
[OVERVIEW]
Cinccino's blistering Speed and access to Technician, which it can fully take advantage of with Loaded Dice, make it a dangerous setup sweeper that can end games as easily as it can wallbreak for its partners. Passive Pokemon that might try to take advantage of Cinccino like Orthworm and Bronzong aren't safe from it either, as Cinccino can lock them into setting up entry hazards or using Iron Defense with its Encore, giving it free turns to boost with Tidy Up. On top of that, after a turn of setup, its myriad of coverage moves lets it beat anything from Unaware Quagsire to Flame Body Talonflame unharmed. However, Cinccino has terrible four-moveslot syndrome, and its STAB move can be easily punished by common Rocky Helmet users like Vileplume and Galarian Slowbro. Pokemon like Inteleon and Choice Scarf Mienshao can outpace it and threaten it with a KO, but they fail to check it after it boosts. Cinccino's Tidy Up is also a double-edged sword, as it needs the power to achieve many of its KOs, but in using the move, it removes the hazards that were helping limit its switch-ins in the first place, making it somewhat difficult to fit on many teams. Cinccino also struggles to find setup opportunities due its frailty typically only letting it survive one hit.
[SET]
name: Tidy Up
move 1: Tidy Up
move 2: Tail Slap
move 3: Knock Off / Bullet Seed
move 4: Encore / Rock Blast / Triple Axel
item: Loaded Dice / Focus Sash
ability: Technician / Skill Link
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Ghost / Fire
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Knock Off hits Ghost-types that blank Cinccino's STAB attack as well as Bronzong, and Bullet Seed hits certain physically defensive checks like Swampert, Vaporeon, and Quagsire. Encore allows Cinccino to take advantage of passive Pokemon like Swampert and Palossand that use Stealth Rock or heal up, which gifts it more setup opportunities. It also helps Cinccino handle slower setup sweepers like Calm Mind Cresselia and Sylveon and Iron Defense Registeel and Orthworm. Alternatively, Rock Blast can be run to hit Talonflame to avoid Flame Body burns, and Triple Axel can be used as a strong coverage move to nail Brambleghast, Gligar, Flygon, and Dragalge. A Cinccino that aims to sweep teams should run Loaded Dice + Technician for maximum damage output. In contrast, if it chooses to be a dedicated lead, Focus Sash + Skill Link allows it to take advantage of both Tidy Up's entry hazard-clearing potential and its multi-hit moves. Tera Ghost allows Cinccino to become immune to Choice Scarf Mienshao and Infernape's Close Combat, and it lets Cinccino blank Breloom's Mach Punch and take advantage of it with Encore, giving Cinccino free turns to set up. However, Tera Fire can be useful to avoid burns from both Will-O-Wisp and Talonflame's Flame Body.
Cinccino struggles with breaking through Steel-types like Copperajah, Orthworm, and Registeel, so partners such as Cresselia, Oricorio-E, Diancie, and Munkidori pair well, as they can help overwhelm these shared checks. Teammates that can benefit from Cinccino's Tidy Up removing hazards like Air Balloon Chandelure, Weakness Policy Incineroar, Choice Scarf Staraptor, and Kilowattrel enjoy its presence; on top of that, the former two can handle Steel-types easily with their STAB moves, whereas the latter two can help wear them down. Terrain teams can also take advantage of Cinccino's hazard clearing, as common Terrain sweepers like Oricorio-E, Galarian Articuno, and Grafaiai enjoy not being chipped by hazards. Due to them not being as concerned about Cinccino's Tidy Up removing their hazards, Stealth Rock leads like Eject Pack Flygon and Booster Energy Scream Tail pair best with it. Spikes leads like Froslass and Brambleghast can help wear down checks like Orthworm and Copperajah, and a Sticky Web lead like Galvantula can help Cinccino outspeed Choice Scarf users like Mienshao, Hisuian Typhlosion, and Munkidori; however, these teams must be wise about when to send out Cinccino to ensure their hazards aren't completely wasted. Physical walls that carry a way to punish contact moves through their ability like Talonflame and Vileplume or item users like Rocky Helmet Bellibolt and Galarian Slowbro are issues for Cinccino, so teammates with access to Knock Off such as Mienshao and Heracross can help deal with these walls. Cinccino's frailty often hinders its ability to set up, so partners that can create opportunities like Memento Chandelure or slow pivots like Dragalge and Incineroar are greatly appreciated.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Protective Pads could be run to not be vulnerable to contact punishment, but with how Cinccino is then forced to use Skill Link, it becomes weaker. On teams that would like an offensive form of entry hazard control, Heavy-Duty Boots + Skill Link can be run on Cinccino alongside U-turn, letting it reliably remove hazards and bring in a wallbreaker for incoming Steel-types. However, the weaker power, along with the fact that there are better hazard removal options generally, causes it to be unused. Tera Blast Fire can be utilized on Cinccino to hit Rocky Helmet Vileplume and Steel-types like Orthworm and Copperajah, which it can have trouble dealing with otherwise, but Tera Blast being a wasted moveslot before Terastallization means that it's generally worse overall.
Checks and Counters
====
**Steel-types**: Orthworm, Registeel, and Copperajah can take all of Cinccino's attacks comfortably and retaliate with a Body Press or powerful Iron Head; on top of that, the latter two can even paralyze and phaze it, respectively. Bronzong can also wall Cinccino and retaliate with Body Press, but it must beware of Knock Off. If any of them set up entry hazards or used Iron Defense as Cinccino came in, they are easily beat one-on-one due to its Encore.
**Contact Punishment**: Pokemon like Flame Body Talonflame, Effect Spore Vileplume, and Static Bellibolt can all cripple Cinccino with a burn, poison, or paralysis, and Rocky Helmet users like the latter two and Galarian Slowbro can chip away heavily at Cinccino if it uses Tail Slap, opening it up to being revenge killed even more easily. However, Cinccino can run Rock Blast to take out Talonflame, Tera Fire to ignore burn attempts, and Knock Off to remove these crippling items.
**Revenge Killers**: Fast Pokemon, such as Inteleon and Kilowattrel, and Choice Scarf users, like Mienshao and Munkidori, outspeed Cinccino and can threaten it with a KO if Cinccino hasn't boosted yet. On top of that, Pokemon with priority like Mach Punch Breloom and First Impression Flygon can revenge kill Cinccino as well. However, for some of these revenge killers, Cinccino can Terastallize into a Ghost-type and use Encore, which then provides it with setup opportunities.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hammer798.641404/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Last edited: