Project NU Next Best Thing [Week 35: Gastrodon]

[wooper]

i really like the creativity of facade + fling !

 

[Socrates1O1]

Voting for offensive rocks!

 

[Catalisador]

quziel's Whirlpool.
Trapping pokémon is always fun.

 

[Katy]

whirlpool by quziel

 

[precognicent~]

Whirlpool by quizel

 

[CloselyGG]

Facade + Fling

 

[Pokeslice]

Offensive rocks seems super cool and fun

 

[xerovis]

quziel's whirlpool, classic q-spice

 

[Corthius]

With xerovis deciding the tie, Whirlpool by quziel will be placed into the Hall of Fame!

Cycle 5 - release the Wrath

Cycle 5 is about to get splashy with Poliwrath! Besides common moves and sets including Close Combat or Sleep Talk + Rest, Poliwrath has some interessting tricks up its sleeve. There are also a lot of unexplored combination of moves like...well its up to you to find that out!
Submissions will end on Friday, October 30th

banned sets

RestTalk
Poliwrath @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Impish Nature
- Scald
- Drain Punch
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Choice Scarf
Poliwrath @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Liquidation
- Close Combat
- Ice Punch
- Darkest Lariat

 

[Pokeslice]

Mind Reader Dynamic Punch+Hypnosis

Poliwrath @ Leftovers/Blunder Policy
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Mind Reader
- Hypnosis
- Dynamic Punch
- Darkest Lariat/Sub​

Mind Readers is a unique move as it lets your next move never miss. With Poliwrath, you can abuse this with some broken moves of your own, namely Hypnosis and Dynamic Punch, both of which's poor accuracy holds it back. Darkest is coverage for Jelly, but baiting in Jelly on a Mind Reader turn and then pressing Hypnosis is super cool. Sub is a weird cool move too. It'll let you be walled out forever by ghosts, but you can safely get off Mind Reader Hypnosis's and Dynamic Punch's on the rest of the tier. I would run Blunder Policy too, but sadly Katy sniped that item. This can also work really well with a Hydro Pump/F Blast special set, too.

 

[Katy]

reserving blunder policy + rain dance + swift swim poliwrath


Poliwrath @ Blunder Policy
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rain Dance
- Focus Blast
- Ice Beam
- Scald

we all know focus blasts accuracy, it isnt that good, but at least with blunder policy it will get a benefit from it with a speed boost even outside of
the rain, due to blunder policy. the set is modest for the maximum power output and with rain dance + its stab option in scald, its coverage in ice beam and its other stab in focus blast.

this set is easily useable when it is brought in on the likes of physically defensive mudsdale and pokemon such as clawitzer locked into its water-stab due to its choice specs, as it can bluff water absorb and uses these pokemon as setup fodder.​

 

[xerovis]

Sub Bulk Up



Troy 1 (Poliwrath) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 152 SpD / 88 Spe
Impish Nature
- Substitute
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Darkest Lariat


This poli paired quite well with spdef toge and after a bulk up could lay in some hurt, as well as stay healthy using drain punch. The speed was for outspeeding rhydon-creeping Jellicents, to ensure the ability to sub up on an attempted toxic. Darkest Lariat is chosen over Liquidation for the same reason to ensure Jellicent can be damaged.

 

[roxie]

AmnesiaRest

Poliwrath @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 148 Def / 92 SpD / 16 Spe
Careful Nature
- Amnesia
- Curse
- Waterfall
- Rest

Sadly this set suffers from Water Aborbers like Gastrodon, Lanturn or opposing Poliwraths, so I feel like adding a Grass-type Pokemon like Whimsicott, Trevenant, Gourgeist, or Thwackey to deal with such immunities. I EVd this so Choice Specs Ribombee 3HKOs at +2 rather than a 2HKO roll to support it in getting as much setups before clicking Rest. This can setup on other passive Pokemon like Mudsdale, Galarian Stunfisk, Wishiwashi, and many more. If you really wanna use Drain Punch, I'd use it over Rest but Dpunch doesn't seem as reliable as Rest. (Rest also clears status)

252 SpA Choice Specs Ribombee Moonblast vs. +2 252 HP / 92+ SpD Poliwrath: 168-200 (43.7 - 52%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery​

 

[wooper]

Poliwrath @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 172 HP / 84 Atk / 16 Def / 236 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Scald
- Drain Punch
- Darkest Lariat
- Toxic​

not the best or most creative set but i think this mixed tank is pretty decent. attack evs with a neutral nature gets the 2hko on specs jelli with darkest lariat and is just shy of a 3hko on standard defensive jelli, which cant do much in return besides toxic and maybe hex i forgot about will-o whoops, so you might run into some problems there. 16 def turns piloswine's eq to a 3hko, and a quiet nature with near-max sp. attack investment lets scald do massive damage to mons like mudsdale and piloswine. rest of the evs went to hp to increase bulk.

relevant calcs

252+ SpA Choice Specs Jellicent Shadow Ball vs. 172 HP / 0 SpD Poliwrath: 177-208 (48.6 - 57.1%) -- 44.5% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Jellicent Hex (130 BP) vs. 172 HP / 0 SpD Poliwrath: 135-159 (37 - 43.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after toxic/burn damage
0 Atk Mudsdale Earthquake vs. 172 HP / 16 Def Poliwrath: 135-159 (37 - 43.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Piloswine Earthquake vs. 172 HP / 16 Def Poliwrath: 153-181 (42 - 49.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

84 Atk Poliwrath Darkest Lariat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Jellicent: 172-204 (50.4 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
84 Atk Poliwrath Darkest Lariat vs. 248 HP / 124+ Def Jellicent: 134-158 (33.2 - 39.2%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO
236+ SpA Poliwrath Scald vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mudsdale: 218-258 (53.9 - 63.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
236+ SpA Poliwrath Scald vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Eviolite Piloswine: 188-224 (46.5 - 55.4%) -- 75% chance to 2HKO

 

[majority]

ZA VESTO



Poliwrath @ Assault Vest
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
- Circle Throw
- Drain Punch
- Darkest Lariat
- Ice Punch

I think this set is pretty nice and creative, makes use of Poliwrath's poor SpD. Pretty tanky overall, i suggest other people to use this set and if it comes into the Hall of Fame, i bet you, the "legends" are gonna start using it. This poli can eat things like a Moonblast from Specs Ribombee, a Draco Meteor or Thunderbolt from Specs Duraludon. Since this thing is supposed to be very bulky, attacks does a decent amount of damage, with 226 atk stat only. This Poliwrath is a godlike team partner, for pokemon that have trouble with water-types, and since our old friend, Combusken is coming back (it was used in NU last gen, if i recall correctly, i had been there, been NU for a long time, imo), it paires well with that. It is completely great as a partner for other bulky mons. Why i picked Circle Throw, is most likely because, it is great paired with hazards, being able to send out pokemon, in and out, chipping them for my main pokemon to finish them off, which i think is a great tech in this case. Hope you vote for me and enjoy the set. I still support this community!


​

 

[AllTerrainVen0moth]

Belly Drum

Poliwrath @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Belly Drum
- Liquidation
- Rock Slide
- Drain Punch

I couldnt find a unique set that wasnt already taken, so I took Belly Drum. I really dont have any specific EV spreads other than Max Attack and Speed.
Dual Stab is well, Dual Stab. Rock Slide is to get rid of flying types and Ribombee. Sitrus Berry is for healing.

 

[quziel]

Apparently Offensive RD Wrath wasn't taken.

Poliwrath @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Liquidation
- Close Combat
- Darkest Lariat / Ice Punch / Substitute
- Rain Dance

Very self-explanatory; coverage will miss Whimsicott or Jellicent one way or another, so ensure that you can chip those, and frankly, it doesn't beat Jelli that well even with Darkest Lariat. The only advantage Wrath has over Kingler is being able to take a +0 Energy Ball easily (even has a roll to live a +2 one if rocks aren't up), so use it on teams that really need that secondary Ninetales check. This also loses to Ninjask, like, really hard. You can run Sub to fix that, but then you're missing even more coverage.

252+ Atk Life Orb Poliwrath Liquidation vs. 252 HP / 156+ Def Mudsdale in Rain: 374-445 (92.5 - 110.1%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO

 

[My Gender is Egg]

SubToxic
A main flaw of Poliwrath is how many great pokemon resist both it stabs such as DragonVally and Jellicent, thus by crippling them with Toxic they can eventually be weared down for Poliwrath and its teamates, although you must be careful with Infiltrator Whimsicott and status from faster mons such as Rapidash since you lack Rest.
Poliwrath @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 Spe
Impish Nature
- Substitute
- Toxic
- Liquidation/Protect/Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
Enough speed in order to out speed 190 raw speed Jellicent and the rest on defense to take on Escavalier better, although not sure if it is an optimized ev spread

 

[Corthius]

Cycle 5 - Poliwrath (Voting Stage)​

Voting ends on Monday, November 2th.
Thank you for all submissions Please be reminded that: Voting for your own set is not allowed and advertising for people to vote for your set will result in a disqualification in your submission.

Mind Reader-Dynamic Punch by Pokeslice
Blunder Policy Swift Swim by Katy
Substitute-Bulk Up by xerovis
Amnesia Rest by Roxiee
Mixed tank by sexywooper
Assault Vest by majority
Belly Drum by AllTerrainVen0moth
offensive Rain Dance by quziel
Substitute-Toxic by My Gender is Egg​

I will reserve my vote to decide over potential ties! Happy voting!​

 

[Katy]

Offensive Rain Dance by QZL.

 

[Parpar]

Amnesia Rest

 

[CloselyGG]

Sub Bulk Up

 

[AllTerrainVen0moth]

Chuck set (Mind Reader + Dynamic Punch)

 

[My Gender is Egg]

Belly Drum

 

[Socrates1O1]

Offensive Rain Dance