[SET]
Physical Wall (Palossand) @ Rocky Helmet / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Compaction
Tera Type: Dragon / Water / Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Shadow Ball
- Scorching Sands / Sludge Bomb
- Shore Up
[SET COMMENTS]
Palossand's great physical bulk, unique typing, and access to recovery enable it to wall many physical attackers such as Passimian, Snorlax, and Regirock. Palossand's Ghost typing enables it to block Rapid Spin from Sandslash and can help it in a pinch against Hisuian Avalugg despite Palossand's Ice weakness, which adds to Palossand's reliability as an entry hazard setter. Palossand's decent Special Attack and STAB Shadow Ball's neutral coverage are acceptably strong and keep Palossand from being too passive. Scorching Sands is a nice complementary STAB move that can spread burns, making Palossand’s role as a physical wall even easier by stifling physical sweepers such as Snorlax without Rest and Coil Dudunsparce. Sludge Bomb is an alternative to threaten Grass-types that check Palossand like Hisuian Decidueye and Whimsicott. Tera Dragon lets Palossand flip its weaknesses versus Water- and Grass-types, whereas Tera Water trades a Grass resistance for an Ice resistance, and both have great synergy with Water Compaction. Tera Poison grants Palossand a poison immunity and Grass resistance for Grass-type counters like Whimsicott and Dipplin while retaining a good defensive matchup against Fighting-type moves.
Palossand is a great addition to teammates looking for a partner that provides role compression of taking on physical attackers and setting up Stealth Rock. Specially defensive Pokemon form great bulky cores with Palossand. Snorlax can use Thick Fat to take on challenging Ice-type attackers like Frosmoth and Articuno for Palossand, and it appreciates Palossand dealing with Fighting-type threats to it like Passimian and Hitmonlee. Articuno threatens Water- and Grass-types like Clawitzer and Whimsicott for Palossand with its Freeze-Dry, and in turn, it enjoys Palossand providing protection against problematic physical attackers like Regirock and Snorlax. Dudunsparce can take on special attackers like Sceptile and Mismagius for Palossand, using its great bulk, Toxic, and Dragon Tail to mitigate setup opportunities Palossand offers, while Dudunsparce appreciates Palossand taking on Fighting-types like Toxicroak and Hisuian Sneasel that would threaten to break it or cause it to Terastallize prematurely. Hisuian Decidueye and Lurantis resist many of Palossand’s weaknesses and can support Rocky Helmet Palossand by using Defog to help with hazard chip damage. Dipplin can absorb Knock Off for Palossand thanks to Sticky Hold, and other Grass-types such as Whimsicott and Virizion can also threaten the Grass- and Water-types Palossand struggles with, such as Bruxish. Qwilfish and Hisuian Qwilfish enjoy Palossand keeping their Spikes up, while Palossand appreciates Intimidate and hazard stacking to wear down the Pokemon it walls.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Colbur Berry can dull the initial damage from Knock Off if Palossand is facing off against strong attackers like Hitmonlee, Passimian, or Toxicroak, but the passive benefits of Rocky Helmet and Heavy-Duty Boots carry over better if Palossand Terastallizes. The additional power of Earth Power is less useful to Palossand compared to fishing for status with Scorching Sands and Sludge Bomb. Tera Dark affords Palossand more flexibility against Bruxish, Rotom, and Prankster-boosted status moves from Grafaiai and Whimsicott.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Virizion and Hisuian Decidueye can threaten Palossand and can set up to break past its physical bulk. Specially offensive Grass-types like Whimsicott, Hisuian Electrode, Sceptile, and Alolan Exeggutor take advantage of Palossand's poorer special bulk. Hisuian Decidueye and Lurantis can remove Palossand's Stealth Rock, and the both of them and Dipplin can use Palossand as an opportunity to set up. All Grass-types must be wary of Sludge Bomb though, and Scorching Sands's burn chance is problematic for physically offensive ones.
**Ice-types**: Bulky Ice-types like Frosmoth and Glastrier threaten Palossand and can use it to set up. Articuno is similarly bulky and only dislikes a lucky Sludge Bomb poison. Sneasel can break through Palossand, but neither it nor Glastrier want to take a burn from Scorching Sands, and chip damage from Rocky Helmet adds up on Sneasel if it uses Triple Axel. Palossand blocks Rapid Spin from Hisuian Avalugg and threatens it with Scorching Sands but takes a lot of damage from Mountain Gale.
**Water-types**: Bruxish, Floatzel, and Veluza can break past Palossand’s great bulk with their powerful Water-type STAB moves but must consider Water Compaction, Tera, and Palossand’s Shadow Ball. Clawitzer has few issues breaking Palossand. Cramorant's special bulk and Ground immunity let it consistently use Defog against Palossand.
**Special Attackers**: Special wallbreakers like Mesprit and Jolteon break past Palossand’s much lower special bulk but are vulnerable to Shadow Ball and Scorching Sands. Bulky special sweepers like Calm Mind Dudunsparce, Farigiraf, and Oricorio-G can exploit Palossand’s underwhelming damage output to set up, but the former two don’t enjoy taking an unlucky status, while Oricorio-G is weak to Shadow Ball and needs a Special Defense boost to comfortably set up on Palossand.
**Flying-types**: Oricorio-F and Braviary can capitalize on Palossand's difficulty in dealing damage to them to use it as setup fodder. Oricorio-G is weak to Shadow Ball but can use Quiver Dance to help itself get out of KO range and can target Palossand due to its low special bulk.
**Trick and Switcheroo**: A Choice-lock is terrible for Palossand's ability to wall foes, so Rotom and Mesprit are very disruptive if they swap a Choice item onto it with Trick.
**Status**: Toxic from Dudunsparce, Grafaiai, and Hisuian Qwilfish puts Palossand on a timer and makes it more reliant on using Shore Up, but neither of them tolerate burns from Palossand's Scorching Sands very well. Grafaiai can use Poison Touch, and Dudunsparce can use Poison Jab to fish for poisons on Palossand even if they drop Toxic.
**Taunt and Encore**: Grafaiai and Whimsicott can use Encore to lock Palossand into a status move or weak move to exploit it, but they are weak to Scorching Sands and Sludge Bomb, respectively. Primeape can use Taunt to stop Palossand from setting up Stealth Rock or recovering but dislikes Scorching Sands. Sableye can irritate Palossand with Taunt or Encore.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bloodace.435539/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/5dots.543866/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gambit_gamin.652656/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
Physical Wall (Palossand) @ Rocky Helmet / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Water Compaction
Tera Type: Dragon / Water / Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Shadow Ball
- Scorching Sands / Sludge Bomb
- Shore Up
[SET COMMENTS]
Palossand's great physical bulk, unique typing, and access to recovery enable it to wall many physical attackers such as Passimian, Snorlax, and Regirock. Palossand's Ghost typing enables it to block Rapid Spin from Sandslash and can help it in a pinch against Hisuian Avalugg despite Palossand's Ice weakness, which adds to Palossand's reliability as an entry hazard setter. Palossand's decent Special Attack and STAB Shadow Ball's neutral coverage are acceptably strong and keep Palossand from being too passive. Scorching Sands is a nice complementary STAB move that can spread burns, making Palossand’s role as a physical wall even easier by stifling physical sweepers such as Snorlax without Rest and Coil Dudunsparce. Sludge Bomb is an alternative to threaten Grass-types that check Palossand like Hisuian Decidueye and Whimsicott. Tera Dragon lets Palossand flip its weaknesses versus Water- and Grass-types, whereas Tera Water trades a Grass resistance for an Ice resistance, and both have great synergy with Water Compaction. Tera Poison grants Palossand a poison immunity and Grass resistance for Grass-type counters like Whimsicott and Dipplin while retaining a good defensive matchup against Fighting-type moves.
