Multi-hit moves are often overlooked in Cobblemon battles in favor of high-powered single-hit attacks. However, these moves bring unique advantages to competitive play, such as breaking through Focus Sashes, Substitutes, and sturdy walls. When paired with abilities like Skill Link, they become reliable and devastating tools for disrupting opponents. This guide explores the top multi-hit moves in Cobblemon and how to use them effectively in battles.
Why Multi-Hit Moves Are Valuable
- Bypassing Defenses: Multi-hit moves can break through Substitutes and Focus Sashes in a single turn.
- Consistency with Abilities: Abilities like Skill Link ensure maximum hits, making them dependable damage dealers.
- Status Effect Synergies: Moves like Icicle Spear can take full advantage of critical hits or other bonuses over multiple strikes.
Top Multi-Hit Moves and Their Competitive Applications
1. Tail Slap (Normal)
- Power: 25 per hit (up to 125 total with 5 hits).
- Effect: Hits 2-5 times.
- Best Users:
- Cinccino: Its Skill Link ability ensures 5 hits every time, maximizing damage.
- Competitive Use:
- Break through Substitutes and Focus Sashes with ease.
- Provides consistent damage with no recoil.
- Pro Tip: Pair Cinccino with King’s Rock to exploit the flinch chance across multiple hits.
2. Rock Blast (Rock)
- Power: 25 per hit (up to 125 total with 5 hits).
- Effect: Hits 2-5 times.
- Best Users:
- Cloyster: With Skill Link and boosted stats from Shell Smash, it can deal massive damage.
- Cinccino: Also benefits from Skill Link for consistent Rock-type coverage.
- Competitive Use:
- Effective against Flying- and Fire-types.
- Provides Rock-type coverage for teams lacking a strong answer to these threats.
- Pro Tip: Use Cloyster as a late-game sweeper with Focus Sash and Shell Smash for unparalleled offensive pressure.
3. Bullet Seed (Grass)
- Power: 25 per hit (up to 125 total with 5 hits).
- Effect: Hits 2-5 times.
- Best Users:
- Breloom: Combines Technician with Bullet Seed for boosted power.
- Cinccino: Gains reliability from Skill Link.
- Competitive Use:
- Great against Water-, Ground-, and Rock-types.
- Functions as a strong alternative to other Grass moves with the added bonus of multi-hit effects.
- Pro Tip: Use Breloom’s Spore to disable threats before unleashing Technician-boosted Bullet Seed.
4. Icicle Spear (Ice)
- Power: 25 per hit (up to 125 total with 5 hits).
- Effect: Hits 2-5 times.
- Best Users:
- Cloyster: Skill Link ensures maximum damage output.
- Weavile: Though not guaranteed to hit 5 times, it can use Icicle Spear for Substitute-breaking utility.
- Competitive Use:
- Destroys Dragon-, Flying-, Grass-, and Ground-types.
- Essential for taking out threats like Garchomp and Salamence.
- Pro Tip: Pair Cloyster with hazard support like Stealth Rock to soften targets before sweeping.
5. Pin Missile (Bug)
- Power: 25 per hit (up to 125 total with 5 hits).
- Effect: Hits 2-5 times.
- Best Users:
- Cinccino: With Skill Link, it provides a reliable Bug-type option.
- Heracross: Can use Pin Missile for unexpected Bug coverage.
- Competitive Use:
- Effective against Psychic- and Dark-types.
- Useful for Cobblemon teams that need Bug-type coverage but lack traditional Bug moves.
- Pro Tip: Use Pin Missile on Heracross in synergy with Guts to surprise opponents with high-powered Bug moves.
Key Abilities That Enhance Multi-Hit Moves
- Skill Link:
- Guarantees all multi-hit moves strike the maximum number of times.
- Best Users: Cinccino, Cloyster.
- Technician:
- Boosts the power of moves with a base power of 60 or less, making each hit of a multi-hit move significantly stronger.
- Best Users: Breloom.
- King’s Rock:
- Grants a chance to flinch on each hit of a multi-hit move.
- Best Users: Cinccino.
Synergies with Multi-Hit Moves
1. Entry Hazards
- Combine multi-hit moves with Stealth Rock, Spikes, or Toxic Spikes to punish switches and wear down opponents.
- Example: Use Cloyster’s Icicle Spear after hazards to clean up weakened threats.
2. Weather Conditions
- Multi-hit moves pair well with weather-dependent teams to amplify their effectiveness.
- Example: Breloom’s Bullet Seed in Rain benefits from synergy with Water-types like Pelipper.
3. Speed Control
- Ensure your multi-hit move users outspeed their targets by pairing them with Speed control strategies like Tailwind or Sticky Web.
- Example: Cinccino under Tailwind can reliably outspeed most threats and deal consistent damage.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring Consistency:
- Without abilities like Skill Link, multi-hit moves can be unreliable.
- Solution: Use Cobblemon that guarantee maximum hits for optimal damage output.
- Over-reliance on Multi-Hit Moves:
- These moves are strong but not always the best option for every scenario.
- Solution: Balance your moveset with single-hit options to cover all situations.
- Neglecting Coverage:
- Some multi-hit moves have limited type effectiveness.
- Solution: Build your team to compensate for any gaps in coverage.
Sample Team Featuring Multi-Hit Moves
Core Strategy: Utilize Skill Link and Technician to break through defensive teams.
- Cloyster: Icicle Spear and Rock Blast as main sweepers after Shell Smash.
- Cinccino: Multi-hit utility with Tail Slap and Bullet Seed.
- Breloom: Technician Bullet Seed for Grass coverage and status support with Spore.
- Rotom-Wash: Hazard removal and pivoting with Volt Switch.
- Toxapex: Defensive pivot with Toxic Spikes to wear down opponents.
- Dragonite: Late-game cleaner with Multiscale and Dragon Dance.
Conclusion
Multi-hit moves bring a unique edge to Cobblemon battles, offering versatility, utility, and high-damage potential when used strategically. By leveraging abilities like Skill Link and Technician, you can maximize their effectiveness and disrupt even the most prepared opponents. Experiment with these moves and discover how they can add a dynamic layer to your competitive gameplay.