Community POTW #023

[Serebii]

Time for the next Pokémon and we have an unusual but usable Pokémon

It's Masquerain! The Intimidating bug

http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-sm/284.shtml

 

[Archstaraptor]

Masquerain has access to a large range of moves to cover various types, that aren't typical of a bug/flying type.

Its movepool includes:
-Access to water moves such as scald and hydro pump deters all but bulky fire,rock and ground types looking to land a super-effective hit. Scald burns are devastating for any physical attacker.
-It has access to energy ball (and giga drain through ORAS move tutors) to threaten water types, in addition to rock and ground types once more.
- Sticky webs is an amazing entry hazard which lowers the speed of the entirety of the grounded team.
- Although a physical move, Lunge and its ability to lower to attack all the time combos with intimidate well,and pressures physical attackers to switch,particularly when running roost as well ( note that rock moves will deal 50% damage on roost turns when the user is slower than masquerain.
-Stunspore is nice for things that don't care about burns.
-Mudshot always drops speed. Slap groundium onto masquerain and you have a quickfire way of dispatching of heatran,a common stealth rock user and switchin.
- Quiver dance can more feasibly set Masquerain up to sweep weakened teams, due to its gen 7 stat buffs (see below)

Concerning its stats,they have been improved in the most recent games:
-It now has a new base speed of base 80,and not 60.In higher metas, this allows it to outspeed and threaten OHKO on a max speed adamant landorus. As both mons have intimidate(Masquerain's unnerve also works), you can also safely scout the landorus' speed through the order the ability activates.
-A base 100 special attack stat as opposed to 80. With webs up, and its coverage all considered, it now has the ability to threaten a KO on a lot of things.
-70 / 62 / 82 bulk isn't great, but you can take a few hits factoring in resistances and intimidate. It only has 3 resistances and 1 immunity, but two of its resisted hits only deal 25%,and its immunity is to ground type attacks,great with earthquake being common coverage(beware of potential rock coverage alongside ground though).

I personally feel Masquerain should always be running max speed timid, then enough power to threaten stealth rock setters second.Stealth rocks particularly hurt Masquerain,but it's fortunate to have stickywebs and such a great arsenal of moves to help prevent them ever going up.
I doesn't like steels or fairies in general before a QD, particularly the four landspirits which are everywhere these days,so teammates are needed to help cover them.

 

[Sceptile Leaf Blade]

I think it works best as a Baton Passer, something like this:

Masquerain @ Salac Berry / Focus Sash / Z-crystal
Ability: Intimidate
Timid nature
252 Speed, 252 HP, 4 Sp.Atk
-Quiver Dance
-Baton Pass
-Bug Buzz
-Scald

It has better bulk than Venomoth and Ribombee at the role of Quiver Dance passing, especially considering Intimidate, although it's the slowest of the three. There are still plenty of pokémon that love to be passed Quiver Dance, like Hydreigon and Latios. You could replace one of the offensive moves with Substitute to get more control over your HP stat, especially useful if you're using a pinch berry. And Substitute is another thing you could pass.

 

[Black Murder Heavangelon]

I have an old Masquerain set from 6th Gen that, with a bit of tweaking, could still be useful today.

Masquerain@Leftovers
Bold Nature
IV's: 0 Atk/0 Sp.Atk
Intimidate
252 HP/252 Def/4 Sp.Atk
-Power Split
-Sticky Web
-U-turn
-Roost

With Intimidate as it's ability and Power Split, it can severely neuter physical attackers. To put it into perspective, after a Power Split, Mega Mawile cannot 2HKO Masquerain with Play Rough. Yeah, Stealth Rocks is rough, but I usually led with Masquerain anyway. Sticky Web puts the hazard down, and U-turn for dealing with switches. Plus, if you Power Split something, the U-turn will actually hurt. Roost is to let you heal off damage after tanking a hit after Power Split.

-
Things have changed for Masquerain. With improved base Special Attack and Speed, Masquerain can do a bit more with this set. Lunge becomes a more annoying means of dropping attack and can help it survive hits it couldn't have lived after Power Split (maybe enough to even replace the move).

Lunge and more base Sp.Atk and Speed are about all it gets this gen (excluding Z-Moves) but the new numbers means Masquerains old sets and set concepts are a little more threatening. Perhaps they are worth a look?

 

[Aduro]

I really enjoy using this thing in ORAS. But I haven't really tried it in Gen VII. That being said, it could be surprisingly effective at stalling things out (its a paraflincher with intimidate after all). It tends to do really well in making win conditions with Pinsir in NU and Flareon and Kingler in PU, basically any low tier bulky physical attackers with speed problems.


Masquerain @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- U-turn
- Haze
- Sticky Web
- Stun Spore

Air Slash is for flinch stall (Masque also pairs well with Rotoms with will-o-wisp).
Webs are the main reason to use it in the first place.
Haze stops stuff like Raichu setting up against it.
Stun spore deals with incoming physical attackers.

 

[Mestorn]

Outmaneuvering Masquerain

Masquerain is one of the few pokémon that got a significant boost to its stats this generation, to the point of completely changing its viability (maybe to justify Guzma having one?). Its newly buffed stats plus its large movepool thanks to its time as a Surskit makes Masquerain one of the more threatening possessors of the Bug-Flying type... One of the worse types in the game. Weaknesses to common offensive types in Ice, Fire and Electric and a quad weakness to Rock moves (and thus Stealth Rocks) means that most teams have the means of dealing with Masquerain.

Sponges are the best way of ignoring any offensive capabilities that Masquerain, as while Base 100 SATK is certainly viable (especially after a few Quiver Dances), it is still low enough that dedicated sponges can give Masquerain trouble... Shame that most sponges in its tier are Psychic types. Articuno and Regice stop Masquerain cold, walling out any offense it can muster on defensive sets or getting 3HKOd by Air Slash after setup on Masquerain's part and maiming if not OHKOing with STAB Ice moves. Muk is equally effective, comfortably tanking all of Masquerain's moves and reliably KOing it back (though it can get into a losing war of Attrition if Muk is using a defensive set going up against a Roost set). Dusknoir, while just missing out on the OHKO on Choice Band sets with Ice Punch (72-90%) can comfortably take a +1 Air Slash (Guaranted 3HKO) or can cripple Masquerain with Trick. Cryogonal can take on Masquerain comfortably... provided Masquerain hasn't thrown up a Quiver Dance. Before a Quiver Dance, Cryogonal easily outspeeds and can 1-2HKO with its Ice STAB moves. After a Quiver Dance, Cryogonal is outsped and can be 2HKOd with Bug Buzz. Probopass does well against any Masquerain not packing Hydro Pump, though any set using it will tear holes into Probopass.

Stopping a support set is a bit trickier, as emphasis is more on taking out Masquerain as fast as possible. Sticky Web users detest many flying types. While Masquerain can run Ice Beam, many natively outspeed Masquerain, are not affected by Sticky Web carry Flying STAB and can remove Sticky Web with Defog. Raichu, and Zebstrika are also both good examples, natively outspeeding and 1-2HKOing (depending on how defensive the Masquerain is). Taunt, as always is a good option to stop any shenanigans.

 

[Aduro]

Stopping a support set is a bit trickier, as emphasis is more on taking out Masquerain as fast as possible. Sticky Web users detest many flying types. While Masquerain can run Ice Beam, many natively outspeed Masquerain, are not affected by Sticky Web carry Flying STAB and can remove Sticky Web with Defog. Raichu, and Zebstrika are also both good examples, natively outspeeding and 1-2HKOing (depending on how defensive the Masquerain is). Taunt, as always is a good option to stop any shenanigans.

Sticky Webs and ice beam are generally an either/or thing. If Masquerain is already running ice beam its probably already quiver dance and a either two STAB moves or a STAB and roost. If you're running a webs set you'll probably have 4 moveslot syndrome and be running U-Turn or air slash as your only attacking move to make room for two more status moves.

 

[hidood5th]

Masquerain, 4-generation holder of the Most Disappointing Evolution award. This poor man's Butterfree had been stuck without any bit of viability since RSE due to a poor offensive typing, pathetic stats, and just generally being outclassed by most existing Bug types. However, the transition to Sun and Moon gave Masquerain some much-needed buffs, and now it may finally be able to cement its place as an at least decent setup sweeper. Base 100 Special attack and 80 Speed may be unimpressive, but being backed up by a solid offensive movepool, access to Quiver Dance, and a powerful ability in Intimidate may be just what Masquerain needs to have a chance in the spotlight.