Toxicroak [QC: 1/3]

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ManOfMany

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[OVERVIEW]
  • Toxicroak is a strong fighting-type attacker, and is somewhat difficult to switch in with its great Fighting + Poison STABs
  • Dry Skin makes it a check or counter to most water-types
  • also has useful resistances to Fighting, Grass, and Poison, although low bulk somewhat offsets this
  • The tier has a large amount of common fighting-resists, such as Doublade, Gligar, and Slowbro that can generally check Toxicroak depending on the coverage it runs. This makes it tough to sweep vs balance.
  • Is frail and easy to OHKO with faster pokemon.
  • Faces competition with Heracross, who hits much harder with its access to Close Combat, but Dry Skin and poison-typing allow it to have a niche.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Gunk Shot
move 4: Ice Punch / Knock Off / Sucker Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Dry Skin
nature: Adamant / Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Gunk Shot is Toxicroak's strongest poison-type STAB, and serves as by far its most powerful attack as well as letting it break fairy-types.
  • Drain Punch is the recommended fighting-type STAB because of its consistency and ability to recover health.
  • Swords Dance boosts Toxicroak's attack and allows it to break bulky pokemon it would be otherwise be unable to.
  • Knock Off hits Doublade and other ghost-types, cripples Gligar and hits Psychic-types
  • Ice Punch is useful for hitting Gligar, who otherwise counters Toxicroak, as well as doing heavy damage to Nidoqueen and scoring a OHKO on Flygon.
  • Earthquake hits Doublade, Nidoqueen, and Dragalge at the same time, although it lacks the utility of Knock Off.
  • Sucker Punch can be used as a way of threatening faster pokemon and pulling off sweeps, but it does sacrifice important coverage.
  • Although it is generally not recommended, you can drop Gunk Shot to have both fighting and ice-type coverage in order to increase pressure on balanced cores without fairy-types.
Set Details
========
  • Maximum attack and speed are used to make Toxicroak as powerful as possible, as it
  • Adamant is used for power, and allows Toxicroak to have a better match-up vs. bulky psychic-types like Reuniclus.
  • Jolly is an option to speed tie with Kommo-o, outspeed Gardevoir, and Adamant Heracross.
  • Poisinium Z is a decent alternative to Life Orb. It gives Toxicroak a one-time nuke that can break even the bulkiest of pokemon at +2 such as Cresselia and Slowbro, but comes at the cost of a Z-move and makes Drain Punch much weaker.
  • A bulkier spread of 252 hp / 72 atk / 184 spe with an Adamant nature and Black Sludge can be used to take advantage of Toxicroak's good defensive typing while still outspeeding Nidoqueen.
Usage Tips
========
  • Toxicroak should pivot into bulky water-type pokemon such as Milotic and Mantine without Air Slash.
  • Toxicroak can also be sent out to scare out Fairy-types like Florges and pokemon whose STABs it resists like Scarf Heracross, but should generally avoid switching into attacks.
  • Once in play, Toxicroak's primary objective should be to break through as many bulky pokemon as possible before dying.
  • Prediction is key to make the most of Toxicroak's abilities, even more than most wallbreakers. For example, using Knock Off on the switch to Gligar or Doublade, or Swords Dance on the switch to Slowbro will help it do its job.
  • If using the Swords Dance + Sucker Punch set, Toxicroak can preserve itself until lategame until it has an opportunity to sweep.
Team Options
========
  • Pokemon who struggle with bulky-water type pokemon, such as Feraligatr and Flygon, are fantastic partners since Toxicroak can switch into Scald and other moves.
  • Fast, frail threats like Swellow and Aerodactyl appreciate Toxicroak's ability to break through tanks and walls for them, so that they can clean up late game.
  • Although Toxicroak isn't a great fairy-type check, it can still threaten them out with Gunk Shot, so pokemon like Zoroark and Sharpedo who appreciate applying pressure on fairy-types make decent teammates.
  • Zoroark is an exceptional partner, not only for the aforementioned reason, but because it can lure some of Toxicroak's greatest checks like Doublade an Slowbro with Illusion.
  • Ground-type switch-ins are a necessity when using Toxicroak. Shaymin, Mantine, and Whimsicott are examples of partners who can take on ground-type attacks for Toxicroak.
  • Psychic-type checks are another necessity of while using Toxicroak, so pokemon like Doublade, Escavelier, and Umbreon are strong options.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • Darkinium Z is a decent option paired with Sucker Punch to give Toxicroak a 140 BP option against Doublade and other ghost and psychic types, but you severely miss out on power from the main STAB moves.
  • Nasty Plot sets with Dark Pulse are decent for luring pokemon like Slowbro and Doublade, but they do not hit very hard and Toxicroak can already somewhat get around these pokemon with a physical set.
  • Subsitute + Focus Punch is an option to take advantage of the switches Toxicroak forces, but does sacrifice very important coverage.
  • Taunt can be used to break through Pyukumuku, and it also prevents recovery on pokemon like Cresselia or Jellicent if played carefully.
  • Bulk Up can be used over Swords Dance, but it still remains relatively frail, and in most situations, Toxicroak's appreciates the power more.
  • Low Kick is an option over Drain Punch to hit heavy pokemon like Gigalith and Snorlax much harder, but Toxicroak usually appreciates the recovery more.
  • Lum Berry is an option for taking Will-o-wisp from Sableye and a few other pokemon, but this is rare and usually not worth the drop in power.

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

**Ground-types**: Gligar walls Toxicroak without Ice Punch, although it dislikes Knock Off, and Nidoqueen serves as a check to any Toxicroak set without Earthquake. Flygon can revenge kill Toxicroak easily and even switch in if necessary, and Donphan is not 2HKO'd by any move.

**Bulky Psychic-types**: Slowbro and Cresselia are decent counters to Toxicroak, being able to take any move at +2 and OHKO with Psychic. Reuniclus can also counter Jolly versions of Toxicroak.

**Ghost-types**: Doublade walls Toxicroak if not carrying Knock Off, and even Knock Off will fail to 2HKO Doublade. Sableye resists all of Toxicroak's STABs and can easily cripple it with priority Will-o-Wisp. Jellicent can do the same to any Toxicroak without Knock Off.

**Faster Pokemon**: Toxicroak is frail, and therefore most pokemon that outspeed it can beat it. Pokemon such as Salazzle, Swellow, Shaymin, and Flygon can all outspeed and OHKO Toxicroak, but they might have to be wary of Sucker Punch at lower health.
 
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