RU Ambipom (

Punchshroom

FISHIOUS REND MEGA SHARPEDO
is a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributor

I can be handy at times...

Overview
########

To be frank, Ambipom is not a great Pokemon: Technician STAB Fake Out just isn't a good enough niche. Ambipom faces stiff competition from a lot of other Normal-types, including Cinccino, Tauros, and Zangoose, which boast more effective coverage and/or greater power. While Ambipom is fast, it has poor bulk and no resistances, so it must rely heavily on dealing damage while taking none in return. However, this is not easy, as Ambipom usually struggles to KO opponents due to its mediocre power and its reliance on neutral coverage rather than focusing on super effective coverage. While it can do some damage to offensive teams, it can hardly contribute against bulkier teams, while its Normal-type brethren can at least threaten both team archetypes. Ambipom is very outclassed, and other options should always be considered first.

All-Out Attacker
########
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Knock Off
ability: Technician
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========
Fake Out is Ambipom's main niche, scoring free, powerful damage on the opponent due to STAB and Technician. However, it very easily telegraphs Ambipom's attack, and the overwhelming presence of Pokemon such as Doublade, Alomomola, and Rhyperior means that Ambipom will often be nothing more than a free switch to a top threat. Return is Ambipom's most reliable attack and main way of dealing damage. Low Kick trips up Pokemon that resist Normal-type moves such as Cobalion, Registeel, and Rhyperior, and it can do serious damage due to their high weights. Knock Off strikes Ghost-types while also removing the items of defensive Pokemon to soften them up and make them easier to KO. U-turn can be used to gain momentum on opponents wanting to escape from Fake Out, while Pursuit targets the fleeing foes themselves and is especially effective on Dark-weak targets such as Delphox and Meloetta. Double Hit can be used to break Substitutes, but its chance to miss makes it unappealing for such a frail Pokemon that already has access to a much more accurate attacking option with similar power in Return, and Cinccino does this better anyway.

Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment allows Ambipom to outrun speedy Pokemon such as Heliolisk and Virizion, while max Attack investment maximizes Ambipom's damage output. The rest of the EVs go into either defensive stat, preferably Defense to take priority moves better, because Ambipom's current HP is an optimal Life Orb number, so it would be a waste to throw the leftover EVs in HP. Silk Scarf is a perfectly viable alternative to Life Orb, as Silk Scarf does not cause recoil and still boosts Ambipom's main attacks, although its coverage moves will be substantially weaker.

Usage Tips
========
Ambipom is a very straightforward attacker. It checks frail sweepers that lack Protect with its powerful Fake Out regardless of their Speed. From there, Ambipom dishes out quick, reliable damage, with few foes outright resisting its attacks. Although Fake Out is usually quite safe to throw out, it is advisable to only use it if an opponent is certain to stay in, as the threat of a strong Fake Out can easily force out most frail attackers, and nailing the switch-in with the appropriate coverage move can be more practical. Ambipom can struggle to safely revenge kill Pokemon that are behind a Substitute, such as Moltres, Meloetta, and Cresselia, as they can dodge Fake Out's flinching effect. Ambipom also shouldn't switch into non-Ghost-type attack, as it thrives on revenge killing, or if it must be switched in it should at least be brought into battle via slow U-turns or Volt Switches.

Team Options
========
As Ambipom forces switches so easily, entry hazards support is really useful to discourage switch-ins as well as soften up Ambipom's counters. Qwilfish makes for an amazing teammate, since it easily takes Fighting-type moves for Ambipom and lays down Spikes, which is effective because the majority of Ambipom's switch-in are grounded; Accelgor is also an effective user of Spikes for more offensive teams. On the other hand, Fighting-resistant teammates with Toxic Spikes, such as Qwilfish, Cofagrigus, and Weezing, are more plentiful. Toxic Spikes are potent against Regenerator users but they do not work against Steel-types and airborne Pokemon. Ambipom struggles against physically bulky Pokemon, so wallbreakers such as Clawitzer, Eelektross, Calm Mind Delphox, and Reuniclus can help Ambipom clean without much hindrance by dismantling the opponent's defensive cores. Fighting-types such as Cobalion, Virizion, and Hitmonlee can take out the Rock- and Steel-types that Ambipom cannot break through, while Ambipom can lure out problematic Ghost-types and weaken them with Knock Off. While not essential, slow Volt Switch or U-turn users can help bring Ambipom in safely; Clawitzer, Eelektross, and Magneton can all provide this support, and pack enough power and/or coverage to threaten bulkier foes that Ambipom cannot take down.

Other Options
########
Ambipom can use the Fake Out + Last Resort combo, but its mono-coverage makes it easy to wall, Last Resort has low PP, and the fact that it must use Fake Out every time it enters battle can allow opponents to easily play around it. Ambipom has Nasty Plot, but it is too frail to set it up safely a vast majority of the time, and it is far too weak without or sometimes even with the boost. Baton Passing Special Attack boosts is done better by other Pokemon, such as Volbeat and Togetic. Ambipom does have a large amount of physical coverage options, though they are very situational over the main ones listed: Seed Bomb hits Rhyperior, Fire Punch hits Escavalier, and Ice Punch hits Gligar, but Ambipom hesitates to get rid of its main moves and risk leaving itself open to even more threats.

Checks & Counters
########
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Anything that can take a hit or two from Ambipom already makes for an adequate response, especially when considering Ambipom lacks good power. Anything that has at least decent physical bulk, such as Alomomola, Tangrowth, Spiritomb, Cresselia, Bronzong, Gligar, and Rhyperior, can switch into Ambipom and stop it from doing much damage. Attackers with natural physical bulk such as Cobalion, Druddigon, Escavalier, Reuniclus, Doublade, and Durant, can survive Ambipom's attacks and easily retaliate for huge damage. Normal-resistant or immune Pokemon are especially good at stopping Ambipom.

**Faster Pokemon**: There aren't a lot of Pokemon faster than Ambipom, but the ones that are can easily threaten Ambipom due to its terrible bulk, though they should be wary of Fake Out if they lack Substitute. Swellow, Sceptile, Jolteon, Dugtrio, Meloetta-P, and Accelgor are such examples of faster Pokemon, threatening Ambipom with powerful STAB or super effective Fighting-type attacks. Kabutops is notable, as it resists Fake Out and makes use of Weak Armor to outspeed and KO Ambipom. Choice Scarf Pokemon, such as Emboar, Rotom-C, Gallade, and Delphox, can easily KO Ambipom with their STAB moves. Speed boosting Pokemon such as Unburden Hitmonlee and Slurpuff, as well as Speed Boost Sharpedo, can also get the drop on Ambipom, Sharpedo receiving a special mention because it can block Fake Out with Protect.

**Priority**: Priority attacks bypass Ambipom's high Speed, greatly shortening its overall lifespan. Powerful STAB priority such as Sucker Punch, Gale Wings Acrobatics, Aqua Jet, and Mach Punch cleave off a huge portion of Ambipom's health. It should be noted that Fake Out outprioritzes all of these moves, so note if Ambipom can use it.

**Status**: Paralysis and burn absolutely ruin Ambipom by crippling its best stats, Speed and Attack, respectively. Poison, alongside Life Orb recoil, drastically reduces Ambipom's time on the field. Bulky status users such as Cresselia, Amoonguss, Alomomola, Registeel, and Cofagrigus can also tank Ambipom's attacks.
 
Last edited:
I hope this is an honest analysis (not like the UU one lol) but you are a good user so im confident.

On more technical stuff you may want to mention Seed Bomb somewhere because, unlike Low Kick, it can always 2HKO Rhyperior letting it act as a lure.

Also remember to stress how bad Fake Out+Last Resort is
 
I hope this is an honest analysis (not like the UU one lol) but you are a good user so im confident.

On more technical stuff you may want to mention Seed Bomb somewhere because, unlike Low Kick, it can always 2HKO Rhyperior letting it act as a lure.

Also remember to stress how bad Fake Out+Last Resort is
Yes please do that set is so lack luster especially with rhyperior and doublade being the tier.
 

Martin

A monoid in the category of endofunctors
is a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
I'm just supprised U-turn isn't in there somewhere. Same goes for Double Hit - imo its much better than Return as it is more powerful w/ technician and hits twice, but I feel you should prolly leave Return on the set as it is a little more accurate, just slashed like Double Hit / Return.
 

Punchshroom

FISHIOUS REND MEGA SHARPEDO
is a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributor
I'm just supprised U-turn isn't in there somewhere. Same goes for Double Hit - imo its much better than Return as it is more powerful w/ technician and hits twice, but I feel you should prolly leave Return on the set as it is a little more accurate, just slashed like Double Hit / Return.
U-turn is mentioned in 'Moves'. Double Hit's Substitute breaking is not worth the loss in accuracy (never mind the extremely miniscule power increase of like 3 BP), and if you really fear Substitute users you'd probably look at Cinccino first.
 

EonX

Battle Soul
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Backing Punchshroom on the Double Hit logic. If you're worried about Subs, just use Cinccino. Anyway, on to fun stuff!

[All-Out Attacker]

- Note that it can struggle with offensive Pokemon that use Substitute (Moltres, Meloetta, Cresselia, etc.)
- Mention Accelgor for Spikes since it's probably the best user of the move for offensive teams, which Ambipom will likely be on
- Hitmonlee deals with Rocks and Steels that Ambipom would rather not deal with if it doesn't have to

[Other Options]

- I'd mention Silk Scarf here or in Set Details of the All-Out Attacker set. A lot of times, offensive teams will try to use smart switching to make Ambipom wear itself down from LO recoil, and this can fix that to an extent while still giving its STAB moves a power boost

[Checks and Counters]

- Note that attackers have to watch out for coverage moves (Low Kick hurts Coablion and Knock Off can ruin the strategies for the others)
- Note that Ambipom falters against Sceptile if it still has a Sub up after a KO
- Also make mention of Endure on Hitmonlee. It out-prioritizes Fake Out
- I'd give a special mention to Kabutops in the priority section as it resists Fake Out and has a fairly powerful STAB Aqua Jet. Weak Armor variants can actually use the Fake Out to outspeed Ambipom and outright KO it next turn

