Pokémon Infernape

[Bruh Wobuffet]

Our holy beloved Ape has come back to gen 9!
Let's see what new tools it gets!

Infernape
76/104/71/104/71/108
Typing: Fire/Fighting


Notable moves:
Acrobatics
Agility
Aura Sphere (NEW!)
Bulk Up
Calm Mind
Close Combat
Counter
Drain Punch
Earthquake
Encore
Fake Out
Feint
Fire Blast
Fire Punch
Flame Charge
Flamethrower
Flare Blitz
Fling
Focus Miss Blast
Grass Knot
Gunk Shot
Heat Wave
Knock Off (NEW!)
Low Kick
Mach Punch
Nasty Plot
Overheat
Raging Fury (Gen 9 Fire Type Outrage Clone)(NEW!)
Shadow Claw
Slack Off
Stealth Rock
Stone Edge
Switcheroo (NEW!)
Swords Dance
Taunt
Tera Blast (NEW!)
Thunder Punch
U-Turn
Vacuum Wave
Will-O-Wisp
Zen Headbutt

Pros:
-Wide Special/Physical Coverage to hit many of the metagame super effectively, including moves to hit pokemon that it Infernape is weak to, like Gunk Shot and Stone Edge
-Greatly Complemented Stab Combination allowing for a wide-range neutral and super effective coverage
-Many great stab moves option, such as Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Overheat/Raging Fury/Flare Blitz For Just Fire Stab
-Newly getting Knock Off, as a both anti-psychic/ghost move and a new way to make progress
-Great Boosting moves (SD, NP, CM and Bulk Up)
-Addition of Heavy-Duty Boots allow it to not be worn down by hazards as much
-108 Base Speed allow it to outrun a lot of pokemon (Not Walking Wake though which is one point faster, like why :)
Cons:
-108 Speed while fast, is not fast enough to outrun everything including basically every halfway decently fast scarfer, makes it possibly hard to force KOs and easily forced out by scarfers
-The attack/Special Attack Stat is honestly not that high by gen 9 standards, which means it might lack true power.
-Immense frailty that it basically can't switch into anything
-Cannot fit anything into it's moveset to bypass checks due to 4 moveslot syndrome
-Prone to all kinds of hazards if not wearing boots, and that's just cutting it's power even more (Neutral to stealth rock yes, but it is still worn down real quick with spikes)
-Fierce Fighting and Fire Type Competition, or even straight up outclassed: Iron Moth have a faster speed, a solid ability and MUCH higher Special Attack. Cinderace provide Utility with Court Change, have Libero to make the already stronger Cinderace even Stronger while using Non-Stab moves, and was even faster. Orgepon-Hearthflame is also faster and Stronger on the physical side. Iron Valient also completely outclass it as a fighting type in the sense that it is also a mixed attacker but have way higher stats on both attacking stats and speed, and even packing the invaluable secondary fairy stab. Finally Zamazenta is way too fast (by comparison), have great bulk and even act as check to ape itself.

Teratalize Potential: Fire / Fighting Boosts Stabs Further, while Dark Boosts Knock Off To hit much harder. Tera Ice Tera Blast and Tera Grass Grass Knot allow you to get past Usually Infernape checks. I felt like Rock/Poision Coverage in most cases doesn't need a boost to threaten kills so I personally prefer a stab boost.

Potential Sets:

1. Nasty Plot
Infernape @ Life Orb / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Blaze
Tera Type: Fire / Grass
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast / Flamethrower
- Aura Sphere / Focus Blast
- Vacuum Wave / Grass Knot

Simple Boosting Set that outspeed and OHKO other offensive pokemon with just a single boost aquired by forcing a switch. I believe LO will be important for grabbing kills, but HDB would made it prone less to hazards if you would desire that.

2. Scarf Revenge Killer
Infernape @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Blaze
Tera Type: Fire / Fighting / Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Close Combat
- Switcheroo / Gunk Shot / Knock Off / Stone Edge

By using Ape's good tier, it can outrun boosted sweepers and faster offensive pokemon. I did not recommend using Raging Fury at all because it lock you into a move and cannot switch out, which essentially means that ape is already dead. Switcheroo is a great way to punish bulky teams, gunk can hit Fairies, and you could also use Knock or Edge if you desire.

3.Choice Band

Infernape @ Choice Band / Dark
Ability: Iron Fist / Blaze
Tera Type: Fire / Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- U-turn
- Close Combat
- Mach Punch / Gunk Shot / Knock Off / Stone Edge / Switcheroo

Standard Band Breaker that there are not much needed to be said. Basically Scarf but used a band instead. Mach Punch is good for priority alongside Iron Fist, but everything else is basically the same.

4. Life Orb All out attacker

Infernape @ Life Orb / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Blaze
Tera Type: Fire / Fighting / Ice
EVs: 168 Atk / 88 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Overheat
- Close Combat
- Knock Off / Slack Off / Gunk Shot / Stone Edge
- Grass Knot / Knock Off / Gunk Shot / Tera Blast / Stone Edge

LO attacker that targets to break a hole in the opposition. Knock off can make progress and is suggested on such a set. Other moves are for different purpose, Such a fairies and waters but it is metagame dependent. Tera Ice Tera Blast is also a option I guess to hit dragons and Ground Flyings or maybe garchomp.

5. Swords Dance

Infernape @ Life Orb / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Iron Fist / Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Tera Type: Fire / Fighting / Dark
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
- Mach Punch / Knock Off / Stone Edge / Gunk Shot

Typical SD set from past gens and really only added knock off as a potential option. Not much to say here as well.

Other Options: Please don't use Bulk Up / Calm Mind Sets since Infernape is frail as hell, so a instant boost is generally better off. Will-O-Wisp can ruin Physical attackers but infernape already struggled with moveset syndrome, and so does Thunder Wave and Encore. Raging Fury is just not a very good move due to self-trapping. You most of the time want to go for maximum power so weaker move like drain punch is not too good on ape.
Edit: I forget offensive stealth rock lead sets with focus sash can also be options to consider

Conclusion:
This monkey will probably had no place in OU due to severe competitions, but I am here to wait him shining in UU once again. If it ever drops to RU it will pretty much guaranteed to be kicked out instantly.

 

[Magcargo]

Honestly, I see Infernape having potential, though maybe not in OU.

This mon gets Switcheroo now, which will make Choice sets noticeably better. STABs + U-Turn + Switcheroo will be difficult for most checks to safely switch into since they have to worry about being crippled.

Other goodies it gets are Knock Off and Drain Punch. Knock Off is really good on this mon for the same reason U-Turn is - it is really useful at making progress even in poor match-ups. Stuff like Pex, D-Nite, Slowbro, etc. do not like having their leftovers or boots Knocked off at all. A nice benefit of this mon is that it is immune to Flame Body, so its able to use Knock pretty freely against Moltres teams. Drain Punch is a more low-key addition, but combined with Iron Fist, it will hit decently hard, and the recovery effect will be nice to offset Flare Blitz, entry hazard, or Life Orb Recoil. Iron Fist + Punch Gloves is cute but probably not worth building around with a full moveset of punching moves lol.

I think this mon will be a great pivot in the lower tiers. Knock + U-Turn are a tried and true combo that we've seen work on many other Pokemon like Meowscarada and I think Infernape will bring some unique flare to this role with tools like Stealth Rock, Mach Punch, Will-O-Wisp and its amazing speed tier and typing. It can use boots now, which will make the problem of passive damage far less of a concern than it was before.

Nasty Plot sets will benefit massively from Aura Sphere.

Overall, Infernapes new tools are a bit more subtle than Torterra or Empoleon, but I think it'll be in a really good spot this generation. I could see it becoming the "Iron Valiant of UU".

 

[F22/aRaptor]

I think the amount of Poison types (and by extension those that like to Tera into Poison) that are viable in OU, make Infernape's life pretty difficult as they can typically stomach the Fighting types attacks that unfortunately make up a sizeable number of Infernape's most viable moves. Poison Ting-Lu/Cresselia pretty much flat out become hard stops to the special sets, Galarian Slowking can apply pressure to it due to Regenerator and Chilly Reception. Depending on how viable Fezandipiti is a special wall that could also cause problems to the set. Okidogi has the bulk to stomach physical hits due to it's decent bulk and return a ground type coverage move. Tera Blast Ground may well become a viable option on any moveset if Poison typing becomes spammed,

Also Gliscor unless it gets hit by Switcheroo s it can comfortably shrug off most of the physical moves with minimal defensive investment.

Don't see it dropping to RU. It'll likely shine in UU.

 

[Just ceruledge]

yh i dont see him as ou, although scarf may have a niche, i think that a mixed utility/wallbreaker set is more useful, as nape can be: a good rocker as it can check almost all of the spinners and deffoger in OU, or as a taunt/encore user maybe, knock has also been pretty useful as it lures in pokemons like moltres or zapdos (static is boring by the way), could knock the boots of the first and (with a right prediction) 2hko the second one with overheat, can 2hko a big part of the meta too.

would be like the mixed Garchomp set (as it is designed to do the most before is forced out), but better by the speed and more higher spa, being this the set:

Jab (Infernape) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Blaze
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 176 Atk / 80 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Overheat
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock

172 is min to break heatran always, a 172 atk, 96 spa and 240 spe can be used, but at this moment am not sure if the lost of spe is worth it, imma test it more.

 

[Eeveeto]

This is funny, but Infernape along with Hisuian Zoroark and Mew is the only Mon with WoW, U-Turn and Knock Off combination. Its the only one of the 3 that has a recovery move not named Rest.

Unfortunately, it only checks well 4 important threats: Kingambit, Meowscarada, Weavile (who right now is slept on) and Rillaboom. But hey, its relevant enough for a defensive set, since Kingambit is in that list.

 

[Cuddly]

Infernape @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Blaze/Iron Fist
Tera Type: Water/Fairy
EVs: 248 HP / 172 Def / 88 Spe
Timid/Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Slack Off
- Will-O-Wisp
- Encore/Taunt/U-turn
- (Any STAB move really)
Kind of a repurposed defensive Infernape from Gen 6. The idea is that Infernape’s high speed stat means it can still outspeed a bunch of things with less investment and can instead invest into bulk. With its EVs it can outspeed Jolly Great Tusk and burn it. Infernape has many great attributes besides burning Great Tusk. It resists Kingambit’s STABs, taunter that threatens Gholdengo, checks Meowscarada, and it also resists Fire Ogerpon’s STABs while being neutral to Play Rough (or resisting Knock Off too).
There could definitely be alternate EV spreads but the general idea is using Infernape’s unique typing, stats, and movepool to a role most wouldn’t expect but still works.