Move Infestation (and trapping moves in general)

[deluge]

I'm going to assume people are right about Swalot and Tentacruel learning this move.
Another interesting possibility other than ToxiStalling is Acid Spray which both also learn.
After being softened by SR, two turns of infestation residual (1/4 max HP), and -2 SpD from Acid Spray a solid attack should knock the foe out.
You could probably pull this off against most foes you could dream of ToxiStalling.

Eg.

Tentacruel
Liquid Ooze
~Infestation
~Acid Spray
~Hydro Pump/Surf/Scald
~Rapid Spin/Sludge Wave

The combo would be interesting on Goodra since STAB Draco Meteor is already brutal and the Pokemon is really bulky with a great typing.
Even a trapped Blissey would be potentially endangered if Goodra is healthy (-6 Max SpA Goodra Focus Blast does 102%, DM does 82%, against standrad BW Blissey).
If I manage to get an arbok/ekans, I'll breed for Acid Spray and see what happens.

 

[Phemeto]

I'm going to assume people are right about Swalot and Tentacruel learning this move.
Another interesting possibility other than ToxiStalling is Acid Spray which both also learn.
After being softened by SR, two turns of infestation residual (1/4 max HP), and -2 SpD from Acid Spray a solid attack should knock the foe out.
You could probably pull this off against most foes you could dream of ToxiStalling.

Eg.

Tentacruel
Liquid Ooze
~Infestation
~Acid Spray
~Hydro Pump/Surf/Scald
~Rapid Spin/Sludge Wave

The combo would be interesting on Goodra since STAB Draco Meteor is already brutal and the Pokemon is really bulky with a great typing.
Even a trapped Blissey would be potentially endangered if Goodra is healthy (-6 Max SpA Goodra Focus Blast does 102%, DM does 82%, against standrad BW Blissey).
If I manage to get an arbok/ekans, I'll breed for Acid Spray and see what happens.

The problem i see with sets like this is that the setup time is nuts, having to first trap with infestation, then apply a weak acid spray to weaken them makes you waste 2 turns dealing minimal damage.

Unless you can completely wall the target theres a good chance you will get KO before you can set this up properly.

It only works well in my opinion on Pokemon that can sleep or disable (choicers) to make the oponent not be able to do anything but slowly die.

Pokemon with good bulk that could run something like this would be useful
Toxic
Investation
Recover/Roost/softboil/other recovery moves
Yawn/Sleep Powder/Spore/Encore/Torment/Disable

Depending on the pokemon obviously, but removing the ability to move would be key to trapping the target.

Goodra has good bulk and can do Yawn, Infestation, Toxic, Rest (with berry) and be able to knock out a special attack that cant 2HKO it.
and Gastrodon can run Recover, Infestation, Toxic, Yawn. Making it a nice wall that would be hard to break.

 

[nikovan]

It may be a little gimmick, but I thought you could use two trapping moves (for instance shuckle with sand tomb or wrap and infestation) in order to deal great amount of damage. Using two moves will ensure that your rival cannot switch, and there are a ton of pokes that can use two moves of this kind (Tentacruel has wrap, whirlpool and infestation; steelix has bind, wrap and sand tomb; cloyster has whirlpool and clamp, etc). Shuckle is pretty interesting since you can use power split to reduce the attack of your enemy, and then use toxic and rest to (not so) slowly finish your enemy. Sturdy also ensures that he cannot be 0KO'd.

Also, despite not very related to the topic, Hippowdon has sand tomb, yawn, automatic sandstorm, slack off, toxic and a terrifyng phisical bulk. I think this Hippowdon may be the flagship of the new generation weather stall. Moreover, gliscor can learn sand tomb and it would make sense for him to be able to use infestation as well. You can pair that with poison heal+protect or simply roost (if you want to use the band). Not only that, but Gliscor has baton pass so you can trap things with sand tomb/infestation and then baton pass to a counter of the trapped foe.

In the binding moves topic someone said that according to fifth gen mechanics, you cannot overlap two trapping moves, which is pretty sad.

