[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 7 onwards
**Price Range**: 6-7 points
**Overview**: Hisuian Qwilfish is an excellent and coveted low-tier Pokemon that is able to provide valuable role compression and utility to several draft archetypes. With access to entry hazard options in Spikes and Toxic Spikes and utility options in Toxic, Haze, Taunt, and Pain Split, Hisuian Qwilfish can serve as a solid defensive piece. Unlike Qwilfish, Hisuian Qwilfish is able to bolster its bulk by holding an Eviolite, supplemented by decent base physical bulk and Intimidate. However, it is relatively passive and has mediocre special bulk and a lack of coverage options, making it vulnerable to foes of certain typings and special attackers.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Utility**: Hisuian Qwilfish can support its teammates with its plethora of utility options. It can set Spikes or Toxic Spikes, keep a setup sweeper in check with Haze, spread status with Toxic or Barb Barrage, and weaken physical attackers with Intimidate.
**Rain Sweeper**: In niche scenarios, Hisuian Qwilfish can be a decent rain sweeper thanks to Eviolite boosting its bulk and Swords Dance letting it set up.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Crunch, Barb Barrage, Gunk Shot, Poison Jab, Throat Chop
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Agility, Substitute
**Utility Moves**: Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Toxic, Haze, Taunt, Pain Split, Destiny Bond
**Coverage**: Aqua Jet, Liquidation
Niche Moves
========
**Self-Destruct**: Hisuian Qwilfish can use Self-Destruct to deal massive damage to an opposing Pokemon. This is usually run to either safely get in a teammate or prevent an opposing Pokemon from getting multiple setup turns.
**Icy Wind / Chilling Water / Acid Spray**: Icy Wind, Chilling Water, and Acid Spray can each be run in niche situations to keep opposing setup threats in check, enabling teammates to pick them off more easily.
**Rain Dance**: Hisuian Qwilfish can set rain for itself on a rain sweeper set. This can also be a way to deal with opposing weather.
Common Items
========
**Eviolite**: Eviolite is preferred on most Hisuian Qwilfish sets, as it allows Hisuian Qwilfish to tank hits better on utility sets or get an opportunity to set up on sweeper sets.
**Rocky Helmet**: Hisuian Qwilfish has decent physical bulk, especially when paired with Intimidate. Rocky Helmet is run over Eviolite in matchups where getting chip damage on an opposing physical attacker is important for a teammate to revenge kill it. Rocky Helmet can also be run to punish opposing Pokemon using Knock Off.
Niche Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots can be run on Hisuian Qwilfish if its team is vulnerable to entry hazards and it is expected to pivot in a lot to sponge hits.
**Custap Berry**: Hisuian Qwilfish runs Custap Berry to get an extra opportunity to set entry hazards before fainting, use Self-Destruct to deal massive damage to an opposing Pokemon, or attempt to KO the opposing Pokemon with Destiny Bond.
**Shuca Berry**: Hisuian Qwilfish only sports a weakness to Ground. A Shuca Berry can be equipped to allow Hisuian Qwilfish to survive the super effective hit and deal damage to the opposing Pokemon, inflict a status condition, or remove boosts with Haze.
Tera
========
Hisuian Qwilfish should usually not be picked as a Tera Captain, as its natural typing offers important role compression to a draft. Further, it is relatively passive and has too middling a Speed tier to make use of Tera offensively. If picked as a Tera Captain, it can run Tera Grass to get rid of its weakness to Ground. It can also utilize Tera Water on rain sweeper sets to boost Water-type attacks. Tera Ghost can be used to let it act as a spinblocker for its own entry hazards. Tera Ground and Tera Fighting allow it to hit Steel-types while also removing its weakness to Ground.
Draft Strategy
========
Hisuian Qwilfish provides valuable role compression to a draft, having access to the coveted Dark / Poison typing. It further supports teammates with entry hazards and by disrupting setup sweepers with Haze. Thus, Hisuian Qwilfish can find a niche on several drafts.
**Setup Sweepers**: Hisuian Qwilfish can enable setup sweepers like Ogerpon-W and Iron Valiant by providing entry hazard support to weaken potential checks for its teammates. It can also serve as a defensive pivot to sponge hits.
**Drafts Needing Role Compression**: Hisuian Qwilfish fits perfectly on teams that benefit from the role compression and utility in one it provides. As such, it synergizes very well with drafts where the high-tiers are great offensively but don't fill important roles like Dark-type, Poison-type, and entry hazard setter. Thus, the points saved by drafting Hisuian Qwilfish can be used to get higher-tiered offensive Pokemon to improve the draft.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: As Hisuian Qwilfish's special bulk is mediocre, a specially bulky Pokemon like Uxie or Diancie can form a decent defensive backbone with Hisuian Qwilfish.
**Ground-resistant Pokemon**: Hisuian Qwilfish is only weak to Ground and thus appreciates Pokemon like Latias and Corviknight that can switch into Ground-type moves.
**Fairy-resistant Pokemon**: As Hisuian Qwilfish is a Poison-type that does not resist Fairy, it appreciates being paired with a Fairy-resistant Pokemon like Metagross or Empoleon.
**Rain**: Hisuian Qwilfish can be picked as a cheaper alternative to Overqwil as a rain sweeper on rain teams.
Checks and Counters
========
**Ground-types**: Most Ground-types have the bulk to switch in on Hisuian Qwilfish's STAB moves and threaten to KO it with their own STAB moves. They can also set up on it freely or set entry hazards.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Hisuian Qwilfish's special bulk is mediocre, making it vulnerable to strong special attackers like Enamorus and Latios.
**Residual Damage**: Hisuian Qwilfish usually relies on holding Eviolite to boost its bulk, making it vulnerable to residual damage in the form of entry hazards and status ailments like burn.
**Taunt**: Due to its relative passivity and middling Speed tier, Hisuian Qwilfish is vulnerable to Taunt from faster Pokemon like Landorus and Gliscor, making it unable to set entry hazards. Faster setup Pokemon like Ogerpon formes and Annihilape can run Taunt to prevent Haze.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/professor-shuckle.530941/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/olivia.620359/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 7 onwards
**Price Range**: 6-7 points
**Overview**: Hisuian Qwilfish is an excellent and coveted low-tier Pokemon that is able to provide valuable role compression and utility to several draft archetypes. With access to entry hazard options in Spikes and Toxic Spikes and utility options in Toxic, Haze, Taunt, and Pain Split, Hisuian Qwilfish can serve as a solid defensive piece. Unlike Qwilfish, Hisuian Qwilfish is able to bolster its bulk by holding an Eviolite, supplemented by decent base physical bulk and Intimidate. However, it is relatively passive and has mediocre special bulk and a lack of coverage options, making it vulnerable to foes of certain typings and special attackers.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Utility**: Hisuian Qwilfish can support its teammates with its plethora of utility options. It can set Spikes or Toxic Spikes, keep a setup sweeper in check with Haze, spread status with Toxic or Barb Barrage, and weaken physical attackers with Intimidate.
**Rain Sweeper**: In niche scenarios, Hisuian Qwilfish can be a decent rain sweeper thanks to Eviolite boosting its bulk and Swords Dance letting it set up.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Crunch, Barb Barrage, Gunk Shot, Poison Jab, Throat Chop
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Agility, Substitute
**Utility Moves**: Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Toxic, Haze, Taunt, Pain Split, Destiny Bond
**Coverage**: Aqua Jet, Liquidation
Niche Moves
========
**Self-Destruct**: Hisuian Qwilfish can use Self-Destruct to deal massive damage to an opposing Pokemon. This is usually run to either safely get in a teammate or prevent an opposing Pokemon from getting multiple setup turns.
**Icy Wind / Chilling Water / Acid Spray**: Icy Wind, Chilling Water, and Acid Spray can each be run in niche situations to keep opposing setup threats in check, enabling teammates to pick them off more easily.
**Rain Dance**: Hisuian Qwilfish can set rain for itself on a rain sweeper set. This can also be a way to deal with opposing weather.
Common Items
========
**Eviolite**: Eviolite is preferred on most Hisuian Qwilfish sets, as it allows Hisuian Qwilfish to tank hits better on utility sets or get an opportunity to set up on sweeper sets.
**Rocky Helmet**: Hisuian Qwilfish has decent physical bulk, especially when paired with Intimidate. Rocky Helmet is run over Eviolite in matchups where getting chip damage on an opposing physical attacker is important for a teammate to revenge kill it. Rocky Helmet can also be run to punish opposing Pokemon using Knock Off.
Niche Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots can be run on Hisuian Qwilfish if its team is vulnerable to entry hazards and it is expected to pivot in a lot to sponge hits.
**Custap Berry**: Hisuian Qwilfish runs Custap Berry to get an extra opportunity to set entry hazards before fainting, use Self-Destruct to deal massive damage to an opposing Pokemon, or attempt to KO the opposing Pokemon with Destiny Bond.
**Shuca Berry**: Hisuian Qwilfish only sports a weakness to Ground. A Shuca Berry can be equipped to allow Hisuian Qwilfish to survive the super effective hit and deal damage to the opposing Pokemon, inflict a status condition, or remove boosts with Haze.
Tera
========
Hisuian Qwilfish should usually not be picked as a Tera Captain, as its natural typing offers important role compression to a draft. Further, it is relatively passive and has too middling a Speed tier to make use of Tera offensively. If picked as a Tera Captain, it can run Tera Grass to get rid of its weakness to Ground. It can also utilize Tera Water on rain sweeper sets to boost Water-type attacks. Tera Ghost can be used to let it act as a spinblocker for its own entry hazards. Tera Ground and Tera Fighting allow it to hit Steel-types while also removing its weakness to Ground.
Draft Strategy
========
Hisuian Qwilfish provides valuable role compression to a draft, having access to the coveted Dark / Poison typing. It further supports teammates with entry hazards and by disrupting setup sweepers with Haze. Thus, Hisuian Qwilfish can find a niche on several drafts.
**Setup Sweepers**: Hisuian Qwilfish can enable setup sweepers like Ogerpon-W and Iron Valiant by providing entry hazard support to weaken potential checks for its teammates. It can also serve as a defensive pivot to sponge hits.
**Drafts Needing Role Compression**: Hisuian Qwilfish fits perfectly on teams that benefit from the role compression and utility in one it provides. As such, it synergizes very well with drafts where the high-tiers are great offensively but don't fill important roles like Dark-type, Poison-type, and entry hazard setter. Thus, the points saved by drafting Hisuian Qwilfish can be used to get higher-tiered offensive Pokemon to improve the draft.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: As Hisuian Qwilfish's special bulk is mediocre, a specially bulky Pokemon like Uxie or Diancie can form a decent defensive backbone with Hisuian Qwilfish.
**Ground-resistant Pokemon**: Hisuian Qwilfish is only weak to Ground and thus appreciates Pokemon like Latias and Corviknight that can switch into Ground-type moves.
**Fairy-resistant Pokemon**: As Hisuian Qwilfish is a Poison-type that does not resist Fairy, it appreciates being paired with a Fairy-resistant Pokemon like Metagross or Empoleon.
**Rain**: Hisuian Qwilfish can be picked as a cheaper alternative to Overqwil as a rain sweeper on rain teams.
Checks and Counters
========
**Ground-types**: Most Ground-types have the bulk to switch in on Hisuian Qwilfish's STAB moves and threaten to KO it with their own STAB moves. They can also set up on it freely or set entry hazards.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Hisuian Qwilfish's special bulk is mediocre, making it vulnerable to strong special attackers like Enamorus and Latios.
**Residual Damage**: Hisuian Qwilfish usually relies on holding Eviolite to boost its bulk, making it vulnerable to residual damage in the form of entry hazards and status ailments like burn.
**Taunt**: Due to its relative passivity and middling Speed tier, Hisuian Qwilfish is vulnerable to Taunt from faster Pokemon like Landorus and Gliscor, making it unable to set entry hazards. Faster setup Pokemon like Ogerpon formes and Annihilape can run Taunt to prevent Haze.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/professor-shuckle.530941/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/olivia.620359/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited: