teachable
Banned deucer.
[OVERVIEW]
Slurpuff is a unique and incredibly threatening sweeper in the RU tier due to its access to both Unburden and Belly Drum, which can maximize its Attack and double its Speed in one turn. Thanks to its Fairy typing and decent bulk, Slurpuff is able to set up in front of any Choice-locked Dragon- or Fighting-type Pokemon like Flygon and Bewear. Unfortunately, popular Steel-types in the tier such as Mega Steelix and Bronzong can thwart a potential Slurpuff sweep if they are kept relatively healthy; Doublade specifically is able to leave Slurpuff completely helpless in front of it. Furthermore, Slurpuff's sweep can similarly be cut short by status ailments and priority moves such as Machamp and Pangoro's Bullet Punch and as such faces competition from Linoone, whose Belly Drum and Extreme Speed combination makes it far harder to revenge kill. Unburden only activating once means Slurpuff is only granted one setup opportunity; it is typically useless in a match until you are able to find a time to set up safely.
[SET]
name: Belly Drum Sweeper
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Play Rough
move 3: Return
move 4: Drain Punch
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Unburden
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Belly Drum allows Slurpuff to maximize its Attack and threaten to sweep at the cost of half of its HP. Play Rough is Slurpuff's strongest STAB option, letting it OHKO bulkier healthy Pokemon at +6 such as Milotic and Chesnaught. Return is a coverage move capable of OHKOing Poison-types like Nidoqueen, Toxicroak, and Roserade. Drain Punch nails Steel-types like Registeel, Mega Steelix, and Escavalier, which resist Slurpuff's Fairy- and Normal-type moves, while also restoring its HP to make it more difficult to revenge kill. Aromatherapy is an option over Return, curing Slurpuff of status conditions from defensive Pokemon such as Registeel and Cresselia and turning them into free setup opportunities.
Set Details
========
The given EV spread maximizes Slurpuff's offensive capabilities while making it as fast as possible to increase the chances of a successful sweep. Unburden doubles Slurpuff's Speed upon consuming its item, boosting its Attack and Speed in one turn after using Belly Drum. Sitrus Berry consistently activates Unburden, as Belly Drum will bring its HP low enough for it to be consumed. A Jolly nature makes Slurpuff faster than Choice Scarf Flygon, Chlorophyll Venusaur under sun, and +2 Naive Cloyster after an Unburden boost.
Usage Tips
========
Ideally, save Slurpuff for late-game, as it only has one chance to activate Unburden to sweep. Additionally, Slurpuff wants its checks and counters, such as Doublade, Escavalier, Mega Steelix, and Bronzong, weakened or eliminated to increase the likelihood of a sweep. However, Slurpuff can also set up earlier in the game to weaken opposing bulky Pokemon like Escavalier and Bronzong to clear a path for its teammates such as Flygon, Swellow, and Aerodactyl to sweep. Slurpuff can take advantage of Dragon-type Pokemon such as Flygon and Zygarde-10% that are locked into Outrage and use them as setup fodder. In a similar vein, more defensive Pokemon, such as Registeel, Florges, and Gligar, grant Slurpuff an opportunity to set up.
Team Options
========
Slurpuff heavily appreciates entry hazard support, whether it be Spikes or Stealth Rock, to weaken its checks and help it achieve some OHKOs on bulkier Pokemon. More offensive teams appreciate hazard setters like Uxie, Nidoqueen, Roserade, Mega Glalie, and Lycanroc, while more balanced teams will likely employ Pokemon like Chesnaught and Rhyperior. Mega Glalie has especially strong synergy with Slurpuff, as Mega Glalie can weaken opposing Steel-types with either Super Fang or Earthquake in addition to setting up Spikes to further weaken them. Pokemon with Memento like Uxie, Gardevoir, and Whimsicott are able to greatly help Slurpuff with setting up. As Doublade is Slurpuff's biggest counter, Pokemon that are also checked by Doublade, such as Mega Glalie and Virizion, can help overwhelm Doublade and clear the way for a Slurpuff sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flamethrower allows Slurpuff to KO a weakened Doublade to make sweeping easier but will still require Doublade to be sufficiently weakened. Furthermore, Slurpuff does not appreciate lacking a way to attack Poison-types like Nidoqueen and Toxicroak neutrally. A Calm Mind set can allow Slurpuff to effectively lure its common checks such as Doublade, Mega Steelix, and Escavalier without requiring them to be weakened; however, Slurpuff's special movepool is pretty lacking, and a set taking advantage of Slurpuff's physical prowess is preferred. Adamant Slurpuff is an option, but it allows Slurpuff to be outsped by Flygon, providing more teams with an option to stop its sweep.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Steel-types**: Bulky Steel-types like Escavalier, Bronzong, and Mega Steelix are able to tank a hit from Slurpuff even at +6 and OHKO Slurpuff with their Steel-type moves. Doublade specifically is Slurpuff's strongest counter, taking negligible damage from anything Slurpuff can fire its way.
**Status Conditions**: Slurpuff is worn down and hampered from doing its job effectively from status moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, and Will-O-Wisp.
**Priority Users**: While Slurpuff outspeeds most of the tier after activating Unburden, its mediocre bulk still leaves it susceptible to being revenge killed by moves like Extreme Speed from Zygarde-10% and Bullet Punch from Machamp and Pangoro.
