UberSkitty
Assist Skitty was banned from NatDex Ubers
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[OVERVIEW]
Duosion is a niche Calm Mind user thanks to its ability in Magic Guard, which allows it to not be easily worn down through means such as Toxic poison, Leech Seed, and hail, especially alongside its reliable recovery. Duosion's high Special Attack also gives it a solid amount of offensive presence, especially after setting up. However, its low Speed can be problematic, as it forces Duosion to take a hit before setting up, which doesn't pair well with its mediocre bulk even with Eviolite. Other Calm Mind users like Mesprit, Musharna, and Clefairy all share certain traits with Duosion, with the former two being Psychic-types and the latter having Magic Guard, giving Duosion a lot of competition. Mesprit and Mushara don't depend on Eviolite for their bulk, which allows them to hold alternate items, and can serve as consistent Fighting-type checks, but they lack Duosion's longevity. Clefairy is able to switch into many threats and use support moves like Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave throughout the game before setting up but has much lower Special Attack and Defense. Duosion also suffers from having only four moveslots, forcing it to choose between having a better matchup against physical attackers or Dark-types, which both give it trouble otherwise.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Psyshock
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Acid Armor / Signal Beam
move 4: Recover
item: Eviolite
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Psyshock serves as Duosion's STAB move and lets Duosion take on opposing Calm Mind users like Clefairy. Calm Mind is Duosion's main setup move, allowing it to better offensively pressure foes while not being as easily broken through by special attackers such as Aurorus and Rotom-F. It also pairs well with Acid Armor, which boosts Duosion's Defense in order to not be beaten by Pokemon like Stoutland and Golurk. Signal Beam can be run instead to hit Dark-types like Pursuit Spiritomb and non-Crunch physical Skuntank, although Duosion still has to catch Pokemon like Alolan Raticate on the switch in fear of Knock Off. It also gives Duosion a better matchup against opposing Psychic-types.
Set Details
========
Magic Guard enables Duosion to set up with no fear of being whittled down by residual damage from Toxic and Hail. It also gives Duosion an immunity to entry hazards, giving it an easier time switching in if need be.
Usage Tips
========
Duosion is best utilized as a late-game sweeper, because if not running Signal Beam, it can't start setting up until all Dark-types are KOed. If running Signal Beam, Duosion can use it as a lure to KO on a predicted switch into a Dark-type like Absol, which otherwise beats it one-on-one. However, not running Acid Armor means Duosion also fears physical wallbreakers like Stoutland, so they should also be accounted for. If Duosion is running Acid Armor, it can lure in physical attackers and set up an Acid Armor on the switch. Additionally, aim to KO Pokemon that may be running moves that can put a stop to or greatly cripple Duosion, such as Eelektross's Knock Off, Manectric's Switcheroo, Audino's Encore, Froslass's Taunt, and Mudsdale's Roar. Duosion can be used throughout the game to absorb status moves and take hits from and threaten out certain weaker Pokemon like Altaria. It can use this role as a chance to lure in Dark-types before double switching out to a Dark-type check or to simply wear them down via entry hazards, although Duosion has to watch out for Pursuit in this case. Duosion can also lure Trick and Switcheroo users before switching out in order to make them give away their Choice item to another teammate, potentially giving Duosion a somewhat easier time late-game. Once its threats are out of the way, Duosion can switch in against bulkier Pokemon or not very effective attackers like Altaria and Hitmonchan and force a switch, which it can use as its opportunity to set up. However, when setting up, watch out for strong attackers like Stoutland and Aurorus, as they can fish for critical hits in order to bypass Duosion's defensive boosts.
Team Options
========
Dark-type checks are a must for Duosion, which includes Fighting-types like Primeape, Bug-types like Scyther, and Fairy-types like Silvally-Fairy. Silvally-Fairy and Alolan Persian can serve as Knock Off absorbers and provide Parting Shot in order to potentially give Duosion opportunities to set up. Other Dark-types such as Alolan Raticate and Absol can serve as checks for certain Dark-types like Sableye and RestTalk Spiritomb, as well as to Ghost-types like Oricorio-G. Other pivots like bulky Lanturn give Duosion setup opportunities by luring in Pokemon which Duosion can set up on, such as Altaria and Gastrodon, before pivoting out. Grass-types such as Ludicolo and Lilligant can take out certain threats to Duosion like Curse Quagsire and Jellicent. Wallbreakers like Stoutland and Aurorus can use their raw power to break through Duosion's threats while weakening the opposing team so Duosion has an easier time cleaning up Entry hazards can also help with this, so Duosion appreciates setters like Qwilfish, Froslass, Mudsdale, and Regirock. The former two can also help cripple Knock Off users and Dark-types, while the latter two can switch in against some of Duosion's checks such as Aggron and Stoutland. Qwilfish's Toxic Spikes is also notable, as Qwilfish especially lures Skuntank in a lot, ideally forcing it to take more chip damage. Qwilfish, Froslass, and Haunter can run Destiny Bond, notably the latter two, as they can lure Dark-types in and pick them off.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Duosion can run Special Defense EVs for a better matchup against special attackers such as Aurorus and Drampa, but this leaves it more vulnerable to physical attackers like Stoutland if it hasn't set up yet. In this case, Acid Armor is by far preferred over Signal Beam, although it does struggle to set up Acid Armor on certain Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Both special and physical Skuntank with Crunch win the matchup against Duosion, even if it has Signal Beam. If Duosion isn't running Signal Beam, Dark-types wall it completely. This includes Alolan Raticate, Absol, and Shiftry, which can all use Duosion as setup fodder or just KO it with little to no prior damage. Other Dark-types like Sableye and Alolan Persian can utilize Taunt to wear Duosion down slowly but surely. RestTalk Spiritomb is especially notable, as it takes little from even Signal Beam and uses Duosion as setup fodder.
**Wallbreakers**: Even if Duosion has managed to set up a Calm Mind, certain strong special attackers like Choice Specs Jellicent and Alolan Exeggutor can easily break though it. Other special attackers like Aurorus can only reliably beat Duosion one-on-one if it hasn't set up a Calm Mind. If it isn't running Acid Armor, physical wallbreakers like Stoutland and Golurk can 2HKO Duosion with ease.
**Unaware Users**: Quagsire ignores all of Duosion's stat boosts and takes little from any of its attacks. Because of this, Quagsire can comfortably switch in against Duosion and use it as setup fodder, with its only fear being a potential confusion from Signal Beam. However, this is only if Quagsire is running Curse, as Duosion PP stalls it otherwise. Furthermore, Pyukumuku can PP stall Duosion with the combination of Block and Spite.
**Eviolite Removal**: Knock Off from Pokemon like Eelektross, Tangela, and Kabutops makes setting up immensely more difficult for Duosion, although losing its Eviolite isn't fatal if it has already managed to get some boosts. Trick and Switcheroo users like Choice Specs Froslass, Choice Scarf Mesprit, and Manectric can stop Duosion in its tracks even after setting up.
**Taunt, Encore, and Phazing**: Taunt users like Aggron, Oricorio-G, and Froslass can stop Duosion from setting up or using Recover, although the latter two do not like taking a Psyshock. Encore users like support Audino lock Duosion into a single move, disabling its ability to switch between attacking, setting up, and restoring its HP, which allows it to be easily played around. Pokemon like Mudsdale can take a hit and use Roar to force Duosion out and negate its stat boosts.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[UberSkitty, 355061]]
- Quality checked by: [[yogi, 252106], [Megazard, 202117], [tondas, 442732]]
- Grammar checked by: [[frostration, 447027], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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