The Importance of Speed Control in Cobblemon Battles

Speed is one of the most critical factors in Cobblemon battles, determining which Cobblemon attacks first and setting the pace of the match. Controlling speed gives you a significant advantage, allowing you to outspeed opponents, disrupt their strategies, and make key plays before they can react. In this guide, we’ll explore the importance of speed control in Cobblemon battles, covering key mechanics, moves, and abilities that can help you gain the upper hand in battle.

Why Speed Control Matters

In Cobblemon, the Speed stat determines the order of attacks during battle. The faster Cobblemon will strike first, which is often crucial in tight situations where a single hit can determine the outcome. Speed control goes beyond simply having the fastest Cobblemon—it’s about using moves and abilities to manipulate the battle’s tempo in your favor.

Key Benefits of Speed Control:

• Striking First: Attacking first allows you to knock out threats before they can land a hit on you, especially if you’re dealing with powerful sweepers.
• Disrupting Opponents: Slowing down your opponent or speeding up your team allows you to disrupt their strategy, making their plans harder to execute.
• Turn Advantage: In double battles, outspeeding both opponents can turn the tide, allowing your Cobblemon to set up moves or KO threats without taking damage.
• Avoiding Setup: Speed control helps you prevent your opponent from setting up dangerous moves like Swords Dance or Calm Mind by eliminating them before they can boost their stats.

Key Speed Control Methods

There are several ways to control the pace of battle through Speed. From abilities that boost your Speed to moves that slow down your opponent, understanding how to use these tools effectively can give you a major advantage.

1. Priority Moves

Priority moves are attacks that allow your Cobblemon to move first, regardless of their Speed stat. These moves are crucial in situations where your opponent’s Cobblemon is faster and threatening a knockout.

Key Priority Moves:

• Extreme Speed: A Normal-type move with +2 priority, making it faster than most other priority moves.
• Aqua Jet: A Water-type move with +1 priority, great for finishing off weakened opponents.
• Bullet Punch: A Steel-type move with +1 priority, perfect for quick knockouts against Fairy or Ice-types.
• Fake Out: A Normal-type move that forces a flinch, giving you a free turn if used on the first turn your Cobblemon is out.

Strategic Use:

• Use priority moves to finish off weakened Cobblemon, ensuring you secure a KO before they can strike back.
• Fake Out is ideal in double battles, giving you a free turn to set up or disrupt your opponent’s strategy.

2. Speed-Boosting Abilities

Several abilities in Cobblemon either directly increase Speed or trigger effects that allow you to outspeed opponents. These abilities can make slower Cobblemon faster over time or immediately boost their Speed in specific conditions.

Key Speed-Boosting Abilities:

• Chlorophyll: Doubles the Speed of the Cobblemon when the sun is shining, making Grass-types like Venusaur extremely fast in sunny weather.
• Swift Swim: Doubles Speed in the rain, turning Water-types like Kingdra into incredibly fast sweepers.
• Speed Boost: An ability that increases the Cobblemon’s Speed by one stage at the end of each turn, found on Cobblemon like Blaziken.
• Unburden: Doubles the Speed of the Cobblemon when its held item is consumed, great for sweepers using items like Sitrus Berry.

Strategic Use:

• Use Chlorophyll or Swift Swim to create weather-based teams that capitalize on Speed boosts during sunny or rainy conditions.
• Speed Boost is excellent for Cobblemon that need a few turns to set up, like Blaziken, allowing them to sweep after boosting Speed.

3. Speed-Lowering Moves

While boosting your own Speed is one approach, another method is to slow down your opponent. Speed-lowering moves are incredibly effective at crippling fast threats, giving your slower Cobblemon the chance to strike first.

Key Speed-Lowering Moves:

• Thunder Wave: A status move that paralyzes the target, cutting its Speed to 50% and giving it a 25% chance of being unable to move.
• Icy Wind: A spread move that deals damage and lowers the Speed of both opponents in double battles by one stage.
• Electroweb: Lowers the Speed of both opponents in double battles, similar to Icy Wind.
• Bulldoze: A Ground-type move that deals damage and lowers the Speed of all Cobblemon on the field, including your own if they’re not immune.

Strategic Use:

• Use Thunder Wave to cripple fast sweepers, ensuring they’re no longer a threat by halving their Speed.
• Icy Wind or Electroweb are excellent in double battles, allowing you to slow down both opponents at once and gain the Speed advantage.

4. Tailwind and Trick Room

Two of the most powerful Speed control moves are Tailwind and Trick Room, each flipping the Speed dynamic in your favor. Tailwind doubles your team’s Speed for four turns, while Trick Room reverses the Speed order, allowing slower Cobblemon to move first.

Key Moves:

• Tailwind: Doubles the Speed of all Cobblemon on your side of the field for four turns, giving you a crucial Speed advantage.
• Trick Room: Reverses the Speed order for five turns, making slower Cobblemon move first. This is ideal for bulky teams with low Speed stats.
• Sticky Web: A hazard move that lowers the Speed of grounded Cobblemon when they switch in, giving you permanent Speed control unless it’s removed.

Strategic Use:

• Use Tailwind in double battles to quickly gain the Speed advantage, allowing your entire team to outspeed the opponent.
• Trick Room is perfect for teams built around slow, bulky Cobblemon, turning their low Speed into an asset.
• Set up Sticky Web early to punish opponents switching and slow them down for the rest of the match.

Top Cobblemon for Speed Control

Here are some Cobblemon that excel at controlling Speed in battle:

1. Togekiss (Fairy/Flying)

• Moves: Thunder Wave, Tailwind, Air Slash
• Strategy: Togekiss can paralyze opponents with Thunder Wave, set up Tailwind, and use Air Slash to flinch opponents while maintaining control of the battle.

2. Garchomp (Dragon/Ground)

• Moves: Stealth Rock, Bulldoze, Dragon Claw
• Strategy: Garchomp can use Bulldoze to lower the Speed of opponents while also setting up hazards with Stealth Rock.

3. Whimsicott (Grass/Fairy)

• Moves: Tailwind, Encore, Energy Ball
• Strategy: With access to Prankster, Whimsicott can set up Tailwind with priority, ensuring your team moves first for the next four turns.

4. Blaziken (Fire/Fighting)

• Ability: Speed Boost
• Moves: Protect, Swords Dance, Flare Blitz
• Strategy: Blaziken’s Speed Boost ability allows it to gradually increase its Speed each turn, making it a formidable sweeper after setting up with Swords Dance.

5. Kingdra (Water/Dragon)

• Ability: Swift Swim
• Moves: Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Draco Meteor
• Strategy: In rainy weather, Kingdra becomes incredibly fast due to Swift Swim, allowing it to outspeed and KO opponents with powerful Water-type moves.

Conclusion

Mastering Speed control in Cobblemon battles can give you a huge tactical advantage. Whether you’re slowing down your opponents with moves like Thunder Wave or boosting your own Speed with abilities like Swift Swim, controlling the pace of the battle is essential to outplaying your opponent. By understanding and utilizing Speed control strategies, you can ensure that your Cobblemon team is always one step ahead.

What’s your go-to strategy for Speed control in Cobblemon battles? Share your thoughts in our Discord!