Corphish Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Crabhammer is an extremely powerful STAB attack which, thanks to Adaptability, hits insanely hard, dealing a lot of damage to even Pokemon that resist it. Aqua Jet is a powerful priority move that allows Corphish to pick off weakened threats and can allow it to sweep with a Swords Dance boost. Knock Off allows Corphish to remove items such as Eviolite and Choice Scarf and weaken its checks such as Foongus and Chinchou. Swords Dance boosts Corphish's Attack, making it into a massive threat that can at worst 2HKO most of the LC metagame. Set Details Adaptability is used to boost Corphish's STAB attacks, making it into a fearsome wallbreaker. The EV spread maximizes Attack and Speed, reaching 18 Attack and 13 Speed, which allows Corphish to attack as hard as possible while still being able to outspeed walls such as defensive Mudbray and Spritzee. Eviolite is used to increase Corphish's bulk, giving it more opportunities to set up. Adamant is used to maximize Attack, allowing Corphish to hit as hard as possible. Usage Tips Removing enemy items such as Berry Juice and Eviolite can be very helpful for Corphish and its teammates, so try to hit opposing switch-ins with Knock Off. Try to keep Corphish alive against bulkier teams, as it can deal with those types of teams well thanks to its ability to wallbreak. Use Swords Dance to clean up when the enemy team is at low health near the end of a game, or use it near the beginning to put large holes in the enemy team to allow the rest of your team to clean up. Corphish can take advantage of the switches that it forces to set up Swords Dance. Team Options Corphish can help wallbreak for other Water-type sweepers such as Tirtouga, Omanyte, and Carvanha, which all appreciate the Knock Off support that Corphish gives. Corphish has no way to recover health, and as such cannot recover from entry hazard damage, so a way to get rid of hazards is wanted. Staryu is a very reliable spinner that can get rid of entry hazards for Corphish. Diglett can trap and KO Chinchou and can also KO Cottonee with Sludge Bomb, two Pokemon that are able to check Corphish. Corphish appreciates Sticky Web support, as it slows down the enemy team, allowing it to outspeed a number of Pokemon, such as Mienfoo and Elekid, and deal tons of damage. Grass-type checks are helpful, as many Grass-types are able to threaten Corphish. Ponyta, Vullaby, and Rufflet are all able to check Grass-types. Hazard setters such as Ferroseed and Dwebble deal residual damage to enemy Pokemon, allowing Corphish to pick up more KOs.

Moves Crabhammer is Corphish's most powerful STAB move. Aqua Jet picks off weakened Pokemon before Corphish obtains a Dragon Dance boost. Knock Off allows Corphish to remove items such as Eviolite and Choice Scarf and weaken its checks, such as Foongus and Chinchou. Aerial Ace can be used to hit Grass-types such as Foongus, and Cottonee, and Croagunk, which are otherwise immune to or resist all of Corphish's attacks. However, Corphish will have to give up Aqua Jet, which means that it cannot hit Choice Scarf users that outspeed it after a Dragon Dance boost. Dragon Dance boosts both Attack and Speed, making Corphish into a scary sweeper that can clean up late-game. Set Details Adaptability is used to boost Corphish's STAB attacks, making it into a fearsome wallbreaker. The EVs maximize Attack and Speed while allowing Corphish's Defense to hit an Eviolite number. A Jolly nature is used to reach 14 Speed, which after a Dragon Dance, lets Corphish reach 21 Speed, which outspeeds the entire unboosted LC metagame. An Adamant nature leaves Corphish to tie with 19 Speed Pokemon such as Staryu and outsped by Elekid and Diglett after a boost, but noticeably increases its damage. Eviolite is used to give Corphish more bulk, giving it a better chance of setting up, and allowing Corphish to take priority attacks better as well. Usage Tips Be careful when using Corphish early-game, as it can be easily worn down, making it harder to set up later in the game. Use Corphish late-game to sweep after checks such as Foongus, Cottonee, and Croagunk are weakened. Corphish can be used to weaken its own checks with Knock Off early in the game. Use Aqua Jet to pick off weakened or frail opposing Pokemon. Team Options Other Water-type sweepers such as Tirtouga, Omanyte, and Carvanha can help weaken mutual checks so that Corphish can sweep. Diglett can trap and KO most of Corphish's checks such as Croagunk, Chinchou, and Cottonee with Sludge Bomb. Entry hazards help weaken the enemy team to give Corphish a better chance of sweeping; Ferroseed and Dwebble are two good options for this. Wallbreakers can help Corphish break through walls a lot better, such as Ice Punch Timburr, which can lure in and defeat Grass-types such as Cottonee and Foongus.

Moves Aqua Jet is the main move on the set, and is great for revenge killing and cleaning the opposing team up, thanks to Choice Band. STAB Crabhammer can be used continuously thanks to the ability to hit switch-ins extremely hard, therefore weakening walls to open the way for a teammate to sweep. Knock Off is another great move Corphish has access to, and functions in a very similar manner to Crabhammer, except with the bonus effect of removing items. Switcheroo is used to cripple walls, such as Spritzee, Cottonee, and Foongus, giving them a Choice Band, while Corphish receives an Eviolite back. Set Details The given EV spread is used to maximize Corphish's Attack and bolster Corphish's Speed so it can outspeed more walls. The remaining EVs are thrown into Defense to improve Corphish's physical bulk. Adaptability is an obvious choice when it comes to ability, as it boosts the power of Corphish's STAB moves by 50%. Choice Band is chosen to give Corphish even more power, and gives Corphish the ability to cripple walls and special attackers. Usage Tips Early- to mid-game, Corphish should be using Crabhammer and Knock Off to weaken switch-ins. Aqua Jet is used for revenge killing and cleaning late-game. If Corphish finds itself on the field against a faster Pokemon, it is, in most cases, best to switch out given its frailty. Slow Volt Switch and U-turn teammates are therefore very important for that reason. Switcheroo is best used on a predicted switch-in mid-game if it's unlikely for Corphish to clean with Aqua Jet later. Team Options Omanyte and Tirtouga are the number one partners for Choice Band Corphish, given that Corphish can weaken or remove almost all of Omanyte and Tirtouga's checks. Slow Volt Switch and U-turn users, such as Mienfoo and Magnemite also work well with Corphish.

Moves Crabhammer is an extremely strong Water-type STAB move that, thanks to Adaptability, does a heavy amount of damage to everything that doesn't resist it, OHKOing offensive Mienfoo after some prior damage. Knock Off removes items and allows Corphish to weaken its checks, such as Foongus and Chinchou. Aqua Jet is powerful priority that lets Corphish pick off weakened threats. Swords Dance boosts Corphish's Attack, making it very threatening. Set Details The following EV spread maximizes Corphish's Attack and Speed, reaching 18 Attack and 13 Speed, letting Corphish hit as hard as possible while still outspeeding most walls. Eviolite is used on this set in order to give Corphish more bulk, giving it fair physical bulk. Usage Tips This set is fairly straightforward to use. Removing Eviolite is really helpful for Corphish and its partners; hit opposing switch-ins with Knock Off, use Swords Dance if a boost is needed, and then attack with Crabhammer or Aqua Jet afterwards, or just switch out if they threaten Corphish. Try to keep Corphish alive against stall and bulky teams, as Corphish is great at weakening walls and bulkier Pokemon. Team Options Corphish can help to wallbreak for other Water-type sweepers; Tirtouga, Omanyte, and Carvanha are therefore great teammates to use alongside Corphish. Corphish has no access to recovery, and is damaged by both Spikes and Stealth Rocks, so hazard removal is appreciated, especially because Corphish loves being able to switch in and out often. Archen can hit threats such as Croagunk and Chinchou with Earthquake, and can also beat Grass-types with Acrobatics, but shares a common Electric-type weakness. Hazard setters such as Drilbur and Ferroseed provide important residual damage to opponents with hazards, which can greatly aid Corphish when wallbreaking. Drilbur can also remove hazards thanks to Rapid Spin, and threaten Croagunk and Chinchou with its STAB Earthquake. Wish support is nice for Corphish on more balanced teams for recovery, so both Spritzee and Lickitung deserve a mention.

Moves Dragon Dance boosts Corphish's Attack and Speed, allowing it to sweep quite easily late-game. Crabhammer is its primary STAB move, doing tons of damage when backed by Adaptability and a possible Dragon Dance boost. Knock Off provides solid neutral coverage alongside Crabhammer and can be used to cripple switch-ins early-game. Aqua Jet gives Corphish more utility before it sets up and allows it to pick off weakened Choice Scarf or priority users after setting up. Aerial Ace is a less useful option in the last slot, but it will ensure that Corphish is not completely walled by Croagunk (although Corphish will have to be healthy, and Croagunk without its Eviolite, for Corphish to actually beat it); it also deals a decent amount of damage to Eviolite-less Foongus and Cottonee. Superpower can deal with weakened Ferroseed and Lileep, but the given moves are generally more useful. Set Details The given EVs best bring out Corphish's sweeping potential by maximizing its Attack and Speed, with the remaining EVs in Defense to hit an Eviolite number. A Jolly nature is used to hit 14 Speed so that Corphish can outspeed 19 and 20 Speed Pokemon such as Abra, Taillow, Elekid, and Diglett after a boost; however, if you are confident in removing Staryu and in getting Stealth Rock up to ensure that Aqua Jet OHKOes Elekid and Taillow, an Adamant nature noticeably benefits Corphish's damage rolls; most other 19 and 20 Speed Pokemon fear Aqua Jet regardless. Eviolite is the preferred item, as it gives Corphish the bulk to survive a number of would-be OHKOs and set up. Life Orb is a viable alternative, as it grants Corphish an enormous amount of power after a Dragon Dance, cleanly OHKOing defensive Porygon after Stealth Rock provided Corphish has an Adamant nature and OHKOing Fletchling with a +1 Aqua Jet. However, the loss of bulk makes it much more difficult to actually get the boosts; additionally, if Life Orb is used, Corphish's HP IV should be reduced to 13. Berry Juice is a decent choice if you want Corphish to try to set up more than one Dragon Dance, but the lack of immediate bulk can be troublesome. Usage Tips It is usually best to have Corphish set up late in the match, after its checks, which include Foongus, Croagunk, Chinchou, Magnemite, and Cottonee, have been heavily weakened or removed. Despite this, Corphish possesses a great deal of utility with Knock Off and strong priority, which can be useful throughout the match. Corphish can support its own sweep by removing its checks' items with Knock Off earlier on in the match. Team Options Unlike other variants of Corphish, Dragon Dance Corphish is usually used as the dedicated sweeper in Water-type spam cores, although it is still effective as a wallbreaker thanks to Knock Off and its overall enormous damage output. Good choices for Water-type spam partners include Carvanha, Tirtouga, and Omanyte. Gothita and Diglett are able to trap and weaken or KO many of Corphish's checks, such as Croagunk and Chinchou. As with all offensive Pokemon, entry hazard support helps Corphish obtain notable KOs and wear down the opposition; Ferroseed in particular handles many of Corphish's checks, but it may forfeit momentum on offensive teams.

