**Draft Order**: Round 7 onwards
**Price Range**: 2-3 points
**Overview**: Thwackey is a very strong budget Grass-type. For just a couple of points, it effectively takes Water- and Ground-type attacks, provides Terrain support, and packs strong priority. Many Unburden Pokemon appreciate Terrain, and a lot of Pokemon generally just appreciate the Grassy Terrain recovery. However, Thwackey can't do all of this at once. Its middling base stats force it to invest in any stats it wants to properly use. Also, it suffers the same issues of many other cheap Grass-types with plenty of weaknesses.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Pivot**: Thwackey can utilize strong support moves like Leech Seed and U-turn to pivot into foes that it resists, setting Grassy Terrain in the process to support its teammates. It can serve as a defensive pivot or even a fast pivot with Choice Scarf.
**Wallbreaker**: Thwackey can utilize Terrain to get the boost it needs to wallbreak. Grassy Terrain, a damage-boosting item, and setup can all help it threaten good damage, and Grassy Glide can help pick foes off and get off an extra hit before going down.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Grassy Glide, Wood Hammer
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: U-turn, Leech Seed, Taunt, Substitute
**Coverage**: Knock Off, Drain Punch, Low Kick, Acrobatics
Niche Moves
========
**Endeavor**: Endeavor is a decent option to land a surprising amount of damage against foes that resist Thwackey's attacks. Its middling HP stat helps it do more damage a lot of the time as well. It can usually tank a hit with an Eviolite, allowing it to use Endeavor more often.
Common Items
========
**Eviolite**: Any defensive Thwackey set should pretty much always run Eviolite. The boost in its defenses is essential to its pivoting, giving it significant bulk. Offensive sets such as Swords Dance can also utilize Eviolite to set up more effectively.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band gives Thwackey respectable damage as a wallbreaker, and the damage boosting is often necessary for Grassy Glide to net revenge kills.
Niche Items
========
**Damage-boosting items**: Items such as Life Orb and Miracle Seed can be used on wallbreaking sets if both damage boosting and switching moves is needed.
**Grassy Seed**: Grassy Seed is primarily useful when paired with Acrobatics or if Knock Off is anticipated. Otherwise, Eviolite is much more consistent.
**Terrain Extender**: Terrain Extender can be useful if a team is very reliant on Terrain. It gives bulky teammates further recovery and Unburden users more time to hit the field.
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf allows Thwackey to serve as a fast pivot and potentially revenge kill foes with Wood Hammer and other coverage moves.
Tera
========
Thwackey does not need Tera nearly as much as its teammates. It should only be considered as a Tera Captain when paired with a high-price Captain and when options for a second Captain are limited. If this is the case, it should often use Tera Grass to boost its Grass-type moves even further. Offensive types may include Tera Fire, Rock, and Electric to let Thwackey hit foes that normally wall it. Defensive types may include Water, Ghost, and Fairy to give it a better defensive typing. Keep in mind that even if it is a Tera Captain, it does not Terastallize often, since it is usually paired with a more expensive primary Tera Captain.
Draft Strategy
========
Thwackey is primarily drafted for its ability to set Grassy Terrain and pivot out for a very cheap price. It also fills the role of a defensive Grass-type, but the Terrain is what makes it significantly better than other options. Its strong priority is also a selling point on teams that want one more revenge killing option late into the draft.
**Unburden Sweepers**: Terrain is often essential for Unburden sweepers to get their Speed boost late-game to sweep. Pokemon such as Sneasler, Hawlucha, and Drifblim all deeply appreciate the Terrain provided by Thwackey.
**Calm Mind Sweepers**: Calm Mind sweepers often appreciate the ability to get an immediate Defense boost with a Grassy Seed as well as the recovery that follows. Pokemon such as Terapagos, Necrozma, and Ursaluna-B all appreciate the Terrain support.
**Bulky Pokemon Without Recovery**: Grassy Terrain is useful in giving teammates without recovery more longevity, including Iron Hands, Raging Bolt, and Archaludon.
Checks and Counters
========
**Flying-types**: The most notable type that Thwackey struggles with is Flying, since it has no way to reliably hit most of them. Many also get U-turn, often shifting the momentum in the opponent's favor. Pokemon such as Tornadus-T, Corviknight, and Mandibuzz are all easily able to take advantage of Thwackey in this way.
**Other Bulky Grass-resistant Pokemon**: Thwackey often has trouble with the many other types that resist Grass due to its lack of damage outside of its STAB moves. They force it to run specific coverage, which often doesn't deal enough damage, and they can easily maintain positive momentum against it. Pokemon such as Gholdengo, Galarian Slowking, and Gouging Fire are all excellent counters.
**Bulky Wallbreakers**: Given its middling base stats, Thwackey often has trouble with high-base stat foes that take its hits well and can easily revenge kill. Pokemon such as Gouging Fire, Baxcalibur, and Iron Hands are all excellent checks for this reason.
**Adverse Contact Effects**: Foes with abilities that trigger on contact moves such as Static and Flame Body are very annoying for Thwackey. Also, if it wants to be using Wood Hammer repeatedly, it becomes very limited by statuses that slow it down or damage it over time. Pokemon such as Zapdos, Moltres, and Talonflame can all annoy Thwackey. Also, most bulky Pokemon can run Rocky Helmet to achieve a similar result.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/streetcredcookie.304744/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Price Range**: 2-3 points
**Overview**: Thwackey is a very strong budget Grass-type. For just a couple of points, it effectively takes Water- and Ground-type attacks, provides Terrain support, and packs strong priority. Many Unburden Pokemon appreciate Terrain, and a lot of Pokemon generally just appreciate the Grassy Terrain recovery. However, Thwackey can't do all of this at once. Its middling base stats force it to invest in any stats it wants to properly use. Also, it suffers the same issues of many other cheap Grass-types with plenty of weaknesses.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Pivot**: Thwackey can utilize strong support moves like Leech Seed and U-turn to pivot into foes that it resists, setting Grassy Terrain in the process to support its teammates. It can serve as a defensive pivot or even a fast pivot with Choice Scarf.
**Wallbreaker**: Thwackey can utilize Terrain to get the boost it needs to wallbreak. Grassy Terrain, a damage-boosting item, and setup can all help it threaten good damage, and Grassy Glide can help pick foes off and get off an extra hit before going down.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Grassy Glide, Wood Hammer
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: U-turn, Leech Seed, Taunt, Substitute
**Coverage**: Knock Off, Drain Punch, Low Kick, Acrobatics
Niche Moves
========
**Endeavor**: Endeavor is a decent option to land a surprising amount of damage against foes that resist Thwackey's attacks. Its middling HP stat helps it do more damage a lot of the time as well. It can usually tank a hit with an Eviolite, allowing it to use Endeavor more often.
Common Items
========
**Eviolite**: Any defensive Thwackey set should pretty much always run Eviolite. The boost in its defenses is essential to its pivoting, giving it significant bulk. Offensive sets such as Swords Dance can also utilize Eviolite to set up more effectively.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band gives Thwackey respectable damage as a wallbreaker, and the damage boosting is often necessary for Grassy Glide to net revenge kills.
Niche Items
========
**Damage-boosting items**: Items such as Life Orb and Miracle Seed can be used on wallbreaking sets if both damage boosting and switching moves is needed.
**Grassy Seed**: Grassy Seed is primarily useful when paired with Acrobatics or if Knock Off is anticipated. Otherwise, Eviolite is much more consistent.
**Terrain Extender**: Terrain Extender can be useful if a team is very reliant on Terrain. It gives bulky teammates further recovery and Unburden users more time to hit the field.
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf allows Thwackey to serve as a fast pivot and potentially revenge kill foes with Wood Hammer and other coverage moves.
Tera
========
Thwackey does not need Tera nearly as much as its teammates. It should only be considered as a Tera Captain when paired with a high-price Captain and when options for a second Captain are limited. If this is the case, it should often use Tera Grass to boost its Grass-type moves even further. Offensive types may include Tera Fire, Rock, and Electric to let Thwackey hit foes that normally wall it. Defensive types may include Water, Ghost, and Fairy to give it a better defensive typing. Keep in mind that even if it is a Tera Captain, it does not Terastallize often, since it is usually paired with a more expensive primary Tera Captain.
Draft Strategy
========
Thwackey is primarily drafted for its ability to set Grassy Terrain and pivot out for a very cheap price. It also fills the role of a defensive Grass-type, but the Terrain is what makes it significantly better than other options. Its strong priority is also a selling point on teams that want one more revenge killing option late into the draft.
**Unburden Sweepers**: Terrain is often essential for Unburden sweepers to get their Speed boost late-game to sweep. Pokemon such as Sneasler, Hawlucha, and Drifblim all deeply appreciate the Terrain provided by Thwackey.
**Calm Mind Sweepers**: Calm Mind sweepers often appreciate the ability to get an immediate Defense boost with a Grassy Seed as well as the recovery that follows. Pokemon such as Terapagos, Necrozma, and Ursaluna-B all appreciate the Terrain support.
**Bulky Pokemon Without Recovery**: Grassy Terrain is useful in giving teammates without recovery more longevity, including Iron Hands, Raging Bolt, and Archaludon.
Checks and Counters
========
**Flying-types**: The most notable type that Thwackey struggles with is Flying, since it has no way to reliably hit most of them. Many also get U-turn, often shifting the momentum in the opponent's favor. Pokemon such as Tornadus-T, Corviknight, and Mandibuzz are all easily able to take advantage of Thwackey in this way.
**Other Bulky Grass-resistant Pokemon**: Thwackey often has trouble with the many other types that resist Grass due to its lack of damage outside of its STAB moves. They force it to run specific coverage, which often doesn't deal enough damage, and they can easily maintain positive momentum against it. Pokemon such as Gholdengo, Galarian Slowking, and Gouging Fire are all excellent counters.
**Bulky Wallbreakers**: Given its middling base stats, Thwackey often has trouble with high-base stat foes that take its hits well and can easily revenge kill. Pokemon such as Gouging Fire, Baxcalibur, and Iron Hands are all excellent checks for this reason.
**Adverse Contact Effects**: Foes with abilities that trigger on contact moves such as Static and Flame Body are very annoying for Thwackey. Also, if it wants to be using Wood Hammer repeatedly, it becomes very limited by statuses that slow it down or damage it over time. Pokemon such as Zapdos, Moltres, and Talonflame can all annoy Thwackey. Also, most bulky Pokemon can run Rocky Helmet to achieve a similar result.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/streetcredcookie.304744/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
