QC [3/3]: atomicllamas / Spirit / -kal-
GP [2/2]: Snobalt / P Squared
[OVERVIEW]
Scrafty is the best Dragon Dance sweeper in RarelyUsed thanks to its combination of bulk, powerful STAB moves, and overall versatility in viable coverage moves, items, and abilities. Its diverse movepool allows it to customize its sets to be able to beat a myriad of checks, while its item and ability let it fare better against certain playstyles. Its Dark / Fighting typing allows it to check Psychic- and Dark-type Pokemon such as Choice-locked Delphox and Meloetta, Sigilyph, Sneasel, Drapion, and Houndoom. It should be noted, however, that most Psychic-types will probably run a move to deal with Scrafty, such as Focus Blast or Dazzling Gleam. Moreover, Scrafty's typing means that it struggles against Fairy-types and other Fighting-types. Scrafty's biggest drawback is its base 58 Speed, which means it is still outsped by every relevant Choice Scarf user in the tier, even after a Dragon Dance boost.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: High Jump Kick
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Iron Head / Head Smash
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
ability: Moxie / Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Dance raises Scrafty's Attack and Speed by one stage each, allowing it to become a powerful and fast sweeper if left unchecked. High Jump Kick is Scrafty's main STAB attack, due to its high 130 Base Power, smashing everything that doesn't resist it. Knock Off is a secondary STAB attack that hits Ghost-and Psychic-types that might switch in to High Jump Kick, such as Cofagrigus and Sigilyph. Iron Head is used to hit Fairy-types super effectively. Alternatively, Head Smash can be used to hit Flying-types such as Fletchinder and Togetic for super effective damage instead while also dealing almost as much damage as Iron Head does against Fairy-types. Drain Punch can provide a method of recovery while also functioning as a Fighting-type STAB move, but the lack of power means Scrafty will miss out on key OHKOs on Pokemon such as Durant after Stealth Rock damage and Virizion.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Attack and Speed allows Scrafty to be as fast and powerful as possible. A Jolly nature allows Scrafty to outspeed some of its checks such as Virizion and Durant after it uses Dragon Dance once, while an Adamant nature makes Scrafty stronger, but it will become slower than base 100 Speed Pokemon even after a boost. Moxie raises Scrafty's Attack every time it KOes a Pokemon, which eases setup, as it boosts Scrafty's damage output without using Dragon Dance. Intimidate may be used to mitigate the damage Scrafty receives from switching into a physical attack; with it, Scrafty can avoid the 2HKO from Choice Scarf Flygon's Outrage. Alternatively, Shed Skin gives Scrafty a 33% chance to heal itself from status ailments, allowing it to forgo Lum Berry and fare better against more passive answers to it such as Alomomola and Amoonguss. Lum Berry is used so that Scrafty can heal itself from status conditions once, giving it a free opportunity to set up or go for an attack against status inducers. If Scrafty is using Shed Skin, Life Orb can be used to boost Scrafty's damage output. Leftovers can be run in conjunction with Substitute to avoid status ailments. Coba, Roseli, and Chople Berries are also viable, as they allow Scrafty to take reduced damage from one super effective attack, allowing it to deal with Pokemon that are supposed to check it. Specifically, Coba Berry lets Scrafty deal with Fletchinder, Roseli Berry improves its matchup against Aromatisse and Togetic, and Chople Berry gives it a chance against Fighting-types that lack priority moves.
