[OVERVIEW]
Dusclops differentiates itself from other stall staples by being one of the bulkiest walls in the metagame due to Eviolite. This bulk allows Dusclops to check several Pokemon in one slot such as Z-Me First Pinsir, Golem, and Swanna. Dusclops also has access to Pressure, which allows it to more easily stall out Pokemon such as Lickilicky, Silvally-Dragon, and Poliwrath. This is great for bulkier teams that would otherwise have a rough matchup with the aforementioned Pokemon. However, Dusclops doesn't sport any useful resistances to complement its fantastic bulk; in fact, its weakness to Dark exacerbates Dusclops's heavy reliance on Eviolite to maintain its bulk, which is compounded by the prevalence of Knock Off users such as Leafeon and Pawniard. Dusclops also doesn't have access to any reliable recovery options outside of Rest, meaning it has to rely on Sleep Talk pulling out the correct moves. Lastly, Dusclops has to rely on Seismic Toss and Toxic to deal significant damage to foes, further hampering its matchup versus Ghost-types and Pokemon immune to Toxic such as Gourgeist-XL, Muk, and Mareanie and showcasing its overall passivity.
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Toxic / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Seismic Toss
item: Eviolite
ability: Pressure
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rest allows Dusclops to keep itself healthy enough to check foes throughout the match and is useful for PP stalling out foes in tandem with Pressure. Sleep Talk allows Dusclops to potentially use Toxic or Seismic Toss while asleep, somewhat circumventing its passivity. Toxic is preferred in the third moveslot, as it enables Dusclops to stall out bulkier Pokemon such as Lickilicky, Bouffalant, and Torterra as well as wear down offensive Pokemon such as Rapidash and Silvally-Dragon. Will-O-Wisp burns physical attackers such as Pinsir, Electivire, and Silvally-Fighting and provides a means of dealing residual damage to them, as well as deterring Dark-types such as Pawniard from directly switching in. Seismic Toss bypasses Dusclops's awful offensive stats with a fixed-damage attack that 4HKOes the majority of the metagame.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense EVs alongside a Bold nature allow Dusclops to check physical attackers such as Pinsir lacking Knock Off and Golem. Eviolite boosts Dusclops's Defense and Special Defense, giving it a discernible defensive niche over Dusknoir. Pressure allows Dusclops to easily drain Pokemon out of moves that have low PP such as Floatzel's Liquidation and Golem's Stone Edge.
Usage Tips
========
Dusclops should be used primarily to check physical attackers such as Golem, Silvally-Fighting, and Bouffalant and spread Toxic so that it can stall out foes throughout the match. Similarly, if Dusclops is using Will-O-Wisp, it should look to burn physical attackers early so that it can more easily stall them. One should consider when the most opportune time to use Rest is. Using Rest too early can use up the move's PP faster than expected and force Dusclops to rely on Sleep Talk to pull the correct moves. Knock Off is the most common way to cripple Dusclops, as by removing its Eviolite, Dusclops becomes easier to beat. Dusclops should always scout for Knock Off from common users such as Komala by going into a dedicated Knock Off switch-in such as Silvally-Fighting. Secondarily, Toxic users such as Bronzor and Cradily can force Dusclops to Rest prematurely, so Dusclops should switch into a Toxic-immune Pokemon such as Muk or Mawile. Lastly, Pursuit users such as Silvally-Dark can trap a weakened Dusclops, so double switching is the optimal play. Although Dusclops should focus on checking physical attackers, its fantastic mixed bulk and Pressure enable it to PP stall special attackers such as Silvally-Dragon and Chatot, which bulky teams greatly appreciate. Similarly, Dusclops can pivot into support Pokemon such as Lickilicky, Pyukumuku, and Mareanie to PP stall their status moves.
Team Options
========
Dusclops fits primarily on stall teams, which necessitate both entry hazard support and entry hazard control. Bulky Pokemon that have access to Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes such as Golem, Bronzor, and Mareanie are crucial for chipping away at the opposing team's health, while Rapid Spin and Defog users such as Komala, Altaria, and Vibrava ensure Dusclops's team doesn't get worn down too quickly. Pokemon that check common threats such as Knock Off Leafeon and Silvally-Dark, like Altaria and Avalugg, complement Dusclops very well, forming a solid defensive core with it. Pokemon that can absorb Knock Off such as Silvally-Fighting and Z-Move variants of Pyukumuku make great teammates, as Dusclops tends to draw the attention of Knock Off users such as Komala and Pawniard due to its Dark weakness and reliance on its Eviolite for bulk. Pyukumuku is also notable for checking several setup sweepers such as Nasty Plot Simipour and Swords Dance Pinsir due to its fantastic ability in Unaware, a crucial element of the stall archetypes Dusclops fits best on.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A specially defensive spread can be used to better check special attackers, but Dusclops still tends to lose to special wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Simisear and Choice Specs Exeggutor due to its low HP and lack of useful resistances, making it difficult to justify. Night Shade is comparable to Seismic Toss in that it deals fixed damage to Ghost-types such as Gourgeist-XL and Misdreavus that Dusclops wouldn't be able to hit otherwise. However, being able to hit Normal-types such as Kecleon and Silvally is way more important. Furthermore, without Seismic Toss, Pokemon like Heal Bell Lickilicky, Substitute variants of Bouffalant and Vigoroth, and Comatose Komala are able to fully wall Dusclops. Dusclops may seem like it could be a fantastic PP staller with Pressure and the combination of Spite and Mean Look. However, Pyukumuku is better in this role, despite lacking Pressure, due to its inability to be overcome by setup sweepers such as Simisear thanks to Unaware and its lack of susceptibility to Knock Off. A set consisting of Calm Mind / Ice Beam / Rest / Sleep Talk could allow Dusclops to take on the role of a bulky setup sweeper. However, Dusclops is incredibly prone to being crippled by Knock Off while asleep, compromising its bulk and therefore causing it to underperform in this role compared to other Pokemon such as Curse Muk.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Eviolite Removal**: Knock Off, Trick, and Switcheroo users such as Komala, Choice Scarf Rotom-S, and Choice Specs Floatzel can remove Dusclops’s Eviolite, significantly compromising its bulk and, in the case of the latter two, completely crippling Dusclops for the rest of the game.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Pawniard and Silvally-Dark all threaten to either 2HKO or 3HKO Dusclops. The former in particular is notable for its access to STAB Knock Off, which removes Dusclops's Eviolite and makes it easier to KO. They all do not appreciate being burned by Will-O-Wisp, however.
**Setup Sweepers and Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Simisear, Choice Specs Beheeyem, and Rampardos can overcome Dusclops's immense bulk through setting up or their sheer strength.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types such as Gourgeist-XL and Misdreavus are immune to Seismic Toss and will either wear Dusclops down over time with Leech Seed and Foul Play or threaten to 2HKO it with Hex while it is asleep from using Rest. However, Dusclops is able to cripple both with Toxic.
**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Floatzel and Fraxure can prevent Dusclops from spreading burn and restoring its health, shutting down its walling capabilities considerably.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Aaronboyer, 239454]]
- Quality checked by: [[5gen, 296755], [BloodAce0107, 435539], [Ho3nConfirm3d, 231074]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Estronic, 240732]]
Dusclops differentiates itself from other stall staples by being one of the bulkiest walls in the metagame due to Eviolite. This bulk allows Dusclops to check several Pokemon in one slot such as Z-Me First Pinsir, Golem, and Swanna. Dusclops also has access to Pressure, which allows it to more easily stall out Pokemon such as Lickilicky, Silvally-Dragon, and Poliwrath. This is great for bulkier teams that would otherwise have a rough matchup with the aforementioned Pokemon. However, Dusclops doesn't sport any useful resistances to complement its fantastic bulk; in fact, its weakness to Dark exacerbates Dusclops's heavy reliance on Eviolite to maintain its bulk, which is compounded by the prevalence of Knock Off users such as Leafeon and Pawniard. Dusclops also doesn't have access to any reliable recovery options outside of Rest, meaning it has to rely on Sleep Talk pulling out the correct moves. Lastly, Dusclops has to rely on Seismic Toss and Toxic to deal significant damage to foes, further hampering its matchup versus Ghost-types and Pokemon immune to Toxic such as Gourgeist-XL, Muk, and Mareanie and showcasing its overall passivity.
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Toxic / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Seismic Toss
item: Eviolite
ability: Pressure
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rest allows Dusclops to keep itself healthy enough to check foes throughout the match and is useful for PP stalling out foes in tandem with Pressure. Sleep Talk allows Dusclops to potentially use Toxic or Seismic Toss while asleep, somewhat circumventing its passivity. Toxic is preferred in the third moveslot, as it enables Dusclops to stall out bulkier Pokemon such as Lickilicky, Bouffalant, and Torterra as well as wear down offensive Pokemon such as Rapidash and Silvally-Dragon. Will-O-Wisp burns physical attackers such as Pinsir, Electivire, and Silvally-Fighting and provides a means of dealing residual damage to them, as well as deterring Dark-types such as Pawniard from directly switching in. Seismic Toss bypasses Dusclops's awful offensive stats with a fixed-damage attack that 4HKOes the majority of the metagame.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense EVs alongside a Bold nature allow Dusclops to check physical attackers such as Pinsir lacking Knock Off and Golem. Eviolite boosts Dusclops's Defense and Special Defense, giving it a discernible defensive niche over Dusknoir. Pressure allows Dusclops to easily drain Pokemon out of moves that have low PP such as Floatzel's Liquidation and Golem's Stone Edge.
Usage Tips
========
Dusclops should be used primarily to check physical attackers such as Golem, Silvally-Fighting, and Bouffalant and spread Toxic so that it can stall out foes throughout the match. Similarly, if Dusclops is using Will-O-Wisp, it should look to burn physical attackers early so that it can more easily stall them. One should consider when the most opportune time to use Rest is. Using Rest too early can use up the move's PP faster than expected and force Dusclops to rely on Sleep Talk to pull the correct moves. Knock Off is the most common way to cripple Dusclops, as by removing its Eviolite, Dusclops becomes easier to beat. Dusclops should always scout for Knock Off from common users such as Komala by going into a dedicated Knock Off switch-in such as Silvally-Fighting. Secondarily, Toxic users such as Bronzor and Cradily can force Dusclops to Rest prematurely, so Dusclops should switch into a Toxic-immune Pokemon such as Muk or Mawile. Lastly, Pursuit users such as Silvally-Dark can trap a weakened Dusclops, so double switching is the optimal play. Although Dusclops should focus on checking physical attackers, its fantastic mixed bulk and Pressure enable it to PP stall special attackers such as Silvally-Dragon and Chatot, which bulky teams greatly appreciate. Similarly, Dusclops can pivot into support Pokemon such as Lickilicky, Pyukumuku, and Mareanie to PP stall their status moves.
Team Options
========
Dusclops fits primarily on stall teams, which necessitate both entry hazard support and entry hazard control. Bulky Pokemon that have access to Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes such as Golem, Bronzor, and Mareanie are crucial for chipping away at the opposing team's health, while Rapid Spin and Defog users such as Komala, Altaria, and Vibrava ensure Dusclops's team doesn't get worn down too quickly. Pokemon that check common threats such as Knock Off Leafeon and Silvally-Dark, like Altaria and Avalugg, complement Dusclops very well, forming a solid defensive core with it. Pokemon that can absorb Knock Off such as Silvally-Fighting and Z-Move variants of Pyukumuku make great teammates, as Dusclops tends to draw the attention of Knock Off users such as Komala and Pawniard due to its Dark weakness and reliance on its Eviolite for bulk. Pyukumuku is also notable for checking several setup sweepers such as Nasty Plot Simipour and Swords Dance Pinsir due to its fantastic ability in Unaware, a crucial element of the stall archetypes Dusclops fits best on.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A specially defensive spread can be used to better check special attackers, but Dusclops still tends to lose to special wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Simisear and Choice Specs Exeggutor due to its low HP and lack of useful resistances, making it difficult to justify. Night Shade is comparable to Seismic Toss in that it deals fixed damage to Ghost-types such as Gourgeist-XL and Misdreavus that Dusclops wouldn't be able to hit otherwise. However, being able to hit Normal-types such as Kecleon and Silvally is way more important. Furthermore, without Seismic Toss, Pokemon like Heal Bell Lickilicky, Substitute variants of Bouffalant and Vigoroth, and Comatose Komala are able to fully wall Dusclops. Dusclops may seem like it could be a fantastic PP staller with Pressure and the combination of Spite and Mean Look. However, Pyukumuku is better in this role, despite lacking Pressure, due to its inability to be overcome by setup sweepers such as Simisear thanks to Unaware and its lack of susceptibility to Knock Off. A set consisting of Calm Mind / Ice Beam / Rest / Sleep Talk could allow Dusclops to take on the role of a bulky setup sweeper. However, Dusclops is incredibly prone to being crippled by Knock Off while asleep, compromising its bulk and therefore causing it to underperform in this role compared to other Pokemon such as Curse Muk.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Eviolite Removal**: Knock Off, Trick, and Switcheroo users such as Komala, Choice Scarf Rotom-S, and Choice Specs Floatzel can remove Dusclops’s Eviolite, significantly compromising its bulk and, in the case of the latter two, completely crippling Dusclops for the rest of the game.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Pawniard and Silvally-Dark all threaten to either 2HKO or 3HKO Dusclops. The former in particular is notable for its access to STAB Knock Off, which removes Dusclops's Eviolite and makes it easier to KO. They all do not appreciate being burned by Will-O-Wisp, however.
**Setup Sweepers and Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Simisear, Choice Specs Beheeyem, and Rampardos can overcome Dusclops's immense bulk through setting up or their sheer strength.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types such as Gourgeist-XL and Misdreavus are immune to Seismic Toss and will either wear Dusclops down over time with Leech Seed and Foul Play or threaten to 2HKO it with Hex while it is asleep from using Rest. However, Dusclops is able to cripple both with Toxic.
**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Floatzel and Fraxure can prevent Dusclops from spreading burn and restoring its health, shutting down its walling capabilities considerably.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Aaronboyer, 239454]]
- Quality checked by: [[5gen, 296755], [BloodAce0107, 435539], [Ho3nConfirm3d, 231074]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Estronic, 240732]]
Last edited:
