[SET]
Specially Defensive (Dustox) @ Leftovers
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Careful / Calm Nature
- Moonlight
- Sludge Bomb / Psychic
- Toxic
- Whirlwind
[SET COMMENTS]
Dustox's impressive special bulk, reliable recovery, and immunity to Toxic make it a niche special wall. Moonlight lets Dustox wall offensive Gloom, Flaaffy, and Porygon. Sludge Bomb's good power and chance to inflict poison deter fast, frail attackers like Abra, Ponyta, and Quilava from switching in freely against Dustox thanks. Psychic lets Dustox threaten Koffing and Ariados, take Gloom down with Special Defense drops, and break Substitute against Beedrill. Toxic lets Dustox put opposing bulky Pokemon like Castform, Porygon, and Tropius on a timer, and it punishes Ground-types like Rhyhorn, Cubone, and Onix for trying to switch in. Whirlwind phazes setup sweepers like Calm Mind Corsola, Swords Dance Gloom, and Beedrill. Dustox can also use Whirlwind to phaze Substitute users that would try to take advantage of it, such as Magnemite and Onix. Dustox can outspeed Adamant Cubone when Dustox runs 16 EVs in Speed. A Careful nature should be run if Dustox has Sludge Bomb, and a Calm nature is used if running Psychic.
Balance and defensive teams can appreciate Dustox's ability to work as a special wall that blanket checks multiple Gloom sets and Electric-types like Flaaffy. Dustox's Whirlwind is especially helpful as a rare phazing option for defensive teams to deal with setup sweepers like Calm Mind Corsola and Swords Dance Beedrill. Mightyena can check physical attackers and Psychic-types for Dustox, and Dustox checks special attackers for Mightyena in return. Dustox's poison immunity allows it to more freely switch into status, enabling Mightyena to conserve its Heal Bell PP. Bulky Water-types like Wartortle and Seaking can check Fire-types like Ponyta and Quilava that would overwhelm Dustox, and it checks Electric-types like Chinchou and Flaaffy for them in return. Corsola and Lileep can check physical attackers like Aipom and Doduo for Dustox, and they can form a complementary defensive core with it, thanks to its good special bulk. Fast attackers like Aipom, Ponyta, and Doduo can more easily clean up teams that have been softened up by Dustox. Fast Normal-types and Fire-types like the aforementioned teammates especially appreciate how Dustox draws in Rock-types like Rhyhorn and Onix to inflict them with Toxic and wear them down. Heal Bell users like Mightyena, Delcatty, and Flaaffy are problematic for Dustox given its reliance on Toxic, so Dustox depends on Pokemon that can threaten those users, including strong wallbreakers like Cubone and Meditite. Dustox can only use Whirlwind to phaze Magnemite if it lacks Psychic, so it relies on partners like Flaaffy and Chinchou to deal real damage. Psychic-types like Abra and Drowzee pressure Dustox, which can be mitigated by teammates like Mightyena and Noctowl.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dustox could run Protect over Whirlwind to maximize the passive damage of Toxic and the passive recovery it receives from Leftovers. Protect also lets Dustox scout Choice Band attackers like Aipom, Seaking, and Doduo. However, dropping Whirlwind can let setup users like Howl Mightyena and Substitute Magnemite turn Dustox into setup fodder.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physical Attackers**: Aipom, Doduo, and Anorith easily overwhelm Dustox because of its lower physical bulk. Castform and offensive Noctowl can 2HKO Dustox, though Toxic irritates them given their roles as bulky attackers. Meditite, Seaking, and Ariados can run physical coverage moves that beat Dustox.
**Rock-types**: Rhyhorn, Anorith, and Onix can switch into Dustox's attacks and threaten to overwhelm it with their Rock-type STAB moves, though they have to be wary of being worn down by Toxic and Sludge Bomb poisons.
**Psychic-types**: Abra 2HKOes Dustox and can use Psychic sets as setup fodder, especially by using Encore to lock Dustox into Moonlight or Psychic. Drowzee is bulky enough that its Substitute isn't broken by Sludge Bomb, but Dustox can phaze it with Whirlwind and isn't threatened until Drowzee has gained multiple Calm Mind boosts.
**Fire-types**: Quilava's Substitute is bulky enough to survive a Psychic from Dustox, and it and Sunny Day Ponyta threaten to 2HKO Dustox with Fire Blast. Mixed attacking Ponyta sets generally cannot 2HKO Dustox without having invested a significant amount of EVs in Special Attack.
**Magnemite**: Magnemite walls Dustox and can freely set up Substitute in its face, though Dustox can use Whirlwind to phaze it. Magnemite's Thunder Wave can help it and its teammates overwhelm Dustox.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
Specially Defensive (Dustox) @ Leftovers
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Careful / Calm Nature
- Moonlight
- Sludge Bomb / Psychic
- Toxic
- Whirlwind
[SET COMMENTS]
Dustox's impressive special bulk, reliable recovery, and immunity to Toxic make it a niche special wall. Moonlight lets Dustox wall offensive Gloom, Flaaffy, and Porygon. Sludge Bomb's good power and chance to inflict poison deter fast, frail attackers like Abra, Ponyta, and Quilava from switching in freely against Dustox thanks. Psychic lets Dustox threaten Koffing and Ariados, take Gloom down with Special Defense drops, and break Substitute against Beedrill. Toxic lets Dustox put opposing bulky Pokemon like Castform, Porygon, and Tropius on a timer, and it punishes Ground-types like Rhyhorn, Cubone, and Onix for trying to switch in. Whirlwind phazes setup sweepers like Calm Mind Corsola, Swords Dance Gloom, and Beedrill. Dustox can also use Whirlwind to phaze Substitute users that would try to take advantage of it, such as Magnemite and Onix. Dustox can outspeed Adamant Cubone when Dustox runs 16 EVs in Speed. A Careful nature should be run if Dustox has Sludge Bomb, and a Calm nature is used if running Psychic.
Balance and defensive teams can appreciate Dustox's ability to work as a special wall that blanket checks multiple Gloom sets and Electric-types like Flaaffy. Dustox's Whirlwind is especially helpful as a rare phazing option for defensive teams to deal with setup sweepers like Calm Mind Corsola and Swords Dance Beedrill. Mightyena can check physical attackers and Psychic-types for Dustox, and Dustox checks special attackers for Mightyena in return. Dustox's poison immunity allows it to more freely switch into status, enabling Mightyena to conserve its Heal Bell PP. Bulky Water-types like Wartortle and Seaking can check Fire-types like Ponyta and Quilava that would overwhelm Dustox, and it checks Electric-types like Chinchou and Flaaffy for them in return. Corsola and Lileep can check physical attackers like Aipom and Doduo for Dustox, and they can form a complementary defensive core with it, thanks to its good special bulk. Fast attackers like Aipom, Ponyta, and Doduo can more easily clean up teams that have been softened up by Dustox. Fast Normal-types and Fire-types like the aforementioned teammates especially appreciate how Dustox draws in Rock-types like Rhyhorn and Onix to inflict them with Toxic and wear them down. Heal Bell users like Mightyena, Delcatty, and Flaaffy are problematic for Dustox given its reliance on Toxic, so Dustox depends on Pokemon that can threaten those users, including strong wallbreakers like Cubone and Meditite. Dustox can only use Whirlwind to phaze Magnemite if it lacks Psychic, so it relies on partners like Flaaffy and Chinchou to deal real damage. Psychic-types like Abra and Drowzee pressure Dustox, which can be mitigated by teammates like Mightyena and Noctowl.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dustox could run Protect over Whirlwind to maximize the passive damage of Toxic and the passive recovery it receives from Leftovers. Protect also lets Dustox scout Choice Band attackers like Aipom, Seaking, and Doduo. However, dropping Whirlwind can let setup users like Howl Mightyena and Substitute Magnemite turn Dustox into setup fodder.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physical Attackers**: Aipom, Doduo, and Anorith easily overwhelm Dustox because of its lower physical bulk. Castform and offensive Noctowl can 2HKO Dustox, though Toxic irritates them given their roles as bulky attackers. Meditite, Seaking, and Ariados can run physical coverage moves that beat Dustox.
**Rock-types**: Rhyhorn, Anorith, and Onix can switch into Dustox's attacks and threaten to overwhelm it with their Rock-type STAB moves, though they have to be wary of being worn down by Toxic and Sludge Bomb poisons.
**Psychic-types**: Abra 2HKOes Dustox and can use Psychic sets as setup fodder, especially by using Encore to lock Dustox into Moonlight or Psychic. Drowzee is bulky enough that its Substitute isn't broken by Sludge Bomb, but Dustox can phaze it with Whirlwind and isn't threatened until Drowzee has gained multiple Calm Mind boosts.
**Fire-types**: Quilava's Substitute is bulky enough to survive a Psychic from Dustox, and it and Sunny Day Ponyta threaten to 2HKO Dustox with Fire Blast. Mixed attacking Ponyta sets generally cannot 2HKO Dustox without having invested a significant amount of EVs in Special Attack.
**Magnemite**: Magnemite walls Dustox and can freely set up Substitute in its face, though Dustox can use Whirlwind to phaze it. Magnemite's Thunder Wave can help it and its teammates overwhelm Dustox.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
Last edited:
