Buff Process 2 - Stage 4 - Buff Package Poll 2

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Tadasuke

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And now it's time for the second buff package poll. Here's the reasoning for every option on this slate according to Lasen, our buff leader:
  • Spoo's Grassy Surge makes it a heavy hitter- literally. It's definitely on the stronger side of things considering how much Attack it gains, but the counterplay both defensively and offensively is there through recoil and/or revenge killing it with any faster threat (something like Balloon Heatran outspeeds while Lando-T can creep for it). Slack Off + terrain keeps it healthy with ease but if Grassy Terrain runs out it's not as strong as some other BuffedRoaks.
  • Snake has a very clear and strong Contrary mid-game breaker into what could become a sweeper; the removal of Leaf Storm makes sure that Water-types like Arghonaut and to an extent Slowking can effectively check it. It also turns Astrolotl and (sometimes) Dragapult into a favorable match-up. This gives Pyroak a very strong direction without becoming overbearing.
  • Darek submitted Grass-type Volcanion. Yep. Another immunity through Flash Fire is very much welcome and the great firepower makes it a slow and targetted tank. If Volcanion can work in OU with a supersoaker Scald, then surely Pyroak can serve a similar role without a move as insane as Steam Eruption while carving its own niche.

We surging boys

Final submission
Grassy Surge > White Smoke
Weight = 300kg
+40 Atk, -30 SpA
+5 Spe
+Slack Off
-Dragon Dance


New stat spread:
120 70 105 95 90 60 (540) -> 120 110 105 65 90 65 (555)

110 Attack:
+2 HHP into +0 HHP always takes out Toxapex from full health with terrain recovery

Weight = 300kg
Heat Crash hits 100BP against Corv, Torn, and Lando, 120BP against Zapdos and Venomicon

65 Speed:
Gets the jump on Venomicon, & 252 Speed outspeeds 0 Speed Landorus-T but Lando can run a small amount of investment to creep. I appreciate the dynamic of beating Lando by default but letting it pick whether or not it wants to make a small sacrifice in bulk in order to outspeed. It also requires Heatran to run significant investment to outspeed, which defensive sets will likely never do (offensive Air Balloon still outruns).

Slack Off:
This is admittedly my bias showing, and is more of a QoL change than anything. Still, it technically enables bulkier SD/utility sets as a possibility, which is sorta cool since none of our current GSurge users have great longevity. It also helps future-proof the mon a tad if its niche ever changes and it starts needing to rely on 50% recovery, aka it does more to make sure we won't need to be buffed again.

Edit: -Dragon Dance:
While I'm skeptical of how likely it is that we'd run DD over SD, I don't believe this buff package needs that flexibility regardless, especially since we outspeed Tornadus-T at +1. SD is more than enough for our needs here.
Final Submission

+ Contrary
+ Slack Off
- White Smoke
- Leaf Storm


Contrary has seemed decently popular in the thread, and it's by far my favorite ability for Pyroak to leverage (with physical Grassy Surge in second place). Contrary allows Pyroak to play as an offensive tank and doesn't also require drastic stat changes to Pyroak's current stat line. Because Leaf Storm was added in Gen 8 per this thread, it is removed alongside Contrary so that Pyroak only has access to Contrary + Overheat as its main attacking combo. With Contrary + Overheat, Pyroak force switches and utilize the coverage and utility it already has. Additionally, it comes with two defensive merits: turning the tables on Astrolotl's Fire Lash and potentially Dragapult's Shadow Ball. Slack Off allows Pyroak to avoid relying on the thoroughly underwhelming Synthesis. Spoo made a good point in the Discord that while Synthesis would limit Pyroak's longevity, it wouldn't make Pyroak's peak cases and worse, just less consistent. I agree that Slack Off just allows Pyroak to act a bit more consistently.

Here's a sample set I see it running:

Pyroak @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 248 HP / 4 Def / 196 SpA / 60 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Overheat
- Earth Power
- Giga Drain / Toxic / Stealth Rock / Aromatherapy
- Slack Off

Overheat allows Pyroak to boost its Special Attack, which means that Earth Power and Giga Drain are suddenly a lot more offensively threatening. Fire / Grass / Ground is nearly perfect coverage, allowing Pyroak to strike Heatran and Astrolotl and heal back with boosted Giga Drain as necessary. Alternatively, Toxic, Stealth Rock, or Aromatherapy could be used, as Fire + Ground coverage is very serviceable on its own. The EVs outspeed Corviknight, the bulk tanks Choice Band Urshifu-R's Close Combat after Stealth Rock Damage and comfortably tanks any move that Melmetal throws at it. I think heavy Special Attack EV investment is necessary because Pyroak needs to hit decently hard at +0.

While Contrary is a strong ability, this buffed Pyroak is not without fault. Although it can very easily boost to +2, it's still Pyroak until it actually gets the Overheat off. This means that it's still very vulnerable to Toxic, Knock Off, and the plethora of Flying-types present in the metagame. Additionally, without any kind of speed buff, Pyroak is still very slow. For example, Pyroak could outspeed uninvested Landorus-T by running max speed Modest, but all Landorus-T has to do is add a couple EVs in Speed to avoid that.

I am considering a minor Speed buff (somewhere around +5 or maybe +10). I haven't decided if this is truly necessary, though.

Overall, I like the simplicity of this buff. Change its Hidden Ability and remove an attack that was added this gen. and add a better recovery move that nearly everyone agrees that it should have.

EDIT: saw some concerns for Slack Off over Synthesis being too powerful, so I'm removing it for now.


EDIT 2: Nah Slack Off is just more consistent than Synthesis.
Final Submission
+ 35 SpA
+ 10 Spe
- Rock Head
+ Flash Fire
+ Slack Off


Grass Volcanion

-----

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The voting options are:

Package 1 by Spoo
Package 2 by snake_rattler
Package 3 by Darek


This poll will be open for 24 hours.
 

dex

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Package 1 by Spoo
Package 2 by snake_rattler
Package 3 by Darek
 
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