[OVERVIEW]
Thick Club grants Marowak a nigh-unparalleled offensive presence, transforming it into an extremely powerful physical attacker. It also has an excellent offensive movepool to back up its high Attack; its signature move Bonemerang is very useful for breaking through foes with Sturdy and Substitute, and it has good coverage options in Stone Edge, Knock Off, and Fire Punch. Marowak also gets Swords Dance to jack up its Attack to absurd levels. Defensively, Marowak has workable physical bulk as well as a nice typing in Ground that allows it to check attackers like Muk and Electivire. It also gets many opportunities to set Stealth Rock thanks to its ability to force out common Pokemon like Mareanie and Golem. However, Marowak is held back by its low Speed stat, and although it does give it a strong niche on Trick Room teams, it can otherwise limit its progress against offensive teams. It also has poor special bulk, which means that powerful special attackers like Exeggutor, Glaceon, and Simisear can break through it. Marowak's typing also leaves it weak to common Water-, Grass-, and Ice-type attacks from foes like Swanna, Torterra, and Silvally-Water. Marowak's reliance on Thick Club also means that it is crippled by Knock Off and Trick from the likes of Rotom-S and Komala, whereas its main competitors in Golem and Torterra are not as reliant on their items to function.
[SET]
name: Offensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Bonemerang
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Knock Off / Fire Punch
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Thick Club
ability: Battle Armor
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stone Edge provides good coverage alongside Bonemerang, hitting Flying-types such as Swanna, Altaria, and Rotom-S, all of which are prominent Defog users in ZU. Knock Off is usually the preferred third move for its utility, and it hits targets such as Bronzor super effectively. Alternatively, Fire Punch allows Marowak to nail bulky Grass-types such as Torterra, Leafeon, and Gourgeist-XL, notably dealing more damage to Gourgeist-XL compared to Knock Off, as it often runs Colbur Berry. Double-Edge can be used to bypass Stone Edge's accuracy when targeting foes immune or resistant to Bonemerang, but it otherwise doesn't hit anything particularly notable, and Marowak really needs its other moves to perform its role successfully.
Set Details
========
Thick Club is required to double Marowak's otherwise mediocre Attack stat. An Adamant nature is usually preferred for maximal damage output, but a Jolly nature is viable if you are uncomfortable with Marowak Speed tying with Adamant Golem, Crustle, and opposing Marowak. Battle Armor is the best ability on this set, as Marowak has no use for its other abilities with this moveset. Rock Head should be used if Marowak is running Double-Edge, however.
Usage Tips
========
Marowak should look to set up Stealth Rock against opposing entry hazard setters, such as Mareanie and Mawile, as it forces them out with its powerful attacks. Leading with Marowak is often a decent option to get Stealth Rock up early and proceed to wallbreak quickly. Marowak's excellent matchup against Golem, one of ZU's most common leads, is also beneficial. Its ability to threaten common Pokemon such as Komala, Golem, and Mareanie allows it to excel as a wallbreaker against bulkier teams. Common Defog users such as Silvally-Water, Swanna, and Silvally-Dragon force Marowak out if they get in safely, so try to predict and hit them with the appropriate coverage move as they switch in. Great care must be taken when bringing Marowak in, as it is crippled by status moves and Knock Off. Bring Marowak in through Volt Switch or U-turn to circumvent this, or utilize double switching to get it in safely. Marowak can be played recklessly against offensive teams after it has set up Stealth Rock, as it will likely not get too many opportunities to put in work afterwards. On the other hand, Marowak should be played conservatively against defensive teams, as it is very threatening to them.
Team Options
========
Marowak fits best on balanced teams that need some wallbreaking power as well as Stealth Rock support and a soft check to Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Electivire and Golem. Offensive cleaners such as Combusken, Z-Rain Dance Swanna, and Rock Polish Torterra benefit from Marowak's wallbreaking and Stealth Rock support. The former two work especially well, as they threaten the bulky Grass-types that Marowak struggles with. Marowak can be tough to get into battle safely, and it therefore appreciates VoltTurn partners such as Electivire, Rotom-S, and Komala. Pokemon that can take advantage of Grass-types, such as Swanna, Simisear, and Rapidash, are all great partners, as Marowak greatly struggles with them. Pokemon that threaten Water-types, such as Electivire, Raichu, and Simisage, similarly make for good teammates. Bulkier Pokemon such as Gourgeist-XL, Silvally-Water, and Silvally-Poison work well with Marowak, as its poor Speed means that many offensive Pokemon can threaten to revenge kill it.
[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Bonemerang
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Swords Dance / Fire Punch
item: Thick Club
ability: Rock Head
nature: Brave
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Double-Edge has great coverage alongside Bonemerang, hitting Pokemon such as Swanna and Altaria. Knock Off rounds out Marowak's coverage, hitting the likes of Bronzor and Dusclops for significant damage. Swords Dance is the preferred last move, as Trick Room teams need to get as much out of their limited turns as they can. Fire Punch, on the other hand, provides a harder hit on Pokemon such as Torterra and Simisage.
Set Details
========
A Brave Nature and 0 Speed IVs make Marowak as slow as possible so it goes first under Trick Room. Rock Head is the preferred ability so Marowak takes no recoil from using Double-Edge.
Usage Tips
========
Marowak should look to wallbreak and sweep once Trick Room is up. When facing bulkier teams it can set up with Swords Dance against forced switches, while aggressive pivoting can get it in safely against offensive teams and give it opportunities to set up. Marowak should look to maximize the number of turns that it has under Trick Room. Attempting to get Marowak in after sacrificing one of your Trick Room setters is usually the best way to do this. Marowak should attempt to set up with Swords Dance on Pokemon that don't immediately threaten it, such as Electivire, or after a teammate has used Memento to get it in safely. Opponents may try to switch around Pokemon resistant or immune to Ground as a way to deal with Marowak; consider using Swords Dance again if this happens, as even resisted hits will break walls at that point. Marowak should do its best to conserve its health, as it can use its bulk to survive hits from the likes of Bouffalant, Furfrou, and Poliwrath and retaliate after Trick Room has run out.
Team Options
========
Standard Trick Room setters such as Carbink, Dusknoir, and Chimecho make for excellent teammates. All three have ways of getting Marowak in safely through Memento, Healing Wish, or, in Carbink's case, Explosion. The Memento Pokemon also can give Marowak an opportunity to set up Swords Dance safely, and Dusknoir can even use Z-Memento to heal Marowak. Other dedicated Trick Room wallbreakers like Wishiwashi, Toucannon, Rampardos, and Camerupt are good teammates, as they complement Marowak well and aid it in breaking down the opponent's team. Offensive Trick Room setters such as Beheeyem and Exeggutor can aid Marowak in its wallbreaking while also setting Trick Room for it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Substitute can be used over Stealth Rock if your team already has a Stealth Rock user. This allows Marowak to fire off a free attack on whatever Pokemon comes in next, as well as become a more reliable stallbreaker. Swords Dance can be used outside of Trick Room, but Marowak tends to prefer attacking from the get-go, and it can be very hard to find opportunities to set up. Such a set also struggles to make meaningful progress against offensive teams. Stone Edge can be used on the Trick Room attacker set if you are worried about Pokemon such as Altaria. Earthquake can be used over Bonemerang if you are concerned about the latter's accuracy, but the benefits of Bonemerang are too good to pass up.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Gourgeist-XL, Torterra, and Leafeon can take a hit from Marowak and retaliate with a STAB move, and the former can also cripple it with Will-O-Wisp. Simisage and Cacturne are OHKOed by Fire Punch but are just as threatening if they get in safely.
**Water-types**: Defensive Water-types such as Silvally-Water and Poliwrath can take a hit and threaten Marowak with their STAB moves. Offensive Water-types such as Swanna and Simipour also do the trick, although they can't switch in safely.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Strong special attackers such as Exeggutor, Simisear, Floatzel, and Chatot prey on Marowak's poor special bulk and can hit it very hard, although none of them can switch into Marowak's coverage moves safely.
**Item Removal**: Knock Off and Trick are both crippling to Marowak, as it relies on Thick Club for its excellent offensive presence. Thick Club-less Marowak is significantly easier to deal with, as it doesn't come close to OHKOing Pokemon that it otherwise deals with, such as Golem and Mareanie.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[SputnikGT, 475916]]
- Quality checked by: [[5gen, 296755], [Ho3nConfirm3d, 231074]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Estronic, 240732]]
Thick Club grants Marowak a nigh-unparalleled offensive presence, transforming it into an extremely powerful physical attacker. It also has an excellent offensive movepool to back up its high Attack; its signature move Bonemerang is very useful for breaking through foes with Sturdy and Substitute, and it has good coverage options in Stone Edge, Knock Off, and Fire Punch. Marowak also gets Swords Dance to jack up its Attack to absurd levels. Defensively, Marowak has workable physical bulk as well as a nice typing in Ground that allows it to check attackers like Muk and Electivire. It also gets many opportunities to set Stealth Rock thanks to its ability to force out common Pokemon like Mareanie and Golem. However, Marowak is held back by its low Speed stat, and although it does give it a strong niche on Trick Room teams, it can otherwise limit its progress against offensive teams. It also has poor special bulk, which means that powerful special attackers like Exeggutor, Glaceon, and Simisear can break through it. Marowak's typing also leaves it weak to common Water-, Grass-, and Ice-type attacks from foes like Swanna, Torterra, and Silvally-Water. Marowak's reliance on Thick Club also means that it is crippled by Knock Off and Trick from the likes of Rotom-S and Komala, whereas its main competitors in Golem and Torterra are not as reliant on their items to function.
[SET]
name: Offensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Bonemerang
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Knock Off / Fire Punch
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Thick Club
ability: Battle Armor
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stone Edge provides good coverage alongside Bonemerang, hitting Flying-types such as Swanna, Altaria, and Rotom-S, all of which are prominent Defog users in ZU. Knock Off is usually the preferred third move for its utility, and it hits targets such as Bronzor super effectively. Alternatively, Fire Punch allows Marowak to nail bulky Grass-types such as Torterra, Leafeon, and Gourgeist-XL, notably dealing more damage to Gourgeist-XL compared to Knock Off, as it often runs Colbur Berry. Double-Edge can be used to bypass Stone Edge's accuracy when targeting foes immune or resistant to Bonemerang, but it otherwise doesn't hit anything particularly notable, and Marowak really needs its other moves to perform its role successfully.
Set Details
========
Thick Club is required to double Marowak's otherwise mediocre Attack stat. An Adamant nature is usually preferred for maximal damage output, but a Jolly nature is viable if you are uncomfortable with Marowak Speed tying with Adamant Golem, Crustle, and opposing Marowak. Battle Armor is the best ability on this set, as Marowak has no use for its other abilities with this moveset. Rock Head should be used if Marowak is running Double-Edge, however.
Usage Tips
========
Marowak should look to set up Stealth Rock against opposing entry hazard setters, such as Mareanie and Mawile, as it forces them out with its powerful attacks. Leading with Marowak is often a decent option to get Stealth Rock up early and proceed to wallbreak quickly. Marowak's excellent matchup against Golem, one of ZU's most common leads, is also beneficial. Its ability to threaten common Pokemon such as Komala, Golem, and Mareanie allows it to excel as a wallbreaker against bulkier teams. Common Defog users such as Silvally-Water, Swanna, and Silvally-Dragon force Marowak out if they get in safely, so try to predict and hit them with the appropriate coverage move as they switch in. Great care must be taken when bringing Marowak in, as it is crippled by status moves and Knock Off. Bring Marowak in through Volt Switch or U-turn to circumvent this, or utilize double switching to get it in safely. Marowak can be played recklessly against offensive teams after it has set up Stealth Rock, as it will likely not get too many opportunities to put in work afterwards. On the other hand, Marowak should be played conservatively against defensive teams, as it is very threatening to them.
Team Options
========
Marowak fits best on balanced teams that need some wallbreaking power as well as Stealth Rock support and a soft check to Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Electivire and Golem. Offensive cleaners such as Combusken, Z-Rain Dance Swanna, and Rock Polish Torterra benefit from Marowak's wallbreaking and Stealth Rock support. The former two work especially well, as they threaten the bulky Grass-types that Marowak struggles with. Marowak can be tough to get into battle safely, and it therefore appreciates VoltTurn partners such as Electivire, Rotom-S, and Komala. Pokemon that can take advantage of Grass-types, such as Swanna, Simisear, and Rapidash, are all great partners, as Marowak greatly struggles with them. Pokemon that threaten Water-types, such as Electivire, Raichu, and Simisage, similarly make for good teammates. Bulkier Pokemon such as Gourgeist-XL, Silvally-Water, and Silvally-Poison work well with Marowak, as its poor Speed means that many offensive Pokemon can threaten to revenge kill it.
[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Bonemerang
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Swords Dance / Fire Punch
item: Thick Club
ability: Rock Head
nature: Brave
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Double-Edge has great coverage alongside Bonemerang, hitting Pokemon such as Swanna and Altaria. Knock Off rounds out Marowak's coverage, hitting the likes of Bronzor and Dusclops for significant damage. Swords Dance is the preferred last move, as Trick Room teams need to get as much out of their limited turns as they can. Fire Punch, on the other hand, provides a harder hit on Pokemon such as Torterra and Simisage.
Set Details
========
A Brave Nature and 0 Speed IVs make Marowak as slow as possible so it goes first under Trick Room. Rock Head is the preferred ability so Marowak takes no recoil from using Double-Edge.
Usage Tips
========
Marowak should look to wallbreak and sweep once Trick Room is up. When facing bulkier teams it can set up with Swords Dance against forced switches, while aggressive pivoting can get it in safely against offensive teams and give it opportunities to set up. Marowak should look to maximize the number of turns that it has under Trick Room. Attempting to get Marowak in after sacrificing one of your Trick Room setters is usually the best way to do this. Marowak should attempt to set up with Swords Dance on Pokemon that don't immediately threaten it, such as Electivire, or after a teammate has used Memento to get it in safely. Opponents may try to switch around Pokemon resistant or immune to Ground as a way to deal with Marowak; consider using Swords Dance again if this happens, as even resisted hits will break walls at that point. Marowak should do its best to conserve its health, as it can use its bulk to survive hits from the likes of Bouffalant, Furfrou, and Poliwrath and retaliate after Trick Room has run out.
Team Options
========
Standard Trick Room setters such as Carbink, Dusknoir, and Chimecho make for excellent teammates. All three have ways of getting Marowak in safely through Memento, Healing Wish, or, in Carbink's case, Explosion. The Memento Pokemon also can give Marowak an opportunity to set up Swords Dance safely, and Dusknoir can even use Z-Memento to heal Marowak. Other dedicated Trick Room wallbreakers like Wishiwashi, Toucannon, Rampardos, and Camerupt are good teammates, as they complement Marowak well and aid it in breaking down the opponent's team. Offensive Trick Room setters such as Beheeyem and Exeggutor can aid Marowak in its wallbreaking while also setting Trick Room for it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Substitute can be used over Stealth Rock if your team already has a Stealth Rock user. This allows Marowak to fire off a free attack on whatever Pokemon comes in next, as well as become a more reliable stallbreaker. Swords Dance can be used outside of Trick Room, but Marowak tends to prefer attacking from the get-go, and it can be very hard to find opportunities to set up. Such a set also struggles to make meaningful progress against offensive teams. Stone Edge can be used on the Trick Room attacker set if you are worried about Pokemon such as Altaria. Earthquake can be used over Bonemerang if you are concerned about the latter's accuracy, but the benefits of Bonemerang are too good to pass up.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types such as Gourgeist-XL, Torterra, and Leafeon can take a hit from Marowak and retaliate with a STAB move, and the former can also cripple it with Will-O-Wisp. Simisage and Cacturne are OHKOed by Fire Punch but are just as threatening if they get in safely.
**Water-types**: Defensive Water-types such as Silvally-Water and Poliwrath can take a hit and threaten Marowak with their STAB moves. Offensive Water-types such as Swanna and Simipour also do the trick, although they can't switch in safely.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Strong special attackers such as Exeggutor, Simisear, Floatzel, and Chatot prey on Marowak's poor special bulk and can hit it very hard, although none of them can switch into Marowak's coverage moves safely.
**Item Removal**: Knock Off and Trick are both crippling to Marowak, as it relies on Thick Club for its excellent offensive presence. Thick Club-less Marowak is significantly easier to deal with, as it doesn't come close to OHKOing Pokemon that it otherwise deals with, such as Golem and Mareanie.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[SputnikGT, 475916]]
- Quality checked by: [[5gen, 296755], [Ho3nConfirm3d, 231074]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Estronic, 240732]]
Last edited:
