@boojiboy7, my first thought when pokemonifying you was to come up with some reference to devolution. However, the gag wasn’t really there, so I was left to consider your other qualities
Q: Are we not ‘mon?
A: You are mamoswine.
While a giant,hairy pig-elephant might not seem like a flattering caricature at first glance, I ask you to reserve offense until you’ve considered two factors: 1) Utility to the team 2) Overall badassitude.
When it comes to utility, you will always have a place as the keeper of the Ice attacks. Ice is coveted thing in the OU metagame. Until the Fairy type was introduced in this generation, it was Dragon’s only weakness other than another Dragon. And it has a 4x effectiveness against ubiquitous Ground/Flying powerhouse Landorus (which only has one other weakness) as well as a 2x bonus against the dangerous Thundurus.
Unfortunately, Ice types tend to be rather fragile. They’re weak to Fighting, Steel, and Fire–three very popular types, and the only thing they resist are…Ice. As a result, many teams find it most efficient to simply assign an ice move to an unexpected pokemon. It won’t have the STAB modifier, of course, but it’s still 2x effective, and it has the element of surprise.
But here’s where you come in. As a mamoswine, you’re pretty damn bulky with an an impressive 110 base HP, and decent defensive stats. Your ground typing gives you an immunity to Electric attacks, which makes you immune to paralysis, and–here’s the kicker–your ability Thick Fat makes you resistant to Fire and Ice–Fire being one of your most obvious and ubiquitous weaknesses. Add to that your excellent 130 base Attack and surprisingly decent Speed, and it’s clear that you’re a very competitive pokemon in the OU metagame.
Now, while you’ve clearly got a lot going for you off the bat, and you contribute a lot to the team, you still can’t quite escape your past. With your combined typing, you’re still weak to Water, Grass, and Fighting–prevalent types with heavy-hitters of their own. When it comes to Water and Fighting, you’re best to run, and even though Ice technically has type advantage against Grass, I’ve run the numbers, and overall survivability against a strong Grass type isn’t looking good.
boojiboy7 (Mamoswine) @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
- Icicle Crash
- Stealth Rock
Still, with Ice Shard, a +1 priority move, you can reliably OHKO Landorus every time–risk free, and with Earthquake as your powerful and 100% reliable Ground STAB, you can dispatch any Fire pokemon who might forget your Thick Fat resistance. Icicle Crash is the no-brainer for your non-priority Ice STAB, but your fourth slot leaves us some options. Knock Off would be my normal go-to, since it’s a huge hassle for the opponent and a heavy hitter with some useful type advantages (if the enemy has an item, it does double damage and knocks it off). However, it’s also worth noting that you have access to Stealth Rock, a very important move in 6-on-6 battles.
In competitive 6-on-6, switching out is constant. You switch out if a type comes in that could OHKO what you have in, obviously, but this also creates a prediction game. Given the RPS nature of the game, it’s common to switch in a pokemon to scare away your opponent’s current pick, then immediately switch in a different pokemon. To an extent, one player can attempt to dictate the rhythm of the match with their switch-ins, and many would argue that making these kinds of calls is the essence of any “skill” that might be at the heart of the game.
Stealth Rock is a popular entry hazard. Once set, it stays on the field for the whole game (unless cleared by one of two uncommon moves) and does damage based on type (it’s a rock attack) to every pokemon that switches in. This is huge. It penalizes switching, and also narrows the margin of a OHKO. It’s common to say, “That’s an OHKO after Stealth Rock damage,” and take the latter part as a given. So, almost every team packs this move, and yet so far on the SB team we haven’t really had the opportunity to slot it in. Kilroy and sleepysmiles can technically both use it, but they’ve got too much else to do.
So, all this to say that unless someone else has it later, you will probably be our Stealth Rock dude. This is a bit of a bummer, since you would otherwise have a completely attack-oriented set, and you’d be able to wear an Assault Vest which would double your Special Defense, allowing me ot invest further in your HP and make you truly tanky. So, as a nod in both directions, I’ll post both builds. Ultimately, I’d rather give someone else Stealth Rock, so we can save you as a mid-game Wallbreaker and Dragon threat (rather bringing you out first), but we’ll just have to wait and see if anyone in the community is the devious hazard-setting type.
boojiboy7 (Mamoswine) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
- Icicle Crash
- Knock Off
So there you have it booj: you’re a straightforward all-rounder with a propensity for conflict that belies a wrasslin’ spirit. You’re a hulk who can intimidate, but taken as a whole, you’re a cuddly lump, reliable in a pinch and fierce in your loyalty.
