asa
PU Leader
[QC Checks: Megazard / Twix / yogibears]
[GP Checks: The Dutch Plumberjack / lotiasite]
[OVERVIEW]
Crabominable boasts one of the highest Attack stats in the tier, which in tandem with its solid offensive typing, Iron Fist ability, and access to high-powered STAB moves in Close Combat and Ice Hammer gives it the ability to 2HKO a vast majority of the tier. Because of its low Speed, Crabominable fits perfectly on Trick Room teams as a hard-hitting physical wallbreaker. Due to how hard it hits under Trick Room, revenge killing it becomes rather difficult even for teams with priority moves. Outside of Trick Room, however, Crabominable is pressured easily by common offensive Pokemon such as Archeops as a result of its aforementioned low Speed, poor defensive typing, and only decent bulk. While amazing offensively, Crabominable's typing isn't very good defensively, burdening it with weaknesses to common attacking types in Fire, Fighting, Flying, and Psychic. Crabominable faces stiff competition from other Fighting-types in the tier such as Gurdurr and Primeape due to their better Speed tiers and lesser weaknesses, and it's hard to justify using it over any of them outside of Trick Room teams.
[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Ice Hammer
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Facade
move 4: Power-Up Punch / Earthquake
item: Life Orb / Choice Band
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Brave
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Ice Hammer is Crabominable's strongest Ice-type STAB move, and it deals heavy damage to some of the tier's most reliable physical walls such as Gastrodon and Weezing, 2HKOing both of them. It also decreases Crabominable's Speed, helping it outspeed opposing Crabominable and Musharna under Trick Room. Close Combat is Crabominable's strongest Fighting-type STAB move, hitting a lot of Ice-resistant Pokemon like Aggron and Lanturn for either neutral or super effective damage. Facade prevents Crabominable from being completely crippled if it gets burned, giving it the ability to still break even when inflicted with a status condition. Power-Up Punch increases Crabominable's Attack, which is useful for giving Crabominable an easier time breaking and making up for the loss of its Life Orb should Crabominable take a Knock Off. It should not be run if using a Choice Band, as it is neither a particularly strong nor spammable attack. Earthquake should be used over it on Choice Band variants, as it gives Crabominable the ability to KO Skuntank without triggering Aftermath.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in HP and Attack allows Crabominable to be as bulky and as powerful as it can be. The Brave nature and 0 IVs in Speed serve to further augment Crabominable's power while making it as slow as possible, which helps it outspeed as much as it can under Trick Room. Iron Fist is useful for increasing the power of Ice Hammer and Power-Up Punch. Life Orb increases the power of all of its moves at the unfortunate cost of recoil damage per attack. Choice Band is an alternative that allows Crabominable to hit even harder without costing it health with every attack, but it comes with the drawback of locking Crabominable into one move, which can be taken advantage of by Ghost-types if it locks itself into Close Combat.
Usage Tips
========
Crabominable should only be used on Trick Room teams due to its previously mentioned low Speed. It is highly advised not to switch Crabominable into moves throughout the match, as its bulk is only average, and this in combination with any residual damage, including possible Life Orb recoil, wears it down much faster. Due to how quickly Crabominable is worn down, it often makes for a really good recipient of Healing Wish from Pokemon such as Musharna. Crabominable works best as a wallbreaker under Trick Room that gives its teammates an easier time cleaning. The best ways to get Crabominable in are after something is KOed or through the use of U-turn. Observing the opposing team is important, as this will confirm whether or not Crabominable is free to spam Close Combat or if it must predict. Don't be afraid to make predictions if using the Choice Band variant, as being locked into the wrong move can completely lose all of the momentum previously obtained, which isn't good for hyper offensive teams. Crabominable should switch out as soon as Trick Room ends due to how easily common offensive Pokemon like Archeops and Pyroar deal with it outside of Trick Room.
Team Options
========
Partners that can set up Trick Room such as Audino, Alolan Exeggutor, and Carbink for Crabominable are a necessity due to its role as a Trick Room wallbreaker. Healing Wish support is appreciated, as Crabominable's going to be switching out and possibly taking Life Orb recoil a lot throughout the match, which racks up unwanted damage and leaves it more susceptible to priority attacks. Audino, Mesprit, and Musharna not only do this, but they set Trick Room as well, allowing Crabominable to get right back to breaking after being healed. Slow special attackers such as Alolan Exeggutor and Wishiwashi make for good partners, as they can break through Pokemon like Granbull and Sableye for Crabominable. In return, Crabominable takes care of bulkier Steel-types and Lanturn for them, respectively. Ursaring makes for a good partner due to its ability to absorb burns for Crabominable and severely weaken Pokemon that Crabominable can only 2HKO, like defensive Mesprit. Checks to Archeops and Pyroar such as Floatzel and Drampa make for good partners, since they can very easily handle Crabominable once it is outside of Trick Room. Fighting-type checks are also important for the same reason, so Pokemon like the aforementioned Mesprit and Beheeyem can make for good teammates.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Choice Band set with maximum Speed investment and a Jolly nature can be used outside of Trick Room, but despite its higher power, it is outclassed in this role by Primeape due to the latter's higher Speed and access to U-turn. Bulk Up boosts Crabominable's Attack and Defense, but setting up tends to waste Trick Room turns; furthermore, Crabominable's main concern should be wallbreaking, at which it already does a good enough job without the boosts. Ice Punch can be used over Ice Hammer because of the former's higher accuracy and reliability; it doesn't hit as hard as Ice Hammer, however, limiting its wallbreaking potential. Drain Punch may seem appealing due to it giving Crabominable a minor form of recovery, but it isn't very strong even with Iron Fist, and being locked into it on Choice Band variants is far from ideal. Pursuit can be used to trap Ghost-types such as Oricorio-G, allowing Crabominable to more freely use Close Combat, but it is not a desirable move to be locked into, and many of them are already hit hard by Ice Hammer. Lum Berry can be used to ignore a burn from Pokemon such as Sableye one time, but the difference in power is noticeable, as Crabominable can no longer 2HKO Pokemon such as defensive Mesprit.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Crabominable is easily pressured by common offensive Pokemon such as Mesprit and Oricorio-G outside of Trick Room due to its low Speed, average bulk, and poor defensive typing. Pokemon capable of outspeeding it under Trick Room such as Ferroseed, Musharna, and Wishiwashi are also quite annoying for it to deal with, as they all threaten it with strong attacks.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Although Crabominable is capable of forcing its way through Pokemon like Musharna, Sableye, and Weezing, it can only safely 2HKO them if they switch directly into it. They are each capable of taking one hit and either weakening it or crippling it with Will-O-Wisp. It can take advantage of the latter with Facade, however.
**Residual Damage**: Due to Crabominable lacking reliable recovery, residual damage taken from entry hazards, status conditions, and Life Orb leaves it worn down faster. In particular, Toxic Spikes are annoying for Crabominable to deal with, since being badly poisoned leaves it even more susceptible to priority from the likes of Hitmonchan and Kangaskhan.
[GP Checks: The Dutch Plumberjack / lotiasite]
[OVERVIEW]
Crabominable boasts one of the highest Attack stats in the tier, which in tandem with its solid offensive typing, Iron Fist ability, and access to high-powered STAB moves in Close Combat and Ice Hammer gives it the ability to 2HKO a vast majority of the tier. Because of its low Speed, Crabominable fits perfectly on Trick Room teams as a hard-hitting physical wallbreaker. Due to how hard it hits under Trick Room, revenge killing it becomes rather difficult even for teams with priority moves. Outside of Trick Room, however, Crabominable is pressured easily by common offensive Pokemon such as Archeops as a result of its aforementioned low Speed, poor defensive typing, and only decent bulk. While amazing offensively, Crabominable's typing isn't very good defensively, burdening it with weaknesses to common attacking types in Fire, Fighting, Flying, and Psychic. Crabominable faces stiff competition from other Fighting-types in the tier such as Gurdurr and Primeape due to their better Speed tiers and lesser weaknesses, and it's hard to justify using it over any of them outside of Trick Room teams.
[SET]
name: Trick Room Attacker
move 1: Ice Hammer
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Facade
move 4: Power-Up Punch / Earthquake
item: Life Orb / Choice Band
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Brave
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Ice Hammer is Crabominable's strongest Ice-type STAB move, and it deals heavy damage to some of the tier's most reliable physical walls such as Gastrodon and Weezing, 2HKOing both of them. It also decreases Crabominable's Speed, helping it outspeed opposing Crabominable and Musharna under Trick Room. Close Combat is Crabominable's strongest Fighting-type STAB move, hitting a lot of Ice-resistant Pokemon like Aggron and Lanturn for either neutral or super effective damage. Facade prevents Crabominable from being completely crippled if it gets burned, giving it the ability to still break even when inflicted with a status condition. Power-Up Punch increases Crabominable's Attack, which is useful for giving Crabominable an easier time breaking and making up for the loss of its Life Orb should Crabominable take a Knock Off. It should not be run if using a Choice Band, as it is neither a particularly strong nor spammable attack. Earthquake should be used over it on Choice Band variants, as it gives Crabominable the ability to KO Skuntank without triggering Aftermath.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in HP and Attack allows Crabominable to be as bulky and as powerful as it can be. The Brave nature and 0 IVs in Speed serve to further augment Crabominable's power while making it as slow as possible, which helps it outspeed as much as it can under Trick Room. Iron Fist is useful for increasing the power of Ice Hammer and Power-Up Punch. Life Orb increases the power of all of its moves at the unfortunate cost of recoil damage per attack. Choice Band is an alternative that allows Crabominable to hit even harder without costing it health with every attack, but it comes with the drawback of locking Crabominable into one move, which can be taken advantage of by Ghost-types if it locks itself into Close Combat.
Usage Tips
========
Crabominable should only be used on Trick Room teams due to its previously mentioned low Speed. It is highly advised not to switch Crabominable into moves throughout the match, as its bulk is only average, and this in combination with any residual damage, including possible Life Orb recoil, wears it down much faster. Due to how quickly Crabominable is worn down, it often makes for a really good recipient of Healing Wish from Pokemon such as Musharna. Crabominable works best as a wallbreaker under Trick Room that gives its teammates an easier time cleaning. The best ways to get Crabominable in are after something is KOed or through the use of U-turn. Observing the opposing team is important, as this will confirm whether or not Crabominable is free to spam Close Combat or if it must predict. Don't be afraid to make predictions if using the Choice Band variant, as being locked into the wrong move can completely lose all of the momentum previously obtained, which isn't good for hyper offensive teams. Crabominable should switch out as soon as Trick Room ends due to how easily common offensive Pokemon like Archeops and Pyroar deal with it outside of Trick Room.
Team Options
========
Partners that can set up Trick Room such as Audino, Alolan Exeggutor, and Carbink for Crabominable are a necessity due to its role as a Trick Room wallbreaker. Healing Wish support is appreciated, as Crabominable's going to be switching out and possibly taking Life Orb recoil a lot throughout the match, which racks up unwanted damage and leaves it more susceptible to priority attacks. Audino, Mesprit, and Musharna not only do this, but they set Trick Room as well, allowing Crabominable to get right back to breaking after being healed. Slow special attackers such as Alolan Exeggutor and Wishiwashi make for good partners, as they can break through Pokemon like Granbull and Sableye for Crabominable. In return, Crabominable takes care of bulkier Steel-types and Lanturn for them, respectively. Ursaring makes for a good partner due to its ability to absorb burns for Crabominable and severely weaken Pokemon that Crabominable can only 2HKO, like defensive Mesprit. Checks to Archeops and Pyroar such as Floatzel and Drampa make for good partners, since they can very easily handle Crabominable once it is outside of Trick Room. Fighting-type checks are also important for the same reason, so Pokemon like the aforementioned Mesprit and Beheeyem can make for good teammates.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Choice Band set with maximum Speed investment and a Jolly nature can be used outside of Trick Room, but despite its higher power, it is outclassed in this role by Primeape due to the latter's higher Speed and access to U-turn. Bulk Up boosts Crabominable's Attack and Defense, but setting up tends to waste Trick Room turns; furthermore, Crabominable's main concern should be wallbreaking, at which it already does a good enough job without the boosts. Ice Punch can be used over Ice Hammer because of the former's higher accuracy and reliability; it doesn't hit as hard as Ice Hammer, however, limiting its wallbreaking potential. Drain Punch may seem appealing due to it giving Crabominable a minor form of recovery, but it isn't very strong even with Iron Fist, and being locked into it on Choice Band variants is far from ideal. Pursuit can be used to trap Ghost-types such as Oricorio-G, allowing Crabominable to more freely use Close Combat, but it is not a desirable move to be locked into, and many of them are already hit hard by Ice Hammer. Lum Berry can be used to ignore a burn from Pokemon such as Sableye one time, but the difference in power is noticeable, as Crabominable can no longer 2HKO Pokemon such as defensive Mesprit.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Crabominable is easily pressured by common offensive Pokemon such as Mesprit and Oricorio-G outside of Trick Room due to its low Speed, average bulk, and poor defensive typing. Pokemon capable of outspeeding it under Trick Room such as Ferroseed, Musharna, and Wishiwashi are also quite annoying for it to deal with, as they all threaten it with strong attacks.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Although Crabominable is capable of forcing its way through Pokemon like Musharna, Sableye, and Weezing, it can only safely 2HKO them if they switch directly into it. They are each capable of taking one hit and either weakening it or crippling it with Will-O-Wisp. It can take advantage of the latter with Facade, however.
**Residual Damage**: Due to Crabominable lacking reliable recovery, residual damage taken from entry hazards, status conditions, and Life Orb leaves it worn down faster. In particular, Toxic Spikes are annoying for Crabominable to deal with, since being badly poisoned leaves it even more susceptible to priority from the likes of Hitmonchan and Kangaskhan.
Last edited: