Community POTW #010

[Kraleck]

Someone seems to forget Steel lost some resistances this gen. Dark/Poison/Fairy is a perfect neutral coverage over all mono types, because Dark moves hit Steel for neutral damage.

In other news, whenever I try to write something more in this thread, it keeps telling me I can't post, apparently because of "forbidden words" or something. I have no idea why though, I'm not swearing, I can't even find any words that could be mistaken for offensive…

Huh...can't believe I missed that. I thought it was just Ghost that Steel became neutral to between Ghost & Dark. Should've realized, but I've been mostly ignoring Knock Off's effectiveness against the Doublade I trained for storyline purposes.

Skuntank will never carry Dig, ever. It's far too risky, and underpowered too.

Exactly the point I was making. Dig is too unreliable for any offense, especially when you're already weak to Earthquake, and Special-based Moves are unreliable due to that middling Sp.Atk Skuntank has and the 85% Accuracy of Fire Blast in exchange for higher Power. Steel will be a major problem for Skuntank, so it's better to switch.

 

[CaptainSteve]

Exactly the point I was making. Dig is too unreliable for any offense, especially when you're already weak to Earthquake, and Special-based Moves are unreliable due to that middling Sp.Atk Skuntank has and the 85% Accuracy of Fire Blast in exchange for higher Power. Steel will be a major problem for Skuntank, so it's better to switch.

Skuntank's only real counter to Steel would be Dark-type moves, and even then. I agree, switching is always much better, especially as Steel-types often carry Earthquake.

 

[CaptainSteve]

Other Options:
Sunny Day + Flamethrower/Fire Blast, Rain Dance + Damp Rock, Return, Shadow Claw, Payback + Brave nature + 0IV Spd, Haze, Defog, Pursuit, Sucker Punch
If you're really worried about the likes of Ferrothorn and Forretress coming in and walling you, you can opt for Sunny Day and Flamethrower or Fire Blast to hit them for supereffective damage.
Rain Dance could be useful on a Rain Team with a Damp Rock to keep the Rain up for 8 turns, whilst using Memento for an easy suicide switch.
Return can be useful if you're worried about anything that isn't Steel, Rock or Ghost switching in on you and you can't hit them for at least 1x damage with anything else.
Shadow Claw just for those annoying Gengars who wall your Poison Jab, but you should be using Crunch there.
Payback with the Brave Nature means that you can hit a lot of things hard...er than if you were using Crunch or Sucker Punch, but this is situational.
Haze and Defog are now legitimate together, which means that behind a sub, you could make yourself a nuisance, but once again, you've not got enough speed to utilise it properly
Pursuit requires too much prediction, and it's half as strong as your other options.
Sucker Punch could be good, and Skuntank's attack doesn't stop it hurting something, but other users do it better.

Double and Triples Options:
Nothing different from Singles, and if anything, it's worse in Doubles/Triples

Counters:
Are you a Steel Type? Do you have Earthquake? Do you hit harder than a snail? Truth be told, it's not phenomenally difficult to counter Skuntank, but because it can run so many different sets, including the odd Sunny Day + FT/FB set, it's often a good idea to be wary. Ferrothorn and Forretress will gladly eat up Skuntank's moves, and even in the Sun, Mega Scizor survives a Flamethrower with no Sp.Atk investment and does 57% with U-turn, and considering that the Flamethrower set will barely exist, it's not worth worrying too much about. Equally, if you have base 85 Speed or above, you'll outspeed an Adamant or Brave Skuntank with no Speed investment, and if you can hit it for neutral (and everything hits it), then you can do some pain. Heck, even Mega Ampharos does 78.5% damage with Dragon Pulse. Skuntank isn't hard to counter, but he isn't easy either, with his movepool.

 

[Jon-jonz]

You Guys are very pessimistic about the special side of Skuntank.

Fire Blast does some nice Damage against steels and other counters,with no investment if you have given it a life orb.
As long as you dont run a hindering nature.

All Calcs with
252 in HP and Atk on the Skuntank and a Naughty Nature.

0 SpA Life Orb Skuntank Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Skarmory: 208-247 (62.2 - 73.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Life Orb Skuntank Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Ferrothorn: 276-328 (78.4 - 93.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Life Orb Skuntank Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Gourgeist-Super: 198-234 (52.9 - 62.5%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Life Orb Skuntank Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Steelix: 161-190 (45.4 - 53.6%) -- 1.2% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Life Orb Skuntank Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Avalugg: 286-338 (72.5 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 SpA Life Orb Skuntank Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Klefki: 177-208 (55.6 - 65.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery ( much less under lightscreen)



-If it decides to SD up on you, you can KO it with a fire blast because +2 Sucker punch does %60

0 SpA Life Orb Skuntank Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mawile: 250-294 (82.2 - 96.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 SpA Life Orb Skuntank Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Mawile: 161-192 (52.9 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO


0 SpA Life Orb Skuntank Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Lucario: 205-244 (72.9 - 86.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Fails to KO you with CC + BP (Although Life orb recoil does get you)

Although Mega Lucario 1hkos. (why this would be in the same battle as that I would never know.)




So its not a complete write off. Could be useful considering. I wouldnt be using it in OU anyway but I think that fireblast is definatly useful with its other main moves hitting for alot less than a 2hko.


TD:LR
Lets you 2hko steel types you otherwise cant scratch even with neutral stab and investment.

 

[CaptainSteve]

(Your general post, too long to quote)

I didn't write it off, as I put it in the Other Options section, but it's not really worth it, when it has other moves it can use. Flamethrower over Fire Blast every day as well.

 

[Kraleck]

You Guys are very pessimistic about the special side of Skuntank.

Fire Blast does some nice Damage against steels and other counters,with no investment if you have given it a life orb.

Lets you 2hko steel types you otherwise cant scratch even with neutral stab and investment.

It's not so much the Special I have issue with when it comes to Fire Blast. It's the Accuracy and Skuntank's ability to get the second shot in without being KO'd first. Those are great calculations, but what about the damage some of them can deal back? Skuntank's ability to 2KO some Steel Types is admirable, but remember that Steelix has STAB Earthquake and a Type Advantage, Lucario has access to Earthquake and the lesser-used Bone Rush, and Avalugg has raw power and, also, has Earthquake as an option.

 

[sbktdreed]

Stench w/ King's Rock/Scope Lens
Hasty/Naïve w/ 168 Attack, 168 Sp Attack, 174 Speed
Poison Jab
Night Slash
Flamethrower
Hone Claws


Countering
Pokémon with High Defense and Ground-type moves like Hydreigon, Tyranitar, Swampert, Guts Machamp, Dragonite, or Druggigon.

 

[CaptainSteve]

Stench w/ King's Rock/Scope Lens
Hasty/Naïve w/ 168 Attack, 168 Sp Attack, 174 Speed
Poison Jab
Night Slash
Flamethrower
Hone Claws


Countering
Pokémon with High Defense and Ground-type moves like Hydreigon, Tyranitar, Swampert, Guts Machamp, Dragonite, or Druggigon.

King's Rock is a dirty strategy, and you haven't got nearly enough speed to make it worthwhile. All of those Pokemon have the potential to wreck you, but you should be outspeeding Swampert and maybe Mega TTar