RU Sets: Good vs. Bad [GP 2/2]

[DittoCrow]

Nidoqueen

Support vs. Special Attacker

Support:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Roar
item: Black Sludge
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

A defensive set is a complete waste of Nidoqueen's offensive potential. While raw stats indicate that Nidoqueen has better defenses than offenses, Sheer Force invalidates this entirely; Nidoqueen is actually one of the most powerful threats in the RU metagame. This set forgoes Nidoqueen's unique offensive capabilities in exchange for mediocre and widely distributed moves. First of all, Toxic Spikes is the worst hazard in the tier and is not effective in the slightest. Many Poison-types, including Nidoqueen herself, are commonly seen in RU and will absorb Toxic Spikes upon entry. Furthermore, there are many Pokemon that are unaffected by Toxic Spikes, as they have the Levitate ability, like Uxie, or are not grounded, like Braviary. Roar can also be used by a more defensive Pokemon, such as Steelix, so it's really just a waste of a moveslot. Nidoqueen becomes a much better Pokemon when using the offensive set.

Special Attacker:

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Nidoqueen is one of the deadliest forces in the tier, and this set is the one responsible. Thanks to Sheer Force, Nidoqueen gets a huge boost to all of this set's moves and does not take Life Orb damage. Ice Beam is not on this set because it only hits the Dragon-types in RU, of which there are very few. If you want to make Nidoqueen bulkier, use an EV spread of 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe; this gives her some bulk while maintaining offensive presence, while still outspeeding max Speed Adamant Bouffalant, Modest Omastar, and Adamant Crawdaunt. The only entry hazard that Nidoqueen should be using is Stealth Rock, and even then, Nidoqueen will miss the extra coverage offered by any move she chooses to forgo.

Drapion

Bulky Swords Dance vs. Offensive Swords Dance

Bulky Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Earthquake
item: Black Sludge
ability: Battle Armor
nature: Jolly
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

Drapion simply does not hit hard enough. It only has a mediocre base 90 Attack, and with no investment, Drapion isn't going to be dealing any significant damage to the opposing team. Drapion's bulk is deceptive; even with nearly maximum HP investment Drapion gets worn down quite easily, being 2HKOed by many common threats, such as Sceptile. The extra bulk that comes with this set is practically pointless, and should not be used. Another common move found on bulky variants of Drapion is Toxic Spikes. As said before, Toxic Spikes should not be used in RU, as grounded Poison-type and non-grounded Pokemon—be it through Levitate or Flying Typing—are abundant in the tier. The best choice for a Swords Dance Drapion would be to capitalize on its offensive abilities by maximizing its Attack investment.

Offensive Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Poison Jab
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Sniper
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set actually hits quite hard due to the combination of Swords Dance, Life Orb, and of course, the 252 Attack EVs that the bulky set was missing. This set does not need Black Sludge for the added longevity, giving Drapion the option of running Lum Berry; Lum Berry can cure debilitating burns and paralysis, giving Drapion a free turn to set up. Poison Jab is also an option, and due to all of the extra power this set has, can OHKO offensive Tangrowth. You might think that this Drapion is very weak defensively; however, the difference in damage that it takes from the bulky set is almost unnoticeable. With or without investment, Drapion is 2HKOed a majority of the time, making this set far superior its bulky counterpart.

Galvantula

Choice Scarf vs. All-Out Attacker

Choice Scarf:

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Giga Drain / Hidden Power Ground
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

Equipping Galvantula with a Choice Scarf is a poor choice for a number of reasons. First and foremost, a Choice Scarf restricts its flexibility; Pokemon with immunities or resistances to its moves, such as Lanturn, or even Electivire, can potentially wall Choice Scarf Galvantula, whereas they will falter against the All-Out Attacker. Galvantula is also part Bug-type, meaning that its mobility with Volt Switch is severely limited by its weakness to Stealth Rock—this is further compounded by the numerous Electric-type immunities in the tier. Basically, this set plays like a worse Manectric that has an even tougher time dealing with Nidoqueen. Galvantula is already extremely fast with a base 108 Speed, and restricting its freedom to switch moves is like taking the wheels off a bike.

All-Out Attacker

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Giga Drain / Volt Switch
item: Life Orb
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set unleashes Galvantula's full potential. Galvantula's great coverage in Electric-, Bug-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves is its biggest advantage over arguably its fiercest competitor, Manectric. Giga Drain stops Lanturn and allows Galvantula to regain some HP, offsetting residual damage from Life Orb and entry hazards, and hopefully lengthening its sweep. Hidden Power Ground also takes care of pesky Electric-types, such as Manectric and Electivire. This set's added power and versatility ensures that it is not walled as easily as the Choice Scarf set; it is unequivocally the best option for Galvantula, giving it the damage output and flexibility that it needs.

Molk, TropiOUs, and SilentVerse helped with this article.

 

[DittoCrow]

Ready for GP Checks ^.^

 

[His Eminence Lord Poppington II]

Nidoqueen

Support vs. Special Attacker

Support:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Roar
item: Black Sludge
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

A defensive set is a complete waste of Nidoqueen's offensive potential. While raw stats indicate that Nidoqueen has better defenses than offenses, with Sheer Force, invalidates this entirely; Nidoqueen is actually one of the most powerful threats in the RU metagame. This set is giving up Nidoqueen's great offensive movepool for slightly mediocre moves that can be used by other Pokemonforgoes Nidoqueen's unique offensive capabilities in exchange for mediocre and widely distributed moves. First of all, Toxic Spikes is the worst hazard in the tier and is not effective in the slightest. Many Poison-types, including Nidoqueen herself, are commonly seen in RU and will absorb Toxic Spikes upon switching in. Furthermore, there are many Pokemon that are unaffected by Toxic Spikes, as they have the Levitate ability, like Uxie, or are not grounded, like Braviary. Roar can also be used by a more defensive Pokemon, such as Steelix, so it's really just a waste of a moveslot. Nidoqueen becomes a much better Pokemon when using the offensive set.

Special Attacker:

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Nidoqueen is one of the deadliest forces in the tier, and this set is the one responsible for all of the destruction. Thanks to Sheer Force, Nidoqueen gets a huge boost into all of theis set’s moves here and does not take Life Orb damage, so it has great longevity. You may notice that. Ice Beam is not used on this set; that is because theit only things that Ice Beam hits that Nidoqueen's other moves don't arhits the Dragon-types, in RU, of which athere scarce in RUvery few. If you want to make Nidoqueen bulkier, use an EV spread of 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe.
This allows her to; this gives her some bulk while maintaining offensive presence, while still outspeeding max Speed Adamant Bouffalant, max Speed Modest Omastar, and max Speed Adamant Crawdaunt and gives Nidoqueen some bulk while maintaining offensive presence. The only entry hazard that Nidoqueen should be using is Stealth Rock, and even then, Nidoqueen misses her fourth attacking move.will miss the extra coverage offered by any move she chooses to forgo.


Drapion

Bulky Swords Dance vs. Offensive Swords Dance

Bulky Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Earthquake
item: Black Sludge
ability: Battle Armor
nature: Jolly
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

Drapion simply does not hit hard enough. It only has a mediocre base 90 Attack, and with no investment, Drapion isn't going to be dealing any significant damage to the opposing team. Drapion is also not as bulky as it may look. E’s bulk is deceptive; even with nearly maximum HP, investment Drapion gets worn down quite easily and is, being 2HKOed by many common threats, such as Sceptile. The extra bulk that comes with this set is essenpractically pointless, and should not be used. Another common move found on bulky variants of Drapion is Toxic Spikes. As said before, Toxic Spikes should not be used in RU, as there are many Poison-types that absorb them and most teams do not have many grounded Pokemongrounded Poison-type and non-grounded Pokemon—be it through Levitate or Flying Typing—are abundant in the tier. The best choice for an offensiv Swords Dance Drapion would be to capitalize on its offensive abilities by maximizing its Attack investment.

Offensive Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Poison Jab
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Sniper
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set actually hits quite hard due to the combination of Swords Dance, Life Orb, and of course, the 252 Attack EVs that the bulky set was missing. This set also has the freedom of running Lum Berry, which can cure statusdoes not need Black Sludge for the added longevity, giving it the option of running Lum Berry; Lum Berry can cure debilitating burns and paralysis, giving Drapion a free turn to set up. Poison Jab is also an option, and due to all of the extra power this set has, can OHKO offensive Tangrowth. You mayight think that this Drapion is very weak defensively. H; however, the difference in damage that it takes from the bulky set is almost unnoticeable. Both sets get 2HKOed a majority of the time, so investing in bulk is not worthwhile. TWith or without investment, Drapion is 2HKOed a majority of the time, making this set is far superior to the bulky seits bulky counterpart.


Galvantula

Choice Scarf vs. All-Out Attacker

Choice Scarf:

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Giga Drain / Hidden Power Ground
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

Equipping Galvantula with a Choice Scarf is a poor choice for a number of reasons. First and foremost, a Choice Scarf restricts Galvantula's fantastic coverage. Galvantula does not have the freedom to use all of its moves, so it will be walled more easily by the likes of Lanturn or even Electivireits flexibility; Pokemon with immunities or resistances to its moves, such as Lanturn, or even Electivire, can potentially wall Choice Scarf Galvantula, whereas against the All-Out Attacker they will falter. Galvantula is also part Bug-type, meaning that its mobility with Volt Switch is severely limited by its weakness to Stealth Rock and will take a ton of damage upon switching in and out with Volt Switch—this is further compounded by the numerous Electric-type immunities in the tier. Basically, this set plays like a worse Manectric that has an even tougher time dealing with Nidoqueen. Galvantula is already extremely fast with a base 108 Speed, and restricting its freedom to switch moves is like taking the wheels off a bike.

All-Out Attacker

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Giga Drain / Volt Switch
item: Life Orb
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set actually lets Galvantula unleash itunleashes Galvantula’s full potential. Galvantula's great coverage in Electric-, Bug-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves is its biggest advantage over Manectric, and thanks to Life Orb, it can take advantage of this coverage. Giga Drain stops Lanturn and allows Galvantula to regain some HP so it can sweep for a longer period of timearguably its fiercest competitor, Manectric. Giga Drain stops Lanturn and allows Galvantula to regain some HP, offsetting residual damage from Life Orb and entry hazards, and hopefully lengthening its sweep. Hidden Power Ground also takes care of pesky Electric-types, such as Manectric and Electivire. As you can see, this seThis set’s added power and versatility ensures it is not walled as easily walled as the Choice Scarf set; is. This set also hits harder than the Choice Scarf set thanks to Life Orb, which is exactly what Galvantula wants andt is unequivocally the best option for Galvantula, giving it the damage output and flexibility that it needs.

Molk, TropiOUs, and SilentVerse helped with this article.

c/p

Nidoqueen

Support vs. Special Attacker

Support:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Roar
item: Black Sludge
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

A defensive set is a complete waste of Nidoqueen's offensive potential. While raw stats indicate that Nidoqueen has better defenses than offenses, Sheer Force invalidates this entirely; Nidoqueen is actually one of the most powerful threats in the RU metagame. This set forgoes Nidoqueen's unique offensive capabilities in exchange for mediocre and widely distributed moves. First of all, Toxic Spikes is the worst hazard in the tier and is not effective in the slightest. Many Poison-types, including Nidoqueen herself, are commonly seen in RU and will absorb Toxic Spikes upon switching in. Furthermore, there are many Pokemon that are unaffected by Toxic Spikes, as they have the Levitate ability, like Uxie, or are not grounded, like Braviary. Roar can also be used by a more defensive Pokemon, such as Steelix, so it's really just a waste of a moveslot. Nidoqueen becomes a much better Pokemon when using the offensive set.

Special Attacker:

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Nidoqueen is one of the deadliest forces in the tier, and this set is the one responsible. Thanks to Sheer Force, Nidoqueen gets a huge boost to all of this set’s moves and does not take Life Orb damage. Ice Beam is not used on this set because it only hits the Dragon-types in RU, of which there are very few. If you want to make Nidoqueen bulkier, use an EV spread of 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe; this gives her some bulk while maintaining offensive presence, while still outspeeding max Speed Adamant Bouffalant, Modest Omastar, and Adamant Crawdaunt. The only entry hazard that Nidoqueen should be using is Stealth Rock, and even then, Nidoqueen will miss the extra coverage offered by any move she chooses to forgo.


Drapion

Bulky Swords Dance vs. Offensive Swords Dance

Bulky Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Earthquake
item: Black Sludge
ability: Battle Armor
nature: Jolly
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

Drapion simply does not hit hard enough. It only has a mediocre base 90 Attack, and with no investment, Drapion isn't going to be dealing any significant damage to the opposing team. Drapion’s bulk is deceptive; even with nearly maximum HP investment Drapion gets worn down quite easily, being 2HKOed by many common threats, such as Sceptile. The extra bulk that comes with this set is practically pointless, and should not be used. Another common move found on bulky variants of Drapion is Toxic Spikes. As said before, Toxic Spikes should not be used in RU, as grounded Poison-type and non-grounded Pokemon—be it through Levitate or Flying Typing—are abundant in the tier. The best choice for a Swords Dance Drapion would be to capitalize on its offensive abilities by maximizing its Attack investment.

Offensive Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Poison Jab
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Sniper
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set actually hits quite hard due to the combination of Swords Dance, Life Orb, and of course, the 252 Attack EVs that the bulky set was missing. This set does not need Black Sludge for the added longevity, giving it the option of running Lum Berry; Lum Berry can cure debilitating burns and paralysis, giving Drapion a free turn to set up. Poison Jab is also an option, and due to all of the extra power this set has, can OHKO offensive Tangrowth. You might think that this Drapion is very weak defensively; however, the difference in damage that it takes from the bulky set is almost unnoticeable. With or without investment, Drapion is 2HKOed a majority of the time, making this set far superior its bulky counterpart.


Galvantula

Choice Scarf vs. All-Out Attacker

Choice Scarf:

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Giga Drain / Hidden Power Ground
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

Equipping Galvantula with a Choice Scarf is a poor choice for a number of reasons. First and foremost, a Choice Scarf restricts its flexibility; Pokemon with immunities or resistances to its moves, such as Lanturn, or even Electivire, can potentially wall Choice Scarf Galvantula, whereas against the All-Out Attacker they will falter. Galvantula is also part Bug-type, meaning that its mobility with Volt Switch is severely limited by its weakness to Stealth Rock—this is further compounded by the numerous Electric-type immunities in the tier. Basically, this set plays like a worse Manectric that has an even tougher time dealing with Nidoqueen. Galvantula is already extremely fast with a base 108 Speed, and restricting its freedom to switch moves is like taking the wheels off a bike.

All-Out Attacker

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Giga Drain / Volt Switch
item: Life Orb
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set unleashes Galvantula’s full potential. Galvantula's great coverage in Electric-, Bug-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves is its biggest advantage over arguably its fiercest competitor, Manectric. Giga Drain stops Lanturn and allows Galvantula to regain some HP, offsetting residual damage from Life Orb and entry hazards, and hopefully lengthening its sweep. Hidden Power Ground also takes care of pesky Electric-types, such as Manectric and Electivire. This set’s added power and versatility ensures it is not walled as easily as the Choice Scarf set; it is unequivocally the best option for Galvantula, giving it the damage output and flexibility that it needs.

Molk, TropiOUs, and SilentVerse helped with this article.

amcheck

a lot of it wasn't neccessarily grammatically incorrect, just awkward and didn't read smoothly.

 

[Redew]

Stamping Poppy's check after going through it with him

Also I fixed the curly apostrophes

Crafty Chinese computers...

[gp]1/2[/gp]

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Nidoqueen

Support vs. Special Attacker

Support:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Roar
item: Black Sludge
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

A defensive set is a complete waste of Nidoqueen's offensive potential. While raw stats indicate that Nidoqueen has better defenses than offenses, Sheer Force invalidates this entirely; Nidoqueen is actually one of the most powerful threats in the RU metagame. This set forgoes Nidoqueen's unique offensive capabilities in exchange for mediocre and widely distributed moves. First of all, Toxic Spikes is the worst hazard in the tier and is not effective in the slightest. Many Poison-types, including Nidoqueen herself, are commonly seen in RU and will absorb Toxic Spikes upon switching in. Furthermore, there are many Pokemon that are unaffected by Toxic Spikes, as they have the Levitate ability, like Uxie, or are not grounded, like Braviary. Roar can also be used by a more defensive Pokemon, such as Steelix, so it's really just a waste of a moveslot. Nidoqueen becomes a much better Pokemon when using the offensive set.

Special Attacker:

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Nidoqueen is one of the deadliest forces in the tier, and this set is the one responsible. Thanks to Sheer Force, Nidoqueen gets a huge boost to all of this set’'s moves and does not take Life Orb damage. Ice Beam is not used on this set because it only hits the Dragon-types in RU, of which there are very few. If you want to make Nidoqueen bulkier, use an EV spread of 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe; this gives her some bulk while maintaining offensive presence, while still outspeeding max Speed Adamant Bouffalant, Modest Omastar, and Adamant Crawdaunt. The only entry hazard that Nidoqueen should be using is Stealth Rock, and even then, Nidoqueen will miss the extra coverage offered by any move she chooses to forgo.

Drapion

Bulky Swords Dance vs. Offensive Swords Dance

Bulky Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Earthquake
item: Black Sludge
ability: Battle Armor
nature: Jolly
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

Drapion simply does not hit hard enough. It only has a mediocre base 90 Attack, and with no investment, Drapion isn't going to be dealing any significant damage to the opposing team. Drapion’'s bulk is deceptive; even with nearly maximum HP investment Drapion gets worn down quite easily, being 2HKOed by many common threats, such as Sceptile. The extra bulk that comes with this set is practically pointless, and should not be used. Another common move found on bulky variants of Drapion is Toxic Spikes. As said before, Toxic Spikes should not be used in RU, as grounded Poison-type and non-grounded Pokemon—be it through Levitate or Flying Typing—are abundant in the tier. The best choice for a Swords Dance Drapion would be to capitalize on its offensive abilities by maximizing its Attack investment.

Offensive Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Poison Jab
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Sniper
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set actually hits quite hard due to the combination of Swords Dance, Life Orb, and of course, the 252 Attack EVs that the bulky set was missing. This set does not need Black Sludge for the added longevity, giving it the option of running Lum Berry; Lum Berry can cure debilitating burns and paralysis, giving Drapion a free turn to set up. Poison Jab is also an option, and due to all of the extra power this set has, can OHKO offensive Tangrowth. You might think that this Drapion is very weak defensively; however, the difference in damage that it takes from the bulky set is almost unnoticeable. With or without investment, Drapion is 2HKOed a majority of the time, making this set far superior its bulky counterpart.

Galvantula

Choice Scarf vs. All-Out Attacker

Choice Scarf:

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Giga Drain / Hidden Power Ground
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

Equipping Galvantula with a Choice Scarf is a poor choice for a number of reasons. First and foremost, a Choice Scarf restricts its flexibility; Pokemon with immunities or resistances to its moves, such as Lanturn, or even Electivire, can potentially wall Choice Scarf Galvantula, whereas against the All-Out Attacker they will falter. Galvantula is also part Bug-type, meaning that its mobility with Volt Switch is severely limited by its weakness to Stealth Rock—this is further compounded by the numerous Electric-type immunities in the tier. Basically, this set plays like a worse Manectric that has an even tougher time dealing with Nidoqueen. Galvantula is already extremely fast with a base 108 Speed, and restricting its freedom to switch moves is like taking the wheels off a bike.

All-Out Attacker

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Giga Drain / Volt Switch
item: Life Orb
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set unleashes Galvantula’'s full potential. Galvantula's great coverage in Electric-, Bug-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves is its biggest advantage over arguably its fiercest competitor, Manectric. Giga Drain stops Lanturn and allows Galvantula to regain some HP, offsetting residual damage from Life Orb and entry hazards, and hopefully lengthening its sweep. Hidden Power Ground also takes care of pesky Electric-types, such as Manectric and Electivire. This set’'s added power and versatility ensures it is not walled as easily as the Choice Scarf set; it is unequivocally the best option for Galvantula, giving it the damage output and flexibility that it needs.

Molk, TropiOUs, and SilentVerse helped with this article.

c/p

Nidoqueen

Support vs. Special Attacker

Support:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Roar
item: Black Sludge
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

A defensive set is a complete waste of Nidoqueen's offensive potential. While raw stats indicate that Nidoqueen has better defenses than offenses, Sheer Force invalidates this entirely; Nidoqueen is actually one of the most powerful threats in the RU metagame. This set forgoes Nidoqueen's unique offensive capabilities in exchange for mediocre and widely distributed moves. First of all, Toxic Spikes is the worst hazard in the tier and is not effective in the slightest. Many Poison-types, including Nidoqueen herself, are commonly seen in RU and will absorb Toxic Spikes upon switching in. Furthermore, there are many Pokemon that are unaffected by Toxic Spikes, as they have the Levitate ability, like Uxie, or are not grounded, like Braviary. Roar can also be used by a more defensive Pokemon, such as Steelix, so it's really just a waste of a moveslot. Nidoqueen becomes a much better Pokemon when using the offensive set.

Special Attacker:

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Nidoqueen is one of the deadliest forces in the tier, and this set is the one responsible. Thanks to Sheer Force, Nidoqueen gets a huge boost to all of this set's moves and does not take Life Orb damage. Ice Beam is not used on this set because it only hits the Dragon-types in RU, of which there are very few. If you want to make Nidoqueen bulkier, use an EV spread of 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe; this gives her some bulk while maintaining offensive presence, while still outspeeding max Speed Adamant Bouffalant, Modest Omastar, and Adamant Crawdaunt. The only entry hazard that Nidoqueen should be using is Stealth Rock, and even then, Nidoqueen will miss the extra coverage offered by any move she chooses to forgo.

Drapion

Bulky Swords Dance vs. Offensive Swords Dance

Bulky Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Earthquake
item: Black Sludge
ability: Battle Armor
nature: Jolly
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

Drapion simply does not hit hard enough. It only has a mediocre base 90 Attack, and with no investment, Drapion isn't going to be dealing any significant damage to the opposing team. Drapion's bulk is deceptive; even with nearly maximum HP investment Drapion gets worn down quite easily, being 2HKOed by many common threats, such as Sceptile. The extra bulk that comes with this set is practically pointless, and should not be used. Another common move found on bulky variants of Drapion is Toxic Spikes. As said before, Toxic Spikes should not be used in RU, as grounded Poison-type and non-grounded Pokemon—be it through Levitate or Flying Typing—are abundant in the tier. The best choice for a Swords Dance Drapion would be to capitalize on its offensive abilities by maximizing its Attack investment.

Offensive Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Poison Jab
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Sniper
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set actually hits quite hard due to the combination of Swords Dance, Life Orb, and of course, the 252 Attack EVs that the bulky set was missing. This set does not need Black Sludge for the added longevity, giving it the option of running Lum Berry; Lum Berry can cure debilitating burns and paralysis, giving Drapion a free turn to set up. Poison Jab is also an option, and due to all of the extra power this set has, can OHKO offensive Tangrowth. You might think that this Drapion is very weak defensively; however, the difference in damage that it takes from the bulky set is almost unnoticeable. With or without investment, Drapion is 2HKOed a majority of the time, making this set far superior its bulky counterpart.

Galvantula

Choice Scarf vs. All-Out Attacker

Choice Scarf:

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Giga Drain / Hidden Power Ground
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

Equipping Galvantula with a Choice Scarf is a poor choice for a number of reasons. First and foremost, a Choice Scarf restricts its flexibility; Pokemon with immunities or resistances to its moves, such as Lanturn, or even Electivire, can potentially wall Choice Scarf Galvantula, whereas against the All-Out Attacker they will falter. Galvantula is also part Bug-type, meaning that its mobility with Volt Switch is severely limited by its weakness to Stealth Rock—this is further compounded by the numerous Electric-type immunities in the tier. Basically, this set plays like a worse Manectric that has an even tougher time dealing with Nidoqueen. Galvantula is already extremely fast with a base 108 Speed, and restricting its freedom to switch moves is like taking the wheels off a bike.

All-Out Attacker

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Giga Drain / Volt Switch
item: Life Orb
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set unleashes Galvantula's full potential. Galvantula's great coverage in Electric-, Bug-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves is its biggest advantage over arguably its fiercest competitor, Manectric. Giga Drain stops Lanturn and allows Galvantula to regain some HP, offsetting residual damage from Life Orb and entry hazards, and hopefully lengthening its sweep. Hidden Power Ground also takes care of pesky Electric-types, such as Manectric and Electivire. This set's added power and versatility ensures it is not walled as easily as the Choice Scarf set; it is unequivocally the best option for Galvantula, giving it the damage output and flexibility that it needs.

Molk, TropiOUs, and SilentVerse helped with this article.

 

[Yonko7]

Diff

Nidoqueen

Support vs. Special Attacker

Support:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Roar
item: Black Sludge
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

A defensive set is a complete waste of Nidoqueen's offensive potential. While raw stats indicate that Nidoqueen has better defenses than offenses, Sheer Force invalidates this entirely; Nidoqueen is actually one of the most powerful threats in the RU metagame. This set forgoes Nidoqueen's unique offensive capabilities in exchange for mediocre and widely distributed moves. First of all, Toxic Spikes is the worst hazard in the tier and is not effective in the slightest. Many Poison-types, including Nidoqueen herself, are commonly seen in RU and will absorb Toxic Spikes upon switching in entry. Furthermore, there are many Pokemon that are unaffected by Toxic Spikes, as they have the Levitate ability, like Uxie, or are not grounded, like Braviary. Roar can also be used by a more defensive Pokemon, such as Steelix, so it's really just a waste of a moveslot. Nidoqueen becomes a much better Pokemon when using the an offensive set.

Special Attacker:

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

Nidoqueen is one of the deadliest forces in the tier, and this set is the one responsible. Thanks to Sheer Force, Nidoqueen gets a huge boost to all of this set's her moves and does not take Life Orb damage. Ice Beam is not used on this set because it only hits the Dragon-types in RU, of which there are very few. If you want to make Nidoqueen bulkier, use an EV spread of 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe; this gives her some bulk while maintaining offensive presence, while still outspeeding max Speed Adamant Bouffalant, Modest Omastar, and Adamant Crawdaunt. The only entry hazard that Nidoqueen should be using is Stealth Rock, and even then, Nidoqueen will miss the extra coverage offered by any move she chooses to forgo.

Drapion

Bulky Swords Dance vs. Offensive Swords Dance

Bulky Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Bulky Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Earthquake
item: Black Sludge
ability: Battle Armor
nature: Jolly
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's bad:

Drapion simply does not hit hard enough. It only has a mediocre base 90 Attack, and with no investment, Drapion isn't going to be dealing any significant damage to the opposing team. Drapion's bulk is deceptive; even with nearly maximum HP investment Drapion gets worn down quite easily, being 2HKOed by many common threats, such as Sceptile. The extra bulk that comes with this set is practically pointless, and should not be used. Another common move found on bulky variants of Drapion is Toxic Spikes. As said before, Toxic Spikes should not be used in RU, as grounded Poison-type and non-grounded Pokemon—be it through Levitate or Flying Ttypeing—are abundant in the tier. The best choice for a Swords Dance Drapion would be to capitalize on its offensive abilities by maximizing its Attack investment.

Offensive Swords Dance:

[SET]
name: Offensive Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Poison Jab
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Sniper
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set actually hits quite hard due to the combination of Swords Dance, Life Orb, and of course, the 252 Attack EVs that the bulky set was missing. This set does not need Black Sludge for the added longevity, giving it Drapion the option of running Lum Berry; Lum Berry can cure debilitating burns and paralysis, giving Drapion a free turn to set up. Poison Jab is also an option, and due thanks to all of the extra power this set has, can OHKO offensive Tangrowth. You might think that this Drapion is very weak defensively; however, the difference in damage that it takes from the bulky set is almost unnoticeable. With or without investment, Drapion is 2HKOed a majority of the time, making this set far superior its bulky counterpart.

Galvantula

Choice Scarf vs. All-Out Attacker

Choice Scarf:

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Giga Drain / Hidden Power Ground
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Why it's bad:

Equipping Galvantula with a Choice Scarf is a poor choice for a number of reasons. First and foremost, a Choice Scarf restricts its flexibility; Pokemon with immunities or resistances to its moves, such as Lanturn, or even Electivire, can potentially wall Choice Scarf Galvantula, whereas against the All-Out Attacker they will falter. Galvantula is also part Bug-type, meaning that its mobility with Volt Switch is severely limited by its weakness to Stealth Rock—this is further compounded by the numerous Electric-type immunities in the tier. Basically, this set plays like a worse Manectric that has an even tougher time dealing with Nidoqueen. Galvantula is already extremely fast with a base 108 Speed, and restricting its freedom to switch moves is like taking the wheels off a bike.

All-Out Attacker

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Bug Buzz
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Giga Drain / Volt Switch
item: Life Orb
ability: Compoundeyes
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Why it's better:

This set unleashes Galvantula's full potential. Galvantula's great coverage in Electric-, Bug-, Grass-, and Ground-type moves is its biggest advantage over arguably its fiercest competitor, Manectric. Giga Drain stops Lanturn and allows Galvantula to regain some HP, often offsetting residual damage from Life Orb and entry hazards, and hopefully lengthening its sweep. Hidden Power Ground also takes care of pesky Electric-types, such as Manectric and Electivire. Theis set's added power and versatility ensures that it is not walled as easily as the Choice Scarf set; it is unequivocally the best option for Galvantula, giving it the damage output and flexibility that it needs.

Molk, TropiOUs, and SilentVerse helped with this article.

Good job everyone ^^

[gp]2/2[/gp]

 

[His Eminence Lord Poppington II]

i take it issue with: Thanks to Sheer Force, Nidoqueen gets a huge boost to all of this set's her moves and does not take Life Orb damage.

as not all of nidoqueen's moves get boosted by Sheer Force, but all of this set's do.


pretty sure the comma shouldn't be removed in this either: Galvantula is already extremely fast with a base 108 Speed, and restricting its freedom to switch moves is like taking the wheels off a bike.

 

[DittoCrow]

Thanks guys! This is GP 2/2 :)

EDIT: Uploaded as well.