Draft Palafin

[ThinkingSceptile]

[overview]
Draft order: Early- or mid-round 1

Price range: 18-19 points

Overview: The Hero, with its base 160 Attack, puts enormous pressure on opposing teams, often forcing an opponent to use defensive Terastallization and still managing to muscle past that. It also has a multitude of other tools that let you mold it into a plethora of roles to fit into in any given matchup. The only thing holding Palafin-H back is the creativity of its user.

[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
* Physical wallbreaker: Palafin-H can tear up teams with Choice Band-boosted Wave Crash coming off its enormous base 160 Attack—even against team compositions with multiple Water resistances. It also has an exceptional ability to clean with access to its strong signature priority in Jet Punch.
* Setup sweeper: With Bulk Up, access to strong priority in Jet Punch, and the ability to heal itself with Drain Punch, Palafin-H makes for a potent setup sweeper that can instantly end games given the smallest of opportunities.
* Special wallbreaker: With a respectable base 106 Special Attack and one of the strongest no-drawback special attacks in Boomburst, along with coverage like Ice Beam and Grass Knot, Palafin-H’s special sets can be surprisingly potent. Boomburst is often used with Throat Spray, though Life Orb or Choice Specs may have merit. This can take up a cleaner role with Agility in its moveset. Note that Palafin-H can still fit Jet Punch in special sets, though it would have to take a hit in bulk due using a Defense- or Special Defense-lowering nature.

Common Moves
========
* STAB moves: Jet Punch, Wave Crash, Flip Turn, Liquidation, Surf, Hydro Pump
* Setup moves: Bulk Up, Agility
* Utility moves: Substitute, Encore, Taunt, Haze
* Coverage: Ice Punch, Drain Punch, Close Combat, Acrobatics, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Throat Chop, Body Slam, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Boomburst, Aura Sphere, Focus Blast.

Niche Moves
========
* Fling: Palafin-H holding a Big Nugget has access to a risky one-time 130 Base Power Dark-type move that Slowking, one of its best checks, does not want to be on the receiving end of.
* Facade: Facade is one of the more niche ways that Palafin-H has to play around status, as common counterplay to Palafin relies around inflicting it with status either via Toxic Spikes or via contact abilities like Static.
* Whirlpool: With this move and Taunt, Palafin-H can run a decent trapper set to lure some of its checks, though it is generally able to have a bigger impact on the game with its breaking or sweeping prowess.

Common Items
========
* Choice Band: Palafin-H, with its base 160 Attack, makes use of the damage boost really well, especially since it doesn't have to lock itself into a move by using Flip Turn.
* Sitrus Berry/Leftovers: They are not interchangeable, though they do have a similar role. Both generally belong on Bulk Up sets, with Sitrus Berry finding itself on sets that either don’t intend to last as long or need Acrobatics to hit something like Appletun or Amoonguss. Leftovers is more useful when the game plan is to use Bulk Up multiple times and sit on the field for an extended duration versus a more passive team.
* Mystic Water: Mystic Water is useful on sets that run multiple Water-type moves like Jet Punch, Wave Crash, and Flip Turn—all which do different things without locking Palafin-H into one of those moves.
* Punching Glove/Protective Pads: With one of the foremost checks to Palafin-H being Rocky Helmet, sets with Drain Punch and Jet Punch use Punching Glove to great effect. Protective Pads replaces this when the set has moves like Flip Turn or Wave Crash.

Niche Items
========
* Life Orb/Expert Belt: Life Orb is niche, because one of the main Palafin-H counterplays is to switch around with Rocky Helmet users and getting Palafin-H to chip itself into range of a priority move or faster Pokemon that resist Jet Punch. It has its place, but do keep in mind this puts it on a fast track to fainting. An Expert Belt can be equipped in its stead if Palafin-H hits the damage benchmarks it needs in order to sidestep the recoil downside.
* Throat Spray/Choice Specs: Throat Spray is niche, because the special set itself is fairly niche. Palafin-H uses Boomburst to trigger this item. Choice Specs can be used over Throat Spray if immediate power is needed and there isn't a need to switch moves.
* Choice Scarf: Choice Scarf is rare, because Jet Punch generally has Palafin-H covered when it needs to move first. However, in some matchups, you want Wave Crash to hit first, though be advised to not leave Jet Punch at home even on these sets.
* Resistance Berry/Weakness Policy: Resistance Berries help lure threats to open up the game, and Weakness Policy helps secure cheeky setup for Palafin-H off of weak Volt Switch that can be expected from the preparation stage and lets it instantly end the game.
* Heavy-Duty (ah) Boots: Specifically relevant on Flip Turn sets, Heavy-Duty Boots aid Palafin-H pivoting in and out of the field through avoiding accumulated entry hazard damage.

Tera
========
Palafin-H is generally banned from using Tera. If yours has the liberty to Tera, congratulations in advance. When allowed to do so, it can run Tera Fighting to boost damage from Drain Punch or Close Combat, Tera Water for stronger Jet Punch and Wave Crash, Tera Normal for Boomburst, or a defensive option like Tera Fairy or Poison to facilitate setting up.

Draft Strategy
========
While Palafin can be built to beat each of Palafin-H's checks, it cannot take on all of them at once. It forces teams to bring all their Water resistances and even cater their chosen Tera to resist Palafin-H's attacks, so drafting Pokemon that can take advantage of this is extremely advantageous.
*Fast Water-type checks/teammates that force other Tera types for foes: Fast Pokemon that pressure Water-types like Meowscarada and Serperior can chip foes down into range of Palafin-H's Jet Punch. Pokemon that can force other Tera types like Raging Bolt, which can push an opponent to bring a Pokemon with Tera Ground, and Zapdos, which applies pressure on their Water- and Grass-types, are good options.
* Entry hazard removal: Reliable hazard removal from Pokemon like Iron Treads and Cyclizar, or at least a grounded Poison-type, is generally advised on Palafin drafts, as Palafin-H dislikes Toxic Spikes and seldom wants to run Heavy-Duty Boots.
* Bulky backbone: Since Palafin needs to swap out of its Zero forme, consider not using it on hyper offense archetypes; it greatly appreciates a backbone that it can fall back on before it gets back on the field to take control. Pokemon such as Ting-Lu or Landorus-T, or at lower price points, something like a Tinkaton, would go a long way to support a Palafin draft.

Checks and Counters
========
* Water resistances: Palafin-H has no true defensive counters, but Water resistances go a long way in keeping it at bay, as it typically wants to spam STAB moves whenever possible. Pokemon such as Amoonguss, Slowking, and Volcanion do a solid job of limiting the sets it can afford to run, while faster Pokemon that resist Jet Punch, such as Ogerpon-W, Latios, and Iron Bundle provide effective offensive checks, though they should be careful when switching into it directly. Teams lacking in Water resistances should strongly consider Terastallizing one of their Tera Captains into the Grass-, Water-, or Dragon-types in order to limit the damage Palafin-H is capable of doing.
* Residual damage: Palafin-H strongly dislikes taking residual damage from entry hazards or Rocky Helmet, as it has no reliable means of recovery, though it's not unusual to see it running items such as Heavy-Duty Boots or Protective Pads or Punching Glove in order to mitigate said weakness. It also appreciates Knock Off support to deal with Rocky Helmet users.
* Aggressive play: Since Palafin is significantly weaker before it has activated the Hero forme, it should be attempted to deny it from doing so easily, as it makes it much easier to handle. Teams with a strong offensive profile can often exploit the sorts of builds Palafin typically finds itself on, denying it the turns it needs in order to truly become effective.

[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/thinkingsceptile.556309/

Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dartrix-joker.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/

Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/

 

[Scribble]

Draft order: Early to mid first rounder

Price range: Max points or close to it depending on the board
Change to 18-19 points since this is standard league scaling that Smogon also uses.

Overview: This less-than-mediocre mon with a BST below 500 turns into one of draft’s foremost first rounders on a switch out. The Hero with his 650 BST and 160 base Attack puts on enormous pressure on opponent teams often forcing the opponent’s tera around itself and still managing to muscle past that. He also has a multitude of other tools which lets you mold him into a plethora of roles to fit into in any given matchup. The only thing that holds it back is the creativity of its user.
Get rid of the BST of the baby form. It's not important to the analysis and could potentially cause confusion. The rest is good, and I especially like your description of Palafin being able to beat its counters and only being held back by the creativity of the user. Maybe adding a caveat to the last sentence like "While in Hero form, the only thing that holds it back is the creativity of its user" would be more accurate, though.


Common Roles
========
Role 1: Physical Breaker: Palafin can tear up teams with banded Wave Crash coming off its enormous 160 base attack - even against team comps with multiple water resists.
Role 2: Cleaner/Revenge Killer: Often the same set as the physical breaker, it can pick off mons from half health with its strong priority in Jet Punch, though the occasional scarf Palafin does have merit.
Role 3: Setup sweeper: With access to strong priority in Jet Punch, ability to heal itself with Drain Punch (or the odd rest, though usually status is avoided with substitute), and Bulk Up, Palafin makes for a potent setup sweeper that can instantly end games given the smallest of opportunities.
I'd just get rid of the entire phrase in parentheses here. Rest is very rare on Palafin and not worth mentioning in its common setup sweeper role.
Role 4: Special Breaker: With a respectable special attack stat of 106 and one of the strongest no drawback special attacks in Boomburst, and coverage like Ice Beam and Grass Knot, Palafin’s special sets can be surprisingly potent. Often used with throat spray, though life orb or choice specs may have merit. This can take up a cleaner role with Agility in its moveset.
Role 5: Mixed Breaker: Some matchups call for both boomburst and jet punch. Palafin has the ability to deal damage from both sides at the same time, though this often comes at the cost of a nature that cuts into its bulk.
The info is mostly fine in this section, but it's awkwardly worded and has a few grammar mistakes. I'll leave writing corrections to GP, but you could probably clean it up on your own too.

Common moves
========
STAB moves: Jet Punch, Wave Crash, Flip Turn, Liquidation, Surf, Hydro Pump
Setup moves: Bulk Up, Agility
Utility moves: Substitute, Encore, Taunt, Haze
Coverage: Ice Punch, Drain Punch, Close Combat, Acrobatics, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Throat Chop, Body Slam, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Boomburst, Aura Sphere, Focus Blast.

Niche moves
========
Fling: For setup sets that need a Slowking out of the way. With the Big Nugget discovery Palafin has access to a one-time 130 base power dark move that one of its best checks does not want to be in the receiving end of.
This is good, but should be rephrased. Get rid of the "discovery" part and just mention how Fling Big Nugget gives Palafin a risky option to try to bypass some of its best counters like Slowking.
Facade: One of the more niche ways that Palafin has to play around status.
You could say this about any physical attacker, so you should justify its inclusion by mentioning it attempts to take advantage of common Palafin counterplay like Toxic Spikes to try to hit it when it's switching around to activate, and contact-punishing abilities like Static.

Maybe also include Whirlpool? It recently got the move in Indigo Disk so it's unexplored right now, but I see Whirlpool + Taunt sets having merit.

Common items
========
Choice Band: Palafin with its base 160 attack makes use of this 1.5x attack multiplier really well, especially since it doesn't have to lock itself into a move by clicking Flip Turn.
Sitrus Berry/Leftovers: They are not interchangeable though they do have a similar role. Both generally belong on bulk up sets with Sitrus finding itself in sets that either don’t need substitute or need Acrobatics to hit something like an Appletun or an Amoonguss. Leftovers are more useful when the game plan is to bulk up and substitute multiple times versus a more passive team.
I interpreted this analysis as saying "only use Leftovers if you're running Substitute," but running Leftovers shouldn't necessitate Sub. Weighing if Leftovers or Sitrus is better is always going to depend on matchup context and how many Leftovers turns you expect Palafin to get in battle, so this needs to be more clear.
Punching Glove: With one of the foremost counterplay of Palafin being Rocky Helmet, sets with drain and jet punch use this item to great effect. Protective Pads replace this when the set has moves like Flip Turn or Wave Crash.
I would list Protective Pads first and include Punching Glove as the sidegrade option. Pads is going to be generally more useful since a Palafin that isn't banded probably wants to click more moves than Jet Punch most of the time.


Niche items
========
Life Orb: This is niche because one of the main Fin counterplay is to switch around with helmets and getting Palafin to chip itself into range of priority or faster mons that resist Jet Punch. It has its place but do keep in mind this puts it on a fast track to killing itself.
Throat Spray: Niche because the special set itself is fairly niche. Palafin uses Boomburst to proc this item. It can use choice specs for immediate power over Throat Spray as well.
Choice Scarf: Scarf is rare because Jet Punch generally has Fin covered when it needs to move first. However in some matchups you want Wave Crash to hit first, though do be advised to not leave Jet Punch at home even on these sets.
Resist Berry/Weakness Policy: Every relevant pokemon should have these two at least listed in niche items. If draft had a signature item it would be a toss up between these two.
Heavy-Duty Boots: Boots can probably be mentioned on everything just like resist berries/weakness policy, but it is a bit more relevant for Palafin cause it needs to switch in and out before it activates Hero form.
Mystic Water: Since Palafin is clicking Water moves the majority of the time this should get mentioned as an option too. Boosting Jet Punch, Flip Turn, and Wave Crash at the same time without locking into a move and inflicting self-recoil is pretty nice for it.

Tera
========
If your Palafin has the liberty to tera, congratulations in advance. When allowed to do so, it can run fighting to gain STAB on drain punch or CC, water for stronger jet punches and wave crashes, or a defensive tera like fairy/poison to facilitate setting up.
Mention that Palafin is generally Tera banned

Draft Strategy
========
While Palafin can be built to beat each of its checks it cannot take on all of them at once. A strong water killer and grass killer generally go well along with the Hero. Since Palafin needs to swap out of its baby form I wouldn’t advise it on hyper offense archetypes - it greatly appreciates a backbone that it can fall back on before it gets back on the field to take control.
IMO this is the most important section of draft analysis, so I'd like to see this elaborated on a lot more along with bulleted examples. You do mention strong Water/Grass killers, but I think it needs a lot more detail.
The key thing about Palafin is that it nearly forces all of the opponent's Water resists to come to battle, including the Tera types of the captains. Pokemon that can take advantage of the many Water, Grass, and Dragon type Pokemon Palafin will be facing will be Palafin's best partners. Fast Pokemon that can take advantage of Water resists like Meowscarada work great for this, since between Jet Punch and Meowscarada's speed control, your draft can offensively check pretty much everything. You could also pair Palafin with Pokemon that also tend to force opposing Tera types, like Raging Bolt heavily encouraging Tera Ground.
A decent grounded Poison/hazard removal should also be mentioned, since Toxic Spikes are common Palafin counterplay, and Palafin needs to be switching in and out of battle a couple times and doesn't run boots often.

Checks and Counters
========
Palafin has no true counter. It generally takes a team effort to bring down a well-built Palafin. Physical setup sets dislike helmet but they could be glove. If they’re glove then they aren’t a healing item like sitrus or lefties so they get worn down by strong hits. Special sets don’t hit as hard but do take an opponent off their feet if they aren’t at least a little ready. It’s generally advised to have multiple soft checks for a pokemon like Palafin rather than gambling on what set it’s going to be.
This is all true and good advice, but I think it's worth bulleting examples of soft checks. I would explicitly list bulky Waters, Rocky Helmet/Contact punishing in general, and fast Water resists that can threaten Water types like Latios.
I think the stuff about the individual weaknesses of Palafin's sets is good, but could be generalized to say that Palafin's item gives you A LOT of information on what the Palafin you're facing can do/will try to do in battle. And then go into examples like "For example if you find out it's banded, then it's weak to being worn down by hazards/Rocky Helmet in combination with Wave Crash recoil" etc. Not every set needs to be listed though.

Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/thinkingsceptile.556309/

Quality checked by:

Grammar checked by:

QC 1/2, missing some content especially in the draft strategy section, but what's here already is good. Grammar/writing could use some cleaning up in general though.

 

[ThinkingSceptile]

QC 1/2, missing some content especially in the draft strategy section, but what's here already is good. Grammar/writing could use some cleaning up in general though.

changed everything as requested except the Punching Glove/Protective Pads thing, I've messaged you about that on Discord and we can talk about it. I've also added Mystic Water to common items instead of niche items, I just forgot about that item lol it's def a good one on Palafin. Once we discuss the Glove/Pads thing I'll be ready for QC2 but not ready yet

 

[ThinkingSceptile]

ready for QC2

 

[Nyx]

Draft order: Early to mid first rounder

Price range: 18 - 19 points

Overview: The Hero with his 650 BST and 160 base Attack puts on enormous pressure on opponent teams often forcing the opponent’s tera around itself and still managing to muscle past that. He also has a multitude of other tools which lets you mold him into a plethora of roles to fit into in any given matchup. In its hero form, the only thing that holds it back is the creativity of its user. gp thing but change he to it, id also specify what these other tools can achieve, whether thats special breaker or bulky pivot, cant assume little timmy knows anything

Common Roles
========
Role 1: Physical breaker: Palafin can tear up teams with banded Wave Crash coming off its enormous 160 base attack - even against team comps with multiple water resists.
Role 2: Cleaner/revenge killer: Often the same set as the physical breaker, it can pick off mons from half health with its strong priority in Jet Punch, though the occasional scarf Palafin does have merit. id honestly merge these two roles into wallabreaker and just say that it can also clean thanks to the access to jet punch, wouldnt mention scarf here
Role 3: Setup sweeper: With Bulk Up, access to strong priority in Jet Punch and the ability to heal itself with Drain Punch, Palafin makes for a potent setup sweeper that can instantly end games given the smallest of opportunities.
Role 4: Special breaker: With a respectable special attack stat of 106 and one of the strongest no drawback special attacks in Boomburst, and coverage like Ice Beam and Grass Knot, Palafin’s special sets can be surprisingly potent. Often used with throat spray, though life orb or choice specs may have merit. This can take up a cleaner role with Agility in its move set.
Role 5: Mixed breaker: Some matchups call for both Boomburst and Jet Punch. Palafin has the ability to deal damage from both sides at the same time, though this often comes at the cost of a nature that cuts into its bulk. id remove this line and just mention that special palafin can also run jet punch

Common moves
========
STAB moves: Jet Punch, Wave Crash, Flip Turn, Liquidation, Surf, Hydro Pump
Setup moves: Bulk Up, Agility
Utility moves: Substitute, Encore, Taunt, Haze
Coverage: Ice Punch, Drain Punch, Close Combat, Acrobatics, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Throat Chop, Body Slam, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Boomburst, Aura Sphere, Focus Blast.

Niche moves
========
Fling: Palafin has access to a risky one-time 130 base power dark move that Slowking, one of its best checks, does not want to be in the receiving end of.
Facade: One of the more niche ways that Palafin has to play around status- as common counterplay to Palafin relies around inflicting it with status either via Toxic Spikes or via contact abilities like Static.
Whirlpool: With this move and taunt, Palafin can run a decent trapper set to lure some of its checks though it is generally able to have a bigger impact on the game. bigger impact by what? ik u mean by attacking/pivoting out but gotta make that clear is all

Common items
========
Choice Band: Palafin with its base 160 attack makes use of this 1.5x attack multiplier really well, especially since it doesn't have to lock itself into a move by clicking Flip Turn.
Sitrus Berry/Leftovers: They are not interchangeable though they do have a similar role. Both generally belong on bulk up sets with Sitrus finding itself in sets that either don’t intend to last as long or need Acrobatics to hit something like an Appletun or an Amoonguss. Leftovers are more useful when the game plan is to bulk up multiple times and sit on the field for an extended duration versus a more passive team.
Mystic Water: Useful on sets that run multiple Water-type moves like Jet Punch, Wave Crash, and Flip Turn - all which do different things, without locking into one of those moves.
Punching Glove/Protective Pads: With one of the foremost counterplay of Palafin being Rocky Helmet, sets with drain and jet punch use this item to great effect. Protective Pads replace this when the set has moves like Flip Turn or Wave Crash.

Niche items
========
Life Orb: This is niche because one of the main Fin counterplay is to switch around with helmets and getting Palafin to chip itself into range of priority or faster mons that resist Jet Punch. It has its place but do keep in mind this puts it on a fast track to killing itself. id slash ebelt here, mention that you can pick either depending on the damage benchmarks you need to reach
Throat Spray: Niche because the special set itself is fairly niche. Palafin uses Boomburst to proc this item. It can use choice specs for immediate power over Throat Spray as well. id write this as Throat Spray/Choice Specs, and then rewrite the sentences to reflect that
Choice Scarf: Scarf is rare because Jet Punch generally has Fin covered when it needs to move first. However, in some matchups you want Wave Crash to hit first, though do be advised to not leave Jet Punch at home even on these sets.
Resist Berry/Weakness Policy: Every relevant Pokémon should have these two at least listed in niche items. If draft had a signature item, it would be a toss-up between these two. while these do make sense, u should explain why still, its either to enable setup or to allow it to lure something
Heavy Duty Boots: This too generally belongs on at least the niche section of every Pokémon in draft - though it is somewhat more relevant in Palafin's case as on its Flip Turn sets where it aims to come in and out of the game it would appreciate not being hindered by entry hazards.

Tera
========
Palafin is generally tera-banned in leagues. If yours has the liberty to tera, congratulations in advance. When allowed to do so, it can run fighting to gain STAB on Drain Punch or CC, water for stronger Jet Punch and Wave Crash, normal for STAB Boomburst, or a defensive tera like fairy/poison to facilitate setting up.

Draft Strategy
========
While Palafin can be built to beat each of its checks it cannot take on all of them at once. It forces teams to bring all their water resists and even cater their tera to resist Palafin, so drafting Pokémon that can take advantage of this is extremely advantageous. Fast Pokémon that pressure Water-types like Meowscarada, or Pokémon that force other tera types like Raging Bolt forcing ground-type tera or Zapdos putting pressure on their Water and Grass-types. Hazard removal or at least a grounded Poison-type is generally advised on Palafin drafts as the Hero dislikes Toxic Spikes and seldom wants to run Heavy-Duty Boots. Since Palafin needs to swap out of its baby form I wouldn’t advise it on hyper offense archetypes - it greatly appreciates a backbone that it can fall back on before it gets back on the field to take control.
id restructure this into roles like the latias one, in this case those would be faster pokemon/water checks, hazard control, defensive backbone

Checks and Counters
========
Water resists: Palafin has no true defensive counters, but water resists go a long way in keeping it at bay, as it typically wants to spam stab moves whenever it's possible. Pokémon such as Amoonguss, Slowking and Volcanion do a solid job of limiting the sets it can afford to run, while faster pokemon that resist Jet Punch such as Ogerpon Wellspring, Latios or Iron Bundle provide effective offensive checks, though should be careful when switching into it directly. Teams lacking in water resists should strongly consider terastalizing one of their captains into the Grass, Water or Dragon types, in order to limit the damage Palafin is capable of doing.

Residual damage: Palafin strongly dislikes taking residual damage from entry hazards or Rocky helmet, as it has no reliable means of recovery, though it's not unusual to see it running items such as Heavy-Duty Boots or Protective Pads/Punching Glove in order to mitigate said weakness. can mention that it appreciates being paired with good knock support for this

Aggressive play: Since Palafin is significantly weaker before it has activated Hero form, it should be attempted to deny it from doing so easily, as it makes it much easier to handle. Teams with a strong offensive profile can often exploit the sorts of builds Palafin typically finds itself into, denying it the turns it needs in order to truly become effective.

Written by:
ThinkingSceptile | Smogon Forums

Quality checked by:
Dartrix - Joker | Smogon Forums

Grammar checked by:

QC 2/2 - just gotta make parts clearer for people who are approaching draft for the first time

 

[ThinkingSceptile]

made the changes as requested just waiting on confirmation for the draft strategy rewrite before going to gp

 

[ThinkingSceptile]

ready for GP GP Team

 

[ken]

once you implement tag me so i can give it a quick second glance before approving :)

there's a few places where i removed random extra spaces without leaving a comment, so make sure to copy/paste the bb code when implementing

i've changed nearly all mentions of Palafin to Palafin-H (the hero forme); if there are specific instances where i incorrectly changed it, please either don't implement the change, or let me know and i'll yeet it on my second glance (or for the ones where I didn't change it, lmk if I should have)

add remove comment
ah = added hyphen
ac = added comma
— = adds html emdash; just remove formatting without adding spaces around it
rh = removed hyphen
ap = added period
asc = added semicolon

From zero to hero Herc is a hero Now he's a hero Yes indeed

[overview]
Draft order: Early- (ah) to or mid-round 1 first rounder

Price range: 18-19 points removed spaces around the dash

Overview: The Hero, (ac) with its 650 BST and usually avoid referring to BST-if you want to use base 100 Speed and the following, that's fine, but total BST by itself does not ~guarantee~ something is good base 160 base Attack, (ac) puts on enormous pressure on opponent opposing teams, (ac) often forcing the opponent’s tera around itself an opponent to use defensive Terastallization i believe this is what you mean; if not, let me know and still managing to muscle past that. It also has a multitude of other tools which that lets you mold it into a plethora of roles to fit into in any given matchup. In its hero form, the The only thing that holds it holding Palafin-H back is the creativity of its user.

[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
Role 1: Physical wall-breaker * Physical wallbreaker: Palafin-H can tear up teams with banded Wave Crash coming off its enormous base 160 base attack Attack—even against team comps compositions with multiple water resists Water resistances. It also has an exceptional ability to clean with access to its strong signature priority in Jet Punch.
Role 2: * Setup sweeper: With Bulk Up, access to strong priority in Jet Punch, (ac) and the ability to heal itself with Drain Punch, Palafin-H makes for a potent setup sweeper that can instantly end games given the smallest of opportunities.
Role 3: * Special wallbreaker: With a respectable special attack stat of 106 base 106 Special Attack and one of the strongest no-drawback (ah) special attacks in Boomburst, and along with coverage like Ice Beam and Grass Knot, Palafin-H’s special sets can be surprisingly potent. Boomburst is often Often used with throat spray Throat Spray, though life orb or choice specs Life Orb or Choice Specs may have merit. This can take up a cleaner role with Agility in its moveset deleted a space. Note that Palafin-H can still fit Jet Punch in special sets, (ac) though it would have to take a hit in bulk to due using a -Def or -SpDef nature Defense- or Special Defense-lowering nature.

Common moves Moves
========
* STAB moves: Jet Punch, Wave Crash, Flip Turn, Liquidation, Surf, Hydro Pump
* Setup moves: Bulk Up, Agility
* Utility moves: Substitute, Encore, Taunt, Haze
* Coverage: Ice Punch, Drain Punch, Close Combat, Acrobatics, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Throat Chop, Body Slam, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Boomburst, Aura Sphere, Focus Blast.

Niche moves Moves
========
* Fling: Palafin-H has access to a risky one-time 130 base power dark Base Power Dark-type move that Slowking, one of its best checks, does not want to be in on the receiving end of. probably should state which item is paired with this to give it 130 BP, since not all items are created equal
* Facade: One Facade is one of the more niche ways that Palafin-H has to play around status, (rh, ac) as common counterplay to Palafin relies around inflicting it with status either via Toxic Spikes or via contact abilities like Static.
* Whirlpool: With this move and taunt Taunt, Palafin-H can run a decent trapper set to lure some of its checks, (ac) though it is generally able to have a bigger impact on the game with its breaking or sweeping prowess.

Common items Items
========
* Choice Band: Palafin-H, (ac) with its base 160 attack Attack, (ac) makes use of this 1.5x attack multiplier damage boost 1.5x multiplier is straight dex info, so i made it a little less direct, since it does appear relevant given the following context really well, especially since it doesn't have to lock itself into a move by clicking using Flip Turn.
* Sitrus Berry/Leftovers: They are not interchangeable, (ac) though they do have a similar role. Both generally belong on bulk up Bulk Up sets, (ac) with Sitrus Berry finding itself in on sets that either don’t intend to last as long or need Acrobatics to hit something like an Appletun or an Amoonguss. Leftovers are is more useful when the game plan is to bulk up use Bulk Up multiple times and sit on the field for an extended duration versus a more passive team.
* Mystic Water: Useful Mystic Water is useful on sets that run multiple Water-type moves like Jet Punch, Wave Crash, and Flip Turn—all which do different things (rc) without locking Palafin-H into one of those moves.
* Punching Glove/Protective Pads: With one of the foremost counterplay of counters to Palafin-H being Rocky Helmet, sets with drain and jet punch Drain Punch and Jet Punch use this item Punching Glove to great effect. Protective Pads replaces this when the set has moves like Flip Turn or Wave Crash.

Niche items Items
========
* Life Orb/Expert Belt: This Life Orb is niche, (ac) because one of the main Fin Palafin-H counterplays is to switch around with helmets Rocky Helmet users and getting Palafin-H to chip itself into range of a priority move or faster mons Pokemon that resist Jet Punch. It has its place, (ac) but do keep in mind this puts it on a fast track to killing itself fainting. An expert belt Expert Belt can be equipped in its stead if Palafin-H hits the damage benchmarks it needs in order to sidestep the recoil downside.
* Throat Spray/Choice Specs: Niche Throat Spray is niche, because the special set itself is fairly niche. Palafin-H uses Boomburst to proc trigger this item. Choice Specs can be used over Throat Spray if immediate power is needed and there isn't a need to switch moves.
* Choice Scarf: Choice Scarf is rare, (ac) because Jet Punch generally has Fin Palafin-H covered when it needs to move first. However, in some matchups, (ac) you want Wave Crash to hit first, though do be advised to not leave Jet Punch at home even on these sets.
* Resistance Berry/Weakness Policy: Every relevant Pokémon should have these two at least listed in niche items. If draft had a signature item, it would be a toss-up between these two. not exactly relevant to this specific analysis Resistance Berries help lure threats to open up the game, (ac) and Weakness Policy helps grab secure cheeky setup for Palafin-H off of weak Volt Switch that can be expected from the preparation stage and lets it instantly end the game.
* Heavy-Duty (ah) Boots: This too generally belongs on at least the niche section of every Pokémon in draft - though it is somewhat more relevant in Palafin's case as on its Flip Turn sets where it aims to come in and out of the game it would appreciate not being hindered by entry hazards. Specifically relevant on Flip Turn sets, Heavy-Duty Boots aid Palafin-H pivoting in and out of the field through avoiding accumulated entry hazard damage.

Tera
========
Palafin-H is generally tera-banned in leagues banned from using Tera. If yours has the liberty to tera, congratulations in advance. When allowed to do so, it can run fighting to gain STAB on Tera Fighting to boost damage from Drain Punch or CC Close Combat, water Tera Water for stronger Jet Punch and Wave Crash, normal Tera Normal for STAB Boomburst, or a defensive tera like fairy/poison option like Tera Fairy or Poison to facilitate setting up.

Draft Strategy
========
While Palafin can be built to beat each of its Palafin-H's checks, (ac) it cannot take on all of them at once. It forces teams to bring all their water resists Water resistances and even cater their tera chosen Tera to resist Palafin-H's attacks, so drafting Pokémon Pokemon that can take advantage of this is extremely advantageous.
* Fast Water Checks/Different Tera Forcers Fast Water-type checks/teammates that force other Tera types for foes this is hella long, but if they're going to be grouped together I think it's just going to be that way: Fast Pokémon Pokemon that pressure Water-types like Meowscarada and Serperior that chip Pokémon can chip foes down to the into range of Palafin-H's Jet Punch. (rc, ap) or Pokémon Pokemon that can force other tera Tera types like Raging Bolt, (ac) forcing ground-type tera which can push an opponent to bring a Pokemon with Tera Ground, and or Zapdos, (ac) putting which applies pressure on their Water- and Grass-types, (ac) are good options.
* Entry hazard removal: Reliable hazard removal from Pokemon like Iron Treads or and Cyclizar, or at least a grounded Poison-type, (ac) is generally advised on Palafin drafts, (ac) as the Hero Palafin-H dislikes Toxic Spikes and seldom wants to run Heavy-Duty Boots.
* Bulky backbone: Since Palafin needs to swap out of its baby form Zero forme, (ac) I wouldn’t advise consider not using it on hyper offense archetypes; (rh, asc) it greatly appreciates a backbone that it can fall back on before it gets back on the field to take control. Pokémon Pokemon such as Ting-Lu or Landorus-Therian, or at lower price points, something like a Tinkaton, (ac) would go a long way to support a Palafin draft.

Checks and Counters
========
* Water resists resistances: Palafin-H has no true defensive counters, but water resists Water resistances go a long way in keeping it at bay, as it typically wants to spam stab STAB moves whenever it's possible. Pokémon Pokemon such as Amoonguss, Slowking, (ac) and Volcanion do a solid job of limiting the sets it can afford to run, while faster pokemon Pokemon that resist Jet Punch, (ac) such as Ogerpon-W Wellspring, Latios, (ac) or and Iron Bundle provide effective offensive checks, though they should be careful when switching into it directly. Teams lacking in water resists Water resistances should strongly consider terastalizing Terastallizing one of their captains Tera Captains into the Grass-, Water-, or Dragon-types added a few hyphens & a comma in order to limit the damage Palafin-H is capable of doing.
* Residual damage: Palafin-H strongly dislikes taking residual damage from entry hazards or Rocky helmet Helmet, as it has no reliable means of recovery, though it's not unusual to see it running items such as Heavy-Duty Boots or Protective Pads or removed slash Punching Glove in order to mitigate said weakness. It also appreciates Knock Off support to deal with Rocky Helmet users.
* Aggressive play: Since Palafin is significantly weaker before it has activated the Hero forme, it should be attempted to deny it from doing so easily, as it makes it much easier to handle. Teams with a strong offensive profile can often exploit the sorts of builds Palafin typically finds itself into on, denying it the turns it needs in order to truly become effective.

[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/thinkingsceptile.556309/

Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dartrix-joker.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/

Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/

 

[ThinkingSceptile]

[overview]
Draft order: Early- or mid-round 1

Price range: 18-19 points

Overview: The Hero, with its base 160 Attack, puts enormous pressure on opposing teams, often forcing an opponent to use defensive Terastallization and still managing to muscle past that. It also has a multitude of other tools that let you mold it into a plethora of roles to fit into in any given matchup. The only thing holding Palafin-H back is the creativity of its user.

[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
* Physical wallbreaker: Palafin-H can tear up teams with Choice Band-boosted Wave Crash coming off its enormous base 160 Attack—even against team compositions with multiple Water resistances. It also has an exceptional ability to clean with access to its strong signature priority in Jet Punch.
* Setup sweeper: With Bulk Up, access to strong priority in Jet Punch, and the ability to heal itself with Drain Punch, Palafin-H makes for a potent setup sweeper that can instantly end games given the smallest of opportunities.
* Special wallbreaker: With a respectable base 106 Special Attack and one of the strongest no-drawback special attacks in Boomburst, along with coverage like Ice Beam and Grass Knot, Palafin-H’s special sets can be surprisingly potent. Boomburst is often used with Throat Spray, though Life Orb or Choice Specs may have merit. This can take up a cleaner role with Agility in its moveset. Note that Palafin-H can still fit Jet Punch in special sets, though it would have to take a hit in bulk due using a Defense- or Special Defense-lowering nature.

Common Moves
========
* STAB moves: Jet Punch, Wave Crash, Flip Turn, Liquidation, Surf, Hydro Pump
* Setup moves: Bulk Up, Agility
* Utility moves: Substitute, Encore, Taunt, Haze
* Coverage: Ice Punch, Drain Punch, Close Combat, Acrobatics, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Throat Chop, Body Slam, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Boomburst, Aura Sphere, Focus Blast.

Niche Moves
========
* Fling: Palafin-H holding a Big Nugget has access to a risky one-time 130 Base Power Dark-type move that Slowking, one of its best checks, does not want to be on the receiving end of.
* Facade: Facade is one of the more niche ways that Palafin-H has to play around status, as common counterplay to Palafin relies around inflicting it with status either via Toxic Spikes or via contact abilities like Static.
* Whirlpool: With this move and Taunt, Palafin-H can run a decent trapper set to lure some of its checks, though it is generally able to have a bigger impact on the game with its breaking or sweeping prowess.

Common Items
========
* Choice Band: Palafin-H, with its base 160 Attack, makes use of the damage boost really well, especially since it doesn't have to lock itself into a move by using Flip Turn.
* Sitrus Berry/Leftovers: They are not interchangeable, though they do have a similar role. Both generally belong on Bulk Up sets, with Sitrus Berry finding itself on sets that either don’t intend to last as long or need Acrobatics to hit something like Appletun or Amoonguss. Leftovers is more useful when the game plan is to use Bulk Up multiple times and sit on the field for an extended duration versus a more passive team.
* Mystic Water: Mystic Water is useful on sets that run multiple Water-type moves like Jet Punch, Wave Crash, and Flip Turn—all which do different things without locking Palafin-H into one of those moves.
* Punching Glove/Protective Pads: With one of the foremost checks to Palafin-H being Rocky Helmet, sets with Drain Punch and Jet Punch use Punching Glove to great effect. Protective Pads replaces this when the set has moves like Flip Turn or Wave Crash.

