Primeape (QC 3/3)

Primeape



[Overview]

• Good Speed, Attack
• Faster than, but not as powerful as, other Fighting-types
• U-turn and Encore are movepool advantages over other Fighting-types
• Vital Spirit fairly unique

[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Ice Punch / Punishment
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

• Faster than Scarf Porygon-Z, +1 Liligant, +2 Omastar
• Excellent at scouting and keeping momentum with U-turn
• Vital Spirit and setup or support moves are your only ways of switching in

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

• Stone Edge covers most Flying-types
• Ice Punch covers Claydol and Gligar
• U-turning is your best bet against Psychic-types (including the aforementioned Claydol)

[SET]
name: Encore
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge / Toxic
move 3: Substitute / U-turn
move 4: Encore
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

• Feign a choice set, Substitute against a support / status move, then Encore it
• Now you get to attack something that isn't their main Primeape counter
• Alternately, force a switch with Encore and U-turn to scout the counter
• Switch in on Sleep Powder and Encore it
• Encore Curse and Calm Mind
• Close Combat is a good attack and allows for good offensive presence.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

• Leftovers with Substitute, Life Orb with U-turn
• 8 HP EV's allow 5 Substitutes with Leftovers
• Toxic threatens a wider variety of threats (walls particularly), while Stone Edge kills certain things such as Rotom and Moltres much faster.

[Other Options]

• Seed Bomb hits Quagsire and Frillish
• Earthquake hits Qwilfish and various blobs of sludge and trash
• Beat Up if your team is loaded with physical attackers (read: Sableye bait)
• Bulk Up - outclassed by Gallade and Hitmonchan with better SpD and Drain Punch.
• Taunt - meh

[Checks and Counters]

• Dusknior, Cofagrigus
• Bulky-Psychic types (but they don't enjoy U-turn)
• Sableye
• Mono-Poisons, or Poisons without detrimental secondary types. Qwilfish, Garbador, Muk, Weezing, will all wall or set up on Primeape.
• Anything with good physical bulk that can hit back reasonably hard is a good check
• Gallade resists most attacks and can set up Bulk Up
• U-turn makes it tougher to counter

I'm not sure about Punishments place with Cresselia gone and U-Turn being superior to dealing with Psycjhics. I guess Sub Calm Mind Alakazam and its not like Ice Punch isnt filler anyway.... I forgot where I was going with this. Leave it as a secondary slash.

Im skeptical of the second set but havent tried it. I would mention something about it facing competition from Sub Encore Poliwrath. Because of this I might make U-Trun the first slash as it is probably the main niche over Poliwrath besides greater speed.

Other than that good. It also has gimmicky Sub Reversal sets because it also has endure and counter with greater speed than Hitmonchan but that probably doesnt even deserve a mention in OO. Im not sure if Leichi berry is available either.

The first is basically recorded from my experience dealing with it and knowing it is the tried and true, standard set for primeape. The second set I have actually used and it is certainly viable. It's really hard to go wrong with fast Encore and decent power. I used it on a pretty successful team a little while back. I got a lot of "wow cool set" comments while using it, and it easily catches opponents by surprise. It may prey on the expectations of the choice set but it's far from gimmicky.

QC 3/3

I'm aware that I'm bumping an old thread, but I asked a moderator on IRC to help move it, but it never got done. I'd just like to request this is moved to L&O because there is already a RU Primeape analysis on site. Again, I'm sorry I bumped this, but it's just clogging up the forum even more. Thank you.