Malaconda [QC: 2/3]

[Jho]

[OVERVIEW]

- Malaconda carves its niche by utilising its typing, as well as access to Sucker Punch and Pursuit in combination with Infiltrator, to check strong threats such as Necturna, Mega Alakazam and Ash Greninja.
- Malaconda can force out many special attackers thanks to its considerable bulk and reliable recovery, giving it many oppurtunities to Pursuit trap or utilise these turns to spread paralysis with Glare or gain momentum with U-turn.
- Pursuit and Sucker Punch lets Malaconda force common Pokemon such as Pajantom and Mega Alakazam into 50/50 situations.
- Malaconda's ability, Infiltrator means it is able to OHKO -1 Necturna with Sucker Punch, even if it is behind a Substitute.
- A poor defense stat and its Grass / Dark typing makes Malaconda extremely weak to most Physical attackers, and will often take considerable damage from even weak, non-STAB physical attacks such as Tapu Koko's U-turn.
- Malaconda tends to be outclassed in its role as a pursuit trapper, mainly by Weavile, which can also utilise priority to prevent a Necturna sweep and has a much greater offensive presence, as well as Mega Tyranitar which is much bulkier and can set Stealth Rock.
- Malaconda offers little offensive pressure to teams and is therefore very easy for opposing teams to take advantage of its passivity.

[SET]
name: Black Glasses
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Glare
move 3: Pursuit / U-turn
move 4: Synthesis
item: Black Glasses
ability: Infiltrator
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sucker Punch forces Pokemon such as Necturna, Mega Alakazam and Pajantom to consider not attacking Malaconda.
Pursuit is used so Malaconda can trap Pokemon such as Pajantom, Mega Latios and Mega Alakazam, which may switch out in fear of Glare or Sucker Punch.
U-turn can instead be used to gain momentum as opposing teams switch fearing a Glare whilst also giving Malaconda soemthing to use when Glare and Pursuit do not offer any value.

Set Details
========

Black Glasses allows Malaconda to secure a number of KO's with both Sucker Punch and Pursuit, most notably it allows Malaconda to always OHKO Necturna after it uses Shell Smash, Mega Alakazam, and Pajantom after Stealth Rock damage.
Infiltrator allows Malaconda to bypass Substitute with its attacks, making it able to either Glare or Revenge Kill setup sweepers such as Necturna preventing a sweep.
Maximising Malaconda's physical bulk allows it to comfortably live a +2 Never Ending Nightmare from Necturna, allowing it to switch in and KO it with Sucker Punch, as well as avoiding a 2hko from Pajantom's Ice Punch.

Usage Tips
========

- Utilise Malaconda's bulk in order to switch into threats such as Pajantom and Necturna which you can then threaten with Sucker Punch or Pursuit, putting them in an unfavourable 50/50 situation.
- Whenever Malaconda has a free turn where it forces something out that would take negligible damage from Pursuit, such as Ash Greninja, it should be using Glare, to spread paralysis in order to help its team more easily beat any threats, or U-turn to gain momentum.
- Be sure that opposing Greninja are not Protean variants before using Malaconda as a check, as Protean U-turn or Gunk Shot can both kill Malaconda after rocks.
- When dealing with Pokemon such as Tapu Lele and Volkraken, be sure to abuse potential choiced sets when they are locked into Psychic and Hydro Pump respectively, as it will often give Malaconda an easy chance to pursuit trap them.

Team Options
========
Good team options for Malaconda include Pokemon such as Volkraken and Heatran who all appreciate Malaconda's ability to trap and remove some of their best checks in the Mega Latis and Pajantom.

Wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham, Mega Crucibelle and Tapu Lele which have middling speed tiers greatly appreciate the speed control that Malaconda can offer by spreading paralysis with Glare, as it can allow them to break opponents teams much more easily.

Pokemon which Necturna can easily set up against such as Scarf Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Arghonaut appreciate Malaconda's ability to switch into it, and remove it.

Good stallbreakers such as Pajantom, Calm Mind Tapu Lele, and Tail Glow Aurumoth make excellent partners for Malaconda as they ease the stall matchups which Malaconda struggles in. In return, Malaconda can trap Mega Alakazam and slow down Pokemon such as Ash Greninja and Weavile, which can pose a threat to them.


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

Power Whip can be used to more reliably beat Ash Greninja, the Pokemon which lets Malaconda in the most often. However, Ash Greninja can be heavily crippled with Glare which is often sufficient counterplay.

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

**U-turn users**: The combination of Malaconda's 4x weakness to Bug and its miserable Defense stat means Pokemon such as Greninja and Landorus-T can often OHKO Malaconda with U-turn after hazard damage. Even weak, non-STAB U-turn's from the likes of Tapu Koko will deal considerable damage.

**Flying-types**: Pokemon such as Tornadus and Tomohawk can break through Malaconda with their high powered STABs despite its respectable Special Defense, although both fear Glare and must be wary of getting Paralysed.

**Fire-types**: Fire-type Pokemon such as Heatran and Volkraken pose a big threat to Malaconda as they force it out with Inferno Overdriver and U-turn respectively, however they still struggle to switch in due to the threat of Paralysis from Malaconda's Glare.

**Physical Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Mega Medicham and Mega Crucibelle can all take advantage of Malaconda's poor defense stat as they can all OHKO it comfortably Malaconda can dissuade them from coming in with Glare, however, as none of these Pokemon appreciates being paralysed. Mega Mawile especially can take advantage of Malaconda as it can switch in freely as it resists any attack Malaconda is likley to run. Malaconda must also be wary of Z moves from Pokemon it can normally trap, such as Pajantom, as Devastating Drake, for example, can deal significant damage and can even OHKO Malaconda if it is slightly weakened.




[CREDITS]
- Written by: [Jho, 208105]
- Quality checked by: [[snake_rattle ,227784 ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

 

[Jho]

This should be look overable now, god mala sucks ass

 

[snake]

[OVERVIEW]

- Malaconda carves its niche by utilising its high special defense and HP stats in order to check strong special attackers such as Ash Greninja. its niche is carved by reliably checking Necturna and checking other powerful psychic/ghost types in the metagame, as well as ash gren - its bulk definitely plays a big part in doing so, but its combination of pursuit, sucker, and glare seems more prominent
- Malaconda can force out many special attackers thanks to its considerable bulk and reliable recovery and then utilise these free turns to spread paralysis with Glare.
- Access to the combination of Pursuit and Sucker Punch lets Malaconda force common Pokemon such as Pajantom and Mega Alakazam into 50/50 situations.
- Malaconda's ability, Infiltrator, allows it to Glare or revenge KO set up sweepers that utilise Substitute, such as Necturna.
- A poor defense stat and its Grass / Dark typing makes Malaconda extremely weak to most Physical attackers, and will often take considerable damage from even weak, none STAB physical attacks. none banking
- Malaconda tends to be outclassed in its role as a pursuit trapper, mainly by Weavile, which can also utilise priority to prevent a Necturna sweep, as well as Mega Tyranitar which is much bulkier and can set Stealth Rock.
- Jumbao can check the same Pokemon as Malaconda whilst also having a better offensive presence on teams, as well as the ability to pass Wish to its teammates. mention Tangrowth too tbh, and make sure you're not implying that these can check nect and mega alakazam

mention that it's MU against stall is negative 1000


[SET]
name: Black Glasses
move 1: Pursuit / U-turn
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Glare
move 4: Synthesis
reorder:
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Glare
move 3: Pursuit / U-turn
move 4: Synthesis
item: Black Glasses
ability: Infiltrator
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Pursuit is used so Malaconda can trap Pokemon such as Pajantom and Mega Latios, which may switch out fearing a Sucker Punch or Glare respectively.
Sucker Punch is the main allure of this set, as in combination with Infiltrator and Black Glasses, it allows Malaconda to always OHKO Necturna at -1 Defense. move this up over Pursuit, and reduce this to say that it forces necturna / mega alakazam / pajantom / etc. to think twice about attacking it
U-turn can be used to gain momentum as opposing teams switch fearing a Glare. mention that it gains momentum on the numerous pokemon that can switch into it, and lets it be useful even after it's glared everything



Set Details
========

Black Glasses allows Malaconda to always OHKO Necturna after a Shell Smash boost. here say what KOs Sucker Punch or Pursuit reaches with the extra damage from blackglasses
Infiltrator allows Malaconda to bypass Substitute with its attacks, making it able to either Glare or Revenge Kill setup sweepers, preventing their sweep. explicitly name these - Nect, Serp, etc.
Max HP and Defense investment with an Impish Nature Maximizing Malaconda's physical bulk allows Malaconda to comfortably live a +2 Never Ending Nightmare from Necturna, allowing it to switch in and KO it with Sucker Punch. and avoid a 2HKO from Pajantom's Ice Punch

Usage Tips
========

- Utilise Malaconda's bulk in order to switch into threats such as Pajantom and Necturna which you can then threaten with Sucker Punch or Pursuit, putting them in an unfavourable 50/50 situation.
- Whenever Malaconda has a free turn where it forces something out that would take negligible damage from Pursuit, it should be using Glare to spread paralysis in order to help its team more easily beat any threats. what are these things that it forces out
- Dont switch into Greninja until its confirmed Ash reword this - "make sure Greninja isn't Protean, as U-turn or Gunk Shot will OHKO it" or smth, as Protean U-turn has a chance to KO Malaconda after rocks.

mention how you can flex its typing to make volk and lele think twice about locking

Team Options
========
Good team options for Malaconda include Pokemon such as Caribolt, Volkraken and Heatran who all appreciate Malaconda's ability to trap and remove some of their best checks in the Mega Latis and Pajantom.

Pokemon such as Mega Medicham, Mega Crucibelle and Tail Glow Aurumoth which have middling speed tiers greatly appreciate the speed control that Malaconda can offer by spreading paralysis with Glare, as it can allow them to break opponents teams much more easily.

Pokemon which Necturna can easily set up and such as Scarf Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Arghonaut appreciate Malaconda's ability to switch into it, even at +2, and easily remove it.

mention stallbreakers too
hazard control

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

Power Whip can be used to more reliably beat Ash Greninja, the Pokemon which lets Malaconda in the most often. Ash Greninja can be heavily neutured with Glare, which is sufficient counterplay. without Malaconda giving up its ability to Pursuit, however, which is often enough and Power Whip is not needed.

Malaconda can use Drought on sun teams, as Sun setters are not common. It is almost entirely outclassed in this role by Jumbao, however, which has similar defensive capabilities and much more offensive pressure on such teams. Malaconda can be used over Jumbao when a pursuit trapper which can also set sun is appreciated, as most teammates on such teams appreciate Pokemon such as Mega Latios and Pajantom weakned go over Malaconda's positives first, then into how its mostly outclassed by jumbao

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

**U-turn users**: The combination of Malaconda's 4x weakness to Bug and its miserable Defense stat means even weak, non-STAB U-turn's from the likes of Tornadus-T and Tapu Koko will do considerable damage. put greninja here too

**Physical Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile and Mega Crucibelle can all take advantage of Malaconda's poor defense stat as they can all OHKO it comfortably. Letting these Pokemon in so often is a major problem for Malaconda and its teammates as it is hard to check them at all should they come in unpunished. this is just a little redundant Malaconda can dissuade them from coming in with Glare, however, as none of these Pokemon appreciates being paralysed. warn about pajantom's devastating drake

**Special Wallbreakers**: Despite its respectable special defense, Malaconda's typing leaves it unable to come in on common special attackers such as Volkraken, Tornadus-T, and Tapu Lele as their respective STAB attacks are all super effective and can 2hko Malaconda. mention that mala can prey on choice locked into the wrong move though. warn about Mega alakazam's focus blast

**Status Aborsbers**: Pokemon which can easily negate the effects of Glare, such as Gliscor and Snaelstrom, can easily remove any presence Malaconda can have on a game, whilst using it as an opportunity to set up or remove hazards.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[, :( ]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

looking good so far, going to stamp after it's implemented

 

[snake]

Jho let me know via discord pm that this was ready for a second check.

[OVERVIEW]

- Malaconda carves its niche by utilising its typing, as well as access to Sucker Punch and Pursuit, to consistently check strong threats such as Necturna, Mega Alakazam and Ash Greninja.
- Malaconda can force out many special attackers thanks to its considerable bulk and reliable recovery and then utilise these free turns to spread paralysis with Glare.
- Access to you already state that it has the combination the combination of Pursuit and Sucker Punch lets Malaconda force common Pokemon such as Pajantom and Mega Alakazam into 50/50 situations.
- Malaconda's ability, Infiltrator, allows it to Glare or revenge KO set up sweepers that utilise Substitute, such as Necturna. just make this about using infiltrator + sucker to OHKO boosted nect
- A poor defense stat and its Grass / Dark typing makes Malaconda extremely weak to most Physical attackers, and will often take considerable damage from even weak, non-STAB physical attacks such as Tapu Koko's U-turn.
- Malaconda tends to be outclassed in its role as a pursuit trapper, mainly by Weavile, which can also utilise priority to prevent a Necturna sweep, as well as Mega Tyranitar which is much bulkier and can set Stealth Rock.
- Jumbao and Tangrowth can check similar Pokemon to Malaconda whilst also having much better utility options, such as Knock off and Wish in exchange for being unable to deal with Necturna. i don't think it's necessary to have this caveat about Necturna
- Malaconda offers teams little to no counterplay against stall teams, as they often dont care about glare and can easily recover off Malaconda's damage later.

[SET]
name: Black Glasses
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Glare
move 3: Pursuit / U-turn
move 4: Synthesis
item: Black Glasses
ability: Infiltrator
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sucker Punch is the main allure of this set, as it forces Pokemon such as Necturna, Mega Alakazam and Pajantom to consider not attacking Malaconda.
Pursuit is used so Malaconda can trap Pokemon such as Pajantom and Mega Latios, which may switch out fearing a Sucker Punch or Glare respectively.
U-turn can instead be used to gain momentum as opposing teams switch fearing a Glare. It also allows Malaconda to gain momentum on many would-be checks whilst also giving Malaconda something to use after paralysing everything it can. this feels too rambly, consider shortening

Set Details
========

Black Glasses allows Malaconda to secure a number of KO's with both Sucker Punch and Pursuit, most notably it allows Malaconda to always OHKO Necturna after it uses Shell Smash, as well as Always OHKO Mega Alakazam. always OHKOs paj with pursuit after rocks
Infiltrator allows Malaconda to bypass Substitute with its attacks, making it able to either Glare or Revenge Kill setup sweepers such as Necturna and Serperior, preventing their sweep.
Maximising Malaconda's physical bulk allows it to comfortably live a +2 Never Ending Nightmare from Necturna, allowing it to switch in and KO it with Sucker Punch, aswell as avoiding a 2hko from Pajantom's Ice Punch.

Usage Tips
========

- Utilise Malaconda's bulk in order to switch into threats such as Pajantom and Necturna which you can then threaten with Sucker Punch or Pursuit, putting them in an unfavourable 50/50 situation.
- Whenever Malaconda has a free turn where it forces something out that would take negligible damage from Pursuit, such as Ash Greninja, it should be using Glare to spread paralysis in order to help its team more easily beat any threats.
- Be sure that opposing Greninja are not Protean variants before using Malaconda as a reliable check, as Protean U-turn or Gunk Shot can both kill Malaconda after rocks.
- When dealing with Pokemon such as Tapu Lele and Volkraken, be sure to abuse potential choiced sets when they are locked into Psychic and Hydro Pump respectively, as it will often give Malaconda an easy chance to Pursuit trap them free damage or a chance to Glare.
- since it's not that hard to push mala into NEN range, warn about that / how to use Synthesis optimally

Team Options
========
Good team options for Malaconda include Pokemon such as Caribolt, Volkraken and Heatran who all appreciate Malaconda's ability to trap and remove some of their best checks in the Mega Latis and Pajantom.

Pokemon Wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham, Mega Crucibelle and Tail Glow Aurumoth which have middling speed tiers greatly appreciate the speed control that Malaconda can offer by spreading paralysis with Glare, as it can allow them to break opponents teams much more easily.

Pokemon which Necturna can easily set up against and such as Scarf Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Arghonaut appreciate Malaconda's ability to switch into it, even at +2, and easily remove it.

Good stallbreakers such as Pajantom, Calm Mind Tapu Lele, and Tail Glow Aurumoth whoops, pick another example for TG auru here or up in the second bullet make excellent partners for Malaconda as they ease the stall matchups which Malaconda struggles in. In return, Malaconda can trap Mega Alakazam and slow down Pokemon such as Ash Greninja and Weavile, which can pose a threat to them.

Hazard control is necessary for teams which use Malaconda as the primary check to Necturna, as 1 layer of Spikes as well as Stealth Rock damage will allow Necturna to OHKO Malaconda at +2 with Never Ending Nightmare.

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

Power Whip can be used to more reliably beat Ash Greninja, the Pokemon which lets Malaconda in the most often. However, Ash Greninja can be heavily crippled with Glare which is often sufficient counterplay.
Malaconda can use Drought on sun teams, as Sun setters are not common. Malaconda can be used as a sun setter when a pursuit trapper is needed, as most teammates on such teams appreciate Pokemon such as Mega Latios and Pajantom weakened. However, It is almost entirely outclassed in this role by Jumbao, however, which has similar defensive capabilities and much more offensive pressure on such teams.

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

**U-turn users**: The combination of Malaconda's 4x weakness to Bug and its miserable Defense stat means Pokemon such as Greninja and Landorus-T can often OHKO Malaconda with U-turn after hazard damage. Even weak, non-STAB U-turn's from the likes of Tornadus-T and Tapu Koko will deal considerable damage.

**Physical Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile and Mega Crucibelle can all take advantage of Malaconda's poor defense stat as they can all OHKO it comfortably Malaconda can dissuade them from coming in with Glare, however, as none of these Pokemon appreciates being paralysed. Malaconda must also be wary of Z moves from Pokemon it can normally trap, such as Pajantom, as Devastating Drake, for example, can deal significant damage and can even OHKO Malaconda if it is slightly weakened.

**Special Wallbreakers**: Despite its respectable special defense, Malaconda's typing leaves it unable to come in on common special attackers such as Volkraken, Tornadus-T, and Tapu Lele as their respective STAB attacks are all super effective and can 2hko Malaconda. However, Malaconda can take advantage of these Pokemon if they are choice locked since they often have attacks Malaconda can take comfortably, allowing it an opportunity to come in and Pursuit or Glare. Malaconda must also be careful coming in on Pokemon it likes to trap, such as Mega Alakazam, as if it is predicted Malaconda can be 2hkod by coverage moves such as Focus Blast and Dazzling Gleam.

**Status Aborsbers**: Pokemon which can easily negate the effects of Glare, such as Gliscor and Snaelstrom, can easily remove any presence Malaconda can have on a game, whilst using it as an opportunity to set up or remove hazards.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[, who wrote this :( ]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

QC 1/3

 

[Jho]

Implemented, Thanks Snake

 

[Jordy]

comments in purple things to remove in red

[OVERVIEW]

- Malaconda carves its niche by utilising its typing, as well as access to Sucker Punch and Pursuit, to consistently check strong threats such as Necturna, Mega Alakazam and Ash Greninja. Also Infiltrator.
- Malaconda can force out many special attackers thanks to its considerable bulk and reliable recovery and then utilise these free turns to spread paralysis with Glare. Or punish the switch-out with Pursuit or U-turn.
- Pursuit and Sucker Punch lets Malaconda force common Pokemon such as Pajantom and Mega Alakazam into 50/50 situations.
- Malaconda's ability, Infiltrator means it is able to OHKO -1 Necturna with Sucker Punch, even if it is behind a Substitute.
- A poor defense stat and its Grass / Dark typing makes Malaconda extremely weak to most Physical attackers, and will often take considerable damage from even weak, non-STAB physical attacks such as Tapu Koko's U-turn.
- Malaconda tends to be outclassed in its role as a pursuit trapper, mainly by Weavile, which can also utilise priority to prevent a Necturna sweep It's also much more punishing to switch into., as well as Mega Tyranitar which is much bulkier and can set Stealth Rock.
- Jumbao and Tangrowth can check similar Pokemon to Malaconda whilst also having much better utility options, such as Knock off and Wish. This point is inaccurate, because you're using Malaconda to check Necturna, which Jumbao and Tangrowth don't. Ultimately this means that you shouldn't be considering Jumbao and Tangrowth as well as Malaconda for the same slot.
- Malaconda offers teams little to no counterplay against stall teams, as they often dont care about glare and can easily recover off Malaconda's damage later.

[SET]
name: Black Glasses
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Glare
move 3: Pursuit / U-turn
move 4: Synthesis
item: Black Glasses
ability: Infiltrator
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sucker Punch forces Pokemon such as Necturna, Mega Alakazam and Pajantom to consider not attacking Malaconda.
Pursuit is used so Malaconda can trap Pokemon such as Pajantom and Mega Latios, which may switch out fearing a Sucker Punch or Glare respectively. Mega Latios fears both.
U-turn can instead be used to gain momentum as opposing teams switch fearing a Glare whilst also giving Malaconda soemthing to use when Glare and Pursuit do not offer any value.

Set Details
========

Black Glasses allows Malaconda to secure a number of KO's with both Sucker Punch and Pursuit, most notably it allows Malaconda to always OHKO Necturna after it uses Shell Smash, Mega Alakazam, and Pajantom after Stealth Rock damage.
Infiltrator allows Malaconda to bypass Substitute with its attacks, making it able to either Glare or Revenge Kill setup sweepers such as Necturna and Serperior, preventing their sweep.
Maximising Malaconda's physical bulk allows it to comfortably live a +2 Never Ending Nightmare from Necturna, allowing it to switch in and KO it with Sucker Punch, aswell as avoiding a 2hko from Pajantom's Ice Punch.

Usage Tips
========

- Utilise Malaconda's bulk in order to switch into threats such as Pajantom and Necturna which you can then threaten with Sucker Punch or Pursuit, putting them in an unfavourable 50/50 situation.
- Whenever Malaconda has a free turn where it forces something out that would take negligible damage from Pursuit, such as Ash Greninja, it should be using Glare to spread paralysis in order to help its team more easily beat any threats.
- Be sure that opposing Greninja are not Protean variants before using Malaconda as a reliable check, as Protean U-turn or Gunk Shot can both kill Malaconda after rocks.
- When dealing with Pokemon such as Tapu Lele and Volkraken, be sure to abuse potential choiced sets when they are locked into Psychic and Hydro Pump respectively, as it will often give Malaconda an easy chance to pursuit trap them.
- Malaconda should always be kept out of range of Necturna's +2 Never Ending Nightmare, and thus should use Synthesis instead of Glare when next given a free turn if it falls below this threshold. You're basically saying that Malaconda should always use Synthesis lol.

Team Options
========
Good team options for Malaconda include Pokemon such as Caribolt, Volkraken and Heatran who all appreciate Malaconda's ability to trap and remove some of their best checks in the Mega Latis and Pajantom.

Wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham, Mega Crucibelle and Tapu Lele which have middling speed tiers greatly appreciate the speed control that Malaconda can offer by spreading paralysis with Glare, as it can allow them to break opponents teams much more easily.

Pokemon which Necturna can easily set up against such as Scarf Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Arghonaut appreciate Malaconda's ability to switch into it, even at +2 Necturna isn't already at +2 when Malaconda switches in initially., and easily remove it.

Good stallbreakers such as Pajantom, Calm Mind Tapu Lele, and Tail Glow Aurumoth make excellent partners for Malaconda as they ease the stall matchups which Malaconda struggles in. In return, Malaconda can trap Mega Alakazam and slow down Pokemon such as Ash Greninja and Weavile, which can pose a threat to them.

Hazard control is necessary for teams which use Malaconda as the primary check to Necturna, as 1 layer of Spikes as well as Stealth Rock damage will allow Necturna to OHKO Malaconda at +2 with Never Ending Nightmare.

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

Power Whip can be used to more reliably beat Ash Greninja, the Pokemon which lets Malaconda in the most often. However, Ash Greninja can be heavily crippled with Glare which is often sufficient counterplay.
Malaconda can use Drought on sun teams, as Sun setters are not common. Malaconda can be used as a sun setter when a pursuit trapper is needed, as most teammates on such teams appreciate Pokemon such as Mega Latios and Pajantom weakened. However, It is almost entirely outclassed in this role by Jumbao, however, which has similar defensive capabilities and much more offensive pressure on such teams. Bad option.

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

**U-turn users**: The combination of Malaconda's 4x weakness to Bug and its miserable Defense stat means Pokemon such as Greninja and Landorus-T can often OHKO Malaconda with U-turn after hazard damage. Even weak, non-STAB U-turn's from the likes of Tornadus-T and Tapu Koko will deal considerable damage.

**Physical Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile and Mega Crucibelle can all take advantage of Malaconda's poor defense stat as they can all OHKO it comfortably Malaconda can dissuade them from coming in with Glare, however, as none of these Pokemon appreciates being paralysed. Nothing about Mega Mawile being able to freely switch into Malaconda? Malaconda must also be wary of Z moves from Pokemon it can normally trap, such as Pajantom, as Devastating Drake, for example, can deal significant damage and can even OHKO Malaconda if it is slightly weakened.

**Special Wallbreakers**: Despite its respectable special defense, Malaconda's typing leaves it unable to come in on common special attackers such as Volkraken, Tornadus-T, and Tapu Lele as their respective STAB attacks are all super effective and can 2hko Malaconda. However, Malaconda can take advantage of these Pokemon if they are choice locked since they often have attacks Malaconda can take comfortably, allowing it an opportunity to come in and Pursuit or Glare. Choice-locked Tornadus-T doesn't exist. Malaconda must also be careful coming in on Pokemon it likes to trap, such as Mega Alakazam, as if it is predicted Malaconda can be 2hkod by coverage moves such as Focus Blast and Dazzling Gleam.

**Status Aborsbers**: Pokemon which can easily negate the effects of Glare, such as Gliscor and Snaelstrom, can easily remove any presence Malaconda can have on a game, whilst using it as an opportunity to set up or remove hazards. Both Pokemon are very niche at this point in time and the fact that they can hard wall Malaconda doesn't mean it'll have 0 presence at all, because it can still get in on doubles etc. to Pursuit trap Mega Latios for example.


[CREDITS]
- Written by: [Jho, 208105]
- Quality checked by: [[snake_rattler,227784 ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

I'll stamp once this is implemented.

 

[Jordy]

comments in purple things to remove in red

[OVERVIEW]

- Malaconda carves its niche by utilising its typing, as well as access to Sucker Punch and Pursuit in combination with Infiltrator, to consistently check strong threats such as Necturna, Mega Alakazam and Ash Greninja. Malaconda is extremely inconsistent.
- Malaconda can force out many special attackers thanks to its considerable bulk and reliable recovery, giving it many oppurtunities to Pursuit trap or utilise these turns to spread paralysis with Glare or gain momentum with U-turn.
- Pursuit and Sucker Punch lets Malaconda force common Pokemon such as Pajantom and Mega Alakazam into 50/50 situations.
- Malaconda's ability, Infiltrator means it is able to OHKO -1 Necturna with Sucker Punch, even if it is behind a Substitute.
- A poor defense stat and its Grass / Dark typing makes Malaconda extremely weak to most Physical attackers, and will often take considerable damage from even weak, non-STAB physical attacks such as Tapu Koko's U-turn.
- Malaconda tends to be outclassed in its role as a pursuit trapper, mainly by Weavile, which can also utilise priority to prevent a Necturna sweep and has a much greater offensive presence, as well as Mega Tyranitar which is much bulkier and can set Stealth Rock.
- Malaconda offers teams little to no counterplay against stall teams, as they often dont care about glare and can easily recover off Malaconda's damage later. I'd rather have this talk about Malaconda's passivity in general.

[SET]
name: Black Glasses
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Glare
move 3: Pursuit / U-turn
move 4: Synthesis
item: Black Glasses
ability: Infiltrator
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sucker Punch forces Pokemon such as Necturna, Mega Alakazam and Pajantom to consider not attacking Malaconda.
Pursuit is used so Malaconda can trap Pokemon such as Pajantom, Mega Latios and Mega Alakazam, which may switch out in fear of Glare or Sucker Punch.
U-turn can instead be used to gain momentum as opposing teams switch fearing a Glare whilst also giving Malaconda soemthing to use when Glare and Pursuit do not offer any value.

Set Details
========

Black Glasses allows Malaconda to secure a number of KO's with both Sucker Punch and Pursuit, most notably it allows Malaconda to always OHKO Necturna after it uses Shell Smash, Mega Alakazam, and Pajantom after Stealth Rock damage.
Infiltrator allows Malaconda to bypass Substitute with its attacks, making it able to either Glare or Revenge Kill setup sweepers such as Necturna preventing a sweep.
Maximising Malaconda's physical bulk allows it to comfortably live a +2 Never Ending Nightmare from Necturna, allowing it to switch in and KO it with Sucker Punch, aswell as avoiding a 2hko from Pajantom's Ice Punch.

Usage Tips
========

- Utilise Malaconda's bulk in order to switch into threats such as Pajantom and Necturna which you can then threaten with Sucker Punch or Pursuit, putting them in an unfavourable 50/50 situation.
- Whenever Malaconda has a free turn where it forces something out that would take negligible damage from Pursuit, such as Ash Greninja, it should be using Glare to spread paralysis in order to help its team more easily beat any threats. Or U-turn.
- Be sure that opposing Greninja are not Protean variants before using Malaconda as a reliable check, as Protean U-turn or Gunk Shot can both kill Malaconda after rocks.
- When dealing with Pokemon such as Tapu Lele and Volkraken, be sure to abuse potential choiced sets when they are locked into Psychic and Hydro Pump respectively, as it will often give Malaconda an easy chance to pursuit trap them.

Team Options
========
Good team options for Malaconda include Pokemon such as Volkraken and Heatran who all appreciate Malaconda's ability to trap and remove some of their best checks in the Mega Latis and Pajantom.

Wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham, Mega Crucibelle and Tapu Lele which have middling speed tiers greatly appreciate the speed control that Malaconda can offer by spreading paralysis with Glare, as it can allow them to break opponents teams much more easily.

Pokemon which Necturna can easily set up against such as Scarf Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Arghonaut appreciate Malaconda's ability to switch into it, and easily remove it. Has to play some mind games.

Good stallbreakers such as Pajantom, Calm Mind Tapu Lele, and Tail Glow Aurumoth make excellent partners for Malaconda as they ease the stall matchups which Malaconda struggles in. In return, Malaconda can trap Mega Alakazam and slow down Pokemon such as Ash Greninja and Weavile, which can pose a threat to them.


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

Power Whip can be used to more reliably beat Ash Greninja, the Pokemon which lets Malaconda in the most often. However, Ash Greninja can be heavily crippled with Glare which is often sufficient counterplay.

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

**U-turn users**: The combination of Malaconda's 4x weakness to Bug and its miserable Defense stat means Pokemon such as Greninja and Landorus-T can often OHKO Malaconda with U-turn after hazard damage. Even weak, non-STAB U-turn's from the likes of Tornadus-T and Tapu Koko will deal considerable damage.

**Physical Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Mega Medicham and Mega Crucibelle can all take advantage of Malaconda's poor defense stat as they can all OHKO it comfortably Malaconda can dissuade them from coming in with Glare, however, as none of these Pokemon appreciates being paralysed. Mega Mawile especially can take advantage of Malaconda as it can switch in freely as it resists any attack Malaconda is likley to run. Malaconda must also be wary of Z moves from Pokemon it can normally trap, such as Pajantom, as Devastating Drake, for example, can deal significant damage and can even OHKO Malaconda if it is slightly weakened.

**Special Wallbreakers**: Despite its respectable special defense, Malaconda's typing leaves it unable to come in on common special attackers such as Volkraken, Tornadus-T, and Tapu Lele as their respective STAB attacks are all super effective and can 2hko Malaconda. However, Malaconda can take advantage Pokemon such as Volkraken and Tapu Lele if they are choice locked since they often have attacks Malaconda can take comfortably, allowing it an opportunity to come in and Pursuit or Glare. Malaconda must also be careful coming in on Pokemon it likes to trap, such as Mega Alakazam, as if it is predicted Malaconda can be 2hkod by coverage moves such as Focus Blast and Dazzling Gleam.

You repeatedly mention Pokemon like Tornadus-T throughout this section, I want you to focus them in 1 point specifically. Add Fire- and Flying-types(Tornadus-T goes here).

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [Jho, 208105]
- Quality checked by: [[snake_rattle ,227784 ], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

2/3 when you hit me up on Discord to look over the new and improved C&C section™

 

[Jho]

Implemented and went over the new C&C with jordy, ill get this written up