QC:
GP:
[OVERVIEW]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Liquidation
move 2: Leech Life
move 3: Crunch / Poison Jab
move 4: Toxic
item: Choice Band
ability: Water Bubble
nature: Adamant
evs: 188 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
========
Usage Tips
========
========
Other Options
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**Bulky Water-types**: Water-types with high Defense can easily switch in on Araquanid's Liquidation and wall it, although they need to watch out for Toxic. Milotic is an extremely easy switch-in thanks to its great bulk, and its defense is boosted if it gets poisoned thanks to Marvel Scale. Thanks to Recover, it can wall Araquanid indefinitely, although if Liquidation causes Defense drops it may be forced to switch out. Milotic can use Toxic on Araquanid too, wearing it down. Mantine is an excellent answer to Araquanid thanks to Water Absorb, and only fears Toxic. If it does not carry Toxic or Air Slash, Mantine can be hard-pressed to beat Araquanid. Pyukumuku easily walls Araquanid, but is also extremely vulnerable to Toxic. Slowbro and Slowking can take a Liquidation, but are 2HKO'd by Leech Life.
**Strong Revenge Killers**: Araquanid's low speed and average physical bulk leave it easily picked off by strong physical attackers. Toxicroak is a good switch-in to Araquanid that can deal great damage with Gunk Shot, potentially OHKOing it if it takes Stealth Rock damage. Rock-types like Aerodactyl, Tyrantrum, and Lycanroc-Midday can OHKO Araquanid with their Rock moves. Similarly, Honchkrow can easily OHKO Araquanid with Brave Bird. Electric-types like Jolteon and Heliolisk can deal great damage with Electric moves, although they can't knock out Araquanid in one turn. Even special wallbreakers like Kommo-o, Goodra, Swellow, and Nidoqueen can pick off Araquanid if it has sustained enough damage.
GP:
[OVERVIEW]
- Araquanid's unique ability Water Bubble turns it into a veritable powerhouse and gives it some unique defensive qualities.
- Its respectable bulk and resistances allow it to take a hit if need be and retaliate. What's more, its immunity to burn let it switch in on Scald users like Milotic and Slowbro easily, as well as Will-o-Wisp users like Sableye.
- Araquanid has poor speed and can be difficult to bring into battle if Stealth Rock is up, somewhat offsetting its bulk and relegating it to a wallbreaking role.
name: Choice Band
move 1: Liquidation
move 2: Leech Life
move 3: Crunch / Poison Jab
move 4: Toxic
item: Choice Band
ability: Water Bubble
nature: Adamant
evs: 188 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Liquidation hits calamitously hard and far outdamages any of Araquanid's other moves.
- Leech Life is a secondary STAB option that heals Araquanid and rounds out its coverage by hitting Grass-types super effectively.
- Crunch prevents Araquanid from being walled by Jellicent, and also does more to Dhelmise.
- Poison Jab does a little more to Chesnaught and Whimsicott, and can poison switch ins like Mantine, wearing them down.
- Return can be used in the third slot, and is Araquanid's only move that can 2HKO Toxicroak.
- Toxic puts switch-ins like Milotic, Mantine, and Pyukumuku on a timer, wearing them down.
- Sleep Talk can be used to absorb sleep from Venusaur and Roserade, but serves little other purpose.
========
- Choice Band amplifies Araquanid's damage output, letting it hit as hard as possible.
- Water Bubble is an excellent ability which is the main reason behind Araquanid's viability. In addition to rendering Araquanid immune to the burn status and giving it a resistance to Fire moves, it doubles the power of Araquanid's Water-type attacks, letting them hit extremely hard.
- An Adamant nature increases Araquanid's power, and the given EV spread maximises Attack while letting Araquanid outspeed Pokemon slower than uninvested base 50 Speed, such as Registeel, Donphan, Dragalge, and Rhyperior. A faster spread is viable, and Araquanid can be EV'd to beat faster threats like Chesnaught or Mantine.
Usage Tips
========
- Araquanid will almost always be using Liquidation, as it deals much more damage than its other attacks thanks to Water Bubble. In fact, it does more damage to resists than Leech Life does to neutral targets. As such, it should be using Liquidation almost always, unless the opponent has Pokemon that are extremely resistant to Water such as Toxicroak, Heliolisk, Mantine, and Kingdra, or Pokemon that can't be worn down easily by repeated Liquidations, like Slowbro or Milotic.
