Community POTW #48

[mew72]

Torkoal is interesting, I'll give it that.

i have more of a UU set, but honestly, that's what Torkoal is any good for.

It's a weird set but whatever.

I'm Not As Weird as You
Flamethrower
Body Slam
Iron Defense
Hidden Power Grass
Ability: White Smoke
Item: Leftovers
EVs:252 HP, 10 Atk. & Sp.Atk., 4 Def. & 228 Sp.Def

You use Torkoal at the very end, when the opponent can't hurt you. All Water types or Sp.Atk Pokemon should be removed, but Torkoal got enough fire in him to take a hit. Iron Defense so physical Pokemon can't touch it. Body Slam for that neat paralysis, you'll need any help you can get. HP Grass to deal with those weakened Ground, Rock, Water Pokemon. Flamethrower for good coverage, a filler, and STAB. The set works, but you have to use Torkoal at the precise moment, and it takes a real pro to correctly abuse Torkoal's potential. i have one, so i know.

[Blue Harvest]

He doesnt get Earth Power, wtf is this i dont even

Yes it does, 4th gen move tutor.

[TrollFreak]

yea, i was using This site there, and i didn't see Earth Power, Torkoal shouldn't be running Earth Power anyways, in NU/RU, he spins away rocks, and can go SS i guess, tho i would use Simisear/Magmortar for a Fire Type Attacker

[GirlKirbyZombie]

I'm sorry to say, but Shell Smash is just not good on Torkoal. I mean, at all. Even with a positive speed nature and max investment, +2 Torkoal is easily outsped by positive natured Base 90s and up, leaving it easily checked even in the lower tiers. You're also completely destroying its bulk, making it even easier to revenge kill. For example, Lilligant can just come in and almost always OHKO -1 SpD Torkoal with HP Rock, and that's without the Life Orb. Dugtio sings the same tune with Earthquake, once again without Life Orb or Choice Band. If you go with White Herb to stop being so easy to revenge kill, you lose out on the Life Orb boost, which you almost need to have with Base 85 offenses. And honestly, Base 20 speed? Bronzor laughs at how slow you are. Bronzor.

What about under a tailwind or a swamp from the pledges on the opponent's field (or both lulz)?

[TrollFreak]

^ 20 base speed w/ Tailwind. So Fast. And who will support Tailwind? Brivarly, Unfezant?

Pledges, oh yea, ima run the starters mons and waste valuable spots to support a poke better at support then sweeping

[menametlg]

Ability:
White Smoke- Best for boosting set.
Shell Armor- Best for bulky set but less useful than white smoke.

Burn/Toxic Stall
@Left-overs / White Herb
White Smoke / Shell Armor
Bold / Relaxed [252 Def / 216 HP / 40 SpAtk]
- Toxic / Will-o-Wisp
- Protect
- Iron Defense / Amnesia / Substitute / Smoke Screen
- Flame Thrower / Heatwave / Overheat

This set is gimmicky. Toxic and Will-o-Wisp gives status. Protect stalls the status. Iron Def and Amnesia raises your defensive stat while Substitute stalls like protect. Smokescreen lowers the accuracy. Flame Thrower and Heat wave for damage

Choice
@Choice Band
White Smoke
Brave / Adamant [252 Atk / 252 Def / 4 HP]
- Flame Charge
- Earthquake
- Iron Tail
- Explosion / Body Slam / Return

Moves explain themselves.

Specs
@Choice Specs
White Smoke
Modest / Bold [252 SpAtk / 252 Def / 4 HP]
- Flame Thrower / Heatwave / Eruption
- HP [Water]
- Solar Beam
- Earth Power

Same as above. Moves explain themselves.

Tank
@Left-overs / White Herb
White Smoke / Shell Armor
Bold / Relaxed [252 Def / 216 HP / 40 SpAtk]
- Yawn / Toxic / Will-o-Wisp
- Stealth Rock
- Flame Thrower / Overheat
- Rapid Spin

All moves explain themselves.

Other options...
Shell Break - will make it offensive but lowers defensive stat
Curse and Gyro Ball - good combination but takes time to boost
Wide Lens - raises your accuracy but less useful than lefties and white herbs

EDIT: I WAS CONFUSED!!! SORRY ^^,

[Zachmac]

I meant a +4 torkoal 2 boosts! it is a risk if you can run screens he can work

get a +4 and it is a gg so stop assuming it don't work just because the +2 don't work just like jirachi or scizor to sweep you need +4.

So, you're expecting to get two shell smashes? Good luck with that, you'll need it, especially with all these bulky waters, rock moves, and ground moves running around. Against rain, you don't even need to ask. Against sun, Chlorophyll will easily outrun it. Against sand, you'll have to set up on earthquake and stone edge.

[TrollFreak]

Choice
@Choice Band
White Smoke
Brave / Docile [252 Atk / 252 Def / 4 HP]
- Flame Charge
- Earthquake
- Iron Tail
- Explosion / Body Slam / Return

Moves explain themselves.

Specs
@Choice Specs
White Smoke
Adamant / Bold [252 SpAtk / 252 Def / 4 SpDef]
- Flame Thrower / Heatwave / Eruption
- HP [Water]
- Solar Beam
- Earth Power

What? Specs with a SpA dropping nature?

