Governess
A Beautiful Blossom Waiting to Bloom
To-Do List
0. Get this analysis in skeleton form. [✓]
I. Fix any errors pertaining to the content / set(s) of the analysis. [✓]
II. Receive two QC Checks, fixing any mistakes along the way. [✓]
III. Fully write out the analysis after the 2nd QC Check. [✓]
IV. Receive the final QC Check when the written work has been looked over. [✓]
V. Correct any obvious grammar-prose mistakes before handing it to GP. [✓]
VI. Receive two GP Checks, and have this analysis on-site. [✓]
[Overview]
<p>With very few viable Rapid Spin users left in NU, Torkoal stands out from the rest with its balance of offensive and support roles. Boasting a fantastic base 140 Defense, Torkoal can effectively run a tank set, which makes it unique among the Fire-types in NU. It is also the best offensively-oriented Rapid Spin user in NU, as Shell Smash allows it to act as an offensive threat. However, Torkoal's lack of recovery—and the disadvantage of being outsped and KOed by many offensive Pokemon—can really limit its usefulness on the field.</p>
[SET]
name: Tank
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Lava Plume
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Yawn
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes the defensive route in providing Rapid Spin support for the team. It works well on defensive and stall teams. Physical attackers have difficulty getting past Torkoal; Sawk and Swords Dance Samurott can only 2HKO it, and Kangaskhan only manages to 3HKO. Rapid Spin is the main reason to use this set, as it offers entry hazard relief to the team. Lava Plume is Torkoal's STAB move for this set, offering a 30% chance to burn the opponent. With Stealth Rock, Torkoal can support the team even further, laying entry hazards for its team to weaken the adversary. Finally, Yawn is a great way to force switches and put Ghost-type Pokemon in a bad position if used correctly.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>248 HP EVs allow Torkoal to switch into Stealth Rock four times at full HP. Because Torkoal lacks a reliable source of recovery, Leftovers is the recommended item in order for Torkoal to last longer in the match. As bulky as Torkoal is, critical hits can still break through its defenses; Shell Armor allows Torkoal to avoid these.</p>
<p>An EV spread of 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature could be used if you would rather strengthen Torkoal's Special Defense, but it is still easy to break through with special attacks regardless. A stronger Fire-type attack, most notably Flamethrower, could be used in place of Lava Plume, but the 30% burn chance Lava Plume offers often overshadows the increase in Base Power. Protect is an option in the final moveslot to scout the opponent and stall for burn damage from Lava Plume. Will-O-Wisp is also an option if you really want to guarantee Torkoal burns the opponent. Toxic can be considered to cripple Pokemom that doesn't mind getting burned, such as Musharna and Ludicolo. Hidden Power Grass is also an alternative to prevent Carracosta from using Torkoal as setup fodder on stall teams, but that's all it really offers. Finally, Rest is a great choice to give Torkoal a form of recovery, but it should only be used with a cleric or Chesto Berry to wake up Torkoal immediately.</p>
<p>Torkoal has difficulties dealing with Ghost-types with this set, so good partners would be Pokemon that can take care of them. Skuntank in particular does well against these threats and can Pursuit trap them, giving Torkoal a chance to use Rapid Spin. If Torkoal is hit by Toxic, it is easily worn down and defeated. Clerics such as Misdreavus, Vileplume, Audino, and Lickilicky are great selections to prevent this from happening. Because Torkoal's mediocre Special Defense is usually targeted by opponents, partners that can tank special attacks work well with Torkoal; Lickilicky and Audino are examples of such. Water-types are also a challenging adversary for Torkoal, so partners that can deal with them, such as Roselia, Regice, and Zweilous, are recommended. Torkoal lacks a reliable source of recovery, so Pokemon that can offer Wish support, such as Alomomola, are great to use alongside it.</p>
[SET]
name: Smashkoal
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earth Power / Hidden Power Grass
item: White Herb
