Where to begin...

The amount of support that Combusken provides to a team is ridiculous. It can come in multiple times throughout a match and set up at least one speed boost and baton pass out into a better match up, and that +1 speed can be incredibly beneficial. Combusken can also run a couple of different boosting sets with great success. It can run an Swords Dance set or a bulk up set and both come with there added benefits. With the Swords Dance set it is easy to bring Combusken in on various things set up one Swords Dance on the switch and baton pass out into something, and I have swept multiple times with only a +2, +1 with Kanga. Now if the recipient of the first pass dies Combusken is pretty much at full health and can come in again and repeat the process. With the Bulk Up set the same process can occur except this time Combusken can stay in and get a second Bulk Up with the boosted defenses. It can then pass +2,+2,+2 out into anything on its team. Some good recipients are Kangaskhan, Feraligatr, Xatu, KlingKlang, Slurpuff. Each of these mons has the ability to sweep on its own with the boosts. The main one that gets passed to is Xatu, Xatu has access to the move Stored Power. Once Combusken has passed into Xatu, Xatu can set up a Calm Mind and Stored Power then becomes a 180 base power move and at +1 with STAB very little is taking more than 1. Also Xatu has access to roost so it is able to heal off any damage it takes. As far as the rest of Combusken's team mates go each of them is there for a certain reason. The "counters" to Combusken are dragon tail/roar. Each member on the team is there to check that. Xatu can stop roar/whirlwind with Magic Bounce. Slurpuff can stop dragon tail users from phasing them out with its immunity to dragon. A common user of dragon tail is Dragalge and with its access to sludge bomb it can be difficult to switch in slurpuff, so KlingKlang provides an immunity to poison. And other mons like Kanga and Feraligatr are just there to take the boosts and sweep right away.



Now a big reason why Combusken is so good as a booster is that it can take a hit. It has some pretty mediocre defenses with 60/60/60 but with the addition of the item Eviolite its mediocre defenses get boosted up to pretty decent. It can then set up on a couple of things that normally it shouldnt be able to set up on, like Seismitoad. With a bulk up it can take lots of hits on the physical side and set up at least two of them before having to pass out. It can set up on multiple high tier threats in NU and various defensive pokemon. Being able to set up on so much and doing it throughout the match is just ridiculous.



The only real stop that prevents Combusken 100% of the time is Haze, and there are only a few pokemon that can actually use haze without taking it off for a better move. Other check can be checked by the Combusken team and as the meta has adapted for Combusken so have Combusken teams adapted to the adaptions. A good example of this is now Combusken is running sub over an attacking move as dragon tail will not break the sub especially after a bulk up.



I've been watching to see if there are any good arguments to keep Combusken in NU and they consisted of pretty much: Lets wait and let the meta adapt, its not broken if you can use it to, run haze on everything, keep offensive pressure up. The first one I do not agree with, the meta has been adapting for a while now and still hasnt come up with multiple good answers to combusken and if we wait longer it is going to be keeping something that is unfun in the tier. The second one is just from people who like using OP stuff and isnt really a good argument for keeping it. The third one is actually one of the better ones, but it comes back to not every team wants to run Haze, and having to run haze on everything is centralizing the meta and for more offensive teams you can lose momentum by having to switch to your haze user everytime. The fourth one is probably the best, because if you keep offensive pressure up it becomes a lot harder for Combusken to do its job. However as soon as you slip up Combusken is in and its over, meaning you have to play at 110% every game versus Combusken pass.