VGC 21 Incineroar

[smogon account]

[OVERVIEW]

Incineroar's bulk and dynamic movepool make it arguably the best supporting Pokemon in the format, primarily offering move options like Fake Out, Snarl, and Taunt and utilizing Intimidate and Parting Shot to weather the opponent's offensive. Its typing is perfect for checking the multitudes of Psychic- and Steel-type-restricted Pokemon dominating the metagame, like Calyrex-S and Zacian-C. The unique supportive options provided by Incineroar make it an easy inclusion for most teams. However, STAB moves from Kyogre and Choice Band Urshifu-S and Urshifu-R will surely cause the cat to cower, and the prevalence of Fighting- and Ground-type coverage on common Pokemon, like Zacian-C's Close Combat and Rillaboom's High Horsepower, enables them to continue hitting Incineroar fairly hard, even after an Attack drop from Intimidate. Incineroar's base 60 Speed also means it is outsped by the vast majority of the metagame.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Parting Shot
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Taunt
item: Sitrus Berry / Figy Berry / Passho Berry / Shuca Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 188 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is a necessity on Incineroar, providing relevant damage output against Grass- and Steel-types like Venusaur, Rillaboom, and Zacian-C. Incineroar's sizeable bulk mitigates the impact of the recoil.

* Parting Shot minimizes the damage the opponent's threats can dish out while resetting Intimidate and Fake Out. It combines well with Incineroar's low Speed as well, safely bringing a teammate in when the danger has passed.

* Snarl is preferred in the final slot to more easily handle the prominent special attackers like Dialga, Regieleki, and Calyrex-S. Darkest Lariat is a secondary damage option, useful for hitting Pokemon that shrug off Flare Blitz like Charizard and Ho-Oh while also ignoring Defense boosts from Max Steelspike. Taunt provides utility against opposing support Pokemon like Grimmsnarl and Porygon2.

* Sitrus Berry is slightly preferred over Figy Berry because it activates more consistently. Passho Berry allows Incineroar to survive a Water Spout from non-Choice Specs Kyogre. Shuca Berry can do the same for boosted Max Quakes from Dialga, Landorus-T, and Groudon.

* The defensive investment allows Incineroar to take strong physical attacks like Close Combat from Jolly Zacian-C after an Intimidate and powerful special attacks such as +2 Max Airstream from Galarian Moltres.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat
item: Assault Vest
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 236 HP / 44 Atk / 148 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is Incineroar's hardest-hitting STAB move, keeping its damage output relevant with little investment required.

* U-turn primarily enables Incineroar's continuous slow pivoting and appliance of Intimidate and Fake Out. It's also capable of removing Focus Sash from common Pokemon such as Regieleki and Calyrex-S and picking off severely weakened Pokemon.

* Snarl significantly reduces the damage output of Pokemon like Charizard, Zapdos, and Lapras, while Darkest Lariat gives Incineroar another STAB option to hit Pokemon through Defense boosts, as well as Pokemon that resist Fire.

* Assault Vest gives Incineroar more guaranteed bulk upfront at the cost of losing Parting Shot. This set survives some otherwise deadly Max Moves, including Charizard's Max Airstream, Lapras's Max Geyser, and +1 Calyrex-S's Max Quake. Some of the more dangerous 2HKOs become manageable 3HKOs, like Max Airstream from Zapdos and Galarian Moltres. The extra Defense means Incineroar easily takes hits like Zacian-C's Close Combat, Calyrex-I's Max Quake, and Groudon's Precipice Blades.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

An Adamant or Impish nature, while not recommended, can be relevant for specific matchups like Groudon or Zacian-C. An Adamant nature guarantees the OHKO on Zacian-C with Flare Blitz. An Impish nature allows Incineroar to safely take Max Quake and Close Combat from Adamant Groudon and Zacian-C, respectively. Incineroar can carry Safety Goggles to improve matchups against Amoonguss and Venusaur. Will-O-Wisp and Burning Jealousy are options that punish common setup attackers such as Swords Dance Zacian-C and Landorus-T. Will-O-Wisp has lower accuracy but will always burn when it hits. On the other hand, Burning Jealousy is a nice spread option for Incineroar, but it requires the foe to boost a stat in order to burn. Close Combat hits Dark-types like opposing Incineroar and Rock-types like Nihilego and Stakataka much harder than Flare Blitz. Incineroar's respectable base 115 Attack makes it a potential Dynamax candidate and, if running Close Combat, offers coveted Max Knuckle boosts. Weakness Policy is a fringe option that further amplifies the threat of Incineroar when Dynamaxed. 84 Speed EVs can be used to reach 91 Speed, outspeeding a fully invested Amoonguss.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[smogon account, 377427]]
- Quality checked by: [[Raineko, 294287]], [[Dragonpiley007, 493619]], [[zeefable, 501951]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Estronic, 240732]]

 

[yuki]

ADD REMOVE COMMENTS OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

QC

[OVERVIEW]

Thanks to premier good bulk and typing, one of the best abilities in the game, and a dynamic movepool, Incineroar rightfully makes a claim as the premier best Pokemon in VGC. (Feels like way too much dex info to just get to the point of this. Try rewording in terms of what Incineroar's actual role is: a top utility Pokemon.) While one might think the presence of premier powerful super effective attacks from Legendary Pokemon would cause the cat to cower, Incineroar can easily survive these hits with the right preparation. (This doesn't really mean anything, just filler that doesn't serve any real analysis) Incineroar can fulfill a number of roles for any team, offering premier supportive options like Fake Out, Snarl, or Taunt and utilizing Intimidate and Parting Shot to weather the foe's offensive. (This is really just one role. And I would potentially just use this as a follow-on point from the general statement) Although Incineroar is a near-automatic inclusion for most teams, (This also kinda just doesn't really mean much. I'd rather we spoke about this in terms of downsides) its weakness to premier common coverage types in Fighting and Ground can introduce an imbalance to an otherwise solid roster, (Examples here are going to be so much more helpful: mentioning its weakness to mons like Groudon, Landorus-T and Urshifu-S is more apt here) and its relatively low speed can be taken advantage of. (I think in general, Incineroar just has bad speed. No need to sugarcoat this bit) Despite its bulk, Incineroar can still be taken out by some of the premier hardest-hitting Pokemon in the format, namely Choice Specs Kyogre and Weakness Policy Dialga. (Reword this in terms of it being a downside/weakness. This can even be considered as part of the previous point when you are talking about its weaknesses, and then we can split up this point a lot nicer and use more concise examples) Even Pokemon that Incineroar matches up well against, like Kartana, tend to carry super effective coverage. The key to properly unlocking Incineroar's strength is planning ahead and knowing when your set wins or loses. (I would just cut this, because the whole point of our analysis is to explain what sets are recommended for this)

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Parting Shot
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat
item: Sitrus Berry / Figy Berry / Passho Berry / Shuca Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 188 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is Incineroar's primary damage output, doing respectable damage on neutral and super effective hits, even without investment. (Explain what this is mostly hitting i.e. Steel- and Grass-types which are fairly common) While Flare Blitz can eat into Incineroar's natural bulk somewhat, this isn't usually enough of a concern to warrant the alternative, Blaze Kick. (Seeing as Blaze Kick isn't on the set, it doesn't seem worthwhile to mention this here)

* Parting Shot allows you to reset Intimidate and Fake Out while also minimizing the damage your opponent's Dynamax can do in the meantime. (Just be careful how you order this phrase. I think that the main point of Parting Shot is to decrease their damage output, Dynamax or not. The secondary part is the pivoting which enables more Intimidates in the future) Since Incineroar is naturally slow, this means it can tank a hit then Parting Shot to bring in a more frail Pokemon, now safer due to the debuff from Parting Shot. (Possibly a point for GP, but this reads weirdly to me. I feel like this is trying to explain slow pivoting, but it gets jumbled at the end. Just try to simplify this down)

* Snarl is preferred in the final slot. (But what does Snarl actually achieve (good matchups vs special attackers such as Calyrex-S and Dialga notably) If you find your team lacking ways to hit Psychic-types like Calyrex, Solgaleo, or Lugia, Darkest Lariat can be run for the sizeable increase in damage. (Just be careful here, because that's not really why we run Darkest Lariat. Your coverage from the other moves is already sufficient and Lugia isn't all that common. More notably, Darkest Lariat is an option that ignores stat changes) Be aware, however, that many of these Pokemon tend to run Weakness Policy sets. (Strays more onto usage advice, which isn't something we need. It also just sounds like a drawback for a move slashed onto the main set. I would just cut this)

* Sitrus Berry is slightly preferred over Figy Berry because it activates more consistently. (It's important to note that Incineroar having longevity is vital for it to be effective in the game, as it wants to pivot and use its utility set multiple times) Passho Berry allows Incineroar to comfortably survive a Water Spout from Kyogre and Parting Shot into a threat. (This is just one line, and doesn't describe what the Passho Berry is doing) Shuca Berry does the same for allows Incineroar to survive Ground-type moves from Landorus-T Weakness Policy Dialga, (This example is weird when we do have genuine ground type threats in Landorus-T and Groudon) but most Ground-type attacks tend to be physical, allowing Incineroar to survive them thanks to Intimidate. (This seems like fluff, especially when we have given different examples.)

* The chosen EV spread allows Incineroar to live a Close Combat from Jolly Zacian-C after an Intimidate; additional Special Defense investment is preferred because of Intimidate adding effective physical bulk. (If this actually does something of note, add this in. It's not worth mentioning "because it's more optimal due to..." as it doesn't really hold in an analysis)

* There's no truly optimal spread for a Pokemon like Incineroar. Use your best judgement and spend time making sure it lives the hits you need it to. If more Defense is required, try to stay above 156 Special Defense EVs in order to keep overall bulk maximized. (This point detracts from the point of doing an analysis at the end of the day: we're explaining what this one set we're showcasing does, and guiding them through that. This point is also kinda fluffy because well... technically any mon could be applicable to this)

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: U-Turn U-turn
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Close Combat
item: Assault Vest
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 236 HP / 44 Atk / 148 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Assault Vest is a higher-tempo alternative (I don't think so? just mention that this gives survivability and read below for more) to a Sitrus or Figy Berry, giving you more guaranteed bulk upfront at the cost of losing Parting Shot, which is replaced with U-Turn. (Split this off into its own point, mention that the pivoting is helpful for multiple instances of U-turn)

* Assault Vest is able to turn some of the more dangerous 2HKOs into manageable 3HKOs, like a Max Airstream from Zapdos or Galarian Moltres, as well as giving you some extra health to work with against Dialga. You can also survive some otherwise deadly Max moves, including Charizard's Max Airstream and Calyrex-S' Max Quake at +1. (Merge this into point 1, the examples here are going to serve the point of using Assault vest nicely) This leaves you free to invest more into Def, tanking Max Quake from Calyrex-I or Precipice Blades from Groudon. (I don't like this: it somewhat undermines the point of having this Spread. So specifically mention why the EVs have been picked, else it feels like they're just sorta there because we have enough SpD, but you clearly have examples)

* Snarl will significantly reduce the damage output of Pokemon Special Attackers like Charizard, Dialga, and Calyrex-S (careful about reusing these examples a lot), while Darkest Lariat gives Incineroar another STAB option to hit Pokemon that resist Fire. (Same idea as set 1, not just for what resists Fire, but for ignoring those Defense boosts.) Close Combat will hit Dark-types like opposing Incineroar and Rock-types like Coalossal (This isn't really common enough to be the main worry, more common targets are things like Nihilego and potentially Stakataka) much harder than Flare Blitz will, but the defense drops will have a significant impact if it doesn't secure the KO. but this comes at the cost of dropping Incineroar's defenses. (Mention that Max Knuckle is an option here, because there are legitimate reasons to Dynamax AV Incineroar)

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Incineroar's potential is nearly limitless and largely comes down to what your team naturally struggles with. (This is fluff) Safety Goggles is an alternative item for Incineroar that and Taunt (Split this off into another point) can help improve improves your matchup matchups against sleep spreaders common Spore and Sleep Powder users like Amoonguss and Venusaur. Will-O-Wisp and Burning Jealousy are options that punish common setup attackers such as Swords Dance Zacian-C and Groudon. Will-O-Wisp has lower accuracy, but will always burn when it hits. On the other hand, Burning Jealousy is a nice spread option for Incineroar but requires the opponent to boost a stat. is an option for teams struggling against physical attackers like Calyrex-I and Groudon. Burning Jealousy can also be used to spread burns, but is somewhat prediction reliant. In a pinch, Incineroar can even Dynamax reasonably well, (I would rephrase as "Incineroar's respectable 115 base Attack stat make it a potential Dynamax candidate) so don't be afraid to do so should the situation call for it. (This is kinda fluffy, and more usage advice which isn't really needed here). Incineroar enjoys teaming up with another Intimidate user like Landorus-T to form a pivoting core with Parting Shot and U-Turn. While its damage output is significantly reduced in rain, Incineroar still works well both on and against Kyogre teams, as its supportive capabilities will still be fully functional. (Feels like a team option, which we haven't included. We just kinda want to focus on Incineroar for this) (I would also like a mention of Weakness Policy in this position. While it has seen significantly reduced play in Series 8, in Series 7 it did have tournament success and is a genuine consideration as a strong Dynamax candidate with a fair amount of surprise factor - just due to its good bulk and Attack).


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[smogon account, 377427]]
- Quality checked by: [[Raineko, 294287], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

You need to be so so so careful when you're using pronouns like "you". I'd rather the focus be a bit more general to Incineroar or the team, rather than the player. This is a resource on what makes Incineroar shine after all, and we want to focus on what it is doing rather than how the player should be playing.

For clarity, this is not yet QC 1/2. I would like to see this implemented and then I will recheck before QC1. If you have any further questions, you know where to reach me and the other members of the QC team. We're here to help!

 

[yuki]

ADD REMOVE COMMENT HIGHLIGHTS

QC

[OVERVIEW]

Incineroar's typing combined with its bulk and fantastic ability allows it to tank hits from a majority of the metagame, including Pokemon like Regieleki, Rillaboom, Kartana, and Urshifu-S. Incineroar can fulfill a number of roles for any team, primarily offering supportive options like Fake Out, Snarl, or Taunt and utilizing Intimidate and Parting Shot to weather the foe's offensive. (This still really lacks an immediatete summary of what Incineroar is doing well. It's role as one of the best utility mons in the format really should be going first as your opening statement. e.g. "Incineroar's access to Intimidate and diverse supportive movepool makes it stand out as one of the best utility Pokemon in the entire format..." then mention what tools it has available, then talk about bulk, weaknesses etc.) With the prevalence of Fighting- and Ground- type coverage on common Pokemon like the aforementioned Rillaboom and Kartana, Incineroar's weaknesses to these types can introduce an imbalance to an otherwise solid roster. (I feel like this can still be worded as a downside, e.g. "One of Incineroar's main downsides is its weakness to common offensive coverage such as Zacian-C's Close Combat and Kartana's Sacred Sword). Furthermore, STAB attacks from Kyogre and Choice Band Urshifu will surely cause the cat to cower. (This point should really go first, as it's talking about it's primary weaknesses and not weaknesses to coverage. These are things that, without fail, Incineroar is probably not standing up to). Incineroar also suffers from a paltry 60 base Speed stat. Incineroar's base 60 Speed stat often means it is outsped by the vast majority of the metagame. (I think this sounds better as it relates it to the metagame) These downsides can be easily adjusted for with move and item choices. (This is kinda just fluff)

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Parting Shot
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Taunt
item: Sitrus Berry / Figy Berry / Passho Berry / Shuca Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 188 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is a necessity on Incineroar, providing relevant damage output against Grass- and Steel-types like Venusaur and Zacian-C. (Drop the mention of Rillaboom in the Overview, and mention it here) The high base power is well worth the recoil tradeoff. (A statement about its bulk allowing the recoil to be less of a problem is possibly more apt)

* Parting Shot both resets Intimidate and Fake Out and minimizes the damage the opponent's threats can dish out. (The order of this needs to be adjusted: "Parting Shot is used primarily to minimise the damage taken from the opponent's offensive threats." would be more apt, then you can move on to say how it resets Intimidate.) It combines well with Incineroar's low Speed as well, safely bringing your own threat in when the danger is passed.

* Snarl is preferred in the final slot to more easily handle the likes of special attackers such as Dialga, Charizard, or Calyrex-S. Darkest Lariat is a secondary damage option, useful for hitting the Pokemon that resist Flare Blitz, like Charizard and Coalossal, (I still feel this is a weak example at the end of the day. I think common Steelspike could go first, as Calyrex-I is something you would have in mind in that case.) and cutting through the common Defense boosts from Max Steelspike. (I think just saying "Ignoring Defense boosts from Max Steelspike" is more apt, and then tie it to the Calyrex-I example above). Taunt provides additional utility against slower support Pokemon like Amoonguss and Porygon2. (This is generally fine, but you can actually mention any support pokemon at the end of the day. Even only allowing Grimmsnarl to get 1 Screen up is key. It also means we don't keep mentioning Amoonguss in this.)

* Incineroar's item choices attempt to improve its longevity. Sitrus Berry is slightly preferred over Figy Berry because it activates more consistently. Passho Berry allows Incineroar to comfortably survive a single (Feels fairly implied given Kyogre's power) Water Spout from most Kyogre. (This should be reworded in terms of the case where it doesn't take it: e.g. "from non-Choice Specs Kyogre" if that is the case) Shuca Berry does the same for Max Quakes lets Incineroar survive Max Quake from Weakness Policy Dialga and Groudon, but Incineroar will otherwise easily survive most relevant Ground-type attacks like Landorus-T's Max Quake or Rillaboom's High Horsepower without Shuca Berry. (If you want to use this point, have it as part of the spread, otherwise it feels like a reason not to use Shuca Berry)

* The chosen EV spread allows Incineroar to live a Close Combat from Jolly Zacian-C after an Intimidate (I would reword this in terms of the EV itself: "244 HP / 76 Def allows Incineroar..."; the rest of the defensive investment is Special to guarantee survival against something like Choice Specs Regieleki (I would make the investment sound more deliberate: "Investing in Special Defense means that Incineroar is guaranteed to take... ") or Kyogre if running Passho Berry. (This has kinda been mentioned already)

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: U-Turn U-turn
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Close Combat
item: Assault Vest
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 236 HP / 44 Atk / 148 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Assault Vest is a suitable alternative to a Sitrus or Figy Berry, (Reason I wouldn't call this an alternative is because this is a different set. Therefore, the items are not comparable 1:1. Just mention what AV is doing) giving Incineroar more guaranteed bulk upfront at the cost of losing Parting Shot. Assault Vest is able to turn some of the more dangerous 2HKOs into manageable 3HKOs, like a Max Airstream from Zapdos or Galarian Moltres, as well as giving Incineroar some extra health to work with against Dialga. It can also survive some otherwise deadly Max moves, including Charizard's Max Airstream, Lapras' Max Geyser, and Calyrex-S' Max Quake at +1. (This point feels a little bit run on, and a bit out of order. I think looking at the most important calcs, i.e. the second set of calcs first would read much better.)

* Assault Vest improving Incineroar's Special Defense allows for more Defense investment, easily taking hits like Zacian's Close Combat, Calyrex-I's Max Quake, and Groudon's Precipice Blades. (Merge this and the previous point together and talk about the EVs as a whole and what they're doing. The Special Defense investment takes x, the Defense investment takes y kinda deal.)

This should be the last point of the set as it is talking about the Item and the EV Spread.

* Flare Blitz is Incineroar's hardest-hitting STAB, keeping its damage output relevant with little investment required.

* U-turn is a fortunate alternative to Parting Shot (These moves are not 1:1, and Parting Shot isn't on the set. I understand the want for comparison, but you couldn't ever have Parting Shot on this set, so it's superfluous to add it), enabling Incineroar's continuous slow pivoting and appliance of Intimidate and Fake Out. (Just make sure the wording is alright after removing that point. The importance of this is to pivot of course, which enables x and y. Wording ust needs to be careful)

* Snarl will significantly reduce the damage output of Pokemon like Charizard, Dialga, and Calyrex-S, (Just be careful on reusing examples here. Charizard and Dialga have been mentioned a lot in this one) while Darkest Lariat gives Incineroar another STAB option to hit Pokemon that resist Fire. (Darkest Lariat should follow the same points as above). (I think that on the AV set, it's more than worthwhile to mention that Max Darkness will drop Special Defense, as this set has good reasons to Dynamax if more offensive) Close Combat will hit Dark-types like opposing Incineroar and Urshifu-S and Rock-types like Coalossal (I believe Stakataka is definitely more relevant here) and Nihilego much harder than Flare Blitz will, notably securing the 2HKO on Nihilego. (A point about Max Knuckle boosting attack is welcome here)

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Impish and Adamant natures, while not recommended, can be relevant for some matchups like Groudon or Zacian-C, with Impish nature allowing you to safely take Adamant nature Max Quake and Close Combat, or guaranteeing an OHKO on Zacian-C with an Adamant nature. (I would move this point further down. I think talking about the alternative moves first, then items, then natures and EVs, then alternative sets is going to be easier to read as it follows the above format. I would also reword this: saying Impish and Adamant are alternative natures that Incineroar can use: Impish allows Incineroar to more easily take... Adamant allows Incineroar to OHKO... and then mention if this is coming at the cost of survivng a particular hit) Safety Goggles is an alternative item choice that improves matchups against sleep move (I think that saying which moves is better for people to understand, even if slightly obvious) users like Amoonguss and Venusaur. Taunt can also help in these matchups while also providing utility against common Trick Room users like Calyrex-I and Porygon2. (You have mentioned this in the set, so there's no need to include in OO) Will-O-Wisp and Burning Jealousy are options that punish common setup attackers such as Swords Dance Zacian-C and Groudon. Will-O-Wisp has lower accuracy, but will always burn when it hits. On the other hand, Burning Jealousy is a nice spread option for Incineroar but requires the opponent to boost a stat. can be used to neuter the damage output of Calyrex-I, Zacian-C, and Groudon- while Burning Jealousy is both fully accurate and a nice spread damage option as opposed to Will-O-Wisp, the burn itself is reliant on the opponent boosting through a Max move or something like Swords Dance. (The reason I prefer this wording is because these are usually the cases to be running these moves. Intimidate and Parting Shot already mitigate a lot of the damage, so really this is only being used if there is a concern about setup Pokemon. Potentially, there's a point to include about Burning Jealousy and Intrepid Sword) Incineroar's respectable base 115 Attack makes it a potential Dynamax Candidate, and if running Close Combat offers Max Knuckle. Weakness Policy sets are a fun, yet fringe, alternative option. (This kinda doesn't explain why we would use WP. Combine these last 2 points as WP is exclusively run with Dynamax sets.) (Up to you, but I think that 84 Spe is common enough to mention as it hits 91 Speed, overspeeding maximum Speed Amoonguss (which is also a sample set))


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[smogon account, 377427]]
- Quality checked by: [[Raineko, 294287], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

This is a recheck, so after some implementation I'll have a look again and then we can move to QC 1. A huge improvement over the first one so good job, a lot less red in there. Just some wording and order stuff, but that's fine. As usual, you know where to find us if you need any help.

 

[yuki]

ADD REMOVE COMMENT HIGHLIGHTS

QC

[OVERVIEW]

Incineroar's bulk and dynamic movepool make it arguably the best supporting Pokemon in the format, primarily offering move options like Fake Out, Snarl, or Taunt and utilizing Intimidate and Parting Shot to weather the foe's offensive. However, STAB attacks from Kyogre and Choice Band Urshifu will surely cause the cat to cower, and the prevalence of Fighting- and Ground- type coverage on common Pokemon like Zacian-C's Close Combat or Kartana's Sacred Sword enables them to continue hitting Incineroar fairly hard, even after an Intimidate. Incineroar's base 60 Speed stat means it is outsped by the vast majority of the metagame.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Parting Shot
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Taunt
item: Sitrus Berry / Figy Berry / Passho Berry / Shuca Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 188 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is a necessity on Incineroar, providing relevant damage output against Grass- and Steel-types like Venusaur, Rillaboom, and Zacian-C. Incineroar's sizeable bulk mitigates the impact of the recoil.

* Parting Shot both minimizes the damage the opponent's threats can dish out and resets Intimidate and Fake Out. It combines well with Incineroar's low Speed as well, safely bringing your own threat in when the danger is passed. (try to reword this in terms of the team: just best to avoid possessive determiners in general)

* Snarl is preferred in the final slot to more easily handle the prominent special attackers like Dialga, Galarian Moltres, or Calyrex-S. (This is better but I don't think handle is the right word here, something more about the damage reduction would be nice) Darkest Lariat is a secondary damage option, useful for hitting the Pokemon that shrug off Flare Blitz damage like Charizard and Nihilego (Nihi probably still takes a fair amount. I think a more apt example is something like Ho-Oh in this case. Equally, we have a Nihi mention later) while also ignoring Defense boosts from Max Steelspike. Taunt provides additional (reason I'd cut this is because we don't necessarily have utility against these in the first place, this is sorta the primary way around them) utility against opposing support Pokemon like Grimmsnarl or Porygon2.

* Incineroar's item choices attempt to improve its longevity. Sitrus Berry is slightly preferred over Figy Berry because it activates more consistently. Passho Berry allows Incineroar to comfortably survive a Water Spout from non-Choice Specs Kyogre. Shuca Berry does the same for stat boosted Max Quakes from Dialga, Landorus-T, and Groudon.

* 244 HP / 76 Def allows Incineroar Incineroar's defensive investment allows it to live strong physical attacks like a Close Combat from Jolly Zacian-C after an Intimidate; the rest goes into Special Defense to survive and powerful hits special attacks such as a +2 Max Airstream from Galarian Moltres. (This is just for general readability, talks about the whole spread in terms of defensive investment

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Close Combat
item: Assault Vest
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 236 HP / 44 Atk / 148 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is Incineroar's hardest-hitting STAB, keeping its damage output relevant with little investment required.

* U-turn primarily enables Incineroar's continuous slow pivoting and appliance of Intimidate and Fake Out. It's also capable of removing Focus Sash and picking off severely weakened Pokemon.

* Snarl significantly reduces the damage output of Pokemon like Charizard, Zapdos, and Lapras, while Darkest Lariat gives Incineroar another STAB option to hit Pokemon through Defense boosts, as well as Pokemon that resist Fire. Close Combat hits Dark-types like opposing Incineroar and Urshifu-S and Rock-types like Coalossal and (not convinced this is hugely relevant still, I'd be happier with just the one example) Nihilego much harder than Flare Blitz will, notably securing the 2HKOing on Nihilego.

* Assault Vest gives Incineroar more guaranteed bulk upfront at the cost of losing Parting Shot. With 76 Special Defense and Assault Vest, Incineroar survives some otherwise deadly Max Moves, including Charizard's Max Airstream, Lapras' Max Geyser, and +1 Calyrex-S' Max Quake. Assault Vest is additionally able to turn some of the more dangerous 2HKOs into manageable 3HKOs, like a Max Airstream from Zapdos or Galarian Moltres. 144 Defense means Incineroar easily takes hits like Zacian-C's Close Combat, Calyrex-I's Max Quake, and Groudon's Precipice Blades. (If you note what I said in regards to the first set's EVs, just try to reword this to be more general. A phrase like "Incineroar's extra invesment in Defense.." generally reads quite well. This is a little bit wordy, so if you can streamline it awesome, but I know everything here is relevant.)

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Adamant and Impish natures, while not recommended, can be relevant for specific matchups like Groudon or Zacian-C. Adamant natured Incineroar will guarantee the OHKO on Zacian-C with Flare Blitz. Impish nature allows Incineroar to safely take Max Quake and Close Combat from Adamant Groudon and Zacian-C respectively. Incineroar can carry Safety Goggles to improve matchups against sleep move users like Amoonguss and Venusaur. Will-O-Wisp and Burning Jealousy are options that punish common setup attackers such as Swords Dance Zacian-C and Landorus-T. Will-O-Wisp has lower accuracy, but will always burn when it hits. On the other hand, Burning Jealousy is a nice spread option for Incineroar, but it requires the opponent to boost a stat in order to burn. Incineroar's respectable base 115 Attack makes it a potential Dynamax Ccandidate, and if running Close Combat offers coveted Max Knuckle boosts. Weakness Policy is a fringe option that further amplifies the threat of Incineroar's Dynamax. 84 Speed EVs can be used to reach 91 Speed, outspeeding a fully invested Amoonguss.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[smogon account, 377427]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

A lot better: I'm happy that you'll be able to implement the rest of these so I'm calling this QC 1/2. Nice job! Just implement the new stuff ahead of QC 2 and ping someone in the Discord.

 

[Piley]

add remove comment highlight

[OVERVIEW]

Incineroar's bulk and dynamic movepool make it arguably the best supporting Pokemon in the format, primarily offering move options like Fake Out, Snarl, or Taunt, and utilizing Intimidate and as well as (repetition) Parting Shot to weather the foe's offensive assault. However, STAB attacks moves from Kyogre and Choice Band Urshifu will surely cause the cat to cower, and the prevalence of Fighting- and Ground-type (removed extra space between hyphen and type) coverage on common Pokemon like Zacian-C's Close Combat or Kartana's Sacred Sword (ground and figting type coverage was mentioned but examples were only of fighting type coverage. Either remove Ground-type coverage entirely or give one example of each) enables them to continue hitting Incineroar fairly hard, even after an Intimidate. Incineroar's base 60 Speed stat means it is outsped by the vast majority of the metagame.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Parting Shot
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Taunt
item: Sitrus Berry / Figy Berry / Passho Berry / Shuca Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 188 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is a necessity on Incineroar, providing relevant damage output against Grass- and Steel-types like Venusaur, Rillaboom, and Zacian-C. Incineroar's sizeable bulk mitigates the impact of the recoil.

* Parting Shot both minimizes the damage the opponent's threats can dish out and resets while resetting Intimidate and Fake Out. It combines well with Incineroar's low Speed as well, safely bringing a teammate in when the danger is has passed.

* Snarl is preferred in the final slot to more easily handle the prominent special attackers like Dialga, Galarian Moltres, or and Calyrex-S. Darkest Lariat is a secondary damage option, useful for hitting Pokemon that shrug off Flare Blitz like Charizard and Ho-oh while also ignoring Defense boosts from Max Steelspike. Taunt provides utility against opposing support Pokemon like Grimmsnarl or and Porygon2.

* Incineroar's item choices attempt to improve its longevity. Sitrus Berry is slightly preferred over Figy Berry because it activates more consistently. Passho Berry allows Incineroar to comfortably survive a Water Spout from non-Choice Specs Kyogre. Shuca Berry can do the same for stat boosted Max Quakes from Dialga, Landorus-T, and Groudon.

* The defensive investment is spread to allows Incineroar to live strong physical attacks like Close Combat from Jolly Zacian-C after an Intimidate and powerful special attacks such as +2 Max Airstream from Galarian Moltres.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Close Combat
item: Assault Vest
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 236 HP / 44 Atk / 148 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is Incineroar's hardest-hitting STAB, keeping its damage output relevant with little investment required. (I don't think this is worth mentioning as it was mentioned in the previous set and it works exactly the same way here)

* U-turn primarily enables Incineroar's continuous slow pivoting and appliance of Intimidate and Fake Out. It's also capable of removing Focus Sash and picking off severely weakened Pokemon.

* Snarl significantly reduces the damage output of Pokemon like Charizard, Zapdos, and Lapras, while Darkest Lariat gives Incineroar another STAB option to hit Pokemon through Defense boosts, as well as Pokemon that resist Fire. Close Combat hits Dark-types like opposing Incineroar and along with Rock-types like Nihilego and Stakataka much harder than Flare Blitz will, notably 2HKOing Nihilego them.

* Assault Vest gives Incineroar more guaranteed bulk upfront at the cost of losing Parting Shot . This set survives some otherwise deadly Max Moves, including Charizard's Max Airstream, Lapras' Max Geyser, and +1 Calyrex-S' Max Quake. Some of the more dangerous 2HKOs become manageable 3HKOs, like Max Airstream from Zapdos or Galarian Moltres. The extra Defense means Incineroar easily takes hits like Zacian-C's Close Combat, Calyrex-I's Max Quake, and Groudon's Precipice Blades better.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Adamant and Impish natures, while not recommended, can be relevant for specific matchups like Groudon or Zacian-C. Adamant natured Incineroar will guarantee the OHKO on Zacian-C with Flare Blitz. Impish nature allows Incineroar to safely take Max Quake and Close Combat from Adamant Groudon and Zacian-C respectively. Incineroar can carry Safety Goggles to improve matchups against sleep move users like Amoonguss and Venusaur. Will-O-Wisp and Burning Jealousy are options that punish common setup attackers such as Swords Dance Zacian-C and Landorus-T. Will-O-Wisp has lower accuracy, but will always burn when it hits. On the other hand, Burning Jealousy is a nice spread option for Incineroar, but it requires the opponent to boost a stat in order to burn. Incineroar's respectable base 115 Attack makes it a potential Dynamax candidate, and if running Close Combat offers coveted Max Knuckle boosts. Weakness Policy is a fringe option that further amplifies the threat of Incineroar's Dynamax. 84 Speed EVs can be used to reach 91 Speed, outspeeding a fully invested Amoonguss.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[smogon account, 377427]]
- Quality checked by: [[Raineko, 294287], [Dragonpiley007, 493619]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

Good job, QC 2/2

 

[zee]

gonna do a third check on this, just posting as a placeholder. don't send this to the GP queue until I stamp

 

[zee]

[OVERVIEW]

Incineroar's bulk and dynamic movepool make it arguably the best supporting Pokemon in the format, primarily offering move options like Fake Out, Snarl, or Taunt and utilizing Intimidate and Parting Shot to weather the foe's offensive. However, STAB moves from Kyogre and Choice Band Urshifu will surely cause the cat to cower, and the prevalence of Fighting- and Ground-type coverage on common Pokemon like Zacian-C's Close Combat or Rillaboom's High Horsepower enables them to continue hitting Incineroar fairly hard, even after an Intimidate. Incineroar's base 60 Speed stat means it is outsped by the vast majority of the metagame.

(This overview paints an insanely negative picture of a Pokemon that is unquestionably top tier. Literally only the first sentence states its positives. Other things you can mention to make it sound more positive: Dark typing letting it check Calyrex-S, Fire-typing offensively pressuring the gazillion Steels/Grasses, it has a very unique role meaning it can go on almost any team etc)
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Parting Shot
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Taunt
item: Sitrus Berry / Figy Berry / Passho Berry / Shuca Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 188 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is a necessity on Incineroar, providing relevant damage output against Grass- and Steel-types like Venusaur, Rillaboom, and Zacian-C. Incineroar's sizeable bulk mitigates the impact of the recoil.

* Parting Shot minimizes the damage the opponent's threats can dish out while resetting Intimidate and Fake Out. It combines well with Incineroar's low Speed as well, safely bringing a teammate in when the danger has passed.

* Snarl is preferred in the final slot to more easily handle the prominent special attackers like Dialga, Galarian Moltres (Not huge on this mention since it can use NP, would rather see this be smth like Regieleki), and Calyrex-S. Darkest Lariat is a secondary damage option, useful for hitting Pokemon that shrug off Flare Blitz like Charizard and Ho-oh while also ignoring Defense boosts from Max Steelspike. Taunt provides utility against opposing support Pokemon like Grimmsnarl or Porygon2.

* Incineroar's item choices attempt to improve its longevity. (Fluff) Sitrus Berry is slightly preferred over Figy Berry because it activates more consistently. Passho Berry allows Incineroar to survive a Water Spout from non-Choice Specs Kyogre. Shuca Berry can do the same for stat boosted Max Quakes from Dialga, Landorus-T, and Groudon.

* The defensive investment allows Incineroar to live strong physical attacks like Close Combat from Jolly Zacian-C after an Intimidate and powerful special attacks such as +2 Max Airstream from Galarian Moltres.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Close Combat
item: Assault Vest
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 236 HP / 44 Atk / 148 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz (I'm vetoing previous QC's removal. If you state a move in one set it should be stated in both sets)

* U-turn primarily enables Incineroar's continuous slow pivoting and appliance of Intimidate and Fake Out. It's also capable of removing Focus Sash from common Pokemon such as Regieleki and Calyrex-S and picking off severely weakened Pokemon.

* Snarl significantly reduces the damage output of Pokemon like Charizard, Zapdos, and Lapras, while Darkest Lariat gives Incineroar another STAB option to hit Pokemon through Defense boosts, as well as Pokemon that resist Fire. Close Combat hits Dark-types like opposing Incineroar and Rock-types like Nihilego and Stakataka much harder than Flare Blitz will. (Re: yellow text - just make this OO. running CC on vest incin is counterintuitive)

* Assault Vest gives Incineroar more guaranteed bulk upfront at the cost of losing Parting Shot. This set survives some otherwise deadly Max Moves, including Charizard's Max Airstream, Lapras' Max Geyser, and +1 Calyrex-S' Max Quake. Some of the more dangerous 2HKOs become manageable 3HKOs, like Max Airstream from Zapdos or Galarian Moltres. The extra Defense means Incineroar easily takes hits like Zacian-C's Close Combat, Calyrex-I's Max Quake, and Groudon's Precipice Blades.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Adamant and Impish natures, while not recommended, can be relevant for specific matchups like Groudon or Zacian-C. Adamant natured Incineroar will guarantee the OHKO on Zacian-C with Flare Blitz. Impish nature allows Incineroar to safely take Max Quake and Close Combat from Adamant Groudon and Zacian-C respectively. Incineroar can carry Safety Goggles to improve matchups against Amoonguss and Venusaur. Will-O-Wisp and Burning Jealousy are options that punish common setup attackers such as Swords Dance Zacian-C and Landorus-T. Will-O-Wisp has lower accuracy, but will always burn when it hits. On the other hand, Burning Jealousy is a nice spread option for Incineroar, but it requires the opponent to boost a stat in order to burn. Incineroar's respectable base 115 Attack makes it a potential Dynamax candidate, and if running Close Combat offers coveted Max Knuckle boosts. Weakness Policy is a fringe option that further amplifies the threat of Incineroar's Dynamax. 84 Speed EVs can be used to reach 91 Speed, outspeeding a fully invested Amoonguss.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[smogon account, 377427]]
- Quality checked by: [[Raineko, 294287], [Dragonpiley007, 493619] [zeefable, 501951]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

3/2

 

[Astra]

i had to fix a lot of undocumented extra spaces, so use this method to copy and paste the check in
add remove (comments)

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Incineroar's bulk and dynamic movepool make it arguably the best supporting Pokemon in the format, primarily offering move options like Fake Out, Snarl, or and Taunt and utilizing Intimidate and Parting Shot to weather the foe's opponent's offensive. Its typing is perfect for checking the multitudes of Psychic- and Steel-type restricted (do you mean restricting?) Pokemon dominating the metagame, like Calyrex-S and Zacian-C. The unique supportive options provided by Incineroar make it an easy inclusion for most teams. However, STAB moves from Kyogre and Choice Band Urshifu (which forme?) will surely cause the cat to cower, and the prevalence of Fighting- and Ground-type coverage on common Pokemon, like Zacian-C's Close Combat or and Rillaboom's High Horsepower, enables them to continue hitting Incineroar fairly hard, even after an Attack drop from Intimidate. Incineroar's base 60 Speed stat also means it is outsped by the vast majority of the metagame.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Parting Shot
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Taunt
item: Sitrus Berry / Figy Berry / Passho Berry / Shuca Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 188 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is a necessity on Incineroar, providing relevant damage output against Grass- and Steel-types like Venusaur, Rillaboom, and Zacian-C. Incineroar's sizeable bulk mitigates the impact of the recoil.

* Parting Shot minimizes the damage the opponent's threats can dish out while resetting Intimidate and Fake Out. It combines well with Incineroar's low Speed as well, safely bringing a teammate in when the danger has passed.

* Snarl is preferred in the final slot to more easily handle the prominent special attackers like Dialga, Regieleki, and Calyrex-S. Darkest Lariat is a secondary damage option, useful for hitting Pokemon that shrug off Flare Blitz like Charizard and Ho-oh Ho-Oh while also ignoring Defense boosts from Max Steelspike. Taunt provides utility against opposing support Pokemon like Grimmsnarl or and Porygon2.

* Sitrus Berry is slightly preferred over Figy Berry because it activates more consistently. Passho Berry allows Incineroar to survive a Water Spout from non-Choice Specs Kyogre. Shuca Berry can do the same for boosted Max Quakes from Dialga, Landorus-T, and Groudon.

* The defensive investment allows Incineroar to live take strong physical attacks like Close Combat from Jolly Zacian-C after an Intimidate and powerful special attacks such as +2 Max Airstream from Galarian Moltres.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat
item: Assault Vest
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 236 HP / 44 Atk / 148 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is Incineroar's hardest-hitting (RH) STAB move, keeping its damage output relevant with little investment required.

* U-turn primarily enables Incineroar's continuous slow pivoting and appliance of Intimidate and Fake Out. It's also capable of removing Focus Sash from common Pokemon such as Regieleki and Calyrex-S and picking off severely weakened Pokemon.

* Snarl significantly reduces the damage output of Pokemon like Charizard, Zapdos, and Lapras, while Darkest Lariat gives Incineroar another STAB option to hit Pokemon through Defense boosts, as well as Pokemon that resist Fire.

* Assault Vest gives Incineroar more guaranteed bulk upfront at the cost of losing Parting Shot. This set survives some otherwise deadly Max Moves, including Charizard's Max Airstream, Lapras's Max Geyser, and +1 Calyrex-S's Max Quake. Some of the more dangerous 2HKOs become manageable 3HKOs, like Max Airstream from Zapdos or and Galarian Moltres. The extra Defense means Incineroar easily takes hits like Zacian-C's Close Combat, Calyrex-I's Max Quake, and Groudon's Precipice Blades.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

An Adamant and or Impish natures, while not recommended, can be relevant for specific matchups like Groudon or Zacian-C. An Adamant natured Incineroar will nature guarantees the OHKO on Zacian-C with Flare Blitz. An Impish nature allows Incineroar to safely take Max Quake and Close Combat from Adamant Groudon and Zacian-C, (AC) respectively. Incineroar can carry Safety Goggles to improve matchups against Amoonguss and Venusaur. Will-O-Wisp and Burning Jealousy are options that punish common setup attackers such as Swords Dance Zacian-C and Landorus-T. Will-O-Wisp has lower accuracy, (RC) but will always burn when it hits. On the other hand, Burning Jealousy is a nice spread option for Incineroar, but it requires the opponent foe to boost a stat in order to burn. Close Combat hits Dark-types like opposing Incineroar and Rock-types like Nihilego and Stakataka much harder than Flare Blitz will. Incineroar's respectable base 115 Attack makes it a potential Dynamax candidate, (RC) and, (AC) if running Close Combat, (AC) offers coveted Max Knuckle boosts. Weakness Policy is a fringe option that further amplifies the threat of Incineroar's Dynamax Incineroar when Dynamaxed. 84 Speed EVs can be used to reach 91 Speed, outspeeding a fully invested Amoonguss.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[smogon account, 377427]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]] (remember to fill this out)
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

1/1

 

[smogon account]

i had to fix a lot of undocumented extra spaces, so use this method to copy and paste the check in
add remove (comments)

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Incineroar's bulk and dynamic movepool make it arguably the best supporting Pokemon in the format, primarily offering move options like Fake Out, Snarl, and Taunt and utilizing Intimidate and Parting Shot to weather the opponent's offensive. Its typing is perfect for checking the multitudes of Psychic- and Steel-type restricted Pokemon dominating the metagame, like Calyrex-S and Zacian-C. The unique supportive options provided by Incineroar make it an easy inclusion for most teams. However, STAB moves from Kyogre and Choice Band Urshifu (which forme?) will surely cause the cat to cower, and the prevalence of Fighting- and Ground-type coverage on common Pokemon, like Zacian-C's Close Combat and Rillaboom's High Horsepower, enables them to continue hitting Incineroar fairly hard, even after an Attack drop from Intimidate. Incineroar's base 60 Speed also means it is outsped by the vast majority of the metagame.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Parting Shot
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat / Taunt
item: Sitrus Berry / Figy Berry / Passho Berry / Shuca Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 244 HP / 76 Def / 188 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is a necessity on Incineroar, providing relevant damage output against Grass- and Steel-types like Venusaur, Rillaboom, and Zacian-C. Incineroar's sizeable bulk mitigates the impact of the recoil.

* Parting Shot minimizes the damage the opponent's threats can dish out while resetting Intimidate and Fake Out. It combines well with Incineroar's low Speed as well, safely bringing a teammate in when the danger has passed.

* Snarl is preferred in the final slot to more easily handle the prominent special attackers like Dialga, Regieleki, and Calyrex-S. Darkest Lariat is a secondary damage option, useful for hitting Pokemon that shrug off Flare Blitz like Charizard and Ho-Oh while also ignoring Defense boosts from Max Steelspike. Taunt provides utility against opposing support Pokemon like Grimmsnarl and Porygon2.

* Sitrus Berry is slightly preferred over Figy Berry because it activates more consistently. Passho Berry allows Incineroar to survive a Water Spout from non-Choice Specs Kyogre. Shuca Berry can do the same for boosted Max Quakes from Dialga, Landorus-T, and Groudon.

* The defensive investment allows Incineroar to take strong physical attacks like Close Combat from Jolly Zacian-C after an Intimidate and powerful special attacks such as +2 Max Airstream from Galarian Moltres.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Snarl / Darkest Lariat
item: Assault Vest
ability: Intimidate
nature: Careful
evs: 236 HP / 44 Atk / 148 Def / 76 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Flare Blitz is Incineroar's hardest-hitting STAB move, keeping its damage output relevant with little investment required.

* U-turn primarily enables Incineroar's continuous slow pivoting and appliance of Intimidate and Fake Out. It's also capable of removing Focus Sash from common Pokemon such as Regieleki and Calyrex-S and picking off severely weakened Pokemon.

* Snarl significantly reduces the damage output of Pokemon like Charizard, Zapdos, and Lapras, while Darkest Lariat gives Incineroar another STAB option to hit Pokemon through Defense boosts, as well as Pokemon that resist Fire.

* Assault Vest gives Incineroar more guaranteed bulk upfront at the cost of losing Parting Shot. This set survives some otherwise deadly Max Moves, including Charizard's Max Airstream, Lapras's Max Geyser, and +1 Calyrex-S's Max Quake. Some of the more dangerous 2HKOs become manageable 3HKOs, like Max Airstream from Zapdos and Galarian Moltres. The extra Defense means Incineroar easily takes hits like Zacian-C's Close Combat, Calyrex-I's Max Quake, and Groudon's Precipice Blades.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

An Adamant or Impish nature, while not recommended, can be relevant for specific matchups like Groudon or Zacian-C. An Adamant nature guarantees the OHKO on Zacian-C with Flare Blitz. An Impish nature allows Incineroar to safely take Max Quake and Close Combat from Adamant Groudon and Zacian-C, (AC) respectively. Incineroar can carry Safety Goggles to improve matchups against Amoonguss and Venusaur. Will-O-Wisp and Burning Jealousy are options that punish common setup attackers such as Swords Dance Zacian-C and Landorus-T. Will-O-Wisp has lower accuracy but will always burn when it hits. On the other hand, Burning Jealousy is a nice spread option for Incineroar, but it requires the foe to boost a stat in order to burn. Close Combat hits Dark-types like opposing Incineroar and Rock-types like Nihilego and Stakataka much harder than Flare Blitz. Incineroar's respectable base 115 Attack makes it a potential Dynamax candidate and, if running Close Combat, offers coveted Max Knuckle boosts. Weakness Policy is a fringe option that further amplifies the threat of Incineroar when Dynamaxed. 84 Speed EVs can be used to reach 91 Speed, outspeeding a fully invested Amoonguss.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[smogon account, 377427]]
- Quality checked by: @Raineko @Dragonpiley007 @zeefable
- Grammar checked by: @Estronic

1/1
View attachment 316049

I was raised on two spaces after periods and by jove I'll hit that spacebar twice till the day I die
I even used APA formatting in college, not MLA
I meant restricted
and either urshifu, as both carry are capable of hitting it super effectively with stabs
hard-hitting is hyphenated, I assumed the same would be true for hardest-hitting, is it not?

 

[Astra]

I meant restricted

In that case, add a hyphen between "Steel-type" and "Pokemon," like so:

Its typing is perfect for checking the multitudes of Psychic- and Steel-type-restricted Pokemon dominating the metagame...

and either urshifu, as both carry are capable of hitting it super effectively with stabs

For cases when both Urshifu forme would apply, write out both Urshifu-S and Urshifu-R:

However, STAB moves from Kyogre and Choice Band Urshifu-S and Urshifu-R will surely cause the cat to cower...

hard-hitting is hyphenated, I assumed the same would be true for hardest-hitting, is it not?

Yeah, I made a mistake here. There should be a hyphen, so disregard that.

Also, be sure to unbold and remove all of my comments and markings in parentheses, which includes (AC), (RC), etc.

 

[smogon account]

think that's everything then

I'd appreciate a quick instructive on when to use "and" or "or" in analyses because normally it's fairly intuitive to me being inclusive vs exclusive but both "sounded right" to me in almost every instance. I ended up just switching everything I could find to "and" but I guess I missed a few

 

[Astra]

I'd appreciate a quick instructive on when to use "and" or "or" in analyses because normally it's fairly intuitive to me being inclusive vs exclusive but both "sounded right" to me in almost every instance. I ended up just switching everything I could find to "and" but I guess I missed a few

You're correct on when you to use "and" and "or" in sentences, but you must make sure it aligns with everything else in the sentence.

Look at this fragment, for example:

...and the prevalence of Fighting- and Ground-type coverage on common Pokemon, like Zacian-C's Close Combat and Rillaboom's High Horsepower, enables them to continue hitting Incineroar fairly hard...

Because "Fighting- and Ground-type coverage" is inclusive, a list of examples would have to be inclusive as well, hence the "and" in "Zacian-C's Close Combat and Rillaboom's High Horsepower"

Here's another example:

Incineroar's bulk and dynamic movepool make it arguably the best supporting Pokemon in the format, primarily offering move options like Fake Out, Snarl, and Taunt...

Because "move options" is plural, a list of examples that follow would use "and," since it's including multiple move options. However, if was "...primarily offering a move option...," you would use "or" instead because "move option" is singular and therefore exclusive.

Hopefully this was helpful. If you have anymore questions, feel free to join the GP Discord server here. We have a lot of people that will be willing to answer them!