Palossand is a great addition to teammates looking for a partner that provides role compression of taking on physical attackers and setting up Stealth Rock. Specially defensive Pokemon form great bulky cores with Palossand. Snorlax can use Thick Fat to take on challenging Ice-type attackers like Frosmoth and Articuno for Palossand, and it appreciates Palossand dealing with Fighting-type threats to it like Passimian and Hitmonlee. Articuno threatens Water- and Grass-types like Clawitzer and Whimsicott for Palossand with its Freeze-Dry, and in turn, it enjoys Palossand providing protection against problematic physical attackers like Regirock and Snorlax. Dudunsparce can take on special attackers like Sceptile and Mismagius for Palossand, using its great bulk, Toxic, and Dragon Tail to mitigate setup opportunities Palossand offers, while Dudunsparce appreciates Palossand taking on Fighting-types like Toxicroak and Hisuian Sneasel that would threaten to break it or cause it to Terastallize prematurely. Hisuian Decidueye and Lurantis resist many of Palossand’s weaknesses and can support Rocky Helmet Palossand by using Defog to help with hazard chip damage. Dipplin can absorb Knock Off for Palossand thanks to Sticky Hold, and other Grass-types such as Whimsicott and Virizion can also threaten the Grass- and Water-types Palossand struggles with, such as Bruxish. Qwilfish and Hisuian Qwilfish enjoy Palossand keeping their Spikes up, while Palossand appreciates Intimidate and hazard stacking to wear down the Pokemon it walls.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Colbur Berry can dull the initial damage from Knock Off if Palossand is facing off against strong attackers like Hitmonlee, Passimian, or Toxicroak, but the passive benefits of Rocky Helmet and Heavy-Duty Boots carry over better if Palossand Terastallizes. The additional power of Earth Power is less useful to Palossand compared to fishing for status with Scorching Sands and Sludge Bomb. Tera Dark affords Palossand more flexibility against Bruxish, Rotom, and Prankster-boosted status moves from Grafaiai and Whimsicott.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Virizion and Hisuian Decidueye can threaten Palossand and can set up to break past its physical bulk. Specially offensive Grass-types like Whimsicott, Hisuian Electrode, Sceptile, and Alolan Exeggutor take advantage of Palossand's poorer special bulk. Hisuian Decidueye and Lurantis can remove Palossand's Stealth Rock, and the both of them and Dipplin can use Palossand as an opportunity to set up. All Grass-types must be wary of Sludge Bomb though, and Scorching Sands's burn chance is problematic for physically offensive ones.
**Ice-types**: Bulky Ice-types like Frosmoth and Glastrier threaten Palossand and can use it to set up. Articuno is similarly bulky and only dislikes a lucky Sludge Bomb poison. Sneasel can break through Palossand, but neither it nor Glastrier want to take a burn from Scorching Sands, and chip damage from Rocky Helmet adds up on Sneasel if it uses Triple Axel. Palossand blocks Rapid Spin from Hisuian Avalugg and threatens it with Scorching Sands but takes a lot of damage from Mountain Gale.
**Water-types**: Bruxish, Floatzel, and Veluza can break past Palossand’s great bulk with their powerful Water-type STAB moves but must consider Water Compaction, Tera, and Palossand’s Shadow Ball. Clawitzer has few issues breaking Palossand. Cramorant's special bulk and Ground immunity let it consistently use Defog against Palossand.
**Special Attackers**: Special wallbreakers like Mesprit and Jolteon break past Palossand’s much lower special bulk but are vulnerable to Shadow Ball and Scorching Sands. Bulky special sweepers like Calm Mind Dudunsparce, Farigiraf, and Oricorio-G can exploit Palossand’s underwhelming damage output to set up, but the former two don’t enjoy taking an unlucky status, while Oricorio-G is weak to Shadow Ball and needs a Special Defense boost to comfortably set up on Palossand.
**Flying-types**: Oricorio-F and Braviary can capitalize on Palossand's difficulty in dealing damage to them to use it as setup fodder. Oricorio-G is weak to Shadow Ball but can use Quiver Dance to help itself get out of KO range and can target Palossand due to its low special bulk.
**Trick and Switcheroo**: A Choice-lock is terrible for Palossand's ability to wall foes, so Rotom and Mesprit are very disruptive if they swap a Choice item onto it with Trick.
**Status**: Toxic from Dudunsparce, Grafaiai, and Hisuian Qwilfish puts Palossand on a timer and makes it more reliant on using Shore Up, but neither of them tolerate burns from Palossand's Scorching Sands very well. Grafaiai can use Poison Touch, and Dudunsparce can use Poison Jab to fish for poisons on Palossand even if they drop Toxic.
**Taunt and Encore**: Grafaiai and Whimsicott can use Encore to lock Palossand into a status move or weak move to exploit it, but they are weak to Scorching Sands and Sludge Bomb, respectively. Primeape can use Taunt to stop Palossand from setting up Stealth Rock or recovering but dislikes Scorching Sands. Sableye can irritate Palossand with Taunt or Encore.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bloodace.435539/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/5dots.543866/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gambit_gamin.652656/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
Last edited:
