Gen 5 Conkeldurr Overview + OO + CC(QC 2/2)(GP 0/1)

Tricknology

Tricknology

formerly Strictsceptile
[Overview]
======

Conkeldurr is a powerful physical attacker with an enormous base 140 Attack and solid physical bulk backed by high HP. An Iron Fist Drain Punch alongside its vast coverage options, including Thunder Punch, Ice Punch and Payback, and priority in Mach Punch, allow it to hit nearly every opponent for heavy damage, letting it trade 1v1 in most matchups. Conkeldurr is also capable of utilizing its other ability, Guts, with a specially defensive set and Bulk Up in order to take advantage of its regular counters such as Landorus-T and Gliscor, making it highly unpredictable. However, its weak Special Defense leaves it vulnerable to strong special attackers like Alakazam and Latios, which can force it out before it gets a chance to attack. Additionally, while its bulk helps it take physical hits, it lacks reliable recovery outside of Drain Punch, making it reliant on team support. Despite these drawbacks, its sheer power and strong matchup spread into common staples of sand teams make it a dominant force in the metagame.

[Other Options]
=============

Conkeldurr lacks access to Close Combat, forcing it to rely on other Fighting-type moves for power. Hammer Arm alongside Iron Fist and Life Orb matches Close Combat’s power while avoiding defensive drops, with the Speed drop being a much better tradeoff in most situations. It also allows Conkeldurr to secure key KOs with a follow up Mach Punch such as on physically defensive Rotom-W and Starmie after Stealth Rock. However, losing out on either Drain Punch's recovery or a coverage move is problematic for Conkeldurr. A Choice Band set allows Conkeldurr to function as a strong revenge killer with Mach Punch and hit hard with Superpower or Hammer Arm. However, it struggles against the plethora of Fighting-resistant Pokémon like Gliscor, Slowbro, and Latios, making it heavily reliant on prediction. A Life Orb Sheer Force set is another strong option, taking advantage of boosted moves like Thunder Punch and Ice Punch while still having access to Mach Punch and Drain Punch for priority and recovery. However, Sheer Force does not enhance Conkeldurr’s STAB moves, meaning it still takes Life Orb recoil when using them. This makes the set less efficient compared to others, as it sacrifices durability for a power boost that doesn’t apply to some of its most important attacks. Drain Punch helps mitigate Life Orb recoil, but it isn’t ideal due to the ever-present chip damage from weather, limiting Conkeldurr’s longevity.Force Palm provides a paralysis chance to help with its low Speed, but besides being an unreliable form of status it can't be used alongside Mach Punch—an essential priority move that takes full advantage of Conkeldurr’s high base Attack.

[Checks and Counters]
==========

Psychic- and Ghost-types: Conkeldurr relies heavily on its Fighting-type STAB, making it vulnerable to Pokémon that resist or are immune to it.Bulky Psychic-types like Reuniclus, Slowbro and Celebi are the best answers, they can take its attacks reasonably well and retaliate with STAB Psychic or cripple non guts variants with status.Alakazam is mostly unable to switch into any attacks safely, but it is one of the most reliable revenge killers for a Conkeldurr. Latios and Starmie can switch in to a Drain Punch and threaten its much softer special defense, while Jellicent is immune to Drain Punch denying revovery and can wear it down with scald or night shade while shutting down setup attempts with Taunt. While Payback can hit these Pokémon hard, bulkier variants or faster attackers can still pose a problem.

Strong Special Attackers: Even with Special Defense investment, Conkeldurr struggles against powerful special attackers. While they may struggle to switch in to varying degrees, Keldeo, Thundurus-T, Volcarona, and Rotom-W are all mostly unbothered by Mach Punch and heavily damage or OHKO Conkeldurr.

Physical Walls: Conkeldurr struggles to break through certain bulky physical walls that can withstand its attacks and wear it down. Gliscor is one of the toughest matchups for payback Conkeldurr, as it resists Fighting moves, heals off Payback with Poison Heal, and can either shut down Bulk Up attempts with Taunt or 1v1 Conkeldurr with Swords Dance. Slowbro is also difficult to muscle past for Ice Punch Conkeldurr, tanking hits with its high Defense and gaining health back with Regenerator + Slack Off,while threatening damage with STAB Psychic. Skarmory can be annoying with Brave Bird and Whirlwind, preventing Conkeldurr from setting up. However, if Skarmory Roosts at the wrong turn, it momentarily loses its Flying typing, allowing Conkeldurr to hit it super effectively with Drain Punch.Other physical checks such as Landorus-T and Hippowdon are not great answers to Ice Punch Conkeldurr, but they help to limit Bulk Up sets with Intimidate and Sand Stream alongside Whirlwind respectively.

Entry Hazards & Residual Damage:While Conkeldurr’s Drain Punch and Leftovers provide recovery, it still dislikes taking repeated chip damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes. Sandstorm and Hail also wear it down over time, forcing it to rely more on Drain Punch for healing.Despite Conkeldurr's Guts + Bulk Up sets gaining a boost in power from Burn or Poison, they accelerate the already fast pace Conkeldurr is worn down in Sand. Moreover, these status effects completely shut down Iron Fist Conkeldurr, so that set must avoid them at all costs. Even Paralysis can be problematic for Conkeldurr, as a move lost to full paralysis can lead to Conkeldurr missing recovery from Drain Punch or a kill with Mach Punch.


[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/strictsceptile.583025/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/chomp29.265410/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monai.482455/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/magialice.624724/
Grammar checked by:
 
Last edited:
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[Overview]
======

Conkeldurr is a powerful premier let's not pretend conk is premiere physical attacker with an enormous base 140 Attack and solid physical bulk backed by high HP. An Iron Fist Drain Punch alongside its Its vast coverage options, including Thunder Punch, Ice Punch and Payback, (add comma) and priority in Mach Punch, allow it to hit nearly every opponent for heavy damage, letting it trade 1v1 in most matchups. Conkeldurr is also capable of utilizing its other ability, Guts, with a specially defensive set and Bulk Up in order to take advantage of its regular counters such as Landorus-T and Gliscor, making it highly unpredictable. This makes it highly unpredictable, as it can threaten key walls that would otherwise check Fighting types.It's natural bulk and ability to absorb status make it difficult to wear down, and it benefits greatly from Healing Wish support, which keeps it healthy and able to continue pressuring teams. Additionally, its access to Mach Punch gives it valuable priority, letting it handle faster threats despite its low Speed. This is correct but it is more apt for the actual Bulk Up analysis.
Conkeldurr also has three useful abilities, with Guts being the most effective, as it turns status from moves like Will-O-Wisp and Toxic into an Attack boost, allowing it to punish passive play. However, Iron Fist is also a solid choice, giving additional power to moves like Mach Punch, Hammer Arm, and the Elemental Punches. Reworded and elaborated on earlier. Sheer Force, while less common, enhances moves like Ice Punch and Thunder Punch when paired with Life Orb, making Conkeldurr a surprisingly versatile threat. Qc Team think it's best that Iron Fist is focused on primarily, but I've moved Sheer Force mention to OO.
However, its weak Special Defense leaves it vulnerable to strong special attackers like Alakazam and Latios, which can force it out before it gets a chance to attack. Additionally, while its bulk helps it take physical hits, it lacks reliable recovery outside of Drain Punch, making it reliant on team support. Despite these drawbacks, its sheer power and strong matchup spread into common staples of sand teams make it a dominant force in the metagame.

[Other Options]
=============

Conkeldurr has a few viable sets, but each comes with notable drawbacks. Notably, it Conkeldurr lacks access to Close Combat, forcing it to rely on other Fighting-type moves for power. Hammer Arm alongside Iron Fist and Life Orb matches Close Combat’s power while avoiding defensive drops, with the Speed drop being a much better tradeoff in most situations. It also allows Conkeldurr to secure key KOs with a follow up Mach Punch such as on physically defensive Rotom-W and Starmie after Stealth Rock. However, losing out on either Drain Punch's recovery or a coverage move is problematic for Conkeldurr. OHKOs, such as on Keldeo. Additionally, Hammer Arm followed by Mach Punch reliably takes out frailer threats. While Drain Punch provides recovery, the extra power from Hammer Arm is often worth it for breaking through bulkier opponents. A Choice Band set allows Conkeldurr to function as a strong revenge killer with Mach Punch and hit hard with Superpower or Hammer Arm. However, it struggles against the plethora of Fighting-resistant Pokémon like Gliscor, Slowbro, and Latios, making it even more heavily reliant on prediction. A Life Orb Sheer Force set is another strong option, taking advantage of boosted moves like Thunder Punch and Ice Punch while still having access to Mach Punch and Drain Punch for priority and recovery. However, Sheer Force does not enhance Conkeldurr’s STAB moves, meaning it still takes Life Orb recoil when using them. This makes the set less efficient compared to others, as it sacrifices durability for a power boost that doesn’t apply to some of its most important attacks. Drain Punch helps mitigate Life Orb recoil, but it isn’t ideal due to the ever-present chip damage from weather, limiting Conkeldurr’s longevity.
Force Palm provides a paralysis chance to help with its low Speed, but besides being an unreliable form of status it can't be used alongside Mach Punch—an essential priority move that takes full advantage of Conkeldurr’s high base Attack.
However, it should be noted that sets without Guts are highly susceptible to status, especially burn, which severely hinders Conkeldurr’s offensive presence. This also prevents it from acting as a reliable Scald switch-in, making it more difficult to take advantage of passive Water-types.

[Checks and Counters]
==========

Psychic- and Ghost-types: Conkeldurr relies heavily on its Fighting-type STAB, making it vulnerable to Pokémon that resist or are immune to it. Latios, Reuniclus, and Starmie can switch in to a Drain Punch and threaten its much softer special defenseit with powerful Psychic-type moves, while Jellicent is and Gengar are immune to Drain Punch and can wear it down with strong special attacks. While Payback can hit these Pokémon hard, bulkier variants or faster attackers can still pose a problem. Additionally, bulky Bulky Psychic-types like Reuniclus, Slowbro, Slowking and Celebi are the best answers, they can take its attacks reasonably well and retaliate with STAB Psychic or cripple non guts variants with status. Move this to the top. Alakazam is mostly unable to switch into any attacks safely, but it is one of the most reliable revenge killers for a Conkeldurr.

Strong Special Attackers: Even with Special Defense investment, Conkeldurr struggles against powerful special attackers. While they may struggle to switch in to varying degrees, Keldeo, Thundurus-T, Volcarona, and Rotom-W are all mostly unbothered by Mach Punch and heavily damage or OHKO Conkeldurr. Specs Latios, Alakazam, Tornadus-T, and Thundurus can all outspeed and heavily damage or OHKO Conkeldurr before it can strike back. Even bulkier special attackers like Volcarona and Hydreigon can pressure it significantly.

Physical Walls: Conkeldurr struggles to break through certain bulky physical walls that can withstand its attacks and wear it down. Gliscor is one of the toughest matchups for payback Conkeldurr, as it resists Fighting moves, heals off Payback damage with Poison Heal, and can either shut down Bulk Up attempts with Taunt or 1v1 Conkeldurr with Swords Dance and can stall with Earthquake or shut down setup attempts with Taunt. Slowbro is also difficult to muscle past for Ice Punch Conkeldurr, tanking hits with its high Defense and gaining health back with Regenerator + Slack Off, while threatening damage with STAB Psychic. Skarmory can be annoying with Brave Bird and Whirlwind, preventing Conkeldurr from setting up. However, if Skarmory Roosts at the wrong turn, it momentarily loses its Flying typing, allowing Conkeldurr to hit it super effectively with Drain Punch. Other physical checks such as Landorus-T and Hippowdon are not great answers to Ice Punch Conkeldurr, but they help to limit Bulk Up sets with Intimidate and Sand Stream alongside Whirlwind respectively.

Entry Hazards & Residual Damage: While Conkeldurr’s Drain Punch and Leftovers provide recovery, it still dislikes taking repeated chip damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes. Sandstorm and Hail also wear it down over time, forcing it to rely more on Drain Punch for healing. Despite Conkeldurr's Guts + Bulk Up sets gaining a boost in power from Burn or Poison, they accelerate the already fast pace Conkeldurr is worn down in Sand. Moreover, these status effects completely shut down Iron Fist Conkeldurr, so that set must avoid them at all costs. Even Paralysis can be problematic for Conkeldurr, as a move lost to full paralysis can lead to Conkeldurr missing recovery from Drain Punch or a kill with Mach Punch. Moreover, status effects such as burn, poison, and paralysis can severely hinder its longevity. Burn and poison damage accumulate over time, gradually wearing it down,while paralysis reduces its already low Speed and introduces the risk of full paralysis, making it even more inconsistent in longer battles. rewording

[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/strictsceptile.583025/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/chomp29.265410/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monai.482455/
Grammar checked by:
 
[Overview]
======

Conkeldurr is a powerful physical attacker with an enormous base 140 Attack and solid physical bulk backed by high HP.An Iron Fist Drain Punch alongside its vast coverage options, including Thunder Punch, Ice Punch and Payback,and priority in Mach Punch, allow it to hit nearly every opponent for heavy damage, letting it trade 1v1 in most matchups.Conkeldurr is also capable of utilizing its other ability, Guts, with a specially defensive set and Bulk Up in order to take advantage of its regular counters such as Landorus-T and Gliscor, making it highly unpredictable. However, its weak Special Defense leaves it vulnerable to strong special attackers like Alakazam and Latios, which can force it out before it gets a chance to attack. Additionally, while its bulk helps it take physical hits, it lacks reliable recovery outside of Drain Punch, making it reliant on team support. Despite these drawbacks, its sheer power and strong matchup spread into common staples of sand teams make it a dominant force in the metagame.

[Other Options]
=============

Conkeldurr lacks access to Close Combat, forcing it to rely on other Fighting-type moves for power. Hammer Arm alongside Iron Fist and Life Orb matches Close Combat’s power while avoiding defensive drops, with the Speed drop being a much better tradeoff in most situations. It also allows Conkeldurr to secure key KOs with a follow up Mach Punch such as on physically defensive Rotom-W and Starmie after Stealth Rock. However, losing out on either Drain Punch's recovery or a coverage move is problematic for Conkeldurr. A Choice Band set allows Conkeldurr to function as a strong revenge killer with Mach Punch and hit hard with Superpower or Hammer Arm. However, it struggles against the plethora of Fighting-resistant Pokémon like Gliscor, Slowbro, and Latios, making it even more idt regular conk is that prediction reliantheavily reliant on prediction.A Life Orb Sheer Force set is another strong option, taking advantage of boosted moves like Thunder Punch and Ice Punch while still having access to Mach Punch and Drain Punch for priority and recovery. However, Sheer Force does not enhance Conkeldurr’s STAB moves, meaning it still takes Life Orb recoil when using them. This makes the set less efficient compared to others, as it sacrifices durability for a power boost that doesn’t apply to some of its most important attacks. Drain Punch helps mitigate Life Orb recoil, but it isn’t ideal due to the ever-present chip damage from weather, limiting Conkeldurr’s longevity.Force Palm provides a paralysis chance to help with its low Speed, but besides being an unreliable form of status it can't be used alongside Mach Punch—an essential priority move that takes full advantage of Conkeldurr’s high base Attack.

[Checks and Counters]
==========

Psychic- and Ghost-types: Conkeldurr relies heavily on its Fighting-type STAB, making it vulnerable to Pokémon that resist or are immune to it.Bulky Psychic-types like Reuniclus, Slowbro and Celebi are the best answers, they can take its attacks reasonably well and retaliate with STAB Psychic or cripple non guts variants with status.Alakazam is mostly unable to switch into any attacks safely, but it is one of the most reliable revenge killers for a Conkeldurr. Latios and Starmie can switch in to a Drain Punch and threaten its much softer special defense, while Jellicent is immune to Drain Punch denying revovery and can wear it down with strong special attacks or shut down setup attempts with Taunt. While Payback can hit these Pokémon hard, bulkier variants or faster attackers can still pose a problem.

Strong Special Attackers: Even with Special Defense investment, Conkeldurr struggles against powerful special attackers. While they may struggle to switch in to varying degrees, Keldeo, Thundurus-T, Volcarona, and Rotom-W are all mostly unbothered by Mach Punch and heavily damage or OHKO Conkeldurr.

Physical Walls: Conkeldurr struggles to break through certain bulky physical walls that can withstand its attacks and wear it down. Gliscor is one of the toughest matchups for payback Conkeldurr, as it resists Fighting moves, heals off Payback with Poison Heal, and can either shut down Bulk Up attempts with Taunt or 1v1 Conkeldurr with Swords Dance. Slowbro is also difficult to muscle past for Ice Punch Conkeldurr, tanking hits with its high Defense and gaining health back with Regenerator + Slack Off,while threatening damage with STAB Psychic. Skarmory can be annoying with Brave Bird and Whirlwind, preventing Conkeldurr from setting up. However, if Skarmory Roosts at the wrong turn, it momentarily loses its Flying typing, allowing Conkeldurr to hit it super effectively with Drain Punch.Other physical checks such as Landorus-T and Hippowdon are not great answers to Ice Punch Conkeldurr, but they help to limit Bulk Up sets with Intimidate and Sand Stream alongside Whirlwind respectively.

Entry Hazards & Residual Damage:While Conkeldurr’s Drain Punch and Leftovers provide recovery, it still dislikes taking repeated chip damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes. Sandstorm and Hail also wear it down over time, forcing it to rely more on Drain Punch for healing.Despite Conkeldurr's Guts + Bulk Up sets gaining a boost in power from Burn or Poison, they accelerate the already fast pace Conkeldurr is worn down in Sand. Moreover, these status effects completely shut down Iron Fist Conkeldurr, so that set must avoid them at all costs. Even Paralysis can be problematic for Conkeldurr, as a move lost to full paralysis can lead to Conkeldurr missing recovery from Drain Punch or a kill with Mach Punch.
 
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