Pokémon Galarian Stunfisk

[Zach Parrott]

Galarian Stunfisk

Type:

Base Stats: 109 HP | 81 Atk | 99 Def | 66 SpA | 84 SpD | 32 Spe

BST: 471

Abilities: Mimicry

All Moves

- [01] Mud-Slap
- [01] Tackle
- [01] Water Gun
- [01] Metal Claw
- [05] Endure
- [10] Mud Shot
- [15] Revenge
- [20] Metal Sound
- [25] Sucker Punch
- [30] Iron Defense
- [35] Bounce
- [40] Muddy Water
- [45] Snap Trap
- [50] Flail
- [55] Fissure
Egg Moves:
- Bind
- Yawn
- Astonish
- Curse
- Spite
- Counter
- Pain Split
- Reflect Type
TMs:
- [TM14] Thunder Wave
- [TM15] Dig
- [TM16] Screech
- [TM21] Rest
- [TM22] Rock Slide
- [TM24] Snore
- [TM25] Protect
- [TM31] Attract
- [TM32] Sandstorm
- [TM33] Rain Dance
- [TM39] Facade
- [TM42] Revenge
- [TM48] Rock Tomb
- [TM52] Bounce
- [TM53] Mud Shot
- [TM57] Payback
- [TM67] Ice Fang
- [TM76] Round
- [TM81] Bulldoze
- [TM98] Stomping Tantrum
TRs:
- [TR04] Surf
- [TR10] Earthquake
- [TR20] Substitute
- [TR22] Sludge Bomb
- [TR26] Endure
- [TR27] Sleep Talk
- [TR32] Crunch
- [TR35] Uproar
- [TR45] Muddy Water
- [TR46] Iron Defense
- [TR67] Earth Power
- [TR70] Flash Cannon
- [TR75] Stone Edge
- [TR76] Stealth Rock
- [TR78] Sludge Wave
- [TR81] Foul Play
- [TR84] Scald

Notable Moves:

Sucker Punch
Thunder Wave
Yawn
Pain Split
Reflect Type
Counter
Bulldoze
Earthquake
Stealth Rock
Scald
Earth Power
Flash Cannon
Foul Play
Snap Trap

New Ability: Mimicry - This Pokemon's type is dependent on the terrain (Grass for Grassy, Fairy for Misty, Electric for Electric, and Psychic for Psychic). Is a Ground/Steel type otherwise.

New Move: Snap Trap - Grass-type, 35 Base Power, 100 Accuracy, 24 PP, Physical. Basically is a Grass-type version of Whirlpool/Fire Spin.

Pros:

-Its defensive stats aren't too shabby, with a fairly high base 109 HP stat and 99/84 defenses to back it up.
-In addition to having access to powerful utility moves such as Stealth Rock and Scald, it also has other interesting options such as Pain Split, Yawn, and it's signature move Snap Trap.
-Ground / Steel typing and low speed means it can pivot around most hazards and not really care.

Cons:

-This thing is passive as shit. 81/66 offenses are quite awful, and 32 speed means that this thing is relegated to being a wall.
-Lack of physical Steel stab, strong coverage moves, and especially Toxic really exasperates the above.
-Ground / Steel is a pretty awful defensive typing in this metgame when Gyarados, Hawlucha, Excadrill, and Barraskewda are everywhere.
-Mimicry has no practical use as an ability in most situations, thus leaving Galarian Stunfisk without an ability.
-Lack of reliable recovery means this can get worn down fairly quickly.
-Shares a typing with both Excadrill and Steelix, the former of whom is a top tier offensive threat while the latter functions somewhat similarly to Galarian Stunfisk, trading some longevity for an offensive presence.

Dynamaxing Potential:

As Galarian Stunfisk is mostly relegated to being a defensive wall, Dynamaxing this thing is often bad since it can't take advantage of the offensive potential that Dynamax provides. If absolutely needed, Galarian Stunfisk could Dynamax in order to attempt to stop a sweeper that has no good way of breaking past it, such as non-mixed Dragon Dance Dragapult, but most maxed Pokemon easily take advantage of Galarian Stunfisk anyway, making it a bad choice to max in almost every situation.

Potential Movesets:

Defensive

Stunfisk-Galar @ Leftovers
Ability: Mimicry
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish / Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Pain Split
- Thunder Wave / Yawn
- Earthquake / Scald

This set attempts to make the most out of Galarian Stunfisk's defensive capabilities. Stealth Rock helps to give Galar Stunfisk some utility, while Pain Split attempts to help with its longevity issues. The last two moves essentially boil down to your preferred status and way of not being completely useless. Thunder Wave helps cripple fast threats such as Dragapult, while Yawn shuffling can be problematic especially with Spikes support. Earthquake lets it nail Excadrill and Aegislash, beating them 1 v 1 if Galarian Stunfisk catches them on the switch. It also does like 33% to max HP/Def Toxapex. Scald can be used to go burn fishing. Galarian Stunfisk plays very similarly to regular Stunfisk, being effective at taking up resisted hits and even some neutral hits, while being an over all nuisance with hazards and status. However, Galarian's Stunfisk's typing is much worse in this meta, as it loses to Hawlucha, Corviknight, and Cinderace in addition to the cavalcade of Water- and Ground-types dominating OU.

(Meme) Trapper

Stunfisk-Galar @ Leftovers
Ability: Mimicry
EVs: 252 HP / 228 Def / 28 Spe
Bold OR Impish Nature
- Snap Trap
- Pain Split / Rest
- Yawn
- Earth Power / Earthquake

This set attempts to make use of Galarian Stunfisk's signature move, Snap Trap, in combination with Yawn in order to attempt to beat certain passive Pokemon or Pokemon that it can wall 1v1. With no SpD investment, Scald from Toxapex is only a 4HKO, while 28 Speed lets it outrun neutral natured Toxapex, allowing Stunfisk to recover or attack Toxapex before it can move. In order to beat Toxapex however, this set heavily relies on sleep hax in order to really work. Once an unsuspecting Toxapex is caught in the Snap Trap matrix, spam your Ground move choice (Earth Power gets around Scald burns, Earthquake just does more damage over all) to hopefully beat it. This could also potentially annoy Ferrothorn or any other Steel-type. The set doesn't work very often, but when it does, it's absolutely hilarious.

Other Options:

-Run this with a Grassy Terrain setter to annoy Water-types that would otherwise beat it. Not only in this still rather gimmicky, but the only Grassy Terrain setter doesn't have its ability released yet.
-Reflect Type can be kinda cool vs like a Toxapex or some other Water-type.

Final Thoughts:

Galarian Stunfisk is definitely not an OU viable Pokemon. Between its defensive typing that's horribly unfortunate for this meta, a severe gap in utility moves that leave it more passive than it really should be, and a lack of an offensive presence all compound to make Galarian Stunfisk woefully bad. Not only does it lose to almost every offensive metagame threat out there right now, but it can't even abuse its solid offensive typing due to its poor offensive stats. Not to mention that it shares a typing with Excadrill, giving Galarian Stunfisk even less of a reason to be run. Unless you're a true fan of Stunfisk (aren't we all), I'd pass on this Pokemon.

This was my first post, please leave feedback if the formatting looks weird or if my writing is bad, I'm always looking to improve.

 

[readytolose]

Mimicry is such a worthless ability lol. Most of the time all it will do is take away your STAB, but sometimes it can actually worsen your defensive attributes against the terrain setters. For instance, Mimicry makes it so you can't actually switch in on Pincurchin's Electric moves as freely since your immunity to them goes away, against Indeedee you trade your weakness to Mystical Fire for neutrality to Hyper Voice and Dazzling Gleam, and Misty Surge Weezing-Galar gets to hit you with either of its STAB for neutral or better damage.... where you would normally resist or be immune to both of them. At least it improves your switch-in against Grassy Surge Rillaboom.... although you're weak to U-turn.

I don't mind flavourful gimmick abilities, especially when they're done well. I wouldn't even mind bad gimmick abilities like Mimicry, if Pokemon weren't forced to use them for lack of other options. And there seems to be a lot of Pokemon like that in the last few gens, with only one ability unique to that Pokemon. When it works well, you get stuff like Aegislash or Mimikyu, Pokemon who's playstyle meshes well with their strong unique ability. When it doesn't work well..... well, you get Galarian Stunfisk.

 

[Shmirko]

Man this thing doesn't even look good in PU! This thing sucks!

 

[Its_Lorelei]

why no foul play mention? If it cant do offense, foul play makes a good alternative against physical mons.