Fighting-types in SS NU

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Introduction

Fighting-types have always been ferocious titans in NU due to their immense wallbreaking capabilities and coverage to handle their checks. They have become even more dominant figures since the Sigilyph and Cresselia bans, which caused Pokémon like Machamp and Toxicroak to be more common in the metagame. Mienshao and Bewear departed the tier, but they were quickly replaced by Choice Scarf Passimian and Sirfetch'd, respectively. You could even say that "Mienshao and Bewear walked so Passimian and Sirfetch'd could run". Most Fighting-types utilize Knock Off to cripple threats like Talonflame and Mantine, and their raw power can get past threats like Garbodor, Xatu, and Sylveon. Slower Fighting-types like Sirfetch'd, Machamp, and Toxicroak are great against bulky Pokémon like Mudsdale, Vaporeon, and Copperajah, while Virizion and Choice Scarf Passimian are good against fast Pokémon like Starmie and Silvally-Ground. Overall, great power, Knock Off, and varied coverage give Fighting-types a strong place in the metagame.

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The Pokémon

Machamp

Wallbreaker

• Machamp @ Flame Orb
• Ability: Guts
• EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
• Adamant Nature
• - Close Combat
• - Knock Off
• - Facade
• - Bullet Punch / Heavy Slam

Machamp sets itself on fire with Flame Orb to activate Guts, making it a FEROCIOUS wallbreaker that unleashes its powerful Facade on switch-ins like Talonflame and Vileplume. Flame Orb reduces Machamp's longevity, but makes it less prediction reliant than Choice Band Sirfetch'd and Choice Scarf Passimian. Furthermore, Machamp isn't bothered by Scald burns from Vaporeon and Mantine, Talonflame's Flame Body, paralysis, and Toxic. The four-armed humanoid punches holes in slow defensive cores consisting of Vaporeon, Sylveon, and Quagsire. Pivots like Rotom-C, Silvally-Steel, and Talonflame are encouraged with Machamp to find situations to activate its Flame Orb or wallbreak. Alternatively, a bulkier Assault Vest set can be used to better survive special attacks from the likes of Salazzle and Exploud, retaliating with powerful attacks.

Sirfetch'd

Wallbreaker

• Sirfetch'd @ Leek / Choice Band
• Ability: Scrappy
• EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
• Adamant Nature
• - Close Combat
• - Knock Off
• - Brave Bird / Leaf Blade / Poison Jab
• - First Impression

Sirfetch'd has cemented itself as one of the scariest wallbreakers in the metagame. Thanks to Scrappy, traditional ways to wall physical Fighting-types, like Intimidate and Ghost-types, no longer work. With Scrappy Close Combat and amazing coverage, almost nothing can reliably switch in once, let alone twice. Even though Sirfetch'd is one of the slower Fighting-types, it can still threaten more offensive teams thanks to First Impression, often revenge killing weakened or faster Pokémon such as Shell Smash Blastoise, Rotom-C, and Starmie. Leek has seen consistent use over Choice Band, letting Sirfetch'd switch up its moves and avoid being locked into First Impression, which lets a Pokémon in for free. Leek sets also can use critical hits to push through bulky Pokémon like Stamina Mudsdale and Curse Snorlax.

Toxicroak

Swords Dance Nasty Plot Choice Scarf

Toxicroak stands out from the other Fighting-types because it checks Water-types like Vaporeon and Blastoise lacking Earthquake thanks to Dry Skin, and its Poison typing gives it a powerful STAB Gunk Shot and the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes. Did you know this dart frog has a chance to OHKO Mudsdale with Low Kick after a Swords Dance? However, Drain Punch is an alternative for battlers desperate for health. Toxicroak's fourth move is pretty flexible between Sucker Punch, Knock Off, and Earthquake. Sucker Punch revenge kills threats like Starmie and Rotom-C, Knock Off hits Palossand and Doublade, and Earthquake hits Poison-types like opposing Dragalge and Garbodor. Toxicroak also can run a Nasty Plot set to muscle past physically defensive walls such as Mudsdale and Weezing. Choice Scarf Toxicroak has also seen slight usage due to it outspeeding Pokémon like Rotom-C, Drapion, and Talonflame.

Passimian

Choice Scarf / Choice Band

• Passimian @ Choice Scarf / Choice Band
• Ability: Defiant
• EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
• Jolly Nature
• - Close Combat
• - Knock Off
• - Rock Slide / Gunk Shot / Earthquake
• - U-turn

With the multitude of Fighting-types in NU, Passimian stands out as the only one with access to U-turn, giving it a niche as a physical Choice Scarf user that can consistently revenge kill faster Pokémon like Salazzle, Silvally-Ground, and Talonflame. Passimian does face competition, however, with other Choice Scarf users like Rotom-C and Indeedee-F, but it has useful utility options like U-turn and Knock Off. Alternatively, Choice Band can be used to bluff Choice Scarf and heavily damage the likes of Quagsire and Garbodor. Passimian's third moveslot is flexible between Rock Slide, Gunk Shot, and Earthquake, targeting Pokémon like Mantine, Sylveon, and Toxicroak, respectively.