Usage Tips
========
Scrafty should attempt to use Knock Off early-game against Pokemon such as Togetic or to cripple teams in general, which makes late-game sweeping much easier. A safe way to bring Scrafty in is by using slow U-turn or Volt Switch users such as Eelektross and Uxie, respectively, as its typing tends to force out Pokemon with an unfavorable matchup against it. Scrafty should also attempt to set up on Pokemon that lack the coverage or power necessary to KO it, such as Jellicent, Bronzong, and Sneasel, although the latter can dent Scrafty with Low Kick. Unless Scrafty uses Shed Skin, it should be careful of status ailments such as burn and paralysis, as they can prevent it from sweeping properly. It should be noted that Scrafty is rather slow, meaning it is still susceptible to revenge killers even after using Dragon Dance.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support such as Stealth Rock from Mega Steelix, Rhyperior, and Seismitoad and Spikes from Qwilfish and Accelgor is helpful, as it can weaken Scrafty's checks and counters, making them much easier to handle. Uxie receives a special mention, as it provides Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave support while also being able to pivot into Scrafty with U-turn. Psychic-types such as Delphox, Meloetta, and Sigilyph are great teammates overall, as they can beat Fighting- and Poison-types that Scrafty struggles with, while Scrafty can handle Dark-types to an extent. Mega Steelix, Durant, and Amoongus are greatly appreciated to deal with Fairy-types. Partners that deal with Fletchinder, which easily revenge kills Scrafty, such as Rhyperior, Omastar, and Eelektross are helpful as well. Wallbreakers that can pave the way for Scrafty to sweep and clear through the likes of Alomomola, Tangrowth, and Quagsire, which can all burn Scrafty or in Tangrowth's case, KO it, are appreciated; examples include Exploud, Meloetta, and Mega Glalie. Venomoth has a very favorable matchup against most defensive Pokemon that can OHKO or cripple Scrafty with status, such as Fairy-types, Tangrowth, and Alomomola, while Scrafty can check Psychic-types for Venomoth.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Poison Jab / Head Smash
item: Choice Band
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 100 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
High Jump Kick is Scrafty's main STAB attack, due to its huge 130 Base Power. It should be used carefully, as Scrafty will lose 50% of its total health if it misses, the foe uses Protect, or a Ghost-type switches into it. Knock Off is a secondary STAB attack that hits Ghost- and Psychic-types that might switch in to High Jump Kick. Drain Punch, although weaker than High Jump Kick, has the added bonus of healing Scrafty. Poison Jab is used to hit Fairy-types while also having a chance of poisoning the foe. Head Smash can be used instead to pressure Flying-type switch-ins such as Fletchinder and Togetic, and it deals nearly as much damage as Poison Jab to Fairy-types. Alternatively, Sleep Talk allows Scrafty to switch into Venomoth's Sleep Powder or Amoonguss's Spore and still be able to attack.
Set Details
========
Running an Adamant nature and maximum Attack investment allows Scrafty to hit as hard as possible. The EVs in Speed allow it to outspeed defensive Hitmontop and Alomomola. The remaining EVs are put into HP for added bulk. Intimidate helps mitigate the damage Scrafty receives from switching into a physical attack. Moxie can be used for continuous sweeping after KOing a Pokemon, but Scrafty will tend to be forced out due to its susceptibility to being revenge killed, making Intimidate more consistent. Choice Band is used in order to increase Scrafty's overall power.
Usage Tips
========
Because Scrafty is a wallbreaker, it should used early- and mid-game to dent the opponent's team as much as possible. Scrafty should be sent out against physical attackers that lack an attack that hits it super effectively or are Choice-locked into a move that hits it for neutral or resisted damage, such as Reckless Emboar's Flare Blitz, Tyrantrum's Head Smash and Outrage, Flygon's Earthquake and Outrage, and Durant's Iron Head. High Jump Kick is Scrafty's go-to attack, because it does a lot of damage to Pokemon that do not resist it. Knock Off should be used if you predict the opponent will switch to a Pokemon that resists High Jump Kick. Because Scrafty is slow, it would be optimal to bring it in with a slow U-turn or Volt Switch from Uxie or Eelektross.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support such as Stealth Rock from Mega Steelix, Rhyperior, and Seismitoad and Spikes from Qwilfish and Accelgor is helpful, as it wears down the opponent's Pokemon on the switch, making them easier for Scrafty to tear through. Paralysis support from Uxie and Druddigon, which also manage to provide Stealth Rock support, is appreciated, as Scrafty is rather slow on its own. Setup sweepers such as Virizion, Meloetta, Tyrantrum, and Houndoom appreciate Scrafty's wallbreaking capabilities, seeing as it also handles physical attackers that these Pokemon struggle with. Late-game sweepers such as Fletchinder, Delphox, and Jolteon also appreciate Scrafty being able to punch holes through the opposing team, making cleaning up much easier.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Assault Vest in conjunction with Power-Up Punch can be used to increase Scrafty's already high Special Defense while giving it another method to increase its Attack, but it misses out on the more convenient Attack boosts provided by Dragon Dance and Choice Band and also has a very unfavorable matchup against offensive teams. Bulk Up can be used as a more defensive means of setting up, but the lack of Speed boosts means that Scrafty will have a harder time dealing with more offensive threats, aside from being completely outclassed by RestTalk Malamar. Iron Tail can be used over Iron Head or Poison Jab for higher damage against Fairy-types, although it's unreliable due to its 75% accuracy. Ice Punch and Thunder Punch can be options for coverage against Flying-types and, for the former, Flygon and bulky Grass-types such as Tangrowth and Amoonguss.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-type**: Aromatisse, Togetic, and Granbull resist both of Scrafty's STAB moves and can easily KO Scrafty with STAB moves of their own, but they should be careful when switching in on a super effective attack. In Togetic's case, having its Eviolite discarded by Scrafty's Knock Off is very detrimental to it. Dazzling Gleam from the likes of Delphox, Meloetta, Sigilyph and, to a lesser extent, Colbur Berry Mesprit can OHKO Scrafty unless it is carrying a Roseli Berry.
**Revenge Killers**: Due to Scrafty having a rather low base 58 Speed, powerful Choice Scarf users carrying super effective moves, such as Delphox, Tyrantrum, Durant, and Emboar, can easily OHKO Scrafty if they're given a free switch. Mach Punch and Fletchinder's Acrobatics easily KO Scrafty once it has been slightly weakened. Keep in mind that this can be avoided when Scrafty is using a Chople or Coba Berry, respectively.
**Fighting-types**: Faster Fighting-types such as Medicham, Virizion, Emboar, and Hitmonlee can switch into Knock Off and OHKO Scrafty with STAB moves of their own. Hitmontop can switch into Scrafty while also reducing its Attack with Intimidate; it can then proceed to heavily damage Scrafty with Close Combat. Gurdurr can tank one High Jump Kick and retaliate with Drain Punch, or it can finish Scrafty off with Mach Punch, if Scrafty is weak enough.
**Poison-types**: Qwilfish reduces Scrafty's Attack with Intimidate, and can Taunt it prevent it from using Dragon Dance, although Qwilfish can't damage Scrafty back thoroughly unless it uses Scald. Amoonguss can use Clear Smog to get rid of Scrafty's boosts. While both Pokemon resist Scrafty's Fighting-type moves, they should still be wary of Knock Off.
**Status Conditions**: Paralysis makes Scrafty even slower than it already is, while burn and poison wear it down faster, with the former also halving Scrafty's Attack.
GP [2/2]: Snobalt / P Squared
[OVERVIEW]
Scrafty is the best Dragon Dance sweeper in RarelyUsed thanks to its combination of bulk, powerful STAB moves, and overall versatility in viable coverage moves, items, and abilities. Its diverse movepool allows it to customize its sets to be able to beat a myriad of checks, while its item and ability let it fare better against certain playstyles. Its Dark / Fighting typing allows it to check Psychic- and Dark-type Pokemon such as Choice-locked Delphox and Meloetta, Sigilyph, Sneasel, Drapion, and Houndoom. It should be noted, however, that most Psychic-types will probably run a move to deal with Scrafty, such as Focus Blast or Dazzling Gleam. Moreover, Scrafty's typing means that it struggles against Fairy-types and other Fighting-types. Scrafty's biggest drawback is its base 58 Speed, which means it is still outsped by every relevant Choice Scarf user in the tier, even after a Dragon Dance boost.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: High Jump Kick
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Iron Head / Head Smash
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
ability: Moxie / Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Dance raises Scrafty's Attack and Speed by one stage each, allowing it to become a powerful and fast sweeper if left unchecked. High Jump Kick is Scrafty's main STAB attack, due to its high 130 Base Power, smashing everything that doesn't resist it. Knock Off is a secondary STAB attack that hits Ghost-and Psychic-types that might switch in to High Jump Kick, such as Cofagrigus and Sigilyph. Iron Head is used to hit Fairy-types super effectively. Alternatively, Head Smash can be used to hit Flying-types such as Fletchinder and Togetic for super effective damage instead while also dealing almost as much damage as Iron Head does against Fairy-types. Drain Punch can provide a method of recovery while also functioning as a Fighting-type STAB move, but the lack of power means Scrafty will miss out on key OHKOs on Pokemon such as Durant after Stealth Rock damage and Virizion.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Attack and Speed allows Scrafty to be as fast and powerful as possible. A Jolly nature allows Scrafty to outspeed some of its checks such as Virizion and Durant after it uses Dragon Dance once, while an Adamant nature makes Scrafty stronger, but it will become slower than base 100 Speed Pokemon even after a boost. Moxie raises Scrafty's Attack every time it KOes a Pokemon, which eases setup, as it boosts Scrafty's damage output without using Dragon Dance. Intimidate may be used to mitigate the damage Scrafty receives from switching into a physical attack; with it, Scrafty can avoid the 2HKO from Choice Scarf Flygon's Outrage. Alternatively, Shed Skin gives Scrafty a 33% chance to heal itself from status ailments, allowing it to forgo Lum Berry and fare better against more passive answers to it such as Alomomola and Amoonguss. Lum Berry is used so that Scrafty can heal itself from status conditions once, giving it a free opportunity to set up or go for an attack against status inducers. If Scrafty is using Shed Skin, Life Orb can be used to boost Scrafty's damage output. Leftovers can be run in conjunction with Substitute to avoid status ailments. Coba, Roseli, and Chople Berries are also viable, as they allow Scrafty to take reduced damage from one super effective attack, allowing it to deal with Pokemon that are supposed to check it. Specifically, Coba Berry lets Scrafty deal with Fletchinder, Roseli Berry improves its matchup against Aromatisse and Togetic, and Chople Berry gives it a chance against Fighting-types that lack priority moves.
