Grumpig Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Calm Mind boosts Grumpig's Special Attack and Special Defense, giving it an easier time breaking through bulkier Pokemon and making it harder to revenge kill with special attacks. Psyshock gives Grumpig the upper hand in Calm Mind wars versus the likes of Xatu and Mega Audino while also hitting specially bulky Pokemon such as Hariyama and Hitmonchan. Alternately, Psychic can be used to deal more immediate damage to physically bulky foes such as Samurott, Vileplume, and Weezing. Focus Blast crushes Steel-types such as Steelix and Ferroseed, as well as Dark-types such as Shiftry and Liepard. It also has other uses in targeting the likes of Rhydon, Regirock, and Abomasnow, as well as being Grumpig's strongest attack against Skuntank. Signal Beam hits opposing Psychic-types such as Malamar and Mesprit while doubling as a perfectly accurate attack with which to hit Dark-types. Set Details Maximum Special Attack investment and a Modest nature are used to hit as hard as possible. Maximum Speed investment allows Grumig to take advantage of its good Speed tier and outpace the likes of Garbodor and Samurott while tying with opposing base 80 Speed Pokemon. Thick Fat reduces the damage Grumpig takes from Fire- and Ice-type attacks. Leftovers provides passive recovery, though a Colbur Berry can be used to provide insurance versus Dark-type attacks, allowing Grumpig to take a Sucker Punch or Knock Off if it is healthy. Usage Tips Generally, you should use Grumpig's ability to force out the likes of Hitmonchan and Weezing to set up Calm Mind, but in some scenarios it may be more beneficial to attack, especially if your opponent has a Dark-type. Specifically, if your opponent has a Skuntank, setting up a Calm Mind is almost pointless, as Grumpig will just be trapped after KOing a Pokemon. Due to Grumpig's average Speed and low physical bulk, it will rarely pull off a full sweep; because of this, as well as its great coverage, it should be played as a mid-game breaker. While it cannot switch into Fire- and Ice-type attacks over and over, use Grumpig's resistances to them to give it opportunities to set up on the likes of Magmortar and Aurorus. Team Options Steelix checks powerful physical attackers that threaten Grumpig such as Kangaskhan, Tauros, and Scyther and can deal with Skuntank. Other checks to Dark-types such as Mega Audino and Primeape are also helpful. Late-game cleaners such as Swellow and Tauros appreciate Grumpig's ability to break through defensive cores. Tauros specifically enjoys Grumpig breaking through bulky Rock- and Steel-types such as Rhydon and Steelix. Spikes support from the likes of Ferroseed and Garbodor helps Grumpig break the opponent's team even faster. Most notably, entry hazard support is useful to break Steelix's Sturdy. Ferroseed also appreciates Grumpig's handy Fire resistance, and Garbodor acts as a secondary and much more durable Fighting switch-in. Weezing acts as a more reliable Fighting switch-in and a flexible check for strong physical attackers, such as Rhydon, Kangaskhan, and Scyther.

Moves Psychic is Grumpig's strongest and most reliable STAB move. Heal Bell removes status conditions from Grumpig and its teammates. Thunder Wave slows down opposing offensive Pokemon that try to take advantage of Grumpig's weak offensive presence. Toxic whittles down bulky foes, such as Gourgeist-XL and Mega Audino. Whirlwind is useful to phaze Pokemon that try to set up on Grumpig, such as Klinklang and Mega Audino. Taunt can prevent slower Pokemon, such as Musharna, Regirock, and Roselia, from setting up entry hazards or healing against Grumpig. Signal Beam can be used to punish Dark-types, such as Malamar and Liepard, that try to switch into Grumpig. Set Details Maximum HP and Special Defense investment with a Calm nature maximizes Grumpig's special bulk, granting it a variety of safe opportunities to switch in. Thick Fat is Grumpig's defining quality because of the useful Fire- and Ice-type resistances it provides. Leftovers provides Grumpig with invaluable passive recovery. Usage Tips Because Grumpig fits best on defensive teams that require its unique combination of resistances and utility moves, you should play it safe and not make overly risky decisions that have a chance of incapacitating Grumpig. Grumpig should use its great special bulk and resistances to switch into special wallbreakers, such as Magmortar, Poliwrath, and Aurorus, while letting its teammates handle physical attackers because of its lacking Defense. If Grumpig's teammates have set multiple entry hazards, it can use Whirlwind to phaze foes to quickly whittle them down. If Grumpig or its teammates are afflicted by any detrimental status conditions, it can use Heal Bell to refresh your team's condition. Team Options Specially defensive Grumpig only fits on passive, defensive teams in need of a reliable Fire-type check that can support the team with Heal Bell. Mega Audino provides Grumpig with Wish support and a handy Dark-type resistance, which especially comes in handy for absorbing Knock Off to preserve Grumpig's precious Leftovers. Additionally, Mega Audino appreciates that it doesn't need to run Heal Bell if Grumpig already carries it. Garbodor is a more reliable Fighting-resistant Pokemon and sets up Spikes and Toxic Spikes, which work well with Grumpig's Whirlwind to phaze and whittle down its foes. Defensive Grass-types, such as Gourgeist-XL, Vileplume, and Ferroseed, appreciate Grumpig's Heal Bell and ability to switch into powerful Fire- and Ice-type wallbreakers.

Moves Psychic is Grumpig's strongest STAB move, but Psyshock can be used as an alternative to hit some physically frailer Pokemon, such as Magmortar, Ninetales, and Cryogonal, for more damage. Focus Blast provides great neutral coverage alongside Grumpig's Psychic-type STAB move because it nails Dark- and Steel-types, such as Shiftry, Liepard, Mawile, and Klinklang. Taunt shuts down slower Pokemon that rely on status moves to beat Grumpig, such as defensive Mawile, Mega Audino, Ferroseed, and Regirock, and prevents them from taking advantage of Grumpig. Thunder Wave cripples fast offensive Pokemon, such as Lilligant, Vivillon, and Mismagius. Alternatively, Toxic whittles down bulky Pokemon that Grumpig has trouble with, such as Mesprit, Mega Audino, and Musharna. Signal Beam can be used instead of Focus Blast to hit Malamar and Psychic-types harder while still retaining super-effective coverage for Dark-types. However, without Focus Blast, Grumpig struggles to take down opposing Steel-types. Power Gem is also an option to hit primarily Charizard as well as other Fire-types such as Pyroar and Magmortar. Set Details Maximum HP investment is preferred to take advantage of Grumpig's great special bulk. Running 96 Speed EVs allows Grumpig to outspeed everything up to Adamant Pawniard. The remaining EVs are invested in Special Attack with a Modest nature to give Grumpig's attacks some more power. Thick Fat sets Grumpig apart from other bulky Psychic-types by providing it with invaluable Fire- and Ice-type resistances. Leftovers provides Grumpig with passive recovery throughout the match. Colbur Berry can weaken a Dark-type's STAB attack for Grumpig to give it the opportunity to retaliate with Focus Blast, Signal Beam, Thunder Wave, or Toxic. Additionally, Fighting-types that commonly carry Knock Off, such as Hariyama, cannot OHKO Grumpig if it's holding a Colbur Berry. Assault Vest is also an option that sacrifices some its utility moves for being a more consistent switch in to Fire- and Ice-types. Usage Tips Use Thick Fat to switch Grumpig into high-powered Fire- and Ice-type attacks from the likes of Magmortar, Vanilluxe, and Aurorus. However, do not keep Grumpig in against strong physical attackers, such as Archeops and Tauros, because they can KO Grumpig with a little prior damage. Make use of aggressive double switches to prevent Pokemon with Pursuit, such as Liepard and Skuntank, from trapping Grumpig. Grumpig should spread paralysis on opposing offensive teams to slow them down to a pace that it can keep up with, while it can defeat slower, passive Pokemon, such as Mega Audino, Regirock, and Pelipper, by incapacitating them with Taunt and whittling them down with attacks or Toxic damage. Team Options Offensive Grumpig fits well on balanced teams in need of a stallbreaker with the ability to switch into Fire- and Ice-types. Grass-types, such as Tangela, Vileplume, and Lilligant, appreciate Grumpig's ability to switch into Magmortar and Ice-types. Physically bulky Poison-types, such as Weezing and Garbodor, beat the physical attackers that threaten Grumpig, such as Klinklang, Samurott, and Scyther. Additionally, Grumpig provides these Poison-types with a useful Psychic-type resistance. Ground-types, such as Rhydon and Sandslash, beat Skuntank, one of the safest switch-ins to Grumpig available. Ironically, Skuntank is a great partner for Grumpig as well because it is a safe switch-in to many of the Psychic-types in the tier, such as Musharna, Xatu, and Mesprit.

Fitting best on bulky teams with entry hazards, Grumpig's job is to support its team with Heal Bell, phaze with Whirlwind, and paralyze or poison as much as possible to aid its team members. Its high base Speed for a wall comes in handy, as it outpaces the majority of defensive Pokemon in the tier. Psychic is a reliable STAB move that is excellent for whittling down the opposition. Whirlwind works well at preventing Pokemon from setting up on Grumpig, as well as racking up entry hazard damage. Grumpig's resistances from Thick Fat and impressive special bulk provide it with many chances to use Heal Bell, removing fatal status conditions, as well as allowing teammates to use Rest as a recovery move. If stall teams cause problems, Taunt can be used in the last moveslot so opposing Pokemon do not ruin Grumpig's supporting capabilities. If you would rather not use one of Grumpig's moveslots, Taunt users such as Mandibuzz, Misdreavus, or Serperior are encouraged as partners. Focus Blast can also be used in place of Thunder Wave and Toxic to surprise clerics such as Lickilicky and Audino, but it fails to do much damage to either. Wish support is nice for Grumpig as it cannot reliably recover itself. Alomomola is a good partner as it can patch Grumpig's lackluster Defense, or Audino or Lickilicky can be used to form a Special Defense core, as they have good typing synergy with Grumpig. Regirock, Carracosta, and Miltank are some great Stealth Rock users to complement Grumpig's phazing because of their physical bulk. Miltank deserves a special mention as Grumpig can take most Fighting-type attacks headed towards it, and Miltank can take the Ghost-type attacks aimed at Grumpig. Miltank also can fill the cleric role, allowing Grumpig to use a different move in its first slot. Offensive partners that work well with Grumpig are those that can take out the physical Dark-, Bug-, and Ghost-type Pokemon that threaten it. Golem is a great example because it can beat the popular Skuntank as well as most Bug-type Pokemon, and can Sucker Punch the ever-present Golurk for hefty damage. In return Grumpig patches up Golem's terrible Special Defense. Lastly, spinblockers such as Misdreavus are needed to keep hazards on the field to ensure Grumpig's phazing has a purpose; just make sure the team covers their shared Dark and Ghost weaknesses.

With a Choice item equipped, Grumpig turns into a potent threat and revenge killer; utilize Trick to cripple walls and setup sweepers like Clefable. Psychic is Grumpig's most powerful STAB move and hits Fighting- and Poison-types, such as Hariyama and Toxicroak, super effectively. Shadow Ball and Focus Blast provide perfect type coverage, hitting everything in UU for at least neutral damage; you may use Hidden Power Fighting instead of Focus Blast for its higher accuracy, though the drop in power isn't usually worth it. Modest Choice Specs Grumpig can 2HKO Tank Registeel with Focus Blast, and 3HKO Chansey. Grumpig's attacks will leave huge dents in the opponent's walls and make them vulnerable to other special sweepers. Mismagius makes a good partner for this reason as it can really take advantage of any holes in the opponent's team. With a weakened Registeel and Chansey, Mismagius's chances of sweeping are much higher, and after setting up with Nasty Plot, it has a chance to 2HKO Chansey with Hidden Power Fighting. As this set uses Choice items, you may wish to use a scout Pokemon to ease prediction, and keep Grumpig for late-game sweeping. Pokemon with U-turn and Baton Pass make good choices to reveal the opponent's team and force switches; Scyther and Swellow are excellent users of U-turn, while Espeon and Mr. Mime are excellent Baton Passers, even if they aren't passing any stat boosts. Specially defensive walls like Chansey and Milotic are difficult to get past, though none of them appreciate being Tricked a Choice item, or being hit with multiple Choice-boosted attacks for that matter. Fighting-types, like Hitmonlee and Hariyama, can break through Normal- and Steel-types like Chansey and Registeel, while bulky Grass-types can wear down Milotic with Leech Seed or even KO it with Leaf Storm. Toxic Spikes are also helpful for wearing down walls; Drapion, Qwilfish, and Nidoqueen are great choices to set up Toxic Spikes due to their bulk, or in Qwilfish's case, its high Speed. Toxic Spikes are also handy for wearing down Spiritomb, who is a major threat to this set's success. Chansey can be trapped by Dugtrio's Arena Trap ability, and it is KOed by Dugtrio's STAB Earthquake. Chansey may also be beaten by Taunt Mismagius with Nasty Plot, as it is 2HKOed by +6 Hidden Power Fighting. Finally, Fire-types can take on Spiritomb thanks to their immunity to Will-O-Wisp; Blaziken is one of the best for the job as it also sports a resistance to Dark-type attacks. These Pokemon can then proceed to blast Spiritomb with their powerful STAB moves.

Grumpig makes an excellent support Pokemon. Its good defenses, Thick Fat ability, and decent movepool are the main selling points. Heal Bell turns Grumpig into a good cleric, healing dangerous status, such as poison and burn, from its teammates; the second slot gives Grumpig its own status to play with, crippling the opponent with paralysis or poisoning them with Toxic. Reflect helps Grumpig compensate for its lower Defense stat, aiding it against Pursuit users, such as Absol and Spiritomb, while Magic Coat helps Grumpig bounce back status moves and other damaging moves like Leech Seed. Finally, Grumpig should use Psychic in the last slot to cover itself against Taunt users, though a lot of them will be Dark-types. Psychic also acts as STAB, hitting the likes of Venusaur and Toxicroak super effectively. This Grumpig is EVed as defensively as possible; 252 HP and 176 Special Defense EVs ensure that Grumpig survives a Fire Blast followed by two Air Slashes from Timid Moltres 100% of the time. The remaining EVs are placed into Defense, giving Grumpig some much needed physical bulk, which helps against Pursuit users. This Grumpig needs to survive as long as possible to support its teammates, and without its own recovery, it needs extra Wish support. Chansey and Clefable are excellent choices due to their high HP and Special Defense, along with great support moves to cripple the opponent. Leafeon and Espeon are other good choices, as they both have access to Baton Pass, allowing them to escape the battle while passing any boosts too. Using Espeon is a little risky, however, as it shares the same typing with Grumpig, and thus the same weaknesses.

Grumpig's good HP, Thick Fat ability, and decent defenses make it a fine Calm Mind user. Calm Mind boosts its already high Special Defense, while the Special Attack boosts turn it into a dangerous sweeper. Substitute is a great move, blocking harmful status such as poison and burn, and Grumpig's Substitutes are difficult to break by special attackers after a few Calm Minds. Psychic is used for reliable STAB, and when paired with Signal Beam, it covers most types in UU barring Steel. Hidden Power Fighting can be used in the last slot instead of Signal Beam to cover Steel-types, but only if you don't mind losing to Psychic-types like Uxie. Focus Blast may also be used in the last slot, and although the lower accuracy is a turn-off, it does have the advantage of not lowering Grumpig's Speed IV that Hidden Power Fighting does. The EVs ensure that Grumpig ties with positive natured Venusaur and Blaziken, but remember that if you use Hidden Power Fighting you miss out on that chance by one point. Max HP is used for making sturdy Substitutes, and making Grumpig as bulky as possible. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Defense for more bulk. You may try 252 Special Attack EVs over HP, though it makes Grumpig much more frail. Taunt may be used over Substitute in this case, as the Substitutes will be much easier for the opponent to break. Shadow Ball is another alternative to use on this set in place of Psychic, and it gives perfect coverage alongside Hidden Power Fighting, though the loss of STAB isn't recommended. Depending on what move is in the last slot, you'll need partners to help with type coverage; when using Signal Beam, Grumpig is vulnerable to Steel-types, and when using Hidden Power Fighting, Grumpig is unable to hit other Psychic-types. If Signal Beam is used, Fire-types such as Blaziken or Moltres should be on hand to blast through troublesome Steel-types, and if you decide to use Hidden Power Fighting, Dark-types like Spiritomb and Drapion are a good way to get past other Psychic-types. Due to Grumpig's specially-inclined nature, Chansey and Clefable are major problems for this set; Fighting-types, such as Blaziken, Hitmonlee, and Hariyama, are therefore great partners, as they can KO the aforementioned Pokemon with ease thanks to their STAB moves. Dugtrio is another excellent partner as it can trap the likes of Chansey, Clefable, and Registeel with its ability, and then proceed to KO them with STAB Earthquake. Dugtrio also makes short work of Houndoom and Drapion, both of whom are very dangerous foes for Grumpig to face. Dark-types in general are problematic, especially Spiritomb with its massive defenses, lack of weaknesses, and access to super effective moves such as Sucker Punch and Pursuit. The best way to defeat Spiritomb is to cripple it and wear it down slowly. This is easily achieved with Toxic Spikes, and the best Pokemon to set them up are Drapion and Qwilfish. Fire-types like Blaziken also do a decent job at tackling Spiritomb as they have an immunity to Will-O-Wisp, and Blaziken takes reduced damage from Dark-type attacks as it's part Fighting-type. Blaziken can scorch Spiritomb with STAB Fire Blast or Flare Blitz for an easy KO.

This set makes the most of Grumpig's decent defenses, Thick Fat ability, and access to both of the dual screens. Reflect and Light Screen allow Grumpig to support its teammates by giving them an easier setup. Heal Bell also helps with supporting teammates by removing harmful status such as poison, burn, and sleep; this then makes a RestTalker a good choice for your team as it can then be woken up quickly. Alternatively, Thunder Wave or Toxic can be used in the last slot to spread status and cripple the opponent's team; any Spiritomb switching in certainly won't like being poisoned. Psychic is mainly used as filler and gives Grumpig something to do should it be Taunted, though this slot can be switched with Signal Beam to hit the Dark- and Psychic-types who will likely be switching in. Taunt may also be used to cripple slow set-up sweepers, such as Clefable and Slowking, as well as walls that attempt to lay entry hazards or spread status like Registeel. Light Clay is the item of choice as it prolongs the number of turns you will have screens on the field. The EVs on this set focus on Grumpig's good Special Defense and above average HP. The remaining EVs are placed into Speed, which allows Grumpig to outrun positive natured Rhyperior, who will usually be swichting in on a predicted Thunder Wave and an opportunity to pierce Grumpig with Megahorn. Grumpig may also run a Timid nature with a faster spread of 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe. This allows Grumpig to set up the dual screens quickly, tying with all base 80 Pokemon like Venusaur and Blaziken, who can't deal a lot of damage to Grumpig anyway. Setup sweepers make excellent partners for this set as they can exploit the boosted defenses that the dual screens provide while they set up stat boosts. Dragon Dance Altaria is a fantastic choice for a teammate as it already has high defenses, and its decent typing grants it an immunity to Ground-type moves and resistances to Water-, Grass-, and Fighting-type moves. Scyther is another great option as the dual screens help it set up more easily, and after a single Swords Dance it becomes a fearsome sweeper, capable of tearing the opponent's team apart if they lack a Steel-type. Finally, Mismagius is another great choice as it can set up Nasty Plot behind the dual screens, and has enough power to 2HKO Chansey with +6 Hidden Power Fighting. As Grumpig lacks its own recovery outside of Rest, support from Wish users is very welcomed. Chansey and Clefable are two excellent options; they are able to switch into a variety of special attackers with their high HP and Special Defense, cripple the opponent with status, and support Grumpig with Wish. Leafeon is another good option as it has much higher Speed and access to Baton Pass; Leafeon may also pass Swords Dance boosts to other teammates as well.

Substitute and then proceed to Calm Mind when against other special attackers. The more Calm Minds you get, the harder the Substitute will be to break. Hidden Power Dark is your best bet against enemy Psychics like Grumpig and Hypno, and is usually the best choice. Ice Punch can hit a common physical attacker, Gligar, very hard. It also does a tad more to Fearow than Psychic. Fire Punch is mostly for BL-allowed tournaments to hit Steelix.

Use Trick to get rid of the Choice Band for, hopefully, some Leftovers. Proceed to Calm Mind and attack as you would with the first moveset. You could also use Substitute in that third slot, if you really want.