[OVERVIEW]
Machamp is a decent blanket check and progress-maker in RBY PU due to its decent bulk alongside its offensive presence with its 130 base Attack stat backed up by decent coverage. It can switch into Nidoqueen, Graveler, and Omanyte and threaten them out with super effective damage while they threaten Machamp much less in return. Notably, Machamp reliably escapes a 3HKO from Nidoqueen while retaliating with a 2HKO in its Earthquake. Although Graveler and Omanyte threaten a 3HKO on Machamp, both are slower and are 2HKOed. Machamp's bulk allows it to go toe to toe with Pokemon such as Staryu and Porygon, and Machamp can also stop late-game cleaners like Seaking or Scyther with its impressive bulk and the ability to paralyze with Body Slam. Once on the field, Machamp is difficult to force out, as notable foes such as Rapidash and Arcanine cannot switch in without risk to themselves. Machamp's Earthquake 2HKOes Arcanine and Rapidash while Machamp avoids a 2HKO from Fire Blast, and Machamp can OHKO Gastly with Earthquake while living even a critical hit Psychic. More solid switch-ins such as Fearow have to worry about Rock Slide and Hyper Beam, which can 2HKO. While Machamp is outpaced by much of the metagame, its base 55 speed gets the job done as it outspeeds noteworthy Pokemon such as Drowzee, Graveler, and Porygon.
However, Machamp's slow speed is its defining flaw. If given free entry, fast attackers like Fearow can easily force out Machamp with Drill Peck, and if Machamp is at low health, Pokemon like Gastly, Rapidash, Nidoqueen, and Staryu can KO it. While Machamp can switch into a lot of the metagame with its bulk, it can only afford to do so once per game since Machamp gets worn down easily. Even small amounts of chip damage means Machamp is not capable of switching into threats, so Machamp tends to get sacrificed for momentum after its first entrance. Similarly, while Machamp's typing means some foes like Nidoqueen and Arcanine cannot touch it for super effective damage, Machamp's Fighting-type gives it little relevant resistances while giving it a crippling Drill Peck weakness in addition to a Psychic weakness. Machamp's low Speed and role as a switch-in also means that it is often on the receiving end of burns from Fire Blast or critical hits from faster opponents. Machamp's coverage, while decent, is somewhat prediction reliant. Earthquake, Rock Slide, Body Slam, and Submission all give entry to swaths of the metagame, allowing the opponent to dance around Machamp's coverage and maneuver in something with a better matchup. Pokemon like Gastly and Nidoqueen are only threatened by Machamp's Earthquake, which Fearow can take advantage of. Fearow greatly affects how Machamp is played, as Fearow gaining entry is disastrous due to its one-sided matchup on Machamp. On top of that, once Fearow is on the field, the Machamp player is often forced to sacrifice a Pokemon due to Fearow's immense offensive presence. Otherwise decent moves like Body Slam and Earthquake become risky to use due to threat of the opponent switching in Fearow.
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Hyper Beam / Rock Slide
move 4: Submission / Rock Slide
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Earthquake 2HKOes Nidoqueen, Omanyte, Graveler, Rapidash, and Arcanine, and deals significant enough damage that Drowzee and Staryu do not want to switch in. It also OHKOes Gastly, though Fearow can switch in on a predicted Earthquake. Body Slam is a midground option that can paralyze Staryu or Seaking. Hyper Beam can finish off foes like Drowzee, which drops after taking an Earthquake, Staryu, which is terrified of taking upwards of 70%, and Dragonair, which is put in range of Hyper Beam after taking a Blizzard from a teammate. Also, a weakened Fearow is usually KOed with Hyper Beam after taking a Submission or Rock Slide beforehand. Submission primarily hits Porygon for huge damage, and is a decent midground option against Graveler and Omanyte to deny Fearow from switching in due to the fear of a subsequent Hyper Beam. However, Submission has a dreadful 80% accuracy and recoil often puts Machamp in range of a Fearow Drill Peck. Lastly, Rock Slide mainly is used to hit Fearow switch-ins with a 2HKO and to OHKO Scyther 25% of the time. However, dropping any of Machamp's moves for Rock Slide not advised due to how important each of its other moves are.
Machamp is best used as a switch-in to Nidoqueen, Graveler, and Omanyte. All of them are terrified by Earthquake and the Rock-types can be hit with Submission, which scares Fearow from switching in. Machamp can also come in on Porygon if it isn't using Thunder Wave on that turn and threaten Porygon for upwards of 78%. Once in, Machamp is best used as a mid-game progress maker by throwing out powerful attacks and leveraging Machmap's impressive bulk. Very little can safely switch into Machamp, bar Fearow, which means that Omanyte and Graveler, which can relatively safely switch into Fearow, are great partners to Machamp. In return, Machamp can switch into Nidoqueen's Earthquake directed towards Omanyte and Graveler. However, it may be worthwhile to sacrifice a Pokemon to give Machamp free entry to Nidoqueen in order to minimize the chances of a critical hit or freeze. Bar switching Rock-types in on Fearow, it is discouraged to switch Machamp out of the field because once weakened, Machamp has a hard time coming back in without sacrificing another Pokemon. Machamp can also switch into Staryu's Thunder Wave or Surf directed at Graveler, since it does not mind paralysis as much as its teammates do, as its slow speed means it doesn't lose too many important matchups once paralyzed and paralysis insulates Machamp from getting burned. However, a paralyzed Machamp is slower and more afraid of Graveler and Drowzee as they can usually beat Machamp in a one-on-one. Paralysis also makes Submission less likely to hit.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Low Kick is an option to 2HKO Porygon and Omanyte while carrying a 30% chance to deny a turn with a flinch. However, Low Kick is still inaccurate and its base power is so low that in many situations it is better to use Body Slam for more power. Low Kick also does not allow Hyper Beam to KO Fearow if it switches in. Fire Blast is another option, but since its main targets, Pinsir and Vileplume, are uncommon, it is not worth using. Fire Blast can also fish for burns on Fearow, but in most situations it is better to do as much damage as possible with Hyper Beam or Rock Slide.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fearow**:
Fearow is by far the biggest reason to not use Machamp. Fearow is so offensively potent that free entry to it often guarantees losing a Pokemon on your team. Fearow takes little from Body Slam, is immune to Body Slam paralysis, and is immune to Earthquake, while Fearow's Drill Peck is a likely 2HKO on Machamp. As such, although Earthquake and Body Slam are threatening moves, the fear of a Fearow switch makes them risky to use. Fearow also has a high critical hit rate, meaning it is not rare to see Machamp get OHKOed by Drill Peck and do nothing. For the Machamp user to defeat a Fearow, Machamp needs to hit Fearow with Submission or Rock Slide as it switches in, avoid being OHKOed by a critical hit Drill Peck, and then land a Hyper Beam or Rock Slide. This is a favorable trade for Machamp but a single miss or critical hit by Fearow can flip this interaction on its head, and Machamp loses much of its defensive value after taking one Drill Peck.
**Revenge Killers**:
Once at low health, there is no shortage of revenge killers that can come in and finish off Machamp, such as Nidoqueen, Arcanine, Gastly, and Fearow. If Machamp is also paralyzed, Drowzee and Graveler can also come in and KO a weakened Machamp.
**Burns**:
Despite hitting them super effectively with Earthquake, Machamp must be weary of Rapidash and Arcanine since they have a 30% chance to inflict a burn with Fire Blast, which ruins Machamp.
**Sleepers**:
Machamp cannot 2HKO Vileplume, and Vileplume can safely switch in and use Sleep Powder, even if Machamp is carrying Fire Blast. Gastly can switch into a Submission or Body Slam, and if Machamp is below 50%, KO with Psychic. Drowzee also loses in a straight one-on-one, but a single Psychic allows Machamp to be easily revenge killed.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/wanted-in-49-states.624543/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gastlies.540559/
Machamp is a decent blanket check and progress-maker in RBY PU due to its decent bulk alongside its offensive presence with its 130 base Attack stat backed up by decent coverage. It can switch into Nidoqueen, Graveler, and Omanyte and threaten them out with super effective damage while they threaten Machamp much less in return. Notably, Machamp reliably escapes a 3HKO from Nidoqueen while retaliating with a 2HKO in its Earthquake. Although Graveler and Omanyte threaten a 3HKO on Machamp, both are slower and are 2HKOed. Machamp's bulk allows it to go toe to toe with Pokemon such as Staryu and Porygon, and Machamp can also stop late-game cleaners like Seaking or Scyther with its impressive bulk and the ability to paralyze with Body Slam. Once on the field, Machamp is difficult to force out, as notable foes such as Rapidash and Arcanine cannot switch in without risk to themselves. Machamp's Earthquake 2HKOes Arcanine and Rapidash while Machamp avoids a 2HKO from Fire Blast, and Machamp can OHKO Gastly with Earthquake while living even a critical hit Psychic. More solid switch-ins such as Fearow have to worry about Rock Slide and Hyper Beam, which can 2HKO. While Machamp is outpaced by much of the metagame, its base 55 speed gets the job done as it outspeeds noteworthy Pokemon such as Drowzee, Graveler, and Porygon.
However, Machamp's slow speed is its defining flaw. If given free entry, fast attackers like Fearow can easily force out Machamp with Drill Peck, and if Machamp is at low health, Pokemon like Gastly, Rapidash, Nidoqueen, and Staryu can KO it. While Machamp can switch into a lot of the metagame with its bulk, it can only afford to do so once per game since Machamp gets worn down easily. Even small amounts of chip damage means Machamp is not capable of switching into threats, so Machamp tends to get sacrificed for momentum after its first entrance. Similarly, while Machamp's typing means some foes like Nidoqueen and Arcanine cannot touch it for super effective damage, Machamp's Fighting-type gives it little relevant resistances while giving it a crippling Drill Peck weakness in addition to a Psychic weakness. Machamp's low Speed and role as a switch-in also means that it is often on the receiving end of burns from Fire Blast or critical hits from faster opponents. Machamp's coverage, while decent, is somewhat prediction reliant. Earthquake, Rock Slide, Body Slam, and Submission all give entry to swaths of the metagame, allowing the opponent to dance around Machamp's coverage and maneuver in something with a better matchup. Pokemon like Gastly and Nidoqueen are only threatened by Machamp's Earthquake, which Fearow can take advantage of. Fearow greatly affects how Machamp is played, as Fearow gaining entry is disastrous due to its one-sided matchup on Machamp. On top of that, once Fearow is on the field, the Machamp player is often forced to sacrifice a Pokemon due to Fearow's immense offensive presence. Otherwise decent moves like Body Slam and Earthquake become risky to use due to threat of the opponent switching in Fearow.
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Hyper Beam / Rock Slide
move 4: Submission / Rock Slide
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Earthquake 2HKOes Nidoqueen, Omanyte, Graveler, Rapidash, and Arcanine, and deals significant enough damage that Drowzee and Staryu do not want to switch in. It also OHKOes Gastly, though Fearow can switch in on a predicted Earthquake. Body Slam is a midground option that can paralyze Staryu or Seaking. Hyper Beam can finish off foes like Drowzee, which drops after taking an Earthquake, Staryu, which is terrified of taking upwards of 70%, and Dragonair, which is put in range of Hyper Beam after taking a Blizzard from a teammate. Also, a weakened Fearow is usually KOed with Hyper Beam after taking a Submission or Rock Slide beforehand. Submission primarily hits Porygon for huge damage, and is a decent midground option against Graveler and Omanyte to deny Fearow from switching in due to the fear of a subsequent Hyper Beam. However, Submission has a dreadful 80% accuracy and recoil often puts Machamp in range of a Fearow Drill Peck. Lastly, Rock Slide mainly is used to hit Fearow switch-ins with a 2HKO and to OHKO Scyther 25% of the time. However, dropping any of Machamp's moves for Rock Slide not advised due to how important each of its other moves are.
Machamp is best used as a switch-in to Nidoqueen, Graveler, and Omanyte. All of them are terrified by Earthquake and the Rock-types can be hit with Submission, which scares Fearow from switching in. Machamp can also come in on Porygon if it isn't using Thunder Wave on that turn and threaten Porygon for upwards of 78%. Once in, Machamp is best used as a mid-game progress maker by throwing out powerful attacks and leveraging Machmap's impressive bulk. Very little can safely switch into Machamp, bar Fearow, which means that Omanyte and Graveler, which can relatively safely switch into Fearow, are great partners to Machamp. In return, Machamp can switch into Nidoqueen's Earthquake directed towards Omanyte and Graveler. However, it may be worthwhile to sacrifice a Pokemon to give Machamp free entry to Nidoqueen in order to minimize the chances of a critical hit or freeze. Bar switching Rock-types in on Fearow, it is discouraged to switch Machamp out of the field because once weakened, Machamp has a hard time coming back in without sacrificing another Pokemon. Machamp can also switch into Staryu's Thunder Wave or Surf directed at Graveler, since it does not mind paralysis as much as its teammates do, as its slow speed means it doesn't lose too many important matchups once paralyzed and paralysis insulates Machamp from getting burned. However, a paralyzed Machamp is slower and more afraid of Graveler and Drowzee as they can usually beat Machamp in a one-on-one. Paralysis also makes Submission less likely to hit.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Low Kick is an option to 2HKO Porygon and Omanyte while carrying a 30% chance to deny a turn with a flinch. However, Low Kick is still inaccurate and its base power is so low that in many situations it is better to use Body Slam for more power. Low Kick also does not allow Hyper Beam to KO Fearow if it switches in. Fire Blast is another option, but since its main targets, Pinsir and Vileplume, are uncommon, it is not worth using. Fire Blast can also fish for burns on Fearow, but in most situations it is better to do as much damage as possible with Hyper Beam or Rock Slide.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fearow**:
Fearow is by far the biggest reason to not use Machamp. Fearow is so offensively potent that free entry to it often guarantees losing a Pokemon on your team. Fearow takes little from Body Slam, is immune to Body Slam paralysis, and is immune to Earthquake, while Fearow's Drill Peck is a likely 2HKO on Machamp. As such, although Earthquake and Body Slam are threatening moves, the fear of a Fearow switch makes them risky to use. Fearow also has a high critical hit rate, meaning it is not rare to see Machamp get OHKOed by Drill Peck and do nothing. For the Machamp user to defeat a Fearow, Machamp needs to hit Fearow with Submission or Rock Slide as it switches in, avoid being OHKOed by a critical hit Drill Peck, and then land a Hyper Beam or Rock Slide. This is a favorable trade for Machamp but a single miss or critical hit by Fearow can flip this interaction on its head, and Machamp loses much of its defensive value after taking one Drill Peck.
**Revenge Killers**:
Once at low health, there is no shortage of revenge killers that can come in and finish off Machamp, such as Nidoqueen, Arcanine, Gastly, and Fearow. If Machamp is also paralyzed, Drowzee and Graveler can also come in and KO a weakened Machamp.
**Burns**:
Despite hitting them super effectively with Earthquake, Machamp must be weary of Rapidash and Arcanine since they have a 30% chance to inflict a burn with Fire Blast, which ruins Machamp.
**Sleepers**:
Machamp cannot 2HKO Vileplume, and Vileplume can safely switch in and use Sleep Powder, even if Machamp is carrying Fire Blast. Gastly can switch into a Submission or Body Slam, and if Machamp is below 50%, KO with Psychic. Drowzee also loses in a straight one-on-one, but a single Psychic allows Machamp to be easily revenge killed.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/wanted-in-49-states.624543/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gastlies.540559/
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