Smeargle
Hi C&C. I am taking over Smeargle for KnightoftheWind, so I've taken his OP and updated it with my own knowledge of Smeargle, which I've explained here. Anyway, I'm looking to get this done sooner rather than later so that we can update the on-site Smeargle ASAP!
Also, I've merged the three Baton Pass sets together and slashed the moves. They all function and play identically, the only difference is team options based on what they are passing. (Which I can discuss in the writeup itself) This will condense the writeup and make it a lot easier to digest for the reader.
Status:
Done (Ready for Upload)
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[Overview]
<p>Smeargle is somewhat of an anomaly in the world of competitive Pokemon. He has the lowest BST of all OU—and even UU—Pokemon, and yet he maintains his presence among the best of the best by having a movepool that quite literally expands ad infinitum. Knowing every single move in the game gives Smeargle an edge over the competition that he abuses to great effect in a variety of ways.</p>
<p>Those abysmally low stats truly do haunt Smeargle, however. He can't safely switch into any attack, and thus playing with him on a team often leaves you feeling as though you're playing with a Pokemon down at all times. Despite that, access to all of the entry hazards, and more importantly Spore, keeps Smeargle afloat in the OU tier and makes him a Pokemon that your opponents would be wise to not underestimate.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Spore
move 2: Spikes
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Counter / Stealth Rock
item: Focus Sash
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Smeargle is one of the best leads for offensive teams that want Spikes set up from the get-go. Against bulkier leads that lack Lum Berry, such as Swampert and Hippowdon, Smeargle can use Spore and then freely set up Spikes and also Stealth Rock, if he has it. Against faster leads that are vulnerable to sleep, such as Heatran, Smeargle will likely manage to only use Spore and set up one layer of Spikes, but this is still enough to help offensive teams. U-turn allows Smeargle to break the Focus Sash of leads such as Aerodactyl and Azelf, which commonly carry Taunt to disrupt Smeargle's setup strategy.</p>
<p>Spore, Spikes, and U-turn are Smeargle's greatest assets for offensive teams and are why you'd want to use him in the first place. The last slot depends on whether you'd rather take out Machamp leads, with Own Tempo to prevent confusion, or if you want to set up Stealth Rock early. Counter can also be used at other times if Smeargle still has his Focus Sash intact.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Because Smeargle really wants to go first in combat in order to Spore the opponent, 252 EVs are invested in Speed with a Jolly nature. 252 EVs are then placed in Defense to maximize his physical bulk, where he will be taking most hits and can respond with Counter. The leftover EVs are dropped in HP for a minuscule amount of added bulk. Focus Sash is the item of choice to keep Smeargle alive through one attack at the very least.</p>
<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 entry hazards or stat boosts on Smeargle. Protect prevents Smeargle from having his Focus Sash broken by Fake Out leads, such as Infernape. Magic Coat allows Smeargle to reflect Spore back at opposing Smeargle leads and Sleep Powder back at Roserade leads, which would otherwise 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 setup 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 has problems with Infernape, Jirachi, Lum Berry Metagross, and Roserade leads because they prevent him from using Spore effectively and limit his ability to set up. Gyarados and Starmie can deal with Infernape leads and also Metagross leads in the former's case. Heatran does well against Jirachi and also scares off Metagross leads, but must be wary of switching in on the latter's Earthquake. Roserade usually requires you to sacrifice a Pokemon to her Sleep Powder, but Heatran maims her afterward. Machamp leads are also a lot harder to deal with if you lack Counter, since not even Ghost-type Pokemon like switching into a possible Payback, meaning that you might have to switch a few times to safely get in a Pokemon that can OHKO Machamp. Smeargle has to U-turn against Aerodactyl and Azelf leads because of the likely Taunt, and so 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 necessary to stop your entry hazards from being spun away. Rotom-A is the best option for this due to its bulk and respectable offensive presence. Gengar can also block Rapid Spin while being a strong offensive threat that can take advantage of Spikes, but is very fragile, so one wrong switch could lead to his death. It is also important to have Pokemon on your team that can abuse the Spikes that Smeargle lays down. U-turn users like Flygon and Scizor fit the bill just fine because they cause many switches and thus rack up entry hazard damage. Heatran and Swampert can be used as phazers to slowly whittle down the opponent's Pokemon if they fit your team's style. Gyarados and Lucario both appreciate Spikes support for taking out Pokemon that would otherwise stop them, such as Hippowdon in Lucario's case or Vaporeon in Gyarados's. Heatran, Shaymin, and Starmie are all strong offensive threats in general that make good use of Spikes by forcing switches. If you choose Counter in the last slot, then a Pokemon that can set up Stealth Rock, such as Heatran or Swampert, is critical to add to the residual damage your opponent will suffer.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf Lead
move1: Spore
move2: Trick
move3: Spikes / Stealth Rock
move4: U-turn / Encore
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 40 Def / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With this set, Smeargle sacrifices the ability to take a hit for the ability to beat the faster leads that a Focus Sash leaves him at the mercy of. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Smeargle now catches Aerodactyl, Azelf, Infernape, and Roserade leads off guard with the fastest Spore in the game. Furthermore, Choice Scarf Smeargle functions much better in the mid-game due to his ability to outspeed base 130 Speed Pokemon and cripple them with Spore or Encore.</p>
<p>Ultimately, this Smeargle is still trying to set up Spikes for your team. To facilitate that, Spore, arguably the best move in the game, makes a return on this set. Stealth Rock can be used instead of Spikes if your team calls for it, but Smeargle is so effective at setting up multiple layers of Spikes that it's almost a waste. Against leads with Lum Berry that Smeargle can't beat anyway, such as Machamp and Metagross, U-turn comes in handy to quickly get out of Dodge. Encore, however, is an effective way for Smeargle to shut down setup sweepers—that is, those that aren't boosting their Speed—before they become a problem.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>For this set, general bulk is more valuable than specific bulk, especially if you're using Encore. You will be trying to sneak this Smeargle in against both special and physical attackers in order to Spore, Encore, or set up Spikes on them. Because of that, 252 EVs are placed in HP. 216 Speed EVs are used to outspeed base 130 Speed Pokemon with a Speed-boosting nature, such as Jolteon and Aerodactyl. The rest of the EVs are put in Defense to bulk up Smeargle as much as possible. If you're anticipating switching into special threats more, then placing them in Special Defense instead is a legitimate option. Destiny Bond and Explosion are viable over Encore or U-turn for taking an opponent down with Smeargle when he has done his job. Despite Smeargle's pitiful Attack stat, STAB manages to turn Explosion into a deadly weapon that can OHKO even bulky Pokemon like Gyarados and Machamp. When running Explosion, use an EV spread of 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe to maximize its damage. Finally, Lunar Dance can be used to give a teammate another chance at sweeping when needed.</p>
<p>While Smeargle has a better matchup with this set against many leads than a set with Focus Sash would, he still unequivocally loses to Jirachi (which OHKOes Smeargle with Iron Head) and Ninjask (which completes his mission of Baton Passing to a sweeper). Fortunately, you can take advantage of a Jirachi's Iron Head and use Pokemon such as Gyarados or Heatran to set up on it. Ninjask is crippled by Taunt, so a bulky Gyarados makes an excellent partner to this Smeargle lead. You should also consider using a Pokemon that can set up Stealth Rock; Heatran, Swampert, and Gliscor are excellent choices for this role. Magnezone can also switch into Jirachi's Iron Head with impunity and set up on it. Pokemon that can force a lot of switches, such as U-turn abusers and phazers, are great partners once Smeargle sets down a layer or two of Spikes.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move1: Baton Pass
move2: Ingrain / Belly Drum / Spider Web
move3: Spore
move4: Substitute / Taunt
item: Leftovers / Salac Berry
ability: Own Tempo
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Smeargle is a godsend for Baton Pass teams, as the options for things he can pass are limitless. Indeed, there are many things that cannot be Baton Passed except through Smeargle, making him irreplaceable in that regard. Such options include Ingrain, Belly Drum, and Spider Web, all of which are pivotal to the success of Baton Pass chains in different ways. The only other Pokemon capable of passing a trapping move with any reliability is Umbreon, but Smeargle has many unique features that make him just as viable.</p>
<p>After Baton Pass, you need to decide what you want Smeargle to pass to his teammates. Ingrain is classically the most useful, as it gradually heals your team's HP and prevents Roar and Whirlwind from working. Belly Drum is exceptional for setting up a huge boost, which can then immediately be passed to a sweeper that can abuse it. The idea here is to set up a Substitute upon entering the field. If the opponent's switch-in lacks a phazing move or Haze, use Belly Drum and then Spore; reverse the order if the opponent has such a move. Lastly, Smeargle can run Spider Web and attempt to pass the trap move to his team. This can guarantee an easy win if Smeargle traps a Pokemon that is easy to set up on. With Spore, Smeargle can employ his chosen strategy more easily by preventing phazing, disabling a serious offensive threat, or putting a trapped Pokemon to sleep. In the last slot, Smeargle will either attempt to buffer his awful defenses with Substitute or prevent phazing with Taunt after activating sleep clause. Substitute is generally the better option so that something like Scizor switching in cannot OHKO Smeargle with Bullet Punch, but Taunt can be very valuable in keeping something like Gyarados from Taunting Smeargle first.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set is mostly going to be faced with physical priority moves, so in order to maximize Smeargle's physical bulk, 252 EVs are put in Defense. It's critical that Smeargle goes first when using this set, so even if you are passing him Speed boosts, 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature are a must. Exactly 4 HP EVs are very important if running Belly Drum, because this will activate Salac Berry after one use of both Substitute and Belly Drum. Even on sets without Belly Drum, Salac Berry activating after three Substitutes instead of four gives Smeargle some leeway for taking residual damage. Leftovers gives Smeargle some staying power and allows him to set up multiple Substitutes over the course of the match as needed. However, when combined with Substitute, and especially with Belly Drum, Salac Berry is an incredibly useful option for enabling sweepers to rapidly sweep the opposing team. Lum Berry is also a viable item choice for when Smeargle absolutely has to switch into an opponent's Thunder Wave or Spore; it can save your entire chain in those situations.</p>
<p>Smeargle can also run other boosting moves over Substitute in order to pass those along as well. Good choices for this are Amnesia, which Smeargle is the best at passing, or Iron Defense, which allows Smeagle to take physical hits better. Smeargle is also the only Pokemon able to pass Dragon Dance, which could be useful to some teams looking for an immediate sweep.</p>
<p>Smeargle is not very fast, so passing him Speed boosts is probably the most valuable team support you can provide him. For passing Speed boosts, there are three main options: Zapdos, Gliscor, and Ninjask. Each of these Pokemon have their own distinct advantages. Zapdos is able to stop common phazers such as Skarmory, Suicune, and Swampert from acting due to fear of a strong Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Grass. Gliscor can use Taunt to shut down enemy phazers completely and provides your chain with valuable immunities to Electric- and Ground-type attacks. Ninjask, by virtue of his high Speed, can block Trick from shutting down your chain by outspeeding a Choice Scarf user and setting up a Substitute. Unfortunately for Ninjask, he tends to lure common phazers; thus, Ingrain is a valuable asset for Smeargle to pass to him. Since Smeargle functions best on dedicated Baton Pass teams, it's important to bring along teammates that can pass Attack or Special Attack boosts for your eventual sweeper. Ninjask can double up on passing Speed and Attack with Speed Boost and Swords Dance, while Gliscor can do the same with Rock Polish instead of Speed Boost. Scizor is a functional Baton Passing partner for Smeargle as well because he can pass Iron Defense, Agility, or Swords Dance, while also posing as an offensive threat in his own right.</p>
<p>Which Pokemon you pass the boosts to changes based on which boosts Smeargle is passing. Ingrain and Spider Web, as mentioned above, function best on dedicated Baton Pass chains to sturdy recipients. Belly Drum, however, is very functional as a shallow pass that goes right from Smeargle to a sweeper, like Aerodactyl or Gyarados. Aerodactyl is blisteringly fast with only one Speed boost and can easily sweep with a Belly Drum boost, but must be wary of priority from the likes of Infernape or Scizor. Metagross, Gyarados, and Lucario are good if they can get more than a single Speed boost from the chain. Metagross and Lucario are usually better off running priority of their own so that they can stop faster Pokemon if they can only get one stage of Speed passed to them. The Belly Drum variant of this set also functions respectably well in the Uber tier, especially since this is one of the very few Baton Passing functions that Mew cannot do. If used in Ubers, good recipients for the boosts are Groudon, Rayquaza, and Garchomp.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>In terms of typing, Smeargle doesn't really synergize offensively or defensively with any Pokemon barring the immunity to Ghost-type attacks. However, Smeargle's utility to your team depends exclusively on his partners. Basically, the more you invest into making Smeargle work, the better he will function for you. Sets that lay down Spikes should be paired with spinblockers like Rotom-A and sweepers that can abuse them, such as Lucario, Scizor, Dragonite, and Gyarados. Baton Pass sets should always be partnered with both high-power recipients and Pokemon that can handle priority users and phazers. Good choices for the recipients are Pokemon immune to Toxic Spikes like Lucario, Metagross, Gyarados, and Dragonite. Solid utility partners to Smeargle for various reasons are Vaporeon, Gliscor, Ninjask, and Zapdos. Vaporeon takes on Scizor with ease, Gliscor can Taunt phazers and has great physical bulk, Ninjask can pass fast Speed and Attack boosts, and Zapdos is such an impressive offensive force that Pokemon like Skarmory and Suicune won't take a chance at phazing.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>The question you should be asking yourself is: "What option <em>doesn't</em> Smeargle have?" Smeargle has access to every move in the game, and therefore can do pretty much anything; the problem is that he can't do most of those things well. If you were considering using Smeargle offensively, save yourself the trouble and don't; Kakuna has higher attacking stats than Smeargle, which should pretty much kill the idea for you. Smeargle can set up Toxic Spikes instead of Spikes, but this job is better delegated to the likes of Roserade or Tentacruel, both of which have much better mid-game utility on offensive and balanced teams than Smeargle. Rapid Spin is in Smeargle's repertoire, but without the bulk to switch in, it makes a poor choice as well. Every other option even worth its salt in Smeargle's movepool has been mentioned in the above sets, so those are generally the way to go.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Smeargle is KOed by even the slightest of breezes, so pretty much any Pokemon with a respectably powerful STAB attack will beat him. That said, switching into Smeargle the first time he's out is troublesome because of Spore, so a Pokemon able to absorb it is handy to have. RestTalk Pokemon can switch into Spore and use Sleep Talk to try to take Smeargle out the following turn. A user of Rapid Spin is very helpful for removing the hard-won Spikes that Smeargle sets up, and there's none better for this role against offensive teams than Starmie. Starmie's powerful Hydro Pump obliterates both Smeargle and the spinblockers that might be sent in to nullify Rapid Spin.</p>