Usage Tips
========
Scrafty should attempt to use Knock Off early-game against Pokemon such as Togetic or to cripple teams in general, which makes late-game sweeping much easier. A safe way to bring Scrafty in is by using slow U-turn or Volt Switch users such as Eelektross and Uxie, respectively, as its typing tends to force out Pokemon with an unfavorable matchup against it. Scrafty should also attempt to set up on Pokemon that lack the coverage or power necessary to KO it, such as Jellicent, Bronzong, and Sneasel, although the latter can dent Scrafty with Low Kick. Unless Scrafty uses Shed Skin, it should be careful of status ailments such as burn and paralysis, as they can prevent it from sweeping properly. It should be noted that Scrafty is rather slow, meaning it is still susceptible to revenge killers even after using Dragon Dance.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support such as Stealth Rock from Mega Steelix, Rhyperior, and Seismitoad and Spikes from Qwilfish and Accelgor is helpful, as it can weaken Scrafty's checks and counters, making them much easier to handle. Uxie receives a special mention, as it provides Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave support while also being able to pivot into Scrafty with U-turn. Psychic-types such as Delphox, Meloetta, and Sigilyph are great teammates overall, as they can beat Fighting- and Poison-types that Scrafty struggles with, while Scrafty can handle Dark-types to an extent. Mega Steelix, Durant, and Amoongus are greatly appreciated to deal with Fairy-types. Partners that deal with Fletchinder, which easily revenge kills Scrafty, such as Rhyperior, Omastar, and Eelektross are helpful as well. Wallbreakers that can pave the way for Scrafty to sweep and clear through the likes of Alomomola, Tangrowth, and Quagsire, which can all burn Scrafty or in Tangrowth's case, KO it, are appreciated; examples include Exploud, Meloetta, and Mega Glalie. Venomoth has a very favorable matchup against most defensive Pokemon that can OHKO or cripple Scrafty with status, such as Fairy-types, Tangrowth, and Alomomola, while Scrafty can check Psychic-types for Venomoth.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Poison Jab / Head Smash
item: Choice Band
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 100 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
High Jump Kick is Scrafty's main STAB attack, due to its huge 130 Base Power. It should be used carefully, as Scrafty will lose 50% of its total health if it misses, the foe uses Protect, or a Ghost-type switches into it. Knock Off is a secondary STAB attack that hits Ghost- and Psychic-types that might switch in to High Jump Kick. Drain Punch, although weaker than High Jump Kick, has the added bonus of healing Scrafty. Poison Jab is used to hit Fairy-types while also having a chance of poisoning the foe. Head Smash can be used instead to pressure Flying-type switch-ins such as Fletchinder and Togetic, and it deals nearly as much damage as Poison Jab to Fairy-types. Alternatively, Sleep Talk allows Scrafty to switch into Venomoth's Sleep Powder or Amoonguss's Spore and still be able to attack.
Set Details
========
Running an Adamant nature and maximum Attack investment allows Scrafty to hit as hard as possible. The EVs in Speed allow it to outspeed defensive Hitmontop and Alomomola. The remaining EVs are put into HP for added bulk. Intimidate helps mitigate the damage Scrafty receives from switching into a physical attack. Moxie can be used for continuous sweeping after KOing a Pokemon, but Scrafty will tend to be forced out due to its susceptibility to being revenge killed, making Intimidate more consistent. Choice Band is used in order to increase Scrafty's overall power.
Usage Tips
========
Because Scrafty is a wallbreaker, it should used early- and mid-game to dent the opponent's team as much as possible. Scrafty should be sent out against physical attackers that lack an attack that hits it super effectively or are Choice-locked into a move that hits it for neutral or resisted damage, such as Reckless Emboar's Flare Blitz, Tyrantrum's Head Smash and Outrage, Flygon's Earthquake and Outrage, and Durant's Iron Head. High Jump Kick is Scrafty's go-to attack, because it does a lot of damage to Pokemon that do not resist it. Knock Off should be used if you predict the opponent will switch to a Pokemon that resists High Jump Kick. Because Scrafty is slow, it would be optimal to bring it in with a slow U-turn or Volt Switch from Uxie or Eelektross.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support such as Stealth Rock from Mega Steelix, Rhyperior, and Seismitoad and Spikes from Qwilfish and Accelgor is helpful, as it wears down the opponent's Pokemon on the switch, making them easier for Scrafty to tear through. Paralysis support from Uxie and Druddigon, which also manage to provide Stealth Rock support, is appreciated, as Scrafty is rather slow on its own. Setup sweepers such as Virizion, Meloetta, Tyrantrum, and Houndoom appreciate Scrafty's wallbreaking capabilities, seeing as it also handles physical attackers that these Pokemon struggle with. Late-game sweepers such as Fletchinder, Delphox, and Jolteon also appreciate Scrafty being able to punch holes through the opposing team, making cleaning up much easier.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Assault Vest in conjunction with Power-Up Punch can be used to increase Scrafty's already high Special Defense while giving it another method to increase its Attack, but it misses out on the more convenient Attack boosts provided by Dragon Dance and Choice Band and also has a very unfavorable matchup against offensive teams. Bulk Up can be used as a more defensive means of setting up, but the lack of Speed boosts means that Scrafty will have a harder time dealing with more offensive threats, aside from being completely outclassed by RestTalk Malamar. Iron Tail can be used over Iron Head or Poison Jab for higher damage against Fairy-types, although it's unreliable due to its 75% accuracy. Ice Punch and Thunder Punch can be options for coverage against Flying-types and, for the former, Flygon and bulky Grass-types such as Tangrowth and Amoonguss.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-type**: Aromatisse, Togetic, and Granbull resist both of Scrafty's STAB moves and can easily KO Scrafty with STAB moves of their own, but they should be careful when switching in on a super effective attack. In Togetic's case, having its Eviolite discarded by Scrafty's Knock Off is very detrimental to it. Dazzling Gleam from the likes of Delphox, Meloetta, Sigilyph and, to a lesser extent, Colbur Berry Mesprit can OHKO Scrafty unless it is carrying a Roseli Berry.
**Revenge Killers**: Due to Scrafty having a rather low base 58 Speed, powerful Choice Scarf users carrying super effective moves, such as Delphox, Tyrantrum, Durant, and Emboar, can easily OHKO Scrafty if they're given a free switch. Mach Punch and Fletchinder's Acrobatics easily KO Scrafty once it has been slightly weakened. Keep in mind that this can be avoided when Scrafty is using a Chople or Coba Berry, respectively.
**Fighting-types**: Faster Fighting-types such as Medicham, Virizion, Emboar, and Hitmonlee can switch into Knock Off and OHKO Scrafty with STAB moves of their own. Hitmontop can switch into Scrafty while also reducing its Attack with Intimidate; it can then proceed to heavily damage Scrafty with Close Combat. Gurdurr can tank one High Jump Kick and retaliate with Drain Punch, or it can finish Scrafty off with Mach Punch, if Scrafty is weak enough.
**Poison-types**: Qwilfish reduces Scrafty's Attack with Intimidate, and can Taunt it prevent it from using Dragon Dance, although Qwilfish can't damage Scrafty back thoroughly unless it uses Scald. Amoonguss can use Clear Smog to get rid of Scrafty's boosts. While both Pokemon resist Scrafty's Fighting-type moves, they should still be wary of Knock Off.
**Status Conditions**: Paralysis makes Scrafty even slower than it already is, while burn and poison wear it down faster, with the former also halving Scrafty's Attack.
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