Gen 1 Kangaskhan (UU) [QC 2/2] [GP 2/2]

[Plague von Karma]

Look at that happy face.
It screams "your paralyzed team is dead".

[OVERVIEW]

Kangaskhan is one of the strongest Normal-type attackers in RBY UU, featuring a wide arsenal of attacking options that help it excel as the tier's most terrifying wallbreaker. Fitting on many offensive teams, it can blow past any Pokemon with Hyper Beam from around 60% HP. It has great coverage too: even the dreaded Articuno, which it outspeeds, is 2HKOed by Rock Slide. The damage that Kangaskhan dishes out is enough to knock many Pokemon into KO range for revenge killers like Dugtrio—if it doesn't just KO them outright—making defensive threats like Vaporeon and Hypno very wary. It is an extremely difficult Pokemon to switch into, arguably having no counters. Not only that, Kangaskhan has incredible physical bulk, allowing it to take minimal damage from Wrap and serve as a minor check to Dugtrio. Kangaskhan is quite customizable for teams as well, possessing interesting options such as Counter.

Despite these incredible positives, Kangaskhan isn't an automatic addition to teams. Its special bulk is simply horrific, leaving it at least possibly 2HKOed by many of the strong special attacks thrown around in the tier, such as Articuno's Blizzard and Tentacruel's Surf. Worse still, it falls short in Speed, being slower than tier king Tentacruel; factoring in its special fragility, this leaves it easily revenge killed. These factors make Kangaskhan sweeping on its own quite rare, so it will often be reserved to exploiting slower, sleeping, or paralyzed Pokemon.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Body Slam
move 2: Hyper Beam
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Rock Slide / Counter / Blizzard / Toxic

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

The combination of Body Slam and Hyper Beam will KO Electabuzz, Persian, and Dugtrio. Furthermore, Hyper Beam alone will OHKO Kadabra, and it has a minute chance to OHKO Dugtrio. Body Slam is crucial for Kangaskhan's success outside of damage, as paralyzing a switch-in will often lead to Kangaskhan beating it outright. Earthquake covers Haunter and Omastar, which are 2HKOed and 3HKOed. It further covers Electric-types like Electabuzz and Raichu as well, which are also 2HKOed. Lastly, Earthquake makes it much easier for Kangaskhan to scout for Counter users like opposing Kangaskhan and Poliwrath, which can be the difference between winning or losing the game.

Kangaskhan's fourth move is largely dependent on its team and what threats the player wants it to cover. No option is truly better than the other. Rock Slide will 3HKO Gyarados and Aerodactyl as well as 2HKO Articuno, the latter of which otherwise wins consistently due to its nuclear Blizzard. Counter enables Kangaskhan to use its high HP to check Normal-type attackers, heavily deterring the use of moves like Body Slam, Hyper Beam, and Slash. It also gives Kangaskhan some extra utility, as switching into Hyper Beam and countering during the recharge can be a very strong tactic. Blizzard acts as coverage for Dragonite, 2HKOing it despite Kangaskhan's poor Special, but Dragonite only needing one free turn to set up Agility and start using Wrap makes this less effective in practice. Blizzard also 3HKOes Aerodactyl, Tangela, and Golem, the latter of which takes more damage than it would from Earthquake. Lastly, Toxic is strictly used to put down Dragonite, preventing it from performing an Agility + Wrap sweep.

Kangaskhan is a wallbreaker at heart and should mostly be kept to this role. Kangaskhan is one of the best ways to punish Rest in the tier, and taking advantage of this is often key to its success: it's capable of 3HKOing even Hypno with two Body Slam uses followed up by Hyper Beam. Alternatively, Body Slam can 3HKO it a third of the time anyway. Similarly, a paralyzed Kadabra attempting to use Recover provides Kangaskhan with the perfect opportunity to switch in for free and threaten to OHKO it with Hyper Beam. Switching in on Seismic Toss against paralyzed Hypno or Kadabra is also valid, as they're forced to take a heavy hit from Kangaskhan. Kangaskhan is excellent at punishing greedy setup as well, switching in on Pokemon like Dodrio as they use Agility to completely reverse the game's momentum. It can also punish players looking to use Hyper Beam to finish Pokemon off early; Kangaskhan's amazing physical bulk allows it to switch in and punish the recharge with massive damage, even if it lacks Counter. It's good to switch Kangaskhan in after having a partner use Rest too, as players attempting to exploit the Rest will often switch in Pokemon like Persian and Dugtrio, which Kangaskhan excels against. The damage Kangaskhan can deal to a team is immense, so determining when it's appropriate to glean value from it early- to mid-game while avoiding paralysis is an important fundamental for players to learn.

Kangaskhan appreciates paralysis support, as well as a reliable sleeper, though neither of these is necessarily required. Consequently, paralysis inducers such as Hypno, Dragonite, Kadabra, and Electabuzz are good partners. Kangaskhan pairs well with other sweepers—particularly those that are stonewalled by a particular Pokemon, including Articuno, Dugtrio, Dodrio, and Persian. Kangaskhan is very capable of overwhelming Pokemon like Haunter, Omastar, and Vaporeon, which typically stand in the way of at least one of these examples. Always remember to fine-tune teams in response to Kangaskhan's fourth move; for example, pairing Counter Kangaskhan with users of Explosion, such as Golem and Haunter, lets you smash a KOed Pokemon's replacement by countering your own Explosion. Haunter particularly pairs well, as it and Kangaskhan together can minimize Wrap's damage to a team by PP stalling it. Haunter also provides the aforementioned sleep support to shut down a potential check, such as Hypno or Kadabra. It can also lure in Pokemon that really don't want to fight Kangaskhan, like Dugtrio. Tangela is a suitable partner for its ease of spreading paralysis, good Dugtrio matchup, and amazing bulk allowing Kangaskhan to be significantly more aggressive. This role compression often gives space for more powerful Kangaskhan partners, such as Articuno and Dugtrio. Venusaur can act similarly to Tangela while further appreciating Kangaskhan's presence, as double switching to Kangaskhan punishes its usual Psychic-type switch-ins hard.

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

Substitute is notable, as Kangaskhan's 103 HP Substitutes can tank Night Shade from Haunter, as well as Seismic Toss from Hypno and Kadabra, while easing prediction. However, they will normally default to other moves, such as Thunder Wave or Hypnosis, making the option largely moot. Surf allows Kangaskhan to 2HKO Golem and 3HKO Aerodactyl but has no utility otherwise. Kangaskhan can amp up its damage output with Double-Edge to 3HKO Hypno—or even Mega Kick to 3HKO Vaporeon—but whatever move gets replaced will often be sorely missed; replacing Body Slam makes Kangaskhan far more reliant on paralysis support, and eschewing coverage is generally not advised.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Paralysis**: Paralysis is the main obstacle to Kangaskhan's success, as it aims to take advantage of slower Pokemon like Vaporeon, as well as paralyzed Pokemon, and tear them down. Paralysis not only makes such interactions impossible but also exposes Kangaskhan's awful special bulk. Pokemon like Articuno, Gyarados, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Venusaur blow paralyzed Kangaskhan away with their strong STAB moves. As such, paralysis inducers such as Kadabra, Electabuzz, and Hypno are to be avoided unless Kangaskhan is in a position where it can KO them first. There will be many times where Kangaskhan will KO something mid-game and subsequently be forced out by one of these Pokemon.

**Tentacruel**: Tentacruel outspeeds Kangaskhan and has an 82% chance to 2HKO it with Surf. Furthermore, Tentacruel is capable of chipping Kangaskhan into 2HKO range with just one Wrap use, which is what makes the Speed factor so dangerous; (semi) while Kangaskhan is absolutely capable of using Earthquake to 2HKO Tentacruel, it cannot do so quickly enough without Tentacruel being paralyzed first or happening to miss Wrap. Even then, Tentacruel may simply go for the Surf 2HKO, as the odds aren't terrible with even a little chip damage. It should be noted that Kangaskhan's Hyper Beam deals more damage than Earthquake, and can KO Tentacruel from 56.4% or less.

**Tangela**: Tangela isn't afraid of switching into Kangaskhan, not even fearing a critical hit Hyper Beam. Not only does it shrug off these generally nuclear blows, but it can also threaten with Sleep Powder or Stun Spore in return, both of which put an end to Kangaskhan's rampage. Furthermore, if Kangaskhan has been put to sleep, Tangela sets up Growth with impunity, making its Mega Drain noticeably more threatening. Finally, with Bind, Tangela can exploit paralyzed Kangaskhan relatively well, chipping it into KO range and pivoting to its teammates.

**Articuno**: If Kangaskhan lacks Rock Slide, Articuno is a very deadly threat to its success. Even Ice Beam from Articuno can 2HKO it, and Blizzard makes it impossible to switch Kangaskhan into anything later. If Kangaskhan does have Rock Slide, Articuno is threatened with a 2HKO, though Kangaskhan will be damaged heavily by Blizzard in the process. Without Rock Slide, Kangaskhan can only win with a critical hit Body Slam followed up by Hyper Beam. If Articuno has set up Agility and hasn't been damaged, even Rock Slide Kangaskhan cannot win without getting extremely lucky.

**Dragonite**: Dragonite can easily set up Agility if Kangaskhan lacks Toxic, then proceed to spam Wrap, dealing gigantic damage to Kangaskhan's team. Blizzard doesn't really help, as it's only a 2HKO, and one turn is all Dragonite needs. Since Kangaskhan is faster by default, it is in a good position to stop it with Toxic. Even if Dragonite has taken damage from Blizzard or been poisoned, though, it can still paralyze Kangaskhan with Thunder Wave or 3HKO with Blizzard anyway, which keeps the matchup generally unfavorable. So long as Dragonite isn't poisoned, the threat of a sweep exists.

**Counter Users**: Kangaskhan's wallbreaking prowess comes back to bite it with Counter's existence. There will be many points where a Kangaskhan user has to check for Counter by using Earthquake to force it to fail. Pokemon like opposing Kangaskhan, Hypno, and Poliwrath are occasionally seen using the move. Should Kangaskhan trigger Counter, it will take significant damage. There is also the risk of a Pokemon switching in on Hyper Beam and countering the damage the next turn, which may deal fatal damage.

**Aerodactyl**: Aerodactyl is the only Pokemon in the game to resist the combination of Normal- and Ground-type coverage; if Kangaskhan's fourth move doesn't cover it, it becomes a serviceable check. Aerodactyl can use Fire Blast to attempt to burn Kangaskhan in this situation, which is a death sentence if it works. The damage isn't small either; it's a guaranteed 4HKO. However, if Kangaskhan does cover Aerodactyl with Blizzard or Rock Slide, it's generally fine. The risk of Body Slam paralysis is very large for Aerodactyl, which makes it very risky to check Kangaskhan with it.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[Volk, 530877], [Shellnuts, 491544]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [CryoGyro, 331519]]

 

[phoopes]

Think I can catch a few things with this one.

As the "mini-Tauros" moniker it's earned implies, Kangaskhan is one of the strongest Normal-type attackers in RBY UU, featuring a wide arsenal of offensive options that help it excel as a terrifying wallbreaker.

So why isn't Kangaskhan an automatic addition to teams, like its fellow denizen of the Safari Zone in RBY OU?

I think it's a policy thing not to reference other tiers in these analyses or something? At least when I called Kadabra a mini-Alakazam/UU version of Alakazam in that analysis it ended up getting taken out. I think we're supposed to be looking at these in a vacuum, so I think cutting the comparisons to Tauros might be for the best here. (correct me if I'm wrong Anyone and the comparisons to Tauros in OU are okay)

Not only that, Kangaskhan has incredible defensive bulk, allowing it to take minimal damage from Wrap and serve as a minor check to Dugtrio.

I'd change this to "physical bulk," since you contrast this fact with its bad special bulk later on.

The combination of Body Slam and Hyper Beam will KO Electabuzz, Persian and Dugtrio, all while skipping Hyper Beam's recharge. Furthermore, Hyper Beam alone will OHKO Kadabra, and has a minute chance to OHKO Dugtrio as well.

These calcs might be leftover from when you were calling it more of a sweeper, and I think they're good to have as with the right paralysis support Kangaskhan to wipe the floor with these 'mons. However, since the point you're trying to make is that Khan is a wallbreaker, I'd probably include some calcs on bulkier 'mons too. You briefly mention the KO percentage on Articuno and the potential for damage against Hypno and Vaporeon in the overview, but going into more detail here could be good. I guess the more I think about it, I don't particularly like facing Khan with anything, so it's not bad that you have these calcs against more offensive 'mons. But maybe make note of the fact that Buzz and Kadabra outspeed and paralyze you, even if they're going to go down in one or two hits.

^sorry I feel like this paragraph is kind of all over the place, my b. I think the point I'm trying to make is add some calcs against more defensive-oriented Pokemon.

Rock Slide will 3HKO Gyarados

I'm bad at doing the math on this but I'm pretty sure Body Slam -> Body Slam -> Hyper Beam is better than Rock Slide x3 due to accuracy reasons + chance of paralysis. So I might just stick to mentioning Aerodactyl and Articuno. Let me know if I'm wrong, that's just back of the napkin math.

This also gives Kangaskhan more utility, as switching into Body Slam and threatening with Counter is a strong play to make, as being Normal-type makes it immune to Body Slam's paralysis chance.

I think I'd mention Slash here as well, as that's an interaction I've run into on more than one occasion. Maybe just because I use Persian more than the average person but yeah.

As such, opposing Wrap is an incredible way to ease Kangaskhan in with minimal damage.

I'd warn the reader that Kangaskhan, after taking one Wrap from Tentacruel, is now in guaranteed 2HKO range from Surf, so be wary of that. Oh I'm reading further and you mention that fact but I think I would mention that up here too.

---

that's all I have time for right now and I know I didn't get through the whole thing but I wanted to at least get the ball rolling since this thread hasn't been posted in yet by any QCers

 

[Plague von Karma]

Good catches, implemented your stuff phoopes.

I think it's a policy thing not to reference other tiers in these analyses or something? At least when I called Kadabra a mini-Alakazam/UU version of Alakazam in that analysis it ended up getting taken out. I think we're supposed to be looking at these in a vacuum, so I think cutting the comparisons to Tauros might be for the best here. (correct me if I'm wrong Anyone and the comparisons to Tauros in OU are okay)

I'm not sure. In respect to Kangaskhan, it's had this title since the early-2000s and consistently been referred to as such ever since. So it's not meant to be a comparison, but an explanation on a moniker it's rightfully earned. I'm not sure if GP or policy would like it or not, I'd have to check. Think "King of Gen 1" or "The Bull" for Tauros, for example. I'm kind of concerned that players would treat Kangaskhan like OU Tauros without the mention of the title and subsequent downplaying.

These calcs might be leftover from when you were calling it more of a sweeper, and I think they're good to have as with the right paralysis support Kangaskhan to wipe the floor with these 'mons. However, since the point you're trying to make is that Khan is a wallbreaker, I'd probably include some calcs on bulkier 'mons too. You briefly mention the KO percentage on Articuno and the potential for damage against Hypno and Vaporeon in the overview, but going into more detail here could be good. I guess the more I think about it, I don't particularly like facing Khan with anything, so it's not bad that you have these calcs against more offensive 'mons. But maybe make note of the fact that Buzz and Kadabra outspeed and paralyze you, even if they're going to go down in one or two hits.

^sorry I feel like this paragraph is kind of all over the place, my b. I think the point I'm trying to make is add some calcs against more defensive-oriented Pokemon.

You're right. I chucked Tangela and Vaporeon in as examples of times where Kangaskhan says "Oh you're at 50%? Die.".

 

[Volk]

Alright, let's take a look at this.

As the "mini-Tauros" moniker it's earned implies, Kangaskhan is one of the strongest Normal-type attackers in RBY UU, featuring a wide arsenal of offensive options that help it excel as a terrifying wallbreaker.

A bit of a nitpick, but it think it may be more clear to say "...help it excel as the tier's premier wallbreaker." If you need a wallbreaker on your UU team, chances are, you're picking Kangaskhan.

Many Pokemon will crumble to Kangaskhan's Hyper Beam from around 60%; even the dreaded Articuno, which it also outspeeds, falls to a minimum damage roll of 55.8%.

I don't know what the clause after the semicolon means. First, I'd be a little more clear with "from around 60%." Do you mean the opponent needs to have 60% or less health? The second part has me completely lost. Articuno doesn't "fall to" a minimum damage roll of 55.8%, unless it has that much health left. It should say, "Articuno... will fall to Hyper Beam when at 55.8% or less" or something like that. Finally, where did 55.8% come from?
Kangaskhan Hyper Beam vs. Articuno: 158-186 (41.2 - 48.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
If it is from the Rock Slide calc, maybe you should mention the move by name? The way this is written very, very strongly implies Hyper Beam is dealing that damage. I'd honestly consider just scrapping this sentence and rewriting it to convery the idea more clearly.

Not only that, Kangaskhan has incredible defensive bulk, allowing it to take minimal damage from Wrap and serve as a minor check to Dugtrio.

Add "physical" before "defensive."

Kangaskhan is an extremely difficult Pokemon to switch into due to these points, and underestimating this quality will usually lead to it running rings around teams.

What I'm going to suggest is debatable, but I think it is fair to say Kangaskhan has literally no counters, assuming Kangaskhan has the right set and predicts correctly. I like the sentence you wrote, so if you want to add this sentiment, you can make an additional sentence. Up to you if and how you do it.

These two factors make a Kangaskhan sweep on its own quite rare; as such, Kangaskhan will often be reserved to exploiting slower or paralyzed Pokemon and breaking past them, but make no mistake: it will absolutely flatten them.

Add "sleeping" to the list of statuses. Kangaskhan loves switching in on Hypno, among others, after it's teammate put it to Sleep or if it predicts its Rest. You do not want to let Kangaskhan to switch in for free.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Body Slam
move 2: Hyper Beam
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Rock Slide / Counter / Blizzard / Toxic

I'd swap the position of Toxic and Counter. Toxic is still super common and Counter is quite rare. Though it depends a little on the state of APT.

The combination of Body Slam and Hyper Beam will KO Electabuzz, Persian and Dugtrio, all while skipping Hyper Beam's recharge.

Add comma after "Body Slam."

It further covers Electric-types like Electabuzz and Raichu as well, which are also 2HKOed.

Earthquake 2HKOes Tentacruel as well, which Body Slam misses and Body Slam + Hyper Beam might miss.

Counter, on the other hand, enables Kangaskhan to use its large HP pool to check opposing Normal-type attackers, heavily deterring the use of moves like Body Slam.

You can cut "pool" from this sentence. Also, I'd include Slash in addition to Body Slam. Hyper Beam too, perhaps, as Kangaskhan can survive most on switch in.

Alternatively, Blizzard acts as coverage for Dragonite, which 2HKOes it despite Kangaskhan's middling Special.

"Middling" is too generous. Write "poor" or "low" or something. Beedrill has a higher Special Stat.

Kangaskhan is a wallbreaker at heart, and as such, should mostly be kept to this role.

Add a comma after "and."

As such, switching in Kangaskhan on a predicted Rest is crucial to using it successfully.

I'd say "is often crucial..." Getting Kangaskhan in against Rest is very valuable, but it isn't the only way to get milelage out of your Kangaskhan.

As such, opposing Wrap is an incredible way to ease Kangaskhan in with minimal damage.

I wouldn't say this. Every major Wrap user is pretty threatening to Kangaskhan. Tentacruel outspeeds and 2HKOes, Dragonite has Thunder Wave and/or APT, and Tangela has dual status. The opponents need to be at low health and/or paralyzed for this method of switching in to be potent. I'd downplay this (mention its limitations) or just consider cutting it. Note that its teammates Wrap can facilitate Kangaskhan's ability to switch in, but that may go without saying.

Kangaskhan requires a team with a good amount of paralysis support to work.

Sleep is also very helpful.

It is also worth considering niche options such as Body Slam on Dugtrio and Persian should there not be enough Thunder Wave users on its team.

I would disagree with this. Body Slam is not a very good option for either of these Pokemon. Kangaskhan appreciates Paralysis spread, but it doesn't really need it, as it is already faster than most defensive Pokemon. Running these moves is not worth it. However, I will add that if you work really hard to orient your team around Paralysis, Kangaskhan can potentially be a sweeper. It is outclassed in this role to some extent, but it may be worth noting. If you are using Kangaskhan purely for wallbreaking, which is most common, Paralysis is more optional.

Otherwise, fine-tuning Kangaskhan's fourth move to what its team is weak to is important.

Cut the word "Otherwise." It doesn't make sense. The second "to" is also redundant.

Kangaskhan has a few other options worth exploring, though they are significantly less useful than its main moves. Substitute is notable, as thanks to Kangaskhan's 413 HP, the substitute will get 103 HP upon use. This allows Kangaskhan to tank Night Shade from Haunter, as well as Seismic Toss from Hypno and Kadabra, while easing prediction. However, they will normally default to other moves in most situations, making the option largely moot. Outside of Substitute, Surf can allow Kangaskhan to 2HKO Golem and 3HKO Aerodactyl but has no utility outside of this.

These are a bit fringe as options, but Kangaskhan can get some use from other Normal-type attacking moves like Double-Edge or Mega Kick. For example, Double-Edge will always 3HKO Hypno and Mega Kick will always 3HKO Vaporeon. Kangaskhan definitely will miss out on Body Slam or whatever coverage move it elects to drop, but I guess these moves could at least be mentioned.

Pokemon like Omastar, Vaporeon, Articuno and Gyarados adore feasting on paralyzed Kangaskhan, blowing it away with their strong STAB moves. As such, paralysis inducers such as Kadabra, Electabuzz and Hypno are to be avoided unless Kangaskhan is in a position where it can KO them first.

Add a comma after "Articuno" in the first sentence and after "Electabuzz" in the second. Also, maybe mention Poliwrath and Venusaur in the first line.

Ergo, while Kangaskhan is absolutely capable of using Earthquake to 2HKO Tentacruel, it straight up cannot do it without Tentacruel being paralyzed first or happening to miss Wrap twice in a row.

Wrap doesn't have to miss twice in a row. Consider the situation where Kangaskhan enters the field after Tentacruel KOes something. Just say "...happening to miss Wrap."

**Articuno**: If Kangaskhan lacks Rock Slide, Articuno is a very deadly threat to its success. Even an Ice Beam from Articuno can 2HKO it, and Blizzard makes it impossible to switch Kangaskhan into anything. If Kangaskhan does have Rock Slide, Articuno is threatened with a 2HKO, though it will be damaged heavily by Blizzard in the process. The only way for a Kangaskhan without Rock Slide to win against Articuno is with a critical hit Body Slam followed up by a Hyper Beam. It should be noted that if Articuno has set up Agility and hasn't been damaged, Kangaskhan cannot win without getting extremely lucky.

Moltres can be mentioned, maybe? It's the same situation but now it's a speed tie and the Burn chance is actually relevant.

Without Blizzard or Toxic, Kangaskhan has major issues handling Dragonite. Dragonite can easily set up Agility if Kangaskhan lacks the aforementioned moves and can then attempt to sweep with Wrap, dealing gigantic damage to Kangaskhan's team.

Being able to 2HKO Dragonite with Blizzard does not stop the threat of APT. Toxic is the only move that can actually "prevent" this reliably.

Checks and Counters

Maybe add Counter Users to this list. Counter can really catch Kangaskhan off guard and deal a ton of damage to it. While not super common, stuff like Hypno, Kangaskhan, and Poliwrath can hit Kangaskhan for significant damage with Counter.

That's all for now. Let me know once everything is implemented. Cheers!

 

[Plague von Karma]

That's all for now. Let me know once everything is implemented. Cheers!

poke

A bit of a nitpick, but it think it may be more clear to say "...help it excel as the tier's premier wallbreaker." If you need a wallbreaker on your UU team, chances are, you're picking Kangaskhan.

I went about this a bit differently, instead describing it as "the tier's most terrifying wallbreaker".

I don't know what the clause after the semicolon means. First, I'd be a little more clear with "from around 60%." Do you mean the opponent needs to have 60% or less health? The second part has me completely lost. Articuno doesn't "fall to" a minimum damage roll of 55.8%, unless it has that much health left. It should say, "Articuno... will fall to Hyper Beam when at 55.8% or less" or something like that. Finally, where did 55.8% come from?
Kangaskhan Hyper Beam vs. Articuno: 158-186 (41.2 - 48.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
If it is from the Rock Slide calc, maybe you should mention the move by name? The way this is written very, very strongly implies Hyper Beam is dealing that damage. I'd honestly consider just scrapping this sentence and rewriting it to convery the idea more clearly.

Yeah, Articuno was a Rock Slide roll...good catch. I've made that into a point about its coverage.

Moltres can be mentioned, maybe? It's the same situation but now it's a speed tie and the Burn chance is actually relevant.

