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[OVERVIEW]
Turtonator finds its place in the PU metagame as a threatening Shell Smash sweeper. Offensively, its Fire / Dragon typing boasts unresisted coverage against everything in the tier. It is free to run a Z-Move such as Devastating Drake that allows it to beat blanket checks like Hitmonchan after a Shell Smash. Good physical bulk lets it set up against weaker physical attackers such as Shiftry and Miltank. Turtonator's main flaw is its low Speed, meaning it can easily be outsped and revenge killed after Stealth Rock damage by common Choice Scarf users such as Primeape, Jynx, and Pyroar even after a Shell Smash. Its typing can often hinder it as well, as it is weak to Stealth Rock and lacks notable resistances outside of Grass, Fire, and Electric. Turtonator is generally only seen on niche hyper offense teams, because other Fire- or Dragon-types such as Magmortar and Drampa are able to inflict immediate damage or have better defensive utility.
[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Shell Smash
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Dragon Pulse
item: Dragonium Z / White Herb
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fire Blast is a strong special STAB attack used to hit Pokemon that resist or are immune to Turtonator's Dragon-type attacks, such as Fairy- and Steel-types. Turtonator's primary appeal is Shell Smash, which allows it to sweep weakened teams after it has set it up and the opposing team's revenge killers are dealt with or break down specially defensive walls. Draco Meteor is used in conjunction with Dragonium Z to get the most power out of the Z-Move and to secure KOs on Pokemon that are out of range of Dragon Pulse. Dragon Pulse is Turtonator's most spammable move, since there is no accuracy drawback, and unlike Draco Meteor, it doesn't drop Turtonator's Special Attack by two stages.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs with a Timid nature are used to outrun the entire unboosted tier after a Shell Smash, apart from the extremely fast Pokemon such as Electrode and Ninjask. The rest of the EVs go into Special Attack to ensure Turtonator hits as hard as it possibly can. Dragonium Z turns Draco Meteor into a 195-Base Power Dragon-type move that can break past a lot of specially defensive Pokemon after a Shell Smash, such as Lanturn and Assault Vest Hitmonchan. White Herb can be used so that Turtonator is harder to revenge kill after a Shell Smash, as it nullifies the first Defense drops.
Usage Tips
========
Finding opportunities to set up Shell Smash against Fire-, Electric-, and Steel-type attacks, such as Choice-locked Pyroar’s Fire-type move or Eelektross’s Volt Switch, is vital, as Turtonator needs the boosts to effectively sweep. Another good way to set up is to find Turtonator in a one-on-one situation against weaker physical attackers such as Skuntank and Miltank, as Turtonator's good physical bulk can allow it to use Shell Smash without taking too much damage. Devastating Drake should be used carefully, as opponents can pivot out into a Steel- or Fairy-type predicting the Z-Move, leaving another Pokemon out of range from Turtonator's other attacks. Turtonator acts more like a wallbreaker in most circumstances due to its great damage output but subpar Speed stat, even after a +2 boost. Devastating Drake should only be used to get necessary KOs, as Draco Meteor drops Turtonator's Special Attack by two stages.Make sure to not switch Turtonator in while Stealth Rock is up, as this can hinder Turtonator's ability to take hits and set up.
Team Options
========
Reflect and Light Screen from Pokemon such as Meowstic give Turtonator increased bulk to let it set up Shell Smash much more easily. Memento from users like Alolan Dugtrio and Skuntank also gives Turtonator better opportunities to set up well, since Memento drops the foe's Attack and Special Attack stats by two stages. Ferroseed can set up Spikes, putting the opponent's Pokemon in range of Dragon Pulse late-game. It also resists Rock- and Dragon-type attacks, which Turtonator is weak to, and in return, Turtonator 4x resists Fire for Ferroseed. Other Rock-resistant Pokemon such as Gastrodon and Palossand also make for good partners, as they can easily take on Pokemon such as Lycanroc, which can prevent Turtonator from sweeping by possibly revenge killing it with priority Accelerock. Entry hazard control from Pokemon like Skuntank, Hitmonchan, and Swanna is essential, since Turtonator is weak to Stealth Rock and needs to preserve its health to set up well. Skuntank is especially notable, as it can absorb Toxic Spikes, which limits the number of turns that Turtonator has on the field. Pokemon that can capitalize on Turtonator's ability to KO specially defensive Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Oricorio-G and Floatzel work well. Sticky Web support from Leavanny allows Turtonator to outspeed Choice Scarf users like Primeape and Jynx after Shell Smash, which would be able to revenge kill Turtonator and stop the sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Firium Z powers up Fire Blast into a 185-Base Power Inferno Overdrive, which can help against Fairy-types such as Togetic and Clefairy. A set utilizing Grassium Z with Solar Beam can be used to help out against Pyukumuku, which can take a Devastating Drake and recover off the damage due to its Unaware ability ignoring Turtonator's stat boosts, but is generally not worth using over Dragonium Z, since it hits nothing else relevant. Substitute over Draco Meteor is an option, especially on teams with dual screens support, as it can get up a Substitute against more passive Pokemon or on a predicted status move. However, without Draco Meteor, Turtonator loses out on a lot of power. Other coverage moves include Hidden Power Grass and Earthquake, which are used to hit Gastrodon and Lanturn, respectively. These should only be used in conjunction with White Herb, as both are knocked out by a +2 Devastating Drake anyway.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Revenge Killers**: Due to Turtonator's low Speed, Pokemon such as Primeape, Haunter, and Oricorio-G that run Choice Scarf sets are able to outspeed and knock out Turtonator after a Shell Smash. Also, priority users such as Lycanroc and Absol are able to pick off Turtonator if it has taken some prior damage.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Togetic and specially defensive Clefairy are immune to Turtonator's Dragon-type attacks, and can both take a +2 Fire Blast and cripple Turtonator with Thunder Wave. Pokemon such as Type: Null and Munchlax are bulky enough to survive even a +2 Devastating Drake and Rest off the damage, meaning they can win one-on-one in most circumstances.
**Water-types**: Some Water-types, such as Pyukumuku and Assault Vest Lanturn, are able to survive a +2 Draco Meteor and deal a lot of damage in return, or in Pyukumuku's case, win in a one-on-one situation with Toxic and Recover, since its Unaware ability ignores Turtonator's stat boosts.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Pokemon such Choice Specs Mesprit, Choice Specs Pyroar, and Abomasnow are able to outspeed Turtonator before a Shell Smash boost and knock it out after Stealth Rock damage due to Turtonator's low special bulk.
[OVERVIEW]
Turtonator finds its place in the PU metagame as a threatening Shell Smash sweeper. Offensively, its Fire / Dragon typing boasts unresisted coverage against everything in the tier. It is free to run a Z-Move such as Devastating Drake that allows it to beat blanket checks like Hitmonchan after a Shell Smash. Good physical bulk lets it set up against weaker physical attackers such as Shiftry and Miltank. Turtonator's main flaw is its low Speed, meaning it can easily be outsped and revenge killed after Stealth Rock damage by common Choice Scarf users such as Primeape, Jynx, and Pyroar even after a Shell Smash. Its typing can often hinder it as well, as it is weak to Stealth Rock and lacks notable resistances outside of Grass, Fire, and Electric. Turtonator is generally only seen on niche hyper offense teams, because other Fire- or Dragon-types such as Magmortar and Drampa are able to inflict immediate damage or have better defensive utility.
[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Shell Smash
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Dragon Pulse
item: Dragonium Z / White Herb
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fire Blast is a strong special STAB attack used to hit Pokemon that resist or are immune to Turtonator's Dragon-type attacks, such as Fairy- and Steel-types. Turtonator's primary appeal is Shell Smash, which allows it to sweep weakened teams after it has set it up and the opposing team's revenge killers are dealt with or break down specially defensive walls. Draco Meteor is used in conjunction with Dragonium Z to get the most power out of the Z-Move and to secure KOs on Pokemon that are out of range of Dragon Pulse. Dragon Pulse is Turtonator's most spammable move, since there is no accuracy drawback, and unlike Draco Meteor, it doesn't drop Turtonator's Special Attack by two stages.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs with a Timid nature are used to outrun the entire unboosted tier after a Shell Smash, apart from the extremely fast Pokemon such as Electrode and Ninjask. The rest of the EVs go into Special Attack to ensure Turtonator hits as hard as it possibly can. Dragonium Z turns Draco Meteor into a 195-Base Power Dragon-type move that can break past a lot of specially defensive Pokemon after a Shell Smash, such as Lanturn and Assault Vest Hitmonchan. White Herb can be used so that Turtonator is harder to revenge kill after a Shell Smash, as it nullifies the first Defense drops.
Usage Tips
========
Finding opportunities to set up Shell Smash against Fire-, Electric-, and Steel-type attacks, such as Choice-locked Pyroar’s Fire-type move or Eelektross’s Volt Switch, is vital, as Turtonator needs the boosts to effectively sweep. Another good way to set up is to find Turtonator in a one-on-one situation against weaker physical attackers such as Skuntank and Miltank, as Turtonator's good physical bulk can allow it to use Shell Smash without taking too much damage. Devastating Drake should be used carefully, as opponents can pivot out into a Steel- or Fairy-type predicting the Z-Move, leaving another Pokemon out of range from Turtonator's other attacks. Turtonator acts more like a wallbreaker in most circumstances due to its great damage output but subpar Speed stat, even after a +2 boost. Devastating Drake should only be used to get necessary KOs, as Draco Meteor drops Turtonator's Special Attack by two stages.Make sure to not switch Turtonator in while Stealth Rock is up, as this can hinder Turtonator's ability to take hits and set up.
Team Options
========
Reflect and Light Screen from Pokemon such as Meowstic give Turtonator increased bulk to let it set up Shell Smash much more easily. Memento from users like Alolan Dugtrio and Skuntank also gives Turtonator better opportunities to set up well, since Memento drops the foe's Attack and Special Attack stats by two stages. Ferroseed can set up Spikes, putting the opponent's Pokemon in range of Dragon Pulse late-game. It also resists Rock- and Dragon-type attacks, which Turtonator is weak to, and in return, Turtonator 4x resists Fire for Ferroseed. Other Rock-resistant Pokemon such as Gastrodon and Palossand also make for good partners, as they can easily take on Pokemon such as Lycanroc, which can prevent Turtonator from sweeping by possibly revenge killing it with priority Accelerock. Entry hazard control from Pokemon like Skuntank, Hitmonchan, and Swanna is essential, since Turtonator is weak to Stealth Rock and needs to preserve its health to set up well. Skuntank is especially notable, as it can absorb Toxic Spikes, which limits the number of turns that Turtonator has on the field. Pokemon that can capitalize on Turtonator's ability to KO specially defensive Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Oricorio-G and Floatzel work well. Sticky Web support from Leavanny allows Turtonator to outspeed Choice Scarf users like Primeape and Jynx after Shell Smash, which would be able to revenge kill Turtonator and stop the sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Firium Z powers up Fire Blast into a 185-Base Power Inferno Overdrive, which can help against Fairy-types such as Togetic and Clefairy. A set utilizing Grassium Z with Solar Beam can be used to help out against Pyukumuku, which can take a Devastating Drake and recover off the damage due to its Unaware ability ignoring Turtonator's stat boosts, but is generally not worth using over Dragonium Z, since it hits nothing else relevant. Substitute over Draco Meteor is an option, especially on teams with dual screens support, as it can get up a Substitute against more passive Pokemon or on a predicted status move. However, without Draco Meteor, Turtonator loses out on a lot of power. Other coverage moves include Hidden Power Grass and Earthquake, which are used to hit Gastrodon and Lanturn, respectively. These should only be used in conjunction with White Herb, as both are knocked out by a +2 Devastating Drake anyway.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Revenge Killers**: Due to Turtonator's low Speed, Pokemon such as Primeape, Haunter, and Oricorio-G that run Choice Scarf sets are able to outspeed and knock out Turtonator after a Shell Smash. Also, priority users such as Lycanroc and Absol are able to pick off Turtonator if it has taken some prior damage.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Togetic and specially defensive Clefairy are immune to Turtonator's Dragon-type attacks
**Water-types**: Some Water-types, such as Pyukumuku and Assault Vest Lanturn, are able to survive a +2 Draco Meteor and deal a lot of damage in return, or in Pyukumuku's case, win in a one-on-one situation with Toxic and Recover, since its Unaware ability ignores Turtonator's stat boosts.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Pokemon such Choice Specs Mesprit, Choice Specs Pyroar, and Abomasnow are able to outspeed Turtonator before a Shell Smash boost and knock it out after Stealth Rock damage due to Turtonator's low special bulk.
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