Primeape (Update) [GP 2/2]

SkullCandy

She Bangs The Drums
is a Contributor Alumnus


[Overview]

<p>If one could call RBY the Psychic generation, then it's certain that BW is the Fighting generation. While Primeape has to compete with a plethora of other Fighting-types for a team spot, it has the right tools to help it stand out. Not only is Primeape the fastest Fighting-type in RU, it also has the rare Vital Spirit ability. This allows it to switch into the Sleep Powder users that dominate RU, namely Tangrowth and Lilligant, and makes it the best switch-in to Smeargle as well. Furthermore, Primeape has a unique support move in Encore, along with an extremely powerful attack in Close Combat.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, it's not all sunshine and roses for our anger management case. Primeape has serious issues with Ghost-types as it lacks a reliable coverage move against them, and is terrified of being burned by Will-O-Wisp. This weakness is compounded by Primeape's hatred of any kind of status, as well as its frail defenses. Primeape users should fear not, however, as Primeape has carved itself a niche in RU as a strong and speedy scout.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Punishment
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Thanks to its good Speed stat, Choice Scarf, and access to U-turn, Primeape grabs momentum very easily and serves as an excellent scout. The crux of this set is U-turn; thanks to its great secondary effect, Primeape can evade counters while dealing some damage to them. In addition to forcing the aforementioned counters to take damage from entry hazards, it also enables favorable switch-ins for your team. Close Combat is Primeape's best STAB move; it hits extremely hard and demolishes common RU Pokemon, such as Ferroseed, Clefable, and Steelix. Stone Edge hits most other Pokemon, such as Moltres, Sigilyph, and Scolipede, for super effective damage. Punishment has become substantially more effective as a coverage move considering the rise of Nasty Plot Cofagrigus, and also hits Rotom for super effective damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The nature and EVs maximize Primeape's Attack and Speed, which allows it to outspeed several prominent threats, such as Choice Scarf variants of Moltres, Rotom, and Rotom-C, as well as boosted Omastar and Lilligant. Earthquake can be used to hit Drapion and Qwilfish, but it should only ever be used with the Defiant ability, as Qwilfish isn't even 3HKOed by -1 Earthquake. Vital Spirit is the preferred ability most of the time as it grants Primeape more switch-in opportunities against the likes of Lilligant, Tangrowth, and Smeargle, which it desperately needs due to its paper-thin defenses. However, Defiant, when used with Earthquake, enables Primeape to lure in Qwilfish and 2HKO it with +1 Earthquake.</p>

<p>Choice Scarf Primeape makes great use of entry hazards thanks to its ability to force switches so effectively; it is essential to partner Primeape with one, if not several, layers of entry hazards. Entry hazards also help Primeape by making its average damage output a non-issue. Mesprit and Uxie can both set up Stealth Rock and resist Psychic-type attacks; Ferroseed sports the same resistance and can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock while healing Primeape with Leech Seed. It should be noted, however, that Ferroseed cannot run those three moves all on the same set. It is equally important to keep hazards off of your side of the battlefield; although it takes little damage from Stealth Rock, Primeape despises Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Therefore, Rapid Spin users, such as Cryogonal and Sandslash, make for good partners as they can spin away the hazards that infuriate Primeape. Partnering Primeape with other users of Volt Switch or U-turn, such as Rotom-C and Scyther, takes advantage of entry hazards even more effectively and is therefore recommended. Finally, this set loses to most Ghost-types in the RU tier, particularly Dusknoir and Golurk; a Pursuit trapper therefore helps it immensely. Spiritomb makes for an excellent teammate thanks to its considerable bulk, access to Pursuit and Sucker Punch, and lack of weaknesses. In addition to trapping Ghost-types, Drapion can lay down Toxic Spikes to cripple the aforementioned Dusknoir and Golurk.</p>

[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Encore
move 4: U-turn / Punishment
item: Life Orb
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Life Orb, Primeape becomes a powerful attacker who is able to switch attacks and disrupt the opponent's strategy at the same time. Close Combat does great damage to anything that doesn't resist it thanks to the STAB and Life Orb boost. Stone Edge hits the Flying- and Bug-types that resist Primeape's STAB, and also hits Entei and Typhlosion harder than Close Combat does. Encore helps define this set as it is a fairly unique move that slows down the opponent's momentum, and can potentially disrupt their strategy, while U-turn allows Primeape to help its teammates set up. For instance, Primeape can use Encore on a boosting move or ineffective status move, and then U-turn out to a teammate while scoring some damage on the opponent's Pokemon. Punishment is also a good option in the last moveslot as it enables Primeape to hit the myriad of Ghost-types in RU for super effective damage. It is particularly notable against ones that boost their stats, such as Cofagrigus.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>ThunderPunch is an option to hit Slowking and Qwilfish for super effective damage, but should only be used in conjunction with the Defiant ability to block and take advantage of Qwilfish's Intimidate. Toxic can also be used in place of U-turn or Punishment to capitalize on the switches Primeape causes, as well as to rack up residual damage on the opponent. Life Orb is the item of choice as it gives Primeape a much-needed power boost and increases its versatility. Alternatively, Leftovers and Substitute can replace Life Orb and U-turn to block status and increase Primeape's longevity. Such a variant should instead run a spread of 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe to make five Substitutes instead of four.</p>

<p>Thanks to its Vital Spirit ability, Primeape can easily switch into common sleep moves in RU, such as Sleep Powder from Tangrowth and Lilligant, as well as Spore from Smeargle. Primeape can then Encore the move and proceed to either hit them hard with Close Combat or U-turn out to an appropriate counter should they switch. This set's advantages over other common Encore users, namely Poliwrath and Raichu, are its STAB Close Combat and better overall coverage.</p>

<p>Primeape excels when paired with entry hazards as they literally put your opponent between a rock and a hard place. If the opposing Pokemon stays in, it risks being hit hard by Primeape's attacks; if it switches out, another one of their Pokemon takes entry hazard damage in addition to a powerful attack. Drapion is a great setter of Toxic Spikes, which greatly help Primeape defeat its usual counters, such as Cofagrigus, Spiritomb, and Golurk. Stat-boosting Pokemon, such as Nasty Plot Cofagrigus and Swords Dance Sceptile, can take advantage of Primeape's ability to gain free turns with Encore and set up more easily. Spiritomb and Dusknoir will make short work of this set. As Entei is immune to Will-O–Wisp and takes little damage from their STAB attacks, it pairs well with Primeape.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Even though Primeape has a fairly limited physical movepool, it has all the tools it needs to succeed. Choice Scarf Primeape only needs U-turn, Close Combat, and Stone Edge to excel, and the choice of fourth move is usually trivial. Although Primeape has some interesting support moves, such as Sunny Day and Toxic, a support set is not a good idea due to Primeape's abysmal defenses. The Life Orb set can utilize Screech or Taunt to force switches, but are generally inferior to the moves listed. Overheat can 2HKO Tangrowth, one of RU's premier physical walls. However, mixed Primeape should always either use Life Orb or be backed up by entry hazards in order to secure the KO.</p>

<p>A boosting set consisting of Bulk Up, Cross Chop, Stone Edge, and Punishment can be used, but is unlikely to be consistently successful due to the unreliable nature of its attacks. On top of this, Primeape is largely outclassed in this role by Gallade, and to an extent Gurdurr; it should therefore stick to the sets listed. Focus Punch and Cross Chop are alternative STAB moves; the former is useful on sets running Substitute and the latter, though weaker than Close Combat, doesn't lower Primeape's defenses. However, this benefit is usually useless as Primeape is more of a hit-and-run attacker.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Although Primeape is relatively strong and fast, it isn't incredible at either. Qwilfish is a hard counter to any Primeape that doesn't run Earthquake and Defiant thanks to Intimidate and its good physical bulk. Bulky Ghost-types, such as Dusknoir and Spiritomb, make short work of Primeape thanks to their excellent bulk and immunity to Close Combat; they can also burn Primeape with Will-O-Wisp and cripple it for the remainder of the match. In fact, any type of status is debilitating to Primeape as it doesn't appreciate drops in Speed, Attack, or longevity. Uxie and Mesprit resist Close Combat, take little damage from U-turn, have Psychic-type STAB attacks, and can paralyze Primeape. Scolipede 4x resists Close Combat and can set up Toxic Spikes and Spikes to stop Primeape from constantly switching in and out of play. Golurk is a good offensive check as it resists or is immune to just about all of Primeape's attacks and takes little from Punishment thanks to its good bulk and Punishment's low Base Power.</p>
 

Honko

he of many honks
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Scarf looks good. I'd mention Earthquake somewhere, either in AC or OO, just to hit Qwilfish.

The Encore set needs some work. Nobody uses it, and I think part of the reason is that it's not being sold correctly. As a general purpose Encore supporter, Primeape is pretty badly outclassed by Accelgor and Whimsicott. It beats Smeargle, which is cool, and it could mess up OTR Cofagrigus pretty bad if you gave it Punishment in the last slot, but other that that there's not much that it beats specifically because of Encore. Smart Lilligant (and Butterfree) users never lead with Sleep Powder if they see a Primeape, and Tangrowth doesn't really care if he's forced to switch out. Most set-up sweepers either outspeed Primeape after a boost or have priority moves, and they aren't going to keep setting up against Primeape whether they expect Encore or not (again, OTR Cofagrigus is the exception here).

My point is that Encore is being focused on too much in the current writeup. I love Encore, and I love Primeape, but a Primeape set focusing on Encore is outclassed by Accelgor and just not that good. Instead, I think it should be a more offensive Life Orb set with Encore as a perk.

[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Encore
move 4: U-turn / Punishment
item: Life Orb
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

It's the fastest Fighting-type, it has good coverage, and it hits pretty hard with a Life Orb. Encore is just the icing on the cake, allowing you to screw over some things that give other Fighting-types (and attackers in general) a lot of trouble. U-turn lets it keep its role as a scout, and Encore + U-turn is still a great momentum grabber. Punishment ruins Cofagrigus and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting. You can put Substitute and Leftovers in AC.

That's my take. Your thoughts?
 

SkullCandy

She Bangs The Drums
is a Contributor Alumnus
Yeah Honko, I like that idea. I never was too sure about the Encore set in general (I tested it and it was a bit underwhelming, especially if you run Encore, Substitute and Toxic). The Life Orb set lets it hit hard as well as maintaining most of the perks of the standard Encore set. I'll test it and then implement the changes.
 
Just a minor nitpick, in the additional comments in the encore set you mention that stone edge is used to OHKO Scizor, I think you meant Scyther.
 

kokoloko

what matters is our plan!
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ThunderPunch needs a mention due to hitting both Slowking and Qwil at the same time. Its a shame you can't use it with Defiant.