Scrafty

Defensive Bulk Up

• Scrafty @ Leftovers
• Ability: Shed Skin
• EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 48 SpD / 64 Spe
• Careful Nature
• - Drain Punch
• - Knock Off
• - Bulk Up
• - Rest

Scrafty is an incredibly potent setup sweeper. If your opponent lacks a Fairy- or Fighting-type of their own, it's very likely Scrafty will just take the game over after a Bulk Up or two. Additionally, Scrafty's overall defensive utility is great; its Ghost resistance is particularly useful for checking foes like Decidueye and Dhelmise, and Shed Skin makes taking advantage of Vaporeon trivial. Perhaps even more impressive, though, is how Talonflame can't easily check Scrafty like it can the other Fighting-types; Talonflame's Brave Bird simply doesn't do enough damage to a boosted Scrafty, and Shed Skin prevents it from crippling Scrafty with status. With the listed set, a +1 Scrafty will outlast Passimian's Close Combat thanks to the recovery from Drain Punch and defeat it, and the Speed EVs give Scrafty the jump on Vaporeon.

Virizion

Swords Dance Mixed Leaf Storm

Virizion sets itself apart from the other Fighting-types in NU due to its unique typing and incredible Speed tier, which allow it to check fast Pokémon like Silvally-Ground and Xatu. These traits and its unique coverage make it a terrifying late-game cleaner and mixed wallbreaker on paper. Swords Dance Virizion has to decide between Stone Edge to nail Talonflame and hitting Poison-types like Garbodor, Vileplume, and Weezing with Zen Headbutt. Mixed Virizion successfully picks up KOs on the likes of Mudsdale and Choice Band Guzzlord, and it can run another coverage option thanks to giving up Swords Dance. Life Orb maximizes Virizion's damage, but Lum Berry is an alternative on Swords Dance sets to temporarily prevent Scald burns and Will-O-Wisp from shutting them down.

Hitmonlee

Terrain Sweeper

• Hitmonlee @ Psychic Seed / Electric Seed
• Ability: Unburden
• EVs: 48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spe
• Adamant Nature
• - Bulk Up
• - Close Combat
• - Knock Off
• - Stone Edge

Hitmonlee's main appeal over other Fighting-type wallbreakers is Unburden, which makes it one of the fastest Pokémon in the metagame after losing its item. Hitmonlee is mostly paired with Terrain setters like Indeedee-F and Pincurchin to activate its Psychic Seed or Electric Seed and, therefore, Unburden. However, such strategies are relegated to Terrain hyper offense teams, which can be quite unreliable and don't always need Hitmonlee to succeed regardless.

Hitmontop

Assault Vest Spin

• Hitmontop @ Assault Vest
• Ability: Technician
• EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
• Adamant Nature
• - Rapid Spin
• - Triple Axel
• - Mach Punch
• - Close Combat

Hitmontop seems appealing because it compresses priority, entry hazard removal, and special bulk all into one teamslot, but it's quite bad in practice. It fails to reliably beat most entry hazard setters—Mudsdale, Diancie, and Garbodor in particular—whereas Rotom-C, Tsareena, and Dhelmise are much more consistent there. As a wallbreaker, other Fighting-types like Machamp, Toxicroak, and Sirfetch'd are simply stronger.

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Metagame Adaptations

The rise in Fighting-types has led to a collection of Poison-, Fairy-, Flying-, and Psychic-type Pokémon skyrocketing in usage. For example, Garbodor rose from ZU to NU thanks to it punishing Fighting-types like Sirfetch'd and Passimian, forcing damage through the combination of Rocky Helmet, Spikes, and Aftermath. Xatu can punish Fighting-type attacks by switching in with Rocky Helmet and threatening their users with Psychic. For more offensive answers, players have turned to tier staple Talonflame, which, with its high Speed and great ability in Flame Body, can potentially burn any Fighting-type it switches in on and then force it out with STAB Brave Bird. Sylveon has also quickly risen as the best Fairy-type in the tier, reaffirming its spot as a cleric that can switch into Fighting-types, unlike fellow Eevee evolution Vaporeon, and keep the team healthy. Overall, the tier has a number of checks for Fighting-types like Vileplume, Weezing, Palossand, and Mantine, but a lot of these checks fear the coverage options and immense power Fighting-types bring into combat. All in all, Fighting-types are great progress makers with coverage options like Stone Edge and Gunk Shot hitting their theoretical checks, and Knock Off allowing them to force progress throughout the match.

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Final Thoughts

From big names like Sirfetch'd and Gen 7 NU staples like Passimian to more niche options like Virizion, it's clear to see that a lot of Fighting types have more freedom in battle than ever before. It's worth mentioning that Scrappy on Sirfetch'd is a big reason why we don't see defensive Ghost-types that try to check our Fighting-types, which actually helps every Fighting-type spamming its strong STAB attacks. However, they still have to look out for the general Fighting-resistant checks on the rise like Talonflame, Sylveon, and Weezing. As the metagame moves on, even more new adaptations will develop.

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