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[OVERVIEW]
Basculin's access to Adaptability and good Speed tier give it a slight niche as a physical Water-type that can more easily break through more physical walls like Mesprit and Weezing and revenge kill targets with Aqua Jet than other physical Water-types. However, Basculin's wallbreaking capabilities are limited due to its poor movepool causing it to struggle against teams with more defined Water-type answers and its only decent Attack stat preventing it from reliably sweeping and making its coverage less powerful. Because its base Attack stat is not the greatest, its coverage moves don't deal the best damage, and Basculin is overreliant on Adaptability. Along with susceptibility to all entry hazards, Basculin's poor bulk is not doing it any favors and makes it vulnerable to being knocked out by priority moves such as Sucker Punch and Mach Punch. While Basculin's Speed is good, it sits at that uncertain point where it is fast but not fast enough to outspeed everything that it wants to, such as Lycanroc and Dodrio. It also faces competition from its Water-type brethren such as Floatzel and Carracosta, which can hit harder and have access to Shell Smash, respectively.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Waterfall / Liquidation
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Crunch / Zen Headbutt
item: Waterium Z / Life Orb
ability: Adaptability
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Waterfall has a chance to make the opposing Pokemon flinch, while running Liquidation is another option for slightly more power. Aqua Jet allows Basculin to revenge kill faster Pokemon that are weakened such as Choice Scarf Togedemaru. Ice Beam deals with Grass- and Dragon-types such as Lilligant, Alolan Exeggutor, Tangela, and Altaria that would otherwise check Basculin. Crunch is for threats such as Jellicent and Jynx, while Zen Headbutt covers Poliwrath and Qwilfish.
Set Details
========
Waterium Z gives Basculin a one-time nuke against Pokemon like Regirock and Type: Null, whereas Life Orb is more consistent in dealing damage to the opposing team for the course of the entire battle. The recoil can end up being Basculin's enemy over time, however. Adaptability boosts Basculin's Water-type STAB moves even further to the point where they heavily wear down the opposing team. A Naive nature enhances Basculin's Speed without hindering its Ice Beam. The extra Speed allows Basculin to outspeed support Togedemaru and non-Choice Scarf Oricorio-G.
Usage Tips
========
Basculin functions primarily as a physical wallbreaker by slowly breaking down physically bulky Pokemon over time. Due to its poor bulk, Basculin should never be switched into any attacking move unless it absolutely has to to preserve its longevity. Basculin does have to be aware of Pokemon with Water-type immunities such as Poliwrath, Jynx, and Jellicent as well as Pokemon that resist Water, which include Ludicolo, Qwilfish, and Silvally-Water. However, with its coverage moves, Basculin functions really well as a lure for other Water-type Pokemon such as Poliwrath, Qwilfish, and Jellicent. Basculin should almost always be using Liquidation or Aqua Jet and not reveal coverage until absolutely necessary, since both Water-type moves are Adaptability-boosted. Basculin should use its Adaptability-boosted Aqua Jet to revenge kill threats that are faster than it such as Dodrio, Choice Scarf Primeape, and Alolan Dugtrio.
Team Options
========
Grass- and Electric-types such as Lurantis and Togedemaru threaten Basculin, so Pokemon such as Alolan Exeggutor and Mudsdale are helpful to come in and check these Pokemon. Basculin dislikes priority users such as Kangaskhan and Lycanroc, so physical walls such as Regirock and Weezing are ideal teammates that can come in to take their priority moves and force them out. Similarly, Basculin loses to most Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Scyther, so pair it with a physical wall like the ones mentioned above or others such as Mesprit so that they can keep these revenge killers in check. Basculin does not appreciate entry hazards because they wear it down over the course of the battle, so a hazard remover such as Hitmonchan or Skuntank can remove them and open doors for Basculin's teammates. Skuntank also resists Grass-type moves from Pokemon such as Lilligant that hurt Basculin and can also Pursuit trap Jellicent and Mesprit. Teammates that appreciate Rock- or Ground-types such as Aggron and Mudsdale removed work well with Basculin; these teammates include physical Skuntank and Scyther. Entry hazard setters such as Mesprit, Regirock, and Froslass make great teammates, as Basculin can force switches to wear down the opposing team with the hazards. Mesprit also provides pivot and Healing Wish support should Basculin need it. Although Basculin does possess the moves to deal with Water-type Pokemon such Poliwrath and Jellicent, having faster or powerful Pokemon such as Manectric and Lilligant to cover them will help it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Superpower allows Basculin to hit Pokemon such as Drampa and Alolan Persian; however, it's not recommended, because its coverage overlaps with Liquidation and Waterfall, and it lowers Basculin's Attack and Defense. Running Superpower also means that Basculin also loses out on Crunch or Zen Headbutt, which means it can no longer hit Jellicent, Poliwrath, or Qwilfish. A Choice Band set is a double-edged sword in that it boosts Basculin's Attack but is prediction reliant and leaves Basculin locked into one move, potentially allowing the opponent to switch to a threat such as Gurdurr, Lilligant, or Scyther and set up.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-type Pokemon**: Fellow Water-type Pokemon such as Poliwrath, Jellicent, Qwilfish, and Silvally-Water give Basculin a hard time and don't give it much room for error, since the former two have Water Absorb and the latter two run bulky sets. Qwilfish also is able to set up entry hazards, and Silvally-Water chips Basculin down with Surf.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Due to Basculin's mediocre Attack stat and poor bulk, it struggles to break through physically bulky Pokemon such as Gurdurr, Mesprit, and Weezing without prior damage. Basculin does chip them easily, and the number of times they can switch in decreases over time.
**Faster Pokemon**: While Basculin has nice Speed, it gets outsped and OHKOed by common faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Togedemaru, Alolan Persian, Alolan Raichu, and Manectric. Aqua Jet can pick off these Pokemon if they're weak enough, though.
**Priority**: Due to Basculin's poor bulk, it can be picked off by priority move users such as Gurdurr, Absol, Spiritomb, and Kangaskhan. Pokemon such as Dodrio pressure it more due to Quick Attack. It is also forced into mind games with the aforementioned Sucker Punch users.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Oathkeepre, 83980]]
- Quality checked by: [[Akir, 231726], [allstarapology, 400292], [Darkinium, 448296]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [lotiasite, 302985]]
[OVERVIEW]
Basculin's access to Adaptability and good Speed tier give it a slight niche as a physical Water-type that can more easily break through more physical walls like Mesprit and Weezing and revenge kill targets with Aqua Jet than other physical Water-types. However, Basculin's wallbreaking capabilities are limited due to its poor movepool causing it to struggle against teams with more defined Water-type answers and its only decent Attack stat preventing it from reliably sweeping and making its coverage less powerful. Because its base Attack stat is not the greatest, its coverage moves don't deal the best damage, and Basculin is overreliant on Adaptability. Along with susceptibility to all entry hazards, Basculin's poor bulk is not doing it any favors and makes it vulnerable to being knocked out by priority moves such as Sucker Punch and Mach Punch. While Basculin's Speed is good, it sits at that uncertain point where it is fast but not fast enough to outspeed everything that it wants to, such as Lycanroc and Dodrio. It also faces competition from its Water-type brethren such as Floatzel and Carracosta, which can hit harder and have access to Shell Smash, respectively.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Waterfall / Liquidation
move 2: Aqua Jet
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Crunch / Zen Headbutt
item: Waterium Z / Life Orb
ability: Adaptability
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Waterfall has a chance to make the opposing Pokemon flinch, while running Liquidation is another option for slightly more power. Aqua Jet allows Basculin to revenge kill faster Pokemon that are weakened such as Choice Scarf Togedemaru. Ice Beam deals with Grass- and Dragon-types such as Lilligant, Alolan Exeggutor, Tangela, and Altaria that would otherwise check Basculin. Crunch is for threats such as Jellicent and Jynx, while Zen Headbutt covers Poliwrath and Qwilfish.
Set Details
========
Waterium Z gives Basculin a one-time nuke against Pokemon like Regirock and Type: Null, whereas Life Orb is more consistent in dealing damage to the opposing team for the course of the entire battle. The recoil can end up being Basculin's enemy over time, however. Adaptability boosts Basculin's Water-type STAB moves even further to the point where they heavily wear down the opposing team. A Naive nature enhances Basculin's Speed without hindering its Ice Beam. The extra Speed allows Basculin to outspeed support Togedemaru and non-Choice Scarf Oricorio-G.