Niche Items
========
* Life Orb/Expert Belt: Life Orb is niche, because one of the main Palafin-H counterplays is to switch around with Rocky Helmet users and getting Palafin-H to chip itself into range of a priority move or faster Pokemon that resist Jet Punch. It has its place, but do keep in mind this puts it on a fast track to fainting. An Expert Belt can be equipped in its stead if Palafin-H hits the damage benchmarks it needs in order to sidestep the recoil downside.
* Throat Spray/Choice Specs: Throat Spray is niche, because the special set itself is fairly niche. Palafin-H uses Boomburst to trigger this item. Choice Specs can be used over Throat Spray if immediate power is needed and there isn't a need to switch moves.
* Choice Scarf: Choice Scarf is rare, because Jet Punch generally has Palafin-H covered when it needs to move first. However, in some matchups, you want Wave Crash to hit first, though be advised to not leave Jet Punch at home even on these sets.
* Resistance Berry/Weakness Policy: Resistance Berries help lure threats to open up the game, and Weakness Policy helps secure cheeky setup for Palafin-H off of weak Volt Switch that can be expected from the preparation stage and lets it instantly end the game.
* Heavy-Duty (ah) Boots: Specifically relevant on Flip Turn sets, Heavy-Duty Boots aid Palafin-H pivoting in and out of the field through avoiding accumulated entry hazard damage.

Tera
========
Palafin-H is generally banned from using Tera. If yours has the liberty to Tera, congratulations in advance. When allowed to do so, it can run Tera Fighting to boost damage from Drain Punch or Close Combat, Tera Water for stronger Jet Punch and Wave Crash, Tera Normal for Boomburst, or a defensive option like Tera Fairy or Poison to facilitate setting up.

Draft Strategy
========
While Palafin can be built to beat each of Palafin-H's checks, it cannot take on all of them at once. It forces teams to bring all their Water resistances and even cater their chosen Tera to resist Palafin-H's attacks, so drafting Pokemon that can take advantage of this is extremely advantageous.
*Fast Water-type checks/teammates that force other Tera types for foes: Fast Pokemon that pressure Water-types like Meowscarada and Serperior can chip foes down into range of Palafin-H's Jet Punch. Pokemon that can force other Tera types like Raging Bolt, which can push an opponent to bring a Pokemon with Tera Ground, and Zapdos, which applies pressure on their Water- and Grass-types, are good options.
* Entry hazard removal: Reliable hazard removal from Pokemon like Iron Treads and Cyclizar, or at least a grounded Poison-type, is generally advised on Palafin drafts, as Palafin-H dislikes Toxic Spikes and seldom wants to run Heavy-Duty Boots.
* Bulky backbone: Since Palafin needs to swap out of its Zero forme, consider not using it on hyper offense archetypes; it greatly appreciates a backbone that it can fall back on before it gets back on the field to take control. Pokemon such as Ting-Lu or Landorus-T, or at lower price points, something like a Tinkaton, would go a long way to support a Palafin draft.

Checks and Counters
========
* Water resistances: Palafin-H has no true defensive counters, but Water resistances go a long way in keeping it at bay, as it typically wants to spam STAB moves whenever possible. Pokemon such as Amoonguss, Slowking, and Volcanion do a solid job of limiting the sets it can afford to run, while faster Pokemon that resist Jet Punch, such as Ogerpon-W, Latios, and Iron Bundle provide effective offensive checks, though they should be careful when switching into it directly. Teams lacking in Water resistances should strongly consider Terastallizing one of their Tera Captains into the Grass-, Water-, or Dragon-types in order to limit the damage Palafin-H is capable of doing.
* Residual damage: Palafin-H strongly dislikes taking residual damage from entry hazards or Rocky Helmet, as it has no reliable means of recovery, though it's not unusual to see it running items such as Heavy-Duty Boots or Protective Pads or Punching Glove in order to mitigate said weakness. It also appreciates Knock Off support to deal with Rocky Helmet users.
* Aggressive play: Since Palafin is significantly weaker before it has activated the Hero forme, it should be attempted to deny it from doing so easily, as it makes it much easier to handle. Teams with a strong offensive profile can often exploit the sorts of builds Palafin typically finds itself on, denying it the turns it needs in order to truly become effective.

[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/thinkingsceptile.556309/

Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dartrix-joker.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/

Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/

 

[ThinkingSceptile]

ken peep

 

[ken]

1/1 GP Team done
same colors as above, only one more thing

zero to hero HERO

[overview]
Draft order: Early- or mid-round 1

Price range: 18-19 points

Overview: The Hero, with its base 160 Attack, puts enormous pressure on opposing teams, often forcing an opponent to use defensive Terastallization and still managing to muscle past that. It also has a multitude of other tools that let you mold it into a plethora of roles to fit into in any given matchup. The only thing holding Palafin-H back is the creativity of its user.

[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
* Physical wallbreaker: Palafin-H can tear up teams with banded Choice Band-boosted Wave Crash coming off its enormous base 160 Attack—even against team compositions with multiple Water resistances. It also has an exceptional ability to clean with access to its strong signature priority in Jet Punch.
* Setup sweeper: With Bulk Up, access to strong priority in Jet Punch, and the ability to heal itself with Drain Punch, Palafin-H makes for a potent setup sweeper that can instantly end games given the smallest of opportunities.
* Special wallbreaker: With a respectable base 106 Special Attack and one of the strongest no-drawback special attacks in Boomburst, along with coverage like Ice Beam and Grass Knot, Palafin-H’s special sets can be surprisingly potent. Boomburst is often used with Throat Spray, though Life Orb or Choice Specs may have merit. This can take up a cleaner role with Agility in its moveset. Note that Palafin-H can still fit Jet Punch in special sets, though it would have to take a hit in bulk due using a Defense- or Special Defense-lowering nature.

Common Moves
========
* STAB moves: Jet Punch, Wave Crash, Flip Turn, Liquidation, Surf, Hydro Pump
* Setup moves: Bulk Up, Agility
* Utility moves: Substitute, Encore, Taunt, Haze
* Coverage: Ice Punch, Drain Punch, Close Combat, Acrobatics, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Throat Chop, Body Slam, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Boomburst, Aura Sphere, Focus Blast.

Niche Moves
========
* Fling: Palafin-H holding a Big Nugget has access to a risky one-time 130 Base Power Dark-type move that Slowking, one of its best checks, does not want to be on the receiving end of.
* Facade: Facade is one of the more niche ways that Palafin-H has to play around status, as common counterplay to Palafin relies around inflicting it with status either via Toxic Spikes or via contact abilities like Static.
* Whirlpool: With this move and Taunt, Palafin-H can run a decent trapper set to lure some of its checks, though it is generally able to have a bigger impact on the game with its breaking or sweeping prowess.

Common Items
========
* Choice Band: Palafin-H, with its base 160 Attack, makes use of the damage boost really well, especially since it doesn't have to lock itself into a move by using Flip Turn.
* Sitrus Berry/Leftovers: They are not interchangeable, though they do have a similar role. Both generally belong on Bulk Up sets, with Sitrus Berry finding itself on sets that either don’t intend to last as long or need Acrobatics to hit something like Appletun or Amoonguss. Leftovers is more useful when the game plan is to use Bulk Up multiple times and sit on the field for an extended duration versus a more passive team.
* Mystic Water: Mystic Water is useful on sets that run multiple Water-type moves like Jet Punch, Wave Crash, and Flip Turn—all which do different things without locking Palafin-H into one of those moves.
* Punching Glove/Protective Pads: With one of the foremost checks to Palafin-H being Rocky Helmet, sets with Drain Punch and Jet Punch use Punching Glove to great effect. Protective Pads replaces this when the set has moves like Flip Turn or Wave Crash.

Niche Items
========
* Life Orb/Expert Belt: Life Orb is niche, because one of the main Palafin-H counterplays is to switch around with Rocky Helmet users and getting Palafin-H to chip itself into range of a priority move or faster Pokemon that resist Jet Punch. It has its place, but do keep in mind this puts it on a fast track to fainting. An Expert Belt can be equipped in its stead if Palafin-H hits the damage benchmarks it needs in order to sidestep the recoil downside.
* Throat Spray/Choice Specs: Throat Spray is niche, because the special set itself is fairly niche. Palafin-H uses Boomburst to trigger this item. Choice Specs can be used over Throat Spray if immediate power is needed and there isn't a need to switch moves.
* Choice Scarf: Choice Scarf is rare, because Jet Punch generally has Palafin-H covered when it needs to move first. However, in some matchups, you want Wave Crash to hit first, though be advised to not leave Jet Punch at home even on these sets.
* Resistance Berry/Weakness Policy: Resistance Berries help lure threats to open up the game, and Weakness Policy helps secure cheeky setup for Palafin-H off of weak Volt Switch that can be expected from the preparation stage and lets it instantly end the game.
* Heavy-Duty (ah) Boots: Specifically relevant on Flip Turn sets, Heavy-Duty Boots aid Palafin-H pivoting in and out of the field through avoiding accumulated entry hazard damage.

Tera
========
Palafin-H is generally banned from using Tera. If yours has the liberty to Tera, congratulations in advance. When allowed to do so, it can run Tera Fighting to boost damage from Drain Punch or Close Combat, Tera Water for stronger Jet Punch and Wave Crash, Tera Normal for Boomburst, or a defensive option like Tera Fairy or Poison to facilitate setting up.

Draft Strategy
========
While Palafin can be built to beat each of Palafin-H's checks, it cannot take on all of them at once. It forces teams to bring all their Water resistances and even cater their chosen Tera to resist Palafin-H's attacks, so drafting Pokemon that can take advantage of this is extremely advantageous.
*Fast Water-type checks/teammates that force other Tera types for foes: Fast Pokemon that pressure Water-types like Meowscarada and Serperior can chip foes down into range of Palafin-H's Jet Punch. Pokemon that can force other Tera types like Raging Bolt, which can push an opponent to bring a Pokemon with Tera Ground, and Zapdos, which applies pressure on their Water- and Grass-types, are good options.
* Entry hazard removal: Reliable hazard removal from Pokemon like Iron Treads and Cyclizar, or at least a grounded Poison-type, is generally advised on Palafin drafts, as Palafin-H dislikes Toxic Spikes and seldom wants to run Heavy-Duty Boots.
* Bulky backbone: Since Palafin needs to swap out of its Zero forme, consider not using it on hyper offense archetypes; it greatly appreciates a backbone that it can fall back on before it gets back on the field to take control. Pokemon such as Ting-Lu or Landorus-T, or at lower price points, something like a Tinkaton, would go a long way to support a Palafin draft.

Checks and Counters
========
* Water resistances: Palafin-H has no true defensive counters, but Water resistances go a long way in keeping it at bay, as it typically wants to spam STAB moves whenever possible. Pokemon such as Amoonguss, Slowking, and Volcanion do a solid job of limiting the sets it can afford to run, while faster Pokemon that resist Jet Punch, such as Ogerpon-W, Latios, and Iron Bundle provide effective offensive checks, though they should be careful when switching into it directly. Teams lacking in Water resistances should strongly consider Terastallizing one of their Tera Captains into the Grass-, Water-, or Dragon-types in order to limit the damage Palafin-H is capable of doing.
* Residual damage: Palafin-H strongly dislikes taking residual damage from entry hazards or Rocky Helmet, as it has no reliable means of recovery, though it's not unusual to see it running items such as Heavy-Duty Boots or Protective Pads or Punching Glove in order to mitigate said weakness. It also appreciates Knock Off support to deal with Rocky Helmet users.
* Aggressive play: Since Palafin is significantly weaker before it has activated the Hero forme, it should be attempted to deny it from doing so easily, as it makes it much easier to handle. Teams with a strong offensive profile can often exploit the sorts of builds Palafin typically finds itself on, denying it the turns it needs in order to truly become effective.

[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/thinkingsceptile.556309/

Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/dartrix-joker.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/

Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/

 

[Hacker]

https://www.smogon.com/dex/sv/pokemon/palafin/draft/