Slurpuff is a unique and incredibly threatening sweeper in the RU tier due to its access to both Unburden and Belly Drum, which can maximize its Attack and double its Speed in one turn. Thanks to its Fairy typing and decent bulk, Slurpuff is able to set up in front of any Choice-locked Dragon- or Fighting-type Pokemon like Flygon and Bewear. Unfortunately, popular Steel-types in the tier such as Mega Steelix and Bronzong can thwart a potential Slurpuff sweep if they are kept relatively healthy; Doublade specifically is able to leave Slurpuff completely helpless in front of it. Furthermore, Slurpuff's sweep can similarly be cut short by status ailments and priority moves such as Machamp and Pangoro's Bullet Punch and as such faces competition from Linoone, whose Belly Drum and Extreme Speed combination makes it far harder to revenge kill. Unburden only activating once means Slurpuff is only granted one setup opportunity; it is typically useless in a match until you are able to find a time to set up safely.
[SET]
name: Belly Drum Sweeper
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Play Rough
move 3: Return
move 4: Drain Punch
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Unburden
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Belly Drum allows Slurpuff to maximize its Attack and threaten to sweep at the cost of half of its HP. Play Rough is Slurpuff's strongest STAB option, letting it OHKO bulkier healthy Pokemon at +6 such as Milotic and Chesnaught. Return is a coverage move capable of OHKOing Poison-types like Nidoqueen, Toxicroak, and Roserade. Drain Punch nails Steel-types like Registeel, Mega Steelix, and Escavalier, which resist Slurpuff's Fairy- and Normal-type moves, while also restoring its HP to make it more difficult to revenge kill. Aromatherapy is an option over Return, curing Slurpuff of status conditions from defensive Pokemon such as Registeel and Cresselia and turning them into free setup opportunities.
Set Details
========
The given EV spread maximizes Slurpuff's offensive capabilities while making it as fast as possible to increase the chances of a successful sweep. Unburden doubles Slurpuff's Speed upon consuming its item, boosting its Attack and Speed in one turn after using Belly Drum. Sitrus Berry consistently activates Unburden, as Belly Drum will bring its HP low enough for it to be consumed. A Jolly nature makes Slurpuff faster than Choice Scarf Flygon, Chlorophyll Venusaur under sun, and +2 Naive Cloyster after an Unburden boost.
Usage Tips
========
Ideally, save Slurpuff for late-game, as it only has one chance to activate Unburden to sweep. Additionally, Slurpuff wants its checks and counters, such as Doublade, Escavalier, Mega Steelix, and Bronzong, weakened or eliminated to increase the likelihood of a sweep. However, Slurpuff can also set up earlier in the game to weaken opposing bulky Pokemon like Escavalier and Bronzong to clear a path for its teammates such as Flygon, Swellow, and Aerodactyl to sweep. Slurpuff can take advantage of Dragon-type Pokemon such as Flygon and Zygarde-10% that are locked into Outrage and use them as setup fodder. In a similar vein, more defensive Pokemon, such as Registeel, Florges, and Gligar, grant Slurpuff an opportunity to set up.
Team Options
========
Slurpuff heavily appreciates entry hazard support, whether it be Spikes or Stealth Rock, to weaken its checks and help it achieve some OHKOs on bulkier Pokemon. More offensive teams appreciate hazard setters like Uxie, Nidoqueen, Roserade, Mega Glalie, and Lycanroc, while more balanced teams will likely employ Pokemon like Chesnaught and Rhyperior. Mega Glalie has especially strong synergy with Slurpuff, as Mega Glalie can weaken opposing Steel-types with either Super Fang or Earthquake in addition to setting up Spikes to further weaken them. Pokemon with Memento like Uxie, Gardevoir, and Whimsicott are able to greatly help Slurpuff with setting up. As Doublade is Slurpuff's biggest counter, Pokemon that are also checked by Doublade, such as Mega Glalie and Virizion, can help overwhelm Doublade and clear the way for a Slurpuff sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flamethrower allows Slurpuff to KO a weakened Doublade to make sweeping easier but will still require Doublade to be sufficiently weakened. Furthermore, Slurpuff does not appreciate lacking a way to attack Poison-types like Nidoqueen and Toxicroak neutrally. A Calm Mind set can allow Slurpuff to effectively lure its common checks such as Doublade, Mega Steelix, and Escavalier without requiring them to be weakened; however, Slurpuff's special movepool is pretty lacking, and a set taking advantage of Slurpuff's physical prowess is preferred. Adamant Slurpuff is an option, but it allows Slurpuff to be outsped by Flygon, providing more teams with an option to stop its sweep.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Steel-types**: Bulky Steel-types like Escavalier, Bronzong, and Mega Steelix are able to tank a hit from Slurpuff even at +6 and OHKO Slurpuff with their Steel-type moves. Doublade specifically is Slurpuff's strongest counter, taking negligible damage from anything Slurpuff can fire its way.
**Status Conditions**: Slurpuff is worn down and hampered from doing its job effectively from status moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, and Will-O-Wisp.
**Priority Users**: While Slurpuff outspeeds most of the tier after activating Unburden, its mediocre bulk still leaves it susceptible to being revenge killed by moves like Extreme Speed from Zygarde-10% and Bullet Punch from Machamp and Pangoro.
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