Thwackey Movesets & Competitive Sets

Choice Band Thwackey is a versatile physical attacker, able to wallbreak, clean, and bring utility. Thanks to its Grassy Terrain, Grassy Glide is an amazing priority move that can OHKO faster offensive threats like Froslass and Choice Scarf Rotom, as well as cleaning weakened teams. Grassy Terrain also makes Wood Hammer extremely hard to switch into, 2HKOing defensive behemoths like Uxie and Thick Fat Miltank, as well as common Grass-resistant Pokemon like Skuntank. U-turn lets Thwackey weaken its checks like Skuntank, Appletun, and Rotom-S while keeping momentum. Knock Off removes Thwackey's checks' items, like Eviolite from Tangela and Golbat and Heavy-Duty Boots from Articuno, Altaria, and Rapidash, jeopardizing their ability to come on Thwackey's STAB moves. Additionally, it provides reliable coverage for Gourgeist formes, notably always OHKOing standard Gourgeist-S after Stealth Rock. This set pairs well in offensive teams with other VoltTurn users, from offensive ones like Morpeko, Rotom, and Silvally-Poison to defensive ones like Uxie, Rotom-S, and Alolan Persian. The resulting cores appreciate entry hazard support to further weaken teams and make up for Grassy Terrain's passive recovery, especially since Thwackey removes Heavy-Duty Boots from common users with Knock Off. Therefore, the likes of Qwilfish and Coalossal make for great partners, also handling some Thwackey checks like Unfezant and appreciating the Earthquake damage reduction from Grassy Terrain. Special wallbreakers like Thievul, Jynx, and Skuntank enjoy Thwackey creating switch-in opportunities with U-turn on the likes of Tangela, Altaria, and Gourgeist formes. Alternatively, Thwackey works well in physical spam teams with the likes of Sawk, Silvally formes, and Kangaskhan, since it can heavily cripple and damage physical behemoths like Tangela, Uxie, and Miltank.

Wielding an Eviolite, Thwackey has the bulk to perform several roles during the game. Swords Dance enables it to clean late-game with its STAB priority Grassy Glide, which is also quite useful mid-game to revenge kill weakened foes like Silvally formes, Sawk, and Rotom. Knock Off and U-turn let Thwackey be an early-game pivot, crippling checks like Tangela, Articuno, and Rapidash and keeping momentum with U-turn. However, the latter can punish Thwackey thanks to Flame Body. U-turn + Swords Dance allows Thwackey to take advantage of Tangela, consistently threatening and weakening them. Swords Dance Thwackey fits well in balance and bulky offense teams looking for an a secondary revenge killer, late-game cleaner, and check to Rhydon and Rotom. Entry hazard setters including Coalossal, Rhydon, and Qwilfish appreciate the passive recovery from Grassy Terrain and it weakening Earthquake from Kangaskhan and Sawk. In return, they can check some of Thwackey's checks such as Altaria, Rapidash, and Skuntank. Other pivots like Alolan Persian, Rotom, and Silvally formes are also great to form VoltTurn cores with Thwackey, pivoting on each others' checks. Special wallbreakers such as Thievul, Jynx, and Skuntank enjoy Thwackey bringing them safely on the field versus physical walls such as Altaria and Tangela. Other physical wallbreakers such as Swords Dance Silvally formes, especially Poison, appreciate Thwackey removing Tangela's Eviolite, and in return they can weaken physical walls, opening the way for a Thwackey sweep.

Choice Band powers up Thwackey immediately, which potently wears down its checks and threatens to OHKO targets like Gastly and Piloswine. The Choice-lock simultaneously punishes Thwackey when locking into unfavorable coverage, though, and the lack of an Eviolite makes it much more frail. Knock Off benefits from the risen power by securing an OHKO and 2HKO on Lampent and Roselia after Stealth Rock, respectively. Wood Hammer is a nuke when boosted by Grassy Terrain, denting slower targets like Hattrem, Gabite, and Clefairy. Drain Punch offers variety and recovery when Steel-types like Ferroseed and Klang switch in anticipating a Grass-type attack. U-turn picks off vulnerable targets while pivoting out and notably is super effective against Tangela. Use Thwackey mid-game as a wallbreaker and scout thanks to its raw power and utility. It can pivot out on its checks with U-turn like Roselia, Tangela, Vullaby, and Koffing to bring in special wallbreakers and stallbreakers like Electabuzz and Lampent safely. Alternatively, if Thwackey is paired with additional physical attackers like Raboot and Piloswine, Thwackey could use Knock Off when the aforementioned walls switch in to soften them up for the team. Fire-types like Lampent and Raboot target the Grass-types that wall Thwackey, and in return, it revenge kills Wartortle, Marshtomp, and Piloswine. Thwackey works in tandem with more pivoting support from Wartortle, Clefairy, and Galarian Linoone to generate momentum and find opportunities to get in on the walls it breaks; the former two act as slow pivots to bring Thwackey in safely for revenge killing attackers like Wartortle and Flame Orb Machoke. Stealth Rock support from setters like Piloswine, Galarian Corsola, and Clefairy is essential for crucial damage output against opposing Lampent, Roselia, and Mareanie, while also punishing Flying-types like Vullaby and Rufflet, which comfortably switch into Thwackey's attacks.

Access to priority in Grassy Glide and a great ability in Grassy Surge allows Thwackey to perform as both a Swords Dance wallbreaker and priority sweeper. Grassy Glide lets Thwackey threaten faster threats like +2 Wartortle and Galarian Linoone, and it can also find opportunities to use Swords Dance on passive Pokemon like Clefairy, Mareanie, and Ferroseed. U-turn is used to pivot on Grass-resists like Roselia and Tangela, while Knock Off offers coverage for Lampent and an option to debilitate Thwackey's aforementioned checks in Roselia, Tangela, and Koffing. The effects of Grassy Surge linger even after Thwackey has left the field, so plan teammates accordingly to benefit from its effects. Stealth Rock users like Clefairy and Piloswine help wear down Grass-resistant targets like Roselia, Vullaby, and Charjabug; with Piloswine, make sure to opt for High Horsepower instead of Earthquake due to Grassy Terrain. Grass- and Poison-types like Tangela, Ivysaur, and Koffing stand in Thwackey's way and need to be eliminated for it to have a chance of cleaning. Try pairing Thwackey with special wallbreakers like Lampent and Wartortle to help target these walls, and in return, Thwackey can weaken special walls like Ferroseed and Klang with Knock Off. Status conditions plague Thwackey, so having support to remove Toxic Spikes, like Mareanie, Koffing, and Vullaby can be useful. Hattrem is also notable for its access to Healing Wish, combating status conditions and HP lost when Thwackey sets up. Special sweepers in Wartortle and Morgrem set up on on physical walls like Galarian Corsola and Vullaby, which applies immense pressure on Thwackey's checks when played offensively.