Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
83
|
- |
307 |
370 |
- |
| Atk |
80
|
176 |
196 |
259 |
284 |
| Def |
75
|
167 |
186 |
249 |
273 |
| SpA |
70
|
158 |
176 |
239 |
262 |
| SpD |
70
|
158 |
176 |
239 |
262 |
| Spe |
91
|
196 |
218 |
281 |
309 |
Overview
With two useless abilities and a lacking movepool, Pidgeot's effectiveness in the UU tier is pretty abysmal, especially when compared to other Normal- and Flying-types like Swellow, and to an extent, Fearow and Dodrio. Pidgeot does, however, have significantly greater bulk, access to moves like Brave Bird and U-turn, and an acceptable base Speed stat, all of which are key factors when deciding whether to use Pidgeot or not.
With a useful base 91 Speed stat, a decent base 80 Attack stat, and access to a couple of respectable physical moves including Brave Bird, U-turn, and Return, Pidgeot can effectively utilize a Choice Band, serving as both a revenge killer and a scout on a UU team.
Brave Bird and Return are staples on the set as they provide Pidgeot with reliable, strong STAB moves, though the former, unfortunately, causes recoil damage. U-turn allows Pidgeot to scout opposing Pokemon that might switch in and expect to set up on a resisted attack. Pursuit makes Pidgeot a decent check to a couple of Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon in the tier, while Quick Attack can be used to hit faster foes, which is useful since Pidgeot is outpaced by many Pokemon in UU.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs are self-explanatory. Maximum Attack and Speed are used to amplify Pidgeot's offensive capabilities, while the rest of the EVs are dumped into Defense to round down the amount of damage from Stealth Rock. The decision between an Adamant or a Jolly nature is dependent upon your team; although an Adamant nature boosts the power of Pidgeot's attacks, a Jolly nature allows it to outpace Pokemon that have a Speed stat of 90 or less, some notable ones including Venusaur, Hitmonlee, and Kangaskhan. You can also use a Choice Scarf on this set to let Pidgeot revenge kill certain foes, such as Alakazam, Blaziken, and Sceptile. However, Pidgeot will be worse off on the long run due to its mediocre Attack stat.
As Pidgeot is a Flying-type, Stealth Rock will prove to be a problem for it as Pidgeot will take 25% damage every time it switches in. Including a Rapid Spinner, such as Donphan or Kabutops, on your team will significantly enhance Pidgeot's longevity. Also, Dugtrio is an excellent offensive partner to Pidgeot as it can trap and KO many of Pidgeot's common switch-ins, the significant one being Registeel. Pokemon that benefit from the removal of Venusaur or Milotic also make great partners to Pidgeot, since it is able to easily OHKO any variant of Venusaur with Brave Bird and 2HKO the standard Milotic after Stealth Rock damage.
Other Options
Outside of using a Choice item, Pidgeot's lacking movepool doesn't hold many other viable options. You can abuse Pidgeot's bulk on a defensive set using Roost and FeatherDance, but this is highly outclassed by defensive variants of Moltres and Articuno, both of which possess better base stat layouts. Similarly, sets utilizing Tailwind, a Life Orb, or even Choice Specs can be used but these options are all terribly outclassed in UU. Also, Double-Edge can replace Return on any set, but as Brave Bird and Double-Edge are illegal together, you will have to use Aerial Ace as Pidgeot's Flying-type STAB move; this change is not recommended, as Brave Bird is an amazing move with excellent coverage that Pidgeot should not leave home without.
Checks and Counters
Any Pokemon that resists Pidgeot's main attacks and has good enough physical bulk can be called a Pidgeot counter. Pokemon like Registeel and Steelix stop Pidgeot cold with their resistances to Pidgeot's attacks and massive defensive stats. Registeel can cripple the bird with Thunder Wave and smash it with Iron Head, while Steelix can slam Stone Edges in its face. Moreover, set-up Pokemon like Aggron and Rhyperior can comfortably switch in and begin thrashing Pidgeot's team. Rotom can switch into more than half of Pidgeot's moveset with ease and OHKO it with Thunderbolt. Lastly, any defensive behemoth without a Flying weakness, like Uxie, can check Pidgeot as even without resistances to its attacks, its mediocre damage output will still fail to piece their defenses.