Although Corphish is usually seen as an offensive Dragon Dancer, Corphish can easily pull off a bulky Dragon Dance set. The given EV spread gives Corphish great bulk, and allows it to easily gain two boosts. Even with no Attack EVs and little investment in Speed, Corphish reaches 24 Speed and 33 Attack after two Dragon Dances. Waterfall is the primary STAB move, as it is boosted by Adaptibility and is 100% accurate, unlike Crabhammer. Brick Break is also the preferred option as it has no drawbacks. Return and Crunch are great options to fill the last slot, but Return is recommended for its greater neutral coverage. Entry hazard support is very important for Corphish even when running a bulkier set, as Corphish is not really threatening before it attains two boosts. Bulky Water- and Grass-types such as Staryu and Ferroseed, respectively, are quite capable of walling this set, so Chinchou and a strong Fire-type such as Larvesta are great teammates to counter each respective Pokemon.

With a phenomenal Attack stat, decent Speed, and access to Dragon Dance, Corphish makes a great physical sweeper. With good overall bulk along with an Eviolite, it can easily take a hit, set up, and proceed to sweep. Waterfall is the STAB move of choice for its perfect accuracy and chance to flinch; however, Crabhammer is also a great option because of its higher Base Power and high critical hit rate, though it is slightly less accurate. Superpower is an odd option on a set-up sweeper, but it allows Corphish to OHKO Ferroseed and Lileep, which is something Brick Break fails to do. Brick Break is still an option, however, as it will deal quite a bit of damage to said threats, and doesn't lower Corphish's stats. Return is the preferred option in the last slot to hit the many Pokemon that resist Corphish's STAB Water-type attacks for neutral damage. However, Crunch is an option to defeat both Slowpoke and Frillish, which are otherwise great counters to this set. Entry hazard support is quite useful for Corphish, allowing it to gain some OHKOs and 2HKOs that it would otherwise miss out on. Although this set is quite powerful, bulky Water-types, such as Chinchou and Staryu, can easily tank a hit if they are not significantly weakened by entry hazards, and OHKO back with Thunderbolt. Snover is a great partner to counter those Pokemon, and also provides residual damage with hail. Eviolite is the preferred item for the great bulk it gives Corphish, although Life Orb can be used for more power; if Life Orb is used, you should remove the HP EVs and use 0 HP IVs to minimize Life Orb recoil.

Corphish, unboosted, hits 14 Speed with a Jolly nature, allowing it to outpace all un-Scarfed Pokemon in Little Cup after a Dragon Dance. Waterfall is for STAB, and Return provides solid neutral coverage. Crunch is what sets Corphish apart from Krabby, as it crushes Ghosts who switch in to a predicted Return. Also, without a single Dragon Dance, Corphish can OHKO Duskull with Crunch, unlike Krabby, who can't with Crabhammer. After a single Dragon Dance, Corphish hits 25 Attack (backed by Life Orb) and 21 Speed. With this raw power, Corphish destroys a lot of the metagame with its assortment of attacks. Gligar is OHKOed regardless of its set, which is a testament to how powerful Corphish can be if it is set up properly. Corphish can also OHKO Munchlax 29% of the time after one Dragon Dance with Waterfall. X-Scissor, Brick Break, and Rock Slide may sound great on this set, but Corphish just can't afford the moveslots, as all of the moves already on the set are very important. Hidden Power Psychic Croagunk, Hidden Power Flying Mantyke, and Gligar are good partners as they destroy opposing Croagunk, who can deal massive damage to Corphish with its priority attacks. In terms of support, Pineco is a good choice to Rapid Spin away entry hazards. You will also want a Pokemon who can set up entry hazards of your own, as Corphish appreciates the support for breaking Focus Sash and chipping away at the opponent's HP. Pineco is good for this as well, and it can be used as a lead.