[OVERVIEW]
With a high base Attack, decent Speed, and access to Dragon Dance, Axew is able to sweep teams once given the chance to set up. Unfortunately, it struggles against Fairy- and Steel-types when locked into Outrage, though they're vulnerable to Axew's coverage moves. Due to Axew's lack of bulk, powerful offensive Pokemon such as Mienfoo and Vullaby make it hard for it to set up. Because of these factors, even at +1 Axew is often unable to sweep until late-game after the opposing team has been weakened.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance Sweeper
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dual Chop
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Iron Tail / Poison Jab
item: Eviolite
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 68 HP / 220 Atk / 220 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Dance gives Axew the power and speed needed to get through walls and revenge killers, and after two to three boosts it will turn Axew into a fast physical sweeper. Outrage is a powerful Dragon-type STAB move, and at +1 it has a chance to OHKO Vullaby after Stealth Rock, as well as a guaranteed 2HKO on Timburr after Stealth Rock. Dual Chop is an option over Outrage if you don't wish to be locked into a move, and is a great way to get past Focus Sash users. It should be noted, however, that Dual Chop is rather weak even at +1 and requires multiple boosts to break bulkier threats like Vullaby. Superpower is a reliable way to take on Steel-types, especially Pawniard and Magnemite, which are both guaranteed to be OHKOed. Iron Tail is used against Fairy-types. It will always 2HKO Spritzee after Stealth Rock has been set up, OHKOes Cottonee at +1, and has a chance to OHKO Snubbull at +1 after Stealth Rock. The only downside about Iron Tail is its low accuracy. Poison Jab is a more reliable alternative, that has a guaranteed 2HKO on Snubbull at +1 after Stealth Rock and also OHKOes Cottonee.
Set Details
========
Axew lacks in both Defense and Special Defense; Eviolite is needed to raise Axew's bulk, allowing Axew to survive a High Jump Kick from Choice Scarf Mienfoo and a Psychic from non-Life Orb Abra. The EV spread is pretty standard for a sweeper. Maximized EVs in Attack and Speed allow Axew to hit as hard as possible and outpace the likes of Corphish and Magnemite. After a boost from Dragon Dance, Axew's power increases. A +1 Jolly Axew can outspeed some Choice Scarf Pokemon, such as Scraggy and Magnemite. Alternatively Adamant will increase Axew's Attack and can let it OHKO Pokemon such as Omanyte, which Jolly Axew can only 2HKO, but Axew will still be vulnerable to a few Choice Scarf users such as Rufflet (which can outspeed it) and Vullaby (which Speed ties). Mold Breaker is used to bypass defensive abilities like Sturdy and Solid Rock, giving Axew an easier time cleaning up.
Usage Tips
========
Axew is best used as a late-game sweeper when its checks have been weakened or removed. Using Superpower too much may prevent Axew from sweeping effectively, as Axew sorely needs its Attack boosts to have a reasonable shot at OHKOing enemies. Dragon Dance should only be used when Axew has an opening to set up or when there's a chance Axew will be able to take a hit. Examples of Pokemon that can be set up on by Axew would be Stunky and Lileep. Also, if Axew is locked into Outrage against something that resists it such as a Steel-type, Axew won't be able to do much damage and is prone to being counterattacked. When a Fairy-type is switched in to nullify Outrage, Axew will be able to use Iron Tail after Outrage has been blocked. However, if a Fairy-type comes in for a revenge kill, they're still able to get a free hit on Axew. Superpower can be used to hit a predicted Steel-type switch-in, and Poison Jab can be used to hit Fairy switch-ins. Axew should also be wary of priority on the opponent's team when attempting a sweep and has to look out for super effective coverage from Pokemon like Staryu and Timburr.
Team Options
========
Diglett is an exceptional partner for Axew because its ability Arena Trap allows it to trap Steel-types and OHKO them with Earthquake. Axew benefits from having entry hazards up because they punish switching and aid Axew in sweeping. Good examples of hazard setters are Drilbur and Pawniard. Drilbur is also great for handling Steel-types, while Pawniard is good for threatening Fairy-types. Axew also benefits from Knock Off users, which are able to remove Eviolite and thus allowing Axew to sweep better. A good example of Knock Off user is Alolan Grimer. In addition to Knock Off support, Cottonee and Stunky can provide Axew with Memento support. Ice-types are really troublesome for Axew, so having a Pokemon that can go up against them is really important. Good examples of Pokemon that check Ice-types are Ponyta and Slowpoke. Bulky Pokemon are great teammates as well because Axew lacks bulk. Example of bulky pokemon that can support Axew include Chinchou to handle Ice-type moves and Mareanie or Foongus to handle Fairy-types. Mudbray and Onix are also great Ground-types to handle opposing Steel-types. Fighting-types such as Timburr and Mienfoo are major threats to Steel-types as well.
