[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 5-6 points
**Overview**: Ursaring is a uniquely strong and flexible low-tier Pokemon due to its combination of incredible Eviolite-boosted bulk and natural strength. It can be used to check nearly any Pokemon in the meta, as it easily endures non-Fighting-type attacks and possesses wide coverage to pair with its high Attack. Ursaring can also leverage its power and bulk to serve as a capable sweeper or use Guts or Quick Feet to become a strong wallbreaking option. Despite all of these strengths, minimal utility, a lack of reliable recovery, and its Normal typing generally being a luxury cause Ursaring to be a budget pick.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Eviolite Wall**: Ursaring can use its sheer bulk to serve as either a physical or special wall to check nearly any particular foe. It can tailor its coverage to the Pokemon it is aiming to check and threaten the rest of the opposing team enough, as it still has quite naturally high Attack. These sets can also serve as an effective status spreader, as Body Slam is almost always the STAB attack of choice, and Yawn is often used to force switches or inflict sleep. Ursaring's lack of reliable recovery frequently forces you to choose whether it may bring its utility options or if it would like Rest and Sleep Talk to try and stick around.
**Wallbreaker**: Ursaring can focus more on its brute strength to weaken opposing teams for late-game cleaners and sweepers. These sets often forgo Eviolite for a Flame Orb or Toxic Orb to activate one of its abilities, making it incredibly powerful or surprisingly fast while boosting a strong STAB Facade. In some circumstances, these sets can employ the use of setup with Swords Dance as well to become even more threatening.
**Bulky Setup Sweeper**: Ursaring can use Eviolite and Bulk Up to become a strong threat that is difficult to remove. These sets often use Rest and Sleep Talk for longevity and choose one attack from its excellent coverage pool that can hit the entire opposing team.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Body Slam, Facade, Double-Edge
**Setup Moves**: Bulk Up, Swords Dance, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Yawn, Rest, Sleep Talk, Taunt, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Close Combat, Gunk Shot, Low Kick, Play Rough, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Crunch, Throat Chop, Payback, Thunder Punch, Seed Bomb, Avalanche, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Shadow Claw
Niche Moves
========
**Counter**: Ursaring can use its physical bulk to survive nearly any one hit and trade with a foe through the use of Counter.
**High Horsepower**: Although Earthquake is almost strictly better, High Horsepower has a niche when used in Grassy Terrain.
**Rock Tomb / Bulldoze**: Rock Tomb and Bulldoze can be used as speed control options to prevent a foe from getting out of hand.
**Charm / Baby-Doll Eyes**: Ursaring can use either of Charm or Baby-Doll Eyes to weaken a threatening physical foe. Although Charm is more impactful, Baby-Doll Eyes can allow it to go before the foe and lower its Attack, which can be invaluable against sweepers in a pinch.
Common Items
========
**Eviolite**: The absolute go-to item on Ursaring, Eviolite provides immense value on both offensive and defensive sets, as Eviolite boosts its bulk tremendously at no cost.
**Flame Orb / Toxic Orb**: Flame Orb and Toxic Orb are seen on more offensive wallbreaking sets to activate Ursaring's abilities. Flame Orb is typically seen on Guts sets that aim for immediate power, whereas Toxic Orb is used on Quick Feet sets to get a jump on foes with 106 Speed or lower while not halving its own Attack.
Niche Items
========
**Anything Else**: Stop and reflect on how this possibly outclasses Eviolite or self-status infliction.
Tera
========
Ursaring is often drafted as a secondary Tera Captain, as it usually fits seamlessly with higher-tier Tera Captains that are reliant on the mechanic. Most commonly, it uses a solid defensive Tera type such as Tera Fairy, Poison, or Ghost to flip its weakness a Normal to further its wallbreaking on Guts sets to make Facade unstoppable. Ursaring ultimately never needs to Terastallize, which makes it a good secondary Captain, but it is often an excellent back pocket option to beat a specific foe or allow for a sweep.
Draft Strategy
========
Ursaring fits on nearly any draft, as Normal-types are not incredibly common, so it should provide a unique typing as well as the fact it only brings one weakness to the table. However, it should only be drafted on teams that have their role compression sorted out, as it lack typical utility one looks for. Overall, Ursaring can provide a unique combination of defense as well as wallbreaking that is a nice luxury to have when logical and affordable.
**Knock Off Absorbers**: Ursaring is incredibly item-reliant, as Eviolite facilitates all of its roles as bulky attacker. As a result, having its Eviolite removed is incredibly harmful to its longevity, especially as it lacks reliable recovery. Pokemon that switch into Knock Off consistently such as Ting Lu, Gliscor, and Cobalion help Ursaring hold onto its bulk.
**Fighting-type Checks**: Ursaring functions as such a good blanket check partly because it only has one weakness. Having reliable switch-ins to the Fighting-type foes that force it out like Galarian Slowking, Uxie, and Zapdos help keep the bear safe.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: As Ursaring is essentially item locked out of Heavy-Duty Boots, reliable entry hazard removers are ideal to keep it from taking too much chip damage. Hazard removers like Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Quaquaval serve as consistent enough hazard control to keep it healthier.
**Utility Options**: Ursaring is devoid of common roles such as pivoting, entry hazard setting, and item removal that are key to successful teams. Versatile utility Pokemon like Landorus-T, Hisuian Samurott, and Tinkaton fit well with it to cover these missing necessities.
**Status-weak Teammates**: Due to Guts, Ursaring can switch in on status moves to shield its teammates and buff its Attack stat. In particular, (AC) it can be very solid at dissuading opposing Toxic Spikes, despite if its teammates are weak to them. These capabilities benefit most offensive teammates like Iron Valiant, Urshifu-S, and Ogerpon-W.
Checks and Counters
========
**Entry Hazards**: As Ursaring has next to no item flexibility and does not ever employ Heavy-Duty Boots, entry hazards are an easy way to wear it down. This is especially the case as it lacks reliable recovery and is often used as a status absorber, so the chip damage can accumulate quickly, and its ability to check foes multiple times evaporates.
**Ghost-types**: Ursaring only has STAB on Normal-type moves, and with its Ghost-type coverage being relatively weak, it can struggle to break some of these enemies. Foes such as Annihilape, Gholdengo, and Sinistcha can be excellent checks to it and are difficult for it to remove.
**Rocky Helmet**: Ursaring can suffer greatly from facing bulky Pokemon with a Rocky Helmet, as it almost exclusively attacks while making contact. This is impactful in particular due to its lack of reliable recovery.
**Faster Foes**: Although it has impressive stats across the board for bulk and its Attack, Ursaring lacks Speed, greatly allowing most foes to hit it first. Anything with mediocre Speed or better can disrupt it or hit it as strong as they can, which in many instances is a hindrance.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf.608304/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 5-6 points
**Overview**: Ursaring is a uniquely strong and flexible low-tier Pokemon due to its combination of incredible Eviolite-boosted bulk and natural strength. It can be used to check nearly any Pokemon in the meta, as it easily endures non-Fighting-type attacks and possesses wide coverage to pair with its high Attack. Ursaring can also leverage its power and bulk to serve as a capable sweeper or use Guts or Quick Feet to become a strong wallbreaking option. Despite all of these strengths, minimal utility, a lack of reliable recovery, and its Normal typing generally being a luxury cause Ursaring to be a budget pick.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Eviolite Wall**: Ursaring can use its sheer bulk to serve as either a physical or special wall to check nearly any particular foe. It can tailor its coverage to the Pokemon it is aiming to check and threaten the rest of the opposing team enough, as it still has quite naturally high Attack. These sets can also serve as an effective status spreader, as Body Slam is almost always the STAB attack of choice, and Yawn is often used to force switches or inflict sleep. Ursaring's lack of reliable recovery frequently forces you to choose whether it may bring its utility options or if it would like Rest and Sleep Talk to try and stick around.
**Wallbreaker**: Ursaring can focus more on its brute strength to weaken opposing teams for late-game cleaners and sweepers. These sets often forgo Eviolite for a Flame Orb or Toxic Orb to activate one of its abilities, making it incredibly powerful or surprisingly fast while boosting a strong STAB Facade. In some circumstances, these sets can employ the use of setup with Swords Dance as well to become even more threatening.
**Bulky Setup Sweeper**: Ursaring can use Eviolite and Bulk Up to become a strong threat that is difficult to remove. These sets often use Rest and Sleep Talk for longevity and choose one attack from its excellent coverage pool that can hit the entire opposing team.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Body Slam, Facade, Double-Edge
**Setup Moves**: Bulk Up, Swords Dance, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Yawn, Rest, Sleep Talk, Taunt, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Close Combat, Gunk Shot, Low Kick, Play Rough, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Crunch, Throat Chop, Payback, Thunder Punch, Seed Bomb, Avalanche, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Shadow Claw
Niche Moves
========
**Counter**: Ursaring can use its physical bulk to survive nearly any one hit and trade with a foe through the use of Counter.
**High Horsepower**: Although Earthquake is almost strictly better, High Horsepower has a niche when used in Grassy Terrain.
**Rock Tomb / Bulldoze**: Rock Tomb and Bulldoze can be used as speed control options to prevent a foe from getting out of hand.
**Charm / Baby-Doll Eyes**: Ursaring can use either of Charm or Baby-Doll Eyes to weaken a threatening physical foe. Although Charm is more impactful, Baby-Doll Eyes can allow it to go before the foe and lower its Attack, which can be invaluable against sweepers in a pinch.
Common Items
========
**Eviolite**: The absolute go-to item on Ursaring, Eviolite provides immense value on both offensive and defensive sets, as Eviolite boosts its bulk tremendously at no cost.
**Flame Orb / Toxic Orb**: Flame Orb and Toxic Orb are seen on more offensive wallbreaking sets to activate Ursaring's abilities. Flame Orb is typically seen on Guts sets that aim for immediate power, whereas Toxic Orb is used on Quick Feet sets to get a jump on foes with 106 Speed or lower while not halving its own Attack.
Niche Items
========
**Anything Else**: Stop and reflect on how this possibly outclasses Eviolite or self-status infliction.
Tera
========
Ursaring is often drafted as a secondary Tera Captain, as it usually fits seamlessly with higher-tier Tera Captains that are reliant on the mechanic. Most commonly, it uses a solid defensive Tera type such as Tera Fairy, Poison, or Ghost to flip its weakness a Normal to further its wallbreaking on Guts sets to make Facade unstoppable. Ursaring ultimately never needs to Terastallize, which makes it a good secondary Captain, but it is often an excellent back pocket option to beat a specific foe or allow for a sweep.
Draft Strategy
========
Ursaring fits on nearly any draft, as Normal-types are not incredibly common, so it should provide a unique typing as well as the fact it only brings one weakness to the table. However, it should only be drafted on teams that have their role compression sorted out, as it lack typical utility one looks for. Overall, Ursaring can provide a unique combination of defense as well as wallbreaking that is a nice luxury to have when logical and affordable.
**Knock Off Absorbers**: Ursaring is incredibly item-reliant, as Eviolite facilitates all of its roles as bulky attacker. As a result, having its Eviolite removed is incredibly harmful to its longevity, especially as it lacks reliable recovery. Pokemon that switch into Knock Off consistently such as Ting Lu, Gliscor, and Cobalion help Ursaring hold onto its bulk.
**Fighting-type Checks**: Ursaring functions as such a good blanket check partly because it only has one weakness. Having reliable switch-ins to the Fighting-type foes that force it out like Galarian Slowking, Uxie, and Zapdos help keep the bear safe.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: As Ursaring is essentially item locked out of Heavy-Duty Boots, reliable entry hazard removers are ideal to keep it from taking too much chip damage. Hazard removers like Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Quaquaval serve as consistent enough hazard control to keep it healthier.
**Utility Options**: Ursaring is devoid of common roles such as pivoting, entry hazard setting, and item removal that are key to successful teams. Versatile utility Pokemon like Landorus-T, Hisuian Samurott, and Tinkaton fit well with it to cover these missing necessities.
**Status-weak Teammates**: Due to Guts, Ursaring can switch in on status moves to shield its teammates and buff its Attack stat. In particular, (AC) it can be very solid at dissuading opposing Toxic Spikes, despite if its teammates are weak to them. These capabilities benefit most offensive teammates like Iron Valiant, Urshifu-S, and Ogerpon-W.
Checks and Counters
========
**Entry Hazards**: As Ursaring has next to no item flexibility and does not ever employ Heavy-Duty Boots, entry hazards are an easy way to wear it down. This is especially the case as it lacks reliable recovery and is often used as a status absorber, so the chip damage can accumulate quickly, and its ability to check foes multiple times evaporates.
**Ghost-types**: Ursaring only has STAB on Normal-type moves, and with its Ghost-type coverage being relatively weak, it can struggle to break some of these enemies. Foes such as Annihilape, Gholdengo, and Sinistcha can be excellent checks to it and are difficult for it to remove.
**Rocky Helmet**: Ursaring can suffer greatly from facing bulky Pokemon with a Rocky Helmet, as it almost exclusively attacks while making contact. This is impactful in particular due to its lack of reliable recovery.
**Faster Foes**: Although it has impressive stats across the board for bulk and its Attack, Ursaring lacks Speed, greatly allowing most foes to hit it first. Anything with mediocre Speed or better can disrupt it or hit it as strong as they can, which in many instances is a hindrance.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf.608304/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
