sleid
vagabond
[SET]
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Rest
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Clear Body
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Carbink is one of the tier's premier physical walls due to its great role compression, ability to check Normal- and Fire-types and Scraggy, and access to Stealth Rock. STAB Moonblast does notably well against the likes of Vibrava, Scraggy, and Krokorok while also hitting the majority of the tier neutrally. Calm Mind is used as a win condition and to minimize damage from many weaker special threats like Electabuzz and defensive Ivysaur, which would take advantage of it otherwise. Carbink can switch in on a plethora of Pokemon like Scraggy, Pignite, and Persian, so Rest is important to let it consistently check them. Rocky Helmet is the item of choice to further help chip down the aforementioned Pokemon and punish U-turn and Knock Off users, on top of the Stealth Rock damage they take upon entry.
Balance and stall teams look to Carbink as an option for a Stealth Rock setter and physical wall. Carbink struggles to perform well against Steel- and Grass-types like Klang and Servine, so Pignite, Swalot, and Magmar all make good partners to help alleviate this. Other defensive walls like Bronzor and Duosion appreciate Carbink's ability to take on Scraggy. Bronzor, as well as Grass-types like Ivysaur and Gogoat, also appreciates Carbink's ability to take hits from Pignite and Magmar. Carbink pairs well with offensive Pokemon like Simipour, Sawsbuck, and Murkrow because it switches into and chips down faster pivots like Persian and Furfrou with Rocky Helmet. Carbink also greatly benefits from clerics like Meganium and Wigglytuff, since they give Carbink an easier time using Rest.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
If paired with a Stealth Rock user like Bronzor or Hippopotas, Carbink can opt for Iron Defense instead of Stealth Rock to become a threatening setup sweeper that is hard to take down when it starts boosting. Carbink can use Earth Power over Calm Mind on its physical wall set to catch the likes of Lairon, Magmar, and Swalot off guard, even if it does middling damage. It can also choose to run Power Gem instead of Calm Mind to better hit Jumpluff and Dustox. However, Carbink is incredibly passive without Calm Mind, so that's the preferred option.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Klang and Lairon can come in on Carbink's Moonblast safely and threaten to OHKO it back with their Steel-type STAB moves, although Lairon has to be wary of getting outsped and OHKOed by Earth Power from offensive Stealth Rock Carbink. Bronzor completely walls Carbink and can whittle it down with Toxic and Psywave while shrugging off its +6 Moonblast.
**Water-types**: Frogadier, Politoed, Simipour, and special Huntail can take a Moonblast fine enough and threaten Carbink back for big damage with their STAB moves. Seaking can sit on offensive Carbink and beat it. However, these checks struggle to take down Carbink if it has used a couple of Calm Minds. Meanwhile, Marshtomp and Whiscash can threaten heavy damage on Carbink, 2HKOing it after Stealth Rock damage.
**Ground-types**: Hippopotas, Marshtomp, and Whiscash can all outdamage and take down Carbink with their STAB Earthquakes. Choice Band Krokorok can 2HKO Carbink with Earthquake, while the other Krokorok sets only 3HKO it, meaning it always win one-on-one if it catches Carbink with Earthquake on the switch in.
**Offensive Grass-types**: Servine, Gogoat, Jumpluff, and Simisage can boost and take down Carbink while taking minimal damage. However, Jumpluff needs to watch out for offensive Carbink, since Carbink can 2HKO it with Power Gem.
**Steel-type Coverage Moves**: Carbink can be heavily damaged or even OHKOed by Steel-type coverage moves like Furfrou and Mightyena's Iron Tail and Pignite and Gigalith's Heavy Slam.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/5gen.296755/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/5dots.543866/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Rest
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Clear Body
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Carbink is one of the tier's premier physical walls due to its great role compression, ability to check Normal- and Fire-types and Scraggy, and access to Stealth Rock. STAB Moonblast does notably well against the likes of Vibrava, Scraggy, and Krokorok while also hitting the majority of the tier neutrally. Calm Mind is used as a win condition and to minimize damage from many weaker special threats like Electabuzz and defensive Ivysaur, which would take advantage of it otherwise. Carbink can switch in on a plethora of Pokemon like Scraggy, Pignite, and Persian, so Rest is important to let it consistently check them. Rocky Helmet is the item of choice to further help chip down the aforementioned Pokemon and punish U-turn and Knock Off users, on top of the Stealth Rock damage they take upon entry.
Balance and stall teams look to Carbink as an option for a Stealth Rock setter and physical wall. Carbink struggles to perform well against Steel- and Grass-types like Klang and Servine, so Pignite, Swalot, and Magmar all make good partners to help alleviate this. Other defensive walls like Bronzor and Duosion appreciate Carbink's ability to take on Scraggy. Bronzor, as well as Grass-types like Ivysaur and Gogoat, also appreciates Carbink's ability to take hits from Pignite and Magmar. Carbink pairs well with offensive Pokemon like Simipour, Sawsbuck, and Murkrow because it switches into and chips down faster pivots like Persian and Furfrou with Rocky Helmet. Carbink also greatly benefits from clerics like Meganium and Wigglytuff, since they give Carbink an easier time using Rest.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
If paired with a Stealth Rock user like Bronzor or Hippopotas, Carbink can opt for Iron Defense instead of Stealth Rock to become a threatening setup sweeper that is hard to take down when it starts boosting. Carbink can use Earth Power over Calm Mind on its physical wall set to catch the likes of Lairon, Magmar, and Swalot off guard, even if it does middling damage. It can also choose to run Power Gem instead of Calm Mind to better hit Jumpluff and Dustox. However, Carbink is incredibly passive without Calm Mind, so that's the preferred option.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Klang and Lairon can come in on Carbink's Moonblast safely and threaten to OHKO it back with their Steel-type STAB moves, although Lairon has to be wary of getting outsped and OHKOed by Earth Power from offensive Stealth Rock Carbink. Bronzor completely walls Carbink and can whittle it down with Toxic and Psywave while shrugging off its +6 Moonblast.
**Water-types**: Frogadier, Politoed, Simipour, and special Huntail can take a Moonblast fine enough and threaten Carbink back for big damage with their STAB moves. Seaking can sit on offensive Carbink and beat it. However, these checks struggle to take down Carbink if it has used a couple of Calm Minds. Meanwhile, Marshtomp and Whiscash can threaten heavy damage on Carbink, 2HKOing it after Stealth Rock damage.
**Ground-types**: Hippopotas, Marshtomp, and Whiscash can all outdamage and take down Carbink with their STAB Earthquakes. Choice Band Krokorok can 2HKO Carbink with Earthquake, while the other Krokorok sets only 3HKO it, meaning it always win one-on-one if it catches Carbink with Earthquake on the switch in.
**Offensive Grass-types**: Servine, Gogoat, Jumpluff, and Simisage can boost and take down Carbink while taking minimal damage. However, Jumpluff needs to watch out for offensive Carbink, since Carbink can 2HKO it with Power Gem.
**Steel-type Coverage Moves**: Carbink can be heavily damaged or even OHKOed by Steel-type coverage moves like Furfrou and Mightyena's Iron Tail and Pignite and Gigalith's Heavy Slam.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/5gen.296755/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/5dots.543866/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited: