PU Spotlight: Carracosta

By Anty . Art by Cretacerus

History

Carracosta was first introduced in Generation V, and immediately it looked like an average Pokémon due to its average stats and poor typing. However, it got one of the best new moves introduced: Shell Smash. This labelled Carracosta as a setup sweeper, and its high defensive stats and Solid Rock gave it a strong defensive presence. Unfortunately, its low Speed really hindered its sweeping capabilities, its typing limited it as a wall, and it also faced a lot of competition from Pokémon such as Omastar. This limited it to NU, but due to its offensive qualities, it was one of the best Pokémon in the tier.

The change to Generation VI was not nice to Carracosta, as new competition such as Feraligatr and Rhydon as well as new checks such as Ferroseed and Gourgeist fell to NU. This severely limited its effectiveness in NU, so it was forced down to PU, where it was used like it was in BW NU as a very threatening setup sweeper. Carracosta still had some flaws that prevented it from being an S-rank threat, as it still had checks such as Poliwrath and Tangela, and it also faced heavy competition from Barbaracle, which had less bulk but more Speed. Lilligant, Exeggutor, and Cacturne all went to NU during the first tier shift, which opened more space for other Grass-types that could stop Carracosta, such as the newly PU Pokémon, Gourgeist-XL. Although the Musharna ban increased the usage of Poliwrath, Carracosta found its way to S-rank due to a mix of its Shell Smash set, which was still an effective sweeper, and its wall set, which could counter some of the best physical attackers such as Tauros, Sneasel, and Scyther.

Although the introduction of ORAS did not do much to change Carracosta, it got slightly worse. This was because offensive checks to Shell Smash sets such as Simipour and Jumpluff got more popular, the defensive set lost a lot of viability with the banning of Tauros and Sneasel, and Poliwrath got even more popular when Throh got banned. Carracosta still remained a top-tier Pokémon, as it could get past some of its checks by using a Jolly nature and moves such as Zen Headbutt. Recently, Carracosta fell out of S-rank, as players got more prepared for it. This is due to Barbaracle getting a surge of viability, as players often used offensive checks to Carracosta that Barbaracle beats, so the rise of Barbaracle meant defensive checks that they both share, such as bulky Grass-types, got more popular. Sets such as Will-O-Wisp Rapidash were also used to prevent those two Pokémon from setting up. Carracosta is still a top-tier sweeper, as many of its checks can be baited and worn down, and it still has common setup opportunities.

The latest tier shift was very generous to Carracosta, as it lost two of its most common checks in Poliwrath and Torterra. This not only means that it has two less Pokémon to worry about, but also that it can more freely run Ice Beam in its last slot, as Waterfall isn't too important and now it has no reason to run Zen Headbutt. Ice Beam is very helpful for Carracosta to KO defensive Tangela, which has risen in popularity to check Stoutland and Babaracle, as well as other bulky Grass-types.

Carracosta's Qualities

Carracosta's high Attack stat is backed up by excellent coverage between its dual STAB types, which are unresisted in the PU tier. Its offensive movepool is also amazing, as not only does it have access to every coverage move it would want such as Ice Beam and Zen Headbutt, but also it gets access to Shell Smash, which boost its offensive stats to huge levels, and Aqua Jet, which makes up for its poor Speed and lets it KO faster Pokémon such as Zebstrika and Raichu. Solid Rock provides Carracosta with more setup opportunities against Pokémon such as Rapidash as well as allows bulky sets to take on Pokémon such as Stoutland and Ursaring. These bulky sets are supported by Carracosta's high defensive stats and a decent support movepool, with moves such as Stealth Rock and Knock Off.

Playing with Carracosta

Shell Smash

Carracosta @ Life Orb

@ Life Orb Ability: Solid Rock

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Adamant Nature

- Shell Smash

- Stone Edge

- Aqua Jet

- Waterfall

This is Carracosta's best and most common set. It is played as a late-game sweeper when its foes have been weakened and possible checks have been taken out. Carracosta should aim to set up on defensive Pokémon such as Pelipper, Clefairy, and Vibrava, or certain physical attackers such as Mightyena, Dusknoir, and Choice-locked Stoutland; however, when setting up, Carracosta should not take too much damage, as it is easily warn down by Life Orb recoil. Carracosta should be wary about setting up on Pokémon such as Rapidash and Arbok, as they might have Will-O-Wisp and Seed Bomb, respectively, just to stop it. Stone Edge is Carracosta's strongest STAB move, and Ice Beam lets it KO Grass-type Pokémon such as Tangela and Quilladin. It can also run Waterfall with an Adamant nature to deal more damage to Pokémon such as Probopass, Stunfisk, and Piloswine. A Naive nature can be used to ensure that Carracosta outspeeds Pokémon such as Simipour, Simisage, and Jumpluff after a boost in exchange for some power, and items such as Mystic Water can be used to prevent Carracosta from being worn down as easily. If Carracosta will not get a chance to sweep due to the opponent having a counter, it can be played as a regular attacker and can revenge kill weakened foes with Aqua Jet.

Defensive

Carracosta @ Leftovers

@ Leftovers Ability: Solid Rock

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA

Relaxed / Bold Nature

- Stealth Rock

- Scald

- Toxic

- Low Kick / Protect

This set is used as a wall on defensive teams, as its high bulk and Solid Rock allows it to check many physical attackers such as Rapidash, Fraxure, and Ursaring. It is particularly notable for being one of the few Pokémon in the tier that avoids the 2HKO from Choice Band Stoutland, which would otherwise destroy defensive teams. Along with beating many physical attackers, Carracosta also supports its team with Stealth Rock, which is vital on every team. Scald is used as Carracosta's primary STAB move that can cripple anything it touches with a burn, and Toxic cripples many switch-ins such as Tangela and Politoed. For the last move, Low Kick should be used with a Relaxed nature and helps it check opposing Carracosta and Barbaracle as well as Normal-types such as Stoutland and Ursaring, whereas Protect is used with a Bold nature, provides more Leftovers recovery, and racks up status damage on the foe. Knock Off is also an option in order to cripple any foe, specifically Tangela and Roselia. Carracosta should be kept at high health, as it is easily worn down because it lacks recovery, meaning that it might not be able to take on more hits. This also means that Carracosta should try and avoid taking Knock Off, even though it is one of the best Knock Off absorbers in the tier, unless it has a teammate that can reliably pass it a Wish, such as Lickilicky and Hypno. Against certain teams, this set may not be able to do much, especially if they are more specially offensive, so in that case Carracosta should just aim to set up Stealth Rock and then try to spread status before fainting.

Playing against Carracosta

Shell Smash Carracosta's check and counters generally fit into two categories: offensive and defensive checks. Offensive checks tend to be faster Pokémon that resist Aqua Jet such as Jumpluff and Simipour. Choice Scarf Simipour and Sawsbuck tend to be the best offensive checks, as they will still outspeed Jolly +2 Carracosta. Due to Carracosta's unresisted STAB types and ability to hit specially, there are few defensive checks, but due to its reliance on Stone Edge, Pokémon that resist Rock tend to check it well. This includes Machoke, Piloswine, and Metang, though none of them have reliable recovery, and the latter does not do too much damage in response. Some hyper offense teams can rely on offensive pressure in order to beat Carracosta. This means that they will often have no Pokémon that Carracosta can set up on, or if they do, the Pokémon can still deal a significant amount of damage to the point where Life Orb or priority will finish it off.

Defensive Carracosta is much easier to check due to how passive it is. Roselia is the best answer, as it is immune to Toxic, does not mind a Scald burn, and can set up many entry hazards on it. Strong special attackers such as Simipour, Zebstrika, and Ninetales can easily break through it due to its low Special Defense, and most special attackers have super effective coverage moves. Otherwise, Carracosta can easily be worn down from entry hazards, status ailments, and strong hits due to its lack of recovery.

Fitting Carracosta onto a team

As the Shell Smash set is designed to be a setup sweeper, Carracosta obviously needs the support to sweep and is played on more offensive teams that can pressure its checks and counters. Stealth Rock and Spikes from Pokémon such as Piloswine and Roselia help a lot, as this puts many faster Pokémon such as Zebstrika and Dodrio into +2 Aqua Jet KO range while also generally weakening the opposing team. Wallbreakers such as Stoutland, Dodrio, and Machoke can weaken most of Carracosta's defensive checks; however, its offensive checks are much more difficult to KO, but they might be able to get worn down by entry hazards and priority attacks when they revenge kill early in the match. Memento support from Jumpluff and Misdreavus can help it set up, and Healing Wish support from Mr. Mime can allow Carracosta to be more reckless when setting up, as it will not have to worry about getting as worn down by Life Orb recoil as it would otherwise.

Defensive Carracosta is better at being able to fit onto a defensive team because it provides Stealth Rock support and it can counter Stoutland, which otherwise dominates these teams. Lickilicky and Hypno are excellent teammates, as they provide Wish support and can take on special attackers. The former can also clear Carracosta's status with Heal Bell whereas the latter resists Fighting-type attacks. Pokémon that can take on Carracosta's weaknesses are crucial. This includes Grass-types such as Tangela and Quilladin, which resist Grass, Electric, and Ground, and Flying-types such as Pelipper and Vullaby, which resist Grass, Fighting, and Ground. Gourgeist and Roselia are particularly good teammates, as the former resists every one of Carracosta's weaknesses and can spinblock, and the latter checks special attackers and can set up Spikes.

Conclusion

Throughout this generation, Carracosta has been a defining Pokémon in PU mainly due to its access to Shell Smash along with its strong offensive presence. Although it does have several common checks, Carracosta can still break through them with the correct support, allowing it to steamroll through teams, so it should be carefully prepared for when teambuilding. Carracosta's defensive presence also makes it a relevant defensive threat and can be invaluable for defensive teams due to its ability to take on some of the strongest physical attackers. This set also works on balance and bulky offense, as it is a blanket check to most physical attackers and can set up Stealth Rock.