Beedrill [GP 2/2]

Swaggersaurus said:

[Overview]

<p>To say Beedrill has its work cut out for it to establish itself as a viable Pokemon in NU is an understatement. At a glance, its Attack stats and (crucially) its Speed are all stats are both average,(comma) while its Defense and Special Defense leaves a lot to be desired, and its Defence is downright abysmal. On top of all this, Beedrill's unfortunate typing gives it a big Stealth Rock weakness. That said, Beedrill has a few tricks up its sleeve to make you reconsider before you dismiss it entirely. Firstly, it has access to great utility and support moves in U-turn, Toxic Spikes,(comma) and Roost. Secondly, there is a silver lining to Beedrill's typing in the form of a natural absorption of Toxic Spikes. This isn't to stay that Beedrill will definitely be the most valuable Pokemon on your (or any) team, but they are redeeming factors that grant it a few uses, and if played correctly,(comma) can provide invaluable support to the right NU teams.</p>

[SET]
name: Toxic Spikes
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Toxic Spikes
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Pursuit / X-Scissor
item: Focus Sash
ability: Swarm
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With the given EVs and a Jolly nature, Beedrill reaches 273 Speed, giving it enough time to set up one layer of Toxic Spikes at the very least. In addition, a second layer is guaranteed if Beedrill leads, thanks to Focus Sash. U-turn gives you the option to strike with STAB and withdraw Beedrill for later use, either to be sacrificed at a key moment,(comma) or to scout out the opposing team. Knock Off is essential for throwing a spanner in the works for Eviolite users. X-Scissor and Pursuit are up to down to personal preference:(colon) choice here. X-Scissor gives Beedrill a stronger STAB attack than U-turn, whereas Pursuit lets you nail Psychic-types that flee from your buggy wrath, such as Exeggutor. The choice isn't worth agonising over too much; this set takes into account Beedrill's fragile defenses and employs it primarily as a Toxic Spikes kamikaze pilot. It would be possible to give Beedrill a longevity boost with a bulkier EV spread of 252 Speed, 84 HP and 172 Defense EVs,(comma) and ensure an extra layer of Toxic Spikes or one last hit, but bear in mind that Beedrill is never going to be truly bulky.</p>
(can you move that last sentence about the additional EV spread to additional comments please)

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set needs support from the rest of the team aimed at Pokemon that can eliminate the common grounded Poison-types like Skuntank and Roselia. Without it, Beedrill has a hard time setting up Toxic Spikes. Rapid Spin support in the team is essential to keep hazards at bay that would otherwise render Focus Sash useless. It cannot be stressed enough how fragile Beedrill is. Leftovers and Life Orb are possible alternatives to Focus Sash for a little more longevity or stopping power,(comma) respectively, but bear in mind with Life Orb how delicate Beedrill already is. This could be counteracted to an extent by running Roost,(comma) to an extent,(comma) with Life Orb to keep Beedrill trucking a little longer.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: U-Turn
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Pursuit / Knock Off
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Swarm
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With either a Choice Scarf or a Choice Band a Choice item equipped, Beedrill gets just enough of receives a boost to its Attack or Speed stats,(comma) just enough to become a viable offensive Pokemon. X-Scissor is a must-have, and Beedrill's primary STAB attack. Brick Break will let Beedrill at least dent Steel-types for the rest of the team to finish off, or for it to chip away at them. The latter is facilitated by U-turn, allowing Beedrill to nip out of particularly tight spots, scout,(comma) and take the initiative in switching. For In the last slot, the options will be familiar from the previous set. Pursuit lets Beedrill hunt down fleeing Psychic-types as before, and whether it is fleeing or not Pursuit will always OHKO Kadabra. Knock Off hampers Eviolite users,(comma) such as Tangela and Rhydon. The balance of the rest of your team should help dictate which you choose to run. The EVs allow Beedrill to hit as hard as he possibly can with them pumped to the max in Attack. Paired with an Adamant nature, it peaks at 284. Beedrill's Speed isn't fantastic, but with Speed cranked up to the max and with a Choice Scarf it outspeeds enough threats for the EVs to be considered well spent.</p>
(again, can you mention EVs in the Additional Comments section)

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Beedrill still really needs support from Pokemon with Rapid Spin, though to a lesser extent than with the Toxic Spikes set. Armaldo makes a fine teammate, providing its own hazards in the form of Stealth Rock,(comma) and access to supporting its teammates with Rapid Spin, even if it is a little slow. Whilst not suited to making up the offensive core of your team, this set makes Beedrill excellent at mopping up late-game. This is largely due to the abundance of Psychic-types in NU that it can terrorise, and with Choice Scarf it does so outspeeding can outspeed all those that don't carry Choice Scarves themselves, and STAB X-Scissor will OHKO or 2HKO them. Sadly,(comma) Beedrill's 4x Bug- and Grass-type resistances rarely get their chance to shine; most threats carrying moves of those types will OHKO or 2HKO it, so treat Beedrill even with this set as a glass cannon pistol.</p>

<p>As a late-game sweeper, Beedrill strongly appreciates any support from entry hazards the rest of the team can lay down that will build up residual damage to make its job easier. Every now and then Beedrill will dip into Swarm activation range, giving it enough kick to go on a rampage with X-Scissor that can really decide battles in the closing stages. Thanks to Beedrill's meagre defenses, it needs every break it can get, and a heal in the form of Wish support will never go amiss to increase its longevity.</p>

[SET]
name: Boosting Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance / Agility
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Pursuit / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Swarm
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set (or these sets) give Beedrill the option to boost its Attack and/or Speed, granting it just enough of an extra edge to make it a formidable sweeper in the right niches. After a single Swords Dance,(comma) Beedrill OHKOs Max HP / Max Def Exeggutor with X-Scissor as opposed to finishing it off with Pursuit. Again,(comma) the max Speed EVs give Beedrill just enough of a boost to outspeed some major threats (it reaches 273 Speed), but it is still in danger of being revenge killed and the like thanks to its lousy defenses. With an Agility under its belt, Adamant Beedrill outspeeds the vast majority of the NU tier without Choice Scarves,(comma) and a significant number of those running Choice Scarves, reaching 498 Speed. Focus Sash is an option here to be considered alongside Agility; the extra turn can be crucial if it allows Beedrill to break a Speed tier and finish off its opponent before it can be finished off itself. If you are running Swords Dance, disregard Focus Sash and take the power boost provided by Life Orb.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Whilst the boosts Swords Dance and Agility provide are welcome, the Swords Dance set lacks Speed, and the Agility set lacks firepower. This can leave Beedrill's offences a little short of netting vital OHKOs and leave it vulnerable to counterattack, something to be avoided given Beedrill's fragility. As with the previous sets, entry hazard support is again a must, particularly for the Agility set, where it will make up for Beedrill's weak offense and help it to bring threats down in one hit. Similarly, Thunder Wave will slow opponents enough for the Swords Dance set's lack of Speed to be permissible. Fast teammates are also recommended. Once again, Rapid Spin support is more than welcome. It is possible to take U-turn can be used over X-Scissor, sacrificing a little STAB power to let Beedrill escape.(full stop) This gives Beedrill the opportunity to return again later in the game if you think an opening is likely, but bear in mind that on the Agility set,(comma) this will leave its firepower sorely lacking.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Beedrill's access to Baton Pass makes a set revolving around boosting Beedrill's Speed with can be used alongside Agility to pass boosts and palming it off onto other, more powerful sweepers possible. This avoids the dangers of setting up to sweep with such a fragile Pokemon. In truth, however, there are other Pokemon with access to Baton Pass that can do this job much more efficiently; Beedrill's inability to take hits comfortably makes a single hitch in Baton Passing effectively a waste of a slot on your team. It might also be worth considering including Tailwind in Beedrill's moveset, giving it a Speed boost that it does not need to survive to pass on. That said, since it expires in three turns,(comma) Agility is probably more favourable for Beedrill alone, but there is potential for the right teammates to take advantage of this move. Beedrill also,(comma) rather curiously (and perhaps inexplicably) has access to Sunny Day. This might fit well on a variant of the Toxic Spikes set, treating Beedrill as a utility or support Pokemon, able to lay down some hazards for the opposition,(comma) and boost the firepower of its teammates before being disposed of.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>In terms of checks, Beedrill has a fair few names to watch out for. Most notably, some of the Pokemon Beedrill ought to threaten are actually dangerous in return -- Tangela only takes 27-33% from the Choice Scarf set's X-Scissor,(comma) despite the STAB, and as such is capable of walling Beedrill. In addition, thanks to Beedrill's paper-thin defenses, anything with access to priority moves, holding a Choice Scarf,(comma) or simply a base Speed higher than 75 with even average physical firepower dispatches Beedrill with little trouble. For the most part, Steel-, Rock-, Ground-,(comma) and Fire-types for the most part should all send it packing. This vast number of threats makes establishing Beedrill incredibly difficult if it isn't your lead -- and even then, it needs to be careful not to be flattened from the outset.</p>

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