Balloon n_n
[OVERVIEW]
Drifblim is an unique Pokemon with a great signature ability in Unburden that allows it to act as a one-time sweeper when used in tandem with Calm Mind. Its unique typing gives it a useful Ghost STAB to hit the numerous Psychic-types in the tier, mainly special walls like Slowking, Grumpig, and Hypno, for good damage. Drifblim also has useful resistances to act as an offensive check to the likes of Tauros and Sunny Day Vileplume and to invalidate most Lickilicky variants. Furthermore, thanks to its wide movepool and its other ability Aftermath, Drifblim is versatile enough to fulfill tasks such as leading, revenge killing, Baton Passing, and setting weather. However, its typing sports several crippling weaknesses, mainly to Stealth Rock and Pursuit, leaving Drifblim very vulnerable to the omnipresent Skuntank. Moreover, due to its middling Speed and Special Attack, Drifblim relies on boosts to pose a threat and thus faces heavy competition from Haunter as an offensive Ghost-type.
[SET]
name: Substitute + Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Sitrus Berry / Petaya Berry
ability: Unburden
nature: Modest
evs: 12 Def / 252 SpA / 244 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Drifblim's most common set acts as a very threatening late-game sweeper. However, keep in mind that Unburden's effect disappears as Drifblim switches out, so choose an effective moment for it to set up and to eat its Berry carefully. Calm Mind allows Drifblim to attempt a sweep thanks to the Special Attack boost. The added boost in Special Defense is very handy in a metagame where fast special attackers are common, as it makes Drifblim harder to revenge kill before Unburden is activated. Substitute is meant to be used repeatedly until Drifblim eats its Berry; it also allows Drifblim to play around Sucker Punch users, to escape Pursuit, to protect itself from revenge killers before Unburden activates, and to avoid status. Shadow Ball is Drifblim's best STAB attack that hits Psychic-types such as Slowking, Gardevoir, and Jynx hard, all of which are very common threats. Hidden Power Fighting gives Drifblim perfect coverage alongside Shadow Ball that allows it to hit Regirock, Cradily, Magneton, Lickilicky, Regice, and Dark-types not named Skuntank super effectively.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
The given EV spread allows Drifblim to outspeed Choice Scarf Timid Manectric after the Unburden boost, which is likely the fastest revenge killer it will face aside from the somewhat rare Choice Scarf Tauros. The Special Attack is maximized so Drifblim is guaranteed to OHKO Tauros, Floatzel, and Manectric and to 2HKO Regirock after a Calm Mind and Stealth Rock damage. However, the EV spread is pretty customizable, depending on what you need. For instance, 140 SpA / 124 SpD / 244 Spe ensures that Drifblim's Substitute won't break to Slowking's Surf after a Calm Mind, but you'll miss some of the crucial aforementioned KOs.
The chosen Berry depends mostly on personal preferences; Sitrus Berry doesn't require Drifblim to be at very low health, which means it may activate Unburden sooner, and grants it an additional Substitute. Petaya Berry, on the other hand, is very helpful if Drifblim faces too much pressure to set up manually with Calm Mind.
Hidden Power Ground is an appealing option, since it 2HKOes Skuntank even when unboosted, but it leaves Drifblim completely walled by Dodrio and much more vulnerable to other Dark-types, namely Shiftry and Cacturne. Hidden Power Flying provides a secondary STAB option that hits all of Skuntank, Vileplume, Hitmonchan, specially defensive Cacturne, Poliwrath, and Meganium, at the cost of leaving Drifblim weaker against Regirock, Cradily, Magneton, and Tauros. Status moves like Will-O-Wisp can prove to be useful to cripple some of Drifblim's usual checks and let it avoid Sucker Punch, but outside of the accuracy issue, a Drifblim without a coverage move is walled by Normal-types and struggles even more against Dark-types. Since Drifblim may end up being unable to sweep the opposing team, Baton Pass ensures that all of the Calm Mind boosts accumulated won't be a waste if you pack another special attacker. Moreover, Baton Pass allows Drifblim to escape Pursuit. If Drifblim is holding a Petaya Berry, giving up Calm Mind is also possible, as it will free up a moveslot and let it use one of the above options or other offensive options like Thunderbolt and Explosion instead. Although it wouldn't have to set up manually with Calm Mind anymore, eating the Berry requires Drifblim to be at very low health, and it will only get a +1 boost in Special Attack by doing so, making sweeping difficult.
With Skuntank being Drifblim's biggest threat, Pokemon that can lure it out and either cripple or outright KO it like Gardevoir with Will-O-Wisp, Focus Blast, or Destiny Bond and Shiftry with Explosion make good partners. Other Dark-types with super effective priority moves like Shiftry and Cacturne are pretty annoying as well, although Substitute helps Drifblim against them. Therefore, having a good switch-in to most of them like Vileplume is appreciated. Specially bulky Pokemon with super effective coverage like Regirock, Cradily, Regice, and Muk need to be out of the way or severely damaged in order to sweep with Drifblim. Wallbreakers like Medicham threaten all of them. Another way to wear down said Pokemon is with Spikes and Stealth Rock support. Drifblim's Ghost typing is something to take advantage of against opposing spinners, although its weaknesses to Hitmonchan's Ice Punch and Sandslash's Night Slash make it a pretty subpar spinblocker. Even though Drifblim doesn't mind Stealth Rock that much, as it needs to get in Sitrus Berry's range anyway, Rapid Spin support from Hitmonchan or Sandslash is still appreciated, as Drifblim will likely have an easier time setting up if it comes in at full health. Moreover, both of these Pokemon are pretty good at checking most of Drifblim's threats, namely Regirock and Skuntank. Also, due to Unburden, most of Drifblim's answers are either strong priority users or specially bulky Pokemon. Nonetheless, naturally faster Pokemon can also pose a threat if they pressure Drifblim enough to prevent it from setting up. These include most special attackers like Haunter, Jynx, and Manectric. Thus, packing a special wall or tank like Lickilicky is a good idea.
[SET]
name: Rest + Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Rest
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Chesto Berry
ability: Unburden
nature: Modest
evs: 12 Def / 252 SpA / 244 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
An alternative to the more offensive Calm Mind set, which is very effective as well if played right. Instead of lowering its health to reach the Sitrus Berry's range, Drifblim has access to a one-time full recovery with the combination of Rest and Chesto Berry. This variant has to activate Unburden manually by using Rest, which is a double-edged sword, as Unburden can't be triggered against your will by reaching a given range and without the protection of Substitute. Calm Mind stays as the needed move to pull off a sweep, as this variant will likely be able to accumulate more boosts thanks to its ability to heal itself. Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting keep perfect coverage together and thus remain Drifblim's preferred offensive tools.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
The given EV spread allows Drifblim to outspeed Choice Scarf Timid Manectric after the Unburden boost. The Special Attack is maximized to hit as hard as possible, and the remaining EVs are thrown into Defense in order to take physical hits a little better. Putting 252 EVs in Defense is an option that almost guarantees Drifblim can take a Life Orb-boosted Sucker Punch from Adamant Skuntank, but it doesn't necessarily hit hard enough in return.
Hidden Power Ground is a coverage option to hit Skuntank, but Hidden Power Fighting stays as the best choice overall since it makes Drifblim less vulnerable to Shiftry, Cacturne, and Dodrio. Hidden Power Flying might be a more solid option with this variant, since Drifblim has a harder time playing around Sucker Punch users and status without Substitute, which means that the improved matchup against Skuntank, Vileplume, and Meganium may be important. Recycle is also an option, as retrieving its Berry allows Drifblim to take greater advantage of the ChestoRest strategy. The selling point of this move is to activate Unburden possibly several times throughout the match. However, it's difficult to find a moveslot for it.
When using this variant, you need to be prepared against Sucker Punch users like Shiftry, Cacturne, and especially Skuntank which also threatens Drifblim with Pursuit while taking Hidden Power Fighting reasonably well. Hence, Pokemon like Will-O-Wisp Gardevoir and Shiftry make good teammates due to their ability to lure in and significantly cripple Skuntank. Said Pokemon are also suited for damaging the likes of Regirock and Cradily, two common threats that tend to prevent Drifblim from sweeping. In spite of its one-time full recovery move in Rest, Drifblim appreciates having Rapid Spin support from the likes of Hitmonchan and Sandslash, as Stealth Rock could hamper its ability to set up. Drifblim may also struggle to find an opportunity if it's facing too much offensive pressure. Thus, defensive backbones like Lickilicky are partners of choice due to their ability to take hits from the likes of Haunter and Jynx.
[SET]
name: Hindenburg (Lead)
move 1: Hypnosis
move 2: Explosion
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Focus Sash
ability: Unburden
nature: Mild
evs: 12 Atk / 252 SpA / 244 Spe
ivs: 2 HP / 2 Def / 30 SpA / 2 SpD / 30 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Thanks to Unburden, Hypnosis, Explosion, and its immunity to Fake Out, Drifblim makes a pretty effective lead. Hypnosis is a high-risk, high-reward move that allows Drifblim to beat Pokemon that would normally have the upper hand against it—provided it doesn't miss. It also prevents slower Pokemon from setting Stealth Rock, and sleep disables just about any Pokemon. A sleep-inducing move fits nicely on Drifblim, since its Ghost STAB scares Hypno off, which is the most common sleep absorber. Explosion is a last-ditch tool that will hopefully KO the opposing Pokemon. Drifblim's Ghost STAB proves to be useful to discourage opposing Ghost-types from trying to absorb Explosion. In the best scenario, this variant of Drifblim can take down two opposing Pokemon. Hidden Power Fighting allows Drifblim to take care of opposing lead Persian and has perfect coverage with Shadow Ball.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
The EV spread allows Drifblim to outspeed Choice Scarf Manectric after the Unburden boost, which you may encounter in the lead position. Drifblim's defenses are minimized so that Focus Sash can be activated more easily, since Unburden won't activate otherwise.
Memento and Destiny Bond aren't bad alternatives to Explosion, since they are far less predictable. The former gives your team a plethora of setup opportunities early-game, and the latter can catch Pokemon like Regirock as well as being a great tool against Sucker Punch users when the Sleep Clause is active. Nonetheless, the immediate threat of Explosion is hard to give up. Sucker Punch is a pretty neat priority attack that allows Drifblim to get some surprise KOs against opposing Focus Sash leads, but it's hard to fit.
Faster sleep inducers like Jynx, Venomoth, and Jumpluff are extremely threatening, since they can prevent Drifblim from doing anything. Therefore, sleep absorbers like Hypno and RestTalk Mantine make good partners. Faster leads like Floatzel and Glalie can possibly beat Drifblim one-on-one or set up multiple layers of Spikes, respectively, as long as they predict Hypnosis correctly or simply avoid it, so be sure to have something to deal with them afterwards. Even if Drifblim survives at 1 HP, priority users and Rock-types like Regirock don't fear much from it if Sleep Clause is already active. Therefore, packing a Pokemon that can take advantage of most of them like Poliwrath is something to consider.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Trick
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Explosion
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Aftermath
nature: Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Drifblim makes good use of Choice Scarf, as it makes for very appealing role compression between Trick, Explosion, its defensive utility, its ability to spinblock, and its ability to revenge kill fast Pokemon. Its other ability Aftermath allows it to wear down the opposing Pokemon further if it eliminates Drifblim with a contact move, which can prove to be useful in case Explosion wouldn't work. Trick is a neat tool, especially if your team has trouble against Skuntank, Regirock, Lickilicky, or Cradily, since it either cripples them or makes them outright useless. Shadow Ball is Drifblim's best and mandatory STAB move, and Thunderbolt is Drifblim's best option to revenge kill Charizard, Dodrio, Floatzel, Sharpedo, and Crawdaunt. Explosion is an immediately threatening offensive move that can take down most Pokemon that don't resist it and serve as a last-dish tool in emergency cases. This variant of Drifblim can ideally cripple two opposing Pokemon by using Trick and Explosion.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
A Naive nature is needed to outspeed Electrode and slower Choice Scarf users like Magneton without lowering the power of Explosion. Hidden Power Fighting is very underwhelming when unboosted but can prove to be useful against Shiftry and Cacturne.
