5th Gen Audino vs Stoutland (NU Matchup #9)

[Ho-Oh]

lmao I got everything from NU done before it moved up to RU, apparently I'm SMART. Nevertheless, since Stoutland technically dropped I can do the best match up ever, yayyy. Currently people are using a status-based set on Stoutland while Audino has good defences and can make use of status too to stop the opponent ~~~

When comparing the two, I want you to also base it on which you'd use competitively, which do you think has the better chance, which you used in-game, which you like the design-of best, and what strategies you think one could use to beat the other. Each week these polls will continue until all combinations and tiers are used up (each Pokemon compared will be from the same competitive tier). To find out more about tiers, and how you can get the most out of these Pokemon, check out Battle Center. So which do you choose? Don't forget to post in the thread when voting in the poll, either!

 

[Starry Windy]

I think I'll use Stoutland more than Audino. Stoutland looks strong too!

 

[Correspondence]

I have used both of them in my games and they came very handy.Stoutland has better stats but Audino has a wider movepool but competitive battling wise i'm going with Audino mainly because it can learn more number of attacks.Plus I find its design better.

 

[Hikamaru]

I picked Audino as I like its design better, gives out loads of EXP, is adorable, and has an amazingly good movepool too!

Stoutland does have better stats but it looks ugly so yeah, Audino for me.

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

Stoutland for me, because Audino has low offenses to abuse its amazing movepool, whereas Stoutland has been given lots of useful abilities and moves.

 

[kevcrash]

It's a tough choice. Audino is an extremely underrated special wall in NU, and I've used it to much success. Stoutland, i haven't tried out competetively but I loved using it in game.

Tough choice...

Stoutland wins b/c Lillipup is adorable.

 

[Cyclone]

I don't get what makes its movepool wso amazing aside from moves like Secret Power, which in the grass causes...causes...excuse me, I need a na-...*snoring*

*wakes up*

Pardon me. NEway, as I was saying, Audino's Secret Power is a move that annoys me to no end when facing them in the wild, and when an Audino I'm fighting uses that and then spatters with Heal Pulse, it just makes my battles more annoying; I've had three-minute tussles against them because they put me back to sleep as soon as I wake up! Stoutland, on the other hand, is not a challenge. If I were to use one of the two, I'd likely use Audino because of that extra layer of fat that seems to make them so hard to battle in the wild. I don't really like its movepool that much, but as soon as you combine the naturally-learned Secret Power with the TM85 for Dream Eater, that pink puffball gets deadly.

Cyclone

 

[PlatinumDude]

I like Stoutland because it's offensively better than Audino in terms of stats. I also have a soft spot for dogs.

 

[Animeluver143]

Sorry Audino...but i like your design!

Im betting on Stoutland because it's pretty strong stat-wise and even though Audino can tank moves w/ having high base HP,Stoutland can learn Giga Impact,Reversal,and the three element fang moves (Fire Fang,Ice Fang,And Thunder Fang).

 

[Cyclone]

Just as an addendum to my above comments, remember that I once posted a story about my accidental encounter with a Trainer with a Lv.68 Purugly, and my Munna at Lv.48 was sent out to battle. I used Hypnosis, Dream Eater, and Dream Eater; the fight was over.

If Secret Power connects for dreaming, it's super deadly. I still say Audino wins as you can't use the three elemental fangs while you are in dreamland, and Dream Eater is just mass murder.

Cyclone

 

[Arlo]

I'm sort of hard-pressed to compare these two. They're both relatively big normal types, but that's pretty much where any similarity ends. Stoutland is geared toward offense while Audino is geared toward defense, and they both do what they do well, while neither can really do what the other does.

Personally, in-game, I prefer Stoutland, largely because I lean toward offensive tactics. Aesthetically though, I'd say I prefer Audino. GF definitely designed Audino with a concept in mind - it's arguably the best cleric since Blissey, and it doesn't even have the touch of evil that S-Tossing Blissey has. It's entirely good-natured and giving, blessed with pretty much every single move ever that serves to benefit others, and smiling the entire time. And it gives out lots of Exp and lots of HP EVs and is conveniently found in pretty much every bit of shaking grass in the game, so it's just made to be relentlessly hunted. Except that it's so kind and so friendly and so smiley that it can be tough sometimes, at least for those so inclined, to hunt them down so ruthlessly. That can't have been an accident, and kudos to GF for that bit of subtlety.

But still, I prefer Stoutland. It's got decent or better stats everywhere it needs them, including surprising speed and ample attack. And it's got a fairly diverse movepool for a Normal type - at least enough to keep it useful in-game.

I might be sort of biased though, since I'm playing a solo run with one in White...

 

[Mama-Mamo]

Stoutland. Nothing is more loyal than a dog!!

I just find him more useful. Just like Arlo, I'm more offensive and I feel like an Audino needs to have a special place and play a specific role in your team while you can just kind of plug Stoutland in.

Now I'm no competitive battler so I'm not going to even try to argue in that area. :P

Audino does have it's place though; being used as easy EXP to train your team. (:<

 

[hysteriX]

I've always been the type of person who goes for Pokemon based on personal preference of their design. And moustaches on blue dogs just aren't my thing. Despite the knowledge and proof that someone could breeze through the entirety of BW with just a Stoutland proves it's probably better - but Audino is a cutie-patootie, aight?

 

[curiousnathan]

I'm not profficient in using them competitively; however, based on their appearance and my general view on them, Stoutland beats Audino vastly. Audino became particularly frustrating, having popped up in almost every shaking grass patch I encountered. Instead of a rare Pokemon that I had hoped for countless times, I find it.

 

[vaporeon7]

Well Stoutland just destroys in a sandstorm with Sand Rush, so it takes the cake competitively, but I picked Audino because of its design. I love how pink it is and how it has a tail that looks like whipped cream. Not to mention it gives its life to give out exp and it also reminds me of Nica's pair, Ole. I really like Stoutland too, just not as much as Audino. It also evolves from Herdier, so that's good too.

 

[Deceit]

This choice was tough. In terms of design, I prefer Audino over Stoutland, but I used Stoutland a lot in-game, and it was very helpful. Though it has a worse move set, I still prefer Stoutland because of its offensive capabilities, especially with its Sand Rush ability. It also has better defenses than Audino, just worse HP.

 

[RandomTrainerWhoCould]

One was a premiere OU sand sweeper, one is outclassed by Lickilicky. You deicide

 

[CourageHound]

One was a premiere OU sand sweeper, one is outclassed by Lickilicky. You deicide

^Amazing

Affinity Towards Design: Eliminating all bias from my thoughts I will say, both have nice, yet simplistic designs that complement their normal type. They are both big, although Stoutland being obviously larger...and a dog based on Saint Bernard and Scottish terriers. Stoutland wins out here.

Which would I more likely use In-Game?: Would you count audino grinding as using it in-game?
Well I gotta say Stoutland wins here again. He was very powerful, useful and fun to use. Audino on the other hand, I find very difficult to use in game as a result of its main talent(support) almost null in the mostly single battle pace of the main story.

Which would I use competitively and possible strategies?: Stoutland is pretty straightforward in his game. Thrive in the sand and trample all who oppose his voluminous mustache. A good sweeper as well as reasonably bulky and decent coverage moves to boot. Audino on the other hand is indeed outclassed by Lickilicky(Of which I perfer highly over) as a supporter. However in doubles, I guess you could use simple beam on partner with a boosting move and also make use of healing pulse.

Final Verdict: Stoutland reins victorious~

 

[Sirfetch’d]

I have never used either one competitively but if I did I would use Audino because it is a good support Pokemon while stoutland is an attacker. Also in game Audino is very helpful so my vote goes to the pink little nurse:) Audino