Most of this is just adding on to what is already here, so good work. Fix it up with all this, and consider our little handyman

QC Approved 1/3
 

aVocado

@ Everstone
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
No QC member got to this after it got written, so I wanna share a few thoughts considering how dead this analysis has been for over a month now lol. Not QC, just posting my thoughts:

On the overview, I feel like you should emphasize on how Ambipom is completely useless against stall teams or even any defensively oriented team, and only does work against offensive teams that are frail (you got the latter point covered to an extent, though). This has to be noted especially considering how Ambipom is the go-to pokemon for less experienced players who think Ambipom will be good against anything thanks to fake out + double hit and knock off for coverage.

Otherwise, solid work, you got everything covered.
 
Sorry but the overview is exactly the awful formula that we were trying to get rid of in bw analyses. "Good traits, bad traits, nevertheless this mon is still viable..." You should literally just be telling it like it is. If it's an awful Pokemon LIKE AMBIPOM, just focus on its role in the metagame or why it's bad. Just bringing this up because Ambipom was #1 in regular usage stats or something, but it's complete garbage. I don't even think these "frail offensive teams" are a thing considering that most people run Doublade or something like priority to wear it down. Analyses do affect usage stats to an extent, and I think you are completely overselling Ambipom in the overview which, imo, is the most important part of the analysis.
 

Molk

Godlike Usmash
is a Top Tutor Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Gonna agree with DittoCrow here and say that the overview needs to be revamped. As D_C mentioned overviews should be telling it how it is, and as the current metagame stands i believe the current overview is too positive for Ambipom. Really, Ambipom is something whos use should be Discouraged. Even "frail" offensive teams have little trouble with it considering that Pokemon who resist/are immune to Normal-type moves are pretty easy to fit on them (Doublade, Meganette, Rhyperior), and it falls flat against pretty much ANY playstyle thats bulkier from my experience. Outclassed, Fake Out's not enough of a niche, metagame is p. unkind to it. The overview should reflect that.
 
The Overview still needs to be changed. The first sentence needs to be completely removed. Imo it's irrelevant that Ambipom is one of the fastest mons in the tier... because it's awful. Not even good speed can save it. We don't use infamous anymore to describe moves iirc, and the bit about Fake Out is also irrelevant because your opponent can see it coming from a mile away. I also don't think you should be comparing it to normal-types because nothing else runs a moveset like Ambipom, and Tauros and Zangoose are also rarely seen. The fact that normal-type moves don't hit anything super effectively doesn't need to be stated and isn't even a downside considering that stuff like Exploud can destroy stuff with normal STAB. Finally, "Ambipom is not bad," ...yes it is o.o

I'm not trying to be rude here but the overview really needs to be reworked like Molk and I said in our previous posts.
 

Punchshroom

FISHIOUS REND MEGA SHARPEDO
is a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributor
The Overview still needs to be changed. The first sentence needs to be completely removed. Imo it's irrelevant that Ambipom is one of the fastest mons in the tier... because it's awful. Not even good speed can save it. We don't use infamous anymore to describe moves iirc, and the bit about Fake Out is also irrelevant because your opponent can see it coming from a mile away. I also don't think you should be comparing it to normal-types because nothing else runs a moveset like Ambipom, and Tauros and Zangoose are also rarely seen. The fact that normal-type moves don't hit anything super effectively doesn't need to be stated and isn't even a downside considering that stuff like Exploud can destroy stuff with normal STAB. Finally, "Ambipom is not bad," ...yes it is o.o

I'm not trying to be rude here but the overview really needs to be reworked like Molk and I said in our previous posts.
I listed Tauros and Zangoose as examples of 'straightforward attackers' (a term I feel fits Ambipom well) that are much more effective, and just so happen to be Normal-types (that are more relevant than Ambipom :/). Are you implying that I use more relevant examples (such as...?) or not use examples at all, though I feel I should compare Ambipom with other attackers to convince readers why Ambipom will not perform as well as it might look on paper. I'm still not fully convinced that Ambipom is as garbage as you say it is since it is ~on par with Cinccino in terms of offensive (and defensive) stats and has useful powerful Fighting coverage (that said, I will admit neutral coverage < super effective coverage for attackers with only average power), but I went ahead and bashed it as hard as I can in the overview anyway.
 
Last edited:

frenzyplant

Inertia is a property of matter.
is a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
amcheck :)

add remove (comments)

Overview
########
(line breaks after headers can improve readability but are not neccessary)
To be frank, Ambipom is not a great Pokemon: Technician STAB Fake Out just isn't a good enough niche, and one can do so much better than that. It Ambipom faces stiff competition from a lot of other Normal-types, such as including Cinccino, Tauros, and Zangoose, which boast more effective coverage and/or greater power. While Ambipom is fast, it has poor bulk and no resistances, so it must relying heavily on dealing damage while taking none in return. However, this is not easy since Ambipom usually struggles to KO opponents due to its mediocre power and the fact that its reliance relies on neutral coverage, (remove comma) rather than Cinccino focusing on super effective coverage. While it can do some damage (at best) to offensive teams, it can hardly contribute against bulkier teams, while its Normal-type brethren is can at least competent at threatening both team archetypes. Ambipom is very outclassed, and other options should always be considered first.

All-Out Attacker
########
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Knock Off
ability: Technician
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========

Fake Out is Ambipom's main niche, scoring free, powerful damage on the opponent due to STAB and Technician. Return is Ambipom's most reliable attack and main way of dealing damage dealer. Low Kick trips up Pokemon that resist Normal resists such as Cobalion, Registeel, and Rhyperior, and it can do serious damage due to their high weights. Knock Off strikes Ghost-types, (remove comma) while also removing the items off defensive Pokemon to soften them up and make them easier to KO. U-turn can be used to gain momentum on opponents wanting to escape from Fake Out, while Pursuit targets the fleeing foes themselves, (remove comma) and is especially effective on Dark-weak targets such as Delphox and Mismagius. (Mismagius is immune to Fake Out anyway, so can you come up with a better example?) Double Hit can be used to break Substitutes, but its chance to miss makes it unappealing for such a frail Pokemon that already has access to like Ambipom (who has a much more accurate attacking option with similar power in Return), plus and Cinccino does this better anyway.

Set Details
========

Maximum Speed investment allows Ambipom to outrun speedy Pokemon such as Heliolisk and Virizion, while max Attack investment maximizes Ambipom's damage output.(add space)The rest of the EVs goes into either defensive stat, preferably physical Defense to take priority better, since its because Ambipom's current HP is an optimal Life Orb number, so and it would be a waste to throw the leftover EVs in HP. Silk Scarf is a perfectly viable alternative to Life Orb, as it Silk Scarf does not cause recoil and still boosts Ambipom's main attacks, although its coverage moves would will be substantially weaker.

Usage Tips
========

Ambipom, for the most part, is a very straightforward attacker. It checks frail offensive sweepers that lack Protect with its powerful Fake Out, (remove comma) regardless of their Speed (unless they have Protect). From there, Ambipom just dishes out quick, reliable damage, with few foes outright resisting its attacks. Although Fake Out is usually quite safe to throw out, it is advisable to only use it Fake Out if an opponent is certain to stay in, as the threat of a strong Fake Out can easily force out most frail attackers, although Fake Out is usually quite safe to throw out. If a switch is imminent, and nailing the switch-in with the appropriate coverage move can be more practical. Be warned that Ambipom can struggle to safely revenge Pokemon that are behind a Substitute, such as Moltres, Meloetta, and Cresselia, as they can dodge Fake Out's flinching effect. Ambipom also shouldn't switch into stuff unless a non-Ghost-type attacks is used, as it thrives on revenge killing, or and if it must be switched in it should at least be brought into battle via slow U-turns or Volt Switches.

Team Options
========

Since Ambipom forces switches so easily, entry hazards support is really useful to discourage switch-ins, (remove comma) as well as softening up Ambipom's counters. Qwilfish makes an amazing teammate, since because it easily takes Fighting-type moves for Ambipom and lays down Spikes, which is effective because the majority of Ambipom responses are grounded; Accelgor is also an effective user of Spikes for more offensive teams. On the other hand, Fighting-type resistant teammates with Toxic Spikes, such as Qwilfish, Cofagrigus, and Weezing, are more plentiful, such as Qwilfish, Cofagrigus, and Weezing, Toxic Spikes being potent against Regenerator Pokemon but falters faltering against Steel-types and airborne Pokemon. Ambipom struggles against physically bulky Pokemon, so wallbreakers such as Clawitzer, Eelektross, Calm Mind Delphox, and Reuniclus can help Ambipom clean through opponents without much hindrance by dismantling the opponent's defensive cores. Clawitzer, Eelektross, Calm Mind Delphox, and Reuniclus are such examples of Pokemon that can easily dismantle the opponent's defensive cores. Fighting-types such as Cobalion, Virizion, and Hitmonlee can take out the Rock- and Steel-types that Ambipom cannot break through, while Ambipom can lure out problematic Ghost-types and weaken them with Knock Off. While not essential, slow Volt Switch or U-turn users can help bring Ambipom in safely to start dealing damage; Clawitzer, Eelektross, and Magneton can all provide this support, and pack enough power and/or coverage to threaten bulkier foes that Ambipom cannot take down.

Other Options
########

Ambipom can use the Fake Out + Last Resort combo, but that doesn't mean it should. its mono-coverage makes it easy to wall, Last Resort has low PP, and the fact that it must use Fake Out every time it enters battle can allow opponents to easily play around it act accordingly. This is not even accounting Last Resort's low PP. Ambipom has Nasty Plot, but it is too frail to set it up safely a vast majority of the time, and it is far too weak without or even sometimes with the boost, or sometimes even with it. Baton Passing Special Attack boosts is better utilized done by other Pokemon, such as Volbeat and Togetic especially if they want to pass Special Attack boosts, such as Volbeat and Togetic. Ambipom does have a large amount of physical coverage options, though they are very situational over the main ones listed: (semicolon to colon) Seed Bomb hits Rhyperior, Fire Punch hits Escavalier, and Ice Punch hits Gligar, but Ambipom hesitates to get rid of its main moves and risk leaving itself open to even more threats.

Checks & Counters
########

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Anything that can take a hit or two from Ambipom already makes an adequate response, especially when considering Ambipom lacks good KOing power. Anything that has at least decent physical bulk, such as Alomomola, Tangrowth, Cofagrigus, Cresselia, Bronzong, Gligar, or and Rhyperior, can claim to switch into Ambipom and stop it from doing much damage. Attackers with natural physical bulk, (comma) such as Cobalion, Druddigon, Escavalier, Reuniclus, and Durant, can survive Ambipom's attack and easily retaliate for huge damage or an outright KO. Normal-resistant (dash, remove slash) or immune Pokemon are especially good at stopping Ambipom.

**Faster Pokemon**: There aren't a lot of Pokemon faster than Ambipom, but the ones that do are can easily threaten Ambipom due to its terrible bulk, though they should be wary of Fake Out if they lack Substitute, although Substitute makes a useful buffer against it. Swellow, Sceptile, Jolteon, Dugtrio, Meloetta-Pirouette, and Accelgor are such examples of faster Pokemon, threatening Ambipom with powerful STAB moves or super effective Fighting-type attacks. Kabutops is notable for resisting Fake Out and making use of Weak Armor to outspeed and KO Ambipom. (moved from Priority) Choice Scarf Pokemon, such as Emboar, Rotom-C, Gallade, and Delphox, can easily KO Ambipom with their STAB moves. Speed boosting Pokemon such as Unburden Hitmonlee and Slurpuff, as well as Speed Boost Sharpedo, (comma) can also get the drop on Ambipom, Sharpedo receiving a special mention since because it can block Fake Out with Protect.

**Priority**: Priority attacks bypass Ambipom's high Speed, greatly shortening its overall lifespan. Powerful STAB priority such as Sucker Punch, Gale Wings Acrobatics, Aqua Jet, (comma) and Mach Punch cleave off a huge portion of Ambipom's health. It should be noted that Fake Out outpaces outprioritizes all of these moves, so take note if on whether Ambipom can use it. Kabutops is notable for resisting Fake Out and making use of Weak Armor to outspeed and KO Ambipom. (I would think this falls under Faster Pokemon.)

**Status**: Paralysis and burn absolutely ruin Ambipom by crippling its best stats, Speed and Attack, (comma) respectively. Poison, alongside Life Orb recoil, drastically reduces Ambipom's time on the field. Bulky status users such as Cresselia, Amoonguss, Alomomola, Registeel, and Cofagrigus can also happen to be able to tank Ambipom's attacks.
 
K now let's hope this makes it so that Ambipom won't reach ~top 25 usage this time oml
the thing is, the overviews aren't currently shown on-site, so the majority of the bashing won't even be seen by the intended audience, while lines like "Fake Out is Ambipom's main niche, scoring free, powerful damage on the opponent due to STAB and Technician." will be seen. it could help if you made sure to make note of its flaws throughout the parts that are actually currently shown on-site. for example, changing the line above to something like "Fake Out is Ambipom's main niche, scoring free damage on the opponent due to STAB and Technician. However, the overwhelming presence of Pokemon such as Doublade, Alomomola, and Rhyperior means that Ambipom will often be nothing more than a free switch to a top threat." could help. just something to think about if you want to discourage more people from using this trash (which you should lol)
 

fleurdyleurse

nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands
is a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
hi
Overview
########
To be frank, Ambipom is not a great Pokemon: Technician STAB Fake Out just isn't a good enough niche. Ambipom faces stiff competition from a lot of other Normal-types, including Cinccino, Tauros, and Zangoose, which boast more effective coverage and/or greater power. While Ambipom is fast, it has poor bulk and no resistances, so it must rely heavily on dealing damage while taking none in return. However, this is not easy, asince Ambipom usually struggles to KO opponents due to its mediocre power and its reliance on neutral coverage rather than focusing on super effective coverage. While it can do some damage to offensive teams, it can hardly contribute against bulkier teams, while its Normal-type brethren can at least threaten both team archetypes. Ambipom is very outclassed, and other options should always be considered first.
All-Out Attacker
########
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Knock Off
ability: Technician
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Fake Out is Ambipom's main niche, scoring free, powerful damage on the opponent due to STAB and Technician. Return is Ambipom's most reliable attack and main way of dealing damage. Low Kick trips up Pokemon that resist Normal-type moves such as Cobalion, Registeel, and Rhyperior, and it can do serious damage due to their high weights. Knock Off strikes Ghost-types while also removing the items of defensive Pokemon to soften them up and make them easier to KO. U-turn can be used to gain momentum on opponents wanting to escape from Fake Out, while Pursuit targets the fleeing foes themselves and is especially effective on Dark-weak targets such as Delphox and Meloetta. Double Hit can be used to break Substitutes, but its chance to miss makes it unappealing for such a frail Pokemon that already has access to a much more accurate attacking option with similar power in Return, and Cinccino does this better anyway.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment allows Ambipom to outrun speedy Pokemon such as Heliolisk and Virizion, while max Attack investment maximizes Ambipom's damage output. The rest of the EVs go into either defensive stat, preferably Defense to take priority moves better, because Ambipom's current HP is an optimal Life Orb number, so it would be a waste to throw the leftover EVs in HP. Silk Scarf is a perfectly viable alternative to Life Orb, as Silk Scarf does not cause recoil and still boosts Ambipom's main attacks, although its coverage moves will be substantially weaker.
Usage Tips
========
Ambipom is a very straightforward attacker. It checks frail sweepers that lack Protect with its powerful Fake Out regardless of their sSpeed. From there, Ambipom dishes out quick, reliable damage, with few foes outright resisting its attacks. Although Fake Out is usually quite safe to throw out, it is advisable to only use it if an opponent is certain to stay in, as the threat of a strong Fake Out can easily force out most frail attackers, and nailing the switch-in with the appropriate coverage move can be more practical. Ambipom can struggle to safely revenge kill Pokemon that are behind a Substitute, such as Moltres, Meloetta, and Cresselia, as they can dodge Fake Out's flinching effect. Ambipom also shouldn't switch into non-Ghost-type attack, as it thrives on revenge killing, or if it must be switched in it should at least be brought into battle via slow U-turns or Volt Switches.
Team Options
========
SinceAs Ambipom forces switches so easily, entry hazards support is really useful to discourage switch-ins as well as soften up Ambipom's counters. Qwilfish makes for an amazing teammate, asince it easily takes Fighting-type moves for Ambipom and lays down Spikes, which is effective because the majority of Ambipom response's switch-ims are grounded; Accelgor is also an effective user of Spikes for more offensive teams. On the other hand, Fighting-resistant teammates with Toxic Spikes, such as Qwilfish, Cofagrigus, and Weezing, are more plentiful,. Toxic Spikes beingare potent against Regenerator Pokemonusers, but falteringthey do not work against Steel-types and airborne Pokemon. Ambipom struggles against physically bulky Pokemon, so wallbreakers such as Clawitzer, Eelektross, Calm Mind Delphox, and Reuniclus can help Ambipom clean without much hindrance by dismantling the opponent's defensive cores. Fighting-types such as Cobalion, Virizion, and Hitmonlee can take out the Rock- and Steel-types that Ambipom cannot break through, while Ambipom can lure out problematic Ghost-types and weaken them with Knock Off. While not essential, slow Volt Switch or U-turn users can help bring Ambipom in safely; Clawitzer, Eelektross, and Magneton can all provide this support, and pack enough power and/or coverage to threaten bulkier foes that Ambipom cannot take down.
Other Options
########
Ambipom can use the Fake Out + Last Resort combo, but its mono-coverage makes it easy to wall, Last Resort has low PP, and the fact that it must use Fake Out every time it enters battle can allow opponents to easily play around it. Ambipom has Nasty Plot, but it is too frail to set it up safely a vast majority of the time, and it is far too weak without or sometimes even with the boost. Baton Passing Special Attack boosts is done better by other Pokemon, such as Volbeat and Togetic. Ambipom does have a large amount of physical coverage options, though they are very situational over the main ones listed: Seed Bomb hits Rhyperior, Fire Punch hits Escavalier, and Ice Punch hits Gligar, but Ambipom hesitates to get rid of its main moves and risk leaving itself open to even more threats.
Checks &amp; Counters
########
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Anything that can take a hit or two from Ambipom already makes for an adequate response, especially when considering Ambipom lacks good power. Anything that has at least decent physical bulk, such as Alomomola, Tangrowth, Cofagrigus, Cresselia, Bronzong, Gligar, and Rhyperior, can switch into Ambipom and stop it from doing much damage. Attackers with natural physical bulk such as Cobalion, Druddigon, Escavalier, Reuniclus, and Durant, can survive Ambipom's attacks and easily retaliate for huge damage. Normal-resistant or immune Pokemon are especially good at stopping Ambipom.
**Faster Pokemon**: There aren't a lot of Pokemon faster than Ambipom, but the ones that are can easily threaten Ambipom due to its terrible bulk, though they should be wary of Fake Out if they lack Substitute. Swellow, Sceptile, Jolteon, Dugtrio, Meloetta-P, and Accelgor are such examples of faster Pokemon, threatening Ambipom with powerful STAB or super effective Fighting-type attacks. Kabutops is notable for, as it resistings Fake Out and makinges use of Weak Armor to outspeed and KO Ambipom. Choice Scarf Pokemon, such as Emboar, Rotom-C, Gallade, and Delphox, can easily KO Ambipom with their STAB moves. Speed boosting Pokemon such as Unburden Hitmonlee and Slurpuff, as well as Speed Boost Sharpedo, can also get the drop on Ambipom, Sharpedo receiving a special mention because it can block Fake Out with Protect.
**Priority**: Priority attacks bypass Ambipom's high Speed, greatly shortening its overall lifespan. Powerful STAB priority such as Sucker Punch, Gale Wings Acrobatics, Aqua Jet, and Mach Punch cleave off a huge portion of Ambipom's health. It should be noted that Fake Out outprioritzes all of these moves, so note if Ambipom can use it.
**Status**: Paralysis and burn absolutely ruin Ambipom by crippling its best stats, Speed and Attack, respectively. Poison, alongside Life Orb recoil, drastically reduces Ambipom's time on the field. Bulky status users such as Cresselia, Amoonguss, Alomomola, Registeel, and Cofagrigus can also tank Ambipom's attacks.

GP 1/2
 
Last edited:
the thing is, the overviews aren't currently shown on-site, so the majority of the bashing won't even be seen by the intended audience, while lines like "Fake Out is Ambipom's main niche, scoring free, powerful damage on the opponent due to STAB and Technician." will be seen. it could help if you made sure to make note of its flaws throughout the parts that are actually currently shown on-site. for example, changing the line above to something like "Fake Out is Ambipom's main niche, scoring free damage on the opponent due to STAB and Technician. However, the overwhelming presence of Pokemon such as Doublade, Alomomola, and Rhyperior means that Ambipom will often be nothing more than a free switch to a top threat." could help. just something to think about if you want to discourage more people from using this trash (which you should lol)
I second Magnemite's notion. You should rewrite it to "Fake Out is Ambipom's main niche, scoring free damage on the opponent due to STAB and Technician. However, the overwhelming presence of Pokemon such as Doublade, Alomomola, and Rhyperior means that Ambipom will often be nothing more than a free switch to a top threat." like Magnemite said.
 
Last edited:

Punchshroom

FISHIOUS REND MEGA SHARPEDO
is a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributor
the thing is, the overviews aren't currently shown on-site, so the majority of the bashing won't even be seen by the intended audience, while lines like "Fake Out is Ambipom's main niche, scoring free, powerful damage on the opponent due to STAB and Technician." will be seen. it could help if you made sure to make note of its flaws throughout the parts that are actually currently shown on-site. for example, changing the line above to something like "Fake Out is Ambipom's main niche, scoring free damage on the opponent due to STAB and Technician. However, the overwhelming presence of Pokemon such as Doublade, Alomomola, and Rhyperior means that Ambipom will often be nothing more than a free switch to a top threat." could help. just something to think about if you want to discourage more people from using this trash (which you should lol)
Wait, so I list this in Moves, not Overview right?
 

Timbuktu

get bukt
is a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Here's an amcheck :)

Add
Remove
Comments

Overview
########

To be frank, Ambipom is not a great Pokemon: Technician STAB Fake Out just isn't a good enough niche. Ambipom faces stiff competition from a lot of other Normal-types, including Cinccino, Tauros, and Zangoose, which boast more effective coverage, and/or greater power, or both. While Ambipom is fast, it has poor bulk and no resistances, so it must rely heavily on dealing damage while taking none in return. However, this is not easy, as Ambipom usually struggles to KO opponents due to its mediocre power and its reliance on neutral coverage rather than focusing on super effective coverage. While it can do some damage to offensive teams, it can hardly contribute against bulkier teams, while; its Normal-type brethren can at least threaten both team archetypes. Ambipom is very outclassed, and other options should always be considered first.

All-Out Attacker
########
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Knock Off
ability: Technician
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly

Moves
========
Fake Out is Ambipom's main niche, scoring free, powerful damage on the opponent due to STAB and Technician. Return is Ambipom's most reliable attack and main way of dealing damage redundant. Low Kick trips up lol Pokemon that resist Normal-type moves, such as Cobalion, Registeel, and Rhyperior, and it can do serious damage due to their high weights. Knock Off strikes Ghost-types while also removing the items of defensive Pokemon to soften them up and make them easier to KO redundant. U-turn can be used to gain momentum on opponents wanting to escape from Fake Out, while Pursuit targets the fleeing foes themselves and is especially effective on Dark-weak targets weak to Dark, such as Delphox and Meloetta. Double Hit can be used to break Substitutes, but its chance to miss of missing makes it unappealing for such a frail Pokemon that already has access to a much I guess 10% more is considered much more in the longrun, but individually it isn't more accurate attacking option with similar power in Return, and; incidentally, Cinccino does this better anyway.

Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment allows Ambipom to outrun speedy Pokemon such as Heliolisk and Virizion, while and max Attack investment maximizes Ambipom's damage output. The rest of the EVs go into either defensive stat, preferably Defense to take priority moves better, because Ambipom's current HP is an optimal Life Orb number, so it would be a waste to throw the leftover EVs in HP. Silk Scarf is a perfectly viable alternative to Life Orb, as Silk Scarf does not cause recoil and still boosts Ambipom's main attacks, although but its coverage moves will be substantially weaker.

Usage Tips
========
Ambipom is a very straightforward attacker. It checks frail sweepers that lack Protect with its powerful Fake Out, regardless of their Speed. From there, Ambipom dishes out quick, reliable damage, with few foes outright resisting its attacks. Although Fake Out is usually quite safe to throw out, it is advisable to only use it if an opponent foe is certain to stay in, as the threat of a strong Fake Out can easily force out most frail attackers, and nailing the switch-in with the appropriate coverage move can be more practical. Ambipom can struggle to safely revenge kill Pokemon that are behind a Substitute, such as Moltres, Meloetta, and Cresselia, as they can dodge Fake Out's flinching effect. Ambipom also shouldn't only switch into non-Ghost-type attacks, as it thrives on revenge killing and can't do much else., or if If it must be switched in, it should at least be brought into battle via slow U-turns or Volt Switches.

Team Options
========
As Ambipom forces switches so easily, entry hazards support is really useful to discourage switch-ins as well as soften up Ambipom's counters. Qwilfish makes for an amazing teammate, since as it easily takes Fighting-type moves for Ambipom and lays down Spikes, which is effective because the majority of Ambipom's switch-ins are grounded; Accelgor is also an effective user of Spikes for more offensive teams. On the other hand Also, Fighting-resistant teammates with Toxic Spikes, such as Qwilfish, Cofagrigus, and Weezing, are more plentiful. Toxic Spikes are potent against Regenerator users, but they do not work against Steel-types and airborne Pokemon. Ambipom struggles against physically bulky Pokemon, so wallbreakers such as Clawitzer, Eelektross, Calm Mind Delphox, and Reuniclus can help Ambipom clean without much hindrance with ease by dismantling the opponent's defensive cores. Fighting-types, such as Cobalion, Virizion, and Hitmonlee, can take out the Rock- and Steel-types that Ambipom cannot break through, while Ambipom can lure out problematic Ghost-types and weaken them with Knock Off. While not essential, slow Volt Switch or U-turn users can help bring Ambipom in safely; Clawitzer, Eelektross, and Magneton can all provide this support, and they pack enough power, and/or coverage, or both to threaten bulkier foes that Ambipom cannot take down.

Other Options
########
Ambipom can use the Fake Out + Last Resort combo combination, but its mono-coverage makes it easy to wall, Last Resort has low PP, and the fact that it must use Fake Out every time it enters battle can allow opponents to easily play around it. Ambipom has Nasty Plot, but it is too frail to set it up safely a vast majority of the time, and it is far too weak without or sometimes even with the boost. Baton Passing Special Attack boosts is done better by other Pokemon, such as Volbeat and Togetic. Ambipom does have a large amount of physical coverage options, though they are very situational over the main ones listed: Seed Bomb hits Rhyperior, Fire Punch hits Escavalier, and Ice Punch hits Gligar, but Ambipom hesitates to get rid of its main moves and risk leaving itself open to even more threats.

Checks & Counters
########
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Anything that can take a hit or two from Ambipom already makes for an adequate response, especially when considering the fact that Ambipom lacks good power. Anything that has at least decent physical bulk, such as Alomomola, Tangrowth, Spiritomb, Cresselia, Bronzong, Gligar, and Rhyperior, can switch into Ambipom and stop it from doing much damage. Attackers with natural physical bulk, such as Cobalion, Druddigon, Escavalier, Reuniclus, Doublade, and Durant, can survive Ambipom's attacks and easily retaliate for huge damage. Normal-resistant or immune Pokemon are especially good at stopping Ambipom.

**Faster Pokemon**: There aren't a lot of Pokemon faster than Ambipom, but the ones that are can easily threaten Ambipom due to its terrible bulk, though but they should be wary of Fake Out if they lack Substitute. Swellow, Sceptile, Jolteon, Dugtrio, Meloetta-P, and Accelgor are such examples of faster Pokemon, threatening which threaten Ambipom with powerful STAB or super effective Fighting-type attacks. Kabutops is notable, as it resists Fake Out and makes use of Weak Armor to outspeed and KO Ambipom. Choice Scarf Pokemon, such as Emboar, Rotom-C, Gallade, and Delphox, can easily KO Ambipom with their STAB moves. Speed boosting Pokemon, such as Unburden Hitmonlee, and Slurpuff, as well as and Speed Boost Sharpedo, can also get the drop on Ambipom,; Sharpedo can perform this job exceptionally well, receiving a special mention because as it can block Fake Out with Protect.

**Priority**: Priority attacks bypass Ambipom's high Speed, greatly shortening its overall lifespan. Powerful STAB priority attacks such as Sucker Punch, Gale Wings Acrobatics, Aqua Jet, and Mach Punch cleave off a huge portion of Ambipom's health. It should be noted that Fake Out outprioritzes all of these moves, so note if Ambipom can use it.

**Status**: Paralysis and burn absolutely ruin Ambipom by crippling its best stats, Speed and Attack, respectively. Poison, alongside Life Orb recoil, drastically reduces Ambipom's time on the field. Bulky status users such as Cresselia, Amoonguss, Alomomola, Registeel, and Cofagrigus can also tank Ambipom's attacks.
 
Last edited:

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top