Kreme
You might be right but you're not correct.
[OVERVIEW]
Barbaracle has carved itself a niche in the UnderUsed metagame as a potent Shell Smash sweeper due to its access to Liquidation and ability to viably run Rockium Z. Most teams are easily swept due to lack of preparation for Barbaracle, as they usually only have a couple decent checks for it and are more often than not unable to prevent it from gaining a good setup opportunity thanks to its great Defense and strong offensive typing. Barbaracle is also one of the tier's better stallbreakers, thanks to its ability to be a boosting Pokemon that can break past most of stall's typical answers like Quagsire. However, while Barbaracle is generally effective against most playstyles, it tends to struggle against most matchups where the opponent has one or two strong checks to Barbaracle and thus can dissuade it from ever setting up a Shell Smash. Furthermore, Barbaracle is a one-trick pony and requires its teammates to cater to it in order to function successfully in the tier. This reliance on being built around as well as its reliance on Shell Smash in order to become a potent threat make Barbaracle a rather mediocre option when compared to other setup sweepers with more overall utility like Azumarill and Scizor.
[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Liquidation
move 4: Grass Knot / Earthquake
item: Rockium Z
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Naive / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Shell Smash allows Barbaracle to act as an effective sweeper, boosting all of Barbaracle's offensive stats at the expense of lowering its defenses. Stone Edge is Barbaracle's main STAB attack, sporting high damage output despite being inaccurate. Liquidation is Barbaracle's second STAB attack, having high damage output as well as perfect accuracy. Grass Knot allows Barbaracle to hit the likes of Swampert, Seismitoad, and Quagsire for super effective damage, preventing them from stopping Barbaracle from sweeping. Earthquake is also an option, as it allows Barbaracle to hit valuable targets, such as Empoleon, Metagross, and Doublade, for super effective damage.
Set Details
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Rockium Z is used to give Barbaracle an extremely powerful nuke to break past walls, such as Alomomola and Suicune, without the need for excessive chip damage, and it also allows Barbaracle to hit targets it normally would with Stone Edge without risking the miss chance; such targets include Serperior, Volcanion, and Latias. Tough Claws is the chosen ability, as it boosts the damage of Liquidation and is more beneficial than other abilities, as Sniper is inconsistent and luck dependent, and Pickpocket doesn't work with Barbaracle's Rockium Z. The given EVs and nature allow Barbaracle to outspeed everything up to Choice Scarf Mienshao while also ensuring Barbaracle does as much damage as possible.
Usage Tips
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The first thing to be done when starting a match with Barbaracle is seeing what Barbaracle checks are present and if Barbaracle has any opportunities to set up. If Barbaracle's checks are many and are unable to be removed without at the same time still ensuring Barbaracle is able to set up, Barbaracle can be used as a sacrificial lamb in order to break past certain Pokemon through the use of Continental Crush for its teammates to clean afterwards. Barbaracle should only be sent in whenever an opportunity to set up and sweep is available. When a sweeping opportunity is taken and Barbaracle has already used Shell Smash, it is important to evaluate the use of Continental Crush, as sometimes it may be better to save it for targets that require the extra damage in order to be KOed, such as Suicune and Alomomola. If up against stall teams, typically one would attempt to use Barbaracle to either completely sweep through once anything bulky enough to take a hit, such as Mega Aggron, is weakened to a point whereby Barbaracle can KO it or try to weaken as many Pokemon as possible in order to clean up with another teammate.
Team Options
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Pokemon with access to entry hazards make for excellent Barbaracle teammates, as Barbaracle greatly benefits from the chip damage in order to ease a sweep later on. Such Pokemon include Klefki, Gliscor, Nidoking, and Tentacruel. Pokemon that can set up Aurora Veil or dual screens, such as Alolan Sandslash and Klefki, can allow Barbaracle to set up much more easily. Cleaners and other sweepers, such as Mega Sharpedo and Cobalion, can capitalize on Barbaracle's wallbreaking capabilities to sweep past the remaining foes. Choice Scarf Latias is an amazing Barbaracle teammate due to its access to Healing Wish, ensuring Barbaracle can attempt to sweep multiple times in a match. Barbaracle tends to have difficulty being brought into the match freely, making VoltTurn users, such as Magneton, which also traps and removes Scizor, one of Barbaracle's best checks, and Mega Beedrill, which tends to lure in Gliscor and Mega Aerodactyl that Barbaracle can take advantage of to set up, good partners. Memento users, namely Choice Scarf Chandelure, also alleviate this issue.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Cross Chop is an option over Earthquake in order to hit most Steel-types harder due to the higher damage and the Tough Claws boost, but it fails to hit Doublade and Metagross super effectively and is also an inaccurate move. Barbaracle has access to a variety of other setup moves like Swords Dance and Bulk Up, but they are all inferior options when compared to Shell Smash.
Checks and Counters
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**Revenge Killers**: Pokemon that can outspeed Barbaracle after a boost, notably Choice Scarf Infernape and Choice Scarf Latias, as well as Pokemon with strong priority attacks, like Scizor with Bullet Punch and Azumarill with Aqua Jet, can easily revenge kill Barbaracle as long as it isn't allowed to gain a free opportunity to use Shell Smash.
**Status**: Each and every status condition in the game is extremely detrimental to Barbaracle. Poison cripples it and allows bulkier teams to stall it out; Alomomola, for example, is a good Toxic user that can stall out most of Barbaracle's HP through the use of Protect. Burn cuts Barbaracle's Attack in half, taking away a majority of Barbaracle's damage output; bulky Water-types like Suicune can use Scald to attempt to burn Barbaracle in order to prevent a sweep. Paralysis halves Barbaracle's Speed, ensuring it is easily revenge killed by most offensive Pokemon; Klefki gets a notable mention for having Prankster and thus being able to almost guarantee paralysis through priority Thunder Wave.
**Offensive Pressure**: Offensive pressure can prevent Barbaracle from gaining a free opportunity to click Shell Smash, thus making sure it never becomes a threat towards most teams. Threatening it with a Pokemon that does enough damage to put it in range of a revenge killer or with a Pokemon that commonly spreads status conditions, such as Gliscor or Tentacruel, will ensure Barbaracle either is pressured enough to not Shell Smash or is unable to do too much damage even if it does end up doing so.
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