SPOILERS! Stakataka

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I've said it before and I'll say it again: GF missed a huge opportunity in not making this mon Ghost/Steel (or even Ghost/Rock, at least that'd be unique). It could've been a discount Aegislash but no, apparently GF loves giving us Rock/Steel mons with insane defensive stats.

Its lack of recovery is baffling. Recover makes so much sense here.
....how? It doesn't have ny regenerative properties, which has been a key point to almost every Recover user to date.
 
I'm curious how well stakataka could do on grassy terrain teams.. people already use heatran (which is also 4x EQ weak but has less phys bulk than stak), so there's no reason in theory that stakataka couldn't function on a team with tapu bulu.
 
As trashy as this is, it actually is one of the better countermeasure against the menace that is Naganadel.

Still trash but that's quite impressive
 
I see Stakataka having a niche as a Trick Room cleaner / wallbreaker in every tier. Life Orb Gyro Ball's Power is just ridiculous, OHKOing relatively bulky mons like Garchomp without any prior damage. Life Orb Stone Edge is pretty strong too, 2HKOing Celesteela and Mega Scizor after a bit of prior damage. Sad to see this mon doesn't get Explosion since it could have been a pretty fun lead on Trick Room teams, but oh well.
 

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
Cresselia is Stakataka's perfect doubles partner.
Both of them can set up trick room for mind games.
Helping hand gyro ball can destroy everything that doesn't resist it.
If you want to get silly, cress resists/is immune to stakataka's two main weaknesses, so Ally Switch might be fun.
And Cress can hit back ground and fighting types with ice beam and psychic.
 

Darkmalice

Level 3
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Isn't EQ omnipresent in VGC?
Other than Ground-types like Landorus, Earthquake isn't really too omnipresent in VGC as more special attackers dominate here. Rock-types prefer going Rock Slide if they can learn it.
Landorus-T is easily the most common VGC Pokemon, and it's so common that it alone would make Earthquake omnipresent. Heatran is also common and has Earth Power which can't be blocked by Wide Guard.

Interestingly, some damage calcs of Lando-T vs Stakataka: (inputting it's stats into Bastiodon)
252+ Atk Landorus-Therian Superpower vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Bastiodon: 172-204 (102.3 - 121.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Bastiodon: 160-192 (95.2 - 114.2%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO - note damage is reduced in Doubles because of spread

Having a shot at surviving a x4 STAB EQ is no joke. But more importantly, Intimidate is omnipresent in VGC. With Intimidate support, it will always survive said attacks.

If you want to survive EQ without Intimidate, Relaxed 252 HP / 20 Def lowers the chance of a OHKO from Earthquake to 6.3%. Strangely it needs 132 Def EVs to guarantee the 2HKO.

It seems like a pretty reliable Trick Room user with some support. Something like Togekiss to redirect special attacks and Fighting-type attacks, whilst Stakataka itself can survive the Earthquakes that can't be redirected with proper investment. Then once it's set up, it can abuse it's super strong Gyro Ball.

Helping Hand can also be very good support for it. Cresselia can use TR for it as Pyritie mentioned and Helping Hand. Of note, it means Lando-T is a risky switch-in.
-1 252+ Atk Iron Plate Bastiodon Helping Hand Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 4 Def Landorus-Therian: 184-217 (111.5 - 131.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Or with an Relaxed 252 HP / 236 Atk / 20 Def set:
-1 236 Atk Iron Plate Bastiodon Helping Hand Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 4 Def Landorus-Therian: 165-195 (100 - 118.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

The latter means that Lando-T can actually come in after Lando-T knocks out something (avoiding Intimidate), survive the Earthquake, and OHKO with Gyro Ball.

I think Stakataka has potential in VGC if it has the right support.
 
Giving my two cents, hope it helps.

Stakataka is cursed, litterally.
The design suggested an interesting Rock/Ghost thing, a typing never explored before (think Nihilego, another UB with unique typing, and the fact that all UBs have rare typing combos except Xurkitree): we wished a haunted tower, and we received a ultradimensional Bastiodon.
Still, Stakataka has a good stats distribution: while it sits at a mere 61 HP, it has the third highest Defense out of all Steel-types (losing to Mega Steelix and Mega Aggron), and the second highest Defense out of all Rock-types (only defeated by Shuckle), while also boasting a respectable base 101 SpD; moreover, it sports a very intriguing Attack stat of 131, just four points lower than Metagross. However, 3 things stop its rampage to the Olympus of good Pokémon:
  • Its typing: like its Rock/Steel brethen, it has two quadruple weaknesses to the most common offensive types, Fighting and Ground. This means that even moderately powerful STAB options can make a ton of damage to our tower, while it will easily crumble to more powerful moves like CC or EQ. It also has a weakness to Water, another common offensive typing.
  • Its Speed. While being slow proved to be a good thing sometimes (think about Ferrothorn, or Snorlax, or Torkoal), Stakataka can't really exploit it to the fullest. Sure, it does have Trick Room to circumvent this problem, has a nearly-always full-powered Gyro Ball since its base Spe is an abysmal 13, it's not dead-weight (no pun intended) if Taunted, and can underspeed everything under Trick Room; thing is, its typing hampers its defensive abilities, not allowing it to stand many hits and therefore stopping it from setting up TR. Also, remember that priority moves bypass TR, so Mach Punch will kill it before it can use its Gyro Ball.
  • Its moves: Stakataka has good STAB options in Gyro Ball and Stone Edge, but unfortunately they lack PPs; it doesn't have access to Heavy Slam (still interesting since it weights 880 kg), and Rock Slide is weaker than Stone Edge and generally less useful (nobody will flinch to a 13 Spe Rock Slide bar under TR).
LO is not the optimal item in this case, since it cuts Stakataka's already low HP. Iron Plate/Stone Plate/Expert Belt can do well on it.



Small note: I love the sound of the word "Stakataka" lol
 
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For yall doubles players, even though this thing's typing is hot garbo and its ability doesn't help it, keep in mind this thing has one of the most annoying moves in the game.

A L L Y S W I T C H
 
For yall doubles players, even though this thing's typing is hot garbo and its ability doesn't help it, keep in mind this thing has one of the most annoying moves in the game.

A L L Y S W I T C H
Lol tell me something that didn't get one of Ally Switch/Helping Hand/Drill Run
Pyukumuku not counted
 
I was so hyped for this mon. I imagined god tier defenses with a pure steel typing, and some good offenses to boot. It’s a shame it’s rock typing screws it over, as with it it can’t check any relevant physical attacker’s, as nearly all of them carry a fighting or ground move. It does have the move pool and an extremely powerful gyro ball to act as a wallbreaker, but with its trash typing, it can’t even get the oppurtunity to wallbreak in the first place.
However, I do think it might see some usage on TR, as it has the coverage and power to act as a TR sweeper. This probally won’t be enough to make it ou though.
It’s a shame this thing probally won’t be able to compete in ou, with such a cool design.
 
What interests me the most about Stakataka (which is the best new Mon name, btw) is that, not only can it set up its own Trick Room and run Ally Switch, but it's also the only UB with Skill Swap. This means that, in Doubles/VGC, it can pass off Beast Boost to any ally it wants, which is gimmicky to be sure, but it's still a neat little niche
 
I'm unsure what is GF thinking about this one. Yes, this thing's incredible physical defense is so over the top, but it's not going to survive a full powered Garchomp unleashing a huge earthquake in its face if not very invested into physical defense. Sure the damage of Earthquake is gonna be weakened under a two-on-two basis, but it doesn't make it any less fragile than it seems to be. If thing wasn't invested in HP, thing isn't much better han its friend Aggron which has 31 less defense and 9 more HP.

252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Stakataka: 336-400 (127.7 - 152%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Stakataka: 336-400 (103 - 122.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aggron: 396-468 (140.9 - 166.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Aggron: 396-468 (115.1 - 136%) -- guaranteed OHKO

This thing is super powerful in TR because of its unrivaled speed (at least nothing more viable than it), and has a 133 physical attack that is honestly quite amazing as a wall-orientated pokemon, which with a 150 gyro ball against most things is gonna hurt like a wrecking ball if not resisted/not not much faster than this wall. But that stupid special defense plus HP is just outright bad, and we aren't going to not consider Earth power and all those special attacks running around not being a thing against the wall made by Gumshoos.
If Blacephalon has a signature move Mind blown, I don't understand why this guy doesn't get the same treatment despite its huge potential, especially when they say thing is made up of multiple bricks which have individual minds on their own, and give it a really horrible typing that is weak against most prominent threats in the metagame.
 
For yall doubles players, even though this thing's typing is hot garbo and its ability doesn't help it, keep in mind this thing has one of the most annoying moves in the game.

A L L Y S W I T C H
Ally Switch isn't used at all in Gen 5 VGC. Then again, that's more of Game Freak's idiotic decision of making Ally Switch exclusively to a small number Psychic-type at that time. I personally did try Z-Ally Switch in Gen 7 Doubles, but I don't see that very often. Stakataka doesn't seem like a Pokemon that could take advantage of Z-Ally Switch due to its lousy speed. Maybe time will change, who knows (though I still stand correct about not being able to take advantage of Z-Ally Switch).
 
What about something like this for a late-game cleaner?

Stakataka @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 12 Atk / 248 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake / Superpower
- Trick Room

Basically the idea is to take a SE hit, activate the boosts, and set up Trick Room all on the same turn.

It still doesn't like taking EQs from Garchomp or anything:
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 248+ Def Bastiodon: 144-172 (86.2 - 102.9%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
But paired with Tapu Bulu's Grassy Terrain or just a team that takes out powerful Ground/Fighting-types, it could put in work possibly. Grassy Terrain also heals it while it accumulates Defense boosts from Beast Boosts so it could even have the opportunity to set up again (unlikely, but still).

Not a top tier threat or anything, but it could be fun to try out.
 
What interests me the most about Stakataka (which is the best new Mon name, btw) is that, not only can it set up its own Trick Room and run Ally Switch, but it's also the only UB with Skill Swap. This means that, in Doubles/VGC, it can pass off Beast Boost to any ally it wants, which is gimmicky to be sure, but it's still a neat little niche
or just have Cresselia doing it, to save it from EQs
 
I am thinking of a weird stall set.

Stakataka

252 def, negative speed nature & the rest on Hp, attack or spdef.

Sitrus berry

Recycle; for unlimited use of your berry.
Toxic
Magnet rise; to protect your from ground attacks.
Gyro ball, iron head, any attacking move.
 
I am thinking of a weird stall set.

Stakataka

252 def, negative speed nature & the rest on Hp, attack or spdef.

Sitrus berry

Recycle; for unlimited use of your berry.
Toxic
Magnet rise; to protect your from ground attacks.
Gyro ball, iron head, any attacking move.
This is the worst set I've ever seen in my life. There is a reason why little people run something like recycle and magnet rise outside of some really annoying stall Pokemon, which definitely isn't going to be Stakataka because of its abysmal special bulk and doesn't heal outside of rest which isn't even on this set. It doesn't even tank earthquakes very comfortably nor you will have the time to actually pull out magnet rise. You might actually just put a balloon on this thing if you are trying to save it from earthquakes, but then comes forth water attacks or simply close combat.
 
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This is the worst set I've ever seen in my life. There is a reason why little people run something like recycle and magnet rise outside of some really annoying stall Pokemon, which definitely isn't going to be Stakataka because of its abysmal special bulk and doesn't heal outside of rest which isn't even on this set. It doesn't even tank earthquakes very comfortably nor you will have the time to actually pull out magnet rise. You might actually just put a balloon on this thing if you are trying to save it from earthquakes, but then comes forth water attacks or simply close combat.
^this, and the fact that any relevant Ground-type with EQ (Landorus-T in singles, and Mudsdale in VGC) also carries Superpower or Close Combat, meaning that if you Magnet Rise on the switch, they outspeed and OHKO you with the Fighting coverage.

Huh? Cress doesn't get Beast Boost...
I meant the Skill Swap...
 
I meant the Skill Swap...
Sure, Cress can Skill Swap, but my whole point was that Stakataka is the only Mon with both Beast Boost and Skill Swap. Being able to pass Beast Boost on to any Pokemon it wants is an interesting tactic, and one that Cress can't replicate unless you have an UB out one turn for it to Skill Swap with, and then you switch it out for the Mon you want to give Beast Boost to on the following turn, but that clogs up your team composition and it's super slow and clunky.

Basically, if you want to give a non-UB Beast Boost (not that you would, but if you had a team member that would benefit from it), Skill Swap Stakataka is the way to go as you wouldn't need to clog up another Mon's moveset with Skill Swap or Role Play.
 
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