Hawlucha Movesets & Competitive Sets

On Fighting teams, Hawlucha is a fantastic late-game setup sweeper that utilizes its Unburden ability to become one of the fastest threats in the metagame. This and Hawlucha's access to Swords Dance, make it very good at cleaning weakened teams, and it grants the team a good matchup against Grass- and Bug-type teams thanks to its Flying typing. With White Herb, it can set up Unburden in front of any Pokemon that isn't a Ghost-type with Close Combat, and use either Acrobatics or Brave Bird to hit most of the tier very hard. Brave Bird is especially useful in matchups like Ghost, where activating White Herb is impossible due to everything being immune to Close Combat. Swords Dance is used to further boost its power in front of walls such as Ferrothorn on Steel. Taunt facilitates this by preventing walls like Toxapex or Hippowdon from healing and using Haze or phazing moves, as well as preventing entry hazards and other status moves. One should also be wary of Pokemon that are faster than Hawlucha after Unburden, such as Barraskewda in rain. Maximum Attack and Speed investment with a Jolly nature allows Hawlucha to hit as hard as possible while outspeeding most key threats outside of Unburden such as Gengar and Keldeo. Hawlucha can't outright sweep teams from the beginning of the match, which is why it needs teammates like Bewear and Lucario to break holes in the opposing team so it can find an opportunity to set up and clean. Bewear helps check walls like Galarian Corsola thanks to its Substitute + Bulk Up set, while Lucario can help bust through walls like Toxapex with its Nasty Plot set. These Pokemon in return appreciate Hawlucha's ability to prevent hazards from being on the field thanks to Taunt, as well as making it easier to switch into walls like Hippowdon or Ferrothorn. Choice Scarf Toxicroak is also a great teammate, as it can KO most Fairy-types that threaten Hawlucha like Gardevoir and Hatterene. Hawlucha also enjoys the support that Stealth Rock Kommo-o can provide, as it weakens opposing Pokemon and makes it easier for Hawlucha to sweep late-game by breaking.

Hawlucha is a very potent setup sweeper in the National Dex metagame. Its decent STAB combination in conjunction with a good Attack stat, access to Swords Dance, and Unburden allows Hawlucha to outspeed and revenge kill even the most common Choice Scarf users in the metagame, such as Landorus-T, Jirachi, and Victini. Substitute allows it to take advantage of Pokemon such as defensive Landorus-T, Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Garchomp by forcing switches after getting its Speed doubled by Unburden. The EVs allow Hawlucha to always take a Moonblast from an uninvested Clefable and outspeed Excadrill under sand. Hawlucha mainly fits on offensive teams, as they greatly enable Hawlucha's sweeping capabilities. Tapu Koko and Rillaboom are absolute necessities for Hawlucha, as the Terrains they set up are crucial for activating its ability via Electric or Grassy Seed, respectively, along with the fact that they are able to overwhelm almost all of Hawlucha's checks, such as Zapdos, Clefable, and Tapu Fini. Hawlucha appreciates entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Mew and Landorus-T, it allows Haluwcha to more easily offensively pressure Pokemon like Mega Scizor and Tapu Fini. Additionally, Hawlucha enjoys the presence of wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham that can aid it in its sweep Hawlucha struggles a lot with Fairy-types such as Clefable and Tapu Fini, as they can heavily threaten it due to Moonblast; thus, checks to them such as Bisharp and Victini are very reliable teammates. Zapdos is a major problem for Hawlucha, as it resists its STAB combination, has access to reliable recovery to check it multiple times throughout a game, and it can threaten to KO Hawlucha with Discharge; thus, checks to Zapdos such as Weavile and Kyurem are great teammates.

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Moves Swords Dance allows Hawlucha to act as dangerous setup sweeper, always being able to OHKO Pokemon such as Latios and Mega Venusaur after a boost. High Jump Kick is Hawlucha's strongest STAB attack and deals with various threats to Flying teams such as Chansey and Kyurem-B. Acrobatics allows Hawlucha to take on Bug-, Grass-, Fighting-type Pokemon such as Volcarona, Mega Venusaur, and Keldeo. Substitute allows Hawlucha to evade status conditions and is important for activating its Sitrus Berry and, in turn, Unburden. Set Details 30 HP IVs allow Hawlucha to always activate its Sitrus Berry after its second use of Substitute. 252 Attack and 252 Speed EVs alongside a Jolly nature allow Hawlucha to hit as fast and hard as possible. Unburden doubles Hawlucha's Speed after it has used its item, allowing it to become the fastest Pokemon in the metagame; this also allows Hawlucha to beat Ditto, which is a typical check to a setup sweeper. Usage Tips Hawlucha is best used as a late-game sweeper, as once most of its checks are put in the range of Hawlucha's boosted attacks, it is near impossible to stop. Hawlucha appreciates its counters, such as Toxapex, being removed from the battle and its checks, such as Mega Scizor, to be chipped before it attempts a sweep. Avoid status at all costs, as every form of status severely cripples Hawlucha's ability to act as a setup sweeper. Substitute is a great tool to do so; this also allows it to set up a Swords Dance the next turn for free. Hawlucha should always activate Unburden before trying to set up a sweep, as Acrobatics is severely underpowered before its Sitrus Berry has been activated. Hawlucha should set up a Substitute against Pokemon that it forces out, such as Chansey and Cobalion, and proceed to set up a Swords Dance. Substitute also allows it to activate Sitrus Berry more easily and set up an Unburden sweep. Aim to set up Hawlucha in a matchup such as Normal where it's the teams main wincon after Pokemon such as Staraptor, whose Intimidate can make sweeping more difficult, have been severely weakened or eliminated from battle. Team Options Aerodactyl is a phenomenal Focus Sash lead Pokemon; with access to Stealth Rock, it chips down Hawlucha's checks each time they switch in and breaks Dragonite's Multiscale, and it can also prevent slower leads from setting Stealth Rock thanks to Taunt. Mega Charizard Y can break past physically defensive walls such as Celesteela, Hippowdon, and Zapdos that can otherwise wall Hawlucha. In return, Hawlucha can break past most of Mega Charizard Y's checks like Chansey. Celesteela and Hawlucha weaken each other's checks, allowing the other to sweep late-game. Celesteela can also act as a wincon in the Fairy matchup, which can otherwise be difficult for Hawlucha. Dragonite and Hawlucha wear down their commonly shared checks. Additionally, Dragonite can break past Pokemon such as Toxapex and Swampert with a boosted Devastating Drake and act as a wincon in the Electric matchup thanks to the combination of Earthquake and Extreme Speed. Both Landorus formes provide an Electric immunity for Hawlucha. Landorus-T acts as a fast Choice Scarf user that can outspeed such threats as Tapu Koko for Hawlucha and can cripple foes by removing their items with Knock Off. Landorus is a fantastic special attacker that can take on an array of threats such as Toxapex, Skarmory, and Klefki. Thundurus-T provides an Electric immunity and acts as an offensive pivot that can bring in Hawlucha with Volt Switch. It can also break Water- and Flying-type Pokemon that give Hawlucha trouble such as Toxapex, Mantine, and Celesteela.

Moves Defog lets Hawlucha take advantage of its high Speed to reliably remove entry hazards for Fighting; Sticky Web and Toxic Spikes are the most notable hazards, as they can otherwise harm the offensive presence of the team. Sky Attack, with the help of a Power Herb, is used as Hawlucha's way of activating Unburden with a powerful one-turn STAB attack. Due to the high Base Power of this move, Hawlucha can severely dent or KO a threat like Galvantula after Stealth Rock damage and proceed to activate Unburden, which can let it further threaten the opposing team offensively. Acrobatics is Hawlucha's most consistent STAB attack, and once Power Herb has been consumed, it is able to deal heavy damage to opposing Pokemon that are weak to it such as Breloom, Tapu Bulu, Heracross, and Infernape. High Jump Kick is Hawlucha's