[OVERVIEW]
Torkoal is a solid weather setter in the RU metagame, using its great physical bulk and utility to establish sun and provide entry hazard control for its typically frail teammates. While it competes directly with Ninetales for the role of sun setter, Torkoal carves out a niche because of its access to both Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin, providing great role compression and allowing sun teams to stack more offensive options like Hisuian Lilligant, Slither Wing, and Venusaur. It can also leverage its great Defense stat to use the powerful Fighting-type attack Body Press, which threatens the most common spinner in the metagame in Cyclizar. While Torkoal is quite bulky physically, it does struggle to tank many special attacks, with common Choice Specs wallbreakers like Basculegion-F, Hisuian Goodra, and Hisuian Zoroark all threatening OHKOs, which can make it difficult to reliably establish and maintain hazards.
[SET]
name: Sun Support
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Lava Plume
move 3: Body Press
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Heat Rock
ability: Drought
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
tera type: Ghost
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Torkoal can function as the primary Stealth Rock user on sun teams because of its immense physical bulk, allowing it to establish entry hazards while sponging attacks for its teammates. Lava Plume is used to potentially spread burns, which can help whittle specially defensive walls like Fezandipiti and Hisuian Goodra down and cripple physical attackers like Rhyperior and Hippowdon. Body Press uses Torkoal's enormous Defense stat to nail Cyclizar, Empoleon, and Hisuian Goodra. Heat Rock is used to extend the duration of sun, though it does make Torkoal susceptible to hazard chip damage. Tera Ghost is used to spinblock against Cyclizar in an emergency and provide an immunity to Fighting-type attacks from Choice-locked Galarian Zapdos and Terrakion.
While Torkoal is often found on sun teams, it can also fit on bulky offense teams that want to maximize the output of another great sun team member, Slither Wing. Slither Wing is an especially valuable teammate, using sun to active Protosynthesis and improve the recovery granted by Morning Sun, making offensive pivot sets quite effective at wallbreaking and pivoting. Offensive Chlorophyll Pokemon, like Hisuian Lilligant and Venusaur can enter the field and provide immediate wallbreaking power while also having the potential to snowball as setup sweepers. Other defensive partners like Eject Button Amoonguss and Slowbro can be used to provide safe pivots into these offensive teammates, maximizing the amount of sun turns while using Regenerator to recover the damage taken. Bulky offense teammates that can use the sun to their advantage include Armarouge and Volcanion, which can threaten massive damage while sun is active, as both are comfortably able to 2HKO even Fire-resistant Pokemon like Noivern and Talonflame.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Torkoal can use Solar Beam to nail Water-types like Basculegion-F and Slowbro. Earth Power lets Torkoal hit opposing Torkoal and Volcanion super effectively. Will-O-Wisp can catch physical setup sweepers like Gyarados and Mimikyu by surprise. Choice Specs Eruption sets can fit on Trick Room teams, blowing through would-be checks like Cyclizar and Slowbro with Tera Fire, though Trick Room teams are not a reliable playstyle in this tier. Torkoal can opt to use Shell Smash in conjunction with an Eject Pack, allowing Copycat users like Espeon to secure an enormous boost.
Checks and Counters
====
**Opposing Weather**: Hippowdon is inarguably the best weather setter in the tier and can effectively switch into and threaten Torkoal. Politoed rain can also outmuscle Torkoal with its strong team members like Basculegion-F and Kilowattrel.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Despite sponging physical attacks comfortably, Torkoal is threatened by nearly every special wallbreaker in the tier, such as Gengar, Hisuian Goodra, Hisuian Zoroark, and Salamence.
**Water-types**: Gyarados, Slowbro, and Volcanion can comfortably sponge non-Solar Beam attacks from Torkoal. Empoleon can threaten Knock Off to remove Heat Rock and Surf that is still threatening under sun. Substitute + Calm Mind Suicune can use Torkoal as setup fodder with ease, burning sun turns in the process.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/feen.231398/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sir-tetris.655207/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Torkoal is a solid weather setter in the RU metagame, using its great physical bulk and utility to establish sun and provide entry hazard control for its typically frail teammates. While it competes directly with Ninetales for the role of sun setter, Torkoal carves out a niche because of its access to both Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin, providing great role compression and allowing sun teams to stack more offensive options like Hisuian Lilligant, Slither Wing, and Venusaur. It can also leverage its great Defense stat to use the powerful Fighting-type attack Body Press, which threatens the most common spinner in the metagame in Cyclizar. While Torkoal is quite bulky physically, it does struggle to tank many special attacks, with common Choice Specs wallbreakers like Basculegion-F, Hisuian Goodra, and Hisuian Zoroark all threatening OHKOs, which can make it difficult to reliably establish and maintain hazards.
[SET]
name: Sun Support
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Lava Plume
move 3: Body Press
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Heat Rock
ability: Drought
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
tera type: Ghost
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Torkoal can function as the primary Stealth Rock user on sun teams because of its immense physical bulk, allowing it to establish entry hazards while sponging attacks for its teammates. Lava Plume is used to potentially spread burns, which can help whittle specially defensive walls like Fezandipiti and Hisuian Goodra down and cripple physical attackers like Rhyperior and Hippowdon. Body Press uses Torkoal's enormous Defense stat to nail Cyclizar, Empoleon, and Hisuian Goodra. Heat Rock is used to extend the duration of sun, though it does make Torkoal susceptible to hazard chip damage. Tera Ghost is used to spinblock against Cyclizar in an emergency and provide an immunity to Fighting-type attacks from Choice-locked Galarian Zapdos and Terrakion.
While Torkoal is often found on sun teams, it can also fit on bulky offense teams that want to maximize the output of another great sun team member, Slither Wing. Slither Wing is an especially valuable teammate, using sun to active Protosynthesis and improve the recovery granted by Morning Sun, making offensive pivot sets quite effective at wallbreaking and pivoting. Offensive Chlorophyll Pokemon, like Hisuian Lilligant and Venusaur can enter the field and provide immediate wallbreaking power while also having the potential to snowball as setup sweepers. Other defensive partners like Eject Button Amoonguss and Slowbro can be used to provide safe pivots into these offensive teammates, maximizing the amount of sun turns while using Regenerator to recover the damage taken. Bulky offense teammates that can use the sun to their advantage include Armarouge and Volcanion, which can threaten massive damage while sun is active, as both are comfortably able to 2HKO even Fire-resistant Pokemon like Noivern and Talonflame.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Torkoal can use Solar Beam to nail Water-types like Basculegion-F and Slowbro. Earth Power lets Torkoal hit opposing Torkoal and Volcanion super effectively. Will-O-Wisp can catch physical setup sweepers like Gyarados and Mimikyu by surprise. Choice Specs Eruption sets can fit on Trick Room teams, blowing through would-be checks like Cyclizar and Slowbro with Tera Fire, though Trick Room teams are not a reliable playstyle in this tier. Torkoal can opt to use Shell Smash in conjunction with an Eject Pack, allowing Copycat users like Espeon to secure an enormous boost.
Checks and Counters
====
**Opposing Weather**: Hippowdon is inarguably the best weather setter in the tier and can effectively switch into and threaten Torkoal. Politoed rain can also outmuscle Torkoal with its strong team members like Basculegion-F and Kilowattrel.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Despite sponging physical attacks comfortably, Torkoal is threatened by nearly every special wallbreaker in the tier, such as Gengar, Hisuian Goodra, Hisuian Zoroark, and Salamence.
**Water-types**: Gyarados, Slowbro, and Volcanion can comfortably sponge non-Solar Beam attacks from Torkoal. Empoleon can threaten Knock Off to remove Heat Rock and Surf that is still threatening under sun. Substitute + Calm Mind Suicune can use Torkoal as setup fodder with ease, burning sun turns in the process.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/feen.231398/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sir-tetris.655207/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
