Smeargle (Spiker Lead Update)

http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/smeargle

STATUS: Ready for upload.

[SET]
name: Spikes Lead
move 1: Spore
move 2: Spikes
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Stealth Rock / Counter
item: Focus Sash
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 Atk / 252 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Smeargle is one of the best leads for offensive teams that want Spikes set up without losing any offensive momentum. Against bulkier leads who lack a Lum Berry, such as Swampert, Smeargle can Spore them and then freely set up both Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes thanks to Focus Sash. Against faster leads who can still be slept, such as Heatran, Smeargle will likely manage to only use Spore and set up one layer of Spikes or Stealth Rock, but this is still enough to help offensive teams. U-turn allows Smeargle to break the Focus Sash of Taunt leads, such as Aerodactyl and Azelf, whom he will be unable to Spore. It also keeps the momentum in Smeargle's favor as he switches to a Pokemon who better handles the situation at hand.</p>

<p>The last slot depends on whether you want early Stealth Rock set-up or if you'd rather take out Machamp leads through the use of Counter since Smeargle's Own Tempo ability prevents him from being confused by DynamicPunch. Counter can also be used at other times if Smeargle still has his Focus Sash intact. A Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs are used so Smeargle outspeeds as many threats as possible, while 252 Defense EVs are used so that Smeargle can take physical hits better. The leftover EVs are put in Attack.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Other options for the last slot include Taunt, Protect, Magic Coat, Encore, Perish Song, Explosion, Destiny Bond, and Lunar Dance. Taunt stops the opponent's Pokemon from setting up either entry hazards or stat-boosts on Smeargle. Protect prevents Smeargle from having his Focus Sash broken by Infernape leads who usually have Fake Out. From there, he can Spore Infernape and set up one layer of Spikes or Stealth Rock. Magic Coat allows Smeargle to reflect Spore back at opposing Smeargle leads and Sleep Powder back at Roserade leads, who otherwise could stop Smeargle from getting any hazards up. Encore, Perish Song, Explosion, and Destiny Bond all provide different ways of stopping a Pokemon from using Smeargle as easy set-up bait. Finally, Lunar Dance gives another Pokemon on Smeargle's team a second chance at a sweep by restoring their health to 100% and curing any status ailments. Smeargle can also run 252 Attack EVs instead of Defense EVs if you want to do more damage to Azelf leads with U-turn.</p>

<p>Smeargle mainly has problems with Infernape, Jirachi, Machamp, Lum Berry Metagross, and Roserade leads as he will be unable to get off a Spore and will only at most set up one layer of entry hazards. Gyarados and Starmie can deal with Infernape leads and also Metagross leads in the former's case. Heatran does well against Jirachi leads and also scares off Metagross leads, but must be wary of switching in on Earthquake against the latter. Machamp leads are a lot harder to deal with if you lack Counter, since other than Ghost-types, not many Pokemon like switching into DynamicPunch, meaning you might have to switch a few times to safely get in a Pokemon who can OHKO Machamp. Roserade usually requires you to sacrifice a Pokemon to her Sleep Powder, and then she mainly depends on her Hidden Power type. Heatran maims Roserade who use Hidden Power Ice or Fire, while Shaymin can be used for variants who pack Hidden Power Ground instead. Gyarados also does well once Roserade is at -2 Special Attack from Leaf Storm.</p>

<p>Smeargle has to U-turn against Aerodactyl and Azelf leads because of the likely Taunt, and so he needs a partner to take them out after he has broken their Focus Sash. Choice Band Scizor is an excellent candidate to dispose of these two, as his powerful Bullet Punch easily KOes them before they can set-up or attack. However, be wary of Magnezone switching in, as it is commonly paired with the aforementioned leads.</p>

<p>When using this Smeargle as a lead, a spinblocker is a must to stop your entry hazards from being spun away. The Rotom formes are the best options for this due to their good bulk and great offensive presence. Gengar can also block Rapid Spin while being a strong offensive threat who can take advantage of Spikes, but he is very fragile and so one mistake could lead to his death.</p>

<p>Having Pokemon on your team to take advantage of Spikes is a must. U-turn users such as Flygon and Scizor, are great partners to Smeargle as they can cause many switches to rack up entry hazard damage. Phazers, such as Heatran and Swampert, can be used if they fit your team as they can slowly weaken your opponent's team from entry hazard damage. Gyarados and Lucario can both take advantage of Spikes to take out Pokemon who could otherwise stop them, such as Hippowdon in Lucario's case or Starmie in Gyarados's. Heatran, Shaymin, and Starmie are all strong offensive threats who can cause many switches to rack up Spikes damage and so make effective offensive partners to Smeargle. If you choose Counter in the last slot, then a Pokemon who can set up Stealth Rock, such as Heatran, is incredibly useful to add to the residual damage.</p>

Or

Approved x1

I have a lot of experience with this set, and I would like to say my personal favorite one is Spore/ Spikes/ U-Turn/ Perish Song. Gives it some utility later as a Perish Song-er, both to help finish off last resort pokemon and to stop pokemon from setting up on you.

IMO Explosion deserves a slash in the last slot. Even off of Smeargle's cruddy attack, you OHKO most machamp as well as putting a serious dent in almost anything.

Taunt should at least be mentioned in set comments, not sure if it should get a slash because it's not like smeargle already has a lot to do but w/e

i dont see the need for max attack on this set. at least give it enough def evs to not be 2hkod by standard metas bullet punch or somethin. i mean u turn doesn't really hit anything hard. its more for scouting than anything.

As a Smeargle lover and guru in DPPt, I recommend a couple of things. Stealth Rock sucks on Spiker Lead Smeargle. Its hard to get two hazards these days with Smeargle. Spikes has always been a good added bonus that very few Pokemon has access to. Stealth Rock tho, alot of good users can use it mid-game, so addin Stealth Rock is only wasting a slot. Taunt / Counter imo should be #1/#2 on move 4. Taunt is not only useful in preventing DDers to set up, but also prevents random stuff like Spore from Breloom or Will-O-Wisp from Rotom-A, etc. In case Spore doesn't sleep a Stealth Rocker, Taunt helps as extra insurance to make sure the opposing Pokemon do not get in Stealth Rock anytime soon. Most importantly Taunt helps prevent Pokemon like Skarmory / Forretress from setting up a Predicted Spikes. Even tho, you got your Spikes, getting up their Spikes up is just as worst for you. And seein that Lum Skarm got a lil popular like just a month or couple months ago, it might still popular, so you just Taunt Skarmory first, then Spore, and proceed to Spike. Also EVs on Smeargle should be 4 HP/252 Def/252 Spe

Other than that, good job.

edit: im hot

Encore is a good option also that prevents things from setting up on you. Taunt is kinda lame because faster shit can still get Dragon Dance, CM, etc.

Or

Approved x2

Or

Approved x3

Ready to be moved.

Edited in the written analysis now. I have mentions of all the moves mentioned by people. The reason it has 252 Attack EVs is because the Defense EVs wouldn't be doing much. Metagross is usually using Earthquake then Bullet Punch rather than two Bullet Punches so staying in is way too risky especially as it often has Lum Berry. The Attack EVs, however, make a big difference as for example on standard lead Azelf, U-turn goes from 15.1% - 18.5% to 27.4% - 32.9% which is a massive jump.

Besides the moves you mention in the description of the spiker lead, I have also had success with Destiny Bond and Lunar Dance. Destiny Bond has some distinct advantages over both explosion and perish song (dont lose smeargle if it fails; goes through sub; doesn't take 3 turns to work; if your opponent switches as you use it you will likely get another layer of spikes), and Lunar Dance can be game changing for an offensive team by granting a second use of Lucario, Salamence, etc. Keep in mind that it cures any status ailments in addition to restoring HP ti 100%.

You should give them both a try!

This is a pretty long analysis. Might I recommend shortening it a bit? I don't doubt that all of the information you provided is probably important, but culling out fluffy words and trying to shorten it would go a long way. We're generally concerned with conciseness as well as information. You know the drill. ;)

I think that defense EVs do actually have some merit, but not against Metagross. It is nice to be able to U-turn against Aerodactyl without risking being hit down into SR KO range. It may also protect you from lead Tyranitar and some anti-lead variants of Hippowdon, and, although it is not recommended to take one, will not leave you in SR range if you take an Iron Head from Jirachi. It also allows you to survive Fake Out + Night Slash from anti-lead Weavile, allowing you to put something to sleep and get up SR or a layer of Spikes.

Not to mention that outside of the lead position, Smeargle may actually be able to set up on very weak physical attackers.

