cutest murderer you've ever seen
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[OVERVIEW]
Marshadow has carved itself a powerful niche in the metagame as a formidable anti-offense offensive threat. No Pokemon in the game resists Marshadow's complementary Ghost- and Fighting-type STAB moves, making it hard to wall, and base 125 Speed combined with Technician-boosted Shadow Sneak to snipe faster Ghost- and Psychic-types makes Marshadow hard to revenge kill as well. Marshadow's unique signature move in Spectral Thief also makes it an incredibly good blanket check to boosting physical attackers by stealing their stat boosts before attacking. This makes it a very strong answer to all Swords Dance Arceus formes thanks to its Speed advantage and immunity to Extreme Speed. In additional, Spectral Thief and Marshadium Z give Marshadow access to the exclusive Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike, a horrifically powerful Z-Move that affords Marshadow the ability to bust defensive cores wide open when used properly, allowing it to pose a threat to nearly all teams. However, Marshadow's many strengths are tempered by mediocre bulk, forcing it to rely on immunities and free switches to come into battle. Furthermore, Marshadow's raw attacking power leaves something to be desired, and its reliance on its item slot can force it to choose between optimal performance against offense with Life Orb or maximum wallbreaking potential with Marshadium Z. Despite its flaws, Marshadow's imposing offensive presence and revenge killing utility allow it to fit easily onto many offensive teams.
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Spectral Thief
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Rock Tomb
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Naive / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Close Combat is Marshadow's strongest STAB move, with enough power to cleanly OHKO even bulky variants of Extreme Killer Arceus and 2HKO Timid support Arceus formes after Stealth Rock damage. Spectral Thief allows Marshadow to crush slower Ghost- and Psychic-types that are immune to or resist Close Combat. It is also strong enough to OHKO offensive Ho-Oh and 2HKO standard Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage. As a bonus, Spectral Thief can deter setup from sweepers such as Swords Dance Arceus and Primal Groudon, lest Marshadow turn their Attack boosts against them and their teammates. Shadow Sneak benefits from Technician, allowing Marshadow to OHKO many faster Pokemon that could otherwise revenge kill it. Mega Gengar and Deoxys-A are cleanly OHKOed by Shadow Sneak, and Mega Mewtwo Y as well as Lunala will fall after Stealth Rock damage. Shadow Sneak's power and neutral coverage make it useful for general revenge killing utilities as well, such as finishing off a weakened Geomancy Xerneas. The final moveslot is dedicated to Technician-boosted coverage: Hidden Power Ice OHKOes Mega Salamence and 2HKOes Zygarde-C, while Rock Tomb cleanly OHKOes Ho-Oh while still doing decent damage to Mega Salamence.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs with a Speed boosting nature allow Marshadow to outspeed Arceus and Speed tie with other Marshadow in the event of a Shadow Sneak mirror. Use Naive when running Hidden Power Ice to ensure it can get the necessary KOs, but otherwise use Jolly to avoid lowering Marshadow's bulk needlessly. Maximum Attack is necessary to give Marshadow as much power behind its attacks as possible. Life Orb is the only recommended item on this set to make up for Marshadow's somewhat below average Attack.
Usage Tips
========
Marshadow's modest bulk and low number of resistances prevent it from switching into many direct attacks, so it is best to take advantage of double switches and Marshadow's immunities to Normal- and Fighting-type attacks to get it into play. In general, Marshadow should be played somewhat conservatively, saved for later stages of the game when enemy tanks and walls are within KO range for its attacks. However, Marshadow can be used liberally against more offensive teams due to its high Speed and difficult-to-wall STAB combination. It is capable of holding quite a number of offensive Pokemon in check, such as Swords Dance Arceus, Mega Gengar, Mewtwo, Lunala, Deoxys-A, and weakened Geomancy Xerneas. Marshadow can also be used to antilead offensive teams that rely on Deoxys-S, limiting it to one entry hazard. Predicting enemy switch-ins can be helpful to maximizing the damage Marshadow inflicts, as Fighting- and Ghost-type moves cover each other's flaws extremely well, and the combination of Marshadow's Speed, its priority Shadow Sneak, and Spectral Thief's boost-stealing effect makes it consistent at forcing switches.
Team Options
========
Marshadow works best on offensive or even balanced teams in need of a good cleaner and swiss army knife against opposing offensive teams. Entry hazards are hugely beneficial to whittle targets into Marshadow's KO range, especially because Marshadow blocks Rapid Spin to help protect the hazards. Primal Groudon, Dialga, Deoxys-S, Excadrill, and even Arceus-Fairy make for good Stealth Rock users, a vital entry hazard to keep Ho-Oh at bay. Deoxys-S, Cloyster, and Greninja are solid choices to set up Spikes
Fire-types such as Primal Groudon and offensive Ho-Oh are quite useful partners: both check Fairy-types and can easily overwhelm hard Marshadow checks such as Toxapex and Buzzwole. Both Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh can also use Toxic to weaken walls such as Lugia and support Arceus formes, helping Marshadow break through them later in a match. Yveltal can strike down most Marshadow checks with its STAB attacks and use U-turn to help Marshadow get into play. Each benefits from the other weakening Fairy-types. Primal Kyogre is a strong weapon against more defensive teams, weakening Primal Groudon and taking out most of Marshadow's checks with ease. In return, Marshadow can handle Ferrothorn and Chansey, and Marshadow's good performance against offense complements Primal Kyogre's performance against stall. Trappers such as Mega Gengar, Whirlpool + Perish Song Arceus-Dark, and Dugtrio can easily eliminate Toxapex, exposing many defensive cores to Marshadow. Mega Gengar can also trap and eliminate Fairy-types and Buzzwole. Because both fulfill the role of a fast Ghost-type, however, Mega Gengar might be somewhat redundant with Marshadow in terms of teambuilding. Mega Salamence is a solid answer to Ho-Oh and helps against Primal Groudon. With Facade, it can also take advantage of Scald burns from Toxapex. Mega Gyarados forms an interesting and effective partnership with Marshadow, as it is very strong against defensive teams while Marshadow is very strong against offensive teams. Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can destroy Mega Sableye fairly easily, and they can use coverage moves to lure in and maim Toxapex and Ho-Oh. In return, Marshadow can take out bothersome Steel-types. Marshadow itself benefits from Steel-type partners such as Mega Metagross, Solgaleo, and Celesteela to take care of defensive Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy. Sticky Web can help Marshadow deal with normally faster Choice Scarf users and opposing Marshadow, making Shuckle and Smeargle decent partners.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Spectral Thief
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Shadow Sneak / Substitute
item: Marshadium Z
ability: Technician
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Bulk Up is Marshadow's best option for boosting Attack, allowing it to take on the role of a wallbreaker when combined with Marshadium Z. Spectral Thief is Marshadow's best Ghost-type STAB move, and with Marshadium Z it allows Marshadow to use its unique Z-Move: Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike. After one Bulk Up boost, Marshadow can break through many of its usual checks with Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike. For example, after Stealth Rock damage, Timid support Arceus will fall and even Toxapex will be OHKOed 56% of the time. Anything else that isn't a wall or resistant to Ghost will be utterly demolished. Close Combat is Marshadow's best Fighting-type STAB attack, allowing it to strike down Pokemon that resist Ghost-type attacks and potentially clean up late-game. Shadow Sneak provides priority that allows Marshadow to KO faster Ghost- and Psychic-types that could otherwise revenge kill it, notably OHKOing Mewtwo after Stealth Rock damage and one Bulk Up boost. However, Substitute gives Marshadow a safety net against status, easing setup against walls. Marshadow is just bulky enough for the Substitute to survive some weaker attacks, such as Toxapex's Scald, Lugia's Ice Beam, and Giratina's Dragon Tail, which makes the set more consistent against defensive teams. If more coverage is desired, Ice Punch is an option to allow Marshadow to 2HKO Zygarde-C after a Bulk Up boost, but the lack of Shadow Sneak or Substitute leaves Marshadow more vulnerable to revenge killing attempts.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Marshadow to outspeed Arceus and most other defensive Pokemon. It is also useful to maximize Speed in the event Marshadow is facing down another Marshadow, and extra bulk isn't that useful even when using Substitute. Full investment in Attack affords Marshadow maximum power against walls. Marshadium Z is required to enable Marshadow to use Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike.
Usage Tips
========
This Marshadow set is meant to be played more as a wallbreaker, brought out early in a match to boost up and take out a key wall with Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike. Bulk Up is best used on forced switches so Marshadow doesn't have to incur unnecessary damage. This can also potentially allow Marshadow to get a second boost if its health is properly conserved. Bear in mind that Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike can only be used once per battle, and wasting the move will greatly diminish Marshadow's wallbreaking potential. Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike is generally safest to use when it is assured it will KO something valuable on the opposing team, even if what it takes out isn't the intended target. If there is a chance the opponent may throw out a Normal- or Dark-type to absorb Marshadow's Z-Move, catching it with Close Combat on the switch can be a wise move. Do not use Bulk Up against Pokemon that can inflict status, especially burn or paralysis, as this can make Marshadow easier to pivot around or cripple its offensive potential outright. Marshadow has somewhat low immediate power without Life Orb, so its effectiveness against offensive teams is diminished. Thus, be wary with Marshadow around setup sweepers such as Mega Salamence or Geomancy Xerneas that can take a hit from it, especially if Marshadow has already used its Z-Move.
Team Options
========
Stealth Rock is crucial for allowing Marshadow to secure KOs against support Arceus and Toxapex with a boosted Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike. Primal Groudon and Dialga are effective at setting up Stealth Rock and keeping it up by crippling Defog users with Toxic. Arceus-Fairy is also a decent choice for a Stealth Rock user, deterring Mega Sableye with STAB Judgment. Spikes stacking can also be effective support in helping Marshadow secure KOs. For example, two layers of Spikes will guarantee the OHKO on Toxapex with +1 Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike. Deoxys-S, Cloyster, Greninja, and Ferrothorn are effective Spikes users. While this set is lethal against most walls, it struggles against Zygarde-C. +1 Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike barely manages to do above 50% damage, and Glare will cripple Marshadow for the rest of the game. Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy are strongly recommended teammates to help handle Zygarde-C, as are lures such as Ice Beam Extreme Killer Arceus. These Pokemon are also good to have against Mega Salamence for similar reasons. Yveltal can back up Marshadow against Zygarde-C and faster Ghost- and Psychic-types, especially if Marshadow opts not to use Shadow Sneak, and benefits greatly from Marshadow taking out Fairy-types. Because this set is meant to break walls, setup sweepers such as Mega Salamence and Geomancy Xerneas pair well with Marshadow.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Band gives Marshadow a significant boost in power, enabling it to 2HKO even Bold support Arceus formes with Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage. However, Marshadow's inability to switch moves ultimately hurts its offensive potential, as Choice-locked Fighting-type attacks are easily exploited by opposing Ghost-types and sweepers that resist Fighting such as Mega Salamence and Xerneas. Choice Scarf allows Marshadow to outspeed Rock Polish Primal Groudon and Dragon Dance Mega Salamence after their boosts and revenge kill them while stealing their boosts. It can also be used to stop Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch by removing its boosts, as most Xerneas are not EVed to handle such a fast Choice Scarf user. However, Marshadow is lacking in power without a boosting item, such that Spectral Thief may not KO Primal Groudon or Mega Salamence even after stealing any Attack boosts. Marshadow can make use of Work Up and Hidden Power Electric to overcome Toxapex, 2HKOing it at +1 Special Attack with Life Orb even after Marshadow's boosts are removed by Haze. However, this set sacrifices a lot of general utility by forcing Marshadow to give up Shadow Sneak or valuable coverage against other targets. Poison Jab combined with Poisonium Z allows Marshadow to OHKO Arceus-Fairy and defensive Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage with a Bulk Up boost, making it a decent lure for them. Pursuit is boosted by Technician and can be used to grab surprise KOs against Pokemon such as Mewtwo, Deoxys-A, Mega Gengar, and Lunala that would normally flee from Marshadow over the threat of Shadow Sneak. Focus Sash allows Marshadow to take any boosted hit and swipe the boosts with Spectral Thief, but the set's reliance on team support and low damage output make this item unattractive. Hidden Power Flying allows Marshadow to take out Buzzwole, which otherwise walls all its standard sets with ease. However, Buzzwole is so rare in the metagame that this move is useless most of the time.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Toxapex**: Toxapex is Marshadow's most reliable counter, resisting Close Combat and possessing enough bulk to tank Marshadow's other moves without much issue. Recover and Regenerator make Toxapex extremely difficult for Marshadow to take out and a single Scald burn is crippling. However, Toxapex must take some care against the Bulk Up set: +1 Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike does a maximum of 96% damage to even the most physically defensive of Toxapex, potentially a knockout punch after Stealth Rock damage.
**Ho-Oh**: Defensive Ho-Oh shrugs off Close Combat with ease and can tank Marshadow's other attacks between Roost and Regenerator, so long as Stealth Rock isn't up. Sacred Fire burns or Brave Bird will both wreck Marshadow's day. However, Technician-boosted Rock Tomb easily OHKOes Ho-Oh, as does a boosted Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike. Offensive Ho-Oh variants will also usually be KOed by Life Orb Spectral Thief after Stealth Rock damage.
**Mega Sableye**: Physically defensive Mega Sableye is not 2HKOed by Life Orb Spectral Thief so long as it is able to keep Stealth Rock off the field, making it a reasonably good answer combined with immunity to Close Combat. Foul Play and Will-O-Wisp allow Mega Sableye to strike back. However, Mega Sableye will fall to a boosted Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike.
**Buzzwole**: Although it's rare, Buzzwole's resistance to Close Combat and enormous physical bulk allow it to wall Marshadow with ease, stalling it out with Toxic and Roost. A wrinkle is that Buzzwole cannot do much damage to Marshadow directly, giving Marshadow an opportunity to boost multiple times with Bulk Up and potentially take down Buzzwole before succumbing fully to Toxic with a greatly empowered Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Arceus-Fairy resists Close Combat and has enough bulk to weather Spectral Thief, OHKOing Marshadow back with STAB Judgment. Physically defensive Xerneas performs similarly, though neither is a foolproof counter, as both Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can potentially be OHKOed by +1 Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike after Stealth Rock damage.
**Zygarde-C**: If Marshadow lacks Hidden Power Ice, Zygarde-C shrugs off all its attacks with remarkable ease and can respond with Glare to cripple Marshadow. Even a boosted Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike will barely scratch Zygarde-C's ridiculously tough hide.
**Intimidate**: Landorus-T and—before Mega Evolving—Mega Salamence can use Intimidate to cushion Marshadow's attacks, taking it down with STAB Flying-type attacks or Toxic, respectively. However, both Mega Salamence and Landorus-T are easily OHKOed by Hidden Power Ice, so they cannot switch in recklessly.
**Choice Scarf users**: Choice Scarf users that are not overly threatened by Shadow Sneak can revenge kill Marshadow pretty easily. Notable examples include Xerneas, Yveltal, and thanks to Psychic Terrain, Tapu Lele.
**Primal Groudon**: Primal Groudon has enough raw Defense to tank any one hit from Marshadow and KO it back with Precipice Blades, though it cannot switch directly into Life Orb Close Combat if any entry hazards are up.
**Support Arceus formes**: Support variants of Arceus-Water and Arceus-Ground that opt to maximize Defense over Speed can narrowly avoid the 2HKO from Life Orb-boosted Close Combat after Stealth Rock and stall Marshadow out with Toxic, Recover, and recoil damage. However, Marshadow's greater Speed means that support Arceus will need to be in pristine condition if it wants to switch in directly.
**Priority**: Although it boasts immunity to Extreme Speed, Marshadow's somewhat low Defense makes it vulnerable to other priority moves. Giratina-O has enough bulk to tank Marshadow's Shadow Sneak before retaliating with its own for significant damage. Mega Scizor and Mega Lucario can also pick off a weakened Marshadow with Bullet Punch, as can Yveltal with Sucker Punch, especially if Marshadow's Defense is impacted from using Close Combat.
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