Cinderace [QC 1/2]

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JustoonSmitts

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[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Pyro Ball
move 2: High Jump Kick
move 3: Zen Headbutt / Sucker Punch
move 4: U-turn / Bounce
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Life Orb
ability: Libero
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Cinderace is a solid wallbreaker in Ubers thanks to its great offensive stats, wide movepool, and Libero granting it STAB on every single move it uses. It also can act as a set up sweeper when Dynamaxed, as it can further boost its Attack and Speed with Max Knuckle and Max Airstream, notably allowing Cinderace to OHKO even defensive variants of Eternatus with +1 Max Mindstorm and outpace fast threats at +1 such as Zacian-Crowned, Marshadow, and Dragapult. However, Cinderace is still heavily reliant on Dynamax and heavy prediction to break, and it has minimal movement variety. Other Dynamax wallbreakers such as Gyrados, Excadrill, and Volcarona are more consistent since they aren't as much of a defensive liability as Cinderace is.

Pyro Ball can really hurt Pokemon such as Necrozma-DM, Excadrill, and Corviknight. High Jump Kick is better for dealing with Pokemon that resist Pyro Ball such as Tyranitar and Drednaw, as well as OHKO Blissey. Zen Headbutt is preferred to hit Eternatus for the most damage possible, while Sucker Punch can KO Pokemon that outpace Cinderace such as Dragapult, Choice Scarf Lunala, and Mewtwo. U-turn is an excellent move that allows Cinderace to pivot out of Fire-resists such as Eternatus if it lacks Zen Headbutt or Dragapult without Sucker Punch for no risk. However, if you plan on using Cinderace as a Dynamax sweeper, then Bounce is preferred so that it can boost its Speed with Max Airstream and it is Cinderace's best move against Volcarona. Court Change could be an interesting option for the last move to sort of clear hazards, but this does sacrifice Cinderace's offensive prowess by missing out on important coverage and there are much better options for clearing hazards in the tier.

If Cinderace is its team's main Dynamax sweeper, it's generally preferred if it is not Gigantamax, since Max Flare will provide sun to boost Pyro Ball's power even further. With a Life Orb and an Adamant Nature, Cinderace can 2HKO non-Leftovers Quasire with High Jump Kick and allows Max Mindstorm to OHKO Eternatus. Heavy-Duty Boots, on the other hand, allows Cinderace to come in on entry hazards without losing HP. Pokemon that can set entry hazards such as Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Excadrill, and Mew can make for beneficial teammates since they can make Cinderace even more difficult to switch into. A solid defensive core is also needed since Cinderace lacks any sort of defensive utility. Teammates like Quagsire, Chansey, and Corvknight can help Cinderace by taking hits from powerful offensive Pokemon like Zacian-C and Eternatus. If it lacks Zen Headbutt, then Cinderace will appreciate trappers like Gothitelle and Dugtrio to beat Eternatus. If it runs U-turn, Cinderace's pivoting abilities will be greatly appreciated by Pokemon like Marshadow, Mewtwo, and Lunala. If running Life Orb, then a hazard remover such as Rotom-H, Corviknight, and Mandibuzz would be recommended to ensure Cinderace won't have to worry about taking hazard damage.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[JustoonSmitts, 239732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Minority, 222996], [*,*]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]
 
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Minority

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U-turn is an excellent move that allows Cinderace to pivot out of a bad matchup such as Eternatus if it lacks Zen Headbutt or Dragapult without Sucker Punch, and brings in a teammate that can better deal with said threats.
I would be more explicit in saying that Cinderace is pivoting out of its common switch-ins (Fire-type resists) for basically no risk.

Hazards obviously get mentioned a few times in the analysis, and I wonder if Court Change is worth including on set or even mentioning. It seems like it would fit best in the 4th slot, maybe other QC can give opinions here.


QC: 1/2
 
Not QC, but some points I want to discuss:
- Cinderace is an incredible wallbreaker
-
can excel as a set up sweeper
-
It's this extreme versatility

I feel these statements oversell Cinderace, as it is can be a bit reliant on Dynamax or heavy prediction to break and has minimal moveset variety. There are also better Dynamax abusers that are less of a defensive liability.

-Jolly is the preferred Nature to outpace Pokemon such as Excadrill, Choice Band Galarian Darmanitan, and Volcarona before a Quiver Dance.
This isn't true. Adamant Cinderace hits 337, which outspeeds all of these Pokemon you listed. Choice Band Darm is also rather rare and a strange example.

- Cinderace's ability to soft-check Zacian-C
It doesn't beat Zacian-C at all unless it Dynamaxes or already has a speed boost.
+1 252 Atk Zacian-Crowned Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Cinderace: 304-358 (100.9 - 118.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

- hazard remover such as Excadrill, Corviknight, and Mandibuzz would be recommended to ensure Cinderace won't have to worry about taking hazard damage.
Not mentioning Rotom-W seems odd when it is one of the best defoggers currently.

- While Life Orb boosts Cinderace's attack power, Heavy-Duty Boots allows Cinderace to come in on entry hazards without losing HP.
I feel like actual benefits of running LO should be mentioned? This doesn't really tell much apart from stating the effects of the items. I think a notable calc is that LO let's cinder always 2HKO non lefties Quagsire with HJK and also give Max Mindstorm a good chance to OHKO defensive Etern.
 
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