Sets
Choice Scarf
- Item Held
- Choice Scarf
- Ability
- No Guard / Guts
- Nature
- Jolly (+Speed, – Sp.Attack)
- Effort Points
- 12 HP – 252 Attack – 244 Speed
Every generation brings something new to every Pokemon and, in my opinion, we should be taking advantage of it. Machamp can use Choise Scarf very effectively. Assuming you have 31 Speed IV, putting 244 Speed Eps means that you are going to have 340 Speed surpassing even Adamant Dugtrio. Watch out though, because Pokémon like Gengar, Alakazam, Weavile and Starmie can easily be faster than Machamp if properly trained. Machamp has access to two great abilities: No Guard and Guts. The first gives you and your opponent full accuracy and the second gives you a x1.5 bonus to your attacks when you are statused. If you are using guts, then chose Close Combat over Dynamic Punch and possibly Payback over Stone Edge (although if you want to have specific type coverage you can keep Stone Edge)
Choice Band
- Item Held
- Choice Band
- Ability
- Guts
- Nature
- Adamant (+Attack, – Sp.Attack)
- Effort Points
- 128 HP – 252 Attack – 128 Speed
The same moveset with a different item and EPs. Assuming you have a 31 Speed IV, put 128 on speed. If you don’t, try to reach 178 Speed in order to outrun common Skarmory. The preferred ability here is Guts. After activating it, almost no opponent will be safe against one of Machamp’s attacks. Having that in mind, you can actually put 252 EPs on HP and nothing on Speed, because being Paralysed is GOOD for you. Payback provides more Type Coverage, but again, you can use Stone Edge if you believe that it fits your team better.
Although Guts is generally better for this set, there are times that No Guard can be helpful (for example, against a Garchomp in Sandstorm). If you use No Guard, change Close Combat to Dynamicpunch.
Bulk Up
- Item Held
- Leftovers
- Ability
- No Guard
- Nature
- Adamant (+Attack, – Sp.Attack)
- Effort Points
- 128 HP – 252 Attack – 128 Speed
This set is more difficult to use than the others, but can be very effective if used at the right time. Choose No Guard for this. Bulk Up and Dynamicpunch are the standard attacks. The others, depend on the rest of your team. When using this set, you must make sure that Special Sweepers are out of the way. Bring Machamp in and use as much Bulk Up as you can. Dynamicpunch’s wonderful effect can buy you some time for that. It would be a great idea to support this set with Agility. If you do so, put all the EPs on speed in order to reach Max Speed.
Other Possible Options
Rest + Sleep Talk is a good combination, but in this generation, loosing so many terns is the worst thing you can do.
Fire Blast with No Guard is very good against Skarmory, Forretress, Scizor and Heracross.
Bullet Punch can do some work on the non-Choice Scarf sets, but it lacks STAB, so it’s not THAT powerful.
Facade works greatly with Guts.
Mega Kick with No Guard, is a good idea, too.
Counter can surprise your enemy and get rid of an opposing Gliscor.
Counters
PREDICTION. That’s the best counter for Machamp. If you see it using Dynamicpunch, it is safe to burn it, but unless you see that, don’t dare use a Status move because activating Guts will be very painful. Weezing is a good counter, but if Machamp has Mega Kick or Facade, it can beat you easily. Dusknoir is good, if Machamp is not using Payback. Cresselia with Reflect is quite safe as well. Celebi can take some hits but it fears a boosted Payback. Gliscor is a good idea, but Ice Punch can destroy it, so watch out. A fast Special Sweeper, is probably the best choice using the technique: “Kill, to stay alive!”
Opinion & Notes
Machamp is a strong Pokemon that represents pure muscular power. It has a very good Defense stat and an excellent Attack stat along with very good moves. No Guard, its new ability, makes Dynamicpunch one of its most reliable and powerful attacks. Choice Scarf gave it the ability to be fast and it can now hit a lot of Pokemon before they are able to block it.
Note that the elemental Punches are egg moves or Emerald’s Move Tutor moves. Close Combat is also an egg move.