QC Approvals: yee, PK Gaming, Pocket
GP Approvals: sirndpt, Engineer Pikachu
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[pimg]536[/pimg]
Woof
[Overview]
<p>Thanks to Sand Rush, Stoutland becomes an incredible revenge killer in a sandstorm, where its Speed is boosted to incredible levels. In addition, it is relatively bulky and has an acceptable Attack stat that can easily be boosted by an item. Finally, it has decent coverage, which allows it to revenge kill a large range of threats.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, like any other Pokemon, Stoutland has its fair share of problems. It absolutely needs Hippowdon or Tyranitar to summon sandstorm, as it isn't very useful outside of it; to make matters worse, other weather inducers are omnipresent in OU, making it hard to keep maintain the weather that player desires. Its Normal typing also doesn't do it many favors, as its STAB is resisted by several Pokemon in OU. Despite these flaws, however, Stoutland is an excellent choice if you need a revenge killer or late-game sweeper.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Return
move 2: Superpower
move 3: Pursuit / Crunch
move 4: Wild Charge
item: Choice Band
ability: Sand Rush
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Stoutland's best set—the only one viable in OU. Thanks to Sand Rush, it has an effective Speed stat of 518, which is enough to outpace the entire unboosted metagame, including most Choice Scarf users. This allows Stoutland to become an effective revenge killer, as it can utilize a Choice Band to hit much harder than most other Choice Scarf revenge killers while still outpacing boosted opponents. Among the dangerous boosted foes it can check are Volcarona, Salamence, and Gyarados.</p>
<p>Return is Stoutland's preferred STAB move and allows it to heavily dent several foes or finish off a weakened team late-game. Superpower allows it to destroy most Rock- and Steel-types, such as Terrakion and Ferrothorn. Pursuit is the preferred option for the third slot, as it puts Ghost- and Psychic-types, such as Gengar and Latios, in a checkmate position if they try to switch out. However, Crunch can be used instead to break through bulkier Ghost-types that instead stay in, such as the uncommon but annoying Cofagrigus, and also secures a OHKO on Gengar if it attempts to stay in. Finally, Wild Charge is there to 2HKO Skarmory and Jellicent hard, as they don't take much damage from any of Stoutland's other moves; furthermore, it lands an OHKO on bulkier variants of Gyarados.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs maximize Stoutland's offensive prowess by maximizing Attack and Speed. An Adamant nature along with a Choice Band lets it hit as hard as possible, but a Jolly nature does help it outpace Choice Scarf base 108s such as Terrakion as well as +2 Cloyster. However, the power drop is generally not worth the ability to outspeed these Pokemon. Equipping a Life Orb instead allows Stoutland to switch moves, but loses out on power and also inflicts recoil damage, limiting both its longevity and revenge killing utility. In addition, Stoutland only needs one move to revenge kill a threat, and generally does not need to switch moves.</p>
<p>As a sandstorm is needed to activate Sand Rush, support from Tyranitar or Hippowdon is a must. In addition to setting up a permanent sandstorm, both can also set up Stealth Rock, which enables Stoutland to secure OHKOs on Pokemon such as Salamence. Both options have their pros and cons: Tyranitar can both trap Ghost-types with Pursuit and defeat most outright with Crunch, which lets Stoutland spam Return with less of a worry; however, it compounds your team's Fighting weakness. On the other hand, Hippowdon can take physical hits aimed at Stoutland without breaking a sweat, and it also has Earthquake to hit Steel-types hard. However, it generally doesn't have as much firepower as Tyranitar does, and hence doesn't fit as well with offensive Stoutland. It is possible to use both on the same team for even more security that a sandstorm will be up.</p>
<p>The omnipresent Steel-types can also give Stoutland problems, as quite a few of them are not weak to Superpower and all of them resist Return. Magnezone is therefore a good partner, as it can trap and KO Steel-types such as Skarmory and Forretress. There are several other options to lure in and take out Steel-types. Latios and Latias can cripple almost all Steel-types with Trick or Hidden Power Fire, and Reuniclus can as well, utilizing Trick to give them a Flame Orb and hitting hard with Focus Blast. These three can also help eliminate Mach Punch users, who can deal quite a bit of damage to Stoutland before it gets to retaliate.</p>
<p>Although Ninetales, Politoed, and Abomasnow cannot directly deal with Stoutland under most circumstances, they can be problematic for Stoutland by changing the weather. If one really needs to win the weather war, Dugtrio makes a good partner due to Arena Trap. It can also trap and kill several Steel-types that Magnezone struggles with, such as Jirachi. Politoed is generally the only weather starter that significantly threatens sandstorm teams; Virizion and Celebi can aid in dealing with rain teams in general, which also helps a sandstorm team. Both Pokemon also have a way of getting past Steel-types, namely Fighting STAB and Earth Power, respectively. In that regard, if your team can maintain sandstorm, Landorus is a good partner, as it resists Fighting-type moves, has Sand Force to power up its attacks in a sandstorm, and can hurt Steel-types with its Ground STAB. One can also use Sand Force Hippowdon alongside Stoutland and Sand Stream Tyranitar to lure in and KO Gliscor with Ice Fang, taking out a threat that can give Stoutland problems.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Stoutland's movepool is not very large, but it has a few other options it can consider. Retaliate is more powerful than Return if a teammate fainted on the previous turn. While it is a great move for revenge killing as it is capable of OHKOing nearly everything, it is less useful for late-game sweeping, which is Stoutland's other main function. Ice Fang OHKOes Gliscor and all variants of Dragonite after Multiscale is broken, but it is a terrible move to be locked into due to its low Base Power. On a similar note, Scizor and Forretress are maimed by Fire Fang, but it is also very weak.</p>
<p>Work Up and Howl are options to raise Stoutland's Attack. However, Stoutland is generally better off attacking immediately instead of setting up, since both moves only raise Stoutland to +1, which is the same boost a Choice Band gets and it requires a turn to set up. Stoutland gets Intimidate and several support moves such as Thunder Wave, Yawn, and Roar, but it is usually heavily outclassed in this role. Although Stoutland's third ability, Scrappy, might seem appealing as it enables Stoutland to hit Ghost-types, Stoutland is much less effective without the Speed boost from Sand Rush.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Thanks to Stoutland's doubled Speed while under sandstorm, it is hard to revenge kill. However, there are several Pokemon that Stoutland cannot hit hard enough to deal with. Jirachi is not hit very hard even by Superpower, and can easily cripple Stoutland with paralysis. Similarly, Forretress walls Stoutland's attacks and can use the opportunity to set up entry hazards or attack with Gyro Ball. Scizor can take a more offensive approach and 2HKO with Bullet Punch. Bronzong and Metagross aren't hit hard by Superpower either, which makes them good options as well. However, all these Pokemon, especially Scizor and Forretress, must be careful of a possible Fire Fang.</p>
<p>Although uncommon, defensive Cofagrigus is only 3HKOed by Crunch, and its Mummy ability removes Stoutland's Sand Rush. Sableye can outspeed and burn Stoutland with Prankster Will-O-Wisp, and doesn't take much damage from any of Stoutland's moves. Hitmontop can switch into Stoutland thanks to Intimidate and hit it with Close Combat or Mach Punch. While Conkeldurr is 2HKOed by Return, it can KO Stoutland easily with Drain Punch while healing off most of the damage it took, or 2HKO with Mach Punch. Breloom can deal a minimum of 80% with a Technician-boosted Mach Punch; however, note that Mach Punch can never OHKO a healthy Stoutland, while Return will OHKO Breloom.</p>
<p>As Stoutland holds a Choice Band most of the time, prediction aids in taking it down. For example, Jellicent can switch into Superpower or Return and attempt to burn Stoutland, Terrakion can switch into Return or Crunch and outspeed Stoutland if it has a Choice Scarf, and Skarmory can switch into anything but Wild Charge and set up Spikes on it or wear it down with Brave Bird. Finally, although Abomasnow, Ninetales, and Politoed generally lose to Stoutland one-on-one, they can slow Stoutland down by changing the weather.</p>
GP Approvals: sirndpt, Engineer Pikachu
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[pimg]536[/pimg]
Woof
[Overview]
<p>Thanks to Sand Rush, Stoutland becomes an incredible revenge killer in a sandstorm, where its Speed is boosted to incredible levels. In addition, it is relatively bulky and has an acceptable Attack stat that can easily be boosted by an item. Finally, it has decent coverage, which allows it to revenge kill a large range of threats.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, like any other Pokemon, Stoutland has its fair share of problems. It absolutely needs Hippowdon or Tyranitar to summon sandstorm, as it isn't very useful outside of it; to make matters worse, other weather inducers are omnipresent in OU, making it hard to keep maintain the weather that player desires. Its Normal typing also doesn't do it many favors, as its STAB is resisted by several Pokemon in OU. Despite these flaws, however, Stoutland is an excellent choice if you need a revenge killer or late-game sweeper.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Return
move 2: Superpower
move 3: Pursuit / Crunch
move 4: Wild Charge
item: Choice Band
ability: Sand Rush
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Stoutland's best set—the only one viable in OU. Thanks to Sand Rush, it has an effective Speed stat of 518, which is enough to outpace the entire unboosted metagame, including most Choice Scarf users. This allows Stoutland to become an effective revenge killer, as it can utilize a Choice Band to hit much harder than most other Choice Scarf revenge killers while still outpacing boosted opponents. Among the dangerous boosted foes it can check are Volcarona, Salamence, and Gyarados.</p>
<p>Return is Stoutland's preferred STAB move and allows it to heavily dent several foes or finish off a weakened team late-game. Superpower allows it to destroy most Rock- and Steel-types, such as Terrakion and Ferrothorn. Pursuit is the preferred option for the third slot, as it puts Ghost- and Psychic-types, such as Gengar and Latios, in a checkmate position if they try to switch out. However, Crunch can be used instead to break through bulkier Ghost-types that instead stay in, such as the uncommon but annoying Cofagrigus, and also secures a OHKO on Gengar if it attempts to stay in. Finally, Wild Charge is there to 2HKO Skarmory and Jellicent hard, as they don't take much damage from any of Stoutland's other moves; furthermore, it lands an OHKO on bulkier variants of Gyarados.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs maximize Stoutland's offensive prowess by maximizing Attack and Speed. An Adamant nature along with a Choice Band lets it hit as hard as possible, but a Jolly nature does help it outpace Choice Scarf base 108s such as Terrakion as well as +2 Cloyster. However, the power drop is generally not worth the ability to outspeed these Pokemon. Equipping a Life Orb instead allows Stoutland to switch moves, but loses out on power and also inflicts recoil damage, limiting both its longevity and revenge killing utility. In addition, Stoutland only needs one move to revenge kill a threat, and generally does not need to switch moves.</p>
<p>As a sandstorm is needed to activate Sand Rush, support from Tyranitar or Hippowdon is a must. In addition to setting up a permanent sandstorm, both can also set up Stealth Rock, which enables Stoutland to secure OHKOs on Pokemon such as Salamence. Both options have their pros and cons: Tyranitar can both trap Ghost-types with Pursuit and defeat most outright with Crunch, which lets Stoutland spam Return with less of a worry; however, it compounds your team's Fighting weakness. On the other hand, Hippowdon can take physical hits aimed at Stoutland without breaking a sweat, and it also has Earthquake to hit Steel-types hard. However, it generally doesn't have as much firepower as Tyranitar does, and hence doesn't fit as well with offensive Stoutland. It is possible to use both on the same team for even more security that a sandstorm will be up.</p>
<p>The omnipresent Steel-types can also give Stoutland problems, as quite a few of them are not weak to Superpower and all of them resist Return. Magnezone is therefore a good partner, as it can trap and KO Steel-types such as Skarmory and Forretress. There are several other options to lure in and take out Steel-types. Latios and Latias can cripple almost all Steel-types with Trick or Hidden Power Fire, and Reuniclus can as well, utilizing Trick to give them a Flame Orb and hitting hard with Focus Blast. These three can also help eliminate Mach Punch users, who can deal quite a bit of damage to Stoutland before it gets to retaliate.</p>
<p>Although Ninetales, Politoed, and Abomasnow cannot directly deal with Stoutland under most circumstances, they can be problematic for Stoutland by changing the weather. If one really needs to win the weather war, Dugtrio makes a good partner due to Arena Trap. It can also trap and kill several Steel-types that Magnezone struggles with, such as Jirachi. Politoed is generally the only weather starter that significantly threatens sandstorm teams; Virizion and Celebi can aid in dealing with rain teams in general, which also helps a sandstorm team. Both Pokemon also have a way of getting past Steel-types, namely Fighting STAB and Earth Power, respectively. In that regard, if your team can maintain sandstorm, Landorus is a good partner, as it resists Fighting-type moves, has Sand Force to power up its attacks in a sandstorm, and can hurt Steel-types with its Ground STAB. One can also use Sand Force Hippowdon alongside Stoutland and Sand Stream Tyranitar to lure in and KO Gliscor with Ice Fang, taking out a threat that can give Stoutland problems.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Stoutland's movepool is not very large, but it has a few other options it can consider. Retaliate is more powerful than Return if a teammate fainted on the previous turn. While it is a great move for revenge killing as it is capable of OHKOing nearly everything, it is less useful for late-game sweeping, which is Stoutland's other main function. Ice Fang OHKOes Gliscor and all variants of Dragonite after Multiscale is broken, but it is a terrible move to be locked into due to its low Base Power. On a similar note, Scizor and Forretress are maimed by Fire Fang, but it is also very weak.</p>
<p>Work Up and Howl are options to raise Stoutland's Attack. However, Stoutland is generally better off attacking immediately instead of setting up, since both moves only raise Stoutland to +1, which is the same boost a Choice Band gets and it requires a turn to set up. Stoutland gets Intimidate and several support moves such as Thunder Wave, Yawn, and Roar, but it is usually heavily outclassed in this role. Although Stoutland's third ability, Scrappy, might seem appealing as it enables Stoutland to hit Ghost-types, Stoutland is much less effective without the Speed boost from Sand Rush.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Thanks to Stoutland's doubled Speed while under sandstorm, it is hard to revenge kill. However, there are several Pokemon that Stoutland cannot hit hard enough to deal with. Jirachi is not hit very hard even by Superpower, and can easily cripple Stoutland with paralysis. Similarly, Forretress walls Stoutland's attacks and can use the opportunity to set up entry hazards or attack with Gyro Ball. Scizor can take a more offensive approach and 2HKO with Bullet Punch. Bronzong and Metagross aren't hit hard by Superpower either, which makes them good options as well. However, all these Pokemon, especially Scizor and Forretress, must be careful of a possible Fire Fang.</p>
<p>Although uncommon, defensive Cofagrigus is only 3HKOed by Crunch, and its Mummy ability removes Stoutland's Sand Rush. Sableye can outspeed and burn Stoutland with Prankster Will-O-Wisp, and doesn't take much damage from any of Stoutland's moves. Hitmontop can switch into Stoutland thanks to Intimidate and hit it with Close Combat or Mach Punch. While Conkeldurr is 2HKOed by Return, it can KO Stoutland easily with Drain Punch while healing off most of the damage it took, or 2HKO with Mach Punch. Breloom can deal a minimum of 80% with a Technician-boosted Mach Punch; however, note that Mach Punch can never OHKO a healthy Stoutland, while Return will OHKO Breloom.</p>
<p>As Stoutland holds a Choice Band most of the time, prediction aids in taking it down. For example, Jellicent can switch into Superpower or Return and attempt to burn Stoutland, Terrakion can switch into Return or Crunch and outspeed Stoutland if it has a Choice Scarf, and Skarmory can switch into anything but Wild Charge and set up Spikes on it or wear it down with Brave Bird. Finally, although Abomasnow, Ninetales, and Politoed generally lose to Stoutland one-on-one, they can slow Stoutland down by changing the weather.</p>
