We did discuss Unique Support, so now for something unique:
Name: Trick Room Support
Move 1:
Trick Room
Move 2:
Close Combat
Move 3:
Ice Hammer
Move 4:
Haze / Recover
Ability: Misty Surge
Item: Icium-Z / Life Orb
0 Spe IVs
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 SpD
Nature: Brave
- Trick Room gives Arghonaut unique utility as it shares no common weaknesses with most TR setters and has the bulk to withstand an attack and set up.
- Close Combat and Ice Hammer to maximize damage under TR. Fighting/Ice is very good two move coverage, and Argho's Base 110 Attack is sufficient to use them. Ice Hammer additionally lowers Arghonaut's Speed, allowing it to compete with other TR mons.
- Icium-Z gives Tomohawk two options: a 180 Base Power Subzero Slammer or Z-Haze, which restores it to 100% HP and then Hazes, removing Close Combat and Ice Hammer drops - it is an ideal move for the ending turn of Trick Room to get Arghonaut back up to full health.
- Haze itself has independent utility, especially under Trick Room where you can remove the boosts of other sweepers.
- Alternatively, Recover and Life Orb can be used for more consistency at the cost of Z-Haze or a breaking coverage move.
- Defensive EVs avoid a 2HKO from defensive Tomohawk Air Slash, which Arghonaut can break with a successive use of Ice Hammer and Subzero Slammer. Must be careful of Tomohawk using Roost on the turn it selects Subzero Slammer, however. HP EVs make HP rest at 369, an ideal Life Orb number.
- Misty Surge provides the TR team additional support and allows physically offensive Trick Room abusers to avoid burns. There may be situations where Unaware is more desirable, but as it doesn't negate Arghonaut's drops these situations are uncommon.
A few calcs:
252+ Atk Arghonaut Ice Hammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Tomohawk: 166-196 (40 - 47.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Arghonaut Subzero Slammer (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Tomohawk: 294-348 (71 - 84%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Arghonaut Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Roosting Tomohawk: 148-175 (35.7 - 42.2%) -- 92.1% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 SpA Tomohawk Air Slash vs. 72 HP / 184 SpD Arghonaut: 152-182 (41.1 - 49.3%) -- 19.9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Arghonaut Ice Hammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cyclohm: 136-162 (32.3 - 38.5%) -- 3.4% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Arghonaut Subzero Slammer (180 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cyclohm: 246-290 (58.5 - 69%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 SpA Cyclohm Discharge vs. 72 HP / 184 SpD Arghonaut: 162-192 (43.9 - 52%) -- 67.2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Arghonaut Ice Hammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Tomohawk: 216-255 (52.1 - 61.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Arghonaut Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Roosting Tomohawk: 192-227 (46.3 - 54.8%) -- 10.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Life Orb Arghonaut Ice Hammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cyclohm: 177-211 (42.1 - 50.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
Life Orb is less than ideal vs. Cyclohm but still hits plenty hard with Ice Hammer. If either of these mons switch in on Arghonaut under Trick Room, Arghonaut can win. Tomo has more counterplay by roosting on the Subzero Slammer, but Cyclohm can be successfully overcome. Additionally, both Cyclohm and Tomohawk do not fare well against traditional TR Pokemon like Reuniclus, this is just to show they are not permanently effective answers to Arghonaut if Argh is the last remaining TR user on the team.
One more set to abuse some of the quirks of Misty Surge:
Name: Bulky Band Pirate:
Move 1:
Close Combat
Move 2: Waterfall /
Ice Hammer
Move 3:
Bullet Punch
Move 4: Earthquake /
Ice Hammer
Ability: Misty Surge
Item: Choice Band
EVs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 28 SpD / 96 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Max Attack Adamant to maximize Choice Band damage. Speed EVs to outrun Defensive Rotom-W, which is 2HKO'd by Close Combat.
- Close Combat for STAB, absolutely rolls through anything that doesn't resist it.
- Waterfall for additional STAB or Ice Hammer for a strong coverage hit on the switch.
- Bullet Punch 2HKOs Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, which with these HP/SpD EVs cannot OHKO Arghonaut with any move while Misty Terrain is in effect, even after SR. [Calc: 252 SpA Tapu Lele Moonblast vs. 132 HP / 28 SpD Arghonaut: 302-356 (78.6 - 92.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock]
- Earthquake for additional coverage (OHKOs Tapu Koko which also can't KO Argh under Misty Terrain) or utilize aforementioned Ice Hammer.
It's a Choice Band set, so it's otherwise self-explanatory. The fact Misty Surge lets Argh revenge Lele is a new twist. In a neutral revenge situation you want to hit Waterfall to go for the OHKO (which you need Rocks to have a realistic chance to achieve). Once Lele is weakened, Bullet Punch produces this: 252+ Atk Choice Band Arghonaut Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Tapu Lele: 162-192 (57.6 - 68.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock.
Unless you get really screwed by rolls, once Lele is down to about 60% HP Argh can pick it off with an appropriate pivot. Lele switching into Close Combat approximately achieves this outcome: 252+ Atk Choice Band Arghonaut Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Tapu Lele: 90-106 (32 - 37.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
Basically if Lele switches into CC and you get a halfway decent roll, you can follow up with a KO at a later pivot and definitely get one if rocks are placed in the interim. I wouldn't recommend directly trying to revenge Lele when both are at 100%, but it *is* possible to do so.
Now, a Choice Band set may seem out of line for keeping Arghonaut close to its roots, but Arghonaut's concept was Decentralizer. This Band set simultaneously gives team support through Misty Surge, makes Arghonaut immune to Scald burns which it's going to love as it switches in, provides a bulky offensive attacker that can mitigate the impact of Tapu Lele - and indeed actually serves as new check to it in reasonably likely battle scenarios. Not a bad feat for a Pokemon whose typing makes that seem unlikely, and serving as a potent offensive threat is certainly something Tapu Fini can't do.
Oh, and a simple edit to NumberCrunchers:
Name: Empoleon, but with Recover
Move 1: Recover
Move 2: Scald
Move 3: Defog / Rapid Spin
Move 4: Spikes / Stealth Rocks
Ability: Misty Surge
Item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 SpD
Nature: Impish Bold
This set has no relevant physical attacks (Rapid Spin is not being used for damage) but does have a relevant special attack and therefore Arghonaut should use Bold instead of Impish.