FULLY REVAMPED FOR HGSS
Status: Awaiting critique for additions since I don't think I have covered everything to do with HGSS
Grammar checks are also welcome
Last check: Fuzznip
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/phanpy
---------
[SET]
name: Lead / Tank
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Head Smash
move 4: Ice Shard
item: Oran Berry
nature: Impish / Adamant
evs: 116 HP / 196 Atk / 116 Def / 36 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Phanpy can utilize its great defensive stats and access to Stealth Rock to become a formidable lead. Phanpy's bulk allows it to take a hit from common leads such as Meowth, Aipom, and Diglett and 2HKO back with the combination of Earthquake and Ice Shard. Phanpy also usually ends up on top against Voltorb, who only has a 2% chance of 2HKOing Phanpy with Hidden Power Ice, even with max Special Attack, and a slight chance of OHKOing with Explosion. Head Smash gives Phanpy a solid move to hit switch-ins like Misdreavus and Mantyke, while providing good coverage alongside Earthquake, Bronzor and Baltoy being the only ones resistant to this combo.</p>
<p>This set can also be used as a sturdy tank, as it can be sent in later to set up Stealth Rock and start attacking off of a decent Attack stat of 15 or 16 with an Adamant nature, which allows you to break the standard Misdreavus' Substitute with Ice Shard instead of resorting to Head Smash's shaky accuracy. If Phanpy is used as a tank, Counter can be used to get a few surprise KOs due to Phanpy's high HP stat; however, be sure that you will KO with the Counter, as Counter revolves around the element of surprise.</p>
<p>The EVs in the set are tailored so that Houndour has a very small chance of OHKOing with Overheat, and the Speed EVs allow you to outspeed, or at least tie, with Omanyte, whom you can swiftly OHKO with Seed Bomb.</p>
<p>One reason to use this Phanpy over Gligar or Bronzor is that Phanpy is a sure-shot counter to Choice Scarf Cranidos. It resists Stone Edge, Ice Beam never 2HKOes through Oran Berry and Earthquake has less than 0.5% chance of 3HKOing. In return, Phanpy OHKOes back with Earthquake, and the rare Rock Polish variants are finished off Ice Shard, securing Phanpy's place as a solid Cranidos counter, something neither Gligar nor Bronzor can claim to be.</p>
<p>As a lead, Phanpy has trouble dealing with Omanyte and defensive Kabuto, as well as Snover. Mantyke pairs up nicely with Phanpy here as it can take multiple hits from Omanyte thanks to its humongous Special Defense, while threatening to OHKO with Hidden Power Grass or set up an Agility. LeadDour is also troublesome for Phanpy, yet Mantyke can handle it as well. It further complements Phanpy by taking special hits directed at Phanpy as well as possessing a useful Water Immunity to take on Scarf Wailmer leads. Snover can eliminated with a Croagunk, thanks to its STAB priority move in Vacuum Wave, while being able to break a potential Substitute with Fake Out. Croagunk can also be used over Mantyke to take on all of the aforementioned threats, however this leaves Phanpy without a sturdy specially defensive tank. Phanpy is also useless against Bronzor, and so Magnet Rise Magnemite gets mention for being able to take Bronzor out reliably while providing a resistance to Ice attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Head Smash
move 4: Seed Bomb / Superpower
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 196 Atk / 116 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Phanpy can just about pull together enough moves for a Choice Band set, and it makes a decent Choice Bander too, achieving an Attack stat of 24. Earthquake will be your attacking move of choice, as a 100 Base Power STAB attack off that reasonably high Attack stat is bound to dent anything not resistant or immune to it. Ice Shard is a much-wanted priority move, and makes Phanpy an excellent revenge-killer. Even max HP / max Def Gligar has a chance of being 2HKO'd by Ice Shard, factoring in the recovery from its Oran Berry.</p>
<p>Head Smash is an ideal choice for the third moveslot, hitting Flying-types and Bug-types for super effective, especially Paras who can otherwise survive all other attacks and put Phanpy to sleep with Spore. Seed Bomb hits Water-types such as Staryu and Clamperl harder than any other of Phanpy's moves, whereas Superpower hits Bronzor for decent damage, but the Attack and Defense drops are not appreciated. Superpower also allows gives Ghost-types another opportunity to switch in to, which could have disastrous results late game.</p>
<p>The EVs give you maximum Attack and optimal Defense, as Phanpy will not be outrunning anything soon without a Scarf, and the extra bulk allows it to 2HKO certain threats while being able to take random priority hits it self, such as a Dragon Dance Dratini's ExtremeSpeed after a single boost.</p>
<p>Even though Choice Band Phanpy deals a chunk of damage even to Pokemon who resist its STAB moves, it is still largely walled by quite a few. Bronzor is the main counter, who can be taken out by Magnet Rise Magnemite easily. Phanpy also becomes set up bait for Drifloon and Misdreavus once it nabs a kill with Earthquake. Stunky that invests in HP provides a fine check for the aforementioned Ghosts. Munchlax is a good defensive partner for Phanpy, shrugging off Ice attacks and specially based Grass and Water moves, while hitting Ghosts with Pursuit and Bronzor with Fire Punch or Fire Blast.</p>
[SET]
name: Endeavor
move 1: Endure
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Ice Shard
item: Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 196 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This may seem like a gimmick at first glance, but it works to an extent under a sandstorm. The plan of action is to simply use Endure on the turn you think an opponent’s attack will OHKO you. As you survive the hit, Salac Berry activates, making you faster than every non-Choice Scarf Pokemon. After that has been accomplished, proceed to Endeavor their switch and unless they are finished off by the sandstorm, use Ice Shard to secure the KO. Even after taking out an opponent, you can proceed to hit hard with STAB Earthquakes, while finishing weakened opponents off with Ice Shard. Flail may be used over Endeavor, but Eevee and Doduo do that better, unless you have sandstorm support.</p>
<p>The only things that wall this set are Ghost-types, and Stunky acts as a reliable check to these. Hippopotas, while being extremely similar to Phanpy stat-wise as well as type-wise, is mandatory here for providing an unending sandstorm. Priority users also give Endeavor Phanpy trouble. Bronzor takes little damage from most priority attacks, and as such it makes a great partner to switch in after Phanpy falls, which won't take long considering it will stay at 1 HP most of the time.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Like most other tanks, Choice Band Phanpy greatly appreciates both Stealth Rock and dual screens in play. Stealth Rock make Flying-Types think twice before switching into a Choiced Earthquake, and also breaks all Focus Sashes on the opponent’s team, making switching frail and fast revenge-killers in harder. Dual Screens are greatly appreciated on the Tank set, as they both increase Phanpy's staying power, allowing it to set up Stealth Rock easier as well as stay on the offensive for longer. For the Endeavour set, Sand Stream support from Hippopotas is required, as it finishes off Pokemon lowered to one HP by Endeavor.</p>
<p>Offensively, Phanpy needs a few teammates to help it really shine by taking out its common counters. First of all, Magnet Rise Magnemite comfortably deals with Bronzor, a thorn in the side for every Phanpy user. Stunky is another such Pokemon that greatly assists Phanpy by eliminating the Ghost-types of Little Cup, namely Misdreavus, Drifloon, Gastly, and Duskull, all of which freely come in on a locked Earthquake. Once they are removed, however, Phanpy destroys most unprepared teams with ease. Finally, fast, frail sweepers do well when their backs are covered by Phanpy's natural bulkiness. Sweepers such as Bellsprout and Houndour are just examples of sweepers that pair up well with Phanpy offensively, as they both appreciate the elimination of Focus Sashes as well as the residual damage, turning many 2HKOes into OHKOes, while Phanpy is always there to take a hit for them.</p>
<p>When paired with certain Pokemon, Phanpy forms a solid defensive core. Mantyke covers Phanpy's weaknesses quite well, sporting an immunity to one of the most common offensive types, Water, while using its massive base 120 Special Defense to sponge neutral special Grass and Ice type hits. In return, Phanpy is unfazed by Electric moves and shrugs off even the strongest of Rock-type attacks. When further combined with Magnemite, these three form a beautiful trinity- each weakness being resisted by one member or the other. If Magnemite does not appeal to you, a specially defensive Bronzor of your own is a great addition to any team, especially when used in tandem with Phanpy to provide dual screen support as well as a handy resistance to Ice- and Grass-type attacks. Generally, anything with a reasonable amount of Special Defense and HP is a good teammate for Phanpy, examples being Munchlax and Lileep under a sandstorm.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Phanpy has little else going for it in terms of other usable moves. Rock Slide may be used on the Tank and Choice Band sets to avoid taking recoil damage that Head Smash provides, but the low Base Power is a turn-off. Knock Off may be used on the Lead set, but in the fast paced metagame of Little Cup, you're much better off attacking. Phanpy can also run a Choice Scarf set as it reaches 14 unboosted Speed, which is raised to 21 with a Choice Scarf, allowing you to outspeed everything without a boost; however, even though Phanpy does get Head Smash, it has a hard time differentiating from Sandshrew, who can run a similar set but with a greater Attack stat. Apart from that, Phanpy has no real options other than the ones already mentioned.</p>
[EVs]
<p>The Lead set EVs are specifically designed to survive a LeadDour's Overheat most of the time as well as outspeed Omanyte who don't invest in Speed, and tie with ones that do. On the Choice Band set Attack and HP should be maxed out, since Speed is not a priority. On the Endeavor set, the maximum 196 Speed EVs are required to reach the magic 14 Speed mark, allowing it to outspeed all Pokémon without a Choice Scarf after a Salac boost. Since all of Phanpy's base stats end in a zero, it can get 3 points in two stats and 2 points in another, which makes EVing Phanpy for optimal efficiency easier.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Phanpy is one of those Pokémon that have a hard time carving out its own niche in a competitive metagame, especially in the fast-paced Little Cup, where one may opt to use Pokémon like Gligar or Bronzor for defensive purposes. Phanpy also has a hard time setting itself apart from Swinub, who gets Superpower as well as STAB Ice Shard. Hippopotas also fulfills the role of a Tank equally well, if not better, while providing team support with Sand Stream. However, Phanpy has a few options that set it apart, namely Head Smash, Counter, Endeavor and a higher HP stat, although most of its other stats are worse than Bronzor and Gligar, and it doesn't get STAB on Ice Shard like Swinub does. So while using Phanpy, make sure to use some of its unique options, such as Endeavor or Counter, otherwise you may be running an inferior Gligar or Hippopotas. Being a Cranidos counter is also a nice niche for Phanpy, as very few Pokemon can be said to occupy that position.</p>
[Counters]
<p>For the Lead set, Ghost-types such as Gastly and Drifloon can put it to sleep, although they must watch out for Head Smash. They also have the choice of blasting Phanpy with strong STAB Shadow Balls. Bronzor also takes no considerable damage from Phanpy and proceeds to set up Stealth Rock and start attacking with Flash Cannon or Psychic.</p>
<p>For the Choiced sets, Bronzor almost completely walls Phanpy, as even a Choice Band boosted Superpower does less than 50% to it. In return, Bronzor can just either stall Phanpy out or attack it with Flash Cannon or Hidden Power Ice. Paras can switch in on anything but Head Smash and then threaten to Spore it or punish it with Seed Bomb. Mantyke is especially good, as it resists Superpower, is immune to Earthquake and takes little damage from Ice Shard. Almost any bulky Water can come in on Phanpy and scare it off, although Mantyke must beware of switching into a Head Smash.</p>
<p>The Endeavor set is easily revenge-killed, although one should watch out for sandstorm damage. The best way to deal with the Endeavor set is to just leave the Pokémon in, as you KO Phanpy before the turn ends. It’s a bit hard to counter the Endeavor set, as one Pokémon at least gets severely damaged, barring Ghost-types, who are again the best switch-in to Phanpy. Snover can also completely ruin Phanpy's strategy by inducing Hail, which will finish off Phanpy when the turn ends.</p>
Status: Awaiting critique for additions since I don't think I have covered everything to do with HGSS
Grammar checks are also welcome
Last check: Fuzznip
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/phanpy
---------
[SET]
name: Lead / Tank
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Head Smash
move 4: Ice Shard
item: Oran Berry
nature: Impish / Adamant
evs: 116 HP / 196 Atk / 116 Def / 36 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Phanpy can utilize its great defensive stats and access to Stealth Rock to become a formidable lead. Phanpy's bulk allows it to take a hit from common leads such as Meowth, Aipom, and Diglett and 2HKO back with the combination of Earthquake and Ice Shard. Phanpy also usually ends up on top against Voltorb, who only has a 2% chance of 2HKOing Phanpy with Hidden Power Ice, even with max Special Attack, and a slight chance of OHKOing with Explosion. Head Smash gives Phanpy a solid move to hit switch-ins like Misdreavus and Mantyke, while providing good coverage alongside Earthquake, Bronzor and Baltoy being the only ones resistant to this combo.</p>
<p>This set can also be used as a sturdy tank, as it can be sent in later to set up Stealth Rock and start attacking off of a decent Attack stat of 15 or 16 with an Adamant nature, which allows you to break the standard Misdreavus' Substitute with Ice Shard instead of resorting to Head Smash's shaky accuracy. If Phanpy is used as a tank, Counter can be used to get a few surprise KOs due to Phanpy's high HP stat; however, be sure that you will KO with the Counter, as Counter revolves around the element of surprise.</p>
<p>The EVs in the set are tailored so that Houndour has a very small chance of OHKOing with Overheat, and the Speed EVs allow you to outspeed, or at least tie, with Omanyte, whom you can swiftly OHKO with Seed Bomb.</p>
<p>One reason to use this Phanpy over Gligar or Bronzor is that Phanpy is a sure-shot counter to Choice Scarf Cranidos. It resists Stone Edge, Ice Beam never 2HKOes through Oran Berry and Earthquake has less than 0.5% chance of 3HKOing. In return, Phanpy OHKOes back with Earthquake, and the rare Rock Polish variants are finished off Ice Shard, securing Phanpy's place as a solid Cranidos counter, something neither Gligar nor Bronzor can claim to be.</p>
<p>As a lead, Phanpy has trouble dealing with Omanyte and defensive Kabuto, as well as Snover. Mantyke pairs up nicely with Phanpy here as it can take multiple hits from Omanyte thanks to its humongous Special Defense, while threatening to OHKO with Hidden Power Grass or set up an Agility. LeadDour is also troublesome for Phanpy, yet Mantyke can handle it as well. It further complements Phanpy by taking special hits directed at Phanpy as well as possessing a useful Water Immunity to take on Scarf Wailmer leads. Snover can eliminated with a Croagunk, thanks to its STAB priority move in Vacuum Wave, while being able to break a potential Substitute with Fake Out. Croagunk can also be used over Mantyke to take on all of the aforementioned threats, however this leaves Phanpy without a sturdy specially defensive tank. Phanpy is also useless against Bronzor, and so Magnet Rise Magnemite gets mention for being able to take Bronzor out reliably while providing a resistance to Ice attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Ice Shard
move 3: Head Smash
move 4: Seed Bomb / Superpower
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 196 HP / 196 Atk / 116 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Phanpy can just about pull together enough moves for a Choice Band set, and it makes a decent Choice Bander too, achieving an Attack stat of 24. Earthquake will be your attacking move of choice, as a 100 Base Power STAB attack off that reasonably high Attack stat is bound to dent anything not resistant or immune to it. Ice Shard is a much-wanted priority move, and makes Phanpy an excellent revenge-killer. Even max HP / max Def Gligar has a chance of being 2HKO'd by Ice Shard, factoring in the recovery from its Oran Berry.</p>
<p>Head Smash is an ideal choice for the third moveslot, hitting Flying-types and Bug-types for super effective, especially Paras who can otherwise survive all other attacks and put Phanpy to sleep with Spore. Seed Bomb hits Water-types such as Staryu and Clamperl harder than any other of Phanpy's moves, whereas Superpower hits Bronzor for decent damage, but the Attack and Defense drops are not appreciated. Superpower also allows gives Ghost-types another opportunity to switch in to, which could have disastrous results late game.</p>
<p>The EVs give you maximum Attack and optimal Defense, as Phanpy will not be outrunning anything soon without a Scarf, and the extra bulk allows it to 2HKO certain threats while being able to take random priority hits it self, such as a Dragon Dance Dratini's ExtremeSpeed after a single boost.</p>
<p>Even though Choice Band Phanpy deals a chunk of damage even to Pokemon who resist its STAB moves, it is still largely walled by quite a few. Bronzor is the main counter, who can be taken out by Magnet Rise Magnemite easily. Phanpy also becomes set up bait for Drifloon and Misdreavus once it nabs a kill with Earthquake. Stunky that invests in HP provides a fine check for the aforementioned Ghosts. Munchlax is a good defensive partner for Phanpy, shrugging off Ice attacks and specially based Grass and Water moves, while hitting Ghosts with Pursuit and Bronzor with Fire Punch or Fire Blast.</p>
[SET]
name: Endeavor
move 1: Endure
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Ice Shard
item: Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 196 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This may seem like a gimmick at first glance, but it works to an extent under a sandstorm. The plan of action is to simply use Endure on the turn you think an opponent’s attack will OHKO you. As you survive the hit, Salac Berry activates, making you faster than every non-Choice Scarf Pokemon. After that has been accomplished, proceed to Endeavor their switch and unless they are finished off by the sandstorm, use Ice Shard to secure the KO. Even after taking out an opponent, you can proceed to hit hard with STAB Earthquakes, while finishing weakened opponents off with Ice Shard. Flail may be used over Endeavor, but Eevee and Doduo do that better, unless you have sandstorm support.</p>
<p>The only things that wall this set are Ghost-types, and Stunky acts as a reliable check to these. Hippopotas, while being extremely similar to Phanpy stat-wise as well as type-wise, is mandatory here for providing an unending sandstorm. Priority users also give Endeavor Phanpy trouble. Bronzor takes little damage from most priority attacks, and as such it makes a great partner to switch in after Phanpy falls, which won't take long considering it will stay at 1 HP most of the time.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Like most other tanks, Choice Band Phanpy greatly appreciates both Stealth Rock and dual screens in play. Stealth Rock make Flying-Types think twice before switching into a Choiced Earthquake, and also breaks all Focus Sashes on the opponent’s team, making switching frail and fast revenge-killers in harder. Dual Screens are greatly appreciated on the Tank set, as they both increase Phanpy's staying power, allowing it to set up Stealth Rock easier as well as stay on the offensive for longer. For the Endeavour set, Sand Stream support from Hippopotas is required, as it finishes off Pokemon lowered to one HP by Endeavor.</p>
<p>Offensively, Phanpy needs a few teammates to help it really shine by taking out its common counters. First of all, Magnet Rise Magnemite comfortably deals with Bronzor, a thorn in the side for every Phanpy user. Stunky is another such Pokemon that greatly assists Phanpy by eliminating the Ghost-types of Little Cup, namely Misdreavus, Drifloon, Gastly, and Duskull, all of which freely come in on a locked Earthquake. Once they are removed, however, Phanpy destroys most unprepared teams with ease. Finally, fast, frail sweepers do well when their backs are covered by Phanpy's natural bulkiness. Sweepers such as Bellsprout and Houndour are just examples of sweepers that pair up well with Phanpy offensively, as they both appreciate the elimination of Focus Sashes as well as the residual damage, turning many 2HKOes into OHKOes, while Phanpy is always there to take a hit for them.</p>
<p>When paired with certain Pokemon, Phanpy forms a solid defensive core. Mantyke covers Phanpy's weaknesses quite well, sporting an immunity to one of the most common offensive types, Water, while using its massive base 120 Special Defense to sponge neutral special Grass and Ice type hits. In return, Phanpy is unfazed by Electric moves and shrugs off even the strongest of Rock-type attacks. When further combined with Magnemite, these three form a beautiful trinity- each weakness being resisted by one member or the other. If Magnemite does not appeal to you, a specially defensive Bronzor of your own is a great addition to any team, especially when used in tandem with Phanpy to provide dual screen support as well as a handy resistance to Ice- and Grass-type attacks. Generally, anything with a reasonable amount of Special Defense and HP is a good teammate for Phanpy, examples being Munchlax and Lileep under a sandstorm.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Phanpy has little else going for it in terms of other usable moves. Rock Slide may be used on the Tank and Choice Band sets to avoid taking recoil damage that Head Smash provides, but the low Base Power is a turn-off. Knock Off may be used on the Lead set, but in the fast paced metagame of Little Cup, you're much better off attacking. Phanpy can also run a Choice Scarf set as it reaches 14 unboosted Speed, which is raised to 21 with a Choice Scarf, allowing you to outspeed everything without a boost; however, even though Phanpy does get Head Smash, it has a hard time differentiating from Sandshrew, who can run a similar set but with a greater Attack stat. Apart from that, Phanpy has no real options other than the ones already mentioned.</p>
[EVs]
<p>The Lead set EVs are specifically designed to survive a LeadDour's Overheat most of the time as well as outspeed Omanyte who don't invest in Speed, and tie with ones that do. On the Choice Band set Attack and HP should be maxed out, since Speed is not a priority. On the Endeavor set, the maximum 196 Speed EVs are required to reach the magic 14 Speed mark, allowing it to outspeed all Pokémon without a Choice Scarf after a Salac boost. Since all of Phanpy's base stats end in a zero, it can get 3 points in two stats and 2 points in another, which makes EVing Phanpy for optimal efficiency easier.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Phanpy is one of those Pokémon that have a hard time carving out its own niche in a competitive metagame, especially in the fast-paced Little Cup, where one may opt to use Pokémon like Gligar or Bronzor for defensive purposes. Phanpy also has a hard time setting itself apart from Swinub, who gets Superpower as well as STAB Ice Shard. Hippopotas also fulfills the role of a Tank equally well, if not better, while providing team support with Sand Stream. However, Phanpy has a few options that set it apart, namely Head Smash, Counter, Endeavor and a higher HP stat, although most of its other stats are worse than Bronzor and Gligar, and it doesn't get STAB on Ice Shard like Swinub does. So while using Phanpy, make sure to use some of its unique options, such as Endeavor or Counter, otherwise you may be running an inferior Gligar or Hippopotas. Being a Cranidos counter is also a nice niche for Phanpy, as very few Pokemon can be said to occupy that position.</p>
[Counters]
<p>For the Lead set, Ghost-types such as Gastly and Drifloon can put it to sleep, although they must watch out for Head Smash. They also have the choice of blasting Phanpy with strong STAB Shadow Balls. Bronzor also takes no considerable damage from Phanpy and proceeds to set up Stealth Rock and start attacking with Flash Cannon or Psychic.</p>
<p>For the Choiced sets, Bronzor almost completely walls Phanpy, as even a Choice Band boosted Superpower does less than 50% to it. In return, Bronzor can just either stall Phanpy out or attack it with Flash Cannon or Hidden Power Ice. Paras can switch in on anything but Head Smash and then threaten to Spore it or punish it with Seed Bomb. Mantyke is especially good, as it resists Superpower, is immune to Earthquake and takes little damage from Ice Shard. Almost any bulky Water can come in on Phanpy and scare it off, although Mantyke must beware of switching into a Head Smash.</p>
<p>The Endeavor set is easily revenge-killed, although one should watch out for sandstorm damage. The best way to deal with the Endeavor set is to just leave the Pokémon in, as you KO Phanpy before the turn ends. It’s a bit hard to counter the Endeavor set, as one Pokémon at least gets severely damaged, barring Ghost-types, who are again the best switch-in to Phanpy. Snover can also completely ruin Phanpy's strategy by inducing Hail, which will finish off Phanpy when the turn ends.</p>