Sharpedo (B/W) - Smogon University

R/S
D/P
B/W
Strategy
Moves

Rough Skin: Deals 1/8 damage when the opponent makes contact.
Speed Boost: Speed increases at end of the turn.

Type	Tier
Water / Dark	UU

Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
		Min-	Min	Max	Max+
HP	70	-	281	344	-
Atk	120	248	276	339	372
Def	40	104	116	179	196
SpA	95	203	226	289	317
SpD	40	104	116	179	196
Spe	95	203	226	289	317

Underused
Overused

Overview

In previous generations, Sharpedo received sour, yet justified criticism for being a generally average offensive Pokemon. Because Sharpedo was so held back by its frailty, bad defensive typing, and small movepool, it didn't receive much positive input or usage, despite good offensive stats and decent base 95 Speed. While Sharpedo did receive a small blessing from the Dream World in the form of a new ability, Speed Boost, it still has issues when attempting to execute a successful sweep. It's definitely not an exaggeration to say that Sharpedo is one of the frailest fully evolved Pokemon in OU, who can be easily stopped by many bulky foes.

However, a blessing is a blessing; Sharpedo can actually make exceptional use of Speed Boost, which prevents Sharpedo from being revenge killed like it was in previous generations. Sharpedo's attacking stats are also in the range of other fierce attackers, such as Starmie and Landorus, making it a very dangerous sweeper and revenge killer in OU after obtaining Speed boosts. Sharpedo can tear through most teams provided it is intelligently played and receives sufficient support. Overall, there's no better Pokemon to represent the phrase "eat or be eaten" than Sharpedo.

Name	Item	Ability	Nature
Speed Boost (Mixed)	Life Orb	Speed Boost	Rash

Moveset	EVs
~ Crunch ~ Hydro Pump ~ Ice Beam / Hidden Power Fire ~ Protect	148 Atk / 252 SpA / 108 Spe

Sharpedo's best uses of its high offensive stats, small movepool, and newest ability, Speed Boost, lie in a mixed attacking set. Speed Boost allows Sharpedo to bypass many Choice Scarf users after a few boosts, and with Sharpedo's powerful attacks taken into consideration, it will be difficult for the opposing team to eliminate Sharpedo without being severely hurt. After a Speed Boost, Sharpedo can also revenge kill many common OU Pokemon with the appropriate attack, including but not limited to Latios, Latias, Terrakion, and Starmie.

Crunch is the main STAB move on this set, being a powerful, consistent clean-up move that strikes the numerous Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon in OU super effectively. Hydro Pump, boosted by Life Orb, allows Sharpedo to promptly eliminate the physical walls that would normally come in to sponge Crunch, especially Hippowdon and Skarmory. Hydro Pump is also stronger than Crunch, so despite its imperfect accuracy, Hydro Pump is another good clean-up move against bulkier opponents. The third slot depends on your preference; Ice Beam grants Sharpedo reliable, much-needed coverage against most Grass-, Flying-, and Dragon-type Pokemon such as Virizion, Tornadus, and Haxorus. Hidden Power Fire doesn't have much use outside of keeping Ferrothorn and Scizor in check; it will only manage to 2HKO Ferrothorn (who can reply with Thunder Wave or Power Whip), while Scizor is already OHKOed with Hydro Pump after Stealth Rock damage. Finally, Protect is used to scout incoming attacks and set up at least one Speed Boost in front of faster foes. Generally, Protect should be used on the first turn Sharpedo is out to bypass Choice Scarf users.

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

The EVs and nature are specialized to take advantage of Speed Boost; with 108 Speed EVs and a neutral nature, after two boosts, Sharpedo outruns basically everything in existence. Special Attack is maximized to put as much power into Hydro Pump as possible, while the remaining EVs are put into Attack to zest up Crunch. A Rash nature is preferred because physical priority moves are more common than special ones, and it should also be used to put power into Sharpedo's special moves. With the given EV spread, Sharpedo is statistically stronger than Timid Life Orb Starmie and Adamant Swords Dance Lucario. Additionally, an EV spread of 76 Atk / 216 SpA / 216 Spe exchanges a little power to neutral outrun base 90 threats, in addition to those in the base 130 range after one boost.

While Sharpedo doesn't have particular problems with many Choice Scarf users due to Speed Boost, strong priority users, especially Conkeldurr, also cut Sharpedo's sweeping short. Sharpedo has issues dealing with dedicated bulky foes, such as Blissey, Ferrothorn, and Gyarados. Most of these foes can stall out Sharpedo via Life Orb recoil, or outright attack to finish it off. Entry hazards may seem minor, but they all severely limit Sharpedo's life span on the field.

Pretty much any decently powered move—resisted or not—will severely damage Sharpedo, so it should usually switch in after a teammate has fainted. Sharpedo also doesn't require specific defensive synergy due to its frailty, so feel free to place it in any kind of team that requires its offensive capabilities. Teammates, however, should be able to break through Sharpedo's problem Pokemon and provide external coverage for it. All in all, Fighting-types are the best offensive teammates, as they can instantly check Blissey, Ferrothorn, and many other problematic walls with their STAB attacks while luring in Psychic-type attacks for Sharpedo to switch into. There are various kinds of Fighting-types to utilize; for instance, Virizion can easily set up Swords Dance or Calm Mind in front of bulky Water-types and other defensive foes, while Terrakion can outright punch holes with a Choice Band attached. As for other notable teammates, a Calm Mind Jirachi (specifically Superachi) can lure in and defeat many of Sharpedo's checks and counters, taking on common priority users fairly well. Magnezone can also threaten Water-types with a STAB Electric-type move, with the added benefit of trapping Steel-type Pokemon with Magnet Pull. As a special mention, Sharpedo works fantastically in rain conditions, which can be provided by a preferably offensive Drizzle Politoed. With a Choice Scarf, Politoed is also able to revenge kill Chlorophyll Pokemon such as Venusaur with Ice Beam. Keep in mind that Hidden Power Fire is obviously out of the question if Sharpedo is used with Drizzle support.

Like any other offensive Pokemon, Sharpedo tremendously appreciates entry hazard support. Stealth Rock is essential for nullifying Skarmory's Sturdy ability, which allows Skarmory to otherwise survive Hydro Pump at full health and fight back with Brave Bird. With some layers of hazards, Sharpedo is also able to break down a number of defensive Pokemon, mainly Jellicent, Ferrothorn, and Scizor. Ferrothorn is generally the best hazard layer for fast, offensive momentum, whereas Skarmory and Forretress can gradually lay down hazards with ease. As a side note, Forretress is able to use Rapid Spin as well, eliminating the entry hazards that plague Sharpedo and its team.

Name	Item	Ability	Nature
Speed Boost (Physical)	Life Orb	Speed Boost	Adamant

Moveset	EVs
~ Waterfall ~ Crunch ~ Ice Fang / Earthquake ~ Protect	252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

What's scarier than a shark with a torpedo strapped on its back? Yeah, I don't know either. What is known, however, is that physically based Sharpedo is one ferocious Pokemon thanks to its great Base 120 Attack and solid dual STAB. Speed Boost is really what sets Sharpedo apart from other physical attackers, as it transforms Sharpedo from a decidedly average attacker to a flexible revenge killer and sweeper. After a single Protect, Sharpedo will outpace every OU Pokemon, and has an arsenal of powerful attacks to rip the field with. Surprisingly, despite only packing physical attacks, most physical walls, such as Gliscor and Skarmory, can't keep up with Sharpedo's onslaught, especially with Politoed's Drizzle support.

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

As with every set, Protect is the key to Sharpedo's success. Unlike most Sharpedo sets, though, this one focuses on taking full advantage of Sharpedo's physical prowess rather than attempting to break walls with mixed attacks. Waterfall is an incredibly powerful attack with great overall coverage, and with Drizzle support, virtually anything that doesn't resist it will take huge amounts of damage. Even max Defense Skarmory will be 2HKOed with Stealth Rock and Drizzle support, a rare feat for a physical attacker without the use of a super effective attack. Crunch compliments Waterfall well thanks to its ability to hit Psychic- and Ghost-types super effectively, and it is a great auxiliary move for Pokemon that resist Water-type attacks. In the last slot, Ice Fang is generally given the nod to hit the ever present Dragon-types in OU, namely Dragonite and Salamence. However, Earthquake is a decent option to hit the likes of Jirachi, Magnezone, and Metagross harder than Waterfall would in the rain. Aqua Jet also deserves mention for its ability to check Rock Polish Terrakion and if Sharpedo hasn't been able to accumulate enough Speed Boosts, although it is generally inferior to a useful coverage attack.

With an Adamant nature and Life Orb equipped, Sharpedo really hits like a truck. The EVs not only allow Sharpedo to maximize its attacking power, but also lets the shark outpace a variety of threats after a Protect, such as Jolteon and +1 Adamant Dragonite. After two Protects, Sharpedo will even be able to beat Choice Scarf Terrakion.

Almost nothing will enjoy eating rain-boosted Waterfalls or STAB Crunches, but one Pokemon stands defiant in the face of Sharpedo: Ferrothorn. It resists Sharpedo's main attacks, and it doesn't take all that much from a neutral coverage attack thanks to its excellent defenses. Unless Sharpedo packs Earthquake, Toxicroak and Empoleon can take any attack Sharpedo throws at them. Gyarados is another problem since it can take a Crunch due to Intimidate, although it needs to be careful with repeated switch-ins due to Stealth Rock. Priority users, especially Conkeldurr, will often lead to the death of Sharpedo because of its terrible defensive stats. Politoed is a fairly obvious partner for Sharpedo thanks to the eternal rain it provides, which makes Sharpedo even more difficult to deal with. Magnezone should undoubtedly be the next Pokemon to consider since it excels at trapping Ferrothorn and using it as set-up fodder for Charge Beam. Gliscor is a fairly solid partner since it can take most priority moves aimed at Sharpedo, especially Mach Punches and ExtremeSpeeds. Skarmory works similarly, but it has the added advantage of being able to defeat Toxicroak. In addition to these defensive pivots, Sharpedo also works well on offensive rain teams, so the likes of Tornadus and Starmie should all be considered as partners.

Other Options

While Sharpedo doesn't have too many options to experiment with outside of the main options, it has just enough to concoct pure physical or special sets. By doing this, Sharpedo can maximize both its Speed and respective attacking stat, making it more formidable and faster on either side. Sharpedo's notable physical options include Waterfall, Earthquake, Double-Edge, and Ice Fang, while its only other notable special move is Dark Pulse. Choice Band Sharpedo gets a special mention for being able to blast through teams with Drizzle support; factoring in Speed Boost, it will be incredibly difficult to counter a monster spamming a double-boosted STAB Waterfall. This has competition with Gyarados, however, due to Gyarados's ability to switch into many common moves more often than Sharpedo. Special sweeping sets are also somewhat better left off to the likes of Politoed and Starmie, although the ability to 2HKO Jellicent with STAB Dark Pulse is something to consider. Aqua Jet can be used to kill off weakened opponents and gain a Speed Boost, though Hydro Pump, after a Speed Boost and Protect, is significantly stronger than a mere Aqua Jet.

Substitute lends Sharpedo a safety net to fall back on when forcing switches, making it less susceptible to priority moves. Protect will usually be the superior option, as Sharpedo will lose massive amounts of HP due to Life Orb and Substitute. Sharpedo generally must refrain from using other support moves outside of Protect, as its frailty and Speed boosts are major factors when sweeping with it. Sharpedo also should never use its default ability, Rough Skin, since Speed Boost is the one ability making Sharpedo viable in OU.

Checks and Counters

Due to Speed Boost, few can rely on Speed and not get severely hurt when checking Sharpedo. Virtually any Pokemon with a reasonably powerful attack that can withstand Sharpedo's assaults is a solid check. Bulky powerhouses, including but not limited to Ferrothorn, Metagross, Conkeldurr, Zapdos, and Virizion, are ideal for surviving Sharpedo's attacks and striking back, provided they have not suffered too much previous damage. Priority users, such as the aforementioned Scizor and Conkeldurr, nullify Sharpedo's Speed boosts and put a damper on its sweep. Bulky Water-type Pokemon wall the majority of Sharpedo's main attacks outside of the neutral Crunch, with most being able to cripple it with a burn from Scald or Toxic poison. Most notably, Empoleon, Toxicroak, Poliwrath, who all resist Sharpedo's main options, can retaliate with their respective Grass- or Fighting-type move. Gyarados gets a special mention, as its main ability, Intimidate, weakens Sharpedo's physical attacks and it can pretty much wall Sharpedo's special attacks as well.

Sharpedo also must beware of switching in, as just about any neutral, or even resisted, attack will deal massive damage to it. Any form of passive damage, including sandstorm, hail, and entry hazards, will also severely limit Sharpedo's presence on the battlefield, cutting short its already-short lifespan. With Life Orb recoil added in, using prediction and switching in resistances will take out Sharpedo eventually.

Sharpedo

Overview

Speed Boost (Mixed)

Speed Boost (Physical)

Other Options

Checks and Counters