Hawlucha in PvP: What Is and What May Have Been

Howdy people! Final week was fairly busy and this week will likely be too, beginning with an occasion that’s winding down… the long-awaited arrival of HAWLUCHA!

Evaluation under will evaluate Hawlucha as it’s now and because it ALMOST was, however first let’s kick it off with our Backside Line Up Entrance!

B.L.U.F.

• Oh, how Hawlucha misses each strikes it misplaced simply earlier than launch.
• As a Combating/Flying sort, even with the nerfs, Hawlucha nonetheless has distinct benefits versus different Combating sorts and stays at the very least fascinating in Fighter-heavy codecs.
• Its Nice League viability took the most important hit, however it stays fascinating sufficient to contemplate in Extremely League nonetheless, particularly Extremely Premier.

Yeah, as you may inform, I’m somewhat bummed about this one. I perceive why Niantic selected to intestine its moveset earlier than launch, as they selected to launch it as a restricted regional (don’t you simply love these?!), and made one of the best of a pair unhealthy selections: have a very good Pokémon launched to a small slice of the world and face widespread complaints about its restricted availability, or make it not so nice and as a substitute face criticism solely from that restricted slice of the participant base (and sure PvP analysts)? They selected the latter, which is admittedly wise. However nonetheless, your humble writer has been wanting ahead to Hawlucha since its authentic moveset was revealed again in November of 2020.

However sufficient blabbering. We’ll get to these strikes in a minute. First let’s have a look at the Wrestling Pokémon itself.

HAWLUCHA Stats and Strikes

Hawlucha

CombatingFlying

Nice League Stats

Extremely League Stats

Beginning with the stats… they’re fairly alright for a Fighter. It’s bulkier than issues like Machamp, Toxicroak, Sneasler, Heracross and most different meta Combating sorts, although much less so than Poliwrath, Chesnaught, Scrafty, and barely much less so than Kommo-O. The closest comparisons I can discover are Buzzwole and Hitmonchan, who’ve just about the identical Assault and better Protection, although Hawlucha has compensatingly greater HP. All that to say… it’s on the cumbersome facet of profitable PvP Fighters.

The typing is essentially the most fascinating half. Like Galarian Zapdos earlier than it, Hawlucha is a Flying Fighter, giving it a pure resistance to Combating harm coming again its method. Past that, Hawlucha retains the identical vulnerabilities (Psychic, Fairy, and sarcastically, Flying) and resistances (Bug and Darkish) as different Fighters, although the usual resistance to Rock now turns into impartial as a substitute. From the Flying facet, Hawlucha doubles up the Bug resistance, in addition to a double resistance to Floor and a single to Grass. On the vulnerability facet, Electrical and Ice pop up now. In the long run, that leaves it with 5 weaknesses and 5 resistances, although two of these resistances are doubled up, which is sweet.

Okay okay, time for these strikes now. I’ll go away the unique strikes that have been eliminated earlier than launch within the record, simply crossed out, and we’ll discuss them a bit later too.

Quick Strikes

• Poison Jab – Poison sort, 3.5 DPT, 3.5 EPT, 1.0 CoolDown
• Low Kick – Combating sort, 2.0 DPT, 2.5 EPT, 1.0 CD
• Wing Assault – Flying sort, 2.5 DPT, 4.0 EPT, 1.0 CD

Yep, Hawlucha was all set to reap the benefits of buffed Wing Assault, however alas, it was unceremoniously eliminated simply earlier than launch. Now it’s left with an unusable Low Kick (the irony of low kick on a Flying Pokémon is just not misplaced to me) and non-STAB Poison Jab, which admittedly is an excellent transfer, simply not very synergistic on a Combating Pokémon. (Simply ask Fighters like Toxicroak, Sneasler, Buzzwole, and Kommo-O who’ve Jab however principally NEVER wish to use it.)

Fortunately there may be some actually good news among the many cost strikes, although once more a tragic word on what’s not within the repertoire.

Cost Strikes

• Energy-Up Punch – Combating sort, 20 harm, 35 power, Raises Consumer Assault +1 Stage
• X-Scissor – Bug sort, 45 harm, 35 power
• Flying Press – Combating sort, 90 harm, 40 power
• Aerial Ace – Flying sort, 55 harm, 45 power
• Sky Assault – Flying sort, 75 harm, 45 power

So first, pouring one out for what was misplaced: Sky Assault. I and different analysts usually mock/lament Aerial Ace, as a result of whereas it’s viable sufficient (viable-ish, at the very least), once you stack it up towards, say, Sky Assault (which offers 20 extra harm for a similar value), it turns into blatantly apparent simply HOW mediocre Aerial Ace is. So when Ace was added and Sky Assault faraway from Hawlucha’s moveset simply earlier than it was launched, you could possibly most likely hear the groans from most corners of the earth.

SO distasteful is Aerial Ace that a number of early movies I’ve seen of Hawlucha in GBL haven’t run Ace in any respect, however as a substitute Energy-Up Punch main into the incredible cost transfer that it obtained to maintain: Flying Press. How good is it? Psystrike and Avalanche are thought of to be superb PvP strikes (and they’re), however Flying Press offers the identical 90 harm for five much less power. The identical is true of unique strikes Fusion Flare and Fusion Bolt… 45 power for 90 harm, whereas Flying Press does the identical for under 40 power. V-Create offers 5 extra harm for a similar 40 power, however comes with a 3x nerf to the consumer’s Protection. Flying Press comes with zero drawbacks.

Yeah, it’s a tremendous PvP transfer. So superb that solely Hawlucha and Pikachu Libre have it!

Anyway, you may run it alongside PuP for baits and buffs, or with Aerial Ace if you would like additional protection. That stated… the one method Ace offers higher protection is that if Flying Press is double resisted, or if Press is resisted and Ace is tremendous efficient. As a pair straightforward examples, towards a Poison sort like Nidoqueen (Combating resisted, Flying impartial), Press still deals 1 more damage than Ace, and is in fact 5 power cheaper. Towards, say, a fellow Fighter like Machamp, Press offers impartial and Ace offers tremendous efficient harm, but Press deals 3 more damage than Ace, and once more, for five much less power. You must go towards one thing like Medicham {resists Press and takes tremendous efficient from Ace) to find a case where Ace is better than simply spamming Flying Press as usually as potential. Maybe it’s clearer now why some gamers are giving up protection fully and simply going with straight, all-Combating energy.

HAWLUCHA IN GREAT LEAGUE

That each one stated, whichever method you go, Hawlucha is in a rather sad state in Great League. (It’s no better with PuP/FP either.) Apart from maybe extra constant wins over outstanding Floor sorts or issues with potent Floor strikes (G-Fisk, Diggersby, Swampert, Dunsparce) and a pair Grass sorts (Venusaur, Shadow Vic), Hawlucha does the very fundamental Combating job versus a smattering of Darks and/or Normals. And never even constantly that, with large names like Registeel and many of the main Ice sorts all getting away. And regardless of the obvious benefits you’d count on of a Flying sort, Hawlucha goes out and loses to the identical Fighters many different Combating sorts do: Medicham, Toxicroak, Sneasler and others.

Is that extra the fault of lacking out on Sky Assault or Wing Assault? Properly, Sky Attack in place of Aerial Ace truly adjustments surprisingly little, with Medicham transferring to the win column (which might be nice), however nothing else of explicit word. The bigger subject appears to be not having Wing Assault, as that makes a massive difference. Even with mediocre Ace, new wins present up like Registeel, Walrein, Toxicroak, Trevenant, Drapion, Snarl Mandibuzz and extra. (And Medicham exhibits up once more too.) Including Sky Attack into that mix once more strikes the needle little or no general, with Sableye now happening however no different significantly notable new wins. So it’s fairly clear… nearly as good a transfer as Poison Jab is on paper, it’s the lack of Wing Assault that torpedoes Hawlucha’s Nice League viability greater than anything. Disgrace.

HAWLUCHA IN ULTRA LEAGUE

The hole in Extremely League is somewhat bit nearer, and Hawlucha a bit more competitive with its new, hobbled moveset. (Arguably even a tad higher with PuP instead of AA, selecting up a neat win over Powder Snow Alolan Ninetales.) Hawlucha as soon as once more snipes key Darkish and/or Regular sorts, plus some Steels and Rocks and Ices (G-Fisk, Cobalion, Aurorus, Walrein, ) you’ll count on a Fighter to beat, and a number of other key Fighters and Grasses and Bugs you’ll count on a Flyer to beat (Shadow Machamp, Poliwrath, Virizion, Venusaur, Buzzwole, Escavalier, and many others.), with bonuses like Drapion, A-Muk, and Mandibuzz. That’s truly not a foul efficiency general.

However sure, with its now-lost strikes… oh, the lost potential. Simply having Sky Attack within the present combine would usher in Tapu Fini and Toxicroak, however the large positive aspects once more include Wing Assault: Trevenant, Shadow Swampert, Toxicroak, Scizor, and Empoleon with Wing Attack/Flying Press/Aerial Ace, and Gliscor, Nidoqueen, Jellicent, and Tapu Fini on high of that with WA/FP/Sky Attack.

However sure, Hawlucha IS viable in Extremely League even now, and maybe even moreso in Ultra Premier that’s supposedly coming again in future seasons. It IS costly to construct (slipping far into XL territory), however I can see it making some noise for many who do select to speculate. And any future transfer updates — or simply being in the suitable meta, like a return of Combating Cup — may actually push it excessive.

Alright, that’s all I obtained for right now. Colour Cup evaluation (and Pageant of Colours evaluation) doubtless developing subsequent, after which the brand new Regis forward of their Elite Raids, amongst different initiatives! Till then, you may all the time discover me on Twitter with near-daily PvP evaluation nuggets or Patreon, in the event you’re feeling additional beneficiant.

Keep protected on the market, and catch you subsequent time, Pokéfriends!

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