Speaking of which, Defiant is awesome with Qwilfish being so common, so I would even go as far as making an "ability: Vital Spirit / Defiant" line and explaining the pros and cons of each (+ how Defiant might cause move legality issues).
 

SkullCandy

She Bangs The Drums
is a Contributor Alumnus
^ Thanks :)

I've changed the Encore set to Life Orb now. It's much more effective and takes advantage of Primeape's assets (high Attack and Speed and good coverage) as opposed to his disadvantages (shitty bulk). Any more suggestions?

EDIT: @ kokoloko, I really like Defiant on Primeape cos it does fuck up its main counter. My only problem is that even after the Attack boost Primeape still can't hit Qwilfish that hard unless sit has Earthquake and Qwilfish can easily TWave it to cripple it for the rest of the game. Although it would work with entry hazards so Qwilfish can't keep coming into Primeape and taking boosted attacks I guess.
 
I've been looking at Primeape again because of this thread and I've discovered that it can actually brandish ThunderPunch with Defiant since it's a Dreamworld move. Fire Punch & Ice Punch are still 4th Gen Tutor moves so those are still off-limits for Defiant versions. With good news also comes bad news though, as it fails to OHKO Qwilfish even at +1 with ThunderPunch (70% - 83% from a Life Orb Primeape). Earthquake shows more promise, offering a 68% chance to OHKO.

All in all: I'd definitely consider ThunderPunch for a Defiant set, regardless of item but it struggles for justification when Punishment or its staple moves are usually better.
 

kokoloko

what matters is our plan!
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Oh, nice. I assumed because it couldn't get Ice Punch it couldn't get ThunderPunch, that's pretty cool.

Now that that's been cleared up, I'd definitely mention ThunderPunch + Defiant somewhere, even if its just to hit Qwilfish hard on the switch.
 
Thunderpunch seems pretty useless honestly, especially if you can't use Ice Punch with it and are forced to use Defiant. Earthquake hits Qwilfish harder anyway, and also hits Drapion harder and such.

Anyway, looks good.

QC APPROVED 1/3
 

kokoloko

what matters is our plan!
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Two-Time Past SPL Champion
How is a move that hits both Slowking and Qwilfish useless lol?

Not to mention you're not forced to use Defiant, but it is an option, which is great when you consider Intimidate. It would be foolish not to mention it in AC at the very least.
 

complete legitimacy

is it cold in the water?
is a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
I'm not entirely sold on ThunderPunch, but Defiant definitely sounds like it could get some use. It would make for an excellent Qwilfish lure with Earthquake, and since that last slot is essentially filler it wouldn't be too hard to find a place for it. Like ShakeItUp said, Earthquake hits both Qwilfish and Drapion harder, and ThunderPunch only hits Slowking marginally harder than U-turn. The only reason I'd hesitate to go with Defiant is losing Vital Spirit, as it's one of Primeape's main niches.
 
How is a move that hits both Slowking and Qwilfish useless lol?
As I mentioned, Qwilfish is hit HARDER by Earthquake and Slowking is hit almost has hard by U-Turn, which is a better move to be locked into anyway since it forces you to switch. At the very most, it should be mentioned in Other Options.
 

Honko

he of many honks
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Programmer Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
The problem is Scarf ThunderPunch is barely even a 3HKO on Slowking, so it can just switch back out without losing anything, while you're now locked into a weak coverage move that a lot of the tier resists or is immune to. U-turn is way better in that matchup. And as ShakeItUp says, EQ is better for Qwilfish. ThunderPunch to OO.

By the way, mention that EQ is only worth it if you're using Defiant, since -1 EQ doesn't even 3HKO Qwilfish without hazards, but +1 EQ does 73-86%.
 

kokoloko

what matters is our plan!
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Two-Time Past SPL Champion
o_k

I concede to ThunderPunch sucking on the Scarf set. Admittedly, I had not even thought of EQ as an option to kill Qwilfish and for some reason the thought of simply U-turning out of Slowking didn't cross my mind either. BUT since the LO set doesn't always run U-turn, you should still mention that ThunderPunch hits both of them (should 2-shot both with the LO boost).

But yes, it (and EQ for that matter) is only worth it with Defiant.
 

Honko

he of many honks
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Programmer Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
The item on the second set should just be Life Orb (no slashes).

The 4 extra EVs on both sets should go in Def or SpD, not HP, because putting them in HP makes you take more damage from SR, Spikes, and poison.

QC APPROVED 2/3
 
this is ready for sir's am check
done

[Overview]

<p>If one could call RBY the Psychic generation,(add comma) than it's certain that BW is the Fighting generation and, unfortunately for our angry primate, Primeape finds itself hard-pressed to compete with the plethora of new Fighting-types that have been introduced. Thankfully, Primeape has the right tools to help it compete in the Fighting-type infested RU. Not only is Primeape the fastest Fighting-type in RU, it is also one of the only Pokemon with access to the excellent Vital Spirit ability. This allows it to switch into the many Sleep Powder users that dominate RU,(add comma) (namely Tangrowth and Lilligant) but it also makes it the best switch-in to Smeargle. Primeape also has a unique support move in Encore as well as an extremely powerful Close Combat.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, it's not all sunshine and roses for our anger management case. Primeape has serious issues with Ghost-types as it lacks any sort of reliable coverage move against them and is terrified of being burned by Will-O-Wisp. This weakness is compounded by Primeape's hatred of any kind of status (bar sleep) and its frail defenses. Fear not, however,However, as Primeape has carved itself a niche in RU as a strong and speedy scout.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Punishment
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Thanks to its good Speed, Choice Scarf,(add comma) and access to U-turn,(add comma) Primeape grabs momentum very easily and serves as an excellent 'scout' scout of sorts. The crux of this set is U-turn.(remove period...) Thanks thanks to its great secondary effect,(add comma) Primeape can evade counters whilst dealing some damage to them. It also forces them to switch into entry hazards, as well as enabling favourable switch-ins for your team. Close Combat is Primeape's best STAB move and it hits extremely hard, as well as demolishing common RU Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Clefable,(add comma) and Steelix. Stone Edge hits most Pokemon who take little from U-turn and resist Close Combat for super effective damage, such as Moltres, Sigilyph,(add comma) and Scolipede. Punishment has become substantially more effective as a coverage move considering the rise of Nasty Plot Cofagrigus,(add comma) and is still also useful to hit Rotom for super effective damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The nature and given EVs maximise Primeape's Attack and Speed, allowing it to outspeed several prominent threats, such as Choice Scarf Moltres, Rotom and Rotom-C, as well as boosted Omastar and Lilligant. Choice Scarf Primeape makes great use of entry hazards thanks to its ability to force switches so effectively,(add comma) and therefore it is essential to partner Primeape with one, if not several, layers of entry hazards. Entry hazards also help Primeape by making its average damage output a non-issue. However, it is equally important to keep hazards off of your side of the battlefield because, although it takes little damage from Stealth Rock, Primeape despises Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Partnering Primeape with another a Volt Switch or U-turn user takes advantage of the presence of entry hazards even more effectively and is therefore recommended. Earthquake can be used to hit Drapion and Qwilfish, although it should only ever be used with Defiant, as Qwilfish isn't even 3HKOed by a -1 Earthquake. an Earthquake after Intimidate.</p>

<p>Pokemon who can set up entry hazards make for good teammates. Mesprit and Uxie can both set up Stealth Rock and resist Psychic-type attacks. Ferroseed sports the same resistance and can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock, as well as healing Primeape with Leech Seed. It should be noted, however, that Ferroseed cannot run those three moves all on the same set. This set loses to most Ghost-types in the RU tier and,(add comma) therefore pairing it with a Pursuit trapper helps it immensely. Spiritomb makes for an excellent teammate thanks to its considerable bulk, access to Pursuit and Sucker Punch, and lack of weaknesses. Drapion, too, can trap Ghost-types and can lay down Toxic Spikes to cripple Pokemon such as Dusknoir and Golurk who frequently switch into Primeape.</p>

[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Encore
move 4: U-turn / Punishment
item: Life Orb
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Life Orb,(add comma) Primeape transforms into a powerful attacker who is able to switch attacks and disrupt the opponent's strategy at the same time. Close Combat does a huge amount of damage to anything that doesn't resist it thanks to STAB and Life Orb's boost. Stone Edge hits the Flying- and Bug-types who resist Primeape's STAB, as well as hitting Entei and Typholosion harder than Close Combat. Encore helps define this set as it is a fairly unique move that halts the opponents momentum and can potentially disrupt their strategy. U-turn allows Primeape to help its teammates set up, as it can use Encore on a stat up boost or ineffective status move and then U-turn out to a teammate whilst scoring some damage on the opponent's Pokemon in the mean time. Punishment is also a good option as it enables Primeape to hit the myriad of Ghost-types in RU for super effective damage, especially the ones that boost their stats, such as Cofagrigus.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>ThunderPunch is an option to hit Slowking and Qwilfish for super effective damage, but should only be used in conjunction with the ability Defiant to block and take advantage of Qwilfish's Intimidate. Toxic can also be used in place of U-turn or Punishment to capitalize on the switches Primeape causes, as well as racking up more residual damage on the opponent. Thanks to its Vital Spirit ability,(add comma) Primeape can easily switch into common sleep moves inducers in RU such as Tangrowth and Lilligant's Sleep Powders' Powder's,(add comma)and Smeargle's Spore, and then proceed to use Encore and hit them hard or U-turn out to an appropriate counter. What this set has over Poliwrath and Raich (the other common Encore users) is its STAB Close Combat and better overall coverage. Life Orb is the item of choice as it gives Primeape a much needed boost to its attacks and increases its versatility. However,(add comma) Life Orb can be replaced with Leftovers and U-turn with Substitute to increase Primeape’s longevity and to block status,(add comma)respectively. If you choose this set,(add comma) then a spread of 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe as it is more efficient as it allows Primeape to make five Substitutes instead of four.</p>

<p>Primeape excels when paired with entry hazards as they essentially put your opponent between a rock and a hard place. What does this mean? Change the sentence. If your opponent stays in,(add comma) they risk being hit hard by Primeape's attacks,(add comma)[/COLOR and if they switch out they risk the same thing but another one of their Pokemon takes entry hazard damage as well. Any Pokemon that uses a stat-boosting move can take advantage of Primeape's ability to use Encore to garner free turns in which to set up. Also, Pokemon that can set up entry hazards make for good partners, especially those that can set up Toxic Spikes, such as Drapion. Spiritomb and Dusknoir will make short work of this set,(add comma)[/COLOR so Entei is a good partner thanks to its ability to be unaffected by Will-O–Wisp immunity and taking little damage from their STAB attacks.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Even though Primeape has a fairly limited physical movepool, it has all the tools it needs to succeed. Choice Scarf Primeape only needs U-turn, Close Combat and Stone Edge to excel,(add comma)[/COLOR and any move in the fourth slot is usually unnecessary. Although Primeape has some interesting support moves, such as Sunny Day and Toxic, a support set is not a good idea due to Primeape's abysmal defenses. Screech or Taunt can be used on the Life Orb set to force switches and occasionally force opponents to Struggle, but are inferior options to the already moves listed. A boosting set consisting of Bulk Up / Cross Chop / Stone Edge / Punishment can be used but is unlikely to have much success due to the unreliable nature of its attacks. On top of this, Primeape is largely outclassed in this role by Gallade, and to an extent Gurdurr, and should therefore stick to the sets listed. Focus Punch or Cross Chop can be used as alternative STAB moves. The former is useful on sets running Substitute and the latter is a defense Defense drop-free alternative to Close Combat, but this is usually useless as Primeape is more of a hit-and-run kind of Pokemon.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Although Primeape is relatively strong and fast, it isn't incredible at either. Qwilfish hard counters any Primeape set that doesn't run Earthquake and Defiant thanks to Intimidate and its good physical bulk. Bulky Ghost-types, such as Dusknoir and Spiritomb, make short work of Primeape thanks to their excellent bulk and immunity to Close Combat. The aforementioned Ghosts can also burn Primeape with Will-O-Wisp, thus crippling it for the remainder of the match. In fact, any type of status is debilitating to Primeape as it doesn't appreciate drops in Speed, Attack, or decreased longevity. Uxie and Mesprit resist Close Combat, have Psychic-type STAB, and can paralyze Primeape, whilst taking little damage from U-turn when running physically bulky spreads. Scolipede 4x four times resists Close Combat and can set up Toxic Spikes and Spikes to stop Primeape from constantly switching in and out of play. Golurk is a good offensive check as it resists or is immune to all of Primeape's attacks and takes little from Punishment thanks to its good bulk and Punishment's low Base Power.</p>


BeeAreBee haircut :D
i dont have the strength to double check this...
 

SkullCandy

She Bangs The Drums
is a Contributor Alumnus
There are quite a few changes that I don't agree with so I'm not going to make all the changes. The good ones (and a few others I've noticed) will go up though.
 

Desolate

Banned deucer.
[Overview]

<p>If one could call RBY the Psychic generation, then it's certain that BW is the Fighting generation and, u. Unfortunately for our angry primate, Primeape finds itself hard-pressed to compete with the plethora of new Fighting-types that have been introduced. Thankfully, Primeape has the right tools to help it compete in theRU's Fighting-type infested RUation. Not only is Primeape the fastest Fighting-type in RU, but it is also one of the only Pokemon with access to the excellent Vital SpiriVital Spirit, an excellent ability. T; this allows it to switch into the many Sleep Powder users that dominate RU (namely Tangrowth and Lilligant), but also makes it the best switch-in to Smeargle. Primeape also has a unique support move in Encore as well as an extremely powerful Close Combat.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, it's not all sunshine and roses for our anger management case. Primeape has serious issues with Ghost-types as it lacks any sort of reliable coverage move against them and is terrified of being burned by Will-O-Wisp. This weakness is compounded by Primeape's hatred of any kind of status (bar sleep) and its frail defenses. Fear not, however, as Primeape has carved itself a niche in RU as a strong and speedy scout.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Punishment
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Thanks to its good Speed, Choice Scarf, and access to U-turn, Primeape grabs momentum very easily and serves as an excellent 'scout' of sortdemonstrator of scouting abilities. The crux of this set is U-turn. T; thanks to its great secondary effect, Primeape can evade counters whilste dealing some damage to them. It also forces them to switch into entry hazards, as well as enabling favourable switch-ins for your team. Close Combat is Primeape's best STAB move and it hits extremely hard, a; it serves well ast demolishing common RU Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Clefable and Steelix. Stone Edge hits most Pokemon who take little from U-turn and resist Close Combat for super effective damage, such as Moltres, Sigilyph and Scolipede. Punishment has become substantially more effective as a coverage move considering the rise of Nasty Plot Cofagrigus and is still useful to hit Rotom for super effective damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The nature and given EVs maximisze Primeape's Attack and Speed, allowing it to outspeed several prominent threats, such as Choice Scarf Moltres, Rotom and Rotom-C, as well as boosted Omastar and Lilligant. Choice Scarf Primeape makes great use of entry hazards thanks to its ability to force switches so effectively and therefore; it is essential to partner Primeape with one, if not several, layers of entry hazards. Entry hazards also help Primeape by making its average damage output a non-issue. However, it is equally important to keep hazards off of your side of the battlefield because, although it takes little damage from Stealth Rock, Primeape despises Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Partnering Primeape with another Volt Switch or U-turn user takes advantage of the presence of entry hazards even more effectively and is therefore recommended. Earthquake can be used to hit Drapion and Qwilfish, although it should only ever be used with Defiant, as Qwilfish isn't even 3HKOed by a -1 Earthquake.</p>

<p>Pokemon who can set up entry hazards make for good teammates.; Mesprit and Uxie can both set up Stealth Rock and resist Psychic-type attacks., while Ferroseed sports the same resistance and can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock, as well as healing Primeape with Leech Seed. It should be noted, however, that Ferroseed cannot run those three moves all on the same set. This set loses to most Ghost-types in the RU tier and therefore pairing it with a Pursuit trapper helps it immensely. Spiritomb makes for an excellent teammate thanks to its considerable bulk, access to Pursuit and Sucker Punch, and lack of weaknesses. Drapion, too, can trap Ghost-types and can lay down Toxic Spikes to cripple Pokemon such as Dusknoir and Golurk who frequently switch into Primeape.</p>

[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Encore
move 4: U-turn / Punishment
item: Life Orb
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Life Orb, Primeape transforms into a powerful attacker who is able to switch attacks and disrupt the opponent's strategy at the same time. Close Combat does a huge amount of damage to anything that doesn't resist it thanks to STAB and Life Orb's boost. Stone Edge hits the Flying- and Bug-types who resist Primeape's STAB, as well as hitting Entei and Typholosion harder than Close Combat. Encore helps define this set as it is a fairly unique move that haltsslows down the opponents momentum and can potentially disrupt their strategy. U-turn allows Primeape to help its teammates set up, as it can use Encore on a stat up or ineffective status move and then U-turn out to a teammate whilste scoring some damage on the opponent's Pokemon in the mean time. Punishment is also a good option as it enables Primeape to hit the myriad of Ghost-types in RU for super effective damage, especially the ones that boost their stats, such as Cofagrigus.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>ThunderPunch is an option to hit Slowking and Qwilfish for super effective damage, but should only be used in conjunction with the ability Defiant to block and take advantage of Qwilfish's Intimidate. Toxic can also be used in place of U-turn or Punishment to capitalize on the switches Primeape causes, as well as racking up more residual damage on the opponent. Thanks to its Vital Spirit ability, Primeape can easily switch into common sleep moves in RU such as Tangrowth and Lilligant's Sleep Powders' and Smeargle's Spore, and then proceed to use Encore andto hit them hard or U-turn out to an appropriate counter. What this set has over Poliwrath and Raichu (the other common Encore users) is its STAB Close Combat and better overall coverage. Life Orb is the item of choice as it gives Primeape a much needed boost to its attacks and increases its versatility. However, Life Orb can be replaced with Leftovers and U-turn with Substitute to increase Primeape’s longevity and to block status. If you choose this set then a spread of 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe is more efficient as it allows Primeape to make five Substitutes instead of four.</p>

<p>Primeape excels when paired with entry hazards as they essentiliterally put your opponent between a rock and a hard place. If your opponent stays in, they risk being hit hard by Primeape's attacks and if they switch out they risk the same thing but with another one of their Pokemon takesing entry hazard damage as well. Any Pokemon that uses a stat-boosting move can take advantage of Primeape's ability to use Encore to garner free turns in which to set up. Also, Pokemon that can set up entry hazards make for good partners, especially those that can set up Toxic Spikes, such as Drapion. Spiritomb and Dusknoir will make short work of this set, so Entei is a good partner, thanks to its ability to be unaffected by Will-O–Wisp, and taking little damage from their STAB attacks.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Even though Primeape has a fairly limited physical movepool, it has all the tools it needs to succeed. Choice Scarf Primeape only needs U-turn, Close Combat and Stone Edge to excel and any move in the fourth slot is usually unnecessary. Although, Primeape has some interesting support moves, such as Sunny Day and Toxic, a support set is not a good idea due to Primeape's abysmal defenses. Screech or Taunt can be used on the Life Orb set to force switches and occasionally force opponents to Struggle, but are inferior options to the moves listed. A boosting set consisting of Bulk Up / Cross Chop / Stone Edge / Punishment can be used but is unlikely to have much success due to the unreliable nature of its attacks. On top of this, Primeape is largely outclassed in this role by Gallade, and, to an extent, Gurdurr, and should therefore stick to the sets listed. Focus Punch or Cross Chop can be used as alternative STAB moves. The former is useful on sets running Substitute and the latter is a defense drop-free alternative to Close Combat, but this is usually useless as Primeape is more of a hit-and-run kind of Pokemon.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Although Primeape is relatively strong and fast, it isn't incredible at either. Qwilfish hard counters any Primeape set that doesn't run Earthquake and Defiant thanks to Intimidate and its good physical bulk. Bulky Ghost-types, such as Dusknoir and Spiritomb, make short work of Primeape thanks to their excellent bulk and immunity to Close Combat. The aforementionedBulky Ghost-types can also burn Primeape with Will-O-Wisp, thus crippling it for the remainder of the match. In fact, any type of status is debilitating to Primeape as it doesn't appreciate drops in Speed, Attack, or longevity. Uxie and Mesprit resist Close Combat, have Psychic-type STAB, and can paralyze Primeape, whilste taking little damage from U-turn when running physically bulky spreads. Scolipede 4x resists Close Combat and can set up Toxic Spikes and Spikes to stop Primeape from constantly switching in and out of play. Golurk is a good offensive check as it resists or is immune to all of Primeape's attacks and takes little from Punishment thanks to its good bulk and Punishment's low Base Power.</p>


[Overview]

<p>If one could call RBY the Psychic generation, then it's certain that BW is the Fighting generation. Unfortunately our angry primate finds itself hard-pressed to compete with the plethora of new Fighting-types that have been introduced. Thankfully, Primeape has the right tools to help it compete in RU's Fighting-type infestation. Not only is Primeape the fastest Fighting-type in RU but it is also one of the only Pokemon with access to Vital Spirit, an excellent ability; this allows it to switch into the many Sleep Powder users that dominate RU (namely Tangrowth and Lilligant), but also makes it the best switch-in to Smeargle. Primeape also has a unique support move in Encore as well as an extremely powerful Close Combat.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, it's not all sunshine and roses for our anger management case. Primeape has serious issues with Ghost-types as it lacks any sort of reliable coverage move against them and is terrified of being burned by Will-O-Wisp. This weakness is compounded by Primeape's hatred of any kind of status (bar sleep) and its frail defenses. Fear not, however, as Primeape has carved itself a niche in RU as a strong and speedy scout.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Punishment
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Thanks to its good Speed, Choice Scarf, and access to U-turn, Primeape grabs momentum very easily and serves as an excellent demonstrator of scouting abilities. The crux of this set is U-turn; thanks to its great secondary effect, Primeape can evade counters while dealing some damage to them. It also forces them to switch into entry hazards, as well as enabling favorable switch-ins for your team. Close Combat is Primeape's best STAB move and it hits extremely hard; it serves well at demolishing common RU Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Clefable and Steelix. Stone Edge hits most Pokemon who take little from U-turn and resist Close Combat for super effective damage, such as Moltres, Sigilyph and Scolipede. Punishment has become substantially more effective as a coverage move considering the rise of Nasty Plot Cofagrigus and is still useful to hit Rotom for super effective damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The nature and given EVs maximize Primeape's Attack and Speed, allowing it to outspeed several prominent threats, such as Choice Scarf Moltres, Rotom and Rotom-C, as well as boosted Omastar and Lilligant. Choice Scarf Primeape makes great use of entry hazards thanks to its ability to force switches so effectively; it is essential to partner Primeape with one, if not several, layers of entry hazards. Entry hazards also help Primeape by making its average damage output a non-issue. However, it is equally important to keep hazards off of your side of the battlefield because, although it takes little damage from Stealth Rock, Primeape despises Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Partnering Primeape with another Volt Switch or U-turn user takes advantage of the presence of entry hazards even more effectively and is therefore recommended. Earthquake can be used to hit Drapion and Qwilfish, although it should only ever be used with Defiant, as Qwilfish isn't even 3HKOed by a -1 Earthquake.</p>

<p>Pokemon who can set up entry hazards make for good teammates; Mesprit and Uxie can both set up Stealth Rock and resist Psychic-type attacks, while Ferroseed sports the same resistance and can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock, as well as healing Primeape with Leech Seed. It should be noted, however, that Ferroseed cannot run those three moves all on the same set. This set loses to most Ghost-types in the RU tier and therefore pairing it with a Pursuit trapper helps it immensely. Spiritomb makes for an excellent teammate thanks to its considerable bulk, access to Pursuit and Sucker Punch, and lack of weaknesses. Drapion, too, can trap Ghost-types and can lay down Toxic Spikes to cripple Pokemon such as Dusknoir and Golurk who frequently switch into Primeape.</p>

[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Encore
move 4: U-turn / Punishment
item: Life Orb
ability: Vital Spirit
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Life Orb, Primeape transforms into a powerful attacker who is able to switch attacks and disrupt the opponent's strategy at the same time. Close Combat does a huge amount of damage to anything that doesn't resist it thanks to STAB and Life Orb's boost. Stone Edge hits the Flying- and Bug-types who resist Primeape's STAB, as well as hitting Entei and Typholosion harder than Close Combat. Encore helps define this set as it is a fairly unique move that slows down the opponents momentum and can potentially disrupt their strategy. U-turn allows Primeape to help its teammates set up, as it can use Encore on a stat up or ineffective status move and then U-turn out to a teammate while scoring some damage on the opponent's Pokemon in the mean time. Punishment is also a good option as it enables Primeape to hit the myriad of Ghost-types in RU for super effective damage, especially the ones that boost their stats, such as Cofagrigus.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>ThunderPunch is an option to hit Slowking and Qwilfish for super effective damage, but should only be used in conjunction with the ability Defiant to block and take advantage of Qwilfish's Intimidate. Toxic can also be used in place of U-turn or Punishment to capitalize on the switches Primeape causes, as well as racking up more residual damage on the opponent. Thanks to its Vital Spirit ability, Primeape can easily switch into common sleep moves in RU such as Tangrowth and Lilligant's Sleep Powder and Smeargle's Spore, and then proceed to use Encore to hit them hard or U-turn out to an appropriate counter. What this set has over Poliwrath and Raichu (the other common Encore users) is its STAB Close Combat and better overall coverage. Life Orb is the item of choice as it gives Primeape a much needed boost to its attacks and increases its versatility. However, Life Orb can be replaced with Leftovers and U-turn with Substitute to increase Primeape’s longevity and to block status. If you choose this set then a spread of 8 HP / 248 Atk / 252 Spe is more efficient as it allows Primeape to make five Substitutes instead of four.</p>

<p>Primeape excels when paired with entry hazards as they literally put your opponent between a rock and a hard place. If your opponent stays in, they risk being hit hard by Primeape's attacks and if they switch out they risk the same thing but with another one of their Pokemon taking entry hazard damage. Any Pokemon that uses a stat-boosting move can take advantage of Primeape's ability to use Encore to garner free turns in which to set up. Also, Pokemon that can set up entry hazards make for good partners, especially those that can set up Toxic Spikes, such as Drapion. Spiritomb and Dusknoir will make short work of this set, so Entei is a good partner, thanks to its ability to be unaffected by Will-O–Wisp, and taking little damage from their STAB attacks.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Even though Primeape has a fairly limited physical movepool, it has all the tools it needs to succeed. Choice Scarf Primeape only needs U-turn, Close Combat and Stone Edge to excel and any move in the fourth slot is usually unnecessary. Although, Primeape has some interesting support moves, such as Sunny Day and Toxic, a support set is not a good idea due to Primeape's abysmal defenses. Screech or Taunt can be used on the Life Orb set to force switches and occasionally force opponents to Struggle, but are inferior options to the moves listed. A boosting set consisting of Bulk Up / Cross Chop / Stone Edge / Punishment can be used but is unlikely to have much success due to the unreliable nature of its attacks. On top of this, Primeape is largely outclassed in this role by Gallade, and, to an extent, Gurdurr, and should therefore stick to the sets listed. Focus Punch or Cross Chop can be used as alternative STAB moves. The former is useful on sets running Substitute and the latter is a defense drop-free alternative to Close Combat, but this is usually useless as Primeape is more of a hit-and-run kind of Pokemon.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Although Primeape is relatively strong and fast, it isn't incredible at either. Qwilfish hard counters any Primeape set that doesn't run Earthquake and Defiant thanks to Intimidate and its good physical bulk. Bulky Ghost-types, such as Dusknoir and Spiritomb, make short work of Primeape thanks to their excellent bulk and immunity to Close Combat. Bulky Ghost-types can also burn Primeape with Will-O-Wisp, thus crippling it for the remainder of the match. In fact, any type of status is debilitating to Primeape as it doesn't appreciate drops in Speed, Attack, or longevity. Uxie and Mesprit resist Close Combat, have Psychic-type STAB, and can paralyze Primeape, while taking little damage from U-turn when running physically bulky spreads. Scolipede 4x resists Close Combat and can set up Toxic Spikes and Spikes to stop Primeape from constantly switching in and out of play. Golurk is a good offensive check as it resists or is immune to all of Primeape's attacks and takes little from Punishment thanks to its good bulk and Punishment's low Base Power.</p>




GP 1/2
 

Lee

@ Thick Club
is a Top Team Rater Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnus
0 SpA Life Orb Overheat vs 252/0 Tangrowth = 73.76% - 87.13%
without LO = 56.93% - 67.33%

maybe an OO mention or something I dunno. breaking through the tier's premier physical wall is pretty snazzy.
 

Honko

he of many honks
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Programmer Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
That's pretty cool, I didn't realize it learned Overheat. OO mention sounds good, please add that SkullCandy.
 

SkullCandy

She Bangs The Drums
is a Contributor Alumnus
Addedd Overheat to OO.

Thanks for the check Desolate, however, there are a couple of issues that I have with it.

Unfortunately for our angry primate, Primeape finds itself hard-pressed to compete with the plethora of new Fighting-types that have been introduced. Thankfully, Primeape has the right tools to help it compete in theRU's Fighting-type infested RUation
How do you compete in an infestation? You can say that it can cope with the Fighting-type infestation or something but not that it competes in the infestation.

Thanks to its good Speed, Choice Scarf, and access to U-turn, Primeape grabs momentum very easily and serves as an excellent 'scout' of sortdemonstrator of scouting abilities
This is just a convoluted (and incorrect) subjective phrasing of what I said.

Close Combat is Primeape's best STAB move and it hits extremely hard, a; it serves well ast demolishing common RU Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Clefable and Steelix.
This is also just a variation of what I said, I would say that mine reads better.

Otherwise, thanks for the check!
 
1) I'm with SkullCandy on this one :]

---

2) Going with SkullCandy here too - but I'd remove the apostrophes. firstly, use quotation marks to signal irony and such, not apostrophes! secondly, if I'm understanding you correctly, it IS a scout, so they're unnecessary altogether

---

3)
skullcandy's original version said:
Close Combat is Primeape's best STAB move and it hits extremely hard, as well as demolishing common RU Pokemon such as
this is grammatically incorrect! "hits extremely hard" does not parallel "demolishing common Pokemon" - one's in present tense and one's in future tense. Desolate's revision is correct here~

alternatively, you could also go with something like "Close Combat is Primeape's best STAB move; it hits extremely hard, and demolishes common RU Pokemon"

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Life Orb set comments said:
Stone Edge hits the Flying- and Bug-types who resist Primeape's STAB, as well as hitting Entei and Typholosion harder than Close Combat.
same issue applies here, actually - go with "and also hits"

also, you need a "does" at the end of the sentence to remove ambiguity :p

I personally think "the Flying- and Bug-types that resist" sounds better, but I'm not sure if this is a preference thing or a grammar thing

aaaaand last but not least it's Typhlosion

!

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and since I'm here I might as well give this a look over I guessssss

note that you need serial commas!!
  • Choice Scarf set comments: common RU Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Clefable and Steelix
  • Choice Scarf AC: several prominent threats, such as Choice Scarf Moltres, Rotom and Rotom-C (actually, I suggest changing this to "Choice Scarf variants of Moltres, Rotom, and Rotom-C" to make it super-clear that all of them are scarfed)
  • Other Options: Choice Scarf Primeape only needs U-turn, Close Combat and Stone Edge


other options said:
A boosting set consisting of Bulk Up / Cross Chop / Stone Edge / Punishment
by convention, write out the moves as such: "consisting of Bulk Up, Cross Chop, Stone Edge, and Punishment". I know it looks ugly, but slashes are reserved for separating multiple move options in one moveslot.

more other options said:
the latter is a defense drop-free alternative to Close Combat
I get what you're trying to say, but it's a rather... odd way of saying it lol. perhaps consider: "the latter, though weaker than Close Combat, doesn't lower Primeape's defenses. However, this is usually" etc etc


:3
 

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