QC: 49 / Arikado / Spirit
GP: Weebl (Rhythms) / ?
stronk bug
Overview
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Thanks to its extremely powerful U-turn, great offensive STAB types resisted only by Steel, and great Speed tier that outpaces common Pokemon such as Delphox, Meloetta, and Hitmonlee, Scyther finds a niche in the RarelyUsed metagame. However, Scyther is 4x weak to Stealth Rock, fears common Electric-, Fire-, Flying-, Rock-, and Ice-type attacks, and struggles against several Steel-type Pokemon. Despite this, the ability to U-turn out of unfavorable matchups and take advantage of Technician with moves such as Aerial Ace, Bug Bite, Quick Attack, and Pursuit makes Scyther a solid Pokemon that teams have to prepare for.
Choice Band
########
name: Choice Band
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Aerial Ace
move 3: Knock Off / Bug Bite / Pursuit
move 4: Quick Attack
ability: Technician
item: Choice Band
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
U-turn deals huge amounts of damage to common Pokemon such as Meloetta and Cresselia. It also gives Scyther the ability to turn unfavorable matchups against Pokemon such as Doublade, Mega Steelix, and Rhyperior into favorable ones by bringing in a teammate more equipped to deal with them. Aerial Ace is Scyther's most reliable STAB move, hitting incredibly hard thanks to Technician. Aerial Ace also has great offensive synergy with U-turn, allowing Scyther to take advantage of Electric-, Rock-, and Steel-type Pokemon, common switch-ins to Aerial Ace. Knock Off gives Scyther a way to hit Steel-type Pokemon neutrally and also removes the foe's item, which is especially nice when used against item-reliant Pokemon such as Doublade and Golbat. Bug Bite can be used for a more consistent Bug-type move on teams that struggle with defensive Psychic-types. Pursuit is great for catching Psychic-type Pokemon such as Meloetta and Delphox that switch out fearing another one of Scyther's attacks. Finally, Quick Attack is great for revenge killing weakened or frail Pokemon such as Dugtrio and Jolteon.
Set Details
========
Technician boosts the power of many of Scizor's useful attacks, such as Bug Bite, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack, and Pursuit, allowing Scyther to make the most of its movepool. Maximum Attack and Speed investment allows Scyther to make the best use of its great Speed tier and high Attack stat. Choice Band further boosts Scyther's Attack stat and makes it a formidable attacking presence.
Usage Tips
========
Scyther should use U-turn to get out of unfavorable matchups and when Scyther does not match up well against the opponent's most optimal switch-in. Clear the field of Stealth Rock before sending Scyther in, as having it lose 50% of its maximum HP is typically not wise. Avoid switching Scyther into common Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp users such as Cresselia, Slowking, Cofagrigus, and Spiritomb. Scyther can switch into Pokemon that are Choice-locked into Fighting- or Grass-type moves, such as Sawk and Rotom-C, respectively. Scyther can sweep weakened teams late-game thanks to its Speed tier and reliable STAB moves.
Team Options
========
Defog and Rapid Spin users such as Shiftry, Skuntank, Hitmonlee, and Kabutops can clear the field of Stealth Rock so that Scyther does not immediately lose 50% of its maximum HP upon switching in. Entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Cobalion, Omastar, and Qwilfish can help Scyther punish switch-ins in conjunction with U-turn. Magneton and Dugtrio can trap opposing Steel-type Pokemon that give Scyther trouble, with the exception of Doublade. Scyther appreciates Pokemon that resist Electric-, Fire-, Flying-, Rock-, and Ice-type attacks. This role is typically filled by two different Pokemon, but it should be noted that Lanturn and Magneton have incredible defensive synergy with Scyther and only miss out on resisting Rock- and Fire-type attacks, respectively. Lanturn also has access to Heal Bell, which can cure Scyther of status in a pinch. Volt Switch and U-turn users such as Rotom-C, Heliolisk, Jolteon, and Meloetta pair well with Scyther, as they can use these moves to give each other more favorable matchups. Doublade is a common switch-in to Meloetta, so pairing Meloetta with Scyther is a good way to weaken Doublade.
