[Guide] Competitive Analysis: Neopunk

[Dragonstrike]

It's been awhile, but I'm getting an itch to write another guide!  So let's do one on a newer pokemon in Uranium!



Say hello to Neopunk!  Let me start off by saying one thing though.  Don't use this pokemon:



Praseopunk is essentially an inferior version of Neopunk in all regards.  They have the exact same movepool, and Neopunk has a WAY better stat spread.  Speaking of which...

Neopunk's Stats                           Praseopunk's Stats
HP: 65                                          HP: 85
Attack: 100                                   Attack: 80
Defense: 65                                  Defense: 85
Special Attack: 120                       Special Attack: 100
Special Defense: 60                      Special Defense: 70
Speed: 90                                    Speed: 80
Total: 500                                    Total: 500

What advantages Praseopunk has over Neopunk in bulk are eclipsed by Neopunk's vastly more powerful offensive abilities.  Praseopunk would be okay if Psychic/Electric was a decent defensive type...but it's not in Uranium's meta, which is filled with Ground types, the occasional bug and dark types, and the ever present Nuclears if allowed.  So mediocre bulk isn't going to cut it in the end.

Instead, capitalize on Neopunk's actually decent offenses (which are on par with Yatagaryu's, discounting Stormbringer)!  It's a one trick 'mon, but it's a good trick!

Blazing Fast Tempos (Choiced):
- Volt Switch
- Instant Crush/Psychic
- Focus Blast
- Thunderbolt/Psychic/Trick
EVs: 252 Sp Atk, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Item: Choice Scarf/Specs
Nature: Modest or Timid

With 120 Special Attack , 90 speed, and the amount of coverage in Neopunk's movepool, a Choice set should be obvious, right?  Volt Switch is a given on choiced electric types that can learn the move, allowing you to keep up the offensive pressure with constant switching.  Psychic is a very powerful attack, but Instant Crush is an option for Psychic STAB as well.  It's no Flame Impact, but it's still a 60 power +1 priority move!  It's a little more potent if using a Choice Specs, so keep that in mind.

Focus Blast is for annihilating Steel and Dark types that would give you a hard time otherwise.  Thunderbolt and Psychic take the last slot as a more powerful STAB option, depending on which you feel the team needs more.  Or you can use Trick to absolutely cripple your opponent's wall by locking them into a single move and stealing their Leftovers.

Shattered Like Glass (All Out Attacker with Life Orb)
- Instant Crush
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt/Volt Switch
- Focus Blast
EVs: 252 Sp Atk, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Item: Life Orb
Nature: Modest or Timid

Okay, so Psychic and Electric coverage isn't optimal in Uranium for the most part.  Why would you use this set?  Why, to take advantage of that priority psychic attack, of course!  Even if the super effective coverage isn't great, psychic is still a rather unresisted type.  There's actually a lot that Neopunk can hit neutrally with its STAB combination.  If you aren't a Steel, Dark, or Psychic type with a resistance to Electric (or a great deal of special bulk), you're going to take a hard hit from this pokemon.

So, the premise of this set?  Instant Crush whenever an opportunity to kill the opponent presents itself and you can't outspeed your foe.  Psychic is there if you need the psychic coverage but Instant Crush isn't powerful enough to nab the kill.  Thunderbolt versus Volt Switch depends on if you would rather have power or momentum.  Focus Blast is there to optimize your coverage, nailing everything that resists your STAB combination except for other punks.

Nasty Notes (Nasty Plot)
- Nasty Plot
- Instant Crush/Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast/Psychic/Substitute
EVs: 252 Sp Atk, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Item: Life Orb/Twisted Spoon
Nature: Modest or Timid

Nasty Plot!  'Nuff said, right?  Raise that special attack sharply once your counters are KOed or crippled and go to town!  The trick is finding a good opportunity to set up the boost...Substitute can give you that opportunity if you don't mind forgoing the 3rd attacking move.  Just remember that Psychic is significantly more powerful than Instant Crush before deciding on which one you want as your sole psychic STAB if you want Focus Blast or Substitute. 

Other Move Options
Dazzling Gleam: Fairy coverage is actually pretty nice for those annoying dragons.  Except Tracton.  Also helps with a few dark types. 

Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse: Really want enemy psychic and ghost types KOed (particularly Dramsama)?  These are the moves for you then!

Charge Beam: Attempt to boost while attacking at the same time!  Very risky, but it might pay off if played correctly!

Thunder Wave: Always a useful move for crippling sweepers.  A bit tricky to use on this pokemon, though...

Discharge: Not as reliable at paralyzing opponent's as Thunder Wave, but it does a respectable amount of damage while fishing for the paralysis, at least, so it's a decent alternative to Thunderbolt

Flash Cannon: Coverage against fairies and ice types!  In particular, Luxelong!

Calm Mind: Don't use this, use Nasty Plot.  If you want to use this, use Praseopunk instead since it can actually take a special attack or two after using this.  That's practically Praseopunk's only niche over Neopunk.

Hidden Power Ice and Energy Ball: Neopunk's weapons of choice for eliminating most ground types that might give it trouble.  Just be careful when picking which one you want to use, since you don't have enough room for both!

Hidden Power Fire: Rather inferior for coverage compared to Focus Blast, but it reliably roasts Metalynx without having to worry about missing if you aren't worried about Neopunk's other dark and steel type checks.

Attract: Why do the punks even learn this?  They're genderless...

Light Screen and Reflect: Okay, so there's another niche for Praseopunk, I guess...don't use these on Neopunk, though.

Explosion: Neopunk still has 100 attack!  Going BOOM! is going to hurt quite a bit even without a ton of investment into attack!

Thunder: If using Yatagaryu or a rain team, consider using Neopunk's most powerful attack as well!

Taunt: Can provide an opportunity to safely set up Nasty Plots on some walls.  A good surprise factor.

Get Lucky: The name of one of Daft Punk's most iconic tunes and albums (well, Instant Crush is the name of one of their singles as well, but it's not nearly as iconic...).  It's also an interesting gimmick for the punks.  It's a 70 power Psychic type move that raises their critical hit chance.  The increased chance to crit can help keep up the offensive pressure since nailing your opponent with super effective STAB might be a little difficult.  Slotting it in is a little tricky, though...and the move itself isn't suited for Choiced sets, either.

Physical Neopunk: Don't even consider a pure physical set.  Neopunk's physical movepool is absolute trash.  Aside from Explosion and Return, Psycho Cut, Bounce, and Thunder Punch are its only notable physical moves, and it has nothing that can boost its physical attack.  A physical Neopunk might catch your opponent off guard, but it will only work for so long before they bring in something that completely shuts it down.

Checks, Counters, and Partners
As stated earlier, there's only six pokemon in Uranium that resist the punks' STAB combination: Tracton, other punks, Metalynx, Drilgann, and Lanthan.  Really bulky special walls that aren't weak to Psychic and Electric, such as Luxelong, are able to mostly shut Neopunk down as well if it isn't boosting with Nasty Plot and lacks the appropriate Super Effective coverage.  Facing a Neopunk is a gamble if you don't know what coverage it has.  And Focus Blast takes care of almost all of the big problem pokemon for it practically by itself.

Neopunk highly appreciates any pokemon that can reliably take out those checks, such as Archilles for the Steel types and Metalynx for Luxelong.  Beware of Nucleon as well when using Neopunk.  When Choice Scarfed, it speed ties with the little monster.  Of course, you can always just smack it with an Instant Crush...but that's assuming it doesn't Quick Attack you into oblivion first, or survive the hit with its amazing special defense before retaliating with a guaranteed to be lethal Hyper Voice.  A Raffiti with a Shell Smash under its belt also has some choice words for Neopunk, as its dark type allows it to avoid Instant Crush completely and proceed to kill Neopunk with either its Dark STAB or Atomic Punch.  Mega Arbok is also a dangerous threat that needs to be watched for, as its Petrify ability and dark typing allows it to outspeed and attempt to KO Neopunk rather easily if Neopunk is not choice scarfed, and can pursuit trap it if it attempts to switch out.

Healing Wish users are great partners for the Nasty Plot set, since it can give the punk another go at setting up and cleaning the opponent's team out.

Anything faster than Neopunk that carries a strong Super Effective move will also trash Neopunk.  Which is quite a few things.  Archilles, Laissure, Gliscor, Shell Smashed Cocancer, Inflagetah, Tracton with Drill Run or Crunch...have some pokemon on hand that can help you deal with those faster threats, though, and they aren't as scary any more.

Healthy Speed Boost Tracton (using Protect against Scarfed Neopunk) and Mega Drilgann in the sand are the hard counters to Neopunk though, since it has no hope of outspeeding and killing either with Focus Blast no matter what it does (unless something baton passes it Speed Boosts), and the setup for boosting their speed is dirt easy.  Eliminate these pokemon or cripple their speed heavily before attempting to bring in Neopunk against them.

Summary
Neopunk is a dangerous offensive pokemon, with just enough speed and more than enough special attack to to be a considerable danger.  Its great neutral coverage from its STAB moves, variety of uncommon and useful move effects, and an ability to handle almost all of its checks and counters with the appropriate coverage makes it a force to be reckoned with.  Low bulk makes it difficult to use, though, as it can't switch in reliably on much of anything, and there's quite a few faster threats that can and will OHKO it with a ground or dark attack.  It's a glass cannon through and through, but one you definitely need to account for.  When it switches in, something is going to be hurting.

What, I never said anything about the punks' abilities?  Oh yeah...that's because they're useless in Single Battles.  Neopunk has Minus, and Praseopunk has Plus.  The abilities are only useful in Double Battles.  And if species clause is enforced, you have to use both Praseopunk and Neopunk at the same time to benefit from the effects.  If you do, though, both become fearsome attackers.  And the real kicker is that if species clause isn't enforced, two Neopunk at the same time will still trigger Minus.  Brutal.  Gimmicky, but brutal (like Get Lucky and random coverage and utility moves).

As usual, I'm open to constructive criticisms and suggestions!  Tell me what you think of this guide!  I'm also looking at what I'll write a guide for next...I've got a brief list still, but I'll take suggestions into account before I write the next one.