Gummy
...three, smiles go for miles!
taken over from aaron's aron, first two QC checks can be found here: http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/stufful-qc-1-3.3600811/
qc: hilo / xayah / levi
gp: tdp / fireflame
[OVERVIEW]
Stufful is a unique and decent setup sweeper that can also function as an emergency check to physical attackers. Thanks to Fluffy and a good HP stat, Stufful is very physically bulky and can check Pokemon like Pawniard. It's not passive, either, hitting 18 Attack and getting access to Swords Dance. Normal / Fighting is a good offensive typing, letting Stufful's STAB moves hit almost the entire metagame, bar Ghost-types, for at least neutral damage. Stufful also gets good coverage moves like Ice Punch to hit Grass-types such as Pumpkaboo-XL and Foongus, Earthquake to hit Poison-types like Mareanie and Alolan Grimer, and Rock Slide to hit Flying- and Fire-types such as Vullaby and Larvesta. Unfortunately, for a sweeper, Stufful is quite slow; it is easily revenge killed and requires speed control support to thrive. While its physical bulk is phenomenal, its Special Defense is poor, and it is completely walled by Ghost-types due to its only way of hitting them hard, Brutal Swing, having such a low Base Power. Stufful's best Fighting-type STAB attack with no drawback is Brick Break, and it misses out on the better STAB moves that other Fighting-types get, like Drain Punch, High Jump Kick, and Close Combat. Fluffy also gives Stufful a pseudo-weakness to Fire, meaning it is easily pressured by special Fire-types like Torchic and Houndour and, to a lesser extent, physical Fire-types like Ponyta and Larvesta. Even with Fluffy, Stufful struggles against opposing Fighting-types and almost always loses against them one-on-one. Thus, it faces incredible amounts of competition from top-tier Fighting-types like Croagunk, Mienfoo, and Timburr, since many of the things Stufful does, they do as well.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return
move 3: Brick Break / Superpower
move 4: Ice Punch / Earthquake
item: Eviolite
ability: Fluffy
nature: Adamant
evs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 196 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance gives Stufful the power it needs to break through foes. STAB Return is a very hard neutral hit on most of the tier. Brick Break provides good coverage with Return, hitting the Rock- and Steel-types that resist Return, such as Onix, Magnemite, and Pawniard, super effectively. It also breaks through the relatively common Aurora Veil strategies as well as Light Screen and Reflect. Superpower is an option if you want Stufful to run a wallbreaker set; while it greatly reduces Stufful's sweeping potential, Superpower almost always 2HKOes Mienfoo and OHKOes Sturdy + Berry Juice Onix if its Sturdy is broken. However, Brick Break is still marginally better because the Defense and Attack drops from Superpower force Stufful out after one or two hits. Ice Punch provides a good option to hit Foongus and Pumpkaboo-XL hard, the latter of which is immune to both of Stufful's STAB attacks. Earthquake can secure OHKOs on Mareanie and Alolan Grimer after a Swords Dance boost. It also hits Fire-types super effectively, which threaten Stufful massively otherwise.
Set Details
========
236 Attack EVs and an Adamant nature make sure Stufful hits as hard as possible, allowing it to secure KOs on Vullaby, Foongus, and Pumpkaboo-XL after a Swords Dance boost and Stealth Rock damage. 36 Speed EVs let Stufful reach 12 Speed, outspeeding Pumpkaboo-XL, Bulk Up Timburr, and anything below 18 Speed if Sticky Web is on your opponent's side of the field. Fluffy is by far Stufful's best ability, halving the damage taken from all contact moves. 36 Defense EVs let Stufful reach an even Defense stat, thus efficiently boosting its Defense with Eviolite. 196 Special Defense EVs give Stufful an even number as well and boost up its average special bulk, letting it take a Psychic from Focus Sash Abra at full health. Eviolite, especially when combined with Fluffy, provides Stufful with more opportunities to set up and stay healthy long enough to sweep.
Usage Tips
========
Stufful can be used to sweep late-game after strong special attackers and its checks have been removed, but it can also be used as an early-game wallbreaker, especially if it's running Superpower. Swords Dance lets it break through bulky Pokemon early-game. Superpower should be saved for when most of the opposing Pokemon are hit hard by it, since Stufful will usually need to switch out after using it due to the stat drops. Stufful can be used to tank weaker attacks that make contact throughout the game like Knock Off from Pawniard. Don't let it take many special hits, or even a few strong ones, from the likes of Staryu, Gastly, and Magnemite; it doesn't have the best special bulk, and you would mainly be wasting its fantastic physical bulk, so you should let a teammate take special hits instead. Fairy-types generally stop Stufful's sweep, so they need to be taken out beforehand; Cottonee can lock Stufful into an undesirable move with Prankster Encore, and Spritzee survives a Swords Dance-boosted Return and can KO back with Moonblast. It's important for Stufful to only set up when its checks such as Foongus and Pumpkaboo-XL have been weakened, as they otherwise stop its sweep. Swords Dance should be used against a Pokemon that Stufful forces out, such as Pawniard or Alolan Sandshrew, or a physical attacker that can't do much damage to Stufful, like Onix or Diglett. Finally, be careful of all Fire-type moves; Fluffy doubles all damage taken from Fire-type attacks, effectively giving Stufful a weakness to them.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that can trap special attackers and take them out make good teammates for Stufful. Alolan Grimer is a great option because it can use Pursuit on powerful Psychic- and Ghost-types like Abra and Gastly. Pokemon that can handle the many Fighting- and Fairy-types that threaten Stufful are also good teammates. Foongus can deal with both of those types, as well as the Water-types that might be using Scald, causing Stufful to risk being burned. Snubbull, Ponyta, and Alolan Grimer are also decent Fighting- and Fairy-type checks. Entry hazard setters such as Dwebble and Onix help Stufful secure certain KOs when it would normally just fall short. Knock Off support helps Stufful break past bulky Pokemon, such as Spritzee, Vullaby, and Foongus, that would normally survive a Swords Dance-boosted hit by removing their Eviolite. Good Knock Off users include Mienfoo, which can provide pivot support, and Timburr, which can absorb status. Due to Fluffy, Pokemon that can deal with Fire-types are good teammates as well; examples include Staryu, Chinchou, and Diglett. Stufful is very strong but very slow for a sweeper, so Sticky Web support from Surskit or Spinarak makes Stufful much better, allowing it to outspeed a large portion of the metagame.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hammer Arm is usable, but it's not ideal because of the Speed drop; this causes Stufful to be outsped by Timburr and leaves it vulnerable to its Drain Punch. Substitute in conjunction with Swords Dance can be used to capitalize on status move users like Ferroseed and Foongus, but Stufful already has too few slots to carry all the coverage it wants. Thus, an all-out attacking set is an option as well, but without a boost Stufful is often too weak to effectively wallbreak or sweep. Bulk Up is an option, but it lacks the power that Swords Dance provides in order to get KOs. A Bulk Up set is also outclassed by Timburr due to the latter's better defensive typing, access to priority and Knock Off, and passive recovery in the form of Drain Punch. Rock Slide is an option to hit Flying-types and Larvesta and has a nifty flinch chance, but Ice Punch is often the better bet, since Larvesta isn't very common. Other coverage moves such as Thunder Punch, Brutal Swing, and Aerial Ace are options, but the Pokemon that would be hit by these moves are already hit hard enough by Stufful's STAB moves or other coverage attacks. In the case of Brutal Swing, it can be used to hit Ghost-types, but it is simply so weak that switching out to a Ghost-type check or counter often works just as well, if not better.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fast Special Attackers**: Pokemon such as Abra, Elekid, and Staryu outspeed Stufful and threaten its much weaker Special Defense, forcing the sweep to end early on.
**Foongus**: Foongus survives a +2 Ice Punch from full health and can use Clear Smog to remove Swords Dance boosts or Spore to put Stufful to sleep, ending its sweep. It can also recover health by switching out thanks to Regenerator. However, if Stealth Rock is up, Foongus has a chance to faint to a +2 Ice Punch.
**Fire-types**: Fire-type moves deal double damage to Stufful, and Fire-types such as Ponyta and Larvesta can burn Stufful and cut its Attack in half with Will-O-Wisp or Flame Body.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types are immune to both of Stufful's STAB moves, so it has to rely on its coverage move to hit them. Gastly in particular is immune to all of Stufful's attacks if Earthquake is Stufful's final move. Pumpkaboo can work as a decent check, but it is threatened by Ice Punch.
**Fairy-types**: Pokemon such as Spritzee and Cottonee resist Brick Break and Superpower and threaten Stufful with their super effective STAB Fairy-type attacks. Cottonee can even use Encore to lock Stufful into an undesirable move, giving the momentum to the opponent. However, no Fairy-type can OHKO Stufful unboosted, so they may lose if switching directly into a Swords Dance or, in Cottonee's case, an Ice Punch.
qc: hilo / xayah / levi
gp: tdp / fireflame
[OVERVIEW]
Stufful is a unique and decent setup sweeper that can also function as an emergency check to physical attackers. Thanks to Fluffy and a good HP stat, Stufful is very physically bulky and can check Pokemon like Pawniard. It's not passive, either, hitting 18 Attack and getting access to Swords Dance. Normal / Fighting is a good offensive typing, letting Stufful's STAB moves hit almost the entire metagame, bar Ghost-types, for at least neutral damage. Stufful also gets good coverage moves like Ice Punch to hit Grass-types such as Pumpkaboo-XL and Foongus, Earthquake to hit Poison-types like Mareanie and Alolan Grimer, and Rock Slide to hit Flying- and Fire-types such as Vullaby and Larvesta. Unfortunately, for a sweeper, Stufful is quite slow; it is easily revenge killed and requires speed control support to thrive. While its physical bulk is phenomenal, its Special Defense is poor, and it is completely walled by Ghost-types due to its only way of hitting them hard, Brutal Swing, having such a low Base Power. Stufful's best Fighting-type STAB attack with no drawback is Brick Break, and it misses out on the better STAB moves that other Fighting-types get, like Drain Punch, High Jump Kick, and Close Combat. Fluffy also gives Stufful a pseudo-weakness to Fire, meaning it is easily pressured by special Fire-types like Torchic and Houndour and, to a lesser extent, physical Fire-types like Ponyta and Larvesta. Even with Fluffy, Stufful struggles against opposing Fighting-types and almost always loses against them one-on-one. Thus, it faces incredible amounts of competition from top-tier Fighting-types like Croagunk, Mienfoo, and Timburr, since many of the things Stufful does, they do as well.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return
move 3: Brick Break / Superpower
move 4: Ice Punch / Earthquake
item: Eviolite
ability: Fluffy
nature: Adamant
evs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 196 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance gives Stufful the power it needs to break through foes. STAB Return is a very hard neutral hit on most of the tier. Brick Break provides good coverage with Return, hitting the Rock- and Steel-types that resist Return, such as Onix, Magnemite, and Pawniard, super effectively. It also breaks through the relatively common Aurora Veil strategies as well as Light Screen and Reflect. Superpower is an option if you want Stufful to run a wallbreaker set; while it greatly reduces Stufful's sweeping potential, Superpower almost always 2HKOes Mienfoo and OHKOes Sturdy + Berry Juice Onix if its Sturdy is broken. However, Brick Break is still marginally better because the Defense and Attack drops from Superpower force Stufful out after one or two hits. Ice Punch provides a good option to hit Foongus and Pumpkaboo-XL hard, the latter of which is immune to both of Stufful's STAB attacks. Earthquake can secure OHKOs on Mareanie and Alolan Grimer after a Swords Dance boost. It also hits Fire-types super effectively, which threaten Stufful massively otherwise.
Set Details
========
236 Attack EVs and an Adamant nature make sure Stufful hits as hard as possible, allowing it to secure KOs on Vullaby, Foongus, and Pumpkaboo-XL after a Swords Dance boost and Stealth Rock damage. 36 Speed EVs let Stufful reach 12 Speed, outspeeding Pumpkaboo-XL, Bulk Up Timburr, and anything below 18 Speed if Sticky Web is on your opponent's side of the field. Fluffy is by far Stufful's best ability, halving the damage taken from all contact moves. 36 Defense EVs let Stufful reach an even Defense stat, thus efficiently boosting its Defense with Eviolite. 196 Special Defense EVs give Stufful an even number as well and boost up its average special bulk, letting it take a Psychic from Focus Sash Abra at full health. Eviolite, especially when combined with Fluffy, provides Stufful with more opportunities to set up and stay healthy long enough to sweep.
Usage Tips
========
Stufful can be used to sweep late-game after strong special attackers and its checks have been removed, but it can also be used as an early-game wallbreaker, especially if it's running Superpower. Swords Dance lets it break through bulky Pokemon early-game. Superpower should be saved for when most of the opposing Pokemon are hit hard by it, since Stufful will usually need to switch out after using it due to the stat drops. Stufful can be used to tank weaker attacks that make contact throughout the game like Knock Off from Pawniard. Don't let it take many special hits, or even a few strong ones, from the likes of Staryu, Gastly, and Magnemite; it doesn't have the best special bulk, and you would mainly be wasting its fantastic physical bulk, so you should let a teammate take special hits instead. Fairy-types generally stop Stufful's sweep, so they need to be taken out beforehand; Cottonee can lock Stufful into an undesirable move with Prankster Encore, and Spritzee survives a Swords Dance-boosted Return and can KO back with Moonblast. It's important for Stufful to only set up when its checks such as Foongus and Pumpkaboo-XL have been weakened, as they otherwise stop its sweep. Swords Dance should be used against a Pokemon that Stufful forces out, such as Pawniard or Alolan Sandshrew, or a physical attacker that can't do much damage to Stufful, like Onix or Diglett. Finally, be careful of all Fire-type moves; Fluffy doubles all damage taken from Fire-type attacks, effectively giving Stufful a weakness to them.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that can trap special attackers and take them out make good teammates for Stufful. Alolan Grimer is a great option because it can use Pursuit on powerful Psychic- and Ghost-types like Abra and Gastly. Pokemon that can handle the many Fighting- and Fairy-types that threaten Stufful are also good teammates. Foongus can deal with both of those types, as well as the Water-types that might be using Scald, causing Stufful to risk being burned. Snubbull, Ponyta, and Alolan Grimer are also decent Fighting- and Fairy-type checks. Entry hazard setters such as Dwebble and Onix help Stufful secure certain KOs when it would normally just fall short. Knock Off support helps Stufful break past bulky Pokemon, such as Spritzee, Vullaby, and Foongus, that would normally survive a Swords Dance-boosted hit by removing their Eviolite. Good Knock Off users include Mienfoo, which can provide pivot support, and Timburr, which can absorb status. Due to Fluffy, Pokemon that can deal with Fire-types are good teammates as well; examples include Staryu, Chinchou, and Diglett. Stufful is very strong but very slow for a sweeper, so Sticky Web support from Surskit or Spinarak makes Stufful much better, allowing it to outspeed a large portion of the metagame.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hammer Arm is usable, but it's not ideal because of the Speed drop; this causes Stufful to be outsped by Timburr and leaves it vulnerable to its Drain Punch. Substitute in conjunction with Swords Dance can be used to capitalize on status move users like Ferroseed and Foongus, but Stufful already has too few slots to carry all the coverage it wants. Thus, an all-out attacking set is an option as well, but without a boost Stufful is often too weak to effectively wallbreak or sweep. Bulk Up is an option, but it lacks the power that Swords Dance provides in order to get KOs. A Bulk Up set is also outclassed by Timburr due to the latter's better defensive typing, access to priority and Knock Off, and passive recovery in the form of Drain Punch. Rock Slide is an option to hit Flying-types and Larvesta and has a nifty flinch chance, but Ice Punch is often the better bet, since Larvesta isn't very common. Other coverage moves such as Thunder Punch, Brutal Swing, and Aerial Ace are options, but the Pokemon that would be hit by these moves are already hit hard enough by Stufful's STAB moves or other coverage attacks. In the case of Brutal Swing, it can be used to hit Ghost-types, but it is simply so weak that switching out to a Ghost-type check or counter often works just as well, if not better.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fast Special Attackers**: Pokemon such as Abra, Elekid, and Staryu outspeed Stufful and threaten its much weaker Special Defense, forcing the sweep to end early on.
**Foongus**: Foongus survives a +2 Ice Punch from full health and can use Clear Smog to remove Swords Dance boosts or Spore to put Stufful to sleep, ending its sweep. It can also recover health by switching out thanks to Regenerator. However, if Stealth Rock is up, Foongus has a chance to faint to a +2 Ice Punch.
**Fire-types**: Fire-type moves deal double damage to Stufful, and Fire-types such as Ponyta and Larvesta can burn Stufful and cut its Attack in half with Will-O-Wisp or Flame Body.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types are immune to both of Stufful's STAB moves, so it has to rely on its coverage move to hit them. Gastly in particular is immune to all of Stufful's attacks if Earthquake is Stufful's final move. Pumpkaboo can work as a decent check, but it is threatened by Ice Punch.
**Fairy-types**: Pokemon such as Spritzee and Cottonee resist Brick Break and Superpower and threaten Stufful with their super effective STAB Fairy-type attacks. Cottonee can even use Encore to lock Stufful into an undesirable move, giving the momentum to the opponent. However, no Fairy-type can OHKO Stufful unboosted, so they may lose if switching directly into a Swords Dance or, in Cottonee's case, an Ice Punch.
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