Although these situations are rare, I can't see the need for an extra 10-15% or so on Azelf when you can merely trap it with a Scizor or ScarfTar, and it has paper defenses anyway.

jc104 said:

I think that defense EVs do actually have some merit, but not against Metagross. It is nice to be able to U-turn against Aerodactyl without risking being hit down into SR KO range. It may also protect you from lead Tyranitar and some anti-lead variants of Hippowdon, and, although it is not recommended to take one, will not leave you in SR range if you take an Iron Head from Jirachi. It also allows you to survive Fake Out + Night Slash from anti-lead Weavile, allowing you to put something to sleep and get up SR or a layer of Spikes.

Not to mention that outside of the lead position, Smeargle may actually be able to set up on very weak physical attackers.

Although these situations are rare, I can't see the need for an extra 10-15% or so on Azelf when you can merely trap it with a Scizor or ScarfTar, and it has paper defenses anyway.

Click to expand...

that pretty much describes it. azelf is frail and as long as its sash is broken, it can be handled very easily.

Rising_Dusk said:

This is a pretty long analysis. Might I recommend shortening it a bit? I don't doubt that all of the information you provided is probably important, but culling out fluffy words and trying to shorten it would go a long way. We're generally concerned with conciseness as well as information. You know the drill. ;)

Click to expand...

I agree. Don't be too over specific with certain leads or threats to Smeargle. Just tell the person what to do with Smeargle, but don't give them homework or anything like that. Hell, instead of putting a paragraph for teammates for abusing entry hazards, you could just simply put them in a few concise sentences.

I have a lot of experience of playing Smeargle lead. I have fell in love with Spiker Lead, but with more Def EV's. I Have used this set:
Spikes 4 entry hazards of course. Encore means u can save ur spore, leads like swampert and bronzong will SR first turn. So you just encore them, it also works well when people try to set up on smeargle, big mistake. Encore lasts a minimum of 4 turns, enough time to set up 3 spikes and switch to a counter. U-turn lets you beat azelf and aerodactyl, and switch out without being outpredicted. Also azelf and aero always taunt smeargle and you get a free switch to Scizor and they achieve nothing. The ev's mean you can take a hit so if your sash is down you can still use smeargle.

Ok, I added mentions of Destiny Bond and Lunar Dance since they worked well, and have also tried to concise it a bit, as well as removing Salamence mentions. I will consider whether to change the Attack EVs to Defense EVs when I talk to a few people. This is now ready for proofreading.

Hello!

Grammar-Prose Check 1 of 2.

Joel said:

[SET]
name: Spikes Lead
move 1: Spore
move 2: Spikes
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Stealth Rock / Counter
item: Focus Sash
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Smeargle is one of the best leads for offensive teams that want Spikes without losing any offensive momentum. Against bulkier leads who lack a Lum Berry, such as Swampert, Smeargle can Spore them and then freely set up both Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes thanks to Focus Sash. Against leads who are faster than Smeargle but can still be slept, such as Heatran, Smeargle will likely manage to only use Spore and set up one layer of Spikes or Stealth Rock, but this is still enough to help offensive teams. U-turn allows Smeargle to break the Focus Sash of Taunt leads such as Aerodactyl and Azelf whom he will be unable to Spore. It also keeps momentum in Smeargle's favor as he switches to a Pokemon who better handles the situation at hand.</p>

<p>The last slot depends on whether you want early Stealth Rock set-up or if you'd [Weird ' mark.] rather take out Machamp leads through the use of Counter while Smeargle's Own Tempo keeps him from being confused by DynamicPunch. Counter can also be used at other times if Smeargle still has his Focus Sash intact. A Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs are used so Smeargle outspeeds as much as possible, while 252 Attack EVs are used so U-turn at least does decent damage to Azelf leads. The leftover EVs are put in HP.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Other options for the last slot include Taunt, Protect, Magic Coat, Encore, Perish Song, Explosion, Destiny Bond, and Lunar Dance. Taunt stops the opponent's Pokemon from setting up either entry hazards or stat-boosts on Smeargle. Protect allows Smeargle to not have his Focus Sash broken by Infernape leads who usually have Fake Out. From there, he can Spore Infernape and set up one layer of Spikes or Stealth Rock. Magic Coat allows Smeargle to reflect Spore back at opposing Smeargle leads and Sleep Powder back at Roserade leads, who otherwise could stop Smeargle from getting any hazards up. Encore, Perish Song, Explosion, and Destiny Bond all provide different ways of stopping a Pokemon from using Smeargle as easy set-up bait. Finally, Lunar Dance gives another Pokemon on Smeargle's team a second chance at a sweep by restoring their health to 100% and curing any status ailments.</p>

