[OVERVIEW]
Cofagrigus's Ghost typing, great natural bulk, and diverse movepool makes it the most versatile Toxic Spikes user in ORAS OU. With access to Toxic Spikes and Will-O-Wisp, Cofagrigus is able to cripple offense and balance teams while also doubling as a spinblocker. Cofagrigus boasts Mummy, which is able to shut down wallbreakers like Mega Medicham, Mega Lopunny, and Mega Altaria, as well as denying Regenerator against dominant pivots like Tornadus-T. In addition, Cofagrigus's low Speed tier and Nasty Plot allow it to utilize its good offensive typing on Trick Room teams. However, its low Special Attack and susceptibility to Dark-types often make this option inferior to the defensive Toxic Spikes set. Although Cofagrigus possesses a wide array of utility options, it is held back by a lack of reliable recovery and vulnerability to residual damage from entry hazards and status conditions. As a result, it faces competition from walls with better longevity such as Slowbro and Hippowdon, which have access to Slack Off, and other spinblockers like Jellicent, which has access to Recover.
[SET]
name: Toxic Spikes Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Pain Split / Rest
move 4: Hex / Night Shade / Knock Off / Shadow Ball
item: Leftovers
ability: Mummy
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Cofagrigus can use Toxic Spikes to quickly whittle down teams, putting powerful wallbreakers like Keldeo, Mega Medicham, and Mega Lopunny on a timer and limiting their longevity. Will-O-Wisp is used to cripple Pokemon unaffected by Toxic Spikes such as Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, Rotom-W, Tornadus-T, and Landorus-T. Pain Split utilizes Cofagrigus's low HP stat to chip down opponents and heal itself, but is an unreliable source of recovery. Hex can be used to severely chip statused foes and is an excellent way to deter hazard removal from the likes of Excadrill and Starmie. It can also be used in conjunction with Will-O-Wisp to deny setup opportunities from Pokemon like Mega Latias, Mega Altaria, and Mega Pinsir. Night Shade is useful for hitting specially bulky Pokemon like Assault Vest Tornadus-T harder as well as chipping away at Ghost-resistant Pokemon like Tyranitar. Knock Off can be used to punish the likes of Chansey, Clefable, and Assault Vest Tornadus-T that Cofagrigus can usually do little against. Shadow Ball is a more consistent option for hitting unstatused targets, notably 2HKOing Latios.
Set Details
=========
Cofagrigus's EV spread aims to maximize its physical bulk, with 8 EVS in Special Defense for a slight boost to its special bulk. Leftovers is used to enhance Cofagrigus's longevity.
Usage Tips
=========
It is important to analyze the opponent's team prior to battle to see if Toxic Spikes is useful and to set it up as soon as possible if that is the case. Cofagrigus can take advantage of switching into Pokemon like Excadrill to spinblock and Pokemon like Mega Medicham, Mega Metagross, and Mega Scizor to remove their abilities and cripple them with Will-O-Wisp. Once the opposing team is mostly crippled, Cofagrigus can start spamming Hex to severely chip them down, and Pain Split whenever necessary to heal off damage.
Due to Cofagrigus's lack of reliable recovery, it is best to avoid being statused or having its Leftovers removed.
Team Options
=========
Bulky sweepers like Calm Mind Suicune, Calm Mind Mega Latias, and SubRoost Kyurem appreciate Cofagrigus's ability to switch into Pokemon that check them like Mega Metagross and Mega Medicham. They also benefit from Cofagrigus's ability to whittle down offensive teams with Toxic Spikes and Will-O-Wisp. Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Weavile punish attempts at entry hazard removal by trapping Defoggers such as Latios and Latias. Spike setters appreciate Cofagrigus's ability to prevent Rapid Spin. Ferrothorn is a notable partner, as it can set Spikes and appreciates Cofagrigus switching into Fighting-type moves. Ferrothorn can also aid Cofagrigus's recovery by using Leech Seed on incoming switch-ins like Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny, which enhances Cofagrigus's ability to switch into them long-term. Cofagrigus also appreciates partners that can resist Dark-type moves such as Knock Off like Tyranitar and Clefable; however, Mega Diancie can also be used as a more offensive option to check Dark-types. Since Cofagrigus is susceptible to residual damage from hazards, it benefits from spinners such as Excadrill and Starmie that can remove hazards.
[Set]
name: Offensive Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Nasty Plot
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Leftovers
ability: Mummy
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Under Trick Room, Cofagrigus is able to outspeed most of the ORAS metagame, barring Pokemon like Ferrothorn. By using Nasty Plot, Cofagrigus is able to sweep under Trick Room. Shadow Ball allows Cofagrigus to spam a largely unresisted STAB move, OHKOing Psychic types like Mega Metagross, Latios, Latias, and Starmie at +2. Hidden Power Fighting is preferred over Will-O-Wisp to hit Dark-types like Tyranitar and Normal-types like Chansey that would otherwise wall Cofagrigus. It is also able to OHKO common Dark-types such as Weavile and Bisharp.
Set Details
=========
Maximum Special Attack investment and minimum Speed investment allow Cofagrigus to maximize its offensive power and be as quick as possible under Trick Room. The rest of the EVs are invested into HP and Defense, the added bulk allows it to survive a Life Orb Bisharp's Sucker Punch from full HP. Leftovers are also used to maximize Cofagrigus's longevity.
Usage Tips
=========
It is best to use Cofagrigus late-game to sweep after the opponent's team has been weakened. In order to prevent Cofagrigus's sweep from being cut short, it is optimal to use Nasty Plot prior to using Trick Room in order to have the maximum 4 turns to attack under Trick Room.
Team Options
=========
Pokemon that lure in and severely chip or KO bulky Normal- and Dark-types pair well with Cofagrigus and help to enable its sweep. Latios can work to lure in Tyranitar to chip it with Draco Meteor into the range where it can be KOed by +2 Hidden Power Fighting. Tail Glow Manaphy and Life Orb Clefable can be used to lure in Chansey and severely chip it down with boosted Surf and Moonblast. Special attacking Knock Off users such as Serperior and Clefable may also be used lure Cofagrigus's switch-ins like Chansey and Tornadus-T, removing their items to reduce their bulk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
=========
Other Options
=========
Cofagrigus has a wide array of options that can be used to disrupt many Pokemon; however, many of them are situational and often fall short of the defensive Toxic Spikes set. Skill Swap may be used on Pokemon like Clefable, forcing it to take residual damage from Will-O-Wisp or Toxic Spikes while also preventing Cofagrigus from taking residual damage. It may also be used on Pokemon reliant on their abilities to heal, such as Gliscor, which takes heavy damage from its Toxic Orb following a Skill Swap. Snatch can be used to steal boosting moves from Pokemon Calm Mind Clefable, as well as stealing recovery moves like Soft-Boiled, Roost, and Slack Off. Memento is a possible option to use on Trick Room teams or as a suicide lead, as it pairs well with Cofagrigus's ability to cripple attackers with status and turn them into setup fodder. Haze may be used to deny setup to sweepers, which can be devastating especially if they are put on a timer by Toxic Spikes or Will-O-Wisp. Knock Off may be used to let Cofagrigus lure in specially bulky Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Chansey, and Clefable to remove their items.
Checks and Counters
=========
**Dark-types**: Pokemon like Tyranitar, Weavile, and Bisharp all take minimal damage from Cofagrigus's STAB attacks and can force it out with Knock Off. However, these Pokemon do not appreciate switching into Will-O-Wisp.
**Status-immune Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Mega Altaria, Heatran, Clefable, Gliscor, Rest Suicune, Chansey, and Refresh Mega Latias are all either immune to residual damage from status or can heal such damage off. In addition, these Pokemon have enough bulk to prevent being 2HKOed by boosted Hex and may consequently set up in front of Cofagrigus.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Although Cofagrigus's physical bulk is very high, its special bulk is not, often resulting in it being overpowered by special wallbreakers like Keldeo, Manaphy, Thundurus, and Volcarona.
**Taunt Users**: Due to Cofagrigus's reliability on status moves to whittle down teams, it can often be shut down by most Taunt users due to its low Speed. Pokemon like Serperior are easily able to use Taunt to prevent Toxic Spikes and Will-O-Wisp usage versus offensive teams.
**Residual Damage**: Cofagrigus's lack of adequate recovery options makes it susceptible to being worn down by entry hazards and status such as burn and poison. This can force Cofagrigus into a state of passivity, relying on Pain Split to desperately regain HP.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/anvil-head.440741/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vulpix03.306299/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/fade.472436/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Cofagrigus's Ghost typing, great natural bulk, and diverse movepool makes it the most versatile Toxic Spikes user in ORAS OU. With access to Toxic Spikes and Will-O-Wisp, Cofagrigus is able to cripple offense and balance teams while also doubling as a spinblocker. Cofagrigus boasts Mummy, which is able to shut down wallbreakers like Mega Medicham, Mega Lopunny, and Mega Altaria, as well as denying Regenerator against dominant pivots like Tornadus-T. In addition, Cofagrigus's low Speed tier and Nasty Plot allow it to utilize its good offensive typing on Trick Room teams. However, its low Special Attack and susceptibility to Dark-types often make this option inferior to the defensive Toxic Spikes set. Although Cofagrigus possesses a wide array of utility options, it is held back by a lack of reliable recovery and vulnerability to residual damage from entry hazards and status conditions. As a result, it faces competition from walls with better longevity such as Slowbro and Hippowdon, which have access to Slack Off, and other spinblockers like Jellicent, which has access to Recover.
[SET]
name: Toxic Spikes Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Pain Split / Rest
move 4: Hex / Night Shade / Knock Off / Shadow Ball
item: Leftovers
ability: Mummy
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Cofagrigus can use Toxic Spikes to quickly whittle down teams, putting powerful wallbreakers like Keldeo, Mega Medicham, and Mega Lopunny on a timer and limiting their longevity. Will-O-Wisp is used to cripple Pokemon unaffected by Toxic Spikes such as Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, Rotom-W, Tornadus-T, and Landorus-T. Pain Split utilizes Cofagrigus's low HP stat to chip down opponents and heal itself, but is an unreliable source of recovery. Hex can be used to severely chip statused foes and is an excellent way to deter hazard removal from the likes of Excadrill and Starmie. It can also be used in conjunction with Will-O-Wisp to deny setup opportunities from Pokemon like Mega Latias, Mega Altaria, and Mega Pinsir. Night Shade is useful for hitting specially bulky Pokemon like Assault Vest Tornadus-T harder as well as chipping away at Ghost-resistant Pokemon like Tyranitar. Knock Off can be used to punish the likes of Chansey, Clefable, and Assault Vest Tornadus-T that Cofagrigus can usually do little against. Shadow Ball is a more consistent option for hitting unstatused targets, notably 2HKOing Latios.
Set Details
=========
Cofagrigus's EV spread aims to maximize its physical bulk, with 8 EVS in Special Defense for a slight boost to its special bulk. Leftovers is used to enhance Cofagrigus's longevity.
Usage Tips
=========
It is important to analyze the opponent's team prior to battle to see if Toxic Spikes is useful and to set it up as soon as possible if that is the case. Cofagrigus can take advantage of switching into Pokemon like Excadrill to spinblock and Pokemon like Mega Medicham, Mega Metagross, and Mega Scizor to remove their abilities and cripple them with Will-O-Wisp. Once the opposing team is mostly crippled, Cofagrigus can start spamming Hex to severely chip them down, and Pain Split whenever necessary to heal off damage.
Due to Cofagrigus's lack of reliable recovery, it is best to avoid being statused or having its Leftovers removed.
Team Options
=========
Bulky sweepers like Calm Mind Suicune, Calm Mind Mega Latias, and SubRoost Kyurem appreciate Cofagrigus's ability to switch into Pokemon that check them like Mega Metagross and Mega Medicham. They also benefit from Cofagrigus's ability to whittle down offensive teams with Toxic Spikes and Will-O-Wisp. Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Weavile punish attempts at entry hazard removal by trapping Defoggers such as Latios and Latias. Spike setters appreciate Cofagrigus's ability to prevent Rapid Spin. Ferrothorn is a notable partner, as it can set Spikes and appreciates Cofagrigus switching into Fighting-type moves. Ferrothorn can also aid Cofagrigus's recovery by using Leech Seed on incoming switch-ins like Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny, which enhances Cofagrigus's ability to switch into them long-term. Cofagrigus also appreciates partners that can resist Dark-type moves such as Knock Off like Tyranitar and Clefable; however, Mega Diancie can also be used as a more offensive option to check Dark-types. Since Cofagrigus is susceptible to residual damage from hazards, it benefits from spinners such as Excadrill and Starmie that can remove hazards.
[Set]
name: Offensive Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Nasty Plot
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Leftovers
ability: Mummy
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Under Trick Room, Cofagrigus is able to outspeed most of the ORAS metagame, barring Pokemon like Ferrothorn. By using Nasty Plot, Cofagrigus is able to sweep under Trick Room. Shadow Ball allows Cofagrigus to spam a largely unresisted STAB move, OHKOing Psychic types like Mega Metagross, Latios, Latias, and Starmie at +2. Hidden Power Fighting is preferred over Will-O-Wisp to hit Dark-types like Tyranitar and Normal-types like Chansey that would otherwise wall Cofagrigus. It is also able to OHKO common Dark-types such as Weavile and Bisharp.
Set Details
=========
Maximum Special Attack investment and minimum Speed investment allow Cofagrigus to maximize its offensive power and be as quick as possible under Trick Room. The rest of the EVs are invested into HP and Defense, the added bulk allows it to survive a Life Orb Bisharp's Sucker Punch from full HP. Leftovers are also used to maximize Cofagrigus's longevity.
Usage Tips
=========
It is best to use Cofagrigus late-game to sweep after the opponent's team has been weakened. In order to prevent Cofagrigus's sweep from being cut short, it is optimal to use Nasty Plot prior to using Trick Room in order to have the maximum 4 turns to attack under Trick Room.
Team Options
=========
Pokemon that lure in and severely chip or KO bulky Normal- and Dark-types pair well with Cofagrigus and help to enable its sweep. Latios can work to lure in Tyranitar to chip it with Draco Meteor into the range where it can be KOed by +2 Hidden Power Fighting. Tail Glow Manaphy and Life Orb Clefable can be used to lure in Chansey and severely chip it down with boosted Surf and Moonblast. Special attacking Knock Off users such as Serperior and Clefable may also be used lure Cofagrigus's switch-ins like Chansey and Tornadus-T, removing their items to reduce their bulk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
=========
Other Options
=========
Cofagrigus has a wide array of options that can be used to disrupt many Pokemon; however, many of them are situational and often fall short of the defensive Toxic Spikes set. Skill Swap may be used on Pokemon like Clefable, forcing it to take residual damage from Will-O-Wisp or Toxic Spikes while also preventing Cofagrigus from taking residual damage. It may also be used on Pokemon reliant on their abilities to heal, such as Gliscor, which takes heavy damage from its Toxic Orb following a Skill Swap. Snatch can be used to steal boosting moves from Pokemon Calm Mind Clefable, as well as stealing recovery moves like Soft-Boiled, Roost, and Slack Off. Memento is a possible option to use on Trick Room teams or as a suicide lead, as it pairs well with Cofagrigus's ability to cripple attackers with status and turn them into setup fodder. Haze may be used to deny setup to sweepers, which can be devastating especially if they are put on a timer by Toxic Spikes or Will-O-Wisp. Knock Off may be used to let Cofagrigus lure in specially bulky Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Chansey, and Clefable to remove their items.
Checks and Counters
=========
**Dark-types**: Pokemon like Tyranitar, Weavile, and Bisharp all take minimal damage from Cofagrigus's STAB attacks and can force it out with Knock Off. However, these Pokemon do not appreciate switching into Will-O-Wisp.
**Status-immune Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Mega Altaria, Heatran, Clefable, Gliscor, Rest Suicune, Chansey, and Refresh Mega Latias are all either immune to residual damage from status or can heal such damage off. In addition, these Pokemon have enough bulk to prevent being 2HKOed by boosted Hex and may consequently set up in front of Cofagrigus.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Although Cofagrigus's physical bulk is very high, its special bulk is not, often resulting in it being overpowered by special wallbreakers like Keldeo, Manaphy, Thundurus, and Volcarona.
**Taunt Users**: Due to Cofagrigus's reliability on status moves to whittle down teams, it can often be shut down by most Taunt users due to its low Speed. Pokemon like Serperior are easily able to use Taunt to prevent Toxic Spikes and Will-O-Wisp usage versus offensive teams.
**Residual Damage**: Cofagrigus's lack of adequate recovery options makes it susceptible to being worn down by entry hazards and status such as burn and poison. This can force Cofagrigus into a state of passivity, relying on Pain Split to desperately regain HP.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/anvil-head.440741/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vulpix03.306299/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/fade.472436/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Last edited by a moderator:
