Current Analysis
QC Approval (x3): ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| GP Edit (x2):
Philip7086||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||jc104
remlabmez |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Draco Zephyr
Seven Deadly Sins||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
status: Will upload when everything gets sorted out. Good job Chillarmy
<p>At first glance, one may perceive Torterra to be unsuited for OU play due to its exploitable weaknesses, such as those to common offensive types like Fire and Ice. In fact, one may question Torterra's merits over Metagross, who boasts much higher Attack and Speed stats, resists common priority attacks, and has a sizable movepool to work with, including a powerful Explosion as a last resort option. However, Torterra's Grass / Ground typing grants it a resistance to common moves such as Earthquake and Stone Edge, along with Stealth Rock, allowing it to switch in and out safely on most OU teams. Torterra's typing also grants it an immunity to Thunderbolt, and more importantly, Thunder Wave, something that many Pokemon would kill to have. Offensively, Grass and Ground complement each other very well. Torterra's STAB Earthquake can plow though some of the most common Pokemon in OU, such as Jirachi and Heatran, while its STAB Wood Hammer removes bulkier Pokemon from play, at the cost of some recoil.</p>
<p>Despite its perks, Torterra still has trouble muscling though Skarmory, Forretress, Celebi, and Breloom, all of which are common in the OU metagame. If one plans to use Torterra, be prepared to pack a method of weakening the aforementioned Pokemon, or removing them from play entirely.</p>
[SET]
name: OU Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Wood Hammer
move 4: Return / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p>With Rock Polish, Torterra becomes a potent late-game threat due to its dual STAB moves and above-par Attack stat. After a boost, Torterra's abysmal Speed doubles from 232 to 464, allowing it to outpace and OHKO Choice Scarf Heatran and Rotom-A with the appropriate STAB attack. While Grass and Ground may seem like an odd combination of offensive types, they work very well together. One STAB move KOes bulkier Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Vaporeon, while the other STAB move takes down most of OU's more offensively oriented Pokemon, such as Infernape and Lucario, before they get the chance to OHKO Torterra or nail it for massive damage. That being said, you may find running Leftovers to be a viable choice as well, as it gives Torterra a bit of longevity and heals off the recoil from Wood Hammer, albeit slowly. However, it should be noted that without Life Orb, Torterra loses out on quite a few notable KOs, such as the OHKO on Vaporeon and Choice Scarf Rotom-A after Stealth Rock, as well as the 2HKO on Gliscor.</p>
<p>Max Speed with a Jolly nature places Torterra at 232 Speed, outpacing everything up to and including Adamant Scizor before a Rock Polish, and Pokemon with base 90 Speed holding a Choice Scarf after. Those numbers are important, as many Pokemon in OU try to take advantage of Torterra's low Speed; however, if Speed is of little concern, then an Adamant nature can work as well. With an Adamant nature, Torterra gains the ability to reliably OHKO and 2HKO more Pokemon, such as CroCune, Kingdra, and Blissey, while still maintaining enough Speed to outpace all forms of Heatran. Unfortunately, the boost in power doesn't make much of a difference since Torterra typically cleans up late-game, when the aforementioned Pokemon are normally weakened enough to be KOed regardless of Torterra's nature. With that in mind, Seed Bomb is an alternative option over Wood Hammer if the recoil is unappealing, as it can clean up late-game very nicely once the opposing team is weakened. However, keep in mind that because Grass is mediocre offensively, it's very unlikely that Torterra will need to use Wood Hammer very often. Moreover, Wood Hammer is Torterra's only method of OHKOing Flygon after Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>The final slot's purpose is to hit either Grass- or Flying-types for more damage. Return is highly recommended as most Flying-types in OU are neutered by Stealth Rock, while opposing Grass-types usually have a reliable method of healing themselves (i.e, Leech Seed, Rest, and Recover). Stone Edge, on the other hand, prevents the likes of Togekiss, Zapdos, and Gyarados from forcing Torterra out. Without it, Zapdos and Togekiss would otherwise stall Torterra out with Roost, or OHKO it with Heat Wave and Air Slash, respectively, while Gyarados can use Torterra as set-up fodder thanks to its handy bulk and Intimidate.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Torterra has quite a few other options for the final slot. Crunch is Torterra's best move for hitting Celebi, 3HKOing defensive variants and 2HKOing more offensive variants. Double-Edge may add to the amount of recoil damage that Torterra will take, but it should definitely be considered for the chance of KOing 4 HP / 0 Def Zapdos after two switch-ins to Stealth Rock, as well as OHKOing the standard Breloom after it has taken damage from two layers of Spikes. You also have the option of taking 80 EVs from Speed and delegating them to Torterra's HP for a bit added bulk while still outpacing Choice Scarf Heatran, though despite the investment, there won't be any significant change to the amount of damage that Torterra takes.</p>
<p>This set greatly benefits from residual damage so Torterra can KO Pokemon such as Suicune and Kingdra more reliably. Infernape and Metagross can provide Stealth Rock support from the start while almost always preventing the use of Toxic Spikes from Roserade. Heatran can provide Stealth Rock support outside of the lead position very well, especially when running Shuca Berry, effectively bluffing Choice Scarf. If you plan to use Torterra to clean up for a more defensively oriented team, then Forretress is a great partner. Forretress can spin away entry hazards that constantly plague Torterra, and can potentially open up holes in the opposing team with Explosion. Torterra also appreciates having Skarmory, Forretress, Bronzong, Gyarados, and Celebi out of play or weakened, making checks and lures for the aforementioned Pokemon fantastic partners. Choice Specs Kingdra is an excellent choice due to its STAB Hydro Pump OHKOing Skarmory and Forretress as they switch in attempting to sponge its STAB Waterfall and Outrage. Kingdra's STAB Draco Meteor also dents Grass-types to the point where Torterra can finish them off. Tyranitar is another useful partner for Torterra, as it's tremendously powerful and can feign multiple sets. BaitTar and Choice Band Tyranitar, with Fire Blast and Stone Edge, respectively, are very effective for luring Skarmory, Breloom and Forretress while providing a bit of extra damage with a permanent sandstorm.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Stealth Rock is the key to this set's success; without it, Torterra will miss out on quite a few KOs, and won't be able to combat Flying-types very well. Heatran is very capable of setting up Stealth Rock, and it resists all of Torterra's weaknesses. Heatran is also able to handle Skarmory, Forretress, Scizor, Celebi, and defensive Rotom-A very well, while Torterra can take on the bulky Waters Heatran commonly lures in. Azelf can set up Stealth Rock as well and has the added benefit of preventing Toxic Spikes from being set up with Taunt, a powerful Explosion to punch holes in your opponent's team, and possibly dual screens to buffer Torterra's already usable bulk. A layer or two of Spikes is also very beneficial to Torterra, as it helps weaken the opposing team. Forretress and Skarmory are very potent users of Spikes, but keep in mind that they share a weakness to Fire-type moves with Torterra. Forretress can also spin away Toxic Spikes, and Skarmory can help rack up entry hazard damage with Whirlwind. If one's team has a more offensive pace, then one may want to look into Froslass or Smeargle for setting up Spikes. Both Pokemon can set up Spikes reliably and support Torterra with Destiny Bond and Spore, respectively; Froslass can even block Rapid Spin if it comes down to it.</p>
<p>As far as offensive teammates go, Tyranitar and Kingdra make excellent partners for Torterra. Choice Specs Kingdra can threaten Skarmory and Bronzong with Hydro Pump while deterring Celebi and Breloom with its powerful Draco Meteor. In addition to that, Kingdra often lures in bulky Waters whom Torterra has no problem setting up against. Tyranitar makes an excellent lure for most of Torterra's counters and checks with its Choice Band and mixed sets. Tyranitar also enjoys bulky Waters being out of the picture. Lucario covers Torterra's crippling Ice weakness and has a much easier time sweeping with Swampert, Suicune, and Choice Scarf Rotom-H out of the picture. Substitute Machamp works very well with this set, despite being crippled by Toxic Spikes as well. Machamp has more than enough power to lure out and weaken most of Torterra's checks, and can provide set-up fodder with its 100% accurate Dynamicpunch. Offensive Trick Room Bronzong benefits from the removal of Rotom-H, bulky Waters, and just about any other Pokemon whom Torterra can lure in and beat. Torterra also does very well in Trick Room as it almost always goes first against offensive teams.</p>
<p>When searching for defensive partners, one should look for Pokemon who have excellent type synergy with Torterra, as those Pokemon tend to lure in potential set-up fodder as well. Suicune and Heatran are perfect examples of such Pokemon, since they both cover Torterra's Ice and Fire resistances while luring in Pokemon such as Jolteon and Swampert, giving Torterra more chances to switch in and net a free boost.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Torterra has a wide array of offensive options to choose from, but only a handful actually work. Body Slam allows Torterra to potentially paralyze Choice Scarf Flygon at the cost of a moveslot. Swords Dance can double Torterra's already decent Attack, allowing it to fire off incredibly powerful Earthquakes and Wood Hammers, but Torterra's Speed is incredibly low, so it will be revenge killed very quickly. Superpower is an option to hit Blissey harder and is Torterra's strongest physical attack against Bronzong, but the stat drops make it a much less appealing option.</p>
<p>On the more defensive side, Torterra has access to quite a few support and defensive moves that could potentially work. Leech Seed lets Torterra to heal off damage and abuse entry hazards, but other than boasting an immunity to sandstorm and access to Roar, it's outclassed by other Grass-types in this regard. However, Leech Seed does allow Torterra to heal off residual damage while maintaing its great damage output, so it deserves a mention. Synthesis can work, but the prevalence of sandstorm reduces its usefulness. Since Torterra can force switches somewhat well, Stealth Rock is a viable option if one lacks a reliable user of it. Stockpile is an interesting option, since after a boost, Torterra is capable of surviving even Life Orb Suicune's Ice Beam (assuming 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def with a Careful nature) and can strike back with Wood Hammer. However, it needs a lot of support, such as a Pokemon who can get rid of Toxic Spikes, Wish support, and a cleric. Tickle is another move that Torterra can use in order to force switches, since none of Torterra's common switch-ins enjoy having their Attack and Defense stats dropped a stage. Torterra also has access to both Reflect and Light Screen, giving it quite a bit of added bulk while supporting its team very well.</p>
<p>Torterra has a respectable base 80 Special Attack, but one should only use it if one decides to run Hidden Power Fire for the sole purpose of beating Skarmory, Breloom, and Forretress. Otherwise, Torterra won't do much damage with its special movepool.</p>
<p>There aren't that many alternate EV spreads that Torterra can choose from since Speed is incredibly important; however, if one doesn't fear Choice Scarf users, then an alternate EV spread of 56 HP / 252 Atk / 200 Spe with an Adamant nature is another option for the Rock Polish set. This spread maximizes Torterra's damage output, while placing +2 Torterra above all OU Pokemon not holding a Choice Scarf.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Skarmory can take any attack from Torterra and either hit it hard with STAB Brave Bird or proceed to set up Spikes and phaze Torterra out with Whirlwind. Bronzong walls Torterra outright, and can hit it very hard with Gyro Ball or Explosion. Grass-types in general cause Torterra problems as they resist both of its main STAB attacks. Breloom in particular can set up a Substitute on Torterra if Return isn't present and fire off its incredibly powerful STAB Focus Punch, or put another Pokemon to sleep with Spore. Forretress can take a few hits from Torterra and either spin away its entry hazards, set up its own, hit Torterra hard with its STAB Gyro Ball, or Explode.</p>
<p>After a boost, Torterra can still be revenge killed by Jolly Choice Scarf Flygon and Jirachi, though the former can't hit Torterra hard without locking itself into Outrage or running Fire Blast. Flying-types such as Zapdos, Dragonite, and Togekiss must be wary of Stone Edge, but they otherwise check Torterra well with their respective super effective attacks. Gyarados can safely switch into Earthquake or Rock Polish and threaten Torterra with Ice Fang or Bounce, or set up on Torterra thanks to Intimidate. While defensive Rotom-H can't switch into Wood Hammer or Stone Edge without risking the chance of being 2HKOed, it can switch into Rock Polish or Earthquake safely and either burn Torterra or deliver a fatal blow with Overheat. Scizor can't switch into Earthquake or Stone Edge, but it can deal massive damage with a Choice Band-boosted Bullet Punch or U-turn.</p>
<p>When attempting to check Torterra, one should take advantage of its low Speed and its typing. If you can prevent Torterra from setting up a Rock Polish, it becomes significantly easier to check due to the number of moves that can spell its doom.</p>
