Cawmodore - By: %HeaLnDeaL
Cawmodore
Abilities: Intimidate, Volt Absorb
Type: Steel/Flying
Tier: CAP
Stats: 50/92/130/65/75/118
Overview
Cawmodore’s cousin Skarmory would kill to have access to some of the tools in this captain’s arsenal. Boasting two great defensive abilities and a very solid defensive stat, at first glance it seems as if Cawmodore would be destined to be a defensive Pokémon. However, the truth ends up being rather far from this; sacrificing half of its HP for immense power via the use of Belly Drum is Cawmodore’s true niche, and it is very arguably the best Pokémon in the metagame to use this rare move. 92 Attack might be lackluster under normal circumstances, but certainly not with a +6 boost. While it is limited by a low special defense, together with its typing, abilities, and high physical defense, Cawmodore usually has the ability to set and wreak havoc. In general, it fears only faster special attacking threats (that aren’t weak to its Bullet Punch) and the occasional extremely bulky physical wall. Cyclohm is widely regarded as the best Cawmodore counter/check, as it can take any hit and dish back a Flamethrower or Fire Blast. Under some circumstances, Cawmodore may be thought of as a high risk, high reward kind of Pokémon because of the devastating side effect of Belly Drum. However, the sheer havoc that it can cause when presented with the right set up opportunities is what makes Cawmodore a very present force in the CAP metagame.
Set: Offensive Belly Drum
Item: Sitrus Berry
Ability: Volt Absorb
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
-Belly Drum
-Acrobatics
-Bullet Punch
-Drain Punch
If you encounter a Cawmodore, chances are it will be this set. With no investment into HP, Cawmodore’s HP is an even number; this allows for it to use Belly Drum once and to immediately activate its Sitrus Berry. With its berry consumed, Acrobatics will have its BP doubled, allowing it to shred apart a plethora of Pokémon that don’t resist it. Bullet Punch is generally advised over Iron Head, as it allows Cawmodore to get the upper hand on some faster challengers. Additionally, another thing that is much too commonly overlooked is that using a priority move will always make a slower opponent’s Sucker Punch fail; this alone allows a well-played Cawmodore the off-chance to take out would-be counters such as Mega Mawile. Drain Punch is a staple in terms of coverage, and being able to recover some of the HP gained that was lost during set up is very much appreciated as well.
Though an Adamant nature may at times be tempting in order to capitalize on the extra power, having max Speed is really something that Cawmodore needs, otherwise it loses too many additional faster special attackers. Cawmodore falls into the speed trap too easily, and fortunately it can still have a Jolly nature and hit incredibly hard due to Belly Drum.
Chansey works as an amazing teammate. She can absorb the special attacks that Cawmodore fears. Furthermore, her ability to offer Wish support is something that is vastly appreciated by Cawmodore. Being able to heal 100% of Cawmodore’s health after a failed attempt at sweeping provides a layer of assurance that only makes Cawmodore that much more deadly.
Set: Bulky Belly Drum
Item: Sitrus Berry
Ability: Volt Absorb
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 236 HP / 20 Atk / 252 Spe
-Belly Drum
-Acrobatics
-Drain Punch
-Bullet Punch/Iron Head
This set plays almost exactly like the above one, with some added bulk at the sacrifice of some offensive power. Generally, it forces the necessity of a Belly Drum set up in order to deal any sort of real damage, but through the additional bulk it also makes it somewhat easier in order to complete this set up without fainting in the same turn. Iron Head is optional in pace of Bullet Punch on this set in order to make up for some of the loss to power, but Bullet Punch is still very much recommended in order to deal with faster threats.
The EVs allow for a clean 300 HP stat. 240 EVs would hypothetically allow for Cawmodore to survive 3 Seismic Tosses or Night Shades, but in practice this does not work out nearly as well, since Belly Drum and Drain Punch will mess with your HP stat throughout the battle. If desired, a few EV points can be allocated between HP and Atk to create slightly different combinations than the one listed above. While it might seem nice to buff its weak Special Defense stat with EVs or even a positive nature, Cawmodore really cannot sacrifice Speed for anything else. Assault Vest may seem good as an item alternative, but with it Cawmodore would have to use Drill Peck, which would cause a huge loss in power to a set that is already not as offensive as the primary option.
Once again, this set benefits greatly from Chansey Wish Support. Overall, the extra bulk actually allows Cawmodore to get into riskier situations, and without Wish support, this could end disastrously. If risky play is used, having back up options is very much appreciated, which also allows bulky Cawmodore to be paired fairly well with other bulky set-up sweepers as a safety net. Simply being able to risk setting up against foes that would KO normal Cawmodore does allow this bulky version to hold some merit. However, throwing caution to the wind is by no means what this set allow you to do, and you still have to delicately juggle risk-reward situations.
Other Options
Knock Off is an absolutely amazing move in this current generation, and Cawmodore can generally use it to great effect; it allows him to beat threats such as Aegislash. However, finding room for it on his set is definitely a challenge; usually, it replaces Bullet Punch the best, but Cawmodore is somewhat hindered with the loss of his priority STAB move. Drill Peck can be used alongside any non-consumable item, but the added power that Acrobatics offers is generally the superior choice. Iron Head trades speed for power with Bullet Punch, but once again Cawmodore is hindered without priority. Leftovers can at times be an adequate item, as in the long run it potentially offers more recovery over Sitrus Berry. However, Cawmodore really appreciates an immediate 25% HP restoration in most situations, as it makes it safer to Belly Drum, and without a consumable item Drill Peck has to be used over Acrobatics. Finally, Intimidate is by no means a bad ability and can provide some very useful extra physical bulk. However, Volt Absorb is generally better as it allows for extra switch in opportunities and trades a would-be weakness for an immunity.
Checks and Counters
In a nutshell, watch out for Cyclohm and faster Special Attackers, such as Greninja. Aegislash and Rocky Helmet Skarmory generally can take a few hits, but the former has to be careful switching in as Acrobatics still hurts when not in Shield Form and Cawmodore can use Drain Punch in order to avoid the effects of King’s Shield. Skarmory is always slower than Cawmodore, which allows it to roost without fear of a super effective Drain Punch hitting it; whirlwind in turn is a great way to phaze Cawmodore out. Haze is also a viable option, and Reflect/Haze Prankster Tomohawk can’t flat out counter Cawmodore, but can mess with it under the right circumstances. Generally, bulky or speedy Will-O-Wispers can also cripple Cawmodore, of which Sableye and Rotom-W are quite notable. Glare is the most reliable method of inflicting Paralysis upon Cawmodore as well; this in itself makes it very difficult for a Cawmodore to switch into a Malaconda (even though a Malaconda can do nothing to a Cawmodore that is already out on the field).