Doubles Torkoal


QC check #1 - GenOne
QC check #2 - talkingtree
GP check #1 - Dutch Plumberjack
GP check #2 - marthaa
[OVERVIEW]

Drought gives Torkoal a niche as a powerful Trick Room attacker along with Eruption's high Base Power and spread damage. Its decent bulk also allows it to tank a hit from notable threats such as Landorus-T, Marshadow, and Snorlax and retaliate with powerful Fire-type moves. Torkoal's low Speed not only allows it to move first under Trick Room, which is huge for outspeeding Amoonguss, but also has the advantage of guaranteeing its weather will be set up last and thus remain on the field. However, Torkoal is too dependent on Trick Room and its own weather to work effectively, mandating Trick Room setters as partners and therefore becoming very one-dimensional and predictable. Furthermore, it is very reliant on its HP staying high to make effective use of Eruption, making it rather weak after it has taken some damage or its weather has been replaced.

[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Solar Beam / Protect
item: Assault Vest / Charcoal
ability: Drought
nature: Quiet
evs: 144 HP / 252 SpA / 112 SpD
ivs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Eruption is a high-Base Power spread STAB move capable of heavily damaging most of the tier, being able to pick off weakened foes under Trick Room such as Tapu Koko, Marshadow, and Landorus-T. Flamethrower is a more reliable single-target move that should be used when Torkoal's HP is too low for Eruption to inflict sufficient damage. Fire Blast is a slightly stronger alternative that is not as accurate. Earth Power hits opposing Fire-types such as Heatran and Volcanion, which would otherwise shrug off Torkoal's hits with ease. Solar Beam is an option to hit Water- and Rock-types such as Tapu Fini, Milotic, Mega Swampert, Diancie, Tyranitar, and Terrakion. Protect could be used on non-Assault Vest sets for shielding Torkoal while a teammate retaliates.

Set Details
========

Drought summons sun, boosting Torkoal's Fire-type moves and allowing it to use one-turn Solar Beams. Assault Vest along with the investment in HP and Special Defense gives Torkoal overall great mixed defenses while allowing it to tank a Gigavolt Havoc from Tapu Koko under Electric Terrain. On the other hand, Charcoal can be used to give Torkoal some extra power behind its moves along with the ability to run Protect. If using Charcoal, an EV spread of 148 HP / 252 SpA / 108 SpD is ideal, as it allows Torkoal to tank a Life Orb-boosted Thunderbolt from Tapu Koko under Electric Terrain. The Special Attack investment along with a Quiet nature allows Torkoal to hit as hard as possible, while 0 Speed IVs are beneficial to outspeed Amoonguss under Trick Room and allow Torkoal to set its weather last.

Usage Tips
========

Avoid letting Torkoal get worn down easily, as it really appreciates keeping its HP for full-powered Eruptions. Therefore, avoid recklessly switching Torkoal in and wait for the correct opportunity to do so; most of the time it's ideal to only send Torkoal in after one of its teammates gets KOed. Also, make sure Trick Room is up as well when switching Torkoal in, as Torkoal has little use without it, being outsped and worn down rather quickly. Opposing weather setters are also a pain for Torkoal, removing its power boost and possibly locking it into Solar Beam, which gives the opponent countless opportunities to knock it out. Therefore, try taking care of the likes of Pelipper and Tyranitar before sweeping with Torkoal.

