Hoothoot will be here. metsrule158 is no longer working on his, so his can be moved to L&O. Basically, I took metsrule158's analysis, changed some wordings, and added much more meat to the analysis.
This analysis has already passed QC.
metsrule158's original analysis: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82999
Thanks!
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/hoothoot
[Overview]
<p>Hoothoot is a very mediocre Pokemon within the tier, with poor stats all across the board. Its offensive stats aren't very good, while its low defenses mean that it can't surive very long in battle. The fact that it is weak to Stealth Rock makes Hoothoot even worse. However, with a decent movepool and an average Special Defense stat, Hoothoot can actually be viable. Overall, Hoothoot is one of those Pokemon who need a lot of support in order to function, but when given the right support, can accomplish its job well.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Insomnia
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 236 SpA / 68 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is the only set Hoothoot can run without being completely outclassed by other Flying-type Pokemon. Its main STAB attack is Air Slash, which is fairly weak, though the occasional chance of a flinch can be helpful. Psychic hits Fighting- and Poison-type Pokemon for super effective damage. Heat Wave easily melts Steel- and Ice-types, who would otherwise pose a threat to Hoothoot. Finally, Shadow Ball helps Hoothoot dispatch Ghost- and Psychic-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With a Choice Scarf attached, Hoothoot hits 22 Speed, outspeeding all non-Choice Scarf Pokemon. Hoothoot is one of those Pokemon who significantly appreciates Stealth Rock support, as this gives Hoothoot a much better chance at landing a KO on the opponent. A Rapid Spinner would also be appreciated so Hoothoot doesn't lose a chunk of HP every time it switches in. Hypnosis can be used instead of Shadow Ball in the fourth slot to inflict sleep, but is not recommended as Hoothoot will need to immediately switch out, and the accuracy is not reliable. Hoothoot is also a great counter to Shroomish and Paras thanks to its ability, Insomnia, and it's able to OHKO the both of them with a STAB Air Slash.</p>
<p>A great teammate for Hoothoot is Munchlax; its high Special Defense stat means it can take special Ice- and Electric-type attacks aimed at Hoothoot with little effort. Bronzor's high Defense and capability of setting up Stealth Rock also helps Hoothoot out, being able to switch into threats such as Aron. Machop's offensive strength can take out Rock- and Steel-types that Hoothoot might have trouble with. Magnemite can also be a helpful teammate as it resists all of Hoothoot's weaknesses, and Hoothoot can switch in on the Ground-type attacks that Magenemite often attracts.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hoothoot has many other options it can choose from, but most are simply not worth it. Psycho Shift can be used in tandem with a Flame Orb to burn a physical sweeper, but Hoothoot is too frail, and is usually better off attacking anyway. Reflect is an option to prevent physical sweepers from running all over your team, but is usually better left to a bulkier Pokemon such as Bronzor. FeatherDance can also be utilized to soften the blows of physical attackers, but Hoothoot does not have enough bulk for it to work well. Roost allows Hoothoot to have more longevity, except that it gets OHKOed or 2HKOed by many moves, so much so that is it not worth it. Toxic can be used to cripple a bulkier Pokemon such as Munchlax. Whirlwind can be used to phaze Pokemon, and is best used with entry hazards, but again, Hoothoot is too frail to make good use out of it. Attract allows Hoothoot to incapacitate an opponent half the time, but if the opposing Pokemon has the same gender as Hoothoot, it will fail. Agility is an option over Choice Scarf to boost Hoothoot's mediocre Speed, but it loses out on coverage, which is quite important, as Hoothoot relies on super effective attacks to deal damage.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Most Pokemon who have decent bulk and relatively high offensive stats will usually defeat Hoothoot, because Hoothoot is not very powerful, and also quite frail. Good Pokemon who can take any of Hoothoot's special attacks include Munchlax and Mantyke, who have a high Special Defense stat, and good offensive stats to deal with Hoothoot. Powerful counters who can quickly knock out Hoothoot include Voltorb, Buizel, and priority users like Swinub. In most cases, any Pokemon who can take a hit or two from Hoothoot will fare well against it. However, counters need to beware of a potential Hypnosis.</p>
This analysis has already passed QC.
metsrule158's original analysis: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82999
Thanks!
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/hoothoot
[Overview]
<p>Hoothoot is a very mediocre Pokemon within the tier, with poor stats all across the board. Its offensive stats aren't very good, while its low defenses mean that it can't surive very long in battle. The fact that it is weak to Stealth Rock makes Hoothoot even worse. However, with a decent movepool and an average Special Defense stat, Hoothoot can actually be viable. Overall, Hoothoot is one of those Pokemon who need a lot of support in order to function, but when given the right support, can accomplish its job well.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Insomnia
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 236 SpA / 68 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is the only set Hoothoot can run without being completely outclassed by other Flying-type Pokemon. Its main STAB attack is Air Slash, which is fairly weak, though the occasional chance of a flinch can be helpful. Psychic hits Fighting- and Poison-type Pokemon for super effective damage. Heat Wave easily melts Steel- and Ice-types, who would otherwise pose a threat to Hoothoot. Finally, Shadow Ball helps Hoothoot dispatch Ghost- and Psychic-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With a Choice Scarf attached, Hoothoot hits 22 Speed, outspeeding all non-Choice Scarf Pokemon. Hoothoot is one of those Pokemon who significantly appreciates Stealth Rock support, as this gives Hoothoot a much better chance at landing a KO on the opponent. A Rapid Spinner would also be appreciated so Hoothoot doesn't lose a chunk of HP every time it switches in. Hypnosis can be used instead of Shadow Ball in the fourth slot to inflict sleep, but is not recommended as Hoothoot will need to immediately switch out, and the accuracy is not reliable. Hoothoot is also a great counter to Shroomish and Paras thanks to its ability, Insomnia, and it's able to OHKO the both of them with a STAB Air Slash.</p>
<p>A great teammate for Hoothoot is Munchlax; its high Special Defense stat means it can take special Ice- and Electric-type attacks aimed at Hoothoot with little effort. Bronzor's high Defense and capability of setting up Stealth Rock also helps Hoothoot out, being able to switch into threats such as Aron. Machop's offensive strength can take out Rock- and Steel-types that Hoothoot might have trouble with. Magnemite can also be a helpful teammate as it resists all of Hoothoot's weaknesses, and Hoothoot can switch in on the Ground-type attacks that Magenemite often attracts.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hoothoot has many other options it can choose from, but most are simply not worth it. Psycho Shift can be used in tandem with a Flame Orb to burn a physical sweeper, but Hoothoot is too frail, and is usually better off attacking anyway. Reflect is an option to prevent physical sweepers from running all over your team, but is usually better left to a bulkier Pokemon such as Bronzor. FeatherDance can also be utilized to soften the blows of physical attackers, but Hoothoot does not have enough bulk for it to work well. Roost allows Hoothoot to have more longevity, except that it gets OHKOed or 2HKOed by many moves, so much so that is it not worth it. Toxic can be used to cripple a bulkier Pokemon such as Munchlax. Whirlwind can be used to phaze Pokemon, and is best used with entry hazards, but again, Hoothoot is too frail to make good use out of it. Attract allows Hoothoot to incapacitate an opponent half the time, but if the opposing Pokemon has the same gender as Hoothoot, it will fail. Agility is an option over Choice Scarf to boost Hoothoot's mediocre Speed, but it loses out on coverage, which is quite important, as Hoothoot relies on super effective attacks to deal damage.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Most Pokemon who have decent bulk and relatively high offensive stats will usually defeat Hoothoot, because Hoothoot is not very powerful, and also quite frail. Good Pokemon who can take any of Hoothoot's special attacks include Munchlax and Mantyke, who have a high Special Defense stat, and good offensive stats to deal with Hoothoot. Powerful counters who can quickly knock out Hoothoot include Voltorb, Buizel, and priority users like Swinub. In most cases, any Pokemon who can take a hit or two from Hoothoot will fare well against it. However, counters need to beware of a potential Hypnosis.</p>