Fighting-type STAB attack, and because of its consistently high Base Power, it is able to pressure Pokemon such as Nihilego and Choice Specs Hydreigon. Set Details 252 EVs are put into Attack, which lets Hawlucha OHKO Pokemon like Excadrill and Choice Band Tapu Bulu. 252 EVs are put into Speed so Hawlucha can outpace and use Defog against Pokemon such as Mega Diancie and Life Orb Latios. Power Herb is used so that Sky Attack can be used in one turn, and it activates Unburden once it is consumed. Unburden is used so that Hawlucha can outspeed Pokemon like Jolly Sand Rush Excadrill and Choice Scarf Greninja. A Jolly nature is used so that Hawlucha can outspeed threats like Galvantula without the boost from Unburden. Usage Tips Using Sky Attack is the only way to activate Unburden, and Hawlucha can use this against Pokemon weak to the move so that it can activate the ability while removing a threat or a weakened Pokemon such as Celebi or Mega Gallade. Defog should be used when the opposing entry hazard setters have fainted, as Hawlucha is frail and cannot afford to frequently come in against matchups where entry hazards are common such as Poison and Water. Sending Hawlucha in on a weakened hazard setter like Galvantula or Araquanid can force them to switch out, allowing Hawlucha to Defog for free. Pokemon that are Choice-locked into a move that Hawlucha can manage, such as Choice Scarf Heracross using Close Combat and Choice Scarf Excadrill using Earthquake or Rapid Spin, allow Hawlucha to come in and Defog as well. Refrain from sending Hawlucha in on Pokemon with status-inducing moves, as any status ailment will hinder Hawlucha's usability. Hawlucha should also not be sacrificed or switched into strong attackers, as not only is its bulk abysmal, but Hawlucha's role in removing hazards is important enough in matchups like Rock and Bug that it needs to be preserved. Hawlucha must be wary of bulky setup sweepers like Mega Scizor and Mega Latias, as they can take advantage of its lackluster power and use it as a chance to set up. Hawlucha should try to activate Unburden if the entire enemy team is weakened to the point that it can clean; alternatively, it can be activated to outspeed a fast threat like Choice Scarf Latios so Hawlucha can use Defog before getting revenge killed. Also, avoid activating Unburden if any of Hawlucha's checks or counters are still active, as it can only be activated once and disappears once Hawlucha switches out. Hawlucha can also bluff having the Substitute + Swords Dance set, which can allow it to KO unsuspecting Pokemon such as Mega Gallade and Choice Specs Keldeo. Team Options Cobalion can provide Thunder Wave support, which lets Hawlucha outspeed threats such as Greninja and Mega Lopunny before activating Unburden. This lets Hawlucha threaten these Pokemon and clear entry hazards much more easily. Cobalion also switches into Fairy-, Flying-, Ice-, and Psychic-type moves for Hawlucha thanks to its better bulk and good defensive typing. Infernape can use its Fire-type moves to take out Celesteela and Skarmory, which would otherwise force Hawlucha out. Breloom likes to preserve its Focus Sash, so it appreciates Hawlucha removing any hazards so that it is able to switch in without taking any chip damage. In return, Breloom can put Hawlucha's threats to sleep with Spore and KO fast threats to Hawlucha like Mega Sharpedo and Greninja with Mach Punch. Choice Scarf Terrakion appreciates Hawlucha's ability to remove Sticky Web immensely, as Sticky Web would otherwise prevent it from eliminating threats like Mega Diancie, Life Orb Greninja, and Tapu Koko after Stealth Rock damage. Mega Gallade appreciates Hawlucha's ability to remove Toxic Spikes, as this allows it to set up more easily against Water- and Poison-type and take down walls like Toxapex and Mega Venusaur. Kommo-o also appreciates Hawlucha's ability to remove Toxic Spikes so that it can remain healthy and set up more easily; it can also KO bulky hazard setters like Forretress and Ferrothorn with Flamethrower, allowing Hawlucha to permanently remove the hazards once given the opportunity. Keldeo can break physical walls like Hippowdon and Mega Sableye so that Hawlucha will not be forced to switch out when it tries to sweep. Heracross can take advantage of Hawlucha's ability to remove Reflect, and it can make the Psychic matchup a little easier because it can threaten Psychic-types like Mew and Latios with Pursuit and Megahorn to ease Hawlucha's attempts at sweeping.

Moves Substitute helps lower Hawlucha's HP so that it can consume its Sitrus Berry, which then activates Unburden and boosts the power of Acrobatics. This can also be used to avoid status moves like Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave. Swords Dance boosts Hawlucha's Attack by two stages, letting it OHKO the likes of Mega Venusaur and Alolan Muk. Acrobatics is Hawlucha's Flying-type STAB attack; once Hawlucha's Sitrus Berry is consumed, Acrobatics doubles in power, allowing it to OHKO most Grass- and Bug-type Pokemon like Tapu Bulu and Volcarona. High Jump Kick is Hawlucha's Fighting-type STAB move, and it packs a punch against Pokemon like Nihilego and Greninja. Set Details 30 HP IVs are used to make Hawlucha's HP divisible by 4, allowing it to use Substitute twice to activate its Sitrus Berry. Hawlucha uses 252 Attack EVs and 252 Speed EVs to maximize its power and Speed; it runs a Jolly nature due to how crucial its Speed tier is when revenge killing Pokemon like Keldeo and Mega Gallade before Unburden has activated. A Sitrus Berry gives Hawlucha a decent amount of recovery, and it boosts Hawlucha's Acrobatics and activates Unburden after it is consumed. A Sitrus Berry is used over another healing Berry to lower the number of turns required to activate Unburden with Substitute. Usage Tips Hawlucha works best as a late-game sweeper, aiming to clean up once defensive threats such as Landorus-T and Toxapex have been eliminated or severely weakened. It is necessary to preserve Hawlucha's Sitrus Berry until this time, as Hawlucha will not be able to tap into its Unburden ability after switching out when it has activated. Without the boost from Unburden, Hawlucha is not able to outspeed certain threats to Fighting like Sand Rush Excadrill and Choice Scarf Gengar. The small health boost from the Sitrus Berry allows Hawlucha to potentially set up Substitute again after activating Unburden to deal with offensive threats or to tank a weak attack in order to get a KO in return. Sending in Hawlucha against passive Pokemon like Cradily, utility Mew, and Gliscor allows it to set up Substitute for free and potentially get a Swords Dance as they either switch out or continue to try and break the Substitute. Refrain from sending Hawlucha into strong attacks, as it cannot take good hits due to its lackluster bulk; instead reserve it for revenge killing. Also refrain from sending Hawlucha into status inducers and Scald users, as any status ailment can compromise Hawlucha's longevity. Be wary of Pokemon that use Protect like Celesteela and Mega Sharpedo when Hawlucha needs to use High Jump Kick, as the crash damage will severely dent Hawlucha and potentially KO it. Hawlucha should set up Substitute before using Swords Dance if it is up against a slow status inducer such as Mega Sableye; however, if the foe is Choice-locked into an exploitable move like Choice Scarf Excadrill locked into Earthquake or Rapid Spin, Hawlucha can afford to set up Swords Dance first and use Substitute later to set up on a different Pokemon. Team Options Cobalion and Infernape both support Hawlucha with their ability to set Stealth Rock to weaken opposing Pokemon. Cobalion specifically helps slow down threats with Thunder Wave and can switch into attacks that Hawlucha would not like to take thanks to its superior bulk, while Infernape can eliminate Celesteela and Skarmory with its Fire-type STAB attacks. Mega Gallade helps eliminate tanky Haze users like Toxapex and Mantine that would otherwise make Hawlucha's job harder to pull off. Keldeo can assist with getting rid of physical walls that would give Hawlucha a hard time such as Slowbro, Skarmory, and Mega Sableye. It also helps serve as a way of dealing with Mega Scizor. Choice Scarf Terrakion outspeeds common threats to Hawlucha such as Choice Scarf Togekiss, Life Orb Greninja, and Choice Scarf Victini. Terrakion also has the coverage to help KO Zapdos, Tapu Koko, and Mega Diancie, which otherwise give Hawlucha a hard time. Breloom can put Pokemon to sleep, giving Hawlucha an opportunity to set up. It can also eliminate some problematic Pokemon like Hippowdon and Slowbro with its Grass-type attacks, and its access to Mach Punch allows it to OHKO threats to Hawlucha like Choice Band Diggersby and Choice Scarf Greninja without needing to worry about Speed because of its priority. Despite fighting for a teamslot, Choice Scarf Heracross can be used with Hawlucha, as it can help eliminate troubling Psychic-types like Mewnium Z Mew and Life Orb Latios with its powerful Bug-type STAB attacks. Kommo-o can be used alongside Hawlucha to eliminate bulky Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro and Skarmory with its coverage moves, allowing Hawlucha to sweep weaker Pokemon with ease.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.