Exploud (analysis)

Limewire

Limewire

PRESS R TO WIN
is a Contributor Alumnus
295.png

HYPAH VOIIIIICE

[Overview]

<p>With a base 91 Special Attack and access to a wide variety of special moves, Exploud holds a niche in NU as the only viable pure Normal-type Pokemon that can launch powerful special attacks. Exploud can also use physical moves well due to its stellar base 91 Attack stat, and it can take a few hits due to its beefy base 104 HP. As a bonus, Exploud's Soundproof ability means that it cannot be phazed by Roar or Perish Song. All of these qualities combine to make it a fantastic wallbreaker.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, no Pokemon is perfect, and Exploud has quite a few flaws. First of all, Exploud is extremely slow, and its great HP stat is undermined by its abysmal defenses. Exploud's mono-Normal typing also means that it has no resistances whatsoever. In addition, Exploud has trouble taking on Ghost-type Pokemon—at least until Game Freak is kind enough to release its Dream World ability, Scrappy. Luckily, though, these flaws are easy to remedy. Exploud's lack of defenses can be covered by bulky teammates, and there are plenty of Pokemon that can scare away Ghost-types, such as Absol and Skuntank. If you have such Pokemon on your team, then Exploud can easily huff, puff, and blow your opponent's team away.</p>

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Surf
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hammer Arm / Ice Beam
item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
nature: Quiet / Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While Exploud is a slow Pokemon, it more than makes up for this with its killer Special Attack stat and expansive movepool. Hyper Voice is a reliable STAB attack to use as it has a solid 90 Base Power and no drawbacks. In addition, the only Pokemon that resist Hyper Voice are Rock- and Steel-types; Exploud can drown the former with Surf and incinerate the latter with Fire Blast. These two moves are also important because they provide Exploud with some much-needed super effective coverage. In the last moveslot, Exploud can use either Hammer Arm or Ice Beam to deal with a few threats. Hammer Arm might seem a bit weird because this Exploud is largely specially based, but even with the listed EV spread and nature, Hammer Arm 2HKOes Cryogonal, Lapras, physically defensive Regice, and Miltank after Stealth Rock damage; these four Pokemon are are very specially bulky and can easily absorb Exploud's other attacks. Ice Beam deals with Altaria, which a threat as it resists Surf and Fire Blast and can shrug off Hyper Voice.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As a wallbreaker, Exploud needs all the power it can get, so maximizing its Special Attack should be your first priority. The rest of the EVs go into HP to give Exploud more bulk. If you decide to use Hammer Arm in the fourth moveslot, place the remaining EVs into Attack and use a Quiet nature; otherwise, put the remaining EVs in Defense and go with a Modest nature. Exploud should almost always use either Life Orb or Choice Specs, as these two items give it the power it needs to break through walls. Expert Belt is also worth considering as it lacks significant drawbacks and can fool opponents into thinking that Exploud is carrying Choice Specs. However, Expert Belt only powers up super effective hits, and although Exploud can indeed hit many Pokemon for super effective damage, Expert Belt will never boost Hyper Voice, and Life Orb and Choice Specs are generally more reliable.</p>

<p>While Exploud's base 91 Special Attack is decent, it sometimes narrowly misses certain KOs, such as on defensive Rotom-S (if using Hammer Arm over Ice Beam); it therefore loves entry hazard support. Mesprit, Miltank, and Regirock are good choices to set up Stealth Rock mainly because of their excellent bulk. Exploud is great at breaking walls, so its offensive teammates should ideally aim to exploit this. Powerhouses and late-game sweepers, such as Absol and Swellow, respectively, hence pair well with Exploud. Dark-type Pokemon are also great teammates because Exploud is helpless against Ghost-types, most notably Frillish and Misdreavus; Absol and Stuntank in particular can trap those Pokemon with Pursuit. Finally, it should be noted that Exploud is an amazing recipient of Baton Pass boosts as Soundproof prevents it from being phazed by Roar, Yawn, or Perish Song. In particular, Exploud appreciates passed Quiver Dance boosts from Masquerain or Tail Glow boosts from Volbeat.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Exploud has plenty of other moves to use, such as Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, and SolarBeam, but these are inferior to the listed options: Hyper Voice is a given due to STAB, Surf and Fire Blast are necessary to nail Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon that try to switch into Hyper Voice, and either Hammer Arm or Ice Beam is required to deal with specific counters. Shadow Ball deserves a mention, though, as it is Exploud's best option against Ghost-type Pokemon. Exploud could use Circle Throw over Hammer Arm to phaze the foe away while dealing some damage, but the significant drop in power means that Exploud will have a tough time breaking through Miltank and the aforementioned specially defensive Ice-types. Work Up sounds interesting as both Exploud's offensive stats are excellent, but it is a bit too slow to pull this off effectively. Said low Speed can become a great boon in Trick Room, however. Many Trick Room teams have trouble with walls, which can often stall until Trick Room runs out; fortunately, Exploud is a fantastic wallbreaker, and it will definitely be appreciated on such teams.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Exploud's greatest flaws are its low Speed and miserable defenses. Therefore, any Pokemon that is faster than it and that carries a Fighting-type move, such as Sawk, Absol, and Braviary, will quickly defeat Exploud. Haunter, Misdreavus, and other Ghost-type Pokemon love to switch into Hyper Voice or Hammer Arm and cripple it. Frillish is probably the best Exploud counter out there, as it is immune to Hyper Voice, Hammer Arm, and Surf, and resists the rest of Exploud's attacks. Exploud's choice of move in the fourth moveslot will also determine which defensive Pokemon can counter it. If it decides to use Hammer Arm, then Altaria and Drifblim can easily switch into it and proceed to set up. Conversely, if Exploud elects to run Ice Beam, it will be unable to break through Miltank, Lickilicky, and specially defensive Ice-types, namely Lapras, Cryogonal, and Regice.</p>

[Unreleased]

<p>Scrappy will be a great boon to Exploud as it will be able to hit Ghost-type Pokemon with Hyper Voice (and Hammer Arm, if the need arises). Soundproof's ability to block out Roar is sweet, but Scrappy will likely be a better choice as it reduces the number of safe switch-ins to Exploud.</p>
 
You should probably mention that Exploud is a great Baton Pass recipient due to Soundproof blocking Roaring attempts, its decent bulk and its incredible coverage. It just loves getting Quiver Dance passed to it from Masquerain, and other boosts from things like Ninjask, Volbeat and Smeargle are also helpful.
 
I'd actually like to see a full Special set in the analysis. Fire Blast / Surf / Thunderbolt / Ice Beam / Hyper Voice w/e provides great coverage, and hits a number of targets. I might suggest a Choice Scarf set as well, but we'll see what other QC members say.
 
erisiascape said:
You should probably mention that Exploud is a great Baton Pass recipient due to Soundproof blocking Roaring attempts, its decent bulk and its incredible coverage. It just loves getting Quiver Dance passed to it from Masquerain, ad other boosts from things like Ninjask, Volbeat and Smeargle are also helpful.
Click to expand...

Isn't Smeargle RU now?
 
isn't magmortar hit notably harder by EQ over Surf anyway? I sorta question the benefits of going mixed tbh, as Regirock is the only thing I could name that's really dented by Surf. Maybe Fire Blast for Tangela and the like, but otherwise I can't see it doing anything more than splitting EVs between more stats.
 
I would really like to see a Choice Specs set. It has the special movepool and bulk to pull it off. Use Hammer Arm if you want to hit Crygonal.

And please don't say it's frail. Because it's not.
 
Alrighty then, I went ahead and replaced the mixed set with a special one. Should I also add in a pure physical set with something like Return / Earthquake / Crunch / Avalanche / Circle Throw ?
 
I admit it has decent bulk, but it doesn't have the bulk to use avalanche or circle throw repeatedly. Really the only things it has going for it beyond the moves you mentioned are Hammer Arm, Rock Slide and the ever so disappointing yet might have a use due to screeners, Brick Break. Can any other QCers chip in on a physical set?
 
Pure physical sounds really really really really meh why would you ever use Exploud over Kangaskhan for that? Stick to special or mixed sets because that's Exploud's niche: it's the only bulky Special Attacking Normal-type in NU (Porygon withstanding).
 
Limewire said:
In addition, Exploud is an amazing Baton Pass reciever since Soundproof prevents it from being phazed by Roar. Quiver Dances from Masquerain, Shell Smashes from Huntail/Gorebyss, or Tail Glows from Volbeat will be appreciated.
Click to expand...
SmashPassing is illegal in NU (thank God) so you'll need to get rid of this.
 
tennisace said:
Pure physical sounds really really really really meh why would you ever use Exploud over Kangaskhan for that? Stick to special or mixed sets because that's Exploud's niche: it's the only bulky Special Attacking Normal-type in NU (Porygon withstanding).
Click to expand...

I dunno, I think in that department Lickilicky might give it a run for its money. Sure, it has moderately lower Special Attack, but its movepool is glorious and it's a lot bulkier. Also better support options (I assume, I haven't checked out those of Exploud, but either way Licky has the much higher bulk to pull them off more effectively).

Does bulky special attacking Exploud have enough merits over Lickilicky to be worthy of a set?
 
I forgot about Lickilicky but in NU Lickilicky has way better things to be doing, namely Wish passing and being a fatass in general.
 
Maybe a brief mention of Trick Room support + a Quiet nature?

Other than that, looks good.

QC APPROVED (1/3)
 
Just pointing out that the DW section seems to have a strong physical bias, contradicting the rest of the analysis.
 
I fail to see the physical bias you speak of and dreamworld abilities that are unreleased are not supposed to have influence on the current set of Standard BW Tiering.
 
add CB to OO? it has a nice movepool for it (Return/Hammer Arm/Crunch/random filler seems pretty OK to me).

slash quiet for hammer arm.
 
i dunno if quiet is really necessary, all hammer arm really hits is cryo, and he gets his shit wrecked by hammer arm as is
 
when running specs, it comes closer to guaranteeing a OHKO on 252/0 Cryo and a 2HKO on 252/252+ Cryo. with LO, you're right that it's unnecessary.

in any case, it's not as if Exploud loses to very much by running Quiet. It gets outsped by tangela with it I guess (it needs a whopping 12 EVs to outspeed it), but that's about it. there is very little in that gap. I'd prefer more damage (remember, cryogonal is not the only thing you may hit) than the ability to naturally outspeed base 60s-65s.
 
[Overview]

<p>With a base 91 Special Attack and access to a wide variety of special moves, Exploud holds a niche in NU by being the only viable pure -Normal-type Pokemon that can launch powerful special attacks. Exploud can also use physical moves well due to its stellar base 91 Attack stat, and it can take on a few hits due to its beefy base 104 HP. As a bonus, Exploud's Soundproof ability means that it cannot be phazed by Roar or Perish Song. All of these qualities combine to makes it a fantastic wallbreaker to use. .</p>

<p>Unfortunately, no Pokemon is perfect, and Exploud has quite a few flaws. First of all, Exploud is extremely slow, and its abysmal defensegreat HP stat is undermined by its HP statabysmal defenses. Exploud's pure -Normal- typing also means that it has no resistance to any type of attacks whatsoever. In addition, Exploud has trouble taking on Ghost-type Pokemon, at least until Game Freak is kind enough to release its Dream World ability, Scrappy. Luckily, though, these flaws are easy to remedy. Exploud's lack of defenses can be covered by having bulky teammates, and there are plenty of Pokemon that can scare away Ghost-types, such as Absol and Skuntank. If you have such Pokemon on your team, then Exploud can easily huff, puff, and blow your opponent's team away.</p>

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Surf
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hammer Arm / Ice Beam
item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
nature: Quiet / Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While Exploud is a slow Pokemon, it more than makes up for this by having awith its killer base Special Attack stat and a movepool that boasts excellent coverageexpansive movepool. Hyper Voice is a reliable attack to use sinceas it has a bsolid 90 Base pPower of 90 and no drawbacks. In addition, the only Pokemon whothat resists Hyper Voice are Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon.; Exploud can drown the former with Surf and incinerate the latter with Fire Blast. These two moves are also important because they allow Exploud to hit more Pokemon forprovide Exploud with some much-needed super- effective damage, since there are no Pokemon who are weak to Hyper Voiccoverage. In the last moveslot, Exploud can use either Hammer Arm or Ice Beam to deal with a few threats. Using Hammer Arm on this set might seem a bit weird because the EV spread, nature, and choice of items make Exploud a special attacker. Howeveris Exploud is largely specially based, but even with the listed investment and nature, Hammer Arm can 2HKOes Cryonoggonal, Lapras, 252 HP / 252 Def+physically defensive Regice, and Miltank (after Stealth Rock support is required for the latter), even with a Modest nature. These threedamage; these three <? i count four> Pokemon are are very specially bulky and can easily absorb Exploud's attacks. Hammer Arm solves this problem, and because Exploud has a high base Attack stat, you do not need to alter the EV spread whatsoeverother attacks. Ice Beam deals with Altaria, which a threat sinceas it resists Surf and Fire Blast, and can shrug off a few Hyper Voices.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As a wallbreaker, Exploud needs all the power it can get, which is why maxing outso maximizing its Special Attack should be your first priority. Exploud also has a relatively high base HP stat, so it should be maxed out as wellde full use of as well <why, though? if you have high base hp and shitty defenses, shouldn't you invest in your defenses for overall bulk? besides, why not invest in speed?>. If you decide to use Hammer Arm in the fourth moveslot, place the remaining EVs into Attack and use a Quiet nature. O; otherwise, put the remaining EVs in Defense and choosego with a Modest nature because Exploud's Attack stat is useless if all of its moves are special. For alternative spreads, you may. You might want to consider placing some EVs in Speed—Exploud, as, despite being slow, Exploud can still outspeedrun Pokemon such as Lapras orand Exeggutor. Despite which EV spread you choose with <x> and <y> EVs, respectively. Regardless of the chosen EV spread, Exploud should almost always use either Life Orb or Choice Specs. T, as these two items gives it much-needed power to break through walls. If you really hate the drawbacks of both items, though, thenthe power it needs to break through walls. Expert Belt is also worth consider using Expert Belt, whichas it lacks significant drawbacks and can fool opponents into thinking that Exploud is carrying Choice Specs. However, Expert Belt only powers up super- effective hits, and although Exploud can indeed hit many Pokemon for super- effective damage, it is usually better to useExpert Belt will never boost Hyper Voice, and Life Orb orand Choice Specs since they are generally more reliable.</p>

<p>AWhile Exploud's base 91 Special Attack is pretty good, but it could still use some improvement. Explouddecent, it sometimes still narrowly misses certain KOs, such as on <examples>; it therefore loves entry hazard support. Mesprit, Miltank, and Regirock are some good choices mainly because they have a lot of bulk, something that it will definitely appreciateto set up Stealth Rock mainly because of their excellent bulk. Exploud is great at breaking walls, so goodits offensive teammates should ideally aim to exploit this <repeating "good" too much here>. Powerhouses and late-game sweepers, such as Absol and Swellow, respectively, are some good candidates. It is a good idea to have a few Dark-type Pokemon on your team because Exploud is helpless against Ghosts. Absol and Stuntank are stellar choices, as they can trap those Pokemon with Pursuit. In addition, Exploud is an amazing Baton Pass receiver sincehence pair well with Exploud. Dark-type Pokemon are also great teammates because Exploud is helpless against Ghost-types, most notably <examples>; Absol and Stuntank in particular can trap those Pokemon with Pursuit. Finally, it should be noted that Exploud is an amazing recipient of Baton Pass boosts as Soundproof prevents it from being phazed by Roar, Yawn, or Perish Song. In particular, Exploud appreciates passed Quiver Dance boosts from Masquerain or Tail Glow boosts from Volbeat will be appreciated.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Exploud has plenty of other moves to use, such as Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, and Solar Beam. The reason these moves are not listed on the set is that Exploud simply does not have any space—, but these are inferior to the listed options: Hyper Voice is a given due to STAB, Surf and Fire Blast are necessary to nail any Rock- orand Steel-type Pokemon that triesy to switch into Hyper Voice, and either Hammer Arm /or Ice Beam is required to deal with specific counters. Shadow Ball deserves a mention, though, as it is Exploud's best option to deal withagainst Ghost-type Pokemon. Exploud could use Circle Throw over Hammer Arm to phaze the foe away as well aswhile dealing some damage, although itsbut the significant drop in power means that Exploud will have a tough time breaking through Miltank and the aforementioned specially- defensive Ice-types. Work Up sounds interesting since it boosts both Attack and Special Attack, but Exploudas both Exploud's offensive stats are excellent, but it is a bit too slow to pull this off effectively. However, its sSaid low sSpeed maycan become a great boon when used within Trick Room, however. Many Trick Room teams have trouble with walls, which tries to (cand often succeeds in) stalling until Trick Room runs out. Fortunately, Exploud is a fantastic wallbreaker, and it will definitely be appreciated on these types ofsuch teams.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Exploud's greatest flaws are its slow Speed and miserable defenses. Therefore, any Pokemon that is faster than it cand that carries a Fighting-type move, such as Sawk, Absol, orand Braviary, will quickly defeat Exploud. Haunter, Misdreavus, and other Ghost-type Pokemon love to switch into Hyper Voice or Hammer Arm and cripple it. Frillish is probably the best Exploud counter out there, as it is immune to Hyper Voice, Hammer Arm, and Surf, and resists the rest of itExploud's attacks. Exploud's choice of move in the fourth moveslot will also determine which defensive Pokemon can counter it. If Exploudit decides to use Hammer Arm, then Altaria and Driblim can easily switch into it and proceed to set up. Conversely, if Exploud uses Ice Beam to deal with them, then it cannotelects to run Ice Beam, it will be unable to break through Miltank, Lickilicky, and specially defensive Ice-types such as Lapras, Cyonog, namely Lapras, Cryogonal, and Regice.</p>

[Dream WorlUnreleased]

<p>Scrappy will be a great boon to Exploud since it canas it will then be able to hit Ghost-type Pokemon with Hyper Voice (and possible Hammer Arm, if the need arises). Soundproof's ability to block out Roar is really sweet, but Scrappy seems like a better choice since lowers the amount of checkswill likely be a better choice as it reduces the number of safe switch-ins to Exploud has.</p>
Click to expand...

[Overview]

<p>With a base 91 Special Attack and access to a wide variety of special moves, Exploud holds a niche in NU by being the only viable pure-Normal-type Pokemon that can launch powerful special attacks. Exploud can also use physical moves well due to its stellar base 91 Attack stat, and it can take on a few hits due to its beefy base 104 HP. As a bonus, Exploud's Soundproof ability means that it cannot be phazed by Roar or Perish Song. All of these qualities combine to make it a fantastic wallbreaker.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, no Pokemon is perfect, and Exploud has quite a few flaws. First of all, Exploud is extremely slow, and its great HP stat is undermined by its abysmal defenses. Exploud's pure-Normal typing also means that it has no resistances whatsoever. In addition, Exploud has trouble taking on Ghost-type Pokemon, at least until Game Freak is kind enough to release its Dream World ability, Scrappy. Luckily, though, these flaws are easy to remedy. Exploud's lack of defenses can be covered by bulky teammates, and there are plenty of Pokemon that can scare away Ghost-types, such as Absol and Skuntank. If you have such Pokemon on your team, then Exploud can easily huff, puff, and blow your opponent's team away.</p>

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Surf
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hammer Arm / Ice Beam
item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
nature: Quiet / Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While Exploud is a slow Pokemon, it more than makes up for this with its killer base Special Attack stat and expansive movepool. Hyper Voice is a reliable attack to use as it has a solid 90 Base Power and no drawbacks. In addition, the only Pokemon that resist Hyper Voice are Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon; Exploud can drown the former with Surf and incinerate the latter with Fire Blast. These two moves are also important because they provide Exploud with some much-needed super effective coverage. In the last moveslot, Exploud can use either Hammer Arm or Ice Beam to deal with a few threats. Hammer Arm might seem a bit weird because this Exploud is largely specially based, but even with the listed investment and nature, Hammer Arm 2HKOes Cryogonal, Lapras, physically defensive Regice, and Miltank after Stealth Rock damage; these three <? i count four> Pokemon are are very specially bulky and can easily absorb Exploud's other attacks. Ice Beam deals with Altaria, which a threat as it resists Surf and Fire Blast, and can shrug off Hyper Voice.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As a wallbreaker, Exploud needs all the power it can get, so maximizing its Special Attack should be your first priority. Exploud also has a relatively high base HP stat, so it should be made full use of as well <why, though? if you have high base hp and shitty defenses, shouldn't you invest in your defenses for overall bulk? besides, why not invest in speed?>. If you decide to use Hammer Arm in the fourth moveslot, place the remaining EVs into Attack and use a Quiet nature; otherwise, put the remaining EVs in Defense and go with a Modest nature. You might want to consider placing some EVs in Speed, as, despite being slow, Exploud can still outrun Pokemon such as Lapras and Exeggutor with <x> and <y> EVs, respectively. Regardless of the chosen EV spread, Exploud should almost always use either Life Orb or Choice Specs, as these two items give it the power it needs to break through walls. Expert Belt is also worth considering as it lacks significant drawbacks and can fool opponents into thinking that Exploud is carrying Choice Specs. However, Expert Belt only powers up super effective hits, and although Exploud can indeed hit many Pokemon for super effective damage, Expert Belt will never boost Hyper Voice, and Life Orb and Choice Specs are generally more reliable.</p>

<p>While Exploud's base 91 Special Attack is decent, it sometimes still narrowly misses certain KOs, such as on <examples>; it therefore loves entry hazard support. Mesprit, Miltank, and Regirock are good choices to set up Stealth Rock mainly because of their excellent bulk. Exploud is great at breaking walls, so its offensive teammates should ideally aim to exploit this. Powerhouses and late-game sweepers, such as Absol and Swellow, respectively, hence pair well with Exploud. Dark-type Pokemon are also great teammates because Exploud is helpless against Ghost-types, most notably <examples>; Absol and Stuntank in particular can trap those Pokemon with Pursuit. Finally, it should be noted that Exploud is an amazing recipient of Baton Pass boosts as Soundproof prevents it from being phazed by Roar, Yawn, or Perish Song. In particular, Exploud appreciates passed Quiver Dance boosts from Masquerain or Tail Glow boosts from Volbeat.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Exploud has plenty of other moves to use, such as Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, and SolarBeam, but these are inferior to the listed options: Hyper Voice is a given due to STAB, Surf and Fire Blast are necessary to nail Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon that try to switch into Hyper Voice, and either Hammer Arm or Ice Beam is required to deal with specific counters. Shadow Ball deserves a mention, though, as it is Exploud's best option against Ghost-type Pokemon. Exploud could use Circle Throw over Hammer Arm to phaze the foe away while dealing some damage, but the significant drop in power means that Exploud will have a tough time breaking through Miltank and the aforementioned specially defensive Ice-types. Work Up sounds interesting as both Exploud's offensive stats are excellent, but it is a bit too slow to pull this off effectively. Said low Speed can become a great boon in Trick Room, however. Many Trick Room teams have trouble with walls, which can often stall until Trick Room runs out. Fortunately, Exploud is a fantastic wallbreaker, and it will definitely be appreciated on such teams.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Exploud's greatest flaws are its low Speed and miserable defenses. Therefore, any Pokemon that is faster than it and that carries a Fighting-type move, such as Sawk, Absol, and Braviary, will quickly defeat Exploud. Haunter, Misdreavus, and other Ghost-type Pokemon love to switch into Hyper Voice or Hammer Arm and cripple it. Frillish is probably the best Exploud counter out there, as it is immune to Hyper Voice, Hammer Arm, and Surf, and resists the rest of Exploud's attacks. Exploud's choice of move in the fourth moveslot will also determine which defensive Pokemon can counter it. If it decides to use Hammer Arm, then Altaria and Driblim can easily switch into it and proceed to set up. Conversely, if Exploud elects to run Ice Beam, it will be unable to break through Miltank, Lickilicky, and specially defensive Ice-types, namely Lapras, Cryogonal, and Regice.</p>

[Unreleased]

<p>Scrappy will be a great boon to Exploud as it will then be able to hit Ghost-type Pokemon with Hyper Voice (and possible Hammer Arm, if the need arises). Soundproof's ability to block out Roar is sweet, but Scrappy will likely be a better choice as it reduces the number of safe switch-ins to Exploud.</p>

gpstamp
 
What's your favorite thing about space? Mine is space.

(checking)

[Overview]

<p>With a base 91 Special Attack and access to a wide variety of special moves, Exploud holds a niche in NU by beingas the only viable pure-Normal-type Pokemon that can launch powerful special attacks. Exploud can also use physical moves well due to its stellar base 91 Attack stat, and it can take on a few hits due to its beefy base 104 HP. As a bonus, Exploud's Soundproof ability means that it cannot be phazed by Roar or Perish Song. All of these qualities combine to make it a fantastic wallbreaker.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, no Pokemon is perfect, and Exploud has quite a few flaws. First of all, Exploud is extremely slow, and its great HP stat is undermined by its abysmal defenses. Exploud's puremono-Normal typing also means that it has no resistances whatsoever. In addition, Exploud has trouble taking on Ghost-type Pokemon, —at least until Game Freak is kind enough to release its Dream World ability, Scrappy. Luckily, though, these flaws are easy to remedy. Exploud's lack of defenses can be covered by bulky teammates, and there are plenty of Pokemon that can scare away Ghost-types, such as Absol and Skuntank. If you have such Pokemon on your team, then Exploud can easily huff, puff, and blow your opponent's team away.</p>

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Surf
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hammer Arm / Ice Beam
item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
nature: Quiet / Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While Exploud is a slow Pokemon, it more than makes up for this with its killer base Special Attack stat and expansive movepool. Hyper Voice is a reliable STAB attack to use as it has a solid 90 Base Power and no drawbacks. In addition, the only Pokemon that resist Hyper Voice are Rock- and Steel-type Pokemons; Exploud can drown the former with Surf and incinerate the latter with Fire Blast. These two moves are also important because they provide Exploud with some much-needed super effective coverage. In the last moveslot, Exploud can use either Hammer Arm or Ice Beam to deal with a few threats. Hammer Arm might seem a bit weird because this Exploud is largely specially based, but even with the listed investmentEV spread and nature, Hammer Arm 2HKOes Cryogonal, Lapras, physically defensive Regice, and Miltank after Stealth Rock damage; these four Pokemon are are very specially bulky and can easily absorb Exploud's other attacks. Ice Beam deals with Altaria, which a threat as it resists Surf and Fire Blast, and can shrug off Hyper Voice.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As a wallbreaker, Exploud needs all the power it can get, so maximizing its Special Attack should be your first priority. The rest of the EVs go into HP to give Exploud more bulk. If you decide to use Hammer Arm in the fourth moveslot, place the remaining EVs into Attack and use a Quiet nature; otherwise, put the remaining EVs in Defense and go with a Modest nature. Exploud should almost always use either Life Orb or Choice Specs, as these two items give it the power it needs to break through walls. Expert Belt is also worth considering as it lacks significant drawbacks and can fool opponents into thinking that Exploud is carrying Choice Specs. However, Expert Belt only powers up super effective hits, and although Exploud can indeed hit many Pokemon for super effective damage, Expert Belt will never boost Hyper Voice, and Life Orb and Choice Specs are generally more reliable.</p>

<p>While Exploud's base 91 Special Attack is decent, it sometimes still narrowly misses certain KOs, such as on defensive Rotom-S (if using Hammer Arm over Ice Beam); it therefore loves entry hazard support. Mesprit, Miltank, and Regirock are good choices to set up Stealth Rock mainly because of their excellent bulk. Exploud is great at breaking walls, so its offensive teammates should ideally aim to exploit this. Powerhouses and late-game sweepers, such as Absol and Swellow, respectively, hence pair well with Exploud. Dark-type Pokemon are also great teammates because Exploud is helpless against Ghost-types, most notably Frillish and Misdreavus; Absol and Stuntank in particular can trap those Pokemon with Pursuit. Finally, it should be noted that Exploud is an amazing recipient of Baton Pass boosts as Soundproof prevents it from being phazed by Roar, Yawn, or Perish Song. In particular, Exploud appreciates passed Quiver Dance boosts from Masquerain or Tail Glow boosts from Volbeat.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Exploud has plenty of other moves to use, such as Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, and SolarBeam, but these are inferior to the listed options: Hyper Voice is a given due to STAB, Surf and Fire Blast are necessary to nail Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon that try to switch into Hyper Voice, and either Hammer Arm or Ice Beam is required to deal with specific counters. Shadow Ball deserves a mention, though, as it is Exploud's best option against Ghost-type Pokemon. Exploud could use Circle Throw over Hammer Arm to phaze the foe away while dealing some damage, but the significant drop in power means that Exploud will have a tough time breaking through Miltank and the aforementioned specially defensive Ice-types. Work Up sounds interesting as both Exploud's offensive stats are excellent, but it is a bit too slow to pull this off effectively. Said low Speed can become a great boon in Trick Room, however. Many Trick Room teams have trouble with walls, which can often stall until Trick Room runs out. F; fortunately, Exploud is a fantastic wallbreaker, and it will definitely be appreciated on such teams.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Exploud's greatest flaws are its low Speed and miserable defenses. Therefore, any Pokemon that is faster than it and that carries a Fighting-type move, such as Sawk, Absol, and Braviary, will quickly defeat Exploud. Haunter, Misdreavus, and other Ghost-type Pokemon love to switch into Hyper Voice or Hammer Arm and cripple it. Frillish is probably the best Exploud counter out there, as it is immune to Hyper Voice, Hammer Arm, and Surf, and resists the rest of Exploud's attacks. Exploud's choice of move in the fourth moveslot will also determine which defensive Pokemon can counter it. If it decides to use Hammer Arm, then Altaria and Drifblim can easily switch into it and proceed to set up. Conversely, if Exploud elects to run Ice Beam, it will be unable to break through Miltank, Lickilicky, and specially defensive Ice-types, namely Lapras, Cryogonal, and Regice.</p>

[Unreleased]

<p>Scrappy will be a great boon to Exploud as it will then be able to hit Ghost-type Pokemon with Hyper Voice (and possible Hammer Arm, if the need arises). Soundproof's ability to block out Roar is sweet, but Scrappy will likely be a better choice as it reduces the number of safe switch-ins to Exploud.</p>

[Overview]

<p>With a base 91 Special Attack and access to a wide variety of special moves, Exploud holds a niche in NU as the only viable pure Normal-type Pokemon that can launch powerful special attacks. Exploud can also use physical moves well due to its stellar base 91 Attack stat, and it can take a few hits due to its beefy base 104 HP. As a bonus, Exploud's Soundproof ability means that it cannot be phazed by Roar or Perish Song. All of these qualities combine to make it a fantastic wallbreaker.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, no Pokemon is perfect, and Exploud has quite a few flaws. First of all, Exploud is extremely slow, and its great HP stat is undermined by its abysmal defenses. Exploud's mono-Normal typing also means that it has no resistances whatsoever. In addition, Exploud has trouble taking on Ghost-type Pokemon—at least until Game Freak is kind enough to release its Dream World ability, Scrappy. Luckily, though, these flaws are easy to remedy. Exploud's lack of defenses can be covered by bulky teammates, and there are plenty of Pokemon that can scare away Ghost-types, such as Absol and Skuntank. If you have such Pokemon on your team, then Exploud can easily huff, puff, and blow your opponent's team away.</p>

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Surf
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hammer Arm / Ice Beam
item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
nature: Quiet / Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While Exploud is a slow Pokemon, it more than makes up for this with its killer Special Attack stat and expansive movepool. Hyper Voice is a reliable STAB attack to use as it has a solid 90 Base Power and no drawbacks. In addition, the only Pokemon that resist Hyper Voice are Rock- and Steel-types; Exploud can drown the former with Surf and incinerate the latter with Fire Blast. These two moves are also important because they provide Exploud with some much-needed super effective coverage. In the last moveslot, Exploud can use either Hammer Arm or Ice Beam to deal with a few threats. Hammer Arm might seem a bit weird because this Exploud is largely specially based, but even with the listed EV spread and nature, Hammer Arm 2HKOes Cryogonal, Lapras, physically defensive Regice, and Miltank after Stealth Rock damage; these four Pokemon are are very specially bulky and can easily absorb Exploud's other attacks. Ice Beam deals with Altaria, which a threat as it resists Surf and Fire Blast and can shrug off Hyper Voice.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As a wallbreaker, Exploud needs all the power it can get, so maximizing its Special Attack should be your first priority. The rest of the EVs go into HP to give Exploud more bulk. If you decide to use Hammer Arm in the fourth moveslot, place the remaining EVs into Attack and use a Quiet nature; otherwise, put the remaining EVs in Defense and go with a Modest nature. Exploud should almost always use either Life Orb or Choice Specs, as these two items give it the power it needs to break through walls. Expert Belt is also worth considering as it lacks significant drawbacks and can fool opponents into thinking that Exploud is carrying Choice Specs. However, Expert Belt only powers up super effective hits, and although Exploud can indeed hit many Pokemon for super effective damage, Expert Belt will never boost Hyper Voice, and Life Orb and Choice Specs are generally more reliable.</p>

<p>While Exploud's base 91 Special Attack is decent, it sometimes narrowly misses certain KOs, such as on defensive Rotom-S (if using Hammer Arm over Ice Beam); it therefore loves entry hazard support. Mesprit, Miltank, and Regirock are good choices to set up Stealth Rock mainly because of their excellent bulk. Exploud is great at breaking walls, so its offensive teammates should ideally aim to exploit this. Powerhouses and late-game sweepers, such as Absol and Swellow, respectively, hence pair well with Exploud. Dark-type Pokemon are also great teammates because Exploud is helpless against Ghost-types, most notably Frillish and Misdreavus; Absol and Stuntank in particular can trap those Pokemon with Pursuit. Finally, it should be noted that Exploud is an amazing recipient of Baton Pass boosts as Soundproof prevents it from being phazed by Roar, Yawn, or Perish Song. In particular, Exploud appreciates passed Quiver Dance boosts from Masquerain or Tail Glow boosts from Volbeat.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Exploud has plenty of other moves to use, such as Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, and SolarBeam, but these are inferior to the listed options: Hyper Voice is a given due to STAB, Surf and Fire Blast are necessary to nail Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon that try to switch into Hyper Voice, and either Hammer Arm or Ice Beam is required to deal with specific counters. Shadow Ball deserves a mention, though, as it is Exploud's best option against Ghost-type Pokemon. Exploud could use Circle Throw over Hammer Arm to phaze the foe away while dealing some damage, but the significant drop in power means that Exploud will have a tough time breaking through Miltank and the aforementioned specially defensive Ice-types. Work Up sounds interesting as both Exploud's offensive stats are excellent, but it is a bit too slow to pull this off effectively. Said low Speed can become a great boon in Trick Room, however. Many Trick Room teams have trouble with walls, which can often stall until Trick Room runs out; fortunately, Exploud is a fantastic wallbreaker, and it will definitely be appreciated on such teams.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Exploud's greatest flaws are its low Speed and miserable defenses. Therefore, any Pokemon that is faster than it and that carries a Fighting-type move, such as Sawk, Absol, and Braviary, will quickly defeat Exploud. Haunter, Misdreavus, and other Ghost-type Pokemon love to switch into Hyper Voice or Hammer Arm and cripple it. Frillish is probably the best Exploud counter out there, as it is immune to Hyper Voice, Hammer Arm, and Surf, and resists the rest of Exploud's attacks. Exploud's choice of move in the fourth moveslot will also determine which defensive Pokemon can counter it. If it decides to use Hammer Arm, then Altaria and Drifblim can easily switch into it and proceed to set up. Conversely, if Exploud elects to run Ice Beam, it will be unable to break through Miltank, Lickilicky, and specially defensive Ice-types, namely Lapras, Cryogonal, and Regice.</p>

[Unreleased]

<p>Scrappy will be a great boon to Exploud as it will be able to hit Ghost-type Pokemon with Hyper Voice (and Hammer Arm, if the need arises). Soundproof's ability to block out Roar is sweet, but Scrappy will likely be a better choice as it reduces the number of safe switch-ins to Exploud.</p>

gpstamp

GP APPROVED 2/2
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top