[OVERVIEW]
Piloswine is a solid Pokemon in NU due to its access to Stealth Rock and its powerful STAB combination, which allows it to simultaneously threaten most other Stealth Rock users, Rapid Spin users, Defog users, and Xatu, the sole NU Pokemon with Magic Bounce. On top of this, Piloswine is immune to Volt Switch, which allows it to threaten every Electric-type in NU bar Rotom-C. Thick Fat allows Piloswine to be one of the most reliable switch-ins to opposing Ice-types in NU. Piloswine is quite slow and has a poor matchup against common Pokemon such as Meloetta, Slowbro, and Sceptile.
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Icicle Crash
item: Eviolite
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock is needed for nearly all competitive teams and is used on Piloswine due to its natural bulk and unique typing that allow it to set up on nearly every other Stealth Rock user, such as Rhydon, Steelix, or Aurorus. Earthquake is Piloswine's most powerful STAB move and is used against the aforementioned Stealth Rock users, as well as to hit Fire-types such as Houndoom and Delphox. Ice Shard is used to finish off weakened Pokemon and allow Piloswine to do a bit of damage before it is knocked out. It is particularly effective against frail stat boosters with low HP, such as Minior after Shields Down is no longer active, weakened Lilligant, Alolan Exeggutor, and Vivillon. Icicle Crash is Piloswine's primary way of hitting bulkier Grass- and Flying-type Pokemon, such as Virizion and Braviary, and the presence of Icicle Crash deters Grass- and Flying-types from switching into Piloswine. Icicle Crash is also Piloswine's only way of dealing significant damage to Levitate users such as Mismagius and Rotom-C.
Set Details
========
Piloswine is a bulky attacker and accordingly uses maximum HP and Attack EVs. 44 Speed EVs can be used to outrun uninvested base 55s such as Golurk but are not recommended on most teams. An Adamant nature is chosen to maximize Piloswine's damage output. Eviolite and Thick Fat are used to make Piloswine as bulky as possible, allowing it to check Fire-types and Ice-types as well as it can.
Usage Tips
========
With Piloswine, try to get Stealth Rock up and use Earthquake as much as possible in order to maximize Piloswine's damage output, especially if the opposing team lacks a Ground-immune Pokemon. Icicle Crash is most often used when playing against a team with multiple Pokemon immune to Earthquake, such as Mismagius, Uxie, and Golbat. Piloswine can pivot into most Electric-types quite easily and attack back, although it cannot switch into Lanturn and Rotom-C because they possess super effective STAB moves to hit Piloswine. Omastar and Seismitoad are the two most common Stealth Rock users that Piloswine fears due to their super effective Water-type attacks, as well as Knock Off in Seismitoad's case. However, it is worth noting that Piloswine does beat lead Omastar one-on-one if Scald does not burn Piloswine.
Team Options
========
Piloswine works best on offensive teams that do not want to commit to more passive Stealth Rock users such as Steelix and Rhydon. Piloswine works excellently with Pokemon that can defeat bulky Water-types such as Slowbro and Jellicent. Therefore, powerful Grass-types like Choice Specs Sceptile, Choice Specs Rotom-C, and Quiver Dance Lilligant all make excellent partners. Rock Polish Rhydon makes a good partner for Piloswine, as it is often able to clean up late-game against Pokemon that Piloswine has weakened, although they both fear bulky Water-types. Bulky Psychic-types such as Mesprit, Uxie, and Slowbro work well with Piloswine, as they can counter Fighting-types. Uxie and Mesprit work quite well because they can use a different utility move due to Piloswine always running Stealth Rock. Healing Wish Mesprit can pair especially well with Piloswine, as it can fully heal Piloswine late-game when Ice Shard can finish off weakened foes. Bulky Fairy-types such as Aromatisse and Granbull work well with Piloswine, as they can handle Fighting-types and clear status for it. Ghost-types synergize well with Piloswine, as they can block Rapid Spin and check Fighting-types—Jellicent partners well for bulkier teams, while Mismagius works for more offensive teams.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Toxic can be used to hit bulky Water-types on the switch, but Piloswine is unable to do anything else to them. Icicle Spear is an option over Icicle Crash if Piloswine's team is afraid of Substitute Minior and Focus Sash users. Stone Edge is an option to hit Charizard, but it hits setuplittle else. Choice Band or Life Orb can be used, but the decrease in bulk limits Piloswine's ability to do its job, and Piloswine is outclassed in an offensive role by stronger Pokemon such as Sneasel and Machamp. A specially defensive set can be used to improve Piloswine's ability to handle Ice- and Fire-types but is passive and will be setup fodder for most sweepers. Roar can be used to discourage setup but cuts into its power, as it will need to drop Icicle Crash.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Piloswine has no way of dealing with bulky Water-types such as Slowbro, Slowking, and Jellicent. They are free to switch in and attack Piloswine or recover off the damage they took.
**Bulky Fighting-types**: Bulky Fighting-types such as Scrafty, Hitmontop, Hariyama, and Gurdurr can hit Piloswine with powerful STAB moves or set up Dragon Dance or Bulk Up without fear.
**Offensive Grass-types*: Most powerful Grass-types are special attackers and have enough bulk to tank an Ice Shard. Sceptile and Rotom-C can come in on a predicted use of Stealth Rock and use a powerful Leaf Storm to KO Piloswine.
**Powerful Special Attackers**: Piloswine's Special Defense isn't very good, so attacks from powerful special attackers such as Meloetta and Houndoom make quick work of Piloswine.
**Cryogonal**: Cryogonal is a Rapid Spin user that Piloswine cannot touch without Toxic, so Cryogonal is free to switch in and remove Stealth Rock. It has little to hit Piloswine back with but wins in the long run due to its access to Recover.
Piloswine is a solid Pokemon in NU due to its access to Stealth Rock and its powerful STAB combination, which allows it to simultaneously threaten most other Stealth Rock users, Rapid Spin users, Defog users, and Xatu, the sole NU Pokemon with Magic Bounce. On top of this, Piloswine is immune to Volt Switch, which allows it to threaten every Electric-type in NU bar Rotom-C. Thick Fat allows Piloswine to be one of the most reliable switch-ins to opposing Ice-types in NU. Piloswine is quite slow and has a poor matchup against common Pokemon such as Meloetta, Slowbro, and Sceptile.
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Icicle Crash
item: Eviolite
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock is needed for nearly all competitive teams and is used on Piloswine due to its natural bulk and unique typing that allow it to set up on nearly every other Stealth Rock user, such as Rhydon, Steelix, or Aurorus. Earthquake is Piloswine's most powerful STAB move and is used against the aforementioned Stealth Rock users, as well as to hit Fire-types such as Houndoom and Delphox. Ice Shard is used to finish off weakened Pokemon and allow Piloswine to do a bit of damage before it is knocked out. It is particularly effective against frail stat boosters with low HP, such as Minior after Shields Down is no longer active, weakened Lilligant, Alolan Exeggutor, and Vivillon. Icicle Crash is Piloswine's primary way of hitting bulkier Grass- and Flying-type Pokemon, such as Virizion and Braviary, and the presence of Icicle Crash deters Grass- and Flying-types from switching into Piloswine. Icicle Crash is also Piloswine's only way of dealing significant damage to Levitate users such as Mismagius and Rotom-C.
Set Details
========
Piloswine is a bulky attacker and accordingly uses maximum HP and Attack EVs. 44 Speed EVs can be used to outrun uninvested base 55s such as Golurk but are not recommended on most teams. An Adamant nature is chosen to maximize Piloswine's damage output. Eviolite and Thick Fat are used to make Piloswine as bulky as possible, allowing it to check Fire-types and Ice-types as well as it can.
Usage Tips
========
With Piloswine, try to get Stealth Rock up and use Earthquake as much as possible in order to maximize Piloswine's damage output, especially if the opposing team lacks a Ground-immune Pokemon. Icicle Crash is most often used when playing against a team with multiple Pokemon immune to Earthquake, such as Mismagius, Uxie, and Golbat. Piloswine can pivot into most Electric-types quite easily and attack back, although it cannot switch into Lanturn and Rotom-C because they possess super effective STAB moves to hit Piloswine. Omastar and Seismitoad are the two most common Stealth Rock users that Piloswine fears due to their super effective Water-type attacks, as well as Knock Off in Seismitoad's case. However, it is worth noting that Piloswine does beat lead Omastar one-on-one if Scald does not burn Piloswine.
Team Options
========
Piloswine works best on offensive teams that do not want to commit to more passive Stealth Rock users such as Steelix and Rhydon. Piloswine works excellently with Pokemon that can defeat bulky Water-types such as Slowbro and Jellicent. Therefore, powerful Grass-types like Choice Specs Sceptile, Choice Specs Rotom-C, and Quiver Dance Lilligant all make excellent partners. Rock Polish Rhydon makes a good partner for Piloswine, as it is often able to clean up late-game against Pokemon that Piloswine has weakened, although they both fear bulky Water-types. Bulky Psychic-types such as Mesprit, Uxie, and Slowbro work well with Piloswine, as they can counter Fighting-types. Uxie and Mesprit work quite well because they can use a different utility move due to Piloswine always running Stealth Rock. Healing Wish Mesprit can pair especially well with Piloswine, as it can fully heal Piloswine late-game when Ice Shard can finish off weakened foes. Bulky Fairy-types such as Aromatisse and Granbull work well with Piloswine, as they can handle Fighting-types and clear status for it. Ghost-types synergize well with Piloswine, as they can block Rapid Spin and check Fighting-types—Jellicent partners well for bulkier teams, while Mismagius works for more offensive teams.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Toxic can be used to hit bulky Water-types on the switch, but Piloswine is unable to do anything else to them. Icicle Spear is an option over Icicle Crash if Piloswine's team is afraid of Substitute Minior and Focus Sash users. Stone Edge is an option to hit Charizard, but it hits setuplittle else. Choice Band or Life Orb can be used, but the decrease in bulk limits Piloswine's ability to do its job, and Piloswine is outclassed in an offensive role by stronger Pokemon such as Sneasel and Machamp. A specially defensive set can be used to improve Piloswine's ability to handle Ice- and Fire-types but is passive and will be setup fodder for most sweepers. Roar can be used to discourage setup but cuts into its power, as it will need to drop Icicle Crash.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Piloswine has no way of dealing with bulky Water-types such as Slowbro, Slowking, and Jellicent. They are free to switch in and attack Piloswine or recover off the damage they took.
**Bulky Fighting-types**: Bulky Fighting-types such as Scrafty, Hitmontop, Hariyama, and Gurdurr can hit Piloswine with powerful STAB moves or set up Dragon Dance or Bulk Up without fear.
**Offensive Grass-types*: Most powerful Grass-types are special attackers and have enough bulk to tank an Ice Shard. Sceptile and Rotom-C can come in on a predicted use of Stealth Rock and use a powerful Leaf Storm to KO Piloswine.
**Powerful Special Attackers**: Piloswine's Special Defense isn't very good, so attacks from powerful special attackers such as Meloetta and Houndoom make quick work of Piloswine.
**Cryogonal**: Cryogonal is a Rapid Spin user that Piloswine cannot touch without Toxic, so Cryogonal is free to switch in and remove Stealth Rock. It has little to hit Piloswine back with but wins in the long run due to its access to Recover.
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