RU Barbaracle (QC 3/3) (GP 2/2)

ScraftyIsTheBest

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Ugly Barnacles.



Ugly Barbarian Barnacles

[OVERVIEW]

Barbaracle's main niche is its access to Shell Smash, which allows it to become a deadly late-game sweeper. It bears a good offensive typing with access to strong STAB moves in Liquidation and Stone Edge that give it overall solid coverage. This is further bolstered by its good Attack and decent Speed after a Shell Smash boost, combined with a good ability in Tough Claws. Its typing also helps it in terms of finding setup opportunities, as it can check common threats such as Salazzle, Swellow, Moltres, and Mega Glalie. However, Barbaracle also has very exploitable weaknesses to Fighting, Grass, and Ground, which leave it vulnerable to the likes of Bewear, Virizion, and Flygon. Barbaracle is also relatively slow before it sets up, making it easy to revenge kill before a boost. In addition, it faces competition from the likes of Cloyster and Feraligatr as an offensive Water-type, as they have either access to a better STAB move or more immediate power and bulk.

[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Liquidation
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Return
item: Rockium Z / White Herb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Shell Smash boosts Barbaracle's Attack and Speed by two stages, making it incredibly fast and powerful after a single use. Liquidation becomes a reliable STAB move that hits exceptionally hard after a boost from Shell Smash. Stone Edge serves as a secondary STAB move that provides good overall neutral coverage with Liquidation and can also become a 180-Base Power Continental Crush with Rockium Z, breaking through the likes of Cresselia and Milotic after slight prior damage. Return rounds out the set as a relatively strong move with good neutral coverage, allowing Barbaracle to do good damage to Toxicroak and Virizion, which resist Barbaracle's STAB moves. Earthquake can also serve as a passable coverage move to hit Doublade and Toxicroak, but neither Pokemon is particularly common, and the move has little use for Barbaracle otherwise.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Barbaracle to maximize its power and Speed after a boost, particularly allowing it to outspeed Choice Scarf Flygon at +2. An Adamant nature can be useful to give Barbaracle a slight increase in power at the expense of allowing it to be revenge killed by Flygon even after a boost. Tough Claws is the preferred ability to give a slight boost in power to Liquidation and Return. Rockium Z turns Stone Edge into Continental Crush, which is an excellent way to break through bulkier targets such as Cresselia more effectively. White Herb is a viable alternative to reset the Defense and Special Defense drops from Shell Smash, making Barbaracle less vulnerable to priority from the likes of Honchkrow and Golisopod.

Usage Tips
========

Barbaracle is primarily a mid- to late-game sweeper; it is meant to come in and sweep once its checks, such as Chesnaught, have been weakened or removed. Since Barbaracle has a rather decent defensive typing, it should attempt to switch in on certain threats such as Salazzle, Moltres, and Swellow to get an opportunity to set up. Its good physical bulk also gives it good setup opportunities against more defensive Pokemon such as Mandibuzz, Bronzong, and Gligar. Barbaracle can also set up on Pokemon that are Choice locked into weaker moves, such as Drapion, Gardevoir, Choice Scarf Tyrantrum, and Flygon not locked into Earthquake. Barbaracle should be used with wallbreakers and entry hazard support to be able to sufficiently weaken the opposing team for a sweep, particularly late-game. Additionally, if Barbaracle is using Rockium Z, Continental Crush is an effective one-time nuke that can break through bulkier threats such as Milotic, but it should be only be used to bypass threats Barbaracle cannot break through otherwise.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard setters are very useful partners for Barbaracle. Froslass, Mega Glalie, and Chesnaught are all good users of Spikes that can also take on some of Barbaracle's checks. Nidoqueen and Mega Steelix are also good entry hazard setters, with Nidoqueen also being able to take on the likes of Toxicroak and Chesnaught quite well. Wallbreakers such as Dragalge, Yanmega, Gardevoir, and Moltres can weaken the opposing team for Barbaracle to suitably sweep and can handle some of Barbaracle's checks such as Chesnaught and Bewear. Virizion is a fairly notable wallbreaker that can weaken threats like Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Rotom-C and force Choice Scarf users such as Shaymin into moves such as Air Slash, which Barbaracle can use as setup opportunities. Feraligatr can work as a sweeper and wallbreaker that can lure in the likes of Chesnaught and Milotic and weaken them. U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Flygon and Rotom-C can lure in threats Barbaracle can set up on, such as Gligar, Bronzong, and Snorlax, and get Barbaracle in safely. Rotom-C can also burn Mega Steelix so it becomes setup fodder for Barbaracle. Shaymin is also a very good teammate, since it checks Milotic and can also provide Healing Wish support to fully heal a weakened Barbaracle and give it another chance of sweeping. Additionally, dual screens and Memento support can be used to decrease any damage done to Barbaracle in order to make using Shell Smash much easier. Uxie and Whimsicott can both provide these forms of support very well. Choice Scarf Gardevoir can also provide Memento or Healing Wish support and can revenge kill Virizion.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========

Barbaracle has little else going for it, since Shell Smash is its primary niche. Stealth Rock could be usable as a means of supporting the team, but Barbaracle is rather outclassed as Stealth Rock setter in RU. Aerial Ace is a decently usable option to hit Chesnaught, Virizion, and Toxicroak harder but has limited use otherwise. Barbaracle also has other coverage moves such as Poison Jab and X-Scissor, but these provide fairly limited utility and cause Barbaracle to become vulnerable to the likes of Toxicroak. Substitute is also a usable option that allows Barbaracle to play mind games with Honchkrow.

Checks and Counters
========

**Fighting-types**: Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Bewear either resist Barbaracle's STAB moves or have the bulk to survive a hit, and they can OHKO it with Drain Punch or Close Combat.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Cresselia has enough bulk to survive a hit from Barbaracle and can stall it out with Toxic and Moonlight. Quagsire can also take on Barbaracle quite well thanks to its ability Unaware, which allows it to ignore Barbaracle's boosts, and its ability to 2HKO Barbaracle with Earthquake.

**Priority**: Barbaracle has the bulk to survive most priority moves even after a Shell Smash, but moves such as Honchkrow's Sucker Punch and Golisopod's First Impression can take it out with some prior chip damage.
 
Last edited:

aVocado

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White Herb over Lum Berry imo. this gen lum berry feels out of favour in general and barbaracle keeping its bulk seems like it would help it a lot.

Only Jolly slash cuz being outsped by scarf flygon is a joke, you can keep adamant in set details if you want

possibly add memento users in team options or double screens, i've seen a lot of those flying around

Good job otherwise

QC 1/3
 
Hey Aerial Ace should be removed, considering the fact that kommo-o rose to UU, also remove all outdated mentions, imo remove gk as quag is a lot worse then pyuku on stall, currently.
 
Poison Jab and X-scissor are pretty mediocre options. It also leaves you walled by toxicroak, which is a fairly decent mon in the current metagame. I’d just replace it with Return, since it also gets the tough claws boost and is a strong hit on targets that resist its stab moves. I would also mention healing wish support from the likes of scarf gardevoir and shaymin, since it gives barb a second chance to set up. Remove the low kick mention, there’s literally no reason to ever use that move and doesn’t help with any of its checks and counters.
 
**Priority** Barbaracle has the bulk to survive most priority moves even after a Shell Smash, but moves such as Sucker Punch from Honchkrow can take Barbaracle out with some prior chip damage. Mega Banette can also cripple Barbaracle with priority Will-O-Wisp or take it out with Destiny Bond.
really small nitpick but mega banette doesnt carry will o wisp, just say that prankster dbond kills both of them
 

cyanize

Mantra Good I Casted So Many Spells U Idiot
is a Community Contributor
hi i have a "few" things to add (not qc tho, so include them at your own discretion)

- i think it's worth expanding more on the stuff it can set up on in usage tips, since the wide variety of things it can take neutral hits from is what makes it so scary -- things like scarf garde (barring tbolt), scarf ttrum, bronzong, gligar, drapion, knock mandi, you get the gist
- mention u-turn and vswitch users in team options - flygon brings in gligar and zong, rotom-c brings in snorlax and zong and can burn stuff like lix to give barb more setup fodder, slow users like glig and mandi can take a hit from various mons then pivot and have barb set up on them
- add scarf garde to team options, it makes for a decent memento user and a good hwish user
- viriz is a notable breaker to add, since it checks waters and grounds, helps weaken stuff like croak, chesnaught and doublade, and most notably forces a lot of scarf users into awkward moves that barb can set up on (shaymin air slash, rose sludge bomb, flygon/ttrum outrage/aerial ace). note that they both rely on z moves to break though so you have to make a choice
- maybe mention sub in oo, it's useful to dodge sucker mindgames and cheese toxic + protect dudes (bronzong again lol) but comes at the obvious cost of useful coverage
- add golisopod to priority since that's a thing now (also i'd remove wisp banette mention cause that's not really a thing, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
 

MrAldo

Hey
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hi i have a "few" things to add (not qc tho, so include them at your own discretion)

- mention u-turn and vswitch users in team options - flygon brings in gligar and zong, rotom-c brings in snorlax and zong and can burn stuff like lix to give barb more setup fodder, slow users like glig and mandi can take a hit from various mons then pivot and have barb set up on them
- add scarf garde to team options, it makes for a decent memento user and a good hwish user
- viriz is a notable breaker to add, since it checks waters and grounds, helps weaken stuff like croak, chesnaught and doublade, and most notably forces a lot of scarf users into awkward moves that barb can set up on (shaymin air slash, rose sludge bomb, flygon/ttrum outrage/aerial ace). note that they both rely on z moves to break though so you have to make a choice
- maybe mention sub in oo, it's useful to dodge sucker mindgames and cheese toxic + protect dudes (bronzong again lol) but comes at the obvious cost of useful coverage
- add golisopod to priority since that's a thing now (also i'd remove wisp banette mention cause that's not really a thing, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
I like these as implementations. QC stamped.

- Expanding the list on what Barbaracle can setup on can be beneficial. Mentioning that it can setup on choice locked Gardevoir, Flygon not locked into EQ, scarf tyrantrum and choice locked Drapion in a pinch can be nice (As cyanize said but I accidentally deleted that part, oops).

Really good looking. QC 3/3
 

asa

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hi, am check. don't implement until official gp check or w/e. add/fix remove comments
[OVERVIEW]

Barbaracle's main niche is its access to Shell Smash, which allows it to become a deadly late-game sweeper. It Barbaracle bears a good offensive typing with access to strong STAB moves in Liquidation and Stone Edge, which provide it overall solid coverage. This is further bolstered by its good Attack and decent Speed after a Shell Smash boost, combined with a good ability in Tough Claws. Its typing also helps it in terms of finding setup opportunities, as it can check common threats such as Salazzle, Swellow, Moltres, and Mega Glalie. However, Barbaracle also has very exploitable weaknesses to Fighting, Grass, and Ground-types, which leaves it vulnerable to the likes of Virizion, Flygon, and Bewear Bewear, Flygon, and Virizion (in order to match the order of typings.). It Barbaracle is also relatively slow before it sets up, making it easy to revenge kill before a boost. Finally, It also faces competition from the likes of Cloyster and Feraligatr as an offensive Water-type, which as they either have access to a better STAB move or more immediate power and bulk.

[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Liquidation
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Return
item: Rockium Z / White Herb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Shell Smash boosts Barbaracle's Attack and Speed by two stages, making it incredibly fast and powerful after a single use. Liquidation becomes a powerful and reliable STAB move that hits exceptionally hard after a boost from Shell Smash while possessing good overall neutral coverage. Stone Edge serves as a secondary STAB move that provides good overall neutral coverage (might just be me, but the use of 'good overall neutral coverage' back to back just doesn't feel right. it isn't incorrect, it's just the wording.) with Liquidation, (RC) and can also become an excellent one-off nuke attack with Rockium Z, breaking through the likes of Cresselia and Milotic after slight prior damage. Return rounds out the set as a relatively strong move with good neutral coverage, allowing Barbaracle to do good damage to Toxicroak and Virizion (would put viriz first, since you mention that toxicroak isn't particularly common right after this, though that's probably just nitpicking.), who which resist Barbaracle's STAB moves. Earthquake can also serve as a passable coverage move to hit Doublade and Toxicroak, but neither Pokemon are particularly common and the move has little use for Barbaracle otherwise.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Barbaracle to maximize its power and Speed after a boost, particularly allowing it to outspeed Choice Scarf Flygon at +2. An Adamant nature can be useful to give Barbaracle a slight increase in power, but at the expense of allowing Barbaracle to be revenge killed by Flygon even after a boost. Tough Claws is the preferred ability to give a slight boost in power to Liquidation and Poison Jab (only since it isn't mentioned anywhere.). Rockium Z turns Stone Edge into Continental Crush, which provides an excellent one-off nuke to allow Barbaracle to break through bulkier opponents such as Cresselia more effectively. However, White Herb is also a viable item alternative to reset the Defense and Special Defense drops from Shell Smash, making Barbaracle less vulnerable to priority from the likes of Honchkrow.

Usage Tips
========

Barabaracle is primarily a mid to late-game mid- or late-game sweeper; (ASC) : (RC) as such, it is meant to come in and sweep once its checks, such as Chesnaught, have been weakened or removed. Since Barbaracle has a rather decent defensive typing, it should attempt to switch in on certain threats such as Salazzle, Moltres, and Swellow, (RC) to get an opportunity to set up. Its good physical bulk also gives it good setup opportunities against more defensive Pokemon such as Mandibuzz, Bronzong, and Gligar. It Barbaracle can also set up on Pokemon Choice-(AH)locked into weaker moves, such as Drapion, Gardevoir, Choice Scarf Tyrantrum, and Flygon not locked into Earthquake. Barbaracle should be used with wallbreakers and entry hazard support to be able to sufficiently weaken the opposing team for a sweep, particularly late in the game. Additionally, if Barbaracle is using Rockium Z, Continental Crush can be an effective one-off nuke against at breaking through bulkier threats such as Milotic, but it should be used very carefully and sparingly to bypass threats Barbaracle cannot break through otherwise. (only bc that same line got repeated thrice over.)

Team Options
========

Entry hazard support is a very useful form of support for Barbaracle. Froslass, Mega Glalie, and Chesnaught are all good users of Spikes, (RC) and can also take on some of Barbaracle's checks. Nidoqueen and Mega Steelix are also good entry hazard setters, and with Nidoqueen can also being able to take on the likes of Toxicroak and Chesnaught quite well. Wallbreakers such as Dragalge, Yanmega, Gardevoir, and Moltres can weaken the opposing team for Barbaracle to suitably sweep, (RC) and can handle some of Barbaracle's checks such as Chesnaught and Bewear. Virizion is a fairly notable wallbreaker who that can weaken threats like Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Rotom-Mow Rotom-C, (AC) while and it can force certain Choice Scarf users such as Shaymin into moves such as Air Slash, which Barbaracle can use as setup opportunities a chance to set up. Feraligatr can work as a sweeper and wallbreaker who can lure in the likes of Chesnaught and Milotic and weaken them. U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Flygon and Rotom-Mow Rotom-C can lure in threats Barbaracle can set up on, such as Gligar, Bronzong, and Snorlax, and get Barbaracle in safely. Rotom-Mow Rotom-C can also burn Mega Steelix to allow Barbaracle to set up on it. Shaymin is also a very good teammate, (AC) since it checks Milotic and can also provide Healing Wish support to fully heal a weakened Barbaracle to and give it another chance of sweeping. Additionally, Light Screen and Reflect along with Memento support can be used to weaken decrease any damage done to Barbaracle in order to make pulling off a using Shell Smash much easier. Uxie and Whimsicott can both provide this these forms of support very well. Choice Scarf Gardevoir can also provide Memento or Healing Wish support while revenge killing Virizion.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========

Barbaracle has little else going for it, (AC) since Shell Smash is its primary niche. Stealth Rock could be usable as a means of supporting the team, but Barbaracle is largely inferior to other users of the move in the metagame. Aerial Ace is also a decently usable option to hit Chesnaught, Virizion, and Toxicroak harder, (AC) but has limited use otherwise. It also has other coverage moves such as Poison Jab and X-Scissor, but these provide fairly limited utility and cause Barbaracle to become vulnerable to the likes of Toxicroak. Substitute is also a usable option that allows Barbaracle to play mindgames with Honchkrow

Checks and Counters
========

**Fighting-types** Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Bewear either resist Barabaracle's STAB moves or have the bulk to survive a hit, (RC) and can OHKO it with Drain Punch or Close Combat.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon** Cresselia has enough bulk to survive a hit from Barbaracle and can stall it out with Toxic and Moonlight. Quagsire can also take on Barbaracle quite well thanks to its ability, (RC) Unaware, which allows it to ignore Shell Smash's boosts, and can 2HKO with Earthquake.

**Priority** Barbaracle has the bulk to survive most priority moves even after a Shell Smash, but moves such as Honchkrow's Sucker Punch and Golisopod's First Impression can take Barbaracle out with some prior chip damage.
 

A Cake Wearing A Hat

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add/fix remove comments
[OVERVIEW]

Barbaracle's main niche is its access to Shell Smash, which allows it to become a deadly late-game sweeper. It bears a good offensive typing with access to strong STAB moves in Liquidation and Stone Edge, (RC) which provide that give it overall solid coverage. This is further bolstered by its good Attack and decent Speed after a Shell Smash boost, combined with a good ability in Tough Claws. Its typing also helps it in terms of finding setup opportunities, as it can check common threats such as Salazzle, Swellow, Moltres, and Mega Glalie. However, Barbaracle also has very exploitable weaknesses to Fighting, Grass, and Ground-types Ground, which leaves leave it vulnerable to the likes of Virizion, Flygon, and Bewear Bewear, Virizion, and Flygon. (in order to match the order of typings.) It Barbaracle is also relatively slow before it sets up, making it easy to revenge kill before a boost. It also In addition, it faces competition from the likes of Cloyster and Feraligatr as an offensive Water-type, which as they either have access to a better STAB move or more immediate power and bulk.

[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Liquidation
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Return
item: Rockium Z / White Herb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Shell Smash boosts Barbaracle's Attack and Speed by two stages, making it incredibly fast and powerful after a single use. Liquidation becomes a powerful and reliable STAB move that hits exceptionally hard while possessing good overall neutral coverage after a boost from Shell Smash. Stone Edge serves as a secondary STAB move that provides good overall neutral coverage with Liquidation, (RC) and can also become an excellent one-off nuke attack a 180-Base Power Continental Crush with Rockium Z, breaking through the likes of Cresselia and Milotic after slight prior damage. Return rounds out the set as a relatively strong move with good neutral coverage, allowing Barbaracle to do good damage to Toxicroak and Virizion, who which resist Barbaracle's STAB moves. Earthquake can also serve as a passable coverage move to hit Doublade and Toxicroak, but neither Pokemon are is particularly common and the move has little use for Barbaracle otherwise.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Barbaracle to maximize its power and speed Speed after a boost, particularly allowing it to outspeed Choice Scarf Flygon at +2. An Adamant nature can be useful to give Barbaracle a slight increase in power, (RC) but at the expense of allowing Barbaracle to be revenge killed by Flygon even after a boost. Tough Claws is the preferred ability to give a slight boost in power to Liquidation and Poison Jab. (only since it isn't mentioned anywhere.) Rockium Z turns Stone Edge into Continental Crush, which provides is an excellent one-off nuke to allow Barbaracle way to break through bulkier opponents such as Cresselia more effectively. However, White Herb is also a viable item alternative to reset the defense Defense and Special Defense drops from Shell Smash, making Barbaracle less vulnerable to priority from the likes of Honchkrow.

Usage Tips
========

Barabaracle Barbaracle is primarily a mid mid- to late-game sweeper:; (remove colon, add semicolon) it is meant to come in and sweep once its checks, such as Chesnaught, have been weakened or removed. Since Barbaracle has a rather decent defensive typing, it should attempt to switch in on certain threats such as Salazzle, Moltres, and Swellow, (RC) to get an opportunity to set up. Its good physical bulk also gives it good setup opportunities against more defensive Pokemon such as Mandibuzz, Bronzong, and Gligar. It Barbaracle can also set up on Pokemon Choice locked that are Choice-locked into weaker moves, such as Drapion, Gardevoir, Choice Scarf Tyrantrum, and Flygon not locked in into Earthquake. Barbaracle should be used with wallbreakers and entry hazard support to be able to sufficiently weaken the opposing team for a sweep, particularly late in the game late-game. Additionally, if Barbaracle is using Rockium Z, Continental Crush can be is an effective one-off one-time nuke against that can break through bulkier threats such as Milotic, but it should only be used very carefully and sparingly to bypass threats Barbaracle cannot break through otherwise.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard support is a very useful form of support setters are very useful partners for Barbaracle. Froslass, Mega Glalie, and Chesnaught are all good users of Spikes, (RC) and that can also take on some of Barbaracle's checks. Nidoqueen and Mega Steelix are also good entry hazard setters, and with Nidoqueen can also being able to take on the likes of Toxicroak and Chesnaught quite well. Wallbreakers such as Dragalge, Yanmega, Gardevoir, and Moltres can weaken the opposing team for Barbaracle to suitably sweep, (RC) and can handle some of Barbaracle's checks such as Chesnaught and Bewear. Virizion is a fairly notable wallbreaker who that can weaken threats like Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Rotom-Mow while it can Rotom-C and force certain Choice Scarf users such as Shaymin into using moves such as Air Slash, (RC) which that Barbaracle can use as setup opportunities. Feraligatr can work as a sweeper and wallbreaker who that can lure in the likes of Chesnaught and Milotic and weaken them. U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Flygon and Rotom-Mow Rotom-C can lure in threats that Barbaracle can set up on, such as Gligar, Bronzong, and Snorlax, and get Barbaracle in safely. Rotom-Mow Rotom-C can also burn Mega Steelix to allow Barbaracle to set up on it so it becomes setup fodder for Barbaracle. Shaymin is also a very good teammate, (AC) since it checks Milotic and can also provide Healing Wish support to fully heal a weakened Barbaracle to and give it another chance of sweeping to sweep. Additionally, Light Screen and Reflect along with dual screens and Memento support can be used to weaken decrease any damage done to Barbaracle in order to make pulling off a using Shell Smash much easier. Uxie and Whimsicott can both provide this these forms of support very well. Choice Scarf Gardevoir can also provide Memento or Healing Wish support while revenge killing and can revenge kill Virizion.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========

Barbaracle has little else going for it, (AC) since Shell Smash is its primary niche. Stealth Rock could be usable as a means of supporting the team, but Barbaracle is largely inferior to other users of the move in the metagame rather outclassed as a Stealth Rock setter in RU. Aerial Ace is also a decently usable option to hit Chesnaught, Virizion, and Toxicroak harder but has limited use otherwise. It Barbaracle also has other coverage moves such as Poison Jab and X-Scissor, but these provide fairly limited utility and cause Barbaracle it to become vulnerable to the likes of Toxicroak. Substitute is also a usable option that allows Barbaracle to play mindgames mind games with Honchkrow. (AP)

Checks and Counters
========

**Fighting-types** Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Bewear either resist Barabaracle's STAB moves or have the bulk to survive a hit, and they can OHKO it with Drain Punch or Close Combat.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon** Cresselia has enough bulk to survive a hit from Barbaracle and can stall it out with Toxic and Moonlight. Quagsire can also take on Barbaracle quite well thanks to its ability, (RC) Unaware, which allows it to ignore Shell Smash's Barbaracle's boosts, and can its ability to 2HKO Barbaracle with Earthquake.

**Priority** Barbaracle has the bulk to survive most priority moves even after a Shell Smash, but moves such as Honchkrow's Sucker Punch and Golisopod's First Impression can take Barbaracle out with some prior chip damage.


1/2
 
Last edited:

Lumari

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remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 2/2
[OVERVIEW]

Barbaracle's main niche is its access to Shell Smash, which allows it to become a deadly late-game sweeper. It bears a good offensive typing with access to strong STAB moves in Liquidation and Stone Edge that give it overall solid coverage. This is further bolstered by its good Attack and decent Speed after a Shell Smash boost, combined with a good ability in Tough Claws. Its typing also helps it in terms of finding setup opportunities, as it can check common threats such as Salazzle, Swellow, Moltres, and Mega Glalie. However, Barbaracle also has very exploitable weaknesses to Fighting, Grass, and Ground, which leave it vulnerable to the likes of Bewear, Virizion, and Flygon. Barbaracle is also relatively slow before it sets up, making it easy to revenge kill before a boost. In addition, it faces competition from the likes of Cloyster and Feraligatr as an offensive Water-type, as they either have either access to a better STAB move or more immediate power and bulk.

[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Liquidation
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Return
item: Rockium Z / White Herb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Shell Smash boosts Barbaracle's Attack and Speed by two stages, making it incredibly fast and powerful after a single use. Liquidation becomes a reliable STAB move that hits exceptionally hard after a boost from Shell Smash. Stone Edge serves as a secondary STAB move that provides good overall neutral coverage with Liquidation and can also become a 180-Base Power Continental Crush with Rockium Z, breaking through the likes of Cresselia and Milotic after slight prior damage. Return rounds out the set as a relatively strong move with good neutral coverage, allowing Barbaracle to do good damage to Toxicroak and Virizion, which resist Barbaracle's STAB moves. Earthquake can also serve as a passable coverage move to hit Doublade and Toxicroak, but neither Pokemon is particularly common, (AC) and the move has little use for Barbaracle otherwise.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack and Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Barbaracle to maximize its power and Speed after a boost, particularly allowing it to outspeed Choice Scarf Flygon at +2. An Adamant nature can be useful to give Barbaracle a slight increase in power at the expense of allowing Barbaracle it to be revenge killed by Flygon even after a boost. Tough Claws is the preferred ability to give a slight boost in power to Liquidation and Return. Rockium Z turns Stone Edge into Continental Crush, which is an excellent way to break through bulkier opponents targets such as Cresselia more effectively. White Herb is a viable alternative to reset the Defense and Special Defense drops from Shell Smash, making Barbaracle less vulnerable to priority from the likes of Honchkrow and Golisopod.

Usage Tips
========

Barbaracle is primarily a mid- to late-game sweeper; it is meant to come in and sweep once its checks, such as Chesnaught, have been weakened or removed. Since Barbaracle has a rather decent defensive typing, it should attempt to switch in on certain threats such as Salazzle, Moltres, and Swellow to get an opportunity to set up. Its good physical bulk also gives it good setup opportunities against more defensive Pokemon such as Mandibuzz, Bronzong, and Gligar. Barbaracle can also set up on Pokemon that are Choice locked (RH) into weaker moves, such as Drapion, Gardevoir, Choice Scarf Tyrantrum, and Flygon not locked into Earthquake. Barbaracle should be used with wallbreakers and entry hazard support to be able to sufficiently weaken the opposing team for a sweep, particularly late-game. Additionally, if Barbaracle is using Rockium Z, Continental Crush is an effective one-time nuke that can break through bulkier threats such as Milotic, but it should be only beused be used to bypass threats Barbaracle cannot break through otherwise.

Team Options
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Entry hazard setters are very useful partners for Barbaracle. Froslass, Mega Glalie, and Chesnaught are all good users of Spikes that can also take on some of Barbaracle's checks. Nidoqueen and Mega Steelix are also good entry hazard setters, (AC) with Nidoqueen also being able to take on the likes of Toxicroak and Chesnaught quite well. Wallbreakers such as Dragalge, Yanmega, Gardevoir, and Moltres can weaken the opposing team for Barbaracle to suitably sweep and can handle some of Barbaracle's checks such as Chesnaught and Bewear. Virizion is a fairly notable wallbreaker that can weaken threats like Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Rotom-C and force Choice Scarf users such as Shaymin into moves such as Air Slash, which Barbaracle can use as setup opportunities. Feraligatr can work as a sweeper and wallbreaker that can lure in the likes of Chesnaught and Milotic and weaken them. U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Flygon and Rotom-C can lure in threats Barbaracle can set up on, such as Gligar, Bronzong, and Snorlax, and get Barbaracle in safely. Rotom-Mow Rotom-C can also burn Mega Steelix so it becomes setup fodder for Barbaracle. Shaymin is also a very good teammate, since it checks Milotic and can also provide Healing Wish support to fully heal a weakened Barbaracle and give it another chance of sweeping. Additionally, dual screens and Memento support can be used to decrease any damage done to Barbaracle in order to make using Shell Smash much easier. Uxie and Whimsicott can both provide these forms of support very well. Choice Scarf Gardevoir can also provide Memento or Healing Wish support and can revenge kill Virizion.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Barbaracle has little else going for it, since Shell Smash is its primary niche. Stealth Rock could be usable as a means of supporting the team, but Barbaracle is rather outclassed as Stealth Rock setter in RU. Aerial Ace is a decently usable option to hit Chesnaught, Virizion, and Toxicroak harder but has limited use otherwise. Barbaracle also has other coverage moves such as Poison Jab and X-Scissor, but these provide fairly limited utility and cause Barbaracle to become vulnerable to the likes of Toxicroak. Substitute is also a usable option that allows Barbaracle to play mind games with Honchkrow.

Checks and Counters
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**Fighting-types**: (colon, other entries too) Chesnaught, Toxicroak, and Bewear either resist Barabaracle's Barbaracle's STAB moves or have the bulk to survive a hit, and they can OHKO it with Drain Punch or Close Combat.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Cresselia has enough bulk to survive a hit from Barbaracle and can stall it out with Toxic and Moonlight. Quagsire can also take on Barbaracle quite well thanks to its ability Unaware, which allows it to ignore Barbaracle's boosts, and its ability to 2HKO Barbaracle with Earthquake.

**Priority**: Barbaracle has the bulk to survive most priority moves even after a Shell Smash, but moves such as Honchkrow's Sucker Punch and Golisopod's First Impression can take Barbaracle it out with some prior chip damage.
 
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