better available options. Other physical options include Rock Slide, X-Scissor, Brick Break and ThunderPunch. However, these are lesser options on any set because many of the moves are needed for power, coverage, priority, and Gligar. Gunk Shot is an incredibly powerful Poison-type attack, but its shaky accuracy makes it not worth it.</p>

<p>Choice Band and Choice Specs are both viable options on Croagunk because of its above average attacking stats and great movepool. Additionally, Croagunk can still utilize its priority attacks on both sets. While it seems like a good option at first glance, it is rarely a good idea to be locked into Fighting-type attacks due to the presence of Ghosts-types and Gligar in the metagame. Additionally, being locked into priority attacks is a gamble as well; many Pokemon can easily set up on something like Bullet Punch or Vacuum Wave.</p>

<p>On the SubPunch set, you could replace Sucker Punch with Payback to have a more reliable Dark-type move. Swapping Sucker Punch for Payback gives you a more reliable attack against Gastly and Duskull, who can just stall Sucker Punch's PP while wasting Hypnosis or Will-O-Wisp respectively.</p>

<p>A Bulk Up set could work, but Croagunk does not really have the bulk (pun intended) to use it effectively; Croagunk is still easily OHKOed by many of the most common Croagunk counters such as Gligar.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Priority Croagunk does not require entry hazards as much as the other sets, but since Croagunk is often going to be forcing switches, entry hazards are definitely appreciated regardless.</p>

<p>Croagunk generally has trouble with Gastly, Gligar, and Wynaut in particular, because of their resistances to Fighting-type attacks and ways to play around Sucker Punch. Stunky and Munchlax make great teammates for Croagunk because of their ability to trap and KO most variants of Gastly. Speaking of Gastly, one of your own will help a lot when using Croagunk. Choice Scarf Gastly can easily switch into Gligar's Earthquake and 2HKO Gligar, while it can also OHKO Wynaut, meaning it can take out two of Croagunk's counters. If Wynaut is still bothering you, you can use Substitute Diglett to trap and KO Wynaut.</p>

<p>Defensively, Croagunk has excellent typing; however, it has some weaknesses to common attacks. Firstly, Gligar will often be firing off Earthquakes aimed at Croagunk, meaning having something to absorb them is a good plan. Mantyke and Bronzor both make great Gligar switch-ins, and will often force Gligar out. Bronzor can also set up screens for Croagunk, making it easier to switch back in. It is also very beneficial to have a Fire-type resistance on your team when using Croagunk. Pokemon often carry Fire-type moves such as Fire Blast or Flare Blitz to OHKO Croagunk, but there is also the odd Will-O-Wisp from Pokemon such as Duskull. This means Houndour makes an excellent teammate for Croagunk, due to its ability to absorb Fire-type attacks. Houndour's immunity to Psychic is a great bonus as well.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Duskull and Gastly are really good counters. They can come in on anything Croagunk has to offer (barring the rare Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, or Payback) and threaten it. Even if Croagunk packs Sucker Punch, Gastly can just put Croagunk to sleep with Hypnosis, while Duskull can burn Croagunk with Will-O-Wisp. Wynaut is also a great counter, since it can come in on any resisted or neutral attack except Nasty Plot and beat Croagunk. Wynaut can avoid Sucker Punch with Encore, though it should be noted that Counter will trigger Sucker Punch.</p>

<p>Tentacool resists both STAB attack types and has high Special Defense to sponge hits. Grimer can come in and set up Curse on Croagunk (as long as it does not have Hidden Power Psychic or Earthquake). Koffing takes little from Croagunk's STAB attacks, is neutral to Dark, and has Will-O-Wisp and Flamethrower to counter the poisonous frog, though it needs to be careful against the Hidden Power Psychic variants. Bronzor works well for countering priority Croagunk; however, it needs to avoid switching into a Substitute or Nasty Plot.</p>

<p>Gligar can completely wall Croagunk if it does not have Ice Punch, and easily KO it with either STAB attack. Diglett is the best revenge killer for Croagunk, as it traps it, survives a Vacuum Wave, and OHKOes with Earthquake, though Diglett loses versus the pure priority variant barring perfect Sucker Punch prediction.</p>

<p>Since Croagunk often relies on priority, using Pokemon who are faster than Croagunk and OHKO it with their own priority are great revenge killers. After Life Orb recoil, Pokemon such as Eevee and Zigzagoon OHKO Croagunk with Quick Attack and ExtremeSpeed respectively (as long as they carry a Life Orb of their own).</p>
 
went through and mostly prepared for upload, just would like a few things added:
1. Earthquake, has over 110% use for the past couple of months, needs an OC mention at the very least.
2. thunderpunch? blows waters out of the water nicely. especially mantyke.
3. Make a bigger deal of Croagunk's ability to be "the glue that holds teams together" with a lot of priority, key resistances, and fun tricks. It's not going to sweep you often, but it can pick holes in a team or keep one together under pressure.

also, I removed HP psychic from the counters thing, why would you use ever it over EQ? Koffing?
 
I added HP Psychic (for reasons stated in irc) into additional comments for mixed Np. I also added Earthquake to OC with ThunderPunch.
 
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