Conni
katharsis
[OVERVIEW]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Scald / Hydro Pump
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 96 HP / 252 SpA / 160 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Set Details
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========
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[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Focus Punch
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Adamant
evs: 96 HP / 252 Atk / 160 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
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**Grass-types**: Gourgeist is Poliwrath's greatest check as it can take as many Waterfalls and Scalds while being immune to Focus Punch and Focus Blast which means it can mind all of Poliwrath's moves except for Toxic and the rare Ice Beam and retaliate with a super effective Seed Bomb. Other powerful Grass-types such as Alolan Exeggutor and a boosted Lilligant can either tank a move or outspeed Poliwrath and OHKO it with super effective STAB moves, although most have to watch out for Focus Blast or Focus Punch on the switch as it could potentially OHKO them.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Musharna, Clefairy, and Granbull can take Poliwrath's moves with ease depending on the set while retaliating with super effective STAB or coverage moves that could KO it or use other moves such as Seismic Toss from Clefairy to wear it down or use status such as burn to cripple it while Poliwrath can do nothing but switch out or use Toxic which may be threatening. Bulky Mesprit is also one of Poliwrath's best checks as it can tank all of its moves and retaliate with Psychic or possibly force a switch and set up Stealth Rock during that time thus making it an efficient check to both of Poliwrath's main sets.
**Faster and Powerful Pokemon**: Pokemon that can outspeed Poliwrath can OHKO it immediately with powerful moves although they can only do so if Substitute isn't out as most will be heavily damaged if not KOed by Focus Punch, Focus Blast, or the uncommon Hydro Pump. Examples of these fast heavy hitters include Oricorio-G, Swanna, Jynx, and Alolan Raichu, although the latter cannot take too much of Poliwrath's moves.
- Has a great offensive typing as it can hit common Normal-, Rock-, Ground-, Dark-, and Fire-types such as Audino, Carracosta, Mudsdale, Alolan Ratticate, and Pyroar super effectively
- Poliwrath also has an efficient defensive typing as well, resisting common Dark-, Fire-, and Rock-type moves while also being completely immune to Water-type moves thanks to Water Absorb which makes it able to switch into most of these types and check the opposing Pokemon that have them such as Carracosta and Combusken
- Has adequate well rounded stats as it has a good Attack stat, usable Speed tier, reasonable bulk, and a moderate Special Attack
- Has an interesting offensive movepool which makes it one of the best users of Focus Punch in PU while also having access to great special moves while lacking many useful physical moves which is unfitting in comparison to its stats
- Leftovers and a great ability in Water Absorb are Poliwrath's only means of recovery which means aside from chip healing and switching into Water-type moves, Poliwrath otherwise on clerics and Wish support to help maintain its health
- Unlike its rather good offensive typing, Poliwrath can be easily targeted by powerful and common Grass-, Psychic-, Flying-, and Electric-types such as Alolan Exeggutor, Mesprit, Articuno, and Alolan Raichu
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Scald / Hydro Pump
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Modest
evs: 96 HP / 252 SpA / 160 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Scald allows Poliwrath to do adequately powerful super effective STAB damage to Pokemon such as Regirock and Pyroar while also potentially crippling physical attackers with a burn
- Hydro Pump can be used as a less accurate but more powerful alternative that hits Pokemon that are neutral to it relatively well
- Focus Blast allows Poliwrath to do heavy Fighting-type STAB damage to Pokemon such as Aggron and Alolan Ratticate
- Substitute allows Poliwrath to deal more damage safely as Substitute prevents it from being worn down as easily by status moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp, Pokemon it can set up Substitute reliably against include Ferroseed and Gourgiest-XL
- Toxic allows Poliwrath to cripple Pokemon that check it or any Pokemon generally such as Gastrodon and Gourgiest-XL to deplete their longevity and allow them to become vulnerable to Focus Punch or Poliwrath's teammates
- Encore can be used alternatively to target slower Pokemon that may not be deterred by Toxic and use the opportunity to set up Substitute much safer thanks to locking the target in a resisted or immune move
Set Details
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- Leftovers and Water Absorb are Poliwrath's only means of recovery which prevents it from being worn down as easily while also giving it comfortability in switching into Water-type moves
- A Modest nature and 252 SpA EVs allow it to deal significant special damage to physically bulky Pokemon who can switch into Poliwrath's other set or generally any Pokemon that Poliwrath can deal with
- Poliwrath's investment in HP allows to become relatively bulkier and tank moves much more reliably
- Poliwrath's 160 Spe EVs allow it to have a moderate speed tier which allows it to outspeed Pokemon it can check such as Aurorus
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- Poliwrath should find safe opportunities to set up Substitute so that it can deal great damage without taking much back or prevent itself from being worn down by status, such opportunities include switching into Water-type moves and healing from Pokemon it takes no damage from otherwise such as Gastrodon
- Toxic should be used mainly on Pokemon on the switch to cripple their longevity and render them vulnerable to Poliwrath and its teammates later in the game
- Poliwrath should avoid status moves such as Toxic and Taunt as it cripples its longevity and ability to use the second half of its moveset, respectively, it is also significantly worn down by Toxic and its Leftovers cannot atone for it
- Poliwrath could sham the SubPunch set and surprise physically bulky Pokemon with powerful special attacks to KO them or throw them off guard and use the opportunity to setup Substitute if they switch
- Coverage moves wear down Poliwrath rather easily due to its lack of great recovery options therefore it should be cautious when switching in or dealing with Pokemon it checks
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- Alolan Exeggutor and Gourgeist among a lot of other Grass-types threaten Poliwrath therefore Pokemon such as Abomasnow and Weezing and deal with them while Poliwrath can tank Fire-types that threaten Abomasnow such as Pyroar while also appreciating Skuntank's ability to remove entry hazards and check Psychic-types such as Alolan Raichu
- Speaking of abilities to remove entry hazards, Togetic and Hitmonchan prove to be good teammates as they can remove entry hazards that wear down Poliwrath while entry hazard setters such as Regirock and Crustle can aid Poliwrath in its offensive endeavors
- Specially bulky Pokemon, especially those that resist Poliwrath's moves such as Musharna and Clefairy should be taken care of by Pokemon such as Absol and Aggron which make great teammates as they can check Musharana and Clefairy and other specially bulk Pokemon with powerful physical attacks
- Pokemon that can take status moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp that threaten Poliwrath such as Ferroseed and Clefairy, respectively, can assist Poliwrath from being crippled or unable to perform its key actions during a match, Mesprit is also a nice partner as it can use Healing Wish in case Poliwrath is crippled or low on HP but is still needed
- VoltTurn support from the likes of Mesprit and Eelektross is useful to Poliwrath as it provides safe opportunities for it to switch in and set up Substitute to allow it to sweep and deal offensive damage more safely
[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Focus Punch
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Adamant
evs: 96 HP / 252 Atk / 160 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Focus Punch is the centerpoint of this set which can be used in conjunction with Substitute after it is used so Poliwrath can do heavy STAB damage to every Pokemon that doesn't resist it and can be used to check and OHKO Pokemon such as Carracosta and Pyroar
- Waterfall is another STAB move Poliwrath can use to check Pokemon such as Lycanroc and Combusken as it does adequate damage and can hit Pokemon more easily than Focus Punch, it also serves as a notable countermeasure to Clefairy
- Substitute is also a crucial part of this set as Poliwrath relies on it to land Focus Punch safely as without it, Poliwrath would be unable to use it. It also allows it to be protected from status moves and grants it an advantage against checks if they switch in on Poliwrath if Substitute is up as they may be threatened by Focus Punch
- Toxic can be used to wear down opposing Pokemon, especially its checks such as Gourgiest and Grandbull, that switch into Poliwrath and is best used when being protected by Substitute or on Pokemon on the switch. Toxic can also cripple the longevity of setup sweepers such as Lilligant and leave them vulnerable to Focus Punch or Poliwrath's teammates
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- Poliwrath's EV investments give it sufficient bulk, Attack, and a rather moderate Speed tier so it can tank and hit harder while outspeeding at least some of its checks such as Aurorus
- Leftovers and Water Absorb are the preferred item and ability as they are Poliwrath's only methods of recovery and moderately reliable as this means Poliwrath can avoid being worn down as quickly with Leftovers intact while also being able to comfortably switch into predicted Water-type moves to heal although it has to be wary of coverage moves
- An Adamant nature further boosts Poliwrath's ability to deal a lot of damage with its already good Attack stat and EV investments
Usage Tips
========
- Poliwrath should take advantage of situations such as switching into a Pokemon it takes no damage from such as a Water-type like Carracosta and then setting up Substitute to use Focus Punch successfully each time
- Poliwrath should use Toxic on Pokemon that check it on the switch so that they can be worn down and eliminated quickly, Toxic can generally be used on any Pokemon that is crippled by it to wear them down if Poliwrath has the chance to do so
- Since Substitute takes Poliwrath's HP away, it is easily worn down with Leftovers unable to compensate fully for the HP loss, which means Poliwrath should find possibilities to switch into Water-type moves to heal thanks to its ability, but needs to be careful of super effective coverage
- Poliwrath should generally avoid status moves such as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp as it cripples Poliwrath's longevity, ability to do heavy damage and ability to use Substitute and Toxic, respectively, although setting up Substitute before protects it from these moves
- Super effective coverage moves can wear Poliwrath down relatively easy and it should be generally careful of these moves when switching in, it should also avoid its checks such as Lilligant as well as most of them either resist all of its moves or outspeed it and can KO it easily especially if Substitute is not up so the best time for Poliwrath to sweep with Focus Punch is when its checks such as Gourgeist are eliminated
Team Options
========
- Pokemon that do not mind status moves like Toxic and Will-O-Wisp such as Clefairy make good teammates as it can switch into these respective moves that threaten Poliwrath and be unaffected
- Other Pokemon that can resist and or can tank many Focus Punches and Waterfalls such as Weezing and Musharna are trouble for Poliwrath so Pokemon such as Mesprit and Oricorio-G can take them out easily
- VoltTurn support from the likes of Eelektross and Mesprit help Poliwrath obtain safer opportunities to set up Substitute and start sweeping with Focus Punch, these two also check Grass-types as well
- Entry hazard support in terms of setting and removing is appreciated as it helps Poliwrath KO Pokemon with Focus Punch easier while also preventing it from being worn down more easily, Pokemon that can set entry hazards include Aggron and Leavanny, who also check Fairy- and Grass-types, respectively; and Pokemon that can remove entry hazards such as Hitmonchan and the aforementioned Skuntank
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- A Waterium Z or Fightinium Z can be utilized to break past physical or special walls as appropriate for each set so that it can catch the walls off guard and render them vulnerable to Poliwrath and its teammates afterwards although Poliwrath depends on its Leftovers more due to not having access to a reliable recovery option otherwise
- Ice Beam and Vacuum Wave can be run instead of Substitute and Toxic on Poliwrath's Special Attacker set to make it an All-Out-Attacker and have access to a coverage move that can hit Grass-types for siginificant damage while also having access to priority which can finish weakened Pokemon, although Toxic and Substitute allow Poliwrath to go on the offense more efficiently and safely while its teammates can take care of its checks and have access to priority instead
- A Belly Drum set can be utilized alongside Swift Swim or Water Absorb to allow Poliwrath to become a win con to rain teams, it also acts a lure to Ferroseed as it is now able to take it out with relative ease thanks to an insane boost in Attack with powerful STAB moves
- A Physically Defensive set can also be considered as an alternative as the combination of RestTalk, Poliwrath's adequate bulk, and Scald and Circle Throw allow it to become a more defensively orientated Pokemon that can wear down its checks much efficiently for its teammates rather than take them out by itself
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**Grass-types**: Gourgeist is Poliwrath's greatest check as it can take as many Waterfalls and Scalds while being immune to Focus Punch and Focus Blast which means it can mind all of Poliwrath's moves except for Toxic and the rare Ice Beam and retaliate with a super effective Seed Bomb. Other powerful Grass-types such as Alolan Exeggutor and a boosted Lilligant can either tank a move or outspeed Poliwrath and OHKO it with super effective STAB moves, although most have to watch out for Focus Blast or Focus Punch on the switch as it could potentially OHKO them.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Musharna, Clefairy, and Granbull can take Poliwrath's moves with ease depending on the set while retaliating with super effective STAB or coverage moves that could KO it or use other moves such as Seismic Toss from Clefairy to wear it down or use status such as burn to cripple it while Poliwrath can do nothing but switch out or use Toxic which may be threatening. Bulky Mesprit is also one of Poliwrath's best checks as it can tank all of its moves and retaliate with Psychic or possibly force a switch and set up Stealth Rock during that time thus making it an efficient check to both of Poliwrath's main sets.
**Faster and Powerful Pokemon**: Pokemon that can outspeed Poliwrath can OHKO it immediately with powerful moves although they can only do so if Substitute isn't out as most will be heavily damaged if not KOed by Focus Punch, Focus Blast, or the uncommon Hydro Pump. Examples of these fast heavy hitters include Oricorio-G, Swanna, Jynx, and Alolan Raichu, although the latter cannot take too much of Poliwrath's moves.
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