| Stat | base | min- | min | max | max+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 45 | N/A | 21 | 24 | N/A |
| Att | 20 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 12 |
| Def | 50 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 15 |
| Sp.A | 60 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 16 |
| Sp.D | 120 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 23 |
| Spe | 50 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 15 |
SET 1
name: Special Wall
move 1: Surf
move 2: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Electric
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Protect / Haze
item: Oran berry
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Calm
evs: 236/HP 40/Spatk 196/SpD 36/Spe
SET COMMENTS
Switch Mantyke into a pesky special sweeper and wall them to oblivion with your amazing Special Defense. Surf is a nice, simple STAB attack and allows Mantyke to deal with some common foes. Ice beam is a fabulous move most waters have at there disposal to cause some damage to grass types. The choice of Hidden Power is all up to preference. Both are useful for hitting water typed foes you'll want to hit. The difference between the two is who do you want to combat. Choosing Hidden Power Electric lets Chinchou and Wooper march in and laugh while choosing Hidden Power Grass makes you powerless to fellow Mantykes.
The last slot is kind of tricky to decide. Protect is very useful to scout for electric attacks that would otherwise fry Mantyke, while haze allows Mantyke to destroy Baton pass chains and stat boosters.
SET 2name: Swift Swim
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Rain dance
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Flying / Hidden Power Electric / Hidden Power Grass
item: Oran berry / Damp Rock
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest
evs: 76/HP 200/Spatk 200/Spe
SET COMMENTS
Horsea can arguably do this better, but Mantyke has the advantage of being able to take several hits without dying. After you use Rain Dance, you’ll hit 28 speed. This outruns most of the metagame and ties with several notable scarfers (Murkrow, Diglett, Meowth, Staryu etc).
A Rain Dance, STAB Hydro Pump is ridiculously powerful, but the 80% accuracy makes it unreliable in some situations. Surf is an option over it if Hydro Pump’s accuracy turns you off. The choice of Hidden Power is, again, all up to preference. Hidden Power Electric can be used for the unresisted coverage with Ice beam and allows you to take down enemy Mantykes. Hidden Power Flying gives Mantyke a STAB move that allows unresisted coverage with Hydro Pump. The final option of Hidden Power Grass should be used if you want to do something to Chinchou, who will otherwise laugh at your other moves.
OTHER OPTIONSMantyke can survive weak Hidden Power Electrics, so flinging them back at your opponent with Mirror Coat is a nice option. If you’re going to try using Mirror Coat, a Wacan Berry can be used if you want to survive strong Thunderbolts instead. Confuse Ray is an option on the first set if you find either of the last two options unappealing.
For some reason, Mantyke is also given a wide array of physical attacks like Waterfall, Earthquake, and Rockslide. Don’t bother to use these though; Mantyke’s Attack is absolutely pitiful.
EVsAs with most defensive pokemon, you should always invest Mantyke’s EVs into HP before a defensive stat. Mantyke’s Special Defense is already large enough
The Evs in the second set are made for Hidden Power Flying. If you’re using Hidden Power Electric, then your EV spread should be 76/HP 200/Spatk 36/Spdef 196/Spe. With this EV spread you also get a bonus point of Special Defense.
OPINIONThanks to Water Absorb, a helpful array of resistances, and the highest Special defense in all of little cup, Mantyke makes a pretty good special wall. The one big flaw with Mantyke is his typing. Just like a human child, If Mantyke sticks his hand into an electrical socket, he’s probably going to die. It really just seems odd that Nintendo decided to give a pokemon with sky high special defense a weakness to one of the most common special moves in the game: Thunderbolt.
Mantyke lies in BL all thanks to Chinchou. In many senses, Mantyke seems to be the weaker of the two choices, but he does have a few pros. Mantyke is completely immune to water type assaults, he takes neutral damage from hidden power grass, he can Haze, and he can switch into an Earthquake in a pinch. Strangely enough, Mantyke and Chinchou both benefit from each others use. If Chinchou usage starts to rise, Hidden Power Grass on Water sweepers will become more common and Mantyke will become a more ideal wall. However, If Mantyke usage starts to rise, the exact opposite occurs and Chinchou becomes more common.
COUNTERSChinchou is the bane of Mantyke’s existence. Not only is Chinchou Mantyke's main competition for a team slot, but Chinchou can wall any Mantyke lacking Hidden Power Grass and hit Mantyke with a nasty STAB Thunderbolt.
Elekid doesn’t care about Mantyke in the slightest and sends him to Davy Jones' Locker with his STAB Thunderbolts. Porygon can also switch in with ease, trace Water Absorb and fry Mantyke with Thunderbolt. Staryu and Gastly don’t mind Mantyke’s attempt to wall them in the slightest, thanks to there own powerful Thunderbolts.
If you have usable Special Attack and access to Thunderbolt, you honestly shouldn’t have much trouble with Mantyke.
8:10 PM Dec 4