[Ilan]

So, you're expecting to get two shell smashes? Good luck with that, you'll need it, especially with all these bulky waters, rock moves, and ground moves running around. Against rain, you don't even need to ask. Against sun, Chlorophyll will easily outrun it. Against sand, you'll have to set up on earthquake and stone edge.

using torkoal in OU is a mistake keep it out of OU and UU too RU or NU there torkoal belongs.. if he gets a recovery move then you can try it somewhere else... (like morning sun or SOMETHING)

Also why do you listen to smogon I looked at the article at smogon and some people here had done copypasta from there...

[Zachmac]

using torkoal in OU is a mistake keep it out of OU and UU too RU or NU there torkoal belongs.. if he gets a recovery move then you can try it somewhere else... (like morning sun or SOMETHING)

But POTW is OU, with maybe a little bit of LC. You should know that if you ever read it.

[Ilan]

But POTW is OU, with maybe a little bit of LC. You should know that if you ever read it.

I always read it.. it doesn't mention tiers actually.. too bad most pokemons can't do nothing in OU, but are pretty good on NU or RU surprisingly there is a mention to stored power in gallade "other options" O.O there are only 2 decent stored power users.. and I can clearly say gallade is NOT one of them.

torkoal works in NU everywhere else is is outclassed by pretty much everything.

[The_Heir_of_Madness]

Torkoal has potential... It makes an amazing wall in the right circumstances

Through the Rings of Fire
Torkoal @ leftovers
ability: whitesmoke
nature: Bold
252 HP/252 Def or Sp Def/4 Sp Def or Def

Fire Spin
Will-o-wisp
Amnesia
Rest

Okay first off baton passing defensive boosts helps if you care to try that (look at Drifblim, Mawile and Gale of Darkness Lunatone)
But the main strategy here is to trap them with Fire Spin and then will-o-wisp to halve their attack then prepare for special attackers with amnesia and rest when needed

[Zachmac]

Torkoal has potential... It makes an amazing wall in the right circumstances

Through the Rings of Fire
Torkoal @ leftovers
ability: whitesmoke
nature: Bold
252 HP/252 Def or Sp Def/4 Sp Def or Def

Fire Spin
Will-o-wisp
Amnesia
Rest

Okay first off baton passing defensive boosts helps if you care to try that (look at Drifblim, Mawile and Gale of Darkness Lunatone)
But the main strategy here is to trap them with Fire Spin and then will-o-wisp to halve their attack then prepare for special attackers with amnesia and rest when needed

Fire spin is kind of useless..

Rather then baton pass support, why not just max out defense EVs(no "or sp.def")? 140 base defense is pretty good, and you already have amnesia. On top of that, will-o-wisp cuts your enemy's attack stat in half.

Also, Lunatone isn't the world's greatest baton passer.

I always read it.. it doesn't mention tiers actually..

Take a look at counters/teammates. It usually brings up OU pokemon.

[The_Heir_of_Madness]

Yes fire spin generally is useless but I find the ability to both stop your opponent from switching and get an extra 1/16 of your opponents health down every turn to be usefull with walls especially when you cant't inflict much damage with your wall

[Zachmac]

Yes fire spin generally is useless but I find the ability to both stop your opponent from switching and get an extra 1/16 of your opponents health down every turn to be usefull with walls especially when you cant't inflict much damage with your wall

Actually, 85/85 attacking stats aren't bad for a wall. I'd use flamethrower instead.

Also, I'd rather use Shell Armor over white smoke. Crits hit through defense boost, and can often break through walls the attacks otherwise cannot. Stat lowering moves are very rare.

[The_Heir_of_Madness]

Oops my bad you're right shell armor is better

[Cinna]

Oops my bad you're right shell armor is better

Well, that depends on how long Torkoal is out. If it's not turning out to be a very durable set, then you might want to switch as a shorter lifespan results in less crits on it.

[Zachmac]

Well, that depends on how long Torkoal is out. If it's not turning out to be a very durable set, then you might want to switch as a shorter lifespan results in less crits on it.

That doesn't change the fact that you will almost never come across stat dropping moves in competitive battles. Crits will still be more common then them.

[sbktdreed]

Personal Moveset
White Smoke w/ Scope Lens/Quick Claw OR Shell Armor w/ White Herb
Flamethrower
Earthquake/Bulldoze
Sludge Bomb
Rock Slide

Going For Broke (All-in moveset)
White Smoke/Shell Armor w/ White/Power Herb
Inferno/Overheat
Solarbeam
Stone Edge
Sludge Bomb/Earthquake

Partners
Sunny Day users
Smack Down or Iron Ball-holding item-switchers if Earthquake or Bulldoze is used.

Countering
Rain Dance users like Politoad
Dragon/Fire/Rock/Water-types that are high sp attack and know special moves like: Earth Power, Mud Bomb (lowers accuracy), Ancientpower (raises all of user's stats), Power Gem, Brine, Hydro Pump, Hydro Cannon (riskier), Muddy Water (lowers accuracy), Scald, Surf, and Water Pulse (confusion).
The best examples are Garchomp, Flygon, Hydreigon, Kingdra. Others include Thick Fat Walrein and Grumpig, Octillery, Wash Rotom, Dragonite, Emboar, Camerupt, Salamence, Tyranitar, and Charizard. Other Water-types with high sp attack are too many to list here.

[Pika ruler]

A little diffrent,

Torkol@leftovers
White smoke
+Sp defense -speed
252hp/252def/4sp.def
-rapid spin
-stealth rock
-toxic/truant
-amnesia

A mixed wall/supporter. Shell armor to stop crits, amnesia to boost the poor Sp.def, toxic for water types and other walls, stealth rock for hazards, and rapid spin for hazards and to not be truant bait.

Edit: 92 people viewing POTW.

Don't you mean Taunt, not truant??