Machoke [QC 3/3] [GP 2/2]

[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.
 
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Disjunction

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not QC but I don't think you should really be listing Ice Punch and Earthquake in Overview when Machoke doesn't run them 99/100 times.

also
  • Mono fighting typing also gives Machoke a handful of useful resistances to common moves such as U-Turn, Knock Off, Stone Edge, and Stealth Rock.
"[type] resists [type]" isn't really good information to include in an overview. Players should already know their type charts upon reading an analysis.
 
not QC but I don't think you should really be listing Ice Punch and Earthquake in Overview when Machoke doesn't run them 99/100 times.

also

"[type] resists [type]" isn't really good information to include in an overview. Players should already know their type charts upon reading an analysis.
fine with not mentioning coverage moves in overview considering they aren't too common, just mentioning them in oo is fine. Disagree regarding your second point. Saying "fighting typing lets machoke resist bug dark and rock" is redundant when a player can just look at a type chart, sure, but mentioning specific moves and how they're applicable and common in the nu metagame is info that a newer reader might not know and is an important facet of Machoke's role in NU that should be one of the first things a reader sees.
 

Disjunction

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Resisting U-turn isn't important when almost every U-turn user shits on Machoke as is. Resisting Knock Off isn't as important because Machoke depends on Eviolite. Resisting Rocks falls under redundant information, imo. Resisting Stone Edge is about half relevant but switching in on offensive Rhydon's Edge and expecting to tank two Earthquakes by relying on DPunch confusion isn't something that's as reliable.

It's sad, but you're almost always relying on Machoke's naturally high bulk for it to accomplish anything. Mono-Fighting-typing is not great.
 

erisia

Innovative new design!
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First sentence in Usage Tips is fluff and can probably be removed. I don't think Machoke warrants anti-hazard support in Team Options either, considering it resists Stealth Rock and usually runs Rest + Sleep Talk. Other Options should probably also explain why Guts sets and others are outclassed by the other Fighting-types.

Implement Disjunction's changes too and...



QC 1/3. Let's get this up at last. :o
 
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etern

is a Community Leaderis a Top Tiering Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a defending SCL Championis a Former Smogon Metagame Tournament Circuit Champion
NU Leader
Set Details:
A spread of 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 Spe allows Machoke to check physically offensive threats such as Kangaskhan, Tauros, and Hitmonchan, avoiding a 3HKO from all three.
  • Specify here that it avoids the 3HKO from Tauros lacking Zen Headbutt
thats pretty much it, this is very good, QC 2/3
 
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Sobi

Banned deucer.
hi
add remove comments
[OVERVIEW]

IMachoke's impressive mixed defenses when holding an Eviolite along with a high attack stat and powerful STAB make Machoke a solid tank in the NU metagame. Also, 100% Attack stat and powerful STAB move make it a solid tank in the NU metagame. Its perfectly (sounds better) accurate Dynamic Punch thanks to No Guard is what truly sets Machoke apart from other Fighting-types (AH) such as Hariyama and Gurdurr, as confusion allows it to more easily break through traditional fFighting-type counters such as Xatu, Mesprit, and Garbodor. Machoke also sports higher Special Defense than Gurdurr, (AC) which allows it to more easily combat Special Aspecial attackers such as Pyroar, Floatzel, and Magmortar, and more physical defense than other popular fighting-type'. (AP) It has higher Defense 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 makes it difficult for Machoke to serve as a Knock Off sponge, especially in comparison to fellow Dark resists-resistant Pokemon (AH) 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, (RC) and most spammable move. Powerful and accurate STAB with a 100% and most spammable move. The powerful and accurate STAB move with a guaranteed confusion chance and essentially no drawbacks allows Machoke to demolish Bulky Rock-and Steel types such as Aggron and Steelix,(RC) bulky Rock-(space)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, (RC) while also removing the item from B while also removing items from bulky Poison-types such as Vileplume, Weezing, (AC) and Garbodor. Unfortunately, without access to Drain Punch, Machoke relies on Rest to stay healthy throughout a battle. Rest is also useful for remedying a harmful status from Machoke. Sleep Talk allows Machoke to avoid being passive after using Rest, (RC) and also can and can also preserve Dynamic Punch PP for longer battles.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP investment alongside 212 Special Defense EV'(remove)s and a Careful nature allow Machoke to always survive 2 Life Orb Pyroar two Life Orb Pyroar's Fire Blasts and gives it a solid chance to tank 2 Life Orb Samurott two Life Orb Samurott's Hydro Pumps without giving up too much Speed. 44 Speed EV'(remove)s lets Machoke outspeed common base 50 Speed pPokemon such as Regirock and Mega Audino. Eviolite is the item of choice as it increases Machoke's already decent defenses stats 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 non-Zen Headbutt Tauros, avoiding a 3HKO from all three.

Usage Tips
========

Unless predicting 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, (AC) as confusing anything can give Machoke a free turn to follow up with a Knock Off or potentially grant a teammate a chance to switch in and take advantage of the confused foe. If the opponent's team relies solely on Psychic- (AH) and Poison-types such as Mesprit, Xatu, and Garbodor to check Machoke, attacking them with Dynamic Punch is usually the best play, as even if the opponent switches into said check, getting chip damage and confusion is incredibly beneficial. It is also unwise to recklessly switch Machoke into incredibly strong Special A special attacks such as Choice Specs Pyroar's Fire Blast or Aurorus's Hyper Voice, as it will be promptly 2HKO'(remove)ed. Instead, get Machoke in safely against the threat and threaten them it out with Dynamic Punch. With this said, Machoke makes for an excellent pivot into weaker Special A special attacks such as Swellow's Boomburst, Magmortar's Fire Blast or, (AC) and Rotom's Volt Switch.

Team Options
========

Strong users of Pursuit users such as Choice Banded Liepard, Skuntank, and Scyther make for excellent partners, (AC) as they can trap the Psychic-types that resist Dynamic Punch,(RC) 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 Machoke's 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 usen used Rest, but also heal Machoke of a problematic status ailment without forcing Machoke 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-(RH) attacking set consisting of Dynamic Punch, Knock Off, and 2 two of these coverage moves can be very effective. However, this set is worn down incredibly easily and in many cases, (AC) is outdone by other Fighting-types such as Hariyama whom have, (AC) which has (if you're talking about all fighting-types, have > has) more immediate power and similar coverage. In theory, a Guts set utilizing Close Combat / Knock Off / Rest / Sleep Talk would work well, however; (SC) however, (AC) this set is almost always outclassed by other Fighting-types such as Hariyama, Hitmonchan, and Throh who ea, (AC) which offer more utility for a team than Machoke.


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

**Ghost-types**: Bulky Ghost-types such as Colbur Berry Rotom and Gourgiest-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 and can survive Knock Off,(RC) while being able to threaten Machoke with their Psychic-type STAB moves.

**Bulky Poison-types**: Bulky Poison-types such as Garbodor, Weezing, and Vileplume all take negligible damage from both Dynamic Punch and Knock Off,(RC) however ; (SC) however, (AC) 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 Wil-O-Wisp and also Machoke with Will-O-Wisp and also use Taunt to prevent it from Resting off the burn with Taunt.
amcheck
 
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Lumari

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TFP Leader
grabbed sobi's changes that i agreed with too, don't have time to work over it cuz leaving for work in a bit



remove
add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]

Impressive mixed defenses when holding an boosted by (dangler of sorts) Eviolite along with a high Attack stat and powerful STAB attack make Machoke a solid tank in the NU metagame. Also, (doesn't work since this is that STAB attack) 100% accurate Dynamic Punch thanks to No Guard is what truly sets Machoke apart from other Fighting-types (AH) 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, (AC) which allows it to more easily combat special attackers such as Pyroar, Floatzel, and Magmortar, and more physical defense bulk than other popular fighting-type's 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 resists 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 (RC) 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 (RC) 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 (RC) while also removing the item from bulky Poison-types such as Vileplume, Weezing, (AC) and Garbodor. Unfortunately, without access to Drain Punch, Machoke relies on Rest to stay healthy throughout a battle. Rest is also useful for remedying removing a harmful status ailment from Machoke. Sleep Talk allows Machoke to avoid being passive after using Rest (RC) and also can preserve Dynamic Punch PP for longer battles.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP investment alongside 212 Special Defense EV's EVs and a Careful nature allow allows Machoke to always survive 2 Life Orb Pyroar two Fire Blasts from Life Orb Pyroar and gives it a solid chance to tank 2 two of Life Orb Samurott's Hydro Pumps without giving up too much Speed. 44 Speed EV's lets EVs let Machoke outspeed common base 50 Speed pokemon such as Regirock and Mega Audino. Eviolite is the item of choice, (AC) as it increases Machoke's already decent defenses stats 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 predicting 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, (AC) as confusing anything 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- (AH) 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 into 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 or and Aurorus' Hyper Voice, as it will be promptly 2HKO'd 2HKOed. Instead, get Machoke in safely against the threat them and threaten them out with Dynamic Punch. With this said, Machoke makes does make for an excellent pivot into weaker special attacks such as Swellow's Boomburst, Magmortar's Fire Blast, (AC) or and Rotom's Volt Switch.

Team Options
========

Strong users of Pursuit such as Choice Banded Liepard, Skuntank, and Scyther make for excellent partners, (AC) as they can trap the Psychic-types that resist Dynamic Punch (RC) and, (AC) more importantly, (AC) 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 Machokes its poor Speed stat (RC) 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 usen used Rest (RC) but also heal Machoke of a problematic status ailment without forcing Machoke it to put itself to sleep.

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

Machoke has a bountiful movepool (RSC) with access to moves such as Earthquake, Rock Slide, Ice Punch, Poison Jab, Bullet Punch, and Thunder Punch, so an all-out attacking (RH) set consisting of Dynamic Punch, Knock Off, and 2 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, (AC) whom which have more immediate power and similar coverage. In theory, a Guts set utilizing Close Combat / Knock Off / Rest / Sleep Talk would work well; (SC) however, (AC) this set is almost always outclassed by other Fighting-types such as Hariyama, Hitmonchan, and Throh, (AC) who which each offer more utility for a team than Machoke.


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

**Ghost-types**: Bulky Ghost-types such as Colbur Berry Rotom and Gourgiest-XL 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, (AC) and can survive Knock Off, while being and are able to threaten Machoke with their Psychic 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; (SC) however, (AC) 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 Wil-O-Wisp Will-O-Wisp and also prevent it from Resting off the burn with Taunt.
 
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P Squared

a great unrecorded history
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mainly just spacing / hyphen stuff, be careful when implementing
GP 2/2
[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 is the item of choice, as it increases Machoke's already decent defenses stats 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.
 
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