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Ugly Barnacles.
Ugly Barbarian Barnacles
[OVERVIEW]
Barbaracle's main niche is its access to Shell Smash, which allows it to become a deadly late-game sweeper. It bears a good offensive typing with access to strong STAB moves in Liquidation and Stone Edge that give it overall solid coverage. This is further bolstered by its good Attack and decent Speed after a Shell Smash boost, combined with a good ability in Tough Claws. Its typing also helps it in terms of finding setup opportunities, as it can check common threats such as Salazzle, Swellow, Moltres, and Mega Glalie. However, Barbaracle also has very exploitable weaknesses to Fighting, Grass, and Ground, which leave it vulnerable to the likes of Bewear, Virizion, and Flygon. Barbaracle is also relatively slow before it sets up, making it easy to revenge kill before a boost. In addition, it faces competition from the likes of Cloyster and Feraligatr as an offensive Water-type, as they have either access to a better STAB move or more immediate power and bulk.
[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Liquidation
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Return
item: Rockium Z / White Herb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shell Smash boosts Barbaracle's Attack and Speed by two stages, making it incredibly fast and powerful after a single use. Liquidation becomes a reliable STAB move that hits exceptionally hard after a boost from Shell Smash. Stone Edge serves as a secondary STAB move that provides good overall neutral coverage with Liquidation and can also become a 180-Base Power Continental Crush with Rockium Z, breaking through the likes of Cresselia and Milotic after slight prior damage. Return rounds out the set as a relatively strong move with good neutral coverage, allowing Barbaracle to do good damage to Toxicroak and Virizion, which resist Barbaracle's STAB moves. Earthquake can also serve as a passable coverage move to hit Doublade and Toxicroak, but neither Pokemon is particularly common, and the move has little use for Barbaracle otherwise.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Barbaracle to maximize its power and Speed after a boost, particularly allowing it to outspeed Choice Scarf Flygon at +2. An Adamant nature can be useful to give Barbaracle a slight increase in power at the expense of allowing it to be revenge killed by Flygon even after a boost. Tough Claws is the preferred ability to give a slight boost in power to Liquidation and Return. Rockium Z turns Stone Edge into Continental Crush, which is an excellent way to break through bulkier targets such as Cresselia more effectively. White Herb is a viable alternative to reset the Defense and Special Defense drops from Shell Smash, making Barbaracle less vulnerable to priority from the likes of Honchkrow and Golisopod.
Usage Tips
========
Barbaracle is primarily a mid- to late-game sweeper; it is meant to come in and sweep once its checks, such as Chesnaught, have been weakened or removed. Since Barbaracle has a rather decent defensive typing, it should attempt to switch in on certain threats such as Salazzle, Moltres, and Swellow to get an opportunity to set up. Its good physical bulk also gives it good setup opportunities against more defensive Pokemon such as Mandibuzz, Bronzong, and Gligar. Barbaracle can also set up on Pokemon that are Choice locked into weaker moves, such as Drapion, Gardevoir, Choice Scarf Tyrantrum, and Flygon not locked into Earthquake. Barbaracle should be used with wallbreakers and entry hazard support to be able to sufficiently weaken the opposing team for a sweep, particularly late-game. Additionally, if Barbaracle is using Rockium Z, Continental Crush is an effective one-time nuke that can break through bulkier threats such as Milotic, but it should be only be used to bypass threats Barbaracle cannot break through otherwise.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard setters are very useful partners for Barbaracle. Froslass, Mega Glalie, and Chesnaught are all good users of Spikes that can also take on some of Barbaracle's checks. Nidoqueen and Mega Steelix are also good entry hazard setters, with Nidoqueen also being able to take on the likes of Toxicroak and Chesnaught quite well. Wallbreakers such as Dragalge, Yanmega, Gardevoir, and Moltres can weaken the opposing team for Barbaracle to suitably sweep and can handle some of Barbaracle's checks such as Chesnaught and Bewear. Virizion is a fairly notable wallbreaker that can weaken threats like Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Rotom-C and force Choice Scarf users such as Shaymin into moves such as Air Slash, which Barbaracle can use as setup opportunities. Feraligatr can work as a sweeper and wallbreaker that can lure in the likes of Chesnaught and Milotic and weaken them. U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Flygon and Rotom-C can lure in threats Barbaracle can set up on, such as Gligar, Bronzong, and Snorlax, and get Barbaracle in safely. Rotom-C can also burn Mega Steelix so it becomes setup fodder for Barbaracle. Shaymin is also a very good teammate, since it checks Milotic and can also provide Healing Wish support to fully heal a weakened Barbaracle and give it another chance of sweeping. Additionally, dual screens and Memento support can be used to decrease any damage done to Barbaracle in order to make using Shell Smash much easier. Uxie and Whimsicott can both provide these forms of support very well. Choice Scarf Gardevoir can also provide Memento or Healing Wish support and can revenge kill Virizion.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Barbaracle has little else going for it, since Shell Smash is its primary niche. Stealth Rock could be usable as a means of supporting the team, but Barbaracle is rather outclassed as Stealth Rock setter in RU. Aerial Ace is a decently usable option to hit Chesnaught, Virizion, and Toxicroak harder but has limited use otherwise. Barbaracle also has other coverage moves such as Poison Jab and X-Scissor, but these provide fairly limited utility and cause Barbaracle to become vulnerable to the likes of Toxicroak. Substitute is also a usable option that allows Barbaracle to play mind games with Honchkrow.
Checks and Counters
========
**Fighting-types**: Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Bewear either resist Barbaracle's STAB moves or have the bulk to survive a hit, and they can OHKO it with Drain Punch or Close Combat.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Cresselia has enough bulk to survive a hit from Barbaracle and can stall it out with Toxic and Moonlight. Quagsire can also take on Barbaracle quite well thanks to its ability Unaware, which allows it to ignore Barbaracle's boosts, and its ability to 2HKO Barbaracle with Earthquake.
**Priority**: Barbaracle has the bulk to survive most priority moves even after a Shell Smash, but moves such as Honchkrow's Sucker Punch and Golisopod's First Impression can take it out with some prior chip damage.
Ugly Barbarian Barnacles
[OVERVIEW]
Barbaracle's main niche is its access to Shell Smash, which allows it to become a deadly late-game sweeper. It bears a good offensive typing with access to strong STAB moves in Liquidation and Stone Edge that give it overall solid coverage. This is further bolstered by its good Attack and decent Speed after a Shell Smash boost, combined with a good ability in Tough Claws. Its typing also helps it in terms of finding setup opportunities, as it can check common threats such as Salazzle, Swellow, Moltres, and Mega Glalie. However, Barbaracle also has very exploitable weaknesses to Fighting, Grass, and Ground, which leave it vulnerable to the likes of Bewear, Virizion, and Flygon. Barbaracle is also relatively slow before it sets up, making it easy to revenge kill before a boost. In addition, it faces competition from the likes of Cloyster and Feraligatr as an offensive Water-type, as they have either access to a better STAB move or more immediate power and bulk.
[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Liquidation
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Return
item: Rockium Z / White Herb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shell Smash boosts Barbaracle's Attack and Speed by two stages, making it incredibly fast and powerful after a single use. Liquidation becomes a reliable STAB move that hits exceptionally hard after a boost from Shell Smash. Stone Edge serves as a secondary STAB move that provides good overall neutral coverage with Liquidation and can also become a 180-Base Power Continental Crush with Rockium Z, breaking through the likes of Cresselia and Milotic after slight prior damage. Return rounds out the set as a relatively strong move with good neutral coverage, allowing Barbaracle to do good damage to Toxicroak and Virizion, which resist Barbaracle's STAB moves. Earthquake can also serve as a passable coverage move to hit Doublade and Toxicroak, but neither Pokemon is particularly common, and the move has little use for Barbaracle otherwise.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Barbaracle to maximize its power and Speed after a boost, particularly allowing it to outspeed Choice Scarf Flygon at +2. An Adamant nature can be useful to give Barbaracle a slight increase in power at the expense of allowing it to be revenge killed by Flygon even after a boost. Tough Claws is the preferred ability to give a slight boost in power to Liquidation and Return. Rockium Z turns Stone Edge into Continental Crush, which is an excellent way to break through bulkier targets such as Cresselia more effectively. White Herb is a viable alternative to reset the Defense and Special Defense drops from Shell Smash, making Barbaracle less vulnerable to priority from the likes of Honchkrow and Golisopod.
Usage Tips
========
Barbaracle is primarily a mid- to late-game sweeper; it is meant to come in and sweep once its checks, such as Chesnaught, have been weakened or removed. Since Barbaracle has a rather decent defensive typing, it should attempt to switch in on certain threats such as Salazzle, Moltres, and Swellow to get an opportunity to set up. Its good physical bulk also gives it good setup opportunities against more defensive Pokemon such as Mandibuzz, Bronzong, and Gligar. Barbaracle can also set up on Pokemon that are Choice locked into weaker moves, such as Drapion, Gardevoir, Choice Scarf Tyrantrum, and Flygon not locked into Earthquake. Barbaracle should be used with wallbreakers and entry hazard support to be able to sufficiently weaken the opposing team for a sweep, particularly late-game. Additionally, if Barbaracle is using Rockium Z, Continental Crush is an effective one-time nuke that can break through bulkier threats such as Milotic, but it should be only be used to bypass threats Barbaracle cannot break through otherwise.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard setters are very useful partners for Barbaracle. Froslass, Mega Glalie, and Chesnaught are all good users of Spikes that can also take on some of Barbaracle's checks. Nidoqueen and Mega Steelix are also good entry hazard setters, with Nidoqueen also being able to take on the likes of Toxicroak and Chesnaught quite well. Wallbreakers such as Dragalge, Yanmega, Gardevoir, and Moltres can weaken the opposing team for Barbaracle to suitably sweep and can handle some of Barbaracle's checks such as Chesnaught and Bewear. Virizion is a fairly notable wallbreaker that can weaken threats like Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Rotom-C and force Choice Scarf users such as Shaymin into moves such as Air Slash, which Barbaracle can use as setup opportunities. Feraligatr can work as a sweeper and wallbreaker that can lure in the likes of Chesnaught and Milotic and weaken them. U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Flygon and Rotom-C can lure in threats Barbaracle can set up on, such as Gligar, Bronzong, and Snorlax, and get Barbaracle in safely. Rotom-C can also burn Mega Steelix so it becomes setup fodder for Barbaracle. Shaymin is also a very good teammate, since it checks Milotic and can also provide Healing Wish support to fully heal a weakened Barbaracle and give it another chance of sweeping. Additionally, dual screens and Memento support can be used to decrease any damage done to Barbaracle in order to make using Shell Smash much easier. Uxie and Whimsicott can both provide these forms of support very well. Choice Scarf Gardevoir can also provide Memento or Healing Wish support and can revenge kill Virizion.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Barbaracle has little else going for it, since Shell Smash is its primary niche. Stealth Rock could be usable as a means of supporting the team, but Barbaracle is rather outclassed as Stealth Rock setter in RU. Aerial Ace is a decently usable option to hit Chesnaught, Virizion, and Toxicroak harder but has limited use otherwise. Barbaracle also has other coverage moves such as Poison Jab and X-Scissor, but these provide fairly limited utility and cause Barbaracle to become vulnerable to the likes of Toxicroak. Substitute is also a usable option that allows Barbaracle to play mind games with Honchkrow.
Checks and Counters
========
**Fighting-types**: Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Bewear either resist Barbaracle's STAB moves or have the bulk to survive a hit, and they can OHKO it with Drain Punch or Close Combat.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Cresselia has enough bulk to survive a hit from Barbaracle and can stall it out with Toxic and Moonlight. Quagsire can also take on Barbaracle quite well thanks to its ability Unaware, which allows it to ignore Barbaracle's boosts, and its ability to 2HKO Barbaracle with Earthquake.
**Priority**: Barbaracle has the bulk to survive most priority moves even after a Shell Smash, but moves such as Honchkrow's Sucker Punch and Golisopod's First Impression can take it out with some prior chip damage.
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