Azelf

[boyofrito]

Sorry if there is another Azelf thread, I didn't see one. And this is a discussion about Azelf, not about his tiering or whether he will be banned. Thank you!

AZELF - STEALTH ROCK = VIABLE?

NAME: Azelf
TYPE: Psychic

WEAKNESSES: 2x Bug, Ghost, Dark
RESISTANCES: .5x Fighting, Psychic

HP: 75
ATK: 125
DEF: 70
SPD: 125
SPA: 70
SPE: 115

ABILITIES:
•LEVITATE: Damage dealing Ground-type moves have no effect on this Pokémon. Cannot be trapped by Arena Trap ability. Takes no damage from Spikes.

•no dream world ability

NOTABLE MOVES:
•LEVEL UP
Rest, Detect, Uproar, Nasty Plot, Explosion

•MACHINE
Psycho Shock, Calm Mind, Toxic, Hidden Power, Taunt, Light Screen, Protect, Safeguard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Return, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Reflect, Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Torment, Rest, Energy Ball, Charge Beam, Acrobat, Payback, Thunder Wave, Psych Up, Grass Knot, Substitute, U-Turn, Trick Room

•Genderless, no egg moves :(

PROS:
-Amazing movepool
-fantastic offensive stats
-Levitate
-115 base Speed

CONS:
-Lost Stealth Rock (without transferring)
-craptastic 75/70/70 defenses
-meh Psychic typing

OVERVIEW:
Azelf. The #1 Lead of the DPPtHGSS Generation has lost the two moves that made it viable as a lead, Stealth Rock (without transferring) and Explosion. Well it didn't lose Explosion, but explosion sucks now that it does not decrease defenses by 50% when used. So Explosion lost half of it's oomph. So this will be the Generation with no more Azelf suicide leads. Now it will have to try to be good at sweeping.

MOVESETS:

Nasty Plot
Azelf @Life Orb/Expert Belt/Lefties
Levitate
-Nasty Plot
-Flamethrower
-Psychic/Psycho Shock
-Grass Knot/HP Fighting
The same Nasty Plot Azelf from GEN V. Nasty Plot to boost it's great Special Attack sky high, and the sweep.*

Mixed Life Orb
Azelf @Life Orb
Levitate
-Psychic/Psycho Shock
-Flamethrower
-Grass Knot/HP Ground/U-Turn/
-Grass Knot/HP Ground/U-Turn/Explosion


Dual Screens
Azelf @Light Clay
Levitate
-Reflect
-Light Screen
-Taunt
-coverage/Explosion

If you do Transfer...
Azelf @Focus Sash/Colbur Berry
Levitate
-Stealth Rock
-Taunt
-Fire Blast/Psychic/U-Turn
-Explosion/Fire Blast/Psychic/U-Turn
If you can transfer an Azelf from DPPt that has Stealth Rock, you have yourself one of the best suicide Leads in the game.

So in conclusion, Azelf lost a lot (like a LOT) this generation(without transferring), and it's trying to fit in GEN V as a mixed sweeper, not a suicide lead.

Do you think Azelf has viability in GEN V? What would be some good teammates for Azelf? Can you come up with more sets? Who will give Azelf trouble in GEN V?

What do you think?

 

[IcyMan28]

Azelf did not lose Stealth Rock. Because it lacks both egg moves and a DW ability, it can be transferred in with the move and get the rest from its level-up movepool and TMs.

EDIT: Psycho Shock, however, is an excellent addition to the pixie. A simple set of NP / Psycho Shock / HP Fight / Flamethrower can rip unprepared teams to shreds, and Azelf has the bonus of resisting the newly popular Mach Punch priority.

+2 Timid LO Psycho Shock vs. 252/252 Bold Blissey: (83.75% - 98.74%)
+2 Timid LO Psycho Shock vs. 6/0 Timid Latias: (65.89% - 77.48%)
+2 Timid LO Psycho Shock vs. 252/252 Bold Suicune: (53.47% - 63.12%)

Psycho Shock is letting Azelf blow past its counters with relative ease, letting it use HP Fighting for Tyranitar, Heatran, and Sazandora. Flamethrower blasts the likes of Scizor, Doryuuzu, Nattorei, and other steels.

 

[min min]

Azelf is still pretty cool, being able to outspeed the now-vital 100-110 speed madhouse, along with Borotousu and Tounerousu. I forsee some problems arising from Scarf Sazandora if Azelf runs a NP set, but the lead is still as reliable as ever. Explosion now becomes a means not to kill the enemy, but to open up a hole to switch in like U-turn. Of course, the fact the Azelf CAN learn U-turn makes Explosion all but a novelty option on NP Azelf to KO Blissey.

 

[leingodf8]

^ What IcyMan said.

It can run a load of other options as well, such as a choice bander with zen headbutt, u-turn, fire punch, and trick, ice punch or explosion

 

[Heldigunner1]

Life Orb Azelf has been very good. He otk the 5 most common defenders (Blissey-PsychoShock. Skarmory, Nattori, Forretress-Flamethrower, Burunga- Thunderbolt) with 1 Nasty Plot and a timib nature. He is easily killed back with scarfers due to crappy defense but this might be Azelf's time to shine as a sweeper.

 

[wyndamn]

Dont Forget magic coat.

 

[IcyMan28]

Bumping this thread because Azelf really needs some love:

Azelf@Life Orb
Timid; 28 HP / 252 SpA / 228 Spe

Psychic
Fire Blast
Nasty Plot
HP Fighting

Step aside Thundurus, Azelf is back from DP for Round 2. Seriously guys, this thing is crazy, especially with Blissey nowhere to be seen. It runs just enough speed to outrun the genies (and thus everything else in the metagame), which allows it to just pillage all with its coverage.

Tyranitar and Heatran are not issues, as they are OHKOd by +2 LO HP Fighting or 2HKOd on the switch, meaning that Azelf can freely crush everything in sight with Psychic. Fire Blast may be a bit superfluous, but it ensures the OHKO on Max/Max Careful Ferrothorn in rain as well as the 2HKO on SpD Jirachi in rain. For all other purposes (and if Drizzle gets the boot), Flamethrower is adequate, roasting Scizor, Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Forretress, Skarmory, Metagross, etc on the spot, especially if Azelf is already at +2.

Azelf is a seriously underestimated threat, which just goes to show you that even more "obscure" threats can be perfectly viable this gen, they just lie under the radar.

 

[BKC]

raving about azelf's goodness

I agree. Kind of like everyone else, I forgot about Azelf this gen, but he is a very viable threat and really is a Thundurus on steroids in regards to the Nasty Plot set. I tried this set out and swept many a team with it.

 

[TLK]

I actually preferred Grass Knot over HP Fighting in Gen 4. While HP Fighting hit Tyranitar a bit harder (not much though, IIRC) and generally gives better coverage, Grass Knot is awesome for hitting really bulky waters. Heatran is usually a problem for Azelf.

Azelf is great Tyranitar bait, and Life Orb HP Fighting or Grass Knot has a chance of 2HKO'ing Tyranitar and at the very least, it'll leave him at about 6%. So Azelf works great with Pokemon that hate Tyranitar.

 

[Raptorg]

Well, this is Gen 5, HP fighting is vastly superior.

Vaporeon takes 120 BP grass knots, and 135 BP Psychics(STAB and SE included)

Heatran is still a threat, thus, no brainer. The only thing better is HP ground, which is redundant when you already have Fire Blast and can use HP fighting for a significant other threat.

Tyranitar takes 240 BP Grass Knot and 280 BP HP fighting.

Swampert and Milotic are very rare these days, sorry bro, and they still take a shitload from +2 Psychic. Pointless, imo. But if they bother you, Grass Knot is indeed much better.

Quagsire, however, a new and upcoming bulky water threat for those that use set up moves, might be problematic without Grass Knot.

Lapras? Unheard of, does take super effective damage from HP fighting in case it shows up.

Suicune, definitely a fatty, but can probably be powered through with Psychic thanks to them often being Crocunes with terrible SpA and SpD.

And then lastly, Politoed, light as a feather, you'll want to use Psychic.

You're walled by the Slowpokes, though, but.. Really?

Oh, and Jellicent, which is also a fatty, but since they are often bold ones, they can probably be powered through.


Honestly, Azelf is one of those pokemon that once they set up.. You have to start looking for coverage on direct threats that resist its STAB, because its Psychic will hit so hard, it's often overkill. Since Bulky waters don't resist Psychic, I'm not convinced.

 

[Camara]

Azelf is still a danger around, people are just trying other pokémon. But possibly Azelf will shift from support to pure sweeper this gen.