Taillow (Analysis) [GP 0/2]



Taillow

[Overview]
<p>With its impressive Speed (hitting the second-highest Speed tier in all of Little Cup), usable attack stat, and the ability Guts, Taillow can be a very fearsome threat after just a single turn. These attributes, in conjunction with powerful STAB moves in Brave Bird and Facade, make Taillow perfectly capable of netting KOs on some of the tier's bulkiest Pokemon. However, Taillow has an unfortunate Stealth Rock weakness, vulnerability to priority, and a tendency to kill itself with residual damage. Yet, with proper support from its team, Taillow can easily do great deals of damage to an unprepared team.</p>

[SET]
name: Guts Sweeper
move 1: Facade
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: U-turn / Protect
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[Set Comments]
<p>After Toxic Orb's activation, Taillow's attack stat rockets to a powerful 22, nearly reaching that of Meditite. Along with its high 19 Speed stat, Taillow becomes a very dangerous all-out attacker. Once the Pokemon that resist its moves have been knocked out, Taillow can deal heavy damage to an entire team with its boosted STAB Facade.</p>

<p>Taillow's primary attacking option is its 140 Base Power Facade, which hits incredibly hard coming from its 22 Attack stat. Brave Bird gives Taillow an effective way to deal with Ferroseed, as well as Ghost-types such as Misdreavus on the switch. Yet, in general, Facade is the preferable option thanks to its higher power and lack of additional recoil. Pluck is also a viable alternative to Brave Bird by merit of its ability to steal Oran Berries from Pokemon such as Bronzor or Misdreavus, as well as avoid the recoil from Brave Bird. However, Taillow does lose the ability to hit Ferroseed nearly as hard as it could with Brave Bird, which puts it at risk of being stalled out by Leech Seed and Protect. Quick Attack, while far weaker than Facade, allows Taillow to outspeed most other priority users and damage them first, and deal good damage to, or even KO, set-up sweepers once they have been significantly weakened. For the final slot, both moves have significant upsides. A Taillow using U-turn can scout the opponent's team while doing good damage, despite U-turn having only 70 Base Power. However, with Protect, Taillow can easily find that one turn required to activate the Guts boost it so sorely needs to do any significant damage.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>To demonstrate the power a Guts Facade possesses, here are some damage calculations against some of the most common threats in Little Cup.</p>

<ul class="damage calculations">
<li> Facade vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Gligar: 57.7-69.2%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 36 HP / 36 Def Eviolite Scraggy: 81.8-95.5%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 196 HP / 236 Def Bold +1 Slowpoke: 53.6-69.2%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 36 HP / 76 Def Eviolite Meditite: 95-110%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 76 HP / 52 Def Chinchou: 124-148%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 76 HP / 156 Def Eviolite Timburr: 72-84%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 76 HP / 156 Def +1 Eviolite Timburr: 52-60% </li>
</ul>

<p>Taillow is heavily walled by Pokemon such as Ferroseed who, despite being hit neutrally by Brave Bird (or Pluck), can stall Taillow out with Leech Seed damage along with the recoil from Brave Bird, Iron Thorns, and Toxic Orb. For this reason, it is important to carry a strong Fighting- or Fire-type such as Timburr, Mienfoo, or Houndour alongside Taillow in order to consistently remove those bulky Steel-types from its path. Also, packing a Pokemon capable of taking care of Ghost-types, such as Scraggy, Carvanha, or Houndour will allow Taillow to spam Facade without fear of a Ghost-type switching in for free and racking up Toxic damage. Running Magnemite alongside Taillow is also a good option, as Magnemite can trap and kill those pesky Steel-types Taillow struggles so much against, and resists all three of Taillow's weaknesses to boot. For the same reason, Diglett is also a good partner for Taillow, as it can trap and kill both Steel- and Rock-types, and absorb the Electric-type attacks aimed at Taillow. Other Ground-types, such as Wooper or Sandile can also be used alongside Taillow. Partnering Taillow with Chinchou can be helpful, as Chinchou resists Ice- and Electric-type attacks and can scout alongside Taillow (who has U-turn) with Volt Switch. Pawniard's strong priority attack and useful resistances make it a viable partner as well, and it greatly appreciates Taillow's Ground-type immunity.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Return
move 4: Toxic
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>In a metagame plagued with dangerous sweepers, such as Dragon Dance Scraggy and Shell Smash Clamperl, Choice Scarf Taillow can act as a solid revenge killer. Even after both sweepers have used Dragon Dance or Shell Smash, respectively, using a combination of impressive Speed and a high-powered Brave Bird, Taillow can outpace and OHKO both Scraggy and Clamperl. Unfortunately, Doduo gives Taillow stiff competition, because it can achieve the same results as Taillow using two more Attack points. However, Taillow posses several traits giving it an advantage over the twin-headed bird. One of these is U-turn, which is not only a useful move to escape from Wynaut unharmed, but allows the team to retain offensive momentum, as well as easing the prediction required for Taillow to switch to another teammate. Taillow also boasts the choice of two superior abilities, when compared to Doduo, which are Guts and Scrappy. Guts allows Taillow to turn a Toxic or Burn status into the equivalent of a Choice Band boost, making it strong enough to 2HKO a Slowpoke with Brave Bird. While Scrappy isn't as useful as Guts, it could help you nab a OHKO on Gastly, should it think it can switch into your choice locked Return unharmed.</p>

<p>When you can't afford to take recoil damage, or if you want to hit an Electric-type, Return is a reliable second STAB attack. Toxic is used to disrupt walls, such as Lileep and Slowpoke, who would otherwise recover off Taillow's Brave Birds and KO it back. Taillow can then switch out to another teammate that can stall out the Toxic damage or just KO them.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Double-Edge can be used over Return, if you want to have a recoil party, but there generally isn't anything significant enough to warrant the extra risk. Pursuit is another option which can be used over Toxic, should you want to KO a fleeing Gastly and/or weakened Slowpoke, but its far more situational than Toxic. The EVs give Taillow the maximum amount of Attack and Speed for an Adamant nature and dumps the leftovers into HP to slightly alleviate Brave Bird recoil. It is recommended that you do not use a Jolly nature to outspeed other Choice Scarf users as it will keep you from revenging a full health Scraggy with Brave Bird, along with missing out on several other important KOs.</p>

<p>Because Taillow is a revenge killer with a Stealth Rock weakness and relies on a strong recoil move, it greatly appreciates a Rapid Spin user to help it not kill itself. Staryu is the top Rapid Spinner, being able to take hits from the likes of Dwebble and Shelmet, and threaten them back with a strong STAB Hydro Pump. However, Ferroseed is a problem for both of them so a strong Fighting-type, such as Mienfoo and Scraggy couldn't hurt as well. Pokemon that benefit from Taillow's U-turn safe switching, such as Wynaut, Diglett, and setup sweepers, enjoy taking advantage of whatever specific Pokemon they are U-turn'd into. Lastly, like every other choice item user, Taillow can be taken advantage of by Pokemon who are resistant or immune to whichever move it is locked into. Keeping this in mind, this Taillow user should be aware of the opponent's team and carefully predict accordingly.</p>

[Other Options]
<p>One of Taillow's major downfalls is its relatively small movepool, which offers little in the way of notable options. Yet, it possesses a small number of moves it can use to some success in select situations. Running Heat Wave is a viable option, as it allows Taillow to do a good deal to Bronzor, who otherwise walls it completely, and do greater damage to Ferroseed, as well as avoid the recoil from Brave Bird and Iron Barbs it would otherwise suffer. Even without a Special Attack investment, Heat Wave can help to remove those hard counters that would otherwise stop Taillow cold. Taillow can also abuse Counter when equipped with a Focus Sash, as the opponent will rarely sit quietly and leave Taillow to deal crushing damage to his team. Taillow's frailty also guarantees that if hit by almost any physical hit, it will take enough damage to KO in return with Counter and possibly cripple the opponent’s next Pokemon with Endeavor. Pursuit is also viable, as Taillow's great Speed, in conjunction with its Guts-boosted Attack stat, forces many switches. Pursuit can also help to deal super effective damage to the Ghost-types that may switch in to absorb Facade and make Taillow accumulate Toxic damage. A set focused on Focus Sash, Endeavor, and Quick Attack could be viable thanks to Taillow's frailty, yet a Speed-hindering nature and no investment would have to be used, since Endeavor would require Taillow to be hit first. Taillow can also run Hidden Power Ground to deal with Magnemite that would resist all of its moves and threaten a KO.</p>

<p>A set which abuses Choice Band is somewhat viable, but the ability to switch moves and Facade is more valuable than the relatively small decrease in residual damage. However, if it happens to switch in on a status move, it can become more powerful than the Toxic Orb set, with both a Guts and Choice Band boost. In the same vein, Burn Orb can be used, yet it is much worse than Toxic Orb, as Taillow will not be staying in for long to continually attack, meaning that the damage taken from burn will usually be significantly more than the damage it would have taken from poison.</p>

<p> Taillow's secondary ability is Scrappy, and while it may seem beneficial to be able to hit Ghost-types with Facade, Quick Attack, or Return (if running a Choice set), Taillow's base Attack is not high enough to justify its use without a Guts boost, so Scrappy should not be used. </p>

<p>In terms of non-attacking moves, Taillow has access to a number of interesting options, including Roost which, despite Taillow's frailty, can be used to offset residual damage taken from Stealth Rock, Toxic Orb, Brave Bird, or even Iron Barbs. This can help Taillow to stick around longer, as well as switch in and out repeatedly without dying to Stealth Rock damage. Agility is also a viable option, making Taillow one of the fastest sweepers in Little Cup, as it can outspeed almost any other Pokemon after just one turn of set-up. </p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>The best and most common counters to Taillow are bulky Steel- and Rock-types who resist the majority of Taillow's offensive movepool, can stall it out with Toxic damage, and have access to moves that hit Taillow super effectively. The main examples of this are Ferroseed, Magnemite, and even Bronzor, who resist every one of Taillow’s common options outside of Heat Wave and can set up entry hazards, Substitute, and screens, respectively, while Taillow is forced to switch out. Eviolite Gligar, Hippopotas, and, to a lesser extent, even Misdreavus, can take a hit from Taillow and KO it with their super effective move of choice.</p>

<p>Taillow's other hardest counters include strong priority users, such as Houndour, Timburr, or Snover, and even Pokemon such as Speed Boost Carvanha, who can hit before Taillow and take advantage of its incredible frailty. At the same time, if Taillow chooses to run Quick Attack, it can hit all of these Pokemon for a great deal of damage before going down to their attacks. Yet, Pokemon that carry Fake Out or ExtremeSpeed, such as Dratini and Meowth, can bypass Quick Attack and deal heavy damage before Taillow can land a hit. Choice Scarf Magnemite or even Gligar can outspeed and KO Taillow with ease, and can take a Quick Attack very well on top of that. </p>

<p>The most surefire way to prevent Taillow from dealing too much damage to your team is to use a Pokemon such as Gligar to set up Stealth Rock early on in the game and pack a Ghost-type such as Duskull or Misdreavus to block Rapid Spin. That way, half the job will be done before Taillow even starts attacking.</p>
 
argh wall of text

OO mention of Burn Orb explaining why it's worse

and Scrappy explaining why Guts is like ten times better

and hidden power ground, to kill rocks and steels. Better than Fighting for Magnemite.

AC mention of Magnemite for killing steels and resisting all three of Tailow's weaknesses, Ferroseed for hazards and resisting Rock and Electric, Fighting-types like Timburr, Mienfoo, and Scraggy; as well as Ground-types like Diglett, Sandile, and Wooper, for resisting Rock and killing both Rock and Steel-types. Especially Diglett, for trappery and stuff. Ground-types are immune to Electric too, but share an Ice weakness. Taillow cockblocks defensive ghosts too, with guts for wow and ghost immunes and STAB Brave Bird. Chinchou resists BoltBeam too, and since Taillow resists Ground and Grass, they'd make a great Volt Change/U-turn pair. Pawniard resists Rock and Ice and laughs at Ferroseed, and Sucker Punch kills weakened scarfers and priority users. Tailow's Ground immunity comes in handy for it, too.

Eviolite Gligar and Hippopotas can take a Facade and Stone Edge/Ice Fang/Aqua Tail and kill it. EvioMisdreavus could probably take a Brave Bird and Thunderbolt it. Taillow doesn't like sandstorm much, and the other two have a 50% chance to take no damage at all, if they win the speed tie, which is nice.

Mention Dratini, just 'cause Espeed bypasses Quick Attack.

At the same time, if Taillow chooses to run Quick Attack, it can hit all of these Pokemon for a great deal of damage before going down to their attacks.
Meowth's priority, Fake Out, is faster than Quick Attack.

The one benefit of running a Choice set on Taillow over Doduo is Taillow’s access to U-Turn, which is always very useful on a Pokemon as fast as Taillow.
The other one is that you can switch into status...and start KILLING!

Band Guts STAB 140 base power Facade...delicious.
 
mention its DW ability, Scrappy, its the only pokemon with it in LC

name:Scrappy Mono-Attacker
EVs:236 Atk/36 Def/36Sp.Def/196HP
Item:Eviolite
Nature: Adamant
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Return / Quick Attack
move 4: Agility / Toxic

This set aims to give Tailow some bulk, while retaining some offensive prowess with Scrappy. With Eviolite and 36 EVs on both Defenses, it gets 15 on both defenses, being pretty bulky by LC's standards. Roost is for recovery, Agility doubles your speed to take out the need of Speed EVs, but Toxic makes sure you can pull of kills more. Return is good with Agility, and Quick Attack is good with Toxic. Pick your pill (matrix joke). Magnemite is a must for a team partner, especially if it has HP Fire.

Here are some damage calcs;

Offensive:

Adamant 236 EVs Return vs 236/236 +1 Bold Munchlax: 27.3% - 36.4%
Adamant 236 EVs Return vs 236/236 Bold Munchlax: 39.4% - 48.5%
Adamant 236 EVs Return vs 116/156 +1 Bold Tentacool: 45.5% - 59.1%
Adamant 236 EVs Return vs 116/156 Bold Tentacool: 68.2% - 81.8%
Adamant 236 EVs Quick Attack vs 236/236 +1 Bold Munchlax: 12.1% - 18.2%
Adamant 236 EVs Quick Attack vs 236/236 Bold Munchlax: 18.2% - 21.2%
Adamant 236 EVs Quick Attack vs 116/156 +1 Bold Tentacool: 18.2% - 27.3%
Adamant 236 EVs Quick Attack vs 116/156 Bold Tentacool: 31.8% - 40.9%

Defensive:

Jolly 156 Atk Drain Punch vs 36/36 +1 Tailow: 39.1% - 52.2%(4.4 chance to 2HKO)
Jolly 156 +1 Atk Drain Punch vs 36/36 +1 Tailow: 56.5% - 69.6%
Modest 240 Sp.Atk Life Orb Psychic vs 36/36 +1 Tailow: 78.3% - 95.7%


(Im to lazy to do more pokemon.)
 
Deletions
Additions / Corrections
Comments


[Overview]
<p>With its impressive Speed, hitting the second-highest Speed tier in all of Little Cup, combined with its and usable Attack stat, Taillow can be a very fearsome threat after just a single turn, thanks to its ability, Guts. That fact, combined with in conjunction with powerful STAB moves in Brave Bird and Facade, makes Taillow perfectly capable of netting KOs on some of the tier’s bulkiest Pokemon. Yet along with this power comes an However, Taillow also has an unfortunate Stealth Rock weakness, vulnerability to priority, and its tendency to kill itself with the residual it racks up through Stealth Rock, Toxic, and Brave Bird recoil a tendency to kill itself with residual damage. Yet, with proper support from its team, Taillow can easily do great deals of damage to an unprepared team.</p>

[SET]
name: Guts Sweeper
move 1: Facade
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: U-turn / Protect
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[Set Comments]
<p>After Toxic Orb's activation, Taillow's Attack stat rockets to a powerful 22, nearly reaching that of Meditite. Along with its speedy 19 speed stat high 19 Speed stat, Taillow becomes very fearsome as an a very dangerous all-out attacker. Once the Pokemon that resist its moves have been knocked out, Taillow can deal heavy damage to an entire team with its boosted STAB Facade.</p>

<p>Taillow's primary attacking option is its 140 Base Power Facade, which hits incredibly hard coming from its 22 Attack stat, and. Brave Bird gives Taillow an effective way to deal with Ferroseed, as well as Ghost-types such as Misdreavus on the switch. Yet, in general, Facade is the preferable option thanks to its higher power and lack of additional recoil. Pluck is also a viable alternative to Brave Bird by merit of its ability to steal Oran Berries from Pokemon such as Vulpix or Misdreavus, as well as avoid the recoil from Brave Bird. Although However, Taillow does lose the ability to hit Ferroseed nearly as hard as it could with Brave Bird, which puts it at risk of being stalled out by Leech Seed and Protect. Quick Attack, while far weaker than Facade, allows Taillow to outspeed most other priority users and damage them first, and lets Taillow deal good damage to, or even KO, set-up sweepers once they have been significantly weakened. For the final slot, both moves have significant upsides. A Taillow using U-turn can scout the opponent's team while doing good damage, despite U-Turn having only 80 Base Power. However, with Protect, Taillow can easily find that one turn required to activate the Guts boost it so sorely needs to do any significant damage.</p>

<p>To demonstrate the power a Guts Facade possesses, here are some damage calculations against some of the most common threats in Little Cup.</p>

<ul class="damage calculations">
<li>
Facade vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Gligar: 57.7 - 69.2%</li>
<li>
Facade vs. 36 HP / 36 Def Eviolite Scraggy: 81.8 - 95.5%</li>
<li>
Facade vs. 196 HP / 236 Def Bold +1 Slowpoke: 53.6 - 69.2%</li>
<li>
Facade vs. 36 HP / 76 Def Eviolite Meditite: 95 - 110%</li>
<li>
Facade vs. 76 HP / 52 Def Chinchou: 124 - 148%</li>
<li>
Facade vs. 76 HP / 156 Def Eviolite Timburr: 72 - 84%</li>
<li>
Facade vs. 76 HP / 156 Def +1 Eviolite Timburr: 52 - 60% </li>
</ul>


[Additional Comments]
<p>Taillow is heavily walled by Pokemon such as Bronzor and Ferroseed who, despite being hit neutrally by Brave Bird (or Pluck), can stall Taillow out with Leech Seed damage along with the recoil from Brave Bird, Iron Thorns, and Toxic Orb. For this reason, it is important to carry a strong Fighting- or Fire-type like such as Timburr, Mienfoo, or Houndour alongside Taillow in order to consistently remove those bulky Steel-types from its path. Also, packing a Pokemon capable of taking care of Ghost-types, such as Scraggy, Carvanha, or Houndour, will allow Taillow to spam Facade without fear of a Ghost-type switching in for free and racking up Toxic damage. Running Magnemite alongside Taillow is also a good option, as Magnemite can trap and kill those pesky Steel-types Taillow struggles so much against, and resists all three of Taillow's weaknesses to boot. For the same reason, Diglett is also a good partner for Taillow, as it can trap and kill both Steel- and Rock-types, and resist the Rock-type and absorb the Electric-type attacks aimed at Taillow. Other Ground-types, like such as Wooper or Sandile, can also be used alongside Taillow. Partnering Taillow with Chinchou can be helpful, as Chinchou resists Ice- and Electric-type attacks and can Volt Switch while Taillow uses U-Turn for better scouting can scout alongside Taillow (who has U-turn) with Volt Switch. Pawniard's strong priority and useful resistances make it a viable partner as well, and it greatly appreciates Taillow's Ground-type immunity.</p>

[SET]
name: SubEndeavor
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Facade / Pluck
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[Set Comments]
<p>This set focuses on using removing Taillow's normal checks, namely Ferroseed, through the use of Endeavor. By using Substitute while in against a slower Pokemon, Taillow can get the one turn it needs to get activate its Toxic Orb activatation. By Subbing further Taillow can get to a level of hp where he can Endeavor his opponent and then Facade, Pluck, or Quick Attack to get a free KO Taillow can keep using Substitute till it lowers its HP to a level at which it can KO the opponent with Endeavor and any of its attacks.</p>

[Additional Comments]
<p>This EV spread maximizes Taillow's Speed and Attack, and gives it the maximum possible number of situations in which it can attain a free Substitute, as well as do the most damage with Facade after an Endeavor. This STAB Facade, coming from 22 Attack thanks to Guts, packs a great deal of power, even when resisted. Pluck allows Taillow to avoid being walled by Ghost-types, and can give Taillow extra recovery from a stolen berry, letting it do even more damage before its eventual death to poison.</p>

[Other Options]
<p>One of Taillow’s major downfalls is its relatively small movepool, which offers little in the way of notable options. Yet, it possesses a small number of moves it can use to some success in select situations. Running Heat Wave is a viable option, as it allows Taillow to do a good deal to Bronzor, who otherwise walls it completely, and do greater damage to Ferroseed, as well as avoid the Brave Bird and Iron Thorns recoil from Brave Bird and Iron Thorns Taillow it would otherwise suffer. Even without a Special Attack investment, Heat Wave can help to remove those hard counters that would otherwise stop Taillow cold. Taillow can also abuse Counter when equipped with a Focus Sash, as the opponent will rarely sit quietly and leave Taillow to deal crushing damage to his team. Taillow’s frailty also guarantees that if hit by almost any physical hit, it will take enough damage to KO in return with Counter and possibly cripple the opponent’s next Pokemon with Endeavor. Pursuit is also viable, as Taillow’s great Speed, in conjunction with its Guts-boosted Attack stat, forces many switches. Pursuit can also help to deal super effective damage to the Ghost-types that may switch into Taillow to dodge the Facade absorb Facade and accumulate Toxic damage on Taillow. A set focused on Focus Sash, Endeavor, and Quick Attack could be viable thanks to Taillow’s frailty, yet a Speed-hindering nature and no investment would have to be used, since Endeavor would require Taillow to be hit first. Taillow can also run Hidden Power Ground to deal with those Magnemite that would resist all of its moves and threaten a KO.</p>

<p>A set which abuses Choice Scarf or Choice Band is somewhat viable, yet the Scarf set is largely outclassed by Doduo, who boasts a much higher Attack stat and a high enough Speed stat, while the Band set trades the ability to switch moves in exchange for a relatively small decrease in residual damage. The one benefit of running a Choice set on Taillow over Doduo is Taillow’s access to U-turn, which is always very useful on a Pokemon as fast as Taillow. Also, if Taillow switches in on a status move, it can acquire a Guts boost and hit even harder. In this same vein, Burn Orb can be used, yet it is much worse than Toxic Orb, as Taillow will not be staying in for long to continually attack, meaning that the damage taken from Burn will usually be significantly more than the damage it would have taken from Toxic.</p>

<p> Taillow's secondary ability is Scrappy, and while it may seem beneficial to be able to hit Ghost-types with a Facade, Quick Attack, or Return (if running a Choice set), Taillow's base Attack is not high enough to justify its use without a Guts boost, so Scrappy should not be used.</p>

<p>In terms of non-attacking moves, Taillow has access to a number of interesting options, including Roost which, despite Taillow’s frailty, can be used to offset residual damage incurred by taken from Stealth Rock, Toxic Orb, Brave Bird, or even Iron Thorns. This can help Taillow to stick around longer, as well as switch in and out repeatedly without dying to Stealth Rock damage. Agility is also a viable option, making Taillow one of the fastest sweepers in Little Cup, able to as it can outspeed almost any other Pokemon after just one turn of setup.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>The best and most common counters to Taillow are bulky Steel- and Rock-types, who resist the majority of Taillow’s offensive movepool, and can stall it out with Toxic damage, and have access to moves that hit Taillow super effectively. The main examples of this are Ferroseed, Magnemite, and even Bronzor, who resist every one of Taillow’s common options outside of Heat Wave, and can set up entry hazards, Substitute, and screens, respectively, while Taillow is forced to switch out. Eviolite Gligar, Hippopotas, and even to a lesser extent,even Misdreavus, can take a hit from Taillow and KO it with their super effective move of choice.</p>

<p>Another of Taillow’s hardest counters are strong priority users, such as Houndour, Timburr, or Snover, or and Speed Boost Carvanha, who can hit before Taillow and take advantage of its incredible frailty. At the same time, if Taillow chooses to run Quick Attack, it can hit all of these Pokemon for a great deal of damage before going down to their attacks. Yet, even so, Pokemon that carry Fake Out or Extremespeed, such as Dratini and Meowth, can bypass Quick Attack and deal heavy damage before Taillow can land a hit. Choice Scarf Magnemite or even Gligar can outspeed and KO Taillow with ease, and can take a Quick Attack very well on top of that. </p>

<p>The most surefire way to prevent Taillow from dealing too much damage to your team is to use a Pokemon such as Gligar to set up Stealth Rock early on in the game and pack a Ghost-type such as Duskull or Misdreavus to block Rapid Spin. That way, half the job will be done even before Taillow can start attacking.</p>





GP 1 / 2
 
Deletions
Additions/Corrections
(Comments)

[Overview]
<p>With its impressive Speed, (hitting the second-highest Speed tier in all of Little Cup), and usable Attack stat, and the ability Guts, Taillow can be a very fearsome threat after just a single turn, thanks to its ability, Guts. That fact These attributes, in conjunction with powerful STAB moves in Brave Bird and Facade, makes (no s) Taillow perfectly capable of netting KOs on some of the tier's bulkiest Pokemon. However, Taillow has an unfortunate Stealth Rock weakness, vulnerability to priority, and a tendency to kill itself with residual damage. Yet, with proper support from its team, Taillow can easily do great deals of damage to an unprepared team.</p>

[SET]
name: Guts Sweeper
move 1: Facade
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: U-turn / Protect
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[Set Comments]
<p>After Toxic Orb's activation, Taillow's attack stat rockets to a powerful 22, nearly reaching that of Meditite. Along with its high 19 Speed stat, Taillow becomes a very dangerous all-out attacker. Once the Pokemon that resist its moves have been knocked out, Taillow can deal heavy damage to an entire team with its boosted STAB Facade.</p>

<p>Taillow's primary attacking option is its 140 Base Power Facade, which hits incredibly hard coming from its 22 Attack stat. Brave Bird gives Taillow an effective way to deal with Ferroseed, as well as Ghost-types such as Misdreavus on the switch. Yet, in general, Facade is the preferable option thanks to its higher power and lack of additional recoil. Pluck is also a viable alternative to Brave Bird by merit of its ability to steal Oran Berries from Pokemon such as Vulpix (insert non-banned Pokemon here) or Misdreavus, as well as avoid the recoil from Brave Bird. However, Taillow does lose the ability to hit Ferroseed nearly as hard as it could with Brave Bird, which puts it at risk of being stalled out by Leech Seed and Protect. Quick Attack, while far weaker than Facade, allows Taillow to outspeed most other priority users and damage them first, and deal good damage to, or even KO, set-up sweepers once they have been significantly weakened. For the final slot, both moves have significant upsides. A Taillow using U-turn can scout the opponent's team while doing good damage, despite U-turn having only 80 Base Power. However, with Protect, Taillow can easily find that one turn required to activate the Guts boost it so sorely needs to do any significant damage.</p>

[Additional Comments] (damage calcs belong in AC, so start it here)

<p>To demonstrate the power a Guts Facade possesses, here are some damage calculations against some of the most common threats in Little Cup.</p>

<ul class="damage calculations">
<li> Facade vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Gligar: 57.7-69.2%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 36 HP / 36 Def Eviolite Scraggy: 81.8-95.5%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 196 HP / 236 Def Bold +1 Slowpoke: 53.6-69.2%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 36 HP / 76 Def Eviolite Meditite: 95-110%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 76 HP / 52 Def Chinchou: 124-148%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 76 HP / 156 Def Eviolite Timburr: 72-84%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 76 HP / 156 Def +1 Eviolite Timburr: 52-60% </li>
</ul>

[Additional Comments]
<p>Taillow is heavily walled by Pokemon such as Ferroseed who, despite being hit neutrally by Brave Bird (or Pluck), can stall Taillow out with Leech Seed damage along with the recoil from Brave Bird, Iron Thorns Barbs, and Toxic Orb. For this reason, it is important to carry a strong Fighting- or Fire-type such as Timburr, Mienfoo, or Houndour alongside Taillow in order to consistently remove those bulky Steel-types from its path. Also, packing a Pokemon capable of taking care of Ghost-types, such as Scraggy, Carvanha, or Houndour, (comma) will allow Taillow to spam Facade without fear of a Ghost-type switching in for free and racking up Toxic damage. Running Magnemite alongside Taillow is also a good option, as Magnemite can trap and kill those pesky Steel-types Taillow struggles so much against, and resists all three of Taillow's weaknesses to boot. For the same reason, Diglett is also a good partner for Taillow, as it can trap and kill both Steel- and Rock-types, and absorb the Electric-type attacks aimed at Taillow. Other Ground-types, such as Wooper or Sandile, (comma) can also be used alongside Taillow. Partnering Taillow with Chinchou can be helpful, as Chinchou resists Ice- and Electric-type attacks and can scout alongside Taillow (who has U-turn) with Volt Switch. Pawniard's strong priority attacks and useful resistances make it a viable partner as well, and it greatly appreciates Taillow's Ground-type immunity.</p>

[SET]
name: SubEndeavor
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Facade / Pluck
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[Set Comments]
<p>This set focuses on using removing Taillow's normal checks, namely Ferroseed, through the use of Endeavor. By using Substitute while in against a slower Pokemon, Taillow can get the one turn it needs to activate its Toxic Orb. Taillow (space) can keep using Substitute till it lowers its HP to a level at which it can KO the opponent with Endeavor and any of its attacks.</p>

[Additional Comments]
<p>This EV spread maximizes Taillow's Speed and Attack, and gives it the maximum possible number of situations in which it can attain a free Substitute, as well as do the most damage with Facade after an Endeavor. This Facade, coming from 22 Attack thanks to Guts, packs a great deal of power, even when resisted. Pluck allows Taillow to avoid being walled by Ghosts, and can give Taillow extra recovery from a stolen Berry, letting it do even more damage before its eventual death to poison.</p>

[Other Options]
<p>One of Taillow's major downfalls is its relatively small movepool, which offers little in the way of notable options. Yet, it possesses a small number of moves it can use to some success in select situations. Running Heat Wave is a viable option, as it allows Taillow to do a good deal to Bronzor, who otherwise walls it completely, and do greater damage to Ferroseed, as well as avoid the recoil from Brave Bird and Iron Thorns Barbs it would otherwise suffer. Even without a Special Attack investment, Heat Wave can help to remove those hard counters that would otherwise stop Taillow cold. Taillow can also abuse Counter when equipped with a Focus Sash, as the opponent will rarely sit quietly and leave Taillow to deal crushing damage to his team. Taillow's frailty also guarantees that if hit by almost any physical hit, it will take enough damage to KO in return with Counter and possibly cripple the opponent's next Pokemon with Endeavor. Pursuit is also viable, as Taillow's great Speed, in conjunction with its Guts-boosted Attack stat, forces many switches. Pursuit can also help to deal super effective damage to the Ghost-types that may switch into Taillow to absorb Facade and make Taillow accumulate Toxic damage on Taillow. A set focused on Focus Sash, Endeavor, and Quick Attack could be viable thanks to Taillow's frailty, yet a Speed-hindering nature and no investment would have to be used, since Endeavor would require Taillow to be hit first. Taillow can also run Hidden Power Ground to deal with Magnemite that would resist all of its moves and threaten a KO.</p>

<p>A set which abuses Choice Scarf or Choice Band is somewhat viable, yet the Scarf set is largely outclassed by Doduo, who boasts a much higher Attack stat and a high enough Speed stat, while the Band set trades the ability to switch moves in exchange for a relatively small decrease in residual damage. The one benefit of running a Choice set on Taillow over Doduo is Taillow's access to U-turn, which is always very useful on a Pokemon as fast as Taillow. Also, if Taillow switches in on a status move, it can acquire a Guts boost and hit even harder. In this the same vein, Burn Orb can be used, yet it is much worse than Toxic Orb, as Taillow will not be staying in for long to continually attack, meaning that the damage taken from burn will usually be significantly more than the damage it would have taken from Toxic poison.</p>

<p> Taillow's secondary ability is Scrappy, and while it may seem beneficial to be able to hit Ghost-types with Facade, Quick Attack, or Return (if running a Choice set), Taillow's base Attack is not high enough to justify its use without a Guts boost, so Scrappy should not be used. </p>

<p>In terms of non-attacking moves, Taillow has access to a number of interesting options, including Roost which, despite Taillow's frailty, can be used to offset residual damage taken from Stealth Rock, Toxic Orb, Brave Bird, or even Iron Thorns Barbs. This can help Taillow to stick around longer, as well as switch in and out repeatedly without dying to Stealth Rock damage. Agility is also a viable option, making Taillow one of the fastest sweepers in Little Cup, as it can outspeed almost any other Pokemon after just one turn of set-up. </p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>The best and most common counters to Taillow are bulky Steel- and Rock-types who resist the majority of Taillow's offensive movepool, can stall it out with Toxic damage, and have access to moves that hit Taillow super effectively. The main examples of this are Ferroseed, Magnemite, and even Bronzor, who resist every one of Taillow's common options outside of Heat Wave and can set up entry hazards, Substitute, and screens, respectively, while Taillow is forced to switch out. Eviolite Gligar, Hippopotas, and, to a lesser extent, even Misdreavus, can take a hit from Taillow and KO it with their super effective move of choice.</p>

<p>Another of Taillow's hardest counters are include strong priority users, such as Houndour, Timburr, or Snover, and even Pokemon such as Speed Boost Carvanha, who can hit before Taillow and take advantage of its incredible frailty. At the same time, if Taillow chooses to run Quick Attack, it can hit all of these Pokemon for a great deal of damage before going down to their attacks. Yet, Pokemon that carry Fake Out or ExtremeSpeed, such as Dratini and Meowth, can bypass Quick Attack and deal heavy damage before Taillow can land a hit. Choice Scarf Magnemite or even Gligar can outspeed and KO Taillow with ease, and can take a Quick Attack very well on top of that. </p>

<p>The most surefire way to prevent Taillow from dealing too much damage to your team is to use a Pokemon such as Gligar to set up Stealth Rock early on in the game and pack a Ghost-type such as Duskull or Misdreavus to block Rapid Spin. That way, half the job will be done before Taillow even starts attacking.</p>


Pretty good, just watch out for all the curly apostrophes.

GP 2/2.
 
Deletions
Additions/Corrections
(Comments)

[Overview]
<p>With its impressive Speed, (hitting the second-highest Speed tier in all of Little Cup), and usable Attack stat, and the ability Guts, Taillow can be a very fearsome threat after just a single turn, thanks to its ability, Guts. That fact These attributes, in conjunction with powerful STAB moves in Brave Bird and Facade, makes (no s) Taillow perfectly capable of netting KOs on some of the tier's bulkiest Pokemon. However, Taillow has an unfortunate Stealth Rock weakness, vulnerability to priority, and a tendency to kill itself with residual damage. Yet, with proper support from its team, Taillow can easily do great deals of damage to an unprepared team.</p>

[SET]
name: Guts Sweeper
move 1: Facade
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: U-turn / Protect
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[Set Comments]
<p>After Toxic Orb's activation, Taillow's attack stat rockets to a powerful 22, nearly reaching that of Meditite. Along with its high 19 Speed stat, Taillow becomes a very dangerous all-out attacker. Once the Pokemon that resist its moves have been knocked out, Taillow can deal heavy damage to an entire team with its boosted STAB Facade.</p>

<p>Taillow's primary attacking option is its 140 Base Power Facade, which hits incredibly hard coming from its 22 Attack stat. Brave Bird gives Taillow an effective way to deal with Ferroseed, as well as Ghost-types such as Misdreavus on the switch. Yet, in general, Facade is the preferable option thanks to its higher power and lack of additional recoil. Pluck is also a viable alternative to Brave Bird by merit of its ability to steal Oran Berries from Pokemon such as Vulpix (insert non-banned Pokemon here) or Misdreavus, as well as avoid the recoil from Brave Bird. However, Taillow does lose the ability to hit Ferroseed nearly as hard as it could with Brave Bird, which puts it at risk of being stalled out by Leech Seed and Protect. Quick Attack, while far weaker than Facade, allows Taillow to outspeed most other priority users and damage them first, and deal good damage to, or even KO, set-up sweepers once they have been significantly weakened. For the final slot, both moves have significant upsides. A Taillow using U-turn can scout the opponent's team while doing good damage, despite U-turn having only 80 Base Power. However, with Protect, Taillow can easily find that one turn required to activate the Guts boost it so sorely needs to do any significant damage.</p>

[Additional Comments] (damage calcs belong in AC, so start it here)

<p>To demonstrate the power a Guts Facade possesses, here are some damage calculations against some of the most common threats in Little Cup.</p>

<ul class="damage calculations">
<li> Facade vs. 236 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Gligar: 57.7-69.2%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 36 HP / 36 Def Eviolite Scraggy: 81.8-95.5%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 196 HP / 236 Def Bold +1 Slowpoke: 53.6-69.2%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 36 HP / 76 Def Eviolite Meditite: 95-110%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 76 HP / 52 Def Chinchou: 124-148%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 76 HP / 156 Def Eviolite Timburr: 72-84%</li>
<li>Facade vs. 76 HP / 156 Def +1 Eviolite Timburr: 52-60% </li>
</ul>

[Additional Comments]
<p>Taillow is heavily walled by Pokemon such as Ferroseed who, despite being hit neutrally by Brave Bird (or Pluck), can stall Taillow out with Leech Seed damage along with the recoil from Brave Bird, Iron Thorns Barbs, and Toxic Orb. For this reason, it is important to carry a strong Fighting- or Fire-type such as Timburr, Mienfoo, or Houndour alongside Taillow in order to consistently remove those bulky Steel-types from its path. Also, packing a Pokemon capable of taking care of Ghost-types, such as Scraggy, Carvanha, or Houndour, (comma) will allow Taillow to spam Facade without fear of a Ghost-type switching in for free and racking up Toxic damage. Running Magnemite alongside Taillow is also a good option, as Magnemite can trap and kill those pesky Steel-types Taillow struggles so much against, and resists all three of Taillow's weaknesses to boot. For the same reason, Diglett is also a good partner for Taillow, as it can trap and kill both Steel- and Rock-types, and absorb the Electric-type attacks aimed at Taillow. Other Ground-types, such as Wooper or Sandile, (comma) can also be used alongside Taillow. Partnering Taillow with Chinchou can be helpful, as Chinchou resists Ice- and Electric-type attacks and can scout alongside Taillow (who has U-turn) with Volt Switch. Pawniard's strong priority attacks and useful resistances make it a viable partner as well, and it greatly appreciates Taillow's Ground-type immunity.</p>

[SET]
name: SubEndeavor
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Facade / Pluck
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[Set Comments]
<p>This set focuses on using removing Taillow's normal checks, namely Ferroseed, through the use of Endeavor. By using Substitute while in against a slower Pokemon, Taillow can get the one turn it needs to activate its Toxic Orb. Taillow (space) can keep using Substitute till it lowers its HP to a level at which it can KO the opponent with Endeavor and any of its attacks.</p>

[Additional Comments]
<p>This EV spread maximizes Taillow's Speed and Attack, and gives it the maximum possible number of situations in which it can attain a free Substitute, as well as do the most damage with Facade after an Endeavor. This Facade, coming from 22 Attack thanks to Guts, packs a great deal of power, even when resisted. Pluck allows Taillow to avoid being walled by Ghosts, and can give Taillow extra recovery from a stolen Berry, letting it do even more damage before its eventual death to poison.</p>

[Other Options]
<p>One of Taillow's major downfalls is its relatively small movepool, which offers little in the way of notable options. Yet, it possesses a small number of moves it can use to some success in select situations. Running Heat Wave is a viable option, as it allows Taillow to do a good deal to Bronzor, who otherwise walls it completely, and do greater damage to Ferroseed, as well as avoid the recoil from Brave Bird and Iron Thorns Barbs it would otherwise suffer. Even without a Special Attack investment, Heat Wave can help to remove those hard counters that would otherwise stop Taillow cold. Taillow can also abuse Counter when equipped with a Focus Sash, as the opponent will rarely sit quietly and leave Taillow to deal crushing damage to his team. Taillow's frailty also guarantees that if hit by almost any physical hit, it will take enough damage to KO in return with Counter and possibly cripple the opponent's next Pokemon with Endeavor. Pursuit is also viable, as Taillow's great Speed, in conjunction with its Guts-boosted Attack stat, forces many switches. Pursuit can also help to deal super effective damage to the Ghost-types that may switch into Taillow to absorb Facade and make Taillow accumulate Toxic damage on Taillow. A set focused on Focus Sash, Endeavor, and Quick Attack could be viable thanks to Taillow's frailty, yet a Speed-hindering nature and no investment would have to be used, since Endeavor would require Taillow to be hit first. Taillow can also run Hidden Power Ground to deal with Magnemite that would resist all of its moves and threaten a KO.</p>

<p>A set which abuses Choice Scarf or Choice Band is somewhat viable, yet the Scarf set is largely outclassed by Doduo, who boasts a much higher Attack stat and a high enough Speed stat, while the Band set trades the ability to switch moves in exchange for a relatively small decrease in residual damage. The one benefit of running a Choice set on Taillow over Doduo is Taillow's access to U-turn, which is always very useful on a Pokemon as fast as Taillow. Also, if Taillow switches in on a status move, it can acquire a Guts boost and hit even harder. In this the same vein, Burn Orb can be used, yet it is much worse than Toxic Orb, as Taillow will not be staying in for long to continually attack, meaning that the damage taken from burn will usually be significantly more than the damage it would have taken from Toxic poison.</p>

<p> Taillow's secondary ability is Scrappy, and while it may seem beneficial to be able to hit Ghost-types with Facade, Quick Attack, or Return (if running a Choice set), Taillow's base Attack is not high enough to justify its use without a Guts boost, so Scrappy should not be used. </p>

<p>In terms of non-attacking moves, Taillow has access to a number of interesting options, including Roost which, despite Taillow's frailty, can be used to offset residual damage taken from Stealth Rock, Toxic Orb, Brave Bird, or even Iron Thorns Barbs. This can help Taillow to stick around longer, as well as switch in and out repeatedly without dying to Stealth Rock damage. Agility is also a viable option, making Taillow one of the fastest sweepers in Little Cup, as it can outspeed almost any other Pokemon after just one turn of set-up. </p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>The best and most common counters to Taillow are bulky Steel- and Rock-types who resist the majority of Taillow's offensive movepool, can stall it out with Toxic damage, and have access to moves that hit Taillow super effectively. The main examples of this are Ferroseed, Magnemite, and even Bronzor, who resist every one of Taillow's common options outside of Heat Wave and can set up entry hazards, Substitute, and screens, respectively, while Taillow is forced to switch out. Eviolite Gligar, Hippopotas, and, to a lesser extent, even Misdreavus, can take a hit from Taillow and KO it with their super effective move of choice.</p>

<p>Another of Taillow's hardest counters are include strong priority users, such as Houndour, Timburr, or Snover, and even Pokemon such as Speed Boost Carvanha, who can hit before Taillow and take advantage of its incredible frailty. At the same time, if Taillow chooses to run Quick Attack, it can hit all of these Pokemon for a great deal of damage before going down to their attacks. Yet, Pokemon that carry Fake Out or ExtremeSpeed, such as Dratini and Meowth, can bypass Quick Attack and deal heavy damage before Taillow can land a hit. Choice Scarf Magnemite or even Gligar can outspeed and KO Taillow with ease, and can take a Quick Attack very well on top of that. </p>

<p>The most surefire way to prevent Taillow from dealing too much damage to your team is to use a Pokemon such as Gligar to set up Stealth Rock early on in the game and pack a Ghost-type such as Duskull or Misdreavus to block Rapid Spin. That way, half the job will be done before Taillow even starts attacking.</p>


Pretty good, just watch out for all the curly apostrophes.

GP 2/2.
Thanks. I don't know why Word makes the apostrophes look like that
 

iss

let's play bw lc!
is a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnus
Taillow can also abuse Counter when equipped with a Focus Sash, as the opponent will rarely sit quietly and leave Taillow to deal crushing damage to their team.
Just a nitpick.
 
ummm.... it's going to be hard to substitute down to 1 HP and KO Ferroseed when your HP is being whittled away by Toxic from the Orb... I think a different item is in order.
 
ummm.... it's going to be hard to substitute down to 1 HP and KO Ferroseed when your HP is being whittled away by Toxic from the Orb... I think a different item is in order.
The point isn't to get to 1 HP. It gets to its lowest Hp, and then spams endeavor and attacks pokemon on the switch with Guts-boosted attacks.
 

Crux

Banned deucer.
I think you should just remove subendeavour altogether. It is highly situational, impossible to pull off and also outclassed by other sets. TBH it is highly underwhelming, nearly to the point of being bad.
 

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