<p>Smeargle mainly has problems with Infernape, Jirachi, Machamp, Lum Berry Metagross, and Roserade leads as he will be unable to get off a Spore and will only at most set up one layer of entry hazards. A bulky Water-type such as Gyarados can be useful to deal with Infernape leads. Starmie also does well against Infernape. Heatran and Magnezone both 4x resist Iron Head and can trap Jirachi with Magnet Pull in the latter's case. Heatran can also scare off Metagross leads, but must be wary of switching in on Earthquake. Gyarados easily takes on Metagross leads, only fearing Explosion, and so is a good partner. Machamp leads are a lot harder to deal with if you lack Counter, since other than Ghost-types, not much likes switching into DynamicPunch, meaning you might have to switch a few times to safely get in a Pokemon who can OHKO Machamp. Roserade usually requires you to incapacitate a Pokemon for her Sleep Powder, and then she mainly depends on her Hidden Power type. Heatran maims Roserade who use Hidden Power Ice or Fire, while Shaymin can be used for variants that pack Hidden Power Ground instead. Gyarados also does well once Roserade is at -2 Special Attack from Leaf Storm.</p>

<p>Smeargle has to U-turn against Aerodactyl and Azelf leads because of the likely Taunt, and so he needs a partner to take them out after he has broken their Focus Sash. Choice Band Scizor is an excellent candidate to dispose of these two, as his powerful Bullet Punch easily destroys them before they can set-up or attack. However, be wary of Magnezone switching in, as it is commonly paired with the aforementioned leads. [I just thought I can remove every one of your potential teammates for defeating Azelf and Aerodactyl and replacing them with a simple Scizor mention.]</p>

<p>When using this Smeargle as a lead, a spinblocker is a must to stop your entry hazards from being spun away. The Rotom formes are the best options for this due to their good bulk, but also for their great offensive presence. Gengar can also block Rapid Spin, while being a strong offensive threat who can take advantage of Spikes, but he is very fragile and so one mistake could lead to his death.</p>

<p>Having Pokemon on your team to take advantage of Spikes is a must. U-turn users such as Flygon, Infernape, Jirachi, and Scizor are great partners to Smeargle as they can cause many switches to rack up entry hazard damage. Phazers such as Heatran and Swampert can be used if they fit your team as they can slowly weaken your opponent's team from Spikes. Gyarados and Lucario can both take advantage of Spikes to take out Pokemon who could otherwise stop them, such as Hippowdon in Lucario's case or Starmie in Gyarados's. Dragonite, Heatran, Shaymin, and Starmie are all strong offensive threats who can cause many switches to rack up Spikes damage and so make effective offensive partners to Smeargle. If you choose Counter in the last slot, then a Pokemon who can set up Stealth Rock such as Heatran is incredibly useful to add to the residual damage.</p>

Click to expand...

You tend to overload on teammates for Smeargle's problems, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it kind of gets to the point where you're like "I get the idea." So I recommend that you trim down on all of the possible team options to a mention of one or two of the best teammates you can choose from. I kind of already done that with the Azelf and Aerodactyl paragraphs, as well as the Roserade's Hidden Power thing. Aside from that, great job Joel! :D

Thanks for that Fuzznip. :D
I've edited in your changes and trimed down a bit on teammates.

Here we go.

GP CHECK 2/2
(Havent done this in a while lol)
Additions in Bold
Deletions in Red


Wow, great job. I really only found a few things.

Thanks Dr. Reid. Edited in those few changes.

Joel's a noob

pink is grammar edits/comments
blue is prose/content edits


[SET]
name: Spikes Lead
move 1: Spore
move 2: Spikes
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Stealth Rock / Counter
item: Focus Sash
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Smeargle is one of the best leads for offensive teams that want Spikes set up without losing any offensive momentum. Against bulkier leads who lack a Lum Berry, such as Swampert, Smeargle can Spore them and then freely set up both Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes thanks to Focus Sash. Against faster leads who can still be slept, such as Heatran, Smeargle will likely manage to only use Spore and set up one layer of Spikes or Stealth Rock, but this is still enough to help offensive teams. U-turn allows Smeargle to break the Focus Sash of Taunt leads, such as Aerodactyl and Azelf, whom he will be unable to Spore. It also keeps the momentum in Smeargle's favor as he switches to a Pokemon who better handles the situation at hand.</p>

<p>The last slot depends on whether you want early Stealth Rock set-up or if you'd rather take out Machamp leads through the use of Counter since Smeargle's Own Tempo ability prevents him from being confused by DynamicPunch. Counter can also be used at other times if Smeargle still has his Focus Sash intact. A Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs are used so Smeargle outspeeds as many threats as possible, while 252 Attack EVs are used so U-turn at least does decent damage to Azelf leads. The leftover EVs are put in HP.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Other options for the last slot include Taunt, Protect, Magic Coat, Encore, Perish Song, Explosion, Destiny Bond, and Lunar Dance. Taunt stops the opponent's Pokemon from setting up either entry hazards or stat-boosts on Smeargle. Protect prevents Smeargle from having his Focus Sash broken by Infernape leads who usually have Fake Out. From there, he can Spore Infernape and set up one layer of Spikes or Stealth Rock. Magic Coat allows Smeargle to reflect Spore back at opposing Smeargle leads and Sleep Powder back at Roserade leads, who otherwise could stop Smeargle from getting any hazards up. Encore, Perish Song, Explosion, and Destiny Bond all provide different ways of stopping a Pokemon from using Smeargle as easy set-up bait. Finally, Lunar Dance gives another Pokemon on Smeargle's team a second chance at a sweep by restoring their health to 100% and curing any status ailments.</p>

<p>Smeargle mainly has problems with Infernape, Jirachi, Machamp, Lum Berry Metagross, and Roserade leads as he will be unable to get off a Spore and will only at most set up one layer of entry hazards. Gyarados and Starmie can deal with Infernape leads and also Metagross leads in the former's case. Heatran does well against Jirachi leads and also scares off Metagross leads, but must be wary of switching in on Earthquake against the latter. Machamp leads are a lot harder to deal with if you lack Counter, since other than Ghost-types, not many Pokemon like switching into DynamicPunch, meaning you might have to switch a few times to safely get in a Pokemon who can OHKO Machamp. Roserade usually requires you to incapacitate a Pokemon for her Sleep Powder, and then she mainly depends on her Hidden Power type. Heatran maims Roserade who use Hidden Power Ice or Fire, while Shaymin can be used for variants who pack Hidden Power Ground instead. Gyarados also does well once Roserade is at -2 Special Attack from Leaf Storm.</p>

<p>Smeargle has to U-turn against Aerodactyl and Azelf leads because of the likely Taunt, and so he needs a partner to take them out after he has broken their Focus Sash. Choice Band Scizor is an excellent candidate to dispose of these two, as his powerful Bullet Punch easily KOes them before they can set-up or attack. However, be wary of Magnezone switching in, as it is commonly paired with the aforementioned leads.</p>

<p>When using this Smeargle as a lead, a spinblocker is a must to stop your entry hazards from being spun away. The Rotom formes are the best options for this due to their good bulk and great offensive presence. Gengar can also block Rapid Spin while being a strong offensive threat who can take advantage of Spikes, but he is very fragile and so one mistake could lead to his death.</p>

<p>Having Pokemon on your team to take advantage of Spikes is a must. U-turn users such as Flygon and Scizor are great partners to Smeargle as they can cause many switches to rack up entry hazard damage. Phazers such as Heatran and Swampert can be used if they fit your team as they can slowly weaken your opponent's team from entry hazard damage. Gyarados and Lucario can both take advantage of Spikes to take out Pokemon who could otherwise stop them, such as Hippowdon in Lucario's case or Starmie in Gyarados's. Heatran, Shaymin, and Starmie are all strong offensive threats who can cause many switches to rack up Spikes damage and so make effective offensive partners to Smeargle. If you choose Counter in the last slot, then a Pokemon who can set up Stealth Rock, such as Heatran, is incredibly useful to add to the residual damage.</p>


Mostly subjective prose changes; nice job noobers ^_^

I'm a Pokemon master D:

Edited in those changes Nooblaxe ^_^