In Cobblemon battles, strategic use of items can significantly boost your team’s effectiveness. By combining specific items with abilities and moves, you can create powerful synergies that enhance offense, defense, or support roles. Here’s a guide to some of the best item combos in Cobblemon and how to use them effectively to dominate your battles.
1. Choice Items: Band, Specs, and Scarf
Combos and Use:
- Choice Band: Boosts a Cobblemon’s Attack by 50% but locks it into one move. Pair it with physical sweepers like Garchomp or Conkeldurr for maximum damage.
- Choice Specs: Increases Special Attack by 50% and works well with special attackers like Alakazam or Hydreigon.
- Choice Scarf: Enhances Speed by 50%, ideal for making slower Cobblemon like Excadrill or Togekiss faster than opponents.
Strategic Tips:
- Use these items on Cobblemon with high base Attack or Special Attack for devastating hits. Be sure to choose versatile moves that provide good type coverage since you’ll be locked into one move until switching out.
2. Leftovers and Defensive Setups
Combos and Use:
- Leftovers: Recovers HP at the end of each turn, perfect for tanky Cobblemon like Ferrothorn, Toxapex, or Snorlax.
- Pair with moves like Protect or Leech Seed for continuous recovery, maximizing the Cobblemon’s staying power on the field.
- Combine with Substitute for an extra layer of defense, allowing the Cobblemon to regenerate health while protected.
Strategic Tips:
- Use Leftovers on Cobblemon designed to stall or tank hits. The gradual HP recovery pairs well with status moves like Toxic or Will-O-Wisp for a slow but effective strategy that wears down opponents.
3. Focus Sash and Setup Sweepers
Combos and Use:
- Focus Sash: Prevents a Cobblemon from being knocked out in one hit when at full HP, leaving it with 1 HP instead. This item is best used on fragile Cobblemon that need one turn to set up.
- Pair with Swords Dance, Nasty Plot, or Dragon Dance to boost your Cobblemon’s stats, such as with Garchomp, Alakazam, or Weavile.
- Follow up with high-damage moves once the setup is complete.
Strategic Tips:
- Lead battles with a Focus Sash user to ensure a setup move gets used, then use priority moves like Ice Shard or Quick Attack if needed to strike first on the next turn.
4. Life Orb for Damage Boosts
Combos and Use:
- Life Orb: Increases all move damage by 30% at the cost of a small amount of HP per attack. Ideal for aggressive playstyles where high damage output is crucial.
- Use with offensive Cobblemon like Lucario, Salamence, or Gengar to maximize damage without being locked into one move, unlike Choice items.
- Pair with healing moves or abilities like Roost or Regenerator to mitigate HP loss.
Strategic Tips:
- Life Orb works well on mixed attackers, allowing them to use both physical and special moves. This flexibility is perfect for covering multiple opponent types without switching out.
5. Assault Vest for Special Defense
Combos and Use:
- Assault Vest: Boosts Special Defense by 50% but prevents the use of non-damaging moves. Use this item with Cobblemon that have a strong movepool of offensive moves.
- Pair with defensive Cobblemon like Goodra or Tyranitar, who can tank special hits and retaliate with powerful attacks.
- Ideal moves to use include Dragon Tail, Fire Blast, and Rock Slide.
Strategic Tips:
- The Assault Vest is excellent for countering special attackers and works best when combined with moves that can chip away at the opponent’s HP while the user absorbs damage.
6. Rocky Helmet for Punishing Physical Attackers
Combos and Use:
- Rocky Helmet: Inflicts damage on opponents when they use contact moves against the holder.
- Pair with physically defensive Cobblemon like Corviknight or Ferrothorn for added damage when opponents attack.
- Use with moves like Iron Defense to further boost physical durability, making it even riskier for opponents to make contact.
Strategic Tips:
- Use Rocky Helmet with status-inflicting moves like Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp to both punish and cripple opponents simultaneously.
7. Weakness Policy for Unexpected Power
Combos and Use:
- Weakness Policy: Boosts Attack and Special Attack by two stages when the Cobblemon is hit by a super-effective move. Use this item on Cobblemon that are likely to survive a hit, such as Dragonite with Multiscale or Rhyperior with Solid Rock.
- Combine with moves like Dragon Dance or Rock Polish to maximize effectiveness after the boost.
Strategic Tips:
- Position your Weakness Policy Cobblemon strategically to take a super-effective hit when you expect it and then sweep with boosted attacks. Abilities that reduce damage, like Sturdy, can ensure the item is activated.
8. Berry Combos for Surprise Effects
Combos and Use:
- Sitrus Berry: Heals 25% of HP when the Cobblemon’s HP drops below 50%. Good for tanky Cobblemon like Snorlax or Galarian Weezing.
- Liechi Berry: Boosts Attack when HP is low, ideal for aggressive attackers that use moves like Substitute to control HP levels.
- Pair with Belly Drum on Cobblemon like Azumarill to reach max Attack instantly while healing with Sitrus Berry.
Strategic Tips:
- Use berries that trigger at low HP to turn battles around. Combine with moves that lower HP intentionally, such as Substitute, to activate the berry at the right time.
9. Eviolite for Pre-Evolution Cobblemon
Combos and Use:
- Eviolite: Increases Defense and Special Defense by 50% for Cobblemon that haven’t fully evolved. This item is perfect for defensive Cobblemon like Dusclops or Porygon2, making them highly durable.
- Pair with moves like Will-O-Wisp for status effects or Recover for healing.
Strategic Tips:
- Eviolite turns certain pre-evolved Cobblemon into defensive walls, allowing them to set up Trick Room, hazards, or status conditions while staying on the field for an extended time.
10. Healing Items for Longevity
Combos and Use:
- Leftovers with Protect or Toxic for stalling strategies.
- Shell Bell for offensive Cobblemon that deal consistent damage, providing slight healing based on damage dealt.
- Pair Leftovers with Leech Seed on Cobblemon like Ferrothorn for consistent HP recovery.
Strategic Tips:
- Use healing items to keep Cobblemon on the battlefield longer, especially those with residual damage moves or setup strategies. These items work best when combined with support moves like Substitute and Protect.
Conclusion
Mastering the use of item combos in Cobblemon battles can give you a strategic edge over your opponents. Whether you’re using Choice items for raw power, Life Orb for flexible damage output, or defensive tools like Leftovers and Rocky Helmet, understanding the synergy between items, moves, and abilities is key to maximizing battle effectiveness. Experiment with different combinations to find the best fit for your team and watch your Cobblemon perform at their peak potential!