PU Hitmonchan

uploaded -zard

[OVERVIEW]

Hitmonchan's constant offensive presence and good utility options let it provide it solid role compression. Its utility lies in its access to Rapid Spin combined with its ability to pressure Stealth Rock users such as Miltank and Regirock, and it can act as a blanket check to many of the tier's special attackers due to its considerable amount of Special Defense that can be further augmented by Assault Vest. Offensively, Iron Fist is Hitmonchan's premier ability, as the boost provides it solid damage output on all of its attacking moves, including its strong priority in Mach Punch. It can also utilize Life Orb to drastically increase its damage output and help it KO Pokemon like Jynx and Pyroar with Mach Punch. All of these traits allow Hitmonchan to provide an exceptional amount of utility for teams while being an immediate threat, and although it lacks recovery, it can circumstantially mitigate this with its main attacking move, Drain Punch.

Hitmonchan's main flaws lie in its low Defense and its inability to reliably deal with Pokemon that have a typing advantage against it, making it prone to being pressured by Pokemon like Mesprit, Archeops, and Silvally-Fairy. When faced with bulky Ghost-types such as Sableye, Spiritomb, and Gourgeist-XL, it struggles to remove entry hazards and must fear Will-O-Wisp, while faster Ghost-types such as Oricorio-G can outspeed and easily OHKO it. Furthermore, while it resists Stealth Rock, it is vulnerable to other forms of hazards from Pokemon that take it on well, like Weezing's Toxic Spikes.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Assault Vest
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Adamant
evs: 244 HP / 176 Atk / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Drain Punch is a powerful STAB option, hitting neutral targets for decent damage while being a semi-reliable source of recovery and hitting Normal-, Rock-, Steel-, and Ice-types like Type: Null, Aggron, and Abomasnow super effectively. Mach Punch is Hitmonchan's main form of priority; it OHKOes Alolan Raticate and lets Himonchan pick off other faster threats like Absol and Lycanroc after a bit of prior damage. Ice Punch hits Pokemon like Alolan Exeggutor and Altaria super effectively. It is also Hitmonchan's main attack for Ghost-types, dealing significant damage to offensive spinblockers like Golurk and Oricorio-G. Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's main support move, getting rid of the opposing team's entry hazards.

Set Details
========

Iron Fist is necessary to boost the power of Drain Punch, Ice Punch, and Mach Punch. 88 Speed EVs are used to outspeed Adamant Golurk and everything slower, but one can opt for 168 Speed EVs to outspeed Pokemon such as Jolly Golurk and Mild Abomasnow. With 244 HP, Hitmonchan always avoids getting 2HKOed by Assault Vest Magmortar's Fire Blast and Hasty Life Orb Abomasnow's Blizzard. The rest of the EVs and an Adamant nature are used to boost Hitmonchan's Attack.

Usage Tips
========

Assault Vest Hitmonchan is able to use its increased bulk to switch into a myriad of special attackers such as Ludicolo, Zebstrika, and Eelektross, but against particularly strong special attackers such as Magmortar, Drampa, and Choice Specs Pyroar, Hitmonchan should not be treated as a reliable switch-in because it can often only come in on a strong STAB move once. Once it has switched into an attack, Hitmonchan can retaliate by hitting the majority of physically frail or Fighting-weak targets for a significant amount of damage with Drain Punch, or it can use Mach Punch to pick off faster targets if they are within range of being KOed by the attack. Otherwise, Rapid Spin will usually be the first move used when entry hazards are up. If the opposing team is running a bulky spinblocker such as Sableye or Spiritomb, it is often better to double switch because Hitmonchan has few options for wearing them down, but against more offensive or Ice-weak Ghost-types like Golurk, Palossand, and Haunter, it is often ideal to use Ice Punch when you predict them to switch in. Hitmonchan should avoid taking on bulky Poison- and Psychic-types such as Weezing and Musharna if they're healthy due to its lack of good damage output against them, instead opting to double switch against them as well.

Team Options
========

Dark-types such as Skuntank and Liepard are great at pressuring Psychic- and Ghost-types. Their ability to trap and remove Ghost-types with Pursuit efficiently aids Hitmonchan's ability to remove entry hazards later in the battle. Other good Ghost- and Psychic-type answers include Alolan Raticate and Absol, which can apply solid offensive pressure while appreciating Hitmonchan pressuring physically defensive Pokemon like Regirock. Hitmonchan benefits greatly from offensive checks to Poison-types such as Mesprit, Alolan Raichu, and even special wallbreakers like Drampa and Magmortar that can pivot into them and appreciate Hitmonchan's entry hazard removal. Mesprit can also mitigate Hitmonchan's reliance on Drain Punch for recovery with Healing Wish, while Hitmonchan can check troublesome Dark-types and deal with other Mesprit checks like Ferroseed in return. Other offensive threats like Abomasnow, Jynx, and Pyroar can apply a lot of pressure to physically defensive Pokemon that Hitmonchan struggles to break through like Gastrodon while appreciating Hitmonchan keeping entry hazards off the field.

[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Life Orb
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Hitmonchan's Life Orb-boosted Drain Punch is a powerful attack that is able to threaten a lot of lot of bulky Pokemon such as Miltank, Ferroseed, and Regirock with the added benefit of healing to mitigate Life Orb recoil. It also has the ability to OHKO Magmortar after Stealth Rock damage. Mach Punch helps to revenge kill faster Pokemon, and the added Life Orb power guarantees KOs on Pokemon such as Lycanroc and Jynx after Stealth Rock damage as well as Togedemaru from full HP. Ice Punch is Hitmonchan's coverage move on this set, having a strong chance of OHKOing Golurk after Stealth Rock damage and dealing a solid chunk to Altaria, Palossand, and Claydol. Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's way of getting rid of entry hazards.

Set Details
========

Iron Fist is the best ability for its boost to Hitmonchan's punch-based moves. Maximum Speed makes Hitmonchan faster than Adamant Absol and everything slower. Maximum Attack with Life Orb and an Adamant nature allows Hitmonchan to hit as hard as possible. A Jolly nature can be used instead to outspeed threats like Stoutland, Kabutops, and Jolly Absol.

Usage Tips
========

This set is much more adept at revenge killing, so Hitmonchan should opt to use Mach Punch as a powerful tool against faster Pokemon such as Lycanroc and Kangaskhan. Due to the power added by Life Orb, predicting switch-ins that are hit hard by Ice Punch, such as Palossand and Gourgeist-XL, is more rewarding because they are more easily pressured. Removing entry hazards is still key, but keep in mind that this set is a bit more vulnerable to being punished due to Life Orb recoil and lack of bulk. If there are no entry hazards on the field, Hitmonchan should focus on hitting as hard as possible, revenge killing whenever necessary, and double switching to catch Pokemon that try to take advantage of it, like Mesprit and Weezing.

Team Options
========

Life Orb Hitmonchan functions well on offensive teams that benefit from a blanket check to frail offensive Pokemon as well as teams that are centered around stacking up entry hazards and thus appreciate Hitmonchan's ability to force lots of switches. Weezing and Ferroseed are solid partners, given how useful their entry hazards are for racking up residual damage on many of Hitmonchan's common grounded switch-ins. These Pokemon also appreciate Hitmonchan powering through Drampa and Magmortar while also being able to threaten Jynx with its powerful Mach Punch. Pursuit users such as Skuntank and Liepard can trap Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon, opening opportunities for Hitmonchan to remove entry hazards and hit hard with its STAB moves. Psychic-types like Jynx and Mesprit make great teammates for taking on Weezing and Qwilfish. Jynx and Mesprit also appreciate Hitmonchan's ability to break through Pokemon like Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Audino. Lastly, Pokemon like Pyroar and Archeops greatly appreciate Hitmonchan's entry hazard removal and ability to break through Rock-type Pokemon like Regirock and Carracosta.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Thunder Punch is an option over Ice Punch that can always OHKO Swanna. Throat Chop works as a coverage move to always OHKO Haunter and deal more meaningful damage to Mesprit lacking Colbur Berry, 2HKOing offensive variants. Foresight can be used to bypass Ghost-types attempting to spinblock, allowing Hitmonchan to freely use Rapid Spin against them. When used in combination with a Lum Berry, Foresight allows Hitmonchan to absorb Sableye's Will-O-Wisp and KO it in return with its Fighting-type moves. Choice Band with Earthquake is usable but isn't ideal due to Hitmonchan no longer being able to switch between priority, STAB, and coverage moves when necessary. It does, however, give Hitmonchan the ability to 2HKO Clefairy and Palossand with Earthquake and Ice Punch, respectively. Fist Plate is a solid middle ground for an item choice, as it retains the ability to boost Hitmonchan's STAB moves without Life Orb recoil compromising its survivability. Close Combat on the Life Orb set is much stronger than Drain Punch, always 2HKOing Gastrodon, OHKOing Ferroseed, and OHKOing Skuntank after Stealth Rock damage. This sacrifices Drain Punch's recovery, however, leaving Hitmonchan unable to mitigate Life Orb recoil. Bulk Up could also be used to break through bulkier teams and take hits from strong physical attackers that usually force out Hitmonchan, but this takes up a moveslot that can be used for coverage on Life Orb sets and doesn't work with Assault Vest. Bullet Punch can OHKO Jynx after Stealth Rock and always OHKO it if Life Orb boosted. (RH) Toxic is an option that can cripple Pokemon such as Musharna, Sableye, Gourgeist-XL, and Gastrodon. It it overall lackluster, though, given its inability to affect Poison-types and the fact that Ice Punch is more practical for pressuring Ghost-types.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ghost-types**: Hitmonchan has limited options for dealing with most Ghost-types, as while some Pokemon such as Golurk and Oricorio-G are weak to Ice Punch, Hitmonchan also risks getting spinblocked by them, and they can threaten Hitmonchan with their powerful STAB moves. Defensively, Pokemon such as Gourgeist-XL, Sableye, and Spiritomb can come in on Hitmonchan and outlast it throughout the match, preventing any chance of spinning while also easily wearing it down or crippling it with Will-O-Wisp.

