Community POTW #009

[Serebii]

Time for the next Pokémon and this week we go to Alola for another Pokémon that skipped Gen 8

It's Komala!

Komala #775 - Serebii.net Pokédex

Komala Pokémon Serebii.net Pokédex providing all details on moves, stats, abilities, evolution data and locations for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet

www.serebii.net

 

[XaelOstigian]

Komala's unique ability is pretty cool being immune to other status afflictions since it is already technically asleep, and I once had a teacher whose name was almost identical to Komala. And...that's about all the good things I can say about Komala. It has great physical attack and decent special defense but the rest of it's stats are rather below average, pure Normal typing isn't that good especially since the loss of Return, and outside of Comatose it lacks that something special to make it stand out from other choices. Honestly it says it all that Hau replaced his Komala with a Tauros in between Sun/Moon and Ultra Sun/Moon.

Sleep Sweeper
Ability: Comatose
Item: Life Orb
Nature: Jolly
EVs: (HP 4) (Attack 252) (Speed 252)
Tera Type: Normal or Ghost

Moves:
Swords Dance
Body Slam
Earthquake
Sucker Punch

Set Details:
A makeshift set up sweeper set. Swords Dance jacks up your power, Body Slam is your best substitute for Return and offers a handy 30% paralysis chance which is useful with Komala's middling speed, Earthquake grants coverage against Rock and Steel types that block your STAB, and Sucker Punch is your answer to Ghost types immune to your STAB plus a means to pick off weakened opponents thanks to the priority. Life Orb boosts offensive output, all stats are invested in attack but mostly speed to give Komala as much a jump as possible to shore up its base 65 speed, and Tera typing goes to either Normal to boost Body Slam further or Ghost to save your hide from an anticipated Fighting type attack.

Normally each week I try to say not to sleep on this POTW, but in this case you may be better off just sleeping in on Komala...
much as I should have done now instead of waking up early to make this post. In fact...(Goes back to sleep)
ZZZZZZzzz

 

[Divine Retribution]

I honestly can't remember a single time that I encountered this thing in a competitive setting, let alone one where it actually did anything notable. That's probably not good.

 

[Aduro]

I honestly can't remember a single time that I encountered this thing in a competitive setting, let alone one where it actually did anything notable. That's probably not good.

It had a niche in STABmons because it could use sleep talk with a choice scarf to whirlwind at +0 priority. Then it got banned.

With the decline of scald, Komala is probably less viable than ever. I guess it has rapid spin, wish and U-turn. But it doesn't really have the bulk to take advantage of those moves.

 

[TeamDarkSlide]

For my set i attempted to use the move Psych up and a trick room core to boost komala up enough to murder anyone. The format I chose was Series 2 VGC because its what I've been playing recently and has a great trick room meta.

Komala set
Komala @ Life Orb
Ability: Comatose
Level: 50
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Psych Up
- Sucker Punch
- Rock Slide
- Body Slam

basically keep him in the back until it's the "right time" sadly the most you can do with this dood

Oranguru @ Focus Sash
Ability: Symbiosis
Level: 50
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 HP / 84 Def / 68 SpA / 100 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Chilling Water
- Taunt
- Trick Room
- Hyper Voice

Indeedee (M) @ Psychic Seed
Ability: Psychic Surge
Level: 50
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dazzling Gleam
- Protect
- Shadow Ball
- Trick Room

This is my main lead the trick room core. You bring both of these first turn and indeedee will get a +.5 in Sp. def and the focus sash to protect from Annihilape. Oranguru should set up TR and while indeedee can either attack or protect. Depending on what you have in the back, you can chilling water your own Armarouge to activate Weakness Policy if your opponent seems like hell switch or protect, You could also double down and spam attacks and switch in a sweeper

Sylveon @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Pixilate
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Calm Mind
- Hyper Voice
- Quick Attack
- Tera Blast

Crabominable @ Choice Band
Ability: Iron Fist
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch
- Drain Punch
- Rock Slide

Armarouge @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Weak Armor
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 156 HP / 28 Def / 252 SpA / 68 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Armor Cannon
- Expanding Force
- Trick Room
- Wide Guard

These are the sweepers, the Armarouge is what you want to psych up after poping the weakness policy, so the optimal pokemon to bring is Oranguru + Indeedee w/ Armarouge and Komala. The other 2 pokemon are slow sweepers to help this team with it's typing weaknesses.

 

[Mestorn]

Komala is another Gimmick Pokémon whose primary benefit of the Gimmick (Status Immunity) is outdone by others. Garganacl's Purifying Salt outright blows Komala's Comatose out of the water. So that leaves Komala with a small niche as the best Sleep Talk Abuser in the game. From randomized Normalium Z Sleep Talk, to Choice Band Last Resort Sleep Talk, to Sleep Talk Whirlwind strats, if there's a Sleep Talk strategy, Komala can most likely abuse it.

However, without Return and Last Resort, Komala, like most normal types is in dire need of a good STAB especially considering how milequetost Normal is offensively to begin with.

Sleeping Power
Komala
Ability: Comatose
Item: Choice Band
-Sleep Talk
-Body Slam
-Earthquake
-Play Rough
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly (+Speed, -SAtk)
Tera Type: Normal/Fairy

While not as potent as Choice Band Last Resort, Komala being able to use Sleep Talk with a Choice Band makes it a very unpredictable attacker that isn't simply forced out because a pivot switched into its Choiced move. However, that's where the good ends on this gimmick. Sleep Talk is incredibly unreliable, leaving Komala from reliably beating opponents even if it has the correct coverage. Body Slam is the most reliable Normal STAB, and the paralysis rider is nice. Earthquake and Play Rough form the fabled Fairy Ground combination, providing near unresisted coverage.

Tera Normal to make Body Slam painful and Tera Fairy for protection vs Fighting and a boost to Play Rough.