Audino (Normal)

[DoW]

Audino (Normal)

Overview

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With ORAS came a Mega Stone for Audino, a previously unusable pokemon. With the ability to Mega Evolve, it now gets a Normal/Fairy typing (allowing it to take Fighting hits neutrally), alongside very strong base defenses. This isn't to say it's perfect now: Mega Medicham still 2HKOs it with High Jump Kick, and its new ability, Healer, is useless in singles where its old ability of Regenerator was very useful. However it boasts a usable movepool including both supporting moves and fairy attacks that get STAB, and improved stats alongside its new typing. It forms a strong core alongside Chansey as a physical wall to support Chansey’s special bulk, and it has thus gained a very valuable niche on Bulkier Normal teams.

Physically Defensive

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Audino @ Audinoite

Ability: Regenerator

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Bold Nature

- Wish

- Protect

- Heal Bell / Calm Mind

- Dazzling Gleam

Moves

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This set is the most useful one for a bulky or stall Normal team. Combined with Chansey, it forms an extremely strong defensive core that can be very difficult to break through. While it doesn't have access to instant reliable recovery, the combination of Wish and Protect allows it semi-reliable recovery, while Protect can also be useful in scouting choiced moves (especially from Specs Keldeo), and for threatening to cause Mega Medicham to take recoil damage when attempting to use High Jump Kick. It has its downsides as it creates a weakness to phazing, can be easy to scout, and still requires mindgames against Medicham to work well, but it allows it to pass some very respectable 205 HP wishes to teammates low on health, such as Ditto or Assault Vest Meloetta.

Heal Bell allows it to remove status from both itself and other members of the team. Cleric support of this kind is a necessity for stall teams, as otherwise a single toxic user can single-handedly break the entire team. It also helps support more offensive pokemon on the team, as removing burns helps physical attackers while toxic can stop setup sweepers from doing well. Alternatively, Calm Mind allows Audino to function as a late-game cleaner, which is a very useful tool to have on a stall team as it can finish a game once the opposing team is sufficiently weakened, whereas without one a badly-timed crit could still lose the game. At +1, Audino can beat a huge number of threats, such as Choice Specs Keldeo and Mega Charizard Y, while the move also allows Audino to beat the ever-dangerous Calm Mind Mega Sableye. 

Dazzling Gleam rounds off the moveset, and is a key move as it allows Mega Audino to beat dangerous threats such as Keldeo or Mega Altaria. Flamethrower could be considered for beating the steel-types that are prominent in the metagame and that Audino otherwise can’t touch; however the loss of STAB and the usefulness of fairy-type coverage means this shouldn’t be considered over Dazzling Gleam. Equally, the usefulness of both Calm Mind and Heal Bell mean that replacing the third moveslot for it shouldn’t really be considered either.

Set Details

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Audinite is the only option for the item as the improved typing, alongside better stats, are what make Audino viable. Regenerator is a great ability pre-mega, as it allows Audino to switch out and heal a little if it hasn’t had an opportunity to Mega Evolve yet. The EVs are standard, as they allow Audino to act as well as possible in its role as a physical wall, while also giving it the best statline possible after a Calm Mind boost. The EVs and natural bulk, combined with the typing, allow it to wall threats such as Kyurem-B and Dragonite with ease; giving this up to allow it to wall other threats or outspeed certain things isn’t worthwhile. 

Team Options

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As has been mentioned before, Chansey is an extremely strong pokemon on bulky and stall Normal teams, and should definitely be used; there is little reason to run this pokemon without also using Chansey. Scarf Ditto is also extremely useful to Audino, as setup sweepers are one of the best ways to beat this pokemon and Ditto is capable of forcing opponents to be very careful with setup, with a well-timed switch causing the setup to be used against them. Assault Vest Meloetta can also be very useful, as it beats many taunt users such as Gliscor, Mew, and Heatran, and also beats Choice Specs Keldeo which can otherwise threaten the core if Mega Audino doesn't have a Calm Mind boost already. Other bulky pokemon, such as physically defensive Staraptor and Porygon2 can also be very useful in helping this pokemon wall powerful threats, with Staraptor also providing defog support. Offensive pokemon can also be very useful, such as Porygon-Z, offensive Staraptor or Diggersby, and these appreciate the Heal Bell and Wish support in return.

Other Options

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A bulky set is really the only viable set for Audino, as on offensive teams this pokemon is outclassed by Mega Lopunny and Mega Pidgeot, so an offensive spread should not be considered. Instead, the set should focus on forming a strong defensive core with Chansey, as this is its main niche.

Encore is an alternative option for the third slot, as this prevents setup sweepers from being a big threat, especially when paired with a ditto. However, it is useful far less often than the other two options, so should only be considered if the other options are definitely not needed on the team. Replacing Protect with another move might seem promising, however without protect it struggles to beat many of the fighting-types that it needs to beat. Flamethrower might look promising for helping beat steel types, however this not only stops it from beating a number of fighting-type threats and Sableye, but also struggles to do its job due to a low Special Attack stat. For example, Mega Scizor tanks a flamethrower taking only 52.4 - 62.9% from the attack, while taunt Heatran can come in and ruin the Normal player's day. On the topic of Taunt, replacing Dazzling Gleam with a status move such as Toxic is also not viable due to Mega Audino becoming taunt bait, which can easily lead to the team struggling with pokemon that run taunt such as Gliscor, Mew or Heatran. Being able to attack, even if weakly, will still allow pressure to be applied to these pokemon and thus allow an appropriate check or counter to be brought in more easily. Putting Toxic elsewhere on the set is simply outclassed by its other options. 

Checks & Counters

**Steel- and Poison-types:** Even at +6, Dazzling Gleam won’t 2HKO most bulky steels, while it struggles to avoid a 2HKO from most decently powerful Steel attacks (Banded Scizor has a 95% chance to 2HKO). Similarly, Poison types can often stall it out relatively easily, while some can do decent amount of damage to it. Some Fire-types can stall it regardless of boosts, as well.

**Taunt users:** While this pokemon runs Dazzling Gleam, it struggles to deal with taunt users such as Heatran or Gengar due to its weak Special Attack stat and lack of coverage. Once taunted, it is simply a case of out-damaging it until it faints or switches.

**Setup Sweepers:** Although this pokemon is capable of running Calm Mind, pokemon with other setup moves such as Dragon Dance or Swords Dance, or that pose a threat of beating it once at +6 can be a large threat. However, if this pokemon is allied with a Ditto then this threat is negated somewhat.

**Powerful Special Attacks:** If this pokemon hasn’t had a chance to get a Calm Mind boost, or else is running Heal Bell over Calm Mind, then pokemon such as Choice Specs Keldeo or Mega Charizard Y can come in and get a 2HKO, although the fact that this pokemon is often allied with Chansey stops this from being a certain way of winning.

**Powerful Physical Attacks:** Despite its fairy typing and improved defences, this pokemon still can’t wall some wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham, which pose a large threat to Normal teams in general.

**Toxic Stall:** If this pokemon doesn’t run Heal Bell, then it quickly loses to anything running Toxic, as this allows it to be stalled out with ease. However, if it doesn’t run toxic then there’s a high chance that another pokemon such as Chansey will, so this tactic isn’t certain to beat it.

**Hazard Stacking:** Teams such as steel that can keep a number of layers of hazards up can beat stall teams somewhat easily, as Audino is only capable of walling larger threats at full health and losing 25% every time it switches in quickly wears it down. Toxic Spikes get a special mention as, at two layers, even heal bell (which only has 8pp) can’t keep Audino healthy for long. Moreover, as wish/protect requires two turns, even standard poison or burn can stop Audino from walling a threat. The fact that phazing also stops Audino’s recovery means this is an even stronger strategy to use.