Kabutops (Analysis) [Writing up]

Rolf

Rolf

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[Overview]
- Returns as premier Swift Swim sweeper even through weather
- Adds a whole new dimension of support this gen with eviolite Knock Offs and a great 4x resist to fire as well as the ever important stealth rock
- a great choice for a rapid spinner
- transitioned very well between generations

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly / Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe ~(note: what is this beating)~

[Set Comments]
- reaches enormous amounts of speed in the rain
- has passable speed outside of it as well as a great STAB priority move in Aqua Jet
- its dual-STABs have great neutral coverage
- if a Swords Dance is obtained, it will wreck

[Additional Comments]
- Weak Armor is also an option outside of rain, if so use EV spread of 72 Hp/252 Atk/184 Spe
~ lets you beat offensive Celebi and Mew
- Hitmontop and other Mach Punchers pose problems
- Gastrodon and Quagsire can tank Kabutops very easily

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Aqua Jet / Waterfall
move 4: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Atk / 136 Def

[Set Comments]
- resists to fire, ice and flying are great resists to have
~ one of the best checks for Arcanine and Victini
- stealth rock is ever important
- rapid spin becomes ever more important for teams
- fills a unique rapid spinner role
- still hits things hard enough to keep those ghosts from switching in

[Additional Comments]
- sandstorm greatly boosts special defensive prowess (spD ev spread for sand)
~ can tank HP Grass in sandstorm and retaliate well if needed

[Other Options]
- Aqua Tail vs Waterfall
- X-Scissor? Superpower? Low Kick?
- Knock Off

[Checks and Counters]
- Quagsire, Gastrodon, Poliwrath resist dual STABs
- Milotic, Suicune, bulky waters
- grass types (celebi, leafeon, shaymin - watch out roserade)
- Hitmontop and Hariyama
 
A Choice Band set may be viable, enabling Kabutops to run something like Aqua Jet / Waterfall / Stone Edge / Low Kick and not worry about finding the right moment to set up.
 
Going to bump this because I've been running a very successful Kabutops set that needs an analysis:

Kabutops @ Life Orb
Weak Armor
Adamant
72 Hp/252 Atk/184 Spe

-Waterfall
-Stone Edge
-Swords Dance
-Aqua Jet/X-Scissor

Weak Armor is awesome on Kabutops. Switch this into an Arcanine Flare Blitz or Extremespeed and Kabutops becomes fast enough to outrun all Pokemon at 115+ base and below. Can also check Staraptor in a pinch. If you manage to grab a Swords Dance after the Weak Armor boost, very little can stop you. Incidentally, Kabutops is bulky enough to survive a Mach Punch from Techtop and grab a Weak Armor boost that way while KOing it with Waterfall (although if it has Life Orb then you will only get one attack afterwards). X-Scissor is only slightly more powerful than Stone Edge, but that might end up mattering a lot against Slowbro and especially defensive Celebi. Superpower is also an option for Empoleon, Omastar, and Chansey (lol, this would be a joke one generation ago).
 
I remember Sandstorm Kabutops working well last gen. Perhaps it's usable in this one?

To use the set from the analysis:

Rapid Spin/Stealth Rock/Waterfall/Knock Off
 
Dont forget to mention that Kabutops takes a CB V-Create like a boss.
Empoleon resists Waterfall + Stone Edge, but if you run Low Kick then you won't be able to run Aqua Jet.
 
a set of
@life orb
80 hp / 252 atk / 172 spe
-rain dance
-waterfall
-stone edge
-fighting move(low kick)

this is a great late game cleaner and works kind of like mixed kingdra but all physical.
 
Mooo said:
Dont forget to mention that Kabutops takes a CB V-Create like a boss.
Empoleon resists Waterfall + Stone Edge, but if you run Low Kick then you won't be able to run Aqua Jet.
Click to expand...

Errr.... I'm not sure what you mean here. Low Kick is a 4th gen tutor; Aqua Jet is a level-up move. Do you mean that you run out of moveslots?
 
I'm finding more and more that Close Combats from the likes of Staraptor and Arcanine do not bode well at all for Kabutops. He's a decent check, especially with Aqua Jet, but can't counter them well because its so fing strong. It can take Wild Charges though :)

Weak Armor set looks great but I'm not sure if I want to give it a whole spot due to its moveset being exactly the same as the Swords Dance spread. If that needs fixing QC can input. The RD on Kabutops set looks like it'd be good but as far as lategame cleaning Kingdra has it beat anyways due to it not being weak to any sort of priority. I'd run Kingdra in that spot over butops every time. Again I can be overruled though. Want to end by saying that I've been playing just some old Damp Rock rain and it's still as strong as it was last gen if not stronger due to Zapdos and Jolteon being in the tier.
 
Yeah I didn't want you to add a new Weak Armor set, just slash it on the SD set say "this should be the ability if you're not running this in a rain dance team".
 
BUMP

OK I like the look of the two sets, but I really really really hate Knock Off, even with Eviolite Chansey/Dusclops running around.

Imo the set should look like:

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Atk / 136 Def
 
Agreeing with Oglemi, but with Waterfall slashed next to Aqua Jet.

What alt EVs do you have planned for the OO section?
 
Sorry for the wait guys, didn't have access to the internet for a while. Oglemi, your changes are being made.

Snunch, I'm not sure :x I think I put that there to remind me to search for a better speed mark for no rain adamant Kabutops. I've been looking but haven't really been inspired by anything yet.
 
The only things left are the outclassed options for AC/OO. I see stuff like Night Slash (hits Ghosts I guess...), Hone Claws (not better than Swords Dance), Rock Polish (better to use Rain Dance with someone and boost up with Swords Dance), and Brick Break (bad move, but Dual Screeners are still around).
 
Rolf, you still haven't slashed Waterfall next to Aqua Jet on the support set even though I've said to do so twice. I'm retracting my stamp until that happens.
 
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