Conkeldurr Movesets & Competitive Sets

Drain Punch can be used as Conkeldurr's primary STAB move, giving it more longevity and a safe attacking option. However, Close Combat is also an option for its massive damage output, crushing defensive staples like Celesteela and Skarmory. Facade heavily damages various Pokemon that resist its STAB attacks, including Nidoqueen, Amoonguss, and Primarina. Ice Punch KOes Conkeldurr's most common counter in defensive Salamence while hitting threats like Hippowdon and Tangrowth super effectively. However, Conkeldurr becomes walled by Primarina. Knock Off nails foes such as Galarian Slowbro, Chandelure, and Slowking. It also removes items from switch-ins like Salamence, Togekiss, and Moltres, crippling them heavily. Mach Punch is a strong priority move that can pressure faster foes like Hydreigon, Excadrill, and Zarude while picking off weakened threats in general. An Adamant nature is preferred in order to maximize Conkeldurr's wallbreaking potential. Conkeldurr generally fits well on more offensively oriented builds. Some balance teams appreciate the offensive pressure it offers, too. Due to Conkeldurr's tendency to wearing itself down, it appreciates Grassy Terrain support from Tapu Bulu for passive recovery. Tapu Bulu also checks faster threats to Conkeldurr like Primarina and Azumarill. Conkeldurr struggles to break through physical walls like Tangrowth and Hippowdon in the short term, so teammates who can threaten these like Moltres and Zarude are appreciated. Entry hazard setters like Nihilego and Swampert can wear down checks like Skarmory with Stealth Rock for Conkeldurr to muscle through easier. Nihilego can also check many revenge killers to Conkeldurr like Togekiss, Salamence, and Crobat. Slow pivots like Chansey, Slowking, and Mandibuzz can help bring Conkeldurr into play against threats like Excadrill, Zarude, and Lycanroc-D. Slowking can also provide Future Sight support to further amplify Conkeldurr's wallbreaking power. Late-game cleaners like Thundurus-T and Scizor are able to clean up after Conkeldurr softens up the opposing team. In return, it can pressure Flying-types like Togekiss and Salamence. Faster teammates like Choice Scarf Hydreigon can revenge kill threats to Conkeldurr like Azelf and Salamence.

Boasting excellent Attack and STAB Drain Punch, Conkeldurr is a powerful Triage cleaner. It also has respectable physical bulk, allowing it to set up with Bulk Up and have good survivability when combined with Drain Punch's recovery. Knock Off can be used to punish Psychic-types switching into Conkeldurr as well as cripple opposing Pokemon by removing Leftovers and Heavy-Duty Boots, making them easier to wear down. Earthquake is a powerful coverage move that OHKOes Tapu Koko and 2HKOes Toxapex. Conkeldurr fits well on balance and bulky offense teams that benefit from its revenge killing abilities. Teammates like Tapu Koko and Jirachi that struggle with opposing Steel-types appreciate Conkeldurr's ability to remove them. Due to its below average Special Defense, Conkeldurr benefits from teammates like Blissey and Ferrothorn that can take special hits. Conkeldurr's ability to remove Heavy-Duty Boots makes it a great teammate for entry hazard setters like Mew and Skarmory. Conkeldurr is also vulnerable to chip damage from entry hazards itself, so entry hazard removers like Corviknight and Excadrill help to keep it from getting worn down. Conkeldurr is extremely weak to Psychic Surge users like Azelf, as they block Drain Punch entirely, so teammates like Mandibuzz and RegenVest Jirachi are strongly encouraged. Conkeldurr also struggles against Togekiss and Tapu Fini, so teammates like Tapu Koko are helpful to KO them. Zapdos and Galarian Zapdos are also fast, powerful threats that resist Drain Punch, so fast offensive Pokemon like Zygarde-10% are helpful teammates. Despite its great Attack, Drain Punch's relatively low Base Power means it misses several key KOs, making powerful wallbreakers like Sheer Force Tapu Lele exellent teammates.

While Conkeldurr struggles against common Fairy- and Psychic-types, its high Attack stat and great coverage, including priority Mach Punch, keep it relevant. Conkeldurr’s Speed means Assault Vest is often the best item, preserving its health long enough to check foes like Heatran and Mega Charizard Y. The EVs make Landorus-T’s Earthquake and Mega Charizard Y’s Heat Wave a 3HKO and let Drain Punch OHKO 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan. The IVs let Conkeldurr underspeed Aegislash. Heatran is a good partner to check Tapu Lele and Mega Salamence. Intimidate users such as Salamence and Landorus-T can also patch up Conkeldurr’s lower Defense.

Moves This set is almost identical from last season, except Rock Slide is used for coverage instead of Ice Punch. With Rock Slide, Conkeldurr can now take out Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame, if it can tank a hit from them. Mach Punch is used as a strong priority STAB move. Drain Punch is another strong STAB move that allows Conkeldurr to heal itself. Detect can be used to stall a turn out, a standard move in VGC. If you do not wish to go for Detect, you can also opt for Wide Guard in order to block the ever-so-common spread moves. Set Details Conkeldurr has two options for the item slot this season. A Persim Berry will deal with any Swagger users that might be running amok, while Leftovers is a solid item for recovery each turn. The chosen ability is Guts because Will-O-Wisp now has a higher accuracy and is more commonly seen. Because of this, opponents will think twice before using it on Conkeldurr. This EV spread is used to maximize damage output while increasing overall bulk. Therefore, full investment in Attack and HP is chosen, with the last 4 points going into Special Defense. Lastly, Adamant is the nature of choice as it increases Attack. Usage Tips Conkeldurr is relatively straightforward in how it is to be played. First, make sure counters such as Talonflame are out of the way. After that, Conkeldurr should be free to go in thanks to its bulk and ability to regain health with Drain Punch. With Mach Punch, Conkeldurr is able to clean up or even completely take out Pokemon before they get the chance to attack. The only thing to really be wary of is Conkeldurr being double targeted. Team Options This standard set has a few team options that stand out. Scizor is a fantastic teammate for Conkeldurr because when two immensely strong priority moves are put together, the rate at which damage is coming out will be high. Another good teammate for Conkeldurr is Bisharp, as Conkeldurr doesn't have a way to deal with Intimidate. In addition to that, Bisharp has a nice STAB priority move in Sucker Punch. Lastly, Conkeldurr benefits from Rage Powder support given by Amoonguss. One Rage Powder can give Conkeldurr the chance to take out Talonflame.

Moves This set is based around Conkeldurr having extremely low Speed. Mach Punch is still needed as STAB priority. Drain Punch is still an option but Hammer Arm fits better in a Trick Room set because it has a higher Base Power, is still boosted by Iron Fist, and lowers Speed even more. Drain Punch is still a good choice because it is a reliable form of recovery. Rock Slide is used for coverage against Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y and other Flying-types. The last slot has two viable options. Poison Jab can help take care of Fairy-types while Detect is still a good move to stall turns out, which is useful when Trick Room needs to be set up. Set Details There are two great item choices for this set. Life Orb increases damage output while Assault Vest can add survivability on the special side. Iron Fist is the chosen ability in order to boost Mach Punch as well as Drain Punch. However, this does make burns more of a worry. The EVs give Conkeldurr maximized Attack as well as added bulk. A Brave nature boosts Attack while lowering Speed, which is ideal for a Trick Room. 0 IVs in Speed will lower Speed even more. Usage Tips Conkeldurr is a great revenge killer thanks to Mach Punch, so take advantage of that. Because its low Speed makes it move first, Conkeldurr becomes a fearsome sweeper, so make sure that when Trick Room is up, Conkeldurr will keep on attacking. The turn you set up Trick Room, make sure Conkeldurr uses Detect, granted you choose to run it. Make sure that Conkeldurr's counters are out of the way before bringing it in. Team Options Due to the fact that Trick Room is a huge part of this set, Conkeldurr's list of team options increases. Slowking is great as it can take care of Talonflame and set up Trick Room. Escavalier is another good Trick Room sweeper. Bisharp can keep Psychic-types at bay and has a STAB priority move. Amoonguss brings Rage Powder support and also benefits from the effects of Trick Room. Lastly, Aromatisse is a tanky Fairy-type that brings Trick Room and can support with Heal Pulse.

With an Assault Vest, Conkeldurr becomes one of the most resilient attackers in the format, as its immensely bolstered Special Defense, excellent super effective coverage, and access to healing in Drain Punch let it excel in winning out damage trades. An Adamant nature allows Conkeldurr serviceable damage output, Meanwhile, the focus in Special Defense investment, in conjunction with Assault Vest, makes Conkeldurr a reliable tank in an XY DOU metagame predominated by Special Attackers, improving its matchups into the common Thundurus, Volcanion, and Mega Gengar. Guts primarily lets Conkeldurr be a reliable answer to Volcanion, as it prevents Conkeldurr from being crippled by a Steam Eruption burn, instead letting it capitalize with a boost in damage output. Guts also lets it get a meaningful advantage from switching into Thundurus's Thunder Wave. Drain Punch and Ice Punch are Conkeldurr's core offensive tools. Drain Punch is its main attacking option, a STAB attack that provides meaningful healing and targets Normal-types like Mega Kangashkan and Porygon2, as well as Kyurem-B, Ferrothorn, and Bisharp. Ice Punch lets Conkeldurr do significant damage to Landorus-T and Thundurus, both common Fighting-resistant threats that are weak to Ice, and it also lets Conkeldurr not be totally helpless against Amoonguss. Knock Off targets Mega Gengar specifically, as it deals around half to even the bulkiest of Mega Gengar sets. In addition, Knock Off also comes in use as a midground option in cases where Drain Punch and Ice Punch don't threaten to KO, as not only does it have great neutral coverage for dealing meaningful chip damage, it also boasts immense utility in removing items, such Assault Vest from Landorus-T and Volcanion as well as Amoonguss's Rocky Helmet. Though generally not strong enough for revenge killing, Mach Punch is occasionally useful for sniping weakened foes and denying them an extra turn to be a threat. Fighting-weak threats, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Kyurem-B, and Bisharp, often have to fear taking too much chip damage, as it may leave them pinned by a Conkeldurr's Mach Punch, limiting their options severely. Mach Punch is also nifty in the same way for finishing off Focus Sash users such as Deoxys-A and Bisharp. Conkeldurr is best played aggressively in the early- or mid-game to match specific threats on the opposing team, leaning on its massive Special Defense, threatening damage output, and healing from Drain Punch to win out damage trades against key foes. Conkeldurr is one of the best switch-ins to Volcanion and Thundurus, for example, as Conkeldurr can reliably take their attacks and induced statuses while dealing significant damage in return, weakening them to a point where its teammates can then meaningfully capitalize. Conkeldurr is also one of the best ways to answer Mega Kangaskhan, as Conkeldurr's high base HP matches up well against Parental Bond Seismic toss, and it can just heal back its HP through a super effective Drain Punch. Mega Gengar stands out as one of Conkeldurr's best partners. Not only does it force favorable interactions for Conkeldurr, it also virtually prevents Landorus-T from switching into the field mid-turn, as its Intimidate and resistance to Fighting make it one of Conkeldurr's biggest answers. Volcanion and Mega Salamence also make for ideal partners, as they are great offensive answers to Amoonguss, with Conkeldurr checking Thundurus for them in return.

Moves Drain Punch is Conkeldurr's primary STAB attack because it heals Conkeldurr by 50% of the HP dealt to the foe. Mach Punch functions as a priority move that lets Conkeldurr finish off frail or weakened foes. Knock Off targets Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Gengar, Aegislash, and Cresselia, all of which are immune to or resist Conkeldurr's STAB moves. Ice Punch hits Mega Salamence, Garchomp, and Landorus-T, which take little damage from Conkeldurr's other attacks. Rock Slide, on the other hand, can be used to hit Mega Charizard Y, Volcarona, and Talonflame for good damage. It also hits Mega Salamence, just not as hard as Ice Punch does. Set Details Guts is the preferred ability because it lets Conkeldurr absorb status ailments such as Will-O-Wisp, which would otherwise render Conkeldurr useless. If your team has a solution to status, however, consider using Iron Fist to boost the power of Conkeldurr's punching attacks by 20%. Assault Vest boosts Conkeldurr's Special Defense by 50%, helping it comfortably take special attacks such as Cresselia's Psychic and Thundurus's Thunderbolt. The given EV spread lets Conkeldurr survive a sun-boosted Overheat from Modest Mega Charizard Y, a Double-Edge from Jolly Mega Kangaskhan, or a Choice Specs-boosted Hyper Voice from Sylveon. The remaining EVs are put into Attack, and an Adamant nature is used to let Conkeldurr hit as hard as possible. 14 Speed IVs should be used in order to underspeed Aegislash and OHKO its Blade forme with Knock Off. However, if Conkeldurr is used on a Trick Room team, then a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs are best to make Conkeldurr as slow as possible. Usage Tips Before sending in Conkeldurr, be sure to remove threats such as Mega Salamence and Talonflame, which apply lots to pressure on Conkeldurr due to their powerful STAB attacks. After removing them, Conkeldurr should use its natural bulk to take hits and dish out damage with its attacks. Conkeldurr should use Mach Punch to hit, or even KO, frail Pokemon such as Bisharp without letting them do anything. Team Options Bisharp effectively handles Intimidate and can threaten the bulky Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon that are immune to and resist Conkeldurr's STAB moves, respectively. Redirection support helps Conkeldurr handle Talonflame easier, but if Conkeldurr doesn't have Rock Slide, then it still has a hard time damaging Talonflame. Trick Room support from Cresselia and Gothitelle can help Conkeldurr move first. Mega Mawile functions well in Trick Room, too, as it can switch into the Flying- and Fairy-type moves aimed at Conkeldurr, and Conkeldurr can absorb Will-O-Wisp if it has Guts. Thanks to Competitive, Milotic helps handle Intimidate and can threaten Pokemon such as Mega Salamence and Talonflame.

Moves Drain Punch is Conkeldurr's primary STAB attack; it hits hard against Pokemon such as Chansey, Mega Kangaskhan, Porygon2, Ferrothorn, Tyranitar, and Heatran and replenishes Conkeldurr's health in the process. Mach Punch is an increased-priority move and serves as Conkeldurr's secondary STAB attack. It's mainly used to bypass Conkeldurr's low Speed and pick off weakened offensive Pokemon such as Bisharp and Focus Sash Garchomp. Knock Off hits Ghost- and Psychic-types, which are immune to or resist Conkeldurr's Fighting-type STAB moves, super effectively. It also has utility in removing items such as Porygon2's Eviolite. However, it does little to Cresselia, which doesn't usually mind having its item removed. Ice Punch is Conkeldurr's most useful coverage option for removing threats such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Mega Salamence, which take little damage from Conkeldurr's other attacks. Poison Jab or Rock Tomb could be used over Ice Punch to hit threatening Fairy-types such as Sylveon and Clefable or to hit Talonflame and Charizard on the switch, respectively. Set Details The Assault Vest set aims to take advantage of Conkeldurr's best traits while patching its one big flaw—its special frailty. With this in mind, an EV spread that emphasizes Conkeldurr's natural attacking power and bulk is recommended. A simple spread of 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def is the most efficient for maximizing both power and mixed bulk; however, a number of different spreads can be used to improve Conkeldurr's matchup against Mega Kangaskhan, the main threat that Conkeldurr needs to beat as a Fighting-type. 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def can be used to take Double-Edge better and heal more of Conkeldurr's HP with Drain Punch due to the relative lack of HP investment; however, it compromises Conkeldurr's special bulk significantly, especially if its Assault Vest is removed by a foe's Knock Off. 148 HP / 108 Atk / 252 Def is an interesting spread that can be used to survive Mega Kangaskhan's Fake Out and Double-Edge 100% of the time while still being near-guaranteed to 2HKO back with Drain Punch and Mach Punch. It also makes Conkeldurr slightly more specially resilient than the above spread does. Finally, a Brave nature can be used to underspeed 0 Spe IV Aegislash and OHKO it in Blade Forme with Knock Off. Brave is also useful on Trick Room teams to ensure that Conkeldurr outspeeds as many Pokemon as possible under Trick Room's effect. Usage Tips Conkeldurr is a versatile Pokemon with a lot of applications and uses on a team. It makes a fine switch-in for otherwise very threatening Pokemon such as Greninja and Thundurus, but it also has a couple of counters that can turn it into a liability or outright KO it, among them such common sights as Azumarill and Cresselia. Also, while it is very bulky with Assault Vest, Conkeldurr's bulk isn't insurmountable, so care must be taken around strong attackers to ensure that Conkeldurr isn't overwhelmed. Conkeldurr's ability to turn status ailments into a benefit with Guts makes it a good switch-in for common status move users such as Rotom-W, Porygon2, Cresselia, Thundurus, and Suicune—however, keep in mind that the sight of Conkeldurr in Team Preview may deter the opponent from recklessly using status, so be careful when switching into a Pokemon that may instead use a super effective move and cut into Conkeldurr's HP. Against many foes, Conkeldurr is more or less safe to just spam Drain Punch, lowering their pool of HP while keeping Conkeldurr's relatively full; however, don't underestimate the utility of Knock Off, as even aside from its good type matchup against Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Aegislash and Cresselia, most Pokemon in the format don't appreciate losing their item, making Knock Off a very safe move to use if you predict a foe to switch in. Mach Punch is a fantastic tool for revenge killing, especially if Conkeldurr is statused. This move alone can make Conkeldurr an unexpectedly useful cleaner, as many of the threats in the format only need to be weakened a little bit to make Mach Punch an OHKO. Lastly, Ice Punch is purely a coverage move, but the targets it hits, mainly the myriad Flying-types in the format such as Togekiss, Zapdos, and Mega Salamence, are important targets that Conkeldurr appreciates being able to remove. Team Options Conkeldurr is definitely a Pokemon that is at its best when it's supporting its teammates; however, that doesn't mean it needs no support to function properly. Many of its issues stem from Pokemon that resist Fighting-type moves, such as Zapdos, Talonflame, Cresselia, and Azumarill, as they take little damage from Drain Punch, thereby preventing Conkeldurr from healing back much of the damage it has taken, and are able to wear it down. As such, Pokemon that can efficiently deal with these threats, such as Raikou, Mega Gengar, Mega Manectric, and Steel-types such as Aegislash and Heatran, are useful Pokemon for Conkeldurr to be paired with to allow it to support the team more efficiently. One of Conkeldurr's main flaws is its low Speed stat, so it especially appreciates speed control such as Thunder Wave or Trick Room; Thundurus and Cresselia are excellent users of these respective moves and have good type synergy with Conkeldurr. As for Pokemon that benefit from Conkeldurr's presence, fast offensive Pokemon such as Greninja and Mega Salamence appreciate its help in dealing with status abusers such as Rotom-W, Thundurus, and Porygon, which can cripple them with Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp. Conkeldurr can use the Guts boost to muscle through them with ease and remove them from the battle. Pokemon that appreciate the removal of Rock- and Steel-types, such as Sylveon and Talonflame, appreciate Conkeldurr's powerful STAB Drain Punch for clearing those threats.

Set Description Iron Fist and Fighting Gem boost Hammer Arm to OHKO many neutral targets, such as Haxorus, Genesect, and Keldeo without Reflect. Mach Punch, which is also boosted by Iron Fist and Fighting Gem, OHKOes most Porygon-Z sets. Bulk Up gives a better matchup against Chople Berry offensive Snorlax, while Taunt gives a better matchup against stall Snorlax sets. Stone Edge is for Volcarona, which Conkeldurr can reliably beat unless Volcarona has Substitute, Will-O-Wisp, or Charti Berry and a bulky EV spread. Payback can be used to OHKO Latios lacking Choice Specs or Dragon Gem. Ice Punch can be used to OHKO Garchomp and Landorus-T that do not hold a Yache Berry. EVs 248 HP EVs let Conkeldurr survive Gem- or Choice Band-boosted Outrage from Garchomp in addition to Rough Skin damage, letting Conkeldurr OHKO with Ice Punch. 248 HP EVs and 128 Special Defense EVs let Conkeldurr survive Water Gem or Choice Specs Keldeo's Hydro Pump. The rest of the EVs in Attack let Conkeldurr have better matchups against Yache Berry Garchomp, Keldeo without Reflect, and offensive Manaphy. Conkeldurr can also run 64 EVs in Defense, as they, alongside 248 HP EVs, guarantee surviving Choice Band Snorlax's Giga Impact. Usage Tips Conkeldurr should use its very powerful Hammer Arm against most Pokemon. Some exceptions are Porygon-Z and Chople Berry + Counter users. Porygon-Z can OHKO with Hyper Beam, but many variants do not survive Conkeldurr's Mach Punch, which is preferred in that matchup. Against Scrafty, Conkeldurr should use Bulk Up if it has it. If it doesn't, using Mach Punch can make Scrafty use up its Chople Berry; this strategy can also be used against other Chople Berry users, such as Chople Berry + Counter Snorlax. Counter users in general, such as Blissey and Crustle, require careful play, usually with Bulk Up or Taunt. Conkeldurr should use its super effective coverage moves on Pokemon that resist Hammer Arm, such as Volcarona and Latios.

This set is designed to function either in or out of Trick Room. Conkeldurr already has a huge base 140 Attack stat. However, with a Guts boost, Conkeldurr becomes a massively powerful physical attacker capable of OHKOing a large number of Pokemon. Detect allows Conkeldurr to shelter itself from threats while its status Orb activates and gives it the Guts boost. Wide Guard can be used in place of Detect, providing valuable protection for teammates weak against common spread attacks. Unfortunately, the specificity of its protection does limit its usefulness, particularly for Conkeldurr itself. Mach Punch gives Conkeldurr priority, and with a Guts boost, can finish off weakened Pokemon or KO extremely frail ones. The choice between Drain Punch and Hammer Arm is a choice between healing and power. There are three options for the last attacking move. Rock Slide gives you the ability to hit both opponents, Payback is very effective against faster Psychic- and Ghost-type enemies that lack a weakness to Rock-type attacks, while Earthquake hits all grounded Pokemon on the field. An Adamant nature lets Conkeldurr outspeed a few threats outside of Trick Room, and is recommended if not running Trick Room, while Brave allows Conkeldurr to be one of the fastest Pokemon in the metagame when using Trick Room. Conkeldurr should always run maximum Attack in order to deal as much damage as possible. An Attack boosting nature is also required, as there is no other stat that is worth investing completely in. A more specially defensive EV spread can also be used, in order to give Conkeldurr even defensive prowess. 152 HP / 252 Atk / 104 SpD effectively gives Conkeldurr as much bulk as possible while minimizing the burn damage from burn due to the Flame Orb. Superpower can replace Drain Punch or Hammer Arm to provide an obscene amount of power the first time it's used, but since it lowers Conkeldurr's Attack and Defense significantly, its usefulness is very limited. Earthquake can be used if Conkeldurr's partner doesn't care about damage from it (generally, when it is immune to or resists Ground-type attacks), and can hit both of the opponent's Pokemon with a strong attack that has perfect accuracy. An important thing to note is that the combination of Drain Punch, Mach Punch, and Wide Guard is illegal with Conkeldurr, and either Drain Punch or Wide Guard must be replaced with Hammer Arm or Detect, respectively. If running Earthquake, Conkeldurr appreciates a partner that is immune to it. Thundurus makes a great partner, as it can also threaten Tornadus, which is a major threat to Conkeldurr. When not using Earthquake, Chandelure makes an excellent partner, killing bulky Psychic-types and physically defensive Pokemon that Conkeldurr has trouble with. Conkeldurr is an excellent choice to use with Trick Room support, being "faster" than most of the metagame under Trick Room. Reuniclus thus makes a great partner, providing Trick Room and breaking through most physically defensive Pokemon. It also defeats bulky Psychic-types if it runs Shadow Ball.

Guts is a fantastic ability in VGC. With a status Orb equipped, Conkeldurr gains an immunity to sleep and a permanent boost in Attack, a major advantage over Gems. Guts also negates the decrease in Attack burn causes, making Flame Orb the preferable item over Toxic Orb, as switching is often disadvantageous in VGC. This means that in the long run a burn will generally do less damage to Conkeldurr than severe poisoning. Drain Punch helps offset the burn recoil damage, and is also a decently powerful STAB move. Hammer Arm hits much harder, though, and makes Conkeldurr "faster" under Trick Room. Rock Slide provides good coverage, especially on Flying-types. Payback is an option on a set being used outside of Trick Room, as it is Conkeldurr's strongest option against Latios. Mach Punch is a powerful priority move and is Conkeldurr's main niche. Detect is an excellent move in VGC, being less likely to be shut down by enemy Imprison users than Protect. It is also essential for guaranteeing that Conkeldurr has a turn for Flame Orb to activate. The given EV spread reduces passive damage due to the HP number that the HP EVs give, meaning Conkeldurr has better survivability than it would with a simple 252 HP spread. Attack is of course maximized, and a 0 Speed IV helps Conkeldurr to move first under Trick Room. Facade is an extremely powerful move with good neutral coverage alongside Conkeldurr's chosen Fighting-type STAB move, only missing out on Ghost-types. Wide Guard is also an option over Detect, as many common moves in VGC, such as Surf and Blizzard, hit both Conkeldurr and its teammate. As stated earlier, Trick Room support is highly recommended. Conkeldurr can support Psychic-type Trick Room users, such as Reuniclus, by handling the Dark-types that plague them. Dark-type Pokemon themselves, such as Bisharp or Weavile, pair well with Conkeldurr for their ability to deal with Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon. Tyranitar is a notable exception to this, as its Sand Stream ability further decreases Conkeldurr's longevity. On that note, Politoed and Ninetales can also be used alongside this set, as their respective weather-inducing abilities alleviate Conkeldurr from the passive damage of sand or hail. Conkeldurr works especially well with rain teams for its ability to threaten Ferrothorn, a common threat to the playstyle.

This set aims to make use of Conkeldurr's solid natural bulk, leaning into it by holding the Sitrus Berry and using Drain Punch for additional recovery; compared to other sets, it gives up immense power for longevity, though Fighting Gem can still provide that power without sacrificing Conkeldurr's bulk. Ice Punch gives Conkeldurr a way to threaten big damage against the Flying-types that resist Drain Punch, namely Landorus-T, Thundurus, and Tornadus, as well as other Pokemon like Latios and Amoonguss that resist Fighting-type moves but are weak to Ice-type moves. Mach Punch grants Conkeldurr priority to make up for its low Speed and snipe KOs on low-HP Pokemon such as Landorus-T after its Focus Sash has been activated. The given EV spread allows Conkeldurr to OHKO Hydreigon with Drain Punch and nearly always survive its Dragon Gem-boosted Draco Meteor. Additionally, Conkeldurr is able to survive Psychic from Modest Latios, with the remaining EVs invested in Defense for the best odds of surviving Acrobatics from Tornadus after its Flying Gem has been used. Unlike other sets, this set opts for 31 Speed IVs in order to outspeed foes like minimum Speed Scrafty. Common Partners Mamoswine provides coverage against foes like Landorus-T and Thundurus, allowing Conkeldurr to use Drain Punch instead of Ice Punch and recover HP. Additionally, it carries Rock Slide to help deal with Volcarona, which resists all of Conkeldurr's attacks. Tornadus is able to OHKO Amoonguss with Acrobatics and can deter Intimidate from Scrafty and Landorus-T thanks to Defiant. Heatran threatens Metagross, which would otherwise deal huge damage to Conkeldurr with Zen Headbutt. Additionally, it hits Amoonguss hard and appreciates Conkeldurr's positive matchup against Tyranitar. Latios threatens Landorus-T, Thundurus, opposing Latios, and Amoonguss with big damage from Draco Meteor and Psychic. Checks & Counters Psychic-types like Metagross, Cresselia, and Latios all threaten Conkeldurr with their Psychic-type STAB moves while easily tanking Drain Punch. Cresselia in particular, thanks to its naturally high Defense and resistance to Fighting-type moves, poses a huge threat to Conkeldurr, while Life Orb Latios can OHKO Conkeldurr with Psychic. Heatran is able to swap in on these Psychic-type attacks and threaten Cresselia and Metagross, though it struggles against Latios. Tornadus threatens to OHKO Latios with Acrobatics but struggles against Cresselia and Metagross. Jellicent is immune to Drain Punch and resists Ice Punch, threatening Conkeldurr with a Water Gem-boosted Water Spout or a burn. Amoonguss is a solid partner to deal with Jellicent, as it is able to outdamage Jellicent with Giga Drain. Tornadus easily OHKOes Conkeldurr with a Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics, so using partners like Choice Scarf Mamoswine to threaten Tornadus with Icicle Crash before it moves or Heatran to tank Acrobatics is recommended.

This set stacks the damage multiplication modifiers of Life Orb, Iron Fist, and STAB to deal unmatched physical damage. There are few Pokemon that can switch safely into Conkeldurr; even Pokemon that resist Fighting like Amoonguss take nearly 50% from Hammer Arm. Hammer Arm is an incredibly strong attack, threatening OHKOes on neutral targets like Rotom-Wash. In addition, Conkeldurr will be slower than opposing Amoonguss after one Hammer Arm, letting Conkeldurr then check one of Trick Room's biggest threats. Mach Punch lets Conkeldurr pick up KOs on weakened foes when Trick Room ends while being more accurate than Hammer Arm. Ice Punch hits several metagame staples that resist Fighting such as Latios, Thundurus, Landorus-T, and Amoonguss. Of these, only Amoonguss survives an Ice Punch, and it just barely does so. 68 HP EVs minimize Life Orb recoil; Conkeldurr does not need maximum HP investment because it has high base HP. The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Defense to maximize Conkeldurr's special bulk. This bulk makes Conkeldurr favored to survive Timid Latios's Psychic, for example. Other Options Although Guts with Flame Orb is weaker than Iron Fist with Life Orb, it is a viable alternative for teams that are particularly weak to Amoonguss or other forms of status spam. Common Partners Trick Room setters like Cresselia and Jellicent let Conkeldurr use its low base Speed to sweep teams. Tyranitar checks almost all of Conkeldurr's major threats, such as Cresselia, Latios, Jellicent, and Tornadus. Checks and Counters Cresselia and Jellicent can both freely switch into Conkeldurr. The former can 2HKO Conkeldurr, while the latter threatens to burn it. If Trick Room is not in effect, Conkeldurr is threatened by a plethora of strong threats, such as Latios, Metagross, and Tornadus, among others. However, Metagross and Tornadus are both KOed by the combination of Hammer Arm and a Mach Punch, and Latios is nearly KOed by this, so these checks must be careful switching into Conkeldurr. Landorus-T resists Hammer Arm and mitigates Conkeldurr's damage output with Intimidate, though it is OHKOed by Ice Punch.

Iron Fist with excellent Fighting- and Ice-type coverage makes Conkeldurr one of the best physical attackers in the tier, only being walled by Jellicent. In addition, its low Speed makes it an excellent Trick Room attacker, while its decent bulk and priority move can allow it to function well outside of Trick Room too, making it great at trading against faster, non-Trick Room attackers. Hammer Arm is a strong STAB attack, with the Speed drop drawback oftentimes being a positive for Conkeldurr, allowing it to underspeed Amoonguss under Trick Room. Drain Punch can be used over Hammer Arm for increased longevity in exchange for raw power. Mach Punch allows Conkeldurr to finish off weakened foes. Ice Punch can hit common Fighting-resistant foes, such as Landorus-T, Thundurus, and Amoonguss. Detect is preferred over Protect in the rare chance the foe is using Imprison. A Brave nature with 0 Speed IVs is recommended, if using Hammer Arm, so that Conkeldurr can underspeed Amoonguss after using Hammer Arm. If using Drain Punch, an Adamant nature with 31 Speed IVs can be used, which allows Conkeldurr to outrun faster paralyzed threats such as Choice Scarf Genesect and Choice Scarf Kyurem-B. This spread maximizes Conkeldurr's Attack while allowing it to live Expert Belt Cresselia Psychic. Life Orb is the preferred item because it gives a consistent boost to all of Conkeldurr's attacks, notably allowing it to OHKO bulky Thundurus with Ice Punch. Conkeldurr benefits greatly from any type of speed control, although it can be more effective under Trick Room due to its low Speed. It is worth noting that, depending on the chosen STAB move, Conkeldurr can have a different role on the team. With Hammer Arm, Conkeldurr acts as a dedicated Trick Room attacker. With Drain Punch, it can focus more on whittling down the opposing team, exchanging raw damage output for better damage trading and health recovery. Cresselia and Jellicent are two common Trick Room setters that benefit from Conkeldurr's ability to beat Dark-types, such as Tyranitar and Bisharp. Thundurus can provide speed control with its Prankster Thunder Wave while also threatening Jellicent. Tyranitar can threaten Psychic-types, such as Cresselia and Latios, and Jellicent. Thunder Punch is an option over Ice Punch to hit Jellicent; however, this would greatly reduce Conkeldurr's coverage, as it loses the ability to reliably damage Landorus-T and Amoonguss. Conkeldurr's low Speed in combination with common Fighting-resistant foes, such as Landorus-T, Thundurus, and Amoonguss, makes it easy to chip Conkeldurr if using Life Orb; therefore, Fighting Gem is an option to increase its longevity while maintaining a strong Fighting-type attack. Another option is a bulky set with a 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD EV spread, an Adamant nature, Drain Punch over Hammer Arm, and Sitrus Berry for the item. This set focuses on Conkeldurr's excellent coverage and passable bulk to force trades and can be more functional outside of Trick Room.