Hidden Power Grass is an option if you're really afraid of Dragon Dance Whiscash and Rock Polish Rhydon, but their usage is still pretty low. Baton Pass can be useful to scout the opponent's team and bring an answer to the incoming switch-in; note that it also allows Drifblim to escape safely from Pursuit.
Since Skuntank will either faint or be at low health after eliminating Drifblim due to Explosion and Aftermath, anything that appreciates having it out of the way is a good teammate. Examples include Jynx, Shiftry, and Gardevoir. You also may end up giving Drifblim's Choice Scarf to bulky Pokemon like Regirock, Cradily, and Regice with Trick. If you succeed in doing this, Pokemon like Tauros and Haunter will have a much easier time sweeping through the opponent's team.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Drifblim makes a very good user of Baton Pass due to its ability to pass high HP Substitutes and either Calm Mind or Stockpile; the lack of phazers in the tier helps its case. With the first set, Drifblim may be unable to use any move if it's facing faster and stronger Pokemon like Charizard and Manectric. Due to this, Substitute can be swapped for Endure in order to have a chance to do some damage, but with its typing and bulk, Drifblim will more often than not have at least one opportunity to set up in each match. Drifblim can also act as a Sunny Day or Rain Dance user on dedicated weather teams. Its access to Weather Ball, Thunder, and Explosion allows it to deal with common threats to these kinds of teams. Choice Specs is an option if you really want immediate power, but Life Orb Haunter hits harder and is also faster. A support set with moves like Memento can work on some hyper offensive teams, but dual screens users are generally better options. Drifblim can act as a status spreader with moves such as Will-O-Wisp, Hypnosis, and Thunder Wave, but more powerful Pokemon like Gardevoir are more suited for this task. A defensive variant with moves like Will-O-Wisp and Haze has some merits due to Drifblim's unique typing, but its Stealth Rock weakness and the existence of Sableye and Dusclops hinder it.
Checks and Counters
========
Dark-types are Drifblim's biggest nemeses mainly due to their super effective priority moves that bypass the Unburden boost; some of them also trap it with Pursuit. The omnipresent Skuntank in particular will often spell doom for Drifblim with either Sucker Punch, Crunch, or Pursuit, only fearing Hidden Power Ground from Drifblim. Sneasel can fire off Ice Shard without hesitation and threaten Drifblim with Pursuit as well, but it has to be wary of Hidden Power Fighting. Shiftry and Cacturne are extremely scary as well with their strong Sucker Punch, but Substitute variants can play around them. Rock-types like Regirock and Cradily are bulky enough to withstand even boosted hits and will do massive damage with their STAB attacks. Specially bulky Pokemon with super effective coverage like Regice, Muk, and Lapras have the upper hand against Drifblim if they're healthy, but they can be in trouble if it already has several Calm Mind boosts under its belt. Some special walls or tanks can cripple Drifblim in their own way; Politoed can lock it in a setup move with Encore, Mantine may erase its boosts with Haze, and Lickilicky can pack another offensive move specifically for Haunter and Drifblim. Finally, a ton of revenge killers can take care of Drifblim if Unburden isn't active or if it hasn't set up a Substitute or Calm Mind boosts, such as Manectric, Haunter, Jynx, Charizard, Choice Scarf Magneton, and Sharpedo.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Wenderz, 331114]]
- Quality checked by: [[Honko, 42413], [Oglemi, 40358]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Oglemi, 40358]]
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