Quality Control [REVAMP] Choice Band Barraskewda [QC: 0/1]

[Showl]

[SET]
Barraskewda @ Choice Band
Name: Choice Band
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Liquidation
- Flip Turn
- Close Combat
- Psychic Fangs / Crunch / Ice Fang

[SET COMMENTS]

Thanks to its huge Speed, good Attack, and Swift Swim, Choice Band Barraskewda is a formidable Rain sweeper, outpacing Flutter Mane and heavily threatening teams with no sturdy resistances to Water like Dark, Fighting, and Normal. Liquidation heavily pressures foes under rain, OHKOing the likes of Flutter Mane, Iron Valiant and Gallade. Flip Turn, as second Water STAB, mitigates the drawback of Choice Band by keeping momentum while dishing out good damage under rain, especially chipping switch-ins like Dragonite and Primarina. Close Combat hits Water-resistant Steel-types like Hisuian Goodra and Archaludon. Furthermore, Close Combat also OHKOes non-Choice Scarf Kyurem, Meowscarada, and Greninja. Psychic Fangs nails common switch-ins such as Toxapex, Amoonguss, and Water Absorb Clodsire, as well as removes dual screens in the Fairy matchup. Crunch helps in the Ghost and Dragon matchups by breaking Sinistcha, Dragapult, and Latios. Alternatively, Ice Fang may be used to hit more Dragon-types such as Garchomp and Dragonite.

Pelipper is the most valuable teammate, as it sets rain for Barraskewda, brings it in safely with U-turn, can remove items with Knock Off such as leftovers from Archaludon and Rocky Helmet from Skarmory, as well as threatens Grass-types like Meowscarada and Amoonguss with Hurricane. Swampert and Gastrodon are both key teammates, providing an all-important Electric immunity to the team and Stealth Rocks. Swampert comes with a pivot option in the form of Flip Turn to keep the momentum and Knock Off to remove aforementioned items or pick off KO's on wounded foes like Dragapult and Latios. Gastrodon trades offensive options for defensive ones, providing spikes in addition to Stealth Rocks and can heal itself to repeatedly switch in on Electric moves from Regieleki, Raging Bolt, and Choice Scarf Archaludon. In return, Barraskewda lures in Grass-types like Amoonguss and Brambleghast and removes them with the corresponding coverage moves. Toxapex and Tentacruel both provide a Grass neutrality to handle Meowscarada and Amoonguss, but each comes with distinct features. Toxapex easily walls most of the physical sweepers like Dragonite and Choice Scarf Meowscarada, and has access to Haze to prevent Dragonite, Ceruledge, and Bisharp from setting up, but lacks a pivoting move, which locks it into using the Eject Button for that purpose. Tentacruel synergizes well with Rain by effectively regenerating 12.5% each turn with Rain Dish which can be further augmented by running Black Sludge. While being less bulky, Tentacruel has access to Flip Turn, Rapid Spin, and Knock Off to provide both pivoting and utility for Barraskewda. Swords Dance Hisuian Samurott threatens Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon like Dragapult, Slowbro, and Choice Scarf Latias with Sucker Punch while also providing utility support with Spikes set up via Ceaseless Edge to wear down the opposing team. Urshifu-R is a great asset in the Steel matchup, easily dismantling Steel defensive core with its Swords Dance set by deleting defensive Gholdengo, defensive Archaludon, and Corviknight. Choice Specs Greninja is a great partner and forms a devastating wallbreaking core with Barraskewda, taking out physical walls that hamper Barraskewda such as Amoonguss, Skarmory, and Clodsire with ease while Barraskewda removes special walls that check Greninja such as Hisuian Goodra and Blissey. Choice Scarf Walking Wake is great in the Dragon matchup, notably outpacing and removing Latios, Dragapult, and Raging Bolt, while a Choice Specs set weakens walls like Toxapex and Corviknight.

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

Poison Jab may be used in the 4th slot to target Primarina and Azumarill.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/showl.552160/
Quality checked by:
xxx
xxx
Grammar checked by:
xxx

 

[boomp]

Showl how is this going

 

[boomp]

[SET COMMENTS]
- I would keep the intro how it was where it mentioned outpacing flutter mane. (remove the jolly nature sentence at the end.) i would also change Fairy and Flying as Primarina is a solid Resist and Dragonite would gladly take that trade, eliminating Barra + potentially roosting in the long run of the match afterwards. Even Gyarados still used at times. I would add Normal
- I would remove iron hands and just generalize what its hitting and not just fighting. Hands is never swapping on a barra as that whole mu for fighting is playing the sack war so hands can come in to doink shit. Hands also just trades with barra and thats basically the mu. so just be like heavily pressuring foes under rain.....

"Close Combat hits Water-resistant Steel- and Dark-types like Hisuian Goodra,and Archaludon, and Meowscarada."
- i would remove meowscarada, as in this type of example it looks like its swapping in on liquidation, which is not the case, if any thing you can say after the sentence: Furthermore, Close Combat also ohko Kyurem, non-choice scarf meowscarada + greninja.

- Would mention Water Absorb infront of Clodsire so its clearer to the reader
- For Pelipper, I would mention it knocking off skarmory's rocky helmet which is huge for Barra. would remove hoodra there and just add skarmory instead.

"Swampert provides Stealth Rocks, an Electric immunity, and a pivot option in the form of Flip Turn to keep the momentum. Gastrodon is an alternative Electric immunity, providing spikes in addition to Stealth Rocks and can heal itself to repeatedly switch in on Electric moves from Regieleki, Raging Bolt, and Choice Scarf Archaludon."
- I would combine them both for the introducing them as options since they both provide an elec immunity + entry hazards for barraskewda. Then just explain what they each do afterwards.

Toxapex and Tentacruel both provide a Grass neutrality,(is that all they do? do they not check certain grass mons for barra as well?) but each comes with distinct features. Toxapex easily walls most of the physical sweepers like Dragonite and Choice Scarf Meowscarada, and has access to Haze to prevent opposing foes from setting up(like?), but lacks a pivoting move, which locks it into using the Eject Button for that purpose. Tentacruel synergizes well with Rain by effectively regenerating 12.5% each turn with Rain Dish which can be further augmented by running Black Sludge. While being less bulky, Tentacruel has access to Flip Turn, Rapid Spin, and Knock Off to provide both pivoting and utility for Barraskewda to the team.

- Remove the mention of hamu providing knock off support since we are highlighting it specifically with Swords Dance. Would just mention instead for that part it provides Spikes support via Ceaseless Edge to wear down...

Will take a look after implements, great writing, just want to read it over before stamping it ty!

 

[Showl]

Thanks for the check, it's implemented.