S1nn0hC0nfirm3d
aka Ho3nConfirm3d
Arctovish has one huge claim to fame: Fishious Rend. This single attack makes it a devastating wallbreaker, and even with Slush Rush banned, Arctovish can still get the damage boost on multiple slower walls and versus switch-ins. With Arctovish only recently unbanned, the ZU metagame was not necessarily ready for such a powerful wallbreaker to return. A majority of the council––Tuthur, Drud, Jett, and myself––voted for a suspect test, while only a minority––czim and kay––voted against.
It's most certainly the lack of switch-ins to Fishious Rend that makes Arctovish as good as it is, and it even has tools to work around what could absorb the attack. For starters, a good chunk of the defensive metagame is slower and vulnerable to Arctovish, so once it's in, there's a shining opportunity to spam Fishious Rend. Special walls and Ground-types like Clefairy, Rhydon, and Stunfisk are some of the most vulnerable to this attack. Checking Arctovish isn't as simple as switching into a bulky Water-resistant wall either given Fishious Rend can still do loads of damage to walls like Eldegoss, and Arctovish of course uses STAB Ice-type attacks like Icicle Crash and Freeze-Dry to deal with others like Altaria, Poliwrath, Qwilfish, and Tangela. Even opposing Ice-types like Jynx and the mirror ought to fear Stone Edge, and there's a bit of variability within sets that can make it tough to deal with, too. If you assume it's Choice Band and locked into Fishious Rend, you could lose your Grass-type if you stay in and catch an Icicle Crash. The broken aspects of Arctovish all stem from Fishious Rend being an overwhelmingly powerful weapon in its arsenal with good compliments to limit switch-ins and snag KOes.
As many switch-ins Arctovish may limit, it still is awfully limited itself when it comes to getting on the field. In no way shape or form will a mid-speed Water / Ice type be difficult to deal with offensively. Top tier threats like Rotom, Sawk, Thwackey, and Gurdurr all revenge kill Arctovish without a problem. Arctovish is also heavily item dependent: it will need Heavy-Duty Boots to counteract its Stealth Rock weakness, Choice Band to get the most out of Fishious Rend, or an item like Life Orb to boost coverage like Freeze-Dry. These limitations means there may only be a few turns out on the field for Arctovish to wallbreak, and wallbreaking itself may end up very circumstantial depending on the matchup; clicking Fishious Rend when Poliwrath / Jynx switches in would ruin any and all momentum. Scouting and playing around Arctovish is a valid way to deal with it, as while Tangela and Appletun may fear Ice-type attacks, they can at least tank a Fishious Rend if necessary. Wishiwashi is bulky enough to switch into Arctovish and pivot out, and some walls like Miltank are fast enough to avoid the Fishious Rend boost while they're already in. You need a fair degree of positioning when using Arctovish and, even then, its wallbreaking potential is by no means guaranteed.
- ***THIS IS NEW TO GEN 8 SUSPECTS*** Reading this is mandatory for participating in the suspect test. The voting requirements are a minimum GXE of 77 with at least 50 games played. In addition, you may play 1 less game for every 0.2 GXE you have above 77 GXE, down to a minimum of 30 games at a GXE of 81. Also, needing more than 50 games to reach 77 GXE will suffice.
GXE | minimum games |
77 | 50 |
77.2 | 49 |
77.4 | 48 |
77.6 | 47 |
77.8 | 46 |
78 | 45 |
78.2 | 44 |
78.4 | 43 |
78.6 | 42 |
78.8 | 41 |
79 | 40 |
79.2 | 39 |
79.4 | 38 |
79.6 | 37 |
79.8 | 36 |
80 | 35 |
80.2 | 34 |
80.4 | 33 |
80.6 | 32 |
80.8 | 31 |
81 | 30 |
- You must signup with a newly registered account on Pokemon Showdown! that begins with the appropriate prefix for the suspect test. For this suspect test, the prefix will be ZUVA. For example, I might signup with the ladder account ZUVA Ho3n.
- Laddering with an account that impersonates, mocks, or insults another Smogon user or breaks Pokemon Showdown! rules may be disqualified from voting and infracted. Moderator discretion will be applied here. If there is any doubt or hesitance when making the alt, just pick another name. There are infinite possibilities and we have had trouble for this repeatedly. If you wish to participate in the suspect, you should be able to exhibit decent enough judgement here. We will not be lenient.
- The aspect being tested, Arctovish, will be allowed on the ladder.
- Any form of voting manipulation will result in swift and severe punishment. You are more than welcome to state your argument to as many people as you so please, but do not use any kind of underhanded tactics to get a result you desire. Bribery, blackmail, or any other type of tactic used to sway votes will be handled and sanctioned.
- Do not attempt to cheat the ladder. We will know if you did not actually achieve voting requisites, so don't do it. Harsh sanctions will be applied.
- Unlike previous tests, we will be posting the voting identification thread immediately after this thread. Please avoid getting more games before getting confirmed.
- The suspect test will go on for about 14 days, lasting until February 25th at 11:59 PM GMT -5, and then we will put up the voting thread in the Blind Voting subforum.
This thread will be open to allow all users to share their thoughts on this suspect test and discuss with one another their thoughts. Should you have any questions about the suspect test, feel free to message me or anyone else on the ZU council. Keep in mind that our suspect tests are decided by the community; anyone who achieves voting requisites is allowed to vote. The outcome is up to you. Happy posting and laddering!
Avoid posting one-liners or posts that do not contribute to any discussion. They will be deleted.