Team Options
========

A Trick Room setter is mandatory for Torkoal to work effectively: Diancie benefits from the weakening of Water-type moves, allowing it to run a Weakness Policy set more reliably, and deals with Fire- and Dragon-types for Torkoal, while Victini appreciates the power boost from sun. Other Trick Room setters such as Mega Gardevoir, Stakataka, and Hoopa-U are still overall great picks. Tapu Bulu is an amazing partner as well, as it gives Torkoal passive recovery from Grassy Terrain, which also boosts Torkoal's Eruptions, allows it to tank Earthquakes a lot better, and as a bonus lets Torkoal's Solar Beam hit a lot harder. Furthermore, Tapu Bulu also provides a great matchup against rain and appreciates Torkoal weakening Steel-types, Zapdos, and Mandibuzz for it.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Firium Z is an option that gives Torkoal a one-time single-target powerful STAB attack, which can be helpful for taking down threats that can tank Eruption such as Hoopa-U, Mega Venusaur, and Mega Gardevoir. Heat Wave is another option that pairs better with a Firium Z set, as missing out on hitting Wide Guard Celesteela is never a good thing for a Fire-type. Hidden Power Ice could be used for hitting Mega Salamence, which shrugs off any damage Torkoal can do to it, while also hitting Landorus-T more reliably. A Wiki Berry or Sitrus Berry could be used as well to allow Torkoal to remain healthier throughout a match and possibly provide stronger Eruptions even after it has taken damage, but it is still rather suboptimal, since Torkoal will rarely recover enough to make Eruption worthwile. Finally, Torkoal could run a bulkier EV spread to better handle physical attackers, but the loss in power and the HP Torkoal loses when tanking a hit make its Eruptions notably weaker.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dragon-types**: Pokemon such as Mega Salamence, Zygarde, and Kingdra can tank a hit from Torkoal and OHKO or 2HKO it with relative ease, though the first two do have to be careful about Hidden Power Ice.

**Fire-types**: Heatran, Volcanion, and Mega Camerupt take little damage from Torkoal's moves and can 2HKO it effortlessly. However, they must still watch out for Earth Power, which does a notable chunk of damage to all three.

**Rock-types**: Stakataka can revenge kill Torkoal with a Rock-type move under Trick Room and claim a boost from Beast Boost, making it a big threat for Torkoal. Mega Tyranitar is also troublesome due to its ability to win the weather war and make Torkoal's Solar Beam useless; it also shrugs off any damage from Torkoal, as Earth Power fails to even 3HKO it.

**Faster Attackers**: Without Trick Room, Torkoal is outspeed by pretty much the entire metagame, making it vulnerable to threats such as Diancie, Tyranitar, and Zygarde.

**Opposing Weather**: Pelipper can switch into Torkoal with little to no drawback and OHKO it with a rain-boosted Scald; Tyranitar is also a safe switch-in, taking little from Earth Power and threatening Torkoal with Rock Slide.
 
Last edited:

GenOne

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Great work getting this started! I have a few suggested edits - implement the suggestions below and please tag me so I can review one more time before stamping this for QC 1/2:

Overview:
  • One of the main assets of Torkoal on Trick Room teams is that it underspeeds Amoonguss and is able to KO it with its Fire-type STABs. This is especially important on Tapu Bulu Trick Room builds, which don't have the luxury of a terrain that blocks Spore's effect. So, please emphasize this early on in your overview write-up.
  • Taunt users blocking Trick Room has nothing to do with Torkoal's functionality. This analysis should only speak to the direct interactions between Torkoal and its foes -- the comments around Taunt users would already be captured through the analyses of the Trick Room setters in question.
Set and Set Details:
  • The main set should be Assault Vest, with EVs: 240 HP / 252 SpA / 16 SpD and the moves Eruption, Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Heat Wave, Earth Power (this hits opposing Fire-types like Volcanion and Heatran), and Solar Beam; Assault vest and the given EV investment maximizes Torkoal's SpA then gives it optimal bulk for both physical and special attacks. This set allows Torkoal to easily pivot into anything other than strong STAB Rock-type and Ground-type attacks.
  • For sets not using Assault Vest, the optimal spread is 176 HP / 252 SpA / 80 SpD because Torkoal already has naturally high physical defense and you get a better overall return on investment with the spread given above.
  • Move the mention of 50% berries and Sitrus Berry to the Other Options section
Usage Tips:
  • Torkoal isn't actually a great lead, because usually any team that uses Torkoal will want to set Trick Room before sending Torkoal in. Edit this point to simply say that Torkoal doesn't want to get worn down, because it wants to preserve HP for Eruption power
  • Delete the second bullet entirely - Torkoal generally isn't a good lead option
Team Options:
  • As a Trick Room setter, Diancie really appreciates Torkoal because Drought negates Diancie's weakness to Water-type attacks. In fact, you can run a Weakness Policy Diancie set that gets a *2 boost to both offensive stats when it gets hit by a sun-nerfed water-type attack, so the synergy between Diancie and Torkoal really is excellent.
  • Remove the bullet about Lilligant, as Lilligant is not a Pokemon that is on the DOU VR. If you wish, you may still mention this under the Other Options section.
  • Tapu Bulu is the ideal Tapu to pair with Trick Room teams that use Torkoal; Torkoal appreciates Grassy Terrain, which cancels out Torkoal's weakness to Earthquake, while Tapu Bulu is easily able to check the bulky Water-types like Tapu Fini that give Torkoal trouble. Additionally, a team consisting of both Torkoal and Tapu Bulu is well-equipped to deal with offensive Rain archetypes.
Other Options:
  • Firium Z deserves a mention here, as it can be paired with Eruption to become an immesnely powerful Fire STAB that hits hard regardless of Torkoal's HP
  • Hidden Power Ice is an option to hit Mega Salamence - a Pokemon that otherwise resists all of Torkoal's attacks
  • Lava Plume is not a good move in DOU - delete the mentions of this move
Checks and Counters:
  • "Trick Room countermeasures" should simply be replaced with "Faster Attackers." When Trick Room is up, Torkoal moves before pretty much all of its foes. When Trick Room isn't up, Torkoal is moving dead last and is vulnrable to being beaten down by faster attackers.
  • Your bullet around Fire-types should emphasize that, while Torkoal can hit these Pokemon back, the foes' retaliation attacks are likely to do more harm to Torkoal than Torkoal did to them
  • "Opposing Weather" should be a tag in this section. Pelipper can switch in and heavily nerf Torkoal's STAB attacks with little consequence. Tyranitar can switch in, nerf Torkoal's STAB attacks, take relatively little from an Earth Power thanks to its sand-boosted SpD, and retaliate with a STAB rock slide.
 

GenOne

DOU main. GMT-7. PS!: GenOne
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Sorry for the delay!

This looks great. I know I'm the one who told you to write out two seperate sets for Assault Vest and Charcoal, but after talking with the rest of the DOU C&C team, we decided it should just be one set.

Make the main set as follows:

[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Solar Beam / Protect
item: Assault Vest / Charcoal
ability: Drought
nature: Quiet
evs: 144 HP / 252 SpA / 112 SpD
ivs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe

In set details, mention that the given EV spread should be used with Assault Vest. It gives Torkoal enough bulk to live Tapu Koko's Gigavolt Havoc inside of Electric Terrain.

Also mention that if you're using Charcoal, the best spread is for that is 148 HP / 252 SpA / 108 SpD; it gives Torkoal enough special bulk to live Tapu Koko's Life Orb Thunderbolt inside of Electric Terrain.

Thanks again for all your work on this! QC 1/2
 
Sorry for the delay!

This looks great. I know I'm the one who told you to write out two seperate sets for Assault Vest and Charcoal, but after talking with the rest of the DOU C&C team, we decided it should just be one set.

Make the main set as follows:

[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Solar Beam / Protect
item: Assault Vest / Charcoal
ability: Drought
nature: Quiet
evs: 144 HP / 252 SpA / 112 SpD
ivs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe

In set details, mention that the given EV spread should be used with Assault Vest. It gives Torkoal enough bulk to live Tapu Koko's Gigavolt Havoc inside of Electric Terrain.

Also mention that if you're using Charcoal, the best spread is for that is 148 HP / 252 SpA / 108 SpD; it gives Torkoal enough special bulk to live Tapu Koko's Life Orb Thunderbolt inside of Electric Terrain.

Thanks again for all your work on this! QC 1/2
Sorry for the delay! Had a really busy week so that's why it took so long.

Either way, implemented everything :)
(just please don't ask me to separate the sets again lol!)
 

talkingtree

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  • [Moves] Remove the mention of Heat Wave, Eruption is the primary reason to use Torkoal and it doesn't seem worth it to lose access to a single-target Fire-type move. I could see Heat Wave being usable on Firium sets, but otherwise you're left walled by Wide Guard Celesteela, which is a bad place to be in.
  • [Set Details] Talk a bit about why you might choose Charcoal - stronger Fire-type moves, ability to use Protect
  • [Team Options] The passive recovery from Bulu also strengthens Eruption
  • [Checks and Counters] **Fire-types**: Mention that they all have to watch out for Earth Power - it does a significant chunk to each of the three
  • [Checks and Counters] Please add Stakataka in under a new heading, **Rock-types**. You can also mention Mega Tyranitar, the only weather setter to win the war against Torkoal due to its dual sand activation (once switching in, once when it megas)
Looks good, take this QC 2/2 and send it off to GP!
 
Last edited:
  • [Moves] Remove the mention of Heat Wave, Eruption is the primary reason to use Torkoal and it doesn't seem worth it to lose access to a single-target Fire-type move. I could see Heat Wave being usable on Firium sets, but otherwise you're left walled by Wide Guard Celesteela, which is a bad place to be in.
  • [Set Details] Talk a bit about why you might choose Charcoal - stronger Fire-type moves, ability to use Protect
  • [Team Options] The passive recovery from Bulu also strengthens Eruption
  • [Checks and Counters] **Fire-types**: Mention that they all have to watch out for Earth Power - it does a significant chunk to each of the three
  • [Checks and Counters] Please add Stakataka in under a new heading, **Rock-types**. You can also mention Mega Tyranitar, the only weather setter to win the war against Torkoal due to its dual sand activation (once switching in, once when it megas)
Looks good, take this QC 2/2 and send it off to GP!
Implemented! I just didn't mention that Tyranitar is the only setter than can beat the war cuz' technically Mega Aboma can do that too.
 

Lumari

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remove
add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]

Torkoal's brand new ability, Drought (RC) gives it Torkoal a niche as a powerful Trick Room abuser attacker along with Eruption's high base power Base Power and spread damage. Its decent bulk also allows it to tank a hit from notable threats such as Landorus-T, Marshadow, and Snorlax (RC) and retaliate with powerful Fire-type moves. The tortoise's low speed not only allows it to move first under Trick Room, which is huge for outspeeding Amoongus Amoonguss since Torkoal is better supported by Grassy Terrain, which doesn't provide a Sleep immunity, (too specific for the overview really) but also has the advantage of guaranteeing it's its weather will be set up last (RC) and thus remaining on the field. However, Torkoal is too dependant dependent on Trick Room and its own weather to work effectively, mandating Trick Room setters as parterns partners and therefore becoming very one-dimensional and predictable. Furthermore, it is very reliant on its own HP staying high to make effective use of Eruption, making it rather weak after it has taken some damage or its weather has been replaced.

[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Solar Beam / Protect
item: Assault Vest / Charcoal
ability: Drought
nature: Quiet
evs: 144 HP / 252 SpA / 112 SpD
ivs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Eruption is a high-Base Power spread move capable of heavily damaging most of the tier, being able to pick off weakened foes under Trick Room such as Tapu Koko, Marshadow, (AC) and Landorus-T. Flamethrower is a more reliable single-target (AH) move that should be used when Torkoal's HP is too low for Eruption to inflict sufficient damage. Similarly, Fire Blast is a slightly stronger alternative but that is not as accurate. Earth Power hits opposing Fire-types such as Heatran and Volcanion, (AC) which would otherwise shrug off Torkoal's hit with ease. Solar Beam is an option to hit Water- and Rock-types such as Tapu Fini, Milotic, and Mega Swampert, as well as Diancie, Tyranitar, (AC) and Terrakion. Protect could be used on non-Assault Vest sets for shielding Torkoal while a teammate retaliates.

Set Details
========

Drought summons Sunny Day, boosting Toarkoal's Torkoal's Fire-type moves and allowing it to use one-turn Solar Beams. Assault Vest along with the EV investment in HP and Special Defense gives Torkoal an overall great mix of mixed defenses while allowing it to tank a Gigavolt Havoc from Tapu Koko under Electric Terrain. On the other hand, Charcoal can be used to give Torkoal some extra power behind it's its moves along with the ability to run Protect. If using Charcoal, an EV spread of 148 HP / 252 SpA / 108 SpD is ideal, (AC) as it allows Torkoal to tank a Life Orb-boosted (AH) Thunderbolt from Tapu Koko under Electric Terrain. The Special Attack investment along with a Quiet Nature nature allows Torkoal to hit as hard as possible still, while a Quiet nature along with 0 Speed IVs are beneficial for Torkoal to outspeed Amoonguss under Trick Room and allow it Torkoal to set its weather last.

Usage Tips
========

Avoid letting Torkoal get worn down easily, as it really appreciates keeping HP for full-powered (AH) Eruptions. Therefore, avoid recklessly switching Torkoal in and wait for the correct opportunity to do so; (SC) most of the time it's ideal to only send Torkoal after one of its teammates gets KO'd KOed. Also, make sure Trick Room is up as well when switching Torkoal in, as Torkoal has little use without it, being outsped and worn down rather quickly. Opposing weather setters are also a pain for Torkoal, removing it's its power boost and possibly locking it into Solar Beam, which gives the opponent countless opportunities to knock it out. Therefore try handling taking care of the likes of Pelipper and Tyranitar before sweeping with Torkoal.

Team Options
========

A Trick Room setter is mandatory for Torkoal to work effectively: Diancie sets up Trick Room, benefits from the weakening of Water-type moves, allowing it to run a Weakness Policy Set more reliably, and deals with Fire- and Dragon-types for Torkoal, (comma) while Victini is another Trick Room setter that appreciates the power boost from Sun. (period) and overall Other Trick Room setters such as Mega Gardevoir, Stakataka, and Hoopa-U are still overall great picks. Tapu Bulu is an amazing partner as well, as it gives Torkoal passive recovery from Grassy Terrain, (AC) which also boosts Torkoal's Eruptions, and allows it to tank Earthquakes a lot better, and as a bonus (RC) lets Torkoal's Solar Beam hits hit a lot harder as well. Not only that, but Furthermore, Tapu Bulu also provides a great matchup against rain and appreciates Torkoal weakening Steel-types, Zapdos, (AC) and Mandibuzz for it.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Firium Z could is an option that allows gives Torkoal a one-time single-target (AH) nuke, which can be helpful for taking down threats that can tank Eruption such as Hoopa-U, Mega Venusaur, (AC) and Mega Gardevoir. (period) Heat Wave is also another option which that pairs better with Firium Z set, as missing out on hitting Wide Guard Celesteela is never a good thing for a Fire-type. Hidden Power Ice could be used for hitting Mega Salamence, (AC) which shrugs off any damage Torkoal can do to it, while also hitting Landorus-T more reliably. A Wiki Berry or Sitrus Berry could be used as well to allow Torkoal to remain healthier throughout a match and possibly allow for provide stronger Eruptions even after it has taken damage, but it is still rather suboptimal, (AC) since Torkoal will rarely recover enough to make Eruption worthwile. Finally, Torkoal could run a bulkier EV spread to better handle physical attackers, (AC) but the loss in power and the HP Torkoal loses when tanking a hit makes make its Eruptions notably weaker.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dragon-types**: Pokemon such as Mega Salamence, Zygarde, and Kingdra can tank a hit from Torkoal and OHKO or 2HKO it with relative ease, though (RC) the first two do have to be careful about Hidden Power Ice.

