Pokémon Falinks

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Robb576

Robb576

It's all in the numbers
is a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnus
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Base Stats: 65 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 70 SpA / 60 SpD / 75 Spe

Abilities: Battle Armor / Defiant (HA)

Level Up Moves:
- [01] Tackle
- [01] Protect
- [05] Rock Smash
- [10] Focus Energy
- [15] Headbutt
- [20] Bulk Up
- [25] Endure
- [30] Reversal
- [35] First Impression
- [40] No Retreat
- [45] Iron Defense
- [50] Close Combat
- [55] Megahorn
- [60] Counter

TMs:
- [TM08] Hyper Beam
- [TM09] Giga Impact
- [TM16] Screech
- [TM21] Rest
- [TM22] Rock Slide
- [TM24] Snore
- [TM25] Protect
- [TM37] Beat Up
- [TM39] Facade
- [TM41] Helping Hand
- [TM42] Revenge
- [TM43] Brick Break
- [TM48] Rock Tomb
- [TM57] Payback
- [TM58] Assurance
- [TM76] Round
- [TM79] Retaliate
- [TM94] False Swipe
- [TM96] Smart Strike

TRs:
- [TR00] Swords Dance
- [TR12] Agility
- [TR13] Focus Energy
- [TR20] Substitute
- [TR21] Reversal
- [TR26] Endure
- [TR27] Sleep Talk
- [TR28] Megahorn
- [TR39] Superpower
- [TR46] Iron Defense
- [TR48] Bulk Up
- [TR53] Close Combat
- [TR57] Poison Jab
- [TR64] Focus Blast
- [TR69] Zen Headbutt
- [TR74] Iron Head
- [TR95] Throat Chop

Notable moves:
- Bulk Up
- Endure
- Reversal
- First Impression
- No Retreat
- Close Combat
- Megahorn
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
- Agility
- Poison Jab
- Zen Headbutt
- Iron Head
- Throat Chop

New Move:

No Retreat
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101% Accuracy (self-targeting)
5 PP (Max 8 PP)
User omniboosts, but can't switch out. You can still switch out of No Retreat by using U-turn/Volt Switch (Falinks can't learn either), getting hit while holding an Eject Button or having your stats lowered while holding an Eject Pack. Roar/Whirlwind and Red Card can not force you out. Move fails if Falinks is already under the effect of No Retreat.

Pros:
- An interesting signature move in No Retreat give Falinks the opportunity to become threatening later in the game.
- Has a great ability in Defiant.
- While the base speed is nothing to write home about, Jolly Falinks will outspeed Jolly Barraskewda (136 Spe) by 1 point after using No Retreat.
- Possesses decent physical bulk while boosted, allowing it to survive any hit from Darmanitan-Galar, or a Max Airstream from +1 Gyarados while Dynamaxed from full.
- Has a wide-enough array of coverage to choose from, some having handy Dynamax-effects as well.

Cons:
- Extremely one-dimensional. It learns other viable boosting moves like SD or Bulk Up, but none of those are as effective as No Retreat. Meanwhile, choice sets are objectively outclassed by Passimian, a pokemon which shouldn't even see OU usage to begin with.
- Its unboosted stats are decent at best, featuring a disappointing attack stat and mediocre special bulk.
- Falinks is deadweight if there is even 1 pokemon on the opposite team that could check it while boosted, as it does not want any damage prior to it setting up.
- With No Retreat and Close Combat basically being mandatory, Falinks can struggle with picking appropriate coverage for the remaining 2 moveslots. No matter what it selects, it will always be walled by something.

Dynamax Potential:
- Falinks greatly appreciates using Dynamax after setting up, as it likes the added attack power to overcome the opponent's first answer to it. Falinks should be considered a priority user for Dynamax when teambuilding as Falinks' effectiveness is harshly reduced without it.
- Close Combat gives Falinks a strong Max Knuckle which also boosts Attack, allowing it to deal even more damage.
- Zen Headbutt becomes Max Mindstorm and sets Psychic Terrain. This can help Falinks in getting past Toxapex

Potential Movesets:

Offensive
Falinks @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- No Retreat
- Close Combat
- Zen Headbutt / Rock Slide
- Throat Chop / Iron Head

There isn't much else that Falinks can run without being outclassed by a different pokemon. Hell, even it's above average Dynamax Potential is outclassed by pokemons like Gyarados that roam OU right now. It wants to hit as hard and fast as possible so the EVs are pretty straightforward. No Retreat is the main selling point of Falinks, with its omniboosting ability being a somewhat scary foresight for the opponent. Close Combat is a strong STAB-move that you really want to Dynamax to break through pokemons even easier. You have to select your coverage based on which mons you want to get beat by. If you choose to forgo Zen Headbutt Toxapex will wall you for days. Without Rock Slide you can't deal hefty damage to Gyarados and other flying-types, as well as struggling with [insert relevant bug-pokemon here]. No Throat Chop leaves you hard-walled by Aegislash, let you miss the OHKO on Dragpult, and you're not able to hit psychic types super effectively (Megahorn might sound like a hard-hitting option for the latter but if you want to hit Psychic-types just use Throat Chop). Lastly, if you don't have Iron Head or Poison Jab (better Dynamax Effect vs SE against Grass) you can't deal with fairies at all.


Closing Thoughts:
Phalanx is a fun pokemon to use. No Retreat gives the player a neat option to turn the battle back in his favor, if played well. That being said, Falinks won't stay OU as it's simply too easy to deal with (Unaware says hi too), on top of having bad base stats by OU standards. It has the potential to wreck through a team, but it will have to find that potential in a lower tier.
 
I usually play in the lower tiers (RU, NU, PU, ZU); I can't wait to use this in those metas. That said I don't see any viable use in OU. Poor Defenses, Subpar speed, Average attack, solo stab on an offensive mon; they are outclassed by Passimian in almost every regard (even sharing Defiant to punish stat drops) and they only ended up in NU last gen. Shame since this is probably my favorite mon this Gen.
 
No retreat is certainly a fun concept but it probably is too limiting an effect if your opponent decides to play around it - if they have a mon that stops it even at +1, they don't have to respect the possibility of boosting and can set up hazards etc right in your face. Really cool wincon in the lower tiers
 
Wait, No Retreat can only be used once? I am equal parts irritated and relieved. If used repeatedly you could have set up multiple boosts thanks to the defensive gains then and proceeded to wipe the entire opposition 6-0. Good to see GameFreak wasn't completely asleep at the wheel when they made this move.
 
He gets hard-countered by both Toxapex and Mantine who have access to Haze, making him very hard to fit on an OU team due to these pokemon's prevalence in higher tiers, perhaps lower down in the future?
 
Spoox (JBG22) said:
He gets hard-countered by both Toxapex and Mantine who have access to Haze, making him very hard to fit on an OU team due to these pokemon's prevalence in higher tiers, perhaps lower down in the future?
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does eject button work with no retreat?
 
it would beg for substitute, head moves and multi-hitting moves here.
Leech horn?

Steel worker or Bulletproof.
Or new ability taking it's motive.
 
Speaking of that, I actually was getting annoyed the other day because I had assumed it was a Bug type, I was trying to catch one, and it kept breaking out of my Net Balls. Then of course after I finally caught it I found out why.
 
Do you think "multiples" Pokemon like Falinks, Dugtrio, and Exeggute create weird loopholes in Pokemon world tournaments. Like can I duct tape two Gyarados together and say "they just do that". Then there's stuff like Farfetch'd that bring their own weapons? Can I give my Mr Mime a gun?

Man Falinks cheats the rules and 6v1s you and it's still fucking terrible. I guess if you find a free turn to No Retreat you might be able to get some KOs with a Dynamax but lol that applies to every setup sweeper ever.
 
MrHands said:
Do you think "multiples" Pokemon like Falinks, Dugtrio, and Exeggute create weird loopholes in Pokemon world tournaments. Like can I duct tape two Gyarados together and say "they just do that". Then there's stuff like Farfetch'd that bring their own weapons? Can I give my Mr Mime a gun?

Man Falinks cheats the rules and 6v1s you and it's still fucking terrible. I guess if you find a free turn to No Retreat you might be able to get some KOs with a Dynamax but lol that applies to every setup sweeper ever.
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I tend to view most “Hive Mind” Pokémon as individuals with pitiful base stats who band togther to form an actual Pokémon. In Falinks case, divide all the base stats by 6 and that’s an individual alone. As for weapons, the manga has covered them exctensivly and is a major plot point for SWSH manga. “Gear” as it’s called is what the Pokémon find or create in nature with their abilities. “Items” like choice scarf, are created for the use of Pokémon by people that are recognized by the various battle assossiations.
 
This is probably a dumb question but does Shed SHell let it still switch out? Its supposed to stop the trapping effects of ALL moves and abilities, so in theory it should work. Just curious as that may be a good item then so you can switch out when you want.

EDIT: I just tested this in game, and while I could not run from a fight, I was still able to switch pokemon with the Shed Skin item after using No Retreat. It still failed to let me use multiple No Retreats with the item though.

I think Shed Shell may be a good option for an Item then for it. Yes you lose the power of life orb, but you aren't stuck in a bad matchup anymore, which may be a lot better in the long run.

EDIT2: Man imagine if this guy got Power trip(Works just the same as stored power but its physical and Dark type) just how much damage would it do after just 1 no retreat?
 
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I dont think shed shell is worth the itemslot. If you're going for no retreat its probably because you've already gotten rid of anything that you'd switch out of anyways.

As for the subject of "multiples" pokemon; I like to view them as colonial organisms (like a man-o-war).
 
MrHands said:
Do you think "multiples" Pokemon like Falinks, Dugtrio, and Exeggute create weird loopholes in Pokemon world tournaments. Like can I duct tape two Gyarados together and say "they just do that". Then there's stuff like Farfetch'd that bring their own weapons? Can I give my Mr Mime a gun?

Man Falinks cheats the rules and 6v1s you and it's still fucking terrible. I guess if you find a free turn to No Retreat you might be able to get some KOs with a Dynamax but lol that applies to every setup sweeper ever.
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I assume for a Pokemon to be considered a "multiple" they have to be consistently be observed in nature together at nearly all times.

Also, Dugtrio has been confirmed to be one entity.
 
I usually run a very offensive Falinks, mainly just to finish off a low-HP Pokemon on the opposing end. But other than that, I don't have any use for it. I find it to be "too squishy" compared to many other fighting-types, but anyway, this is the moveset I run:

Super offensive
Falinks @ Focus Sash
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk/ 252 Spe/ 4 Def
Nature: Adamant

- No retreat
- Close Combat
- First Impression
- Iron Head

Keep in mind that I hold very little competitive knowledge, but this moveset is alright as far as I can see. Alright, a Jolly nature might've given it a speed boost, but I find First Impression fun and it's a nice priority move to hit weak Pokemon with. Iron Head is to deal with fairy types, and Close Combat is a must, alongside with No Retreat. Anyway, give me your thoughts!
 
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