Usage Tips
========
Basculin functions primarily as a physical wallbreaker by slowly breaking down physically bulky Pokemon over time. Due to its poor bulk, Basculin should never be switched into any attacking move unless it absolutely has to to preserve its longevity. Basculin does have to be aware of Pokemon with Water-type immunities such as Poliwrath, Jynx, and Jellicent as well as Pokemon that resist Water, which include Ludicolo, Qwilfish, and Silvally-Water. However, with its coverage moves, Basculin functions really well as a lure for other Water-type Pokemon such as Poliwrath, Qwilfish, and Jellicent. Basculin should almost always be using Liquidation or Aqua Jet and not reveal coverage until absolutely necessary, since both Water-type moves are Adaptability-boosted. Basculin should use its Adaptability-boosted Aqua Jet to revenge kill threats that are faster than it such as Dodrio, Choice Scarf Primeape, and Alolan Dugtrio.
Team Options
========
Grass- and Electric-types such as Lurantis and Togedemaru threaten Basculin, so Pokemon such as Alolan Exeggutor and Mudsdale are helpful to come in and check these Pokemon. Basculin dislikes priority users such as Kangaskhan and Lycanroc, so physical walls such as Regirock and Weezing are ideal teammates that can come in to take their priority moves and force them out. Similarly, Basculin loses to most Choice Scarf users such as Primeape and Scyther, so pair it with a physical wall like the ones mentioned above or others such as Mesprit so that they can keep these revenge killers in check. Basculin does not appreciate entry hazards because they wear it down over the course of the battle, so a hazard remover such as Hitmonchan or Skuntank can remove them and open doors for Basculin's teammates. Skuntank also resists Grass-type moves from Pokemon such as Lilligant that hurt Basculin and can also Pursuit trap Jellicent and Mesprit. Teammates that appreciate Rock- or Ground-types such as Aggron and Mudsdale removed work well with Basculin; these teammates include physical Skuntank and Scyther. Entry hazard setters such as Mesprit, Regirock, and Froslass make great teammates, as Basculin can force switches to wear down the opposing team with the hazards. Mesprit also provides pivot and Healing Wish support should Basculin need it. Although Basculin does possess the moves to deal with Water-type Pokemon such Poliwrath and Jellicent, having faster or powerful Pokemon such as Manectric and Lilligant to cover them will help it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Superpower allows Basculin to hit Pokemon such as Drampa and Alolan Persian; however, it's not recommended, because its coverage overlaps with Liquidation and Waterfall, and it lowers Basculin's Attack and Defense. Running Superpower also means that Basculin also loses out on Crunch or Zen Headbutt, which means it can no longer hit Jellicent, Poliwrath, or Qwilfish. A Choice Band set is a double-edged sword in that it boosts Basculin's Attack but is prediction reliant and leaves Basculin locked into one move, potentially allowing the opponent to switch to a threat such as Gurdurr, Lilligant, or Scyther and set up.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Water-type Pokemon**: Fellow Water-type Pokemon such as Poliwrath, Jellicent, Qwilfish, and Silvally-Water give Basculin a hard time and don't give it much room for error, since the former two have Water Absorb and the latter two run bulky sets. Qwilfish also is able to set up entry hazards, and Silvally-Water chips Basculin down with Surf.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Due to Basculin's mediocre Attack stat and poor bulk, it struggles to break through physically bulky Pokemon such as Gurdurr, Mesprit, and Weezing without prior damage. Basculin does chip them easily, and the number of times they can switch in decreases over time.
**Faster Pokemon**: While Basculin has nice Speed, it gets outsped and OHKOed by common faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Togedemaru, Alolan Persian, Alolan Raichu, and Manectric. Aqua Jet can pick off these Pokemon if they're weak enough, though.
**Priority**: Due to Basculin's poor bulk, it can be picked off by priority move users such as Gurdurr, Absol, Spiritomb, and Kangaskhan. Pokemon such as Dodrio pressure it more due to Quick Attack. It is also forced into mind games with the aforementioned Sucker Punch users.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Oathkeepre, 83980]]
- Quality checked by: [[Akir, 231726], [allstarapology, 400292], [Darkinium, 448296]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [lotiasite, 302985]]
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