Weavile [Analysis]

[Overview]

<p>Weavile is the fastest Fake Out user in VGC 12, and its STAB moves also OHKO many offensive threats. Unfortunately, its below-average defenses and weaknesses to two of the most common priority attacks, Mach Punch and Bullet Punch, prevent Weavile from completely dominating the scene. A lack of spread attacks also means that Weavile is incredibly predictable. Nevertheless, Weavile's ability to pick apart offensive teams is what sets it apart from other Fake Out users.</p>

[SET]
name: Fake Out Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Ice Punch / Ice Shard
move 3: Night Slash
move 4: Low Kick
item: Focus Sash / Expert Belt
nature: Jolly
ability: Pressure
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Weavile is used similar to most other Fake Out users: use Fake Out on the bigger threat to your team and attack with Weavile's teammate. However, it excels at grabbing OHKOs after turn one, something which many other Fake Out users fail at. STAB-boosted Night Slash does heavy damage to common VGC 12 walls such as Cresselia, Latias, and Dusknoir. Ice Punch is a fantastic STAB attack to have coming off of base 125 Speed, as Garchomp, Zapdos, and other Dragon- and Flying-type Pokemon are on almost every team. Ice Punch also gives coverage on Amoonguss, one of the most annoying defensive walls in the metagame. Ice Shard is another STAB option. The added priority is a useful tool against faster Pokemon such as Aerodactyl or Choice Scarf Garchomp. However, Ice Shard's lower Base Power is an issue, and it thus does not get the same KOes that Ice Punch does. Low Kick hits Steel- and Rock-type Pokemon for serious damage, and serves as a decently powerful coverage option as most of them cause Low Kick's Base Power to max out at 120 due to their heavy weight.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Weavile will always win the Fake Out war against Hitmontop, Infernape, and Scrafty due to its higher Speed. A Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs are used to Speed tie with other Weavile and positive-natured Swellow. Maximum Attack EVs allow Weavile to net more KOes with Expert Belt; Focus Sash is also an item option to give gives Weavile two turns to attack.</p>

<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Fake Out + Ice Punch vs. 4 / 0 Yache Berry Garchomp: 95.7% - 114.1%</li>
<li>Fake Out + Ice Punch vs. 140 / 0 Zapdos: 106.01 - 126.23</li>
<li>Fake Out + Low Kick vs. 4 / 0 Heatran: 95.21 - 113.77%</li>
<li>Ice Punch vs. 4 / 0 Thundurus: 127.74% - 150.97%</li>
<li>Night Slash vs. 4 / 0 Latios: 102.6% - 124.4%</li>
<li>Low Kick vs. 252 / 0 Tyranitar: 139.13% - 164.25%</li>
</ul>

<p>Weavile struggles with Fire-type opponents such as Choice Scarf Chandelure and Speed Boost Blaziken. Chandelure is immune to Fake Out, giving it a free turn to OHKO Weavile, while Blaziken can Protect against the Fake Out and outspeed and OHKO the next turn, also resisting both STAB attacks. Water-type Pokemon work very well with Weavile. They provide a Heat Wave resistance and appreciate the removal of Zapdos. Tailwind users or slower Pokemon that use strong spread attacks can benefit from Weavile's fast Fake Out.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Taunt works very well on Weavile, stopping Trick Room from rendering its high Speed useless. Substitute is a decent option if a double Protect is predicted, but this is more risky due to the common spread and priority attacks. Ice Gem is a viable item option too, powering up Ice Punch or Ice Shard for one turn without locking Weavile into one move.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Steel-type Pokemon who do not take super effective damage from Low Kick are Weavile's best counters; Metagross and Scizor are the best options, quickly 2HKOing Weavile with Bullet Punch. Conkeldurr and Hitmontop OHKO Weavile with Mach Punch after using Protect against the Fake Out. Choice Scarf Fire-type Pokemon, such as Chandelure, Charizard, and Heatran, only let Weavile use Fake Out before KOing with Heat Wave. Although its Fake Out is slower, Infernape takes negligible damage from all of Weavile's attacks and can OHKO back with a STAB move of choice. Bronzong shrugs off Weavile's attacks and can either set up Trick Room or deal heavy damage with Gyro Ball.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Pickpocket steals the opponent's held item when Weavile is hit by a contact move, so if Weavile's Focus Sash is used up, Weavile can still have a potentially useful item. However, if Weavile is holding an Expert Belt, it will not survive most contact moves, so this ability will be best used with a Focus Sash or an Ice Gem.</p>

tbh Sash should get primary slash over EBelt because Weavile is so frail you'll usually want the extra insurance, despite the extra damage boost from ebelt. Immunity to hail is a neat bonus.

Taunt and Ice Shard want a slash in with Night Slash and Ice Punch, respectively. Taunt stops set-up mons (Cress, Blissey can't Softboil, etc), and Ice Shard is great if TR is up and isn't that bad an option with Expert Belt. (running all this off the assumption that you're only going to have one set, if you're going to have another set nvm this)

QC 1/2

good analysis moof :D

beat up can be a option in OO, for the few players that use the beat up combo with terrakion, and tbh I don't see what terracott has that terravile doesn't, besides the obvious tailwind. Though Its so super common if you can't stop terracott by now ya just deserve to lose. Not to mention weaville happens to beat out terrakions biggest counters namely the latis, and the genies.

soul_survivor said:

beat up can be a option in OO, for the few players that use the beat up combo with terrakion, and tbh I don't see what terracott has that terravile doesn't, besides the obvious tailwind. Though Its so super common if you can't stop terracott by now ya just deserve to lose. Not to mention weaville happens to beat out terrakions biggest counters namely the latis, and the genies.

Click to expand...

these 2 posts explain why weavile is not a good beat up user

I saw the above link was was looking forward to reading a nice insightful post only to find out it was my own, <_<.

This is good 2/2

I know this is in Copyediting but it went through QC so fast I didn't get a chance to post, and I want to do so now.

Ice Punch/Shard should be move 2; higher bp (for Ice Punch-you mention Night Slash for Latis but Punch is stronger, in addition to FO+Punch always 2HKOs max HP Bold Latias, something Night Slash can't do), and hits Dragons and Flyers for super effective, which are more common than the targets you're going to be using Night Slash on (which ties into the next issue)

Taunt should be slashed in with Night Slash. On the Pokemon you're probably going to be Night Slashing(?) (Cresselia, Musharna, etc), they're usually either a) TR variants or b) supporters. Both of the Pokemon mentioned (and some others such as Reuniclus and Dusclops/Noir) can take a Night Slash and will set up TR in your face, while its partner can KO Weavile the next turn. Not to mention that it stops Amoonguss straight up, as Ice Punch doesn't guarantee a KO on max HP alone, and some run extra Defense. Fake Out + Ice Punch will do it, but that's assuming Effect Spore doesn't activate (as it does all too often), sleeping, paralyzing, or poisoning Weavile, the former of which will completely incapacitate it from doing its job. Taunt is such a useful move for Weavile that it deserves a slash next to Night Slash, for the reasons mentioned above.

Amateur GP! :D

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Stamping this check, but make sure the rest of the sentence makes sense when you change things, I only noticed it once, but just so you know for future reference. Example:

'Ice Punch is (you're missing 'a' here) fantastic STAB attack to have coming off of base'

Other than that, cool, stamped.

alright updated thanks

i wanna upload this myself after 2nd gp 8D
nobody ninja me or ill throw muffins at you\

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GP 2 / 2

uploaded, but i kept KOes instead of KOs (OHKOes and KOes right o.o)

yay thanks

I believe KOes is for the verb ie "It KOes 100% of the time with Splash" and KOs is like "It gets more than 2 KOs."