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Voting phase is over! (Sorry for not ending it yesterday i had events irl) Thank you to all for participating! Our winners are Mirbro's Pyukumuku for Counter and our check is a 3 way tie between Gourgeist-Super, Gabite, and Floatzel. Due to this, I'll be applying a tiebreaking vote towards 85Percent's Gourgeist-Super set.
Thank you to all for participating! Next round will be up shortly. In the meanwhile, any suggestions for future weeks can be PM'd to me on Smogon, Discord, or Pokemon Showodwn.
Round 3 is up! This week's victim is:
Mixed Life Orb Shiftry
A premier offensive threat in the tier, Shiftry can run a multitude of powerful sets to blast through teams with it's amazing stats and movepool. This week will discuss it's mixed life orb set, which with it's dual STABs, creates an environment that makes it extremely hard to switch into while it's also able to defog for it's team.
Monferno @ Eviolite
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 116 HP / 236 Atk / 156 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Slack Off
Since this spread is not entirely standard, here an explanation:
156 Spe with a Jolly nature allow Monferno to outspeed maximum speed Adamant Shiftry.
116 HP allow Monferno to switch in on Knock Off (or any other of Shiftrys attacks for that matter) while Stealth Rocks are up and live a Sucker Punch afterwards.
236 Atk are just the leftover EVs and allow Monferno to OHKO Shiftry with both, Flare Blitz and U-turn.
And should you decide to play it safe and use Slack Off instead of attacking: This spread allows Monferno to heal off any damage Shiftry will do (even once Eviolite is lost). Leaf Storm does the most damage with 55.7% on the first hit and will be weaker with each subsequent hit. All other attacks do less than 50%, while Shiftry takes LO recoil. Thanks to Slack Off, Monferno can function as Counter throughout the entire battle without getting worn down.
Rapidash @ Firium Z
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
- Will-O-Wisp/Toxic
- High Horsepower/Substitute
252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Knock Off vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Rapidash: 169-200 (62.3 - 73.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
4 SpA Life Orb Shiftry Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Rapidash: 100-118 (36.9 - 43.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb burned Shiftry Knock Off vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Rapidash: 84-100 (30.9 - 36.9%) -- 70.9% chance to 3HKO
While holding a Z-Crystal, Rapidash is a very good Shiftry Check, surviving Leaf Storm and Knock Off even after Stealth Rock damage, threatening to status it back with Will-O-Wisp or with its ability Flame Body making it think twice before clicking Knock Off, making Shiftry a lot easier to handle. Due to Rapidash's frailness this set struggles to Counter Shiftry, since Knock Off outdamages Morning Sun's recovery.
(Bonus: Picture shows Machoke Dynamically Punching a Grass type)
Machoke @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Impish Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Knock Off
- Dynamic Punch
There are a lot of Machoke sets which can check Shiftry; Guts is a perfectly viable option if you swap Dynamic Punch for Close Combat or Superpower (Guts boosts attacks while sleeping). But this is the most standard and splashable of the options. You could also viably run Toxic over Knock or fighting STAB and catch Gourg/Tang off-guard. That's all to say, Machoke is really versatile (as Broken Phobias mentioned in his VR post), even outside of checking Shiftry.
Machoke is a hard counter to this set, because it lives any 2 hits and KOs back with Dynamic Punch. Below are the calcs for any 2 moves Shiftry could do (one when Machoke comes in, and one before Machoke KOs back).
4 Atk Machoke Dynamic Punch vs. 0 HP / 4- Def Shiftry: 362-428 (112.7 - 133.3%)
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Machoke: 113-134 (31 - 36.8%)
4 SpA Life Orb Shiftry Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Machoke: 169-200 (46.4 - 54.9%)
252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Machoke: 57-68 (15.6 - 18.6%)
252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Machoke: 57-68 (15.6 - 18.6%)
4 SpA Life Orb Shiftry Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Machoke: 253-298 (69.5 - 81.8%)
As you can see, Shiftry cannot 2HKO Machoke except with the EXACT MAX roll on the last set of calcs posted, and even in that scenario, it's an 80% HP Shiftry at +0 atk and -2 SpA at the end of the day.
Machoke is the very definition of a counter since it wins 100% of the time when it switches in on a free Shiftry turn.
Shiinotic is an excellent counter to Shiftry as Shiftry won't stay in on Shiinotic because Shiinotic is able to withstand all moves Shiftry can go for.
Shiinotic has a 25% Chance to OHKO Shiftry with Moonblast without Stealth Rocks up, but with Rocks up it is a clear OHKO.
Shiinotic also profits from 3 different ways of recovery options which gives it a very good longevity with Strength Sap, Giga Drain and its Item in Leftovers.
Calcs:
0 SpA Shiinotic Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Shiftry: 284-336 (88.4 - 104.6%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
0 SpA Shiinotic Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Shiftry: 284-336 (88.4 - 104.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Shiinotic: 78-94 (24.1 - 29.1%) -- 99% chance to 4HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Shiftry Sucker Punch vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Shiinotic: 56-66 (17.3 - 20.4%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 SpA Life Orb Shiftry Leaf Storm vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Shiinotic: 83-99 (25.6 - 30.6%) -- 1.7% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
Silvally Fighting serves as an excellent Mixed LO Shiftry check. It would be a counter if not for Leaf Storm sadly. The nice thing here is that Fightingvally can come in on Leaf Storm anyway and just Multi-Attack or U-turn to OHKO.
252 Atk Silvally-Fighting Multi-Attack vs. 0 HP / 0- Def Shiftry: 402-474 (125.2 - 147.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Silvally-Fighting U-turn vs. 0 HP / 0- Def Shiftry: 416-492 (129.5 - 153.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Check: Silvally-Fighting
Counter: Machoke (Shiinotic is nice too, but lacks viability outside of this specific MU. That´s why I put Machoke > Shiinotic)
Check: Fightingvally
Counter: Shiinotic because the creativity. Also Shiinotic is very much useful outside of the shiftry mu, I would recommend you all try it out.
The sleeping koala, Komala is this week's victim, being an impressive wallbreaker due to it's great ability in comatose and it's impressive base 115 attack stat, making it very hard to switch into reliably.
Meaty McBeef (Machoke) @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Atk / 160 Def
Impish Nature
- Knock Off
- Dynamic Punch / Close Combat
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
I find it hard to believe that some people still aren't on the Machoke hype train. Rest Talk Choke is a balance team god that is able to run both a Specially Defensive spread or a Physically Defensive spread in order to check what it needs to. In this case, it'll be checking Choice Band Komala. If you really want to flex on the haters you can run Close Combat over Dynamic Punch but I find that to be a poor tradeoff because of the drop in the defenses department. The calcs I provide below should show off its defensive prowess and just how good this Pokemon really is.
252 Atk Choice Band Komala Return vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Eviolite Machoke: 153-180 (42 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Komala Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Eviolite Machoke: 100-118 (27.4 - 32.4%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Komala Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Eviolite Machoke: 48-57 (13.1 - 15.6%) -- possible 7HKO
(IF Choice Band gets Knock Off because of a Predicted switch and Komala stays in)
252 Atk Komala Return vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Eviolite Machoke: 102-121 (28 - 33.2%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
-
96 Atk Machoke Dynamic Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Komala: 336-396 (123.9 - 146.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
96 Atk Machoke Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Komala: 402-474 (148.3 - 174.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
96 Atk Machoke Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Komala: 108-128 (39.8 - 47.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Machoke still OHKO's even with 0 Attack Investment.
Gourgeist-Super @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Foul Play
- Will-o-Wisp
- Synthesis
- Leech Seed
Counter. The banded Koala bear can do whatever damage it wants to with Knock Off but Geist will always recover it right back or just get off a Foul Play and do huge damage to it.
0- Atk Gourgeist-Super Foul Play vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Komala: 135-159 (49.8 - 58.6%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO
w/Colbur Berry still on
252 Atk Choice Band Komala Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Colbur Berry Gourgeist-Super: 91-108 (24.3 - 28.8%) -- 99.3% chance to 4HKO
w/o Colbur Berry
252 Atk Choice Band Komala Knock Off vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Gourgeist-Super: 124-146 (33.1 - 39%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO
Tangela @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power Fire
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed
Tangela can come in pretty comfortable in moves like U-Turn, Earthquake and even the CB STAB Return, since Return does only 30 to 36% damage output to Tangela.
Tangela also profits from the longevity in Regenerator therefore it is able to come in consistently and reliably to check Komala.
Leech Seed gives it another option of longevity alongside with its STAB in Giga Drain; Plus Tangela is able to Knock off the Choice Band from Komala making it less effective as a physical wallbreaker.
However Tangela has to be wary about Knock Off from Komala, but it still can come in decently safe in all moves even after loosing its Eviolite therefore making it a good CHECK to Komala.
Calcs:
252 Atk Choice Band Komala Return vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Tangela: 102-120 (30.5 - 35.9%) -- 39.9% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Komala Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Tangela: 33-39 (9.8 - 11.6%) -- possible 9HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Komala U-turn vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Tangela: 92-110 (27.5 - 32.9%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
when Eviolite is knocked off
252 Atk Choice Band Komala Return vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Tangela: 151-178 (45.2 - 53.2%) -- 34.4% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Komala Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Tangela: 49-58 (14.6 - 17.3%) -- possible 6HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Komala U-turn vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Tangela: 138-164 (41.3 - 49.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
0 SpA Tangela Giga Drain vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Komala: 84-100 (30.9 - 36.9%) -- 72.8% chance to 3HKO
Avalugg @ Rocky Helmet
Ability : Ice Body
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Recover
- Avalanche
- Earthquake
- Toxic / Rapid Spin
Avalugg is a counter to Choice Band Komala. Avalugg can sponge every hits from Choice Band Komala and then OHKO it with Avalanche:
252 Atk Choice Band Komala Return vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Avalugg: 135-159 (34.3 - 40.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Avalugg Avalanche vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Komala: 208-246 (76.7 - 90.7%) -- 25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
