Maractus Movesets & Competitive Sets

Maractus is meant to set up Spikes at the beginning of the game. Its one niche over other Grass-types and common leads is in Endeavor, which works well alongside Sucker Punch and Focus Sash. However, due to Maractus's low Speed, it is difficult to pull off while also managing to set up Spikes, so it rarely works out. Because of this and various other reasons, you're much better off using other Grass-type Spikes setters like Ferroseed and Roselia.

Moves Spikes is what makes Maractus worth using as a lead, as it can lay entry hazards early on to wear down foes and break opposing Focus Sashes and Sturdy Pokemon. Because Bullet Seed is a multi-strike move, Maractus can KO Golem through Sturdy most of the time. Endeavor allows Maractus to cripple foes once it is hit down to its Focus Sash by always leaving them at 1 HP, while Sucker Punch allows it to land a little extra damage with priority and can get KOs on foes weakened by Endeavor. Set Details Maximum Speed investment and a Jolly nature make Maractus as fast as possible so that it can outspeed other leads, such as Dwebble, and set extra layers of Spikes on as many foes as possible. Maximum Attack investment lets Maractus KO lead Golem most of the time and deal extra damage with Sucker Punch. Water Absorb gives Maractus an immunity to Water and has a usable effect, unlike Storm Drain, which boosts Maractus's unused Special Attack stat. Focus Sash guarantees that Maractus will lay at least one layer of Spikes or be able to use Endeavor versus faster foes such as Rapidash, which would otherwise OHKO Maractus before it set any entry hazards. Usage Tips Maractus should always be used to set Spikes as early as possible, as its lack of strong STAB moves and coverage makes it fairly worthless late-game. Laying Spikes should be the priority over attacking foes, as Maractus doesn't hit too hard and should be used in more of a supportive role. Endeavor should be used when Maractus is at low health and is faster than its foe to do as much damage as possible. However, Maractus should use Sucker Punch versus faster foes to get off a little extra chip damage before being KOed. Even at 1 HP versus slower foes, Maractus should still consider laying another layer of Spikes if it's more beneficial than crippling a single Pokemon. Maractus should be wary of going directly for Spikes against common Taunt users such as Grumpig or Misdreavus, as it can land free damage with Bullet Seed or switch to an appropriate counter. Team Options Maractus should be used on hyper offense teams that can keep up offensive pressure and take advantage of Spikes to quickly break through opposing teams. Spinblockers such as Dusknoir and Misdreavus keep Maractus's Spikes up by preventing Rapid Spin users such as Armaldo from removing them. Pokemon with Defiant such as Pawniard and Purugly discourage Defog users from removing Maractus's Spikes, as they can get an Attack boost from Defog. Strong wallbreakers, such as Stoutland, can use the chip damage dealt by Maractus's Spikes to break through their few counters. Setup sweepers and strong cleaners also appreciate the Spikes support to ensure extra KOs versus weakened teams. Stealth Rock users such as Golem and Crustle can stack entry hazards with Maractus to get extra chip damage and wear down teams more quickly. Pokemon with Volt Switch or U-turn, such as Ninjask and Raichu, can use the entry hazards to break down defensive cores quickly by forcing counters to switch into both Spikes and an attack and then switch out again. Phazers such as Whirlwind Grumpig can use Maractus's Spikes to help rack up residual damage on foes.

This set makes the best use of Maractus by using it as a lead against some common Stealth Rock setters. Spikes is the best support move Maractus has, and it usually has at least one opportunity to set up if you lead with Maractus. Bullet Seed is what differentiates this set from Cacturne, as Maractus is the only Grass-type in NU that can legally use it alongside Spikes. It allows Maractus to defeat Golem even through Sturdy, which is useful to prevent it from setting up Stealth Rock. Grass Knot is a more reliable and powerful STAB move that allows Maractus to OHKO Golurk and physically defensive Seismitoad before it can set up Stealth Rock. Sucker Punch provides useful priority, and helps damage Pokemon that Maractus can't outspeed. Maractus has poor bulk, so a Focus Sash is the best way to guarantee that Maractus survives at least one turn. The EVs allow Maractus to OHKO Golurk and outspeed Jolly Golem. Max Attack investment allows Maractus to have a good chance to OHKO utility Golem with three hits from Bullet Seed. Hidden Power Ice is a possible option as it allows Maractus to threaten the rare Altaria, while Hidden Power Rock lets it threaten Charizard and other Fire-types. Giga Drain can be used over Grass Knot as a reliable STAB move, but the lower power prevents it from OHKOing Golurk and Maractus is too frail to make the recovery meaningful. Endeavor is a viable move with Focus Sash, as Maractus is frail enough to be hit down to one HP most of the time. As Maractus aims to set up Spikes, Ghost-types, such as Haunter and Drifblim, are good teammates to prevent them from easily being removed by Rapid Spin. Golurk is a notable teammate as it lures out Seismitoad and Jynx for Maractus, allowing it to OHKO them with Grass Knot and Sucker Punch respectively. Rock-types, such as Golem and Regirock, are valuable teammates as they can handle Kangaskhan and the Fire- and Flying-types that threaten Maractus; as a bonus, they can also set up Stealth Rock to complement the Spikes Maractus sets up. Charizard is a good teammate, as it appreciates Maractus's ability to defeat common Stealth Rock setters and Water-types; in return, Charizard can overpower Grass-types and several Taunt users, such as Serperior and Misdreavus.