[OVERVIEW]
Impressive mixed defenses when boosted by Eviolite along with a high Attack stat and powerful STAB attack make Machoke a solid tank in the NU metagame. 100% accurate Dynamic Punch thanks to No Guard is what truly sets Machoke apart from other Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Gurdurr, as confusion allows it to more easily break through traditional Fighting-type counters such as Xatu, Mesprit, and Garbodor. Machoke also sports higher Special Defense than Gurdurr, which allows it to more easily combat special attackers such as Pyroar, Floatzel, and Magmortar, and more physical bulk than other popular Fighting-types such as Hitmonchan and Hariyama, allowing it to handle physical attackers such as Rhydon, Aggron, and Kangaskhan with greater ease. Unfortunately, Machoke is hindered by its low Speed stat and reliance on Eviolite to properly fulfill its role as a tank. Said reliance on Eviolite also makes it difficult for Machoke to serve as a Knock Off sponge, especially in comparison to fellow Dark-resistant Pokemon such as Throh and Poliwrath.
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Dynamic Punch
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Eviolite
ability: No Guard
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 212 SpD / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dynamic Punch is by far Machoke's best and most spammable move. The powerful and accurate STAB move with a 100% confusion chance and essentially no drawbacks allows Machoke to demolish bulky Rock- and Steel-types such as Aggron and Steelix while also potentially giving a teammate a free switch in or opportunity to set up. Knock Off has excellent coverage alongside Dynamic Punch, hitting Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Rotom, Mismagius, and Xatu for super effective damage while also removing the item from bulky Poison-types such as Vileplume, Weezing, and Garbodor. Unfortunately, without access to Drain Punch, Machoke relies on Rest to stay healthy throughout a battle. Rest is also useful for removing a harmful status ailment from Machoke. Sleep Talk allows Machoke to avoid being passive after using Rest and also can preserve Dynamic Punch PP for longer battles.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP investment alongside 212 Special Defense EVs and a Careful nature allows Machoke to always survive two Fire Blasts from Life Orb Pyroar and gives it a solid chance to tank two of Life Orb Samurott's Hydro Pumps without giving up too much Speed. 44 Speed EVs let Machoke outspeed common base 50 Speed Pokemon such as Regirock and Mega Audino. Eviolite increases Machoke's already decent defenses to impressive levels. A spread of 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe allows Machoke to check physically offensive threats such as Kangaskhan, Hitmonchan, and Tauros lacking Zen Headbutt, avoiding a 3HKO from all three.
Usage Tips
========
Unless you predict the opponent to switch in a Ghost-type such as Colbur Berry Rotom or Gourgeist-XL, it is almost always beneficial to click Dynamic Punch, as confusing a foe can give Machoke a free turn to follow up with a Knock Off or potentially allow a teammate to switch in and take advantage of the confused foe. If the opponent's team relies solely on Psychic- and Poison-types such as Mesprit, Xatu, and Garbodor to check Machoke, attacking with Dynamic Punch is usually the best play, as even if the opponent switches to said check, getting chip damage and confusion is incredibly beneficial. It is also unwise to recklessly switch Machoke into incredibly strong special attacks such as Choice Specs Pyroar's Fire Blast and Aurorus's Hyper Voice, as it will be promptly 2HKOed. Instead, get Machoke in safely against them and threaten them out with Dynamic Punch. With this said, Machoke does make for an excellent pivot into weaker special attacks such as Swellow's Boomburst, Magmortar's Fire Blast, and Rotom's Volt Switch.
Team Options
========
Strong users of Pursuit such as Choice Band Liepard, Skuntank, and Scyther make for excellent partners, as they can trap the Psychic-types that resist Dynamic Punch and, more importantly, the Ghost-types that are immune to it. Thunder Wave support from the likes of Xatu, Mega Audino, and Miltank similarly works incredibly well with Machoke, not only remedying its poor Speed stat but also synergizing well with Dynamic Punch's confusion. Lastly, Heal Bell users such as Altaria, Musharna, and Mega Audino can not only wake Machoke up when it has used Rest but also heal Machoke of a problematic status ailment without forcing it to put itself to sleep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Machoke has a bountiful movepool with access to moves such as Earthquake, Rock Slide, Ice Punch, Poison Jab, Bullet Punch, and Thunder Punch, so an all-out attacking set consisting of Dynamic Punch, Knock Off, and two of these coverage moves can be very effective. However, this set is worn down incredibly easily and in many cases is outdone by other Fighting-types such as Hariyama, which have more immediate power and similar coverage. In theory, a Guts set utilizing Close Combat / Knock Off / Rest / Sleep Talk would work well; however, this set is almost always outclassed by other Fighting-types such as Hariyama, Hitmonchan, and Throh, which each offer more utility for a team than Machoke.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ghost-types**: Bulky Ghost-types such as Colbur Berry Rotom and Gourgeist-XL are immune to Dynamic Punch and can take Knock Off fairly easily before burning Machoke and forcing it to use Rest.
**Psychic-types**: Psychic-types such as Mesprit, Xatu, and Musharna all resist Dynamic Punch, can survive Knock Off, and are able to threaten Machoke with their STAB attacks.
**Bulky Poison-types**: Bulky Poison-types such as Garbodor, Weezing, and Vileplume all take negligible damage from both Dynamic Punch and Knock Off; however, they must beware of coverage options such as Earthquake and Ice Punch. Weezing in particular is threatening to Machoke, as it can burn it with Will-O-Wisp and also prevent it from Resting off the burn with Taunt.
Impressive mixed defenses when boosted by Eviolite along with a high Attack stat and powerful STAB attack make Machoke a solid tank in the NU metagame. 100% accurate Dynamic Punch thanks to No Guard is what truly sets Machoke apart from other Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Gurdurr, as confusion allows it to more easily break through traditional Fighting-type counters such as Xatu, Mesprit, and Garbodor. Machoke also sports higher Special Defense than Gurdurr, which allows it to more easily combat special attackers such as Pyroar, Floatzel, and Magmortar, and more physical bulk than other popular Fighting-types such as Hitmonchan and Hariyama, allowing it to handle physical attackers such as Rhydon, Aggron, and Kangaskhan with greater ease. Unfortunately, Machoke is hindered by its low Speed stat and reliance on Eviolite to properly fulfill its role as a tank. Said reliance on Eviolite also makes it difficult for Machoke to serve as a Knock Off sponge, especially in comparison to fellow Dark-resistant Pokemon such as Throh and Poliwrath.
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Dynamic Punch
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Eviolite
ability: No Guard
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 212 SpD / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dynamic Punch is by far Machoke's best and most spammable move. The powerful and accurate STAB move with a 100% confusion chance and essentially no drawbacks allows Machoke to demolish bulky Rock- and Steel-types such as Aggron and Steelix while also potentially giving a teammate a free switch in or opportunity to set up. Knock Off has excellent coverage alongside Dynamic Punch, hitting Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Rotom, Mismagius, and Xatu for super effective damage while also removing the item from bulky Poison-types such as Vileplume, Weezing, and Garbodor. Unfortunately, without access to Drain Punch, Machoke relies on Rest to stay healthy throughout a battle. Rest is also useful for removing a harmful status ailment from Machoke. Sleep Talk allows Machoke to avoid being passive after using Rest and also can preserve Dynamic Punch PP for longer battles.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP investment alongside 212 Special Defense EVs and a Careful nature allows Machoke to always survive two Fire Blasts from Life Orb Pyroar and gives it a solid chance to tank two of Life Orb Samurott's Hydro Pumps without giving up too much Speed. 44 Speed EVs let Machoke outspeed common base 50 Speed Pokemon such as Regirock and Mega Audino. Eviolite increases Machoke's already decent defenses to impressive levels. A spread of 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe allows Machoke to check physically offensive threats such as Kangaskhan, Hitmonchan, and Tauros lacking Zen Headbutt, avoiding a 3HKO from all three.
Usage Tips
========
Unless you predict the opponent to switch in a Ghost-type such as Colbur Berry Rotom or Gourgeist-XL, it is almost always beneficial to click Dynamic Punch, as confusing a foe can give Machoke a free turn to follow up with a Knock Off or potentially allow a teammate to switch in and take advantage of the confused foe. If the opponent's team relies solely on Psychic- and Poison-types such as Mesprit, Xatu, and Garbodor to check Machoke, attacking with Dynamic Punch is usually the best play, as even if the opponent switches to said check, getting chip damage and confusion is incredibly beneficial. It is also unwise to recklessly switch Machoke into incredibly strong special attacks such as Choice Specs Pyroar's Fire Blast and Aurorus's Hyper Voice, as it will be promptly 2HKOed. Instead, get Machoke in safely against them and threaten them out with Dynamic Punch. With this said, Machoke does make for an excellent pivot into weaker special attacks such as Swellow's Boomburst, Magmortar's Fire Blast, and Rotom's Volt Switch.
Team Options
========
Strong users of Pursuit such as Choice Band Liepard, Skuntank, and Scyther make for excellent partners, as they can trap the Psychic-types that resist Dynamic Punch and, more importantly, the Ghost-types that are immune to it. Thunder Wave support from the likes of Xatu, Mega Audino, and Miltank similarly works incredibly well with Machoke, not only remedying its poor Speed stat but also synergizing well with Dynamic Punch's confusion. Lastly, Heal Bell users such as Altaria, Musharna, and Mega Audino can not only wake Machoke up when it has used Rest but also heal Machoke of a problematic status ailment without forcing it to put itself to sleep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Machoke has a bountiful movepool with access to moves such as Earthquake, Rock Slide, Ice Punch, Poison Jab, Bullet Punch, and Thunder Punch, so an all-out attacking set consisting of Dynamic Punch, Knock Off, and two of these coverage moves can be very effective. However, this set is worn down incredibly easily and in many cases is outdone by other Fighting-types such as Hariyama, which have more immediate power and similar coverage. In theory, a Guts set utilizing Close Combat / Knock Off / Rest / Sleep Talk would work well; however, this set is almost always outclassed by other Fighting-types such as Hariyama, Hitmonchan, and Throh, which each offer more utility for a team than Machoke.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ghost-types**: Bulky Ghost-types such as Colbur Berry Rotom and Gourgeist-XL are immune to Dynamic Punch and can take Knock Off fairly easily before burning Machoke and forcing it to use Rest.
**Psychic-types**: Psychic-types such as Mesprit, Xatu, and Musharna all resist Dynamic Punch, can survive Knock Off, and are able to threaten Machoke with their STAB attacks.
**Bulky Poison-types**: Bulky Poison-types such as Garbodor, Weezing, and Vileplume all take negligible damage from both Dynamic Punch and Knock Off; however, they must beware of coverage options such as Earthquake and Ice Punch. Weezing in particular is threatening to Machoke, as it can burn it with Will-O-Wisp and also prevent it from Resting off the burn with Taunt.
Last edited: