[OVERVIEW]
Kerfluffle possesses a very scary STAB combination in Fairy / Fighting, which is dangerous to deal with for most of the metagame, apart from Poison-types and dedicated special walls. Thanks to its typing, Kerfluffle has a good chance against bulky teams that rely on Pokemon like Heatran and Ferrothorn to check Fairy-types, which it can force out and capitalize on with Parting Shot. To add onto that, it has access to Taunt, which particularly improves its matchup against bulkier teams and most notably shuts down Toxapex, the best bulky Poison-type in the metagame. However, despite all this, Kerfluffle still struggles to make a name for itself in the CAP metagame, as it faces major competition from Tapu Lele and Tapu Koko, which outclass it as a wallbreaker and offensive pivot, respectively. Additionally, it's outsped by Mega Alakazam, Tornadus-T, and Greninja, some of the most prominent Pokemon in the CAP metagame. Lastly, it's easily worn down if it's actively pivoting around because it's susceptible to every entry hazard.
[SET]
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Parting Shot
move 4: Taunt
item: Fightinium Z
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Parting Shot is the main appeal to using Kerfluffle, allowing it to act as a fast pivot that can punish Pokemon with stat drops. Taunt is the preferred fourth move, as it allows Kerfluffle to shut down Toxapex and Chansey. As a result, it enables Kerfluffle to break stall teams, depending on how patiently it is used. Sludge Bomb is also an option that can be run if Jumbao is an issue, but Kerfluffle can easily use Parting Shot to punish Jumbao with another teammate, leaving Sludge Bomb as a generally less desirable option.
Set Details
========
Fightinium Z allows Kerfluffle to bust through Steel-types like Magearna and Celesteela once they're sufficiently weakened. Natural Cure is preferred to Aroma Veil because it allows Kerfluffle to shrug off burns from Toxapex. A Timid nature is preferred to a Modest nature to outspeed Pokemon like Kartana, Mega Latios, and Mega Crucibelle.
Usage Tips
========
Early-game, Kerfluffle should attempt to wear down Pokemon like Magearna and Celesteela and pivot out of them with Parting Shot. Continue doing this until said Pokemon are worn down into range of All-Out Pummeling, though be wary of Protect from Celesteela. However, Kerfluffle is quite prediction reliant against teams that use a combination of one of the aforementioned Steel-types and Tornadus-T or Mega Alakazam, for example, because they will leave Kerfluffle guessing what is going to come in. You should utilize Parting Shot more efficiently in these matchups to ease prediction and punish whatever is expected to switch in. You should actively try to use Kerfluffle's resistances to Dark and Rock to switch in and take advantage of Pokemon like Weavile and Mega Tyranitar. Although Kerfluffle has a good matchup against various bulkier teams, if there's a Pokemon like Moltres present on the opposing team, you should immediately use Taunt, since Kerfluffle can't 2HKO it but also can't afford to Taunt it once it has switched in because Flamethrower does heavy damage.
Team Options
========
Because Kerfluffle struggles to regularly pick up KOs but still manages to force switches, Spikes setters like Greninja, Ash-Greninja, and Syclant are optimal to pair it with. Kerfluffle fits perfectly into offensive pivoting cores with Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Mega Crucibelle, and Assault Vest Magearna to constantly pressure the opposition. Despite Kerfluffle's high Speed stat, it's still pressured by Psychic-types like Mega Alakazam and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, so you will need Steel-types like Celesteela and Assault Vest Magearna to keep them in check. It also struggles against Fairy-types like Jumbao if it's not running Sludge Bomb, so having Pokemon like Mega Crucibelle and Mega Mawile is extremely useful to take advantage of them. Additionally, it's important to have Knock Off users like Tornadus-T to punish Toxapex.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Darkinium Z can be run instead of Fightinium Z to provide Kerfluffle's teammates with a secondary chance via Z-Parting Shot. However, it makes it much harder for Kerfluffle to break through teams. Z-Celebrate is another option that can turn Kerfluffle into a late-game sweeper. Despite its decent damage output, though, it heavily relies on chip damage and staying healthy, meaning that it will be useless for most of the game.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Offensive Pokemon**: Fast Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Mega Alakazam, and Greninja can easily outspeed Kerfluffle and OHKO it. Additionally, Kerfluffle struggles against Choice Scarf users like Kitsunoh and Kartana, which can OHKO it too.
**Steel-types not weak to Fighting**: Steel-types like Celesteela and Magearna can easily shrug off Moonblast and are not particularly bothered by Focus Blast, though they are quickly worn down into range of All-Out Pummeling.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Specially defensive walls like Jumbao and Assault Vest Tangrowth can switch into Kerfluffle pretty comfortably, though Jumbao must be wary of Sludge Bomb.
**Poison-types**: Although the former two can be easily shut down by Taunt, Poison-types such as Toxapex, Fidgit, and Amoonguss can easily take Moonblast and Focus Blast. Furthermore, Kerfluffle must also be wary of Sludge Bomb from Fidgit.
**Fire-types**: Volcarona, Mega Charizard Y, and Moltres are examples of Fire-types that can force out Kerfluffle, but due to their crippling Stealth Rock weakness, they cannot consistently do so.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Jordy, 395754]]
- Quality checked by: [[snake_rattler, 227784], [xavgb, 231402], [Jho, 208105]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Kerfluffle possesses a very scary STAB combination in Fairy / Fighting, which is dangerous to deal with for most of the metagame, apart from Poison-types and dedicated special walls. Thanks to its typing, Kerfluffle has a good chance against bulky teams that rely on Pokemon like Heatran and Ferrothorn to check Fairy-types, which it can force out and capitalize on with Parting Shot. To add onto that, it has access to Taunt, which particularly improves its matchup against bulkier teams and most notably shuts down Toxapex, the best bulky Poison-type in the metagame. However, despite all this, Kerfluffle still struggles to make a name for itself in the CAP metagame, as it faces major competition from Tapu Lele and Tapu Koko, which outclass it as a wallbreaker and offensive pivot, respectively. Additionally, it's outsped by Mega Alakazam, Tornadus-T, and Greninja, some of the most prominent Pokemon in the CAP metagame. Lastly, it's easily worn down if it's actively pivoting around because it's susceptible to every entry hazard.
[SET]
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Parting Shot
move 4: Taunt
item: Fightinium Z
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Parting Shot is the main appeal to using Kerfluffle, allowing it to act as a fast pivot that can punish Pokemon with stat drops. Taunt is the preferred fourth move, as it allows Kerfluffle to shut down Toxapex and Chansey. As a result, it enables Kerfluffle to break stall teams, depending on how patiently it is used. Sludge Bomb is also an option that can be run if Jumbao is an issue, but Kerfluffle can easily use Parting Shot to punish Jumbao with another teammate, leaving Sludge Bomb as a generally less desirable option.
Set Details
========
Fightinium Z allows Kerfluffle to bust through Steel-types like Magearna and Celesteela once they're sufficiently weakened. Natural Cure is preferred to Aroma Veil because it allows Kerfluffle to shrug off burns from Toxapex. A Timid nature is preferred to a Modest nature to outspeed Pokemon like Kartana, Mega Latios, and Mega Crucibelle.
Usage Tips
========
Early-game, Kerfluffle should attempt to wear down Pokemon like Magearna and Celesteela and pivot out of them with Parting Shot. Continue doing this until said Pokemon are worn down into range of All-Out Pummeling, though be wary of Protect from Celesteela. However, Kerfluffle is quite prediction reliant against teams that use a combination of one of the aforementioned Steel-types and Tornadus-T or Mega Alakazam, for example, because they will leave Kerfluffle guessing what is going to come in. You should utilize Parting Shot more efficiently in these matchups to ease prediction and punish whatever is expected to switch in. You should actively try to use Kerfluffle's resistances to Dark and Rock to switch in and take advantage of Pokemon like Weavile and Mega Tyranitar. Although Kerfluffle has a good matchup against various bulkier teams, if there's a Pokemon like Moltres present on the opposing team, you should immediately use Taunt, since Kerfluffle can't 2HKO it but also can't afford to Taunt it once it has switched in because Flamethrower does heavy damage.
Team Options
========
Because Kerfluffle struggles to regularly pick up KOs but still manages to force switches, Spikes setters like Greninja, Ash-Greninja, and Syclant are optimal to pair it with. Kerfluffle fits perfectly into offensive pivoting cores with Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Mega Crucibelle, and Assault Vest Magearna to constantly pressure the opposition. Despite Kerfluffle's high Speed stat, it's still pressured by Psychic-types like Mega Alakazam and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, so you will need Steel-types like Celesteela and Assault Vest Magearna to keep them in check. It also struggles against Fairy-types like Jumbao if it's not running Sludge Bomb, so having Pokemon like Mega Crucibelle and Mega Mawile is extremely useful to take advantage of them. Additionally, it's important to have Knock Off users like Tornadus-T to punish Toxapex.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Darkinium Z can be run instead of Fightinium Z to provide Kerfluffle's teammates with a secondary chance via Z-Parting Shot. However, it makes it much harder for Kerfluffle to break through teams. Z-Celebrate is another option that can turn Kerfluffle into a late-game sweeper. Despite its decent damage output, though, it heavily relies on chip damage and staying healthy, meaning that it will be useless for most of the game.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Offensive Pokemon**: Fast Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Mega Alakazam, and Greninja can easily outspeed Kerfluffle and OHKO it. Additionally, Kerfluffle struggles against Choice Scarf users like Kitsunoh and Kartana, which can OHKO it too.
**Steel-types not weak to Fighting**: Steel-types like Celesteela and Magearna can easily shrug off Moonblast and are not particularly bothered by Focus Blast, though they are quickly worn down into range of All-Out Pummeling.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Specially defensive walls like Jumbao and Assault Vest Tangrowth can switch into Kerfluffle pretty comfortably, though Jumbao must be wary of Sludge Bomb.
**Poison-types**: Although the former two can be easily shut down by Taunt, Poison-types such as Toxapex, Fidgit, and Amoonguss can easily take Moonblast and Focus Blast. Furthermore, Kerfluffle must also be wary of Sludge Bomb from Fidgit.
**Fire-types**: Volcarona, Mega Charizard Y, and Moltres are examples of Fire-types that can force out Kerfluffle, but due to their crippling Stealth Rock weakness, they cannot consistently do so.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Jordy, 395754]]
- Quality checked by: [[snake_rattler, 227784], [xavgb, 231402], [Jho, 208105]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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