Poliwhirl NU

Poliwhirl @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb / Damp
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hypnosis / Substitute
- Belly Drum
- Earthquake / Return
- Hidden Power [Rock]

Poliwhirl is perhaps the only viable drummer in the tier. There are three things that put Poli on the pedestal, first and foremost is 90 base speed, second, is hypnosis. Hypnosis actually seems a little gimmicky to me, as it only hits 60% of the time and poliwhirl is too frail to miss however, hypnosis/water absorb may allow it to switch in for free for a set up opportunity or an attempt at sleeping whatever switches in, for hit and run sleep attempts. Lastly is damp. Damp will allow Poliwhirl to act as a lead vs opposing Glalie. Just drum first turn, sub second or attack vs glalie since you outspeed it and can ohko after a drum. Substitute is superior on a lead Poliwhirl, and probably superior in general. Earthquake has good raw power and coverage with hp rock, return hits slightly harder but is walled by rock/steel walls.

http://www.smogon.com/dex/rs/pokemon/poliwhirl
 

Disaster Area

formerly Piexplode
Poliwhirl (F) @ Salac Berry
Trait: Damp
EVs: 36 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Def / 204 Spd
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SDef / 30 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Belly Drum
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Substitute

Imo this is the best set for Lead Whirl; you outspeed up to max base 83s (Magby) before a boost and the whole meta afterwarsd. The HP EVs allow belly drum+sub to put you in salac range. Attack is then maximised. It's a pretty solid lead since it matches up great versus basically every lead other than Venomoth and the strongest CBer leads (calcs though)
Choice Band Hitmonchan Sky Uppercut vs. Poliwhirl: 273-322 (97.5 - 115%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO [can miss though!]
Choice Band Relicanth Double-Edge vs. Poliwhirl: 232-274 (82.8 - 97.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO [never OHKOs! without a crit anyways]
Choice Band Sudowoodo Hidden Power Rock vs. Poliwhirl: 219-258 (78.2 - 92.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Choice Band Sudowoodo Focus Punch vs. Poliwhirl: 311-366 (111 - 130.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Poliwhirl Earthquake vs. Hitmonchan: 93-110 (38.4 - 45.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Poliwhirl Earthquake vs. Relicanth: 122-144 (30.4 - 35.9%) -- 42.5% chance to 3HKO
Poliwhirl Earthquake vs. Sudowoodo: 137-162 (39.8 - 47%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Otherwise good stuff, but I'd just mention other coverage options and Hypnosis in OO; Moth does being a sleep lead better, but this is probably the best glalie-abusing lead. Not much can take a hit from it (bulkyish chime is the most likely thing though, or maybe a tangela).
 

Disaster Area

formerly Piexplode
Double posting because it's nicer than editing a post.
[06:31] Tycoon Prozac: No, I am not interested in authoring I just am excited to see smogon updated with more info

[Overview]
Poliwhirl has a peculiar mixture of traits that allow it to be an effective lead in ADV NU. Base 90 Speed is fantastic, and allows it to outspeed the most important lead, Glalie, and its movepool includes 2 key moves in Belly Drum and Hypnosis. Whilst Hypnosis looks the more useful for a lead at first, Ponyta and Venomoth do a similar or better job as a Base 90 Spe Sleep-inducing Lead. Instead, Poliwhirl's main toy is Belly Drum, which combined with Damp makes it an incredibly effective Glalie anti-lead, that also can OHKO various Fire type leads (realistically any other than Ponyta, Torkoal and some Flareon).

[SET]
name: First Off, On The Drums
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Hidden Power [Rock]
move 4: Substitute
item: Salac Berry
ability: Damp
evs: 36 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Def / 204 Spd
ivs: 30 Def / 30 SDef / 30 Spd
nature: Jolly

[SET COMMENTS]
- Damp prevents Glalie exploding on you. Belly Drum if you predict it will Attack (typically Ice Beam or Earthquake), or Substitute if you predict it will switch. Either option is about as good if it decides to Taunt or use Spikes. Note that Taunt's effect only lasts a single turn in this generation. The HP EVs allow you to get into Salac range with just Belly Drum + 1 Substitute.
- Earthquake + Hidden Power Rock provides perfect neutral coverage. +6 HP Rock OHKOs 252/0 Glalie (Earthquake only has a 50% chance however!).
Glalie Crunch vs. Poliwhirl: 109-129 (38.9 - 46%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Glalie Ice Beam vs. Poliwhirl: 96-114 (34.2 - 40.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Glalie Earthquake vs. Poliwhirl: 84-99 (30 - 35.3%) -- 27.5% chance to 3HKO

[Additional Comments]
- Should only really be played as a lead.
- The Speed EVs allow it to outspeed the whole metagame at +1, and to outspeed Max Speed magby and slower without a boost.
- Offensive Pokemon that like to have a smaller amount of Spikes up make good partners.

[Other Options]
- Hypnosis, but generally Ponyta/Venomoth do it better.
- Water Absorb and Hypnosis could work later on in the game to get a sneaky set-up opportunity, but it's even less consistent than the lead.

[Checks and Counters]
- Glalie with Taunt generally messes it up a little, but it can always Drum first turn, and it can usually take a Pokemon down even without the Speed boost.
- Leads that matchup fine versus it: Venomoth and Ponyta outspeed and can Sleep it, although Ponyta risks being somewhat inconsistent with Hypnosis' poor accuracy. Any CB lead (Hitmonchan, Relicanth, Sudowoodo) generally beats it.
- Pokemon that beat it after it KOs lead Glalie etc: Wailord, Chimecho, Tangela (particularly physically defensive, which can allow Glalie to just spam Spikes till you kill it), as well as probably a handful of others can safely be brought in. Anything with reasonably high-powered priority (E.g. Pidgeot or Raticate Quick Attack, Hitmonchan Mach Punch, etc.) should be able to revenge it if it doesn't have a Substite up.
 
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Piex why even use Ponyta/Magby and stuff when this is an even better Glalie anti-lead with more overall use? I mean its faster than Glalie,and can always force a one for one at MINIMUM due to Damp,and it of course goes without saying that it can terrorize slower teams,that don't carry Tangela(Defensive I don't think SunnyBeam version can check BellyWhirl effectively),or something of it's ilk,that can check even a +6 Poliwhirl. Especially looking at the popular stall teams atm,I don't think that there is too much stopping Poliwhirl from such Belly Drumming turn 1 ,and going clean through the opposition!
 

Disaster Area

formerly Piexplode
Because the fire types directly force glalie out, with 0 layers of spikes up, and provide an offensive presence without the need to boost, and can do it multiple times.
 

Bughouse

Like ships in the night, you're passing me by
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Poliwhirl should be using HP Flying, not HP Rock. Hits Tangela harder (which is needed) at no cost. Everything else is already dying at +6 anyway.
 
thats the amazing -def nature Glalie!

vs 252 HP glalie which is seen as well, the calc is:

+6 Poliwhirl Earthquake vs. Glalie: 334-394 (91.7 - 108.2%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
+6 Poliwhirl Hidden Power Rock vs. Glalie: 469-552 (128.8 - 151.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

I think HP Rock should be the #1 slash since a big part of this set is taking advantage of Glalie, but HP Flying has enough merits to be mentioned
 

Bughouse

Like ships in the night, you're passing me by
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
thats the amazing -def nature Glalie!

vs 252 HP glalie which is seen as well, the calc is:

+6 Poliwhirl Earthquake vs. Glalie: 334-394 (91.7 - 108.2%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
+6 Poliwhirl Hidden Power Rock vs. Glalie: 469-552 (128.8 - 151.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

I think HP Rock should be the #1 slash since a big part of this set is taking advantage of Glalie, but HP Flying has enough merits to be mentioned
well tbh I wasn't going to question the entire point of the set but fine now I will. Leading Poliwhirl itself is just not a good idea and I fundamentally disagree with using this mon as an "anti-lead" to glalie. You're muuuuuch better off using Hitmonchan or Magby (slash other Fire type) for that purpose, imo.

The poliwhirl I have used is in non-lead positions where it is much better suited tbh... set up on shit like a statused mon midgame and win - not set up on turn 1 and get easily stopped.

Poliwhirl @ Salac Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 104 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Belly Drum
- Earthquake
- Substitute
- Hidden Power [Flying]

EVs outrun everything easily once +1 is acquired (you're not gonna be able to set up on Huntail or Sunnybeamers anyway). But still enough speed to outrun Adamant Hitmonchan naturally, cuz HP Flying does a good chunk if needed. 104 HP gets it to as much HP as possible with divisible by 4, rest in Def.
 

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