sleid
vagabond
[SET]
name: Defensive Utility
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Night Shade / Scald
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Toxic / Rest
move 4: Recover
item: Eviolite
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 100 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Physically defensive wall, Rapid Spin blocker, and status-inducing support are the roles Frillish plays in this metagame. Taunt is useful for preventing passive walls such as Clefairy, Hippopotas, and either Wormadam forme from inflicting status conditions and using healing moves. Also, it disallows slower Pokemon to set up on Frillish such as Curse Muk, bulky Dragon Dance Shelgon, and Curse Munchlax. Night Shade is for consistent chip damage. Scald can be chosen instead for the same reason, which also has a chance to burn the target. Will-O-Wisp is mostly used in conjunction with Night Shade, because using it alongside Scald would be redundant. Toxic can be used with Scald for effective dual status spreading. It is especially useful for Pokemon Frillish cannot burn such as those with Water Absorb and Fire-types. Toxic is crippling against opposing walls, since it does exponential damage and Frillish can heal up against them while they are being worn down. Rest can be used in this slot over the previous two status moves as a way to add a status absorber to the team. Frillish is invested with 100 Speed EVs in order to be faster than base 50 Speed Pokemon to ensure that they can be hit with a Taunt before they can use a status-inducing, healing, or setup move.
Frillish is used on teams looking for a physically defensive wall and spinblocker. There are a few different team archetypes that appreciate its presence, these being balance, bulky balance, stall, and entry hazard stack teams. It has an advantageous matchup against the tier's best Rapid Spin users, being Staryu, Drilbur, and Sandshrew; it is worth mentioning that Staryu can possibly run a niche set with Thunderbolt, however. Frillish is helpful in walling most offensive Pokemon that can only hit it for neutral damage, especially if it gets a burn from Will-O-Wisp or Scald; some of these include Shelgon, Lairon, and Whiscash. As previously mentioned, teams will appreciate that Frillish disallows walls to use status-inducing moves and heal or slow offensive Pokemon to use setup moves. It can completely wall some offensive threats that struggle to hit Ghost-types such as Persian, Mienfoo, and Slaking. Frillish does well with Grass-type teammates like Leafeon, Ivysaur, Meganium, and Gloom, which can handle its Electric and Grass weaknesses; additionally, Electric-types such as Pikachu, Raichu, and Luxray cover the former weaknesses. Pokemon like Muk, Arbok, and Simisear pair well with Frillish, because of the Grass-types it brings in, while the likes of Meganium, Muk, and Wormadam-S are general walls that can handle Electric-types. Frillish also has to be aware of opposing Ghost- and Dark-type moves from the likes of Grumpig, Gastly, and Arbok. Bringing a Steel- or Dark-type such as Pawniard, Lairon, Vullaby, or Wormadam-S can provide a switch-in to these moves. Knock Off absorbers like Emolga, Solrock, and Muk are also important to have on the same team as Frillish, because losing its Eviolite can weaken its effectiveness.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
==============
Frillish can choose to run Energy Ball or Ice Beam to target foes such as Grass- and Water-types such as Leafeon, Meganium, Staryu, and Frillish, predicting when they switch in.
Checks and Counters
=================
**Grass-types**: Grass-type Pokemon threaten Frillish with super effective attacks. They include Leafeon, Ivysaur, Meganium and Gloom. None of these Pokemon necessarily like switching into Frillish for fear of getting inflicted with status, however.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types are completely problematic for Frillish due to most of them being special attackers. These include Pikachu, Raichu, and some Emolga sets, although there is also physical Luxray. None of these Pokemon necessarily like switching into Frillish for fear of getting inflicted with status, except Guts Luxray.
**Dark- and Ghost-types**: Frillish has to watch out for super effective moves that hit its Ghost-typing. The likes of Pawniard, Grumpig, Gastly, and Muk can all use Ghost- or Dark-type moves.
**Faster Status Inflictors**: Taunt is the most important move when it comes to the defensive utility Frillish set. Frillish can struggle throughout the game if it cannot outspeed status-inducing foes. Thunder Wave from the likes of Clefairy can ruin its faster Taunt and ability to spread burn to the slower walls that can deal massive damage. Toxic from Walrein, Vullaby, or Staryu can be problematic, as Frillish gets worn down quickly; burn affects it in the same way, except not as badly. This obviously doesn't affect Frillish very badly if it chooses to run Rest.
**Fast Taunt Users**: Fast Taunt users can shut down Frillish, taking away its ability to heal or spread status. Pokemon that carry this move are Persian, Grumpig, and Mr. Mime.
**Knock Off**: Knock Off can compromise the bulk that Frillish is brought for. Frillish doesn't want to take a Knock Off from a Pokemon like Clefairy, Mienfoo, or Pelipper; otherwise, it will struggle to fulfill its role for the rest of the match.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/getsleidsun.601970/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mirbro.451786/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/wrathoftheleopard.511181/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
name: Defensive Utility
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Night Shade / Scald
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Toxic / Rest
move 4: Recover
item: Eviolite
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 100 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Physically defensive wall, Rapid Spin blocker, and status-inducing support are the roles Frillish plays in this metagame. Taunt is useful for preventing passive walls such as Clefairy, Hippopotas, and either Wormadam forme from inflicting status conditions and using healing moves. Also, it disallows slower Pokemon to set up on Frillish such as Curse Muk, bulky Dragon Dance Shelgon, and Curse Munchlax. Night Shade is for consistent chip damage. Scald can be chosen instead for the same reason, which also has a chance to burn the target. Will-O-Wisp is mostly used in conjunction with Night Shade, because using it alongside Scald would be redundant. Toxic can be used with Scald for effective dual status spreading. It is especially useful for Pokemon Frillish cannot burn such as those with Water Absorb and Fire-types. Toxic is crippling against opposing walls, since it does exponential damage and Frillish can heal up against them while they are being worn down. Rest can be used in this slot over the previous two status moves as a way to add a status absorber to the team. Frillish is invested with 100 Speed EVs in order to be faster than base 50 Speed Pokemon to ensure that they can be hit with a Taunt before they can use a status-inducing, healing, or setup move.
Frillish is used on teams looking for a physically defensive wall and spinblocker. There are a few different team archetypes that appreciate its presence, these being balance, bulky balance, stall, and entry hazard stack teams. It has an advantageous matchup against the tier's best Rapid Spin users, being Staryu, Drilbur, and Sandshrew; it is worth mentioning that Staryu can possibly run a niche set with Thunderbolt, however. Frillish is helpful in walling most offensive Pokemon that can only hit it for neutral damage, especially if it gets a burn from Will-O-Wisp or Scald; some of these include Shelgon, Lairon, and Whiscash. As previously mentioned, teams will appreciate that Frillish disallows walls to use status-inducing moves and heal or slow offensive Pokemon to use setup moves. It can completely wall some offensive threats that struggle to hit Ghost-types such as Persian, Mienfoo, and Slaking. Frillish does well with Grass-type teammates like Leafeon, Ivysaur, Meganium, and Gloom, which can handle its Electric and Grass weaknesses; additionally, Electric-types such as Pikachu, Raichu, and Luxray cover the former weaknesses. Pokemon like Muk, Arbok, and Simisear pair well with Frillish, because of the Grass-types it brings in, while the likes of Meganium, Muk, and Wormadam-S are general walls that can handle Electric-types. Frillish also has to be aware of opposing Ghost- and Dark-type moves from the likes of Grumpig, Gastly, and Arbok. Bringing a Steel- or Dark-type such as Pawniard, Lairon, Vullaby, or Wormadam-S can provide a switch-in to these moves. Knock Off absorbers like Emolga, Solrock, and Muk are also important to have on the same team as Frillish, because losing its Eviolite can weaken its effectiveness.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
==============
Frillish can choose to run Energy Ball or Ice Beam to target foes such as Grass- and Water-types such as Leafeon, Meganium, Staryu, and Frillish, predicting when they switch in.
Checks and Counters
=================
**Grass-types**: Grass-type Pokemon threaten Frillish with super effective attacks. They include Leafeon, Ivysaur, Meganium and Gloom. None of these Pokemon necessarily like switching into Frillish for fear of getting inflicted with status, however.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types are completely problematic for Frillish due to most of them being special attackers. These include Pikachu, Raichu, and some Emolga sets, although there is also physical Luxray. None of these Pokemon necessarily like switching into Frillish for fear of getting inflicted with status, except Guts Luxray.
**Dark- and Ghost-types**: Frillish has to watch out for super effective moves that hit its Ghost-typing. The likes of Pawniard, Grumpig, Gastly, and Muk can all use Ghost- or Dark-type moves.
**Faster Status Inflictors**: Taunt is the most important move when it comes to the defensive utility Frillish set. Frillish can struggle throughout the game if it cannot outspeed status-inducing foes. Thunder Wave from the likes of Clefairy can ruin its faster Taunt and ability to spread burn to the slower walls that can deal massive damage. Toxic from Walrein, Vullaby, or Staryu can be problematic, as Frillish gets worn down quickly; burn affects it in the same way, except not as badly. This obviously doesn't affect Frillish very badly if it chooses to run Rest.
**Fast Taunt Users**: Fast Taunt users can shut down Frillish, taking away its ability to heal or spread status. Pokemon that carry this move are Persian, Grumpig, and Mr. Mime.
**Knock Off**: Knock Off can compromise the bulk that Frillish is brought for. Frillish doesn't want to take a Knock Off from a Pokemon like Clefairy, Mienfoo, or Pelipper; otherwise, it will struggle to fulfill its role for the rest of the match.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/getsleidsun.601970/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mirbro.451786/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/wrathoftheleopard.511181/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
Last edited: