✦ ✧ MALACONDA ✦ ✧
[OVERVIEW]- Malaconda is a bulky pokemon thanks to its high special bulk. Its bulk enables it to counter and check threats such as Cyclohm, Kitsunoh and Krilowatt.
- Malaconda's typing allows it to differentiates itself from other grass types by having more utility options such as Rapid Spin, Glare and U-turn.
- Malaconda's movepool allows it to support its team by using moves like Rapid Spin, Glare and Aromatherapy.
- Two of Malaconda's abilities benefit its role as a support well, the first being Harvest, enables Malaconda to abuse berries in order to regain health or as getting cured from status, as well as using Spiky Shield to ensure the activation of Harvest.
- Malaconda faces a lot of competition from other grass types such as Pyroak and Tangrowth as they are able to wall a larger amount of threats. Jumbao also majorly outclasses it as a Sun setter due to better typing, coverage and offensive presence.
- While Malaconda's bulk is large on the special side, it has a very weak physical defense which it suffers a lot from, pokemons such as Crucibelle, Cawmodore and Revenankh have no trouble wearing it down. Players have to invest a lot in it's defense which unable it to have it in different stats.
- Malaconda's slow speed and very low coverage forces it to be used defensively by running defensive sets as support or utility.
- Malaconda's typing makes it very weak to bug type making it very weak to U-turn abusers such as Landorus-t, Tornadus-t, Mega Crucibelle and Mega Scizor.
name: Utility
move 1: Glare
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Toxic / Power Whip
move 4: Rapid Spin / Spiky Shield
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Harvest
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 68 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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- Glare allows Malaconda to paralyse threats such as Mega-Crucibelle and Tapu Lele in order for its teammates to outspeed.
- By running Knock Off Malaconda is able to get rid of the foes item, giving Malaconda a better chance at beating threats. As well as having something to hit ghost type that may spin block.
- Toxic is used to wear down foes it can't touch on switch-ins or against such as Zapdos, Tangrowth and Cyclohm hurting them with reliable damage wearing them down to a point where Malaconda or a teammate can ko. Power Whip is used to hit Ground and Water Types such as Colossoil, Swampert, Krilowatt and Dragon Dance Zygarde's sub as well as giving Malaconda a stronger stab to hit other pokemons with.
- Rapid Spin is used to get rid of hazards on the field in order for the rest of the team to come in freely. Spiky Shield used as a pair with Toxic in order to make the next damage stronger as well as being a scouting move to see what the opponent may do and an extra turn for Harvest to activate if it hasn't the turn before.
Set Details
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- 252 HP / 172 Def / 68 SpD enables Malaconda to live +1 Zygarde's Corkscrew Crash, Choice Specs Moonblast from Lele after rocks and Tornadus-t's Z-Hurricane as well as living U-turn from Defensive Landorus-t.
- Sitrus Berry is to be abused with Harvest in order to regain health as well as regenerating it, leaving Malaconda in a good health range throughout the battle.
Usage Tips
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- Malaconda should switch into pokemons that cannot threaten it such as Latias, Krilowatt and Cyclohm.
- Malaconda should be switched into pokemons from who it can take hits or wear down for another teammate.
- Knock off is a safe move for Malaconda to use as the removal of the item can benefit it grandly as well as wearing the foe down.
- Rapid Spin should be used whenever hazards are on your side, if there is a ghost type on the opposing team make sure to try to anticipate its switch if you know it will in by using knock off
- Glare and Toxic should be used when predicting switch-ins to cripple threats. Glare for offensive threats such as Tornadus-t, Toxic for bulky pokemons such as Arghonaut.
- Synthesis and Spiky Shield are good moves to scout on the threats's set when unsure. Synthesis should be used whenever Malaconda's health is low and needs recovery, Spiky Shield is best paired with toxic in order for the damage to greater as well as being good move to use when Harvest hasn't activated yet.
Team Options
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- Physical Walls such as Cyclohm and Tomohawk are good paired with Malaconda as they can take the physical hits Malaconda can't, in Cyclohm's specific case it can deal with Flying types as well as U-turners which have a high chance of getting paralysed through static.
- Steel Types such as Mega Scizor, Kitsunoh and Heatran are well paired with Malaconda as they can handle Bug, Flying, Poison and Fairy hits that Malaconda is unable to tank, they also can set up hazards and appreciate Malaconda's ability to deal with Water, Ground and Electric-type attacks.
- Flying Types such as Mega Pinsir, Celesteela and Tomohawk are helpful to Malaconda by taking care of Bug and Fighting Types and appreciate Malaconda taking Electric-type attacks.
- Ground and Fire Types like Mollux, Volkraken, Colossoil and Landorus-T can also take out Steel-types enabling Malaconda's ability to spam Toxic and pressure the opponent.
- Poison Types such as Mollux and Toxapex also can take Bug attacks while Malaconda handles Ground and Psychic attacks.
- Water Types such as Arghonaut and Rotom-Wash are great with Malaconda as they can switch in on Fire moves as well as forcing Electric and Grass types in which are great targets for Malaconda to act up on.
- Rock Types types such as Tyranitar enjoy being paired with Malaconda due to their typing combination. Rock Types can switch in on Fire, Bug and Flying attacks while Malaconda resists Ground attacks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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- Malaconda can be used as a Sun setter by using it's second ability Drought. It usually runs U-turn, Glare, Rapid Spin/Synthesis, Knock Off and should be carrying Heat Rock/Figy Berry, with an Impish Nature. Malaconda is a good Sun setter as it can remove hazards while not being weak to them, however Jumbao majorly outclasses it as a Sun setter in this metagame.
- An alternative of the Defensive Set can be to use Rest with Lum Berry, this exploiting Harvest can endure Malaconda's longetivity on the field, but it isn't very reliable and hard to use at times as Malaconda takes a lot from Physical Attackers and doesn't always have the option to rest.
- Aromatherapy can also be used in the utility set instead of Toxic, however that change hurts Malaconda's ability to break walls.
- Malaconda can also be carrying Figy Berry as it enables it to recover straight from Defensive Landorus-t's U-turn.
Checks and Counters
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**Wall Breakers **: Pokemons such as Kyurem-B, Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile, Naviathan and Volkraken can all take down Malaconda, forcing it to be worried about those pokemons, however none of them like to get statued.
**Bug Type Coverage **: Pokemons such as Syclant, Aurumoth and comon U-turn abusers such as Mega Scizor, Kistunoh, Landorus-t and Crucibelle are threats to Malaconda as the can force it out, though Sucker Punch hits hard and can be useful in cases, they still are a big threat to Malaconda.
**Fairy Types **: Fairy Types like Mega Diancie, Clefable and Kerfluffle all threaten Malaconda with their stab, forcing it out. Mega Diancie and Clefable don't care about Glare, while Kerfluffle has to think twice about switching in and Mega Diancie can be hit with Power Whip.
**Poison Types **: Poison Types such as Mollux and Plasmanta have no worries switching in on Malaconda and wearing it down, by status or stabs.
** Flying Types **: Flying Types such as Tornadus-Therian, Tomohawk and Mega Pinsir have no trouble wearing Malaconda down, they however dislike being Glared or Toxic'd.
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