[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Fezandipiti is a great defensive pivot, special wall, and status spreader. Its good defensive typing and high Special Defense allow it to take a good number of special hits with ease, as well as some physical ones, and pivot out. Toxic Chain also allows it to be an effective status spreader against foes that aren't immune to poison, and it is especially effective alongside U-turn to punish any Poison-immune switch-ins. However, its below-average attacking stats and generally poor options to hit Poison- and Steel-type foes can leave it a bit passive at times and make it setup fodder against such Pokemon.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky Pivot**: Fezandipiti can be an effective switch-in against special attackers as well as some physical attackers. Access to Roost lets it heal off any damage taken from switching into these attackers, and Toxic Chain alongside moves such as Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb gives it a high chance to cause some form of poison to foes. U-turn also allows it to safely bring in offensive threats, as it tends to force switches from Pokemon trying to avoid being poisoned.
**Bulky Setup Sweeper**: Fezandipiti has access to both physical and special setup options, allowing it to tailor its set for specific matchups. This set utilizes Fezandipiti's natural bulk and decent Speed to get multiple setup opportunities and outspeed slower threats, and it can also surprise foes, as not many people will expect a setup set from Fezandipiti. However, its average offensive stats mean that even boosted hits will fail to OHKO some Pokemon, making it harder to pull off a sweep.
**Stallbreaker**: Fezandipiti has access to Taunt and has decent base Speed as well as a reliable way to inflict poison on foes. This allows it to perform a very effective stallbreaking role against bulkier teams.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Play Rough, Poison Jab, Moonblast, Sludge Bomb, Gunk Shot
**Setup Moves**: Calm Mind, Nasty Plot, Swords Dance, Agility
**Utility Moves**: Roost, U-turn, Taunt, Toxic
**Coverage**: Heat Wave, Brave Bird, Dual Wingbeat, Hurricane, Air Slash, Dark Pulse, Lash Out, Shadow Ball, Hex, Icy Wind, Double Kick
Niche Moves
========
**Venoshock**: Thanks to Toxic Chain, Venoshock itself can inflict poison on foes, allowing it to fulfill its requirement to deal double damage. However, it has a far lower Base Power than Sludge Bomb against healthy foes, as well as a lower total chance to cause status, making Venoshock more effective in longer games or with Toxic Spikes support.
**Tail Slap / Beat Up**: These multi-hit moves can be used to have a very high chance to activate Toxic Chain while also dealing solid damage. However, they are very matchup dependent, as Poison- and Steel-types can often switch into Fezandipiti with very little risk, making these moves ineffective in many cases.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Since Fezandipiti is expected to switch in multiple times throughout the game, Heavy-Duty Boots gives it more longevity by allowing it to avoid repeated damage from entry hazards.
**Black Sludge**: Black Sludge can be used as an alternative to Heavy-Duty Boots against teams with weaker entry hazard setters. It is run over Leftovers to punish foes that want to use Trick against Fezandipiti.
Niche Items
========
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet can be used to punish pivot move spam, especially from U-turn, as Fezandipiti greatly resists it. It can also be used to help get chip damage against physical attackers that cannot hit Fezandipiti effectively.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Setup Fezandipiti sets can utilize damage-boosting items to help score OHKOs on certain Pokemon after a boost. However, due to Fezandipiti usually playing the role of a bulky setup sweeper, Heavy-Duty Boots and Black Sludge tend to be more effective items for those sets.
**Air Balloon**: Air Balloon can be used to give Fezandipiti a limited immunity to Ground, allowing it to potentially avoid coverage moves from Pokemon such as Enamorus. In combination with its Fairy type, Air Balloon also allows it to be immune to Garchomp's STAB combination, potentially enabling Fezandipiti to wall Garchomp if it's not carrying another coverage move.
**Eject Button**: Fezandipiti has good enough bulk that it can reliably use Eject Button to tank a hit and pivot into one of its teammates. Eject Button can also be used to interrupt moves such as U-turn to regain momentum.
**Red Card**: Fezandipiti can use Red Card as a one-time check to dangerous setup sweepers and Pokemon that rely on one-time items or abilities, such as Unburden Sneasler and Booster Energy attackers.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers can be used as an alternative to Black Sludge on Fezandipiti sets that utilize a non-Poison Tera type to not take chip damage after Tera.
Tera
========
Fezandipiti should not be one of your main Tera Captains, but if you are able to utilize Tera on a second Pokemon and there is no stronger option for a Tera Captain, it does benefit from being able to Tera. While it already has a good defensive typing, Tera can allow it to better check specific threats by changing its defensive profile to remove some of its weaknesses. Setup Fezandipiti sets can also utilize Tera to gain coverage against the Steel- and Poison-types that normally wall it, using a Tera type such as Tera Ground.
Draft Strategy
========
Fezandipiti works well as a defensive pivot and status spreader. Its ability to check dangerous Fairy- and Fighting-type Pokemon make it a good fit for drafts particularly weak to those typings. It can be quite passive at times, so you should only draft it if you already have other Pokemon that can cover for its weakness. Some good options are:
**Ground-, Fire- and Fighting-type Pokemon**: Fezandipiti has a tendency to draw in opposing Steel-type Pokemon due to how easily they can wall it. Pairing it with teammates that can take advantage of said Steel-types lets it work as a great enabler for its partners. Good teammates that can fit this role include Chi-Yu, Garchomp, and Keldeo.
**Wallbreakers**: Fezandipiti can act as a safe pivot into wallbreakers while tanking hits aimed at them if needed. Additionally, its ability to spread poison also supports these wallbreakers by dealing extra chip damage, which can potentially put opposing Pokemon in range to be OHKOed. Frail wallbreakers such as Meowscarada, Weavile, and Darkrai greatly benefit from Fezandipiti's ability to bring them in safely.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Fezandipiti does not appreciate taking unresisted physical hits due to its mediocre Defense , so having teammates such as Great Tusk, Landorus-T, and Uxie that can cover those attacks for it is extremely helpful.
**Entry Hazard Support**: Fezandipiti tends to cause switches from foes that want to avoid being poisoned, so having hazard support, especially Spikes support, to deal extra damage for those switches can be very helpful for the offensive teammates that Fezandipiti pivots into. Good Pokemon that can fulfill this role are Hisuian Samurott, Greninja, and Ting-Lu.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: If Fezandipiti is not running Heavy-Duty Boots, damage from hazards can greatly hurt its ability to check opposing special attackers, so having reliable hazard removal Pokemon such as Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Excadrill can be of great assistance.
Checks and Counters
========
**Steel- and Poison-type Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Gholdengo, Galarian Slowking, and Corviknight can switch into Fezandipiti effortlessly, as they resist or are immune to its STAB moves, cannot be poisoned by Toxic Chain, and cannot be hit by most of Fezandipiti's coverage moves for any noticeable damage. However, they do have to be aware of Fezandipiti's U-turn into a teammate that can threaten them, and in the case of setup Fezandipiti, Heat Wave is sometimes enough to deal with weaker Steel-types.
**Physical Wallbreakers and Sweepers**: Fezandipiti has average Defense, so strong physical wallbreakers and setup sweepers such as Gouging Fire, Iron Boulder, and Infernape that can hit it for neutral or super effective damage are generally able to break past it. The wide distribution of Ground-type coverage on most common attackers also hurts Fezandipiti's viability at checking them. These Pokemon can still be crippled by poison if they're not able to OHKO Fezandipiti outright, though.
**Ground- and Psychic-type Pokemon**: These Pokemon threaten to OHKO or do massive damage to Fezandipiti with their STAB moves, even if they are special attackers. Pokemon such as Latios, Ursaluna, and Landorus are huge threats to Fezandipiti. However, most of them do not appreciate being poisoned, and Fezandipiti can use U-turn on a predicted switch to bring in checks to these attackers. Gliscor deserves special mention, as it actively wants to be poisoned and can easily take almost any hit from Fezandipiti and use it as an opportunity to set up entry hazards or hit it for huge damage with Earthquake.
**Substitute**: Pokemon running Substitute, whether they are wallbreakers or setup sweepers, can use Fezandipiti as setup bait, since it struggles to break Substitutes from many Pokemon, and Substitute also blocks Toxic Chain. Against slower Substitute users, Fezandipiti can use Taunt to prevent the Substitute and other setup, but in general, they are a very unfavored matchup for it.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Fezandipiti is a great defensive pivot, special wall, and status spreader. Its good defensive typing and high Special Defense allow it to take a good number of special hits with ease, as well as some physical ones, and pivot out. Toxic Chain also allows it to be an effective status spreader against foes that aren't immune to poison, and it is especially effective alongside U-turn to punish any Poison-immune switch-ins. However, its below-average attacking stats and generally poor options to hit Poison- and Steel-type foes can leave it a bit passive at times and make it setup fodder against such Pokemon.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky Pivot**: Fezandipiti can be an effective switch-in against special attackers as well as some physical attackers. Access to Roost lets it heal off any damage taken from switching into these attackers, and Toxic Chain alongside moves such as Poison Jab and Sludge Bomb gives it a high chance to cause some form of poison to foes. U-turn also allows it to safely bring in offensive threats, as it tends to force switches from Pokemon trying to avoid being poisoned.
**Bulky Setup Sweeper**: Fezandipiti has access to both physical and special setup options, allowing it to tailor its set for specific matchups. This set utilizes Fezandipiti's natural bulk and decent Speed to get multiple setup opportunities and outspeed slower threats, and it can also surprise foes, as not many people will expect a setup set from Fezandipiti. However, its average offensive stats mean that even boosted hits will fail to OHKO some Pokemon, making it harder to pull off a sweep.
**Stallbreaker**: Fezandipiti has access to Taunt and has decent base Speed as well as a reliable way to inflict poison on foes. This allows it to perform a very effective stallbreaking role against bulkier teams.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Play Rough, Poison Jab, Moonblast, Sludge Bomb, Gunk Shot
**Setup Moves**: Calm Mind, Nasty Plot, Swords Dance, Agility
**Utility Moves**: Roost, U-turn, Taunt, Toxic
**Coverage**: Heat Wave, Brave Bird, Dual Wingbeat, Hurricane, Air Slash, Dark Pulse, Lash Out, Shadow Ball, Hex, Icy Wind, Double Kick
Niche Moves
========
**Venoshock**: Thanks to Toxic Chain, Venoshock itself can inflict poison on foes, allowing it to fulfill its requirement to deal double damage. However, it has a far lower Base Power than Sludge Bomb against healthy foes, as well as a lower total chance to cause status, making Venoshock more effective in longer games or with Toxic Spikes support.
**Tail Slap / Beat Up**: These multi-hit moves can be used to have a very high chance to activate Toxic Chain while also dealing solid damage. However, they are very matchup dependent, as Poison- and Steel-types can often switch into Fezandipiti with very little risk, making these moves ineffective in many cases.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Since Fezandipiti is expected to switch in multiple times throughout the game, Heavy-Duty Boots gives it more longevity by allowing it to avoid repeated damage from entry hazards.
**Black Sludge**: Black Sludge can be used as an alternative to Heavy-Duty Boots against teams with weaker entry hazard setters. It is run over Leftovers to punish foes that want to use Trick against Fezandipiti.
Niche Items
========
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet can be used to punish pivot move spam, especially from U-turn, as Fezandipiti greatly resists it. It can also be used to help get chip damage against physical attackers that cannot hit Fezandipiti effectively.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Setup Fezandipiti sets can utilize damage-boosting items to help score OHKOs on certain Pokemon after a boost. However, due to Fezandipiti usually playing the role of a bulky setup sweeper, Heavy-Duty Boots and Black Sludge tend to be more effective items for those sets.
**Air Balloon**: Air Balloon can be used to give Fezandipiti a limited immunity to Ground, allowing it to potentially avoid coverage moves from Pokemon such as Enamorus. In combination with its Fairy type, Air Balloon also allows it to be immune to Garchomp's STAB combination, potentially enabling Fezandipiti to wall Garchomp if it's not carrying another coverage move.
**Eject Button**: Fezandipiti has good enough bulk that it can reliably use Eject Button to tank a hit and pivot into one of its teammates. Eject Button can also be used to interrupt moves such as U-turn to regain momentum.
**Red Card**: Fezandipiti can use Red Card as a one-time check to dangerous setup sweepers and Pokemon that rely on one-time items or abilities, such as Unburden Sneasler and Booster Energy attackers.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers can be used as an alternative to Black Sludge on Fezandipiti sets that utilize a non-Poison Tera type to not take chip damage after Tera.
Tera
========
Fezandipiti should not be one of your main Tera Captains, but if you are able to utilize Tera on a second Pokemon and there is no stronger option for a Tera Captain, it does benefit from being able to Tera. While it already has a good defensive typing, Tera can allow it to better check specific threats by changing its defensive profile to remove some of its weaknesses. Setup Fezandipiti sets can also utilize Tera to gain coverage against the Steel- and Poison-types that normally wall it, using a Tera type such as Tera Ground.
Draft Strategy
========
Fezandipiti works well as a defensive pivot and status spreader. Its ability to check dangerous Fairy- and Fighting-type Pokemon make it a good fit for drafts particularly weak to those typings. It can be quite passive at times, so you should only draft it if you already have other Pokemon that can cover for its weakness. Some good options are:
**Ground-, Fire- and Fighting-type Pokemon**: Fezandipiti has a tendency to draw in opposing Steel-type Pokemon due to how easily they can wall it. Pairing it with teammates that can take advantage of said Steel-types lets it work as a great enabler for its partners. Good teammates that can fit this role include Chi-Yu, Garchomp, and Keldeo.
**Wallbreakers**: Fezandipiti can act as a safe pivot into wallbreakers while tanking hits aimed at them if needed. Additionally, its ability to spread poison also supports these wallbreakers by dealing extra chip damage, which can potentially put opposing Pokemon in range to be OHKOed. Frail wallbreakers such as Meowscarada, Weavile, and Darkrai greatly benefit from Fezandipiti's ability to bring them in safely.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Fezandipiti does not appreciate taking unresisted physical hits due to its mediocre Defense , so having teammates such as Great Tusk, Landorus-T, and Uxie that can cover those attacks for it is extremely helpful.
**Entry Hazard Support**: Fezandipiti tends to cause switches from foes that want to avoid being poisoned, so having hazard support, especially Spikes support, to deal extra damage for those switches can be very helpful for the offensive teammates that Fezandipiti pivots into. Good Pokemon that can fulfill this role are Hisuian Samurott, Greninja, and Ting-Lu.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: If Fezandipiti is not running Heavy-Duty Boots, damage from hazards can greatly hurt its ability to check opposing special attackers, so having reliable hazard removal Pokemon such as Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Excadrill can be of great assistance.
Checks and Counters
========
**Steel- and Poison-type Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Gholdengo, Galarian Slowking, and Corviknight can switch into Fezandipiti effortlessly, as they resist or are immune to its STAB moves, cannot be poisoned by Toxic Chain, and cannot be hit by most of Fezandipiti's coverage moves for any noticeable damage. However, they do have to be aware of Fezandipiti's U-turn into a teammate that can threaten them, and in the case of setup Fezandipiti, Heat Wave is sometimes enough to deal with weaker Steel-types.
**Physical Wallbreakers and Sweepers**: Fezandipiti has average Defense, so strong physical wallbreakers and setup sweepers such as Gouging Fire, Iron Boulder, and Infernape that can hit it for neutral or super effective damage are generally able to break past it. The wide distribution of Ground-type coverage on most common attackers also hurts Fezandipiti's viability at checking them. These Pokemon can still be crippled by poison if they're not able to OHKO Fezandipiti outright, though.
**Ground- and Psychic-type Pokemon**: These Pokemon threaten to OHKO or do massive damage to Fezandipiti with their STAB moves, even if they are special attackers. Pokemon such as Latios, Ursaluna, and Landorus are huge threats to Fezandipiti. However, most of them do not appreciate being poisoned, and Fezandipiti can use U-turn on a predicted switch to bring in checks to these attackers. Gliscor deserves special mention, as it actively wants to be poisoned and can easily take almost any hit from Fezandipiti and use it as an opportunity to set up entry hazards or hit it for huge damage with Earthquake.
**Substitute**: Pokemon running Substitute, whether they are wallbreakers or setup sweepers, can use Fezandipiti as setup bait, since it struggles to break Substitutes from many Pokemon, and Substitute also blocks Toxic Chain. Against slower Substitute users, Fezandipiti can use Taunt to prevent the Substitute and other setup, but in general, they are a very unfavored matchup for it.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
