Swoobat (QC 0/3)

[Melons-N-Soda]

Overview
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Crobat's awkward cousin

Swoobat is a rather strange Pokemon in the NU tier, as at first glance it seems to be completely useless, due to mediocre stats and major competition with other Psychic-types. However, what makes Swoobat unique is the ability Simple, which only it and Bibarel can have in NU. Due to this ability, boosts are doubled, making Swoobat become more powerful as it boosts with Calm Mind. It also has a decent speed stat as well.

However, Swoobat does have its faults, which make it somewhat hard to use at times. The most glaring one being its poor defensive typing. While this typing does give it a 4x resistance to Fighting and a immunity to Ground, it return it becomes weak to Ice-types, Dark-types, Ghost-types, Rock-types and Electric-types, most of which being common attack types in NU. It doesn't help that its bulk is very bad as well, not even being able to survive neutral hits most of the time. His Special Attack stat is mediocre as well without a boost, which means it has to rely on its boosts to be useful. Even though his speed stat is decent, he misses out of base 115's such as Sneasel and Floatzel. However, even with all its flaws, it's best not to underestimate Swoobat, as it can be quite a dangerous Pokemon once it stats going.


Calm Mind
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name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Stored Power / Psyshock
move 3: Air Slash
move 4: Heat Wave/Roost
ability: Simple
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Moves
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This is one of the few viable sets Swoobat has. Calm Mind is a necessity, as it gets boosted by Simple. Stored Power is generally the preferred option for a STAB as once boosted it becomes 100 BP. However, you can use Psyshock if you would like to hit Special Walls such as Audino. Air Slash is your secondary STAB, and the best to use against the majority of it's counters, most notably being able to hit Spiritomb. The last slot is interchangeable, as Heat Wave gives coverage against Steel-types, while Roost can be used for slight recovery.

Set Details
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• Simple is the main reason to use Swoobat period. This ability gives double the boosts a move would regularly have.
• The EV spread combined with the nature makes it the fastest and strongest it can get.
• Timid is preferred as you outspeed a few more things than with Modest.
  
• Life Orb gives it the best power it can have when combined with the EV spread.

Usage Tips
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It's best to start boosting when it's counters are out of the game. If you run Heat Wave instead of Roost you should also make sure Stealth Rocks aren't in so Swoobat isn't more likely to get revenge killed.

Team Options
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Other Options
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• It is the fastest user of Klutz in NU, and as such a Trick Flame Orb set can be used to cripple certain Pokemon. However at times it can lead to undesirable results.
• An Unaware staller set can work in theory, but Swoobat is way too frail to make use of the ability.
• Cosmic Power + Stored Power can work, but it's beaten rather easily.
• Giga Drain can be used to beat Pokemon such as Rhydon, but is outclassed by its other coverage moves.
• Subtitute + Calm Mind with a Salac Berry gives Swoobat a more unique niche over the mostly superior Xatu. (Likely going to be this an actual set since it is the sample set on the Smogon analysis.

Checks & Counters
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• **Spiritomb**: Spiritomb is the best check to Swoobat as it is immune to its main STAB, and if specially defensive can take Air Slashes and Heat Waves well.
• **Strong Attacks**: Due to Swoobat's very poor bulk it can't survive for very long. Even special attackers can beat the CM set if they are strong enough. It can't really survive neutral hits that well either.
• **Priority Moves**: Another thing with Swoobat's poor bulk is that it can't really live any priority move except unboosted Mach Punch and Vacuum Wave. Hitting it with a physical priority move is the best thing to do when it's boosted since it's physical bulk is poor.
• **Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Sneasel can wreck Swoobat with super effective moves. Other Pokemon that outspeed and can kill Swoobat include Slurpuff and the rather uncommon Floatzel and SD Rock Slide Sceptile. However, the majority of these Pokemon can't switch in as they can be hit rather hard by one of Swoobat's moves. Also several common scarfers can outspeed and Swoobat.

 

[CanadianWifier]

mmk, I'm really tempted to make you slash Stored Power over both psychic moves. After one Calm mind [4 boosts], it's 100 BP, and will only grow stronger. Generally you'll be setting up at least one CM anyway before using an attack, and even if it's late in a game vs something like Gurdurr, you could still use your STAB air slash to hit it hard. I'll let the rest of QC voice their opinions, but I seriously feel this is one mon where Stored power is simply the best option.
On that note, I'd almost say remove Giga Drain from the slashes, because air slash will come in handy as a back up STAB move (and is the strongest move you have to hit Spiritomb - your number one counter), and Seis/Sandslash/Omastar/Gatr are OHKOd by Life Orb Stored Power after a CM anyway. Heat Wave / Roost is good enough for the last slot, as you can choose whether to just kill Steels with a SE move, or set up on them with more CMs to kill with a stronger Stored Power.

Take off leftovers and put on Lifeorb - it needs all the hitting power it can get, and lefties aren't helping keep something this frail alive anyway.

something to note is that you're actually faster than sneasel by a point, and can eat an iceshard if it's running eviolite, or lifeorb for that matter; and obviously kill with Airslash / Heatwave at +2 - which is pretty cool
252 Atk Sneasel Ice Shard vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Swoobat: 170-204 (61.8 - 74.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Sneasel Ice Shard vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Swoobat: 221-265 (80.3 - 96.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

 

[Melons-N-Soda]

This is now QC ready!

 

[Punchshroom]

something to note is that you're actually faster than sneasel by a point, and can eat an iceshard if it's running eviolite, or lifeorb for that matter; and obviously kill with Airslash / Heatwave at +2 - which is pretty cool
252 Atk Sneasel Ice Shard vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Swoobat: 170-204 (61.8 - 74.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Sneasel Ice Shard vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Swoobat: 221-265 (80.3 - 96.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Canadian you have it the other way around; Sneasel is 115 while Swoobat is 114.

The C&C section can be expanded to include priority attacks or faster Pokemon.

 

[CanadianWifier]

Canadian you have it the other way around; Sneasel is 115 while Swoobat is 114.

Damn, it must be Zebstrika which is 116, that's what I get for assuming speed tiers on 0 hours of sleep n_n

I's still put Stored Power as the primary slash [before the other psychic moves] as in a worst case scenario you'd still have airslash, and in any other scenario you have a much stronger move, which in turn can be made even stronger at will

 

[Melons-N-Soda]

Tagging QC team (Specifically Scorpdestroyer, Montsegur, Dat Blast, FLCL and Soulgazer, but I wouldn't mind others checking this as well)

 

[Melons-N-Soda]

Ok then; tagging the following for real this time:
Dat Blast
Scorpdestroyer
FLCL
Hollywood
tennisace
Montsegur

 

[CanadianWifier]

You aren't supposed to write it up until you receive all 3 QC checks .-.

 

[Melons-N-Soda]

Damn it ._.. Not exactly sure how to change it back to how it was when it was first up for QC checking.

 

[Ares]

Its fine, just for any future analyses you do in NU make sure you dont write up till after the 3rd QC check.

Edit: Please expand usage tips as right now they are a little vague and there is only like 2 right now. Mention how it usually likes to set up at least one calm mind before attacking and some other stuff. Lets see what you can come up with :)

Edit Edit: didnt realize you didnt have any QC checks, assumed you had 2/3 because most people making the mistake of writing it up do it then. Check with Raseri or Hollywood or Zebraiken on whether or not you should change back to bullet points, as it makes our job of QCing much easier.

 

[Raseri]

dropped