Scizor

[THE ENEMY]

Pokemon:




Scizor
Bug/Steel
70 HP/130 AT/100 DEF/55 SPA/80 SPD/65 SPE
Swarm: When HP below 1/3, increases power of Bug Moves 1.5x
Technician: Moves with 60 Base Power or less increase 1.5x
Light Metal: Weight of bearer is halved

New Gen 5 Moves:
Venom Shock/Special Poison/65 BP/100 Acc/2x Power if it hits a Poisoned opponent
Sing A Round/Special Normal/60 BP/100 Acc/Unconfirmed effect
Acrobat/Physical Flying/55 BP/100 Acc/2x Power if user is itemless
Bug Opposition/Physical Bug/30 BP/100 Acc/Lower's targets SPA

New Previous Gen Moves:
Vacuum Wave/Special Fighting/40 BP/ 100 Acc/Attacks with Priority

Analysis:
Scizor rolls out of Gen 4 as the undisputed champion of OU and a good option for Uber play. Now, as the beginning of Gen 5 approaches, it is clear Scizor has its work cut out for itself if it wants to keep its bragging rights because the status quo has really changed.

Focusing first on what has changed for Scizor itself, we can see that really not much at all is different. It did not gain anything of use in any area. The new ability is next to useless, and the new moves it gained are all vastly inferior to the other options Scizor has.

As far as what the surroundings will hold for Scizor, on the outset at least, its looking pretty good. In a metagame in OU and in Ubers that's shaping up to be full of inclement weather, this is only a good thing for Scizor. In all 4 weathers, Scizor becomes more dangerous. Scroll down to see more information on this point. Scizor is also the bane of frail sweepers, and there is certainly a whole new batch of those in Gen 5. Adding all this to the fact that some of Scizor's main counters have taken a hit this generation(Heatran and Magnezone for starters) makes for a pretty good metagame for Scizor again.

Speaking of counters, it is worth making a small note of Shandera. On the surface, it appears that Scizor is doomed because of the advent of this new Shadow Tag Pokemon that resists both of its STAB moves. However, at closer inspection, Shandera is nothing more than a small speedbump on Scizor's road to victory. Consider each Shandera-Scizor matchup in any given match:

1. Shandera switches in, eats a U-Turn, and Scizor escapes, leaving Shandera damaged and exposed.
2. Shandera switches in, and eats 2 Bullet punches + entry hazards before an attack. A probable KO.
3. Shandera switches in, and eats a Night Slash. OHKO.
4. Shandera switches in while Scizor pursuits. Shadera must attack now or else gets OHKO'd. So, you lose Scizor, but Shandera is open to revenge and whatever was pursuited takes your damage. Advantage: Scizor user.
5. Shandera switches into a Superpower. Scizor gets OHKO'd and Shandera can get a free set up. However, as strategic players know, Superpower should not just be tossed around(even more so now people know that Shandera is running around). Plus, Shandera is risking itself for that predicted Superpower. Suppose Scizor uses something else.....
6. Shandera comes in to revenge kill Scizor after any move but U-Turn. You lose scizor. However, every pokemon in the game is subject to this as you cannot switch out. Scizor is in the same boat as any other pokemon in this situation. Not to mention that Scizor will probably only have used U-Turn up to the point where Shandera can be eliminated.

Thus, it is clear that Scizor has a multitude of answers for even its most capable adveraries.

Sets:

Scizor - Technician @ Choice Band
248 HP/252 AT/8 SPE/Adamant
~U-Turn
~Bullet Punch
~Superpower
~Pursuit/Night Slash

In Gen 5 OU, this is the only Scizor set that matters. There are better Pokemon options to choose from if you want to use Scizor for something other than this set. Since we are not sure how tiers will work out in Gen 5 yet, we cannot properly create any Ubers Scizor sets yet, so this is the only Scizor set we can outline right now.

Examining this set, it becomes clear right away why this set has dominated OU from the release of Platinum. STAB U-Turn and Bullet Punch coming off a 130 Base Attack is just what one needs when searching for power, speed, and strategy all in one Pokemon. The other two moves serve as powerful and deadly coverage moves. The beauty of this set is really U-Turn which dents anything coming in, and allows the user to switch to an appropriate counter. Combine this with some Entry Hazards and good team support, and watch how fast the opposing team will go down.

Teammate Options:

Number one on this list should be anything that can get down Stealth Rock at the very least. Optimally, Scizor should have Spikes or Toxic Spikes support as well. The more residual damage going on, the better for Scizor because a typical turn will involve Scizor switching in, the opponent then switching in something that will eat Entry Hazards on its way to counter Scizor, U-Turn to a counter for the Scizor counter, and then the opponent switching out the Scizor counter to bring something else in that will eat more Entry Hazards. Some good options for multiple Entry Hazard support are Smeargle, Skarmory, Foretress, Iwaparesu, and Nattorei. If one is content with just Stealth Rock, then obviously there are a whole host of options for a simple Stealth Rock laying.

Number two on this list should be a Rapid Spin blocker to keep your hazards on the field. If you are the type of player to only lay Stealth Rock, then a Ghost becomes a lot less necessary. There are a host of good options for Rapid Spin blockers, however.

After these positions have been filled, provided you have at least one good fire resist, the rest of your team should be a function of your play style and your own strategies. Scizor is so universal that you can fit him into just about any team in this way. Even on weather-based teams:

Sandstorm Scizor: Scizor is immune to the sandstorm damage at the end of every turn while every Pokemon who isn't has to deal with yet another form of indirect damage. All this damage can add up very quickly, and thats not even including damage from powerful direct attacks.

Rain Scizor: Scizor's only weakness will be halved in power in the rain. Teammates of Scizor who can wreak havoc in the rain will enjoy having Scizor easily dispatch of any grassers who deside to stay in against him, or deal with switching out and going through the cycle of residual damage again.

Sun Scizor: Water moves which usually annoy Scizor will be halved in the sun. If Scizor can avoid those fire attacks, which it has to do anyway, it can do very well. In particular, Scizor owns most of the grass types looking to benefit from the Sun.

Hail Scizor: This is the only iffy weather for Scizor. The bad news is that Scizor will be taking damage every turn from the hail. The good news is that Scizor destroys just about everything that excels under Hail conditions. Everything that doesn't excel in the hail will be in the same boat as Scizor as far as advantages are concerned.

Conclusion:

By and large, Scizor is still a top tier threat. Just how great he'll be remains to be seen. It goes without saying that every player will need to keep Scizor in mind when creating a team and considering that Scizor did not change at all from Gen 4 to Gen 5, this is a testament to Scizor's dominance that existed in the post-Platinum OU metagame.

[TickingSeedotBomb]

He's more or less the same so he'll still be used a lot. However Shanderaa will knock him down quite a good amount of posistions. She's faster and Scizor can't do much to her. Plus Shadow tag and any fire move of her choice.

[storm]

Originally Posted by Fat Shifty_Shiftry

He's more or less the same so he'll still be used a lot. However Shanderaa will knock him down quite a good amount of posistions. She's faster and Scizor can't do much to her. Plus Shadow tag and any fire move of her choice.

Prediction and U-Turn is your friend. Besides one will mostly be U-Turning anyway even with out much predicting.

[Not Scicky]

What does Mach Punch give it? U-Turn hits Dark, Bullet Punch hits Rock and Ice. It just can't break steel, which Mach Punch would have a tough time doing anyway with a paltry 60 BP, especially since the frail, fast sweepers that priority exists to kill are completely non-existant within the Steel typing.

:/

[TickingSeedotBomb]

yea... I actually forgot about Scizor having U-Turn... Dang it I think I desperately need some sleep. Anyway yea Scizor is pretty much gonna be the same maybe moved down a bit and replaced by a different pokemon or something.

[lmitchell0012]

If shanderaa is allowed to stay in OU, it will cause serious issues for scizor.

[KokoaKiwi]

I'm still praying for Shadow Tag clause instead of banning shanderaa.
-_-
Anyway, on topic. Scizor owns Ononokusu with Choice Band bullet punch, which is quite amazing in my opinion. If Sazandora lacks flamethrower, scizor will KO with a Bug type move.
However, due to the amount of steel and bug resists, as well as the new amount of fire type pokes and moves, I don't think scizor will be as common.

[lmitchell0012]

Originally Posted by Fat KokoaKiwi

I'm still praying for Shadow Tag clause instead of banning shanderaa.
-_-
Anyway, on topic. Scizor owns Ononokusu with Choice Band bullet punch, which is quite amazing in my opinion. If Sazandora lacks flamethrower, scizor will KO with a Bug type move.
However, due to the amount of steel and bug resists, as well as the new amount of fire type pokes and moves, I don't think scizor will be as common.

I agree completely. Ban the ability rather than the pokemon itself. With shadow tag, shanderaa is like a wobuffet on steroids. We don't need that in OU. Just my 2 cents.

[KokoaKiwi]

Originally Posted by Fat lmitchell0012

I agree completely. Ban the ability rather than the pokemon itself. With shadow tag, shanderaa is like a wobuffet on steroids. We don't need that in OU. Just my 2 cents.

I wouldn't really care about having a "wobuffet on steroids" on any tier if it was another poke. I just do not want to see my favorite Gen V poke banned to ubers, which is why I'm hoping for a shadow tag clause. Regardless, I will be using Flash Fire for wifi OU matches.

Also, on topic, Scizor almost always carries U-Turn, which he might abuse to gtfo if Shanderaa is trying to set up with Calm Mind.

[Griffen78]

It's sad to say, but I have a feeling Scizor will fall into UU ;_; at least for a while since everyone will be in a rush to use the new mons.

[AccidentalGreed]

Are you kidding? Just go slap on a Pokemon that screams "BULLET PUNCH ME, BABY", put Mr. Shadow Tag-on-steroids on the same team, and you're set if you're pretty determined to beat Scizor. The plan? Oh, just go about sweeping with a Life Orb Aerodactyl or a frail Mischievous Heart Pokemon or something like that. Even if Shanderaa is stuck with Flash Fire, all's well because of SubCM and Choiced Overheat.

On topic, Choice Band U-Turn really is the staring point of this guy, though this guy has competition with the new Fighting-type feline Pokemon for scout and revenge killer. With more than a hundred Pokemon in the fray...Scizor will need to watch out for the "standards", unlike Jolteon and Raikou and Zapdos (who all got a pretty unnecessary but relatively helpful move in Volt Change).

[lmitchell0012]

Also, on the topic of shanderaa, he doesn't get trick, which means blissey can wall him all day (although he does get pain split and taunt which will be annoying). Also, he'll need HP ground or heatran too walls it all day. I also find it very interesting that shanderaa didn't get any electric moves this generation. He's one of the only ghosts who didn't get any.

[Frost Nocturne]

Originally Posted by Fat Scicky

What does Mach Punch give it? U-Turn hits Dark, Bullet Punch hits Rock and Ice. It just can't break steel, which Mach Punch would have a tough time doing anyway with a paltry 60 BP, especially since the frail, fast sweepers that priority exists to kill are completely non-existant within the Steel typing.

:/

Uh...Lucario and Doryuuzu? :/

Oh well, Breloom gets his Technician Mach Punch now anyways.

[norelationstojfk]

Scizor didn't change one bit, and that's fine. He'll definitely stay a huge threat. Shanda, however, will be a great counter whether it keeps Shadow Tag or not. Night Slash/Pursuit might get it, but if it switches into any of its other three moves (given it's Banded) then Scizor better be running for the hills.

[Zangetsu]

I think Scizor has the potential as a Rain Dance user. It would seem to be foolish to depend solely on one Pokemon for it to last, and setting up the Rain could reduce it's Fire weakness substantially (8 SpA Salamence Fire Blast does only 65.1% - 76.7% with 252/252 EV investment and neutral nature).

[Junk]

I'm failing to understand how Vacuum Wave is a new move. I thought that Scizor gets it as a pre-evolution move. Am I missing something here?

[fearow23]

Scizor may not gain new notable moves or abilities, but it does gain more allies. Zoroark, while used for his special attack, can use physical attacks with his 105 attack. Also, they both know night slash/pursuit, so a Shandera thinking it trapped Scizor will have to eat Zoroark's night slash/pursuit.

[SlimMan]

Does Acrobat's boost apply after Technician? Or does it render Technician useless on it?

Assuming Technician then Acro boost, it reaches a BP of 165. That's stronger than a Technician+STAB Bug Bite. His strongest attack. But outside of Acrobat, he didn't get any real improvement.

[THE ENEMY]

On topic, Choice Band U-Turn really is the staring point of this guy, though this guy has competition with the new Fighting-type feline Pokemon for scout and revenge killer

You don't know how right you are. When people see just how good Kojondo is, they might jump on his bandwagon as well. Personally, I'm preparing a team with both Scizor and Kojondo on it.

[MoogleEnsign]

Why not turn cb scizor into life orb 176 hp/176 Def/etc into a ou trapper for sorts? still has those nice moves. Pursuit may not be as good as before due to shandeera, but good scouting and u turn can help with that. Plus, trapper scizor can kill frail sweepers just as well as the cb one(well, it holds its own in ubers...) for fun, switch in on choiced shandeera shadow ball.... lol.

[HiddenDragon72]

I don't think Scizor has to worry about being dethroned or anything like that. It's true that he won't be getting as many new tricks as others but based on speculation Scizor wasn't exactly one was crippled without help then and I don't think he'll start now ;)

[jchen]

Originally Posted by Fat Scicky

What does Mach Punch give it? U-Turn hits Dark, Bullet Punch hits Rock and Ice. It just can't break steel, which Mach Punch would have a tough time doing anyway with a paltry 60 BP, especially since the frail, fast sweepers that priority exists to kill are completely non-existant within the Steel typing.

:/

magnezone gets raped by mach punch, and heatran, who is very very bulky, still takes 63.7-75.5%. Empoleon is now added to the list of pokes scizor checks, as CB bullet punch did well under 25% to empoleon, while mach punch would stop empy cold. add in luke and new ground/steel as well. its a better choice than pursuit imo, unless theres a poke you really really need to get rid of, in which case T-tar is probably better, just because you scream setup fodder with it.
mach punch would've allowed SD scizor to remove its 3 biggest hard counters/easy switch ins in heatran, empoleon, and magnezone.

[OmegaForte]

Ditto. That's what I was planing for a 5th generation rain dance team. (currently thinking for 5th generation pokes that need rain)

[Lucalibur]

mach punch scizor dont make a lot of sense but i agree he would have enjoyed that addition to his movepool. scizor continue to be a good pokemon regardless of the new pokemons...heck, at least we wont be seeying bullet punch spam as often we used to huh? not that i hate it, just saying for the people that do.

[Bloodbath]

Originally Posted by Fat lmitchell0012

Also, on the topic of shanderaa, he doesn't get trick, which means blissey can wall him all day (although he does get pain split and taunt which will be annoying). Also, he'll need HP ground or heatran too walls it all day. I also find it very interesting that shanderaa didn't get any electric moves this generation. He's one of the only ghosts who didn't get any.

Yeah but Shadow Tag alone makes Shanderaa dangerous.... And all you really need to do is swap out, mind you don't have pursuit waiting for you, and butcher them... But yeah I love Shanderaa aswell and do not want to see it banned.