Flying
========
Hawlucha is a great addition to hyper offensive Flying teams, as its ability Unburden backed by Swords Dance and its powerful STAB attacks allows it to act as a good setup sweeper. Thanks to Unburden it single-handedly becomes the fastest Pokemon in the metagame. Its part Fighting typing allows it to act as a dangerous wincon against many types such as Ice, Normal, Steel, and Dark and lets it take on a plethora of threatening Pokemon, such as Kyurem-B, Chansey, Ferrothorn, and Tyranitar, for the team. Thanks to Substitute, Hawlucha can easily set up on defensive Pokemon such as Mega Sableye and Mew, as it can evade their status and weak attacks and safely set up Swords Dance behind Substitute. However, even though Hawlucha is a fantastic setup sweeper, before Unburden is activated, fast Pokemon such as Greninja and Choice Scarf Latios to outspeed it, and Hawlucha is also very weak without a Swords Dance boost. Additionally, its poor defensive stats make it difficult for Hawlucha to find opportunities to set up, especially against offensive teams that constantly apply pressure to Hawlucha. This also leaves it weak to the common priority users of the tier such as Dragonite, Mega Scizor, and Azumarill.
[SET]
name: Unburden Sweeper (Flying)
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: High Jump Kick
move 3: Acrobatics
move 4: Substitute
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Unburden
nature: Jolly
evs: 12 HP / 244 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance allows Hawlucha to act as dangerous setup sweeper, always being able to OHKO Pokemon such as Latios and Mega Venusaur after a boost. High Jump Kick is Hawlucha's strongest STAB attack and deals with various threats to Flying teams such as Chansey and Kyurem-B. Acrobatics allows Hawlucha to take on Bug-, Grass-, Fighting-type Pokemon such as Volcarona, Mega Venusaur, and Keldeo. Substitute allows Hawlucha to evade status conditions and is important for activating its Sitrus Berry and, in turn, Unburden.
Set Details
========
12 HP EVs allow Hawlucha to always activate its Sitrus Berry after its second use of Substitute. 244 Attack and 252 Speed EVs alongside a Jolly nature allow Hawlucha to hit as fast and hard as possible. Unburden doubles Hawlucha's Speed after it has used its item, allowing it to become the fastest Pokemon in the metagame; this also allows Hawlucha to beat Ditto, which is a typical check to a setup sweeper.
Usage Tips
========
Hawlucha is best used as a late-game sweeper, as once most of its checks are put in the range of Hawlucha's boosted attacks, it is near impossible to stop. Hawlucha appreciates its counters, such as Toxapex, being removed from the battle and its checks, such as Mega Scizor, to be chipped before it attempts a sweep. Avoid status at all costs, as every form of status severely cripples Hawlucha's ability to act as a setup sweeper. Substitute is a great tool to do so; this also allows it to set up a Swords Dance the next turn for free. Hawlucha should always activate Unburden before trying to set up a sweep, as Acrobatics is severely underpowered before its Sitrus Berry has been activated. Hawlucha should set up a Substitute against Pokemon that it forces out, such as Chansey and Cobalion, and proceed to set up a Swords Dance. Substitute also allows it to activate Sitrus Berry more easily and set up an Unburden sweep. Aim to set up Hawlucha in a matchup such as Normal where it's the teams main wincon after Pokemon such as Staraptor, whose Intimidate can make sweeping more difficult, have been severely weakened or eliminated from battle.
Team Options
========
Aerodactyl is a phenomenal Focus Sash lead Pokemon; with access to Stealth Rock, it chips down Hawlucha's checks each time they switch in and breaks Dragonite's Multiscale, and it can also prevent slower leads from setting Stealth Rock thanks to Taunt. Mega Charizard Y can break past physically defensive walls such as Celesteela, Hippowdon, and Zapdos that can otherwise wall Hawlucha. In return, Hawlucha can break past most of Mega Charizard Y's checks like Chansey. Celesteela and Hawlucha weaken each other's checks, allowing the other to sweep late-game. Celesteela can also act as a wincon in the Fairy matchup, which can otherwise be difficult for Hawlucha. Dragonite and Hawlucha wear down their commonly shared checks. Additionally, Dragonite can break past Pokemon such as Toxapex and Swampert with a boosted Devastating Drake and act as a wincon in the Electric matchup thanks to the combination of Earthquake and Extreme Speed. Both Landorus formes provide an Electric immunity for Hawlucha. Landorus-T acts as a fast Choice Scarf user that can outspeed such threats as Tapu Koko for Hawlucha and can cripple foes by removing their items with Knock Off. Landorus is a fantastic special attacker that can take on an array of threats such as Toxapex, Skarmory, and Klefki. Thundurus-T provides an Electric immunity and acts as an offensive pivot that can bring in Hawlucha with Volt Switch. It can also break Water- and Flying-type Pokemon that give Hawlucha trouble such as Toxapex, Mantine, and Celesteela.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flying
--------
Hawlucha has no other viable options.
Checks and Counters
===================
Flying
--------
**Super Effective Attacks**: Hawlucha is rather frail and can only set up against weaker attackers. Any super effective coverage makes it near impossible for Hawlucha to set up and sweep.
**Physically Defensive Walls**: Physically defensive walls such as Hippowdon and Zapdos can easily tank Hawlucha's attacks and deal with it either through phazing or hitting it with super effective damage, then healing damage done with their recovery moves.
**Priority Users**: Priority users such as Azumarill, Mega Scizor, and Dragonite can easily pick off Hawlucha because of its poor bulk. However, if Hawlucha has set up and these Pokemon have been chipped and are not in range of killing Hawlucha with their priority attacks, it can pick them off with its powerful STAB attacks.
**Status**: All forms of status hinder Hawlucha, as paralysis cripples its speed, poison cripples its longevity, and burns cripple its Attack stat, making it harder to break past other Pokemon.
**Revenge Killers**: Before Hawlucha has activated Unburden, faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, Choice Scarf Latios, and Greninja can easily pick it off.
**Phazers and Haze users**: Phazers and Haze users such as Hippowdon and Toxapex can prevent Hawlucha from sweeping, as the former forces Hawlucha out of battling, negating all its boosts, and the latter resets all of Hawlucha's boosts, preventing it from properly being able to set up.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[maroon, 305839]]
- Flying analysis by: [[maroon, 305839]]
- Quality checked by: [[Decem, 362454], [Kev, 314540], [Moosical, 215618]]
- Grammar checked by: [[talkingtree, 232101], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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