Purugly [NU]

Purugly



Typing:
Normal (Weak to Fighting type) (Immune to Ghost type)

Abilities:
Thick Fat
Own Tempo
Defiant (Hidden)

Stats:
HP: 71
Attack: 82
Defense: 64
Special Attack: 64
Special Defense: 59
Speed: 112

BST (Base Stat Total): 452

Notable Moves:

Offensive:
Aerial Ace
Bulldoze
Facade
Fake Out
Foul Play
Iron Tail
Knock Off
Play Rough
Quick Attack
Return
Shadow Claw
Sucker Punch
Super Fang
U-Turn
Wake-Up Slap
Hyper Voice
Shadow Ball
Thunderbolt

Non-Offensive:
Assist
Hone Claws
Hypnosis
Rain Dance
Roar
Sunny Day
Taunt
Torment
Toxic
Work Up

Description:

Purugly has lingered in the shadows of NU for far too long, and Generation Six has bestowed major buffs upon it, both intentional and unintentional. The first boon is that Purugly now has access to Play Rough, allowing it to nail Fighting, Dark and Dragon types for gnarly super effective damage. Along with this, Purugly can use Iron Tail to nail Fairy, Rock and Ice types for super effective damage. To add icing on the cake, ghost moves were buffed to not be resisted by Steel anymore, meaning that Purugly can leave a nasty surprise for Aegislash should you happen to use him in OU thanks to access to Shadow Claw. Down in NU you can abuse Wake-Up Slap to your hearts content as well. Why is this all possible. Purugly has a fantastic 112 base speed, which is almost unmatched even up in the chaos of OU. But the actual flavor that helps put all this together is none other than Hone Claws. Hone Claws is what allows Purugly to be viable in combination with its perfectly adapted movepool (with many powerful moves having shaky accuracy). Not only this, but Purugly is also blessed with Thick Fat, allowing it to take Fire and Ice hits far better than its Normal type competitors. Purugly has so many other niche options, but unfortunately not all is good for our feline friend, as Purugly still has mediocre bulk and a daunting weakness to Fighting types. Granted this can be mitigated somewhat by access to Super Effective boosted Play Rough, but it's still annoying nonetheless. If you can push through Purugly's flaws, you'll be prepared to claw up your whole opponent's team.

Set #1: Hone Claws

Purugly @ Life Orb
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hone Claws
- Iron Tail
- Play Rough
- Return / Shadow Claw

Set Description:

Use Hone Claws, then attack, it's a pretty simple set. Iron Tail is mainly meant for nailing Faeries and Rock types that you would otherwise have some hard problems with. Play Rough is possible the best move on this set, nailing Fighting types that try to switch in for gnarly super effective damage along with Dark and Dragon types. Both Iron Tail and Play Rough now have raised accuracy due to Hone Claws and this is why they work so well here. The last slot is a toss-up. Return is good for STAB but unfortunately Normal STAB isn't what it used to be anymore. Shadow Claw is nice for nailing Ghosts and Psychics for Super Effective damage and Steel for Neutral.

Set #2: Hone Hypnosis

Purugly @ Life Orb
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hone Claws
- Hypnosis
- Wake-Up Slap
- Return / Play Rough / Iron Tail

Set Description:

Another interesting set, use Hone Claws to boost your Attack and Accuracy, then rely on your high speed to put your opponent to sleep. What's special about this set though, is that Purugly also has access to Wake-Up Slap. Allowing it to use a 140 Base Power Fighting move to wake up an opponent. This is especially helpful when dealing with annoying Steel types. The last slot is a toss-up depending on the type of coverage that you need. Return for STAB, Play Rough for Fighting, Dark and Dragon, and Iron Tail for Faeries, Rocks and Ice types.

Set #3: Utility

Purugly @ Leftovers
Ability: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Super Fang
- Taunt / Roar / Knock Off
- Torment / Roar / Knock Off
- U-Turn

Set Description:

This set is possibly one of the most annoying sets you can run. Super Fang really is a fantastic move. Take down half of an opponent's HP (or Taunt it before hand), Torment and U-Turn will keep momentum going and possibly get you some free switches. The general goal of this set is to just completely annoying the living piss out of your opponent. You could instead use Roar to phase your opponent out as Torment isn't the most useful move at times. If this still doesn't work for you, Knock Off is another perfectly viable option that allows you to possibly incapacitate multiple opponents by removing their items.

Other Options:

Purugly has numerous other options. Access to two forms of priority in STAB Quick Attack and Sucker Punch are available, but more often than not Purugly's fast speed will mitigate the need for these. Fake Out gets STAB and is always useful if you can figure out a way to fit it onto one of the sets. Facade and Foul Play are both viable options as well. A Work Up set could work given that Purugly's Special Attack isn't TOO low, and it gets access to STAB Hyper Voice, Shadow Ball, and Thunderbolt. A mixed set would be the best option for that. Purugly can also set Rain and Sun up quite well due to its high speed.