Drapion
[Overview]
<p>The grape-soda colored scorpion is back, ready for another generation of wreaking havoc and causing mischief in the lower tiers. Drapion has a respectable base 90 Attack stat, supported by a solid base 95 Speed stat, giving it great offensive capabilities. Drapion isn't bad defensively either; it has an interesting defensive spread of 70 / 110 / 75, backed up by an excellent defensive typing that gives it many useful resistances and one lone weakness.[space]Despite all of this, Drapion still has its faults, such as its lack of reliable recovery and its decidedly average stats. Nonetheless, Drapion has a great niche in RU as a handy supplier of Toxic Spikes and a sweeper with bulky defences.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Crunch / Night Slash
move 2: Pursuit
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Ice Fang / Aqua Tail
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
ability: Sniper
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> This set follows a simple concept: max out Attack and Speed to hit hard and fast. The item of choice is either Choice Band or Life Orb; both allow Drapion to hit much harder, whilst each has its own drawbacks. As such, you should take your team into consideration when choosing items. Those who opt to use Choice Band appreciate Rapid Spin support, as they will often be switching in and out. Conversely, those who choose Life Orb will appreciate Wish support, as their health will be quickly drained. Crunch is an obvious STAB move, and has good coverage with Earthquake. Aqua Tail is for bulky Ground-types, who would otherwise give Drapion huge trouble. Drapion's presence can tend to cause switches, so Pursuit can be handy for mauling any opponent who tries to escape. As Drapion is trying to destroy his opponents as fast as possible, entry hazard support is always appreciated.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Drapion has a lot to distinguish itself from other Pursuit users . It has a neutrality to Fighting-type attacks, aiding in its defensive capabilities, while Drapion's decent Speed allows it to fire off strong attacks before it receives a status ailment, such as burn. Finally, a large movepool with good coverage allows Drapion to be a a solid team player beyond Pursuit. If one of your Pokemon has Hi Jump Kick, consider Drapion even more, as it catches Ghost-types on the switch for huge damage. On top of that, Hi Jump Kick users adore the holes this Drapion can punch into teams. It is worth noting that although Night Slash has slightly less power than Crunch, its high critical hit ratio in combination with the Sniper ability makes it an interesting choice. Ice Fang works better than Aqua Tail, as it is able to hit the odd Grass- and Flying-types that give Drapion trouble, alongside Ground-types. As for teammates, Gligar stands out as it is immune to Ground-type attacks, while being able to set up Stealth Rock. Gligar is even able to force switches, thanks to its unique typing and Taunt.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Crunch / Night Slash
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Earthquake
item: Leftovers
ability: Battle Armor / Sniper
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 120 SpD / 136 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With nice defenses and decent Speed, Drapion can make for a good bulky Swords Dance user. The EV spread is simple: maximize HP and make it hold Leftovers for a little bit of healing, give it enough Speed to outpace a good handful of foes, then dump the rest of the EVs into its Special Defense for added bulk. As usual, Crunch is the obligatory STAB move, used alongside Earthquake for coverage. Again, Night Slash can be used in conjunction with Sniper for a more offensive approach. However, since this is a defensive set, it is best to use Battle Armor and Crunch, since Drapion can already bust through its opponents' defenses thanks to Swords Dance. Again, entry hazard support is appreciated to aid Drapion's sweep. Drapion can abuse its Speed through the use of Taunt, allowing it to come in on common tanks and shut them down, while grabbing a free boost.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Ice Fang could be used over Taunt , giving Drapion perfect coverage. However, Dark-type moves already provide enough coverage alongside Earthquake, and Ice Fang's low Base Power makes it an unappealing option. Despite its bulk, Drapion will still take a beating from strong opponents, and does not like being burned. A teammate like Clefable is an excellent choice, as it is able to absorb burns due to Magic Guard, whilst keeping its team healthy with Wish and Heal Bell. Clefable can also paralyze the foe with Thunder Wave, making Drapion's job of setting up and sweeping much easier.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Crunch / Night Slash
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Ice Fang / Aqua Tail
item: Life Orb
ability: Sniper
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The Swords Dance Sweeper set functions more or less the same as the Bulky Swords Dance set, but adopts the "hit hard and fast" approach of the All-Out-Attacker set. Life Orb, along with maximized Attack and Speed EVs, give Drapion as much raw offensive power as possible. Though it may seem outclassed, what differentiates Drapion from other Swords Dance sweepers are its good defenses, which allow it to take a hit while boosting its stats. Again, Crunch or Night Slash are used for STAB, along with Earthquake for coverage. The last move is a matter of preference; Ice Fang sports excellent type synchronization with Earthquake, whilst Aqua Tail destroys bulky Ground-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Unlike the All-Out-Attacker set, the Swords Dance Sweeper set is designed to set up on walls that are not much of a threat to Drapion, such as Tangrowth. As with all of Drapion's sets, entry hazard support is helpful. Omastar is able to set up entry hazards, which will aid in helping Drapion clobber more foes, though the Ground weakness it shares with Drapion hinders this. With Earthquake in mind, an Air Balloon can help in this situation, but Drapion usually prefers the extra power that Life Orb provides.</p>
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Crunch
move 2: Whirlwind
move 3: Toxic Spikes
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers
ability: Battle Armor
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Unlike the offensive nature of the other sets, this set excels at supporting the team. This set will take more than a few hits as it does its job, so it is best to get as close to even defenses as possible by maxing out HP and Special Defense. As for moves, Crunch is the usual solid STAB move. Drapion can set up Toxic Spikes, which can be used in conjunction with Whirlwind to rack up loads of residual damage. As such, a Ghost-type teammate can be enormously helpful, preventing the foe from using Rapid Spin. Taunt is used in the last slot, as it can shut down the many walls that counter Drapion.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Knock Off can be a good support option, crippling many foes by making them lose their item. However, it is usually better to rack up damage from entry hazards by forcing switches with Taunt or Whirlwind. Using Rest by itself can come in handy occasionally, especially with a Heal Bell or Aromatherapy user on your team. With Rest in mind, Drapion can be a RestTalk shuffler with Whirlwind, but this can be risky and Drapion is usually better off sticking to Wish support. Again, Clefable fits this role well, as it is able to cure Drapion of status and keep it healthy with Wish. Earthquake might provide coverage, but it does not do as much for Drapion on this set. Archeops can make a good teammate, as it resists Ground-type moves and can use the Toxic Spikes provided by Drapion to its advantage.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Since Crunch and Earthquake have great neutral coverage together, using one of Drapion's Poison-type STAB moves, such as Poison Jab and Cross Poison, is not a bad idea. Drapion's Poison-type STAB attacks can also benefit its coverage, shredding through those pesky Grass-types. Acupressure can be used to boost random stats; however, as in the cases of Sleep Talk or Sniper, relying on luck can be very risky. Air Balloon removes Drapion's only weakness; however, it cannot cause ultimate destruction after a single boost, so it is best to stick with either Leftovers or Life Orb.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Like the majority of Pokemon, Drapion is easy to counter if you can get by its hefty blows. Bulky Ground-types with high Defense make great counters, as they can absorb Drapion's attacks and their STAB Earthquake tears Drapion apart. Quagsire is an excellent choice, as it can bluff Water Absorb, while Unaware blocks out stat boosts and is able to destroy Drapion with its STAB Earthquake. However, Quagsire is mauled by status, so make sure it does not get poisoned by Toxic Spikes. With Toxic Spikes in mind, Steel-types with Earthquake work well against the defensive sets. Dugtrio is a great counter against the Special Defensive set, as it can trap Drapion with Arena Trap and decimate it with a STAB Earthquake. However, Dugtrio dislikes being poisoned, so send it out before Drapion sets up. It is worth noting that Dugtrio faints in one hit from the sweeping sets and the the Bulky Swords Dance set after Drapion has snagged an Attack boost.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Drapion gets Keen Eye from the Dream World , preventing preventing its accuracy from dropping. Pass up on it as accuracy reducing moves are barely seen.</p>