**Weezing**: Weezing takes little damage from any of Hitmonchan's attacks, allowing it to freely switch in and set up entry hazards. Weezing also deters Hitmonchan from trying to remove them with Rapid Spin, as it can threaten to burn with Will-O-Wisp or, if Hitmonchan is at low enough HP, KO Hitmonchan with Rocky Helmet recoil to prevent successful hazard removal.

**Psychic-types**: Hitmonchan lacks a reliable coverage move for damaging Psychic-types, so bulky Pokemon such as Musharna and Mesprit can easily come in on Hitmonchan and either use it as setup fodder or deal a significant amount of damage with their STAB attacks. Even frail, faster Pokemon such as Alolan Raichu and Mr. Mime are able to easily survive a Mach Punch and OHKO with Psyshock.

**Fairy-types**: Silvally-Fairy, Granbull, and Clefairy can easily switch into Hitmonchan and either retaliate with a powerful STAB move or use it as setup fodder.

**Flying-types**: Swanna is capable of taking a single hit from all variants of Hitmonchan and can OHKO with Supersonic Skystrike, but it falls to a Life Orb Ice Punch into Mach Punch after Stealth Rock damage. Archeops is faster than Hitmonchan, can take a Mach Punch, and KOes with Acrobatics.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon like Gurdurr, Gastrodon, and Pyukumuku take any attack that Hitmonchan can throw at them relatively well. From there, Gurdurr can proceed to outlast Hitmonchan with its own Drain Punch or set up with Bulk Up. Gastrodon and Pyukumuku, on the other hand, can cripple Hitmonchan with Toxic and proceed to stall it out with Recover.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: Due to Hitmonchan's poor physical bulk, strong physical attackers such as Choice Band Primeape and Stoutland can easily outspeed and KO it. However, there are very few powerful physical attackers that can break through Hitmonchan while also being able to withstand its powerful Mach Punch, due to either having a weakness to Fighting or generally being frail. Pinsir is an exception; it can not only take Hitmonchan's attacks decently well but also set up Swords Dance against it and OHKO with a boosted Earthquake.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
aight, i whipped this boy into shape so now it's ready for QC

one thing though, HJAD and i've discussed a spread of 248 HP / 48 Atk / 212 Spe with an adamant nature on the av set and some input would be nice. basically, i think it merits at least a mention in set details / oo, if not replacing the main spread outright. basically, this allows chan to do all of the following:
  • due to the increased hp, it always lives 2 hydro from specs lanturn (and outspeeds!), as well as always live 2 fire blasts from magmortar and life orb pyroar (the latter majority of the time after rocks). it also guarantees that you're able to survive a boosted life orb adamant stone edge from carracosta (which is basically the strongest option it carries vs chan nowadays since liquidation is uncommon)
  • outspeeds +speed abomasnow and by extension, jolly golurk. the former is ohkod while the latter is 2hkod
  • the only time where the power discrepancies really matter is concerning the av and life orb set in general, and that's exactly why they're separate sets. this spread still maintains the same 2hkos and 3hkos while making better use in its utility in checking prominent special attackers and dealing with golurk

edit: after a c&c discussion, we've come to the consensus that 248 HP / 172 Atk / 88 Spe with an adamant nature should be featured, mostly because it was deemed only necessary to outspeed up to adamant golurk, which is fine imo
 
Last edited:

Aaronboyer

Something Worth Fighting For
is a Contributor to Smogon
Just a suggestion, but I would slash Fist Plate with Life Orb as most of the time it just wants to power boost on its Fighting STAB. I would also mention Close Combat somewhere, probably OO, as although it faces competition with Primeape in that respect, it is a much much stronger option than Drain Punch.
 

ManOfMany

I can make anything real
is a Tiering Contributor
[OVERVIEW]
  • Most consistent Rapid Spinner in PU.
  • AV set allows it to soak up hits from special attackers in the tier and deal with them.
  • Can run Life Orb to trade bulk for a significant increase in power
  • Iron Fist is very useful in providing it solid damage output with its attacking moves
  • Access to priority allows Hitmonchan to revenge kill Pokemon like Jynx and Pyroar
  • Struggles to hit bulky Ghost-types hard and can not Rapid Spin against them. Bulky Ghost-types such as Sableye, Gourgeist-Super can all switch in on Hitmonchan and force it out with the threat of a burn mention psychic-types as well (or just mesprit specifically)
  • Struggles to break through bulky Pokemon such as Gastrodon, Qwilfish, and Weezing
  • Low Defense makes it vulnerable to heavy hitting physical attackers
mention somewhere it can keep itself healthy pretty easily with drain punch recovery

[SET]
Name: Floyd Mayweather
Move 1: Drain Punch
Move 2: Mach Punch
Move 3: Ice Punch
Move 4: Rapid Spin
Item: Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 248 HP / 172 Atk / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Drain Punch is a powerful STAB option, hitting neutral targets for decent damage while being a semi-reliable source of recovery
  • Mach Punch is a good form of priority that lets it pick off faster threats like Jynx, Shiftry, and Pyroar after some prior damage
  • Ice Punch is a solid coverage option for hitting Pokemon such as Golurk and Oricorio-Sensu for super effective damage
  • Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's main support option, getting rid of the opposing team's hazards

Set Details
========
  • 88 Speed is to outspeed Adamant Golurk
  • With 248 HP, Hitmonchan always avoids the 2HKO from Magmortar including Fire Blast into All-Out Pummeling
  • Rest is dumped into attack for power.
  • Iron Fist is necessary to boost the power of Drain Punch, Ice Punch, and Mach Punch
  • mention alternate spreads (max atk spread, higher speed spread)

Usage Tips
========
  • Try to predict when Ghost-types are coming in to block Rapid Spin. A timely Ice Punch against Oricorio-G or Golurk, or a predicted double switch into something that takes advantage of Sableye and Gourgeist is essential in maintaining momentum. Similarly, you should avoid taking on hazard users that can take advantage of you, such as Qwilfish and Weezing.
  • With Assault Vest, it can pivot into numerous special attackers such as Pyroar, Drampa, and special Floatzel mention using drain punch to stay healthy over the match
  • Mach Punch is useful for picking off weakened and frail attackers
  • maybe say something about how bringing it in when fighting resists like qwilfish/mesprit are still alive can make it be a momentum sap so it can sometimes be better saved for later in the game. Idk though

Team Options
========
  • Pursuit trappers such as Skuntank and Liepard are great at pressuring Psychic- and Ghost-types. Its ability to trap and remove Ghost-types efficiently will help in aiding Hitmonchan's ability to remove hazards later in the battle. Not just pursuit trappers, but dark-types in general. Also mention some other mons that deal with psychic/ghost types
  • Pokemon that appreciate Hitmonchan's ability pivot into threats (special attackers specifically) such as Abomosnow, Magmortar, and Drampa, are good teammates. Physically defensive Pokemon like Gastrodon and Regirock benefit from this, while also providing a switch into strong physical attackers like Archeops. i'd give a fire-weak mon a mention since a big draw of the AV set is beating Pyroar/Magmortar
  • Psychic-types like Mesprit and Kadabra can take out bothersome Poison-types that largely wall and set up on Hitmonchan. not just psychic-types, but other strong special wallbreakers that pivot on Weezing/Qwilfish should be mentioned.
  • Pokemon that appreciate hazard removal are solid teammates, such as Jynx, Pyroar, and Archeops.

[SET]
Name: Mike Tyson
Move 1: Drain Punch
Move 2: Mach Punch
Move 3: Ice Punch
Move 4: Rapid Spin
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Iron Fist
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Drain Punch is a nice STAB that threatens a lot of bulky Pokemon such as Miltank, Piloswine and Regirock, with the added benefit of healing to mitigate Life Orb recoil. It also has the ability to OHKO Magmortar after Stealth Rock damage.
  • Mach Punch helps to revenge kill faster Pokemon, and the added Life Orb power helps to guarantee a KO on Pokemon such as Jynx, Pyroar, and Abomasnow after Stealth Rock damage, as well as Togedemaru from full HP.
  • Ice Punch is Hitmonchan's coverage move on this set, having a strong chance of OHKOing Golurk after Stealth Rock Damage. Also mention oricorio-g and one of palossand/gourgeist
  • Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's way of getting rid of the opposing team's hazards.

Set Details
========
  • Max Speed on this set allows it to everything up to Adamant Absol and lower
  • Max Attack with Life Orb and an Adamant Nature to hit as hard as possible
  • Iron Fist remains the best ability to boost the power of Hitmonchan's punch-based moves

Usage Tips
========
  • This set is much more adept at revenge killing, and thus Hitmonchan should opt to use Mach Punch against faster Pokemon such as Lycanroc, Zangoose, and Kangashkan.
  • Due to the added power of the Life Orb set, predicting switch ins that are hit hard by Ice Punch, such as Palossand and Gourgeist-Super, is more rewarding as they are more easily pressured.
  • Removing any hazards is still key, but keep in mind that this set is a bit more vulnerable to being punished due to Life Orb recoil and loss of bulk.
  • If there are no hazards in the field, Hitmonchan should primarily focus on hitting as hard as possible, revenge killing whenever necessary, and otherwise double switching against Pokemon that tries to take advantage of it, like Qwilfish, Mesprit, and Weezing.

Team Options
========
  • Hitmonchan is best with a Pursuit trapper, as removing common Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon that check it, such as Mesprit and Haunter, allows it to freely Rapid Spin and use its Fighting STAB. Pokemon such as Skuntank and Liepard are ideal candidates.
  • Likewise, Psychic-types like Jynx and Mesprit once again make great teammates for taking on Weezing and Qwilfish. Jynx and Mesprit also appreciate Hitmonchan's ability to break through Pokemon like Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Audino.
  • Pokemon such as Pyroar and Archeops greatly appreciate Hitmonchan's hazard removal and ability to break Rock-type Pokemon like Regirock and Carracosta.
my same comments for the AV set apply here, except for the part about checking special attackers. Make sure not to make it look like it was copy-and-pasted though

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • Bulk Up Hitmonchan could also be used to break more bulkier teams as well as being able to take hits from strong physical attackers that usually force out Hitmonchan
  • Toxic is used on Hitmonchan as a replacement for Rapid Spin or sometimes Ice Punch as it allows you to cripple Pokemon switching in such as Musharna, Sableye, Gourgeist-Super or Gastrodon.
  • Thunder Punch can also be used instead of Ice Punch in order to hit Water/Flying Pokemon such as Swanna, Poliwrath and Lapras. remove poliwrath and lapras (lol?), add qwilfish
  • Foresight can be used to bypass Ghost-types attempting to spinblock, allowing Hitmonchan to Rapid Spin
  • CC
  • Band
  • EQ
  • iron fist boosted focus punch
  • bullet punch to OHKO jynx

you don't have to add all of these, i just like to list extra so you can decide which ones to add

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ghost-types**: Hitmonchan has limited options for dealing with most Ghost-types, as while some Pokemon such as Golurk and Oricorio-G are weak to Ice Punch, it also risks getting spinblocked by them and they can threaten Hitmonchan with their powerful STAB options. Defensively, Pokemon such as Gourgeist-Super, Sableye, and Palossand can come in on Hitmonchan and outlast it throughout the course of the match, preventing any chance of spinning while also easily wearing it down or crippling it with Will-O-Wisp. Gourgeist-Super and Palossand will have to be wary of Life Orb variants, however, as they can potentially be broken through by Ice Punch with reasonable prior damage. mention Ice Punch freeze chance for last point

**Poison-types**: Pokemon such as Weezing and Qwilfish can easily switch in as they take little damage from any of Hitmonchan's attacks, allowing them to freely set up hazards. They also deter Hitmonchan from trying to remove them with Rapid Spin, as they can threaten to burn it with Scald and Will-O-Wisp, respectively.

**Psychic-types**: Hitmonchan lacks a reliable coverage move for damaging Psychic-types, so bulky Pokemon such as Musharna and Mesprit can either easily come in on Hitmonchan and use it as set up fodder or can deal a significant amount of damage with their STAB attacks. Even frail, faster Pokemon such as Raichu-Alola or Mr. Mime are able to easily take a Mach Punch and OHKO with Psyshock.

**Fairy-types**: Silvally-Fairy, Granbull, and Clefairy can easily switch into Hitmonchan and then can either retaliate with a powerful STAB move or use it as setup fodder.

**Flying-types**: Swanna is capable of taking a single hit from all variants of Hitmonchan and can OHKO with Supersonic Skystrike, but falls to a Life Orb Ice Punch into Mach Punch after Stealth Rock Damage. Archeops is also faster than Hitmonchan, can easily take a Mach Punch not "easily" but it can take one, and then KO with Acrobatics. mention oricorio-g

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Gurdurr, Gastrodon, and Pyukumuku all take minimal damage from any attack that Hitmonchan can throw at it from either set. (that's an exaggeration, LO drain punch does a decent amount to gurdurr and gastro) From there, Gurdurr can proceed to outlast Hitmonchan with its own Drain Punch or can set up with Bulk Up. Gastrodon and Pyukumuku, on the other hand, can cripple Hitmonchan with Toxic and proceed to stall it out with Recover.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: Due to Hitmonchan's poor physical bulk, strong physical attackers such as Kabutops, Choice Band Primeape, and Stoutland, can easily outspeed and KO how about listing some mons that aren't weak to Mach Punch instead? I guess you're right that there really aren't too many, i can think of Band Skunk and Archeops. However, there are very few powerful physical attackers that can break through Hitmonchan while also being able to withstand its powerful Mach Punch well, due to either having a weakness to Fighting or generally being frail . Pinsir can not only take Hitmonchan's attacks decently well but can also set up Swords Dance against it and OHKO with a boosted Earthquake.
1/3 :pimp:
 

ManOfMany

I can make anything real
is a Tiering Contributor
jklioe make sure to implement the following two points.
Team Options
  • Not just pursuit trappers, but dark-types in general (can say especially Pursuit trappers) are fine to deal with psychic/ghost types. This is good to mention because not every team can afford a Pursuit trapper; some teams might prefer a SD Absol or Alolan Persian to help with them for example.
C&C
  • mention Ice Punch freeze chance for last point (this is actually pretty important since switching into LO Ice Punch forces Palo/Geist to recover, and Hitmonchan can keep spamming Ice Punch to fish for a freeze until they gain all the health back)

also you accidentally mentioned Abomasnow as a counter in the Overview lol
 

yogi

I did not succumb...
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
[OVERVIEW]
  • Most consistent Rapid Spinner in PU. (why? good speed, semi reliable recovery, pressures a lot of rockers, etc)
  • AV set allows it to soak up hits from special attackers in the tier and deal with them. (any notable ones)
  • Can run Life Orb to trade bulk for a significant increase in power
  • Can keep itself healthy with Drain Punch recovery (especially when using LO, as it mitigates the 10% per turn cost)
  • Iron Fist is very useful in providing it solid damage output with its attacking moves (I feel like this point and the above point could be combined)
  • Access to priority allows Hitmonchan to revenge kill Pokemon like Jynx and Pyroar (potentially revenge kill, both require chip)
  • Struggles to hit bulky Ghost-types hard and can not Rapid Spin against them. Bulky Ghost-types such as Sableye, Gourgeist-Super can all switch in on Hitmonchan and force it out with the threat of a burn. Additionally, bulky (psychic?) types such as Mesprit can take its attacks well and hit hard in return
  • Struggles to break through bulky Pokemon such as Gastrodon, Qwilfish, and Weezing
  • Low Defense makes it vulnerable to heavy hitting physical attackers (like?)

[SET]
Name: Floyd Mayweather (assault vest)
Move 1: Drain Punch
Move 2: Mach Punch
Move 3: Ice Punch
Move 4: Rapid Spin
Item: Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 248 HP / 172 Atk / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Drain Punch is a powerful STAB option, hitting neutral targets for decent damage while being a semi-reliable source of recovery
  • Mach Punch is a good form of priority that lets it pick off faster threats like Jynx, Shiftry, and Pyroar after some prior damage
  • Ice Punch is a solid coverage option for hitting Pokemon such as Golurk and Oricorio-Sensu for super effective damage
  • Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's main support option, getting rid of the opposing team's hazards (good)

Set Details
========
  • 88 Speed is to outspeed Adamant Golurk
  • With 248 HP, Hitmonchan always avoids the 2HKO from Magmortar including Fire Blast into All-Out Pummeling
  • Rest is dumped into attack for power. (does the rest do anything important?)
  • Iron Fist is necessary to boost the power of Drain Punch, Ice Punch, and Mach Punch
  • Hitmonchan can readjust its EVs from its HP to either add more power or add enough Speed for Jolly Golurk (maybe give an example?)

Usage Tips
========
  • Try to predict when Ghost-types are coming in to block Rapid Spin. A timely Ice Punch against Oricorio-G or Golurk, or a predicted double switch into something that takes advantage of Sableye and Gourgeist is essential in maintaining momentum. Similarly, you should avoid taking on hazard users that can take advantage of you, such as Qwilfish and Weezing.
  • With Assault Vest, it can pivot into numerous special attackers such as Pyroar, Drampa, and special Floatzel and use Drain Punch to break through them all while staying healthy
  • Mach Punch is useful for picking off weakened and frail attackers

Team Options
========
  • Dark-types such as Skuntank and Liepard are great at pressuring Psychic- and Ghost-types. Their ability to trap and remove Ghost-types efficiently aids Hitmonchan's ability to remove hazards later in the battle. Other good Ghost- and Psychic-type answers include Persian-Alola and Absol
  • Pokemon that appreciate Hitmonchan's ability pivot into special attackers such as Abomosnow, Magmortar, and Drampa, are good teammates. Physically defensive Pokemon like Gastrodon, Ferroseed, and Regirock benefit from this, while also providing a switch into strong physical attackers like Archeops.
  • Psychic-types like Mesprit and Kadabra can take out bothersome Poison-types that largely wall and set up on Hitmonchan. Special wallbreakers that pivot into them like Drampa or Magmortar work also
  • Pokemon that appreciate hazard removal are solid teammates, such as Abomasnow, Jynx, Pyroar, and Archeops. (you mention pyroar and jynx a lot, maybe some other examples)
  • Enjoys hazard support from the likes of qwilfish

[SET]
Name: Mike Tyson (physical attacker)
Move 1: Drain Punch
Move 2: Mach Punch
Move 3: Ice Punch
Move 4: Rapid Spin
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Iron Fist
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Drain Punch is a nice STAB that threatens a lot of bulky Pokemon such as Miltank, Piloswine and Regirock, with the added benefit of healing to mitigate Life Orb recoil. It also has the ability to OHKO Magmortar after Stealth Rock damage.
  • Mach Punch helps to revenge kill faster Pokemon, and the added Life Orb power helps to guarantee a KO on Pokemon such as Jynx, Pyroar, and Abomasnow after Stealth Rock damage, as well as Togedemaru from full HP.
  • Ice Punch is Hitmonchan's coverage move on this set, having a strong chance of OHKOing Golurk after Stealth Rock Damage and dealing a solid chunk to Gourgeist and Palossand (specify gourg-super by the way)
  • Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's way of getting rid of the opposing team's hazards. (good)

Set Details
========
  • Max Speed on this set allows it to everything up to Adamant Absol and lower
  • Max Attack with Life Orb and an Adamant Nature to hit as hard as possible
  • Iron Fist remains the best ability to boost the power of Hitmonchan's punch-based moves
  • Mention jolly in my opinion

Usage Tips
========
  • This set is much more adept at revenge killing, and thus Hitmonchan should opt to use Mach Punch against faster Pokemon such as Lycanroc, Zangoose, and Kangashkan.
  • Due to the added power of the Life Orb set, predicting switch ins that are hit hard by Ice Punch, such as Palossand and Gourgeist-Super, is more rewarding as they are more easily pressured.
  • Removing any hazards is still key, but keep in mind that this set is a bit more vulnerable to being punished due to Life Orb recoil and loss of bulk.
  • If there are no hazards in the field, Hitmonchan should primarily focus on hitting as hard as possible, revenge killing whenever necessary, and otherwise double switching against Pokemon that tries to take advantage of it, like Qwilfish, Mesprit, and Weezing.

Team Options
========
  • Life Orb Hitmonchan works especially well with Pursuit support, as removing common Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon that check it, such as Mesprit and Haunter, allows it to freely Rapid Spin and use its Fighting STAB. Pokemon such as Skuntank and Liepard are ideal candidates. Other Dark-types that can break through these check are Raticate-Alola and Swords Dance Absol
  • Likewise, Psychic-types like Jynx and Mesprit once again make great teammates for taking on Weezing and Qwilfish. Jynx and Mesprit also appreciate Hitmonchan's ability to break through Pokemon like Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Audino.
  • Special wallbreakers that can pivot into and break through Pokemon that Hitmonchan struggles to break through, such as Gastrodon and the aforementioned Weezing and Qwilfish, are ideal as well. Drampa and Abomasnow are solid options.
  • Pokemon such as Pyroar and Archeops greatly appreciate Hitmonchan's hazard removal and ability to break Rock-type Pokemon like Regirock and Carracosta.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • Bulk Up Hitmonchan could also be used to break more bulkier teams as well as being able to take hits from strong physical attackers that usually force out Hitmonchan
  • Toxic is used on Hitmonchan as a replacement for Rapid Spin or sometimes Ice Punch as it allows you to cripple Pokemon switching in such as Musharna, Sableye, Gourgeist-Super or Gastrodon.
  • Thunder Punch can also be used instead of Ice Punch in order to hit Water/Flying Pokemon such as Swanna and Qwilfish
  • Foresight can be used to bypass Ghost-types attempting to spinblock, allowing Hitmonchan to Rapid Spin
  • Close Combat on the Life Orb set is much stronger, always 2HKOing Gastrodon and OHKOing Ferroseed, Piloswine, and Skuntank after rocks. This sacrifices Drain Punch's recovery, however.
  • Bullet Punch on AV OHKOs Jynx after rocks while always OHKOing at full on the Life Orb set
  • Fist Plate for higher power among its Fighting STAB

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ghost-types**: Hitmonchan has limited options for dealing with most Ghost-types, as while some Pokemon such as Golurk and Oricorio-G are weak to Ice Punch, it also risks getting spinblocked by them and they can threaten Hitmonchan with their powerful STAB options. Defensively, Pokemon such as Gourgeist-Super, Sableye, and Palossand can come in on Hitmonchan and outlast it throughout the course of the match, preventing any chance of spinning while also easily wearing it down or crippling it with Will-O-Wisp. Gourgeist-Super and Palossand will have to be wary of Life Orb variants, however, as they can potentially be broken through by Ice Punch with reasonable prior damage, and since they're forced to immediately recover upon switching it, Hitmonchan can fish for a freeze.

**Poison-types**: Pokemon such as Weezing and Qwilfish can easily switch in as they take little damage from any of Hitmonchan's attacks, allowing them to freely set up hazards. They also deter Hitmonchan from trying to remove them with Rapid Spin, as they can threaten to burn it with Scald and Will-O-Wisp, respectively.

**Psychic-types**: Hitmonchan lacks a reliable coverage move for damaging Psychic-types, so bulky Pokemon such as Musharna and Mesprit can either easily come in on Hitmonchan and use it as set up fodder or can deal a significant amount of damage with their STAB attacks. Even frail, faster Pokemon such as Raichu-Alola or Mr. Mime are able to easily take a Mach Punch and OHKO with Psyshock.

**Fairy-types**: Silvally-Fairy, Granbull, and Clefairy can easily switch into Hitmonchan and then can either retaliate with a powerful STAB move or use it as setup fodder.

**Flying-types**: Swanna is capable of taking a single hit from all variants of Hitmonchan and can OHKO with Supersonic Skystrike, but falls to a Life Orb Ice Punch into Mach Punch after Stealth Rock Damage. Archeops is also faster than Hitmonchan, can take a Mach Punch, and then KO with Acrobatics.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Gurdurr, Gastrodon, and Pyukumuku all take any attack that Hitmonchan can throw at it from either set relatively well. From there, Gurdurr can proceed to outlast Hitmonchan with its own Drain Punch or can set up with Bulk Up. Gastrodon and Pyukumuku, on the other hand, can cripple Hitmonchan with Toxic and proceed to stall it out with Recover.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: Due to Hitmonchan's poor physical bulk, strong physical attackers such as Choice Band Primeape and Stoutland can easily outspeed and KO. However, there are very few powerful physical attackers that can break through Hitmonchan while also being able to withstand its powerful Mach Punch well, due to either having a weakness to Fighting or generally being frail. Pinsir can not only take Hitmonchan's attacks decently well but can also set up Swords Dance against it and OHKO with a boosted Earthquake.
Looks good! QC 2/3
 

MZ

And now for something completely different
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Team Rater Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
[OVERVIEW]

Hitmonchan's constant offensive presence and utility on the field grants it solid role compression for teams. These positive qualities make it a solid source of hazard removal for teams with its access to Rapid Spin actually spin is what gives it "utility on the field", rather than "these qualities making it" a good remover. the causality is backwards, pressuring Stealth Rock users such as Miltank and Regirock, all while sporting a niche in PU as a blanket check to many of the tier's Special Attackers due to its considerable amount of Special Defense that can be further accompanied by Assault Vest. Offensively, Iron Fist is Hitmonchan's premier Ability, as the boost provides it solid damage output with all of its attacking moves. It can also utilize Life Orb to drastically increase its damage output and help it achieve KOes on Pokemon like Jynx and Pyroar with its access to strong priority in Mach Punch mach is also important for its defensive utility, much more of a relevant point than "it can run LO with it". All of these traits allow Hitmonchan to provide an exceptional amount of utility for teams while being an immediate threat to opposing teams, and although it lacks recovery, it can circumstantially mitigate this with its main attacking move, Drain Punch.

Despite its considerable amount of advantages, Hitmonchan's main flaw lies in its low Defense and inability to reliably deal with Pokemon with a typing advantage against it, making it prone to being pressured by Pokemon like Mesprit, Archeops, and Silvally-Fairy. In the case of bulky Ghost-types such as Sableye and Gourgeist, it even struggles in its role of hazard removal, while faster Pokemon such as Oricorio-G can OHKO it the oricorio thing is a bit of a weird segue, it's also a ghost but is an issue for chan for entirely different reasons. While it resists Stealth Rock, it is vulnerable to other forms of hazards that come from the likes of Pokemon that take it on well, like Qwilfish and Weezing. Despite these setbacks, Hitmonchan still offers worthwhile roles that teams of many archetypes can make use of, packing great offensive and defensive utility.

[SET]
Name: Floyd Mayweather
Move 1: Drain Punch
Move 2: Mach Punch
Move 3: Ice Punch
Move 4: Rapid Spin
Item: Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 248 HP / 172 Atk / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Drain Punch is a powerful STAB option, hitting neutral targets for decent damage while being a semi-reliable source of recovery and hitting Normal-, Rock-, Steel-, and Ice-types like Type: Null, Aggron, and Abomasnow super effectively. Mach Punch is Hitmonchan's main form of priority that always OHKOs Raticate-Alola this seems a bit obvious and weird to mention specifically but aight, as well as letting it pick off other faster threats like Floatzel or Kabutops after a bit of prior damage. Ice Punch is Hitmonchan's only way of hitting Ghost-types, and is, in particular, a solid coverage option for Golurk and Oricorio-Sensu for super effective damage. Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's main support option, getting rid of the opposing team's entry hazards.

Set Details
========

Iron Fist is necessary to boost the power of Drain Punch, Ice Punch, and Mach Punch i mean not necessary, just really good fro that reason. 88 Speed is to outspeed Adamant Golurk and everything slower, but one can opt for 168 Speed EVs outspeed more Pokemon such as Jolly Golurk and Mild Abomasnow. With 248 HP, Hitmonchan always avoids the 2HKO from Magmortar and Hasty Abomasnow. The rest of the EVs are allotted to its attack to maintain high damage output.

Usage Tips
========

Assault Vest Hitmonchan is able to use its increased bulk to switch into a myriad of special attackers such as Ludicolo, Zebstrika, and Drampa. From there, Hitmonchan can retaliate by hitting the majority of physically frail or super effective targets for a significant amount of damage with Drain Punch, or it can use Mach Punch to pick off faster targets if they are within range of being KOed by the attack. Otherwise, Rapid Spin will usually be the main option of choice when hazards are up. If the opposing team is running a bulky spinblocker such as Sableye or Misdreavus, it is often better to double switch as Hitmonchan has little options for wearing them down, but against more offensive or Ice-weak Ghost-type Pokemon like Golurk, Palossand, or Haunter, it is often ideal to Ice Punch on a predicted switch. Similarly, Hitmonchan should avoid taking on bulky Poison- and Psychic-types such as Weezing and Musharna if they're healthy due to its lack of good damage output against them, and should instead opt to double switch against them as well.

it's key to mention that even with AV u cant switch into somth like av mag or specs drampa or specs pyroar more than once since they do a ton of chip, so don't try to treat it as some kind of reliable switchin

Team Options
========

Dark-types such as Skuntank and Liepard are great at pressuring Psychic- and Ghost-types. Their ability to trap and remove Ghost-types with Pursuit efficiently aids Hitmonchan's ability to remove hazards later in the battle. Other good Ghost- and Psychic-type answers include Raticate-Alola and Absol which can apply solid offensive pressure, all while conversely appreciating Hitmonchan pressuring physically defensive Pokemon like Regirock. Hitmonchan benefits greatly from offensive checks to Poison-types as partners such as Mesprit, Raichu-Alola, or even special breakers like Drampa or Magmortar that can pivot into them while appreciating Hitmonchan removing entry hazards for them to more easily switch in and out. Mesprit can also mitigate Hitmonchan's reliance on Drain Punch for recovery with Healing Wish, while in return Hitmonchan can check troublesome Dark-types and deal with other checks like Ferroseed. Other offensive threats like Abomosnow, Jynx, and Pyroar can apply a lot of pressure to physically defensive Pokemon that Hitmonchan struggles to break through like Gastrodon, while in return appreciating Hitmonchan keeping entry hazards off the field.

things that like hazards removed

[SET]
Name: Mike Tyson just call it physical attacker
Move 1: Drain Punch
Move 2: Mach Punch
Move 3: Ice Punch
Move 4: Rapid Spin
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Iron Fist
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Hitmonchan's Life Orb-boosted Drain Punch is a powerful option that is able to threaten a lot of lot of bulky Pokemon such as Miltank, Ferroseed, and Regirock, with the added benefit of healing to mitigate Life Orb recoil. It also has the ability to OHKO Magmortar after Stealth Rock damage. Mach Punch helps to revenge kill faster Pokemon, and the added Life Orb power helps to guarantee a KO on Pokemon such as Lycanroc and Jynx after Stealth Rock damage, as well as Zangoose and Togedemaru from full HP. Ice Punch is Hitmonchan's coverage move on this set, having a strong chance of OHKOing Golurk after Stealth Rock Damage, and dealing a solid chunk to Gourgeist-Super and Palossand reminder about ur post where u wanted to mention altaria as a target, because listing ghost types is getting old anyway. Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's way of getting rid of the opposing team's hazards.

Set Details
========

Iron Fist remains the best ability to boost the power of Hitmonchan's punch-based moves. Max Speed on this set allows it to everything up to Adamant Absol and lower. Max Attack with Life Orb and an Adamant Nature to hit as hard as possible. Other possible alterations on this set include a Jolly nature to outspeed targets like Stoutland, Kabutops, and Jolly Absol.

Usage Tips
========

This set is much more adept at revenge killing, and thus Hitmonchan should opt to use Mach Punch as a powerful tool against faster Pokemon such as Lycanroc, Zangoose, and Kangashkan. Due to the added power of the Life Orb set, predicting switch-ins that are hit hard by Ice Punch, such as Palossand and Gourgeist-Super, is more rewarding as they are more easily pressured. Removing any hazards is still key, but keep in mind that this set is a bit more vulnerable to being punished due to Life Orb recoil and loss of bulk. If there are no hazards in the field, Hitmonchan should primarily focus on hitting as hard as possible, revenge killing whenever necessary, and otherwise double switching against Pokemon that tries to take advantage of it, like Qwilfish, Mesprit, and Weezing.

Team Options
========

Life Orb Hitmonchan functions well on offensive teams that benefit from a blanket check to frail offensive Pokemon, as well as teams that are centered around stacking up hazards due to its ability to force lots of switches. Spikes and Toxic Spikes support from Qwilfish, Weezing, and Ferroseed are solid partners, racking up residual damage to many of Hitmonchan's common grounded switch-ins. These Pokemon also appreciate Hitmonchan powering through Drampa and Magmortar, while also being able to threaten Jynx with its powerful Mach Punch. Pursuit users such Skuntank and Liepard can trap Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon, opening opportunities for Hitmonchan to remove hazards and hit hard with its Fighting STAB. Psychic-types like Jynx and Mesprit once again make great teammates for taking on Weezing and Qwilfish. Conversely, Jynx and Mesprit also appreciate Hitmonchan's ability to break through Pokemon like Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Audino. Lastly, Pokemon such as Pyroar and Archeops greatly appreciate Hitmonchan's hazard removal and ability to break Rock-type Pokemon like Regirock and Carracosta.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Foresight can be used to bypass Ghost-types attempting to spinblock, allowing Hitmonchan to freely Rapid Spin against them. Fist Plate is a solid middle ground for an item choice for Hitmonchan, as it retains the ability to boost its Fighting STAB without Life Orb recoil compromising its survivability. Close Combat on the Life Orb set is much stronger than Drain Punch, always 2HKOing Gastrodon, OHKOing Ferroseed, and OHKOing Skuntank after Stealth Rock damage. This sacrifices Drain Punch's recovery, however, leaving it unable to mitigate Life Orb recoil. Thunder Punch is an option over Ice Punch that can always OHKO Swanna, and 2HKO Qwilfish on sets equipped with Life Orb i would mention this first and say it's absolutely worth using if chan isn't going to be running rapid spin for whatever reason. it's easily the best 4th moveslot. Bulk Up Hitmonchan could also be used to break bulkier teams as well as being able to take hits from strong physical attackers that usually force out Hitmonchan, but this takes up a slot that can be used for its coverage on Life Orb sets and doesn't synergize with Assault Vest. Bullet Punch on Assault Vest sets can OHKO Jynx after Stealth Rock, while always OHKOing at full on the Life Orb set. Finally, Toxic is an option that can cripple Pokemon such as Musharna, Sableye, Gourgeist-Super or Gastrodon. This is a lackluster option given its inability to affect Poison-types and the fact that Ice Punch is more practical for pressuring Ghost-types on both sets.

throat chop!

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ghost-types**: Hitmonchan has limited options for dealing with most Ghost-types, as while some Pokemon such as Golurk and Oricorio-G are weak to Ice Punch, it also risks getting spinblocked by them and they can threaten Hitmonchan with their powerful STAB options. Defensively, Pokemon such as Gourgeist-Super, Sableye, and Palossand can come in on Hitmonchan and outlast it throughout the course of the match, preventing any chance of spinning while also easily wearing it down or crippling it with Will-O-Wisp. Gourgeist-Super and Palossand will have to be wary of Life Orb variants, however, as they can potentially be broken through by Ice Punch with reasonable prior damage, and since they're forced to immediately recover upon switching it, Hitmonchan can fish for a freeze dont mention freeze fishing, not rly reliable strat.

**Poison-types**: Pokemon such as Weezing and Qwilfish can easily switch in as they take little damage from any of Hitmonchan's attacks, allowing them to freely set up hazards. They also deter Hitmonchan from trying to remove them with Rapid Spin, as they can threaten to burn it with Scald and Will-O-Wisp, respectively. ur respectively is backwards, it implies that weezing is the one using scald

**Psychic-types**: Hitmonchan lacks a reliable coverage move for damaging Psychic-types, so bulky Pokemon such as Musharna and Mesprit can either easily come in on Hitmonchan and use it as set up fodder or can deal a significant amount of damage with their STAB attacks. Even frail, faster Pokemon such as Raichu-Alola or Mr. Mime are able to easily take *survive a Mach Punch and OHKO with Psyshock.

**Fairy-types**: Silvally-Fairy, Granbull, and Clefairy can easily switch into Hitmonchan and then can either retaliate with a powerful STAB move or use it as setup fodder.

**Flying-types**: Swanna is capable of taking a single hit from all variants of Hitmonchan and can OHKO with Supersonic Skystrike, but falls to a Life Orb Ice Punch into Mach Punch after Stealth Rock Damage. Archeops is also faster than Hitmonchan, can take a Mach Punch, and then KO with Acrobatics.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon such as. otherwise it implies that these are the only ones. also pyukumuku isn't really relevant at all and there's probably something better to mention Gurdurr, Gastrodon, and Pyukumuku all take any attack that Hitmonchan can throw at it from either set relatively well. From there, Gurdurr can proceed to outlast Hitmonchan with its own Drain Punch or can set up with Bulk Up. Gastrodon and Pyukumuku, on the other hand, can cripple Hitmonchan with Toxic and proceed to stall it out with Recover.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: Due to Hitmonchan's poor physical bulk, strong physical attackers such as Choice Band Primeape and Stoutland can easily outspeed and KO. However, there are very few powerful physical attackers that can break through Hitmonchan while also being able to withstand its powerful Mach Punch well, due to either having a weakness to Fighting or generally being frail. Pinsir can not only take Hitmonchan's attacks decently well but can also set up Swords Dance against it and OHKO with a boosted Earthquake.
qcstamp.gif
good stuff, 3/3
 

GP 1/2
remove add

[OVERVIEW]

Hitmonchan's constant offensive presence and utility on the field grants it solid role compression for teams. Its utility includes its access to Rapid Spin, (comma) pressuring combined with its ability to pressure Stealth Rock users such as Miltank and Regirock, and sporting a niche in PU it can act as a blanket check to many of the tier's special attackers due to its considerable amount of Special Defense that can be further augmented by Assault Vest. Offensively, Iron Fist is Hitmonchan's premier ability, as the boost provides it solid damage output with all of its attacking moves, including its strong priority in Mach Punch. It can also utilize Life Orb to drastically increase its damage output and help it achieve KOes on Pokemon like Jynx and Pyroar with Mach Punch. All of these traits allow Hitmonchan to provide an exceptional amount of utility for teams while being an immediate threat to opposing teams, and although it lacks recovery, it can circumstantially mitigate this with its main attacking move, Drain Punch.

Despite its considerable amount of advantages, Hitmonchan's main flaws lies in its low Defense and its inability to reliably deal with Pokemon with that have a typing advantage against it, making it prone to being pressured by Pokemon like Mesprit, Archeops, and Silvally-Fairy. In the case of When faced with bulky Ghost-types such as Sableye, Spiritomb, and Gourgeist-XL, it struggles in its role of hazard removal to remove entry hazards and must fear Will-O-Wisp, while faster Ghost-types such as Oricorio-G can outspeed and easily OHKO it. While it resists Stealth Rock, it is vulnerable to other forms of hazards that come from the likes of Pokemon that take it on well, like Weezing's Toxic Spikes. Despite these setbacks, Hitmonchan still offers worthwhile roles that teams of many archetypes can make use of, packing great offensive and defensive utility.

[SET]
Name: Assault Vest
Move 1: Drain Punch
Move 2: Mach Punch
Move 3: Ice Punch
Move 4: Rapid Spin
Item: Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 244 HP / 176 Atk / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Drain Punch is a powerful STAB option, hitting neutral targets for decent damage while being a semi-reliable source of recovery and hitting Normal-, Rock-, Steel-, and Ice-types like Type: Null, Aggron, and Abomasnow super effectively. Mach Punch is Hitmonchan's main form of priority; (semi) it OHKOes Alolan Raticate and lets Himonchan that always OHKOs Raticate-Alola, as well as letting it pick off other faster threats like Absol or and Lycanroc after a bit of prior damage. Ice Punch hits Pokemon like Alolan Exeggutor-Alola and Altaria super effectively. It is also Hitmonchan's main option attack for Ghost-types, dealing significant damage to offensive spinblockers like Golurk and Oricorio-G. Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's main support option move, getting rid of the opposing team's hazards.

Set Details
========

Iron Fist is necessary to boost the power of Drain Punch, Ice Punch, and Mach Punch. Having 88 Speed EVs is to outspeed Adamant Golurk and everything slower, but one can opt for 168 Speed EVs to outspeed more Pokemon such as Jolly Golurk and Mild Abomasnow. With 244 HP, Hitmonchan always avoids the 2HKOs from getting 2HKOed by Assault Vest Magmortar's Fire Blast and Hasty Life Orb Abomasnow's Life Orb-boosted Blizzard. The rest of the EVs and an Adamant nature are used to maximize Hitmonchan's Attack.

Usage Tips
========

Assault Vest Hitmonchan is able to use its increased bulk to switch into a myriad of special attackers such as Ludicolo, Zebstrika, and Eelektross, but against stronger Special Attackers particularly strong special attackers such as Magmortar, Drampa, or and Choice Specs Pyroar, Hitmonchan should not be treated as a reliable switch-in to these Pokemon as because it can only often only come in once on a strong STAB move once. From there Once it has switched into an attack, Hitmonchan can retaliate by hitting the majority of physically frail or super effective Fighting-weak targets for a significant amount of damage with Drain Punch, or it can use Mach Punch to pick off faster targets if they are within range of being KOed by the attack. Otherwise, Rapid Spin will usually be the main option of choice first move used when hazards are up. If the opposing team is running a bulky spinblocker such as Sableye or Misdreavus, it is often better to double switch as because Hitmonchan has little few options for wearing them down, but against more offensive or Ice-weak Ghost-types Pokemon like Golurk, Palossand, or and Haunter, it is often ideal to use Ice Punch on a predicted switch when you predict them to switch in. Similarly, Hitmonchan should avoid taking on bulky Poison- and Psychic-types such as Weezing and Musharna if they're healthy due to its lack of good damage output against them, and should instead opting to double switch against them as well.

Team Options
========

Dark-types such as Skuntank and Liepard are great at pressuring Psychic- and Ghost-types. Their ability to trap and remove Ghost-types with Pursuit efficiently aids Hitmonchan's ability to remove hazards later in the battle. Other good Ghost- and Psychic-type answers include Alolan Raticate-Alola and Absol, (comma) which can apply solid offensive pressure, (comma) all while conversely appreciating Hitmonchan pressuring physically defensive Pokemon like Regirock. Hitmonchan benefits greatly from offensive checks to Poison-types as partners such as Mesprit, Alolan Raichu-Alola, or and even special wallbreakers like Drampa or Magmortar that can pivot into them while appreciating Hitmonchan removing entry hazards for them to more easily switch in and out like Drampa and Magmortar. Mesprit can also mitigate Hitmonchan's reliance on Drain Punch for recovery with Healing Wish, while in return Hitmonchan can check troublesome Dark-types and deal with other Mesprit checks like Ferroseed in return. Other offensive threats like Abomasnow, Jynx, and Pyroar can apply a lot of pressure to physically defensive Pokemon that Hitmonchan struggles to break through like Gastrodon, (comma) while in return appreciating Hitmonchan keeping entry hazards off the field.

[SET]
Name: Physical Attacker
Move 1: Drain Punch
Move 2: Mach Punch
Move 3: Ice Punch
Move 4: Rapid Spin
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Iron Fist
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Hitmonchan's Life Orb-boosted Drain Punch is a powerful option attack that is able to threaten a lot of lot of bulky Pokemon such as Miltank, Ferroseed, and Regirock, (comma) with the added benefit of healing to mitigate Life Orb recoil. It also has the ability to OHKO Magmortar after Stealth Rock damage. Mach Punch helps to revenge kill faster Pokemon, and the added Life Orb power helps to guarantee a guarantees KOs on Pokemon such as Lycanroc and Jynx after Stealth Rock damage, (comma) as well as Togedemaru from full HP. Ice Punch is Hitmonchan's coverage move on this set, having a strong chance of OHKOing Golurk after Stealth Rock damage, (comma) and dealing a solid chunk to Altaria, Palossand, and Claydol. Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's way of getting rid of the opposing team's entry hazards.

Set Details
========

Iron Fist remains is the best ability to boost the power of for its boost to Hitmonchan's punch-based moves. Maximum Speed on this set allows it to everything up to makes Hitmonchan faster than Adamant Absol and lower everything slower. Maximum Attack with Life Orb and an Adamant nature allows Hitmonchan to hit as hard as possible. Other possible alterations on this set include a Jolly nature to outspeed targets A Jolly nature can be possibly used instead to outspeed threats like Stoutland, Kabutops, and Jolly Absol.

Usage Tips
========

This set is much more adept at revenge killing, and thus so Hitmonchan should opt to use Mach Punch as a powerful tool against faster Pokemon such as Lycanroc and Kangashkan. Due to the added power of the added by Life Orb set, predicting switch-ins that are hit hard by Ice Punch, such as Palossand and Gourgeist-SuperXL, is more rewarding as because they are more easily pressured. Removing any entry hazards is still key, but keep in mind that this set is a bit more vulnerable to being punished due to Life Orb recoil and loss lack of bulk. If there are no entry hazards in the field, Hitmonchan should primarily focus on hitting as hard as possible, revenge killing whenever necessary, and otherwise double switching against to catch Pokemon that try to take advantage of it, like Mesprit and Weezing.

Team Options
========

Life Orb Hitmonchan functions well on offensive teams that benefit from a blanket check to frail offensive Pokemon, (comma) as well as teams that are centered around stacking up entry hazards due to its and thus appreciate Hitmonchan's ability to force lots of switches. Weezing and Ferroseed are solid partners, given how useful their entry hazards are for racking up residual damage to on many of Hitmonchan's common grounded switch-ins. These Pokemon also appreciate Hitmonchan powering through Drampa and Magmortar, (comma) while also being able to threaten Jynx with its powerful Mach Punch. Pursuit users such as Skuntank and Liepard can trap Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon, opening opportunities for Hitmonchan to remove entry hazards and hit hard with its STAB moves. Psychic-types like Jynx and Mesprit once again make great teammates for taking on Weezing and Qwilfish. Conversely, Jynx and Mesprit also appreciate Hitmonchan's ability to break through Pokemon like Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Audino. Lastly, Pokemon such as like Pyroar and Archeops greatly appreciate Hitmonchan's entry hazard removal and ability to break through Rock-type Pokemon like Regirock and Carracosta.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Thunder Punch is an option over Ice Punch that can always OHKO Swanna. Throat Chop works as a coverage move to always OHKO Haunter and dealing more meaningful damage to Mesprit lacking Colbur Berry, 2HKOing offensive variants. Foresight can be used to bypass Ghost-types attempting to spinblock, allowing Hitmonchan to freely use Rapid Spin against them. When used in combination with a Lum Berry, Foresight allows Hitmonchan to absorb Sableye's Will-O-Wisp and KO Sableye in return with its Fighting-type moves. Choice Band with Earthquake is usable but isn't ideal due to Hitmonchan no longer being able to switch between priority, STAB, and coverage moves when necessary. It does, however, have the ability to 2HKO Clefairy and Palossand with Earthquake or and Ice Punch, respectively. Fist Plate is a solid middle ground for an item choice for Hitmonchan, as it retains the ability to boost its Fighting Hitmonchan's STAB moves without Life Orb recoil compromising its survivability. Close Combat on the Life Orb set is much stronger than Drain Punch, always 2HKOing Gastrodon, OHKOing Ferroseed, and OHKOing Skuntank after Stealth Rock damage. This sacrifices Drain Punch's recovery, however, leaving it Hitmonchan unable to mitigate Life Orb recoil. Bulk Up Hitmonchan could also be used to break through bulkier teams as well as being able to and take hits from strong physical attackers that usually force out Hitmonchan, but this takes up a moveslot that can be used for its coverage on Life Orb sets and doesn't synergize work with Assault Vest. Bullet Punch on Assault Vest sets can OHKO Jynx after Stealth Rock, (comma) while always OHKOing at full on the Life Orb set and always OHKO it if Life Orb-boosted. Finally, Toxic is an option that can cripple Pokemon such as Musharna, Sableye, Gourgeist-XL, (comma) and or Gastrodon. This is a lackluster option given its inability to affect Poison-types and the fact that Ice Punch is more practical for pressuring Ghost-types on both sets.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ghost-types**: Hitmonchan has limited options for dealing with most Ghost-types, as while some Pokemon such as Golurk and Oricorio-G are weak to Ice Punch, it Hitmonchan also risks getting spinblocked by them and they can threaten Hitmonchan with their powerful STAB options moves. Defensively, Pokemon such as Gourgeist-XL, Sableye, and Spiritomb can come in on Hitmonchan and outlast it throughout the course of the match, preventing any chance of spinning while also easily wearing it down or crippling it with Will-O-Wisp.

**Weezing**: Weezing can easily switch in it takes little damage from any of Hitmonchan's attacks, allowing it to freely switch in and set up hazards. Weezing also deters Hitmonchan from trying to remove them with Rapid Spin, as it can threaten to burn it with Will-O-Wisp or, (comma) if Hitmonchan is at a low enough HP, can faint from KO Hitmonchan with Rocky Helmet recoil to prevent a successful hazard removal.

**Psychic-types**: Hitmonchan lacks a reliable coverage move for damaging Psychic-types, so bulky Pokemon such as Musharna and Mesprit can either easily come in on Hitmonchan and either use it as set(space)up fodder or can deal a significant amount of damage with their STAB attacks. Even frail, faster Pokemon such as Alolan Raichu-Alola or and Mr. Mime are able to easily survive a Mach Punch and OHKO with Psyshock.

**Fairy-types**: Silvally-Fairy, Granbull, and Clefairy can easily switch into Hitmonchan and then can either retaliate with a powerful STAB move or use it as setup fodder.

**Flying-types**: Swanna is capable of taking a single hit from all variants of Hitmonchan and can OHKO with Supersonic Skystrike, but falls to a Life Orb Ice Punch into Mach Punch after Stealth Rock damage. Archeops is also faster than Hitmonchan, can take a Mach Punch, and then KOes with Acrobatics.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon such as like Gurdurr, Gastrodon, and Pyukumuku all take any attack that Hitmonchan can throw at it from either set them relatively well. From there, Gurdurr can proceed to outlast Hitmonchan with its own Drain Punch or can set up with Bulk Up. Gastrodon and Pyukumuku, on the other hand, can cripple Hitmonchan with Toxic and proceed to stall it out with Recover.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: Due to Hitmonchan's poor physical bulk, strong physical attackers such as Choice Band Primeape and Stoutland can easily outspeed and KO. However, there are very few powerful physical attackers that can break through Hitmonchan while also being able to withstand its powerful Mach Punch well, due to either having a weakness to Fighting or generally being frail. Pinsir is an exception; it can not only take Hitmonchan's attacks decently well but can also set up Swords Dance against it and OHKO with a boosted Earthquake.
 

Lumari

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GP 2/2
[OVERVIEW]

Hitmonchan's constant offensive presence and good utility options grant let it provide it solid role compression. Its utility includes lies in its access to Rapid Spin combined with its ability to pressure Stealth Rock users such as Miltank and Regirock, and it can act as a blanket check to many of the tier's special attackers due to its considerable amount of Special Defense that can be further augmented by Assault Vest. Offensively, Iron Fist is Hitmonchan's premier ability, as the boost provides it solid damage output with on all of its attacking moves, including its strong priority in Mach Punch. It can also utilize Life Orb to drastically increase its damage output and help it KO Pokemon like Jynx and Pyroar with Mach Punch. All of these traits allow Hitmonchan to provide an exceptional amount of utility for teams while being an immediate threat, and although it lacks recovery, it can circumstantially mitigate this with its main attacking move, Drain Punch.

Hitmonchan's main flaws lie in its low Defense and its inability to reliably deal with Pokemon that have a typing advantage against it, making it prone to being pressured by Pokemon like Mesprit, Archeops, and Silvally-Fairy. When faced with bulky Ghost-types such as Sableye, Spiritomb, and Gourgeist-XL, it struggles to remove entry hazards and must fear Will-O-Wisp, while faster Ghost-types such as Oricorio-G can outspeed and easily OHKO it. Furthermore, while it resists Stealth Rock, it is vulnerable to other forms of hazards that come from the likes of Pokemon that take it on well, like Weezing's Toxic Spikes.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Assault Vest
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Adamant
evs: 244 HP / 176 Atk / 88 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Drain Punch is a powerful STAB option, hitting neutral targets for decent damage while being a semi-reliable source of recovery and hitting Normal-, Rock-, Steel-, and Ice-types like Type: Null, Aggron, and Abomasnow super effectively. Mach Punch is Hitmonchan's main form of priority; it OHKOes Alolan Raticate and lets Himonchan pick off other faster threats like Absol and Lycanroc after a bit of prior damage. Ice Punch hits Pokemon like Alolan Exeggutor and Altaria super effectively. It is also Hitmonchan's main attack for Ghost-types, dealing significant damage to offensive spinblockers like Golurk and Oricorio-G. Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's main support move, getting rid of the opposing team's entry hazards.

Set Details
========

Iron Fist is necessary to boost the power of Drain Punch, Ice Punch, and Mach Punch. Having 88 Speed EVs is are used to outspeed Adamant Golurk and everything slower, but one can opt for 168 Speed EVs to outspeed Pokemon such as Jolly Golurk and Mild Abomasnow. With 244 HP, Hitmonchan always avoids getting 2HKOed by Assault Vest Magmortar's Fire Blast and Hasty Life Orb Abomasnow's Blizzard. The rest of the EVs and an Adamant nature are used to maximize boost Hitmonchan's Attack.

Usage Tips
========

Assault Vest Hitmonchan is able to use its increased bulk to switch into a myriad of special attackers such as Ludicolo, Zebstrika, and Eelektross, but against particularly strong special attackers such as Magmortar, Drampa, and Choice Specs Pyroar, Hitmonchan should not be treated as a reliable switch-in because it can often only come in on a strong STAB move once. Once it has switched into an attack, Hitmonchan can retaliate by hitting the majority of physically frail or Fighting-weak targets for a significant amount of damage with Drain Punch, or it can use Mach Punch to pick off faster targets if they are within range of being KOed by the attack. Otherwise, Rapid Spin will usually be the first move used when entry hazards are up. If the opposing team is running a bulky spinblocker such as Sableye or Misdreavus, it is often better to double switch because Hitmonchan has few options for wearing them down, but against more offensive or Ice-weak Ghost-types like Golurk, Palossand, and Haunter, it is often ideal to use Ice Punch when you predict them to switch in. Hitmonchan should avoid taking on bulky Poison- and Psychic-types such as Weezing and Musharna if they're healthy due to its lack of good damage output against them, instead opting to double switch against them as well.

Team Options
========

Dark-types such as Skuntank and Liepard are great at pressuring Psychic- and Ghost-types. Their ability to trap and remove Ghost-types with Pursuit efficiently aids Hitmonchan's ability to remove entry hazards later in the battle. Other good Ghost- and Psychic-type answers include Alolan Raticate and Absol, (comma) (keep comma, remove comment)which can apply solid offensive pressure while appreciating Hitmonchan pressuring physically defensive Pokemon like Regirock. Hitmonchan benefits greatly from offensive checks to Poison-types such as Mesprit, Alolan Raichu, and even special wallbreakers like Drampa and Magmortar that can pivot into them while appreciating and appreciate Hitmonchan's removing entry hazards like Drampa and Magmortar removal. Mesprit can also mitigate Hitmonchan's reliance on Drain Punch for recovery with Healing Wish, while Hitmonchan can check troublesome Dark-types and deal with other Mesprit checks like Ferroseed in return. Other offensive threats like Abomasnow, Jynx, and Pyroar can apply a lot of pressure to physically defensive Pokemon that Hitmonchan struggles to break through like Gastrodon while appreciating Hitmonchan keeping entry hazards off the field.

[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Drain Punch
move 2: Mach Punch
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Rapid Spin
item: Life Orb
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Hitmonchan's Life Orb-boosted Drain Punch is a powerful attack that is able to threaten a lot of lot of bulky Pokemon such as Miltank, Ferroseed, and Regirock with the added benefit of healing to mitigate Life Orb recoil. It also has the ability to OHKO Magmortar after Stealth Rock damage. Mach Punch helps to revenge kill faster Pokemon, and the added Life Orb power guarantees KOs on Pokemon such as Lycanroc and Jynx after Stealth Rock damage as well as Togedemaru from full HP. Ice Punch is Hitmonchan's coverage move on this set, having a strong chance of OHKOing Golurk after Stealth Rock damage and dealing a solid chunk to Altaria, Palossand, and Claydol. Rapid Spin is Hitmonchan's way of getting rid of entry hazards.

Set Details
========

Iron Fist is the best ability for its boost to Hitmonchan's punch-based moves. Maximum Speed makes Hitmonchan faster than Adamant Absol and everything slower. Maximum Attack with Life Orb and an Adamant nature allows Hitmonchan to hit as hard as possible. A Jolly nature can be possibly used instead to outspeed threats like Stoutland, Kabutops, and Jolly Absol.

Usage Tips
========

This set is much more adept at revenge killing, so Hitmonchan should opt to use Mach Punch as a powerful tool against faster Pokemon such as Lycanroc and Kangashkan Kangaskhan. Due to the power added by Life Orb, predicting switch-ins that are hit hard by Ice Punch, such as Palossand and Gourgeist-XL, is more rewarding because they are more easily pressured. Removing entry hazards is still key, but keep in mind that this set is a bit more vulnerable to being punished due to Life Orb recoil and lack of bulk. If there are no entry hazards in on the field, Hitmonchan should focus on hitting as hard as possible, revenge killing whenever necessary, and double switching to catch Pokemon that try to take advantage of it, like Mesprit and Weezing.

Team Options
========

Life Orb Hitmonchan functions well on offensive teams that benefit from a blanket check to frail offensive Pokemon as well as teams that are centered around stacking up entry hazards and thus appreciate Hitmonchan's ability to force lots of switches. Weezing and Ferroseed are solid partners, given how useful their entry hazards are for racking up residual damage on many of Hitmonchan's common grounded switch-ins. These Pokemon also appreciate Hitmonchan powering through Drampa and Magmortar while also being able to threaten Jynx with its powerful Mach Punch. Pursuit users such as Skuntank and Liepard can trap Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon, opening opportunities for Hitmonchan to remove entry hazards and hit hard with its STAB moves. Psychic-types like Jynx and Mesprit make great teammates for taking on Weezing and Qwilfish. Jynx and Mesprit also appreciate Hitmonchan's ability to break through Pokemon like Ferroseed, Type: Null, and Audino. Lastly, Pokemon like Pyroar and Archeops greatly appreciate Hitmonchan's entry hazard removal and ability to break through Rock-type Pokemon like Regirock and Carracosta.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Thunder Punch is an option over Ice Punch that can always OHKO Swanna. Throat Chop works as a coverage move to always OHKO Haunter and dealing more meaningful damage to Mesprit lacking Colbur Berry, 2HKOing offensive variants. Foresight can be used to bypass Ghost-types attempting to spinblock, allowing Hitmonchan to freely use Rapid Spin against them. When used in combination with a Lum Berry, Foresight allows Hitmonchan to absorb Sableye's Will-O-Wisp and KO Sableye it in return with its Fighting-type moves. Choice Band with Earthquake is usable but isn't ideal due to Hitmonchan no longer being able to switch between priority, STAB, and coverage moves when necessary. It does, however, have give Hitmonchan the ability to 2HKO Clefairy and Palossand with Earthquake and Ice Punch, respectively. Fist Plate is a solid middle ground for an item choice, as it retains the ability to boost Hitmonchan's STAB moves without Life Orb recoil compromising its survivability. Close Combat on the Life Orb set is much stronger than Drain Punch, always 2HKOing Gastrodon, OHKOing Ferroseed, and OHKOing Skuntank after Stealth Rock damage. This sacrifices Drain Punch's recovery, however, leaving Hitmonchan unable to mitigate Life Orb recoil. Bulk Up Hitmonchan could also be used to break through bulkier teams and take hits from strong physical attackers that usually force out Hitmonchan, but this takes up a moveslot that can be used for coverage on Life Orb sets and doesn't work with Assault Vest. Bullet Punch can OHKO Jynx after Stealth Rock and always OHKO it if Life Orb boosted. (RH) Toxic is an option that can cripple Pokemon such as Musharna, Sableye, Gourgeist-XL, (comma) (keep comma, remove comment) and Gastrodon. This is a It it overall lackluster, though, option given its inability to affect Poison-types and the fact that Ice Punch is more practical for pressuring Ghost-types.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Ghost-types**: Hitmonchan has limited options for dealing with most Ghost-types, as while some Pokemon such as Golurk and Oricorio-G are weak to Ice Punch, Hitmonchan also risks getting spinblocked by them, (AC) and they can threaten Hitmonchan with their powerful STAB moves. Defensively, Pokemon such as Gourgeist-XL, Sableye, and Spiritomb can come in on Hitmonchan and outlast it throughout the match, preventing any chance of spinning while also easily wearing it down or crippling it with Will-O-Wisp.

**Weezing**: Weezing takes little damage from any of Hitmonchan's attacks, allowing it to freely switch in and set up entry hazards. Weezing also deters Hitmonchan from trying to remove them with Rapid Spin, as it can threaten to burn with Will-O-Wisp or, if Hitmonchan is at low enough HP, KO Hitmonchan with Rocky Helmet recoil to prevent successful hazard removal.

**Psychic-types**: Hitmonchan lacks a reliable coverage move for damaging Psychic-types, so bulky Pokemon such as Musharna and Mesprit can easily come in on Hitmonchan and either use it as setup fodder or deal a significant amount of damage with their STAB attacks. Even frail, faster Pokemon such as Alolan Raichu and Mr. Mime are able to easily survive a Mach Punch and OHKO with Psyshock.

**Fairy-types**: Silvally-Fairy, Granbull, and Clefairy can easily switch into Hitmonchan and either retaliate with a powerful STAB move or use it as setup fodder.

**Flying-types**: Swanna is capable of taking a single hit from all variants of Hitmonchan and can OHKO with Supersonic Skystrike, but it falls to a Life Orb Ice Punch into Mach Punch after Stealth Rock damage. Archeops is faster than Hitmonchan, can take a Mach Punch, and KOes with Acrobatics.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon like Gurdurr, Gastrodon, and Pyukumuku take any attack that Hitmonchan can throw at them relatively well. From there, Gurdurr can proceed to outlast Hitmonchan with its own Drain Punch or can set up with Bulk Up. Gastrodon and Pyukumuku, on the other hand, can cripple Hitmonchan with Toxic and proceed to stall it out with Recover.

**Strong Physical Attackers**: Due to Hitmonchan's poor physical bulk, strong physical attackers such as Choice Band Primeape and Stoutland can easily outspeed and KO it. However, there are very few powerful physical attackers that can break through Hitmonchan while also being able to withstand its powerful Mach Punch, due to either having a weakness to Fighting or generally being frail. Pinsir is an exception; it can not only take Hitmonchan's attacks decently well but can also set up Swords Dance against it and OHKO with a boosted Earthquake.
 
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