A good competitive cocancer set

[shademonkey]

Once again, great work Windos 

Here's what I had prepared for a Curser set. In a nutshell : it's very much the same thing you did, same spread, same offensive moves, only Rest + Chesto Berry for recovery.

Spoiler

Curser

Cocancer

@Harvest

@Chesto Berry/Lum Berry OR Sitrus Berry

Careful Nature (+Special Defense, -Special Attack) / Sassy Nature (+Special Defense, -Speed)

252 HP, 252 Special Defense, 4 Attack

-Curse

-Rest / Synthesis

-Earthquake / Wood Hammer / Leaf Blade / Gyro Ball

-Sunny Day / Substitute / a second Stab attack / Knock Off / an elemental punch / Rock Slide-Stone Edge

 

Special Defense investment lets it tank special attacks with ease while Curse boosts its Defense. Little Attack investment since you seem to want a staller before anything else.

1st choice you have to make: what kind of recovery you want. Instant full recovery with Rest? In this case run Sunny Day to have 100% chance of restoring that Lum or Chesto Berry. IMO it’s not worth the trouble running Synthesis in conjunction with Sunny Day when you can instantly restore a whole life bar AND cure a burn or poisoning with Rest.

If you don't want to allocate a move slot for Sunny Day or powering up enemy Fire-type moves, you can choose Substitute to protect yourself from statuses and having an easier time setting up Curses. Harvest will then only have a 50% chance of activating, but that’s still a fair chance. Provided you haven’t taken any prior damage, Sitrus Berry will activate at your second Substitute. Without Sunny Day, I’d go with Synthesis for a healing move, as, knowing my luck, if it was already consumed I wouldn’t want to risk not recovering Lum/Chesto Berry during the two turns of sleep of Rest.

The third move slot is your primary attacking move. Earthquake is arguably the most spammable move in the game. Wood Hammer is Cocancer’s most powerful Stab, and hits those Water-types with Ice coverage that would switch in on Cocancer expecting only an Earthquake; but Grass is not exactly the best offensive type. Leaf Blade is also an option, hitting decently hard with no recoil. You can also choose to use Gyro Ball and forego a Stab, if so, choose a Sassy Nature to further lower your Speed and increase the power of Gyro Ball. With a mere 60 Speed BS, Cocancer isn’t likely to normally outspeed anything in Uranium’s meta so it’s not a problem.

Finally, if you haven’t already chosen Sunny Day or Substitute in the fourth move slot you can add more offensive coverage to our sandy crab. Knock Off is never a let-down due to its general utility, Stone Edge hits Flying-types that resist both Ground and Grass stabs + pesky Ice-types.

 

Checks and counters:

Weather inducers: Electruxo-M and Yatagaryu mess with your Sunny Day’d Harvest shenanigans and reduce the recovery of Synthesis. So do HA Escartress and Snow Warning Glavinug and Anderind.

Faster Taunt users and Phazers: Gyarados can do both. Many others.

Knock Off users: Baariette first came to my mind, many others ruin this pokemon’s efficiency as well, since Harvest does not restore a Knocked Off Berry.

Strong Ice moves: Electruxo-M or Frosthra’s Ice Beam, Snow Warning Glavinug’s Blizzard…

Defensive walls: Metalynx(-M), Gliscor can set up on Cocancer while taking little damage.

Allow me to extend the idea of blocking the ennemy pokemon. I didn't think of it as a mean to secure some Curse boosts, mainly because there was no room in the moveset for Block (a recovery move is compulsory on a staller IMO).

Trapper

Cocancer

@Harvest

@Jaboca Berry/Rowap Berry

Impish Nature (+Defense, -Special Attack) if Jaboca Berry, with 252 HP, 252 Defense, 4 SpDefense or Speed

Careful Nature (+Special Defense, -Special Attack) if Rowap Berry, with 252 HP, 252 Special Defense, 4 Defense or Speed

-Synthesis

-Block / Infestation

-Toxic

-Explosion / Earthquake / Leaf Blade

Max investment in either of the defences, Jaboca and Rowap Berries inflict 1/8 damage to the opponent when they land a physical or special attack, respectively. EVs can be put into Attack to secure a kill with Explosion.

Come in after a kill, on a choice locked pokemon, or on something that can’t really hurt Cocancer, trap the pokemon (Block guarantees five turns while Infestation inflicts chip damage), then proceed on poisoning or exploding.

Recovery won’t be as reliable, the berry won’t be restored at the end of every turn, and Cocancer must be able to withstand a few hits before its efforts pay off, but I reckon this’d be super satisfying to pull off. Too bad Cocancer doesn’t learn Leech Seed.

Checks and counters:

Previously listed.

Ghost-types: can’t be trapped and are not affected by explosion. Some of them even Levitate to block Earthquake.



EDIT : You could also try and use this in a Trick Room team:

Cocancer
Harvest
Brave Nature (+Attack, -Speed). 252 Attack, 252 Defense.
0 IV Speed
-Earthquake
-Wood Hammer
-Stone Edge
-Curse / Synthesis / Gyro Ball.

I'm not too sure about the EV spread. We want to activate the Berry so boosting the defensive stats may not be the smartest thing to do. Then again, it would require actual testing to grasp how efficiently Cocancer can reliably get a boost from the Berry AND stay alive long enough.

[Lord Windos]

Great set ideas! I honestly didn't think of Chesto Resto as an idea, and I didn't know that Sunny Day gave Harvest a 100% of activating, so props for spotting some flaws in my set! Seems like the crab would be best paired with M-Archilles, as it wouldn't have to run Sunny Day to get the beneftis from either Chlorophyll or Harvest. Perhaps I should make a couple more move set for this critter....

[Lord Windos]

Well, feeling a bit inspired by the cuddly crab, I've decided to make a couple more sets for the critter. Enjoy!

Clamping Down on Trouble (Wall Breaker)

Earthquake

Stone Edge

Wood Hammer/Leaf Blade

Knock Off/Ice Punch/Trick

Ability: Chlorophyll

Item: Choice Band

Nature: Adamant/Jolly

EVs: 252 ATK, 252 SPD, 4 S.DEF

This set of this tropical menace is designed to lay siege Walls like M-Syrentide, Encartress, and the occasional Beliaddon. Full investment in Attack and Speed allows this crab to tear enemies apart under the sun, with either nature emphazing one over the other. Jolly allows you to creep up on the speedier threats in the meta, such as M-Archilles, while Adamant give this crap a harder grip against the bulkiest Pokemon like Lathan. Earthquake is your main STAB, which will brutalize the vast majority of the meta with or without any support. Stone Edge is there to mainly cover your main weakness, knocking out Seikameter, Frosthra etc. that try to switch in and sponge and Earthquake or Grass STAB. Wood Hammer is you strongest STAB period, and even Pokemon that resist it won’t like being pinched by it. Alternatively, Leaf Blade is a slightly weaker STAB that doesn’t have the possibility of braining yourself to death, and the higher crit chance is appreciated as well. The last move depends on what you need Cocancer to do for your team. Knock Off cripples many Pokemon that rely on their attack, and has decent power with the Choice Band behind it. Ice Punch is there to ground Gliscor or put a good dent in any Bug types that switch in, besides Frothera. Trick, however, is an option if you want to completely screw over a Special Sweeper or any type of Staller, and it frees you up to use any move you choose. The loss of Wall Breaking power from giving up the Band is the obvious downside, but it is up to you whether the benefits are worth the drawbacks of this move


Like a Crab in a China Shop (Shell Smash Sweeper)

Shell Smash

Earthquake

Stone Edge

Wood Hammer/Leaf Blade

Ability: Chlorophyll or Sand Veil

Item: Life Orb, White Herb (If it ever gets released)

Nature: Adamant (For Chlorophyll) or Jolly (For Sand Veil)

EV’s: 252 ATK, 252 SPD OR 152 ATK, 104 HP, 252 SPD

If you want a high risk, extremely powerful sweeper on your team, there tank a gander at this beach side terror! The EVs on the set are a bit confusing, but I’ll get into that aspect into a bit. First, let’s discuss Abilities. While to most it would be a no brainer to use Chlorophyll on Cocancer, as that maximizes its speed to extreme levels, surpassing many of the Speed Demons of the meta like M-Archilles and Inflagetah, two of the crab’s biggest checks/targets (The former’s MA even helps out the crustacean!). However, on a sand team, such as being paired with Encartress, Sand Veil affords the crab a certain degree of protection against its many checks and Counters, granting it more time to smash up the enemy team. Regardless of what ability to choose, the moveset is a rather simple choice, when it comes down to it. Earthquake + Stone Edge hit most Pokemon in the game Super Effectively/Neutrally, cementing both moves on the living coconut’s moveset. Wood Hammer is its most brutal attack available, inflicting significant damage on Pokemon that even resist it (Namely Steel and Bug Types). Leaf Blade is another option if you don’t want to mess with recoil mechanics too much, as it is perfectly serviceable after a Shell Smash. On the subject, these Grass moves are the main factor on where you want to put the EVs in this monster, with item choice being an important second reason. If you want to roll out with Expert Belt and Leaf Blade, full investment in ATK is the path to success. If you opt for the Life Orb and Crab Hammer, putting some EV’s in HP would help mitigate the recoil damage this crustacean is going to rack up.

Good Partners for either set

Weather setters are certainly a must for either set to function well. Sunny setters like M-Archilles works perfectly well with either moveset, while the aformention Encartress is a great partner for Sand Veil varients. Pokemon that can take out enemy weather setters are appreciated as well. Lassure does quite a good job of forcing out M-Archille and M-Elextrux of the game, while any Metalynx can deal with Encartress. As for Hail setters like Anderhind, M-Archilles or Inflagetah can clear them out quickly, with either their own weather neutering theirs, or their speedy attack wearing the down. Pranster pokemon like Sableye or Whimsicott are best dealt with by Beliaddon or a Phyical sweepers like Baariette, which don’t care about being statused or having their item Knocked Off as much as Concancer. Having a Cleric like Slyveon or Luxelong on your team would also combat pesky Status users, thought they have to watch out for Pranster Taunters as well.

[shademonkey]

If using Chlorophyll, one would want to make Cocancer a "sweeper" or a speedy utility pokemon.

Offensive Utility
Cocancer
@Chlorophyll
Jolly Nature (+Speed, -Special Attack) 196 Speed, 252 Attack, 60 HP
Sitrus Berry I guess

-Earthquake
-Knock Off / Taunt
-Stealth Rock
-Sunny Day / Taunt / Block / Worry Seed / Toxic

196 EV in Speed are enough to outspeed Archilles-Mega under the sun. Who would've thought eh? A little investment in Attack is enough to OHKO it with Earthquake, but max investment works better against the other ~200 pokemon in the game. The rest goes in HP.

-Without the sun, Cocancer remains super slow so I wouldn't mind carrying Sunny Day (unless of course, the sun is the absolute worse thing possible for your team, but then again why would you run a Chlorophyll Cocancer)
-Taunt is useless without sun support
-Worry Seed would be super situational IMO but why not. I don't think it cancels Stormbringer, Sand Stream, Snow Warning and Drizzle.
-I'm still trying to find a scenario where it would be more useful to Toxic instead of spamming Earthquake. Against Fur Coat Fafninter maybe (btw, can we talk about the absolute beast? )

EDIT : I would rather see this Cocancer on a team completely built around the Sun support. I had a draft somewhere that put Archilles-M, Chlorophyll Coatlith and Water Absorb Blubelrog together as a core ; now I'm increasingly considering using Cocancer as a second Sun setter instead of Prankster Antarki. What do you think?


EDIT2: I like how you phrase your explanations

[Lord Windos]

Leftovers or Rocky Helmet would probably be a better item for Cocancer, as the former constantly regenerates its HP, and the later punishes Physical attacks trying to chip away at it. Either those items, or a Lum/Super Effective nullifier berry, as those can act as a 'get out of jail free card' for this beachside crab.

[shademonkey]

Why Leftovers when you can have multiple Sitrus Berries?

Woops, forget I ever said that. Yes, Leftovers or Rocky helmet are the best options available. Heat Rock hasn't been implemented to the game yet.

[Lord Windos]

You put Chlorophyll in your utility Cocancer, mate. If it has Harvest as an Utility Support, then Sitrus would be ideal.

[Werelynx]

The first set is really good. But is there any move other than Rock tomb and stone edge? Rock tomb is weak and stone edge might miss in a tight position

[Lord Windos]

Yes, you can use either Wood Hammer, Leaf Blade, or Ice Punch, but that leaves you vulnerable to the afformention Bug and Ice types, and the later does nothing against Ice types. Still, having multiple STABs is always something to consider, and carrying Grass STABs doesn't leave you wanting against Bulky Waters and Encartress. Ice Punch is good at nailing Gliscor in particular, so that is a plus as well~

[Lord Windos]

I would rather see this Cocancer on a team completely built around the Sun support. I had a draft somewhere that put Archilles-M, Chlorophyll Coatlith and Water Absorb Blubelrog together as a core ; now I'm increasingly considering using Cocancer as a second Sun setter instead of Prankster Antarki. What do you think?

I would strongly recommend against that, mate. Having two Pokémon on your team with a 4X Weakness to Ice is just begging for trouble, and M-Archilles doesn't like taking a STAB neutral hit regardless. Prankster Antarki can set the Sun and spread Status/Taunt like a demented fiend, so I say stick with the ghostly pest. If you want Cocancer on your team, you are better off axing Coatlith instead, then adding either Tracton or Luxelong to your team for Dragon support. Luxelong can benefit from the sun with Moonlight and Flamethrower, so they synergize particularly well. N-Gellin with Chlorophyll would also work very well with a sun team, for obvious reasons.