Overview
Marowak-A rose from the ashes of July25 to become the most formidable wallbreaker of September25, if not its best Pokémon altogether. Being both the only Fire-type and the only Ghost-type Pokémon, it enjoys a unique defensive and offensive profile which grants it many opportunities in a grass, bug, and fighting-filled metagame. Thanks to Thick Club which doubles its attack stat, close to nothing wants to switch into its Flare Blitz and coverage options, and its access to Flame Charge lets it run away with games if left unchecked. Sitting at 50% usage in September, it ended the month as the single most used Pokémon. As such, every serious team in the format should have a plan against it.
Swords Dance
Marowak-Alola @ Thick Club
Ability: Rock Head / Lightning Rod
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Flare Blitz
- Flame Charge
- Shadow Bone / Poltergeist / Thunder Punch / Earthquake
This set aims to blow holes in teams using Swords Dance to raise Marowak-A’s high attack in an unwallable stratosphere, whilst giving it the option to overcome its biggest weakness, speed. Flare Blitz is Marowak-A’s strongest STAB option and is very spammable with its ability Rock Head, and also hits most of the metagame for at least neutral damage. Flame Charge is used to raise Marowak-A’s otherwise poor speed while still hitting surprisingly hard as a STAB thanks to the Pokémon’s doubled attack stat. This lets it outspeed its answers and sometimes allows it to clean entire teams. Shadow Bone is Marowak-A’s most common fourth option as it offers great neutral coverage against a normal-type deficient metagame, whilst being a great option in the mirror. Poltergeist can also be used, trading reliability for a higher base power. Earthquake offers decent coverage against Clodsire and Overqwil while Thunder Punch hits the various water types such as Milotic or Crawdaunt trying to switch into Flare Blitz. Finally, Lightning Rod may be used over Rock Head to grant Marowak-A switch-in opportunities on Galvantula, Thunder Wave Grimmsnarl, and some opposing Marowak-As, at the cost of Flare Blitz now chipping away at its HP.
Other Options
Some offensive sets might forego one of Flame Charge or Swords Dance to fit in more coverage, making Marowak-A less of a Set-Up Sweeper and more of a dedicated Wallbreaker. Such sets aim to blow holes in defensive cores so that teammates such as Scolipede, Torterra or Lucario may clean up later during the game. It’s also possible to forego Thick Club in favor of Heavy-Duty Boots on more utility-focussed sets that may use Stealth Rocks, Will-O-Wisp, Knock Off, or a combination of Fire Spin and Perish Song to trap some answers like Clodsire. However, such sets carry a hefty opportunity cost, being dwarfed in efficiency by the usual offensive set.
Team Options
Marowak-A’s partner in crime is Grimmsnarl, which, thanks to a combination of Prankster Screens and Parting Shot, helps Marowak-A find opportunities to set up. This core finds itself played on not just Hyper Offense, but also Bulky Offense and Balance teams.
Marowak-A also appreciates Stealth Rocks being on the opposite side of the field, as it helps to whittle down its checks into range, Rocks setters include Clodsire and Empoleon. On the flipside Maworwak-Alola hates Stealth Rocks because of it's inability to run Heavy-Duty-Boots; Hazard Removers include Avalugg and more importantly Florges who can Baton Pass to Marowak safely after Defog.
Finally, Marowak-A is an excellent choice on breaking cores aiming to overwhelm defensive cores. Stacking set up breakers like Scolipede, Lucario, Crawdaunt, Feraligatr, and Toxicroak, pressures Marowak's defensive checks, the last 3 in particular being great switch-ins to incoming Water moves.
Checks and Counters
Marowak has no consistent defensive switches, but it’s most common defensive switch is Milotic, which can come in on unboosted Marowak-Alola relatively comfortably. With 40 Speed EVs, Milotic outspeeds Marowak-A and thus forces it out with the threat of Scald or even an OHKO from stronger water moves if invested in SpA. Thanks to Recover, it can shrug off the damage from a supereffective Thunder Punch, and with Haze or Dragon Tail, it can phaze Marowak-As boosts.
Other common Water Types such as Crawdaunt & Feraligatr, while less reliable than Milotic (because of their lack of reliable recovery outside of Iron Defense Rest Crawdaunt), can also switch in on Flare Blitz or Shadow Bone and threaten Marowak-Alola back with the threat of a faster OHKO.
While Marowak resists or is immune to most forms of priority this month, Crawdaunt in particular is great for revenge killing Marowak thanks to its Adaptability-boosted Aqua Jet. Toxicroak's uncommon Sucker Punch can also give it trouble.
Overqwil, thanks to being part Dark-type and Intimidate, can also switch into some Marowak sets with the right reads.
By far the most reliable way to handle Marowak-A is not letting it switch-in or set up safely by keeping up Offensive Pressure and entry hazards. A lot of top Pokémon in September25 like Clodsire, Scolipede, Torterra, or Avalugg carry Earthquake, making it hard for Marowak-Alola to find room to get in. Even a Pokémon like Chesnaught, which is on paper an easy target because of its fire weakness, wins the 1v1 thanks to its crippling Knock Off and combination of Speed EVs, Iron Defense, and Synthesis.
Written by Gravity Monkey & AlfrexFrostStaff
GC by Essence