So following the Persian post a page back, after playing a little more I want to suggest an overhaul to Skuntank even if I'm not 100% sure about what to do with it.
Currently Skuntank can get some really janky movesets like Toxic / Crunch / Sucker Punch / Taunt, which don't really fulfil a particular role at all (stallbreaker I guess?). Now, don't get me wrong, Skuntank has a horrid learnset, but I think when something is as bad as Skuntank, utility moves become more viable to include. Moves like Haze (it already starts with a Focus Sash if lead) can be really nice in the dynamax format for removing dyna boosts from opponents; Roar has niche uses but I kind of think that Skuntank is just too frail to use it properly as well; and Hone Claws honestly feels worth potentially including just for stronger Sucker Punches that could allow it to sometimes act as a cleaner.
Perhaps its movepool should just be Defog, Haze, Sucker Punch, Hone Claws, Poison Jab, maybe Crunch? Fire Blast is a move that has more potential use than actualised use in my opinion, since so many Steel-Type Pokémon either don't mind taking a Fire Blast from Skuntank or aren't even weak to it (at which point Crunch is better anyway). Skuntank's special attack isn't really good enough to warrant Fire Blast in practice. I would almost say delete Haze and/or Defog and just have Skuntank be a niche set-up sweeper, but idk.
At the very least I think Taunt is bad on Skuntank because it's not fast enough and has nothing to capitalise on potential forced switches with. It's also a bad Defogger as far as Defoggers go, but Defog is such a good move that it's probably justified anyway? Same goes for Toxic in theory but again, Skuntank doesn't force enough switches for Toxic to do anything. IDK, I'm interested in if other people have ideas (e.g. Memento or Explosion are niche options here), I just think Skuntank needs some help.
Completely agree with
pokeblade101 on Fire Blast + Skuntank. Honestly, I can't even think of any moment where I was "mad" I got a Skuntank with Fire Blast. It's not even just for Ferrothorn or Steelix. There are a lot of Pokemon that gets deterred from setting up due to a potential Fire Blast, and even more so with Life Orb. And it's an even bigger deterrent considering Skuntank's ability and the fact many of the Pokémon Fire Blast would be useful for are physical attackers. Obviously it has its drawback (85% accuracy). Amongst those Pokémon :
- Steelix, which can't freely set-up twice with Dragon Dance;
- Ferrothorn, which gets OHKO'd with Life Orb or almost certainly with some chip/hazard damage;
- Scizor, which gets nuked;
- Corviknight, which can't set-up as freely, and with Life Orb, gets almost certainly 2HKO'd;
- Cobalion, which gets 2HKO'd and which needs to be at +3 at least to score a OHKO on Skuntank (or iron head flinch);
- Zacian-C, which gets brought to aftermath range if Life Orb and Sucker Punch are both rolled;
- Zamazenta-C, which isn't really a menace but with Howl added to its movepool, can be quite annoying;
- Skarmory, which gets 2HKO'd;
- Kartana, which gets nuked too, and if it has Sash, is threatened by Sucker Punch or Aftermath;
- Pheromosa, which gets almost certainly OHKO'd, life orb or not, and if not, gets to Aftermath range (and if it has ice beam, CC + Ice Beam are not enough to KO Skuntank);
- Aggron is kinda of niche, but at least it gets brought to ~70% HP rather than ~80% HP;
- Stakataka, similar as Aggron;
- Duraludon, same thing due to its poor special defense (especially without LO)
- Copperajah, same thing;
- Magearna is bulky and can set up while taking a fire blast from Skuntank, but it forces the opponent to be quite careful;
- Togedemaru is more easily manageable with Fire Blast;
- Cloyster can be put in a dangerous position since Fire Blast can 2HKO (low chance) without Life Orb, and 2HKOs with Life Orb, and Icicle Spear, baring crits, doesn't KO Skuntank if it does not have Life Orb, and has a small chance of not OHKO'ing if it has. In the former case, it makes Cloyster vulnerable to being KO'd with Sucker Punch;
- Buzzwhole can't come in almost risk free, and has a decent chance to be brought to Aftermath range with Fire Blast + Sucker Punch, life orb or not;
- Lucario can't use Skuntank as a set-up fodder;
- Heracross gets 2HKO'd with Life Orb, and without it, gets brough to Aftermath range, deterring the opponent from using Swords Dance;
- Pinsir is the same as Heracross, though it is faster and has access to non-contact moves (but is also more vulnerable to sucker punch);
- Scyther takes some risk, even with Eviolite;
- Groudon has a decent chance to be 2HKO'd by LO Skuntank, making it risky to use Swords Dance;
- Darmanitan-Galar becomes a risky play due to its poor bulk;
- Escavalier is OHKO'd with Life Orb, and brought to Aftermath/crunch/sucker punch range if not;
- Melmetal gets almost certainly 2KHO'd, life orb (which guarantees) or not;
- Eiscue can't freely set-up in your face due to lack of Fire Blast (though this can be stopped with Taunt);
- Perrserker gets put in a precarious situation even if Skuntank doesn't have LO (which would bring it to Aftermath range), since it's 2HKO'd;
- Glastrier ends up only being able to land one hit with its poor speed if it uses SD, since it takes ~35% from non-LO Skuntank;
- Aegislash can't fish out an attack drop and then switch out if that's your opponent's last hope;
- The various Gourgeist (thicc or thin) all take slightly more from Fire Blast, and can't annoy you to hell if they land a W-o-w.
- Abomasnow can't set up aurora veil, something it could do even with poison jab;
And I probably forget some.
Of course, ideally, you always want a fire type on your team for those Pokémon - but this is random battles, you can't always get what you want/need. The list of Pokémon that Fire Blast deters/checks/counters is large enough (nearly 30 pokémon, even though for some it's maybe pushing it a little), IMO, to warrant keeping Fire Blast.
I also simply don't like the Hone Claw idea. Its only strong physical moves are, outside of its STABs (Crunch and Poison Jab), Iron Tail, Play Rough (which both add almost no value besides T-Tar and Terrakion), Dig (which is only useable if you dynamax, really - even though it is THE coverage type that it needs on a physical set) and, Explosion, as you mentioned (but it's a case where any offensive move + explosion would do just as much as hone claw + explosion). With Explosion, you also don't get Aftermath damage, which is no big deal on a special attacker, but which also don't really justify using Explosion on a physical one.