Other Options
########
Scyther has the ability to run two effective Swords Dance sets utilizing Eviolite, maximum investment in either HP or Attack, and maximum Speed investment. Instead of running Quick Attack, these sets favor bulk and opt for Roost. Thanks to Scyther's great bulk with Eviolite, it can opt to run Substitute in favor of a second attack to gain additional setup opportunities. Scyther can also run an even more defensive EV spread if it chooses to run both Swords Dance and Baton Pass. Thanks to its impressive Speed tier, Scyther can also act as a very potent revenge killer when equipped with a Choice Scarf. Brick Break can be used to hit Steel-type Pokemon super effectively, though it is rather weak. Scyther has access to support options such as Tailwind and Toxic, but other Pokemon are usually more suited to using them.
Checks & Counters
########
**Stealth Rock**: It's difficult for Scyther to be effective when Stealth Rock is in play, as losing 50% of its maximum HP upon switching in really hurts Scyther. In addition, your opponent can keep Stealth Rock on the field by using spinblockers and Braviary to pressure Rapid Spin and Defog, respectively.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon with naturally high Defense stats, such as Alomomola, Cobalion, and Rhyperior, can easily tank more than one of Scyther's attacks. Cobalion and Rhyperior can also set up Stealth Rock, hindering Scyther's ability to switch in later.
**Steel-types**: Steel-type Pokemon such as Mega Steelix, Cobalion, Doublade, and Registeel resist Scyther's STAB moves, and Mega Steelix, Cobalion, and Registeel can set up Stealth Rock, whereas Doublade can boost its Attack with Swords Dance; however, Doublade does have to watch out for Knock Off, and Scyther can U-turn out if it hasn't already locked itself into a different move.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Powerful Choice Scarf users such as Tyrantrum and Emboar can outspeed and OHKO Scyther, so they need to be scouted for and played around accordingly.
**Fast Electric-types**: Jolteon, Heliolisk, and Choice Scarf Electric-types such as Magneton all threaten to OHKO Scyther with their STAB moves and can gain momentum for their team with Volt Switch.
GP: Weebl (Rhythms) / ?
stronk bug
Overview
########
Thanks to its extremely powerful U-turn, great offensive STAB types resisted only by Steel, and great Speed tier that outpaces common Pokemon such as Delphox, Meloetta, and Hitmonlee, Scyther finds a niche in the RarelyUsed metagame. However, Scyther is 4x weak to Stealth Rock, fears common Electric-, Fire-, Flying-, Rock-, and Ice-type attacks, and struggles against several Steel-type Pokemon. Despite this, the ability to U-turn out of unfavorable matchups and take advantage of Technician with moves such as Aerial Ace, Bug Bite, Quick Attack, and Pursuit makes Scyther a solid Pokemon that teams have to prepare for.
Choice Band
########
name: Choice Band
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Aerial Ace
move 3: Knock Off / Bug Bite / Pursuit
move 4: Quick Attack
ability: Technician
item: Choice Band
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
U-turn deals huge amounts of damage to common Pokemon such as Meloetta and Cresselia. It also gives Scyther the ability to turn unfavorable matchups against Pokemon such as Doublade, Mega Steelix, and Rhyperior into favorable ones by bringing in a teammate more equipped to deal with them. Aerial Ace is Scyther's most reliable STAB move, hitting incredibly hard thanks to Technician. Aerial Ace also has great offensive synergy with U-turn, allowing Scyther to take advantage of Electric-, Rock-, and Steel-type Pokemon, common switch-ins to Aerial Ace. Knock Off gives Scyther a way to hit Steel-type Pokemon neutrally and also removes the foe's item, which is especially nice when used against item-reliant Pokemon such as Doublade and Golbat. Bug Bite can be used for a more consistent Bug-type move on teams that struggle with defensive Psychic-types. Pursuit is great for catching Psychic-type Pokemon such as Meloetta and Delphox that switch out fearing another one of Scyther's attacks. Finally, Quick Attack is great for revenge killing weakened or frail Pokemon such as Dugtrio and Jolteon.
Set Details
========
Technician boosts the power of many of Scizor's useful attacks, such as Bug Bite, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack, and Pursuit, allowing Scyther to make the most of its movepool. Maximum Attack and Speed investment allows Scyther to make the best use of its great Speed tier and high Attack stat. Choice Band further boosts Scyther's Attack stat and makes it a formidable attacking presence.
Usage Tips
========
Scyther should use U-turn to get out of unfavorable matchups and when Scyther does not match up well against the opponent's most optimal switch-in. Clear the field of Stealth Rock before sending Scyther in, as having it lose 50% of its maximum HP is typically not wise. Avoid switching Scyther into common Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp users such as Cresselia, Slowking, Cofagrigus, and Spiritomb. Scyther can switch into Pokemon that are Choice-locked into Fighting- or Grass-type moves, such as Sawk and Rotom-C, respectively. Scyther can sweep weakened teams late-game thanks to its Speed tier and reliable STAB moves.
Team Options
========
Defog and Rapid Spin users such as Shiftry, Skuntank, Hitmonlee, and Kabutops can clear the field of Stealth Rock so that Scyther does not immediately lose 50% of its maximum HP upon switching in. Entry hazard support from Pokemon such as Cobalion, Omastar, and Qwilfish can help Scyther punish switch-ins in conjunction with U-turn. Magneton and Dugtrio can trap opposing Steel-type Pokemon that give Scyther trouble, with the exception of Doublade. Scyther appreciates Pokemon that resist Electric-, Fire-, Flying-, Rock-, and Ice-type attacks. This role is typically filled by two different Pokemon, but it should be noted that Lanturn and Magneton have incredible defensive synergy with Scyther and only miss out on resisting Rock- and Fire-type attacks, respectively. Lanturn also has access to Heal Bell, which can cure Scyther of status in a pinch. Volt Switch and U-turn users such as Rotom-C, Heliolisk, Jolteon, and Meloetta pair well with Scyther, as they can use these moves to give each other more favorable matchups. Doublade is a common switch-in to Meloetta, so pairing Meloetta with Scyther is a good way to weaken Doublade.
Other Options
########
Scyther has the ability to run two effective Swords Dance sets utilizing Eviolite, maximum investment in either HP or Attack, and maximum Speed investment. Instead of running Quick Attack, these sets favor bulk and opt for Roost. Thanks to Scyther's great bulk with Eviolite, it can opt to run Substitute in favor of a second attack to gain additional setup opportunities. Scyther can also run an even more defensive EV spread if it chooses to run both Swords Dance and Baton Pass. Thanks to its impressive Speed tier, Scyther can also act as a very potent revenge killer when equipped with a Choice Scarf. Brick Break can be used to hit Steel-type Pokemon super effectively, though it is rather weak. Scyther has access to support options such as Tailwind and Toxic, but other Pokemon are usually more suited to using them.
Checks & Counters
########
**Stealth Rock**: It's difficult for Scyther to be effective when Stealth Rock is in play, as losing 50% of its maximum HP upon switching in really hurts Scyther. In addition, your opponent can keep Stealth Rock on the field by using spinblockers and Braviary to pressure Rapid Spin and Defog, respectively.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon with naturally high Defense stats, such as Alomomola, Cobalion, and Rhyperior, can easily tank more than one of Scyther's attacks. Cobalion and Rhyperior can also set up Stealth Rock, hindering Scyther's ability to switch in later.
**Steel-types**: Steel-type Pokemon such as Mega Steelix, Cobalion, Doublade, and Registeel resist Scyther's STAB moves, and Mega Steelix, Cobalion, and Registeel can set up Stealth Rock, whereas Doublade can boost its Attack with Swords Dance; however, Doublade does have to watch out for Knock Off, and Scyther can U-turn out if it hasn't already locked itself into a different move.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Powerful Choice Scarf users such as Tyrantrum and Emboar can outspeed and OHKO Scyther, so they need to be scouted for and played around accordingly.
**Fast Electric-types**: Jolteon, Heliolisk, and Choice Scarf Electric-types such as Magneton all threaten to OHKO Scyther with their STAB moves and can gain momentum for their team with Volt Switch.
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