Disaster Area
formerly Piexplode
[Overview]
Arbok's typing, bulk, and power are altogether enough to make it a consistent member of the tier. Intimidate combined with Poison typing allows it to be a solid Hitmonchan switch-in, as well as resisting SunnyBeamers' Grass type STABs and returning hits with its strong CB-Boosted STAB Sludge Bomb. Its Speed is good, although not outstanding. It has issues particularly with Sableye, and can't really help breaking stall, whilst Seviper generally outclasses any mixed set it may choose to run, meaning it's somewhat of a one-trick snake, but it's pretty good at what it does, and much more simple to understand and work with than Swalot, for less experienced players.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Sludge Bomb
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Hidden Power Ghost / Sleep Talk
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
[SET COMMENTS]
- Sludge Bomb is your main STAB.
- Earthquake and Rock Slide are both quite powerful, and between them have great neutral coverage. Notable targets of Earthquake include Rock and Steel types such as Mawile and Sudowoodo, and is the strongest move it has versus Poison resists that aren't weak to any of its coverage moves, such as Sableye or Whiscash.
- Hidden Power Ghost hits Haunter harder than Rock Slide, whilst Sleep Talk helps it check Sunnybeamers better, as well as Venomoth (beware Psychic!).
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- The EV spread is pretty simple; Jolly allows you to tie with other base 80 speed pokemon (usually leads such as Glalie), and outspeed all Hitmonchan, whilst Adamant gives you the power boost but sacrifices that you might be slower than some Hitmonchans and Kinglers, but you still outspeed max speed Base 65's, so it's not very costly to go Adamant.
- Some EVs can be siphoned off and customised if you want extra bulk, for example to take Hitmonchan's or Tangela's attacks better.
- It's a good idea to pair an additional Hitmonchan check, such as Chimecho, with it, to take different coverage moves. Chimecho is good also since it checks Haunter and provides a Ground immunity and Psychic resistance.
[Other Options]
- Glare is one of the only things it has that it can perhaps run better than Seviper, although it has a displeasing 75% accuracy, and only when it runs a fully physical set. The lack of power from Choice Band hurts an already fairly low-power pokemon with mediocre bulk, but the suprise status spread can be of significant use, Paralyzing common switch-ins such as Sableye, Haunter, and Mawile.
[Checks and Counters]
- Ghosts such as Sableye and Haunter handle it very nicely. Haunter only fears Rock Slide and Hidden Power Ghost (only the latter will OHKO - although it can EV to survive it, which it may do for Hitmonchan), whilst Sableye can stall it with Recover, and Haunter can hit it with Psychic or the rare Will-o-Wisp.
- Ground and Rock types both resist Arbok's STAB, and the Ground types typically fear nothing, making in particular Whiscash and Piloswine great answers, but also Graveler, Sudowoodo, and Relicanth.
- Steel types, namely Mawile and Metang, are immune to its STAB, but fear Earthquake, although their great Physical bulk means they can usually survive - Mawile's intimidate in particular helping it easily survive the hit.
- Psychic types such as Chimecho, although they don't resist Sludge Bomb, can hurt it somewhat, and thus usually force it out.
- Poison types of your own can resist Arbok's STAB Sludge Bomb and return with an appropriate attack.
Arbok's typing, bulk, and power are altogether enough to make it a consistent member of the tier. Intimidate combined with Poison typing allows it to be a solid Hitmonchan switch-in, as well as resisting SunnyBeamers' Grass type STABs and returning hits with its strong CB-Boosted STAB Sludge Bomb. Its Speed is good, although not outstanding. It has issues particularly with Sableye, and can't really help breaking stall, whilst Seviper generally outclasses any mixed set it may choose to run, meaning it's somewhat of a one-trick snake, but it's pretty good at what it does, and much more simple to understand and work with than Swalot, for less experienced players.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Sludge Bomb
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Hidden Power Ghost / Sleep Talk
ability: Intimidate
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
[SET COMMENTS]
- Sludge Bomb is your main STAB.
- Earthquake and Rock Slide are both quite powerful, and between them have great neutral coverage. Notable targets of Earthquake include Rock and Steel types such as Mawile and Sudowoodo, and is the strongest move it has versus Poison resists that aren't weak to any of its coverage moves, such as Sableye or Whiscash.
- Hidden Power Ghost hits Haunter harder than Rock Slide, whilst Sleep Talk helps it check Sunnybeamers better, as well as Venomoth (beware Psychic!).
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- The EV spread is pretty simple; Jolly allows you to tie with other base 80 speed pokemon (usually leads such as Glalie), and outspeed all Hitmonchan, whilst Adamant gives you the power boost but sacrifices that you might be slower than some Hitmonchans and Kinglers, but you still outspeed max speed Base 65's, so it's not very costly to go Adamant.
- Some EVs can be siphoned off and customised if you want extra bulk, for example to take Hitmonchan's or Tangela's attacks better.
- It's a good idea to pair an additional Hitmonchan check, such as Chimecho, with it, to take different coverage moves. Chimecho is good also since it checks Haunter and provides a Ground immunity and Psychic resistance.
[Other Options]
- Glare is one of the only things it has that it can perhaps run better than Seviper, although it has a displeasing 75% accuracy, and only when it runs a fully physical set. The lack of power from Choice Band hurts an already fairly low-power pokemon with mediocre bulk, but the suprise status spread can be of significant use, Paralyzing common switch-ins such as Sableye, Haunter, and Mawile.
[Checks and Counters]
- Ghosts such as Sableye and Haunter handle it very nicely. Haunter only fears Rock Slide and Hidden Power Ghost (only the latter will OHKO - although it can EV to survive it, which it may do for Hitmonchan), whilst Sableye can stall it with Recover, and Haunter can hit it with Psychic or the rare Will-o-Wisp.
- Ground and Rock types both resist Arbok's STAB, and the Ground types typically fear nothing, making in particular Whiscash and Piloswine great answers, but also Graveler, Sudowoodo, and Relicanth.
- Steel types, namely Mawile and Metang, are immune to its STAB, but fear Earthquake, although their great Physical bulk means they can usually survive - Mawile's intimidate in particular helping it easily survive the hit.
- Psychic types such as Chimecho, although they don't resist Sludge Bomb, can hurt it somewhat, and thus usually force it out.
- Poison types of your own can resist Arbok's STAB Sludge Bomb and return with an appropriate attack.