I haven't seen any Moltres usage all year, not even in tours. I think I'll leave this out unless someone else pipes up. I think some players should be able to draw an equivalence between the two.

The rest has been implemented!

 

[Volk]

Okay, part two.

It has great coverage too: even the dreaded Articuno, which it also outspeeds, falls to a minimum damage roll of 55.8% from Rock Slide.

I still don't like the wording of this sentence. Articuno, by definition, does not "fall" to a roll of 55.8% from Rock Slide, unless it is at 55.8%, and there is no reason to assume it is. Just say something like "Articuno will fall to Rock Slide as soon as it is at 55.8% or below" or something.

The sheer damage output that Kangaskhan dishes out is enough to knock many Pokemon into range for revenge killers like Dugtrio to finish them off, making defensive threats like Vaporeon and Hypno very wary.

I'd mention something along the lines of "or just KO them outright" somewhere here. Kangaskhan usually aims to KO troublesome Pokemon outright, not chip them into range for something else, though it is obviously capable of both.

This is a pressing issue for any Pokemon in RBY UU, as it leaves it vulnerable to Tentacruel's Wrap, making it difficult to make any progress without paralysis support.

This doesn't really work. Having "Paralysis support" doesn't guarantee Tentacruel will be paralyzed. Moreover, Kangaskhan should be aiming to face Pokemon that need not be Paralyzed, like slower stuff or sleeping stuff. As I had said earlier, Kangaskhan appreciates Paralysis support, but it isn't exactly dependent on it by any means, and it doesn't actually help that much in pursuing Kangaskhan's main goals, which are breaking stuff like Hypno and Vaporeon and scaring off physical attackers like Dugtrio. If you analyze the Pokemon that Kangaskhan wants to face, you'll see that most of them don't need to be paralyzed or can't be, at least reliably. In summary, Kangaskhan's Speed is an issue not because it makes it a worse wallbreaker (it more or less doesn't), but because it is susceptible to faster Pokemon picking it off (or Wrapping it), the most notable of these is of course Tentacruel, but stuff like Kadabra, Electabuzz, Dugtrio, and so on can as well.

The combination of Body Slam and Hyper Beam will KO Electabuzz, Persian, and Dugtrio, all while skipping Hyper Beam's recharge.

Oxford comma.

Body Slam itself is crucial for Kangaskhan's success outside of damage though, as paralyzing a switch-in will often lead to Kangaskhan reversing the situation and winning the interaction outright.

This sentence is perfectly accurate, but I just think the phrase could be worded better. Consider revising.

A single Earthquake will also put Tentacruel in Hyper Beam range, something that Body Slam cannot pull off.

Earthquake flat 2HKOes. If Kangaskhan hits Tentacruel with Earthquake, it will most likely go for another Earthquake, not Hyper Beam. Earthquake is also notable for being Kangaskhan's best move for scouting Counter.

Counter, on the other hand, enables Kangaskhan to use its large HP to check opposing Normal-type attackers, heavily deterring the use of moves like Body Slam. This also gives Kangaskhan more utility, as switching into Body Slam or Slash and threatening with Counter is a strong play to make, as being Normal-type makes it immune to Body Slam's paralysis chance.

Move the mention of Slash from the second sentence to the first. It should be clear why this makes sense.

This also allows Kangaskhan to 3HKO Aerodactyl and Golem, the latter of which takes more damage than it would from Earthquake.

Blizzard also has a chance to 3HKO Tangela, which Body Slam misses.

Lastly, Toxic acts as a strict way for Kangaskhan to put down Dragonite, preventing it from performing an Agility + Wrap sweep.

"Lastly, Toxic acts strictly as a way for..."

Kangaskhan's immense physical bulk is no joke, and it's not uncommon to see it switching in on Wrap directly during a game, be it for PP stall or to prevent Dragonite from getting comfortable.

Unless Kangaskhan has Toxic or Dragonite has less than 50% health, Dragonite will use this opportunity to set up Agility. I'd say "be it for PP stall or just to wait for a miss or the cylce to end so it may attack" or something like that (adding a new sentence might help too, as this idea is fairly complex). This is more clear, and applies to more situations, like against weakened Dragonite, Paralyzed Tentacruel, or even healthy Tentacruel that don't want to risk the chance of a miss. Even though Tentacruel can bring Kangaskhan to 50% from full health with Wrap and KO it, few players will risk trying this out as Body Slam or Earthquake may be fatal.

Kangaskhan requires a team with a good amount of paralysis support to work, as well as a reliable sleeper.

Again, Kangaskhan does not require paralysis support to function.

As such, paralysis inducers such as Hypno, Dragonite, Kadabra, Electabuzz, and Tangela are all good partners. If Counter Kangaskhan is being used, pairing it with users of Explosion, such as Golem and Haunter, is worth considering to try and knock out a KOed Pokemon's replacement by countering your own Explosion.

If we are in the business of naming good Kangaskhan partners (we should be), some of the best are sweepers that have one or two particular problem Pokemon. The main ones here are Persian, Dugtrio, and Articuno, which benefit from Kangaskhan overwhelming Haunter/Omastar, Gyarados/Dragonite, and Vaporeon/Omastar, respectively. Kangaskhan's best partners are the sweepers who need just a little push to get going. Haunter is another good partner for Kangaskhan. The pair handles Wrap pretty well and Haunter provides necessary Sleep support while also baiting in a lot of stuff that Kangaskhan likes facing, like Dugtrio and Paralyzed Kadabra.

However, they will normally default to other moves in most situations, making the option largely moot.

Specify which moves, namely Thunder Wave and Hypnosis, I believe.

Paralysis is the main obstacle to Kangaskhan's success, as it aims to take advantage of slower Pokemon like Vaporeon and tear them down, as well as paralyzed Pokemon.

"Paralysis is the main obstacle to Kangaskhan's success, as it aims to take advantage of slower Pokemon like Vaporeon, as well as paralyzed Pokemon, and tear them down."

By getting paralyzed, not only is this interaction made impossible, but Kangaskhan's awful special bulk is also exposed. Pokemon like Omastar, Venusaur, Vaporeon, Articuno, and Gyarados adore feasting on paralyzed Kangaskhan, blowing it away with their strong STAB moves.

Is there a reason why you ordered these Pokemon the way you did? It's not important, but this order seems truly random to me. It looks like it is in reverse viability order or something. Just curious.

As such, paralysis inducers such as Kadabra, Electabuzz and Hypno are to be avoided unless Kangaskhan is in a position where it can KO them first.

Oxford comma.

Ergo, while Kangaskhan is absolutely capable of using Earthquake to 2HKO Tentacruel, it straight up cannot do it without Tentacruel being paralyzed first or happening to miss Wrap.

Really big nitpick, put Tentacruel may elect to use Surf against Kangaskhan even if it isn't in KO range, simply because the 2HKO is more reliable than waiting to chip Kangaskhan all the way there. This isn't terribly uncommon either.

**Counter users**: Kangaskhan's own wallbreaking prowess comes back to bite it with Counter's existence. Ergo, there will be many points where a Kangaskhan user has to check for Counter by using Earthquake to force it to fail. Pokemon like opposing Kangaskhan, Hypno and Poliwrath are occasionally seen using the move. Should Kangaskhan trigger Counter, it will take significant damage in the process. There is also the risk of a Pokemon switching in on Hyper Beam and countering the damage the next turn, which will deal near-fatal damage a lot of the time.

Move this to the very end, simply because Counter isn't particularly common in RBY UU.

Pokemon like opposing Kangaskhan, Hypno and Poliwrath are occasionally seen using the move.

Oxford comma.

There is also the risk of a Pokemon switching in on Hyper Beam and countering the damage the next turn, which will deal near-fatal damage a lot of the time.

The damage can actually be totally fatal. A Counter from Hypno can OHKO a Kangaskhan that has used Hyper Beam, and a critical hit will obviously be returned for a KO (both Poliwrath and Kangaskhan will stomach a critical hit Hyper Beam from full health most of the time).

Without Toxic, Kangaskhan has major issues handling Dragonite. Dragonite can easily set up Agility if Kangaskhan lacks the aforementioned moves and can then attempt to sweep with Wrap, dealing gigantic damage to Kangaskhan's team. However, Blizzard will 2HKO Dragonite, and Toxic can swiftly put down said Wrap sweep if it attempts Agility.

There is a lot of redundancy among these three sentences. Also note that it should say "aformentioned move" (no "s").

Checks and Counters

Here's a really dumb suggestion that I give you full license to ignore but just wanted to bring up. If Kangaskhan is running Toxic and no coverage, Aerodactyl technically walls it. Probably not worth a mention, as this is a pretty niche scenario (and Body Slam Paralysis ruins Aerodactyl anyway), but I just thought it was kind of funny.

Okay, so I had more to say than I thought. Let me know when this is updated and I think it'll be QC ready. Cheers!

 

[Plague von Karma]

Implemented all of this, some comments.

Move the mention of Slash from the second sentence to the first. It should be clear why this makes sense.

Yeah, not sure why I did that. Added Hyper Beam as well.

Is there a reason why you ordered these Pokemon the way you did? It's not important, but this order seems truly random to me. It looks like it is in reverse viability order or something. Just curious.

Nope, it was random! Changed to alphabetical.

 

[Volk]

The grand finale! (I hope...)

Lastly, Earthquake makes it much easier for Kangaskhan to scout for opposing Counter users like Poliwrath, which can be the difference between winning the game and getting egg on your face.

I know the sentence might get clunky but I'd prioritize opposing Kangaskhan as the Counter user here, as it is the most common one.

Counter, on the other hand, enables Kangaskhan to use its large HP to check opposing Normal-type attackers, heavily deterring the use of moves like Body Slam, Hyper Beam and Slash.

Oxford comma.

Kangaskhan pairs well with other sweepers—particularly those that are stonewalled by a particular Pokemon—like Articuno, Dugtrio and Persian.

Oxford comma. Also, specify why this is the case. Provide an example perhaps, like how Articuno will have a much easier time if Kangaskhan can weaken or KO it's checks, namely Vaporeon, for it. Alternatively, name the Pokemon that Kangaskhan can handle for these three.

Haunter particularly pairs well, as, alongside Kangaskhan, they can minimize Wrap's damage to a team by PP stalling it. Haunter also provides the aforementioned sleep support to shut down a potential check, such as Hypno or Kadabra.

Please note Haunter's ability to bait in Pokemon Kangaskhan likes to face. It is very important and a big reason why the core works. I gave a description of this in my previous post.

Even then, Tentacruel may simply go for the 2HKO, as the odds aren't terrible without the chip damage.

I'd say "with a little chip damage." A Tentancruel might Wrap like once just to guarantee the 2HKO and then use Surf twice.

There is also the risk of a Pokemon switching in on Hyper Beam and countering the damage the next turn, which will deal fatal damage a lot of the time.

I'd say "...which may deal fatal damage" and end the sentence there. I don't know the probabilities here.

I'll probably check this one or two more times, but I think it is good enough for me to grant a QC 1/2 once these changes are implemented. Well done and cheers.

 

[Plague von Karma]

Implemented and noted as 1/2, one comment

Oxford comma. Also, specify why this is the case. Provide an example perhaps, like how Articuno will have a much easier time if Kangaskhan can weaken or KO it's checks, namely Vaporeon, for it. ALternatively, name the Pokemon that Kangaskhan can handle for these three.

Please note Haunter's ability to bait in Pokemon Kangaskhan likes to face. It is very important and a big reason why the core works. I gave a description of this in my previous post.

I modified these but tried to keep it brief, it's difficult to strike a proper balance. If you have a better way than how I did it I'd really like the help, ahaha...

 

[Shellnuts]

Pretty good overall, here are some changes I would make:

Lastly, Earthquake makes it much easier for Kangaskhan to scout for opposing Counter users like opposing Kangaskhan and Poliwrath, which can be the difference between winning the game and getting egg on your face.

The egg comment seems a bit weird to me, and something a bit clearer like "... which can be the difference between winning or losing the game." Would be preferred.

This also gives Kangaskhan more utility, as switching into Body Slam and threatening with Counter is a strong play to make, as being Normal-type makes it immune to Body Slam's paralysis chance.

Generally, Khan really doesn't switch into most Body Slams even with counter since most of them have special attacks which utterly demolish Kangaskhan—Gyarados has Blizzard and Hydro Pump, Vaporeon has Surf, Venusaur has Razor Leaf, etc—or have ways of scouting for Counter while still doing damage—Dodrio has Drill Peck, Kangaskhan as Earthquake, etc. I would probably remove this bit since Counter's main job is to punish Hyper Beam or Persians clicking Slash.

Kangaskhan's immense physical bulk is no joke, and it's not uncommon to see it switching in on Wrap directly during a game, be it for PP stall or to wait for a miss.

This doesn't really make sense from a practical point of view outside of against AgiliWrap. Against Tentacruel it makes no sense since it is faster than Khan anyways and can just Wrap again or use Surf, and against Dnite it makes very little sense because Khan can't really threaten Dnite much outside of a Body Slam paralysis or maybe a Blizzard crit, and even then Dnite can just switch to Tentacruel and keep the Wrap chain going. Usually, when I am bringing in Khan on a Wrap I am doing it from Kadabra or Tentacruel after a turn or 2 to punish an incoming Hypno or Dugtrio or Persian looking to come in safely.

A similar concept can be employed against a paralyzed Kadabra attempting to Recover, as it provides Kangaskhan with the perfect opportunity to switch in for free and threaten to OHKO it with Hyper Beam.

Another option I would probably cover would be bringing in Khan on a paralyzed Hypno or paralyzed Kadabra using Seismic Toss, as it can take the hit and threaten a KO, usually forcing the opponent to take the hit with something else due to the damage output of Khan and the chance of fp's. One particular line I like using, especially in the earlygame, is to paralyze their Hypno with my own, stoss them as they para my Hypno, and go Khan as they stoss. Hypnos Psychic (barring a crit) cannot OHKO my Khan, I outspeed them, and Body Slam -> Hbeam KO's, forcing them to switch out of Hypno and making whatever comes in takes a lot of damage.

Kangaskhan is a wallbreaker at heart, and, as such, should mostly be kept to this role...

Another thing Kangaskhan offers which I think should be covered is its ability to punish greedy plays/sweep attempts heavily. One way Khan does is a double into a Persian or Dugtrio or Dodrio attempting to abuse a resting Hypno or whatever, you are completely reversing the momentum and doing a ton of damage or picking up a KO. Another way Khan does this is against Dodrio's getting greedy and trying to Agility sweep as Khan wins the 1v1 with Body Slam -> Hyper Beam about 70% of the time (Khan needs to be at 92% or above to win the majority of the time, and lower than 90% Khan loses 75% of the time or so). One last way Khan does this is by coming in on Hyper Beams from opposing Persians, Gyaras, Khans, or Tents since the recharge turn lets Khan get off a lot of damage, and in the case of gyara and persian, win the 1v1 and body slam something else or pick up a KO on them.

Haunter particularly pairs well, as, alongside Kangaskhan, they can minimize Wrap's damage to a team by PP stalling it. Haunter also provides the aforementioned sleep support to shut down a potential check, such as Hypno or Kadabra. It can also lure in Pokemon that really don't want to fight Kangaskhan, like Dugtrio.

I would also put Tangela and probably Venu up there as well, since Venusaur baits in Psychics like Hypno which Khan can punish on the double, Tang spreads paralysis heavily and can take some physical attacks for Khan (dug eq, persian slash, khan bslam, etc) which lets it play more aggressively, and both are nowhere near as weak to Dugtrio which can really help free up teamslots for more aggressive khan partners like cuno, dug, or persian.

 

[Plague von Karma]

ayo shell qc?

Implemented this, amazing insight as always

 

[Shellnuts]

Seems pretty good, the only thing I think is missing is Tangela from the Checks and Counters section. Of all the paralysis spreaders in RBY UU, Tangela is by far the best one at switching into Kangaskhan because it is bulky enough to not fear getting KO'd by a crit Hyper Beam on the switch, which can be great as a punish to Kangaskhan trying to confirm a kill with Hyper Beam. After paralyzing Kangaskhan (or putting it to sleep), Tangela also has some tools to abuse it which the other paralysis spreaders (barring Dragonite) do not have, those being Bind and Growth. Bind's pivoting utility enables Tangela to bring in the aforementioned special attackers which demolish a paralyzed Kangaskhan without taking damage on the way in, and Growth (and Mega Drain) enables it to really wear down Kangaskhan and trade down for it, which when Tangela has put something else to sleep, is effectively a 2 for 1 trade which can be really important for momentum.

If that is added then I would give this a 2/2 QC.

 

[Plague von Karma]

If that is added then I would give this a 2/2 QC.

Implemented, gonna send this to GP.

 

[Adeleine]

Add/Fix Remove Comment
(AC)/(RC): Add Comma

sleep paralysis demon except yknow only the first part. uhh lovely kiss kanga when

[OVERVIEW]

Kangaskhan is one of the strongest Normal-type attackers in RBY UU, featuring a wide arsenal of attacking options that help it excel as the tier's most terrifying wallbreaker. Fitting on many offensive teams, it can crumble (not sure if crumble awkward in this sense. possible alternatives "shatter" "blow past" etc.) any Pokemon will crumble to Kangaskhan's with Hyper Beam from around 60% HP. It has great coverage too: even the dreaded Articuno, which it also outspeeds, is 2HKOed by Rock Slide. The sheer damage output that Kangaskhan dishes out is enough to knock many Pokemon into range for revenge killers like Dugtrio to finish them off—or off—if it doesn't just KO them outright—making defensive threats like Vaporeon and Hypno very wary. It is an extremely difficult Pokemon to switch into due to this, arguably having no counters. Not only that, Kangaskhan has incredible physical bulk, allowing it to take minimal damage from Wrap and serve as a minor check to Dugtrio. Kangaskhan is an extremely difficult Pokemon to switch into due to this, arguably having no counters. Kangaskhan is quite customizable for teams as well, possessing interesting options such as Counter to help it fit onto them.

Despite these incredible positives, Kangaskhan isn't an automatic addition to teams. Kangaskhan's special bulk is simply horrific, being leaving it at least possibly 2HKOed by many of the strong special attacks thrown around in the tier, such as Articuno's Blizzard and Tentacruel's Surf. Worse still, it falls short in Speed, being slower than tier-king Tentacruel; factoring in its special fragility, this leaves it quite susceptible to being revenge killed. These factors make a Kangaskhan sweep on its own quite rare, so it will often be reserved to exploiting slower, sleeping, or paralyzed Pokemon and breaking past them.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Body Slam
move 2: Hyper Beam
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Rock Slide / Counter / Blizzard / Toxic

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

The combination of Body Slam and Hyper Beam will KO Electabuzz, Persian, and Dugtrio, all while skipping Hyper Beam's recharge. Furthermore, Hyper Beam alone will OHKO Kadabra, and it has a minute chance to OHKO Dugtrio as well. Body Slam is crucial for Kangaskhan's success outside of damage, as paralyzing a switch-in will often lead to Kangaskhan winning the interaction outright. (hyper beam solo sentence being before body slam solo sentence is a bit funky bc contrasting set order, but i couldnt find a cohesive way to reorder, bc combination -> damage dealing -> status dealing makes sense as order too) Earthquake covers Haunter and Omastar, which are 2HKOed and 3HKOed, respectively. It further covers Electric-types like Electabuzz and Raichu as well, which are also 2HKOed. Lastly, Earthquake makes it much easier for Kangaskhan to scout for opposing Counter users like opposing Kangaskhan and Poliwrath, which can be the difference between winning or losing the game.

Kangaskhan's fourth move is largely dependent on the team it's placed on and the its team and what threats the player wants it to cover. No option is truly better than the other. Rock Slide will 3HKO Gyarados and Aerodactyl (RC) as well as 2HKO Articuno, the latter of which otherwise wins consistently due to its nuclear Blizzard. Counter, on the other hand, enables Kangaskhan to use its large high HP to check opposing Normal-type attackers, heavily deterring the use of moves like Body Slam, Hyper Beam, and Slash. This It also gives Kangaskhan some extra option value, as switching into a Hyper Beam and countering during the recharge can be a very strong tactic. Alternatively, Blizzard acts as coverage for Dragonite, which 2HKOes 2HKOing it despite Kangaskhan's poor Special, (period -> comma) This but Dragonite only needing one free turn to set up Agility and start using Wrap makes this less effective in practice. Blizzard also allows Kangaskhan to 3HKO Aerodactyl, Tangela, and Golem, the latter of which takes more damage than it would from Earthquake. Lastly, Toxic acts strictly as a way for Kangaskhan is strictly to put down Dragonite, preventing it from performing an Agility + Wrap sweep.

Kangaskhan is a wallbreaker at heart (RC) and, as such, should mostly be kept to this role. Kangaskhan is one of the best ways to punish a Rest in the tier, (AC) and taking advantage of this is often key to its success: it's capable of 3HKOing even Hypno with two Body Slam uses followed up by Hyper Beam. Alternatively, three Body Slams uses can KO it a third of the time anyway. As such, switching in Kangaskhan on a predicted Rest is often crucial to using it successfully. A similar concept can be employed against Similarly, a paralyzed Kadabra attempting to use Recover (RC) as it provides Kangaskhan with the perfect opportunity to switch in for free and threaten to OHKO it with Hyper Beam. Switching in on Seismic Toss against paralyzed Hypno or Kadabra is also valid, as they're forced to take a heavy hit from Kangaskhan. Kangaskhan is excellent at punishing greedy setup as well, switching in on Pokemon like Dodrio as they use Agility to completely reverse the game's momentum. This can also apply to It can also punish players looking to use Hyper Beam to finish Pokemon off early; Kangaskhan's amazing physical bulk allows it to switch in and punish the recharge with massive damage, (AC) even if it lacks Counter. It's good to use switch Kangaskhan in after having a partner use Rest too, as players attempting to exploit the situation Rest will often switch in Pokemon like Persian and Dugtrio, which Kangaskhan excels against. The damage Kangaskhan can deal to a team is immense, so determining when it's appropriate to glean value from it early- to mid-game while avoiding paralysis is an important fundamental for players to learn.

Kangaskhan appreciates a team with paralysis support, as well as a reliable sleeper, though neither of these is necessarily required. As such Consequently, paralysis inducers such as Hypno, Dragonite, Kadabra, and Electabuzz are all good partners. Kangaskhan pairs well with other sweepers—particularly those that are stonewalled by a particular Pokemon—like Pokemon, like (unless not all in this list are stonewalled by a particular Pokemon, in which case I'll think of something else) Articuno, Dugtrio, Dodrio, and Persian. Kangaskhan is very capable of overwhelming Pokemon like Haunter, Omastar, and Vaporeon, which typically stand in the way of at least one of these examples. It should always be remembered to fine-tune Always remember to fine-tune teams in response to Kangaskhan's fourth move; if Counter Kangaskhan is being used, pairing it for example, pairing Counter Kangaskhan with users of Explosion, such as Golem and Haunter, is worth considering to try and knock out lets you smash a KOed Pokemon's replacement by countering your own Explosion. Haunter particularly pairs well, as (RC) alongside Kangaskhan, they it and Kangaskhan together can minimize Wrap's damage to a team by PP stalling it. Haunter also provides the aforementioned sleep support to shut down a potential check, such as Hypno or Kadabra. It can also lure in Pokemon that really don't want to fight Kangaskhan, like Dugtrio. Tangela is a suitable partner for its ease of spreading paralysis, good Dugtrio matchup, and amazing bulk (RC) allowing Kangaskhan to be significantly more aggressive. This role compression often gives space for more powerful Kangaskhan partners, such as Articuno and Dugtrio. Venusaur can similarly do this act similarly to Tangela while further appreciating Kangaskhan's presence, as double switching into Kangaskhan punishes the its usual Psychic-type switch-ins hard through double switching.

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

Kangaskhan has a few other options worth exploring, though they are significantly less useful than its main moves. Substitute is notable, as thanks to Kangaskhan's 413 HP, the substitute will get 103 HP upon use. This allows Kangaskhan to Kangaskhan's 103 HP Substitutes can tank Night Shade from Haunter, as well as Seismic Toss from Hypno and Kadabra, while easing prediction. However, they will normally default to other moves in most situations, such as Thunder Wave or Hypnosis, making the option largely moot. Outside of Substitute, Surf can allows Kangaskhan to 2HKO Golem and 3HKO Aerodactyl but has no utility outside of this. Kangaskhan can amp up its damage output with Double-Edge to 3HKO Hypno—or even Mega Kick to 3HKO Vaporeon—but whatever move gets replaced will often be sorely missed; replacing Body Slam makes Kangaskhan far more reliant on paralysis support, and eschewing coverage is generally not advised.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Paralysis**: Paralysis is the main obstacle to Kangaskhan's success, as it aims to take advantage of slower Pokemon like Vaporeon, as well as paralyzed Pokemon, and tear them down. By getting paralyzed, not only is this interaction made impossible, but Kangaskhan's awful special bulk is also exposed. Paralysis not only makes such interactions impossible but also exposes Kangaskhan's awful special bulk. Pokemon like Articuno, Gyarados, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Venusaur adore feasting on paralyzed Kangaskhan, blowing it away with their strong STAB moves. As such, paralysis inducers such as Kadabra, Electabuzz, and Hypno are to be avoided unless Kangaskhan is in a position where it can KO them first. As a result, there will be many times where Kangaskhan will KO something mid-game and subsequently be forced out by one of these Pokemon.

**Tentacruel**: Tentacruel outspeeds Kangaskhan and has an 82% chance to 2HKO it with Surf. Furthermore, Tentacruel is capable of chipping Kangaskhan into 2HKO range using with just one Wrap use, which is what makes the Speed factor so dangerous: just one Wrap use puts it into range. Ergo, while Kangaskhan is absolutely capable of using Earthquake to 2HKO Tentacruel, it straight up cannot do it so quickly enough without Tentacruel being paralyzed first or happening to miss Wrap. Even then, Tentacruel may simply go for the Surf 2HKO, as the odds aren't terrible with even a little chip damage. It should be noted that Kangaskhan's Hyper Beam deals more damage than Earthquake, and can KO Tentacruel from 56.4% minimum or less. (slight clarity you dont mean from 56.4 or higher percentage)

**Tangela**: Tangela isn't afraid of switching into Kangaskhan, not even fearing a critical hit Hyper Beam. Not only does it shrug off these otherwise nuclear blows, but it can also threaten with Sleep Powder or Stun Spore in return, both of which swiftly put an end to Kangaskhan's rampage. Furthermore, if Kangaskhan has been put to sleep, this lets Tangela set up Growth with impunity, making its Mega Drain noticeably more threatening. Finally, with access to Bind, Tangela can exploit paralyzed Kangaskhan relatively well, chipping it into KO range and pivoting to its teammates.

**Articuno**: If Kangaskhan lacks Rock Slide, Articuno is a very deadly threat to its success. Even an Ice Beam from Articuno can 2HKO it, and a Blizzard makes it impossible to switch Kangaskhan into anything. If Kangaskhan does have Rock Slide, Articuno is threatened with a 2HKO, though it Kangaskhan will be damaged heavily by Blizzard in the process. The only way for a Kangaskhan without Rock Slide to win against Articuno is Without Rock Slide, Kangaskhan can only win with a critical hit Body Slam followed up by a Hyper Beam. It should be noted that if Articuno has set up Agility and hasn't been damaged, even Rock Slide Kangaskhan cannot win without getting extremely lucky.

**Dragonite**: Dragonite can easily set up Agility if Kangaskhan lacks Toxic, then proceed to spam Wrap, dealing gigantic damage to Kangaskhan's team. Blizzard doesn't really help, as it's only a 2HKO, and a one turn is all it Dragonite needs. Since Kangaskhan is faster by default, it is in a good position to attempt the latter to stop it with Toxic. Even if Dragonite has taken damage from Blizzard or been poisoned, (AC) though, it can still paralyze Kangaskhan with Thunder Wave or 3HKO with its own Blizzard anyway, which keeps the matchup generally unfavorable. So long as Dragonite isn't poisoned, the threat of being threatened by an AgiliWrap sweep exists.

**Counter Users**: Kangaskhan's own wallbreaking prowess comes back to bite it with Counter's existence. Ergo, There will be many points where a Kangaskhan user has to check for Counter by using Earthquake to force it to fail. Pokemon like opposing Kangaskhan, Hypno, and Poliwrath are occasionally seen using the move. Should Kangaskhan trigger Counter, it will take significant damage in the process. There is also the risk of a Pokemon switching in on Hyper Beam and countering the damage the next turn, which may deal fatal damage.

**Aerodactyl**: Aerodactyl is the only Pokemon in the game to resist the combination of Normal- and Ground-type coverage; if Kangaskhan's fourth move doesn't cover it, it becomes a serviceable check. Aerodactyl can use Fire Blast to attempt to burn Kangaskhan in this situation, which is a death sentence if it works. The damage isn't small either; it's a guaranteed 4HKO. However, if Kangaskhan does cover Aerodactyl with Blizzard or Rock Slide, it's generally fine. Lastly, the risk of Body Slam paralysis is very large for Aerodactyl, which makes it very risky to check Kangaskhan with it.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[Volk, 530877], [Shellnuts, 491544]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [, ]]

 

[Plague von Karma]

sleep paralysis demon corrin

implemented, ready for 2nd gp thing

 

[CryoGyro]

GP 2/2

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Kangaskhan is one of the strongest Normal-type attackers in RBY UU, featuring a wide arsenal of attacking options that help it excel as the tier's most terrifying wallbreaker. Fitting on many offensive teams, it can blow past any Pokemon with Hyper Beam from around 60% HP. It has great coverage too: even the dreaded Articuno, which it also outspeeds, is 2HKOed by Rock Slide. The sheer damage output that Kangaskhan dishes out is enough to knock many Pokemon into KO range for revenge killers like Dugtrio to finish them off—if it doesn't just KO them outright—making defensive threats like Vaporeon and Hypno very wary. It is an extremely difficult Pokemon to switch into due to this, arguably having no counters. Not only that, Kangaskhan has incredible physical bulk, allowing it to take minimal damage from Wrap and serve as a minor check to Dugtrio. Kangaskhan is quite customizable for teams as well, possessing interesting options such as Counter to help it fit onto them.

Despite these incredible positives, Kangaskhan isn't an automatic addition to teams. Kangaskhan's Its special bulk is simply horrific, leaving it at least possibly 2HKOed by many of the strong special attacks thrown around in the tier, such as Articuno's Blizzard and Tentacruel's Surf. Worse still, it falls short in Speed, being slower than tier king Tentacruel; factoring in its special fragility, this leaves it quite susceptible to being easily revenge killed. These factors make a Kangaskhan sweeping on its own quite rare, so it will often be reserved to exploiting slower, sleeping, or paralyzed Pokemon and breaking past them.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Body Slam
move 2: Hyper Beam
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Rock Slide / Counter / Blizzard / Toxic

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

The combination of Body Slam and Hyper Beam will KO Electabuzz, Persian, and Dugtrio, all while skipping Hyper Beam's recharge. Furthermore, Hyper Beam alone will OHKO Kadabra, and it has a minute chance to OHKO Dugtrio as well. Body Slam is crucial for Kangaskhan's success outside of damage, as paralyzing a switch-in will often lead to Kangaskhan winning the interaction beating it outright. (hyper beam solo sentence being before body slam solo sentence is a bit funky bc contrasting set order, but i couldnt find a cohesive way to reorder, bc combination -> damage dealing -> status dealing makes sense as order too) Earthquake covers Haunter and Omastar, which are 2HKOed and 3HKOed, respectively. It further covers Electric-types like Electabuzz and Raichu as well, which are also 2HKOed. Lastly, Earthquake makes it much easier for Kangaskhan to scout for opposing Counter users like opposing Kangaskhan and Poliwrath, which can be the difference between winning or losing the game. (did the eq explanation really need to be three sentences)

Kangaskhan's fourth move is largely dependent on its team and what threats the player wants it to cover. No option is truly better than the other. Rock Slide will 3HKO Gyarados and Aerodactyl (RC) as well as 2HKO Articuno, the latter of which otherwise wins consistently due to its nuclear Blizzard. Counter, on the other hand, enables Kangaskhan to use its high HP to check opposing Normal-type attackers, heavily deterring the use of moves like Body Slam, Hyper Beam, and Slash. It also gives Kangaskhan some extra option value, (the heck does that mean) as switching into a Hyper Beam and countering during the recharge can be a very strong tactic. Alternatively, Blizzard acts as coverage for Dragonite, 2HKOing it despite Kangaskhan's poor Special, but Dragonite only needing one free turn to set up Agility and start using Wrap makes this less effective in practice. Blizzard also allows Kangaskhan to 3HKOes Aerodactyl, Tangela, and Golem, the latter of which takes more damage than it would from Earthquake. Lastly, Toxic is strictly used to put down Dragonite, preventing it from performing an Agility + Wrap sweep.

Kangaskhan is a wallbreaker at heart and should mostly be kept to this role. Kangaskhan is one of the best ways to punish a Rest in the tier, (AC) and taking advantage of this is often key to its success: it's capable of 3HKOing even Hypno with two Body Slam uses followed up by Hyper Beam. Alternatively, three Body Slams can KO Body Slam can 3HKO it a third of the time anyway. Similarly, a paralyzed Kadabra attempting to use Recover provides Kangaskhan with the perfect opportunity to switch in for free and threaten to OHKO it with Hyper Beam. Switching in on Seismic Toss against paralyzed Hypno or Kadabra is also valid, as they're forced to take a heavy hit from Kangaskhan. Kangaskhan is excellent at punishing greedy setup as well, switching in on Pokemon like Dodrio as they use Agility to completely reverse the game's momentum. It can also punish players looking to use Hyper Beam to finish Pokemon off early; Kangaskhan's amazing physical bulk allows it to switch in and punish the recharge with massive damage, even if it lacks Counter. It's good to switch Kangaskhan in after having a partner use Rest too, as players attempting to exploit the Rest will often switch in Pokemon like Persian and Dugtrio, which Kangaskhan excels against. The damage Kangaskhan can deal to a team is immense, so determining when it's appropriate to glean value from it early- to mid-game while avoiding paralysis is an important fundamental for players to learn.

Kangaskhan appreciates a team with paralysis support, as well as a reliable sleeper, though neither of these is necessarily required. Consequently, paralysis inducers such as Hypno, Dragonite, Kadabra, and Electabuzz are all good partners. Kangaskhan pairs well with other sweepers—particularly those that are stonewalled by a particular Pokemon, like including Articuno, Dugtrio, Dodrio, and Persian. (it was a bit ambiguous whether those mons were the sweepers or the stonewalls) Kangaskhan is very capable of overwhelming Pokemon like Haunter, Omastar, and Vaporeon, which typically stand in the way of at least one of these examples. Always remember to fine-tune teams in response to Kangaskhan's fourth move; for example, pairing Counter Kangaskhan with users of Explosion, such as Golem and Haunter, lets you smash a KOed Pokemon's replacement by countering your own Explosion. Haunter particularly pairs well, as it and Kangaskhan together can minimize Wrap's damage to a team by PP stalling it. Haunter also provides the aforementioned sleep support to shut down a potential check, such as Hypno or Kadabra. It can also lure in Pokemon that really don't want to fight Kangaskhan, like Dugtrio. Tangela is a suitable partner for its ease of spreading paralysis, good Dugtrio matchup, and amazing bulk (RC) allowing Kangaskhan to be significantly more aggressive. This role compression often gives space for more powerful Kangaskhan partners, such as Articuno and Dugtrio. Venusaur can act similarly to Tangela while further appreciating Kangaskhan's presence, as double switching into Kangaskhan punishes its usual Psychic-type switch-ins hard.

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

Kangaskhan has a few other options worth exploring, though they are significantly less useful than its main moves. (that's what other options means, yes) Substitute is notable, as Kangaskhan's 103 HP Substitutes can tank Night Shade from Haunter, as well as Seismic Toss from Hypno and Kadabra, while easing prediction. However, they will normally default to other moves, such as Thunder Wave or Hypnosis, making the option largely moot. Outside of Substitute, Surf allows Kangaskhan to 2HKO Golem and 3HKO Aerodactyl but has no utility outside of this otherwise. Kangaskhan can amp up its damage output with Double-Edge to 3HKO Hypno—or even Mega Kick to 3HKO Vaporeon—but whatever move gets replaced will often be sorely missed; replacing Body Slam makes Kangaskhan far more reliant on paralysis support, and eschewing coverage is generally not advised.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Paralysis**: Paralysis is the main obstacle to Kangaskhan's success, as it aims to take advantage of slower Pokemon like Vaporeon, as well as paralyzed Pokemon, and tear them down. Paralysis not only makes such interactions impossible but also exposes Kangaskhan's awful special bulk. Pokemon like Articuno, Gyarados, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Venusaur adore feasting on paralyzed Kangaskhan, blowing it blow paralyzed Kangaskhan away with their strong STAB moves. As such, paralysis inducers such as Kadabra, Electabuzz, and Hypno are to be avoided unless Kangaskhan is in a position where it can KO them first. As a result, There will be many times where Kangaskhan will KO something mid-game and subsequently be forced out by one of these Pokemon.

**Tentacruel**: Tentacruel outspeeds Kangaskhan and has an 82% chance to 2HKO it with Surf. Furthermore, Tentacruel is capable of chipping Kangaskhan into 2HKO range with just one Wrap use, which is what makes the Speed factor so dangerous:; (semi) while Kangaskhan is absolutely capable of using Earthquake to 2HKO Tentacruel, it straight up cannot do so quickly enough without Tentacruel being paralyzed first or happening to miss Wrap. Even then, Tentacruel may simply go for the Surf 2HKO, as the odds aren't terrible with even a little chip damage. It should be noted that Kangaskhan's Hyper Beam deals more damage than Earthquake, and can KO Tentacruel from 56.4% or less.

**Tangela**: Tangela isn't afraid of switching into Kangaskhan, not even fearing a critical hit Hyper Beam. Not only does it shrug off these otherwise generally nuclear blows, but it can also threaten with Sleep Powder or Stun Spore in return, both of which swiftly put an end to Kangaskhan's rampage. Furthermore, if Kangaskhan has been put to sleep, this lets Tangela sets up Growth with impunity, making its Mega Drain noticeably more threatening. Finally, with Bind, Tangela can exploit paralyzed Kangaskhan relatively well, chipping it into KO range and pivoting to its teammates.

**Articuno**: If Kangaskhan lacks Rock Slide, Articuno is a very deadly threat to its success. Even an Ice Beam from Articuno can 2HKO it, and a Blizzard makes it impossible to switch Kangaskhan into anything later. If Kangaskhan does have Rock Slide, Articuno is threatened with a 2HKO, though Kangaskhan will be damaged heavily by Blizzard in the process. Without Rock Slide, Kangaskhan can only win with a critical hit Body Slam followed up by a Hyper Beam. It should be noted that If Articuno has set up Agility and hasn't been damaged, even Rock Slide Kangaskhan cannot win without getting extremely lucky.

**Dragonite**: Dragonite can easily set up Agility if Kangaskhan lacks Toxic, then proceed to spam Wrap, dealing gigantic damage to Kangaskhan's team. Blizzard doesn't really help, as it's only a 2HKO, and one turn is all Dragonite needs. Since Kangaskhan is faster by default, it is in a good position to attempt to stop it with Toxic. Even if Dragonite has taken damage from Blizzard or been poisoned, though, it can still paralyze Kangaskhan with Thunder Wave or 3HKO with its own Blizzard anyway, which keeps the matchup generally unfavorable. So long as Dragonite isn't poisoned, the threat of an AgiliWrap sweep exists.

**Counter Users**: Kangaskhan's own wallbreaking prowess comes back to bite it with Counter's existence. There will be many points where a Kangaskhan user has to check for Counter by using Earthquake to force it to fail. Pokemon like opposing Kangaskhan, Hypno, and Poliwrath are occasionally seen using the move. Should Kangaskhan trigger Counter, it will take significant damage in the process. There is also the risk of a Pokemon switching in on Hyper Beam and countering the damage the next turn, which may deal fatal damage.

**Aerodactyl**: Aerodactyl is the only Pokemon in the game to resist the combination of Normal- and Ground-type coverage; if Kangaskhan's fourth move doesn't cover it, it becomes a serviceable check. Aerodactyl can use Fire Blast to attempt to burn Kangaskhan in this situation, which is a death sentence if it works. The damage isn't small either; it's a guaranteed 4HKO. However, if Kangaskhan does cover Aerodactyl with Blizzard or Rock Slide, it's generally fine. Lastly, The risk of Body Slam paralysis is very large for Aerodactyl, which makes it very risky to check Kangaskhan with it.

(for a c&c with six sections, the writing is too flowery; just get the key points and interactions across in the future)
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[Volk, 530877], [Shellnuts, 491544]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [, ]]

 

[Plague von Karma]

GP 2/2

Implemented and uploaded, thanks!

I ended up replacing "option value" with "utility", the prior a term used in game theory but it may be a bit difficult for those outside the loop to understand. It's probably easier for newbies to grasp that way.