Kabutops (Ubers Analysis)

TobesMcGobes said:

http://veekun.com/dex/pokemon/kabutops

Status: Done, awaiting GP checks.
QCs: trickroom, firecape

[Overview]

<p>Although at first glance Kabutops seems completely out of place in Ubers, it has numerous traits that make it worth using, including the incredible Swift Swim ability, a handy resistance to Extremespeed, Rapid Spin, and an Attack stat that just barely works for it. It is heavily dependant on Kyogre, but needing to be paired with the king of Ubers is never really a bad thing. Although Kabutops can struggle against physical walls, it can easily tear apart an offensive team if given the chance, and is definitely worth consideration on any offensive team using Kyogre.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Low Kick / Rapid Spin
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Kabutops can take advantage of the switches it is capable of forcing in order to nab a turn to use Swords Dance, allowing it to tear into the opponent's team. Life Orb is the preferred item due to the drastic increase of power it provides, although Lum Berry is also an option in order to evade status, in addition to not taking recoil damage. Waterfall is Kabutop's main STAB move, as the boost from rain makes it effectively a Base 120 Power move. Stone Edge also provides excellent coverage, and can shred Lugia, a Pokemon most physical attackers generally have a hard time taking on. In the last spot Low Kick is the preferred option for its ability to OHKO Ferrothorn after a Swords Dance, although Rapid Spin is also a viable option in order to take advantage of a switch in order to blow away the opponent's entry hazards.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Since Kabutops outspeeds nearly every commonly used threat in Ubers in the rain, an Adamant nature is preferred in order to deal more damage. However, a Jolly nature is also an option in order to outspeed Choice Scarf Terrakion while it is raining. However, it should be noted that Timid Choice Scarf Shaymin-S and Timid Choice Scarf Darkrai both still outspeed Kabutops in the rain. A simplistic 252 Atk / 252 Spe spread is used in order to make Kabutops as threatening as possible, with 4 EVs in Defense in order to take physical priority moves slightly better. X-Scissor is an option on this set as it allows Kabutops to reliably kill Grass Arceus in the rain at +2, without having to rely on Stone Edge's shaky accuracy. Aqua Jet is also an option for revenge killing Blaziken. Rock Slide is an option over Stone Edge for its accuracy and chance for a flinch, but the power loss is noticeable. Conversely, Aqua Tail can be used over Waterfall for more power at the cost of consistency.</p>

<p>It cannot be stressed enough that Kyogre should be paired with Kabutops. Kabutops is useless without rain support, but with it it can be a monster. As both Pokemon share a weakness to Grass- and Electric-type moves it is recommended that a Pokemon that can resist both types be partnered with them. Ferrothorn loves having its Fire-type weakness removed and can set up entry hazards for its team while sponging Grass- and Electric-type moves thrown at Kyogre and Kabutops. Rayquaza nullifies Swift Swim with its Air Lock ability, so a teammate that can handle it is appreciated. Both Gyro Ball Ferrothorn and Choice Scarf Palkia can take out a Rayquaza that has locked itself into Outrage. Ferrothorn can also paralyze Rayquaza with Thunder Wave, allowing Kabutops to kill it before it can move. Bronzong can also take on mixed Rayquaza with the aid of prediction, allowing it to set up Dual Screens for the team, which also makes it easier for Kabutops to get off a Swords Dance. If Low Kick is not being used, Magnezone can trap and kill Ferrothorn while also benefitting from access to a perfect-accuracy Thunder. Another trapper, Wobbuffet, can give Kabutops opportunities to set up thanks to Encore comboed with Tickle or Safeguard, depending on the situation. Wobbuffet can also remove faster Choice Scarf Pokemon.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: X-Scissor / Aqua Jet
item: Choice Band
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Kabutops can also run a Choice Band set successfully, as it can 2HKO at worst a large portion of the Ubers metagame. Waterfall is Kabutops's strongest move in rain, with the exception of Aqua Tail if accuracy is not valued. Stone Edge has excellent coverage and is Kabutops's strongest move when it isn't raining. Low Kick allows a 2HKO on Ferrothorn, who is otherwise a serious threat. X-Scissor gives a reliable 2HKO on Arceus-Grass, preventing it from switching in safely. Aqua Jet can be used instead in order to revenge kill Blaziken and Choice Scarf Terrakion.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>An Adamant nature is far more important here than it is for the Swords Dance set, as Kabutops sorely needs the power it provides, although Jolly is still an option in order to get the jump on Choice Scarf Terrakion. Attack and Speed are maximized in order to make Kabutops as threatening as possible. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Defense in order to take physical priority moves slightly more effectively. Aqua Tail can be used over Waterfall for more power at the cost of accuracy and the chance of a flinch. The reverse is true when deciding whether to use Rock Slide over Stone Edge, which trades power for precision and a 30% flinch rate. However, using Rock Slidee is not recommended as it misses the 2HKO on Giratina-O that Stone Edge provides. Rapid Spin is an option in order to remove entry hazards, especially since the most common spinblockers, Giratina-O and Ghost Arceus, are both 2HKOed by one of Kabutops's STAB moves. However, being locked into a Base 20 Power move can be fatal in Ubers, as many threats can turn the game on a dime if they get the chance to set up, so Rapid Spin should be used with care. Brick Break can be used over Low Kick in order to smash Dual Screens, but it misses out on the 2HKO on Ferrothorn.</p>

<p>Once again, Kyogre support is mandatory with this set. Choice Specs Kyogre makes an excellent teammate as 4 HP Palkia cannot survive a Choice Band Stone Edge after switching in to a Choice Specs Water Spout in the rain. Entry hazard support is even more important to this set. Ferrothorn is an excellent supplier of Spikes and also resists the shared weaknesses of Kyogre and Kabutops. However, both share a weakness to Fighting-type moves, so a teammate that can take those is recommended. Ghost Arceus carries a useful immunity to both Fighting- and Normal-type moves, allowing it to check Fighting-types while also blocking Rapid Spin, preventing Ferrothorn's layers of Spikes from going to waste. Giratina-O also does this job well, and in addition carries resistances to Grass- and Electric-type moves. Choice Scarf Palkia can revenge kill Rayquaza, who otherwise can outspeed and OHKO Kabutops with Earthquake or a strong Dragon-type move, thanks to Air Lock nullifying Swift Swim.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Hone Claws can be used over Swords Dance in order to boost Stone Edge's accuracy, but generally Kabutops prefers the offensive power more. Toxic can be used to cripple walls who Kabutops might otherwise not be able to break through. Knock Off can be used to remove the opponent's items, making it more difficult for walls to stall or for offensive Pokemon to sweep. Substitute can be used alongside Swords Dance in order to block status and attacks, but Kabutops does not have the defenses to make much use of this. Smack Down can be used to remove an opponent's immunity to Ground-type moves, although Kabutops doesn't benefit from this itself. Rock Tomb can be used to lower an opponent's Speed, although Kabutops already outspeeds most threats in the rain anyway. Kabutops also has access to a wide array of special moves, but its abyssmal Base 65 Special Attack remove these from consideration. Dig can be used to kill Toxicroak, although Toxicroak's usage and the usefulness of the move do not come anywhere near justifying its use.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Groudon is without a doubt the best counter to Kabutops. Even +2 Life Orb Kabutops can fail to 2HKO 252 HP / 252 Def Impish Groudon with Waterfall in the sun, while Groudon can comfortably OHKO back with Earthquake. Even if Groudon is no longer in good enough health to take on Kabutops, it still robs it of its speed, allowing it to be easily revenge killed. Rayquaza checks Kabutops well, as Swift Swim is rendered useless due to Air Lock. However, caution must be exercised when switching in as Stone Edge easily OHKOs Rayquaza. Grass Arceus can take Stone Edge from Kabutops and OHKO back with Judgment, but it must be wary of X-Scissor. Toxicroak fears nothing from Kabutops and can easily OHKO back with Vacuum Wave or Low Kick. Ferrothorn fears nothign nothing from Kabutops's STAB moves and threatens to OHKO with Power Whip, although it must be wary of Low Kick. Giratina can burn Kabutops with Will-O-Wisp after tanking a hit and then phaze it out with Dragon Tail, rendering it useless for the rest of the match. Choice Scarf Terrakion outspeeds Adamant Kabutops in the rain and can OHKO it with Clsoe Close Combat. If Jolly Kabutops is a concern, Timid Choice Scarf Darkrai and Timid Choice Scarf Shaymin both outspeed it in the rain and can OHKO it with Focus Blast and Seed Flare, respectively.</p>

Click to expand...

[Overview]

<p>Although at first glance Kabutops seems completely out of place in Ubers, it has numerous traits that make it worth using, including the incredible Swift Swim ability, a handy resistance to Extremespeed, Rapid Spin, and an Attack stat that just barely works for it in Ubers. It is heavily dependent on Kyogre, but needing to be paired with the king of Ubers is never really a bad thing. Although Kabutops can struggle against physical walls, it can easily tear apart an offensive team if given the chance and is definitely worth consideration on any offensive team using Kyogre.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Low Kick / Rapid Spin
item: Life Orb / Lum Berry
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Kabutops can take advantage of the switches it is capable of forcing in order to nab a turn to use Swords Dance, allowing it to tear into the opponent's team. Life Orb is the preferred item due to the drastic increase of power it provides, although Lum Berry is also an option in order to evade status and avoid taking recoil damage from Life Orb. Waterfall is Kabutop's's ( s's is always used, even if it sounds funny EDIT: Typos coo) main STAB move, as the boost from rain makes it effectively a Base 120 Power move. Stone Edge also provides excellent coverage, and can shred Lugia, a Pokemon most physical attackers generally have a hard time taking on. In the last spot Low Kick is the preferred option for its ability to OHKO Ferrothorn after a Swords Dance, although Rapid Spin is also a viable option in order to take advantage of a switch in order to blow away the opponent's entry hazards.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Since Kabutops outspeeds nearly every commonly used threat in Ubers in the rain, an Adamant nature is preferred in order to deal more damage. However, a Jolly nature is also an option in order to outspeed Choice Scarf Terrakion while it is raining. However, it should be noted that both Timid Choice Scarf Shaymin-S and Timid Choice Scarf Darkrai both still outspeed Kabutops in the rain. A simple 252 Atk / 252 Spe spread is used in order to make Kabutops as threatening as possible, with 4 EVs in Defense in order to take physical priority moves slightly better. X-Scissor is an option on this set as it allows Kabutops to reliably kill Grass Arceus in the rain at +2, without having to rely on Stone Edge's shaky accuracy. Aqua Jet is also an option for revenge killing Blaziken. Rock Slide is an option over Stone Edge for its accuracy and chance for a flinch, but the power loss is noticeable. Conversely, Aqua Tail can be used over Waterfall for more power at the cost of accuracy.</p>

<p>It cannot be stressed enough that Kyogre should be paired with Kabutops. Kabutops is useless without rain support, but with it it can be Kabutops is a monster. As both Pokemon share weaknesses to Grass- and Electric-type moves it is recommended that a Pokemon that can resist both types be partnered with them. Ferrothorn loves having its Fire-type weakness removed in the rain and can set up entry hazards for its team while sponging Grass- and Electric-type attacks thrown at Kyogre and Kabutops. Rayquaza nullifies Swift Swim with its Air Lock ability, so a teammate that can handle it is appreciated. Both Gyro Ball Ferrothorn and Choice Scarf Palkia can take out a Rayquaza that has locked itself into Outrage. Ferrothorn can also paralyze Rayquaza with Thunder Wave, allowing Kabutops to kill it before it can move. Bronzong can also take on mixed Rayquaza with the aid of prediction, allowing it to set up dual screens for the team, which also makes it easier for Kabutops to get off a Swords Dance. If Low Kick is not being used Magnezone can trap and kill Ferrothorn while also benefiting from access to perfect-accuracy Thunder. Another trapper, Wobbuffet, thanks to Shadow Tag, can also give Kabutops opportunities to set up thanks to Encore combined with Tickle or Safeguard, depending on the situation. Wobbuffet can also remove faster Choice Scarf Pokemon.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Waterfall
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: X-Scissor / Aqua Jet
item: Choice Band
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Kabutops can also run a Choice Band set successfully, as it can 2HKO at worst a large portion of the Ubers metagame. Waterfall is Kabutops's strongest move in rain, with the exception of Aqua Tail if accuracy is not a concern. Stone Edge has excellent coverage and is Kabutops's strongest move when it isn't raining. Low Kick allows a 2HKO on Ferrothorn, who is otherwise a serious threat. X-Scissor is a reliable 2HKO on Grass Arceus,preventing it from switching in safely. Aqua Jet can be used instead in order to revenge kill Blaziken and Choice Scarf Terrakion.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>An Adamant nature is far more important here than it is for the Swords Dance set, as Kabutops sorely needs the power it provides, although Jolly is still an option in order to get the jump on Choice Scarf Terrakion. Attack and Speed are maximized in order to make Kabutops as threatening as possible. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Defense in order to take physical priority moves slightly more effectively. Aqua Tail can be used over Waterfall for more power at the cost of accuracy and the chance of a flinch. The reverse is true when deciding whether to use Rock Slide over Stone Edge, which trades power for precision 90% accuracy and a 30% flinch rate. However, using Rock Slide is not recommended as it misses the 2HKO on Giratina-O that Stone Edge provides. Rapid Spin is an option in order to remove entry hazards, especially since the most common spinblockers, Giratina-O and Ghost Arceus, are both 2HKOed by one of Kabutops's STAB moves. However, being locked into a Base 20 Power move can be fatal in Ubers, as many threats can turn the game on a dime if they get the chance to set up, so Rapid Spin should be used with care. Brick Break can be used over Low Kick in order to smash dual screens, but it misses out on the 2HKO on Ferrothorn.</p>

