Kabutops (Update)

At last, all my stuff in the UU forum has been uploaded, so I can post this now.

Initial changes:

• New stuff in BLUE
• Reconfigured to new format
• Rewrote most Team Options (except for Offensive Spinner, which was already up to date), but NOT Set Comments as I don't want to completely eradicate the OP's hard work
• Swords Dance analysis orientated more to fit Rain Dance teams as really that's where Kabutops is most effective
• Removed OU stuff on Swords Dance, as there's a separate set for it

Stamps:

(Bluewind) (Heysup)

(Eo Ut Mortus)

(uragg)


http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/kabutops
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<p>Kabutops packs quite a punch (or... slash) with dual STAB on Water and Rock, a combination resisted by only a handful of Pokémon. With its STAB Aqua Tail, backed by Swords Dance, Life Orb, and rain, Kabutops can march through anything that does not resist Water, and it can deal with just about everything else with STAB Stone Edge. Kabutops is almost impossible to revenge kill as well—thanks to Swift Swim, Kabutops's Speed doubles in the rain, and it has STAB Aqua Jet to deter common priority users such as Blaziken, Hitmontop, and Absol. Kabutops can also function well outside of rain, as its base 80 Speed is relatively high even without a boost. If Kabutops gains a free turn, it is almost guaranteed at least one kill, especially under rain. One would do well not to underestimate it.</p>​

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall / Aqua Tail
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe​

[SET COMMENTS]​

<p>With Swords Dance to back up those great STAB moves and that impressive Attack stat, this version of Kabutops can be a devastating sweeper. Stone Edge and Aqua Tail provide superb coverage, only resisted by Toxicroak, Poliwrath, and Quagsire in UU. Waterfall is a deadly, reliable STAB move that carries a potential flinch chance, and it is the primary option for Kabutops’s main STAB move. However, Aqua Tail becomes noticeably more powerful in the rain, where a Swords Dance boosted Aqua Tail OHKOes Miltank, Hitmontop, and Weezing, as well as Registeel and Uxie most of the time. A Swords Dance and Life Orb boosted Aqua Jet is a very potent weapon and can OHKO many fast but frail sweepers, such as Blaziken, Nidoking, Houndoom, and Hitmonlee.</p>​

<p>If you want some more coverage on Kabutops, you can swap Aqua Jet for one of several coverage moves, though this is not recommended since Aqua Jet’s safeguard against priority is far more valuable than covering certain niche Pokemon. X-Scissor is perhaps the most notable option to deal slightly more damage to two of Kabutops’s deadliest foes—Slowbro and Tangrowth—although it barely out-damages STAB Stone Edge and will not come close to OHKOing either without a lot of previous damage. On the other hand, Return will 2HKO Poliwrath and Quagsire after a Swords Dance, both of whom Kabutops cannot beat otherwise.</p>​

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]​

<p>There are two separate sets here: Standard and Rain Dance. In both cases, maximizing Kabutops's Attack stat should be your first priority. If you are not running rain, Kabutops needs maximum Speed to at worst tie with other base 80 Speed Pokemon, such as Venusaur, Mesprit, Blaziken, and Altaria. Waterfall should also be used with this set due to its reliability. However, if you are running a Rain Dance team, an Adamant nature and Aqua Tail are preferable for the greater damage output, which guarantees the death of such threats as Uxie and Registeel. Alternatively, you can try a bulkier spread of 112 HP / 248 Atk / 148 Spe, which gives Kabutops a much easier time setting up on physical threats such as Swellow and Arcanine when rain is not up, while still enabling itto beat Choice Scarf Rotom in the rain.</p>​

<p>If not running Rain Dance on your team, you should note that Kabutops is much easier to stop. Kabutops's greatest threats are bulky Water-, Grass-, and Fighting-types. Thus, Venusaur makes an excellent partner to Kabutops, as it resists the STAB attacks of all those types and can hit back with its own STAB moves; Slowbro and Tangrowth are both OHKOed by special sets. Drapion is another option, as it too can deal with Tangrowth and can also trap Slowbro with STAB Pursuit. Bulkier versions are also helpful, as they can use Whirlwind to rack up residual damage. Both Drapion and Venusaur can also absorb Toxic Spikes. Lastly, strong Fire-types such as Thunder Fang Arcanine and Passho Berry Houndoom can bait out and weaken Water-types, allowing Kabutops to overpower them later on. Fire-types, particularly Moltres, can also break down Grass- and Fighting-types.</p> ​

<p>While Swords Dance Kabutops is fully capable of being used as a standalone sweeper, it truly excels on a Rain Dance team. Electrode is the fastest Rain Dance lead in the game and is guaranteed to set it up. As for other teammates, Uxie is extremely reliable at setting up Rain Dance and can also set up Stealth Rock, Reflect, and Light Screen to aid in Kabutops’s sweep. It can also grant Kabutops a free switch with Memento and is a good stop to Toxicroak. Entry hazards are also helpful for Kabutops’s sweep and can be set up by Pokemon such as Registeel and Uxie, both of whom also have access to Rain Dance.</p>​

<p>One problem with Rain Dance is its limited duration. Therefore, there are two ways to use this Kabutops in the rain. The first is to bring it in early and break your opponent’s team, while relying on other rain sweepers to clean up afterwards, and the other is to whittle down your opponent’s team with the relentless pressure of other rain sweepers, bringing in Kabutops to take down anything left standing. On this note, Ludicolo is an excellent partner to Kabutops for its ability to frighten away Tangrowth, Slowbro, and Milotic. Qwilfish can also break the opponent’s team—by setting up Swords Dance and threatening a sweep, the opponent may be forced to sacrifice their bulky Water-type to Qwilfish’s Explosion. Alternatively, it can also set up Spikes. On the special side, Gorebyss and Omastar are the most potent teammates. Gorebyss is indifferent to the priority moves that plague Kabutops and has Psychic to get rid of Toxicroak and Poliwrath; however, Omastar is faster and hits slightly harder.</p>​

<h3>Damage Calculations</h3>​

<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/252+ Uxie: 97.5% - 114.7%</li>
<li>+1 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/252+ Hitmontop: 105.9% - 124.7%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/252+ Weezing: 109% - 128.7%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/224+ Miltank: 103.8% - 122.6%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252 HP Registeel: 109.9% - 129.7%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252 HP Venusaur: 91.8% - 108%</li>​

<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Stone Edge vs. 252 HP Leafeon: 91.6% - 107.8%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Stone Edge vs. 248/252+ Milotic: 91.1% - 107.6%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Stone Edge vs. 0/0 Toxicroak: 98.7% - 116.3%</li>​

<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Jet in rain vs. 252 HP Hitmontop: 87.2% - 103%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Jet in rain vs. 4 HP Hitmonlee: 175.2% - 207%</li>
</ul>​

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Rapid Spin / Waterfall
item: Lum Berry / Focus Sash
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe​

[SET COMMENTS]​

<p>Moderate defensive ability and great attacking power make Kabutops a reliable lead. One of its main selling points is its ability to almost always be able to set up Stealth Rock at the beginning of the match. The most common Taunt lead, Ambipom, cannot touch Kabutops with its STAB moves and takes heavy damage in return, though you must beware of variants with Low Kick.</p>​

<p>Stone Edge is a solid attacking choice that will OHKO Moltres and 2HKO Cloyster, Qwilfish, Mesprit, and Spiritomb. A Stone Edge combined with an Aqua Jet will finish off Intimidate Arcanine and Ambipom. Aqua Jet will also handle the occasional Focus Sash lead such as Alakazam, as well as giving Kabutops the ability to revenge kill some Pokemon like Blaziken later in the game. The final slot is not as important as the first two. Rapid Spin is really what differentiates Kabutops from other suicide leads—with it, Kabutops can stop Omastar from setting up more than one layer of Spikes and get rid of the opposing lead's Stealth Rock. On the other hand, Waterfall is a solid and reliable STAB choice that doesn't have Stone Edge's accuracy issues. However, its only real use is on Hippopotas and Nidoqueen, and the utility from Rapid Spin is usually more valuable for a lead.</p>​

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]​

<p>Lum Berry will enable Kabutops to beat the Venusaur leads who try to put it to sleep on the first turn. It will also allow Kabutops to set up Stealth Rock on Uxie without fear of Thunder Wave or Yawn. On the other hand, Focus Sash will ensure that Kabutops will survive Alakazam's Focus Blast or Moltres's Hidden Power Grass and KO both of them with Stone Edge. It will also provide some security against Arcanine; no longer will you have to worry if it is carrying Hidden Power Grass. Bear in mind that outside of a critical hit, however, Kabutops will not beat it, because Arcanine's higher Speed means that it will ExtremeSpeed Kabutops before Kabutops can Aqua Jet. The 132 HP EVs allow Kabutops to survive Life Orb Ambipom's Fake Out + Low Kick, and either attack back with Stone Edge or set up Stealth Rock. Attack is then maximized, and the remaining EVs are placed in Speed, which allows Kabutops to outrun 0 Speed Uxie.</p>​

<p>As good as Kabutops is, there are a number of common leads who can cause it trouble, such as Uxie and Mesprit. Standard support Uxie is 4HKOed by Stone Edge at best when factoring in Leftovers, while Mesprit is 2HKOed by Stone Edge but is still faster and can set up Stealth Rock before escaping with U-turn. Both also have the potential to do serious damage to Kabutops with Thunderbolt or Grass Knot. Absol and Drapion are immune to Psychic and can either trap the pixies with Pursuit or set up with Swords Dance. These Pokemon will also be helpful in removing Ghost-types who block Kabutops’s Rapid Spin.</p>​

<p>If Kabutops does not carry Rapid Spin, it has trouble with other entry hazard leads. While Cloyster and Qwilfish are 2HKOed by Stone Edge, bulky Omastar is one of Kabutops’s worst match-ups; Kabutops can only 4HKO through Leftovers, while Omastar can set up Spikes and Stealth Rock or2HKO Kabutops with Surf. Offensively inclined Omastar can be 2HKOed by Stone Edge, but can OHKO back with Hidden Power Grass. Thus, if your Kabutops does not have Rapid Spin, you should consider investing in another Rapid Spinner, such as Blastoise. You should also consider Ghost-type support in order to maintain your own Stealth Rock on the field.</p>​

<p>When facing a lead such as Ambipom or Alakazam, prediction is key. If you manage to predict a Taunt, Kabutops can use the turn to strike back with Stone Edge, finishing both off on the subsequent turn with Aqua Jet. Theoretically, the most advisable move is to attack first, since regardless of whether they Taunt or not, Kabutops will still ‘win’ the match-up. However, on teams where Stealth Rock is immensely important, such as overtly offensive teams, getting Stealth Rock down regardless of Kabutops’s sacrifice should be your priority. The decision will usually boil down to the team you are running alongside Kabutops, and whose presence your team will benefit most from—Kabutops’s or Stealth Rock’s. If your team has the momentum to recover, Stealth Rock is important enough to warrant starting on the back foot, provided you have the means to make the most of it.</p>​

[SET]
name: Offensive Spinner
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Swords Dance / Waterfall
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe​

[SET COMMENTS]​

<p>The attributes that make Kabutops a successful sweeper—namely, a stellar base 115 Attack and excellent attacking STAB—also make him a great Rapid Spinner. One of the difficulties entailed in Rapid Spinning is eliminating the Ghost-types who switch in to block Rapid Spin, and while most other UU spinners are walled by common spinblockers, Kabutops can hit every Ghost in the UU tier for solid, neutral damage with his STAB Stone Edge. Offensive Ghost-types such as Rotom and Mismagius are KOed by a combination of Stone Edge and Aqua Jet, and even the most defensive Spiritomb is 2HKOed by a +2 Stone Edge. In most cases, an opponent will have to risk losing a Pokemon to Kabutops in order to successfully preserve his or her entry hazards.</p>​

<p>Stone Edge is Kabutops's strongest STAB option and is therefore absolutely necessary on this set. Aqua Jet provides excellent additional coverage and is invaluable as a priority move. In addition to finishing off weakened Mismagius and Rotom, Aqua Jet protects Kabutops from Dugtrio and allows Kabutops to pick off weakened or frail Pokemon such as Houndoom. Swords Dance enables Kabutops to beat Dusclops and Spiritomb, who will otherwise drain all of Stone Edge's PP with Pressure. It also lets Kabutops threaten a sweep and prevents other defensive Pokemon such as Milotic from walling him. Waterfall is not as useful without rain support, but it is an option over Swords Dance to hit the likes of Rhyperior, Steelix, and Donphan.</p>​

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]​

<p>Attack is maximized so that Kabutops can hit Ghost switch-ins as hard as possible, making spinning easier. With a Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs, Kabutops ties with other +Speed nature base 80s, including Venusaur, Blaziken, and Mesprit, which can be important when trying to sustain a sweep. If one does not wish to risk a tie with these Pokemon, there are a few lower benchmarks that can be aimed for instead. With a Jolly nature and a spread of 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe, Kabutops outruns max Speed, +Speed nature base 70s, such as Cloyster and Ludicolo. With an Adamant nature and a spread of 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe, Kabutops outpaces base 95s who lack Speed investment, such as Uxie. It is possible to go lower than this, although it is not advisable. Kabutops should be able to definitively outrun most Milotic, allowing him to perform a last-ditch Rapid Spin before being KOed should the need arise.</p>​

<p>While it may be hard to switch in on Kabutops, it is considerably more difficult for him to switch in than it is for other Rapid Spinners. It is easiest to get Kabutops in after a KO or on a double switch, especially on a Pokemon such as Swellow whom Kabutops can easily threaten and force out. Outside of that, offensively weak Pokemon, including Chansey, Clefable, and Miltank, as well as Fire- and Ice-types who lack super effective coverage moves, such as Arcanine (without Hidden Power Grass) and Articuno, are Kabutops's best opportunities to switch in.</p>​

<p>Kabutops is an excellent partner to any Pokemon in dire need of Rapid Spin support. Moltres is a notable example, capable of luring in Chansey, whom Kabutops can switch in on and threaten out, and forcing out many of the Pokemon who give Kabutops trouble, including Registeel, Donphan, Hitmontop, and Venusaur. Scyther also makes a good partner, as he can deal with Venusaur and Hitmontop as well as lure in Arcanine. Scyther can also be paired with Dugtrio in order to immediately get rid of Registeel—who walls both Kabutops and Scyther—by U-turning to Dugtrio as Registeel switches in. Dugtrio also traps and KOes Toxicroak, another Pokemon Kabutops struggles against.</p>​

<p>While Kabutops can handle all of UU's spinblockers by himself, doing so requires accurate prediction, not to mention relying on Stone Edge's shaky accuracy. In order to ease prediction (or cushion the blow of a Stone Edge miss), Pursuit Spiritomb can be used alongside Kabutops to trap and KO (or severely damage) most Ghost-types. Spiritomb also handles most Fighting-types, who are prone to switching in on Kabutops, especially if he has yet to Swords Dance.</p>​

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Waterfall / Aqua Tail
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Return
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe​

[SET COMMENTS]​

<p>Kabutops's mediocre typing and Speed ensure that it will have a difficult time setting up on most of the metagame. A Choice Band set tries to amend these problems. Stone Edge will make Venusaur think twice about switching in, as those without any investment in Defense take 95% minimum. Kabutops's main Water-typed attack will score a super effective hit on most Ground-types trying to switch in on Stone Edge. Aqua Jet enables Kabutops to revenge kill faster, weakened Pokemon such as Arcanine and Houndoom. For its final moveslot, Return gives a nice neutral attack that has the added advantage of being able to hit Toxicroak, Poliwrath, and Quagsire.</p>​

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]​

<p>There are a couple of options in the last slot if you don't want to go with Return. Rapid Spin is a useful option, as common spinblockers such as Mismagius and Spiritomb would be suicidal to try to switch in on something as powerful as Choice Band Kabutops, allowing it to get a surprise Rapid Spin off without much difficulty; however, this does mean that Kabutops will be locked into a weak attack, giving your opponent a very good opportunity to turn the tables on you. Superpower is another option that hits Registeel for more damage, but lowers Kabutops's stats, leaving it very vulnerable. Another point that merits a mention is an alternative, faster EV spread of 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Speed with a Jolly nature, which enables you to tie with all other positive base 80 Speed Pokemon, most importantly Venusaur and Blaziken.</p>​

<p>Kabutops is likely to run into far more obstacles with this set than with the Swords Dancer due to the loss of power and the inability to switch moves, particularly because it cannot switch to Aqua Jet to ward off revenge killers. Thus, you should play this set to its advantages, namely its ability to hit hard off the bat and impressive STAB coverage. These factors lend themselves more to a wallbreaker or cleaner than to a sweeper. You should consider carefully whether you want your whole team to benefit or to focus your efforts around one sweeper. Choice Band Kabutops tends to draw in Water- and Grass-types, who resist its primary STAB. Standard Tangrowth and Slowbro are both taking around 40-45% damage on average from Stone Edge, whereupon Pokemon such as Rhyperior and Arcanine can take advantage of them. Steel- and Fighting-types, such as Registeel and Hariyama, will also be worn down by repeated attacks, which can be good for sweepers such as Absol. Entry hazards such as Stealth Rock accentuate this weakening process, so make sure to include them on your team.</p>​

<p>There are a number of solo sweepers who work well with Kabutops. Swords Dance Scyther and Nasty Plot Mismagius are good examples of fast boosting sweepers, while Swellow and Alakazam represent frail but potent late-game cleaners. On Rain Dance teams, specially inclined cleaners include Omastar and Gorebyss, both of whom have enough power to muscle through a weakened team with STAB Hydro Pump backed by the rain. If you want a physical sweeper to take advantage of Kabutops’s weakening of physical walls, however, Swords Dance Ludicolo or Qwilfish are two of the best options.</p>​

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Knock Off / Stealth Rock
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Waterfall / Aqua Tail
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
ability: Battle Armor
evs: 152 HP / 104 Atk / 252 SpD​

[SET COMMENTS]​

<p>Being weak to the ever popular Close Combat and Earthquake means that Kabutops's good Defense stat is somewhat wasted. In fact, you are better off specializing in Special Defense and running Sand Stream to capitalize on Kabutops's resistances to Ice and Fire, as well as improving its ability to take Surf from bulky Water-types.</p>​

<p>This Kabutops can act as a pretty decent Rapid Spinner, mainly because of surprise factor. Pokemon like Venusaur and Hitmontop are more often the first switch-ins to Kabutops than Ghost-types like Spiritomb. Also, once your opponent catches on to the set, Kabutops can remove the spinblocker's Leftovers with a well-timed Knock Off, which, combined with sandstorm support, will significantly decrease its longevity. Stealth Rock is also a support option, but Hippopotas, the only Sand Stream Pokemon in UU, has access to it anyway. If you are using Kabutops outside of sandstorm, however, Stealth Rock is usually a better option than Knock Off for support.</p>​

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]​

<p>In order to take resisted attacks better, this Kabutops should maximize its Special Defense stat. Since sandstorm gives Kabutops a 1.5x Special Defense boost, it will gain the most possible stat points this way. After that, some HP EVs are recommended, not only to increase the overall Special Defense but also to improve Kabutops's ability to take hits from physical threats such as Arcanine and Swellow. A minimum of 52 HP EVs will ensure that Jolly Swellow's Guts-boosted Facade cannot 2HKO, and 200 EVs may be used so that Facade will never 2HKO with Stealth Rock factored in. Heavier investment does not serve any particular purpose but will also allow Kabutops to survive unexpected attacks such as Life Orb Arcanine's Thunder Fang. The remaining EVs should be used to buff Kabutops's respectable Attack.</p>​

<p>Hippopotas is almost essential in order to activate sandstorm, which is necessary if you want to make Kabutops’s special bulk worth using. However, this can cause the rest of your team to suffer if they are not immune to sandstorm, as the residual damage can wear them down quite quickly. Bulky Grass-types have the greatest type synergy with Kabutops. Venusaur has reasonable special bulk and can take Electric-, Grass-, and Fighting-type attacks aimed at Kabutops with ease, while in return Kabutops can switch in on Fire-, Ice-, and Flying-type attacks. Both can also cause heavy damage to the Ground-types that trouble them with their super effective STAB moves. Venusaur can also spread status, absorb Toxic Spikes, and deal with Slowbro and Tangrowth, two of the biggest threats to Kabutops.</p>​

<p>Rapid Spin support is extremely helpful to those weak to Stealth Rock, such as Moltres and Scyther. They and other sweepers also benefit from the Stealth Rock and Knock Off support Kabutops provides. To compound the residual damage, dedicated Spikers such as Omastar are useful, as well as Toxic Spikers such as Drapion. Drapion is also a useful teammate since it, like Venusaur, can absorb Toxic Spikes and beat down Slowbro and Tangrowth, as well as stopping Ghost-types who try to block Rapid Spin, and shuffling with Whirlwind.</p>​

[Team Options]​

<p>Weather is what differentiates Kabutops from the crowd. Sandstorm boosts its mediocre Special Defense, and rain activates Swift Swim as well as boosting its Water-type STAB moves. For sandstorm, Hippopotas can set up an everlasting sandstorm thanks to its ability, Sand Stream. For rain, Electrode can easily set up Rain Dance thanks to its base 140 Speed and access to Taunt. Uxie, on the other hand, is slower and bulkier and has important defensive synergy with Kabutops, as it can check Fighting-types, particularly Toxicroak, as well as buying Kabutops free switches with U-turn and Yawn. Altaria also falls into this category, as it can deal with Fighting-types as well as dangerous bulky Water- and Grass-types.</p>​

<p>Entry hazards are another crucial variable in Kabutops’s effectiveness. Milotic, among others, can only be OHKOed by a Swords Dance-boosted Life Orb Stone Edge with Stealth Rock damage. Stealth Rock can be set up by a number of good leads, such as Uxie. Certain Pokemon such as Steelix, Cloyster, and Regirock can not only set up Stealth Rock but also bait out bulky Water- and Grass-types and then use Explosion to both give Kabutops a free switch and rid you of a potential problem Pokemon. Omastar can set up all three entry hazards, and Cloyster and Qwilfish can use both Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Drapion has access to Toxic Spikes and can also employ Whirlwind to shuffle the opponent’s team and rack up residual damage. In addition, you may want to enlist the help of a Ghost-type in order to maintain your entry hazards. Conversely, if you are running a support Kabutops, you may want to run a Pursuit-user such as Drapion or Absol to facilitate Kabutops’s use of Rapid Spin. Multiple entry hazards are also advisable alongside support Kabutops in order to maximize the impact of residual damage.</p>​

<p>On a Rain Dance team, alongside Kabutops and a couple of set-up Pokemon, you will want some supporting Swift Swim sweepers in order to make the most of the rain. If you are using Swords Dance Kabutops as your final sweeper, you will want a way to break down your opponent’s team first. Swords Dance Qwilfish is excellent for this reason, as it can lay down Spikes, boost its stats, and proceed to tear apart the opponent’s team in the same manner as Kabutops. If it runs into a bulky Water-type such as Slowbro, it can use Explosion, taking out an important threat and paving the way for a Kabutops sweep. On the special side, Ludicolo, Omastar, and Gorebyss are all immensely powerful wallbreakers—Ludicolo in particular can defeat Slowbro with Energy Ball and Tangrowth with Ice Beam. If Kabutops is performing this role itself as an early-game Swords Dancer or Choice Bander, you will want a different late-game sweeper. Swords Dance Ludicolo has great coverage options in Seed Bomb, Ice Punch, and Zen Headbutt, allowing it to break through a team that Kabutops has weakened.</p>​

<p>When not used on a Rain Dance team, Kabutops is much weaker and much more prone to revenge killing. Grass-types such as Venusaur are excellent partners for Kabutops, as they complement each other both offensively and defensively. On the offensive side, Venusaur can take out Slowbro, Tangrowth, and Hitmontop, while Kabutops can switch in on Arcanine and Swellow and attack back or set up with Swords Dance. Fire-types such as Arcanine and Moltres can deal with bulky Grass- and Fighting-types, and can also lure out and weaken Water-types for Kabutops to dispose of. Alternatively, Kabutops can do the same for them vice-versa. These Pokemon also benefit from support Kabutops being able to Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock. Scyther and other Rock-weak Pokemon can also make good partners for this reason.</p>​

[Optional Changes]​

<p>Waterfall and Aqua Tail are the competing STAB Water-type moves on all sets, and both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Waterfall's primary advantages are its 20% flinch rate and 100% accuracy. The increased accuracy means that Waterfall is much more reliable on frailer opponents that both Waterfall and Aqua Tail will KO anyway. However, Kabutops will need Stealth Rock support to ensure the guaranteed OHKOs under rain on Miltank, Hitmontop, Weezing, and Registeel on the Swords Dance set with Waterfall, whereas it is not needed with Aqua Tail. The difference in power becomes much more apparent on the Choice Band set. For example, under rain Aqua Tail has a 90% chance (due to accuracy) to OHKO 252 HP / 252 Defense Impish Hitmontop after Intimidate, whereas Waterfall only has a 51% chance, even with the possibility of a flinch. It is up to you to make the choice between power and reliability.</p>​

<p>A +2 Aqua Tail, even in rain, has only a minuscule chance to OHKO max HP/max Defense Impish Registeel. Low Kick is therefore an option,as it will always OHKO the Steel-type behemoth with a Swords Dance boost. Natural Gift and a Liechi Berry provides an 80 Base Power Grass-type attack to maim Quagsire with. A Lum Berry can be handy on the Swords Dance set, so Kabutops's sweep isn't ruined by paralysis or burn. This is especially useful against the likes of Weezing and Uxie. Lastly, Kabutops can set up Rain Dance itself, but it generally needs the moveslot more than other Rain Dance sweepers such as Gorebyss, Omastar, or Ludicolo.</p>​

<p>With the exception of the Support set, Kabutops should always max out Attack. For the Swords Dance set, 242 Speed (184 EVs, Adamant) is the recommended minimum to outrun positive base 60 Speed Pokemon. Kabutops can also aim for 250 (216 EVs) and 256 (240 EVs) Speed to beat Adamant Absol and Feraligatr, respectively. Kabutops can also run max Speed to tie with other base 80s, such as Gardevoir and Altaria. If you are supporting Kabutops with rain, 136 Speed EVs is probably the minimum amount of Speed you should invest. Those EVs give Kabutops a Speed stat of 230, which beats Timid Scarf Moltres in the rain. Other useful investments are 144 EVs, for Timid Scarf Rotom and 168 EVs, for Scarfed +nature base 95s.</p>​

[Counters]​

<p>Under rain, there isn't much that can stop Swords Dance Kabutops without relying on a low damage roll or a Stone Edge miss. Quagsire and Poliwrath are the best options; they 2HKO Kabutops with Earthquake and Brick Break, respectively, and Kabutops's +2 Stone Edge only musters a 3HKO on max HP/max Defense Quagsire and Poliwrath. However, both must be wary of Return, which will always 2HKO after a Swords Dance. Slowbro and Tangrowth take massive damage from a boosted Stone Edge or X-Scissor but will survive both attacks and OHKO Kabutops with Grass Knot or Power Whip. Both must invest heavily in HP and Defense to do so, though.</p>​

<p>In the absence of rain, Kabutops is a bit easier to stop, as many Pokemon are no longer KOed by a boosted Aqua Tail or Waterfall. Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Intimidate Hitmontop can take any of Kabutops's assaults and OHKO with powerful STAB attacks. Registeel, Miltank, and Uxie can cripple Kabutops with Thunder Wave. Milotic cannot take a boosted Stone Edge, but in the absence of Swords Dance can cripple Kabutops with Surf or Hidden Power Grass. Offensive variants can also switch in on Swords Dance, outrun Kabutops, and OHKO it with Hidden Power Grass.</p>​

<p>When the skies are clear, a lack of Speed will also hurt Kabutops. Toxicroak can switch in on any move, outspeed Kabutops, and KO with Cross Chop. Venusaur works in the same manner, although it must take care not to switch in on Stone Edge, especially not one boosted by Choice Band.</p>​

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Post-critique changes:

• Nature/EVs/moves on Swords Dancer
• Concised nigh-on everything
• Alternate EVs on Swords Dance and Choice Band
• EVs changed for Lead
• Return > Superpower on Choice Band
• Rapid Spin > Waterfall on Lead
• Waterfall > Aqua Tail on Support
• GP Grammar-Prose check 1, thanks to Eo Ut Mortus
• Grammar Check 1, thanks to Aeron Ee1
• GP Grammar-Prose check 1, thanks to uragg

Kabutops really wants Jolly and max Speed for attacking sets, IMO, Speed-tying with Venusaur, Blaziken, Altaria, Mesprit outside of Rain is just too important. The slowest Kabutops should run is Adamant with max Speed, if you plan on it being in a Rain team, otherwise Jolly is the way to go.

On the Swords Dance set, i belive that Low Kick deserves a mention in the AC, or a slash with Aqua Jet. Aqua Tail doesn't always kill Registeel, and if you do not kill Registeel, it will T-Wave you and then you have an almost useless Kabutops. Low Kick, on the other hand will always kill Registeel after a Swords Dance.

I agree with shrang on the Swords Dance set EV spread: Kabutops should run Jolly and max Speed outside of rain and Adamant with the same spread when under it. I also changed the order of Waterfall and Aqua Tail because most of the calcs refer to Rain, and I guess its usage outside of weather should come first. IMO it should look something like this:

name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall / Aqua Tail
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Jolly and Waterfall were given the main slashes because Kabutops' usage outside of rain seem to be the main focus of the analysis, with one of its branches being the usage as a RD sweeper (when it loves to have Adamant and Aqua Tail for things like Hitmontop and such).

shrang said:

Kabutops really wants Jolly and max Speed for attacking sets, IMO, Speed-tying with Venusaur, Blaziken, Altaria, Mesprit outside of Rain is just too important. The slowest Kabutops should run is Adamant with max Speed, if you plan on it being in a Rain team, otherwise Jolly is the way to go.

Click to expand...

Bluewind said:

I agree with shrang on the Swords Dance set EV spread: Kabutops should run Jolly and max Speed outside of rain and Adamant with the same spread when under it. I also changed the order of Waterfall and Aqua Tail because most of the calcs refer to Rain, and I guess its usage outside of weather should come first. IMO it should look something like this:

name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall / Aqua Tail
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Jolly and Waterfall were given the main slashes because Kabutops' usage outside of rain seem to be the main focus of the analysis, with one of its branches being the usage as a RD sweeper (when it loves to have Adamant and Aqua Tail for things like Hitmontop and such).

Click to expand...

I specifically emphasised Kabutops's capabilities as a Rain Dance sweeper in the analysis because I feel that that's what Kabutops does "best". I have never had that much success with Kabutops as a standalone sweeper compared to stuff like Scyther, which is one of the reasons why I reorientated the analysis around rain in the first place. Rain sweeping is pretty much why Kabutops is so feared - though admittedly I'm slightly biased in that regard, as I prefer the high-risk version of Kabutops *if you're going to use it*, but I'm wrong about everything so yeah.

If you think that the standalone set merits the emphasis, then that's fine, I guess. I just disagree for this-that-and-the-other reasons. I'll make the necessary changes and add another paragraph dealing with non-rain teammates, as well as spelling out the two playstyles in the analysis itself.

The Cicada said:

On the Swords Dance set, i belive that Low Kick deserves a mention in the AC, or a slash with Aqua Jet. Aqua Tail doesn't always kill Registeel, and if you do not kill Registeel, it will T-Wave you and then you have an almost useless Kabutops. Low Kick, on the other hand will always kill Registeel after a Swords Dance.

Click to expand...

The thing is, I've never seen anybody run 252/252+ Registeel and Aqua Jet is ridiculously important for warding off revenge killers, so I'd never actually use it myself (which is my way of saying, I have never actually tried it myself), so I would like some more opinions please.

Sorry if I'm not writing particularly legibly, it's late and I can't really concentrate hard on anything.

bump

would like opinions please

Please look this over and shorten it considerably. Five gigantic paragraphs in AC for the first set is crazy, four enormous TO paragraphs at the end is over the top, an added three huge paragraphs to the Lead set. You must learn to concise better; you can tell the reader everything they need to know in less than half the text that you currently have. Thanks in advance.

yeah I was probably asking for that wasn't I

Oh well, removed all the unnecessary flavour text I could. The analysis reads really monotonously now, but I suppose at least it's more "concise".

--------------------



In my defence one of those paragraphs was added after posting, on request. However, it has been shortened to a pretty great extent:



-------------------



I didn't see much to remove here, they seemed fine IMO.



------------------




Yeah alright this one isn't much shorter, but I got everything I could out and this seems to be a presentable amount of words, especially for a Team Options section.



----------------------

I hope that's 'concise' enough. I don't believe in the 'only tell the reader what they need to know' philosophy, but that's quite irrelevant I'm sure.

It looks much better now, thanks.

bugmaniacbob said:

I hope that's 'concise' enough. I don't believe in the 'only tell the reader what they need to know' philosophy, but that's quite irrelevant I'm sure.

Click to expand...

For the record, neither do I. Look at any analysis I write and you'll see a lot of fun flavor. At the same time, you'll also see that I manage to tell the reader everything that they need to know. Your issue isn't primarily lots of flavor text, you also have the issue that Theorymon needs to work on: you explain every possible scenario even in cases where it is not that useful for the reader. For instance, you really shouldn't go down the list of every single Pokemon that has a common super effective move against a Pokemon in Counters. Just mention the big ones, those most likely to switch in and cause trouble. (You didn't do this any in this analysis, but you frequently have done it with others) Also, at your Team Options sections, notice how you reiterate a lot of the team options mentioned in the sets themselves? That's unnecessary. You should only mention Pokemon-wide teammates, not set-specific one. This sort of redundancy is also a factor into the length of your analyses.

If you are mindful of this sort of thing when writing analyses in the future, you'll notice it as you do it and hopefully correct it. It's important to provide information, but it's even more important to present it in a manner that allows players to actually read it.

About the Swords Dance damage calculations:

Replace the +2 Aqua Tail calculation on Hitmontop with a +1 calc, you forgot Intimidate on Hitmontop. Also I would add a +2 Aqua Tail on 252HP Registeel Calc. I think Venusaur should be represented too in the calculations but I don't know what set to use (252HP?) Lastly I think the Cloyster calculation is not needed. Nobody after reading the previous calcs would expect Cloyster, which isn't too big a threat without Surf, to survive anyway.

Ok it seems everything is good now. Just fix the calculations (I'm pretty sure Hitmontop's calcs are right, though it should say +1) and mention Registeel in the "calculations under rain" section.

Another thing I've noticed is that although Waterfall was given the primary slash, you still mention it as a secondary option (in the first paragraph of the Swords Dance set and in the Overview). You should also take a second look at the analysis to make it coherent (for example, in Other Options Waterfall is mentioned as the main attack, but on the aformentioned two sections it's not). Once everything is fixed this should be ready to go.

Summary of changes:

- Damage calculations: added Venusaur, removed Cloyster (Hitmontop's was correct as a calculation for +1 Aqua Tail, but put down incorrectly)
- Fixed inconsistency with Waterfall and Aqua Tail with regard to slashes on the Swords Dance set.

Any more comments?

I have extensive experience with Kabutops (in and out of rain), so I have a few comments on these sets:

- I would strongly recommend a bulky spread in AC for the Swords Dance set, with the mention that it can be used in the rain or as a bulkyish stallbreaker. The spread is 112 HP/248 Atk/148 Spe. The speed lets it outrun Scarf Rotom and below in the rain, which is about as fast as Kabutops is going to need to be. As an advantage, it can now set up on CB Kanghaskhan/Tauros (36.8% - 43.7% against 4/0, almost always a 2hko with Life Orb recoil, 33.2% - 39.4% against bulky, never a 2hko even after Life Orb recoil), CB Spiritomb (31.4% - 37.2% against 4/0, 28.4% - 33.6% against bulky, note that +2 Aqua Jet rarely ohkos Spiritomb). There are other examples but, simply put, I've found that unless the metagame is centralized rather heavily around rain, the extra bulk is far more beneficial than the extra speed. Definitely deserves at least an AC mention, possibly primary (but probably not since the non-rain SD set needs max Spe).

-What is with the random amount of speed on the lead set? You hit 242 speed which outruns...absolutely nothing of note in this metagame (spread was probably made back during the Honchkrow era, it outruns max speed neutral nature krow). Note that LO Ambipom beats you using the current spread. 132 HP/252 Atk/124 Spe never loses to Fake Out -> Low Kick from LOpom and even manages to outrun mix speed Uxie. I recommend using that.

-Support set confuses me a bit. Very unsure of viability, even on a sand team. It compounds the weaknesses of existing members (especially with the nasty 4x grass weak and the close combat/earthquake issues) and doesn't accomplish much besides. I mean, Armaldo is barely viable on a sand team as a spinner, and this seems like it would be worse at that job than Armaldo (doesn't compound weaknesses, better mixed defenses, not scared shitless of venusaur). I suppose I can test it and get back though...although that means I'll have to use a sand team .____.

-Choice Band needs Jolly and max speed mentioned in AC. Also Superpower to AC, Return should be the primary option there, with Rapid Spin getting a mention due to Spiritomb/Missy/etc not wanting to fuck with a +1 Waterfall/Stone Edge.

Those are all the things I've noticed so far. Good work on the analysis.

I have used the support set and had a decent amount of success with it. Even though it was by no means a remarkable defensive Pokemon, its resistance to Normal, Fire and Flying attacks was really useful to counter Swellow and Arcanine and set him apart the likes of Armaldo. I'd make Stealth Rock the main option over Knock Off though.

The second thing is regarding the Lead set; I really think Rapid Spin should be the first option, as its this move that sets him apart from other SR leads and actually makes him a very good choice. As the OP said, the things you are hitting are Hippoppotas and Nidoqueen, which aren't close from being common.

Also, there is a little something I hadn't noticed before; Waterfall / Aqua Tail issues has spreaded to other sets, and I think all of them but the Choice Bander (which is looking forward to hitting as hard as possible logically) should keep Waterfall as their main option.

OK, that's two stamps, so I guess this has passed the Quality Control stage. If there's anything else to add, please say something now so I can change this to Copyediting as soon as possible.

I don't see any other possible changes with this from a QC perspective, good work.

GP Check 1/2

Additions
Removals

[Overview]

<p>Kabutops packs quite a punch (or... slash) with double dual STAB on Water and Rock, a combination resisted by only a handful of Pokémon. With its STAB Aqua Tail, backed by Swords Dance, Life Orb, and rain, Kabutops can march through anything that does not resist Water, and it can deal with just about everything else with STAB Stone Edge. Kabutops is almost impossible to revenge kill as well—thanks to Swift Swim, Kabutops's Speed doubles in the rain, and it has STAB Aqua Jet to deter common priority users such as Blaziken, Hitmontop, and Absol. Kabutops can also function well outside of rain, as its base 80 Speed is relatively high even without a boost. If Kabutops gains a free turn, it is almost guaranteed at least one kill, especially under rain. One would do well not to underestimate it.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall / Aqua Tail
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Jet
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With Swords Dance to back up those great STAB moves and impressive Attack stat, this version of Kabutops can be a devastating sweeper. Stone Edge and Aqua Tail provide superb coverage, only resisted by Toxicroak, Poliwrath, and Quagsire in UU. Waterfall is a deadly, reliable STAB move that carries a potential flinch chance, and it is the primary option for your main STAB move. However, Aqua Tail becomes noticeably more powerful in the rain, where a Swords Dance boosted Aqua Tail OHKOes Miltank, Hitmontop, and Weezing, as well as Registeel and Uxie most of the time. A Swords Dance and Life Orb boosted Aqua Jet is a very potent weapon and can OHKO many fast but frail sweepers, such as Blaziken, Nidoking, Houndoom, and Hitmonlee.</p>

<p>If you want some more coverage on Kabutops, you can swap Aqua Jet for one of several coverage moves, though this is not recommended since Aqua Jet’s safeguard against priority is far more valuable than covering certain niche Pokemon. X-Scissor is perhaps the most notable option to deal slightly more damage to two of Kabutops’s deadliest foes—Slowbro and Tangrowth—although it barely out-damages STAB Stone Edge and will not come close to OHKOing either without a lot of previous damage. On the other hand, Return will 2HKO Poliwrath and Quagsire after a Swords Dance, both of whom Kabutops cannot beat otherwise.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>There are two separate sets here: Standard and Rain Dance. In both cases, maximizing Kabutops's Attack stat should be your first priority. If you are not running rain, Kabutops needs maximum Speed to tie at worst tie with other base 80 Speed Pokemon, such as Venusaur, Mesprit, Blaziken, and Altaria. Waterfall should also be used with this set due to its reliability. However, if you are running a Rain Dance team, an Adamant nature and Aqua Tail are preferable for the greater damage output, which guarantees the death of such threats as Uxie and Registeel. Alternatively, you can try a bulkier spread of 112 HP / 248 Atk / 148 Spe, which gives you a much easier time setting up on physical threats such as Swellow and Arcanine when rain is not up, while still enabling you to beat Choice Scarf Rotom in the rain.</p>

<p>If not running Rain Dance on your team, you should note that Kabutops is much easier to stop. Kabutops's greatest threats are bulky Water-, Grass-, and Fighting-types. Thus, Venusaur makes an excellent partner to Kabutops, as it resists the STAB attacks of all those types and can hit back with its own STAB moves: Slowbro and Tangrowth are both OHKOed by special sets. Drapion is another option as it too can deal with Tangrowth and can also trap Slowbro with STAB Pursuit. Bulkier versions can use Whirlwind to rack up residual damage. Both Drapion and Venusaur can also absorb Toxic Spikes. Lastly, strong Fire-types such as Thunder Fang Arcanine and Passho Berry Houndoom can bait out and weaken Water-types, allowing Kabutops to overpower them later on. Fire-types, particularly Moltres, can also break down Grass- and Fighting-types.</p>

<p>While Swords Dance Kabutops is fully capable of being used as a standalone sweeper, it truly excels on a Rain Dance team. Electrode is the fastest Rain Dance lead in the game and is guaranteed to set it up. For team players, Uxie is extremely reliable at setting up Rain Dance and can also set up Stealth Rock, Reflect, and Light Screen to aid in Kabutops’s sweep. It can also grant Kabutops a free switch in with Memento and is a good stop to Toxicroak. Entry hazards are also helpful for Kabutops’s sweep and can be set up by Pokemon such as Registeel and Uxie, both of whom also have access to Rain Dance.</p>

<p>One problem with Rain Dance is that its limited duration is limited. Therefore, there are two ways to use this Kabutops in the rain. The first is to bring it in early and break your opponent’s team, while relying on other rain sweepers to clean up afterwards, and the other is to whittle down your opponent’s team with the relentless pressure of rain sweepers, and then bring in Kabutops to take down anything left standing. On this note, Ludicolo is an excellent partner to Kabutops for its ability to frighten away Tangrowth, Slowbro, and Milotic. Qwilfish can also break the opponent’s team – by setting up Swords Dance and threatening a sweep, the opponent may be forced to sacrifice their bulky Water-type to Qwilfish’s Explosion. Alternatively, it can also set up Spikes. On the special side, Gorebyss and Omastar are the most potent teammates. Gorebyss is indifferent to the priority moves that plague Kabutops and has Psychic to get rid of Toxicroak and Poliwrath; however, Omastar is faster and hits slightly harder.</p>

<h3>Damage Calculations</h3>

<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/252+ Uxie: 97.5% - 114.7%</li>
<li>+1 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/252+ Hitmontop: 105.9% - 124.7%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/252+ Weezing: 109% - 128.7%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252/224+ Miltank: 103.8% - 122.6%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252 HP Registeel: 109.9% - 129.7%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Tail in rain vs. 252 HP Venusaur: 91.8% - 108%</li>

<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Stone Edge vs. 252 HP Leafeon: 91.6% - 107.8%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Stone Edge vs. 248/252+ Milotic: 91.1% - 107.6%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Stone Edge vs. 0/0 Toxicroak: 98.7% - 116.3%</li>

<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Jet in rain vs. 252 HP Hitmontop: 87.2% - 103%</li>
<li>+2 LO Adamant Kabutops Aqua Jet in rain vs. 4 HP Hitmonlee: 175.2% - 207%</li>
</ul>

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Rapid Spin / Waterfall
item: Lum Berry / Focus Sash
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Moderate defensive abilityies and great attacking power make Kabutops a reliable lead. One of its main selling points is its ability to almost always be able to set up Stealth Rock at the beginning of the match. The most common Taunt lead, Ambipom, cannot touch Kabutops with its STAB moves and takes heavy damage in return, though you must beware of variants with Low Kick.</p>

<p>Stone Edge is a solid attacking choice that will OHKO Moltres and 2HKO Cloyster, Qwilfish, Mesprit, and Spiritomb. A Stone Edge combined with an Aqua Jet will finish off Intimidate Arcanine and Ambipom. Aqua Jet will also handle the occasional Focus Sash lead such as Alakazam, as well as give Kabutops the ability to revenge kill some Pokemon like Blaziken later in the game. The final slot is not as important as the first two. Rapid Spin is really what differentiates Kabutops from other suicide leads - you can stop Omastar from setting up more than one layer of Spikes on you and get rid of the opposing lead's Stealth Rock. On the other hand, Waterfall is a solid and reliable STAB choice that doesn't have Stone Edge's accuracy issues. However, its only real use is on Hippopotas and Nidoqueen, and the utility from Rapid Spin is usually more valuable for a lead.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Lum Berry will enable you to beat the Venusaur that try to put you to sleep on the first turn. It will also allow you to set up Stealth Rock on Uxie without fear of Thunder Wave or Yawn. On the other hand, Focus Sash will ensure that you will survive Alakazam's Focus Blast or Moltres's Hidden Power Grass and KO both of them with Stone Edge. It will also provide some security against Arcanine; no longer will you have to worry if it is carrying Hidden Power Grass. Bear in mind that outside of a Stone Edge critical hit, you will not beat it, however, because Arcanine's higher Speed means that it will ExtremeSpeed you before you can Aqua Jet. The 132 HP EVs allow you to survive Life Orb Ambipom's Fake Out + Low Kick, and either attack back with Stone Edge or set up Stealth Rock. Attack is then maximized, and the remaining EVs are placed in Speed, which allows you to outrun 0 Speed Uxie.</p>

<p>As good as Kabutops is, there are a number of common leads that can cause it trouble, such as Uxie and Mesprit. Standard support Uxie is 4HKOed by Stone Edge at best factoring in Leftovers, while Mesprit is 2HKOed by Stone Edge but is still faster and can set up Stealth Rock before escaping with U-turn. Both also have the potential to do serious damage to Kabutops with Thunderbolt or Grass Knot. Absol and Drapion are immune to Psychic and can either trap them with Pursuit or set up with Swords Dance. These Pokemon will also be helpful to remove Ghost-types that block Kabutops’s Rapid Spin.</p>

<p>If Kabutops does not carry Rapid Spin, it has trouble with other entry hazard leads. While Cloyster and Qwilfish are 2HKOed by Stone Edge, bulky Omastar is one of Kabutops’s worst match-ups, as Kabutops can only 4HKO through Leftovers, while Omastar can set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, or else 2HKO Kabutops with Surf. Offensively inclined Omastar can be 2HKOed by Stone Edge, but they can OHKO back with Hidden Power Grass. Thus, if your Kabutops does not have Rapid Spin, you should consider investing in another Rapid Spinner, such as Blastoise. You should also consider Ghost-type support in order to maintain your own Stealth Rock on the field.</p>

<p>When facing a lead such as Ambipom or Alakazam, prediction is key. If you manage to predict a Taunt, you can use the turn to strike back with Stone Edge, then finish both off on the subsequent turn with Aqua Jet. Theoretically, the most advisable move is to attack first, since regardless of whether they Taunt or not, you will still ‘win’ the match-up. However, on teams where Stealth Rock is immensely important, such as overtly offensive teams, getting Stealth Rock down regardless of Kabutops’s sacrifice should be your priority. The decision will usually boil down to the team you are running alongside Kabutops, and whose presence your team will benefit most from – Kabutops or Stealth Rock. If your team has the momentum to recover, Stealth Rock is important enough to warrant starting on the back foot, provided you have the means to make the most of it.</p>



[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Waterfall / Aqua Tail
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Return
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Kabutops's mediocre typing and Speed ensures that it will have a difficult time setting up on most of the metagame. A Choice Band set tries to amend these problems. Stone Edge will make Venusaur think twice about switching in, as those without any investment in Defense take 95% minimum. Kabutops's main Water-typed attack will score a super effective hit on most Ground-types trying to switch in on Stone Edge. Aqua Jet enables Kabutops to revenge kill faster, weakened Pokemon such as Arcanine and Houndoom. For its final moveslot, Return gives a nice neutral attack that has the added advantage of being able to hit Toxicroak, Poliwrath, and Quagsire.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>There are a couple of options in the last slot if you don't want to go with Return. Rapid Spin is a useful option as common spinblockers such as Mismagius and Spiritomb would be suicidal to try to switch in on something as powerful as Choice Band Kabutops, allowing you to get a surprise Rapid Spin off without much difficulty; however, this does mean you are locked into a weak attack, and this can give your opponent a very good opportunity to turn the tables on you. Superpower is another option that hits Registeel for more damage, but lowers Kabutops's stats, leaving it very vulnerable. Another point that merits a mention is an alternative, faster EV spread of 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Speed with a Jolly nature, which enables you to tie with all other positive base 80 Speed Pokemon, most importantly Venusaur and Blaziken.</p>

<p>You are likely to run into far more obstacles with this set than with the Swords Dancer due to the loss of power and the inability to switch moves, particularly because you cannot switch to Aqua Jet to ward off revenge killers. Thus, you should play this set to its advantages, namely the ability to hit hard off the bat, as well as Kabutops's impressive STAB coverage. These factors lend themselves more to a wallbreaker or cleaner than to a sweeper. You should consider carefully whether you want your whole team to benefit or to focus your efforts around one sweeper. Choice Band Kabutops tends to draw in Water- and Grass-types, who resist its primary STAB. Standard Tangrowth and Slowbro are both taking around 40-45% damage on average from Stone Edge, whereupon Pokemon such as Rhyperior and Arcanine can take advantage of them. Steel- and Fighting-types, such as Registeel and Hariyama, will also be worn down by repeated attacks, which can be good for sweepers such as Absol. Entry hazards such as Stealth Rock accentuate this weakening process, so make sure to include it on your team.</p>

<p>There are a numbver of solo sweepers who work well with Kabutops. Swords Dance Scyther and Nasty Plot Mismagius are good examples of fast boosting sweepers, while Swellow and Alakazam represent frail but potent late-game cleaners. On Rain Dance teams, specially inclined cleaners include Omastar and Gorebyss, both of whom have enough power to muscle through a weakened team with STAB Hydro Pump backed by the rain. If you want a physical sweeper to take advantage of Kabutops weakening physical walls, however, Swords Dance Ludicolo or Qwilfish are two of the best options.</p>

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Knock Off / Stealth Rock
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Waterfall / Aqua Tail
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
ability: Battle Armor
evs: 152 HP / 104 Atk / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Being weak to the ever popular Close Combat and Earthquake means that Kabutops's good Defense stat is somewhat wasted. In fact, you are better off specializing in Special Defense and running Sand Stream to capitalize on Kabutops's Ice and 4x Fire resistances to Ice and Fire, as well as improving its ability to take Surf from bulky Water-types.</p>

<p>This Kabutops can act as a pretty decent Rapid Spinner, mainly because of surprise factor. Pokemon like Venusaur and Hitmontop are more often the first switch-ins to Kabutops than Ghost-types like Spiritomb. And once your opponent catches on, you can remove the spinblocker's Leftovers with a well-timed Knock Off, which, combined with sandstorm support, will significantly decrease their its longevity. Stealth Rock is also a support option, but Hippopotas, the only Sand Stream Pokemon in UU has access to it anyway. If you are using Kabutops outside of sandstorm, however, Stealth Rock is usually a better option than Knock Off for support.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>In order to take resisted attacks better, this Kabutops should maximize its Special Defense stat. Since sandstorm gives it a 1.5x Special Defense boost, it will gain the most possible stat points this way. After that, some HP EVs are recommended, not only to increase the overall Special Defense but also to improve Kabutops's ability to take hits from physical threats such as Arcanine and Swellow. A minimum of 52 HP EVs will ensure that Jolly Swellow's Guts-boosted Facade cannot 2HKO, and 200 EVs increases that to Facade + Stealth Rock as well. Heavier investment does not serve any particular purpose but will also allow you to survive unexpected attacks such as Life Orb Arcanine's Thunder Fang. The remaining EVs should be used to buff Kabutops's respectable Attack.</p>

<p>Hippopotas is almost essential in order to activate sandstorm, which is necessary if you want to make Kabutops’s special bulk worth using. However, this can cause the rest of your team to suffer if they are not immune to sandstorm, as the residual damage can wear them down quite quickly. Bulky Grass-types have the greatest type synergy with Kabutops. Venusaur has reasonable special bulk and can take Electric-, Grass-, and Fighting-type attacks aimed at Kabutops with ease, while in return Kabutops can switch in on Fire-, Ice-, and Flying-type attacks. Both can also cause heavy damage to the Ground-types that trouble them with their super effective STAB moves. Venusaur can also spread status, absorb Toxic Spikes, and deal with Slowbro and Tangrowth, two of Kabutops’s biggest threats.</p>

<p>Rapid Spin support is extremely helpful to those weak to Stealth Rock, such as Moltres and Scyther. They and other sweepers also benefit from the Stealth Rock and Knock Off support Kabutops provides. To compound the residual damage, dedicated Spikers such as Omastar are useful, as well as Toxic Spikers such as Drapion. Drapion is also a useful teammate since it, like Venusaur, can absorb Toxic Spikes and beat down Slowbro and Tangrowth, as well as stopping Ghosts that try to block Rapid Spin, and shuffling with Whirlwind.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Weather is what differentiates Kabutops from the crowd. Sandstorm boosts its mediocre Special Defense, and rain activates Swift Swim as well as boosting its Water-type STAB moves. For sandstorm, Hippopotas can set up an everlasting sandstorm thanks to its ability, Sand Stream. For rain, Electrode can easily set up Rain Dance thanks to its base 140 Speed and access to Taunt. Uxie, on the other hand, is slower and bulkier and has important defensive synergy with Kabutops as it can check Fighting-types, particularly Toxicroak, as well as buying Kabutops free switches with U-turn and Yawn. Altaria also falls into this category, as it can deal with Fighting-types as well as dangerous bulky Water- and Grass-types.</p>

<p>Entry hazards are another crucial variable in Kabutops’s effectiveness. Milotic, among others, can only be OHKOed with by a Swords Dance Life Orb Stone Edge with Stealth Rock damage. Stealth Rock can be set up by a number of good leads, such as Uxie. Certain Pokemon such as Steelix, Cloyster, and Regirock can not only set up Stealth Rock but also bait out bulky Water- and Grass-types, then use Explosion to both give Kabutops a free switch and rid you of a potential problem Pokemon. Omastar can set up all three entry hazards, and Cloyster and Qwilfish can use both Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Drapion has access to Toxic Spikes and can also employ Whirlwind to shuffle the opponent’s team and rack up residual damage. In addition, you may want to enlist the help of a Ghost-type in order to maintain your entry hazards. Conversely, if you are running a support Kabutops, you may want to run a Pursuit-user such as Drapion or Absol to facilitate your own use of Rapid Spin. Multiple entry hazards are also advisable alongside support Kabutops in order to maximize the impact of residual damage.</p>[/COLOR]

<p>On a Rain Dance team, alongside Kabutops and a couple of set-up Pokemon, you will want some supporting Swift Swim sweepers in order to make the most of the rain. If you are using Swords Dance Kabutops as your final sweeper, you will want a way to break down your opponent’s team first. Swords Dance Qwilfish is excellent for this reason, as it can lay down Spikes, boost its stats, and proceed to tear apart the opponent’s team in the same manner as Kabutops. If it runs into a bulky Water-type such as Slowbro, it can use Explosion, taking out an important threat and paving the way for a Kabutops sweep. On the special side, Ludicolo, Omastar, and Gorebyss are all immensely powerful wallbreakers – Ludicolo in particular can defeat Slowbro with Energy Ball and Tangrowth with Ice Beam. If Kabutops is performing this role itself as an early-game Swords Dancer or Choice Bander, you will want a different late-game sweeper. Swords Dance Ludicolo has great coverage options in Seed Bomb, Ice Punch, and Zen Headbutt, allowing it to break through a team that Kabutops has weakened.</p>

<p>When not used on a Rain Dance team, Kabutops is much weaker than usual and much more prone to revenge killing. Grass-types such as Venusaur are excellent partners for Kabutops, as they complement each other both offensively and defensively. On the offensive side, Venusaur can take out Slowbro, Tangrowth, and Hitmontop, while Kabutops can switch in on Arcanine and Swellow and attack back or set up with Swords Dance. Fire-types such as Arcanine and Moltres can deal with bulky Grass- and Fighting-types, and can also lure out and weaken Water-types for Kabutops to dispose of. Alternatively, Kabutops can do the same for them vice-versa. These Pokemon also benefit from support Kabutops being able to Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock. Scyther and other Rock-weak Pokemon can also make good partners for this reason.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>Waterfall and Aqua Tail are the competing STAB Water-type moves on all sets, and both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Waterfall's primary advantages are its 20% flinch rate and 100% accuracy. The increased accuracy means that Waterfall is much more reliable on frailer opponents that both Waterfall and Aqua Tail will KO anyway. However, you will need Stealth Rock support to ensure the guaranteed OHKOs under rain on Miltank, Hitmontop, Weezing, and Registeel on the Swords Dance set. The difference in power becomes much more apparent on the Choice Band set. For example, under rain Aqua Tail has a 90% 81% chance (due to accuracy) to 2HKO maximum HP/maximum Defense Impish Intimidate Hitmontop, whereas Waterfall only has a 51% chance, even with the possibility of a flinch. It is up to you to make the choice between power and reliability.</p>

<p>A +2 Aqua Tail, even in rain, has only a minuscule chance to OHKO max HP/max Defense Impish Registeel. Low Kick is therefore an option as it will always KO the Ssteel behemoth with a Swords Dance boost. Natural Gift and a Liechi Berry provides an 80 Base Power Grass attack to maim Quagsire. A Lum Berry can be handy on the Swords Dance set, so Kabutops's sweep isn't ruined by paralysis or burn. This is especially useful against the likes of Weezing and Uxie. Lastly, Kabutops can set up Rain Dance itself, but it generally needs the moveslot more than other Rain Dance sweepers such as Gorebyss, Omastar, or Ludicolo.</p>

<p>With the exception of the Support set, you should always max out Attack. For the Swords Dance set, 242 Speed (184 EVs, Adamant) is the recommended minimum to outrun positive base 60 Speed Pokemon. Kabutops can also aim for 250 (216 EVs) and 256 (240 EVs) Speed to beat Adamant Absol and Feraligatr, respectively. Kabutops can also run max Speed to tie with other base 80s, such as Gardevoir and Altaria. If you are supporting Kabutops with rain, 136 Speed EVs is probably the minimum you should invest in. It gives Kabutops a Speed stat of 230, which beats Timid Scarf Moltres in the rain. Other useful investments are 144 EVs, for Timid Scarf Rotom and 168 EVs, for Scarfed +nature base 95s.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Under rain, there isn't much that can stop Swords Dance Kabutops without relying on a low damage roll or a Stone Edge miss. Quagsire and Poliwrath are the best options. They 2HKO Kabutops with Earthquake and Brick Break, respectively, and Kabutops's +2 Stone Edge only musters a 3HKO on max HP/max Defense Quagsire and Poliwrath. However, both must be wary of Return, which will always 2HKO after a Swords Dance. Slowbro and Tangrowth take massive damage from a boosted Stone Edge or X-Scissor but will survive both attacks and OHKO Kabutops with Grass Knot or Power Whip. Both must have heavily invested in HP and Defense, though.</p>

<p>In the absence of rain, Kabutops is a bit easier to stop. Many Pokemon are no longer KOed by a boosted Aqua Tail or Waterfall. Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Intimidate Hitmontop can take any of Kabutops's assaults and OHKO with powerful STAB attacks. Registeel, Miltank, and Uxie can cripple Kabutops with Thunder Wave. Milotic cannot take a boosted Stone Edge but in the absence of Swords Dance can cripple Kabutops with Surf or Hidden Power Grass. Offensive variants can also switch in on Swords Dance, outrun Kabutops, and OHKO it with Hidden Power Grass.</p>

<p>When the skies are clear, lack of Speed will also hurt Kabutops. Toxicroak can switch in on any move, outspeed Kabutops, and KO with Cross Chop. Venusaur works in the same manner, although it must take care not to switch in on Stone Edge, especially not one boosted by Choice Band.</p>

Can't hide this =[

Thanks for the checks Aeron and Eo, just one more GP check to go.

removals in red
additions in bold



great writeup, just be sure to remember that 'you' refers to the battler, not the Pokemon.

GP CHECK 2/2

Thanks uragg!

Now ready for upload.

Heysup uploaded this, so I am moving it to uploaded now.