What is a good moveset for Maractus?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Maractus, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of it's pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures, and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Maractus Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

I happen to love this prickly little guy, and even though they don't have much to work with, I came up with two movesets that I think have some potential!

Maractus @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
• Cotton Guard
• Seed Bomb
• Drain Punch
• Knock Off

You aren't get anywhere with Special Defense, so being physically tanky with good HP and Defense is the way to go. Cotton Guard drastically buffs Maractus's defense and since it only takes two turns to max out your defense, having to switch out against a special attacker while you are fully set up isn't so taxing. Knock Off will get rid of your opponents items and Drain Punch will provide consistent sustain, stacking well with Water Absorb and Maractus's Sitrus Berry. Finally, having a strong STAB attack is the perfect way to round out this moveset.

Maractus @ Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
• Spiky Shield
• Cotton Guard
• Giga Drain
• Toxic / Accupressure

Cotton Guard returns for this moveset and pairs well with Spiky Shield, which will punish contacting physical attackers (and Draining Kiss, most likely from a Triage Comfey) who dare to try and get through your defenses. Maractus gives up Water Absorb for Storm Drain, boosting it's Special Attack and the new healing option of Giga Drain (along with Leftovers) hit even harder! Since Maractus has such a shallow Special movepool, I'd recommend filling it's last moveslot with a status move like Toxic or Accupressure. Toxic would be useful for wearing down Pokémon who resist Giga Drain or are very bulky, while also pairing nicely with Spiky Shield. Accupressure adds a little random zest to your battle, buffing one random stay for you or your ally in Doubles. If you are running this Maractus in Doubles, I'd recommend running it next to a wall (or just Specially tanky) Pokémon with Surf for Storm Drain. You could also have it run Toxic and Protect to help stall. I recommend Mantine, which could run Roost as it's last move.

These two Maractus make good use of their Abilities and limited movepool. Even though they aren't the strongest Pokémon out there, they could definitely catch your opponent off guard!

Answer 2

For Singles

Maractus (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Giga Drain
- Leech Seed
- Spiky Shield
- Hidden Power [Fire]

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For Doubles

Maractus (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 104 Def / 48 SpA / 104 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Synthesis
- Growth
- Solar Beam
- Ingrain

Has a good pairing with a Ninetales in doubles or the Solgaleo set below

Solgaleo @ Heat Rock
Ability: Full Metal Body
EVs: 108 HP / 52 Def / 252 SpA / 52 SpD / 44 Spe
Modest Nature
- Sunny Day
- Solar Beam
- Morning Sun
- Fire Blast

Answer 3

Maractus (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
- Spikes
- Giga Drain
- Cotton Guard
- Hidden Power [Electric]

Comments

Why HP electric trachy?
It covers Water ( Already covered ) and Flying.
Why not rock ?
It would cover flying, and it would take out Ice.

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I use it to completely counter any Water type. So the ones who resist Grass I now hit with Electric. This guy is a complete Water type counter.

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Makes enough since I guess...

Answer 4

Maractus is underrated. They don't recognize it for the monster it truly is.

Maractus @ Lum Berry / Normalium-Z
Ability: Chlorophyll / Storm Drain
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Sunny Day / Spikes
- Petal Blizzard
- Growth
- Hidden Power [Rock]

Maractus has a hidden trick up its sleeve in Petal Blizzard. Get your nice Chlorophyll boost using Sunny Day, then happily outspeed nearly anything. Set up some Growths, then proceed to sweep teams with Petal Blizzard. Use HP Rock to obliterate 4/5 of Maractus' weaknesses. Using the Normalium-Z? Even better. If you're on Monotype, use Storm Drain to combat mono-Water teams. That Special Attack boost will be worth your while. Replace Sunny Day with Spikes too in order to set up an entry hazard to eat up Sashes, because let's face it - they'll just switch into Politoed or Pelipper at the first sign of weather change. Lum Berry cures confusion from Petal Blizzard.
Simplicity is the best policy. For Maractus anyways.

Answer 5

I've been using this happy dancing boi in Gen 8 OU today, and it's quite the fearsome Sun sweeper.

Maractus @ Focus Sash
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
- Weather Ball
- Solar Beam
- Growth
- Drain Punch

Chlorophyll boosts speed in sun. Growth raises both attacking stats sharply in sun. Solar beam in sun negates the charging period. Weather Ball becomes Fire-type in sun, allowing you to dispose of pesky Corviknights and Ferrothorns that attempt to wall you. Drain Punch is just filler for Ice-types, and I'd like to replace it for a special attack.

The best sun setter for this would probably be Torkoal, as it can Rapid Spin hazards away, though a Defogger would be welcome.

Answer 6

Gen 8 Spikes Lead (If you really want to use it in PU for some reason. Poor thing, untiered in every generation thus far.)

Maractus @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 80 SpA / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
- Spikes
- Toxic
- Leaf Storm
- Knock Off

220 Speed isn't terrible. Spikes is obvious. Toxic because Toxic. Leaf Storm is STAB and will hit pretty hard coming off of Maractus' decent Special Attack and those Special Attack EVs. Knock Off is simply for disrupting any opponent Pokemon by removing their item, it's not really meant to deal damage, hence why this Maractus has a Timid nature.

Answer 7

I find that running Maractus as a general physical attacker can work out sometimes

Maractus (F) @ Darkinium Z
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Petal Blizzard
- Sucker Punch
- Drain Punch
- Spiky Shield

Run as a bulky physical attacker, Darkinium Z to surprise opponents with a black hole summoned by a cactus.

Answer 8

Maractus @ Leftovers / Heat Rock
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sunny Day
- Solar Beam
- Synthesis
- Hidden Power [Rock]

Explanation: Sunny Day to boost Maractus's unimpressive speed so it can strike first most of the time. Solar Beam is STAB and doesn't require the charging with Sunny Day in action. Synthesis restores 2/3 HP during harsh sunlight (Sunny Day) and Hidden Power [Rock] deals with Maractus's two major weakness: Flying- and Fire-types. Heat Rock is to make Sunny Day's duration last longer, or you can choose Leftovers to regain a bit of health at the end of each turn.

Maractus @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Bold Nature
- Toxic
- Spiky Shield
- Leech Seed
- Synthesis

Explanation: Maractus' Nature can be anything that boosts Def/SpD and lowers Atk/SpA. Make Maractus as tanky as possible, and use the Toxic and Leech Seed combo to slowly drain the opponent's health. Spiky Shield to use every other turn to inflict damage as well as protect Maractus and Synthesis to recover health when it goes down. Water Absorb grants it an immunity and if the opponent does not know and uses a Water-type move, good for you, because it regains health. And Leftovers is there to regain health as well.

Maractus @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 180 HP / 252 Atk / 76 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Cotton Guard
- Petal Blizzard
- Drain Punch
- Sucker Punch

Explanation: The EVs are roughly calculated to boost Maractus's Special Defense as Cotton Guard increases its Defense. Petal Blizzard is a powerful STAB and Drain Punch covers Ice-types (amongst others) as well as regaining health. Sucker Punch is priority and provides further coverage, notably against Ghost and Psychic. Water Absorb also provides immunity and regains health if hit by a Water-type move.

Maractus @ Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Giga Drain
- Toxic
- Rest
- Snore

Explanation: Storm Drain grants it immunity to Water-type moves, and, should it get hit by a Water type move, it will get its Special Attack increased, which is always good. Giga Drain is STAB and recovers health, Toxic drains its opponent's HP as it uses a combination of Rest and Snore to sustain itself. Leftovers is there to regain health slowly but surely as well.

Comments

Why would you have a Jolly Nature on a special attacker?

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Oops my bad, I typed the wrong nature, thanks for correcting me!

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You should post 1 moveset in 1 answer, just for the future.

Answer 9

Back with more Maractus love! Here's a sun-team sweeper :)

Maractus @ Life Orb
Chlorophyll/Modest
EVs: 252 Sp. Atk, 252 Speed, 4 HP
• Solar Beam
• Weather Ball
• Giga Drain
• Spiky Shield

Solar Beam for obvious reasons, Weather Ball for powerful Fire damage/good coverage, Giga Drain for STAB recovery (Life Orb recoil adds up) & if your sunlight fades, and Spiky Shield mostly as a slot-filler but it could definitely catch your opponent off guard. Put this funky friend next to a Drought Ninetales and you're good to go!

Answer 10

Sunny Day Set

Maractus @Heat Rock
Ability:Chlorophyll
Nature: Timid
EVS: SpA 252, Spe 252, HP 4

Moveset

-Sunny Day
-Spiky Shield / Protect
-Giga Drain
-Weather Ball

Sun teams really are awesome, and Maractus is a good Pokémon to consider adding! It has some interesting moves and it's a great support for teams.