<p>Once again, Kyogre support is mandatory with this set. Choice Specs Kyogre makes an excellent teammate as 4 HP Palkia cannot survive a Choice Band Stone Edge after switching in to a Choice Specs Water Spout in the rain. Entry hazard support is even more important to this set. Ferrothorn is an excellent supplier of Spikes and also resists the shared weaknesses of Kyogre and Kabutops. However, both share a weakness to Fighting-type moves, so a teammate that can take those is recommended. Ghost Arceus carries a useful immunity to both Fighting- and Normal-type moves, allowing it to check Fighting-types while also blocking Rapid Spin, preventing Ferrothorn's layers of Spikes from going to waste. Giratina-O also does this job well, and in addition carries resistances to Grass- and Electric-type moves. Choice Scarf Palkia can revenge kill Rayquaza, who otherwise can outspeed and OHKO Kabutops with Earthquake or a strong Dragon-type move, thanks to Air Lock nullifying Swift Swim.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Hone Claws can be used over Swords Dance in order to boost Stone Edge's accuracy, but generally Kabutops prefers the offensive power. Toxic can be used to cripple walls who Kabutops might otherwise not be able to break through. Knock Off can be used to remove the opponent's items, making it more difficult for walls to stall or for offensive Pokemon to sweep. Substitute can be used alongside Swords Dance in order to block status and attacks, but Kabutops does not have the defenses to make much use of this. Smack Down can be used to remove an opponent's immunity to Ground-type moves, although Kabutops doesn't benefit from this itself. Rock Tomb can be used to lower an opponent's Speed, although Kabutops already outspeeds most threats in the rain anyway. Kabutops also has access to a wide array of special moves, but its abysmal Base 65 Special Attack removes these from consideration. Dig can be used to kill Toxicroak, although Toxicroak's low usage and the uselessness of the move make using it hard to justify(ok, we talked this over on IRC, I see your point with Toxicroak.).</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Groudon is without a doubt the best counter to Kabutops. Even +2 Life Orb Kabutops can fail to 2HKO 252 HP / 252 Def Impish Groudon with Waterfall in the sun, while Groudon can comfortably OHKO back with Earthquake. Even if Groudon is no longer in good enough health to take on Kabutops it still robs it of its Speed, allowing it to be easily revenge killed. Rayquaza checks Kabutops well, as Swift Swim is rendered useless due to Air Lock. However, caution must be exercised when switching in as Stone Edge easily OHKOs Rayquaza. Grass Arceus can take Stone Edge from Kabutops and OHKO back with Judgment, but it must be wary of X-Scissor. Toxicroak fears nothing from Kabutops and can easily OHKO back with Vacuum Wave or Low Kick. Ferrothorn fears nothing from Kabutops's STAB moves and threatens to OHKO with Power Whip, although it must be wary of Low Kick. Giratina can burn Kabutops with Will-O-Wisp after tanking a hit and then phaze it out with Dragon Tail, rendering it useless for the rest of the match. Choice Scarf Terrakion outspeeds Adamant Kabutops in the rain and can OHKO it with Close Combat. If Jolly Kabutops is a concern Timid Choice Scarf Darkrai and Timid Choice Scarf Shaymin both outspeed it in the rain and can OHKO it with Focus Blast and Seed Flare, respectively.</p>

Click to expand...