**Fire-types**: Heatran, Volcanion, and Mega Camerupt (RC) take little damage from Torkoal's moves as well and can 2HKO the tortoise effortlessly. However, they must still watch out for Earth Power, (AC) which does a notable chuck of damage to all three.

**Rock-types**: Stakataka can revenge kill Torkoal with a Rock-type move under Trick Room and claim a boost from Beast Boost, b(AC) making it a big threat for Torkoal. Mega Tyranitar is also troublesome due to it's its ability to win the weather war and make Torkoal's Solar Beam useless; (SC) it also shrugs off any damage from Torkoal, (AC) as Earth Power fails to even 3HKO it.

**Faster Attackers**: Without Trick Room, Torkoal is outspeed by pretty much the entire metagame, making it vulnerable to threats such as Diancie, Tyranitar, and Zygarde.

**Opposing Weather**: Pelipper can switch into Torkoal with little to no drawback and OHKO Torkoal it with a rain-boosted (AH) Scald; (SC) Tyranitar is also a safe switch-in, (AH, AC) taking little from Earth Power and threatening Torkoal with Rock Slide.
 
Last edited:

autumn

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C&C Leader

GP 2/2
add remove comments

[OVERVIEW]

Drought gives Torkoal a niche as a powerful Trick Room attacker along with Eruption's high Base Power and spread damage. Its decent bulk also allows it to tank a hit from notable threats such as Landorus-T, Marshadow, and Snorlax and retaliate with powerful Fire-type moves. The tortoise's Torkoal's low Speed not only allows it to move first under Trick Room, which is huge for outspeeding Amoonguss, but also has the advantage of guaranteeing its weather will be set up last and thus remain on the field. However, Torkoal is too dependent on Trick Room and its own weather to work effectively, mandating Trick Room setters as partners and therefore becoming very one-dimensional and predictable. Furthermore, it is very reliant on its HP staying high to make effective use of Eruption, making it rather weak after it has taken some damage or its weather has been replaced.

[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Eruption
move 2: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Solar Beam / Protect
item: Assault Vest / Charcoal
ability: Drought
nature: Quiet
evs: 144 HP / 252 SpA / 112 SpD
ivs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Eruption is a high-Base Power spread STAB move capable of heavily damaging most of the tier, being able to pick off weakened foes under Trick Room such as Tapu Koko, Marshadow, and Landorus-T. Flamethrower is a more reliable single-target move that should be used when Torkoal's HP is too low for Eruption to inflict sufficient damage. Fire Blast is a slightly stronger alternative that is not as accurate. Earth Power hits opposing Fire-types such as Heatran and Volcanion, which would otherwise shrug off Torkoal's hits with ease. Solar Beam is an option to hit Water- and Rock-types such as Tapu Fini, Milotic, Mega Swampert, Diancie, Tyranitar, and Terrakion. Protect could be used on non-Assault Vest sets for shielding Torkoal while a teammate retaliates.

Set Details
========

Drought summons Sunny Day sun, boosting Torkoal's Fire-type moves and allowing it to use one-turn Solar Beams. Assault Vest along with the EV investment in HP and Special Defense gives Torkoal overall great mixed defenses while allowing it to tank a Gigavolt Havoc from Tapu Koko under Electric Terrain. On the other hand, Charcoal can be used to give Torkoal some extra power behind its moves along with the ability to run Protect. If using Charcoal, an EV spread of 148 HP / 252 SpA / 108 SpD is ideal, as it allows Torkoal to tank a Life Orb-boosted Thunderbolt from Tapu Koko under Electric Terrain. The Special Attack investment along with a Quiet nature allows Torkoal to hit as hard as possible, while 0 Speed IVs are beneficial to outspeed Amoonguss under Trick Room and allow Torkoal to set its weather last.

Usage Tips
========

Avoid letting Torkoal get worn down easily, as it really appreciates keeping its HP for full-powered Eruptions. Therefore, avoid recklessly switching Torkoal in and wait for the correct opportunity to do so; most of the time it's ideal to only send Torkoal in after one of its teammates gets KOed. Also, make sure Trick Room is up as well when switching Torkoal in, as Torkoal has little use without it, being outsped and worn down rather quickly. Opposing weather setters are also a pain for Torkoal, removing its power boost and possibly locking it into Solar Beam, which gives the opponent countless opportunities to knock it out. Therefore, (AC) try taking care of the likes of Pelipper and Tyranitar before sweeping with Torkoal.

Team Options
========

A Trick Room setter is mandatory for Torkoal to work effectively: Diancie benefits from the weakening of Water-type moves, allowing it to run a Weakness Policy set more reliably, and deals with Fire- and Dragon-types for Torkoal, while Victini appreciates the power boost from sun. Other Trick Room setters such as Mega Gardevoir, Stakataka, and Hoopa-U are still overall great picks. Tapu Bulu is an amazing partner as well, as it gives Torkoal passive recovery from Grassy Terrain, which also boosts Torkoal's Eruptions, allows it to tank Earthquakes a lot better, and as a bonus lets Torkoal's Solar Beam hit a lot harder. Furthermore, Tapu Bulu also provides a great matchup against rain and appreciates Torkoal weakening Steel-types, Zapdos, (AC) (keep comma but delete ac comment) and Mandibuzz for it.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Firium Z is an option that gives Torkoal a one-time single-target nuke powerful STAB attack, which can be helpful for taking down threats that can tank Eruption such as Hoopa-U, Mega Venusaur, and Mega Gardevoir. Heat Wave is another option that pairs better with a Firium Z set, as missing out on hitting Wide Guard Celesteela is never a good thing for a Fire-type. Hidden Power Ice could be used for hitting Mega Salamence, which shrugs off any damage Torkoal can do to it, while also hitting Landorus-T more reliably. A Wiki Berry or Sitrus Berry could be used as well to allow Torkoal to remain healthier throughout a match and possibly provide stronger Eruptions even after it has taken damage, but it is still rather suboptimal, since Torkoal will rarely recover enough to make Eruption worthwile. Finally, Torkoal could run a bulkier EV spread to better handle physical attackers, but the loss in power and the HP Torkoal loses when tanking a hit make its Eruptions notably weaker.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dragon-types**: Pokemon such as Mega Salamence, Zygarde, and Kingdra can tank a hit from Torkoal and OHKO or 2HKO it with relative ease, though the first two do have to be careful about Hidden Power Ice.

**Fire-types**: Heatran, Volcanion, and Mega Camerupt take little damage from Torkoal's moves and can 2HKO the tortoise it effortlessly. However, they must still watch out for Earth Power, which does a notable chuck chunk of damage to all three.

**Rock-types**: Stakataka can revenge kill Torkoal with a Rock-type move under Trick Room and claim a boost from Beast Boost, making it a big threat for Torkoal. Mega Tyranitar is also troublesome due to its ability to win the weather war and make Torkoal's Solar Beam useless; it also shrugs off any damage from Torkoal, as Earth Power fails to even 3HKO it.

**Faster Attackers**: Without Trick Room, Torkoal is outspeed by pretty much the entire metagame, making it vulnerable to threats such as Diancie, Tyranitar, and Zygarde.

**Opposing Weather**: Pelipper can switch into Torkoal with little to no drawback and OHKO it with a rain-boosted Scald; Tyranitar is also a safe switch-in, taking little from Earth Power and threatening Torkoal with Rock Slide.
 

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