The Shellder Smuggler
Banned deucer.
Overview
#######
Crobat is a great Pokemon, gifted with many positive traits. For one, it is extremely fast, outspeeding most of the UU tier. Secondly, it is a great stallbreaker, with access to a very quick Taunt. Despite having rather mediocre defensive stats, Crobat was blessed an amazing defensive typing of Poison / Flying, giving it a 4x resistance to Bug-, Grass-, and Fighting- type moves, as well as an immunity to Ground-type moves. It has great support moves, such as Defog and Super Fang, as well as reliable recovery with Roost. Additionally, in combination with its great Speed, Crobat has Infiltrator as an awesome ability to make it the ideal revenge killer. However, it can't take unresisted attacks too well. It also is a bit lacking offensively, with only base 90 Attack, which is only decent at best. On top of this, it is weak to Stealth Rock.
Support
########
name: Support
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: U-turn / Toxic / Super Fang
move 3: Defog / Taunt
move 4: Roost
ability: Infiltrator
item: Black Sludge
evs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 4 SpD / 176 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Brave Bird is Crobat's decently strong STAB attack on this set, allowing it to do some reasonable damage to opposing threats who don't resist it. U-turn is a ideal move for a fast Pokemon like Crobat, allowing it to quickly gain offensive momentum. However, Toxic is also a viable option to trouble walls such as Slowbro on the switch. Super Fang is also a good option as it takes away half of an opponent's health. Defog is great to get rid of entry hazards, but Crobat is weak to Stealth Rock, meaning it can't come and go as it pleases. Taunt is also good to shut down walls such as Mew and Blissey. Lastly, Roost is for reliable recovery, but be wary of Earthquake users who may take advantage of Crobat losing its Flying typing for one turn.
Set Details
========
176 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Crobat to outspeed Alakazam, a relevant threat in UU. 248 HP EVs are to take hits better and allow Crobat to take slightly less damage when switching into Stealth Rock. The Attack EVs are mostly for damage, but they can be moved over into Defense to take hits better. An alternative spread of 248 HP / 52 Atk / 4 SpD / 200 Spe with a Jolly Nature allows Crobat to outspeed Jolly Noivern. Another alternative spread of 120 HP / 248 Atk / 4 SpD / 136 Speed with a Jolly nature can be used for more power. 4 SpD is used to give Porygon-Z the an Attack boost because of Download. Infiltrator is the preferred ability to beat Substitute users, making Crobat a better stallbreaker, rather than using Inner Focus to counter Fake Out Mienshao. Lastly, Black Sludge provides passive recovery and discourages the use of Trick as well.
Usage Tips
========
This set is mostly an anti-hazard set, which depends on what moves have been chosen. If Defog has been used, it needs to be used to clean out entry hazards and is most appropriately used when the opposing entry hazard setter has fainted. If Taunt is being used, it can stop entry hazard setters from setting up at all. Roost is best used when Earthquake users aren't in play so Crobat can use it freely. Brave Bird is not exactly a spammable move against defensive teams as it does nothing but whittle away Crobat's HP, and it should best be used against offensive ones. Finally, this set checks Fighting-types much better than most Defoggers such as Mega Aerodactyl, but Crobat should still watch out for Stone Edge.
Team Options
========
Swampert makes for a great partner; it takes on Electric-types for Crobat, and Crobat can get rid of Grass-types for Swampert, forming a good defensive core. Swampert also can get Stealth Rock set up. Hazard-weak Pokemon, such as Victini and Mega Houndoom, also love the Defog support. Crobat works well with Rotom-H as it loves entry hazards being removed as well as its can take Electric- and Ice-type moves for Crobat.
Choice Band
########
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Cross Poison
move 4: Defog / Sleep Talk
ability: Infiltrator
item: Choice Band
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Choice Band STAB Brave Bird hits very hard, making it the preferred move to use. U-turn is to gain momentum and do some decent damage to threats such as Slowbro. Cross Poison is the secondary STAB move that Crobat can use, doing a lot of damage with Choice Band. Defog is a viable option as Crobat is rather limited with its options, and it can provide the utility of getting rid of entry hazards. Sleep Talk lets Crobat work as a sleep absorber, and Super Fang is a viable option for the last slot to take half of the opponents health away. Lastly, Quick Attack is a form of priority, but it isn't very good to be locked into.
Set Details
========
Max Attack investment with a neutral nature in combination with the Choice Band lets Crobat hit very hard with Brave Bird. 252 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature max out Crobat's Speed, but Adamant is an option if you don't mind being outsped by positively natured base 115s. Lastly, Infiltrator is great on a Choice Band user to get rid of Substitute users.
Usage Tips
========
Brave Bird usually will dent most things by a lot if they don't resist it, making it the ideal move to be locked into. U-turn creates offensive momentum and is best used on the switch against an Electric-, Steel-, or Rock-types. Defog is best used early game as this Crobat variant will be seen switching in and out a lot. Cross Poison also can hit Electric-types hard on the switch. This set is best used against offensive teams with many Fighting-types as Crobat can make big dents in them.
Team Options
========
Dugtrio can take on STAB Rock-, Electric-, and Steel-types well as it traps the users and obliterates them with STAB Earthquake. Machamp is also a good partner as it can use Earthquake on Electric-types and can use DynamicPunch to hurt Rock- and Steel-types. Swampert and Cloyster appreciate Crobat taking Grass-type moves for them, and Pokemon such as Double Dance Porygon-Z and Curselax enjoy the removal of Fighting-types as well. Lastly, Crobat also works well with Rotom-H as it loves entry hazards being removed and it can take Electric- and Ice-type moves for Crobat.
Other Options
########
Crobat certainly does not have a wide movepool, though it does have access to Hypnosis, and it can find its place on the support set very easily as it is the quickest Hypnosis in the whole UU metagame. Crobat can also use a Nasty Plot set with Sludge Bomb, Dark Pulse, and Giga Drain to induce the surprise factor, but base 70 Special Attack is mediocre at best. Lastly, Whirlwind and Haze can be used to mess with setup sweepers, but Taunt does this job much better.
Checks & Counters
########
**Electric-types**: Electric-types such as Ampharos and Raikou can take any attack that Crobat can possibly offer and OHKO back with Thunderbolt.
**Mega Aerodactyl**: Mega Aerodactyl has a quicker Taunt, can set up Stealth Rock, and OHKO Crobat with Stone Edge.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Aggron and Forretress hard-wall the Choice Band set, and can set up Stealth Rock as Crobat switches out.
**Revenge Killers**: Revenge killers such as Victini manage to outspeed and can usually OHKO Crobat.
#######
Crobat is a great Pokemon, gifted with many positive traits. For one, it is extremely fast, outspeeding most of the UU tier. Secondly, it is a great stallbreaker, with access to a very quick Taunt. Despite having rather mediocre defensive stats, Crobat was blessed an amazing defensive typing of Poison / Flying, giving it a 4x resistance to Bug-, Grass-, and Fighting- type moves, as well as an immunity to Ground-type moves. It has great support moves, such as Defog and Super Fang, as well as reliable recovery with Roost. Additionally, in combination with its great Speed, Crobat has Infiltrator as an awesome ability to make it the ideal revenge killer. However, it can't take unresisted attacks too well. It also is a bit lacking offensively, with only base 90 Attack, which is only decent at best. On top of this, it is weak to Stealth Rock.
Support
########
name: Support
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: U-turn / Toxic / Super Fang
move 3: Defog / Taunt
move 4: Roost
ability: Infiltrator
item: Black Sludge
evs: 248 HP / 80 Atk / 4 SpD / 176 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Brave Bird is Crobat's decently strong STAB attack on this set, allowing it to do some reasonable damage to opposing threats who don't resist it. U-turn is a ideal move for a fast Pokemon like Crobat, allowing it to quickly gain offensive momentum. However, Toxic is also a viable option to trouble walls such as Slowbro on the switch. Super Fang is also a good option as it takes away half of an opponent's health. Defog is great to get rid of entry hazards, but Crobat is weak to Stealth Rock, meaning it can't come and go as it pleases. Taunt is also good to shut down walls such as Mew and Blissey. Lastly, Roost is for reliable recovery, but be wary of Earthquake users who may take advantage of Crobat losing its Flying typing for one turn.
Set Details
========
176 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Crobat to outspeed Alakazam, a relevant threat in UU. 248 HP EVs are to take hits better and allow Crobat to take slightly less damage when switching into Stealth Rock. The Attack EVs are mostly for damage, but they can be moved over into Defense to take hits better. An alternative spread of 248 HP / 52 Atk / 4 SpD / 200 Spe with a Jolly Nature allows Crobat to outspeed Jolly Noivern. Another alternative spread of 120 HP / 248 Atk / 4 SpD / 136 Speed with a Jolly nature can be used for more power. 4 SpD is used to give Porygon-Z the an Attack boost because of Download. Infiltrator is the preferred ability to beat Substitute users, making Crobat a better stallbreaker, rather than using Inner Focus to counter Fake Out Mienshao. Lastly, Black Sludge provides passive recovery and discourages the use of Trick as well.
Usage Tips
========
This set is mostly an anti-hazard set, which depends on what moves have been chosen. If Defog has been used, it needs to be used to clean out entry hazards and is most appropriately used when the opposing entry hazard setter has fainted. If Taunt is being used, it can stop entry hazard setters from setting up at all. Roost is best used when Earthquake users aren't in play so Crobat can use it freely. Brave Bird is not exactly a spammable move against defensive teams as it does nothing but whittle away Crobat's HP, and it should best be used against offensive ones. Finally, this set checks Fighting-types much better than most Defoggers such as Mega Aerodactyl, but Crobat should still watch out for Stone Edge.
Team Options
========
Swampert makes for a great partner; it takes on Electric-types for Crobat, and Crobat can get rid of Grass-types for Swampert, forming a good defensive core. Swampert also can get Stealth Rock set up. Hazard-weak Pokemon, such as Victini and Mega Houndoom, also love the Defog support. Crobat works well with Rotom-H as it loves entry hazards being removed as well as its can take Electric- and Ice-type moves for Crobat.
Choice Band
########
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Cross Poison
move 4: Defog / Sleep Talk
ability: Infiltrator
item: Choice Band
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Choice Band STAB Brave Bird hits very hard, making it the preferred move to use. U-turn is to gain momentum and do some decent damage to threats such as Slowbro. Cross Poison is the secondary STAB move that Crobat can use, doing a lot of damage with Choice Band. Defog is a viable option as Crobat is rather limited with its options, and it can provide the utility of getting rid of entry hazards. Sleep Talk lets Crobat work as a sleep absorber, and Super Fang is a viable option for the last slot to take half of the opponents health away. Lastly, Quick Attack is a form of priority, but it isn't very good to be locked into.
Set Details
========
Max Attack investment with a neutral nature in combination with the Choice Band lets Crobat hit very hard with Brave Bird. 252 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature max out Crobat's Speed, but Adamant is an option if you don't mind being outsped by positively natured base 115s. Lastly, Infiltrator is great on a Choice Band user to get rid of Substitute users.
Usage Tips
========
Brave Bird usually will dent most things by a lot if they don't resist it, making it the ideal move to be locked into. U-turn creates offensive momentum and is best used on the switch against an Electric-, Steel-, or Rock-types. Defog is best used early game as this Crobat variant will be seen switching in and out a lot. Cross Poison also can hit Electric-types hard on the switch. This set is best used against offensive teams with many Fighting-types as Crobat can make big dents in them.
Team Options
========
Dugtrio can take on STAB Rock-, Electric-, and Steel-types well as it traps the users and obliterates them with STAB Earthquake. Machamp is also a good partner as it can use Earthquake on Electric-types and can use DynamicPunch to hurt Rock- and Steel-types. Swampert and Cloyster appreciate Crobat taking Grass-type moves for them, and Pokemon such as Double Dance Porygon-Z and Curselax enjoy the removal of Fighting-types as well. Lastly, Crobat also works well with Rotom-H as it loves entry hazards being removed and it can take Electric- and Ice-type moves for Crobat.
Other Options
########
Crobat certainly does not have a wide movepool, though it does have access to Hypnosis, and it can find its place on the support set very easily as it is the quickest Hypnosis in the whole UU metagame. Crobat can also use a Nasty Plot set with Sludge Bomb, Dark Pulse, and Giga Drain to induce the surprise factor, but base 70 Special Attack is mediocre at best. Lastly, Whirlwind and Haze can be used to mess with setup sweepers, but Taunt does this job much better.
Checks & Counters
########
**Electric-types**: Electric-types such as Ampharos and Raikou can take any attack that Crobat can possibly offer and OHKO back with Thunderbolt.
**Mega Aerodactyl**: Mega Aerodactyl has a quicker Taunt, can set up Stealth Rock, and OHKO Crobat with Stone Edge.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Aggron and Forretress hard-wall the Choice Band set, and can set up Stealth Rock as Crobat switches out.
**Revenge Killers**: Revenge killers such as Victini manage to outspeed and can usually OHKO Crobat.
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