NOW YOU LOSE
Overview
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Despite its awful base stats, horrible movepool, inability to use an item in conjunction with its only strong STAB move, and 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, Fletchinder is very much a threat to watch out for in the RU metagame. Thanks to its ability, Gale Wings, Fletchinder works as a good late-game sweeper with lots of early-game utility. It is great at spreading burns early-game and can revenge kill Pokemon that are weak to Flying-type moves throughout the match in addition to being able to sweep weakened teams with ease. Fletchinder also has a great defensive typing, which allows it to check common Pokemon such as Aromatisse and Escavalier.
Swords Dance
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name: Swords Dance
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Roost
ability: Gale Wings
item: Nothing
evs: 160 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 92 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Acrobatics is Fletchinder's only powerful and reliable physical STAB move. Even though it is fairly weak, it gets priority thanks to Gale Wings, which transforms Fletchinder from a hopelessly outclassed NFE into a threatening and unique sweeper. Swords Dance raises Fletchinder's low Attack stat to high levels and allows it to sweep weakened teams. Will-O-Wisp gives Fletchinder a way to cripple Pokemon such as Rhyperior that would otherwise wall it, which provides it with quite a bit of early-game utility. It also lets Fletchinder have a much easier time setting up on physical attackers. Roost is used to give Fletchinder reliable recovery and to let it set up more easily.
Set Details
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The given EV spread outruns 0 Speed Drapion and avoids the 2HKO from Assault Vest Escavalier's Knock Off. No item is used because using an item would prevent Fletchinder from having access to fully powered Acrobatics, severely hindering its effectiveness.
Usage Tips
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Don't attempt to sweep until you've worn down or removed Fletchinder's checks. Instead, if you bring out Fletchinder early-game, use Will-O-Wisp to spread burn onto Fletchinder's checks, such as Rhyperior and Alomomola. You should almost never be switching Fletchinder into an attack that is not from a weak defensive Pokemon or 4x resisted, as it is incredibly frail and might need to take a hit later on in order to set up. Once its counters have been removed or sufficiently weakened, Fletchinder can set up on a Pokemon that it forces out, such as Virizion, or one that cannot deal much damage to it, such as Escavalier.
Team Options
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Defog or Rapid Spin support from Pokemon such as Hitmonlee and Gligar is mandatory because of Fletchinder's 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. Grass-types are good teammates for Fletchinder because they can easily take on Rhyperior and bulky Water-types. Virizion, in particular, has great synergy with Fletchinder, as it resists all of Fletchinder's weaknesses. Magneton can lure in and OHKO Rhyperior with a Choice Specs-boosted Flash Cannon, is a good switch-in to Alomomola, and has great synergy with Fletchinder. Zoroark is a good partner for Fletchinder, as it can lure and defeat Fletchinder's checks, provided that there are no entry hazards up to give away Illusion.
Other Options
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Fletchinder has almost no other options due to its barren movepool and reliance on all of the moves it normally runs. However, there are a few other marginally usable moves it learns. Taunt can be used as a way to stop Pokemon such as Doublade from setting up on it, and U-turn can be used to gain a bit of momentum, though the loss of either Will-O-Wisp or Roost greatly undermines the usefulness of either of these moves.
Checks & Counters
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**Rock-types**: Rock-types such as Rhyperior and Kabutops can easily put a stop to Fletchinder's sweep, as they resist Acrobatics and can easily OHKO it with their STAB moves. Kabutops can also out-prioritize Fletchinder with Aqua Jet. However, they can be easily crippled by Will-O-Wisp on the switch, so they are not flawless switch-ins to Fletchinder by any means.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types such as Alomomola and Slowking can usually take hits from Fletchinder at +2 and hit it hard with their strong STAB moves, but they also dislike being burned.
**Steel-types**: As they resist Acrobatics and are usually bulky, Steel-types such as Registeel and Bronzong can stop Fletchinder. However, many of them hate being burned and can do little back to Fletchinder besides Toxic it.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types such as Magneton, Jolteon, and Heliolisk can take a hit from even a boosted Fletchinder and OHKO it with their strong STAB moves. However, the latter two must be relatively healthy in order to survive a boosted Acrobatics.
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