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Shell Smash allows Torkoal to nail every spinblocker in NU; it even gives Torkoal the opportunity to OHKO Misdreavus with Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage. Because of Torkoal's ability to deal with spinblockers, it has many opportunities to use Rapid Spin to remove any entry hazards from its side. While its physical bulk is high, Torkoal still has difficulty setting up on Pokemon such as Choice Band Kangaskhan, Primeape, Sawk, and Tauros, so it would need to set up on either an offensively weak Pokemon or on a predicted switch. Shell Smash's stat drop can be troublesome, but White Herb fixes that, allowing Torkoal to take hits much more easily.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is Torkoal's STAB move, and it can OHKO Eviolite Roselia and 2HKO Lickilicky and Mandibuzz after a Shell Smash. The final move of the set depends on what threat you want to cover. Hidden Power Grass allows Torkoal to OHKO Golurk and Carracosta, nearly OHKO Seismitoad, and 2HKO Alomomola after a Shell Smash. However, Earth Power allows Torkoal to deal with opposing Fire-types, such as Flareon and Rapidash.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Timid nature allows Torkoal to outspeed positive-natured base 85 Pokemon and below after a Shell Smash, which includes Pinsir, Sawk, Braviary, Gardevoir, Adamant Kangaskhan, and Mandibuzz. On the other hand, a Modest nature offers more power to Torkoal. With Shell Armor, Torkoal avoids any dreaded critical hits that could unexpectedly KO it. Life Orb is an option if more power is preferred, but because Torkoal will be worn down even faster, it is not recommended.</p>
<p>The main goal of the set is to use offensive force to find opportunities to use Rapid Spin, so not many partners are required. Pokemon that appreciate Rapid Spin support, such as Charizard, Rotom-S, and Swellow, are good partners to use alongside Torkoal. If Torkoal is hit by Toxic, it will be worn down much more quickly; clerics such as Flareon and Lickilicky, which also offer Wish support, are good options to help prevent this.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Torkoal has many alternative moves in its arsenal, but very few can be used effectively. Eruption is an option, as it is very powerful at full HP, but Torkoal is too slow to fully take advantage of the move. Overheat is also a powerful STAB move option, but Torkoal has to switch out to recover from the Special Attack drop, which loses momentum for its team. Heat Wave and Flamethrower are other STAB moves to consider if better accuracy or higher power is wanted, but they are notably weaker than Fire Blast and don't provide the good burn chance of Lava Plume. A Curse set with Gyro Ball, Stone Edge, and Earthquake is plausible, but Torkoal doesn't have a viable physical STAB move. Amnesia could be used to remedy Torkoal's low Special Defense, but Torkoal is still a bit frail in that area even after a boost. Sunny Day support is a great option, as Torkoal can offer Rapid Spin support to its teammates and use boosted Fire-type attacks in the sun, and SolarBeam would be a beneficial move to use. White Smoke could be used if stat drops are bothersome. However, stat-dropping moves aren't very common in NU. Finally, Clear Smog is a great way to deal with setup sweepers, but many of them will KO Torkoal before it can use the move.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Targeting Torkoal's lower Special Defense is one of the easier ways to defeat it, so specially offensive Pokemon, such as Gardevoir, Gorebyss, and special Samurott, can dispose of it fairly quickly. Wearing Torkoal down with Toxic or Toxic Spikes is also an effective tactic, as it has no reliable recovery, so Pokemon such as Garbodor are good to use against Torkoal.</p>
<p>There are also many Pokemon that can wall Torkoal with ease. Mantine in particular can tank any attack from any set and defeat Torkoal with its STAB moves. Altaria and Camerupt, while uncommon, can counter Torkoal very easily by tanking all of its attacks and retaliating. Specially defensive Dragonair can also tank Torkoal's attacks easily and set up against it. Most bulky Rock-types, such as Golem and Gigalith, can take Torkoal's attacks and KO in return, but they must watch for a burn from Lava Plume or a boosted Earth Power or Hidden Power Grass. Depending on what move is in the final moveslot of the offensive set, either Frillish (if Earth Power is used) or Lampent (if Hidden Power Grass is used) can check Torkoal well. While Misdreavus can be OHKOed by Torkoal after a Shell Smash boost, it has Taunt to shut defensive Torkoal down and prevent Rapid Spin, only fearing a predicted Yawn. Torkoal can be offensively threatening if it sets up Shell Smash, while Yawn can make opponents battle with caution against the defensive set, but if you can prevent or avoid the two, Torkoal is easy to wear down and take out.</p>
[Overview]
[/U]
name: Tank
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Lava Plume
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Yawn
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
name: SMASHKOAL
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earth Power / Hidden Power Grass
item: White Herb
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[/U]
- Runs a great defensive set, as it has a fantastic base 140 Defense.
- It's also offensive-oriented Rapid Spin user in NU, as Shell Smash allows Torkoal to act as an offensive threat as well.
- Has a balance between support and offensive moves.
- Besides Rapid Spin support, Torkoal can also set up Stealth Rock for its teammates.
- Bad defensive typing, however, as it is weak to common Water-, Rock-, and Ground-type attacks.
- Lack of recovery means it can be worn down quickly.
- Even with Shell Smash, Torkoal is still very slow.
- Torkoal can still be outsped and 2HKOed by many offensive Pokemon, making it difficult to set up on them.
name: Tank
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Lava Plume
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Yawn
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
- This set takes the defensive route in granting Rapid Spin support to the team.
- Much harder for physical attackers to get past (Kangaskan can only 3HKO, and Sawk and SD Samurott can only 2HKO).
- Works well on defensive and stall teams.
- Rapid Spin - main reason to use this set, as it offers entry hazard relief to the team.
- Lava Plume - STAB move of choice, as it has a 30% to burn the opponent.
- Stealth Rock - not only can it use Rapid Spin, but it can lay entry hazards for its team as well to weaken the adversary.
- Yawn - great way to force switches and put Ghost-type Pokemon in stalemate if used correctly. Not recommended on stall teams, though.
- 248 HP EVs allow Torkoal to switch into SR 4 times at full HP, the rest are to bulk Torkoal up in its Defense.
- Leftovers - this is one of the only sources of recovery Torkoal can get so it lasts longer on the field.
- Shell Armor - allows Torkoal to avoid critical hits, which can cripple a wall.
- An EV spread of 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature could be used if Special Defense is preferred over Torkoal's Defense, but it would still be subpar.
- A stronger Fire-type attack (Flamethrower) could be used in place of Lava Plume, but the 30% burn chance it offers often overlooks the power.
- Protect could be used in the last moveslot to scout the opponent and stall out burns from Lava Plume.
- Will-O-Wisp could also be an option if you really want Torkoal to guarantee burns onto the opponent instead relying on Lava Plume.
- Toxic - can cripple things that doesn't really mind a burn, such as Musharna and Ludicolo.
- HP Grass is also an alternative to prevent Carracosta from using Torkoal as setup fodder on stall teams, but it doesn't offer much else.
- Rest - great choice to offer some sort of recovery, but a cleric or Chesto Berry should be used to wake up Torkoal immediately.
- Torkoal has much more difficulties dealing with Ghost-types with this set, so good partners would be Pokemon who can take care of them. Skuntank in particular do well against them and can Pursuit trap them, giving Torkoal a chance to use Rapid Spin.
- If it gets hit by Toxic, Torkoal is easily worn down, making it easier for the opponent to defeat. Clerics such as Misdreavus, Vileplume (who can handle Water-types), and Lickilicky, who also offer Wish support, are good options.
- Since Torkoal lacks special bulk, partners who have that bulk work well with Torkoal. Lickilicky and Audino (latter can also offer Heal Bell support) already offers great utility to Torkoal while having great special bulk, so it is a good example of that.
- Roselia, Regice, and Zweilous are also great partners because they can handle Water-type Pokemon.
- Alomomola can also offer Wish support to Torkoal, as well as handle Rock-types that Torkoal cannot wall, such as Golem.
name: SMASHKOAL
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Earth Power / Hidden Power Grass
item: White Herb
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Shell Smash allows Torkoal to nail every spinblocker in NU; it even has a possibility to OHKO Misdreavus after SR damage with Fire Blast.
- While its physical bulk is high, Torkoal still has difficulty setting up on Pokemon such as Choice Band Kangaskhan, Primeape, Sawk, and Tauros, so Torkoal would need to set up on either a physically weak Pokemon or on a predicted switch.
- Shell Smash's defensive drop can be troublesome, but a White Herb fixes that, allowing Torkoal to take hits better.
- Because of Torkoal's ability to deal with spinblockers in this set, it will have many opportunities to use Rapin Spin to remove any entry hazards from your team's side.
- Fire Blast - Torkoal's STAB move, and it can OHKO Eviolite Roselia and 2HKO Lickilicky and Mandibuzz after Shell Smash.
- The choice of the final moveslot depends on what threat you want to cover; Hidden Power Grass allows Torkoal to OHKO Golurk, Tank Carracosta, nearly OHKO Seismitoad and 2HKO Alomomola after a Shell Smash. However, Earth Power allows Torkoal to deal with opposing Fire-types, such as Flareon and Rapidash.
- A Timid nature allows Torkoal to outspeed positive-natured base 85 Pokemon and below after Shell Smash, which includes Pinsir, Sawk, non-Choice Scarf Braviary and Gardevoir, and Mandibuzz. It also allows Torkoal to outspeed all-out attacker Kangaskhan. On the other hand, a Modest nature offers more power to Torkoal.
- Shell Armor - avoids any dreaded critical hits that could accidentally KO Torkoal, but White Smoke could be used if you don't want the opponent to inflict stat drops on Torkoal. However, Defense-dropping moves aren't very common in NU.
- Life Orb is an option if more power is wanted, but since Torkoal will be worn down even faster, it is not recommended.
- Main goal is to use offensive force to set up Rapid Spin, so not many partners are required for it.
- Since this set is to mainly offer Rapid Spin support, Pokemon that appreciate it, such as Charizard, Rotom-S, and Swellow, are good partners to use alongside it.
- If it gets hit by Toxic, Torkoal is easily worn down, making it easier for the opponent to defeat. Clerics such as Flareon and Lickilicky, who also offer Wish support, are good options.
- Eruption - very powerful at full HP, but it's too slow to fully take advantage of the move.
- Overheat - powerful STAB move option, but Torkoal has to switch out to recover from the SpA recoil, which loses momentum for its team.
- Heat Wave / Flamethrower is also an option for STAB for better accuracy, but they are notably weaker than Fire Blast.
- Curse set - has Gyro Ball, Stone Edge, and EQ to utilize it, but not a viable physical STAB move.
- Amnesia - could remedy Torkoal's low SpD, but it can still be forced out of the field easily.
- Sunny Day support - it can not only offer that + Rapid Spin, but its own Fire-type attacks get boosted in the sun as well. (along with being able to use SolarBeam)
- Clear Smog - great way to deal with setup sweepers, but many of them will KO Torkoal before it can use Clear Smog.
- Specially offensive Pokemon in general (Gardevoir, Gorebyss, special attacker Samurott, etc) can dispose of Torkoal easily, targeting its saddening Special Defense.
- Mantine - can take on both sets and KO Torkoal with its STAB moves.
- Altaria and Camerupt, while not common, can counter Torkoal very easily by taking any of its attacks and retaliating. Specially defensive Dragonair can tank Torkoal's attacks as well.
- Toxic / Toxic Spikes wear Torkoal down, as it has no reliable recovery, so Pokemon such as Garbodor and Alomomola are good to use against Torkoal.
- Frillish and Lampent - depending on what move SMASHKOAL is using in the final moveslot, one of them can check that set very well.
- Most bulky Rock-types, such as Golem and Gigalith, can take Torkoal's attacks and KO in return, but they must watch for a burn from Lava Plume.
- While Misdreavus can be KOed by Smashkoal, it has Taunt to shut defensive Torkoal down and prevent Rapid Spin, only fearing a predicted Yawn.
- Torkoal can be offensively threatening if it sets up Shell Smash, and Yawn can make opponents battle with caution in the defensive, but if you can prevent / avoid the two, Torkoal is easy to wear down and take out.
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