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Swarm
- Boosts power of Bug-type moves 50% when at 1/3 HP or less.
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Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
77
|
- |
295 |
358 |
- |
| Atk |
85
|
185 |
206 |
269 |
295 |
| Def |
51
|
124 |
138 |
201 |
221 |
| SpA |
55
|
131 |
146 |
209 |
229 |
| SpD |
51
|
124 |
138 |
201 |
221 |
| Spe |
65
|
149 |
166 |
229 |
251 |
Overview
Kricketune is yet another simply awful Bug-type who is often referred to as an inferior Beedrill. This label is pretty accurate, as Kricketune sports a lesser Speed stat, a lack of 4x resistances to make up for his poor defenses, as well as barely any options with which to even try to support the team. Factor in a weakness to Stealth Rock, and you'll find that Kricketune is a Pokemon who is really not worth using at all. Unless you've lost some kind of bet, Kricketune should never be an option on any seriously competitive team.
Though it is quite hard to set up at all when using Kricketune, Swords Dance is probably his best bet at sweeping; by doubling his Attack stat, Kricketune becomes at least slightly threatening. X-Scissor is the best STAB move available to Kricketune, and its power can even be boosted by Kricketune's ability, Swarm, when he is low on health. Brick Break offers the best coverage with X-Scissor, hitting Steel-types for super effective damage, while Night Slash can be used to slice through Ghost-types. Taunt can give Kricketune some nice setup opportunities against the likes of Chansey and Registeel, who might otherwise cripple him with status.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Life Orb is the recommended item, as Kricketune really wants all the power he can get to make up for his mediocre Attack stat. For this reason, an Adamant nature is also preferred. Kricketune can't outspeed too many additional threats when running a Jolly nature anyway, so Adamant is almost always the better option. Lum Berry is an option over Life Orb and gives Kricketune a one-time status buffer which can either help him set up or sweep more easily. It should not be used alongside Taunt though, as they both serve essentially the same purpose. Sing can be used to put an opponent to sleep, but its accuracy is horrible, making it a less-than-reliable option.
Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin are especially good for when Kricketune is attempting a sweep (i.e. Claydol, who resists Rock). If Kricketune has Lum Berry or Taunt, a teammate that can lure out the likes of Chansey, such as Mismagius, can give Kricketune the perfect chance to actually set up. Packing Pokemon that can deal with his counters, namely Weezing and bulky Steel-types, particularly Fire-types such as Arcanine, will also help smoothen his endeavor. Finally, paralysis support will be awesome for the slow Kricketune, and is one of the more useful team support options when he is trying to sweep. Uxie is one of the more reliable status inducers, thanks to its gross amount of bulk, and can easily utilize Thunder Wave to bring paralysis onto most of any opponent's team.
Kricketune can run a Choice Scarf set to make up for his poor Speed stat, becoming a somewhat decent revenge killer. X-Scissor is the primary STAB move, and if Kricketune manages to secure a Swarm boost, it becomes just as powerful as if Kricketune was using Megahorn. Brick Break is for Steel- and Rock-types, Night Slash allows Kricketune to hit Ghost-types, and Return is a nice neutral attack that rounds off Kricketune's type coverage perfectly.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Maximum Speed is needed to outspeed positive-natured base 120s, the Speed tier where Kricketune's prime targets reside (namely Sceptile and Alakazam). However, an Adamant nature is fine as Kricketune will still outspeed base 105s, which is still a large portion of the UU metagame. Perish Song can be used in the last slot to finish off an opponent's final Pokemon, and it also counters Baton Pass teams that haven't yet acquired a Speed boost.
Choice Kricketune really wants Rapid Spin support, more so than any other set, as being limited to a maximum of five switch-ins as a not-so-powerful revenge killer is less than ideal. Other than that, the usual entry hazards in Stealth Rock and Spikes help weaken the opponent's team gradually and breaks Focus Sashes.
Other Options
Kricketune has access to Screech, but Swords Dance is usually better as it does not get removed by a simple switch. Aerial Ace can be used to hit other Bug-types, but it is useless otherwise. Bug Bite can steal pinch Berries, but it is gimmicky and unreliable, making X-Scissor the more consistent option. Knock Off can remove an opposing Pokemon's item, which can be especially crippling to bulky Pokemon that lack recovery outside their precious Leftovers. Toxic is always useful to cripple bulky Water- and Ground-type switch-ins.
Checks and Counters
Poison-, Steel-, and Flying-types are the best counters against Kricketune; Weezing being particularly effective due to its high Defense stat and access to Flamethrower. Truthfully though, anything with decent rounded stats can be an effective check to Kricketune. Pokemon with good defenses can easily come in and wall him, while Pokemon with good offensive stats should be able to outspeed Kricketune and cleanly OHKO it. It's not like Kricketune has many other options besides outright attacking anyway, so indirectly countering him with status is really quite pointless.