 

[Fundance]

I think Swalot is slightly bulkier than Gastrodon, who is weaker in the physical defense department, and it also has less weaknesses. But at the same time Gastrodon has a water immunity and Recover. They can both do this set for the most part, just that Swalot tends to run toxic instead of recover.

Currently my Swalot looks something like this:

Swalot @ Black Sludge
Bold nature
Sticky Hold
HP 255, Def 126, sp.Def 126 (I haven't bothered to figure out the best EV spread yet)

Infestation
Yawn
Mud Slap/Toxic/Acid Spray
Protect

I tend to favor Mud Slap because it's silly and forces switches, but you could potentially also use Dream Eater now that I think about it...or Destiny Bond.

 

[deluge]

Phemeto
Yeah, I'm thinking of it as an interesting gimmick not as a pure trapper.
Acid Spray tends to force switches so you might be able to manipulate your opponent into an unfavourable matchup.
I'll play with it on wifi when I get the chance to make one.

 

[Phemeto]

Swalot and Gastrodon are about the same as far as defenses goes.

Swalot is 100/83/83 which isnt bad at all
Gastrodon is 111/68/82 which is obviously on the lower end.

Swalot, however, has a weakness to Ground and Psychic which does suck, as most physical sweepers run EQ, because who doesnt love EQ? But thanks to Poison being a good counter to fairy, they might have to think twice before sending those little buggers in.
And Gastrodon has only one weakness which is grass, a very uncommon offensive type to be using. That and it is immune to both electric and water make it very nice.

Overall i'd say they both equally have a chance running infestation-trap, I just never had a whole lot of luck running with Swalot.

Does anyone know of any other mons that can make good use of this move?
Slowbro/King would be nice with regenerator and they have great move pools too

 

[Mean Mr Snorlax]

Gengar gets infestation, though with it;s paper thin defenses and Mega Gengar's Shadow Tag it isn't really important...

 

[L0rdL33t]

shoulda been a physical 35 power move IMO

 

[Brammi]

I've been thinking about this as a possible move on Mega-Scizor. Who has a very good physically defensive typing and 70/140 defenses to bolster, along with roost, a slowish u-turn, and priority.

 

[PoorLepRecon]

Swalot and Gastrodon are about the same as far as defenses goes.

Swalot is 100/83/83 which isnt bad at all
Gastrodon is 111/68/82 which is obviously on the lower end.

Swalot, however, has a weakness to Ground and Psychic which does suck, as most physical sweepers run EQ, because who doesnt love EQ? But thanks to Poison being a good counter to fairy, they might have to think twice before sending those little buggers in.
And Gastrodon has only one weakness which is grass, a very uncommon offensive type to be using. That and it is immune to both electric and water make it very nice.

Overall i'd say they both equally have a chance running infestation-trap, I just never had a whole lot of luck running with Swalot.

Does anyone know of any other mons that can make good use of this move?
Slowbro/King would be nice with regenerator and they have great move pools too

Swalot does resist fighting though, a pretty key physical type.

 

[Phemeto]

Gengar gets infestation, though with it;s paper thin defenses and Mega Gengar's Shadow Tag it isn't really important...

well thats something, if you switch on choice user and mega into disable that lets you setup the infestation, but at that point you can just shadow ball it to death, and infestation isnt really important...

But interesting to see gengar get infestation, im wondering how many mons will actually be able to learn it, i wasnt expecting much outside of grass/bug and the occassional off-type like poison or ground.

 

[az20]

Do the trapping turns of infestation reset again when using the move again within the first 4-5 turns of passive damage?
ie. butterfree use infestation.. (target trapped for..let's say four turns)
Turn 3: butterfree use infestation (target will now be trapped for another 4-5 turns)
the minimum number of turns the target is trapped is 4 right...4-5?

 

[Fundance]

They don't reset.

 

[Shroomisaur]

http://serebii.net/attackdex-xy/infestation.shtml

Serebii has a preliminary listing of Pokemon that can learn Infestation, although it's obviously not complete (Galvantula and Gengar aren't listed yet, for example). However, there a few cool Pokemon listed who can Infestation and could put it to good use. One sticks out to me immediately:

Jumpluff @ Leftovers
Infiltrator
Jolly
248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
- Infestation
- Sleep Powder
- U-Turn
- Encore / Memento

An excellent support pivot that can trap opponents and put them to sleep, and then U-Turn out to a counter. Encore can also punish opponents who try to set up, or Jumpluff can use a newly buffed Infiltrator Memento to turn any opponent into setup fodder, even if they're behind a sub.

Jumpluff @ Leftovers
Infiltrator
Jolly
248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
- Infestation
- Leech Seed
- Substitute
- U-Turn / Sleep Powder / Toxic / Encore

All the fun of sub-seeding, combined with Infestation to heap on extra passive damage? Sign me up! Infiltrator ensures that Leech Seed can't be blocked with substitute either! Final moveslot is your choice of a crapton of options.

 

[Fundance]

Oh man, Jumpluff...That's really nice actually.

 

[Zennistrad]

Hmm, don't know if this move is really viable, given how weak whirlpool and fire spin are. The only trapping move that's ever really been of any use is Magma Storm.

 

[Banryu]

I'm lovin' dat Jumpluff.
Updated the OP including one of the Pluff sets and with the larger list of learners.

 

[Fundance]

Hmm, don't know if this move is really viable, given how weak whirlpool and fire spin are. The only trapping move that's ever really been of any use is Magma Storm.

They're not weak anymore though, that's the thing. All trapping moves got buffed to deal 1/8 total HP damage per turn, which is very significant.

 

[Phemeto]

They're not weak anymore though, that's the thing. All trapping moves got buffed to deal 1/8 total HP damage per turn, which is very significant.

That, and there is a wrap thread, wondering if all the binding moves should be lumped into the same post.

with the new power, any trapping move with poison (think regular is fine, but toxic is always nice) will kill anything in those 4 turns, you just need to find ways to hold on that long.

 

[Kuhni]

Dusclops learns it.
I've been using this on Doubles:
Dusclops@Eviolite
Infestation
Imprison
Trick Room
Protect

He's my counter to Trick Roomers, and pulls off the deal really well, crippling the enemy team thanks to Imprison and then trapping and chipping away at the health of their Trick Roomer if they decide to let him stay in. It's a nice alternative to Night Shade as nothing is immune, it synergizes well with the chip damage from Sandstorm (Sand team) and leaves the enemy with less options as they can't switch.
You can have both enemies trapped, but I think it was always like this.

 

[Phemeto]

Hmmm Gengar and dusclop learns it, my god what if jellicent can learn it?Running with that kind of bulk would be amazing i would think.

Jellicent@Leftovers
248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Recover
Infestation
Will-o-Wisp
Taunt

 

[sims796]

My favorite mon, Vileplume, gains access to Infiltration. That is nice.

 

[rapzz]

No vespiquen love? I currently have a vespiquen with Attack order, heal order, defend order, and infestation. and it stalls like a boss.

 

[newb]

Galvantula, Ariados, Goomy, Swalot, Tangela, Drapion, Solosis, Gastrodon, Muk, Dusclops, Lileep, Tentacool, Gastrodon, Shuckle learns it.


Doesn't learn it: Bulbasaur, Breloom, Paras, Heracross, Forretress, Larvesta, Anorith, Pinsir, Leavanny, Ferroseed, Petilil, Cacnea, Octillery, Chansey, Slowpoke, Audino, Clefairy, Poliwhirl

 

[Typhlito]

hold on to your pants for this. what if..... you use not just infestation but also another trapping move like wrap or whirlpool? Plus binding band of course. Thats double the passive damage every turn! And then throw toxic into the mix and bam. Dead in like 3-4 turns if its not a steel or poison type. I know heatmor can use both infestation and fire spin but its obviously not bulky enough to do the job. but imagine it on a shuckle