- Attempt to clear hazards before bringing in Araquanid, as it loses a quarter of its health from Stealth Rock, and is vulnerable to Spikes and Toxic Spikes.
- Araquanid typically shouldn't be switched in on attacks, but it can come in on predicted Scalds if need be, although it typically struggles with most Scald users.
- Although you shouldn't overestimate Araquanid's bulk, it can switch in on certain special attackers if need be, such as Zoroark, Goodra, and Kommo-o locked into Focus Blast thanks to its solid Special Defense.
========
- Araquanid enjoys having entry hazard removal, so it can enter battle without taking Stealth Rock damage. Gligar is a premier Defog user and check to physical threats that can also use U-turn to let Araquanid enter battle safely. Mantine is another good Defog user, but its typing is not synergistic with Araquanid.
- Rapid Spinners like Dhelmise, Blastoise and Donphan are also good choices for hazard removal that don't remove hazards from the opponent's side, which helps Araquanid in wallbreaking.
- Entry hazards, especially Spikes, aid Araquanid in wallbreaking. Stealth Rock users like Gligar, Donphan and Diancie help wear down Araquanids switch-ins. Spikes users like Chesnaught and Roserade can pressure Araquanid's switch-ins through Spikes or through their own attacks.
- U-turn or Volt Switch like Rotom-H, Gligar, Swellow, and Jolteon can bring Araquanid in by grabbing momentum, giving it a bit more leeway.
- Araquanid can make a good fit on Trick Room teams thanks to its low Speed and high power. Trick Room setters like Bronzong, Diancie, Reuniclus, Porygon2, and Cresselia form the backbones of this strategy and can support the team through various means.
Other Options
=============
- Araquanid can make use of Assault Vest to check special attackers well, and it can sustain itself with Leech Life, but it isn't a very good pivot due to its Stealth Rock weakness.
- Araquanid can use a defensive set with Spider Web and Toxic to trap and remove some of its checks, namely Milotic, Mantine, and Pyukumuku, but it fails to do much else.
- Similarly, a set with Substitute and Toxic and high Speed investment can dodge Toxic from opposing bulky Water types and beat them 1v1, but it compromises Araquanid's bulk and is still quite slow, not to mention the Stealth Rock weakness limits the number of Substitutes it can make.
- Waterium Z allows Araquanid to use one extremely powerful Hydro Vortex while being able to change moves, but the consistency of Choice Band is usually better.
- Splash Plate boosts Liquidation while still letting Araquanid change moves, allowing it to Toxic switch ins without losing momentum.
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Water-types with high Defense can easily switch in on Araquanid's Liquidation and wall it, although they need to watch out for Toxic. Milotic is an extremely easy switch-in thanks to its great bulk, and its defense is boosted if it gets poisoned thanks to Marvel Scale. Thanks to Recover, it can wall Araquanid indefinitely, although if Liquidation causes Defense drops it may be forced to switch out. Milotic can use Toxic on Araquanid too, wearing it down. Mantine is an excellent answer to Araquanid thanks to Water Absorb, and only fears Toxic. If it does not carry Toxic or Air Slash, Mantine can be hard-pressed to beat Araquanid. Pyukumuku easily walls Araquanid, but is also extremely vulnerable to Toxic. Slowbro and Slowking can take a Liquidation, but are 2HKO'd by Leech Life.
**Strong Revenge Killers**: Araquanid's low speed and average physical bulk leave it easily picked off by strong physical attackers. Toxicroak is a good switch-in to Araquanid that can deal great damage with Gunk Shot, potentially OHKOing it if it takes Stealth Rock damage. Rock-types like Aerodactyl, Tyrantrum, and Lycanroc-Midday can OHKO Araquanid with their Rock moves. Similarly, Honchkrow can easily OHKO Araquanid with Brave Bird. Electric-types like Jolteon and Heliolisk can deal great damage with Electric moves, although they can't knock out Araquanid in one turn. Even special wallbreakers like Kommo-o, Goodra, Swellow, and Nidoqueen can pick off Araquanid if it has sustained enough damage.
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