[STRAGETY COMMENTS]
Other Options
==========
Choice Scarf is an option, since it makes Axew a immediate threat and capable of revenge killing. However, this set lacks sweeping capabilities because Axew is locked into one move. Using Life Orb will increase Axew's Attack, but it will chip away at Axew's health in the process, making Axew quite frail on top of losing Eviolite. Dragon Claw is an option because it has a Base Power of 80 and no drawbacks. However, unfortunately even at +3 Axew can't OHKO Mienfoo, and unlike Outrage, Dragon Claw 2HKOes Staryu. Facade can let Axew potentially set up on Ponyta and Scald users such as Chinchou. Taunt can let Axew set up on Foongus, not allowing it to use Spore. Focus Sash is another option, allowing Axew to survive a super effective hit and set up with Dragon Dance. Substitute is also an option, since it helps Axew avoid status; unfortunately, it makes Axew lose out on important coverage. Lum Berry can get around status, and if Axew lasts long enough, it can also cure Axew from Outrage confusion, but this will leave Axew very frail. Steelium Z allows for Axew to OHKO Spritzee at +1, Cottonee at +0, and Snubbull at +1 and never misses. The loss of Eviolite's bulk can be troublesome, however.
Checks and Counters
===========
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types such as Spritzee and Snubbull are immune to Axew's Dragon-type moves and can easily take a Superpower. However, they have to be careful of Iron Tail or Poison Jab.
**Priority**: Axew suffers greatly to Sucker Punch Pokemon like Pawniard, which can be an issue. Croagunk's Vacuum Wave and Zigzagoon's Extreme Speed are threatening as well.
**Steel-types**: Axew's only move to go up against Steel-types is Superpower, and Superpower will decreases Axew's Attack and Defense by 1.
**Ice-type Moves**: There are a lot of Pokemon with good Ice-type coverage moves. Offensive Staryu can 2HKO Axew with Ice Beam, and bulky Water-types such as Chinchou have access to Ice Beam as well.
**Status**: Axew doesn't like being burned, paralyzed, or poisoned, since burn halves Axew's Attack, paralysis lowers its Speed, and poison chips away at its health, completely stopping Axew from sweeping effectively.
With a high base Attack, decent Speed, and access to Dragon Dance, Axew is able to sweep teams once given the chance to set up. Unfortunately, it struggles against Fairy- and Steel-types when locked into Outrage, though they're vulnerable to Axew's coverage moves. Due to Axew's lack of bulk, powerful offensive Pokemon such as Mienfoo and Vullaby make it hard for it to set up. Because of these factors, even at +1 Axew is often unable to sweep until late-game after the opposing team has been weakened.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance Sweeper
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dual Chop
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Iron Tail / Poison Jab
item: Eviolite
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 68 HP / 220 Atk / 220 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dragon Dance gives Axew the power and speed needed to get through walls and revenge killers, and after two to three boosts it will turn Axew into a fast physical sweeper. Outrage is a powerful Dragon-type STAB move, and at +1 it has a chance to OHKO Vullaby after Stealth Rock, as well as a guaranteed 2HKO on Timburr after Stealth Rock. Dual Chop is an option over Outrage if you don't wish to be locked into a move, and is a great way to get past Focus Sash users. It should be noted, however, that Dual Chop is rather weak even at +1 and requires multiple boosts to break bulkier threats like Vullaby. Superpower is a reliable way to take on Steel-types, especially Pawniard and Magnemite, which are both guaranteed to be OHKOed. Iron Tail is used against Fairy-types. It will always 2HKO Spritzee after Stealth Rock has been set up, OHKOes Cottonee at +1, and has a chance to OHKO Snubbull at +1 after Stealth Rock. The only downside about Iron Tail is its low accuracy. Poison Jab is a more reliable alternative, that has a guaranteed 2HKO on Snubbull at +1 after Stealth Rock and also OHKOes Cottonee.
Set Details
========
Axew lacks in both Defense and Special Defense; Eviolite is needed to raise Axew's bulk, allowing Axew to survive a High Jump Kick from Choice Scarf Mienfoo and a Psychic from non-Life Orb Abra. The EV spread is pretty standard for a sweeper. Maximized EVs in Attack and Speed allow Axew to hit as hard as possible and outpace the likes of Corphish and Magnemite. After a boost from Dragon Dance, Axew's power increases. A +1 Jolly Axew can outspeed some Choice Scarf Pokemon, such as Scraggy and Magnemite. Alternatively Adamant will increase Axew's Attack and can let it OHKO Pokemon such as Omanyte, which Jolly Axew can only 2HKO, but Axew will still be vulnerable to a few Choice Scarf users such as Rufflet (which can outspeed it) and Vullaby (which Speed ties). Mold Breaker is used to bypass defensive abilities like Sturdy and Solid Rock, giving Axew an easier time cleaning up.
Usage Tips
========
Axew is best used as a late-game sweeper when its checks have been weakened or removed. Using Superpower too much may prevent Axew from sweeping effectively, as Axew sorely needs its Attack boosts to have a reasonable shot at OHKOing enemies. Dragon Dance should only be used when Axew has an opening to set up or when there's a chance Axew will be able to take a hit. Examples of Pokemon that can be set up on by Axew would be Stunky and Lileep. Also, if Axew is locked into Outrage against something that resists it such as a Steel-type, Axew won't be able to do much damage and is prone to being counterattacked. When a Fairy-type is switched in to nullify Outrage, Axew will be able to use Iron Tail after Outrage has been blocked. However, if a Fairy-type comes in for a revenge kill, they're still able to get a free hit on Axew. Superpower can be used to hit a predicted Steel-type switch-in, and Poison Jab can be used to hit Fairy switch-ins. Axew should also be wary of priority on the opponent's team when attempting a sweep and has to look out for super effective coverage from Pokemon like Staryu and Timburr.
Team Options
========
Diglett is an exceptional partner for Axew because its ability Arena Trap allows it to trap Steel-types and OHKO them with Earthquake. Axew benefits from having entry hazards up because they punish switching and aid Axew in sweeping. Good examples of hazard setters are Drilbur and Pawniard. Drilbur is also great for handling Steel-types, while Pawniard is good for threatening Fairy-types. Axew also benefits from Knock Off users, which are able to remove Eviolite and thus allowing Axew to sweep better. A good example of Knock Off user is Alolan Grimer. In addition to Knock Off support, Cottonee and Stunky can provide Axew with Memento support. Ice-types are really troublesome for Axew, so having a Pokemon that can go up against them is really important. Good examples of Pokemon that check Ice-types are Ponyta and Slowpoke. Bulky Pokemon are great teammates as well because Axew lacks bulk. Example of bulky pokemon that can support Axew include Chinchou to handle Ice-type moves and Mareanie or Foongus to handle Fairy-types. Mudbray and Onix are also great Ground-types to handle opposing Steel-types. Fighting-types such as Timburr and Mienfoo are major threats to Steel-types as well.
[STRAGETY COMMENTS]
Other Options
==========
Choice Scarf is an option, since it makes Axew a immediate threat and capable of revenge killing. However, this set lacks sweeping capabilities because Axew is locked into one move. Using Life Orb will increase Axew's Attack, but it will chip away at Axew's health in the process, making Axew quite frail on top of losing Eviolite. Dragon Claw is an option because it has a Base Power of 80 and no drawbacks. However, unfortunately even at +3 Axew can't OHKO Mienfoo, and unlike Outrage, Dragon Claw 2HKOes Staryu. Facade can let Axew potentially set up on Ponyta and Scald users such as Chinchou. Taunt can let Axew set up on Foongus, not allowing it to use Spore. Focus Sash is another option, allowing Axew to survive a super effective hit and set up with Dragon Dance. Substitute is also an option, since it helps Axew avoid status; unfortunately, it makes Axew lose out on important coverage. Lum Berry can get around status, and if Axew lasts long enough, it can also cure Axew from Outrage confusion, but this will leave Axew very frail. Steelium Z allows for Axew to OHKO Spritzee at +1, Cottonee at +0, and Snubbull at +1 and never misses. The loss of Eviolite's bulk can be troublesome, however.
Checks and Counters
===========
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types such as Spritzee and Snubbull are immune to Axew's Dragon-type moves and can easily take a Superpower. However, they have to be careful of Iron Tail or Poison Jab.
**Priority**: Axew suffers greatly to Sucker Punch Pokemon like Pawniard, which can be an issue. Croagunk's Vacuum Wave and Zigzagoon's Extreme Speed are threatening as well.
**Steel-types**: Axew's only move to go up against Steel-types is Superpower, and Superpower will decreases Axew's Attack and Defense by 1.
**Ice-type Moves**: There are a lot of Pokemon with good Ice-type coverage moves. Offensive Staryu can 2HKO Axew with Ice Beam, and bulky Water-types such as Chinchou have access to Ice Beam as well.
**Status**: Axew doesn't like being burned, paralyzed, or poisoned, since burn halves Axew's Attack, paralysis lowers its Speed, and poison chips away at its health, completely stopping Axew from sweeping effectively.
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