Swanna (Analysis)

Swanna

[Overview]

<p>Swanna is the newest addition to the Water / Flying type group, and true to form, it might look like a mediocre Pokemon on paper, with no stat over base 100. However, in NU, Swanna is a quite a deadly force in the right conditions. It has decent, if not good, offensive stats, coupled with a base 98 Speed stat, which allows it to outspeed the common base 95 Speed Pokemon running around, mainly Jynx. Swanna also gets perfect coverage with only its STAB moves, which include the powerful Hurricane and Brave Bird; the lack of Empoleon's presence in NU makes this possible. That's not all; Swanna has access to Roost as well, enabling it to recover lost health. However, Swanna has its downsides as well. Its defenses are quite lacking, and a horrible defensive typing only makes things worse for Swanna; being weak to Stealth Rock is a thorn in its side. Swanna also lacks the much needed power from Hydro Pump, and must resort to using Surf. In rain is where Swanna truly shines though; the power that lies behind a rain-boosted Surf and a 100% accurate Hurricane is enough to dent the whole NU tier, making Swanna a force to watch out for.</p>

[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Surf
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Brave Bird
move 4: Roost / Ice Beam / Rain Dance
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive / Rash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Swanna is all about abusing rain; it shouldn't really be used outside of it. Surf is unfortunately Swanna's most powerful Water-type move, but rain remedies the power diffferences between Surf and Hydro Pump a bit. Hurricane is a rare move that is hardly seen in NU, and Swanna makes the most of it. In rain, it gets perfect accuracy, and coming off Swanna's good Special Attack and Life Orb, it dents even the most defensive Pokemon that doesn't resist it. The nice 30% chance of confusing the opponent is a welcomed bonus as well. Brave Bird lets Swanna take on both Jynx and Cryogonal with impunity, aiming for their paper thin defenses; even without heavy EV investment into Attack, Swanna is able to OHKO both of them 100% of the time. The move chosen for the last slot is up to your own preference. Roost allows Swanna to recover Life Orb recoil, as well as possible Stealth Rock damage, whereas Ice Beam lets Swanna destroy the dreaded Altaria; Altaria's ridiculous defenses and access to Roost make it almost impossible for Swanna to take it down with Hurricane alone. Rain Dance is also an option to enable Swanna to set up rain itself, in case it should end or if your team's main rain setters are KOed.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Air Slash is a more reliable option over Hurricane outside of rain, but Swanna shouldn't be used outside of it anyways. Hidden Power Grass is an option in the last slot to hit Quagsire and Carracosta harder than anything else, while Hidden Power Electric will mow down Mantine, expecting to wall Swanna. If you opt to use a Naive nature, 24 EVs can be moved from Speed to Attack to hit potential switch-ins harder while still outspeeding max base 95 Speed Pokemon. Swanna will not be able to outspeed Raticate if you do, but it's not nearly as common as Jynx and Haunter. However, on the whole, this change is not necessary. Don't move any EVs if you opt to use a Rash nature though, as with max Speed, Swanna will be able to tie with max base 85 Speed Pokemon, most notably Choice Band Sawk and Pinsir.</p>

<p>Entry hazards are really helpful for Swanna, as it needs all the help it can get to score KOs. Cacturne is a great option to set up Spikes, having good type synergy with Swanna. Swanna is able to take on Fire- and Fighting-types for Cacturne, while Cacturne can tank Electric-type moves directed at Swanna and handle Rock-type Pokemon for it. Garbodor is another good choice, being able set up both Toxic Spikes and Spikes; Swanna can also return the favor by defeating Ground-types for Garbodor Camerupt pairs well with Swanna as well; not only can Camerupt set up Stealth Rock, but it is also able to handle Rotom-S for Swanna. Mesprit is another choice for setting up Stealth Rock, as it is able to set up rain and provide Thunder Wave support as well. On this note, Cacturne also benefits from Fire-types being weakened by rain, while being able to absorb incoming Water-type moves the opponent might use to abuse the rain, with Water Absorb. Mesprit can also take on the Fighting-types that threaten Cacturne with ease, while Cacturne easily deals with Ghost-types for Mesprit. Regice and Volbeat are two other great options for setting up rain, being able to provide helpful Thunder Wave support as well. Since Swanna should be mostly used on a rain team, Camerupt is not that good of choice to handle Rotom-S. Cryogonal and Cradily are two great options over Camerupt for dealing with Rotom-S, having access to both Recover and reliable STAB moves to wear it down. Cryogonal can also use Rapid Spin to rid the field from the dreadful Stealth Rock.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Swanna's poor movepool doesn't leave much else for it to use. Scald is an option over Surf for the burn chance. However, the powerdrop is noticeable. Tailwind provides a Speed boost for Swanna and its team, and can be really useful since Swanna doesn't have anything else to boost its Speed with. Aqua Ring is a rather gimmicky move to use, but it cancels out the Life Orb recoil Swanna suffers. Swanna is probably better off using Roost though, as it is weak to Stealth Rock and the chances to set Aqua Ring up are few and far between; it could actually work out and be quite useful, though. Toxic, FeatherDance, and Lucky Chant are gimmicky support options for Swanna to support its team with, alongside Tailwind for example. Lucky Chant prevents Absol from plowing through the battle with the high critical hit chance from Night Slash and Super Luck, while Throh's Storm Throw will do minuscule damage. Choice Scarf and Choice Specs can be used to some success; however, since Swanna should be used in rain for the most part, and there are no Drizzle users around, it's not good for Swanna to get locked into one move and thus, it should stick to Life Orb. These two items could be put to use on a normal team though.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Rotom-S is the number one counter to Swanna. It can easily come in on Hurricane thanks to its typing and bulk, and easily KO Swanna with either Volt Switch or Thunderbolt. Lickilicky, Alomomola, and Altaria all have skyhigh defenses compared to Swanna's offenses, and are able to take multiple Hurricanes. They can then proceed to Toxic Swanna, and stall it out with Wish + Protect and Roost, respectively. However, Altaria needs to be wary of Ice Beam though, which will easily KO it. Sturdy users, most notably Golem, Gigalith, Lairon, and Probopass, can come in after a teammate has gone down or on a predicted Roost or Rain Dance, survive a hit, and then proceed to easily KO Swanna with Stone Edge, Head Smash, and Volt Switch respectively. Sawk can also KO Swanna with Stone Edge, but needs to be careful when switching in. Sawk also needs Choice Scarf to outspeed Swanna, since the best he can do is tie with Rash Swanna without Choice Scarf. Magmortar and Jynx are two other Choice Scarf users that can easily end Swanna.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Swanna receives Hydration as its Dream World ability. Seeing as Keen Eye and Big Pecks have almost no competitive use and Swanna is used in rain most of time, Hydration will always be the superior ability when it's released; Hydration will keep Swanna free from any crippling status in rain.</p>

Maybe a Sub Roost set with Sub / Roost / Toxic / STAB?

With that typing and those defenses? No thanks. Leave that to Altaria.

That one set is what Swanna does best, and is the only thing it should do.

Maybe a mention in OO if QC want, but I'm scepti(le)cal.

Any reason of why Naive and Rash instead of simply Modest and Timid?,she is still able to OHKO both Jynx and Cryogonal with Brave Bird that way.

Hmm, thought it wouldn't (take it easy, geez). It's true for Jynx, but against Cryogonal it's not guaranteed without Stealth Rock or prior damage.

I'll leave that up to QC to decide by looking at this calc:

Timid Swanna LO Brave Bird vs. 252/4 Cryogonal 95.05 - 111.91%

Its defenses are atrocious anyway, I doubt the nature would make a difference.

wannabe pelipper. Mention how swanna is faster and can go mixed, but pelipper is bulkier, stronger and has better survivability

How is Pelipper stronger than Swanna? Swanna has base 87 offenses, while Pelipper has 85 Special Attack (50 Attack if anyone is interested). Swanna will always be superior to Pelipper (Pelipper even has worse HP than Swanna).

Pelipper be stupid.

Cherub Agent said:

has better survivability

Click to expand...

This is only truth for the physical side,because Swanna takes special hits better.

Choice Specs Latios Draco Meteor vs 252 HP/252Special Defense+ Pelipper: 95.37%-112.35%
Choice Specs Latios Draco Meteor vs 252 HP/252Special Defense+ Swanna:
92.66%-109.32%

I know Latios s not NU,but it was just for the point of swanna taking hits better on the special side.

Also I still think either modest or timid should be main nature,sure Swanna won't be taking a hit and can't guarantee OHKO on cryo no matter what but most of time Cryogonal will be coming in to take a Hurricane or Surf so unless speedy variant Cryogonal will be out.

I don't know. I think better overall damage outweighs that. Seeing as the most common special attacks it will take are Electric-typed, it won't survive much.

Excellent skeleton. The natures are fine as is, imo.

QC APPROVED (1/3)

Well thank you my good man.

I mean since Pelipper can afford to run modest, not a positive speed nature, and has hydro pump. better survivability because of rain dish

yea mhm

QC APPROVED (2/3)

If I could make a suggestion, 40 Atk / 236 SpA / 232 Spe w/(Timid/Modest) OHKOs 252 Hp Cryogonal and doesn't force you to run Naive/Rash. 98 is kinda a weird speed to wanna actually have a max investment for, outspeeding Jynx just seems fine to me. But I guess that Raticate...

See, as you're only going to use Brave Bird for two Pokémon that are already OHKOed by 0 Atk EVs, you don't exactly need to cut down on either Speed or Special Attack. Swanna really needs all the Special Attack it can get, while if you opt to use Rash over Naive, max Speed is preferred to tie with max base Speed 85 Pokémon, such as CB Sawk and Pinsir. With Naive, however, you can move 24 EVs from Speed to Attack to get a slight power boost to hit potential switch-ins slightly harder still outspeeding max base 95 Speed Pokemon, but it's not necessary; you miss out on Raticate, but it's not nearly as common. And with the opponent aiming Electric-type moves at Swanna like all the time, cutting down on its SpD doesn't matter; it's not like it was bulky from the beginning.

Thanks Omi and tennis for the checks.

This is now written and ready for GP.

I think you say "maul", and not "maul down". You might be thinking of "mow done"

remove
add

[Overview]

<p>Swanna is the newest addition to the Water / Flying type group. Swanna might look like a mediocre Pokemon on paper, with no stats over base 100. However, for NU, Swanna is a quite a deadly force in the right conditions. It has decent, if not good, offensive stats, coupled with a base 98 Speed stat, which allowings it to outspeed the common base 95 Speed Pokemon running around, mainly Jynx. Swanna also gets perfect coverage with only its STAB moves, which includes the powerful Hurricane and Brave Bird; the lack of Empoleon's presence in NU makes this possible. That's not all; Swanna also has acces to Roost, making it able to recover lost health. However, Swanna has its downsides as well. Its defenses are quite lacking, and a horrible defensive typing only makes things worse for Swanna; being weak to Stealth Rock is a thorn in its side. Swanna also lacks the much needed power from Hydro Pump, and must resort to using Surf. In rain is where Swanna truly shines thoughin the presence of rain; the power that lies behind a rain-boosted Surf and an 100% accurate Hurricane is enough to dent the whole NU tier, making Swanna a force to watch out forbe reckoned with.</p>

[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Surf
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Brave Bird
move 4: Roost / Ice Beam / Rain Dance
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive / Rash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Swanna is all about abusing rain; it shouldn't really be used outside of it. Surf is unfortunately Swanna's most powerful move at disposal, but rain remedies the power diffferences between itSurf and Hydro Pump a bit. Hurricane is a rare move, that is hardly seen in NU, and Swanna makes the most of it. In rain, it gets perfect accuracy, denting even the most defensive Pokemon that doesn't resist it coming off Swanna's good Special Attack and Life Orb; the nice 30% chance of confusing the opponent is a welcomed bonus. Brave Bird lets Swanna take on both Jynx and Cryogonal with impunity, aiming for their paper thin defenses; even without heavy EV investment into Attack, Swanna is able to OHKO both of them 100% of the time. The move chosen for the last slot is up to own preference. Roost lets Swanna recover Life Orb recoil and the possible Stealth Rock the damage it might have suffered, whileereas Ice Beam lets Swanna destroy the dreaded Altaria; Altaria's ridiculous defenses and access to Roost makes it alsmot impossible for Swanna to take it down with Hurricane alone. Rain Dance is also an option to let Swanna set up rain itself, in case it should end or if your team's main rain setters are KOed.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Air Slash is a more reliable option over Hurricane outside of rain, but Swanna shouldn't be used outside of it anyways. Hidden Power Grass is an option in the last slot to hit Quagsire and Carracosta harder than anything else, while Hidden Power Electric will mow down Mantine, expecting to wall Swanna. 24 EVs can be moved from Speed to Attack to hit potential switch-ins harder, if you opt to use a Naive nature, while still outspeeding max base 95 Speed Pokemon but it's not necessary; Swanna will not be able to outspeed Raticate if you do, but it's not nearly as common as Jynx and Haunter. Don't move any EVs if you opt to use a Rash nature though, as with max Speed, Swanna will be able to tie with max base 85 Speed Pokemon, most notably Choice Band Sawk and Pinsir.</p>

<p>Entry hazards are really helpful for Swanna, as it needs all the help it can get to score a KO. Cacturne is a great option to set up Spikes, having good type synergy with Swanna. Swanna is able to take on Fire- and Fighting-types for Cacturne, while Cacturne can tank Electric-type moves directed at Swanna and handle Rock-types Pokemon for it. Garbodor is another good choice, beingit is able set up both Toxic Spikes and Spikes; Swanna can also return the favor by deafeating Ground-types for Garbodor. Camerupt pairs well with Swanna as well, not only being able tocan it set up Stealth Rock, but also being able tcan also handle Rotom-S for Swanna. Mesprit is another choice for setting up Stealth Rock, while it is able to set up rain and provide Thunder Wave support as well; on this note, Cacturne also benefits from Fire-types being weakened by rain, while being able to absorb incoming Water-type moves the opponent might use to abuse the rain, with Water Absorb. Mesprit can also take on the Fighting-types that threaten Cacturne, with ease, while Cacturne easily deals with Ghost-types for Mesprit. Regice and Volbeat are two other great options for setting up rain, being able to provide helpful Thunder Wave support as well. Since Swanna should be mostly used on a rain team, Camerupt is not that good of choice to handle Rotom-S. Cryogonal and Cradily are two great options over Camerupt for dealing with Rotom-S, having access to both Recover and reliable STAB moves to wear it down. Cryogonal can also use Rapid Spin to rid the field from the dreadful Stealth Rock.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Swanna's poor movepool doesn't leave much else for it to use. Scald is an option over Surf for the burn chance. However, the powerdrop is noticeable. Tailwind provides a Speed boost for Swanna and its team, and can be really useful since Swanna doesn't have anything else to boost its Speed with. Aqua Ring is a rather gimmicky move to use, but it cancels out the Life Orb recoil Swanna suffers. Swanna is probably better off using Roost though, since it is weak to Stealth Rock and the chances to set Aqua Ring up are few and far between; it could actually work out and be quite useful, though. Toxic, Featherdance, and Lucky Chant are gimmicky support options for Swanna to support its team with, alongside Tailwind for example. Lucky Chant prevents Absol from plowing through the battle with the high critical chance from Night Slash and Super Luck, while Throh's Storm Throw will do miniscule damage. Choice Scarf and Choice Specs can be used by Swanna to some success; however, since Swanna should be used in rain for the most part, and there are no Drizzle users around, it's not good for Swanna to get locked into one move and thus, it should stick withto Life Orb. These two items could be put to use on a normal team though.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Rotom-S is the number one counter to Swanna. It can easily come in on Hurricane, thanks to its typing and bulk, whileand easily KOing Swanna with either Volt Switch andor Thunderbolt. Lickilicky, Alomomola, and Altaria all have skyhigh defenses compared to Swanna's offenses, and are able to take multiple Hurricanes. They can then proceed to Toxic Swanna, and the stall it out with Wish + Protect and Roost, respectively. However, Altaria needs to be wary of Ice Beam though, since itIce Beam will easily KO it. Sturdy users, most notably Golem, Gigalith, Lairon, and Probopass, can come in after a teammate has gone down or come in on a predicted Roost or Rain Dance, survive a hit and then proceed to easily KO Swanna with Stone Edge, Head Smash, and Volt Switch respectively. Sawk can also KO Swanna with Stone Edge, but needs to be careful when switching in. Sawk also needs Choice Scarf to outspeed Swanna, since the best heit can do is to tie with a Rash Swanna without Choice Scarf. Magmortar and Jynx are two other Choice Scarf users that can easily end Swanna.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Swanna receives Hydration as its Dream World ability. Seeing as Keen Eye and Big Pecks have almost no competitive use, and Swanna is used in rain most of time, Hydration will always be the superior ability when it's released; Hydration will keep Swanna free from any crippling status in rain.</p>

Click to expand...

GP 1/2

Thanks.

Ready for the second check.

I'm not doing a full check because I promised myself that I'd get started on the analyses I have lined up. Just a little error:

SuperJOCKE said:

[Overview]

<p>Swanna is the newest addition to the Water / Flying type group. (< Does this need to be hyphenated? I honestly don't know.)Swanna might look like a mediocre Pokemon on paper, with no stats stat over base 100. However, for NU, Swanna is a quite a deadly force in the right conditions. It has decent, if not good, offensive stats, coupled with a base 98 Speed stat, which allows it to outspeed the common base 95 Speed Pokemon running around, mainly Jynx. Swanna also gets perfect coverage with only its STAB moves, which includes the powerful Hurricane and Brave Bird; the lack of Empoleon's presence in NU makes this possible. That's not all; Swanna also has acces to Roost, making it able to recover lost health. However, Swanna has its downsides as well. Its defenses are quite lacking, and a horrible defensive typing only makes things worse for Swanna; being weak to Stealth Rock is a thorn in its side. Swanna also lacks the much needed (< Hyphenate) power from Hydro Pump, and must resort to using Surf. In rain is where Swanna truly shines though; the power that lies behind a rain-boosted Surf and an a 100% accurate (an one hundred? an hundred? an a hundred? Nah, "a" goes here IMO) Hurricane is enough to dent the whole NU tier, making Swanna a force to watch out for.</p>

Click to expand...

2/2

Thanks sirn.

This is now done and ready for upload.

uploaded