Numel [QC 0/3]

[Vyfe]

[OVERVIEW]

• Numel has access to both Oblivious, which lets it set up Stealth Rock without the fear of Taunt, and Simple, which allows it to sweep after a single boost.
• Wide offensive movepool gives Numel strong STAB and coverage options.
• Strong defensive typing allows Numel to switch into common Electric, Fire, Poison and Steel attacking types, with the last two carried by many Pokemon to combat Fairy-types.
• Numel is slow, lacks recovery after taking a hit and is very vulnerable to the popular Water type.

[SET]
name: Defensive Utility
move 1: Lava Plume/Fire Blast
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Will-o-Wisp
item: Eviolite
ability: Oblivious
nature: Calm
evs: 36 HP / 116 Def / 156 SpA / 156 SpD


[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

• Lava Plume is accurate STAB that may likely inflict burn, while Fire Blast is stronger at the cost of accuracy.
• Earth Power is strong STAB.
• Stealth Rock provides chip damage and counters Focus Sash.
• Will-o-Wisp cripples physical attackers and more defensive Pokemon.

Set Details
========

• EVs invested in HP, Defense and Special Defense ensures Numel is able to take a hit, be it physical or special, or switch into strong attackers.
• Remaining EVs pooled into Special Attack to strengthen Numel’s offensive presence and return in kind after taking damage.
• Eviolite boosts Numel’s already solid defenses and complements its bulk.
• Oblivious ensures Numel is able to set up Stealth Rock even if Taunted by opposing Pokemon.

Usage Tips
========

• Numel can switch into most top-tier metagame threats with its great number of resistances before countering with super-effective STAB moves.
• Numel can also switch into prominent Fire-type threats such as Ponyta as it resists the foe’s STAB moves and can retaliate with Earth Power to hit them for super-effective damage.
• Numel should aim to get Stealth Rocks up or burn opposing Pokemon on the switch-in as opponents are likely to switch into a Pokemon that resists Numel’s STAB attacks, such as Staryu.

Team Options
========

• Wish Passers, such as Spritzee and Lickitung, can allow Numel to recover after taking a hit. Numel also covers the former’s Poison and Steel-type weaknesses
• Defensive Grass-types, such as Foongus and Pumpkaboo-Super, cover Numel’s 4x weakness to Water and 2x vulnerability to Ground, with the latter as a spinblocker to keep Numel’s Stealth Rock up.
• Water-types, such as Chinchou and Staryu, cover Numel’s weakness to Water, with the former dealing super-effective damage against other Water-types and the latter being a good switch-in to Ground types which Numel struggles to deal with.

[SET]
name: Sweeper
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Flame Charge
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Growth/Ancient Power
item: Life Orb
ability: Simple
nature: Modest
evs: 36 HP / 236 SpA / 236 Spe


[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

• Fire Blast is strong STAB that offers incredible power at the cost of accuracy.
• Flame Charge sharply boosts Numel’s speed, allowing it to outspeed the unboosted metagame.
• Earth Power is strong STAB.
• Growth boosts Special Attack two stages with Simple, turning Numel into a powerhouse, while Ancient Power is coverage that checks Flying-types, especially Archen and Mantyke, which Numel struggles to deal with.

Set Details
========

• Maximum EVs invested in Special Attack and Speed, allow Numel to hit like a truck and hit 13 speed, outspeeding the entire unboosted metagame after a single Flame Charge respectively.
• Remaining EVs pooled into HP to give Numel a bit more bulk
• Life Orb coupled with a Modest Nature gives Numel optimal damage to dish out immense damage.
• Simple gives Numel a sharp increase in Special Attack after using Growth, and renders Numel able to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame after a single Flame Charge.

Usage Tips
========

• Numel is a sweeper that should be deployed in the late game to set up and clean out the opponents’ weakened Pokemon.
• Numel is relatively frail and slow despite EVs in Speed and thus should only set up against walls, such as Ferroseed or Foongus, which cannot deal with Numel effectively.
• Flame Charge to raise speed should always be prioritised over setting up Growth or dealing damage, as Numel is easily revenge killed without its boost in speed.

Team Options
========

• Sun has been greatly weakened by Vulpix’s ban from LC, but Numel still synergises greatly with Sun teams. Growth increases Numel’s Special Attack by an obscene four stages under Sun while Chlorophyll sweepers such as Bellsprout or Bulbasaur deal with Water-types that Numel cannot combat even after setting up Growth.
• Stealth Rock setters, such as Onix, greatly cripple Flying-types that Numel cannot deal with effectively.
• Grass-types, such as Foongus and Ferroseed, are Numel’s greatest allies, checking the Water-types that absolutely destroy Numel otherwise.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============

• A RestTalk set can be employed to give Numel some much needed bulk and survivability, but Mudbray and other bulky Pokemon fill this role much better.
• Hidden Power Electric is coverage that hits Water and Flying-types, two of Numel’s greatest foes, but its low power causes it to be outclassed by Ancient Power most of the time.
• Yawn can allow Numel to phaze out threatening Water-types and create opportunities to set up and sweep.
• A Stockpile-Spit Up-Swallow set can be utilised to give Numel bulk and offensive presence simultaneously, but the package takes too many moveslots for STAB or coverage options to be included as well.
• Sunny Day powers up Growth and boosts the strength of Numel’s Fire-type moves, but the set already has too many set up moves to consider a third one.

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

**Water-types**: Numel’s glaring 4x weakness to Water causes it to be countered by many Water types, such as Staryu and Mantyke, with the latter resisting Fire-type moves and being completely immune to Earth Power.
**Ground-types**: Defensive Ground-types such as Mudbray shrug off Fire and Ground-type attacks and can retaliate with Earthquake to destroy Numel.
**Revenge Killers**: Pokemon with Choice Scarf, such as Gastly, or priority moves, can still take Numel out even after a Flame Charge.

 

[Vyfe]

This analysis is now ready for QC.

 

[Corporal Levi]

I would switch the first and second set since Ponyta is relatively uncommon right now, so the defensive set's utility isn't worth as much.

Overview:
For the first point, Numel actually isn't a very good sweeper until it's gotten both a Flame Charge and Growth boost under its belt.

Set 1:
Moves:
Describe what Earth Power hits (the Fire-types numel is attempting to wall, Water-types)
Will-O-Wisp doesn't really cripple defensive Pokemon with the damage nerf, it's purely for physical attackers.

Set Details:
You're just describing things that the reader can tell with a cursory glance at the set itself, with we generally want to avoid. Mention why this set is optimal - it hits Eviolite numbers on both sides for well-rounded bulk, allowing it to check all variants of Ponyta. Speed isn't invested in as they generally do not affect what Numel beats or doesn't beat.

Usage Tips:
Give examples of the Pokemon Numel switches into - Foongus, Ferroseed, Magnemite.

Team Options:
Mention what Numel offers in return - it covers Ponyta for bulky Grass-types and Ferroseed/Foongus for bulky Water-types.

Set 2:
I think Eviolite/Berry Juice Growth is Simple Numel's best bet, as LO Numel doesn't really have OHKO power against most of the metagame at +0. I would make the item slashes Eviolite/Berry Juice/Life Orb, and unslash Ancientpower, which doesn't do much to Archen/Mantyke without the Growth boost you're giving up. Make sure to reflect these changes in moves and set details.

Moves:
Mention that Earth Power provides good coverage and an accurate attack alongside Fire Blast.

Team Options:
Manual weather generally isn't viable in LC, so get rid of the first point.
Numel deals with the most common Flying-types fine - it's really just Archen which isn't that common anymore - so just say that hazards help wear down Numel's checks and let it get more KOs.
Mention that a Knock Off user, such as Mienfoo, into Tectonic Rage Diglett can get rid of Numel's most prominent check in Staryu.
Mention that Memento support can help Numel find more opportunities to set up.

Other Options:
I think you meant Earth Power for the second point.
Mention Ancientpower for Archen here since it's being removed from the main sets.

Nice work, let me know if you have any questions. QC 1/3

 

[Berks]

this got reassigned and i'm tired of double-checking it