Jurassic World
The Tour Completed
Yesterday we started our tour of fossil Pokemon by looking at Omastar, Kabutops, Aerodactyl and its mega evolution, Armaldo, and Cradily. Today, we finish our journey by looking at the rest of them. Let’s get started!
Rampardos
Base Stats
HP: 97
Attack: 165
Defense: 60
Special Attack: 65
Special Defense: 50
Speed: 58
Abilities
Mold Breaker: Moves can be used regardless of Abilities.
Sheer Force (Hidden Ability): Attacks gain power, but lose their secondary effect.
There are Pokémon with decent Attack stats. There are Pokémon with great Attack stats. There are Pokémon with ridiculous Attack stats. And then, and only then, there is Rampardos. Sporting a mind-blowing 165 base Attack and absolutely no other noteworthy stats, the Pachycephalosaurus Pokémon was made to do one thing- Head Smash its way to victory. Head Smash, its signature move, is a 150 base power STAB Rock type move for it to nuke anything it wants. Don't get me wrong, the Skull Fossil is dangerous, but far from a good Pokémon. Its low Speed and defenses make it difficult to utilize its strength to the fullest, but make no mistake- if it gets a good switch in, it will Head Smash its way through absolutely everything.
The Skull Fossil
Rampardos
Hold Item: Choice Band
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Speed, 4 HP
Head Smash
Crunch
Superpower
Zen Headbutt
This is it. This is the max Attack Choice Band set we've all been waiting for. It is so powerful that even bulky Pokémon that resist it are still 2HKO'd by Head Smash.
252+ Atk Choice Band Mold Breaker Rampardos Head Smash vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Golem: 192-226 (52.7 - 62%) -- guaranteed 2HKO.
The funny thing about this set though is that you use the threat of Head Smash to draw these Pokémon out and ultimately use Band Superpower to defeat them- using Mold Breaker to OHKO even through Sturdy. Like any choice set, this is all about prediction. However, Head Smash's power cannot be understated and can bust through even the most powerful wall. Because of Rampardos's pathetic defenses, it appreciates dual screens support to survive even weak hits. It’s also susceptible to many types of priority, but if played to its way-overpowered strengths, Rampardos will be rewarding, and fun, to use.
Bastiodon
Base Stats
HP: 60
Attack: 52
Defense: 168
Special Attack: 47
Special Defense: 138
Speed: 30
Abilities
Sturdy: The Pokémon is protected against OHKO attacks.
Soundproof (Hidden Ability): Gives full immunity to all sound-based moves.
STORM THE BASTILLE! And that is exactly what's going to happen if you use Bastiodon. Its name is a combination of the French Fort the “Bastille” and the Greek word for “tooth.” It's literally a Wall Dinosaur. The binary opposition of the offensively inclined Rampardos, Bastiodon has almost no attacking stats and titanic defensive stats. Not unlike the actual Titanic, Bastiodon was made to be unsinkable, but there was one flaw Game Freak didn't account for: hubris. With a Steel/Rock typing, it is x4 weak to both Fighting and Ground types, both of which can break their way right through this wall of a Pokémon. Additionally, it has a low HP stat and no form of recovery outside of Leftovers, meaning this Pokémon is not going to stand for more than a few hits. Our friend Rampardos can even use Mold Breaker to OHKO right through Sturdy. Simply speaking, this wall can be good at its job, but probably not for very long.
The Armor Fossil
Bastiodon
Hold Item: Leftovers
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 Special Defense, 252 HP, 4 Defense
Stealth Rock
Magic Coat
Toxic
Roar
The purpose of Stealth Rock is obvious. Magic Coat is to reflect predicted status moves, hazards and Taunt. Toxic is to deal damage, because Bastiodon's attacking stats are too low to do it otherwise. Roar is to phaze set up sweepers. Bastiodon is a very straight forward defensive Pokémon who can do this very well, so long as you avoid Fighting-type Pokémon and Earthquake.
Carracosta
Base Stats
HP: 74
Attack: 108
Defense: 133
Special Attack: 83
Special Defense: 65
Speed: 32
Abilities
Solid Rock: Powers down super-effective moves.
Sturdy: The Pokémon is protected against OHKO attacks.
Swift Swim (Hidden Ability): Boosts the Pokémon's Speed in rain.
I like turtles. The prehistoric sea turtle functions very similarly to Omastar except on the physical side. Utilizing Shell Smash and an already high Attack stat, Carracosta can be incredibly powerful once set up. And the fun thing about this fossil Pokémon is that by utilizing a great Defense stat and Solid Rock, it has no trouble setting up. The biggest problem Carracosta has is its 32 base speed. Even with a Shell Smash, it can still be outsped by many Pokémon. Even so, this Pokémon is incredibly dangerous and should be prepared for.
The Cover Fossil
Carracosta
Hold Item: Life Orb
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Speed, 252 Attack, 4 HP
Shell Smash
Waterfall
Stone Edge
Aqua Jet
With a 108 Attack before setting up, the turtle fossil is nothing short of terrifying after a Shell Smash. Its STABs compliment each other very well and give it great neutral coverage, allowing it to use Aqua Jet for killer priority. Bulky Grass types are still a problem for Carracosta, but once they're out of the way this Pokémon is very easy to use: set up with Shell Smash and go to town with the appropriate STAB.
Archeops
Base Stats
HP: 75
Attack: 140
Defense: 65
Special Attack: 112
Special Defense: 65
Speed: 110
Ability
Defeatist: Lowers stats when HP becomes half or less.
According to the Pokedex, Archeops is the First Bird Pokémon, but it really should be called the Defeatist Pokémon. Archeops should be in the Overused tier with offensive stats like it has (140/112/110) but thanks to its ability Defeatist, it is stuck in lower tiers. But down in lower tiers it is free to use its high offenses unrivaled. It has poor defenses and needs Stealth Rock to be off the field to operate well, but do not underestimate this bird. If you do, it will be the Defeater Pokémon.
The Plume Fossil
Archeops
Hold Item: None
Nature: Jolly/Naive
EVs: 252 Speed, 252 Attack, 4 HP/Special Attack
Acrobatics
Stone Edge
Earthquake/Earth Power
Roost/Head Smash
Acrobatics is Archeops' best Flying-type STAB option, and because the Flying Gem is not yet released in Gen VI, Archeops' best route is to forfeit an item. If you’re thinking Weakness Policy is a good idea, don't bet on it. Archeops' defenses are too weak to survive that kind of nonsense. Stone Edge is a good secondary STAB and has good coverage alongside Acrobatics. Earthquake/Earth Power gives good coverage for hitting Steel types that resist its STAB moves. Note that most Steel types have a higher Defense than Special Defense, so it really is not a bad option. Be aware that if you choose Earth Power you should switch to a Naive nature, and switch the HP EVs to Special Attack. Roost and Head Smash are slashed with each other but actually offer totally different play styles. Roost is to prolong Archeops' lifespan and prevent it from going into Defeatist range for as long as possible. Head Smash, on the other hand, is so that once your Attack is halved from Defeatist, you can still hit hard with a high powered STAB move (and likely faint in the process - who cares, it was going down eventually anyway).
Tyrantrum
Base Stats
HP: 82
Attack: 121
Defense: 119
Special Attack: 69
Special Defense: 59
Speed: 71
Abilities
Strong Jaw: The Pokémon's strong jaw gives it tremendous biting power.
Rock Head (Hidden Ability - Not Available): Protects the Pokémon from recoil damage.
Tyrantrum speaks to the child inside me - inside all of us. Game Freak must have said to themselves this generation, “Let's make a really freaking awesome Tyrannosaurus Pokémon,” and then did just that. And this T-Rex does not want to be fed; it wants to hunt. Because of its Rock/Dragon typing, it can and will do just that. With a high Attack stat, usable Speed and bulk, this dinosaur has all the tools it needs to succeed as a hunter.
