Kangaskhan
[Overview]
<p>The fabled mother of Cubone returns this generation with relatively nothing new in its arsenal. With the new powerhouses and buffs in BW, Kangaskhan was kicked down from UU and finds itself in the NU tier. While Kangaskhan didn't gain too many tools in BW, it still has some nice moves and abilities that make it a decent threat, most notably Scrappy, which allows Kangaskhan to hit Ghost-type Pokemon with Normal- and Fighting-type attacks. Kangaskhan also has decent base 90 Speed, nice natural bulk, and a fairly diverse movepool. Of course, with base 95 Attack and no boosting moves outside of Work Up, Kangaskhan won't be sweeping by itself anytime soon. Still, Kangaskhan has the potential to be a threat to any NU team if played correctly.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return / Body Slam
move 3: Drain Punch / Earthquake
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Scrappy
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Return
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Leftovers
ability: Scrappy
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Kangaskhan has the potential to make 101 HP Substitutes, which, alongside Scrappy, makes it a great candidate for a SubPunch set. Substitute renders some walls, such as Misdreavus and Frillish, completely useless, as their only means of damaging Kangaskhan is by burning it. Focus Punch and Scrappy allow Kangaskhan to muscle its way through the tier, though Kangaskhan will face trouble against the abundant Rock-type Pokemon that can survive one Focus Punch. Return is Kangaskhan's best STAB option, and has very solid coverage with Focus Punch. Finally, Sucker Punch rounds out the set, giving Kangaskhan some form of priority, and it works wonders in tandem with Substitute.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The HP EVs give Kangaskhan 404 HP, which allows it to create 101 HP Substitutes. Maximum Attack with an Adamant nature is recommended, as this set is mainly designed to muscle its way through the opponent's walls. The remaining EVs are placed into Speed, as uninvested base 90 Speed is not very good in NU. While Focus Punch is recommended for this set, Drain Punch can be used for a more reliable attack; while Drain Punch is only half as strong as Focus Punch, it allows Kangaskhan to restore some of the HP that it uses from making Substitutes, which makes it a viable alternative.</p>
<p>While this set is fairly independent, Kangaskhan still has trouble getting by some of the premier physical walls in NU, such as Quagsire and Alomomola. Strong special attackers such as Magmortar or Raichu can weaken these threats to the point where Kangaskhan can finish them off. Amoonguss is also a good teammate as it can threaten most of the popular physical walls with Spore or Toxic. Choice Band Sawk also works well with Kangaskhan, severely denting most of the physical walls in NU and paving the way for Kangaskhan to clean up late-game.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Kangaskhan really doesn't have too many other viable options. Kangaskhan has access to the elemental punches, but a neutral Return will always be more powerful than a super effective punch, so there really is no point in using them. Kangaskhan also has Aqua Tail, but there is no spectacular coverage offered from it outside of hitting Rock-type Pokemon slightly harder. Kangaskhan can also run a Choice Band set, where Double-Edge can be used over Return. A Choice Band also patches up Kangaskhan's pretty underwhelming Attack. Kangaskhan finally received a stat boosting move in Work Up, which can be used with Return, Drain Punch, and Sucker Punch.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>While Kangaskhan has great coverage and a pretty solid movepool, it still doesn't hit very hard. Many physical walls, such as Alomomola, Quagsire, Tangela, and Regirock, ruin Kangaskhan's day. If Kangaskhan is not running Substitute, then Frillish and Misdreavus can easily switch in and threaten it with a Will-O-Wisp. Kangaskhan is also fairly slow, so there are many Pokemon that can revenge kill it. Choice Scarf Sawk is quite possibly the best candidate for the job, resisting Sucker Punch and easily smacking Kangskhan around with Close Combat.</p>
[Overview]
<p>The fabled mother of Cubone returns this generation with relatively nothing new in its arsenal. With the new powerhouses and buffs in BW, Kangaskhan was kicked down from UU and finds itself in the NU tier. While Kangaskhan didn't gain too many tools in BW, it still has some nice moves and abilities that make it a decent threat, most notably Scrappy, which allows Kangaskhan to hit Ghost-type Pokemon with Normal- and Fighting-type attacks. Kangaskhan also has decent base 90 Speed, nice natural bulk, and a fairly diverse movepool. Of course, with base 95 Attack and no boosting moves outside of Work Up, Kangaskhan won't be sweeping by itself anytime soon. Still, Kangaskhan has the potential to be a threat to any NU team if played correctly.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return / Body Slam
move 3: Drain Punch / Earthquake
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Scrappy
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Scrappy, Kangaskhan has the ability to hit anything in NU for neutral damage. Fake Out is for that one turn priority, allowing Kangaskhan to break Focus Sashes or to rack up any residual damage if need be. Return is Kangaskhan's most reliable STAB move, and, thanks to Scrappy, hits every Pokemon in NU for neutral damage except Rock- and Steel-types. Drain Punch allows Kangaskhan to recover from Life Orb recoil and gives it a super effective hit on Rock- and Steel-types. Sucker Punch rounds out the moveset for additional coverage and gives Kangaskhan a second priority move. Body Slam can be used over Return for the paralysis chance, which is always appreciated with all of the Choice Scarf Pokemon in NU to counter Gorebyss. Earthquake also offers nice coverage with Return, and hits harder than Drain Punch, but Kangaskhan won't be lasting as long without Drain Punch's recovery.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is fairly standard, maximizing Speed and Attack while throwing the remaining EVs into HP. A Jolly nature is used to maximize Kangaskhan's Speed, allowing it to tie with other base 90 Speed Pokemon, while an Adamant nature gives Kangaskhan some much-needed extra power. Despite having pretty good coverage, Kangaskhan still has trouble with some of the common physical walls of NU, such as Quagsire and Regirock, who can take any hit Kangaskhan has to offer. Pokemon that can take these walls out are greatly appreciated as teammates. Amoonguss can tank anything that physical walls can throw at it and fire off a Giga Drain or Spore at them. Special sweepers such as Gorebyss and Magmortar have trouble switching in, but they can take these walls out if they are able to get in. Kangaskhan also appreciates Spikes support, as it will help Kangaskhan net some easier KOs. Garbodor makes a pretty nice teammate for Kangaskhan, resisting the Fighting-type moves that threaten it.</p>
[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Return
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Leftovers
ability: Scrappy
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Kangaskhan has the potential to make 101 HP Substitutes, which, alongside Scrappy, makes it a great candidate for a SubPunch set. Substitute renders some walls, such as Misdreavus and Frillish, completely useless, as their only means of damaging Kangaskhan is by burning it. Focus Punch and Scrappy allow Kangaskhan to muscle its way through the tier, though Kangaskhan will face trouble against the abundant Rock-type Pokemon that can survive one Focus Punch. Return is Kangaskhan's best STAB option, and has very solid coverage with Focus Punch. Finally, Sucker Punch rounds out the set, giving Kangaskhan some form of priority, and it works wonders in tandem with Substitute.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The HP EVs give Kangaskhan 404 HP, which allows it to create 101 HP Substitutes. Maximum Attack with an Adamant nature is recommended, as this set is mainly designed to muscle its way through the opponent's walls. The remaining EVs are placed into Speed, as uninvested base 90 Speed is not very good in NU. While Focus Punch is recommended for this set, Drain Punch can be used for a more reliable attack; while Drain Punch is only half as strong as Focus Punch, it allows Kangaskhan to restore some of the HP that it uses from making Substitutes, which makes it a viable alternative.</p>
<p>While this set is fairly independent, Kangaskhan still has trouble getting by some of the premier physical walls in NU, such as Quagsire and Alomomola. Strong special attackers such as Magmortar or Raichu can weaken these threats to the point where Kangaskhan can finish them off. Amoonguss is also a good teammate as it can threaten most of the popular physical walls with Spore or Toxic. Choice Band Sawk also works well with Kangaskhan, severely denting most of the physical walls in NU and paving the way for Kangaskhan to clean up late-game.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Kangaskhan really doesn't have too many other viable options. Kangaskhan has access to the elemental punches, but a neutral Return will always be more powerful than a super effective punch, so there really is no point in using them. Kangaskhan also has Aqua Tail, but there is no spectacular coverage offered from it outside of hitting Rock-type Pokemon slightly harder. Kangaskhan can also run a Choice Band set, where Double-Edge can be used over Return. A Choice Band also patches up Kangaskhan's pretty underwhelming Attack. Kangaskhan finally received a stat boosting move in Work Up, which can be used with Return, Drain Punch, and Sucker Punch.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>While Kangaskhan has great coverage and a pretty solid movepool, it still doesn't hit very hard. Many physical walls, such as Alomomola, Quagsire, Tangela, and Regirock, ruin Kangaskhan's day. If Kangaskhan is not running Substitute, then Frillish and Misdreavus can easily switch in and threaten it with a Will-O-Wisp. Kangaskhan is also fairly slow, so there are many Pokemon that can revenge kill it. Choice Scarf Sawk is quite possibly the best candidate for the job, resisting Sucker Punch and easily smacking Kangskhan around with Close Combat.</p>