The Jaw Fossil
Tyrantrum
Hold Item:Life Orb/Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Speed, 252 Attack, 4 HP
Rock Polish/Dragon Dance
Head Smash
Earthquake
Dragon Claw
This is a basic Dragon-type boosting set, albeit with a unique twist thanks to Tyrantrum's secondary Rock typing: Rock Polish. The Despot Pokémon's 71 base Speed can be patched up in one turn, and it will be free to attempt a sweep. Of course, this does not boost Tyrantrum's great Attack stat. If you want to do that, feel free to use Dragon Dance to boost both. Be wary though, you might need to use it twice in order to outspeed common threats. If you are using Rock Polish, Life Orb is probably the best item to maximize damage output. If you decide to use Dragon Dance, Lum Berry is the way to go to allow extra turns to set up. The downsides to this set come in the form of priority moves and Steel types. Tyrantrum will have a hard time getting around bulky Steel types, and is weak to two very common priority attacks (Bullet Punch and Mach Punch).
It’s worth pointing out that Tyrantrum’s unreleased ability is Rock Head, which would allow no recoil on Head Smash; a great combination to say the least. Too bad it's not available yet. Though they aren't mentioned on this set, Tyrantrum does get Crunch and the elemental fangs (Fire Fang, Ice Fang, Thunder Fang) to take advantage of Strong Jaw, but the coverage provided by them is inferior compared to the given set.
Aurorus
Base Stats
HP: 123
Attack: 77
Defense: 72
Special Attack: 99
Special Defense: 92
Speed: 58
Abilities
Refrigerate: Normal-type moves become Ice-type moves.
Snow Warning (Hidden Ability - Not Available): The Pokémon summons a hailstorm in battle.
There are a lot of weird Pokémon out there, and Aurorus would be a contender for one of the weirdest. I honestly don't know what to make of this thing. Immune to both Sandstorm and Hail, access to the coveted Bolt/Beam combination, dual screens, and a great offensive typing are some of the pros of this sauropod. Conversely, sub-par offensive and defensive stats, a comparatively shallow movepool, a horrendous defensive typing leaving it with a weakness to Stealth Rock and x4 weakness to Bullet Punch, Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch (and you thought Tyrantrum had it bad) are some of the cons. Here is my best guess at a set, but honestly, I’m really not 100% sure where to go with this fella.
The Sail Fossil
Aurorus
Hold Item: Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 Special Attack, 252 HP, Special Defense
Nature Power*
Thunderbolt
Freeze Dry
Psychic
*In battling conditions, Nature Power is Tri-Attack which is Ice Type thanks to Aurorus' ability Refrigerate.
The main goal of this set is to capitalize on the Tundra Pokémon's usable Special Attack stat and great coverage. Nature Power is the go-to STAB because of the power provided by Refrigerate. Thunderbolt hits most Pokémon that resist Ice for either neutral or super-effective damage. Freeze Dry might seem redundant alongside Thunderbolt (which hits Water types super-effectively) and Nature Power (which is an Ice-type STAB), but it has more utility than you'd think. It hits Pokémon like Quagsire, Gastrodon, and Swampert for a surprising x4 super-effectiveness. Psychic is for nailing Fighting types that get too cocky and switch in.
It’s worth noting that Aurorus' unreleased Dream World ability is Snow Warning, which summons a Hail Storm that provides a perfect accuracy STAB Blizzard. Once the ability gets released, Blizzard will be the STAB move of choice.
And that's all of them!
I have one very important question: who caught all of my Jurassic Park references? Can you point them out? And of course, what's your favorite Fossil Pokémon? For me, it has been Aerodactyl since Gen I. And of course, these are just the basics. If you want me to go into more depth on any of these, just let me know on Facebook or in the comments.
Bringing you back to the Land Before Time,
- Alltheginjoints.
- Alltheginjoints.
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